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
God may suffer a false Prophet to withstand him even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses And as Elias shall perswade the Elect to follow the Lamb so this false Prophet shall seduce the Vessels of Wrath and draw them after the Beast And that Elias which shall come may have the gift of working Miracles and then as the Magicians of Egypt did seemingly some Wonders which were done by Moses and Aaron so may this false Prophet do somewhat in appearance like the Miracles of Elias 3. This Beast and false Prophet will have a most remarkable and strange Judgment executed upon them Rev. 19.20 These both were taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire that is Hell Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and the false Prophet are So the Lake of Fire is Hell and these both were cast into it Which doth not only shew that the Antichristian State and Kingdom and so the Antichrist and Man of Sin shall be destroyed but it shews that the particular Person which shall then have Supream Power and Command in the fourth Kingdom and shall stand up against the Prince of Princes and that false Prophet which shall then be so active for the Beast even these two persons shall be cast alive c. Now that we are to take the Beast and false Prophet for two Individual Persons may be gathered from Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet are This is above one thousand years after the taking of the Beast So that when the Antichristian State and Kingdom shall be wholly abolished the Beast and the false Prophet will be in torment Now this being cleared we may observe farther that they are said to be cast alive into this Lake That is destroyed Body and Soul in Hell For as this will be such a Beast as never was since there was a Beast causing such trouble to the Jews as never was since there was a Nation so he and his false Prophet shall have such Judgment as never was before Korah Dathan and Abiram went down quick into the Pit Numb Chap. 16. ver 30. For the Earth opening swallowed them up and so they were buried alive But this Beast and false Prophet shall be cast alive into Hell For at this time God's fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 And the anger of the Lord will be so exceeding hot against them for their most daring wickedness in standing up against the Prince of Princes a greater Sin than that of Korah's standing up against Moses and Aaron that he will not respite their full torment till the resurrection of the wicked above one thousand years after but then immediately shall they be cast Body and Soul into Hell and be under full torment in both And as Enoch and Elias persons so eminent for Godliness were translated that they did not see Death and were carried alive to Heaven so this Beast and false Prophet persons so eminent in wickedness shall be cast alive into Hell This sense is somewhat favoured by what follows The remnant were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest therefore these were not slain by a bodily Death but both in Soul and Body were under the power of the Second Death Thus much of these two Beasts 4. The Day of Judgment and the Worlds perishing by fire For the better understanding of what we find in Scripture concerning the Day of Judgment take notice of two things 1. Christ will begin the work of Judgment at his next appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom When Christ shall appear and the New Jerusalem shall come down and Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign then he shall judge the quick and the dead Q. What shall Christ then do as a Judge or what shall be his judging-work at the beginning of the thousand years A. 1. The dead Saints shall be raised and judged at this time which is evident from Rev. 11.15 The seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and there were Voices saying The Kingdoms of the world are beeome the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ This is at the beginning of the thousand years Now observe what is said verse 18. Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged And what dead are meant the following words declare And that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets to the Saints and to all that fear thy Name small and great So by dead in this place are meant the dead Saints and all the dead Saints even as many as fear God's Name All these shall be judged by a sentence of Absolution and shall receive he Kingdom which was promised to them 2. Christ's work at this time as a Judge will be to destroy them that destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Whence we may gather that this will not be the time of raising the Wicked but of destroying them not of raising them out of their Graves but of sending them to their Graves Which is also evident from 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth whieh are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men Here the day of Judgment is mentioned and this will be a day of perdition of ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of killing not of making them alive again And lastly The Heavens and Earth which now are shall then perish by Fire And here I shall insist a little upon these words and shew what we are to understand by the Heavens and Earth which now are and how they shall perish by fire and by this we shall see farther what the judging work of this day will be Consider then The Heavens and Earth which are now do signifie the World which now is both with respect to that which was before it and perished by Water and also to that which shall be after it and is to come even the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell And if we consider what World it was that perished by Water we shall the better know what World it is that shall perish by Fire Now the Heavens taken in a proper sense did not perish neither did the Body of the Earth perish but all the Men upon the face of the Earth perished except those in the Ark and all other living Creatures without the Ark in whom was the Breath of Life and also the Fruits of the Earth 2 Pet. 2.5 Bringing in a Flood upon the world of the ungodly This World of the Ungodly perished by water And together herewith there were Analogical Heavens and Earth which also perished by water Analogical Heavens there were which perished and those both Political and Ecclesiastical 1. Political Heavens that is the Superiour Sovereign and Ruling part of that World for as
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
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
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
shall it be to the end of these Wonders This is a great Question How long 'T was a Question once askt in Heaven The Angel said Zach. 1.12 How long O Lord And the Souls under the Altar cry How long And thus do the Followers of the Lamb on Earth How long When shall Antichrist be destroyed When shall the glorious Kingdom of Christ come The Answer is When he shall have accomplished to scatter the Power of the holy People all these things shall be finished When the holy People shall be very low and Babylon very high and say I sit a Queen c. then her Plagues shall come the Antichristian Sun must go down at Noon and in the Evening-time it shall be Light to the Saints We have great reason to take notice of this Sign for it is confirmed by an Oath Dan. 12.7 The Man clothed in Linen sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and an half and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all shall be finished This indeed is spoken concerning the Jews Three years and an half must they lye under the power of a civil death after their being called and after their getting some power over their Enemies whereby the Pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the Scepter of Egypt shall depart even after this their power must be scattered and the power of their Enemies will grow very great as we see Rev. 16.14 But then in the midst of those swellings of Jordan when it shall overflow all its Banks shall Jordan be driven back and a way shall be made for the people of God to enter into their rest This is a sworn and therefore a sure Sign Now we may observe that the case of the Gentile-Saints will be the same with that of the Jews for the dispensations of God will be alike to both These as the Jews must be scattered and lie dead three days and an half for the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit will make war against them overcome and kill them Rev. 11.6 This same thing is set forth in another Vision Rev. 12. Where we read that the Woman is driven into the Wilderness to be there 1260 days and towards the end of these days the Woman thinks her self gotten out of the Wilderness and saith Salvation is come c. But then the Dragon persecutes the Woman and she flies into the Wilderness and is nourished there for a time times and the dividing of a time which is the same with the three days and half Now when such a scattering and killing happens this will be a sign of the fall of Babylon at hand as we see Rev. 11.13 The Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues and then the scattering of Power comes 2. A second Sign is that which we read Rev. 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood to carry away the Woman This is the last attempt against the Woman that is the Church of Christ before she gets out of her Wilderness-estate and before the rising of the Witnesses So that when it shall appear that the Serpent is about this work therein an evident Sign will be given of the very near approach of the Fall of Babylon For this is a work to be done in the time of the Witnesses lying dead and after the Woman is driven the second time into the Wilderness Now as for this Flood we may observe that the Serpent hath several sorts of Floods to cast out of his mouth He hath a Flood of Errors and Heresies to cast out and 't is to be observed that the Devil hath been gathering the Errors and Heresies of ancient times and hath been casting them out altogether in this time and many are carried away by this Flood but the Elect shall not He hath been casting out a Flood of Atheism of Prophaneness and Ungodliness and many have been carried away with this Flood There is another kind of Flood which we read of Isa 59.19 When the Enemy shall come in like a Flood c. Psa 18.4 there are Floods of ungodly men And by Waters in the Revelations are meant Multitudes of People over whom the Woman sits Now we may conceive that the Flood is of this kind because the Earth helps the Woman by swallowing up this Flood This Flood is to be cast out of the Devils mouth We may observe that all sin and so the consequents of it came originally out of the Serpent's mouth for the Serpent spake to Eve and so deceived her and drew her into the transgression So Sin entred and Death and all came out of the Serpent's mouth In like manner will the Serpent be speaking to the hearts of men and perswade them to gather together and make up this Flood and by his Instruments those unclean Spirits like Frogs mentioned Rev. 16.13 will speak in the ears of men And thus will this Flood come out of the Serpent's mouth Now when this Flood is cast out the Earth helps the Woman that is some of the Inhabitants of the Earth being led to it by their own interest swallow up this Flood And if such a thing happens after the killing of the Witnesses that is a Flood shall be cast out and the Earth shall be seen to help the Woman and to swallow it up then so plain and manifest a sign will be given of Babylon's sudden downfal that he that runs may read it and may say to Babylon Come down and sit in the dust yea sit thou silent and get thee into darkness for thy time is near to come and thy days shall not be prolonged and thou as well as old Babylon which was the Glory of Kingdoms and the Beauty of the Chaldee 's Excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodom And here we may observe what matter of Consolation there is in these Prophecies when the troubles and dangers of the Church are foretold in them For when the Dragon persecutes the Woman two Wings of a great Eagle are given to the Woman and so she flies from the Face of the Serpent God will sufficiently provide for the Woman's safety and preservation when nothing but utter destruction seems to be coming upon her for the persecuting Dragon shall be no more able to overtake and devour the Woman flying into the Wilderness than a Beast running upon the Earth can catch and devour an Eagle flying in the midst of Heaven And then when the Serpent casts out this Flood to carry away the Woman the Earth helps the Woman Here 's this comfort for the People of God This last design against the Woman whilst in the Wilderness shall most assuredly be made void for though Babylon will be above all doubt of failing in it and her great confidence and raised expectations shall make her say I sit a Queen and shall not see sorrow yet her Plagues will
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
shall take place Mic. 4.13 I will consecrate their gain to the Lord. And their substance to the Lord of the whole Earth then the Creature shall have its due and deserved Liberty Thus much for the Change which will be in the Natural State of Things 2. There will be a Change in the Civil State of Things there will be New Heavens and a New Earth in a political sence for in the New Earth dwelleth righteousness All Civil Government will be administred in a way of Righteousness for as Amos. 5.24 Judgment shall run down like Water and Righteousness as a mighty stream In Antichrist's Kingdom unrighteousness cruelty and oppression hath been a mighty Stream but that sinful Kingdom must be destroyed and after this Judgment shall dwell in the Wilderness and Righteousness shall remain in the fruitful Field and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of it quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.16 there shall not be then any Throne of iniquity establishing mischief by a Law But that which above all doth commend the happiness of those Times in point of Government is this Government then will be Theocratical and Divine so that there will be another Divine Common-wealth more glorious than that of the Jews heretofore After the Jews were brought out of Egypt as God made them a Church in the Wilderness so also a Common-wealth and God himself was Supream amongst them and gave them as a Moral and Ceremonial so a Judicial Law so that he was their King and Law-giver and their Divine Common-wealth was not to end till the coming of Christ according to that Prophecy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 the Sceptre shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Jacob's prosperity was to grow at last into a Kingdom and Common-wealth and to continue till the coming of Christ The Scepter of this Kingdom was given to Judah now though the Ten Tribes revolted from the Scepter and after were carryed Captive and did not return and so were without a King and without an Ephod c. yet Judah did remain as a Divine Common-wealth till the coming of Christ and Judah had right to the Sceptre though sometimes it was violently wrested out of the hand of Judah yet of right it did belong to Judah till Shiloh came and then Judahs Sceptre did return to him that gave it and then the Jews Crucifying the Lord of glory God did suffer their City to be Trodden down of the Romans and then their Common-wealth till that time continued in the Tribe of Judah was utterly destroyed and they were carried Captive into all Nations till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and when these shall be fulfilled then shall the Jews have again a Divine Common-wealth And Joseph and Judah being Joyned together they shall have one King as is evident Ezek. 37.22 24. I will make them one Nation and one King shall be King to them all David my Servant shall be King over them That is Christ who shall reign in Righteousness and give them Civil as well as Spiritual pastors even Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning Ezek. 34.23 I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David and how happy they shall be then is shewn I will make a Covenant of peace with them and the evil Beasts shall cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the Wilderness and sleep in the Woods I will make them and the places round about my hill a Blessing there shall be showers of Blessings Now as Mr. Baxter once said It is this Theocratical polity or Divine Common-wealth which is the unquestionable Reign of Christ upon Earth which all Christians are agreed may be justly sought and the temporal Dignity of Saints which would undoubtedly much bless the World And he sayeth whether there be any other Reign of Christ to be expected that is by his visible personal Abode This controversy I do not now determine For my own part I reverence the Ancients that were of that mind and many latter that have followed them I am my self as meerly Neutral in it as in almost any point of so great moment so often propounded to my consideration I oppose them not in the least nor am I for them Now as for the Visible and personal Abode and Reign of Christ upon Earth having given some arguments for it already I shall here adde something more to see whether any contrary or Neutral Judgment may be more inclined to the owning of this Truth And 1. this truth doth clearly spring forth from 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to her Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Where we may take Notice of these particulars First there will be a great and blessed change wrought in the World so far as to make all things New even to the bringing in of a New World This is the Saints expectation we look c. the Apostles and other Saints did then and therefore we ought now to expect this New World consisting of a New Earth as well as a New Heaven Secondly this New World shall have Inhabitants in it for there shall be Men in it which may be gathered from those words In which dwelleth Righteousness If Righteousness then both the subjects and the Objects of it that is Men living and acting Righteously and these shall Dwell in this New Earth they shall not be as wayfaring Men that tarry but a Night but shall dwell in it They shall not be here after this New Creation but a day with Christ of twenty four hours and then ascend to Heaven not a day as Men count a day but a day as 't is with the Lord that is a Thousand years and a Thousand years as one day v. 8. which hath been taken as a Periphrasis of the day of Judgement This is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a World to dwell in and for Men to abide in so long as to be called Inhabitants And this Inhabited World is chiefly that which Christ is said to Rejoyce in Pov. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. This is the Land which shall be called Beulah Isa 62.4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed Desolate that is without Inhabitants but thou shalt be called Hepzibah and thy Land Beulah For the Lord delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be Married to Christ that is Thirdly Christ shall come personally at his time when the World that now is shall perish and the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be Created For this Personal coming is that which the Scoffers derided asking where is the promise of his coming v. 4. Again this is that which the Apostle asserts v. 10. The day of the Lord will come and come as a Thief in the Night which Mat. 24.43 and 1
Magog but not the Saints in Paradise When the Sons of God in Job's time came before God Satan came also among them and he was at Joshuah's right hand to resist him What a Glorious Liberty will it be for the Sons of God to present themselves before the Lord and no Satan among them The Saints will be also free from the Worlds temptations for neither the persons nor the things of the world shall allure them to evil the forbidden Fruit will not then be lookt on as fair and good to be desired nothing of the Old World shall come upon the heart as the things of Egypt did upon the hearts of the Israelites in the Wilderness Isa 65.17 And nothing in the New Heavens and Earth shall prove a snare Saints shall not be tempters to Saints no Eve shall tempt an Adam no Peter will then turn Satan that is a tempter And none of the Unconverted shall then be tempters to the Converted the Sons of God shall not look upon the Daughters of men neither shall the Woman which now sits upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast having a Golden Cup in her hand full of abominations be in that World to tempt any to commit Fornication with her for Satan the great Tempter being bound and the seducing false Prophets being taken and cast into the Lake of fire that doth intimate that all other Tempters and Seducers will be bound up from deceiving and tempting any of the Saints of the New Heavens and New Earth And lastly Saints will not be exercised with God's temptations of tryal Thus once God tempted Abraham and the Israelites in the Wilderness to prove them and to know what was in their hearts Deut. 8.2 Now Faith is many times put to the tryal in this way but then Faith and other Graces will be found to praise in a constant and vigorous exercise of them and thereby will it be seen what is in the heart 3. Glorious Liberty consists in a freedom from Persecution and Sufferings for the Gospels sake Whilst the Man of Sin remains and Satan is going to and fro in the Earth Saints must look to suffer the Cross must be taken up if men will follow Christ in this time all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution but at last the Man of Sin will be destroyed all the Enemies of Christ shall be made his Footstool then the troubles of the Saints shall be recompenced with tribulation and then the troubled Saints shall have rest none shall hurt or destroy in all the holy Mountain of God 4. Saints will be free of that City whose Name shall be The Lord is there that City that hath Foundations whose Light shall be like a Stone most precious whilst abroad they shall have the light of it to walk in and they shall have right to enter in through the Gates into the City and to eat of the Tree of Life there and to drink of the Waters of Life The Worshippers of the Beast account it a great liberty to be free to buy and sell in the great City Babylon but all the joy they have and delight they take herein will end in crying alas alas for in one hour so great riches will come to naught How much better will it be with the Sons of God when they shall have right to enter into the great City New Jerusalem and to eat of the Tree of Life there and to live for ever After Adam had sinned the Way of the Tree of Life was guarded that he might not eat thereof and live for ever Whence it 's gathered that the Tree of Life had a Virtue to have perpetuated Life and to preserve men from old Age Diseases and Death if he had not sinned and had once come to eat of it Now as Adam lost the right to eat of that Tree of Life which was Typical and Sacramental so a right to eat of the Tree the Tree of Life is now given to the Saints which by Faith they eat of and 't is promised to those that do overcome that they shall eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God which is Christ whom they shall behold in his Glory and so they shall live for ever a holy and a happy Life Thus in some few particulars somewhat of that Glorious Liberty which the Sons of God shall have in the time of the New Heavens and New Earth hath been shadowed out when how much soever they are despised now yet they shall be made a Praise in the Earth yea an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of it This is the Glorious Liberty which the Creatures would be delivered into they would be subject to and serve the Sons of God and will readily yield up their Glory if that may contribute any thing to the happiness of the Sons of God Isa 60.13 The Glory of Lebanon shall come to thee c. to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary and to make the place of my feet glorious thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and the breasts of Kings For brass I will bring gold for iron I will bring silver for wood brass and for stones iron I will also make thine Officers peace and thine Exactors righteousness Now that the Saints may in a time that they with the Creatures groan under a sore bondage rejoyce the more in hope of this Glorious Liberty let a few things be considered 1. Present Bondage is no way to be compared with future Liberty The Bondage whilst Antichrist reigns is not so grievous as the Liberty when Christ shall reign will be glorious Bondage will not be for ever it will end well and when Liberty comes it will be so glorious that Saints shall remember no more their anguish for the joy they shall have in Christ's taking to himself his great power to reign What was Joseph's anguish and trouble to the joy which after he had What was David's great affliction in the Wilderness to his great glory which he had when advanced to the Throne 2. Bondage and Affliction makes way for glorious Liberty Joseph's great Sufferings and Bondage did work for him a greater weight of glory Psa 105.17 He sent a man before them even Joseph who was sold for a servant Joseph was sold by his Brethren but sent by God his Brethren sold him for a Servant but God sent him to be a Lord His Brethren sold him to make void his Dreams but God sent him that his Dreams might be made good And being sold his Feet were in Irons until the time that the Word came Sometimes after a Word and Promise is given it seems to go away hence some askt where is the Promise of his coming but though the word may seem to be quite gone yet it will come As Christ is he that shall come so the Word is that which shall come David said in his haste All men are Liars Samuel and Nathan and Jonathan and who-ever had spoken of a