Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A26260
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Scripture-prophecies opened which are to be accomplished in these last times, which do attend the second coming of Christ : in several letters written to Christian friends / by E. Avery.
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Avery, E. (Elizabeth)
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1647
(1647)
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Wing A4272; ESTC R2586
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37,649
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53
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from another but they make up the fulnesse of God and so this full God shall be manifested in the flesh of those Saints who shall live to the state of perfection and so the resurrection of this corporal body or flesh and blood as well in a spiritual sense as literal cannot inherit the kingdom of God neither can corruption inherit incorruption and so the Apostle saith Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all die but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump and in Isai it is called the great trump that shall sound and then the dead in Christ rise concerning which I have spoken in another place So you see that these Scriptures do not concern the resurrection of the body after death which death cannot properly be said to be death in that the body is called a Tabernacle now a Tabernacle cannot be said to die onely it is dissolved as the Apostle saith When this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens And so natural death may be looked on as when a man puts off his clothes when he goes to rest and the Apostle could desire not to be unclothed that is to put off this natural body but rather to live unto that time when the Saints shall be clothed upon and mortality swallowed up of life And so likewise the Scripture speaking of Christ calls his flâ—sh a vail saying the vail which was his flesh And so the natural body is onely a vail and when this vail which is the flesh is put off then man may be said to die and then this vail which is the body returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God that gave it Now this shews that the reasonable soul which is in all mankinde is God himself who is in a wicked man as well as in the Saints as the Apostle speaking to the Athenians comprehends them amongst the off-spring of God Acts 17. 28 29. when he saith Forasmuch then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver Now though God may be said to be in a wicked man Christ is not in any but those that are Christ's those who are the sons and daughters of God Almighty in whom God is manifested in the flesh however the Saints stand in the same relation to God their Father before the time of this glorious manifestation as the Apostle 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 when to us a childe is born to us a son is given the government shall be upon his shoulder and in Revel. 12. that manchilde which is brought forth as he is caught up to God and to his throne so likewise he is to rule all nations with a rod of iron Now this Son in Isai. 9. and this Man-childe in Revel. 12. and he that sits on the white horse in Revel. 19. 11. who is called Faithful and True I say that which is spoken of in these Scriptures concerning Christ it is to be applied to every particular Saint who are comprehended in the number of those that overcome Revel. 2. 20. where it is said He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces even as I have received of my Father and I will give unto him the bright morning-Star So likewise Psal. 2. which speaks of that power which is given to the Saints which is confined unto those which shall overcome which shall sit down with Christ in his throne as in Revel. 3. 21. where it is said To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his throne Now when it is thus with the Saints Christ ceaseth to be a Mediatour in that the Saints are invested into the kingdom and so declared mightily to be the sons of God by the resurrection from the dead and so have overcome hell and death being risen with Christ as in Hos. 6. 2 3. and 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Now this ransome is an overcoming in that it is said in the Revelation that the Saints did overcome by the word of God and the testimony of Jesus which is done in the glorious manifestation of Jesus Christ and so we are in a capacity to keep the works of God unto the end Now this may be understood divers ways concerning which I cannot speak at present But when the Saints shall thus overcome they shall sit down with Christ in his throne even as he overcame and sate down in his Fathers throne Now this Kingdom of Christ is distinct from the former which was the Kingdom of Christ in the flesh a Kingdom of Forms a power over us but this Kingdom throws down all forms and power over us and all powers that were over us also in respect of the Ordinances which vanish away when this Kingdom doth begin and so likewise this Kingdom shall throw down all powers on earth Dan. 2 44. speaking there of the last powers it is said In the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and stand for ever Dan. 7 27 it is said The kingdom and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him which is the fulnesse of God which comprehends all the Saints departed which shall be manifested in flâ—sh which is that resurrection spoken of as before Now this Kingdom which I have formerly spoken of is begun in Babylon Now here I have made a digression from the matter in hand in that I must follow God but now I am returned again and so accordingly I shall speak further concerning these particulars according as God shall give in which is concerning the state of the body after natural death Now we all know as the tree falls so it lieth and never riseth again as to live and that seed which is sown it dieth and ceaseth to be as it was that same body never appeareth And so when man dieth his body returneth unto the earth as in Ecclesiastes and Gen. 3. 19 where it is said In the sweat of thy brows theu shalt eat bread
themselves I say That Babylon and Antichrist is over all States which govern by an Arbitrary power and over all Churches whether National or others and all Worshipâ— whether the Worship of the Heathens or Antichristian Worship that comprehends all which hath formerly been understood to be the Worship of the Papists but we have found it otherwise and not onely is Confusion and Errour in all false Worship but Babylon is in the purest Worship that is most agreeable to the letter of the Word because the Saints have no rule for what they practise in taking up the Ordinance never since the defection from the faith for though the Apostle speaks of a falling away yet he never speaks of the restauration of the Truth in the same form of Worship which at the first was given forth And so we must look for new discoveries such as have not been yet as the Prophet speaks The things that have not been shall be told you and the Apostle Peter speaking unto the Saints in general and in them he spake to us whom it doth more immediately concern even we which live in this age wherein the Prophecies are to be accomplished in a spiritual sense the Apostle Peter says 2 Pet. 1. the three lâ—st verses You have a more sure Word of prophecie to which you shall do well to give heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts Now Babylon you see is not onely the Church of Rome which doth appearto all that are enlightned to be so because their Religion consists of so many particulars which is needlesse for me to recite being so well known to all but Babylon doth more mystically appear to be in this present State and Church of England I put them together because they are so involved that they make but one Beast which is the second Beast spoken Revel. 13. 11. which is distinct from the Beast that rose out of the Sea who had power given him over Kinreds Tongues and Nations But howsoever though that Beast that did rise out of the sea did rise first and so did act according to his power in the first place yet sure Babylon falls first in this glorious State and Church of England which may well be understood to be the feet and toes of the great Image spoken of Dan. 2. 34. which are different from the legs which are altogether of Iron which did shew the great strength of the Roman Monarchy But here it may be objected That this glorious Church and State of England hath appeared to be a golden cup in the Lords hand Jer. 51. 7. in respect of the Spiritual excellencies which have been seen in her and therefore how can it be compared to the feet and toes of the great Image which is the meanest part of the body To this I answer Though the feet and toes are the meanest part of the body yet it will appear that there are more excellencies in them then the head of gold for though the feet and toes be thus mixt part of Potters clay and part of Iron which shews that the Kingdom is partly weak and partly strong but though this part be not strong by reason of the mixture yet I say there is more excellency in this mixture then in the head of Gold for it is said of this State that they did mix themselves with the seed of men which is a great mystery And so though Babylon may be in all manner of Professions and all States who govern in an arbitrary way yet I may boldly say that Babylon concerning whose destruction the Prophets of old and John in the Revelation speak that spiritual Babylon as it is a State and Church and mystically Babylon in our gathered Churches and Antichrist rendered in a mystery in the Saints all which out of question is to be accomplished in this Island of Great Britain which by the learned is made evidently to appear to be the tenth part of the great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Revel. 11. 13. that falls first Now if this can be proved as very probably it can that this State and National Church of England be Babylon then I pray take notice of that which the Lord speaks Jerem. 51. 49. that as Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth Not that all the earth shall be slain with a temporal sword but the earth is slain in a spiritual sense for natural Babylon did not slay Israel in the flesh for the Prophet Jeremiah and other of the Saints had good usage in Babylon And a slaughter to be slain in this sense as here it is spoken it is to be slain by following their wicked ways in being led in Errour and so slain by their sin And sure natural Babylon did never use such cruelty on the Saints as the Scripture speaks of onely on some which were not Saints but the enemies of God which did go contrary to his command in rebelling against the King of Babylon unto whom the Lord had given commandment by Jeremiah the Prophet that they should subject themselves unto his yoke And so whereas it is said that Babylon did cause the slain of Israel to fall it's Babylon in the Saints that is Confusion and Errour have slain the Saints in a spiritual sense as the Lord says concerning his people that they were slain by their iniquity as in Hos. 13. it is said that the iniquity of Ephraim is bound up and his sin is hid but when it did appear see what follows even the sorrows of a travelling woman and death it self Now this is Babylons causing the slain of Israel to fall So Babylon causeth the slain of Israel to fall by her false teachings as in Isai. 9. 13. Jerem. 51 5. and so forward again vers. 25 of the same Chapter which shews how Babel did destroy the people of God by their false teachings Again Babylon causeth the slain of Israel to fall by her cruel hatred and most deceitful usage and by her vile reproaches by which she slays the people of God with the sword of the heart and with the sword of the tongue concerning the nature of which is fully made forth in Psal. 11. So as Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth which is flesh in the Saints when the Lord hath judged with fire and the sword all flesh as in Isai. 9. 5. and 66. 16. Revel. 19. 10. Now though sinful flesh be slain in the Saints whilst they are in Babylon yet this is not done till we are slain by Babylon and so have attained unto a resurrection with Christ as in Isa. 26. 19 20 21. I pray take notice of this Scripture for it makes forth clearly that state of the Church which hath been or shall be slain by Babylon