polluted and so possessed with wickednesse as now it is capeable of so excellent and glorious a creature as shee is and shall be seene to bee in this day of her appearing in glory being now made ready perfectly adorned with all her ornaments as the Bride for the marriage of the Lambe that bought her her Lord and King Christ Iesus And blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the Lambe Now shall this holy citie Hierusalem bâ—ing forth and receive all her children at once even in one day without any more travill or paines as it is written Before she traviled she brought forth before her paine came sâ—ee was delivered of a man child Who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day shall a Nation bee borne at once for as soone as Sion travilled she brought forth her Children Esay â—6 7.8 So that now when the Lord shall apeare to their joy that were hated and cast out for his names sake And to render recompence to his enemies as in the 5 and 6. verses he said then shall the earth in whose bowels the bodyes of the Saints had slept and whom she had bread and brought up and Sion also their spirituall Mother bring â—orth and receive all their children at once even in one day and she shall remember no more her sorrow for joy that her man-child is borne for so by that name it pleaseth the Lord to tytle her children as also in Revel. 12.5 She shall now bee adorned with them all according as her Lord foreshewed her in the time of her captivity when she complained saying The Lord hath forgotten me my Lord hath forsaken me and hee told her nay he had graven her upon the palmes of his hands and comforting her told her also that hiâ— children should make hast and biddeth her lift up her eyes round about behold shewing her as it were in a vision all her children which she longed for hasting unto her and said All these gather themselves together and comâ— to thee As I live saith the Lord thou shalt furâ—â—â—r loâ—th thee with them all as with an ornament and binde â—hem on â—hee as a Bride doth for thy wast and thy desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be to morrow by reason of the inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall farre awayâ— the children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say againe in thine eares the place is to straight for â—eâ— give place to mee that I may dwell then shalt thou say in thine heart who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my children and am dessolate a captive and removing too and fro and who hath brought vp these Behold I was left alone These where had they beene c. Esay 4â— Here the Lord comforteth Sion with her children of the Gentiles that were to bee brought in unto her by the Gospel of Iesus Christ which was to bâ—e preached amongst them by his Apostles and Servants as in the 22 verse appeareth who were to supply the losse of all her other lost children of the naturall house of Israel Therfore now these being all accomplished unto her reioyce ye with Ierusalâ—m be glad with her all ye that love her reioyce with ioy with her all ye that mourne for her that ye may suâ—k and bee satisfied with the brests of her consolation that ye may milke out and bee delighted with the aboundance of her glory for thus saith the Lord Behold I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall yee sucke ye shall be borne upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees as one whom his mother comforteth So will I comfort you and ye shall bee comforted in Ierusalem And when ye see this your heart shall reioyce and your bones shall flourish like an hear be and the hand of the Lord shall bee knowne towards his servants and his indignation tâ—wards his enemies Esay 66.10 11 12 13 14. c. The children of Ierusalem are now to sucke and bee satisfied to milke out and bee delighted with the abundance of her consolation and the abundance of her glory c. it is not said with the milke of the principles or doctrine of Christ or forme of goverment and discipline of the Gospel as some would have it or at least expound it and to concerne cheefely their thousand yeares Church of the Iewes Nay the children of Ierusalem being now all accomplished unto her by the word of Christ they shall have no neede of Doctrine or discipline or governours or teachers of that kind or manner any more But the governement of this new Ierusalem shal be peace it selfe her exactors righteousnes it selfe The Lord her righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of all her children he being now personally in the middest of her And salvation being her walls and her Towers the glory of God her gates his praise as it is written of her God himselfe also dwelling with her and with all her Children as in his owne Tabernacle As Saint Iohn heard it proclaimed from heaven as he saith and I heard a great voyce from heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neyther shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new c. Revel. 21. This Ierusalem is that same which God spake of beâ—ore to the Prophet Esay chap. 65. having foreshewed him this great redemption and salvation of Israel and how all their former troubles should be forgotten and hidden from his eyes and that hee would create new heavens and a new earth c. then saith Bee ye glad and reioyce for ever in the things that I create for behold I create Hierusalem a reioycing and her people a ioy and I will reioyce in Hierusalem and ioy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying c. verse 17 18 19. And this is the same Tabernacle whereof God spake to the Prophet Ezekiell he having foreshewed him also this great redemption of the whole house of Israel from all their captivities Graves c. to their owne land and saying And they shall dwell in the land which I have given unto Iacob my servant wherein your fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein they aâ—d their children and childrens children for ever hereby the way we are to understand by They and their children c. Abraham Isaack and Iacob and all their seede or children of the promise
be as plainely made to Abraham Isaack and Iacobâ— their owne persons as it is unto their seed and to all the seed as well as to a part or any one of them and that they of the many nations the faithfull Gentâ—les are of the same seed as well as the faithfull Iewes and heires of the promise together with them according as all the forementioned Scriptures do plainely declare so plainâ—ly as I suppose no man will denie Then I aske whâ—refore or for what cause they should not all receive the same and not any one or part be excluded seeing God is faithfull that promiseth God did covenant also with Abraham to be his God and the God of his seed and this hee established in no plaineâ— or suâ—er manâ—er then he did to give them the land for an everlasting possession as in the same place Gen. 17.7 8. appeareth but if God should faile either Abraham oâ— any of his seed in this respect how did he then keepe his covenant even so of the other Therefore as God will not faile either Abraham or any of his seed to be their God neither will he faile to give them the land of Canaan and all the world besides for an everlasting possession The fourth question Fourthly I aske if the true intent of the promise in the forementioned places be not of an eternall estate in the world to come after the resurrection of the body and end of this world That Abraham Isaak and Iacob and all their seed shall then inherit I say not the land of Canaan only although principally as the Throne and City of the great King but all the earth even to the utmost ends and bounds thereof according to Psal. 37. and Mat. 5. Where it is promised that the meeke shall inherit the earth And as the twenty foure Elders sing in their new song unto the Lamb Christ Iesus saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people nation hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Revel. 3.10.11 And who may these redeemed ones out of every kindred tongue people nation that shall raigne on the eaâ—th be but those of the many nations the faithfull Iewes and the faithfull Gentiles which God made Abraham a Father of and Saint Paul saith are heires with Abraham of the world And the promise that the meeke shall inherit the earth doth belong to every meek man as well as to any one of them and so to be fulfilled but it was never so yet in this world Abraham Isaack and Iacob the Fathers of those meeke unto whom the Land of Canaan was promised for an inheritance dyed and inherited not a foote Therefore that God may be found â—â—ue of his word they must all of them inherit it in the the resurrection because here it is otherwise neither is it said they doe inherit or raigne but they shall neither when God promised the land of Canaan unto Abraham and to his seed the earth the world to inherit as in the forementioned places did he meane this present as it is now polluted neither were they so to looke for it as the Prophet Micha saith to them of his time Arise yee and depart â—or this is not your rest because it is polluted It shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Mich. 2.10 But God spake and intended it of the world to come when all things should be new holy and heavenly and so did the Fathers understand and expect it And this doth the Apostle Paul proove from their owne words when they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth saying And they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a Countrey And truely saith he if they had beene mindfull of the Countrie from whence they came out they might have had oppertunitie to have returned but now they desire a better Country that is an heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City Heb. 1â— 13.14.15.16 In which words the Apostle doubtlesse hath respeâ—t to the promise in Gen. 17.7.8 Where God did establish his covenant with Abrahâ—m to be his God and the God of his seed and to give them the land and so understood both to be of like certainty and continuance and such as are heavenly and eternall And that there was also a Citie having foundations whose builder and maker is God which they looked for upon the promise and that therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God For Abraham well understood it was not for a corruptable countrey or a mooveable Citie in a transitory world as now this is that God called him out of the land of Vr to give him and his seed to inherit but for an uncorruptable unmooveable eternall in a better world and so much doe the very words of the promise expresse in that it saith for an everlasting covenant for an everlasting possession for no corruptable things are everlasting neither are these promises such as shall either vanish or faile And upon the ground of this covenant did Christ himselfe proove the resurrection from the dead against the Saduces knowing it to be most sufficient for the purpose saying Now that the dead are raised even Moyses sheweth at the Bush where he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaack and the God of Iacob they being now dead when Moyses thus spake which the Sadduces knew and therefore Christ saith unto them God is not the God of the dead but of the living Luk. 20.37.38 Prooving hereby that Abraham Isaak and Iacob must rise againe from the dead and live to inherit the countrey and Citie promised that God may be found true of his word and declare himselfe to be their God for everlasting according to his covenant Gen. 17. Ezod. 3.6 And that it shall be a heavenly eternall estate in the world to come the Lord also manifesteth in his answeâ—e to the Carnall objection of those Saduces a litle before where he saith The children of this world marry are given in marriâ—ge but they that shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead neithâ—r marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall unto the Angels and are the children of God being the Children of the resurrection Luk 20.35.36 Where the Lord sheweth plainly that the world to come which the holy Fathers and their seed shall inherit at the resurrection will be such a world as none of the ungodly shall be counted worthy to inherit any part thereof as they doe most parts of this world And to this covenant also had David respect in his Psal where he exhorteth the people of Israell saying Seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his
Gabriel unto the blessed Virgin Mary when he was sent unto her saying Fâ—are not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus he shall be great and shall bee called the Sonne of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luk. 1.30.31 32 33. Which Kingdome of Christ was also foreshewed unto the Prophet Daniel in a vision as he saith And I saw in the night vision and behold one like the Sonne of man came with the cloudes of heaven and came to the antient of dayes and they brought him before him and there was given unto him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7.13.14 And where hee saith againe foreshewing also that the Saints shall possesse the Kingdome with Christ and raigne with him when those great Monarches and usurpers of it are removed Dan. 7.16.17 But The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome for ever even for ever and ever verse 18. as also in verse 27. And the Kingdome and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all powers shall serve and obey him According to that which the Prophet Micha testifieth fâ—om the Lord saying And I will make hir that halteth a remnant and her that was cast farre off a great Nation and the Lord shall raigne over them in mount Sion from hence forth even for ever Mich. 4.7 Much more might be mentioned from the Prophets and Scriptures to this purpose for which of the Prophets have not prophesied thereof and what words can there bee spoken more fully and clearely to shew the perpetuity of this Kingdome of Christ and of his Saints on the earth under the whole heaven then these that hath been spoken in these several places of the Scritures before mentioned for ever even for ever for ever ever for evermore for ever even for ever and ever for an everlasting possession an everlasting Kingdome that which shall not bee destroyed there shall bee no end as the Sunnâ— and as the Moone c. And how can it be thought that all these things and words should bee spoken in such a manner and but a thousand yeares meant and to be here in this poluted world fulfilled on a latter offâ—sping of Iewes remainingâ— or as the Millinaries would have it of a comming of Christ and resurrection of the beheaded Saints or of all the Saints since the beginning of the World to that time and then at the end of those yeares to cease or to bee delivered up as they immagine and teach I say except men were besotted with willfulnesse and blindnesse that having once conceived an opinion and taken it up will wrest all Scriptures even from their plaine intention to make them serve for their purposes rather then let their opinion fall or harken to any thing that may bee said against it It is true the Throne and Kingdome wherin Christ is now at this present unto which after his sufferings God the Father exalted him at his right hand in the heavens to sit raigne with him there till he had put all his enemies under his feet the last enemie being death This he is to resigne and deliver up to God the Father at the end of the world when God shall have put all enemies under his feet as Saint Paul saith Then commeth the end when hee shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the father when hee shall put downe all ruâ—e all authority and power for he must raigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet the last enemie that shall be destroyed is death for he hath put all things under him but when hee saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted that did put all things under him and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the sonne also himselfe bee sâ—biect unto him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. Where the Apostle sheweth plainely that in some consideration Iesus Christ the Sonne of man the Son of David is not subiect unto God the father now being at his right hand reigning with him in the heavens as he shall bee then at the end of the world when God shall have put all things under him himselfe onely excepted Nor God all in all now as he shal be then because now Christ in his humaine person sitteth in his Throne with him God having once setled him in the Throne of his Father David according to his oath which he sware unto David hee is to leave the other to him that gave him this and to bee suiect unto him and to honour him as his head even as his Spouse the Church is to be subiect unto him and to honour him as her head And herein shall the sonne loose no honour for as hee is God he is the same for ever Nay rather he shall receive much more glory and honour for although the glory and honour whereto he is now exalted at the right hand of God in the heavens be gâ—eat in respect of his humaine nature farre above all that ever any man else was exalted unto or ever shall yet it is seene of no man and beleeved but of a few neither are all his enemies now subdued But when all enemies all authority and rulâ— of Monarks and powers of this world of wickednes shall be subdued and death the last enemie and he himselfe sitting in the Throne of his glory with all his redeemed openly in the sight of all his and their enemies ruling them with a rod of yron as in the world to come it shall be Heb. 2.5 6 7 8. This his glory will be greater And these words of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. For he must reigne till hee hath put all enemies under his feete alluding in way of proofe unto the words of David Psalme 110.1 doe shew plainely that it is the Kingdom wherein he reigneth now at the right hand of God in the heavens that hee is to deliver up and resigne unto God his Father at his comming But this Throne Kingdome which God will now settle him in after all enemies are subdued he is never to resigne or deliver up neither shal it bâ—e taken from him nor he from it nor be destroyed or have an end as hath beene declared In this Throne he may admit his brethren that followed him in the regeneration that overcome to sit with him and wil as he hath promised saying