are there is the Kingdom of God which Vision was a Figure of the Glory which shall be Revealed For there Christ appeared in his Glory accompanied with his Saints from Heaven and with his Living Saints on Earth and the Voice of God thereby to inform us that we might not mistake and take mean and low things for the glorious Kingdom of God and Christ of which our Lord is not yet in possession of It was then within two days before he that is now in Possession was to be turn'd out for a Thousand years is but as one day and one day as a Thousand years with the Lord nor to us a Thousand years will appear but as one day compared with Eternity Heb. 10.37 And at the appointed time he that shall come will come and will not tarry But as to what the Lord said after he arose in Matt. 28.18 Jesus came and spake unto them saying all Power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth That was He then had compleated the Purchase thereof and had the full assurance of it from the Father altho he was not in the real possession of it But it is our way of speaking and much more the Scripture way of speaking that when any thing is given us and so confirm'd on us that we cannot be disappointed of it then we say such an Estate is given us altho the other that injoys it is not at present put out of Possession The which the Apostle in Hebrews 2. doth make it more plainly appear wherein he saith in the 8. v. God hath put all things in subjection under his Feet for in that he put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not yet all things put under him That is we see not yet the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ 9. v. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour And St. Paul saith much the same words in 1 Cor. 15.27,28 And it is also said in Heb. 10.12 This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sin for ever sate down on the Right Hand of God 13. v. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool This ever signifies whilst this our World lasteth all which time he expecteth till his Enemies be made his Footstool but by these words it is fully Evident to us that his Enemies are not made his Footstool Now David was a Type of Christ and he was anointed King whereby he was assured of the Kingdom a long time before he received the Power of the Kingdom But his Followers knowing him to be the Lord 's Anointed owned him to be their Prince and King when he was not in the Possession of the Kingdom but at the time God had determined he removed his Enemies and set him on the Throne of Israel his People So Christ will not have only his suffering time with David here where none but a few shall own him to be their Prince and King But also his Reigning time on the Throne of his Father David at which time all his Enemies shall be made his Footstool and then it is that all the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ Now that the Lord does speak of things that are to come as tho they were already past I will give you one more clear proof which is in Jer. 31.15 Thus saith the Lord a Voice was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her Children refused to be comforted for her Children because they were not You see that this is spoken of as tho it were already done and past altho it was about five hundred years before this Prophesy was fulfulfil'd as in Mat. 2.16 Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise Men was exceeding wrath and sent forth and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coast thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the Wise men 17. v. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying 18. v. In Ramah was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her Children and would not be comforted because they are not Now Herod by Slaying these Children did think to take off the Lord of Glory but God disappointed him upon which remarkable thing Rachel was Prophesied of And also these things gives us light how to read the Scriptures as I before told you That those Prophesies and Sayings in Scripture which speak as if they were already done if we do not find they are done it remaineth good to us they shall be done Now although the Lord did say all power was given him in Heaven and in Earth yet the Lord to let us understand that his time was not yet saith in John 18.36 His Kingdom is not of this World Therefore the Lord Instructeth us in Luke 9.23 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me 24. v. For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it 25. v. For what is a man Advantaged if he gain the whole World and lose himself or be cast away 26. v. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own Glory and in his Fathers and of the Holy Angels By this we see when the Lord's time will be that is when he comes to Judg the World and at the time of the Restitution of all things And the Apostle tells us Ephes 6.11,12,13,18 That our Life here must be a continual Warfare Heb. 11.13 And that the Saints are but strangers and pilgrims upon the Earth 1 Pet. 5.8,9 And that we have an Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the Faith Put on the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil 12. v. For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World and against Spiritual Wickedness in high-places 13. v. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day He also adviseth us To be fervent in Prayer serving the Lord. And to do this let us not go out in our own strength but with strong Crying and Prayers unto our God that we may be able to stand in the evil Day And St. John perswades us 1 John 2.15,16,17 not to love the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the
is according to their willing and running they shall find acceptance with him and accordingly be rewarded by him And the people are condemned not because they knew not God but because they had no will to obey him as in Prov. 1.30,31 They would have none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices And the Lord saith to the Jews John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Thereby shewing the door of mercy was wider open to them of Israel than they were willing to embrace and improve the opportunity And oh that we would not as they were be found alike guilty and so be made partakers of the more severer vengeance But on the contrary that we would turn from all our evil ways and seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6,7 begging his assistance that we may be able to withstand all our corrupt affections and inclinations and if we are sincere therein God will not be wanting to us But if we have no love to his ways 2 Thes 2.10 nor will not obey him Prov. 1.30 and will not chuse his fear verse 29. then for such there remains no hope For we shall stand or fall according as we chuse or refuse obedience to his will Now we through the mistaking of some of the sayings of St. Paul have made the Oath of God and the general Call and Offer of mercy by Christ to all that will according as it is tendred lay hold of it to be of no effect Notwithstanding St. Peter fairly warns us that in St. Paul's Epistles were some things hard to be understood which some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 2.16 And could we no otherwise have understood the meaning of St. Paul than in the contradiction of the God of Truth it had been a far less errour to have thought St. Paul might have erred than to have made the Oath of God and the general offer of mercy by Christ void by the misapprehending the words of St. Paul so as to think that none but the Elect could be saved But as the Prophet for believing the old Prophet in the contradiction of what God himself had said therefore was destroyed for a Lion met him and slew him 1 Kings 13.17,18,19,23,24 This being set down for a warning to us that we might not be alike guilty Chap. XIV What the Sign is when God for Sin intends to leave a Nation People or Person And the Kingdom of God in this time and the Kingdom of God in time to come explained VVHen God because of Sin determines to leave a People Nation or Person to destruction he then leaves them to delusion and to blindness of mind like as Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 Ahab 1 Kings 22.20,21 and Israel Psal 81.11,12 And Christ spake to Israel in Parables That by hearing they should hear and not understand and seeing they should see and not perceive Matth. 13.14 For the Jews were then in expectation of the coming of the glorious Kingdom of God which was foretold them by the mouth of all the Prophets and therefore a Pharisee demanded of Christ when the Kingdom of God should come And he answered him and said The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation but more rightly exprest as it is set down in the Margin of your Bibles not with shew neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17 20,21 Christ by these words sheweth that in this time he was but to have his ruling-power in the hearts of his People And by this it is clear it is those that he rules in that are his And this being the only visible Kingdom that God has in the time of this World which Kingdom or People is not in shew of this World's greatness and grandeur This answer of the Lord was quite contrary to what the Pharisee expected for he only apprehended the Lord was to come to Reign and restore all things and not that he was first to come to suffer and this proved a stumbling-block to Israel But the Lord said in the following verses to his Disciples of his second coming v. 23,24,25 For as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under Heaven shineth unto the other part under Heaven so shall also the Son of Man be in his day For the glory of that day will be such as St. Paul terms the then time but night to that approaching day Rom. 13.12,13 And Christ concerning the Parable of his second coming and Kingdom saith Matth. c. 13. v. 41,42,43 The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here the Lord declareth the time of the end of this World will be when he cometh at which time the Power of this World will be taken from them by his coming and sending his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity By these words nothing can be more plain than that the Kingdom which will then be Christ's is this material World from which those that offend and do iniquity will then be cast out Now from these words also the Lord leaves himself scope to take in those that are given him of his Father at his second coming the which also will be his Elect which is Israel Rom. 11.28 and other Nations mentioned in the Word which will then be saved and then will the way of the Kings of the East be prepared Rev. 16.12 And the forementioned Book sheweth whom the Lord hath said shall likewise be spared and all these will be brought to a sense of their own unworthiness and so lay hold of mercy before the wicked is destroyed and therefore then they will not be offenders when the wicked are cast out so as the Lord may take in whom he will of the Heathen and God will as well keep faithful to his promise at Christ's second coming in calling in the Jews and others with them Isa 56.8 as he did perform his promise to Christ when he first came in calling in and justifying the sinners of the Gentiles And in that Christ saith to his Disciples in the 43th verse Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here Christ doth not say all the righteous therefore he hath his reference to the raised Saints and the Witnesses that will be caught up in the clouds into those glorious Mansions or Tabernacles which the Lord pitcheth and not Man Isa 4.5,6 Rev. 21.21 From which they shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of
their Father In this portion hath the Disciples their part and when the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 Then it is that the Kingdom of this World is become the Kingdom of their Father into which they shall thus gloriously shine forth and this is that the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 2.9 likewise Isa 64.4 and Ephes 2.6,7 and then they shall have their reigning-power on the Earth Rev. 5.10 next under Christ their Supreme Head Now the Lord all along whilst he was upon the Earth spake but in Parables as to his second coming and Kingdom Matth. 13.34 by reason Israel being sinful for which it was determined of God they should be left to blindness and that Christ should suffer by them for tho' in other things they sinned wilfully yet they ignorantly crucified the Lord of Life Acts 3.17 And the Lord again speaking of his second coming and of gathering the Nations and by the Parable of setting the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left He saith to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Now from the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth there was no other Kingdom prepared but this World which will be again restored But the Law and Gospel speaking but to those that are under it Rom. 3.19 and chap. 2.12,14 The Lord might therefore have his reference to the foundation of the World that was laid in Israel for the World to come at which foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb And then was the Kingdom of Canaan prepared for Israel by their Enemies destruction And the Gentiles that Christ shall find in obedience amongst the Christian Nations at his coming will then be made the Inheritors with Israel of this Kingdom For they were not only to be Heirs with Israel of the promised Everlasting Covenant whereby Eternal Life is secured to the Soul but they were also to have a share with them in their Inheritance For of Japhet it was prophesied that he should dwell in the Tents of Shem and therefore this Kingdom may likewise be said to be prepared for them And also at the restoration of all things it is that Israel will be restored to their own Land Joel 3.16 And then will God make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord Isa 51.3 And then it is Christ will have his peaceable Kingdom Isa 11.9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 65.23,24,25 And in that day God will make a Covenant for them with the Beast of the Field and with the Fowls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and he will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them lie down safely Hosea 2.18,19 And then will God betroth them unto him for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies v. 19. And then this is the Peace the Lord hath declared shall be in the time of his Kingdom But when Christ first came he said he came not to send Peace on Earth but a Sword Matth. 10.34 For in this time them that are the true Followers of Christ the Devil will be still raising them up Enemies And Christ saith to his Disciples That in him they might have peace but in the World they should have tribulation John 16.33 And likewise St. Paul saith That after his departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among them not sparing the Flock And also of their own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.29,30 which accordingly followed Now whereas it is said Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him This King Solomon spake of the natural Seed of Israel which had they continued in the fear of the Lord they had then been the Emblem of that peaceable Kingdom that is now to come And they in this time should have been the Head and not the Tail and above only Deut. 28.13 But there never was any such promise made to the true Churches of Christ in this time but on the contrary they were foretold they should be afflicted persecuted and meet with fiery Tryals neither were they to adorn themselves 1 Pet. 3.3 Chap. XV. The Elect Church discovered And why God suffered the Beast to arise to deceive the Nations Also a twofold being in the Book of Life NOW Christ by his Word declareth that he would have an Elect Church or People throughout this World that should never be deceived by the Beast or false Prophet And that it was to his Disciples which came of the remnant of Israel unto whom Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Matth. 38.20 And that none should pluck them out of his hand And tho' the first Gentile Churches that received the Word from the mouth of the Disciples were likewise also Elected and fore-chosen of God and made partakers of the Holy Ghost yet their succeeding Generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And God foreseeing that the Gentile Nations that embraced the Gospel would afterward fall away by having no love to the Truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness as Israel and the People of Old had done Rom. 1.21,22 therefore it was determined of God they should be left to strong delusions to believe a Lye Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 For which cause it was the determination of God that all that dwell upon the Earth should worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.7,8 That is all the Kindreds and Tongues and Nations that dwell upon all the Earth that the Beast had dominion over should worship him except those whose Names were written in the Book of Life for the Word speaks to them that received it and it was those fell into the snare that had not a love to it but took pleasure in unrighteousness And Luther says that the Beast and false Prophet are generally comprehended under one head And the Lord saith Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell upon the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast Now I have already proved by the Word in a Treatise concerning Election that there was no Election through the first World of People nor till after the miscarriage of Israel in the Wilderness Then did the Lord secure a certain remnant of them to himself at which time Israel was laid for the
Unrighteous shall cease from their Naughtiness but the Righteous shall rest in Him and He shall open the Gates of Paradice and stay the Threatning Sword against Adam and feed the Lambs with the Fruit of Life and the Spirit of Holiness shall be in them He shall bind up Belial and give his own children power to tread down Hurtful Spirits and the Lord shall rejoice in his children and accept them as his Beloved for evermore Then shall Abraham Isaac and Jacob be glad and then shall I and all Saints rejoyce Now my children ye have heard all therefore chuse unto you either Light or Darkness either the Law of the Lord or the Works of Belial and we answered our Father saying We will walk before the Lord according to his Law And my Father said The Lord is Witness and his Angels are Witness and I am Witness and your selves are Witnesses of the Words of my mouth And when we answered We will be Witnesses Levy rested with this charge be given unto his children And Daniel speaking of the time when the Kingdoms of this World should become the Kingdoms of God and Christ And of the reign of the raised Saints Dan. 7.9 he saith I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the antient of days did sit whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his Head like the pure wooll his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels as burning fire V. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgment was set and the Books were opened V. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake I beheld even till the beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Ye see here also that Daniel makes mention of the Destruction of the Beast and whereas he saith he beheld till the Beast was slain which may only signify that he received the Sentence of Condemnation and his body destroyed his greatness and his grandeur of his Power broken After which he is given to the burning flame Soul and Body And as St. John says after Christ came The beast was taken alive and cast into a lake of sire burning with brimstone And Daniel saith V. 12. As concerning the rest of the beast they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time V. 13. I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Sun of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him V. 14. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed And whereas the Prophet saith there was given to Christ Dominion Glory and a Kingdom which was that all People Nations and Languages should serve and obey him And in v. 18. it is said The Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Here it is said That the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom that is be possest with the Kingdom or made partakers of the Kingdom of which Christ is head And he tells us in the 27. v. That the Kingdom Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him We see by these words that it is fully cleared where this Kingdom is said to be which will be given to the People of the Saints of the most High That it is the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven Therefore it must be upon the Earth at the time of the restitution of all things For Isaiah saith c. 24. v. 4. The Earth mourneth and fadeth away the world languisheth and fadeth away the haughty People of the Earth do languish In these last words the Prophet tells us his meaning in saying the Earth Mourneth and the World Languisheth For he saith it is the Haughty People of the Earth do Languish V. 5. The Earth also is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Whereby we see that the Earth is defiled through the sinfulness of man that is upon it Now Christ dyed to restore lost man that he might purchase to himself a Glorious Church withour spot or wrinkle And he will restore the Earth to be for what it was intended in the first Creation which was for the bringing up of a Holy Seed and to be Israels inheritance and the Earth was prepared for their Nourishment which as the Earth did fill God might translate them to those Heavenly habitations Now in the day of the Restitution of all things Christ has more than a ruling Power in the Hearts of his People or with his Saints in Heaven But then will be given to him all the Kingdoms of the Earth to serve and obey him Then shall it be term'd but one Kingdom as having but one Head to be the chief Ruling Power and the raised Saints to Rule under him And Daniel doth further assure us by the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars Dream Dan. 2.44 That in the days of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which never shall be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other People but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever V. 45. For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the Mountain without hands and that it brake in pieces the Iron the Brass the Clay the Silver and the Gold the great God hath made known to the King what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof is sure Now whereas the Prophet here tells us that the Dream is certain and the interpretation thereof is sure that is we may bind upon it that the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdomwhich never will be destryed And that the Kingdom shall not be left to other People but it shall break in pieces and consume all other Kingdoms and stand for ever For although it is said Christ and his Raised Saints shall reign a Thousand Years the which as I before said those words doth not at all signifie that the Reign of Christ and his raised Saints shall continue no longer than the thousand years but that the Glory may not so eminently or visibly appear after Satan is loosed to accomplish his wickedness in his deceiving his Gog and Magog after which he shall receive his final Doom Now whereas the Lord saith in Isa 26.19,20,21 Thy dead men
The First Book A Clear and Brief Explanation upon the Chief Points of the New Testament The Second Book Proving the near Approach of Christ's Kingdom with the Signs of the Times The Third Book A Rehearsal of the Covenant of Moses with his then Prophecying of the Firing the Mountains Also proving the Root of Gall and Wormwood and the Root of Bitterness to be one and the same The Fourth Book The Figurative Speeches by which God hath veiled the Secrets contained in his Word until the Time of the End which is the Time determined by the Lord they should be revealed Dan. 12.4.7 Zech. 14.7 The Fifth Book The Christian Belief Shewing what a Christian ought to believe and how it is that Christ must be ours if we are his The Sixth Book Proving Three Worlds and Three Foundations The Sin against the Holy Ghost The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Battel of Gog and Magog The Seventh Book A short Collection of all the Heads of the Chief Points and Mistaken Places contained in the Scriptures that the Truth may the better be retained in our Memories By M. MARSIN LONDON Printed and Sold by Edward Pool at the Sign of the Half Moon under the Royal-Exchange Cornhill John Gwillim in Bishopigate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion VVestminster-hall By Abel Roper at Black Boy over against St. Dunstan's-Church in Fleet-street 1698. Price Three Shillings NOw God of his mercy according to his promise hath made plain his Word let us take heed that we are not found like those that say to God We desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 But let all take to the Lord's direction in the search of the Scriptures For he saith It is they that testifie of him John 5.39 Therefore we should not lean to Man nor our own received Opinion but see if those Truths which are here discovered are not made plain by the Word For the Scriptures as they declare the Lord's first comming so they do much more declare his second coming to Judge and Reign as by all the Prophets is foretold and likewise by the Apostles confirmed Acts 3.21 Now Christs first coming was but darkly set down so as not only the Jews but the Devils themselves were deceived thereby and therefore said Why art thou come to torment us before the time as knowing that Christ had a time in which he should Reign And as Christ first comming was fulfilled in the Letter of the Word so also will Christ's second coming be fulfilled in the Letter of the Word And it was because of Israels sinfulness that Christ was laid in Sion as a stumbling-stone so as they knew not the day of their Visitation and how can we clear our selves of the like guiltiness as not to fear that that day should overtake us as a snare seeing also it was for sin that the Gentile Churches were left to delusion because they tooke pleasure in Iniquity but the first Churches were not in darkness for that day to overtake them at unawares How comes it then that we are so much in the dark as to this matter Is it not because of Sin that we have lost the knowledge of it and therefore also have no desiâ—e to know it But the Lord according to his promise has now brought the true meaning of his Word to light that thereby knowledge might be increased and that the wise in heart may consider it and that by their example others by them may be brought to the knowledge of the Truth But whoever had rather the Glory of God and the good of Souls lie at stake then themselves found in a mistake let such consider how they will answer it at the great day And the Lord said My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And not because God had rebrobated them nor because they were not his People A CLEAR and BRIEF EXPLANATION Upon the Chief Points In the New-Testament Where by laying Scripture to Scripture It is fully proved What is the Faith that Justifies And what it is to be a Believer Also the Faith of Abraham clearly explained and all other Controversal Points relating to Faith plainly Stated and Answered With the Remnant and first Churches peculiar Call Also the more General Callings Likewise proving that the Law and Gospel speaks only to those that are under them The whole laid down in a plain and easie Method fitted to the understanding of the meanest Reader By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Gwillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-Hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. The TABLE THE Faith of Abraham clearly explained Chap. 2. p. 7 The Election of the Remnant and first Churches C. 3. p. 18 A Believer justified by Christ which they could not be by the Law of Moses explained Ch. 4. p. 31 Such as have believed may afterward fall away Chap 5. p. 35 The Conversion of the Jaylor explained Chap. 6. p. 37 The abolishing the Ceremonial Law Chap. 7. p. 39 Of things Strangled and Blood Chap. 8. p. 41 What is required of a Christian Chap. 9. p. 42 What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear C. 9. p. 47 Christ being the Author of Faith explained Chap. 10. p. 49 What it is to be born of God Chap. 11. p. 50 How it is that he that is born of God Sinneth not Chap. 12. p. 52 The meaning of being born again explained Chap. 13. p. 54 The Wind blowing where it listeth explained p. 55 Of being in the Faith or turning Reprobate expl Chap. 14. p. 56 The everlasting Life that is now given the believer explained Chap. 15. p. 58 A Believer not coming into Condemnation exp Chap. 16. p. 60 A belief in Christ further explained Chap. 16. p. 65 Shewing who are they that are Condemned already Chap. 17. p. 72 The eternal purpose explained Chap. 18. p. 76 God Worlding all after the Councel of his own Will explained Chap. 19. p. 77 Chosen from the Foundation and before the Foundation Explained Chap 20. p. 80 The Call to the Eternal inheritance explained Chap. 21. p. 82 The Gifts and Callings of God explained Chap. 22. p. 84 Adding to the Church and ordaining to Eternal Life and Christ dying for the World explained Chap. 23. p. 85 Whereas Christ saith in believing that he is the Son of God is the Rock of which he built his Church and his Church is not only his Eact but likewise all them that they him against whom the gates of hel shall not prevail For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 For the Faith that God requireth of us is to believe that be is and that he is a
that Christ spake this of the then time and of them that should believe in him through the Word of the Disciples as received from their mouth For this Christ spake of the remnant and first Churches unto whom the Holy Ghost was given to be in them and of whom St John saith Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is true and is no lie 1 John 2.27 This the Apostle speaks of them who had the Holy Ghost given to be in them they needed no other teaching but as the same anointing taught them But some not obeying the Spirits teaching went out from them that was not of that remnant as in the 19v But the Holy Ghost was not given to any till they were first brought home by the Call of the Word to yield their consent to the tender of his Grace as to turn from every evil way For the Holy Ghost could not be received into an unclean Heart And the Holy Ghost was then given that thereby the world might believe that God had sent Christ And also St. Paul of the then time saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing to them their Trespasses 2 Cor. 5.19 That is not laying their past sins to the charge of them that laid hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear if they are not Elected they shall not be accepted And after the Nations of the World had embraced the Faith the Lord continued a standing Witness amongst them always to bear their Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And they are they that lie in the street of the Great City And when the Gentile Nations fell away as Israel did they remained to bear their Testimony to the truth against all the fury of the Antichristian Enemy And when we come rightly to understand who were the Servants to whom Christ delivered the Talents none will then think that the Fountain of all Wisdom and Reason carries on his works according to the Council of his own Will guided with out Reason All these things that I have now hinted will by God's assistance be fully and clearly proved in a short time And let us not deceive our selves by a false Faith or an imaginary Election For the Elect that lie in the Street of the great City and cry day and night unto God by reason of the Oppression of the Enemy we are not And as for the Elect that are to be gathered from the four Winds we have not apprehended who they are and they will appear to be them that we are little aware of as will be proved in the next Treatise In which will be the signs of the times The coming of the Lord The Calling in of Israel The Destruction of Babylon And the Restitution of all things clearly made evident by the word Therefore we had need look to it how we stand as believers lest we should have believed in vain for the Lord is at hand who will judge us according to our deeds and according as our Works have been Now the Lord of his mercy causing the true meaning of his Word to break forth for the vindication of his Justice and for the exaltation of his mercy let us therefore prepare for his coming and unite to serve the Lord with one consent and be found of him in peace St. Paul saith upon the first publication of the Gospel How shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.14,15 For the first Publishers of the Gospel were sent forth by the Lord and instructed by him what to teach But when the Gospel was establisht then the Apostle said Gal. 6.16 And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And then they were not to wait for new Calls but to walk according to the Rule that was set before them lest they should be cast off again as Israel was For God by his word continually calls upon us to walk in obedience to him But such as refuse to obey are the ground bearing Thorns and Briers which is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. verse 8. Mat. 16.24,25,26,27 Mat. 3.10 But the offer of mercy is to whomsoever will that they may come and take the waters of life freely Rev. 22.17 That is If they are willing to yield subjection to his laws then they may freely come For every one that thirsteth are invited to the waters and they that have no money may buy and eat without money and without price Isa 55.1 So as the poor are not excluded for want of money nor the Gentile sinners upon the publication of the Gospel were not excluded for want of Righteousness if they did thirst after it For the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for the Justification of any that were willing for the future to render their sincere obedience to him For it was their past sins that were committed before their conversion which were remitted Rom. 3.25 But as the Psalmist saith let them not turn again to folly Ps 85.8 And tho' the remnant and first Churches were not fore chosen for their willing and running Yet the Crown of Life was to be attained by their willing and running And so it is by all that will lay hold on it But when the Gentile Nations cme to have no love to the truth then God left them to strong delusions that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 And Oh! that this may be a warning to us that we may receive the knowledge of the truth in the love thereof that our Souls may be saved in the day of the Lord. For we are not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 For this was the determined counsel of God that seeing he was to part with the Son of his love to suffer for sinners that such as would not in this time deny themselves for him should in time to come suffer by him Mar. 8.34,35,36,37,38 Luke 19.27 But we having lost the ancient way of Scripture speaking and the right apprehension of the Kingdom that is to come and mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and all that was said as relating to Israel at the time of the Restitution of all things as tho' they now belong'd to us by reason of which weare involved in great and dangerous mistakes GOD Bless King William and in these times make him more blessed in Conquering of Hearts than Nations by the incouraging and promoting the Knowledge of the truth For the door of mercy is open to all that will lay hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear that if they are not elected they shall not be accepted For Christ saith Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him Come And we may with confidence rely uon his Word for he is faithful
that hath promised and his faithfulness cannot fail And the invitations and drawings of God are with the Cords of a man and with the bands of Love Hosea Ch. 11. ver 4. So as the will is left either to chuse or refuse the same And tho' God may sometimes go out of his usual way of working and as it were pluck a brand out of the burning yet that person no longer securely stands than he willingly devotes himself to his Makers Service But when he will have none of his Counsel but despises his reproof then will the Lord laugh at the Calamity of such and mock when their fear cometh Pro. 1.25,26,27 Which as a whirlwind will come suddenly and now is very nigh at hand But yet the door of mercy is open to all that will repent and turn from their evil ways so as they may escape the wrath to come Jer. 18.7,8 FINIS THE Near Aproach of CHRIST's KINGDOM Clearly proved by Scripture With a certain Account of the Signs of the present Times relating thereto As also That the Conversion and Restauration of Israel will be after the Lord's coming That after the Lord 's coming most of the great Plagues mentioned in the Revelations will be poured out upon the Earth and the Wicked That the Beast and the False Prophet will be then taken alive That all the Christians that came in by Christ of the Gentile Race were termed Heathens in the Old Testament And that the Law and Gospel speaks but to them that are under it That after the Fiery Tempest the Heavens and Earth will be renew'd and all things restored as in the beginning LONDON Printed for M. M. and are to be sold by Tho. Fabian at the lower end of Cheapside in Mercers Chapel And divers other Booksellers about London 1696. Advertisement The most material points that we are in controversie about are already answered which Books are to be sold at the same Booksellers and of a small price that thereby they may be the easier had by all There will other Books come forth in a short time so as by Gods assistance all the disputable places and most of the figurative speeches will be by the word it self fully and clearly explained ERRATA Page 48. l. 27. from the top r. 1 Pet. 4.12 TO THE KING AND Parliament THIS Treatise giving an Account of the Certain Signs of the Times and the near approach of the coming of the Lord is humbly presented That they may know what God is going about to do so as to prepare for the coming of Christ 'T is therefore most humbly hoped our most Gracious King with the Great Council of the Nation who have so wonderfully appeared for the Defence of the Protestant Religion may be further instrumental to the Glory of God in encouraging the knowledge of the Truths hereto contained God make His Majesty and Great Council to be a Blessing to the Nations TO THE READER Christian Reader WHEN I heard of those often repeated Earthquakes the like whereof the World never produced and that it is according to the Word of the Lord that there should be Earthquakes in divers places with distress of Nations c. when these things come to pass the Lord hath bidden such as have an Interest in him then to look up and to lift up their heads for their Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21.28 The thoughts of which set me on a fervent longing desire for the coming of the Lord and drew out my heart in more ardent desires after him whereupon I took to the Lord's direction resolving to search the Scriptures with more diligence than ever I had done the which I no sooner had performed but I found the certainty of the coming of the Lord and that it was very nigh at hand but still I was to seek how and in what manner for I could then no ways make the Old and New Testament agree neither did I then rightly understand any of the figurative speeches and finding it too hard for me I was much troubled thereat but as I had taken to the Lords direction in the search of the Scripture whereby I came to the assured knowledge of his coming so I also would according to the advice therein seek to the Lord for knowledge to understand the secrets therein contained as Prov. 2.3,4,5,6 for he is the wonderful Counsellor and the mighty God Isa 9.6 The which when I so did the Lord more and more inlightened my understanding in his Word So as I do wholly acknowledge the discovery of these great and hidden Mysteries was from the Lord and attained according to the way directed in his Word which is by prayer and diligence This small Treatise being an Essay containeth the plain Heads easie to the apprehension of any that thereby all these great things might the better be registred in their memory so as to sink down upon the heart The other Book being somewhat more difficult for them to understand that are not well vers'd in the Word and understand not the way of Scripture speaking For therein is most of the figurative speeches opened by the Key of the Word that is by joyning Scripture to Scripture and in not leaving any other Scriptures to contradict what is said whereby the true meaning of the Word is clearly explained But these great Mysteries were to remain a secret to the time of the end according to the Word of the Lord in Daniel chap. 12.4 And in Zech. 14.7 It is said It shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light And in that God has made choice of so weak an Instrument it is that his power might the more eminently appear therein and that the Infinite God hath now at this evening time caused the true meaning of his Word to be discovered it is an infallible Sign of the certain near approach of the coming of the Lord for whose coming if we prepare we shall be certainly happy but if you will put the day far off it will then come on you as a snare Luke ch 21. v. 34,35 in which you will be destroyed but if you will be as earnest with God for your selves and so continue as I have been earnest with the Almighty for the generality of you all I make no question but you will be for ever blessed for if we will not be wanting to our selves God will not be wanting to us Now that we and the generality of the Christian World would seek the Lord whilst he is to be found and that the Warnings he gives us to prepare for his coming might so awaken us as that we may be found with our Lamps trimmed and our Lights burning is the earnest prayer of Your Friend and Servant in Christ Jesus M. M. A certain Account of the Signs of the Last Times The Coming of the Lord. The Destruction of Babylon With the Christians that remain in their Wickedness Also the Calling in of the Jews And the Restoration of all
fore-mentioned promised new Covenant will not be made with the rest of the Nations that then will be called in as God by the Prophet hath declared Ezek 16.61 And after the thousand years when Satan is again loosed and the eminent glory of the Lord is not so visible among them then Satan will again draw off some of them that are spared of those Nations which are not secured by the everlasting Covenant and fire shall come down from Heaven and destroy them And then the Devil that deceived them will then be cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and for ever Rev. 20.3,9,10 From which words we are to take notice the Lord here declareth the continuance of day and night as also in Psa 89.36 â—7 And after the Devil is cast into Hell we read of no other than a temporal punishment inflicted on them of the Nations that will not go up to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and keep the feast of Tabernacles Zec 14.16,17 And how many thousand years it will be after Satan is cast into the fire of Hell before the final judgment the Lord best knoweth But by the word it is clear it will be many thousand years For God hath said He will keep Covenant and mercy to a thousand Generations Deut 7.9 And from Adam to this time we cannot well reckon above a hundred Generations For where St. Luke counts the Genealogy from Adam to Christ he reckons up but about three score Generations Luke 3. And this fore-mentioned Kingdom is the Kingdom of which the Angel told the blessed Virgin that Christ should Reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luke 1.33 This ever chiefly includes the ever of the world to come in which time Christ will have his Reigning Power and at the time of the last Judgment when the Heavens and Earth are said to fly away Re. 20.11 The fore-mentioned Book explaineth the meaning thereof fully making it appear by the word there is two sorts of Heavens and Earth whereby it is clearly proved that the Kingdom of Christ will have no end according to the word of the Angel to the Blessed Virgin and according to the word of the Lord in Daniel But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Dan. 7.18 And God saith in Isaiah For as the New Heavens and the New Earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your Seed and your Name remain Isa 66.22 For then it is God will give Israel a place of their own so as they shall move no more 2 Sam. 7.10 But we not apprehending there is three Evers three Times three Generations and three Worlds spoken of in Scripture thereby we have been much in the dark concerning this world to come And this world to come being the time that is chiefly comprehended in Psal 89.2 For I have said mercy shall be built up for ever thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very Heavens I have made a Covenant with my Chosen I have sworn to David my Servant Thy Seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Chap. X. The Meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles being again kept NOw in that the feast of Tabernacles is again to be kept when all the other great Feasts are laid aside Zech. 14.16 it doth thereby appear that when Israel and those of the Nations which are saved are first gathered they will then again for some time dwell in booths as Israel did when they came out of Aegypt And therefore this feast to be kept for a remembrance in the ever of the time to come But some may say How can the Nations come up yearly to Jerusalem the Journy being so far distant from some But none need Question but God will make them of ability to do what he requires of them And whereas it is said That every one that is left of all the Nations That is every one of the Nations that were left should go up yearly to Jerusalem but not that it is there meant that every individual person of the Nations will be required to go up year by year unto Jerusalem but some of the heads of the Nations And therefore said in the 18 verse If the Family of Aegypt go not up c. Then a National punishment is threatned Now what we find written in the old and new Testament and nothing therein to contradict the plain meaning thereof that will of certain be fulfilled in the plain and clear way as it is expressed But that is a figurative Speech and not to be taken in the letter of the word where we find other Scriptures in contradiction to it There God hath a secret vail'd in it which he reserves until such time as he will have it revealed But what God commands to be done And what God declares he will have done And what God hath sworn he delights not in And what God hath absolutely promised to do And what God hath sworn he will do These things are to be taken as they are exprest or we are apostatized from the truth And it is at the Restauration of Israel that the Everlasting Covenant will be established as to which time God has sworn to Israel That he will not be wroth with them nor rebuke them any more Isa 54.8,9,10,11,12 For then God will put his fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.39,40,41 And concerning that time The Lord hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his Strength that he will no more give their Corn to be meat for their enemies neither shall the Sons of Strangers drink the Wine for which they have laboured Isa 62.8 This promise will be fulfilled when Jerusalem is made the praise of the earth as in the 7th ver Which is at the time of the Restitution of all things when the Lord again comes Acts 3.20,21,22,23,24 And then it is There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.26 Isa 59.20 Then shall the Lord rore out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his People and the Strength of the Children of Israel Joel 3.16 This Zion or Jerusalem is meant of the glorious Tabernacles spoken of Heb. 8.2 But we all coming out of the Darkness of Popery have lost the right apprehension of this Kingdom or World to come whereby we are involved in great mistakes so as to think the promised everlasting Covenant is now established and that such as belong to it may fall foully but not finally but when that Covenant is established then it is that God will put his fear into their hearts so as
a Month according to the Egyptian Account it doth just amount to one thousand two hundred and sixty days of years at which time the Lord will come and then the Beast shall be taken and cast alive into a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone and the Devil bound up and then will be the first Resurrection of which St. John speaks in Rev. 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they that sat upon them and judgment was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshiped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished this is the first Resurrection V. 6. Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years It is said in Isa 1.26 where God telleth them I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness the Faithful City Pray mark the Words Here the Lord doth not tell them that they should have such Judges as they had at the first and such Counsellors as they had at the beginning but that the Lord would restore them Judges that they had at the first and those Counsellors which were at the beginning Therefore the Lord said unto Daniel in Chap. 12.13 But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy Lot at the end of the days Now the Lord in the fore part of the Chapter tells him of the end of the world and what shall then happen and also tells him that he shall rest and stand in his Lot at the End of the Days Here the Lord doth not tell him that he shall stand in his Lot at the End of his Days but at the End of the Days after he has rested which is at the Resurrection By this of Daniel it doth further clear to us the first Resurrection on whom the second Death shall have no Power but that they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reign with him a thousand years And Isaiah saith Chap. 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously Not that Christ and his Saints shall reign no longer than the Thousand Years but that the Visible Glory may not so eminently appear among them after Satan is loosed that thereby he may accomplish his final Overthrow when he has deceived his Gog and Magog of which I shall speak more to in another place Whereas the Angel saith Rev. 10.6 That there should be time no longer That is no longer time for this wicked World to have Power and time of Repentance for their time should be no longer But there will be a glorious Time for the People of God in the renewed Heavens and Earrh when the Lord reigneth And as there will be another World so another Generation and another Time Of which times the Lord saith in Esdras 9.6 The Times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonders and powerful workings and endings in Effects and Signs The Lord grant that we may be awakened by the Signs of the End which End is now approaching And in John Martha said to the Lord concerning her brother chap. 11.24 Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day The which last Day is the last day of this wicked World and when this World shall be judged For the Saints are raised before the Wicked are condemned Therefore by this last day must be meant the last day of their Time For to take it otherwise it cannot be for it is said when this World is past that Day and Night lasteth for ever and for ever as in Revelations where the Devil receives his Last Judgment he is there said to be cast into Hell to be tormented day and night for ever and for ever The same is said of God That he liveth for ever and for ever Rev. 4.9 And as to what St. Paul saith in 1 Thess 1.5 VVhich is a manifest Token of the Righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 8. In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 9. VVho shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power 10. VVhen he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now whereas he saith counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they did also suffer In answer to which it is said in Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Verse 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Verse 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the Earth Now it is at this time when the Lord cometh that the Kingdoms of this World will become the Kingdoms of God and Christ And it is then God will give Rewards to his Servants at which time the wicked Worldlings that are dead in sin will be judged and then shall they be destroyed which destroyed the Earth which Earth is their fellow brethren upon the Earth And also by the words of St. Paul before mentioned it is when the Lord shall be revealed that then to the wicked will be recompensed Tribulation and to the Saints Rest and Consolation And when God and Christ have taken possession of the Kingdom then shall the Saints reign on the Earth as in Rev. 5.10 And hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth And according to this it is said in Ephes 2.7 And also in 1 Pet. 2.9 Where he mentions those things which are to come as if they were present which way of speaking is often used in
Scripture And the like is in Dan. 7.27 And in 2 Tim. 4.8 It is said The Crowns are given in that day to all them that love his appearing For now it is said in Rev. 6.9 The Souls are under the Altar Now in the next place we are to take notice who are those that do chiefly fall under this everlasting Punishment mentioned by St. Paul in 2 Thess 1.6,8,9 which in especial manner appears to be those rhat were the Afflictors of the the Servants of God as in Verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you By which we see these will be the great sharers of his Wrath when the Lord comes as in verse 8. In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 9. VVho shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Now altho he saith this of them that know not God Now those are said not to know God that in works deny him in not obeying the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Now this word was more particularly directed to them that would not have a practical Knowledg of God and of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as to be obedient thereunto Now that this Condemnation did not extend to all that had not the knowledg of God and of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is evident for in his words there is not all expressed for he did not say of all them that knew not God and all them that knew not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ but to them chiefly that knew it and would not obey it for the Lord saith he that knoweth not his Masters Will and doeth it not shall be beaten with fewer stripes For St. Paul also knew that the Jews that neither did know nor obey the Gospel were to be called in at the coming of the Lord is evident by what is said in Rom. 11.25,26 That when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in then all Israel should be saved He saith according as it is written in Isa 59. read there from the V. 14. to the end of the Chapter in which is contained Christ's coming to Judgment and the Redemption of his People and it is at that time when he comes to Mount Sion That he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And then will the rest of the promised Elect be gathered in Now when the Lord was upon the Earth he did not in the plain Letter of the Word either bid us pray for Jerusalem or the Conversion of the Jews but in the Second and Third Petitions of that Prayer that he taught us they are both included Where he saith Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven For the Lord knowing that Israels time to be restored would not be until his Second Coming at which Time should be the Restitution of all Things And then will the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ And then will Israel be restored and the promised New Covenant made with them And then will the Will of the Lord be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven and this the Lord would have us to pray for before we ask our daily bread for the Time was not so absolutely determined but that the days may be shortned And the Lord said to Esdras Pray for few days unto you And Christ in Matth. 24.22 saith For the Elect's sake those days shall be shortned And St. Peter speaking of Christ's second coming in Acts 3.19,20,21,22,23 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you 21. VVhom the Heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began 22. For Moses truly said to the Fathers a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you 23. And it shall come to pass that every Soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Here the Apostle absolutely tells us The Lord will again come and then will the Times of Restitution be the which he saith hath been declared by all the Prophets and by them I here prove the same unto you And in 2 Esdras 11.37 And I beheld and lo as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood And I saw that he sent out a mans voice unto the eagle and said V. 38. Hear thou I will talk with thee and the highest shall say unto thee V. 39. Art not thou it that remaineth of the four beasts whom I made to reign in my world that the end of their times might come through them V. 46. That all the earth may be refreshed and may return being delivered from thy violence and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that made her Now we have all of us been under a very great mistake as to our Lord 's coming to judgment taking his coming to judg the World for that last and final Judgment spoken of in Rev. 20.12 wherein the Dead both small and great shall stand before the Throne of God At which time the Sea and Hell and Death shall deliver up their Dead which are in them But when Christ comes to Judg the World there is mention made of no such thing But whereas St. Paul saith in the 2 Tim. 4.1 That the Lord Jesus Christ shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Here we must not forget whom the Lord calls Dead it is also them that are dead in sin and it is those Dead wirh the living Saints and restored Jews that he will first Judg. And whereas it is said in his Kingdom pray take notice of the word Kingdom which Kingdom would be but of a short continuance were it but for a natural day therefore it is said that he must Reign till he hath put all his Enemies under his feet which is till the last general Judgment when the Sea Hell and Death shall deliver up their Dead Now as to what our Lord saith concerning his coming Matth. 25.31 when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory V. 32. And before him shall be gathered all Natiions and he shall seperate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats Now whereas the Lord saith he shall fit upon the Throne of his Glory which words argue a continuance of some considerable time upon his Throne And the Lord here
tells us who they are that shall be gathered It is the Nations that are then upon the Earth at his coming And the Lord in the 33. V. saith He shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left V. 34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the world Now whereas the Lord saith come ye blessed that is they were blessed because they were excepted and also there was that found in them that did distinguish them from the wicked of the world Here by these words of our Lord we are fully informed that they are to enter into the Kingdom that was prepared for them from the foundation of the World and we know what Kingdom that was which was then prepared at the foundation of the World that it was this material Heaven and Earth and the Garden of Eden and when Christ comes it is this will be again restored to Israel and the rest of the Elect with them whom Christ will set at his right hand as being part of his Sheep but this setting them on the right hand and left is but a figurative Speech and spoken by way of Parable as I shall prove by several places of Scripture And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 25.35 I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in V. 36. Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me V. 37. Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink V. 38. VVhen saw we thee a Stranger and took thee in or nake and clothed thee V. 39. Or when saw we the sick or in prison and came unto thee V. 40. And the King shall answer and say unto them verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me V. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels V. 42. For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was a thirsty and ye gave me no drink V. 43. I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not V. 44. Then shall they also answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not Minister unto thee V. 45. Then shall he answer them saying verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me V. 46. And these shall go into everlasting punishment but the Righteous in to Life Eternal That is the Lord then giveth them an assurance of their Eternal Salvation So as they are for ever after past the power or fear of the Second Death Now when Christ said to them on his Right Hand Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World he did not then say any thing to exclude a Temporal Death but at the conclusion of the whole matter the Lord said The Righteous shall go into Life Eternal That is then they shall have the assurance of Eternal Life for then by the New Covenant-Promise which will then be made with them they are put past the power of the second death And the Lord by his Word counts a Temporal Death not a dying as in John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my Sayings he shall never see death And when they are again restored then they will be put into a capacity never to offend any more by the Promised New Covenant that then will be made with them of which the Christian that is now become a New Creature will be partaker of that promis'd New Covenant with them but how few is there of such And whereas it is said in Matth. 25.32 that before him shall be gathered all Nations and that he shall separate the one from the other and that he shall set the Sheep on his Right Hand and the Goats on his Left But yet when the blessing was by the Lord pronounc'd the Word All was not then included And if it had all the innocent children and the poor had been all excluded because the one had no knowledge how to do good upon which the blessing was pronounc'd and the poor had it not to do withal Nor doth the Lord include the Word All in that Everlasting Sentence of Condemnation but this Sentence was chiefly to them that knew him but would not live in Obedience to him nor do the good that was required of them for they did not deny the knowledge of the Lord but said Lord when saw we thee thus and thus Whereupon the Lord saith In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me You have not obeyed the great Commandment I left with you at my departure which was to love one another and that you should bear one another's burdens and you knowing most of my Revealed Will wherein my Mercy and Love is comprehended and in that you have shewed no Mercy to the Elect or Sheep of God now there remains no Mercy for you the which I left upon Record by my Servant James chap. 2.13 That he shall have judgment without mercy that have shewed no mercy Now if their Punishment be so great to them that has done no good in their Generation according to their Capacity how much severer Punishment must those Christians expect that are committing all those Evils which this Nation and the rest of the Christian World doth abound in accompanied with the Romish Cruelty to the Servants of Christ And as St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.18 If the Righteous scarcely be Saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear that are filling up their days in commiting iniquity since every sin doth augment their Punishment And the Lord also tells us Mat. 7.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewen down and cast into the Fire V. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them V. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven V. 22. Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works V. 23. Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Here the Lord doth in a more clear manner Figure out to us the Papists with their signs
should wholly fall off And by what Dan saith of his Children in his last Testament is to the same effect For he saith I am sure in the latter days ye shall depart from the Lord and walk in naughtiness working the abominations of the Gentiles and haunting wicked Women in all lewdness by the Working of deceitful Spirits in you For I have read in Enoch that Satan is your Prince and that all the Spirits of Fornication and Pride shall ply themselves in laying Snares for the Children of Dan to make them sin before the Lord. Here we may see what was the reason that none of Dan was of that Number which was to be Sealed for the Glorious Tabernacle when the Lord again comes which is the Sion that shall be revealed and then shall Jerusalem again be built having twelve Gates as in Ezek. 48. from the 31. v. to the 35. called after the Names of the Tribes of Israel according to that of the New Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven of which it is said There is no Temple in it Rev. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it But as to the New Earthly Jerusalem there is said will be a Temple for from under the threshold of which shall issue forth the Waters spoken of Ezek 47.1 Now that these Waters here spoken of are real Waters is certain in that there is nothing in the whole Book of God to prove it a figurative speech and we are not to makefigures and that there shall be by these Waters real Fruit Trees as is said and also abundance of Fish in the River For the Lord hath declared that then the Earth shall abound with all good things And then of Jerusalem it shall be said from that day the Lord is there as in Ezek. 48.35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures and the name of the City from that day shall be The Lord is there And then it is the saying of the Apostle will be fullfilled in the Manifestation of the kindness of the Lord to them in the Ages to come as in Eph. 2.6,7 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Now in Heaven we neither read of Ages nor Generations and were the Ages here spoken of meant of them that are in Heaven he would have said That the Ages that are past might see the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards them because that they being in Heaven would sooner behold the exceeding Kindness of the Lord toward them than those that are afterward to go to Heaven of the following Generations or Ages Therefore the kindness here spoken of must be manifested here when the New Jerusalem shall descend out of Heaven when that Glorious Tabernacle shall be Revealed which the Lord shall pitch and not Man over the Land of Canaan And the Land that is given by the Lord in Ezek. 47.14 appears to be far larger than what Israel has had in Possession Now as to what Obadiah saith in the first part of the Chapter where he treats of the Real Seed of Esau and from the 15. v. downward of the Day of the Lord being near upon all the Heathen by which he comprehends the Wicked of the World that their reward should then be given them At which time there should be deliverance on Mount Sion as it is said in the 17. v. But upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and there shall be Holiness and the House of Jacob shall possess their possessions 20. And the Captivity of the Host of the Children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites even to Zarephath and the Captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad shall possess the Cities of the South 21. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to Judg the Mount of Esau and the Kingdoms shall be the Lords Here you see this Prophet with Esdras comprehends all the Wicked World under the Name of Esau And this Prophet also gives us to understand when the Kingdom shall be the Lords That is when Saviours come upon Mount Sion and the World is Judged By which words we see that now the Kingdom is not termed the Lords not till such time that he comes to Judg the World and to restore Israel's Inheritance to them And then at that time the Kingdom will be the Lords St. Paul Terms this World as it is now to be ruled by the Devil Whereas he saith 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not And in Eph. 6.12 he saith We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers and against the Rulers of the darkness of this World and against Spiritual Wickedness in high places And the Devil boasting to our Saviour of his Power Luke 4.6 When he shewed him all the Kingdoms of this World in a moment of time and the Devil said unto him all this Power will I give thee and the Glory of them for that is delivered unto me That is after mankind again became wilfully wicked God left them to Satan's Delusion And although the Devil is the Father of Lies yet he would scarce have told them to the God of Truth who knew how far his Power did extend And the Lord himself saith John 14.30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the Prince of this World cometh and hath no part in me But you may say I thought God had ruled all things in Heaven and Earth God doth invisibly over-rule the Devil or else he would destroy all the Righteous from off the Earth were not his Power limited by the most high but the visible rule as is declared by the Apostle is in the Devil who carries on the Darkness of this World Eph. 6.12 by himself and all his adherents for it is said That he ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of the Disobedient but you may say the Lord did say to his Disciples Mark 9.1 Verily verily I say unto you that there be some of them that stand here which shall not tast of Death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with Power Which was made out in his Transfiguration in 2. v. Six days after Jesus taketh Peter James and John and leadeth them up into an high Mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them 3. v. And his Raiment became shining exceeding white as Snow so as no Fuller on Earth can white them 4. v. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses and they were talking with Jesus 7. v. And there was a Cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the Cloud saying this is my beloved Son hear him Now the other Evangelists say a bright Cloud Which makes it out to us where the Heavenly Powers
upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone In whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Whereas he hete speaks of growing is to shew us that the building is not yet compleated which Temple or Building will be compleated when the New Jerusalem from Heaven shall be revealed as in Rev. 3.12 the Lord saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of the City of my God which is the New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my New Name Now St. Paul saith Ephes 2.6,7 That God hath raised them up together and made them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Now it is certain they were not at that time set with Christ in Heavenly Places therefore spoken for time to come as his words in the following verse make out where he saith verse 7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ Here St. Paul doth absolutely declare that God will shew forth the Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards them in the Ages to come Now it is evident that there has not been such exceeding kindness shewed forth to them in the Ages that are past St. Peter saith that Christ came in the last times Therefore it is as Balaam said of Israel According to this time it shall be said of Jacob what hath God wrought That is when Israel shall again be restored and the Glory of the Saints be revealed in that Tabernacle which the Lord shall pitch and not Man Then it is that the exceeding riches of his Grace will be manifested to those Ages that are now to come And that is the time when Christ again comes of which St. Paul saith Whom he did foreknow them he also called That then the Lord will call them of whom he had a foreknowledge of as by a promise from the Father And then it is that will be made good which Moses said of God to Israel in Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a Thousand Generations Here Moses saith God will keep Covenant and Mercy to a Thousand Generations with them that love him And as yet we cannot well reckon up an Hundred Generations from the first Creation of Mankind for from Adam to Christ St. Luke reckons up about sixty Generations Therefore this keeping Covenant and Mercy hath its Extent to the other World which is the New World or New Earth of people which is to come in whom as St. Peter saith will dwell Righteousness and here as Moses hath it will love God and keep his Commandments the meaning of which is both one and the same thing And what Moses saith makes it farther clear that it is when the Lord again comes at which time he saith verse 10. the Lord will repay them that hate him to their Face to destroy them he will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his Face That is when the Lord cometh then will be their visible destruction for he will then repay them to their Face according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 58.10 And St. Paul speaking of the Glory which the then Church should receive at the coming of the Lord saith to the Ephesians Chap. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ V. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation In whom also after that ye believe ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise Now if they were Sealed when they received that Holy Spirit of Promise then was their Calling and Election confirm'd to them and this Holy Spirit of Promise was the giving the Holy Ghost the which was also for the Establishing of the first Christian Churches and to confirm the truth of the Gospel But he saith in v. 14. The Spirit is the earnest of their Inheritance until the Redemption if the purchased possession unto the praise of his Glory By which we see although the Debt and Purchase was paid yet the Redemption or Purchase was not yet in possession of him by whom it was purchased And St. Peter saith in c. 2.9,10 They were a chosen Generation or Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light V. 10. Which in time past were not a people but are now the People of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained mercy The which words of St. Peter does make it plainly appear that they were not chosen before the foundation of this material Earth was laid for then it could not have been said they had not received Mercy if they were predestinated to it before the First Creation And therefore the forementioned words of St. Paul must have its reference to the New Heavens and Earth and the foundation of that World to come of which World they are already chosen to be the Kings and Priests of in that Glorious Tabernacle and to be of the New Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven and then will they reign over that New World and the Foundation of it is Israel from whom will arise many Generations and continue for ever and then as it 's said in Dan. 7.27 The Kingdom and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Now whereas St. Peter saith in the 2. c. 9. v. They were a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation You may be sure that they are chosen so for time to come and that this speaking of his is after the Scripture way of speaking in that he mentions things that are so come as tho they were already done and the Saints which are in Heaven in Rev. 5.10 say Thou hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth Here the Saints speak according to our method in that they neither say they did Reign or do Reign on the Earth but that they shall Reign on the Earth the which will be in the World to come then are they to be Kings and Priests of it for which they were chosen before the World was that is now to come for the same Apostle tells us Heb. 2.5 That unto the Angels hath God not put into subjection the World to come whereof we speak And
man that he should repent For man will deceitfully promise that he never does intend to perform or else he may promise that thing the which after consideration or in time he may repent of But it is not so with God for if One Man or One Generation through sinfulness excludes themselves from the promised Blessing or Mercy yet God will make good his Promise to another As for Example God brought forth all the Children of Israel out of Egypt and promised them the Land of Canan but they were to keep his Covenant in which was included their Obedience to him But they through their own default in being disobedient all the Fathers from 20 years Old and upward their Carcasses fell in the Wilderness save Caleb and Joshua but the younger sort or Generation that came out of the Land of Egypt to them did God perform his promised blessing in bringing them into the Land of Canan Now by the word Promise without Repentance it doth signifie something desirable to them to whom the Promise is made For when God pronounceth any Judgment against a People or Nation it is never said a promised Judgment but a threatned Judgment for the Word Promise doth signifie a kindness to them to whom the Promise is made And whereas it is said without Repentance it shews the stableness of the Promiser And also to prove this was only spoken in the way of Blessing Balaam said Num. 23.20 Behold I have received Commandment to bless and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it But when God threatens a punishment against a Nation or People it is not so for upon their Repentance God hath said Jer. 18.8,9 It repenteth him of the evil And also it is said in Jonah 3.10 And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Now it was not so with them before the Flood for Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness but they repented not And it is said Gen. 6.11,12,13 God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth That is God found them not in the state or condition that he had put them in but that they had miserably corrupted their way And it is said in the 11th verse The earth was filled with Violence And in the 12th verse God said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth That is the Earth for that time the Waters were upon it was destroyed But they were the Earth or World that perished And no doubt but when they saw the Flood come into all their houses and the Waters like a Sea about them that they then believed the Words of Noah and repented but then it was too late So when Christ cometh we that have had the knowledge of him must stand or fall as we are found by him Then it is they shall strive to enter into blessedness but shall not be able and the foolish Virgins also shall be shut out And whereas the Lord saith Luke 13.24,25,26,27,28,29 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able When once the Master of the House is risen up and hath shut the door saying Lord Lord open unto us and he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are Then shall ye begin to say we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and ye your selves thrust out And they shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God What is here spoken hath its particular reference to that time when the Lord riseth to Judgment For then the door of Mercy will be shut to them to whom now it is open if now they refuse to live an holy Life But then they will begin to call Lord Lord open to us and he shall answer I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity Here is something very remarkable in the 28. verse which I cannot pass by That is when these wicked shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out These that are here spoken of cannot then be in Heaven as from thence to be thrust out Therefore it is at the Restitution of all things when the Kingdoms of this World is become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ Then it is that these wicked from this Kingdom will be thrust out And like to that other saying of the Lord where the Lord saith Matt. 13.41,42 He shall send his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity And cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Now whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 9.8,9,10,11,12 That they which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are counted for the seed For this is the word of Promise at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a Son And not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one even by our Father Isaac For the Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to the Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth It is said unto her the Elder shall serve the younger Now these two Children God made the representative of the two Worlds Which is so made out by the Lord both to Malachy and Esdras And therefore Jacob here spoken of by St. Paul as touching the Promised Elect which shall be freely taken in at the coming of the Lord and shall be with the Raised Saints and the rest of the Elect the World to come For it is so that God then will freely chuse Israel by whom is chiefly comprehended the next World with that free Election in that he hath promised then to give unto them a new Heart and a new Spirit that they should not sin against him But that they should be all Righteous and inherit the Land for ever Whilst he has but to this World set open a Door for Repentance and left Man to do part for himself as to wrestle for the Blessing in endeavouring to make his Calling and Election sure Now whereas it is said the Elder shall serve the younger that is Egypt and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Of certain this is the Battle that is to be fought after Satan is loosed for it is after Christ appears upon Mount Olivet after the Mountain cleaved in the midst for a Receptacle for them that are saved whilst the Earth is renewing after the wicked are destroyed and after Jerusalem is again built After which it is said in the 11th verse There shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited because none shall make any attempt against them till after the Thousand Years After which Gog and Magog whom the Devil will gather together will come up against Jerusalem whom God will destroy as in the 38th Chapter of Ezekiel and in Rev. 20.9,10 and them that escape the Fire and Hail that comes from Heaven shall pine away as in Zachariah Now having fully proved how some became to be more estranged from God than other some the which was as St. Paul said of Israel that it hapned to them so may it be said of these that it hapned unto them first through the subtle Insinuations of the Devil to them and secondly by their own willful miscarriage when they were again restored to mercy by Christ and again renewed in him And in that Israel will have the preheminence it also was through the Faithfulness of Abraham in his service and in the patient waiting for his promise after the Lord had chosen him And also in that Abraham did offer up his Only Son Isaac for the doing of which the Lord did inlarge his promised blessing to Abraham which was That in him and his Seed all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Gen. 22.17 And had Israel walked in the steps of Abraham according to the Capacity God had put them in their Kingdom had never been destroyed Isa 48.18,19 Jer. 25.5 But God foreseeing they would be wanting to themselves in not keeping his Covenant therefore their destruction was foretold by the Prophets And also because David patiently waited upon the Lord till it was his time to bring him to the Kingdom bearing all his Afflictions till it was the Lord's time to bring him out of them And when he was on the Throne he persisted in his desire of Advancing the Glory of the Lord therefore God made that great Promise to him and his seed as in 2 Sam. 7.14 Now God likewise chose Jeroboam and Jehu to be Kings but they acting contrary to his Commands therefore they were Accursed of him And also they that suffer for God in well doing shall in time to come receive the greater Glory as those that have been most wicked shall receive the greater Punishment And whereas God saith Ezek. 33.13 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely Live If he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it Now God here saith when he shall say to the Righteous That he shall surely live yet if he upon the promise of God for Life and for his past Obedience does take a Liberty to do iniquity his past Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity he shall die And so is our Callings and Elections to Life and Salvation that are absolutely promised to us by God Yet if we are wanting to our selves they prove of no effect to us And the case stands so with the wicked For the Lord saith in the 14. v. Again when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die If he turn from his sin and do that which is Lawful and Right 15. v. If the wicked restore the Pledg give again that he hath robbed walk in Statutes of Life without committing iniquity he shall surely Live he shall not die That is without wilfully committing iniquity By this we also see that if God doth say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die Yet that threatning was not of force no longer than the Man remained sinful of which the Lord in Jer. 36.3 It may be that the House of Judah will hear all the Evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin And also the Lord saith in Jer. 25. from the 3. to the 9. v. But as for those sinners who by their continued custom in sin God has left to hardness of Heart and blindness of mind they cannot come to amendment of Life And God saith in Ezek. 18.21 to the 31. v. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked shall die saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live Now while the Lord calls to a sinner to Repentance there is power in the sinner to turn from his ways and to seek to God that he may live 25. v. Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal Here now O House of Israel is not my way equal are not your ways unequal 30. v. Therefore I will judg you O House of Israel every one according to his ways saith the Lord God repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin 33. v. Cast away from you all your Trangressions whereby ye have Transgressed and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel 32. v. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord wherefore turn your selves and live ye Now whilst God calls to a People to come to Repentance there is a door open to them for Mercy and then they are not left of God to hardness of Heart and blind ness of mind so as if they do but use their utmost diligence in indeavouring to forsake their sins and go to God by Prayer they shall not want his assistance Now whereas the Apostle saith Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more So for all other sins there remains a power in us to withstand and make resistance against till such time that through the often refusing obedience to his word and resisting the good motions of his Spirit God leaves them to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind Now whilst the door of Mercy is open we may cast away all our Transgressions That is take up Resolutions against them and continually beg of God for his Assistance in our Performance And Cant. 1.4 cry out with the Church Lord draw me we will run after thee God hath left us a sure rule if we will take to the means therefore let us walk in the ways of God and keep to our constant duty in Praying and we shall never be
forsaken of him For the new Heart and the new Spirit which God requireth we should make us is that they should desire Holiness and Righteousness as they did heretofore sin and wickedness and also to use their utmost diligence for attaining unto an Holy Life desiring God's Assistance for he will never leave us nor forsake us if we so do for God withdraws not the good motions of his Spirit from any of his People till such time as they fall away from him And this new Heart and new Spirit in the Capacity he hath put us and by the means set before us we are able to make us by his promised assistance but this is not the new heart which he hath promised to give Isa 45.19 By which we may see it is our slothfulness and slugishness and also in our giving way to Temptations and to our own inclinations and affections whereby Satan for our want of bridling them hurries the Soul which way he pleaseth and so for want of watchfulness diligence and labour in the service of the Lord They lose the promised blessing which is Eternal Life and so come to have their Portion in Hell it self but if we are found in the ways of God as St. Paul tells us God doth not forget our Work and Labour of Love And twice in this foregoing Chapter of Ezekiel God saith I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth Now after the fall of Man the decree was that the entrances into life should be made strait so as those that will not wrestle for the blessing cannot have it And whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 11.13 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all That is Israel also being sinful and therefore God left them to blindness of mind and so concluding them all in unbelief that is the greater part of them that they might taste the fruit of their own doings in the weight of his displeasure and that afterward he might make some of all sharers of his mercy And the Lord saith in Amos 3.6 Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not afraid Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is spoken of the Evil of Punishment as all the Chapter makes appear For as man is the committer of the Evil of sin so God is the inflictor of the Evil of punishment And also the like is said in Isaiah 42.24 And St. Peter speaking of Christ saith in Acts 2.23,24 Him being delivered by the determined Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it This being most certain that the Jews could have had no power to crucifie the Lord of Life had it not been done by the determined Counsel and Foreknowledge of God But by these words there is not one syllable from whence we may gather that this Counsel was before the material Heavens and Earth but rather the contrary in that he mentions them not And as to what St. Peter saith Acts 4.27,28 For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together 28. For to do whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done Now God eclipsing the Glory of Christ and Christ taking upon him the Form of a Servant and he speaking against their Wicked Ways the which the Jews could not bear and thereupon Satan made them his Instruments to accomplish his Hellish Design by which he thought to have conquered the Lord of Life but he thereby wrought his own eternal perdition and thereby the determined Counfel of God was brought to pass in Satan's Overthrow and man's salvation Now whereas it is said by the Angel where he mentions the Beast and the Kings Rev. 17.17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fullfilled Now we may say Wherefore was it the Will of God to put in the Hearts of these Kings to agree in giving their Power to the Beast until his Word should be fullfilled The Reason is this There was a Foreknowledge in God of their miscarriage And upon that foreknowledg of their miscarriage God did determine to leave them to delusion till such time his Words should be fullfilled according to which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.9,10 where he speaks of the Beast Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders 10. v. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved We see this was so determined of God by reason God foreseeing they would have no delight in his Ways nor receive the Truth in the Love thereof Therefore they were given up by God to follow the delâ—sions of the Beast and the Devil Now whereas it is said in Acts 13.46,47,48 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Now by the Ordaining here spoken of if we take it for granted that there was a certain number of the Gentiles as there was of the Jews so absolutely given to Christ as they should never fall away and that they were here so chosen at Antioch where St. Paul spake this for Antioch was an eminent place for Believers insomuch that they were first there called Christians Yet however this does no way prove that all believers are so Ordained to Everlasting Life so as they shall never finally fall away for by the word of God it is absolutely the contrary as I have here proved But as to the Ordaining here spoken of when explained according to the Tenor of the Gospel it does appear to be no such thing for the Believer upon his believing that Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 by which his Heart is drawn out in thankfulness love and obedience to Christ Gal. 5.6 for it is a Faith that worketh by Love is required the which the sinner no sooner so believeth but that all his past Sins are then forgiven him and the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him so as the Believer becomes compleat in him for God by
were clothed in white robes therefore the four Beasts there spoken of do appear to be the raised Saints and also they are there said to be round about the Throne and in the midst of the Throne and they are said to have Wings which shews they are exalted above the Earth But in the 7th Chap. the Beasts are not there said to have Wings neither to be round about the Throne nor in the midst of the Throne but they are there said to Worship before the Throne that is before the glorious Tabernacle where the Throne of God will be Rev. 21.21 And the Pavement of the glorious Tabernacle will be like Rev. 4.6 a Sea of glass as clear as Cristial so that his People that are then left upon the Earth may through the Sea of Glass behold the infinite Glory of the Lord and the Glory of the Angels and raised Saints that are with him Now that the Lord doth term the People of this World beasts is evident by what the Angel said Esd 11.39 Art not thou it that remaineth of the Beasts whom I made to reign in my Woold â—hat the end of their times might come through them Now these Beasts spoken of here are the wicked of the World which have had the Government and the end of these evil times will come through them But the Beasts spoken of in the two forementioned Chapters of the Revelations in the 4th Chap. the beasts are the raised Saints And in the 7th chap. the Beasts are those Saints that are left upon the Earth And St. John saith Râ—… 14.1,2,3 I looked and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand having his Fathers Name written in their Foreheads And I heard a Voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the Voice of a great Thunder And I heard the Voice of Harpers Harping with their Harps And they Sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were Redeemed from the Earth By the hundred forty and four thousand is meant the very Elect. The which certain number of Israel doth appear to be found in Christ at his coming although we have not known them And this Song which they sung which no man could learn it might be because they were taken away from the Earth and therefore from among Men for the raised Saints are not called Men. And it is said of them in Rev. 14.4,5 These are they which were not defiled with Women for these are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth These were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb. Now in Heaven we are not to think there is distinction of Age or Sex and therefore it being said they were not defiled with Women when they were upon the Earth was that they were not guilty of Idolatrous Worship for Idolatry in Scripture is often termed Fornication and Adultery So these not only having kep themselves from Idolatry but in all other things they had lived Exemplary Lives as in Rev. 14.5 In their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God And Esdras saith in 2 Esdras 2.42,43,44,45,46,47 I Esdras saw upon Mount Sion a great people whom I could not number and they all praised the Lord with Songs 43. v. And in the midst of them there was a young man of bigh stature taller than all the rest and upon every one of their heads he set Crowns and was more exalted which I marvelled at greatly 44. v. So I asked the Angel and said Sir what are those 45. He answered and said unto me these be they that have put off mortal cloathing and put on the immortal and have confessed the Name of God Now are they crowned and receive Palms 46. v. Then said I to the Angel What young person is it that crowneth them and giveth them Palms in their hands 47. v. So he answered and said unto me it is the Son of God whom they have confessed in the World Then began I greatly to commend them that stood so stiffly for the Name of the Lord. Novv this Mount Sion is the Glorious Tabernacle which shall be Revealed when the Lord again cometh and where the raised Saints and those Saints which are changed from mortal to immortal shall be Crowned Now as to the word of the Lord which Nathan brought to David is in the 2 Sam. 7.8 Now therefore so shall thou say unto my servant David thus saith the Lord of hosts I took thee from the Sheep-cote from following the sheep to be ruler over my people over Israel 9. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest and have cut off all thine Enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great men that are in the Earth 10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as before-time In this last verse here is that which is very remarkable in it in that the Lord saith Moreover I will appoint a place for my People Israel and in that God said that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither should the Children of wickedness Afflict them Now at that time were they in Canaan settled and Conquerers over all their Enemies round about yet at this time the Lord esteems it not a place of their own because for their sins they should be removed thence but God terms it a place of their own when that time is come in which they shall remove no more And as to what the Prophet saith concerning Solomon 2 Sam. 7.13 He shall build an house for my Name and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my Son If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the Children of men 15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee And thine house and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever This promise we here see that it hath its Reference to David and Solomon in that they were not cast off upon their Offending as Saul was and so to Christ in time to come at which time his Throne shall be established forever which ever is the ever of the World to come This being according to what the Angel told Mary Luke 1.32 He shall be great and shall he called the Son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David 33. And he shall
reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end Now as to what the Pen-man of Psal 99. saith in the rehearsal of the message sent by Nathan to David which has its special Reference to Christ beginning at the 27. v. of Psal 89. Also I will make him my first born higher than the Kings of the Earth 28. v. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore my Covenant shall stand fast with him 29. v. His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven 30. v. If his Children forsake my Law and not walk in my Judgment 31. v. If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments 32. v. Then will I visit their Transgressions with a Rod and their iniquity with stripes 33. v. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 34. v. My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips 35. Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David 36. v. His Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me This being peculiarly meant by Christ in the time of his glorious Kingdom and that to us and the body of the Jewish Church it belongs not in that God Christ St. Peter and St. Paul do declare the contrary for St. Paul saith Heb. 6.5,6 If we wilfully fall away after we have tasted the good word of God and of the Powers of the World to come the Apostle saith we cannot be Renewed again by Repentance And therefore this Promise is not made to us And also now God proves and tries his and here in this world commonly God's best Saints suffers the greatest Afflictions And as the Apostle saith Hebrews 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth 7. If ye endure Chastening God dealeth with you as Sons For what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not 8. But if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons And after all if we fall away as in Heb. 10.26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins 27. v. But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries But when this promise was made annext to this Threatning there is no Afflictions threatned to them that do well Now Israel at their first entring into the Land of Canaan was upon their Obedience promised Prosperity and Plenty of all things as in Deut. 28. but we by the Gospel are promised no such thing but on the contrary sorrow affliction and persecution and if we hold out to the end we shall receive a Crown of Life which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give at that day unto all them that Love his Appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 not only to the raised Saints but unto them that he will find so at his coming for when we are put past the power of the Second Death and all sin and sorrow done away then we receive a Crown of Life And the Lord saith of them that keep his sayings John 5.24 That they shall never see death and if so after sin and sorrow is gone then it is we have the Crown of Life When Christ again comes to take the Kingdom then Israel will be so fixt in the Lord as they shall not sin against him And for the thousand years that the Glory of the Lord is more eminently visible and Satan bound up then shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed in Christ But after that time when the Eminent Glory of the Lord is not so Visible and Satan again loosed then will he seek for the new Brood of the young ones that was left of the old Stock and who these young ones are said to be I have already told you was sold by Israel and so scattered upon the Earth and he will draw off as many of the Gentiles as he can with them with the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal which are of the Race of Japhet as in Gen. 10.2 and in 1 Chr. 1.5 which will be the Gog and Magog spoken of in Ezek. 38.2 Son of Man set thy face against Gog the land of Magog the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal and Prophesy again him And in Rev. 20.8 There is Gog and Magog again spoken of Now after Satan has deluded these to their Destruction then it is said Zac. 14.16 It shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the Nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles Now these here spoken of that are left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem are those that came not up to Fight against Jerusalem for as many as went up to Fight against Jerusalem of all the Nations as many as were left of them will be destroyed by the Plagues that are set down in the 12. v. of the same chap. and after the Destruction of Gog and Magog the Devil is said to be cast into Hell for ever and for ever which signifies it will be a long time before the final Judgment because there is mention made of two evers For the next World consisteth of one ever Now after the destruction of these forementioned Enemies of Israel the Lord saith in Zach. 14.17 And it shall be that whosoever will not come up of all the Families of the Earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hosts even upon them shall be no Rain Here we see God threatens them but with a Temporal Punishment So when this glorious time is come that Christ and his People hath the Supreme Power then will this Promise in the 89. Psalm be of force to the People of the World to come For altho Israel will be so secured in the Lord that they cannot sin against him Yet the other promised Elect will not so securely stand And here finding in Zachariah but a Temporal Punishment threatned after that last overthrow I therefore do believe that the words in the Psalms hath a reference to that time to come For where this Chastisement is spoken of in that Psalm it is also said in the 29. v. That his Throne shall continue as the days of Heaven And now this particular Throne of Christ is not for he is said to sit now on the Throne of his Father as in Heb. 10.12,13 But this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool The ever here Spoken of is meant of the ever of this World which World is the wicked People and when the ever of their time is
expired then will his Foes be made his Footstool And then as to what is said of the Glorious Kingdom of Christ in Psalm 89. will then be made manifest as in 27. to 37. v. Also I will make him my First-born higher than the Kings of the Earth My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandmandments Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with Stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the things that is gone out of my Lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David His seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in Heaven Selah Here we see that these Promises hath only a reference as to the time of Christ's glorious Kingdom and in the former part of the Psalm it has a reference to David and Solomon and whether or no this promise now in this time hath any further reference as to the Natural Seed of David is uncertain but because of Manassah I am apt to think it might have a further reference to a Line in his Seed and the promise concludes in a single person in that it is said my loving kindness will I not take from him that is Not from David Solomon and Christ when he bore the sins of the World Now the Church is no where mentioned as He but always term'd a She they or them and so in this promise is neither included the Body of the Church in this time or in that time that is to come for then is Israel and as many of us as shall become new Creatures will then be put into such a capacity as never to offend any more and therefore to receive no more stripes but the promise is not so then to Egypt and Syrria therefore to them and others after the Thousand Years there is but upon their offending threatned a temporal punishment as in Zach. 14.17,18 And whereas St. John saith 1 John 5.18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not This he speaks of them whom Christ terms his very Elect who does not wilfully commit sin and who are so secured in Christ that they cannot fall away and also their diligence is so imployed in the ways of God as it is said of them They keep themselves so as the evil one toucheth them not accordingly it is said of them which are to be sealed for the glorious Tabernacle Rev. 14.4 That they followed the Lamb wheresoever he goeth And also 5. v. They were without fault before the Throne of God Therefore if we would know our Election and Calling let us examin our selves how closely we walk with God since it is those that securely stand that keep themselves as the evil one touch them not That is they improve all the grace that God has given them as they are not wanting to themselves but that we do not all so securely stand as I have fully proved by Christ and all the Apostles it being yet but a conditional Covenant but so if we will not be wanting to our selves God will never leave us nor forsake us but as for tryals we must expect But St. Paul saith If we once have the knowledg of the Truth and a belief and delight in the ways of God and then wilfully fall away he then saith There remains no hope Heb. 6.4,5,6 For it is impossible for those that were once inlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost And have tasted the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again by repentance seeing they Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame And also he farther saith in Heb. 10.26 to the 31. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punshment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace For we know him that said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. Accordingly it is said in 2 Pet. 2.20,21 The Sin against the Holy Ghost AS to the sin against the Holy Ghost in the Regenerate is one thing and in the unregenerate it is another thing Now we see by those Scriptures before mentioned that wilfully and presumptiously to Sin after we are once Regenerated as to have the knowledg of the Truth so as to tast the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come That is to have a belief in his Word and the experience of the love of God to our Souls after which to fall away and sin wilfully by the words of the Apostles it clearly appears to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost in that he saith They Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh for which there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment in Fiery Indignation which shall consume the Adversary But to the Unregenerate or outward Church that have not had the saving Knowledg of God they have far larger extent before sin in them is termed the sin against the Holy Ghost which is as far as to the absolute renouncing God and Christ as Witches do or to do a thing in despight to the Spirit of Grace as Julian the Apostate did when he threw dust into the Air in despite and said thou hast overcome me thou Galilean And as to what St. Peter saith of the false Teachers they are in much the like condition for he saith in the 2. chap. 3. ver Through Covetuousness shall they with feigned words make Merchandise of you whose judgment now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation stumbreth not And if we continually check Conscience till it is mute that thereby God leaves them to blindness of Mind and hardness of Heart we have little reason to think that it will prove any other than the sin against the Holy Ghost Now there has been some that I have read of that has been drawn in to sell themselves to the Devil for some