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
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
kind of studies which afterwards they grosly abused And Moses by means of Pharaohs daughter was afterwards trained up in all the learning of the Egyptians But when God used the Ministry of Moses and Aaron to bring his people out of that bondage he set up an instituted Church and as he wrote the tables of the Law himself So he directed Moses in writing his five Books for the benefit of his Church Yet doubtless that excellent faculty of writing hath been likewise much after that time abused by Satan and evil men likewise to eclipse truth and promote errors amongst all Heathen people For that as God had by that means set down the sum of his true Religion for that generation of the children of the godly Patriarchs and Fathers and after forty years made their posterity a famous Nation and people and by degrees were formed into a glorious state and Kingdom in the end of Davids and beginâ—ing of Solomons reign So Satan had all along an apparent design to raise huge Mountains of tyranny in the world to serve his own purposes in his wicked Dominion thereby to promote Atheism and Idolatry and what ever was evil and to overpower oppress and subdue if it were possible Gods Church and professed people and so far as their sins gave advantage from time to time they did so by the just hand of Gods providence most wisely and powerfully steering and ordering all the affairs of the world to his own glory and the fulfilling of his own holy pleasure when Satan and evil men least intend it making them in such cases like refiners to his people to cleanse them from their dross and though several Infidel and Idolatrous Nations afflicted and oppressed Israel soon after Moses and Joshua's time as in the Book of Judges and the following stories in Scripture may appear many times until Davids victorious and Solomons flourishing Kingdom which in the next succession Satan by his engins of Idolatry and wickedness soon found a way to divide to make way for his own rule in the world and upon the ten tribes revolting got the greatest part even of Israel it self to turn to his side and promote his design for the most part Helvic till at the last the height of their sins and the fulness of their iniquity delivered them up into the hands of their Assyrian conquerours under which captivity they have lain above 2400 years and still by the like means and actings Satan afterward raised a greater mountain of opposition against Gods Church when advantage against them might be obtained and Judahs sin was likewise ripe so that the Assyrian rod that scourged Israel before being burnt in the Babylonian furnace these also might be cast and fashioned that head of gold the Babylonian Monarchy which by its massie weight meeting together with Judahs sins written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond might grind that people almost to powder wherein Satans designs seemed to attain their end But now for a remedy for this God reveals by Daniel as was fore-shewed that though Satan at the present seemed wholly to have wone the victory yet he should not always wear it but that first he would break in peices that head of gold by a meaner mettle and so make use of the succeeding breasts and arms of silver viz. the Medes and Persians and that not onely to destroy the said golden head but also as he promised graciously by his Prophet concerning Cyrus whom he therefore stiled his Shepheard Isa 44.28 to reduce his people in a wonderful manner again to Jerusalem and rebuild by a strange munificence and assistance his Temple there and though for their crying sins they were afterward in the two following Monarchies of Brass and Iron namely the Grecian and Roman long and soar afflicted they were also at length after the Promises of the Messiah were fully compleated by the Iron legs and thighs of the most terrible Roman power wholly made desolate upon their rejection and crucifying the Lord of life and glory the true King of Israel as Nathaniel had acknowledged him Joh. 1. But when diverse heads of that monstrous Roman Beast explained to Daniel Chap. 7. but more to St. John Rev. 17. had successively passed their seasons and when he that letted 2 Thes 2.7 was taken out of the way Satan then found advantage to erect another and worse then the former Babel namely That which is the third Babel to wit the Mystical under the great Antichrist the Pope wherein Satans design by winding that proud cruel and wicked Tyrant cunningly into his own seat and authority by hypocritical pretences to make that foul beast to defile and poyson the waters of life and by strong and strange delusions so to hinder and abolish both the truth and power of Christs new constituted Religion in the world as far as he could reach wherein his evil design hath likewise greatly prevailed for above twelve hundred years past But for help and remedy against this mystical Babel also Christ aforehand shewed unto his beloved Disciple John and by him to his Churches successively the utmost period of his continuance and manner of his now approaching ruine as of the Dragons before and that the said Beast likewise when the term of his Kingnom was out must with it go into perdition and be cast into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone denoting the perpetual ruine of all Antichristian Tyranny and an utter end of all wicked dominion being the last and lowest parts of the said Image to wit the feet and toes according to the interpretation given to Daniel Chap. 2. and at whose destruction the mystery of God should be finished in the world as the expression of the Spirit of Christ is Rev. 10.17 and Dan. 12.7 when the whole of what was revealed to St. John concerning the Beasts rise and ruine as was before noted should all in such ways as he hath set down be accomplished viz. by the prophecyings of the two sack-cloth witnesses and the pouring out of the seven last plagues upon all the Beasts worldly excellency as Rev. 11 and 15 16. Chap. So that then the Kingdoms of the world shall be the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and be given to the Saints of the most high as before Dan. 7. Rev. 11.15 So that as all the Devils designes and Gods had run counter before so by Christ these have all along been so managed that at length the usurped Dominion of Satan will be utterly subverted and the decreed Monarchy of Jesus Christ must be compleated in this world under or after the seventh Trumpet as a step to his eternal perfection of glory and happiness with his whole mystical body the true Church in the Kingdom of his father which as mediatour he will resign up to him at the end as St. Paul teacheth 1 Cor. 15.4 Now as by the miracles of Moses the first of Christs Chronologers the Egyptian Magicians were
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
was the instrumental deliverer of Abrahams Isaac's and Jacobs natural posterity out of the boudage of Egypt so the spiritual gifts and graces of Christ unto the spiritual seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob are the onely instruments of their spiritual deliverance from the spiritual bondage of sin and Satan when they are conveyed thereby as the Israelites were through the Red Sea of Christs blood and spiritually baptized by him as the Apostle speaketh in the Cloud and in the Sea of spiritual Regeneration and as the Israelites were circumcised when they had passed through the Red Sea the badge of their Covenant with the Fathers so the spiritual circumcision was to be on the hearts of the spiritual seed and as Moses that was the Minister of Circumcision and the Law could not bring the Israelites unto Canaan but Joshua accompanied with faithful Caleb did So the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did as the Apostle saith Heb. 7.19 and even so all the typical Priesthood and Sacrifices and oblations did but seem to set forth to the faith of Gods people what was to be done by the true High-Priest the Lord Jesus Christ by his once offering up of himself for mans sin in the end of the world Heb. 9. So here likewise by Davids providing for the building of Gods house where the Ark should rest as he intended yet was not permitted but it was promised to him and fulfilled when the Ark was gloriously placed there in Solomons time and honoured by evident manifestations of Gods presence there though all the institutions then used in that Temple which was a type of Christs body were but likewise typical of his priestly Office to come under the New Testament so these two famous Kings were eminently types of Christs Kingly Office First As Sauls worldly Kingdom was to be removed to make way for Davids a man after Gods own heart who was annointed of God though sometimes despised of men and as David overcame all the enemies of Gods people as Davids Kingdom was full of troubles at first yet after he had a compleat conquest over all his enemies round about and enjoyed peace on every side So Christ came in a low appearance into the world at least in the worlds eye yet by humbling himself he got the victory he hath been long fighting mystically for his people and shall at last gain them a peaceable Kingdom and all his foes be made his footstool in Gods due time Psal 110. but till that full victory his Ark as in Davids time will be in a moving Tabernacle but when the raign of the true Solomon comes his Ark will be setled his Kingdom shall be peaceable and flourishing Now that these were but types of Christs Kingdom appears by the eclypsing the glory of both First after Davids victory he fell and upon that succeeded many afflictions from his own house to the end of his days The most glorious raign of Solomon at first afterwards ended in as dark obscurity by sin and sufferings and his Son Reboboam grosly provoked Israel to the loss of ten Tribes and afterwards both Israel and Judah were in a declining condition till that whole generation went into Captivity and the Ark of God ceased to be any more with the Jews and though after seventy years according to Gods promise many thousands were brought back to Jerusalem by the decree of Cyrus as God foretold yet the Ark of God was no more amongst them nor they ever after but in a decaying state though God upheld the race of David in the Tribe of Judah yet much in obscurity till Christ that lineally was to proceed out of Davids loins came in the flesh in whom that promise was so fulfilled but yet in the set time when the Scepter was departed from Judah so that the glory of Davids Kingdom was not to be in himself or Solomon or their posterities according to the flesh only but in Christ the great deliverer of his people both from spiritual and temporal bondage and captivity as the Prophets of old abundantly witness and the New Testament confirms as may be shewed hereafter by Gods assistance yea David himself in many Prophesies foretells of Christs Kingdom what never was or can be performed to his meer natural off-spring as besides many others Psa 72. and Psa 137. do plainly shew Again Consider that when some of the Jews came back from Babylon what numerous multitudes not many ages after remained in the Persian Dominion in Ahashuerus and Queen Hesters times scattered as Haman said through all the hundred twenty and seven Provinces that he ruled over toward whom as God shewed mercy to them by Ahashuerus Marriage with Hester a captive Maid of the Jews so thereby seems to be shadowed how Christ the great King of his people though they have been long scattered in the captivities of many generations yet will again betroth them unto him in faithfulness as he speaketh by the Prophet Hos 2.19 which flourishing time of Christs Kingdom is described by the Spirit of God in the thousand years under or after the seventh Trumpet of which many things will be revealed when he shall take to himself his great power and raign Rev. 19. and the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 then as he the Angel of the Covenant shews that at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet the mystery of God shall be finished Christ had wrought mystically in his Kingdom before but then he will shew himself in his Kingly authority before the Ark in the Temple might not be seen save by the High-Priest but then the Temple in Heaven shall be opened and there shall be seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Rev. 11.19 The Israelites were of old a generation of Prophets as David stiles them Psa 105.15 And do my Prophets no harm for they had such discoveries of God and his works renewed unto them by the Spirit of Christ in the Ministry of Moses in his five Books wherein they were taught of the creation of all things the destruction of the old world the fall of man the way of salvation for old and new world what God had done for them what service and obedience he required of them in what way and by what ordinances they should be accepted of him which no other people had besides them aâ—l the time Gods Ark was amongst them Yea they were also a Generation of Priests then for though onely the Priests in office then in reference to Christ might kill the Saerifices and place them upon the Altar yet in regard they were to bring their own Sacrifices to lay their hand upon the head of their offering to â—â—stifie their faith and acknowledge their sins to testifie their repentance yet it was onely the faith and repentance of the true Israelites that through Christ unto whom they looked spiritually by whose onely propitiation and
and comfort and shall any think it not worth his enquiring into What is not that wonderful Majesty and glory of Christ to be considered and observed Is the peace and grace holiness and happines of his Church held out in Scripture abundantly in those times not worthy to be highly esteemed and prized Yea shall such multitudes of Saints have their portion in that heaven-born Jerusalem and shall they not take notice of their priviledge Is not the coming in of such multitudes of Subjects to their great King of Kings both of Israelites Jews and Gentiles there seriously faithfully and thankfully to be acknowledged beleived and improved which in comparison of the other times will be as an harvest to the after-gleanings or the Vintage to the after-gatherings Is not the salvation of such vast numbers of beleiving souls in these grace-prevailing sanctified seasons that shall greatly honour Christ Jesus in their times and enjoy eternal happiness afterward with him in heaven be a matter of exceeding rejoycing to the fellow-members of Christs mystical body If the glorious Angels in Heaven rejoyce at the conversion of one sinner that repents as our Saviour speaketh how should Gods people rejoyce by faith aforehand to see so many millions of millions that are then to come in to that glorious Church-state on earth If Gods faithful Servants have rejoyced in their seasons past when God hath prospered their labours to bring home poor souls to Christ though but a few many times how should it make the hearts of beleeving souls to exult but even by faith to foresee that day of salvation to come to Gods people and with faithful Abraham so foreseeing Christs first coming so to rej yce beforehand as he did Yea is that the mainfruit of the travel of Christs soul Isa 53.11 12. When he shall see his seed and prolong his days and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and wherein he himself shall be satisfied as the Prophet there shews and shall it not be the great satisfaction of all Gods people in these times to be assured thereof If from about 600000 natural Israelites and such as were born of them in forty years space in the Wilderness there is computed by learned and judicious Divines to have died above six millions in the Wilderness when almost the same number entred into Canaan that came out of Egypt How many millions then yea how many millions of millions may be conceived to spring up and be educated in the faith of Jesus Christ their King and Saviour in that thousand years space when there shall be such confluence of all Nations into the true Church and when they will not be cut off in judgements by untimely deaths as many times great numbers of those Israelites were and is not such blessedness and happiness of Gods Church reserved for those times upon many considerations if we duly weigh the many and large promises and evidences of Scripture thereunto to be referred of great concernment as many ways to all such as rejoyce in the happiness of Gods chosen and would glory with his inheritance It is then likely there will be a strange holy contention upon earth between God and his people as the holy Spirit seems to imply concerning those times Rev. 22.3 saying And his servants shall serve him whether God or his people should do better each towards other that is as I may say what is within the reach and sphere of their activity For Christ will greatly exalt his people under that his dominion and they by his grace will be such as the more he exalts them the more they will rejoyce to exalt him and the more they exalt him the more he will inlarge them both with grace and glory and the larger their portion of grace shall be the greater will be their peace security and happiness And this will be the more and more constant in that regard the interrupting and corrupting causes thereof which might otherwise hinder as formerly shall then in a very great degree by his kingly power and goodness be removed and taken away when Satan the Tempter is bound and shut up in his bottomless pit and strong tentations proceeding at other times from the prevalency of the corruption of men shall be much abandoned provocations much removed natural corruption manacled and fettered and in many as it is probable very greatly suppressed and accordingly grace holiness inward peace and with them consequently outward peace prosperity and all kind of security that is suitable to that condition and how will this work upon the sanctified spirits of that happy seed and generation blessed of God to consider still with holy David What shall we render unto the Lord our King and Saviour for all such his goodness conferred upon us So that if men have any Christian frame of spirit upon them they cannot but upon such considerations think of and inquire into the Kingdom of Christ to come on earth as many ways worth the while except they be onely carnal Gospellers that only make worldly marchandise thereof but otherwise regard neither grace nor glory for themselves or others or at least are conscious to themselves that they have no part in either Yet even such by the due consideration of these things by Gods mercy may learn to be wise hereafter and shew themselves men and not like such the Prophet David speaks of being in worldly honour have no understanding but are like the beasts that perish and thus much for answer to the vain pleadings of such persons CHAP. V. Which declares how the three great Chronologers of the Holy Ghost to wit Moses Daniel and St. John do successively foretel of the Kingdom of Christ at the end of the fourth Monarchy set forth in that Image expounded by Daniel Chap. 2. and how that the three Babylonish designes of Satan in the three Babels they severally speak of the first to promote confusion of tongues in Moses record at the Tower of Babel the second to erect oppressive tyranny against Gods people by the Monarchy of Babilon in Daniels time and thirdly to advance spiritual delusion and seducement by the mystical Babylon in the latter times all which will be at last by the setting up of Christs Kingdom altogether brought to confusion so that thence the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands that smote the Image before while there was regnum lapidis will then become a great Mountain filling the whole earth when there will be regnum montis as Mr. Mede appositely speaks FIrst then for the evidences of Christs Kingdom and reign on earth to come under or after the seventh Trumpet out of the Chronology of Moses and Daniel more darkly given but further cleared in the book of Revelation as we observed in which book we shewed the Spirit of God doth so much and in so many places refer us to the Prophets and as St. Peter saith directly that all the prophets since the world