been Indeed Satan was bound at that time but not in that manner and measure as he shall be bound for the thousand years Again by Nations in the place quoted we must understand not the Gentiles onely but also the Iews who truely are yet seduced as also the Indians Turks and others XI Object Is from Revel. 20.1 Where it is said That the Angel which bound Satan came down from Heaven By this Angel therefore we must understand Christ who came down from Heaven Ioh 3.13 Hence we may conclude That these thousand years began about the time of Christs Birth For at that time the Graeâ—es ceased from given Answers Whereupon Apollo being enquired of by Augustus Caesar answered thus Me puer Ebraeus Divos Deus ipse gubernans Codere sede juber tristemque redire sub Orcum Ergo dehine aris tacitus discedito nostris The Hebrew Child himself a God that rules the gods Bids me give place and back unto sad Hell return Silent therefore depart from hence mine Altars leave See the devill himself confesseth That he is bound from this time Answ. 1. As in the former Visions good Angels were the executioners of Gods Judgements so it is likely that a created Angel was used also in this Vision 2. Christ in the 3 of Iohn is said to have come down from Heaven that is To have assumed the humane Nature But the Angel in this place who hath the key of the bottomlesse pit came down from Heaven by a locall motion that he might binde the Devill for a thousand years after the downfall of Antichrist 3. It is true the devill was bound at the time of the Nativity of Christ but not after that manner as is here declared Look before in the Analysis For there are many measures and degrees whereby the devill is bound XII Object Is this This Interpretation concerning the Resurrection of the Martyrs seems to oppose the Article of our Faith I beleeve the Resurrection of the flesh For so a double Resurressiion of the flesh is maintained contrary to the Apostolique Faith Answ. That Article speaketh of the finall and universall Resurrection which shall be in the last day and in which all the dead shall rise again Now this Resurrection is not contradicted or denyed by the Resurrection of the Martyrs which is to go before it no more then by the Resurrection of the Saints who rose again when Christ breathed forth his Spirit hanging upon the Crosse Matth. 27.50 51 52. XIII Object Is taken out of Revel. 20.6 Where all and only they are proclaimed blessed and freed from the second death who have their part in the first Resurrection Whence it follows That either there shall be no Resurrection after the first or that none in the second Resurrection shall be blessed both which are absurd Answ. 1. Nay the latter is onely absurd being granted from the antecedent or foregoing 2. The antecedent is false neither is it in the Text For it is not said there They onely are happy Now that they are in particulars said to be blessed that is in respect of their Prerogative in that they are blessed above others of the faithfull as being to reigne 1000 years with Christ before the last day And this is intended by the word Holy being added whereby is signified that they should be separated from the other faithfull believers and set aside for this happinesse in that they are to rise again to reign with Christ before them 3. Thirdly this blessednesse consists of three parts the first of which being considered apart suits also with the other believers But as it is joyned with the other two parts it cannot be expressed but of the Martyrs only as it will appear to any one that will examine the Context of the 6 verse XIV Object Is taken out of Revel. 20.6 Whence it is gathered That the first Resurrection hath opposed to it the first death Therefore by the first Resurrection the second Life or living again of the soul from the death of sin by Faith and Repentance or in a word Regeneration is to be understood Certainly all and onely the truely regenerate are delivered from the second or eternall death and certainly obtain heavenly happinesse Whence it may be sufficiently proved That the first Resurrection is not particular or bodily Answ. The first Resurrection as it is spoken of in this place is not opposed to the first death of which there is here no mention but it is opposed to the second Resurrection as appears out of these words But the rest of the dead lived not again untill the thousand yeers were finished This is the first Resurrection XV Object Is this The first Resurrection is not a bodily Resurrection because if it be bodily it is not the first For the Resurrection of others namely of those Saints who rose again while Christ hung on the Crosse went before it Answ. That Resurrection of the Martyrs is called the first by way of Excellence by reason also of the multitude of them in respect of which that Resurrection of the Saints comes not within reckoning of by reason of the fewnesse For although many bodies of the Saints are said then to have risen yet in regard of the Martyrs they were but few as which came forth of the Graves onely which were neer unto Hierusalem XVI Object It is a usuall Axiome in the School of Divines That the first Resurrection is the living again of the Souls from the death of sin by faith and repentance which otherwise is called Regeneration and it is opposed to the first death which is a defection and a casting a way of the soul from God But the second Resurrection shall be the raising of the bodies to be united to the souls to eternall life to which the second death is opposed which shall be the casting a way of the damned to eternall torments Ans. Resurrection is tearmed to be the First ambiguously For either it is opposed to the first death and so it is spirituall and is proper to all believers or it is opposed to the second Resurrection and so it is corporeall and of the Martyrs onely XVII Object The thousand years of Satans binding contain an obscure mystery and hidden from us In vain therefore and too boldly we labour in so scrupulous an uniting thereof Ans. 1. There are many Mysteries in the Revelation which in successe of time receive light more and more 2. We dislike all boldnesse but we commend holy diligence and industry XVIII Object From the end of Satans binding the Epocha is to be collected of the thousand years in the Revelation Now the term of his binding expired in the year of Christ 1073. wherein * Gregory the 7 that devillish Juggler and Cozener possessing himself of the Popedome confounded Heaven and earth together and filling the Christian world with Wars and slaughters declared himself to be a singular instrument of Satan let loose from his bonds Hence
or Dragon and his two companions the Beast and the false-Prophet Day and night Continually without intermission For ever and ever A description of all Eternity 11. And I saw a great white Throne By this Throne a cloud is understood and being termed a great Throne the Universall judgement is figured out and being also called a white one Truth Equity and Justice are thereby signified And one sitting thereon Namely Christ God and Man Now he is said to be seen to sit there that hereby we may be taught That he is prepared and ready to passe judgement From whose face Being both most refâ—lgent and full of austherity The Earth and Heaven fled away That is the fashion of this world passed away and was consumed with fire which went before this Judge and the Creatures the Inhabitants of earth and heaven did all tremble at the sight of him And there was found no place for him By reason of the resplendenâ—y and Majesty of the Judge which no creature could endure without being changed into some other state and condition Therefore there shall be an Universall change of the whole world in that Judgement day 12. And I saw the dead That is Those who had been dead but were now raised and restored unto life Small and great A Dichotomy or division naturally to be understood in regard of quantity morally in regard of quality or dignity So that all must be placed before the Tribunall of Christ Standing before God As expecting his definitive sentence And the Books were opened Books not devised or written by any other then by every one in his own private conscience dictated according to his severall thoughts words and deeds These Books therefore thus written have hitherto been reserved shut up and not taken notice of as it were in some private closet or place of account But now they are opened so that they may be plainly read by every particular man And another book was opened That onely book written by God himself Which is the book of Life That is The secret and hidden Decree of God concerning our Election which there shall in publike be exhibited and made manifest Now it is called The book of Life because therein God hath as it were set down the names of them who through his grace and favour shall become heirs of eternall life Compare Luke 10.20 And the dead were judged A definitive sentence passing upon all acquitting some and condemning others Out of those things which were written in the Book To wit In the books of mens consciences Now these books shall be opened after a severall manner For the books of the Consciences of godly men shall not be so opened that their sinnes shall rise up in judgement against them for in this respect they are still sealed up but they shall be so opened that they may read indeed their sinnes there many and gâ—eat ones but so as they are covered by Christ and the power of them more and more weakened by the Spirit of Christ through repentance and the study of good works Therefore the godly shall reade in their conscience the justice of Christ covering their sinnes and through him bringing forth good works But the condition of the ungodly shall be farre otherwise For they shall read in their consciences their sinnes not pardoned by Christ According to their works Which shall give testimony either of their faith in Christ or else of their impiety and unbeleef 13. And. Tâ—ansitively for After that that is After the sentence of the Judge now passed and published The sea gave up her dead that were in it Bâ—ing drowned or devoured of fiâ—nes And death That is The Fire Aire and Beast of the Earth and Fowls yeelded up their dead which had not been buâ—yed And Hell That is The Grave In these words then is contained partly a description of the generall Resurrection partly a distribution of the bodies of them that were dead into three sorts One of them that were drowned in the Sea Another of those which were not drowned in the Sea but being dead had no buriall as being brought to ashes either by the fire or aire or else devoured by beasts of the earth or by flying fowls A third sort of those who were laid in their graves Gave up their dead By the command and appointment of God Which were in them The very same and not others the same in number And they were judged every man Not any one being excepted According to their works So that no man shall have cause to complain of any injury done unto him 14. And death And for But adversatively Death that is some and indeed most of the dead but not buryed And Hell The Grave which is here put for them that were buryed therein And again not all the buryed are here to be understood but some and indeed most Now by Death and Hell may be understood men deserving both Were cast into the lake of fire That is made subject and slaves to eternall damnation so that the Saints for the time to come need not stand in any danger or fear of them Which is the second Death Or Eternall This Relative Which may either be referred to the word Lake or else may be taken collectively In the former acception the Lake is called the second death that is a signe or Symbol of the second or eternall death In the latter the judgement of condemnation committed to execution is called the second death Now this is called the second death because the bodies and souls of the damned do in very deed dye twice For the body dyeth both when it is separated from the soul and also when being again joyned to the body it is seperated from God And the soul dyeth both when in this life it separateth it self from God by sinne and when after this life it is separated from God by everlasting punishment Lastly This punishment is called Death because it taketh away the life of grace and glory with which if the life of nature be compared it is rather to be called death then life 15. And whosoever was not found And for For a copulative particle for a declarative Finding is here applyed to God by an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or by attributing of humane actions passions and affections to the unlimited power and unsearchable operations of the Deity Written in the book of Life Both in the former book as well through the love and election of God as in the latter by faith hope and charity Was cast into the lake of fire Through the just judgement of God and by his own default 2. A Logicall-Theologicall Analysis This Chapter is divided into five parts I. THe Description of the Angel Vers. 1. II. The Effects or operations of the Angel that is what the Angel did In part of the 1. Verse 2.3 III. The happy estate of the Church which followed upon what the Angel had effected In part of the 2 3 4 5
no Warfare under the Banner of the Crosse yet the Spirit will have need to strive and War against the Flesh 2. The Triumph of the Church is either in part or totall particular or universall begun or consummate For oftentimes it happeneth That we triumph in this life over the flesh the world and the devill Neither are we therefore said to be in the Triumphant Church as which is so called from her totall universall and consummate Triumph So although the Church for a thousand years have some kinde of Triumph here on earth yet it shall not be sincere and perpetuall and therefore by many degrees inferiour to that Triumph from whence the Church in the life to come is called Triumphant XXVIII Object The maintainers and Patrons of this opinion do Iudaizâ— that is follow the Jewish Traditions therefore to be found fault with Answ. Therefore also the Scripture doth Iudaizâ— See the Places a little before brought out of the Scripture Moreover we generally entertain too mean a conceit of the conversion of the Iews because being over-much addicted and carried away with Scholasticall trifles we weigh not at all the Mysteries which are propounded in the Scriptures XXIX Object The Church as long as it is here on earth is under the Crosse Therefore no such happinesse thereof can be expected as may last for a thousand years Answ. The Antecedent is a vulgar Axiome or Position but not proved neither indeed is it to be proved as appears by what we have urged in severall places of this our Discourse XXX Object These thousand years begin in the year 1517. For then began Antichrist to be revealed Then also were the two Witnesses raised Finally from that time the light of the Gospel hath been spread abroad far and wide and Satan bound up more and more Answ. The Proeme or Prologue is confounded with the principall Act as it will appear if the History of that time be compared with Revel. 20 and our Exposition XXXI Object It is the common opinion of Divines That the last Judgement is even at the door That opinion then of a thousand years is dangerous because it makes people secure Answ. 1. It is not the opinion of all Divines 2. This supposition is erroneous And therefore I may use that saying * Not to enstave our selves to suppositions 3. No place of Scripture teacheth us that the last Judgement is at hand Nay some places of Scripture teach quite the contrary Hereto belongs what Cotterius saith upon the 20 chap. of the Revel. To the year of Christ 1517 adde 1000 so you shall make 2517 at which time at length Satan shall the second time draw the Nations into abominable heresies Neither is there any reason why this should trouble any ones minde as if we put off the day too long For I demand out of what place of Scripture we have search it That this day shall be within these two or three Ages Surely we have but perswaded our selves so because we would have it so But I will beleeve the Revelation which verily not in one place puts the last day off for a thousand years In the 16 chap. you have Vialls the first of which leaves behinde it the Epocha of the year 1517 as not finished And these Vialls require some Ages for their pouring out and not fewer then tenne In which words of Cotterius I do mightily approve of it that he weakens that vulgar opinion concerning the end of the world That it is at hand But what is there said concerning the Epocha or beginning of our account of 1000 years as also of the Vialls may be confuted out of what hath gone before It is an evill kinde of teaching either by way of exhorting or dehorting which is grounded upon a ruinous and false foundation as this which is drawn from the day of the last Judgement as if it were even at the door Neither indeed do we reade That the Apostles ever argued in this manner XXXII Object This Opinion of the thousand years as it is here explained doth as it were lâ—ade us by the hand to the day of the last Judgement yet notwithstanding Christ in the 13 of Mark v. 32. affirms That of that day and that hour no man knoweth 〈◊〉 not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son himself but the Father onely And Act. 1.7 It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Answ. 1. No man can exactly set down or define the day of the last Judgement For although by comparing Daniel and the Revelation it may appear That the last day shall not come before the 2694 yeer of Christ yet by no means or way possible can it be found out in what year after this Period or set time it shall come 2. What God hath reserved to himself alone we cannot nor ought not to search after or determine But this Period of 2694 years he hath expressed in his Word XXXIII Object It is absurd to thinke that the Martyrs shall rise again to this mortall life for this will be but an ignoble change and for the worse as it is in the Proverbe gold for brasse by reason that the souls of the Martyrs do now reign in Heaven and their bodies rest in the earth free from their labours Now if they rise again to this mortall life they must endure the enterchange or vicissitude of times as of day and night Sommer and Winter and must be made subject to the necessity of eating drinking and the like Answ. 1. Lazarus and those Saints who rose again at the time of Christ's Passion were brought again after long absence here from life eternall into this mortall life notwithstanding they lost not their happinesse hereby 2. The state of the Martyrs shall consist of a happy Kingdom in this life which shall not any way be discommodated by those things which formerly are objected as we see the like things no way hindered Adam in the state of his innocency from the full enjoying of perfect happinesse XXXIV Object Christ in the end of the world shall burn up the â—ares therefore still in the Militant Church there sâ—â—ll be the bad mingled with the good which is to be denyed in so happie a condition of the Church for these thousand years Answ. Nay rather not be denied For neither shall the men who for all that time shall live on earth be so blessed that either they themselves shall be voyd of sinnes or seperated from the company of sinners It shall not be so There shall be a great difference between the happinesse of these thousand years and that of everlasting life The godly men then except the Martyrs for the whole space of these thousand years shall be subject both to sin and death and shall have the wicked intermix't with them But there shall be no such matter in the life Eternall XXXV Object The Church is sufficiently reformed Therefore no
and troubled Verse 7 8 9 10. 3. Is concerning the throne of Christ the Judge Vers. 11. 4. Is concerning the Vniversall Judgement and the processe thereof Verse 12 13 14 15. IV. The Paraphrase of the Chapter THe condition and estate of the Militant Church being laid open unto me from the yeer of Christ 94 together with the temptations and assaults wherewith it was shaken the labours wherewith it was afflicted the deliverances whereby it was freed the Victory whereby it was ennobled but specially and last of all the fall of Babylon being foretold and declared 1. I saw in my extasie a good Angel the Minister of the Judgements of God such as I had seen in my former Visions Him I say I saw coming down from the heaven of the blessed who had by God entrusted to him the key of the bottomlesse pit of hell that according to the appointment of God he might shut and open it also a great chain in his hand wherewith he might binde some powerfull enemy 2. This Angel laid hold of the Dragon that infernall old Serpent who from the beginning vomited forth his poyson upon man-kinde and deceived them with his winding Sophismes who is both the Devill slandering God before men and on the other side men before God who is also Satan the adversary of God and men of Nature in generall and of the Church This Deceiver being found and apprehended in his Sophistry and Tyranny the good Angel bound with his chain and that for a thousand Solar years and commonly used in the generall course of life 3. Neither was it enough for him to binde him but moreover he cast him being bound and threw him headlong into the bottomlesse pit and being thrown down thither he shut him up and being shut up he sealed the Cover of the bottomlesse pit lest breaking forth by any means he might seduce partly to Idolatry partly to the persecution of the Church any more as he had done before the Nations as well Jews as Gentiles untill the thousand yeers are finished For afterwards he must God so appointing it be Ieâ— loose out of his prison for a short time which God hath limitted and which shall not befor a thousand yeers as the time of his binding and his being shut up was 4. A joyfull Catastrophe or issue shall follow this Tragedy of the Dragon For I saw Thrones set in order and and Christ with his holy Angels sate upon them For unto these power was given to judge partly by giving and executing sentence partly by approving thereof I saw also the souls of them who were beheaded and tormented with innumerable kinds of punishments not indeed for their own offences but for the testimony which they gave concerning Christ the Son of God and onely Advocate of the Church and for the Word of God which they had boldly maintained against the corruptions of men and who had not worshipped that second Beast which I made mention of that I saw it before nor the image of that Beast which is two-fold both in respect of doctrine and life neither had received his mark in their foreheads publikely making shew and witnessing by their words that they belonged to the family of the Beast Lastly they had not so much 〈◊〉 received this mark in their hands expressing the same either in their life manners or actions Such at these lived their bodies being raised again and restored to life Neither did they only live again but also reigned in the Church freed now from Persecutions with Christ that King of kings for a thousand years 5. But the rest of the dead as well the godly who before these 1000 yeers received not the Crown of Martyrdom as the ungodly lived not again till the thousand yeers were finished And this is the first Resurrection due onely to them as a â—rerogative who above others have glorified the Lord Christ in their bodies nothing terrified with the threats curses and torments of men 6. These Martyrs therefore who have their part in the first Resurrection are deservedly esteemed happy above others as also peculiarly separated and set aside by God for the receiving of such a reward For the second death shall have no power over them By reason that though they live the second time here upon earth yet they shall no more by any sin engage themselves so that they need to fear any danger of an eternall death For they shall be here upon earth Priests of God and of Christ not of this world and they shall reigne with Christ not as the kings of the Nations but in the Majesty of the Spirit for these thousand yeers 7. Now when these thousand yeers shâ—â—â— be fulfilled the happinesse of the Church shall on the sudden begin to fail here on earth For Satan in an instant shall be â—et loose out of his prison in which he was most carefully kept for those thousand yeers 8. But being thus set at liberty he shall not rest so but shall return to his old game and so he shall go forth that he may the more freely seduce the Nations which are in the four corners of the earth towards the East and towards the West towards the North and the South Now he shall not onely by heresies of all kindes lead on the blinde world to Apostasie or falling away from the faith but also he shall behave himself as a Captain or Leader to bring on a grievous Persecution upon the Church stirring and raising up against it Gog and Magog the sworn enemies thereof and of God himself such as were of old those people who under these names were bitter enemies to the Iews And having thus stirred them up he shall gather them together to Batteâ—â— farre more cruell and bloody then hath been from the beginning of the world For men shall enter into this Battell barbarous in their monstrous cruelty and monstrous cruell in their barbarousnesse whose number shall be as the sand of the Sea 9. Wherefore these vast forces under the conduct of Satan shall come upon the earth and shall cover the breadth thereof with their multitudes And straightway they shall encompasse the Camp of the Saints wheresoever it shall be and with their utmost diligence and devices shall endeavour quite to deface the Church that beloved City of God But however in the very midst of this their rage and fury being greater then that either of the Cyclops or Giants on a sudden a fire shall come down from Heaven God himself sending forth lightnings and flashings of fire upon them and shooting out his Arrows against them This fire shall devour those his innumerable enemies like stubble 10. But neither shall their Leader the Devill who conducted and seduced them carry it away so without his due punishment for opposing the Church of God by the seduced Nations For he shall be cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone that is into hell it self where his companions the first beast and
other reformation ought to be expected The Antecedent may be proved from hence because the Doctrine of the Fundamentalls of our Salvation is proposed so that it cannot be done more cleerly or with greater light Answ. The great Reformation which we declare shall come to passe shall concerne matter of Life as well as Doctrine As for matter of Doctrine the foundation thereof shall remain But as for those infinite contentions whereby the Body of Christ is torn in pieces an end shall be put unto them Again many places of Scripture whose expositions have hitherto troubled the most learned men shall more cleerly and better be understood As for matter of life what should I say The matter it selfe speaks loud enough that in the whole course of our lives as good and as great as we are we have little or no Divinity at all There is great need therefore of a Reformation XXXVI Object It was an ancient Distinction that the kingdome of God is either of Power Grace or Glery But this Distinction is taken away by this Millenary so much pleaded for because it cannot be referred either to the Kingdom of Grace or to the Kingdome of Glory Answ. It belongs to the Kingdome of Grace which doth consist of divers degrees Neither is this opinion any way prejudiced because in the former discourse I have sometimes made mention of glory and Majesty as part of the happinesse of this Millenary For this glory is only inchoative or in it's beginning and shall be broken off by the War of Gog and Magog But the Glory of the Life Eternall is perfect and never at all to be interrupted V. The Doctrines arising out of this Chapter 1. According to the Order of the Heads in the Catechisms I. THe XI and XII Articles of the Creed concerning the resurrection of the flesh as also concerning the last Iudgement and eternall life are treated of II. The first and third precepts of the Decalogue or Tenne Commandments are here illustrated in the 4 verse where mention is made of Godly Confessors who worshipped not the Image of the Beast III. The second and sixth Petitions of the Lords Prayer may be explained out of this Chapter 2. According to the Order of Common-places This Chapter makes mention of Gods Providence of Angels of Predestination of the Church and it 's enemies of Martyrdome of the Resurrection of the flesh of the last Iudgement of Life and Death Eternall 3. Doctrines out of the severall Verses Vers. 1. 1. God instructeth men sometimes and teacheth them extraordinarily by Visions as also by divine Extasies or Raptures 2. The Angels are ministring Spritis who receive their commands at God's hands 3. Good Angels are endowed with great power and strength Vers. 2. 1. Good Angels have power over evill Angels or Spirits 2. The Devill is stronge and crafty as being both a Dragon and a Serpent 3. The onely and continuall work of the Devill is to calumniate and falsly accuse both God and Man and to endeavour the hinderance of the Glory of the one and the Salvation of the other 4. The Militant Church hath severall and differing times here on earth namely both of oppression and refreshment after the divers degrees thereof according to the dispensation and good pleasure of God Vers. 3. 1. The Devill is bound and tyed up by the reines of God's Providence 2. The Devill is the author of the generall seduction of mankinde 3. Warres shall cease for a thousand years 4. The Warre which shall begin after these thousand yeers shall not last long Vers. 4. 1. Christ is a Iudge appointed by God to whom the holy Angels are joyned as Assessors or inferiour Iudges 2. The Professors of the Gospel are hated in the sight of the world 3. Constancy is required in the Profession of the Truth 4. They are Idolators who worship Antichrist and follow his doctrine 5 The Martyrs shall reign with Christ for a thousand years in the Militant Church Vers. 5. 1. The generall resurrection shall be in the end of the world 2. The first resurrection and particular of the Martyrs is the proeme unto the second or universall resurrection Vers. 6. 1. As the children of God in this life have one above another prerogatives of gifts works and sufferings so shall they also have prerogatives of blessings both in this life and in that also which shall be hereafter 2. The common happpnesse of the godly among other things consists in this that the second death hath no power over them 3. We must certainly resolve that there is a second or eternall Death 4. Though all Christians are Kings and Priests yet in a morâ— speciall manner the Martyrs raised at the beginning of these thousand years shall be Kings and Priests in the Militant Church Vers. 7. 1. The happynesse of the Church which shall continue for theâ—â—thousand years must not be confounded withâ— or mistaken for the happynesse of life eternall 2. Satan can do nothing except by Gods leave he be let loose out of his prison 3. God alone can restrain Satan as if he had him shut up in some prison Vers. 8. 1. Satan when soever he gains power playes over his old pranks again 2. Satan is delighted with the shedding of mans bloud especially of the Godly and therefore useth to seduce and entice men to Warre 3. Whatsoever is said in the Old Testament of Gog and Magog is to be understood partly literally partly typically 4. The Enemies of the Church are in number many Vers. 9. 1. Men seduced by the Devill set slip no occasion so watchfull herein they are of persecuting the Godly 2. The Churâ—h is the beloved City of God 3. It is the duty of Christians continually to be exercised in Christ's warfare 4. God executes wonderfull judgements against the enemies of his Church Vers. 10. 1. The Devill and his Instruments are cast into Hell and shall be tormented there for ever 2. Eternity is nothing else then a continuation of Age to Age for ever 3. Hell is a place full of horrour Vers. 11. 1. The Mâ—jesty of Christ coming to Iudgement shall be very great 2. Heaven and Earth in the day of the last Judgement shall passe away in respect of the fashion of this world Vers. 12. and 13. 1. The last resurrection shall be universall 2. Men in the last Judgement shall be judged according to their works 3. The Conscience of a man is like a book in which all his thoughts words and deeds are as it were set down 4. The book of life or Predestination shall be opened in the last Judgement for then shall it appear plainly who are the Elect and who the reprobate who have truely beleeved in Christ who hypocritically who have truely worshipped God who according to appearance onely 5. The last Judgement shall be universall infallible and just Vniversall because it shall be of the dead and living of great and small Infallible because God is all-knowing and hath
chosen his own from Eternity The Omnisciency or all-knowledge of God is signified by the books in which the works of every particular man are written His Election is signified by the book of life Iust because God shall judge according to every mans works without acceptance of persons 6. God knoweth in what place the particular body of every dead man is reserved Vers. 14.15 1. Hell is a place full of horrour 2. Reprobation from life eternall is nothing else but a not-writing in the book of life Election to eternall life is a writing of our names in the book of Life An Appendix BEcause in the handling of this Chapter I proposed to my self not onely to maintain that which mine own Conscience witnessed with me to be true but withall to furnish these times also with this not the least Consolation it was needfull for me to use this Method which in the Explanation of holy Scripture without doubt exceeds all others It will not be amisse therefore if I set down this Method in the following Table In every Chapter yea Verse of holy Scripture there are to be considered The Prolegomena or Praecognita that is the foregoing matter or things to be known before hand and they are either of the Author and authority thereof Subject or matter Connexion or Coherence The Text it self in which are to be considered the Argument or Summe thereof Analysis or Resolution either Philologically and Theologically or Logically and Theologically Paraphrase or larger upholding thereof Questions either Fundamentall proper to that place and necessarily arising or Lesse principall common with other places and honorary or accessory Doctrines according to The order of the Heads in the Catechisme Common Places The order of the Context Of these the Argument Paraphrase and Doctrines belong to the handling of the sacred Text in the way of Preaching the Analysis or Questions to the Scholasticall part of Divinity Glory be to God alone FINIS Testimonies concerning this worke of Alstedius Dr. Hukewill in his Apology c. lib. 4. cap. 12.5.6 ALstedius a famous Professour at Herborne in his Diatribe dâ— mille annis Apocalypticis published about two yeares since is of this opinion as also that the thousand years mentionâ—d in the 20. of the Revel. during which time Satan should be bound is yet to come which assertion he first builds upon a litterall interpretation of the number in as much as it is five severall times repeated within the compasse of seven verses and the foure last with a special article added {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the thousand yearâ—s Secondly upon a supposition that Satan as yet hath not been bound up a thousand yeares together since the delivery of that Prophecie by the Angell to St. Iohn and by him to the Church considering that ever since much and grosse idolatrie hath raigned among the Pagans obstinate blindenesse among the Iewes since the rising of Mahomet pittyfull defection seduction among the Saracens strang errors aâ—d heresies sects and schisms among the Christians and since the rising of Antichrist wonderfull ignorance supâ—rstition and persecution of the â—aints together with a generall prophanesse and corruption in matter of manners all which saith he cannot stand with the binding up of Sathan the principall actor of all these for a thousand yeares and consequently that the performance of that promise is yet to be expected and for confirmation of this opinion though the booke it selfe be but little he alleadgeth 66. passages of Scripture inforceth many reasons answereth 36. Objections pâ—oduceth the testimonies of sundry learned men either expresly defending it or at least wise favouring â—t And they are Iustus Heurnius Ioannes Keplerus Petrus Curaeus Ioannes Dâ—bricus Ioannes Piscator Petrus Molinaeus Ioannes Ferus Seraph Firmianus Remalcus dâ— Vaulx Martinus Cellarius vid apud Alstâ—dium Christoph Bâ—soldus Cael Sec. Curio Alf. Con Mantuanus Lucas Osiander Matthaeus Cotterias Michael Sâ—ndivogaâ—â— Stephanus Pan 〈…〉 Quosâ—mnes suâ—si 〈…〉 The Authâ—r of a book latâ—ly published in latine and inscribed Nuncius Prophâ—icus who in modesty conceales his name pag. 34.42 Diatribe de mille â—nnis Apâ—caâ— quem tractatum c. thâ—t is the treatise of Alstedium concerniâ—g the thousand yeares in the Revelation â— estâ—eme above the value of gold and precious stones it being full of secret wisedome And pag. 42 Alsâ—ed in his tâ—uely golden little work of the thâ—usand yeares in the Apâ—calypse Which work though small yet full of great sedulâ—tie takes away all scruple of doubt herein And it is much to be deâ—ired that some one or other that delights himselfe in Theologicall misteries so weâ— worthy of our knowledge would translate it out of the Latine and make it speak English {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Thou wilt straightway thinke Reader that this was no small incitemeâ—t to me to goe on with this Translation having before the edition of this booke taken it into mine hands Testimonies concerning the Opinion it selfe approved by some famous English Divines And first Dr. Hâ—kewill of Oxford in his Book intituled An Apology of the power and providence of God in the governement of the world Lib. 6. Cap. 12. v. 6. AS wee neede not doubt that Antichrist is long â—ince come into the world so many passages of holy Scripture and testimonies of learned men make us more then hope that notwithstanding his late victories and triumphs his downefall is not farre off and that thereupon the Church of Christ shall flourish more in peace and power in doctrine and manners in lustre and glory then hitherto at any time in former ages it hath done To instance in all the passages in Scripture which to this purpose are alleadged would prove I doubt me tedious and in some perchance impertinent mine endeavour then shall be to pick out the choisest and among them specially those which seeme to point at a fuller calling as well of the Gentiles as the Iews then heretofore hath been The particular places for brevitie I have set downe which Reader pâ—ruse at thy leasure Psal. 22.27 Esay 2.2 Matth. 24.14 Rom. 52.26 2. Cor. 3.15 Micahâ— 3 Esay 30.26 and 54.11 But you shall have them all in this treatise The Doctor goes on ANd all this peace â—nd glory shall arise from the subversion of Rome and Antichrist aâ—d his adherents so evidenâ—ly described in the 14.18 and 19. of the Revelation that the very Iesuits themselves Ribera and Vegas cannot possibly devise any jugling conveyance how to shift iâ— off And if for the effecting of this great worke we should grant that which all antiquity both Iewish and Christian much beates upoâ— that Elias shall come and restore all things I cannot see what great absurdity can from thence be inferreâ— or what Article of Christian faith it impâ—gneth Indeed our Saviour telleth his Disciples that Elias was then come meaning Iohn the Baptist whom he tearâ—eth Eâ—ias in regard of his zeale