after shall be shewn thus Heaven is sometimes taken And 't is to be observed that the Ruling part of that World was exceeding corrupt For those that were highest in power were most eminent in wickedness The great Men were the greatest Sinners and did fill the World with Violence Rapines Oppressions and all manner of unrighteousness Gen. 6.11 And therefore God brought a Flood in which these Heavens perished For all the Principalities and Powers of that wicked and ungodly World were swept away by the Flood 2. Ecclesiasticall Heavens Churches on Earth are sometimes called Heaven the Kingdom of Heaven frequently in the Evangelists signifies the Church Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven That is in the Church Now the Ecclesiastical Heavens that is the Churches of that World perished by Water even all except that in the Ark. 'T is said Gen. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord. There were Churches of Seth's Posterity which worshipped God But these did at last exceedingly apostatize as we see Gen. 6.2 The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took them Wives of all that they chose And thereupon the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is flesh Observe these words He also the Sons of God were spoken of immediately before this He also therefore is meant of the Church-member even he that was called the Son of God was also flesh Not onely those without but also those within the Church not onely the Posterity of Cain but also the Posterity of Seth had corrupted their way and all the imaginations of their hearts were also evil continually Now these Heavens did also perish by water because of the great wickedness found in them There was an Analogical Earth also which perished by water that is as Superiours so Inferiours as Masters so Servants as the Mighty men so the mean men as the Giants so the Dwarfs the Flood swept all away and one as easily as the other And here we may do well to observe what kind of wickednesses they were which brought the Flood there was desperate Apostasie of the Sons of God there was Pride amongst them they became men of Renown and also cruelty and oppression they filled the world with voilence The Giants in stature were Giants in wickedness The old world was an Atheistical and desperately debauched world and when God gave space and warning to repent by Noahs preaching they repented not In a word 't is to be observed that the world of the ungodly then was become wholly arbitrary every one would be sui juris and not be subject to or act by a Law The mighty men and Sovereign part of it were absolute and arbitrary They would be arbitrary in ruling others and exercised what violence they pleased and arbitrary in ruling themselves giving themselves up to the lusts of uncleanness not only taking Wives of the Daughters of men but as Gen. 6.4 also after that they went in unto the Daughters of men to others that is besides their Wives and they took of all that they chose and therein the arbitrariness of that world appeared they chose by Lust and not by Law from their own wills and not according to the will of God The People of God will have God to chuse for them Psal 47.4 He shall chuse our Inheritance for us But these would chuse for themselves This was the first transgression Adam would become arbitrary he liked not Gods choise but he himself would chuse what Fruit to eat and we may observe how displeasing this was to God Behold the man is become like one of us Gen. 3.22 to know good and evil that is as God is absolute and his Will is the rule of good or evil what he wills is good and what he nils is to be lookt on as evil So now Adam would become absolute to know good and evil and have his own Will the rule of it this highly provoked God 'T is his incommunicable Prerogative to be absolute This arbitrariness God did avenge and that speedily upon him 1. He must not eat of the Tree of life 2 He was cast out of Paradise He that would be all and absolute loses all thereby And when the old world became arbitrary a Flood came and swept all away Thus we see what world it was that perished by water In the next place let it be considered what Heavens and Earth are to perish by Fire And now I shall endeavour to make it manifest that there are as natural so analogical Heavens and Earth and Heavens both Political and Ecclesiastical Isa 34. we have a Prophecy of the Judgments wherewith God will at last avenge his Church v. 2. The Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his fury upon all their Armies V. 4. All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their Host shall fall down and the next verse shews what Heavens are meant My Sword shall come down upon Idumea and upon the People of my curse to Judgment The Unicorns shall come down and the Bullocks for it is the Day of the Lords Vengeance and the Year of Recompenses for the Controversie of Sion So that by Heaven here are meant the Churches Antichristian Enemies who have been in Power and above and long have had the upper hand in the World This will appear also from Hag. 2.6 7. I will shake the Heavens the Earth the Sea and the dry Land This shaking is to make way for the coming of Christ That it looks beyond his first coming is evident from Heb. 12.27 where 't is spoken of as a thing then to come And why shall these Heavens and Earth be shaken 'T is for the removing of things that may be shaken as of things that are made Not things as made by God for this is no reason for their removal that they are made by God therefore by things made are meant the things made by Men. For as there are Heavens and Earth made by God so there are Heavens and Earth of Mens making and that both in a Political and Ecclesiastical sence There are many Babels of Mens building The Turkish Religion and frame was made by Men. The Pope both in his Civil and Ecclesiastical Power was made by Men. The Popish Religion and that Antichristian Form of Worship and frame of Government which Popery doth establish is of Mens making Now this shaking will be to remove things made contrary to the Mind of God And this agrees well with Peter The Earth with the works therein even all Antichristian Works shall be burnt up And with Mat. 13.14 The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity There are now many things which offend God and good Men but at last all will be gathered out of the Kingdom This appears also from Rev. 6.12 13. I beheld when he opened the
sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black and the Moon as Blood and the Stars of Heaven fell and the Hevens departed as a scrole when it is rolled together By Heaven is meant the Roman Empire as heathenish and under the Power of Heathen Emperours 'T is well observed by Mede that Vniversitas Romana hic à spiritu sancto assimilatur systemati mundi c. That great and large Empire of Rome is likned to the frame of the World Heaven Earth and Air are the parts of the World in the Heaven are Sun Moon and Stars and here below Sea and Rivers Now the Roman Empire had its Political Heaven of Power and Sovereignty and Sun and Stars in it and all these were rolled together as a scroll the Heathenish Power did pass away And that Empire which at first was Heathenish is now Antichristian and must pass away as the former did This World must Perish by Fire For 't is observable that the Roman Empire both as Heathenish and Antichristian is called the World in Scripture Luke 2.1 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed that is the people of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.3 All the World wondered after the Beast Here 's an Antichristian World And this World even the fourth Kingdom as now under Antichrist must pass away The Sun Moon and Stars all the Host of this Heaven must perish by Fire and all the Elements thereof must melt with fervent heat For the Plagues of the Vials shall be poured out upon the Antichristian Earth Sea and Rivers and Fountains of Waters and upon the Sun so that the World wondering after this Beast shall perish And the last Vial being poured into the Air shews the utter destruction of Satan's Kingdom who is Prince of the Power of the Air. And then the great City Babylon falls and with it the Cities of the Nations and every Island must flee away and the Mountains shall be no where found neither Mountains of Pride nor Mountains of Prey Thus we see it manifest that there are Heavens and Elements both Civil and Ecclesiastical which must perish Heavens the Sovereign part of the Antichristian World Earth the Subjected part all are to be burnt up In the next place it is to be considered by what Fire For there is as Natural so Fire in an Analogical sense Now. 1. It 's not to be doubted but that Fire in a proper sense will be made use of to help forward the Judgment of that great day For as the old World perished by Water so the World which now is must by Fire Babylon which is the Seat of the Beast must be utterly burnt with Fire Rev. 18.6 Reward her as she haâ—h rewarded you Giue her blood to drink for she is worthy give her burning for she is worthy Give her blood for blood burning for burning For as she hath destroyed many of the Saints by Fire so therefore let her perish by Fire as she is spiritually called Sodom so let her be consumed by Fire like Sodom And as Elijah called for Fire from Heaven so Fire will be called for from Heaven to destroy those that destroyed the Earth And thus as Analogical Heavens perished by Water so may Heavens and Earth both Political and Ecclesiastical perish by Fire 2. Analogical Fire will be made use of for destroying the Heavens and Earth which are now And so the Fire of the Word and Spirit and judicial Fire First the Fire of the Word and Spirit Of which we read 1 Cor. 3.13 The day shall declare every Mans work of what sort it is and it shall be revealed by Fire The Gold and Silver and precious Stones shall be revealed by Fire and the Wood and Hay and Stubble shall be burnt up Antichristian Doctrine Discipline Ordinances Traditions and Forms of Worship shall be all burnt up The Tares shall be known Hypocrites shall be discovered and gathered out of the Kingdom of God and there shall be neither persons nor things in it any way offensive to any of the sincere Servants of God Secondly Judicial Fire The great Judgments of that day will be a consuming fire to the Enemies of Christ the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy one for a flame and shall consume the Bryers and Thorns fury and fiery Indignation shall then devour the Adversaries Heb. 12.29 Our God is a consuming fire In that great Day of Judgment he will so appear And then Angels as Instruments in executing Wrath will be as fire to burn up the wicked Psa 104.4 He maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flame of Fire These flames of fire will be at work to burn up as the wicked ones of the Earth so their works in the Earth at that day Thus Fire in each of these kinds will help to dissolve the Heavens which are now and to burn up the works of the Earth So that we are not to restrain or limit the Fire here mentioned to any one sort but to take it in the largest and most comprehensive sense For as there will be work for Fire in each of these kinds so all will be at work in that Day of Perdition of ungodly Men. And when the Heavens and Earth which now are shall be dissolved then will new be created wherein pure Religion and Righteousness shall dwell which will constitute that World to come which is ordained for Christ to reign in And what shall be done with these Material Heavens and Earth after the thousand years and the finishing of Christ's Judging-work none is able to determine I shall conclude this particular of the Worlds perishing by Fire with some thoughts which I have had upon Rev. 15.2 3. I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the Beast c. stand upon the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God and they sing the Song of Moses c. As the Plagues of the Vials are foretold in the general verse 1. So in the next place is shewn what great Joy will be amongst the People of God because of the great and marvellous works of God in destroying their Enemies by these Plagues and delivering them from the greatest trouble and danger that ever they were in And then follows a particular description of the Plagues of the Vials and the order in which they are to be poured out Now the second and third Verses shew that the Saints were represented to John in this Vision as being in the like condition with the Israelites when they beheld the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore and rejoyced over them For when the conquering Saints are said to stand upon the Sea of Glass and to sing the Song of Moses what doth this singing the Song of Moses intimate but that such a wonderful deliverance will be wrought at last for the People of God as that of the Israelites
yield a Juice like Honey and he after saith we may call that part of the Earth divine where whatsoever Fruit is most dear and precious is in most abundance Also in all other Fruits it surpasses all Countreys in the World for it multiplieth all things and increaseth them sooner there the cause whereof I judge to be the pleasant waters and warm nourishing Air which inviteth all things to spring and then increaseth them and the moisture causeth all things to take firm root and defendeth them from drought In Summer the Air of that place is so temperate that when it snoweth in other parts of Judea and is extream cold the Inhabitants in this place do onely wear a Linnen Garment Thus he declares the Fertility of Jericho caused by that Miracle and certainly a greater Miracle than this here will be wrought for there are promises in Scripture of a great Fertility that shall be after the Calling of the Jews Ezek. 36.30 I will multiply the Fruit of the Tree and the Increase of the Field so that ye shall receive no more reproach of Famine Verse 35. The Land that was desolate shall become like the Garden of Eden What a great Change will there be in the Earth when desolate and barren Land shall be like Eden And as we have ground to conclude that many of God's Works wrought among the Jews of old were typical of greater Works which shall be wrought for them at last for which see Jer. 23.8 So why may we not gather something from that work of God in giving them Water out of the Rock And that which I would especially hint is from Deut. 32.13 He gave them Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock The Water is called Honey and Oyl And why First Because it was a Supply flowing from special Grace and Mercy special Grace adds a great deal of Sweetness to common Mercies Secondly It was an extraordinary Supply in time of great need Water in that extremity was as Honey and Oyl Thirdly It was a Type of Christ for They drunk of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 An Eye of Faith looking unto Christ would make it sweeter and more pleasant than Honey and Oyl Fourthly It being Water given them by a Miracle might have sweetness and vertue beyond ordinary water For as the Bread given them by a Miracle has the taste of Honey and fresh Oyl so might this mirhculous Water When Christ turned Water into Wine that was far better than ordinary Wine the Governour of the Feast said Thou hast kept the good Wine until now The other in comparison with this did not deserve to be called good Wine Doubtless that miraculous Wine was the best Wine that ever was drunk and why may we not conceive the like of this miraculous Water which might be typical in relation to the times of Restitution in which even Water the most common mercy shall have much more vertue and pleasantess in it than now it hath 'T is said of Fire and Water that they are good Servants but bad Masters and theâ— have often been bad Masters in these times of the Old Heavens and Old Earth but in the time of the New they shall be good Servants alone and no more bad Masters to the Saints The Air also will be sweet wholesom and fructifying and what hath a spiritual meaning Cant. 4.16 will be then true in a natural sense also The North-wind shall awake and the South-wind blow that the Spices may flow forth No blasting-wind or that which will hinder the flowings forth of Fruits but that which shall farther their flowing forth and then the rough wind shall be stayed in the day of the East-wind 3. The Creatures shall be delivered from all their usurping and oppressing Lords Satan shall not Lord it over them neither the Man of Sin they shall be together in the Bottomless Pit and all Christ's Enemies will be made his Footstool whereby the Creature shall have its so-much longed-for Liberty and shall be in Subjection to him who is to be the desire of all Nations and of the whole Creation of whom 't is said Psa 8.4 What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him thou madest him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things in subjection under his feet Which must be fulfilled in that World which is to come as is evident Heb. 2.5 6. For as to the present state of things in the World as now it is the Apostle saith v. 8. We see not yet all things put under him 4. The Liberty of the Creature consists in the lawful Use of it 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use the world as not abusing it Here two things may be observed First The Creature is to be used and not enjoyed Life and Happiness doth not consist in it carnal men enjoy the Creatures the covetous man enjoyes his Wealth as Dives did Son remember that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things Worldly men have their portion in this life and say 'T is good to be here Now such an enjoying of the Creature holds it in bondage its Liberty is to be used well insist Psa 110.7 't is said of Christ He shall drink of the Brook in the way and then men should lift up the head and heart to him in whose favour is their life Secondly The Creature should be used lawfully and not abused a lawful Use is its liberty There is a natural Use of Creatures which is for Food and Rayment and somewhat for Delight for Gen. 2.9 Out of the Ground God made every Tree to grow which was good for Food and pleasant to the eye In the times of Restitution it will be so Fruits both profitable and pleasant will be made to grow Hos 2.21 It shall come to pass in that day that is when the Jews shall be betrothed to the Lord I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and the Heavens shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel When the Jews shall be Jezreel the Seed of God all the Creatures shall with one consent serve that Jezreel What is the reason that now 't is otherwise for many times the Heavens hear not the Earth the Earth hears not the Corn the Corn hears not men 'T is because for the most part instead of being a Jezreel they serve a Jezabel There is a Spiritual Use also to be made of Creatures and so in them as in a Glass we should behold the Glory of the Lord and we should praise him as the Creator of them and honour him with them The great Whore glorifies her self with what she hath this is the Creature 's bondage but when the Promise
of Light and Holiness which shall be due to that state and shall perform the Service which shall be required of them in that station And these Churches without shall have gate holiness court-holiness court-attainments and Outer Temple perfection communion and comforts and the others shall have Inner Temple holiness perfection and consolations The like may be said of the City there is the beloved City New Jerusalem Rev. 26.9 and there is the camp of the Saints like the camp of Israel when the Tribes marched and pitched in order about the Tabernacle and is set forth by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Septuagint to set forth the camp of Israel This camp will consist of called Iews and converted Gentiles even the Nations of them which shall be saved and shall walk in the light of the New Ierusalem for New Ierusalem light shall fill the breadth of the Land of Immanuel and every little chamber of the gates hath a window to let in New Ierusalem light into it This camp of the Saints will be urbs mobilis castrensis a moveable and Tent City and the New Ierusalem urbs fixa The former will answer the Church of Israel dwelling in Tents and the later the state of that Church when Ierusalem was the City chosen of God to place his Name in So then there will be at that time when the Iews shall be called Saints in two different states that is glorified and not glorified That there will be glorified ones shall be after proved and that there shall be some not glorified I shall prove by this Argument There will be marrying and begetting of children in that time which cannot be among the raised Saints for they marry not neither are given in marriage therefore there must be Saints in an inferiour state among whom this will be And that some Saints shall beget children then is evident from chap. 47.22 Ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be to you as born in the land among the children of Israel This likewise is manifest from Isa 59.20 21. The redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Iacob As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever This Promise concerns the Iews when they shall be called for by this the Apostle proves their calling Rom. 11.26 Now after their calling they shall have Seed and Seeds Seed Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations Isa 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their of-spring among the people Isa 65.23 They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their of-spring with them The Promise is to them and their of-spring who shall all be sanctified ones and the blessed of the Lord. The curse of Adam shall not then rest upon any of the Saints children but they shall have the blessing of Abraham Prop. 6. This Temple and City this Church and Common-wealth which was constituted and framed according to an Heavenly pattern Moses did all according to the pattern in the Mount and Solomon built the Temple after the form which was shewn to David by the Spirit 1 Chron. 28.12 So Christ shall build this Temple according to the heavenly pattern All shall be done by line and measure and every part shall have its due proportion so that it will be a Spiritual House fitly framed growing into an holy Temple chap. 40.3 Ezekiel saw a man whose appearance was as Brass with a line of Flax and a measuring Reed This is Christ who shall do his Work exactly and according to rule Prop. 7. There were some things commanded to the Jews of old which are not mentioned in the description of this Temple and City and the not mentioning of them with other Jewish Rites and Ordinances here spoken of doth argue the Perfection which the Church here described shall have above what it had under Moses or any time since Now to shew this consider 1. There was a Candlestick for Light both in the Tabernacle and Temple much is spoken of it as Exod. 25.31 and in other places this was a Type of Gospel-Churches which are called Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.20 and the two Witnesses are called two Candlesticks Rev. 11.4 A Candlestick is to hold forth light in a dark place And when Gospel-Churches are called Candlesticks it notes Churches which shall be in a time of darkness when a Candle is useful Thus in John's time there was much darkness upon the face of the earth John 1.5 The light shineth in darkness And the two prophesying Witnesses are Lights shining in Darkness Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness hath covered the greatest part of the World and the few Witnesses of Christ have been Candlesticks holding forth the true light in a dark time and place But in the description of this Temple and City we read nothing of a Candlestick or light of a Candle Whence may be concluded that the state of the Church here fore-told will be much more glorious in respect of Light and Knowledge than as yet it hath been Rev. 22.5 it 's said the New Jerusalem hath no need of a Candle And then even in the portions of the Tribes that will be made good Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun seven-fold That degree of Scripture-light which now shines in the World being compared with that which shall shine hereafter is but as the light of the Moon to the light of the Sun 't is but as the lesser Light ruling the Night but then it shall be as the greater Light ruling the Day And as now is a time of much darkness in the World so a great matter of comfort it is that we may say as the Apostle Rom. 13.12 The Night is far spent and the Day is at hand The Night in which Antichrist reigns and wild Beasts are abroad seeking their Prey is very far spent and the Day of the Son of Man is at hand And when this Day comes the Church shall be no longer a Candlestick but a glorious Light upon the top of a Mountain and all Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness shall pass away and the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea There shall be abundance of light and knowledge Idols shall be abolished and there shall not be Athism in the World As there is not Atheism in Hell but Devils and damned Spirits know that there
these Cherubims are said to have two Faces Chap. 41.18 The Face of a Man and the Face of a Lion Though Saints then shall not have a Heart and a Heart yet they shall have a Face and a Face and these not contrary but well agreeing They shall have Prudence Humanity and Love signified by the Face of a Man and Fortitude signified by the Face of a Lion Saints shall be Lions without fear and Men without ferity Lions in courage and Men without brutish cruelty The Beast mentioned Rev. 13. which is the Antichrist is described as being wholly a Beast a Lion Leopard and Bear but hath neither the Heart nor the Face of a Man there is nothing of Humanity in him towards the faithful Witnesses but like the Devil seeks to devour Secondly there are Palm-trees shewing that Saints shall be upright and grown to an high stature and always flourishing their Leaves shall not fade And Palm-trees signifie Victory and Saints praising God for it Rev. 7.9 I saw a great multitude with palms in their hands saying Salvation to our God Salvation will come from God and that shall the Saints return to him in their praises 5. When this Temple shall be built there will be a pouring out of the Spirit in a plentiful and abundant measure I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Some taste thereof was in the Apostles days but at this time will be the full accomplishment This is set forth in the Vision of the Waters issuing from under the Threshold of the House chap. 47.1 Now as John 7.27 mention being made of living waters the interpretation is given this spake he of the Spirit So the Spirit is here meant the Spirit and Word of truth and the Spirit of Grace These waters have two excellent properties 1. They are healing chap. 47.8 These being brought forth into the Sea the waters are healed The Doctrine of the Gospel shall not onely drop as the Rain and distill as the Dew but shall be as a flowing River which shall heal even the Waters of the Sea By Waters sometimes Multitudes of people are meant Rev. 17.1 The whore sits upon many waters that is Multitudes of people Nations and Tongues verse 15. So then the Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel shall heal that is convert Multitudes of people even Nations and many Nations for by Conversion men are healed Matth. 13.15 Lest they should be converted and I should heal them Hereby the hurt done in the Natures of men by Adams sin is healed This shews that there will be great Conversion-work at this time And the healing will be of all diseased parts they are first to the Ancles so that their Feet and Ancle-bones shall receive strength and they shall walk and leap and praise God the lame man shall leap as an Hart their feet shall be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and they shall run in the ways of the Lord. Then they are to the Knees so that those that come to these Waters shall bow the Knee to Christ and yield obedience to him Next They are up to the Loins the Lusts of Concupiscence shall be wash'd away And lastly Waters to swim in Sanctification by them will be throughout These will be as the Pool of Bethesda those that shall step into them will be healed of their Infirmities and as the Waters of Jordan to Naaman which cured him of his Leprosie 2. They are Waters giving Life verse 4. Every thing that liveth whithersoever these waters come shall live Those that do live shall live those that did live but a Natural Life by these Waters coming to them shall live a Spiritual Life those that lived the Life of the first Adam shall live the Life of the second Adam those that did live but by a Soul living in them shall live by Christ living in them These will not be as the Waters of Noah none shall perish in them They are the proper Element of the new Creature which can't live out of them There are now Waters of Adversity going over the Saints which issue out of Babylon and from Antichrists Throne there but these shall be all dried up and there shall be no more Sea Rev. 21.1 That Sea which is the gathering of the Waters of Babylon shall be no more So that the Saints shall not sit down and hang up their Harps and weep by those Waters of Babylon but shall stand by these Waters of the Sanctuary having the Harps of God and shall sing the Songs of Sion in their own Land 6. In this Temple Christ is Prince Chap. 44.2 3. No man was to enter by the East Gate because the Lord God of Israel entered by it it is for the Prince This Prince is the Lord God of Israel Christ shall sit in it to eat Bread The Saints are to worship at the Door of this Gate before the Lord chap. 46.3 Ezek. 8.16 There were about five and twenty men with their Faces towards the East and Backs towards the Temple There are some like these that turn their backs upon Christ and faces to Antichrist their backs upon the true Temple and faces to the Synagogue of Satan but the true Worshippers turn their faces to Christ and worship him and these and their Services are as pleasant Bread to Christ He is the Bread of Life to them and they Bread of Delight to him 'T is Christ then who is the Prince he shall command in matters of Worship and be obeyed and shall govern the Saints in their whole Conversation Christ will be all in all in this house Prince Priest Sacrifice and Altar 'T is observed that the Altar was in the midst of the Building which if measured from the East North and South Gate there is the same distance and when 〈◊〉 came in at either Gate the Altar is directly before them and in their view All shall look to Christ and be saved Q. How can it be said that this Prince is Christ seeing the Prince is to prepare for himself and the People of the Land a Bullock for a Sin-offering A. This is the Legal Phrase which is here made use of concerning Christ The Priests under the Law were to offer for their own sins as well as the Peoples but being spoken of Christ it must be taken not in a Legal but Evangelical sense as thus 1. The People of the Land will be look'd on as Christs Body and so himself Eph. 1.22 He is head over all things to the Church which is his body And Eph. 5.30 We are members of his body And it being so when he offers for the People of the Land he offers for himself so then for himself and the People of the Land is in effect thus much for the People of the Land which he reckons to be part of himself even his Body 2. The sins of the People of the Land were Christs by imputation he was a common person and the Iniquities of
they shall know Christ and the glorified Saints to be there and shall they be exposed to Battel and oppositions A. 1. Sin especially malicious wickedness is daring and desperate What will it not attempt when there is the sweetness of Revenge tempting to it And malice loves to shew it self though it can't do the utmost it would Rev. 16.9 Those that are scorched with great heat blaspheme the Name of God who had power over those Plagues When they can't free themselves of those Plagues and have no power over those Plagues they blaspheme him that hath they do what they can when they can't do the utmost they would for Revenge No doubt but at this time the Devil will find much of malice and envy at the power and prosperity of the Saints which will give him the more advantage to deceive the Nations The power of malice and of a desire of Revenge is so great that it makes Men run the hazard of losing their own lives to be avenged on those they hate And this no doubt will be raised to such an height in wicked men at that time that it will make them run headlong into a desperate design and as oppression makes wise Men mad so malice and envy will then make wicked Men mad 2. Somewhat like to this hath been done There were many glorious appearances of God in Egypt and at the Red Sea great Wonders were wrought yet after this Pharaoh pursues the Israelites and overtakes them God makes a way in the Sea and a path in the mighty Waters and Pharaoh was so hardned as to follow after them in the Sea where the whole Host of Egypt was drowned And after all the Amalekites must needs know what God had done for the Israelites yet they would fight against Israel And Baalam knew the presence of the Lord with the Israelites and could say The Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them even the same King who shall have his Throne in the New Jerusalem Yet notwithstanding this he did what he could to curse Israel and gave pernicious Counsel against them to the Midianites This he did though he knew that Isratl should drink of the Blood of the Slain as they did his These things being considered why should it be lookt on as a thing incredible that the Nations should gather against the beloved City though Christ shall be in it and it shall be known by this Name The Lord is there 3. The evil Angels rebelled in Heaven and began a War there This they did when they were in the presence of God and if they did this in Heaven no wonder that they should be so ready to do it on Earth though they know the effect will be their being cast into the Lake of Fire And if evil Angels shall act thus desperately against a known Christ to their own known torment then we may conceive it also of Gog and Magog seeing they will have the like Devilish Malice and the old Serpent deceiving them 4. This will be but a gathering against the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City like the Sodomites compassing Lot's House round where the Lord was who smote them with blindness and after destroyed them with Fire and Brimstone So here will be a gathering to Battel but no Battel for Fire from Heaven will destroy them So that all this will not be to the least hurt of Saints They gather against but get no Victory over them They compass the Saints but do not conquer them Pharaoh pursued but did not touch one Israelite Not one Israelite was hurt and no one of Pharaoh's Host escaped Thus will it be with Gog and Magog not one of them shall escape burning and not one Saint shall perish or not so much as one hair of any of their Heads So this gathering will not be to the hurt nay not affrightment of the Saints for terror shall not come nigh them But as when the Heathen rage and Rulers take Counsel against the Lord he that sits in Heaven laughs and hath them in derision So the Saints in the beloved City and in the Camp of the Saints shall but laugh at Gog and Magog and the vast Multitudes with them and have them in derision Object 4. The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 This is destroyed to Saints by their Resurrection and therefore it may seem to follow hence that there will not be a First Resurrection of dead Saints at the beginning of the thousand years because long after this the Saints will have Enemies as Gog and Magog when the thousand years shall be finished If Death be the last Enemy which shall be destroyed then the Resurrection of dead Saints will not be till after the destruction of Gog and Magog A. The words may be thus rendred Death which is the last Enemy shall be destroyed But it doth not hence follow that Death shall be destroyed last of all for some will be destroyed after Death For the Wicked who have been Enemies to the Saints shall be last of all sent away into everlasting punishment Q. But how is Death the last Enemy if after Saints shall be raised Gog and Magog shall gather against them A. Death is the last prevailing Enemy over a Saint When this shall be destroyed no Enemy after this shall prevail against the Saints or do them any hurt Obj. 5. As the High Priest did enter once every year into the holy place Heb. 9.7 so Christ being an High Priest of good things to come did by his own Blood enter into the holy place which is Heaven verse 24. Christ is entred into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us Hence it may be argued that if Christ shall be a Mediator and make intercession during the thousand years then he must continue in Heaven which is the holy place A. 1. It must be acknowledged that Christ shall continue his Mediation in the thousand years For in that time many will be called much Grace will be given out Saints will pray and Christ will add Incense to their Prayers and offer them on the Golden Altar 2. The Holy of Holies into which Christ is entred is in the Heavenly Jerusalem As the holy place which was the Figure of the true was in old typical Jerusalem so the true is in Jerusalem above where Christ is 3. When the New Jerusalem shall come down out of Heaven then the Holy of Holies will come down also and Christ in it Here observe First the New Jerusalem is described as having a Figure like the Holy of Holies The length and breadth and heighth of the holy place were equal 1 Kings 6.20 And the same is said of the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.16 Secondly Ezekiel's Temple which is to set forth a Church on Earth when the Jews shall be called will have an Holy of Holies Chap. 41.14 He measured the length twenty Cubits and the breadth twenty
was at the Red Sea and such a destruction of their Enemies as was that of Pharaoh and the Egyptians there which will be the occasion of singing the Song of Moses For the Saints will be brought into such a strait as the Israelites were then in Great Multitudes of inraged Enemies will persue them and as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire will be before them We know what a kind of fire that of Glass burning in a Furnace is What a dreadful thing would it be to behold a Sea of such Glass mingled with fire and to be in danger to be driven and forced into it Now such will be the case of the People of God at last Such trouble such danger so great a strait as never was since there was a Nation Not that there will be such a Sea of Glass in a proper sense but as 't is said John saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire so a destruction so dreadful will be threatned to the People of God as if they were in danger to be forced into such a Sea and that another Red Sea even of fire more terrible than the Red Sea of Water But what will the Lord do for his People in this so great an extremity He will even make a way for them through this as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and the Fire shall be to them as the Waters of the Red Sea were to the Israelite a Wall on their right hand and on their left And their persuing Enemies shall perish in this Sea of Fire as Pharoh and his Host did in the Sea of Water and as the world of the ungodly perished by the Flood And then shall the so wonderfully delivered Saints stand upon this Sea of Glass having the Harps of God that is as the Israelites stood and sang upon the Sea-shore when they saw the Egyptians dead upon it so in like manner shall the triumphing Saints stand upon this as it were a Sea of Glass and see all their Enemies destroyed in it And as Isa 66.24 Shall look upon the Carcases of the that have transgressed against the Lord whose Worm dyes not neither shall their Fire be quenched And they shall they sing the song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints 2. After the thousand years Christ will finish the work of Judgment As the dead Saints will be raised and judged at the beginning of the thousand years so the dead Sinners after the end of them Rev. 20.11 I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and these are such who died in their sins whose names shall not be found written in the Book of Life If we compare Rev. 11.18 and 2 Pet. 3.7 with Rev. 20. it will evidently appear that some of the dead will be judged at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and at the time when the new Heavens shall be created and others of the dead above a thousand years after 1 Cor. 15.23 24. First Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming Then cometh the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards cometh the end for this hath the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore as there is a great space of time betwixt Christ's Resurrection and the Saints so there will be also betwixt that of the Saints and the Resurrection of the wicked 5. Signs when the time is near for the fall of Babylon Some have taken upon them to declare the set and appointed time for the Fall of Babylon and the accomplishment of the great things before handled But I shall not presume to do this but shall onely hint some signs by which we may know when the time draws nigh Christ gave signs and 't is our duty to endeavour to discern them and though the wicked shall not understand yet the wise shall understand both what God is about to do and what they ought to do Dan. 12.10 We may take notice of two sorts of Signs Signs in the Nations and Signs in and amongst the Saints 1. Signs in the Nations Luke 21.25 Vpon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity This distress is elsewhere set forth Hag. 2.7 I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come Isa 24.20 The Earth shall reel to and fro like a Drunkard and be removed like a Cottage and the transgression of it will be heavy upon it When the Lord shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously As the pains of a Woman in Travel are a sign that a Child is brought to the Birth so the shakings perplexities and distress of Nations are their travelling-pains and a sign that redemption from Antichristian bondage draws nigh And as the Nations troubles are their travelling pains so there are times in which the Lord sets himself forth as travelling with Judgments as it were pained to be delivered of them For iniquity will abound and wicked men will wax worse and worse till the Harvest of the Earth be fully ripe Sin will become exceeding sinful unrighteousness exceeding unrighteous and filthiness exceeding filthy They will sin as Sodom and declare their sin as Sodom And what will the Lord do then This we see Isa 43.13 14 15. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty Man he shall cry yea roar he shall prevail against his Enemies I have long holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling Woman I will destroy and devour at once I will make waste Mountains and Hills and dry up all their herbs But what follows and what are these things a sign of v. 16. I will bring the blind by a way they know not and lead them in paths they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things strait these things will I do unto them and not forsake them The People of God may be blind as to times and ways of deliverance but the Lord knows how and when the best way and the best time in which to deliver them 2. Signs amongst the People of God Now here I shall mention three The scattering of the power of the holy People or the killing of the Witnesses And then next to this the Serpent's casting a Flood out of his Mouth to swallow up the Woman when she is driven into the Wilderness the second time And lastly the Dragon's War with the remnant of the Woman's Seed And if there shall be a concurrence of Providences and Events answering the Prophecies there will be evident signs given of the downfal of Babylon as very near 1. The scattering of the Power of the holy People Dan. 12.6 7. One said to the Man clothed in Linen How long
Moon and for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting Hills and for the precious things of the Earth and the fulness thereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Josephs Blessing did then consist in precious things and that which made all these precious things more exceeding precious was the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and when Joseph shall be called and United to Judah under one King then shall he have the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and a Blessing of precious things added thereto Certainly we may well conclude that as the Tribes of Israel had these their Blessings in some Degree when Canaan was Conquered and divided amongst them so when the Jews shall be called then shall they have these Blessings wherewith Moses the Man of God blessed them in the fulness of them but that the great change which shall be in the Natural state of things may be more fully set forth I shall with such largeness as the Matter doth require whilst upon that eminent place Rom. 8.19 c. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God c. The Apostle had said v. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Saints after a long time of Suffering must have a time of Glory As there is to be Eternity of Glory in Heaven so a set time also for the Church to have great Glory upon Earth This is proved from the earnest expectation of the Creature and from the Saints groaning within themselves and waiting for the Adoption even the redemption of their bodies The whole creation groaneth and Saints groan What doth this import but that the World is weary of its present state of bondage and longs for the time when it shall pass away in respect of its present corrupt and slavish estate and be in its refined restored and free state of which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets The Heavens would be New Heavens the Earth would be a New Earth they look with outstretched Neck for that happy time when it shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of justice and Mountain of holiness and when the Sons of God that have lyen among the Pots shall come forth and be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold and so have their glorious Liberty and Manifestation By Creature here is meant the World which is now subject to Vanity and in bondage to corruption It s condition is much worse now by Mans sin than it was at first This condition is contrary to its Nature It would be restored to its Primitive State and is not at rest till it be so Here are three things to be considered First What the Primitive State of the Creature was Secondly What its present bondage is Thirdly What the Liberty is which it longs for What the Primitive State of the Creature was these Particulars shew 1. The Creature was very good there was no evil in the Creation Gen. 1.31 God saw every thing which he had made and behold it was very good Full of vertue and Vigor of beauty and comliness Gen. 2.27 As Trees so other things were beautifull to the Eye there was nothing hurtfull and grieving No Thorns or Thistles for these were a part of the Curse Salomon complains all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit 'T was the Evil and bitter thing Sin which was the cause of it 2. There was Peace in the Creation a due subordination and subjection and Concord and agreement nothing of Rebellion nothing of enmity no wasting or destruction in any part of the Creation as a Fruit of enmity 3. The Creature was made that it might serve for the Honour of the Creator God made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 All his works were to praise him 4. Man was Lord of the Creation Rule thou over the Fowl of the Air the Fish of the Sea c. Gen. 1.28 And the Creatures did own Mans Dominion over them and became willingly subject to him the Beasts and Fowls came to Adam as it were to do him Homage and he gave them Names 2. What the Creatures bondage is This consists 1. In the loss of very much of its Primitive vertue and beauty Sin hath much defaced and enfeebled the Creation Meat hath not that strength to nourish which first it had Isa 3.1 we read of the Stay and Staff of the Stay of Bread and the Staff of Water If Adam had not Sined this Stay and Staff would have been a sufficient support of Mans life when it s going away 2. In that enmity which is now amongst Creatures There is a war in the Creation Creature against Creature In the Sea the greater Fishes devour the less the dry Land and Air are full of Beasts and Birds of prey 3. In the sinful abuse of Creatures they are in bondage to the lusts of Men and are many times provision For the Flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof We may observe that the First Sin was the abuse of a Creature God had forbidden to Men the eating of the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden when Man did eat the Creatures bondage began This sinful a buse was its bondage And this one Creature being thus abused and brought into bondage God did in a way of judgment as a just recompence of Man's Sin leave the rest to be subject to Vanity and less helpful to Man Adam delighted in the forbidden Fruit more then in pleasing God and therefore was left to love and serve the Creature more than the Creator We may take Notice how this bondage is set forth in Scripture 1. Joh. 2.16 All that is in the World the lust of the Flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World There are these several Lusts in the World and the World affords them their several Objects carnal Delight are the Objects of the lust of the Flesh worldly riches and Propfits are the lusts of the Eye And do please the Eye Eccles 5.11 When goods increase what good is there to the owners saving the beholding them with their Eyes and when these worldly things are enjoyed and Men prosper and grow great thereby then Pride usually compasseth them about as with a Chain and so they become the Pride of Life Now this is the bondage of the Creatures to feed the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life We may observe that all these lusts did meet in and made up the first sin the Forbidden Fruit was fair to the eye there was the lust of the Eye there was a lust to eat of it and an eating to satisfy that lust so there appeared the lust