glory but as an addition to their felicity that they are made Kings and Priests unto God that they may reign with Christ upon the Earth For where they reign Christ shall reign Apoc. 5.10 20.4 where his Throne is erected there they are enthroned To him that overcometh Apoc. 3.21 will I grant to sit with me in my Throne c. Sing and rejoyce O Daughter of Sion Zech. 2.10 for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee the Lord. And the Lord shall inherit Judah Vers 12. his portion in the holy Land And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem Zeeh. 14.4 Vers 9. And the Lord shall be King over all the Earth in that day shall there be one Lord Jer. 30.9.33.15 Ezech. 34.33 34.37.22 24. Dan. 7.14 Mich. 4.7 Zeph. 3 17. Zech. 2.20.6.13 and his name one Many more Scriptures might be produced to confirm this Gospel-truth that the same Lord Jesus Christ who did ascend into Heaven shall come again to reign upon the Earth Luk. 19.12 But if these do not satisfie neither will credit be given if an Angel speak from Heaven or one should rise from the dead to affirm it For my own part I do not know any point of Faith throughout the whole Book of God more clearly proved then this in hand as certain as he ascended and is now receiving his Kingdom Luk. 19.11 12. so sure will he return again to reign in his Kingdom Read Psalm 72. And these and many more Scriptures do superabundantly ratifie this assertion Vse 1. What then remains on our part but first to believe this truth of his coming here to reign we can do him no greater honour then to believe his Word nor no greater disgrace then to reject and refuse so great a cloud of Witnesses of himself his Prophets and Apostles Vse 2. To pray fervently as himself hath taught us Mat. Thy kingdom come for though it is true that neither this nor any other mercy shall be detained from us one minute longer then the appointed season Yet know O house of Israel Ezech. saith the Lord I will for this be enquired of Vse 3. And thrice blessed those that are counted worthy to be the Lords Remembrancers to watch wait for and constantly expect the coming of this King of Glory Blessed is that servant Mat. whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Isai 30.18 Yea blessed are all they that wait for him Secondly how and in what manner shall this King our Christ come to reign upon the Earth First he shall come in Majesty Power Mat. 24.30 2 Thes 1.9 and great Glory not in the form of a servant not riding upon a Colt the foal of an Ass not to be laid in a Manger abused condemned and crucified but now the voyce is Gird thy Sword upon thy thigh Psal 45.3 4 8. O most mighty with thy glory and thy Majesty and in thy Majesty ride prosperously All Garments smell of Myrrh his Aloes and Cassia out of the Ivory Palaces He shall also have dominion from sea to sea Psal 72.8 and from the River to the ends of the Earth yea all Kings shall fall down before him 11. all Nations shall serve him Secondly 2 Thes 1.7 Mat. 24.31 25 31. Zech. 14.5 Jude 14. He shall come attended with all the Angels in Heaven and all his Saints that ever were now are or ever shall be never such a King never such a train Thirdly Mat. 24.27 1 Cor. 15.52 He shall come swift as the Lightning in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at unawares O dear Christians watch for your lives Fourthly Mat. 24 30 Apoc. 1.7 2 Thes 1.8 1 Cor. 3.13 He shall come in Clouds and flaming fire look carefully to your works actions and conversation for this fire will try every mans work of what sort it is Fifthly Mat. 24 30 Apoc. 1.7 He will come in view of all the world and every eye shall behold him And what wilt thou do or how wilt thou be able to look on his glorious face that canst not now endure the sight of his Saints Sixthly and lastly He will come in person with the same body that was born of the Virgin crucified upon the Cross raised from the dead and ascended into Glory only here 's all the difference it will be a Spirituall Immortal Glorious Body but the same Body If we believe that he was a perfect man and had a real Substantial Body here on earth and that he hath exalted the same Body to the right hand of the Majesty on high then certainly he shall come in person here to reign in the same Body with his Saints for proof hereof many Scriptures might be alledged I shall only produce two and they are very full and clear the first is in the first of the Acts Acts 1.11 vers 11. and it is the Doctrine of Angels which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven I am even amazed that men professing godliness should have a vayl so thick upon their hearts and their understanding so wonderfully obscured as to reject the serene brightness of this impregnable Testimony The second Scripture is the first to the Thes 4.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout c. 1 Thes 4.16 there needs no further proof if these two convince not what will If any shall yet continue in darkness and unbelief of this so necessary glorious truth thus measured by the line of the Word and weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary it is because there is no light in them The use that I would have my fellowbrethren to make of the personal Reign of Christ is this if ever we expect to see his face with joy if ever we hope to be sharers in his Glory at his personal coming in his Kingdom let us get a large proportion of his spirit in our hearts his personal presence will be no comfort to us then unless we are filled with his spirituall presence now Gen. 43.5 Ye shall not see my face saith Joseph except your Brother be with you Can we think of entertainment in his Royal Palace without the wedding garment the Lord make us wise betimes Thirdly the next thing to be enquired into is where this King of Glory will establish his Throne at his coming and this hath been proved already in general to be upon the earth but more particularly I affirm because the Word of truth affirms it will be in the Valley of Jehosaphat for so the Prophet Joel speaks in plain words Joel 3.2 I will also gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat and
this Kingdom thus establisht by and for Jehovah our Righteousness shall be also given to the people of the Saints of the most High Dan. 7.27 whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him And thus the Saints being gathered into one fold even into that holy City the new Jerusalem seated in the Valley of Jehosaphat and there marryed to Christ our everlasting Husband do also like the marryed condition here obtain the glorious name of our Royal Husband for even then Jor. 33.16 She shall be called the Lord our Righteousness 14. The Nations bending Virgins voyces raise THis posture they shall most gladly observe Zech. 14 3. Vers 12. Vers 16. who are escaped the slaughter of the great day and the plagues thereof For every one that is left of all the Nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from yeer to yeer to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles What manner of worship the Lord will have from these Nations I know not Ps 72.11 but this I know that all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him some kinde of homage and worship they must perform without the holy City for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth Rev. â—â— â—7 Math. 25.4 But they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life These are those blessed Virgins who have their Lamps of a holy conversation gloriously burning and a ready supply of grace in their souls Cant. 5.2 Math. 25. Vers 6. Vers 10. whereof their pure vessels are full though these sometimes slumber and sleep yet their hearts are awake every noyse they hear they expect to be the midnight cry for the Kings coming and are instantly up and ready and so in they go with this glorious Bridegroom into the marriage-Chamber where they meet with such a Feast such soul-ravishing delights that are not possible to be conceived much less possible to be uttered And now their hearts and voyces being tuned to one celestial Key Rev. 14.3 they begin that new Song which will never wax old but with renewed sweetness in all heavenly delights joy shall arise from praise and praise from joy to all Eternity Rous Psal And no man could learn that Song but they that were redeemed from the earth Mark that Redeemed from the earth these are they which were not defiled with women for they are Virgins 15. All Duties ending with Joy Love and Praise THe same blessed hand that first instituted Gospel Ordinances Isai 60.1 will now himself put an end to them Cant. 4.6 for now the Sun of Righteousness is risen and dispels all clouds dissipates all mists now breaks the gladsome Day and shadows fly away Presumptiously Arrogant is that hand that shall dare to anticipate this work in casting off those Ordinances which is the proper and peculiar work of him that appointed them Luke 19.13 1 Cor. 11.26 Rev. 2.25 and commanded the use of them till his coming then and not till then all these shall see their period except those that shall abide to all Eternity for some Gospel Ordinances must never cease but shall then be establisht in their perfection when all other Ordinances shall cease Joy cannot cease Ps 16.11 In thy Presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Christ hath promised that when he sees his Saints again their hearts shal rejoyce then Joy shal be compleat Joh. 16 22 and this Joy shall no man take away from the Saints So for that Gospel-Ordinance of Love that shall be permanent Charity never faileth all other Ordinances shall cease but Love shall then shine in its true lustre 1 Cor. 13.8.10 Isai 61.3.62.7.9 and full perfection and then for Praise it shall then be the garment of the Saints Jerusalem shall be made a praise in the earth the Saints shall eat and praise the Lord and drink in the Courts of his holiness Jer. 33.11 The voyce of Joy and the voyce of Gladness the voyce of the Bridegroom and the voyce of the Bride the voyce of them that shall say Praise the Lord of Hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy indureth for ever and of them that shall bring the Sacrifice of Praise into the House of the Lord. Ioh. 1.3.2 Isai 52.8 Ah what a little glympse of that excellent glory are these narrow-mouth bottles now capable to apprehend but then we shall see him as he is and that is the fulness of glory And thus I suppose these 15. wounderful Changes are clearly proved by the Word of God as Concomitants or close Attendants to the glorious appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ as also for the silencing of idle Notionists that the Lord cannot take to himself his great Power and Raign till all these Changes appear then and not before will the voyces be heard and the words of the Text be accomplished The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever The sixth thing proposed is the ends of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to reign upon the Earth amongst many glorious ends that we may believe I shall briefly mention a few 1. The end that the Lord Jesus proposeth to himself is to be gloriously exalted in his Royal Throne of highest Majesty even in that place where he was so shamefully and ignominiously abased abused and cruelly crucified He suffered over or neer the Valley of Jehosaphat and there as hath been proved he will exalt his Throne Zech. 12.10 and there they that pierced him shall behold him and be in bitterness of soul because of him 2. Ioel. 3. Ioh. 17.24 Ioh. 10.16 Isa 53.10.11 Another end is to gather all his Saints together into that place which shall be the great Sheepfold that there they may behold his transcendent Glory and that there he may see his seed and the travel of his soul and be satisfied 3. A third end is to take an account of his servants how they have imployed and improved his talents for this is that day of judgement 2 Pet. 3.8 Rev. 20.4 wherein the Lord Christ will reward his servants and enslave his enemies the extent whereof will be a thousand years the longest day that ever any man lived one Earth for within this day Adam Ezech. 34.17 c. Mat. 25. Methusalem yea all men have died and only Christ with his Saints shall live the whole day in this day he will judge between cattel and cattel admitting wise rejecting foolish Virgins For the accomplishment of these and such like ends Heb. 9.28 unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation The seventh thing to be considered is the events succeeding the second appearance of our Lord in this his day of
the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament This is the lot and portion of the Righteous which because we cannot conceive or understand I shall pass over in silence hoping that our spirits will be raised to admire what cannot be expressed in word or conceived in the heart pressing forward by a Christian conversation to the sweet fruition of that glory which will be the sure portion of those that have part in the first Resurrection while the wicked that continue to do wickedly have nothing to expect or hope for in that day but that wherewith the Spirit closeth this Chapter And there were lightnings and voyces and thundrings and an Earthquake and great hail This will be the terrible portion of those of whom the Apostle Jude speaketh Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14.15 The mouths of wicked men will then be stopped and put to silence though now they bark and belch forth blasphemies at pleasure against the Saints yet will it then be proved to their faces that all their wicked actions and hard speeches are done and spoken against him whose doctrine they now reject whose yoak they will not now bend to whose personal Reign they contemn as a Fable but then will they Lâ—ke 19. â—â— nill they this voyce shal reach them But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me And this will be such a slaughter where they will be ever killing and never dead but shall live in death to all eternity As this is ground of wo and alas to the wicked sort Mat. 25.10 against whom the door is now shut never to be opened any more never more tenders of Grace never more offers of Mercy in the Gospel but howling and wailing without ceasing world without end So is it true matter of unspeakable joy to all Saints no ground of Joy like this it comes with a Rather Luke 10.20 But rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven This is the poor souls fulness of joy 1 Joh. 1.3 4. to know his interest in that society that shall continue rejoycing to all eternity I give a word of advice in the wordsof the Spirit to every man that hath this hope in him 1 Joh. 3.3 to purifie himself even as he is pure for since our expectation is such what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 12 looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Luk 2.36 And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he wil return from the wedding Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching Isa 30.18 yea blessed are all they that waite for him It s no matter deer Christians how much pains we take in the way nor what our trouble and misery is for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 When Christ our King shall say Well done thou good and faithful Servant Mat. 25.21 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. How then should our hearts be transported with holy Ravishments in expectation of this his Appearance singing in Consort with the Heavens Earth Sea Fields and Trees in the sweet Singers heavenly Rapture For he cometh Psa 96. for he cometh to judge the Earth he shall judge the world with Righteousness and the people with his Truth Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS
there were slain of Nobles c. 3000. Revel 11. The great whore of Rome betrays these holy Witnesses into the hands of his Butchers in his Slaughter-house of Trent These cut out their tongues and suffer them not to speak in those known Languages wherein they had wrought wonders These put out the eyes of the Scriptures and so cast them into the streets of their great City These bind the Witnesses with their cursed Decrees of Trent and of Pope Pius the 4. 1564. and then cloyster them up in their Monasteries Convents and there wrest them at their pleasure Apoc. 11.10 And they shal rejoyce over them and make merry c. because these two Prophets tormented them c. And after three years and a half the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet And the tenth part of the City fell And there were slain of Names of men 7000. Thus run these grand Enemies of Truth exactly parallel in their Actons and are therefore design'd to the like ruine I shal not further enlarge upon this verse save onely on the latter part of it a little and were there no other ground to evince the truth of what hath been delivered this passage would abundantly satisfie that the Witnesses are none other then the holy Scriptures for these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth And what is it that hath power to torment the consciences of wicked men on earth but the Word of God this and only this being the engine of the spirit tormenteth them that dwell on the earth Heb. 4.12 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts No wonder if earthly men rejoyce and make merry at the overthrow of such opposites as these At the hearing of the Word Ananias fell down dead Foelix trembled the Officers that came to apprehend Christ fell backward to the ground and by this Word shall wicked men be judged and therefore no marvel that Antichrist and his Adherents should exalt rejoyce be glad and send gifts one to another when these blessed Witnesses that have so tormented them are overcome and suppressed The eleventh Vers And after three dayes and a half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them that saw them Three years and a half they continued in a dead letter suspended suppressed prohibited by Antichrist and after this in despight of all his Thunderbolts the spirit of life from God entred into them being translated into many common Languages about this time and amongst the rest into English yea the Papists themselves at Rhemes seeing the multitude of people depart from them and embrace the Scriptures were at last constrained to translate them also though in a corrupt manner and with most abominable Annotations upon them yet even from hence did many a precious soul draw life and salvation converting that into Honey which was the bane and poyson of others and it is wonderful to me that at this very exact time both this and many other Translations of the Scriptures should come abroad in the open view of the world Pref. Rhem. Test Sect. 1. Compared with title page Fulk cont Mar. Epist Dedic received and countenanced by many Christian Princes to the great fear and terror of their Enemies who saw them thus raised from the dead But as yet they ascended not into Heaven only they were raised and lived and stood upon their feet that so in every thing they might resemble the Lord Jesus their Fountain who after his Resurrection stood also upon his feet on this Earth fourty days before he ascended up to Heaven so these having stood a proportionable time upon their feet not in that glory they were to have but in expectation of it The twelfth Verse And they heard a great voyce from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them That the two Testaments are the Witnesses and that they were overcome lay dead and rose again as hath been declared I have good ground to be confidently assured of but how long they stood upon their feet before they ascended up into Heaven I am not so clear in yet if I may deliver what my serious thoughts grounded upon fair probabilities prompt me to I shall declare namely the great voyce calling up the Witnesses is this present famous and renowned Parliament of England which I believe for sundry reasons First The Scriptures never appeared in their true lustre splendor and glory since their suppression till now that this blessed voyce hath called them up to the Throne where these Worthies sit Secondly They ascended up to Heaven in a cloud of much trouble wonderfull Commotions and violent oppositions Thirdly Their Enemies beheld them and would gladly have pulled them down which they endeavored by all possible industry policy and violence and to their perpetual shame be it spoken they never beheld them but as Enemies King Prelates Papists and the whole rabble of Cavalliers restless in their spirits from the first ascending of the Witnesses into Heaven to this very day The thirteenth Verse Fourthly And the same hour was there a great earthquake Which certainly cannot be forgotten the whole Land yea the three Nations trembled nay which of the Kingdoms of Europe were free from Commotions so great was the Earthquake this same hour of the Witnesses ascension Fifthly And the tenth part of the City fell Great Brittain the tenth part of Romes Dominions had long before separated from Antichrist in Doctrine but never fell from Rome totally till now we kept close to her detestable Discipline till this happy Parliament the joy of Saints the honour of Christ Now the day breaks and shadows fly away down go Crosses Altars Images away pack Surpless Service-Book Organs and the whole bundle of Popish Superstitious Ceremonies Sixthly And in the Earthquake were slain of names of men seven thousand Arch-bishops Diocesan Bishops Chancellors Commissaries Deans Chapters Arch-deacons Ordinaries Prebends Sumners Choristers Parrators Parsons Vicars Curats Clarks and I know not how many names devised by Antichrist He that shall diligently consider the particular persons in this Land distinguished by these and such like Babylonish Titles will finde no less a number then seven thousand all slain in this terrible Earthquake Seventhly And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven The late terrible Earthquake that great Commotion wherein the seven thousand names of men were slain did so affright the rest of the long Robe that they were glad to change their names and their clothes and instead of that of Parson Vicar c. to call themselves Ministers of the Gospel and get into the Parliaments
their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away And thus will he perform the second more glorious work upon their souls for a through conversion And now I do heartily desire for the confirmation of Saints and for the confutation of such as deny the glorious personal Reign of Christ that they will seriously consider and weigh those cleer proofs of Scripture that do so fully establish this truth viz. That when the Jews shall be thus wonderfully converted Jer. 33.14 15 16. Joel 3.1 2. even then and not before shall this King of glory take to himself his great power and Reign what can be more plain and clear then this In those days and at that time see those other Scriptures now will this glorious Mystery be fulfilled which hath been so largely held forth by all the Prophets Rev. 10.6 7. the seventh Angel is now sounding who swears that time shall no longer be delayed but the Lord Jesus that high and mighty one shall gird his sword upon his thigh and wonderfully bring in this his ancient people to whom shall all Saints be joyned with transcendent glory Wilt thou admit such a one as I into this glory Lord 4. To Babel burning an eternal fall SIons restauration must be Babels confusion the same blessed day that brings forth Jerusalems safety and felicity will also produce Romes ruine and everlasting misery I do not undertake which of these shall precede whether the Jews Call or Romes Fall I believe they will neither of them be long a doing it may be as sudden as our change shall be Zeph. 1.18 Joel 3.4 he will certainly make a speedy riddance swiftly and speedily will he return Romes recompence upon the accursed heads of all her children But that which the word of truth is full and clear in is that Rome Antichrist and all their adherents Rev. 14.8.16.17 c. 17 1â—.18.2 c. Jer. 51.8 c. shall certainly be destroyed and that I may prosecute my design or rather the design of the Spirit of God it is plain that Antichrist and Rome shall be destroyed even then and not before the Lord Jesus shall come in Person 2 Thes 2.8 he is now consuming him with the Spirit of his mouth but he shall give up the ghost at the brightness of his coming But since this is the day of Antichrist's consumption in which we live it behoves all true hearted Saints diligently to consider what the will and minde of the Lord is concerning us how he would have us be acted in order to the accomplishment of this great design First we must joyn in prayer with our fellow brethren under the Altar Rev. 6.9 10. and give the holy One of Israel no rest till Babylon be consumed and Jerusalem be made a praise in the Earth And secondly we must set hand and heart purse and person to the work even the great work the strange Act that he is doing for and by his Saints yea let every one that is the redeemed of the Lord say I will have a hand in her destruction Jer. 51.1.2 c. Psal 137. â— 9 yea blessed yea happy shall he be that hath his hands deepest dyed in the blood of her children 5. The world combined hath a fatal blow THis is the fifth remarkable change that will help to celebrate the triumphs of the glorious day for as the long enthralled Jews and Israelites are entred into their ancient Land and have newly got Possession of the present Jerusalem their potent Enemies Turk Pope c who have long detained them in a miserable slavery shal raise huge Armies to pursue them Dan. 11.45 and shal plant their Tabernacles in the glorious holy mountain see this fully Ezek. 38.4 5 6 9.15 16. and Chap. 39.6 And shall begirt their new-obtained City Zâ—ch 14.2 which they shall speedily storm and take and reduce these most miserable distressed people into such dreadful calamities Dan. 12.1 Zâ—ch 12.10 11. as the like was never heard of since there was a Nation even to that same time but in the midst of these sad straights fearful horror and dismal darkness when nothing but black despair or a second more miserable slavery then ever is before them the great Prince of the Kings of the Earth shall appear in some wonderful manner to them Dan. 12.1 and shal go forth and fight against those Nations and put such terror into their hearts and such courage into the hearts of his unarmed people Isa 14.2 that they shall take them captives whose Captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors 6. Satan confined to his den below HIs present condition is a Princely Rule in the ayr and in the hearts of the children of disobedience but in these Halcyon days will that blessed voyce be heard amongst the Saints Now is come salvation and strength Rev. 12.10 20.1 and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down For the Angel shall binde and shut him up in the bottomless Pit to which he shall be confined for a thousand years during which restraint he shall not be able no not to tempt his own vassals but they shall willingly serve the Saints for the preservation of their lives till the thousand years be fulfilled Vers 3. And after that he must he loosed a little season Of which I shall speak in its place Some have fancyed that Satan hath been already bound and the thousand years are already expired but without any shadow of truth since there hath not been the least intermission of Satans rage and fury since the Book of the Revelation was written For what with the gross Idolatry of Pagans obstinate blindness of the Jews wonderful defection of Turks strange Errors Sects and Heresies of Christians abominable Superstition Idolatry Ignorance and all kinde of wickedness with bloudy persecution of Saints by Antichrist Alstedius Dr. Hakewill Apol. pag. 476. which things cannot possibly stand with the confinement of Satan and consequently this Prophesie is yet unfulfilled and the time of the binding up of this Bandog will be the glorious triumphant state of Saints when they shall be marryed to Christ the universal Monarch of this great Universe 7. The whole Creation finds a full Release FOr now this second Adam shall compleat his work Rom. 8.19 and reduce the whole frame of Nature to its primitive purity and perfection which by the sin of the first Adam hath been so long subjected to vanity and corruption this is that great Deliverer and this time of his personal Reign wil be the blessed state as of the redemption of our bodies from sin Acts 3.21 sorrow corruption so of the restitution of all things the Elements and all that are produced by them to that goodness wherein they were first created how often have we like Parrots prated
over in our Popish Liturgy this heavenly Doctrine which to this day we understand not Psal 67 4. O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the Nations upon Earth Selah Mark that but now Saints have experience of this blessed Mystery Jer. 35.5 that at the same time when this King shall reign and prosper and execute judgement and justice in the earth Ezech. 34.23.24 then shall the earth bring forth her encrease when David the great Prince shall reign here in highest glory then and not till then shall the whole Creation brought into this glorious Liberty of the Sons of God fill the Universe with abundance of all rich blessings I have little to say to those who knowing nothing of this wonderful Mystery of the glorious Reign of our King and know as little of the meaning of Rom. 8.19 c. Yet because they must say something are pleased in their grave wisdoms to affirm that this glorious liberty with the children of God which the whole Creation shall enjoy is nothing but the annihilation of the creature as if all Creatures which in their kinde do wonderfully endeavor the preservation of themselves should yet groan and earnestly long to be made nothing what is this but to speak daggers and introduce a secret Atheism 8. And every Nation flourishes with Peace HOw can it be otherwise when the Kingdoms of the world are ruled and governed by the Prince of Peace what the glorious Peace of the Saints shall be hath been in part and shall be more fully declared But there will be universal peace over all the earth for all the wicked of the world shall as earnestly seek peace as ever the Gibeonites sought it of the Israelites when the great seducer of mankind is shut up in prison his Vassals will neither have skil nor courage to stand in opposition against the Saints for he that hath the disposing of all hearts will so mould their spirits that they shall be glad to crouch for safety at the Saints feet and blessed be the Name of our exalted King he hath already given his people in this Land a taste hereof when in many places the proudest enemie thinks himself in a safe condition that can obtain the favor of a child of God to serve himself and his forfeited estate But in this glorious Reign of Christ it will be universally so Psal 72.8 for when his Domiminion shall reach from sea to sea even to the ends of the earth then they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Iles shall bring Presents 10. the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts 11. yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him This is that blessed time when the Righteous shall flourish and abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth Mic. 4.3 Isai 11.6 7 8 9. then and not till then shall they beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks no more contention no more war for ever 9. The Mount asunder cleaves t' enlarge the Plain IF all the Prophesies that are fulfilled already concerning Christ were performed in the very Letter Psal 8.2 Ps 22.18 Isai 7.14 Zech. 9.9 I desire any man to show a substantial Reason why those that are yet unacccomplisht should belookt upon in a mysterious obscure way till such a reason be given I must look upon this as upon all other Prophesies to be fulfilled in the same way as others have been and therefore must expect according to the Word that this day of Wonders will produce this Wonder amongst the rest that the Mount of Olives that stands over the Valley of Jehosaphat shall cleave indeed Zech 14.4 to enlarge that Vale to a sufficient capacity for the reception of the New Jerusalem it is clear Ver. 10. that it shall reach from Geba to Rimmon but of what extent that will be is I think unknown only this it seems to extend over the whole Land of Palestina Psal 60.6 what else means the Royal Psalmist I will divide Shechem Vers 8. and mete out the Valley of Succoth Moab is my washpot Psal 87.3 4. and 108 7 8 9. over Edom will I cast out my shooe Philistia triumph thou because of me and that of the Prophet In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is faln Amos 9.11 12. that they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen they shall possess the Mount of Esau Obad. 19.20 21. and they of the Plain Philistia c. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau Isai 10.29 c. and the Kingdom shall be the Lords All which compared makes good the word of Zechariah That the dividing of this Mount of Olives shall produce a very great Valley Zech. 14.4 till which Valley appear in its lustre and beauty not any of the notions of Giddy brains shall stagger my faith to conceit That my Lord is already come to Reign That Vale of Wonder where the Lord must Reign AS once the eyes of Elisha's servant were opened to see the Mountains full of Horses and Chariots of fire 2 Kings 6.17 so certainly were the eyes of this Prophet in a wonderful manner enlightened to see the glory of the Lords Day Joel 3.14 the Day of his great Power in this mighty Valley of Jehosaphat at which glorious apparition he raiseth up his voyce as one transported with this heavenly rapture Multitudes multitudes in the Valley of Decision for the Day of the Lord is neer in the Valley of Decision but what will the transcendent joy of this Prophet be with all the blessed Prophets and Saints of Christ when this Day of the Lord is come in the Valley of Dicision when we shal see all the heavenly Host gathered together in this spacious Mount-dividing Valley Psal 45. Matth 25.31 Jude 14. 2 Thes 4.14 Joel 3 2. the Lord of Glory riding in his Glory and Majesty attended with all the holy Angels in heaven and all those Myriades of Saints that sleep in Jesus this mighty Potentate How unconceiveably glorious how wonderfully spacious will this Valley of Jehosaphat then be which must contain all the Saints and Angels in heaven with all both good and bad that are found living upon the earth this is no private fancy but the express words of the Spirit of God I will also gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat Verse 11. and will plead with them there Assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about thither cause thy mighty Ones to come down O Lord Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehosaphat 12. for there will I sit to