Lord is there and this shall be its Name from that day Which doth intimate such a Presence of Christ with the Saints which was not before He hath been present in Spirit from the beginning of the Gospel-Church but at this time the Church shall have another kind of Presence even his Personal Presence Here 's a new Name for a new Presence the Name of it from that day shall be The Lord is there Chap. 43.2 The glory of the God of Israel came from the East his voice was as the noise of many waters and the earth was lightned with his glory Haec Dei gloria est Christus saith one Surely this Glory of the Lord is no other than the Lord of Glory who is the brightness of the Fathers Glory Solomon's house was filled with the glory of the Lord that was a typical House and had a typical Glory that is some glorious sign of Gods Presence and his owning that House Here will be the true Temple into which the King of Glory shall come The Ark was a sign of Gods presence with the Iews which is therefore called the Lord Josh 3.11 Behold the Ark of the Covenant even the Lord of all the earth c. As the Jews had the typical presence so when they shall be called they shall have the true presence of the Lord in the New Ierusalem Rev. 11.19 In the Temple was seen the Ark that is the Lord of all the earth typed by the Ark. This Temple shall be the place of Gods Throne and of the Soles of his Feet chap. 43.7 Now he is upon a Throne in Heaven but when Ierusalem shall come down in it shall be his Throne Ier. 3.17 At that time they shall call Ierusalem the throne of the Lord. At what time When all the Nations shall be gathered to the Name of the Lord to Ierusalem and when the House of Iudah shall walk with the House of Israel verse 18. Observe also what is said verse 16. They shall no more say The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind The presence of the Lord with the Israelites is no way to be compared with that his presence which is to be in the New Ierusalem for the Ark shall not then come into mind 'T is well observed by Cornelius à Lapide Hoc nomen valde congruit cum illo quod Christo imponitur Isa 7.14 Immanuel This Name hath very near affinity with the Name Immanuel God with us now as Christ was Immanuel by a personal presence on earth so the City will be called Iehovah Shammah from his Personal presence Now for the better clearing of this great truth of Christs personal Presence and Reign and of the Saints reigning with him two things are to be done 1. Scripture-Arguments for it shall be produced 2. Objections against it shall be answered For the first As Christ took our Nature and therein did execute his Prophetical Office by teaching and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and also his Priestly Office by offering himself without spot to God so he hath a Kingly Office also which as he hath been executing providentially and spiritually he shall so do it personally and where he preached and suffered there will he reign and execute justice and judgment even in the earth Arguments to prove the Personal Presence of Christ in the New Jerusalem and his Reign upon Earth Arg. 1. REv. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my throne as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Christ was at this time in Heaven sitting upon the Fathers Throne which is his also as God He reigns as Mediator but sits on the Fathers Throne where he must sit till all his Enemies be made his Footstool Psalm 10.1 Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool We may observe that there is Christs sitting at the right hand of God upon the Fathers Throne and his sitting at the right hand of God upon his own Throne In the former respect he sits upon a Throne in Heaven in the latter he shall upon Earth The Scripture gives ground for this distinction for the former see Heb. 8.1 Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens that is at the right hand of the Father upon his Throne in Heaven Heb. 12.2 And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Then for the latter his sitting at the right hand of God upon his Throne see Zech. 6.13 He shall sit and rule upon his throne His as distinct from his Fathers And he shall be a Priest upon his Throne two things are here manifest First as he sits and rules upon his Fathers Throne so he shall sit and rule upon his own Throne Secondly as he is now a Priest upon the Fathers Throne so he shall be a Priest upon his own Throne and there make Intercession and whilest he is a Priest making Intercession he is at the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 Who is at the right hand of God making intercession for us Thus we see that there is the Fathers Throne and Christs own Throne but where is the place of his Throne Not in Heaven for there he sits on the Fathers Throne therefore it must be on Earth of which we have a clear proof Mat. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory then and not till then upon his own Throne and his own Throne is that which is called the Throne of his Father David Isa 9.7 Luke 1.32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall rule over the house of Jacob. First he shall rule over the House of Jacob which he did not at his first coming for then the House of Jacob rejected him Secondly when he shall reign over the House of Jacob his Kingdom will be of long continuance of his Kingdom there shall be no end his Kingdom shall not be destroyed as those that go before it This Kingdom over the House of Jacob is doubtless that which the Disciples thought should immediately appear and 't is observable that Christ doth not deny the appearance of it in its time but the immediate appearance He shall sit upon the Throne of David David was in the old Jerusalem where he had his Throne and Christ who is David shall be in the new Jerusalem and have his Throne in it Then shall that Prophecy of Daniel be fulfilled Dan. 7.13 I saw one like the son of man which is expounded to be Christ verse 27. All Dominions shall serve him He came in the clouds of Heaven which in Scripture sets forth his personal coming and there was given him Glory and a Kingdom which is meant of a Kingdom on earth for it 's given him that all People Languages and Nations
HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH ALSO OF The Earnest Expectation of the Creature to be delivered from its Bondage into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God TOGETHER With some Hints wherein it will consist Gathered out of Holy Scriptures AS ALSO A Guess at the Time wherein it may probably be expected Together with the Profitable Uses to be made of it As in 2 Pet. 3.14 By WILLIAM ALLEINE Now with the Lord. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Harris 1679. Some Discovery OF THE NEVV HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH IN the former TREATISE the passing away of the Old Heavens and Earth was handled and their perishing by Fire And now I shall adde somewhat concerning the New Heavens and the New Earth which are to succeed them as we read 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth c. And certainly 't is not a state of glory in the Heaven of Heavens where Christ is and where the Spirits of just Men made perfect are which is here meant For the New Heavens of which Peter speaks are not yet in Being but are Promised we according to his Promise look for New Heavens this Promise is in Isa 65.17 Behold I create New Heavens and a New Earth these are yet to be created Isa 66.22 As the New Heavens and the New Earth which I will make shall remain before me c. I have not made them already but I will make them And the time is hinted when they shall be created Isa 65.13 my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed c. And the former troubles shall not be remembred this Promise hath not been already fulfilled for the People of God have not been yet in such an estate as to leave all their troubles behind them and to forget them but such a time shall be for saith the Lord I creat New Heavens and a New Earth A New Earth as well as New Heavens which Intimates a great change here below Neither is it the Gospel-state of the Church which was to succeed the Legal state which is all here meant for this was in Being when Peter wrote but the New Heavens and Earth were lookt for And lastly These New Heavens and New Earth must be created when the World which now is shall perish by Fire and that will be at the day of Judgment 2 Pet. 4.12.13 Thus we see what we are to rest in as meant by the New Heavens and the New Earth In the next place to shew what they are consider in the general those words of Peter 2 Pet. 3.15.16 As our beloved brother Paul hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking of these things What things Doubtless the New Heavens and Earth are these things for of these Peter last spake therefore when Paul speaks of the manifestation and glorious liberty of the sons of God and the creatures earnest expectation of it Rom. 8. and also of the Saints judging the World 1 Cor. 6.2 These are the same things of which Peter speaks but most plainly the New Heavens and New Earth are spoken of in the Epistle to the Hebrews and because Peter saith Paul had written of these things this is conceived to be one of the best Arguments to prove that Paul was the Author of that Epistle now Heb. 2.5 he speakes of a World to come the same with the New Heavens and the New Earth and Heb. 12.26 27. of a Kingdom which cannot be moved and of the removing of things which may be shaken and in relation to the purifying and consuming work of that day 't is said Our God is a consuming Fire And somewhat might be gathered out of every one of Pauls Epistles touching these things except that to Philemon Thus in the general Now to come to a more particular unfolding of this Mystery we are to consider that the Heavens and Earth may be taken these three ways First in a Natural secondly a Civil thirdly in an Ecclesiastical respect 1. In a Natural respect And thus we may conceive that all things below the Heaven of Heavens which is the Throne of God and Seat of the Blessed are to be in some respect made new Indeed the Heaven of Heavens is called the high and Holy place and no change was made in it by Mans sin it is so Glorious already that we have not ground to conclude it will be made better but as for the inferiour Heavens and Heavenly Bodies in them as Sun Moon and Stars there is this to be said concerning them As they sometimes send down some malignant and hurtful Influences upon this inferiour World which may be reckoned amongst the Fruits of Adams sin so in the times of Restitution these shall cease I shall mention some places of Scripture which afford us some ground thus to conclude it Psa 11.6 there is this promise The Sun shall not smite the by day nor the Moon by Night when 't is said The Sun and Moon shall not smite this doth intimate that sometimes they do smite Men and surely 't is Sin which hath been the cause of this smitting And if this promise of their not smitting shall be made good to any in the time of the Old Heavens and Old Earth then much more shall it be made good in the times of the New Heavens and the New Earth The Sun did once beat upon the Head of Jonah that he fainted and wisht in himself to die Jonah 4.8 Certainly it shall not be thus in the times of restitution and refreshing the Sun shall revive and strengthen and not cause fainting and make Men wish to die Deut. 3.3.28 His Heaven shall drop down Dew Whilst Israel did keep Covenant with God the Heavens were his Heavens much more when all Israel shall be called and saved the Heavens shall be their Heavens the Sun Moon and Stars shall be theirs so as that their influences shall not be hurting and smiting The Stars in their courses shall not fight against them as once they did against Sisera Their Heavens shall not be as many times now they are Brass over their Heads but shall drop down Dew and the former and the latter Raine that is Rain in season shall descend and there shall not be a Sweeping Rain which shall leave no Food behind it And 't is not at all to be doubted that when the Jews shall be all effectually called and enter into their rest Joseph's Blessing shall be the Blessing of all the Tribes of Israel and that in a more ample and eminent manner than when Joseph had his Lot in Canaan Deut. 33.13 c. of Joseph he said Blessed of the Lord be his land for the precious things of Heaven for the Dew and the deep that coucheth beneath and for the precious Fruits brought forth by the Sun and for the precious things put forth by the
yield a Juice like Honey and he after saith we may call that part of the Earth divine where whatsoever Fruit is most dear and precious is in most abundance Also in all other Fruits it surpasses all Countreys in the World for it multiplieth all things and increaseth them sooner there the cause whereof I judge to be the pleasant waters and warm nourishing Air which inviteth all things to spring and then increaseth them and the moisture causeth all things to take firm root and defendeth them from drought In Summer the Air of that place is so temperate that when it snoweth in other parts of Judea and is extream cold the Inhabitants in this place do onely wear a Linnen Garment Thus he declares the Fertility of Jericho caused by that Miracle and certainly a greater Miracle than this here will be wrought for there are promises in Scripture of a great Fertility that shall be after the Calling of the Jews Ezek. 36.30 I will multiply the Fruit of the Tree and the Increase of the Field so that ye shall receive no more reproach of Famine Verse 35. The Land that was desolate shall become like the Garden of Eden What a great Change will there be in the Earth when desolate and barren Land shall be like Eden And as we have ground to conclude that many of God's Works wrought among the Jews of old were typical of greater Works which shall be wrought for them at last for which see Jer. 23.8 So why may we not gather something from that work of God in giving them Water out of the Rock And that which I would especially hint is from Deut. 32.13 He gave them Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock The Water is called Honey and Oyl And why First Because it was a Supply flowing from special Grace and Mercy special Grace adds a great deal of Sweetness to common Mercies Secondly It was an extraordinary Supply in time of great need Water in that extremity was as Honey and Oyl Thirdly It was a Type of Christ for They drunk of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 An Eye of Faith looking unto Christ would make it sweeter and more pleasant than Honey and Oyl Fourthly It being Water given them by a Miracle might have sweetness and vertue beyond ordinary water For as the Bread given them by a Miracle has the taste of Honey and fresh Oyl so might this mirhculous Water When Christ turned Water into Wine that was far better than ordinary Wine the Governour of the Feast said Thou hast kept the good Wine until now The other in comparison with this did not deserve to be called good Wine Doubtless that miraculous Wine was the best Wine that ever was drunk and why may we not conceive the like of this miraculous Water which might be typical in relation to the times of Restitution in which even Water the most common mercy shall have much more vertue and pleasantess in it than now it hath 'T is said of Fire and Water that they are good Servants but bad Masters and theâ— have often been bad Masters in these times of the Old Heavens and Old Earth but in the time of the New they shall be good Servants alone and no more bad Masters to the Saints The Air also will be sweet wholesom and fructifying and what hath a spiritual meaning Cant. 4.16 will be then true in a natural sense also The North-wind shall awake and the South-wind blow that the Spices may flow forth No blasting-wind or that which will hinder the flowings forth of Fruits but that which shall farther their flowing forth and then the rough wind shall be stayed in the day of the East-wind 3. The Creatures shall be delivered from all their usurping and oppressing Lords Satan shall not Lord it over them neither the Man of Sin they shall be together in the Bottomless Pit and all Christ's Enemies will be made his Footstool whereby the Creature shall have its so-much longed-for Liberty and shall be in Subjection to him who is to be the desire of all Nations and of the whole Creation of whom 't is said Psa 8.4 What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him thou madest him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things in subjection under his feet Which must be fulfilled in that World which is to come as is evident Heb. 2.5 6. For as to the present state of things in the World as now it is the Apostle saith v. 8. We see not yet all things put under him 4. The Liberty of the Creature consists in the lawful Use of it 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use the world as not abusing it Here two things may be observed First The Creature is to be used and not enjoyed Life and Happiness doth not consist in it carnal men enjoy the Creatures the covetous man enjoyes his Wealth as Dives did Son remember that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things Worldly men have their portion in this life and say 'T is good to be here Now such an enjoying of the Creature holds it in bondage its Liberty is to be used well insist Psa 110.7 't is said of Christ He shall drink of the Brook in the way and then men should lift up the head and heart to him in whose favour is their life Secondly The Creature should be used lawfully and not abused a lawful Use is its liberty There is a natural Use of Creatures which is for Food and Rayment and somewhat for Delight for Gen. 2.9 Out of the Ground God made every Tree to grow which was good for Food and pleasant to the eye In the times of Restitution it will be so Fruits both profitable and pleasant will be made to grow Hos 2.21 It shall come to pass in that day that is when the Jews shall be betrothed to the Lord I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and the Heavens shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel When the Jews shall be Jezreel the Seed of God all the Creatures shall with one consent serve that Jezreel What is the reason that now 't is otherwise for many times the Heavens hear not the Earth the Earth hears not the Corn the Corn hears not men 'T is because for the most part instead of being a Jezreel they serve a Jezabel There is a Spiritual Use also to be made of Creatures and so in them as in a Glass we should behold the Glory of the Lord and we should praise him as the Creator of them and honour him with them The great Whore glorifies her self with what she hath this is the Creature 's bondage but when the Promise
in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
believe lest it should be said as to Peter get thee behind me Satan In a word 't is to be observed that the arguing from conceived absurdities against any truth was the great way of the Sadduces in opposing the Doctrine of the Resurrection They tell a story of a Woman that had seven Husbands successively and ask whose wife she should be of the seven in the Resurrection Questions like to this have been askt and more may by such as are in this matter not knowing not searching the Scriptures for if the Scriptures were well searcht enough would be found to put to silence the ignorance in this thing of many in other respects wise Men. Thus much of the Government which will be Theocratical even a glorious reign of Christ 3. There will be a Change in the Ecclesiastical State Now seeing much hath been written before to set forth the great and happy Change which will be made in the Church which the business of unfolding the Mystery of Ezekiels Temple did lead to therefore I shall adde but a little upon these three following Heads The glorious Light the great Purity and the glorious Liberty which the Church shall have in the times of Restitution 1. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of breaking forth of great and glorious Light For the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun sevenfold as the Light of seven days Isa 30.26 And this Light will be a discovering Light and a healing Light First a discovering Light Light makes manifest Good and evil truth and error will be made manifest by the Light of the New Heavens The Gold and Silver wherewith some have been Building the Wood Hay and Stubble wherewith others have been building will be seen in that Light Pilate askt What is Truth Then a full answer shall be given to this question and it shall be known What is Truth and we may in particular observe that those two great Gospel-truths will have then a clear manifestation and discovery Christ as Righteousnes and Christ as Lord Christ as made Righteousness for the justification of Men to cover their sin and to keep the shame of their Nakedness from appearing and Christ as made Lord Lord of Faith and Lord of Life Lord of Soul and Spirit of Conscience and the whole Inner-man and Lord of Body also and of the whole Outward-man Now I ground this upon that Promise Jer. 23.5 6. Jer. 33.14 15. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and execute Judgment and justice in the Earth and in his days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Christ shall then appear as the Churches Lord and righteousness yea shall account it his glory to appear for so he shall own this for a Name and Title In the other place there is the same promise only with this variation This is the Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness As Christ shall owne this for a Name so shall the Church too In the former Name we see how Christ is offered even to be Lord and Righteousness In the latter how the Church receives him that is to be her Righteousness and to be her Lord. In the former we see God in Christ not imputing sin but imputing righteousness without workes In the latter we see faith in Christ justifying through laying hold on and applying Christs righteousness as that alone by which the Church shall account her self righteous but together herewith submitting to be guided and Governed by Christ as Lord so we find These two great truths in these Names The righteousness which justifies is not our own at all but only Christ's and this and this alone is sufficient to justify no other is nedeed no other is required For observe 'T is not the Law our righteousness 't is not love to Christ and evangelical Obedience flowing from it which is our righteousness but the Lord himself our righteousness not any thing we do as Servants but what the Lord of the Law becoming a Servant to it hath done By this it 's evident the gross Popish Doctrine of the Merit of mens works and justification thereby will not be the Doctrine taught or received in the New Heavens New Jerusalem-Light will shew the Vanity of this Doctrine And as for that more refined and Spiritualized piece of Popery and therefore the more dangerous which is but of Yester-day up amongst us and is owned by such who have the persons and parts of the propagators of it in admiration and therefore are so ready to own their pernicious Paradoxes viz. that Evangelical obedience is to be taken in as that Righteousness by which we are to be justified for so they understand James when he saith a Man is justified by works although James himself gives ground enough for another sence when he sayth shew me thy faith by thy works I say this Popery nay this Socinianisme will be quite shut out of the New Heavens also and shall pass away as a Morning Cloud before the New Jerusalem-Light For this shall be the Churches Name then as well as Christs The Lord our Righteousness And this New Doctrine then will be found amongst the Old things which must pass away And amongst the works of the Earth which are to be burnt up And then also Christ shall appear as Lord and Saints shall say other Lords have had Dominion over us but now will we make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 and will henceforth call thee by this Name The Lord our righteousness and will account this our glory to be called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness This Name implies thus much as given to Christ He that hath made Christ Righteousness hath made him also Lord and in that the Churches of the New Heavens shall be called by this Name it shews that all of that Church shall take Christ as for Righteousness so also for a Lord. Christ shall be called by this Name and therein God joyns these two together Christ as Righteousness and Christ as Lord. And what God joyns together his People will not put asunder for they shall be owned and called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness taking Christ for Lord as well as for Righteousness Thus the Light of that glorious day which is to come will be a day discovering Light 2. 'T will be a healing Light and that in Saints and among Saints First in the Saints that is in their hearts and Consciences All Wounds made there will be healed all horrors all disquieting thoughts and fears there will Vanish before that Light which shall shine into the heart For as 't is foretold Mal. 4.2 The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings The full and compleat accomplishment of this
Promise will be at Christ's Second coming as is evident from what follows Ye shall go forth that is from your bondage and Tread down that they shall be ashes under the Soules of your feet which was not done at his first coming Now observe this Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings what are the Wings of this Sun the Beams of this Sun are its Wings which coming into the Heart shall heal it of all its Wounds which the killing Letter shall make which the Conviction of Sin especially against Christ in Piercing persecuting slighting Christ shall have made So we find concerning the Jews when Christ shall first appear they shall remember their piercing of Christ which will then pierce through their own Souls and shall cause them to mourn and be in bitterness as for a first-born Zach. 12.10 and Rev. 1.7 The first effect of Christ's appearing will be a great mourning and wailing but quickly after this comes healing for the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and will restore health and heal all these Mourners of their Wounds I shall mention two places of Scripture for the clearing of this one is Jer. 31.18 c. I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thou hast chastised me and I was chastised turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Ten Tribes none can say that the fulfilling of this Prophecy is past already for no such thing hath been yet done amongst the Ten Tribes Now when Ephraim shall thus bemoan himself what shall the Lord say That we see verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him And thus the Lord will quickly comfort Ephraim and give the Oyl of Joy for Mourning The other place is Isa 33.24 When Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down When the Jews shall say The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King as verse 20.22 Then at that time no inhabitant of Jerusalem no man walking in the light of it shall say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Sin shall be forgiven and every Saint shall know it and have assurance of it as is evident from that Promise None shall say I am sick Surely if there be knowledge of Sin and no assurance of Pardon the Soul will be sick with Sin guilt remaining in the Conscience will trouble it so long as 't is there but no Inhabitant shall say I am sick therefore all shall have assurance of the forgiveness of their sins and this assurance shall continue with them Secondly 'T will be a healing light amongst the Saints many Rents have been made in the Church Saints by their divisions have made wounds amongst themselves through divisions there have been great thoughts of heart great heart-burnings and thence have they come to that Paul complains of amongst the Galatians Chap. 5.15 even to biting and devouring one another Now the Light of that Great Day of the Lord will heal all Wounds which have been made amongst the Saints by Rents and Divisions for Christ will spread his wings even the beams of his light which shall then most gloriously shine forth and he shall gather all the Saints under his wings as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and so will restore health to them and heal them of their wounds This we have set forth Zeph. 3.8 9. Wait ye upon me saith the Lord till the day that I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdomes to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealously We may observe what an admirable harmony of Prophecies there is This is the same in substance with that Prophecy of Gog and Magog in Ezek. and also with that great gathering of the Nations to the Battel of Armageddon Now consider what great mercy God will at that time bring forth to his People Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Lord to serve him with one consent There shall be one Lip and Language and that a pure one and so there shall not be divisions amongst the Saints but they shall all speak the same things and be perfectly United together of the same mind and the same Judgment 2. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of great purity this we see foretold Ezek. 36.25 c. Great Promises are made to the Jews to be fulfilled in the latter days and amongst other things 't is promised that they shall be made a very pure and holy People Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean and from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you a new spirit will I put within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes God promises that this shall go with their outward Mercies verse 33. What time I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will cause you to dwell in the Cities and the desolate places shall be built up Psa 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness What is meant by the Beauties of Holiness the Church is meant hereby this is an ordinary Periphrasis of the Church say our Annotators the Sanctuary was so called Psa 29.2 Worship the Lord in the beauties of holiness that is in the Sanctuary the true Church is always holy but then it shall be much more eminently holy it shall be even the Beauties of Holiness that is very beautiful and glorious in holiness yea it shall be the beauties of holiness having variety of Graces even all meeting together and appearing in their beauty without spot or wrinkle or any such thing As the Sanctuary was called the beauty of holiness even the typical Sanctuary so then tho true spiritual Sanctuary shall be called the beauty of holiness and be as perfect and exact in true holiness as the worldly Sanctuary was in ceremonial and typical holiness Isa 35.8 There shall be an high-way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it But it shall be for those the wayfaring-men though Fools shall not err therein There hath been an high-way of Prophaneness an high-way of Superstition of Antichristian Idolatry and great multitudes have gone in this way and the ways of Sion have been desolate very few have gone in these but at last that high-way of Prophaneness Idolatry c. will become desolate and the way of Holiness and Godliness will be the great
of Light and Holiness which shall be due to that state and shall perform the Service which shall be required of them in that station And these Churches without shall have gate holiness court-holiness court-attainments and Outer Temple perfection communion and comforts and the others shall have Inner Temple holiness perfection and consolations The like may be said of the City there is the beloved City New Jerusalem Rev. 26.9 and there is the camp of the Saints like the camp of Israel when the Tribes marched and pitched in order about the Tabernacle and is set forth by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Septuagint to set forth the camp of Israel This camp will consist of called Iews and converted Gentiles even the Nations of them which shall be saved and shall walk in the light of the New Ierusalem for New Ierusalem light shall fill the breadth of the Land of Immanuel and every little chamber of the gates hath a window to let in New Ierusalem light into it This camp of the Saints will be urbs mobilis castrensis a moveable and Tent City and the New Ierusalem urbs fixa The former will answer the Church of Israel dwelling in Tents and the later the state of that Church when Ierusalem was the City chosen of God to place his Name in So then there will be at that time when the Iews shall be called Saints in two different states that is glorified and not glorified That there will be glorified ones shall be after proved and that there shall be some not glorified I shall prove by this Argument There will be marrying and begetting of children in that time which cannot be among the raised Saints for they marry not neither are given in marriage therefore there must be Saints in an inferiour state among whom this will be And that some Saints shall beget children then is evident from chap. 47.22 Ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be to you as born in the land among the children of Israel This likewise is manifest from Isa 59.20 21. The redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Iacob As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever This Promise concerns the Iews when they shall be called for by this the Apostle proves their calling Rom. 11.26 Now after their calling they shall have Seed and Seeds Seed Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations Isa 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their of-spring among the people Isa 65.23 They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their of-spring with them The Promise is to them and their of-spring who shall all be sanctified ones and the blessed of the Lord. The curse of Adam shall not then rest upon any of the Saints children but they shall have the blessing of Abraham Prop. 6. This Temple and City this Church and Common-wealth which was constituted and framed according to an Heavenly pattern Moses did all according to the pattern in the Mount and Solomon built the Temple after the form which was shewn to David by the Spirit 1 Chron. 28.12 So Christ shall build this Temple according to the heavenly pattern All shall be done by line and measure and every part shall have its due proportion so that it will be a Spiritual House fitly framed growing into an holy Temple chap. 40.3 Ezekiel saw a man whose appearance was as Brass with a line of Flax and a measuring Reed This is Christ who shall do his Work exactly and according to rule Prop. 7. There were some things commanded to the Jews of old which are not mentioned in the description of this Temple and City and the not mentioning of them with other Jewish Rites and Ordinances here spoken of doth argue the Perfection which the Church here described shall have above what it had under Moses or any time since Now to shew this consider 1. There was a Candlestick for Light both in the Tabernacle and Temple much is spoken of it as Exod. 25.31 and in other places this was a Type of Gospel-Churches which are called Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.20 and the two Witnesses are called two Candlesticks Rev. 11.4 A Candlestick is to hold forth light in a dark place And when Gospel-Churches are called Candlesticks it notes Churches which shall be in a time of darkness when a Candle is useful Thus in John's time there was much darkness upon the face of the earth John 1.5 The light shineth in darkness And the two prophesying Witnesses are Lights shining in Darkness Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness hath covered the greatest part of the World and the few Witnesses of Christ have been Candlesticks holding forth the true light in a dark time and place But in the description of this Temple and City we read nothing of a Candlestick or light of a Candle Whence may be concluded that the state of the Church here fore-told will be much more glorious in respect of Light and Knowledge than as yet it hath been Rev. 22.5 it 's said the New Jerusalem hath no need of a Candle And then even in the portions of the Tribes that will be made good Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun seven-fold That degree of Scripture-light which now shines in the World being compared with that which shall shine hereafter is but as the light of the Moon to the light of the Sun 't is but as the lesser Light ruling the Night but then it shall be as the greater Light ruling the Day And as now is a time of much darkness in the World so a great matter of comfort it is that we may say as the Apostle Rom. 13.12 The Night is far spent and the Day is at hand The Night in which Antichrist reigns and wild Beasts are abroad seeking their Prey is very far spent and the Day of the Son of Man is at hand And when this Day comes the Church shall be no longer a Candlestick but a glorious Light upon the top of a Mountain and all Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness shall pass away and the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea There shall be abundance of light and knowledge Idols shall be abolished and there shall not be Athism in the World As there is not Atheism in Hell but Devils and damned Spirits know that there
is a God so in this time of such glorious light there shall not be Atheism amongst the unconverted ones in the world And this is a reason why the Devil endeavours so much to fill the world with Atheism now because he knows his time is short of being Ruler of the darkness of this world and the day is at hand in which the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord And when the Morning of this Day shall come then the wild Beasts shall lay them down in their Dens and not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain of God And men shall be ashamed to commit those abominations which now the world is so full of They that be drunken are drunk in the Night But in that Day they shall be sober and civilly and morally good who shall be without saving grace 2. There were Laws given to the Jews concerning the Lepers both for the tryal of them and removing them from the Camp when pronounced unclean and it was supposed there might be a Leper of the house of Aaron Lev. 22.4 Thus hitherto it hath been in the Church much of spiritual Leprosie hath been found there and even amongst those of the seed of Aaron but we find not any thing here of such Laws What may be concluded hence but that at this time there will be no Lepers in Israel Spiritual Leprosie shall not appear amongst any in Churches to occasion their removal from them Rev. 21.27 In the New Jerusalem there shall be nothing that defileth 3. There was a Law about blessing and cursing in Israel Deu. 27.12 The blessings were to be pronounced from Gerizim and the curses from Ebal but we find not any command here for cursing any in Israel There wil be that day blessing but not cursing in Israel Jer. 31.23 It shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness But as it is Rev. 22.3 there shall be no more curse All shall have the blessing of Abraham and none the curse of Ishmael to be cast out There shall not be an Anathema Maranatha for any of the Church then 4. There were Laws about the redemption of Inheritances Lev. 25.25 If thy Brother be waxen poor and sell his possession and any of his Kin come to redeem it then he shall redeem that which his Brother sold But we read not any thing here of selling or redeeming Inheritances because no Brother shall at this time wax poor aâ—â— sell his Inheritance Now 't is as Christ said Thâ— Poor ye have always with you but then there shall be no Poor in the Land They that obtain that Kingdom which is to come shall have all other things added to them Christ will not be then Hungry Naked Sick or in prison in any of his Members 5. There were Laws concerning such as had familiar Spirits and were Wizards Lev. 20.27 A man or a woman that hath a familiar Spirit or is a Wizard shall surely be put to death But at this time there shall not be such in the Land of Immanuel nay not amongst the unconverted ones Evil Spirits shall not be Familiar Spirits to any then for they shall be all bound and shut up in the bottomless Pit 6. There were Laws for tryal of Jealousie which was the bitter water that caused the curse which the suspected woman was to drink Now as among the Tribes in the Land and among the sacred Nations there will be Marrying so none that shall defile themselves either by Fornication or Adultery No Adulterers or Effeminate shall be in that Kingdom of God but all shall possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour Prop. 8. This will be a time in which God will honour those that honour him which is promised 1 Sam. 2.30 And in this time and state of the Church it shall be eminently made good This may be concluded from Chap. 44.16 The Priests the Levites the Sons of Zadok which keep the charge of my Sanctuary when the Children of Israel went astray from me they shall come near to minister unto me As for the Levites that went astray after Idols and made the Children of Israel go astray â—hey shall bear their iniquities and not come near 〈◊〉 the Office of a Priest v. 10.13 but I will make them keepers of the charge of the house Here two things are to be opened 1. What this hath reference to under the Old Testament that is when did the Sons of Zadok shew themselves faithful in keeping the charge of the Sanctuary and when did the Levites go astray themselves and cause Israel to go astray 2. What this foretels in reference to the times here meant For the first Let it be considered who were the Levites going astray and when and how they went astray and next wherein the Faithfulness of Zadock and his Sons appeared As for the Levites that went astray they were those of the stock of Eli. It 's said of his two Sons Hophni and Phineas they were Sons of Belial and knew not the Lord and therefore God denounced a Judgment 1 Sam. 2.20 I said that thy house should walk before me but now be it far from me And upon this God said v. 16. I will raise me up a faithful Priest which was fulfilled when Abiathar followed Adonijah and Zadock was made Priest in his room And those Levites went astray in two things 1. Eli's Sons made a God of their Belly and offered to that Idol what was brought to be offered to the Lord. Their custom was 1 Sam. 2.13 14. When any man offered Sacrifice the Priests Servant came while the Flesh was in seething with a Fleshhook of three Teeth and struck it into the Pan and all that the Fleshhook brought up the Priest took to himself v. 15. Thus the Sin of the young men was very great for men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. 2. Abiather who was of the Stock of Eli went after Adonijah and no doubt drew some other of the Levites with him and by this the iniquity of Eli's House came to be full which brought the Judgment threatned as we see 1 Kings 2.27 Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest that he might fulfill the Word of the Lord which he spake concerning the House of Eli. Next as touching Zadock's Faithfulness that was seen in his keeping with David and anointing Solomon 1 Kings 1.39 and many faithful Priests descended from him as Jehoiada whose faithfulness was eminent in hiding Joash and after bringing him forth and giving order for the slaying of Athalia Matth. 23.35 mention is made of Zacharias who was slain betwixt the Temple and the Altar Ezra also was of the Posterity of Zadock Ezra 7.2 2. As for what this foretels observe these particulars 1. When Idols shall be abolished many that have gone after them may find mercy and favour As for Idols they shall be abolished Isa 2.18 But many that go after them may be spared
of restitution of all things shall keep a Sabbath how much more is it now to be done when Saints have so much need of it The Sabbath is made for man that is for man's benefit and advantage secondarily as principally for God's glory that he might be praised for the Works of Six Days And the Christian Sabbath is to be kept that God may be glorified for the work of Redemption and of a new Creation And when the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be created there will be a New Command for it like that New Command of Love John 13.34 And then the Saints shall say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things In the beginning the Heavens and Earth and all the Host of them And now the New Heavens and Earth are finished and all the Hosts of them And for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4.11 All things in the beginning were created and now he that sits upon the Throne hath made all things new And as a Sabbath will be kept by the Jews so in a most strict manner If thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight Many keep a Sabbath now but do not call it a delight But then it shall be the Saints delight Next The Holy of the Lord. The Jews shall acknowledge it to be Jure Divino They shall not look upon it as a Humane Institution and call it the Holy of Men but the Holy of the Lord because made Holy by him And also holy to the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own works nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words which now even the best are too apt to do Consid 5. A Passeover will be kept in the Kingdom of God Ezek. 45.21 In the first moneth in the fourteenth day of the moneth ye shall have the Passeover a feast of seven days and in that day shall the Prince prepare for himself and the people of the land a sin-offering and a burnt-offering and a meat-offering verse 22 23 24. Christ and the Saints shall keep this Passeover and Feast together Compare herewith Luke 22.16 where after Christ had declared his earnest desire to eat of that Passeover he adds I will not any more eat thereof till it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God 'T is observed by Ainsworth on Exod. 12.11 that seven famous Passeovers are recorded in Scripture The first that which Israel kept in Egypt Exod. 12. The second in the Wilderness Num. 9. The third when the Israelites first entered into Canaan in the Valley of Achor Josh 5.10 The fourth in the Reformation of Israel by King Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30. The fifth under Josias 2 Chro. 35. The sixth by Israel returning out of Babylon The seventh by Christ and his Disciples And we may observe how the true Gospel-Passeover came in the room of the Legal Passeover and what times and occasions answerable to the former there have been and will be for keeping a spiritual Passeover 1. The true Passeover hath been slain in Egypt 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us And as the Israelites having the Bloud of the Lamb upon their Door-posts the destroying Angel passed over them so Believers having the Bloud of sprinkling upon them may be sure that wrath and vengeance shall pass over them and they may and ought to keep the Feast by rejoycing in the Grace of God towards them and in their Peace with him and also in hope of the Glory of God and should abundantly bless God for giving Christ for them so should they keep the Feast Q. But how was Christ our Passeover slain in Egypt A. There is that which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 11.8 The great City there spoken of is Rome and by a Synecdoche is put for the Roman Jurisdiction which then did extend it self over Iudaea and by the Roman Power was Christ crucified for the Romans way of putting to death was crucifying So Christ was slain in Egypt spiritually so called that is in the Roman Dominion 2. A spiritual Passeover hath been kept in the Wilderness for the Church hath been driven into the Wilderness by Antichrist and there hath been preserved and nourished being fed with Angels food and much experience of Gods goodness hath been given for meat to the people inhabiting the Wilderness So that even here the Saints have had the great privilege of keeping the Feast and eating their spiritual Passeover whereby the Woman hath been nourished in the Wilderness 3. There have been some times of Reformation and of the Gospels prevailing and some enlargement of the Church from Antichristian Tyranny and Bondage and thereby a ground of keeping the Feast as in the times of Hezekiah and Josiah all being the fruit of Christ their Passeover sacrificed for them 4. The calling of the Jews and the glorious estate of the Church in that time is believed and waited for and not in vain for the Valley of Achor shall be given them for a Door of Hope and Vineyards from thence and then there will be a time for the Iews keeping this Passeover and Feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 5. Babylon must fall and be destroyed for ever and the Churches Redemption which draws nigh will come The man of sin hath been consuming by the Spirit of Christs mouth and will shortly be destroyed by the brightness of his coming and Christ shall take to himself his great power and reign And then shall the Passeover be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God and the Prince and People of the Land shall eat it together And as Christ and his Disciples had a personal communion in eating the Typical Passeover so shall they in eating the true Passeover Q. But how shall Christ being the Passeover eat it A. The Saints shall eat this Passeover and keep the Feast and Christ with them Saints shall eat it by looking on Christ as once slain for them They will rejoyce in what Christ hath done for and is to them even Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And then Christ also will keep the Feast that is he will rejoyce with the Saints as having been their Passeover slain for them and as having by his Spirit made them new creatures The benefits of his Death and Mediation and blessings of his Kingdom which then the Saints shall be partakers of will be his great delight and as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so will Christ over the Saints They shall eat and rejoyce in what they receive from Christ and he in what he gives to them And as he said 't is more blessed to give than to receive so shall he rejoyce more in what he gives to the Saints than they can in what they receive from him And as Saints shall offer praise so Christ with them Once he said Father I thank thee that thou hast revealed
no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus and then there shall be no Correction to them And as all the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant to the Lord so all the Dispensations of God shall be pleasant to Judah and Jerusalem Thus much concerning the Sacrifices mentioned in this Prophecy both for the kinds of them and what they signifie Now for the farther clearing of the holiness of these Sacrifices consider two things 1. There will be an Altar sanctifying them For we read of an Altar Chap. 43.13 And a measured Altar being of God's appointment These are the Measures of the Altar Which was not meant of any material Altar set up after the Return from Babylon But as the Apostle speaks of the true Tabernacle so this here is the true Altar which God hath erected and not Man even that mentioned Heb. 13.10 We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Christ in respect of his Godhead is this Altar sanctifying the Gifts which are offered upon it 1. Christ gave himself and the Altar sanctified this Gift the Divine Nature being the Altar that sanctified the Humane Nature and made the Sacrifice to be of infinite value and worth and altogether sufficient to take away Sin As Man's sin had infinite evil in it so Christ's Obedience to Death and the Righteousness which he fulfilled brought infinite Glory to God he being an infinite Person who fulfilled the Righteousness and so the Offence is made void thereby 2. This Altar sanctifies Believers and their Gifts offered upon it Isa 56.7 Their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar Rev. 8.3 Christ adding Incense offers up the Prayers of Saints upon the Golden Altar Now this occasion being given for unfolding somewhat of the Mystery of the Altar three things more may be added for a farther discovery thereof 1. The Names given to the Altar are worthy of observation and here are two Names by which it is called in one Verse Chap. 43.15 The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mountain of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lion of God Certainly there is much of Mystery in these Names We do not find the Altar called by these Mames elsewhere in Scripture onely Isa 29.1 The City Jerusalem is called by this Name probably because of the Altar there I shall take notice of the latter Name in the first place The Lion of God so called because the Altar did devour the Beasts offered upon it as the Lion doth his Prey which may have some signification here For 1. The Sacrifices brought to this Altar will be slain and the Fire of it will devour Flesh in them and consume it But yet when Nature as corrupt shall be slain a Divine Nature shall live and so the Sacrifices will be living Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 And the reasonable Creature being renewed shall perform reasonable service Those that come to this Altar are crucified with Christ yet live as Paul said of himself Gal. 2.20 A Saint laid on this Altar is dead as carnal but lives by Christ living in him When Christ was offered as Man he died but the Altar the Divine Nature did live which as it did sanctifie so afterwards it did enliven the Sacrifice again Thus 't is with the Saints they are put to death in the flesh but live in the Spirit by this living Altar And thus the power of this Altar will more eminently appear in destroying Flesh and corrupt Nature in the Saints of that Glorious Church which is to be in the World 2. This Altar will be a Lion of God to its Enemies who shall be a Prey to it Enemies it hath Some deny its Being as the Divine Nature of Christ this the Arrians did of old the Socinians do it now And as these would make void this Altar in its Being so there are others who go about to make it void in its use that is as an Altar Thus the Papists who would find out other ways for acceptance with God as their own Merits and Saints Mediation Now this Lion of God will at last rise up to the Prey and devour all its Enemies True he couches now but these Enemies will not leave stirring and provoking till they rouze him up and then he shall destroy them at once Rev. 6.9 10. The Souls under the Altar cry how long O Lord dost thou not avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth And it was answered That they must rest till their Brethren which are to be killed as they should be fulfilled And then as Rev. 14.18 An Angel shall come out from the Altar having Power over Fire crying with a loud voice unto him that hath the sharp Sickle saying thrust in thy Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe Now when the Altar hath done its Work as the Lion of God what shall it be then and how shall it appear Then it shall be called by this name Harel the Mountain of God The Enemies of this Altar have endeavoured to obscure it and to hinder any from coming to it or looking towards it The Gentiles possessing the outward Court do hide this Altar so that 't is seen but by a few viz. The measured Worshippers in the Temple And these Gentiles set up other Altars as Jeroboam did to hinder Men from coming to this Yet this Altar remains and there are true Worshippers that come to it by Faith and offer their Gifts upon it Rev. 11.1 But when this Glorious Temple shall be built then this Altar shall appear For the Gentiles that hide it shall be driven out of the outward Court and Christ shall be then more clearly seen as Priest Sacrifice and Altar For when the Temple of God shall be opened as the Ark of his Testament so the Altar shall be seen and that as the Mountain of God before which all other Altars will be â—hrown down for ever Christ will be gloriously visible as God-Man as King Priest Prophet and Altar And when the Name of this Altar shall be the Mountain of God then the Souls under the Altar and hid with Christ in God shall stand before it and Christ appearing they shall appear with him in Glory 2. We read of the Settle of this Altar Chap. 45.19 The Blood was to be put upon the Settle of the Altar And Chap. 43.14 mention is made of the greater and the lesser Settle What may we conceive to be meant hereby Surely as the Divine Nature is the Altar so the Humane Nature is the Settle thereof For in the Humane Nature of Christ did the fulness of the Godhead settle and there it dwells Bodily And this is the greater Settle of the Altar And as the Apostle saith Hebrews 13.10 We have an Altar so those that have this Altar are the lesser Settle of it and in special as chiefly here meant that Glorious Church which shall be after the
in the New Jerusalem then he shall not be ignorant of the People of the Land but as the holy Angels know the Saints on Earth so shall the New Jerusalem glorified Saints know those not glorified Rev. 4.1 c. We have a Representation of this City as now in Heaven but chiefly as it shall be on Earth for 't is said I will shew thee things which shall be hereafter And what was shewn him A Throne set in Heaven and one that sat upon it like Jasper with a Rain-bow about his head To assure the Saints that there shall be no more any Deluge of trouble and adversity There are Four and twenty Seats and Four and twenty Elders which are glorified Saints in the Mansions prepared for them they have Crowns of Gold they Reign with Christ in the New Jerusalem And as Christ will have Work for them so they shall be fitted for it The four Beasts have the Face of a Man that is Wisdom and Understanding Of an Ox Strength for Work Of a Lion that is Courage And of a flying Eagle they shall make haste and not delay to do the Will and Work of God Then the Kingdom so long prayed for will come and the Will of God shall be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Consid 4. This City is to be taken two ways more strictly and more largely 1. More strictly as distinct from Suburbs and the portions of land without it having twelve Gates c. 2. More largely as comprehending all that belong to it and shall be under the Government of it and shall walk in the Light of it and partake in its Liberties and Priviledges Thus the Tribes and Strangers with them in their Lots and Portions shall belong to the New Jerusalem and be reckoned to be of it As the Great City Babylon more strictly taken is Rome which is said to Reign over the Kings of the Earth But as more largely taken it comprehends all the Nations that walk in the Darkness of it which wonder after and worship the Beast and are under his Power So the New Jerusalem more properly is that which cometh down from Heaven but comprehends also all that walk in the Light of it And as Babylon hath ten parts so New Jerusalem twelve parts even a Portion for each Tribe Consid 5. the Dominion of Christ the King in this Great City shall be extended over the whole World For as he shall Reign in the New Jerusalem and there have his Throne so he shall in that Day be King over all the Earth Zachar. 14.9 And all even Saints and not Saints shall be subject to him although in a different manner Chap. 46.16 The Prince is said to have Servants and Sons which two Names will take in all The Sons are such as shall be born of God and made after God and all besides will be comprehended under the Name of Servants who shall be under the Dominion of Christ and be made to submit to such Laws which Christ shall give for the Government of the unconverted Nations who from slavish fear at least and haply from some taste they will have of the benefit of his Government shall become Servants to him as King of Nations Jer. 7.10 he is so called There shall be a time in which all shall fear him either filially or slavishly The Sons out of an awful respect shall with Love and Delight serve Christ as King of Saints the Servants because they must shall submit to his Government See Psa 18.44 Psa 66.3 See the Hebrew For the farther Illustration of this let Zach. 14.16 be considered Every one left of the Nations who shall escape the destruction of that Day for all found in actual opposition against Christ in that Day will be cut off shall come up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and shall keep the Feast of Tabernacles Here are large Expressions taking in all For all shall worship Christ either as Sons or as Servants and keep the Feast of Tabernacles And to know what is meant hereby we must consider on what ground the Jews kept this Feast Now we find first 1. That in this Feast the Israelites were to dwell in Booths and to rejoyce before the Lord who had brought them out of Aegypt Lev. 23.43 Now in answer to this the Nations shall acknowledge a great benefit in Christ's taking off the Antichristian and all other Tyrannical Yokes from them and by his reigning in Righteousness whereby every Man shall sit under his Vine and Fig-tree The Servants under their Vines and Fig-trees of outward Peace Plenty and Prosperity and the Sons under their better Vines which shall yield them abundance of Spiritual Blessings they shall abide in Christ the true Vine under whose shadow they shall sit with great delight 2. The Feast of Tabernacles was kept to acknowledge the Goodness of God in blessing them in all the Works of their Hands and in all their Increase Deut. 16.15 Thus the Lord shall wonderfully bless the Nations in the works of their Hands and give them great Increase which they shall acknowledge to be a benefit of his Government and thus they shall keep this Feast 3. In the Feast of Tabernacles the Law was to be read that they might observe to do all the works of it Deut. 31.11 Thus the Nations shall own all the Laws of Christ for their Government in Righteousness and shall submit to them All therefore shall keep this Feast but in different manner The Servants shall worship the King the Lord of Hosts but the Sons shall worship the Lord their God and David their King Hos 3.5 The Servants shall fear the Lord and his wrath and justice The Sons shall fear the Lord and his Goodness The Servants shall serve the Lord and the King The Sons their Lord and their King And here it may be farther observed That as all shall be subject to Christ so he will give Rewards to all though not in like manner but suitably to their Service The Servants shall have an outward and temporal Reward for external Subjection the Sons a Spiritual and Eternal Reward The Servants like Abraham's Children by the Concubines shall have Gifts for a time The Sons an Inheritance for ever The Servants shall have an Esau's Portion the Dew of Heaven and the Fatness of the Earth The Sons a Jacob's Portion the Lord or their God an exceeding great Reward The Servant shall have such a Reward of outward Peace Plenty and Prosperity as to be able to say as Esau I have enough The Son such a Reward as to be able to say as Jacob I have all This may be gathered from Chap. 46.16 17. If the Prince give a Gift to any of his Sons the Inheritance thereof shall be his Sons they shall have it as joynt Heirs with Christ and it shall not be taken from them But if he give a Gift to one of his Servants of his Inheritance then it shall
should serve him so as that the Lord shall be King over all the earth and his Kingdom shall be the stone which shall break in pieces the great Image and become a great Mountain and shall fill the whole Earth Thus Christ shall reign sitting on his own Throne Next let it be considered how the Saints shall sit with him upon his Throne and reign with him This is not meant of the state of Glory in Heaven for Christ doth not there sit upon his own Throne and therefore they do not sit with him upon it but behold his Glory Consider the Saints own sense Rev. 5.10 The four beasts and four and twenty elders say We shall reign upon the earth This is the sense of the Saints in Heaven and shall any on the Earth contradict the sense of Heaven This is confirmed Dan. 7.26 The Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end and then the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints Rev. 2.26 To him that overcometh will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron even as I received of my Father The Saints shall judge the World and govern the Nations yea the Saints shall judge Angels also Mar. 16.17 In my Name shall they cast out Devils This Paul did Acts 16.18 I command thee in the Name of Jesus that thou come out of her Such a power some have had in the time of the Old Heavens and Earth much more may it be conceived of the Saints of the New Heavens and Earth And as the Saints have been cast into Prison by Satan Rev. 2.10 So why may not Saints have power to cast him into Prison suitable to that promise They shall take them Captives whose Captives they have been and rule over their Oppressors And therefore as Saints shall have this honour to bind the Nobles of Babylon with Links of Iron so it 's possible they may have a farther honour eved to bind evil Spirits with Chains and to clear the Earth and Air of them and to command them in the Name of Jesus out of the World into the bottomless Pit and there shut them up and keep them close Prisoners during the One thousand years Observe farther this promise was made to the overcoming Saints in John's time They must rule the Nations and be raised to reign Arg. 2. It 's most evident from Scripture that the Church shall have in the last Days a very Peaceable and Glorious Estate upon Earth The Prophesies concerning it are so many and so manifest that it can't be denied Isa 54.11 and Isa 60. It 's also evident that this State will be of long continuance Peace so long as the Moon endureth Mine Elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands As the new Heavens and new Earth shall remain before me so shall your Seed and your Name remain Isa 66.22 It 's also evident that Ancichrist must be destroyed the Beast and the false Prophet must be taken and Satan bound up before the Church shall have its Liberty and Peace for whilst they have power they will be troubling the Saints Lastly It 's evident that there will be a personal coming of Christ when these things shall be accomplished For 1. There will be a personal coming of Christ when Antichrist shall be destroyed 2 Thess 2.8 The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth and destroy him with the Brightness of his coming Which is not meant of a Spiritual coming for this is included in the former expression of consuming with the Spirit of his Mouth therefore it must be meant of a Personal coming 2. When this Glorious time shall begin Christ will come the second time This is evident from two places the first is Matth. 24.30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the Sun shall be darkned c. What tribulation is this v. 21. There shall be great tribulation such as was not since there was a Nation This is the great Tribulation spoken of by Daniel and Zachary now when this Tribulation shall end and the Glorious State shall begin then shall they see the Sign of the Son of Man and immediately after the Son of Man himself From hence it 's most evident that the second coming of Christ will be at the beginning of this blessed time For immediately after the tribulation of those Days Christ comes So that if there shall be a quiet and peaceable estate of the Church as 't is most evident there shall be then the personal Presence and Reign of Christ must be acknowledged The second place is Acts 3.19 20. Repent that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. This is his Personal presence In the worst of times the Saints have had refreshing from his Spiritual presence but the great refreshing times will be from his Personal presence and the following words do evidently set forth this sense For as he is now in Heaven so shall he be on Earth The Heavens receive him personally and therefore when the times of Restitution come the Earth shall receive him personally 3. When Christ shall come his Kingdom shall come 2 Tim. 4.1 Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and Kingdom Then a King shall reign in righteousness Isa 32.1 Arg. 3. When the time of the Marriage of the Lamb shall come then the Lamb himself shall come the Bridegroom must be present at the Marriage Hence we find mention made of the Bridegroom 's coming and their going in with him to the Marriage who shall be ready Matth. 25.6.18 which must be understood of his Personal coming Here four things are to be considered 1. Who is to be the Bride the Lamb's Wife Now the New Jerusalem-Saints will be the Bride Rev. 21.2 I saw the holy City New Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband So those that shall come with Christ and be gathered to him at and after his coming shall be the Bride the Lamb's Wife 2 Thess 2.1 I beseech you by the coming of Christ and our gathering to him That is To be with him in the holy City Then that will be fulfilled Two shall be in the Field one shall be taken and the other left And the raised Saints and those that shall be taken into the holy City will be the Lamb's Wife 2. What is meant by the Lamb's Marriage For this we may consider that when any are converted they are espoused to Christ and take him for their Husband and Christ loves and cherisheth them No man hateth his own flesh but loveth and cherish it as the Lord the Church Ephes 5.29 So all true Saints on Earth are espoused to Christ in Heaven 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband that is Christ But though espoused 't is to an Husband absent from them As for this
and and Government This Kingdom will come with observation For as the Lightning shineth from one part under Heaven to the other so shall the Son of Man be in his day Then Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets shall be seen in the Kingdom of God and they shall come from the East and the West and North and South and shall sit down with them in that Kingdom Matth. 13.28 29. which hints a Kingdom on Earth for the East West North and South-parts of the Earth are not so called in relation to Heaven but with reference to some place on Earth For the farther clearing of this we may observe That there are in the Government two eminent prefigurations of this Kingdom The first is Christ's riding in triumph into Jerusalem Matth. 21.8 The Multitude spread their Garments and cut down Branches from the Trees and cried Hosanna to the Son of David blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Mark 11.10 Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David that comes in the Name of the Lord It came then in a small degree of it And when Christ shall come in his Kingdom at last then the Jews shall see him and say as the Multitudes did then Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Matth. 23.39 And that which Christ did then seems to foretell two things which he shall do at his coming 1. He shall purge his Temple When he rode into Jerusalem he went to the Temple of God and cast out those that bought and sold in it Christ will throughly purge his Temple when he comes and make it the House of Prayer The Church shall be a Mountain of Holiness and that new World the Habitation of Justice 2. Christ will heal Infirmities v. 14. The Blind and the Lame came to him in the Temple and he healed them At his first coming he healed all manner of bodily Infirmities At his next he will heal not only bodily but spiritual Infirmities more eminently than at his first coming The second prefiguration of Christ's coming was his transfiguration of which we read Mat. 17.2 Christ said Chap. 16.28 There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom And we may observe to whom Christ spake this It was to his Disciples v. 24. Jesus said to his Disciples and so continues his Speech to them till he spake these words Now although Mark saith that he called the People to him with his Disciples yet he directs his Speech to the Disciples especially and therefore we may conceive that when he said there be some standing here c. he means some of his Disciples and not all of them and then it follows After six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John So they were the same here meant And his transfiguration before them was a type of his coming in his Kingdom This sense hath a great confirmation from 2 Pet. 1.16 17. We have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty As if he had said the power and coming of Christ was that which was shewn us for when we saw him on the Holy mount with his Face shining and his Rayment glistering we saw his power and coming and the glory in which he shall appear This is meant of his second coming of which we read Chap. 3. where he speaks of the Scoffers that should ask where is the promise of his coming Many look upon this glorious truth of Christ's coming to reign upon Earth as a cunningly devised Fable but saith Peter it is not so for that which we have seen with our Eyes declare we unto you How and when did they see it When they were with him in the Holy Mount and saw him transfigured before them Then they saw it in a Praeludium of it So when Peter spake of the power and coming of Christ and of the new Heavens and new Earth 't was that which he was an Eye-witness of at his transfiguration Hence three things may be concluded 1. When Christ shall come he shall come in his Kingdom 2. The raised and changed Saints shall then appear with him in glory of which the appearing of Moses and Elias was a type 3. When Christ shall come in glory and the raised and changed Saints shall appear with him in glory then there shall be other Saints in an inferiour state who may sometimes see Christ and the glorified Saints and have some converse with them Thus was it when Peter and James and John saw as Christ so Moses and Elias and why may it not be thus after the coming of Christ We may the better conceive it seeing those Saints which shall be in an inferiour state to the glorified ones will be much better capacitated for converse with them than Peter and James and John were at that time Arg. 6. The last argument shall be taken from Rev. 20. where Satans binding Christs reign and the resurrection of the dead Saints to reign with Christ and all for one thousand years are plainly declared Take the particulars in their order 1. The binding of Satan for one thousand years Concerning which observe First the description of him that shall be bound who is set forth under several names He is called the Dragon to set forth his cruelty being full of rage and wrath and the old Serpent to note his subtilty and cunning craftiness to deceive then the Devil a caluminator the accuser of the Brethren and lastly Satan the adversary the great Enemy of God and godliness of Christ and Christianity the hater of all men but especially of the houshold of faith 1 Pet. 5.8 Your adversary the Devil Now from this variety of Names we may conclude that this binding will not be partial and in some respects onely as they say who hold that he was bound at Christs Passion or at Constantines time but total and absolute from deceiving or doing mischief in any kind whatsoever He shall be bound as a Dragon and not be able to devour persecute cast into Prison or to cast a flood out of his mouth to swallow up the Saints He shall be bound as a Serpent and not tempt or beguile As a Devil he shall not accuse the Brethren and as Satan for though he shall continue an adversary yet he shall not be an adversary going up and down as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour In a word he shall be bound up as God of this world and Prince of the power of the Air and as a spirit working in the Children of disobedience This total binding will appear by considering Secondly the manner of his binding and the restraint which will be put upon him He shall be bound and cast into the bottomless pit and a Seal set upon him his Prison will be made sure he shall not break Prison
God may suffer a false Prophet to withstand him even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses And as Elias shall perswade the Elect to follow the Lamb so this false Prophet shall seduce the Vessels of Wrath and draw them after the Beast And that Elias which shall come may have the gift of working Miracles and then as the Magicians of Egypt did seemingly some Wonders which were done by Moses and Aaron so may this false Prophet do somewhat in appearance like the Miracles of Elias 3. This Beast and false Prophet will have a most remarkable and strange Judgment executed upon them Rev. 19.20 These both were taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire that is Hell Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and the false Prophet are So the Lake of Fire is Hell and these both were cast into it Which doth not only shew that the Antichristian State and Kingdom and so the Antichrist and Man of Sin shall be destroyed but it shews that the particular Person which shall then have Supream Power and Command in the fourth Kingdom and shall stand up against the Prince of Princes and that false Prophet which shall then be so active for the Beast even these two persons shall be cast alive c. Now that we are to take the Beast and false Prophet for two Individual Persons may be gathered from Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet are This is above one thousand years after the taking of the Beast So that when the Antichristian State and Kingdom shall be wholly abolished the Beast and the false Prophet will be in torment Now this being cleared we may observe farther that they are said to be cast alive into this Lake That is destroyed Body and Soul in Hell For as this will be such a Beast as never was since there was a Beast causing such trouble to the Jews as never was since there was a Nation so he and his false Prophet shall have such Judgment as never was before Korah Dathan and Abiram went down quick into the Pit Numb Chap. 16. ver 30. For the Earth opening swallowed them up and so they were buried alive But this Beast and false Prophet shall be cast alive into Hell For at this time God's fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 And the anger of the Lord will be so exceeding hot against them for their most daring wickedness in standing up against the Prince of Princes a greater Sin than that of Korah's standing up against Moses and Aaron that he will not respite their full torment till the resurrection of the wicked above one thousand years after but then immediately shall they be cast Body and Soul into Hell and be under full torment in both And as Enoch and Elias persons so eminent for Godliness were translated that they did not see Death and were carried alive to Heaven so this Beast and false Prophet persons so eminent in wickedness shall be cast alive into Hell This sense is somewhat favoured by what follows The remnant were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest therefore these were not slain by a bodily Death but both in Soul and Body were under the power of the Second Death Thus much of these two Beasts 4. The Day of Judgment and the Worlds perishing by fire For the better understanding of what we find in Scripture concerning the Day of Judgment take notice of two things 1. Christ will begin the work of Judgment at his next appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom When Christ shall appear and the New Jerusalem shall come down and Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign then he shall judge the quick and the dead Q. What shall Christ then do as a Judge or what shall be his judging-work at the beginning of the thousand years A. 1. The dead Saints shall be raised and judged at this time which is evident from Rev. 11.15 The seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and there were Voices saying The Kingdoms of the world are beeome the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ This is at the beginning of the thousand years Now observe what is said verse 18. Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged And what dead are meant the following words declare And that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets to the Saints and to all that fear thy Name small and great So by dead in this place are meant the dead Saints and all the dead Saints even as many as fear God's Name All these shall be judged by a sentence of Absolution and shall receive he Kingdom which was promised to them 2. Christ's work at this time as a Judge will be to destroy them that destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Whence we may gather that this will not be the time of raising the Wicked but of destroying them not of raising them out of their Graves but of sending them to their Graves Which is also evident from 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth whieh are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men Here the day of Judgment is mentioned and this will be a day of perdition of ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of killing not of making them alive again And lastly The Heavens and Earth which now are shall then perish by Fire And here I shall insist a little upon these words and shew what we are to understand by the Heavens and Earth which now are and how they shall perish by fire and by this we shall see farther what the judging work of this day will be Consider then The Heavens and Earth which are now do signifie the World which now is both with respect to that which was before it and perished by Water and also to that which shall be after it and is to come even the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell And if we consider what World it was that perished by Water we shall the better know what World it is that shall perish by Fire Now the Heavens taken in a proper sense did not perish neither did the Body of the Earth perish but all the Men upon the face of the Earth perished except those in the Ark and all other living Creatures without the Ark in whom was the Breath of Life and also the Fruits of the Earth 2 Pet. 2.5 Bringing in a Flood upon the world of the ungodly This World of the Ungodly perished by water And together herewith there were Analogical Heavens and Earth which also perished by water Analogical Heavens there were which perished and those both Political and Ecclesiastical 1. Political Heavens that is the Superiour Sovereign and Ruling part of that World for as
sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black and the Moon as Blood and the Stars of Heaven fell and the Hevens departed as a scrole when it is rolled together By Heaven is meant the Roman Empire as heathenish and under the Power of Heathen Emperours 'T is well observed by Mede that Vniversitas Romana hic à spiritu sancto assimilatur systemati mundi c. That great and large Empire of Rome is likned to the frame of the World Heaven Earth and Air are the parts of the World in the Heaven are Sun Moon and Stars and here below Sea and Rivers Now the Roman Empire had its Political Heaven of Power and Sovereignty and Sun and Stars in it and all these were rolled together as a scroll the Heathenish Power did pass away And that Empire which at first was Heathenish is now Antichristian and must pass away as the former did This World must Perish by Fire For 't is observable that the Roman Empire both as Heathenish and Antichristian is called the World in Scripture Luke 2.1 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed that is the people of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.3 All the World wondered after the Beast Here 's an Antichristian World And this World even the fourth Kingdom as now under Antichrist must pass away The Sun Moon and Stars all the Host of this Heaven must perish by Fire and all the Elements thereof must melt with fervent heat For the Plagues of the Vials shall be poured out upon the Antichristian Earth Sea and Rivers and Fountains of Waters and upon the Sun so that the World wondering after this Beast shall perish And the last Vial being poured into the Air shews the utter destruction of Satan's Kingdom who is Prince of the Power of the Air. And then the great City Babylon falls and with it the Cities of the Nations and every Island must flee away and the Mountains shall be no where found neither Mountains of Pride nor Mountains of Prey Thus we see it manifest that there are Heavens and Elements both Civil and Ecclesiastical which must perish Heavens the Sovereign part of the Antichristian World Earth the Subjected part all are to be burnt up In the next place it is to be considered by what Fire For there is as Natural so Fire in an Analogical sense Now. 1. It 's not to be doubted but that Fire in a proper sense will be made use of to help forward the Judgment of that great day For as the old World perished by Water so the World which now is must by Fire Babylon which is the Seat of the Beast must be utterly burnt with Fire Rev. 18.6 Reward her as she haâ—h rewarded you Giue her blood to drink for she is worthy give her burning for she is worthy Give her blood for blood burning for burning For as she hath destroyed many of the Saints by Fire so therefore let her perish by Fire as she is spiritually called Sodom so let her be consumed by Fire like Sodom And as Elijah called for Fire from Heaven so Fire will be called for from Heaven to destroy those that destroyed the Earth And thus as Analogical Heavens perished by Water so may Heavens and Earth both Political and Ecclesiastical perish by Fire 2. Analogical Fire will be made use of for destroying the Heavens and Earth which are now And so the Fire of the Word and Spirit and judicial Fire First the Fire of the Word and Spirit Of which we read 1 Cor. 3.13 The day shall declare every Mans work of what sort it is and it shall be revealed by Fire The Gold and Silver and precious Stones shall be revealed by Fire and the Wood and Hay and Stubble shall be burnt up Antichristian Doctrine Discipline Ordinances Traditions and Forms of Worship shall be all burnt up The Tares shall be known Hypocrites shall be discovered and gathered out of the Kingdom of God and there shall be neither persons nor things in it any way offensive to any of the sincere Servants of God Secondly Judicial Fire The great Judgments of that day will be a consuming fire to the Enemies of Christ the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy one for a flame and shall consume the Bryers and Thorns fury and fiery Indignation shall then devour the Adversaries Heb. 12.29 Our God is a consuming fire In that great Day of Judgment he will so appear And then Angels as Instruments in executing Wrath will be as fire to burn up the wicked Psa 104.4 He maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flame of Fire These flames of fire will be at work to burn up as the wicked ones of the Earth so their works in the Earth at that day Thus Fire in each of these kinds will help to dissolve the Heavens which are now and to burn up the works of the Earth So that we are not to restrain or limit the Fire here mentioned to any one sort but to take it in the largest and most comprehensive sense For as there will be work for Fire in each of these kinds so all will be at work in that Day of Perdition of ungodly Men. And when the Heavens and Earth which now are shall be dissolved then will new be created wherein pure Religion and Righteousness shall dwell which will constitute that World to come which is ordained for Christ to reign in And what shall be done with these Material Heavens and Earth after the thousand years and the finishing of Christ's Judging-work none is able to determine I shall conclude this particular of the Worlds perishing by Fire with some thoughts which I have had upon Rev. 15.2 3. I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the Beast c. stand upon the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God and they sing the Song of Moses c. As the Plagues of the Vials are foretold in the general verse 1. So in the next place is shewn what great Joy will be amongst the People of God because of the great and marvellous works of God in destroying their Enemies by these Plagues and delivering them from the greatest trouble and danger that ever they were in And then follows a particular description of the Plagues of the Vials and the order in which they are to be poured out Now the second and third Verses shew that the Saints were represented to John in this Vision as being in the like condition with the Israelites when they beheld the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore and rejoyced over them For when the conquering Saints are said to stand upon the Sea of Glass and to sing the Song of Moses what doth this singing the Song of Moses intimate but that such a wonderful deliverance will be wrought at last for the People of God as that of the Israelites
shall it be to the end of these Wonders This is a great Question How long 'T was a Question once askt in Heaven The Angel said Zach. 1.12 How long O Lord And the Souls under the Altar cry How long And thus do the Followers of the Lamb on Earth How long When shall Antichrist be destroyed When shall the glorious Kingdom of Christ come The Answer is When he shall have accomplished to scatter the Power of the holy People all these things shall be finished When the holy People shall be very low and Babylon very high and say I sit a Queen c. then her Plagues shall come the Antichristian Sun must go down at Noon and in the Evening-time it shall be Light to the Saints We have great reason to take notice of this Sign for it is confirmed by an Oath Dan. 12.7 The Man clothed in Linen sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and an half and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all shall be finished This indeed is spoken concerning the Jews Three years and an half must they lye under the power of a civil death after their being called and after their getting some power over their Enemies whereby the Pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the Scepter of Egypt shall depart even after this their power must be scattered and the power of their Enemies will grow very great as we see Rev. 16.14 But then in the midst of those swellings of Jordan when it shall overflow all its Banks shall Jordan be driven back and a way shall be made for the people of God to enter into their rest This is a sworn and therefore a sure Sign Now we may observe that the case of the Gentile-Saints will be the same with that of the Jews for the dispensations of God will be alike to both These as the Jews must be scattered and lie dead three days and an half for the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit will make war against them overcome and kill them Rev. 11.6 This same thing is set forth in another Vision Rev. 12. Where we read that the Woman is driven into the Wilderness to be there 1260 days and towards the end of these days the Woman thinks her self gotten out of the Wilderness and saith Salvation is come c. But then the Dragon persecutes the Woman and she flies into the Wilderness and is nourished there for a time times and the dividing of a time which is the same with the three days and half Now when such a scattering and killing happens this will be a sign of the fall of Babylon at hand as we see Rev. 11.13 The Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues and then the scattering of Power comes 2. A second Sign is that which we read Rev. 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood to carry away the Woman This is the last attempt against the Woman that is the Church of Christ before she gets out of her Wilderness-estate and before the rising of the Witnesses So that when it shall appear that the Serpent is about this work therein an evident Sign will be given of the very near approach of the Fall of Babylon For this is a work to be done in the time of the Witnesses lying dead and after the Woman is driven the second time into the Wilderness Now as for this Flood we may observe that the Serpent hath several sorts of Floods to cast out of his mouth He hath a Flood of Errors and Heresies to cast out and 't is to be observed that the Devil hath been gathering the Errors and Heresies of ancient times and hath been casting them out altogether in this time and many are carried away by this Flood but the Elect shall not He hath been casting out a Flood of Atheism of Prophaneness and Ungodliness and many have been carried away with this Flood There is another kind of Flood which we read of Isa 59.19 When the Enemy shall come in like a Flood c. Psa 18.4 there are Floods of ungodly men And by Waters in the Revelations are meant Multitudes of People over whom the Woman sits Now we may conceive that the Flood is of this kind because the Earth helps the Woman by swallowing up this Flood This Flood is to be cast out of the Devils mouth We may observe that all sin and so the consequents of it came originally out of the Serpent's mouth for the Serpent spake to Eve and so deceived her and drew her into the transgression So Sin entred and Death and all came out of the Serpent's mouth In like manner will the Serpent be speaking to the hearts of men and perswade them to gather together and make up this Flood and by his Instruments those unclean Spirits like Frogs mentioned Rev. 16.13 will speak in the ears of men And thus will this Flood come out of the Serpent's mouth Now when this Flood is cast out the Earth helps the Woman that is some of the Inhabitants of the Earth being led to it by their own interest swallow up this Flood And if such a thing happens after the killing of the Witnesses that is a Flood shall be cast out and the Earth shall be seen to help the Woman and to swallow it up then so plain and manifest a sign will be given of Babylon's sudden downfal that he that runs may read it and may say to Babylon Come down and sit in the dust yea sit thou silent and get thee into darkness for thy time is near to come and thy days shall not be prolonged and thou as well as old Babylon which was the Glory of Kingdoms and the Beauty of the Chaldee 's Excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodom And here we may observe what matter of Consolation there is in these Prophecies when the troubles and dangers of the Church are foretold in them For when the Dragon persecutes the Woman two Wings of a great Eagle are given to the Woman and so she flies from the Face of the Serpent God will sufficiently provide for the Woman's safety and preservation when nothing but utter destruction seems to be coming upon her for the persecuting Dragon shall be no more able to overtake and devour the Woman flying into the Wilderness than a Beast running upon the Earth can catch and devour an Eagle flying in the midst of Heaven And then when the Serpent casts out this Flood to carry away the Woman the Earth helps the Woman Here 's this comfort for the People of God This last design against the Woman whilst in the Wilderness shall most assuredly be made void for though Babylon will be above all doubt of failing in it and her great confidence and raised expectations shall make her say I sit a Queen and shall not see sorrow yet her Plagues will
Thess 5.2 is affirmed of Christ's second coming and when the Battel of Armageddon shall be then Christ shall come as a Thief Rev. 16.15 and lastly the passing away of the Old Heavens and Earth and consequently the creating of the New will be at the day of Judgment v. 7. The Heavens and Earth are reserved to fire against the day of Judgment and all do grant that Christ will come personally at the day of Judgment and when he comes all the dead Saints shall be raised and appear with him Now put all these things together The Old Heavens and Earth must perish new must be created Saints and Righteouss Men must after this dwell in the New Earth and at this time will be the day of Judgment Therefore there must be a Visible and personal presence and reign of Christ upon this New Earth then to be called Beulah and Christ will not marry it and be presently after a day divorced again but as the Saints shall dwell in it so Christ with them If any shall Object that the Judgment shall not be till after the one thousand years and the destruction of Gog and Magog for then 't is said Rev. 20.11 Christ shall sit upon a great White Throne and the dead small and great shall stand before him and why may not this be the day of Judgment spoken of by Peter For answer to this I shall say that if this of Peter and the 20. Rev. be well considered and compared together it will evidently appear that there will be a day of Judgment begun at the time of Antichrist's destruction and the final fall of Babylon and the perishing of the World which now is which is called by some the Morning of that great day and will be at the beginning of the one thousand years And a day also after the end of them called the Evening of that day And as for the Judgment the Scipture gives evident ground to state it thus even by considering it in a threefold step or degree of it 1. There is a particular judgment which passes upon all Souls at their separation from their Bodies Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Soul shall return unto God that gave it The Souls of all men do at their Death return to God but in a different manner some fall into the hands of the living God and that is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of revenging justice and wrath others having before committed their Souls into the hands of God are carried by Angels to Heaven where an hand of mercy receives them 2. There will be a Farther work of Judgment at Christ's second coming even at the beginning of the thousand years which as it is spoken of by Peter so by Daniel 7.26 When the Son of Man comes in the Clouds of Heaven then the Judgment shall sit and we may consider what shall be done by that Judgment then sitting in relation to the Wicked The Dominion of the little Horn will be taken away and so Antichrist's Kingdom will be wholly destroyed for the Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it even to the end And then also it will be as Peter sayth a day of Perdition of ungodly Men even of those who shall then be found standing up against the Prince of Princes And Farther in relation to the godly it shall be a day to give reward to them and what reward this shall be we see Dan. 7.27 The greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High and all Dominions shall serve him they shall be judged to reign with Christ This we see also Mat. 25.15 and Luk. 19.17 What shall be said to those that improve their Talents and Pounds Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord so as to reign with him Be thou Ruler over five Cities be thou Ruler over ten Cities At this time the Saints shall be judged to have an Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ as it is distinct from the Kingdom of the Father of both which mention is made Ephes 5.5 3. The last step which Christ will take in the Judgment will be after the ending of the thousand years and this is that Judgment mentioned Rev. 20.11 Then the wicked shall be raised and brought to Judgment even such whose Names are not written in the Book of Life as there 't is said and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire At this time also there will be a Farther work of Judgment in Relation to the Godly For they shall be then judged to an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father At the Judgment mentioned by Peter they shall have Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and at that spoken of Rev. 20. Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father Mat. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall have come and so after the time of his coming in Glory he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and all Nations shall be called before him and he shall set the sheep on his Right hand and the Goats at his Left hand and now although it hath been Stated thus that at the beginning of the Thousand years he shall set the Sheep on his Right hand and after the End of them the Goats at his Left hand yet it seems more agreeable to the expressions there to conceive that both sorts shall be set in this posture together and shall thus stand before Christ the Judge and then the wicked shall be judged to go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into Life eternal in the Fathers Kingdom And thus as at Peters day of Judgment Being the Morning of it the Saints shall be the blessed of Christ and receive an Inheritance in his Kingdom and reign with him so at Johns day of Judgment or at the Evening of that day they shall be the blessed of the Father and be admitted to the enjoyment of their Inheritance in his Kingdom Hence 't is the King shall say to the Sheep on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom that is take your Inheritance in my Fathers Kingdom 2. 'T is most evident from Scripture that there will be a time in which the Jews shall be called and delivered from their spirituall Captivity which is upon them by their blindness and unbelief and the vail which is upon their Hearts shall be taken away They shall be delivered from their outward Captivity and also be in a state of freedom Rest and Power and in this estate must long continue even for many generations as hath been shewen in the former Treatise Now that there shall be a personal
coming of Christ when the Jews shall be thus redeemed from their Captivity is most evident Luk. 21.23 24. c. There shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people and they shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be Trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled The Gentiles Captivating the Jews and treading them down were the Romans these Gentiles have their time set how long they shall Reign The Roman Monarchy which did Tread down Jerusalem in the Letter and doth now Tread down the Mystical Jerusalem that is the Church as we Read Rev. 11.2 hath a period set to it thus far shall it come and no farther thus long it shall continue and no longer that is at the end of fourty and two Months reckoning them from the beginning of the latter treading down mentioned Rev. 11. Rome the seat of this Monarchy shall be destroyed And then will the Jews deliverance from their long Captivity begin Now what shall happen when these times of the Gentiles shall be very near their end This we see v. 25. there shall be Signes in the Sun In the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth for the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken and these shew the day of their redemption to be drawing nigh v. 28. Now when these times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and there shall be such a shaking to remove quite away the power of the Gentiles that is to destroy for ever the Roman Antichristian Kingdom and State then at that time v. 27. they shall see the Son of Man coming with power and great Glory which is his Second personal coming If any deny this they will gratify those Scoffers much which Peter spakes of in giving up so clear a proof of Christs Second coming 3. A Third Argument may be taken from Mat. 24.29 Which hath been a little toucht but now shall be farther urged Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days that is when Tribulation comes to this height to be such as never was c. the Sun shall be darkned c. and then shall appear the signe of the Son of Man in Heaven and the Tribes of the Earth shall Mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory This shall be Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days what Tribulation this is the last Tribulation of the People of God which is said to be such trouble as never was since there was a Nation This is from the Devil when he shall have great wrath because his time is short 't is the Tribulation that Gog and Magog mentioned Ezek. 39. shall cause the same with those Kings of the Earth and the whole World which shall be gathered by the Beast and his Emissaries to the Battel of that great day of God Almighty This being the last Tribulation when this shall End then will the year of Christs redeemed come and the Saints will have rest and peace and shall sit under their Vines and fig-trees and have none to make them affraid Now if there shall be such a time here upon Earth that all the Saints troubles shall have an End and they shall enter into a state of rest and peace which shall have no End which if any will deny they must Write Apocrypha over a great part of that Scripture which was given by Inspiration of God I say if such a time shall be then Christ will appear personally at that time for immediately after this Tribulation shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven and this his personal coming for at this time the dead Saints shall be raised v 21. He shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather the elect c. that is the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 51.52 1. Thess 4.16 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised and Observe by the way that at this time only the elect shall be raised for they shall gather the elect and besides 't is that coming of which Christ said none knows the day of it v. 36. which certainly is his second personal coming If the Church therefore shall have a glorious time on Earth Christ shall come personally even at the beginning of that time To this argument it hath been answered that this is the Tribulation which Gog and Magog shall cause after the thousand years shall be Ended But that this is not the Tribulation here meant these particulars sufficiently declare 1. At the time of this Tribulation there will be a great Apostacy of Men professing godliness For the love of many shall wax cold v. 12. and false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and deceive many v. 24. and the Stars shall fall from Heaven c. Now no such thing shall happen after the thousand years for the Devil shall only deceive the Nations Gog and Magog not any among the Saints and saved Nations much less any in the beloved City Shall the Sun in the New Heavens be darkned shall any of the Stars of that Heaven fall no certainly for Isa 60.20 Thy Sun shall no more go down and as the New Heavens so the Stars of those New Heavens shall remain 2. At the Tribulation here spoken of the powers of Heaven will be shaken which is not to be said of the New Heavens for these can't be shaken Heb. 12.26 yet once more I shake Heaven and but once This shaking will be of the Antichristian Kingdom and Heaven to remove it quite away that so way may be made for the New Heavens Gog and Magog when they shall gather at last shall not at all shake the New Heavens For the shaking is to remove the things that may be shaken But the New Heavens shall not be removed but remain Isa 60.22 Yea the Apostle saith plainly these cannot be shaken Heb. 12.27 That those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken c. The Mount Sinai Kingdom was shaken and removed that the Mount Sion Kingdome might be set up which is not to be shaken but stands fast for ever this is the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel which shall continue till the coming of Christ and then grow up to its perfection and then all the Enemies of it shall fall before it and be the Foot-stool of Christ and he shall be King over all the Earth and this his Kingdom is not to be shaken and removed It 's most evident then that this Tribulation will immediately precede the Thousand years and then Christ will come the second time to salvation and put an End to it And thus the Argument here stands like that Pillar
gracious so Glorious Liberty In like manner the Woman the Church of Christ and his faithful Witnesses go into the Wilderness for Gracious Liberty and prefer that before buying and selling in the great City Babylon and these must come up out of the Wilderness leaning on their Beloved and stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion and at last they shall have Glorious Liberty in the great and Holy City Jerusalem And thus having handled Peter's Doctrine of the New Heaven and the New Earth let the Use which he makes of it be in the next place considered by us and put in practice this we have 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Here are two things to be observed 1. Saints in the Primitive times did and Saints now ought to look for the New Heavens and the New Earth 2. Those that look for these things should with all diligence look to this that their present state and carriage in this World be suitable to the hopes of such glorious things in the World to come For the first we shall do well to consider that the Doctrine of the New Heavens and New Earth was Apostolical Doctrine and the looking for them was an Apostolical practice In the Primitive times this Doctrine was more taught and better known than now it is Saints at so much a greater distance from these things did more generally expect them than now they do when they are so much nearer And we have not onely an Apostolical example and practice for it but if we look higher even to Heaven we shall find a Pattern there which calls for our imitation for as we should do the will of God as 't is done in Heaven so we should expect the accomplishment of the Will and Word of God as 't is expected in Heaven Let 's consider then what example Heaven doth afford us now this is the example of Christ himself Heb. 10.12 13. This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool When Christ was upon Earth he expected Glory in Heaven which he hath and being in Heaven he expects Glory on Earth which he shall have He looks to have all his Enemies made his Footstool and to be King over all the Earth and to have the Saints reign with him Christ knows that thus it shall be and the thoughts of it are pleasing to him Isa 63.4 The day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed shall come Christ knows that day and hath it in his heart 't is a day of joy and gladness in his heart And thus as the Creatures have an earnest expectation of that day so hath Christ himself and he hath been expecting it ever since he went to Heaven for 't is said From henceforth expecting that is from the first time of his sitting down He is upon the Father's Throne in Heaven and expected to be upon his own Throne in the New Jerusalem which shall come down out of Heaven And Christ will expect till it be done For as 't is from henceforth even ever since he went to Heaven so till his Enemies be made his Footstool Now seeing Christ expects these things ought not we to expect with him 2. The Angels do expect these things for if Christ doth then we may conclude the holy Angels do also seeing they are to come with him wich they do well know for they understand Scripture-Prophecies and the time also which is revealed in Scripture for the fulfilling of them for an Angel made Daniel understand a Prophecy and the time of its accomplishment Dan. 9.22 As there are things which the Angels desire to look into so also which they look for as the passing away of the World which now is and the creating of the New Heavens and the New Earth 3. Saints in Heaven do expect these things Saints on Earth do long to see these things of Heaven and the Saints in Heaven do long to see the things of the New Heavens and the New Earth For if it be not beneath Christ to expect them then it is not beneath glorified Saints to look for them Now that glorified Saints do know and expect these things we may conclude thus We read Luke 9.31 that Moses and Elias being with Christ on the Holy Mount they spake of his Decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Now if his Decease was known by them before its accomplishment we may as well conceive that his Victory over his Enemies the New Heavens and the New Earth and his Kingdom in them are made known unto them and expected by them and not onely the Things but the Time also when all shall be done My ground is this Both their Things and the Times are revealed in Scripture as we see by the several numbers of years mentioned in Daniel and the Revelations Now what is revealed in Scripture concerning Christ the Saints in Heaven do know as in particular the things concerning the Kingdom of Christ and the time of its coming which I conclude from 1 Cor. 13.12 Now I know in part then shall I know as I am known That is I shall know that perfectly then which now I know in part This is an evident Truth the Saints know that of Divine Mysteries perfectly in Heaven which here from the Scriptures they know in part and so we may suppose that they know when the 1260 Days began and when they will end Thus we see how these things are expected in Heaven by Christ by the Angels by the Saints and it being so these things follow hence 1. The things which are to be done on Earth are very great things the subduing of all Christ's Enemies will be a very Glorious Work for Christ hath a great earnest and constant expectation of it the New Heavens and the New Earth will be very glorious for they are the expectations of Heaven Isa 11.10 't is said His rest shall be glorious and when shall this be verse 11. When the Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his People c. The first recovery was from Babylon this second will be when the Jews shall be called and when the Outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered from the four Corners of the Earth 2. The expectations of Christ's Enemies on Earth are but a vain thing for there are expectations in Heaven quite contrary to these and which think we shall be performed surely the expectations of Heaven Babylon expects to continue in her Pomp and Power and looks that Sion shall be her Footstool but Christ expects till Babylon be made his Footstool I sit a Queen saith Babylon but what saith the Lord to her Come down and sit in the dust there shall be no more Throne I am no
Widow saith Babylon but thou shalt know Widowhood and loss of Children saith the Lord. I shall not see sorrow saith Babylon but what is the Word of the Lord concerning her How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment of sorrow give her Rev. 18.7 3. If these things be so much expected in Heaven how much more should they be expected on Earth If where there is no sin nor sorrow but perfect holiness and happiness then sure the Saints here in this present evil World have great reason to be much in the thoughts and expectation of these things As therefore 't is the duty of Saints to look for these things so let me give a few Directions for the right performance of this Duty 1. Expect the same things which Christ expects He expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool he expects the Fall of Babylon he expects to be revealed from Heaven and to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe And these things should the Saints on Earth look for even the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Thus we are sure our expectations shall not perish because they are Christ's also but the expectation of his Enemies shall perish and their hope shall be as the Spiders Web. 2. Expect because Christ expects he knows what he expects and hath sufficient ground for his hope and hath power to make good his own expectations Now when the Saints want some Stay and Support for their hope and their Hearts like Moses his Hands are heavy they should look to Christ's Hope and this will be to their hearts as Aaron and Hur were to Moses his hands they stayed them up and so they were steady till the going down of the Sun and till Amalech and his People were discomsited by Joshua with the edge of the Sword 3 Expect as Christ expects Hopes on Earth should bear the Image of Heavenly Hopes there 's no fear no taking thought in Heaven Hope deferred doth not make any heart sick there but there is joy of hope As Christ expects that his Enemies be made his Footstool so he laughs at their Imaginations and Contrivance against him and hath them all in derision Such should the Saints hope be here and so they shall be able to say of Babylon the Man of Sin and all that give up their power to him as Isaiah did of Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem Isa 32.22 The Virgin the Daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The Power and threats of the Romish Beast with all that take part with him should not shake the hearts of the faithful Witnesses but they should shake their Heads at him and laugh him to scorn Surely there is little cause to fear those who shall very shortly be Christ's Footstool Christ expects also with Constancy and Perseverance there is perseverance in the hope of Heaven Christ expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool Christ's hope is like himself The same yesterday to day and till all be accomplished which he hopes for Nothing on Earth weakens the hope of Heaven no changes no scattering of the Power of the holy people no Death of the Witnesses make any the least alteration in the hope of Heaven Now such should the Saints hope be on Earth even the same in all changes they should hope when the Beast kills the Witnesses and those that dwell on the Earth rejoyce over their dead bodies as well as when the Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues as often as they will they should hope not onely when a deadly Wound is given to the Beast but when that deadly Wound is healed and when Babylon triumphs and glorieth most then may Sion hope the more and rejoyce most of all in her hope For when Babylon saith I sit a Queen am no widow and shall not see sorrow then her plagues shall come in one day Rev. 18.8 That is a very short time after this her vain triumph For when having been under great Fears and these passing away she saith The bitterness of death is past and comes forth delicately like Agag then if the Sauls that should do it will not some Samuels will be found that shall hew that great Whore in pieces And secondly when her plagues come quick dispatch will be made with her even in a day as it were yea in one hour so great riches and glory will come to nought Thus we see what the expectations of Heaven are which do call for such hope on Earth as that which Peter exhorts 1. Pet. 1.3 Be sober and hope to the End For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ And thus we see 't is the Saints duty to look for these things and how they should do it Q. But here it may be askt as the Disciples did of Christ When shall these things be Seeing we are to look for them we would gladly know when we may expect them at least when the time is near A. For answer to this it may be said as Elijah did to Elisha Thou hast asked a hard thing 'T is indeed a hard thing to tell when the time will be yet certain it is that the time is revealed in Scripture when the Jews shall be called when Babylon shall fall and the two Beasts shall be destroyed and why is it revealed but that first or last Men might come to the knowledge of it Daniel understood by Books the number of the years of the Jews Captivity in Babylon though it was but a very short time before the expiration viz. in that very year in which Babylon was taken Dan. 9.1 and why may we not hope it may be given to some beloved ones to understand by books the number of the years of the Churches desolations some little time at least before the accomplishment of them We may observe three numbers in Daniel and one in the Revelations which concern the times when these things shall be brought to pass The first is Dan. 8.14 How long shall be the Vision of the daily Sacrifice and 't is answered unto Two thousand and three hundred days that is years for so the rest of the numbers are interpreted and why should not these days be so taken also The other two are mentioned together Dan. 12.11 12. From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days Blessed is he that cometh to the thousand two hundred and five and thirty days The fourth number is Rev. 11.2 3. Forty and two months and a thousand two hundred and sixty days being the same time Now it is upon good ground conceived that the 2300 days and 1335 will end together and that the 1290 days and the
hath been so much disparaged by former mistakes and the too positive determination of such who have built upon a wrong foundation My aim hath been to get the surest ground I could from Scripture to proceed upon a little time will bring these things to light by the accomplishment In the mean time 't is much that we do or may understand by Books which give us sufficient ground to conclude that the 1290 and 1260 dayes are come very near to their end and my hope is that they will not reach beyond the year 1686. If Chronology be right it is very probable they will not they may end before and then soon after Rome will come to its end and none shall help it And when these days before-mentioned shall be run out then we may conceive the work of pouring out the Vials will begin for that any of them are poured out already I take to be a mistake Their Plagues are the last Plagues and in them will the wrath of God be filled up what a Vial is poured out upon will be destroyed for ever for it brings the last Plague upon that thing it destroys and at the end of these days the true Worshippers that did go forth of the outward Court and went into the Wilderness bearing good Seed with them shall come again into it with joy bringing their Sheaves with them and drive out those Gentiles that possess it And as an handful of Corn was still in the earth even in the worst of times so after the end of these days the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon and they of the holy City which then shall begin to be built again shall flourish like the grass of the field And what is foretold of the Jews Isa 60.22 we may apply also to the Gentile Saints A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time The faithful Witnesses and that remnant of the Woman's Seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ is a Flock though a little one and but a small one but this little one shall become a thousand yea quickly increase to 144000. and this small one a Nation yea a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time and when God hastens nothing shall hinder God gives to every seed his own body 1 Cor. 15.38 The seed is very small the body which God gives it is many times very great 'T is so in the Works of Nature what a tall spreading vast-bodied Oak grows out of a small Acorn and much more in the Works of Grace there is a Seed that serves God Psa 22.30 What a vast body will God give to this seed 'T was a vast body that was represented to Nebuchadnezzar in a Dream in that Image which he saw reaching from Chaldaea and Persia in the East and coming down as far as the utmost bounds of the Western-parts but that body which God will give to the Seed that serves him will far exceed this for Christ will have a Kingdome at last that shall fill the whole earth which shall never be destroyed as the Image which Nebuchadnezzar saw must be Thus much to shew that these things are to be lookt for and when they shall come 2. Saints should with all diligence look to this that their present Carriage and state be suitable to their expectations of such glorious things hereafter Here are three Branches of the Apostles Exhortation which deserves to be a little insisted on 1. Be diligent that you may be found of him in peace 2. Be diligent that ye be found of him without spot 3. Be diligent that ye be found of him blameless 1. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace All will be found of Christ at last though some put him far out of their thoughts and like Cain wander from the presence of the Lord yet at last he will find them out for at death he will find them at Judgment he will find them and what will they do then but cry out with exceeding anguish and horror as Ahab did to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy Now seeing all shall be found of him be therefore diligent that ye may be found of him in peace and that in a peaceable state and a peaceable frame 1. In a peaceable state and that first a justified state for that is a peaceable state Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Our care should be to be found in a justified estate that so we may appear as Christ shall without sin compare with this place Phil. 3.9 That I may be found of him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is by the faith of Christ the righteousness that is of God by Faith And if it be thus then we shall be found of him in peace Here observe First we must be found in him if we would be found of him in peace Rom. 8.1 There is now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus If in him by faith if in that Name of his The Lord our righteousness there we are in a strong tower and safe from wrath and vengeance Secondly We must not have any thing to do with our own righteousness in the matter of Justification Not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law What Law is here meant There is an abrogated Law and an established Law the abrogated Law is the Ceremonial Law which was given to the Jews and had the shadow of good things to come and Christ the Substance being come the Shadows flee away The established Law is the Moral Law established in and by the Gospel Now 't is not onely the righteousness of the abrogated Law which must not be had but the righteousness of the established Law which is to be excluded from the business of Justification To this Evangelical Obedience must be yielded and in observing it we must confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father but when we have yielded it we must not have it for a justifying righteousness for in relation to this also it was that Paul said not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law as is evident from Rom. 3.28 31. we conclude a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law What Law even without the works of the established Law for he adds do we then make void the Law through faith No we establish the Law a man therefore is justified by faith without the works of the established-law and without that evangelical-obedience which all true believers and justified persons do yield to it and therein serve Christ as their Lord. They that would have Christ and justification of life by him must not have their own righteousness no not their evangelical righteousness nor harbor such a dangerous such a corrupt and evangelical Notion about justification as that is