now proceed to the third particular the King of this new and heavenly world Silv. The King of Sion is her Saviour and the Scriptures call him the King of Glory and that title that was written on his Crosse in his humiliation in Latin Greek and Hebrew that is the title of his Crown and Dignity in his Exaltation This is the King of the Iews And as himself saith for this end was I born and for this end came I into the world and so testifies the Angell unto the Virgin Mary and tells her that her Sonne Iesus should be great and called of all the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raigne over the house of Israel for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Thus that great favourer and much beloved of God the Prophet Daniel speaking by the holy Ghost of Iesus the Lord he calleth him the Sonne of God and in the spirit of prophesy saith that there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should feare him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed The same Prophet in another place saith In the days of these Kings meaning the great oppressors of the earth from the beginning of the world to the end In their days as before I told you of the Kings of the East and the whole world For although there be many differing powers as of gold and silver c. yet they all make but one enemy one adversary as it is said of Rome in her shall be found the bloud of all the Saints and Prophets and of all that were slaine upon the earth It is so said because all persecutors make but one generation and it follows and in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever For David saith though the heathen rage and the wicked people imagine vaine things yet saith the Lord I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion who shall speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore dispâ—easure his Dominions is from Sea to Sea from the River to the ends of the earth they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him saith the Prophet and his enemies shall lick the dust How full doth Almighty God prove this himself it s more clear than the Sun in its full light In these words thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession thou shalt rule them with a rod of Iron and break them to pieces like a potters vessell Thus reasoneth the Apostle for unto the Angels he hath not put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but unto the Sonne he saith Thy Throne oh God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepteâ— of thy Kingdom thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and of that subjection more hereafter And thus speaketh another of the Prophets the Lord is King for ever and ever and againe the Lord sitteth King for ever for the Lord most high is terrible and he is a great King over all the earth And againe sing praises with understanding for God is the King of all the earth fâ—r all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him so long as the Sun and Moone endureth Oh worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse feare before him all the earth say amongst the heathen that the Lord raigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously and governe the nations on the earth These Scriptures are so plaine they need no exposition therefore let the Heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad â—et the sea roare and the fulnesse thereof let the field be joyfull and all that therein is then shall the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord and the reason the holy Ghost giveth in these words following for he cometh for he cometh that is the Lord cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth Oh sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marveilous things his right hand and his holy arme hath gotten him the victory for its the Lord that sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse it is the Lord that reigneth over the heathen And another saith the Lord shall be King over all the earth and in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one And the Apostle calls him the everlasting King Iesus who is the faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth who alone is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings thus one all the messengers of salvation say unto Sion thy God raigneth and the same language the Lord himself speaketh Thus saith the King of Iaâ—ob the Lord the King of Israel who is thy redeemer even the Lord of hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God and aâ— another time he saith all power is given unto me of my Father both in Heaven and earth great and speciall things do the Scriptures declare of this Kingdom of its power and glory of which our Saviour acquainted his servants Within these fourty days speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God which made them so desirous of the injoyment and possession of it that before his descending from them their generall request was unto him in these words wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel just like the Mother of the two Sonnes of Zebedee in the behalf of her Children Lord saith she out of a true affection of that perfection she desired that her two Sonnes might sit the one at his right hand the other at his left in his Kingdom and truly now may we say for thine is the Kingdom power and glory for now we see it is the Lords only and if all what hath been said will not satisfie we have Gods own oath for it saying by the mouth of the Prophet I have sworn by my self and the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare and the Apostle affirmes it from the Prophet that at the name of Iesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and that every tongue shall confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father I will adde
King in this glorious Kingdom And lastly what are the subjects and inheritors thereof Hym. The names that the Scriptures give unto the eternall estate are very many and excellent and your method very good therefore I pray proceed Silv. The time of the Churches deliverance to the estate of perfection is at the end of this world when he that ascended shall descend as saith the Scripture whom the heavens must conteine and receive untill the restitution of all things forespoken by all the holy Prophets hath been since the world began which things therefore the world might not be ignorant of which are testified by so many witnesses for so saith the spirit every one that have spoke have spoke of these things but the cause of mens ignorance in this as in many other truths of God is in regard people do not labour with God to understand and know the Scriptures for although every one for the most part hath a Bible yet generally they are as ignorant of the intent and meaning of the Scriptures as he that never saw the written word of God at all but no more by way of digression And that the time of the Lords glorious Kingdom and the Churches deliverance shall be at the end of this world is clear by our Saviours own words in parable The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that do offend and them which do iâ—iquity as also in that Scripture where the question is made by the servants to the house-holder whether the tares the envious man sowed amongst the good seed should be pluckt up the Master answers nay let them both grow together untill harvest and sheweth what shall be done then both with the wheate and with the tares saying at his glorious comming shall be gathered before him all nations and he shall sever the Sheep from the Goates c. Then the King shall say to them on his right hand comeye â—lessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the woâ—ld and to this agreeth the Angels words to Daniel Go thou thy ways Daniel at the end of the days shall the end be and thou shall stand up in tâ—y lot meaning thou shalt then be raised to shine as the brightnesse of the Fiâ—mament amongst them that have turned many to God even to shine as the Stars for ever and ever There is none in all the world but the Child of God the heires of salvation have the benefit of the Prophet Ieremies exhortation in these words Ier. 31. Refraine thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come againe from the Land of the Enemy there is the returne from captivity of the naturall Israel and there is hope in thy end saith the Lord that thy Children shall come againe to their own border there is the deliverance of the sâ—irituall Isâ—ael at their Resurrection as the Patriarks have exprest their hope as is more clearly proved in the next particular the place where the bride shall for ever enjoy her bridegroome the King of glory his gloriouâ— Kingdom which the holy Ghost calleth the earth in these worâ—s Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth And so saith our Lord Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Their inheritance is their recompence then and not before shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the Seas which must needs be understood of the new earth promised and to come such an earth as the Lord shall make when he will make all things new for the contrary is most true now here in this old cursed earth that ignorance fills this earth as the waters cover the Seas Hym. This is not understood in these days for I never heard these Scriptures so applied before Silv. To make it more plaine we will first cite the Testimonyes of the Prophets our Lords and his Apostles and then I will shew you how plainly and clearly the heires of the promise have particularly declared her hope and confidence in it Job had the true knowledge and comfort of it which ravisht him and made him thus to cry out as if he were out of himself Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a book that they were graven with an Iron Pen in a Rock for ever for I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another In which he clearly expresses that the place of his blessednesse after the resurrection shall be in the earth where his Saviour shall stand that is shall rule and raigne for ever David a man after Gods own heart excells in this Faith and hope what man is he that feareth the Lord saith he him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose his soule shall lodge in goodnesse and his seed shall inherit the earth And againe Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in aw of him for evill doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth and though it be but a little while and the wicked shall not be saith he and his place shall not be found yet the meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the aboundance of peace for such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off And so he singeth Psa. 48. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the mountaine of his holinesse beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion And also in another place The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the Children of men So testifieth the Prophet Esay saying Thus saith the Lord that created the Heavens God himself that formed the earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I said not saith the Lord to the seed of Iacob seek you me in vaine I the Lord speak righteousnesse I declare things that are right And the same Prophet makes proclamation Behold saith he I create new Heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind and as the new Heavens and new earth which I shall make shall remaine before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remaine Which clearly shews the intent of the promise to the Patriarks and
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child for although in those days the bloud of the Saints was the seed of the Church and the more there died the greater number were brought to live yet the Divell still continued his persecution by the hands of the Christian Emperors for though they were Friends to the outward State and name of Christianity yet they persecuted the inward grace and power of it and from the primacy of the Emperiall Church of Rome grew up the abominable supremacy of the Church therof and the Divell then went into the false Prophets and began to play the Christian and to distinguish between the Christian Emperors and the governement and rule of Antichrist the false Prophet the holy Ghost saith And I saw another beast comming up from the earth and he had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon by which the Apostle discovers the Mystery of iniquity whereby the Divell would turne himself into the shape of an Angell of light and as Daniel saith by policy or deceipt prosper or prevaile pretending Christ the Church the truth and all the names and titles which belong to the true Spouse there in putting Christs coat upon Iupiters back cunningly turning the worship of God into Paganisme marke but the description the holy Ghost makes oâ— his person that in outward shew is the very cognizance of the Lambe the Law and the Gospell his own two hornes wherewith he doth save and kill but the dâ—scription of his doctrine is the voice of the Dragon that when they did open either to teach the Law or preach the Gospeâ—l they taught like the Priests of Iupiter teaching and preaching to the children of the world that they ought to worship the God of heaven as the Dragons Priests had taught their Fathers to worship the Gods of the Heathen and by Sycophanticall Princely Priests under colour of promoting the Lambes affaires should cunningly clap Iupiters coate upon the Lambes back and bestow all the ceremonies and rituals of Idolatry upon Christ as in stead of their idolatrous bloudy sacrifices Antichrist must have their abominable Masse as the Heathen had Idolis so Antichrist hath Images and as their Temples were dedicated to their Idolls so Antichrist must dedicate Churches to he Saints and she Saints so that earthly minded men were so strongly seduced that they verily thought the mystery of iniquity fore-spoken by Daniel to be pure and undefiled Christianity In this respect only it is said the Devill is bound that is all the time of Antichrists reign which shall be 1260 years pretending Christianity and working by deceiptfull meanes yet all that receive not the mark of the beast in their hand or in their fore-head are killed and slaine by him Hym. But it follows in the Text And after that he must be loosed a little season Silv. That is as our Saviour Christ saith Immediatly after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Starrs shall fall from Heaven the powers of the Heaven shall be shaken Where by the days of tribulation he meanes the time in which the Divell should work by the false Prophet and in the expiration of those days he should come out of him as out of prison as it is in the Revelation And I saw three uncleane spirits like Froggs come out the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of the Divels working myracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them to the battel of the great day of God Almighty By the Kings of the East and the whole world is meant the Turks and the Divell entring into them doth thereby inlarge himself againe into his former libertie as in the heathen in setting himself in open hostility against Christ and the profession of his name for so much is intimated And the Sun shall be darkned now if Christ be denied to be the light that inlightneth every one that comes into the world then all man kind that is resembled by the Moone must lose their light for she hath none other light but from the Sun then the Starrs that is all ministers and professing Christians shall fall from their professing of Christianity that are not faithfull indeed to believe in the false Prophet Mahomet as the holy Ghost saith Revelations 6 12 13. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seale and loe there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun became black as sackcloth of baire and the Moone became as bloud and the Starrs of Heaven fell unto the Earth And in the next words expounds Saint Matthew saying Even as a Figg tree casteth her untimely Figgs when she is shaken of a mighty wind meaning by untimely Figgs untimely Christians that is such as are outward only and in name amongst ministers and professors and not inward truly and spiritually even all such as have not true grace shall fall off from Christ to receive the false-hood and abomination of Mahoumisme and that this wicked inlargement of Sathan in his cruell persecution and oppression of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ appears in this that the Elect then shall cry day and night and more certainly shall God heare his own Elect to avenge them then the unjust Iudge the importunate widdow neverthelesse our Lord makes this question by reason of the great persecution that shall be in those days When the Sonne of man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth The consequence of the question is this there will at my comming be scarce a faithfull man found on the Earth and that this last Enemy shall continue till the comming of the Lord to Iudgment we need no other proofe then Saint Johns Testimony in Revelation 20. verse 7. and so to the end And when the thousand years are expired Sathan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the foure quarters of the Earth that Gog and Magog fore-prophesied by Ezechiel the Prophet and as it followeth to gather them to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea Therein declaring the multitude of the Enemy the Turk to whom there is none of the earth like for multitude nor for power as followeth And they went on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City By the Saints and the beloved City is meant the Elect of God called and sanctified which Saint Matthew calls The shaking of the powers of Heaven And when the Devill by his last battel shall think to accomplish his envious ends utterly to destroy Christ and all that are his then shall Christ the Lord arise and scatter his enemies in these following words And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them
And the Iudgement of the enemie follows And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and Brimston where the beast and the false Prophets are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever And so the holy Ghost goes on in the description of the generall â—udgement by describing first the Iudge himself in these words And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no more place for them And so proceeds to describe them that are judged And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened That is all those meanes were manifested and those severall ways by which the Gospell and way of salvation had been preached to them whether they had the Scriptures or the Creatures or only the more secret dictates of conscience all which preached the word of grace and although it prove a Savour of death to some yet to others a Savour of life by every of those books as it followeth And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were writen in the books according to their works c. There needs no Paraphrase the Scripture is so clear to prove the thing intended Hym. It doth appear to me that the Millenaries opinion hath no ground in the Scriptures they alleadge yet I must tell you plainly in my judgement the Resurrection is past already proved by your self in your description of the first Resurrection Silv. That was an old error which S. Paul condemns in his 2 Epistle to Timothy where he taxes one of your name saying their word doth fret as doth a gangrene of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred saying the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some Hym. Shew me how that doctrine may be said to overthrow the Faith Silv. This doctrine is the Religion of Homo-novus or of the new-man falsely so called in plaine termes the Familists doctrine who turne the whole Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ into an allegory affirming Christ to be a quality saying righteousnesse is Christ and sin is Antichrist teaching that all the Articles of the Creed are fulfilled in every one of their illuminated ones and that now they themselves are dead and buried raised and ascended set at the right hand of the Father descend and come and judge the world the quick and the dead that they are the holy Catholique Church that they only are the forgiven people and have the Communalty of the Saints and enjoy life everlasting infinitely succeeding one another in this coedified condition affirming also that God is cohominified with them and so this estate and condition even this present evill world to continue for ever saying that as we come from God so againe we return to God at our death affirming no other Resurrection then from that sinfull estate to be illuminated in which illumination they say they are conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary c. Hym. You know the Apostle speaking of two seeds of Abraham one born of Hagar the bond woman the other of Sarah the free woman and he saith that by them another thing was meant Silv. As at the first I told you that Christians when they speak they ought to speak as the word of God that is according to the meaning of the Scriptures for though Saint Paul say the two seeds are an allegory in regard of the two Covenants that either stood in the one thereby the child of death the other the child of life Yet he doth not as you do make them nothing but an allegory turning the person of our Lord Iesus Christ into a quality and the person of Antichrist into sin which is no substance but a privation of good take heed of this Hymeneus for it calls to my mind the Apostles words who saith that such doctrine to the soul is as dangerous and destructive as a gangrene is to the body which is inevitably destructive for nothing can prevent the saving of the next member but the death the cutting off of that which is but infected Hym. I am sure if I be mistaken in my opinion yet that which you have delivered in other respects concerning the short time of this worlds continuance crosses most Ministers opinions both in new England and here too Silv. What is that which they teach that I have said doth oppose their Tenents Hym. They almost all with one consent hold the nationall calling of the Iews and that there shall be a great and glorious estate of the Church both of Iews and Gentils alleadging all the Prophets that speak of the deliverance of Syon from all her Captivities and bring the Jews into their own Land out of all Countries whither they have been disperst and scattered Silv. What Scriptures do they bring to prove that the Nation of the Iews shall be called and brought out of every Countrey into their own Land Hym. The 11 Rom. in these words I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own conceits that blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written c. Silv. In these verses there is not one word of the Nationall calling of the Iews but shews that the Apostle declared to the believing Romans a Mystery to take off their vaine boasting of themselves who thought that God had forsaken the seed of Abraham wholly and therefore he secretly reproves them and saith It was but a part of the seed that was hardned or blinded as in the seventh verse he clearly distinguisheth between the Elect part and the rest what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obteined it and the rest were blinded or hardned and in this verse he saith They shall be hardned untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in that is for ever Agreeing with the Prophet lâ—t their eyes be darkned and bow down their backs alwayes thus God putting no diffâ—rence between the Iews and the Gentils extends his free grace to both for the calling of the full number of his Elect in all the world and so all Israel shall be saved that is the whole house even every one fâ—reknown and chosen of God shall be câ—lled sanctified and saved both Iews and Gentils throughout the world and this word saved hath respect unto the estate of perfection in the world to come according to the Prophet Esays words Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation he shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end That is all Gods Elect wheresoever of all kindreds tongues nations and people Hym. In this Scripture it doth not appeare there is any
word as they infer from the text but what say you to the words of the Prophet Ezechiel 34. 14. And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the Countrys and will bring them to their own Land and feed them upon the mountaines of Israel by the Rivers and in all the inhabited places of the Countrey As also the Prophet Ieremy 33 and 26. For I will cause their captivity to returne and have mercy on them Silv. It greives me to see the Ignorance and yet boldnesse of many Ministers amongst us who erre for want of reading the Scriptures for the very literall expression might teach them better then to tell us that from these two testimonies is declared the calling of the Iews from their dispersed and scattered estate to the belief of the Gospell in this last age of the world For both these Prophets writ within few years one of another Ieremy a little before Ezechiel and both of the Babylonish Captivity and of their returne againe into their own Land which according to the word of the Lord was performed above two thousand yeares ago for their returne was in the days of Ezra the Scribe some years after the Prophet Daniels death And if you read the second chapter you cited with a searching affection you shall find the Prophets both of them speaks of also the deliverance of Sion the whole house of Israel from all their Captivities Therefore will I save my flock they shall be no more a prey I will judge between cattel and Cattel and I will set up one shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard and I will be their God and my servant David a Prince amongst them In those days Iudah shall be saved and Ierusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse But this deliverance we will more largely open hereafter Hym. Master Cotton in new England doth much preach of these things of the calling of the Iews and of the flourishing estate of the Church of the Gentils and sence I came to London I heard a preacher say if the two last Chapters of Esay were not to be understood of the glorious estate of the Church before the comming of the Lord to Judgement I do not know saith he what is meant by chose Scriptures Silv. By what he saith I believe he doth not understand what is meant by those Script for the Proph. words are these Behold I create new Heavens a new Earth the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be thou glad rejoyce for ever in that which I creat for behold I creat Ierusalem a rejoyceing and her people a joy And I will rejoyce in Ierusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying and there shall be no more thence an infant of days c. In which the Prophet speaks as clearly to my understanding as words can expresse it of the world to come after the Resurrection the salvation that brings Gods chosen people Jerusalem from above into the same perfection againe which by sin we lost and fell from in the day of our transgression and this agrees with Saint Peters and Saint Johns exposition the two most excellent and beloved Disciples and Apostles Saint Peter speaks directly of the end of this world the dissolution of this present Heaven and Earth in these words But the Heavens and the Earth which are now that is now present by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgement and perdition of ungodly men And so proceeds to other arguments and proves that the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up and the Heavens and the Elements shall be dissolved concludes with notwithstanding or neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth in which dwelleth righteousnesse First the time when these things shall be fulfilled is twice spoken to be in the day of the Lord which throughout the Scriptures notes unto us the day of Iudgement as the time of his second comming Secondly the manner how it shall be when righteousnesse shall dwell in the Earth which must needs be understood of the world to come for in this world righteousnesse is a Pilgrim a stranger and a sojourner and Saint Iohn transcends in his expressions of it after the generall Iudgement in order after the Resurrection of just and unjust saying And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more sea and I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a great voyce out of Heaven saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away The former things are the corruptible things and the things that shall take place are the new created things of God which are all good for nothing can proceed from him but what is very good the words are so plaine that they need no exposition The other proof they do bring to prove their mistaken opinion are these words As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Ierusalem and when you see this your hearts shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants and his indignation towards his enemies for by fire and by sword will the Lord plead with all flesh And the slaine of the Lord shal be many for any man to think that the Prophet in these words speaks of any time of the Churchs sufferings in this life doth as much as if he should tell me it was his own foolish conceit and that he did not at all search the Scriptures noâ— labour in the word and doctrine for Saint Paul to the Thessalonians to me doth directly comment upon this place of the Prophet saying it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and
shall be subjected now the principall enemies to God Christ his truth and his children are the Devill and these hard hearted stif-necked rebells his Children that as their Father so are they implaceable and unreconcilable and as he so do they resist the holy Ghost and will not have this man to raigne over them that is the Lord Christ but they do and will break his bonds and cast his cords from them and as they have always done so they do now and will continue till he comes to raigne in power and Majesty professe themselves sworn enemies and adversaries to him and his but when this world shall come to an end and that world is come of which our Saviour saith his Kingdom is of then even shall he take and slay before him all those his enemies Slay them before me saith the Lord then shall the head wholly prevaile and triumph over him that ever hath so exceedingly bruised mortified and persecuted his heele then he shall so subdue and break in sunder Sathan and his Children by his invincible power and regall authority that he shall undo frustrate and make void Sathans whole plot and work and the Scripture then shall be fulfilled which saith and he that is Christ shall break his head then the Devill that hath deceived mankind ever since the world began shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimston and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Then there shall not be one knee amongst all the reprobate Angels and men but shall bow nor any tongue but shall confesse to the glory of God the Father that Iesus Christ is both Lord and King and although now they rage and take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed and invent lyes and mischiefs against the Lords truth and all his faithfull servants yet he that sitteth in the Heavens doth laugh at them the Lord shall have them in derision for the begotten of God the King of Sion shall rule governe and subdue those heathens yea he shall break them with a rod of Iron saith the Prophet and dash them to pieces like the vessell that the potter makes of clay as was before mentioned and as the Lord so shall all that are his have dominion over all the out-cast heathenish hard hearted and unregenerate gentilish generation for such names the Scripture gives them all and therefore thus saith the Lord himself he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron c. even as I received of my Father that is they shall execute the same power my Father hath given me to this agreeth that Scripture which saith All nations shall feaâ—e and obey him And againe the Children of those that afflicted thee shall be sold for slaves unto thee And againe With thee will I break in pieces Captaines and Rulers the old and yong man and maide Kings subjects none exempted of what language sex estate or degree whatsoever Finally the last particular is that the whole Creation that is to prove all other Creatures besids men and Angels they shal for ever serve that is magnifie set forth and further the glory of the great King and his Kingdom for ever without any opposition cruelty savagenesse or evill whatsoever and therefore it s conteined in Scriptures that every creature that is in Heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying saith Saint Iohn blessing honor glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever this proof is so generall as it takes in all places Heaven and Hell the whole Earth and the Sea and all that are within them are heard by the Apostle to praise honour obey the Lamb and this truth the Prophet David declares excellently where he saith What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the work of thy hand thou hast put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea the beasts of the field the foules of the aire and the fishes of the Seas which makes the Prophet cry out in admiration and wonder O God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Now the Apostle to the Hebrews declares this that David spake of Christs Kingdom the world to come as hath before been described and therefore saith he for unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come whereof I speak but one in a certain place testified rehearsing the very words before repeated of the Prophet David so that if any man say the Prophet is not so to be understood the Apostle himself makes answer and gives us an assurance so to believe and this doctrine he preaches for truth without exception to the holy Romans where he saith for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God and he gives the reason cleare and plaine because saith he the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Sonnes of God for we know saith he speaking as if it were so well known to them as certain as their hoped for inheritance that the whole creation that is every creature groaneth and travaileth in paine together untill now note how exact and elegant he is he expounds the whole creation to be every creature that all these by a speciall instinct of nature are like a woman in travel that nothing in the world can prevent her bringing forth so it shal be with the whole creation in its restitution to its perfection lest it should not be clear enough the Apostle goes on and in particular and apart speaks of the adopted of God the heires of the world to come the inheritance of the salvation saying and not only they but our selves also which have received the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies the words are so plaine they need no exposition proving the restauration of the whole creation as well as the Saints which is further confirmed by that knowing Evangelist Saint Luke who saith And he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began which truth in times past was well known unto men although now the world through ignorance understand it not for the Lord saith by a holy Prophet that his covenant with Sun and Moon day and night is for ever
and againe he saith he made not the Earth for nought but to be inhabited and he hath established it that it shal not be moved and in another place speaking of the generall restitution as Saint Paul doth he saith with righteousnesse shall he judge the poore and with the breath of his lipps shall he slay the wicked and then from man-kind goes on to other creatures and saith then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the calf and the yong Lion and the Fatling and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Beare shall feed their yong ones shall lye down together and the Lion shall eate straw like the Ox and the sucking Child shall play over the hole of the Aspe and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrises den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine saith the Lord for the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea in another place the same Prophet saith again that the Wolfe and the Lambe shall feed together and the Lion shall eate straw like the Bullock and dust shall be the Serpents meate and againe he saith seeke ye out of the book of the Lord and read no one of these shall faile none shall want her mate for my mouth it hath commanded and his spirit it hath gathered them and the beast of the field saith the Lord by the same Prophet shall honour me and againe Oh Sion break forth into singing and let all the trees in the field rejoyce and clap their hands for in stead of the thorne shall come up the Figg tree and in stead of the bryer shall come up the mirtle tree and it shall be unto the Lord for a name and for an everlasting signethat shal not be cut off and another of the Lords faithfull ones saith moreover even the woods and every sweet smelling tree shall over shadow Israel by the commandement of God for God shall lead Israel with joy with the light of his glory even with the mercy and righteousnesse that commeth from him Hym. That all Creatures shall be restored me thinks the Scriptures are plaine and evident for so that I cannot but acknowledge it is so yet many objections also appear to me some of the Scriptures you alleadge because such expressions are used which concern this present life as the Calf a Child and Straw as if there should be plowing and sowing and increase and multiplication of Creatures againe Silv. As you say the Scriptures in some particulars do seem so to speak both for fructification and sustentation for the last our Lord speaks as if there might be such a thing even as Adam had for his delight and pleasure to eate even in the time of his innocency in Paradice the fruit of all the trees in Eden and excepted none but the tree of knowledg of good and evill and the words of our Lord are these but I say unto you I will not drink hence forth of this fruit of the vine untill I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Note here this fruit of the vine as distinguished from that which shall be new when the Kingdom of God comes as Luke saith as also that our Lord speaks further these words I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that you may eate and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel and that there shall not be any more marrying or giving in marriage by which I understand there shall be no further increase but that man shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven in the resurrection secret things belong unto God and things revealed belong to us and our Children and seeing the Scriptures have revealed so much therefore break forth into joy sing together ye wast places of Ierusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Sion the Lord hath made bare his holy Arme in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God thy faithfulnesse Oh God is unto all generations thou hast established the earth and it abideth they continue this day according to thy ordinance for all are thy servants Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorify thy name for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Iudgements are made manifest FINIS