in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
haply have been persecuted as Isaac was by Ishmael Satan hath been bruising the Heel of the Church from the beginning and will do it till his Head be bruised which will be at the beginning of the thousand years and so bruised that he shall not recover any thing of Dominion till the end of them and then he shall deceive the Nations but not hurt the Saints 'T will be but a vain Attempt against them He shall not touch them and there shall not so much as an hair of their head perish Thus far concerning the Arguments for the Personal Reign In the next place some Objections against it shall be answered Object 1. John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this World A. The meaning can't be that Christ shall not have the Government of the World for he is King over all the Earth de jure and shall be de facto He hath Right to rule and shall at last rule according to his Right That we may the better understand this place let some other Scriptures in the first place be compared with it and then let this Scripture it self be considered For other Scriptures see Psa 96.11 12 13. Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth be glad let the Field be joyful and all that is therein then shall the Trees of the Wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh he cometh to judge the World in righteousness and the People with truth Whence is it that the Creatures shall thus rejoyce with the Saints Because they shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God and Satan and Antichrist shall not have dominion over them but all will be in subjection to Christ See also Psal 97. The Contents of which in the Syr. Version are these David foretels the coming of Christ and his last appearance and the Sept. gives it this Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Psalm of David Quando terra ejus restituta est vel quando stabilita est When his Earth was restored or established It is a Psalm fitted for the time of Christ's coming to reign and of the restitution of all things v. 2 3. Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne a fire goeth before him and burneth up his Enemies round about him Which may well be judged to have reference to the Battel of Armageddon and the Conflagration which Peter foretels This Title is the more to be taken notice of because it agrees with what is said of Christ Isa 44.8 He is given for a Covenant to establish the Earth or to raise it up Christ's Throne shall be established in the Earth and then the Earth shall be established in a peaceable and prosperous estate Before it reels like a Drunkard Isa 24.22 and Nimrods will fill it with violence But Christ reigning he shall establish it upon a Foundation of Righteousness the effect of which shall be Peace Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of Christ Though Christ saith My Kingdom is not of this world yet the Kingdoms of the World must at last be his If it were of this world and now to be set up then would my Servants fight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now my kingdom is not from hence At this time it is not to be set up over the World neither is it now to be from hence I shall not my Servants will not contend for it But the time will come when I will in my Majesty ride prosperously because of truth meekness and righteousness Next let this place it self be considered and first What was the occasion of these words Pilate asks Christ Art thou the King of the Jews this Christ doth not deny but asks another Question Speakest thou this of thy self And then Christ replies My Kingdom is not of this world As if he had said I am indeed the King of the Jews but they now reject me and will not that I should reign over them they will have no King but Caesar therefore let them suffer from Caesar and let their City be destroyed and left desolate till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and then the Kingdom shall be restored to Israel Secondly what follows There was a Providence ordering that Inscription Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews A time must be when Christ shall be the King of the Jews Hos 2.5 The Children of Israel shall seek the Lord and David their King Pilate asks him again Art thou a King He answers Thou sayest that I am a King Thou savest that which indeed I am which he witnesseth in the next words For this cause was I born and came into the world that I might bear witness to the truth And if Christ was for this end born then the Saints are new born and Ministers called to bear witness to this truth And 't is observable that after all this Pilate justifies Christ thus far I find no fault in him Surely as the High Priest spake not of himself but being High Priest prophesied That it was expedient that one should die for that Nation so Pilate prophesied in the Inscription which was set over him that Christ should be the King of that Nation and as once Balaam and Saul were among the Prophets so was Pilate also when he wrote that Inscription and would not yield to an alteration of it Christ's great Enemies bear witness to his Priestly and his Kingly Office Thus much for answer to this Objection and for the clearing of this place which now appears to be not against but for this truth of Christ's Kingdom Object 2. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution A. Other Scriptures and those not a few do plainly declare a state of freedom from persecution at last They shall sit under their Vines and Fig-trees and have none to make them afraid Their Enemies shall come bending to them and bow themselves down at the soles of their feet How shall these Scriptures be reconciled with the former Acts 14.22 We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God As Saints now must look to go to Heaven through tribulations so the Church must for a long time endure tribulation but at last it shall get through it into the Kingdom of God which shall be upon Earth in which Christ shall reign and the Saints with him then time shall be no more that is troublous times persecuting suffering-times shall be no more but then shall be the day of the Son of man So distingue tempora concordabunt Scripturae state the times aright and Scriptures will agree In the day of the Man of Sin Saints suffer in the days of the Son of Man they shall have rest Obj. 3. Satan being loosed out of his Prison shall deceive the Nations and gather them to Battel and compass the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City Now can it be thought that they shall dare to do this if
in the Mount For he made the Tabernacle Aaron's Garments and all other things as he was commanded There was a perfect Ceremonial Holiness in all And the Sacrifices were without blemish Now all things here being given forth under the Names of Mosaical Rites and Shadows this seems to intimate That true Holiness will be as perfect in this time as Ceremonial was in Moses his time Thus much concerning the General Considerations the more particular are these following Consid 1. All Ordinances will be Gods Ordinances and administred according to his Institution and Command and none of Mens Ordinances will be added to or joyned with them Chap. 43.7 The place of my Throne and of the Soles of my Feet shall the Children of Israel no more defile in setting their Threshold by my Threshold and their Posts by my Posts There is God's Door and Threshold by which Men are to enter into the Church and there are Doors and Thresholds made by Antichrist and he would not have any to enter but through his Doors and over his Thresholds But in this time of Reformation all these will be taken away and none shall remain but the Lords And then not onely Ordinances but the Forms and Fashions of them and all their Circumstances and manner of Administration will be of Divine appointment The Man of Sin hath taken upon him to form and fashion things which concern the Worship of God and to mend Divine Institutions and to make up what he judges to be wanting in them He will put a better form upon them than that in which the Word hath left them to us and adds many new things of his own inventing But observe what is said Chap. 43.11 Shew them the form of the House and the fashion thereof and all the forms thereof Shew them the Ordinances thereof and all the forms thereof The mentioning of Forms so oft is not a vain repetition 'T is to shew that all will be as it ought both for Substance and Circumstances And when it is said All the Ordinances and Forms thereof it may be meant of the forms of those Ordinances All in this Church will appear in a Scripture shape and form and the Lord will magnifie his Law and make it honourable and all Antichristian Laws and Ordinances shall be brought into contempt and shall have the Judgment of the Great Whore which is to be hated and utterly burnt with Fire Q. But will there be such Ordinances as now in that time viz. Preaching and Administration of Sacraments John saith Rev. 21.22 That there will not be need of the Sun or Moon no need of a Ministry for the Lord God and the Lamb will be the Temple thereof A. This is true as to the New Jerusalem but amongst the People of the Land and the saved Nations there will be Ordinances They shall have the Light of Scripture and a Ministry holding it forth Fishers stand upon the Bank of the River What are these but Fishers of Men and do hint a Ministry A Ministry must be till all the Saints be come up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which cannot be said of the People of the Land And we may not think that the great abounding of Light and Grace in that Glorious Day will render a Ministry useless and unprofitable For as 't will be a growing time with the People of the Land and the saved Nations so a Ministry will be a means of their growth 'T is observed that Christ who received the Spirit and not by measure did yet attend on John's Ministry which is gathered from John 1.26 27. Iohn Baptist saith There is one standing among you c. This was Christ who then stood among Iohn's Disciples He it is who coming after me is preferred before me After me in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not post but pone me behind me as a Follower of mine Matth. 16.24 If any will come after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as to be a Disciple and Follower of mine So this coming after is of a Disciple following his Master Thus did Christ he followed John and attended on his Ministry And how was the Ministry magnified by this when the Lord of Glory attended on it Christ was as Iohn's Master so Iohn's Disciple even as he was David's Lord yet David's Son Iohn might have said as when Christ came to be baptized of him I have need to be baptized of thee so I have need to be taught of thee and comest thou to me But this Christ did also because it became him to fulfill all righteousness And if it became him to do this how much more doth it become us to do it now and how much more will it become the people of the Land to do it when the Jews shall be called who shall then be in a growing state And if there shall be a Ministery in that time then also Baptism for Christs Commission was Go teach all nations baptizing them make Disciples and then baptize them If therefore the saved Nations shall be converted by teaching then they must be baptized This seems hinted chap. 40.38 At the entries by the posts of the gates they washed the burnt-offering And if there shall be Baptism then also the Lords Supper which the Tables on which the Sin-offering is to be slain may also hint of which more afterwards Q. Will not the personal coming of Christ put an end to Ordinances for the Apostle saith As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 A. The Saints with Christ in the New Jerusalem will be above Ordinances but not the people of the Land Two things are necessary to carry a people above Ordinances 1. Christs receiving them to himself to be where he is John 14.3 I will come again to receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also This is the coming which carries a people above Ordinances 2. Their being with Christ in glory and made like unto him Thus will it be with the Saints in the New Jerusalem but not with the people of the Land till changed and translated thither therefore they may sometimes have a sight of Christ yet will not hereby be carried above Ordinances which may be cleared by two Instances First Christ was transfigured on the Mount and was seen in that glory in which he shall appear at his second coming for Peter saith That he and James and John were then Eye-witnesses of his power and coming There were with Christ then Moses and Elias and Peter and James and John Moses and Elias saw his glory and appeared with him in glory and so they were above Ordinances Peter and James and John saw his glory but did not appear with him in glory neither was that sight to continue and therefore notwithstanding this they were to be under Ordinances And that they might not think themselves hereby
be his to the year of Liberty after it shall return to the Prince But his Inheritance shall be his Sons for ever Observe 1. The Servant hath but a Gift of Christ's Inheritance the Sons have his Inheritance 2. The Sons shall have an eternal the Servants a temporal Reward even but till the year of Liberty Two things are to be taken notice of for the better understanding of this 1. During the One thousand Years Reign of Christ and of the Saints with him the Servants shall peaceably and quietly enjoy their Gifts As they shall at this time submit to Christ's Government so shall they enjoy their Reward without disturbance Which we may conceive to be hinted Chap. 46.18 The Prince shall not take of the Peoples Inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession By People the Servants are meant because they are set up in opposition to the Sons Now neither the Prince nor the Sons of the Prince shall take away the Peoples Inheritance that is those Gifts of Christ's Inheritance which he shall give them As the Servants in this time shall not rise up against the Sons or disquiet them so the Sons shall not disquiet the Servants nor thrust them out of their possessions 2. When the one thousand years shall be expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations in the Four Quarters of the Earth and gather them together in Battel c. So then the Servants will rebel against the Prince and rise up against the Sons and hereby shall forfeit and lose all before given them And those of them thus gathered shall be destroyed by Fire from Heaven And now will the Year of Liberty come and the Nations out of which Gog and Magog shall arise ceasing at this time to keep the Feast of Tabernacles shall be smitten with the Plagues which are mentioned Zach. 14.17 18. Consid 6. The Saints shall reign with Christ the Saints glorified and not glorified 1. The glorified Saints of the New Jerusalem Matth. 19.28 Ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel saith Christ to his Apostles This shall be in the Generation when he that sits upon the Throne shall make all things new Q. Shall some Saints rule over other Saints in the New Jerusalem A. We do not find any ground to judge thus But the glorified Saints shall have rule over not glorified Ones and also over the unconverted Nations 1. They shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel If any will say that this is meant of Saints sitting with Christ in Judgment over the Dead raised to Life Let it be considered First it 's said They shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel And if this be meant of their sitting with Christ to judge them then some Saints must be Judges of other Saints against which may be urged that of Paul Rom. 14.10 Why dost thou judge thy Brother we shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ All the raised Saints and Brethren shall stand together to be judged There seems little force in the Apostle's Argument if some Saints shall then be Judges of other Saints nay some ground would be from hence for judging now if they shall judge them then So that somewhat else must be meant hereby And for this Secondly consider some other places of Scripture as Luke 19.17 Have thou Authority over ten Cities So the Apostles shall judge that is Have Authority over the Tribes of Israel in the Land Luke 22.29 30. I appoint to you a Kingdom So by Judging is meant Reigning 2. They shall Reign upon the Earth amongst the Unconverted 1 Cor. 6.1 2. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World That is such as are not Saints and this not onely by approving and justifying the Sentence of Christ against them Go ye cursed c. But the Saints shall order and regulate the great Affairs of the World and therefore might well be judged fit to determine small matters of difference then among Brethren Rev. 2.26 To him that overcometh will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them So by Saints judging is meant Ruling the Nations The Saints in John's time had this Promise which must be made good to them Q. But in what manner shall the raised Saints reign A. This is not so easie to determine I shall onely mention one place and leave it to consideration whether it may not afford some hints as to this thing Heb. 2.5 Vnto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the World to come But what is man c. By the World to come we are to understand The New Earth or the State of the Earth which is to come wherein Righteousness shall dwell For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Participle of the Feminine Gender understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inhabited Earth Matth. 24.14 The Gospel shall be preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the whole World And the Septuagint hath the same word for the habitable parts of the Earth Prov. 8.31 This then is not meant of a state of Glory in Heaven but of a new state of the Earth to come Q. And to whom is it to be put in subjection A. 1. Negatively 'T is not put in subjection to Angels There is now an Invisible Government which Angels have over this World There are Principalities and Powers to whom are made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Ephes 3.10 And they are Ministring Spirits for the good of the Heirs of salvation But it seems by this place that when the New Heavens and New Earth shall be created this their Ministration shall cease and being then Friends of the Bridegroom and Attendants on him they shall joyn in singing that Song Rev. 5.12 Worthy is the Lamb c. And as when God was perfecting the Work of the First Creation so when he shall make all things new these Morning Stars shall sing together and these Sons of God shall shout for joy Job 38.7 And we may not think the Angels will lose glory by this for their Ministry to the Saints being fulfilled they shall have a full Reward yea their glory will be the greater for their Ministry before was immediately to the Saints but then it will be immediately to the Person of Christ himself Even as some persons who are Servants to a great King are called home from negotiating abroad to wait on their Kings person in his Royal Court. So that what the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon's Servants may much more be said of the Angels then 2 Chron. 9.7 Happy are thy Men and happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee c. And Christ himself shall deliver the Kingdom to the Father but shall lose no glory thereby And we may conceive some reason of the ceasing of this Dispensation of Angels Government the evil Angels
shall at last be a close Prisoner himself And for what end must he be thus shut up That he should deceive the Nations no more till the thousand years be finished In this time he shall not be suffered so much as to enter into an Herd of Swine Now these things being well considered we may conclude that these thousand years are not past already they did not begin at Constantines time For when did Satan deceive the Nations more than within that thousand years by bringing forth Mahomet the false Prophet in the East and by the revelation of the Man of Sin in the West Surely these so many expressions signifie little or nothing if the thousand years be past already Thirdly Take notice of the time how long he shall be bound one thousand years The time of the Beast's reign and of the Witnesses prophesying in Sack-cloth is given out by Days and 't is concluded that a Day is put for a Year according to Ezek. 4.6 I have given thee a Day for a Year but the time of Satans being bound and of the Saints reign is set forth by years And we may conceive this reason why the time of Saints sufferings is given forth in a mystery God had in this respect to his Servants weakness If it had been given forth plainly it might have been some matter of discouragment to the Saints to think that the Beast should reign so long in the World The time of Satans being bound and the Saints reign is plainly declared to be for a thousand years that the People of God might have the more joy in the expectation of it God would not that his People's Sorrow should be a full Sorrow but would have their Joy to be a full Joy Fourthly observe what follows the thousand years of Satans being bound v. 3. He must be loosed a little season v. 8. He shall deceive the Nations Gog and Magog who being gathered shall be destroyed by Fire from Heaven and all must be done in a little season Now if the thousand years be past when was the Prophecy of Gog and Magog fulfilled Besides when Gog and Magog shall be destroyed then next the last Judgment of the wicked follows Rev. 20.12 Thus much of Satans being bound 2. Christ's Kingdom is here foretold they reigned with Christ So Christ reigns he will at this time take to himself his great power and reign and at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet the Kingdoms of the world shall become his Kingdoms and his reign will be personal and thence the Name of the City shall be The Lord is there 3. The dead Saints shall be raised to reign with Christ v. 3. They lived and reigned with Christ That is by a resurrection as after follows and this is called the first Resurrection Now the great question is what Resurrection is here meant For the clearing of which consider that 't is not a spiritual Resurrection which is here meant For First this is a Resurrection of Saints who before had past through a Spiritual Resurrection For who are they that shall live and reign or be raised and reign Those that were beheaded for the Testimony of Jesus and word of God and would not worship the Beast c. These live and reign and of these is the first Resurrection Now are not these to be judged Saints have not they part in a Spiritual Resurrection before they thus stand it out against the Beast and before they have part in the first Resurrection Shall we so much offend against the generation of these just ones as to account them to be a company of persons dead in Sins when they bear such a Testimony for Christ against Antichrist and seal it with their Blood it's therefore most evident that this first Resurrection is of dead Saints and not of Sinners dead in Sins And in this sense we may take those words Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection 'T is a Resurrection of holy ones 2. Those that were dead before they had part in the first Resurrection and the rest of the dead who have no part in it after mentioned are to be conceived to be under the same kind of Death So that if those that have part in the first Resurrection were such who were spiritually dead then the rest of the dead must be such And if those that live again live by a bodily resurrection then those that do not live again are such who remain under the power of a bodily death And if such as live again shall be such as shalâ— be raised from a civil death as the witnesses will be then those that do not live again will be such who shall remain under a civil death so that the first and second resurrection must be of the same kind Hence then it will follow First If those that live and reign be such as live spirituall then those that do not live again must be such who remain spiritually dead and sâ— then it follows that in the time of the thousand years there will be no Conversion For the rest of the dead lived not again till c. Secondly If the living again be meant only of a Civil Resurrection of Saints from a persecuted condition into a quiet and ruling state Then the rest of the dead that live not again must be other Saints in a low and afflicted state So some Saints shall live and reign for a thousand years and others shall be afflicted and persecuted all that time which is directly contrary to Scripture for the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints What remaines then but that we conclude this first Resurrection to be of dead Saints from a bodily death at the begining of the thousand years and the living again of the rest of the dead to be meant of the resurrection of the Wicked after the finishing of them 4. All the dead Saints shall be partakers of this first resurrection and not onely the Martyrs who suffered a bodily death For Abraham Isaac and Jacob who died a natural death and did not suffer Martyrdom shall be raised and be in that Kingdom of God Matth. 8.11 Luke 13.28 Again Rev. 11.18 The time of the dead is come that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets and to all that fear thy Name So this First Resurrection must be of all Saints even as many as fear the Name of God And this shall be when the Seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of Christ Therefore when 't is said the beheaded Saints shall live and reign all are hereby meant that have been liable to persecution and trouble for all the Saints from the beginning have suffered one way or other None have been free from Satan's temptations and few from Persecution in one kind or other Those that have not been persecuted as Abel to death
gracious so Glorious Liberty In like manner the Woman the Church of Christ and his faithful Witnesses go into the Wilderness for Gracious Liberty and prefer that before buying and selling in the great City Babylon and these must come up out of the Wilderness leaning on their Beloved and stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion and at last they shall have Glorious Liberty in the great and Holy City Jerusalem And thus having handled Peter's Doctrine of the New Heaven and the New Earth let the Use which he makes of it be in the next place considered by us and put in practice this we have 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Here are two things to be observed 1. Saints in the Primitive times did and Saints now ought to look for the New Heavens and the New Earth 2. Those that look for these things should with all diligence look to this that their present state and carriage in this World be suitable to the hopes of such glorious things in the World to come For the first we shall do well to consider that the Doctrine of the New Heavens and New Earth was Apostolical Doctrine and the looking for them was an Apostolical practice In the Primitive times this Doctrine was more taught and better known than now it is Saints at so much a greater distance from these things did more generally expect them than now they do when they are so much nearer And we have not onely an Apostolical example and practice for it but if we look higher even to Heaven we shall find a Pattern there which calls for our imitation for as we should do the will of God as 't is done in Heaven so we should expect the accomplishment of the Will and Word of God as 't is expected in Heaven Let 's consider then what example Heaven doth afford us now this is the example of Christ himself Heb. 10.12 13. This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool When Christ was upon Earth he expected Glory in Heaven which he hath and being in Heaven he expects Glory on Earth which he shall have He looks to have all his Enemies made his Footstool and to be King over all the Earth and to have the Saints reign with him Christ knows that thus it shall be and the thoughts of it are pleasing to him Isa 63.4 The day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed shall come Christ knows that day and hath it in his heart 't is a day of joy and gladness in his heart And thus as the Creatures have an earnest expectation of that day so hath Christ himself and he hath been expecting it ever since he went to Heaven for 't is said From henceforth expecting that is from the first time of his sitting down He is upon the Father's Throne in Heaven and expected to be upon his own Throne in the New Jerusalem which shall come down out of Heaven And Christ will expect till it be done For as 't is from henceforth even ever since he went to Heaven so till his Enemies be made his Footstool Now seeing Christ expects these things ought not we to expect with him 2. The Angels do expect these things for if Christ doth then we may conclude the holy Angels do also seeing they are to come with him wich they do well know for they understand Scripture-Prophecies and the time also which is revealed in Scripture for the fulfilling of them for an Angel made Daniel understand a Prophecy and the time of its accomplishment Dan. 9.22 As there are things which the Angels desire to look into so also which they look for as the passing away of the World which now is and the creating of the New Heavens and the New Earth 3. Saints in Heaven do expect these things Saints on Earth do long to see these things of Heaven and the Saints in Heaven do long to see the things of the New Heavens and the New Earth For if it be not beneath Christ to expect them then it is not beneath glorified Saints to look for them Now that glorified Saints do know and expect these things we may conclude thus We read Luke 9.31 that Moses and Elias being with Christ on the Holy Mount they spake of his Decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Now if his Decease was known by them before its accomplishment we may as well conceive that his Victory over his Enemies the New Heavens and the New Earth and his Kingdom in them are made known unto them and expected by them and not onely the Things but the Time also when all shall be done My ground is this Both their Things and the Times are revealed in Scripture as we see by the several numbers of years mentioned in Daniel and the Revelations Now what is revealed in Scripture concerning Christ the Saints in Heaven do know as in particular the things concerning the Kingdom of Christ and the time of its coming which I conclude from 1 Cor. 13.12 Now I know in part then shall I know as I am known That is I shall know that perfectly then which now I know in part This is an evident Truth the Saints know that of Divine Mysteries perfectly in Heaven which here from the Scriptures they know in part and so we may suppose that they know when the 1260 Days began and when they will end Thus we see how these things are expected in Heaven by Christ by the Angels by the Saints and it being so these things follow hence 1. The things which are to be done on Earth are very great things the subduing of all Christ's Enemies will be a very Glorious Work for Christ hath a great earnest and constant expectation of it the New Heavens and the New Earth will be very glorious for they are the expectations of Heaven Isa 11.10 't is said His rest shall be glorious and when shall this be verse 11. When the Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his People c. The first recovery was from Babylon this second will be when the Jews shall be called and when the Outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered from the four Corners of the Earth 2. The expectations of Christ's Enemies on Earth are but a vain thing for there are expectations in Heaven quite contrary to these and which think we shall be performed surely the expectations of Heaven Babylon expects to continue in her Pomp and Power and looks that Sion shall be her Footstool but Christ expects till Babylon be made his Footstool I sit a Queen saith Babylon but what saith the Lord to her Come down and sit in the dust there shall be no more Throne I am no
Gentiles of Christians becoming Heathens is the head of the 1290 dayes and the possessing the outward Court and the Treading down of the Holy City is the head of the 42 Moneths and of the 1260 dayes 30 years after the former Thus much for the first place The other place is 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits Doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisy forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from meat This place shews how Jews should turn Gentiles and Christians become Heathens and also shews how the daily Sacrifice was taken away and so will be of great Use to help us in our inquiry after the time when this was done for when the Doctrine of Devils was taught and practised when there was a prohibition of Marriage and when there was a command to abstain from meats then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and the Abomination was set up which proved so desolating a thing to true Religion and to the People of God Now Mr. Mede's interpretation of the Doctrine of Devils rather Daemons is generally known and embraced coming with such evidence that it is not to be rejected this Doctrine of Daemons he concludes to be that which taught the worshipping of Saints departed wherein Christians turned Heathens for they symbolized with them herein it being the custom of the Heathens to deifie and worship their Heroes when dead who were a middle sort of Powers betwixt their sovereign Gods and Men being mediators betwixt them And like to these were the adored Saints among Christians whose Reliques were trusted-in as Powers defending their Cities as appears by some passages which he quotes out of Basil and Chrysostom and these he takes to be meant by the Mahuzzim or God of Forces Dan. 11.38 This kind of Idolatry began saith he after Julian the Reader may see more in his Apostacy of the latter-times Now God was no longer worshipped in truth when this Abomination came in of worshipping Saints and trusting to their Mediation and Intercession and making them Protectors God says My Glory of religious worship and of Christ's Mediation and Intercession I will not give to another If men do it they certainly in this do cast off the daily sacrifice even the true worship of God and besides there is no Abomination more desolating and destructive to true Religion than for men to usurp a Power to command things contrary to the Commands of God and to forbid what God allows as Marriage and Meats no more desolating Doctrine no more desolating Principle than this That Men may take upon them to make Laws about Worship and Matters of Religion when men think to mend God's Institutions and to make a better Religion then what God hath left us in his word this is the ready way to marr all and so take away the daily sacrifice and to set up that Abomniation which makes all desolate Now this I take to be the true Epocha 1290 viz. the time when Christians thus turned Heathens and the Doctrine of Daemons was taught and practised and then these desolating Abominations were set up In which the Apostle sets forth the Apostacy of the latter days and doubtless the Head of this Apostacy is the true Epocha of these Numbers 1290 and 1335 days Secondly Let us see what we can find in Ecclesiastical History of the fulfilling of these things foretold in the Scripture and when this Apostacy began so as that the true Worshippers had cause to take up the Psalmist's complaint O God the Heathen are come into thine Inheritance thy holy Temple have they defiled They are gotten into the outward Court and we fear they will drive all the Worshippers shortly thence and possess it wholly themselves and at length tread down the holy City also Now here I shall make use of some Collections of a late Author declaring when this Apostacy began which he makes the Epocha of the 1260 days this hath been the great mistake hitherto as I conceive from what hath been before laid down and we have great ground to conclude that what hath been pitcht upon for the Head of the 1260 days is indeed the Head of the 1290 days Now let us take the particulars of the Apostacy in that order in which the Apostle gives them to us 1. He saith in the general Some shall depart from the Faith some Sayings of Augustine are mentioned which shew a great departure from the Faith in his time As we who are called Christians do not believe in Peter but in him in whom Peter believed This doth intimate that some pretending to be Peter's Successors did begin to claim such a power and Right as this And what greater departing from the Faith than to come to this to believe in men And again reprehending the Popes arrogancy who suffered themselves to be called Gods He saith he that would seem to be God when he is man doth not imitate him who when he was God for our sakes was made man is not this a departing from the Faith Again saith he the Catholick Faith believes Heaven to be the first place the second Hell as for a third we are wholly ignorant neither is it found in Scripture this intimates a departing from the Faith in this thing Again good works do not precede Justification but follow the justified this also intimates a departing from the Faith when an opinion of Justification by Works began to be taken up This was about the year 393. that he wrote thus And about 393. began Humane Traditions to grow into request and a Monkish Life which was conceived to be a meritorious thing and that thereby men might be freed from Hell and obtain a true certain and plentiful hope of eternal Life Epiphan Contra haeres saith Among many other things shewing the great Defection A. 396. whence is this Image-worship and the Design of the Devil Men introduce Images to be worshipped having the Mind adulterated from the One and onely God 2. For the second thing The Doctrine of Daemons and of Saint-worship touching this a saying of Epiphanius is mentioned The Body of Mary was truly holy but not God her-self was indeed a Virgin and to be honoured but not given us that we should worship her she her self was worshipping him who was born of her self We may be sure of this that he observed Divine Honour to be given to her which was the occasion of his writing thus A Saying of Augustine also is mentioned to this purpose It is not our Religion to worship dead Men they are honoured for our imitation-sake but are not to be worshipped for the sake of Religion nor are we to Consecrate Temples to them for they will not be so honoured of us Now that of Epiphanius is referred to A. D. 396. as the other to 399. This shews that the Doctrine of Daemons was then taught and had too much
The Mystery OF THE TEMPLE and CITY DESCRIBED In the NINE last Chapters of EZEKIEL UNFOLDED Also these following Particulars are briefly handled I. The Calling of the Jews II. The Restitution of all Things III. The Description of the Two Beasts Rev. 13. IV. The Day of Iudgment and the World perishing by Fire V. Some Signs of the Times when the Fall of BABYLON is near VI. Some Advantages which the Knowledge of these Truths will afford VII The Conclusion of all in some Counsels and Directions By WILLIAM ALLEINE Minister of the Gospel Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God PSAL. lxxxvii 3 Blessed are they that keep his Commandments that they may have right to eat of the Tree of Life and may enter in thorow the Gates into the City REV. xxii 14 LONDON Printed for B. Harris and are to be sold at the Stationers Arms in Sweetings-Alley near the Royal Exchange and by T. Wall near the To sey in Bristol 1679. Some Discovery OF THE NEVV HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH ALSO OF The Earnest Expectation of the Creature to be delivered from its Bondage into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God TOGETHER With some Hints wherein it will consist Gathered out of Holy Scriptures AS ALSO A Guess at the Time wherein it may probably be expected Together with the Profitable Uses to be made of it As in 2 Pet. 3.14 By WILLIAM ALLEINE Now with the Lord. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Harris 1679. TO THE READER Reader IT will be a good recompence of much Labour in bringing forth that which here follows for the opening of a dark Prophecy if it shall make thee resolve as Moses did concerning the burning Bush I 'le turn aside to see this great Sight even that City the Frame whereof was shewn to the Prophet and whose Name shall be JEHOVAH SHAMMAH The Lord is there In this Prophecy there are as in Paul ' s Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things hard to be understood yet to be in some measure understood if He shall lead into these Mysteries whose work it is to lead into all Truth When I first applyed my self to a more serious and fixed search into the Matters contained in this Prophecy I was little better than blind unto them but now I seem to be able to say as the Man that was brought blind to Christ after the Lord had put his Hands upon his Eyes I see Men like Trees walking And if others shall be like the Angels in desiring to look into these things it is to be hoped they may see and discover them more clearly and distinctly The Glorious Truths which here lie hid under a Vail of Legal Shadows and Figures do in other parts of Scripture appear with open Face and the Holy Spirit speaking by Ezekiel in Parables doth by other holy Men of God speak more plainly And the way of teaching by Parables is very grateful and convincing when the Parable is understood The words of the Wise thus given forth do better sink down into the Heart and will not be so easily let slip August lib. 2. de Civ Dei Cap. 56. saith well Nemo ambigit per similitudines liberius quaeque cognosci cum aliqua difficultate quaesita multo gratius inveniri Qui enim prorsus non inveniunt quod quaerunt fame laborant Qui autem non quaerunt quia in promptu habent fastidio saepe marcescunt In utroque autem languor cavendus est Magnifice igitur salubriter Spiritus Sanctus ita Scripturam modificavit ut locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus fastidia detergerit Nihil enim fere de illis difficultatibus eruitur quod non planissime alibi reperiatur He that by the guidance of the Holy Spirit brings the light Scripture to that which is more dark and the plain Scripture to the Parable is an Interpreter one of a thousand And if it shall be the Endeavour of any to do thus in relation to this and other Prophecies then let them take these two Instances for their Encouragement The first is that of the Eunuch who came to Jerusalem to worship and in his return as he sate in his Chariot read Esaias the Prophet and when he read God hearkened and heard for the Spirit said to Philip Go near and joyn thy self to this Chariot As if he had said Here 's one reading a Prophecy which he doth not but would understand go thou therefore and make him to understand it and Philip began at that Scripture and preached unto him Jesus So read and set your Hearts upon all that is here shown and see whether the Spirit will not joyn himself to your Hearts and Preach much of Jesus to you in and from this Prophecy The other Instance is that of Daniel Chap. 9.2 Who understood by Books the Number of the Years of Jerusalem's desolations and then Verse 3. sets himself to seek the Lord and whilest he was speaking the Man Gabriel being caused to flie swiftly said to him O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee Skill and Understanding If Daniel had not read the Prophecy of Jeremiah he had not understood the time of the Jew's Deliverance from their Captivity neither had that Great Discovery been made to him upon his Prayer of the coming of the Messiah Now go and do thou likewise and then may the Lord give thee Skill and Understanding also in this dark Prophecy whereby abundant Matter for Prayer and Ground of Hope will appear which may be an Anchor of the Soul in Troublous and tempestuous Times When you shall be in the Contemplation of this and other Prophecies you will be as Moses on the top of Pisgah taking a View of the Promised Land And thus may you come to be like the Men of Issachar who had Understanding of the Times to know what Israel ought to do As for the ensuing Discourse the Thoughts of Men may be various about it Some may judge that too little is said and that Things should be more particularly spoken to Others may think that too much is said and may scoff as the Athenians Thou bringest certain strange things to our Ears If any shall complain that too little is said I will confess it For every thing in the Description of this TEMPLE and CITY hath its proper Signification But I must say not for want of Time but for want of better Skill and Understanding of all these Things I cannot now speak particularly yet I find that of Hosea verified Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. If any say 't is too much let them enter into the Sanctuary of God and weigh the Scriptures well on which the Things which may seem strange are grounded before they reject them for the Aim hath been not to utter any thing from Fancy and Conceit but all from Scripture and not from a private Interpretation of Scripture but an Interpretation justified by other Scriptures And
I would not be thought to be positive in all things but as propounding some things to the Prophets that they may judge If any thing of Error shall appear yet I presume not that which will be destructive to the Faith once delivered to the Saints in any part of it For Matter of Faith and Worship and what concerns Gopel-Ordinances and Magistracy and Ministry are throughout asserted and justified That good thing which God hath said he will perform held forth in this Prophecy and the Revelation of Christ's Personal Presence and Reign upon Earth was not a little disparaged by the Carnal Imaginations and Conceits of some about it which were no other than the Smoak of the bottomless Pit which arising thence did darken the Glory of a very precious Primitive Truth and exposed it to that Contempt under which it hath long lien buried But what was by the subtilty of the Old Serpent sown in dishonour begins now to be raised in glory I shall add no more by way of Preface but those Two Petitions of the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come and thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Thy Kingdom is come and is within and among thy Disciples let it come and be over all Now one of a City two of a Family are brought to Sion and make a little Flock Let the time come when all the ends of the Earth shall turn to the Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before him Now thou dost Govern among the Saints be thou Governour also among the Nations And thy Will is done by some few Calebs and Josuahs that follow thee fully yet the Best are far short of doing thy Will as 't is done in Heaven 'T is done by some few on Earth in the sincerity and uprightness of Heaven let it be done in the exactness of Heaven Thus shall it be done when the King of Glory shall come from Heaven and all the Saints with him EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS AMEN The Mystery of the Nine last Chapters of Ezekiel in part made manifest IN these last Chapters of this Prophecy of Ezekiel we have a description of a Temple and City which in the Visions of God were represented to the Prophet by which we are not to understand a material Temple or City built after the return of the Jews from Babylonish Captivity For 1. The Temple and City here described are far different from the City Jerusalem and the Temple there both for situation and largeness The Temple in the description of it is as large as a City and the City as large as a Country For the Temple with the Courts thereof being a perfect Square each side contained five hundred Reeds Chap. 42.16 and the circumference of the City is said to be eighteen thousand Measures which is judged by Interpreters to be a vast circuit 2. A River is said to issue from under the Threshould of the House Chap. 47.1 which is not any where affirmed of the Temple at Jerusalem 3. This evidently appears from Chap. 41.12 where there is mention made of a separate place and a Building before it which is distinct from the Temple before described for the Building in the separate place is not so large as the Temple the breadth thereof being seventy Cubits and the length ninety Cubits so that this Building with the separate place is but equal with the Temple that is an hundred Cubits each way And farther this Building cannot be the Holy of Holies for the Dimensions are different the Holy of Holies is but twenty Cubits long and twenty Cubits broad verse 4. Now we do not read of such a Building and separate place near the Temple of Jerusalem 't is true 1 Kings 6.27 mention is made of an inner house which was the Holy of Holies joyning to the Temple and was not in a separate place from it 4. This Temple and City shall not have being on Earth till the twelve Tribes shall be brought back from their Captivity for they that serve the City serve it out of all the Tribes of Israel chap. 48.19 and the Land is to be divided by lot unto the Tribes of Israel verse 29. which are all named and the Gates of the City have also the Names of all the Tribes upon them These reasons make it evident that somewhat else must be meant Now as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.4 5. Ye are built up a spiritual house and Gal. 4. ◠Paul speaks of a Jerusalem which is above and John of that Jerusalem which cometh down from God out of Heaven So this is here understood and the Temple is the Church of the living God made of lively stones and the Church in that pure and glorious state which it shall be brought into when Antichrist shall be destroyed and those things which may be shaken being the things made by men shall be removed The Temple and City of Jerusalem were Types hereof And this glorious Church will be the substance of those shadows and is set forth by their names And what is here foretold had the beginning of its accomplishment in the Gospel-Church gathered by the Apostles and since continued in the world and shall have its perfect accomplishment when the new Jerusalem shall come down out of Heaven and the Jews shall be called and the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in So that we may conclude with Rabbi Solomon quoted by Cornelius à Lapide Omnia quae in Ezekiele de Jerusalem scribuntur de sancta civitate supernâ Jerusalem absque dubio intelligenda sunt All is to be understood of the Heavenly Jerusalem but chiefly of this Heavenly Jerusalem as it shall come down out of Heaven and of that estate which it shall be then in Now that somewhat of the Mystery of this Prophecy may be made known I shall propose several things to consideration not proceeding therein according to the order of the Prophecy but shall endeavour to bring the main things of it to several heads And truly I may say to the praise of him that teacheth Man knowledge that by running thus to and fro in this Prophecy Knowledge hath increased and haply some hints may be given which may provoke others to search further into it The first thing to be laid down shall be for an Introduction to the rest which are to follow which is this Prop. 1. What is here represented should with all seriousness and diligence be lookt into and considered chap. 40.4 Son of man behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel This Command so vehemently urged in so many expressions belongs to all Christians but especially to the Ministers of the Gospel The external and internal Senses are called upon and stirred up to attend to what is made known to the Prophet in this Vision and to take an exact view of it and