chap. 19.19 20. compared with Daniel where he is called a vile Person with the Thessalonians where he is called the Man of Sin in Ezekiel where he is called Gogg and again with Daniel where he is called the little Horn and a King of a fierce countenance understanding dark sentences who shall speak miraculous things against the God of Gods denying all that is called God and worshipped siting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God and the signs and wonders spoken of in the Text is those miracles spoken of in Dan. 8.25 Revel 13.13 14 15 16. chap. 16.14 chap. 19.20 and more that might be added I shall only speak but a little to it more because I have spoken of it more at large in my book intituled Zions Redemption Original Sin wherein also I have shewn the difference between the Romish Babylon the Antichrist shewing them to be two one different from the other But at present I say that the cause of these false Christs working signs and wonders will be to deceive the elect viz. the Jews who are commonly called in Scripture the elect that it is that people namely the Jews which he will endeavour to deceive read Dan. 11. ult chap. 12.1 2 7. Zech. 14.1 2 3. And his Throne shall be in Jerusalem amongst the Jews as I have before proved and the Jews looking for Jesus to come according to Daniels and Isaiah's Prophesie which saith Dan. 7.10 Fiery streams issued and come forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him c. and the Man of Sin or the false Christ shall have thousand thousands to minister unto him For his Army shall be very great and that he may also have fiery streams issue before him that he may make the Jews believe that he is the true Christ and thereby if it were possible deceive the Jews viz. the elect he causeth fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of men to deceive them that live upon the face of the earth Revel 13.13 at which time the two Prophets shall begin their Prophesie that they may establish the Jews in the Testimony of Jesus and they shall work miracles indeed such as shall destroy all the former ones wrought by the false Christ like as Moses and Aarons Rod eat up the Rods of the Magicians in Egypt and as the false Christ shall have a false Prophet or false Prophets that shall bear their Testimony for the false Christ who will practise lying signs and wonders even so the true Christ shall have two witnesses or Prophets who in truth uprightness shal bear their Testimony for the true Christ who not long after will descend upon the Mount of Olives Zech. 14.4 which true Prophets shall as aforesaid do such things and miracles that shall not only eat up or destroy the other that were false but shall be a sore punishment to the Beast and false Prophet and all that have received his mark in their hand or fore-head that these Prophets and things shall stand up and be done in the very end of time as I may say is clear read the fore mentioned Prophets and compare them together and you shall see it to be true althought I do not deny but there may have been some things done in the World already like it in one sense or another but the fulfilling of these Prophets are to be expired very near the second and glorious coming of the Lord Jesus thus I shall pass to the second thing fore mentioned which is The Desart or secret Chamber I understand is his viz. the false Christ confining himself to a private place to that end that he may be the more sought after and adored for the more privately he contains himself the more he will be sought after for mens faâ—cies are set much upon novelties hence the certain GREEK sought to see Jesus John 12.20 And many have a desire to see great ones and more especially if they be confined to privacy but if he be publick he may pass again and again and not be so sought after because they then can see and confer with him when they please Secondly It is a great means to deceive for those that are admitted to see his majesty it 's a thousand to one if they be not deceived partly by doting upon his majesty and partly by going contrary to Gods Word gadding in their minds after vanity and to this end he confines himself to secresie into secret places at his first coming but saith Christ behold I have told you before go not after HIM this brings me to the third particular which is his reason why they shall not go to see a Christ in a Desart or secret Chamber which is Thirdly because saith Christ as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West or from one end of Heaven to the other so shall also the coming of the Son of man be The lightening I understand to be the Sun which lighteneth the Earth rising in the East and shining even unto the West or from one end of Heaven to the other as Luke hath it but if so be that some should understand this lightening as comits or common lightening which is usual in hot wether and in times of thunder and the like It cannot be so understood because that such lightening cometh as often out of the South and West and somtimes North as out of the East and also is so far from being seen from the East even unto the West that somtimes it is seen to be tempestuous lightening wether in one neighbouring Land and not in another and in one County and not in another if not in one parish somtimes and not in another but this lightening shineth from the East even to the West from one end of Heaven unto another the which is to be understood the Sun in the Firmament which lighteneth the earth even from the East unto the West The Scripture discovering her rising in the East and shining unto the West and the glory of the Lord seen like unto the rising of the Sun that shineth into the West and filleth the earth with her light and glory Isa 45.6 chap. 59.19 But let it be the Sun in the Firmament or other lightening yet the matter lyeth here that Jesus Christs coming is not in obscurity but as a light that cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West or shineth from one end of Heaven to another the sequel of the matters is that the Christ that is to be seen in a Desart or secret Chamber namely in a private place is far from being the true Christ that they need not say when the true Christ comes let us go here or there namely into a Desart or secret Chamber or Mountain to see him but he shall be seen at once as the Sun that riseth in the East and is seen by all even to the West without going into Desarts or Chambers or
Mountains or the like and to this agreeth the Prophets that saith The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for he shall come in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and all the kindred shall waile because of him So in short I understand it is the personal coming of the Lord Jesus which is spoken of in that Text Mat 24. and not any spiritual coming for the same Jesus even the same blessed man which did once ascend in like manner shall again descend as I have proved in the former part of this Treatise intituled Truth and Innocency and thus much briefly of the coming of the Lord Jesus like lightening which lightening is to be seen from one end of Heaven to the other even from the East unto the West which light all men that have their natural eye-sight do see at once even so shall the personal appearance of Jesus Christ be that all men shall see his glory together when he shall appear in the Clouds of Heaven with all his holy Angels with him and this I am very confident was the mind of Christ in that place and thus I pass to speak somewhat to the Carkass and Eagles being gathered unto it which is Fourthly the fourth and last thing sheweth the taking up of the Saints to meet Jesus Christ the Carkass being understood Christ and the Eagles the Saints it s only a simily shewing that as the Eagles suddenly gather themselves tegether to the place where a Carkass is even so the Saints shall suddenly be gathered together to the place where Christ is agreeing with 1 Thes 4 14 15 16. and Mat. 24.40 the which I have before spoken of more at large therefore shall leave it at present with the Reader and pass all the other things very briefly because I find the things already spoken to is the whole grounds or master-pieces of your Book and those things that I shall now speak to I shall take them as they lie in order in your book and the first thing that I observe and shall speak to is Of the new pouring out of the Spirit and a new marriage after the former Page 5. Answ I find there was a Marriage between God and old Israel which is a Metaphor to wit the enjoyment of the inheritance and the marriage bed as I may so call it the presence of the Lord in Types dwelling amongst them in that holy Land or glorious Mountain Jerusalem which was a Type of the heavenly Jerusalem and the Tabernacle of God to be with men when they shall injoy the marriage bed to wit being present with Christ knowing him as we are known by him the which while we live in this Body we do not for we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 And that there shall be a marriage and a marriage Supper I grant but it s after Christ is come the second time read Luke 12.35 36 37. compared with Revel 19.7 8 9. with more that might be said but as to the first marriage spoken of by you which was say you in the primitime times in the first breathing of the Spirit I cannot see nor believe nor I am certain you cannot prove it for the Church of Corinth had as great breathings of the Spirit as any had coming behind in no gift and yet were in that time but in a Virgin estate and condition as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 in these words But I am jealous over you with godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chaste VIRGINE to Christ From whence we may see that the primitive Church who lived under the breathings of the Spirit and had excellent gifts of working of Miracles and yet were but in a Virgine condition and so shall the Church be at the very time of the second coming of the Lord Jesus until he is come read Mat. 25.1 to the 11. And as to your cited text Mat. 22.1 2 3. it is a Parrable and it s also clear that the whole time of the preaching of the Gospel is the time of the inviting the Ghests and the Parrable holds not if all the Ghests be not invited before the day of the marriage supper and I am sure that all the Ghests are not yet invited nor born I could speak at large unto it but I study brevity and so shall pass to the next thing which is The Churches was in Babylon as appears saith Mr. Henden by her being called out Revel 18.4 it being a strange Land from the native Canon of a Gospel word where they were strangers under other Lords page 8. Answ I have read that the Israel of old was in Babel in Chaldea from whence they were to depart but I never yet read that the Elect Sealed Number were subject to other Lords in respect of order that is to say they submitted not to the Babylonish order neither was their order become Babel read Dan. 3. It 's true that the Jews had several Ordinances which were to be performed only at Jerusalem and hence it came to pass that they practised them not in Babylon and therefore they were far from being Babellish but the Gospel Ordinances are limitted to no one place more than other insomuch if there were a Church in Rome they might practise all Christs Ordinances if they could enjoy their Liberty so to do although it be the seat of the Pope and yet not be blamed but commended of by the Lord as was the Church of PARGAMVS Rev. 2.12 who lived where Satans seat was and yet did hold fast their profession even so it 's like there may be some in the City called Babylon Revel 18.4 which may own and practise the Truth although unknown to the Pope at the very time when the Lord will destroy it and so he may call them out as once he did call Lot out of Sodom but to suppose that God owns a People to be his People which are Babel in their order is but vain when we rightly understand how zealous God ever was of his order never admitting of his own people to mix it with the confused order of men or Babel for those that are partakers of her sins which they were not which were called out Revel 18.4 shall be partaker of her plagues but if Babels order were sin and the Church order which was in Babel was established then the Church must be partakers of her sins and so of her plagues which was not and so I pass this also and come to the next thing which is You may find all your new stated Churches saith Mr. Henden of a different Mettal from the true how near soever to the primitive they seem to be in the outward shell and yet in reallity do ground upon another foundation upon Believers not possessed with such a power sent down from heaven page 14. Answ They differ not in their Mettal
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
secondly because time also at present will not give leave in reference to other occasions I only hinted at these few things to caution the courteous Reader to take heed and try well what doctrine he doth receive before he receiveth it And as touching the Resurrection of the body even the same body out of the dust thou hast heard already proved but peradventures some may object and say Object That flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven Answ To that and such like Objections I briefly answer and say That this no whit contradicts that men after they be risen shall be flesh blood and bones if we consider that the same Apostle opens the meaning of his words in the very next verse by saying neither doth corruption inherit incorruption shewing that his meaning is that that corruption of flesh and blood or flesh and blood corrupted shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven until that corruption hath put on incorruption so then while it is corrupted flesh and blood it cannot enter into the kingdome of Heaven for no corrupt thing shall come there yet notwithstanding man which is flesh and bone is at this time in Heaven and so shall many more after the Resurrection inherit that glory and yet shall be flesh and bones for man was created so at the first before he was corrupted and shall be so namely flesh and bone after his corruption is taken away for when he ceaseth to be flesh and bone then he will cease also to be man unless man can consist and have a being without flesh and bone which cannot be Moreover the text it self may be read and doth well bear it thus For this I say unto you bretheren that the corrupt nature or infirmity OF MAN cannot enter into the kingdome of God For so the Original will bear it from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and being so read it lyeth without Objection for I have ever affirmed that the corruption or infirmity of man shall not enter into the kingdome of God but shall be taken away before that time And where it is said That that which thou sowest thou sowest not the same body that shall be but God giveth it a body as pleaseth him To which I answer and say that it is true it is not the same body which is sown in respect of corruption for the text saith that it is sown in corruption and it is raised in incorruption and so it is true in that sence that the Apostle speaks of that is it is not the body of corruption which is raised although every seed shall have its own body only the corruption taken away and this is the meaning of the Apostle in this place Object And as touching that objection spoken by Job 7.9 in these words As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more Answ To which I answer and say That these texts of Scripture are the most material ones that I know of whereby the Resurrection may be denyed although some other seem to shew a colour unto it and that we may see that this Scripture intends no such thing as some would have it to do even to deny that the same body shall arise and enter into the kingdome of God read the next verse and that will shew you that Job means that men which die shall rise no more so as to be known as men after the flesh as men that have taken a great journey and be long absent do return and possess their houses and habitations but man shall not so arise as to possess his former house or habitation and this appears to be Jobs meaning as from verse the 10. in these words He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more So then this 10 verse expounds Jobs meaning in the 9 verse or otherwise Job sadly contradicts himself so that we cannot tell when he speaks the truth for he doth frequently declare the Resurrection of the body as in Chapter 14.12 and 14. Chapter 19.26 27. These things considered I shall only add a Use of Comfort to those that do believe that all that are asleep in the dust shall come to a Resurrection to receive what they have done in the body whether good or evil and being perswaded thereof do wait all their dayes in the right way of the Lord until their change come even to such the Scripture speaks much comfort for they shall be exalted to inherit the earth in the morning of their Resurrection they shall have dominion over the wicked and they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet when those that have walked wisely shall shine as the Firmament and they that have turned many to righteousness as stars for ever and ever therefore know that although the wrath of man may possibly lay thee in the dust yet from thence the Lord will bring thee and set thee with Princes and put a Crown of Righteousness upon thine head and make thee inherit the throne of glory Psal 37.34 and Psal 49.14 15 16. Dan. 12.3 4. Mal. 4.2 3. 1 Sam. 2.8 1 Pet. 5.3 4 5. 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. Revel 14.12 13. Chap. 20.5 6 7 8. And thus I pass from this subject of Discourse and come to the next which is The love of God to all men in giving of his Son to bring them to a Resurrection and after that to an eternal weight of glory if they sell it not for the pleasure and glory of this present world as Esau sould his birth-right for a mess of pottage and so he received not the blessing Gods Love to Man-kind DISCOVERED AS touching Gods universal Love to the Sons of Men or the whole lump of Man-kind I need not spend much time about for the Scriptures are full and the truth thereof is written as I may say in Capital Letters so that he that runs may read and see the truth thereof and therefore I shall be brief as to this Subject of Discourse and in order to the clearing of it I shall lay down this Position as the ground-work to the Discourse which is That Gods Love was so great to the Lump of Man kind viz. the whole World that he gave his only begotten Son to Death to bring all men to a Resurrection and to an Eternal weight of Glory the which glory all men shall enjoy if they sell it not by their sins Or thus in short Jesus Christ tasted death for every Man and Woman And that this is truth read these few Scriptures as first Heb. 2.9 in these words We see Jesus who was made a little lower then Angels for the suffering of death was crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man From whence we may learn that Jesus Christ did die for all men or the whole lump or quantity of man as it is rendred from
be the year of vengeance and recompence for the controversie of Zion that as the Church of God and also the Jews have been spoiled so for a reward God will give their enemies into their hands they shall spoil them by whom they were spoiled so that Zion shall be as a thrashing instrument of Iron having teeth that shall beat the mountains into dust and the little hills into pouder for God will shew his indignation upon the Nations and his fury upon the Armies as saith the Lord by the Prophet Isa 34.1 2 3 5 6 8. in these words Come neer ye nations to hear and hearken ye people let the earth hear and all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations and his fury upon all their armies he hath utterly destroyed them he hath delivered them unto the slaughter For my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold I will come down to Idumea and upon the people of my curse to Judgment The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness and with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Ramms for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Zion From whence we may see that although Gods people do suffer at present and are to suffer until the day of redemption yet at that day even when the Lord shall appear although it be the time of Jacobs trouble yet they shall be delivered and the wicked shall come in their stead that is they shall then be in very great trouble and so I pass to the fifth Reason Reason 5. Because Gods determination is to gather the nations and assemble the kingdomes that he may pour upon them the fierceness of his indignation and that it is to be at that day read Isa 63.1 2 3. Zeph. 3.9 Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Isa 10.23 Ezek. 38.19 Micah 4.12 13. Isa 3.27 28 29 30 31 32 33. From these Scriptures we may see the great slaughter that will be at the time aforesaid which indeed the Prophets have spoken fully to and because I have given you an account of it in my former Treatise I shall pass it at present and come to the next thing which is a few words as touching the distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust There is to be a distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust As to the the proof of this subject of discourse I shall be brief omitting circumlocution and only give you plain proof of Scripture although I might give many reasons And first we may see that our blessed Saviour doth affirm it when he speaks of his second coming to raise the dead and to take up the quick into the clouds saying that Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels in Heaven but my Father only but as the dayes of Noah was so shall be the coming of the Son of man for in the dayes before the floud they were eating and drinking marrying and giving into marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not until the floud came and took them all away so also shall the coming of the son of man be Then shall two be in the field the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other shall BE LEFT two women shall be grinding at the mill the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other LEFT two shall be in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left Mat. 24.36 37 38 39 40 41. compared with Luke 17.34 And that this speaks of the taking up of the faithful that are alive and leaving the unfaithful behind upon the earth and raising of the dead that are faithful and leaving the rest of dead behind that are unfaithful is further cleared by the words of Paul to the Thessalonions 4.15 16 17. which saith For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them that are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and shall be for ever with the Lord. From these words we may see the words of Christ are explained where he saith two shall be in one bed the one taken the other left which is saith Paul at his COMING that such as sleep in the Lord will Christ arise FIRST to bring with him and also the quick that are faithful shall be caught up with them and the rest to be left behind and the rest of the dead also not to live again until a certain juncture of time appointed of God as you shall see more anon but hence you see without controversie that the dead in Christ shall rise first as well as the faithful that are alive shall be caught away and the other viz. the wicked left behind And now I come to the next thing which is the last that I shall say to this subject that is How long the just shall rise before the unjust which is the whole time of Christs holding his Kingdome which is the tearm of a thousand years and that you may see the truth of this read Revel 20.4 5 6. in these words And I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God and they lived raigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were fulfilled This is the first resurrection or indeed as we may fitly say the Resurrection of the first or just that both from Christs words and Pauls and also Jesus we may see that the godly shall arise a thousand years at the least before the wicked to possess a Kingdome and to raign upon earth the which glory God hath prepared for those that love and obey Christ and walk in his Ordinances and keep them to the end and thus I briefly pass to the fifth particular which is the place of Christs Kingly Seat Fifthly As to the place of Christs Kingly Seat the Scriptures seem to be very clear in making of it out to be at the former beloved place Jerusalem which is to be built and inhabited as of old time the which in another Treatise I have fully proved that Zion and Jerusalem is the beloved place of the Lord where Christs Throne is to be established in the place where Davids Throne was for so saith
from the Prophets to witness it but further you may see that there will be a Temple although not the union of the sealed number as Mr. Henden supposed which hath been already answered but a material Temple as saith St. Paul 2 Thes 2.4 He viz. the man of Sin or Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God But if the Temple be to be understood to discypher the Mistical union of the one hundred forty and four thousand as Mr. Henden saith then it is impossible that the Man of Sin should sit there for they are not to be hurt and that connot be said to be the Temple of God in a spiritual sense which is the seat of the Man of Sin but in a material Temple it hath been so already and will be so again for saith Christ It is written my House should be a House of Prayer but ye have made it a den of thiefs And secondly that there is to be a Temple is also proved from Revel 15.8 in these words And the Temple was filled with smoak from the glory of God from his power and no MAN was able to enter into the TEMPLE till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled From hence we see that there shall be a material Temple which shall be so filled with Gods glory that no MAN shall enter into it until the plagues of the seven Vials be executed and so Christ by the brightness of his coming and excellent glory shall dispossess the Man of Sin of his seat and that the glory of God did shine so of old in his Temple read the words of the Prophet Isa 6 4. Ezek. 10.4 And secondly that the glory of the Lord is to appear or fill his House or material Temple Again read Ezek. 43.5 6 7. in these words So the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner Court and behold the glory of the Lord filled the House and I heard him speaking unto me out of the House and the man stood by me and he said unto me Son of man the place of my Throne and the place of the sole of my feet where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for EVER and my holy Name shall the House of Israel no more defile Agreeable to Chap. 37.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. as you may read at large I could give many reasons more to prove a material Temple and elsewhere I have done it But if it should be objected That God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands I answer and say it is very true that the Temple of Jerusalem they had defiled with their abominations and therefore the Lord destroyed it and for a while took unto himself the instruments of a foolish Shepheard Zech. 11.15 and so was a Gin and a Snare to the House of Israel and so the litteral Zion was to be plowed like a field and Jerusalem to become a heap but it doth nor say that Christ will never dwell in Temples or a Temple made with hands nor that he will never dwell in Mount-Zion litteral in Jerusalem but contrariwise saith in many places that he will come unto his Temple and dwell in Mount-Zion in Jerusalem as I before have proved read the place of Christs Kingly seat in the time of his Reign in my Treatise to Mr. Holland annexed to this I could prove that the Lord will have his seat there at large and that when his Tabernacle shall be with men and his seat where his Father Davids was that then it is to be in material Jerusalem when the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this was the City and Altar and Temple which was to be measured and the Worshipers which was therein namely the Jews which were to return and at that time shall be returned unto their own Land where they shall worship God according to Moses Law waiting for their Messiah Thirdly what is to be understood by the outward Court not measured or cast out or left out as in reference to measurement it is that after the Israelites be returned before they have finished their outward Courts and walls and the like for their great care and first work shall be upon the chief and principal place viz. their City and Temple the Gentiles namely Gogg the Prince of Meshech and Tubal whose Army shall be of them of Persia Ethiopia and Libia with Gomer and the Family of Togarmah a very great Army of the North Quarters shall be gathered together upon the Mountains of Israel and shall prevail and spoil the Jews for a small season and this shall be done before the outward Court and walls be finished which causeth the Army of the Gentiles to call Jerusalem a Town of unwalled Villages being without Bars and Gates as you may read Ezek. 38.11 in these words And thou shalt say I will go up to the Land of VNWALLED VILLAGES I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely all of them dwelling without WALS having neither BARS nor GATES to take a spoil to take a prey c. And to this agreeth the words of the Prophet Zecha 2.1 2 3 4 9. which saith I lift up mine eyes again and looked and behold a man with a MEASVRING LINE in his hand Then said I whither goest thou and he said unto me to measure Jerusalem to see what is the breaà th thereof and what is the length thereof And behold the Angel that talked with me went forth and another Angel went out to meet him and said unto him run speak to the young man saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a TOWN without WALS c. From these Scriptures and more that might be added we may see that the Walls and outward Court shall not be finished till it is taken and the holy City trod under foot but the time of its oppression is so short as not worth speaking of in comparison of time namely three years and a half so that this Prophet speaks little of the oppression of Israel but doth as it were overlook it because the time of it is so short and speaks of that which is of the greatest moment namely the Enemies destruction but the Prophet Zechariah agreeing with the Revelations sheweth that the City shall for a small time be surprised and taken and the Jews persecuted although the City it self shall not be destroyed but shall be the place of the Enemies Randesvouz and that this is true read the words of the Prophet Daniel compared with Zechariah which saith He shall enter also into the glorious Land and many Countries shall be overthrown but these shall escape out of his hands even EDOM and MOAB and the CHIEF OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON and he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Pallace between the Seas in the glorious holy mountain yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him And at that time
secret Chamber and that we may come to understand it let us observe the text as it is written Mat. 24.4 5 23 24 25 26 27 28. in these words And Jesus said unto them viz. his Disciples Take heed that no man deceive you For many shall come in my name saying I AM CHRIST and deceive many Then if they shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeve it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret Chamber beleeve it not For as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be For wheresoever the carcasse is there will the Eagles be gathered together In Order to the opening of this Text I shall devide it into several parts and the first is the Caution that Christ giveth to his Disciples which is Take heed saith he that no man deceive you and the reason is because many shall come in my name and say I am Christ and deceive many the word Take heed that no man deceive you is not only to be understood the Disciples in that Age but in all Ages successively Secondly Observe the Word saying I am Christ Which relates to a Person and not to a Fabrick or a Model more especially because we know that Christ is to come as a single person as a Glorified man and therefore such as would feign him so as to make persons believe that they are Christ must come as a single Person although with attendance as he is to come And secondly because we know that it hath been the practise of some already who have given out of themselves that they were some great one even the Lord or he that is to be King of the Jews as BENCHOCAB and HACKIT as hath been already mentioned and more that might be mentioned besides in our dayes he that professed himself to be the great one or King of the Jews and drawed Disciples after him who lived in a Tent near Rochester known to be truth together with the late professed Christ neer Bristol who was adored in the streets as was creditably spoken of such as heard it with tho name HOSANNA BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD Thirdly Because that the Scripture sheweth that it is to be a person and not a fabrick or model or form of worship false in its constitution as first from Dan 8.23 24 25. compared with 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. for the Antichrist denyeth saith St. John the Father and the Son and he is an Antichrist that so doth and St. Paul saith that HE shall deny all that is called God or worshipped as God And we know that Rome it self doth acknowledge God and worship him although in a false manner but the Antichrist shall deny both the Father and Son and will not admit that any shall be worshipped as God but himself shewing himself that he is God and to bring his design about he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand saith the Prophet Daniel which is a person coming with signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6. compared with Revel 13.18 19 20 31. agreeing with the Text it self Mat. 24.24 which saith For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets not false constituted Churches and shall shew great signs and wonders c. From whence we may see that the Antichrist or false Christ is a person or persons and not a false worship Fourthly and Lastly it cannot be understood a form of worship or a people set down to worship God in a form because the Text saith if they say loe here is Christ or there believe it not implying thus much that Christ was not to be found here nor there that is no where in any form or worship in no Church whatsoever and if this be true then to be sure Christ is not to be found in Mr. Hendens form for Mr. Henden hath a form which he pretends he worships God in to wit a form of meeting together a form of preaching of praying of praising and a form of Baptisme and the Lords Supper if he were true to his principles which is either a form of worship or a lump of confusion for what is without form in point of visible worship is confusion And what if Mr. Hendens Judgment were true that is to say if the Church were in the Desart or Wilderness hath Christ left his Church there alone without his spiritual presense surely no he hath said and is faithful that he will never leave and forsake his Church so that wheresoever there be but two or three gathered together in his name he will be present with them and was he not with the Church in the Wilderness Acts 7.38 yea surely it is not rationally thought that Christ will not be found in his own worship by such as worship him in truth and righteousness of heart so then the Text cannot be interpreted as Mr. Henden interprets it because Christ is to be found here and there and indeed every where in his spiritual presense where two or three meet together in his name if it be in the Desart or Wilderness he will be there for he was with his Church in the Wilderness and is the same yesterday to day and for ever And therefore it cannot rationally be understood as Mr. Henden interprets it and thus I pass what hath been said to the Text by Mr. Henden and in the next place shall shew you my opinion briefly upon the Text which is In this Text I observe many things which were necessary to be spoken to if I had time because it holds correspondency with Daniel Joel Zechariah and the Revelations but I shall only meddle with the point in controversie namely First What may be understood by the false Christ and false Prophets and of their signs and wonders Secondly Of the Desart or secret chambers Thirdly Of the coming of the Son of man like lightning Fourthly and Lastly of the carkass and the Eagles being gathered unto it and these in order briefly and first to the first which is The false Christs and false Prophets I understand to be persons who will come before the coming of the Lord Jesus in the Clouds in power great glory will affirm that they are the Christ which was to come the which some have done already but that I conceive to be only the working of the mystery of iniquity which began in the Apostles dayes as St. Paul and St. John declares 2 Thes 2.7 8. 1 John 2.18 19. chap. 4.3 and that the height of that iniquity centereth in that Beast and false Prophet spoken of in Revel 13.4 5 to the sixteenth
confirm it again when Israel came out of Babylon nor after the Book of the Law was lost and found again in the dayes of Josia no more need we any Sign to confirm that which is already confirmed and also we know that John did no Miracle and yet was an approved Administrator Again whereas Mr. Henden said that he was a legal Minister and a Minister of condemnation which had no visible demonstration from the spirit viz. Miracle The answer was then Mr. Henden was a legal one and a Minister of condemnation because he professeth himself to be a Minister and yet never work a Miracle that ever I heard of there was much time spent upon a kind of running discourse to little edification for that which I would have had done in order to the legal managing of the discourse was that there should have been one question stated at a time and that managed but when one began he spoke of several things and so confounded one with another and cleared it not as it should be I could repeat what was said about the four Winds and what was said by Captain Tucker as to the grounding of faith upon the obscure and dark Prophesies which was well minded although not well weighed by our Antagonist and as I think as little understood I have found it a sure maxime that the greatest confidence amongst men hath the least reason to warrant it which is sad And whereas Hebrews 12. was brought together with Galatians 4. to prove the Church to be called Mount-Zion neither of the places proveth it the Apostle to the Galatians tels us that it is the Covenant which is called Jerusalem which is from above and from the Hebrews we learn also that it is the Covenant or the thing Covenanted and whereas he saith that we are come to Mount-Zion he also saith that we are come to an innumerable company of Angels and to God the Judge of all things and the Spirits of just men made perfect so that we are come to one as well as to another and to neither of them but by faith in the Covenant for while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight And Paul doth not say to the Galatians that ye are Mount-Zion or Jerusalem but Jerusalem which is from above is the Mother of us all so then it was the Church which was called Jerusalem but Jerusalem from above was the Churches Mother mark a difference between the Children and the Mother and secondly the Author to the Hebrews doth not call the Church of the Hebrews Mount-Zion but tels them that they were come to Mount-Zion viz. the Covenant of Mount-Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem but I shall leave these things at present and pass to the Answer of some Objections usually urged against the perpetuation of Christs Ordinances or the constant practising of them and the first that I shall speak to is Object 1. There was a time when God did appear in his Ordinances which shewed there was the power of the Spirit went along with them as Peter in his Ministry in converting three thousand souls at one Sermon saith Mr. John Henden but now we see not the same effects therefore the cause ceaseth God hath left them and they are become as a dead carkass without a soul Answ It is very true there was a time when there was such need of a visible demonstration of Gods Spirit to go along with his Ordinances to bear witness to the sons of men that they were the Ordinances that were approved of by the Lord that they might be a pattern or platform for all men to walk in to the Worlds end and hence it was that when God gave to Moses and the rest of the Children of Israel the pattern of the administration of the Law he gave it with the visible demonstration of his own presence with thundrings and lightenings and the Mountain smoaking with a visible maifestation of Gods glory with and upon Moses so that his face did so shine with the Glory of God when he came from the Mount that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly behold him by reason of the brightness of the Glory of God shining upon him this was his appearance when he came down with the Tables of the Law written by God so gloriously did God appear in the giving forth of it but afterwards all that the Children of Israel were to do was to have the words of the Law read to them and they to do it or keep it and not to say who shall ascend up into Heaven for some visible demonstration but the Law is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou maist do it saith Moses Deut. 30.10 11 12. even so saith St. Paul Rom. 10.6 7. The righteousness of faith speaks on this wise say not in thy heart who shall ascend up into Heaven to fetch Christ down from above c. but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart So that true faith giveth heed to Gods word and looks not for miracles for so saith Christ blessed is he that hath not seen and yet believed for a sinful and an adulterous generation seek a sign but none shall be given unto them c. Secondly If no Ordinance may be an approved Ordinance of God but such an one as hath a visible manifestation according to Mr. Hendens sense as aforesaid then he himself never met together so as God did approve of it because we find that when the Disciples met together the house spoke where they were assembled Thirdly his Ordinance of preaching hath not the Spirit with it because instead of converting three thousand at one Sermon I suppose he never converted three hundred in his life nor scarce half half so many and as for the Ordinance of Prayer I never heard any of those that usually hear Mr. Henden say that he hath prayed till the place hath spoke where he was praying as it did when the Disciples were a Praying Acts 4.31 and as for the Ordinance of Preaching and praying and the like Mr. Henden saith he owns to continue in all ages uncorrupted and they had once as great a visible manifestation as any Ordinance that I know of and yet there is no more appearance in a visible manifestation in them now than there is in any other Ordinance which Mr. Henden cryeth down and I may fitly say to Mr. Henden as Christ said to the Scribes and Pharisies which did much dote upon signs and miracles that the Kingdome of Heaven cometh not with Observations as gadding after miracles saying loe here or loe there for the Kingdome of God is within you that is as if he should have said it consists more in inward glory than outward glory or manifestation for the Kings daughter is all glorious within and the proper work of the Spirit is within as Christ