haply have been persecuted as Isaac was by Ishmael Satan hath been bruising the Heel of the Church from the beginning and will do it till his Head be bruised which will be at the beginning of the thousand years and so bruised that he shall not recover any thing of Dominion till the end of them and then he shall deceive the Nations but not hurt the Saints 'T will be but a vain Attempt against them He shall not touch them and there shall not so much as an hair of their head perish Thus far concerning the Arguments for the Personal Reign In the next place some Objections against it shall be answered Object 1. John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this World A. The meaning can't be that Christ shall not have the Government of the World for he is King over all the Earth de jure and shall be de facto He hath Right to rule and shall at last rule according to his Right That we may the better understand this place let some other Scriptures in the first place be compared with it and then let this Scripture it self be considered For other Scriptures see Psa 96.11 12 13. Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth be glad let the Field be joyful and all that is therein then shall the Trees of the Wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh he cometh to judge the World in righteousness and the People with truth Whence is it that the Creatures shall thus rejoyce with the Saints Because they shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God and Satan and Antichrist shall not have dominion over them but all will be in subjection to Christ See also Psal 97. The Contents of which in the Syr. Version are these David foretels the coming of Christ and his last appearance and the Sept. gives it this Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Psalm of David Quando terra ejus restituta est vel quando stabilita est When his Earth was restored or established It is a Psalm fitted for the time of Christ's coming to reign and of the restitution of all things v. 2 3. Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne a fire goeth before him and burneth up his Enemies round about him Which may well be judged to have reference to the Battel of Armageddon and the Conflagration which Peter foretels This Title is the more to be taken notice of because it agrees with what is said of Christ Isa 44.8 He is given for a Covenant to establish the Earth or to raise it up Christ's Throne shall be established in the Earth and then the Earth shall be established in a peaceable and prosperous estate Before it reels like a Drunkard Isa 24.22 and Nimrods will fill it with violence But Christ reigning he shall establish it upon a Foundation of Righteousness the effect of which shall be Peace Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of Christ Though Christ saith My Kingdom is not of this world yet the Kingdoms of the World must at last be his If it were of this world and now to be set up then would my Servants fight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now my kingdom is not from hence At this time it is not to be set up over the World neither is it now to be from hence I shall not my Servants will not contend for it But the time will come when I will in my Majesty ride prosperously because of truth meekness and righteousness Next let this place it self be considered and first What was the occasion of these words Pilate asks Christ Art thou the King of the Jews this Christ doth not deny but asks another Question Speakest thou this of thy self And then Christ replies My Kingdom is not of this world As if he had said I am indeed the King of the Jews but they now reject me and will not that I should reign over them they will have no King but Caesar therefore let them suffer from Caesar and let their City be destroyed and left desolate till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and then the Kingdom shall be restored to Israel Secondly what follows There was a Providence ordering that Inscription Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews A time must be when Christ shall be the King of the Jews Hos 2.5 The Children of Israel shall seek the Lord and David their King Pilate asks him again Art thou a King He answers Thou sayest that I am a King Thou savest that which indeed I am which he witnesseth in the next words For this cause was I born and came into the world that I might bear witness to the truth And if Christ was for this end born then the Saints are new born and Ministers called to bear witness to this truth And 't is observable that after all this Pilate justifies Christ thus far I find no fault in him Surely as the High Priest spake not of himself but being High Priest prophesied That it was expedient that one should die for that Nation so Pilate prophesied in the Inscription which was set over him that Christ should be the King of that Nation and as once Balaam and Saul were among the Prophets so was Pilate also when he wrote that Inscription and would not yield to an alteration of it Christ's great Enemies bear witness to his Priestly and his Kingly Office Thus much for answer to this Objection and for the clearing of this place which now appears to be not against but for this truth of Christ's Kingdom Object 2. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution A. Other Scriptures and those not a few do plainly declare a state of freedom from persecution at last They shall sit under their Vines and Fig-trees and have none to make them afraid Their Enemies shall come bending to them and bow themselves down at the soles of their feet How shall these Scriptures be reconciled with the former Acts 14.22 We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God As Saints now must look to go to Heaven through tribulations so the Church must for a long time endure tribulation but at last it shall get through it into the Kingdom of God which shall be upon Earth in which Christ shall reign and the Saints with him then time shall be no more that is troublous times persecuting suffering-times shall be no more but then shall be the day of the Son of man So distingue tempora concordabunt Scripturae state the times aright and Scriptures will agree In the day of the Man of Sin Saints suffer in the days of the Son of Man they shall have rest Obj. 3. Satan being loosed out of his Prison shall deceive the Nations and gather them to Battel and compass the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City Now can it be thought that they shall dare to do this if
after shall be shewn thus Heaven is sometimes taken And 't is to be observed that the Ruling part of that World was exceeding corrupt For those that were highest in power were most eminent in wickedness The great Men were the greatest Sinners and did fill the World with Violence Rapines Oppressions and all manner of unrighteousness Gen. 6.11 And therefore God brought a Flood in which these Heavens perished For all the Principalities and Powers of that wicked and ungodly World were swept away by the Flood 2. Ecclesiasticall Heavens Churches on Earth are sometimes called Heaven the Kingdom of Heaven frequently in the Evangelists signifies the Church Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven That is in the Church Now the Ecclesiastical Heavens that is the Churches of that World perished by Water even all except that in the Ark. 'T is said Gen. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord. There were Churches of Seth's Posterity which worshipped God But these did at last exceedingly apostatize as we see Gen. 6.2 The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took them Wives of all that they chose And thereupon the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is flesh Observe these words He also the Sons of God were spoken of immediately before this He also therefore is meant of the Church-member even he that was called the Son of God was also flesh Not onely those without but also those within the Church not onely the Posterity of Cain but also the Posterity of Seth had corrupted their way and all the imaginations of their hearts were also evil continually Now these Heavens did also perish by water because of the great wickedness found in them There was an Analogical Earth also which perished by water that is as Superiours so Inferiours as Masters so Servants as the Mighty men so the mean men as the Giants so the Dwarfs the Flood swept all away and one as easily as the other And here we may do well to observe what kind of wickednesses they were which brought the Flood there was desperate Apostasie of the Sons of God there was Pride amongst them they became men of Renown and also cruelty and oppression they filled the world with voilence The Giants in stature were Giants in wickedness The old world was an Atheistical and desperately debauched world and when God gave space and warning to repent by Noahs preaching they repented not In a word 't is to be observed that the world of the ungodly then was become wholly arbitrary every one would be sui juris and not be subject to or act by a Law The mighty men and Sovereign part of it were absolute and arbitrary They would be arbitrary in ruling others and exercised what violence they pleased and arbitrary in ruling themselves giving themselves up to the lusts of uncleanness not only taking Wives of the Daughters of men but as Gen. 6.4 also after that they went in unto the Daughters of men to others that is besides their Wives and they took of all that they chose and therein the arbitrariness of that world appeared they chose by Lust and not by Law from their own wills and not according to the will of God The People of God will have God to chuse for them Psal 47.4 He shall chuse our Inheritance for us But these would chuse for themselves This was the first transgression Adam would become arbitrary he liked not Gods choise but he himself would chuse what Fruit to eat and we may observe how displeasing this was to God Behold the man is become like one of us Gen. 3.22 to know good and evil that is as God is absolute and his Will is the rule of good or evil what he wills is good and what he nils is to be lookt on as evil So now Adam would become absolute to know good and evil and have his own Will the rule of it this highly provoked God 'T is his incommunicable Prerogative to be absolute This arbitrariness God did avenge and that speedily upon him 1. He must not eat of the Tree of life 2 He was cast out of Paradise He that would be all and absolute loses all thereby And when the old world became arbitrary a Flood came and swept all away Thus we see what world it was that perished by water In the next place let it be considered what Heavens and Earth are to perish by Fire And now I shall endeavour to make it manifest that there are as natural so analogical Heavens and Earth and Heavens both Political and Ecclesiastical Isa 34. we have a Prophecy of the Judgments wherewith God will at last avenge his Church v. 2. The Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his fury upon all their Armies V. 4. All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their Host shall fall down and the next verse shews what Heavens are meant My Sword shall come down upon Idumea and upon the People of my curse to Judgment The Unicorns shall come down and the Bullocks for it is the Day of the Lords Vengeance and the Year of Recompenses for the Controversie of Sion So that by Heaven here are meant the Churches Antichristian Enemies who have been in Power and above and long have had the upper hand in the World This will appear also from Hag. 2.6 7. I will shake the Heavens the Earth the Sea and the dry Land This shaking is to make way for the coming of Christ That it looks beyond his first coming is evident from Heb. 12.27 where 't is spoken of as a thing then to come And why shall these Heavens and Earth be shaken 'T is for the removing of things that may be shaken as of things that are made Not things as made by God for this is no reason for their removal that they are made by God therefore by things made are meant the things made by Men. For as there are Heavens and Earth made by God so there are Heavens and Earth of Mens making and that both in a Political and Ecclesiastical sence There are many Babels of Mens building The Turkish Religion and frame was made by Men. The Pope both in his Civil and Ecclesiastical Power was made by Men. The Popish Religion and that Antichristian Form of Worship and frame of Government which Popery doth establish is of Mens making Now this shaking will be to remove things made contrary to the Mind of God And this agrees well with Peter The Earth with the works therein even all Antichristian Works shall be burnt up And with Mat. 13.14 The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity There are now many things which offend God and good Men but at last all will be gathered out of the Kingdom This appears also from Rev. 6.12 13. I beheld when he opened the
of restitution of all things shall keep a Sabbath how much more is it now to be done when Saints have so much need of it The Sabbath is made for man that is for man's benefit and advantage secondarily as principally for God's glory that he might be praised for the Works of Six Days And the Christian Sabbath is to be kept that God may be glorified for the work of Redemption and of a new Creation And when the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be created there will be a New Command for it like that New Command of Love John 13.34 And then the Saints shall say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things In the beginning the Heavens and Earth and all the Host of them And now the New Heavens and Earth are finished and all the Hosts of them And for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4.11 All things in the beginning were created and now he that sits upon the Throne hath made all things new And as a Sabbath will be kept by the Jews so in a most strict manner If thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight Many keep a Sabbath now but do not call it a delight But then it shall be the Saints delight Next The Holy of the Lord. The Jews shall acknowledge it to be Jure Divino They shall not look upon it as a Humane Institution and call it the Holy of Men but the Holy of the Lord because made Holy by him And also holy to the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own works nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words which now even the best are too apt to do Consid 5. A Passeover will be kept in the Kingdom of God Ezek. 45.21 In the first moneth in the fourteenth day of the moneth ye shall have the Passeover a feast of seven days and in that day shall the Prince prepare for himself and the people of the land a sin-offering and a burnt-offering and a meat-offering verse 22 23 24. Christ and the Saints shall keep this Passeover and Feast together Compare herewith Luke 22.16 where after Christ had declared his earnest desire to eat of that Passeover he adds I will not any more eat thereof till it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God 'T is observed by Ainsworth on Exod. 12.11 that seven famous Passeovers are recorded in Scripture The first that which Israel kept in Egypt Exod. 12. The second in the Wilderness Num. 9. The third when the Israelites first entered into Canaan in the Valley of Achor Josh 5.10 The fourth in the Reformation of Israel by King Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30. The fifth under Josias 2 Chro. 35. The sixth by Israel returning out of Babylon The seventh by Christ and his Disciples And we may observe how the true Gospel-Passeover came in the room of the Legal Passeover and what times and occasions answerable to the former there have been and will be for keeping a spiritual Passeover 1. The true Passeover hath been slain in Egypt 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us And as the Israelites having the Bloud of the Lamb upon their Door-posts the destroying Angel passed over them so Believers having the Bloud of sprinkling upon them may be sure that wrath and vengeance shall pass over them and they may and ought to keep the Feast by rejoycing in the Grace of God towards them and in their Peace with him and also in hope of the Glory of God and should abundantly bless God for giving Christ for them so should they keep the Feast Q. But how was Christ our Passeover slain in Egypt A. There is that which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 11.8 The great City there spoken of is Rome and by a Synecdoche is put for the Roman Jurisdiction which then did extend it self over Iudaea and by the Roman Power was Christ crucified for the Romans way of putting to death was crucifying So Christ was slain in Egypt spiritually so called that is in the Roman Dominion 2. A spiritual Passeover hath been kept in the Wilderness for the Church hath been driven into the Wilderness by Antichrist and there hath been preserved and nourished being fed with Angels food and much experience of Gods goodness hath been given for meat to the people inhabiting the Wilderness So that even here the Saints have had the great privilege of keeping the Feast and eating their spiritual Passeover whereby the Woman hath been nourished in the Wilderness 3. There have been some times of Reformation and of the Gospels prevailing and some enlargement of the Church from Antichristian Tyranny and Bondage and thereby a ground of keeping the Feast as in the times of Hezekiah and Josiah all being the fruit of Christ their Passeover sacrificed for them 4. The calling of the Jews and the glorious estate of the Church in that time is believed and waited for and not in vain for the Valley of Achor shall be given them for a Door of Hope and Vineyards from thence and then there will be a time for the Iews keeping this Passeover and Feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 5. Babylon must fall and be destroyed for ever and the Churches Redemption which draws nigh will come The man of sin hath been consuming by the Spirit of Christs mouth and will shortly be destroyed by the brightness of his coming and Christ shall take to himself his great power and reign And then shall the Passeover be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God and the Prince and People of the Land shall eat it together And as Christ and his Disciples had a personal communion in eating the Typical Passeover so shall they in eating the true Passeover Q. But how shall Christ being the Passeover eat it A. The Saints shall eat this Passeover and keep the Feast and Christ with them Saints shall eat it by looking on Christ as once slain for them They will rejoyce in what Christ hath done for and is to them even Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And then Christ also will keep the Feast that is he will rejoyce with the Saints as having been their Passeover slain for them and as having by his Spirit made them new creatures The benefits of his Death and Mediation and blessings of his Kingdom which then the Saints shall be partakers of will be his great delight and as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so will Christ over the Saints They shall eat and rejoyce in what they receive from Christ and he in what he gives to them And as he said 't is more blessed to give than to receive so shall he rejoyce more in what he gives to the Saints than they can in what they receive from him And as Saints shall offer praise so Christ with them Once he said Father I thank thee that thou hast revealed
these things to babes so at this Feast will he say Father I thank thee for my Kingdom and that these are with me in it having been brought out of great tribulation I thank thee that all mine Enemies being made my Footstool these are with me on my Throne And for a close of this particular consider how Christ shall prepare for himself as well as for the people of the Land a Sin-offering and Burnt-offering c. This doth not intimate that Christ hath sin of his own to expiate but because he shall as hath been shewn eat this Passeover with the Saints in the Kingdom of God therefore he is said to prepare for himself as well as for the people of the Land Christ prepares joy and gladness for himself when he prepares good for the Saints Thus much of the Passeover We read also of the Feast of seven days chap. 45.25 but nothing of Fasts This will be a time of joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing will flie away The Bridegroom will be with the Saints and therefore they shall not fast But as we read Zech. 8.19 The fast of the fourth moneth and the fast of the fifth moneth c. shall be joyful feasts And this shall be when many and strong nations shall seek the Lord in Ierusalem verse 22. Now it being shewn how a spiritual Passeover will be kept in the Kingdom of God it may not be judged impertinent to adde something for the opening of another Scripture which hath near affinity with this and that is Matth. 26.29 I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Of this Fruit which doth not intimate that the Fruit of the Vine taken in a proper sense shall be drunk in that Kingdom of God which shall be in the New Ierusalem but that which shall have some analogy or likeness with it For clearing this consider that 1. Christ is called a Vine and he is the true vine as he saith Iohn 15.1 2. The Church is called a Vine Psalm 80.8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt thou preparedst room for it and didst cause it to take deep root And when the Jews shall be called they shall be planted a noble Vine God shall prepare room for it and its Boughs shall spread and be as the Cedars of God The Foxes shall be taken that would spoil it and no wilde Bore out of the Wood shall waste it and the Lord will not onely look upon but come down and visit this Vine Thus we see that Christ is a Vine and the Church is a Vine and this is a Vine in a Vine a Vine planted in Christ the true Vine having its life strength and sap from him and when he shall look for Grapes from it 't will not be in vain it shall not bring forth wilde Grapes And next consider how Christ and the Saints shall drink of the Fruit of the Vine new in the Kingdom of God 1. The Saints shall drink and drink abundantly of the Fruit of the true Vine which is Christ for he appearing in glory and the Saints seeing him as he is they shall be abundantly refresh'd and satisfied in those times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The Saints drinking now of this Fruit of the Vine by Faith have joy unspeakable and full of glory When they shall drink in the New Jerusalem by vision full fruition and participation of the benefits of Christ how full of glory will that joy be Psalm 36.8 Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures A River of Wine shall flow from Christ then the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God 2. As the Church is a Vine so Christ shall drink of the Fruit of it For 1. The Memory of what Saints now do and suffer for Christ will be very grateful and pleasing to him for what shall Christ say then Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me I was thirsty and ye gave me drink and what ye gave me then to drink is sweet Wine to me now And this is the Fruit of the true Vine Christ 2. The then holiness and happiness of the Saints and their peace and prosperity will be Christs great delight all is the Fruit of the true Vine being purchased by his Bloud and of his Fulness Saints receive as Branches from the Vine And then Christ shall rejoyce in the glorious effects of his Sufferings for the Saints and take pleasure in their prosperity procured by his being a man of sorrows And once more let Psalm 36.8 be considered Thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures There will be in the New Jerusalem a River of pleasures and these shall be not onely the Saints pleasures but Christs pleasures also for that River the streams whereof make glad the City of God shall make Christ also glad And lo here is the Wine which cheareth God and Man such an expression there is in Jothams Parable Jud. 9.13 It cheareth the heart of Christ who is God and Man and it cheareth Saints too Christ beholding the Saints shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied this is the Wine which he shall drink And Saints shall delight themselves in the Lord and be satisfied in seeing him and have the desire of their hearts and this is the Wine which they shall drink And thus as a Passeover will be kept in the Kingdom of God so shall also the Lords Supper but among the glorified Saints in the New Jerusalem not in signs but in sight of Christ And as at the first Institution of the Lords Supper Christ was personally present with his Disciples so when it shall be eaten and drunk in this more excellent way in the Kingdom of God Christ shall be personally present with the Saints for he saith I will drink it new with you And this shall be done 3. In the Fathers Kingdom which is taken two ways 1. As distinct from the Kingdom of Christ as Mediator which shall then have being when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father 2. As the same with Christs Kingdom for Christs Kingdom is the Fathers though at last the Fathers Kingdom shall not be Christs as Mediator but as God equal with the Father I say Christs is the Fathers for 1. The Father gives it to him Christ is the Fathers King I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Psalm 2.6 And he hath given him power over all flesh John 17.2 And hath committed all judgment to him 2. The Father governs the World in and by Christ as Mediator 3. The Son rules to the glory of the Father for he is said to be Lord Phil. 2.11 And every tongue ought to confess it to the glory of the Father So Christs Kingdom is the Fathers which is here meant as thus appears 1. What in
Matthew is called the Fathers Kingdom Mark 14.25 and Luke 22.18 is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God in the Gospel most usually is taken for Christs Kingdom Luke 11.21 The Kingdom of God is within you or among you which must be understood of Christs Kingdom It is to be observed also that what is called the Fathers Kingdom in Matthew is called Christs Kingdom Luke 22.30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom 2. Christs Kingdom is included in the Fathers in that Petition Thy Kingdom come The Prayer is made to the Father Thy Kingdom c. Now in this Petition the coming of Christs Kingdom is first desired and after the Fathers when Christ shall have finished the work given him to do as Mediator Consid 6. This House with the whole Limit thereof and every thing belonging to it shall be most holy Chap. 43.12 This is the Law of the House upon the top of the Mountain the whole Limit thereof round about shall be most holy And 't is added to shew the certainty of it This is the Law of the House Q. But how a Law A. The Law of this House shall not onely be a Law shewing what ought to be For thus 't is a Law now and at all times that all things in the Church should be holy 1 Cor. 3.17 The Temple of the Lord is holy That is ought to be so But also a Law shewing what shall be There is a Law commanding and a Law causing that to be which is commanded like the Law of the Creation Let there be Light and there was Light So God will say Let this House be holy and it shall be so There is the Law in the Word and the Law in the Heart and in relation to this time especially God promises I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write them in their hearts c. The Law in the Scriptures requires obedience the Law in the Heart inclines to it and makes it natural and pleasant Paul said of Timothy I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state So when the Law is in the Heart it will make Men to care naturally for the things of God I mean with respect to the Divine Nature which Saints partake of Rom. 8.2 Mention is made of the Law of the Spirit Now such will be the Law of this House The Law of the Spirit which is mighty in Christ Jesus shall make the whole Limit of this House holy Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them And here let this farther be taken notice of and it will be a very comfortable consideration Not onely the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured but also the Courts both inner and outer and the Gates and Chambers thereof all are to be measured and made according to their Pattern and so most holy Now compare with this Rev. 11.1 2. Where the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured But the Court without was not to be measured because it was to be given to the Gentiles c. This sets forth the time of Antichrist's Reign who was to possess the outer Court But when the Gentiles thus tread down the Court which is without there is still a Temple and Altar and there are those that worship therein even a true Church holding Christ the Head and holding forth the truth as it is in Jesus and such who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And in this time the holy City must be troden down fourty and two Moneths Jerusalem in the Letter was trodden down of the Romans and Mystical Jerusalem hath been trodden down also As that by the Power of Rome when Heathenish so this by the Power of Rome Antichristian but Heathenish still Papists being but Heathens to the true Israel of God This Court trodden down of the Gentiles is cast out and not measured being cut off and separated from the Temple that is the true Church of God by the Reed of the Word as not belonging to the same Thus in John's Vision the outward Court is not measured but Heathens possess it But Ezekiel in his Vision sees the outward Court also measured with the Gates Thresholds Posts and Chambers thereof and all most holy What may be concluded hence but that 1. The State of the Church as it shall be after the Destruction of Antichrist is here set forth when the fourty and two Moneths shall be ended the Witnesses raised and the Jews called for so long as Antichrist remains he possesses the outward Court and it is not measured But being measured as we see in Ezekiel's Vision the Gentiles will be then cast out and Christ will tread in his anger and trample in his fury those who did tread down the Holy City And this measuring of the outward Court shews that the times of the Gentiles will be then fulfilled and the Jews inwardly and in the Spirit even a true Church shall be in the outward Court 2. Churches at this time will be pure yea most holy even the Churches of the outward Court for all will be measured The Wall on the outside of the House chap. 40.5 the Stairs the Gates the Thresholds and every little Chamber v. 6 7. all agree with their Pattern and so there will not be any Antichristian Church left but all will be holy yea most holy How will this be Churches will be as true so pure and in a degree of purity above what they have been at any time yet in the World The Church of the Jews in the Wilderness was holy the measured Churches which have been in the time of Antichrist's Reign have been holy And the Primitive Church gathered by the Apostles was more holy than any before or since But that Glorious Church which shall be after the Calling of the Jews being compared with the former shall be the most holy of all As Christ said of Iohn Baptist A greater than he hath not risen notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he So there hath not been a more Glorious Church in the World than the Primitive was but the least in the time here meant will be greater than that The least of Churches in the time of the New Heavens and New Earth will be greater and more glorious than the best in the times of the Old Heavens and the Old Earth And why may we not conceive that God is pleased to make use of the Names of the Types and Figures in setting forth this Glorious Church to declare that this Spiritual House will be framed as exactly according to an Heavenly Pattern as the typical House was and that true holiness will be as perfect and exact in this as typical was in that We know that Moses his Work was according to the Pattern
Cubits before the Temple and he said unto me this is the most holy place Not that which was the Figure but the true And this affords a strong Argument to prove that this Name The Lord is there intimates a personal presence For Christ must be personally present in the most holy place to make intercession which will be at last upon Earth Thirdly The Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in this City Rev. 22.3 And Christ on this his Throne sitting at the right hand of God and making intercession Under the Law there was a two-fold Throne 1. A Throne above upon the Ark called the Mercy Seat Exod. 25.17 There the Lord promised to meet and commune with the High Priest This was a Figure of the true which is called the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 This Throne will be in the New Jerusalem and Christ a Priest upon it Zachar. 6.13 praying for and dispensing Grace from it to the Saints 2. A Throne of Judgment Solomon made a great Throne of Ivory there was not the like in any Kingdom 1 Kin. 10.18 And this was a part of Jerusalem's Glory of old Psa 122.5 There are set Thrones of Judgment the Thrones of the House of David and upon David's Throne must Christ sit Now when 't is said the Throne of God and and of the Lamb shall be in it this also is meant And here let this one thing be observed As Christ shall give to the Saints to sit with him upon his Throne so this is not meant of the Throne of Grace where Christ is High Priest True they may go boldly to it to obtain Mercy because Christ is there making intercession But Saints shall not sit there as joynt Mediators with Christ though they are said to be Priests yet not Priests upon a Throne But the Saints shall sit with Christ upon his Throne of Judgment to whom they shall be Servants in executing Justice and Judgment in the Earth Psal 149.9 To execute upon them the Judgment written Christ shall write the Judgment and they shall execute the Judgment written by him This honour have all his Saints Having thus laid down some Arguments to prove the personal presence of Christ in the beloved City and some Objections against it being answered that this great truth may be the better evidenced let the last words of David be a little considered These we find in 2 Sam. 23. and Psal 72. In the former place v. 1. 't is said These be the last words of David and the Preface to what he had to utter shews that they were things of very great weight and very glorious truths David the Son of Jesse said and the Man who was raised up on high the anointed of the God of Jacob the sweet Psalmist of Israel said The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his Word was in my Tongue the God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the fear of the Lord. As these words were a direction to Solomon so chiefly a Prophecy concerning Christ which may be thus rendered Be thou ruler over Men just ruling in the fear of the Lord. Davids Sons succeding him in Government were not all such But Christ who was made of the Seed of David and is to sit upon his Throne shall be such a Ruler He shall be as the light of the Morning when the Sun ariseth even a Morning without Clouds as the tender Grass springing out of the Earth by clear shining after Rain v. 4. Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall arise he shall shine forth as the light of the Morning after the long Night of Antichristian darkness and then there shall be a Morning without Clouds Christ shall come in Clouds but being come the Clouds shall pass away and the tender Grass shall spring out of the Earth they of the City shall multiply and flourish like the Grass of the Field David did not expect it should be thus in the Generations then immediately following True in the beginning of Solomon's Reign there was a short Morning without Clouds but in his latter days he declined and after him things grew much worse Hence he saith Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure As if he had said I see by a Spirit of prophecy that my successors will not be all just yet the Covenant made with me stands sure and shall be made good in him who is my Lord and shall be my Son And here is all my Salvation and all my desire I see his day and long for the great Salvation of it and all my desire is that he may have a name above every name and be exalted and extolled and be very high I see the defections and desolations of my House but look beyond these and do well know that a Rod shall come forth of the Stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his Roots and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and he with Righteousness shall judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth In the latter place which is Psal 72. there is a Prayer added to this Prophecy and the conclusion of these last prophetick words of David The contents given of it are these David praying for Solomon sheweth the goodness and glory of his in type and in truth of Christs Kingdom Several passages in it shew that it must be meant of Christ chiefly as v. 5. They shall fear thee as long as Sun and Moon endure throughout all Generations v. 7. In his days shall the Righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth v. 17. His Name shall be for ever and men shall be blessed in him This was the promise made to Abraham In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed that Seed was Christ Gal. 3.16 Glorious things are spoken of Christ's Kingdom in this Psalm He shall judge the people with Righteousness The Mountains that is Rulers shall bring peace to the people They shall not be the Mountains of Prey but the Mountains of Peace His Kingdom shall be universal even to the ends of the Earth An absolute Victory will be gotten over his Enemies they shall lick the Dust and the greatest shall be made to bow to him The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring Presents the Kings of Sheba and Sebah shall offer Gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him And then will be the Churches full Redemption v. 14. He shall redeem their Soul from deceit and violence Now the fore-sight of this glorious Kingdom and of the happy Estate of the Church in it makes David to break forth into Praises v. 18. Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things and blessed be his Glorious Name for ever and ever and let the
of what sort they are and the Word preached shall be Fire to burn up Wood Hay and Stubble And then shall Popish Priests appear to be but as the Priests of Baal Now by this means Unity shall be restored to the Church For this Elias will be a blessed Peace-maker among the Saints and shall make Brethren to dwell together in Unity so that one shall not be of Paul another of Apollo Now sometimes Fathers begetting and Children begotten through the Gospel have fallen asunder But this Elijah shall turn the hearts of Fathers to their Children and the hearts of Children to their Fathers And that Promise will be fulfilled Phil. 3.15 If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you And thus the Multitude of the Disciples will be as in the Apostle's days of one Heart and of one Soul Secondly To the Jews in particular For they shall be called and be the Children of the living God And so the Adoption Glory and Covenants and giving of the Law shall be restored to them and more than they had under the Law And we may well suppose that the Elijah spoken of in Malachy will be the means of the first calling of the Jews For he shall turn the hearts of Fathers to their Children and of Children to their Fathers Through his Ministry the Jews shall come to have the same Hearts with their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Abraham believed God and his Faith was counted to him for Righteousness and he was obedient to the Commands of God He saw Christ's day and rejoyced And at last the Children shall have the same heart with Abraham their Father They shall believe unto Righteousness and rejoyce in Christ's day And when Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall be in the beloved City then their hearts will be to their Children So this Elias will be as the Instrument of turning the Childrens hearts to their Fathers so the occasion of the Fathers turning their hearts to their Children And now the disobedient will be turned to the wisdom of the Just that is of just Abraham 'T is to be observed that the Jews great disobedience was in refusing to hear Christ and to obey the Gospel which he preached which was after John Baptist was beheaded Now Elias must turn these disobedient ones to the wisdom of the Just which shews that there is an Elias yet to come to restore all things And when he comes the Kingdom of the Spirit which was so evident and eminent in the Apostles days shall be restored And then the Spirit in and by the Word shall mightily convince the World wondering after the Beast of their great Error therein whereby they shall be made to hate the Whore and to eat her Flesh and burn her with Fire Thus much of the restoring all things by an 〈…〉 et to come 2. Christ at his coming shall restore all things Acts 3.21 The Heavens must receive him till the time of the restitution of all things Christ will come and set all things right Elias will restore all things of the Primitive Apostolical Estate Christ will restore all things of the Primitive State of Innocency and Uprightness Elias all lost through Antichrist's Apostasie fore-told 1 Tim. 4.1 Christ all lost by Adam's Apostasie and shall set the Saints in a better Estate than Adam had in Paradise A particular description of this Restitution is not to be expected but we must rest satisfied with those generals which we have in Scripture about it Rev. 21.5 He that sitteth upon the Throne shall make all things new The Works of Antichrist yea all the Works of the Devil shall be destroyed All Babels will be thrown down and all Idols be utterly abolished The New Heavens and Earth will be created in such Glory and Beauty that the former shall not be remembred And as Light Grace and Peace shall be most plentifully and abundantly restored to the Church so Righteousness Judgment and Quietness to Civil States No Inhabitant of the Beloved City shall say I am sick None of the New Earth shall complain of violence or wrong then the Kingdom shall be restored to Israel yea the Kingdom lost by the First Adam shall be restored to the Second And a Paradise will be restored with the Tree of Life in it In a word all the dead Saints shall be restored and shall live and reign with Christ. 3. A description of the two Beasts mentioned Revel 13. As there hath been occasion to mention the Beast in the fore-going discourse so 't will be requisite to consider the description given of him in the Scriptures Two are described in the place last cited The first riseth up out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns Some are apt to conceive that the Roman Empire as Heathenish was this Beast But this can't be because this Beast is said to continue Fourty and two Moneths And besides the Roman Empire as Heathenish is that Dragon we read of Rev. 12.3 A great red Dragon appeared having seven Heads and ten Horns and ten Crowns upon his Heads And this Dragon gives to the Beast rising out of the Sea his Power and Seat which is Rome and great Authority And 't is to be observed that the Dragon hath Crowns upon his Heads but this Beast on his ten Horns which are the ten Kings which give up their Power to the Beast Now for the better understanding of what we find in this Chapter about these two Beasts we may consider that in Prophetical Style sometime by Beast is meant the Fourth Kingdom which was to be on Earth Dan. 7.23 The fourth Beast shall be the fourth Kingdom Revelat. 17.7 I will shew thee the Mystery of the Woman and of the Beast that carrieth her which hath seven Heads and ten Horns Here the Beast is the Fourth Kingdom and the Woman riding the Beast is the Ruler of this fourth Kingdom And as sometimes by Beast is meant the fourth Kingdom so sometimes the Head thereof is called the Beast Revel 11.7 The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit shall make war c. Where by Beast the Pope or Papal Head of this fourth Kingdom the Slayer of the Witnesses is meant This first Beast then is the fourth Kingdom as becoming Papal or as under Popes as the Head thereof having Rome which is Mystical Babylon for a Seat This is the Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns that is ruling in that City which was built on seven Mountains and which hath had seven sorts of Government having in himself the Monarchical Power of the Beast which before had been in the six preceding Kings or Regiments and to whom ten crowned Kings gave up their Power which continue one hour with the Beast v. 3. John saith I saw one of his Heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed That is taking this Beast with seven Heads for the fourth Kingdom so
days here as well as in many other of his Prophecies even to the time when Jerusalem shall be a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down v. 20. Q. What then shall we understand by this Fire A. It is such a Fire as the Righteous shall dwell with and not be hurt by and therfore not Hell-Fire so they shall not dwell with it Why should not the Fire which Peter speakes of be here meant That Fire to which the World that now is in Being is reserved called everlasting Burnings because as to the wicked which will be consumed by them they will be the beginnings of everlasting burnings For the ungodly ones who shall perish by them shall never be out of the Fire afterwards Now who shall dwell with those burnings who shall live when God doth this and when this dreadful Conflagration shall be who shall be like Moses on the Mount that burned and not be consumed The Answer is He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly And 't is farther promised Thine Eyes shall see the King in his beauty That is Hezekiah say Interpreters who as in the time of the Siege he did rend his cloaths and covered himself with Sackloth so when that great Deliverance was wrought he was seen in his beauty again but the Chaldee Paraphrase gives a better sense which in Latine is thus rendered Gloriam Majestatis regisâ— seculorum in decore suo videbunt oculi tui Thine Eyes shall see the King eternal as he is called 1 Tim. 1.17 in the glory of his Majesty Even that King spoken of v. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King And 't is farther promised They shall behold the Land that is very far off That is say some Senacheribs Siege shall be raised and then the Jews shall go abroad in the Land again But what reason was there to call any part of Judea the Land very far off from Jeurusalem Surely somewhat else seems hinted and why may we not think it to be meant of a Land very far off in respect of the time of its being For as we read of times afar off so there was a Land far off in regard of the time of its existence even the new Earth which is to be created in which Righteousness shall dwell and upon which the Saints shall reign with Christ This was in Isaiah's time The Land very far off but now very near which they that walk in Righteousness shall behold 6. Pray earnestly that this Kingdom may come God delights much in such Prayers We may see what a large Commission is given for praying for these things Isa 45.11 Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons I have spoken much of them and do you ask me of them Ask and you shall know much of them Ask and they shall come ask me of them and you shall have a share in them when they come And concerning the works of my hands command ye me 1. Command ye me God hath put himself under a Law by his gracious Promise Covenant and Oath He that Commands all yields to be Commanded by the Prayer of his People 2. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me Which may either look back to works already wrought or forward to works to be wrought First to works already wrought My Sons are the works of my hands created to good works and formed for my praise Now do you command me concerning them and then I will command their Enemies to let them go free I will say to the North give up to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth Secondly to works to be wrought I will create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy I will make the new Heavens and the new Earth and concerning these works which my hands shall make command ye me Those that would at last reign must now overcome First within there is an Old Man to be overcome and you must get the Rule of your own Spirits which is better than to rule a City Let Grace reign over Corruption Spirit over Flesh Let Faith Love and the Fear of God rule in patience possess your Souls Let there be a Kingdom of Patience and then shall there be at last a Kingdom of Power Secondly you must overcome without There is a World to be overcome and that both the good and the evil of it The good thus All things are lawful but I will not be under the power of any Covetous Men are under the power of Riches let it not be so with you do you through Grace rule them and use them as you ought and let not them rule you And as for the evil things of the World meddle not with them but keep your selves unspotted of the World Save your selves from the Sins and so shall you from the Plagues of an untoward Generation There is a Satan also to be overcome 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God keepeth himself and that evil One toucheth him not Tactu qualitativo that is by a touch altering the Nature he shall not destroy the Divine Nature or Seed of God in the Regenerate He touched Adam and he died but he can't so touch a true Saint There is lastly a Beast to be overcome There is a twofold overcoming the Beast First In his temptations and endeavours to subject the Hearts and Consciences of all to him So Saints choosing to suffer from him rather than to serve him do overcome There is a Victory gotten over his Mark and over the Number of his Name when many do adore him and reverence and honour his Name as a Name above every Name as exalting himself above all that is called God they have his Name in greatest contempt when some call him the Vicar of Christ the Head of the Church and when he shews himself that he is God The faithful Witnesses overcome all these high Titles and great Names and call him by his right Names the Antichrist the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition Secondly In his Power and Kingdom Overcome him in the first sense and 't will not be long before the Saints shall see him overcome in this latter sense Great Promises are made to Overcomers in the Second and Third Chapters of the Revelations and they look to the Day of Christ's Personal Reign as the special time for their accomplishment Not but that the Spirits of Just Men have the substance of them in Heaven but when their Bodies shall be raised then will be the eminent time of fulfilling them For then shall they rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and sit with Christ upon his Throne Be Overcomers then and you shall be able to say at last as Joshua did Not one thing hath failed of all the good Word which the Lord hath spoken Written by William Alleine Minister of the Gospel FINIS Some Discovery OF THE NEVV
Thess 5.2 is affirmed of Christ's second coming and when the Battel of Armageddon shall be then Christ shall come as a Thief Rev. 16.15 and lastly the passing away of the Old Heavens and Earth and consequently the creating of the New will be at the day of Judgment v. 7. The Heavens and Earth are reserved to fire against the day of Judgment and all do grant that Christ will come personally at the day of Judgment and when he comes all the dead Saints shall be raised and appear with him Now put all these things together The Old Heavens and Earth must perish new must be created Saints and Righteouss Men must after this dwell in the New Earth and at this time will be the day of Judgment Therefore there must be a Visible and personal presence and reign of Christ upon this New Earth then to be called Beulah and Christ will not marry it and be presently after a day divorced again but as the Saints shall dwell in it so Christ with them If any shall Object that the Judgment shall not be till after the one thousand years and the destruction of Gog and Magog for then 't is said Rev. 20.11 Christ shall sit upon a great White Throne and the dead small and great shall stand before him and why may not this be the day of Judgment spoken of by Peter For answer to this I shall say that if this of Peter and the 20. Rev. be well considered and compared together it will evidently appear that there will be a day of Judgment begun at the time of Antichrist's destruction and the final fall of Babylon and the perishing of the World which now is which is called by some the Morning of that great day and will be at the beginning of the one thousand years And a day also after the end of them called the Evening of that day And as for the Judgment the Scipture gives evident ground to state it thus even by considering it in a threefold step or degree of it 1. There is a particular judgment which passes upon all Souls at their separation from their Bodies Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Soul shall return unto God that gave it The Souls of all men do at their Death return to God but in a different manner some fall into the hands of the living God and that is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of revenging justice and wrath others having before committed their Souls into the hands of God are carried by Angels to Heaven where an hand of mercy receives them 2. There will be a Farther work of Judgment at Christ's second coming even at the beginning of the thousand years which as it is spoken of by Peter so by Daniel 7.26 When the Son of Man comes in the Clouds of Heaven then the Judgment shall sit and we may consider what shall be done by that Judgment then sitting in relation to the Wicked The Dominion of the little Horn will be taken away and so Antichrist's Kingdom will be wholly destroyed for the Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it even to the end And then also it will be as Peter sayth a day of Perdition of ungodly Men even of those who shall then be found standing up against the Prince of Princes And Farther in relation to the godly it shall be a day to give reward to them and what reward this shall be we see Dan. 7.27 The greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High and all Dominions shall serve him they shall be judged to reign with Christ This we see also Mat. 25.15 and Luk. 19.17 What shall be said to those that improve their Talents and Pounds Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord so as to reign with him Be thou Ruler over five Cities be thou Ruler over ten Cities At this time the Saints shall be judged to have an Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ as it is distinct from the Kingdom of the Father of both which mention is made Ephes 5.5 3. The last step which Christ will take in the Judgment will be after the ending of the thousand years and this is that Judgment mentioned Rev. 20.11 Then the wicked shall be raised and brought to Judgment even such whose Names are not written in the Book of Life as there 't is said and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire At this time also there will be a Farther work of Judgment in Relation to the Godly For they shall be then judged to an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father At the Judgment mentioned by Peter they shall have Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and at that spoken of Rev. 20. Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father Mat. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall have come and so after the time of his coming in Glory he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and all Nations shall be called before him and he shall set the sheep on his Right hand and the Goats at his Left hand and now although it hath been Stated thus that at the beginning of the Thousand years he shall set the Sheep on his Right hand and after the End of them the Goats at his Left hand yet it seems more agreeable to the expressions there to conceive that both sorts shall be set in this posture together and shall thus stand before Christ the Judge and then the wicked shall be judged to go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into Life eternal in the Fathers Kingdom And thus as at Peters day of Judgment Being the Morning of it the Saints shall be the blessed of Christ and receive an Inheritance in his Kingdom and reign with him so at Johns day of Judgment or at the Evening of that day they shall be the blessed of the Father and be admitted to the enjoyment of their Inheritance in his Kingdom Hence 't is the King shall say to the Sheep on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom that is take your Inheritance in my Fathers Kingdom 2. 'T is most evident from Scripture that there will be a time in which the Jews shall be called and delivered from their spirituall Captivity which is upon them by their blindness and unbelief and the vail which is upon their Hearts shall be taken away They shall be delivered from their outward Captivity and also be in a state of freedom Rest and Power and in this estate must long continue even for many generations as hath been shewen in the former Treatise Now that there shall be a personal
coming of Christ when the Jews shall be thus redeemed from their Captivity is most evident Luk. 21.23 24. c. There shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people and they shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be Trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled The Gentiles Captivating the Jews and treading them down were the Romans these Gentiles have their time set how long they shall Reign The Roman Monarchy which did Tread down Jerusalem in the Letter and doth now Tread down the Mystical Jerusalem that is the Church as we Read Rev. 11.2 hath a period set to it thus far shall it come and no farther thus long it shall continue and no longer that is at the end of fourty and two Months reckoning them from the beginning of the latter treading down mentioned Rev. 11. Rome the seat of this Monarchy shall be destroyed And then will the Jews deliverance from their long Captivity begin Now what shall happen when these times of the Gentiles shall be very near their end This we see v. 25. there shall be Signes in the Sun In the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth for the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken and these shew the day of their redemption to be drawing nigh v. 28. Now when these times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and there shall be such a shaking to remove quite away the power of the Gentiles that is to destroy for ever the Roman Antichristian Kingdom and State then at that time v. 27. they shall see the Son of Man coming with power and great Glory which is his Second personal coming If any deny this they will gratify those Scoffers much which Peter spakes of in giving up so clear a proof of Christs Second coming 3. A Third Argument may be taken from Mat. 24.29 Which hath been a little toucht but now shall be farther urged Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days that is when Tribulation comes to this height to be such as never was c. the Sun shall be darkned c. and then shall appear the signe of the Son of Man in Heaven and the Tribes of the Earth shall Mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory This shall be Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days what Tribulation this is the last Tribulation of the People of God which is said to be such trouble as never was since there was a Nation This is from the Devil when he shall have great wrath because his time is short 't is the Tribulation that Gog and Magog mentioned Ezek. 39. shall cause the same with those Kings of the Earth and the whole World which shall be gathered by the Beast and his Emissaries to the Battel of that great day of God Almighty This being the last Tribulation when this shall End then will the year of Christs redeemed come and the Saints will have rest and peace and shall sit under their Vines and fig-trees and have none to make them affraid Now if there shall be such a time here upon Earth that all the Saints troubles shall have an End and they shall enter into a state of rest and peace which shall have no End which if any will deny they must Write Apocrypha over a great part of that Scripture which was given by Inspiration of God I say if such a time shall be then Christ will appear personally at that time for immediately after this Tribulation shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven and this his personal coming for at this time the dead Saints shall be raised v 21. He shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather the elect c. that is the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 51.52 1. Thess 4.16 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised and Observe by the way that at this time only the elect shall be raised for they shall gather the elect and besides 't is that coming of which Christ said none knows the day of it v. 36. which certainly is his second personal coming If the Church therefore shall have a glorious time on Earth Christ shall come personally even at the beginning of that time To this argument it hath been answered that this is the Tribulation which Gog and Magog shall cause after the thousand years shall be Ended But that this is not the Tribulation here meant these particulars sufficiently declare 1. At the time of this Tribulation there will be a great Apostacy of Men professing godliness For the love of many shall wax cold v. 12. and false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and deceive many v. 24. and the Stars shall fall from Heaven c. Now no such thing shall happen after the thousand years for the Devil shall only deceive the Nations Gog and Magog not any among the Saints and saved Nations much less any in the beloved City Shall the Sun in the New Heavens be darkned shall any of the Stars of that Heaven fall no certainly for Isa 60.20 Thy Sun shall no more go down and as the New Heavens so the Stars of those New Heavens shall remain 2. At the Tribulation here spoken of the powers of Heaven will be shaken which is not to be said of the New Heavens for these can't be shaken Heb. 12.26 yet once more I shake Heaven and but once This shaking will be of the Antichristian Kingdom and Heaven to remove it quite away that so way may be made for the New Heavens Gog and Magog when they shall gather at last shall not at all shake the New Heavens For the shaking is to remove the things that may be shaken But the New Heavens shall not be removed but remain Isa 60.22 Yea the Apostle saith plainly these cannot be shaken Heb. 12.27 That those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken c. The Mount Sinai Kingdom was shaken and removed that the Mount Sion Kingdome might be set up which is not to be shaken but stands fast for ever this is the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel which shall continue till the coming of Christ and then grow up to its perfection and then all the Enemies of it shall fall before it and be the Foot-stool of Christ and he shall be King over all the Earth and this his Kingdom is not to be shaken and removed It 's most evident then that this Tribulation will immediately precede the Thousand years and then Christ will come the second time to salvation and put an End to it And thus the Argument here stands like that Pillar