Throne the Church on earth in the face of Jesus Christ the Messiah that was to come as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 3.6 by the workings of the Holy Ghost in all successions of ages to the coming of Christ himself actually in the flesh Still from the Throne to the four living wights and by them to his twenty four Elders in all times hath he so in succession discovered himself of which discoveries we may observe two great Periods under the Old Testament besides many other lesser ones the two great Periods were the Old world before the Flood and the new world after the flood until Christs time and these two the Rainbow as we noted evidently implies in drowning the old world and assuring preservation to the new world from the like In the first period when God did communicate his pleasure to any living wights then neer to his Throne it was not by written word but by voyce or vision or dreams or any ways he was then pleased to use to any sorts of persons either extraordinarily inspired or to the fathers of Families or the first born as sometimes he used or such as were eminently raised up by him as Enoch Noah c. In regard they lived many hundreds of years they might well by tradition and verbal instruction personally teach the will and pleasure of God to his people and then they needed not the use of writing so God most wisely orders all things in their due seasons and indeed if they had had the gift of writing it would have been in a manner endless by reason of their long lives and great knowledge more then in Solomonâ— time who said Of making many books there was no end Some of the first Fathers lived almost two third parts or more of the Old worlds time after Adam and yet lived with Adam the man made immediately by God The other great period from the flood till about the year of the Creation 4000. as Bp. Vsher computes them which was from the time of the flood computed Anno. Mund. 1656. the sum of 2344. years more and for the space of 855. of those years by the said Reverend Authors account till the Law was given by Christ in Mount Sinai in the year of the world 2513. at which time Moses was taught and inspired to write his Pentetuch or five books the substance of the then revealed will of God to his Church there was no written word but then by reason of Gods many institutious to his late redeemed people of Israel out of Egypt and the shortness of their days he knew his written word to be needful to them and all posterities of his Church who might thereby from age to age have more of the Gospel-glory of the Messiah still breaking out in new glimpses of light till the sun of righteousness himself should arise with healing in his wings and that the whole counsel of God concerning him might in substance be revealed in writing and all needful things by his spirit of wisdom and revelation till his prophetical office in matter of Revelation of subostantial truths was fully accomplished under the Old Testament before he actually appeared in his Priestly office and though Gods Spirit in Noah Sem and others after the flood as he was pleased to raise and inspire them till Melchisedech if he was not the same with Sem as some conceive Abrahams Isaac's and Jacobs time and long after God was pleased to supply them otherwise without writing but yet even then he had no less his true and invisible Church viz. his four living wights or living creatures as Ezekiel speaks to be his seers both in respect of himself and his twenty four Elders his faithâ—â— people both to see for them and see to them to teach them and rule them by such special dispensations as he was then pleased to manifest himself to them by and round about his Throne his true Church upon earth where onely his glorious name is extolled in all his gracious manifestations of himself to them but no where else in the world as Psa 145. There his Saints bless him and talk of his power c. we might take occasion from this abridgement of the Old Testament to speak many things of the Ark wherein Noah and they with him were saved from the flood as salvation is onely to be had in the Church which God exalts on high above the reach of the worlds calamities and so of many particulars of Gods directing Noah to make it having fitted him both with grace and worldly wealth and power to accomplish it to be able to pay such multitudes of wicked wretches that though they might deride his attempt so long to sail on the Mountains yet for the reward and recompence of their labour would not resist as is probable but rather assist him therein it was a work doubtless for a Mighty Prince to accomplish so there are many other observable things as his going into the Ark his staying there his shutting up the persons and creatures taken in seven of clean creatures some for sacrifice and two onely of the unclean and his going out all appointed by Christ himself who is alway graciously present with his Church but especially more remarkably in the deep floods of her affliction or trouble Yea afterward we may observe that God would have an Ark made that as his Church was before saved in the Ark from the Flood so his Church instituted amongst his Israelites must know that the salvation and help was in him that would have his gracious presence figured to them by an Ark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. from whence and by means of which according to his own direction he would as from a divine Oracle reveal himself and his pleasure to them and where that was by his own order there his throne of grace and mercy-seat was to be attended by his four living wights and twenty four Elders both in the moving tabernacle of Moses Joshua and the rest till king David and all his time till his other type Solomon did afterward build him an house â—p Vsher Annal. p. 118. where the Ark of God was in the King of Judahs reign till the Jews Captivity in Babylon in the year from the creation 3395. which was not much more time after the flood then the world had being before the flood Now as Moses the great Prophet who by Gods direction first made that Ark foretold of Christ the great Prophet of his Church that him the Lord their God would raise like unto himself and that he should be heard in all things that he said unto them and as the Father required at his transfiguration that they should hear him Math. 17. whose spirit both informed Moses and all the Prophets so by himself he was excellently and immediately instructed in making of the Ark and the Tabernacle and all that belonged to them that all should be made according to the pattern in the Mount As Moses
other Scriptures and instances both in the old and new Testament pertinent to that purpose And that the Doctrine of the resurrection which was all along in Scripture taught gradually before is most fully cleared by the two last Apostles St. Paul in his Epistles and St. John in the book of the Revelation NOw because that Matutina resurrectio which Mr. Mede speaks of called the first resurrection Rev. 20.4 5. By way of Antithesis to the last more general resurrection of the good and bad before not raised is of great concernment to the then living godly and Saints departed before let us confider what the Scriptures set before us concerning the same And because Christ hath more fully revealed to his Church Rev. 20. the pleasure of his father therein more then formerly was made known in the word for the Doctrine of the resurrection in diverse things in the Old and New Testament was revealed by degrees and St. Paul shews some mysteries of it and our Saviour there more Let us therefore in the first place consider the context of what is there said thereof Rev. 20. and then come to the verses wherein it is contained Vers 1 2. The Angel Christ lays hold on Satan and binds him a thousand years which thousand years by the most learned on all hands is agreed to be literally taken for many reasons Vide Parae on Rev. 20.2 besides the emphatical expressions after several times the mention of a thousand years the Spirit of God sets them out with an Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three times vers 3 5 7. as if he should say these thousand years before-mentioned indefinitely are now so often spoken of demonstratively punctually setting down what was done before what in and after them in all which the word clears the literal sence Verse 3. He shuts him up in the bottomless pit and seals or secures him there during that time but shews he must after the thousand years be loosed for a little season And the fulfilling of that his loosing is set down as this matutina or first resurrection is decyphered vers 4 5 6. For Vers 7. Shews when Satan is accordingly loosed out of Prison Vers 8. Shews how he prevails to gather his hosts of Gog and Magog in great numbers in all the four quarters of the earth Vers 9. Sets down their design to compass the camp of the Saints and their disappointment by fire from heaven that devours them Vers 10. Shews the judgement of Satan in the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false Prophet were cast before the thousand years Vers 11. And so forward to the end is described the ensuing last judgement where the judge is set down in this 11. verse and his Throne he sat on Vers 12. the persons judged all sorts small and great the ways of their tryal by opening the books and according to their works Verse 13. How they came to the judgement The Sea and Death and the Grave gave up all the dead Vers 14 15. Shews who were cast into the lake of fire at the last namely Death the last enemy 1 Cor. 15. and Hell or the grave with all whose names were not written in the Book of life Now concerning this first resurrection it is largely described in many particulars Verse 4. In the first place are thrones and they that sate on them and judgement was given unto them which seems to be such eminent holy persons as the Apostles or great Prophets assessors with Christ then that as our Saviour promised should sit and judge on thrones at his Kingdom Luke 22.29 30. Secondly All other faithful Saints that lived and reigned with Christ the thousand years Vers 5. declares the different conditions of all others there called the rest of the dead that had not part in that first resurrection Vers 6. Contains the condition quality and priviledges of all the then raised Saints First they are blessed Secondly they are holy and therefore blessed Thirdly They are thereupon secured the second death shall have no power on them they are most safe from the judgement of the wicked that will come Fourthly the excellency of their promotion First to be Priests of God and Christ to offer praise c. continually Secondly Kings to reign with him the thousand years And this the Parallel Text Rev. 11.15 and so forward at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet doth likewise confirm where verse 15. is set down the beginning of Christs reign upon earth and the continuance for ever while the earth continues Secondly the praise of the Church thereupon namely the twenty four elders now without mention of the four beasts as formerly vers 16. Vers 17. There is the object of their praise Lord God Almighty which is and was and is to come and then reigned Secondly The ground of that their praysing him for taking his great power and reigning Verse 18. The occasion opportunity and advantage that Christ took then to take his great power and to reign First of evil unto the evil the Nations were provoked to anger and rage by the Devil against the Saints as also he will do to compass the Camp of the Saints when Satan is loosed Chap. 20.9 and here Gods wrath came upon them in devouring fire and destroyed them that destroyed the earth in the end of the 18. vers Secondly in the middle part of the same verse we have the advantage or opportunity Christ takes of good to the good First of the dead before that They should then be raised and they are of two degrees First Gods eminent servants the Prophets that should have suitable reward to their great service or sufferings or both And Secondly less eminent Saints Again good to the good then alive on earth such as fear Gods name small and great for the blessed and holy dead raised then will be above sear there perfect love as Saint John speaks hath cast out fear Lastly Vers 19. There is described the spiritual glory of the grace of God discovered in Christ above what was before so as peculiar to Jerusalem that comes down from heaven The temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the Ark of his Testament and on the other hand is set forth the terrour of Gods wrath manifest then against ungodly men to be horribly destroyed from the earth as is set down at this time So Psal 50 1 2 3 4 5 c. Dan. 12.1 which likewise referres both to the good and the wicked Now for the condition or state of the raised Saints it is probable to be like or suitable to what was in Christ before he ascended to his Father that appeared and disappeared as he saw good for his Disciples and sometime eat and drank with them as both the Gospel manifests Vide Mat. 26.29 compared with Luk. 22.18 19. one verse speak of the Passover the other of the Lords Supper and the Apostle Peter saith
the dead observe the expressions so the Apostle to the Hebrews speaks of a world to come Heb. 2.5 which is applyed hither with Psal 8. as appears from the context And Act. 2.29 30. the Apostle applies the promise to the Patriark David Psal 130.11 of his Seeds sitting upon his throne to Christs resurrection who is the resurrection and life to all that are his which then will be fulfilled and 2 Sam. 7.16 his seed is said to be established before him And as for such as were wonderfully raised from the dead in the Old and New Testament being all raised by the power of Christ and by the vertue of his resurrection in its time to be accomplished were to strengthen the faith of Gods people in all times following that Christ in his due time which now is revealed would raise up from the dead all his believing Saints and faithful servants Yea that eminent manifestation of Christs kingly glory before his three disciples at his transfiguration having Moses and Elias then so talking with him of his decease which he was shortly after to accomplish at Jerusalem seems remarkably to set before us that we now speak of namely that when he will appear in the world to be the great King of his people on earth the said thousand years that then such as Moses and Elias shall appear with him and be greatly honoured by him c. It is an observation of godly and learned men upon the promises made in the Epistles to the seven Asian Churches that some of them signifie the state of the Church in the Primitive times as it were adumbrated and resembled in the two first Epistles in the five last the times of Antichrists date of 42. months but all the promises in those seven Epistles relate to the New Jerusalem As first as our Saviour told his Disciples that followed him that in the regeneration they should sit on Thrones judging the 12. Tribes of Israel answerable to that promise Rev. 3.21 where Christ saith He will grant to him that overcometh to sit with him on his Throne even as he also overcame and was set down with his father in his Throne and that will be fulfilled Rev. 20.4 And whereas it is said Rev. 1.6 Christ hath made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father who is himself there stilled the Prince of the Kings of the Earth So in Christs kingdom upon earth that will be fulfilled Rev. 20.6 where it is said The Saints shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years So that promise Chap. 2.7 where promise is made To him that overcometh to eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God by allusion to the tree in Paradise whereby eternal life should have been confirmed to Adam if he had stood that is applyed to such as shall have their part in the New Jerusalem Chap. 22.14 who shall have right to the tree of life so Chap. 3.4 5. promise is made to walk with Christ in white and white raiment So such as shall come into the New Jerusalem Rev. 7.9 13. and Chap. 19.8 Christs armies that followed him were cloathod in fine linnen white and clean So Chap. 3.12 promise is made to be a pillar in the house of God and go no more out c. and to have the name of God written on them c. Answerably again Chap. 22.3 4. His servants shall serve him and they shall see his face and his name shall be in their fore-heads Again Chap. 2.11 They shall not be hurt of the second death Answerable to that Chap. 20.6 On such the second death shall have no power So it is promised to such Their name shall not be blotted out of the Book of Life but be confessed before the Father and before his Angels Rev. 3.5 So Chap. 21.27 They enter the New Jerusalem whose names are written in the Book of life All which and divers other promises the Saints to whom all along from Saint Johns time these promises have been made they cannot have fulfilled to them in the New Jerusalem upon earth in Christ raign if they be not raised then from the dead And that promise Of raising such up at the last day Joh. 6. To such as his Father hath given him vers 39. To such as see the Son and believe on him vers 40. To such as the Father draweth to come to him vers 44. To such as eat his flesh and drink his blood v. 54. four times repeated in that latter part of that Chap. is manifest to be under stood of that first matutina resurrectio called the last day in respect of the world at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the finishing together of that age while evil men are mixed with good like tares in the field when as our Saviour speaks Rev. 10. the world time shall be no more when he will raise all his people that then sleep in the grave to raign on earth with him till the great multitude of their fellow-members be come in This Doctrine many of the ancient Fathers acknowledged in the first Primative times as Justine Martyr reckoned by Master Mede in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew Irenaeus in his 5. Book and 5. last Chap. Nepos B. of Egypt Tertullian in his 3. book against Marcion Lactanti in his 7. book of Instit chap. 23. c. even Augustine sometime held it though by the subtilty of Satan forgeing lyes to asperse the Millenary opinion and stirring men up to foyst in offensive errours in those times both Saint Augustine and others laid it down after him c. But Christ in these latter times hath again discovered it after so many hundred years of its lying hid for the most part in the Church to be a doctrine really to be imbraced by his faithful people who shall have the good of it and wherein he will appear wonderful in and toward his Saints in the said Kingdome Again it is observable in Heb. 3 and 4. Chapters after he had spoken of that rest of the people of Israels entring into the Land of Canaan and of Gods rest from the work of Creation and Christs resting from the work of Redemption he speaks of an other rest from Davids words To day after so long a time it is said to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. and then concludes there remains a rest or Sabbatisme for the people of God which they should have in this world and that seems to be in the New Jerusalem both Jews and Gentiles then living or raised from the dead c. And for that Text Dan. 12.2 Many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake here take notice it is said many not all shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt may be answered one of these three ways either as an abridgement of both resurrections the matutina and
began have spoken of those times of refreshment and restitution of all things Act. 3.19 21. Proceed we therefore to consider the Predictions of these two great Prophets in the Old Testament in reference to what is said by them of Christs Kingdom in the new at the erecting whereof all evil dominion and wicked power must be subdued when God according to his promise Psa 110.1 will make Christs foes his footstool and till which time he must fit at Gods right hand which is the more to be observed in that the holy Ghost in six several places in the N. Test hath since his ascention recorded it viz. Mat. 22.44 Mark 12.36 Luk. 20.42 Act. 2.34 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 1.13 and in the fulfilling thereof the wonderful glory of God ever since mans fall is and will be very remarkable over-ruling the evil and mischeif of Satan and wicked men to his own glory and his Churches good but more especially at that great accomplishment when he will take to himself his great power as Rev. 11.17 for as the arch-murderer at first who ever since hath been and till that time will be by usurpation for the most part the God of the powers of this world Ephes 2.2 The Prince of the air ruling in the children of disobedience when he had seduced our first parents to the loss of that happy condition in Paradise to themselves and all their posterity by that onely postern gate alone left for that evil one to enter by viz. The eating of the forbidden fruit and upon that deluding bait of pride to be like God knowing good and evil God then both frustrated his and the offenders designs for by knowing good and evil in that way they became like to the Devil and not like to God and to frustrate the Tempters design through the wonderful goodness of the incomprehensibly glorious God there was even then a way made known for a most happy and gracious design of the Almighty by publishing the first promise of Free grace to lost mankind in a sure work of redemption by the Messiah who should fully overcome Satan at the last and break that old Serpents head And thenceforward Christ Jesus as Mediator having undertaken that office the Devil ever since likewise as cursed Cain his first-born murtherer of his brother by building of Cities as is conceived so he by building of Castles of confusion in the worlds air as it were to abate his trembling by working what mischeif he can all the time of his usurped Dominion in all the long Periods of his wicked rule wherein he hath been remarkably erecting three great Babels of confusion therein as towers and powers to carry on his own wicked designs First The Tower of Babel in Shinar Gen 11.4 for dividing of tongues the main source of confusions Secondly The Babylonian Monarchy in Daniels time for oppressive tyranny over Gods people Thirdly The mystical Babel in the last times for spiritual seducement and thraldom until Christ set up his own perpetual Kingdom The mischeif of the first hath continued through all times since of Satans wicked rule and will do till his binding by Christ The misery of the second hath been felt of Gods people ever since For we read not the Kings of Assyria infested Israel from about An. mun 1700 until Pull Tiglath Pilesur about the year 3170. in the time of Zacharia Shallum Menahen 2 King 15. which is above 1400 years and Nineveh is conceived to be built by Nimrod which was all along the Metropolis of the Assyrian Kingdom and will so be while any part of that Image of the four Monarchies remains unbroken and the spiritual infatuation bondage and thraldom of the third viz. The mystical Babel hath lain heavy upon the Church of Christ many hundred of years past as many talents of lead to crush in peices that weak woman the Church and her spiritual seed if it were possible And as God and Satan have had their designs in these so God in his word hath used three eminent Chronologers to keep records of these three Babylonian designs of Satan and to record such things concerning them all whereby the Devils evil purposes might be discovered and the mischeif ensuing to the seduced might be apprehended and the help and remedies which God ever since hath provided against them might be made known for his Churches support and comfort These three eminent Chronologers are first the Prophet Moses in whose writings three parts are observable First B. Usher p. 33. An historical revelation as we may say of what was done before his time from the beginning for about 2553 years Secondly An historical relation of what things God wrought and taught his people to observe in his time morally politically and ceremonially as his then revealed will Thirdly A prophetical revelation of things concerning Gods Church and Christ the Messiah to come and concerning his three great offices of a Prophet Priest and King though in some things darkly yet very certainly as by Gods assistance we may shew for we must observe that the Spirit of Christ by the ministry of Moses in his Pentateuch or five books written by him hath set down the substance of all Christian Religion though in some things darkly concerning the times of the Gospel and that and all the Old Testament is but Novum Velatum the New vailed as the New Testament afterwards is but in substance Vetus Revelatum the Old revealed Christ having by his Prophetical spirit in the first revealed the whole counsel of his Father for the benefit of his Church The second Chronologer concerning the second and third Babel is the greatly beloved Prophet Daniel and in his record we may observe that he saith nothing of what was done before his time as Moses did from the beginning of the world having none before him for that God from Moses writings had done by others successively in Scripture to Daniels time therefore his records were first of things in his own time secondly of all times after to come though somewhat more clearly then Moses therein the third of those eminent Chronologers was the beloved Disciple St. John who beginning at his own time towards the end of the first Century after Christ from thence proceeds to make known the pleasure of God concerning all times afterwards as Christ Jesus by his Angel in the book of his Revelation had declared unto him to the end of the world mystically set before him in many visions to be sent unto the Churches for their information and comfort unto the end And as these three Chronoclers of Gods spirit speak remarkably of those three Babels under several considerations Yet our main drift at present is to shew how that these three famous servants of the Lord have in all their times foreshewed Christs Kingly glory yet still the latter more clearly then the former Yet here take notice of one Prophesie before any of these as it were handed all along by
ΕΙΡΗÎΙΚΟΠOR A Peaceable consideration of CHRIST's Peaceful KINGDOM on EARTH to come Rev. 20.4 Rev. 5.10 To be added to the ΠΡΟΔΡΟΜΟΣ or Fore-runner WHEREIN The Proof and Confirmation that such a Kingdom shal be is abundantly established upon a seven-fold foundation more particularly set down in the next ensuing leaf Whereunto is added an Appendix concerning the first Resurrection spoken of Rev. 20.4 5 6. compared with Rev. 11.18 manifesting it to be of the bodily Resurrection of the Just to begin not long after the glorious appearance of Christ and his said Kingdom Breifly and plainly set down for the benefit of all faithful Christians Ezek. 37.24 25. And David my servant shall be King over them and they shall all have one shepherd they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Dan. 7.21 22. I beheld and the same horn made war with the Saints and prevailed against them Vntil the Ancient of days came and judgment was given to the Saints of the most High and time came that the Saints possessed the kingdom 2 Thess 2.8 And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming Among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or forms of Doctrine in the Council of Nice by Gelas Cyzicen History thereof this is recorded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is We expect according to the holy Scriptures the manifesting unto us the appearing and Kingdom of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and then the Saints of the most High as Daniel saith shall take the Kingdom Answerably hereunto our Received Nicene Creed From thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead as it is Rev. 11.18 and then follows Whose Kingdom shall have none end as before explained Hoc Omega suis MVNVS Alpha tulit Printed in the Year 1665. THE CONTENTS THe Proof and Confirmation That such a Kingdom of Christ shall be is established in the sequel of this Treatise upon the sevenfold foundation ensuing First From a frame of Christian Doctrine containing the general consideration of Christs three great Offices of Mediatorship as the great Prophet Priest and King of his Church in seventeen Theses with six inferences drawn from them page 3 to 8. Secondly By a visional representation of Old and New Testament Doctrine suitable thereunto from the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Book of Revelations setting forth God the Fathers glory as Creator and the Lambs as Redeemer whence are also other seven inferences deduced to confirm Christs Kingdom to come on earth p. 9 to 35. Thirdly By divers evidences and expressions in those four Apostles writings to whom Christ in a special manner manifested his Kingly glory viz. to Peter James and John at his tranfiguration and Revelation to John and to St. Paul at his conversion from whose writings six several senses of Christs comings are observable since his coming in the flesh p. 41 to 56 Fourthly From the eminent Chronologers of the holy Ghost who writ of Satans three Babels namely Moses of the Tower of Babel Daniel of the Monarchy of Babylon and St. John of the mystical Babylon all which come to their utter confusions at the said setting up of Christs Kingdom on earth p. 57 to 71 Fifthly From the other Prophets of all times with the Psalms in the Old Testament and all sorts of Gospellers in the New Chap. 6 7 8. Sixthly By other Arguments drawn from the Lords prayer and the three usual received Creeds or Articles of Confessions of Faith p. 90 to 95. Seventhly From the most ancient Orthodox Fathers of the most pure primitive times who owned this truth in its untainted purity p. 96. All which with many other useful particulars to be observed occasionally set down in reference to Christs personal reign with his raised Saints will more fully appear First by the contents of each Chapter premised and then by the Chapters themselves in order unto which for brevities sake I refer the Christian Reader In the Appendix the bodily resurrection of the Saints is first explained from the distinct consideration of those two parallel Texts of sacred Scripture Rev. 11.18 and 20.4 5 6. confirmed from sundry Texts of Old and New Testament and many weighty considerations tendered to manifest that first resurrection there spoken of to intend the bodily resurrection of the Saints at that very time whereunto that Revelation of Jesus Christ for his Churches benefit hath particular reference Further shewing that the Antient Doctors and Fathers of the primitive times of the Gospel were of that judgement A TABLE OF CHRONOLOGIE BEcause the help of some Chronologie is very needful to the understanding of mystical Prophesies in the holy Scriptures especially for such as this small treatise is intended for and to that end they may neither be troubled or discouraged with too large or too many or curious notions or varieties of mens opinions concerning the order of times I shall here labour to set down such a general soantling for the use of ordinary capacities that by the help hereof together with what is all along set down ofttimes in the following Treatise they may in some sort have pointed out to them the times the things they therein read of have particular reference unto And this we shall indeavour to set down First More generally until the beginning of the four Monarchies set forth Dan. 2. and Dan. 7. 1. By the great Image Chap. 2. 2. By the four Beasts Chap. 7. Again secondly To consider particularly the times following them 1. Then more generally In the first place consider what Moses compendiously sets down before the general Deluge for the space of 1656. years of the old world as ordinarily it is computed 2. From Noahs flood to the promise made to Abraham about the year of the world Anno 2030. is 374. years Exod. 12.4 3. From the promise to Abraham to the Israelites departure out of Egypt 2460. is 430. years 4. The beginning of the Assyrian kingdom by Nimrod about 1788. which continued to the Chaldean Monarchy by Nebuchadnezzar about 1700. years 5. Take notice the Temple of Solomon was begun about the 3000. year of the world as learned Dr. Usher computes it from whence to the Captivity of Babylon he reckons likewise 395. years being in the year 3395. And may not the Antitype of Solomon and his Temble be glorious at the end of 3000. years more 6. I shall here adde a general computation of Bucholcherus for the apt concinnity thereof reaching first to the Captivity of Babylon and through all following times 1. Israel saith he
Sack-cloth for a time and times and half a time In Chap. 13. We have the description of the false Apostatical Church from about Anno. 406. as is probably conceived from Honorius the Emperor and Pope Innocent the first his time set forth in a twofold beast wherein Antichrist and his followers are vers 1. described in their politique capacity as taking possession of the seat of the Roman Emperour in the West into which when the Dragon who was before dipossessed cunningly winds in that his substitute the Beast giving his power and place unto him under a new shape of Idolatry and so he riseth out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns expounded Cap. 17. having upon his horns ten crowns and upon his head the name of Blasphemy By the other Beast vers 11. he is set forth in his Ecclesiastical capacity making up one body with his Clergy so he is said to come out of the Earth of an earthly constitution having two horns of power Ecclesiastick and Civil like a Lamb but speaks like a Dragon But concerning the twofold Beast Christ the mighty Angel described Chap. 10.1 when he gave the Book to John containing the Beasts forty two moneths speaks vers 6.7 that his time should be no longer And to that end had his two Sack-cloth Witnesses prepared Cap. 11. The Pastours to feed the woman in her wilderness-condition 1260. days of years whom in a seeming disgraceful manner he sets up against this great Beast which in appearance is maxime impar congressus they being contemptible in the worlds eye and yet lets them know they should have all along such power that they shall by the spirit of Prophesie overcome the Beast with all his worldly grandure and greatness and by suffering and dying after the Lambs example at last totally and finally overcome him And yet all the while that false Antichristian Apostatical Church of spiritual Babylon that scarlet whore described Rev. 17. Sits as a Queen not onely bewitching the Christian world with her Sorceries but also making the Kings of the earth drunk with the cup of her spiritual fornications the true Church though in a wilderness-condition yet continues to sing a new song on Mount Sion with the Lamb and to follow him where ever he goeth while the destroying Angels by their judgments surprize the Whore Chap. 14. And therefore while the Whore in all her gay gaudery promiseth her self security that she should see no sorrow Christ hath his seven Angels with their seven last plagues or Viale to be poured out upon her bringing her inevitable destruction by degrees upon what ever was of worth in her accompt even to destroy the Kingdom Throne and Empire of the Beast and even to make those Kings which the Scarlet Whore riding upon the Beast had before made drunken to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire And lastly as a mighty Conquerour Rev. 19. Christ overthrows in the Armagedon Battel all the Hosts of the Dragons substitute and possesseth his Empire there and in all other the Dragons dominious besides and casts the Beast and the False Prophet the Pope and his counsel into the Lake of fire and brimstone and then as the most puissant King of Kings and Lord of Lords lays hold on the Dragon Rev. 20. and binds him likewise with a great Chain and shuts him in his Dungeon the bottomless pit And sets up his own Kingdom Dominion and Soveraignty generally over all persons places and times of the seventh Trumpet and thousand years wherein by his word he declares he will reign with his Saints upon earth Rev. 11.15 and 19.20 where again all time will end And in this last period are set forth as Synchronals the binding of Satan the raign of Christ with his Saints a thousand years on earth The new Heavens and new Earth for the same space of time and the Tabernacle of God with men The new Jerusalem The pure River of water of life and the tree of life bearing the twelve manner of fruits whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations All which are to be during that happy time when the Kingdomes of the world are said to be the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ as was expressed Chap. 11.15 And when the Lord God omnipotent reigneth as the great multitude of his servants are taught out of the Throne to praise him so enlargedly Chap. 19.5 6. For as we noted before in all the Book of the Revelations where things are not said to succeed one another as the Seals Trumpets and Viols but one Table of Chronology is assigned to them all such distinct Visions are contemporaries as all that concerned the true and false Church in Antichrists time have the same measure though diversly computed by moneths days a time times and half So all these Visions under or rather after the seventh Trumpet have one Chronogical Table to compute their time viz. a thousand years all which particulars being by Christs special order so strongly asserted by the Angel and the antient and latter Prophets as earnestly called in for evidence hereunto for the stablishment of the Faith of Gods people herein since he the Lamb that had power to reveal them to his beloved Disciple Saint John hath likewise power to execute and fulfil them in their seasons till all be done which in his Office of Mediatorship is committed to him having therefore seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth whereby with his perfect wisdom and providence he will accomplish all that his undertaking Which Synchronismes in the last Period according to Mr. Mede in his Clavis Apocalyptiea are as a guiding thread which who so taketh and humbly and faithfully useth may greatly through grace be helped in passing through many otherwise inextricable labyrinths in many dark passages of this book for in this last period the said Mr. Mede hath gone contrary to the stream of Exposituours for many hundreds of years as others since him have done wherein for the substance there seems to be much clearness though the mysteries therein comprised are very high and intricate which in the ensuing and now neer approaching times will doubtless be much unfolded when the mystery of God shall be finished at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Angel Chap. 10.7 and when likewise Gods Temple shall be opened in Heaven and there shall be seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Chap. 11.19 Now seeing in regard of all Christs other actings past since his taking of the book of Revelation at his Fathers hand they have been mystically and spiritually executed though all most really and powerfully so I conceive the mystical manner of understanding his reign on earth the thousand years As I then apprehended seems in regard of the Symetry proportion and suitableness to what hath already been done is here to be understood