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A85551 Truths victory against heresie; all sorts comprehended under these ten mentioned: 1. Papists, 2. Familists, 3. Arrians, 4. Arminians, 5. Anabaptists, 6. Separatists, 7. Antinomists, 8. Monarchists. 9. Millenarists, 10. Independents. As also a description of the truth, the Church of Christ, her present suffering estate for a short time yet to come; and the glory that followeth at the generall resurrection. / By I.G. a faithfull lover and obeyer of the truth. Imprimatur, John Downame. Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury. 1645 (1645) Wing G1597; Thomason E277_7; ESTC R200005 70,586 79

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and perfection and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth this is the mountain of Gods holinesse even the greatest power and soveraigne authority that ever was in the world before it And the Text notes out unto us three things the time when it shall be the place where it shall be and the manner how it shall be the manner hath a double consideration first the beginning and weaknesse of this powerfull kingdome expressed as before I have declared in her spirituall estate of renovation or regeneration in these words a stone was cut out without hands and in this first estate and condition of the Church it is said to live and reign to attain victory and overcome Rev. chap. 20. 12. but this victory is by faith this overcoming is by suffering they overcame him that is the Dragons pagancy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death and at this battell the armies were great on both sides and the victory glorious on the Saints side Rev. 12. 7. 11. In the second consideration wee are to understand the Church in her glory and perfection and to as far exceed all the Monarchies Kingdoms and Powers that were before it as the body exceeds the shadow the person the picture the circumference the center The Babylonian Monarchy the head of gold was a great power Thou O King saith the Prophet art a King of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome strength power and glory and wheresoever the children of men dwell beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven hath hee given into thy hand and hath made thee ruler over them all yet all these bounds and dominations are but by way of comparison to the universe the heavens earth and sea which are the bounds of Christs and his Church rule and Lordship Secondly the nature and condition of the kingdomes of this world and the power and greatnesse of Majesty that Christs Kingdome shall have in the world to come differs beyond all comparison For the kingdomes of this world are finfull kingdomes powers and authorities yea this present evill world is corrupted and lies under the cursed condition by reason of sin and as long as this face of the covering is cast over all people and this evill is spread over all nations Isa. 25. 7. even so long death the King of feares the wages of that sin shall raign in it according to the Scriptures Gen. 3. 17. Rom. 5. 17 21. 1 Cor. 15. but when the Lord shall set up his Kingdome hee will create new heavens and a new earth Behold saith he I will do it and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 17 18. And the Apostle by the same Spirit of Prophecy saith that the heavens and the earth that are now with all these things shall be dissolved And according to Gods promise wee look that is all Gods Saints for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle John tells us Rev. 21. what this new heaven and new earth is even the holy Church of God the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and a voyce out of heaven expounds it to him Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away And again saith the Lord Behold I make all things new write for these things are true and faithfull Once again observe the Prophet Daniel in these words and it became a great mountain of which our Saviour gives the meaning in these words The kingdome of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds but when it is grown just as the Prophet it became so our Lord it is the greatest among herbs and became a tree c. both which places as one shews that although the Church be now so little that no man heeds or regards her yet her increase shall be from the least of all seeds to a tree with branches and from a small stone to a huge great mountain even so big as to fill the whole earth Which magnitude excellent glory greatnesse and soveraignty of the Church and Kingdome of God I shall in part discover by considering these eight particulars the King the Kingdome the Throne the Scepter the Lawes the Priviledges the Officers and the Subjects And for the King thereof thus saith the Prophet notwithstanding all the rage and opposition of the Heathens and the vain imaginations of the people Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion saith the Lord Psal. 2. 1. 5. and the title of his Crown is the title of his Cross This is the King of the Jewes Luke 23. 38. and himself testifying a good confession before Pilate saith Thou saist I am a King to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world Joh. 18. 37. Secondly the Scriptures speake of the Kingdome of Christ above all comparison and calls it the kingdome of the Son of God and that there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome c. Dan. 7. 13 14. Now the consideration of these four things will briefly discover to us how this Church and Kingdome of Christ exceeds all other powers or kingdomes whatsoever First in the Majesty of it Secondly in its excellency Thirdly in its universality and Fourthly in its eternity The Majesty sets forth the magnitude and greatnesse of this kingdom the King is great and the Kingdom is great Behold saith the Angel to the Virgin he shall be great and he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luke 1. 32. 33. And the Prophet Daniel describes this greatnesse and what this house of Jacob is in these words and the kingdome and dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions rulers and powers shall serve and obey him Dan. 7. 27. The excellency is set forth by the glory splendor and purity of it and in this respect it is in Scripture called the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ a kingdome of Priests a kingdome of Saints the kingdome of our God the kingdome of glory heavenly countrey city inheritance possession reward all heavenly all glorious all holy there shall be nothing to hurt nor destroy in
coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame and it contemns all manner of substance to purchase it it is no way to be attained but by the gift of God I will put my lawes in their inward parts and write them in their hearts saith the Lord Jer. 31. 33. This glorious kingdome are all such as are made of God Kings and Priests these are the Levits to whom God hath given the Law and Covenant of life to this commandement of peace and salvation Mal. 2. 4 5 6. which hath comforted his people here and for ever doth guide and regulate them in the perfection the glorious and everlasting kingdome of Christ hereafter Which Law of Gods kingdome is called in Scriptures a holy law a royall law a law of life a law of libertie a perfect law and such like James 1. 25. Chap. 2. 8. 12. The sixt thing considerable is the priviledges of this kingdome of glory which are so great and many that I shall rather obscure then discover them their priviledge of power and Authoritie is exceeding much and abundantly set forth in the Scriptures for when the Lord shall exalt Jerusalem this his own kingdome then shall the Lord breake the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers Isa. 14. 5. Behold saith the Lord I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jewes and are not but doe lye Behold saith he the second time againe to his Church I will make them come to worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee Rev. 3. 9. This is such a dignitie and priviledge as the Lord himselfe with a twofold word of audience affirmeth to take them captives whose captives they were and to rule over their oppressors Isa. 14. 2. with the praises of God in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance punishment upon heathenish people to binde their Kings with chaines their Nobles with fetters of iron this honour or priviledge have all the Saints Psal. 149. And so saith the Prophet The sonnes of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all that despised thee shall how themselves downe at the soles of thy feete and they shall call thee the Citie of the Lord the Sion of the holy One of Israel whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee or delighted in thy company I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations Isa. 60. 14 15. So also their priviledge of freedome and libertie doth set forth their glory Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Gal. 4. 26. They are all free-borne so begotten and born by the Word it selfe for all the whole Kingdome are children of the truth and the truth it was that which made them free Joh. 8. 32. Now the Word and the truth are the Sonne and those that the Sonne makes free are free indeed ver. 36. and from all manner of bondage free from sinne free from death free from sorrow free from the grave free from corruption free from oppression free from suffering inlarged and set at libertie for ever to injoy immortalitie these are the people that possesse and injoy the glorious libertie or freedome of the sonnes or children of God Rom. 8. 21. Also the company and associates that are in this heavenly kingdome doe exceedingly declare the glory of it to have and injoy the presence of God of Christ and the holy Ghost the company of all the holy Angels the company and societie of all the holy Patriarks Prophets and Saints with the comfortable delight and excellency of the restitution and perfection of all creatures both in the heavens the earth and the sea and all that is within them as shall be shewed hereafter in the point of universall subjection In Gods presence saith the Prophet is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. You saith the Lord speaking to his Saints I appoint unto you a kingdome and yee shall eate and drinke with mee at my table in my kingdome Luk. 22. 30. And as the Angels are ministring spirits here in the Saints sufferings Heb. 1. 7. so in the world to come with the presence of God wee shall have the company presence of the Angels about the throne saith the text Rev. 7. 11. And there shall wee see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the holy Prophets in the kingdome of God and have heavenly sweet societie and company with them Luk. 13. 28. Now as the priviledges of the kingdome excell so also its Officers exceed all others I will saith the Lord make thy Officers peace and thine exactors righteousnesse violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting and destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise Isa. 60. 18 19. Then shall mercy and truth meet together righteousnesse and peace shall kisse each other Psal. 85. 10. And this is the seventh consideration the eight followeth which are the subjects of this great King and Kingdome And the Apostle is so generall and universall in these that he excepts none neither in heaven nor in earth not sea nor under the earth even none that can be named but God the Father onely that subdued all under his Sons feet which is the King of this Kingdom for so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 27. For he hath put all things under his feete for when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him so then it is cleare that Angels and men and all other creatures are the subjects of this great Kingdome He hath put all things in subjection under his feete saith the Apostle Heb. 2. 8. And this is the Prophets witnesse I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall how every tongue shall sweare Isa. 45. 23. And againe The nations and kingdomes that will not serve thee shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted Chap. 60. 12. And of the Angels saith the Apostle Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. And the Apostle expounds the Oath of the Lord for this universall subjection and saith It is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall how to mee and every tongue shall confesse to God Rom. 14. 11. And againe he saith At the name of Jesus every knee shall how of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and every tongue shall confesse that Jesus is Lord and King to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 10 11. And yet the holy Ghost is more particular to prove that all things in all places are subject to Christ Rev. 5. 13. And every creature saith he which is
truth revealed and given from heaven by God assuredly received and believed by the elect acknowledged and obeyed by the believer to salvation this is the spirituall house or Church consisting all of living spirituall stones Christ Jesus being the foundation or chief corner stone and the great Master workman and builder of it himself as the Scriptures testifie 1 Pet. 2. 2 3 4 5 6 7. Heb. 8. 2. of this Assembly and Congregation doth our Lord say Yee are the salt of the earth yee are the light of the world Mat. 5. 13. 14. And I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done c. Matth. 18. 19. and to these only is the promise made to receive the Spirit of God to lead and guide them into all truth Joh. 16. 13. And again I will pray the Father and hee shall give you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for ever Joh. 14. 16. which Spirit of truth is the great Substitute and Advocate that Christ hath left with his Church all the while of his personall absence through whose grace and wisdome they are they only that make use of the keys of the kingdome of heaven according to Matth. 18. 18. Joh. 20. 13. Therefore Pope I say unto thee thy vicardome is blasphemy thy keys arrogancy thy chair heresie thy succession vanity thy Cardinals and chief Priests Pharisees thy imposition impurity thy washings uncleanness thy holy unction extreme pollution thy crossings Idolizings thy confessions absolutions abominations you say you are the Church of Christ and that your succession is from the Apostles where hath Christ and his Apostles prescribed to you that trash and trumpery which you call pure holy divinity your breaden god your unbloody sacrifices your golden pardons of all rates and prizes your pilgrimages your purgatories your baptizings to convey grace and wash away all manner of original sin your idols your altars your masses your dirges your execrations by bell book and candle your Avie maries and your babling prayers by numbers in an unknown tongue your silken copes your shaven crownes your vowed chastitie and poverty and a thousand more such fables and heathenish imitations of the Heathens and wicked mens inventions which now Gods Word by the testimony of his faithfull regenerated children of truth have for ever discovered you and your Religion to be but a filthy heap or wall of mud and dirt whited over a painted Sepulchre though outward to the shew and appearance of men beautified trim'd and adorn'd with silver gold and all manner of rich and precious things under the mask of the Spirits ornaments yet within nothing but stinking noysome carrion rottennesse filthinesse and uncleannesse and all your abominable worship of the Heathens that you were to maintain for a day a moneth a yeere the whole amounting to two and forty moneths that is so many yeers of dayes even an 1260. yeers which is the antiquity you so much brag of yet do not consider the older you are the neerer your dissolution notwithstanding your Religion be made and woven of all the glorious matter of the gods of the Heathenish Monarchs that were before you which were worshipped with such vain pomp varieties of voyces and musicall Instruments as Rimmon and Baal Ashtaroth and Milcom and the rest of abominations that had Priests and Altars hesaints and she-saints of their own makings like unto you as also your devillish doctrines just after the manner matter of the heathens idols Oracles which vain worldly glory hath so lifted thee up with pride that thou hast advanced thy self above the stars of God yet let us wait now but a few dayes and we shall see thy glory shame thy greatnesse contemptuousnes thy gorgeous apparel nakedness thy life death thy habitation destruction and as you have done cruelly to others so shall others deal cruelly with you your name and generation shall be utterly forgotten and your judgement shall seise on you so that your place shall be no more found Rev. 17. 46. And you may as easily keep the Sun from shining the wind from blowing the Sea from motion and the earth from springing as to divert this judgement of God determined against thee therefore all you that will escape her judgements come out of her and separate your selves from her lest you partake of her sins and be made partakers of her plagues 2 Cor. 6. 16. And what I say unto you the head of Sects I say unto all the rest Come out of Babylon and submit to Sion of which universall mother Gal. 4. 26. wee shall often have occasion to describe and discover Heres This man is not for our turn hee is clear contrary to our doings he upbraideth us with our offending the Law and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education What will you call the holy Church of Rome to question the Pope the holy Father who I am sure is not Antichrist for the Antichrist is sin and not a man but the Pope of Rome is the Father of the Church holy and good and teacheth the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ now by Images as the Prophet Moses taught the Jewes in Gods holy Law by Ceremonies heretofore Truth This man that speaketh now is a Familist who as he saith Sin is Antichrist so hee believeth and teacheth that righteousnesse is Christ and so turns both Christ and Antichrist from persons to qualities and the whole Scripture into Allegories who by cunning and crafty expressions exceeds all others in fulfilling that saying of our Lord Matth. 24. 24. And there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and this is such a false Christ and false prophet as there is not the like in the world making Christ a phantasie a meere fiction a righteousnesse of their own invention and so they conceive of Antichrist to be Sin which things of themselves are not persons and yet they confesse and preach that Christ is the seed of the woman and sin the seed of the Serpent and to deceive mens understandings sometimes they will call Christ the new Man and sin the old man or humane nature of Christ and so in their preachings writings and conferences use the Scripture terms and phrases yea their creed or confession of their faith runs word for word with ours only differing thus for they make all their Articles to expresse the present time in those things wee believe to be past and to come they do acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth but he to be no more Christ the Saviour of the world then they are that have taken in the light as they use to speak and upon this ground confesse that every one of their illuminated ones are conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate are crucified dead and buried risen from the dead the third day and ascend into heaven and there sit on the right hand
proving this his abomination and whorish power from Gods divine Oracles in these words To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron This honour have all the Saints Psa. 149 8 9. avouching this Scripture to be fulfilled in the holy Church of Rome and that they were the Saints which by this prophesie were foretold of to depose and disthrone Kings and to cloak colour their covetousnesse which set all their trickes awork as Bulls and Pardons at all rates and prices whereby their coffers were filled with gold and silver from all countries and people And this hee affirmed was prophesied for his filthy holinesse maintenance and ungodly revenue in these words The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him Psal. 72. 10. And notwithstanding their grosse abusing the Scriptures and false claims to Titles as Holy Father and holy Mother the Church time hath now proved him to be Antichrist the Man of sinne and capitall enemy to the truth of God And indeed this conceit that the Church of God should enjoy temporall peace and outward glory and authority hath been alwayes the opinion of carnall Christians and the Jewes to this day cannot see otherwise then when their still lookt-for Messiah should come that then they shall bee gathered to be a great people againe and made a worldly Monarchy to rule over all Nations as now all Nations rule over them But their groundlesse hope will prove but as the Spiders web and so it will be with all others of their mind for see how the Scripture resolves the question that the Saints the Church of God shall still suffer to the worlds end the question is made with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth And the answer from heaven saith that they should rest yet a little season untill their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Rev. 6. 10. And the clad and washed with the righteousnesse of Christ and the blood of the Lamb are those that goe through great tribulations Rev. 7. 13 14. Finally of this doctrine we have a double witnesse two brethren and Apostles whose praise is in all the Churches Acts 14. 22. who both as one man conclude this truth as a Decree for ever That such as continue in the faith must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of God which Kingdome is that which all the Prophets and Apostles in all times have spoken of which in its due place I shall briefly unfold Heresie I pray you give us leave to speak Have we not clear Scripture for the glorious reigne of Christ upon the earth and that all the Martyrs and holy Prophets shall rise from the dead and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares in all prosperity peace riches plenty wealth and glory with such supreme power and Majesty as never any Monarch in this world had before nor ever shall have after for when the thousand yeares are expired then comes the generall resurrection Rev. 20. Truth Your confession shewes you to be a Millenarian which error as it hath been ancient so of late as of many other errors there is a reviving of this amongst the rest And as you say the summe of it is that now or they know not when Christ shall descend personally from heaven and then cause all the bodies of the Saints that have suffered martyrdome from the beginning of the world to be raised and Christ and his Saints to live in this cursed earth and corruptible world in the enioyment of riches wealth power and authority majesty and Emporality as no heathen nor Christian Monarchy ever had in this world before and you ground your mistake on Rev. 20. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Now I answer that the whole position is directly against the Scripture you alledge rightly understood for the Apostle Peter affirmeth it plainly that the heavens must containe and receive Christ personally untill the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Acts 2. 21. Here are such witnesses as cannot be excepted against even all his holy Prophets and then and not sooner shall the Lord Jesus come which before was preached unto you verse 20. And the place you instance Rev. 20. proves no more the Millenary fancie as you describe it then it proves a new world in the Moon or that men may plow the floods of the Sea to sow and plant on them And because the true understanding of that Scripture will overthrow this error at once wee will shew you that the resurrection there spoken of is the spirituall and first resurrection which our Saviour Christ clearly layes down both in nature and order John 5. 25. And because it is a mystery therefore his expression is more then ordinary Verily verily twice affirming it I say unto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live This is the spirituall resurrection from sin through the grace of regeneration and these are they only that live and reigne with Christ having sought and gained the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6. 33. And those only that are risen with Christ through regeneration are born of God and those that are born of God through faith are victors and overcome all opposition even the whole world and the Prince and King thereof 1 John 5. 4. and in this sense they reigne with Christ in their estate of temptation and regeneration who in their teares and sorrow are happy in the enjoyment of their Comforter who anointeth them with the unction of truth and teacheth and instructeth them so sufficiently that all the powers and thrones of Antichrist the subtilties crafts and deceits of him and all his learned Clerks who have endevoured and used all means possible to couzen and cheat the people of God for almost the space of this thousand two hundred and fourty yeares here expressed by the Millenary number onely because it shall not exceed more thousands then one in which cloudy and dark day the holy Ghost hath so led and guided the sonnes of truth that all the Jugglers at Rome and Babylon could not make them to mistake the mark of the Beast for the mark of the Lamb nor to worship the Beast and his image in stead of the Lord and his Christ yea rather then they would defile themselves with the adultery of the Whore they would die a thousand deaths for so saith the Text they lost their lives and their heads for the witnesse of Jesus for the pure worship
my holy mountaine saith the Lord the glory is exprest beyond the light of Sun and Moon in the firmament or gold or precious jewels in the earth there shall in no wise be any thing there that defileth Rev. 21. 27. Thirdly its universality sets forth the largeness of the dominion and unbounded limits of it the Prophet David saith Its dominion is from sea to sea from the river to the ends of the earth I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession there 's the dominion and in the next words see the greatnesse of the power and authority Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a Potters vessell Psal. 2. 8 9. They that dwell in the wildernesse shall how before him and his enemies shall lick the dust yea all kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him Psal. 72. 8 9 10. And therefore hee is called the King of nations for his universall jurisdiction Who would not feare thee O King of nations for greatnesse and power pertain to thee Jer. 10. 6 7. And Daniels witnesse is that all people nations and languages shall feare him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7. 14. which in the last place shewes the eternity or perpetuity of the Kingdome and therefore the Apostle calls it The everlasting Kingdome of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. He shall raign saith the Angell over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1. 33. And this glorious kingdome of Christ is often in Scripture term'd a world without end under these terms everlasting life everlasting kingdome c. The people of God that formerly were and now are refused contemned and cast off from the thoughts and estimations of others shall then in that day be made a strong nation and the Lord himself shall raign over them in mount Sion from henceforth even for ever saith the Prophet Mic. 4. 7. The next and third particular to be considered is the throne of the Kingdome of Christ And for that wee have the Angels testimony also And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David Luk. 1. 32. And againe Thy throne O God is a throne of righteousnesse established for ever and ever Psal. 45. 6. And againe Thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy throne to all generations And againe His seede will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of heaven Psal. 89. 4. ver. 29. And againe the third time His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sun before me ver. 36. What moves the holy Prophet thus three times to make mention of the King the throne and thy seed that is Gods children by regeneration thus to sing and rejoyce in the remembrance of them together but for to shew us this holy truth that the Saints shall reigne with their King that the Saints shall judge the world for this blessed comfort the Lord preaches to his children himself by his own mouth Rev. 2. 26 27. He that evercometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron c. And I will grant to him to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his Throne Chap. 3. 21. And thus taught he his blessed Apostles that followed him in the regeneration as St. Matthew saith and had participated and continued with him in his sufferings and temptations as Luke hath it I appoint unto you a kingdome saith our Lord as my Father hath appointed unto me that yee may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdome and sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19. 28. Luke 22. 29 30. yea this honour have all the Saints with the King in the Kings Throne Oh yee Saints praise yee the Lord Psal. 149. 9. The fourth particular is the Scepter of this kingdome and that the Holy Ghost calls a Scepter of righteousnesse Heb. 1. 8. a Scepter of righteousness or righteousnesses that is righteous in the purity and excellency of it is the Scepter of thy Kingdome this is properly Shilohs the Saviours Scepter Gen. 49. 10. Yet such is the Kings grace to his servants his seed Church and people that of this which in particular belongs to himself alone even of this also doth hee communicate to his little ones his first-born the heirs of salvation not only to sit with him in his Throne but also to rule with his Scepter The womans childe which are the Saints saith the Text are to rule even as their Lord himself doth all nations with a rod of iron that is with the Scepter of righteousnesse Rev. 12. 5. And the Lord hath decreed for ever that it shall be so whosoever he be that overcometh hee will give him power and authority to sit with him in his Throne to rule over all nations with a rod of iron and to break them as an earthen vessell is dasht to pieces with a bar of iron Rev. 2. 26 27. And as the King of glory doth place the Saints in his own throne and gives them in particular the sway and rule of his own Scepter so he honours them with his own crown also called a Crown of life a Crown of glory a Crown of righteousness and the like they are all crowned Rev. 4. 10. The crown is laid up for all that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ the King of Saints 2 Tim. 4. 8. The fifth particular in discovering the greatness of Christs glorious kingdome are the laws and rules of this kingdom for as the kingdom it self is new and all things new in it so are the laws also A new commandment give I unto you saith the King himself that you love one another as I have loved you that you love one another Joh. 13. 34. Here 's both the Precept and the President this holy commandment was given unto them in their estate of regeneration 2 Pet. 2. 21. and continues in them world without end in glory and perfection it is the law of the endless life this law of love it abideth for ever charity never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. most or all things else shall fail Prophecy shall fail tongues shall cease knowledge it shall vanish away all imperfect things shall terminate and come to an end but this new commandement Love endures for ever Death is strong for it hath and will kill all men made and created and the grave the issue of death is mightie but love surmounts them all in the better sense Cant. 8. 6. The sea of waters cannot quench it nor all the flouds or overflowings of the Ocean cannot drowne it for the
in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them saith John heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever And the Prophet David he foretold of this universall subjection of all creatures in the kingdome of Christ in the world to come saith the Author to the Hebrews and understood it in these words admiring at it What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then Angels and the Apostle gives the reason of that Thou hast crown'd him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete all sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the feild the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the sea which makes the Prophet fall into a wonderment Oh God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psal. 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. Now I am come to the two last particulars the time when this glorious kingdome of Christ shall be set up and the place where it shall be continued for ever the time was thus foreshewed to the Prophet David that the time of Christs Churches persecution should not be till his second Appearing in these words When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appeare in his glory Psal. 102. 16. And this time our Lord himselfe plainly teacheth us to be at the end of this world and not before which truth the Saints and people of God do fully and certainly beleeve although a thousand false Prophets should arise and preach the contrary under what shew or pretence of learning and religion soever they make The cleare and plaine Doctrine of our Lord is this Mat. 13. 39 40 41. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels as therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all scandalous things and all such as do offend them or which doe or worke iniquitie And when the question is made by the servants to the housholder Whether the tares the envious man sowed among the good seede should be pluckt up The Master answers Nay let them both grow together till the harvest and also giveth the reason and sheweth farther what shall be done then and not before both with the tares wheat also although many unwarily do affirm at this time amongst us the contrary yet thus saith the Lord and therefore I would wish all the contrary minded to take notice of it that at his glorious coming shall be the Kingdomes deliverance reigne and perfection and not before therefore saith her Lord and King When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another is a shepheard divideth his sheep from the goats and then he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left and assigne and put in possession the one to eternall blisse but the other to a perditious eternall wofull cursed condition even binding them into bundles to be burned but the blessed to possesse the Lords own house and habitation for ever Mat. 25. 31 32. Chap. 13. 30. And because this truth hath exceedingly suffered of late by the literal learn'd of this generation who have befoul'd the beauty and purity of it with their dark smokie misty mistakes under pretence of pleading for the Lamb and his wife I shall therefore briefly discover the spirituall learning of the Apostles and Prophets mysterious expressions of this holy truth the holy Apostle John in the Revelations speaks with the same wisdome aid and guidance of the Spirit as the Angel taught Daniel in the same mysteries and their very expressions in many things are alike but more opened and revealed by the Apostle then by the Prophet they both agree in the computation of the time though one writ long before the other and each differing in the rule of reckoning as the manners of the countries in which they lived the one living among the Chaldeans the other among the Hebrews the one computing their times and yeeres according to the course of the Sun the other by the course of the Moon the Hebrews their reckoning is certain thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeer the Chaldeans they reckon and compute according to the course and rule of the Moon which causes this seeming difference for Johns whole time for Antichrists raign is twelve hundred and sixty yeers in which the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloth which as it notes out unto us their spirituall low and humble condition so also their persecuted and suffering estate and condition Rev 11. 3. Now Daniel makes the same very time of the abomination of desolation to be twelve hundred and ninety yeers Dan. 12. 11. reckoning both of them dayes for yeers according as the Prophets did reckon and accompt as I have proved before now I shall make it appear unto you that these two holy men of God that were moved and led by the same Spirit both spake one and the same thing both for the power and mystery of Iniquity and for the full and compleat time of one and the self-same number of yeers for the continuance of it And I prove it thus as thirteen moons are thirteen moneths and these thirteen moneths make but one yeere of twelve moneths reckoning thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeere by the same rule one thousand two hundred and ninety yeers by the Chaldee reckoning amount but to one thousand two hundred and threescore yeers according to the reckoning of the Hebrews And as they agree in this seeming difference so they do most sweetly consent and agree in the point in hand concerning the time of the beginning of the glorious kingdome of Jesus Christ one and the same Angel teacheth them one and the same truth and although there were neer 500. yeers distance between the times of their prophesying yet the Angels majesty both of doctrine and gesture is one and the same to both all which shewes this doctrine of the time of the Lords coming to restore all things to exalt his Church and Saints to be a most admirable and singular secret and mystery for the continuall comfort and supportation of all his suffering members in all their afflictions and this made the Apostle speaking to the Saints of Thessalonica of the day of the Lords coming his descending from heaven at the last trump and the resurrection of such as are dead in Christ wherefore