so after that the glorious state of the Church follows Others likewise do conceive that the Jews shall be converted to the Faith before the end And so concerning the glorious state of the Church most conceive it in a spiritual sense yet some do not deny but that there shall be a temporal power which shall go forth from the Saints as in Revel. 2. 16 17. and Psal. 2. which is the Kingdom of the Saints that is begun even here in Babylon amongst their implacable enemies as Mic. 4. from vers. 8. unto the end Dan. 2. 41. Now I shall not undertake to confute any of these particulars by force of Argument but I shall shew how far I can joyn with them and where I differ Now in the first place Whereas the Saints do expect a dissolution of all things at the last day when the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and all the Saints with him in like manner who shall be gathered together by the sound of a trumpet as in 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Thess. 4 and 5 Chap. concerning which time the Scriptures are as follow Isai. 2. towards the end Isa. 13. Isa. 51. 6. Isa. 66. Psal. 50. Revel 6. 13. unto the end Reveâ— 20. all which Scriptures and many more speak of the day of Judgement and unto this I will assent in that I do verily believe that the glorious state of the Church shall not be until all these things be fulfilled which are spoken in these Scriptures as our Saviour saith Heaven and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away for that cannot be shaken because it is the foundation of the new heaven and the new earth as Isa. 51. 16. which is not to be understood of the written Word for that shall passe away when all things are fulfilled Now that Word of God which continues for ever is God himself as Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God so that as God was from all eternity so this Word of God continues to all eternity and sure this Word begins to be manifested in the Saints 1 Joh. 4. though it hath been a long time hidden Howsoever though I do joyn in this that the glorious state of the Church shall not be till these visible things are passed away yet I differ from them in the matter which shall passe away and in the manner how it shall passe away and by what means it shall passe away Now that matter which shall passe away is generally conceived to be this visible heaven and earth at the last day and by what means by fire and in what manner it is made forth at large 2 Pet. 3. where it is said that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night wherein the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up Now I say I do differ in all these particulars in some sense for I differ First in the matter which shall passe away for I do not conceive that these visible heavens shall be dissolved and so consequently of that which follows Unto this some may reply Doth not the Apostle Peter speak plainly that the heavens and earth are reserved to fire against the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men To this I answer If you do observe the Apostle Peter in the words foregoing you shall finde that he makes distinction between the world that perished by water and the heavens and earth which now are which are said to be reserved to fire whereas this visible heaven and earth as it is understood in the letter to be the firmament and the earth that we live in as it was distinguished in the Creation it is the same as it was from the beginning as the mockers say vers. 4. Now whereas the Apostle makes this distinction between the heaven and earth which was before the flood and the heaven and earth that now is whereas it is the same in the letter none will deny I say from this distinction of the Apostle in this Scripture and many other Scriptures which joyn in this I do conclude that these Scriptures which we have formerly conceived to concern the dissolution of this visible heaven and earth do onely concern the passing away of the Ordinances which is that heaven wherein God hath appeared gloriously unto the unspeakable consolation of the Saints and this earth here spoken of is the best part of man as his natural wisdom and humane learning and gifts not onely common gifts but spiritual gifts whereby they are enabled to speak unto edification which may be comprehended under the same notion for the Apostle speaks as if the wicked may have the common gifts of the Spirit Now those gifts that the Saints have been carried forth in of late do evidently appear to be that element which melts with servent heat But here you may observe that though heaven in our sense is thus on fire 2 Pet. 3. 12. yet it is but dissolved and the element is but melted onely here is a difference between heaven and the element for heaven onely ceaseth to be in that manner as it was in grosse yet there is no alteration in the nature of it as when we say the Parliament is dissolved the men continue the same onely it ceaseth to be a body Politick and likewise our precious Cordials as Bezer are not effectual to our good untill they be dissolved into some liquid matter so God who is our heaven in the Ordinance for there can be no heaven without him And so when God which is our heaven shall be thus dissolved and cease being covered with a vail then this vail shall vanish away like smoke which vail is the Ordinance and heaven being dissolved the Saints are in a capacity to contain this heaven in the flesh and surely God who is our heaven shall appear in the flesh of all his Saints shortly in his glorious manifestations for as the Apostle Peter saith We according to his promise look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse which is not a heaven without us as before in the Ordinances and the teachings of men but it is a heaven within us even God manifested in the flesh of his Saints as in the humanity of Christ Now the Saints stand in the same relation to God as our elder brother Christ whilst they are in the state of imperfection as John saith We are the sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and then are the sons of God manifest Now we see that we are no losers though our heaven being on fire hath been dissolved for now we have our heaven within us that cannot
standing still he dieth But what saith God I will ransome him from the power of the grave I will redeem him from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction repentance shall be hid from mine eyes Howsoever all his former fruitfulnesse shall be blown away as in the words following in the next Chapter where those which are thus ransomed as before take unto themselves these words and say They shall no more look unto Idols they shall no more seek unto Ashur nor any carnal confidence but they shall wait on the Lord and in him shall they trust And those who have attained unto a resurrection with Christ if they go on to know the Lord he shall return as the rain and as the later rain upon the earth And those that shall attain unto this resurrection as before spoken shall grow up as calves in the stall as Mal. 4. And those likewise which are thus risen with Christ shall be secured in the chamber spoken of in Isa. 26. in respect of the spiritual man whilst the Lord comes out of his place to destroy the works of the flesh in us which are the inhabitants of the earth in a spiritual sense and the chamber is God himself wherein the spiritual man liveth in security and peace even that man-childe spoken of Revel. 1. who is caught up to God and to his throne which man-childe shall rule all nations with a rod of iron even this spiritual man shall be secured when the heavens are shaken and the earth is removed out of its place yea the spiritual man in those who are living at the coming of Christ which never died in respect of the spiritual desertions even that part of the Church which doth remain when two parts are cut off and die as in Zech. 18. from vers. 8. to the end I say the spiritual man both in those that are risen at the coming of Christ with those that are risen from the dead shall be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air Now these clouds are not the clouds of the air but the clouds of heaven which are the Saints themselves which shall witnesse that all this is done Christ's being taken up into the clouds of this visible firmament did typifie the taking up of the Saints spiritually unto God concerning which we have a cloud of witnesses in the Saints and accordingly do expect Christ coming in glory spiritually and all his Saints with him as the Scripture speaks Now having spoken at large concerning the heavens being dissolved which remains the same in nature though it ceaseth to be in that manner as before and having likewise spoken of the Saints being dead and risen with Christ spiritually Now in the next place I shall make forth so far as God shall reveal that which followeth And in the first place concerning those elements which melt with fervent heat which certainly is to be understood to be the glorious truths which are held forth in Babylon in which there is great mixture of Errour that may very well be compared unto that head of gold and the brest and arms of silver of the great Image Dan. 2. which shall be triâ—d by the fire of the Spirit and though the truths cannot burn yet they shall be melted and the fire shall try every mans work whether it be of God or no and I am sure if any man build on the foundation wood hay or stubble it shall be burnt up with this fire which tries and refines the Truths and the Saints and so the melting of these elements which are the Truth shall but refine them as silver and purifie them as gold and so it loseth nothing but drosse which is the earth and the works thereof that shall be burnt up as follows in this Scripture which burning we have formerly conceived to be the utter consummation of this visible earth in which we live but now we finde it otherwise in that the books which were sealed begin now to be opened even that which was hidden from the Prophets and Apostles and Christ himself as man who speaks concerning the end of the world that of that day and hour knoweth no man but the Father onely but when God shall appear in his glorious manifestations in the Saints and the enemies of God shall behold the glory of the Saints when the Lord shall make bare his holy arm in the sight of all the Nations and all the ends of the earth shall behold the salvation of the Lord Isa. 52. but unto their horrour and amazement Zech. 13. So you see that the earth before spoken of which shall be burnt up is not the earth we live in which is harmlesse in it self for sure it can do no evil but by the blessing of God it doth much good though not of it self yet according to the providence of God who maketh the sun to shine and the rain to fall that the earth may bring forth fruit and sure every creature of God is good in its kinde and therefore the earth cannot be said to be evil nor her works evil and accordingly it shall not be burnt up for the curse is taken from the earth in that redemption that was in Christ and in that the earth is not fruitful but brings forth briars and thorns and the like it is not because the earth is evil but onely a just judgement of God to make a fruitful Land barren for the sins of them that dwell in it and so we cannot finde in Scripture that this visible heaven and earth are to have an end for we finde to the contrary that they are to continue as in Jer. 33. 25. and 35. 36. and likewise it is said in the Psalms and in Ecclesiastes that the earth endureth for ever and so where it is said that the heavens and earth that now are are kept by the same word in sâ—ore reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men this ye see is to be understood otherwise then hath been formerly Now I shall make forth in brief concerning those things which do remain according as God shall reveal the meaning of this Scripture Now in the first place where it is said that the heavens and earth which now are in distinction from that heaven and earth which were before the flood which if you do understand it in the letter is the same as it was from the Creation and therefore as I have before spoken the heaven and earth which now is is to be understood in a spiritual sense as the heavens to be the glorious Ordinance wherein God hath appeared and the earth to be wisdom and gifts and the like these heavens and earth are to be reserved to fire against the day of judgement of wicked and ungodly men Unto this some may object How can this heaven and earth you speak of be reserved to fire for the destruction of wicked
men whereas the Saints suffer the judgements of God in this kinde and the wicked and ungodly are freed Unto this I answer Judgement begins at the house of God as Peter saith and if it begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear and if it be thus with the green tree what shall become of the dry But howsoever though this fire with which God doth judge flesh in his Saints as it is in Isa. 66. the Lord doth judge with fire and the sword all flesh in the first place so I say this fire breaks forth in the house of God unto the destruction of the flesh and so you see the benefit that comes by it Now this destruction of the flesh it is not to be understood in the letter but flesh in a spiritual sense and so the works of the earth likewise Now flâ—sh in the Sainâ—s is that earth which shall be burnt up in some by the fire of the Spirit which hath dissolved heaven and hath melted the elements and burnt up the earth with the works thereof even that which remains when the pure metal is refined and separated from it Now this earth as before I have spoken is the best part of man as his Reason Natural Wisdom and Learning Now as the fire of the Spirit dissolves heaveâ— and melts the elements and burns up the earth which is the flesh in the Saints so the fiery trials which are inflicted upon the people of God whilst they are in Babylon do effect the same work as the fire of the Spirit though it doth not so appear to our apprehension Now when this is done and heaven which is the Word of God is dissolved ceasing to appear in a shadow which is to see Christ in the flâ—sh now we do enjoy heaven more spiritually in that we have more spiritual discerning and Truth which was our element hath been refined and hath lost nothing but its drosse and the earth being burnt up in the Saints when all this is accomplished in the Saints Object How can it be said that the heavens and earth that now are which is the Ordinances as before spoken can be reserved to fire against the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men Unto this I answer It is howsoever it may appear for now heaven is passing away with a great noise and the elements are melting with fervent heat and the earth and the works thereof are burning up which is all accomplishing in the Saints and at this time the Church of God is in a sad condition for the sorrows of a travelling woman are come upon them as in Revel. 12. and Hos. 13. and Isai. 26. nay the pangs of death are upon her and sure it is not an easie matter for the soul to part from the body and it is no otherwise when we must part from all our former comforts and so when the Saints are under these fiery trials the dolorous nature of them cannot be expressed at this time the hateful enemies of God the inhabitants of Caldea do adde unto their affliction and in doing so they do procure damnation to themselves whose judgement as Judge saith of a long time slumbreth not where he speaks of Enoch the seventh from Adam who prophesied of these things Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement c. And so you see that these heavens and earth are reserved to fire against the day of judgement and the perdition of the wicked And surely the long-suffering of of God in that the heavens and earth have not passed away long ago is as the Apostle Peter saith salvation to us-ward in that God was not willing that any should perish but that all should be saved that is God will offer salvation to all and for this reason this heavens and earth are continued which is the Ordinances and the teachings of the Saints because God appearing in them they are the ordinary means of salvation for as the Apostle Paul saith faith cometh by hearing the Word of God preached and certainly though there have been much of earth made forth by the ministery of men yet there is somewhat of God so much as is necessary to salvation And so when this heaven and earth which is reserved to fire in reference to the Saints shall passe away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat according as before it is spoken then presently follows the perdition of wicked and ungodly men for when heaven is passed away and vanisht away and taken away which is the Ordinance then there remains no more means of grace in an ordinary way but howsoever no doubt but God will work extraordinarily in bringing in those who are heirs of salvation Now another reason why the perdition of wicked and ungodly men followeth immediately upon the passing away of the Ordinances is Because when God is refining his people in destroying the flesh in them he doth make use of the wrath of men who do fill up the measure of their sin by their cruel usage of the Saints but sure the wrath of man shall turn to the praise of God and the remainder of wrath will he restrain and when God hath finished his work on mount Sion whilst they are in Babylon and so shall have gathered his people from all places whither they have been led captive in respect of a local separation from their hateful enemies then he will visit the proud heart of the King of Babylon and then the violence which hath been done unto the Saints shall be on Babylon shall the inhabitants of Sion say as in Jer. 51. and our blood be on the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem fay And so when heaven and earth are passed away and the Saints gathered away then follows the destruction of the wicked The Scriptures to prove it are many as in Isa. 13. 14. c. Jer. 50 8 44. and 51. 45. Mic. 4. Rev. 18. This is the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men Now having spoken so far as God hath carried me forth concerning the former particulars I shall come to the next as it lieth in order which is concerning the glorious state of the Church that shall not be until the Jews are converted unto the Faith Unto this I do agree with those of this judgement howsoever we differ concerning whom those Jews are which shall be converted Now as God hath made known to me I conceive that those Jews which are to be converted are not the natural Jews for we know there are no natural Jews in that they are mixt among all Nations But let it be granted that there are yet it can be proved that the ten Tribes did never return out of Captivity and so likewise they have no Genealogie howsoever I do not deny but that there are a remnant of those people according to the election of grace But the Apostle Paul who
priests to God to offer up spiritual sacrifice when the Lord shall have thus purified the sons of Levi by this anointing that they may bring an offering to him in righteousnesse as in Mal. 3. Here I have made a digression But now if God will put words into my mouth I shall speak as concerning the resurrection of the body and the state of mankinde after natural death Now in the first place it is clear in Scripture that there is no resurrection of the natural body but that resurrection spoken of is the resurrection of the body mystical which is to be understood in two particulars First a resurrection in this life out of a spiritual desertion as I have formerly spoken of at large Now there is another resurrection of the mystical body in respect of the Saints departed concerning which Christ speaks to Martha when she did answer to our Saviour according as the people of God do now adays as they do conceive of spiritual mysteries But when our Saviour said unto her Thy brother shall rise again she replied I know that he shall rise again at the resurrection at the last day But here we may observe though our Saviour doth not contradict Martha in plain terms yet he speaks quite contrary to her conceivings for saith he I am the resurrection and the life whosoever believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die So that from this it is clear that death natural is not death and the resurrection of the natural body is not life because we know by experience that the people of God that live and believe in Jesus do die a natural death And so this resurrection spoken of in Scripture is to be understood in a spiritual sense as in the first place a resurrection out of a spiritual desertion which the death and resurrection of Christ did typifie as now that Christ suffered as our surety and so as a sinner and though he was put to death in the body yet he did not die as other men but onely lay down his body for it was said of him that God would not leave his soul in grave neither suffer his body to see corruption for he laid down his life to take it up again Now as Christ was slain by our sin as our surety so we are slain by our iniquities in a spiritual sense as it was spoken of Ephraim Hos. 13. 1. to the 15. And not onely doth the resurrection of Christ typifie the resurrection of the Saints out of spiritual desertion as in Isa. 26. and Hos. 6. but the resurrection of Christ did typifie the resurrection of the whole mystical body after natural death as before spoken And likewise it is said when Christ comes in glory all the Saints are gathered together from the four windes which shews a general resurrection as well of those that are departâ—d as those which shall be alive at that time And in Dan. 7. it is said when the ancient of days did sit thousands and thousands stood before him and ten thousand times ten thousand did minister unto him Now as I have formerly said this is not to be understood of the natural body but the resurrection of the mystical body compleat in one Now having spoken of the resurrection of the Saints after their natural death I shall now God assisting speak concerning the state of the wicked according as God shall give it in to me As the glory and joy of the Saints in heaven is unspeakable concerning which Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it at any time entered into the heart of man to conceive which now is revealed to us by the Spirit though it cannot be apprehended in the carnal sense as we are flesh so on the contrary that horrour of conscience and torment which shall be in the wicked is likewise unspeakable For when a wicked man dies in respect of his natural death that spirit of God which is in a wicked man returns to God again and so God and the wicked man is separated for ever and ever and so God ceaseth to be Love as to them and the creature is given up unto the devil to be tormented to all eternity which torment begins in the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men and so it is clear in Scripture the wicked are not to be tormented until that time for a spirit is not capable of torment but when it is in the body and so the spirit of the devil that is in a wicked man shall remain unto all eternity And as in the day of judgement and perdition of wicked men there shall be a separation between the sheep and the goats the Saints and the Wicked even so likewise shall Christ appear and all his Saints with him which make but one incomprehensible God one Body which is Christ so this incomprehensible God this Christ the manifestation of the Father shall appear in those living Saints who shall live successively and so this glorious manifestation shall come in more and more until the incomprehensible God be comprehended in the Saints And then when it is thus the body shall be clothed upon and mortality shall be swallowed up of light and these very bodies of flesh shall be annihilated and brought to nothing Now as this glorious manifestation of God shall appear in the flesh of the Saints which is that resurrection spoken of in that we are raised a spiritual body so on the contrary all the infernal spirits which have acted in the spirits of the children of disobedience from the beginning of the world shall be comprehended in one body which is a spiritual body likewise the spirit of the devils and so all these infernal spirits being comprehended in one shall be manifested in the flesh of the wicked when God shall say Go ye cursed into utter darknesse where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth world without end For the worm shall never die and the fire shall never be quenched And so it is clear from Scripture that all the infernal spirits shall be tormented in the bodies of the wicked who shall live until the day of Judgement because as I have formerly said a spirit is not capable of torment but a spirit is capable of joy concerning which we have a cloud of witnesses in the Scriptures in what God hath revealed to his people And now to this we shall finde that the devil speaks to Christ in those who were possest which came out of the graves very fierce who cried out What have we to do with thee O Jesus the Son of God art thou come to torment us before the time And from this Scripture the bodies of the wicked whose time of torment shall be when God hath destroyed death and hell in his Saints which is all darknesse all fear and terrour all vexation of spirit which the Saints are subject to before the glorious manifestation but when God shall appear thus in his Saints then hell and death which remain yet in the flesh after the beginning of this manifestation though the spiritual man be destroyed shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death and so the Saints may be said to torment the wicked as the devil spake to Christ which time of judgement is not yet begun but when the Lord shall give a deliverance unto all his people both from the spiritual bondage and out of the spiritual desertion then begins this hell to the devil and his angels which shall be in the bodies of the wicked as in Zech. 14. 12. Isai. 66. last With this I shall close up this Discourse committing both you and this unto that God who will bring to light those things which have been a long time hidden in darknesse nay he will make known that which hath been kept secret from the beginning of the world not onely that which was made known to the Prophets of old and the Apostles who saw no further then the letter onely that which God did reveal unto them by the Spirit which was to be accomplished in that age for they did onely see Christ in the flesh and so they did see Christ as thorow a vail and accordingly they did expect more glorious manifestations which should appear to them who live unto the time of the glorious appearing of the second coming of Christ which manifestation doth now begin to some in whom the day-Sâ—ar doth appear So I shall ever remain yours in Christ Elizabeth Avery FINIS