Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his possession v. 8. which hath been but in a small measure fulfilled to what it shall be when there shall be given to him at his coming in the Clouds Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him as Dan. 7.13 14. and which shall not pass away as the former did into whose place his shall succeed and to avoid the shifting it from Earth then 't is said expresly all this shall be under the whole heaven v. 27. and all Dominion shall serve him which it never yet did c. and this to be fulfilled upon the destruction of the Beast c. So likewise of the same time when the third Wee came that the seventh Angel sounded There were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ c. Rev. 11.15 So also Saint Paul from Daniel joynes his judgeing quick and dead and his Kingdom together 2 Tim. 4.1 as was shewed which will be above 1000. years before the last Resurection and general Judgement That large extent thereof was also foretold Psal 72.8 11. under the Type of Solomon though many things therein are not competible to Solomon but only to Christ who shall in a most large sence have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth with other illustrations that could belong only to Christs Kingdom v. 11. All Kings shall fall down before him and all Nations shall serve him with other like c. Hence he is stiled the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 11.15 And King of Kings c. 1 Tim. 6.15 Rev. 1.9 and else where Observe the perpetuity of this Kingdom of Christ to which purpose in the said 72. Psal â— 7 it is said concerning Christ which could not be true of Solomen that in his dayes the righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth and v. 17. His name shall continue for ever his name or his dignity and honour shall be continued as long as the Sun or as in the Heb. shall be as a son to continue his fathers name for ever So also runs the promise under the Type of Solomon made to Davids house to be fulfilled in Christ 2 Sam. 7.13 I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever v. 16. thy house and thy kingdome shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever before thee Hence with much gratitude David accepted that great mercy and said v. 25. Now O Lord God the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house establish it for ever and do as thou hast said and again v. 29. Let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant that it may continue for ever before thee for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever So in Christ the Prophet Esay shews it shall be fulfilled c. 9.7 Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be none end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever And after God had manifested his gracious purpose in the parable of the two sticks Ezek. 37. he shews more especially this kingdomes perpetuity v. 25 c. saying And they viz. the twelve Tribes shall dwell in that land wherein their fathers dwelt they and their children and their childrens children for ever and then he addes and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever and that this is of Christs Davidical Kingdome to begin at the ruine of the fourth Monarchy which he will when death is destroyed deliver up again to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24 not of his spiritual which he alwayes had and will have as God see the reasons thereof in our Tract on Jer. 3.17 pag. So Rov 11.15 And he shall reign for ever and ever while the world shall continue but spiritually to all eternity as by the occasion of those words at the seventh Trumpet the same time wherein Christs said Davidical Kingdome shall begin may evidently appear Furthermore the uniting of the ten Tribes of Israel with the other two is also foretold about the beginning of the 1000 years of Christs said reign on earth that then they shall become one Kingdome under Christ as is largely set down by Ezekiel in the forementioned 37 chap. First by the dry bones explained so by God himself verse 11. Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel and after by the two sticks one of Joseph the other of Judah from verse 15. to verse 20. where again he explains the resemblance verse 21. I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they are gone and will gather them on every side which was never yet fulfilled and bring them into their own Land and I will make them one Nation in the land upon the Mountains of Israel not yet fulfilled and one King shall be King to them all c. and David my servant shall be King over them and they shall have one Shepherd v. 22. and they shall dwell in the land which I gave to Jacob my Servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their Children and their Childrens Children for ever v. 25. Moreover I will make a Covenant of Peace with them and it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for ever more c. v. 26. And how clear and large a Comment upon this and other Prophesies and Promises to like purpose concerning all Israel the Apostle Paul hath made Rom. 11. Who so runneth may read God hath not cast off his People saith he which he fore-knew it was true at that time when he spake it as he shews v. 5. and will be of the Elect at all times and though the diminishing of the Jews was for a time the riches of the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousie yet their restoring and fulness will be a greater riches to them which he for the strangness compares as in Ezekiels Vision to a Resurrection from the dead v. 15. and shews they are the natural branches of the blessed Fore-Fathers and shall all be graffed in again into their own Olive Tree and v. 26. declares the mistery of the long continued blindness of all Israel as also saith he there is a Vail upon their hearts but that Vail shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3. and then confirms by Prophesie their general call and deliverance from Es 59.20 And so saith he v. 26. all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall
turn away ungodliness from Jacob declaring further That the strength of the Promise consisted in the Covenant with their Fore-Fathers for this said God is my Covenant unto them though made of old with their Fore-Fathers yet reaching still unto them when I shall take away their sins Thus we may see in these many particulars what the holy Scripture speaks of them at or about the begining of Christs Kingdom on Earth which though but briefly toucht yet in this respect may sufficiently demonstrate to unprejudiced Christians the truth of this Doctrine But yet more largely it may again appear by what will be done all the said 1000. years c. 1. Satan will be bound and continue shut up in his Prison all the said time that he may not in all that time deceive the Nations any more till the 1000 years are ended though afterwards for a little season he will be roosed again Rev. 20.2 3. 2. Christ with his raised Saints shall raign on the Earth all that thousand years Rev. 5.10 20.4 3. Then will be the new Heavens and the new Earth whereind wells Righteousness for the said thousand years 1 Pet. 3.13 Es 65.17 Rev. 21.1 4. Then the New Jerusalem that shall come down from God out of Heaven will be in its glory and peace Rev. 21.10.11 and after its undoubted rescue from Satans last attempt with his last Gog and Magog to besiege it as before was evident chap. 20.7 8 9 10 c. and against the Camp of the Saints all in vain and to his own ruine and his followers which is the begining of a more flourishing and blessed estate to that Jerusalem and all her Saints as ch 21. and 22. and that for all eternity after their said sudden rapture and change thence for ever to be with the Lord 1 Thes 4.16 1 Cor. 15.51 5. The inferiour creatures will then be freed from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God during the same time Rom 8.21 6. It is the time of that Adoption the Apostle Paul speaks of which thus he explains to wit the redemption of their bodies namely from the corruption and prison of the grave to remain alive with Christ in that said state all the 1000 years ensuing which is the redemption of which our Saviour sets down the signs Luk. 21. and particularly makes a consequent of his coming in a cloud v. 27. saying Then lift up your heads for your redemption draws nigh v. 28. But in v. 31. puts it beyond all ground of doubt saying When ye see these things the Kingdome of God is nigh at hand which must needs be that revealed Dan. 7.13 14. and then to begin for 1000 years Rev. 20.4 and not of the Kingdome of the stone only as spiritual but of the mountain Dan. 2.35 when it will fill the whole earth called then also the Kingdome of God Rev. 11.15 and ch 19.6 7. Then every knee shall bow to Christ of things before in heaven and in earth and under the earth and shall by their subjection to him acknowledge him Lord of all of which bowing the knee amongst men is a token c. Phil. 2.9 10. So prophesied of Es 45.23 and which is excellently set forth in a Vision declaring the issue of the revelations accomplishments Rev. 5.7 8 9 11 12 13. as is usuall in that Book for all the sufferers in order in a greater or less degree as after may more appear in our 7th Argument afterwards But in the said Vision after the Church and innumerable glorious Angels had done then all creatures also are said to sing their song of praise to the Lamb by rendering blessing honour glory power unto him v. 13. 8. Then the promises made to the faithfull forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob concerning their having the promised land and their posterities enjoying it to the end of the world as Ezek 77.25 26 c. or as that emphatical expression is Deut. 11.21 as the dayes of heaven upon earth shall be fulfilled though they in their life time only saw the promises afar off and received not the accomplishment of them while they lived Heb. 11.39 And as Stephen speaks of Abraham to whom that promise was first and often made yet sayes he had not so much as to set his foot on by virtue of the said promise Act. 7. which promise is largely rehearsed Ps 105.8 9 10 11. 9. Then shall they enjoy that City with its wonderfull glory which God hath provided for them Heb. 11.16 and of which he himself is said to be the builder and maker of which also is said to have foundations v. 10. where they and all the faithfull sufferers since shall be made perfect in one Joh. 17.21 23. and also behold Christs glory there v. 24. 10. Then shall they all enjoy all the priviledges and benefits of the New Jerusalem state all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes they shall be the sons of God and inherit all things Rev. 21.7 They shall see Gods face and his name shall be in their forehead they shall have their part in the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations and in the pure River Rev. 22. with many other promises and priviledges respecting that state and time 11. Then shall those in the natural life which shall then be of those Nations that shall then be saved walk in the light of the said New Jerusalem Rev. 21. and have very much teaching guidance and help from thence in such wayes as God hath appointed thereunto when they and their Kings shall bring their glory and honour to it and their Kings shall bring the honour of the Nations to it Rev. 24.26 Es 60. 12. Then shall all those great promises made in Scripture to the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to be fulfilled on earth take their full effect Deut. 30. v. 1. to 11. Eze. 37. to the end Es 60. 61. 59 c. with multitudes of others belonging to them in this world by virtue of Gods Covenant with their fathers Jer. 31.32 and 32.37 38 39 c. 13. Then will be that restitution of all things spoken of by the Apostle Peter Act. 3.20 21. and those times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord after the heavens shall cease to contain him for that time therefore saith Paul Ye shall have rest with us when our Lord Jesus shall appear with his holy Angels and render Tribulation to his Adversaries 2 Thes 1 6. And that appears to be that Sabbatisme or Rest the Apostle Paul asserted yet to remain to the People of God Heb. 4.9 14. Then also will the Tabernacle of God be with men and he will dwell with them and he will be their God and they shall be his People Rev. 21.3 and they his Servants shall serve him Rev. 22.3 it will then be their joy and happiness to do so Many other particulars are spoken of in
Scripture respecting the duties the dignities the priviledges and happiness both of living in the Natural life and the Saints raised from the death of the body wherein they will both be happily exercised and peacefully and securely enjoy the benefits the said thousand years of Christs reign upon Earth from his coming in the Clouds of heaven for above a thousand years space until his sitting on that great white Throne when the Heaven and the Earth shall flee away before his face and no place be found for them Rev. 20.11 and when these visible Heavens we behold shall be no more as is said Job 14.12 And so we proceed to make up the evidence of this first way of Demonstration a little to touch upon the third sort of those things that are declared by the holy Scriptures to be done at the end of the said thousand years which are so evidently set down in the latter part of the Revelation wherein as Mr. Mede observes the Holy Ghost hath set down things more clearly than before and herein observe what he declareth 1. First concerning Satans loosing again who after he had told us of his binding and shutting up at the begining of the thousand years and for what reason that he might deceive the Nations no more till the thousand years were fulfilled but then he adds after that he must be loosed for a little space v. 2 3. and when he had set forth summarily the happiness of the raised Saints raign with Christ with other divine truths of the different estate of the rest of the dead which were not to be raised till the thousand years were ended v. 4 5 6. he proceeds to shew in order how accordingly it shall fall out v. 7. as before he had fore-told that Satan should be loosed then out of his prison For what is here delivered concerning Satan and the state of the Saints raised and then of the rest not raised that are said not to live again till c. is all set out with the greatest distinct clearness in each respect that can in so short a form or frame of words probably be expressed or conceived and as most agreeing with the current of the Sacred Scripture concerning those things which Christ was so graciously pleased so to make known for the benefit of his Church in the time of the end and therefore delivers them so clearly and distinctly and so leaves them with all the rest of this book unsealed Rev. 22.10 For from the time of the giving this Revelation and Christs receiving his Commission from the Father to open the Seals and read and execute the particulars in their order chap. 5. he hath been still is and will also henceforth be in doing till they all be accomplished accordingly and therefore he saith in respect of the order of accomplishment the time is at hand chap. 1.3 2. And Secondly after the holy Spirit had so punctually set down the time of Satans loosing out of his Prison he proceeds in the next place to shew what ill use he would make of his loosing though permitted to him but for a little season at the end of the thousand years and though he be fore-told from the word of Christ that his last desperate devilish attempt will be but a vain attempt against the Camp of the Saints and the holy City and not only bring on effectually the ruine to that world wherein he would still rule but destruction also to himself with them in the said bottomless pit where the Beast and the false Prophet that he had in former times long seduced were cast above a thousand years before yet so desperately wicked notwithstanding Satan will then be and it appears to be the heavy judgement of God upon him that he will then so do viz. go out to deceive the Nations even in such a case c. as v. 8. 3. The large extent of that most horrible wicked attempt of his and where they will be found that shall thereto be seduced then by him to such a purpose namely in the four quarters of the Earth even such as were removed or far withdrawn from the Camp of the Saints by such time as the thousand years should end v. 8. 4. By the quality of such Nations which he will deceive and seduce then into that so vain and horrible an attempt who are described by the titles of Gog and Magog even as those great and implacable Enemies to the Church were described to wit the Turk and Pope Ez. 38 39 which by his long seducement were by him brought to their ruine before the thousand years when he knew he was to be shut up so long in his prison and when the Jews were to be delivered and placed in their own Land Ezek. 37. and united with the ten Tribes their Brethren into one Kingdom under Christ and the new Jerusalem set up and described by Ezekiel from chap. 40. to the end of that Book there named Jehovah Shamma the Lord is there this title or description of such wretched persons the holy Spirit is here again pleased to use to set them forth by that they will be another Gog and Magog maliciously attempting the subversion of Christs Church though so incomparably glorious in the world c. v. 8. 5. The course he takes with them he gathers them together to battell for it is the most natural design of the Devil and his most wicked agents in all times to war against the Saints and it was quarrel enough against them both for him and them that the mannaging well the power of good government is by God put into their hands for restraining evil and promoting good as doubtless in that time it will be when that attempt shall be made for the overthrow whereof that design should probably serve if it might be to get such power into their own hands that Satan by and in them might reign 6. The seeming advantage they will think probably they shall have to undertake that hellish design which Satan will provoke and tempt them to make use of therein namely their very great multitudes and hosts of evil cumbitants which are foretold shall be as the sand of the sea v. 8. 7. Their general unanimous and ready yieldance to such Satans tentation and seducement they went upon the breadth of the earth v. 9. wickedly yet confidently relying on their own multitudes even against the long and glorious manifestations of the power and kingdome of Christ in the world then after and in the destruction of the Beast above 1000 years before 8. The high degree of their seeming prevalency in such atchievement they compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City v. 9. they even seemed then to obtain their end c. But then 9. Observe Gods appearing in the nick of time against them causing their horrible disappointment and bringing upon them their remediless and desperate destruction fire then came down from God out of heaven and