you I say unto all Watch and be not cold and lukewarm but be zealous and repent be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Like Elias Jam. 5.17 He prayed earnestly or he prayed in prayer so pray in prayer hear in hearing do in doing 4. Take heed of Babylonish spots come out of her my people that ye partake not in her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues superstition will-worship to be of a persecuting Spirit to beat fellow-servants these are sins of Babylon and the People of God are sometimes in some degrees defiled with these which if they hearken not to the call partake not in her sins may bring some of the temporal Plagues of Babylon upon them 3. The last branch of the Exhortation is be deligent that ye may be found of him blameless for this consider He that hath the righteousness of Faith is blameless so far as to be without guilt for he that believes is justified from all things Acts 13.39 No sin is charged upon him to his condemnation He is the Blessed Man to whom the Lord doth not impute Sin For he hath an absolutely blameless righteousness imputed to him and received by Faith which renders him blameless in respect of guilt Again he that hates the evil that he doth and complains of his body of sin O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death is so far blameless that the evil he doth is charged not upon him but sin that dwelleth in him 't is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Lastly he that hath sincerity of grace is blameless in a Scripture-account and in a gracious esteem of God A Noah who was righteouss in his generations upright and sincere towards God is perfect and blameless A David a Man after God's Heart doing all his wills is blameless A Job who is an upright Man fearing God and eschewing evil is blameless and a perfect Man such as Zachary and Elizabeth who walk in all the Ordinances and Commands of God are blameless Such as these are blameless in God's Gracious account though not in their own They see much in themselves to bewail much to be humbled for much to repent of much that they blame themselves for when God is yet pleased to call them blameless Now be diligent that you may have that simplicity and godly sincerity which may incourage you to hope that God will out of his abundant grace and great love toward you account you blameless Avoid as much as possible every thing blame worthy and do what is commanded and after all pray That you may be accounted worthy to escape the Judgments which shall come upon the World of the Ungodly and to obtain that World which is to come and to stand before the Son of Man FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Benjamin Harris at the Stationers Arms at the East-End of the Royal-Exchange in Cornhil THE Accomplisht Ladies Delight in Preserving Physick Beautifying and Cookery The Second Edition with Large Additions Price 2 s. 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For the Kings of the Earth give up their power to him and so he is mighty by their power And lastly which makes the thing most clear as the King of fierce Countenance shall stand up against the Prince of Princes even Christ so this is plainly said concerning this second Beast Rev. 19.11 Christ hath this name upon his Vesture and his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords The same with Prince of Princes And v. 19. I saw the Beast with the Kings and their Armies and they make War against him that sate on the white Horse And lo here we find that King of fierce Countenance standing up against the Prince of Princes viz. the second Beast making War against him that had a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords The vile Person Of him 't is said Dan. 11.21 He shall obtain the Kingdom by flatteries appearing as a Lamb meek and peaceable but having gotten the Kingdom shall do according to his own will v. 36. And shall exalt himself above every God And shall prosper till the Indignation be accomplished He shall enter into the glorious Land and then Michael shall stand up and at that time the Jews shall be delivered and this Beast this vile Person with his false Prophet shall be taken Now these things being considered we may judge it probable that this second Beast will have his Seat somewhere in the East In the next place I shall offer this to consideration whether what is added about the Number of the Beast may not be chiefly meant of this second Beast Some things may be observed which make it probable 1. This is added in the close of the description of this second Beast And seeing this comes up after the other is destroyed we may judge that what is spoken of the Number of his Name should belong to this Beast 2. 'T is said to be the Number of the Beast not of the Beasts which doth shew that it belongs to one and not to both 3. By the knowledge of the Number of his Name and Mark the Beast is known Let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast Why Because thus he may be known Now as for the first Beast if we had not other ways of knowing him than by the Number of his Name we should be much at a loss For what hath been discovered hitherto of this Mystery True Men have found out the Number 666 in some Names But what is this for the discovery of the Beast And hath it been a matter of so great wisdom to find out this Number in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in some other Names Surely there is much more in it seeing a Victory is to be gotten over it Rev. 15.2 Now for the first Beast there are evident Characters given of him by which he is known and whereby we may come to a certainty and say we know that we know him but yet the Number of the Beast remains a Mystery These Characters we have 2 Thess 2.3.4 The Man of Sin opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God and sitting in the Temple of God sheweth himself that he is God And 2 Tim. 4.1 2. In the latter times Men shall depart from the Faith giving heed to Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in Hypocrisie forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats And lastly in Rev. 17.7 I will tell thee the Mystery of the Woman and the Beast which carrieth her which hath seven Heads and ten Horns 'T is evident that Rome is here meant which was the great city reigning over the Kings of the Earth So the first Beast is known sufficiently by other Characters though we have not found out the Mystery of the Number of his Name Therefore it seems most probable that this respects the second Beast who as he shall be in a better form and do lying Wonders and more powerfully deceive so it would be more difficult to discern him but the Elect shall discern him for he shall not be able to deceive them but they shall look through his lying Wonders and shall have understanding to count the number of his Name 4. Observe those expressions Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count Which implies that this is a very aenigmatical and obscure thing and 't will be an excellent piece of wisdom to find out the Number of his Name It implies also that this wisdom may be attained For to some it shall be given to count If none shall have it in vain 't is said Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count This shews that such an understanding shall be given to some But where is this Wisdom now and who hath the Understanding to count What is there of satisfaction given by any for the discovery of this Mystery Wherefore it seems that this discovery is reserved for the time of the second Beast and God will then give an Understanding to some to know him and they shall have this Wisdom to discern the Number of his Name For a conclusion of what shall be said concerning this second Beast let these three Particulars be observed 1. This second Beast will be of very short continuance in comparison with the former for he will not much exceed fourty and five years For first under the fifth Vial the Seat of the Beast and consequently the first Beast will be destroyed Secondly under the sixth way will be made for the Kings of the East and the Jews shall be called and return to their own Land Thirdly from the time of the first calling of the Jews till the Battel of Armageddon where the second Beast shall be taken and after which the Jews shall have rest will be fourty and five years Which appears Dan. 12.11.12 From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days and at the end of these days the Jews shall be called And then it follows Blessed is he that cometh to the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days Why blessed Because the Jews Enemies will then be all cut off and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the Most High Now the latter Number is Fourty and five years more than the former and at the end of them this Beast will come to his end 2. This Beast will have his false Prophet workking Miracles before him The Beast and false Prophet are not one person but must be taken as two distinct persons and so are they still set forth There will be one in whom the Devil will be a Lying Spirit who shall preach up this Beast and cry up his Authority and shall work Miracles before him causing Fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of Men and by this means shall wonderfully deceive and draw many after the Beast As an Elias and true Prophet of Christ shall come so
was at the Red Sea and such a destruction of their Enemies as was that of Pharaoh and the Egyptians there which will be the occasion of singing the Song of Moses For the Saints will be brought into such a strait as the Israelites were then in Great Multitudes of inraged Enemies will persue them and as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire will be before them We know what a kind of fire that of Glass burning in a Furnace is What a dreadful thing would it be to behold a Sea of such Glass mingled with fire and to be in danger to be driven and forced into it Now such will be the case of the People of God at last Such trouble such danger so great a strait as never was since there was a Nation Not that there will be such a Sea of Glass in a proper sense but as 't is said John saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire so a destruction so dreadful will be threatned to the People of God as if they were in danger to be forced into such a Sea and that another Red Sea even of fire more terrible than the Red Sea of Water But what will the Lord do for his People in this so great an extremity He will even make a way for them through this as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and the Fire shall be to them as the Waters of the Red Sea were to the Israelite a Wall on their right hand and on their left And their persuing Enemies shall perish in this Sea of Fire as Pharoh and his Host did in the Sea of Water and as the world of the ungodly perished by the Flood And then shall the so wonderfully delivered Saints stand upon this Sea of Glass having the Harps of God that is as the Israelites stood and sang upon the Sea-shore when they saw the Egyptians dead upon it so in like manner shall the triumphing Saints stand upon this as it were a Sea of Glass and see all their Enemies destroyed in it And as Isa 66.24 Shall look upon the Carcases of the that have transgressed against the Lord whose Worm dyes not neither shall their Fire be quenched And they shall they sing the song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints 2. After the thousand years Christ will finish the work of Judgment As the dead Saints will be raised and judged at the beginning of the thousand years so the dead Sinners after the end of them Rev. 20.11 I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and these are such who died in their sins whose names shall not be found written in the Book of Life If we compare Rev. 11.18 and 2 Pet. 3.7 with Rev. 20. it will evidently appear that some of the dead will be judged at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and at the time when the new Heavens shall be created and others of the dead above a thousand years after 1 Cor. 15.23 24. First Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming Then cometh the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards cometh the end for this hath the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore as there is a great space of time betwixt Christ's Resurrection and the Saints so there will be also betwixt that of the Saints and the Resurrection of the wicked 5. Signs when the time is near for the fall of Babylon Some have taken upon them to declare the set and appointed time for the Fall of Babylon and the accomplishment of the great things before handled But I shall not presume to do this but shall onely hint some signs by which we may know when the time draws nigh Christ gave signs and 't is our duty to endeavour to discern them and though the wicked shall not understand yet the wise shall understand both what God is about to do and what they ought to do Dan. 12.10 We may take notice of two sorts of Signs Signs in the Nations and Signs in and amongst the Saints 1. Signs in the Nations Luke 21.25 Vpon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity This distress is elsewhere set forth Hag. 2.7 I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come Isa 24.20 The Earth shall reel to and fro like a Drunkard and be removed like a Cottage and the transgression of it will be heavy upon it When the Lord shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously As the pains of a Woman in Travel are a sign that a Child is brought to the Birth so the shakings perplexities and distress of Nations are their travelling-pains and a sign that redemption from Antichristian bondage draws nigh And as the Nations troubles are their travelling pains so there are times in which the Lord sets himself forth as travelling with Judgments as it were pained to be delivered of them For iniquity will abound and wicked men will wax worse and worse till the Harvest of the Earth be fully ripe Sin will become exceeding sinful unrighteousness exceeding unrighteous and filthiness exceeding filthy They will sin as Sodom and declare their sin as Sodom And what will the Lord do then This we see Isa 43.13 14 15. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty Man he shall cry yea roar he shall prevail against his Enemies I have long holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling Woman I will destroy and devour at once I will make waste Mountains and Hills and dry up all their herbs But what follows and what are these things a sign of v. 16. I will bring the blind by a way they know not and lead them in paths they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things strait these things will I do unto them and not forsake them The People of God may be blind as to times and ways of deliverance but the Lord knows how and when the best way and the best time in which to deliver them 2. Signs amongst the People of God Now here I shall mention three The scattering of the power of the holy People or the killing of the Witnesses And then next to this the Serpent's casting a Flood out of his Mouth to swallow up the Woman when she is driven into the Wilderness the second time And lastly the Dragon's War with the remnant of the Woman's Seed And if there shall be a concurrence of Providences and Events answering the Prophecies there will be evident signs given of the downfal of Babylon as very near 1. The scattering of the Power of the holy People Dan. 12.6 7. One said to the Man clothed in Linen How long
coming of Christ when the Jews shall be thus redeemed from their Captivity is most evident Luk. 21.23 24. c. There shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people and they shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be Trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled The Gentiles Captivating the Jews and treading them down were the Romans these Gentiles have their time set how long they shall Reign The Roman Monarchy which did Tread down Jerusalem in the Letter and doth now Tread down the Mystical Jerusalem that is the Church as we Read Rev. 11.2 hath a period set to it thus far shall it come and no farther thus long it shall continue and no longer that is at the end of fourty and two Months reckoning them from the beginning of the latter treading down mentioned Rev. 11. Rome the seat of this Monarchy shall be destroyed And then will the Jews deliverance from their long Captivity begin Now what shall happen when these times of the Gentiles shall be very near their end This we see v. 25. there shall be Signes in the Sun In the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth for the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken and these shew the day of their redemption to be drawing nigh v. 28. Now when these times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and there shall be such a shaking to remove quite away the power of the Gentiles that is to destroy for ever the Roman Antichristian Kingdom and State then at that time v. 27. they shall see the Son of Man coming with power and great Glory which is his Second personal coming If any deny this they will gratify those Scoffers much which Peter spakes of in giving up so clear a proof of Christs Second coming 3. A Third Argument may be taken from Mat. 24.29 Which hath been a little toucht but now shall be farther urged Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days that is when Tribulation comes to this height to be such as never was c. the Sun shall be darkned c. and then shall appear the signe of the Son of Man in Heaven and the Tribes of the Earth shall Mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory This shall be Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days what Tribulation this is the last Tribulation of the People of God which is said to be such trouble as never was since there was a Nation This is from the Devil when he shall have great wrath because his time is short 't is the Tribulation that Gog and Magog mentioned Ezek. 39. shall cause the same with those Kings of the Earth and the whole World which shall be gathered by the Beast and his Emissaries to the Battel of that great day of God Almighty This being the last Tribulation when this shall End then will the year of Christs redeemed come and the Saints will have rest and peace and shall sit under their Vines and fig-trees and have none to make them affraid Now if there shall be such a time here upon Earth that all the Saints troubles shall have an End and they shall enter into a state of rest and peace which shall have no End which if any will deny they must Write Apocrypha over a great part of that Scripture which was given by Inspiration of God I say if such a time shall be then Christ will appear personally at that time for immediately after this Tribulation shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven and this his personal coming for at this time the dead Saints shall be raised v 21. He shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather the elect c. that is the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 51.52 1. Thess 4.16 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised and Observe by the way that at this time only the elect shall be raised for they shall gather the elect and besides 't is that coming of which Christ said none knows the day of it v. 36. which certainly is his second personal coming If the Church therefore shall have a glorious time on Earth Christ shall come personally even at the beginning of that time To this argument it hath been answered that this is the Tribulation which Gog and Magog shall cause after the thousand years shall be Ended But that this is not the Tribulation here meant these particulars sufficiently declare 1. At the time of this Tribulation there will be a great Apostacy of Men professing godliness For the love of many shall wax cold v. 12. and false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and deceive many v. 24. and the Stars shall fall from Heaven c. Now no such thing shall happen after the thousand years for the Devil shall only deceive the Nations Gog and Magog not any among the Saints and saved Nations much less any in the beloved City Shall the Sun in the New Heavens be darkned shall any of the Stars of that Heaven fall no certainly for Isa 60.20 Thy Sun shall no more go down and as the New Heavens so the Stars of those New Heavens shall remain 2. At the Tribulation here spoken of the powers of Heaven will be shaken which is not to be said of the New Heavens for these can't be shaken Heb. 12.26 yet once more I shake Heaven and but once This shaking will be of the Antichristian Kingdom and Heaven to remove it quite away that so way may be made for the New Heavens Gog and Magog when they shall gather at last shall not at all shake the New Heavens For the shaking is to remove the things that may be shaken But the New Heavens shall not be removed but remain Isa 60.22 Yea the Apostle saith plainly these cannot be shaken Heb. 12.27 That those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken c. The Mount Sinai Kingdom was shaken and removed that the Mount Sion Kingdome might be set up which is not to be shaken but stands fast for ever this is the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel which shall continue till the coming of Christ and then grow up to its perfection and then all the Enemies of it shall fall before it and be the Foot-stool of Christ and he shall be King over all the Earth and this his Kingdom is not to be shaken and removed It 's most evident then that this Tribulation will immediately precede the Thousand years and then Christ will come the second time to salvation and put an End to it And thus the Argument here stands like that Pillar
in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
gracious so Glorious Liberty In like manner the Woman the Church of Christ and his faithful Witnesses go into the Wilderness for Gracious Liberty and prefer that before buying and selling in the great City Babylon and these must come up out of the Wilderness leaning on their Beloved and stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion and at last they shall have Glorious Liberty in the great and Holy City Jerusalem And thus having handled Peter's Doctrine of the New Heaven and the New Earth let the Use which he makes of it be in the next place considered by us and put in practice this we have 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Here are two things to be observed 1. Saints in the Primitive times did and Saints now ought to look for the New Heavens and the New Earth 2. Those that look for these things should with all diligence look to this that their present state and carriage in this World be suitable to the hopes of such glorious things in the World to come For the first we shall do well to consider that the Doctrine of the New Heavens and New Earth was Apostolical Doctrine and the looking for them was an Apostolical practice In the Primitive times this Doctrine was more taught and better known than now it is Saints at so much a greater distance from these things did more generally expect them than now they do when they are so much nearer And we have not onely an Apostolical example and practice for it but if we look higher even to Heaven we shall find a Pattern there which calls for our imitation for as we should do the will of God as 't is done in Heaven so we should expect the accomplishment of the Will and Word of God as 't is expected in Heaven Let 's consider then what example Heaven doth afford us now this is the example of Christ himself Heb. 10.12 13. This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool When Christ was upon Earth he expected Glory in Heaven which he hath and being in Heaven he expects Glory on Earth which he shall have He looks to have all his Enemies made his Footstool and to be King over all the Earth and to have the Saints reign with him Christ knows that thus it shall be and the thoughts of it are pleasing to him Isa 63.4 The day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed shall come Christ knows that day and hath it in his heart 't is a day of joy and gladness in his heart And thus as the Creatures have an earnest expectation of that day so hath Christ himself and he hath been expecting it ever since he went to Heaven for 't is said From henceforth expecting that is from the first time of his sitting down He is upon the Father's Throne in Heaven and expected to be upon his own Throne in the New Jerusalem which shall come down out of Heaven And Christ will expect till it be done For as 't is from henceforth even ever since he went to Heaven so till his Enemies be made his Footstool Now seeing Christ expects these things ought not we to expect with him 2. The Angels do expect these things for if Christ doth then we may conclude the holy Angels do also seeing they are to come with him wich they do well know for they understand Scripture-Prophecies and the time also which is revealed in Scripture for the fulfilling of them for an Angel made Daniel understand a Prophecy and the time of its accomplishment Dan. 9.22 As there are things which the Angels desire to look into so also which they look for as the passing away of the World which now is and the creating of the New Heavens and the New Earth 3. Saints in Heaven do expect these things Saints on Earth do long to see these things of Heaven and the Saints in Heaven do long to see the things of the New Heavens and the New Earth For if it be not beneath Christ to expect them then it is not beneath glorified Saints to look for them Now that glorified Saints do know and expect these things we may conclude thus We read Luke 9.31 that Moses and Elias being with Christ on the Holy Mount they spake of his Decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Now if his Decease was known by them before its accomplishment we may as well conceive that his Victory over his Enemies the New Heavens and the New Earth and his Kingdom in them are made known unto them and expected by them and not onely the Things but the Time also when all shall be done My ground is this Both their Things and the Times are revealed in Scripture as we see by the several numbers of years mentioned in Daniel and the Revelations Now what is revealed in Scripture concerning Christ the Saints in Heaven do know as in particular the things concerning the Kingdom of Christ and the time of its coming which I conclude from 1 Cor. 13.12 Now I know in part then shall I know as I am known That is I shall know that perfectly then which now I know in part This is an evident Truth the Saints know that of Divine Mysteries perfectly in Heaven which here from the Scriptures they know in part and so we may suppose that they know when the 1260 Days began and when they will end Thus we see how these things are expected in Heaven by Christ by the Angels by the Saints and it being so these things follow hence 1. The things which are to be done on Earth are very great things the subduing of all Christ's Enemies will be a very Glorious Work for Christ hath a great earnest and constant expectation of it the New Heavens and the New Earth will be very glorious for they are the expectations of Heaven Isa 11.10 't is said His rest shall be glorious and when shall this be verse 11. When the Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his People c. The first recovery was from Babylon this second will be when the Jews shall be called and when the Outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered from the four Corners of the Earth 2. The expectations of Christ's Enemies on Earth are but a vain thing for there are expectations in Heaven quite contrary to these and which think we shall be performed surely the expectations of Heaven Babylon expects to continue in her Pomp and Power and looks that Sion shall be her Footstool but Christ expects till Babylon be made his Footstool I sit a Queen saith Babylon but what saith the Lord to her Come down and sit in the dust there shall be no more Throne I am no