pieces as this doth and such a Kingdom is not now to be set up But it may be said what 's this to the Point in Hand viz. to the Coming of Christ or the Thousand Years Let us therefore further enquire and we shall see that Daniel speaks up to the Case Chap. 7.13 14 I saw saith he in the Night Visions and one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the antient of Days and they brought him near before him and there was given to him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion that shall not pass away and his Kingdom that shall not be destroyed But when shall this Coming of the Son of Man be It shall be when the little Horn viz. the Beast is slain and his Body destroyed and given to the burning Flames agreeing directly with Rev. 19.20 where t is said the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet and cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone And answerable to this is that clear Text 2 Thes 2.8 whom he shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and destroy with the Brightness of his Coming which is generally understood especially by the learned to be a personal Coming for so much doth the Word in the original import and is no other than his Coming with Clouds above-mentioned and that of Mat. 24 and elsewhere And this must of Necessity be granted except we shall say t is at the End of the Thousand Years which is not yet begun as may be shewed hereafter when Christ comes to the general Judgment which no Man in his right Understanding will affirm and so it will enforce a Coming of Christ personally before the End of the World. And this is further hinted to us Dan. 12.1 at that Time viz. when the Turk shall be destroyed and come to his End Chap. 11.45 shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy People and at that Time shall they be delivered and not long after is that happy Time which he is blessed that waiteth for it and cometh to it ver 12 which is no other then the Thousand Years HOSEA also speaks of the same Thing and of the same Time above-mentioned Chap. 1. ult when the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel should be gathered together and appoint themselves one Head in that great Day of Jezreel and Chap. 14. throughout JOEL also tells us of a Time when Jerusalem should be holy and no Stranger pass through her any more Chap. 3.17 AMOS also speaks of a Day when God will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the Breaches thereof and raise up his Ruins and build it as in the Days of old Chap. 9. from ver 11. to the End. OBADIAH also to the same Purpose that upon Mount Sion shall be Deliverance and there shall be Holiness ver 17 and Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion and the Kingdom shall be the Lord's JONAH is a History no Prophesy MICAH 4.1 2 3 but in the last Days it shall come to pass the same with Isai 2. NAHUM speaks of a Time when the Wicked should be among the People of God no more but be utterly cut off Chap. 1.15 HABAKKUK Chap. 2.14 the Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea. ZEPHANIAH Chap. 3 9-20 I will turn to the People a pure Language that they may call on the Name of the Lord and serve him with one consent in that Day it shall be said to Jerusalem fear not and to Sion let not thy Hands be slack the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty c. HAGGAI 2.7 The Prophet speaks of a Time when God would shake the Heaven and the Earth and shake all Nations and ver 22 that he would overthrow the Thrones of Kingdoms and the Desire of all Nations should come T is true this hath been in Part fulfilled at the first Coming of Christ when the legal Dispensation was taken away and so much the Apostle implies Heb. 12 but that Shaking did not overthrow the Thrones of Kingdoms as this Shaking shall The Apostle who wrote after the legal Dispensation was shaken to Pieces tells us of another Shaking which God had promised which was future And when may this be It may be 't is when the Desire of all Nations shall come the second Time to sit up his own Kingdom then when the Beast shall be slain and his Body destroyed and given to the burning Flames when the Ancient of Days shall sit then and not 'till then will these Thrones be cast down Dan. 7.9 And that Time will be a shaking Time indeed when not only the Earth but the Power of Heaven shall be shaken also Mat. 24. Luk. 21. And these Heavens and Earth so shaken must be removed and a new Heaven and Earth created that shall remain before the Lord Isai 66.22 And so the Apostle tells us Heb. 12 of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken by which we must understand the whole Kingdom of Christ and not only his spiritual Kingdom but his external also which he is gone to receive which is an ever lasting Kingdom and shall never pass away to another People which must remain when those Things that are shaken must be removed See also what the Prophet ZECHARIAH speaks Chap. 8.3 The Lord saith I am returned to Sion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of Truth the Mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy Mountain See ver 4 5 6 7 8 Chap. 12 13 14. The Prophet speaks of little else but the Glory and Holiness of the Jewish Church after their Conversion to Christ There is yet one Prophet more who is yet to speak and that is MALACHI and he speaks of the Day of the Lord that shall burn as an Oven and all that do Wickedly shall be stubble and the Day that cometh shall burn them up and ye shall tread them down for they shall be Ashes under the Soles of your Feet But it may be thought that this Burning shall be at the last Judgment T is true there will then be the greatest Destruction by Fire that ever was or shall be for then they will be destroyed all Rev. 20.9 but t is likely it will be otherwise now consisting only of such as are actually in Arms against Christ But that there will be a great Destruction by Fire at this Time the Scripture is clear Isai 66.15.16 For behold the Lord will come with Fire and render his Rebukes with Flames of Fire for by Fire and Sword will be Lord plead with all Flesh and the Slain of the Lord shall be many See Ezekiel 38.22 Words to the same Purpose And when this Burning shall be the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings
since the World began Concerning the glorious State of this Kingdom of Christ in this World something hath been hinted before which may be further evinced from the Scriptures And First as to a plentiful Effusion of the SPIRIT promised that it shall be poured out from on high when the Wilderness shall become a fruitful Field Isa 32.15 which is to be understood of great Measures and Degrees of all saving Grace Promised also Zech. 12.10 to be poured out upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem But when is it when they shall look non him whom they have pierced and mourn Also Ezekiel 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes But when When they are gathered out of all Countries and brought to their own Land ver 24. And this will not only be 1. a Spirit of LIGHT and KNOWLEDGE but 2 there will be much HOLINESS It will be to such a Degree as never was in the World since the Beginning of it So great that some Men have thought though I am not of that Opinion that there will be no Unholiness at least not in the Saints but that the Subjects of this Kingdom shall sin no more See further what the Scripture speaks to this Isa 35.8 An high Way shall be there And it shall be called the Way of Holiness The Unclean shall not pass over it Hence called God's holy Mountain Isai 65. ult the Mountain of his Holiness Jer. 32.23 Upon the Bells of Horses and Pots shall be Holiness Zech. 14.20 3dly As to RIGHTEOUSNESS the People shall be all Righteous they shall inherit the Land forever Isai 35.8 Hence they are called a righteous Nation Chap. 26.2 The Habitation of Justice Jer. 31.23 Here Righteousness aud PEACE will kiss each other Psa 85 which is next proposed to Consideration For CHRIST being the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 there shall be Peace in his Kingdom and under his Government The Mountains shall bring Peace to his People Psal 72.3 In his Days shall be abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth ver 7 and I am sure that will be to the End of the Thousand Years Again Great shall be the Peace of thy Children Isa 54.13 Peace to him that is far off and Peace to him that is near Chap. 57.19 Peace like a River A Succession of Peace as of Waters in a River Jerusalem shall be a quiet Habitation and a peaceable resting Place Isa 32.18 33.20 They shall not learn War any more nor any Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper Again there will be JOY when the Lord reigneth the Earth will rejoice Psal 97.1 and ver 8 Sion heard and was glad and the Daughters of Judah rejoiced sing for Joy of Heart Isai 65.14 rejoice with Joy and Singing everlasting Joy will be upon their Heads and they shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Therefore in this Kingdom of Christ during the Thousand Years there will be no more Apostacy or Backsliding in Holiness or as it was in the Days of Noah and Lot when the World was filled with Violence and all Flesh had corrupted their Way Neither is there the least Hint in Scripture of any Backsliding after this Thousand Years is begun For then there could not be everlasting Joy on their Heads nor could Sorrow and Sighing flee away No more pricking Briar nor grieving Thorn no more Persecution by wicked Men no more violent Death nor Sorrow nor Crying nor any more Pain upon any such account For then Sorrow and Sighing would not flee away nor would Tears be wiped from their Eyes We may further take notice that this Time will be a Time of great LIGHT The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun And the Light of the Sun as the Light of seven Days At the Time of the End Knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12.4 Then there will be a glorious Accomplishment of Predictions and Prophesies which now to us are dark and obscure and the Book which is now sealed at the Time of the End will be opened Much more might be added to what hath been written but we shall at present give some Scriptures which speak of this EXTERNAL AND OUTWARD HAPPINESS First long Life Isai 65 there shall be no more thence an infant of Days nor an old Man that hath not filled his Days for the Child shall die an Hundred Years old for as the Days of a Tree are the Days of my People Again they shall enjoy a Fulness of other temporal Blessings build Houses plant Vineyards and eat the Fruit of them Isai 65. Their Floors shall be full of Wheat and the Fat 's shall overflow with Wine and Oyl and they shall eat in plenty and praise the Name of the Lord that hath dealt wonderfully with them and they shall never be ashamed Joel 2. Then will be fulfilled according to the Letter spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 5.5 Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the Earth which hitherto they have not done Oh glorious Things are spoken of thee O City of God Selah Psal 87 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the Mountain of Holiness beautiful for Situation the Joy of the whole Earth the City of the great King Psal 48.1 2 which Places ultimately refer to this Time and the glorious State of the Church in the last Age of the World. The Church of old was called the Lord's Portion Deut. 32.9 his pleasant Portion Jer. 12.10 his Inheritance Isai 19.25 and the dearly beloved of his Soul his Treasure Exod. 19.5 his Glory Isai 46.13 But the Gospel Church is call'd a Crown of Glory Isai 62.3 the House of his Glory a royal Diadem These are high Expresses of the Glory of the Church in the Thousand Years of Christ's Kingdom in this World. And thus I have written a little and but a little may see a Glimpse and but a Glimpse of Sions Glory much of which is yet to come And from all that which is here written we may gather that if the Times immediately preceding the personal visible and glorious Appearance of Christ at his second Coming be Times of deep Security general Sensuality open Prophaness and Apostacy as hath been declared before then it must needs be that Christ will appear before the Thousand Years because after those Years are began there will be no such Times of Wickedness and Prophaness as hath been also shewed before but the first is undeniable and therefore the second must and will necessarily follow for it cannot be imagined by any that know or understand any Thing of the glorious State of the Church during that Time which hath been mentioned before and which hath been so abundantly declared both by the Prophets and Apostles should
that new Song sung Rev. 5 9. that Christ had redeemed them by his Blood and that they should reign on Earth And in this Sense I understand that in Rev. 14.3 4 where the Hundred and forty four Thousand standing on Mount Sion with the Lamb are said to be redeemed from the Earth and redeemed from amongst Men singing a new Song which none else could learn. See also how the Creatures are brought in rejoicing at this Time when the Lord reigneth as if it were the only Thing they waited and groaned for Psal 96 The Heavens rejoicing the Earth glad Fields joyful and all that is therein which comprehend all Land-Creatures all the Trees of the Wood Sion heard and was glad and the Daughters of Judah rejoiced But what is the Ground of all this Joy and Rejoicing Why 't is because of God's Judgments on a wicked World in burning up his and our Enemies Psal 97.3 delivering his Church ver 10. Methinks this looks very well like the Time that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in Pain for the Fruition and Enjoyment of But it may be thought that all this Joy and Rejoicing will be during the Time of the general Judgment And it may as well be thought otherwise and that it will be long before that Time For at this Time the Earth shall be established that it shall not be moved and when they should bring Offerings to God and come into his Courts and worship him in the Beauty of Holiness with external Worship which will not be at the ultimate Judgment To all that which hath been already written touching this Matter may be added that there shall be a Time when the Enmity of the Creature shall cease both their Enmity against Man and one against another For there was no such Enmity in them before the Fall and 't is no small Part of the Curse brought on the Creature and that Vanity they were made subject to and they groan travail in Pain to be delivered from being subjected to it in Hope of Deliverance and it shall be delivered from this Bondage of Corruption ver 22. See some Scriptures to this Purpose Hosea 2.16 17 18 in the Day when the Church should call Christ Ishi and the Name of Baalim should be taken out of her Mouth in that Day God would make a Covenant for them with the Beasts of the Field and with the Fowls of the Heaven and with the creeping Things of the Ground and break the Bow the Sword and the Battle out of the Earth and they should lie down safely Moreover God promiseth that in that Day he would hear the Heavens and the Heavens should hear the Earth and the Earth hear the Corn and Wine and Oyl and they should hear Jezreel See here is Safety Peace and Plenty and this will be before the End of the World. But more full is that Isa 11.6 7 8 9 the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and a little Child should lead them and the Cow and the Bear should feed their young ones and lie down together Here we see the Enmity of the Creatures one against another shall cease and not only so but their Enmity against Man also So that the sucking Child shall play on the Hole of the Asp and the weaned Child put his Hand on the Cockatrice Den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy Mountain for the Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea. The whole Chapter is nothing else but a Description of the Kingdom of Christ in this World as is intimated to us in the Contents of the Chapter and will be fulfilled at or about the Calling of the Jews for it will be in that Day as is clear ver 11 and it cannot without Wrong to the Scriptures be referred to the general Judgment You have the same and much more Isai 65. from ver 17 to the End and this will be when there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth and none in their right Understanding can refer it to any other Time. And here we are told that by Wolfe and Lyon and Leopard are meant Men of a ravenous Disposition before Conversion which afterward become Lambs but if so then they are no longer Lyons and Leopards but Lambs and t is no Wonder if they feed and lie down together Or if any should think that by these ravenous Creatures are meant wicked Men under the Power of restraining Grace although t is true there will be wicked Men at this Time in the World and possibly may be much under Restraint yet t is to be doubted whether they shall have such Intimacy of Communion with the Saints as to Eat and Drink and lie down together in God's holy Mountain or that they will be so tame that a little Child should lead them For we know there will still be Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent when the Enmity of the Creature shall cease But what need is there of forsaking the literal Interpretation of these Scriptures unless Truth were endangered thereby or to make Allegories or Metaphors where God makes none Those that know any Thing in these Matters know or may know that this Enmity of the Creatures amongst themselves and against Man which is a great Part of the Curse shall be taken away and cease and they wait in Hope for it as hath been before shewed and if so why not now Why must it be deferred till the general Judgment is begun or during that Time T is doubtful whether these irrational Creatures will have a Being at the General Judgment or if they should have a Being to be sure they could not be of any Use unto Men which was one great End of their Beings I know no Reason for such an Opinion but this that wicked Men will abuse them Such have been told before that Use either for Meat or any other Use or Employment is not in itself sinful but lawful and good and we may not think that wicked Men will be so apt to abuse them if at all when the Devil is in Chains and they themselves under the strict Government of the Saints And as a further Answer to such if these irrational Creatures should have a Being during the Time of the general Judgment which is yet to be proved what Children will there be then at Leisure to lead them or have nothing else to do but to play about their Holes when small as well as great and Children as well as others must stand before Jesus Christ to be judged Rev. 20.12 and the Earth the Heavens will then fly away from the Face of him that sits on the Throne and no Place found for them ver 11 and if so then no Place for these Creatures to be or not to be sustained in any ordinary Way Methinks Men
Blameless at his Appearing and be like good Servants having our Loins girt and our Lights burning waiting for the Coming of their Lord and looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearnce of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and blessed is that Servant whom when his Lord cometh he shall find so doing I likewise propose to Consideration that it is a great Duty incumbent on all Christians at all Times not only to wait but to watch Hardly any Duty more prest in Scripture than this Christ foreseeing that wise Virgins as well as foolish would be apt to slumber and sleep when he should come This watching is that which is in direct Opposition to carnal Security we shall give a few Instances The Apostle 1 Thes 5.6 speaking of the Day of the Lord Coming as a Thief he warns them to watch and be sober Luk. 21.36 Christ upon the same Consideration gives the like Council watch pray that ye may be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man And Mark 13.33 Christ gives Caution to take Heed watch and pray for ye know not when the Time is and ver 35 watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the House cometh Again Mat. 24.42 watch therefore for ye know not what Hour your Lord doth come all which implieth that Christ would come in such a Time when the World would be asleep at Midnight was the Cry made behold the Bridegroom cometh in a Time wherein he is not looked for and in a Time of general Security when Men shall say Peace and Safety and as a Snare that Day will come on all them that dwell on the Earth God hath made every Man a Watchman Mark 13.37 That which I say unto you I say unto all WATCH but some are so in a special Manner by Office and t is very dangerous for those to sleep and cause others so to do by their Example the evil Servant did not say in his Heat that his Lord would never come but he thought as many good Servants now do that it would be a great While first not till the general Judgment and then he knew he would come Oh let none of Christ's good Servants say as he did my Lord delays his Coming and smite your fellow Servants who are in Expectation of him You should be always ready or your Lord will come in an Hour ye think not of And this Coming is not meant only by Death or in any other Way of common Providence for so he is always Coming and ever hath been tho' this may be also intended but there is a Coming of his in an extraordinary Way I mean a personal Coming when he will not come alone but bring all his Saints with him and he hath told us so Zec. 4.5 and told us also why he will come and what he will do at his Coming that t is for the Perdition of ungodly Men 2 Pet. 3.7 and to execute Judgment on them all Jude 15 and to set up his Kingdom which he is gone to receive and to return These are some of the great Businesses about which he comes and this being over I do not know but that he may withdraw his bodily Presence and leave the Government of his Kingdom to his Saints for I see no Scripture Grounds for his personal Presence any longer Sure I am that when he comes to the general Judgment he will come from Heaven and this is that Kingdom the Jews are in Expectation of and which is so little too little taken Notice of by Christians But some may say what doth this concern us we are never like to live to see this Coming of Christ To them I say as Christ did long ago of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man. And now what Matter of Joy and Rejoicing is this to all those that love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Tho' they have never seen him with their bodily Eyes yet believing rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory who now see him but darkly in the Glass of the Gospel what Joy and Rejoicing may we think there will be when we shall see him Face to Face when he shall appear we shall be like him and see him as he is 1 John 3.2 see him in all his glorious Excellencies and Perfections see him Coming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory the second Time without Sin to our Salvation see him that hath loved us and shed his Blood for us borne the Curse and Wrath of God for us and is now appearing as an Advocate with the Father for us Oh what a Heart-ravishing Sight will this be to every sincere Soul Abraham saw but a little in Comparison of this and that afar of and he rejoiced and was glad Joh. 8.56 And how did Job comfort himself in this in the midst of all his Misery that he knew his REDEEMER lived and that he should stand in the latter Day upon the Earth and that in his Flesh he should see GOD and that his Eyes should behold him and not another Job 19.25.26 How were the Disciples ravished with but a Glimpse of his Glory which they were Eye Witnesses of when they were with him in the Holy Mount 2 Pet. 1 Mat. 17.4 And good old Simeon was so transported with the Sight of him in the Days of his Flesh and when a Child that he desired to live no longer And t is but a little While before he that shall come will come and will not tarry Oh then all ye his Saints lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh and comfort yourselves with these Words And now to conclude what remains but that we pray with greatest Instancy and Importunity and that continually for the Accomplishment of all these Things pray that CHRIST'S Kingdom may come that his Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven pray for the Peace of Jerusalem keep not Silence Day nor Night give the Lord no Rest till he make Jerusalem a Praise in the Earth pray for the Coming of the new Jerusalem down from Heaven pray for the Destruction of the Kingdom of Darkness pray for the bringing in both of Jews and Gentiles to the Obedience of the Gospel that there may be one Sheep-fold under one Shepherd JESUS CHRIST to this End pray that the Spirit may be poured out from on High pray that the Times of refreshing may come from the Presence of the Lord when God will send JESUS pray for the Times of the Restitution of all Things Act. 3.21 pray for the Accomplishment of all Promises and for fulfilling of all Prophesies pray for the Coming of CHRIST let the Spirit and Bride say come Let him that heareth say come I add Let him that readeth this say come Rev. 22.17 and the Answer will be Behold I come quickly ver 7 and behold I come quickly ver 12 and my Reward is with me surely I come quickly ver 20 quickly quickly quickly AMEN veni Domine JESU veni Cito So Prays thy poor unworthy Creature The Author of this Discourse Written with his own Hand In the Seventy Ninth Year of his Age And in the Year of our LORD 1687. FINIS
THE AUTHOR's PREFACE To the READER READER if thou begin to read read through and pass no Censure on any Thing 'till thou hast read every Thing 'T is not Wisdom to judge of a Matter before we hear it and if it be not Wisdom 't is Shame and Folly Prov. 18. It may be thou wilt say as those did Acts 17 What will this Babbler say Thou bringest strange Things to our Ears to tell us of Christ's Coming before the general Judgement and of a first Resurrection before all be raised and of Saints reigning a Thousand Years upon Earth and of a new Heaven and a new Earth and of the burning of the Old and of a great many other new Things which we never heard of before we would fain know what they mean. I trust it will appear they are not new but old they may be new to some Men but I cannot say 't is their Honour and though these Things be not accounted as Truths with some Men now yet not with all 't is more than possible they will appear to be so when I shall be here no more But 't is not a new Thing to mock at the Resurrection of the Dead as they did Acts 17.32 nor to scoff at the Coming of Christ as those 2 Pet. 3 4. But Be not Mockers lest your Bands be made strong Why should it be tho 't incredible that God will raise some from the dead before others or that Christ will come before some Men look for him The Resurrection of Christ seemed to the Apostles themselves but as idle Tales when they first heard of it Luke 24.11 And though Christ himself had hold them of it before ver 7. All Things will seem new to such as never saw or heard of them before And there will be a Time when all Things shall be made new Rev. 21.5 And there is a Treasury which some Men have in which are Things new as well as old And now it may possibly be that some are of a quite contrary Mind and will say that here is nothing new but what hath been said over and over by others and that long ago But what hath been said by others every one doth not know and it may be here may be some Things said which have not been said by others that I know of But let it be granted that others have written of these Opinions And if so methinks it should gain the more Reputation and be the better credited in the World by them that are wise Yea but some of those who held these Opinions have been foully mistaken in some other Things and therefore little Heed is to be given to them 'T is possible it may be so humanum est errare who durst to east the first Stone at them Neither are some Failings in Men Rules to judge of Truth and Error To the Law and to the Testimony was the good old Way Detraction from some Men will add nothing to the Detractors Some others refuse to study Prophesy as being too high and too hard for them to understand and many that have expounded Prophesy have been mistaken There is a Lion in the Sluggard's Way 'T is true there are some Things in the Prophets hard to be understood and so there are in Paul's Epistles as Peter tells us and yet being given by inspiration are profitable And as to PROPHESY We should do well to give Heed to it as to a Light shining in a dark Place 2 Pet. 1.19 And they are pronounced blessed that read and hear Prophesy Rev. 1.3 These will lose the Marrow rather than take Pains to break the Bones I know 't is beyond what any Man is able clearly to determine all Matters and Thing relating to what is here written and to answer all Questions concerning the same yet by runing to and fro Knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12.4 And what if I a poor lame Man run also But the Wise shall understand ver 10. Yea but other Matters and Things are of higher Concernment than these To such I say tho' some Things may be of higher Concernment than others yet no Part of Truth but is of Concernment And he respects not any Part of Truth as he ought that hath not respect to every Part of it And he that thinks the subject Matters of this Discourse are of little Concernment will be found to be mistaken 'T is more than possible that his Script may fall into the Handds of some that are eminent in their own Understandings and are very sensible of their own Sufficiency and Abilities in these Matters who have read these and those learned Men that are of other Opinions call this and that Man Master a Vanity reproved by the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.13 yea by Christ himself and so conceive they are able ex tempore to give a full and clear answer to all these Things and are resolved to enquire no further nor to search the Scriptures whether it be so or no. There is more Hope of some others than of these Let such know what the Authors quoted in Favour of what is here written are infallible and cannot err A Catalogue of whom are to be seen at the End of this Manuscript But some others will say that this is an immethodical Thing and done by an inconsiderable Person I readily comply with those that so think and that it may want that which is called Method if any do not like it I cannot help it I had no Scheme of Things in my Head when I first began You have it as I had it Besides I do not pretend any Thing to human Learning being much a Stranger to it What Time I have spent about these Things have been short Interims pincht out of my other Occasions And if may be if it were to be done again it might be otherwise I might mention some others not a few who are of Gallio's Mind that care for none of these Things having other Things to care for looking on them as cunningly devised Fables I have nothing to say to such careless ones but this that Christ will care as little for them another Day It may be I have said too much already to the Reader and more than a wise Man would have said and more than I should have said had not there been some Necessity of it But I have done when I have told you that I am a very old Man and very near another World having lived far beyond the stated Age of Man and do not know whether I shall be able to speak when I come to die and therefore shall leave this behind me which will speak when I shall speak here no more penned partly for my own Satisfaction and partly with Respect to some of mine whose Salvation I am caring for and am willing they should be acquainted with such Truths as these are 'T is possible and more than possible that I may be mistaken in some Things here written my Way being little if not too
little trodden by others But if so being made sensible of it I shall not be backward to acknowledge my Failings But 't is no good Logick nor will it be a convincing Argument to me to say that what is here written is not so If such an Answer would suffice and Disputes would soon be ended and it might possible satisfy all but such as have their Eyes in their Heads And if these be not Truths which are here asserted or proposed to Consideration those that are of another Opinion may do well to let us understand our Mistakes and declare their own Sentiments herein W. T. Of the Coming of CHRIST MATT. XXIV 3. Tell us when shall these Things be And what shall be the Sign of thy Coming and of the End of the World THESE Words contain three Questions proposed by the Disciples to Christ for Resolution 1 when shall these Things be which Words refer to the Destruction of the Temple and City 2 What shall be the Signs of thy Coming This Question seems to be grounded upon the last Verse of the former Chapter ye shall not see me henceforth till c. implying a Time wherein the Jews should see Christ again visibly when they should say Blessed is be that comes in the Name of the Lord. The 3 Question was about the End of the World when that should be and what Signs would precede That the World should have an End Christ had told them Mat. 13.40 Now that these are three distinct Questions is evident by three distinct Answers which Christ makes to the Disciples His first Answer concerning the Destruction of the Temple begins with a Caution ver 4. Take Heed that no Man deceive you and afterwards describes the Misery of that Nation in many Particulars as Signs and Forerunners of their Ruin unto ver 23. See Luke 21.20 But this being past no Notice shall be taken of it here The Answer to the second Question begins at the 23 ver of this Chap. and continues to the 31 ver of the 25 Chap. and from thence to the End we have a Description of the general Judgment and of the End of the World But no Signs preceding either there or any where else in Scripture that this Writer knows The main Thing intended in this Script is modestly to enquire not positively to conclude any Thing concerning a right Understanding of the second Question and the Answer of Christ thereunto viz. What Kind of Coming of Christ is here to be understood And here we must know that there are more Comings of Christ than two There is a spiritual Coming in the Ministry Christ came and preached in the Ministry of Noab 1 Pet. 3 and by the Ministry of Paul Eph. 2.17 There is also a providential Coming of Christ in stupendous Providences and it may be of this Coming James speaks Chap. 5.8 the Coming of the Lord draws nigh Neither of these seems to be meant here nor will the Signs laid down of the Coming of Christ agree to either of them For first it cannot be meant of his Coming in the Gospel spiritually for so he hath been always Coming and will be to the End of the World and no Signs can be given of this Coming The like may be said concerning his Coming in extraordinary Providences Other Comings of Christ might be mentioned but this Coming of Christ seems to be a personal Coming and therefore t is said they shall see the Son of Man Coming viz. personally Christ is seldom if ever stiled the Son of Man in any other Coming Again t is said he cometh in the Clouds of Heaven Dan. 7.13 One like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every Eye shall see him and they that have pierced him viz. the Jews Zech. 12.10 This Description of Christ's Coming in the Clouds of Heaven so often mentioned cannot be understood of his Coming in the Gospel But it may be said by Clouds may be understood his Ordinances as in Isai 5.6 I will command the Clouds that they rain no more Rain upon it To which it is answered 't is not said there the Clouds of Heaven as in the fore-mentioned Texts Secondly t is answered that Clouds are for Protection from Danger Exod. 14.19 Isai 4.5 for a Defence upon the Glory and so it may be well understood here But if this satisfy not we must know that parabolical Divinity is not argumentative against plain Texts of Scripture and we may not forsake the literal Interpretation where t is not contrary to the Analogy of Faith. Let us consider a litter further of some of the Signs foregoing this Coming of Christ and see how they will agree with any other Coming but a personal Coming For the Suddenness of it is compared to Lightening which is most quick visible and also terrible ver 27. described also by gathering together of the Eagles ver 28. It cannot be understood of he Roman Eagles called the Abomination of Desolation For that was past long ago before the Destruction of the Temple ver 15. and therefore such an Interpretation is foreign from the meaning of that Text. By Eagles therefore are to be understood Saints rather By the Carcass or Body as Luke renders it Chap. 17. ver 24-37 is to be understood Christ and the Apostle 2 Thes 1.3 speaking of this Coming of Christ speaks also of our gathering together to him foretold by Jacob long before his Incarnation Gen. 49.10 To him shall the gathering of the People be and the Psalmist speaking of such a fiery tempestuous Time as is like to be at this Coming of Christ tells us that God calls to the Heavens above and to the Earth to gather together his Saints Psal 50.3 4 and in ver 31. of this Chap. t is said he shall send his Angels with a great ' Sound of a Trumpet to gather together his Elect from one End of Heaven to the other which it may be is the same spoken of Isai 27.12 13. when the great Trumpet shall be blown and the Children of Israel which are ready to perish in the Land of Assyria shall be gathered one by one and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount of Jerusalem Now t is probable these Gatherings together will be of all Elect Jews and Gentiles done partly by a Sight of our Lord Jesus Christ and partly by the Ministry of Man of which we may possibly speak more fully hereafter Another Sign of Christ's Coming is The Sun shall be darkned and the Moon not give her Light and the Stars fall from Heaven c. Let us consider here what may be meant by Sun Moon and Stars and then see how t is a Sign of Christ's Coming in the Gospel There are some that understand it literally that these celestial Bodies should be darkened by frequent Eclipses and that the Stars should really fall to the Earth But we know that Eclipses are ordinary and common
Things and are and have been in all Ages and are prodvced by natural Causes and therefore this so understood cannot be a Sign of Christ's Coming in the Gospel or any other Way much less by falling of Stars to the Earth which is a Thing impossible the Diameter of the Earth not being able to contain one Star. Besides they are by an Ordinance of Heaven set to give Light to the Earth Gen. 1.18 and those Ordinances cannot be changed Jer. 31.36 therefore something else is here meant Let us see what the Scripture speaks to this Those Words then are metaphorically to be understood For there are other Suns Moons Stars which we read of in Scripture Gen. 37.9 10. There is mention made of Sun Moon and Stars where Superiors both supreme and subordinate are represented under that Notion of Sun Moon and Stars It may also signify the Fall and Ruin of States Monarchs Monarchys Hence we read at the Fall of the Babylonian Monarchy of the darkning of the Sun and the Moon not giving her Light nor the Stars of Heaven nor the Constellations thereof Isai 13.10 and Chap. 14.12 the King of Babylon is said to fall from Heaven and call'd Lucifer Son of the Morning The Fall of Idumea is represented to us by the Host of Heaven being dissolved i. e. Sun Moon and Stars being darkened Hence we read Rev. 6 at the opening of the sixth Seal of the Sun 's becoming black as Sackcloth and the Moon as Blood which some understand of the Fall of the Roman Pagan Empire And Chap. 8.12 at another remarkable Period we read of a third Part of the Sun Moon and Stars darkened And Chap. 16.8 the fourth Angel poured out a Vial on the Sun i.e. the antichristian State or some eminent Person in it We read also in Joel 3.15 of the Sun and Moon being darkened and the Stars withdrawing their Light and Chap. 2.31 that the Sun shall be turned into Darkness and the Moon into Blood And when will this be When he will gather all Nations into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and plead with them there both Pagan and antichristian Enemies this seems to be their great and last Overthrow at Armageddon when the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World shall be gathered together to the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty Hitherto may be referred that in Psal 110.6 when he shall judge among the Heathen and fill the Places with dead Bodies and shall wound the Heads over many Countries And it may be t is THEN they i. e. the Jews shall go forth and look on the Carcases of the Men that have transgressed against God Isai 66.24 for then by Fire and Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh ver 16. A Scheme of this Battle we have in Ezekiel Chap. 38 39 and Expressions of the same Import of pleading against them with Sword Pestilence and Blood and Fire and is all one with that mentioned Rev. 19 and Joel 2. And when this shall be it will be a dark and bloody World indeed when these Suns and Moons are thus darkened and turned into Blood and so many Stars of the first Magnitude fall But when will this be It will be in the latter Days ver 11. and yet long before the last Day It will be at or about the Calling of the Jews Joel 3.1 and spoke of Ezekiel 37 immediately before this great Destruction then these Suns and Moons will be ashamed and confounded when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Isai 24. Thus we see what may be meant in this Text by Sun Moon and Stars and what by being darkened by comparing it with other Scriptures Now let it be considered how well this Sign will agree with the Coming of Christ in the Gospel The next Sign to be taken Notice of as preceding the Coming of Christ is touching the Time it will be at such a Time as is unknown to Men or Angels Hence he is said to come as a Thief Rev. 16.15 Chap. 3.3 Behold I come as a Thief And he threatned to come to the Church of Sardis as a Thief and thou shalt not know in what Hour I will come upon thee This Coming will be secretly suddenly unexpectedly and unavoidably Furthermore it will be a Time of general and deep Security when Men shall say Peace and Safety A Time of Sensuality as in the Days of Noah and Lott Eating and Drinking Marrying and giving in Marriage A sleepy World wise Virgins as well as foolish slumbering and sleeping when Christ comes as a Bridegroom which is not at the general Judgment for the wise Virgins will not then be asleep neither will it then be a Time of general Security and Sensuality as it was in the Days of Noah and Lott as we shall show hereafter And the Signs of Christ's Coming extend to the 30th Ver. of Chap. 25th when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith on Earth Now let him that Readeth understand and consider whether these Signs or any other will agree with Christ's coming in the Gospel But because most Men understand this Coming to be to the last Judgment and do grant it to be a personal Coming let us now consider how all these Signs will agree and be Forerunners of Christ's coming to the last Judgment And which Coming is spoken of Chap. 25 from Ver. 30th to the End or whether there be any Signs at all mentioned in the Scripture of his coming to the last Judgment And here of Necessity something must be spoken of the THOUSANDS YEARS and of the State of Things here during that Time as also of the first Resurrection the Kingdom of Christ in this World Rev. 20 and other Things coincident And First Whether there be such a Term of Time or no as the Thousands Years Secondly Whether it be past or future and Thirdly The Time when it doth begin or from what Period it doth commence I. To the first of these that there is such a Thing or Term of Time is that which hath been asserted by Men of Note in all Ages since the primative Times a Catalogue of whom might easily be produced if Need were But this Doctrine of the Thousand Years needs no human Testimony We have a more sure Word of Prophesy which we should do well to give Heed unto In Rev. 20 it is express'd no less than five Times over a Thousand Years and The Thousand Years with an Emphasis And the Apostle Peter Chap. 2.3 speaking of the Day of the Lord and Perdition of ungodly Men tells us that one Day with the Lord is a Thousand Years which some think refers to this Time But whether they do or no we must and ought to believe it for this is one of those Sayings that is faithful and true Rev. 22. ver 6 and if any Man shall say otherwise and take away from the Words of this
Prophesy God shall take away his Part out of the Book of Life Let us enquire what the Scripture speaks to this Point that there shall be a Time in which God will destroy the Wicked of the World and the Enemies of his Church and People and that there shall be a Time of Peace and Freedom from all persecuting Power a Time of great Holiness and Happiness a Time wherein he will pour out his Spirit in great Abundance from on high such a Time as was never yet in the World a Time of refreshing from the Presence of the Lord Times of the Restitution of all Things and those Times have been spoken of by all the holy Prophets since the World began The Truth is it is the Time of the Duration of Christ's Kingdom in this World which is to be given to him after the Destruction of the little Horn as is clear from Daniel 7 and which he is gone to receive for himself and to return Luk. 19.12 And seeing such Times and Things have been spoken of by all the holy Prophets we will enquire what every one of them have spoken to these Things We shall begin with ISAIAH Chap. 2.2 the Prophet tells of a Time when the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the Top of the Mountains and be exalted above the Hills when he shall judge among the Nations and rebuke many People when the lofty Looks of Men shall be humbled c. And when shall this be It shall be in the last Days t is yet future It hath never yet been accomplished 'T is call'd the Day of the Lord ver 12 when he alone shall be exalted a Time of Peace when Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation no more War then ver 4. T is true there will be a bloody World before this Day comes and Distress among Nations foregoing Christ's Coming Luk. 21 Mat. 24 Dan. 12. But afterwards it will be otherwise when they shall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy Mountain for the Earth will be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord Chap. 11.9 the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun seven-fold Chap. 30.26 no more weeping then ver 19. And when shall this be It shall be when Christ shall reign in Righteousness Chap. 32.1 and when his People shall dwell in peaceable Habitations when the Jews shall be called and the Saints raised and live and reign with Christ a Thousand Years Then t is their Eyes shall see the King in his Beauty and see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation and the Lord our Judge our Law-giver and our King Chap. 33.17 20 22. Then t is there shall be such Holiness Chap. 35.8 and everlasting Joy shall be on their Heads and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Then and not till then will God create new Heavens Jerusalem a rejoicing and her People a Joy Chap. 65.17 18 21. Then shall the build Houses and inhabit them plant Vineyards and eat the Fruit of them and long enjoy the Works of their Hands None of these Things have yet been accomplished nor will be till that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and destroy with the Brightness of his Coming 2 Thes 2.8 Neither can these Things be understood to be in or after the general Judgment For then there will be no Building of Houses nor planting of Vineyards nor eating the Fruit of them nor long enjoying the Labour of their Hands It must be after the Calling of the Jews this Promise having special Respect to them and therefore all this and much more will be in the Thousand Years In the beginning of which Christ will come in the Clouds of Heaven visibly as hath been shewed before to judge the Man of Sin and all other Enemies which shall be found in Arms against him And this Thousand Years must be placed between this Appearance of Christ and the general Judgment which will be after the last Resurrection But of this more may be spoken when we come to speak to the third Question when this Time shall begin Those also that hold that the general Judgment will begin at the beginning of the Thousand Years and so continue that whole Term of Time are utterly mistaken For besides what hath been said before as to building and planting the Scripture is clear that even then there will be wicked Men in the World tho' they will be Slaves as the Gibeonites were and chained up as the Devil will be all that while but at last will be so multiplied that they will be as the Sand of the Sea and at last being deceived by the Devil when he is let loose at the End of these Thousand Years they will make an Attempt against the Saints to their own Ruin and that this should be in the Time of the general Judgment is a Thing not to be believed We have already shewed what one Prophet hath spoken but because these are the Times of the Restitution of all Things spoken of by all the holy Prophets which have been since the World began let it be enquired into what the rest of the Prophets have spoken JEREM. 3.14 God tells them there that he would bring them to Sion and at that Time they should call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all Nations should be gathered to it ver 17. And Chap. 30.3.9 the Prophet tells them the Days should come that God would bring again the Captivity both of Israel and Judah and they should serve the Lord their God and David their King. Jer. 31 the whole Chap. throughout speaks fully to the Point in Hand The Prophet EZEKIEL also Chap. 36 tells us of a Time when God would gather them i. e. the Jews out of all Countries and bring them to their own Land and cleanse them from their Filthiness pour out his Spirit on them and they should be his People and he would be their God all which is yet future Yea the last nine Chapters speak in a mystical Way of the State of the Gospel Church in the Thousand Years Let us see further what DANIEL speaks He tells us what shall be in the latter Days that is in the latter End of the 4th Kingdom viz. the Roman which is now on his last Legs if it hath any Leggs left We are sure he hath Feet upon which the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hand shall fall and break the whole Image to Pieces from the Head to the Feet Why then and not till then shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed nor pass over to another People but stand forever and become a great Mountain and fill the whole Earth what else is this but the Mountain of the Lord's House exalted above the Hills or any other Mountain than this cannot be meant of a spiritual Kingdom for that doth not break other Kingdoms to
was in the Days of Noah and as it was in the Days of Lott Eating and Drinking Marrying Building and planting and knew nothing 'till the Flood came even thus shall it be when the Son of Man shull be revealed ver 26 27 30. And Luk. 19.11 There were some that thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear but Christ gives them to understand otherwise and represents himself as a certain noble Man that went into a far Country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return And ver 15 when he was returned having received the Kingdom then he calls his Servants to account and passes Sentence on them Hence he is said to judge quick and dead at his Appearance and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 And therefore when he come to set up his Kingdom at the Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet at the Time he is said to Judge and to give Rewards to his Servants Rev. 11 15 18. So that at his Return will be the Time when this Kingdom of Christ shall appear and the Thousand Years begin But to enquire a little further concerning THE TIME and see what the Scripture speaks to it and we shall find Rev. 10.5 6 7 that under the sixth Trumpet which is the second Woe Trumpet Chap. 9.12 the Angel which is CHRIST who sets his right Foot on the Sea his left Foot on the Earth and lifteth up his Hand to Heaven and sweareth by him that liveth for ever and ever that there should be Time no longer but in the Days of the Voice of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the Mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets What Should the World be now at an End that Time should be no longer when the seventh Angel sounded No not so but then Time should be no longer to the Beast and other Enemies of Christ and then the Mystery of God should be finished But what may this Mystery which must be finished after the Sound of the seventh Trumpet be which is the last Trumpet after which none shall Sound but the Trump of God at the last Judgment 1 Cor. 15.52 at the Resurrection of the Dead And this the Apostle calls a Mystery but this is not the Mystery of God here meant for God had not declared this to his Servants the Prophets Much less is it the Mystery of Iniquity 2 Thes 2.7 for that is not the Mystery of God but of the Devil There is yet another Mystery of which the Apostle speaks Rev. 11.25 and that is the Calling of the Jews And this Mystery hath been declared to all the Prophets as hath been shewed before And this Mystery of God is to be finished under the seventh Trumpet and at the pouring out of the last Vial For then 't is said It is done What is that which is done Then the Mystery of Gods is fulfilled Chap. 10.7 And at the pouring out of this Vial which is contemporary with the seventh Trumpet there will be Voices and Thunderings and Lightnings to strike Terror into the Minds of Men and there will be a great Earthquake such as was not since Men were upon the Earth so mighty and Earthquake and so great It will shake all the Kingdoms of this World shake the Heavens and shake the Earth the Lord will shake all the World by it and Things so shaken must be removed that what cannot be shaken may remain but of his something hath been spoken before But what may this Earthquake be which shall thus shake the whole World and such as never was since Men lived upon Earth I do not understand it of an Earthquake properly so called but so as it represents to us great Changes in the World and Distrese of Nations with Perplexity Mens Hearts failing them for Fear and for looking after those Things which are coming on the Earth For the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken Luk. 21.25 26. We read of a great Earthquake Rev. 6 at the Opening of the sixth Seal And it was so great that it shook the Pagan Roman Empire for so Interpretors understand that Place the whole Pagan Emperial World Sun Moon and Stars thereof and this introduced a blessed Change for the present So that we see such Earthquakes signify great Changes and affrighting Judgments by Wars and otherwise and such will be at the Sounding of the seventh Trumpet and the pouring out of the last Vial. Rev. 16.14 we read of the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World gathered together to the BATTLE of the GREAT DAY of GOD ALMIGHTY And it is the same Battle spoken of by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 38. 39 for that was to be in the latter Day ver 16 And it must be at or after the return of the Jews to their own Land which is yet future And the Prophet Joel also speaks of the same Battle Chap. 3.2 For behold in those Days and in that Time when I shall bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and plead with them there A more general War-like Assembly was never known in the World and by Means whereof there will be such an Earthquake as was never heard of since the World began And this will be all at the same Time ' the Calling of the Jews at the same Place Judea Ezek. 39.4 upon the Mountains of Israel Joel 3.2 in the Valley of Jehoshaphat Rev. 16.16 at Armageddon To this Time the Prophet Isaiah refers Chap. 63.1 2 3 c. where Christ is represented as treading the Wine-press treading his Enemies in Anger trampling on them in Fury Garments stained with their Blood Just the same with Rev. 14.15 20. Thrust in thy Sickle into the Earth and gather the Vine of the Earth and the Angel thrust in his Sickle and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast in into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God. But more of this when we come to speak of the great Battle of GOD and MAGOG Joel also speaks to the same Purpose and the same Time then will Men go into the Clefts of the Rocks and into the Tops of the ragged Rocks for Fear of the Lord and for the Glory of his Majesty when he ariseth terribly to shake the Earth By this little above-written we may partly judge what this Earthquake is like to be and to do which is so great as was not since Men lived upon Earth For now the old World will be at an End and the new World will begin which the Apostle calls the World to come Heb. 2.5 Thus much may suffice for Answer to the third Question proposed to be spoken to i.e. when the Thousand Years will begin and all the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he to reign for ever and ever And this is one of the most remarkable Periods which hath been
4 that is remaining to the Saints and People of God. When Persecution ceased the Churches had Rest Act. 9.31 Much more might be written to show that the next or second Coming of Christ will be long before the general Judgment but let this suffice And now let us consider further what Christ will do at this his next Coming He will appear personally and visibly as hath been shewed And as he went Act. 1 he will come with the same Glory as when he comes to the general Judgment sitting on a Throne as a King And he comes with Ten Thousand of his Saints Jud. 14 comes and all his Saints with him Zec. 12. And the first Thing that Christ will do when he comes he will raise up the dead Saints or some of them and this is called the first Resurrection Rev. 20.4 And here we must know that there is a first Resurrection and there is a last Resurrection and that there is a first or inchoate Judgment and there is a last or ultimate Judgment which the Scripture speaks of and it will fall in naturally to speak of them both together And the Apostle 1 Cor. 15 speaking largely of the Resurrection doth imply a priority and a posteriority of the Resurrection ver 23 where 't is said Christ the first Fruit afterwards they that are Christ's at his Coming But what Coming to the general Judgment No but long before that Time For at the general Judgment not only them that are Christ's shall be raised but all that are in Graves small and great all that are in the Sea or in Hell all must appear before his judgment-Seat 2 Cor. 5 the Bad as well as Good and therefore there is a Resurrection of some before that Time. Besides the Apostle says every one should be made alive in his own Order Christ was the first Fruit above 1600 Years ago afterwards will be the Saints or some of them at his Coming AFTERWARDS for so is the Word in the Original as I have been informed cometh the End. What End Not only the End of the Thousand Years but the End of the World as to the present State of it and then as I conceive will be the last Resurrection and the general Judgment After the End of which the Kingdom shall be delivered to God even the Father and God shall be all in all The Sum is that as there is a long intervall of Time between the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of those that are Christ's at his Coming so more than a few Hours or Years will be between the Resurrection of these and the last Resurrection and so much doth the Word Order import and imply a Distance of Time there being no mention made that I know of of any Rising of any at Christ's second Coming but of those that are his And if this be not the Meaning of this Scripture I know not what is The next Scripture we shall mention to this Purpose is that so much controverted Place Rev. 20.4 John in a Vision saw the Souls of them that were beheeded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor received his Mark in their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a Thousand Years but the REST of the Dead lived not again till the Thousand Years were finished So that t is plain by this Text that some shall rise a Thousand Years before others and that is here called the first Resurrection But because most Men think that this is not to be understood of a bodily Resurrection but of a spiritual Resurrection in Regeneration let us enquire what the Scripture saith to this Point and what may be said in Answer to those that are of that Opinion And here t is readily granted that Regeneration in Scripture is called Resurrection but this seems not to be the Resurrection here meant but this Resurrection is rather to be understood of a bodily Resurrection and that it cannot be meant of Regeneration for these Reasons First Regeneration or this spiritual Resurrection did begin shortly after Man's Fall and hath continued ever since and shall to the End of the World but the first Resurrection here spoken of did not begin so early as Adam's Fall but is to begin with the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign therefore Regeneration is not the Resurrection spoken of Again Secondly They were the Souls of Men already beheaded which John saw and their Resurrection did follow their Death and not go before it and t was never known that ever any Man was regenerate after Death and therefore by Resurrection here cannot be meant Regeneration Again Thirdly If by Resurrection here be meant Regeneration it would follow that many of the Saints should rise many Hundred Years before their Reign there being no less Time between their Calling or Regeneration and the beginning of Christ's Kingdom or the Thousand Years of the Saints Reign Again Fourthly If by Resurrection be meant Regeneration how can it be that they should reign immediately after their Resurrection or Regeneration or begin their Reign all at once or continue it but a Thousand Years Or if any should say this Reign is the Saints reigning with CHRIST in Heaven such must know that t is on Earth Rev. 5.10 And if it were in Heaven it would be more than a Thousand Years And besides after the Thousand Years there will be an Attempt of War Rev. 20. but no Enemy was ever so bold as to engage in a War in Heaven And thus we may see what lamentable Consequences if not Absurdities will follow upon such Metaphorical or Allegorical Exposition of Scripture where a literal Interpretation is not contrary to the Analogy of Faith. The next Scripture we shall take Notice of is John 5.25.28 The Hour cometh and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live ver 25. We are not ignorant that this Scripture as well as that of Rev. 20 is by many if not most understood of such who are dead in Sin who shall hear the Voice of Christ in the Ministry of the Gospel and shall live spiritually or be regenerate But whether this be the Meaning or at least the proper Meaning of the Apostle in this Text we shall Enquire And here if we view the Context we shall find that Christ speaks of raising the Dead in a proper Sense ver 21 and of Judgment to come in a proper Sense ver 22. 27. And the Occasion of this Discourse was the Cure of the impotent Man at which the Jews were offended and did therefore persecute Jesus and sought to slay him ver 16. Christ tells them they should see greater Works than these that they might marvell ver 20. he tells them that the Hour was coming and now is when the Dead should hear his Voice and live as if Christ should say do ye marvel that I have healed
but the rest of the Dead that is wicked Men and it may be some of the Saints also shall lie still in their Graves 'till the general Judgment when all shall appear Good and Bad before the Judgment Sent of Christ And 't is very like this is the Meaning of that Place 2 Tim. 4.1 where 't is said that Christ shall judge both quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom That is to say by judging the Quick that is the Wicked or some of them to a temporal Destruction and the raised Saints to be rewarded with all the Glory that is promised to all Overcomers in the New Jerusalem Rev. 2.7 11 17 27 Chap. 3.12 21 And as an Addition to all the Rest they shall sit with Christ in his Throne even as he overcame and is set down with his Father in his Throne And these are some of the Rewards that are mentioned Rev. 11.18 to be distributed to the Saints of the first Resurrection so that we may say with the Psalmist Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58. ult By This time I hope it is clear that there is a first Resurrection of some before all and that of Saints and Saints only And having shewed before what this first Resurrection is not namely that 't is not Regeneration let us now enquire what it is and whether it be not a Resurrection of the Body and that properly so called And to this End let us consider that 20th Chap. of Rev. a little more John is said there to see the the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus c. What may we think is meant by Souls Souls in this Place are put for the Dead the Souls of them that were beheaded is the same with the Dead that were beheaded And that is manifest from the opposite Clause or Sentence i.e. the rest of the Dead lived not again ver 5 and therefore the first are considered as dead Again 't is faid they lived and reigned c. What may be meant by this Living and Reigning By the Lives of the Souls of them that were beheaded it seems to me to be no other than the Life of the Body which they did lay down in the Death of the Body and which now in the Resurrection they receive again to die no more To evince the Truth of this let it be considered First That John speaks of the Souls of them that were beheaded that is of those that were slain or dead in Body and he saith that they lived that is they lived again but the dead in Body live not again but by a Resurrection from the Death of the Body The Argument may be thus framed The Resurrection of the Dead in Body is the Resurrec-of the Body 1 Cor. 15.12 13. but the first Resurrection is the Resurrection of the Dead in Body for 't is the Resurrection of those that were beheaded therefore 't is of the Body Secondly The Text speaks of such a Resurrection wherein Men lived a Thousand Years after they be raised which cannot agree to any other Life or Resurrection but the Life and Resurrection of the Body therefore this Resurrection is a bodily Resurrection Thirdly Such a Resurrection is here meant as will be to the rest of the dead after the Thousand Years are ended who lived not again 'till that be finished ver 5 which shall be of the Body ver 12.13 therefore this Resurrection is of the Body also Fourthly The Men that were beheaded must so live during the Thousand Years as the rest of the Dead lived not all that while their Souls were still separated from their Bodies therefore these must live in Souls joined to their Bodies And Lastly These must so live at the first Resurrection as the rest shall live at the second Resurrection and that will be in Bodies and Souls united which cannot be except they be raised from their Graves And thus having written before of the second or next Coming of Christ and of the Thousand Years and of the first Resurrection and the Judgment of the Quick and Dead and other Things coincident we shall write hereafter a little more fully to what hath been only hinted already in this Discourse And First Touching THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IN THIS WORLD That of John 18.36 being objected against it where Christ saith his Kingdom is not of this World for the better Understanding of this we may take Notice That when Pilate asked Christ if he were a King his Answer was thou sayst that I am a King grants the Thing told him that for that End he was born i. e. to be a King. And Luk. 19 we read that he was proclaimed King by the Multitude and a great Multitude with great Solemnity to the Astonishment of the Spectators All Jerusalem was moved at it Matt. 21.10 and he justified them that did it But it may be said every one will grant this that Christ is a King and that he is King over his Church in which Respect he is called King of Saints Rev. 15.3 King of Sion Joh. 12.15 Psal 2.6 King Jesus Act. 17.7 But CHRIST is not only King of Saints but King of Nations Jer. 10.7 and that not only as GOD equal with the FATHER but as MEDIATOR also And in that Respect he is called God's King Psal 2.6 And all Power in Heaven and Earth is given to him Civil as well as Ecclesiastical And therefore in Luk. 1.32.33 there 't is said that God shall give to him the Throne of his Father David and that he should reign over the House of Jacob and therefore in Mar. 11 the People are said to Cry Hosanna Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David But the Throne and Kingdom of David was Civil Government Again CHRIST is not only a King but a great King Mat. 5,35 in Reference to Jerusalem which is often put for civil State and not only a great King but King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 By all which we may see that Christ is de jure and will be de facto a King and that not only over his Church but over all the Earth and that is next to be considered i. e. THE EXTENT OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM For this see Psal 2. He is to have the utmost Parts of the Earth for his Possession Psal 22.28 he is said there to be Governor among the Nations and Psal 72.8 his Dominion is to the Ends of the Earth ver 13. all Nations shall serve him Daniel also speaking of this Kingdom of Christ says it became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth Chap. 2.35 But more fully Chap. 7.14 and there was given to him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him I shall add one Scripture more to all these and that is Rev. 11.15 at
the Sound of the 7th Trumpet t is said then that the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ By this Time you will understand what Christ meant John 18 when he said his Kingdom was not of this World and indeed he himself tells us in the following Words but NOW is my Kingdom not from hence as if Christ should say I am a King and shall have a Kingdom but not now not in this World but in the World to come For we must know that there are more Worlds then one there was the old World which was drowned and there is this present evil World and as the old World was drowned and the Wicked in it were generally tho' not universally destroyed by Water so will this present World and the Wicked that are therein tho' not all be destroyed by Fire 2 Pet. 3.7 as hereafter we shall endeavour to shew After which there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness a new Face of Things a new World and this is called by the Apostle Heb. 2.5 the World to come when all Things must be put in Subjection to Christ ver 8. And this is the World in which will be or which is Christ's Kingdom And now to speak a little to this Point about THE END OF THIS WORLD and the BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO COME and see what the Scripture speaks to it In 2 Pet. 3.7 the Apostle tells us that the Heavens the Earth which are NOW are reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment or as some render it a Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly Men. And this cannot be meant of the ultimate Judgment because after this there will not only be a new Heaven but a new Earth also wherein dwelleth Righteousness that is righteous Men and that they shall build Houses and plant Vineyards and eat the Fruit of them Isai 65.21 yea and worship God with external Worship from one Sabbath to another and that not for a little While but these new Heavens and new Earth are to remain Chap. 66.22 But what then may we think will become of the old Heaven and the old Earth Will they not still have a Being For answer hereunto we must understand that the Apostle in the forementioned Chap doth make a Parallel between the Destruction of the old world and the World that now is that as the old World was destroyed by Water so will this World be by Fire properly so called as to that which is to be destroyed For as in the old World there was not an Annihilation of any Thing nor were all Men nor all the Brute-Creatures Destroyed nor were the empyrean or starry Heavens then touched and therefore t is only the aerial Heavens with what is contained in them which are the Furniture of them or what moves in the Air that will be the Subject of this Burning and it may be that which the Apostle means by Elements melting with fervent Heat which distinguisheth from the Heavens for it cannot be that the Elements properly so called should melt with fervent Heat the Water not being capable of burning or melting the Fire is that which burns all Things and therefore not to be burned and for the Earth as it was not destroyed by the Flood tho' much defaced so neither will it be destroyed by Fire so as not to be but this Fire shall rather be for the Restoration of it than the Destruction of it as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Psal 102.6 But that the Earth shall have a habitable Being after the End of the Thousand Years is clear from Rev. 20.8 the Devil shall go forth to deceive the Nations that are in the four Quarters of the Earth and ver 9 they went accordingly upon the Breadth of the Earth but it may be some may think that this Burning of the World will be at or after the general Judgment but for ought I know it may be otherwise for then the Heaven and the Earth is said to fly away from the Face of him that sat on the Throne to judge the World and it hath been before shewed that after this Burning there will be a new Earth as well as a new Heaven And who can tell but that this may be the Time when that shall be fulfilled Act. 2.19 20 when there shall be Blood and Fire and Vapours of Smoak so as the Sun shall be darkened with it and the Moon appear as Blood as we have lately seen in this Country Vapours of Smoak have caused them so to appear for that was to be in the last Days and we do not know that ever this hath been accomplished and that this is not at the general Judgment but before is clear out of Joel 2.32 For at this very Time when this shall come to pass and the World shall be burned some shall be delivered for in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall be Deliverance and the Lord hath said it ver 32. The Sum is that at the beginning of the Thousand Years there will be a great Destruction of the Wicked of the World as hath been before shewed and this will be by Fire as the Wicked of the old World were destroyed by Water and the Apostle Peter saith expresly this Fire is for the Perdition of ungodly Men. Paul also tells us that Christ will be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire to take Vengeance on wicked Men 2 Thes 1.8 But more clear Isai 66.15 For behold the Lord will come with Fire and render his Anger with Fury and his Rebukes with Flames of Fire for by Fire and by Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh and the Slain of the Lord shall be many But what then may we think will become of good Men and the irrational Creatures at this Time when the world shall be in a Flame how shall they be saved Indeed this is a Question too hard for me or any Man else to determine neither do I know that it is revealed in the Scripture yet for Resolution of this I propound to Consideration First That when the World was destroyed by Water t is possible some good Men might perish in that Destruction who seeing that Deluge coming on the World might repent and so have their Souls saved and if so why may not some good Men be taken away in this general Destruction by Fire as to their Bodies and be raised to Heaven as Elias was in fiery Chariots and their Souls be saved But Secondly tho' we do not know how they shall be saved yet the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of Temptation when the Unjust shall be reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 and we know that Faith hath quenched the Violence of Fire Heb. 11.34 and that the Fire that burnt up the most mighty Men that were in Nebuchadnezzar's Army Dan. 3.20 had no Power over
the Bodies of his Saints and there are some who shall dwell with devouring Fire and everlasting Burnings when some shall not but shall be as the burning of Lime and as Thornes cut up shall they be burnt in the Fire Isai 33.12 14 15 And there is a Promise Isai 43.2 that God made to his People that when they walk through the Fire they should not be burnt neither should the Flames kindle upon them Again when God destroyed the old World by Water God found out a Way to preserve Noah and his Family and Creatures of every Kind when as neither Noah nor all the World besides could tell how it would be till God revealed it Nor can any Thing that I know be certainly concluded how he will preserve his Church at this Time but that he will have a glorious Church on Earth when there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth is a Thing which we must and ought to believe which will be after all this And as for the irrational Creatures as Birds and Beasts of all Kinds we may upon good Grounds suppose that some of every Kind will be preserved as they were when the World was drowned though the greatest Part may be destroyed as they were then That these Creatures shall have a Being after this Time we may gather from Scripture because it is said Rom. 8 they wait groan and travel in Pain But what do they wait and groan for is it to be annihilated and have no Being we may not think so for every Creature by natural instinct labours to propagate their own Kind and to preserve their own Beings and therefore t is said ver 19 that they with earnest Expectation wait for the Manifestation of the Sons of God which whether it be at or during the Time of the general Judgment as some would have it or any Time before as others understand it proves clearly they shall have a Being after this Destruction made by Fire Again they wait for Deliverance from the Bondage of Corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God ver 21. And here we must understand that God in the Beginning made all Things in their first Beings very good free from that Vanity they are now subject to and it was subjected to Vanity after the Fall not willingly yet in hope of Deliverance This Vanity and Bondage of Corruption is the Curse upon the Creature for Man's Sin and this is that it waits to be delivered from and to be serviceable to those Ends for which they were first made i. e. next to the Glory of God for the Use and Service of Man. And here it may not be amiss to enquire whether wicked Men may not make Use of the Creature without abusing them to Sin There is no doubt to me but wicked Men and that by God's Appointment have a right to the Creature and may for any Thing I know make use of them without Offence It was God that divided to the Nations their Inheritance Deut. 32.8 he gave Mount Seir to Esau for a Possession and to the Moabites and Amonites their Possessions and Israel was not to meddle with them Deut. 2.5.9 But more fully Gen. 9.1 2 3 God delivered into the Hands of Noah and his Posterity some of whom were none of the best the Beasts of the Earth Fowls of the Air Fishes of the Sea and every moving Thing that lives and the green Herb to be meat for them and as long as they made use of them for no other End who can say the Creature was abused We may rather think they offend if they use them not for those Ends for which they were appointed even by God himself And therefore do not yet see any Reason to believe that this is any Part of that Vanity and Bondage the Creature waits and groans to be delivered from I am not ignorant that some are of another Opinion who think that the Creatures shall never be delivered from this Vanity and Bondage but still be subject to it so long as any Wicked Men are in the World and make use of them and therefore conceive that the Time when the Creature shall be delivered from the Curse of Vanity Bondage it now groans under is not before the general Judgment but in and during the continuance of it But for further clearing of this let us consider First What 's meant by Adoption and what by Redemption of our Body which the Creature as well as Believers wait for and groan for Adoption I take in Scripture Sense to be the making one a Son who was not so before and this is done to every Believer at his first Conversion so that Believers cannot be said to wait for this which they have already received and therefore Adoption cannot be taken in this Sense here for they that are said to wait for the Adoption had the Spirit of Adoption before whereby they cried Abba ver 15 and therefore by Adoption in ver 23 I understand nothing but the Manifestation of that Adoption they were before Partakers of and this is that the Creature waiteth for ver 19 the Manifestation of the Sons of God. And this agrees directly with 1 John 3.1.2 beloved NOW we are the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear viz. to the World but it shall appear But when shall it appear It shall appear when Christ shall appear which we have proved before will be long before the general Judgment This Adoption is called the Redemption of our Body and the Apostle seems to make it all one with Adoption but whether it be so or no I shall not determine but leave it to the Judgment of the Learned and proceed to examine what may be meant by Redemption in this Place And here we must understand that there are several Acceptations of the Word Redemption in Scripture and it may various Ways be understood but I shall mention only two First a Redemption of our Souls by the Blood of Christ from Curse and Wrath and all our spiritual Enemies and this is done at our first Conversion Eph. 1.7 Rom. 3.24 25. Again there is a corporeal Redemption or a Redemption of our Bodies from outward Enemies when God will redeem his Church out of all their Troubles Psal 25.22 and this is that which hath been spoken of by all the holy Prophets since the World began that we should be saved from our Enemies and from the Hands of all that hate us that we might serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of our Lives Luk. 1.70 and this in Rom. 8.23 is called the Redemption of our BODY not Bodies but the Body mystical the Body of which Christ is the Head which is his Church To this Purpose is that in Luk. 21.27.28 when the Son of Man cometh in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory then look up and lift up your Heads for your REDEMPTION draweth nigh And this was the Burden of
of Understanding should be ashamed of these Opinions which will necessarily draw so many Absurdities with them as these and such others as might be mentioned In the next Place something may be written about THE NEW JERUSALEM mentioned Rev. 21 and enquire what the Scripture speaks to this Point And herein I shall rather modestly propose than positively conclude in a Matter of such Difficulty concerning which there are such various Apprehensions And here First We must know that Jerusalem in Scripture is divers Ways taken And first it is taken for a City so called in Palestine which some think was built by Melchisedeck King of Salem mentioned Gen. 14 afterward called Jerusalem but whether so or no I shall not determine but sure we are it was in Joshua's Time Josh 10.1 but never conquered by him tho' he slew Adonibezeck who was King thereof but 't was inhabited by the Jebusites 'till David's Time and then taken by him and became the Royal City 2 Sam. 5 and afterwards burned by the King of Babylon re-edified by Nehemiah and at last destroyed by the Romans built again by Aelianus Adrianus but not in the same Place but it shall be inhabited again in her own Place even in Jerusalem Zech. 12.6 14.10 when there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth Jerusalem shall be a Rejoicing and her People a Joy but I do not understand this to be the new Jerusalem of which we are now speaking Again by Jerusalem is understood the Inhabitants of Jerusalem as in Mat. 3.5 Jerusalem went out and were baptized of John in Jordan and Mat. 23.37 Jerusalem is said to kill the Prophets viz. the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Furthermore by Jerusalem is meant all the People of the Land as they were a civil State and common Wealth and this is very frequent in the Scriptures of the old Testament Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest I make thee a Land not inhabited So Jer. 2.2 God bids the Prophet cry in the Ears of Jerusalem that is cry that so that whole People might hear and understand for tho' Jerusalem is only named as being the Head City yet the Expostulation is with the whole Land as may appear in the Sequell of that Chapter See Isai 24.23 t is said there that Christ shall reign in Mount Sion that is his Church and in Jerusalem that is the civil State for so I understand it Psal 147.12 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Sion i. e. both Church and State. Again tho' the Jewish Church is ordinarily represented to us under the Name and Notion of Sion yet sometimes also under the Name of Jerusalem Psal 137.6 If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief Joy and Psal 122.6 Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and give him no Rest till he make Jerusalem a Praise in the Earth In further Prosecution of the Thing in Hand we shall take into Consideration what is mentioned in Gal. 4.26 to our Purpose where the Apostle speaks of two Covenants or at least a two-fold Dispensation of the same Covenant the one legal as given by Moses in the ceremonial Law which continued till the Coming of Christ in the Flesh the other evangelical as given by CHRIST and his Apostles and this I understand to be Jerusalem which is above and is no other than the Gospel Church consisting both of Jews and Gentiles and t is said to be above because t is more spiritual and glorious for tho' t is true the legal Dispensation of the Covenant was glorious 2 Cor. 3.7 yet that Glory was to be done away and was no Glory in Comparison by Reason of the Glory that excelleth For if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious The Church of old had many glorious Titles or Epithets as have been shewed before called his Glory Isai 46.13 his Treasure his pleasant Portion c yet speaking of the Gospel Church Isai 62.3 stiles it the House of his Glory a Crown of Glory a royal Diadem Such and so high are the Titles given to the Gospel Church that many if not most that think any Thing of the new Jerusalem conceive this to be the new Jerusalem at least in the Inchoation of it but t is possible such may be mistaken for the Glory of the new Jerusalem doth as far transcend and excel this Gospel-Church as this doth that under the legal Dispensation and much more and that in many Respects as it may be we may hereafter shew There are others who think and that not a few that this new Jerusalem is Heaven itself the Description of it being so glorious think t is impossible it should be in this World and he was once counted a Fool who thought it would be in this World but that t is not Heaven itself we shall hereafter endeavour to shew Some others suppose it shall be in this World and that t is no other then the Jewish Church after their Conversion to Christ or Christianity and whosoever reads the whole 60th Chapter will be ready to think that this is new Jerusalem Indeed and I must needs say it looks very well like it and there are many Expressions in it agreeing with the Description of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21 and therefore I shall be slow to think or say they are mistaken tho' I am not of their Opinion For the Scripture speaks very much of the Glory of this Church and People as hath been shewed before when it shall turn to the Lord and the Vail that is upon their Heart shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3.16 and the receiving them again into God's Covenant be as Life from the Dead and therefore some have thought that this is the Bride the Lamb's Wife What Priviledges they shall have in the Kingdom of Christ above the Gentile Churches I cannot tell but the Prophet Micah Chap. 4.8 tells us that they were the Tower of the Flock and that the first Dominion should come to the Daughter of Jerusalem and yet Jew and Gentile are all one in CHRIST JESUS Gal. 3.28 But tho' these bid very fair for it yet neither these nor any other who have been mentioned in my Understanding are the new Jerusalem of which we speal But in further Prosecution of the Thing under Consideration we shall enquire First what it is and Secondly whence it comes To the First what it is And here according to Scripture I understand it to be a distinct Society of Saints and of Saints only whose Names are written in the Book of Life coming down from God out of Heaven wholly free from Sin. Sorrow and Suffering who have attained to Perfection in Grace and Holiness so as they need no further Improvement of external Means of Salvation First they are a Society therefore called a City the great City Rev. 21.10 the holy City ver 2 the beloved City Chap. 20.9 the City of God Rev. 3.12 of Saints and Saints only and yer
not comprehending all Saints because there are Nations of them that are saved who shall walk in the Light of it Chap. 21.24 and they shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it ver 26. Besides Chap. 20.9 there is mention made of the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City which seems to imply at least to me that they are distinct Societies No such a Society in the purest Churches and in the best Times Tares will be amongst Wheat till Harvest Mat. 13.29 Coming down from God out of Heaven T is true the Gospel Church is called the Kingdom of Heaven but not coming down from God out of Heaven therefore is not Heaven itself for it comes down from God out of Heaven Chap. 21.2.10 Again the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour to it and they shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it which they cannot bring into Heaven Again Rev. 20.9 t is said that God and Magog went upon the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City therefore they were upon the Earth for if by new Jerusalem be meant Heaven is a Thing altogether impossible Furthermore the Saints of the new Jerusalem are free from Sin Sorrow and Suffering 1 from Sin there is nothing in it that defileth Chap. 21.27 but Sin defileth 2 They are free from Sorrow ver 4 no more Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain and also free from Suffering for Suffering is always attended with Pain But in other Saints there will be Sin and therefore Sorrow and Suffering to the End of the World. Again these have attained to Perfection in Grace and Holiness so as they need no further Improvement of external Means of Salvation no Temple therein no Need of Sun and Moon to shine therein for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof ver 22.23 no Night there nor Need of Candle or Sun for the Lord giveth them Light Chap. 22.5 But we know that external Means of Salvation will be needful for some till the End of the World by which Souls may be brought home to Christ Thus having given what my Apprehensions are in this Matter and shewed what this new Jerusalem is not and also what it is and whence it comes let it be enquired into where such a Society of Saints and Saints only according to the former Description may be found And here as I premised at first I will not be positive but propose to Consideration whether they may not be the Saints of the first Resurrection mention'd Rev. 20 That some Saints shall rise before others is clear in that Chapter in the beginning of the Thousand Years as before whether all Saints or no I shall not determine that some shall not then live when these are raised is as clear whether Saints or Sinners or both is left to Consideration That there will be Saints and Sinners in the World during that whole Term of Time and so until the End thereof and to the End of the World we have good Ground from Scripture to believe that Christ will appear long before the End of the World or ultimate Day hath been formerly proved that when he cometh he will come with all his Saints Zech. 14.5 Jude 14 and why not these Saints that come with Christ be the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven who are to live and reign with Christ a Thousand Years Chap. 20 and that on Earth Chap. 5.10 Again why may not these be the Spirits of just Men made perfect and Church of the first born to which we are come Heb. 12.23 or what else is the Meaning of that Place Once more why may not these be those who stand on Mount Sion with the Lamb Rev. 14 and follow him whithersoever he goes which are redeemed from among Men being the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb who were without Fault before the Throne of God and are distinct from the four Beasts and the Elders which I understand to be the Church which will be at that Time. If these or some of these be not the new Jerusalem I know not where to find it I know that very few are of this Opinion that the raised Saints are the New Jerusalem but rather think that the New Heaven and New Earth of which Peter speaks 2d Epistle 3d Chap. 13. are the New Jerusalem for Resolution in this Case and as an Addition to what hath been already written I shall propose to Consideration 1. Whether thinking so or saying so without any Proof will make it so 2dly the Apostle John makes them two distinct Things Rev. 21.1 2. The New Heaven and New Earth seems to be quite another Thing and I understand it to be no other than the Jewish evangelical Church represented to us after a legal Manner by the Prophet Ezekiel under the Name Notion of a City and Temple which is like to be the most glorious Church that ever was in the World 't is more than possible that this may be the New Heaven and New Earth when Jerusalem shall be a Rejoicing and her People a Joy Isa 65.17 18 being called there the New Heaven and New the Earth And yet notwithstanding this New Heaven and New Earth as it is discribed by Ezekiel differs in many Respects from the New Jerusalem as will appear by comparing John Ezek. together For first In the New Jerusalem there is no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple thereof Rev. 21.22 but that City mentioned by Ezekiel had a Temple Chap. 41.1 4 implying that there should be external Worship And what else is the Meaning of the Priests and Offerings so often mentioned there See Zec. 14.16 Again in the New Jerusalem the River of the Waters of Life proceedeth out of the Throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 but in that House mentioned by Ezekiel Chap. 47.1 the Waters not the River of the Waters of Life issueth from under the Threshold of the House at the South Side of the Altar Thirdly In the new Jerusalem is the Tree of Life on either Side of the River ver 2. but by that River that shall issue out of the Sanctuary of that City in Ezekiel shall grow Trees for Meat Chap. 47.12 Again once more and once for all this City new Jerusalem comes down from God out of Heaven and whither doth it come but to the new Heaven and new Earth for the first Heaven and Earth were passed away Rev. 21.1 2 they shall not be remembered nor come into Mind Isai 65.17 All these Things being considered it seems to me impossible that this new Heaven and new Earth should be the same with the new Jerusalem The Sum is this Peter tells us of a New Heaven and new Earth and Ezekiel of a City and Temple but neither of them tells us that either of these is the new Jerusalem It remains
then that John and John only for ought I know speaks of this new Jerusalem And for ought I yet see that which hath been already proposed in and touching this Matter is most likely to be the new Jerusalem It may be thought that enough if not too much hath been written about this Matter and less might have been better but if it be not true it is too much and if it be true t is too little I having observed how much Men differ in their Apprehensions about it have considered the more of it and however some Men may think it but a small Matter yet they may be mistaken if they are the true Sayings of God blessed are they that read and hear them Chap. 1.3 and this new Jerusalem is no other then the Bride the Lambs Wife as is clear from Rev. 21.2 compar'd with ver 10. But it may be some with say t is impossible for Souls coming down from Heaven after their Bodies have been raised from the Dead and Bodies and Souls united together to live on Earth and converse amongst Men who are in a State of Mortality But that may be possible which to us may seem impossible for with God all Things are possible Mat. 19.26 And we know CHRIST did so after his Resurrection forty Days together and doubtless Moses and Elias both in Souls and Bodies appeared to some of the Apostles Mat. 17.3 and they took great Delight and Contentment therein And why then may not the raised Saints be so represented as to have and hold a holy and heavenly Correspondence with Men on Earth appearing and disappearing at Pleasure even as Christ did before he ascended Again why not raised Saints as well as Angels who appeared both to Abraham and Lott Gen. 18.2 19.1 as Men with human Bodies eating of such Things as were set before them yea CHRIST himself after his Resurrection is said to eat a Piece of a broiled Fish and of an Honey Comb Luk. 24.42 Thus having written already something of the next or second Coming of Christ of the first Resurrection of the new Jerusalem and several Things to come I shall in the next Place write something of GOG MAGOG who by the Instigation of the Devil shall be gathered together at the End of the 1000 Years to engage in a War against the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City mentioned Rev. 20.9 And here we shall enquire first who this God and Magog may be and whether this Gog and Magog mentioned by John be the same of whom Ezekiel speaks Chap. 38 and 39. The Scripture indeed speaks of Magog who was one of the Sons of Japhet Gen. 10.2 1 Chron. 1.5 but I do not remember it speaks of Gog until the Time of the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 38.3 where he is mentioned as the chief Prince of Meshech and Tuball Neither do I remember that ever I read or heard of any one Nation that ever were called by that Name and therefore I think they are a Compound of many Nations represented to us by that Name both by Ezekiel and John as will appear by comparing Ezekiel 38.5 6 with Rev. 20.8 they were such as the Prophets of old had spoken of ver 17 by some other Name The next Thing to be enquired into is whether this God and Magog mentioned by Ezekiel be the same which the Apostle John speaks of Rev 20. For clearing of this we may consider first the Time when these Enemies of God and of his Church shall appear in Arms and 2dly with or against whom they shall engage and 3dly the Occasion or moving Cause thereof First for the Time and here we must understand that Gog and Magog spoken of by Ezekiel are to be Contemporaries with the Jews either at the Time or not long after their Return to their own Land as appears by the whole Story Chap. 38. 39 to which the Reader is referred 2dly The Persons against whom they are to engage in this War and they are principally the Nation of the Jews tho' it may be not only with them 3dly the Occasion or moving Cause and that seems to be either the Weakness of that Nation at this Time as not being yet settled in their own Land or their Security or both as ver 11 but it was chiefly to spoil them or to make a Prey of them as ver 12. And now let us consider whether these Characters will agree with that Gog and Magog spoken of before Rev. 20. First as to the Time of this War the one being at or not long after the Return of the Jews to their own Land Preparation thereunto will be under the pouring out of the 6th Vial and the other will not be till the End of the Thousand Years and after the loosing of Satan out of the bottomless Pit. 2dly One will engage principally against the Jewish Nation but the other will be against the whole Church of God consisting both of Jews and Gentiles represented to us under the Name and Notion of the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City 3dly As to the Occasion of this War viz. the Weakness of this People or their Security or both or to take or make a Spoil of them in the one but no such Thing is hinted nor can be supposed concerning the other But that which will put all out of doubt that this Gog Magog mentioned by Ezekiel is not the same spoken of by John is this in the one we have a Prophesy of a Battle a great Battle and such as was never heard of before in the World but in the other no Battle at all no Stroak struck on either Side for when once this great Battle is over they shall learn War no more Swords must be turned to Plow Shears and Spears to pruning Hooks when God shall judge the Nations and rebuke many People Isai 2.4 In further Prosecution of the Matter proposed to be spoken to we shall find that the Scripture makes mention of three great Battles which are yet future or it may be one Battel foretold in three several Places of Scripture viz. by two Prophets and one Apostle viz. by Joel Ezekiel and John and it is called by John Rev. 16.14 the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty Somewhat of this Battel hath been spoken of before Page 17 to which the Reader is referred I shall speak a little more of it here You have been told there of the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World being gathered together we tell you now t is GOD that gathereth them together Joel 3.2 I will gather all Nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and Ezekiel 38.16 speaking concerning Gog and Magog God saith I will bring thee against my Land and so Rev. 16.16 He gathered them into a Place called Armageddon for so I am told the Word may be rendered Again they all three declare that this Warlike Assembly will be principally against the Jews