Zech. 14.17 And the others being not Fruitful the Nations will decrease and Israel according to the Word of the Lord will Blossom and Bud and fill the face of the World with Fruit Isa 27.6 And then it is a little one shall become a Thousand and a small one a strong Nation The Lord will hasten it in his time Isa 60.22 And these are the World to come and the World that will never be Judged Because Israel is then betrothed to the Lord for ever in loving-kindness and in Mercy Hosea 2.19 And therefore fore at the last Judgment when the Sea and Hell and Death deliver up their Dead there is none of the Nations Judged Rev. 20.13 For this World to come is World without end For the Lord saith Isa 66.22 As the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your Seed and your Name remain The which New Heavens and Earth which God will make is to be comprehended under a two or threefold Head for the Lord with the raised Saints will be a Heaven for in Scripture a ruling power is a Heaven as I have already proved and when the Lord comes with his Saints to take to himself his own great Power and Reign Rev. 11.15 17. Rev. 19.6 7 15. Then there is a new Heaven wherein dwells Righteousness and Israel when they are made Plants Righteousness at which time they will be all Righteous Isa 60.21 Then they will be the Earth wherein dwells Righteousness and these will be the new Heavens and Earth that will take place upon the passing away of the Old Rev. 21.1 2dly the Glorious Mansion which the Lord is gone to prepare for his Saints he will then bring with him Rev. 12.3 The which will then be a new Heaven and a Taberâ—â—cle of Covert over all the Assemblies of Israel Es. 4.5 6. And then their Land will be like the Garden of Eden Ezek. 36.35 And then it will be a new Earth and so a new Heavens and new Earth and the other part of the Earth will be renewed and made Fruitful and the Darks and Clouds dispersed thereby will appear a new Face put upon all things is Rev. What is here hinted as to the Heavens and Earth is at large proved in my Book of the Figurative Speeches Concerning the Kingdom of Saul and the Kingdom of David THe House of Saul and the House of David were the Figures or Representatives of the two Kingdoms The House of Saul the Figure of the Kingdom of this World who have a day of Grace put into their Hands But for his disobedience the Kingdom was taken from him And David was the lively Representative of the Kingdom that is to come The which Kingdom the Lord commanded us Daily to pray for Which Typical Kingdom David long waited for after he had the promise of it and he stood in all his Tryals till he received the Crown For which God made with him an everlasting Covenant and sure in that he would never take his loving Kindness from him nor his Son as he did from Saul And therefore it was termed the sure Mercies of David After which David Sinned as to the matter of Vriah for which God hurled him off from his Throne and as he saith broke all his Bones for those that are in this time without Chastisement are Bastards and not Sons Heb. 12.8 But God would not take the Kingdom from him because of the Oath that he had made him with the promise to his Seed But the common tender of his Grace is now to every one that is a thirst that they may freely come and Eat that which is Good but their Souls must delight in fatness and this God will be Judge of for we must be brought to Judgment before we shall be thought meet to be inheritors with the Saints in Light as to partake of the sure Mercies of David Isa 55.4 5. And as the Historical part of the Bible gives us an account that in David's time the House of Saul grew Weaker and Weaker and the House of David Stronger and Stronger So the Prophetical part declares that in time to come the House of Saul will gorw Weaker and Weaker and the House of David grow Stronger and Stronger As in Isa 27.6 God then shall cause them of Jacob to take Root Israel shall Blossom and Bud and fill the Face of the World with Fruit and in Isa 60.22 A little one shall become a Thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time For this is not to be untill the time to come At which time the Younger Peoples Strength will thus wonderfully surpass the elder And then his People also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever the Branch of my Planting the work of my Hands that I may be Glorified Isa 60.21 The Faith of Abraham is comprehended under a Fourfold Head The which belief was accounted to him for Righteousness FIrst that God called him to forsake his Country and Kindred and his Fathers House And God said I will give thee the Land Gen. 12.1 Gen. 26.4.5 And upon this condition we have Eternal Life given us if we will forsake the Vanities of this present evil World and take up their Cross and follow after Christ Mat. 10.37 38 39. Mat. 11.29 Rev. 3.10 11 12. And like Abraham walk with God with a perfect Heart the which God required or him Gen. 17.1 The which is to be sincere and upright 2dly Abraham believed the promise that God made to him in the gift of a Son by Sarah his Wife And he was in continual expectation of the gift of this Son even till Old Age and then hoped against hope Judging him Faithful that had promised Rom. 4.18 21. So the Christians should have waited for the coming of the Lord to Judge and Reign and Restore all things according as it is declared by St. Peter Acts 3.21 And as he saith also by all the Holy Prophets since the World began 3dly Abraham believed the Judge of all the World would do right And not slay the Righteous with the Wicked Gen. 18.25 For his belief was that every one be should Judged as their deeds require according to the World of the Lord. ' That the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him Ezek. 18.20 And not that God had reprobated any before they had offended as some ignorantly imagine 4thly Abraham's Faith was such that he was willing to part with the desire of his Heart and the delight of his Eyes when God required it And therefore he so freely offered up his Son Isaac for a Sacrifice still Believing that God could by him make his Promise good for which thing God was so well pleased with him that God made to him those great promises Gen. 22.16 17 18. But how have the Christians retain'd this
them that work Iniquity and cast them into a Furnace of Fire Matth. 13.40 41 42. and those are the Heavens and Element that will melt as the fat of Lambs Psal 3.20 But the Elements of Earth Air Fire and Water cannot melt therefore this his Kingdom must be on Earth and the Throne of his Father David according as was foretold by the Angel Luk. 2.31 32 33. For there is nothing that offendeth nor worketh Iniquity in Heaven but the Wicked are to be rooted out of the Earth Psal 37.1 9 10 11 13.20 22 28 29 34 38. And this is to be after the seventh Angel soundeth Then the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever Rev. 11.7 Dan. 7. Psal 45.7 For tho' the Disciples and Martyrs of Jesus and them that overcome have in Heaven an Inheritance reserved for them ready to be revealed in the last time 1 Pet. 4 5. For this is the Mansion or Tabernacle which the Lord goes to prepare for them John 14.3 Which when he cometh with his Saints he will then bring with him Rev. 3.12 For then the New Jerusalem will come down out of Heaven which is not only the Bride the Lamb's Wife but the glorious Tabernacle Rev. 21.3 Which will be placed in the Elementary Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 And so Israel's covert over all her Assemblies Isa 4.5 6. And then 't is the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord will cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea Habba 2.14 But it is the Meek and the Righteous is promised the Earth Matth. 5.5 Psal 37.8 10 11 29. And Israel at the end of this World Isa 62.11 12. Jer. 31.13 Ezek 87.11 12 13. And whereas St. Paul saith Heb. 1.2 God hath appointed Christ heir of all things Thereby he sheweth that what was appointed Christ was not then in his possession And tho' Christ said after he arose from the Dead Mat. 28 19. All power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth Yet the thing given was not then possessed by him for he was to sit at his Fathers right hand until his Enemies be made his Footstool Psal 110.1 The which time of the Lord's second coming St. Peter calls the time of the Restitution of all things Acts 3.21 The which is the Day St. Paul had his reference to and relates to the time spoken of Ezek. 34.17 When the Lord will Judge between the Rams and He-Goats And then as in Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on the Earth Here it is said the Lord will come in the fulness of times Thereby shewing the time will be compleated both of the Old and this World That is thus the time that was before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel for the Lord hath given three Laws to Man as a rule for him to Steer by First The law of Nature 2dly The moral Law 3dly The Gospel institution The Law of nature is to continue in the time or World to come And so likewise the moral Law for then God will Circumcise the Hearts of his People Deut. 30.6 8. So as they shall keep all the commands of the Lord. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his Commandments which I have commanded thee this Day In the Covenant which Moses rehersed to them Deu. 29.14 Chap. 30.8 For then the Lord will magnifie the Law and make it Honourable Isa 42.21 For by establishing the promised New everlasting Covenant there will be given an inherent perfect Righteousness by which their Hearts will be Circumcised as they shall thereby be made perfectly able to keep the Old Covenant As for the Gospel institution the Christians were but to hold that fast till Christ came Rev. 3.10.11 Cor. 11.26 But the Gospel Spirit will be forever and ever required as to have their Wills brought in Subjection unto Christ without which none can be his neither here nor hereafter And at Christ's first coming Luke 1.78 Zacharias faith the Day spring from on high had visited them And a Visit all know is of a short continuance but he is to return again and Build the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and he will set up Acts. 15.15.16 And whereas St. John saith to the Saints unto whom he wrote The Darkness is past and the true Light now Shineth 1 John 2.8 He had here his reference only to them that walked in obedience to God as in the 4th and 5th Verses and love to his Brother ver 9. For all the rest were in Darkness but this Obedience and Love was a Ray of the true Light of that Day which is still to come And likewise then they had the Holy Ghost shed on them abundantly Tit. 3.6 Which was as an earnest of their inheritance in time to come Eph. 1.14 And these were those of whom St. Peter spoke 1 Pet. 2.9 That did then partake of that marvellous Light The which in that Day that is yet to come they will partake and Drink abundantly Cant. 5.1 Isa 60.19 20 21. For then their Sun will no more go down for the Lord will be their everlasting Light and then the days of their Mourning will be ended for then Israel will for evermore Drink of the River of his pleasures Psal 36.8 And know as they are known For then God's People will partake of those exceeding great and precious Promises by which they will be made partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World 2 Pet. 1.4 For it is in the time to come the Eternal Life will be given and therefore we are exhorted by good Works to lay up in store a good Foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.18 19. For there is a time to come before Eternity in which the Saints and Israel and the true Believer will be Blessed for these are those that will have their part in the first Resurrection Rev. 20.4 5. The which will be when the Lord comes to Judge the Nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat Joel 3.2 And restore his People ver 16 17 18.20 21. And then Israel will be the Lord's Elect which he will gather together when the great Trumpet is blown Isa 27.13 Which will be long before the Sea and Hell and Death deliver up their Dead The which which be the last Judgment tho in both Judgments some are Condemned to Eternal Punishment and it is the Sinners under the Gospel that at the first fall under the Eternal Punishment being Condemned thereunto when the Lord cometh but at the last Judgment the Nations are not to be Judged For in time to come Israel will be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever and then a little one shall become a Thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the
discovery that we are in the Gloomy and Dark day which St. Paul terms the Night where he saith ROM 13.12 13 14. The night is far spent the Day is at hand let us therefore cast off the Works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envy But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust thereof Now the Night which was far spent then is nigh spent now For the Times being divided into three parts Christ's first coming was at the beginning of the last part And therefore the last part must needs now be near expiration and the Day in which Christ will Judge the World in which time will be the Restitution of all things The which Day is now nigh at hand when there will not be disorderly walking But now is the Cloudy and Dark day until the Lord again comes to feed his Sheep himself And then will he gather them out of all Countries and feed them upon the Mountains of Israel And then will the Lord Judge between the Rams and the He-Goats Ezek. 34.11 12 13 14 15 17. Now when the Lord first came it is said he came when the fulness of time was come Gal. 4.4 The which was at the full time that God had appointed for his coming It is also said Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last Days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Now in that the Apostle here saith these last days is because there is other last or latter Days spoken of in Scripture in which latter Days it is Israel will receive the promised great and Glorious blessings And he therefore distinguishes these last Days in which the Gospel was establisht from those that are yet to come Isa 2.2 And it shall come to pass in the last days that the Mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Mic. 4.1 But in the last days it shall come to pass that the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established in the top of the Mountains and it shall be exalted above the Hills and People shall flow unto it Hos 3.5 Afterward shall the Children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter Days And St. Peter speaking of the Lord's second coming therefore termed these days the last days of the Gospel institution and of the Power of the Principalities of this World and the end of our time of coming in heirs with Israel All this will end upon the beginning of the time of Israel's great and glorious latter Days before quoted but in the latter days of this time Moses Prophesied of their falling away Deut. 31.29 According to which we see they have done but after the latter Days of this time in the time to come which is in the latter Days also and beyond the latter Days of this time the Lord will then be merciful to his Land and to his People And the Nations are then to rejoyce with them Deut. 32.43 At which time God will render vengeance to his Adversaries and restore his People and circumcise their Heart and the Heart of their Seed to love the Lord their God Deut. 30.6 For when the Lord comes to Zion he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.26 Deut. 30.3.6.8 And that there will be Days and Nights after Christ's second coming is evident For after Christ's second coming Satan is to be bound up for a Thousand Years and after that he is cast into Hell to be tormented Day and Night for ever and for ever Rev. 20.3 10. And according to this it is faid Isa 34.4 8. That when all the Idumean Heaven and their Host shall be dissolved and rolled together a as Scrole the which will be the day of the Lord's vengeance and the Year of Recompences for the Controversie of Sion ver 8. Then part of the Land on which the Curse will fall as in the 9 and 10 Verses The Streams thereof shall be turned into Pitch and the Dust thereof into Brimstone and it shall not be quenched Night nor Day the Smoke thereof shall go up for ever from Generation to Generation it shall lye wast none shall pass through it for ever and ever But the Cormorant and the Bittern and such like shall inhabit it ver 11. And these Heavens and their Host are the Heavens and Elements unto which St. Peter had his reference when he said The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Earth and all the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 For we are to take notice that St. Peter doth not say all the Earth but it is the Earth before spoken of by the Prophet and all the things which are therein which the Anger of the Lord is pronounced against Isa 34. the which will stand as a remark of God's fore displeasure against sin all the time of the world to come as Sodom has done in this time And therefore St. Peter saith at the beginning of the Chapter That he wrote to them to stir up their minds by way of Remembrance that they might be mindful of the Words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commands of us the Apostles vers 1 2 3. For they required and commanded that they should be mindful of the words of the Prophets And a great State of People God generally in Scripture calls Heaven and Earth and almost every Prophecy of Scripture hath at least a twofold signication 2 Pet. 1.20 The which we not understanding we have thereby been much in the dark And every Name is a proper Name to that which God gives it And if God will call two things by one Name it as properly belongs to one as to the other And that it is not the Material Heavens and all the Earth that is to be destroyed is evident to all from the words of the Text Because when these Heavens and their Host and the Earth here spoken of are destroyed then Israel will be restored and day and night continued and succeeding Generations Isa 34.4 5 8 9 10. From whence we see the continuance of Day and Night proved both from the Old and New Testament And that it is not the Material Heavens and all the Earth that is to be burnt up at the Day of Judgment is further evident for the Lord saith At the end of this World he will send his Angels and gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend
food by Hunting so this World Hunts and Labours for their food But Jacob was a smooth Man representing the Time or World to come in which time there will be Smoothness and calmness with all serenity and Provision in abundance without Hunting for Concerning the Servitude BUt as for the Servitude the Lord had determined for the Elder World before the Children had done good or evil In that Servitude they will be more Blessed than ever they would have been without it For God promised Abraham that in him all the Families of the Earth should be Blessed Gen. 12.3 Gen. 18.18 Gen. 22.17 18. Gen. 26.4 Which is by Christ and partly made good at Christ's first coming by the publication of the Gospel by which many of the Nations embraced the Faith by laying hold of the common Salvation wich is therein tendred Jude 2. For Christ tasted Death for every Man Heb. 2.9 Heb. 5.9 John 3.16 1 John 2.2 In which common Salvation I neither mean the elect remnant that was chosen from among Israel unto whom Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Nor the People that God at the first visiting the Gentiles did take out from among them for his Name Acts 15.14 The which People then received the Holy Ghost to be in them that they might be a light to the World And that the World through them might believe or know that God had sent Christ John 17.23 That thereby the Nations might take hold of the offered Mercy which accordingly they did Colos 1.6 and so became the Seed of Abraham And whilst they walkt in the stops of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 They were heirs to Israels promises and that by Christ who was of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah And set forth as a propitiation through Faith in his Blood for the remission of Sins that are past Rom. 3.25 to all them that then believed according to the tender of his Grace Therefore they then concluded upon the publication of the Gospel or of a Sinners resigning himself to Christ to serve him that a Man was justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Chap. 3.26 27 28. But in the Faith that they were to believe were included the deeds of the Law For it is required they should walk according to it for they are to be Judged by it Rom. 2.13 For the Lord will render to every Man according to his deeds when Judged Chap. 2.5 6 7 8 9. And Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb 5.9 And walk before God with a perfect Heart as Abraham did Gen. 26.5 Gen. 17.1 And like him expect the promised Reward in the way of their obedience And whilst the Gentiles that had embrac'd the Faith walk'd in his steps they were Heirs to the promises and it is such will be partakers of the Glory promised in time to come The which time will be the time of Christ's Kingdom And then all the Families of the Earth will be Blessed in Abraham and his Seed For after the Lord has avenged himself of his Enemies which Enemies are those who regard not the Counsel of the Lord and will have none of his Reproof against these he will spend his Arrows And then God calls to the Nations to rejoyce with his People Deut. 32.42 43. For then all the Nations that are given to be Israel's Servants will have cause to rejoice in that they will then be made blessed thereby when all those of Mount-Seir and Idumea who through unbelief of the Promise made to Israel boast themselves and deny the Time or World to come in which the Lord will make his Promises good And through Covetousness of this present evil world they like Esau sell their Birth-right for this world's Morsel And it is these Edomites shall be made desolate when the whole Earth rejoyceth Ezek. 35.12 13 14 15. Now Esau was but termed Edom upon the desiring the Pottage for which Pottage be sold his Birth-right Gen. 25.31 32 33. As not believing the Promises which God made to Abraham as relating to this time nor that which is to come unto which the promised Blessedness belongs For if he had believed the Promises he would not have said If I dye for Hunger what profit shall this Birth-right do me And it was through Unbelief of a future slate made him unwilling to encounter with Difficulties and therefore sold his Birth-right to which the Blessing was annext For which afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Heb. 12.17 And had not Jacob known the advantage that was to be had by the Birth-right he would not have desired it from him For had not the Blessing gone with the Birth-right Jacob had been in a far better condition without it for then he had purchased the Servitude with the Birth-right But Isaac Rebecca and Jacob well knew that it was the Elder People Nation or World that was to serve the Younger And as Esau through unbelief disinherited himself so the Seed of Jacob by their disobedience and unbelief have in this time disinherited themselves Yet in the time to come the Seed of Jacob will have the promised Blessing with whom the true Believer will come in Heir with And in this time the Covenant which God made with the Seed of Jacob was such that others might take hold of it Strangers as well as Israel Deut. 29.14 15. So that the natural seed of Esau were not excluded from it as many as would come in according to the condition of the Covenant might be Heirs with Israel in time to come And Esau's Seed knowing the Covenant of the Lord and they not joining with Israel in the true Worship they were more inexcusable than the rest of the Nations For the true God was the God of their Fathers But in the time to come the unborn Posterity of Esau then cannot come in Heirs with Israel Neither any of this World can partake of Israel's Promises in time to come but those that come in Heirs with Israel in this time Jacob's Blessing THe Blessing wherewith Isaac blessed Jacob as relating to him and his Seed the which had not only Reference to this Time or World but much more to that which is to come For unto him he pronounced the Words of God to Abraham Gen. 12.3 I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee For in the Blessing Isaac said to Jacob Gen. 28.29 God give thee of the Dew of Heaven and the Fatness of the Earth and plenty of Corn and Wine Let People serve thee and Nations bow down to thee be Lord over thy Brethren and let thy Mother's Sons bow down to thee cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be he that blesseth thee This Blessing as I said before must needs have its chief reference to the Generations of Israel's Children in time to come Psal 102.18 19. Psal 22.30 31. Psal 24.6 Deut.