Texts of Scripture seem to me fully to evidence it as first that great Promise That they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn with such a penitent Contrition promised to them in mercy Zac. 12.10 compared with Rev. 1.7 with Even so Amen as a great mercy in its time to be accomplished And from St. Peter's Sermon to the Jews when he tells them That the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord at the restitution of all things shall come when God will send Jesus whom the Heavens must contain till then Act. 3.19 20 21. which the Apostle Paul calls Christs apearing at his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 and in Dan. 7. after the little Horn the Pope spoken of before verse 9. the Ancient of Days did sit and in verse 21. the little Horn prevailed until the Ancient of Days came verse 22. which is further explained vers 26 27. And Matth. 24. after the coming of the Son of man was described by the Lightning from one part of the Heaven to the other and after the trouble then to be upon the Earth vers 29. it is said Immediately shall appear the sign of the Son of man which is probably conceived to be Christ himself as a sign then to the whole World and the time seems decyphered verse 24. that that Generation shall not pass namely in that the Nation of the Jews was to remain distinguished from all other People for they have been and will be preserved mostly unmixed with others until the appearing of Christ and as 2 Thess 2.8 Antichrist is to be destroyed at the appearance of his coming So likewise Matth. 23.39 Ye shall not see me till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord implying that then they shall see him And in that Parable up-upon the occasion of the time of the appearing of the Kingdom of God verse 11. having before Chap. 17. compared the days of the Son of man to the days of Noah and Lot which latter of Lot seems to resemble the next appearing of Christ and the former namely of Noah his last coming to Judgement those two days of the Son of man Now as Lot and his Family were sent out of Sodom first before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in that particular destruction so the Faithful shall first come out of Babylon and spiritual Sodom before it be destroyed in that partial destruction though like to be very great and terrible And as Noah and his in the general Deluge were carried by the Ark above the destruction of the old World by Water so in the general conflagration of the World at Christs last coming all the Faithful at their great general change shall be caught up to Christ their safe Ark in the Air above the destruction of the Wicked by fire at the Worlds last destruction and as the Rabbins speak from the Prophet Their strength shall then be renewed like the Eagles and be there with Christ in safety as neither lyable nor capable any more of any such misery I say then in the 11th Chapter he speaks of such a coming vers 13. when he will reckon with such as would nor have him reign over them and with the unprofitable Servant at his coming v. 23. and will have those his Enemies then brought and slain before him vers 27. when he shall receive his Kingdom and return as vers 12. and this Parable was particularly spoken by our Saviour to resolve the mistake of such as thought the Kingdom of the Messiah should then immediately appear vers 11. And many of the Prophers expressions import as much which I shall not now insist upon But for how long and in what manner he may be personally present so as Rev. 1.7 he is said to come with Clouds haply to unvail the brightness of his Glory which otherwise mortal Eyes could not endure I dare not say for as the Apostle Paul speaks he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto otherwise As no man hath seen him so no man can see him 1 Tim. 6.16 and whether after some time of his appearing personally that expression of the Tabernacle of God its being with men as Rev. 21.3 imports some wonderful Glory and Grace upon the New Jerusalem as upon the Tabernacle of his Grace of old or the Glory of God shining upon it as Isa 60.1 whose Sun and Light setteth not day nor night vers 19 20. by some brightness of Glory and Grace shining upon her continually making glad the City of God when the Lamb shall be her Light as Rev. 21.23 or their beholding of him as Stephen did miraculously at his death sitting at Gods right Hand or in what manner the Ark of Gods Testament shall then be seen when the Temple of God is opened in Heaven Rev. 11.19 with many expressions to like purpose or how long that Resurrectio Justorum shall be in finishing which Mr. Mede in one of his Letters seems to conceive may be a great part of the thousand years and according to their order as the Apostles phrase is first of the Martyrs and most eminent Saints and so of the rest successively concerning which and the like as I am in the dark so I must be silent God in his own time will reveal what he knows best for his People in the mean time there is matter enough of Comfort and Rejoycing in respect of both Quick and Dead in the good and blessed Condition of his Church in the said thousand years upon Earth to all such as so wait upon Christ here as the true Followers of the LAMB Rev. 14. that they may be in a capacity of the Happiness reserved for either sort in those times for which the Holy Scriptures give plentiful Evidence if Men will not hide their Eyes from the Light thereof Thus Christian Friend I have as in a Mirrour briefly being led by the Hand of Divine Providence and assisted by his Grace and Spirit according to his Word endeavoured to set before thee these Materials of the New Jerusalem-Doctrine hoping that hence thou mayest with me have gladness put into thy Heart above what men have when their Corn and Wine and Oyl encreaseth Psal 4. I conclude with this Prayer for Thee and my Self That the Knowledge and Faith of these things may be sanctified dayly more and more unto us and may more and more engage our Hearts unto the LORD to whom all the service of our whole Spirits Souls and Bodies is ever due and in the faithful endeavour therein our labour will never be in vain Many other things I should here have added to like purposes but am now forced to defer them till God may afford some further engaging Opportunity In the mean time let us render unto Him the Glory of all we are or have or do or expect which ever of Right will belong unto His Divine Majesty To Glory's GOD all Glory 's due for aye To Him alone This Due let all His pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The End 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ERRATA In the Title Page for Aurorum read Auroram pag. 26. l. 7. r. they p. 25. l 4. r. cast up p. 31. l 36 r said wings and l. 40. r. fifth Century p. 32. l. 21. add to be expired
their Peace and Reconciliation with God through that expiation that he should or hath made for their sins thirdly in the like way also to evidence to them at one time or other Å¿ Act. 2.36 that he is their powerful King and Protector that hath and doth and will subdue all his and their Enemies and keep them in a loyal and good condition by Faith and Grace unto Salvation Twelfthly Consider that the general more eminent and glorious execution of those three great Offices for his universal Church more remarkably in the World is in these three great Periods of his manifesting himself in the World according to all that his t Joh. 4.34 Father had given him to do 1. As u 1 Pet. 3.19 20. the great Prophet of his Church by his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in all his immediate Messengers till his coming in the Flesh and so Christ is said to preach in the time of Noah to the Spirits in Prison as St. Peter speaketh 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2. As w Psal 110.4 Heb. 5.6 7. Chap. the great high Priest in the second Period after his coming in the flesh when putting an end to all the Types and Shadows of his Priesthood he actually undertook in his Person and executed the Work and Office of Priesthood as the great High Priest having made a full and perfect attonement and satisfaction for the sins of all his People he ascended into the x Heb. 8.1 Holy of holies the highest Heavens there sitting at the right Hand of God the Father powerful and glorious there to execute and improve that Office by making intercession for his People till his coming again 3. y Rev. 11.15 5.10 In the third great Period of the World under the seventh Trumpet Christ will appear more eminently in executing the Office of a King in this general consideration in respect of his Universal Church subduing wonderfully and manifestly in the world z Rev. 2.27 Rev. 19.11 to the end his own and his Churches Enemies powerfully a Deut. 30.4 5 6. graciously enabling his Saints to walk in the obedience of his Laws taking away in a great degree the evils of sin and suffering with the causes of both by b Rev. cap. 19 20. binding of Satan and destroying the wicked powers of the World c. I say in a great degree though not then c Rev. 20.7 8 9 10. totally nor finally Lastly Consider how Christ hath and doth and will work in these three great Periods of the World In the first he wrought by d 1 Pet. 1.11 12. his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation making known the Will of the Father in all things for substance respecting Faith and Obedience In the second By e Joh. 1.17 Joh. 14.17 Joh. 17.17 his Spirit of Grace and Truth powerfully sanctifying his people more eminently and largely then in the former In the last When he will take to himself his Kingly Power Rev. 11.15 19. by f 2 Cor. 3.18 2 Tim. 1.7 his Spirit of Power and Domination What things concern this third Period see further after the large Paper December 7. 1664. Novemb. 3. 1663. Part of a Letter sent to a Friend not long after the Writer thereof had more intensively inquired into the last times in order held out in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ contained under the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.9 and Thousand years of Christ's Reign on Earth Rev. 20. AS for the New-Jerusalem since the bar was taken away whereby I have formerly conceived it to be an Article of Faith which the Scripture expresly declared viz. That the Heavens must contain Christ's Person till his coming the second time to Judgement My meaning was to the last Judgment I have I say found much since in Scripture but especially in the Book of the Revelation to tend to a coming of Christ as the great Monarch to set up his glorious Kingdom upon the putting down all other worldly Powers that stood in opposition to him 1 Cor. 15. when he will begin to judge the quick and dead Rev. 11.17 18. I have lately perused Mr. Archers Book of Christ's Personal Reign and though in all things therein I am not satisfied yet I cannot find solid reason in many things to dissent and in other things it seemeth convincing and doubtless in his time he was a very discerning Christian and I had of late before I read that or any other of the like nature since my most earnest search into mystical Prophecies of the latter times the same apprehensions of divers passages in Scripture which I find to agree with his Book as the applying what our Saviour promised to his Disciples when he came to his Kingdom which I find will be in the Thousand years Rev. 20.4 promised to the New-Jerusalem Inhabitants Rev. 3.21 that then they should sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And that of our Saviour Luke 21.24 that Jerusalem should be trodden under foot till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled but to be raised up again then And when he wept over Jerusalem he said They namely that People of the Jews should not see him thenceforth till they said Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Mat. 23. ult denoting that then they should see him And that Promise Zech. 12.10 to the end which is in a way of mercy foreshewing how upon their Conversion they should mourn in humble contrition and look to him at his appearing when that Nation shall be born in a day Isa 66.8 which judicious Expositors apply to the expression Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him that is the People of the Jews that after their imprecation on themselves and on their children shall be accomplished will as the Apostle Paul speaks Rom. 11. appear to be beloved for their Fathers sake when those times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Act. 3.19 and then all Israel shall be saved both of Jew and Gentile And though many grave Divines for a long time interpreted all that hath been spoken to this purpose for the most part to a spiritual sense yet the things that some hold out to the contrary seem easie to be answered so that if this Opinion or rather matter of Faith be but freed from those evil additions that the subtilty of Satan in the primitive times thrust upon it as if it should be a Kingdom of sensual pleasure for before this misrepresentations or false aspersions rather as Mr. Mede notes it was very antient And freed likewise from that bold presumption and scandalous wickedness of our latter times for any under pretence of Christs Kingdom given to the Saints to go about by the Sword or any other unlawful means to divest Magistrates and Governors of their Offices to take that Kingdom before Christ give it to them
are the first Times after the giving of the Revelation to St. John towards the end of the first Century or first hundred of years after Christs coming in the Flesh the which said six Seals reached to the time wherein Constantine the Great threw down the Heathenish Idolatry in the Roman Empire about the year 320. after Christ they are set down Rev. 6. But out of the seventh Seal proceeded the Seven Trumpets whereof the six first contain all the ensuing time of the Roman Empire both Christian and Antichristian and the seventh Trumpet will begin at the ruine of Antichrist Vide Paper of Decemb. 7. 1664. Where divers Reasons are given for it and continue as some conceive to the last day of Judgement or rather to the beginning of the thousand years The first four Trumpets which are reckoned the milder miseries upon that World of the Roman Empire contain somewhat above two hundred years after Constantine Rev. 8. When the Goths Vandals Hunnes Almains c. by degrees took away the Emperour who was he that letted the revealing of Antichrist spoken of 2 Thes 2. The other three Trumpets called the Vae vae vae Tubae or three Woe-Trumpets Rev. 8. last vers are as follows The first Wo-Trumpet or fifth Trumpet is conceived to begin Anno Domini 622. according to Helvicus when those Locusts out of the bottomless Pit viz. the Saracens subdued and over-ran one half of the Eastern Roman Empire bringing in with them that horrible Imposture of Mahometism Rev. 9. first part of the Chapter which continued till about Anno Domini 1300. When the second Wo-Trumpet or sixth Trumpet is conceived to have begun when the Turks the other Mahometan Locusts overcame the Saracens and overcame likewise the other half of the Eastern Roman Empire Rev. 9. latter part of the Chapter which Trumpet will end with the utter perdition of the last Head of the Roman State viz. the ruine of the Popedom being the Feet and Toes of the Image expounded by Daniel cap. 2. And for the state of the Church contemporary with these contained in the little Book in the Angels Hand Revelations 10. after a short Chronological Table as it were of both Prophecies chap. 11. to vers 15. and thence to the end of the Chapter a short Relation of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and state of the World then and thence forward as after follows The first Contemporary State of the Church is set down chap. 12. containing the Primative times till Constantines and the Dragons flood of Arrian Persecution from those times till the Womans the True Church her flight into the Wilderness not long after the Year of our Lord 400. when its probable the Date of the Beast began the false Apostatical Church when the Western last Head of the fourth Beast which had received a deadly wound was again healed set forth by two Beasts chap. 13. The first having seven Heads and ten Horns deciphering the Politick State the other with two Horns like a Lamb and speaking like a Dragon the Eclesiastick State thereof whose time is forty two months the same with the Lord Christs two Witnesses prophesying in Sackcloth 1260 dayes of years Rev. 11. and the Womans the True Church her abode in the Wilderness for a time times and half a time as chap. 12.14 where the Lord 's said Witnesses nourish her to the end of the said time and last period of the sixth Trumpet under which most if not all of the seven Vials the seven last Plagues Rev. 15.16 are poured out upon the Beast the Popish State and Church to the utter destruction thereof whilst the 144000 followers of the Lamb stand with him upon Mount Zion Rev. 14. harping with their Harps and singing as it were a new Song before the Throne and the four living Wights and twenty four Elders who are excellently described ver 4 5. till all the Angels had done their Messages and the Son of Man that sat on the white Cloud had thrust in his sharp Sickle several times at the request of the last Angels to reap the Harvest Grapes of the Earth fully ripe to the end of the chap. Which Angels seem contemporary if not the same with the seven Angels pouring out the seven Vials chap. 16. particularly set down And it seems probable that the sixth of those Vials is now pouring out by the Turkish Army drying-up the great River Euphrates of the German Emperors Dominions and forward towards Rome whereby the maintenance honour and defence of the Popedom hath been long upheld and conveyed to it As the great River Euphrates was useful unto old Babylon until the great Army of Cyrus having turned the waters another way passed thorow the Channel thereof into old Babylon Or if by such means with others as by the conversion of some and plagues and confusions in others the Turks Dominions as the great River Euphrates shall be dryed up in the issue to make way for the Jews the Kings of the East to come into Palestine yet so it will be the sixth Vial upon the great River Euphrates and it may not improbably be true of both The seventh Vial will end the Popes Being and all evil Dominion being poured upon the Air where the Prince of the power of the Air hath so long prevalently ruled which is called the end of the second Wo Rev. 11.14 at the end of which the seventh Trumpet will sound which is called the Wo-joy Trumpet first bringing for the most part destruction to the Wicked in the World and likewise bringing-in great happiness to God's faithful People following in the thousand years Rev. 20. and other things concerning the New-Jerusalem and the contemporaries therewith in the two last Chapters of the Book of the Revelations Concerning which state of things in the Church then I conceive the not distinguishing between the seventh mystical Trumpet and the last loud-sounding Trumpet 1 Thess 4.16 is the occasion of some misapprehensions of some things to be in the said thousand years which are also an occasion of stumbling to many as to the matter of the Doctrine of the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth whence the great and sudden change of all the Faithful is apprehended to be at the beginning of the seventh mystical Trumpet which I conceive from the Apostle's words will not be until the other loud-sounding Trumpet above a thousand years after at the last Resurrection and great day of the last general Judgment at the end of the World 1 Thess 4. which will follow the last attempt of the Devil by Gog and Magog Rev. 20. at the end of the thousand years at which great sudden momentany change in the twinkling of an eye at the Voice of the Archangel and sounding of the said Trumpet both all those that were raised at the beginning of Christ's Reign or all-along the thousand years as learned Mede conceives and all the Faithful that are found alive at last on Earth must then
more aptly otherwise to denote with Mr. Mede and others the dispensations of God in the world as in Zach. 1.10 both towards the Church and others with whom they had to do namely the Roman Empire called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament and though both the Books of the Seal-Prophecie and the little Book chap. 10. speak much in some sort of both yet each chiefly relates to one as namely the Seal-prophecy for the most part to the Empire and the Book-prophecie for the most part to the Church as after may more by Gods assistance appear which is to be observed until the Empire and Church become one under Christ's Kingdom in the time or haply after the time of the seventh Trumpet Therefore after the Lamb Christ Jesus had received the Book at the Hand of him that sat upon the Throne chap. 5. in the Chapter following John heard the thundring Voice of one of the Beasts saying Come and see when the Lamb opened the first Seal where he beheld a white Horse and he that sat on him had a Bow and a Crown was given to him and he went conquering and to conquer denoting the dispensations of God's Grace in the world through Jesus Christ who received of the Father this Book of Revelation of the things concerning the Church and her Enemies and hath all power to fulfil and execute them accordingly here first set forth by the white-Horse so tendering Peace by the Preaching of the Gospel which like a Bow shoots out Arrows as Psal 45. piercing the Hearts of all sorts it is sent unto and by which Christ will be Victorious and Glorious c. and therefore in the sending abroad of this Gospel he goes conquering of all sorts thereby and to conquer and subdue all such as shall oppose and persecute it This hath been his design ever since this white-Horse was sent abroad guided by that Rider and this is and will be pursued till he fully have the Crown of Victory when his Enemies shall become his Foot-stool Psal 110. at the day of the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Titus 2.13 to begin at or about the destruction of Antichrist 2 Thess 2.8 when he will come with Clouds Rev. 1.7 and when all Families of the Earth shall mourn seeing the Son of man coming in the Clouds with Power and great Glory Mat. 24.30 and 26.64 of which design the Spirit of God by the Holy Prophet speaketh eminently Psal 45.4 saying Ride on in thy Majesty because of the VVord of Truth of Meekness and Righteousness viz. to subdue unto his Obedience by conquering and his right Hand will teach him terrible things by conquering and subduing his Enemies and such as withstand him And this in all parts of the Revelation will be evident for persecution will follow the Gospel as the Shadow the Substance so long as the Seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the VVoman have their aboad together in the world and therefore in this Book in the following Seals God seems thereby to manifest what dispensations be would shew towards such persecuting Enemies in all the following Seals and Trumpets till that time of eminent victory and conquest begin to be manifest unto men in the VVorld at the foresaid Period for the great comfort of his Church to be believed from his VVord and which should be applyed daily for the warning of wicked men if they will be admonished Mr. Mede doth very appositely apply the Red Black and Pale Horses to such purposes in the three following Seals observing from the Histories of the Primitive times how they were accomplished and as likewise Mr. Fox observes remarkably that after the Roman Governours had rejected the offer of receiving Christ and that Satan bad engaged them in Persecutions above thirty of their Emperours successively came to untimely deaths but how such Judgements of Sword Famine Pestilence followed one another upon the Empire and sometimes all together besides as may be observed from the first second and third Seals but especially from the fourth as more particularly is set down by the aforesaid Mr. Mede I would therefore have observed in the fifth Seal the remarkable different dispensation of God Rev. 6. when most of the ten Persecutions had raged and sent home such multitudes of believing Christians to blessedness by their sufferings that by the opening of that fifth Seal is signified to the Church how God was mindful of the Blood of the Martyrs by the crying of the Souls under the Altar for revenge not that they in Happiness then did complain or so did really cry for Vengeance but that God looked upon what had been done to them as an occasion whereupon he would revenge them but yet not presently but after their Brethren which should soon after suffer as they had done had been likewise killed which seemed to have been fulfilled in the Tenth Persecution under Dioclesian and Others which continued ten years together which probably was the ten days Tryal and Tribulation formerly spoken of Rev. 2.10 And accordingly in the sixth Seal came the great Earthquake when the Sun became like Sackcloth of Hair and the Moon like Blood and the Stars fell and the Mighty men hid themselves in the Caves of the Earth when the wrath of the Lamb was two ways manifest first In dethroning the Dragon and casting him down to the Earth in abandoning the Heathenish Idolatry and secondly By cutting off his Instruments the-then-wicked Rulers of the World by the means of that Reforming Victorious Conquerour the Emperour Constantine the Great when God's hand was so heavy upon Dioclesian Maximianus Galerius Maximinus Maxentius Licinius and many Governours under their Command with their Armies and particularly on Ponticius Culianus Theotimus with many others as Stories testifie And afterward by taking away by degrees the Seat and Throne of the former Beast who received afterward the deadly wound upon which the Dragon had so prevailed before to persecute the Saints as appears in the Trumpets following which proceeded out of that seventh Seal all of which sounded their several Wrath and Judgements against it till it went into utter perdition under every form both East and West But before the execution of that Wrath God would Chap. 7. Rev. 7. 14. have both his 144000's of the Faithful sealed where those Trumpets Blasts should come who should be saved from the spiritual mischief of them and after the sealing of those 144000 Cap. 7. are an innumerable company of Palm-Bearers of all Nations and Tongues which the said Author rightly conceives to be the great confluence of Christians when the Jews with the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in which will I doubt not be in the time of Christs powerful Reign for this is the course observable in this Book as may hereafter be more manifest that the Spirit of God first setteth down what Blessedness shall ensue the sufferings of his People before
Now when the Spirit of God as seems probable having set forth the Wrath and Judgment upon the very seat of the former Beast in the seasons of the six first Trumpets both East and West where in their order they fell the greatest part contemporating with Antichrists Tyranny both which should be finished at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet whereby the same Spirit of God seems to lead us by the hand as it were to the borders of Christ's glorious Kingdom upon Earth approaching upon the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding chap. 11. 2d General Prophecy Rev. 10. He then in the little book chap. 10. begins again with the affairs of the Church more especially having set forth God's dispensations in respect of the Empire both while it was Draconized and after it had been Christianized Which little Book when John had eaten up he is told by the mighty Angel of the Covenant that he must prophesie again before Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings so that they might have advantage to know these Prophecies had they enquired as he had so prophesied for as it was otherwise of them so it was before them and as he had done it in one respect before namely of the Empire wherein the Church had her being so he should do it again in another respect namely of the Church who had her being there but chiefly under Antichrist in his time where there was another 144000 followers of the Lamb to arise chap. 14. Rev. 11 Therefore after the Table of the Times in part of chap. 11 to ver 15. wherein we may see ver 1. a description of the state of the Primitive Times in ver 2. her state in Antichrists forty two months and ver 3. the true Churches state in regard of the most eminent part of it namely of the Two Witnesses her Pastors their thousand two hundred and sixty dayes of years who should feed the Woman in her Wilderness-condition and stand on Christ's part against Antichrist powerfully and successfully till about the time of finishing their Testimony to ver 7. and then what should befal the Beast upon his last War against the finishing Witnesses upon their Resurrection and Ascention after the Beast had killed them to ver 17. where is the ending of the second Wo and thereupon comes in a short abridgment of the seventh Trumpet containing the great Changes of the Affairs of the World of the Church namely evil to the wicked World but happy to the true Church and this excellent Abridgment seemed needful in regard of the great concernment of all sorts to understand this as of main use to the whole Book Again the foresaid Author faileth in not distinguishing between the first War the Beast makes against the Saints and Servants of Christ wherein he kills and prevails whereupon all the World wonder after the Beast and the second War against the Witnesses which is dismal and fatal to himself as Mr. Mede well observes and hence the said Author reckons the Witnesses slain above an hundred years ago and so passeth without taking notice of the last finishing Witnesses as then counting the Beasts forty two months expired reckoning the Vials in the seventh Trumpet before the second Wo be past or almost any thing of the Beasts ruine begun which work the Angels that have the Vials are to begin and finish as Mr. Mede and others judge upon considerable grounds c. But in chap. 12. Rev. 12 is begun the story of the new Prophecy of the true Church in the Primitive Times which is there represented by a Woman cloathed with the Sun and having the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars whereby was described the excellency of the Primitive Church of Christ which soon contested with the great red Dragon and his Angels till she by Faith and Prayer obtained the Man-child Constantine the reforming Emperour by whose means God cast down the great red Dragon from his heaven upon earth together with his Angels by which means the Woman had two wings of an Eagle given her to flie into the Wilderness for a time times and half a time but before her flight into that retired hidden condition the Serpent cast out his flood of abominable Heresies chiefly against the Persons of the Holy Trinity by Arrius Eutichus Macedonius and others to have carried her away thereby which took up probably almost an hundred years before her time times and half with Antichrists 42 months took place all which time from Constantine the forementioned Author reckons within the date of the Beast and consequently he ends it as much too soon as may further appear and yet for the Earths opening her Mouth and swallowing up of the Dragons flood of Heresies what he objects against the usual opinion to wit That it was not the incursion of the Barbarous Nations because some of them favoured Arrianism the same might likewise be objected against what he sayes of the visible Professing Rulers to be the Earth then opposing those Errors in many Councils though they favoured Superstition and so might be accounted the Earth but to that might be answered amongst them were many in those times good and Orthodox men about the fourth Century and yet perhaps more fitly it might be applyed to the Bishops of Rome and their party that in those times to get to themselves preheminence did take upon them to end differences in Religion and became in a sort famous thereby getting honour and credit among men thereby and being to be the Beast out of the Earth acting for earthly ends the Earth might be said to help the Woman by withstanding errors against the Sacred Trinity yet promoting superstition c. and so might swallow up the flood Concerning the two Beasts in the thirteenth Chapter Rev. 14. the said Author is very excellent full and clear above any I have seen if he had timed their rising rightly onely he seems to confound the number of his Name vers 17. with the number of the Beast vers 18. whereas the first denotes evidently the remotest sort of Antichrists followers that only may be reckoned or numbred amongst his party which were to be in the last dayes as they are described by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. when others of the Beasts party come in the latter times which forbid Marriage and command to abstain from Meats c. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the number of the Beast vers 18. belongs to the Beast himself concerning the Exposition whereof he giveth a probable conjecture of his many errors as the Sober Guess and others produce many more which learned and industrious men have observed and particularly opposing the Beasts number to the 144000 or the measure of the Holy City and I conceive the considering it as numerus Terminans as Dan. 5. may be more considerable then many think as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another consideration setting out
Appearance by his Spirit of Grace and Truth In setting down therefore what concerns this third and last Period I shall endeavour to express them either as matter of Faith or as things that are probable or lastly as things onely conjectural as the nature of the things may be and as the clearness or obscurity of the grounds of them may give occasion First I believe there is abundant evidence from Scripture that Christ our Saviour will after the coming of Elias Personally in a glorious manner appear with Clouds as Rev. 1.7 or in the Clouds at or about the great destruction of Antichrist which will be as Lightning shining from one end of the Heavens to the other and such appearing of his to the Jews seems to me probable to be the means of their more general Call and Conversion when that Nation will be born in a day as it were Isa 56.8 and thereupon will be their mournful contrition promised as a Mercy Zach. 12.10 And then will likewise be the Conversion of many Nations of the Gentiles not yet called to bring in their fulness as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 11. And then Satan being bound from seducing the Nations for the thousand years the Glorious Kingdom of Christ upon earth will be set up wherein the New Jerusalem coming down from God in the time of the new Heavens and new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell or a King shall Rule in Righteousness as the Prophet speaketh The State of that New Jerusalem whose Maker and Builder is God will be exceeding glorious a kind of Triumphant State for the raised Saints in their Order who probably shall have their chief Mansions there till all the deceased Just shall be raised and to the end of the world the Apostles or other eminent Saints probably shall be Rulers there by Christ's appointment and all other Governours that are converted to the Truth and live their Natural Life shall have their directions in Government from them in the New Jerusalem and all the Teachers in the Church shall probably have much instructions from them as they from Christ in whose Light they shall see Light the Lamb being the Light of the City Rev. 21. and that both Spiritual and Visible whose Tabernacle is then said to be with men when I conceive he will be in some glorious manner manifest unto the raised Saints there whose glory they shall then behold visibly being then made capable to behold it that none else then living can do except so as it was made discernable to them by Clouds at his first appearing Yet they likewise shall all be abundantly filled with his Grace and Wisdom and exceedingly rejoyce in all manner of his goodness then manifest to them according to their then present capacity yet in different degrees and measures and this state will be as intailed to the posterity of the Faithful that they and their Seed shall be blessed they shall live long lives but how long I dare not say but as the dayes of a Tree shall their lives be nor what way of removal or manner of death or translation or change I know not but I believe much Mercy and Grace will be bestowed upon them and their off-spring suitable to such an happy Reign of Christ wherein he shall be acknowledged Sovereign by all the Faithful and all authority mannaged under him and for him Isa 49. When Kings shall eminently be Nursing-Fathers and Queens Nursing-Mothers to his Church and People and the Government upheld in good hands to promote good and restrain evil as it was for the most part contrary before but when Satan being loosed out his Prison for a little space shall seduce the wicked Hypocrites of those times and draw them from all quarters of the Earth against the Camp of the Saints and the Beloved City upon which attempt God will destroy them casting the Devil into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet had been long before and put an utter end to the World by the dissolution thereof at the consummation of all things with the last general Resurrection of the wicked and general momentany change of the Saints at the sound of the last Trump and Voice of an Arch-Angel 1 Thess 4.16 both such as were alive on Earth and such as were asleep to meet Christ in the Air from thenceforth ever to be with the Lord whereupon follows the general Judgement Many particulars of these natures it is probable will in God's time be apparent from Scripture which we can now but guess at which God to his Faithful Servants may discover concerning which we shall only say with the Antients Elias cum venerit nodos solvet Now for the main substance of all this Doctrine what is it but the explaining of such Articles of Christian Faith as we all profess to believe concerning these things in the true Scripture sence wherein Christ hath taken special order to have his Faithful People rightly instructed as in many particulars forenamed First When we Profess We believe that Christ shall come from the Right Hand of the Father to Judge quick and dead He will so come at his glorious appearing to destroy Antichrist to begin his Judgement and make his Foes his Footstool Ps 110. until which he was to sit at his Fathers Right Hand in Heaven then the Scripture saith He judges quick and dead as Rev. 11.18 and elsewhere though afterwards likewise in this sence Rev. 10. the Angel Christ Swears Time should be no more which seems to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.20 so the end of the dayes Dan. 12. for the same Period vide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is the day of Judgement at least begun Mr. Mede largely and excellently shews in his fourth Letter to Mr. Hain and to Dr. Twisse c. both from Scripture and Antiquity and that he will wonderfully Reign with his raised Saints a thousand years Why should it be doubted when his Word speaks so much and evidently for it though the Truth hath by Satans slights been clouded for a time wherein there seems to be as it were an appointing of the great last Assizes and calling together the Assessors thereof the Saints doth not the great Law-giver and Judge inform his Church of these things and he must needs be the best Expositor of his own Will c. Sept. 27. 1664. A Paper sent upon occasion of some discourse concerning the great and glorious Appearance of Christ about the time of finishing his Kingdom of Patience and of setting up his Kingdom of Visible Power on Earth the first being the Kingdom of the Stone cut out of the Mountain Dan. 2. Then the Kingdom of this Stone becomes a Mountain as Mr. Mede fitly distinguisheth their times by Regnum Lapidis Regnum Montis AS for the personal appearance of Christ at the destruction of Antichrist and the general calling of the Jews when that Nation shall be born in a day as Isa 66.8 many