Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth Reas 9. Ninthly Because the Scripture saith That God will send Jesus Christ whom the Heavens must retain until the times of Restitution of all things Act. 3.19 20 21. and that he shall take the Kingdom out of the hands of the wicked and give it into the hands of the Saints according to Daniels words Chap. 7.14 18 22. where he as King and they as Princes shall raign in righteousness Isa 32.1 and Kings shall bow before Christ and them and lick up the dust of their feet and Kings shall minister unto them that is serve them or be servants unto them peruse these Scriptures well and so I shall hasten to the tenth and last Reason and also to a conclusion as to this Subject of Discourse the Scriptures are these Psal 72.10 11. Psal 68.29 Psal 110.5 Isa 49.7 23. Chap. 60.10 11 12. and thus it is written Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God because of thy Temple at Jerusalem Kings shall bring presents unto thee they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba viz. Ethiopia and Arabia shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy foot-stool the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion mark that rule thou in the middest of thine enemies The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the head over many countries He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the Heritage of the Heathen Psal 111.6 For thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel and his holy one to him whom man despiseth to him whom the nations abhorreth to a servant of rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel and he shall chuse thee and they shall bow down with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me For Kings shall minister unto thee for the nation or Kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted From these Scriptures with many move that I might add if time would give way to it we may see that God will take away the Kingdomes and Dominions out of the hands of the wicked heathens and give them into the hands of Christ and the Saints that they may possess the heritage of the heathen of which the taking the land of Canaan of old was a type and so Kings to fall down before them this honour shall Christ have and all the Saints praise ye the Lord. And thus I come to the tenth and last Reason that I shall give at present although many more might be given to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth which is Reas 10. Because the Scripture saith that there is a world to come to be put in subjection to Christ and the Saints now the word WORLD presupposeth the estate of things as at present in this world namely an inhabitance of men and beasts and of all creatures so as Adam had all things put into subjection so also shall the whole creation be restored to their former dignity Rom. 8. only the Serpent excepted and such men as sell their inheritance by their sins as Esau did his But because I must be brief I shall now give the Scriptures to prove that Christ and the Saints are to have a world to come put in subjection unto them which cannot be meant in heaven for I have already shewed that they shall not have that subjected to them but Christ and the Saints at that time viz. after the Mediator-ship is delivered up to God shall be in subjection themselves as you may see 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26 27 28. So then they having the promise of a world to come to be put in subjection under them implyeth clearly that Christ and the Saints shall raign upon earth or to have a world to come to raign in or the Kingdoms of this world to be altered and become the Kingdoms of Christ and the Saints as I before have proved but to the proof that Christ and the Saints are to have a world to come subjected under them read and peruse these Scriptures and the Lord grant to open thy understanding the Scriptures are thus read unto thee For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but one in a certain place testified saying what is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou shouldest visit him Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet for in that he hath put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not yet all things put under him but he shall subdue the people under us and the Nation under our feet For whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods And the Saints shall take the Kingdome and possess it for ever neither shall it be given into the hands of another people for ever from whence we may see that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and Raign upon Earth And so I pass to the next Particular saying that I have given thee but a dram at present for what I might give as to this Subject of discourse if time had not prevented me but I hope that what hath been said here being seriously read and weighed will bring other Scriptures into thy mind and so citing the Texts before read unto thee Heb. 2.5 6 8. Psal 33.8 1 Cor. 3.22 Dan. 7.18 Chap. 2.44 I come to the third particular which is the manner of the coming of the Lord and the great slaughter at the taking of the Kingdome The Battel of the great day As touching the Battel of the great day of the God Almighty We find that the Prophets as well as the Apocalepse do bear their Testimony unto the truth thereof so that I need not use much circumlocution or argument to prove it yet in order to the clearing of the matter I shall lay down this point as a ground of the dicourse which is That there will be such a great slaughter at the coming of Christ to take and possess the Kingdome that the very Fouls of the
Christ to be revealed from Heaven which is the glorious estate of Christ and the Saints upon earth which hath been foretold by the mouths of the Prophets and also of the Lord Christ himself and his holy Apostles that through their words together with the holy Spirit sent down from God into our hearts which bears witness to the same truth we might have strong consolation thorow laying hold upon the hope set before us and therein wait for the Son of God to be revealed from Heaven who is heir of all things even the world present and that which is to come thorow whom also we have obtained by promise an inheritance being predestinated to be made Kings and Priests and to raign upon the earth And in order to the clearing of this truth I shall lay down this Point or Position which is That Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon Earth This I shall prove first by plain text of Scripture and secondly by reasons drawn from Scripture and thirdly the manner how Christ shall take the Kingdome fourthly a few words as touching the distance of time between the Resurrection of the just and unjust fifthly the place of Christs Kingly seat sixthly how long Christ shall raign and the estate and condition of the wicked in the time of Christs raign And first to prove That Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and to raign upon earth which is clear from the Scriptures proved for so saith the Prophet Dan. 7.13 14 18. in these words And I saw in the night a vision and behold one like the son of man came with or in the cloudes of Heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away but the Saints of the most high shall possess the Kingdome for ever From these words we may safely conclude That Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a Kingdome and raign for so saith the Prophet Isai 32.1 in these words Behold a King shall raign in righteousness meaning the Christ and Princes meaning the Saints shall rule in Judgment To which also agreeth the words of the Prophet Obadiah vers 21. which saith And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion and Judge the mount of Esau when the kingdome shall be the Lords And that this kingdome shall be upon earth and the Saints raign with Christ there you may take notice of these Scriptures for the proof and so I shall pass to the reasons drawn from Scripture the Scriptures are thus read He maketh warr to cease to the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the heathen I will be exalted in the earth Clap your hands all ye people shout to God with the voyce of triumph for the Lord most high is exalted he is exalted he is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praise to God for God is the king of all the earth God raigneth over the heathen for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for behold he cometh to Judge the earth the Lord raigneth bring those mine enemies that will not that I shall raign over them and slay them before me Psal 98.9 and Psal 99.1 Luke 19.14 27. From these words we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a kingdome and raign upon the earth for it is plain from what hath been said that the shield of the earth belongeth unto Christ and that he shall raign upon earth the which as yet he never did but was as a servant unto all men when he was upon earth and did also suffer which is a vast difference from raigning but he shall take to himself his great power and raign and so shall his people as they now suffer with Christ or for Christ so they shall raign with him and that their raign shall be upon earth read the word of the Lord for the proof of it as you may find it written by Saint John Rev. 5.9 10. in these words And they sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred and tongue and people and nations and hast made us unto our God Kings and Preists and we shall raign upon earth From these words with the precedent we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive a kingdome and raign upon earth the which proveth the truth of the Point before laid down viz. That the raign of Christ and his People c. But as touching the raign of Christ and his people many will consent to but withall say it is to be understood either spiritual here or otherwise in Heaven To which I answer and say That the Saints shall not raign while they live in this mortal body is plain because the Scripture saith that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 And also that thorow many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God and if so then it is plain that the Saints cannot be understood to raign here because here they are to fill up the sufferings that are behind of Christ and persons cannot be said to suffer and raign at one and the same time And secondly there is not one Scripture that I at present know of nor I believe none else which saith that Christ and the Saints shall raign in Heaven but the Scripture saith that when the Mediator-ship shall be delivered up into the hands of the Father then shall the Son himself be in subjection unto the Father and then shall God himself be all in all but it is plain and I shall make it yet more plain that the Scripture saith That Christ and the Saints shall raign upon earth And now I shall come to give you the Reasons of the Position or Point before mentioned viz. That Christ with his Saints shall possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and the first reason is Reas 1. Because the Scripture saith it is a Kingdome under and not a kingdome in heaven as you may read in the Prophesie of Dan. 7.27 in these words And the kingdome and dominion and greatness of the kingdome VNDER the whole heaven mark that shall be given into the hands of the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is to be an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him From whence you may see that there is a day a coming that Christ and the Saints shall receive
and possess the kingdome together and raign under Heaven and if it be under heaven then it doth necessarily follow that it will be upon earth and this text agreeth with that which is spoken by Dan. 2.34 44. in these words Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands which smote the Image upon his feet that were of Iron and clay and brake them in pieces and in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall never be destroyed and the kingdome shall not be left unto another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and shall stand for ever And the stone shall become a great mountain and fill the whole EARTH verse 35. which meaneth Christ and his people from whence we may see that the Kingdome that Daniel speaks of is to be upon earth because he saith it was to fill the whole earth so then Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and to raign upon earth Reas 2. Secondly the second reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth is Because the Scripture saith that Christ and the Saints shall rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and bruse them like a Potters vessel the which cannot be unless Christ and the Saints receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth for if the received opinion be true that all shall arise together at the last day and at a moment or in a short time one go to Heaven and the other to Hell how then can Christ and the Saints then rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and bruse them like a Potters vessel for so long as the Saints live in this world they must expect to suffer for Christ and the Gospels sake as saith Saint Paul and Daniel and indeed many Prophets and Apostles that thorow many tribulations we shalt enter into the kingdome of God yea every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and as Daniel saith The same Horn viz. Antichrist made warr with the Saints and overcame them until the Judgment was set and the time came that the Saints were to possess the Kingdome Dan. 7.21 25. Acts 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 And indeed the nigher to the end there shall be bating one another and betraying one another and the People of God shall be hated of all men for Christs name sake and as Christ saith in this world you shall have tribulation for if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you and this was the portion of the primitive Saints and will be the portion of the lâ—st also therefore in this corrupt body they do not raign but the wicked rule them with rigour but there is a time that Christ and the Saints shall raign over them and rule them with a rod of Iron and bruse them like a Potters vessel which shews that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth Now that they are to rule all Nations read Psal 2.8 9. compared with Rev. 2.26 27. in Psal 2. the words are these Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron and than shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel Thus you see the honour and dignity that God hath given to his Son namely to rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and this very honour hath Christ given to the Saints as you may read Rev. 2.26 27. in these words He that overcometh and keepeth my works to the end I will give him power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and burse them like a potters vessel even as I have received of my Father Here we see the Scripture saith that Christ and the Saints shall rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron which sheweth that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth And so I pass to the third reason why Christ and his Saints shall receive a Kingdome and raign upon the earth which is Reas 3. Because the Scripture saith that Christ and the Saints shall inherit the earth now to live on the earth and to have it or possess it as their own inheritance are two things for Abrahams slaves lived in Canaan but they had not the land in possession so was Abraham a sojourner in the land that afterwards he was to receive for an inheritance or possession even so it is with us we are strangers and sojourners in the earth as was our fathers and yet shall have it given into our hands for an inheritance when it is restored into its glory I do not say we shall have no more mistake not For otherwise the first Adam lost some happiness or soverainty that Christ never restores but that Christ and the Saints shall inherit the earth read these Scriptures diligently which saith He viz. Christ shall come down as rain upon the new mown grass as showers that watereth the earth and in that day shall the righteous flowrish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea from the rivers unto the ends of the earth Thus Christ shall come down and inherit the earth They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him Hence we see that Christ is to inherit the earth and the Nations to serve him and now you shall see that the Saints shall inherit the earth also and that Kings shall bow before them and they shall bind them in chains and fetters of Iron for so saith the Scripture Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron to execute upon them the Judgment written this honour hath all the Saints mark that praise ye the Lord therefore wait upon God and keep his wayes and he will exalt thee to inherit the earth when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be viz. bear rule but the meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace for evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth Hence we see that Christ and the Saints are to inherit the earth and to exercise authority in government over Kings and this honour is not peculiar to a few of the Saints only but it belongs to all of them even to the beggar upon the dunghil for this honour hath ALL
the Saints praise ye the Lord Psal 149.8 9. Psal 72.5.6 7 8 9. Psal 37.9 10 11. Mat. 5.5 From which reason and Scriptures appeareth plainly that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth And so I pass to the fourth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 4. Because God hath promised to restore the Kingdom to Israel and their Judges as at the first which were men that judged them in righteousness even holy men and Christ sheweth us that he and those that obey him are to be Judges over the twelve Tribes of Israel now this is not to be understood in a spiritual sense that is to say that there were to be some of the twelve Tribes converted and Christ to rule over them for hear we see the Saints shall judge them that is meant be governors as the Judges at the first which cannot be taken in such a sense for the Saints are not to exercise authority one over another as considered in one and the same body as saith Christ The Lords of the Gentiles exercise authority and they that are cheef bear rule but amongst you it shall not be so but he that is greatest let him be your servant But that the Saints with Christ shall receive a Kingdome and judge the twelve Tribes read Luke 22.28 29 30. in these words Ye are they that have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink with me at my table in my Kingdome and sit upon Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And as before said this honour shall all the Saints have and therefore saith Saint Paul to the Corinths Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 4. Luke 22.28 29 30. Isa 1.26 These Scriptures with many more that I could add only I study brevity proveth that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome upon earth and raign and Judge the Tribes of Israel And so I pass to the fifth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon the earth which is Reas 5. Because the Scripture saith that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and he to take his great power and to raign and it is a true and a faithfull saying that those that suffer with Christ shall raign with him but to prove that the Kingdomes of this world shall become Christs kingdome and he to take his great power and to raign read Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall raign for ever and ever and the four and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seats fell upon their face and worshipped God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned and the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets to the Saints and to them that fear thy name small and great and should destroy them which destroyed the earth From these words we may see these particulars laid down First that the Kingdomes of this World are to be the Kingdomes of Christ at the sound of the seventh trumpet read my Vindication of Zions Redemption and Original Sin where you shall find the effect of the seventh trumpet the which at present I shall not speak to in particular but know that there is a set time that the Kingdomes of this World is to become the kingdomes of Christ But peradventure some will say was there a time when the Kingdomes of this World were not Christs I answer yea for although Christ was born King of the Jewes and by his descent according to the flesh was to be King as the Lord shewed the wise men that came from the East to worship him yet Christ tells Pilate that his Kingdome was not then of this World for he was first to suffer and afterwards to receive a Kingdome and raign so that there is a set time when the Kingdomes of this World shall be given into the hands of Christ And secondly the Nations were angry and his wrath and fury came up into his face he took his great power and did raign From whence we may see that although Christ never was without power yet there is a set time for his exercising of it which is implyed in the word TOOK his great power and did raign Thirdly it is the time that the dead shall be judged that is the dead in Christ and then he shall give the reward to his servants the Prophets and all that fear his name small and great Fourthly He will destroy them which destroyed the earth and make warr to cease from the ends of the earth and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shears and their Spears into pruning hooks for there shall be abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth So then there is a set time for Christ to take his great power and to raign and for the Kingdomes of this world to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ From whence we may see that Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and so I pass to the sixth reason to prove Christ and the Saints to have a Kingdome and raign upon earth which is Reas 6. Sixthly Because the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he shall dwell with them now this very word the Tabernacle with men and he dwell with them implyeth that Christ shall come again and dwell upon earth for so is the comparison that Christ made while he was upon earth that the Son of man was like to a certain Noble man that went to receive a Kingdome and to return Luke 19. verse 11 12 13. From whence we may see that Christ is to return again as he also hath said I will come unto you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man shall take from you but as for this I shall shew more at large anon only that you may see that the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he dwell with them read Rev. 21.3 in these words And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt Judge the people righteously and govern the Nations
the Scriptures as you may read Isa 9.6 7. In these words For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the THRONE OF DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign IN MOVNT ZION AND IN JERVSALEM before his ancients gloriously Isa 24.23 From these Scriptures you may see that Christs Throne is to be in Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the time of his raign as First because God himself hath declared it by the Spirit of prophesie in David Psal 2.6 7. Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion c. Secondly it is a Doctrine preached by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.30.31 32. In these words And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God And beh 〈◊〉 ld thou shalt coceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID c. Thirdly Jerusalem is to be called the Throne of the Lord as faith the Prophet Jer. 3.17 Fourthly The Lord himself saith that he will dwell there Zach. 8.3 In these words Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth it is a Prophesie of the last times as is very clear from the Text. Fifthly The Lord saith that Zion and Jerusalem is his rest and dwelling place for ever speaking prophetically also by David Psal 132.13 and Isaiah saith Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Isa 12.6 A clear Prophesie of Christs Kingdome Again Lastly That Christs Seat is to be in Zion in Jerusalem is clear for Micah prophesying of the last dayes and of both the Houses of Israels return viz. Israel and Judahs return out of their last long captivity saith I will make of her that halteth a remnant and her that mas cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall raign over them IN MOVNT ZION henceforth even for ever for the Lord hath appeared of old unto thee saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love for there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to ZION VNTO THE LORD OVR GOD. For there shall the glorious Lord be unto thee a place of broad rivers for he shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem for the LORD DWELETH IN ZION Micah 4.2 3 4 5 6. Jer. 31.6 Amos 1.2 Isa 31.4 Chap. 33.2 From these and many more Scriptures and reasons that might be given we may see where Christs Throne shall be in the time of his Kingdome which is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem that Throne which was his Father Davids which he took from the Jebusites and Christ will also take it from the Antichrist and will possess it for ever that the everlasting covenant may be made good in him even the sure mercies of David not to want a man to sit upon his Throne but that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he should raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne and so shall the word of the Lord be fulfilled in its time which speaks of Christs Kingdome according to the very letter of the word as it was fulfilled in the letter of the word about his sufferings and thus I pass this particular and come to the sixt and last which is how long Christ shall raign and the estate of the wicked in that time Sixthly As it hath been already proved that Christ and the Saints shal receive a kingdom raign upon earth now I shal proceed to resolve the matter as touching the time and that is also fore-told in the Scriptures to be a thousand yeares which time will contain ten generations it being preconsidered that persons shall live in that day to be an hundred years old according to the words of the Prophet Isa 65.20 which saith There shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred yeares old and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed and that curse shall be the same spoken by the Prophet Zech. 14.12 and that the time will be a thousand years is plain from the words of the Lord to John Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. where the Lord shewed John that the godly were to live again after death and to raign with Christ a thousand yeares before the rest of the dead men viz. the wicked were to live again But if it should be demanded of me whether Christ and the Saints shall raign but one thousand yeares I should not say possitively that they are to raign no longer as just to limit the time yet I shall give my judgment as a man who have obtained favour of the Lord and say its like that a thousand yeares may be the set time first because we know that Christ is to give up the Mediator-ship and kingdome into the hands of the Father and then he is to be all in all as you may read 1 Cor. 15.24 and the Son then must be in subjection to the Father so that although Christ be to receive the Kindom and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven and possess it and raign yet he is to leave it again at the time appointed of the Father which seems to be the time before mentioned viz. at the end of the thousand yeares but if it should be objected and said Object That that thousand years raign which you speak of may possibly be but the very time or day that Christ and the Saints shall pass sentence upon the wicked as Christ to judge the righteous to be said to judge as they acknowledg Christs judgement to be just so trample down the wicked because the Apostle saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 Answ It cannot be so understood because Christ is to sit upon the Throne of his father David and to GOVERN IT in which time his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the rivers unto the end of the world they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow to him his enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents
and darkly but so plain that he that is godly and yet of the weakest capacity may plainly know it because it concerns every man in point of his eternal peace and salvation to know it for if Christ have put an end to any of his Laws and Statutes so as they are not to be practised in all Ages by the godly then those that do practise or set up any thing that Christ hath put an end to are strivers with their Maker and fighters against Christ Even so whosoever shall adventure to nullisie or extenuate any of the Laws or Statutes of King Jesus which he hath appointed to be practised and hath confirmed by Signs and Miracles and with his own blood and hath no where repealed them nor shewed that they must cease and come to an end before his second Coming it had been good for that man if he had not been born or that a milstone had been tyed about his neck and been cast into the depth of the Sea in the day of his birth rather then have so done and to stand the hazard of the indignation of the great King at his appearance and Kingdome if he with an high hand do persist in it Therefore dear friend and Courteous Reader take heed and try well what thou receiveth and let not supposed consequences and mens opinions upon sentences of Scripture which are doubtful and disputable which neither thou well understandeth nor he that would expound them unto thee perswade thee to forsake or transgress against the known Laws of King Jesus which hath been confirmed and no where repealed and in thy so doing namely in thy keeping faithfully that which he hath left upon record uncancelled and committed unto thy trust to keep he also will keep thee in the great time of temptation and tryal safe under the covert of his wings to everlasting life and glory which is the desire of him Whose delight is in such as are zealous for the Laws of King Jesus and the Servant of all men for Christs sake GEORGE HAMMON The Good Ancient Laws and Statutes OF KING JESUS VINDICATED SIRS THE diversity of Opinions in our times is very great as you well know the which causeth much division and strangeness in point of Neighbourhood amongst men professing Godliness the which is much to be pittied by all such as have their hearts awakened from Self-love but let us as men of Liberty lay aside all envyings evil-speaking as fruits of the flesh which must be destroyed or otherwise what are we better nay are we not worse then those that are open professed enemies to Liberty for all that they do at present is but to persecute or smite with the tongue and that is too frequently found amongst some it is well if you be innocent in the matter to make it their greatest study to preach that which tends more to Controversie and Division than soul-saving Knowledg and Humility and inward grace and the like but let us in that say as Ephraim said as touching his Idols what have we to do with such things any more for ever and cast them a way as filthy rags and ever follow that which makes for peace and the things wherewith we may edifie one another which is well pleasing to God and approved of by men And now because of time I shall come to the point in controversie which is Whether all the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ be to be held up and practised by the Lords people in all ages to the worlds end yea or nay To which I answer and say That they are all to be upheld contended for and practised by the Lords People to the worlds end and in order to the clearing of this point and opening this discourse of yours hinted at above I shall lay down a position as a ground for the discourse and shall prove it by Scripture and Scripture reasons and also in the examination of your words I shall shew that you in effect confesse it or at the least to my understanding it appears so but shal leave it to be judged of by the serious reader together with my answer to your objections to that point now the point that I shal lay down as a ground of my discourse is That whatsoever Ordinances or all the Ordinances that Christ appointed in his last will and Testament to be practised by his Apostles and Churches in that age is to continue and to be practised by his Churches in all ages to the end of the world The which I prove clearly from the words of Christ in his last will and Testament Mat. 28.18.19 20. in these words And Jesus came and spake unto them viz. his Disciples saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Amen From whence we may see that Christs Precepts or Ordinances are to continue to the worlds end But give me leave to paraphrase a little upon the text as first from the words viz. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and so forth From whence we may learn that Christ did inform his Disciples that his command was sufficient to authorize them and all the godly after them to go forth and preach and baptize and gather costitute or state Churches as you call it to the worlds end as if Christ should have said you need not question your authority in your going forth and doing what I command you for all power in heaven and earth is given unto me therefore I have sufficient authority to appoint you to the work and my commandement and appointment is a sufficient authority for you to do it therefore go questioning nothing for the Father hath made me the great Law-giver and also given me power over all flesh that whosoever obeyeth not my Laws shall be cut off from among the people therefore go question not but make Disciples and Baptize them they must be first made Disciples by preaching to them and instructing them and they being thus made Disciples baptize them and also there is a further thing to be taught them for as you must teach them to believe in Christ and repent of their former sins before ye baptize them so their is a teaching also after baptizing and that is you must teach them to observe all the Ordinances and Statutes that I have commanded you that they may be followers of your steps as you are followers of mine that so it may appear their is but one Faith one Baptisme one Lord one Law-giver one Hope of calling that my statutes may be unalterable till the worlds end mind the weight of these wotds Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you So then whatsoever
Mr. Henden seems to reprove Mr. Elmestone in his 33. pag. for calling Babylon by way of argument Zion and yet in his 29. pag. he calls Mount-Zion Babylon himself so that I may take up St. Pauls words Rom. 2.22 which saith Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit sacriledge but I pass to the conclusion which is saith Mr. Henden If the Romish and Antichristian defection be not decyphered by these figures but the Jews only then it is altogether omitted in this book then must all from thence to the end of the Revelations be peculiar to the Jews Answ These figures do not decypher the defection of the Romish Babylon and yet both her defection and judgment was shewn unto John as in Revel 17. chap. 18. and also somewhat shewn as a consequence of it chap. 1.5 chap. 6. but these things would be too large to speak to in particular at present considering my time is short I may have time to open these things more at large hereafter but at present I say in a few words that both the vision of Daniel and also of the Revelations speaks more properly of the change of the Monarchical Governours and Governments of the World than the defection of a Church to wit the Church of Rome for the fourth kingdome upon earth which was the Roman kingdome was begun before the vision was shewn unto John yea before Christ suffered for he suffered under the Roman power and therefore he speaks not much of that and the defection of a Church or false worshippers and the people of God suffering under them is no strange thing and therefore not so observeable when we consider how frequent apostates and false worshippers are in this world and for a Church to change its government into states pollicy is no great thing to be noted in Scripture but the alteration of Monarchical Government and Governors is of great note in the Prophesie of Daniel and also in the book of the Revelations because they are the things that shew forth the government of the great King Jesus upon Earth whose Kingdome shall break in pieces all other Kingdomes when their Kingdom cometh into the hands of the eight who also is of the seventh the which I have shewn how it is although in differing phrases before the which time and things approacheth very near for we doutless live in the latter end of the fourth Kingdom viz. the Roman Kingdome in the time of the feet and toes which was partly Iron and partly Clay which holds not together in its mixture which is the Cause of the great stir and strivings in our Nations and other places in the World at this day Dan. 2.31 32. to the 45. But I leave this and the reasons cited by Mr. Henden to prove that the Sealed number were Gentiles and leave the serious Reader to peruse Revel 7.4 5 6 7 8. which will better inform them who the Sealed number is and thus I pass to the next thing considerable which is The best of Saints saith Mr. Henden are not yet come to that height of righteousness requirable in a Gospel order in point of love and mutual fellowship page 70. Answ I had thought that you had said before in page 2. that their spiritual union and charity and all moral Precepts did remain according to their primitive institution and were not corrupted by the Beast in all the times of apostacy and now to say that the sealed elect number had lost their righteousness in point of love mutual fellowship is to say that the sealed elect number that were not hurt as you say were so hurt as they had not only their outward order corrupted but were also so corrupted within that the notable and theological grace of love and mutual fellowship was so defaced as they not fit to meddle with outward Ordinances and if they were not fit to meddle with them how were they fit to meddle as I may say with God in that Ordinance of Prayer and Praying and how could such eat the Lords Supper which signifieth mutual love and fellowship the which Ordinance you say was practicable and to be practised in all the times of apostacy and would not their defection in that point as well disable them from being an elect number as well as from outward Ordinances when we consider all other graces without that grace of love is nothing when they had lost that grace of love or so defaced in it as not fit for the out-side of things I mean the outward Ordinances which you speak of how then could they be fit for God and spiritual worship I know not mend it when you write again and when you have done all that you can do to it there will appear in my judgment more confusion contradiction in it than good reason but I leave it at present and shall speak somewhat to your sixth Reason against constituting as you call it of Churches in our times which is A further reason of the unwarrantableness of Church constitutions in our times is the divisions rents amongst the godly page 72. Answ The divisions amongst the godly is acknowledged not to be their strength but weakness not their vertue but rather their vice yet notwithstanding it may be and is a time now for the gathering of Saints and constituting them into congregations in the order of the Gospel for so we understand the word Church to be a congregation for there was divisions in the primitive time amongst the Churches and also amongst the Apostles so as that St. Paul and Barnabas rent or divided one from another and also there was great contentions amongst the Corinthians and the Philipians and others Acts 15.39 1 Cor. 1. 1. Phil. 1.16 which was not their vertue as before said and there are a people in our dayes even in our Nation I may say and speak safely consisting of thousands that are one in the faith fellowship and order of the Gospel many more are coming onwards according to their several abilities in the knowledge of God although there be some that are weak amongst professors yet that may not hinder those that are strong and able to work in their building of a house for the Lord but I pass these things and come to the next and last Objection which is to prove a seperation without Church stating cited by Mr. Henden which is saith he This return from mystical Babylon is not fully accomplished at one time but is traced by distinct steps and degrees Answ You would have done well to have shewn the steps that is to say how many there be and what time they require to be trod that we may know when we be at the journeyes end surely its a long journey for you have been almost ten years already in your journey for now it s almost 1660. and the fullfiling of the time of the captivity ended as you say in the year 1650. was Israel so long coming out of
and therefore are to be taught to know him before they be admitted into that Covenant Again All that are Members of that Covenant have right to the Ordinances of that Covenant as my Antagonist saith but the Lords Supper is an Ordinance of the new Covenant and yet Infants prohibited from that Ordinance as you say O wise Priest where is your understanding got now surely it is brought to nought as God hath said 1 Cor. 1.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Reas 4. Again The Fourth Reason why Children may not be Baptized and so brought into Christs House or Vineyard is Because Infants are not capable to labour there and Christ hath none but Laborers there as you may read Matth. 20.1 2 3 4. And the Fifth Reason is Reas 5. Because Infants are not capable to be taught but such as are Baptized must be first taught as Matth. 28.18 19. Mark 16.15 16. Neither did John or Christ or his Apostles baptize any other but such as had been before taught which if they did I humbly crave my Antagonist or any of his Brethren to prove it And if he or they do prove it I do profess in the presence of Almighty God and men to renounce my Judgment in this particular and be of the same Judgment with them and walk in the same steps And so to the Sixth and last Reason to prove that Infants are not fit subjects to be baptized is Reas 6. Because they are not capable to confess their sins nor to know God nor to beleeve in his Name nor to witness a new Birth by shewing the fruits of Regeneration the which qualifications must appear more or less in all that are fit subjects of Baptism as I before have proved And in a word you my Antagonist nor any of your Brethren were never yet able to prove such a practise warrantable by the Word of God And so I pass to the Grounds and Reasons given by my Antagonist and others to prove That Infants are fit subjects to be baptized which is say they Object 1. If the Kingdom of Heaven do belong to Infants then the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong unto them but the Kingdom doth belong unto them Therefore the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong to them Answ To which I Answer and say That if the Ordinances of the Kingdom do belong to them as my Antagonist saith then is he and the rest of his Brethren in a great evil in denying them the Lords Supper which is as they say an Ordinance of the Kingdom and so they condemn themselves in the things which they know And as for the Kingdom of God it is taken for several things in Scripture it is compared to the preaching of the Gospel as a draw-Net as to Leven to a Merchant and to the Church sometimes though very seldom and to Righteousness and Joy in the holy Ghost and it is compared to the state of Glory or the state of Glory is called by the name of the kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of God and that Infants as such have right to everlasting life and glory by the righteousness of Christ I never did deny but yet notwithstanding that they can be accounted of as Members of the Kingdom in the other sense that I deny as first They are not Members of the new Covenant and so consequently of the Church because as I have already shewed that none are Members therof but such as know the Lord from the least even unto the greatest and so need no teaching to know the Lord but Infants know not the Lord and therefore are not of the new Covenant or Church of Christ But if you should ask me then how are they saved and by what Covenant I should tell you by that gracious Promise made by God in Gen. 3. in these words the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and indeed had not man sinned since the Fall he then should have had no need of Baptism or any other act of obedience as a means of his everlasting peace for Salvation is a free gift of God but when we come to years of maturity and the knowledge of God and then like Adam transgress it we then have forfeited our happiness and hence it comes to pass that we have need of Repentance and Baptism to break off our sins that the forfeit which sin hath laid upon our heavenly inheritance might be removed and then Salvation be given over full into our lap as I may say as at the first namely as a free Gift and Repentance and Baptism is of no use to such as have not sinned against God manifest in Christ the which Infants have not done and therefore no need of Baptism as I in a former Treatise have already shewed more at large Object 2. Secondly The Children of Abraham were to be Circumcised at eight dayes old saith my Antagonist and therefore why may not the Children of Beleevers be baptized about that age Answ To which I Answer and say That God did command that the Children of Abraham should be Circumcised at eight dayes old but hath not commanded the Children of Beleevers to be Baptized at that age which if he hath shew the place of Scripture where it is so written and the Controversie will cease Secondly Remember that there was far greater reason that Infants should be Circumcised than Infants now Baptized because as the first Covenant was a Covenant appertaining to the flesh with carnal Ordinances so the seed that was to enjoy it was a fleshly seed and were to receive Circumcision upon a fleshly account namely that they might be inrighted to dwell in the Land of Canaan in their Fathers house the which without Circumcision they might not do but there is no such damage lyable to the seed of Beleevers being unbaptized so as to be cut off from the Nation or their Fathers house so that as there is not the like command for Beleevers to baptize their Children as there was for Circumcision neither is there the same Reason for it But that you may see this more at large read my Book intituled Dagons Downfal where it is discoursed more at large only this know That such as have Faith the same are accounted the Children of Abraham and the only fit subjects to be baptized for not to Abraham and his seed through the Law was the Promise made of the heavenly inheritance but to his seed that was by Faith For as saith the Apostle Rom. 9.8 The Children of the flesh are not the Children of God but in Isaac viz. Christ shall thy seed be called for ye are all the sons of God by beleeving in Christ Jesus for as many as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ and if ye are Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to Promise therefore plead not your right to Gospel or Heavenly Enjoyments by vertue of being the Child of a Beleever for if you were
to be part of the Nation when he talketh of Baptism and not see them part of the Nation so as to be Preached too What are Infants part of the Nations and comprehended in that Text then why preach you not to them for the Text saith Preach unto them me-thinks your language being so divided discovereth you to be one of Babels builders but no more as to that only this observe that the word should be read Go Desciplize all Nations or make Disciples in all Nations and Baptize them as the Greek Word will render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that was Christs own practise to make Disciples and then Baptize them as you may read John 4.1 But your practise is clear contrary for you first Baptize them and then make them Disciples if you can and so I pass saying that the word All Nations sometimes is to be understood the Major part and sometimes the Lesser and better part as God promised to Abraham that in his seed should all the Nations be blessed which is to be understood not All or the Major part but the Lesser and better part for few there be that be the blessed Ones indeed And so to the next Objection which is drawn from Acts 15. Object 5. They would have put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples IN SHORT THEIR MEANING IS THAT INFANTS ARE DISCIPLES THAT IS THE THING THEY WOVLD PROVE FROM THAT TEXT IF THEY COVLD Answ To which I Answer saying That I shall not trouble the Reader with a large Answer because I have already Answered this Text also and therefore I shall give a short word to prove that Infants cannot bear the Name Disciple and so leave it because it is the Answer to the whole Matter And now that Children cannot bear the Name Disciple you may read Luke 14. which saith If any deny not himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ he cannot be his Disciple But Infants are not capable so to do therefore cannot bear the Name of Christs Disciples And we know that the word Disciple is a Schollar and I pray can a person be called a Schollar of Christ till he hath learned of Christ or is at least capable to learn of him But an Infant is not a Schollar of Christ having not learned any thing of him neither is he at present capable to learn any thing of him therefore no Disciple And so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 6. Christ saith Suffer little Children to come unto me and he put his hands upon them c. Mat. 19.14 Answ To which I Answer and say That although this be the main place which hath been alleaged and made use of by the Priests in their Baby-sprinkling yet I shall shew that this place is much against them if it be well understood and that you may see it so to be take notice that Christs Disciples which forbad these little Ones to be brought were such as were the Administrators of Baptism which sheweth That there was no such practise as to Baptize Infants because they would not then have forbid them to be brought And Secondly That they were not brought to be baptized is clear because the Parents brought them not to the Disciples which were the baptizers And Thirdly It is also clear that they were not brought to be baptized because that Christ did for them as their Parents did desire and yet baptized them not for he baptized none but left that work to his Disciples But peradventure some may say Wherefore were these Children brought to Christ My Answer is That it was to Cure them of some Disease or Infirmity which did accompany them And if any should ask me what Reason I could give to prove it I Answer These Two or Three in short The First is Because he was at that time in the work of Cureing of all manner of Sicknesses as you may see Matth. 19.1 2 3. And Secondly His Way or Method in Curing was by putting his hands upon those that had infirmity as is clear from many Scriptures but I shall cite but one Text at present because I study brevity which is Luke 4.40 in these words Now when the Sun was setting all they that had any sick with diverse Diseases brought them unto him and he laid his Hands on every of them and healed them And for this end they brought little Children that he might put his Hands upon them also but his Disciples fearing their Master would be troubled with their crying and the like forbad them but Children being part of those whom Christ Redeemed he had as great love to them as to the Men and Women and said Suffer them to come and do not hinder them and giveth a weighty Reason why he was willing to do them good because saith he of such is the kingdom of God therefore hinder them not of any benefit that may conduce to their good or ease So then in the First place you see that Christ was at that time about the work of Healing And Secondly His Way in Healing was by putting his Hands upon them whom he Healed And Thirdly They brought the Children to him that he might put his Hands on them also And Fourthly and Lastly Christ did convey a blessing unto them by doing that to them for which they were brought and yet baptized them not as before said and that it was Healing of their Body and not any spiritual thing is clear for as they were not capable to receive a spiritual blessing so there was no eminent need of it for they had right to the kingdom of God before which is the greatest blessing of all blessings Add this That in all likelihood their Parents did not mind to get for themselves spiritual blessings and much less for their Children for if they had minded that so much as they should have done they would have followed Christ and so have been of the Number of his Disciples but they were not his Disciples for his Disciples forbad them and indeed many did follow Christ which minded no spiritual good but temporal only as some to receive Cure for their infirmities for he went about doing good and some followed him because they eat of the Loaves and were filled Joh. 6.26 And thus much as to that Objection Their Parents neither brought them to be Baptized neither did Christ Baptize them yet did do for them the same for which they were brought And so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 7. Circumcision say they was a Tipe of Baptism and Baptism came in the room and place of it Answ To which I Answer that neither of the Assertions are true As First Circumcision was never a Type of Baptism but was a Type of the Circumcision of the heart as Rom. 2. and two last verses and as the Circumcision of the flesh did denote persons heirs to the temporal Land of Canaan so the Circumcision of the heart viz. the vail of
secondly because time also at present will not give leave in reference to other occasions I only hinted at these few things to caution the courteous Reader to take heed and try well what doctrine he doth receive before he receiveth it And as touching the Resurrection of the body even the same body out of the dust thou hast heard already proved but peradventures some may object and say Object That flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven Answ To that and such like Objections I briefly answer and say That this no whit contradicts that men after they be risen shall be flesh blood and bones if we consider that the same Apostle opens the meaning of his words in the very next verse by saying neither doth corruption inherit incorruption shewing that his meaning is that that corruption of flesh and blood or flesh and blood corrupted shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven until that corruption hath put on incorruption so then while it is corrupted flesh and blood it cannot enter into the kingdome of Heaven for no corrupt thing shall come there yet notwithstanding man which is flesh and bone is at this time in Heaven and so shall many more after the Resurrection inherit that glory and yet shall be flesh and bones for man was created so at the first before he was corrupted and shall be so namely flesh and bone after his corruption is taken away for when he ceaseth to be flesh and bone then he will cease also to be man unless man can consist and have a being without flesh and bone which cannot be Moreover the text it self may be read and doth well bear it thus For this I say unto you bretheren that the corrupt nature or infirmity OF MAN cannot enter into the kingdome of God For so the Original will bear it from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and being so read it lyeth without Objection for I have ever affirmed that the corruption or infirmity of man shall not enter into the kingdome of God but shall be taken away before that time And where it is said That that which thou sowest thou sowest not the same body that shall be but God giveth it a body as pleaseth him To which I answer and say that it is true it is not the same body which is sown in respect of corruption for the text saith that it is sown in corruption and it is raised in incorruption and so it is true in that sence that the Apostle speaks of that is it is not the body of corruption which is raised although every seed shall have its own body only the corruption taken away and this is the meaning of the Apostle in this place Object And as touching that objection spoken by Job 7.9 in these words As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more Answ To which I answer and say That these texts of Scripture are the most material ones that I know of whereby the Resurrection may be denyed although some other seem to shew a colour unto it and that we may see that this Scripture intends no such thing as some would have it to do even to deny that the same body shall arise and enter into the kingdome of God read the next verse and that will shew you that Job means that men which die shall rise no more so as to be known as men after the flesh as men that have taken a great journey and be long absent do return and possess their houses and habitations but man shall not so arise as to possess his former house or habitation and this appears to be Jobs meaning as from verse the 10. in these words He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more So then this 10 verse expounds Jobs meaning in the 9 verse or otherwise Job sadly contradicts himself so that we cannot tell when he speaks the truth for he doth frequently declare the Resurrection of the body as in Chapter 14.12 and 14. Chapter 19.26 27. These things considered I shall only add a Use of Comfort to those that do believe that all that are asleep in the dust shall come to a Resurrection to receive what they have done in the body whether good or evil and being perswaded thereof do wait all their dayes in the right way of the Lord until their change come even to such the Scripture speaks much comfort for they shall be exalted to inherit the earth in the morning of their Resurrection they shall have dominion over the wicked and they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet when those that have walked wisely shall shine as the Firmament and they that have turned many to righteousness as stars for ever and ever therefore know that although the wrath of man may possibly lay thee in the dust yet from thence the Lord will bring thee and set thee with Princes and put a Crown of Righteousness upon thine head and make thee inherit the throne of glory Psal 37.34 and Psal 49.14 15 16. Dan. 12.3 4. Mal. 4.2 3. 1 Sam. 2.8 1 Pet. 5.3 4 5. 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. Revel 14.12 13. Chap. 20.5 6 7 8. And thus I pass from this subject of Discourse and come to the next which is The love of God to all men in giving of his Son to bring them to a Resurrection and after that to an eternal weight of glory if they sell it not for the pleasure and glory of this present world as Esau sould his birth-right for a mess of pottage and so he received not the blessing Gods Love to Man-kind DISCOVERED AS touching Gods universal Love to the Sons of Men or the whole lump of Man-kind I need not spend much time about for the Scriptures are full and the truth thereof is written as I may say in Capital Letters so that he that runs may read and see the truth thereof and therefore I shall be brief as to this Subject of Discourse and in order to the clearing of it I shall lay down this Position as the ground-work to the Discourse which is That Gods Love was so great to the Lump of Man kind viz. the whole World that he gave his only begotten Son to Death to bring all men to a Resurrection and to an Eternal weight of Glory the which glory all men shall enjoy if they sell it not by their sins Or thus in short Jesus Christ tasted death for every Man and Woman And that this is truth read these few Scriptures as first Heb. 2.9 in these words We see Jesus who was made a little lower then Angels for the suffering of death was crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man From whence we may learn that Jesus Christ did die for all men or the whole lump or quantity of man as it is rendred from
God never did appoint any man to be wicked yet he hath of old foreseen wickedness and also hath appointed punishment for it Question 2. Hath not God Elected one sort of persons to Salvation before the world was from whence they cannot fall and rejected another sort which cannot be recovered Answ Nay for then all did not fall in Adam neither were all justified by Christ but all did fall by Adams sin and all were justified by Christs righteousness Rom. 5.18 Mistake not there is a twofold justification I shall not explain it at present but read the text Rom. 5.18 Secondly there is no such thing because that many times those that have been wicked have become righteous and of bad have been made good and also such as have been righteous and good have become wicked and bad as the Angels which were once good are now bad also Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.19 20. and those spoken of 1 Tim. 5.12 and 15. who had condemnation or were condemned because they had forsook their first faith and Saul had once the spirit of God and was beloved and yet he became wicked by reason of his wickedness about the business of the Amalekites and the good spirit of the Lord left him and he was rejected but to pass this and many such instances which might be added if I had time consider this If God have elected one sort of men to Salvation from whence they cannot fall before the foundation of the world and reprobated another sort that cannot be saved Then First Is not mans ruin from the Lord if his decree were thus made before man was made which so to affirm were to affirm that which the Scripture denyeth and so to put the lye upon God Secondly if that Doctrine be true then to what end is preaching and the like for if the Elect were never preached unto they cannot miscarry for their election stands sure and their Salvation is certain and if they have all the preaching to in the world it adds nothing unto them for the end of all means is Salvation and that they have whether they ever hear the sound of the Gospel yea or nay and therefore if that opinion be true preaching is but of very little use unto the Elect for they should have had Salvation if they had never heard of it And Secondly it is no wayes beneficial to the reprobate because if he had all the preaching unto in the world it would do him no good according to that opinion because he could never be recovered out of that estate and condition by it so then that opinion is very dangerous First because it makes Gods decree the author of sin for where God decreeth the end he decreeth the means leading to the end Secondly it makes the preaching of the Word of God of none effect for the Elect cannot perish if they be never preached unto and the reprobate cannot be recovered by all the preaching to in the world Thirdly it destroyes all christian assurance and builds men upon qualifications and not upon promises for this reason Because if there be but a very small number elected and they are not distinguished by name but by qualification then no man can prove his election but by his qualification and that is to build up men in themselves and not upon free grace in a promise and so their election is many times questioned when they are overtaken in temptation and have not the fruits of election appearing in them especially when they consider how great enjoyments and spiritual gifts and heavenly tastes men may attain unto and yet may not be in the election And Fourthly That opinion is the very fountain head as I may say of uncleanness for what is the plea of wicked men when they are reproved for sin in short thus say they if it had pleased God to have given me grace I should have done as other men but nevertheless if I be elected God will have a time to call me for it is not in my power to do good of my self and if I be not elected it is not my striving and endeavours will do me any good and by reason of this corrupt Judgment and corrupt mind men give up themselves up to walk in such courses as the flesh and carnal mind lusteth after Fifthly If that opinion be true that God hath elected one sort and reprobated another sort and that before the world was then the wicked are damned for doing the will of God as will plainly appear for what God hath decreed to bring to pass he doth decree to do it by means as first to save the elect thorow holiness and to damn the wicked for their wickedness and one he melts and softeneth that he may yeeld and be obedient and the other he hardeneth that he may be glorified in their destruction and if God do harden mens hearts to do wickedly is it not plain that it is the will of God they should so do for God works all things according to the counsel of his own will and then if so that God harden them to do wickedly and then deny them because they do wickedly doth not God damn the wicked for doing his will or for the doing of what he appointed them to do Let all Judge for so say some that men are appointed of God unto wickedness and disobedience from this scripture 1 Pet 2.8 But how that can be evil or disobedience for men to do what God hath appointed them to do as yet I know not And Sixtly and lastly If this opinion be true then we may not blame the wicked for any of their wickedness but conclude that the fault is in him if it be wickedness that they commit that did decree it and appoint it to be done and thus God by this vain and wicked opinion is made the author of all the wickedness which is committed and how dangerous it is I leave the reader to judge this short word premised and pass to the next thing considerable although I would have answered some Objections about this point but because I find none material cited by my Antagonist but that which I have answered in my former Treatise and also because my time is very pretious at present and calls for brevity and therefore I shall now come to speak to the last Particular in order which shall be the conclusion of this first part of my book which is about the Kingdome of our blessed Saviour and his Saints upon earth finding but little Objections by any urged against the Jewes return out of their captivity and none cited by my Antagonist worth speaking to and therefore I now come to prove That Christ and the Saints shall possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth OF The Personal Raigne OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR AND HIS SAINTS UPON EARTH HEre is comprehended in this Subject of Discourse such good newes as will doubtless comfort the heart of every one that waits for the Lord Jesus
Heavens shall be filled with the flesh and bloud of Captaines and great men of the earth For thus saith the Prophet Ezek. 39.17 18. And thou son of man thus saith the Lord God speak unto every feathered foul and to every beast of the field Assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that ye may eat flesh and drink blood Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the Princes of the earth and ye shall eat fat till ye be full and drink blood till ye be drunken of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you And all the heathen shall see my Judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them Revel 19.17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fouls that flie in the midst of Heaven come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men small and great bond and free From these Scriptures you may see that there is to be a very great slaughter at the time when the Lord Christ shall take his Kingdome to Raign upon Earth and several Prophets also bear their testimony to this thing as Isa 34.5 6. Joel 2.1 2 3 4. But because of the want of time I pass to the reasons of the point Reason 1. Because the Scripture saith that God will give him viz. Christ the heathen for his inheritance and he shall bruise them like a potters vessel Psal 2. and we also see what the Psalmist saith of Christs victory over his enemies Psal 110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries for saith he I will tread them down in my anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed is come from whence we see that Christ is not only to take the Kingdomes of the whole World into his hands but also to trample the wicked as ashes under the soles of his feet and so I pass to the second reason Reason 2. Because the Lord hath said that the destruction of the Assyrian viz. the man of sin or Antichrist shall be like the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib Isa 10.24 25 26. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwell in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt for yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction and the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib now that you may understand what that slaughter was you may read Judg. 7.22 Where we find that the Lord set every mans hand against his brother so that they destroyed each other with a very great slaughter and so it will be in the day of the Lord for when they see the great unavoydable judgments which shall overtake them and that the mountains will be too narrow a covering for them then will their indignation be kindled one against another so as to destroy each other as you may see from that type in the dayes of Gideon and also from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 38.18 19 20 21 22. which saith it shall come to pass at the same time when Gogg shall come up against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face For in my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken Surely in that day shall there be a great shaking in the Land of Israel So that the fish of the Sea and the fouls of the heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth and all men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground And I will call for a sword against him thorow all my mountains saith the Lord God every mans sword shall be against his brother And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hailstones fire and brimstome Thus will I magnifie wy self and so forth from these words with the Prophet Zach. 14.13 We may see that there will be a very great slaughter upon Gogg and his Army at the time when the Lord Christ shall dispossess him of his great power and authority and it will be like to that slaughter of Gideon which was called the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon Judg. 7.18 Reason 3. That there is to be such a great slaughter is clear because it is to be like the great slaughter of Jehoshaphat upon Moab Ammon and Mount Seir 2 Chron. 20.22 23 24. which was a very great slaughter as you may read in the fore cited text and that this slaughter was a type of the slaughter that shall be at the time when Christ shall take the Kingdome you may see what Joel saith to this Joel 3.1 12 13. For behold in those dayes and in that time when I shall bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations and will bring them down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there let the heathen be awakned and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judge the heathen round about proclaim ye amongst the Gentiles prepare war beat your Plowshears into swords and your pruning hooks into spears put you in the sickle for the harvest is ripe and the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the winepress even to the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Revel 14.19 20. From whence we may see that there is to be a very great slaughter in and amongst the Army of Gogg and Magog I could cite many such like texts only time suffereth me not but I pass to the fourth reason Reason 4. Because it is to
be the year of vengeance and recompence for the controversie of Zion that as the Church of God and also the Jews have been spoiled so for a reward God will give their enemies into their hands they shall spoil them by whom they were spoiled so that Zion shall be as a thrashing instrument of Iron having teeth that shall beat the mountains into dust and the little hills into pouder for God will shew his indignation upon the Nations and his fury upon the Armies as saith the Lord by the Prophet Isa 34.1 2 3 5 6 8. in these words Come neer ye nations to hear and hearken ye people let the earth hear and all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations and his fury upon all their armies he hath utterly destroyed them he hath delivered them unto the slaughter For my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold I will come down to Idumea and upon the people of my curse to Judgment The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness and with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Ramms for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Zion From whence we may see that although Gods people do suffer at present and are to suffer until the day of redemption yet at that day even when the Lord shall appear although it be the time of Jacobs trouble yet they shall be delivered and the wicked shall come in their stead that is they shall then be in very great trouble and so I pass to the fifth Reason Reason 5. Because Gods determination is to gather the nations and assemble the kingdomes that he may pour upon them the fierceness of his indignation and that it is to be at that day read Isa 63.1 2 3. Zeph. 3.9 Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Isa 10.23 Ezek. 38.19 Micah 4.12 13. Isa 3.27 28 29 30 31 32 33. From these Scriptures we may see the great slaughter that will be at the time aforesaid which indeed the Prophets have spoken fully to and because I have given you an account of it in my former Treatise I shall pass it at present and come to the next thing which is a few words as touching the distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust There is to be a distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust As to the the proof of this subject of discourse I shall be brief omitting circumlocution and only give you plain proof of Scripture although I might give many reasons And first we may see that our blessed Saviour doth affirm it when he speaks of his second coming to raise the dead and to take up the quick into the clouds saying that Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels in Heaven but my Father only but as the dayes of Noah was so shall be the coming of the Son of man for in the dayes before the floud they were eating and drinking marrying and giving into marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not until the floud came and took them all away so also shall the coming of the son of man be Then shall two be in the field the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other shall BE LEFT two women shall be grinding at the mill the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other LEFT two shall be in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left Mat. 24.36 37 38 39 40 41. compared with Luke 17.34 And that this speaks of the taking up of the faithful that are alive and leaving the unfaithful behind upon the earth and raising of the dead that are faithful and leaving the rest of dead behind that are unfaithful is further cleared by the words of Paul to the Thessalonions 4.15 16 17. which saith For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them that are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and shall be for ever with the Lord. From these words we may see the words of Christ are explained where he saith two shall be in one bed the one taken the other left which is saith Paul at his COMING that such as sleep in the Lord will Christ arise FIRST to bring with him and also the quick that are faithful shall be caught up with them and the rest to be left behind and the rest of the dead also not to live again until a certain juncture of time appointed of God as you shall see more anon but hence you see without controversie that the dead in Christ shall rise first as well as the faithful that are alive shall be caught away and the other viz. the wicked left behind And now I come to the next thing which is the last that I shall say to this subject that is How long the just shall rise before the unjust which is the whole time of Christs holding his Kingdome which is the tearm of a thousand years and that you may see the truth of this read Revel 20.4 5 6. in these words And I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God and they lived raigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were fulfilled This is the first resurrection or indeed as we may fitly say the Resurrection of the first or just that both from Christs words and Pauls and also Jesus we may see that the godly shall arise a thousand years at the least before the wicked to possess a Kingdome and to raign upon earth the which glory God hath prepared for those that love and obey Christ and walk in his Ordinances and keep them to the end and thus I briefly pass to the fifth particular which is the place of Christs Kingly Seat Fifthly As to the place of Christs Kingly Seat the Scriptures seem to be very clear in making of it out to be at the former beloved place Jerusalem which is to be built and inhabited as of old time the which in another Treatise I have fully proved that Zion and Jerusalem is the beloved place of the Lord where Christs Throne is to be established in the place where Davids Throne was for so saith
the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him his name shall be for ever Name signifieth authority his name shall be continued as long as the Sun and the whole earth shall be filled with his glory Amen Psal 62.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. This whole Psalm with many more speaks fully of this thing and how can it be imagined that the Babylonion and Pertian and Gretian and Roman Monarchs should continue so long and Christs Kingdome that the Scripture speaks most of which is to be the Kingdome under the whole Heavens should remain so little a while as some do Imagine to what end is it for him to take his great power and to raign if it be for such a small time as one day according as a day is in our account no doubtless it is to be for a thousand years at the least Secondly We understand the six dayes vocation of Gods work doth hold forth and teach us that the continuation of the World is to be for six thousand years it being considered that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years only the dayes to be shortned for the elects sake and the seventh day which was Gods rest from his labour and the year of Jubilee to be understood to figure out unto us the seven thousand years which is to be the time of Christs Kingdome and the glorious rest that we are to labour to enter in to Thirdly It appears to be a large time because the families of the earth are to come up to worship this great King the Lord of Hosts Isa 66. Zach. 14. Mich. 4. and the Lord is to be their teacher and he is to make war at that time to cease to the ends of the earth and he is to be one and his name one at that time and to govern the nation upon the earth all which things bespeaks more time than a moment or one natural dayes time Fourthly It further appears that the time will not be short because in the time of Christs Kingdome his will shall be done in earth as it is done in heaven when the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he dwell with them as the time is at hand when it will be so and the earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea time would fail me to speak of these things in particular and therefore I shall omit it at present and more especially because there are many in this nation would assist me with their help in this point of Christs Kingdom if it should lie at the stake for want of proof and that makes me the more sparing for I could thorow Gods assistance speak more largely about the same point but because of the reasons before mentioned I have only given thee what lyeth before me in my understanding and leave the most serious perusal of things until a future and greater occasion offereth it self unto me and at present shall only speak a few words to the estate and condition of the wicked in the day of the Lord and in the time of his Kingdome which is First as concerning the coming of Christ we find that the greatest part of men shall be gathered together to make up that company of Gogg and Magog and we may read what will become of them when the Vine of the earth is reaped and cast into the great Winepress of God and trod without the gates of Jerusalem that blood shall come out to the horse bridle and Joel and Ezekiel speaks largly of that and more of it Revel 19.1 And although time admits not of writing the words of the several texts yet peruse them at thy leasure as thou mayest find them written Isa 63.1 2 3 4. Ezek. 39. to the sixteen verse Joel 3.11 12 13. Revel 14.18 19 20. Chap. 16.16 ARMAGEDDON a place of slaughter Chap. 19.17 18 19 20. From these and many more which might be cited the which elsewhere I have cited we may see that a very great multitude will be slain at the very time when Christ shall take his Kingdome although a few shall be affrighted and give glory to God but the next or that which remains is to speak somewhat of the rest which are not slain and First we cannot conclude any of them in a state of Salvation or any grace to be offered to them that are wicked and refuse the tender of the Gospel save them few above written because when Christ cometh he that then is holy shall be holy still and he that then is filthy shall then be filthy still Revel 22.11 12. Secondly the great Antichrist shall cause all unless the sanctifyed ones and some few elect that shall escape him to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead and they that escape the sword which received his mark they shall be tormented day and night and they shall have such curses as I spake of not long before concerning the sinner that remained so till he come to be a sinner an hundred years old But paradventure some may say There is some that have not heard of Christs fame shall at that time be sent to that they may see his glory Isa 66.19 Answ There are some that shall escape the Man of sin and not receive his mark as Edom and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon Dan. 11.41 And Moab shall be an hiding place to Israel in that day these shall be sent to Tarshish and pull and lug that they that by reason of being remote have not heard these shall have a day of grace offered in the time of Christs raign and also the children that are in their non-age but the Sons of those that have afflicted Gods people shall come bending unto them and in brief thus as the wicked shall be broken like a Potters Vessel at the coming of Christ even so those that in their generations come not up to worship the Lord Christ in the time of his Kingdome shall be bond-slaves to Israel and at last perish in the manner before spoken of so in the time of Christs Kingdome there will be some sinners though not of the Jews and their Judgment will be great and at last when the Devil is loosed at the end of the thousand years there will be such a seed for him to work upon as in fore time and then he shall befool them perswade them that they may break off their yoak from off their neck and not be captivated but may themselves conquer and raign and so shall come up to Jerusalem thinking to besiege it and take it and then fire shall come down from God out of Heaven and destroy them and this bringeth in the resurrection of the unjust namely the last and general resurrection the eternal Judgment then when all Rulers and authority is put down even the very last enemy which
shall Michael stand up the GREAT PRINCE which standeth for the Children of THY people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation For Behold the day of the Lord cometh and thy spoil viz. Jerusalems shall be divided in the midst of thee and I will gather all Nations against JERVSALEM to battail and the CITY shall be taken and the Houses riffled and the Women ravished and half of the City shall go forth into Captivity and the residue of the people shall not be out off from the City this is the Woman that flyeth into the Wilderness and the remnant of her Seed which remains Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations as when he fought in the day of battail and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem And I said to the man cloathed in Linnen how long shall it be to the end of these wonders namely the troublesome time and the treading down of JERUSALEM underfoot And I heard the man cloathed in Linnen swear by him that liveth for ever and ever It shall be for a Time and Times and half a Time and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished From whence we may see that Jerusalem is to be trod under foot according to the saying of the Text Revel 11. and also the time how long which by Daniel is said to be a Time and Times and half a Time and in the Revelations Chap. 11.2 it is said to be Forty and two Months in these words But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months All which time the Woman shall be fled into the Wilderness for she flyeth at the first of Jerusalems being taken so soon as she is delivered of the Man-child and it is the remnant of her seed which remaineth in Jerusalem over whom the Beast is to have power forty and two Months Revel 13.5 Zech. 14.1 2. Unto whom the two Witnesses is to prophesie and the time of the Womans flight into the Wilderness is the very same time in latitude with the scattering of the power of the holy people spoken by Daniel Chap. 12.7 And the holy City being trod under foot spoken of by St. John Rev. 11.2 And that you may see that the time of the Womans flight into the Wilderness is the very time of the scattering of the holy People namely the People of the Jews which Daniel frequently cals a holy People for then they shall all be holy unto the Lord and also the treading of the holy City underfoot read Revel 12.14 in these words And to the Woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the Wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a Time and Times and half a Time from the face of the Serpent From all which hath been said I gather this Conclusion which materially offereth it self which is That the Court without which is not to be measured is to be undestood that the Jews are to return and build their City and Temple and the Court without not measured but given unto the Gentiles is to be understood that the Families of the Gentiles above spoken of shall come to Jerusalem as to a Town of unwalled Villages before the outward Court and Walls is finished and take it and divide the spoil and the holy City being trod under foot is to be understood the spoil that will be made in Jerusalem for the space of forty and two Months in the which time the two Prophets or Witnesses shall prophesie unto that party of the Jews which do not flie into the Wilderness Zech. 14.1 2. Revel 11.3 Chap. 12.17 the which time of scattering of the holy People Dan. 12.7 for a Time and Times and half a Time and the holy City being trod under foot forty and two Months Revel 11.2 and the two Witnesses prophesying a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes and the Womans being nourished in the Wilderness from the face of the Serpent a Time and Times and half a Time agreeing with Daniel as before cited All these times though in several phrases is one and the same time for latitude in which time the Jews shall be scattered for as it is called by John Revel 11.2 forty and two Months and a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes yet to clear up what he means by that Time he also cals it a Time and Times and half a Time Revel 12.14 in the same phrase with Daniel 12.7 where he cals it a Time Times and a half which is just three Years and a half for a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes considering according to the Jews account thirty dayes to a Month is just forty and two Months and forty and two Months is also three Years and a half and hence it is called by Daniel and also by John a TIME and TIMES and half a TIME And that a Time is to be understood one Year and Times in the plural number is to be understood Years read Dan. 4 25. in these words And they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the Beasts of the field and seven TIMES shall pass over thee till thou know that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of men c. From this Text we understand that the seven TIMES is understood the seven Years that Nebuchadnezzar was cast out into the open field to eat grass with the Oxen and to be wet with the dews of heaven until he had humbled himself and acknowledged the Lord So then by TIME in the singular number I understand one Year and by TIMES in the plural number although the least of numbers I understand two Years and by half a TIME I understand half a Year so then the TIME and TIMES and half a TIME is just three Years and a half which is also a thousand two hundred threescore dayes or forty two Months all which being considered with the premises sheweth That although a measuring Line be to pass over Jerusalem yet once again yet before it is finished to wit the Walls or outward Court there will be a stop by the Man of Sin or the great Army before mentioned and the City it self shall be taken and the Houses riffled and it trod under foot three Years and a half and then shall everlasting righteousness be broubt in namely Jesus Christ which shall take the Kindome Dominion greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven Dan. 7. and sit and raign upon the Throne of his Father David and this is that which I understand from Rev. 11.1 2 3 4. with the fore mentioned Scriptures and many that I could add if I had time the which is plainly signified from
the 15 vers of that fore mentioned 11. Chapter of the Revelations in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in Heaven saying the KINGDOMES of this WORLD is BECOME the KINGDOMES OF OVR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST AND HE SHALL RAIGN FOR EVER AND EVER and thus much briefly to the Measurement of the Temple and City and outward Court being cast out and the holy City being trod under foot and fourthly the time of the witnesses Prophesying the which will be just three years and a halfe which is proved in the precedent discourse also more of that a non And as for Mr. Hendens computation of time which is saith he A day being taken for a year the flight of the woman and the City being trod under foot and the two witnesses Prophesying in Sackcloath is to be understood one thousand two hundred and threescore years in which time the Church is only a sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exterior Order paragraph 4 page 65. And also he further saith that the time of the beginning of the suffering of the Church and the City being trod under foot was in the year 390. and to be fully expired in the year 1650. and applieth it to a little light broke forth in England about that time and that you may see the SVM of this spoken by him although in more words at large read in his book page 10. compared with paragraph the fourth To which I answer briefly in particulars and First if the forty and two months and the one thousand two hundred and threescore daies with the TIME and TIMES and halfe a TIME all which is acknowledged to be one and the same Time for the Latitude thereof be expired and ended in the year 1950. then upon that account the Woman is come out of the Wilderness already and hath been almost for ten years since upon Mr. Hendens computation or calculation of time and if so I hope Mr. Henden will admit that the Woman may practise all the Ordinances as they were delivered or if not when shall she if it be answered that she is not to practise them till the Winds of the Spirit breath upon them again and if this be the time then is also as clear that the spirit is entered into them again from Mr. Hendens own opinion for these two Prophets saith Mr. Henden were to Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore years in Sackcloath which time was expired or ended as he saith in the year 1650 and we find that when they had accomplished their Prophesies which was accomplished at the time aforesaid then they were slain and lay dead but three daies and a halfe the which upon Mr. Hendens account is but three years and a halfe at the end of which time the Spirit of life was to enter into them again Rev. 11.11 which was above six years since Sir look about you its time for you to up and be doing or to cast up your account a new but more to these things anon when I come to shew my opinion upon the travelling Woman and Man-child and Witnesse as before said but I fear I shall be much straitned for time Secondly It cannot be as Mr. Henden saith that the Winds of the Spirit is to be with-holden these forty and two months or 1260. daies so as that there shall not be that visible demonstration of the spirit as in the Primitive time for it is clear that the two witnesses in the time of their Prophesie in Sackcloath shall have as great power and visible demonstration as ever was known upon earth that they have power read Rev. 11.5 6. in these words If any wan will hurt them sire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enimies and if any man will hurt them they must in this manner be killed these have power to shut Heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into blood Rev. 16.3 4. and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will For the Angels that hold the four Winds the seven Angels are imployed as ministering Spirits both to desend them from the malice of the Beast so as he cannot hurt or interrupt them all the time of their Prophesie and also to pour out their Vyals and with-hold the Winds and smite the earth with curses so often as they please and that they did also exercise their power in the time of their prophesie is clear from vers 11. where it is said that They tormented the Earth so then they had power and did also exercise it which confutes what Mr. Henden saith And thirdly whereas Mr. Henden saith in his page 65. that the true Church is only a Sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exteriour order I answer say it seems strange to me that the sealed number which Mr. Henden before said was not hurt and yet saith now that she were dis-robed of her beauty in outward order and if this be not hurt I know not what is hurt because God did ever delight in outward Order where there was inward grace he being a God of Order in all the Churches of his Saints Fourthly It yet wants a proof that ever the Woman lost any one of her robes if she be to be understood a Gentile Church as Mr. Henden saith she is for she had them on when Saint John saw her in his vision and I do not read of any ever saw her without them after she had put them on unless Mr. Henden did but I suppose he did not and so I shall leave this particular and pass to the next particular which is from the text Mat. 24 cited by M. Henden and I shall not take notice of every circumstance of things but the ground of the matter wherein we differ which is saith he The marks of the false Churches are four as first the visibility in their stative order loe here or loe there The second the phrase here and there notes a manifest place of rest or sitting down Thirdly the variety here and there which must Scatter whereas the true is uniform Fourthly The visible loe or model is first and then Christ is brought into it loe here is Christ as if the Spirit of life and divine primitive power were in it the Wilderness is to be understood a Metaphorical Wilderness and secret Chambers which figures out our lesser stated bodies and so forth page 50 51 52. In order to the answer of these things I shall not take notice of every objection or contradiction but shall plainly and briefly cite the text and open it and then leave the reader to judge whether it speak of gathered or false constituted Churches as Mr. Henden saith when it speaks of the Wilderness or desart or secret Chamber or whether it be to be understood litterally of a Material face Christ in a desart or in a
that Christ did not say in so many words that John should not die for if he had it might have begat some dislike and murmuring amongst his Disciples but he spake so plain that his Disciples that had the holy Spirit did so understand him and John himself who writ these things doth not contradict their opinion but only saith over the words that Christ had said which is But if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee and indeed their was great reason that John who wrote these things should be very sparing in the delivering of it seeing Christ was sparing and because the matter concerned himself that he might not gain any dislike or hatred from any of the Disciples because of that thing and as touching Johns death I say it cannot be proved that he did ever die neither do I believe that he did till I see better reason then I yet see to prove it and if it be an errour it is no other thing then what was received and believed of the Disciples of Christ in that day and they no where reproved for so believing but because I am a speaking of Johns death I shall shew you the opinion of some or what they have written as touching his death although I would not be understood to believe all what is written concerning him Jerome saith alledging it out of Tertullian that in the time of Nero though others say in the raign of Domitian he was thrown at Rome into a tun of boiling oyle and thereby he took no harm but came forth after this tryal purer than he went in and so saith Abdias Augustine calls him a Martyr by will and that which he writes of his end is strangest of all which is that John at Ephesus caused his grave to be made and in the presence of divers went in alive and being no sooner in but there seeming he was dead they covered him which kind of rest saith he was rather to be termed a sleep than death for that the earth of the grave bubleth or boileth up after the manner of a well by reason of Johns resting therein and breathing a sign of his slumbering therein as you may see August in John Tract 124. also repeated by the translator in his discourse of the Apostles and seventy Disciples in Eusebius 533 Eusebius Pamphilius himself saith that he dyed at Ephesus Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 28. and indeed there is division amongst ancient writers as touching John but I shall leave these things and come to the second Reason which is Secondly Because the Angel told John that he must Prophesie again not preach again before many people and nations and tongues and kings which relates to the time of the Nations being gathered together against Jerusalem in the time of the Antichrist and the ten Kings that shall give their power unto the Beast until the word of God be fulfilled Zech. 14.1 2. Dan. 7.24 Revel 17.12 13 14. In this time unto these people or Nations was John to Prophesie Revel 10.11 Thirdly John saith There was given to ME a reed like unto a rod and the Angel stood saying rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein But the Court without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given vnto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth Revel 11.1 2 3. From whence we may see that John had not only as it were a new gift of Prophesie to be given unto him that he might Prophesie again before Nations tongues and Kings and the like but also he was the man that was to measure Jerusalem at the time of its last building when the holy City was to be taken by the Gentiles and trodden under foot as I before have proved and he is the other Prophet with Elias which the Jews look for before the great day of the Lord and demanded of John the Baptist if he was either of them and he said no and they demanded of him why he then Baptized to prepare a people for the Lord saying Why Baptiseth thou then if thou be not that Christ nor Elias neither that Prophet from whence we may see that the Jews look for Elias and another Prophet whose name is not mentioned and therefore he is called that Prophet or a Prophet not naming him John 1.21 25. As the Disciple who was to tarry until Christ come is not plainly mentioned but called the Disciple whom Christ loved who leaned upon his Breast at Supper and the like but we understand him to be John because the Text saith this is the Disciple that testifieth of these things and wrote these things and we know that his testimony is true so then the Jews look for Elias and his companion another Prophet even John to be forerunners of Christ and such are the two Prophets which are called the two Witnesses to be and doubtless are the same persons for they are such as shall be slain implying that they are such men as yet have not tasted of death and although some suppose that Enoch or Moses shall be Elija's companion to be one of the two Prophets yet it is not my Judgment for there is no reason for Moses to be one who hath tasted of Death already neither is there any mention made of him as to such a work and as for Enoch there is nothing spoken of him neither in reference to that work but of Elias there is and also of John for he is to measure the City and to prophesie again before Kings and there is great reason that one of these two Prophets should be of the new Testament a witness to Jesus as well as Elias of the old Testament and yet both to be of the seed of Abraham as Elias and Iohn was and finally the people that the two Witnesses were to Prophesie unto is the remnant of the Womans seed which remain in Ierusalem and the place where they prophesie is in Ierusalem in the presence or before Kings and Nations and the like gathered together into Ierusalem in which place the two Witnesses shall be slain when they have finished their Testimony by the Beast namely the Antichrist and at the end of three dayes and an half the Spirit of life shall enter into them again and they shall ascend into Heaven to meet the Lord and his glorious army just at the nick of time when he is ready to descend upon the Mount of Olives and the next thing which shall immediately fall out upon the City and the people viz. the wicked Gentiles Gogg and his company shall be the great Earth-quake which shall slay seven thousand men and the next the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kindomes of our Lord and his Christ and he shall raign