THE SAINTS INHERITANCE After the Day of IVDGEMENT Being also An Answer to certaine scruples of late delivered and others Printed especially in that Booke intituled The Personall Reigne of Christ upon Earth By T. B. Isa 45. 17 18. For Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end for thus saith the Lord that created the heavens God himselfe that formed the earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I am the Lord and there is none else Dan. 7. 18. 27. But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possesse the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever and the Kingdome and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve and obey him LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes and are to be sold by John Sweeting in Popes-head-Alley 1643. Revel 21. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and be shall be my sonne THe meaning of these words are not to be confined onely to the joyes of heaven when the body is dead and the Soule is ascended up thither and hath the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and the blessed Spirit and the holy Angels and soules of just men made perfect but it reacheth unto all things that are here below in this world to satisfie the body also at the resurrection day when the creatures and man also are all restored againe to their first perfection for saith the Lord I will bring a seede out of Jacob and out of Judah an inheritour of my mountaines and mine elect shall inherit it Isa 65. 10. 11. see 3 5 2. and my Servants shall dwell there and Sharron shall be a fold for flockes and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lye downe in for my people that have sought me This is promised to those that overcome First the world as it is now corrupted by the sinne of man so that neither the pleasures nor profits thereof deceive our hearts to set our love immoderately on it Let your moderation be knowne to all men the Lord is at hand Secondly to them that stand fast against all the wiles of the Devill Phil. 4. 5. Ephe. 6. 11 and doe not let Satan get advantage of them those that are not ignorant of his devices but resist the Devill and cause him to flye from them Thirdly 2 Cor. 2. 11 Jam. 4. 7. Isa 44. 20. Pro. 4. 23. 1 Cor. 9. 27 those that their owne deceived heart hath not turned them aside those that keepe their heart withall diligence those that keepe under their body and bring it in subjection and keepe their mouth with a bridle Psal 39. 1. and make a covenant with their eyes Job 31. 1. he that thus overcometh saith Christ will I grant to fit with me on his throne Rev. 3. 21. he shall inherit all things but in this world we are Warriours fighting against them for they are not really overcome in this world therefore the full fruition of all things is reserved till after death in the world to come when old things are passed away and all things are become new for he that sate on Revel 21. 5 the throue said Behold I make all things new then saith the Lord I will be his God and he shall be my Sonne Beloved now we are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but wee know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him but while we are here in this 1 Joh. 3. 2. Gal 4. 1. world we are as the heire under age being a childe and differing nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all we are not fit to have that authority over the creatures as Adam had till we are againe restored to that perfection that he had to be without sinne as he was neither are the creatures fit to doe their duty to us being all corrupted with our sinnes but when we and they are againe restored to our first perfection then and not before shall the Saints inherit all things for this inheritance must bee immortall uncorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away but these things as they 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 5. Heb. 12. 28. are now are sometimes taken from us and sometimes we are taken from them and at the day of judgement the heavens and earth shall passe away I doe not meane the heaven of the blessed that is a kingdome that cannot be moved but the starry heavens and the cloudy heavens they shal passe away with a great noyse and the elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the heavens being 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12. on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and saith John I saw a great white throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them thus in Revel 20. 11. the day of Judgement but the Lord whom ye seeke shall suddainly come to his Temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hoasts but who may abide his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he shall be like refiners fire and fullers sope he shall purifie the sonnes of Levi for he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and shall purge them as gold and Mal. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord but in this Judgement he will be a swift witnesse against the wicked then will Christ purifie the creatures through fire at that day and consume their drosse with fire and brimstone and bring them backe againe to their first Chaos and then saith John in his vision I saw a new heaven and a new earth Rev. 21. 1. for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea and we according to his promise looke for new heavens and a new earth 2 Pet. 3. 12 13. wherein dwelleth righteousnesse for saith the Lord Behold I create new heavens and a new earth for the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind The new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remaine before me Isa 65. 17. Isa 66. 22. And for the rest of the creatures the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God for the creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 23.
the heavens rejoyce and the earth is glad the field is joyfull and all that is therein and all the trees of the wood will rejoyce before the Lord when he commeth to judge the earth Then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud with power and great glory when these things begin to come to passe then looke Luke 21. 27 28. Revel 19. 7 Luke 2. 25. 26. up and lift up your heads for your redemption draneth nigh Let us rejoyce and be glad and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and his bride hath made herselfe ready because it was revealed to old Simeon that hee should not see death till he had seene the Lords Christ therefore he waited for the consolation of Israel be patient therefore brethren unto the comming of our Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the fruite of the earth be yee also patient establish your heart for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh saith Micah James 5. 7 8. Micah 7. 7. I will waite for the God of my salvation and Paul commends the Corinthians for this thing for saith he yee come behind in no gift wayting for the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord for saith he our conversation 1 Cor. 1. 7. 8. is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his Phil 3 20 21. glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Blessed is hee that waiteth and commeth to the 1335. dayes saith the Angel to Daniel but go thou thy way thou shalt rest till the end Dan. 12. 12 13. be and then stand in thy lot in the end of the dayes when all things are restored to their first perfection then Daniel shall have his lot among other Saints therefore waite I say on the Lord I will waite for the Lord my soule doth waite in his word doe I waite My soule doth waite for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for Psal 130. the morning let Israel hope in the Lord watch therefore for ye know not at what houre your Lord doth come therefore be yee ready for in such an Matth. 24. 42. 44. 46. 47. houre as yee thinke not of the Sonne of man commeth blessed is that servant whom his Lord when hee commeth shall finde so doing verily I say unto you hee will make him ruler over all his goods now what are those goods that the Saints shall bee made Rulers over at the day of judgement but those creatures that were given to the first Adam and hee by his sinne lost this Lordship over them and the second Adam hath restored to him all againe in their first perfection and saith Luke hee will make him ruler over his Luke 12. 42. 44. household and over all that he hath now saith Paul I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and Ephe. 3 14. 15. earth is named what other meaning can this have but this after the day of judgement to be made Lords and Rulers over all the creatures here below and as I take it in some degree also above the Angels in heaven howsoever here is sufficient to answer a question sometimes moved which is this whether Quest shall the Saints or Angels have the highest degree of glory after the day of judgment I answer the Saints for as the beasts shall be confined to the earth so Answ the Angels shall be confined in heaven but man shall inherit all things all things I say both in earth and heaven and as man shall have more glory on earth then any beast or fowle can have so I suppose he shall have more glory in heaven then any Angel there because that he is the master piece of all and as it were a modell of all the creation being the last that was made all the rest being but made for him the Elders were with Christ on the throne and the Angels standing round about it read Revel 7. 11. therefore in more glory Revel 5. 11 7. 11. then the Angels Secondly Vse may teach us admiration with David and say O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee which thou Psal 31. 19. hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men First Looke backe upon sinne and see the cursed nature of it and admire at the filthy contagion of it that hath defiled the lower heavens and the earth Iob 15. 15. Gen 6. 12. and all creatures in them and spoyled the glory and beauty of them all Secondly This may teach us to admire at the great mercy and goodnesse Psal 136. 23. 72. 12. Psal 63. 5. of our God who remembred us in our low estate how he delivered us when we had no helper he looked and there was none to helpe then his owne Arme brought salvation Thirdly Here we may admire at the folly of Adam that would hazzard such a glorious world of creatures and lose them all for a bit of an Apple Fourthly we may admire at their happy and permanent condition under the second Adam when as they shall bee established for ever and see how fickle and mutable they were under the first Adam O then happy is he that is not under the first but under the second Adam who hath restored againe what the first lost Fiftly here we may admire at the great price of our redemption the worth and value of the blood of Christ when we had spoyled and ruined the whole 1 Pet. 1. 19 creation all the glorious workes of God by our sinnes that the blood of Christ should purchase redemption for mankind and establishment to the Angels that had not sinned and purification to the creatures here below and establishment to all Sixtly here we may see and admire at the justice of God to all that creatures that have suffered punishment not for their owne sins but for ours now they shall not onely be delivered after so long a time but established in an unchangable condition for ever which will make amends for their great losse they had by the sinne of man Seventhly admire at the wisedome of God that could finde out such a way to satisfie his owne justice and yet to save his creatures Eighthly this may teach us to admire at the power of God that is able to doe all these things which in all mens judgement was a greater worke to renew the ruins of the old world then it was at the first to make it of nothing he travelled in the greatnesse of his strength and is mighty to save he layd Isay 63. 1. Psal 89.
and the earth Iron Deu. 28. 23 and when the ground was cursed for mans sinne Gen. 3. 17 18. He turneth a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psa 107. 34 this is a sore bondage Sixthly Every creature would preserve his owne kind for ever but the variance and discord of the creatures one with another make it to seeme unpossible and all their labour to be lost this was occasioned by the sin of man that all the foundations of the earth are out of course Psa 82. 5. from this burden they groane to be delivered Seventhly It is a great bondage to the creatures that they have lost a great part of their vertue operation and influence they are by the sinne of man much dulled and disabled to act or to operate or to communicate their vertues to others as they did at the first creation and this is a great bondage from which they groane to delivered but this is true that the Heb. 1. 11 12. Joh. 15. 15. heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture they shall be changed and subject to perish too for the sinne of man for that it hath defiled them The heavens are not cleane in his sight and it is observed by some since the creation that the Sun hath lost a great part of its heate and that it runnes nearer to the earth now then it did at the first by at the least 9976. Germane miles Byfield on the Colossians which shewes the dulnesse of it in comparison of its first creation therefore without exception the heaven and the earth with all the creatures that are in them as men and beasts and fowles groane to be delivered But I suppose that the Sea and the Creatures that live in it shall not continue after the day of judgement for it is said expresly when the new heavens and the new earth are made there shall be no more Sea neither were the Fishes brought to Adam as to their Lord to see what hee would call Rev. 21. 1. Gen. 2. 19 20. Gen. 1. 21. Gen. 6. 17. 19 20. them when all the beasts and fowles were and God gave the Whales their name before Adam was made neither were any Fishes in Noahs Arke preserved from that great Deluge which was a type how some of every kind shall be preserved from the fire in the day of judgement as then they were from the water which then drowned all the world therefore I exclude them from the groaning creatures And the blessed Angels I cannot include among the groaning creatures yet they sustaine a kinde of bondage for they are made to serve earthly Psal 91 11. Matth. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 14. things men have their Angels to attend and guard them and it is thought they have the charge and protection of Kingdomes committed to them from such places as these in Scripture Dan. 10. 13. 12. 1. Psal 34. 7. Revel 12. 7. Luk. 2. 9 10. 13. 15. And some thinke they move the Orbes of Heaven and sometimes they are put to inflict punishments on wicked men as on the Isa 37. 36. Campe of the King of Assyria and sometimes they are hindred in their worke as one complaines that the great Prince of the kingdome of Persia Dan. 10 13. withstood him one and twenty dayes and although the Angels shall bee imployed at the day of judgement yet they must not know when it must Matth. 24. 31 36. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephe. 3. 10. Luk. 15. 7. be and the Angels desire to looke into the mystery of our redemption as not being satisfied in their knowledge and by the Church is made known to them the manifold wisedome of God and they have some joy when one sinner is converted thus when their knowledge and joy is increased by the Church and they are freed from all the forementioned things it will be a great ease to them as it were a deliverance out of bondage but this is true For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come whereof Heb. 2. 5. we speake they shall be eased of that bondage Object Suppose any doe object and say that the world to come is meant ever since Christ was on the earth now under the Gospell because wee keepe our account not from the beginning of the world but from the yeare of Christ I answer that is no more then we do the yeare of our King but what is this concerning the age of the world we are not so simple as to affirme the account from Christ is the account of the world for we know the contrary Againe it cannot be meant that now under the Gospell is the world to come for saith the Apostle after Christs ascension we are they on whom 1 Cor. 10 11 Heb. 9. 2â— the ends of the world are come now if it be counted by the Apostle since that Christ was on the earth to be the end of the old world it cannot bee the world to come here spoken of Againe the world may be divided into three parts the first from the creation to the giving of the Law in which mans diet was the hearbs of the field and they had not the written Law but onely by tradition and the Church was in but one family Secondly Gen. 1. 23. Gen. 18. from Moses to Christ in which they might eate of such beasts as were cleane by the Law so that they did not eate the blood which was the life and they had the Law written yet darkely in types and shadowes and a whole kingdom taken into the Church Thirdly from Christ to the end of the world in which all things may be eaten with thankesgiving nothing 1 Tim. 4. 3. Acts 10. to bee counted common or uncleane and wee have not onely the Law in darke types and shadowes but the vaile taken away and the Gospell clearely setting forth Christ farre beyond all types and shadowes and the bounds of the Church to be in all nations this third age of the world is Matth 28. 19. Gal. 4. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Jude 17. 18 19. called the fulnesse of time and saith Paul In the last dayes perilous times shall come and saith Peter There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their owne lusts and saith Jude Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you that there should come mockers in the last times who would walke after their owne lusts now marke These be they saith he who separate themselves sensuall having not the Spirit and saith John Little Children it is the last time and yee have heard that Antichrist 1 John 2. 18. shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time therefore if now be the last times of the old world then sure I am that
thousand yeares but as I said before this cannot be meant of a corporall death or bodily resurrection but it must be understood mystically that they were slaine in their outward livelihood both in their name and estate saith David I was as a dead man out of mind in the esteeme of the world and yet at the same time reigne over satan and their owne corruptions Or if any were slaine in the first thousand yeares yet God left not himselfe without witnesse but the more they afflicted them the more they multiplyed Acts 14 17 Exod. 2. 12 Rev. 11. and grew as Israel did in the bondage of Aegypt and some of the witnesses that were slaine are said to lye in the streetes and not suffered to be buryed and after three dayes and a halfe the Spirit of life came into them and they stood upon their feete these things have beene clearely shewed of late to be understood mystically And againe can we thinke that some of them that are dead their soules shall return some shall not to live here a thousand yeares and their bodies raised and not all shall some rise a thousand yeares before others doth not Christ say they shall all rise in one houre Marvell not at this for the houre commeth in which all that are John 5. 28 29. in the graves shall heare his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of damnation 1 Cor. 15. 52. And doth not Paul say In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last trump for the trump shall sound and the dead shall be raised Then I conclude this argument that if the bodies of all shall rise together in one houre in a moment in the twinkling of an eye but it is said all they that are in the graves not some of them and in a moment not a thousand yeares distance of some from the rest that shall rise from the dead And whereas some affirme that in this thousand yeares the Church or Kingdome of Christ shall be all righteous all Saints under the King of Saints and no hypocrites nor excommunicate persons and the wicked Revel 15. shall be as slaves to them in that day and the Saints shall be as Lords in the earth and shall neither marry nor be given in marriage and the Apostles shall come and rule this Kingdome I answer these things some are false and some are true but mis-applyed those that are true are to be fulfilled after the day of Judgement and not in this corrupted world as when the people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land not onely a thousand yeares but for ever in the Isa 60. 19 20 21. new world when the Sunne shall no more goe downe nor the Moone withdraw it selfe but the Lord shall be to them an everlasting light and thy God thy glory And so if the Saints of the most High shall take and possesse the Kingdome I answer After the day of Judgement so they shall not onely for a thousand yeares but for ever even for ever for his dominion Dan. 7. 18. 14 7. is an everlasting dominion when all people and Nations and languages shall serve him in it and to say that there shall be no Hypocrites in it I say so too in the new Jerusalem when it comes downe from heaven unto the earth but this will never be till the restitution of all things till the fire at the day of Judgement hath purged the earth and made it fit for so great a mercy wherein dwelleth righteousnesse but till that day of Judgement this cannot be For the Tares and the Wheate shall grow together untill the Harvest which is at the end of the world and the Angels are the Reapers and by them shall the Wheate bee brought into the Barne they shall gather the elect from the foure windes Mat. 24. 31. And they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them Math. 13. 41 42. that doe iniquity and shall cast them into the furnace of fire but when the Angels are sent about this businesse they will finde them altogether minding earthly things as eating and drinking and marrying and mixed together Mat. 24 37 38. two in a bed the one taken and the other left two in the field and two grinding at the Mill the one taken and the other left Therefore when Christ comes to Judgement there shall be Hypocrites and they shall not be used as slaves but in the same bed at the same worke and recreation together And to say the Saints shall be Lords over the wicked this cannot be true neither here nor hereafter for before the end the wicked shall have as great a share of outward riches and honour as the Saints and many times greater and after the day of Judgement I shewed before that all things that offend and that doe iniquity shall be cast into the furnace of fire so that though it be true they shall be Lords and Kings it is not meant over wicked men but over the rest of the creatures this Adam had and lost it and Revel 5. 10 the second Adam hath restored it to us againe as I shewed before and to say that the Apostles shall rule this Kingdome when they are all Saints and the King of Saints present is not worth the answering for they shall be all Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Feare not little flocke it is your Rev. 1. 6 5 10. Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome none shall rule but God alone for all rule and authority and power shall then be put downe Then shall Luke 12 32 1 Cor. 15. 24 28. Revel 20 1 2 3. God himselfe be all in all But they will object against all this cleare light that John saw an Angell come downe from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon that old serpent which is the devill and bound him a thousand yeares and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seale upon him that he should not deceive the Nations till the thousand yeares should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season This say they is to be understood of Christ binding the devill a thousand yeares after their soules are returned againe and their bodies raised and united to them then they say they shall live here a thousand yeares againe before the day of Judgement in great glory and happinesse I answer the devils were bound in chaines of darknesse as soone as they had sinned For God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell and delivered them into chaines of darknesse And if you aske me how long I 2 Pet 2. 4. Jude 6. Job 1. answer till the day of Judgement He was in
chaines in Jobs time and could not touch his goods nor children nor his body but as he had commission from God and the devill desired to intice Ahab to goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead and told the Lord how but he could not doe it till the 2 Chron. 18. 20 21. Lord said Goe and do so and so in the times of the Gospel they besought Christ that they might goe into the herd of Swine but could not till Christ said unto them Goe but yet in this time he did not cease to compasse Mal. 8. 31 32. 1 Pet. 5. 8. the earth but goeth up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure and his chaine is long and his commission large to doe much hurt but that God who is able to bring good out of evill and all things worke together for good to them that love God as in Jobs case 2 Sam. 16. 12. Jam. 5. 11. And as the malice of Josephs brethren wrought for his good but when Christ came into the world the devils knew that he would Rom. 8. 28 Gen. 50. 20. chaine them up from their purpose a thousand yeares which would be a great torment unto them therefore when they saw Jesus they fell downe before him and with a loud voyce said Thou Sonne of God most high I beseech Luke 8. 28 29. 31. thee torment me not But he commanded the uncleane spirit to come out And they besought him that he would not command them to goe into the deepe meaning this bondage for a thousand yeares Christ comes and disarmes the strong Mat. 12. 29 Luke 11 21 22. Col. 2. 14 15 man and bindes him and then spoyles his goods upon the Crosse hee spoyled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it the Son of God was made manifest to destroy the workes of the devill then saith Christ after this I am he that was dead 1 Joh. 3. 8. and am alive and behold I live for evermore and have the keyes of hell and death Then he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devill and Revel 1. 18 Revel 20. 1 2 3. Satan and bound him from his purpose a thousand yeares he having the keyes of the bottomlesse pit cast him in and shut him up and set a seale upon him that he should not deceive the Nations any more till the thousand yeares should bee fulfilled and after that he must bee loosed a little season Here Christ did not bind the devill from going up and downe as a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devoure and his commission did reach 1 Pet. 5. 8. to doe much hurt in this thousand yeares to single persons but the Devils purpose was to set up the man of sinne that mystery of iniquity that sonne of perdition the Antichrist in his Throne and full authority this hee knew would make great spoyles in the Church of Christ and the mystery of iniquity did already worke and Diotrephes loveth to have the preheminence 3 Joh. 9. 10 he prates against the ministers of Christ with malicious words and would not receive them and forbad others that would and cast them out of the Church Here you see how busie the devill is with this instrument to set up Antichrist because he aimes not so much at single persons as the ruine of nations from which he is bound a thousand yeares I grant that he raised great persecutions and sowed the tares of heresies that did much mischiefe and occasioned great warres and made great spoyles in the Church yet this did not content him for he knew that Antichrist was for to come having great knowledge in the prophesies of Daniel which made him stirre so Dan 7. 20 21. much and caused his wicked instruments to bring in one patch of Popery after another and would not rest till hee had him in his throne which was about a thousand yeares before hee was in his full ruffe to doe that mischiefe to the Church of God that the Devill expected hee should Now when this thousand yeares was ended there was a starre fell from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bittomlesse pit Revel 9. 1 2 3 4 5. and he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose the smoake of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace and the Sunne and the ayre was darkened by the smoake of the pit and there came out of the smoake Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth nor any greene thing nor any tree but onely those men which have not the seale of God in their foreheads and to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should bee tormented or vexed five moneths and that their paine should bee as the torment of a Scorpion when he stingeth and striketh a man Here you see the bottomlesse pit that was shut and the devill that was bound a thousand yeares now the pit is opened and the devils loosed yet not to doe what they list but according to the commission granted to them Francis Junius in his Annotations upon this place saith by this star is meant some Angel glistering with glory as a starre from heaven it may be Christ who by princely authority hath the Keyes of Hell Chap. 1. 18. or some other inferiour Angel who hath the same key permitted unto him and occupieth it ministerially or by office of his ministry the key was given to the starre for those powers of wickednesse are thrust 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6. Revel 20. 3 downe into hell and bound with chaines of darkenesse and are there kept unto damnation unlesse God for a time doe let them loose by the bottomlesse pit he meaneth the deepest darknesse of hell and the smoake of the hellish and infernall spirits all darke and dackning all things in heaven and in earth the spirituall darkenesses are the causes of all disorder and confusion for the devill sent these darkenesses into his kingdome that he might at once with one impression overthrow all things and pervert if it were possible the elect themselves by this light both active as the Sunne and passive as the ayre which is lightned by the Sunne is taken away and this is that which goeth before the spirits a description of the malignant spirits invading the world taken from their nature and power from their nature for they are like unto Loâ—usts in quicknesse subtlenesse hurtfulnesse and in number and for their power they are like the Scorpians of the earth who have a secret power to doe hurt yet although these devils be let loose and their commission is inlarged yet still they are bounded by the counsell of God because they hurt not all men but onely the reprobate vers 4. neither had
of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and the Lambe shall be in it and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads and there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the Sunne for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reigne for ever and ever and hee said unto me These sayings are faithfull and true then blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the Citie then shall they rejoyce in their portion in their land they shall have double everlasting joy shall bee unto them I Isay 61. 7. Isay 60. 15. 18. will make thee an eternall excellency violence shall no more bee heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise For they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more for the Lambe in the midst of the Throne shall Reve. 7. 16 17. Luk. 20 35 36. feed them and lead them unto living fountaines of water and they that are accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead can die no more but are equall to the Angels in this new heaven and new earth God will wipe away all teares from our eyes there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither any more paine because the former things are passed away And he that sate on the Throne said behold I make all things new and there shall bee none in Revel 21. 1 4 5 that world that his strength is gone with age nor an Infant who is weake Isay 65. 20. for want of age or that hath not fulfilled his dayes they shall bee all in their full growth and first perfection If it be said the child shall die a hundred yeares old I answer I have shewed before that there shall be no more death in the new Jerusalem when it is come downe from God out of heaven Revel 21. 4. Luk. 20. 36. then the meaning of that place is this those that lived in the first age of the world living eight or nine hundred yeares were a hundred yeares before they came to their full growth but in the resurrection they shall rise in their full growth as if they had dyedat the age of a hundred yeares old yet in this age of the world I suppose they that die shall rise about the age of the second Adam when he gave his life a ransome for us being the full growth of this age to their full strength and Isay 65. 22. perfection but it was I suppose a hundred yeares in the first age before they came to the stature and full growth of the first Adam in the day of his creation this is also the meaning of the next words For as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people that is say the Philosophers an Oake tree is a hundred yeares before it is come to its full growth so was man before the flood then at this age they shall rise againe and long injoy the worke of their hands then Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end for thus saith the Lord that created the Heavens God himselfe that formed the Earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I am the Lord and there is none else Isa 45. 18 19. Doe but minde this Text and consider it well and judge thy selfe who ever thou art that readest it whether the lower Heavens and the Earth and all the creatures in them shall be consumed at the day of judgement and become an unpâ—ofitable and uncomfortable Chaos and so remaine for ever No the Lord Reigneth the world shall be established that it shall not be moved Psa 96. 10. One generation goeth and another generation commeth but the earth abideth for ever Eccles 1. 4. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein for he hath founded it upon the Seas and established it upon the floods Psal 24. 1 2 The world also is established that it cannot be moved Psal 93. 1. 2 Peter tels us in the last dayes there shall come scoffers and then sheweth the occasion of their scoffing and that is some promises that were made of the comming of Christ such as these Sing O Daughter of Zion for loe I come and I will dwell in the middest of thee saith the Lord Zach. 3. 10 11 12. 8. 3. 8. Behold I come quickly Revel 22. 12. He that shall come will come Heb. 10. 37. Behold he commeth Rev. 1. 7. Jude 14. But say these scoffers where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3. 3. Another occasion is of his preparation for his comming for saith the Apostle we according to his promise in Isa 65. 17. 66. 22. looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse ver 13. But say these scoffers All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation ver 4. now this is to be understood literally of the Heavens and earth for he blames them of their ignorance how that the Heavens were of old and the earth stood out of the waters and then in the waters for the world that then was was overflowed and perished v. 5 6. But the Heavens and earth that are now are reserved for fire at the day of Judgement then shall the elements melt and the earth and all things in it shall be burnt up v. 7. 10. 12. Then he exhorts them to a holy conversation and godlinesse from this motive that we according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth after that day wherein dwelleth righteousnesse v. 11. 13. And God made all things for himselfe Prov. 16. 4. And he greatly delighteth in the workes of his hands and although man hath prodigally lost them all by sinne yet God will not lose them so and by Christ all things were made both in heaven and in earth they were all made by him and for him and shall we thinke that Christ will lose them all no he made peace through the blood of his Crosse to reconcile all things unto himselfe both things in earth and things in heaven Col. 1. 16. 20. And God hath made Christ Heire of all things for by him the worlds were made and he upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 2 3. And the children of God are joynt-heires with Christ of the same inheritance and the creatures themselves waite for that day to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 8. 19. 21. And all the
and this he calls a second comming Vers 11. in these words And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall set his hand againe the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left in many parts of the world and from the Islands of the Sea he shall set up an ensigne for the nations and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the foure corners of the earth Vers 12. the next chapter is nothing else but a praysing God for those excellent things that he hath made knowne in all the earth Vers 5. and in the 13. Chap. Vers 9 10 11. is shewed the manner of his judgements Behold the day of the Lord commeth cruell both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the Land desolate and he shall destroy the sinners out of it then the starres of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine for I will punish the world for their evill and the wicked for their iniquity now if the comming of Christ to judgement bee his second comming then where will be found his comming to raigne here a thousand yeares before the end of the world But they would needs have Christ to rule here as the other monarchs have done because he is mentioned to rise upon the downefall of those monarches first the Assyrian which fell into the Babylonian that was overcome by the Medes and Persians and that of the Medes and Persians was overcome by the Grecians and that of the Grecians was overcome by the Romans and that of the Romans was overcome by the white stone cut out of the rocke without hands this westerne monarch which fell into many kingdomes the white stone shall ruine all these kingdomes smite the image on the feet that were of Iron and Clay and swallow up the whole Image all the foregoing monarchs were â—an 2. 34 â—5 brought under and by it to nothing and it became a monarch over the whole earth by these things he would have the monarchy of Christ here spoken of to be before the day of judgement in this corrupted world while the good and the bad are in it and every creature defiled with sinne as I have shewed before but this cannot be for all things that offend and that doe iniquity the Angels shall gather out of this kingdome and cast them into the Furnace of fire Matth. 13. 〈◊〉 41 42. and this kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him the Saints of the most High shall possesse the kingdome â—an 7. 27. â—ers 18. for ever even for ever then this cannot bee before the day of judgement because that none but Saints shall possesse it for here the Tares and Wheate shall grow together and the good and the bad shall be together till the very day that the Angels are sent to fetch them before the Judge and the heavens shall receive Christ till the restitution of all things to their first perfection then shall the Saints inherit all things And where he saith that the Saints shall bee confined in heaven and all things here below shall bee turned againe into a confused Chaos and so remaine for ever this I have answered already One scruple more is this whether the middle heaven called the starry heaven shall continue after the day of judgement because some times it is spoken in the singular number I saw a new heaven and the Citie had no need of the Sunne or Moone to shine in it and there shall bee no night there now if the Revel 21. 1 heavens be destroyed and but one be made new and the Citie no need of the Sunne Moone or Starres then say they God will make nothing in vaine Revel 21. 23. 25. Isay 45. 18. Revel 21. 1 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12 13. I answer where it is said I saw a new heaven in the same place it is said the first heaven passed away this is spoken onely for brevity as in Cap. 20. Ver. 11. it is said the earth and the heaven fled away but we know the heavens shall passe away and the elements shall melt with fervent heate and we according to his promise looke for new heavens now where the Scripture in some places speakes more briefly and other places more largely we ought to take the largest expression and whereas it is said in the Citie there shall bee no neede of the Sun or Moone to shine in it I answer it is true when every Saint of God shall shine as the Sunne in the Firmament and Christ their head ten thousand times more brighter then the Sunne besides the infinite glory of God himselfe Matth. 13. 43. Revel 21. 23. shall be there to inlighten it so that in the Citie there will bee no neede of these things yet out of the Citie the beasts and fowles both stand in need of these things therefore they shall be purified that the rest of the creatures may have those comforts belonging to them and so they shall continue for ever the light of the moone shall then bee as light as the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroake of their wound then shall the Sunne no more goe downe neither shall the Isay 30. 26. Moone withdraw it selfe else the creatures would not be in so happy a condition under the second Adam in the new world as they were in their creation Isay 60. 20. under the first Adam in the old world The uses follow First Use hath Jesus sent his Angell to testifie these things unto the Churches Revel 22. 16 17. 20. then let the Spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come for hee that testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly even so come Lord Jesus there bee many benefits that come with Christ that may cause the Saints to desire his appearing there is a Crowne of righteousnesse which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me alone but to all that love his appearing Beloved 2 Tim. 48. 1 Pet. 5. 4. we are now the Sonnes of God but it doth not yet appeare what wee shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is then let us looke for that blessed hope and the glorious 1 John 3. 2 Titus 2. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Psal 96. 11 12 13. appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ We according to his promise looke for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse