of crying There shall be no more thence an Infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes For as the days of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands The Wolf and the I amb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat straw like the bullock they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord Jâ—r 23.5 ' Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execure Judgment and Justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 32.37 to the end see the words Also Hos a 3.5 ' Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes This is said of Israel after many days and in the latter dayes See also Fzek. 37.11 12 13 14. and v 20. and so on to the end And the stickes whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes And say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they be gone and I will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land And I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the mountains of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all Neither shall they defile themselves any more with idols nor with their detestable things And David my servant shall be a King over them And they shall all have one Shepherd they shall also walk in my Judgments and observe my Statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the Land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Moreover I will make a Covenant of Peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore See also Mich. 4.1 to the end of v. 7. Zach. 14.14 to the end See the words In which places though there be not an express mention of a thousand years yet as it is clear the things therein contained were never yet fulfilled so they require a long tract of time upon earth for the fulfilling of them especially when Isaiah minds us of a childe an hundred years old and of the dayes of a tree which words saith Justin Martyr do secretly hint the thousand years Certainly it was reserved for John who was the last of the Prophets and writ last to make express mention of the time how long it should be to wit a thousand years and give light to all the Prophets And I verily believe that he that will be that I may give it you in their own words as the Syrians phrase it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Discipulus in Tabernaculo temporis A Disciple or Scholar in the Tabernacle of time shall understand those Prophets and see clearly mysteries contained in them better then ever we have done 2. Becaus all the Prophets do chiefly prophecâ—e of the Kingdom of the Messiah upon his second coming as appears Acts 3.21 Whom the Heavens speaking of Christ must receive until the time of this restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World begun So Amos 9.11 with Acts 15.15 Vnto this agree the words of the Prophets As it is written After this viz. after their first Conversion I will return and build again the Tabeâ—nacle of David which is fallen downâ— viz. in the second coming of the Messiah Sâ—â— Isa 59.20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord. Who would have taken this for a cogent proof of what we have in hand since this seems to fall so far short of those sublime expressions which are to be found in many other places both of this and almost all the rest of the Prophets If the Apostle Paul had not so applied it Rom. 11.25 26 So all Israel shall be saved as it is written and so quotes the words before cited So John tells us speaking of the finishing of the Mystery of God and the Seventh Trumpet sounding Rev. 107. that all is as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets Verily all those transcendent exprestions in the Prophets which hitherto by too too many have been very strangely to Christs first low and mean appearance in his humiliation ought to be referred to and never yet were nor shall be fulfilled but at the time of his second coming in exaltation and gloriously in his Majesty to reign And with the glorious brightness of this his second coming shall the eyes of the Jewes a Zach. 12.10 And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced they shal mourn for him c. be opened who hitherto had bin so dazled that they scarce could entertain into their thoughts his first low and obscure coming yea the Prophets themselvs through the Glory and Majesty thereof suffered a kinde of extasie or rapture which occasioned as it were when they spake of Christ and of his coming a leaping presently from the Maters of his first to the things of his second coming as is easie to observe in the reading of a their Prophesies 3. Because unless this be believed and held many Arguments will be taken from the Christians whereby they may convince the Jewe of their obstinate infidelity and bring them to Conversion For they have so drunk in these principles and sucked the milk of them from alâ— their teachers and predecessors viz. That the times of the Messiah will be times of Righteousnesse Peace and Blessednesse knowledge and all Joyes and that in great fulnesse And when the Scriptures also are so appostie for them and many texts otherwise unanswerable that without some competent satisfaction herein we have found by experience and are like to finde they are not to be dealt withal nor will ever think of coming over to us A Jewish woman in London said lately to a friend That your Messiah he speaking to her of Christ is not the true Messiah for when he cometh there will be great peace and love the wolf shall dwell with the Lamb none shall hurt or destroy in all his holy Mountain c. wheras you Christians are
Nations of them that are saved who are mortal and eat and drink and have Kings and Ordinances and marry and have children and their children are all taught of God And many will be converted to God within the thousand years all these walk in the light of the New Jerusalem and these Kings bring their glory and honour to it and take directions from it And then when the thousand years are ended comes the battel of Gog and Magog and the last and general Judgment then sounds the last Trumpet which is as I said before the Trumpet of consummation as the other was of the initiation of that great day and they that are then found alive shall be changed as before and Christ makes an end of his Kingdom after the separation sentence and execution delivering up the Kingdom to the father that God may be all in all thenceforth for ever This Answer if I be not deceived cuts the ham-strings of this objection if it self be good and there are but two things I think to be cleared to make it passeable 1. That the Rapture of the Saints 2. That the Trumpets are such as in this predication they are said to be a word therefore to these 1. This Rapture of the Saints that are alive at Christs coming must be I think in the beginning of the thousand years for they shall meet the Lord in the aire which cannot be meant of the end of the thousand years for then Christ is on the Earth with them so that although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and then may admit a great distance of time as Mr. Mede saith in his first answer to this objection yet I see not how it can do so here And if as he saith in his fourth Answer this Rapture should be to preserve the Saints from that great Conflagration of the Earth and the works thereof 2 Pet. 3.10 that is also held to be in the beginning of the thousand years in the Armageddon battel before the New Heavens and New Earth And that this Rapture should be without their change and stating in immortality I think hardly any man will say for they are thenceforth ever with the Lord on Earth during the thousand years and in Heaven ever afterwards Ergo they neither marry nor multiplie nor die any more but are as the Angels and therefore are nore of the Nations that are said to be saved and walk in the light of the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.24 2. But the greatest question will be about the two Trumpets the one of initiation or inchoation of the thousand years the other of consummation in the end of the thousand years or rather some time after Rev. 20.9 to wit when Gog and Magog's attempts are over and their armies burnt with the fire that falls from Heaven and consumes them for then doth the last Trumpet sound Now that this is so I humbly offer what follows for the clearing of it 1. Because all the dead are said to be raised at the sound of the Trumpet now as we have already heard they are raised at two distinct different times therefore there must be two distinct and different trumpets for otherwise some should be raised with the sound of the trumpet and the rest without which I think hardly any man will affirm or grant 2. Because the text tells us 1 Thes 4.16 1 Cor. 15.52 of a trumpet and the last trumpet which seem to be distinguished one from another for the last trumpet must necessarily be understood in opposition to a former of the som kind and wheras some have taken this last trump to be the seventh Apocalyptick trumpet Rev. 11.15 and so called the last in opposition to the former six that cannot be because those are judicial trumpets but these are of another kind and have a distinct use and end from the former Object 18 Our Creed speaks but of one Resurrection not of two Answ 1 So the Creed speaks but of one forgiveness of sins not of two and yet one man hath his finnes forgiven before another so it speaks of but one eternal life not of two or ten or many yet one man enters into eternal life before another and indeed every man in his own order so that if there were as many eternal lives distinct one from another as there is orders or distinct times of entring into the same we must reckon not one or two or ten but many thousands so it is with the resurrection of the dead one man dies before another and one man riseth before another 2. The Church of Christ in her Primitive and purest state taught this without doubt that the resurrection of the body is but once and one and yet in these parts viz. of the just in their place and order then of the unjust after in their place and order or at the Apostle phraseth it 1 Cor. 15.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one in his own order 3. All men die but once yet all men do not die at once So all men rise but once yet all men do not rise at once but some at one time some at another 4. When we speak of the first and second resurrection of the body we mean it either of one body or of divers if but of one body there is but one resurrection and no more But if we speak of divers bodies whereof one sort is good the other bad and compare thâ—â— together and ask the question which 〈◊〉 rise first the Answer must be the good shâ—â—â— rise first and have their part in the first reâ—ur rection and the bad shall not arise until the second resurrection The rest of the dead lived not again till the one thousand years were ended Object 19 A spiritual resurrection is before the corporal and every soul riseth spiritually from the death of sin before he riseth corporally from the Grave therefore the spiritual resurrection is the first and the corporal resurrection from the Grave is the second Answ 1 If the spiritual resurrection be the first then why doth Paul say the dead in Christ shall rise first he should have said the dead in Christ shall rise second for a spiritual resuâ—â— rection was before it 2. Though a spiritual resurrection be in som sense before a corporal yet it is never called the first resurrection in all the Scripture that title belongs to the resurrection of the body and no other 3. We may distinguish in this case between a resurrection properly and improperly so called the first resurrection properly so called is of the body though a spiritual resurrection improperly and only analogically so called precede and go before it 4. The first resurrection is so called not abâ—olutely but comparatively and that not in reject of one body but divert bodies Take one and the same body as for instance Peters and ask the question what resurrection did befall him first a spiritual resurrection or a corporal the answer is a spiritual
AMongst the many questions that this Age abounds with These two great questions seem more especially to be of concernment to us viz When did that man of sinne who hath been the Worlds burthen and the Saints bane arise and when shall he cease Secondly Whether shall Christ personally reign with his Saints and take into his own hands the Monarchy of the world when and how long if he do I confess these Enquiries themselves are such as lye under the censures of some the reproaches of others and the general neglect of very many so that it will not be needless to say something by way of justification of our selves before we come to the questions themselves The which I shall do in these three Conclusions Con. 1 This Enquiry is no enemy to a mans own grace or the grace of God in others but rather a special help and advantage to the increase and quicking of grace both in the person enquiring and the person reading and hearing For even this is included under that general Command John 5.39 Search the Scriptures God commands not that which is prejudicial to our graces but advantagious to their growth and increase Hence we may and must 1 Thes 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good Again a word of blessing goes along with sincere and faithful endeavours of this nature Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Rev. 22.7 Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of this book The Original word in either place which is translated to keep comes from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies to reserve or observe noting a searching so as to weare or rub out that we may keep what we so finde Again we have a particular promise of fruit and success annexed to such an enquiry or enquiries Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro that is about the time of the end when the things themselves draw towards an accomplishment many shall run to and fro by enquiries and searchings and disputes and knowledge shall be increased And this cannot be head-knowledge onely but heart-knowledge also for the first would be a poor blessing without the other Con. 2 The Holy Ghost hath expresly foretold that the Saint at the time of the end shall make diligent enquiry into these things Dan. 8.13 Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spoke how long shall be the vision concerning the dayly sacrâ—fice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden underfoot Dan. 12 5.6 How long shall it be to the end of these wonders It were easie but I conceive it needless to multiply texts for the proof of this Therefore Con. 3 The Holy Ghost hath left particular and certain ground for the faith of Gods people in the last days to go to God upon for light and knowledge in these things and enquiries Dan. 12.4 But thou O Daniel shut up the woras and seal the Book even to the time of the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vsque ad tempus finis And ver 9. the words are closed and sealed till the time of the end and then as I said many shall run to and fro and knowledge by these enquiries and disquisitions shall be increased The Conclusion is that at or about the time of the end Mysteries are by scrutination searchings enquiries and serious studies to be understood the book unsealed the Vision made known and if so then this our practice is justifiable and the practice of all those holy godly and learned Divines who have ingaged themselves in studies of this nature laudable and praise-worthy And although many learned pens have been mistaken in some things yet they have hit right in many others if some lines have been crooked yet many have been straight men have not been infallible and yet for all that very profitable so that by their canvasing the matter to and fro knowledge hath increased But on the other hand the carelesness and remisness and negligence of the world not looking narrowly diligently and seriously into Mysteries and Prophecies hath done a great deal of hurt What else I pray you was the cause that when Christ in his first coming was so earnestly expected and looked for and desired and all this about the time when he did come yet he came and came to his own and to his own that expected him and did his work and went again and they did not receive or own him Again what else was the cause that Antichrist should be looked for and seared that he would come and this about the time that he did come and was written preached against Yet he came and came at that very time and yet found entertainment yea hath almost lived his long life done his work and run his thousand two hundred and sixty dayes or years and yet for all this the more part will hardly take notice of it but take him for Christs Vicar whom the Dragon substituted and made to be his own Lieutenant Again is not Christ almost ready to take the Beast and false Prophet and cast both out of the World into the Lake and take to himself his great power and reign and give the Kingdom to the Saints and reduce the Nations under his dominion and binde up Satan and sit on the throne of David and yet the more part will beleeve none of all this I pray you then let me be almost the number of those that run to and fro that if it were the Will of God knowledge might increase And give me leave to speak a few words and as it were by way of preparation to the second thing proposed which I mainly intend to the first of these two Questions to wit of the Rise and Ruine of Antichrist And in the first place we are to note that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postrema tempora last time So much spoken of in the New Testament in the general note out unto us all the times from Christ unto the consummation of all things which times are the last in respect of the times of the world complexively considered as old age is the last times of a man in respect of his whole complex age Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or last times consist of three great periods as Meà e the sober Guess and others have abundantly cleared and made out the first of these was the period or time of the Dragon when Heathenism raged in the world the second was the time of the Beast and false prophet who synchronize when superstition and idolatries prevail the third is the Millennium or Reign of Christ when Satan is bound up and the Kingdom given to the Saints Note we further that the Scripture tells us of no other period these three are all and where the first end the second begins
those very souls was promised after the number of these Martyrs should be compleated what they cry for and is here fulfilled should be done v. 11. And it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season till their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled The expression here is very curious and such as is worthy diligently to be minded for the Holy Ghost hath here linked together souls and men to shew that by those souls he meant men as also the faithful of the second period with the first to shew that both shall live and reign with Christ now in this third period 4. By the name of Martyrs also by a Synecdoche are here understood all the faithful dead in Christ who here and often elsewhere especially in the Prophets are decribed as it were killed for Christ Whence also they are wont to be called Christs dead body Esay 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise So Paul writes of all the faithful Rom 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter And of all the faithful it is spoken Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in or for the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea more those whom Paul had called dead in Christ 1 Thes 4.16 And the dead in Christ shall rise first A little before viz. verse 14. He had called them dead for Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per vel propter Christum who sleep through or for Jesus Hence he is not only said to come with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all Jude 14. with ten thousand times ten thousand Dan. 7.10 But also with ALL his Saints Zac. 14.5 And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnes Sancti tecum Christe vel tecum pro cum eo Hebraeo more So that as I said by the name of Martyrs or slain all the faithful dead in Christ are here understood All the Saints come with him 5. Certainly all the faithful are in very deed killed for Christ and therefore Martyrs if not in the thing done or in the effect yet at least in affection and firm purpose of minde Therefore Christ saith Luke 14.26 If any man come to me non odit animam suam and doth not hate his own life i. e in comparison of me and if ever I and it come in competition be willing to lay it down for me he cannot be my disciple To conclude then by Souls reigning with Christ are meant all the faithful dead in Christ Concerning whom the Apostle Paul thus speaks 2 Tim. 2.11 12. If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with him unto which words John seems to have respect here when he saith They lived and reigned with Christ But so that brings me and I come next to the handling of the third thing proposed Qu 3 What is this life and reign of the Saints with Christ a thousand years Answ The Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years And they shall reign with him a thousand years This life of the souls of them that were beheaded seems to be no other then the life of the body which they did lay down in the death of the body and which now in the Resurrection they receive again no more to die the death of the body Certainly this life cannot be meant of life spiritual in opposition to death spiritual or death in sin because it is the life of those that were beheaded to whom it is not granted after death to rise from sin Besides lived here is all one with the Resurrection here spoken of v. 6. They lived that is they rose again to life Which that it is meant of a corporal and not of a spiritual Resurrection there are in the Text Arguments for the one and against the other And first these Arguments in the Text offer themselves for it viz. 1. Because John speaks of the souls of them that were beheaded that is of those that were slain or dead in body And he saith they lived that is they lived again but the dead in body live not again but by a Resurrection from the death of the body The Argument may be thus framed The Resurrection of the dead in body is the Resurrection of the body Mat. 22.31 Mark 12.26 Acts 23.6 Acts 24.21 1 Cor. 15.12 But the first Resurrection is the Resurrection of the dead in bodys for it is the Resurrection of those that were beheaded Ergo it is of the body 2. The Text speaks of such a Resurrection wherein men live a thousand years after they be raised which cannot agree to any other life or resurrection but the life and resurrection of the body Ergo this resurrection is a bodily resurrection 3. Such a resurrection is meant as hapneth to the rest of the dead after the thousand years are ended who lived not again tiâ—l the thousand years were finished ver 5. which shall be of the body Ergo this resurrection is of the body also 4. The men that were beheaded must so live during the thousand years as the rest of the dead lived not all that whiâ—e But the rest of the dead lived all that while in soul separated from the body Therefore the men that were beheaded must live all that while in soul joyned to the body 5. The men that were beheaded must so live at the first resurrection as the rest of the dead shall at the second resurrection but the rest of the dead shall live in body and soul too at the second resurrection therefore the men that were beheaded shall live in body and soul too at the first resurrection But they cannot be said to live in their bodies unlesse they be raised from their graves therefore the first resurrection is of the body from the grave But thus we see that the Teâ—t it self affords us Arguments to prove that this resurrection is a corporal or bodily resurrection It will also secondly afford and yield arguments to prove that it is not a spiritual resurrection as 1. John was not called upon from Heaven to behold that which he and every Christian new before or to have Tautologies told him For if by resurrection should be meant regeneration as som would have it he knew and so did every Christian before that such were blessed And according to that interpretation the words sound no more but this Blessed and holy is he that hath part in holinesse which were but aharsh Tautologie 2. This spiritual resurrection did begin in Adom after his fall and hath continued ever since and shall to the worlds end But the first resurrection here spoken of did not begin in
Adom but is to begin after the Armageddon battel which will be the last and fatal blow whereby the Beast and false Prophet shall be for ever cashiered out of the world and last a thousand years and no longer Ergo this resurrection is not regeneration 3. He that hath part in the first resurrection shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years but no regenerate man did ever live so long in a state of regeneration Ergo regeneration cannot be meant by this resurrection 4 No man is regenerate after death but the men that were beheaded did live and reign with Christ a thousand years after they were beheaded Ergo this life and reign cannot be meant of regeneration 5 The men that were beheaded c. are not any of them excluded from reigning with Christ a thousand years but if the first resurrection be meant of regeneration then begin the account when you will and many shall be excluded To instance suppose we begin at the death of Steven Acts. 7. who was the first that was slain for the witnesse of Jesus and the Word of God The thousand years were then ended about six hundred years ago and all that were beheaded since are excluded from reigning with Christ a thousand years Or suppose we begin with Constantine as many desire the thousand years were then ended about three hundred years ago and so they that were beheaded before the days of Constantine are excluded from the thousand years and they that have been beheaded since in the last three hundred years are excluded also Ergo. 6. He that hath a part in the first resurrection hath a share in the thousand years whether he were beheaded or no as appears ver 6. before mentioned but they that were regenerate before the death of Christ had a part in the first resurrection if we understand it of regeneration and yet they had no part in the thousand years because they were dead before And they that have been regenerated since the thousand years are supposed to be ended had also a part in the first resurrection i e in regeneration yet they had no share in the thousand years because they are supposed to be ended before they were regenerate Ergo 7 If the first resurrection be meant of a Spiritual resurrection then when it is said that the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were ended That must be meant of a spiritual resurrection too for the words they lived not again ver 5 are opposed to the words they lived ver 4. and so consequently to the first resurrection as is proved before But this latter clause is not meant of a Spiritual resurrection for then the rest of the dead should be regenerate when the thousand years are ended and then none should be for ever damned which most exactly contradicts the Text Rev. 20.15 Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire Ergo no spiritual but a corporal resurrection is meant If by the word Donec until we understand nunquam never as some would have it this is contrary to the Scripture too For when it is said ver 3. Satan shall deceive the Nations no more until the thousand years be fulfilled the meaning is he should them not deceive while the thousand years continued but should have liberty to deceive them afterwards So when it is said the rest of the dâ—ad lived not again until the thousand years wâ—re finished the meaning must of necessiâ—y be they lived not again whise the thousand years continued but are to live again when the thousand years are ended but then they are not to live again by a Spiritual resurrection therefore that is not the meaning of the words but the meaning is they shall live again in a bodily resurrection But if this latter clause be meant of a bodily resurrection then the former clause where it is said the souls of them that were beheaded lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years is meant of a bodily resurrection quod erat demonstrandum But thus I have done with that first misunderstanding of this Text to understand it of regeneration which I confess I le not for these and other reasons how it can be Neither yet can it be meant of a life of of Glory in Heaven as some others would have it For John was not called to Heaven to see things to be done there but to see things there to be done on Earth Rev. 4 1. A door was opened in Heaven and he called to come up for what end to see things that must be hereafter Where in Heaven No! but on Earth see Rev 6.1 2 3. And all done on Earth Those things that were represented to John in Heaven shall be done on Earâ—h As the Vision of the Woman and the great red Dragon represented to him in Heaven but fulfilled on the Earth There is not one instance can be given of any thing in the Revelation that is to be fulfilled in Heaven except the Text do express it so to be which it doth not here for the Apocalyps is a Revelation of things to be fulfilled on Earth Besides it cannot be meant of a life in Heaven because many of those who were killed have lived this life before these thousand years and the life in Heaven is not a life to end when these thousand years are ended Nor can that life be called a living again or a resurrection for that life and happiness of the Saints is not the restoring of a life lost but the enâ—oyment and possession of a New life It is therefore a Corporal life which at length the life from the dead after the final destruction to the Beast and false Prophet in the day of Christs second coming which will be the time of the resurrection first of the first and secondly of of the second The reign of these souls that is of the dead now living as soon as ever they are united to their bodys will be a raign upon Earth as plainly appears Rev 5.1 â— And hast made us Kings and Pâ—iests unto God and we shall reign on the EARTH Either then this shall be on the Earth or else the four and twenty Elders were mistaken in their doxologie Now what is there said in terminis is here in this 20 chapter said to be fuâ—filled ver 4. and 6. They lived and reign-with Christ a thousand years and they shall reign with him a thousand years which cannot be meant as I said of Heaven after the day of Judgement for that is longer then a thousand years nor of the Kingdom of Heaven before the day of Judgement for that also is more then a thousand years but of a Kingdom they shall have on Earth as the words plainly shew in the fore cited Text Rev. 5 1â— Besides that this Kingdom and the Saints reign shall be on Earth may be gathered from two things in the Text which offer themselves to leave this
14.12 That man lieth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep If this be so how can this Doctrine of the Millennium hold good Answ 1 This Text is to be understood of the ordinary course of Gods Providence man lieth down and riseth not in the ordinary course of Gods Providence till the Heavens be no more but if God will have Lazarus the Widows son and others raised before by a power extraordinary this text of Scripture doth not contradict or say against it but this comes not close to our purpose 2. This Text of Scripture is to be understood of a Resurrection to this present life As we may see it more plainly expressed Job 7.9.10 He that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more i.e. to the enjoyment of this present life and possessions for he adds he shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more He shall not return as Lazarus did to live again a natural life after his resurrection and die again But the resurrection we speak of in this place is to another life and they that have a part in it do not die again as Lazarus did nor do they live a natural or mortal life as he did but are as the Angels of God in Heaven as Christ tells us Mat. 22 30 3. Till the Heavens be no more is as much in other language as till the day of Judgment in which sense it is true man lies down and riseth not till the day of Judgment Now the first resurrection is not till the day of judgment but at the beginning of it or in the morning thereof And the second resurrection at the latter end of it or in the evening of it when the thousand years are finished Again till the Heavens be no more i.e. till these Heavens be no more for we look for new Heavens and a new Earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Object 3 It will be disadvantageous to the Saints in Heaven to be fetched out of Heaven out of blisse to be brought down to the Earth into the world again Answ 1 If the souls in Heaven were in perfect blâ—sse this were somwhat to the purpose But though they be in Heaven yet they are not in perfect blisse as they shall be when the day of Judgment shall be ended And to omit other things there is a twofold imperfection of the blessed souls now in Heaven 1. There is an imperfection in respect of number there wants the full and compleat number of Gods Elect Heb. 11 ult that they without us should not be made perfect 2. There is imperfection ratione totius compositl i.e. in respect of the whole composition the body which is a part of the whole man is yet in corruption ergo that while there is imperfection viz. a part wanting Answ 2 If therefore the bodies of the Saints were in Heaven as well as their souls this were somthing but though their souls be in Heaven yet their bodies as I said before are in a state of corruption in the grave till the resurrection and can it be any disadvantage for them to come and take their bodies or stay on earth till the great Judgment be finished 3. If the souls of the Saints were to live again in their mortal bodies subject to calamities as the body of Lazarus was then this objection were somthing but their bodies shall be sinlesse sorrowlesse tearlesse and immortal These I think cannot be any way disadvantageous to them 4. If they were to be on earth without Christ this were somthing But the text saith they live and reign Wâ—TH Christ and they shall not be absent from him one moment Rev 20.4.6 Yea we shall saith the Apostle 1 Thes 4.17 be ever with the Lord. And what disadvantage can it be to be with Iesus Christ 5. If Happinesse were affixed to Heaven that it could be no where else there were some strength in this objection But Christs transfiguration tells us that Happiness may be had with Christ on earth Mat. 17.14 So we read 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Which is not meant of Heaven only but of this heavenly time on earth also to be within the thousand years 6. Lastly if Heaven it self as it is a place would make men happy and earth as a place would make men miserable then this were somwhat But alas Heaven as a place makes not any soul happy but as God is there and manifests his glory there with comfort to the soul The earth makes not any man miserable meerly as a place but because Satan is there and sin is there and wicked men are there as tares among wheat and Christ is not there But if Satan were bound and cast into the bottomless pit and if wicked men be removed from among the Church and Christ remove his Court from Heaven to earth as in the thousand years he will then the case will be altered and earth will becom a Paradise and as happy a place to the Saints as Heaven is now These things being considered conjunctim or together what disadvantage will it be to the souls of the Saints to live in their sinlesse sorrowlesse joyful immortal bodies with the Lord ' Jesus Christ Object 4 The Scripture seems to tell us plainly that all the dead both good and bad shall be raised in one houre in the last day in the same moment in the twinâ—kling of an eye there cannot then be a thousand years distance between the one and the other for all the dead are said to rise in one houre Iohn 5.28 29. The houre is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth they that have done good unto theresurrection of life And they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Iohn 11.24 I know that he shall rise again in theresurrection at the last day And Iohn 6.40 I will raise him up at the last day So 1 Cor. 15.52 In a moment in the twinkling of aneye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised c. Answ 1 We are to put a difference between an hour in general and an houre in special Now what is an houre in general but time in general and what is an houre in special but the twenty fourth part of a natural day and when our Saviour saith the houre is coming he doth not mean the last of these but the first the time is coming in the compasse whereof all that are in the Graves shall come forth c. they that have done good to the resurrection of life in the morning of the day of Judgment or the beginning of the thousand years and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation in the evening of the
for one natural day or hour properly so called as 't is commonly thought In Luke 17.22 the Lord â—esus himself speaking of the day of his second â—oming Ye shall saith he desire to see one of the days of the Son of man Which Beza rightly interprets of one of the days of his second coming for in vain should they desire to see one of the days that were past who did certainly expect them to come which they thought also to be at hand but they were deceived in that and should not see them that is so soon as they expected them In Acts 3.20 21 24. Peter speaks of times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets c. He doth not point at one day in Christs second coming but many certainly so long as all things shall continue after they be restored so long the day of Judgement shall last but all things shall be restored at the day of Judgement and continue in their being after they are restored longer then a day of twelve or twenty four hours long Surely for a man to say that Christ shall come from Heaven at the day of Judgement when all things in the world shall be destroyed and have an end Acts 3.21 Rom 8 21. is to fight against the Scripture which saith all things at his coming shall be restored and therefore not dissolved at that time Or to say all things shall be restored at Christ second coming and be dissolved again by and by is like the fancie of those Heathens who said God made other worlds before this but he did undo them as soon as he had made them because they were not to his minde and thus say they he spent his time until he made this world that now is which pleased him very well Such a fancy they must needs have of God who think all things shall be restored at Christs second coming and dissolved again by and by Without doubt as when God made the world at first he did not make it to destroy it presently but to continue for som length of time for man to live in it to his glory and his praise so when God shall restore the world at the great day of Judgement he will not presently dissolve it but have it to continue some length of time that Christ and the Saints may reign in it to his glory Again John in the Revelation speaking of the seventh Trumpet which is the last Trumpet and the Trumpet I mean of the judicial Trumpets of consummation and so the Trumpet of Christs second coming he attributes many days to it In the days of the seventh Trumpet the mystery of God shall be finished as he spake by his Servants the â—rophets Rev. 10.7 Isaiah calls the second coming of Christ the year of recompences Isaiah 34. ver 8. It is such a day that in the same breath it swells into a year For it is the day saith he of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Zion Yea this day in Isaiah 59.21 swells at the least into three generations and least that should be two little into a for ever For saith he my words shall not depart out of thy mouth nor our of the mouth of thy feed or seeds seed from henceforth even for ever And it is apparent this is spoken of Christs second coming both from the text * By which we may judge how to apply all those glorious texis which seem yet to be unfulfilled and context and Paul Rom. 11.26 so applyes the same The same Prophet tells us yet of a longer time Isaiah 65.17 for saith he the days of my people ver 22. shall be as the days of a tree and mine Elect shall lâ—ng enjoy the works of their hands Pliny tells us that the life of an Oak is nine hundred years more or less which comes very near Johns thousand years The words in the Hebrew are the wood of life but the Septuagint renders it the tree of life with which also agrees the Chaldee paraphraft In which words saith Justin Martyr we may understand the thousand years to be secretly pointed at It was the conceit of the same Justine Martyr and not altogether to be slighted that the life of the tree of life or of man in the state of Paradice was to consist of a thousand years that is to say that so long man had he not sined should have lived in this world and afterwards have been translated into a more happy both place and condition But Adam having sinned by eating the forbidden fruit therefore neither himself nor any of his posterity though some of them very long lived should attain to that number of years but should die before they had any of them lived out so great a day But when all things shall be restored that long liv'd day shall be restored to the sons of the first resurrection and they shall live one thousand years So the Prophet Zachariah speaking of the day of Christs second coming chap 14.9 saith the Lord shall be King over all the Earth and in that day there shall be one Lord and his name one And adds ver 16. they shall go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the feast of Tabernacles which is an allusion to those old Jewish rites and betokens onely their serving God of which see Rev. 7.14 15. Where those Palm bearing triumphers are said to serve God day and night in his Temple Lastly Christ tells us of a certain world to come in which sins may be forgiven Matth. 12.32 not to the sons of the resurrection who are without all sin but to those who are of the Nations that are saved and walk in the light of the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.24 who yet sinning and repenting of their sins obtain remission in Christs blood And now good Reader hark a little to the peculiar priviledges of that day and time yet for brevitys sake take them almost in so many words ¶ I In the time of this thousand years there will be an end for ever of the Beast and false Prophet O! happy riddance to the world for what good did they ever do nay what evil did they not Farewell thou Whore of Babylon Rev. 18.3 who didst inebriate the Nations and their Kings with the wine of the wrath of thy fornications Thy judgements are come in a day Rev. 18.8 death and mourning and famine for strong is the Lord God that Judgeth thee Rejoyce Rev. 18.20 over her thou heaven Church and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you at her hand That wicked horn Dan. 7.21 is broken off who warred against and wore out the Saints the multitude of thy offences now at last hath broken the multitude of thy forces and thou canst not call back the day that is past