Adom but is to begin after the Armageddon battel which will be the last and fatal blow whereby the Beast and false Prophet shall be for ever cashiered out of the world and last a thousand years and no longer Ergo this resurrection is not regeneration 3. He that hath part in the first resurrection shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years but no regenerate man did ever live so long in a state of regeneration Ergo regeneration cannot be meant by this resurrection 4 No man is regenerate after death but the men that were beheaded did live and reign with Christ a thousand years after they were beheaded Ergo this life and reign cannot be meant of regeneration 5 The men that were beheaded c. are not any of them excluded from reigning with Christ a thousand years but if the first resurrection be meant of regeneration then begin the account when you will and many shall be excluded To instance suppose we begin at the death of Steven Acts. 7. who was the first that was slain for the witnesse of Jesus and the Word of God The thousand years were then ended about six hundred years ago and all that were beheaded since are excluded from reigning with Christ a thousand years Or suppose we begin with Constantine as many desire the thousand years were then ended about three hundred years ago and so they that were beheaded before the days of Constantine are excluded from the thousand years and they that have been beheaded since in the last three hundred years are excluded also Ergo. 6. He that hath a part in the first resurrection hath a share in the thousand years whether he were beheaded or no as appears ver 6. before mentioned but they that were regenerate before the death of Christ had a part in the first resurrection if we understand it of regeneration and yet they had no part in the thousand years because they were dead before And they that have been regenerated since the thousand years are supposed to be ended had also a part in the first resurrection i e in regeneration yet they had no share in the thousand years because they are supposed to be ended before they were regenerate Ergo 7 If the first resurrection be meant of a Spiritual resurrection then when it is said that the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were ended That must be meant of a spiritual resurrection too for the words they lived not again ver 5 are opposed to the words they lived ver 4. and so consequently to the first resurrection as is proved before But this latter clause is not meant of a Spiritual resurrection for then the rest of the dead should be regenerate when the thousand years are ended and then none should be for ever damned which most exactly contradicts the Text Rev. 20.15 Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire Ergo no spiritual but a corporal resurrection is meant If by the word Donec until we understand nunquam never as some would have it this is contrary to the Scripture too For when it is said ver 3. Satan shall deceive the Nations no more until the thousand years be fulfilled the meaning is he should them not deceive while the thousand years continued but should have liberty to deceive them afterwards So when it is said the rest of the dâ—ad lived not again until the thousand years wâ—re finished the meaning must of necessiâ—y be they lived not again whise the thousand years continued but are to live again when the thousand years are ended but then they are not to live again by a Spiritual resurrection therefore that is not the meaning of the words but the meaning is they shall live again in a bodily resurrection But if this latter clause be meant of a bodily resurrection then the former clause where it is said the souls of them that were beheaded lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years is meant of a bodily resurrection quod erat demonstrandum But thus I have done with that first misunderstanding of this Text to understand it of regeneration which I confess I le not for these and other reasons how it can be Neither yet can it be meant of a life of of Glory in Heaven as some others would have it For John was not called to Heaven to see things to be done there but to see things there to be done on Earth Rev. 4 1. A door was opened in Heaven and he called to come up for what end to see things that must be hereafter Where in Heaven No! but on Earth see Rev 6.1 2 3. And all done on Earth Those things that were represented to John in Heaven shall be done on Earâ—h As the Vision of the Woman and the great red Dragon represented to him in Heaven but fulfilled on the Earth There is not one instance can be given of any thing in the Revelation that is to be fulfilled in Heaven except the Text do express it so to be which it doth not here for the Apocalyps is a Revelation of things to be fulfilled on Earth Besides it cannot be meant of a life in Heaven because many of those who were killed have lived this life before these thousand years and the life in Heaven is not a life to end when these thousand years are ended Nor can that life be called a living again or a resurrection for that life and happiness of the Saints is not the restoring of a life lost but the enâ—oyment and possession of a New life It is therefore a Corporal life which at length the life from the dead after the final destruction to the Beast and false Prophet in the day of Christs second coming which will be the time of the resurrection first of the first and secondly of of the second The reign of these souls that is of the dead now living as soon as ever they are united to their bodys will be a raign upon Earth as plainly appears Rev 5.1 â— And hast made us Kings and Pâ—iests unto God and we shall reign on the EARTH Either then this shall be on the Earth or else the four and twenty Elders were mistaken in their doxologie Now what is there said in terminis is here in this 20 chapter said to be fuâ—filled ver 4. and 6. They lived and reign-with Christ a thousand years and they shall reign with him a thousand years which cannot be meant as I said of Heaven after the day of Judgement for that is longer then a thousand years nor of the Kingdom of Heaven before the day of Judgement for that also is more then a thousand years but of a Kingdom they shall have on Earth as the words plainly shew in the fore cited Text Rev. 5 1â— Besides that this Kingdom and the Saints reign shall be on Earth may be gathered from two things in the Text which offer themselves to leave this
14.12 That man lieth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep If this be so how can this Doctrine of the Millennium hold good Answ 1 This Text is to be understood of the ordinary course of Gods Providence man lieth down and riseth not in the ordinary course of Gods Providence till the Heavens be no more but if God will have Lazarus the Widows son and others raised before by a power extraordinary this text of Scripture doth not contradict or say against it but this comes not close to our purpose 2. This Text of Scripture is to be understood of a Resurrection to this present life As we may see it more plainly expressed Job 7.9.10 He that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more i.e. to the enjoyment of this present life and possessions for he adds he shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more He shall not return as Lazarus did to live again a natural life after his resurrection and die again But the resurrection we speak of in this place is to another life and they that have a part in it do not die again as Lazarus did nor do they live a natural or mortal life as he did but are as the Angels of God in Heaven as Christ tells us Mat. 22 30 3. Till the Heavens be no more is as much in other language as till the day of Judgment in which sense it is true man lies down and riseth not till the day of Judgment Now the first resurrection is not till the day of judgment but at the beginning of it or in the morning thereof And the second resurrection at the latter end of it or in the evening of it when the thousand years are finished Again till the Heavens be no more i.e. till these Heavens be no more for we look for new Heavens and a new Earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Object 3 It will be disadvantageous to the Saints in Heaven to be fetched out of Heaven out of blisse to be brought down to the Earth into the world again Answ 1 If the souls in Heaven were in perfect blâ—sse this were somwhat to the purpose But though they be in Heaven yet they are not in perfect blisse as they shall be when the day of Judgment shall be ended And to omit other things there is a twofold imperfection of the blessed souls now in Heaven 1. There is an imperfection in respect of number there wants the full and compleat number of Gods Elect Heb. 11 ult that they without us should not be made perfect 2. There is imperfection ratione totius compositl i.e. in respect of the whole composition the body which is a part of the whole man is yet in corruption ergo that while there is imperfection viz. a part wanting Answ 2 If therefore the bodies of the Saints were in Heaven as well as their souls this were somthing but though their souls be in Heaven yet their bodies as I said before are in a state of corruption in the grave till the resurrection and can it be any disadvantage for them to come and take their bodies or stay on earth till the great Judgment be finished 3. If the souls of the Saints were to live again in their mortal bodies subject to calamities as the body of Lazarus was then this objection were somthing but their bodies shall be sinlesse sorrowlesse tearlesse and immortal These I think cannot be any way disadvantageous to them 4. If they were to be on earth without Christ this were somthing But the text saith they live and reign Wâ—TH Christ and they shall not be absent from him one moment Rev 20.4.6 Yea we shall saith the Apostle 1 Thes 4.17 be ever with the Lord. And what disadvantage can it be to be with Iesus Christ 5. If Happinesse were affixed to Heaven that it could be no where else there were some strength in this objection But Christs transfiguration tells us that Happiness may be had with Christ on earth Mat. 17.14 So we read 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Which is not meant of Heaven only but of this heavenly time on earth also to be within the thousand years 6. Lastly if Heaven it self as it is a place would make men happy and earth as a place would make men miserable then this were somwhat But alas Heaven as a place makes not any soul happy but as God is there and manifests his glory there with comfort to the soul The earth makes not any man miserable meerly as a place but because Satan is there and sin is there and wicked men are there as tares among wheat and Christ is not there But if Satan were bound and cast into the bottomless pit and if wicked men be removed from among the Church and Christ remove his Court from Heaven to earth as in the thousand years he will then the case will be altered and earth will becom a Paradise and as happy a place to the Saints as Heaven is now These things being considered conjunctim or together what disadvantage will it be to the souls of the Saints to live in their sinlesse sorrowlesse joyful immortal bodies with the Lord ' Jesus Christ Object 4 The Scripture seems to tell us plainly that all the dead both good and bad shall be raised in one houre in the last day in the same moment in the twinâ—kling of an eye there cannot then be a thousand years distance between the one and the other for all the dead are said to rise in one houre Iohn 5.28 29. The houre is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth they that have done good unto theresurrection of life And they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Iohn 11.24 I know that he shall rise again in theresurrection at the last day And Iohn 6.40 I will raise him up at the last day So 1 Cor. 15.52 In a moment in the twinkling of aneye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised c. Answ 1 We are to put a difference between an hour in general and an houre in special Now what is an houre in general but time in general and what is an houre in special but the twenty fourth part of a natural day and when our Saviour saith the houre is coming he doth not mean the last of these but the first the time is coming in the compasse whereof all that are in the Graves shall come forth c. they that have done good to the resurrection of life in the morning of the day of Judgment or the beginning of the thousand years and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation in the evening of the
words that we may come as near their sense and meaning as possibly we can I shall endeavor to explain and make clear these three things following viz. 1. What Thrones and what Judgment is here meant what must we understand by them 2. What are the Souls of those that were beheaded and worshipped not the Beast c 3. What is their life and reign with Christâ— thousand years Qu. 1 What Thrones and what Judgment is here meant or what must we understand by them Answ Let us observe the words in the original which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the right understanding of these words two things are to be premised which are these next following 1. That these Thrones are set for the Conquerours of the Beast and false Prophet For it is expresly said they sate upon them and Judgment was given to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely to them of whom mention is made in the 14th verse of the foregoing chapter For to suppose the words they sate upon them to relate only to the following words the souls of them that were beheaded is to place the relative before any antecedent The Thrones therefore are set for them who descended from Heaven with Christ to make war against the Beast and false prophet Rev. 19 14 And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean For these and not others are next mentioned whom he had before more clearly described Rev. 17 1â— These namely the ten Kings who have given their power to the Beast shall make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcom them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful for these that come with the Lamb and war with the Lamb are these Thrones set 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgment here is the same and signifies the same with the word reâ—gn or Kingdom for it immediately follows and they reigned Which Kingdom is in this place given to the Saints after the destruction of the Beast Antichrist And it is the same Kingdom which Daniel speaks before handled The Thrones therefore here set are the Thrones in which the Saints shall sit at the second coming of Christ at the final destruction of Antichrist And judgment is that Kingdom which the Saints shall then obtain not a horary oâ— diary properly so called But a Millenary upon earth as the text plainly and totidem verbis expresseth to be perpetuated in Heaven afterwards to all eternity after the last Judgment properly and strictly taken which shall be the last effect of this Kingdom on earth consisting in the final justification of the just and absolution of the faithful and in the final reprobation and condemnation of the wicked and ungodly Of these Thrones and of this Judgment Christ speaks Mat 19.28 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So Luke 22.29.30 I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Where in the former Text by twelve Thrones all the Thrones are meant but they are called twelve in reference to the twelve Apostles in whom are represented the multitude of the faithful judging and reigning As Austin well noteth in his 20th Book de Civitate Dei cap. 5. For of all the faithful the Apostle Paul speaks 2 Cor. 6.2 Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World that is govern the same And lastly John in the Revelation Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne But thus we see what Thrones and what Judgment is here meant The next Question which was proposed follows which is Qu. 2 What is meant by the Souls of them that were beheaded Answ The words in the Original run thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be added or supplied And so do all Interpreters and some do repeat them as the Arabick vidi animas And I saw the soules of them thaâ— were beheaded He saw sitting on Thrones the souls of them that were beheaded Now here let the Reader weigh these particulars following for the right understanding of these words viz. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soules are here put for the dead The Souls of them that were beheaded is the same with the dead that were beheaded Animae percussorum idem sint quod mortui percussi And this interpretation is manifest from the opposite clause or sentence Caeteri mortuorum the rest of the dead lived not again and therefore the first are considered as dead Animae in sacris literis non tantum personas sed cadavera denotat saith Mede Souls in Sacred Wriâ— denotes not only persons but dead bodies Sâ— in the Hebrew Text souls are often taken for the dead Amongst those many places where they are so taken see a place or two Levit. 21.1 There shall none of the sons of Aaron be defiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro anima in populis suis for the soul for the dead saith our English among his people So Levit. 19. ver 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incisionem pro anima non dobitis in carne vestra ye shall make no cuttings in your flesh for the soul dead So Psal 16.10 Thou shalt not leave my soul in Hell i. e. me dead in the grave 2. These souls are those very souls that did cry under the Altar for the avenging of theiâ— blood and waited for the redemption of their bodies Rev. 6.9 10. which appears not only from the Anaphorical Article here twice repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illas animas illorum the very souls of them but chiefly from the identical description of those souls Apoc. 6 â—0 And these here Apoc. 20 4. Souls of them that were slain in the former text Souls of them that were beheaded in this viz. the Martyrs of the first period under the Dragon 3. Now to these souls are adâ—oyned also the souls of those that did not worship the Beast nor receive his mark who also for this cause refusing to do it were killed Rev. 13.15 The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where after the Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must necessarily be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the men whosoever had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image souls and men are here joyned quasi termini convertibiles and those and these both taken in And lest we should doubt here to be fulfilled what was mentioned Rev. 6.9.10 To
those very souls was promised after the number of these Martyrs should be compleated what they cry for and is here fulfilled should be done v. 11. And it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season till their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled The expression here is very curious and such as is worthy diligently to be minded for the Holy Ghost hath here linked together souls and men to shew that by those souls he meant men as also the faithful of the second period with the first to shew that both shall live and reign with Christ now in this third period 4. By the name of Martyrs also by a Synecdoche are here understood all the faithful dead in Christ who here and often elsewhere especially in the Prophets are decribed as it were killed for Christ Whence also they are wont to be called Christs dead body Esay 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise So Paul writes of all the faithful Rom 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter And of all the faithful it is spoken Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in or for the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea more those whom Paul had called dead in Christ 1 Thes 4.16 And the dead in Christ shall rise first A little before viz. verse 14. He had called them dead for Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per vel propter Christum who sleep through or for Jesus Hence he is not only said to come with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all Jude 14. with ten thousand times ten thousand Dan. 7.10 But also with ALL his Saints Zac. 14.5 And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnes Sancti tecum Christe vel tecum pro cum eo Hebraeo more So that as I said by the name of Martyrs or slain all the faithful dead in Christ are here understood All the Saints come with him 5. Certainly all the faithful are in very deed killed for Christ and therefore Martyrs if not in the thing done or in the effect yet at least in affection and firm purpose of minde Therefore Christ saith Luke 14.26 If any man come to me non odit animam suam and doth not hate his own life i. e in comparison of me and if ever I and it come in competition be willing to lay it down for me he cannot be my disciple To conclude then by Souls reigning with Christ are meant all the faithful dead in Christ Concerning whom the Apostle Paul thus speaks 2 Tim. 2.11 12. If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with him unto which words John seems to have respect here when he saith They lived and reigned with Christ But so that brings me and I come next to the handling of the third thing proposed Qu 3 What is this life and reign of the Saints with Christ a thousand years Answ The Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years And they shall reign with him a thousand years This life of the souls of them that were beheaded seems to be no other then 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 no more to die the death of the body Certainly this life cannot be meant of life spiritual in opposition to death spiritual or death in sin because it is the life of those that were beheaded to whom it is not granted after death to rise from sin Besides lived here is all one with the Resurrection here spoken of v. 6. They lived that is they rose again to life Which that it is meant of a corporal and not of a spiritual Resurrection there are in the Text Arguments for the one and against the other And first these Arguments in the Text offer themselves for it viz. 1. Because John speaks of the souls of them that were beheaded that is of those that were slain or dead in body And he saith 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 Resurrection of the body Mat. 22.31 Mark 12.26 Acts 23.6 Acts 24.21 1 Cor. 15.12 But the first Resurrection is the Resurrection of the dead in bodys for it is the Resurrection of those that were beheaded Ergo it is of the body 2. The Text speaks of such a Resurrection wherein men live a thousand years after they be raised which cannot agree to any other life or resurrection but the life and resurrection of the body Ergo this resurrection is a bodily resurrection 3. Such a resurrection is meant as hapneth to the rest of the dead after the thousand years are ended who lived not again tiâ—l the thousand years were finished ver 5. which shall be of the body Ergo this resurrection is of the body also 4. The men that were beheaded must so live during the thousand years as the rest of the dead lived not all that whiâ—e But the rest of the dead lived all that while in soul separated from the body Therefore the men that were beheaded must live all that while in soul joyned to the body 5. The men that were beheaded must so live at the first resurrection as the rest of the dead shall at the second resurrection but the rest of the dead shall live in body and soul too at the second resurrection therefore the men that were beheaded shall live in body and soul too at the first resurrection But they cannot be said to live in their bodies unlesse they be raised from their graves therefore the first resurrection is of the body from the grave But thus we see that the Teâ—t it self affords us Arguments to prove that this resurrection is a corporal or bodily resurrection It will also secondly afford and yield arguments to prove that it is not a spiritual resurrection as 1. John was not called upon from Heaven to behold that which he and every Christian new before or to have Tautologies told him For if by resurrection should be meant regeneration as som would have it he knew and so did every Christian before that such were blessed And according to that interpretation the words sound no more but this Blessed and holy is he that hath part in holinesse which were but aharsh Tautologie 2. This spiritual resurrection did begin in Adom after his fall and hath continued ever since and shall to the worlds end But the first resurrection here spoken of did not begin in
second coming Luke 17.20 to the 26. 9. It seems altogether absurd for us to think that Christ should come in Glory and Majesty to the ordering and exercise of his Kingdom his Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.1 and presently the very same day give over his Kingdom again 1 Cor. 15 24. and so on delivering it up to the Father The King of such a Kingdom might not unfitly be compared to Jonas his Gourd which was a shade to his head and protected him from the heat so that he very much rejoyced in it but that joy was but a short joy for it sprung up in a day and it withered in a day What other men can I know not but I cannot think that the Lord Jesus Christ should descend from Heaven with all his Saints accompanied with glorious Angels enter upon his Kingom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I said before order it with judgement and justice executing righteousness in the Earth compose a glorious Metropolis of those sinless sorrowless joyful immortal Saints who descended and came with him from heaven and cause the rest who are godly in all the world who are called the Nations that are saved Rev. 21.24 For then there will be a very great and unparallelable conversion but yet in another state to walk in the light thereof and take their directions thence Will he thus make all things new and cause things old to pass away had the Saints an eye to look through all those sad and sharp calamities of a thousand and six or seven hundred years continuance unto this time as they do Rev. 5.10 did all the Prophets so esee and speak of these glorious times and things did the Apostles make so many queries and Christ so many promises referring to this time and state I say shall all this be and many things more that might he named and all but for a day and then to end I can never I freely confesse believe it 10. Because the Church is rightly divided into Militant and Triumphant but this triumphant is one Partial another Total one Inchoate another Consummate The faithful now triumph in heaven in respect of their souls they shall also triumph in respect of their bodies this triumph is inchoate here upon Earth and consummate in Heaven And so great is the affection and inclination of the blessed souls in Heaven unto their bodies to which they were united that they had rather be with them in some kind of conflict though then there will be none then without them in full and perfect triumph 11. Because they who interpret the precedent chapter viz. Rev. 19. of some begun destruction of Antichrist preceding Christs second coming but not of the full and final destruction of Antichrist at Christs second coming do flatly contradict the plain texts of Scripture Rev. 16.14 15. Rev. 17.14 Rev. 19.18.20 21. And do directly oppose themselves to all Orthodox Antiquity yea to Hierom and Aâ—stin themselves to whom they are wont every where to appeal even in this very controversie it self 12. Because this interpretation of the reign of the Martyrs or of the Saints â—or I take them for one and the same and of Christ upon Earth is no more incident to some Labyrinths and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then some other interpretations concerning the second and last resurrection judgement which opinion notwithstanding is no whit to be rejected because by Epicures and some Phylosophers and Stoicks and others that have alwaies been exploded as fabulous and false and are by many others derided as loaden especially as they think who have not well digested and studied it with many absurdities In so great a Mystery it will be sufficient to know the truth in the main and the matter in general and not curiously to tearch into the reason of every circumstance and punctilio The Matter is grounded upon the undeniable sequel of the b See Mede's clavis apochalyptica part 2 synchr 4.5.6.7 where the 1000. years are placed after the ruine of the beast and proved to follow it Apochalyptick order and consent of other Scriptures especially Prophetical which do most wonderfully confirm the same It is known to a Proverb that one fool may object more then ten wise men can presently answer yet I freely professe I finde this truth so plain si dere non de modo loquimur that I know not any thing that can be objected which admits not of a very fair and plain solution Those Objections therefore which are usually urged and may perchance be in the minds of some I shall with the readers good leave speak next to with all brevity Object 1 How can this principle hold good for doth not Christ tell us that his Kingdom is not of this world John 18.36 To this Objection I answer 1. That these words are to be understood of his first and not of his second coming 2. It is not of its world ratione originis in respect of the original but it is in the world in respect of place If my Kingdom saith our Saviour were of this world understand it as he there speaks it of that his first coming then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes but now is my Kingdom not from hence i.e. of this world as he said before Note also the word NOW now or at this time my Kingdom is not from hence or of this world 3. It is not of this world ratione conditionis in respect of its condition Thus the disciples and Christ himself were not of this world John 8.23 Ye are speaking of the carnal Jews from beneath I am from above ye are of this world I am not of this world John 15.19 If ye were of the world Christ speaks it to his disciples the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you So John 17.14 The world hateth them viz. the disciples of Christ because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world And they are not of the world quantùm ad affectionem mundanam as to worldly affection but they are in the world quantùm ad corporalem praesentiam as to corporal presence We say the like of Christs Kingdom est terrenum ratione loci Coeleste raâ—â—one conditionis it is earthly in respect of place it is heavenly in respect of condition place and condition are two things 4. It is not of THIS world so the words run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of the world that now is but of the world that is to come For the world that now is shall be changed and in that respect shall cease to be and another world shall be erected or come in place called in Scripture the world to come And in that world to come shall that Kingdom of Christ be Heb 2.5 and 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 21.1 Object 2 But it is said Job
A SOBER INQUIRY OR CHRISTS Reign With his Saints a Thousand YEARS Modestly Asserted from Scripture TOGETHER With the Answer of most of those Ordinary Objections which are usually urged to the contrary 1 THES 5.21 Prove all things Hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed in the Year 1660. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Courteous Reader WHen I first fell to the Study of Christs Kingdom upon Earth I did it with a Resolution to have done the quite contrary to what is done in this small Tract viz. To have opposed and confuted it But the more I studied the thing the less able I was to do what I intended At last I was convinced into a change of my opinion and my grounds of so doing I first upon his request communicated to a Reverend Minister now with the Lord only in a Letter himself and some other godly Brethren desired me a little more fully to set down in Writing what I had to say for it I did gratifie them in part so that one sheet of Paper swelled into five And having communicated the same sheets to some other pious and godly Brethren they cold me they would have it printed This I confess was beyond all my intentions but I durst not altogether reject their Requests only considering we live in a touchy Age I desired that I might write it over a third time that so if there were any thing which I could I might amend it this they willingly granted I did it it is now which was contrary to my resolution somwhat bigger then it was before yet have I been aâ— brief as well I could I have left out much that might be said I hope nothing is said that may be justly offensive to any I am very pâ—ain and familiar in speech for I thought that might be advantageous to the subject and not displease I am not covetous to urge my faith upon any only willing to give you an account of the publication of this small Piece If you say it is not worthy the light I confess I always thought so yet I submitted to those that were of another opinion and at this time you are intreated to 〈◊〉 so too And let me beg one thing at your hands viz. not to think that I differ more from many godly learned Divines then indeed I do Some agree with mâ— some do not those that do not differ not so much as you it may be may think The agreement and difference lies thus 1. We are all agreed that Jesus Christ will come personally corporally and visibly from Heaven to Earth at the day of Judgment So he ascended therefore so he shall descend as we have â—t Acts 1.11 So Job 19.25 He shall stand at the latter day on the Earth In this I think we are all agreed 2 We are all I think agreed that when Christ thus comes he will bring with him the souls of all his Saints according to that Zach 14 5. the Lord my God shall come and all his Saints with thee 1 Thes 3.13 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints 3. We all agree that their bodies shall be immediately raised out of their Graves and the soul and body joyned and united together and that though the soul continues remains and is in Heaven without the body yes on earth it shall not be so 4. We all agree that when it is thus raised it is raised in glory 1 Cor. 15.42 in incorruption in power a spiritual body Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Not thence forth â—ubject any more to sin or sorrow to mutation or mortality to the want of meat or drink or clothing or houses or marriage or any other comfort but shall be as the Angels Matth. 22.30 5. We all I think agree further that this resurrection of the Saints shall be some time before the resurrection of the wicked that they shall have the preheminence and be the fiâ—st in order and time I say nothing now how long but all agree they shall be fiâ—st and the wicked shall not rise till some time less or more afterward See 1 Cor. 15 23 24 〈◊〉 Thes 4.16 the dead in Christ shall rise first Rev 20 4 5 6. 6. We all agree also that the Lord Jesus Christ will be some time in judging the world that he will not huddle all over in a moment but he will make some stay on the earth and that as though he hath no need of time he took a sâ—ace of time in creating the world so he will take some spâ—ce of time on earth to do what he will then do viz besides the question in hand to judge and conclude all things in 7. And all of us I think are agreed in this also that while Christ stayes on the Earth let it be longer or lesser time the Saints also must stay and not go to Heaven from the Earth until Christ goes and carrys them up with him 8. And all will grant that it must needs be a very glorious time while it lasts when Christ shall have removed his Court from Heaven to Earth and be in his glory attended with Angels invironed with all his Saints who are also all of them in their glory O! how can such a time be while it lasts less then a glorious time all things will be new 9. Lastly the onely difference will be in the time how long this day of Judgement or Kingdom of Christ or Reign of the Saints or Millennium call it what you will shall last I conceive and so do many whose Books I am not worthy to carry after them that it will last a thousand years and for the proof of that these following Pages are offered But if those of another minde will point another time and prove it it shall very well please me who am I hope and ever shall be as willing to hear as to speak to learn as teach And so intreating thee courteous Reader to pardon whatsoever thou seest in me amisse I humbly beg thy prayers to God for me and if that were any thing worth I will not fail thee in mine who always desire to be though worthless a servant to Christ and thy soul I. F. ERRATA Reader thou art desired to take notice of the faults in printing and to amend with thy pen at least so many as either troble the sense or may cause he sitation PAge 5. line 17 read Amongst p. 13. l 3. read these p. 14 l. 13 r. principia p. 18. l. 5. adde make this p. 22. l. 5. there and so all along the Hebrew is without points which in the Copy was pointed p. 24. l. 20 r. fits p. 37. l. 7. r. break p. 43. l. 9. r. speaks of p. 5â— l. 2 r. I le not p. 56. l. 1. r. of the beast p. 60. l. 10. r. what is it to p. 90. l. 23. adde wrested to The Rise and Ruine of Antichrist
Now in the days of this fourth Roman and Western Monarchy there shall be a stone cut out without hands Dan. 2.34 36. which shaâ—l first ruine these Kingdoms it smote the Image on the feet that were of iron and clay vers 34. and so swallowed up the whole Image all the foregoing Monarchies were brought under it and by it to nothing ver 35. and it became a Monarchy over the whole Earth wherever any of the former Monarchies had ruled ver 35. that is as it is explained ver 44 45. a Kingdom which that Stone shall obtain set up by the God of Heaven And whereas the other Monarchies were erected by men on earth though permitted by God this Kingdom or Monarchy shall swallow up in it all foregoing Monarchies and that by no humane means or policy for it was without hands or not in hand that is not of man but a divine work every way and it shall reach and swallow up not only the feet and toes but the legs of brass the breast and armes of silver the head of gold Dan. 2.34 35. that is all Kingdoms and States that were from first to last under any of the Monarchies shall be swallowed up by and come under this And this is a fifth Monarchy which shall arise in the World after the former four which is to be understood of a state of Christs Kingdom here upon earth as appears 1 Because it is called a Stone as Christ is the Stone which the Builders refused yet is becom the Head of the Corner 1 Pet. 2.3 to 8. And fills the whole Earth ver 35. 2. 't is a Stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui non ect in manibus which is not in hand or not cut out with hands because by God immediately without humane help this Kingdom shall be reared up 3. It s duration that it shall last for ever shews it is meant of Christs Kingdom no people shall swa low it up as they have done all other Monarchies the Babylonian was left to the Medes and Persians and this to the Grecians and the Grecians to the Romans but this shall be left to none but shall be for ever Dan. 2.44 that is to the Worlds end It is left to no other Kingdom for at the Worlds end when Christ delivers it up he delivers it not to any other people but to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 ¶ The next text we may look into and as it were the eldest daughter of these already handled is that 20th chapter of the Revelation of which I shall speak a little more largely wrapping in many other Scriptures handling the fame thing with it Where first we have ver 1. the Lord Jesus Christ descending and coming down from Heaven in those words I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand This Angel is Christ called Michail Rev. 12.7 who destroys the works of the Devil and is stronger then he to bind him and cast him out of the aire into the pit It is he that conquered him upon his white Horse who went forth Rev. 6.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut vinceret that he might conquer He cast him down to the earth Rev. 12.8 He defeated him in his Lieutenant the Eeast He hath the Keyes of Hell and Death and his regal power and authority is norably set out by the Emblem of a great chain in his hand And here he doth three things unto him 1. He apprehends him he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan He layes hold upon him by his power and gripes him as one in fury The Description of the Dragon here and chap. 12. v. 9. is one and the same to shew that it is the same Devil that there was cast into the earth and now by this descending Angel the Lord Jesus Christ is cast into the pit 2. He binds him the term of his bondage being expressed and bound him he ties him up from his former liberty and chains him as men do desperate dogs or mastiffs and that for a long time And bound him a thousand years 3. Imprisons him the place where is in the bottomless pit that is an Abyss which he before feared Luke 8.31 they besought him that he would not command them to go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the deep or pit as it is here the original word is one and the same And the Manner how was very securely he shut him up and set a Seal upon him As sometimes it was with Daniel in the Lions den Dan. 6.17 And with Christs body in the Sepulchre Matth. 27. ult which shews the certainty and fulnesse of this restraint and the compleat power and superiority of the Angel over him who shall no more suffer Satan this thousand years to range abroad and to disturb the Reign of Christ and his people and to do mischief as before being fast shut and locked up in prison he shall neither use his former violence nor subtilties Lastly the end of all this is that he should deceive the Nations no more which I conceive is not to be understood absolutely and simply as if he should not have any liberty to deceive any man living as some would have it but with respect to such extent and successe as before he shall not now prosper in his designes and attempts And it signifies a new and further restraint beyond that in Rev. 12. where he was cast down to the earth when he was cast down from open heathenism and open persecution as a Dragon under that notion he was cast out of the Church yet he did begin presently to try a new way and that not without success For as before he had made the world mad in their heathenism so now he makes them mad in idolatries and superstitions substituting the Beast in his room and place giving him his power and seat and great authority Rev. 13.2 And causing that all both small and great rich and poor free and bound should receive a mark in their hands or forehead else they should not have the liberty to buy or sell pray or preach traffick or trade with any But now he shall be bound from that liberty of deluding the Nations any more either by his Paganisme as he did in the first period or by superstition and idolatry as in the second Neither yet shall he tempt them any more so as to disquiet and trouble their peaceful reign with Christ on earth But to go on this preparation being made we reade verse 4. I saw saith John Thrones and they sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and THEY lived and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years In which
A doth not reign in his successor B because B doth not reign himself if he do it is either before death or after death but B doth not reign before death for that is a time of suffering not of reigning and after death he doth not reign in his successor C for C is in the same state of suffering that his Predecessor B was and not of reigning and the self-same is the case of D c. But happily you will say that A did reign in his life-time a part of the thousand years and B did reign in his life-time another part of the thousand years after A was dead and C did reign another part after B was dead and so of D c. But this evasion is nothing to the purpose for this kind of reigning if the time of our suffering might be called the time of our reigning is more then a thousand years yea several thousand years but the reigning John speaks of is just a thousand years and neither more nor lesse But to speak the truth there is no such kind of reigning as this evasion speaks of for A did not reign in his life-time for that was as I said before a time of suffering not of reigning the same may be said of B C and D And therefore A not reigning in his own person while he lived nor in his successor B nor B in his successor C c. reigns not at all because they reign not after A is dead Again the Apostle doth not say if we suffer we do reign as if suffering and reigning went together but we SHALL reign that is after death not before So John here speaks of Soules i.e. dead men that lived and reigned with Christ not in successors who themselves were sufferers while they lived and not reigners but in their own persons 6. God promised to give the Land of Canaan to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and they were to inherit it in their own persons and not in their posterity only as will appear from Gen. 13.15 Gen. 15.7 Gen. 17.8 Gen. 26.3 Gen. 35.12 Exod 6.4 8. Deut. 1.8 Deut. 11.21 and Deut. 30 20. But lest the bare citing of the Texts should not be enough to convince one that is prejudiced against this Argument I will in a few words take only one of the fore-cited Scriptures and clear it from other glosses usually cast upon all such Texts leaving all the rest to the Readers search Gen. 15.7 8. And he said unto him I am the Lord that brought thee out of VR of the Chaldees to give THEE THIS LAND to inherit it And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I SHALL INHERIT IT In which words I coneeive these things are plain 1. That it was God that took Abraham out of VR of the Chaldees and brought him into the land of Canaan Now if it was God then what he promises must be made good for he is Truth if self and hath all power so that it is impossible he should be frustrate in his ends being also Wisdom it self 2. That Gods end in bringing Abraham out of Vr into Canaan was to give him the land of Canaan to inherit it For so the Text plainly expresses 3. That for the confirmation of Abrahams faith God did promise again and again that he would give that land not only to his posterity but to him to inherit 4. That this promise was to be made good to Abraham living not dead for though God ever live to give yet the dead cannot receive but the living may 5. That this promise was not made good to Abraham while he lived that life which he then had Acts 7.5 He gave him none inheritance in it viz. in the Land no not so much as to set his foot on yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession and not only to him but to his seed which seed came after him 6. That Abraham did understand the Promise thus and desired a confirmation of this faith as appears by those words whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it he understood it not only of his posterity but of himself as is apparent 7. That Abraham died in the perswasion and comfortable foresight of this promise as appears Heb. 11.13 These died in faith not having received the accomplishment of the Promises but having seen the accomplishment of them to be afar off and were perswaded of the fulfilling of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers c. 7. That therefore Abraham must one day live again and inherit this promise of God For as I said none of them viz. neither Abraham Isaac nor Jacob did inherit it in their own persons whilst they lived as is plain Heb. 11.8 9 10.13 16. Ergo they must live again one day to inherit it not in successors but in their own persons for the promises were not made to their successors only but to themselves in their own persons as the forecited texts declare And this is the meaning of our Saviours Argument whereby he proves the resurrection of the dead Mat. 22.32 which words saith Mr. Mede must be understood with a reference to the promise made to Abraham Gen â—3 15 and 15 7. and 17.8 To Isaac Gen. 26.3 To Jacob Gen. 35 12. To all these Exod. 6.4 8. Deut 1.8 and 11 21. and 30.20 Now he promiseth the land of Canaan not to their seed only but to themselves therefore they must one day live again to inherit the promised land which hitherto they have not done For that God that thus covenanted with them covenanted not to make good â—iâ— promise to them dead but living there is the strength of Christs Argument and it is irrefragable which otherwise would not infer any such Conclusion Certain it is the divine Conclusion is strong and unanswerable and such as the multitude were astonished at it but where is the irrefragibility of it if not in this These are the reasons I offer against living in successors and reigning in successors the which I submit to the trial of Gods Word and the censure of those that are sober and pious and unbiassed and have studied the point ¶ But let 's proceed to see yet more Scriptures bearing witnesse to the truth in hand Psal 89.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etian ego primogenitum dabo eum excilsum regibus terrae Sic ad verbum sonat Also I will make him my first born high to the Kings of the earth or higher then or high in comparison of the Kings of the earth Not in Heaven where are to be no Kings of the Earth but in the Earth where the Kings of the Earth are to be And that this is chiefly to be understood of the time of Christs second coming Paul to the Hebrews teacheth us Heb. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world he saith So most Translators and Expositors turn it as our English hath done
divided hate and devour hurt and destroy one another I leave it saith that Reverend mystery Searcher Mr. Mede to the judgment of learned men and men well able to judge in such like mysteries in Divinity whether this be not the best and easiest way to deal with the Jewes not to wrest those plain Prophesies touching things appertaining to this last and glorious coming of Christ to his first coming for while we do so the Jewes laugh and scorn at us and are hardened in their infidelity The Apostle Peter takes this course to convert the Jews Acts 3.19 Repent saith he and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord And he shall send Jesus Christ which was preached unto you whom the Heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things of which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world begun 4. Because unlesse this opinion of Christs Millenary Kingdom and reign with his Saints a thousand years be granted and received nothing of certainty can be brought concerning the true and genuine sense of the 20th chapter of the Revelation and that in the 7. of Daniel and many other of the Texts before named wherein a mans Conscience can safely rest Which amongst some others Pareus himself confesseth who saith the more he studied it the lesse he found out whereby to untie the knot which had so tortured all Interpreters only this he saith he found that it is more easie to tell what this thousand years are not then what they are And a little after he saith I do not therefore here promise you that after all others I shall so untie this knot of a thousand years as to satisfie all men in this Millenary Reign of the Martyrs and Saints with Christ The Reason is given by a learned Writer because he left the letter of the Text and did turn the whole discourse to an Allegorical sense without any sufficient reason or necessity at all It hath doubtlesse been the unhappy fate of many by their learning in their Expositions to make plain Scriptures dark and difficult texts far more difficult then before 5. Because it seems altogether unreasonable to go about to inâ—erpret that whole place in the 20. chapter of the Revelation figuratively because of one or two figurative expressions in it which yet have an eaâ—te explication without any figure In a plain â—â—â—â—ence we may somtimes meet with one trope or other but it doth not therefore necessarily follow that all and every word in the sentence must be so taken nor is that reasonable Propter unius verbi translationem nen totus locus figuratè accipiendur est saith Austin Neither indeed is this Prophesie of a thousand years propoled under representations and pictures as many others are in the Apocalyps but it is declared in as clear and elegant word as you can posibly imagine be it by the Holy Ghost never so really meant 6. Because this Interpretation of a thousand years after the Armageddon battel and the dâ—struction of Antichrist in Christs second coming doth best agree with all those Scriptures which speak or this subject which consider a long tract of time in it as well as in his first-coming as was shewed before Now we are not to think that because the Lord Jesus Christ shall come as a Thief or like the L'ghtning that therefore he shall presently like a thief or like the lightning vanish or disappear Nor because his second coming is joyned with the final Resurrection and last Judgment properly and strictly so called therefore they shall be done presently together and all at once but every thing shall be fulfilled in its own order and time In a processe of time sensibly and by degrees will the Lord proceed in the restitution of all things after the same manner as his proceeding was in the Creation of all things though he could have created all things in one and the same moment God will never huddle his works on helps 7. Because to interpret the first Resurrection of a piritual resurrection from sin is altogether new and unheard of and unknown to all Orthodox Antiquity and that almost till Austins time And was first of all found out by Tyconius the Donatist of whom Austin borrowed it whom afterward Primasius followed Gregory and others Yea they that deny this Interpretation deny that which was of old denied by the Hereticks against the Orthodox as it doth plainly appear from Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew which Dialogue is set down at large by Mr. Mede at the latter end of his Commentary upon the Revelation whither I refer the Reader But to clear the thing beyond doubt Consider that though the death in sin may be called a death yet it is not nor any wherein Scripture called the death either first or second if that death in sin be the death then it is the first death and the Life of Grace the first Resurrection and then all that have a part in this should be freed from the second death which second death by this reckoning must be the death of the body but that we see is false for the godly die the death of the body as well as the wicked Therefore let us give way to the plain truth which is in a word thus The first death is the death of the body or a bodily death the second death is the death of the soul or the soules everlasting punishment in Hell And the first Resurrection or the first order in the Resurrection for I speak not here of Christ and those that arose then is the Resurrection of the body or a bodily Resurrection of the Saints and they that have part in this are none but such as are holy and by this their being within the Compass of the first order in the Resurrection or being raised in the first Resurrection they are beyond all fear of condemnation in hell which is the second death Therefore the Text says Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power which Resurrection as we see cannot be meant of the life of grace but must be meant of that corporal Resurrection which is opposed to a bodily death or the death of the body and not to the death in sin 8. Because although Christs Oeconomical or Mediatory Kingdom is but one in regard of its essential forme yet it is indeed twofold in respect of its accidental forme For Christs Kingdom which is humble low and cometh not with observation and is much accompanied with the Crosse and persecuted according to his first coming which was humble and low to his very passion is one thing And his glorious Kingdom is another which comes with observation as lightning shining upon the earth and in great peace and security according to the nature and condition of his
day of Judgment when the thousand years are ended That an houre is thus taken for time in general appears Rev. 11.13 The same houre was a great Earthquake i e. A Kingdom quake a Nation quake And the tenth part of the City fell which no man will understand of the same twenty fourth part of the same individual day but of time in this general acceptation 2. We are to put a difference between the last day in general and the last day in special Now what is the last day in general but the great day of Judgment at the dawning of which the thousand years we speak of shall begin and then the godly shall rise In the evening of which day the thousand years shall end and the wicked one shall rise and not before But if we speak of the last day in special it may have another day or another year to follow after it acoording as the day or year is that we speak of As suppose we speak of the last day of this world it hath a day and a year and another word to succeed it Mat. 12.32 The world to come Eph. 1.21 Heb. 2.5 As the old world of which St. Peter speaks had 2 Pet. 2.5 with 2 Pet. 3.6 But if we speak of the last day of the next world it is the ultimate day of all or the last day under the Sun and hath no day to succeed it but eternity And here we are to take notice the thousand years we speak of are in the world to come And in the last day of this world shall be the resurrection of the just And in the last day of the next world shall be the resurrection of the wicked And further we are to know that in those two places of John viz. John 11.24 and 6.4 where the last day is spoken of there is mention only of the resurrection of the just no mention at all of the resurrection of the wicked and therefore it may be supposed they are left out because they shall not be raised up at that time but be stayed till afterwards 3. We are to put a difference between one moment and another and we say the moment in which the just shall be changed is the begining of the thousand years and the moment in which the wicked shall be raised is the end of the thousand years Furthermore by the word moment and twinkling of an eye is meant the suddenness of the change and not the time when it shall be And we also the Apostle speaks not of the wicked but of the just only and why should they be left out if that were their time of raising or changing but we see by other Seriptures that they shall have another time Obj. 5 The Saints shall be caught up from the Earth to meet the Lord in the aire 1 Thes 4 16. How then can they reign with Christ on the earth Answ This will prove no impediment at all these things being well considered 1. When Christ ascended up to Heaven it is not to be doubted but the Angels met him by the way what man will say they did not return to heaven with him 2. It is the custome when the Judges ride the Circuit whither they intend to come the Sheriffs and Justices ride to meet them and to accompany the Judges to the place of judicature And no other is the case here When Christ is coming to the Earth the Saints shall be caught up to meet him in the aire when they have so done they return back and go with him to the Earth from whence they came 3. It is not said that Christ shall come from Heaven to meet the Saints such a speech would imply that they are about to go to Heaven with Christ and that Christ came to meet them in the way and to bring them thither but the text faith the Saints shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air this speech doth imply that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming from Heaven to Earth and the Saints meet him by the way and return with him to the Earth whence they came and he is going 4. Lastly unless the Saints did meet him in the aire and return with him to the Earth Christ should not stand at the Latter day upon the Earth as Job saith he shall Job 19.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novissimo super pulverem staturum i.e. I know that at or in the last he shall stand on the dust That is at the last day he shall stand on the dust of the Earth which the most certain and literal expressions the Hebrews have for that purpose Neither else could Christ come with all his Saints as the Scripture saith he shall Zach. 14 5. And the Lord my God shall come and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes sancti tecum all his Saints with thee Or which is all one he shall come with thee and all the Saints So 1 Thes 3.13 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints So 1 Thes 4.14 Those which sleep in Jesus Christ will God bring with him And whether will God bring them with him but to the Earth whence they were caught to meet him Object 6 Of what quality the first death is of that quality the first resurrection is But the first death was a spiritual death or death of the soul in sin and from hence followed the second death which is the death of the body Answ 1 If the first death be a spiritual death what shall we call the death of the body shall we call it the second death as this Objection doth and as in order it follows that which is here called a death or shall it be called a third death The second death it cannot be for that is of the soul and body in hell and every of the Saints escape that Rev. 20.6 On such the second death hath no power But the Saints escape not the death of the body The third death it cannot be for we read in Scripture of no such death it remaineth then that the death of the body is the first death is the death of the body as well as the death in Hell the second 2. We must distinguish between death properly taken and improperly taken The first death properly taken is the death of the body and the first resurrection properly taken is the resurrection of the body Now John speaks of death properly taken and not of the other and of the resurrection properly taken and not of the other As appears by this that this resurrection is such to the godly first as it is to the wicked afterward which is a proper resurrection 3. We are to distinguish between death visible and invisible The first death visible is the death of the body And the first visible resurrection is the resurrection of the body Now the Apostle John speaks of death visible and of a resurrection visible and not invisible and therefore he hath it in a vision
visibly represented to him Object To do a thing with Christ doth not imply his personal presence with us but in Scripture phrase we may be said to do a thing with Christ which we either do for Christ or by his assistance or do a thing that Christ did before us though himself be not personally present with us As Rom. 8.18 If we suffer doth not imply that no man can suffer but be must have Christ personally present with him on the Earth to suffer with him No! that cannot be the meaning but we suffer with Christ though we be on the Earth and he in Heaven because we suffer for him and by his assistance and suffer the same things he suffered before us So this phrase of reigning with Christ doth not imply Christs personal abode with us but only the doing of a thing or enjoyment of a thing for Christs sake or the doing of that which he now doth though in another place or the doing of that which he did before us Answ For a man to do a thing with Christ before death doth not imply Christs personal presence with him in the doing of it but for a man to do a thing with Christ after death doth imply Christ is personally present with him at the doing of it As that very text quoted in the objection doth sufficiently declare viz. Ro. 8.17 If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him the former clause if we suffer with him is spoken of a man before death and doth not imply that a man is personally present with him when he suffers But the latter clause we shall be glorified with him is meant of a man after death and doth imply that a man is personally present with him when he is glorified together with him So likewise for a man to live with Christ before death doth not imply the personal presence of Christ the reason is because before death we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 But for the Saints to live and reign with Christ after death yea after the resurrection of their bodies this doth imply Christ is personal present with them where they so reign and the reason is because after death they are ever with the Lord and never absent from him As the Scripture testifier John 14.3 That where I am there ye may be also John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou bast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Phil. 1.23 I desire to depart and to be with Christ 1 Thes 4.17 And so shall we ever be with the Lord. 2 Tim. 2.12 We shall also reign with him Therefore seeing the Saints are said to live and reign with Christ and are not Saints Militant or the Saints before death but Saints triumphant or Saints after death as hath appeared before it follows that Christ is personally present with them so living and reigning Object 8 This opinion dispeoples Heaven of all the antient glorious inhabitants thereof and that for no less then a thousand years togegether Ans 1 Are not the Angels the inhabitants of Heaven in the time of the thousand years and yet they shall be on the Earth somtime too John 1.52 Verily I say unto you hereafter you shall see Heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and DESCENDING upon the Son of man which words have a special reference unto the time of the thousand years when Christ shall be on the Earth 2. How many souls were in Heaven before Abel came thither So many shall there be when the thousand years begin and while they are 〈…〉 many shall be left in Heaven when 〈…〉 â—â—â—ement shall begin and be so 〈…〉 when the thousand years shall 〈…〉 and no more for they are one and 〈…〉 Object 9 This opinion implys a threefold coming of Christ the first when he came to take flesh the second when he comes to take receive and enter upon his kingdom the third when he shall come to judge to conclude and end the world Answ This opinion owns but two comings of Christ and as the Scripture so this opinion knows no more The first at his Incarnation The second at this Great day of Judgment the third I know nor for the thousand years are durante currente die judicii the day of Judgement continuing and running on His first coming 〈◊〉 but one and takes into it all neither the meaning of those texts nor can the world bring any such thing to pass 3. Both those forecited texts are to be understood with intermination Now God will have the thousand years to be a time of perfect and compleat intermination to the New Jerusalem or camp of the Saints For the Tabernacle of God shall be with them and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be among them no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Rev. 2â—â—◠〈…〉 also be a time of far more perâ—â—◠〈…〉 intermination to the other 〈…〉 in a state of mortality and are 〈…〉 21.24 the. Nations that are saved and walk in the light of it then ever the sun saw or the people of God enjoyed before Now that those texts are to be as I said understood with intermination is manifest by that rest which sometime the Church had As Acts 9.31 Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Saâ—aâ—ia c. So also in Solomons time 1 Kings 4 25. whose peaceful time was a type of the peace rest and quiet we are speaking of we see what an abundance of quiet they injoyed for the text saith Judah anâ— Israel dwelt safely every man under his vine and under his figtree from Dan even to Beersheba all the days of Solomon It such were the peace of Solomon who was but a type what is like to be the peace of the Church under the antitype who is a King as of Righteousness so of peace as it is said of Melchizedeck another type 4. Tribulation is not essential to the Earth but accidental only and if Christ be pleased to make that a place of happiness to the saints which is now a place of misery let no mans eye be evil because Christs is good 5. What is meant by the Earth in this question Not the Earth unreformed and unrenewed but reformed and renewed as it shall be at the day of Judgement The former is a place of misery procured by the 〈◊〉 Adam the second is a place of happiness for that time procured by the second Adam Jesus Christ Object 12 The reign of this Saints everlasting in Heaven therefore it is not temporary upon the Earth as this opinion implys Math. 5.10 2 Tim. 4.18 Answ The reign of the Saints is in both places though not at one and the same time but at distinct and diverse times succeeding one another 1 If we speak of the time before the day of Judgment the souls of the
Saints departed are in Heaven and they live with Christ in blisse though as I have before proved not in perfect blisse and they shall there continue till the day of Judgement at the beginning whereof the thousand years begin and not before 2. If we speak of the time during the day of Judgement we say that the souls of the Saints shall remove from Heaven as Christ himself shall and be united to their bodies and shall remain with Christ on Earth till the preat day of Judgement be ended which ends not till the thousand years be also ended 3. If we speak of the time after the day of Judgâ—ment â—â—ended we say that the Saints shall remove from Earth to Heaven where they shall remain for ever with Christ Thus we see the reign of the Saints is at several times in both places Object 13 We read Exod. 34.30 That when Asron and all the children of Israel saw Moses behold the skin of his face shone end they were afraid to come nigh him Even so if the Saints should live again on the Earth with and in their glorified bodies we should do and be the like viz. affraid to come near them And so there could be no communion between their glorified bodies and ours Answ 1 Were not the bodies that the Angels had glorious bodies yet Abraham and Lot were not affraid to come nigh them Gen. 18.2 He ran to meet them So Gen. 19.2 2. Were not the bodies of Moses and Elias glorified bodies when they appeared to Christ on the Mount and yet the Disciples could endure their presence Matth. 17.4 3. Was not Christs body glorified after his Resurrection yet his Disciples could converse with him and he with them as the Evangelists declare Matth. 28. Marke 16. Luke 24. Iohn 20.21 All testifying the frequent appearing of Christ to his Discipler 4. As Moses put a veil over his face while he was talking with them so that his face did not offend them So the Saints can hide their glory is Christ did (a) Marke 16 12. Luk. 24.16 his resurrection so as that it shall not be offensive to the godly mortal saints And they can again manifest their glory at their pleasure so as it shall be a terror to the wicked Can we think that such a little filly creature as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nitedula or glow-worms shall at her pleasure withdraw or cause her pretty spark in the dark to glister and shall not those raised glorious Saints much more at their pleasure withdraw or cause their glory to appear as an occasion for either shall require Object 14 This opinion doth imply that in this visible Monarchy Christ shall change all worldly customs and pull down all kingly power and greatness how just soever and set up a new way of Government so as that there shall be no other Lords but as it is written Isai 2.11 and ver 17. And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Ans 1 I hope this is not the cause why great ones are so loth to hear of this opinion for the counsel of God shall stand and every jod and tittle of his word be fulfilled whether we believe is and they receive it yea or no. 2. We read 1 John 5.19 that the whole world lyeth in wickedness and if Christ should change the custome of this wicked world and set up better in their room and place why should any godly man be against that It is enough for the wicked of the World Luke 19.14 to say we will not have this man to reign over us 3. And if Christ shall take the Kingdoms of the world into his own hands he doth no man wrong herein for God hath made him heire of all things Heb. 1.2 and he is King of Kings Rev. 19.10 Therefore all Kings and Princes of the world must be content to resign their Crowns and Scepters into his hand and lay them down at hie feet when he calls for them as the four and twenty Elders did Rev. 4.10 4. Whereas it is said Christ shall put down all kingly power and greatness it is false if they mean to exclude the Saints thereby for the Saints shall live and reign with him And they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign a thousand years not in coordination with him but in subordination to him as the text implies Object 15 This opinion doth not only imply the Conversion which sozâ—e Divines have granted and beleived but which others have doubted the total reduction of the twelve tribes of Israel and Judah into their own Land again Answ Upon what grounds this can rationally be doubted I confess I see not For the Scripture seems to me very plain not only for their return or reduction in the general that it shall be so but also tells us many particulars about it 1. I say the Scripture tells us plainly in the general that it shall be so that they shall be brought into their own Land again For this see these Scriptures Isai 33.20 Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities thine eyes SHALL see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cores thereof be broken ver 17. thine eyes shall see the King viz. Christ in his beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off v. ult And the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that â—wâ—l therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Jer. 31.27 28. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast And it shall come to pass that like as I have watched over their to pluck up and to break down and to throw down and to destroy and to afflict so wil I watch over them to build and to plant saith the Lord. And I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah c. Read I pray you the rest and consider these expressions well I will thank any man to tell me and prove it when every jod and tittle of these and such like texts were since those Prophecies fulfilled If they have noâ— I am sure they shall for Christ the truth hath told me so Matt. 5.18 Verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled But to go on see Ezek. 37.11 12. Then he said unto me son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel Behold they say our bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Therefore Prophecy and say unto them this saith the Lord God behold O my people I will open your graves