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
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
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
sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black and the Moon as Blood and the Stars of Heaven fell and the Hevens departed as a scrole when it is rolled together By Heaven is meant the Roman Empire as heathenish and under the Power of Heathen Emperours 'T is well observed by Mede that Vniversitas Romana hic à spiritu sancto assimilatur systemati mundi c. That great and large Empire of Rome is likned to the frame of the World Heaven Earth and Air are the parts of the World in the Heaven are Sun Moon and Stars and here below Sea and Rivers Now the Roman Empire had its Political Heaven of Power and Sovereignty and Sun and Stars in it and all these were rolled together as a scroll the Heathenish Power did pass away And that Empire which at first was Heathenish is now Antichristian and must pass away as the former did This World must Perish by Fire For 't is observable that the Roman Empire both as Heathenish and Antichristian is called the World in Scripture Luke 2.1 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed that is the people of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.3 All the World wondered after the Beast Here 's an Antichristian World And this World even the fourth Kingdom as now under Antichrist must pass away The Sun Moon and Stars all the Host of this Heaven must perish by Fire and all the Elements thereof must melt with fervent heat For the Plagues of the Vials shall be poured out upon the Antichristian Earth Sea and Rivers and Fountains of Waters and upon the Sun so that the World wondering after this Beast shall perish And the last Vial being poured into the Air shews the utter destruction of Satan's Kingdom who is Prince of the Power of the Air. And then the great City Babylon falls and with it the Cities of the Nations and every Island must flee away and the Mountains shall be no where found neither Mountains of Pride nor Mountains of Prey Thus we see it manifest that there are Heavens and Elements both Civil and Ecclesiastical which must perish Heavens the Sovereign part of the Antichristian World Earth the Subjected part all are to be burnt up In the next place it is to be considered by what Fire For there is as Natural so Fire in an Analogical sense Now. 1. It 's not to be doubted but that Fire in a proper sense will be made use of to help forward the Judgment of that great day For as the old World perished by Water so the World which now is must by Fire Babylon which is the Seat of the Beast must be utterly burnt with Fire Rev. 18.6 Reward her as she haâ—h rewarded you Giue her blood to drink for she is worthy give her burning for she is worthy Give her blood for blood burning for burning For as she hath destroyed many of the Saints by Fire so therefore let her perish by Fire as she is spiritually called Sodom so let her be consumed by Fire like Sodom And as Elijah called for Fire from Heaven so Fire will be called for from Heaven to destroy those that destroyed the Earth And thus as Analogical Heavens perished by Water so may Heavens and Earth both Political and Ecclesiastical perish by Fire 2. Analogical Fire will be made use of for destroying the Heavens and Earth which are now And so the Fire of the Word and Spirit and judicial Fire First the Fire of the Word and Spirit Of which we read 1 Cor. 3.13 The day shall declare every Mans work of what sort it is and it shall be revealed by Fire The Gold and Silver and precious Stones shall be revealed by Fire and the Wood and Hay and Stubble shall be burnt up Antichristian Doctrine Discipline Ordinances Traditions and Forms of Worship shall be all burnt up The Tares shall be known Hypocrites shall be discovered and gathered out of the Kingdom of God and there shall be neither persons nor things in it any way offensive to any of the sincere Servants of God Secondly Judicial Fire The great Judgments of that day will be a consuming fire to the Enemies of Christ the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy one for a flame and shall consume the Bryers and Thorns fury and fiery Indignation shall then devour the Adversaries Heb. 12.29 Our God is a consuming fire In that great Day of Judgment he will so appear And then Angels as Instruments in executing Wrath will be as fire to burn up the wicked Psa 104.4 He maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flame of Fire These flames of fire will be at work to burn up as the wicked ones of the Earth so their works in the Earth at that day Thus Fire in each of these kinds will help to dissolve the Heavens which are now and to burn up the works of the Earth So that we are not to restrain or limit the Fire here mentioned to any one sort but to take it in the largest and most comprehensive sense For as there will be work for Fire in each of these kinds so all will be at work in that Day of Perdition of ungodly Men. And when the Heavens and Earth which now are shall be dissolved then will new be created wherein pure Religion and Righteousness shall dwell which will constitute that World to come which is ordained for Christ to reign in And what shall be done with these Material Heavens and Earth after the thousand years and the finishing of Christ's Judging-work none is able to determine I shall conclude this particular of the Worlds perishing by Fire with some thoughts which I have had upon Rev. 15.2 3. I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the Beast c. stand upon the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God and they sing the Song of Moses c. As the Plagues of the Vials are foretold in the general verse 1. So in the next place is shewn what great Joy will be amongst the People of God because of the great and marvellous works of God in destroying their Enemies by these Plagues and delivering them from the greatest trouble and danger that ever they were in And then follows a particular description of the Plagues of the Vials and the order in which they are to be poured out Now the second and third Verses shew that the Saints were represented to John in this Vision as being in the like condition with the Israelites when they beheld the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore and rejoyced over them For when the conquering Saints are said to stand upon the Sea of Glass and to sing the Song of Moses what doth this singing the Song of Moses intimate but that such a wonderful deliverance will be wrought at last for the People of God as that of the Israelites
Moon and for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting Hills and for the precious things of the Earth and the fulness thereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Josephs Blessing did then consist in precious things and that which made all these precious things more exceeding precious was the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and when Joseph shall be called and United to Judah under one King then shall he have the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and a Blessing of precious things added thereto Certainly we may well conclude that as the Tribes of Israel had these their Blessings in some Degree when Canaan was Conquered and divided amongst them so when the Jews shall be called then shall they have these Blessings wherewith Moses the Man of God blessed them in the fulness of them but that the great change which shall be in the Natural state of things may be more fully set forth I shall with such largeness as the Matter doth require whilst upon that eminent place Rom. 8.19 c. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God c. The Apostle had said v. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Saints after a long time of Suffering must have a time of Glory As there is to be Eternity of Glory in Heaven so a set time also for the Church to have great Glory upon Earth This is proved from the earnest expectation of the Creature and from the Saints groaning within themselves and waiting for the Adoption even the redemption of their bodies The whole creation groaneth and Saints groan What doth this import but that the World is weary of its present state of bondage and longs for the time when it shall pass away in respect of its present corrupt and slavish estate and be in its refined restored and free state of which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets The Heavens would be New Heavens the Earth would be a New Earth they look with outstretched Neck for that happy time when it shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of justice and Mountain of holiness and when the Sons of God that have lyen among the Pots shall come forth and be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold and so have their glorious Liberty and Manifestation By Creature here is meant the World which is now subject to Vanity and in bondage to corruption It s condition is much worse now by Mans sin than it was at first This condition is contrary to its Nature It would be restored to its Primitive State and is not at rest till it be so Here are three things to be considered First What the Primitive State of the Creature was Secondly What its present bondage is Thirdly What the Liberty is which it longs for What the Primitive State of the Creature was these Particulars shew 1. The Creature was very good there was no evil in the Creation Gen. 1.31 God saw every thing which he had made and behold it was very good Full of vertue and Vigor of beauty and comliness Gen. 2.27 As Trees so other things were beautifull to the Eye there was nothing hurtfull and grieving No Thorns or Thistles for these were a part of the Curse Salomon complains all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit 'T was the Evil and bitter thing Sin which was the cause of it 2. There was Peace in the Creation a due subordination and subjection and Concord and agreement nothing of Rebellion nothing of enmity no wasting or destruction in any part of the Creation as a Fruit of enmity 3. The Creature was made that it might serve for the Honour of the Creator God made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 All his works were to praise him 4. Man was Lord of the Creation Rule thou over the Fowl of the Air the Fish of the Sea c. Gen. 1.28 And the Creatures did own Mans Dominion over them and became willingly subject to him the Beasts and Fowls came to Adam as it were to do him Homage and he gave them Names 2. What the Creatures bondage is This consists 1. In the loss of very much of its Primitive vertue and beauty Sin hath much defaced and enfeebled the Creation Meat hath not that strength to nourish which first it had Isa 3.1 we read of the Stay and Staff of the Stay of Bread and the Staff of Water If Adam had not Sined this Stay and Staff would have been a sufficient support of Mans life when it s going away 2. In that enmity which is now amongst Creatures There is a war in the Creation Creature against Creature In the Sea the greater Fishes devour the less the dry Land and Air are full of Beasts and Birds of prey 3. In the sinful abuse of Creatures they are in bondage to the lusts of Men and are many times provision For the Flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof We may observe that the First Sin was the abuse of a Creature God had forbidden to Men the eating of the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden when Man did eat the Creatures bondage began This sinful a buse was its bondage And this one Creature being thus abused and brought into bondage God did in a way of judgment as a just recompence of Man's Sin leave the rest to be subject to Vanity and less helpful to Man Adam delighted in the forbidden Fruit more then in pleasing God and therefore was left to love and serve the Creature more than the Creator We may take Notice how this bondage is set forth in Scripture 1. Joh. 2.16 All that is in the World the lust of the Flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World There are these several Lusts in the World and the World affords them their several Objects carnal Delight are the Objects of the lust of the Flesh worldly riches and Propfits are the lusts of the Eye And do please the Eye Eccles 5.11 When goods increase what good is there to the owners saving the beholding them with their Eyes and when these worldly things are enjoyed and Men prosper and grow great thereby then Pride usually compasseth them about as with a Chain and so they become the Pride of Life Now this is the bondage of the Creatures to feed the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life We may observe that all these lusts did meet in and made up the first sin the Forbidden Fruit was fair to the eye there was the lust of the Eye there was a lust to eat of it and an eating to satisfy that lust so there appeared the lust
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