was upon the Earth spake but in Parables as to his second coming and Kingdom Matth. 13.34 by reason Israel being sinful for which it was determined of God they should be left to blindness and that Christ should suffer by them for tho' in other things they sinned wilfully yet they ignorantly crucified the Lord of Life Acts 3.17 And the Lord again speaking of his second coming and of gathering the Nations and by the Parable of setting the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left He saith to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Now from the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth there was no other Kingdom prepared but this World which will be again restored But the Law and Gospel speaking but to those that are under it Rom. 3.19 and chap. 2.12 14. The Lord might therefore have his reference to the foundation of the World that was laid in Israel for the World to come at which foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb And then was the Kingdom of Canaan prepared for Israel by their Enemies destruction And the Gentiles that Christ shall find in obedience amongst the Christian Nations at his coming will then be made the Inheritors with Israel of this Kingdom For they were not only to be Heirs with Israel of the promised Everlasting Covenant whereby Eternal Life is secured to the Soul but they were also to have a share with them in their Inheritance For of Japhet it was prophesied that he should dwell in the Tents of Shem and therefore this Kingdom may likewise be said to be prepared for them And also at the restoration of all things it is that Israel will be restored to their own Land Joel 3.16 And then will God make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord Isa 51.3 And then it is Christ will have his peaceable Kingdom Isa 11.9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 65.23 24 25. And in that day God will make a Covenant for them with the Beast of the Field and with the Fowls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and he will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them lie down safely Hosea 2.18 19. And then will God betroth them unto him for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies v. 19. And then this is the Peace the Lord hath declared shall be in the time of his Kingdom But when Christ first came he said he came not to send Peace on Earth but a Sword Matth. 10.34 For in this time them that are the true Followers of Christ the Devil will be still raising them up Enemies And Christ saith to his Disciples That in him they might have peace but in the World they should have tribulation John 16.33 And likewise St. Paul saith That after his departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among them not sparing the Flock And also of their own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.29 30. which accordingly followed Now whereas it is said Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him This King Solomon spake of the natural Seed of Israel which had they continued in the fear of the Lord they had then been the Emblem of that peaceable Kingdom that is now to come And they in this time should have been the Head and not the Tail and above only Deut. 28.13 But there never was any such promise made to the true Churches of Christ in this time but on the contrary they were foretold they should be afflicted persecuted and meet with fiery Tryals neither were they to adorn themselves 1 Pet. 3.3 Chap. XV. The Elect Church discovered And why God suffered the Beast to arise to deceive the Nations Also a twofold being in the Book of Life NOW Christ by his Word declareth that he would have an Elect Church or People throughout this World that should never be deceived by the Beast or false Prophet And that it was to his Disciples which came of the remnant of Israel unto whom Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Matth. 38.20 And that none should pluck them out of his hand And tho' the first Gentile Churches that received the Word from the mouth of the Disciples were likewise also Elected and fore-chosen of God and made partakers of the Holy Ghost yet their succeeding Generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And God foreseeing that the Gentile Nations that embraced the Gospel would afterward fall away by having no love to the Truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness as Israel and the People of Old had done Rom. 1.21 22. therefore it was determined of God they should be left to strong delusions to believe a Lye Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. For which cause it was the determination of God that all that dwell upon the Earth should worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.7 8. That is all the Kindreds and Tongues and Nations that dwell upon all the Earth that the Beast had dominion over should worship him except those whose Names were written in the Book of Life for the Word speaks to them that received it and it was those fell into the snare that had not a love to it but took pleasure in unrighteousness And Luther says that the Beast and false Prophet are generally comprehended under one head And the Lord saith Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell upon the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast Now I have already proved by the Word in a Treatise concerning Election that there was no Election through the first World of People nor till after the miscarriage of Israel in the Wilderness Then did the Lord secure a certain remnant of them to himself at which time Israel was laid for the foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which
following Generations as will be abundantly proved but we having been in a mistake as to these things have thought it no concern of ours to know whether the Lord is coming or not But we also by misunderstanding the words of the Lord when he sent forth his Disciples to teach all Nations saying He that believeth shall be saved That is they that believed the Doctrine which Christ sent them forth to teach in which was included the conditions of man's salvation the which whosoever accordingly believed should be saved and they which believed not should be damned Now these words were but of force to them that believed and to them that refused believing for unto whom the Word never came they cannot be damned for not believing that which they never heard And the Apostle saith That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law Rom. 3.19 Rom. 2.12 So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel that is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same to them accordingly does the promised mercies or otherwise the threatned judgments belong And tho' St. John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 Yet these words do not exclude all them which have never heard of the Son so as that none of them should ever have life by the Son for there will be a Redemption in the World to come as will be proved And when Christ comes to judge the World and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be judged according to the deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Mat. 25.35 Mat. 7.21 Mat. 16.27 Rom. 2.6.13 1 Pet. 1.17 James 1.22 Rev. 20.12 13. 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Rev. 2.23 26. And tho' in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the Poor and Children were not capable to be made partakers of the Blessing or the Curse in their doing or not doing good to God's Elect And therefore the word all to them on his left hand is not mentioned when he sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. ch 25. v. 41. And whereas it is said all Nations it is but meant all the Nations that have the Gospel And St. Paul saith The Lord will come to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.8 The word all he here mentions not but he chiefly includes them that have the Knowledge of God and of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ For the Gospel speaks to them that have the Gospel yet in works deny it in that they will not yield obedience to it For it is declared in several places of Scripture too many to be here set down that the Jews will be called in when the Lord again comes and they do no ways obey the Gospel and then according to the word the Lord he will gather in others with them Isa 56.8 These things being abundantly proved in a Book that is coming forth of which I shall here set down some few proofs Chap. II. The Restoration of Israel THat the Restoration of Israel will be at the time when the Nations round about are judged in the Valley of Jehosaphat and whereas the Lord saith Assemble your selves and come up all ye heathen round about Joel 3.11 12. This is spoken to those that have Israel's Land in their possession and unto them that are their Oppressors And the reason why they are termed Heathen was because there was no other then but Jews and Heathen and that then not only the back-sliding Christians which were afore prophesied of were so term'd but also the best of Saints that came in by Christ of the Gentile race are likewise termed Heathen as in 2 Esd 2.34 I say unto you O ye Heathen that hear and understand look for your Shepherd he shall give you everlasting rest And what the Law and Gospel saith it saith to those that are under the Law and Gospel Rom. 3.19 Rom. 2.13 14 15. as Christians and Turks For the backsliding Christians are those that are under the condemning power of the Law and Gospel and also the Turks acknowledge the true God but in Works deny him and therefore fall under the condemning power of the Moral Law And whereas the Lord saith Come up all ye Heathen Joel 3.2 now the word all in Scripture doth not include the whole and the Conversion of Israel will also be When Saviours come upon Mount Sion then the Kingdom will be the Lord's Obad. v. 21. Then it is Israel shall see him whom they have pierced and mourn over him Zech. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 And after the Lord descends upon Mount Olivet Jerusalem will be built never more to be destroyed Zech. 14.10 11. and the Wicked never more to have a prevailing power against Israel And the Lord Christ saith That Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21.24 Which shews the Gentile Power will be wholly taken away before Jerusalem will be restored Accordingly St. Paul where he speaks of the Conversion of the Jews turns them to Isaiah where the Lord is there declared to come to judge the World Rom. 11.26 Isa 59.17 18 19 20. and God by the same Prophet ordered Proclamation to the end of this world Say ye to the daughter of Sion behold thy Salvation cometh behold his reward is with him Isa 62.11 Which shews their Salvation is not to be till the time of the power of this wicked world is ended and therefore it is said when the Lord comes that the Beast and false Prophet will be taken alive and cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone so as time for them and the wicked of this World shall be no longer Rev. 19.20 Therefore St. Paul bids the Church 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Thereby shewing there is another time after this time before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed and then it is that Israel will be saved with an everlasting salvation If. 45.17 the which will be at the time of the restoration of all things Acts 3.20 21 22. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in
all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And now is this Scripture ready to be fulfilled Chap. III. The Coming of the Lord. SAint Paul saith 1 Thes 4.16 17. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and rémain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Whereas the Apostle here saith we which are alive all know that in this we the wicked are not included neither in this we are all the righteous then living included but by this we he comprehends those that were to bear their testimony to the Gospel as the first Churches did and as the standing witness hath continued to do the which are those who are said to be clothed in Sackcloth and lie in the street of the Great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt c. Rev. 11.8 and these are those that are said will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and these are the Elect that cry day and night unto him Luke 18.7 but the other Believers will be gathered according as by the Lord is declared Luke 17.34 35. There shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left two women shall be grinding together the one shall be taken and the other shalt be left And the Lord saith It will be as in the days of Lot Whereby it doth also appear that the other Believers will be lifted out of danger by the Angels as Lot was out of Sodom whilst the Wicked will be left to receive part of their punishment here And those that are thus to be taken and gathered are those that have the Gospel and live in obedience thereunto But as for Israel that now own not the Gospel they shall be called in according as the Lord by the Prophets hath declared to them whose testimony they have received and they likewise shall be brought to Jerusalem as it is written upon Horses and in Chariots and in Litters and upon Mules and swift Beasts Isa 60.6 7 9. Isa 66.20 And then it is that with weeping and supplications the Lord will lead them Jer. 31.9 For the Lord will keep to his usual way and method in bringing them home by a sense of their own miscarriage before he giveth them the Holy Ghost And tho' the Apostle saith of them that were chosen to bear their testimony to the truth that they should at the coming of the Lord be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye Yet the others that are then saved will not then be so suddenly changed neither will their natural body then be changed into a spiritual body but their natural body will be then healed of all infirmities and their mind also 2 Esd 6.26 And when their time of returning will be then will others of the Heathens of all Languages of the Nations take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying we will go with you Zech. 8.23 For as there was a mixt multitude went out of Egypt with Israel so again when Israel which will then be his Elect Ro. 11.28 which will be gathered from the four winds into which the Lord hath scattered them then also there will a mixt multitude of the Heathen go with them according as it is said But the poor Christians that have lost their Day and Season of Grace will not be so permitted to do And tho' at first the Lord will lead Israel with weeping and supplications yet also their return to Sion will be with singing and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 58.11 And also it will be after the Lord comes that most of those great Plagues mentioned in the Revelations will be poured forth upon the wicked of the Earth so that according as it is said they shall gnash their teeth and melt away Psal 112.10 after which will come the storm mentioned in the Psalms of Hail Fire and Brimstone which will be the portion of their Cup Psal 11.6 and then as Isaiah saith The Hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies Isa 28.17 Now this is spoken to them that have the word for we are not permitted to judge them that are without 1 Cor. 5.12 Now whereas St. Peter saith The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.10 These words of the Apostle have a two-fold meaning first he hath an allusion to the figurative Heavens and Elements which by fire will be dissolved or burnt up secondly the Airy Heavens and Material Earth will be purged or purified by the tempest of fire so as the outward face of the Earth will be burnt up And then again God will make all things new at which time the raised Saints will be in the glorious Tabernacle and the Believers and Israel and all the promised Elect which the Lord will call in at his coming will be secured in the Holy Land and between Mount Olivet Zech. 14.4 5. This is further proved by Scripture and explained in the fore-mentioned Book Chap. IV. Be ready for the Coming of the Lord. WO to the Christians that shall be found in darkness at that day and tho' Christ said Of that day and hour knoweth no man Mark 13.32 But however he hath left upon record the certain Signs of the times which when they are seen he bids such as have an interest in him lift up their heads and look up for their Redemption draweth nigh Lu. 21.28 thereby shewing that all that expect to have an interest in him must prepare for him For it was those that would not take the warning both in the Old World and in the time of Lot that were destroyed And also the Lord said of the Jews that they were a wicked and adulterous generation which could discern the face of the sky but could not discern the signs of the times Matth. 16.3 The which became destructive to them but St. Paul saith Ye are not in darkness that that day should come upon you at unawares 1 Thes 5.4 And blessed will they be that upon the warning the Lord gives them will so prepare for him as to have their Lamps trimed and their lights burning For the Lord compareth himself to a man that took a long journey and gave to every man his work and commanded the Porter to watch And the Lord saith watch ye therefore lest coming suddenly I find you sleeping Mark 13.34 35 36 37. These places shew the dreadful condition those Christians will be in that will not take warning by the Signs given by him and the Lord also saith If the good man of the house had known what hour the Thief would have come he