but the rest of the Dead that is wicked Men and it may be some of the Saints also shall lie still in their Graves 'till the general Judgment when all shall appear Good and Bad before the Judgment Sent of Christ And 't is very like this is the Meaning of that Place 2 Tim. 4.1 where 't is said that Christ shall judge both quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom That is to say by judging the Quick that is the Wicked or some of them to a temporal Destruction and the raised Saints to be rewarded with all the Glory that is promised to all Overcomers in the New Jerusalem Rev. 2.7 11 17 27 Chap. 3.12 21 And as an Addition to all the Rest they shall sit with Christ in his Throne even as he overcame and is set down with his Father in his Throne And these are some of the Rewards that are mentioned Rev. 11.18 to be distributed to the Saints of the first Resurrection so that we may say with the Psalmist Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58. ult By This time I hope it is clear that there is a first Resurrection of some before all and that of Saints and Saints only And having shewed before what this first Resurrection is not namely that 't is not Regeneration let us now enquire what it is and whether it be not a Resurrection of the Body and that properly so called And to this End let us consider that 20th Chap. of Rev. a little more John is said there to see the the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus c. What may we think is meant by Souls Souls in this Place are put for the Dead the Souls of them that were beheaded is the same with the Dead that were beheaded And that is manifest from the opposite Clause or Sentence i.e. the rest of the Dead lived not again ver 5 and therefore the first are considered as dead Again 't is faid they lived and reigned c. What may be meant by this Living and Reigning By the Lives of the Souls of them that were beheaded it seems to me to be no other than the Life of the Body which they did lay down in the Death of the Body and which now in the Resurrection they receive again to die no more To evince the Truth of this let it be considered First That John speaks of the Souls of them that were beheaded that is of those that were slain or dead in Body and he saith that they lived that is they lived again but the dead in Body live not again but by a Resurrection from the Death of the Body The Argument may be thus framed The Resurrection of the Dead in Body is the Resurrec-of the Body 1 Cor. 15.12 13. but the first Resurrection is the Resurrection of the Dead in Body for 't is the Resurrection of those that were beheaded therefore 't is of the Body Secondly The Text speaks of such a Resurrection wherein Men lived a Thousand Years after they be raised which cannot agree to any other Life or Resurrection but the Life and Resurrection of the Body therefore this Resurrection is a bodily Resurrection Thirdly Such a Resurrection is here meant as will be to the rest of the dead after the Thousand Years are ended who lived not again 'till that be finished ver 5 which shall be of the Body ver 12.13 therefore this Resurrection is of the Body also Fourthly The Men that were beheaded must so live during the Thousand Years as the rest of the Dead lived not all that while their Souls were still separated from their Bodies therefore these must live in Souls joined to their Bodies And Lastly These must so live at the first Resurrection as the rest shall live at the second Resurrection and that will be in Bodies and Souls united which cannot be except they be raised from their Graves And thus having written before of the second or next Coming of Christ and of the Thousand Years and of the first Resurrection and the Judgment of the Quick and Dead and other Things coincident we shall write hereafter a little more fully to what hath been only hinted already in this Discourse And First Touching THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IN THIS WORLD That of John 18.36 being objected against it where Christ saith his Kingdom is not of this World for the better Understanding of this we may take Notice That when Pilate asked Christ if he were a King his Answer was thou sayst that I am a King grants the Thing told him that for that End he was born i. e. to be a King. And Luk. 19 we read that he was proclaimed King by the Multitude and a great Multitude with great Solemnity to the Astonishment of the Spectators All Jerusalem was moved at it Matt. 21.10 and he justified them that did it But it may be said every one will grant this that Christ is a King and that he is King over his Church in which Respect he is called King of Saints Rev. 15.3 King of Sion Joh. 12.15 Psal 2.6 King Jesus Act. 17.7 But CHRIST is not only King of Saints but King of Nations Jer. 10.7 and that not only as GOD equal with the FATHER but as MEDIATOR also And in that Respect he is called God's King Psal 2.6 And all Power in Heaven and Earth is given to him Civil as well as Ecclesiastical And therefore in Luk. 1.32.33 there 't is said that God shall give to him the Throne of his Father David and that he should reign over the House of Jacob and therefore in Mar. 11 the People are said to Cry Hosanna Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David But the Throne and Kingdom of David was Civil Government Again CHRIST is not only a King but a great King Mat. 5,35 in Reference to Jerusalem which is often put for civil State and not only a great King but King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 By all which we may see that Christ is de jure and will be de facto a King and that not only over his Church but over all the Earth and that is next to be considered i. e. THE EXTENT OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM For this see Psal 2. He is to have the utmost Parts of the Earth for his Possession Psal 22.28 he is said there to be Governor among the Nations and Psal 72.8 his Dominion is to the Ends of the Earth ver 13. all Nations shall serve him Daniel also speaking of this Kingdom of Christ says it became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth Chap. 2.35 But more fully Chap. 7.14 and there was given to him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him I shall add one Scripture more to all these and that is Rev. 11.15 at
then that John and John only for ought I know speaks of this new Jerusalem And for ought I yet see that which hath been already proposed in and touching this Matter is most likely to be the new Jerusalem It may be thought that enough if not too much hath been written about this Matter and less might have been better but if it be not true it is too much and if it be true t is too little I having observed how much Men differ in their Apprehensions about it have considered the more of it and however some Men may think it but a small Matter yet they may be mistaken if they are the true Sayings of God blessed are they that read and hear them Chap. 1.3 and this new Jerusalem is no other then the Bride the Lambs Wife as is clear from Rev. 21.2 compar'd with ver 10. But it may be some with say t is impossible for Souls coming down from Heaven after their Bodies have been raised from the Dead and Bodies and Souls united together to live on Earth and converse amongst Men who are in a State of Mortality But that may be possible which to us may seem impossible for with God all Things are possible Mat. 19.26 And we know CHRIST did so after his Resurrection forty Days together and doubtless Moses and Elias both in Souls and Bodies appeared to some of the Apostles Mat. 17.3 and they took great Delight and Contentment therein And why then may not the raised Saints be so represented as to have and hold a holy and heavenly Correspondence with Men on Earth appearing and disappearing at Pleasure even as Christ did before he ascended Again why not raised Saints as well as Angels who appeared both to Abraham and Lott Gen. 18.2 19.1 as Men with human Bodies eating of such Things as were set before them yea CHRIST himself after his Resurrection is said to eat a Piece of a broiled Fish and of an Honey Comb Luk. 24.42 Thus having written already something of the next or second Coming of Christ of the first Resurrection of the new Jerusalem and several Things to come I shall in the next Place write something of GOG MAGOG who by the Instigation of the Devil shall be gathered together at the End of the 1000 Years to engage in a War against the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City mentioned Rev. 20.9 And here we shall enquire first who this God and Magog may be and whether this Gog and Magog mentioned by John be the same of whom Ezekiel speaks Chap. 38 and 39. The Scripture indeed speaks of Magog who was one of the Sons of Japhet Gen. 10.2 1 Chron. 1.5 but I do not remember it speaks of Gog until the Time of the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 38.3 where he is mentioned as the chief Prince of Meshech and Tuball Neither do I remember that ever I read or heard of any one Nation that ever were called by that Name and therefore I think they are a Compound of many Nations represented to us by that Name both by Ezekiel and John as will appear by comparing Ezekiel 38.5 6 with Rev. 20.8 they were such as the Prophets of old had spoken of ver 17 by some other Name The next Thing to be enquired into is whether this God and Magog mentioned by Ezekiel be the same which the Apostle John speaks of Rev 20. For clearing of this we may consider first the Time when these Enemies of God and of his Church shall appear in Arms and 2dly with or against whom they shall engage and 3dly the Occasion or moving Cause thereof First for the Time and here we must understand that Gog and Magog spoken of by Ezekiel are to be Contemporaries with the Jews either at the Time or not long after their Return to their own Land as appears by the whole Story Chap. 38. 39 to which the Reader is referred 2dly The Persons against whom they are to engage in this War and they are principally the Nation of the Jews tho' it may be not only with them 3dly the Occasion or moving Cause and that seems to be either the Weakness of that Nation at this Time as not being yet settled in their own Land or their Security or both as ver 11 but it was chiefly to spoil them or to make a Prey of them as ver 12. And now let us consider whether these Characters will agree with that Gog and Magog spoken of before Rev. 20. First as to the Time of this War the one being at or not long after the Return of the Jews to their own Land Preparation thereunto will be under the pouring out of the 6th Vial and the other will not be till the End of the Thousand Years and after the loosing of Satan out of the bottomless Pit. 2dly One will engage principally against the Jewish Nation but the other will be against the whole Church of God consisting both of Jews and Gentiles represented to us under the Name and Notion of the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City 3dly As to the Occasion of this War viz. the Weakness of this People or their Security or both or to take or make a Spoil of them in the one but no such Thing is hinted nor can be supposed concerning the other But that which will put all out of doubt that this Gog Magog mentioned by Ezekiel is not the same spoken of by John is this in the one we have a Prophesy of a Battle a great Battle and such as was never heard of before in the World but in the other no Battle at all no Stroak struck on either Side for when once this great Battle is over they shall learn War no more Swords must be turned to Plow Shears and Spears to pruning Hooks when God shall judge the Nations and rebuke many People Isai 2.4 In further Prosecution of the Matter proposed to be spoken to we shall find that the Scripture makes mention of three great Battles which are yet future or it may be one Battel foretold in three several Places of Scripture viz. by two Prophets and one Apostle viz. by Joel Ezekiel and John and it is called by John Rev. 16.14 the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty Somewhat of this Battel hath been spoken of before Page 17 to which the Reader is referred I shall speak a little more of it here You have been told there of the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World being gathered together we tell you now t is GOD that gathereth them together Joel 3.2 I will gather all Nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and Ezekiel 38.16 speaking concerning Gog and Magog God saith I will bring thee against my Land and so Rev. 16.16 He gathered them into a Place called Armageddon for so I am told the Word may be rendered Again they all three declare that this Warlike Assembly will be principally against the Jews
4 that is remaining to the Saints and People of God. When Persecution ceased the Churches had Rest Act. 9.31 Much more might be written to show that the next or second Coming of Christ will be long before the general Judgment but let this suffice And now let us consider further what Christ will do at this his next Coming He will appear personally and visibly as hath been shewed And as he went Act. 1 he will come with the same Glory as when he comes to the general Judgment sitting on a Throne as a King And he comes with Ten Thousand of his Saints Jud. 14 comes and all his Saints with him Zec. 12. And the first Thing that Christ will do when he comes he will raise up the dead Saints or some of them and this is called the first Resurrection Rev. 20.4 And here we must know that there is a first Resurrection and there is a last Resurrection and that there is a first or inchoate Judgment and there is a last or ultimate Judgment which the Scripture speaks of and it will fall in naturally to speak of them both together And the Apostle 1 Cor. 15 speaking largely of the Resurrection doth imply a priority and a posteriority of the Resurrection ver 23 where 't is said Christ the first Fruit afterwards they that are Christ's at his Coming But what Coming to the general Judgment No but long before that Time For at the general Judgment not only them that are Christ's shall be raised but all that are in Graves small and great all that are in the Sea or in Hell all must appear before his judgment-Seat 2 Cor. 5 the Bad as well as Good and therefore there is a Resurrection of some before that Time. Besides the Apostle says every one should be made alive in his own Order Christ was the first Fruit above 1600 Years ago afterwards will be the Saints or some of them at his Coming AFTERWARDS for so is the Word in the Original as I have been informed cometh the End. What End Not only the End of the Thousand Years but the End of the World as to the present State of it and then as I conceive will be the last Resurrection and the general Judgment After the End of which the Kingdom shall be delivered to God even the Father and God shall be all in all The Sum is that as there is a long intervall of Time between the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of those that are Christ's at his Coming so more than a few Hours or Years will be between the Resurrection of these and the last Resurrection and so much doth the Word Order import and imply a Distance of Time there being no mention made that I know of of any Rising of any at Christ's second Coming but of those that are his And if this be not the Meaning of this Scripture I know not what is The next Scripture we shall mention to this Purpose is that so much controverted Place Rev. 20.4 John in a Vision saw the Souls of them that were beheeded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor received his Mark in their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a Thousand Years but the REST of the Dead lived not again till the Thousand Years were finished So that t is plain by this Text that some shall rise a Thousand Years before others and that is here called the first Resurrection But because most Men think that this is not to be understood of a bodily Resurrection but of a spiritual Resurrection in Regeneration let us enquire what the Scripture saith to this Point and what may be said in Answer to those that are of that Opinion And here t is readily granted that Regeneration in Scripture is called Resurrection but this seems not to be the Resurrection here meant but this Resurrection is rather to be understood of a bodily Resurrection and that it cannot be meant of Regeneration for these Reasons First Regeneration or this spiritual Resurrection did begin shortly after Man's Fall and hath continued ever since and shall to the End of the World but the first Resurrection here spoken of did not begin so early as Adam's Fall but is to begin with the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign therefore Regeneration is not the Resurrection spoken of Again Secondly They were the Souls of Men already beheaded which John saw and their Resurrection did follow their Death and not go before it and t was never known that ever any Man was regenerate after Death and therefore by Resurrection here cannot be meant Regeneration Again Thirdly If by Resurrection here be meant Regeneration it would follow that many of the Saints should rise many Hundred Years before their Reign there being no less Time between their Calling or Regeneration and the beginning of Christ's Kingdom or the Thousand Years of the Saints Reign Again Fourthly If by Resurrection be meant Regeneration how can it be that they should reign immediately after their Resurrection or Regeneration or begin their Reign all at once or continue it but a Thousand Years Or if any should say this Reign is the Saints reigning with CHRIST in Heaven such must know that t is on Earth Rev. 5.10 And if it were in Heaven it would be more than a Thousand Years And besides after the Thousand Years there will be an Attempt of War Rev. 20. but no Enemy was ever so bold as to engage in a War in Heaven And thus we may see what lamentable Consequences if not Absurdities will follow upon such Metaphorical or Allegorical Exposition of Scripture where a literal Interpretation is not contrary to the Analogy of Faith. The next Scripture we shall take Notice of is John 5.25.28 The Hour cometh and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live ver 25. We are not ignorant that this Scripture as well as that of Rev. 20 is by many if not most understood of such who are dead in Sin who shall hear the Voice of Christ in the Ministry of the Gospel and shall live spiritually or be regenerate But whether this be the Meaning or at least the proper Meaning of the Apostle in this Text we shall Enquire And here if we view the Context we shall find that Christ speaks of raising the Dead in a proper Sense ver 21 and of Judgment to come in a proper Sense ver 22. 27. And the Occasion of this Discourse was the Cure of the impotent Man at which the Jews were offended and did therefore persecute Jesus and sought to slay him ver 16. Christ tells them they should see greater Works than these that they might marvell ver 20. he tells them that the Hour was coming and now is when the Dead should hear his Voice and live as if Christ should say do ye marvel that I have healed
the Sound of the 7th Trumpet t is said then that the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ By this Time you will understand what Christ meant John 18 when he said his Kingdom was not of this World and indeed he himself tells us in the following Words but NOW is my Kingdom not from hence as if Christ should say I am a King and shall have a Kingdom but not now not in this World but in the World to come For we must know that there are more Worlds then one there was the old World which was drowned and there is this present evil World and as the old World was drowned and the Wicked in it were generally tho' not universally destroyed by Water so will this present World and the Wicked that are therein tho' not all be destroyed by Fire 2 Pet. 3.7 as hereafter we shall endeavour to shew After which there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness a new Face of Things a new World and this is called by the Apostle Heb. 2.5 the World to come when all Things must be put in Subjection to Christ ver 8. And this is the World in which will be or which is Christ's Kingdom And now to speak a little to this Point about THE END OF THIS WORLD and the BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO COME and see what the Scripture speaks to it In 2 Pet. 3.7 the Apostle tells us that the Heavens the Earth which are NOW are reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment or as some render it a Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly Men. And this cannot be meant of the ultimate Judgment because after this there will not only be a new Heaven but a new Earth also wherein dwelleth Righteousness that is righteous Men and that they shall build Houses and plant Vineyards and eat the Fruit of them Isai 65.21 yea and worship God with external Worship from one Sabbath to another and that not for a little While but these new Heavens and new Earth are to remain Chap. 66.22 But what then may we think will become of the old Heaven and the old Earth Will they not still have a Being For answer hereunto we must understand that the Apostle in the forementioned Chap doth make a Parallel between the Destruction of the old world and the World that now is that as the old World was destroyed by Water so will this World be by Fire properly so called as to that which is to be destroyed For as in the old World there was not an Annihilation of any Thing nor were all Men nor all the Brute-Creatures Destroyed nor were the empyrean or starry Heavens then touched and therefore t is only the aerial Heavens with what is contained in them which are the Furniture of them or what moves in the Air that will be the Subject of this Burning and it may be that which the Apostle means by Elements melting with fervent Heat which distinguisheth from the Heavens for it cannot be that the Elements properly so called should melt with fervent Heat the Water not being capable of burning or melting the Fire is that which burns all Things and therefore not to be burned and for the Earth as it was not destroyed by the Flood tho' much defaced so neither will it be destroyed by Fire so as not to be but this Fire shall rather be for the Restoration of it than the Destruction of it as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Psal 102.6 But that the Earth shall have a habitable Being after the End of the Thousand Years is clear from Rev. 20.8 the Devil shall go forth to deceive the Nations that are in the four Quarters of the Earth and ver 9 they went accordingly upon the Breadth of the Earth but it may be some may think that this Burning of the World will be at or after the general Judgment but for ought I know it may be otherwise for then the Heaven and the Earth is said to fly away from the Face of him that sat on the Throne to judge the World and it hath been before shewed that after this Burning there will be a new Earth as well as a new Heaven And who can tell but that this may be the Time when that shall be fulfilled Act. 2.19 20 when there shall be Blood and Fire and Vapours of Smoak so as the Sun shall be darkened with it and the Moon appear as Blood as we have lately seen in this Country Vapours of Smoak have caused them so to appear for that was to be in the last Days and we do not know that ever this hath been accomplished and that this is not at the general Judgment but before is clear out of Joel 2.32 For at this very Time when this shall come to pass and the World shall be burned some shall be delivered for in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall be Deliverance and the Lord hath said it ver 32. The Sum is that at the beginning of the Thousand Years there will be a great Destruction of the Wicked of the World as hath been before shewed and this will be by Fire as the Wicked of the old World were destroyed by Water and the Apostle Peter saith expresly this Fire is for the Perdition of ungodly Men. Paul also tells us that Christ will be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire to take Vengeance on wicked Men 2 Thes 1.8 But more clear Isai 66.15 For behold the Lord will come with Fire and render his Anger with Fury and his Rebukes with Flames of Fire for by Fire and by Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh and the Slain of the Lord shall be many But what then may we think will become of good Men and the irrational Creatures at this Time when the world shall be in a Flame how shall they be saved Indeed this is a Question too hard for me or any Man else to determine neither do I know that it is revealed in the Scripture yet for Resolution of this I propound to Consideration First That when the World was destroyed by Water t is possible some good Men might perish in that Destruction who seeing that Deluge coming on the World might repent and so have their Souls saved and if so why may not some good Men be taken away in this general Destruction by Fire as to their Bodies and be raised to Heaven as Elias was in fiery Chariots and their Souls be saved But Secondly tho' we do not know how they shall be saved yet the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of Temptation when the Unjust shall be reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 and we know that Faith hath quenched the Violence of Fire Heb. 11.34 and that the Fire that burnt up the most mighty Men that were in Nebuchadnezzar's Army Dan. 3.20 had no Power over