CHRISTS Personal Reign On Earth One Thousand Yeers with his SAINTS The Manner Beginning and Continuation of his Reign clearlie proved by many plain Texts of Scripture and the chief Objections against it fully answered Explaining the 20. of the Reuelations and all other Scripture-Prophesies that treat of it and of Satan being shut up for One Thousand Yeers that he shal not have power to deceive the Nations during that Thousand Yeers ISAIAH 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them LONDON Printed by T. Lock for Wil. Burden and are to bee sold at his shop in Cannons-Street neer London-stone 1654. To all the sincere-hearted Christians who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ and in visible communion with his Saints by Baptism and which have a desire to be informed in that glorious truth of Christs visible reign on earth with his Saints a thousand yeers Greeting DEarly beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ and right precious Christian friends to that end I may be instrumental to vindicate the truth of Iesus as also to build up the Saints in their most holy faith and considering with my self that the publishing of that precious truth viz. The visible Reign of Christ on earth with his Saints might be one means by which I might be instrumental in so good a work I was therefore so much the bolder for to present this ensuing discourse unto your most serious considerations I being assured that through Gods blessing it wil be profitable unto you when wel considered by you Truly my friends was it not so that I was fully perswaded that this is a truth which I here maintain I should not be so bold as to give it forth unto publike view and should hardly now have published this Treatise but that I finde such little entertainment of this truth among the sons of men and therefore the rather it is exposed unto opposition but I question not but that it wil ere long appear to be a truth of such great Antiquity as from the Apostolical times and how that it is an unrepealed truth which hath been obscure these many yeers yet it s now coming forth so gloriously like the Sun at noon day so as that it wil bee individual Brethren I know not how you wil resent that which I have wrote I hope you wil not have any occasion to take it ill of mee for as much as I desire nothing more than the promoting of the truth in this ensuing Discourse I desire that this my writing may no further finde acceptance by you than you finde it mannaged according unto Scripture-record for be you assured that whosoever speaks not according unto that truth it is because they have no light in them Esai 8.20 for you are to search the Scriptures for they testifie of Jesus Christ As also of his truth Ioh. 5.39 for my part I should bee loath that any of you should have any cause to say of me that I should misguide you I had rather shut my self up in silence than that I should be found by you such an evil instrument but I hope you are perswaded better things of me than so for this I can assure you I have a clear conscience both towards God Men wishing and earnestly longing to see your further growth in Christianity and your perfection in the Doctrine of Jesus that so you may be compleat in all the wil of God then shal you shine gloriously and appear beautiful in the eys of our heavenly father even then when you are compleatly built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief Cornerstone of that Building as is apparent Eph. 2.20 21. then you will grow to a holy temple in the Lord to a compleat City and then when Zion is built up the Lord wil appear in glory Psal 102.16 which Scripture I desire to leave upon your spirits desiring the Lord Jesus to apply it home to you by his Spirit I shal now commit this ensuing Discourse unto you desiring that the Spirit of Moderation and of Christ may guide you as in Phi. 4.5 Because the Lord is at hand wishing you to trie al things to try this thing and to hold fast that which is good and if you recive any benefit by what is here declared give God the glorie of it And so I commit you to God and to the word of his grace which can perfect you in every good word and work which shall be the continual prayer and earnest endeavour of me Your dearlie Beloved Brother in Christ Iesus William Burden TO THE READER READER THou hast here a smal piece presented unto thy view and if the Lord is pleased to bring it home to thy spirit I hope it may be profitable unto thee to that end my desire is that the Reader would seriously imploy his thoughts to consider well of the subject matter contained in this little Book desiring him rather to affect soundness of matter than curiosity of speech and let not any prejudice which thou hast against the person of the Author prevent thee of receiving the truth for god many times makes forth truth by such instruments which are weak ones in the worlds eyes for to manifest his own power and to stop the fury of the enemies of his people and to confound their wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4.5 Psa 8.2 3. Having thus far proceeded I shall not willingly trespass upon thy patience any further only desire that thou wouldst deal with the Author according unto the Law of equity even as thou wouldest be dealt by thy self hoping thou wilt not misconsture any of my words but that thou wilt deal fairly and ingenuously with me which that thou mayest the better do I shall commit thee unto the guidance of that good god and unto the teaching of that sweet Spirit in the Scriptures of truth 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet. 1.20 21. which is able to make thee wise unto salvation in case thou obey it and to give thee an inheritance with the Saints in light which shall be the humble prayer and earnest endeavor of me at all times who am thy Servant in and for the truth W. B. Acts 1.11 Yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into heaven This same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into heaven CHrist is coming down from heaven and to dwel with men upon earth for a thousand yeers to deliver the whole mortal works and creatures of God on earth under heaven from the whole Principalities and powers of the Devil for and during that thousand yeers according to promise â— Peter 3.3.4 doth Peter say to these unbelieving scoffers But Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeers Therefore as the Lord was six days making the
whole mortality very good and man by his sin did provoke God to curse the same with giving the Devil power over the whole-Man so that man must also labor under the power of the Devil with the whole mortality for 6000. yeers Therefore doth Peter say that in the latter days or towards the end of the 6000. yeers Near to that coming of Christ there shal be impatient unbelieving scoffers that shal say where is the promise or the fulfilling of the promise of his coming unto whom Peter saith Be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeers with man or man cannot accomplish that under six thousand yeers that God did in six days even his working will And as God did add a seaventh day of holy rest unto his six days of labour So man was from the begining to celebrate every seaventh day a holy day of rest from labour in remembrance of the sure promise of Christ his coming to deliver man and the whole mortality as Paul saith Rom. 8.21.22.23 Rev. 21.1.2.3 the creature shall be delivered from the tyrannical power of the Devil for a thousand yeers into the glorious liberty of the Sonns of God even for that thousand yeers in which Iohn saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy City new Jerusalem comming down from God out of Heaven with a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev 20.6 and they shell be his people because the Devil in or during that time shall have nothing to do with them and God himself shall be with them and be their God Therefore saith Iohn Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection because on such the second death hath no power But they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand yeers according to the promise of God to Jesus Christ Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole Even the Devill and all his power and wicked instruments who are the enemies of Iesus Christ and his members and so taking the six days of Gods accompt inwhich he made the whole mortality and according to Peters accompt six thousand yeers of Mans misery under the power of the Devil by reason of sin and taking the seaventh day of Gods accompt in which he with all the works of his hands rested and kept a holy day unto himself and accompt a thousand yeers deliverance from the power of the devil sin and death in which God again will with man keep on earth a holy Sabboth or rest then and thereby are the promises of Christ his coming by Peter confirmed by the works of God under Gods accompt of seven days in the beginning but Peter for more certainty of this truth notwithstanding those impatient unbelieving scoffers questioning the same in the behalf of himself 2 Pet. 3.13 and all the believing members of Iesus Christ of the promises of God in Christ 2 Pet. 3.14 saith Nevertheless we according to his that is Gods promise look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein awelleth righteousness Unto such saith Peter Beloved seeing that yee look for such things be diligent that yee may be found in peace without spot and blameless because they that shall enioy such things saith Peter 1 Pet. 2 9. Are a chosen genertion a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people Being made so by the righteousness of Iesus Christ Secondly the coming of Christ is manifested by the glory of God as the Text saith If Christ had not risen from the dead then had Christ dyed in vain So likewise may it be said if Christ be perfect God as wel as perfect man who for man took upon him the nature of man by which on earth he was by his perfect obedience to redeem man from that Power of the Devil which the Devil gained over man by mans disobedience it stands with the glory of God for Christ God on earth to triumph over the Devil and all his power on earth as well as to suffer under the devil and all his power on earth Iesus Christ as he was a mortal man it was a glory to him to suffer for sinners who himself sinned not as the Text saith The iust suffers for the uniust But if Jesus Christ as he is God should not triumph over his enemies as a Conqueror his sufferings would be counted in vain on earth therefore Iesus Christ as he is God for the glory of his God-head by his servant Iohn revealeth to His who shall partake of that glory that shall be on earth when the power of the Devil shall be done away And when new beavens and a new earth and the holy City new Ierusalem from heaven shall appear then shall Iesus Christ glorifie himself as God over the Devil and all his works and powers as that God by whom all things were created both in heaven and earth And thus is Christ coming to reign on the earth proved by the promises of God the works of God and the glory of God Quest What manner of glory will that be that Christ will have on earth amongst his Saints and what habitation will he reside in Answ It will be a heavenly glory according to that which Christ desired as a son from god as a father saying Father glorifie thy Son with that glory which he had with thee Iesus Christ amongst men on earth prayed to be glorified amongst men on earth with a heavenly glory that man on earth may see him a glorified god and a conqueror of his enemies as well as they did see him a despised and a suffering man under his enemies Therefore and according to this doth Iohn after the prophesie of Esay say I saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from god out of heaven with a loud voyce saying behold the Tabernacle of god is with men and he will dwell with them This glory for the fulness of it is not revealed nor shall it be manifested unto men until mens corruptions shall be done away and that shall not be until the power of the Devil by the power of Christ shall be taken off of mortality according to that of John I saw an Angel come down from heaven and he laid hold on the Devil and bound him a thousand years that he should deceive the Nations or corrupt mortality no more until those thousand yeare should be fulfilled or accomplished The heavenly glory is within the apprehension of no corrupted flesh further then the things of the flesh doth behold And the brightest glory of mortality is the Sun And Iohn saith that that glory shall pass the glory of the Sun insomuch that that holy City new Jerusalem shall not need the light of the Sun neither shall there be any night in it But as
in the Land of Egypt there was an exceeding darknes at noon-day But in the land of Goshen no darknes So likewise during those 1000. years in all the world there shal be night as wel as day But in the new and heavenly Jerusalem there shall be no night at all And this is all that god hath revealed concerning the fulness of that havenly glory because corrupted mortality can apprehend no more as Paul saith If our hope were only in this mortal life then we were of all men most miserable to suffer affliction for hope of a better life If we should miss of it But saith he Yet it doth not or here it doth not appear what we shall be But when mortality shall put on immortality and corruption shall be changed into interruption then it will appear for here we know but in part But then shall we know as we are known That is wee who know Iesus Christ as a sufferer and rest upon the promises of God by faith in Iesus Christ for a rewarder Though now we here with Christ suffer for the same shall then know God and Iesus Christ in a heavenly glory conqueringly as they knew us here sufferingly Secondly besides this heavenly glory which will in brightness pass the glory of the Sun Christ wil be glorified by new ereated heavens and earth as Peter saith That is by restoring of the firmamental heavens whereof now the Devil is prince into that same condition they were by God created in when God saw them to be very good before man had sinned and they therefore corrupted by those evil Inhabitants the Devil and his Angels And by restoring of the earth with all the creatures created of it by God in the beginning within the six first days And that God when he had looked saw them to be very good to that same condition they were by god created in before man had sinned And they therefore and thereby were by the power of the Devil corrupted This restoration after so long a continuance as almost six thousand yeers shall by men be such a strange alteration as though it were rather a creation then an alteration And they who never did see no other but the corrupted heavens and earth to see an uncorrupted heaven and earth wil be to them as a new created heaven and earth And none male nor female from Adam and Eve ever saw any but a corrupted heaven and earth because the heavens and the eath were corrupted before they had any â—ssaâ— therefore doth the Text say that God will create new heavens new earth becaus the sons of Adam never saw that very good condition the heavens the earth were at the first created in and into which they shall be again restored Thirdly God Christ on earth will be gloryfied by a a holy City a new Ierusalem from God out of heaven which shall in largness far pass that old Ierusalem builded by the Iews though it was in Solomons time the greatest City in the whole world as a City of twelve thousand furlongs square which is by eight furlongs to a mile fifteen hundred miles square can pass the largness of that old Ierusalem And this City shall so far pass the old Jerusalem in glory as precious stones can surpass in glory ordinary stones wood buck morter iron Steel and brass in the foundations walls and gates thereof And the pavements of this City shall so far surpass in glory the pavements of the old Jerusalem as polished gold like transparent glass doth surpass pibble stones Rev. 21 22. as John at large expresseth the same And the Temple in the City shall so far surpass in glory Solomons Temple that was the glory of the old Jerusalem as the glory of God and Jesus Christ doth surpass the glory of fine gold which was the glory of that Temple as the Text saith The gold beautified the Temple And this holy and great City shall be the residing place of GOD and Iesus Christ on earth with all the faithfull members of Iesus Christ from Abel to that day Object This relation of Iohn is to signifie and figure out Gods glorious Kingdom to eternity and not that there shall ever be here on earth any such glorious place or being Answ That which is imposfible with man is possible with god who is able to do all things And hath any man found God a lyar at any time who is faithfull in all his promises 2 Pet. 3.4 and just in all his ways But Peter saith That in the latter days there shall be scoffers who shall say where is the promise of his coming for all things continue as they were from the beginning and so deny the word of truth But saith Peter We who are written in the Book of life Neverwee according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3 13. which is Iesus Christ as John saith J heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of god is with men Rev. 21 3. and he wil dwell with them and they shall be his people and god himself shall be with them and be their god as Solomon saith it is true indeed 1 King 8 27. Rev. 22 16. that god will dwell on the earth and for a sure evidence of the same saith the Text J Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches which things Peter questioned not but to his Church said Beloved seeing that yee look for such things be diligent that yee may be found in peace without spot and blameless And to any Church that shall question these things 2 Pet. 3.14 saith John These sayings are faithful and true for I Iohn saw and heard these things Rev. 22.6 16 18 and J testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this book wheresoever it is published that if any man shal add too or take away from the words of the Prophesie of this book God shal take away his part out of the book of life and also take away his Part out of the holy City which City saith the Text lyeth four-square the length is as the bredth Rev. 21.16 twelve thousand furlongs the squares lye East West North and South The East and West are derived from the antipodes of the rising and setting of the Sun in the firmamental heavens created on the fourth day The North and the South are derived from the antipodes of the two ends of the worlds Axletree called the North and south pole or the two frozen Zones of the earth by reason of the suns obscurity and distance This City is to be on earth because it lyeth four-square East West North and south It is walled about and so bounded The length is as the bredth twelve thousand furlongs which is fifteen hundred miles The Text saith in it there shall be no need of the sun But the Text doth
not say that it is not within the compass of the sun therefore on earth for in heaven gods glorious Kingdom habitation and dwelling place is no sun and where there is no sun there can be no East West North nor South therefore this city cannot be meant nor understood to be heaven but is meant and to be understood that such a city shal be on earth Now the reason why these things of the Devils confinement or imprisonment for a thousand yeers and the glorious new Jerusalem with all its glorious accommodations promised are not believed by us Gentiles is this As the Devil by his power in mortality deceived the Jews of the suffering comming of Jesus Christ for mans redemption though promised and prophesied of by the only looking for Jesus Christ a conqueror and King of Kings according to the promises of a conquering Saviour by the Devils deceit esteeming his suffering Redeemers condition to be too mean a condition for the Son of god and so therefore did not believe him to be the son of God but upon the Cross said unto him If thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross and then we wil believe thee And so the Devil Deceived the Iews from their benefit of Iesus Christ his redeeming condition And so also the Devil by his power in mortality goes about to deceive us Gentiles of Jesus Christ his glorious conquering Princely condition by putting on this mask of infidelity upon us gentiles notwithstanding all the sure promises of God that for Christ to come down out of heaven and on earth to dwel in a walled City that is bounded is too glorious a condition for man to behold and for the earth to bare and therefore through unbelief and the Devils deceit do scoffingly say where is the promise of his coming Expecting no other comming but his comming to Iudgment and so doth the Devil goe about to deceive us gentiles of our benefit of Christ his glorious conquering reign condition here on earth in that great holy City new Ierusalem Noah had three sons Shem Ham and Japhat Noah was drunk Ham jeers at his Fathers nakedness and therefore is cursed and deprived of all the precious promises made to Noah and his seed Shem and Japhat were sorry and ashamed to see their Fathers nakedness and therefore going backward covered their Fathers nakedness upon whom the promises of God to Noah were confirmed notwithstanding the said confirmation of promises inasmuch as the Devils original power in and over mortality by Adam is not taken away his deceit ceaseth not for as he did deceive the Iews of Christs suffering coming so he laboureth to deceive us gentles of Christ his conquoring comming as he doth deceive the Heathen of both who never have had in the one nor shall have in the other any more benefit then the bruit beasts therefore saith John without this Câ—ty shall be dogs murtherers whoremangers adulterers lyars into whom the Devil when he shall be let loose for a little season shal again enter into under the name of Gog and Magog to make them more wicked then ever they were before according to that Text Out of whom the Devil is cast and returns again he carrieth with him seven worse spirits then the former and so the latter end of that man is worse then the beginning because they have no share or part in the book of life nor in this holy City Quest When wil the time of the comming of Christ be to reign on earth for 1000 yeers Ans That man that wil declare more then God hath revealed must be wiser then God made him for saith the Text If an Angel from heaven teach any other doctrine then what is delivered believe him not And as is also said if they wil not believe the Law and the Prophets neither wil they believe if one should rise from the dead The precise time God hath concealed therefore no man can declare it But so far as God hath revealed and presidents of Scripture doe make out Gen. 3. so far may a man suppose thus Man was tempted by the devil to disobey God Gen. 5.3.28 Gen. 7.6 whose disobedience God suffered from the creation of Adam to Noahs flood which was 1656. yeers And as God waited with patience on Satans deceived ones 1656 yeers In relation by comparison to that may be supposed that John doth declare the time of Christ his patience and waiting on Satan the deceiver for as God in vengeance did not destroy the old world until he with patience had suffered their evil mannners 1656 yeers So may it be supposed that Christ will not destroy the power of Sathan the deceiver until with patience hee hath waited and born and suffered in himself and members Sathans evils 1666. years from his own birth for Iohn saith Here is wisdom Rev. 13.18 let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. David in his days did number the days of a man to be 70. years and Iohn here to 66. years because of the decay of nature for it cannot be thought that mans life toward the end of the world of which Iohn treats should be 666. but 66. may be and also is commonly seen by which supposition it may be gathered that Christ with patience wil wait and forbare Sathans evils ten years longer then God did bare with the old world The one was 1656. years and the other wil be 1666. years according to this collection Christ wil bare and suffer the evils of Sathan before hee take vengence on the Devil to destroy or confine his power for a thousand years until 1666. years from the birth of Iesus Christ to deliver the whole mortality from the power of the Devil Rom. 8.19 20 21 22 23. as Paul saith the fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the Sons of God shall be revealed for the creatures earnestly desire the revelation of the time that the Sons of God shall be delivered because the creature is subject to vanity not of its own will but by reason of him which hath subdued it under hope The creature did not offend it was the man male and semale Adam that did offend but the creature because it was created for man must abide the curse with man therefore the creatures also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God for wee know that every creature groaneth with us also and travelleth in pain together unto this present And not only the creature but wee also which are the first fruits of the Spirit even we do sigh in our selves and wait for the adoption even for the redemption of our bodies or an assurance of our parts in the blessed first resurrection which shall bring us the redemption of our bodies who are the adopted Sons of Iesus Christ by which blessed first resurrection shall our bodies be delivered out of the Devils prison the grave and the bodies hell to Gods Saints against whom the Devil had no further power but to kill our bodies and to imprison them in the mortall hell the grave of earth from whence our bodies came and unto which we did expect they should return again for a time and as the corn there lies in the earth waiting with the Husband-man for the first fruits of the spirit which is that blessed first resurrection of all that are dead in Christ from Abel the first that dyed and all others dead before and the living then in the year of Christ from the birth of Christ 1666. shall be partakers of Iesus Christ his glorious reign for that 1000 years of the Devils confinement or imprisonment FINIS