it is here prophesied that not onely some of the Kingdom of Judah who returned from the Babylonish captivity shall imbrace the faith of Christ thus becoming the sons of God Joh. 1.12 which began also to be fulfilled in the Apostles and seventy Disciples sent out to preach and in thousands of other faithfull people of the Jews of whom we read Act. 2. Act. 5 Act. 21. But moreover it is prophesied of the Kingdome of Israel so long continuing no people that the time shall come that they shall be enlightned also and come up or ascend to this high honor out of the Land wherein they have so long lain dead as it were for which Saint Paul calleth their conversion a resurrection from the dead and Ezekiel chap. 37. sets it forth by the reviving of dead bones And saith Dr. Mayer a little above this Here saith he it seemeth plainly prophesied that not onely Juda but also Israel even they of the Ten Tribes who were formerly divided from the Kingdom of Judah should return out of the Land whereunto they were carried and then be united under one King Christ Jesus never to be divided any more And about their uniting under him the Prophet speaketh so as that it cannot be understood ONELY OF SOME OF THE TEN TRIBES who lived mixt with Judah but of them that were never before after their division again mixed till the time here spoken of For it is said They shall gather themselves together intimating they lived at a distance all the time afore and appoint over them one head intimating that they did not so till now And therefore Saint Paul speaketh so confidently that there shall come a time of their conversion Rom. 11.25 applying hereunto Isai 59.20 speaking of the Redeemer coming to Zion and to Jacob as here both are comforted by the like promise So Doctor Mayer § 11 Now lay altogether and think if you can with any shew of reason that this Text hath been duly fulfilled according to the purport thereof to this very day since the first scattering of the Ten Tribes For when ever since that to this time was there such a multitude of Israel like the sands of the Sea c gathered from all the Earth and called the sons of the living God and they and Judah to put themselves under one Head and returning to their own countrey are setled in Christs visible Kingdom The Apostle Paul in his time tells us Rom. 11.25 That even to that very then that blindness in part was happened to Israel so that the conversion of the fulness of them was to his time still behinde As in Acts 13.46 28.25 we have instances § 12 It is true That the same Apostle Paul in the same Epistle to the Romans but two Chapters afore viz. Rom. 9. doth cite in Vers 25 26. this place of Hosea Chap. 1. v. 10 11. But to what effect and degree The Text and Context if we keep close to that will plainly shew us 1. The effect to which Paul alledgeth it is to shew us the riches of Gods glory on the vessels of mercy in them whom he calls not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles as he saith in Hosea and where it is evident let some Authors talk what they please that the Apostle in this ninth to the Romans mindes chiefly the call of the Jews Insomuch that he did suspect others least they should suspect him to mean onely the Jews For so the very phrase here Not ONELY of the Jews but ALSO of the Gentiles doth plainly shew As if the Apostle should say least any should think by my discourse that I mean onely the Jews take notice That I exclude not the Gentiles For most evidently his heart was carried out mainly in this Chapter towards the Jews as ye have it there before your eyes For Vers 1. he begins as passionately affected for the conversion of the Jews ready even to wish himself accursed for their salvation and so goes on minding them to Vers 16. yea never mentioning or hinting the Gentiles but twice in all the Chapter and that is Vers 24. 30. But concludes the Chapter touching the Jews And in the next Chapter viz. the tenth he is mainly upon the state of the Jews and again in the eleventh Chapter Adde to all That the Apostle prevents our drowning this multitude of Israel to be saved according to Hosea in our main comprehension of the Gentiles conversion in that presently to the quotation of Hosea he addes a citation or two out of the Prophet Isaiah that are even altogether concerning the Jews 2. For the degree of the present state of the call of the Jews When Paul in that ninth to the Romans quoted this place of Hosea it is most evident that the Apostle did not think that then when he quoted it that it was commensuratly fulfilled according to the comprehensiveness of the Prophets phrase For after he had said Vers 24. That God hath shewed the riches of his glory even on US whom he hath CALLED not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles he closeth up this ninth Chapter with a Naâ—rative how ISRAEL had not attained to the Law of Righteousness because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law and begins the next Chapter viz. the tenth with this That his desire and prayer to God was that ISRAEL might be saved and closeth up that tenth Chapter with the complaint that God thitherto had stretched forth his hand to Israel a gain-saying People all the day long all in vain And the business of the next Chapter viz. the eleventh is Pauls prophesie that in aftertimes All ISRAEL shall be saved when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come Therefore most clearly Pauls minde in this quotation of Hosea in the ninth of the Romans was not that it was then fulfilled proportionably to the minde of the Prophet in the comparison of the sand of the Sea but onely some first-fruits of Israel were then brought in § 12 Besides let some strain this ninth to the Romans unto the vocation of the Gentiles what they can so as they tear not to peeces the main body of the Text that as Calvin and Paraeus note contains this vocation of the great number of the Jews and Gentiles to be not onely unto salvation but into union and then let them if they can even from thence declare unto me when ever yet was this Prophesie of Hosea justly fulfilled when did ever any eye behold any considerable number or incorporated body of Gentiles joyned in a Religious notion as under one Head Christ unto any numerous Body or Church of Jews For this the least that can be made according to their principle or nothing can be made of this Text and keep the Text entire SECT XXXIX WE shall consider onely one place more in Hosea and that is in Chapter 3. v. 4 5. For the children of ISRAEL shall
beleeved and reported by Eusebius But by the best Antiquity Cerinthus is quitted Gaius doubted of and suspected Dionysius blamed and Eusebius reproved And to make these things good against them we produce Irenaeus Tertullian and Epiphanius And to conclude wee give you there Mr. Medes answer to the said Gaius Dionysius and Eusebius Thus we have repeated the more lest some should not take the paines to read the fore-quoted places But let us leave the tayle of the Argument and wound the head and heart of it and then the heels will easily fall ¶ 1 To the major Proposition and first to the first clause that The conceit of the thousand yeers makes Christs Kingdome to be earthly We answer It no more it makes earthly then to say the Church of Christ on earth makes the Church of Christ earthly because all this while it hath been on earth which notwithstanding is called heavenly Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Again the Angels businesses are with the Church on earth and about earthly things in relation to the Churches welfare Heb. 1. Dan. 10. yet it follows not that they are therefore earthly To the second clause of the major It makes Christs Kingdome most observable for all worldly glory Answer Though this Kingdome shall have observable for outward glory according to Rev. 21. Kings and Nations shall bring their honour to it yet it doth not follow that we say it shall be most observable for that But for the speciall manifestation of God and the Lamb and all the spirituall beams irradiating from them Rev. 21. dispelling all uncleanness and spiritualizing every thing so that though they injoy the earth upon earth yet not in an earthly manner Sure then shal that be much more verified in 1 Cor. 10.31 and Phil. 3.20 Their conversation is in heaven and doe all to the glory of God ¶ 2 To his minor Proposition First to the first clause But the Scriptures makes it to be spiritual without all Worldly pomp I Answer words are as they are intended In English pomp and vanity are much of the same sense But if by pomp Mr. B. means outward glory Christ hath promised it abundantly in many places of the old Testament before alleadged And also in the new Testament in many places of which afore and particularly in Rev. 21. throughout To the second clause of his minor Neither doth the word of God make the Kingdome of the Mediator of two kinds and of a different nature We answer As all orthodox Divines do distinguish the Church of the Mediator into visible and invisible yet do say and Mr. B. can see it as well as I that they doe not distinguish the Church into severall kinds so it is in this As notwithstanding that in Heb. 1.1 The Church and Word are still of the same kinde and nature in Essence To the third clause of his minor The Word makes the Church one uniform from the beginning to the end We answer This word Uniform is variously used by Prelates and Presbyters which variety doth arise from Diocess and Classes But we thinke if we distinguish of an internal and an external form we shall satisfie the objection The Church is one Uniforme Church in the internal form which is union in and with Christ and through him with one another Eph. 4. And yet this doth not hinder the Church in several ages to have several external formes In Adams standing it was outwardly most glorious as well as inwardly perfect In the ten Fathers time afore the Flood it was in Families with a mean outward glory In the time of Tabernacle made by Moses and of the Temple built by Solomon it had a world of glorious types and abundance of pomp i. e. outward glory In the New Testament in the first 300 yeers it was mean in Constantine M. c. a great deal of outward glory But again of late times in many places very mean yet still wee truly confesse one universal Church in kinde nature essence and internal forme why therefore should it make an objection that when Christs time shall come that is greater then Constantine the Great then Moses then Solomon then Adam that HEE shall make the Church as internally and spiritually most exact so externally glorious If there be any outward glory on earth it shall not be in the hands of the foure Monarchies or any part thereof but in the hands of the Saints considered as the Church not as the world For then the world shall bee Churched Christ not Bishops Christs Spirit not their Liturgy or Letany or Collects shall Church her and give her an Hallelujah for her safe delivery and fulfill that neither the Sunne of worldly power nor the Moon of worldly things shall fright her any more For that Psalme is meant of the Church ¶ 3 To his proofs of the minor viz. That the Scripture makes the Kingdome of the Mediator to be spiritual without all worldly pompe and that neither doth the word of God make that Kingdome to be of two kindes and of two different natures but one and uniforme from the beginning to the end I say that proof he brings for this will be too short by many rounds to reach all this pompe of words in which he dresseth forth his minor Proposition Let us examine his proofs by particulars First that in Luke 1.32 The Lord shall give him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever Now we aske the question Doth this make out all the straines of Mr. B. minor Nay we have largely shewed this place mightily confirmes our opinion and overthrows the contrary See before Book 3. Chap. 4. Sect. 2. page 383. c. I am loath to spend time and paines in repetition and so to swell this Treatise with unnecessaries I will onely aske Mr. B. where or when yet was fulfilled this same SHALL And WHERE is DAVIDS THRONE now And how doth Christ reigne over the HOUSE of JACOB in any part or in any manner in inward and outward glory To his second proof 1 Cor. 15.25 He must reigne till he have put all things under him We answer first by a question doth this place prove all the clauses of his minor Is here one word to say that in Christs Kingdome there is but one way of ruling that there is but one Kingdome meerly spiritual and in no wise worldly Yea doth not this Text speak the contrary whâ—n it faith all his things as Mr. B. alleadgeth it must be put under his feet Surely this intimates a great alteration of the world that the world shall submit to Christ for the good and service of the Church as many places in the Old Testament doe gloriously inlarge Mr. B. quips us with a Socino-remonstration But sure it is plaine Familisme to turne plaine places into Allegories To the third proof in Luke 17.20 The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation Neither shall they say Lo here or lo there
to communicate with them in any sort of drinking till he dranke new with them in the Kingdome of his Father †Quare non videtur loc intelligendum de vino quod unâ cum discipulis biberit Dominus pâ—st resurrectionem suum Nam etsi per dies illos quadraginta sese illis subinde ostendit atque etiam cum iis eâ—it nulla tamen potus sit mentio Nec moris erat apud Judaeos bibere vinum in prandiis ac caenis quotidianis sed tantum in solenniotibus convivâ—is Pisc Schol. in Matth. 26.29 See Piscator on Matth. 26. § 5 And if any will needs presume that he did drinke after his resurrection some sort of drinke or other Let them stay their stomacks with this that it is spoken in this twenty sixth of Matthew with a double emphasis upon both Phrases that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will by no meanes drinke from hence-forward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this this same fruit or kinde of the vine untill c. so that beyond all dispute its evident that Christ will no more drinke of THIS KIND untill that day when he shall drinke it new with them in his Fathers kingdome which Emphasis at THAT day with the distinction of his Fathers kingdome cannot relate to three dayes after Christ then still being in execution of his maine Mediatorship rising againe Rome 4.25 for our justification as he was delivered to death for our offences § 6 All which is pinned faster by the phrase in the Adjective not in the Adverb For he saith not I will drinke it newly but I will drinke it new which could not be within three dayes after and in the winter time when there was need in Judea of a fire in the High-Priests Hall Luk. 24.55 at which time and in so short a space there could not be made either new wine or any meere naturall creature new But at the thousand yeares all things are made new 2 Pet. chap. 3.13 Isa 65.17 Revel 21.1.4 5. The learned Grotius saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simile est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Apocalypsi Grot. in Annot. in Matth. 26.29 The fruit of the Vine is said to be new as it is said New Jerusalem in the Apocalyps Now we know that Jerusalem is new in St. Johns sense in the time of the thousand yeares as appeares by collating Revel 21.1 with Revel 20.1 c. †Ev 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nempe in regno lo Caelesti glorioso seu in convivio illo Nuptiali ac regio in quo accumbent Abraham Isaac Iacob unâ cum illit omnes electi ut docet Dominus supra 8.11 Piscat in Mat. 26.29 Schol. And Piscator saith That the Kingdome of his Father signifieth that Royall Nuptiall whereat Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Elect shall sit downe together with Christ And it is said Revel 20.4 the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeares And Mat. 19 28. That they that have followed Christ shall so is the right pomting and sense I say shall in the regeneration when the Sonne of Man shall sit on his throne sit also upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel * So Theophyl points it and saith Per regeâ—nerationem autâ—m resurrectionem intellige which resurrection of all the Elect defunct is at the beginning of the the mand yeares where we have the fruit of the vine new explained by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Another Genesis or creation of the world as Genesis is the name of the Booke containing the Story of the first Creation which other Genesis is whiles Christ sits on his throne saith this text afore he resigne his kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15. And saith the Apostle Rom. 8.21 this second Creation is such as wherein the Creature it selfe the whole Creation as well as the election of Beleevers shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God c. as it followes vers 22. 23. That is the Creatures shall be delivered from the blasting curse by Adams fall namely both from the vexation wrong and abuse of them by mans sinfull use of them as also from the vanity weaknesse and emptinesse that is in them for fallen mans sake Now this Nuptiall royall Banquet must be at that Wedding Revel 21. ver 2. ver 9. which in order falls into the thousand yeares mentioned afore Revel 20. even as it is expresse Revel 19.7.9 that it followes the ruine of Babilon mentioned Revel 18. throughout the whole Chapter The great * Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inquit Theophylactus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est non vulgari neque communi sed novo singulari modo loach Cametar Commentar in Matth. Joach Camerarius upon that twenty sixth of Matthew vers 29 approves of Theophylacts sence upon this new and thus recites it New that is saith Theophylact after a new manner that is not in a vulgar or common but in a new and singular way To which let me adde what further Theophylact there adds †Vel etiam inquit Theophylactus sic intelligas Novum poculum revelatio sacramentorum Dei hoc est in secundo adventu revelabuntur quae verè sunt nova qualia non audivimus uspiam Theophyl Enarrat in Com. Or else saith he by New understand a new Cup and the revelations of the mysteries of God that is in his second comming shall be revealed what things are truly new such as we have not any when or where heard § 7 But it may be some will object that it is said in the foresaid text he would drinke it new in his Fathers Kingdome and therefore that place is not so cleare for Christs Kingdome To which we answer two wayes 1. That this Kingdome of Christ in this text may be called also his Fathers Kingdome because the Father gave it him Psal 2. v. 8. And therefore is Christ called there in v. 6. HIS King And the Apostles pray to the Father in the words of this Psalme to maintaine his Sonne in his Kingdome Act. 4.24 c. whereof the glorious state of the Church in Constantine the Great his time and other short shinings forth of the splendor of the Church in succeeding ages were but types or prefaces So Psal 8.4 5. What is man that thou art mindfull of hem or the SONNE of man the common stile of Christ that thou visitest him for THOU hast made HIM a little time * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a little waile For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies say the Criticks a little space of time And so is the Greek Heb. 2.7 See the margine 〈◊〉 here lower then the Angels AND that is to say after that hast CROWNED him with glory and honour THOU hast made him to have dominion over the workes of thy hands THOU hast put all things under his feet All
which the Apostle Heb. 2. v. 5 6 7. c. expounds of Christ and of the inhabited world to come as the Greek is vers 5. and saith that when Christ was ascended yet then all things were not put under his feet For all must be so all saith the Apostle there v. 8. that nothing must be excepted except as 1 Cor. 15. God himselfe But of this of Heb. 2. abundantly after § 2 Secondly we answer That it is the Kingdome of God his Father because Christ reignes over it as in unspeakable union with the God-head That though he be but one person yet he hath two natures So that the sense is the Kingdome of my Father that is the Kingdom of God as it is in the Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it iâ— the Kingdome of a God-Christ or a God-man Christ For Father is ascribed in Scripture to the God-head usually in relation to Christ incarnate So that because the two natures are joyned as Collegues in one person over this Empire therefore it is called the Kingdome of CHRIST and of GOD. And such a phrase and upon such an occasion as cleerly relates to the Kingdome whereof we speak doth the Apostle use Eph. 5.5 The words are these This know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man c. hath any INHERITANCE in the Kingdome of CHRIST and of GOD. The Heathens never imagined that vicious persons should enter into their heavenly Elysian-fields or the blissfull immortality of soules And Inheritance more suits to Earth then Heaven And lastly after the ultimate day of judgement Christ hath no Kingdome 1 Cor. 15.28 Therefore this place of Ephes 5.5 relates to the Great Restitution as plainlier appears by paralelling another place which fully answers to that of Ephes 5.5 viz. Rev. 22.11.15 The words are these He that is filthy let him be filthy still WITHOUT are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the dogs the whoremongers c. when is this viz. in the time when the Throne of GOD and of the LAMB shall be and appeare glorious in the Holy City the New Jerusalem verf. 1 2 3. twice expressed There is also the like phrase of calling it the Kingdome of God and of Christ in effect Rev. 12.9.10 And the great Dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Devill and Satan c. And I heard a loud voyce saying in Heaven Now is salvation and strength and the KINGDOME OF OUR GOD and the POWER OF HIS CHRIST So that Christ as MAN joyntly with GOD doth reigne in this Millenary Kingdome And therefore Christ speakes of new Wine New in the Kingdome of his Father before the ultimate â—ay of judgement For after that day Christ hath no KINGDOME nor POWER but layes downe all as wee have oft â—epeated it out of 1 Cor. 15.28 God the Father is then to be all in all And therefore that expression so frequent in Rev. 20. The Saints hall reigne with Christ a thousand yeers cannot be meant of supernall eternall glory after the last judgement because that place but now quoted of 1 Cor. 15.28 affirmes that then Christ himselfe is said NOT TO REIGNE but to lay down all and to be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all so that then Christ only injoys glory with his Saints not reigne as Christ in glory SECT VI. Of the sixth Scripture for Christs Personall appearance at the great restauration of the Church 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome § 1 THe Kingdome of Christ here mentioned cannot be referred to his past Government of the Church for it is expresse in the future tense now so long since his Ascention that he shall judge the quick and dead at his appearance and his Kingdom § 2 Nor can this Kingdome of Christ here spoken of signifie any Kingdome of Christ after the ultimate judgement for then Christ hath no Kingdome as but now and oft before was touched from 1 Cor. 15.28 § 3 But when Christ appeares next to judge the quicke and dead Saints to reward them and to destroy the then living incurable and incorrigible wicked by a particular day of Judgement at the beginning of the thousand yeares which is the Preface to the ultimate Judgement Christ all that while being busied in executing that first Sentence of Judicature Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite a kingdome provided for you according to Revel 11.15 17 18. of which much after compare Revel 19. three last verses I say when Christ shall then appeare hee shall have a Kingdome § 4 The word appearance is the same in the Greeke as that 2 Thes 2.8 so that Christ must appeare to the inhabitants of the earth where this his Kingdome is For the present as it is said Luk. 19.11 12. by Christ himselfe Christ is gone into a farre Country viz. into Heaven to take to him a Kingdom that is in the Metropolis Heaven he is to be crowned King of this his Kingdome he is to have on earth but he is to returne and then to take account of his servants in this his Kingdome and to dignifie the well-doers Christ must be the fifth Monarch Dan. 2.45 Dan. 7.13 14. I say Christ is to be the fifth Monarch The Jewes now have no King but in the last dayes they shall have David that is Christ the Sonne of David to be their King Hos 3. ver 4 5. And Christ in Acts 1. ver 3. having for forty dayes spoken of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God and thereupon being asked by the Disciples ver 6 of his restoring the Kingdome to Israel he doth not deny the thing but only refuseth then to tell them the Time when it should be done But after he tells us by John in the Revelation as we shall see abundantly after SECT VII Of the seventh Scripture for the Personall appearance of Christ at the great restauration of the Church Acts 3.19 20 21. Repent yee therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which was before preached unto you whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began § 1 THis place of Scripture is the more considerable in that it is urged by some that looke upon things only with a cursory eye against Christs glorious Kingdome yet to come on earth which if well weighed speakes most strongly for it § 2 For 1. Time and especially times twice mentioned in the Plurall cannot so well relate to a state after the last Judgement when time shal be no more Rev. 10.6 7. And the Angels sware by him that liveth for ever that there should be
Christ but anon Arianisme arose then Papisme mounted up then the Beast did arise The Church is put into a Wildernesse-condition the witnesses prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty yeares which are not yet expired for they have not yet laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe 5 ¶ Nor is that in the 18 19 20. verses yet fulfilled That all Idols are abolished that God hath so shaken the earth that he hath made the inhabitants thereof to cast away all their Idols and to hide themselves for feare The Territories of the Papacie extending over France Spaine Italy part of the Low Countries part of upper Germany part of Polonia part of the Indies c. are full of Idols and doe openly worship them as they say in the sight of the Sunne The great shake of these is not till the Witnesses have laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe Revel 11. and then is the great fall ibid. ver 11. and when those things are shaken downe then the things that cannot be shaken viz. pure worship purely Spirituall and pure Saints shall remaine unmoved Heb. 12.27 § 6 Nor can it be rationally imagined that these things shall not be done till the ultimate day of the generall Judgement for then there is no time of establishing of the mountaine of the Lords house upon the top of the mountaine no proceeding of the word out of Zion no running and hiding from the presence of the Lord for the Sea and Grave c. shall give up their dead And all good shall be turned into an eternity of absolute glory Therefore the time of fulfilling of the Prophesies and Promises of this second of Isaiah is yet to come afore the ultimate day of the last generall Judgement * The Diatribae pars 4. of Mr. Mede lately coming forth and come to my hands since I penned this eleventh Section I thought it convenient to insert into the Margine at least his judgement of this second of Isaiah ver 2 3 4. which I will give you in his owne words HILS or MOUNTAINES saith he are States Kingdomes or Societies of men which consisting of degrees rising unto an height one above another are compared unto Mountaines raised above the ordinary plaine and levell of the earth The MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE is that State and Society of men which is called the Church and People of God REGNUM CAELORUM the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. a Kingdome whose both King and Kings Throne have their place and residence in the Heavens These words therefore are a Prophesie or Propheticall promise of the GLORIOUS EXALTATION WONDERFULL ENLARGMENT and UNHEARD-OF-PROSPERITY of this Society of men called the CHURCH above all States and Societies of men whatsoever The glory and EXALTATION is expressed in the word THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE SHAL BE ONE DAY EXALTED yee mounted not only above the lesser hill but above the highest mountaine though at this time it were depressed and trampled under foot by the proud enemies thereof The ENLARGMENT is in the word ALL NATIONS SHALL FLOW INTO IT i. e. though at the time of this Prophesie it were reduced to a small remnant yet the time was to come when it should not only consist of one Nation of the Jewes as then it did but of all Nations under the whole Heaven The PROSPERITY thereof begins to be described from these words ver 4. THEY SHAL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES c. i. e though the greatest part of JACOB were already captive and Judah and Jerusalem in a continuall feare and no lesse danger of the Armies and invasion of the King of Babel yet the time should one day come that the People or Church of God should not only be the most exalted state upon the earth and the most ample and universall Dominion that ever was in the world but the most peaceable quiet and flourishing State that ever was since man was FIRST CREATED This is the Prophesie But now comes the Question Whether this as we have described it be and hath already been fulfilled or whether if already any wayes fulfilled whether it be not in part only performed and the full accomplishment reserved for time to come c. For here the Church is to be established on the tops of Mountaines c. so that no other State shal over-top or over-looke it much lesse trample it under feet Now whether there was ever such a time when this was compleatly fulfilled c. I leave it to any mans indifferent judgement who can compare the description of the Prophet with the stories of fore past and present times In the times immediatly after Christs PASSION I think any man will grant the Church then was neither VISIBLE nor GLORIOUS In the time of the PERSECUTING EMPEROURS when the Church had taken foot among the Gentiles and the Nations began to flow unto it it was a Society indeed VISIBLE but not GLORIOUS I am sure it was not in the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES but the Imperial Mountaine of ROME not only over-topped it but over trampled it under their feet In the time of CONSTANTINE and thereabouts after three hundred yeares cruell persecution the Sunne seemed as it were to breake forth of a Cloud but presently that glory was eclipsed and even the visibility of the Church in a manner covered with the thick and a Universally overspreading cloud of ARYANISME This ARIAN cloud was no sooner blown over but another great cloud of that fore-prophesied APOSTASIE of the Church begun to arise whereby the Churches glory was not onely eclipsed but at length againe the visibility thereof wholly overshaddowed with the thick darknesse of Idolatrous ANTICHRISTIANISME untill after a long day of darknesse it pleased God of late somewhat to dispel the cloud c. and we hope when the cloud shall be wholly consumed by the beams of the Sun of the Gospel the Church shall become not more visible then yet it is but far more glorious then ever hitherto it hath been WHEN THE FULNESSE OF THE GENTILES as St. Paul speaks SHALL COME IN. For we shall finde in the Prophesies of the Scriptures that there are two sorts and times of the CALLING OF THE GENTILES First that which should be in the REJECTION OF THE IEWS as St. Paul saith to PROVOKE THEM TO IEALOUSIE Such a calling as should be in a manner occasionall that God might not want a Church the time the Iewes were to be cast out So Rom. 11.15 The CASTING AWAY OF THE IEWS is the RECONCILING OF THE WORLD i.e. The CALLING OF THE GENTILES Whence we may see that the Apostles were not to preach Christ to the Gentiles untill being first offered to the Iewes they refused him And this is that calling of the Gentiles which hitherto hath been many yeares But there is a second and more glorious calling of the Gentiles to be found in the Prophesies of Scripture not a calling as this is
which at the ultimate day of judgement cannot be imaginable and therefore are yet to be fulfilled before that day SECT XXX THE fourth place in Jeremiah is in Chapter 50. the foure last verses viz. v. 17 18 19 20. The words are these Verse 17. ISRAEL is a scattered sheep the Lions have driven him away first the KING of ASSYRIA hath devoured him and last this NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of BABYLON hath broken his bones v. 18. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of ISRAEL Behold I will punish the King of BABYLON and his land as I have punished the King of ASSYRIA v. 19. And I will bring ISRAEL again to his HABITATION and he shall feed on CARMEL and BASHAN and his soul shall be satisfied on mount EPHRAIM and GILEAD § 1 That this Prophesie is not yet fulfilled nor can it be fulfilled at the ultimate day of judgement and therefore to bee fulfilled on earth afore that day note first that he dittie is of ISRAEL which must at least comprehend the ten Tribes which appears not onely in styling God here in relation to this the God of ISRAEL but by severall passages after that all the twelve Tribes are here meant Now the deliverance of the ten Tribes was never yet performed to this day § 2 Secondly the deliverance must be in a hostile way viz. by the destruction of their enemies namely of Kings and Kingdomes expressed v. 18. in relation to which God is called the Lord of Hosts But as yet the Kings and Kingdoms who in a constant succession down to this day have been the enemies of the Jews are not destroyed § 3 Thirdly that God promiseth to come downe in a methodicall order to punish their enemies successively in time and place as successively as they afflicted the twelve Tribes First the King of Assyria had devoured Israel which can be no other then Salmaneser his taking Samaria c. captive 2 King 18.9 which Samaria was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes And this is the King of Assyria's devouring Israel Nineveh being the Metropolis of that Kingdome whiles called the Kingdome of Assyria 2 King 19.36 Then secondly Nebuchadnezzar alias Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon came up against Jerusalem the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the two Tribes and took it and carried away all the considerable persons of that Kingdome and all their substance of any value captive to Babylon 2 King 25.1 c. And this was the King of Babylon his breaking of their bones called the King of Babylon because Babylon then was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of Chaldea the Chaldeans then ruling over the Assyrians And therefore the Monarchy was afterwards called the Assyrio-chaldean Now as God hath punished some of their enemies heretofore viz. Nineveh of Assyria according to the Prophet Nahum And Sennacherib their King and his Host 2 King 19. So he must according to his promise descend in order with destruction in an hostile manner upon Babylon and upon the Kings of Babylon whatsoever and whosoever that Babylon and those Kings be in the Scripture name and notion and extended in the promises of the New Testament And therefore as God did punish Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon with turning him as it were into a beast for certaine yeers Dan. 4. And after hee punished Belshazzar King of Babylon and that City by Darius the Mede invading it Dan. 5. and Darius the Mede then King of Babylon by Alexander the Greek and Alexanders successours then King of Babylon by the Roman and the Roman Emperour then King of Babylon both old and new that is Babylon and Rome by the Arabian Saracen or Turk the now King of old Babylon Dan. 7. so according to the explication and application in the New Testament of this promise made in this Text in the Old God must yet goe on corporally to destroy the Turk the present King of old Babylon and the Roman that once was the Tyrant of Old Babylon and after that continued to be the Tyrant of New Babylon viz. Rome first by Heathen Tyranny and after by Papal and Antichristian Tyranny down to this day acording to Prophesies in Dan. 7. and this must bee done by the power of Christ and his Church ibid. and Dan. 2. Now neither the Turkish King of Babylon nor his Kingdome is yet destroyed but rather mightily prospers and prevailes yea and God is behinde in arrears of judgements with New Romish Babylon for her heathenish ten bloody persecutions extending by intervals about three hundred yeers and hath not given her her present pay for her late Papal and Antichristian massacres inquisitions tortures and blasphemies as to the matter of destroying the supream power and the Kingdome of this Babylon according to the amplification of Revelation 17 18 and 19 Chapters § 4 Note fourthly that the successive punishing the enemies of the Jews in succeeding generations following this Prophesie must so succeed as to have this successe that ISRAEL and JUDAH may be delivered from their dispersion and restored to their own land and distinctly to their severall quarters there viz. Carmel Bashan Ephraim and Gilead One Carmel was a City of the Tribe of Judah some twelve miles from Jerusalem Southward Another Carmel was of the Tribe of Issachar about threescore and foure miles from Jerusalem Northward not farre from Prolemais toward the shore of the Mediterranean Sea Josh 19. Jer. 46. Bashan before the Israelites came up from Egypt to Canaan was of the Country of Og but after became part of the portion of the half Tribe of Manasseh Numb 21. Isa 2.13 Mount Ephraim is between Jericho and Jerusalem extending towards the Sea It was the portion of the sonnes of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh Josh 13. and 17. And as one halfe of the Tribe of Manasseh stuck to Judah so Ephraim is an usuall expression to signifie the Kingdome of the ten Tribes or Israel Isa 7. Isa 9. Hos 5. Psal 59. Gilead was a Country that lay between the sea of Galilee and mount Gilead some sixty miles from Jerusalem It separates the Country of Galilee from Israel By this description of the scituation and owners of these places it evidently appeares that Gods minde in this Prophesie of Jeremy is that not onely the two Tribes but also the other ten and so all twelve are to be restored to their own land though it cost the ruine of all Kings of all Babylons whatsoever But this is not yet fulfilled as the present and long time past condition of those twelve Tribes sadly speak § 5 Therefore as sure as God is true these Prophesies of Jeremiah must be yet fulfilled on earth And that before the ultimate day of judgement as we said before the nature of the things necessarily requiring it Thus of Jeremiah SECT XXXI NExt wee come to the Prophet Ezekiel The first place is in Chapter 28. v. 24 25 26. Vers 24. There shall be NO MORE a pricking briar unto the house of ISRAEL
shall become the Lords and his Christs Rev. 11.15.18 ¶ 3. Further what prerogative and advancement had it been for the Kingdome of Christ SPIRITUAL to have broken down ☞ the Selcucidae and other Horns of the Greeke Empire as long as another Kingdome the Kingdom of the Romans succeeded in their place to beate downe the Church by the Heathen Emperors and Antichrist for longer space of time and with greater and more terrible persecution then ever before § 7 Contrarily I affirme that the legges feet and toes of the iron doe signifie the Roman Kingdome 1. Because it is represented by a distinct mettall coming after the Brazen belly and thighes which is the Grecian For no other distinct Monarchy came after the Grecian but this as History doth shew 2. Because t is stronger then all the rest and breaketh them in peeces Dan. 2.40 3. The Iron legs and feet are parallell with the Iron teeth of the fourth Beast which signifies the Roman Kingdome Dan. 7.7 4. The ten toes representing the ten Kings are accordingly a character of the Roman Kingdome Revel 12.3 and 13.1 and 17.12 5. T is such a Kingdome as must stand to be destroyed by the Kingdome of the Saints in the end of time and therefore can be no other ☜ then the Roman Kingdome yet continuing under Antichrist § 8 The Stone is the Kingdome of the Saints as it is interpreted Dan. 2.44.45 with chap. 7.26 27. ☜ And that is the Kingdome to be set up at the fall of Antichrist as it appeareth by these reasons 1. Because it shal be set up to destroy all adverse Kingdoms in the world which cannot be expected til about the time of the fal of Antichrist ☜ 2. It shall not rise till about the sounding of the seventh Trumpet which is the time of the fall of Antichrist Revel 11.15 16 17. 3. Then and not before it shall fill all the earth ver 34 35.44 45. that is all Kingdoms shall be subject unto it chap. 7.26 27. compare Rev. 11.15 Thus Mr. Parker to whom in the maine and generall of his matter I assent § 9 In the last place let us hear Mr. Archer speak in his fore-cited book p. 7. 8. And then I shall take my turne The fourth Monarchy saith he was that of the Romans which because it began farre lower then the rest viz. more Westward and yet rose as high Eastward as the highest of the former therefore it became a mightier Monarchy then all the three former This is expressed in this second of Daniel by legges of Iron because it was the strongest of all and subdued all under it But in processe of time the body of the world which it bore up being so great to which it was a leg it divided it selfe into two legges viz. the Easterne and Westerne Monarchy Which yet though divided was as strong as Iron and held all Nations under them But in processe of time fell into feet and toes The Eastern Monarchy was swallowed up by the Turke the Westerne fell into divers Kingdomes But among these sub-divided Kingdomes was strength and weaknesse the feet being part of iron and part of clay And much mingling there shall be amongst them to re-joyne the Kingdomes into one body some whereof are weak and some strong as iron and clay but never shall be as Iron cannot be mixed with clay The Spaniards and Austrians of Spaine and Germany and other Nations of Europe some of which are strong and some weake have sought by marriages and other covenants to mingle and re-joyne themselves into one Monarchy but it shall never bee as we cannot mingle iron and clay But in the period and up-shot of their Soveraignty and Monarchy they shall remaine distinct Kingdomes as Feete and Toes of Iron and Clay partly weake and partly strong § 10 Now in the dayes of this Roman Monarchy this fourth Western Monarchy there shall be a stone cut out without hands which shall ruine these Kingdomes smiting the Image on the feet of iron and clay and so swallow up the whole image all the fore-going Monarchies being brought under it and by it to nothing And it becomes a Monarchy over the whole earth where ever the former Monarchies had ruled ver 35. That is as it is explained ver 44 45. a Kingdome which that stone shall obtaine set up by the hand of the God of Heaven Whereas the other Kingdomes or Monarchies were erected by men on earth though permitted and ordered by God This Kingdome or Monarchy shall swallow up in it all fore-going Monarchies And this is a FIFT Monarchy which shall arise in the world after the former foure which is meant of a state of Christs Kingdome as appeares by severall reasons ¶ 1. Marke it is called a Stone as Christ is the cheife corner stone which the builders refused 1 Pet. 2. v. 3. c. to 8. ¶ 2. Againe it is a stone not in hand or cut out without hands Because God shall reare up this Kingdome As touching Mr. Archers words of Gods rearing up this Kingdome without hands of humane helpe I cannot insert or assent to while I stick at that place in Daniel chap. 12. ver 1. c. that when Michael shall stand up to deliver his people meaning the great and generall deliverance of the Jewes from temporall and spirituall captivity there shall be a great time of trouble such as there never was since it was a Nation even to that same time Insomuch that many of the Jewes afore as it were a sleep in the dust or as dead men in their forlorne hopelesse and helplesse condition shall now at Christs appearance awake and stand up for the cause of their deliverance yet some of them shall fall off to their everlasting shame According to which there is a double period of time relating to their deliverance mentioned in the eleventh and twelfth verses of that chapter as if it should begin at one thousand two hundred and ninety yeares after the ceasing of the daily sacrifice but they onely should be blessed that wait and come to the one thousand three hundred thirty and fifth year which is forty five years after But of the full meaning of this place to this sence and the demonstration thereof we shal hear after in our last place of Daniel This I confesse and I can freely conceive that whereas the Church of Christ is that stone that Kingdome of Christ as Mr. Mede Mr. Huet and Mr. Parker have afore well expressed or hinted so Christs call of the residue of the Church into the state of grace at the great and last bringing in of the Jewes shall be so immediately and suddenly done by Christ himselfe by his appearing in the clouds and such like extraordinary wayes as in the birth of a Nation at once as the Prophet describes their call that there shall not be used for ought I know the Ministry of mens preaching to that end ¶ 3. It s
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usurpatum de Solâ—o invenies apud Chald parâ—p Jerem. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi in Hebr. est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the Senators to sit upon not throwne down as we of late have it And the ANCIENT OF DAIES Pater Consistorii did sit c. and subaudi I BEHELD TILL THE JUDGEMENT WAS SET that is the whole Sanhedrim and the books were opened Here we see both the forme of judgement delivered and the name of judgement expressed which is afterwards twice more expressed 1. In the amplification of the Tyranny of the WICKED HORN ver 21 22. which is said to bee continued TILL THE ANCIENT OF DAIES CAME and judgement was given to the Saints of the most High i. e. Potestas judicandi ipsis facta And the second time in the Angels interpretation verse 26. But the JUDGEMENT SHALL SIT and they shall take away the dominion to consume and to destroy to the end Where observe by the way that cases of DOMINION of BLASPHEMY and APOSTASY c. belonged to the jurisdiction of the great SANHEDRIM From this description it came that the Jewes gave it the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day of Judgement And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The day of the great Judgment Whence in the Epist of Jude v. 6. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the judgement of the great Day From the same description they learned that the destruction then to bee should be BY FIRE because it is said verse 9. His throne was a FIERY FLAME and his WHEELES BURNING A fiery streame issued and came forth before him And ver 11. The Beast was slaine and his body destroyed and given to the BURNING From the same fountaine are derived those expressions in the Gospell where this day is intimated or described THE SON OF MAN SHALL COME IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN The son of man shall come in the GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH HIS HOLY ANGELS as it is said here thousands ministred unto him c. And that Daniel saw one like the sonne of man coming with cloudes of Heaven and he came to the ancient of Daies and THEY brought him or placed him neare him c. Hence St. Paul learned THE SAINTS SHOULD JUDGE THE WORLD because it is said that MANY THRONES WERE SET and ver 22. by way of exposition JUDGEMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH Hence the same Apostle learned to confute the false feare of the Thessalonians that the day of Christs second coming was then at hand because that day cannot be till the MAN OF SIN WERE FIRST COME and should have reigned his APPOINTED TIME for as much as Daniel had foretold it should bee so and that his destruction should bee at the SONNE OF MANS APPEARING IN THE CLOUDES whose appearing therefore was not to bee till then This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paul the appearance or brightnesse of his coming Which man of sin saith he Christ shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appearance of his coming Daniels wicked HORN or the BEAST acting in the wicked horn is St. Pauls MAN OF SIN But to go on whiles this Judgement sits and when it had destroyed the FOURTH BEAST the sonne of man which comes in the cloudes receives DOMINION AND GLORY and A KINGDOM THAT ALL PEOPLE NATIONS and LANGUAGES SHOULD SERVE and OBEY HIM ver 14. which KINGDOM is thrice explained afterwards as ver 18. These foure BEASTS saith the Angell are foure KINGS which shall arise But viz. when they have finished their course the Saints of the most High shal take THE KINGDOME Againe verse 22. The wicked Horne prevailed UNTILL THE TIME CAME THAT THE SAINTS POSSESSED THE KINGDOME Againe verse 27. when the fourth Beast reigning in the wicked Horne was DESTROYED THE KINGDOME and DOMINION and the GREATNES OF THE KINGDOME UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH c. These grounds being laid I argue as followeth The Kingdom of the son of man and of the Saints of the most high in Daniel begins when the great Judgement sits But the Kingdome in the Apocalyps wherein the Saints reign with Christ a thousand yeares is the same with the Kingdome of the sonne of man and Saints of the most high in Daniel Therefore it also begins at the great Judgement * Mr. Mede saith not at the ultimate generall Judgement but at the great Iudgement speaking as Daniel and other Scriptures aforesaid and the Hebrew Rabbins calling al the thousand years the great judgement And the begâ—nning of them the beginning of the day of judgement See after at the next ☞ That the Kingdome in Daniel and that of the thousand years in the Apocalyps are one and the same Kingdome appears thus First Because they begin ab eodem termino from the same terme at the destruction of the fourth Beast That in Daniel when the Beast then ruling in the wicked horne was slaine and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7 ver 11.22.27 That in the Apocalyps when the Beast and false Prophet the wicked horne in Daniel were taken and both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Apocal. 19.20 21. Secondly Because Saint John begins the Regnum of the thousand yeares from the same session of judgement described in Daniel as appeares by his parallell expressions borrowed from thence Daniel sayes chap. 7. Ver. 9. I beheld till the Thrones were pitched downe and the Judgement i. e. judices the Judges set Vers 22. And judgement was given to the Saints of the most high St. John sayes chap. 20. Vers 4. I saw thrones and they sate upon them And the Saints possessed the Kingdome viz. with the Sonne of Man who came in the cloudes And judgement was given unto them And the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now if this be sufficiently proved that the thousand years begin with the day of judgement ☜ it will appear further out of the Apocalyps that the Judgement is not CONSUMMATE TILL THEY BE ENDED For Gog and Magogs destruction and the UNIVERSALL RESURRECTION is not till then Therefore THE WHOLE THOUSAND YEARES IS INCLUDED IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT Hence it will follow that whatsoever Scripture speakes of a Kingdome of Christ to be at his second appearing or at the destruction of Antichrist must needs be the same which Daniel saw should be at that time and so consequently be the Kingdome of the thousand years which the Apocalyps includes between the beginning and consummation of the great Judgement Therefore that in Luk. 17. vers 20. to the end where the Pharisees demand of Christ when the Kingdome of God should appeare And Christ answers that it comes not with observation but as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under heaven shineth unto the other c.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord. The Reconciliation Mr. Mede would reconcile these places thus 1. That for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Article he would read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord. And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edom he would read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam or Man And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may possess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may seek after And he doth suppose the Septuagint and the Apostle and Evangelist did follow some such copie and upon that ground supplyed the word Lord and altered the word Edom to Adam or man and the word possess to seek after and so read That the remnant of Adam or man may seek after the Lord. To which conjecture or reading I can contribute a little something To the first this that some copies of the Septuagint have instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Me as relating to the Lord Which is not onely reported by Nobilius but I have the like Greek copy by me To the second this That Edom by the Hebrewes is used commonly to signifie the Nations that were not of their Jewish Church and especially those under the Roman Monarchy And therefore the Jesuites have expunged out of the Hebrew Rabbins Commentaries on the Hebrew Bibles printed within their reach the word Edom oftentimes as it is to be seen in the edition of Buxtorfes great Hebrew Bible with the Chalde and Rabbins compared with that of Bomberg To the third this That some copies of Jeroms Latine Translation have quaerant me may seeke after mee See De Dieu in his Animady in Act Apostol And his Animadvers on Clav. Apocal. De Dieu * conveniently salves the matter and saves the Hebrew text without any supply or alteration of any one word at all thus Act. 15.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is that the residue of men might seeek after the Lord. These words are fetched from Amos 9.12 where the Hebrew Text hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which is wonted to be translated that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all Nations Gentiles or Heathens which version of the words seems to me most harsh to reconcile with this place of the Acts But not so if we say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is not a note of the Accusative Case but as often else-where of the Nominative and we turn it That the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen on whom my name is called may possess the restored Tabernacle of David Neither is there any doubt with me but that the Septuagint so tooke the words for so they turne them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i.e. That the rest of men and all Nations Gentiles or Heathens may seek after Which words have no sence unlesse thou dost supply in thy understanding what they are to seek after to wit that which but even now he had spoken of viz. the Tabernacle of David that was thrown downe but now restored Instead of which James doth not ill substitute the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord. For whether thou sayst that they should seek after The restored Tabernacle or after the Lord the restorer and Master of that Tabernacle still thou sayest the same thing Adde that the Gentiles or Nations should seek after that Tabernacle not for its own sake but for the Lords sake Here also must be shewne why instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may possess the Septuagint saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may seek after Whether or no because for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may possess they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may seeke after So t is commonly thought But let leave be granted to conjecture another matter This is to bee held as a rule or tenet amongst all the Orientals that words which signifie Esse that is to be doe also signifie fieri that is about to be done that is moveriad esse viz. to be moved towards that same esse or being As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to open and to let loose Because loosening is a moving towards apertion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to possess and to buy Because buying is a moving towards possession there are hundreds of the same sort So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie to possess but to move toward possession For example Deut. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begin Possess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conflict with him in war They could not actually begin to possesse before they had conflicted and cast out the enemy The sence therefore is Begin to enter upon the possession And more clearly ver 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which if we render with Pagnin Begin thou to possess that thou mayst possess his land is a meer Tautologie but not so if you render it Begin thou to enter upon the possession c. So in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they may possess the Septuagint conceived did signifie not the possession it selfe but the endeavour of possessing which they happily enough expressed by a verb of seeking Nor is it wonder that they translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The remnant of Edom by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The remnant of men For perhaps they read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam or rather they tooke the word Edom in this place as often elsewhere to bee of a larger signification then to note the people properly so called For as Isaack the younger of Rebeckahs sonnes did typifie forth the Church so the elder ESAU or EDOM did typifie all other men that were strangers from the Church Wherefore in the writings of the Rabbins the Roman Empire especially whiles overspreading the whole world was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingdome of Edom who also by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sons of Edom do understand all Christians That wee said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes notes the Nominative Case if any should perhaps grant that after Verbs Passives but deny it in other Verbs let him see 2 King 9.25 Neh. 9.34 1 Sam. 17.34 2 Kin. 6.5 Eze. 43.7 Jer. 33.5 where it is so construed with Neuters Yea sometimes with Transitives as Neh. 9.34 Jer. 38.16 Eze. 39.14 * Hence it comes to passe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which otherwise of the Accusative Case doth among the Rabbins with all the Verbs promiscuously make the Nominative Case as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did it or he made or made it Plainly therefore both the Hebrew and the Greek both waies signifie the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles first AL ISRAEL next Rom. 11. into a cohabitation and Church-union Which is very aptly opened and inlarged in the very next Prophet viz. the Prophet Obadiah and with many of the same words and phrases with addition of others Obad. ver 17 18 19 20 21. But upon MOUNT ZION shall be deliverance and there shall be
holinesse and the HOUSE OF JACOB shal possess their possessions And the HOUSE OF JACOB shall be a fire and the house of JOSEPH a flame and the house of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them And they of the South shall possesse the mount of Esau and they of the plaine the Philistims and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of SAMARIA and Benjamin shall possess Gilead And the Captivity of this Host of the children of ISRAEL shall possess that of the Canaanites even unto Zarephath and the captivity of JERUSALEM which is in Sepharad shall possess the Cities of the South And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the Kingdomes shall be the Lords In which words we have such a character of the future happy state of the Church on earth harmoniously and beautifully wreathed and inter-woven of Jewes and Gentiles converted unto Christ as yet never was but still lies upon the engagement of Gods infallible truth to be fulfilled For on the Gentiles part here expressed under so many names they are not all to be destroyed but possessed with a mixed cohabitation of Jews according to the aforesaid place of Amos with which is our present collation this of Obadiah that there shall bee a REMNANT of Edom and a REMNANT for so the grammer of the word carries it of all the Heathen among whom and by whom the name of God shall be called upon And on the Jewes part both the Kingdome of Judah now as Judah and Benjamin are called 1 King 11.13 and ch 12.20 because of the mixture of their territories as the Geneva notes well give the reason and also the Kingdome of Israel must bee here understood as sharers in the spirituall salvation and outward happinesse here so laboriously inculcated else why doth the Prophet use one while such comprehensions in words as the house of Jacob and that twise and the house of Joseph Another while such distinctions and discriminations in terms as the captivity of the host of the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL and the captivity of JERUSALEM plainly enough setting forth the two Tribes the ten Tribes and generally the learned agree that both are here understood though severally they fix the footing of their interpretations Oecolampadius saith on ver 20. Duplices facit captivitates c. that is the Prophet makes two captivities For he gives to Israel the space towards the North and then he gives to them that were of Jerusalem that is to the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin that tract which is towards Egypt Mercer hath it over and over that in the 19. verse of this Obadiah is touched the State of Judah and in the 20 verse the State of Israel Hierom saith the house of Jacob signifies Judah and the house of Joseph the ten Tribes And Ephraim the son of Joseph out of which Tribe was the Regality of Samaria intimates that the two Kingdoms were to be again coupled or re-united for the devastation of the Edomites that is as t is generally agreed among the learned both Jewes and Christians those that are incorrigible Antichristian enemies of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus And then that which is added in the close as the corenis of this glorious internal and externall salvation of all these to be saved that Saviours in the plurall shall come upon mount Zion to judge the enemies and the Kingdome shall be the Lords is of that strength and torrent that it bears downe afore it all limitations of the meaning to their return from Babylon or the incarnation of THE SAVIOUR CHRIST whose then was the Kingdome in kind no otherwise then it was formerly when he ruled the world by his power and his Church by his Word and Spirit whereas this close THE Kingdome shall be the Lords must intend that it shall be answerable to the description from the seventeenth verse downward viz. a most holy Kingdome and withall a most visible outwardly large and glorious Kingdome and that on earth all corporall incurable Antichristian enemies sensibly falling before it Which is not only my opinion and sence of these words Mercer presents to us Ex Lyr. commenting on this Prophet thus much Odium Esau in Jacob in semine perseveravit c. that is the hatred of Esau against Iacob continued in the very seed therefore the overthrow of them is foretold Isa 21.34 Ier. 49. Ezek. 35. Amos 1. Mal. 1. This Prophet doth excellently handle and is wholly in this That as Christ is the Son of Abraham and of Israel and that after the flesh and therefore all indued with the spirit are his Brethren and belong to the seed of Abraham and of Israel so all false brethren that is ANTICHRISTS and Hypocrites belong to the seed of Esau Unto these agrees and suites whatsoever thou here readest against the Edomites Obadiahs Prophecy is smal in bulk great in sence comprehending many things in a few words He prophesieth in the behalfe of Israel against Edom prophesying the subversion of the Edomites and the GLORY of the true Israel the Church of Christ and that he alone shall reigne He saith that on mount Sion shall be deliverance and salvation which are more perfectly fulfilled according to the letter in the Church collected of all the faithfull then in mount Zion because the state of mount Zion continued but for a time but the Church abides for ever which shall be wee are confident more eminently famous in the very land of Israel when Israel in the LAST TIME SHAL RECEIVE CHRIST And their possessing their possessions or that they shall possess those that possessed them as he renders it shall he saith come to passe with illustrious glory after the LAST CONVERSION OF ISRAEL It is some-how fulfilled daily in the Elect overcoming their enemies with invincible patience But it is to be fulfilled more sublimely and gloriously in the judgement when the wicked shal openly before all be judged of the Elect. In speciall the house of Joseph is named albeit it is contained under the house of Iacob least for their worshipping of Calves and their long captivity it should be deemed as rejected Ioseph and Ephraim of which Tribe was Ieroboam are the ten Tribes whose captivity say the Hebrewes is not yet discharged But as it is said in the end of the Prophet Amos in the LAST TIME ISRAEL SHALL BE CONVERTED There are they which by Esau understand the Gentiles and by Israel the faithfull whom I contradict not There were of the Tribe of Iudah and Benjamin among the Apostles But who of the Tribe of Ephraim and Ioseph were among them is uncertaine But they on whom this Prophesie must be fulfilled must be of all Israel converted and the house of Iacob shall be a fire Who can deny this yet to bee fulfilled hereafter Apparently it shall be fulfilled when the world shall be judged For t is impossible that this should be fulfilled seeing as
it for a ground that Antichrist shall be destroyed and fully abolished before the thousand yeers begin But saith Mr. B. the Scripture makes Antichrist to continue to the day of judgement 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall the wicked one be revealed and destroyed by the brightnesse of Christs comming which is not before the last day as before is proved See also Rev. 19.20 The Beast was taken c. compare with it verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce for the marriage of the Lamb is come Antichrist is cast alive into the Lake at the Marriage of the Lamb. No living men are cast into Hell before the last day And Christs Marriage with his Church is not solemnized with a part of the Elect but with the whole body at the general Resurrection ¶ 2 Ans There is no such thing in 2 Thess 2.8 as that Antichrist shall continue to the day of judgement unlesse Mr. B. agree with us that the day of judgement begins at the thousand yeers whereat indeed is Christs appearing That Master Baily saith Christ shall not come till the last day of judgement that Master Baily hath not yet proved that in 19 of the Rev. v. 20. and in v. 7. wee grant but Mr. B. glosse upon it we have no reason to receive which was this That no living men are cast alive into hell before the last day of judgement This Mr. B. hath not proved we have a text to the contrary even that of M. B. quoting Rev. 19.20 which is at the beginning of the thousand yeers compare Chap. 20.1 2 3. But Mr. Baily faith this was done immediately before the Marriage of the Lamb. An. we grant it And this is in the beginning of the thousand yeers But Christ solemnizeth his Marriage saith Mr. B. not with a part of his Elect but with the whole body Answ We grant it And this shall be at the beginning of the thousand yeers At which time all the Elect shall rise CHAP. IV. § 1 WEE have done with the Objections of Dr. Prideaux and Pareus and Mr. Baily against our Point Next wee should come to answer the Objections of the Book called Christs Kingdome on earth opened according to the Scriptures set forth by T. HAYNE 1645 if they were worthy the writing out Indeed I expected much but found very little for in his first Chapter he hath three Arguments to prove That Christs Kingdome is long since begun But in his stating the Question as he pretends he never distinguisheth of Christs several formes of his Kingdom viz. invisible and visible but speaks of Christs Kingdome as of one onely form whereupon these three inconveniences to himself do follow ¶ 1 That in all his Arguments there is not one conclusion that doth distinctly conclude against our point viz. to conclude as he should therefore Christs visible Kingdome is begun already upon ear◠¶ 2 That his three last arguments conclude in effect that Christ had no spiritual Kingdome in the Old Testament for he saith Christ began to bee King when he sent out his Disciples with that Commission in Mat. 28.20 If then only Christ began to be King then was he not King before that but Christ told Pilate the contrary afore that ¶ 3 That he contradicts himselfe First In this P. 1. he saith That at all times Christ rules hath an absolute Kingdome in the world with many other expressions of the same effect yet P. 4. he by three severall arguments would prove when and what yeer Christs Kingdome began And P. 5. at such a particular time Christs Kingdome was at hand long since Secondly He contradicts himselfe in this that P. 1. He affirmes Christs Kingdome is to be for ever quoting Heb. 1.8 making no distinction upon it and yet P. 2. He confesseth that Christ shall at the last judgement resigne his Kingdome to the Father quoting 1 Cor. 15.24 making no interpretation to explaine or reconcile these By this you may see that his arguments were not worth the writing out much lesse the answering CHAP. V. Containing an Answer to an UNIVERSAL ARGUMENT or to the ARGUMENT OF THE UNIVERSALITY or generality of men that oppose § 1 THere is one knot yet behinde like to have been let slip which is chawed in the mouths of many yea of most Disputants that are contrary minded to rivet it faster as mine ears in part can witnesse The Argument is from 1 Thess 4.16 17. The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven c. And the DEAD IN CHRIST shall rise first THEN WE which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall be EVER WITH THE LORD Now say they how can this consist with the Saints reigning on earth a thousand yeers For if they must reigne there a thousand yeers what need they be caught up into the CLOUDS or how if they reigne on earth a thousand yeer are they said to be EVER with the Lord especially if there they be as some say subject to mortality at last § 2 Answ Mr. Mede hath so learnedly and appositly discussed this place for our use in this particular that his Dilucidations thereon will suffice for a full answer It is not needfull saith he that the resurrection of those which slept in Christ and the rapture of those which shall be left alive together with them into the aire should be at one and the same time For the words in 1 Thess 4. v. 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and then or afterwards may admit a great distance of time as 1 Cor. 1.15.23 Everyone or all mankinde shall rise in their order Christ the first fruits that is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards notes a distance of time of above a thousand and a halfe of yeers as we finde by experience Suppose therefore this rapture of the Saints into the aire be to translate them to heaven yet it might be construed thus The dead in Christ that is for Christ namely the Martyrs shall rise first afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. a thousand yeers after we which are alive and remain shall together with them be caught up in the Clouds and meet the Lord in the aire and so from thenceforth we shall ever bee with the Lord. Thus Tertullian seems to understand it who interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is in verse 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Martyrs namely such as dye propter Christum for Christ by means of Christ through Christ for Christs sake taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting the cause or meanes of their death so Piscator expounds the like speech Apâ—c 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est propter Dominum for the Lord Beza qui Domini causa moriuntur which dye for the Lords sake 2 If thus
notion of prudentials in divine worship They dis-regard Antichrist root and branch body and tayle § 4 The third Character is They receive not the marke of the Beast in their hands or foreheads that is they yeeld not subjection to Antichrist secretly or openly neither professe him nor contest for him or for any thing against the truth All these three Characters are here given to take in all Saints For haply some Saints have somewhat subjected outwardly to Antichrist but did not worship Some perhaps have not subjected but had not the opportunity or magnanimity to suffer Others may be have subjected or worshipped and after repenting have suffered § 5 In other places of the Revelation instead of this Negative Have not the marke of the Beast they are said to have the marke of the Lambs Father in their forehead Rev. 14.1 c. They professe the truth of God with faith in Christ Jesus They are truly Saints and feare the name of God which is the Cognizance of those that shall reigne with Christ Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. § 6 All such Saints shall reigne with Christ as we have said the Kingdomes of the earth then being actually and absolutely become the Kingdomes of Christ the said Saints on earth visibly possessing the power and dominion over the earth for a thousand yeares literally and properly taken and Christ most gloriously appearing at least at the beginning and ending of that thousand yeares though wee cannot yet so demonstratively and infallibly hold forth that he shall continuedly bee all that time personally present upon the earth The Devil the meane while all that time under what names or notions soever either as a cunning Serpent and secret Satanical Adversary are as an open violent rampant Dragon and reviling Devil shall bee wholly and absolutely confined and restrained in effects acts and person from the Precincts of the Church SECTIO I. Thesis exposita § 1 PEr Sanctos nimirum Electos intelligo omnes tum vocatos tum vocandos quorum characteres sub REGNANTIUM notione in Apocaly psi ad vivum subinde delineantur Capite nimirum 20. v. 4. ad hunc modum Vidi sedes sederunt super eas judicium datum est iis animas eorum qui SECURI PERCUSSI SUNT PROPTER TESTI MONIUM JESU ET PROPTER SERMONEM DEI quique NON ADORARUNT BESTIAM neque IMAGINEM EJUS NEC ACCEPERUNT CHARACTEREM IN FRON TIBUS suis aut in MANIBUS SUIS Viventque regnabunt cum Christo MILLE annis Capite vero 11. v. 15 16 17 18. ad hunc modum Septimus igitur Angelus clanxit factae sunt voces magnae in Caelo dicentes facta sunt regna mundi regna Domini nostri Christi ejus qui regnabit in secula seculorum Tum viginti quatuor illi senes qui in conspectu Dei sedent in sedibus suis prociderunt in facies suas adorarunt Deum dicentes Gratias agimus tibi Domine Deus Omnipotâ—ns Qui es Qui eras Qui ven turus es quod adeptus sis potentiam tuam magnam regnum inieris iratae sunt gentes advenit ira tua praestitutum tempus mortuorum ut judicentur des mercedem SERVIS TUIS PROPHETIS SANCTIS TIMENTIBUS nomen tuum PARVIS MAGNIS § 5 Apocalyps denique Capite 14. v. 1. c. ità depinguntur Tunc aspexi ecce aderat Angelus stans super montem Sion cum eo Centum quadraginta quatuor millia habentia NOMEN PATRIS ejus scriptum in frontibus suis EMPTI sunt e terrâ Non sunt INQUINATI mulieribus SEQUUNTUR AGNUM c. Venit hora judicii sui c. Cecidit Babylon c. Beati ab hocce tempore mortui ii qui domini causa mortui sunt c. Aderat nubes candida nubi insidebat quidam similis homini Demessa est terra § 6 Omnes inquam hosce splendidè regnaturos cum Jesu Christo quibuslibet terrarum Dynastiis actu absoluté que in ILLIUS aliquantisper apparentis potestatem succedentibus visibiliter possidentes ut Dan. 7.27 Regna Dominatus eorundemque sub toto Caelo amplitudinem mille annis ad literam propriè acceptis Diabolo intereà tempor is ab Ecclesiae finibus omnimodè ablegato CHAP. II. This opinion is not guilty of Novelty or singularity CAP. II. § 1 TO remove in the first place the prejudice that lyes heavy upon this Position of Novelty and singularity wee shall produce approved Antiquity both afore and since Christ with a multitude of later Worthies almost in every age hitherto congratulating with this truth § 2 Any of which wee intend not for proofe which is deferred till the third Chapter of this first Booke but especially to the whole third Booke but to remove impediments from mens minds and to cleare their understandings from an averse waywardnesse of spirit and so to reconcile them to a patient attention and tractable docility HAnc Thesin ne statim in ipso limine tanquam privata cujusdam opiniola tam novitatis quà m singularitatis rea condemnetur prius quà m me demonstrationi accinxero numeroso Constipatam satellitio eruditae antiquitatis tà m ante quà m post Christum editae in medium proferam 1. SECTION Of Hebrew Antiquities § 1 FOr the Hebrew Antiquities to be set for seniorities sake in part in the Front wee have divers whereof the first is the Targum or Chalde Paraphrase which tooke its beginning from the Jewes Captivity in Babylon where their native Hebrew tongue grew out of use so that the generality of them farre better understood the Chalde then the Hebrew The Targum hath many pertinences to the point in hand especially if we compare severall Copies of it For there is a Manuscript Targum which upon Ester Ch. 1. reckoning up the severall Monarchies that have and shall bee from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof makes the computation thus The first Monarchy was of God Second under Nimrod Third under Pharaoh Fourth under Salomon Fifth under Nebuchadnezzar Sixth under the Medes and Persians Seventh under Alexander the Great Eighth under Julius Caesar The ninth the Kingdome of the Messia or Christ Where observe how the Jewes place the Kingdome of Christ in order after the Roman Monarchy and to bee on earth as the former were But least this Copy being a Manuscript and so hidden from the eyes of most should carry the lesse authority with it let us consult the Targum that lookes all the learned in the face § 2 The Babylonian Targum or ordinary Chalde Paraphrase faith upon Gen. 49.10 That CHRIST shall come whose is the KINGDOME and him shall the PEOPLES obey Observe the plurall PEOPLES that is the Nations indefinitly § 3 Which the Jerusalem Targum expresseth more literally and universally The KING CHRIST shall come whose is the KINGDOME and ALL marke the universality KINGS marke the persons
great things And that this day of ours which is bounded with the rising and setting of the sun doth bear the image of the GREAT DAY which a certain circuit of yeers doth determine After the same manner the forming of the earthly man did carry before it the formation in future of an heavenly people For as when all things were finished God made man last upon the sixth day and brought him into this world as into an house well furnished So now in the GREAT SIXTH DAY the TRUE MAN is formed by the Word of God that is the holy people is figured unto righteousnesse by the doctrine and precepts of God And as then he was made of the earth mortall and imperfect that he might live a thousand yeers in this world He alludes to the Fathers before the flood who lived each of them neer a thousand yeers So now the perfect man is framed of this terrestrial world that being made alive by God he may reigne in this same world for the space of a thousand yeers And saith Lactantius in the fifteenth Chapter of the said seventh Booke As it is in the Scriptures how and for what necessity Israel went down into Egypt there exceedingly multiplyed but oppressed with an intolerable yoke of Bondage God smote Egypt led his people through the red Sea but there drowned the Egyptians endeavouring to pursue the flying Israelites so this famous exploit was a figure of a greater thing to bee which God will bring to passe in the last consummation of times namely that God will deliver his people from the grievous servitude of the world But though God then smote onely Egypt because his people was but one Nation yet now because Gods people are over all the world and every where oppressed by the world God will smite all Nations even all the whole world and deliver his righteous people that worship him And as then there were certaine foresignes by which the the future ruine of the Egyptians was foreshewn So at the last shall bee prodigious wonders by all the elements of the world whereby may bee understood that ruine to all Nations is at hand For so then shall righteousnesse become rate and impiety so multiply that if there bee any good men then extant they shall bee as a prey to the wicked c. Then shall ruine over-run the world The cause of which devastation and confusion shall bee because the Roman authority by which now the world is over ruled MY SOULE saith Lactantius FEARES TO SPEAKE IT BUT I WILL SPEAKE IT BECAUSE IT SHALL COME TO PASSE shall bee taken away from the earth and the EMPIRE shall returne into ASIA and the EAST shall have againe the DOMINION and the WEST shall bee made servile Nor may it be a wonder that so huge and massie an Empire so long continuing and strongly confirmed should fall seeing there is no thing made by man but may bee destroyed by man even as the Emperialty was brought downe from the Assyrians to the Persians from them to the Grecians and from them to the Romans Seneca did not ineptly distribute the times of the CITY of Rome into Ages The first he said was her Infancy under Romulus c. And her first old age was when torne with civil warres she turned to be twy-child c. And if these things be so what remaines but death should follow old age And that this shall shortly come to passe the Sermons of the Prophets under the covert of other names that all might not easily understand doe denounce But the Sibyls doe speak it openly that Rome shall bee destroyed because shee hated the name of God and opposed righteousnesse And Hydospis a most ancient King of the Medes even afore the Trojan race was set up prophesied the same Saith Lactantius Chap. 16. how that shall bee lest any one should thinke it incredible I will declare first the Regality and chiefe power shall bee multiplied into many and cut and minced into crummes Then perpetual civil discords shall bee sowne and never shall bee any quier TEN KINGS shall stand up together who shall not suffer the world to bee ruled but to be ruined Then upon a sudden shall rise up against them a most potent Enemy from the utmost bounds of the North who by meanes of three of that number possessing Asia extinguished shall bee taken into the society of the rest and by them shall bee made chiefe Of them all This man shall domineer vex mingle divine and humane things subvert Lawes establish his owne and shall waste destroy and kill The name and seat of the Empire being changed there shall follow the confusion and vexation of all mankinde And that nothing may bee wanting to the misery of men a Trumpet shall sound from heaven according to that the Sibyl hath denounced giving a manifold lamenting sound whereupon all shall tremble Then from the wrath of God against unrighteous men shall rage sword and fire and famine c. Then according to the Sibyls verses The world shall bee unworlded c. scarce the tenth part of men shall bee left c. But saith Lactantius Chap. 17. I will yet plainlier explain how it shall come to passe The conclusion of times being at hand a great Prophet shall bee sent of God who shall convert men unto the knowledge of God c. And the wicked shall bee destroyed c. which hee shews in many and sundry particulars Then Lactantius in the eighteenth Chapter of the same Booke quotes divers Authors to that purpose As Hydaspes and Hermes and the Sibyls out of which two latter hee doth not onely minde the maine point hee hath in hand but also alleadge out of them that Christ is the Sonne of God And saith Lactantius Chapter 19. of the aforesaid seventh Booke The circle of the whole earth being oppressed at which time humane strength shall bee unable to destroy the tyranny of immense power God moved with the doubtfull power of his people and with their miserable lamentations shall forthwith send the Deliverer Then shall the midst of heaven bee opened in a quiet blacke night so that the light of God descending shall appear over all the world as lightning which the Sibyls expresse thus When as he shall come darknesse in a blacke midnight shall bee as fire c. Of which there is a double reason In the night he was borne and in the night hee suffered death And so after these in the night hee shall receive the * Kingdome of the earth This * is the Deliverer and Judge * the Revenger and King and * GOD which wee call Christ And hee shall descend his Angels accompanying him c. After this saith Lactantius Chap. 20. The places of the dead shall bee opened and the dead shall rise againe and the GREAT JUDGEMENT * shall bee performed by God * Christ concerning them of which Judgement and Kingdome the Erythrean Silyl thus speakes When that DAY shall receive its fatal
ten Tribes also if haply by any meanes this Epistle should come to any of their hands §. 8. Doctor Mayer in Epistolam Jacobi haec habet verba Initio hujus capitis nihil difficultatis inest nisi quòd eos ad quos scribit duodecim tribus dispersas appellat Si enim Epistola haec institueretur pro Judaeis nuper per Claudium Caesarem Hierofolymâ expulsis ut ante praefati sumus Quaestio oritur quo pacto illos diceret duodecim tribus quae omnes non nisi duae fuerunt cum semisse caeteris à captivitate suâ per Salmanasarem nunquam uti legimus ad hunc usque diem redeuntibus Respondetur dici potest Jacobum inter scribendum ad illas etiam respexisse si forte ullo modo haec Epistola in illarum manus perveniret Sic Mayer §. 9. Doctor Prideaux our Country-man however hee bee against us about the stating of the one thousand yeers how justly wee shall afterwards God permitting dispute the case hath in his Inaugurall Orations these words Rightlier therefore others thinke that after the Roman Idol-madnesse is vanquished and the Mahumetan blasphemies are taken away from among them the Jewes shall lift up their eyes to the mountaines of the Scripture from whence by the Spirit inwardly illuminating they shall attaine light and salvation This opinion which refuseth legall rights as deadly declines Monarchy as aerie and utopian nor thinkes it sufficient to answer to the Apostles MYSTERY if in any age one or other of the Jewes come to the Christian faith neither approves in that hoped generall Call of them the returne of Enoch and Elija nor doth put before it that fulnesse of the Gentiles but according to the direction of the Text sets it after I say this opinion among the Ancients Chrysostome Hilary Austin Ambrose Hierom Aquinas Scotus Cajetanus and many others doe imbrace onely touching some accessories now and then every one will abound in his owne sense They that defend it among the later Writers are P. Martyr Grinaeus Beza Pareus and most largely a Commentator of our own in his most learned Hexapla namely Dr. Willet Nor doe I see what solidly can bee opposed Thou wilt say when the Sonne of man shall come shall hee finde faith on earth Doubtlesse not so frequent in the hearts of justified ones as floting upon the lips of hypocrites For doth it seem strange that among most Professors not so many sincere ones are to be found seeing that out of many that are called a few are chosen But That wicked one 2 Thess 2.8 shall reigne so long as till hee bee consumed with the spirit of the mouth of the Lord at this glorious coming How then can it bee that between the ruine of Antichrist and the end of the world so famous a Call of the Jewes should intervene Most easily because the Spirit shall not in a moment make an end of him but gradually And his coming may bee said to be glorious not with the full majesty of him as present at first but by certaine premised beames of him approaching Meane while when and how that which the Apostle here foretels is to be fulfilled is not requisite perhaps for us to understand to an inch seeing it is a mystery Nor might I thinke in the meane space that the Jewes after such a conversion shall make a withdrawing from the Gentiles but rather they with them shall integrate themselves into one and the same Church Doctor Prideaux Anglus quondam Theologiae professor Regius in Academiâ Oxoniensi quamvis contra nos contendat de MILLE annorum statu constitutione quà m justè 4. Libro annuente Deo disputabitur tamen in ORATIONUM suarum INAUGURALIUM sexta Parag. 7. DE VOCATIONE JUDAE ORUM haec habet verba Rectiùs igitur alii post deletam Romanam Idolomaniam Et è medio sublatis Mahomatismi blasphemi is Judaeos arbitrantur oculos ad montes Scripturae elevaturos unde Spiritu intus illuminante lucem salutem consequentur Hanc sententiam quae legalia aversatur ut mortifera Monarchiam declinat ut aeream sive utopicam nec sufficere putat ad Apostoli MYSTERIUM si QUOVIS seculo unus vel alter Judaeus ad fidem Christianam accedat nec probat in expectandâ istâ GENERALI VOCATIONE Henochi Elijae reditum nec praeponit istam plenitudinem Gentium sed ut textus dirigit POSTPONIT amplectuntur inter Antiquiores Chrysostomus Hilarius Augustinus Ambrosius Hieronimus Aquinas Scotus Cajetanus COMPLURES Alii nisi quod de quibusdam accessorì is non nunabundabit unusquisque suo sensu Defendunt inter recentiores P. Martyr Beza Grinaeus Paraeus in Hexaplâ suâ doctissimâ Commentator è nostris copiosissimus nimirum Doctor Willetus Nec video quid solidè potest opponi Filius inquies hominis cùm venerit num reperturus est fidem in terrâ Non adeò frequentem proculdubio in cordibus justificatorum quà m natantem in labris hypocritarum Ecquid enim rarum videtur inter Professores plurimos non adeo multos sinceros inveniri Cùm ex vocatis multis pauci subinde eligantur At tamdiu regnabit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 2. donec absumatur spiritu oris domini in illustri illo suo adventu Qui fieri igitur potest ut inter Antichristi excidium mundi finem tam celebris intercedat Judaeorum vocatio Facillimè cùm in momento spiritus ipsum non conficiet sed gradatim adventu dicatur illustris non plenâ statim praesentis majestate sed praemissis appropinquantis radiis Interim quando quomodo implendùm illud sit quod hic praedicit Apostolus non requiritur forsan ut nos ad amussim teneremus quia est mysterium Nec aestimaverim interea Judaeos post talem conversionem secessionem à Gentibus facturos c. quinimo eos cum illis potius crediderim coalituros c. §. 10. Mr. R. Maton our Country-man hath also written two Books in favour of our opinion the one is called ISRAELS REDEMPTION or the Propheticall HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOURS KINGDOME ON EARTH That is OF THE CHURCH CATHOLICKE and TRIUMPHANT with a Discourse of GOG and MAGOG The second is entituled thus ISRAELS REDEMPTION REDEEMED or THE JEWES GENERAL and MIRACULOUS CONVERSION to the Faith of the Gospel and returne into their owne Land and our Saviours personal reigne on earth clearly proved out of many plaine Prophesies of the Old and New Testament and the chiefe arguments that can be alleadged against these truths fully answered OF PURPOSE TO SATISFIE ALL GAINSAYERS and in particular Mr. ALEXANDER PETRIE Minister of the Scottish Church in ROTERDAM The later of these I confesse I have not read but onely seene The former I have cursorily and doe finde that though hee apply and presse the Scriptures hee alleadgeth but briefly yet pertinently and solidly §. 10. Magister R. Maton Anglus duos scripsit anglicè libros quorum
primum quem legi appellat REDEMPTIONEM ISRAELIS seu PROPHETICAM HISTORIAM DE SALVATORIS NOSTRI REGNO IN TERRIS c. Secundum a me nondum perlectum nominat REDEMPTIONEM ISRAELIS REDEMPTAM sive JUDAEORUM GENERALEM MIRACULOSAM CONVERSIONEM AD FIDEM EVANGELII Eorundemque in suam patriam reditum nostrique salvatoris imperium in terris personaliter ministratum c. In quibus multos recenset authores ut pote Alstedium in Chronolog cap. 32. cap. 35. Fran. Johannem de comb is in compendio totius Theologiae lib. 7. cap. 13 14. It. lib. 7. cap. 7. Foxum in Martyrolog Anglic. * Wendelinum Contemplat Natural cap. 9. sect 2. cap. 21. * sect 2. Johan Acostam De Temporalib Noviss lib. 3. cap. 11. Down in 17. Johan Cum multis aliis c. quorum verba hic describere nec mihi otium est nec animus ne lector taedio affligeretur §. 11. Mr. Archer also an Englishman hath waded farther into the point then wee have in some particulars which are not so cleer to us having written as we are informed two Treatises of it The first is expresse under his name entituled THE PERSONALL REIGNE OF CHRIST UPON EARTH The other is called ZIONS JOY IN HER KING COMING IN HIS GLORY But doubtfull whether his being subscribed with this darke name BY FINIENS CANUS VOVE Nostras etiam Archerius altiùs paulò in nonnullis nobis minus innotescentibus urinatus librum scripsit cujus titulus est REGIMEN CHRISTI PERSONALE IN TERRIS Nec non ut aiunt alium cujus inscriptio est GAUDIUM ZIONIS IN REGE SUO CUM GLORIA VENIENTE §. 12. Learned Mr. Meade our Country-man his Clavis Apocalyptica Commentarius both in Latine and English is famously known to most that read books § a. Learned Doctor Twisse his PREFACE doth shew the METHOD and excellency of Mr. MEDES interpretation of the Revelation It will not bee amisse to give an account of that Preface in the summe of it that by occasion hereof other Nations that understand not English may have it in Latine wherein at once is seen much of Mr. Mede and of the judgement of Dr. Twisse in our Position Many Interpreters saith Dr. Twisse alluding to Prov. 31.29 have done excellently but Mr. Mede surmounteth them all A Daearse set upon a Giants shoulders may see further and a Wren carried up upon an Eagle till this great bird bee wearied may with her little wings spin up a little higher But Mr. Mede hath many notions of so rare a nature that I doe not finde hee is beholding to any other for them but onely to his owne studiousnesse under Gods blessing § b. Observe Gods direction of him in the course that hee hath taken As first in his Clavis Apolyptica wherein he hath drawne together the homogeneal parts of it dispersed here and there yet belonging to the same time 2. The Author gave himselfe to write Specimina Essayes wherein he goes over every part of this book excepting the three first Chapters taking a generall view of each as he goes 3. He proceeds to a more full Commentary from the fourth Chapter to the fourteenth That which follows thence to the end containes onely his former Specimina § c. Whereas in performances of this nature two things are necessary 1. A righ discerning of the meaning of the words and phrase and tropes and figures 2. A right accomodation of things to times For the first Mr. Mede excels viz. in observing the Genius of all those As in opening the Mystery of the battel in heaven Rev. 12. and the casting downe of Satan unto the earth hee shews that States and Kingdomes in the Political world much answer to the condition of the Natural and so represented in Scripture For as the Natural consists of Heaven and Earth so the Political of Nobility and Laity And as in the Heavens there are Sunne Moon and Stars of lesser and greater magnitude So in Kingdomes King Queene and Nobles of severall degrees And as in the Earth there is great variety of Trees Herbs Flowers c. So in the people of any Commonwealth is found great variety of differences And by this way Mr. Mede doth not onely wittily please as others have done but solidly convince his Reader of the true sense even to admiration For the second viz. Accommodation of the Prophesies to their proper times a point of great skill in history I have found that Mr. Medes friends acquainted with his studies would give him the Bell for this as herein out-stripping others § d. 3. I have observed some notable distinctions in this Commentary of Mr. Mede giving great light As first That betweene the Sealed Book with seven seales which hee calls the greater the contents being very large viz. Comprising the History from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel to the end of the world Which hee saith containes Fata imperii i. e. the destinies of the Empire and the little book mentioned Chap. 10. which he saith contains Fata Ecclesiae the destinies of the Church The first containes the seven Seales and Trumpets for the seventh seale produceth the seven Trumpets The six first Seales containe the story of the Empires continuance unto the dayes of Constantine included in whose dayes there being a strange Metamorphosis of the Empire from Heathen to Christian it is represented as it were the ending of the world and beginning of a new which Mr. Mede delivers very judiciously Then the seven Trumpets which are the contents of the seventh Seale represent the judgements of God upon the world for standing out against the Gospel and shedding the blood of the Saints First by the Heathen Emperours for which cause ruine was gradually brought upon the Empire till it was torne into ten Kingdomes The graduall was fourefold which make up the contents of the foure first Trumpets 2. By the Antichristian world the degenerated states of Christendome For which the three Woe Trumpets following containe the three degrees of divine vengeance on them 1. By the Saracens in the first Woe Trumpet 2. By the Turkes in the second Chap. 9. 3. By the end of the World Rev. 11.15 § e. Second distinction of great light and use for the clearing of the STATE OF CHRISTS GLORIOUS KINGDOME HERE ON EARTH is that Mr. Mede gives upon Revel 21.24 Between the NATIONS THAT ARE SAVED c. and the NEW HIERUSALEM where clearly hee makes it appeare that NEW HIERUSALEM is one thing and THE NATIONS THAT ARE SAVED are another The Nations that are saved are those that escape the fire are saved from the fire at Christs coming wherewith the Earth and all the works thereof shall bee burnt in the day of Christs coming 2 Pet. 3. 2 Thess 1. And the NEW HIERUSALEM saith Mr. Mede is CHRIST and his RAISED SAINTS who are called 1 Thes 4. The SAINTS WHOM CHRIST SHALL BRING WITH HIM who shall shine with a glorious light In
Prophet is to point out that Dominion and that Glory c. which the other foure Monarchs had And ALL PEOPLES and NATIONS and LANGUAGES should SERVE him whose dominion is for ever c. that is as long as the world below lasts all which manifestly relate to a Kingdome of Christ on earth compare v. 23 and v. 27. Thus far the Kingdome is given to Christ as if in comparison hee had none afore The vers 17. c. it is said to be the Saints Kingdome in these words These great Beasts which are foure are foure Kings that is foure Emperial Monarchies under foure races of mighty persecuting Monarchical Emperours of foure several sorts namely First Assyrio-Chaldean Secondly Medo-Persian Thirdly Grecian Fourthly Roman which shall arise out of the EARTH that is by violence succeed one another in that inheritance of the world But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdome that is that very Kingdome of the world that the other foure former Monarchs had and possesse the Kingdome for ever and for ever and ever that is in all ages as long as time shall bee as the original signifies adding v. 23. c. to the end of the Chapter The fourth Beast shall bee the fourth Kingdome upon earth that is the Emperour of the Roman Empire which shall bee divers from al the Kingdomes namely in Rule in Conquest and Cruelty and shall devoure the whole earth and shall tread it down and breake it in peeces meaning that the Romans shall conquer the whole world utterly defacing all Kingly dominion in the same And the ten Hornes out of this Kingdome are ten Kings that shall arise to wit the Roman Empire at last is divided into ten Kingdomes as John hath it severall times in the Revelation as a tendency to the ruine of that Empire for it follows here And another shall rise after them and he shall bee divers from the first and he shall subdue three Kings That is the Easterne Saracen-Arabian Turkish power ascending to a monstrous height of strength differing from the former in Nation Religion and Tyranny shall take away three of the said tenne Kingdomes And he shall speake great words against the most High see the Turkish Alcoran and shall weare out the Saints of the most High that is in a great measure slaying so many Christians at one battel as the tippes of their right eares filled nine sackes and thinke to change Times and Lawes that is those of divine institution as appeares also in his Alcoran and they shall bee given into his hand untill a time and times and dividing of times meaning that the Saint◠shall by divine permission fall under the Turkish power three hundred and fifty yeers from his first invading the Jewish Countries to his full and finall fall But saith the 26. v. c. to the end of the Chapter The judgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it to the end that is to say The Ancient of dayes as fitting in judgement judgeth to vindicate the Saints and so gives them opportunity and virility to deprive the Turke of his Kingdome and utterly to consume his power and strength And so in the 27. verse The Kingdome and Dominion UNDER the whole HEAVEN shall bee given to the people of the Saints of the most High c. That is the same Dominions of the whole world below that the former tyrannicall Monarches usurped shall now be given into the hands of the converted Jewes and holy Gentiles adhering to them to reigne on earth with Christ to whom these Dominions were delivered in the former part of this Chapter This place of the seventh of Daniel hath beene so large touching the Saints reigning with Christ on earth that we shall adde but one or two places more and that very briefly Revel 11.15 c. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of the WORLD are become the Kingdomes of our LORD and of his CHRIST or of him as CHRIST and hee shall REIGNE for ever and ever that is throughout all AGES from hence forward over the Kingdomes of the WORLD as if hitherto he had not in comparison reigned over them And the foure and twenty Elders c. fell upon their faces c. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord c. because thou hast TAKEN TO THEE THY GREAT POWER and hast REIGNED and the Nations were ANGRY which shewes this was not at the ultimate day of judgement and the time of the dead that they should bee judged is come that is the Saints should bee vindicated for so it presently followes that thou shouldest give rewards to thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that feare thy name which what should it bee but to reigne on earth as it is both before expressed in the Preface Rev. 5.10 and after in the Catastrophe Revel 20.4 in regard of which reigning on earth they may bee said to bee the FIRST-FRUITS to God Rev. 14.4 because this is but the beginning of Gods worke of glorifying his Saints Let us close this Paragraph with Heb. 2.5 c. to 10. The world to come the Greek is the INHABITED world to come must be put under man though not under Angels according to Psalme 8. quoted there by the Apostle which Psalme relates to Gen. 1.26 where God gives Adam dominion over all the Creation But saith the Apostle in his time Wee see not yet all things put under him onely Jesus as the pledge is crowned with glory Therefore say I there is such a thing yet to come Let not the Reader if I may intreat so much despise the allegation of these Texts for the present purpose which are little more then barely alleadged onely to hint the Saints reigning with Christ on earth I desire to ingage him upon this request but for a time till I come to critically scan if I may assume so much confidence to my selfe these and many other places of Scripture And then upon his serious joynt view of all all together if he can bee of another minde different from mee let him for mee abound in his owne sense § 4 But to wheele about from this digression to our owne post and businesse in hand viz. the Reigning of the Saints WITH CHRIST at this time and in this place aforesaid Before they reigned but sometimes over their corruptions and Satans temptations but never over men but now totally and finally over Sinne MEN and Divels as wee shall demonstrate afterwards Their living must be after a RESURRECTION as the word is twice mentioned in this 20. of Revelation Though they bee made but spiritual Kings and Priests as the Objecters will have it in those words Rev. 5.10 Hee hath made us Kings and Priests to God yet how shall the next words be figured off from their proper sense where the Crowne of Dignity is put upon the head of REIGNING UPON EARTH Hee
till the end of Ages when they shall experimentally finde the truth of Christs predictions though at present they doe not believe Thus farre they with which wee close this third Section SECT IV. Of the fourth Scripture for Christs Personall appearance at the great Restauration of the Church 2 Thes 2.1 to 9. Now I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that yee bee not soone shaken in minde c. as that the day of Christ is at hand Let no man deceive you c. for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that MAN OF SINNE bee revealed the SONNE OF PERDITION who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God c. so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God c. And now yee know what with-holdeth that hee might bee revealed in his time For the mystery of iniquity doth already woâ—â—â— only he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way And then shall that WICKED bee revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his coming § 1 SHould seeme by this place that presently upon the Ascention of Christ there went abroad an expectation of the coming again of Christ afore the ultimate day of judgement which began in the Apostles themselves upon Christs discourse to them forty dayes from his Resurrection to his Ascention touching the Kingdome of God which moved them to aske him Wilt thou at this time restore againe the KINGDOME TO ISRAEL which Kingdome Christ did not deny but onely then put them off touching their knowing at present the time Act. chap. 1. v. 3. and 6. I say then when the Apostle wrote this Text there was an opinion though a mistake in it as touching the suddainnesse then that Christ would come againe afore the ultimate day of judgement For this Text speakes not of the generall destruction of the wicked world but precisely of the destruction of Antichrist by the brightnesse of Christs coming and so a way and room is made for the gathering of the Jewes and Gentiles into one universall visible Church which is to be afore the ultimate day of judgement according to the tenour of the Texts of all the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Commentary of the Apostles of the New § 2 Wee need not I conceive prove that which is granted of all and demonstrated here by all Characters that Antichrist is meant in this Text. Nor is it materiall to dispute whether the Pope or Turke be The Antichrist For Antichrist is the body viz. the race of them that effectually oppose Christ as Christ and the Pope and Turke are the two maine limbs So that in generall they are one in many respects First in the rise of their heresie For Mahumetisme was hatched by the counsell and advise of Sergius * Sergius Monachus Constantinopolitanus hereseos Nestorianae sectator Mahumetum impostorem speudo-Prophetam in Alcorano conficiendo compilando juvit eumque omnis summam impietatis docuit Zona Tom. 3. Car. Steph. a Popish Monck which he gave to Mahomet Secondly in Dominion For Dan. 7.7 8. There came up a little Horne among the ten Hornes of the fourth Beast which fourth was the Roman Monarchy before which little Horne viz. the Turke having eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spake great things three of the ten Hornes were plucked up by the roots which after is explained v. 24. viz. The ten Hornes are ten Kingdomes that shall arise And another shall arise after them and hee shall be diverse from the rest and he shall subdue three Kings So that the Turke possesseth three of the ten Kingdomes that formerly were under the Pope Thirdly In their seat mentioned in this Text viz. sitting IN or rather according to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OVER the Temple of God the Pope ceased to bee in the Church since the Councel of Trent where he execrates all the main Gospel-truths And the Turke is said Rev. 9.1 To be a starre fallen from the Heaven of the Church But I say they both agree in sitting UPON or OVER the Temple of God For as the Pope doth by his power sit over a great part of the Spiritual Temple namely of Christendome as they call it in which are many believers he there suppressing the propagation of the Gospel so the Turke by his power sits over the Material Temple of God viz. the place of it at Hierusalem there impeding men from imbracing the Messiah preferring Mahomet as one greater then Christ Fourthly in the number of the name 666. Rev. 13.18 For as the numerall Letters either of the Greeke λατεινοσ or of the Hebrew ×¨×ž×¢× ×•×© both sutable names of the Pope who is a Latine and Roman make up exactly 666. λ α Ï„ ε ι ν ο σ 30 1 300 5 10 50 70 200 ש ו × ×¢ מ ר 300 6 50 70 40 200 So the numerall Letters of Maomet which written in Greek as R. M. in his A. C. writes it μαομετισ doth as saith the said R. M. make up just 666. μ α ο μ ε Ï„ ι Ï› 40 1. 70 40 5 300 10 200 Which number saith the same Author agrees to the time of Maomets rising in the East against Christ and the Roman Empire which was saith he in the sixth Century Fifthly In the nature of their name and the name of their nature mentioned also in this Text of the Thessal For if the Pope be the Sonne of perdition that is actively and passively to wit hee doth monstrously destroy and is at last destroyed So also is the Turk styled Rev. 9.11 both in Greek and Hebrew by the Holy Ghost His name saith John in the Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is A Destroyer just as the word Turca as the said R. M. asserts to be the opinion of the Learned is all one with Apollyon or Abaddon a Destroyer which I say is the style of the Turke Rev. 9.11 For that Chapter cannot bee understood but of the Turke as every verse doth shew to the observing eye I list not to stay the Reader with divers other agreements betweene the Turke the Easterne Antichrist oppressing the Jewes and the Pope the Westerne Antichrist oppressing the Christians They are both effectually Antichrist evacuating Christ as Christ though the Turke doth it more openly and so doth more apparently merit the entire name of Antichrist as it signifies Against Christ For hee expressely advanceth Mahomet as a greater Prophet above Christ and hath made him a new Booke of Scriptures which he calls his Alchoran But the Pope acts it more covertly as some how pretending in some things to be for Christ and so may be called upon an external consideration pro-Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anti Joh. 1.16 signifies For though indeed
he is against Christ in the effect of his processe viz. in his Headship opposite to Christ the onely head of his Church in his Doctrine of Justification by workes enervating Christs merits and his Trentine Anathemaes cursing the fundamentall truths of Christ in the New Testament But these things wee leave as not the maine of our present businesse Now saith this Text in hand of the 2 Thessalon 2. The Lord shall consume Antichrist with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the brightnesse of his coming And although these two Master-limbs of Antichrist should not fall together but that the Pope be first bowed downe as he that by his imagery Idolatry and impurity in his worship of Christ is the great stumbling blocke to impede the Jewes imbracing Christ whereby to contend with the Turke for freedome to owne our Messiah and the Turk bee ruined after him perhaps at the end of the five and forty yeers of the Jewes struggle with him Dan. 12 two last verses yet this text of the Thessalonians stands firme that Antichrist must fall by the Spirit of Christs mouth and by the brightnesse of his coming The Spirit of his mouth is his Word called Isa 11.4 The rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips with which he shall smite the Earth and slay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one for the settlement of his glorious Kingdom of peace on earth as the context in that 11. of Esa gives it in with this word Christ prefaceth and perfecteth the ruine of Antichrist That is first Christ destroyes him morally as he his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as this Text in the Thessalonians calls him that is exlex as Zanchy renders it the lawlesse one For he leaves Christs word and substitutes his owne viz. Alcoran Legends Traditions c. And by them sets up Blasphemy Idolatry Heresie Impiety and Tyranny and that over consciences as well as bodies Now Christ discovering and discarding confuting and confounding these by the breath of his mouth viz. his word he destroyes him morally Secondly Christ by animating men by the same Spirit in his Word to a corporall War against Antichrist destroyes him Physically that is with a corporall destruction By that Spirit of his mouth he rouseth up mens spirits to take up armes and fight down Antichrist with a corporal War So it is emphatically set forth Joel 3.9 to 17. inserted between two Prophesies the first immediately preceding v. 1. c. to v. 9. the other immediately succeeding touching the glorious Kingdom of Christ on Earth v. 17. to the end of the Chapter weigh the place with which compare Rev. 17.16 Rev. 18. the whole Chapter Rev. 19.17 to the end In which places the Holy Ghost with all endeavour as we may say after the manner of men by all circumstances fitted to humane capacity sets forth the corporal War that must personally destroy Antichrist The scruples of men about those places of Scripture wee shall remove when wee come after to the full discusse of the Quod sit viz. That there is such a glorious state to come I say Christ shall with a corporall Warre excited by his word destroy Antichrist personally For when notwithstanding that Christ hath rendred the wickednesses aforesaid of Antichrist odious to the generality of the world and hath dissected and cut them up by the roots with the sword of his mouth that they take not with the myriads of men enlightened yet Antichrist will act as Antichrist like himselfe opposing Christ in the power of his Gospel the purity of his Saints and worship and the glory of his Kingdome then I say shall Christs word the sword of his mouth put the sword of his hand into the hands of his people the rod of his mouth shall proceed to the use of his rod of iron in his hand Rev. 19.15 And then as the Prophet speakes touching the corporall destruction of the bodily enemies of the Church Jer. 48.9 10. The Cities of Moab shall bee destroyed Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and cursed is he that keepeth backe his sword from blood So that Christ with this breath of his mouth prepares or begins the ruine of Antichrist The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall waste him as an estate is wasted or consume him as a body by a consumption pines away But by the brightnesse of his coming he shall make a full end of Antichrist as to the preparation for his glorious Kingdome on Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall abolish as Beza renders it shall make him a nothing as the Greeke word is often used Which brightnesse of Christ coming to doe this is more closely to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by the manifest appearance of his coming And so our last Translators could finde the way to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in relation to Christs Kingdome by the word appearance 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at or according to his APPEARING and his Kingdome So likewise 1 Tim. 6.14 Keep this Commandement c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the APPEARANCE of our Lord Jesus Christ Sutably it is our common phrase to call the day of the appearance of the starre at Christs birth Epiphanie By all that we have said it is manifest that as the first Schene of the ruine of Antichrist is acted by the Spirit of Christs mouth so the second is performed by the appearance of his person or else what need that be added AND by the appearance of his COMING The breath or Spirit of his mouth doth not make an end of the worke without the appearance of his coming As in that of 2 Tim. 4.1 First is his appearance and then his Kingdome For Antichrist must bee downe ere Christ shall have an apparent Kingdome And Christ must have his Kingdome before the ultimate day of judgement or else he will have no Kingdome For then it is the Fathers Kingdome not his 1 Cor. 15.28 § 4 And most likely the method will be this The Pope shall bee destroyed by the breath of Christs mouth that will prevaile with Christendome as they call it that will be effectuall to all the Christian world that owne Christ to bee come already in the flesh to excite them seeing his mystery of Abominations afore-named to be discovered to pull him downe root and branch But to the Jewes that to this day doe not owne the coming of Christ in the flesh Christ must manifestly appeare at least in the Clouds as Zech. 12. Rev. 1.7 of which afore to convert them as at once and so are brought in as a Nation borne at once Isa 66.8 and thereby are stirred up as one man to set against the Turke from whence proceeds his ruine § 5 Nor may any man phantasie to himselfe that he can put off what
he that shall endure to the END the same shall be saved Of the other signes he said they did not signifie that the END was immediately at hand vers 6. These signs shall be saith Christ BUT the END is not YET But now hee comes to speake of the signe of the End of the world viz. that this Gospel of the KINGDOME shall be preached in all the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 published as by an Herauld And THIS Gospel of THE KINGDOME as pointing at this particular of the good newes of the Gospel that Christ should after all these darke clouds of the reigne of wickednesse have a Kingdome on earth And then saith Christ shall the END come which must of necessity import one of these ENDS and one of these wayes must be signified by the publishing of the Gospel in all the world That either the Gospel should be published in all the world to Jews and Gentiles as a signe immediately before the End of THIS present world that is before the thousand yeers of the great Restauration Or that the full and effectuall manifestation of the Gospel should be in the time of that Restauration in those thousand yeers which Paul calls Heb. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That inhabited world that is to come of which place much after as a fore-running signe of the ultimate generall end of the whole world Let the Reader take which he pleaseth For either of them concludes for us that after this signe according as we interpret the sequel shall be the beginning or ending of Christs visible appearance to us on earth As it follows vers 29. Then shall appear the signe of the Sonne of man not for a meer short sentence of judgement but to gather his elect from the foure quarters of the earth Of which place much in Sect. 3. of this 2 Book § 4 To gather all into an apparent argument the summe and signes of all is this If Christ in shewing the signes of his coming the second time doth clearly distinguish between his next coming and visible appearing and the end of the world and for that end gives distinct signes of both then Christ must come before the end of the world and visibly appeare But so doth Christ clearly distinguish and distinctly signifie those two as we have shewed Therefore there is yet a time wherein Christ will come and visibly appeare before the end of the world At first we know by the Gospels he came in a state of humility for salvation to sinners that should believe The next time he comes in glory to reigne visibly to the comfort of them that doe beleeve Rev. 20. first six verses Third and last time for terrour to the wicked vers 12. Of that second coming the thing now under consideration Christ having given signes as hath been shewed he concludes in verse 30. They shall see the Sonne of man in the Clouds of heaven with great power and glory which cannot be meant of the finall sentence of the ultimate judgement because of that in the 34 verse bound with an asseveration and attestation before and behinde Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Of which 34. vers much afterward SECT X. Of the tenth Scripture for Christs visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church Luke 19. ver 11. to 28. He added and spake a Parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the KINGDOME OF GOD should immediately APPEARE A certaine noble-man went into a farre Country to RECEIVE FOR HIMSELFE A KINGDOME and TO RETURNE and he called his ten Servants and delivered to them ten pounds and said unto them occupy till I come But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him saying we will not have this man to reigne over us And it came to passe when he was returned HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOME then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he gave the mony c. Then came the first saying Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds And he said unto him well thou good servant because thou hast been faithfull in a little have thou authority over ten Cities and so proportionable to the rest But those mine enemies that would not have me reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before me § 1 THis Parable was spoken a little before Christs suffering as appeares by the order of the Story here and in Mat. 25. It is pend by Luke who wrote the Acts where he carefully reports Christs coming againe just as they saw him ascend in relation to the restoring of the Kingdome of which Christ spake and the Disciples enquired after Act. 1.3 4 5 6 c. to 12. only saith Luke Acts 3.21 The heavens must receive him for a time and then he shall come from heaven and cause the restitution of all things as hath been opened § 2 The Preface to this Parable is a golden key to open the curious Cabinet of the meaning of this Parable that we may not relye upon a meere Allegory Christ spake this Parable because he was night to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdome of God should IMMEDIATELY APPEARE It doth not deny the appearing of the Kingdom Christ is for it only he is against the immediate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the suddaine appearance of it he must afore that as is the maine sence of the Parable goe away into a farre country viz. to Heaven and leave talents in trust with his servants giving them time to imploy them and to be so long absent that his enemies grow so bold as to send after him with this high affront they would not have him to reigne over them that is according to the direct sence Some seemingly professours by his long absence should grow quite carelesse of improving the talents or gifts of endowments to his honour and others by his delay as they counted it should become professed enemies against him § 3 But whatever these mistakers dreamed the truth was that as the diligent Talenters expected and accordingly acted Christ went away to Heaven not to returne no more but went thither to take to himselfe a Kingdome which phrase viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signifie a Kingdome peculiar to himselfe as he is Christ else how doth he take it or receive it to himselfe And being installed into it he is to returne He had his Kingdome of grace before he went away as he oft mentioneth it in his Parables and Sermons adding that that his Kingdome was not of this world And he had the Kingdome of glory as his triumph over his Kingdome of grace having finished his conquest on the Crosse So hee needed not to returne to receive either of these Kingdomes It remains therefore that it is the Kingdome we speak of that he returnes to receive He went to Heaven
by ascention to possesse the Kingdome of glory there to be installed into this on earth That being the originall of this or that being the Emperiality to which this the Tributary or Province Or Heaven being the Metropolis this below the Territories Sure enough expresse it is that he went away into a far Country which can be no other but heaven Christ having never travelled bodily out of his owne Country Secondly that though hee were before his going a Noble-man and had the Regiment or Government over a Royalty he had servants he had the command of imploying them as he listed And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent he cast into utter darknesse where was weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 All which in that Matth. 25.14 c. is called the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins the same in sence v. 1. c. Yet thirdly it is said this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himselfe another Kingdome and to returne vers 12. where as his receiving the Kingdome is put before his returning So on the other side it is said He returned receiving a Kingdome vers 15. * Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Arias renders in redire ipsum accipientem regâ—um where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdome so that both Kingdomes must be here meant viz. Christ receiving the Kingdome of glory afore his returne and his Kingdome of visible power of reigning on earth after his returne For meerly his Kingdome of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood because touching his reigning there it was in vaine unpossible and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him saying They would not have him to reigne over them And meerly his Kingdome of grace cannot bee here understood because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents compare Matth 25. And moreover it is here distinctly set downe that he is to goe into a far Country and then actually to receive another Kingdome partly before he returned and partly after he returned even as there is a diversity of actions In that Kingdome of Grace there is mentioned onely the neglect of improving the Talents but in this Kingdome of visible power received after his returne there is an high affront offered they send a message that they would not have him to reigne Again there is diversity of names The former are called Servants The latter are called Enemies Adde that there is a different dispensation of justice The unprofitable servant is put into a darke prison but the enemies must bee slaine AFORE HIM Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdome of Christs visible power That was it the Jewes expected yea and the best of them viz. the Disciples as we have heard afore and therefore to that Christ here speaks And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh delivering them from the Romans therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him and sent a message after him They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King or King of visible Dominion when they cryed at his arraignment They had no King but Caesar And they sent an embassage after him when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him in Hebrew Greek and Latine THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES § 5 There are also severall other passages in this Parable for Christs visible appearance and setting up his visible Kingdome of power on earth yet before the ultimate day of judgement As first His giving to the improvers of their Talents to one the rule over ten Cities to another the rule over five Cities And the Talent of him that had improved nothing to him that had improved much all which compared with the preface of the Parable touching the appearing of the Kingdome cannot in any thing well relate to the state of meer supernall eternall glory in the highest Heavens 2 His causing his enemies to bee slaine afore his face suits not to Christs meer Kingdome of grace whose Dominion precisely considered is in the power of the Gospel Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgement when instead of slaying enemies there is a making them alive And instead of punishing them before Christs face there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgement But these extremely well agree with Christs appearing to set up his visible Kingdome of power For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian Jewish and Gentilish and mixt Turkish enemies with the brightnesse of his appearance as hath been opened upon 2 Thess 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book And shall slay them corporally Revelat. 19. latter end § 6 Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition and wishly minde and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof to aime at Christs next coming to set up such a Kingdome as shall not onely perfect the spirituall deliverance of the Gentiles but also to performe the temporall deliverance of the Jewes from their dispersion and corporall miseries For the naturall current of the Parable runnes thus Christ being neer Hierusalem the Jewes thought the Kingdome of God would immediately appeare Doubtlesse it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in to expect the appearance of the Kingdome of glory in Heaven For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporall captivity were not fulfilled And for the Kingdome of grace these men little minded And the better sort viz. the Disciples and Beleevers had seen it appeare already therefore it is the other Kingdome of Christ viz. that of his visible power and rule to deliver them from their corporall enemies that they supposed would immediately appeare Now to this saith Christ It will not immediatly appeare but I must saith he first goe into a farre Country viz. into Heaven and there be instated and Crowned King and after that come againe and actually and visibly reigne the meane while you to whom I have given Talents that is have endowed with gifts must imploy them and at my return as a signe of my visible actuall power I will take account of you and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning to bee slaine afore me § 7 Now at the ultimate day of Judgement Christ receives no Kingdome but resignes all his Kingdome Power and Dominion 1. Cor. 15.28 CHAP. III. Of five places out of the Old Testament to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth at the time of her restauration SECT I. The first place is out of Dan. 7.11 to end of the Chapter § 1 THis place we put first because it doth give much light
against Christ and scattered to this day SECT V. The fifth place for Christs Personall appearance Zephan 3.14 to end of the Chapter Sing O Daughter of Zion shout O JSRAEL the Lord hath taken away thy judgement he hath cast out thine enemy the KING OF ISRAEL even the LORD is in the MIDST OF THEE In that day it shal be said to Jerusalem feare thou not the LORD THY GOD IN THE MIDST OF THEE IS MIGHTY he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy I will gather them that are sorrowfull Behold at that time I will undoe all that afflict thee I will gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every Land where they have been put to shame c. NOw when was Christ ever so in the midst of Judah and Israel as to doe thus therefore this is yet to be fulfilled CHAP. VI. The close of the second Booke in a generall briefe Discourse of Christs visible appearance to the Saints on earth afore the ultimate Day of Judgement § 1 I Have spoken but briefly to the last Scriptures and shall no longer insist distinctly upon this Head of proving by peculiar places of Scripture the Personall visible appearance of Christ at the setting up of his Kingdome before the end of the World because we shall have many sprinklings of this in the prosecution of the whole of the point yet remaining about the Kingdome it selfe § 2 Only meane while I would have the Reader observe from the Scriptures that have been alleadged That Christ must be a King visibly it must visibly appeare he is a King or else men that are only sensible will never be convinced which is the maine intent of Christs visible appearance so that the Kings of the earth that of all men are drowned in sensuality shall come and submit to his Kingdome Rev. 21. and elsewhere as we have heard afore § 2 And is there not all reason that the King of Kings the Sonne of Man should be as compleatly and apparently King as the Kings that are under him They have not onely Authority by Writs Warrants Proclamations c. to punish or encourage by their Officers but they visibly are crowned sit in the Throne beare the Scepter and attended upon all just occasions with a visible power Then it is all equity that Christ also should not onely have sovereigne Authority but also a visible power so as he may visibly appeare to his very enemies to be King over all the earth § 3 Yea earthly Kings have as a providentiall care over all their subjects even to the punishing of the rebellious so also have they their secret way of insinuation and ingratiating towards their favourites and their manifest glorious presence at Court in the Metropolitan and most magnificent place of the Kingdome Therefore at least no lesse must be allowed to Christ viz. a providentiall power over all the world A spirituall efficacie over his Kingdome of grace or visible Church and a visible glorious reigning over all his true Saints § 4 Now Christ is not King in glory in the highest heavens with and over all his Saints for all shall not be there according to the common Tenet till the Lord Christ hath resigned all his power according to 1 Cor. 15.28 or at least when he hath brought all the elect soules to their bodies by a resurrection and changed them whom he findes alive at his coming and so brought them all to ultimate glory just then he layes downe all his authority So that he doth not reign with and over all his Saints in ultimate glory at all § 5 But he must be a visible King of visible glory over the Church made very glorious upon earth at his next appearance afore the ultimate judgement according to the Scriptures aforegoing A great comfort to the bodies in the grave that they shall not there lye so long as to the ultimate judgement when all the wicked shall bee raised as is evident by comparing vers 2. c. of Rev. 20. with vers 8. c. And a great comfort to them alive at his coming that have waited for him faithfully to the last and worst of the Tragedie of evill times § 6 I need not speake to the first two Kinglinesses of Christ viz. Providential of power and spirituall of grace But a word will do well here to the last viz. his visible glorious appearance before the ultimate day of judgement making all the world sincere or altogether seeming Saints and reigning over them as the alone Monarch He must as visibly succeed in government he foure mettals Dan. 2. and the foure Beasts Dan. 7. both signifying the foure Monarchies viz. the Chalde-Babylonian the Medo-persian the Grecian and the Roman as these foure did visibly precede him in government Dan. 2.44.45 The God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdome shall not be left to other people but it shall breake in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever And all this comes to passe in that the stone Christ Jesus cut out of the mountaine without hands brake in peeces the iron the brasse the clay the silver and the gold Dan. 7.13 14. The rest of the Beasts had their Dominion taken away The Sonne of Man comes with the Clouds and the Ancient of dayes gave him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people and Nations and languages should serve him So that Christ at his next appearance is the fifth Monarchy § 7 When the Lord spake but little to Eve of his dominion over the seed of the Serpent and consequently his succour of the seed of the woman how did he anon and after and all along the New Testament begin to act in Types this visible Monarchy He appears to Moses in a burning bush to give a visible signe of his presence to deliver Israel out of Egypt And appeares to Israel in a pillar of a Cloud and of fire sensibly to signifie he was their convoy They are a Royalty as Peter calls them but God onely their Monarch Moses and after Samuel were onely Interpreters between them and their Monarch And therefore when they rebelled against Moses it is reckoned as a rebellion against God And when they refused Samuel it is charged upon them that they refused God to be their Governour The Arke is placed amidst the Camp Numb 2. as the pledge of God to be their Generall Accordingly they carried the Arke in battell with them 1 Sam. 4. as having that opinion of it So verse 4. The people sent for the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of HOSTS which DWELLETH between the Cherubims And so the Philistims conceived For when the Israelites shouted at the coming of the Arke into the Camp of Israel the Philistims vers 7. are afraid and they said God is come into the Camp This Arke led them through Jordan as it did as it is
seats were put And so the last and best Low-Dutch Stoclen gesetteâ— werden So that by all it appears that this was a vision of material Thrones and of them set up set or setled for Divine power to sit upon which is exceedingly confirmâ—d by verse 10. and 26. where wee have the sitting of the Judgement or Judicature and the Ancient of dayes did sit and I saw and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a KINGDOM c. And the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven was given to the Saints of the most High c. Let us for the advantage of the generall worke in hand and the particular point now under consideration weigh these two places together in the semblance of both Visions in the circumstances of both and in the samenesse of intents in both ¶ 1 In the semblance or likenesse of both Visions in sundry particulars 1 Semblance I beheld till the Thrones were set And why Thrones in the plurall And for whom These many Thrones were set in the Vision ONE for the Ancient of dayes whose Throne was like a siery flame v. 9. ANOTHER for the SONNE OF MAN who came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome and all people Nations and Languages to serve him v. 13 14. THE REST for the TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSANDS THAT STOOD BEFORE HIM verse 10. viz. The PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS to whom the Kingdome and dominion c. under the whole heaven was given under Christ the aforesaid Son of Man vers 27. So Rev. 20.4 I saw Thrones The Second semblance is that in Dan. 7. v. 10. where it followes The Judgement or Judicature was set which confirmes that our reading of the former verse That is the Judges sate as in the great Sanedrim as after in vers 26. and 27. The judgement sitting the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most high In like manner in Rev. 20.4 it is said by John I saw saith he those that sate on the Thrones viz. those that had been beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and those which had not worshipped the beast c. nor received his marke c. Third semblance is in Dan. 7.22 Iudgement was given to the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdome In like manner Rev. 20.4 it is said Judgement was given to them viz. to the Saints aforesaid that having opposed Antichrist sate upon the Thrones As Paul saith 1 Cor. 6.2 The Saints shall judge the world Fourth semblance in Dan. 7.22 it is said The Saints possessed the Kingdome viz. under Christ to whom it is first in order given vers 14. which cannot be at the ultimate day of judgement when hee resignes all and therefore the Saints then have no Kingdome subject to them Just so it is said Rev. 20.4 The Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers which must be before the ultimate day of Judgement at which time Iohn saith Time shall be no more and Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. there is no more reigning by any but by God alone that then must be all in all Thus of the Semblance ¶ 2 The next thing is the Circumstances viz. 1 The signall or note when this shall be namely when the Sonne of man shall come in or with the clouds Dan. 7.13 In like manner the signall or note is in the Rev. Chap. 1.7 where it is said as the general proposition to the whole Prophesie Christ shall be seen in the clouds at his coming to set up this Kingdome which is explained according to our sense Rev. 20. v. 1. That Christ comes down from heaven when he restraines Satan and gives this honour to the Saints of reigning with him 2 The time it self The time is saith Dan. 7.25 after a time and times and halfe a time of the powerful prevayling of Antichrist whether ye understand one limb viz. the Iewish Eastern the Turk called vers 24. that same ANOTHER that ariseth and subdueth three of the ten Kings or both viz. the Western the Christians Antichrist also viz. the Pope expressed in the ten hornes or Kings of his Kingdome v. 24. it makes no matter if we minde our large discourse afore of the identity of both And sutably in the Revelation 11. it is said that after the witnesses have Prophesied in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes because the Woman the Church was persecuted by Antichrist Rev. 12.6 for the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which in vers 24. is called A time and times and halfe a time because Antichrist had power so long to prevaile viz. two and forty months Rev. 13.5 which is all one with the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes or time and times and halfe a time as here meant in the Revelation I say after this time and times and halfe a time it is here said in that Rev. 11.15 That the KINGDOMES of this WORLD were become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and of the Saints sharing in this Reigning vers 18. The third circumstance is the order of things in this time viz. That in Dan. 7. v. 3. c. to v. 9. There must be foure Beasts come up from the Sea 1 A Lyon 2 A Bear 3 A Leopard 4 A terrible one with iron teeth and ten hornes and out of the ten one little horne that brake off three of the ten The foure Beasts saith Dan. v. 17. are the foure Kings or Kingly-hoods Royalties Emperialties or Monarchies of the world vers 23. as by severall characters they are described in that Chapter The ten hornes of the fourth Beast are saith Dan. v. 24. ten Kings that is ten Kingdomes under him All these foure Beasts fall as the maine of the first by the second and of the second by the third so the maine of the third and the remainder of all the three former by the fourth Dan. 7.19.23 The meaning is that as the first the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy whereof Nebuchadnezzar was the Golden-head in Daniels time Dan. 2. was broken by the second the silver Medo-Persian so this second by the third the brazen Grecian and this Grecian and the remainders of all the other were utterly subdued by the fourth the iron Roman Monarchy From this Roman at the time when it was something weakned by a dividing of it selfe now the third time which was about An. Chr. 799. into the Easterne and Westerne Empire Constantinople being the Royall Seat of Metropolis of that and Rome of this the little horne that sprang out of the ten and became diverse from the rest
to compare Dan. 2.35 where all the foure Mettals are utterly broken to peeces and the little stone cut out of the mountaine became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth But I shall God assisting give you a more particular account viz. that both Iewes and Christians do understand the promises in this Chapter of a visible glorious estate of the Church yet to be on the face of the earth before the ultimate end of the world Of the latter sort wee will name onely the famous Piscator Alsted and Heurnius Of the former in briefe thus Their Talmud Gemara Sanhedrim pereck R. Ketina c. assert that this world doth continue six thousand yeers In one it shall be destroyed so as to be purified as gold and freed from the CURSE of which it is said Isa 2. The LORD ALONE SHALL BEE EXALTED IN THAT DAY And R. Scelomo quoting also this second of Isa saith The Lord shall arise and shake the earth terribly in the day of judgement when he shall breake the wicked It is usuall with the learned Iewes to call this glorious time of Christs visible Kingdome on earth a day of judgement not dissentaneous to the wont of Scripture to compellate and compare any great time of Reformation as a day of judgement Psal 50.1 c. 1 Pet. 4.17 And indeed as John shewes us Rev. 11. in the beginning of this most glorious visible Kingdome there is a beginning of the day of judgement in that the wicked alive that submit not to Christ are destroyed and the living Saints have a reward given them together with the resurrection of the deceased Saints which St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection R.D. Kimchi saith In that day in the dayes of Messiah when the Lord shall execute his judgement on the wicked THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED Isa 2. The Lord alone shall be exalted saith he is as much as to say AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH We might quote more but for hast and brevity § 4 And this must be IN THE LAST DAYES saith the second of Isa or nearer the Hebrew IN THE LAST OF DAYES or UTMOST END OF DAYES Therefore if the Prophet had looked at no further time then that of Christs first coming in the flesh he would not have called that the last of dayes since which have passed above one thousand six hundred and fifty yeers The last of dayes properly signifies those after which Aeternity next and immediately follows As it doth after the compleating of the thousand yeers of this visible Kingdome § 5 These things being premised let us view whether the promises afore-quoted out of the second of Isaiah have been fulfilled to this day 1 ¶ Surely that in the second verse and part of the third That the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established on the HEAD of the mountaines c. and peoples shall come and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord c. hath not been hitherto fulfilled and compleated For as yet neither the visible power and glory of Christ nor of his Church so as for Gentiles to say Come let us go up c. hath been established over the HEAD the Pope of the seven Hils of Rome or over the Turk the HEAD of the foure Hils of Ierusalem or over the height of power and glory of the Hils of the generality of the PEOPLES Gentiles or Nations of the world The Church at Ierusalem such as it was in Christs time was in Captivity under the Heathen Roman Empire and so continued till the rise of the Roman Bishops and immediately after that thraldome were subdued to the Turkes who keeps them in that thraldome to this day The Heathen Romans refused at the first the Lord Christ by vote of the Senate and after persecuted his Church for many yeers And the Turks blaspheme Christ in their Alcoran and hath warred against his Church from age to age since their rise And the rest of the world for the generality are Indians Barbarians and Semi-beasts that know neither God nor themselves nor what Christ is nor what a Christian is 2 ¶ Nor was the house of the Lord established in the top of the mountaines that is upon Zion the highest of the foure Hils of Jerusalem For presently after Christs death persecution scattered Christians from Jerusalem Act. 8. And within forty yeers or thereabout after Christs ascension the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and after a while the City and for about three hundred yeers onward the Church of Christ was extremely persecuted by the Heathen Romans and anon after Constantines time onely excepted or little more they were sorely persecuted by the Arian Hereticks So that instead of all Nations going up to the house of the Lord on the top of the Mountaines for divine worship Christian Jews and Gentiles were scattered among all Nations And though Act. 2. there were a handfull of severall Nations at Hierusalem if they were Gentiles and not rather Jewes yet this was farre from ALL NATIONS FLOWING to it saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes For the generality of those very men Act. 2. mocked the Apostles whiles they taught them the wayes of the Lord. And as at Ierusalem so in the Countries round about the Christians were every where persecuted as the history of the Acts doth all along give us a particular account 3 ¶ Nor is that fulfilled to this day which is prophesied in the fourth verse Christ hath not hitherto so judged among the Nations and rebuked many people that they have beaten their swords into plow shares and their speares into pruning-hooks so that Nation hath not lifted up sword against Nation neither learned war any more 4 ¶ Nor hath that been yet fulfilled which is in verse 10 11 12 c. to v. 17. That men have so dreaded the Majesty of the Lord that they have hid themselves That the lofty lookes of men have been humbled and their haughtinesse bowed downe That THE LORD ALONE HATH BEEN EXALTED That the day of the Lord of hosts hath been upon EVERY ONE that is proud and lofty upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and Okes of Bashan that are lifted up upon ALL the high mountaines and hills that are lifted up upon EVERY high tower upon every fenced wall upon ALL the ships of Tarshish and upon all the pleasant pictures to bow down and bring down low all these so that the Lord alone may be exalted in THAT DAY Alas ever since Christs comming in the flesh the whole world generally hath been very high proud against the Lord Christ Antichrist hath been much exalted and the Lord hath been least exalted his Honour his Cause his People have been trampled on In the time of Constantine the Great some little was done in the Roman Empire for a little time for the Church of
wherein the Jewes are excluded but a calling wherein the Jewes shall have a share of the greatest glory and to have a preeminence above other Nations when ALL NATIONS SHAL FLOW UNTO THEM and walke in their light for the calling of the remainder of the world which is not yet under Christ is reserved for the solemnizing of the Iewes RESTAURATION This is that calling and that time which hee calls the FVLNESSE of the GENTILES conjoyned with the saving of ALL ISRAEL Rom. 11.25 This is that time whereof he speakes That if the present FALL of the Iewes be the RICHES OF THE WORLD and their DECAY the RICHES OF THE GENTILES how much more shall their FVLNESSE be the fulnesse of the Gentiles This is that glorious time which the Prophesie of this text principally if not altogether intended which is not yet fulfilled While the Roman Iron part of Nebuchadnezzart Image stood a stone was hewne out of the mountaine without hands This is the first call of the world hitherto At length the time of the feet of the Image coming that the stone smote them the wind blowes the Image away wholly and there was no more place found for any part thereof which was no sooner done but the stone which smote the Image swelled into a great Mountaine and filled the whole earth This is the time of the fulnesse of Christs Kingdome the FULNESSE of the Gentiles This is the time when THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE shall be established on the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES namely when the small stone of Christs Kingdome which is now in being shall smite the brittle feet of the last remainder of the Romane State now subsisting in the Popedome in whom the divided toes of too many Kingdomes are united c SECT XII § 1 THe second place in Isaiah for our Thesis is chap. 9. ver 6. For unto us a childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the GOVERNMENT shall be on his shoulders and his name shall be called WONDERFULL Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Ver. 7. Of the INCREASE of his GOVERNMENT and peace there shall be NO END upon the THRONE of DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to ORDER IT and to ESTABLISH IT with judgement and with justice from hence-forth and for ever The zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this Of this place we shall speake more briefly § 2 This text is very comprehensive apparently griping within its armes a large tract of Time from Christs Incarnation throughout all the processe of his Government untill the end of the ultimate Judgement as the words from hence-forth and for ever doe expresse therefore the Reader must not hang downe his head poring only upon the Birth of Christ as it is said in the beginning of this text To us a childe is borne but must lift up his eyes to the utmost of this glorious prospect here presented in the close upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome he shall sit to order it and to establish it c. from henceforth and for ever § 3 It is not worth while for us to content with the late Jewish Rabbins that say this text is meant of Hezekiah we heard but now that the ancienter Rabbins and Talmud and their Targum or Chalde Paraphrase following them are contrary to that interpreting this text of the Messiah as they had an invincible reason so to doe in that the stile given to him here meant is incompatible and inconsistent with any but with God incarnate that is Christ Jesus the true Messiah And as little reason had those later Rabbins to interpret this Text of Hezekiah who was borne a good space of time before the date of this Prophesie yea and divers yeers before his Father Ahaz sate upon the Throne For Hezekiah was five and twenty yeers old at his fathers death whereas Ahaz his father had reigned in all but sixteen yeers 2 Kings 16.2 and chap. 18. v. 2. § 4 Leaving therefore all improbable and impertinent conceits of men let us come to the businesse to finde out the excellent state that shall be set up under the government of the Messiah before the ultimate judgement Our late Annotationists make for me a faire preface meetly conducing to the true sense of the words which we intend That the deliverances say they of Gods people and the pulling downe of such mighty POTENTATES whether SECULAR or SPIRITUALL mark their words may not seem impossible and incredible the Prophet now proceedeth to declare who it is and what manner of person by whom all that hath been said shall be effected even the Messias the eternall Sonne of God whom God shall raise up to be the King and Governour of his Church so they But we have a more sure word to confirme this interpretation Luke 1.31 32 33. And the Angel said unto Mary c. Thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name Jesus He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his FATHER DAVID and he shall reigne over the house of JACOB for EVER and of his Kingdome there shall be NO END § 5 Now lay this of Isaiah and Luke together and then read what they spell unto us Namely first That the meaning of this Text is not of spirituals onely but also of temporals The FOR in the beginning premised by Isaiah as a meet inference plainly sounds of a proof in this Text to demonstrate an assurance of the deliverance of Israel as is set forth in the fourth and fifth verses viz. Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staffe of his shoulder and the rod of his OPPRESSOUR as in the day of MIDIAN * Observe Gideons victories used to signifie this deliverance therefore not onely spiritual c. and it shall be as with battel and blood so with burning and fuel of fire But these words if weighed ** For close to the Hebrew the words run thus For every battle of the Warrier with noise and garments rowled in blood shall be also unto burning and fuel of fire cannot without violence be wrested to signifie only spirituall deliverances as our Annotationists also affirme with us whose words upon the fourth verse are these Having declared the greatnesse of their joy he proceeds to shew the ground of it their deliverance and freedome from the straits and thraldome of their enemies as well CORPORALL as Spirituall Therefore this Text is Gods giving security to his people of deliverance of them from temporall as well as spirituall oppressions troubles c. by Jesus Christ after that he hath finished the workes of his incarnation by passion resurrection ascention and assession at Gods right hand according to Psal 110. of which we have spoken plentifully afore Secondly That Christ was invested with these Attributes and Omnipotentiall Properties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Spirit ## § 9 9 Therefore we conclude this text is yet to be fulfilled afore the ultimate day of the generall Judgement when Christ layes downe his Government * Mr. Medas learned Notes upon this ninth Chapter of Isaiah collated with Mark 1.14 15. coming too late to my knowledge to be put into the Text I could not forbeare inserting it into the Margine which in summe is this Galilee was the third Province of those three into which Canaan or Phalestine was divided in Christs time and was on the North part remotest from Ierusalem and divided into two parts upper and lower the upper was mostly the Land of Nephthaly wherein was the goodly Metropolis of all Galilee Capernaum And this is the Galilee that was called Galilee of the Gentiles either because inhabited by the Gentiles long time viz to Solomons time or because Solomon gave twenty Cities thereof to Hiram or because it was the outmost of the Land next the Gentiles In the lower Galilee was the Tribe of Zebulon and Issachar wherein were the Cities of Nazareth and Bethsaida neare the Sea or Lake of Galilee or Cana of which and Christs first Miracle there Ioh. 2. and Mount Tabor From Capernaum along the Sea side through Bethsaida lay the great rode from Syria into Aegypt supposed to be that called in Scripture The way of the Sea In Christs time two of the said Provinces viz. Judea and Samaria were under the Roman President Pontius Pilate The third Galilee was under Herod or Auâ—ipas the Tetrarch because he had but the fourth part of his Fathers Kingdome who beheaded Iohn Baptist and closed with Pilat when Christ was condemned In this Province of Galilee was Christs conversation principally whiles he was on earth Matth. 3. ult Luke 1.26 Act. 1.11 Act. 2.7 Matth. 4.23 Matth. 9.35 Matth. 28.10 For the Messiah was to have his abode principally in Galilee according to the Prophesie in Esay 9.1 2 3 c. The Land of Galilee or of Zebulon and Nephthaly had the hard hap to be first in that calamity by the Assyrians 2 King 15.29 all which Cities there named except Ianoah and Gilead were Cities of Nephthaly and all Galilee and Nephthaly are there mentioned as all carried away Captive to Assyria In which calamity Isaiah comforts them with that Prophesie That they should have the first and principall share of the Messiahs presence when he should come Read the first seven verses of that ninth of Isa the meaning being that Christ should enlighten the Province of Galilee or the Land of Zebulon and Nephthaly with the glory of his presence And therefore if this be not a Prophesie of Christ I know not what is Compare Mat. 4. of his dwelling in Capernaum the Metropolis of Galilee The Jewes could not see this but would not beleeve because he was of Galilee Should say they Christ come out of Galilee should he not come out of Bethlehem So he should too and yet was by habitation and conversation a Galilean Christians also are to blame for darkning this Prophesie of Isa 9. and Matthewes application of it for my part I am perswaded that the foure or five first words of this ninth of Isaiah belong to the last verse of the former Chapter as Ierom and the Chalde referre them and that the words following begin a new Prophesie in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ie According as the first time that he made vile or debased the Land of Zebulon and the Land of Nephthaly so in the latter time he shall make it glorious More of the reading of this text and Master Medes reasons the Reader may there see From all saith Mr. Mede I inferre that 1 Cor. 1.26 27. God takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise c. For Galilee and her inhabitants in comparison of Iudea were reputed ignoble strangers being remote from Ierusalem and the Temple and part of the lot of the ten Tribes which Salmaneser captivated Howbeit some of the two Tribes after their returne especially in the prevailing times of the Maccabees setled there but at length were subdued by the Gentiles but still dwelling there and replenishing that Land with their owne people yet so as many of the Gentiles dwelt among them in so much that in these and the aforesaid respects they were despised of those that dwelt in Iudea Joh. 7.41.52 But Christ the King of Israel and Saviour of Mankind would as aforesaid be a Galilean The Doctrine he preacheth in Galilee is The time is fulfilled the Kingdome of God is at hand repent yee and beleeve the Gospel which Matth. 4. is called the Kingdome of Heaven which is all one with Kingdome of God See Dan. 6.24 The heavens beare rule that is God Luke 15.21 I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight Matth. 21.15 The Baptisme of John was it from heaven or from men Marke the Exegesis Luke 15. and the Antithesis Matth. 21. which shew God to be meant by Heaven The Kingdome of Heaven or of God is the Kingdome of Messiah or Christ Dan. 2 44. and Dan. 7.13 read the places From which places the Iewes call the Messiahs Kingdome the Kingdome of God or of Heaven because first it is in this place of Daniel said The God of heaven shall set up his Kingdome And in the other place That the Sonne of Man the Messiah should come in the clouds of heaven For our Saviour brought not this phrase with him but found it among the Iewes at his coming and approved it in oft use of it Matth. 13. The Kingdome of Christ is his Church or the Christian Church c. I must adde one thing more for the understanding of this Kingdome of Christ which I have hitherto described namely that it hath a two-fold state The one Militant in sufferings which is the present state begun at his first coming The second state is a triumphant state which shall be at his second in glory in the clouds of heaven at what time he shall put downe all authority power and rule and subdue all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15. c. By which that Mr. Mede includes the Kingdome of Christ at his second coming to be partly intended in Isaiah 9 they may easily perceive that have heard and observed other passages afore quoted out of him SECT XIII § 1 THe third place in Isaiah is Chapter the eleventh in whole and throughout with a briefe collation of the tenth Chapter preceding and the twelfth following and therefore too large to write out In lieu thereof we shall expresse the severall passages from whence we deduce any argument § 2 To speake as shortly as we may to this place of Scripture In the tenth Chapter preceding the Lord threatens Judah that for their hypocrisie in Religion and their unrighteousnesse in their dealings he will send against them the Assyrian But then withall it is threatned that because the Assyrian would afflict the Jewes
without consideration of Gods hand in it and should manage the rod with insolent cruelty to the Jewes that God will bring destruction upon the Assyrian for deliverance of the Jewes The confirmation of this deliverance as is the manner of God in the Prophets hath its foundation laid in the sending of Christ Chapter 11. The promise whereof and description of whose person we have set forth and characterised in the first five verses There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdome c. and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes but with righteousnesse shall he judge c. So that although in Hezekiahs time wherein Isaiah prophesied the host of the Assyrians were destroyed to the number of one hundred eighty five thousand by the Angel of the Lord 2 Kings 19.35 And againe in the time of Judahs captivity in Babylon they were overthrown with a mighty destruction by the Medes and Persians Dan. 5.30 yet these are not the ALL of the Threat of this Prophesie against Assyria for the Threat is carried on still in Zach. 1.15 to the end of the Chapter though at that time Judah was returned And to keep to this our Text of Isa according to the length of the foundation of this Prophesie must the superstructure be extended viz. to the comming of Christ which coming of him being not restrictively determined to his first coming in his incarnation must be left at large to reach to his second coming at the great Restauration as the Text doth seem to require in mentioning his judging v. 3. his smiting the earth v. 4. c. For we must know to give you Mr. Medes notion Alicubi as neare as I can That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ INDEFINITLY and in GENERALL without that distinction of first and second coming which we have more cleerly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him speake of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and altogether which we who are now more fully informed by the Revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a twofold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second And that which befits both alike may be applied to both Which notion of Mr. Mede is the more to be acknowledged in that it may appeare by many instances from the Creation hitherto that the grand promises of great deliverances have their successive and graduall fulfilling from their first promulgation unto the end of this world as daily experience produceth fresh testimonies Calvin on Isa The context saith Isa 10.24 c. Thus saith the Lord O my people that dwellest in Zion be not affraid of the ASSYRIAN Hee shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of EGYPT For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger IN THEIR DESTRUCTION c. And in that day his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder c. Now in Hezekiahs time the Assyrian did not smite the Inhabitants of Zion but were smitten by the Angel of the Lord as afore mentioned Nor was the burden of the Assyrian taken away from off the shoulder of the dwellers at Zion at their returne from Babylon by a destruction on them under whom they were then in captivity For the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus their King voluntarily to let them return as we well know the story in the second of Chron. Chapter last and Ezra Chap. 1. And further the Apostles do bring downe many passages of this eleventh of Isaiah unto the Transactions of their times and downwards applying them to the coming of Christ yea to the coming of Christ after his ascention For example ¶ 1. First that in verse 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. is applied by the Apostle Act. 13. v. 22. c. to v. 42. to Christ as the eminent seed of David of the seed of Jesse conjoyning a quotation out of Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee which with other passages in that Psalme as hath been demonstrated signifies Christs visible Kingdome on earth yet to come And a quotation out of Isaiah 55.3 Touching the sure mercies of David And one other quotation out of Ps 16. That his holy one saw no corruption of purpose to prove that though David himselfe be dead yet Christ lives to be the sure mercies of David and to keep off his seed from seeing corruption that in him the ever-living seed of David may reigne to the end of this world and that in some peculiar way priviledge and relation and proportion to David or else the dint and vigor of Isaiahs and the Psalmists Text and the Apostles Commentary is made to languish Which priviledge peculiarity relation and analogy to David what can it bee but a visible Reigning or Kingdome of Christ For Christs Kingdom purely spirituall by his Word and Spirit what doth it more relate to David then to other Christian Kings and Princes of the Gentiles converted from Heathenisme or how more over Davids people or Kingdome more then over all Indians and Heathens where the Gospel is spread and received ¶ 2 Again that in verse the tenth of this eleventh of Isaiah There shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the GENTILES seek the Apostle Rom. 15.12 draws down to Christ then ascended and gives us this sense of the Prophet That Christ is not onely the OBJECT of faith to the Gentiles but that the Gentiles shall be his SUBJECTS he reigning over them How reigning over them Marke curiously the Apostles words and you may perceive something Againe saith the Apostle There shall be a root of Iesse and he that shall RISE to REIGNE over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust His reigning as in relation to David doth not commence from his Incarnation but he shall RISE to reigne spoken by the Apostle after Christs Resurrection and Ascention and rendred as you heare by our Translators under a future notion He shall rise to reigne Yea follow the words yet closer even home to the very doores of the Original and you will see I thinke yet more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There shall be a root of Iesse and he shall RISE AGAINE to reigne over the Gentiles or stand up AGAINE to reigne over them Christ had before the Apostle penned that risen the first time viz. from the grave of the earth But now that he hath ascended long since up into heaven and there as it
brightnesse of the Sunne shall be nothing to it At which time as it follows the Lord of Hosts in Christ Iesus saith Diodat shall reign on Mount Zion and in Ierusalem types of the universall Church and that in great glory before his Ancientours who were the Church of the Jews by blood as well as by Profession Christ being considered as man as the local circumstance of Zion and Ierusalem cals for that notion § 3 Calvin again cleerly intimateth in many circumlocutions that his sense of this Text is that Christ speaking in the future of time after Calvins time shall establish his Church on earth in a most glorious estate Ego non dubito quin persequatur Propheta c. That is I doubt not but that the Prophet prosecutes the consolation which he had touched in the former verse to this sense or effect when the Lord shall visite his people and shall purge his Church from their filthinesses he shall settle his Kingdome and that so illustrious that it shall obscure the Sunne and Stars with its splendor which kinde of speech is usuall with the Prophets as we have already seen But here Isaiah speaks of the BODY of the Church and not onely of the HEAD Seeing therefore the Lord will ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOME upon MOUNT ZION so great shall be the Magnificence thereof in the INSTAURATION of the People as that the things that otherwise shone in the sight of men shall now be as darknesse Which that he might expresse to the life be names these things that above all are most splendent The word RULING is improperly drawn to signifie Gods vengeance For although God be said to reigne when he acts the office of a Judge yet this speech so comprehending within it concerning THE KINGDOME of God in MOUNT ZION it alwayes hath the notation of mercy and salvation For hee speaketh of the RESTITUTION of the Church Whence it follows that this is not fulfilled but in Christ He making a precise mention of Elders or Ancients useth a Synecdoche which is exceeding usuall in Scripture For he taketh a speciall part of the Church for the whole body of the Church yet not without a consult purpose He calls by the name of Ancients as well the PRIESTS as other RULERS who were chiefe over Discipline and Manners by whose moderation and prudence the rest are to be governed Under their names he comprehends all the people not onely because they represent the whole body as under their shadow the people was covered but also that believers might conceive hope of a future ORDER For otherwise it would little or nothing profit that the multitude should be left dissipated in manner of a dis-membred body or confused Masse Neither is it impertinently added BEFORE the ANCIENTS that the Jewes might know that the power of God should be MANIFEST and ILLUSTRIOUS c. For SO HE REIGNES that wee may PERCEIVE HIM PRESENT WITH US For if it should be beyond our COMPREHENSION no COMFORT would redound to us thereby For GLORY others read GLORIOUSLY others GLORIOUS I had rather take it in the substantive GLORY although it makes no difference in the sense For it teacheth how great shall be the magnificence and glory of God by ERECTING THE KINGDOME OF CHRIST in that all splendor is obscured and ONLY the glory of Christ must be eminent and CONSPICUOUS Whence it follows that THEN at length God shall injoy HIS OWN RIGHT AMONG US and have his due honour WHEN ALL HIS CREATURES BEING GATHERED INTO ORDER he alone is RESPLENDENT IN OUR EYES Thus Calvin whose words and phrases here can bear no lesse then a sense favouring a visible glorious Kingdome of Christ on earth though something of it as he saith must be comprehended by faith above sense To which visibility of Christs Kingdome on earth the correlative in 22 and 23. verses answering to our relative THEN in our Text of punishing the Kings of the earth upon the earth c. doth strongly bear witnesse § 4 Now lay altogether and then judge when was this Text ever fulfilled Surely in a litterall sense as to corporall Transactions not at their returne from Babylon For then the Babylonians were not punished nor put in prison Nor were the Iews in an outward glorious condition but as in subjection still to Babylon and made a scorn by Sanballat Tobiah c. with the multitude of their adherents hindring their building discouraging their work raising lyes laying plots to indanger them So that they were as long neer upon in repairing the Temple and City of Ierusalem and setling the state thereof from the first that they began it as they had been in Captivity * See the book of Ezra Nehemiah and Haggi Nor was this Text of Isa litterally and corporally fulfilled to them at Christs being on earth being then also under captivity and reproach by the Romans †See the story of the Evangelists and Acts. and to this day in the same condition under them and all Nations in the world Nor hath this been yet fulfilled in a spiritual sense from that time to this day in that not one of ten thousand of the Gentiles admired their Levitical glory And their Ancients the Scribes Pharisees Elders and Rulers of the Synogogues and People generally opposed and persecuted Evanagelical glory And though for a spurt some few favoured the Gospel Act. 1. Act. 2. yet by and by they universally Act. 13. fell off from this Glory and so continued untill these our times § 5 Nor can these be fulfilled 〈◊〉 â—ltimate judgement For then Christ RULES not 1 Cor. 15. v. 24. v. 28. SECT XVI § 1 THe sixth place in Isaiah is that which followes at the heels of this viz. Chapter 25. throughout but especially from v. 7. to the end of the Chapter with some passages of the 26 Chapter being also a Song of praise for the glorious state of the Church to be especially those passages v. 14. v. 19. The late invention of Chapters may not hinder our prospect upon the continued sense of this Chapter inseparably depending on the former where in the last verse the Prophet having said THEN shall the Moon be confounded and the Sun ashamed WHEN the Lord of Hosts shall REIGN in Mount Zion and Ierusalem c. explained afore he now begins this Chapter with a solemne praise to God for his preparation to and manifestation of that his glorious Reign To give you the maine passages of the whole Chapter v. 1. O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee c. v. 2. For thou hast made of a City an heap of a defenced City a ruine a palace of strangers to be no City it shall never be built v. 3. Therefore the strong people shall glorifie thee c. v. 4. For thou hast been a strength to the poore and needy in distresse a refuge from the storme a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is a storme against the
Pagans Papists Atheists Hereticks and prophane persons And without multiplying words the very phrases will not admit of a referring these to the ultimate day of Doome And therefore must yet bee fulfilled on earth before that day SECT XX. § 1 THe eleventh place in Isaiah is Chap. 49. wholly But I shall need to touch only upon three or four places of the Chapter which will give light to all the rest In generall the chapter is of the bringing in of Jews and Gentiles into the Church The Jews are here named by the generall termes that comprehend at least the ten Tribes if not the whole twelve viz. by the names of Israel ver 3 5 6 7. and of Jacob ver 5. and of the Tribes of Jacob v. 6. and the preserved of Israel ibid. In way of distinction from whom the two Tribes are called Zion v. 14. So that all the twelve Tribes that came of Jacob are intended in this Chapter in the close whereof as a seal the Lord stiles himself Their Saviour their Redeemer the Mighty one of JACOB The Gentiles likewise are expressely named in v. 6. viz I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest bee my salvation unto the ends of the earth quoted by the Apostle Act. 13.47 to prove the propagation of the Gospel for salvation to the Gentiles The concurrence of both Jews and Gentiles in coming in to Christ is expressed to the life ver 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring THY sons in their armes and thy daughters shall be carryed upon THEIR shoulders and KINGS shall be thy nursing Fathers and THEIR Queens shall be THY nursing Mothers c. Adde that the engagement of God that thus hee will call home both Jews and Gentiles v. 13.15 19 18 26. is great Sing O Heavens and be joyfull O Earth and break forth into singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his people and WILL have mercy on his afflicted Can a woman forget her sucking child that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb c. Yet VVILL NOT I FORGET THEE Behold I have GRAVEN THEE upon the palmes of mine hands As I LIVE saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloathe thee with them all that oppose thee as with an ornament c. And ALL FLESH shall know that I the Lord am the Mighty one of Jacob. § 2 These being premised let us but only put the question upon some Verses whether ever they were yet fully fulfilled and that will be sufficient to ingenuous reason to confesse they must yet be fulfilled and that on earth § 3 VVhen was the seventeenth verse ever fulfilled viz. Thy children shall make hasle thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe out of thee VVe read no such thing at their return from Babylon but that there were the crew of Sanballat Tobiah c. that opposed them Anon Alexander the Great the Grecian Monarch enters Jerusalem After him Antiochus Epiphanes alias Epimanes King of Syria wasteth it After these the Romans conquer it And now the Turks ever since possesse it § 4 And when ever yet was the nineteenth verse fulfilled viz. Thy waste and desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away Surely since the carrying away captive of the ten Tribes the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah were never full of their owne Inhabitants We never read that ever the Assyrians Babylonians Cutheans c. which the King of Assyria sent into the Kingdome of Israel 2 Kings 17.24 were sent for home againe Nor that ever those CALDEANS that were sent to governe Judea intimated in 2 King 25. were recalled And for after times as we have hinted afore when the Greek went out the Syrian came in when the Syrian went out the Roman came in when the Roman went the Turke came in and there he is to this day These expulsing one another there hath been a constant succession of them that swallowed up the twelve Tribes Their wasters and destroyers have been changed but have not been sent forth far away from Israel and Judah § 5 Againe did the Gentiles and Peoples ever yet as v. 22. bring the sonnes and daughters of the Jewes in their armes and upon their shoulders If we should wave the litterall sense of setling the Jews in their owne Land and condescend to a spirituall sense of the generality of the Gentiles compliance with the generality of the Jewes in matters of Religion and union into the universall Church wee cannot tell when ever this was done to this day § 6 Nor can we say that ever the Kings of the Gentiles as it is v. 23. and their Queens have been nursing fathers and mothers to the Jewes and bowing downe to them Alas poore Jewes they have ever since the beginning of the Grecian Monarchy long before Christ downe to this very day been under the awing power of the Gentiles and mostly used hardly and in most places of the world instead of reverence have been and are much villified Therefore John in Revelation tels us that this is yet to come and to be fulfilled upon earth afore the ultimate day of judgement as the circumstances of things and the phrases of the Prophesie necessarily require Rev. 21. v. 24.26 And the Kings of the EARTH doe bring their glory and honour into New Jerusalem And they shall bring the glory and honour of the NATIONS into it And yet so as there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. § 7 Wee are likewise utterly to seek when ever yet the 25. and 26. verses were fulfilled viz. The captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy children and will feed them that oppresse thee with their owne flesh and they shall be drunken with their owne blood Wee know not of any such thing since the captivity of the Jewes in Babylon in all Histories divine and humane that thus the Jewes were saved by such destruction of their enemies The Jews indeed soon after their captivity made some attempts 2 King 25. v. 25. After that they made some attempts in 1 Book of Macchab And after that they made severall attempts in the time of Titus and Adrian Roman Emperours And since that the Turk hath dominered over them the Kings of the Gentiles especially of England have made some attempts of warre on their enemies managed by the stocke counsell and aide of severall religious orders for that end as of the Templars Knights of the Rhodes or of John of Jerusalem and of the Knights of Malta alias Melita But all these attempts have not amounted to Isaiahs phrase
of judgement as is fully discussed elsewhere in this Volume but do clearly comport with the beginning of the businesse of the great restauration at the generall call of the Jewes See in this third Book Chap. 2. Sect. 37. § 20. ¶ 5. c. So likewise the Apostle Paul applies the phrases and things of this 37 of Ezekiel to the times of the generall call of the Jewes Rom. 11.15 If the casting away of the Jewes be the reconciling of the World what shall be the receiving of the Jewes but LIFE FROM THE DEAD So likewise St. John in Revelation chap. 11.11 to 14 shewes plainly that the witnesses must first rise and then there was a great Earthquake and then the tenth part of the City of the whore of Babylon fals and thousands are slaine which things can have no fellowship with the ultimate day of judgement especially if we marke that the Earthquake the fall of the City and the slaughter are mentioned afore the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Now within the last of the space of which seventh Trumpet fals the ultimate judgement and therefore these things belong to the great restauration at the ruine of Antichrist and the call of the Jewes and the setting up of the glorious Church of Jewes and Gentiles for presently after ver 14 15. the seventh Trumpet sounds and the Kingdomes of the World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Thus of the places in Ezekiel SECT XXXV Next we come to Daniel The first place in this Prophet is in the second chapter from ver 31. to ver 36. § 1 NOw Mr. Medes lately printed Diatribae pars 4. and his Opuscula and my pen being met I shall give him the way and precedency as glad of such a strongly-learned Captaine to lead me up in the Skirmish for the truth now in hand against the many opposers thereof And the rather because perhaps such are the partiall-personalities that act some mens braines the same truth will be better accepted from his mouth then from mine Quo demum saith he * Opuscul par 2. p. 20. Arg. 2. absoluto c. i. e. The fourth Kingdom or Monarchy according to Daniel is that upon the dissolution and abolition whereof followes the consummation of Christs Kingdom * By Christs Kingdom which Mr. Mede doâ—h â—o often mention in these â—is discourses here quoted in this §. 1. he â—eans as he expounds it in other places of his workes CHRISTS CHURCH as CHRISTIAN or the CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF CHRIST See before in this third book chap. 2. Sect. 12 S. in the large marginal note But the Roman Kingdome being once extinct and abolished the Kingdom of Christ shall be consummated therefore the Roman Kingdome or Monarchy is the fourth The major or first proposition is most evident from either prophesie of Daniel As concerning Nebuchadnezzars dreame thou sawest saith he chap. 2. v. 34 35. untill a stone was cut out without hands and it smoate the image upon its feet of iron and clay so that it brake them to peeces So the wind carryed them away and no place was found for them But the STONE that smote the image became a great MOUNTAINE so that it filled the whole earth That is Daniel himselfe being the Interpreter in the dayes of the fourth Kingdome or Monarchy the God of Heaven will raise up a Kingdome this is that stone cut out of the mountain which shall not for ever be destroyed and which shall not be left to another people as it befell the former Monarchies but it shall crumme and consume all those Kingdoms but it selfe shall stand for ever that is the stone of Christs Kingdome having now for many ages past been cut out of the mountaine of this world at length when the time decreed of God shall come the last parts of this image being cast out and utterly abolished though hitherto it hath been but a STONE and indeed of offence or stumbling shall then grow into an HUGE MOUNTAINE and shall fill the whole earth For the minor or second proposition That the Roman Kingdome or Monarchy being once extinct and abolished the Kingdom or Monarchy of Christ shall be consummated it is easily proved out of the New Testament For by or from the abolition of Antichrist shall the Kingdome of Christ be consummated 2 Thes 2.8 And that wicked one shall be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth and shal abolish with the splendor or brightnes of his coming or as the Syriack shall kill him with the revelation or manifestation of his coming So also it is apparent out of the Apocalyps that Antichrist shall remaine till the sounding of the seventh that is the last Trumpet which once sounding there are great voyces in Heaven THE KINGDOMES OF THE WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST who shall reigne for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 the very same thing which the Angel a little afore Rev. 10.6 foretold That the seventh Trumpet sounding the MYSTERY OF GOD SHALL BE FINISHED as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets But Antichrist was to rise out of the Roman Empire 2 Thes 2.7 and Revel 16. John affirmes Antichrist to be one of the seven-headed beast The foure Kingdomes in Daniel are saith Mr. Mede * Diatr par 4. p. 361.393 twice revealed first to Nebuchadnezzar in a glorious image of foure metals 2 To Daniel himselfe in a vision of foure divers beasts arising out of the Sea The intent of both is by that succession of Kingdomes to point out the time of the KINGDOME OF CHRIST which no other Kingdome should succeed or destroy Nebuchadnezzars IMAGE of MONARCHIES Dan. 2. points out TWO STATES of the Kingdome of Christ The first to be while the times of those Kingdoms of the Gentiles yet lasted typified by a STONF CUT OUT OF A MOUNTAINE WITHOUT HANDS the Monarchical STATUE YET STANDING upon his FEET The second not to be untill the UTTER DESTRUCTION and DISSIPATION OF THE IMAGE when the stone having smote it upon the feet should GROW INTO A GREAT MOUNTAINE WHICH SHOULD FILL THE WHOLE EARTH The first may be called for distinction sake REGNUM LAPIDIS the Kingdome of the Stone which is the slate of Christs Kingdome WHICH HITHERTO HATH BEEN The other REGNUM MONTIS the Kingdome of the Mountain that is of the Stone growne into a Mountaine c. which is the state of his Kingdome which hereafter shall be The INTERVALLUM between these two from the time the stone was first hewen out that is the Kingdome of Christ was first advanced untill the time it became a MOUNTAINE that is when the MYSTERY OF GOD shall be FINISHED is the subject of the Apocalypticall visions Note here that the STONE is expounded by Daniel to be that LASTING KINGDOME which the God of Heaven should set up Secondly That the STONE was hewne out of the MOUNTAINE before it SMOTE the IMAGE upon the
FEET and consequently before the Image was DISSIPATED And therefore that the KINGDOME typified by the STONE while it remained a STONE must needs be within the TIMES OF THOSE MONARCHIES that is before the last of them viz. the Roman should expire Wherefore Daniel interprets vers 44. of this second chapter That IN THE DAYES of these Kingdomes not after them but while some of them were in being the God of Heaven should set up a Kingdome WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED nor LEFT as the other were to another people but should BREAKE IN PEECES and CONSUME ad those Kingdomes and it selfe should stand for ever And all this he speaks as the INTERPRETATION of the STONE FOR AS MUCH saith he AS THOU SAWEST THAT A STONE WAS CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT HANDS AND THAT IT BRAKE IN PEECES THE IRON THE BRASSE THE CLAY THE SILVER AND THE GOLD Here make the full point for these words belong not to that which followes as our Bibles misse-distinguishing seem to refer them but to that which went afore of their interpretation But the STONE becoming a Mountaine he expounds not but leaves to be gathered by what he had already expounded So then IN THE DAYES OF THOSE KINGDOMES of the Gentiles signifies DURING THEM and in the latter part of them as the nature of the thing spoken of sufficiently argues which was to destroy the last Kingdome which had destroyed and swallowed the former three I mean the second swallowed or possessed the first the third the second the fourth the third and so in a sence by the destruction of the fourth the STONE destroyeth all the rest as contained therein For the stone smites neither the golden part nor the silver nor the brasse immediately but onely the feet of iron and clay and yet by that blow was the brasse the silver and the gold destroyed also in as much as they all came by succession to the iron I adde that the dissipation of the gold silver and brasse together with the Iron may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typi the comlinesse or conveniency of the type because the parts of the Image in the type could not succeed one another in time as the Kingdomes signified by them did and so the Image appeared to be dissipated all at once in vision though the Kingdomes were not so save only in the sence afore-named Thus Mr. Mede to whom I assent almost in all things I have other good company to goe along with me in this point upon this Chapter but I must first premise some things to make way for them You have in this second Chapter of Daniel from ver 36. to ver 46. the prophesie of this visibly-glorious Kingdome of Christ to bee on earth given by God to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream of a great Image ver 31. c. of foure Mettals in the foure parts thereof the Head being of gold the Brest and Armes of silver the Belly and Thighes of brasse the Leggs and Feete of Iron but in the feet a mixture of clay and to Daniel by the spirit of propheticall revelation to interpret it according to the true intent and meaning of Gods mind therein According to which in ver 37 38. Daniel tels Nebuchadnezzer that he the said Nebuchadnezzar is the first part of the first metal viz. the Head of gold in that the God of Heaven had given him a Kingdom or Empire viz. the Assyrio-Chaldean and power and strength and glory Why further hee is called a golden head wee shall annex more conveniently by and by In ver 39. Daniel tels him that after him shall arise an inferiour Kingdom which he applies to the Breast and Armes of silver mentioned afore in verse 32. which fitly resembles the Empire that next followed viz. the Medo Persian Which taking the said golden head when Darius Dan. 5. tooke Babylon added to it this breast of Empire with the two armes of Medes and Persians And therefore this silver Empie is called inferiour not in respect of power authority or Territory wherein it was greater by taking to it selfe that of the former and adding its own but in manner of Government as in relation to the Church being far more harsh to the Jewes till the last then the former The Jewes injoying golden dayes in comparison under Nebuchadnezzars Empire although he was the first that took the Kingdome from the Jewes Which is the reason why the sacred storie of the Jewish Churches foraigne State begins at Nebuchadnezzar calling him the head when as the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea was long afore him in being viz. the Scripture takes no notice of the Kingdomes of Heathens or of the world further then as they concerne the woe or weale of the Church This Nebuchadnezzar therefore beginning the desolation of the Church of the Jewes as to their Temple-worship and habitation in the injoyment of these in their own Land is called the head of that monstrous Image of Monarchy In the same 39 verse Daniel tells him that after that second Empire of silver shall arise a third of brasse which metall though otherwise not expresse intimates by the order and proportion of descention and degeneration in calling the silver one inferiour to the golden that this third brazen one shall be as much baser and worse if not more in the sence aforesaid then the second of silver as the silver was worse then the gold And this was to signifie the Grecian Empire or Monarchy Alexander the Great being the Belly that possessed it in whole and his two Commanders succeeding him are the two thighes or hips For though foure at first shared it yet all by their disagreeing and striving soon fell into the hands of those two Whereof one had the Northern moyety or half called therefore the King of the North the other the Southern called thereupon the King of the South as you have the matter at large by way of prophesie Dan 11. to which the best Histories since doe exactly answer But of this more after when we come to the eleventh of Daniel In ver 40 41 42.43 Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that the fourth Kingdome Empire or Monarchy shall be of iron and clay Thereby signifying a baser state then the former in the sence afore-explained And this must of necessity signifie the Roman Empire which next followed the Grecian conquering it as Dan. 9. prophesies and Histories since singularly shew the performance In the days of this Iron Empire Christ comes ver 44. Imperante Augusto natus est Christus Imperante Tiberio crucifixus is known to every School-boy that hath learned his Grammer He came in the time of the Roman Empire not in the time of the Grecian or any of the former And this Roman Empire is described by and called Iron because it was harder and hardier to breake the former and more cruell as wee afore intimated to the Church Witnesse the Vespasian-Titan cruelty prophesied by Christ Matth. 24.1 c. to come to
passe as it did about forty yeares after Christs ascension and so along with it and afore and downeward throughout the ten persecutions for three hundred yeares in all the Roman Emperours successively most bloodily and with variety of torments persecuted the Church in innumerable multitudes in all Countries under their expanse Dominion This Empire though at Christs birth was for a time united if we may so say in the twist of the two legges or thighes as the two brazen hips were at first in the belly yet a while after it is divided into Two two thighes or legges and feet with their ten Toes and those Feet and Toes are mixt with clay among the iron That is it was divided into the Eastern and Western Empire Constantinople being the Metropolis of the Eastern and Rome of the Western and so opportunely fell into subdivisions till it answered exactly to these ten Toes and Saint Johns Beast with ten Hornes And they are mingled with clay because now the generality of the Church as they seemed in outward profession much degenerated mingled themselves with the dirty seed and sonnes of men that is the Heathen and men of the world that were out of the Church according to that phrase Gen. 6.2 that is the Papacy or Papal Church as they pretended to be and their issue incorporated themselves with the civill State powers All which can fit to none so aptly as to the Roman Empire The marriages between the King of the North and the King of the South were both and all of the seed of men and therefore the mixture aforesaid is not applicable to them As for the division of the Empire it is divided to this day the Mahomitan Turke in severall respects aforesaid rising out of the Romans though otherwise in part a Jew by blood hath the Constantinopolitan Eastern part and the Emperiall Pontificiall Pope hath the Roman Western Thus you see how largely Daniel by Gods Spirit of propheticall revelation shewes us the succession and successe of the foure great Monarchies of the earth extending from before Daniel down to us â—preading themselves over the face of the earth and how the latter eat up the former making it selfe fatter and stronger thereby Now what should be the design of the Heavenly Church-loving God so much to minde matters of State and worldly Polities and in a prophesie to his spirituall world-slighting Church surely a very considerable one viz. to the end he might methodically for their better capacity and understanding prophesie to them of a fifo Monarchy or Empire or Kingdome bigger and better then any of the former to follow at the heeles yea to tread upon the toes of the fourth and that by a glorious conquest So that as curious wits speake of Quintessentia the quintessence of beings so this shall be the quintessence of what ever was good in all the foure preceding with an addition of celestial divine and infused and superfused grace and glory This fifth Monarchy is immediately under Christ then the sole Emperour thereof And this must as really orderly and assuredly succeed after and prevaile over all the Places Powers and Territories of the former as they followed and foiled one another So that this fift Monarchy must as really and sensibly be upon earth as any of the preceding were as Daniel with all might and maine of phrase strives according to Gods dictating most plainly to set forth § 3 In this very sence of this notable place of Daniel to that end I have very learned and pious men to go along with me viz. Mr. Huet on Daniel Mr. Parker in his Visions and Prophesies of Daniel expounded and Mr. Archer in his personall reign of Christ You shall heare them themselves speake and urge their own Proofes Reasons and Arguments that you may the better see cause to justifie them and not condemn me of singularity § 4 The sum of Mr. Huet is this The fift Kingdom is made up of the state of the Jewes who out of their dead and desolate estate in regard of piety and polity are awakened by God and brought to the embracement of Christian Religion and to unite into a Kingdome who were as dead men under the flourishing state of the Empire of Rome But in the declining condition of that Roman Empire the Jewes are to be awakened by God and to be re-established into their former Kingdom with great glory and large command ash us ¶ 1. Such a Kingdome is here intended as was by the foure mettals with-held from the Jewes who of all Noahs posterity were the just heires of the world C ham was to be a Servant and Japhet was to dwell in the Tents of Shem as one of his family Shem being the head of that family That such a Kingdome must bee here meant appears in that the Image stands up at the instant of the Jews losse of Soveraignty being made Vassals to the CHALDEANS by captivity 2. In that this fifth Kingdome as it relates to the Jewes for the Christian Gentiles must by no means bee dissevered began to be raised up to his greatnesse at the time of the battering of the Image Now had this Kingdome been meerly spirituall it needed not to have staid for the overthrow ☞ of the Image before it filled the earth seeing Christs spirituall Kingdome doth not overthrow but rather set up civil Government and the Gospel hath flourished where the Church hath been under Tyranny ¶ 2. It is such a Kingdome as doth break in peeces all the former Metals viz. smites the feete and so demolisheth the Image Now ☞ the spirituall Kingdome of Christ doth rather invest then dis-robe earthly Kings and Emperours commanding obedience to them whether good or bad as the Scriptures abundantly mention This smiting of the feet is left out as a Cypher by them that interpret it spiritually of the preaching of the word Consider then if this ☞ were meant of the preaching of the Gospell discovering the vanitie of earthly things how glorious soever why should it not rather strike at the more glorious Mettals Is there any sence that Christ should declaime against the base things of the world and passe by the eminent States or should wee thinke that a conviction wrought in Syria-Egypt as some by these make up the account of the fourth Mettal should occasion the other States to yeeld to the imbracement of the faith of Christ themselves being strangers to his Sermons Sure I am the conversion of Nations to the faith costs more adoe Or lastly dare any say that our Lord either by his own person or Apostles did first preach to the States of Syria and Egypt before any other Countries Is there not cleare evidence of the conversion of other Churches before clay-footed Syria-Egypt How then is the stone said immediately to smite the feet rather then any other part of the Image Surely these and the like improbabilities we fall into by intending hence Christs ministry of the Gospell
¶ 3. Such a Kingdome is here intended as was to be continued to the Jewes without alteration So the Text it shall not be given to another people from Daniels people But when Christ first came and brought his Spirituall Kingdome whiles to be meerly spirituall he first preached the Gospell to the lost sheep of the house of Israel from whom notwithstanding the Gospell was taken away and given to the Gentiles The which Argument is yet more plainly laid downe in Dan. 7. ver 18. The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdomes from the Beasts and possesse it for ever and ever To which some answer the words are to be understood of a strange people Whereunto I reply the sence is the same another people or a strange people are indifferently the same sith all were esteemed strangers to the Jewes which were not Jewes Others object it shall not be given to another people because Christ will exercise his spiritual Lordship himselfe To which sence I will subscribe if any shew me who did exercise this spirituall Lordship before the coming of Messiah For so much the words sound That whereas you have been held under the Tyrants of this world thus long upon the recovery of your Kingdome it shall never be resigned to any as it hath been Now nothing makes more against them then this For it our Lord did assume such a Kingdome as was formerly resigned to others it cannot be meant of spirituall regiment ¶ 4. Such a Kingdome is here meant as must answer to Daniels scope in his answer to the Kings dreame But if this Kingdome be meant spiritually only then Daniel had missed the scope much For Nebuchadnezzar had his thoughts busied about the issue of HIS Monarchy according to which thoughts the dream was directed Daniel interpreting it undertakes to resolve him fully For in a word Daniel intends two main points 1. To comfort the Jewes in the losse of their Kingdom liberty shewing that after many changes it should be restored to them againe 2. To convince the King of his Tyranny over them by which his third Heire should be nothing the warmer another should take it from him a third from him and a fourth from him which at length maugre all their despight should be returned to the Jewes in greater glory then ever they lost it Now whether the spirituall Kingdome of Christ â—oth answer this scope or no I leave to the judgement of the godly wise Thus Mr. Huet to whom in the generall and maine I fully consent § 5 Next let us heare Mr. Parker on this second of Daniel The maine controversie saith he in this vision is about the iron feet and legs and the stone that smote them The opinion of some is that the legges and toes of iron signifie the successors of Alexander in the Grecian Monarchy and especially the Seleucidae And that the Stone cut out of the mountaine signifies Christ at his first coming and his spirituall Kingdome But this cannot stand ¶ 1. Because every metall signifies a distinct Kingdome and the fullnesse and complement theâ—eof from the beginning to the perfect end And therefore as the brazen belly and thighes are the whole and perfect Grecian Kingdome so accordingly the legs and feet of iron doe signifie another Kingdome distinguished from the Grecian which cannot be the Seleucidae and other Successors in the same Kingdome For as the golden head signified the whole Babylonian Kingdome and the silver breast and armes the Persian so the brazen belly and thighes the whole Grecian including the Seleucidae and the other Successors For these make up the integrity â—nd fulnes of the Grecian Monarchy or Kingdom as much as the Successors of Nebuchadnezzar make up the integrity of the Babylonian or as much as the Successors of Cyrus doe concur to the perfect constitution of the Persian And so when the Greeke Kingdome is proposed Dan. chap. 8. ver 21 22. it is expresly described as constituted not onely of Alexander the Great but also of the Seleucidae and other the successors in the same Kingdome ¶ 2. This Vision must reach to the last dayes chap. 2.28 which could not be if the legges and feet the extreame and utmost part of the image should end in the Seleucidae for as much as this Kingdome expired before the birth of Christ ¶ 3. Because the legges are said to be of iron in comparison of the parts and Kingdomes going before which were of weaker metals Whereas the Seleucidae and the other successâ—rs of Alexander had not the strength of Alexander c. 8.21.22 Thou wilt-say the Kingdom is represented by iron onely in relation to the Church whereunto it was more terrible then the former I reply 1 As the two first Kingdomes are represented by unequall metalls the first of gold the second of silver to note an absolute inferiority of the one unto the other chap. 2.39 so by proportion the two following of brasse and iron to note an absolute imparity in strength between the latter and the former Wherefore the Iron Kingdome must be absolutely and in it selfe stronger then the Brazen and not onely in respect of particular exercise and imployment of its strength against the people of the Church 2. The Iron Kingdome is expresly said to be as iron because it brused all these that is the former Kingdoms and not onely because more terrible to the Jewes ver 40. 3. Because it is the same with the fourth beast with the iron teeth chap. 7. v. 7. which is therefore so represented because it devouâ—ed the WHOLE EARTH and not the Jewes onely 4. Because Nebuchadnezzar and Haman in the former Kingdomes were more formidable to the Jewes then the Seleucâ—dae And therefore there is no reason that in this respect only the fourth should be represented by Iron in comparison of the former Kingdomes as stronger and more terrible then those ¶ 4. In the dayes of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up the Kingdome of his Sonne Whereas the Seleucidae and the whole Greeke Empire was utterly dissolved before the birth of Christ v. 44. § 6 Neither can the Stone that smote the Image be Christ at his first coming and his Kingdome immediately following c. for the reasons following ¶ 1. Because the Kingdome signified by the stone must breake in peeces all the other Kingdomes But this Kingdome of Christ ☞ that was and is between his first and second coming was not appointed for the breaking down of all earthly Kingdomes this being the time of the Gentiles Luk 21.24 and for the adversary to reign and for the Church to be trampled under foot Rev. 11.2 ¶ 2. Againe the Kingdome here spoken of doth breake in peeces all other Kingdomes so that those being utterly extinct this alone doth stand in place of them ver 44. Now this state is not to be expected under the Kingdome of Patience or before the fall of Antichrist who fallen the Kingdomes of the earth
Commentary he explaines thus Of the Saints of these times some were put to death by the sword 2 Maccab. 5.26 Others were cast into the mercilesse fire 2 Maccab. 7.5 Others spoiled of their goods 1 Maccab. 1.35 And others were sold to the Gentiles for slaves 2 Maccab. 5.24 The little help they had in these distresses was the exploite of Mattathias and his Sons Judas and his Brethren Who though they were but a handfull in respect of Antiochus his Army yet through the good hand of God prospering their attempts they were a refuge to their distressed brethren and a vexation to their enemies To whom they gave many onsets and many foiles 1 Macca 2.24 25 44. yet were there many false brethren as Alcimus and others § 3 In the 34. ver which according to our last English translation is And SOME of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end because it is yet for an appointed time We have saith Mr. Mede Clausulam persecution is Epiphanianae c. That is The close of Epiphanes his persecuting And therefore he reads it points it and notes it thus And of those that are understanding men MANY shall fall for the tryall of them and to make them pure unto the time of the end there putting the full stop of the whole five and thirtieth verse adding at those words unto the time of the end this note That is to saith he the end of the Greekish Kingdome And accordingly he comments upon it thus With this close saith he of the Epiphanian persecution the Greekish Kingdome according to the reckoning of the Holy Spirit is judged to have its end neither beyond that doth it come into the account of the propheticall Tetrarchy or quaternion of four Kingdomes And bids us for this to compare Dan. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which let me not inconveniently adde this that our English renders that of Dan. 8.23 And in the LATTER time of THEIR KINGDOME But Pagnin and Arias in novissimo regni eorum i. e. in the last of their Kingdome § 4 In the 36 verse the former part we have saith Mr. Mede * Note that in all the general sence of the verses following of this 11. chap. of Dan. which Mr. Mede gives of them as to signifie the fourth Roman Monarchy Mr. Huet also doth concur with him the characterisme of the fourth to wit the Roman Kingdom c. This verse in our English is rendred and pointed thus And the King shall doe according to his will and he shall exalt himselfe and magnifie himselfe above every God c. But Master Mede begins this 36 verse higher viz. from the last clause of the five and thirtieth verse which last clause is reckoned to begin immediately after the word end thus even to the time of the end or as Master Mede BECAUSE as yet unto an appointed time a King shal doe according to his pleasure and shal extol and magnifie himself above every God For saith he these words as thus parted and pointed are a Transition And the Article H prefixed to King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commemorative or repetitionall of some thing or person mentioned afore but in this place onely signifies some certaine or eminent thing or person as it doth likewise in Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive of which virgin there is no mention afore yet is it written with that article prefixed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of the ill placing of Soph Pasuck the Hebrew full point in the middle or â—ody of the verse contrary to distinct order and sence see Gen. 23.17 and elsewhere In which place of Genesis the full point put at made sure in our English or the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 round about which is all one the Hebrew differing a little in the order of the words is contrary to nature For doubtlesse the assurance and the person to whom the assurance is made should be put both within the same period or full stop But you see if you list to turne to it in the English translation which is pointed just according to the Hebrew the field and the cave and the trees of the field of Ephron were made sure put in the seventeenth verse locked up with a full point And then the eighteenth verse begins Unto Abraham for a possession Mr. Mede having thus parted and pointed this six and thirtieth verse of the eleventh of Daniel he comments upon as much of it as is afore expressed by him thus The thirty sixth verse is the characterism of the fourth or Roman Kingdome from the conquering of Macedonia to the end of Augustus who as it were with a certaine fiercenesse and torrent of fortune brought into subjection to himselfe the Gentiles or Nations and their gods * Vid. Florum l. 2. c. 7. Patert l. 1. c. 6. 1 Macc. c. 8. See the like phrase also concerning the rising Persian Monarchy Dan. 8.4 and touching the Grecian Dan. 11.4 By a propheticall Trope The Gods of Cities and Nations are said to be made subject and conquered when the Nations and Cities themselves are brought into subjection over whom those gods were supposed to be presidents and protectors Isa 46.2 Jer. 50.2 and 51.44 and chap. 48.7 Even as on the contrary which you may more wonder at they are said to serve those Gods that is politically who are compelled to submit their necks to those Nations whose gods they were Deut. 4.28 with parallell places in chap. 28. vers 36 64. and Jerem. 16.13 and 1 Sam. 16.19 upon all which places see the Chalde paraphrase Here only it will be worth while to consider the solemne custome of the Romans when they besiedged Cities of calling forth in verse those gods or goddesses that were the protectors of those places to bring them to be on their side casting away their tutelarity or protection of their enemies * Formuâ—am vide apud Macrob l. 3. Saturnal c. 8. In the latter part of the six and thirtieth verse which Mr. Mede renders Moreover he shall speak or edict stupendious things against the God of Gods and shall prevaile till the indignation be consummated for there is made a decision of the time There is the characterisme of the same fourth or Roman Kingdom from the death of Augustus to the abrogation of Gentilisme in which intervall of time the said Roman Empire crucified Christ THAT GOD OF GODS then appearing in the flesh under Pontius Pilate and exercised the worshippers of HIM with direfull persecutions and butcheries for near three hundred years § 6 In the thirty seventh verse Furthermore moreover or hence forth as Mr. M. renders it he shall not regard nor give any heed to the gods of his ancienters or the desire of women yea he shall not give his mind to any Deity but shall magnifie himselfe above all is set forth the
characterism of the Roman State for the times following the abrogation of the religion viz. Gentilisme of their Ancienters and the bringing in Christianisme by Constantine the Great and his Successors By occasion whereof single-life contrary to the ancient institutes of the Romans begins to be preferred afore marriage and to glory in its priviledges * Vid. Sozom. l. 1. c. 9. Euseb de vit Constan l. 4. c. 26. But with all unto the worship of that onely true God to whom they had ingaged themselves with sacred Christian Initiations taken up in Baptism they super-induced new petty-puppet-gods and Idols whom they worshipped not onely in the same Temple but at the same Altar § 7 Vers 38. Mr. M. renders thus For together with GOD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Similem praefixi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usum habes Ezr. 15. Lev. 16.21 Num 9.15 â—e shall honour Mahuzzim in his seate I say with GOD whom his Ancienters acknowledged not he shall honour THEM with gold and silver and precious stones and desireable things For saith M. these are they whom the holy Spirit cals Mahuzzim that is Defenders or itular-Deities with which sort of titles of deceased Saints and Angels the Romans worship them as their Patrons Protectors and Mediators between God and men * Vide inquit M.M. commen â—â—casâ—ad 6 Tub. p. 114 115. For the confirmation of which signification I speake of it maketh that the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Psalmes fives times by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Defender as with a Buckler and the Vulgar latine so often by protectorem a protector videsis loca § 8 Verse 39. And according to Mr. M. translations he shall make fortifications common to Mahuzzim and THE STRANGE GOD whom acknowledging he shall aboundantly honour and shall make them the fortifications or Mahuzzim to rule over many and shall divide the land for a reward Where saith Mr. M. are understood either the Temples of the Mahuzzim to be dedicated in common to GOD whom he had chosen having nulled the religion of his Ancesters and to Mahuzzim juxta formulam N. or N. whose reliques are wont there to be placed so that indeed it may be the same with that which went afore he shall honour Mahuzzim in his seate that is in the seat of God which his fore-fathers acknowledged not or perhaps the Images are so called in which their Deities are visibly set up as cloathed with coates of Maile or armour of defence For indeed with the same or the like similitudes or Images with which the Roman represented his petty-puppet gods and Mahuzzim he would likewise represent the zealous or jealous God of Israel whom he had chosen to himselfe to worship And moreover these Temples or Images of his Mahuzzim or if you had rather those Mahuzzims themselves he shall make to bear rule over many and shall divide unto them the Land for a patrimony and territory A known thing § 7 Moreover because it addes as a thing of great moment to the interpretation of this prophesie I would not have it escape the observation of the reader That even as by the Jewes who had the onely true GOD of their Fathers the Gods of the Nations were accounted and called strange Gods So on the contrary by the Romans who were the worshippers of false Deities from the very beginning of that Nation the true God was accounted and called the strange God and indeed only and solely HE For as much as Leo the Great hath it in one of his Sermons when Rome did domineer almost over all Nations she served or adored the errors of all Nations and seemed to assume to her selfe great religion because it refused no falsity From this mind proceeded that of the Philosophers when Paul preached the Gospell at Athens * Act. 17 18. He seems say they to be a setter forth or declarer of STRANGE GODS And to the same purpose tended that inscription †Ibid. ver 23. alleadged by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO THE UNKNOWNE AND STRANGE GOD ** The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange is not in our ordinary Greek copies But Mr. Mede reads according to the Greek Scholia whose words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ΘΕΟΙΣ ΑΣΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕγΡΩΜΠΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΙΒγΗΣ ΘΕΩ ΑΙÎΩΣΤΩ ΚΑΙ ΞΕÎΩ That is The whole inscription of the Altar is this To the Gods of ASIA and of EUROPE and of LIBYA To the UNKNOWNE AND STRANGE GOD. Beza also mentions the same reciting Philippida his History with Pausanias in Atticis And Hieron in Tit. 1. What say you to this that Licinius about to enter into that criticall or deciding battle with Constantine doth expressely by name upbraid him That having violated his Fathers Institutes Ordinances or Customes had chosen to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certaine strange God to be worshipped by him But on the contrary he himselfe with his Army did worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Fathers Gods which they had left him from their progenitors since their beginning *âŽ* Vid. orat Licinii ad militapud Euseb l. 2. c. 5. De vitâ Constantâ—ni § 8 Verse 40. And or but in the time of the end as Mr. M. translates the King of the South shall invade or set upon him by War and the King of the North shall rush in upon him as a whirle-wind with charriots and horse-men and mighty ships and entering into the Countries hee shall overflow and passe through On which Mr. M. comments thus But saith he for so heinous a commixtion and against GOD impatient of a Corrivall and an Image he the Roman shall bee punished by the Saracens from the South rushing into his provinces and snatching away a very great part Then after by the Turkes a Northerne Nation who indeed should first assault the Saracens but having overthrowne their Empire shall so passe over their borders towards the Romans that they shall bring upon the Roman world a destruction that shall bee by far the most grievous and greatest that ever hath been heretofore or untill the finall destruction ☞ of them now at the doore enforce it to bee taken away Note here and in comparing the next verse viz. 41. the former part that the time of the end wherein those evills from the South and from the North shall lye and presse upon the Romans are fore-told to be the last period of the Roman State which is elsewhere defined within the course or current of a time and times and halfe a time in which that King should audaciously presume to practise so great a wickednesse against the GOD OF THE CHRISTIANS whose worship not long afore he had taken up For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the time of the end is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the latter times or of the Roman Kingdome when the King of the South i. e. the Saracen shall push at him and the King of the North i.
the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall SHINE AS THE STARS FOR EVER The meaning whereof is this that whereas the greatest glory of the Elect is reserved to the ultimate day of judgement when they all shall SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN IN THE KINGDOME OF THE FATHER Matth. 13.43 Yet meane while at this particular metaphoricall resurrection the effectually called shall have great glory proportionably to their relations They that are private converts shall have much glory but they that are instrumentally publicke converters shall have more The private converts or Schollars of wisdome called here WISE shall have much honour and glory in the eyes and approbation of their beleeving brethren for their patience and zeale But the publick converters to bring others to the imbracement of true justification shall have a greater degree of honour and glory in esteem among the beleeving Jewes and other Churches of God ¶ 2. The distinction of the graces of the converted Jewes is this that the peoples graces are expressed rather by the name of Wisdome then by naming any other grace because blindnesse of mind Rom. 11.25 and a foolish prejudice in heart 1 Cor. 1. Act. 28.27 was their cheife sinne that formerly caused them to reject Christ and his Gospell The Teachers gifts are named a bringing many to justification rather then to sanctification because formerly they had cheifly beguiled the people in the point of justification crying up the workes of the law as their righteousnesse see the rule Rom. 9.32 and see the example Act. 15.1 But did not teach Christ the true righteousnesse as the prophets had often told them calling him the RIGHTEOUS BRANCH and THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE There might be other reasons of this compellation of their graces As of calling the peoples graces by the name of Wisdome because all grace comes in in the beams of knowledge without this no grace Though all knowledge is not accompanied with grace And of calling their Teachers gifts by the title of bringing many to justification Because justification is the door to let in sanctification Till we are united to Christ for righteousnesse there is no flowing forth of his fulnesse for holinesse § 23 And thus you see what is that time in general that Daniel means wherein Michael shall stand up to deliver his people viz. when the glasse of the period of the fourth Monarchy is run The time more particularly is in the remainder of this twelfth chapter of Daniel compared with other places But of there if God permit afterwards Thus of the Prophesies of Daniel SECT XXXVIII FRom the Prophesies of Daniel next in order we come to those of the the Prophet Hosea wherein the first conducing to our main Thesis is in chap. 1. v. 10 11. Yet or for all that or after that * The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here put is of a vast comprehension i◠the Hebrew language And therefore may be indifferently rendred as we expresse Only then best when nearest the sence Learned Grotius his note is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bis positum apud Hebraeos sape tempora connectit ita ut Latine per POST QUAM reddatur optimè the number of the children of ISRAEL shall be as the sand of the Sea which cannot be measured nor numbered And it shall come to passe that in the place where or instead of that †. T is well our Translators would at least put in the margin instead of that and had done better if they had turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That not where which That would have served both readings as the Hebrew word is oft so used although we rather imbrace the Marginal reading not onely for Grotius his reason that Illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valer FRO EO QUOD sic multi populi etiam nunc loquuntur in the place in the usuall vulgar languages as well as in the Hebrew signifies as much as we Englishmen say in our English ideom in the room of or in the stead and imitating the French we say in lieu of that But principally for this reason that the Prophet speaking of the unmeasurable and innumerable multitude of Jewes to be brought in to Christ the Prophet could not point at this or that particular place where onely some of them were it was said unto them yee are not my people there or leave out this there not being in the Hebrew it shall bee said unto them YEE ARE THE SONNES OF THE LIVING GOD. Then shall the children of JUDAH and the children of ISRAEL bee GATHERED TOGETHER and appoint themselves ONE HEAD and they shall come up out of the land for great shall be the day of Jezreel § 1 Least the memories of any might mistake and stumble by like sound of severall Scriptures let them heed well that this place of Scripture is not in any part or intent thereof a minceing or littleing of the number of them of Israel that shall be saved that the Apostle alledgeth Rom. 9.27 out of Isaiah chap. 10. v. 22. Though few of them as Isaiah means comparatively considered in relation to many past generations wherein they have laine blind and not owned Christ shall be saved yet looked upon absolutely as they are and shall be exstant and surviving at Christs next appearance or generall call of them there shall be an innumerable multitude that shall be saved And this is the intent and to this pitch are formed the high phrases of the prophet Hosea that those of them that shall be called Gods people shall be as the sands of the Sea unmeasurable and innumerable NOTWITHSTANDING that in former ages they were cast off and called of God YEE ARE NOT MY PEOPLE § 2 So that Vatablus doth well hit the naile on the head when he saith upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erit autem solent Prophetae c. i. e. But it shall come to passe that the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand c. The Prophets are wont after they have threatned by and by to subjoyn consolation Therefore this Text ought to be understood of beleeving ISRAEL the true sonnes of Abraham As if the Prophet should say this that I spake before in way of threatning ought to be understood of those that shall remaine in unbeleefe For otherwise the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the Sea c. For all the Israelites shall not perish yea the number of the sons or children of the Church shall be exceeding great § 3 But to wind our selves a little deeper into the sence of the text that we may draw up thence the golden oare of comfortable inferences ISRAEL must at least signifie the Ten Tribes Hierom saith all twelve our prophet naming ISRAEL and JUDAH distinctly in ver 11. And in ver 4. He sets forth the Kingdome of Israel consisting of the ten Tribes by Jehu their King threatning for his pouring out of the blood
14. Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision 15. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining 16. The Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountain then shall Jerusalem be holy and here shall no stranger pass thorough her any more 18. And it shall come â—o pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim 19. Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness for the violence against the children of Judah because they have shed innocent blood in their Land 20. But Judah shall dwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation 21. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion This as it follows close at the heels of the former place so notwithstanding mens chapter-divisions hath it a great coherence with it Calvin upon this third Chapter verse 1 2. tell us in the general Confirmat his verb is Propheta quod prius docuit de Ecclesiae RESTITUTIONE i. e. The Prophet in these words confirms what before he had taught concerning the RESTITUTION of the Church More particularly let me tell you That the most if not the all of the former place in the second Chapter is again mentioned in this third Chapter and with four great emphases of connexion both sounding of confirmation and explanation of what had been said before 1. FOR Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if the Lord should say I bring this for a proof that I will do as I have said 2. BEHOLD Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As much as to say There shall be some notable thing done some grand event as an eminent sign that I will be as good as my word 3. IN THOSE DAYES and AT THAT TIME with great emphasis of Pronouns and Articles both in Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sound to this effect That methodically and in a just order when I do the former things I will do these following also so that the plurality and magnificence of exploits shall force the eyes of men to see my truth and true performance of all that I have spoken 4. I will in pursuance of that deliverance of my people mentioned in the former Chapter Gather all Nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people which amounts justly to thus much for our present observation That the famous remarkable circumstances as before of time so here of place shall be undeniable witnesses of the substance of my true performance For as the great Philosopher saith Many common accidents concurring may amount to a proprium quarto modo to an infallible property and so to a demonstration And we know that circumstances of time and place c. beget in us great credence to a report That such a thing was done Thus for the coherence of this place with the former § 2 Next for the substance of this place in order to our point take notice in the entrance That the people that shall according to this prophesie be delivered are named in the first verse Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem signifying the Two Tribes In the second verse and verse sixteen they are called his heritage Israel and the scattered among all Nations which most aptly set forth the Ten Tribes who of the Kingdome of Israel became the greatest dispersion among all Nations far beyond those of Iudah And the deliverance of both is so expressed in the Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint that the words may well be extended to a spiritual conversion of their souls from infidelity beside the corporal deliverance of their persons from captivity as many Translaters render it And for confirmation observe That whereas in Hosea chap. 1. the Lord calls them speaking of both the said Kingdoms of the Iews Lo-ammi NOT MY PEOPLE and Lo-ruhamah I WILL NOT HAVE MERCY viz. Whiles they are to be in captivity where for the general they lost their piety as well as their liberty in not receiving Christ and his Gospel from thence to this day Behold here in this Text of Joel the Lord speaking of their deliverance expresseth it in relation and to the effect of receiving them at their return as his people and to be his heritage v. 2. For surely if God did justly for their great wickedness carry them away captive he had little reason to receive them from thence if they were no better then when they went Put now all together and all plainly spells that this first clause of the deliverance of Judah and Israel hath not been fulfilled to this day according to the sence before demonstrated which will clearly appear by the rest that follows § 3 For in the next place we are to observe that this must not bee a meer still and tacit deliverance of the Jewes but withall a tumultuous destruction of their Enemies that formerly caused their bondage and with-held their deliverance ver 2. I will gather all Nations and being them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat and plead with them there or my people c. Which last clause the Chalde renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And I will take vengeance on them there for my people which is much further amplified in ver 9 10 11 12. c. The valley of Jehosaphat is particularly named here as the place where God will avenge his people 1. Because there Jehosaphat overthrew the Ammonites and Moabites and their Confederates that rose up against the Jewes 2 Chron. 20.22 c. 2. Jehosaphat signifies pleading or judging viz. the thing that God will doe upon the incorrigible enemies that yet remaine ver 12. 3. Because this is also called the valley of Beracha that is the valley of blessing Because there Jehosaphat blessed and praised God first in hope of the said Victory Secondly for helpe in the said Victory 2 Chron. 20.22 compare ver 16. 4. Because this is called the valley of decision or threshing twice in this fourteenth verse of this third of Joel because there God threshed his Enemies as the chaffe from the wheat according to Isai 25.10 and thereby decided the controversie between the Jewes and their Enemies viz. that the Jewes should
viall saith Mr. Mede shall be poured out upon the great River Euphrates that being dryed up a passage may be prepared for new Enemies of the Beast to come from the East that is for the Israelites to bee wonderfully converted to the pure faith and worship of Christ and now seekers for the Kingdom promised many ages since That I may take these Kings to come from the East to bee the Jewes two things serve for it First That this is the last viall save one in the time whereof therefore the Jewes must be converted if at all or else must be destroyed with the rest of the enemies of Christ among whom they remaine in that great day of universall Revenge and Judgement which the next viall shall bring upon them Both which viz. of non-conversion or generall destruction are flat against all the tenour of Scripture Secondly That place of Isaiah chap. 11. ver 15 16. whence this of the sixt viall is borrowed moveth mee thereunto And the Lord will destroy or rather render the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as the Lord hath destroyed the tongue of the Egyptian Sea And rather so he shall lift up his hand upon the river Targum the River Euphrates in the strength of his spirit and shall smite it in the seven streams so that men may passe over dry-shod And there shall be a way for the remnant of my people which shall be left by the Assyrians a plaine marke Euphrates is understood as it was in that day wherein he ascended up from the Land of Egypt a good justification of that translation of the words in the first clause Parallel to which place is that of Zech. 10.10 11. Which the Chalde renders thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. And even as I brought them out of the land of Egypt so will I gather together their captivity from Assyria and I will bring them backe to the land of Gilead and of my sanctuary and it shall not be sufficient for them And miracles and the marvelous great workes of God shall be wrought for them even as they were wrought for their fathers when they passed through the sea and they shall see the vengeance on their enemies c. So the Chal. But what shal we say that Euphrates is whose waters shal be dried up mystical Babylon shal also have her Euphrates as wel as ☞ that ancient Babylon the Turkish Empire which shal be the obstacle of those new enemies from the East and on that part the ONLY DEFENCE OF THE BEAST Neither will such understanding of Euphrates be without example of Isaiah himselfe who chap. 8.7 by the like parable of Euphrates hath expressed the Army of the Assyrians bordering upon the same River The Lord shall bring upon them or cause to come against them that is against the Syrians and the Israelites the waters of THE or THAT River so Euphrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency or emphasie is wont to be called strong and many the Kings of Assyria and all his glory Targum his army c. compare Jer. 47.2 3. Behold waters rise up out of the North and shall be an overflowing flood shal overflow the land and all that is therein the City and them that dwel therein then the men shall cry and all the Inhabitants of the land shal howle at the noise of the stamping of the hoofes of his strong horses at the rushing of his chariots c. where evidently by the waters of the north are understood the Armies of the north Why therfore should not this Euphrates of the vials by the same reason be understood of the Turks being no less borderers upon Euphrates before their over-flowing then the Assyrians the Inhabitants of the same Tract To this it maketh not a little that the losing of that great Army of Horse-men long stayed at that GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES Rev. 9.15 signifies the Turks thence to over-run the Roman Empire as the series of the Trumpets and the apt truth of the matter demonstrate Therefore by the sixt viall this Euphrataean deluge shall be dried up Plainly according to that which is said Revel chap. 11. that next after that overthrow of the City which shall come to passe in a great Earth-quake agreeing to the fift viall the second woe shall be past that is the plague of the sixt Trumpet But by what meanes that 's to come to passe and by what Authors whether by the Jewes themselves which haply Ezekiel intimateth chapter 38. and 39. who shall possesse the holy Land again or by some intestine discord fitly to goe before the returne of these or haply both but in order and one after another or by some other cause we cannot certainly say What ever it bee this let being removed it is said A WAY of going to some place is prepared for these new Christians from the East and that as it seemeth to make an expedition against the Beast to the ruine of whom all the Vials serve From whence otherwise or wherefore from this drying up should so great a trembling and fear at an instant assail the worshippers of the Beast yea even the Devils themselves as it seemeth that it should minister occasion for so horrible and unheard-of a preparation for war as is here described unless they with their whole diabolical band should fear all extremity by the coming of these new Kings of the East Now this Armageddon mentioned in this 16. of Revel v. 16. of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HAR MEGIDDON that is The mountain mountainous places or downs as we said of Megiddon was the place where good King Josiah was slain whence Jeremiah takes the rise and beginning of his Lamentations as the ante-scene to the ensuing captivity 2 Chro. 35.22 23 24 25 26 27. Where though it be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MEGIDDO yet because in Zach. 12.11 it is written in the Hebrew as above viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HAR MEGIDDON and so in the Greek even in that 2 Chron. 35.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore the Apostle writes it Armageddon The mountainous part adjoyning to the valley By all Saint John intimating That God will yet before the ultimate general judgement give the Churches enemies as they come forth to oppose her a notable overthrow in some notorious eminent place For it is most incongruous with the last general judgement to speak of a particular place wherein the grand enemies of the Church shall be destroyed for her deliverance even as it is not disagreeable to Joels close who concludes upon that destruction at the valley of Jehoshaphat that Judah and Jerusalem may have a quiet and lasting habitation Thus of the places in Joel SECT XLII NExt we come to the Prophet Amos. wherein we shall touch but one place viz. The ninth and last Chapter v. 11 12 13 14 15. viz. The five last verses parallelled and compared with Obadiah V. 17 c. to the
end and with Acts 15. v. 13 14 15 16 17. Vers 11. In that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of DAVID that is faln and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and will build it as in the days of old Vers 12. That they may possess the remnant of EDOM and of ALL the Heathen which are talled by my Name saith the Lord that doth this Vers 13. Behold the days come saith the Lord that the Ploughman shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed and the Mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the Hills shall melt Vers 14. And I will bring again the captivity of my people ISRAEL and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof and they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them Vers 15. And I will plant them upon their Land and they shall be NO MORE PULLED UP OUT OF THEIR LAND § 1 which I have given them saith the Lord God Touching these words that ye may acquit me of privacy of opinion hear first what others say upon them The great Mercer presents to us Ex Lyr. upon the 13 14 15 ver this Non possunt haec c. i. e. These things cannot be understood of the restauration of the Jews after their Babylonish captivity seeing these things are not spoken of JUDAH ONELY neither did the people of Judah remain in their Land but were dispersed into all Nations The Prophet refers this to the CONVERSION OF ISRAEL in the LAST OF DAYES when they shall SUBJECT and SUBMIT themselves to CHRIST and shall WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS ADHERE to him at which time MANY OF ISRAEL shall return into their own Land The mighty Hebrew Critick Mercer himself upon the eleventh verse saith thus Post varias comminationes c. i. e. Here the Prophet after various threats subjoyns at length magnificent consolations and promises Which no doubt belong to the TIME AND KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH by the confession of all the SOUNDER HEBREWS and the TALMUDS THEMSELVES as Lyranus cites in the Tract Sanhedrin cap. Helec Where from this place they call the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The son of lapses or ruines because he should restore the lapsed ruines as it is said in this place Thus all the Prophets almost end their prophesies in predictions of the Kingdom of Christ So the ending of the Prophet Joel and of this Prophet agree in many things This place also is cited by James in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 15. to prove the call of the Gentiles then which we cannot have a more certain Exposition By the Tabernacle of David the Prophet understands the Kingdom of the House of David as learnedly the Chalde paraphrast turns it that is THE KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH as often in Scripture Christ is called by the name of David And in the fourteenth verse the Prophet addes other magnificent promises which also appertain to the Kingdom of Christ viz. I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel The Jews understand this according to the Letter of the external bringing back of the Ten Tribes and many of ours also are of the same minde being carried thereunto by that argument of which Esdras writes Esdr lib. 2. cap. 13. of the sure return of the Ten Tribes given in a divine dream and after expounded to that sence Thus Mercer though he contends also for a spiritual sence which we do not altogether deny but do altogether affirm as warranted by many Scriptures That the external deliverance of the Jews shall be accompanied with a glorious spiritual vocation of them and their conjunction with the Gentiles in matters of Religion But for a litteral sence and corporal bringing back of the Ten Tribes into their own Country we also mainly contend To which Mercer himself seems not altogether adverse when upon the twelfth verse viz. that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen I say when upon this verse he hath these words These things saith he can neither be referred to the times after the destruction of Senacherib as Aben Ezra imagins nor to the returne from the Babylonish captivity Things much more ample and magnificent are here promised then those done at that time For that externall felicity of Ezekiah was most short nor on the other part doe we read that he subjected divers of the Gentiles to himselfe And albeit it had been so in a short time after the Temple and Judea was destroyed And after their returne from that captivity how miserably were the Jews tossed to and fro by the Persians Medes Greeks and Romans so that the famous victories of the Maccabees are not here to be commemorated or connumerated Therefore indeed not so much as according to the letter or shadow are these things in my judgement to be referred to Ezekiah's or any other time then to the Kingdome of the Messiah And Aben Ezra being compelled by truth confesseth this to be a more plaine place concerning the Messiah in which sence the Talmudists also have expounded it To all which Mercer upon the fifteenth verse viz. I will plant them upon their owne land addes this I will plant them after the manner of trees which take deeper root in the earth as if the Lord should say I will give them firme and established seats in their own land Thus Mercer Which words whether they sound not of a temporall deliverance of Israel as well as spiritual let the candid and considering Reader judge Calvin on this place is of the mind that this promise doth intend that Israel according to ver 14. shall returne from their captivity but not all but only the elect And that they shall quietly injoy their owne land according to ver 15. without which saith he all the rest of the prophesie had been but a mockery And confesseth that this Scripture was never yet fulfilled according to the letter as to a temporal deliverance And upon Act. 15. ver 16. quoting this place he hath these words Reversi ab exilio Babylonico c. i. e. the Jews returning from the Babylonish captivity they were worn out with continual innumerable calamities even to utter perishing After that the residue that was left was much wasted by little and little with intestine discords Yea when God did succour them in this their miserable condition the appearance of help then held forth unto them became a certaine kind of matter of dispaire For the Emperiality or Rule which the Maccabees assumed to themselves was then quite taken away from the Tribe of Juda. Thus Calvin well But for his or Mercers or Dr. Mayers or any others flying to a spirituall sence of this prophesie upon this ground point blacke and precisely because it was never yet fulfilled in a litteral to me speaks no more in plain English then as if because God had never to
in opposition to both sorts of evils immediately afore recounted viz. not only to false Doctrines but to cruell persecutions and therefore a corporal as well as a spiritual salvation must be here meant and these to be performed on earth viz. in the inhabited world just where the Gospel preached converted them and where they endured to the end And unto which Christ doth gloriously appear FROM heaven ver 30 c. to make up the splendor of that state on earth we here speak of Now all these things cannot be fulfilled at the ultimate generall judgement nor are they hitherto fulfilled and therefore they remaine yet to be fulfilled which Mr. Mede solidly amplifies on Jer. 10. ver 11. thus Hitherto saith he we have spoken of the accomplishment of this prophecy for so much as is already past now let us see what that is which we expect as yet to come for though in regard of former times when Ethnicisme was so large and the worshipers of the living God so small a scantling the extent of the Church be now at this day a goodly and large portion of the world yet if we consider the number of Nations yet Pagans or not Christians it will seem too scant as yet to be the accomplishment of this and other prophecies concerning the largenesse of Christs Kingdome before the end of the world For one hath well observed that Christianity at this day is not above the sixth part of the knowne world whereas the Mahumetans have a fifth and all the rest are Ethnicks and Pagans So that if we divide the world into thirty parts Christianity is but as five in thirty Mahumetanism as six and Ethnicisme as nineteen and so is Christianity the least part of all and plain Heathenism hath far above the one half of the known world and the better part of the other is also Mahumetans And though Christianity hath been imbraced in former times where now it is not yet is it now spread in those places where in those times it was not And therefore all laid together we may account Christianity at this day as large I think as ever it was since the Apostles time But that this is not that universal Kingdome of Christ that flourishing and glorious estate of the Church which yet we expect hope for my reasons are these First These frequent places of Scripture which intimate that the Lord should subdue all People all Kingdoms all Nations and all the ends of the earth unto himselfe and that all these should one day worship and acknowledge him Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him for the Kingdome is the Lords and he is governor among the Nations And Psal 47. Clap your hands all yee people for the Lord is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feete And againe God is King of all the earth and reigneth over the Heathen Psal 66. Make a joyfull noise unto God all yee-lands through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee aâ— the earth shall worship thee and sing of thee they shall sing unto thy Name The whole Psal 67. which we read every day is as it were a prophecy and prayer for this great kingdome That the way of God may be knowne upon earth and his saving health among all the Nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Then shall the earth yeeld her increase c. God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him And Psal 89. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name for thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone And Isa 2. which is a prophecy of Christs Kingdome it is said That the Idols the Lord shall utterly abolish or as some read the Idols shall utterly passe away So Esay 54.5 speaking of the amplitude of the Church of the Gentiles Thy Redeemer saith the Prophet the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall be called Certainly this constant stile of universality implies more then this scantling which yet is small being but one of the least parts of the whole earth Secondly The same conclusion may be gathered from 1 Cor. 15.25 26. compared with Heb. 2.8 Christ must reigne saith St. Paul in the first place quoted till he hath put all his enemies under his feet the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death Hence it followes that Christ shall subdue all his enemies whereof the Prince of this world is the cheife before the last rising of the dead for the subduing of death that is the rising of the dead shal not be afore the rest shall be done the vanquishing of death being the last act of Christs reigning which done he shall yeeld up the Kingdome unto his Father In the other place Heb. 2.8 the Apostle speaking of the same thing alleadgeth that of Psal 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and then adds for in that he put all in subjection under him But now marke it we see not all things put under him If any say that the Apostle speakes here of the Kingdome of Glory in Heaven and not of the Kingdom of Grace on Earth I reply first out of the former place that he speaks of such a subjection whereof the rising of the dead shall be the last act of all and which shall be before he yeelds up the kingdome to his Father But neither of these can be affirmed of the kingdome of glory but the contrary viz. The rising of the dead is at the beginning and not at the end of the Kingdome of glory and so is also his yeelding up of his kingdom unto his Father Secondly I reply out of this place that the Apostle speaks of that kingdome and subjection of the earth or state of the earth which was to come For so he speaks v. 5. Unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth or state of the earth which shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which we speak Here he affirms that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that of whose subjection he meaneth If then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signâ—â—â—s onely the earth ' and the earths inhabitants and is no where in the Scripture otherwise used I cannot see how this place can well beare any other exposition First then to confirme this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the Septuagint renders it whose use of speaking I doubt not but the Apostle followes But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most constantly signifies the habitable earth or the earth with the things that live and dwell therein whence the Septuagint though they commonly render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet sometimes they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth some-times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is under heaven Therefore with the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth and that which is under the heavens If this suffice not we may yet consider that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a participle of the feminine gender and therefore understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth which is inhabited Lastly wheresoever elsewhere this word is found in the New Testament it is most expresly used of the earth and inhabitants thereof In the beginning of this Epistle we reade Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the heavens are the workes of thine hands Mat. 24.14 This Gospel of the kingdome shall be preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over all the earth and then shall the end come Luke 2.3 Then went a decree from Augustus that all the world should be taxed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rest behinde are farre more expresse but I leave them to your owne leisure and will onely adde this one thing that our English rendring in this place of the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world to come makes it not only ambiguous but seeming to meane the Kingdome of glory But we shall finde that the world in that sense is alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no where in all the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so I leave this with submission to the judgement of others My next reason shall be from that we read in the Revelation where the Church by the conquest of Michael set free from the Dragons fury is said to escape into the wildernesse that is into a state though of safety peace and security yet of hardship misery and scarcity for it seemes to bee an allusion to the Israelites escaping the tyranny of Pharaoh by going into the wildernesse In this wildernesse or place of hardship scarcity misery and much affliction the Church must remaine saith St. John a time times and halfe a time or as he elsewhere speaketh 1260. daies that is a yeare yeares and halfe a yeare and when this time shall be expired that is as learned Divines thinke when so many years shall be ended as those dayes are taking the beginning of our reckoning from Michaels Trophee then saith our Apostle◠shall the kingdomes of the world become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shal reigne for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 Whereby it should seeme that the Church is yet in the Wildernesse and that the promised happinesse of the ample and flourishing glory thereof before the end of the world is yet to come My last reason shall bee from Rom. 11. where St. Paul speaking of the future restoring and calling of the Jewes saith it shall be when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in I would not saith he that yee should be ignorant of this Mysterie c. ver 25. Now because the Jewes are not yet called it followeth that the fulnesse of the Gentiles is yet to come and what should then this fulnesse be but the fulnesse of the Gospels extent over all the nations of the world which our Apostle ver 15. calls life from the dead for if the casting away of the Jewes be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead As if the Church of the Gentiles were as yet halfe dead if it be compared with that glorious vigour and accession which shall come unto it when the Jewes shall be againe received into favour In briefe the fulnesse here spoken of is either a fulnesse of grace a fulnesse of extent or a fulnesse of time A fulnesse of time onely it cannot be because our Apostle saith this fulnesse shal enter in namely shall enter into the Church of Christ but this I see not how it can be spoken of a period of time As for a fulnesse of grace and spirituall gifts that was greater when St. Paul spake then ever it was since and therefore if it be meant it must be yet to come And for the fulnesse of extent it was as large for the number of Nations in the Apostles times as it is now in ours for as for the American Christians they are onely so in name being forced only to seeme so by the Spaniards whatsoever fulnesse then the Apostle here meaneth is yet to come I will adde only one thing more and so end this point some thinke that St. Paul in this place hath reference unto that speech of Christ Luke 21.24 where he foretels That the Jewes should fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all nations and Jerusalem should be trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled or accomplished But it seemes to me that the fulness of the Gentiles and the fulfilling or accomplishment of their times should not be the same howsoever they may be co-incident It should rather seeme that our Saviour hath reference as to a thing knowne unto the Prophecy of Daniel where the times of the Gentiles or the times wherein the Gentiles should have dominion with the misery and subjection of the Jewish Nation are set forth in the vision of a four-fold image and foure beasts which are the foure Monarchies the Babylonian Persian Greek and Roman The first began with the first captivity of the Jewish Nation and through the times of all the rest they should be in subjection or in a worser estate under them But when their times should be accomplished then saith Daniel The Saints of the most high God shall take the kingdome and possesse the kingdome for ever and ever that is there shall be no more kingdomes after it but it shall continue as long as the world shall endure Three of these Monarchies were past when our Saviour spake and the fourth was well entred If then by Saints there are meant the Jewes which we know are called the holy people in that sense their country is called the holy Land and their City in the Scripture the holy City viz. relatively then is it plaine enough what Daniels and our Saviours words import namely a glorious revocation and kingdome of the Iewes when the time of the fourth Monarchy which then remained should bee expired and accomplished But if here by the Saints of the most High are in generall meant the Church yet by co-incident of time the same will fall out on the Iewes behalfe because St. Paul saith that at the time when the fulness of the Gentiles shal come in the Iew shall be againe restored For a conclusion the last limbe of the fourth Monarchy is in Daniel The horne with eyes which spake proud things against the most High which should continue a time times and halfe a time
that is a yeare yeares and halfe a yeare In the Revelation it is the beast with so many heads and horns full of names of blasphemy which was to continue forty two moneths the same period with the former which was expressed by times and yeares and the same time with 1260. dayes of the Churches remaining in the Wildernesse When these times whatsoever they be shall be ended then is the period of the times of the Gentiles and of the Jewes misery whereto our Saviour seemes to referre in the Gospel Then by St. Paul shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles enter in Then saith St. John shall the kingdomes of the earth be the Lords and his Christs Then saith Daniel in the former place chap. 7. shall the kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdome under the whole heaven be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him SECT II. The second place in the New Testament is Luke 1. ver 31 32. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus And he shall be GREAT and shall be called the sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the THRONE of his FATHER DAVID and he shall reigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end § 1 ON which words observe first that this place is taken out of Isa 9.7 before discussed * of giving to Christ the throne of his father David which is not yet fulfilled For Pag. 182. l. 3. chap. 2. Sect. 12 S. 5. c. § 2 Observe secondly That Christs coming in his Incarnation was a state of the greatest humility that could be Phil. 2.7 8. and that from his birth to his ascension saving but to a few radiating for a minute in his transfiguration to three of the Apostles Matth. 17.1 and his appearing to the rest of his Disciples after his Resurrection and ascending up in their sight Acts 1. And therefore though these words are spoken by the Angel upon occasion of his Incarnation yet are they not applied by the Angel adequatly to set forth his state of Incarnation but rather antithetically extended to carry the minde of Mary c. farre further as thus That though this Jesus shall be conceived in thy wombe a meane woman in comparison of the visible glory of the royall races of Princes yet this Iesus shall be no meane person but shall be GREAT and shall bee called the SON OF THE HIGHEST and shall have the THRONE of his father David and shall REIGNE over the house of JACOB for ever c. which things were never fulfilled all the time of his Incarnation to the day of his Ascension Nor was that the time so much as of the full revelation of them but when the Apostles taking hint from these words of the Angel and the like places of Scripture asked our Saviour Acts 1.6 a little before he ascended Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to ISRAEL comprehending all the twelve Tribes as doth the house of Iacob in the text our Saviour denied not the thing but the revelation of it that time saying vers 7. It is not for you viz. now the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. are in the present tence to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power But about seventy yeares after that his ascension God gave the full revelation of it to Christ to shew it by an Angell unto John who might write it to the Churches Revel 1.1 so that § 3 Observe in the third place that at Christs first coming viz. in all the time of his Incarnation from his Birth to his Ascension he was not in the throne of his father David he was in the Manger in the Mountaines more destitute then the Birds and Foxes in a Crowne of Thornes in garments of scorne on the Crosse in the Grave and at last in Heaven but never all that time in the Throne of David The Romans all that time and divers hundreds of yeares after reigned over the Jewes Christ not having any thing of Davids visible corporall government which was the notion of Davids government the High-Priest bearing that which outwardly might be called Spirituall yea when it was offered unto Christ to be made a King and to divide the portions between the Brethren he refused it Therefore § 4 Observe fourthly That the beginning of that Kingdome of Christ which shal be for ever that is after which no Kingdom on earth succeeds as often hath been expounded was not yet begun For after Christs ascension from that day to this other Kingdomes on earth over the Jewes did succeed viz. the Romans Sarazens and Turkes Why the meere spirituall Kingdome of Christ cannot be here understood we have already given unanswerable reasons as we conceive afore when wee parallel'd this place with Isa 9.7 * Pag. 184. l. 1. and why this Kingdome cannot be in Heaven at the ultimate end of the world the reason is at hand because then Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God the Father when he shall have put downe ALL rule c. and the sonne himselfe shall be subject to him c. SECT III. The third place in the New Testament for the said visible glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come before the universall Resurrection is in Luke 21.24 And they the Jews shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall bee trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opportunities of the Gentiles be fulfilled Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled up OBserve first that our Saviour speaking of the two Tribes that had been now returned from Babylon above five hundred years that they shall be led away captive in all nations must of necessity meane another and a more dispersing captivity following that which was begun by Titus Sonne of Vespasian the Roman Emperour burning both Temple and City selling an hundred thousand Jewes besides the slaughter of eleven hundred thousand about forty yeares after the ascension of Christ as Bucholcerus and Josephus affirme prosecuted by Aelius Adrianus the Roman Emperour about an hundred yeares after Christs ascension at which time the said Aelius Adrianus buried Jerusalem in its own rubbish and gave it to other Nations and Gentiles to inhabite calling it after his own name Aelia promoted yet further by the Saracens making feareful desolations in Judea about a thousand and nine yeares * So Bucholcerus Ind. chron after the Incarnation of Christ and at last this scattering of those two Tribes into all Nations is perfected by the Turkes dominion over them from about the yeare one thousand three hundred after the Incarnation of Christ to this day whereby they are dispersed as our
and power vers 25. For he must reigne till hee hath put all enemies under his feet vers 26. The last enemy that shal be destroyed is death vers 27. For he hath put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under his feet it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him vers 28. And when all things shal be subdued unto him then shal the Son also himselfe be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all § 1 VVHat I have largely Commented on these words for explication of the one hundred and tenth Psalme all in order to our point in hand see before * Pag. 166. P. 6. and p. 167. 168. as worth while for the reader to consider especially seeing that is premised we have the lesse need to be large now and so shall omit the repetition here of severall considerable things there asserted § 2 M. M. On this place hath these words first he analyseth upon â—hem in generall thus Every one must rise in his owne order Christ the First-fruits after they that are Christs therefore not the Martyrs only then cometh the end What presently after his coming No but when he hath delivered the Kingdome to God the Father meaning the ultimate end And when shall that be that he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God the Father When hee shal have put downe all rule and authority and power for he must reigne till he that is God the Father hath put all his enemies under his feet which will be fully accomplished where hee plainly mindes as aforesaid the ultimate end when the last enemy shal be destroyed which is death And when all things shall be thus subdued unto him shall follow unutterable glory the height of happinesse so he Which last clauses must warily be understood with this distinction That the destruction of Death as an enemy to the Saints and Christs visible Kingdome on earth of which we speake is the beginning and introduction to Christs and the Saints reigning in that Kingdome For that Kingdome and the thousand yeares of glory to Christ and happinesse to the Saints on earth begins with the resurrection of the deceased Saints Revel 11.11 12 c. and Rev. 20.4 5. often explained afore But the putting an end to death in the raising of the wicked unto the ultimate generall Judgement that it may no longer be an enemy to Gods ultimate designe of punishing the said wicked body and soule with everlasting punishment is indeed the end or period of Christs reigning Revel 20.12 Secondly our Author Commenteth on the generall of this place of 1 Cor. 15 thus Pauls words saith he doe clearly prove that the reigne of Christ as Man of which alone we treat doth neither begin before his second coming nor extend it selfe beyond the last resurrection and therefore cannot without a palpable contradiction be taken for the time when he shal give up his Kingdome to his Father or for the time that now is Betwixt which and his Kingdome our Saviour in my conceit hath put an irreconcilable distinction calling this not the time of a Kingdome but a time of temptation * See a little before in this fourth chap. Sect. 4. on Luke 22.28 c. that is a time of persecution for righteousnesse sake that thus fulfilling the rest of the afflictions of Christ for his bodies sake which is his Church they may at last wholly and together in body and soule reigne with Christ but their bodies as yet shall be captive in the Grave Or shal the Saints that are found alive at his coming be exempted from that his Kingdome For if he shall reign till then and then give up his Kingdome to his Father they are exempted But if as our Apostle shewes here his reigning begins not til his coming viz. his second coming then at that time the living and dead in Christ shal wholly and altogether reigne with him on earth 3. In particular our Author Paraphraseth on that clause After they that are Christs thus These words saith he doe shew that there is some distance of time between the Resurrection of them in Christ and other men or else it had been easie for the Apostle to have said They that are dead or they that are in the Grave And if there shall be a precedency of time then no doubt it shall be such a precedency of time as may bring some advantage and honour to the Saints and therefore not of a few houres or dayes but of a more notable continuance of many yeares For if Christ shall descend for no other purpose but to call men to Judgement as there would be no need of distinction of time so there could not well be any priority of time to distinguish their resurrection because in that act both good and bad must be assembled before him at the same time and the wicked doubtlesse should then be raised as soon to see his coming as the just to meet and accompany him there To all this I have now but a few words to adde my former discusse p. 166. excusing me here and that is this That the Apostle in this text hints to us three Physicall resurrections 1 The Resurrection of Christ which the Apostle saith is past vers 20. and there and ver 23. cals it the first fruits of the Saints Resurrection 2 The Resurrection of the wicked also called the end vers 24. which also followes the second at a distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the gleaning doth the harvest and this succession is that which the Apostle calls ver 23. order each to rise in his owne order and it is a very distinct order for as there hath been now above one thousand six hundred yeares since Christs resurrection and yet the Saints are not risen so it wil be a thousand yeares between the resurrection of the Saints and the wicked as Saint John asserts Rev. 20. oft and much insisted upon afore And as at the resurrection of the Saints death as to them shall be destroyed so at the resurrection of the wicked life to them shall be destroyed their living being worse then death and therefore called the second death which over the Saints shall have no power because of the blessed life they are restored to Revelations 20. and first twelve verses SECT VIII The eighth place in the New Testament for the glorious state of the Church yet to come before the ultimate generall Judgement is 2 Cor. 3.15 16 17 18. vers 15. But even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart vers 16. Neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away Vers 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty vers 18. But or and or truly we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are
generall Judgement because then is a totall destruction not an appearance for conversion of them that are found in unbeleefe Then is the Saints full enjoyment of utmost glory not their striving with the Nations Then Christ layes downe all power 1 Cor. 15. therefore doth not put power into the hands of his people SECT XI The eleventh place in the New Testament is Revel 3.21 To him that over-cometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also over-came and am set downe with my Father in his Throne § 1 VVHat can we make of this Text unlesse we understand the Saints viz. sincere Soules and cordiall Christians that persevere to the end reigning with Christ on EARTH As it is by and by added chap. 5.10 which the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders expresse in a Song of praise to Christ Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall REIGN ON EARTH On which our New Annotations confesse That this may signifie the PROSPEROVS TIMES OF THE CHURCH UNDER CHRISTIAN KINGS AND EMPEROVRS Dan. 7.27 which place as we have largely afore demonstrated * Pag. 126. S. 4. p. 127 c. Again p. 249 Sect. 36. c. doth plainly signifie the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Psa 37.11 But the meek shall INHERIT THE EARTH Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall INHERIT THE EARTH Thus they which must signifie a State to come as the expression is in the Future tence and experience shewes us that in past times the meeke have not in the generall INHERITED the earth but in all Ages have been sorely disturbed and distressed That state of Christs Kingdome hath not yet come for it followes in this text deeply to be considered that § 2 It is granted here by Christ himselfe that as he is God and Man he hath not hitherto sate upon his owne Throne but upon his Fathers Throne the highest heaven of glory should seem is the Fathers Throne as it is oft expressed in the Old Testament Psal 11.4 Isa 66.1 c. And there Christ is now Coloss 3.1 but the time is yet to come according to the future expression of the text long after Christs Ascension that Christ must have a Throne of his owne on which together with him those that overcome shall sit § 3 Now this must needs be on earth because after the Judgement Day on earth Rev. 20.11 c. to the end of the chapter Christ layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.24 28. SECT XII The Twelfth and last place in the New Testament which we shall urge for this particular under consideration is Revel the 18. 19. chapters § 1 THe Prophesies whereof are not yet fulfilled to this day so long since the Ascension of Christ ¶ 1. Note that ver 2. of the eighteenth Chapter where it is said Babylon is fallen is fallen for whether wee understand New Babylon figuratively so called viz. Rome described by her seven Hils and seven sorts of Government and the ten Kingdoms under the seventh Rev. 17.9 10 11 12. or old Babylon properly so named viz. where the Jewes were held captive neither of them since this Prophesie are so fallen as is described in the following Verses of this Chapter of which by and by but stil the Popish Antichrist possesseth the one and the Turkish the other and both in the ruffe to this very day ¶ 2. Nor is that in the fourth and sixth verses yet fulfilled wherein the People of God are commanded saying Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works and the cup which she hath filled fill to her double for the people of God have not yet rewarded her either old or new Babylon single but as ver 7. Shee glorifies her selfe and lives deliciously yea and oppresseth the people of God ¶ 3. Nor is that yet fulfilled vers 8. That her Plagues have come in one day viz. Death and Mourning and Famine and utter burning But she both elder and younger stands in great glory to this day ¶ 4. Nor is that yet fulfilled ver 9. That the Kings of the earth that have committed Spirituall fornication and lived deliciously with her shal bewaile her and lament for her seeing the smoake of her burning But generally they rejoyce with her and for her glory in which she is at this day ¶ 5. Nor is that yet fulfilled mentioned from verse eleventh to the end of the nineteenth of the mourning of the Merchants over her destruction by fire standing afarre off crying Alas alas But contrariwise they flocke to her trade with her and admire her glory It is true the Gothes and Vandals have conquered new Babylon and spoyled her as we mentioned afore but not she nor old Babylon is yet totally destroyed by fire that there should be no Candle seen or Milstone heard in them ver 20. 22. but both flourish with great glory in their dominion over the people of God ¶ 6. Nor is that in the twentieth verse yet fulfilled that the holy Apostles and Prophets have yet since this Text was penned ever rejoyced in the destruction of either Babylons but both Babylons doe yet triumph in their owne prosperity and power over the Nations and among them over many Saints vers 7. yea the rejoycing of the Apostles and Prophets over Babylons destruction doth signifie one would thinke the triumph of the Church over their enemies on earth at the first Resurrection of which wee have so largely spoken afore For when else possibly can the Prophets and Apostles rejoyce over the destruction of Babylon § 2 ## For so it followes in the nineteenth Chapter and first seven Verses spoken over foure times Hallelujah that is as it is englished in verse the fift Praise yee God which praise is given to God by the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders and of a great multitude Why because Gods Judgements are righteous and true Wherein Because he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth and hath avenged the bloud of the Saints at her hand And he the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth and the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready ¶ 1. Which last clauses cleerly relate to the first Resurrection wherein all the Saints rise so that the ruine of Babylon and the raising of the Saints immediatly concurre with the sorrow of the one and the triumph of the other But these have not been fulfilled to this day as the contrary face of things gives evident testimony ¶ 2. Nor is that fulfilled from the eighth verse of the nineteenth Chapter to the end of the Chapter of the glory of the Church of the glorious appearance of Christ and of the corporall destruction of all whatsoever that take part against Christ and his Church largely discussed afore more then once out of this Chapter But these things as sure as Christ is the
certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Formes of Ecclesiastical doctrines according to which all Teachers in the Church were to frame their discourse and direct their opinions Some of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Formes of Ecclesiastical doctrine are recorded by Gelasius Cyzicenus in his Historiâ Actorum Concilii Niceni History of the Acts of the Council of Nice Amongst these there is this Forme for the Doctrine of the state of the Resurrection * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 7.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ— 27.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—a 26.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world was made more minute or lesse i.e. imperfecter or viler because of fore-knowledge For God fore-saw that man would sinne Therefore we expect NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH accrding to the holy Scriptures when shall shine forth the apparition or appearance and Kingdome of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And THEN as Daniel saith Chap. 7.18 The Saints of the most HIGH SHAL TAKE THE KINGDOME and there shal be a pure earth holy a land of the living and not of the dead which David fore seeâ—ng by the eye of faith cryes out Psal 27.13 I beleeve to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the LAND OF THE LIVING A land of the meck and humble For blessed saith Christ Matth. 5.5 are the meek for they shall POSSESSE THE EARTH And the Prophet s aith Isa 26.6 The feet of the meek and the humble shall tread upon it 1. Judge by this notwithstanding fifty yeers opposition how powerfull the Chiliastical party yet was at the time of that Council By some whereof if this Forme were not framed and composed yet was it thus moderated as you see that both parties might accept it every mans interpretation being safe to himselfe as being delivered in the terms and language of Scripture 2 Judge whether in my explication of the state of the Thousand yeers I have not kept within the compasse of this Forme and not swerved one jot there-from This you see was the opiâ—â—on of the whole Orthodox Christian Church in the age immediately following the death of S. John when yet Polycarp and many of the Apostles Disciples were living as Justin Martyr expresly affirmes A Testimony absolute without all comparison to perswade such as rely upon authority and antiquity even as you have seen the same opinion continued throughout the next age following that And therefore it is to be ADMIRED that an opinion once so generally received in the Church should ever have been so cryed down and buried But those times which extinguished this brought other alterations into the Church beside this and perhaps something in lieu of that and relating to it which perhaps few observe that have knowledge enough of the rest namely that this opinion of the FIRST RESURRECTION was the reall ground and mother of prayers for the dead so anciently received in the Church which were then conceived after this manner THAT THEY MAY HAVE THEIR PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION See Tertullian who first mentions them The reason was because this having part in the first resurrection was not to be common to all but to be a priviledge to some namely of Martyrs and Consessors equipollent to them if God would so accept them Moreover the beleefe of this Prerogative of Martyrs in the first resurrection was that which made the Christians of those times so joyously desirous of Martyrdome These things will perhaps seem strange but will be found true if examined And yet may not seem so strange to considering minds if they take notice that even so neer to us as in King Edward the sixth his time in comparison of those ancient times though now an antiquity in parallel with later times this our opinion of the glorious state on earth yet to come before the ultimate judgement was given to that age as a Catechismal fundamental King Edward the fixth his Catechisme alleadges for our opinion to be drunk in by all that should receive the true Christian or Protestant Religion For the Author of the Catechisme set forth in that King Edward the fixth his time and by that King authorised May 20. in the last yeer of his reigne explicates the second Petition of the Lords prayer thus Q. How is that Petition Thy Kingdome come to be understood A. Wee aske that his Kingdome may come for as yet we see not all things subject to Christ wee see not how or that the stone is cut out of the mountaine ☞ without humane helpe which BREAKS INTO PEECES AND REDVCETH into NOTHING THE IMAGE DESCRIBED BY DANIEL how or that the onely rocke which is Christ doth POSSESSE AND OBTAINE THE EMPIRE OF THE WHOLE WORLD given him of the Father As yet Antichrist is not slaine whence it is that we desire and pray that at length it may come to passe and be fulfilled and that Christ alone may reigne with his Saints according to the divine promises And that be may live and have dominion in the world according to the decrees of the holy Gospel and not according to the traditions and laws of men and the wils of the TYRANTS of the World God grant saith the Reply of the Questionist that his Kingdome may come most speedily In Mr. Foxe his Martyrologie you shall find in the examination of Mr. Philpot that the Bishops when they came brought this Catechisme with them but what special relation it had to him I know not nor is ought there mentioned about it The Kings Letters before it begin thus Cum brevis explicata c. Whereas a compendious and plain way or forme of Catechisme written by a learnedman was presented unto us we committed the perusal and trial thereof to certain Bishops and other learned men c. And in the same Catechisme concerning the end of the world The Question being put thus The end of the world the sacred Scripture cals the consummation and perfection of the MYSTERY OF CHRIST and the RENOVATION OF ALL THINGS So the Apostle Peter speaks 2 Ep. Chap. 3. We expect new heavens and a new earth according to Gods promise wherein dwels righteousnesse And it seems agreeable to reason that the corruption mutability and sinne to which the whole world is subject should at last cease Now by what means or wayes of circumstances those things shall be brought to passe I desire to know of thee Answ I will declare as well as I can the same Apostle attesting The heavens in manner of a stormy tempest shall passe away and the elements estuating shall be dissolved and the earth and the works therein shall be burnt As if the Apostle should say The world like as wee see in gold shall be wholly purged with fire AND SHALL BEE BROVGHT TO ITS UTMOST PERFECTION which the little world man imitating shall likewise bee freed from corruption and mutation And so for mans sake for whose use the great world was
And accordingly John shews it us Chapt. 11. Chapt. 12 Chapt. 13 Chap. 19. Chap. 20. Lastly Mr. Baily confutes himselfe as hee propounds his argument For hee saith our Doctrine makes the day openâ— when we say The day shall be either one thousand six hundred and fifty or one thousand six hundred ninety five Surely this is not to make the day so certaine or the yeer For saith the Philosopher qui indefinite c. He that answers indefinitely answers nothing Beside we cannot for our lives count so exactly but we may misse at least one yeer if we did absolutely pitch on any one account that were never so right in the footing For my part I shall affirme what is most probable about the account when I come to the seventh and last Book SECT VII Mr. Bailyes seventh Argument THe reward of the Martyrs is everlasting life in the heavens promised to them at Christs comming to judge the just and unjust therefore it is not temporall in an earthly Kingdome of a thousand yeers The Antecedent is proved Matth. 5.10 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. which without doubt is not before the last judgement else the Martyrs would be in a worse case then the soules of other Saints continuing in heaven injoying the Trinity yea a punishment to them being brought downe to the earth to returnâ— to a body not like to the glorious body of Christ nor yet unto these incorruptible immortall spirituall bodies which yet are promised to the least of the faithfull at their resurrection 1 Cor. 15. But unto such a body that eats drinks sleeps fights delights in fleshly pleasures and converseth with beasts and earthly creatures in such a Paradise whereof the Turkish Alcoran and the Jewish Talmud doth speak much But to a godly soule is very tastelesse and to a soul that hath been in heaven exceeding burthensome Answ first We deny the consequence of the Argument For Gods rewarding his people on earth doth not anticipate heaven nor the reward in heaven cut off the rewards on earth See Mat. 19.29 shall receive an hundred fold and shall also inherit eternall life And this in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Creation as the word signifies And when they sit on Thrones according to Dan. 7.22 which is according to our Text of Rev. 20.4 Secondly we say that those places Mr. B. brings for the proof of his Antecedent doe prove our assertion viz. of an happinesse of the Saints on earth as well as in heaven As that in 1 Tim. 4.6 7 8. For verse 8. it is said At that day and particularly at Christs appearing To understand which see verse 1. And remember our arguing upon those words Shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Compare Rev. 19. latter end with Rev. 20.3 4. Likewise that which Mr. Baily urgeth out of 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9.10 plainly proves a reward on earth as well as in heaven It is a RIGHTEOUS thing c. It is mercy to the Saints but righteousnesse chiefly appears upon the wicked that are punished And this appears more to all the world being done on earth To you that are troubled REST WITH US The Apostle aims at a Rest first on earth compare Heb. 2.5 and Chapter 4. verse 9. Rest when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from HEAVEN Not in Heaven And the flames of fire are expresse Rev. 17 16. and Chapter 18. verse 8 and 9. and Chapter 19 two last Lastly It is said in that 2 Thess 1.9 They shall be punished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power But Christ hath no power in heaven at the ultimate day of judgement but then layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.24 As for Matth. 5.10 there is no mention of the place but in the word Heaven not expressing which of the three heavens as Paul distinguisheth Now St. John calls the â—â—te of the thousand yeers Heaven Rev. 21.1 And in this place of Matth. 5.10 The adjoyning the word KINGDOME to Heaven clearly imports a state on earth For in heaven above nor Saints nor Christ have any Kingdome at the ultimate day of judgement Yee see now how truely Mr. B. saith without doubt the reward in these places is not till the last day of judgement As for M. B. words The Martyrs would be in worse case c. They are grounded on a mistake For all the Saints both the deceased and living shall then share in the same glory on earth For those words It would bee a punishment c. These all flow from ignorance of what the Scripture hath said in this point viz. that their bodies shall in the thousand yeers bee immortall and glorious and conformable to Christs body as we have shewed afore For that Mr. Baily concludes of fighting in the thousand yeers c. let him affirm it when he can without contradicting himself he affirming it a time of all corporall pleasures and when we affirme it And for Turkish Alcoran and Jewish Talmud we have nothing to do with any thing but what we are convinced is according to Scripture But it is the Scottish manner to dispute by branding with reproaches But sure their contrary opinion tends to Familisme SECT VIII Mr. Baylies eighth Argument § 1 THe opinion of the Millenaries supposeth the restauration of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Kingdome after their destruction by the Romans But the Scriptures deny this Ezek. 16.53.55 When I shall bring againe the captivity of Sodome and of Samaria and her daughters then will I bring again the captivity of thy Captives c. The Jews saith Mr. Baily are never to be restored to their ancient outward estate much lesse to a greater and more glorious Kingdome Jerusalem was to be re-builded and the spirituall glory of the second Temple was to be greater then the first And in the end of the same Chapter the restitution of the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity by vertue of the New Covenant is promised But the outward estate of that people was never to be restored to its ancient lustre more then Samaria or Sodome As Amos speakes of Samaria Chap. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is fallen and shall no more rise And Isa saith of Jerusalem The transgression thereof shall be heavy and it shall fall and not rise againe According to the prophesie of Jacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Importing saith Mr. Baily that the Tribe of Judah should ever have some outward visible rule till the comming of Christ in the flesh but thereafter the Scepter and Power of the Church shall be onely spirituall in the hand of Shiloh the Messias He was the substance and body of all these types the restauration of Jerusalem and the erecting of the Monarchy in Judah § 2 Answ The Scripture doth not deny the restauration of Jerusalem but affirme it and that most strongly as we have shewed in many
spirit shall be removed farre away from the Church Zach. 13 2. Thirdly For the rest of the dayes works of Creation as in them were created the dry-land the Plants the Fishes and Fowls and Animals c. So in this New creation there shall be a perfection of all those then in being for of a resurrection of irrationals I know nothing and they shall be freed and set at liberty from all danger and hardship Isa 11.6 7 8 9. Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. I speak now short to these things because I am not yet come to the qualifications of this future glorious estate into which this Head would sometimes faine draw me but I will not be anticipated ¶ 4 This future glorious estate on earth is a creation in regard of the end viz. that as man was created last of all most perfect in soule and body as the subordinate end next under God for which God made it viz. that man might have the possession and use of all and dominion over all Gen. 1.26 So in this New creation Christ restores all things to their perfection and every beleever to his to that end that all beleevers being raised or changed as afore described may joyntly and co-ordinately rule over the whole world and all things therein next under Christ their Head I say All and not apart onely as some unwarily publish And I say joyntly not one part of the Saints to usurp authority over the rest as many dream And co-ordinately All upon equall tearms not some Saints to rule by Deputies made of the rest of the Saints as the practise of men seem to interpret And all to be true Saints not seeming Thus we read in Dan. 7. verse 14. and 27. And Rev. 20.4 And Chap. 21. verse 24.26 Study the places well and you will easily picke it out CHAP. III. Measuring out the DIMENSIONS of this glorious estate to be on Earth afore the ultimate universal Judgement § 1 HAving done with the Creation of it we come next to the Dimensions Quantity or Extent of the glorious Kingdome of Christ on Earth yet expected viz. That as the other foure Monarchies did over spread all the inhabited world as it is said of Nebuchadnezzars Assyrto-Chaldean Monarchy Dan. 2.37 that he was King of Kings and that WHERESOEVER THE CHILDREN OF MEN DWEâ—T the Beasts of the field and fowles of the Heaven GOD HAD GIVEN INTO HIS HAND and had made him RULER OVER ALL and of Caesars Roman Monarchy Luke 2.1 That there went out a decree from him that ALL THE WORLD should bee taxed So this fifth Monarchy of the Saints reigning on earth under Christ must be as large as those Monarchies as large as the whole world for ample Dominion though not for sincere conversion That is the generality of men in the time of this Kingdome being converted into true Saints they shall rule over all the whole world of men swallowing up the other former Monarchies So that if there be remaining a secret seed of hypocrisie in â—ome which shall at last God so foretelling Rev. 20.8 breake out in the Gogican War at the end of our THOUSAND yeers shall yet mean while all men all the time of the thousand yeers shall be demurely subject to the Dominion of the Saints Touching the latitude and largenesse of this Holy-Kingdome read Dan. 2.34 35. The stone cut out without hands smote the Image on his feet that were of iron and of clay and brake them to peeces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken in peeces together and became like the chasse of the Summerthershing floore and the wind carried them away so that NO PLACE WAS FOUND FOR THEM and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountaine and FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH Dan. 7.26 27 And the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his the preceding Monarchies Dominion c. And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN shall be given to the people of the Saints c. And Rev. 10.7 St. John having said In the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel when he shall BEGIN to sound the mystery of God shall be finished he goes on in the 11. Chapter verse 15. saying The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in Heaven saying The KINGDOMES of this WORLD are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever That is no Monarchy shall ever be on earth after his Adde Isa 2. In the second verse c. whereof yee have the propagation of the Gospel of Christs Kingdome and mens obedience to it In the 11 verse repeated againe verse 17. yee have the Lord Christ exalted and his overthrowing all worldly powers prostrate before him in these words The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the LORD ALONE shall be exalted Which words though covertly for feare of provoking worldly Monarchs are alleadged by the Jewes to the same end as you have heard afore at large To the same effect of the largenesse of Christs Kingdome is that notable place in Isa 24. verse 21 22 23. In that day it shall come to passe that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high and the Kings of the earth UPON EARTH and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison and after many dayes they shall be visited Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall REIGNE IN MOUNT SION and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously His Ancients are his ancient people the Jews And as the material Sunne and Moon shall be then nothing in comparison of the light of Gods presence as afore-shewed so the metaphorical Sunne and Moon for the same Scripture may have two subordinate senses Rev. 17.9 10. I say the metaphorical Sunne and Moon of higher and lower humane Majesties shall be confounded with shame So Jacob a Prince in those times and his wife are called by the name and interpreted to be the meaning of that name of the Sunne and Moon in Josephs dream Gen. 37.9 even as we had but now in that 24 of Isa both name and thing metaphor meaning expressed And by the same rule and proportion we may admit of others annexing a metaphorical sense to that Revelation 21. verse 23 24. that in Christs Kingdome to come upon earth there shall be no need of the Sunne or Moon i. e. of Emperial Royal or Princely Potentates to keep the peace as we have expounded it also in a litteral sense of the obscuring of the glory of all the Stars by the paramount glory of Gods presence For God and the Lambs presence shall be in stead of and more then the Sunne and Moon in both senses One both learned and godly doth likewise to the
goe out of the world with sinne So the Apostle doth connect and couple them 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory i. e. There is then no sinne which is that sting therefore no sorrow which formerly did tend to death and end in the grave But let us take the Scriptures in order for the sorrowfulnesse of this state and time we speak of ¶ 1 Adams state was a sorrowlesse condition therefore so shall the state of the faithfull at this time be as wee have often recited the parallel Gen. 1.26 with Psal 8. Heb. 2. Psal 95. Heb. 4. out of which 95. Psal the Apostle proving a rest to remain yet on earth for the people of God the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from the same root whence Noahs name is prophetically given him to foretell the comfort that should come to the Church by him even the rest in the Arke in the time of the Flood Gen. 5.29 At which time the earth by water was purged of the Churches enemies Answerably the Apostle in a way of parallel in 2 Pet. 3. mentioning that purgation by water infers another purgation by fire after which we are to expect another rest or restauration and that on earth where was and shall be that purgation which the Apostle Heb. 4. descanting upon Psal 95. renders the sense of that Hebrew word vers 9. of that 4. to the Hebrews by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme a Septenary rest As if hee should say It shall be a Sabbath of Sabbaths or above all Sabbaths or the period and perfection of all Sabbaths That as we rest on a Sabbath or seventh day from our weekly work as God did from his and the Jewish servants every seventh yeer rested from their service And every seventh of seven times seven yeers all their land had rest so in the seventh Millenary of the world the whole universe shall have a rest The Church shall have full Dominion over the whole world For in those places of Psal 95. and Heb. 4. being mainly spoken to and concerning the Iewes cannot bee meant of the Sabbath of Gods resting once and for ever past or of their weekly or of their Septenary-anniversary or of their Jubilean or of their Cananitish Sabbath or of an internal spiritual Sabbath or rest of minde and conscience for all these the Church of the Jewes had enjoyed Nor could the Apostle thinke it needfull to prove that an internal rest which all moral Heathens that beleeve the immortality of the soule expect doth yet remain And therefore the Apostle must mean that rest which was proper to cure the then present dispersed and distressed condition of the Jewes continued to this day That as God hath given them the weekly rest and the Septenary-anniversary and the Jubilean and the Canaanitish so he would give them at last a Millenary rest on earth a rest longer and better then ever they had For much is couched in those words Heb. 4.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Therefore there is yet left or there remaineth a Sabbatisme or a kinde of Septenary or Sabbatical rest forthe people of God Marke every word Therefore viz. because God rested on the seventh day in the beginning after that gave them a seventh weekly and yeerly rest and a seventh of seven times seven yeers rest and a rest in Canaan and after all the Lord spake of another rest to come Therefore there remaineth a rest Remaineth or is yet left noteth and importeth something not extant afore in specie in its prime but onely in types but is next to come in order in its native kinde and verdure And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme a word never used but here on this occasion imports a limited time not an everlasting unlimited duration even as Adam lived neer a thousand yeers and had rested so long if not longer in Paradise without sin or sorrow if hee had not hearkned unto the Diabolical temptation And to the people of God which written to the Hebrews must include them so often called by God in the Old Testament my people and so must necessarily signifie that this rest is for the Jewes joyntly with the Gentiles when the Jews shall bee the people of God by faith as now the beleeving Gentiles are as the Apostle disputes Rom. 11. ¶ 2 The Prophet Isaiah also sets forth this sorrowlesse time Chapter 2. vers 2 3 4. And it shall come to passe in the LAST DAYES c. Many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord for he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes and he will judge among the Nations AND THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS NATION SHAL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION neither shall they LEARN WARRE ANY MORE In which words observe that as there is intimated internall spiritual peace so externall corporall peace is openly expressed to come to passe not onely to the Jewes but to all Nations which was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time as this description cannot consist with the ultimate judgement ¶ 3 Another place is in Isa 9. verse 6. Christ shall be called the PRINCE OF PEACE of the increase of his Government and PEACE THERE SHALL BEE NO END upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to establish it c. from henceforth even for ever Which place most plainly speakes of external peace as well as of internal and for a long continuance and doth belong to the time wee speak of as is before demonstrated which Christ hath not to this day fulfilled but rather hath brought a sword then externall peace Therefore the fulfilling of the sense of this Prophesie is yet to come ¶ 4 Isa 11. verse 1. c. A rod of the stem of Jesse c. with righteousnesse shall judge the poore and reprove with equity for the meeke c. He shall slay the wicked c. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountaine For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord c. The envy of Ephraim shall depart and the Adversaries of Judah shall bee cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah Ephraim c. All which taken together doe most plainly relate to the time wee speak of as is before proved But this was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time And therefore these high expressions are to bee fulfilled at the glorious time wee discourse of ¶ 5 Isa 14.1 2 3. We have these high promises The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their owne Land and the strangers shall be joyned unto them c. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place c. And the Lord shall give them REST FROM SORROW FEARE AND
happinesse then it must not be taken from them by the old misery of death If all the Elect dead and alive must reigne on earth a thousand yeers as we have proved then there must be no death to cut this time shorter They doe not reigne if subject in the thousand yeers to that great enemy Death Nor do any of them live a thousand yeers if by succession they dye in that thousand yeers If there shall be no more sorrow nor cries nor paines as wee heard afore how then can this Man-eater death continue If sinne be gone why should death remaine § 2 But to leave discourses and come to plaine places of Scripture which are divers ¶ 1 Isa 25.8 He i. e. the Lord mentioned in the former verses will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people c. Wee before demonstrated that this place belongs to the glorious time we speake of sc when the Jewes are called And you see how full it speaks to the thing of the removal of death Calvin confesseth that this is under Christs Kingdome and addes under Christs universal Kingdom And sure Christ as Christ hath no Kingdom in heaven after the ultimate judgement nor universal now ¶ 2 Another place is in Hos 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave And I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I wil be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes Which place is evidently spoken to Ephraim the ten Tribes verse 12. therefore this cannot relate to the return of the two Tribes from Babylon And it is as evident that more then a spiritual deliverance of a mans soul from death in sin is meant in that here is joyned deliverance from the grave with deliverance from death And twice a mention of grave But much adoe there is with some that would faine make this Text a continuation of the Prophets minatory speech in the former Chapter But the words are plaine words of mercy and a Prophesie of mercy quoted by Paul not onely that God can doe such a thing as in the Text but that he will do it Again how common is it for the Prophets in their preaching mifericordias cum minis mifcere to mingle mercies with minatories So that they may as well say almost that the 14. Chapter is a continuation of threatnings It is frequent in this Prophesie to make threats and comforts so take their turnes Chap. 1. Chap. 2. c. And to me it is plaine and evident that as it is noted in our English Translation at verse 9. begins a Sermon of mercy and so is continued to the end of the 14. verse It is said in verse 9. O Israel thou not I hast destroyed thy self Thou hast brought thy misery on thy selfe But I will be thy King where is any other to save thee in all thy Cities So plainly according to Heb. And for experience the Lord tells Ephraim that the King they desired and had could not save them And therefore God was their onely saving King and therefore was not pleased in giving them a King and in anger did he take away Kings from them because of their confidence in them but this taking them away would make way for their imbracing God for their King according to that which follows in the ensuing promises As for verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up and hid Hiding as well sounds of justification and pardon of sin Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.7 as of punishment And for the 13. verse close to the Hebrew thus Sorrows of a woman in travel will come upon him viz. Ephraim He an unwise Sonne * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If vid. Schindl if he shall stay long in the breaking forth of children i. e. in the straitnesse of the womb i. e. If by repentance he doe not help himselfe out of his sorrows But however verse 14. I sayes the Lord if Ephraim be unwise and helps not himselfe yet I the Lord will ransome them c. as aforesaid Sure enough these words are plaine for the point in hand even as both those two places aforesaid are severall times quoted in the New Testament and applied to a state that is to be afore the ultimate day of judgement ¶ 3 For 1. both places seem to mee to be touched in 1 Cor. 15.54 55. As our new notes on the Bible concur with mee For in the 54. verse seems to be quoted Isa 25.8 For the Apostles words are plainly the same with Isaiah Death is swallowed up in victory And in 55. verse seems a quotation of Hos 13.14 For the Apostles challenge is plainly according to Hosea O grave where is thy victory Secondly The Apostle makes application of the fulfilling of these Prophesies to be at the time we speak of sc of the visible glory of the Church on earth For which observe these particulars First The Apostle mentions our restitution to our state in the first Adam by Christ the second Adam v. 49. compared with Psal 8. As Psal 8. with Gen. 1.26 to which end the visible glorious state of the Church is set out by having a Fountain and Tree of life alluding to Paradise Rev. 22. All which import a state upon earth Secondly That the Apostle mentions the time to be at the sound of the last Trumpet importing other Trumpets to sound first so that the last Trumpet is the seventh as John numbers them not hid from Paul Now from the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet so many things follow as wee have several times demonstrated that there must of necessity be a state of the Churches visible glory before the ultimate day of judgement For when Rev. 11.15 the seventh Angel sounded then First There was an Earthquake v. ibid. Secondly A proclaiming that the Kingdomes of the earth are the Kingdomes of Christ v. 15. Christ shall reign for ages of ages till time be no more ibid. Fourthly Saints sing praise for it v. 16 17. Fifthly Christ takes to him his great power and now reigns v. 17. Sixthly Nations are angry at it v. 18. Seventhly The Saints are raised and rewarded v. 18. Eighthly A destroying of them that destroyed the earth and care is taken of the earth v. 18. Ninthly The Temple of God is opened and the Arke discovered v. 19. Tenthly Lightinings and thundrings and earthquakes and great haile v. 19. All these here beside that in Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Rev. 22. From the beginning of the seventh Trumpet to the end of it Now let any ingenuous man judge by these ten particulars whether they are consistent with heaven above and whether they must not necessarily import a state on earth So that the Apostle here in this 1 Cor. 15. mentioning the raising of the Saints the cloathing of them with incorruption and the changing of them that are alive quoting those two
reading though it doth a little differ from the Arabick and Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there shall not be any more an infant of dayes and an old man that fils not his dayes because the youth that offends at the age of an hundred yeers shall dye and he that transgresseth in the age of an hundred yeers shall be banished which reacheth thus far to our purpose to signifie that the sinners not the Saints shall dye at this time of the glorious visible state of the Church But do not I stretch the sense of the Chaldee Paraphrase To answer this and to give you a further account of the sense of that place according to the opinion of the Church at Geneva and of the Rabbins hear the great Critick Ludovick De Dieu his Animadversions on the place bringing in his report of their opinions those things I have before asserted with an addition of his own thoughts upon the place Video Genevenses c. I see saith he they of Geneva doe refer this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THENCE to time translating De la en avant that is From henceforward But Rabbi D. Kimchi refers it to Jerusalem saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THENCE that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Jerusalem whom Vatablus and Junius follow and I thinke ought to be followed * I for more safety according to the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referred it to both in that both time and place concur to the thing Moreover the Genevenses or they of Geneva translate the rest as if the sense of the Hebrew were this At that time so great shall be the length of mens lives that he that is now an old man shall then be counted as an infant And I see the Hebrews as R.D. Kimchi and Sol. Jarchi in their Commentaries yea and Jonathan in his Chalde Paraphrase to take the sense of this place to be That no man at that time shall be carried out of Jerusalem to burial who is but a boy no nor an old man unlesse he hath filled up his dayes that is hath lived to that length of life WHICH MEN HAD BEFORE THE FLOOD c. Thus far De Dieu his report of others viz. The Genevenses the Hebrews and the Chalde Paraphrase which how closely they concurre with us afore I need not multiply words to open the intelligent eye Next for De Dieu his own opinion upon the place it is true that he looks upon those hopes of the Jewes to use his owne words to be but dreams wherein they do imagine such a marveilous Kingdome of the Messiah and such a most happy life of the Jews AT THAT TIME ON EARTH But whiles he turnes us quite about we are but AS WEE WERE for he speaks but tantamount the same in effect which hath been already affirmed His words are these Nos haec spiritualia esse novimus c. That is wee know that these things are spiritual and so we interpret There shall not exist from thence any more an infant of dayes and an old man that filleth not up his dayes that is At that time there shal be another manner of the state of the world then there is at present For in this world many dye Infants others as it were old men of sixty or seventy yeers of age few finish their just space of life to attaine to an hundred yeers old But THEN there shall be the same condition of all whether of young or old for all shall fully make up their dayes The Prophet proves it For the child shall dye an hundred yeers old that is A childe shall not die a childe but shall fulfill the due space of his life But the sinner an hundred yeers old shall be accursed that is A childe will be happier in the Kingdome of Christ then an old man in the Kingdome of the world For a childe in the Kingdome of Christ SHAL ATTAINE A BLESSED OR BEATIFIED PERFECTION OF LIFE But the sinner in the Kingdome of the world shall be accursed even whiles hee SEEMS to have attained to a perfection of life Thus De Dieu for his own opinion By which supposing our consent to all he saies how far hath he carried us from where we were He saith he knowes these things of the Messiahs Kingdome shall bee spiritual We say so too The efficient the form or manner the end shall be spiritual and the injoyment shall be spiritualized But mens soules and bodies shall not be altered in kind then they were not men And the earth shall be earth or else how is it called a new Earth An earth though renovated And upon this must Christs Kingdome exist for he shall have none in the supreamest heavens after this on earth 1 Cor. 15.24.28 And he confesseth that in the Kingdome of Christ shall be happinesse I say no more let the Reader judge of the rest § 5 Some make another argument out of a Text that speaks no such thing viz. Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye therefore men in the thousand yeers must also die To which wee answer First It is not said to all men but onely to men Secondly All men are not appointed to die So the same Apostle expresly in 1 Cor. 15.51 we shall not all dye that is the meaning of sleep but wee shall be changed Thirdly Note the distinction of times It is true in that 9. of Heb. 27. that before the judgement men ordinarily die But when the judgement comes which begins at this thousand as we proved afore because the living wicked are destroyed and the dead Saints are raised and rewarded I say when the judgement comes there is no more death but changing 1 Cor. 15.1 Thess 4. There is yet behinde one objection sc The last enemy that is destroyed is death 1 Cor. 15.26 as if this Text did argue for death in the thousand yeers but it doth not For we answer Though that be the last enemy yet that is not the last thing done in the seventh Trumpet or thousand yeers but death is destroyed to the Saints at the beginning of the thousand yeers as we have largely shewed afore For verse 23,24 is said every one shall rise in his owne order Christ first AFTERWARD viz. above one thousand six hundred and fifty after they that are Christs AFTER that comes the ultimate end sc after a thousand yeers As he destroyes the death of sinne at the beginning of the sounding of the last Trumpet v. 52. sc the seventh Rev. 11. So after the sound of it many things are to be done afore the ultimate judgement Ibid. sc as afore shewed At the ultimate judgement death is not destroyed to the wicked but re-inforced in a worse kinde or degree Rev. 20.14 SECT IV. THe future glorious state on earth shall be such as wherein there shall be No humane ruling Majesty No Church-censures No superiority of persons No fears
No wants No desertions No painfull labour No decay No procreation of children § 1 From the three former qualifications Sinlesse Sorrowlesse Deathlesse being comprehensive and as it were fundamental to the rest doe flow many other particulars which I shall distinctly refer to each of these three severall heads But they flow from a three joyntly as much as the three heads are conjoyned and depend one upon another by a naturall connexion Sin it selfe being almost formally internall sorrow as it is a departing from God or an ecclipse of communion with him as well as it is the cause of externall sorrows on the other side sorrow is as it were no sorrow without sin For as the sting of death that great sorrow to nature is sin so sin either in the cause or in the concomitance is the sting of every sorrow this either raising sad applications that for such or such a sin these sorrows befall us or rousing and awakening selfe-vexing passions that we beare our sorrows with double sorrow and dismal discontent And so as in a Triangular correspondence in Death meet the lines both of sin and sorrow For had we not sinned wee should not dye as without some sorrow we cannot dye But I say for more distinctnesse and to hint the more immediate rise of each particular qualification I shall referre them severally to their severall heads First If this be a sinlesse condition then there will bee no need § 2 ¶ First Of Majesties or Magistracies to punish Politick offences In this state dwell all righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. Here the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb Men and beasts shall be all at peace with all peace one with another The Locusts saith Solomon Prov. 30.27 have no King yet goe they forth all by bands Grace then perfected shall be more exact then Nature Every subject of this Kingdome shall have the Law so perfectly written in his heart as shall cause him exactly to walke in the same Kings shall submit and doe homage to New Jerusalem but not rule over it Rev. 21.24 ¶ Secondly No need of Church-censures though the forme of this New-created state is mostly set forth Church-like Church-wise in manner of a Church state Rev. 21. For here shall be no defect in love or want of order or mistakes in judgement or any weaknesse in grace for these were sin and how unpossible it is for us to conceive sin to be extant at this resurrection and glorious change of beleevers we have before demonstrated Besides all that in the text it selfe Rev. 21. even in that mention of this glorious state under a Church forme it is expresse in verse 27. That there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth c. that is that shall deserve censure ¶ Thirdly No Superiority of one Saint over another as to precedency subjection or dependence under any notion If Christ shall give to some any preeminencies of endowments internall or externall or both yet will it not thence follow that they shall have a supremacy of power over the rest Christs speciall manifestation of his presence shall be the one and onely immediate superiority the Saints among themselves being a joynt co-ordinate body Dan. 7. v. 14. compared with v. 27. For this cause St. John as the Learned conceive hath a vision of the Saints sitting round the Throne Rev. 4. even as they shall all sit on Thrones Rev. 20.4 Subjection even of Eve to Adam came in by sin Gen. 3.16 Therefore when sin goes out Liberty from that subjection comes in Consult Rom. 8.21 for there is much to this particular if well extracted which I leave to the wise Reader as also the inference of many other particulars which are deducible from this Sinlesse head § 2 If a Sorrowlesse condition then it will follow ¶ 1 There shall be no fears for feare saith St. John hath torment And how often afore have the Prophets Prophesied that the Heirs of this estate once possessing it shall fear no more ¶ 2 No Wants viz. No hunger nor thirst saith St. John Rev. 7.16 No want of light c. Rev. 21. The state is no lesse then a new better Paradise Rev. 21.1 c. ¶ 3 No Desertions one of the greatest sorrows For God is extraordinarily present and manifested in his presence Now the Tabernacle of God is with men and he dwels with them Rev. 21.4 which must be with a speciality above a meer state of grace or else nothing new is promised to New Jerusalem Therefore it is added verse 23. The Deity shall be so present as that the glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof ¶ 4 No painfull labour This was Adams sorrowfull punishment for sin therefore it must have no being here In a word whatsoever is or causeth sorrow cannot be here admitted § 3 If no death then no sicknesse no feeblenesse no waxing old no need of procreation of children for the continuation of the species of mankind For death shall not take away any of the individuals of these reigning Saints Innocent Adam was happy in Paradise in his owne person whiles he had no children And now that the Fulnesse of the Gentiles are come in and the ALL of ISRAEL are saved Rom. 11. at the time when this glorious state on earth shall be to what end or use should there be procreation of more children Besides if this were granted then a great part of the seed of the Elect should neither be raised nor changed nor reign on earth a just thousand yeers but would come too late to attaine to these three Our Saviours words I thinke will rivet all fast That at the resurrection there shall be no Marriage without which there can bee no lawfull and honourable procreation of children and therefore Marriage was plighted between Adam and Eve in Paradise by God himselfe But all the Elect shall be in that respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like or equall to the Angels who propagate not their kinde SECT V. The future glorious state on Earth shall bee Temptation-lesse § 1 HErein we shall be happier then Adam and Eve who though they were in a Sinlesse condition yet that while were lyable to temptation Our condition at this time is set out by a parallel to answer to Adams condition Heb. 2. Heb. 4. Rom. 5.1 Cor. 15. But in a more eminent way and degree If in somethings now a believers condition is better in Christ then that of Adam sc in our neerer union with God in Christ Heb. 2. And in a non-possibility of falling totally Gal. 3.19 Our Covenant is in the hand of a Mediator then much more shall our condition be better at this first resurrection Adam could be tempted and fall in Paradise we shall neither fall nor be tempted to fall We must be conformable to Christs glorious body after his resurrection Phil. 3.21 Christ was tempted afore his resurrection and he overcame But after hee was not tempted so we
of the family of Ahab his predecessor King of Israel in Jezreel the royall City where the Kings of Israel dwelt § 4 The number of these ten Tribes that are to come in to make up the glorious Church on their part in the last times must not saith our Text be a small number a picking or gleaning of a few here and there but must be a most mighty multitude even as the sand of the Sea that cannot bee measured or numbered A mighty expression § 5 The state to which these Israelites shall be restored shall not onely be a goodly temporall estate in their owne Land as it is intimated in the next verse viz. the eleventh but unto a gracious spirituall state of conversion this being the introduction to that so that they shall be truely called Gods people and the Sonnes of the living God though before they were said not to be his people § 6 The height that this shall amount to is this in these steps That these ten Tribes of Israel being converted they with the two Tribes called Judah shall First Be gathered together Secondly Appoint themselves one Head in common over them all Thirdly Shall come up out of the Land Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up out of the earth or from the earth where ever they were scattered Fourthly It must be to returne into their owne land even to Jezreel c. named in the Text. To which two last steps Vatablus notes well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the earth saith he that is from under captivity that is they shall be delivered from under captivity For they that returned from captivity were said to ascend up out of the earth or land of their capivity Oecolampadius also saith that from the land or earth signifies from that dispersion 1 Pet. 1.1 § 7 This HEAD they shall appoint over both is variously expounded the most are lead away by the aptnesse of the terme and truth of the thing in some sence that Christ is here meant to be the Head But whether this be the sence of the Prophet I doubt partly because by the order of the Text they had Christ for their spirituall head afore being by his means Act. 4.12 Joh. 1.12 made the sonnes of God partly because this Head is but to lead them up from their dispersion in opposition to the way-laying Turke that they may come into their owne Country there to sit downe under Christs Regiment in his visible Kingdome In which expedition whether Christ will be a personally visable or a visible personall conductor I doe not know If he would I am apt to thinke that the struggle against the Jewes enemies the Turke c. need not be so long as five and forty yeares according to Daniel 12.11 12. The Chalde paraphrase saith that this Head shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Prince or Cheifetain of the house of David R. Jarchi saith David likely to the same sence as the Chalde Grotius saith Zorobabel And Aben Ezra names another And Alapide another And our new Annotations doe not speake absolutely that only Christ is here meant but cautiously thus one Head of the house of David Hereby is PRINCIPALLY meant the Messiah Christ the Head of the Church So they Now it is a true rule subordinata non sunt contraria I confesse seeing after their call to the faith for till then they stirre not they gather together and they appoint and this for their orderly and safe returne I can thinke no other to be here meant then some worthy fit man to be their Commander in cheife At the sound of the seventh Trumpet Christ takes his Kingdome Revel 11.15 The last wrastling of the Church against their enemies to ruine them is it seems to me in the latter end of the sixth Trumpet Rev. 11.13 And just so is the order of the Vialls Rev. 16. viz. to destroy the Beast see the exposition Rev. 17.1 and chap. 18. and chap. 19. And then Satan is bound and the Saints reigne with Christ chap. 23. As for Christs spirituall headship it doth as well make other places great in the day of their call as it doth Jezreel Of which next § 8 The eminency of this expedition is that great shall be the day of Jezreel which is brought in as a reason and proofe Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latines all suitable quia BECAUSE great shall be the day of Jezreel That is whereas saith God I took away the Kingdome of Israel for the blood shed in Jezreel 1. Of the blood of Naboth by Jezabel 2. Of the blood of Jezabel by Jehu he doing it extrajudicially for his owne ends to establish the Kingdome to himselfe and set up or at least continue Idolatry not for Gods ends to rule for him and set up Reformation now great shall be the day of delivering Jezreel that is of Israel both by a Synechdoche a part for the whole Jezreel being the royall City of Israel as also by the notation of the word Jezreel which Jerom interprets the seed of God for such the Israelites shall be through Christ his sonne at their great call And others interpret the sowing or scattering of God to which our new Annotations incline and so Jezreel shall be Israel viz. they having been sowne or scattered into all Countryes as seed into so many fields should be brought together in the granary of their owne Country as seed growne up to ripe corne at the time of Harvest And so the Chalde renders it Great shall be the day of their gathering together For Israel of a Jezreel a scattering shall againe be an Israel a Prevailer with God I omit many other notations of the name Jezreel as rather pursuing matter and that which is most pertinent § 9 The Text is now ready for inferences but onely I would interpose the thoughts of a late learned writer upon this place as glad of his company as far as he goes my way It is Dr. Mayer Who having quoted divers Authours as Austine Hierome Lyra Calvin and Gualter varying more or lesse from the literall sence turns against them all upon sound reason thus I see no reason saith he why by Jezreel may not be understood the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes and their day of conversion said to be a great day seeing the first son of Hosea by his wife had his name Jezreel that herein he might figure out this Kingdome which thought it selfe strong but for sinne was adjudged to dissipation yet being by Gods mercy gathered together againe with Judah under the Gospell Israel should be as famous and honourable as before miserable and infamous and the day when this should be done should be counted a great day of Jezreel formerly so called in derision but now seriously they coming to be the seed of God as it is expressely faid they shall be called the Sons of the living God and therefore I rest in this