powerful wonderful gracious and glorious to his Church upon earth as her great Prophet Priest and King Eleventhly Christs execution of the said three great Offices is two ways to be considered 1. More generaly for his universal Church in respect of the several seasons wherein in order he was to execute them severally most eminently until his work of Mediatorship should perfectly be accomplished and full reconciliation made between God and all his elect people his mystical body the true Church being compleat in all the members of it and perfect union and communion attained with himself as their mystical head together with the Father and the Holy Spirit as also with the glorious Angels and one with another in most happy enjoyment of all good to all eternity 2. It is again considerable particularly and specially in respect of every truely beleiving soul in the particular application of the efficacy of those three great Offices to them by his holy Spirit making good means and ordinances effiâ—acious to every faithful soul so exhibiting himself to them 1. As their great Prophet inwardly powerfully and savingly teaching them all necessary truth and doctrine 2. As their great High-Priest in the like way evidencing their peace and reconciliation with God through that expiation he should or hath made for their sins 3. In the like-way also to evidence to them at one time or other that he is their powerful King and Protector that hath and doth and will subdue all his and their enemies and keep them in a loyal and good condition by Faith and Grace unto salvation Twelfthly Consider that the general more eminent and glorious execution of those three great offices for his universal Church more remarkeable in the world is in those three great periods of his manifesting himself in the world according to all that his father had given him to do 1. As the great Prophet of his Church by his spirit of wisdom and revelation in all his immediate Messengers till his coming in the flesh and so Christ is said to preach in the time of Noah to the Spirits in prison as St. Peter speaketh 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2. As the great High-Priest in the second Period after his coming in the flesh where putting an end to all the types and shadows of his Priesthood he actually undertook in his person and executed the work and office of Priesthood as the great High-Priest having made a full and perfect attonement and satisfaction for the sins of all his people he ascended into the holy of holies the highest Heavens there sitting at the right hand of God the Father powerfully and gloriously there to execute and improve that office by making intercession for his people till his coming again 3. In the third great period of the world under or after the seventh Trumpet Christ will appear most eminently in executing the great office of a King in this general confideration in respect of his universal Church subduing wonderfully and manifestly in the world his own and his Churches enemies powerfully and graciously enabling his Saints to walk in the obedience of his laws taking away in a great degree the evil of sin and suffering with the causes of both by binding Satan and destroying the wicked powers of the world c. I say in a great degree though not then totally nor finally Lastly Consider how Christ hath and doth and will work in these three great Periods of the world In the first he wrought by his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation making known the Will of the Father in all things for substance respecting Faith and Obedience In the second by his Spirit of grace and truth powerfully sanctifying his people more eminently and largely then in the former In the last when he will take to himself his Kingly power Rev. 11.15 and 19. He will work by his Spirit of Power and Domination Now from the former Theses duly weighed and considered these particulars ensuing or the like may be inferred viz. That 1. If the design of the Trin-Une Diety was to be eminently glorified in Christ the Mediator his three great Offices of being the great Prophet Priest and King of his universal true Church then that greatest glory must needs shine forth in the most eminent way of executing of them But the general performance thereof in the said three great periods is the most eminent way of executing them Therefore That design hath and will be therein most accomplished 2. If the drift and end of the great works of Creation Support and Providence in all things ever since time was and until time shall cease to be was in reference unto Gods glorifying of himself in such general management of these Offices of Christ for his universal true Church then in that respect he is most glorified But their drift and end is so in reference thereunto Therefore God is most glorified in such management of them 3. If such general execution of them in reference to the universal true Church be the foundation and securing thereof to particular beleiving souls or secondly in respect of any more special times or special conditions of the Church as will hereafter appear then all the good of the other is procured and secured by that general execution of them But such Christs general execution of these Offices it he soundation and securing of both the other Therefore The good of both the other is secured and procured thereby 4. If the great works of Creation Support and Providence have been all along ordered in reference to Chrifts carrying on of his great work of Mediatorship cheifly in those three great periods forenamed then such consideration of them is of great concernment to the true universal Church But all those said great works have been ordered all along in reserence to Christs carrying on his great work of Mediatorship therein Therefore Such consideration of these three great periods fore-named for the general managing of all the Mediators Offices is of great concernment to the true Universal Church 5. If such Christs general prophetical Office in the first great period hath revealed the substance of the whole counsel of God in respect of all to be done successively in such Priestly and Kingly Offices so generally considered in the other two succeeding great periods it shall so be done But it hath so revealed and in a great part hath been so fulfilled accordingly by suitable dispensations at all times hitherto Therefore What is so revealed for the future shall accordingly be fulfilled also 6. If according to Scripture experience hath manifested the glory of the Mediators office most eminently for what is past in such general consideration and doth witness the like for the time to come then in due time will be like execution for the general in regard of what remains to be done But according to Scripture it hath been so accomplished in experience in what is past Therefore According to Scripture it shall be so in the time to
though as Mr. Mede observes the Spirit of God sets forth things of our latter times more clearly then in the former Now that this may appear more evident let us diligently weigh and consider what the representative true Church do in the sequel who in the unity of Faith and spiritual Grace through all the times contained in this book looking in a spiritual discovery or vision through all the series of them to the utmost compleating of the Lambs victory over Antichrist and his followers in that excellent Period of his Kingly power solely and for ever thence-forward to be held in his own hand and We say they shall reign upon earth as may appear from the 8. verse of this 5. Chap. to the end First In vers 8. the said representative true Church fall down before the Lamb having every one Harpes and golden Viols and Odours which are the prayers of Saints Secondly Verse 9. They sing a new song for New Testament grace and glory To the Lamb saying thou art worthy to â—ake the Book and open the Seals thereof Thirdly They shew the ground and matter of their new Song Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us by the blood out of every kindred tongue and people and Nation where observe whence those representative four Beasts and twenty four Elders have their original descent successively to the end of the world having all along the same frame of spirit Fourthly They set forth the promotion and advancement he hath spiritually raised them up to in the earth in all their successions by his work of redemption Namely 1. What they were actually possessed of Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests 2. What more especially fiducially and in vision they saw and say they should have in the last period of time If any forsake father c. Mat. where they had before served Christ or suffered for him in the following words And we shall reign upon Earth as 2 Tim. 2.12 if we suffer we shall also reign with him And hereupon comes in the conclusion in a general doxology set forth in a vision of an innumerable company of Angels round about the Throne and the Church vers 11 12. expressing their high praises to the Lamb and then of all creatures joyning to ascribe all excellency blessing glory and power c. to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Whereupon the four Beasts or living Wights say Amen Testifying their faith and assurance thereof and the twenty four Elders to declare their assent and consent like the people in Solomons time when he had prayed at the consecration of the Temple and God manifested his glory there 2 Chron. 7.3 they bowed and worshiped him that liveth for ever Which words seem to have special reference to Christ as having been slain and alive again and lives for ever more as Rev. 1.18 who hath the Keys of Hell and death and in the end will cast the Dragon Satan Hell and Death into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which brings in the destruction of the world and last judgement Rev. 20.11 When Heaven and Earth will flee before him that then will sit upon the throne and all shall be raised that are then dead to come to be judged c. vers 12 13 14 15. So that the Spirit of God teacheth the representative Church to look upon their reign on the earth as the main thing that is driven at in respect of themselves in the Book of Revelation as a thing all along to be eyed by them from the first giving of it and which shall be accomplished in all time till the consummation thereof And thereupon both they Angels and all creatures break forth into praises as was shewed Inferences from Rev. 5. which will be proved in the Sequel 1. If the beginning and ending of the Visions given by Christ to his beloved Disciple St. John hold out the great glory of Christs kingly Office with his Saints in the last period under or after the seventh Trumpet then such glory thereof is yet to come in the said Period But he hath therein so revealed such his Kingly glory to him both in the beginning Chap. 5. Vers 10. and in the end thereof Chap. 20. and else-where Therefore It shall so be fulfilled in the said third period 2. If the representative true Church are taught by Christs Spirit to look upon such his reign on the earth as a great fruit of the redemption wrought by Christ yea as the compleating of his Mediators office in the world and as a great honour and recompence through grace in time for their service and suffering for him in the world For as they have there suffered with him so there they shall raign 2 Tim. 2.12 Then they shall accordingly attain in due time the end of their expectation and confidence But Christs Spirit hath there so taught them so to look upon such Christs reign on Earth Therefore In due time they shall accordingly attain the end of such their expectation and confidence 3. If Christs taking of his kingly power to himself at the seventh Trumpet be the fulfilling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament and his answering to the types therein contained of David chiefly delivering the Jews and Israelites and in Ahashuerus marrying captive Hester and so delivering all the dispersed Jews and Israelites then it must â—eeds be so undertaken and performed But it will be the fulfilling the Prophesies and answering to the types of the Old Testament Therefore It must needs be so undertaken and performed 4. If the Spirit of God is eminently large and vigorous in setting out the glory of what belongs to Christs Kingly Office upon earth in the said last period then there is the more sure ground to beleive and expect it But he is eminently large and vigorous therein Therefore There is the more sure ground to beleive and expect it 5. If Christs Office of Mediatorship must end when he resigns up the Kingdom to the Father when full reconciliation is made and the perfect union of himself with his Church as her spiritual head is fully accomplished then before that time the eminency of his Kingly Office upon earth must needs appear as there hath been of his Prophetial and Priestly Offices hitherto But there is no Period left for it but that under or after the seventh Trumpet before his Mediators office shall so be finished at the said time Therefore It must necessarily be in that third period to come under or after the seventh Trumpet 6. If the great glory of such reign of Christ will then appear in the multitude of his subjects both of the Israelites Jews and Gentiles As the Scriptures abundantly winess then the greatest glory of his powerful grace and the greatest confluence of redeemed and saved souls shall then come in But the glory of such Christs reign will then appear in the multitude of such his subjects
kind of studies which afterwards they grosly abused And Moses by means of Pharaohs daughter was afterwards trained up in all the learning of the Egyptians But when God used the Ministry of Moses and Aaron to bring his people out of that bondage he set up an instituted Church and as he wrote the tables of the Law himself So he directed Moses in writing his five Books for the benefit of his Church Yet doubtless that excellent faculty of writing hath been likewise much after that time abused by Satan and evil men likewise to eclipse truth and promote errors amongst all Heathen people For that as God had by that means set down the sum of his true Religion for that generation of the children of the godly Patriarchs and Fathers and after forty years made their posterity a famous Nation and people and by degrees were formed into a glorious state and Kingdom in the end of Davids and beginâ—ing of Solomons reign So Satan had all along an apparent design to raise huge Mountains of tyranny in the world to serve his own purposes in his wicked Dominion thereby to promote Atheism and Idolatry and what ever was evil and to overpower oppress and subdue if it were possible Gods Church and professed people and so far as their sins gave advantage from time to time they did so by the just hand of Gods providence most wisely and powerfully steering and ordering all the affairs of the world to his own glory and the fulfilling of his own holy pleasure when Satan and evil men least intend it making them in such cases like refiners to his people to cleanse them from their dross and though several Infidel and Idolatrous Nations afflicted and oppressed Israel soon after Moses and Joshua's time as in the Book of Judges and the following stories in Scripture may appear many times until Davids victorious and Solomons flourishing Kingdom which in the next succession Satan by his engins of Idolatry and wickedness soon found a way to divide to make way for his own rule in the world and upon the ten tribes revolting got the greatest part even of Israel it self to turn to his side and promote his design for the most part Helvic till at the last the height of their sins and the fulness of their iniquity delivered them up into the hands of their Assyrian conquerours under which captivity they have lain above 2400 years and still by the like means and actings Satan afterward raised a greater mountain of opposition against Gods Church when advantage against them might be obtained and Judahs sin was likewise ripe so that the Assyrian rod that scourged Israel before being burnt in the Babylonian furnace these also might be cast and fashioned that head of gold the Babylonian Monarchy which by its massie weight meeting together with Judahs sins written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond might grind that people almost to powder wherein Satans designs seemed to attain their end But now for a remedy for this God reveals by Daniel as was fore-shewed that though Satan at the present seemed wholly to have wone the victory yet he should not always wear it but that first he would break in peices that head of gold by a meaner mettle and so make use of the succeeding breasts and arms of silver viz. the Medes and Persians and that not onely to destroy the said golden head but also as he promised graciously by his Prophet concerning Cyrus whom he therefore stiled his Shepheard Isa 44.28 to reduce his people in a wonderful manner again to Jerusalem and rebuild by a strange munificence and assistance his Temple there and though for their crying sins they were afterward in the two following Monarchies of Brass and Iron namely the Grecian and Roman long and soar afflicted they were also at length after the Promises of the Messiah were fully compleated by the Iron legs and thighs of the most terrible Roman power wholly made desolate upon their rejection and crucifying the Lord of life and glory the true King of Israel as Nathaniel had acknowledged him Joh. 1. But when diverse heads of that monstrous Roman Beast explained to Daniel Chap. 7. but more to St. John Rev. 17. had successively passed their seasons and when he that letted 2 Thes 2.7 was taken out of the way Satan then found advantage to erect another and worse then the former Babel namely That which is the third Babel to wit the Mystical under the great Antichrist the Pope wherein Satans design by winding that proud cruel and wicked Tyrant cunningly into his own seat and authority by hypocritical pretences to make that foul beast to defile and poyson the waters of life and by strong and strange delusions so to hinder and abolish both the truth and power of Christs new constituted Religion in the world as far as he could reach wherein his evil design hath likewise greatly prevailed for above twelve hundred years past But for help and remedy against this mystical Babel also Christ aforehand shewed unto his beloved Disciple John and by him to his Churches successively the utmost period of his continuance and manner of his now approaching ruine as of the Dragons before and that the said Beast likewise when the term of his Kingnom was out must with it go into perdition and be cast into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone denoting the perpetual ruine of all Antichristian Tyranny and an utter end of all wicked dominion being the last and lowest parts of the said Image to wit the feet and toes according to the interpretation given to Daniel Chap. 2. and at whose destruction the mystery of God should be finished in the world as the expression of the Spirit of Christ is Rev. 10.17 and Dan. 12.7 when the whole of what was revealed to St. John concerning the Beasts rise and ruine as was before noted should all in such ways as he hath set down be accomplished viz. by the prophecyings of the two sack-cloth witnesses and the pouring out of the seven last plagues upon all the Beasts worldly excellency as Rev. 11 and 15 16. Chap. So that then the Kingdoms of the world shall be the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and be given to the Saints of the most high as before Dan. 7. Rev. 11.15 So that as all the Devils designes and Gods had run counter before so by Christ these have all along been so managed that at length the usurped Dominion of Satan will be utterly subverted and the decreed Monarchy of Jesus Christ must be compleated in this world under or after the seventh Trumpet as a step to his eternal perfection of glory and happiness with his whole mystical body the true Church in the Kingdom of his father which as mediatour he will resign up to him at the end as St. Paul teacheth 1 Cor. 15.4 Now as by the miracles of Moses the first of Christs Chronologers the Egyptian Magicians were