as darknesse in respect of the great Judge for the Judge himselfe shall be their everlasting Light being indeed the great Court of Heaven more cleare then the Sunne for the light thereof doth darken the light of the Sunne and Moone which makes it appeare that this glorious Judge and this glorious Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 6. The Bookes are to be opened and every man is to be judged according to those things that are written in those Bookes and there must be a time to open the Bookes and a time to judge and examine every matter and every person particularly according to his deeds whereby it doth appeare that the great Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 7. The pleading of the Prisoners at the Bar doth make it appeare that the Court shall not be removed for the Prisoners at the Bar of Justice will plead and say Lord in thy name we have Prophesied and cast out Devills and done many wonderfull workes And when saw we thee in Prison or in sicknesse or hungry or naked or the like whereby it doth appeare that the pleading of Prisoners and the answerings of the Judge doth hold forth a longer time to us then we suppose to sit in judgement 8. If every Person should not be called to account in particular there might be some excuse in the Creature for then they might say I nor I was not judged but the Iudge will not passe over things so lightly for they are matters upon Life and Death 〈◊〉 upon eternall life and death and therefore â—â—oth appeare that the great Iudge will examine every man to the full with every particular thing and with so many Millions of thousands to be judged in particular doth make it appeare that the great Iudge cannot be so soon removed 9. Christ saith that the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones and shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel even such as are revolted from Iesus Christ and have rejected grace and mercy offered them in the Sonne and have shed the blood of the Prophets and Apostles through their wickednesse and therefore it doth appeare that Christ will make his twelve Apostles to sit downe upon twelve Thrones and they shall be the great Iury-men of Christ to give in their verdict for life or death and what they doe shall be approved of by Christ for the Iewes being a most wise and subtill people shall have the more able Iudges to deale with them and who are more fit for that worke then the Apostles who shall be the grand Iudges or the grand Iury to give in their evidences to the chiefe Judge against them and the Judge also consenting to their judgement For whose sinnes they remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes they retaine they shall be retained And this being so it doth appear that the Court shal not be so soon removed Mat. 19. 28. Luk. 22. 30. 10. The Apostles shall judge the Angels and give judgement against them and when will that be but at the great day for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the great day and then shall they appear before the Grand Jury who shall give their Judgement against them and deliver them to the chiefe Judge who shall passe sentence upon them for ever to be cast into the anger and wrath of the Almighty for this is the great day of judgement which hath been spoken of so long before which will not be ended in a small time 11. It is said that the Saints shall judge the world and that cannot be in a small time seeing there is so many millions of thousands to be judged with the examination of every particular action and yet they will not be idle all the time nor rejourne the Court like idle Judges for it shall be no night all the time of the judgement neither will they stir untill they have accomplished that great workâ— for I conceive there will be as much hastening of the worke as may be even round about the Throne and the twelve Patriarchs judging those before the Flood with the twelve Apostles judging those under the Law and the Ministers of the Gospel judging those under the Gospel for it is said The Saints shal judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. And al these great things cannot be done in a small time for all the Prisoners pleading at the Bar on the one side the Judges giving sentence on the other side with their examining of all causes doth make it appear that this great Court will not be so soon removed as some think 12. The Scripture doth declare that after the new heavens and earth are made that the Saints shall reign with Christ in abundance of glory which I conceive must be all the time of the judgement for it will not be before the new heavens and earth as the Scripture seems to hold forth but after the new heavens and earth and then will the Lord Jesus come and all the Saints with him and then shall the Saints reigne in glory even all the time of the sitting of the great Judge which I beleeve will be the account of a thousand yeares and about Jerusalem shall be the Throne of their glory and they shall be filled with the fulnesse of delight in all that time and then will the dwelling of God be with men and they shall be the new Jerusalem being cloathed with their house from heaven and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes For there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor any paine for all their former troubles being passed away for Jerusalem will be more glorious then ever it was in the world before with her gates and wals most glorious and such a glorious City it will be as never yet was seen the glory of which place will enlighten both heaven and earth and shall darken all the host of heaven being a place for the Saints of the most High where they shall rest all the time of the sitting of the great Judge for this will be a new Jerusalem indeed a place of glory untill the great Judge hath finished his worke upon the earth and in this new Jerusalem of the Saints there shall be no Temple nor any worship injoyned for this will be all their work to offer up praises unto him that shall sit upon the Throne for the Father and the Son are the Temple of this glorious City and this City wil have no need of Sun or Moon for the Father and the Son will be the light thereof and all the Nations which shall be saved shall walk in the light of this City and there shal their glory be for the Gates of this City shal not be shut at all by day for there shal be no night and this wil be a glorious rest for the Saints all the fitting of the great Judge Re. 22. And then shall the Lord roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem
deceived with the false miracles of Mahâ—â—â—â— wherein he hath deluded them to this present day through the devill and his instruments together with their false miracles wherein they are kept in blindnesse as also the Pope with the Latin Church deceiving the world and themselves with their false miracles which they much boast of whereby they judge their way to be right because the Devill and the Pope work miracles to confirme their way which indeed the Scriptures did foretel that the Latin Beast would deceive the world with his false miracles Revel 13. 13 14. But these spirits are the spirits of devils deceiving the Kings of the earth and the whole world Revel 16. 14. But the Lord will take that beastly worship of the Beast together with the Beast and the false Prophet with his lying spirit that wrought miracles to deceive the people and will cast them into the lake of his wraâ—h forever and ever Revel 19. â— Now there is some objections to be answered as Joel 2. where the Lord doth foretell that young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and that that prophesie is in part to be fulfilled To the which I do reply with the words of Peter who had a more spirituall discerning then any in these dayes to discerne the truth of prophesies that that prophesie was fulfilled upon them when the visions of the Lord did appear unto them in Acts 2 1 2 3. who were the Lords young men who were to declare the minde of God to the whole earth and that being such a publick prophesie it was publickly fulfilled to perfect a publick work to the admiration of the beholders who were very desirous to know what was the meaning of those strange works and the Apostle flies to the prophesie of Joel for their refuge and tels them it was no more then what was prophesied of them and that they might now see that prophesie fulfilled Acts 2. 16. 17 18. and that those were the dayes that were spoken of before being glorious Gospel-times in which the Lord was to accomplish his promise that there might be nothing wanting to ratifie confirm the truth of the Gospell so that this prophesie being extraordinary 〈◊〉 doth appeare by the Apostlâ—â— words if any do pretend in these dayes the like revelations they must also shew the like effects which I think they cannot 10. I shall speake a word or two of Gospell-visions whereby it will appear that that there are no such visions in these dayes and first those visions did appeare in aâ—visible manner to the sight of the beholders Luke 3. and Acts 2. and then secondly they were able to confirme what was revealed in the vision to them by a visible signe or wonder and thirdly they were able to speak in an extraordinary manner to convince the gain-sayers and fourthly those visions were for the truth and not against it so that from hence I conclude that the cause is taken away because the effect ceaseth for if they prove the like visions they must also prove the like visible manifestations or else they are false visions And as for the dreamers there spoken of you may see that was fully fulfilled in those dayes in the Scribes and Pharisees those old and ancient Doctours of those times who stood dreaming as men amazed when they beheld the Lord Christ and his Apostles the mirrour of the world to preach such glorious doctrine accompanied with such glorious miracles and their doctrine being so strange and rare and so unanswerable preaching with such authority and so mightily convincing the gain-sayers the Doctors also themselves being so wonderfully confuted that we may truly say That they were in a dream or trance whereby the prophesie was truly fulfilled 2. Object is in Marke 16. These signes shall follow those that do believe So that hence they do inferre That there is no true Gospel-Preachers but such as work miracles which if this be true then there is no faith in England because no true Ministry for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. even by hearing the word preached and how shall he preach except he be sent so that if there be no Preachers there is no faith then there is no salvatioÌ„ for if the Ministry of faith cease then faith must cease which if so then to what purpose do your Ministers teach seeing they work no miracles so that by this Tenent both you and your Ministers are in a false way And further if our salvation depend upon miracles would God have been wanting think you ever since the Apostles time to have sent them into the world to have perfected their salvation to the full for certainly if we could not have been saved without them God would never have been wanting to have sent them But God had so fully before confirmed the Gospel with such Ministers and Miracles which is sufficient to confirm the truth in all Ages 3. Objection But we have been in a great confusion for many hundred of years together ard in a great confusion amongst us to know the truth and how shall we know without a miracle to confirm it to us To the which I reply and how shall we know the truth by a Miracle seeing a pretender may do the like and so you may take a false Miracle for a true or how will you prove that your Miracle to be true if not by the word or else it may be false for ought you know must not the word try your miracle whether it be true or false and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that they are in a false way Isaiah 8. for the word of the Lord is powerfull and sharper then a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. to pierce through all the false wayes of men and to cut in peeces all false worships whatsoever and it is a searcher of the heart and a tryer of the raines to search into all the hearts of men and their actions to judge them according to their works 2. Who must end all contentions must not the word which is able to satisfie all doubts and to direct us in all our wayes and what need we fear having so glorious a Guide as the Gospel is can you find a better Rule to walk by or a better Guide to lead you which is the Resolver of all doubts for if the word cannot satisfie you who can And now I shall speak a word or two for the word of my God for where will you find a Christ but in the word and where will you find the promises of Christ but in the Word doth not the Word hold forth Christ to you and holds forth the promise to you doth not the word shew you the way of life if you would know what Doctrine is right doth not the word shew you what Doctrine and what worship you ought to observe doth not the word hold forth unto you holiness and unholiness life and
that commeth judgement and therefore it is cleare that there is a Resurrection 4. Thy conscience will tell thee O vain man that there is a Resurrection for doth not thy conscience tell thee that thou must one day give account for all thy vaine thoughts words and actions and that thou must appear before the great Judge examine thy conscience and it will tell thee and bee as a thousand witnesses against thee thou hast the testimony within thee that will testifie against thee that there is a Resurrection and judge thee one day if thou continuest in that wicked opinion thy conscience will tell thee at thy death there is a Resurrection thou canst not one day stop the mouth of conscience when it shall come and witnesse against thee for all thy wicked acts And thus you see it is clear that there is a Resurrection and now I shall speak a word or two when it shall be 1. But now for the set day or houre of this Resurrection or Judgement it is too high for a finite creature to know For it is not for us to know the times or seasons that the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1. 7. For of that day nor houre knoweth no man no not the Angels nor the Son himselfe till it be revealed to him Mat. 24. 36. And therefore I shall not dare as some have foolishly done to prescribe or set forth the day of this Resurrection or Judgement 2. The Fathers and learned Doctors of the times in former ages have conceived this day of the Resurrection or Judgement to be at the end of six thousand yeares but this is but their judgement and I shal also under the favour of the Learned give my judgement as desiring to see further because God hath promised to manifest more light in the latter dayes and also because I stand upon the shoulders of my fore-fathers and therefore may see further Now I conceive that as God was six dayes finishing the workes of Creation and the seventh day was a Sabbath of rest that there is a glorious spirituall meaning in all this or else God could as well have finished his workes in one day as in six and therefore there must be some other meaning in all this which I conceive to be this That as God the Father was six dayes labouring in the workes of Creation and finished his workes in six dayes and rested the seventh day it holds forth thus much That the sonnes and daughters of men with the creatures also should bee in commotion and hard labour for six thousand yeares and that in these six thousand yeares he will end all war and strife and that within these yeares he will shake all Nations Hag. 2. 7 8. and will overthrow the pride and vain-glory and false confidence of all Nations and will shake them off their fleshly glorying and beat downe all their strong holds and every fenced wal Esa 2. and all Nations shall lye open and naked and shall have their fill of fighting and shal see their vanity and shall desire to be at rest and shall beat all their weapons of war in peeces and there shall be a spirit of love and union established in all Nations neither shall they learn warre any more but every man shall sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esa 2. Mic. 4. and then shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in and the Jews shall be called and the glory of the people of Israel shall be set up and they shall injoy their former inheritances to wit the Land of Canaan and all the glory thereof and the Lord will end the hard labour and travell of all Nations and all Nations shall sit downe at rest And this I beleeve the Lord will doe in the six thousand yeares for he hath seen the sore labour and travell of all Nations and of every creature and he doth intend to give them a Jubile or Sabbath of rest and the seventh day or seventh thousand yeares will bee a rest to all Nations and to every creature from that sore labour and travell and all pride and covetousnesse shall be done away in those daies and the desire of all Nations shall come to seek the Lord and to seek the wayes of Sion and the Lord will extend peace to all Nations like a mighty River Esa last Revel 21. v. 22. And the Lord shall speake to the heaven above and to the earth below and all fruits of the earth shall come in abundance and there shall be a fulnesse of all the fruits of the earth for the Winter shall be like the Summer and fulnesse shall be upon all the earth for it is the Lords Jubile or Sabbath of rest to all Nations 3. This Resurrection shall bee at the last day in the last age or generation when the number of Gods account is up and the last generation shall be brought up for that is the number of Gods account when the last generation is on foot For the Gospell must bee preached to all the world for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come Mat. 24. 14. For it doth not appeare that Christ shall not come untill the restauration of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that there shall be a new heaven and a new earth and a refining of all things before his glorious appearing with that glorious company and heavenly host whom the heavens must containe untill that time till all things be refined as you may see Act. 3. 20 21. For it doth appeare that the Resurrection shall not be untill the new heavens and new earth and that they shall be refined and come forth of the new earth and that we shall not rise before doth appeare by Scripture which saith That man lyeth downe and riseth not till the heavens be no more or dissolved they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep Job 14. 22. And of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands and they shall perish but thou shalt stand and they shall all of them wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed as you may see Psal 102. 25 26. For the stars of heaven and constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine Esa 13. 10. For the windows from on high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken downe the earth is cleane dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel too and fro like a drunken man and shall be removed like a cottage and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise againe Esa 24. 18 19 20. And all the
host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their host shall fall downe as a leafe falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig. tree Esa 34. 4. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoake and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye in like manner Esa 51. 6. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in minde Esa 65. 17. And by all this it doth appeare that there shall be new heavens and a new earth for this Prophesie must be fulfilled before the comming of Christ whom the heavens must contain untill the restoring of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 3. which the words of Christ seem to clear in Mat. 24. where he saith The Sunne shall be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shal fal from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken And all this before the comming of Christ whereby it doth appeare that the Resurrection will not be untill there is a new heaven and a new earth For the Apostle saith The heavens and the earth which now are by the word of the Lord are kept in store and are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement in which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works thereof shall be burnt up And seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat as you may see 2 Pet. 3. 7. 10. 12. And by all this it doth appear that there shall be a wonderfull change before the comming of Christ an alteration in the heaven and in the earth and a purging of all things by fire and the old heaven and earth dissolved as not being fit to entertaine such a glorious judge and such a heavenly host because the heaven and earth are both polluted with sinne and therefore they must be burnt up and all the noysome scents and stinkes and evill vapours of corruption and all noysome scents and all things that are corrupted with sinne shall be dissolved and burnt up as not fit to entertaine such a glorious Judge and therefore there must be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse the first heaven and earth being not able to stand before his presence and therefore there will be a new heaven and a new earth as you may see Revel 21. 1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea And all this is a preparation for the great Judge 4. When all these things are come to passe then this shall be the signe of the comming of the Sonne of man which will be apparent to all the world for then will the Lord Jesus Christ appeare from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess 1. 7 8. For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth even to the West even so shall the comming of the Son of man be Mat. 24. 27. And all the wicked families that are upon the earth at that time shall mourne when they shall see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then shall the Lord Christ send his Angels with the sound of a great Trumpet to awaken all the Saints who shall be raised from their sleep by the sound of the great Trumpet and the Angels shall gather together all the Saints from the foure winds from one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 31. For those that have dyed in the faith of Christ shall rise first being awakened out of sleep with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trump of God and shall all be gathered together in a moment to meet the great Judge and to rejoyce in his glory and in their glorious deliverance being now to injoy his presence forever with all his glorious Angels and shall now come to be Judges of their enemies and sit down with the great Judge to judge all their enemies and therefore it is that the Saints shall rise first that they may lay open their grievances before the great Judge of all their great wrongs and bring in their evidences against the wicked for all their hard usage and cruel persecution of their enemies and the Saints shall be gloriously honoured at that day having the Judge on their side to their great joy and comfort and to the terror of their enemies 5. The Resurrection of the Saints shall be glorious in being raised out of the new earth and all the corruption burnt up and so are raised out of pure matter For it was sowne a corruptible body but it shall be raised an incorruptible body for as we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall also beare the image of the heavenly for it is sowne a naturall body and it is raised a spirituall body and this in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48. 52. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality then shall be brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory and thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord as you may see 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. And then shall we be cloathed with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. And then shall our vile bodies be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body and we shall be like him as be is And thus we shall be raised in a glorious estate whereby we may be fitted for so glorious a Kingdom and such a glorious company as we shall injoy 6. We shall be raised in our likenesse for though our nature shall be more pure and glorious yet the purenesse of our nature will not take away the being of it as the purenesse of the Man Christ doth not take away his being to be a man nor the glory of his substance make his substance cease to be for the glory of the substance doth not take from but adds to the substance and so the glory of the man adds to the man but doth not take away his being to be a man And so though we shall be raised more glorious men yet we shall be
gloriously the Lord wil come to prepare a place for Judgement and how mighty and spacious it wil be even a mighty Valley which is not able to be expressed so spacious and so large that it might be fit to entertaine such a number that no man knowes but himselfe and thither shal all Nations be gathered to be judged as the Scripture seemes to hold forth saying Proclaime ye among the Gentiles prepare watre wake up the mighty men and let all the men of war come neare let them come up and here the Prophet shewes you what the Lord Christ wil say at that day saying Beate your Flow-shares into Swords and your Pruning-bookes into Speares let the weake say I am strong wherein Christ shews all Nations their weaknesses when they shal come before him to Judgement assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about thither wilt thou cause thy mighty ones to come downe O Lord and thus the Prophet in this Verse holds forth the glorious appearing of Christ with all his Host and then shal all the Heathen be wakened and come to the valley of Iehoshaphat or the valley of threshing for there wil the Lord sit to judge all the Heathen round about for all their wickednesse is at the full Ioel 3. 9 10 11 12 13. for there wil the Lord â—â—ster â—p hiâ— great Army for his campe is very great and multitudes multitudes shal be in the valley of threshing for then the day of the Lord is neare in the valley of division or threshing and then shall the Sun and the Moone be darkned and the Starres shall with-draw their shining for the glory of Christ and his Angels shall darken the Host of Heaven and then shall the Lord the great Judge of Heaven and Earth roare out of Zion and shall utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake for the Lord will number all his forces and then there will be the noyse of a multitude in the Mountaines a tumultuous noyse of the Nations gathered together and the Lord of Hosts himselfe mustereth the Host to see if there be any wanting for he will not misse a man being able to call them all by their names and then shall the Lord at that day sit downe in Judgement and all the Prisoners be shut up together as in a Prison and a wall of fire being round about them with that mighty guard of Angels to attend the Prisoners and after many dayes they shall be visited or found wanting being judged in order after their Ages and Generations and then shall the Moone be confounded and the Sun ashamed at the glory of the Lord his glory darkning all the Host of Heaven when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in mount Zion and before his ancients gloriously 12. And lastly the question wil be how long this Judgement shal last and how long this great Judge wil be in judging all the world Now some conceive that it shal be in the twinckling of an eye but that is very unlikely to be for then how can Christ be said to sit upon the Throne and to sit in Judgement there can be but a little sitting in the twinckling of an eye Secondly some thinke it to be a naturall day that Christ shal sit in Judgement but that is but a small sitting to sit a naturall day for such a great worke as to judge all the world wil his glory no longer appeare in Judgement then for a day Shall not the great Judge of heaven and earth surmount all the Judges in the world in the time of his Judgement who can counter-pane him in Judgement for the time of his sitting he is no hired Judge he sits at his owne cost and charges and all his mighty company he cannot want any thing in the time of his sitting for all is his and therefore I conceive hee wil sit a longer time for one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day and therefore I conceive the Judgement shal be longer then some suppose even for a thousand yeares and for the proofe of the same I shal give you my Reasons 1. Because one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. and therefore the Judgement may be for a thousand yeares 2 Because it is called a great and notable day more gloriously noted then other dayes as wel in respect of time as in the great works of it and therefore by this day must be meant a longer time then a naturall day being called the judgement of the great day and the great day of his wrath for if the day was lengthened in the time of Joshua much more shal it be lengthened in the day of Christ Act. 2. 20. Iud. 6. Revel 6. 7. 3. Because the glorious comming of Christ shal darken the Sun and Moone and all the Host of Heaven for what is the light of the Sunne to the light of Christ from whence all light doth proceed and by this it doth appeare that Christ shal sit a longer time then some suppose and shal enlighten the earth with his glory and that all his enemies may see the glory and excellency of his person to the admiration of all the earth 4. Because he is said to sit in the Judgement and on the throne of his Majesty for the ancient of dayes shal sit and execute judgement as doth appeare for saith Daniel I beheld till the thrones were cast downe even all the glory of the wicked when the ancient of dayes did sit whose garment was white as snow and the baire of his head like pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels were like the burning flame a fiery streame issued and came forth before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Bookes were opened and I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all Nations and Languages should serve him an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away Dan. 7. 13 14. for thus saith the Lord Let the Heathen be awakened and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there wil I sit to judge all the heathen round about Joel 3. 12. and many Scriptures more I might bring to shew you that the great Judge must sit in Judgement to shew unto us that it is a larger time then some conceive by his sitting 5. The comming of Christ being so glorious that it shal darken all the Host of Heaven for the Sun and the Moone shal not give forth light being so glorious a light in place but shal be at a stand as amazed and confounded in themselves and all their light being but
covenant Now the parties covenanting are the Father and Son for the Father strikes a covenant with the Son that he should teach all men and to do his will in declaring glad tidings to all the sonnes and daughters of men and to manifest his love to the world as you may see John 3. 16. so that if they do imbrace the grace and mercy offered them they may live and this doth appear by the words of the Father himselfe that this is truth for he saith As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he live Ezek. 18. 32. and doth manifest the same in Isai 49. 6. where he saith That it was a small or light thing that Christ should be his servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel but I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles and thou shalt be my salvation to the end of the earth to establish the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages that thou maist say to the prisoners come forth and to them that are in darknesse shew your selves Isai 19. 6. 8. 9. And thus you see the Engagement of the Father For it is good and acceptable in his sight that he will have all 〈◊〉 to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3. 4. and consulteth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And for this end the Father hath inabled the Son with all sufficiency being full of grace and truth and giving all power into his hands whereby he might be the better inabled to do the same and thus the Father frees himselfe in giving all sufficient power unto the Son whereby he might teach all men and to performe the Covenant on his part and thus you see the incomprehensible love of the Father that he should engage himselfe thus unto the world that he would send his Son to be a Teacher to all the world so that this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light And so it doth appear that the Father is not wanting on his part to give light unto the Son that the Son might not be wanting on his part to give light to the world And then in the next place the Son strikes a covenant with the Father for these are the parties covenanting as you may see 1 Tim. 2. â— For there is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who is called the â—â—gel of the Covenant And the Mediatour between God and man who strikes a covenant with the Father saying Lo I come to do thy will O God for thus it is written of me in the volume of thy book to do thy will O God Heb. 10. 1. And so the Son covenants with the Father to do his will For I came to do the will of him that sent me and to declare his mind to the world and so he teaches all men as he himselfe doth declare when he saith When I am ascended I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. And these are the words of Christ who was never wanting to fulfill his word for he drawes all men as you shall see First By the Works of creation As the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth sheweth forth his handy-worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night teacheth knowledge and there is no place where their voyce is not heard for their line is gone through the whole earth and their words unto the end of the world Psam 19. 1. 2. 3. and thus you see Christ drawes all men by the works of creation every creature indeed being a Gospel-Teacher Col. 1. 23. For that which may be known of God is manifest in them even the eternall power of God and the Godhead so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 19. 20. so that Christ drawes all men by the workes of creation which are as a naturall eye to see the Sun Secondly Christ drawes all men by Gospel-manifestation and therefore the Gospell is to â—e preached to all Nations Mat. 28. and thâ—â—ery creature Marke 16. And they have not obeyed the Gospel is not for want of hearing for the sound of the Gospel is gone through the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. The Gospell being preached to every or in every creature as you may see Col. 1. 29. and therefore Christ himselfe doth declare that the Gospell must be preached to all the world as you may see Mat. 24. 14. for a witnesse to all the world before the end shall come And thus Christ is not wanting to preach the Gospell For as by the sinne of one man death came upon all men to judgement even so by the righteousnesse of one the free-gift came upon all men to justification of life Rom. 5. 19. For this is the command of God that all men should believe in the Son he that doth not maketh God a lyer because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5. 10. And thus you may see that Christ is not wanting on his part to teach all men For this was the end of his coming that all men through him might believe Thirdly He drawes all men by the spirits revelation which was prophesied of before that he would poure out of his spirit upon all flesh Joel 2. 28. and that all flesh should see the salvation of God Mat. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 that grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching them Tit. 2 11. so that all men through him might believe John 1. 7. For he is the light of the world and the true light that lightens every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. And thus he hath promised to do unto the worst of men as to the simple ones and such as delight in their scorning yea unto fools that hate knowledge and would have poured his spirit upon them had not they rejected it as you may see Prov. 1. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. saying Vnto you Oh men do I call and my voice is to the sonnes of men but seeing I have called and you have refused I will also refuse you saith the Lord. And thus you see the truth of this thing now will you say that Christ is wanting to teach any man the way to salvation whereby he might be saved and if he be you will lay the fault in him which he doth deny saying This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill and will not come to the light John 3. 19. 20. And thus I have shewed you how Christ doth performe his part of the covenant in a word or two which is to teach all men whereby they might believe and imbrace the Gospell and lay hold of eternall life
these dayes such as hold there is no Resurrection but in this life and such are in but a sad condition whose hope are perished from the Land of the living and goe out of this world worse then they came in for when they came into this world there was some hope in them to receive a better world but now the death of these men is worse then their birth and beginning but the Resurrection is that which is desired of all the Saints hoping and longing for the day for their Redemption to wit the Resurrection of the dead for then the Saints shall enter into their inheritance which was prepared for them from everlasting time and therefore for my owne comfort and for the comfort of the Saints I shall endeavour to speake a word or two of the Resurrection and first I shall prove that there is a Resurrection and then I shall shew how we shall be raised Now the reasons to prove that there shall be Resurrection are these First God doth declare to all the world that he did not intend the creature should dye for ever because he sent his Sonne to declare to the contrary that all men shall rise and that he is the resurrection of the dead John 11. 25. and the first fruits of them that sleepe and that as he was raised from the dead so shall all men be raised by the same power and shall conquer and trample death under their feet 2. There will be a Resurrection that God may manifest his great power to all men in raising them from the dead that thereby it may be seen how glorious he is in all his undertakings in so wonderfull an act as to raise them from the dead by his glorious power which will be manifest at that day 3. That he might fulfill his promises who hath promised that we shall see him as he is and shall injoy his face and presence in the Throne of his glory with that glorious company of Angels that attend his presence to behold his beauty and to joy in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore 4. There shall be a Resurrection that hee may give unto every one according to his works and reward the Saints with blessing and the wicked with cursing and to give to every man according to his desert 5. There is a Resurrection because that God hath promised to restore the Creation to its first purity in making a new heaven and a new earth where in shall dwell righteousnesse and to make his power and glory appear as at the first 6. It hath beene the beleefe of the Saints that there shall be a Resurrection Job saith I know that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though this flesh be destroyed with wormes yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold him though my reines be consumed within me Job 19. 25 26 27. and then shall the gates of death be opened Job 38. 17. And David saith Thou settest me before thy face for ever Psal 41. 12. And Esay saith Thy dead men shall live together with my dead bodies shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for the dens is as the dens of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Esay 26. 19. And the Apostle to the Heb. 11. doth recite a Catalogue of the Saints who all dyed in the faith and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that they might obtaine a better resurrection as vers 23. 35. 7. If there be no Resurrection then the faith of the Saints is void and all their hopes are perished and their glory is at an end and they all as lost creatures and their condition very sad 8 If there be no Resurrection then the Saints have lost their reward and all their labour is in vain in seeking for a better Kingdome and a better inheritance for if there be no Resurrection then there is no heaven nor no glory after this life then we shall never injoy the presence of God and Christ nor those glorious Angels nor the heaven of glory 9. If there be no Resurrection then the wicked will be in a better estate then the godly for they have had their portion in this life and have glutted themselves with the pleasures of this world and have had all the delights of the sonnes of men and have satisfied their hearts to the full and the people of God have weaned themselves from all the pleasures and delights of this world and have lost all the glory thereof and have been despised of all men in hopes of a better life and all in vain if there be no Resurrection 10 If there be no Resurrection the wicked shall never be punished for all the wickednesse that they have acted against the Lord then they will never bee called to account for all their blaspheming his glorious Name their swearing and cursing their drunkennesse and whoredome with their shedding of innocent blood their wicked pride and basenesse with all their abominations if there be no Resurrection this is the day they looke for then they might commit all wickednesse with greedinesse for what should they feare if there be no Resurrection 11. If there be no Resurrection then the Devills shall not be punished for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse till the great day but if there be no Resurrection then there will be no judgement and so they will never be punished and they would not cease to reigne nor injoy â—â—eir wicked power for ever then what need the Devils feare and tremble if there beâ— no Resurrection they need not fear any judgement to come 12. If there be no Resurrection then we may live as we list and injoy all the pleasures we can in this life to injoy the sight of our eyes and the desires of our hearts and eate and drinke and be merry for to morrow we dye and so all our glory is at an end for then we have onely our portion in this life if there be no Resurrection then all our glory is at an end 13. Those that hold this Tenet to wit that there is no Resurrection whether doe not they question whether there be a God for if there be no Resurrection then they may question whether there be a God or if there be a God yet he is not able to performe his promises for he hath made many large promises that there shall be a Resurrection but he is not able to performe it for there shall be none and what do these men else but question God and the power of God and whether is not this blasphemy think you in the highest nature and whether shall not this great God one day judge such Sadduces as these are 14 Whether doe not those that deny the Resurrection question all the Prophets and Apostles and that which they spake by the
men and to this I shall adde Scripture Job saith I know that my â—edeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall behold for my selfe and mine eyes shall â—ebol 〈…〉 and not â—â—ther eyes though my reines be cons 〈…〉 in me Job 19. 25 26 27. And David doth declare That his flesh did rest in hope for that great and glorious day to wit the redemption of his body Psal 16. And the Apostle saith We shall be judged according to those things that we have done in this body whether good or bad For another body shall not be judged but the same body nor another body shall not be punished but the same body for the same body shall be punished that hath acted wickednesse and this the Apostle doth cleare in the 1 Cor. 15. shewing us that there is divers kindes of flesh but he will give to every body his owne flesh and to every seed his own body to shew us that the same flesh shall be raised up again and not another and so I shall conclude with the words of the Prophet saying Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Esa 26. 19. 7. They shall appear in the same form and likenesse and fashion as they were in upon earth and shall have the same body and the same stature and proportion with the same likenesse and complexion for their rising shall not change their proportion no way but rather adde to it to make them more like themselves then ever they were before and every man shal be knowne in the same body and proportion as he was upon the earth Adam in his owne likenesse and Abraham Moses Solomon and David in their owne likenesse and every man and woman in their owne likenesse as they were upon earth and so they shal be known every man and woman as they were upon the earth only they shal appeare more glorious but their glorious appearance wil not take away the being of their likenesse and proportion but rather adde to it as the glory and excellency of a man doth not take away his leaving to be a man but rather adds to it and even so the glory of our appearing doth not take away the likenesse of our being but rather adds to it and so makes our likenesse the more glorious 8 The wicked shal also be raised up for Christ shal judge both the quicke and the dead and we shal all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an account for those things that we have done in the flesh whether good or evil for Christ shal sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shal be gathered together before him Mat. 25. 31 32. For the time is comming that all that are in the graves shall heare the voyce of the Son of Man and shall comâ—forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Now the wicked I conceive shal not rise like the Saints but every one according to his nature for the Saints shal rise with the nature of Christ upon them for their vile bodies shal be fashioned like unto his glorious body and be cloathed with their house which is from heaven but the wicked shal rise in their corrupt nature and shal be cloathed with their sinne and as the Saints shal be cloathed with their obedience even so shal the wicked be cloathed with their disobedience and this I conceive shal be the distinguishing badge whereby the righteous shal be knowne from the wicked for the Saints shal rise with the cloathing or livery of Christ upon them and the other shal rise with the cloathing or livery of the Devil upon them whereby they shal be known whose servants they are and yet I conceive the Lord wil doe his part for he wil raise them up a pure nature for they shal be most pure and glorious in their nature until they shal be cloathed with their sinne which shal darken their nature for they wil come forth of the new earth and so their natures shal â—e Spirituall incorruptible and immortall whereby they wil be more capable of Sin and Judgement and the more capable of all their sorrow and misery and now I shal speake a word or two where this Judgement shal be 9. Where this Judgement shal be is a great question for some thinke it shal be in the Aire but me thinkes that is but an airie argument for there is no good reason can be given wherefore it should be in the Aire and others thinke it shal be in heaven but that is not likely wherefore it should be in heaven because Christ comes downe to judge and therefore it doth appeare it shal be on the earth for what should the wicked doe in heaven and therefore Christ comes downe upon earth to Judge them for it is most fit that where they have done their wickednesse that there they should be judged and that is upon the earth now the place of Judgement I conceive wil be at Jerusalem about the valley of Iehoshaphat which is the middle part of the earth for there Christ was put to death and had all the dishonour and there he wil vindicate himselfe in that place and have all the honour for in the place where he ascended up into heaven it is likely in the same place he wil discend with his mighty Angels and that is upon the Mount Oliveâ— or the Mount of Olives for thus it is Prophesied of him when the Lord shal come forth of his holy place for behold the Lord commeth forth out of his place and will come downe and will tread upon the high places of the earth and the Mountains shal be molten under him and the Vallies shal be cleft as Wax before the fire and as the waters that are poured down a steep place Mich. 1. 3 4. and at that day his feete shall stand upon the Mount of Olives that is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives shal cleave in the midst towards the East and towards the West and there shal be a very great Valley and half of the Mountaine shal remove towards the North and halfe of it towards the South and yee shall fly to the Valley of my Mountaines for the Valley of the Mountaines shal reach unto Azal and those that are there at that day fhal fly as they fled before the Earth-quake in the dayes of Vzzah King of Judah and the Lord my God shal come and all the Saints with him Zach. 14. 3 4 5. and thus you may see how
and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the harbour of his people and there shall we know that he is the Lord dwelling in Zion his holy mountaine then shall Jerusalem be holy nor there shall no strangers passe through her any more and it shall come to passe at that day that the mountaines shall drop downs new wine and the bils shall flow with milke and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountaine shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Joel 3. 17 18. For in the middest of this City new Jerusalem shal proceed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb a 〈◊〉 River of water of life in the midst of the street of it and on the other side of the River there shal be a tree of life which shal have twelve manner of fruits and yeelding her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree shal be for healing the Nations of all their spiritual griefe for there shal be no more cryes amongst the Saints but the Throne of God and of the Lamb◠shall be in this glorious City and they shal serve him and there they shal see his face and presence and his name shal be in their foreheads the honour of their glorious profession and in that City there shal be no night and there the Saints shal reign in a glorious manner for it is the great day of the great Judge in which there shal be no darknesse And thus wil the Lord Christ prepare a glorious place for the Saints such a glorious City as cannot be expressed where they shal gloriously reigne in all spiritual pleasure and delight which is not able to be expressed for there wil the great Court of heaven be while the great Judge is upon the earth to shew forth his wonderful glory while he sits in judgement until the great Court shal be broken up for Jesus Christ shal sit upon his glorious Throne and al Nations shal be gathered together before him and he shal seperate the good from the bad and wil set the sheep on his right hand and goats on his left hand and when the great Trial and Judgement is passed upon all the wicked then shall he send them to their place saying Goe ye wicked and cursed ones depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels and then shall they goe into everlasting punishment for ever and ever where the worme never dyes nor the fire never goes out Mat. 25. 41 46. And when Christ hath done his work upon the earth then shall that glorious Court be broken up with glorious triumph and glory which is not able to be exprest and then shal they al return unto the place prepared for them far above all heavens for then shall the great Judge of heaven and earth returne from whence he came with all his glorious heavenly host far above all heavens into the heaven of heavens there to remaine for ever and ever and so the whole Creation shall injoy the footstool Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 and the Saints shall injoy the Throne for ever and ever And thus I have spoken a word or two as my time would permit me of the Resurrection CHAP. X. Of Visible Worship THe wise Solomon saith That the full stomach loatheth the hony comb his saying is made good in this Age for never was the word of God more plentifull nor never more contemptible then it is in these dayes but what brings a loathing but a fulnesse and what brings contempt but plenty are not many fatted up in these dayes to the day of slaughter they are full but not of goodnesse for that would make them see their wants who is more proud of grace then he that hath least and who is more humble then he that hath most how many in these dayes are rapt up in spirituall pride and boast of more then they have and yet improve not that they have many say they are full that are empty and yet they boast as if they were full who is worse then he that thinkes he is best he saith he knoweth when he is ignorant he saith he seeth when he is blinde he saith he is full when he is an hungry and he saith he wanteth nothing when he wanteth all things he saith he is rich when he is poore And this is the condition of a spirituall proud man It was spirituall pride that brought the Devills from heaven to hell and there is many in these dayes that are sicke of this disease when all the Devills snares faile yet here he takes the Bird the Devill is more subtill then man and yet he makes man more wicked then himselfe for the Devils durst not deny the Scripture but he begets a worse childe then himselfe and when he hath done so he laughs at his folly he talkes of high attainments if they breake the Command they shall be as Gods but he knows when they doe transgresse they shall be as Devils he tells men when they disobey they shall be highest but he knoweth when they disobey they shall be lowest he tells them if they will obey him they shall see but he knows if they doe obey him they shall be blinde he tells them that obedience is nothing but he knows disobedience is something he saith obedience will not save thee but he knows that disobedience will damne thee he saith the Scripture is not true but he knows he is a liar he saies thou needest not serve God but he knows thou shalt be damned if thou dost not he saith thou needest not shew any visible obedience but he knows if thou dost not thou wilt shew a visible disobedience he tells thee that Christ hath done all for thee thou needest not doe any thing but he knows thou shalt not be saved except thou doe something he tells thee thou needs not keep al the Commands but he knows if thou break one thou art guilty of all he tels thee that some Ordinances are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tells thee it is nothing to breake some Commands but he knows it is something to breake any Command he tells thee thou art higher then obedience but he knows thou art in the highest disobedience he tels thee that all shall be saved but he knows that the greatest part shall be damned he tels thee there is no glory but in this life but he knows thou shalt finde punishment in another he tels thee there is no heaven but he knows thou shalt find a hell he tels thee there is no Resurrection but he knows thou shalt finde a Judgement he tels thee there is no Judgement but he knows thou shalt finde a punishment he tels thee that God acts all thy actions but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that God acts all thy good acts and yet he knows thou shalt be condemned for not
partake of the Supper and walked in a Church way for the fulnesse of the Spirit doth not take away thy obedience but rather makes thee more obedient art thou as full of the Spirit as Christ and yet he walked in a visible way and commanded his Apostles to set forth a visible way of worship to the world to be practised in every Age. Againe hast thou as much of the Spirit of God as the Apostles of Christ and yet they worshipped God in a visible way art thou too good to walk in that way that the Apostles of Christ walked in or canst thou produce a better way then they walked in canst thou finde out a more holy way then they did or canst thou finde out a more soule-saving way canst thou set forth a better Christ and a better Gospel and a more spirituall way produce it if thou canst and we will beleeve thee but if thou canst not finde out a better way then Christ and his Apostles have set forth then what dost thou contend for for a worse way if thou canst not finde a better way then why dost thou forsake this It is a signe thou art weary of serving God who wilt thou serve next but the Serpent and thy selfe thou contemnest the Scripture and the way of the Scripture that thou mightest serve the Devill and thy selfe how dost thou villifie Christ and his Apostles surely thou art not of God but of thy father the Devill for his workes thou dost Canst thou finde a better way then Christ and his Apostles walked in canst thou finde more spirituall men then they were or more precious examples to follow who were patternes of all goodnesse was their way so carnall as thou makes it what carnall honours and riches had they by walking in that way what ptaise had they of the world If their way were so carnall as thou wouldest make it then why did not all the world receive it they are apt enough to imbrace a carnall way for their fleshly advantage thou needest not much perswade them what way is more contrary to all the world then the way of Christ and his Apostles whereby it doth appeare to be a truth because it is hated of all the world Lastly The letter of the Scripture will tell thee there is a visible worship for how couldest thou know what visible or invisible meant but by the letter of the word or how couldest thou tell what worship meant but by the word doth not the letter of the word tell thee all things did God ever speake to thee without a letter then what word did he speak God never spake nonsense but if he spake without a letter then he spake nonsense And thou wouldest be a blasphemer to say so for no word can be made without letters and thou canst compact no word without a letter when God gave Adam a Law he taught him to read it and thou must read thy A B C before thou canst read plaine and must learne thy letters plaine before thou canst speak plain and I think thou hast hardly learned thy A B C for thou canst hardly read plaine and yet thou dost despise the letter of thy Learning for how wouldest thou know that God Created all things in six dayes but by the Letter and how wouldest thou know what God did every day but by the Letter and how couldest thou know that the Heaven was called Heaven and the Earth was called Earth but by the Letter and how couldest thou know the name of the Sun or the name of the Moon and Stars but by the Letter that calls them so and how didst thou know the names of Day and Night without the Letter and how commest thou to know the names of the Creatures both in the Aire as the Fowles of the Aire and the names of the Beasts of the Field with the Fishes in the Sea how commest thou to know the names of all these doth not the Letter of the the Word tell thee or else how couldst thou know their names Againe how dost thou know there was an Adam and Eve but by the Letter and how dost thou know the world was destroyed by Water at Noahs flood but by the Letter of the Word and how dost thou know that Noah and his Family were saved in the Arke but by the Letter and how dost thou know there was an Abraham Isaac and Jacob but by the Letter that there was a Moses and the Law of Moses a people of Israel that were in Aegypt and came into tht Land of Canaan doth not the Letter tell thee this or else how couldest thou know it and here I might be large to teach thee to learne thy Letters and to know the Letter of the Scripture but thy pride will stop thy learning and yet I shall leave thee without excuse How commest thou to know there is a Christ but by the letter of the Word and how camest thou to know that Christ dyed and rose againe and ascended into Heaven but by the Letter of the Word and how knowest thou what Christ dyed for that he came to save Sinners and to open a doore of Salvation to the world and that there is Salvation in him for sinners How camest thou to know all this but by the Letter of the Word and how commest thou to know there is a Gospell and Grace Mercy and Salvation held forth in this Gospell but by the Letter And then againe how commest thou to know that there is a Heaven and a Hell and that there shall be a Resurrection and a Judgement and that thou shalt rise at the last Day How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word sure hadst thou learned the Letter better thou wouldest not have despised thy Master it is the Letter of the Word of God that hath taught thee what thou hast and thou art a good Scholler to despise thy Master How dost thou know that there is sinne but by the Letter and that there is a Devill and that the Devill and wicked men shall be punished for ever and that the godly shall be blessed for ever How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word thou mayest thank the Letter of the Word for all thy knowledge or else thou mightest have been like unto the East Indians that know not their right hand from their left for it is the Letter of the Word that hath taught thee thy wisdome and the Devill hath taught thee thy pride and yet I wish thee better then thou dost thy selfe for the Letter of the Scripture would faine keepe thee and yet I thinke the Devill will take thee And yet I shall speake a word or two more for visible worship for ought we not to serve God as well with our bodies as with our hearts Can wee â—erve God within and the Devill without sure no man can serve two Masters for out of the abundance of the heart the