their sufferings in the mean time and make them with joyfulness to serve him and praise him and willingly even to suffer for him when he calls them to it since he hath promised gratiously to be with them in the deepest waters of their afflictions and will not suffer them to be tempted above their measure in the mean time and will in the issue deliver Israel from all their afflictions and even recompence their measure of faithfulness and sufferings for him with a suitable degree of glory with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Rev. 20.4 in that blessed New Jerusalem state upon earth Esa 24.23 when the Lord of Hosts will reign in mount Sion and before his ancients gloriously as from Divine Authority in the ensuing parcel may be observed to the honour of the great King and the magnifying of Gods Divine wisdom and goodness and great consolation to faithful Souls c. A word or two I shall further add of the nature and use of my four parts lately published which to some Christians may prove advantagious First the drift of the Irenicon is chiefly to prove that the things respecting Christs Kingdom upon Earth were spoken of by all Gods holy Prophets since the world began as the Apostle Peter teacheth Acts 3.21 with divers other heads of arguments to the same purpose and an Appendex added to it concerning the blessed first Resurrection of the Just Yea and all likewise that have written in the new Testament have added some explications thereof as in that second book is manifest but chiefly the great Apostle Paul in alm st all his Epistles Heb. 16. 2.5.6 7 8 4 9 9.28.10.13.37 11.8 9 10.13.14.16.22.35.39 40. 12.22 23 28. but above all in that to the Hebrews as might be shew'd particularly in many Chapters thereof as being the people most especially concerned in things of that nature c. Unto which said Irenicon was afterwards added this Parallel or third part before intended as pag. 2d of the former book as a strong foundation of that truth both from Daniel and the Revelation of Jesus Christ which is only a Divine mystical Exposition as we have shewed therein of that part of Daniel that was sealed and shut up before till the time of the end or Gospel times as in some measure may be discerned by our short summary of Daniel As for the forerunner or first piece it co sists of divers things which were occasional and after placed together as apparently very useful for the whole work whereunto reference is afterward fitly made in the following parts And for the fourth part it contains many observations and other particulars very useful for the understanding of mystical Prophesies with the removal of prejudices from this Doctrine And as from my own exercise by Gods gracious assistance in drawing up those I am by his goodness inabled to speak groundedly and knowingly upon other subjects respecting these things from Divine warrant and especially from the help of that golden Key of Christs Divine Revelation left to his Church for that purpose to open that part of Daniels shut up Visions so may others also by Gods blessing by the help of those parts receive much advantage which may be observed in the considering both of the forementioned treatise on Gen. 3.15 of Christs breaking the Serpents head First Decreetively and Declaritively before he began his Mediators Office joyntly with the Father and with the Holy Ghost And secondly Executively in his Mediators offices ever since the fall of maâ— hitherto and will most eminently as the great King and only Potentate as the Apostle Paul stiles him then do it in the Millennium when as he also saith 1 Cor. 15.25 he must reign till he hath put all his Enemies under hâ—s feet And so concerning the ensuing subject of the New Jerusalem which are as examples to shew the usefulness of the forenamed books as containing foundations thereof wherein th re is often reference made to things contained in them which I wish all such as lâ—ve the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesas Christ seriously to consider and the great things thereunto appertaining according to Scripture warrant And chiefly to look to that direction at the end of the Parallel pag 68. and well to peruse those summaries of the Revelation in the forerunner pag. 22 23. c. And in the Irenicon pag. 26 27 28. with the Abridgment of Daniel or the summary thereof hereunto annexed for such Abridgments help much in the discovery of the order of the Parallel to shew wherein the Revelation explains the Visions of Daniel which is a very strong evidence of the truth and gives great light to the understanding of these Divine Misteries from the hands of both those beloved Messengers of God the writers of them which should much commend these subjects to truly faithful Souls conveyed to them by such high Favourites of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords c. I shall only here add this further direction in the use of the said Books which I have often given already by word of mouth to divers knowing persons namely to read the two last books first and the References in them to the former And so commending thee Christian Reader to the guidance of the Spirit of tâ—uth to lead thee into all such comfortable and blessed truths of the Gospel as may make most for the glory of God and our Saviour Jesus Ch ist and thy own great rejoycing in the faith of such great things pertaining to his glorious Kingdome on earth to come for which end I am especially Thine in him William Sherwin Scripture evidenced for the New Jerusalem on Earth Jerem. 3.17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all Nations shall be gathered to it to the Name of the Lord to Jerusalem c. THat first on the negative part this Text is not to to be understood of any Jerusalem that hath been destroyed may be made evident from this portion of Scripture ver 14. to 20. whereunto and to the times whereof the things herein mentioned are no ways competible First not old Jerusalem call'd Sulem in Melchisedecks time Gen. 14. after held by the Jebusites in Joshuaes time and after subdued by David and beautified and fortified by Solomon the Type of the true Prince of Peace as that was also of the New Jerusalem that is to come of which this Prophet and others fore-told the Desolation to come by the King of Babylon neither was it of that after the 70 years Captivity afterwards repaired and adorned by Herod and as our Saviour denounced against it laid even with the ground by Titus and Vespatian about 40 years after his death for as that was less glorious in it self so it not only killed the Prophets and stoned those Servants of the Lord that were sent unto it from God but did not spare the Son himself when he came to gather her
ΙΕΡΟ-ΜΕΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΣ OR The Holy the Great the Beloved NEW JERUSALEM a Shortly to come down from God out of Heaven b BEING The work of Gods own hands c whose form will be perfectly cubâ—cular in length breadth and height equal 12000 furlongs d having the glory of God or light as a stone most precious e prepared for the Lamb Wife or raised Saints f then to be made perfect in one g there to behold Christs glory in his Davidical Kingdome h of the thousand years reign with his Saints on Earth i from Antichrists last ruine to Satans last loosing k shortly then producing both the worlds destruction and his own perpetual torment with all the damned in Hell l From Scripture evidence abundantly made manifest both by clear Texts and necessary Consequence more especially comprised in 15 well approved reasons By William Sherwin Minister of the Gospel See a Rev. 21.10 20.9 b Rev. 21 2.10 c Heb. 11.10 d Rev. 21.16 e Rev. 21.11 f Rev. 19.7 8 9. compared with chap. 21.9.10 Heb. 11.16.40 g Jo. 17.21 22 23. h Jo. 17.24 Es 9.7 Rev. 1.32 33. i Eze. 48. last Rev 5.10 Rev. 20.4 k 1 Thes 2.8 2 Tim. 4.1 Rev. 19.11 to the end Rev. 20.2.7 l Rev. 20.8 9 10.15 c. Apoc. 3.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esa 54 12 13. I will make thy Windows of Agats thy gates of Carbuncles and thy borders of pleasant stones See Rev. 21.18 19. Ver. 13. And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children So Rev. 22.1 2 3 4 5 6. LONDON Printed for Francis Smith and are to be sold at the Elephant and Castle without Temple-Bar Scripture evidence for the New Jerusalem on Earth to come The Doctrine whereof is First proved Secondly Improved Proved First From the explaining and opening of the Text. Jer. 3. from ver 14. to v. 20. 2ly From many Prophesies and Descriptions thereof in the Old and New Testament with Answers to some Objections and 13. Reasons set down why it shall be on Earth c. 3ly From the Series and Order of things set down in Daniel and explained more fully in the book of Revelation given to the beloved Apostle John Secondly improved First for Redargution of the errours of several sorts of persons against these truths Secondly For Admonition to three sorts of men First To such as own these Divine Doctrines to be mindful to improve them 2ly To such as really indeavour to improve them to be often mindful of and much to be affected with the greatness of their mercies and the greatness of engagement to duty thereby if duly considered 3ly To such as own them not to beware of slghting so much Divine and sacred Scripture truth of so great weight and concernment both as to holiness and happiness as many such persons little think of or consisider and most of all to take heed of opposing of them Thirdly To exhort all men to make use of the light of their understanding abilities to search into those Scriptures that concern these things that they may not be found fighters against any such truth of God Christian Reader VVHen the ancienter misrepresentations about the time of the the rising of Antichrist and some later pervertings are remove â— from the Doctrine of Christs Kingdome upon earth in the thousand years Rev. 20. as we shewed in our Preface to the Irenion it will appear to be a Divine and Scriptual part of the glorious Gospel of Christ and to be nothing else but an explication of some Articles of the Christian faith according to holy Scripture namely how and when Christ will come from the right hand of the Father to judg the quick and the dead at his next appearance and his Kingdome 2 Tim 4.1 and in what order he will fulfill the blessed Resurrection of the Just Luk. 14.14 or that first Resurrection Rev. 20.5 in the said thousand years with all those great things to be accomplished according to Scripture from his said appearance to the little space wherein Satan shall be loosed afterwards as namely the final destruction of Antichrist the national and miraculous calling of the Jews the Restitution of all things the New Heavens and the New Earth the restoring the Dominion over the Creatures and their freedome from the bondage of Corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8.21 And in the said first blessed Resurrection of the Just the fulfilling of the prrmises to Abraham Jsaac and Jacob of the Promised Land to them and their Seed for ever The sure mercies of David how Christ shall rule on his Throne to the end of the world Esa 9.7 2 Sam. 7.16 25 26.29 with many other excellent things belonging to that time which cannot from Scripture be warrantably applyed to any other time as we have shewed in a Treatise on Gen. 3.15 then that wherein he will so eminently break the Serpents head and this is that coming the second time without sin unto Salvation Heb. 8.28 At the first he came to satisfie for sin and by reason of sin all the time from thence to his second coming his Servants have been liable to sufferings as members of his mystical body with him and for him after his example though not without Sin but then he will appear to Salvation to them to free them from such sufferings by destroying their Enemies and binding Satan and powerfully enabling his Servants to serve him Rev. 22.3 granting great and wonderful peace in the world to them in those times of refreshing from his own presence Acts 3.19 redeeming the bodies of the faithful from the prison and corruption of the Grave and after the thousand years will save the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City from the last attempt of Cog and Mag g upon Satans seducement and after Christs withdrawing in the time of that attempt he will descend as saith the Apostle with a shout and the voyce of an Arch-angel and with the Trump of God 1 Thes 4.17 though we know not whether he will be then out of the world in person or at least the raised Saints on earth shall not even at that time have the Vision of his glorious Person but to the Creatures discovery he will then descend at the last general Resurrection and Judgment when Heaven and Earth shall flee away before his face and no place be found for them as saith St. John Rev. 20.11 upon the fulfilling whereof he will perfect the Salvation of all his people by carying his whole mystical body with him into eternal blessedness in the highest Heavens no more to withdraw from them but that they shall ever thenceforth be with him the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 How then must he needs from his said second coming be glorified in his Saints and be then admired by all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 and how ought the faith of the said things to chear and comfort their hearts against and under all
speaks concerning the 4th or Roman Monarchie according to the judgement of divers learned men and that first more generally Dan. 2. Dan. 7. Mr. Medâ— Dr. Vsher Mr. S. cala mens c. 16. p. 183. or more particularly of the rise of the Roman Monarchie c. 11. 18. 30. 36 and then of the nature and state of it till Christs appearance c. 12. 1. it seems very probable that many persons of the best state and worth may see cause to acknowledge much thereof and especially when they shall find Christs Revelation given to his Church in these times of the end is nothing but a divine mystical Comment upon the 4th Monarchie in Dan. and his own Kingdom to succeed it as we have shewed in our Abridgement on Dan. and the parallel ensuing it as we have set down in a direction in the Epistle before this parallel and yet more in this respect when they shall find that there is nothing of weight that hath not been answered sufficiently and sollidly as we shewed in our tract on Gen. 5.15 Vse ult To exhort all such faithfull Christians that own all other parts of divine Doctrine but not these as yet to take that Candle of the Lord that he hath put into them Prov. 20.21 even their own understanding Soul as it is given to them from him without prepossession prejudice partiality self-ends or interests and so let them search into all divine Truths respecting these things as God may give them helps and advantages to make use of yet only as grounded upon and warranted by the written word of God Searching therein with the noble Bereans whether these things be so for it is a heinous thing to be found fighters against any Truth of God But we ought to improve all we have or are to promote divine Truth when called to it to stand up for it and witness to it For as it is great folly vanity and sin to please our selves with expectations from Christs Religion that he hath given us no ground or warrant for So it would be as much for any Christian that would be owned of Christ Jesus willingly to neglect or regardlesly to pass by such things as Christ in much graciousness tenders to his Church for her encouragement and cosolation which must needs prove in such matters very unacceptable to him and is like to procure to them more blame from him when he shall appear then haply they are aware of Let men therefore in due season seriously consider these things c. Further directions for the use of all these Books then were set down in 3 late Epistles to Gen. 3.15 Jer. 3.12 and the 8 convincing Arguments 1. FIrst read the 4th part with the Scheme in one sheet on Gen. 3.15 to be placed next before Rev. 22.20 Behold I come quickly wherein with Jer. 3.17 concerning the new Jerusalem on earth to come are contained the substance of all those Gospel Truths respecting Christs Kingdom to come 2. And to manifest how fitly those Doctrines agree with all other divine truths therewith consider well all those divine Theses in p 9 10 c. of the Prodromus or forerunner but esprcially observe the 11 12 13. with that refeence of Decemb. 7.46 for which see p. 44 45 46. of the same also p. 3 4. c. of the Irenic with Arg. there and p. 33. Unto which may be added the letter of Nov. 3.36 p. 15 16. wherein much of those Truths is touched also 3. And for an help unto the 3d part viz. the Abridgement and Parallels Daniel with the Revelation which is of great use for the foundations of sure discovery of all such Doctrines diligently peruse the Letter to Mr. Cal. May 20. 64. p. 22 23. of the Prodr and the Scheme of the book of Revelation concerning the times and order of the Seals Trumpets and Vials in which Letter observe well these 2 distinctions there set down towards the end thereof which will be found to be of very great concernment in these Doctrines First the distinction of the last mystical Trumpet or 3d woe Trumpet when Antichrist being utterly destroyed the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of Christ Rev. 11.15 And of the last sounding Trumpet above 1000 years after Thes 4 16. for they differ in nature as well as times when the general Rapture and glorious Change of all Sts. shall be as 1 Cor. 15 51 52. The other Distinction also in this same Letter greatly to be noted is the different state of Persons in Christs Kingdom First some will be raised Sts in the first blessed Resurrection Rev. 20.6 c. in the new Jerusalem described Rev. 21. 2dly Another sort of persons will be in the natural life which are said then to walk in the light of the new Jerusalem called Rev. 21.24 the nations of them that shall be saved the not observing of these two directions evidently grounded on holy Scripture have been the ground of many mens errors c. 4. Then compare that said Letter of May 20.64 with another Abridgement of the Seal-Prophesie and book-Prophesie in the Revelation as p. 26 27 28 29. of the Irenicon or 2d part Both which Prophesies contain the orders of times from Christs ascending to heaven Acts 1. to his coming again Rev. 19.1 with 20.1 2 3 4. till the good new world shall begin But first the Seal Prophesie is of Civil matters in the Roman state chiefly and 2dly the Book-Prophesie is of the Ecclesiastick affairs in the true and false Church and both of them until the new and good world to come shall begin as Heb. 2.5 Eph. 5.21 Rev. 19.20 c. 5. Furthermore for the attaining of better light in the whole Revelation after the former Letter read observantly the large paper of December 7.26 p. 26 c. of the Prodro concerning two defects of Mr. Durhams Book of Scotland on the whole book of the Revelation with the Scheme thereof one was his mistaking of the times in great part for near 100 years the other defect was his passing over the new Jerusal state and Christs said Kingdom of power or as Mede on Dan. 7.35 stiles it the Kingdom of the Mountain throughout all the book of Rev. as if nothing there had been said of it in this world though the Elders c. say expresly Rev. 5.10 we shall reign upon earth that paper will be of very good use and being well observed with the others giveth much light to that Book of the Revelation and all the said helps to the use of the Parallels in the third book or part on Dan. 6. As for our second part viz. the Irenicon it is to prove such a Kingdom with the late 8 Arguments in the Word written c. referring to it The Penmans further humble acknowledgement MOst Blessed Lord God I thy poor weak and unworthy Servant do in all humility of Soul by the help of thy holy Spirit through Jesus Christ my Saviour three in Persons