divided hate and devour hurt and destroy one another I leave it saith that Reverend mystery Searcher Mr. Mede to the judgment of learned men and men well able to judge in such like mysteries in Divinity whether this be not the best and easiest way to deal with the Jewes not to wrest those plain Prophesies touching things appertaining to this last and glorious coming of Christ to his first coming for while we do so the Jewes laugh and scorn at us and are hardened in their infidelity The Apostle Peter takes this course to convert the Jews Acts 3.19 Repent saith he and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord And he shall send Jesus Christ which was preached unto you whom the Heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things of which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world begun 4. Because unlesse this opinion of Christs Millenary Kingdom and reign with his Saints a thousand years be granted and received nothing of certainty can be brought concerning the true and genuine sense of the 20th chapter of the Revelation and that in the 7. of Daniel and many other of the Texts before named wherein a mans Conscience can safely rest Which amongst some others Pareus himself confesseth who saith the more he studied it the lesse he found out whereby to untie the knot which had so tortured all Interpreters only this he saith he found that it is more easie to tell what this thousand years are not then what they are And a little after he saith I do not therefore here promise you that after all others I shall so untie this knot of a thousand years as to satisfie all men in this Millenary Reign of the Martyrs and Saints with Christ The Reason is given by a learned Writer because he left the letter of the Text and did turn the whole discourse to an Allegorical sense without any sufficient reason or necessity at all It hath doubtlesse been the unhappy fate of many by their learning in their Expositions to make plain Scriptures dark and difficult texts far more difficult then before 5. Because it seems altogether unreasonable to go about to inâ—erpret that whole place in the 20. chapter of the Revelation figuratively because of one or two figurative expressions in it which yet have an eaâ—te explication without any figure In a plain â—â—â—â—ence we may somtimes meet with one trope or other but it doth not therefore necessarily follow that all and every word in the sentence must be so taken nor is that reasonable Propter unius verbi translationem nen totus locus figuratè accipiendur est saith Austin Neither indeed is this Prophesie of a thousand years propoled under representations and pictures as many others are in the Apocalyps but it is declared in as clear and elegant word as you can posibly imagine be it by the Holy Ghost never so really meant 6. Because this Interpretation of a thousand years after the Armageddon battel and the dâ—struction of Antichrist in Christs second coming doth best agree with all those Scriptures which speak or this subject which consider a long tract of time in it as well as in his first-coming as was shewed before Now we are not to think that because the Lord Jesus Christ shall come as a Thief or like the L'ghtning that therefore he shall presently like a thief or like the lightning vanish or disappear Nor because his second coming is joyned with the final Resurrection and last Judgment properly and strictly so called therefore they shall be done presently together and all at once but every thing shall be fulfilled in its own order and time In a processe of time sensibly and by degrees will the Lord proceed in the restitution of all things after the same manner as his proceeding was in the Creation of all things though he could have created all things in one and the same moment God will never huddle his works on helps 7. Because to interpret the first Resurrection of a piritual resurrection from sin is altogether new and unheard of and unknown to all Orthodox Antiquity and that almost till Austins time And was first of all found out by Tyconius the Donatist of whom Austin borrowed it whom afterward Primasius followed Gregory and others Yea they that deny this Interpretation deny that which was of old denied by the Hereticks against the Orthodox as it doth plainly appear from Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew which Dialogue is set down at large by Mr. Mede at the latter end of his Commentary upon the Revelation whither I refer the Reader But to clear the thing beyond doubt Consider that though the death in sin may be called a death yet it is not nor any wherein Scripture called the death either first or second if that death in sin be the death then it is the first death and the Life of Grace the first Resurrection and then all that have a part in this should be freed from the second death which second death by this reckoning must be the death of the body but that we see is false for the godly die the death of the body as well as the wicked Therefore let us give way to the plain truth which is in a word thus The first death is the death of the body or a bodily death the second death is the death of the soul or the soules everlasting punishment in Hell And the first Resurrection or the first order in the Resurrection for I speak not here of Christ and those that arose then is the Resurrection of the body or a bodily Resurrection of the Saints and they that have part in this are none but such as are holy and by this their being within the Compass of the first order in the Resurrection or being raised in the first Resurrection they are beyond all fear of condemnation in hell which is the second death Therefore the Text says Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power which Resurrection as we see cannot be meant of the life of grace but must be meant of that corporal Resurrection which is opposed to a bodily death or the death of the body and not to the death in sin 8. Because although Christs Oeconomical or Mediatory Kingdom is but one in regard of its essential forme yet it is indeed twofold in respect of its accidental forme For Christs Kingdom which is humble low and cometh not with observation and is much accompanied with the Crosse and persecuted according to his first coming which was humble and low to his very passion is one thing And his glorious Kingdom is another which comes with observation as lightning shining upon the earth and in great peace and security according to the nature and condition of his
A doth not reign in his successor B because B doth not reign himself if he do it is either before death or after death but B doth not reign before death for that is a time of suffering not of reigning and after death he doth not reign in his successor C for C is in the same state of suffering that his Predecessor B was and not of reigning and the self-same is the case of D c. But happily you will say that A did reign in his life-time a part of the thousand years and B did reign in his life-time another part of the thousand years after A was dead and C did reign another part after B was dead and so of D c. But this evasion is nothing to the purpose for this kind of reigning if the time of our suffering might be called the time of our reigning is more then a thousand years yea several thousand years but the reigning John speaks of is just a thousand years and neither more nor lesse But to speak the truth there is no such kind of reigning as this evasion speaks of for A did not reign in his life-time for that was as I said before a time of suffering not of reigning the same may be said of B C and D And therefore A not reigning in his own person while he lived nor in his successor B nor B in his successor C c. reigns not at all because they reign not after A is dead Again the Apostle doth not say if we suffer we do reign as if suffering and reigning went together but we SHALL reign that is after death not before So John here speaks of Soules i.e. dead men that lived and reigned with Christ not in successors who themselves were sufferers while they lived and not reigners but in their own persons 6. God promised to give the Land of Canaan to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and they were to inherit it in their own persons and not in their posterity only as will appear from Gen. 13.15 Gen. 15.7 Gen. 17.8 Gen. 26.3 Gen. 35.12 Exod 6.4 8. Deut. 1.8 Deut. 11.21 and Deut. 30 20. But lest the bare citing of the Texts should not be enough to convince one that is prejudiced against this Argument I will in a few words take only one of the fore-cited Scriptures and clear it from other glosses usually cast upon all such Texts leaving all the rest to the Readers search Gen. 15.7 8. And he said unto him I am the Lord that brought thee out of VR of the Chaldees to give THEE THIS LAND to inherit it And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I SHALL INHERIT IT In which words I coneeive these things are plain 1. That it was God that took Abraham out of VR of the Chaldees and brought him into the land of Canaan Now if it was God then what he promises must be made good for he is Truth if self and hath all power so that it is impossible he should be frustrate in his ends being also Wisdom it self 2. That Gods end in bringing Abraham out of Vr into Canaan was to give him the land of Canaan to inherit it For so the Text plainly expresses 3. That for the confirmation of Abrahams faith God did promise again and again that he would give that land not only to his posterity but to him to inherit 4. That this promise was to be made good to Abraham living not dead for though God ever live to give yet the dead cannot receive but the living may 5. That this promise was not made good to Abraham while he lived that life which he then had Acts 7.5 He gave him none inheritance in it viz. in the Land no not so much as to set his foot on yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession and not only to him but to his seed which seed came after him 6. That Abraham did understand the Promise thus and desired a confirmation of this faith as appears by those words whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it he understood it not only of his posterity but of himself as is apparent 7. That Abraham died in the perswasion and comfortable foresight of this promise as appears Heb. 11.13 These died in faith not having received the accomplishment of the Promises but having seen the accomplishment of them to be afar off and were perswaded of the fulfilling of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers c. 7. That therefore Abraham must one day live again and inherit this promise of God For as I said none of them viz. neither Abraham Isaac nor Jacob did inherit it in their own persons whilst they lived as is plain Heb. 11.8 9 10.13 16. Ergo they must live again one day to inherit it not in successors but in their own persons for the promises were not made to their successors only but to themselves in their own persons as the forecited texts declare And this is the meaning of our Saviours Argument whereby he proves the resurrection of the dead Mat. 22.32 which words saith Mr. Mede must be understood with a reference to the promise made to Abraham Gen â—3 15 and 15 7. and 17.8 To Isaac Gen. 26.3 To Jacob Gen. 35 12. To all these Exod. 6.4 8. Deut 1.8 and 11 21. and 30.20 Now he promiseth the land of Canaan not to their seed only but to themselves therefore they must one day live again to inherit the promised land which hitherto they have not done For that God that thus covenanted with them covenanted not to make good â—iâ— promise to them dead but living there is the strength of Christs Argument and it is irrefragable which otherwise would not infer any such Conclusion Certain it is the divine Conclusion is strong and unanswerable and such as the multitude were astonished at it but where is the irrefragibility of it if not in this These are the reasons I offer against living in successors and reigning in successors the which I submit to the trial of Gods Word and the censure of those that are sober and pious and unbiassed and have studied the point ¶ But let 's proceed to see yet more Scriptures bearing witnesse to the truth in hand Psal 89.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etian ego primogenitum dabo eum excilsum regibus terrae Sic ad verbum sonat Also I will make him my first born high to the Kings of the earth or higher then or high in comparison of the Kings of the earth Not in Heaven where are to be no Kings of the Earth but in the Earth where the Kings of the Earth are to be And that this is chiefly to be understood of the time of Christs second coming Paul to the Hebrews teacheth us Heb. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world he saith So most Translators and Expositors turn it as our English hath done
day of Judgment when the thousand years are ended That an houre is thus taken for time in general appears Rev. 11.13 The same houre was a great Earthquake i e. A Kingdom quake a Nation quake And the tenth part of the City fell which no man will understand of the same twenty fourth part of the same individual day but of time in this general acceptation 2. We are to put a difference between the last day in general and the last day in special Now what is the last day in general but the great day of Judgment at the dawning of which the thousand years we speak of shall begin and then the godly shall rise In the evening of which day the thousand years shall end and the wicked one shall rise and not before But if we speak of the last day in special it may have another day or another year to follow after it acoording as the day or year is that we speak of As suppose we speak of the last day of this world it hath a day and a year and another word to succeed it Mat. 12.32 The world to come Eph. 1.21 Heb. 2.5 As the old world of which St. Peter speaks had 2 Pet. 2.5 with 2 Pet. 3.6 But if we speak of the last day of the next world it is the ultimate day of all or the last day under the Sun and hath no day to succeed it but eternity And here we are to take notice the thousand years we speak of are in the world to come And in the last day of this world shall be the resurrection of the just And in the last day of the next world shall be the resurrection of the wicked And further we are to know that in those two places of John viz. John 11.24 and 6.4 where the last day is spoken of there is mention only of the resurrection of the just no mention at all of the resurrection of the wicked and therefore it may be supposed they are left out because they shall not be raised up at that time but be stayed till afterwards 3. We are to put a difference between one moment and another and we say the moment in which the just shall be changed is the begining of the thousand years and the moment in which the wicked shall be raised is the end of the thousand years Furthermore by the word moment and twinkling of an eye is meant the suddenness of the change and not the time when it shall be And we also the Apostle speaks not of the wicked but of the just only and why should they be left out if that were their time of raising or changing but we see by other Seriptures that they shall have another time Obj. 5 The Saints shall be caught up from the Earth to meet the Lord in the aire 1 Thes 4 16. How then can they reign with Christ on the earth Answ This will prove no impediment at all these things being well considered 1. When Christ ascended up to Heaven it is not to be doubted but the Angels met him by the way what man will say they did not return to heaven with him 2. It is the custome when the Judges ride the Circuit whither they intend to come the Sheriffs and Justices ride to meet them and to accompany the Judges to the place of judicature And no other is the case here When Christ is coming to the Earth the Saints shall be caught up to meet him in the aire when they have so done they return back and go with him to the Earth from whence they came 3. It is not said that Christ shall come from Heaven to meet the Saints such a speech would imply that they are about to go to Heaven with Christ and that Christ came to meet them in the way and to bring them thither but the text faith the Saints shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air this speech doth imply that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming from Heaven to Earth and the Saints meet him by the way and return with him to the Earth whence they came and he is going 4. Lastly unless the Saints did meet him in the aire and return with him to the Earth Christ should not stand at the Latter day upon the Earth as Job saith he shall Job 19.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novissimo super pulverem staturum i.e. I know that at or in the last he shall stand on the dust That is at the last day he shall stand on the dust of the Earth which the most certain and literal expressions the Hebrews have for that purpose Neither else could Christ come with all his Saints as the Scripture saith he shall Zach. 14 5. And the Lord my God shall come and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes sancti tecum all his Saints with thee Or which is all one he shall come with thee and all the Saints So 1 Thes 3.13 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints So 1 Thes 4.14 Those which sleep in Jesus Christ will God bring with him And whether will God bring them with him but to the Earth whence they were caught to meet him Object 6 Of what quality the first death is of that quality the first resurrection is But the first death was a spiritual death or death of the soul in sin and from hence followed the second death which is the death of the body Answ 1 If the first death be a spiritual death what shall we call the death of the body shall we call it the second death as this Objection doth and as in order it follows that which is here called a death or shall it be called a third death The second death it cannot be for that is of the soul and body in hell and every of the Saints escape that Rev. 20.6 On such the second death hath no power But the Saints escape not the death of the body The third death it cannot be for we read in Scripture of no such death it remaineth then that the death of the body is the first death is the death of the body as well as the death in Hell the second 2. We must distinguish between death properly taken and improperly taken The first death properly taken is the death of the body and the first resurrection properly taken is the resurrection of the body Now John speaks of death properly taken and not of the other and of the resurrection properly taken and not of the other As appears by this that this resurrection is such to the godly first as it is to the wicked afterward which is a proper resurrection 3. We are to distinguish between death visible and invisible The first death visible is the death of the body And the first visible resurrection is the resurrection of the body Now the Apostle John speaks of death visible and of a resurrection visible and not invisible and therefore he hath it in a vision