shall be made the praise of the whole Earth then there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth created That is there shall be as great a change of things as if there were new Heavens and new Earth created There shall be a mighty glorious power of God manifested towards his Churches as if God were Creating new Heavens and new Earth again Oh! we do not know but that either you or some of your Children may yet live to see such times as these are And it 's another World indeed It 's not the World that we live in now there shall be a kind of new World And therefore some Scriptures that many times we think are meant concerning the Life in Heaven after the day of Judgment because they are spoken of another World they are rather to be understood of the state of the Church here in this World And to the end that I may shew this for otherwise all that 's said is but in vain It may be you will say that the Prophet mean't that State of the Church Triumphant in Heaven And so the Apostle St. John in his reference to what the Prophet saith he seems to mean it of the glorious state of the Church in Heaven And I verily believe the most of you that have read with Observation the latter end of the Book of the Revelations you have thought it hath been meant of the State of the Church in Heaven but that it cannot be be meant I 'le give you a Reason or two why the 21 of the Revelations cannot be meant of the Church in Heaven First Because the Text saith That Jerusalem shall come down from Heaven after he had described it in the 10 Vers He carryed me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God That is the Glory of Jerusalem shall not come from the Earth nor from any Earthly means Though men ought to do what they can yet it shall be too great a Glory for any earthly means to be able to bring but it shall come down from Heaven there shall be some admirable glorious work of God from Heaven to bring Jerusalem into such Glory as it shall be brought into And that 's one thing That it is not the State of Heaven for it comes down from Heaven And then besides that that is an undeniable Reason is that which you have in the 24 and 26 Verses And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it They do not bring their Honour to the State of the Church Triumphant in Heaven The Saints in Heaven shall have no need of any of the Glory of the Kings of the Earth the meanest poorest Servant or Boy that is Godly shall be more glorious than all the Kings of the Earth ever were in this World but this is such a State that the Kings of the Earth shall bring their Glory to it And in the 26 verse They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it The meaning is that when this time comes the Lord will make all the Kings of the Earth and all the Nations of the Earth to be some way serviceable to the Glory of his Churches that 's the plain meaning of it that whereas now the Kings of the Earth and the Nations do persecute the Church generally and as in the second Psalm you have it the Kings of the Earth they combine themselves together against Jesus Christ and will none of his Government but yet for all this the Lord saith that he will set his King upon his holy Hill And then here is the Prophecy that there shall be such a work of God upon the Kings and Nations of the Earth as they shall all come in and bring their Glory to Jerusalem to the Church to do the uttermost they can to make the Church to be Glorious This is in General the state of Jerusalem when it shall be made the Praise of the Earth But now that I might come to move Particulars about this The first thing is this When that time shall come all Tears shall be wiped from the Eyes of Saints the People of God shall be delivered from all Enemies they shall never be any further pestered with wicked and ungodly men to be enemies to them but be fully freed from them all We groan under the burden of the Enmity of wicked Men and their Opposition I but let us be content to bear it and to endure Oppositions from wicked and ungodly Men for there is a time a coming that thou shalt be delivered even in this World You will say when we come to Heaven we shall be above the Malice of all the wicked Men in the World Nay there is a time when the Saints shall be above the Malice of wicked men upon this Earth In the 28 of Ezek. A Chapter that speaks so much of the Glorious Condition of the People of God verse 24. There shall be no more a pricking Briar nor any grieving Thorn of all that are round about them that despised them They shall be so far from having any power to do any mischief to the People of God as they shall not be so much as able to prick them no grieving Thorn nor no bryer pricking of the Saints of God as heretofore they have done It will be a blessed time when the Saints shall be delivered from the Curse of the Earth the Bryers and Thorns it brings forth Where are wicked men certainly those are the worst Bryers and Thorns in the World and do the most mischief here in the World Now the Lord hath promised that they shall be delivered wholly from them Rev. 21.4 There is a Scripture leading to that way And God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death neither Sorrow nor Crying neither shall there be any more Pain For the former things are passed away This is prophesied of for such times as these are for those that then liv'd the Saints are like to live when Christ shall come in that Glorious state of Judgment and have no pain nor sickness and therefore be delivered from all Enemies and from all evils both from without and within in regard of any pain or misesery and in the 19 of the Revelations we have it there prophesied of Christ that he shall come and have his Vesture dipt in blood in the overcoming all the wicked and ungodly Verse 13. And he was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in blood and his Name is called the Word of God And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press
yet fulfill'd since the time of this Prophecy and therefore is yet to come And so in the 66 of Isa For this Prophet Isaiah is the most Evangelical Prophet that speaks more of the Glory of the times of the Gospel than any Prophet vers 7 8. Before she travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a Man-Child Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be born at once for as soon as Zion travelled she brought forth her Children Here 's the Number and the Suddenness of it together It shall be done even in a sudden way That Promise shall be then fulfilled to Christ wherein the Lord hath said to him That he would give unto him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession Now though that Promise be made to Jesus Christ yet the Lord is a great while afore he doth make it good to the uttermost that he did intend Well then may we be content to wait for the fulfilling of Promises when as the Promise that God hath made to his own Son he is fain to wait for the fulfilling of it And that 's the fourth thing A great confluence of People shall come into Jerusalem it shall be a great City And then in the fifth place Where there are multitudes coming in will there not be a great deal of dross and filthiness It is usual that a Church while it hath but a few it may continue in some purity but let a Church have many to joyn with it have but any considerable Number it usually doth quickly corrupt There grows a great deal of soyl and filthiness where there are a Number joyned together But now this shall be the Glory of this Jerusalem that though it shall be very great there shall be a mighty Confluence of People yet it shall abide in its purity there shall be a great deal of Purity in the Ordinances that they shall have and in the Professors that shall joyn together And for that we have that Prophecy in the 44. of Ezek. verse 9. which is a place by all Divines understood of the state of the Gospel Thus saith the Lord God No Stranger uncircumcised in Heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary Not so much as uncircumcised in Heart ☞ Mark here it seems in the times of the Gospel a meer outward Profession is not enough for one to profess himself to worship God and the like but if he be uncircumcised in Heart he must not enter You will say How can we know the Heart It 's true we cannot know the Heart unless it be some way discovered but if there be any thing to discover wickedness in the Heart such a one in the times of the Gospel must not be received into the Church of God ☞ And there will be a time of greater discerning than now there is and therefore you find it in the 21. of Revel where St. John doth Prophesie of the New Jerusalem at the last verse And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abominations or maketh a lie But they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life In no wise no no there 's two negatives there though we in our English Tongue make two Negatives to be an Affirmative yet the Holy Ghost doth not there shall not not no in no wise shall there enter any unclean thing into it Now it is apparent by divers things in this Chapter that this must be meant not of the Glory that there shall be in the highest Heavens but of some Glory of the Church here For it is said in the 24. verse That the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and honour into it Now the Kings of the Earth do not bring their Glory and Honour to the highest Heavens there 's no difference between a King and the poorest and meanest they must there be stript of all their Robes and the Kings of the Earth shall bring no more Glory to that than meaner men Therefore it must be understood of an Estate here where the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory to it 'T is very hard to conceive that it is impossible for any Hypocrite to get in yet the Scripture speaks so as it shall not be ordinary for an Hypocrite to get in Indeed in the state of the Church as hitherto it hath been or as yet it is there are abundance of Hypocrites and therefore that 's no Argument against labouring to cleanse the Church from prophane ones to say Why the best of all have those that are Hypocrites Though it 's true yet when men do some way or other discover themselves to be Hypocrites they must not be received into the Church But now here 's the Question Whether there should be any but those that should give such Testimony of Godliness as may appear to the judgments of men to be so And if once they appear to be otherwise they should be cast out of the Church This must be a certain Rule those that ought to be cast out if they were in they must not be received in if now they were to be received If no Prophane one but must be cast out if they were got into the Church when they appear to be so why then certainly they are not to be taken in appearing to be prophane We are now to labour what we can to come as near to that glorious Jerusalem as we are able We are now to labour to promote the condition that the Church shall be in then but we cannot expect for to have it yet till the Lord doth put another Spirit upon men than hitherto Therefore when God intends to make Jerusalem as the Praise of the whole Earth there will be certainly another Spirit upon men than yet there is for the present Therefore in the sixth place the Gifts and Graces of the Saints shall be exceedingly raised and enlarged Those that are now poor and low and mean shall be then very much enlarged and raised For that take these Scriptures Isa 65.20 There shall be no more thence an Infant of dayes nor an Old Man that hath not filled his dayes For the Child shall die an hundred years old but the Sinner being an hundred Years old shall be accursed This apparently speaks of an Estate in this World But now the meaning is this That there shall thence be no more an Infant of Dayes that is those that are weak shall be raised to a very high pitch of Ability and Understanding even Young ones shall be raised very high to have the understanding of men in them and so proportionably the gifts of the Saints shall be raised in that time And in the 12. Zech. 8 verse there it 's
of the disposition of Christians a little before this Kingdom shall be made the praise of the Earth Now mark what those do desire that shall live a little before these times In the 24. vers I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my days As if he should have said O Lord I hope that e're long thou wilt build up Zion and appear in thy glory and fulfill thy promises concerning Jerusalem O Lord take me not away in the midst of my days It is I say a Prophetical Prayer of the Christians that shall live a little before Gods building up of Zion But you will say Why shall any desire to live for if one should die if he be Godly he shall go to Heaven and will it not be as good to be in Heaven as to live to see Jerusalem the praise of the Earth To that I answer that though it 's true It will be as good for the Soul but for Soul and Body to live here to see that glorious administration of God in the World to see God honoured upon the Earth where he hath been so much dishonoured certainly it cannot but be an abundant satisfaction and contentment to those that are gracious and that it is desirable notwithstanding the objection I make it clearly thus from the promise that God gave to Children that did obey their Parents in the fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother why That thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee God makes a promise that they should enjoy the Land of Canaan And why Godly Children should go to Heaven if they had died But it was accounted a mercy to live long in the Land of Canaan Now the Land of Canaan was but a Type of the glorious Church so that this is a more glorious promise Therefore I say it is desirable to live to see what God intends to do in these Concussions It is observ'd by some that John did never fall down to worship the Angel but twice and twice he fell down and worshipped the Angel But you shall observe it if you examine the places It was when the Angel brought him the tidings of this glorious Jerusalem and Johns heart was so taken with these tidings as indeed he forgets himself so far as to fall down and worship the Angel which was sinful but I note it for this end to shew how mightily the heart of John was taken with the tidings of this new Jerusalem And God expects that though we have but a glimpse of it now yet that our hearts should be much taken with the tidings of this glorious Jerusalem when it shall be made the praise of the Earth Christ hath humbled himself in this world and hath been dishonoured here and therefore the Father will advance him and honour him in this World as well as in Heaven And the Heathen and uttermost parts of the Earth are given to Christ for a possession but Christ hath not had it yet and therefore let us strengthen our Faith and joyfully expect such a time as this is Those whose hearts are carnal and sensual they mind only carnal and sensual things and cannot believe these things but such as have Faith to believe they are able to rejoyce in the Expectation of this glory that is to be revealed Fourthly These truths that have been delivered about this glory of the new Jerusalem they call for heavenly hearts they call off all our hearts from the Earth why should we have our hearts groveling upon the Earth when as God hath revealed such glorious things as these are In the 60. of Isa v. 1. Arise shine for thy Light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee I may make use of it at least by way of Allusion thus O arise and shine in heavenliness and shake off the dust of this Earth for here you hear of the glory of this Lord and who knows but it may very suddenly within a little time arise upon us yet the very hearing of it were enough to cause us to shake off all Earthliness from our Spirits when John was shown the new Jerusalem he was carryed up upon the mountain so if we would understand the glory of this Jerusalem we must get up our hearts on high It is an Observation of Mr. Brightman upon the 4 th of Revel Where we have described the four living Creatures the Lyon the Oxe the Man and the Eagle Now saith he these four living Creatures do set forth the four Estates of the Church The Lyon sets forth the state of the Church in the Primitive times they had Lyon-like Spirits that were able to encounter the rage of persecuting Emperors to endure all kind of Torment without having their hearts daunted at all The second State of the Church was the Oxe that is Antichrist prevailing they were as an Oxe that is a heavy and dull Creature fit to bear burthens But then the third is the Man that is a man comes to inquire after the reason of things and to understand things and doth desire liberty Why now saith he in the beginning of the Reformation the state of the Church was like a Man They would not be under such base Thraldom to take the yoke of Antichrist as they did before before they were lead like beasts but now they were as Men they would understand what they did And then the fourth was like an Eagle that is soaring aloft on high When the Church shall be in this glorious condition Men shall be of Heavenly minds they shall soar up like the Eagle to be above the Earth And certainly such dispositions are fit for this new Jerusalem and though it be not yet come yet we should labour to be of such dispositions as are fit for it And that 's the fifth Use To prepare for these times fit our selves First By the Wedding Garment for now comes the Bridegroom and we should prepare for him by the Wedding Garment You will say What is the Wedding Garment by which the Saints are prepared to meet with Christ The applying of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ by Faith that 's the Wedding-Garment when Christians come to understand clearly the point of Justification without mistake There are some kind of hastenings about it in these times more than before and inquiring after the very grace of God in the point of Justification but certainly that point is darkened much by many errors But now the clear understanding the point of Justification of Gods Righteousness applyed by Faith this is the Garment by which we are to meet with Jesus Christ when he shall appear in his glory and I verily believe that in the time of the new Jerusalem the point of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ will be the main point of Religion that then will be known and that the hearts of the Saints will be taken up withall the main point of Religion and as we
to go back again therefore give him no rest till he Establish till we see things settled As you Mariners when you are to go a great Voyage you love to see the Wind settled in some place or other before you go forth so faith the Prophet Sometimes we find the mercy and goodness of God much towards us but things have gone back again therefore give him no rest till he hath established And till he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the Earth By Jerusalem we are to understand the Church of God not so much the City Jerusalem that then was but the Church of God that was to be in the times of the Gospel especially for Jerusalem was a Type of it As the praise of the Earth The Septuagint translates it and the word signifies the Glory the Exaltation of the Earth till he makes Jerusalem the praise of the Earth Now we know that Prayer ought to be in Faith then those that pray to God and especially that are importunate with God they must believe that there is such a thing to be done that the Church of God is to be made the praise and Glory of the Earth And if they believe it is to be done they must have some word for it Now this is the main thing that I intend at this time to make out unto you that there is a time that God hath to make his Church to be the praise and glory of all the world In this World To be the glory of the Earth not only to be glorious its self in Heaven that I suppose you all believe that there is a time that the Church Militant here shall be Triumphant in Heaven and glorious there but that there is a time that God in this Earth shall make his Church to be the glory of the earth And therefore all the Saints of God to whom the glory of God is dear who do desire that the Honour of God may be raised and set out they are to pray for this and to be importunate for this as a certain thing that is to be done and fulfilled by God Now because you cannot pray for it and be importunate to give God no rest till you see it plainly that it will be so therefore this thing is now to be opened unto you The truth is Jerusalem the Church of God hath been in a low Estate alwaies in comparison of what God intends it to be at this time when the Prophet here saith give God no rest till he make Jerusalem the praise of the whole Earth Jerusalem was in no glorious condition it was but a little before God intended a Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem For this Prophet you shall find in the beginning of his Prophecy did Prophesie in the dayes of Hezekiah now in the sixth year of Hezekiah's Reign did the Babilonians come and sack Samaria 2 Kings 18.10 and took the People into Captivity And it might be for ought we know not above a year or two before their captivity that here the Prophet calls upon this people to pray to God and give him no rest till he set Jerusalem up as the praise of the whole earth and yet he knew it was it to go into Captivity presently certainly then the Prophet did not intend here any time that should be in his dayes or in any little time after The Prophet therefore must needs have a Reference to some notable time of the Church that must be in after dayes the people of the Jews were never the praise of the whole Earth If you look before this time they were unto the other people but a contemptible people and lived in a little Countrey one way a little more than fourscore miles a very little Countrey it was that all the people of the Jews lived in and very contemptible in respect of the other Nations of the World Therefore it was not the praise of the whole earth before Not presently after this is spoken for they were to go into Captivity and to be there so long a time You will say it may be 't is meant about the time when they were to return from Captivity No not so neither for they were but very poor and contemptible in the eyes of the world after their Captivity for when they did return it was but by leave and they were but as Servants unto the Medes still they were but as servants unto Cyrus and the rest of them When they went to build the Walls of Jerusalem again they scoff at them And what doe these feeble Jews and if a Fox goes but upon their walls it will break them down Certainly in their return from Captivity they were not the praise of the whole Earth no nor in after times they had many interruptions before they could bring any thing to any effect Many Learned men compute that they were longer a building the wall than they were in Captivity and we know that it was not long after their Captivity that they all did lye at the mercy of a wicked Haman who had gotten a Decree to cut off all the people of the Jews therefore they were not in any glorious condition no not after their return from Captivity from that time till the time that the Romans came and destroyed them they were but in a low condition and then afterwards they were low enough so that it could not be meant literally of Jerusalem of that place nor of the Church of the Jews therefore it must be meant of the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel Now when was that as the praise of the whole earth certainly though it were the praise of God and God had his praise from his Church at all times yet now this must be meant of some eminent time that was to come and it must be some outward glory that they must have so as the whole earth must take notice of it And it was not in the time of Christ himself Christ himself was the glory of God but yet in the earth he was despised a man that had no form nor comeliness in him in regard of outwards they were then under Herod and rejected Christ when he came and within a while afterwards by Titus Vespatian they were destroyed and an unspeakable havock was upon Jerusalem and the people of the Jews and so they have abode to this day to be as a runnagate Nation For the Apostles nothing was more contemptible than they you know what St. Paul saith not only of himself but of other of the Apostles they were made the very off-scowring of the Earth the basest things of the Earth even the Apostles themselves they were in no outward glory before the face of the world that they could see it And afterwards in the Primitive times you know they were under most dreadful persecutions how they were Massacred and hackt and hew'd and what woful misery they were put to all this while Jerusalem was not the praise of the Earth Well
the Text speaking of the glorious state of the Church that should be saith The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give Light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Certainly this hath not yet been fulfilled And in the 21. Rev. towards the latter end you have almost the same words And the City saith the Text had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof I shall afterwards come further to open somewhat of the meaning of that what it is no to have no need of Sun and Moon when we come to open wherein the glory of the Church doth consist that God intends to make the praise of the whole Earth I might name divers other Scriptures but I hasten rather to the other thing which is the main to open wherein the Church shall be the praise of the whole earth or what shall make it to be the Praise of the whole earth First more generally Certainly when the condition Jerusalem shall be in when Gods time shall come there will be a time of Resurrection from the dead there will be a kind of Resurrection from the dead before the general Resurrection at the great day of Judgment we have divers Scriptures that do seem to point at this and indeed clearly to manifest it The first Scripture is in the 12 Chapter of the book of Daniel that speaks of a Resurrection another Resurrection than that that shall be at the great day of Judgment saith the Text And at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book And many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Now that this must be an Estate of the Church before the great and general Resurrection is clear First It 's said here Some shall rise he speaks not of all shall rise Now at that day good and bad all shall rise But then Secondly The uttermost glory of the most eminent godly men that shall rise it shall be but to shine as the brightness of the Firmament and the height of all is that they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars they shall but shine as the Stars Surely those who are not only righteous themselves but are means to turn others to Righteousness they are like to have the greatest degree of Glory in Heaven which is a mighty encouraging place not only to Ministers but to all to seek to convert all they can For this Scripture seems to hold forth this Truth that the Lord will look upon them as Instruments of his Glory and give them a higher degree of Glory than others But now at the great day of Judgment we know that the Saints of God shall shine brighter than the Stars they shall be as the Sun These Bodies of Clay that we carry now about with us in the great day when Christ shall come to judge all the World they shall shine as the Sun in the Firmament The poorest Man or Woman or Child that is godly though their Bodies are cloathed with Rags now yet at the day of Christ their Bodies shall be made to shine as the Glory of the Firmament nay more than so as the Glory of the Sun Yea they shall be like to the Body of Jesus Christ himself c. and the Body of Christ shall be beyond the Glory of the Sun therefore this is not meant of that time for the height of all the Glory here is but as the Stars But then a third Reason why it is not meant at that time is because the Lord bids Daniel to close up this Prophecy and tells him it shall be a thing kept hid Now that there shall be a Resurrection that God shall come to judge the World this was never any such secret the light of Nature will tell us this that there is a time that it must be well with the righteous and ill with the wicked The Heathens could tell us of a time that God should judge the World But now the Prophet here speaks of this as a Mystery that it was not to be revealed till the latter dayes Yea and then Fourthly The Lord promiseth to Daniel as a peculiar and special favour unto him that he should arise and stand in the Lot at the end of the dayes Now for Daniel to arise at the day of Judgment that 's a thing that is common to all good and bad but here it is promised to him as a special Mercy that he shall stand up in the latter dayes in his Lot And therefore according to the Reverend Brightman and others this place is interpreted of the time of the calling in of the Jews when they and the Gentiles shall joyn together and Jerusalem shall then be set up as the Praise of the whole Earth And the rather it makes me think so because the Apostle in the 11 of the Rom. vers 15. speaking of the time of the calling of the Jews he doth make use of such a kind of Phrase that it shall be even a time of Resurrection it shall be no other but even a raising from the dead In the 15 verse For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the World what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Therefore it seems that he had some Reference to this very Scripture here at this time And in the 37 of Ezek. the beginning the receiving of the Jews there is set out by the dry Bones that were breathed upon by the breath of God and so they stood up as an Army and had life Yea and this shall be as a new Creation There will be as great works done as God did when he made the World at first and he will put forth as great a power So you have it set forth unto you in the 65. of Isa There the Prophet prophesying of a Glorious Condition of the Church what it should be mark how he doth express it For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind But be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I Create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a Joy I create saith he new Heavens and a new Earth When will God do this Why saith he Be glad in it for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a Joy When this Jerusalem
in respect of the Excellency of the Church to a deal of Lumber of Cloaths and such things indeed as have some worth in them But when you come to the Church there be the Jewels of God the Pearls of God and the heart of God is upon them there God communicates the Riches of his goodness Oh! it 's a blessed thing to be one of Gods people then thou art one of his Jewels of his treasure of his peculiar treasure Now doth it appear to the World that the Church is the peculiar treasure of God why it 's trampled under foot by men but God tells us that there is a time that it shall not be so as now it is In the third of Malachi There is a time that he will make up his Jewels Now the Jewels of God lie trampled under feet they seem to lie in the dirt but vers 17. They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Servant that serveth him There is a time a coming for God to make up his Jewels there are many precious Jewels lie in the dirt and no body regards them But a time shall come when it shall be known that there is a difference between him that feareth God and him that fears him not why do not we know it now those that are Spiritual know it But this Scripture seems to hold forth this thing that there shall be a time that all the world shall know it Now the time is that we cannot discern by any outward things a difference between Love and Hatred But there will be a time that we shall discern between the Love and Hatred of God apparently before the world There will be a time when it shall be said Verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily there is a God that Judgeth in the Earth That 's the fourth Expression The fifth is The Church is called the Glory of God In the fourth of Isa Vpon all the glory shall be a defence and so in another place I will place Salvation in Zion for Israel my Glory The house of Gods glory So it 's called in the 60. of Isa v. 7. It 's called the Crown of glory In the 62. of Isa v. 3. And it 's called the Throne of Gods glory Jer. 14.21 The glory of God The House of his glory The Crown of his glory The Throne of his glory All these Expressions hath the Church of God in the Old Testament Certainly God intended that these being Typical should Typifie some glorious condition that the Church should be in in time to come We find that the Church is called by way of Type Gods Ornament Ezek. 7.20 As for the beauty of his Ornament he set it in Majesty It 's the Ornament of God The Beauty of his Ornament The beauty of his Ornament set in Majesty All these three are in one Verse spoken concerning the Church of God As for the beauty of his Ornament he set it in Majesty but they made the Images of their Abominations and of their detestable things therein The force of the Argument is thus Saith God Why was not my Church and Ordinances there more glorious than their false Worship was not my Temple more glorious than their Images As for the beauty of his Ornament That is the Temple that was a Tipe of the Church he set it in Majesty Yet saith he they went and made Images O wretched People that when they had such a glorious Temple where my presence was so much and yet that they should turn to Worship stocks and stones As if God should say to any wretched Man or Woman Hast not thou come to the Word and heard the Excellency of my Son set forth unto thee and hast not thou had the glory of God in the Gospel shining before thine Eyes hast not thou heard of those blessed things that are revealed in the Doctrine of Grace and yet wilt thou turn after base things to satisfie thy flesh and mind nothing else but that O unworthy wretch that ever thou shouldest be partaker of any of those Excellent and glorious things that are revealed in my Gospel Just in such a manner doth the Lord speak to this People What go and forsake my Temple and Ordinances and go and turn to Images when it was so glorious O unworthy that ever they should receive mercy from the Lord Now was the Temple of God at such a time as that Gods Ornament so beautiful and set in Majesty surely Gods Church that is Tipified by it is one day or other to be an Ornament to God and a Beauty and set in Majesty and glory And then it 's called the Royal Diadem in the Book of Isa There is a time therefore when this must appear to be so which is when the Lord shall set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth Now if the state of the Church in the time of the Law that was Typical was so mark what the Apostle saith concerning the tipes and shadows of the Law Heb. 10.1 The Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered Year by Year continually make the comersâ— thereunto perfect The Law had but a shadow of the Image of things as is observeable It had not so much as the Image it was but a shadow then surely they could but barely resemble the good things to come here this Scripture may be understood by the way that Limners or Picture-Drawers use when they would make a Curious Picture of a Man First they draw a shadow with a piece of Chalk or Cole by which you may see a little proportion of the man but what 's this to the Image of the man now that 's more excellent and much beauty there is in that But in the man himself there doth appear more glory still than in his Image why the time of the Church under the Law that was like the drawing of a man upon a piece of Board with a Cole But now the state of the Church under the Gospel that 's like the Image it self and the state of the Church in Heaven that 's as the Man himself So then I make use of this Scripture thus If the Lord speak so of his Church in the time of the Law when the state was but Typical That it was his Portion his Peculiar Treasure his Inheritance and his Diadem and Ornament and the like what shall it be in the time of the Gospel when we come to have the Image of the thing not the shadow but the Image and then what must it be in Heaven when it comes to be the thing it self in glory And this is the second thing that shall be when the Church comes to be the praise of the whole Earth Oh now give God no rest Lord let it appear thus this point
the seed of the Woman is come and how he hath overcome Principalities and Powers and how the Devil hath opposed him now we see the meaning of this Prophecy And now we can bless God so much the more for Christ Christ is no other than the Lord did in Paradise formerly Prophesie of And so divers other Prophecies in the Old Testament as The Scepter shall not depart from Judah unto Shilo come Alas none of the Jews almost did understand this And that not a bone of Christ should be broken and so I might name you forty such Prophecies so just as now The Prophecies that were Prophesied of concerning Christs coming in the Flesh were very obscure in the Old Testament but were made clear by the fulfilling of them to us in the New So the Prophecies of the glorious state of the Church when Jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole Earth they are obscure to us yet but when it comes to be made clear the Saints of God will praise and bless God that now they come to enjoy that that so many years ago was Prophesied of And therefore comfort your selves in this when you Read the Prophecies in the Word But certainly when it shall come it will be a blessed time and therefore pray for it give the Lord no rest till he set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth For then shall the Book of God be opened and things shall be seen mighty plain when that comes I will give you one Scripture for that of the clear opening of things when Jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole Earth You find in the fourth of the Revelations and vers 1. There was a Door opened in Heaven nothing else but a Door But afterwards you find that Heaven it self was opened In the 19. Chap. vers 11. And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true c. First A Door was opened and then the Heaven of God was opened Noteing that there should be a Progress in the state of the Church at the first they should have but a little knowledge but afterwards they should have abundance of knowledge And in the 11. Chap. the 19. vers And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament c. How comes that to pass for in the time of the Law there was no such opening of the Temple as to see the Ark of Gods Testament for that was kept hid But now speaking of the glorious times of the Church in the state of the Gospel the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was the Ark of the Testament of God seen it was made clear Then the Ark of Gods Testament it was kept hid from the People that they could not see it in the time of the Law But when Jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole Earth the Temple shall be opened and the Ark shall appear the word of God shall be made open in the Promises and Prophecies of it Therefore let us pray and believe let us believe and pray that this time may be hastened The Second SERMON On a Fast-Day at Stepny Octob. 31. 1645. IN the fourth place the time when Jerusalem shall be made the Praise of the whole Earth what shall be done then We shall be delivered from all Oppressions The Titles of the Church made good visibly Prophecies and Promises fulfill'd And in the fourth place there shall be a wonderful Confluence of People that shall joyn with the Saints in the way of God's Worship It 's true now there are but a very few that do joyn to worship God how little is God known in the World and Jesus Christ how little is he acknowledged in all the world if we should divide the World as some have into thirty parts we find not above five of those thirty that do so much as acknowledge Jesus Christ all the other are Heathens at this very day And then among those that do acknowledge Christ in the Grecian Churches though he is acknowledged to be Christ the Saviour yet they are extream ignorant generally And what a great part of the Christian World hath Popery under it And among those that make profession of Christ how few are there that do honour him and worship him according to his own way But when this time comes that Jerusalem shall be made the Praise of the whole World you shall have a mighty Confluence of People It shall not be said any more Little Flock fear not little little Flock but it shall be a great Flock and therefore you find in the Book of the Revelations that Jerusalem when it comes to be measured it is said to be a great City a mighty Confluence shall be unto the Church In the 2 of Daniel v. 35. it 's said there speaking of the Church as I remember 't is by way of resemblance of a Stone that it should grow great as a Mountain and it should fill the whole Earth there should be the generality of the World called in the fulness of the Gentiles together with the Jews I will not say every one but generally they shall be called in to the true Worship of Jesus Christ and to the embracing of the Gospel That Scripture in the sixtieth of Isa ver 3 4. and so on it is remarkable for this And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the Brightness of thy Rising Lift up thine Eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters shall be Nursed at thy side Then thou shalt see and flow together and thine Heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee Mariners and those that converse at Sea they shall be converted unto the Church 'T is a Prophecy shewing that the Lord hath a special care of Mariners that have gone on in wayes of Ignorance not knowing Christ and the way of the Gospel saith he Abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee He doth not mean the waters of the Sea but the People that do converse in the Seas Mariners in the Sea that they shall even come over the Sea to joyn when they hear the Gospel comes to be set forth in the beauty and Power of it And so he goes on still further in the 6 vers The multitudes of Camels shall cover thee the Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah all they from Sheba shall come they shall bring Gold and Incense and they shall shew forth the Praises of the Lord. Read but this sixtieth of Isaiah and you shall find both this of the multitude of People And of abundance of Glory of Jerusalem that shall be which in the very Reading of it you cannot think that this hath been
Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Now ordinarily in Scripture Ephraim and Judah is made Typical of the Churches there was a great deal of contention between Ephraim and Judah one envying another Now this Prophecy is not yet fulfill'd for we never Read of Ephraim that is the ten Tribes and Judah were joyned in that near League and Union one with another as yet For the ten Tribes were carried Captive and never returned Judah indeed was carried Captive and they did return but not the ten Tribes Therefore it is spoken of an Estate of the Church afterwards Though my Church shall be in after times the times of the Gospel like Ephraim and Judah one envying another I 'le take away their envy they shall not envy but they shall love one another and joyn one with another Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim And then another Prophecy is in the 14. Zech. vers 9. And the Lord shall be King over all the Earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his Name one It 's true all of us that are Christians we acknowledge but one Lord but we call him by divers Names and one saith This is his mind and another faith the other is his mind but saith he In that day as there shall be but one Lord so his Name shall be but one There shall not be those different apprehensions of Christ as now there are but Christians shall generally joyn together in one There shall not be such opinions to divide Christians one from another as now there are there shall be but one Lord and his Name shall be but one And a further Prophecy which is very remarkable is in the third of Zeph. v. 9. For then will I turn to the People a pure Language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent In the Original it is with one Shoulder now how do Christians shoulder one another and push one another by the shoulder as it were opposing one another what they can but then they shall joyn their shoulders together and all shall be but as one shoulder they shall serve the Lord with one shoulder with one consent their hearts shall joyn in one and then their strength shall joyn together Now this is that that shall be done when the Lord shall make Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth you that mind the Lord and the things of his glory give him no rest untill he do establish this that he hath promised and make Jerusalem the praise of the whole Earth In the tenth place there shall be a great change of things in the world at that time a great change in the whole frame of the creation of Heaven and Earth And I think verily that place in the eighth of the Romans and there is ground for it why we should think so is meant of this time Vers 20 21. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God For the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit Even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our Bodies Now that this should be then in such an Estate of the Church in this World this is the Reason Either you must grant it to be so or otherwise you must grant that after the day of Judgment in the state of glory that the Saints shall have which Divines generally say shall be in Heaven you must grant that then there shall be the continuance of all the Creatures as now they are and that the Saints must live here Now that is hardly granted by any Divines But this speaks of the whole Creation to be delivered from their bondage and to come to partake of the benefit of the Adoption of the Sons of God That is at that time when the Adoption of the Sons of God shall appear gloriously that there shall be such a change in all the Creatures that they shall be restored to the first perfection that they had in the state of Innocency They groan to be delivered from the bondage surely they do not groan to be Annihilated and turned into nothing Therefore there is a time for the Heavens and Earth and Sea and Plants and Beasts to be in another condition than now they are And to say that this shall be at the day of Judgment or after few Divines have thought But this is spoken of a time when all the Creatures in this world shall have a mighty change put upon them And to that end the Scripture likewise in the 2 of Peter the 3 d. Chap. though one would think in the Reading of it if you did not mark it throughly that it should be meant at the day of Judgment but if you observe it throughly it seems to be spoken of a great change that there shall be when the creatures shall be delivered from bondage In the 10. vers But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up and now observe the 13. vers Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness There shall be a mighty change in the world by Fire or some other way and so as all things shall seem as if they were brought into nothing but saith the Apostle by the Holy-Ghost We according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Now suppose all the world were dissolved how new Heavens and a new Earth then shall the Saints after the day of Judgment have a new Earth and live upon the Earth here This I suppose you would think to be but a very strange Doctrine But now this is such a change of things as shall have New Earth as well as New Heavens and this is according to the promise now what promise have we in all the Book of God that this hath reference to I find all Divines referr it to the 65. of Isa For you have no other Scripture that you can refer this promise to in the 17. vers For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind But be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a Joy So
Christianity is of the side that will prevail one day and therefore come in and joyn with them Though it's true there are many things now that seem to darken Religion but certainly Religion is getting up in the World though the Devil doth bestir him as much as ever he did since he was a Devil to darken Religion and the Glory of it in the World yet certainly Religion is getting up and it will prevail Take heed you be not like the five foolish Virgins which I find divers do apply to this very time when the Bridegroom shall come when Christ shall come in his glory to set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth that then the wise Virgins shall enter in with him and be partaker of the glory of the times but the foolish Virgins shall knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us but he shall say I know you not depart ye workers of Iniquity You that make but a meer out-side of Religion and have but a formal profession of Religion you have Lamps but you have no Oyl in your Lamps burning when Christ shall come you shall be shut out and not be Partakers of the glorious Jerusalem that shall be made the Praise of the whole Earth And likewise this is a great Argument to move you to bring up your Children in Godliness and to instruct them in the wayes of Godliness because if you should not live to it yet your Children may Therefore labour to infuse what you can the knowledge of Christ into them now betimes that so they may partake of those glorious things that are spoken of in the Word But Secondly Is there a time that Jerusalem shall be made as the Praise of the whole Earth let us be willing to mourn with Jerusalem while it is in a mourning condition and be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ a while seeing there is a time that all sorrows shall be turned into Joy and all Sufferings shall be done away and wherein the Saints shall be all honoured and recompensed abundantly In the eleventh of the Revelations you find that the Witnesses were to prophesie in Sackcloath in a mourning condition for a long time It can't be meant of two men because they were to prophesie 1260 Years but what made them go on in that mournful condition they did believe this time Therefore in the 12. verse you shall find how they that had prophesied in Sackcloath for so long a time they were slain a little before this time came and for three years and an half together there was a slaughter made of them and the Text saith After three dayes and an half that is three years and an half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud and their Enemies beheld them They were mightily honoured before their Enemies Those that had been prophesying in Sackcloath and were willing to suffer for Christ for a long time now they were called up and honoured before their very Enemies Let us be willing to suffer and that will be an evidence that we shall rejoyce with this new Jerusalem when it shall come to be made the Praise of the whole Earth So in the 66 of Isa v. 10. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her All that mourn'd for Jerusalem when the glory of it was darkened shall come and rejoyce with Jerusalem when Jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole Earth And the very Book of the Revelations is written on purpose for to encourage the Saints to be willing to suffer all the time of Anti-Christ's Reign And hence it hath been that in the time that Antichrist hath Reign'd there hath been so little known of the Book of the Revelations because it hath been applyed only in a metaphorical way and all the glory hath been interpreted of the glory of Heaven Because I say there hath been a darkness on the face of the Earth in the time of Antichrist's prevailing And it hath been the care of Antichrist to darken this and to keep under the Saints and to make them suffer very hard and grievous things But as I remember I have read of Caius the Emperour that when Agrippa had spoken for him before he was Emperour and suffered for his sake after Caius came to be Emperour he put a Chain of Gold about his Neck and gave it him just as heavy as his Iron Chain had been before So look what any one suffers for Jesus Christ now before he comes to take this Kingdom to himself before the time comes when the voice shall be heard from Heaven saying The Kingdoms of the Earth are become the Lords and his Christs and he shall reign for ever I say look what measure of sufferings any have for Christ now Christ will put a Chain of Gold upon them as heavy as ever their Sufferings were And especially now we had need prepare for Sufferings if it should prove that this time be at hand for we find that a little before this glorious time there 's like to be as great Sufferings to the People of God as at any time as in the 11 of the Revelations where it 's spoken of the Witnesses prophesying in Sackcloath they prophesied for 1260 Years But they were not slain until three Years and a half before this glorious time was risen and then they were slain So that immediately before the time that Christ shall come and appear in his Glory there will be greater Sufferings unto his Churches than there were in former times for you find that just upon their slaying that they were call'd up to Heaven And the seventh Trumpet sounded presently after and there were great voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever As if the Holy Ghost should say Now all sufferings are done with all and now the Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And the four and twenty Elders which sate before God on their Seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Whereas before men had power now God hath taken his great power to himself ☞ This follows presently upon it which is a very great Argument why those Witnesses are not yet slain because immediately upon their being slain there should follow such strange things as these are And then the Kingdoms of the Earth should be the Lords and his Christs You will
say Are they not now No certainly not so as then in that we do not see such an eminency of Christs taking the Kingdoms of the Earth now more than formerly and I say this is an evident Argument that the Witnesses are not slain In the 12 of Daniel there you have a Prophecy of the same times that we have here But mark how he begins this Prophecy there saith he in the 1 vers And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy People and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book Though the time of trouble without be great such as never was the like yet these that are written in the Book shall be delivered And so he goes on describing the glorious condition of the Church of God as it shall be I spake something to that in the opening of the Glory of this new Jerusalem and shewed you that it could not be meant there of the Glory of Heaven but of the glory of the Church here that should be upon the Earth And then in the 3 d. of Revel vers 10. we Read of an hour of Temptation that should be throughout the face of the Earth there is a time of Temptation that shall go quite through the whole world and whether yet this is come upon us doth not certainly appear and therefore let the consideration of this prepare us for suffering before hand For God will cause sufferings to try men who are true and will cleave to him and who are not but will desert him And so I remember Lactantius the former Author quoted he speaks as clearly of this as if so be that he did live and had seen it saith he A little before these times times wil grow so evil in comparison of the times that we live in now in which wickedness one would think were grown to the greatest height that possibly could be yet in comparison of these there shall come such evil times just before this glorious time of the Church as our times may be accounted Golden and Happy times in respect of those sad times for saith he good men they shall be a prey to wicked men and they shall be in contempt and poverty all right among men shall be confounded all Law shall perish and no man shall know what 's his own things shall be in such a cumbustion and confusion that no Law shall prevail and no man shall know what 's his own this shall be a little before saith he the glorious state of the Church wherein Christ shall appear Now if he could say so so long before certainly none then having Scripture so suitable to it have cause to fear that yet we may live to meet with very hard things ☞ Although it will be but short that 's the comfort if there should be great sufferings just before the day break and it should be darker than it was yet it will continue but a while three Years and an half will be the most But the times of the great sufferings of the Church before Jerusalem is to be made the praise of the whole Earth these three Years and a half will put men so to it that if they have not true grace they will fall off The Administration of Gods Providences are very strange we have had thoughts that all had been blowing over that we should have liv'd in safety and peace but clouds gather still And though the former clouds seem'd in some measure to be gone yet new clouds are gathering and therefore it 's wisdom for the People of God that fear God and look into his Word to see what God hath made known in his Word I say it 's their wisdom to prepare for the hardest that possibly can come That they may be bright and made white with all the troubles that they meet with and be not among them that shall not be found written in the Book and so to be cast out of all the good of this Jerusalem that shall be made the praise of the Earth Thirdly Though we should prepare for sufferings yet let us strengthen our faith and rejoyce in the hope of such times as these are in the midst of sufferings rejoyce it 's an Excellent thing when a Christian is able in the midst of sufferings to rejoyce in the assurance of a promise when things go never so contrary yet to keep in Gods ways upon the expectation of a promise to be fulfill'd You have an Excellent Scripture in the 64. of Isa vers 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness those that Remember thee in thy ways behold thou art wroth for we have sinned In those is continuance and we shall be saved If you read this Chapter you shall find that the Church was in a sad condition but mark Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness In the saddest times there were some that did not only work Righteousness but did Rejoyce and work Righteousness Though God was wroth and all things did seem to be very dismal yet there were some that went on in the ways of Righteousness and rejoyced in the ways of Righteousness It 's a most Excellent Scripture and of marvellous use to us if God should bring us into sad times for us not only to keep in the ways of Righteousness but to rejoyce in the ways of Righteousness to rejoyce that ever we were brought into it and that 's upon an expectation that the Lord will save us Whatsoever sufferings you meet withall yet strengthen your faith and rejoyce in the Expectation of this Glory of Jerusalem The believing of such times as these are really makes Life desirable especially because God is so stirring in this Age not for any great matters that we shall have outwardly in the World for a while but that we may come to see the Issue of all these stirs and at length out of all the Confusion to see Jerusalem to be the praise of the whole world And therefore in the 102. Psalm which I think verily hath reference to these times you shall find the Title of it to be A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. But mark in his pouring out his complaint before God how he comforts himself in the 13. vers Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof so the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory The Lord shall appear in his glory in building up Zion that is now cast down I say it 's a Prophetical Psalm