Woman alone without man the Mighty One to save which God hath laid help on for that purpose Psal 89.19 Thirdly for the Place not in the highest Heavens for that time during the Judgment of the Great Day but in the world until Christs Kingly Office and Business fore-prophesied of in the Word be there sulfilled in destroying or removing the causes of evil in the world viz. wicked men and Devils out of it with their evil effects by sin namely the curse bodage corruption emnity brought upon the Creatures therein under which both men and other Creatures have long 〈…〉 do groan and accomplished all that promised good appoâ—ved for that time and state in the parts of that great restauration and renovation respecting both the raised Saints and those in the â—â—â—ural life according to Predictions and promised Mercies belonging to both sorts then c. which are all most surely confirmed Doctrines to be true and faithful by him that is said to sit upon the Throne in this Text and all as belonging to the Davidical Kingdom of Christ into the possession whereof the raised Saints are brought by the first blessed bodily Resurrection as their Inlet thereinto Secondly This may inform Christians first of the Divine excellencie of this Book 2. Of the incomparable usefulness thereof in those many great respects of the Saints great concernments in that time and state leading them into and securing also unto them their eternal happiness in the highest Heavens upon the compleating thereof and thirdly thereupon of the great Reasons they have to stir them up to the frequent reading diligent study and profitable improvement of the matters set before them by God and Christ therein First the excellencie thereof appears from the Author of it and the manner of delivering it for the benefit and information of the Christian Church God the Father gives it to the Son and he to the beloved Apostle John when he was in the Spirit on the Lords Day in time of his banishment for the word of God and the Testimony of Jesus to be sent unto the Churches being also for that end sent and signified by his Angel Chap. 1.1 Secondly It was given with wonderful great solemnity in respect of things then to come to the end of the world Chap. 4. and 5. God the Father as sitting upon his Throne the Church represented by the 24 Elders and four living Wights about him representing all faithful Christians and Church-guides with whom is the Lamb and the seven Spirits ever present and when none could be found in Heaven or earth worthy to look into that Book or open the Seals thereof it was given to the Lamb to open and fulfil who by his infinite wisdom and perfect power hath and doth and in due time will both perfectly open and fulfil the same in the set order for the accomplishment thereof which will bring unexpressible rejoycing and praise by Angels Saints and all Creatures in their capacities thereupon c. Chap. 5.10 to the end Thirdly The matter is profound and contains highly profitable Mysteries the form is very excellent in a wonderful Divine contrivance as in some small measure we have pointed out as we have in Mercy received c. Secondly for the usefulness it gives encouragement in the worst times of sufferings from many memorandums of Christs Kingdom for the suffering Saints and of the New Jerusalem-state observable in all these times as in our 7th Argum. of the Word written is shewed Secondly Useful in opening the hidden Mystical part of the Gospel and the great Subjects of the last things respecting the first and second said Resurrection of the bodies of just and unjust in their orders and of the first and second Acts of the Judgment of the great Day contained in general in Enochs Vision or Prophesie and in many things explained by Christ and his Apostles but in many other could not be understood without this Book therefore called the Book of Revelation with an Emphasis as the whole holy Scriptures called the Bible and the name of Christ is added to it being the Revelation that only could be made by Jesus Christ the Son of God the eternal word but as manifest in the flesh therefore much is to be looked for from it not to be attained by any other Writings nor many things in the Holy Bible understood aright without the explications of this most Divine Book c. And therefore in the third place hence may all serious and found Christians see what great Reasons there are for them to use all careful endeavours to understand the weighty matters held out and revealed therein they are not secret things forbidden as some in the Old times when men might not look into the Ark of Gods Testament nor things shut up and sealed as many of Daniels Mysteries that were reserved for Christ thus to open in the times of the end or Gospel-times but they are of things whereunto a blessing is annexed to the due reading and search into them and therefore the beloved Apostle is commanded contrarily not to seal them Chap. 22.10 This Book with Daniels Prophetical Visions the hidden part whereof this in good measure is a Divine explication viz. during the Revelation said suffering-times to the 19th Chapter and they are both together given to regulate all Chronologie in the world for 2300 years and more to the end of this sacred Book without which little truth in all times since in that respect could have been found or discerned by all humane Authors so that all Prophetical Chronologie by the Revelation of God the Spirit is given in them both for so long a time viz. from the Captivity of Babylon to the end of the world even as Moses had likewise received his Divinely revealed Chronelogy of all times past to and in his own time for the space about 2490 years when there was nothing but Tradition to have supplied that want which was after in the Books of Joshua Judges Kings and Chronicles contiued upon record until the said Prophetical Chronology of Daniel and Revelation took place which have been since Divinely carried on and so will be as was said unto the end of the world and because Moses and many of those that followed had likewise as the Apostle Peter teaches distinct Prophesies of those last times in the Book of Revelation therefore God in wonderful wisdom faithfulness and goodness hath in that last Table of of the happy times of Christs Church in the world revealed unto us those sure foundations of such unspeakable goodness then to be performed and accomplished not otherwise to be known or believed in many respects which are the peculiar excellencies belonging to and benesits accrewing to the Christian Church by this so Divine Book and are not these great engagements to the study of the same In this Divine Book we have the revelation in a latitude of the end of two special great Mysteries viz. the end of the great Mystery
regard that the words were true as antiently delivered by the God of Truth that cannot lye or deceive or be deceived but secondly they are likewise faithful grounded upon many gracious promises and Covenants as we hope farther to manifest Come we now to consider the main thing declared that God at such a time or state of things occurring in the world makes all things new being Emphatically called by the Apostle Peter The times of Restitution of all things which Renovation of all things is three wayes considerable first Negatively what it is not Secondly Privatively in respect of what God will then remove or take away Thirdly Positively in respect of what God will do in the performance of that great and gracious work 1. Negatively in respect of what he will not do it doth not imply that God will then bring a total destruction upon the Created World by destroying it and the Creatures in it with wicked men then to be destroyed out of it and other Creatures to be placed in a New world which we have no Scripture grounds for but for the contrary for that is to be done at Christs sitting upon the great white Throne at the dissolution of all things Rev. 20.11 above 1000 years after neither in reason can it be conceived for what use Creatures should serve when good and bad men were removed before out of it c. 2. Privatively by Gods removing and taking away many evil things out of the world which have been brought into it since he first in 7 days Created finished his great and good work of Creation by Satan Sin and wicked men such as the Curse Corruption Bondage and Enmity of the Creatures since abiding in it in an eminent degree with the causes thereof by destroying many wicked men out of the Earth Rev. 11.18 and binding Satan for the 1000 years in the bottomless pit that he deceive not the Nations any more till that 1000 years shall be finished therefore I say with the causes thereof for sublata causa tollitur effectus and contrarily to bring the world into a capacity to be made better and to be put into a New and better frame than when they prevailed in it he will then also eminently remove and take away those many evils caused and brought into the world by them first the curse brought in by them will then be taken away for saith Christ there shall then be no more curse Rev. 21.3 the earth which was cursed by these means upon the Fall shall be eminently restored unto its native fruitfulness peculiar to that time and state Ezek. 34.26 27. There shall then be showers of blessing upon it and the trees of the field shall yield her fruit and the Earth shall yield her increase and with that fruitfulness they shall then have safety and peace for they shall be safe in their Land and shall know that I am the Lord being delivered from their Enemies as there follows c. So also Ezek. 36.8 Ye Mountain of Israel ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people of Israel and ver 11. I will multiply upon you man and beast and they shall increase and bring fruit and ver 29 I will call for the Corne and increase it and lay no famine upon you c. yea their Land shall become for fruitfulness like the Garden of Eden ver 35. and Joel 3.18 The Mountains shall drop down with New Wine and the Hills shall flow with Milk which are high expressions of the fruitfulness of those times also Hos 2.21 In that day will I hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and the they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall hear Jezreel Again the Enmity of men and other creatures will then be also removed which have prevailed in the world from the fall first among men there hath been since the fall Murther Slaughter Blood shed prevailing and so will still untill those times amongst them but then Nation shall no more rise against Nation neither shall they learn War any more yea they shall beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning hooks Esa 2.4 and Hos 2.18 I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them to lie down in safety and for the peaceableness of other Creatures which not only Allegorically as some understand the Promises to that purpose but they will litterally be performed when that Savage Cruelty in their corrupt natures since the fall will then be taken away that the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb as the Prophet Esa speaks chap. 11.6 and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid c. and they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy Mountain and Esa 65.25 The Wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Bullock c. So the hurtful influence of the Heavens and the distempers of the 4 Elements and the noxious qualities of the Creatures will be then wonderfully refined that the Heavens as God promiseth may hear the earth and they hear the Corn and Wine and Oyl c. And the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not then say I am sick when the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Esai 33.24 The Creatures which since the Fall have been held under the bondage of corruption under which the whole Creation still groaneth shall as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8.21 in that state be delivered from it and that also into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God The bodies of all Saints saving some few as Enoch Moses Elias have lien rotting in the Grave and so will till then but they shall all in that time and state receive the Adoption Rom. 8.21 the faithful Gentiles then receiving that with all benefits belonging to them as the spiritual Seed of Abraham Gal. 3.29 as well as to his faithful natural Seed both Jews and Israelites which he explains in the next words even the redemption of our bodies N.B. which as was shewed before will be the inlet to all those Saints into the happiness of that time and state c. And thus briefly of Gods removing the said evils or the like with the causes thereof When Christ the Universal King of Kings and Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 19. and Rev. 1.5 will not only rescue the great and excellent building of the World out of the power of the Prince of the Air but repair the ruines and desolations he and his retinue of wicked men and Devils have wrought in it and reduce it for himself and his Spouse the Saints into a far better condition than ever it was in before which will be by Gods said removal of the said evils then when he makes all things new Thirdly this renovation is to be considered Positively in respect of Gods conferring good upon
the Book given unto the Lamb. We might be 〈◊〉 in many particular Promises to this purpose respecting the 〈◊〉 in that time with many excellenties respecting tha◠〈◊〉 as we have specially shewed how concerning Christs Dividid a Kingdom and people then God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began as is manifest by the third of our 8 Conving Arguments in the Word written And the great designe of the All knowing and All working God in giving such Prophesies to his Church from the beginning concerning such great things to be fulfilled at the end of the world in that said Great Day of Judgment appears to be made manifest by such Divine Chronology first set down by Moses and other Penmen thereof before the Captivities of Israel and Judah but after that are in their discoveries chiefly carried on by those Mystical Prophesies of those two beloved Servants of God and Christ the Prophet Daniel and the Apostle John but chiefly by the last to whom these hidden secrets of God respecting those times wore particularly as we shewed commisted to open Danichs sealed Mysteries to Ch. 19. and from thence to the end the most antient Predictions and Promises c. when God would raise unto David that righteous Branch that King that shall reign and prosper and execute Judgment and Justice in the earth in whose days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely Jer. 23.5 6. when they shall have the Mercies promised to their Forefathers performed to them as Zechary is taught Divinely to sing out and in such a manner he would grant unto them that being delivered from the hand of their enemies they might serve God without fear of them in righteousness and true holiness all the days of then lives Luke 1.7 c. which will be the stability of all the happiness of that state when that New Kingdom of Israel will be restored the Tabernacle of David that was fullen new raised up again for that said righteous Branch which God then said he would then raise unto David for whom with his Bride God will then make New Heavens and a new earth in that new world to come wherein shall be that New great holy and beloved Jerusalem that City that hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God for those new Inhabitants that came from God out of Heaven and came with Christ to receive their spiritual bodies at the first blessed Resurrection of the Saints where also will be the New Paradise of God Also the converted Jews and Israelites shall then enjoy their New Jerusalem also built upon its own heaps when strangers shall build her Walls as the Prophet foretels upon the return of the Shulamite who instead of Fathers shall have Children whom she may make Princes in all the earth being the Seed then which the Lord hath blessed Esai 61.9 then shall be her new guides and watchmen upon her Walls probably the new raised Saints that shall not hold their peace day nor night new dispensations new peace plenty security new priviledges new pleasures delights in heavenly visions comunion discoveries in the revelation of such things as are appointed then to be known in the restitution of all things promised then to be done as in the forenamed particulars we before set down and the times of these things are chiefly made known in their fit latitudes by Revelation-prophesie for when we read of the coming of Christ at his appearance and Kingdom the times thereof are so set forth as was shewed by Revelation-prophesie We read of the Saints first bodily Resurrection but the time thereof is only deciphered by Revelation Prophesie we heard of raising Davids Tabernacle which was fallen but the time is only pointed out by Revelation prophesie and that the Saints shall receive their sure mercies of David Esa 55.3 but when can only be resolved by Revelation prophesie we read of Gods setting up the Kingdom of the Stone that should destroy all others and it self become a Mountain filling the whole earth but the times and order of his carrying on these great works by Jesus Christ is in the fittest proportion made known to the Church by Revelation-prophesie The Lord said to Davids Lord Sit at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool which he hath long expected Heb. 10.13 and the Heavens must receive him till the times of the Restitution of all things but the best resolution of both is to be had from Revelation-prophesie Glorious things are spoken saith the Psalmist of the City of God of the new the holy the great the beloved Jerusalem but what and when and where and for whom we are chiefly informed from Revelation-prophesie We read of the ruine of Gog and Magog the Churches greatest enemies before that City Jehovah Shammah shall be set up but when it shall be we chiefly learn from Daniel and Revelation-prophesie Object But did not Christ reprehend his Disciples Acts 1.6 for inquiring the time of his Kingdom c. Ans Though this and such like hath been sufficiently answered yet know it is only whilst God keeps such things in his own power and in the next Verse he said But ye shall be indued with power which was done about ten days after at the Feast of Pentecost and all that wrote after speak something thereof but chiefly the beloved John And though Christ as man then said he knew not the day and hour of his coming which none now pretend to yet in a fit latitude Christ hath revealed the near approach thereof with many things to be done before very useful for the Church to know and wherein all Saints are greatly concerned which are great mercies in many respects to be known and believed in these later days for which there is great cause of thanksgiving but no reason of cavilling with our mercies or the goodness of the Author of them Thus for the Doctrinal part of this Text wherein we have considered this most gracious Divine Declaration of the set time of such its performance with the glorious illustrations and confirmations thereof and shewed from Scripture wherein it doth consist and the many decipherings of the times of the renovation of all things with Scripture evidences accordingly referring thereunto both manifesting the thing and shewing in a latitude the near approach thereof We shall now by Gods gracious assistance endeavour to make some pertinent improvement thereof 1. We may hence be informed of the many mistakes that have been both of this Text and the Context thereof as respecting the matter time and place thereof the matter not the making new these visible Heavens and earth but the Prophetical Heavens and earth as we have shewed For the time not after the last Resurrection and Judgment but in the interim betwixt the first and last wherein the anciently declared and promised mercies are to be performed to the faithful Fathers and their spiritual Seed through the Promised Seed of the