Gabriel unto the blessed Virgin Mary when he was sent unto her saying Fâ—are not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus he shall be great and shall bee called the Sonne of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luk. 1.30.31 32 33. Which Kingdome of Christ was also foreshewed unto the Prophet Daniel in a vision as he saith And I saw in the night vision and behold one like the Sonne of man came with the cloudes of heaven and came to the antient of dayes and they brought him before him and there was given unto him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7.13.14 And where hee saith againe foreshewing also that the Saints shall possesse the Kingdome with Christ and raigne with him when those great Monarches and usurpers of it are removed Dan. 7.16.17 But The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome for ever even for ever and ever verse 18. as also in verse 27. And the Kingdome and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all powers shall serve and obey him According to that which the Prophet Micha testifieth fâ—om the Lord saying And I will make hir that halteth a remnant and her that was cast farre off a great Nation and the Lord shall raigne over them in mount Sion from hence forth even for ever Mich. 4.7 Much more might be mentioned from the Prophets and Scriptures to this purpose for which of the Prophets have not prophesied thereof and what words can there bee spoken more fully and clearely to shew the perpetuity of this Kingdome of Christ and of his Saints on the earth under the whole heaven then these that hath been spoken in these several places of the Scritures before mentioned for ever even for ever for ever ever for evermore for ever even for ever and ever for an everlasting possession an everlasting Kingdome that which shall not bee destroyed there shall bee no end as the Sunnâ— and as the Moone c. And how can it be thought that all these things and words should bee spoken in such a manner and but a thousand yeares meant and to be here in this poluted world fulfilled on a latter offâ—sping of Iewes remainingâ— or as the Millinaries would have it of a comming of Christ and resurrection of the beheaded Saints or of all the Saints since the beginning of the World to that time and then at the end of those yeares to cease or to bee delivered up as they immagine and teach I say except men were besotted with willfulnesse and blindnesse that having once conceived an opinion and taken it up will wrest all Scriptures even from their plaine intention to make them serve for their purposes rather then let their opinion fall or harken to any thing that may bee said against it It is true the Throne and Kingdome wherin Christ is now at this present unto which after his sufferings God the Father exalted him at his right hand in the heavens to sit raigne with him there till he had put all his enemies under his feet the last enemie being death This he is to resigne and deliver up to God the Father at the end of the world when God shall have put all enemies under his feet as Saint Paul saith Then commeth the end when hee shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the father when hee shall put downe all ruâ—e all authority and power for he must raigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet the last enemie that shall be destroyed is death for he hath put all things under him but when hee saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted that did put all things under him and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the sonne also himselfe bee sâ—biect unto him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. Where the Apostle sheweth plainely that in some consideration Iesus Christ the Sonne of man the Son of David is not subiect unto God the father now being at his right hand reigning with him in the heavens as he shall bee then at the end of the world when God shall have put all things under him himselfe onely excepted Nor God all in all now as he shal be then because now Christ in his humaine person sitteth in his Throne with him God having once setled him in the Throne of his Father David according to his oath which he sware unto David hee is to leave the other to him that gave him this and to bee suiect unto him and to honour him as his head even as his Spouse the Church is to be subiect unto him and to honour him as her head And herein shall the sonne loose no honour for as hee is God he is the same for ever Nay rather he shall receive much more glory and honour for although the glory and honour whereto he is now exalted at the right hand of God in the heavens be gâ—eat in respect of his humaine nature farre above all that ever any man else was exalted unto or ever shall yet it is seene of no man and beleeved but of a few neither are all his enemies now subdued But when all enemies all authority and rulâ— of Monarks and powers of this world of wickednes shall be subdued and death the last enemie and he himselfe sitting in the Throne of his glory with all his redeemed openly in the sight of all his and their enemies ruling them with a rod of yron as in the world to come it shall be Heb. 2.5 6 7 8. This his glory will be greater And these words of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. For he must reigne till hee hath put all enemies under his feete alluding in way of proofe unto the words of David Psalme 110.1 doe shew plainely that it is the Kingdom wherein he reigneth now at the right hand of God in the heavens that hee is to deliver up and resigne unto God his Father at his comming But this Throne Kingdome which God will now settle him in after all enemies are subdued he is never to resigne or deliver up neither shal it bâ—e taken from him nor he from it nor be destroyed or have an end as hath beene declared In this Throne he may admit his brethren that followed him in the regeneration that overcome to sit with him and wil as he hath promised saying
sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather his Elect together from the foure Windesâ— c. and then saith to his faithfull ones When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads for your redemâ—tion draweth nigh Then know that the Kingdome of God is nigh at hand Mat. 24. Luke 21.30.31 This is the redemtion which all the faithfull looked for even that deliverance of the whole house and Seede of Israel out of all Countries whereof the Prohets had spoken And here we see by what meanes the Lord will gather them and bring them together in that day even by his holy Angels whom he will send forth with a great sound of a Trumpetâ— They shall gather his elect together from the foure Winds as well they of the tenne Tribes of Israell and of the Gentiles also as them of Iudah and Beniamine he will leave none of them any more there he will open their graves and bring them up out of their graves and place them in their owne land where their fathers had dwelt and they shall know that the Lord had not onely spoken it but that he hath now performed it according as Ezekiel prophesied Ezek. â—7 They being now delivered from the hands of their enemies shall serve the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of their life according to the prophesie of Zacherias Luke 1. And as David in his Psalme of the Covenant saith unto the people of Israell O give thankes unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever and say yee save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the heathen that we may give thankes to thy holy name and glory in thy praise 1 Chro. 16.34.35 And now upon this great redemption shall the Kingdome bee restrored to Israell which the Apostles so desired to know the time of that which Christ commended to his little flocke to comfort them in the time of their affliction saying feare not little flocke for it is you fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luke 12.32 And of which he saith againe And I appoint unto you a Kingdome as the father hath appointed unto me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my Kingdome and sit on Throne iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.29 30. meaning the ungodly of all the Tribes And whereof he spake also unto the unbeleeving Iewes and all other Hippocrite and workers of iniquitie to their shame in their condemnation saying When ye shall see Abraham Isaack and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and your selves cast out Luke 13.27 where is to bee noted that the ungodly shall see the righteous in the Kingdome of God when themselves are cast out This is the Kingdome which God had prepared for his chosen from the foundation of the world to bee inherited now at this time when Christ shall come in his glory to judge the quicke and the dead as himselfe also further declareth saying And when the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him then shall he sit in the Throne of his glory and before him shall bee gaâ—hered all Nations and hee shall separate them as a Shepheard doth his sheepe from the goates and he shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goats at the left then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungry and ye gave mee meate I was athirst and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and ye tâ—oke me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sicke and ye came unto me I was in prison and ye visited me c. And unto them on his left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire c. In which happie sentence to them that shall stand on Christs right hand at this day of Iudgement Christ in foretelling us of it doth give us to understand as a faire fore-admonition to us all what manner of persons they are and must be found to be in respect of workes that shall inherit this Kingdome And hereby also wee may perceive what it is to make us friends with the goods of this world called the Mammon of unrighteousnâ—sse because men love them so much setting their hearts upon them and by many unrighteously gotten And who the friends are that can will receive us into everlasting habitation even Christ himselfe and God his father also So that whosoever shall receive one of those little ones that beleeveth in Christ in Christs name receiveth Christ he that receiveth Christ receveth God the Father that sent him for so he hath said he that shall give a cup of cold water to one of the least of Christs brethren because he belongeth to Christ he shall not lose his reward because Christ counteth it as done to him self he wil stand his friend when the great day time of nâ—ede shall come and all frienâ—s else will faile him These bee the workes of Abraham which doe shew the faith of Abraham and of Abrahams children that shall inherit the kingdome And when Christ shall so come in his glory and shall sit in the Throne of his glory and be possest of his Kingdome which God the father had appointed unto him as he said Luk. 22.20 for the possession of his Kingdome and his appearing in glory to Iudge the quicke and the dead or both together as Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 4.1 and the Saints possâ—ssing the Kingdome also dependeth upon his and beginneth as from his and by him is continued This Throne and kingdome of Christ I say is not to cease or be taken from him nor he from it God will settle him therein according as hee said and sware to his father David long beforre saying But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdome for ever and his throne shall be established for evermore 1 Chro. 17.14 And againe My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sunne before me it shall bee established for ever as the Moone and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven Psal. 89.34 36. Christ is not to come to sit and passe sentence of Iudgement onely and so to depart away as some thinke but he is to continue to raigne upon his thrown in this kingdome for everâ— according also as in another Psal. it saith Thy Throe O God is for ever and ever a Septer of righteousnesse is the Septer of thy Kingdome Psal. 45.6 as also Heb. 1.8 And of this throne and Kingdome of Christ and the endlesnes thereof spake the Angel
Christ hath spoken So their blindnesse shall last no longer they shall now see what they reiected and what is come of it according also as Christ said to their fathers for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Mat. 23.39 for every eye shall see him and all tongues shall confesse at this day that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father as it is written And as touching that living and raigning with Christ for a thousand years spoken of in Revel. 20. of the soules of them that were to be beheaded because they would not worship the Beast nor his Image nor would receive his marke c. which is there sayd to be the first resurrection This being the onely Scripture they make use of to proove a thousand yeares glorious estate of a Church of the Iewes as some would have it or as others of the faith full disceased whom they will have to rise from the dead a thousand yeares before the end of the World and resurrection of the ungodly c. Therefore to remove these opinions and stop all obiections against the cleare truth if possible it may be My â—nswer is in breefe this First they are utterly mistaken in the word Soules because they wil have it to intend bodies as well as soules for although sometimes in Scripture soules only are named when both bodies and soules are meant as in Gen 46.15 and so the 27. verse where it is said All the Soules of the House of Iacob which came into Egypt were three score and ten yet I say it cannot be so meant here my reasons are first These soules which Saint Iohn saith he saw are the soules of men be headed and not of living men but if yee say Iohn foresaw them risen and so names the soule for both my answer is This cannot be the soule may not be named for the body nor with the body in this case as to meane both because the soule of a regenerate man being now alive by faith cannot be said either to dye with the body or to rise with the body neither is there any resurrection of the soule after the death of the body therefore may not be named for the death of the body nor for the resurrection of the body neither is there such an instance in all the Scriptures as to say wheÌ„ a righteous mans body dieth or is dead there is a soule dead although it may be so said of an ungodly manâ— because his soule is alwaies dead spiritually And to say of a regenerate man that when his body riseth from the dead his soule riseth with it is to say a manifest untruth When those Saints rose from the dead at the time of Christs suffering it is not said their soules rose but thâ—â—â— bodies onely as in Mat. 27.52 When Iohn saw under the Altar the Soules of them that were slaine for the word of God Revel. 6.9 He apprehended their bodies to bâ— dead as the text sheweth plainely in that the Soules cryed How long Lord holy and truâ— dost thou not Iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth thâ—y being in heaven and it was sayd unto them that they should râ—st a little season untill their fellow servantâ— and their brethrâ—n that must be killed as they were should â—e fulfilled vers. 10 11. neither were the bodies of the first to rise before the last were slaine as the words declare Therefore my conclusion is that the living raigning with Christ and the first resurrectionâ— in this place spoken of is of the soule onely and noâ— of the body and that it beginneth here while the soule and body are togetherâ— as Christ himselfe declareth saying Verily verily I say unto you The â—ower is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live Iohn 5â—25 And then afterward speaketh unto the Iewes saying marvaile not at this for the hower is comming in the which all that are in the graves shal heare his voyce and shall come forth they that have done goodâ—â—â—to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the â—â—surrection of condemnation vers. 28.29 Here we see the resurrection of the bodyes of good and band out of the graves are both together in one houre and that the resurrection of the Soules of the faithfull is daily all the time before as hee saith the hower is comming and now is And as touching this first resurrection of the Soule Saint Paule saith Ye are buried with Christ in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him c. Col. 2. And aagaine If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Colosâ— 3â— 1.2.3 And the Soule being once risen with Christ liveth alwaies now though his body die or be beheaded and it may truely bee sayd of him to his great comfort even while he is in the body Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power But they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him I will not say now a 1000 yeares in that manner with out the body because those yeares are almost expired So long a time being past since the first sufferings of Saints for those causes of not worshipping the Beast c. began who had the full time of the thousand yeares before them to come as they whose Soules Iohn saw under the Altar that cryed How long Lord holy and true dost thou not Iudge and avenge â—ur blood on them that dwell upon the earth it is not every Soule a thousand yeares but a thousand for all But this I say unto and of every such soule that he shall live and raigne with Christ untill his commiâ—g in glory And then he shall live and raigne with him soule and body for evermore world without end And this I say further That whosoever hath not part here in the first resurrection let him be sure whosoever hee be the second death will cease upon him body and soule for ever hee shall have no other first resurrection after the death of his body to helpe him or make him blessed and holy As concerning the other things of this twenty chapter and also of the 11. to the Romans before spoken of If the Reader please to inquire for a booke intituled The deliverance of the whole house of Israel from all their captivities he may see in the same the particular matters oâ— both in a more full manner declared which I hope through the grace of God with his diligent observation shall cleare the truth of all these things plainely unto him And now let me a little advise the Reader whosoever he be first that hee would take heede hee have not the word