any more The like we have Ezek. 36. which is a Prophecie of this time where at vers 27. God promises to pour out his Spirit upon them and when he hath so done at the 31 verse he says That then they shall remember their evil ways and doings that were not good and loath themselves in their own sight for their iniquities and their abominations Though these be times in which Saints shall be advanced * The higher the Saints are the more humble higher then ever they were yet being filled with the Spirit they shall walk more humbly then ever and be more little in their own eyes then ever The truth is none but such as are humble shall be the Citizens of this New Jerusalem and therefore Mal. 4. 1. it is said that when that day cometh it shall burn as an oven and all the proud shall be burnt up no proud men must be left it shall be onely such as walk humbly before the Lord that shall live in this Kingdom But thirdly The Spirit being thus abundantly poured out upon the Saints they will be thereby filled * How Saints shall then be filled with Love with love and that in a most eminent manner so that as David being filled with the Spirit says I will love thee O Lord my strength so shall they also most truely and cordially say it with wonderfullyraised and inflamed affections For where much of the Spirit is there must needs be much Love for the Spirit of God is the spirit of Love it self And because of the great love that Saints shall have to God it 's said Psal 149. 3. that the children of Sion shall be joyful in their King he alone indeed shall be the joy of their hearts in him and in nothing else will they be satisfied It is not their corn and wine and oyl it is not all the outward enjoyments which they shall then abundantly have but it is the Lord alone that will be their greatest joy and pleasure and therefore Mal. 3. 1. it 's said The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the Messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight There Jesus Christ is set forth as the object of the Saints love and delight It 's true he is so now but in that day will most eminently be so And it 's evident it will be so for if we compare Rev. 19. 7 8. with Rev. 21. 2 3. we shall finde that then the Saints are solemnly taken to become the Bride the Lamb's wife which argues that ardent and entire affection shall then be in the Saints to Christ But then O what mutual exchanges of love will there be between Christ and his Saints And therefore the Lord thus highly and wonderfully expresses himself Zeph. 3. 16 17. which I can never read but with great admiration In that day shall it be said Fear thou not Sion for the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing What high and marvellous expressions are these that the most high and holy One should thus express his love to poor empty unworthy nothing creatures What that he will rejoyce over them Shall they be a joy to him Nay more that he will not onely love them but rest in his love as being that wherein he can acquiesce rest be satisfied And what be so well satisfied therein as to joy over his Sion with singing O wonderful what can be more said Who can sufficiently admire at the height and depth and breadth and length of this love of God which passeth knowledge And how great must the love of Saints be when they come more fully to apprehend this For this love begets their love His love to them is the spring of their love to him But fourthly Being filled with the Spirit they shall be thereby * What holy sweet filial fear shall be in the Saints then filled with a holy fear of the Lord Not that any distracting disquieting fear shall be upon them or any slavish fear but a holy filial fear shall abide upon them such a fear as will well become the sons and daughters of the Almighty whereby they shall be the better fitted to serve and honour their God and Father And of this the holy Ghost speaks Isa 60. 5. where speaking of these times wherein God will do such glorious things for his people he saith Their heart shall fear and be enlarged It shall not be a fear that shall disturb the Saints or make them walk heavily or straiten them in their services but an enlarging fear Their heart shall fear and be enlarged Such a holy fear the Spirit always puts into the hearts of the Saints to make them fit for the service of God And therefore the Psalmist hath this expression Psal 2. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling implying that such service and such joy is most acceptable is sweetest is best And so again the Prophet Hosea speaking of this glorious time Hos 3. 5. says he They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the later days It is not that they shall fear the Lord and his wrath that they shall fear the indignation of the Lord no they shall have no cause so to fear his love shall be so visibly and gloriously manifested to them but they shall fear the Lord and his goodness a holy reverential fear under the sence of goodness shall be in their hearts And that such services as have most of this holy fear in them are most spiritual and most sweet is well known to the experience of Saints And that such a fear shall be in the hearts of Saints in that time we are speaking of is also exprest Jer. 33. 9. And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto them The manifestation of goodness and love shall beget in them in whose heart the Spirit is a holy fear and trembling before the Lord. But fifthly Being thus filled with the Spirit they shall be enabled to worship the Lord acceptably * How Saints shall then purely worship God and purely The worship of God shall then be totally freed from mens inventions and they shall then worship God according to his own will For what his will about his Worship and service shall then be shall be clearly known among his people and be visible to all that truely desire to worship him as appears Isa 2. 2 3. and Mic. 4. 1 2. It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up unto the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of
THE LITTLE HORNS DOOM DOVVNFALL OR A Scripture-Prophesie OF King James and King Charles and of this present Parliament unfolded Wherein it appeares that the late Tragedies that have bin acted upon the Scene of these three Nations and particularly the late Kings doom and death was so long ago as by Daniel pred-eclared AND What the issue of all will be is also discovered which followes in the second Part. By M. Cary a servant of Jesus Christ AMOS 3. 7 8. Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets The Lion hath roared who will not feare the Lord God hath spoken who can but Prophesie London Printed for the Author and are to be sold at the sign of the Black-spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1651. TO The Vertuous Heroicall and Honourable Ladies The Lady ELIZABETH CROMVVEL The Lady BRIDGET IRETON and The Lady MARGARET ROLE May it please your Ladiships BEing pressed in spirit to divulge this insuing discourse the maine scope whereof being to make this present age more sensible of the late past and present footsteps of God in the world in order to the setting up of the kingdom of our Lord Iesus and the making of all dominions to serve and obey him And observing how that among the many pious precious prudent and sage Matrons and holy women with which this Common-wealth is adorned as with so many precious jewels and choice gemmes which God having here and there placed in it doe set out the glory and lustre of the * This Nation so farre excels in glory and happinesse all other Nations because of of those numbers of precious Saints that are in it and for severall other respects As it made a Reverend * See Mr. Tho. Goodwins Sermon preached before the Parliament in Feb. 1645. which is in print and intituled The great Interest of States and Kingdomes Which in many other respects is worthy the serious view of the best saints Divine of this Nation thus to expresse himselfe concerning it That if wee had stood at Gods elbow when he bounded out the Nations and appointed the times and seasons that men should live in wee should not have known in what nation or kingdome or age wee should have chosen to have lived in rather then in this kingdom for whom God hath done such great things unlesse when Iesus Christ himselfe was alive and the Apostles in those primitive times unlesse in Iudea it self where all the Apostles were together Nation God hath selected and chosen out your Ladiships and placed you in some of the highest places of honour according to your present capacities in the three Nations wherein you have more then ordinary opportunities to honour him And observing withall how that as God hath placed you in the stations wherein you are so hee hath fitted you for them the tendency of your aimes studies and endeavours as it is well knowne being to the exaltation as far as lies in you of that great King of Saints the Lord Iesus whom you love in sincerity and for the setting up of whose glorious Kingdome in the perfection of it you longingly waite which frame of spirit in you hath not been of yesterday only but for many yeeres together hath shined conspicuously and gloriously in you all demonstrating to all Saints that indwelling presence of the holy spirit which is within you I have therefore chosen being of your own sex to dedicate these Treatises to your Ladiships whom I honour because God hath honoured and under your favourable aspects to publish them to the world being assured both First of your ingenuous and gracious acceptation hereof seeing that these treatises tend to the quickning and refreshing of the hearts of those which waite for and expect the comming and the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ Knowing that every thing of this nature from how weak an instrument soever it be so it bee with the plaine and cleer demonstrations of the holy Scripture and the holy spirit is very acceptable unto you who are in that waiting and expecting posture And also secondly of your owning and defending and maintaining all the truths which are therein laid down as far as they shall appear in the energie and evidence of the holy spirit unto you who have already so plenarily compared with many other Saints of these present times received of that spirit And now right honourable that as your God hath graciously loaded you both with internall and externall glory under which he keepes you in a sweet meek and humble frame which crownes all the favours which he hath conferred upon you so that you may more and more abound in every grace and blessing of the Lord enjoying yet more full spirituall and sweet communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ through the spirit that as transplendent stars you may shine gloriously in the severall spheares wherein God hath set you or shall set you while in this world untill you are advanced unto that beatificke vision which is to bee injoyed among the glorified Saints and Angels with Iesus Christ in another world shall be the prayer of My Ladies Your Ladiships devoted unfeignedly to serve you in the Lord MARY RANDE To the READER Courteous Reader I Had written the first of these Treatises intituled The little Horns doom and downfall above seven yeeres since but have bin with-held from publishing of it untill now for ends best known unto divine Majesty but if may so guesse it may bee it was because that men would then generally have been more uncapable of receiving of such things then now they are because now these things are fulfilled and prophesies are then best understood when they are fulfilled But now am I so pressed to publish both this first Treatise and this other which I have but lately written upon this 27 verse of this seventh of Daniel * Having finished it but since the beginning of the moneth of August this present yeer 1651. as that I cannot I dare not with-hold neither of them from publike view any longer but by publishing of them in print I shall expose them to the publike view of all men as far as in me lies And having so done shall leave it to the eternall Jehovah to make it effectuall to those ends to which he hath appointed it which may bee First to convince those of their folly that persist in waies contradictory to or crossing of his present designes to the disturbing of their own soules though they cannot hinder his worke for who can let it for if hee do not convince them none can Or Secondly it may be to confirm others for there are some that are already so far inlightned in their understandings about the present proceedings of God in the world as they do in some competent measure already discerne the footsteps of God in these great present providences and doe discerne also what his designes are in
and thence until the THOUSAND yeers of Christs REIGN begin and of marvelous things therein and afterwards I had made a Collection from the Book of the Revelation and from Daniel and other Scriptures which was appointed to be printed before my Store-house of cases of Conscience was printed in 1650. but some reasons have hitherunto moved me to forbear the publishing thereof but those reasons appear to me now an insufficient ground to forbear longer having afresh considered that pregnant Motive from Rev. 1. 3. before recited and the sweetness of the precious things to come foretold herein as well as therein which should urge us not to be wanting to help others as far as in us is to the sweet and comfortable knowledge of the wonderful great things that our God is about to do for his people shortly as he himself saith Behold I come quickly or speedily Amen Even so COME LORD JESUS Saith the soul of his servant H. J. Reader IT may so be That thou art one of those who are willing to follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth and rejoycest in spirit that the King of Saints doth begin to be terrible to the Kings of the Earth Now if thou staggerest not through unbelief at those exceeding great and precious promises which are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth concerning the fifth kingdom thou shalt in due time behold with a mixture of joy and wonder those other grand Mutations and extraordinary Revolutions which are even at the door and ready to break in upon the Princes and upon the People of the whole earth Indeed many wise men after the flesh have been and now are much offended that a company of illiterate men and silly women should pretend to any skill in dark prophecies and to a foresight of future events which the most learned Rabbies and the most knowing Politicians have not presumed to hope for But after they who are thus offended have perused those Scriptures mentioned in the margint ' * Psal 119. 98 99. 100. they shall do well to observe the fruits of that Faith and fore-sight which dwelt in the hearts and in the minds of the old godly Nonconformists in Queen Elizabeths and King James his days there having been many hundreds of those silly and illiterate ones so called of whom it may be said at this day that they were wiser then their enemies wiser then their teachers wiser then the Ancients Psa 119. 98 99 100. where may be seen the proper reason of this their wisdom For are not those things come to pass which they foresaw and foretold concerning that fatal Catastrophe which hath now befallen the Prelates and their adherents whereas the generality of the Ministers and people of the Land had very little acquaintance with the minde of God in those particulars And surely that eminent instance of the Teachings of the Spirit and that full assurance of Faith bestowed upon those Saints which like Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord fully may suggest such a thought as this That there may be now in this juncture of time some neglected despised reproached Ones both men and women who clearly understand and perceive many precious truths concerning the golden Image the fourth Beast the seven Vials the seventh Trumpet the New Jerusalem the binding of Satan the pouring out of the Spirit the glorious advance of knowledge and Grace the universal Gospel-peace the power and dominion of the Saints c. which not onely the world generally but many of the Saints themselves look upon as well-composed Fables and as the Visions of their own hearts who are the teachers of them The ensuing Discourse treating of some of those things being a Gentlewomans thoughts put into form and order by her self was brought to me to peruse with this desire added That if I judged it meet I would prefix a few words to signifie my judgement concerning the usefulness thereof Two things there are which to me savor very well and I believe will take the hearts of divers Christians The one is the Collection and Collation of so many of those precious promises which concern the times yet to come and the presenting them to the Readers view in words at length and not in figures as the manner of many is The other is her vigilant care to insert here and there as occasion is offered such necessary cautions as tend to the wiping off of those unjust aspersions which Hierom and others would cast upon the Millenaries as they are called For in the Book thou wilt finde her pleading for the advance of holiness in the midst of all that happiness which is prepared for the Saints in that thousand yeers As for her thoughts concerning the little Horn thou wilt say when thou readest they are new and singular therefore be thou the more careful and if thou canst serve the Saints with a more probable Exposition and see the Apology in the 45 and 46 pages Many are running too and fro and knowledge is increasing Dan. 12. 4. But together therewith the Lord be pleased for the Lords sake to advance the power of godliness zeal for the truth and the delight of the Saints in Communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and one with another Do thou Reader say Amen beleevingly with Thy servant for the Lords sake CHRISTOPHER FEAKE Errata PAge 1. l. 5 dele another p. 4. l. 14. for Monarchs r. Monarchies p. 5. l. 3. for Monarch r. Monarchy p. 72. l. 12. for a virgin 1. O virgin p. 75. l. 2 and 4. for Monarchs r. Monarchies ead for Monarch r. Monarchy p. 160. l. 11. for jot r. iota p. 161. l. 10. for wal r. walk p. 170. for of Gospel r. of the Gospel p. 184. l. 6. dele that p. 199. l. 16. for both Jews r. both of the Jews p. 213. l. 3. for then to be their r. then as to their p. 259. l. 7. for how shall Saints r. how Saints shall p. 282. l. 1. for and will r. and they will ead l. 21. for heart more r. heart will more p. 294. l. 2. for take r. execute p. 287. l. 1. for external r. eternal p. 138. l. antepenult for your r. you IMPRIMATUR Joseph Caryl THE LITTLE HORNES DOOM and DOVVNFALL Dan. 7. 24 25 26 27. And another another shall rise after them which shall be divers from the first and he shall subdue three Kings And he shall speak great words against the most high and think to change Times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand untill a time and times and the dividing of time But the Judgement shall fit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him THe Coherence of these verses
shall not then break out and uncleanness shall not then appear in them and this appears Isa 62. 12. And they shall say to the daughter of Zion Behold thy salvation cometh behold his reward is with him and his reward before him and they shall call them THE HOLY PEOPLE the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called Sought out a citie not forsaken And Joel 3. 21. For I will â—…eanse their blood that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion And Isai 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin And in Isa 60. 21. and Jer. 21. 23. places already mentioned Again in the fifteenth place the Spirit being thus abundantly poured out upon them it shall make them appear very * Great spiritual glory will then appear in Saints glorious in the eyes of all for herein will their greatest glory then consist this is that which will make Sion the praise of the whole earth That she shall be thus gloriously adorned with the Spirit which is that glorious apparel which maketh the Kings daughter all glorious within as well as without Psal 45. 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold And therefore it is that Rev. 21. this New Jerusalem is thus described The building of the wall of this beloved City which vers 2. is said to be prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband I say the building of the wall of this City is said to be of Jasper and the City is said to be of pure gold like unto clear Glass and the foundation of the wall of the City to be garnished with all manner of precious stones the first Jasper the second Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerauld the fifth Sardonix the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacinct the twelfth an Amethyst And the twelve gates are said to be twelve Pearls every several gate of one Pearl and the street of the City to be of pure Gold as it were transparent Glass All which serves to set out that lustre and glory which shall appear in the Saints the beloved City of God by reason of that abundant measure of the Spirit which they shall enjoy in that day And expressions to the same purpose we have Isa 54. 11 12. O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs and I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones The Saints of God which for a long time have been afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted both by reason of enemies from without and corruptions from within so that no beauty nor comeliness hath appeared in them shall then be so freed both from outward afflictions and by the plentiful enjoyment of the Spirit from inward corruptions as they shall appear very glorious all fair and richly garnished and adorned with the choicest spiritual jewels And therefore not without cause doth David say Psal 87. 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee O city of God Again in the sixteenth place The Spirit being thus abundantly enjoyed by the Saints in these times they shall thereby be enabled to make a holy use of all the creatures which * Saints shall not sin at all in the use of the creatures they shall then enjoy And that which was said of those holy men of old shall be then truly said of them they shall visit their †Job tabernacles and not sin and they shall walk within * Psal 101. 2. their house with a perfect heart They shall indeed build houses and inhabit them and plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them but they shall not defile their houses by sinning in them nor shall they sin in using the creatures which they shall enjoy their corn and wine and oyl and flocks and herds and fruits of the trees and of the field which they shall enjoy shall in no sort be abused by them for the Spirit shall guide them to use all the creatures in a holy manner enabling of them to receive them with prayer and thanksgiving as Joel 2. 26. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God And Isa 62. 8 9. Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine for the which thou hast laboured but they that have gathered shall eat it and praise the Lord and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness And as they shall thus praise the Lord for all his mercies so doubtless shall they pray unto him for a holy use of them though the Scripture do not particularly speak of it for at this time though they shall be assured of all mercies of all sorts yet shall it be no * A full assurance of having mercies is no hinderance to a real Saints praying for mercy hinderance to their praying for them as to make them argue thus Why I am sure I shall have these and these mercies whether I pray for them or not and therefore what need have I to pray for them No but as now those that have most true and real assurance of mercies are most in prayer as the Lord Jesus himself was and as Paul was so shall it be in these times when the spirit of grace and supplication shall be most a bundantly poured out so that all creatures shall be sanctified to them being received with prayer and thanksgiving They shall eat and be satisfied and praise the Lord. And in the seventeenth place The Spirit being then thus abundantly showred down upon the Saints it shall fill them with holy * Saints shall be filled with joy joy without any mixtures of sorrow at all joy and gladness of heart for it is the very nature of the Spirit to be a Comforter and therefore where much of the Spirit is there must needs be much joy and so indeed there shall be and therefore it is said Isai 65. 18 19. Be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy And I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of crying It 's true that to compleat this joy they shall have many external or outward mercies but the pouring out of the Spirit is the main ingredient of their joy and without it their joy in all other enjoyments could be no joy no true joy The voice of weeping nor the voice of crying shall be no more heard among them and it is true that in respect of outwards
with the former part of this Chapter being observed the meaning of them will the more clearely appeare which is briefly thus The Prophet Daniel in the first yeare of Belshazzar had a Dream and Visions wherin the all-disposer of all things was pleased to reveale unto him not for his sake only but for ours also many things which were to come to passe in a very long time after some of which things are not yet but shall be fulfilled in their season The sum of the Vision is this The Prophet saw foure great beasts rise one after another being divers one from another and the first was like a Lion the second like a Beare the third like a Leopard and the fourth beast was such a Monster as he compares it to no beast being unlike any beast that could be named and it s said to be exceeding dreadful and terrible having ten hornes and among these hornes there came up another little horne before whom three were pluckt up and in this horne were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things And at last the Prophet in his Vision saw a finall end of all these beasts and all their Power and Dominion taken from them and saw the Lord Jesus Christ there stiled The Son of man set up to be the only Monarch of all the World The Prophet having seen this Vision and it being dark and mysterious to him he was troubled and desired to know the truth of it whereupon the interpretation of the Vision was given to him as it is at the 16 verse and so on And it was declared to him that the foure great beasts were foure Kings that should arise out of the earth and when the Prophet desired more particularly to know what the meaning of the fourth beast was which was so different from the rest and so exceeding dreadfull and what was the meaning of the ten Hornes which were in his Head and of the other Horne which came up before whom three fell It was revealed to him that the fourth beast should be the fourth Kingdome upon earth which should be different from all Kingdomes and should devour the whole Earth and should tread it down and break it in peeces and that the ten Hornes should be ten Kings which should arise out of it and that the other Horne which came up before whom three fell was another King which should arise after the ten Kings which should be divers from the first and should subdue three Kings c. Now that this Prophesie hath been accomplished exactly clearly and fully in the former part of it viz. in the rising of the foure Universall Monarchs which have acted their parts in the world since the time that the Prophet Daniel saw this Vision The first being the Babylonian which was then in being The second the Persian which succeeded the Babylonian The third the Grecian which succeeded the Persian And The fourth which was the worst the most dreadfull and terrible and the last of the foure was the Roman which succeeded the Grecian I say that in these foure Monarchs this Prophesie hath been in that part of it fulfilled is very cleare and acknowledged by all that acknowledge any thing And moreover in that since the breaking of the great power of the Roman Monarchy there hath risen ten Kings out of it which have been the Hornes which the beast hath made use of to push the Saints those Kings being subject to the Roman Beast which was first Emperiall and afterward Papal that Roman Beast whether Emperiall or Papall having alwaies had when least the number of ten Kings subjected to it Spain France England Scotland Ireland and Denmark being a part of that number In this also is that part of this Prophesie fulfilled which saies that the fourth Monarch should have ten Hornes or ten Kings and this is very plaine and undeniable and confest by all that have explained this Prophesie And thus having observed the Coherence I shall by divine assistance proceed to explaine the remaining part of this Prophesie which is contained in these foure verses And another shall arise after them and he shall be divers from the first and he shall subdue three Kings Having observed how the former part of of this Prophesie hath been already clearly fulfilled and that the ten Hornes were ten Kings belonging to the Roman Monarch and this part of this verse telling us that another King should arise after the other ten Kings which should be divers from the rest and should subdue three Kings And comparing this with the eighth verse to which this verse hath reference where Daniel saies that he considered the ten Hornes and behold there came up among them another little Horne before whom there were three of the first hornes pluckt up by the roots 〈◊〉 before whom three fell as in the â—… verse The result of all will be this that this King mentioned in this verse is the late King that reigned over England Scotland and Ireland and that appeares thus The King mentioned in this verse is said to be among the ten horns or Kings or to be of them and have three hornes or Kings pluckt up by the roots before him ver 8. or to have three of the ten Kings fall before hee comes up and this one to succeed three verse 20. Now this directly was the condition of the late King he came up in the roome of three of the hornes and reigned over three of the Kingdoms * That Kingdom may be said to bee and is indeed subjected to the Roman Beast the Pope when the King or those in authority in the Kingdom gives liberty to Prelates or to any of the Clergy-men as they are called to exercise any unwarrantable power over the consciences of Saints and to binde Saints to worship God in that way and method which they presscribe and no other way but so which God abhors Esa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 9. Exercising Lordship over the consciences of Saints and this is that for which Rome is called Babylon because it proved in this respect a house of bondage to ehe Saints And thus England Scotland and Ireland were subjected to the Roman Beast the Pope untill the late Kings power was taken from him and even so was England as well as the other Kingdomes subjected to the Beast even in Queen Elizabeths daies for though shee was in many respects 〈◊〉 vertuous Queen yet herein shee failed in suffering Bishops to Lord it over the consciences of Saints and therein was England one of the hornes even then as it hath bin ever since untill of late yeers subjected to the Roman Beast and before him three Hornes were pluckt up by the roots For Elizabeth of England and * This was he that caused the combustions in Ireland in Queen Elizabeths time and was wholly overcome at that time Hugh Baron of Dungannon and Earle of Tir-Oen whose predecessors claimed the Kingdome of Ireland and James of
spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish It is that they may be destroyed for ever but thou Lord art most high for evermore A new AND MORE EXACT MAPPE OR DESCRIPTION OF New Ierusalems GLORY when Jesus Christ and his Saints with him shall reign on earth a Thousand years and possess all Kingdoms WHEREIN Is discovered the glorious estate into which the Church shall be then put both in respect of externall and internall glory and the time when And also What hath been done these eight yeares last past and what is now a doing and what shall be done within a few years now following in order to this great work Wherein also That great Question whether it be lawfull for Saints to make use of the materiall Sword in the ruining of the enemies of Christ and whether it be the mind of Christ to have it so is at large debated and resolved in the Affirmative from clear Scriptures and all others answered By M. Cary a servant of Jesus Christ Rev. 22 6 7. And he said unto me These sayings are faithfull and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell to shew unto his Servants the thing which must shortly be done Behold I come quickly LONDON Printed by W. H. and are to be sold at the sign of the Black spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1651. A description of new Jerusalems GLORY when Jesus Christ and his Saints with him shall reign on earth a thousand yeares and possesse all Kingdoms Dan. 7. 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him THe Spirit of God in the former verses having declared the rise actions and end of the little Horne that was to afflict the Saints and shewing how that at last the Saints should overcome him Saies expresly They shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end and then saies in this verse that the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high c. The assertion which is laid down in these words is plaine and cleare and needs no explanation at all which is this That not only this Kingdom of England and some few others but all the Kingdomes and Dominions in the whole world shall in a more peculiar and more eminent manner than yet they have been be subjected to the Lord Jesus Christ and by him given to his Saints to possess This same truth likewise is positively asserted in the 13 14 18 21 and 22 verses of this Chapter in the 13 and 14 verses where the Vision it self of which these verses are an interpretation is declared there it is thus exprest I saw in the night vision and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of daies and they brought him neere before him and there was given him Dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed So that this is clearly asserted here also that the Dominion not only of some but of all people Nations and Languages should be given to the Lord Jesus Christ who is here exprest by this appellation The Son of man by which he is often exprest in the New Testament and this is to be done after the Beast is destroyed as is here exprest And what is in these verses said to be given to the Lord Jesus Christ is in the 18 20 21 and 27 verses said to be given to his Saints for in the 18 verse it is said that the Saints of the most high should take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome for ever even for ever and ever and in the 21 22 verses that the Horne prevailed against the Saints untill the Ancient of daies came and Judgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high and the severall beasts having had the Kingdomes of the world for their appointed times the time then came that the Saints possessed the Kingdome and in this 27 ver that the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heauen should be given unto the people of the Saints of the most High Thus what was in the 18 verse said to be given to the Lord Jesus there called the Son of man is in these severall verses said to be given to his Saints The truth is that which is given to the head is given to the members that which is given to the Husband the wife must partake of for there is nothing that he possesses which she hath not a right unto And the Saints of Christ are the members of Christ they are the Lambs wife and having given himselfe unto them he will not with-hold any thing that is his from them but when all the Kingdomes and Dominions under the whole heaven are given to him they shall possesse them with him Thus is this assertion that is laid downe in this verse confirmed in severall other passages in this very Chapter namely That all Kingdomes all the Nations and Languages and People under the whole heaven shall be in a more peculiar and a more eminent manner than yet they have been be subjected to the Lord Jesus and by him be given to his Saints to possesse And as it is cleare here so there are very many other Scriptures wherein it is as clearly asserted severall of which Scriptures I shall here produce that out of the mouth of many witnesses it may be confirmed against all contradictions which I shall the rather do because this Doctrine is so much despised by profane men who jeering at Saints say these are the meek that must inherit the earth But first let me premise That though it be unquestionably true that the riches of this world which hath been hitherto equally dispensed alike to all shall in a very short time be abundantly given to the Saints of the most High as Canaans Land was to Israel of old which was but a shadow of what shall come to passe in the latter daies that yet First they that are indeed the Saints of the most High and that walke most with God will be the least seekers of this worlds wealth and Secondly They that seeke it least and least desire it shall have more than they that seek it eagerly and also shall injoy it most comfortably and with greatest joy in God Thirdly that those saints that God will most honour though they shall have abundance of the world yet they shall not set their hearts upon it but shall prefer the least degree of the flowings of the spirit of God which
they shall in these daies abundantly have above all the treasures of the whole world No their hearts shall not Zach. bee set upon the world but their 10. 7. hearts shall rejoyce in the Lord. Fourthly that the advanced saints of God shall not in these daies seeke the wealth of the Nations but the Nations themselves as Paul expresses himselfe 2 Cor. 11. 14. we seek not yours but you that is not their wealth but their weale not their treasure but their safety not their riches but their happinesse not their outward things but the salvation of their souls and they that seek not these things to wit the publike weale and safety and happinesse and salvation of all but that doe covet to treasure up most riches for themselves and to poll and rob and cheat the people to inhance their owne estates and make themselves great in the world and their children gay and splendid amongst men as doe Kings Princes and evill Governours not to mention some sorts of Committee-men these shall become the basest and the vilest among men and their children be despised and contemned for their sakes especially if they walk in their steps Fiftly and lastly it is heaven and not the earth It is the kingdom of God and Math. his righteousnesse that Saints will 6. 33. seek after and these things shall bee added unto them And now having thus premised I shall come to mention those Scriptures which do so cleerly demonstrate that which is here asserted and the truth is the Scripture is so pregnant and so full of such passages as it would be very tedious to mention them all and doubtlesse many saints are very well acquainted with them but for satisfaction to others I shall mention some of them and the first shall be that known place in the second Psalme where it is cleerly asserted that all the kingdomes of the world shall in a most eminent manner be subjected to the Lord Jesus Christ and that hee should rule over Kings Princes and Judges which would not obey him with a rod of Iron and break them in pieces like a potters vessell if they cast not their Crownes at his feet and kisse him with the kisse of faith and obedience In the three first verses of that Psalme the Prophet seemes to have in his eye the rage of the heathen and the fury and the madnesse of the Kings of the earth at that time when God shall set up the kingdom of Jesus Christ over the whole world as if that as soon as they see preparation unto such a thing that their spirits should be presently inraged and they their Kings and rulers especially should set their whole strength consultations and counsels against the effecting hereof as being being resolved not to suffer it and therefore when they see that God is setting up of his Christ or anointed they say among themselves Come let us break their bonds and cast away their cords from us But alas poore wormes what doe they He that sit in the heavens shall laugh saies the Psalmist * vers 4 5 6. The Lord shall have them in derision Yea he shall speake unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure when they shall so doe and notwithstanding hee will set his King upon his holy hill of Sion and shall give him the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession some of which being pertinacious and obstinate opposers he shall breake with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell And therefore the spirit exhorts all those Kings Rulers and Judges of the earth to bee wise and receive this instruction even to kisse the Sonne and and to serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling lest the Sonne bee angry and they perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little But for the comfort of others who long to see that day of the King the Lord Christ his exaltation hee addes Blessed are all they that wait for him Thus this Scripture fully concurres with the present Text in asserting this thing That all the Kingdomes of the world shall bee subjected to the Lord Jesus Christ and as it s said here that all dominions or as the word may be more rightly rendred all Rulers must serve and obey him so the same is cleerly declared in this Prophesie of the Psalmist also The next Scripture which I shall quote for the clearing of this point shall be that in the 110 Psalme which is also very full to this purpose for there the Psalmist speakes of a time when the Lord Jesus Christ there stiled a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck should be set up and exalted above all the Kings and Potentates of the world and when he should rule in the midst of his enemies and should have his enemies made his footstoole and should judge among the heathen and wound the heathen and wound the heads over many Countries and fill them with the dead bodies and his people should be willing in that day of his power so that hence it is cleare also that there is a time coming when Jesus Christ shall have the Kingdomes of the world subjected to him And because it is and will be so that when he comes thus to rule and raigne that many people but especially the great ones Kings Princes Rulers and Heads of Kingdomes shall endeavour to oppose the Lord Jesus in so doing therefore it is said here that he shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath and wound the heads over many Countries The third Scripture which I shall cite for the confirming of this truth shall be that in the 149 Psalme a place already mentioned upon another occasion where it is said That the Lord taketh pleasure in his people and he will beautifie the meek with salvation and that the high praises of God shall be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings in Chaines and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron to execute upon them the Judgement written This honour have all his Saints Now true it is that almost hitherto since the Primitive times the Saints have been as it were trodden under feet of the Gentiles that is of heathen or profane men and they have trampled upon them and sorely afflicted them For they have both imprisoned them and chain'd fetter'd and whipt and cropt and mangled and rackt and burnt them what not For all the cruelties that wit sharpened with malice could either invent or inflict have the meek the precious ones of God undergone at the hands of their cruell raging enemies BUT here they have a promise that the Lord who taketh pleasure in his people will at last beautifie the meek with salvation And what shall the issue thereof be It shall be this That whereas for thus long time
they have been in a mourning and a sad condition wearing sackcloath for a time times and halfe a time Now the high praises of God shall be in their mouths and whereas the heathen viz. profane men have trampled upon them and made them as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things Now they shall have together with the high praises of God in their mouth a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings in Chaines and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints Thus Kings and Nobles and mighty men are to be subjected to his Saints This honour have all his Saints The fourth Scripture which I shall produce for the illustrating of this truth shall be that in Isa 51. 21. c. which is a promise to this purpose also in these words Heare now this thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling even the dregs of the cup of my fury and thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee which have said to thy soule bow down that we may go ever and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over Here it is expressy said that the cup of trembling and fury should be so taken out of the hand of the Church as they should never any more drink it againe and not only so but that it should be put into the hands of them that afflicted her So that those great and wicked ones that most ragefully and most bitterly have afflicted and destroyed the Saints of God must now drinke off the dregs of that cup both that scarlet Beast the Pope and all those Kings Princes Prelates and inferiour persons that continue implacable enemies of his Saints Another cleare passage to this purpose is in Isa 51. 8 c. in these words Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring againe Sion break forth into joy sing together ye wast places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem The Lord hath made bare his holy arme in the eyes of all the Nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God Here then its cleare that not only some but all the Nations shall see the glory and all the ends of the earth the Salvation of our God He will make bare his holy arme in the eyes of every Nation and People under heaven and they must all stoope to the Scepter of his Son Another clear confirmation of this truth we have Isa 60. 1 2 3 c. in these words Arise shine for thy light is come for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee for behold the darknesse shall cover the earth and grosse darkness the people but the Lord shall rise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee and the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesle of thy rising Then thou shalt see and flow together and thine heart shall feare and be inlarged because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee They shall bring Gold and Incense and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. Surely the Isles shall wait for me and the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy Sons from far their silver and their gold with them unto the name of the Lord thy God and to the holy one of Israel because he hath glorified thee and the Sons of strangers shall build up thy walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee and the Nation and Kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall bee utterly wasted The sonnes also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy one of Israel whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated I will make thee an externall excellency the joy of many generations Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting that I may bee glorified a little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time These words are a Prophesie of the glorious estate which the Church must in these latter daies after all her sufferings be advanced unto And first it is said of the Church that is the saints of the most high that the Light of the Lord shall rise upon them and his glory shall bee seen upon them and that so evidently and cleerly as that the Gentiles i. e. the prophane men of the world shall come to that light And not onely the poore and the mean among the Gentiles but some of their Kings and great ones shall be converted and imbrace the light and come to the brightnesse of the saints rising And secondly as abundance of the heathen shall bee converted so those of them that have formerly afflicted the saints of the most High shall come bending unto them and those that despised them shall bow themselves downe at the soles of their feet and that out of pure love to them because they shall see that they are the people of the Lord and the Sion of the holy one of Israel And thirdly those converted Gentiles shall further manifest their love to the saints of the most High by bringing in their wealth their riches their treasures their silver and their gold to them and by building their wals for them in this also their Kings ministring unto them And fourthly the Church the saints of God seeing these things and being thus favoured and blessed of the Lord shall be in in a sweet frame of spirit being filled with joy and therewith inlarged and heightned and this joy mixed with a holy feare and trembling walking altogether in the paths of righteousnesse And fifthly the Church or saints at this their rising shall grow so potent as that a little or despised one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation And sixthly The Nation and Kingdome that will not serve Sion i. e. the saints shall perish yea those nations shall bee utterly wasted And seventhly whereas the saints have been during the time of the prevalency of the Beast a despised and a contemned people they shall now be an eternall excellency and the joy of many generations Thus in this Scripture is this truth most evidently demonstrated That there must be such
that are done unto them and loving their enemies and doing good to them that hate them These things may they do and yet ought they not to leave the other undone But this may by the way bee considered that there hath been times when there was never a good Magistrate in the world and then was it the duty of Saints to bee wholy passive and observe the forementioned rules of patient suffering But when providence so orders it as to place in authority godly men then wee see it cleer that they should neglect their duty if they should not protect those that do well from the wicked cruelties of evill doers and thus the objection is answered and it is cleer that it is lawfull in Gospel times for Saints to fight against such as would murther and destroy them as the Associates of the Beast would Nay it is not onely lawfull to do it but it would bee their sinne if they should not doe it Godly Magistrates would sin if they did bear the sword in vain and did not punish evill doers and godly subjects would sinne if they should not obey the Magistrate when hee requires them to do this lawfull thing which is to bee assistant to him in punishing of evill doers and thus have I answered this sufficiently if I should not adde any thing else in answer But secondly in answer to such as make this objection that though it be true that the Apostle saies that those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and it was a truth in the Apostles time and hath been so for almost this sixteen hundred yeeres since that the Saints have suffered persecution either from the Roman Beasts the Emperours or the Roman Beasts the Popes or those that have acted by authority from them yet it doth not follow that this will alwaies hold a truth that the saints shall be alwaies sufferers but the contrary is cleer and I know none that deny it but that as the Saints have had a suffering time so they shall have a time of deliverance and freedome from suffering and the rod of the wicked shall not alway rest upon the lot of the righteous but God will though he have borne * Luke 18. 7. long at last avenge the quarrell of his people upon their enemies and though for this 1500 or 1600 yeers God having appointed his people thus long to a suffering condition he never called his people to do justice upon their enemies as hee did his people of old oftentimes under the Law as in the time of Joshua and of the Judges and David c. Yet it followes not out that hee may do it now For it is no where said that now in the latter daies when the time of the Saints deliverance commeth that they shall not by the sword as Israel of old did subdue the enemies of God which are also their enemies I say it is no where said they shall not so do but in severall places it is said that they shall so doe as in that knowne place in the 149 Psalme which never was yet so eminently fulfilled as it shall be in these latter daies Where the Psalmist in expresse termes saies that the Saints shall execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people and bind their Kings in chaines and their Nobles in fetters of iron and execute upon them the judgement written And doubtlesse the time is comming wherein the Saints in a most glorious manner shall have the honour to doe these things And this is cleer likewise in the 110 Psalme where the Psalmist speakes expressely of the time when the enemies of Christ shall bee made his footstoole as appeares in the first verse The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Now Jesus Christ when he ascended up to Heaven is said there to sit at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19. and there he sitteth and there hee must sit untill the time come that all his enemies be made his footstoole saies the Psalmist And in the fifth verse speaking of that time when they shall be made his footstoole he speakes thus The Lord at thy right hand that is the Lord Christ at the right hand of God shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath and he shall judge among the heathen and fill the places with dead bodies and wound the heads over many Countries This is a great work that he will doe wound the heads over many Countries strike through Kings in his wrath but what instruments shall the Lord Iesus use in doing these things he being at the right hand of God that is answered in the second and third verses The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion and thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power Here it is cleer that the sons of Sion are shal be the Lords instruments the rod of his strength and they shall be willing in this day of Christs power Another very cleer place to this purpose wee have Esa 54. 15 16 17. The whole Chapter is a Prophesie of the happy estate of the Church in these latter daies But that which is observable to this purpose is in these words In righteousnesse thou shalt bee established thou shalt bee far from oppression for thou shalt not feare and from terror for it shall not come neer thee But how shall this be shall they have no enemies at all to oppresse them nor terrifie them yes they shall have enemies but they shall have no power to oppresse them nay they shall not so much as be any feare or terror at all unto them such confidence shall they have that they shall overcome them for so it follows in the next verse Behold they shall gather together but not by me whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake and no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Thus its cleer that though the Church in these times have enemies and though these enemies doe gather together and rise up against them yet Saints shall not feare them nor at all bee terrified by them Why The Lord hath promised that all their enemies shall fall before them and though they make weapons and fight against the Saints yet they shall not prosper But the Saints shall overcome them in all the battels they fight Againe that the Saints shall in these latter daies be the instruments of Christ in subduing his enemies is cleere as in the fourteenth and sixteenth verses of the seventeenth of the Revelation and in the nineteenth Chapter so also in the sixth verse of the 18 Chapter where the Lord gives an expresse commission and command to his people to execute his just vengeance upon
the resurrection from the dead and they that slept in the dust should awake and sing and the earth should cast out the dead and this should be a joyful and comfortable time which should make amends for all their sufferings And about this time he speaks of the Lords coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity and for all the blood of his Saints which they have spilt as appears vers 21. And it 's certain that the raising of the Saints to live and reign with Christ will soon follow upon this Again of this appearing of Christ it is that the Prophet speaks Isai 33. 17 18. when he speaks of him that is fire-proof that shall dwell with devouring fire and everlasting burnings and says he to such a one Thine eye shall see the King in his beauty This is the time when he shall appear in his glory and beauty indeed and his Saints shall visibly see him and then their eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation c. as it follows in that Chapter And further of this visible and corporeal coming of our Lord Jesus doth the Angels speak Acts 1. 10 11. when that our Lord being with his disciples upon the mount called Olivet while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and saith the text While the disciples looked stedfastly toward heaven as Jesus went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel and said unto them Why stand ye looking up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven Now they visibly and corporeally saw him go into heaven and in the same manner did they and we are to expect that he shall come again And what but this doth our Saviour himself mean when he says to Philip who wondered that he should know him when under the fig-tree Thou shalt see greater things then these for I say unto you Hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Certainly there is a truth in all these things and we shall see greater and more glorious and admirable things then yet we have seen And though the time be not yet come yet certainly it will come Again in Act. 3. 19 20. 21. Peter tells us that when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord which time Saints have long waited for that he shall send Jesus Christ whom the heavens must receive until the time of the restitution of all things That is until he make new Heavens and new Earth restore all things The Heavens says he must retain him until these times which were spoken of by all the holy Prophets which have been since the world began But then Jesus Christ shall appear in that presence which the heavens now do retain which is his corporal presence for it cannot be said of his spiritual presence which is alway with us for which appearing his Saints wait And thus have I laid down the several Scriptures which do cleer this truth wherein it is abundantly proved by several testimonies whereas two or three Scriptures might have been authority sufficient to prevail But the Scripture is full in speaking of it and indeed it was much in the hearts of the Saints in the primitive times as appears by their frequent expressions of it upon all occasions even of this coming of Christ As 1 Thes 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And 1 Tim. 6. 14. I charge thee to keep this commandment without spot unto the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ which in his time will appear who is the onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords c. And 2 Cor. 1. 14. Ye also are our rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jesus And 1 Thes 1. 9 10. And how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come And 1 Thes 2. 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rijoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming And 2 Thes 2. 1 2. We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that you be not soon shaken in minde c. And 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing Thus these Saints had much in their eye the day of Christ the coming of Christ the appearing of Christ And the Apostle makes it a principal piece of Religion For speaking of the Thessalonians when they were converted he says They turned from Idols what to do To serve the living and true God and what To wait for his Son from heaven Though that day was far off as the Apostle himself elsewhere informs them yet they did so firmly believe this his coming from Heaven and their being gathered unto him as they might truly be said to be waiters for it Of the manner of the coming of Christ and his Saints and with what bodies they shall come But now this Question may be propounded It being granted to be an undoubted truth thaâ— Jesus Christ shall personally appear on earth and that the Saints departed shall be raised from the dead to raign with him in that day With what bodies shall Christ and his Saints come And how shall they be raised up Doth the Scripture say any thing to that I answer Yes For hitherto I have quoted the Scriptures that speak onely of his coming and the Saints being raised but there are other Scriptures which speak of the manner how as that Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him c. And Luke 21. 26 27. For the powers of the heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory And Mat. 24 30. 31. And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and and they shall gather together his elect c. And v. 27. As the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be So that it is cleer that as the Angels told his disciples when they saw a cloud to receive him out of their sight that he should so appear out of the clouds in like manner as they
also there shall be no cause for weeping or crying they shall not then lose their dear relations and other outward enjoyments to their grief as I shall shew by and by but shall comfortably enjoy them But the top-flower the crown of all their joys shall be spiritual even those spiritual enjoyments which they shall then be made partakers of And in that respect chiefly it is said Isai 35. 10. That the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away And therefore also is it said that God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 7. 17. They shall be no more afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted as they have been for want of spiritual enjoyments no but they shall have such full supplies of the Spirit in all cases and upon all occasions as they shall not have cause to bewail and mourn and sigh for the want of it No but the Spirit shall be as bread to strengthen them and they shall walk in the strength thereof and as new wine to refresh and make them cheerful Zech. 9. 17 For how great is his goodness and how great his beauty Corn shall make the young men cheerful and new wine the maids Thus with holy joy and gladness shall the hearts of Saints be then filled And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads And thus have I as briefly as I could declared what the spiritual and internal priviledges are which the Saints shall be made partakers of in this new Jerusalem But now here by the way let me adde this word That though I have all along spoken of those spiritual priviledges and perfections as prerogatives that shall be gloriously conferred upon Saints in those thousand yeers that I have spoken of yet let Saints know this also That though the heights of these spiritual glories are reserved for that time yet as the time is already come wherein Jesus Christ is beginning to take his kingdom and in a sense it may be already said That the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ so the time is already come wherein these spiritual promises are to be made good at least these are the beginnings of that time And we see * Those that are spiritual do see it and their souls rejoyce in it They see it in Saints of all ages and Sexes and degrees it very evidently for upon the Saints in general the Spirit is already more abundantly poured out then it hath been And this we may expect and duely look for That as Jesus Christ rises higher and higher in his other dispensations in subduing his enemies in this Nation and the Kingdoms abroad So he will rise higher and higher in his spiritual dispensations he will more and more pour out his Spirit upon his people And as the Spirit of Prayer upon some and the Spirit both of Prayer and Prophecy upon others and all the effects of the Spirit as knowledge humility love c. is already poured out upon Saints learned and unlearned male and female old and young very richly in comparison of what it was twenty yeers since So before twenty or ten or five yeers more pass we shall undoubtedly * They shall see it especially that look for it that long and wait for it see much more of this spiritual glory upon the Saints then now there is We shall see I more knowledge among the Saints and will be generally 2 in a more humble frame of Spirit laying themselves low before * We have now great cause to rejoyce â—o see so much of this frame as we do already see among the Saints God And 3 they shall have more inflam'd affections to God because of all his goodness to them And 4 they shall have upon their hearts a more holy son-like fear of God And 5 they shall worship him more purely more according to his will And 6 there shall be among all Saints a more firm union And 7 they shall be enabled to act more justly and righteously And 8 they shall be more meek And 9 those that are weak among them shall be more strong And 10 their language shall be more pure And 11 their minde shall be more high and noble I mean more heavenly less minding earthly vanities And 12 they shall be more fully swallowed up in the will of God And 13 singleness of heart more evidently appear in them And 14 corruptions of any kinde shall less appear And 15 their spiritual glory shall shine forth more fully And 16 they shall more purely use all outward injoyments all creature-comforts And finally they shall be filled with greater joy in God and more fully be joyful in their King his high praises being in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hand to take vengeance upon the heathen c. I say these things we shall see more perspicuously and more emmently in Saints five yeers hence then now but ten yeers hence much more then then and twenty yeers hence far exceeding that For these are not ordinary times not such times as have been during the forty two months wherein the Church was appointed to be in a low condition but these are the Saints rising times wherein they shall rise higher and higher Therefore all ye that are Saints look for these things * Let all Saints both men and women and sons and daughters servants and handmaids expect these things expect them and labour after them for this is the time wherein ye shall indeed †Hos 6. 3. know if ye follow on to know the Lord. And therefore now let nothing satisfie you but this For it is not those of ye you well know that have most outwards but those that have most of this spiritual glory that shall be most happy and most in esteem with Jesus Christ and his Saints and such shall not want outwards as appears in what follows Of the Outward and external priviledges that Saints shall then injoy I come now to declare also what the external priviledges of the Saints shall then be But first I shall premise these three things First That though the external priviledges of the Saints shall then be very many and very great that yet these outward priviledges are no way to be compared with those spiritual priviledges I have already spoken of Neither can the heart of a true Saint suffer any comparison to be made between them And secondly That though these outward enjoyments are favours and blessings which may be lawfully desired yet are they not desired by Saints in comparison of that desire they have to injoy those spiritual priviledges already spoken of which they would think themselves happy if they might but now injoy though they had not those outward things any more then they have had in their lowest condition And thirdly That to the
people who are in this frame and to none but such whose hearts are thus spiritual and who so little regard these things in comparison of spiritual even to such will God in these times we are speaking of abundantly give not onely these spiritual injoyments and priviledges but all other things shall be added unto them that so their joy may be compleat and nothing may interrupt it And now I come to declare how comfortably and if I may so say how happily the Saints shall live in this new world in respect of outwards Concerning which hear how the Lord expresses himself Isa 60. 15. For I will make thee an eternal excellency the joy of many generations It is a short but a full word for speaking of the external glory that he will confer upon his Church he says that his Sion shall have as much outward glory as ever any people had nay he says not onely so but that they that excel others he will make them an external excellency The outward glory that was conferred upon Solomon the type of our King of peace was very great but this shall excel it and excel all kingdoms that ever were before it for outward things as well as spiritual It shall be an exâ—…rnal excellency and it shall be the joy of many generations such outward glory and such excellency above all others shall be conferred upon it as shall be the joy as shall glad the hearts of all that live in those generations or that shall be brought forth in those times while these thousand yeers shall last And what the outward glories of it shall be is in part exprest in the following words For brass I will bring gold and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brass and for stones iron These are the things wherein the external glory of a land consists and he says withal that they shall suck the milk of the Gentiles and suck the breasts of Kings Which imports that the treasures and outward glory of the Nations and of the Kings and great men of the world shall be all drain'd together and brought in to them they shall suck the sweetness of them and shall injoy them all And thus will the Lord make his Sion an eternal excellency in outward respects as well as in inward or spiritual respects But now more fully to declare what this external glory of this new world shall be thus There shall be no outward thing wanting to the Saints that may make their life outwardly comfortable for what is it that can be desired or that heart can think of that ever at any time maketh the lives of people comfortable but the Lord hath promised that his people shall enjoy it in these times And first * Saints shall then have that outward blessing of long life and a comfortable enjoyment of all their relations until they come to a good old age Doth the enjoyment of neer relations without losing of them make the life comfortable Are children outward blessings in which men take much outward content and delight And is it a very desirable thing to have our children the Lords children to be the blessed of the Lord And is it a bitter thing to lose an onely son a sad thing to lose children and neer relations and is the contrary a desirable mercy And is long life a blessing and an outward favour lawful to be desired According to that Psa 91. 16. With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Why all these things hath the Lord promised to his people in these days when these new Heavens and new Earth shall be as we finde in these Scriptures Isai 65. 17 18 c. Behold I create new heavens a new earth and then what follows I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of crying But if they should lose their children lose their relations before they come to a ful age there would be mourning and weeping for these things usually prove sad afflictions to the best Saints even to Jacobs and Davids But they shall not lose these then for vers 20. it is said There shall be no more thence an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the childe shall die an hundred yeers old So that this is clear No infant of days shall die none shall die while they are young all shall come to a good old age They shall not be afflicted for the loss of their children for they shall live till they be an hundred yeers old and not an old man shall die that hath not filled his days Again Zech. 8. 3 4 c. Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Sion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called A city of truth and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain wherein the Lord will dwell And what follows Thus saith the Lord of hosts There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof Thus shall the Saints in those days enjoy those desirable blessings of children and of long life they shall have a numerous issue The streets shall be full of boys and girls and old men and old women shall live till they come to a good old age till they walk with a staff in their hand for age But me thinks as I am speaking of these outward blessings I cannot too often insert this as a caution by the way That to a holy heart these things are but secondary comforts under-comforts their chief comfort consists in spirituals But I proceed In Jer. 33. the Lord speaks of the great things he will do for his people in that day and vers 9. he says They shall be for a name of joy and praise and honour before the nations which shall hear of the good that he will do unto them And vers 11. There shall be heard among them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride and the voice of them that shall say Praise the Lord of hosts c. Thus shall they comfortably enjoy children and all relations and praise the Lord. Nay and to make their children which they shall enjoy a complete blessing and mercy to them indeed it is said that they shall be all holy unto God Isa 65. 23. They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them Their children being thus blessed with them shall be a joy unto them whereas otherwise they might be a grief and trouble to them Again to the same purpose is that Isa 54. 13. and Isa
outward mercies which we have spoken of So that there is no creature-comfort no outward blessing which Saints shall then want but as the earth which is * Psal 24. 1. the Lords shall be then given to them so also all the fulness thereof all that which may conduce to the making of them fully outwardly comfortable as well as those inward comforts already spoken of So that in all respects the * Psal 118. 15 voice of rejoycing and salvation shall be heard in the tabernacles of the righteous I should now proceed to speak of other things but before I do there will be one Objection and three Queries to be answered An Objection And first some may say It is true they do expect that God will do great things for his people but they expected not these outward things that have been spoken of For how can it be a mercy to the Saints to enjoy these seeing the world and worldly enjoyments usually prove a snare unco them And therefore the Apostle says 1 Tim. 6. 9. That they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition And it is too evident how the world hath choaked the growing of grace in those hearts where eminently it shined before they did possess so much of the world and since they have had much of the world they seem to be more proud and are not in that humble posture as before and they appear to be more cold and formal and can swallow those things which before they condemned in others And it being so though the Lord will do great things for his people yet it is doubtful say some whether it shall be in outward respects which do thus usually prove snares to Saints and did prove so in Constantine the Great his time and afterward when the godly Emperours bestowed great outward possessions upon the godly Bishops then they began to decay and grow cold and corrupt and loose in their lives which made S. Augustine utter this expression Religio peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem that is Religion brought forth riches and the daughter hath devoured the mother whereby he imports that riches had proved a great snare to religious people and eaten out the power of godliness And how then shall we expect these outward enjoyments which have proved and do prove such snares in these glorious times we are looking for The Answer to the Objection To which I answer first That God will do great things for his people in outwards as well as in spirituals is very clear the Scripture being so plentiful and full in the declaring of it And since it is his pleasure in these later days to deliver the creature from the bondage of corruption and to restore all these outward things to their primitive goodness and glory that his people may see how good these lefthand-mercies if I may so term them are which for their use were appointed that so they may be fully sensible of his goodness therein I say since he hath thus appointed and the Scripture fully declares he will do it why should it be doubted But secondly Whereas it is said that these outward enjoyments do prove and have proved snares let that be considered which I have already said how that it shall not be with the Saints in these times as it hath been formerly but that the Spirit shall be more abundantly poured out upon Saints then it hath been and if thou that so objectest considerest that then thou wilt see that the Spirit being so gloriously enjoyed will preserve Saints from being so snared overtaken with the temptations of the world as too many formerly have been And thirdly Whereas thou sayst that many now are snared with the world I desire thee to consider first Whether such as are so snared and carried away with the world from their first love had ever any love to the Lord Jesus in sincerity whether they were not as the thorny ground or the stony ground that never had good rooting never had indeed the Spirit of the Son in them but seemed to receive the Word but it was but with outward flashes of joy Or secondly If they truely had the Spirit of Jesus whether it were not in a weak and a lowe degree for thou shalt finde that those that have a higher measure of the Spirit they though they are great in the world are as full of life and vigour and of fervent love to Christ as those that are mean and walk as humbly as any of them nay some of those that God hath given great outward preferment unto and have much of the world in their possession do far exceed many of those Saints that are of more inferiour rank in the world and go beyond them in zeal and fervencie of spirit and being exemplary in a holy humble and unspotted conversation Therefore if some be corrupt and cold and carnal that have much of these outward things impute it not to those outward things which simply considered in themselves have no evil in them but impute it to that corrupt heart that so abuses these enjoyments Again fourthly Consider what I have already said viz. that the chiefest of the Saints comforts in these times will consist in their inward enjoyments and those that are truely spiritual and shall indeed be accounted worthy to stand before the Lord Jesus in that day shall be such whose hearts are set upon desiring the spiritual enjoyments of this Kingdom above all things else and to such these things shall be added But let such who more desire outward comforts then spiritual enjoyments and manifest it by their present unjust scraping of these outward things together know that they shall in that day enjoy neither the one nor the other comfortably as appears Isai 65. 13 14 20. And so much in answer to this Objection A Querie But secondly It may be queried Whether when the Saints shall enjoy all these things they shall not follow their several employments and vocations as now they do An Answer to the Querie To which I answer Yes it is clear they shall follow several employments as now they do but doubtless in a more regular and more excellent and comfortable way then many now do i. e. some shall not labour and toyl day and night scarce allowing themselves any time to spend in the performance of holy duties or for lawful and convenient recreations to maintain others that live vitiously in idleness drunkenness and other evil practices I say It shall not be thus then such idle and profane creatures shall then have no allowance or sufferance to live such lives as now they do But to the Question That men shall then follow their several employments and callings is clear in these Scriptures Amos 9. 13. Behold in that day saith the Lord the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed