33.1 2 3. When Israel was to go out of the Land of Aegypt the Lord commanded them to ask every one of his Neighbour jewels of Silver and jewels of Gold and the Lord gave them favour in the sight of the AEgyptians so that they did obtain what they demanded by the which the Israelites were inriched by the spoyl of the Aegyptians and so it shall be at that day with the people of God they shall injoy the spoyl of their enemies for they are the true Heirs to the riches of the World present and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Corinth 3.22 Math. 19 29. So that they shall eate the riches of the Gentiles as also saith the Scriptures Yee shall be named the Priests of the Lord and men shall call you the Ministers of our God yee shall eat the riches of the Gentiles and be exalted with their glory Isa. 61.6 Here we see that the Lord is pleased to give them the riches of the Gentiles that is to say the riches of Sinners that although they heap up Silver like the dust and raiment like the clay yet the just shall put it on and the innocent shall divide the Silver so that their gain shall be consecrated to the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth therefore shall thy Gates be open continually neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring unto thee the riches of the Gentiles that thy Kings may be brought for the Nations and Kingdoms that will not serve thee shall parish and those Nations shall utterly be destroyed Job 27.16 Isa. 60 11 12. Cap. 66.11 Zech. 14.14 Revel. 21.24 From hence we may see that riches and glory and honour and a Kingdom nay and Crowns also shall be cast down before Christ and the Saints which shall be at their steps King Solomon in his glorious Reign was a lively Type of King Jesus in his glorious Reign and we know in King Solomons Reign there was great plenty of riches and glory such as was not in Jerusalem before or since and that there shall be so in Christs Reign was set out by those who came from the East to Ierusalem to worship Christ which when they had found him opened their Treasures and presented Gifts Gold Myrrhe Matth. 2.11 which shews to us That when the Lord is King in Ierusalem how persons shall come from the utmost parts of the Earth to submit to Christs and the Saints royal Dignity and present unto them the choycest of riches which agreeth to the Scriptures before mentioned so having discovered that Christ and his Saints shall reign in Ierusalem and of that excellent peace and sovereignty that they shall injoy in their time with riches and the glory of the Gentiles I pass now unto the Seventh Particular which is the description of the New Jerusalem A clear description of New Jerusalem not built by the Jews at their return out of Captivity The very consideration of this New Jerusalem is sufficient to ravish the hearts of all such as are heavenly-minded it was that which did stay and support the mindes of the suffering Saints of old and indeed it is sufficient because it is of such an excellent situation that it is to be admired as the Psalmist faith Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Sion on the side of the North is the City of the great King God is known in her Palace for a refuge which City in the Mystery is no more but that New Ierusalem which shall be the City of the great King Psal. 48.2 compare Psal. 47.8 even so New Ierusalem shall come down from God out of Heaven and being situated about Sion it is Metaphorically called mount Sion because Sion of old did represent it which was Davids Throne the which David and his Throne was a lively type of Christ and his Throne and as David placed himself in Sion with his Family so Jesus Christ will place himself in that New Jerusalem with his Family the which Family consisteth of risen saved glorified Saints the which agreeth with the Word of the Lord that faith The people that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour unto it and there shall in no wise enter into it any that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev l. 21.24 25 26 27. but now I shall pass briefly to a review of that glorious City New Jerusalem the which is treated of Revel. 21. beginning at the tenth verse And he carried me away in the Spirit unto a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal and had a wall great and high and had twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel on the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates and the wall of the City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lambe and he that talked with me had a golden reed to meajure the City and the Gates thereof and the wall thereof and the City lyeth four square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the reed twelve thousand Furlongs and the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal and he measured the wall thereof an hundred forty and four Cubits according to the measure of man that is of the Angel and the building of the wall of it was of Jasper and the City pure Gold like unto clear Glass and the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious Stones the first foundation was Jasper the second Saphir the third Chalcedonie the fourth an Emerauld the fifth Sardonix the sixth Sardins the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth Topas the tenth Chrysophrasus the eleventh a Jacinth the twelfth an Amethyst and the twelve Gates were twelve Pearls every severall Gate of one Pearl the streets of the City were pure Gold as it were transparent Glass and I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe were the Temple of it and the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lambe was the light thereof and the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the North shall bring their glory and honour into it and the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day and there shall be no night there and they
have drunk are mad And in their hearts still after thee doe gad The Merchants of thy ways do much complain That by thy ruine they shall lose their gain The Merchants of her Ware that rich are grown By taking fleece from sheep that 's not your own Your Riches Pride and Honour will decay And like a dream will vanish cleane away You Merchants as I proper you may call Remember that your Trade will have a fall For he that hath the righteous Off-spring fed Hath suffer'd yours oft-time to begge their bread Sir John Presbyter that are grown so great And think'st th' art fastned firm within thy Seat Thy time shall be but for a little space But Daniels Little Horu shall thee displace Daniels Little Horn is budding out That will thee and thy Predecessors rout Before whom Papal Prelate and Presbyter shall fall That his Dominion may bee over all O England look what Shepherds you have got That love the Fleece farre better than the Flock Instead of feeding kill such as are fed O England see that you are much misled Thy shepherds certainly are of that sort That Paul unto Philipia did report Whose God 's their belly who earthly things do minde For hee saith misery will bee their end But Sion and thy Pastors that seem to mourn And to the World the objects are of scorn A word of comfort unto thee I say Thy Servants they shall bee and thee obey O Sion be thou joyful in thy King For if a certain thou shalt reign with him And for thy suffering thy reward shall be for aye In the Land of Promise double everlasting joy George Hammon Syons Redemption Discovered Wherein is made plain these PARTICVLARS 1 The last and general return of the Jews out of their captivity and of the building of the City and Temple 2 The manner of the rise of the Man of Sin called the Vile Person or the Antichrist proved not to be the Romish Babylon 3 The spoyling of the Jews for a small time and the taking of their City and Temple 4 The manner of the Son of Righteousness arising and the gathering together of his Army 5 The great Warre upon the Mountains of Israel and the destruction of Antichrist 6 The glorious Reign of Christ and his Saints upon Earth a thousand years 7 A clear description of New Jerusalem not built by the Jews at their return out of Captivity 8 The restoration of the creation into their Primitive Purity 9 The Signs of the Times of the accomplishment of these Prophesies 10 A profitable Application of the sum of these Particulars By GEORGE HAMMOND Pastor LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Fra. Smith and are to be sold at his Shop in Flying horse Court in Fleet street 1655. Sions Redemption Discovered The last and general return of the Jews out of their Captivity and of the building of the City and Temple THe Lord hath promised that the Jews shall return and injoy their own Land and build and repair the former Desolations of which the Scriptures are full For thus saith the Lord behold I will bring again the Captivity of Jacobs Tents and will have mercy on their dwelling places and the City shall be built upon her own heap and the place shall remain after the manner thereof Jerem. 30.18 Moreover that you may see that this is a Prophecy of the last and general return of the Jews the Lord doth declare that he wil not only bring those that were carried in the Northern parts being subdued by the Roman or Persian or Turk but speaks also of all coasts of the Earth meaning also all those that were carried away by Salmanaser out of Samaria so that there might bee one sheep-fold together upon the Mountains of Israel Behold I will bring them from the North Countries and from the coast of the earth for God will save Sion and build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession the seed also of his Servants shall inherit it and they that love his name shall dwell therein the Towns and Cities of Judah and Jerusalem shall be re-edified and shall bee no more destroyed by the hands of men Ezek. 36 10 11. Jerem. 31.40 compare verse 8.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. 1 Chron. 17 9. Amos 9.11 12 13 14 15. So that hence we may see here is a glorious time for the Jews to injoy at the appointed time at the accomplishment of these Prophecies then shall that saying bee made good Ten men shall lay hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew and say we will go with thee for we have heard that God is with you Zech. 8.22 Then the hatred of Ephraim shall depart and the adversary of Judah be cut off Ephraim shall not envie Judah neither shall Judah vex Ephraim Isa. 11.13 Arise and shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Behold darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall bee seen upon thee the Gentiles shall come unto thy light and the King to the brightness of thy rising Lift up thine eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they shall come to thee thy Sons shall come from farre and thy Daughters shall bee nourished at thy side then shalt thou see and flow together and thine heart shall fear and be inlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shal come unto thee the multitude of Camels shal cover thee the Dromidaries or Middian and Epha all they from Sheba shall come they shall bring Gold and Incense and they shall shew forth the praise of the Lord and the Sons of them that afflicted thee shall come and bow unto thee and all that despise thee shall fall down at thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the Holy one of Israel whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man passed by thee I will make thee an eternal glory and joy from Generation to Generation Isa. 60.1 2 3 4 5 6. Compare vers 14 15. cha 66.20 21 22. Jerem. 31.24 verse 31 35 36 37 38 39 40. 2 Sam. 7.10 Ezek. 37.20 21 22. Zeph. 3.13 compare 19 20. Zech. 14.11 Ezek. 36.10 11. from these Scriptures it is very clear That at the last and general return of the Jews their Cities shall be built and although they may meet with some difficulties after the building thereof as I shall shew you yet in the time of their return and building they shall have great assistance from God as is clear from the current of Scripture Moreover although the Man of Sin shall trouble them after their return yet it shall not be as afore-time but they shall bee nourished by God from the fierce wrath of the Dragon and they shall be a Crown
as will not worship the Image of the Beast to bee killed Revel. 13.13 14 15. chap. 16.14 but some have expounded this place thus and have said The outward Court is the Ordinances that were not to be measured that is to say not to be accounted of so as to be practised and the Holy City was the Church which was to be trod under foot to which Exposition I say That I never could finde God in Scripture comparing the Gospel-Ordinances to an outward Court it is well if they can finde it who do affirm it neither do I find in the New Testament where the Gospel-Church is compared to a Holy City Christ hath compared it to a City but the word Holy is not used in that place but doubtless this Holy City spoken of here Revel. 11. is meant Jerusalem which in Scripture is frequently called a Holy City as you may see if you peruse these Scriptures following Psal. 24.3 Isa. 27.13 Chap. 48.2 Dan. 9.24 Joel 2.1 Chap. 3.17 Obadiah 6. Zephany 3.11 Mat. 4.5 Chap. 27.53 So that it will appear that the Temple spoken of in Revel. 11.1 was the Temple of that beloved City or Holy City Jerusalem which is also as clear that it was a Prophecie of the last times if we compare Ezekiel with it so that both Ezekiel and John in their Discoveries of the Prophecie of the last times do shew that there was a Temple as well as a City and so I shall pass to the third and last Reason The Third Reason why there is to be a Temple at the last and general return of the Iews is from the words of the Apostle Paul unto the Thessalonians where the Apostle saith That the Man of Sin shall sit in the Temple of God which Temple is the glorious holy Mountain before mentioned even the Temple Jerusalem as Dan. 11.45 and that this Temple and the Man of Sin is to be in the laft Age is clear for the Man of Sin is to be destroyed saith the Apostle by the brightness of his coming 2 Thess. 2.8 Dan. 7.9 10 11 12. until the which time of Christs coming he shall assume to make the Temple the Throne of his Glory and so these are the three Reasons in brief why there shall bee a Temple built as well as a City First because the Lord shewed Ezekiel a Temple after the Vision of the dry Bones which was the last return of the Captives Secondly He shewed John one and appointed him to measure it in his Vision And Thirdly By the revelation of the Holy Spirit saith the Man of Sin shall make his Seat there and hold it till Christ comes Moreover the Prophet Malachy saith That the Lord that was looked for shall suddenly come into his Temple And so much briefly to prove that the Jews shall return again to build their City and Temple The manner of the Rise of the Man of Sin called the Vile Penson or the Antichrist proved not to be the Romish Babylon Secondly The manner of the arising of the Man of Sin hee shall arise out of the Fourth and last Monarchy the which Fourth Monarchy shall consist of seven Heads that is the whole Monarchy shall bee ruled by seven unanimously by Royal authority but in this unanimous agreement or seventh Head shall continue but a little space but one of the Seven shall make himself the Eighth and yet of the Seventh and shall go into perdition and this is that which was set forth in that Image that Daniel saw Dan. 2. but more plainly laid down in the lowest part of the Image as in the Feet and Toes ver. 41.42 43. and in the midst of those Kings that is while those Kings are a striving for their Dignity the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which shall break and destroy that great King Gog which shall be the Eighth and last Moreover this vile Person or Man of Sins rise is with all deceiveableness and unrighteousness fair words and feigned speeches deceiving the hearts of the simple and before hee cometh to bee this Eighth and last King he is but a Little Horn full of eyes Dan. 7.7 8. professing Knowledge and Light in the Mystery of God and yet at last he hath a mouth given him to speak great words against the God of Heaven The very manner of his arising doth declare him to be a great Person at the last for at his first arising three of the Ten Horns were plucked up by the root that is three Kingdoms do fall before him or are resigned up into his hands and so groweth great and by that means he cometh to be one of the Seven that shall rule the whole Monarchy and shall not be contented with that as I have shewed you but by his power shall take away the other Six parts and so changing the Government from the hands of seven into one he is called the Eighth and of the Seventh and so shall remain till the Son of Righteousness shall dismiss his Reign by casting him off into the Lake of fire Dan. 7.8 compare verse 24. ch. 8.25 Revel. 17.11 He shall succeed in time the raiser of Taxes but they shall not give him the power or honour of the Kingdom but by flattery shall he obtain it not by a joynt consent of the people of the Province but shall receive his Power and Authority by a smal number of people And when hee hath entred into the fattest place of the Province he shall break League Covenant and Protestation and work deceitfully yet to carry on his design hee shall do that which his Father hath not done nor his Fathers Father for by stirring up of his courage and valour hee shall take much riches out of the Southern Country and to get the affections of those people of the Province where hee liveth he will scatter the Prey amongst them to the end that his Army may grow great that thereby he may take strong Holds and senced Cities and this is the very way whereby hee shall grow great and be helped forward and exalted into the Throne even in the holy Mountain Dan. 11.24 25. ver. 43.45 and so by his Victories hee shall grow great and exalt himself and at last exalt himself above God and shall honour the god of Forces that is look upon the power of his Army to be the great Power that is to say by his own strength he hath obtained that which hee doth injoy and so shall puff out great swelling words of vanity against the God of gods acknowledging no other God but himself and shall place his Throne above the Stars of Heaven for the proof of it see these Scriptures as followeth Isa. 14.12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Dan. 11.36 37 38 39. 2 Thess. 2.4 Revel. 17.11 compare fourteen Also to carry on his design hee shall have a false Prophet that shall work great Signs and Wonders to deceive those that have not narrowly looked into the Scriptures and are
not wel grounded therein for it is the great Hour of temptation to try all them that dwell upon the face of the earth Revel. 3.10 11. Great Pharaoh was a lively Type of this last and great Enemy of Israel for we may finde that hee had many Magicians which did many lying Signs and Wonders to harden the hearts of his People Exod. 7.11 12. So hath the Man of Sin a false Prophet as I have shewed you before and also in his Province many that can work by Magick Art which love to be in Kings Courts as Pharaohs Magicians did and that there shall be lying Signs or Wonders in that time see these few Scriptures in the room of more Dan. 8.25 Mat. 24.24 Revel. 13.14 15 16. Chap. 16.14 So by these signs and lying Wonders he shall make the World beleeve that he is the Christ until both hee and his false Prophets shall be taken alive and cast into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimston If it should bee Objected and said That this is meant of the Romish Babylon I shall give you three Reasons by the which you may see that the Man of Sin or the last Antichrist before mentioned is not the Romish Babylon First is because in Scripture the Lord gives the Romish Babylon the name of a Woman but in all places of Scripture he calleth the last and great Antichrist by the name of a Man and I will prove these two in order the which will make good the first Reason Come down and sit in the dust O Virgin daughter of Babylon thy nakedness shall be uncovered thy shame shall be seen I will take vengeance and will not meet thee as a man Isa. 47.1 2 3. See more vers. 9. Jer. 51.8 Prov. 2.16 17 18. Chap. 3.4 5. See more Revel. 17.4 And the Woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet upon her fore-head was a name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth vers. 5. And I saw the Woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus vers. 6. See more Chap. 18.3 4. Isa. 51.18 19. And the next thing to prove is That the Antichrist is called by the name of Man as you may see Isa. 14.12 compare 16. How art thou fallen from Heaven thou Lucifer Son of the Morning how art thou cut down to the ground thou that didst weaken Kingdoms They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying Is not this the man that made the Earth to tremble that did shake Kingdoms And so as the Scriptures did fore-see that he would assume to himself such a Power was pleased to stile him by the name Man as you may see in the Scriptures following Ezek. 38.17 Dan. 11.24 2 Thes. 2.3 From these Scriptures you may see that the last Beast which is the Antichrist is called by the name Man and that the Romish Babylon is called by the name Woman And so I pass to the second Reason Secondly The great and last Antichrist or the Man of Sin cannot be taken for the Romish Babylon because the Romish Babylon did and doth acknowledge God and his Son Christ although they worship him in a false manner but the great and last Antichrist acknowledgeth no God neither will he Worship any but exalt himself above every god acknowledgeth no God but himself who shall bee then the God of Forces and as the Prophet Daniel saith of him The King shall do what hee list hee shall exalt himself against all that is God and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Dan. 11.36 37. 2 Thes. 2.4 Dan. 7.8 Jude 5. From hence you may see that this last and great Antichrist shall advance himself above every god not acknowledging the God of Heaven but the Romish Babylon as aforesaid doth acknowledge a God and Worship him though in a false manner And so much briefly to the second Reason The Third and last Reason why the great and last Antichrist may not be took for the Romish Babylon is because the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed by the ten Horns of the last Beast that is to say by Ten Kings that have supported her or in a word thus That the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the appearance of Jesus Christ but the great and last Antichrist shall not be destroyed until the Lord Jesus come and destroy him upon the Mountains of Israel as I shall shew you in his time and place And now to prove that the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the coming of Christ you shall see it out of Revel. 17.16 And the Ten Horns that thou sawest upon the Beast shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire for God hath put it into their hearts to fulfil his will and agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled vers. 17. And the Woman that thou sawest is that great City that reigneth over the Kings of the earth And you may also see more from Revel. 18.9 and more might be added but this to prove briefly That the Romish Babylon shall bee destroyed before the coming of Christ by the Ten Horns that support the Beast for which cause the Romish Merchants viz. her Clergy and the Kings of the Earth shall weep for her and lust after her although the Beast shall over-power them and make them destroy her but the Heavens shall rejoyce over her and the Holy Apostles that is the Churches then in being and the Gospel-Messengers shewing clearly That the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the appearance of Christ Revelations 18.19 20. The next thing to prove is That the Man of Sin or that great and last Antichrist is to remain until the coming of Christ so saith the Apostle That the Lord shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming And so saith Dan. 7.9 10 11. Chap. 11.41 compare Chap. 12.1 2. Revel. 19.19 20. so from these Scriptures you may see plainly That the Man of Sin shall remain till the very time that Christ shall take his great Power and Reign so that neither of these Opinions can bee true that saith That the Romish Babylon is the Antichrist or that saith That the last and great Antichrist is risen and already past So thus I have proved the last Antichrist not to be Babylon A word or two to prove him to bee called the King of Babylon or the King of Assyria and that you may see the Prophet Esay hath the title of both in the fourteenth Chapter and verse fourth in these words Thou shalt take up this Proverb against the King of Babylon and say How hath the Oppressor ceased how hath the golden City ceased the Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the Ruler vers. 5. He who
smote the people with a continual stroak he that ruled the Nations in anger is per secuted and none hindereth vers. 6. So here we see he is called the King of Babylon and in verse 24 25 26. in these words The Lord of Host hath sworn saying Surely as I have thought so shall it come to passe and as I have purposed it shall stand that I wil break the Assyrian in my Land and upon my Mountains tread him under foot then shall his yoke depart from them and his burden depart from off their shoulders This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole Earth Hence you may see that he is also called the Assyrian and that you may see it is meant the last Antichrist before spoken of from the fourteenth Verse of the same Chapter and fifteenth And see more vers. 32. in these words What shall one then answer the Messengers of the Nations for the Lord hath founded Sion and the poor of the people shall trust in it And that foundation in Sion or Sion so founded so as it may bee an object for the people to trust in which will not bee until the Lord Jesus is laid as a foundation or set as a King upon the Holy Hill of Sion and then the poor of the people shall trust in him and lye down under the shadow of his wings in peace and none make them afraid and somuch briefly as to the discovery of the manner of the rise of the Man of Sin and also for the proving of him not to be the Romish Babylon and so pass briefly to the Third which is the discovery of the taking of the City and Temple from the Jews for a small time The spoyling of the Jews for a swall time and the taking of their City and Temple Now when the Jews are returned into their own Land and have brought their substance with them and having no King amongst them the Man of Sin shall have this evil thought come into his minde for to take from them their substance and to make Jerusalem the throne of his glory professing himself to be the King they wait for but through their knowledge they will not beleeve him to be their King for the which cause he shall spoyl them and take away by force their City setting up his Seat in the glorious holy Mount I shall give you some lively Prophecies that shall make good this Particular as brief as may be In that day saith the Lord I will assemble her that halteth and her that was driven out and her that was afflicted now why dost thou cry out aloud is there no Knig in thee Is thy Counsellour perished for pains have taken thee as a woman in travel Be in pain and labour to bring forth O Daughter of Sion like a Woman in travel for now thou shalt go forth out of the City and dwell in the field and thou shalt go even to Babylon there shalt thou be delivered there shall the Lord deliver thee from the hands of the enemies now therefore are many Nations gathered against thee that say Let her be defiled and let our eyes look unto Sion but they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they his counsel for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor arise and thresh O daughter of Sion for I will make thy Horn Iron and thy hoofes Brass and thou shalt beat in peeces many people and I will consecrate thy gain unto the Lord and thy substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Micha 4.6 7. compare verses 9 10 11 12 13. You may see also from Ezekiel 38.7 8 9 10 11 12. in these words Be thou prepared and prepare for thy self thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee be thou a guard unto them after many days thou shalt be visited in the latter years thou shalt come into the Land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out from many people against the Mountains of Israel which have been always wast but it is brought forth out of the Nations and they shall dwell safely all of them thou shalt ascend and come like a storm thou shalt be like a Cloud to cover the Land thou and all thy bands and many people with thee thus saith the Lord It shall come to passe that at the same time shall things come into thy minde and thou shalt think an evil thought and thou shalt say I will go up into the Land of unwalled Villages I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely all of them dwelling without wals having neither bars nor gates to take a spoyl to take a prey to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited and upon the people that are gathered out of the Nations which have gotten Cattel and Gods and that dwell in the midst of the Land Hence we may see that after Israels last and general return and their bringing their riches with them as they once did out of the Land of Aegypt that this Gog which is the great and last Antichrist as you may see for he saith it is in the latter days even in the very last before the coming of Christ as you may see Ezek. 38.16 17 18 19 20. And that he shall take the prey and spoyl Israel for a small time even until Christ deliver them is clear from the Prophet Zecharies words Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Behold the day of the Lord cemeth and thy spoyl shall be divided in the midst of thee and I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem to battel and the Cities shall be taken and the Houses rifled and the Women ravished and half of the City shall goe into Captivity and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the City then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations as when he fought in the day of Battel and his feet in that day shall stand upon the Mount of Olives which is over against Ierusalem From these Prophecies you may see that the Man that great and last Antichrist shall spoyl the Iews for a small time and take from them their City and place his Tabernacle in the glorious holy Mountain Dan. 11.45 which the Apostle Paul saith shall bee the Temple for that will be the place of his Seat or Tabernacle 2 Thess. 2.4 Much more might be said to this Particular but I hasten to the Fourth Particular in the which I shall discover the manner of the rising of the Sun of Righteousness and the gathering together of his Army and shall also prove that he is a man and so hee shall come and reign But to passe that and to the thing in hand which is the manner of his arising and the gathering of his Army The manner of the Sun of Righteousness arising and the gathering together of his Army When the full appointed time of the Father shall approach and the measure of Sin is full
year of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Sion I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the antient of days did sit whose garment was white as Snow and the hair of his head like unto pure Wool his Throne was like the fiery flame and his Wheels like burning fire a fiery flame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgement was set and the Books were opened I beheld then because of the noyse and great words which the Horn spake I beheld even until the Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame let the Heathen be awaked and come down to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about put you in the Sickle for the Harvest is ripe come get you down for the Press is full the fat over-floweth for the wickedness is great multitudes in the valley of Decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of Decision 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 bloud came out of the Wine-press even to the Horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Isa. 59.16 17 18. Chap. 34.8 Dan. 7.9 10 11. Joel 3.11 12 13 14. Rev. 14.19 20. From hence you may see what great slaughter the Lord will make with that great Antichrist and his Army when hee comes to try Sions Controversie Moreover see from the Prophet Ezekiel Therefore thou Son of Man Prophesie against Gog and say Thus saith the Lord behold I am against thee O Gog the chief Prince of Mesheck and Tubal I will turn thee back and leave but the sixth part of thee and will cause thee to come up from the North parts and will bring thee upon the Mountains of Israel and I will smite thy how out of thy left hand and cause thine Arrow to fall out of thy right hand thou shalt fall upon the Mountains of Israel thou and all thy Bands and the people that is with thee I will give thee unto the ravenous Birds of every sort and unto the Beast of the field to be devoured thou shalt fall upon the open field for I have spoken it saith the Lord And thou Son of Man thus saith the Lord speak unto every fethered Fowl and to every Beast of the Field assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my Sacrifice that I do Sacrifice to you even a great Sacrifice upon the Mountains of Israel that you may eat flesh and drink bloud yee shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the bloud of the Princes of the earth of Rams of Lambs and of Goats of Bullocks all of them the fatlings of Bashan and yee shall eat fat till yee be filled and drink bloud till yee be drunken of my Sacrifice which I have Sacrificed for you Ezek. 39.1 2 3 4 5. Compare verse 17 18 19. Isa. 34.5 6. all which Scriptures and many more do shew that great destruction and total fall that the last and great Antichrist shall have upon the Mountains of Israel A word or two to shew that the Jesus the King shall restore their Kingdom into their hands even the Jews He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord and in the Majesty of the name of his God and they shall abide for now shall he hee great unto the ends of the earth and this man shall be our peace when the Assyrians shall come into our Land and when he shall tread in our Palaces the Lord of Hoast hath sworn saying Surely so shall it come to pass as I have purposed so shall it stand that I will break the Assyrian in my Land and upon my Mountaines tread him under foot then shall his yoke depart from off them and his burden depart from off their shoulders for the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet chuse Israel and set them into their own Land and the strangers shall bee joyned with them and they shall cleave to the House of Jacob and the people shall take them and bring them to their place and the House of Israel shall possesse them in the Land of the Lord for Servants and Hand-maids and they shall take them Captives whose Captives they were and they shall rule over their Oppressors Isa. 14.1 2 3. compare 24 25. verses So we may see that it was no Childish question that Christs Disciples asked him whether he would at that time restore the Kingdom to Israel though it were a matter too inquisitive for them to ask such a question for to know the Times and Seasons but here you may see that there is an appointed time of the Father in the which it should be accomplished and indeed David was a lively Type of Christ which had no sooner dispaced the Jebusites and cast them out of Sion but he made it his own Seat and the place for his Family So likewise it will be with the Lord Jesus that no sooner shall he appear upon the Mountains of Israel but he shall destroy that last and great Jebusite or the Man of Sin or the great and last Amichrist more properly called and give it unto the Jews for a Possession that they may dwell there and have it in possession The seed also of his Servants shall inherite it and they that love his name shall dwell therein Psal. 69.35 36. so that hence I have discovered briefly that great Warre upon the Mountains of Israel with the total ruine of the last and great Antichrist and the restoration of the Kingdom into the hands of Israel and leaving of these few Scriptures for the further proof of this thing I shall passe to the Sixth Particular Isa. 33.1 2 3 4 5. Ezek. 38.18 19 20 21 22. Rev. 11.10 chap. 6.15 The glorious Reign of Christ and his Saints upon Earth a thousand years The Discovery of the glorious Reign of Christ the great King and the Saints upon the Earth and the great peace that shall be in his day Christian Friend here is that the consideration whereof is sufficient to bear up thy spirit in the worst of times it was that which made the Apostle Paul not count his life dear to him that he might finish his course with joy so that hee was contented to suffer with him because he knew he should reign with him but for the better understanding of this glorious reign I shall divide this subject into several parts The first is That Christ shall reign as King on the Earth even in Jerusalem Secondly That the Saints shall have an high Prerogative so as to reign on earth even as Christ And Thirdly I shall put these two together with some other
I will fill their treasure So that those that seek first the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and seek it as hidden treasure that is to say above all things in the world without doubt the Lord will rise and rain everlasting righteousness upon such souls Hosea 10.12 Prov. 2.3 4 5. 1 Chron. 28.9 Mat. 9.33 So much to the first means in order to the attainment of this inheritance The second way to attain to this inheritance may be observed from the wise Merchant man who when he had found the Pearl of great price sold all that he had to gain that price so also must thou when thou seest an excellency in Jesus Christ thou must break off thy sins by righteousnesse and part with all that is near and dear unto thee for he that comes to Christ and hates not Father and Mother Wife and Children Lands and living nay and his own life cannot be his Disciple not that I mean that thou shouldst hate the person of thy Father or thy Mother or Wife or Children and the like neither did Christ mean so in that speech of his but to cast them out of their affections when they come in competition with Christ but still to honour and respect their persons though slight their counsel Luk. 14.26 27. Mat. 10.34 35 36 37 38. so that this is the second way to attain this Heavenly inheritance or Pearl of great price Thirdly as thou must forsake all and break off thy sins by righteousnesle so thou must increase in thy piety and virtues thou must not stand still but thou must add to thy Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience and Godlinesse for so an entrance shall be administred into his heavenly Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. so that from hence thou mayst see that the way or means to enter into that heavenly inheritance is to grow in grace not to stand still not be luke-warm not to have a name to live and be dead but to excel in virtue The fourth and lastly as thou must seek that inheritance above and before all things and as thou must forsake all things for the attainment of that precious inheritance when thou hast found it so as to part with all and break off thy sins by righteousnesse and as thou must also grow in Graces adding to thy Faith Virtue and so forth So in the fourth and last place thou must goe on and persevere till death not turn back or be weary or faint in thy mind for that is the way to inherit that glorious inheritance even that immortal crown of life and to sit down with Christ in his Throne where thou shalt abide for ever and ever 2 Tim. 4.4 5 6 7 8. Jam. 1.12 Rev. 2.10 cap. 3. v. 9. compar'd with 12. v. 2.7 cap. 21.7 And so I shall passe unto the sixth use The sixth use is a use of inducement to win thee or move thee to prise that Kingdom which is to be at the Revelation of Jesus Christ for then the Tabernacle of God shall be with men he shall dwell with them as also saith Iohn in these words I heard a great voice from Heaven saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he will be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and the redeemed of the Lord shall come to Sion with Songs and everlasting Joy shall be unto them and the great King of the whole earth who is the Son of the most high and the great Bridegroom of the Bride shall gird himselfe and make them sit down at meat and they shall raign with him as long as the Sun and Moon endureth Luk. 12.37 Rev. 21.3 4 5. Esa. 35 10. these privileges in that kingdom shall be above Angels for not unto the Angels hath he put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but that he hath put it into subjection to the Saints is clear as you may see from these Scriptures Psal. 149.6 7 8 9. Obedi 21. Mal. 4.3 4 5. Rev. 2.26 27. from hence we may see the great gainers Saints will be if it be so that they lose all the enjoyments of this life provided they doe but attain that inheritance 1 Tim. 4.8 cap. 6. ver. 6. 1 Cor. 3.22 But on the other hand if thou shouldest lose that inheritance and the glorious presence of that infinite glory which was so glorious that when Peter and John saw but a glimpse of it they said It is good for us to be here I say if thou shouldest loose chis enjoyment although by it thou maist gain all the friendship in the world the riches and quintessence thereof yet thou wouldest be a great loser Matt. 17.4 Mark 8.36 Christian Reader thou art not travelling to an earthly Kingdom or Inheritance but unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and unto God the Judge of all things and the Spirits of Just men made perfect where thou shalt enjoy the presence of God in whose presence there is fullnesse of Joy and at his right hand pleasure for evermore Psal. 16.11 Heb. 12.22 23. The second inducement is from the Freeness of the giver of this Inheritance that whether thou art rich or poor high or low noble or ignoble thou maist attain to this Inheritance for the Lord commands his Messengers to offer it freely to every Creature Mar. 16.15 Rev. 22.17 Moreover he proclaims this his loving kindnesse by the Prophet saying Oh every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no mony come buy Wine without money and without price why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which profits not Esay 55.1 2. From hence we may take notice of these two things First how the Lord exhibiteth himself freely to every Creature and blames such as are contented with Husks when they may have the Bread of Life freely The third Inducement or Motive to move thee or incourage thee to seek after this Inheritance is from the consideration of thy condition when the Lord is pleased to cast his eye of pity upon thee it is not at that time when thou appearest amiable or lovely by reason of thy virtues and graces which is in thee but when thou wast a deformed Creature by reason of lying in the blood of the pollution of thy Sin and it was also when no eye pittied thee neither could Angels or men do thee any good In this appeared the love of God indeed as saith the Apostle We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he were