that is the Judge of Israel before spoken of that hee I say shall stand and feed or rule in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God and they that is the Jewes shall abide for now that is at this comming of our Saviour hee shall bee not as when hee tooke our nature upon him of no (k) Isay 53. v. 2 3. forme nor comelinesse a man despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefes but he shall be (l) Zech. 9.10 Psal 72.8 great unto the ends of the earth that is over all the world untill hee and his shall at the last judgement exchange the earthly Hierusalem the (m) Jer. 3. v. 17. ca. 14. v. 21. Throne of his Kingdome which is to be (n) Jer. 31.38 built againe by men for that imperiall Hierusalem not (o) 2 Cor. 5.1 made with hands eternall in the heavens Another Prophesie much like unto this is that of Amos in his 9. chap. at the 8. vers Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull Kingdome and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord for loe I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corne is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth And at the 11. vers In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines as in the dayes of old that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen that are called by my Name saith the Lord that doth this I will bring againe the captivitie of my people Israel and they shall build the wast cities and inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards and drinke the wine thereof they shall also make gardens and eate the fruit of them and I will plant them upon their land and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them saith the Lord God Now although this Prophesie tooke effect on the tenne Tribes at their transplantation began by (p) 1 Chro. 5. v. 6. 2 King 15. v. 29. Cap. 16.9 Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria and ended by Shalmaneser his successour who also brought up strange Nations and placed them in their stead (q) 2 King 17. v. 5 6 24. cap. 18. v. 9 c. which people were from Samaria the ancient metropolis of that Province called (r) Joh. 4.9 Samaritanes yet who is able to maintaine that it was fulfilled on the other two for not the house of Joseph nor the house of Judah only but the house of Jacob wholly is here spoken of and why else is the Tabernacle of David afterwards exprest as a prime agent in the restauration if it were not before included as a succeding patient in the dispersion of Israel who then I say is able to maintaine that this Prophecie was fulfilled on Judah and Benjamin untill their overthrow by the Roman Emperour Vespasian ever since which time they also remaine forsaken scattered and despised captives yea who dares affirme it when God hath said that at their returne from this universall captivity †The usuall answer of a condititionall promise will take no hold on this or the like places of the Scripture for as God hath here past his word that hee will no more pull them up out of their land so in the 32. chap. of Jer. at the 39. 40. vers the 50. chap. at the 20 vers In the 36. of Ezek. at the 27. vers in the 37. at the 23. in the 39. at the 7. vers and in the 3. of Zeph. at the 13. vers All which Prophesies do in the time of their fulfilling concurre with this he hath likewise promised to give them one way and one heart that they may feare him for ever Never to turne away from them to do them good but to put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him That the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found That hee will put his spirit within them and cause them to walke in his statutes and to keepe his judgements and doe them That they shall defile themselves no more with their Idols nor with their detestable things not with any of their transgressions That he will make his holy name knowne in the midst of his people Israel and will not let them pollute his holy Name any more And that the remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquity nor speake lies neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth And therefore God having thus equally engaged himselfe as well to keepe the Iewes from sinne as to free them from bondage it is as impossible that the accomplishment of this Prophesie should be frustrated and the fruition of these blessings forfeited for want of obedience as that God should either forget or not regard or be unable to fulfill his word and consequently the appointed time for the finishing of such Prophesies is yet to be expected hee will so plant them in their Land that they shall no * more be pulled up out of it which yet should not be true if it it had beene spoken of any deliverance before our Saviours comming to suffer The next Prophesie shall be that of Joel who mentions the very signes which our Saviour said should be the immediate fore-runners of the Jewes Redemption And it shall come to passe afterwards saith hee in his 2. chap. at the 28. vers that I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your old men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I powre out my spirit and I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoake the (Å¿) Isa 24.23 Mat. 24.29 Rev. 6 12. Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before the (*) Great not onely in regard of the strangenesse and dreadfulnesse of events of things then to come to passe but great also in regard of the long continuance and tract of time which God in his revelations hereafter to be fulfilled doth by the word Day as well without this epithet as with iâ— frequenâ—ly import great and terrible (t) Eze. 39. vers 8. Malac. 4.5 Jude ver 6. Rev. 16.14 day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered for in mount Zion and in Hierusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call And at the 3. chap. at
of the Sunne and the Light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord (h) Mal. 3. v. 17 18. bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound But the great increase of the light of the Sunne and Moone here spoken of is in the 60. Chap. at the 19. ver plainely gainesaid the words are these The Sunne shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moone give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Where if it had been said That the Sunne should no more burne them by day nor the Moone by night as it is in the 121. Psal Or smite them as it is in the 49. of Esay at the 10. ver I could have sent you for an answer to the 4. chap. of the same Prophet at the 5. ver The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day from the beat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storme and from raine But seeing it is said The Sunne shal be no more thy light by day These places will be better reconciled if we acknowledge that in the 60. Chap. there is a mixt rehearsall of those blessings which are proper onely to the Heavenly Jerusalem which as it is Rev. 21. ver 23. and chap. 22. ver 5. hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moone to shine in it with those which the Jewes shall receive at the restauration of their earthly Jerusalem for such a mixture of things which shall in their execution be many generations apart is very usuall with the Prophets And it is the more likely to be so here not onely because the words immediately following in both Prophecies are in sense all one for they shew the same reason wherefore the Sun and Moone should no more give light unto them but also because the happinesse which the Jewes shall then be made Heires of shall never againe be interrupted by any misery For the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Esay the 35. at the 10. ver And lest we should conceit that the judgement of the dead plainely described in the 20. Chap. of the Rev. shall either suspend Ver. 11 12. c. ver 2. or disturbe this joy Saint Paul in the 1. to the Cor. and the 6. Chap. hath told us that The Saints shall judge * These first words may not unfitly be referred also to the time of the Saints reign on earth for it is their priviledge at their entrance into their Kingdome and throughout the whole space of their reign To judge the World that is all Nations of the Gentiles with the judgement of government and reformation with the exercise of a civill and temporall power over them as in the prophecies of the Gentiles subjection unto them it may plainely be seene And it is their priviledge at the â—aâ—â— resurrection To judge the world and the Devill that is all evill as well Angels as men by a joynt approbation of their finall and perfect condemnation of the full accomplishment I say of their eternall reprobation the world that is the wicked men that have beene their oppressors ver 3. and judge the Angels that is the evil spirits that have been their tempters And therefore shall not be thrust downe to the bar amongst them but advanced to the bench against them An addition doubtlesse to their happinesse and no abatement of it And this is as much as I need say though not above halfe that the Prophets say concerning the Kingdome in the Text. I will therefore shut up all with that solemne Protestation of God in the 31. of Jer. at the 35. ver Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the Ordinances of the Moone and of the Starres for a light by night which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of Hoasts is his Name If those Ordinances (i) Ier. 33. v. 20.25 depart from before me saith the Lord then shall the seed of Israel also cease from being a Nation before mee for ever Thus saith the Lord If Heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. And with that humble complaint of Israel whom God in the 7. of Micah at the 8. ver makes to prophecy thus of her selfe Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord will be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill be plead my cause and execute judgement for me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse And so I passe from the thing to be restored which is the Kingdome of Israel to the Person by whom it is to be restored which is Christ the Lord at his next appearing For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel That our Mediatour hath undergone the offices of a Priest and Prophet the Gospel is our witnesse That Christ shall reigne on earth proved 1. By consequence Isa 14. v. 1 2 3. but considering that the Jewes are yet to receive a Kingdome a Kingdome in which they shall bold them captives whose captives they are and in which peace and righteousnesse shall flourish on the earth considering this I say we may justly doubt whether our Saviour hath as yet executed the office of a King and so much the rather because he tooke our nature on him as well to performe his kingly office therein amongst us as either his priestly or propheticall the glory of this being indeed the reward of that contempt and torment which he suffered in the others and though it cannot be denied that he hath already (k) Col. 2. v. 15. spoyled principalities and powers that is the evill spirits and hath made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his crosse nor that he is (l) Eph. 4. v. 8. ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive and given gifts unto men nor that he is become the (m) Col. 2. v. 10. Head of all principality and power that is of the Saints and holy Angels and is set (n) Heb. 1. v. 3. ch 8. v. 1 ch 10. v. 12. ch 12. v. 2. downe at the right hand of the Throne of God so that he
it had beene as easie for the Apostle to have said They that are dead or All that are in the grave And if there shall be a precedency of time then no doubt but it shall be such a precedency as may bring some advantage and honour to the Saints and therefore not onely of a few houres or dayes but of a more notable continuance of many yeeres For if Christ should descend for no other purpose but to call all men to judgement then as there would be need of none so there could not well be any priority of time to distinguish their resurrection because in that Act both good and bad must be assembled before him at the same time and the wicked doubtlesse should then be raised as soone to see his comming as the just to meere and accompany him therein they that are Christs at his comming and therfore not the (w) Zech. 14. v. 5. 1 Thes 3. v. 13. ch 4. v. 14.15.16 2 Thes 1. v. 10. Martyrs onely Then commeth the end what presently after his comming no but when he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father and when shall that be when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power For he must reigne till He that is the Father hath put all his enemies under his feete which will be fully accomplished when the last enemy shall be destroyed which is death and when all things shall be thus subdu'd unto him then shall follow that inutterable glory that height of happinesse where the Sonne also himselfe shall be subject unto him that did before put all things under him that God may be all in all thus farre Saint Paul whose words doe clearly prove that the reigne of Christ as man of which alone we treat doth neither beginne before his comming nor extend it selfe beyond the death of death the last resurrection and therefore cannot without a palpable contradiction be taken for the time when he shall give up his Kingdome to his Father nor for the time that now is betwixt which and his Kingdome too our Saviour in my conceit hath put an irreconciliable distinction calling this the time not of a Kingdome but of temptation that is a time of persecution for righteousnesse sake a time wherein his Disciples must be delivered up to be afflicted kill'd and hated of all Nations for his name that thus fulfilling the rest of the afflictions of Christ for his bodies sake which is the Church they may at last wholly and together for shall not their bodies as well reigne with Christ as their soules but these we know are and shall be yet captives to the grave or are the Saints that shall be found alive at Christs comming exempted from his comming for if hee should reigne till then and then give up his Kingdome to his Father they are exempted but if as our Apostle shewes his reigne begin not till his comming then as the living shall at that time (x) 1 Thes 4. v. 15 16 17. together with the dead in Christ be caught up to meet him so the Saints shall then and till then they cannot wholly and altogether reigne with him I say together and at once be made partakers of their Masters Kingdome which as it appeares is not to be in Heaven and therefore must needs be held on earth where all things which our Saviour promised his Disciples may well be accomplished in a literall sense Of this Kingdome also speaks S. Peter in the 3. of the Acts at the 19. v. Repent yee therefore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preacht unto you (y) Luke 19. v. 11 12 c. whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy (z) Rev. 10 v. 7. Prophets since the world beganne where if by the times of refreshing and the times of restitution of all things nought else can be meant but the Jewes inhabiting againe of their owne land and the bringing of all other Nations into subjection to them then it is evident that Christs comming at this time shall be to accomplish this thing to Israel and consequently to receive his appointed Kingdome but that those words can have no other meaning a small acquaintance with the Prophets will informe you who as they speake of nothing more so they have nothing which can be applied to our Saviours second comming as a comfortable effect so generally foreshewne but this And here we may call to mind too our Saviours words to James and John when they requested that one might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdome To sit on my right hand and on my left said he is not mine to give but it shal be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Which saying as it doth shew that our Saviour had before acquainted the Apostles of his Kingdome so it intimates that his Kingdome is to be held on earth where onely this may be fulfilled for in Heaven it cannot be done unlesse we will grant that other men shall be as highly exalted there as our Saviour is to wit to the right hand of God which is a prerogative peculiar to the Sonne alone a preheminence I say which the chiefest of the Angels never enjoyed For to which of the Angels said hee at any time Sit on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Heb. 1. at the 13. vers And the same Apostles words in the second to Timothy and the 4. chap. may not be forgotten I charge thee saith he before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome For why should Christs appearing and his Kingdome be joyned together yea why should his Kingdome be added as the end of his appearing unlesse both were to contemporate unlesse his Kingdome were to beginne at his appearing and not before it And to my seeming that propheticall Image in the second of Dan. at the 31. vers which represented both the orderly succession and divers condition of all the then following Kingdomes of this world unto the Kingdome of Christ shadowed there unto us by the stone that was cut out without hands doth give good light to this of Saint Paul For in what manner those Kingdomes have succeeded each other in the like manner is the Kingdome of Christ to succeed them as appeares by the same phrase of speech which is attributed as well to the setting up of this Kingdome as to any of them to wit that it shall breake in pieces and consume all those Kingdomes Ver. 34 35 44.45 And therefore seeing these words are meant of a conquest and succession by force of armes in all the former Kingdomes how can they be
a Diapason of propheticall voyces doth beare me witnesse that besides the irreconciliable jarring of divine dictates this mystery cannot without the losse and denyall also of some most comfortable remarkable and if not now yet for future times (s) Rom. 11 v. 25.26 necessary truths be otherwise understood I shall as well for the (t) 1 Iohn 4. v. 1. Isa 8. v. 20. Acts 17. v. 11 liberty of mine owne beliefe as for the restraint of others unjust censures conclude with the words of our Church in the 20. Article where she determines That though the Church hath authority to judge in controversies of faith Yet it is not lawfull for the Church so to expound one place of Scripture that it may be repugnant to another And that although the Church be a witnesse and keeper of holy Writ yet beside or contrary to the same it ought not to enforce any thing to be beleeved for necessity of salvation Malachi 3. v. 6. I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sonnes of Jacob are not consumed Nahum 1. v. 2. c. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storme and the clouds are the dust of his feete He rebuketh the Sea and maketh it dry and dryeth up all rivers Bashan languisheth and Carmel and the flower of Lebanon languisheth The mountaines quake at him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the rooks are throwne downe by him The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him But with an over-running flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof and darknesse shall pursue his enemies What doe yee imagine against the Lord hee will make an utter end affliction shall not rise up the second time For while they bee solden together as thornes and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry Obadiah v. 15. c. The day of the Lord is neare upon all the Heathen as thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall returne upon thine own head For as ye have drunke upon my holy mountaine so shall all the Heathen drinke continually yea they shall drinke and they shall swallow downe and they shall be as though they had not beene But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holinesse and the house of Jacob shall possesse their possessions And the house of Jacob shall be fire and the house of Joseph a flame and the house of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it And they of the South shall possesse the Mount of Esau and they of the plaine the Philistines and they shall possesse the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria and Benjamin shall possesse Gilead And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possesse that of the Canaanites even unto Zarephath and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad shall possesse the Cities of the South And Saviours shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Habakkuk 3. v. 3. c. God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran his gloâ—y covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise And his brightnes was as the light he had horns comming out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power Before him went the Pestilence and burning coales went forth at his feete He stood and measured the earth he beheld and drove asunder the Nations and the everlasting mountaines were scattered the perpetuall hils did bow his wayes are everlasting I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction and the curtaines of the Land of Midian did tremble Was the Lord displeased against the rivers was thine anger against the rivers was thy wrath against the sea that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy charets of salvation Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oathes of the Tribes even thy Word Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers The mountains saw thee they trembled the overflowing of the water passed by the deep uttered his voyce and lift up his hands on high The Sunne and Moone stood still in their habitation at the light of thine arrowes they went and at the shining of thy glittering speare Thou didst march thorow the Land in indignation thou didst thresh the heathen in anger Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine anointed thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation unto the necke Selah Si quid novisti rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum If ought thou knowest that 's more true then this Shew 't Gentle Sir if not take mine as ' t is Jude ver 24.25 Now unto him that is able to keepe us from falling and and to present us faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the onely wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS Errataes PAge 2. line 16. for of r. to p. 4. l. 1. by that r. that by p. 5. l. 12. for time r. times p. 6. l. 10. for Judges r. Judge l. 21. for vacation r. vocation p. 7. l. 31. for imperiall r. empyriall p. 10. l. 7. for And at r. And in p. 11. l. 25. the phrase is changed to wit No way put for by no meanes referred which seeing it is the same in sense may passe without noting p. 11. l. 25 for Is r. It remaines c. p. 14. l. 6 for of the beasts r. of all c. p. 17. the letter k is misplaced for it is put in the 7. line before these words yee are not my and it should have beene put in the 8 line before these yee are the sonnes c. p. 24. l. 5. for vers 17. r. vers 37. p. 37. l. 16. for to pray before the Lord of Hosts r. to pray before the Lord and to seeke the Lord of Hoasts p. 37. l. 33. for I know the r. I know that p. 38. l. last for turne r. returne p. 44. l. 12. for their happinesse r. their former happinesse p. 48. l. 2. pericitari r. periclitari Faults escaped in the Margent PAge 1. c for Iohn 2.2 r. 1 Iohn 2.2 p. 19. the letter o in the margent which should have beene put before these words in the text It is confest is left out p. 19. q Id. l. 7. c. 7. r. cap. 12. and in this margent quot Id. l. 9. c. 9. which should have beene referred to the word Dan. in the last line is wholly left out p. 21. for quoquo modo adversan r. adversantâ—â— and in the second note for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 47. for fourthly the river r. fourthly in this City the river p. 20. s Cor. a tap in c. 3. for Hof r. Hos
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel 7. v. 14. the God of the whole earth shall he be called For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth when thou wast refused saith thy God For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer For this is as the waters of Noah unto mee for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I would not bee wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountaines shall depart and the hils shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Jer. 31. v. 15. c. Thus saith the Lord A voyce was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted because they were not Thus saith the Lord Refraine thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy worke shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come againe from the Land of the enemy And there is hope in the end saith the Lord that thy children shall come againe to their owne border 1 Chron. 16. v. 34.35 O give thankes unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever And say ye Save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the Heathen that we may give thankes to thy holy Name and glory in thy praise ISRAEL'S REDEMPTION OR THE PROPHETICALL HISTORY OF OVR SAVIOURS KINGDOME ON EARTH ACTS 1.6 They asked of him saying Lord Wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel THat Christ is already (a) Matt. 1.20 21. Luk. 2.11 Joh. 1.29 30 c. come that as a Prophet hee hath (b) Matt. 4.17 Luk. 4.15 c. cald us to repentance and as a priest hath been a (c) Joh. 2.2 Heb. 2.17 Rom. 3.25 propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world having by (d) Heb. 9.28 ch 10.14 Mark 8.31 Luk. 24.46 Joh. 10.15 Rev. 5.9 once offering himselfe perfected for ever them that are sanctified is the faith of Christians the infidelity of the Jews but that he shall come as a King to reigne on earth and restore againe the Monarchie of Israel is the faith of the Jewes and the infidelity of Christians And I thinke it a matter equally difficult to perswade either part to the mutuall imbracement of each others beleefe and yet with submission to impartiall judgements be it spoken I find not in the Scriptures more voyces for the one than for the other and therefore do verily beleeve that neither Tenet apart but both together do make up the full and (e) Rom. 8.23 ch 11.12.15 Eph. 1.14 ch 4. v. 30. Rev. 10.7 compleat mystery of our Redemption Which by Gods gracious assistance I shall to his owne glory and our Christian comfort clearely prove in the examination of the words now read unto you For they asked of him saying Lord wil thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome of Israel The words you see are a querie and such propositions imply three things 1 A person or persons proposing it 2 A matter or subject proposed 3 A person or persons to whom it is proposed The persons here are the Disciples asking the question and our Saviour answering them as the context declares the matter enquired of is the restauration of the captivated Soveraignty of the Jewes as the text it selfe doth informe us these are the parts yet because it would be impertinent in this businesse to speake any thing of the persons but onely as their joynt authority may helpe somewhat to justifie the truth of this proposall I shall omitting this division onely glance at them in the ensuing confirmation of the subject God shall set up a Kingdome ever all the earth which comprehends in it these two assertions 1 That the Kingdome of the Jewes shall againe be restored unto them 1 That the restored Jewes shall be the royall Nation of that renued world 2 That our Saviour at his comming shall restore it And first of the first that the Kingdome of the Jewes shall againe be restored unto them For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel So evidently do these words expresse an earthly kingdome I meane onely a Kingdome to be held on earth that no expositor which I have met with doth deny it and therefore seeing they could not but imbrace the sense mee thinkes they should not so rashly have rejected the consequence and that for these reasons First because the authors of this demand were not babes either in yeares or understanding but the Apostles themselves Men who had followed (f) Mat. â—â— 19. our Saviour from the very time that he manifested himselfe to the world by preaching and miracles and suffered not so much as a (g) Mat. 13.36 parable to escape their knowledge Mat. â— 17 men to whom (h) Act. 1.3 hee had shewed himself â—alive after his passion by many infalâ—ible pâ—oofes being â—â—eâ—â— of them forty dayes and speaking to them of the things pertaining unto the Kingdome of God And yet that these men should now at their last conference with him be mistaken in a matter of such importance as this is which concernes the purpose of God touching the whole Nation of the Jewes is as I beleeve and as I thinke you will all say a thing altogether unlikely and so it is too that all the Apostles should be of the same mind unlesse it had beene a truth formerly taught them and not as it is imagined an errour then newly vented by them A second reason which makes mee distast the censure here cast on our Apostles is because our Saviours answer is alleadged as a sufficient ground for it whereas it will appeare even to a weake judgement by that his answer the Apostles opinion is as much established as their curiositie is reprehended for they askt whether hee would at that time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel to which hee answered It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power as if hee should have said it is enough for you to know that such a thing shall be done and by whom but as for the time when it shall be done this the Father hath put in his owne power and therefore ought not to be enquired of by you nor to be revealed by me This is the whole meaning of the reply and now give you your verdict whether you find the Apostles hereby condemned for holding of an untruth
or rather for an over curious affectation to acquaint themselves with the very day in which they should behold the glorious accomplishment of so great a blessing Another reason which makes for our Apostles is the answer our Saviour gave the sons of Zebedee Mat. 20.21 22. when they besought him that one might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdome or as Saint Marke paraphraseth it Chap. 10.37 in his glory Ye know not said he what ye aske this reproofe you will grant goes neerer to the quicke than that before used to the Apostles and yet if you marke what followes you shall find that the matter of their petition is allowed of and only the motives thereof condemned to wit their ambition in seeking the highest roome and their unadvisednesse in supposing that Christ could then give that to any which none could have but they for whom it was Mat. 20.23 from all eternity prepared of his Father And therefore seeing this is all that these two were rebuked for by such a sharpe reply how can we mistrust that more than this should be included in a milder answer Thus farre wee have argued Topically and by way of probabilitie but that which seemes to mee clearly to quit our Apostles from error though not from oblivion from errour I say in the subject though not in the circumstance in the thing demanded though not in the season of its performance is because I find my text to be a lesson read to them by our Saviour before his passion For speaking of the destruction of the Jews They shal fal said he by the edge of the sword shall be led away captive into all Nations and Hierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfild Luk. 21. the 24. vers and at the 28. vers having before shewne what signes should immediately foregoe his appearing he left them this cordiall When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Behold here beloved the casting away of Gods people for a time which wee see at this day verified and their receiving againe for ever which shall as certainly come to passe plainly foretold the redemption I say not onely of their soules from the bondage of sinne to the favour of God by the profession of the Gospel but consequently of their bodies too from their general captivitie to the repossessing of their country by a miraculous deliverance for if no more should be meant by the word Redemption but the meere conversion of the Jewes in those places where now they live it cannot be conceived why this action should be accompanied with such wonderfull tokens and perplexity of all other Nations as is here mentioned unlesse wee shall admit no space of time betwixt this conversion and that instant in which our Saviour shall give sentence on the dead which I suppose few or none will yeeld to and if you seriously consider the evidence of the Prophets I am confident you will confesse that a most righteous and flourishing estate of the Jewes in their owne land must of necessity distinguish the time of their calling and the worlds dissolution at the last judgement And with what testimonies can we better begin than with such as are of neerest affinity with our Saviours Prophecie They shall smite saith Micah in his 5. ch and 1. vers the Judges of Israel with arod upon the cheeke And at the third verse Therefore will hee give them up untill the time that shâ—e whi h travelleth hath brought forth then the (i) Cap. cjusd v 7.8 Isay 1. v. 9. cap. 10.22 Mat. 24.22 Rom. 11. v. 5.28 remnant of his brethren shall returne unto the children of Israel What I pray is meant here by smiting the Judge of Israel but the (k) To this interpretation of the Prophesie suiting so well with our Saviours sufferings the very next vers which foreshewes the place where Christ the Ruler of Israel should be born doth to my thinking directly lead us crucifying of Christ whom when they had blindfolded him they stroke on the face and asked him saying Prophesie who is it that smote thee Luk. 22. at the 64 vers and what by untill the time that shee which travelleth hath brought forth but the whole time of the surrogated Gentiles vacation for blindnesse is in part happened to Israel untill the * Whether by fulnesse wee understand the whole number of those Gentiles which were successively to be called before the Nationall conversion of the Iewes or else the full universall and contemporating conversion of all unbeleeving Gentiles whatsoever at and through that extraordinary restauration of the Iewes whose Tribes are wholly comprehended by this word in the 12. vers of the same chapter whether I say the first or last of these interpretations doth passe for currant with us and one of them must needs passe yet it comes all to one reckoning it doth nothing prejudice the cause for which our Apostles saying is here alleaged which is to shew that the giving up of the Iewes must last untill the time which is appointed for the calling of the substituted Gentiles be fully ended for if blindnesse be happened to Israel untill the comming in of the sulnes of the Gentiles in the last sense that is of all of them indifferently shall come to passe then must it of necessity continue untill the comming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles in the first sense that is of the substituted part of them be quite and cleane finished seeing the totall conversion cannot take place before the partiall gives way to it fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11.25 from whence it necessarily followes that this Prophesie and our Saviours must be understood of one and the same time for the dispersion foretold by Christ was to happen after his passion and so was this as their smiting the Judge of Isael declares which is alleaged as the maine cause of it Againe the captivitie which our Saviour spake of is to last untill the * Though by the word times the dominion and power of the Gentiles over the Iewes and their possession of the holy Land be in this place especially aymed at yet because the time of the Iewes subjection to and captivitie amongst the Gentiles in generall is to be of equall latitude and extent with the time of the substituted Gentiles calling this thing also is necessarily though not immediately and primarily hereby implyed times or calling of the Gentiles he fulfilled and so is this for when shee which travelleth hath brought forth then saith the text the remnant of his brethren shall returne unto the children of Israel which is a plaine interpretation of that which our Saviour doth somewhat covertly expresse by the word Redemption and this the next verse doth confirme which tells us that at the time of this returne He
the 1. vers Behold in those dayes and in that time when I shall bring againe the captivitie of Judah and Hierusalem I will also gather all Nations and will bring them downe into the valley of Jehosaphat which in the 14. vers is called the valley of decision and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my land And at 15. vers againe The Sunne and the Moone shall be darkned and the Starres shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roare out of Zion and utter his voyce from Hierusalem and the (u) Isa 2.19 c. Eze. 38.19 20. Hag. 2.22 Mat. 24.29 Rev. 16.18 c. 6.13.14 heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel I am not ignorant that the darkning of the Sun and Moone is sometimes taken allegorically and by way of allusion but that therefore it should be so understood here it doth not follow for where it is figuratively applyed it signifies the judgement it selfe which is to befall those people of whom it is spoken but where it is literally used it is put onely for a signe of an eminent destruction which shall suddenly follow it as the great and terrible day of the Lord shall do at the accomplishment of this Prophesie Neither have I forgotten that the first of these Prophesies was made use of by Saint Peter to stop the mouthes of such as jeered the Apostles when by the descent of the holy Ghost upon them they began to speake with other tongues Act. 2.4 but that this Prophesie was then fulfilled I deny for when some mocking said These men are full of new wine Cap. cjusd vers 13. c. Saint Peter replyed Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne unto you and hearken unto my words for these are not drunken as ye suppose seeing it is but the third houre of the day but this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh as if he had said My brethren these are not the effects of wine but of the Spirit of God which is now powred out on the first fruits of the Jewes as a pledge assurance of that bountifull effusion of it which as Joel hath said shall one day happen to the whole (u) Isay 32. vers 15. Ezek. 39. vers 29. Zech. 12 vers 10. Nation And that this is all S. Peter meant it may thus appeare first because the chief and most remarkeable effect of the Spirit in the Apostles at this time was the gift of tongues of which the Prophet makes no mention and secondly because as the Prophet revealed so hee repeats this powring out of the Spirit as a contemporary event with the wonders which shall be shewne in the heavens and in the earth before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Which day can no way be referr'd to the first comming of Christ when he came to (x) Luk. 9. vers 56. Chap. 19. vers 10. Joh. 12.47 save sinners and not to destroy them when hee would not take upon him to be (y) Luk. 12.14 Joh. 6.15 Judge and Ruler over them for then it must have beene an antecedent of his birth of the time he lived and not a subsequent of his death and departure which hath no analogie with a day Is remaines then that it is an expression of his second coming which is called a great and terrible day in regard of the generall destruction which shall be brought on all Nations that oppose themselves against the Jewes at that time For in mount Zion and in Hierusalem as you have heard shall be deliverance and in the Remnant whom the Lord shall callâ— And to put it out of doubt that Gods bringing downe of the heathen into the valley of Jehospaphat is meant onely of his gathering them together to a battell and consequently of a judgement on the living and not on the dead to put this out of doubt I say the Prophet makes it to be a concomitant of the Jewes (z) Rev. 16. v. 12 13 14. return from their captivitie and in the 9 10 11 and 12. vers provokes the Gentiles to prepare warre to assemble their mighty men and to breake their plough-shares into swords and their pruning-hookes into speares a preparation which as it would be fruitlesse so doubtlesse they shall neither have time power or will to make when they are summoned to receive the dreadfull sentence of Goe yee cursed And for my owne part I am perswaded that this great army here spoken of is the very same that shall be gathered together to the battell of that great day of God Almighty by the three uncleane spirits like frogs which Saint John saw come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet Rev. the 16. at the 13. vers Of this (a) Psal 2.1 2 3. Ps 46.6 8. Ps 68.30 Isa 2.12 13 c. Ch. 24.21 22. ch 26.20 21. ch 34.1 2 3 4 5 c. ch 49. v. 26. chap. 66. v. 14 15 16. Micah 4.12 13. destruction also speakes Zephaniah in his 3. chap. at the 8. vers Therefore wait upon mee saith the Lord untill the day that I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdomes to powre upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie for then will I turne to the people meaning the Jewes a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent And at the 19. vers Behold at that time I will undoe all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have beene put to shame At that time I will bring you againe even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a name and a prayse among all people of the earth when I turne backe your captivity before your eyes saith the Lord. And yet more fully Zechariah in his 12. chap. at the 3. vers In that day will I make Hierusalem a burdensome stone for all people all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it In that day will I smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with madnesse and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the people with blindnesse In that day will I make the Governours of Judah like a hearth
otherwise understood in this of Christ which is to succeed them all as they have succeeded each other both in time and place as the 35. vers doth fully declare and as the falling of the stone upon the feete of the Image upon the last and divided Kingdoms of the iron Empire doth probably imply For if the Kingdome of God there spoken of were to be understood of a Kingdome which should so be set up in the dayes of these Kings that their reigne should notwithstanding continue together with it as not onely these but all former Kingdomes also have done with the Militant Church with the Kingdome of grace which therefore cannot be the Kingdome there foreshewne then doubtlesse it should have beene represented by some part of the Image it selfe as the contemporating Kingdomes of the divided Empire are by the mixture of iron and clay and not by a thing so different from it and adverse unto it by a stone I say so wonderfull for its beginning operation and increase For it was cut out without hands and when it had smote the Image became a great Mountaine Ver. 34.45 Ver. 35. and filled the whole earth which the Church as yet never did whose fall and growth too as they import a more powerfull speedy and generall conquest over these Kingdomes by this Kingdome then either the gold received from the silver the silver from the brasse or the brasse from the iron so they imply the utter extirpation and totall abolition of the manner of policy and government which these Kingdomes have used of which it is said that they became like the chaffe of the summer threshing-floores and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them vers 35. And with this sense of the interpretation of the vision very well agreeth that in the second Psal at the 8. vers Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt breake them with a rod (a) Rev. 2. v. 27. ch 19. v. 15. of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessell And that in Psal 110. at the 2. vers The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath Hee shall judge among the Heathen he shall fill the places with dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many countries He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up the head Yea and that too in the 149. Psal at the second vers Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyfull in their (b) 1 Sam. 1 v. 9.10 Psal 47. Psal 98. King Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishments upon the people to binde their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints And that nought else is meant by the world to come in the second of the Heb. at the 5. vers but the Kingdome of our Saviour it is evident by the authority there alleadged out of the 8. Psal which prophecy is therefore made use of by the Apostle as a plaine proofe that Christs manhood is exalted above the chiefest of the Angels because it shewes that it is to Christ as man and not to any of the Angels that God hath put in subjection the world to come And if there be yet a world which is to be put in subjection to Christ as man then it must needs be a distinct world from (c) 1 Cor. 15 v. 24 28 Rev. 21. v. 3 that in which as man he shall give up the Kingdome to his Father for that which is to be given up is already past And it is no where said that the new Jerusalem the City of eternall glory shall be subjected to Christ as a creature but that Christ as a creature shall after the judgement of the dead be there subject to the Father 2. By expresse prophesie And thus it hath beene proved by consequence that our Saviour shall heareafter reigne on earth You shall now heare it directly and expressely affirmed Behold saith the Angell to the Virgin Mary thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him (d) Matth. 2 v. 6. Acts 2. v. 30 31. the Throne of his Father David Luke the first at the 31. v. Behold saith (e) Ch. 33. v. 15.16 Ieremiah in his 23. c. at the 5. v. the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice * Whatsoever losse the disobedience of the first Adam brought on himselfe and his posterity that no doubt the second Adam hath recovered with advantage for himselfe and his chosen But the first Adam lost not onely his right to Heaven but the happy estate too which an innocent life would for a long time have continued to him and his on earth And therefore that intercourse and familiarity with God that rule and command over men and all other creatures which Adam before the advancement of mankind to its highest happines should have here enjoyed if he had not fell that and farre more then that shall Christ with his chosen inherit at his next appearing And now seeing even reason it selfe doth thus strongly conclude for our Saviours future soveraignty what unreasonablenesse were it in us any longer to misdoubt the literall accomplishment of these and all other sacred revelations which so fully describe and so clearely confirme it in the (f) Is 8. v. 8. Iob 19. v. 25. Heb. 1. v. 2. earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall bee called The Lord our righteousnesse Behold saith Zech. in his 6. chap. at the 12. vers the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord and hee shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne and the counsell of peace shall be betweene them both And in the 34. chap. of Ezek. at the 22. vers I will save my flocke and they shall no more be a prey and I will judge betweene cattell and cattell and I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepheard And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince
among them I the Lord have spoken it and in his 37. chap. at the 24. vers David my servant shall be King over them and they shall have one Shepheard and they shall also walke in my judgements and observe my statutes and doe them and they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever And in the 9. chap. of Isaiah at the 6. vers Vnto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end Vpon the Thron of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this And in the 52. chap. at the 13. vers Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be (g) Ps 1â—8 v. 22.23 24 c. exalted and extolled and be very high As many were (h) Luke 2. v. 34.35 astonied at thee his visage to wit at the time of his suffering was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sonnes of men so to wit at his next appearing shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not beene told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider And in the 4. chap. of Micah at the 6. vers In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth and I will gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted and I will make her that halted a remnant and her that was cast (i) Rom. 11. v. 12.15.32 off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reigne over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever And in the 72. Psal at the 6. vers He shall come downe like raine upon the mowen grasse as showers that water the earth In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth They that dwell in the Wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Iles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall (k) Isa 45. v. 22.23 Phil. 2. v. 10 downe before him (l) Ps 22. v. 27 28. Rev. 14. v. 6 7. ch 15. v. 4 all Nations shall praise him And in the 102. Psal at the 13. vers Thone shalt arise and have mercie upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the Heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appeare in his glory Now that these prophecies doe concerne the reigne of Christ alone I thinke no man doubts and that they are already fulfilled it cannot bee proved For neither did Christ at his first comming sit on Davids Throne nor any other of Davids linage or of that Tribe or of the other Tribes for the Scepter was then departed from Judah and a Law-giver from betweene his feete Neither were Judah and Israel then in the land together neither was the Temple then destroyed but afterwards and therefore the things here spoken of are all to be accomplished at his second comming and that not in Heaven but on earth On earth I say and in (m) Is 33. v. 20. ch 50. v. 1 2 3 9 10. Jerusalem (n) Ps 122. v. 5. Davids Throne was For his feete shall stand in that day to wit when he comes to receive his appointed Kingdome on the Mount of Olives which is before Ierusalem on the East from which Mount also he ascended and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst therof toward the East toward the West there shal be a very great valley and halfe the Mountaine shall remove toward the North and halfe of it toward the South And ye shal flee to the valley of the Mountains for the valley of the Mountaines shall reach unto Azal yea ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the dayes of Uzziah K. of Judah And the Lord my God shall (o) Iude v. 14 15. Rev. 19. v. 11 12 13 14 15 16. come all the Ss. with thee and it shal come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor dark but it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that (p) Ps 46. v. 4. Ezek. 47. v. 1. c. Ioel 3. v. 8. living waters shall goe out from Jerusalem halfe of them toward the former sea and halfe of them toward the hinder sea in Summer and in Winter shall it be and the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his Name one All the Land shall be turned as a plaine from Geba to Rimmon South of Jerusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamins gate unto the place of the first gate unto the corner gate and from the Tower of Hananiel unto the Kings Wine-presses and men shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited Zech. the 14. at the 4. vers You see here that our Saviour comes not onely to conquer death which is the last enemy that he shall destroy and therefore not wholly to be destroyed till the last resurrection but also to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe to put downe as Saint Paul hath said all the rule and all the authority and power of other Nations that there may be one Shepheard and one Sheepfold that the (q) Dan. 7. v. 27. Kingdome and Dominion and greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven may be possest by the people of the Saints of the most High That is as the former prophesies doe expound it by the people of (r) Ps 148. v. 14. Israel And this as I thinke is the time of which he spake these words Verily verily I say unto you (s) Iohn 1. v. 15. Hereafter shall yee see Heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the (t) Heb. 1. v. 6. Sonne of man For that this may be fulfilled it
are to be renewed at our Saviours entrance into his Kingdome but they are not to passe away till the giving up thereof to God the Father at the last Judgement and so it stands â—â—â—me that these words imply no lesse then a perishing Which yet may further be establisht by three other undeny able testimonies One of the same A postle in the next Chap. at the 1. ver And I saw saith he a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea Which last clause expressely affirming an utter abolition of the Sea doth plainely informe us that by the flying and passing away of the first Earth which with the Sea makes but one globe is meant a substantiall perishing of it Another of Moses in the 8. chap. of Gen. at the 22. ver While the earth remaineth seed time and harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and day and night shall not cease And therefore when seed time and harvest and Summer and Winter and day and night shall cease as it is most certaine they shall at the last judgement the earth it selfe must of necessity then cease also A third of Iob in his 26. Chap. at the 10. ver He hath compassed the waters with bounds untill the day Deut. 11. v. 21. and night come to an end Which words being compared with the precedent testimony wherein day and night are shewne to be of equall duration with seed time and harvest and with that of the 22. of the Rev. where it is said of the new Jerusalem and the Inhabitants thereof There shall he no night there and they need no candle neither light of the Sunne must needs be taken for a plaine and positive proose That the day and night shall come to an end and consequently that the Stars and so the sublunary creatures too whose generation and continuance doe more or lesse depend upon celestiall influences being all made onely for the use of man while he is to have his residence and abode on this earth shall at mankindes removall from hence together with this earth with which they were created be brought againe to nothing shall (a) Rom. 4. v. 13. Luk 19. v. 17.19 reigne on earth And this will appeare to a diligent eye even out of the controversed place in the 20. Chap. of the Rev. for besides that the opposition betwixt the first and the last Resurrection doth impose the same sense on both besides this I say the vision represented not unto Saint John perfect men at the first that is men that should be beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus but soules onely and that as of men already beheaded which most manifestly shewes that the Resurrection after mentioned did follow their death and not goe before it And therefore may not be taken spiritually for their regeneration for the renewing of their mindes which is to precede their persecution and may more probably be referred to the sealing of the Servants of God in their foreheads spoken of in the 7. Chap. but materially and properly for the quickning of their bodies when once the number of the persecuted is fulfilled whose consummation and glorious exaltation this vision did represent It is said also that they Lived and Reigned with Christ a thousand yeares But how can it be that they should reigne immediately after their resurrection or begin their reigne all at once or continue it but a thousand yeares which things these words imply if by their Resurrection should be understood their Regeneration and by their reigne their being in Heaven or if by the Word they lived should be meant onely they were converted how can they reigne so long as a thousand yeares seeing the place of their Reigne must be on earth for if they should be any where else how can they be encompast againe with war when the thousand yeares are expired as the 9. ver declares they shall and lastly the reigne of Christ doth not begin till Antichrist is destroyed so that a metaphoricall interpretation of the first resurrection would make good this Conclusion that most of the Saints shall rise many hundred yeares before their Reigne there being no lesse distance of time betwixt the houre of their calling and Antichrists confusion The assumption is grounded on the 15. ver of the 11. Chap. of the Rev. Which shewes that till the time of the seventh trumpet with the beginning whereof the last Viall doth concurre The Kingdomes of * The Kingdomes of this world It is not said the Kingdome of Heaven to wit of the third heaven the incorruptible habitaâ—ion of Saints and Angels or of another world I say of another in substance But the Kingdomes of this world that is this world which is now and shall till then be divided into many Kingdomes shall wholly become Christs and be made by him one Heavenly Kingdome a Kingdome in which men shall live after an Heavenly estate and condition a Kingdome in which Gods will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven for seeing that cannot possibly become any mans possession which doth utterly cease to be what other construction can be given of these words but this that the government of all the Kingdomes of the world is hereafter to be taken into Christs owne hands as he is man and indeed how else should they become his after such a manner as they are not now his if not by a subjection to his manhood for as he is God they were alwayes his and all will grant that this Scripture doth plainely foreshew a deposing of all the Kings of the earth at the accomplishment thereof A deposing of them I say in such a way that their Kingdomes may become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Which cannot be by abolishing and dissolving the earth on which they must reigne but may and shall be by subduing and conquering them and the Kingdomes over which they must reigne this world doe not become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ And this also is intimated by the binding up of (b) Rev. 20 v. 1 2 3. Satan a thousand yeares with which the reigne of the Saints contemporates which vision as it is the next to that of the battle wherein the beast and false Prophet are taken so doubtlesse it shall not till then receive its accomplishment for seeing Antichrist is but the devils instrument we cannot imagine that his power shall outlast the devils liberty especially if we consider that while Satan is in hold there shall be a generall peace over all the World as the (c) Isa 2. v. 4. Mich. 4. v. 3 Prophets say expressely and as is here implyed in that as soone as he is loosed againe (d) Rev. 20. v. 7.8 presently he shall gather all the rest of the world to fight against the Saints but their malicious attempt shall finde no better successe then that of the beast
the false Prophet and the Kings of the earth their predecessours had done at the beginning of the thousand yeares (e) Ver. 9. For fire shall come downe from God our of heaven and devoure them Now against this which hath beene said touching our Saviours Kingdome The chiefe doubts resolved his owne words in the 18. of Saint John at the 35. ver may be objected For there he saith plainely My Kingdome is not of this World And in the 25. of Matth. at the 31. ver he saith When the Sonne of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the sheepe from the Goates With which agreeth that of Saint Peter in his 2. Ep. 3. Chap. and 7. ver But the Heavens and earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men And many other places there are of the like nature But to the first I answer that those words of our Saviour do onely distinguish the time and condition of his Kingdome from the time and condition of the Kingdomes of this world at the setting up of whose Kingdome there shall be such an * Neo enim dubium quin maxima rerum naturalium humanarum mutatio regni hujus auspicia sit antecessura Antichristus enim cum to ta sua Synagoga abolebitur extingue tur hominum pars maxima gentilibus non nisi paucis relictis qui in posteris suis non extra sed intra regnum hoc mille annis supererunt ut prophetiae supra memoratae cum aliis in Scriptura passim occurrentibus abunde testantur sub decursum vero mille annorum mirum in modum aucti a Satana e carcere suo soluto iterum seducti Sanctorum castra oppugnabunt sed incassum Nec dubium est quin rerum quoque naturalium quae regni hujus incolis ministrabunt longe alia sit futura facies quam impraesentiarum est siquidem beatissimum tranquillissimum erit regni istius seculum omnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae in natura modo decurrit expers Mar. Frid. Wend. Contemp. phys Sect. 2. cap. 17. p. 375 376. alteration over the whole frame of (f) Psa 46 Isa 2. v. 12.19.21 chap. 11. v. 6. c. chap. 30. v. 25 26. chap. 41. v. 18 19. chap. 55. v. 13. Ezek. 38. v. 19 20. Matth. 24. v. 29 30. Mark 13. v. 24 25. Luk 21. v. 25 26. Rev. 6. v. 12 13 c. chap. 16. v. 18 19. c. nature and such a change of government on the Earth that this time shall then as well be accounted the time of an other world as the time before the Flood is now taken for the old world by us and was long agoe so stiled by Saint Peter in his 2. Ep. 2. Chap. at the 5. ver and 3. Chap. at the 6. ver And therefore notwithstanding this proofe the place of his Kingdome shall be the earth that now is though this be not the time nor any humane policy the patterne of his reigne And to all such places that mention onely the dissolution of the elements and the last judgement I answer that these are but a part of those things which shall be done by Christ at his next appearing and that as other Scriptures shew onely that he must reigne on earth and what shall be done at the beginning of his reigne so these shew onely what shall be left undone till the close of his Kingdome when he shall deliver it up to God even the Father And in my conceit Saint Peter in the very next verse doth intimate as much for having before used the word Day he warnes them not to be ignorant of this one thing that One day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one Day As if he had told them that the Day he spake of was indeed a thousand yeares The Holy Ghost alwayes using it in this sense when it is emphatically applyed to our Saviours comming or the Jewes Redemption which as is already proved shall happen at the same time And though God as he is eternall cannot be measured by time And as he is immutable feeles no alteration in time a thousand yea ten thousand times ten thousand yeares and one day houre or minute of a day being in this respect all one to him yet this shift cannot voyd the exposition already given seeing the apparent dependance of these words on the former doth clearely prove that Saint Peter intended not to shew what a thousand yeares and one day were to God in regard of his nature which it is like they knew before but onely what is usually meant by one day in the Word of God And indeed to what purpose had this sudden and serious advertisement beene inferred if the Apostle did not hereby discover unto them besides the largest definite and limited acception of the word such a speciall relation of a thousand yeares to one day as could not belong to any other number when as touching Gods immensity and immutability one day might as well have beene compared with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands as I said as with one thousand yeares Thâ—â—◠〈◊〉 being so I see not but that Gods fore-appointment of a thousand yeares continuance to the world for * Sicuâ—e septenis annis septimus quisque Anâ—us â—emissâ—â—is esâ—â—itaâ—e sepâ—eâ— milli bus aâ—â—oâ—um mundâ— septimus miâ—â—enari◠〈◊〉 enari◠〈◊〉 â—issionâ—â— eâ—it R. Ketiâ—â— viâ— Com. Aâ—oâ—a part 2 p. 28â— each severall day of its first weeke the weeke of its creation might in all likelihood be the ground of this propheticall sense of the word wherein it was afterwards delivered by the infallible penmen of holy Writ To this also may be added that in the 24. of Saint Mat. at the 31. ver which shewes that when the Sonne of man descends He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure winds from one end of the Heaven to the other At which time Two shall he in the field the one shall be taken and the other left Two Women shall be grinding at the Mill the one shall be taken and the other left And as Saint Luke records Two men shall be in one hed ch 17. v. 34 the one shall be taken and the other left But if our Saviour at his comming shall presently give sentence on all that are not written in the booke of life if he shall make no stay on earth before he undertake this businesse then why shall the elect onely be gathered together and the rest left behinde seeing that great Assise is to be held chiefely for the condemnation of ungodly
revealing of the same person let us rather say that as at Christs first comming they were proclaimed before him by most Jewes that were present to shew that he was their promised King so at his next appearing they shall be proclaimed before him by all that are present to shew that he is come into his promised (i) Mark 11 v. 10. Luk. 19. v. 11 15. ch 23. v. 42. 2 Tim. 4. v. 1 Kingdome Quest 2 A second Querie bids us looke How it can be proved that by Armageddon in the third Parallel some place in Judea is implyed Answ In Answer whereunto I alledge FIrst that for ought I perceive the copious resolution of the former doubt doth immoveably fasten the interpretation of the Kings of the East upon the Jewes onely And if this may passe for a currant truth I see not what argument can be brought which may induce us to mistrust that the place in which the Armies of the Kings of the earth and of the whole world shall meet and sit downe against them should be in any other Country but that whither the Jewes are to returne And whither both Ezekiel and Joel doe plainely shew that all the opposite Kings shall at once come up to battell Secondly I say that seeing the Holy Ghost hath here made choyce to name the place of these Kings randevouz by an Hebrew word rather then by a word of any other tongue therefore it is very probable that hereby is understood a part of that Countrey which whatsoever we account of it is the proper (k) Gen 48. v. 21. Levit. 26. v. 32 33 34 35. Ezek. 20. v. 42. ch 28. v. 25. ch 34. v. 13. ch 36. v. 12. ch 37. v. 12. Ioel. 3. v. 2. inheritance of that people whose language the Hebrew is Of whom some few doe yet all have and shall (l) Zeph. 3. v. 9. againe make use of it Thirdly and lastly I answer that in the latter part of the 19. Chap. of the Rev. it is manifestly foretold that the great Army which is to be gathered into Armageddon shall be destroyed by our Saviour himselfe at his comming now as it is altogether unlikely that our Saviour shall descend to any other Country or people but to that in which and of which he was borne and in which and amongst which he lived and dyed So in the 4. and 5. ver of the 14. Chap. of Zechariah it is not obscurely revealed that he shall descend to that very Mount from which he did (m) Act. 1. v. 12. ascend and from which he (n) Luk 19. v. 35 37. rode to Jerusalem when they proclaimed him King And consequently Armageddon is to be a place not onely in Jury but also neere unto Jerusalem Object And yet although the foresaid prophecies of Saint John and Zechar. doe expressely shew the comming of our Saviour to be at the time of a baâ—tell and though the treading of the winepresse in the 14. Chap. of the Rev. doth plainely intimate as much (o) Rev 19. v. 15. Isa 63 v. 1 2 3 c And that no lesse perhaps is aymed at in the 1 to the Thess and the fourth Chapter where it is said That the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a (p) Exod. 32. v. 17. â— Sam. 17. v. 20.52 2 Chro. 13. v 15. Iob 39. v. 25. Shout c. the usuall token of armies entring into battell Notwithstanding all this evidence I say we are told (q) Doctor Maior on the cath ep p. 515. That when the great Day of the Lords descend shall come there is to be a generall security (r) Mat. 24. v. 38. c. Luk. 17. v. 26 c. Answ Eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage And not warring and fighting For if an end of these warres should be made by the Lords comming how should the faithfull have time here to rejoyce and to give thankes unto God for their greatest enemies overthrow But unto the Scripture proofe I answer That if the naturall and in some sort necessary actions of marrying and giving in marriage and of eating and drinking or of festivall eating and drinking which also is in it selfe commendable if the accustomed continuance and observation of such actions shall be a sufficient witnesse to convince the world of its unmindfulnesse and unbeliefe of our Saviours approach when as there shall be very considerable tokens and perhaps too Sicut in diebus Noah a downe right (s) 1 Pet. 3. v. 19 20. 2 Pet. 2. v. 5 warning thereof then much more shall the inhumane enterprises and mercilesse events of warring and fighting declare such a security Secondly I say that though our Saviour did instance onely in eating and drinking in marrying and giving in marriage yet it followes not from hence that there shall be no warring and fighting then For wofull experience teacheth us that all these foresaid actions are not onely at this day in the world together but in many particular Kingdomes thereof Neither hath such a generall peace been often heard of in which no Nations of the world have beene at oddes And thirdly I say that we are to consider what warre is to be at our Saviours appearing not a warre in which the enemies of the Lord shall fight one against another not a warre in which particular States and Kingdomes shall upon divers occasions bid defiance to each other but a warre in which the (t) Rev. 16. v. 13.14 Psal 118. v. 10 11 12. Isa 59. v. 16 17 c. ch 63 v 4.5.6 Mic. 4. v. 12 13. Dragon Beast and false Prophet the Kings of the earth and of the whole world shall be all confederate against the Jewes onely And as such a confederacy shall be a meanes of multiplying marriages and consequently of the more liberall and immoderate eating and drinking So such an unequall warre shall breed the stronger hopes in these Princes of obtaining their designes and consequently the greater security But when they shall say (u) 2 Thess 5. v. 3 Peace and safety when they shall say (w) Psa 83 v. 4. Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the Name of Israel may be no more had in remembrance then (x) Luk. 21. v. 35. sudden destruction shall come upon them as upon a woman in travaile and they shall not escape Then shall our (y) 2 Thes 1 v. 7.8 Lord Jesus be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and in flaming fire take vengeance on them And their (z) Rev. 11 v. 15. Kingdomes shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Next therefore to this Authours Querie I answer first that it is altogether contradictory to the foresaid Text of Scripture For if at our Saviours appearing men shall be found eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage out of a carnall security out of an opinion that That Day is either (a) 2 Pet. 3. v. 3.4
is (o) Phil. 3. v. 21. able even to subdue all things unto himselfe Yet that he doth not now reigne in that Kingdome which he shall governe as man and consequently in that of which the Prophets speake his owne words in the third of the Revel at the 21. vers doe clearely prove To him that overcommeth saith he will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in His Throne from whence it followes that the Throne which here he cals his owne and which he hath not (p) Heb. 2. v 8. ch 10. v. 12.13 yet receiv'd must needs belong unto him as man because the place where he now sits is the Fathers Throne a Throne in which he hath no proper interest but as God Againe it followes that seeing he is now in his Fathers Throne therefore neither is this the time nor that the place in which his Throne is to be erected not the place for in one Kingdome there can be but one Throne and not the time for then he should sit in his own Throne which now he doth not doe and the reason of it as is intimated in the first words is because the time in which all that shall overcome are to be call'd is not yet at an end and this also the answer which was made to the soules under the Altar who cried for vengeance against their persecutors doth fully confirme for it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Rev. the 6. and the 11. vers and when this is done (q) Rev. 11 v. 15 17. then shall Christ sit in his owne Throne and they that overcome shall sit with him for he that overcommeth and keepeth my words unto the end to him saith he will I give power over Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father Rev. 2. at the 26. vers The like encouragement he gave also to his Disciples before his passion Yee are they said he which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may (r) Mat. 26. v. 29. Mar. 14. v. 25. Luke 14. v. 15. ch 22. v. 16.18 c. 24. v. 42.43 Act. 10. v. 41. eate and drinke at my table in my (s) Dan. 2. v. 44. ch 7. v. 14.27 Kingdome and sit on (t) Dan. 7. v. 22. Rev. 20. v. 4. seates judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel Luke the 22. at the 28. vers I know these words are taken by interpreters for a metaphoricall expression of those joyes which we shall receive in * In Heaven where the holy Ierusalem is that Rev. 21. v. 10 great City distinguished from the City described to Ezek. 40. v. 2. c. ch 45. v. 1.2 3 4 5 6 7. Ezekiel which I take to be the modell and platforme of the City that is to be built at the Iewes Redemption by these and many more differences First because the Heb. 11. v. 10. builder and maker of the one is God but the other Ier. 31. v. 38. Ezek. ch 40. c. men shall build Secondly the materials of Ierusalem which is above are all Rev. 21. v. 18.19 20 21. gold and precious stones But the Ezek. 41. v. 16.17 21. c. materials of that other Ierusalem shall not be such Thirdly in this City there is Rev. 21. v. 22. no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the Temple of it But that City shall have Ezek. 40.41 c. a Temple Fourthly the river of Rev. 22. v. 1. water of life proceedeth out of the Throne of God and of the Lambe But in that City Ezek. 47. v. 1. c. waters not the river of life though endued with healthfull Ezek. 47. v. 9.12 nourishing qualities because of the place whence they are to proceed shall issue from under the threshold of the Temple for the forefront of the house shall stand towards the East and the waters shall come downe from under the right side of the house at the South side of the Altar Fifthly in this City the tree of life Rev. 22. v. 2. onely growes on either side of the river and beares twelve manner of fruits monthly But by the river that shall issue out of the Sanctuary of that City shall grow Ezek. 47. v. 12. all trees for meat Sixthty in this City there is Rev. 22. v. 5 ch 21. v. 23.25 no night they need no candle nor light of the Sunne for the Lord God giveth them light and the Lambe is the light thereof But in that City there shall be Esa 30. v. 26. ch 60. v. 11. night and the light of the Sunne shall then be sevenfold Seventhly this City shall Rev. 21. v. 1.2 descend to the new earth with which there shall be no sea created But the waters which shall come from that City shall goe into the Ezek. 47. v. 8. sea and being brought forth into the sea the waters shall be healed c. and therefore that City is to be built before the annihilation of the first earth with which there is a sea Heaven but it is a currant axiom in our Schooles non esse à literâ seu propriâ Scripturae significatione recedendum nisi evidens aliqua necessitas cogat Scripturae veritas in ipsâ literâ periclitari videtur that wee must not forsake the literall and proper sense of the Scripture unlesse an evident necessity doth require it or the truth thereof would be endangered by it and I am sure here is no such cause for which we should leave the naturall interpretation of the place yea we are by many other passages in the Scriptures rather compel'd to sticke to it for besides that there is little analogy and resemblance betwixt a perpetuall (v) Rev. 22. v. 3. praising and worshipping of God and the businesse of a politicke government here spoken of besides this I say we are already inform'd that though our Saviour be now in Heaven yet he sits not there in his owne Throne and consequently is not yet in the Kingdome which the Father hath appointed him And as it is evident from his owne words that the Throne of his Kingdome is not now in Heaven so it is plaine from Saint Pauls in the first to the Cor. the 15. chap. at the 22. vers that it shall not bee there after the judgement of the dead his words are these As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive But every man in his owne order Christ the first-fruits afterwards * They that are Christs if there were not to be some distance of time betwixt the resurrection of these and other men