and supports he had provided for them both present then and what is promised for the time to come in the Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia and all Sufferers after in order to these very times as in the large paper in our Prodr pag. 39 40 41. may be seen But the benefit of this said Divine Key in the last part is incomparably advantageous and comfortable in shewing from the beginning what Fonndations of such wonderful anciently revealed and promised mercies God hath so Divinely couched in them for all Generations before and in the 1000 years or New Jerusalem state together in the World wherein everlasting happiness will not onely be entered upon and secured to all Saints for none such shall be hurt by the second death but by that State they will upon many advantages be fitted more for Eternal happiness and more to glorifie God in the enjoyment of it for evermore Upon the abundant discovery then to be made of such wonderful wayes of Gods revealed formerly and then fully performed Grace in all branches thereof which the said Key leads Christs Servants to by Faith till the time come of the fruition of the same for the Spouse of Christ the Lambs Wife Rev. 21.9 In whatsoever times before of the Church they have lived they will then drink afresh and unspeakably more fully the Waters of consolation by formerly revealed or promised goodness in any measure or manner derived ro them in their several Ages in the World when they shall all together drink thereof as the new Wine prepared for Christs said Kingdom in that world to come First For those of the Spiritual Seed of Adam and Eve which it is probable knew little of any other Foundation of Faith that the old world had and it is to be hoped that though all Cains cursed Seed perished in the Flood at last when their wickedness was grown to the height yet that some of them by some special weyes of mercie manifest to them before might be saved by the Application of the vertue of Gods first published and declared grace in Christ the Seed of the Woman through whom good Abels offering was first accepted and that fundamental Revelation leads us to look foreminent ultimate and perfect deliverance from all Enemies in Christs said Kingdom and the enjoyment of all good reserved for the raised Saints in that state And for all such as lived after Noahs time when the said old World perished for their great provocations they had as we may say a new string to their Bow by Gods blessing of Shem for the present and for the future the Prediction of the mercy of Japhets posterity in the calls of the Gentiles afterwards more particularly made known as was shewed as another Conduit Pipe conveying also Gods Grace unto them Also such as had received yet more special mercy from the Covenant to Abraham and his spiritual Seed by that one Divine Seed Christ to come by that new conveyance of such Gods Grace to them had still thereby a stronger Title thereunto and also as Isaacs and Jacobs faithful Posterity as a new intayle of the said mercy afterwards from the renewed manifestation of Gods sure mercies to David in respect of his Kingdom which Christ shall as surely possess with his raised Saints in the thousand years amongst which it is probable will be found many that came in as Proselytes under all the said Dispensations of Grace till the time of the publick mercy of the Gentiles first came in after Christ was come in our Flesh according to all the former special Revelations and Confirmations of the same for about 4000 years before and according to all such several conveyances of Gods mercy to them in their several times they lived which in the 1000 years it is probable the Saints will largely know they will suitably glorifie the same Grace Faithfulness and Truth of God in the 1000 years and be filled with rejoycing therein in greater measure and manner than we can conceive when they shall rejoyce together as happy Members of the same mystical bodie whereof Christ is the Head and as the Lambs Wife at those Divine Nuptials then to be celebrated Rev. 19.7 being the Inhabitants from that time of the New Jerusalem whose Maker and Builder is God Rev. 21.9 Heb. 11.10 and the wisdom and goodness of God will many ways appear glorious to all sorts of such Christs Subjects in his said Kingdom when not onely the raised Saints will so particularly know the revealed Foundations of their thenceforth perpetual happiness but the living Saints of all Nations that then shall be saved and will walk in the light of the said New Jerusalem shall be assuredly satisfied in the security of all their present and future enjoyments and in their measure add their halelujahs to the raised Saints with Angels and all other Creatures likewise in their Capacities Rev. 5.10 c. at that time of the happy restitution of all things and that ample revelation of all things in respect of Mysteries Creatures and Providences past when knowledg shall abound in the earth as the waters cover the Sea in all that is really good for either of them to know and whereby they may more be engaged to sing forth the praises of the Lamb c. as is set before us in the said glimps of that condition Rev. 5.10 c. which will be a School of Instruction for Angels and Saints more excellently to glorifie God the Father the Lamb that was slain and the Holy Spirit to all eternity and enlarge the happiness of both sorts of such gloried Creatures accordingly for ever and though this excellent Love-letter of Christ to his Spouse the Church in this his Divine Key seems to some to be close foulded up and in Charracters that none but his Spouse shall comfortably read yet in due time and manner he hath and doth teach his Beloved rightly to read in this world for her Faith and Consolation in some good measure and fitly open it more and more fully for her in the fruition of that blessed state and condition in that world to come of which much more from Scripture might he added 4. Vse of Inform. Hence may all Saints be informed what will be then their New Jerusalem work and employment when they shall be raised at this first Resurrection they will be much in praysing God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in and for the work or Creation Rev. 4 and especially be exercised in setting forth the Praise of Christ the Lamb many ways in a joynt and successive Quire of multitudes of Saints with Angels and all other Creatures then in their Capacity as Rev 5.1 where is I say a glymps of that glorious state represented us v. 10. to the end and they will be very helpful to all those Nations of them that are saved then which shall walk in the light of the New Jerusalem to instruct them in what shall be useful
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR The Saints Rising Out of the Heap or Mass of dead Bodies contained in the Globe of the Earth and Sea at the first blessed Resurrection Decyphered by Christ Rev. 20.5 Whereunto by way of Preface is here prefixed The Comprisal of the Substance of our former Parcels With further and more evident Discoveries which may fitly be called The Marrow of Divine Revelation Mysteries Opened by that Key given By Christ himself for that use and purpose Rev. 20. 21. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.11 The rest of the Dead lived not till the thousand years were ended Rev. 20.5 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers Rom. 15.8 By William Sherwin Minister of the Gospel London Printed 1674. The first Bodily Resurrection of the Saints a Thousand Years before the rest of the Dead Rev. 20.5 1. Proved four wayes 1. From the Text with its dependancy as a Revelation and compared with Christs Doctrine thereof Luke 20.35 36. 2. From the Context as an explication of Daniels Vision of the same matter and time Dan. 7.9 10 c. 3. From many other Scriptures Reasons and Arguments together with our whole System premised proving the same 1. Positively that it is Bodyly 2. Negatively that it is not spiritual c. 4. From sundry Texts in the Old and New Testament speaking of the same thing of which this Revelation ch 20 c. is a sure Explication with Answers to sundry Objections 2. Improved to divers uses 1. For Information in nine particulars 2. By Reference to Uses of Terror and Consolation before 3. For Admonition and Warning to all that profess Christian Religion now in the due season to approve themselves as Wise Virgins both in preparing and watching for the Bridegrooms coming shortly approaching Rev. 16.15 4. For Exhortation also to all such to thankfulness c. The Comprisal of our whole work and the Divine Mysteries therein explained and confirmed by many sorts of Arguments deducted and drawn from the same Principles by way of Preface unto a following Tract on Rev. 20.5 DEar Christians whose part shall be in the first blessed Resurrection a thousand years before the rest of the Dead We having been by Gods special Grace formerly lead in the way of Discovery as by many other useful distinctions contained in our Key and applyed in our whole work so particularly by our Distinctions Assert 6. of the same of the several senses of the comings of Christ and more especially having first thereupon been led on in the composing of our Practical Tract upon Rev. 22.20 setting forth Christs second Personal coming to destroy Antichrist 1 Thes 2.8 Dan. 7.9 11 13 14. many ways distinguished from his descending a thousand years after at the last Trump and general Rapture and glorious change of all the Saints 1 Thes 4.15 16. 1 Cor. 15.51 52. For at the former he brings all the Spirits of the deceased Saints that sleep in Jesus with him at the latter they and all the rest of the Saints departed afterwards shall in the twinkling of an eye be rapt up to meet him in the air From the former Christ withdraws at the end of the thousand years after the latter they shall ever be with him the Lord. In the former he comes in the Clouds that through them mortal eyes may then behold him upon the latter all Clouds will be abolished and Heaven and Earth will flee away before his face and no plaee be found for them Rev. 20.11 when the rapt Saints eyes and wicked mens then raised will be fitted to behold his glory on the great white Throne at the former the wicked Quick will be judged with temporal destruction viz. Turk and Pope and such as do offend and work iniquity will be taken out of his Kingdom Mat. 13.41 at the latter the Saints will first be rapt up before the wicked rise to be judged at the former the Saints will be judged with a judgment of reward in this world in the thousand years Rev. 11.19 having before there suffered for Christ they shall then reign with him upon the first said Resurrection at the latter they shall be joyned with Christ in judging the wicked at the former he comes from the right hand of his Father to make his foes his footstoole at the latter he is said to descend with a shout and the voice of an Arch-angel and the Trump of God at the first he puts down all Rule and all Authority and Power that stood against him 1 Cor. 15.24 at the latter he destroys the last enemy Death v. 25. above a thousand years after at the former Ezekiels Gog and Magog ch 38. 39. viz. the Turk and Pope will be destroyed The Turk with a complication of Judgments v. 22. the other by the last Vial Rev. 16. Rev. 19. Rev. 11. 19. before the New Jerusalem called Jehovah Shamma shall be set up Ezek. 40. to the end of that book wherein Daniel agrees ch 11.45 and ch 12.1 2 3. at the latter the last Gog and Magog shall be consumed with fire from God out of Heaven Rev. 20.9 at the former will be the New Heavens and the New Earth being the time of the restitution of all things at the latter will be the end of the world and the dissolution of all things at the former only the Saints will be raised at the first bodily Resurrection which Christ brought with him but at the latter all the rest of the dead viz. Saints departed since that former coming and all the wicked at the last Trump These or the like we considered in the foresaid Tract We also found from Acts 3.19 20 21. that God had spoken of things to be before in and after the said thousand years as we have set down in 36. particulars in our first convincing Argument in the Word Written by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began which we have in order made manifest from page 44. of our Irenic but more especially in ch 5,6,7,8 of the same which may deserve your serious reading and consideration as being another Divine Foundation of the same Truths Likewise upon the drawing up of those 16 Divine Theses or Positions page 3 4 5 6. of the Irenicon in the 11 and 12th of them is contained that needful Distinction of the two fold Consideration of Christs execution of his three great Offices 1. In respect of his Universal Church in the three great Periods of the world as the work the Father gave him to do in all times of his Mediatorship 2. In regard of the benefit always flowing from that undertaking to all Gods faithful people by the operation of the holy Spirit in their Souls c. The former we have handled in our next Practical piece on Gen.
Creatures upon the Earth to make them fruitful Gen. 8 9. whereby the world continues with its fruitfulness ever fince by Seed time and harvest as the great Stage for all Gods future actings in Mercies or Judgements which his word testifieth have cheifly their fulfillings in the said 1000 years after which time it must continue the little space of Satans loosing And as the world will so long be the Stage for such actings of God until the New Heavens and the New Earth shall cease so its fruitfulness was to be the accommodation for all such purposes but especially the Earth in those times must power out its plenty in abundance for the Churches-accommodation in that State then saith the 67th Psal The Earth shall yeild her increase of those times c. so Joel 3.18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down with new Wine and the Hills shall flow with Milk see more in our Key of Noahs Covenant And as the Saints grace and Gods goodness in the Earths fruitfulness will be inlarged after it s so many thousand years bearing Fruit before so it will be much more fruitful in those last times of its being yet in its renewed condition whence also the praises of the Saints will be inlarged and their rejoycings also in such fulfillings of such promised Mercies c. 3. For his prophesie when aftor the sin of that cursed Cham occasioned by the hainous offence of his Father Noah for the best Saints have need of their Saviour yet when he through grace was awakened by Repentance from his drunkenness God manifests his grace by him in a like wonderful manner not only to Shem at present entitling him to himself to be the Lord his God But also foreshews his purposed mercy to come to the Gentiles the posterity of Japhet and accordingly his word gives witness to a twofold call which they were after to have to dwell in the Tents of Shem as Gen. 9.27 the first was foretold by Hos ch 1.10.23 and applied by the Apostle Paul Rom. 9.25 26. upon the rejection of the Jews after Christs first coming Acts. 13. which was the riches of the Gentiles saith the same Apostle ch 11. which time of grace continues to the Gentiles to Christs 2 d coming when upon the great Restauration of the Jews and Israelites the Gentiles will have their 2 d call when their great fulness will come in which was foretold also by Moses in his excellent song for pesterity Deut. 32.43 Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people applyed also by the same Apostle Rom. 15. when Christ being the Minister of Circumsion as he there stiles him v. 8. for the truth of God to confirm the Promises made unto the fore fathers as he there plainly tells us with several other Prophesies there which shall also be thenfulfilled in the said 1000 years And will not the Saints then be greatly affected in seeing the accomplishment of such a mercy and greatly praise God for it when his glorious grace will shine out so abundantly to them therein c. In the third Millen or 1000 Years WHen Lot about the year of the world 2440. had upon worldly allurements chosen Sodom and after thereupon was captivated by his Enemies but delivered by faithful Abraham God sent Melchiscdeck to bless him who had the Promises as a Type of Christs prevailing perpetual Priesthoed to be of his order to whom he then paid Tythes of all as the payment of all due honor will be rendred unto Christ by all his Saints in the said 100 years and by all Creatures also Rev 5. but especially by all those whose great High Priest he shall then appear to be and probably will by a presential intercession appear to be then for such as shall be in the natural life viz. a Priest upon the Throne as Zach. 6.13 and also the raised Saints security then and for ever And as this Melchisedeck Priest of the most high God was also King of Salem so also Christ will then be the great King of the New Jerusalem Mat. 5.35 all the said 1000 years And as Abraham was blessed by Melchisedeck after the slaughter of those Kings so Abraham and his faithful Seed will appear really blessed when Christ maketh his own and their Enemies his footstool so the Saints will then find the mercies derived to them from many currents of long conveyances and still more matter to them of praise and rejoycing c. When Abraham that righteous man as by Esay he is called was sent on his foot by Gods Divine Call Gen. 12. about the year of the World 2460. God was gracioufly pleased to make free Promises and Covenants seven distinct times to and with Abrahans as they are particularly set down in our Key and after him to Isaack and Jacob successively to give the Promised Land of Canaan personally to themselves which Promise the Apostle declares Heb. 11. they saw a far off by Faith and died not having received the same wherefore as he also shewed they did not in their lives seek to possess it but as men expecting to have the said Promise of God made good unto themselves at the Resurrection of the just they bought burying places there to have their bodies interred as also Josephs bones after were untill they should all rise again then to possess it in the renewed state thereof for they looked for an heavenly countrey such as then that state will be excellently fitted then by God for that their condition At first also the said Promise was made to all Abrahams Seed natural and spiritual through that one Divine feed Christ as the Apostle teacheth to spring in time from Abrahams Loins according to the flesh Gal. 3.16 by whom also all the spitual seed by faith should obtain their lot in that blessed state by Promise v. 29. concerning which two sorts the Scripture sets forth many differences The natural Seed was to inherit the Promised Land after Abrahams Isaacks and Jacobs death 430 years after the Promise was first made but the spiritual will be joint heirs not only with Abraham but also with Christ in the said renewed state when he shall sit upon his own Throne as the Son of David The former were to be in Bondage long after the Promise the spiritual are made free indeed by Christ the Son of God so soon as they are made the Sons of God by Adoption and Grace besides what will after appear they shall be when Christ shall appear 1 Joh. 3.2 The former were compared to the dust of the earth for multitude Gen. 13.16 but the spiritual Seed was compared to the Stars of Heaven not only for multitude but excellency Gen. 15.5 explained by the Apostle Pom. 4.17 18. and Gal. 3. the whole Chapter The natural Seed entered into a Covenant with God in their own strength and brake it but as for the other God makes a new Covenant with them and undertakes the keeping
I conceive spoken sufficiently to this purpose before I shall therefore here adde no more Now for Application We shall onely endeavour to give some breif hints thereof referring their inlargements to future opportunity if God be pleased to afford it for I cannot speak largby the Press c. 1. Vse of Inform. This may inform all Preachers of the Gospel and all wise and faithful Christians that desire to be well and surely guided in these great things of God respecting the said first Resurrection of what concernment it is to labour well to understand First the curious work of this Key given by Jesus Christ since he ascended unto the Father And Secondly the right Use and Improvement of it The curious work in it is that it is Divinely fitted for all ancient Prophesie and indeed for all Prophesie respecting the general good of Gods faithful Servants throughout all the Bible and of all times throughout the being of the World all setting forth the necessity of the Saints said Resurrection so revealed by our Saviour as we shewed c. And the excellent Improvement and Use thereof is to shew their special and peculiar interest as well as the general in all the revealed promised Mercies and Covenants in the whole Book of God viz. How or under what capacity any such special Mercy is derived to them and made effectual to their Souls in such or such a Dispensation of Grace to them particularly which hath not efficatiously reached to many others at least as yet but in Charity and thankfulness to endeavour truely that it may do so also if it may be and according to their understanding well the curious work of the said Key and the due improvement thereof All judicious Christians may find from thence an excellent sure guidance I say again an excellent sure guidance by divine assistance to judge of the true intent and meaning of all Prophetick Scripture all hangs upon that one Hindge of such said breaking the Serpent Satan head viz. both his head of Craft and Dominion and all drive to the same end of Restauration of men and Creatures in the World as in the several branches of such revealed Mercies may appear if they be rightly considered and all to be accomplished by the said promised Seed within the time of his Mediatorship Before those things shall be enjoyed that Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor entered into the Heart of man to conceive which will be in the highest Heavens afterwards Whereas these mercies in the interim will be much of another nature whilest Christ is redeeming and restoring Men and other Creatures from the bondage of Corruption unto that glorious liberty of the Sons of God And though there be many particular and special Prophesies many times yet they are in their drift and subserviency to be reduced thereunto and therefore the allegorizing of any sorts of Prophesies that have a direct tendencie to any branch of such reavealed ancient Promises and Covenants must needs be erroneous upon whatsoever fair pretenses such sense or senses are put upon them by any man or men whatsoever And therefore if we look unto what God declared in general to Adam and Eve and for their Spiritual off-Spring through Christ that said Divine Seed of the Woman about 4000 years after to come in the Flesh Both in respect of the evil to be removed and the good to be obtained answerable to those divers times and divers ways after declared Mercies acording to the good pleasure of God to the fore Fathers Or consider aright the Covenant which God made with Noah that Type of Christ for the preservation of the renewed Earth as the Stage whereupon God would act in all future Mercies to be known and performed in their due time and order to the end of the World and thereupon the Mercies then to his people were said to be as the Waters of Noah unto God himself that was sure and infallible and by that Covenant both all Creatures with men have their usual preservation and Provision by Seed time and Harvest c. and their greatest fruitfulness is especially reserved for those last times when the Serpents head shall be broken both eminently at Christs coming from the right hand of the Father at the begining or when his shall sully destroy all his Churches Enemies with death the last after the said thousand years Or consider the blessings of Shem and his Race to Abraham and thence especially to all Israel the twelve Tribes and so in Christs lineage and forward or the Predictions of the Calls of Japhets posterity the Gentiles since by holy Scripture explained and applied Or as Jews and Gentiles both united under that one King Christ Jesus which is that Son of David that shall sit on Davids Throne so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure according to Davids sure mercies promised respecting his said Kingdom and all other Saints interest therein through Christ for to them also belongs the sure Mercies of David Esa 55.3 whereby they are also secured for Eternity for such shall not be hurt by the second death as rise then to Reign with Christ in that Kingdom which onely will continue to the finishing of his Mediatorship but then is by him to be given up to the Father 1 Cor. 15. And is that that must be during the Worlds continuance as appears by our fifteen Reasons in the New Jerusalem pag. 9 10. when under him the said Saints glorious King Head and Husband who prayed in that sence before his death that they should be so made perfect in one as his Bride or mystical Body and willed they should behold his glory then Joh. 17.21 23 24. when there will 〈…〉 very gracious and happy performance of all such promised mercies in the 〈…〉 to the capacity of the Persons or Creatures that are to be so blened preserved or restored So that they attend to this Issue that Christ may be manifest in the world before all sorts of Creatures to be as perfect yea a much more perfect yea an infinitely more perfect Restorer and Redeemer than the Devil was or could be a dessolator and destroyer as all those said predictions in their several times and kinds with their subsequent Scripture Confirmations and explication sufficiently restifie being all opened by and accommodated unto this Divine Key of the Son of God the Wisdom of the Father by whom the worlds were made viz. the Old World the New world and the World to come shall be Heb. 1.3 with Rev. 21.5 who hath and doth and will till then uphold all things by his Divine Power as well as he hath Redeemed us by his Blood who shall then accordingly inherit all things answerably to this his said threefold right assigned by the Father unto him in his said Kingdom and by him to his suffering Saints Rev. 21.7 in the time of his said Mediatorship or of his Davidical Kindom and said New Jerusalem state upon which accounts the