neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away and by the power of him that sits upon the Throne all things are made new This GENERAL ASSEMBLY in the exercise of their Judicial power are to be considered in a twofold capacity First that wherein they are properly spiritual or heavenly men qualified with a discerning peculiar to the spiritual seed through the anointing which is truth and no lie whereby they enter within the veile and are admitted into that light and immortality which their owne natural man sees not nor can see but by the help and teachings of this anointing and that at second hand As thus considered they have committed unto them the power of the KEYS in the full extent and exercise thereof whereby all that they binde in earth shall be bound in heaven and all that they loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven so as all the declarative power of what infallibly is truth and the mind and will of God to be observed in heaven or in earth by all the inhabitants of both shall be in them and all disobedience and opposition thereunto shall be punished by their Church-Censures in a way of Excommunication considered in the Scriptures either as conditional and referring to sianes against the Son of man as in his first appearance or the disobedience against the first Covenant capable of release in this world or Secondly as the final irrevocable sentence called the ANATHEMA MARANATHA respecting the sinne against the holy Ghost Christ in his second appearance or the wilful disobedience against the second Covenant from which censure none shall be able to escape or appeale this JUDGEMENT-SEAT of Christ having for its attendants and Ministers of justice the holy and mighty Angels ready with flames of fire to take vengeance on all that shall not obey the Gospel and to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Secondly the same GENERAL ASSEMBLY do also in another capacity exercise their Judicial power to wit as they are properly natural men qualified with a pure natural discerning wherein they are found acting the powers and faculties of the natural mind in all the righteous and holy operations required by the first Covenant in a newnesse of life received by the resurrection from the dead and as they are made one glorified incorruptible body with Christs natural man In this sense they have the power of the sword committed to them as supreme Ministers of natural right and justice under Christ the KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESSE and in association with the innumerable company of holy Angels Heb. 12. 22. who in the exercise of this part of Judicial power are joynt-Rulers with the Saints that in the first were but servants and attendants as those PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS in heavenly places unto whom the manifold wisdome of God is made knowne by the Church Ephes 3. 10. By Saints in this capacity Christ will judge the world and rule the Nations as with a rod of yron breaking those in pieces as a potters vessel that are stubborne and rebellious binding their Kings in chaines and their Nobles in fetters of yron as it is written Psal 149. Such honour have all his Saints to wit as met together in this GENERAL ASSEMBLY authorized and enabled to administer as well the distributive as the revenging justice of God so as to be a terrour unto all that presume to offend against the principles of natural good and right held forth in and by the righteousnesse of the first Covenant and a protection and encouragement unto all that do well and shall be found approving themselves in the practice of those pure natural and holy principles Unto this that in 1 Cor. 6. 2. must necessarily referre where Paul saies Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world taking cognizance of things pertaining to this life and to shew the superiour jurisdiction which the Saints as the Church or in their spiritual capacity have over Angels themselves he saith also v. 3. Know ye not that we shall judge Angels how much more things that appertaining to this life It is in this sense likewise we are to understand what is mentioned Rev. 21. 24. where the Nations that are said to be saved that is to say with the common salvation which by vertue of Christs ransome shall then be effectually applied to all men in general to the freeing the natural man from the bondage of corruption at the restitution of all things then to be made during this THOUSAND YEARS REIGNE shall walk in the light or live under the Protection of this Government which shall flov forth from the new JERUSALEM and true MOUNT SION there described so as not only the Kings of the earth in their owne persons shall bring their glory and honour into it as contented to do homage and to be under the blessings of it but they shall also be willing to be the means of bringing the glory and honour of the very Nations themselves thereinto by their patterne and example v. 26. Thus there is a quicknin and judicial power as we have shewed which the Saints shall put forth through their conformity with Christ in his resurrection by means whereof they shall stand possessed of the power and perfection as well of the true Church and Ministery as of the right Magistracy or worldly Rule and Dominion both which shall then be found in their purity as well of their practice as institution in this triumphing Church of the NEW JERUSALEM and universal worldly Government or Magistratical Dominion in this true COMMON-WEALTH OF ISRAEL for whose sakes all thinigs shall be made new all being theirs as they are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Nor have the Scriptures left us without witnesse herein but in sundry particulars do lay open and declare the manner how and steps whereby Christ proceeds as well to the bringing in as to the actual setting up of this Kingdome of his during a THOUSAND YEARS to be managed by himself and the quicken'd glorified body or society of his Saints as the Church or general Assembly of the first-borne fitted and adorned by himself to share with him in this his Rule and Government The preparatory dispensation unto this is a dark MIDNIGHT Matth. 25 6. such a time of trouble as never was since there was a Nation in which the powers of the holy people shall be scattered and utterly broken Dar. 12. 1 7. the earthly Jerusalem or worldly Christian Church shall be besieged and taken Zech. 14. 1 2. that great and holy City Rev. 11. 2 8. which for her hypocrisie and spiritual whoredomes apostasie and enmity against the faithful WITNESSES of Christ is compared Rev. 11. to SODOME and EGYPT answering to the state of the same Jerusalem in the letter where our Lord was crucified And therefore in Matth. 24. and other Scriptures where the literal Jerusalem is
power and glory shining forth in the beauty of his new name that is above every name either in this world or in that which is to come every knee is appointed to bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and the duty of every tongue shall be to confesse that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father Hence then it is evident that as God or the WORD in Christs first appearance was pleased to be manifested in flesh wherein to condescend and make himself of no reputation by taking upon him the forme of a servant and being made in the likenesse or habit of a man and in this fashion as a man subjecting himself to the doing and suffering all that which was required to be done and suffered on the behalf of sinful mankind and for the bringing many sonnes unto glory so also is he that thus did and suffered all things as a man in the dayes of his flesh for our redemption at this time to see his seed and reap the fruit of the travel of his soul which then he made a sacrifice for sin being now a second time to appeare without any reference to sinne as then he did but instead thereof to declare himself the Sonne of God with power by the resurrection from the dead So as in and by this second appearance the man Christ Iesus in the fashion and forme of his exalted and glorified manhood consisting of spirit soul and body in substantial or personal union with the WORD is to shew and manifest himself in the glory of the Father in the joynt and united exercise of the same divine life and power with him and therein to give a plaine demonstration that he is the Sonne of God as by his being made flesh and becoming obedient to the death of the Crosse he did undeniably demonstrate that he was really and properly the Sonne of Man made of the seed of David according to the flesh living the life and dying the death of a perfect natural man Thus the Sonne of man shall come with power and great glory sitting with the Father upon the same Throne therein shewing himself the only POTENTATE the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS dwelling in immortality and that light which no man can approach hath seene or can see Christ then considered as thus dwelling in immortality and that light which is invisible and inaccessible in reference to all those that are meer natural men shall at this time declare himself to be the life and quickning of his own dead body and the object of their converse who having been made one dead body with him as planted in the similitude of his death shall now be called and gathered together unto him in one incorruptible immortal glorified state of spirit soul and body be planted into the likenesse of his Resurrection to the attaining of their compleat adoption and the redemption of the body at this manifestation of the sonnes of God and heirs of salvation which is spoken of Colos 3. 4. where 't is said that when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in glory and 1 Iohn 3. 2. we are now sonnes but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is or as he dwells in immortality and in that light from whence he excludes every natural eye reserving it as the peculiar enjoyment and inheritance of his friends whom he loves that are Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ in the things prepared only for them which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor have entred into the heart of the natural man to consider This likenesse which the true Saints shall be brought forth into with Christ the beginning and first-begotten from the dead is described in general by the promise Christ makes to them on that behalf And Iesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Matth. 19. 28. So Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh sayes he I will grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his throne which imports First that as by the Fathers quickning of Christ raising him up and fitting him in spiririt soul and body to exercise in unity with him the same divine life and power to the making his manhood Second with him on the Throne so Christ in like manner will quicken and raise up all the members of his dead body or slaine faithful Witnesses that have beene made conformable unto him in his death and fit them in their spirit soul and body to exercise in unity and association with his heavenly manhood the life and power which he is enabled to exercise as he is the exalted Sonne of man to the rendring them a fit Bride Queene and Second with him in his Throne where they shall neverthelesse sit as upon Thrones of their owne as his Equals and co-heirs yet in subordination unto him judging the twelve Tribes of Israel in a light and glory superiour to the earthly Jerusalem or worldly Church yea to the good Angels themselves who shall be found but standing about the Throne whilst the Saints shall be sitting downe with Christ upon it Secondly as the Father gives authority to Christ in the capacity of the Sonne of man to execute judgement as the only l'OTENTATE KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS under him so Christ also shall give and derive to his body the general assembly of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven authority to be the only Potentates Lords of Lords and Kings of Kings under him whose Decrees and Ordinances shall be binding unto all in heaven or in earth or under the earth next and immediately under Christ their head and this as well in reference to the regulating and well-ordering the service and worship of God in the societies of Saints and all his true worshippers as in reference to the governing and well-ordering the natural and outward converse of men in their humane societies during the reigne of Christ upon earth the thousand years Both these powers and jurisdictions shall be residing in the general assembly of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven who shall then be declared the Bride the Lambs wife the New Ierusalem coming downe from God out of heaven described Rev. 21. 2. as she that is prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband being that Tabernacle of God with men wherein he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he himself will be with them and be their God wiping away all teares from their eyes so as there shall be amongst them no more death nor sorrow nor crying
but made like unto the Sonne of God abides a Priest for ever at Gods right hand By which description it may appear that the manhood of Christ considered as the OFF-SPRING and BRANCH is brought forth into such likenesse and equality with the ROOT as to be made a fit associate to the Son of God considered as the ROOT And thus it is by way of figure and resemblance with the nature of man in the first degree of life attained by the resurrection from the dead as he is brought forth into the exercise of life like unto Angels and so becomes their equal yet is not an Angel nor loses the subordination and inferiority of his natural being unto the Angels So also Christ is still perfect man notwithstanding this his exaltation yet so as that he is also in the same person God as we have shewed and the Saints that come thus to be branches of the same perfect heavenly manhood with him are so neverthelesse in a distinguished state of subordination and inferiority to him in the capacity of the Bride the Lambs wife who by all this their exaltation are neither Godded with God nor Christed with Christ but are still in the proper capacity of creatures but of the highest and best creatures under Christ their Head exalted above all Angels or any particular nature whatsoever and brought thus at last into the enjoyment of the beatifical vision of God in the face of the blessed Trinity Thus we have endeavoured to describe the glory wherein Christ is given to be the Head and Husband to the whole spiritual seed as actually espousing and taking to wife the whole general assembly of the first-borne bringing them into the same glory with himself as he hath received power from the Father and expressing it to be his will and desire that they should participate of the same glory and be one with him as he is one with his Father Neverthelesse by this dignity given unto them they do not attaine unto the priviledge and preheminence that is due only unto their Head in that Hypostatical union into which he is taken but have that which belongs to them as the BRIDE the LAMBS WIFE in a secondary and subordinate way by marriage-union with Christ wherein they are one with Christ as he is one with the Father Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ but a in weaker inferiour state of glory This is figured out by the woman who partakes of the same life and glory in kind with the man as she is his image or glory and so is as his equal yea one with him by marriage-union yet singly considered is in a state of subordination and inferiority to him And as thus we see what is the attainment unto which the right heirs of salvation do come by the resurrection from the dead when they shall be made like unto Christ and see him as he is so we also have hereby signified unto us what the wicked do arrive unto who must also partake of the resurrection from the dead and be raised up in dishonour to everlasting contempt and that consists first in their being made equal in the first degree of the resurrection with wicked Angels and fit associates for them as spirits perfected to be kept up as vessels of dishonour in a way of contempt Secondly in that state of dishonour into which their body returnes at the resurrection thereof wherein it becomes incorruptible never to be changed more And now for as much as in this manifestation of the sons of God there shall be found the perfect use of the natural sences of their minde and body wholly subjected by the Crosse of Christ to their spiritual and heavenly in this perfect and compleat exercise of their natural sences they shall hold forth that Law of righteousnesse and the obedience thereof unto which natural men in those dayes shall be required to conform who shall for that end not only be set at liberty from the bondage of corruption but stand free from the assaults and wiles of Satan who shall be bound up from molesting them and be moreover advantaged with all needful and requisite helps and meanes to further them therein under the influence of a Ministery and Magistracy brought forth in the highest and utmost perfection and purity that can be enjoyed on earth managed by the person of Christ himself and the whole GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the first-borne The book of the creatures shall also be made legible in the fairest characters wherein they can be written out and the Scriptures opened in the highest degree of clearnesse and full comprehensivenesse thereof an instance of which Christ gave after his resurrection Luke 24. 27. who beginning at Moses and all the Prophets expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself which will be the general practice of the Saints after their resurrection all along the thousand yeares Reigne Hence it is that besides the change that we have already spoken of which is peculiar to the Saints there shall be brought forth by the Saints as the secondary meanes in Christs hand a most glorious change next in order unto theirs upon the whole creation as we have already laid open in general which in reference to men the principal part of it shall be as a state of common salvation mutable and temporary to the affording of the highest example and proof that possibly can be given of this common state of purity and excellency appertaining to the natural man which men have so generally admired and been so fond of from the beginning of the world to this time Then it will shew it self in its kind and plainly discover what it will signifie and amount unto at its best where it shall be only reteined single and want the benefit of association and consortship with the spiritual sences which are found in the minde of true Saints to the making Christ admired in all them that do beleeve and to the abasing and entirely bringing down the pride and glory of all flesh Thus Christ as sitting upon this Throne of his glory and his Saints with him shall make all things new by bringing forth the second change before mentioned which shall come upon the world the former things as old being made to passe away and to receive a consuming by fire that all things may be renewed and restored into their first purity and natural perfection throughout the whole first creation in all the parts and members of it by vertue of the powerful influence that shall come from this healing refreshing presence of the Lord in with his Saints for that purpose at which time he shall make good that saying of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods by granting a general day of JUBILE and release unto all natural beings then in the world from under the power of sin and Satan and setting up means for the keeping and