before the day of judgement when the wicked shall have as great authority and riches as they neither can it properly be said that the Saints shall reigne in heaven for there is none to bee subject unto them then it remaines that the Saints after the day of judgement shall reigne here on earth Revel 5. 10 when they shall shine as the Sunne in the Firmament Matth 13. 43. and be as glorious in the fight of God as he was at the first all the creatures restored to their first persection then they will yeeld to man all that obedience that is due unto him and then shall man be honoured in the earth by the creatures as their Lord and King and wonderfull happy among the Angels in heaven being of their nature in his soule and in his body also being made of the same elements with other creatures here below then the Angels shall continue in heaven and these creatures shall continue here and men shall have bodies so full of agility to ascend up to heaven and to walke in the ayre as to goe upon the ground and the glory of the soule shall bee the wonderfull perfection of Gods Image in all the faculties of it then shall wee know both the secrets of heaven and earth then shall our memories will and affections bee after an unconceivable manner made conformable unto God yea we shall have both in our soules and bodies rivers of joyes and pleasure for evermore Psal 16. 11. Revel 21 7 Esay 66. 22. then shall the Saints inherit all things and the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remaine before mee saith the Lord and so shall your seed and your name remaine then shall wee bee Luk. 20. 35. 36. equall to the Angels being children of the resurrection and counted worthy to obtaine that world and we shall be as Kings and Priests and wee shall reigne on the earth Revel 5. 10. and all the creatures here will yeeld subjection to us as to their Lord and King and we shall be as Priests to offer the sacrifice of praise to the Lord and give him all the glory And if any shall yet say these times shall be before the end of the world because in the eighth Psalme it is said thou hast crowned man with glory and honour and thou madest him to have dominion over the workes of thy hands and hast put all things under his feet and then names all the creatures here below I answer David here magnifies the Lord for that great glory and honour that was put upon man at the first in Paradise when he had dominion over Psal 8. 6. all things under the heavens for this is spoken in the time past Thou madest him have dominion and thou hast put all things under his feet but Heb. 2. 8. if we speake of the new world we see not yet all things put under him And whereas some hold that the soules of men departed shall returne againe and their bodies shall be raised and united to them and they shall live here againe before the day of judgement a thousand yeares but I demand Revel 20. 4 with what bodies shall they rise if it be sowne a corrupted body shall it not rise in incorruption if it bee sowne a naturall body shall 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. it not rise a spirituall body they must rise with such a body as Christ did But when the disciples saw him they were terrified and affrighted Luk. 23. 37 Act. 10. 40. 41. and supposed that they had seene a spirit and as for wicked men they never saw his body at all after his resurrection him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not to all the people but unto witnesses chosen before of God even to us who did eate and drinke with him after hee Luk. 24. 31. 51. John 20. 17. Mich 〈◊〉 10. arose from the dead and when hee was with them as soone as they knew him he vanished out of their sight this strangenesse was betweene his spirituall and their corporall bodies this is not your rest because it is polluted he charged Mary that she should not touch him then what communion can be betwixt them when some must not touch him and others were affrighted at the sight of him and as soone as they knew him hee vanished away because the world is polluted then it cannot bee that spirituall and corporall bodies should live together and though he eate and dranke with them after his Resurrection yet we must not thinke it was for necessity or through the perill of hunger but onely for delight and to shew them that Luk. 24 3◠40. he had a reall body as before with flesh and bones onely it was made immortall and everlasting never to dye more nor to suffer any perill more And whereas it is said That the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse Revel 20. 4 of Jesus and for the word of God and had not worshipped the beast they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeares This cannot be meant of a corporall death or of a bodily resurrection for the rest that were dead lived not againe Vers 5. 6. till the 1000. yeares were finished and yet in the first Resurrection who are as blessed and holy as the rest On them the second death hath no power and they being in the first resurrection and yet not raised in their bodies what is this but to rise from the death of sinne to the life of grace on such the second death hath no power and Christ answered the Sadduces that Abraham Isaac and Jacob are living for God is the God of the living and he is their Mat. 22. 32 John 5. 24. God he that is thus alive shall dye no more but is passed from death to life And againe the planting of the Gospell and increasing or spreading of the Church may very well be called a Resurrection because men were brought out of a state of death to a state of life and the growth of the Church was like to the rising of the waters of the sanctuary first to the Ezekiel 47. ankles then to the knees then to the loynes and to a river that could not be passed over so was the Resurrection of the Church at the first but twelve Acts 1. 15. 2. 41. 44 5 14. then a hundred and twenty then there was added three thousand then five thousand then multitudes both of men and women now he that hath part in this first resurrection on them the second death hath no power and whether they have this first Resurrection in the first thousand yeares after Christs ascension or in the second it matters not so they have it before the day of Judgement on them the second death hath no power But our controversie is about those that were slaine for the witnesse of Jesus and yet lived and reigned with Christ a
feare them that kill the body but cannot Mar. 22. 32. Mat. 10. 28 Luke 2. 29. kill the soule the soule cannot dye with the body but it departs away from it Then I conclude that if the Soule assoone as it leaves the body goes immediately to Paradise the third heaven there is neither purgatory nor place of residence after death but as the tree falleth so it lies after death to Judgement a particular sentence is passed immediately upon them for heaven or hell and there is no place of abode for Abrahams children till they come into his bosome with him in Heaven for ever But thirdly which is the maine objection to all my former discourse if the soule of Abraham be in Heaven and when he was here he desired a better Country than this world which is a heavenly then they say after the day of Judgement the Saints shall not inherit all these things here below in this world because the Saints did alwayes set a low value of them To this I answer that the Soule is of a Heavenly substance and when it Rom. 6. 7. leaves the body then it hath ceased from sinne therefore no place between this and Paradise is fit to receive it Therefore saith the Prophet Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest because it is polluted and after the Heb. 12. 23. day of Judgement the Angels shall abide in Heaven being a place for such glorious Spirits and the soules of men made perfect being of the same nature with them shall abide in Heaven also till the body shall rise againe for as the soules of men are now confin'd in Heaven Luk. 16. 26. and the Angels have businesse both in the Heavens and in the Earth so after the day of Judgement when they have finished their worke in this world they shall rest and I suppose shall be confined in Heaven for ever and when our bodies Eccle 21. 7. are risen and united to our soules then shall we inherit all things here in their first perfection and also we shall have sweet communion with Angels in Heaven for as I said before man consists of two parts body and soule so he shall have two worlds answerable to his two natures to delight himselfe in that he may have fulnesse of joy for whom all things were made 1 Tim 4. 8. for godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come and the meane time that the body lies in the grave the soule is gone to take possession of the kingdome of heaven and when the body riseth againe it shall then have this world bestowed upon it and as the soule brought nothing with it so it shall take nothing out with it no not his owne body but leaves it here in the earth till it comes againe and so the body goes to the grave and takes nothing with it but weeping and mourning yet when it comes againe having had the pretious seeds of grace in it shall doubtlesse come againe with rejoycing and Psal 126. 6. bring his sheaves with him so then after the day of judgement when all things are purified by fire and restored to their first perfection then I say man shall inherit all things both in this world and in the world to come then shall the meeke inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance Psal 37. 11. Joh. 16. 20. 33. Esay 49. 8. Matth. 10. 16. of peace but this cannot be before the day of judgment for saith Christ In this world you shall have tribulation Christ was given for a covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolate heritages but for the present the Saints are as sheep among wolves so that these things shall not be restored to the Saints till themselves are in their first perfection then they shall be given us againe perfect as they were to Adam at the first And although mans body shall put on immortalitie and shall be made so firme and permanent as to endure for ever eternally yet his body shall not be turned into a spirit it shall be a body still with flesh and bones as Luke 24. 39 49. the body of Christ was after his resurrection saith he Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me have And he did eate and drinke with his disciples after his resurrection they gave him a peece of a Luke 24. 42 43 30. Joh. 21. 9. 12. 13. Acts 10. 41 Matth. 26. 29. Rom. 14. 17 Joh. 18. 36. broyled fish and of an hony combe and he tooke it and did eate before them so it is likely man may after his resurrection for saith Christ I will henceforth drinke no more of the fruit of the vine till I drinke it new in my Fathers Kingdome this cannot bee meant presently after his ascension for wee never read that hee dranke wine in all that fortie dayes and his kingdome doth not consist in drinking wine but in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost My kingdome is not of this world saith hee then I conclude that Christ will not drinke of the fruit of the vine till he hath rendered up the kingdome to 1 Cor. 15. 24. his Father then will Christ amongst the Saints drinke it new not as though he desired to drinke new wine rather then old for he himself saith that no man having old wine desireth new for hee saith the old is better Luke 5. 39. then the meaning is when the vine is made now and all the trees and creatures restored to their first perfection then will he drinke with them in his Psal 96. 11 12 13. Fathers kingdome then shall the heavens rejoyce and the earth be glad the fields shall be joyfull and all the trees of the wood shall rejoyce before the Lord when hee commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and his people with his truth then here you see the world every creature the very trees shall have righteousnesse as they have suffered by the sinne of man so shall they have benefit in mans deliverance from his sinne this is that which the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in paine together untill now but the creature it selfe shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children Rom. 8. 21. 22. of God but it is observable when all the creatures in heaven and earth rejoyce at the comming of Christ to judgement at the same time the Sea Psa 96. 11. roares and the fulnesse thereof because it is said there shall be no more Sea Revel 21. 1. then shall man enjoy all the creatures that were given him at the first as he did in his innocency so that he may eate of all the trees for his pleasure and yet not feele the perill of hunger and although our bodies shall
thousand yeares but as I said before this cannot be meant of a corporall death or bodily resurrection but it must be understood mystically that they were slaine in their outward livelihood both in their name and estate saith David I was as a dead man out of mind in the esteeme of the world and yet at the same time reigne over satan and their owne corruptions Or if any were slaine in the first thousand yeares yet God left not himselfe without witnesse but the more they afflicted them the more they multiplyed Acts 14 17 Exod. 2. 12 Rev. 11. and grew as Israel did in the bondage of Aegypt and some of the witnesses that were slaine are said to lye in the streetes and not suffered to be buryed and after three dayes and a halfe the Spirit of life came into them and they stood upon their feete these things have beene clearely shewed of late to be understood mystically And againe can we thinke that some of them that are dead their soules shall return some shall not to live here a thousand yeares and their bodies raised and not all shall some rise a thousand yeares before others doth not Christ say they shall all rise in one houre Marvell not at this for the houre commeth in which all that are John 5. 28 29. in the graves shall heare his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of damnation 1 Cor. 15. 52. And doth not Paul say In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last trump for the trump shall sound and the dead shall be raised Then I conclude this argument that if the bodies of all shall rise together in one houre in a moment in the twinkling of an eye but it is said all they that are in the graves not some of them and in a moment not a thousand yeares distance of some from the rest that shall rise from the dead And whereas some affirme that in this thousand yeares the Church or Kingdome of Christ shall be all righteous all Saints under the King of Saints and no hypocrites nor excommunicate persons and the wicked Revel 15. shall be as slaves to them in that day and the Saints shall be as Lords in the earth and shall neither marry nor be given in marriage and the Apostles shall come and rule this Kingdome I answer these things some are false and some are true but mis-applyed those that are true are to be fulfilled after the day of Judgement and not in this corrupted world as when the people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land not onely a thousand yeares but for ever in the Isa 60. 19 20 21. new world when the Sunne shall no more goe downe nor the Moone withdraw it selfe but the Lord shall be to them an everlasting light and thy God thy glory And so if the Saints of the most High shall take and possesse the Kingdome I answer After the day of Judgement so they shall not onely for a thousand yeares but for ever even for ever for his dominion Dan. 7. 18. 14 7. is an everlasting dominion when all people and Nations and languages shall serve him in it and to say that there shall be no Hypocrites in it I say so too in the new Jerusalem when it comes downe from heaven unto the earth but this will never be till the restitution of all things till the fire at the day of Judgement hath purged the earth and made it fit for so great a mercy wherein dwelleth righteousnesse but till that day of Judgement this cannot be For the Tares and the Wheate shall grow together untill the Harvest which is at the end of the world and the Angels are the Reapers and by them shall the Wheate bee brought into the Barne they shall gather the elect from the foure windes Mat. 24. 31. And they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them Math. 13. 41 42. that doe iniquity and shall cast them into the furnace of fire but when the Angels are sent about this businesse they will finde them altogether minding earthly things as eating and drinking and marrying and mixed together Mat. 24 37 38. two in a bed the one taken and the other left two in the field and two grinding at the Mill the one taken and the other left Therefore when Christ comes to Judgement there shall be Hypocrites and they shall not be used as slaves but in the same bed at the same worke and recreation together And to say the Saints shall be Lords over the wicked this cannot be true neither here nor hereafter for before the end the wicked shall have as great a share of outward riches and honour as the Saints and many times greater and after the day of Judgement I shewed before that all things that offend and that doe iniquity shall be cast into the furnace of fire so that though it be true they shall be Lords and Kings it is not meant over wicked men but over the rest of the creatures this Adam had and lost it and Revel 5. 10 the second Adam hath restored it to us againe as I shewed before and to say that the Apostles shall rule this Kingdome when they are all Saints and the King of Saints present is not worth the answering for they shall be all Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Feare not little flocke it is your Rev. 1. 6 5 10. Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome none shall rule but God alone for all rule and authority and power shall then be put downe Then shall Luke 12 32 1 Cor. 15. 24 28. Revel 20 1 2 3. God himselfe be all in all But they will object against all this cleare light that John saw an Angell come downe from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon that old serpent which is the devill and bound him a thousand yeares and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seale upon him that he should not deceive the Nations till the thousand yeares should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season This say they is to be understood of Christ binding the devill a thousand yeares after their soules are returned againe and their bodies raised and united to them then they say they shall live here a thousand yeares againe before the day of Judgement in great glory and happinesse I answer the devils were bound in chaines of darknesse as soone as they had sinned For God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell and delivered them into chaines of darknesse And if you aske me how long I 2 Pet 2. 4. Jude 6. Job 1. answer till the day of Judgement He was in