not comprehending all Saints because there are Nations of them that are saved who shall walk in the Light of it Chap. 21.24 and they shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it ver 26. Besides Chap. 20.9 there is mention made of the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City which seems to imply at least to me that they are distinct Societies No such a Society in the purest Churches and in the best Times Tares will be amongst Wheat till Harvest Mat. 13.29 Coming down from God out of Heaven T is true the Gospel Church is called the Kingdom of Heaven but not coming down from God out of Heaven therefore is not Heaven itself for it comes down from God out of Heaven Chap. 21.2.10 Again the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour to it and they shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it which they cannot bring into Heaven Again Rev. 20.9 t is said that God and Magog went upon the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City therefore they were upon the Earth for if by new Jerusalem be meant Heaven is a Thing altogether impossible Furthermore the Saints of the new Jerusalem are free from Sin Sorrow and Suffering 1 from Sin there is nothing in it that defileth Chap. 21.27 but Sin defileth 2 They are free from Sorrow ver 4 no more Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain and also free from Suffering for Suffering is always attended with Pain But in other Saints there will be Sin and therefore Sorrow and Suffering to the End of the World. Again these have attained to Perfection in Grace and Holiness so as they need no further Improvement of external Means of Salvation no Temple therein no Need of Sun and Moon to shine therein for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof ver 22.23 no Night there nor Need of Candle or Sun for the Lord giveth them Light Chap. 22.5 But we know that external Means of Salvation will be needful for some till the End of the World by which Souls may be brought home to Christ Thus having given what my Apprehensions are in this Matter and shewed what this new Jerusalem is not and also what it is and whence it comes let it be enquired into where such a Society of Saints and Saints only according to the former Description may be found And here as I premised at first I will not be positive but propose to Consideration whether they may not be the Saints of the first Resurrection mention'd Rev. 20 That some Saints shall rise before others is clear in that Chapter in the beginning of the Thousand Years as before whether all Saints or no I shall not determine that some shall not then live when these are raised is as clear whether Saints or Sinners or both is left to Consideration That there will be Saints and Sinners in the World during that whole Term of Time and so until the End thereof and to the End of the World we have good Ground from Scripture to believe that Christ will appear long before the End of the World or ultimate Day hath been formerly proved that when he cometh he will come with all his Saints Zech. 14.5 Jude 14 and why not these Saints that come with Christ be the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven who are to live and reign with Christ a Thousand Years Chap. 20 and that on Earth Chap. 5.10 Again why may not these be the Spirits of just Men made perfect and Church of the first born to which we are come Heb. 12.23 or what else is the Meaning of that Place Once more why may not these be those who stand on Mount Sion with the Lamb Rev. 14 and follow him whithersoever he goes which are redeemed from among Men being the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb who were without Fault before the Throne of God and are distinct from the four Beasts and the Elders which I understand to be the Church which will be at that Time. If these or some of these be not the new Jerusalem I know not where to find it I know that very few are of this Opinion that the raised Saints are the New Jerusalem but rather think that the New Heaven and New Earth of which Peter speaks 2d Epistle 3d Chap. 13. are the New Jerusalem for Resolution in this Case and as an Addition to what hath been already written I shall propose to Consideration 1. Whether thinking so or saying so without any Proof will make it so 2dly the Apostle John makes them two distinct Things Rev. 21.1 2. The New Heaven and New Earth seems to be quite another Thing and I understand it to be no other than the Jewish evangelical Church represented to us after a legal Manner by the Prophet Ezekiel under the Name Notion of a City and Temple which is like to be the most glorious Church that ever was in the World 't is more than possible that this may be the New Heaven and New Earth when Jerusalem shall be a Rejoicing and her People a Joy Isa 65.17 18 being called there the New Heaven and New the Earth And yet notwithstanding this New Heaven and New Earth as it is discribed by Ezekiel differs in many Respects from the New Jerusalem as will appear by comparing John Ezek. together For first In the New Jerusalem there is no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple thereof Rev. 21.22 but that City mentioned by Ezekiel had a Temple Chap. 41.1 4 implying that there should be external Worship And what else is the Meaning of the Priests and Offerings so often mentioned there See Zec. 14.16 Again in the New Jerusalem the River of the Waters of Life proceedeth out of the Throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 but in that House mentioned by Ezekiel Chap. 47.1 the Waters not the River of the Waters of Life issueth from under the Threshold of the House at the South Side of the Altar Thirdly In the new Jerusalem is the Tree of Life on either Side of the River ver 2. but by that River that shall issue out of the Sanctuary of that City in Ezekiel shall grow Trees for Meat Chap. 47.12 Again once more and once for all this City new Jerusalem comes down from God out of Heaven and whither doth it come but to the new Heaven and new Earth for the first Heaven and Earth were passed away Rev. 21.1 2 they shall not be remembered nor come into Mind Isai 65.17 All these Things being considered it seems to me impossible that this new Heaven and new Earth should be the same with the new Jerusalem The Sum is this Peter tells us of a New Heaven and new Earth and Ezekiel of a City and Temple but neither of them tells us that either of these is the new Jerusalem It remains
since the World began Concerning the glorious State of this Kingdom of Christ in this World something hath been hinted before which may be further evinced from the Scriptures And First as to a plentiful Effusion of the SPIRIT promised that it shall be poured out from on high when the Wilderness shall become a fruitful Field Isa 32.15 which is to be understood of great Measures and Degrees of all saving Grace Promised also Zech. 12.10 to be poured out upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem But when is it when they shall look non him whom they have pierced and mourn Also Ezekiel 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes But when When they are gathered out of all Countries and brought to their own Land ver 24. And this will not only be 1. a Spirit of LIGHT and KNOWLEDGE but 2 there will be much HOLINESS It will be to such a Degree as never was in the World since the Beginning of it So great that some Men have thought though I am not of that Opinion that there will be no Unholiness at least not in the Saints but that the Subjects of this Kingdom shall sin no more See further what the Scripture speaks to this Isa 35.8 An high Way shall be there And it shall be called the Way of Holiness The Unclean shall not pass over it Hence called God's holy Mountain Isai 65. ult the Mountain of his Holiness Jer. 32.23 Upon the Bells of Horses and Pots shall be Holiness Zech. 14.20 3dly As to RIGHTEOUSNESS the People shall be all Righteous they shall inherit the Land forever Isai 35.8 Hence they are called a righteous Nation Chap. 26.2 The Habitation of Justice Jer. 31.23 Here Righteousness aud PEACE will kiss each other Psa 85 which is next proposed to Consideration For CHRIST being the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 there shall be Peace in his Kingdom and under his Government The Mountains shall bring Peace to his People Psal 72.3 In his Days shall be abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth ver 7 and I am sure that will be to the End of the Thousand Years Again Great shall be the Peace of thy Children Isa 54.13 Peace to him that is far off and Peace to him that is near Chap. 57.19 Peace like a River A Succession of Peace as of Waters in a River Jerusalem shall be a quiet Habitation and a peaceable resting Place Isa 32.18 33.20 They shall not learn War any more nor any Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper Again there will be JOY when the Lord reigneth the Earth will rejoice Psal 97.1 and ver 8 Sion heard and was glad and the Daughters of Judah rejoiced sing for Joy of Heart Isai 65.14 rejoice with Joy and Singing everlasting Joy will be upon their Heads and they shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Therefore in this Kingdom of Christ during the Thousand Years there will be no more Apostacy or Backsliding in Holiness or as it was in the Days of Noah and Lot when the World was filled with Violence and all Flesh had corrupted their Way Neither is there the least Hint in Scripture of any Backsliding after this Thousand Years is begun For then there could not be everlasting Joy on their Heads nor could Sorrow and Sighing flee away No more pricking Briar nor grieving Thorn no more Persecution by wicked Men no more violent Death nor Sorrow nor Crying nor any more Pain upon any such account For then Sorrow and Sighing would not flee away nor would Tears be wiped from their Eyes We may further take notice that this Time will be a Time of great LIGHT The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun And the Light of the Sun as the Light of seven Days At the Time of the End Knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12.4 Then there will be a glorious Accomplishment of Predictions and Prophesies which now to us are dark and obscure and the Book which is now sealed at the Time of the End will be opened Much more might be added to what hath been written but we shall at present give some Scriptures which speak of this EXTERNAL AND OUTWARD HAPPINESS First long Life Isai 65 there shall be no more thence an infant of Days nor an old Man that hath not filled his Days for the Child shall die an Hundred Years old for as the Days of a Tree are the Days of my People Again they shall enjoy a Fulness of other temporal Blessings build Houses plant Vineyards and eat the Fruit of them Isai 65. Their Floors shall be full of Wheat and the Fat 's shall overflow with Wine and Oyl and they shall eat in plenty and praise the Name of the Lord that hath dealt wonderfully with them and they shall never be ashamed Joel 2. Then will be fulfilled according to the Letter spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 5.5 Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the Earth which hitherto they have not done Oh glorious Things are spoken of thee O City of God Selah Psal 87 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the Mountain of Holiness beautiful for Situation the Joy of the whole Earth the City of the great King Psal 48.1 2 which Places ultimately refer to this Time and the glorious State of the Church in the last Age of the World. The Church of old was called the Lord's Portion Deut. 32.9 his pleasant Portion Jer. 12.10 his Inheritance Isai 19.25 and the dearly beloved of his Soul his Treasure Exod. 19.5 his Glory Isai 46.13 But the Gospel Church is call'd a Crown of Glory Isai 62.3 the House of his Glory a royal Diadem These are high Expresses of the Glory of the Church in the Thousand Years of Christ's Kingdom in this World. And thus I have written a little and but a little may see a Glimpse and but a Glimpse of Sions Glory much of which is yet to come And from all that which is here written we may gather that if the Times immediately preceding the personal visible and glorious Appearance of Christ at his second Coming be Times of deep Security general Sensuality open Prophaness and Apostacy as hath been declared before then it must needs be that Christ will appear before the Thousand Years because after those Years are began there will be no such Times of Wickedness and Prophaness as hath been also shewed before but the first is undeniable and therefore the second must and will necessarily follow for it cannot be imagined by any that know or understand any Thing of the glorious State of the Church during that Time which hath been mentioned before and which hath been so abundantly declared both by the Prophets and Apostles should
be meant by Spirit in this Prophesy and what by pouring out upon all Flesh together with the Effects of it and something as to the Time viz. the last Days as Peter renders it all which hath been Accomplished in Part or in whole That there is yet a further and future fulfilling of it is more than probable and that will appear if we view the Context both before and after It will be in those Days and at that Tâ—me when God will bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem be jealous for his Land and pity his People do great Thing for them deal wonderfully with them ver 26 when Judah shall dwell forever and Jerusalem from Generation to Generation and after he hath poured out upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zec. 12.10 and they be converted to Christianity When these Things shall be fulfilled all which is yet to come then afterward the Spirit shall he poured out on all Flesh then and not till then and all this will be before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come For further Demonstration hereof let it be considered that the Gospel must be preached both to Jews and Gentiles t is likely generally if not to all Nations how else shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent so then Faith cometh by hearing I might ask how shall they understand what they hear except it be spoken in their own Language T is possible they may receive Conviction of Unbelief by Vision by looking on him whom they have peirced and other Gentile Nations together with them for when he comes with Clouds every Eye shall see him Rev. 1.7 but yet there is something more necessary to Salvation besides Conviction of Sin. The Jews were convinced and Pricked at the Heart Act. 2.37 but yet they did not know what to do till Peter old them that they must repent and be baptized before they could receive the Gift of the holy Ghost Paul was convinced both by Voice and Vision but yet did not know what to do nor would CHRIST tell him but sends him to Ananias and he was to tell him what he should do Act. 9.6 The Jaylor was convinced by an Earthquake but yet did not know what to do to be saved till told by Paul and Silas CHRIST hath a great Harvest yet to fetch in all the World over both among Jews and Gentiles and it will not come in without a great many Hands and we pray for the Coming in of it but never think of Hands but CHRIST will find Hands and qualify them for his Service he did so at his last Harvest he poured out his Spirit upon them by extraordinary Gifts without which they could not Work and why may we not think he will do it again The same Promise of the Father by Vertue of which the Spirit was then given for any Thing I know still remains good and is not out of Date nor fully accomplished till this Work be done also And if we pray the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers into his Harvest he will do it tho' we cannot tell who or what they will be And when this Harvest is over CHRIST hath another Harvest and this is a great Harvest too and this must be done with other Instruments Swords and Sickles Chap. 3.10.13 Plowshares must be beaten into Swords and Pruning-hooks into Spears when their Wickedness is great then the Harvest is ripe and then put in the Sickle We have a further Discription of this Harvest Rev. 14.16 where CHRIST is brought in or represented to us sitting on a Cloud with a sharp Sickle in his Hand and an Angel crying to him thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe and he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle and the Earth was reaped The same Thing is signified to us both by Joel and John by a Vintage and the Cry of an Angel to him that had the sharp Sickle to thrust in his Sickle and gather the Clustors of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe and the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God and the Wine-press was trodden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-press even unto the Horse Bridles by the Space of a Thousand and six Hundred Furlongs And this I understand to be the great and terrible Day of the Lord of which the Prophet speaks in this Context and the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty Rev. 16.14 mentioned also Zec. 14.2.3 and elsewhere in Scripture But of this I have written more fully when we spake of the great Battle of Gog and Magog to which the Reader is referred and this I conceive will be the pouring out of the last Vial when the great Voice shall be heard out of the Temple of Heaven and from the Throne saying IT IS DONE Thus although I have written but a little yet it is more than I intended when I first began but not half so much as might have been written to every one of these Things nor by far what hath been written by others upon these Subjects but I would not impose upon any Man's Understanding nor be offended with such as are otherwise minded yet they may do well without Prejudice impartially to search the Scriptures and see whether these Things be so or no And now for a CONCLUSION I shall propose some useful Considerations touching what hath been mentioned in this Discourse And first we may take Notice by this little Scrip how much and how many great Things God hath yet to do in the World how much of the Prophetical Part of the Scripture is yet unfulfilled how many great and glorious Things are yet unaccomplished which are to be done now in this last Age of the World in the Deliverance of his Church People out of the Hands of all their Adversaries Power and the Destruction of all the Enemeies of Christ and his Kingdom in bringing about all his glorious Designs which he hath purposed in himself and hath promised the Accomplishment of for his own Glory and the Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ in this Worl when all the Kingdoms of this World shall be his and he shall reign and his Name be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same a little and but a little thereof hath been hinted in this Discourse I further propose that seeing these Things and many Things more which might be named must come to pass what Manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Looking for and hastening to the Coming of the Day of God and our Lord Jesus Christ that we may be found of him in Peace without Spot and