very same night In that day the Heavens shall passe away with a noise and the Elements melt c. which shall not be done simul semel together and at once as is manifest in the words dissolved melt burnt up which require an order of time for their accomplishment But when that is done v 13. we expect a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise which is in Esay 65.17 wherein dwells righteousnesse Mark it I pray you a new Heaven and a new Earth is expected in the second coming of the Messiah But what is meant by Heaven and Earth in the Prophetick stile when they lose their literal signification surely nothing else but the Church and Commonwealth and when it is said that we look for these new it is in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new world to come or in two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new Heavens i. e. new Churches and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new Earth i. e. a new Common-wealth all is new all old Church and Common-wealth fashions passe away Rev. 21.1 and there will be new Churches and new Commonwealths wherin dwells righteousnesse And truly it must needs be a new world Ecclesiastical and Civil Polities must needs be new when Satan who did rule is bound and Christ who was rejected reigns when righteousnesse dwells where sin did rage when all tears shall be wiped away and there shall be no more crying sorrow or pain ¶ Lastly the Apostle John not only in that 20th chapter of which I have already spoken but also elsewhere frequently in the Revelation speaks clearly of this glorious Kingdom of Christ upon earth Of those many places I shall name a few See therefore Rev. 2.26 He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations Surely this refers not to Heaven but to this time of Christs Kingdom we are speaking of So we have that which is as plain as words can make it Rev. 5.10 We shall reign on the earth What can be the meaning of this is it not what Christ promised Mat. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and what shall be fulfilled when the Kingdom is given to the Saints and Christ shall reign So Rev. 11.15 In the dayes of the seventh Trumpet which is a Trumpet of consummation these voices were heard Now all the Kingdoms of the world are becom the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And v 17. Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And that you may know that this Reign and Kingdom is circumscribed within the Great day of Judgment he tells you v. 18. That this is the time of the dead that they should be judged And that saith the Text thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them that destroy the Earth Also Rev. 19 6. speaking of the same time the Church breaks out in a song of oy saying Halleluiah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth The Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready Also when John tells us Rev. 20.4 that the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years we must ever remember which is the only thing I shall here adde that it is one thing for Christ to reign in his Saints and another for the Saints to reign wiâ—h Christ the former was all the time of the Beast the latter is not to be till the Beast be destroyed and Saâ—an bound and the Messiah corn again But though it were easie to be almost infinite in the proof of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this point yet knowing that as some will think I have been too large so others will yet think all too little to convince them I shall therefore only suspend any further proof until I have given you som reasons of this Interpretation of these and such like texts and answered some of those common objections that against this are usually objected unless these may be so ordered as to contain yet further proof And first I shall offer these following Reasons of this Interpretation and why I chuse to believe this to be a truth however by many much decried 1. Because all those places of Scripture in the Old Prophers which foretel a certain glorious and happy estate of the Church upon earth should never be fulfilled here upon earth unless there be a long tract of time appointed for the fulfilling of them wherein Antichrist being conquered and the devil chained up in the bottomless pit the Saints might live safely in the enjoyment of all spiritual and heavenly delights Let us see amongst many two or three Scriptures for this Isa 60.11 to the end Therefore thy gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yëa those Nations shall be utterly cut off The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shall bow down themselves at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the Holy One of Israel I will make thee an eteâ—nal Excillency a Joy of many generations Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck he brèast of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Jacob. I will also mâ—ke thy Officers Peace and thy Exactors Righteousnesse Viotence shall no more be heard in thy Lend wasting nor destâ—uctiâ—n within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord God shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glâ—ry Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall beâ—th ne everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Lana for ever the branch of my planting the work of my handâ— that I may be glorified A little one shall becom a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it his time Isa 65.17 to the end ' For behold I creare new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a Joy And I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice
in pieces the Roman Empire and did perpetrate and act such things as very strongly smell of Antichristianism which doth plainly indigitate to us about what time Antichrist arose was born revealed or as Mr. Mede well phraseth it editus in lucem At this self-same time arose both the ten horned Beast viz. that beastly political power ten kinged having ten Kings And the reviver and the restorer of him the two-horned Beast viz. that seeming Lamb-like Vicar of Christ to look upon but â—n reality the Devils Lieutenant and the Dragons Spokesman the Pope and his filthy defiled Clergy and Party I say at this time both this Beasts arose quod erat demonstrandum Object And whereas it may be by some objected concerning these ten Kings that the beginning of their reign is not to be fetched from their first irruâ—tion into the Romane Empire but from their firm constitution and full establishment in so many Kingdoms therein Answ To this I answer that the sacred Scripture doth not hold forth this character to us from Kingdoms established or confirmed but received For the words run thus Rev. 17. â—2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the ten hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as Kings one houre or at an hour with the Beast the sacred Prophesie fetcheth as the Courteous Reader may perceive the begining of these Kings and Kingdoms from their first rising up and not from their established and fixed Government which was not till many years after namely when they had received power of reigning from God in whose power it is to confer and transfer Kingdoms Prov. 8.15 And John in this place speaks plainly of power received they received power as Kings one houre with the Beast which who doth not see though but with half an eye to be here referred to the time of their Reignings and Kingdoms first taken Concerning a matter not unlike Polibius a most grave and sober Writer being to give his judgment concerning the Rise of the Romane Empire he compares it with the beginning of the Macedonian and speaks thus to us Ego principio cujusque rei esse statuo primus conatus c. I conclude saith he that the beginnings of any thing are the first endeavours c. But to let pass Polybius I do suppose at that time those ten Kings received their power when the Pope did not only take to himself the Primacie and exercise it but did with his idolatrous Clergie go about to paganize the Empire by his new idolatries and superstitions For the holy Prophesie affirmes that they rose at one and the same hour They received power as Kings one houre with the Beast The Kings receive power and are actually crowned Kings at the same time of this Beast under the succession of the last Head getting again into being and therefore this healed Beast his ten Hornes are represented with ten Crowns upon them Chap. 13.1 which answers exactly to this present text they received power as Kings one houre with the Beast The sense I guess is this that at what time the Beast should revive and be worshipped that is obeyed and yielded to or in plain English about what time the Empire should reâ—apse again into idolatry and be re-assuming the ancient pagan-rites though placing them upon Christian-objects about that very time the Empire should be rending into ten Kingdoms or these ten Kings should be receiving power as Kings all of them appearing or succeeding in their Enterprises within a little time from the first degeneracy of the Empire into pagan-idolatries and superstitions Therefore not of the confirmed Kingdoms of this ten-horned Beast but of his youth and Infant-state when those Kings first challenged a right to the Roman throne the sacred Prophesie Rev. 17.12 is to be understood Hence I conclude the Character of the rising of the Beast or Antichrist which is all one is to be placed about the year 410. For it is evident from what was spoken before that the Beast was risen when all the ten Kings were risen among the threatning ruines of the falling Empire which was Anno Christi 410. or thereabouts For the Readers further satisfaction herein viz. That all the ten Kings were then up I shall refer him that will be at further paines to that Tract before-mentioned entituled Antechristi Excidium a most elaborate piece As also to Mr. Mede's Apostacy of the last times and his Commentary on the Revelation who fully clears this point Object Now for the Objection of some Cantabrigiens against those that think of the year 1666. for the time of Romes Ruine whâ—ch I doubt not but some have heard of though it may be not all that this cannot be the time because by the Computation of Helvicus we have lost about four years since Christs time by negligence in our Chronological AccounÌ„ts the which also Bishop Vsher thinks to be true so that it is already past To which I answer Answ 1 That this Objection supposeth that all Apocalyptick men in these times make 666. to be the year of Romes Ruine and Downfal from that Text in Rev. 13. ult His Number is 666. interpreting the Number of the Beast according to T.L. In his voice out of the Wildernesse to be nothing else but the period and final determination of the usurped tyrannie and dominion of Antichrist But all are not of this opinion though they that are the followers of T. L. adhering to his Interpretation of the Number of the Beast as the Authors of that Book intituled Romae ruina finalis do make it in Anno 1666. It will fall therefore to their shares to answer this Objection I confesse T.L. who gives this sense of the number of the Beast in his Book on some part of the Revelation writes in a prophetick stile and with a prophetick boldnesse as if he had it revealed to him which doth very much strike the Readers fancy But I have read lately in Mr. Mede's Diatriba in some of his Letters this passage concerning T.L. As for T.L. saith he I have no fancy to him he means to that his Interpretation of 666. as appears by his following words for he adds I prefer Mr. Potter far before him The Sober-Guess also inclines far rather to Mr. Potters Interpretation of the Beasts Number 666. And so do I. Answ 2 But yet suppose T. L to be right and that to be the meaning of the Mystery that by 666. is meant the ruine and final determination of the man of sin to be in 666. that is in the Year 1666. I suppose that this Objection might be answered and were I of that opinion I could this answer which if I be not deceived would be to the purpose viz. That the Holy Ghost speaks according to the vulgar Computation of the Year of our Lord. For the Revelation is not an History unlesse we call it an anticipated History but a Prophesie and the Spirit of Prophesie
came and should have reigned his time appointed Forasmuch as Daniel had foretold it should be so and that his destruction should be at the Son of mans appearing in the Clouds whose appearing therefore was not to be till then This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Paul whom the Lord saith he shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his coming Daniels wicked horn or Beast acting in the wicked horn is St. Pauls man of sin as the Church from her Infancy hath understood and always interpreted it But to go on while this Judgment cites and when it had destroyed the fourth Beast the Son of man which comes in the Clouds receives Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve and obey him ver 4. which Kingdom is thrice explained afterwards to be the Kingdom of the Saints of the most High ver 18. These four Beasts saith the Angel are four Kings which shall arise But viz when they have finished their course the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom c. And again ver 21. the wicked Horn prevailed until the time come that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Again ver 27. when the fourth Beast reigning in the wicked Horn was destroyed the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Now these Grounds being thus laid I argue as followeth The Kingdom of the Son of man and of the Saints of the most High in Daniel begins when the Great Judgment sits The Kingdom in the Apocalypse chap. 20.4 wherein the Saints reign with Christ a thousand years is the same with the Kingdom of the Son of man and the Saints of the most High in the Prophet Daniel Ergo it also begins at the Great Judgement That the Kingdom in Daniel and that of a thousand years in the Apocalypse are one and the same Kingdom plainly and evidently appears thus First because they began ab eodim termino from the same Epocha or beginning namely at the destruction of the fourth Beast That in Daniel when the Beast then ruling in the wicked horn was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7.11 22 27. That in the Apocalypse when the Beast and false prophet the wicked horn in Daniel were taken and both cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 Secondly because St. John begins the Regnum or Kingdom of a thousand years from the same Session of Judgment described in Daniel as appears by his parallel expression borrowed from thence St. John saith ch 20. Ver. 4. I saw thrones and they sate upon them And Judgment was given unto them Daniel saith ch 7. Ver. 4. I beheld till the thrones were pitched down and the Judgment i. e. Judices set 22. And Judgment was given to the Saints of the most High And the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years And the Saints possessed the Kingdom viz. with the Son of man who came in the clouds Now if it be sufficiently proved that the one thousand years begin with the Day of Judgment it will appear further out of the Apocalypse that the Judgment is not consummate till they be ended for Gog and Magogs destruction and the universal resurrection is not till then Therefore the whole one thousand years is included in that great Day of Judgment But thus much may suffice to have spoken by way of Explication to that Mother Text in the Old Testament the which I have so called because hence it will follow quasi consectarium quoddam de interpretatione aliorum Scripturae locorum huc pertinentium that whatsoever Scripture speaks of a Kingdom of Christ to be at his second appearing or at the destruction of Antichrist must needs be the same which Daniel saw should be at that time and so consequently be the Kingdom of a thousand years which the Apocalypse includes between the beginning and consummation of the Great Judgment All of them also have a likenesse and are referred to this Yea our Saviour calls himself so frequently the Son of man because Daniel so called him in this Vision of the Great Judgment and to teach us that we are to look for the accomplishment of what is there prophesied of in himself I had now done with this Text but that I have perceived by some Conferences I have had with some Reverend Divines that it is needful to answer an Objection which hath bin started in opposition to all that hath been said Object Daniel say some who with Dr. Willes and others take this wicked horn to be meant of Antiochus Epiphanes shews not the Roman Monarchies persecution of the Church and the fall of the same Monarchy For If the Roman Empires persecuting the Saints and the fall of the Empire were not revealed till Christ revealed them to John in the Apocalypse then Daniel revealed them not But the Roman Empires persecution and fall were not revealed till Christ revealed them to St. John in the Apocalypse Ergo Daniel revealed them not The Major Proposition say they is clear The Minor is thus proved The Romans persecuting the Saints and their fall is revealed in the little Book Apoc. 5 c. by opening seven Seals and blowing seven Trumpets all concerning and respecting seven-headed Rome And none were able to open the Seals of this Book till Christ opened them to St. John Therefore the Roman Empires persecution and their fall were revealed to none before Christ revealed them to St. John The former part of the Antecedent is granted by all Interpreters of the Apocalypse The latter part is clear in the Text Apoc. 5.3 None was able to open the Book None in Heaven or Earth or under the Earth to make the speech more empharical Paul who delivered to his Hearers all the Counsel of God could have preached the persecutions of the Roman Empire to his Hearers from Daniel if Daniel had in his Visions opened them This contains the strength of what I have been opposed withal in reference to the Exposition of this Text the which I came now to make this Answer to it Ans 1 The Roman Empire to be the fourth Kingdom of Daniel was believed by the Church of Israel both before and in our Saviours time received by the Disciples of the Apostles Vide Jonathen Ben Vziel Chald. Paraph l. 4. of Esdras Just Mart. Ireneus and the whole Christian Church for the first 400 years without any known contradiction And I confess having so good ground in Scripture it is with me tantùm non articulus fidei almost an Article â—f faith For the four Monarchies of the World in Daniel are twice revealed first to Nebuchadnezzar in a glorious Image of four sundry Metals Dan. 2. Secondly to Daniel himself in a Vision of four diverse Beasts arising out of the Sea Dan 7. The intent of
of crying There shall be no more thence an Infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes For as the days of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands The Wolf and the I amb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat straw like the bullock they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord Jâ—r 23.5 ' Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execure Judgment and Justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 32.37 to the end see the words Also Hos a 3.5 ' Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes This is said of Israel after many days and in the latter dayes See also Fzek. 37.11 12 13 14. and v 20. and so on to the end And the stickes whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes And say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they be gone and I will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land And I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the mountains of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all Neither shall they defile themselves any more with idols nor with their detestable things And David my servant shall be a King over them And they shall all have one Shepherd they shall also walk in my Judgments and observe my Statutes and do 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 Moreover I will make a Covenant of Peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore See also Mich. 4.1 to the end of v. 7. Zach. 14.14 to the end See the words In which places though there be not an express mention of a thousand years yet as it is clear the things therein contained were never yet fulfilled so they require a long tract of time upon earth for the fulfilling of them especially when Isaiah minds us of a childe an hundred years old and of the dayes of a tree which words saith Justin Martyr do secretly hint the thousand years Certainly it was reserved for John who was the last of the Prophets and writ last to make express mention of the time how long it should be to wit a thousand years and give light to all the Prophets And I verily believe that he that will be that I may give it you in their own words as the Syrians phrase it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Discipulus in Tabernaculo temporis A Disciple or Scholar in the Tabernacle of time shall understand those Prophets and see clearly mysteries contained in them better then ever we have done 2. Becaus all the Prophets do chiefly prophecâ—e of the Kingdom of the Messiah upon his second coming as appears Acts 3.21 Whom the Heavens speaking of Christ must receive until the time of this restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World begun So Amos 9.11 with Acts 15.15 Vnto this agree the words of the Prophets As it is written After this viz. after their first Conversion I will return and build again the Tabeâ—nacle of David which is fallen downâ— viz. in the second coming of the Messiah Sâ—â— Isa 59.20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord. Who would have taken this for a cogent proof of what we have in hand since this seems to fall so far short of those sublime expressions which are to be found in many other places both of this and almost all the rest of the Prophets If the Apostle Paul had not so applied it Rom. 11.25 26 So all Israel shall be saved as it is written and so quotes the words before cited So John tells us speaking of the finishing of the Mystery of God and the Seventh Trumpet sounding Rev. 107. that all is as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets Verily all those transcendent exprestions in the Prophets which hitherto by too too many have been very strangely to Christs first low and mean appearance in his humiliation ought to be referred to and never yet were nor shall be fulfilled but at the time of his second coming in exaltation and gloriously in his Majesty to reign And with the glorious brightness of this his second coming shall the eyes of the Jewes a Zach. 12.10 And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced they shal mourn for him c. be opened who hitherto had bin so dazled that they scarce could entertain into their thoughts his first low and obscure coming yea the Prophets themselvs through the Glory and Majesty thereof suffered a kinde of extasie or rapture which occasioned as it were when they spake of Christ and of his coming a leaping presently from the Maters of his first to the things of his second coming as is easie to observe in the reading of a their Prophesies 3. Because unless this be believed and held many Arguments will be taken from the Christians whereby they may convince the Jewe of their obstinate infidelity and bring them to Conversion For they have so drunk in these principles and sucked the milk of them from alâ— their teachers and predecessors viz. That the times of the Messiah will be times of Righteousnesse Peace and Blessednesse knowledge and all Joyes and that in great fulnesse And when the Scriptures also are so appostie for them and many texts otherwise unanswerable that without some competent satisfaction herein we have found by experience and are like to finde they are not to be dealt withal nor will ever think of coming over to us A Jewish woman in London said lately to a friend That your Messiah he speaking to her of Christ is not the true Messiah for when he cometh there will be great peace and love the wolf shall dwell with the Lamb none shall hurt or destroy in all his holy Mountain c. wheras you Christians are
and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the Land of Israel Moreover take theâ— one stick and write upon it for Judah and for the Children of Israel his companions then take another stick and write upon it for Joseph the stick of â—phraim and for the house of Israel his companions and joyn them one to another into one stick and they shall become one in thine hand And ver 20. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes And say 〈…〉 thus saith the Lord God behold I will take the Children of Israel from among the Heathen whicheâ— they be gone and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own Land And I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountains of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all And David my servant shall be King over them and they all shall have one Shepherd and they shall dwell in the Land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your fathers have dwelt and they shall dwel therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever anâ— my servant David i. e. Christ shall be their Prince for ever Hosea 3.4 5. The Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Afterward shall the Children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes Amos 9.11.14.15 See also Isai 11. the whole chapter So Hosea 1. ult Zach. 12. And many other places which for brevity sake I forbear to recite 2. As the Scripture proves their reduction into their own Land again so it tells us many particulars about the manner of their conversion and reduction as for instance 1. That this conversion and reduction shall be in the height of their misery when the greatest misery and affliction shall be upon them that ever was since their diâ—persion Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael i.e. Christ stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and here shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered when they shall be dry bones and all hope shall be past with them so that they shall say our bones are dry our hope is lost we are out off for our parts then those dry bones shall live then God will open their Graves and bring them out of their Graves c. Ezek 37.11 12. Gods time of love above all other times is when men lie wallowing in their blood when their hopes are at the lowest then is their deliverance nearest In the Mount will God appear when none is shut up or left then will his own arm bring salvation and be their deliverance so that when he shall turn again the captivity of Zion it will appear to them as a dream Psal 126.1 their deliverance being come when almost all hope was gone 2. That in this conversion and reduction they shall return unto Christ and then embrace him whom they formerly crucified and rejected saying we will not have this man rule over us And his blood be upon us and upon our children But when this time shall come Israel and Judah shall be gathered together Hos 1.11 which yet hath never been since their resection and they shall appoint themselves one head this head can be none other but Christ whom they shall by their own election in that day appoint to be their Head or King It is true he was appointed by the Father in his eternal decree and in the covenant between the Father and the Son before the world was as appears a The word in both places is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to appoint 0129 0 King or inaugurate regem constitui Pro. 8 22 23. and Ps 2.6 But now their hearts shall be turned about and they that rejected the Covenant of God against themselvs would not have him to be their Head whom the Lord had appointed now they shall chuse the same and consent to him they shall appoint to themselves one Head and elect for themselves the same Head Hos 3 5. ' They shall return and ' seek the Lord and David their King i. e They shall come to seek God and Christ their King in this latter day of their conversion and reduction ' They shall then look on him whom they have pierced and mourn and turn to him 3. The Scripture tels us that at their conversion and reduction there shal be wrought in them a very great and real humiliation Jer 31.18.19 I have heard Ephraim mark it not Judah bemoaning himself c. Surely after that was turned Irepented I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Hos 14 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols Zach. 12.10 They shall lock on him whom they have peireed and they shall mourn for him and be in bitterness c. Jer. 31 8 9. Behold I will bring them from the North country and gather them from the coasts of the Earth they shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them to Zion they shall come but they shall come with weeping and supplications c. But is not this spoken of their return from Babylon How can it did they come out of Captivity weeping and looking on him whom they had pierced when as then they had not pierced him It cannot be meant immediately and ultimately of that return though there are different degrees of the accomplishment of Prophecies But if we look a little back to ver 1. we shall find another argument At the same time saith the Lord I will be a God to all the families of Israel and they shall be my people The ten Tribes or as the phrase is all the families of Israel did never yet return out of their captivity unto this day There were indeed two tribes who returned from Babylon but we no where ever read of the returning of the ten tribes but we read that they shall return And as they went into captivity with weeping so with weeping they shall return 4. The Scripture seems to speak of their conversion and reduction as if it should be in an extraordinary way Not by the preaching of the Gospel as the Gentile Churches were brought in unto the Lord but by light and by a visible appearance of the Lord Jesus to them I will not be positive in it but set before the Reader some Scriptures that seem to speak so much Zach. 12.10 And they shall look upon me a 〈◊〉
and the ending of the second just precedes the beginning of the third Now our question is of the second of these three periods And in the first place for the Rise of Antichrist or the beginning of the second period or of the thousand two hundred and sixty dayes or the fourty and two months It is the opinion of Mr. Mede that the beginning and ending of them must be taken in some latitude because the Epocha is not certain from whence the same exactly is to commence This also is the opinion of Mr. Leigh in his Book called Excidium Antechristi Also of Mr. Moore in his Idea of Antichristianism lately come out who hath this passage lib. 1. p. 214. A man may not without ground imagine that there may be a Latitude of reckoning in the Solution of the three times and a half or the fourty two months into 126 Decads of days as well as there is of those times and months and that any variation about or within that exceeds not a Decad breaks no square Divine Prophesies being not for the ostentation of Gods Omnisciency for who knows not but that he can compute events to the smallest moment of an houre nor yet for the gratifying of the excesse of humane curiosity but for the use and exercise of his Church Mr. Mede in his Diatriba in a Letter to Dr. Twisse discoursing of the beginning of the 42 months hath this passage The period of the 42 months saith he is likely and most probably to be taken from some remarkable moment in the latitude of their beginning which remarkable moments saith he are more then one and shall be from one of them And he seems to incline to the year four hundred and ten the time when Alaricus took and sacked Rome the Lady of the World this is the remarkable moment of the Political Ruine of the Cesarian Soveraignty This Epocha will bring out the 42 months in the year 1670. To which he adds that the 42 months extend to the burning and sacking of Babylon not the utter extinguishing of Antichrist which he saith shall be some time after as appears ch 19. yet he protests against the precise determination of the time in this businesse Now according to Mr. Mede I guesse the beginning of the 42 months to be about Anno Christi 410. As the Sober Guess also names that time And my Reason is because this seems to be the most remarkable moment of all other in the latitude of their beginning and that for these Reasons Reas 1 The first is that of Mr. Mede because this year Alaricus took and sacked Rome the Lady of the World as Ecclesiastical History witnesseth Reas 2 Because this year all the ten Kings or Kingdoms were sprung up into which the Romane Empire was now dilacerated as Mr. Leigh in his Book called Excid um Antichristi by his great pains in searching the Records of time hath clearly evinced and made out As also Mr. Mede in his Apostacy of the last times and in his Clavis Apâ—calyptica Reas 3 Because about this time also sprung up the two horned Beast and Whore of Babylon About this time began the Apostacie of the Church of Rome to new pagan-idolatry and superstition quod est supra statutum or paganochristianity the name only changed As T. L. in his Voice out of the Wildernesse hath cleared in a parallel of 32 particulars And the Sober Guess in many more as you may see at large page 49 50 51 52. Now the Whore or two-horned Beast which is all one is synchronal to the seven-headed with ten horned which is evident in that this two-hourned Beast is the reviver and healer of this seven-headed ten-horned Beast That is an idolatrous Clergie makes again a superstitious and idolatrous Empire or the idolatrous and superstitious Ecclesiastick part makes the Polity such also which is the very image of the Beast before spoken of There were moreover then sacrificers to the dead Adorers and Worshippers of Bell and the Propagators of the worship of the Baalim that is the worship of Daemons or false gods through the World To give only an instance in Innecentius the first who was the Bishop of Rome at this time who did not only himself challenge the Supremacy that is the priority of place suffrage and censures over all Churches which by suit he did obtain of the Emperour Honorius after the death of Arcadius as is evident in our Ecclesiastical History but also brought in the Worship of Relicks The Bishop of Rome saith Jerome against Viglantius Tom. 2. p. 124. Supermortuorum hominam sicunoum nos ossa vâ—neranda c. effert domino sacrificium tumuâ—os corum Christi arbitratur altaria c. But who was this Bishop of Rome under the Emperour Areadius when Jerom writ this Invective about the year 406. but Innocentius But Zosimus records worse things of him then this For he saith that Pompey the Governour of the City that he might do that more safely which he desired viz. concerning the worship of the heathen-gods he consults all things herein with the Bishop of the City of Rome c. This is that Innocentius saith Zosimus who truly preferring the safety of the City before his own salvation secretly permitted them herein to do according to their Consciences and his devotion left them to their wills Also under Innocentius the first lying miracles were brought into the Church The Author of the Chronological Compilation Anno 405. mentions one Leapard a Presbyter of whom we reade other things in the Counsels under Innocentius who presenting a gold ring with his offering to St. Agnes that is to the Image she stretched out her finger and took the ring and wears it c. He also brought in Abstinence from meats And constituted the Saturday-Fast to be celebrated because on that day the Lord say in the Sepulcher Moreover Platina adds because his disciples fasted Also concerning fordidding of marriage to Winisters he writes to one Nictorius a Bishop that the Church ought to hold that by all means Priests mingle not with their wives because they are daily occupied about divine worship and the ministerial function Also the same Innocentius writing to one Exuperius an Arch-bishop concerning Presbyters and Deacons among many other things did order and constitute viz. that if any were discovered who had known the form of living sent from Siricius and did not forthwith cast off the lusts of the flesh and all incontinencie c. by which he means the incontinencie of the marriage bed as appears by the Priests among the Jewes going their courses in the Temple their continencie brought for an example to prove it unlawful for Priests to accompany with their wives Platina writes that the same Innocentius gave certain Rules concerning Monks Now this Innocentius began to ascend Peters Chair Anno 402. and departed this life Anno 416. Therefore he lived and did all this at the same time when the ten Kings brake
words that we may come as near their sense and meaning as possibly we can I shall endeavor to explain and make clear these three things following viz. 1. What Thrones and what Judgment is here meant what must we understand by them 2. What are the Souls of those that were beheaded and worshipped not the Beast c 3. What is their life and reign with Christâ— thousand years Qu. 1 What Thrones and what Judgment is here meant or what must we understand by them Answ Let us observe the words in the original which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the right understanding of these words two things are to be premised which are these next following 1. That these Thrones are set for the Conquerours of the Beast and false Prophet For it is expresly said they sate upon them and Judgment was given to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely to them of whom mention is made in the 14th verse of the foregoing chapter For to suppose the words they sate upon them to relate only to the following words the souls of them that were beheaded is to place the relative before any antecedent The Thrones therefore are set for them who descended from Heaven with Christ to make war against the Beast and false prophet Rev. 19 14 And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean For these and not others are next mentioned whom he had before more clearly described Rev. 17 1â— These namely the ten Kings who have given their power to the Beast shall make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcom them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful for these that come with the Lamb and war with the Lamb are these Thrones set 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgment here is the same and signifies the same with the word reâ—gn or Kingdom for it immediately follows and they reigned Which Kingdom is in this place given to the Saints after the destruction of the Beast Antichrist And it is the same Kingdom which Daniel speaks before handled The Thrones therefore here set are the Thrones in which the Saints shall sit at the second coming of Christ at the final destruction of Antichrist And judgment is that Kingdom which the Saints shall then obtain not a horary oâ— diary properly so called But a Millenary upon earth as the text plainly and totidem verbis expresseth to be perpetuated in Heaven afterwards to all eternity after the last Judgment properly and strictly taken which shall be the last effect of this Kingdom on earth consisting in the final justification of the just and absolution of the faithful and in the final reprobation and condemnation of the wicked and ungodly Of these Thrones and of this Judgment Christ speaks Mat 19.28 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So Luke 22.29.30 I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Where in the former Text by twelve Thrones all the Thrones are meant but they are called twelve in reference to the twelve Apostles in whom are represented the multitude of the faithful judging and reigning As Austin well noteth in his 20th Book de Civitate Dei cap. 5. For of all the faithful the Apostle Paul speaks 2 Cor. 6.2 Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World that is govern the same And lastly John in the Revelation Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne But thus we see what Thrones and what Judgment is here meant The next Question which was proposed follows which is Qu. 2 What is meant by the Souls of them that were beheaded Answ The words in the Original run thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be added or supplied And so do all Interpreters and some do repeat them as the Arabick vidi animas And I saw the soules of them thaâ— were beheaded He saw sitting on Thrones the souls of them that were beheaded Now here let the Reader weigh these particulars following for the right understanding of these words viz. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soules are here put for the dead The Souls of them that were beheaded is the same with the dead that were beheaded Animae percussorum idem sint quod mortui percussi And this interpretation is manifest from the opposite clause or sentence Caeteri mortuorum the rest of the dead lived not again and therefore the first are considered as dead Animae in sacris literis non tantum personas sed cadavera denotat saith Mede Souls in Sacred Wriâ— denotes not only persons but dead bodies Sâ— in the Hebrew Text souls are often taken for the dead Amongst those many places where they are so taken see a place or two Levit. 21.1 There shall none of the sons of Aaron be defiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro anima in populis suis for the soul for the dead saith our English among his people So Levit. 19. ver 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incisionem pro anima non dobitis in carne vestra ye shall make no cuttings in your flesh for the soul dead So Psal 16.10 Thou shalt not leave my soul in Hell i. e. me dead in the grave 2. These souls are those very souls that did cry under the Altar for the avenging of theiâ— blood and waited for the redemption of their bodies Rev. 6.9 10. which appears not only from the Anaphorical Article here twice repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illas animas illorum the very souls of them but chiefly from the identical description of those souls Apoc. 6 â—0 And these here Apoc. 20 4. Souls of them that were slain in the former text Souls of them that were beheaded in this viz. the Martyrs of the first period under the Dragon 3. Now to these souls are adâ—oyned also the souls of those that did not worship the Beast nor receive his mark who also for this cause refusing to do it were killed Rev. 13.15 The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where after the Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must necessarily be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the men whosoever had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image souls and men are here joyned quasi termini convertibiles and those and these both taken in And lest we should doubt here to be fulfilled what was mentioned Rev. 6.9.10 To
beyond all doubt 1. Because the Devil shall be perfectly bound up in the bottomless-pit that the Saints may quietly reign which would not be needful to be done that the Saints might quietly reign in Heaven for he could make no disturbance there nor get thither 2. Because unless they were to reign on Earth Satan Gog and Magog could not war against them But we read ver 7.8 That when the thousand years are ended God and Magog shall rise against them From whence it doth appear that the beloved City and the Camp of the Saints shall be in the midst of Gog and Magog in the four quarters of the Earth For it is said They shall compass the beloved City and the Camp of the Saints about which they could not do if either of them were in Heaven Therefore this Kingdom is to come upon Earth yet it shall not be an Earthly or a worldly Kingdom as the Chilliastes and some Jews vainly dreamed and imagined but a gloriously spiritual and holy Kingdom Christs Kingdom now is a holy and spiritual Kingdom in the hearts of his people But then it shall be so and much more holy and spiritual as well as more glorious then ever it was before when the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of God and of his Christ When the Lord himself shall be King over all the Earth and his Name be one Object But it will be demanded though it be granted when the enemies of Christ and his people the Beast and false Prophet are overthrown and destroyed and Satan himself chained and bound up there will be some eminent Kingdom for the Saints and that here upon Earth yet I say it will be demanded and the querie is whether this reign of the Saints that had been beheaded and Martyrs of Jesus shall be in their own persons or in their successors who profess the same truth with them As many godly and learned Divines do affirm and hold that it is not to be understood of the same individual persons but of their fellows and successors in the same faith and profession who follow in the same spirit and cause Answ For answer to this I cannot see at all how such a succession or such successors should be meant here by this first resurrection and this reign with Christ a thousand years and that for these reasons amongst others following 1. Because succession cannot in any tolerable sense be called a resurrection but this living again and reigning of the Saints with Christ is called a resurrection ver 5. therefore it is not a succession for a succession is of other bodies in the room of those departed but a resurrection is of the self same individual bodies that were dead before We had need methinks take heed lest while we plead for and professe such a figurative and Improper resurrection we should at once both resist and deny the truth and too much gratifie Atheists and Sadduces who are willing to take all occasions to deny the resurrection altogether and tell us it is but a fancy hatched in the braines of some men only 2. Because the Apostle tells us that if WE suffer with him WE shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 But the Saints do suffer in their own persons and not in their successors therefore they shall reign in their own persons and not in their survivers and successors Now by reigning with HIM cannot I conceive be meant in Heaven after the day oâ— Judgment is consummate and ended for then Christ as Christ or as Mediator reigns not himself but as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15 24. he delivers up the Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all he himself reigns but till then if therefore we shall reign with him it must be while he reigns and that is not in this life when he reigns in our hearts spiritually for that is the time of our suffering with him ergo our reigning with him must be when we are raised again a thousand years during the day of Judgment and this in their own persons not in any survivors or successors For if WE suffer WE shall reign with him 3. Because if the Saints should suffer in their own persons and reign in their successors this would be a very poor incouragement to any man to becom a Martyr 1 Cor. 15.18.19 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable 4. What is to suffer with Christ but to suffer as he did and what is it to reign with Christ but to reign as he doth in quality though not in equality to be glorified with him as Paul expounds it Rom. 8.17 To sit with him upon his throne as John expresseth it Rev. 3.21 But Christs reign is not a reign in successors for he haâ—h none to succed him therefore the Saints shall not reign in successors for they must reign as he doth and that is not in successors but in his own person This may be a fourth reason against the Saints living and reigning not in their own persons but in their successors 5. When the text saith THEY lived and reigned with Christ a THOUSAND years let the reader be pleased diligently to weigh these two things following 1. If living a thousand years be meant of living in successors then by this reckoning before the thousand years began the Saints had no successors and after the thousand years are ended they shall have no successors neither As suppose the thousand years should begin ut aliqui volunt as som would have it in the days of Constantine the Great which was about three hundred years after Christ then the Saints which lived and died before his days had by this reckoning no successors for the thousand years of living in successors was not before then begun And all the Saints who have lived and died since blessed Luthers time have had no successors for according to this account the thousand years of living in successors was ended before he did begin What a strange Prophecy have some made this for the Angel to tell John of a thousand years in which the Saints shall live in successors whereas the Saints have had successors for above 1660 years already since Christs time and how many years more they may continue to succeed each other who can tell surely the holy Prophecy must have some other meaning then of successors 2. If by the reigning of the souls of them that were beheaded be meant reigning in successors then by this reckoning there is no reigning of the Saints at all For if there be it is either before or after death before death it cannot be for that is a time of suffering not of reigning And after death they reign not in their successors for their successors are in the same state of suffering that their predecessors were not of reigning for instance take we A B C D
statu of the renewed or restored slate of the Church And so do others of the new heavens and new earth spoken of 2. Pet. 3.13 And the world to come Heb 2.5 Others of the resurrection of the dead which Interpretation is approved by Paâ—eus also allowed by the learned Annotators on the Bible whose words upon the plaâ—e are theâ—e he meaneth that in the absolute renovation in the resurrection they should sit upon Thrones c. they that follow this sense reade the Text thus by an alteration of points Ye which have followed me shall in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon the Throne of his glory sit upon twelve Thrones judging c. The Syriac Version very much favours this both by reading so pointed and also in the Version of the wâ—rds for thus they turn it Amen dico vobis quod vos qui venistis post me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in seculo novo quum sedebit filius hominis c. Verily I say unto you that ye who have come after me in the new age when the Son of man shall fit c. The Persian hath it in novo mundo in the new world The Arabick in generatione ventura in the generation to come The Ethiopick in secunda generatione in the second generation All these secretly hint as Chrysostom well observes the Reign of Christ with his people when he comes out of his far Country to the ordering and management of his Kingdom See also Luke 1.32 The Lord SHALL give unto him the Throne of his father David These words I confesse have been interpreted by some of Christs spiritual reign in the hearts of his people without a personal But it seems to me that a spiritual without a personal should not be here meant For 1. David had no such reign himself nor Solomon his son nor any of his seed Yet we reade that Solomon his son did sit upon the Throne of David his father 1 Kings 2.12.24 And what man will say that by Throne is meant the spiritual reign of Solomon without a personal And if it be not to meant when it is spoken of Solomon why should any think it to be so meant when it is spoken of Christ 2. The spiritual reign of Christ belongs to him as he is God but to sit on the Throne of David belongs to him as man As Acts 2.30 Therefore David being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne c. The Throne of David is one thing and his spiritual reign another 3. When Christ is called the Son of David as Mat. 22.42 no man will say that thereby is meant the Son of God No more ought any man to think that when Christ is said to sit on the Throne of David that thereby is meant the spiritual Throne of God For doubtlesse they are two distinct things 4. Christ did reign spiritually and that in the heart of Mary her self before this Prophesie was revealed to her But Christ did not at that time sit on the Throne of David but the Angel told her he should sit on the Throne of David hereafter And therefore this spiritual reign is one thing and the Throne of David another 5. The spiritual reign of Christ is in reference to spirituals But his sitting on the Throne of David is to order it with judgement and justice Isa 9 7. Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to stablish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever So Jer. 23.5 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the Earth This seems to imply som other thing and matter 6. The Throne of David is peculiar to Christ alone and not common to all the three Persons But the spiritual reign of Christ in the hearts of men is common to all the three Persons and not peculiar to Christ alone Therefore the Throne of David is one thing and the spiritual reign of Christ another ¶ See also Mat. 20.20 21. Then came to him the Mother of Zebedees children with her sons worshipping him and desiring a certain thing of him viz. that her two sons might sit the one on his right hand the other on his left in his Kingdom Now what is meant by this Kingdom but the reign of Christ on earth Therefore they that be of this minde are of the same faith the Apostles were of but you will say was Christ of the same faith too I answer it will appear that he was if we well weigh his answer to this request v. 23. Jesus answered and said to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared In which words we may observe what it is that Christ denies and what it is that he grants them Now that which Christ denies is contained in the first words to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give i. e. without my fathers leave or it is not mine to give to every one that asks it or asked at that time or I have no Commission from my Father to give precedencies in my Kingdom to those that affect them But what is it that he grants that is contained in the next words But it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father In which words our Lord Jesus Christ seems plainly to insinuate and hint these three things 1. That such a Kingdom as they speak of is prepared of his Father namely a Kingdom on earth such as our Saviour had promised in the former chapter in which the twelve disciples should sit upon twelve Thrones judging c. And such a Kingdom they meant and their suit was for the first and second place in it 2. He grants that some shall sit on his right hand and on his left in his Kingdom 3. That it is appointed of his Father who those men shall be These seem clear ¶ See also Luke 19 12. A certain Nobleman went into a far countrey to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return Who is this Nobleman but Christ incarnate And what is meant by his going into a far countrey but his Ascension into Heaven And wherefore is he gone thither but to receive for himself a Kingdom Now where is this Kingdom to be Not in Heaven for when he hath received it he must return And what is meant by his return but his return to the Earth again to the Exercise Ordering and Government of his Kingdom For Job 19.25 He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth Zach. 13.4 And his feet shall stand in
that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East Jer. 23.5 He shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth And we with him Rev. 5.10 shall reign on the earth I confesse what they may do to others I know not but to me for that little knowledge the Lord of his goodnesse hath bin pleased to impart to a poor worm me thinks they are very clear and perspicuous See also that Text Acts 1.7 Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel viz. what was promised by the Prophets The Lord answers it is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power In which I conceive he plainly insinuates these three things 1. That the Kingdom promised is one day to be restored to Israel 2. That there is a time appointed for it by the Father viz. the time of the restitution of all things Acts 3.21 which God hath spoken by the month of all his holy Prophets since the world begun All prophesied and soake of this 3. That the time when this shall be is known only to God as proper to him not to be communicated to any creature So also before in Lukes Gospel chap. 29. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath daught us that the time of his second coming in glory is the time of the Redemption of Israel promised or the promised Kingdom which after the Winter of the Cross and Affliction should come which he calls a certain Summer v. â—8 and 31. ¶ Nextly see Luk. 22 29 30. Ye are they that have continued with me in my temptation and I appoint unto you a Kingdom c. Now where is this Kingdom not in Heaven there is no eating and drinking in Heaven no judging the twelve tribes of Israel therefore it is on the earth in the time of Christs second coming ¶ Let us also take notice of that passage Acts 15.14 Simeon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his Name and ver 15. to this agree the words of the Prophets which are spoken of the first calling of the Geniles before the restoring of the Kingdom of Israel as it is written viz. in Amos 9.11 12 especially from whom alone we may judge of the meaning of the rest of the Prophets ver 16. After this viz. after their first calling I will return and build again the Tabernacle of Daviâ— which is fallen down and I will build again the remains thereof and will set it up where it is carefully to be marked that the word posthaec afterward is not to be found in the Prophet Amos but is added here by the Spirit of God for Declaration-sake with manifest relation to that first calling that we might certainly know that this should com to passe after the first calling of the Gentiles in the very return of the Lord Jesus Christ to his Kingdom which is called the Kingdom of David Ier. 23.5 Ezek 37.14 and 24. Hos 3.5 see the words I set them not down lest these sheets should swell And that which follows both in Amos and in this text very much helps this Exposition viz. v 17. that the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles upon whom my Name is called viz. upon whom my Name is called in the first calling of the Gentiles who as I said before were but few in comparison But the second calling will be far more universal when the Devil shall be bound up from seducing the Nations any more as formerly he had done then shall the residue of men come in and all the Gentiles as the Text saith be converted to God ¶ This is that Kingdom joyned with the Appearance of Christ ready to judge the world of which St Paul to Timothy makes mention 2 Tin 4 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom His appearance is personal for he appears to judg and then doth this his Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begin and dures the time of his stay which John tells us Rev. 20 4. is a thousand years and then comes the second or general resurrection which is another order in the resurrection and the general and last judgment when according to this self same Apostle 1 Cor 15.24 to 23. Jesus Christ the last enemy being destroyed shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father that he may be subject to him who subdued all things to hâ—mself that God may be all in all so far is he then from being said to enter upon any new Kingdom that then he delivers up the old That Kingdom therefore which neither shall be before the appearance of our Lord nor after the last Judgment is necessarily to be included between them This is not nothing ¶ See also those words Heb. 2 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim terra est non coelum For this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate world is Earth not Heaven but you will say where did the Apostle speak in his preceding discourse of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 world to come that he should say whereof we speak I answer in v. 6 of the preceding chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. But when he shall bring AGAIN his only begotten Son into the world he saith c. For those things which out of the Book of the Psalmes to the end of the chapter are cited concerning the worship of Angels of his Scepter of Righteousnesse of the renewing of the world and of the treading of his enemies under his feet are all if we crecit the Apostle to be referred to the second coming of Christ But that Admonition which is contained in t he sour first verses of this chapter is to be read as a parent hesis the which being ended the Apostle in the fifth verse returns again to his former Proposition and more largely handles the Prerogative of human Nature above the Angels which he had disputed And amongst other things saith he unto the Argels hath he not put in subjection the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 world to come whereof we speak which is to be when God brings again his only begotten son into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 world I have here but one word more to adde for I spake before of the strange transposition of the words ch 1. v. 6. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring in hath a future signification for so much as it is the second Aorist of the Subjunctive mood ¶ Peter also 2 Pet. 3.10 speaks if I be not deceived clearly to this Behold the day of the Lord cometh How As a Thief in the night i. e. suddenly yet shall not as a Thief disappear the
second coming Luke 17.20 to the 26. 9. It seems altogether absurd for us to think that Christ should come in Glory and Majesty to the ordering and exercise of his Kingdom his Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.1 and presently the very same day give over his Kingdom again 1 Cor. 15 24. and so on delivering it up to the Father The King of such a Kingdom might not unfitly be compared to Jonas his Gourd which was a shade to his head and protected him from the heat so that he very much rejoyced in it but that joy was but a short joy for it sprung up in a day and it withered in a day What other men can I know not but I cannot think that the Lord Jesus Christ should descend from Heaven with all his Saints accompanied with glorious Angels enter upon his Kingom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I said before order it with judgement and justice executing righteousness in the Earth compose a glorious Metropolis of those sinless sorrowless joyful immortal Saints who descended and came with him from heaven and cause the rest who are godly in all the world who are called the Nations that are saved Rev. 21.24 For then there will be a very great and unparallelable conversion but yet in another state to walk in the light thereof and take their directions thence Will he thus make all things new and cause things old to pass away had the Saints an eye to look through all those sad and sharp calamities of a thousand and six or seven hundred years continuance unto this time as they do Rev. 5.10 did all the Prophets so esee and speak of these glorious times and things did the Apostles make so many queries and Christ so many promises referring to this time and state I say shall all this be and many things more that might he named and all but for a day and then to end I can never I freely confesse believe it 10. Because the Church is rightly divided into Militant and Triumphant but this triumphant is one Partial another Total one Inchoate another Consummate The faithful now triumph in heaven in respect of their souls they shall also triumph in respect of their bodies this triumph is inchoate here upon Earth and consummate in Heaven And so great is the affection and inclination of the blessed souls in Heaven unto their bodies to which they were united that they had rather be with them in some kind of conflict though then there will be none then without them in full and perfect triumph 11. Because they who interpret the precedent chapter viz. Rev. 19. of some begun destruction of Antichrist preceding Christs second coming but not of the full and final destruction of Antichrist at Christs second coming do flatly contradict the plain texts of Scripture Rev. 16.14 15. Rev. 17.14 Rev. 19.18.20 21. And do directly oppose themselves to all Orthodox Antiquity yea to Hierom and Aâ—stin themselves to whom they are wont every where to appeal even in this very controversie it self 12. Because this interpretation of the reign of the Martyrs or of the Saints â—or I take them for one and the same and of Christ upon Earth is no more incident to some Labyrinths and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then some other interpretations concerning the second and last resurrection judgement which opinion notwithstanding is no whit to be rejected because by Epicures and some Phylosophers and Stoicks and others that have alwaies been exploded as fabulous and false and are by many others derided as loaden especially as they think who have not well digested and studied it with many absurdities In so great a Mystery it will be sufficient to know the truth in the main and the matter in general and not curiously to tearch into the reason of every circumstance and punctilio The Matter is grounded upon the undeniable sequel of the b See Mede's clavis apochalyptica part 2 synchr 4.5.6.7 where the 1000. years are placed after the ruine of the beast and proved to follow it Apochalyptick order and consent of other Scriptures especially Prophetical which do most wonderfully confirm the same It is known to a Proverb that one fool may object more then ten wise men can presently answer yet I freely professe I finde this truth so plain si dere non de modo loquimur that I know not any thing that can be objected which admits not of a very fair and plain solution Those Objections therefore which are usually urged and may perchance be in the minds of some I shall with the readers good leave speak next to with all brevity Object 1 How can this principle hold good for doth not Christ tell us that his Kingdom is not of this world John 18.36 To this Objection I answer 1. That these words are to be understood of his first and not of his second coming 2. It is not of its world ratione originis in respect of the original but it is in the world in respect of place If my Kingdom saith our Saviour were of this world understand it as he there speaks it of that his first coming then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes but now is my Kingdom not from hence i.e. of this world as he said before Note also the word NOW now or at this time my Kingdom is not from hence or of this world 3. It is not of this world ratione conditionis in respect of its condition Thus the disciples and Christ himself were not of this world John 8.23 Ye are speaking of the carnal Jews from beneath I am from above ye are of this world I am not of this world John 15.19 If ye were of the world Christ speaks it to his disciples the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you So John 17.14 The world hateth them viz. the disciples of Christ because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world And they are not of the world quantùm ad affectionem mundanam as to worldly affection but they are in the world quantùm ad corporalem praesentiam as to corporal presence We say the like of Christs Kingdom est terrenum ratione loci Coeleste raâ—â—one conditionis it is earthly in respect of place it is heavenly in respect of condition place and condition are two things 4. It is not of THIS world so the words run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of the world that now is but of the world that is to come For the world that now is shall be changed and in that respect shall cease to be and another world shall be erected or come in place called in Scripture the world to come And in that world to come shall that Kingdom of Christ be Heb 2.5 and 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 21.1 Object 2 But it is said Job
hence Chrysostom upon the place saith Aute impios resurgent justi ut sint primi in resurrectione non tantum dignitate sed tempore the just shall rise before the wicked that they may be first in the resurrection not onely in dignity but in time Now if the dead in Christ shall rise first when shall the wicked rise but in a second resurrection And if the resurrection St. Paul speaks of be the resurrection of the body why is not the resurrection St. John speaks of the resurrection of the body two And Paul tells us plainly 1 Cor. 15.23 to 26. that there is an exact order in the resurrection and that the order is thus first Christ the first fruits and Captain of our Salvation leads the way and is the first in order The second order is of those that are Christs of the godly at his coming And the third order is of all the rest of theâ—â— world when the end comes But I shall leave off to enumerate any further scripture proofs for the thing seems to me ever submitting my self to better judgements and plainer proofs exceeding clear and plain Object Yet when all this is done methinks I hear some say it is a novelty surely if it were true it would have been made known and been believed before now Solut. To this I answer I confess the apprehension of novelty is a great prejudice to this truth and I freely confess that that kept me off a long time from closing in with it but this is but an apprehension not a reality for If Christ himself and his Apostles and the Prophets and the Christian Jews both before Christ and since and the Primitive Gentile Christians were of this opinion then I hope it is no novelty but all these were of this opinion Ergo it is no novelty See Medes Diatrib p. 4. that all they were of this opinion is partly cleared in this small tract and partly might further but that I am resolved it shall not swell and other more learned men have done it I confess for the one thousand years Regnum Christi reign of Christ to be silent under the regnum Antichristi it is not at all to be marvelled at greater far had been the marvel if they who slew the Martyrs had owned in the least the Martyrs reign Can any man I pray you rationally conceiv Antichrist and his followers to be persons likely to own the reign of Christ and his followers When all the world wondred after the beast Rev. 13.3 4 Câ—e the Pope and his party that beastly power and faction and worshipped the Beast and cry him upas a non such saying who is like him who is able to make war with him as they did for one thousand two hundred sixty years which time alass is not yet out as the sad face of Christendom at this day witnesses I say then for Christs reign and Kingdom to be decryed yea almost thrust out of acknowledgement who can at all wonder And yet for all this so far is the opinion from novelty this Millennium hath been fully owned before yea and partly under the very reign of Anti-christ That it was generally owned before besides what hath been already said I have here out of many instances which might easily be produced onely made choice of one more because it bears so full witnesse to what I have in hand that it may be instar omnium instead of all others That great Counsel of Nice called by Constantine the Great besides their definition of faith and Canons Ecclesiastical set forth certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is forms of Ecclesiastical Doctrine some of these are recorded by Gelasius Gyzicenus in his Historia actorum concilii Niceni Amongst these there is this formula for the doctrine of the state of the resurrection the which that I may do them no wrong I shall here give in their own words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which in English for thâ—â— by most is best understood runs thuâ— The World is made worse by * By sin the knowledge of good and evil foreknowledge for God foresaw that man would sin Therefore we expect New Heavens and a New Earth according to the holy Scriptures when the Apparition and Kingdom of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ shall shine forth And then as Daniel saith shall the Saints of the most High take the Kingdom And there shall be a pure holy Land a Land of the living and not of the dead which David foreseeing by the eye of faith cries I beleeve to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the liâ—ine A Land of the meek and humble For bless dâ—saith he i. e. Christ are the meek for they shall inherit the earth And the Pâ—ophet and the feet of the Meek and Humble shall tread it Judg by this notwithstanding fifty years opposition how pâ—â—verful the Châ—â—iastical party yet was at the 〈◊〉 of and in that Councel That this hath been owned even under the reign of Antichrist appears amongst many other instances that might be given by that Catechisin set forth in King Edwards time and by him Authorised May 20. in the last year of his Reign where the two siest Petitions of the Lords Prayer are explicated in this manner The Dialogue is between the Magister and Auditor Upon these words sanctificetur nomen tuâ—m Auditor secundo loco petimus ut adveniat regnum ejus Adbuc enim non videmus res omnes Christo esse subjectas nâ—n videmus ut lapis de monte abscissus sit sine opere humano qui contrivit in nihil redeâ—it statuan descriptam a Daniele Vt Petra sola qui est Christus occupet obtineat totius mundi imperium à Patre concessum Adbuc Antichristus non est occisus quò fiâ— ut nos desideremâ—s precemur ut id tandem aliquando contingat impleatur utque solus Christus regnet cum suis sanct is secundum divinas premissiones utque vivat dominetur in mundo juxta sancti Evangelii decreta non autem juxta Traditiones leges hominum voluntatem Tyrannorum munde M. Faxit Deus ut regnum ejus adveniat quam â—itissimè That is in the second place we beg that his Kingdom may come for as yet we do not see all things to be subjected to Christ we do not see that the stone is cut out of the mountain without hands which bruiseth and brings to nothing the Image described by Daniel that the Rock alone which is Christ may occupie and obtain the Empire of the whole world granted him by his father As yet Antichrist is not slain whence it comes to pass that we desire and pray that that once at last may happen and be fulfilled that Christ alone may reign with his Saints according to his divine promises And that he may live and govern in the world according to the decrees of the holy Gospel and not after the
that time of truth without mixtures of errour a time of light without mixture of darknesse a time of knowledge without mixture of ignorance from whence all Heresie doth proceed The light of the Moon shall be as the Sun and the light of the Sun shal be seven-fold as the light of seven days The Ordinances aso will then be pure without mixtures of superstition humane inventions and will-worship There are those Rivers of water of life clear as chrystal Great also will be the holinesse of that day Zach. 14.9 Rev. 22.1 Isa 2.2 For it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem See also Zach. 8.19.20 21 22. The streets of the City are all gold and golden will be the lives and conversations of the Citizens yea God shall be known in her Palaces for a refuge the foundations of her City are all of Pearl her streets paved with precious stones her Gardens fragrant with all manner of pleasant flowers her delightful walks are always green her Springs are living waters her months are one continued May her Trees bear all manner of lovely fruits and the leaves of the same are for the healing of the Nations her years are one lasting joyful Jubilee and her strength is always firm her same men leap as Harts and the tongue of dumb men then are loosed O when shall we go how shall we get to this holy and beautiful City of God Her time is coming her year is at hand and the Lord will hasten it in his time Reader thou hast here a little taste of the beginning of Zions blisse held forth unto thee only according unto our weak and short manner of conceiving and expressing the things themselves as far surmount our thoughts and words as the Heavens are above the Earth and as the East is distant from the West Give me now leave to put a period to all in a word or two of Application Vse 1 Let us help forward this Kingdom of Christ on Earth by faith and prayer and so much the rather because the time approacheth the Promises are even come to the birth and they draw on apace Pray we therefore for the ruine of Antichrist Rome must down before Christ will set up his Kingdom and for the calling of the Jewes for the beginning of this Kingdom must be with the Jews they â—uâ—t be Caput Imperii the Head and Seat of this Empire must be among them And let us pray according to Christs direction Thy Kingdom come and thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven which will never be till these thousand years Let as saith David all Nations serve thee O God let all people praise thee O pray that God would take to himself his great power and reign before the Ancients gloriously Vse 2 This may inform us that the day of Judgment is not so far off as many think it For if once Antichrists Kingdom go down Christs Kingdom is set up as we have before heard and certainly Antichrists twelve hundred and sixty days of reigning are not long to continue though we cannot tell justly how long yet in the general we know it cannot be long and Christs Kingdom is durante currente die judicii within and during the great day of Judgment Vse 3 This doctrine speaks comfort to you O ye sons of Zion and daughters of Jerusalem O thou Wife and Spouse of Christ thou art She who hast seen and dost see affliction yea from thy youth up thou hast been slain and killed all the day long the furrows have been made long upon thy back and thou hast been â—â—ptied from vessel to vessel Thy flesh hath 〈◊〉 no rest but troubles are on every side without are sight◠〈…〉 been covered as with a cloud and art for a 〈◊〉 word and hissing to passers by yea accounted as the off-scouring of all things unto this day But he of good chear yea awake and sing thou that dwellest in the dust for thus saith the Lord God O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphire and make thy windows of Agats and gates of Carbuncle and borders of pleasant stones For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called Wherefore lift up thy head for thy Redemption draws nigh and the years of thy deliverance are now at hand O wait and pray and bear up yet a little a very little while and thy work shall be rewarded and the wicked train shall be no more but the meek shall inherit the Earth and delight themselves in a very great abundance of peace do but fight stoutly through the pikes and win the field put forth thy strength and spare no pains no cost no sweat no blood O cast about a careful eye use all holy policy rally up thy force afresh it wants but a little and all 's thine own and then thou art made for 〈◊〉 〈…〉 dou◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 pleasure to give thee the Kingdom Thy 〈◊〉 who hath washed thee in his blood 〈◊〉 made thee clean and spotless behold he â—â—mes quickly and his reward is with him â—rise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered â—â—d those that hate thee flee before thee Lay Babylon in the dust and let her Virgins be cut off O 〈◊〉 the hairy scalp of all thine incurable foes 〈◊〉 Zion be exalted and Jerusalem made a praise 〈◊〉 the midst of the Earth preserve thy Spouse in 〈◊〉 midst of Lions strengthen her faith lengthen her â—â—â—ience hasten thy coming O be as a Roe or â—â—oung Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Ameu FINIS