agree with their rule then shall they agree one with another 3. Churches and Saints in them shall be like themselves As like Christ like one another so like themselves not subject to declinings and decays as now they are All shall be growing onwards towards perfection and none shall backslide Round things are easily turned this way or that way but what is of a four square Figure lies firm All will be firm and stable in the Church here set forth Saints will not be like Reuben unstable as Water or double-minded Men unstable in their ways but like David who said My heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed It is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace Heb. 13.9 And at this time the Lord will perform this good thing in establishing the Hearts of all his People with Grace so that they shall not fall from their own stedfastness but he that is righteous shall be righteous still Rev. 22.11 Consid 4. A Sabbath will be observed in this time when the Jews shall be called both by them and the saved Nations Chap. 46.1 mention is made of Six Working-days and of the Sabbath-day not a Jewish but a Gospel Sabbath the First day of the Week which is conceived to be hinted Chap. 43.26 27. Seven days shall they purge the Altar and when these days are expired it shaâ—â— be that upon the eighth day and so forward the Priests shall make your Burnt-Offerings c. when the seven days are expired and so the Seventh which was the Jewish Sabbath ended then upon the Eighth day the First day of the Week which is the Christian Sabbath shall the Priests make your Burnt-Offerings And so forward that is upon every First day after the ending of the Jewish Sabbath Now the Sabbath mentioned Chap. 46.1 is this Eighth day so called in relation to the Seventh expired but the First day of the Week to be observed by the Jews when they shall be called This of the Sabbath may well be taken in a literal sense for we ought not to leave the literal and go to a mystical sense when there is no necessity for it What is spoken of the New Moon must be taken in a mystical sense because that was an observation purely shadowy and ceremonial but not so the Sabbath Let it be owned then as truth that a Sabbath shall in this glorious state of the Church be purely kept True in the New Jerusalem there will be a perpetual Sabbath but not so amongst the Tribes in the Land As Adam in Paradise had work to do and if he had continued in his innocency should have wrought the six days and have kept the Sabbath So shall the Saints do in the times of restitution for they will be restored to the doing of that which Adam should have done As they shall be restored to Priviledges so to the performance of Duties of which the exact keeping of a Sabbath is one And for the farther clearing of this so considerable a truth let Isa 58.13 c. be compared with this place of Ezekiel If thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord c. Where observe that several great and precious Promises are made to the Jews and the keeping of the Sabbath is the condition upon which the accomplishment of them doth depend And these Promises were not fulfilled at the Return of the Jews from Babylonish Captivity or at any time since but shall be fulfilled when the Jews shall be called Let the particulars be well weighed v. 8. Then shall thy Light break forth as the Morning and thine Health shall spring forth speedily What Light is this but that mentioned Isa 60.1 Arise and shine for thy Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee The Jews have been long in Darkness but the Glory of the Lord shall at last be revealed and the Veil shall be taken from their hearts that they may see it And thy oighteousness shall go before thee that is The Lord thy righteousness This then respects the time when the Jews shall be called by this Name which hath not been yet for they at Christ's first coming went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit to the righteousness of God they would not then be called by this Name And farther 't is said The Glory of the Lord shall be their reward It shall be with them as with the Jews in the Wilderness when they had the Cloud and smoke by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night Which when Pharaoh pursued them was their reward v. 10. Then shall thy Light rise in obscurity and thy Darkness as the Noon-day The Jews are under Darkness within and without Darkness covers their Hearts and their State for they lie hid in obscurity and darkness and none knows where the Ten Tribes are but at last they shall be brought forth to the wonder of the World for it shall be said These where had they been Isa 49.21 v. 12. They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places and raise up the foundations of many Generations When they returned from Babylon they were the Foundations onely of one Generation of Seventy years that were raised up This promise then must look further v. 14. I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth Not onely of Canaan but of the Earth And lastly I will feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father Which intimates the calling and gathering of the Ten Tribes also When the Jews returned from Babylon they were fed onely with Judah's Inheritance For the Ten Tribes did not then return which may be proved from Hos 1.6 7. I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly toke them away But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God Therefore when Judah was saved from Babylonish Captivity Israel was not saved But at last Judah and Israel shall be saved together v. 11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint them one Head and then they shall be fed with the Heritage of Jacob. 'T was the whole Land of Canaan which was Jacob's Heritage which he divided amongst his twelve Sons And how exactly doth this agree with Ezekiel's Prophecy about the division of the Land amongst the twelve Tribes which shall be fed with the Heritage of Jacob their Father It s most evident then that these Promises are to have their accomplishment when the Jews shall be called But observe what must be done by them If thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight Therefore first a Sabbath will then be kept even a Christian Sabbath by the Jews And if a Sabbath was to be kept by Adam in Paradise if it was to be observed from the beginning and shall be by the Jews when called If the Church in the times
yield a Juice like Honey and he after saith we may call that part of the Earth divine where whatsoever Fruit is most dear and precious is in most abundance Also in all other Fruits it surpasses all Countreys in the World for it multiplieth all things and increaseth them sooner there the cause whereof I judge to be the pleasant waters and warm nourishing Air which inviteth all things to spring and then increaseth them and the moisture causeth all things to take firm root and defendeth them from drought In Summer the Air of that place is so temperate that when it snoweth in other parts of Judea and is extream cold the Inhabitants in this place do onely wear a Linnen Garment Thus he declares the Fertility of Jericho caused by that Miracle and certainly a greater Miracle than this here will be wrought for there are promises in Scripture of a great Fertility that shall be after the Calling of the Jews Ezek. 36.30 I will multiply the Fruit of the Tree and the Increase of the Field so that ye shall receive no more reproach of Famine Verse 35. The Land that was desolate shall become like the Garden of Eden What a great Change will there be in the Earth when desolate and barren Land shall be like Eden And as we have ground to conclude that many of God's Works wrought among the Jews of old were typical of greater Works which shall be wrought for them at last for which see Jer. 23.8 So why may we not gather something from that work of God in giving them Water out of the Rock And that which I would especially hint is from Deut. 32.13 He gave them Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock The Water is called Honey and Oyl And why First Because it was a Supply flowing from special Grace and Mercy special Grace adds a great deal of Sweetness to common Mercies Secondly It was an extraordinary Supply in time of great need Water in that extremity was as Honey and Oyl Thirdly It was a Type of Christ for They drunk of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 An Eye of Faith looking unto Christ would make it sweeter and more pleasant than Honey and Oyl Fourthly It being Water given them by a Miracle might have sweetness and vertue beyond ordinary water For as the Bread given them by a Miracle has the taste of Honey and fresh Oyl so might this mirhculous Water When Christ turned Water into Wine that was far better than ordinary Wine the Governour of the Feast said Thou hast kept the good Wine until now The other in comparison with this did not deserve to be called good Wine Doubtless that miraculous Wine was the best Wine that ever was drunk and why may we not conceive the like of this miraculous Water which might be typical in relation to the times of Restitution in which even Water the most common mercy shall have much more vertue and pleasantess in it than now it hath 'T is said of Fire and Water that they are good Servants but bad Masters and theâ— have often been bad Masters in these times of the Old Heavens and Old Earth but in the time of the New they shall be good Servants alone and no more bad Masters to the Saints The Air also will be sweet wholesom and fructifying and what hath a spiritual meaning Cant. 4.16 will be then true in a natural sense also The North-wind shall awake and the South-wind blow that the Spices may flow forth No blasting-wind or that which will hinder the flowings forth of Fruits but that which shall farther their flowing forth and then the rough wind shall be stayed in the day of the East-wind 3. The Creatures shall be delivered from all their usurping and oppressing Lords Satan shall not Lord it over them neither the Man of Sin they shall be together in the Bottomless Pit and all Christ's Enemies will be made his Footstool whereby the Creature shall have its so-much longed-for Liberty and shall be in Subjection to him who is to be the desire of all Nations and of the whole Creation of whom 't is said Psa 8.4 What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him thou madest him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things in subjection under his feet Which must be fulfilled in that World which is to come as is evident Heb. 2.5 6. For as to the present state of things in the World as now it is the Apostle saith v. 8. We see not yet all things put under him 4. The Liberty of the Creature consists in the lawful Use of it 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use the world as not abusing it Here two things may be observed First The Creature is to be used and not enjoyed Life and Happiness doth not consist in it carnal men enjoy the Creatures the covetous man enjoyes his Wealth as Dives did Son remember that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things Worldly men have their portion in this life and say 'T is good to be here Now such an enjoying of the Creature holds it in bondage its Liberty is to be used well insist Psa 110.7 't is said of Christ He shall drink of the Brook in the way and then men should lift up the head and heart to him in whose favour is their life Secondly The Creature should be used lawfully and not abused a lawful Use is its liberty There is a natural Use of Creatures which is for Food and Rayment and somewhat for Delight for Gen. 2.9 Out of the Ground God made every Tree to grow which was good for Food and pleasant to the eye In the times of Restitution it will be so Fruits both profitable and pleasant will be made to grow Hos 2.21 It shall come to pass in that day that is when the Jews shall be betrothed to the Lord I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and the Heavens shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel When the Jews shall be Jezreel the Seed of God all the Creatures shall with one consent serve that Jezreel What is the reason that now 't is otherwise for many times the Heavens hear not the Earth the Earth hears not the Corn the Corn hears not men 'T is because for the most part instead of being a Jezreel they serve a Jezabel There is a Spiritual Use also to be made of Creatures and so in them as in a Glass we should behold the Glory of the Lord and we should praise him as the Creator of them and honour him with them The great Whore glorifies her self with what she hath this is the Creature 's bondage but when the Promise
of Light and Holiness which shall be due to that state and shall perform the Service which shall be required of them in that station And these Churches without shall have gate holiness court-holiness court-attainments and Outer Temple perfection communion and comforts and the others shall have Inner Temple holiness perfection and consolations The like may be said of the City there is the beloved City New Jerusalem Rev. 26.9 and there is the camp of the Saints like the camp of Israel when the Tribes marched and pitched in order about the Tabernacle and is set forth by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Septuagint to set forth the camp of Israel This camp will consist of called Iews and converted Gentiles even the Nations of them which shall be saved and shall walk in the light of the New Ierusalem for New Ierusalem light shall fill the breadth of the Land of Immanuel and every little chamber of the gates hath a window to let in New Ierusalem light into it This camp of the Saints will be urbs mobilis castrensis a moveable and Tent City and the New Ierusalem urbs fixa The former will answer the Church of Israel dwelling in Tents and the later the state of that Church when Ierusalem was the City chosen of God to place his Name in So then there will be at that time when the Iews shall be called Saints in two different states that is glorified and not glorified That there will be glorified ones shall be after proved and that there shall be some not glorified I shall prove by this Argument There will be marrying and begetting of children in that time which cannot be among the raised Saints for they marry not neither are given in marriage therefore there must be Saints in an inferiour state among whom this will be And that some Saints shall beget children then is evident from chap. 47.22 Ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be to you as born in the land among the children of Israel This likewise is manifest from Isa 59.20 21. The redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Iacob As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever This Promise concerns the Iews when they shall be called for by this the Apostle proves their calling Rom. 11.26 Now after their calling they shall have Seed and Seeds Seed Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations Isa 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their of-spring among the people 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 of-spring with them The Promise is to them and their of-spring who shall all be sanctified ones and the blessed of the Lord. The curse of Adam shall not then rest upon any of the Saints children but they shall have the blessing of Abraham Prop. 6. This Temple and City this Church and Common-wealth which was constituted and framed according to an Heavenly pattern Moses did all according to the pattern in the Mount and Solomon built the Temple after the form which was shewn to David by the Spirit 1 Chron. 28.12 So Christ shall build this Temple according to the heavenly pattern All shall be done by line and measure and every part shall have its due proportion so that it will be a Spiritual House fitly framed growing into an holy Temple chap. 40.3 Ezekiel saw a man whose appearance was as Brass with a line of Flax and a measuring Reed This is Christ who shall do his Work exactly and according to rule Prop. 7. There were some things commanded to the Jews of old which are not mentioned in the description of this Temple and City and the not mentioning of them with other Jewish Rites and Ordinances here spoken of doth argue the Perfection which the Church here described shall have above what it had under Moses or any time since Now to shew this consider 1. There was a Candlestick for Light both in the Tabernacle and Temple much is spoken of it as Exod. 25.31 and in other places this was a Type of Gospel-Churches which are called Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.20 and the two Witnesses are called two Candlesticks Rev. 11.4 A Candlestick is to hold forth light in a dark place And when Gospel-Churches are called Candlesticks it notes Churches which shall be in a time of darkness when a Candle is useful Thus in John's time there was much darkness upon the face of the earth John 1.5 The light shineth in darkness And the two prophesying Witnesses are Lights shining in Darkness Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness hath covered the greatest part of the World and the few Witnesses of Christ have been Candlesticks holding forth the true light in a dark time and place But in the description of this Temple and City we read nothing of a Candlestick or light of a Candle Whence may be concluded that the state of the Church here fore-told will be much more glorious in respect of Light and Knowledge than as yet it hath been Rev. 22.5 it 's said the New Jerusalem hath no need of a Candle And then even in the portions of the Tribes that will be made good Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun seven-fold That degree of Scripture-light which now shines in the World being compared with that which shall shine hereafter is but as the light of the Moon to the light of the Sun 't is but as the lesser Light ruling the Night but then it shall be as the greater Light ruling the Day And as now is a time of much darkness in the World so a great matter of comfort it is that we may say as the Apostle Rom. 13.12 The Night is far spent and the Day is at hand The Night in which Antichrist reigns and wild Beasts are abroad seeking their Prey is very far spent and the Day of the Son of Man is at hand And when this Day comes the Church shall be no longer a Candlestick but a glorious Light upon the top of a Mountain and all Heathenish Mahometan and Antichristian darkness shall pass away and the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea There shall be abundance of light and knowledge Idols shall be abolished and there shall not be Athism in the World As there is not Atheism in Hell but Devils and damned Spirits know that there
is a God so in this time of such glorious light there shall not be Atheism amongst the unconverted ones in the world And this is a reason why the Devil endeavours so much to fill the world with Atheism now because he knows his time is short of being Ruler of the darkness of this world and the day is at hand in which the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord And when the Morning of this Day shall come then the wild Beasts shall lay them down in their Dens and not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain of God And men shall be ashamed to commit those abominations which now the world is so full of They that be drunken are drunk in the Night But in that Day they shall be sober and civilly and morally good who shall be without saving grace 2. There were Laws given to the Jews concerning the Lepers both for the tryal of them and removing them from the Camp when pronounced unclean and it was supposed there might be a Leper of the house of Aaron Lev. 22.4 Thus hitherto it hath been in the Church much of spiritual Leprosie hath been found there and even amongst those of the seed of Aaron but we find not any thing here of such Laws What may be concluded hence but that at this time there will be no Lepers in Israel Spiritual Leprosie shall not appear amongst any in Churches to occasion their removal from them Rev. 21.27 In the New Jerusalem there shall be nothing that defileth 3. There was a Law about blessing and cursing in Israel Deu. 27.12 The blessings were to be pronounced from Gerizim and the curses from Ebal but we find not any command here for cursing any in Israel There wil be that day blessing but not cursing in Israel Jer. 31.23 It shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness But as it is Rev. 22.3 there shall be no more curse All shall have the blessing of Abraham and none the curse of Ishmael to be cast out There shall not be an Anathema Maranatha for any of the Church then 4. There were Laws about the redemption of Inheritances Lev. 25.25 If thy Brother be waxen poor and sell his possession and any of his Kin come to redeem it then he shall redeem that which his Brother sold But we read not any thing here of selling or redeeming Inheritances because no Brother shall at this time wax poor aâ—â— sell his Inheritance Now 't is as Christ said Thâ— Poor ye have always with you but then there shall be no Poor in the Land They that obtain that Kingdom which is to come shall have all other things added to them Christ will not be then Hungry Naked Sick or in prison in any of his Members 5. There were Laws concerning such as had familiar Spirits and were Wizards Lev. 20.27 A man or a woman that hath a familiar Spirit or is a Wizard shall surely be put to death But at this time there shall not be such in the Land of Immanuel nay not amongst the unconverted ones Evil Spirits shall not be Familiar Spirits to any then for they shall be all bound and shut up in the bottomless Pit 6. There were Laws for tryal of Jealousie which was the bitter water that caused the curse which the suspected woman was to drink Now as among the Tribes in the Land and among the sacred Nations there will be Marrying so none that shall defile themselves either by Fornication or Adultery No Adulterers or Effeminate shall be in that Kingdom of God but all shall possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour Prop. 8. This will be a time in which God will honour those that honour him which is promised 1 Sam. 2.30 And in this time and state of the Church it shall be eminently made good This may be concluded from Chap. 44.16 The Priests the Levites the Sons of Zadok which keep the charge of my Sanctuary when the Children of Israel went astray from me they shall come near to minister unto me As for the Levites that went astray after Idols and made the Children of Israel go astray â—hey shall bear their iniquities and not come near 〈◊〉 the Office of a Priest v. 10.13 but I will make them keepers of the charge of the house Here two things are to be opened 1. What this hath reference to under the Old Testament that is when did the Sons of Zadok shew themselves faithful in keeping the charge of the Sanctuary and when did the Levites go astray themselves and cause Israel to go astray 2. What this foretels in reference to the times here meant For the first Let it be considered who were the Levites going astray and when and how they went astray and next wherein the Faithfulness of Zadock and his Sons appeared As for the Levites that went astray they were those of the stock of Eli. It 's said of his two Sons Hophni and Phineas they were Sons of Belial and knew not the Lord and therefore God denounced a Judgment 1 Sam. 2.20 I said that thy house should walk before me but now be it far from me And upon this God said v. 16. I will raise me up a faithful Priest which was fulfilled when Abiathar followed Adonijah and Zadock was made Priest in his room And those Levites went astray in two things 1. Eli's Sons made a God of their Belly and offered to that Idol what was brought to be offered to the Lord. Their custom was 1 Sam. 2.13 14. When any man offered Sacrifice the Priests Servant came while the Flesh was in seething with a Fleshhook of three Teeth and struck it into the Pan and all that the Fleshhook brought up the Priest took to himself v. 15. Thus the Sin of the young men was very great for men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. 2. Abiather who was of the Stock of Eli went after Adonijah and no doubt drew some other of the Levites with him and by this the iniquity of Eli's House came to be full which brought the Judgment threatned as we see 1 Kings 2.27 Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest that he might fulfill the Word of the Lord which he spake concerning the House of Eli. Next as touching Zadock's Faithfulness that was seen in his keeping with David and anointing Solomon 1 Kings 1.39 and many faithful Priests descended from him as Jehoiada whose faithfulness was eminent in hiding Joash and after bringing him forth and giving order for the slaying of Athalia Matth. 23.35 mention is made of Zacharias who was slain betwixt the Temple and the Altar Ezra also was of the Posterity of Zadock Ezra 7.2 2. As for what this foretels observe these particulars 1. When Idols shall be abolished many that have gone after them may find mercy and favour As for Idols they shall be abolished Isa 2.18 But many that go after them may be spared
coming down of the New Jerusalem will be this lesser Settle Now we finding this Altar with its greater Settle upon its lesser Settle the Church which shall be at last in the World what doth this hint but a personal presence of Christ as God-Man in it 3. This will be a cleansed Altar Chapter 43.20 Thou shalt take of the Blood thereof and put it upon the Four Horns thereof and on the Four Corners of the Settle and upon the Border round about thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it This Altar is always pure in it self but as the Holy Name of God is said to be defiled so also hath the Altar of God been defiled by Whoredoms Idolatry and false Worship and by the approaches of such who have not washt their hands in Innocency Now the cleansing of this Altar notes the doing away of all such defiling Abominations No abominable person no abominable thing shall come nigh this Altar Both Worship and Worshippers shall be Holiness unto the Lord verse 26. Seven days shall they purge the Altar and purifie it and they shall consecrate themselves Let the particulars be observed First the Blood is to be put upon the Four Horns of the Altar What do these signifie but the Power of the Godhead And reconciling Blood upon the Horns of the Altar shews that the Power of the Godhead shall save and not destroy those that come to it Divine Power will be reconciled to them And here 't is a happy and blessed thing when Blood toucheth Blood That is when the Worshippers come with the Blood of Sprinkling upon them to the Blood of Sprinkling upon the Horns of the Altar and so take hold of them Joab took hold of the Horns of the Altar but coming with the guilt of Innocent Blood upon him and not with that which purgeth away Sin he was taken thence and slain But at the time which this Prophecy relates to it shall not be so None but purged ones shall come and none of these shall be taken thence Because the Blood of Christs Manhood will engage the Power of the Godhead to save all the Sanctified Ones that shall come to this Altar and shall protect support and perfect that which doth concern them 2. The Blood is to be put upon the Settle of the Altar which we are to understand of the lesser Settle even that Glorious Church of the Jews when they shall be called which shall be a cleansed and purged Settle having that Blood upon it which speaks better things than that of Abel And it shall be a Settle purged throughout for the Blood is to be put upon the four corners of it 3. The Blood is to be put upon the Border round about What is meant by the Border of the Altar The pure Worshippers that shall come to this Altar may be conceived to be its Border round about Psalm 26.6 I will wash my hands in Innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. Those that come to and compass this Altar are its Border round about And Blood shall be upon this Border so that all shall be cleansed and purged ones that come to this Altar And therefore as the House of Israel shall no more defile the Holy Name of God so not the Holy Altar of God by any Abominations Thus much concerning the Altar 2. As there will be an Altar to Sanctifie so all the Sacrifices shall have the Salt of the Covenant cast upon them Chap. 4.24 Thou shalt offer them before the Lord and the Priest shall cast Salt upon them This is borrowed from Lev. 2.13 Every Oblation of a Meat-Offering shall be seasoned with Salt neither shalt thou suffer the Salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy Meat-Offering Saints and their Services are a Meat-Offering but the Salt of the Covenant must not be lacking Salt makes savoury and preserves from putrefaction An Unregenerate state is set forth by not being salted Ezek. 16.4 So to be salted is to be Regenerated and made New Creatures Col. 4.6 Let your speech be with Grace seasoned with Salt Not corrupt Communication but salted and seasoned with Grace And as there is the Unleavened Bread of Sincerity so there is the Salt of Sincerity 'T is not any Salt that will do Not the Salt of Morality and common Gifts But it must be the Salt of the Covenant that is a true Faith and apprehending Christ for Righteousness and Sanctification so as to receive of his Fulness Grace for Grace And those that have this Salt of the Covenant are under a Covenant of Salt For we read of both The Salt of the Covenant is mentioned Lev. 2.13 and a Covenant of Salt Numb 18.19 2 Chron. 13.5 Now a Covenant of Salt is an inviolable and perpetual Covenant Those that have the Salt of the Covenant are under an everlasting Covenant that shall never be broken And in relation to the state of the Church here meant it hints thus much that the Church shall remain in that pure holy peaceable and prosperous estate which then it shall be brought into of which the Prophets have spoken so much Babylons glory because raised by and accompanied with so great Abominations shall be as when God overthrew Sodom God will stain the pride of all glory Men do first stain their glory with Pride Injustice Prophaneness c. and because Men stain it with sin God will stain it with judgments The Honourable ones of the great City Babylon shall be brought into contempt and the Despised ones of Sion shall be made a praise in the Earth Thus much of the first particular that all the Sacrifices shall be holy 2. All Duties shall be performed by Saints and all Graces shall meet in them and their good Works shall have all their requisites to make them perfect Saints then shall be upon better ground than the young man had able to say what he did All these have I kept from my youth up and they shall have respect to all Gods commands and yet having done all will say as Christ enjoyns We are unprofitable servants and as Paul I am not hereby justified They shall have the Lord for their God and none other besides him Zech. 13.9 and no Graven Image shall be among them There shall be no prophaning of the Name of God chap. 43.7 no drawing nigh to God with the mouth when the heart is removed far from him The Sabbath will be purely observed and for second Table Duties see chap. 45.10 Ye shall have just Balances a just Ephah and a just Bath There shall be justice in dealings and none shall go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter but that Rule of Christ will take place Whatever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them I shall instance in two Duties and a little insist on them 1. Prayer Mal. 1.11 In every place incense shall be offered with a pure offering Prayer shall be as Incense and
Heads shall never happen to them And therefore 1. They shall not defile themselves after their Consecration They shall do their work and walk worthy of their Calling There shall not be a Mark among them declining the work of God nor a Demas carried away with the Love of the World And none shall defile themselves with any Antichristian Abominations We know there is a Popish Custom of shaving the Head and much of Religion is placed in it but none of that sort of men shall have a Being in this time of the Churches Purity and Glory But as Isa 7.20 The Lord shall shave with a Rasor the Head and Hair of the Feet even all that have the Mark of the Beast Rev. 19.20 The Beast and the false Prophet shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire and the Remnant shall be slain In the worst of times a remnant of Saints is left which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ But in that day no remnant of Babylon will be left but the remnant will be slain by the Sword of him that shall sit upon the white Horse 2. Their separation shall not be for Days but Eternity The Nazarites outward and in the flesh were separated but for a time But the Nazarites inwardly and in Spirit shall be for ever For though their Work as Gospel Ministers shall cease at last yet they shall be Priests to offer the Sacrifice of Praise continually The Royal Priesthood spoken of 1 Pet. 2.9 is a Priesthood for ever So then the Priests shall not shave their Heads that is the days of their separation shall not end 3. They shall not be proud or vain Chap. 44.20 They shall not suffer their Locks to grow long This sometimes discovers the pride and vanity of the Heart whence that may be truly said to some which Eliab spake uncharitably to David I know the pride and naughtiness of thy Heart Priestly Ornaments then will not be carnal but the Ornament of a meek humble and gracious Spirit 4. They shall not be prophane verse 21. Neither shall any Priest drink Wine They shall be far from Rioting Drunkenness and Chambering and Wantonness They shall not be filled with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit Now it may be said to many of those which stand in that Rank How long will ye be drunken Put away your Wine from you But at this time such shall not be found among the Priests of the Lord. 5. They shall be Pastors of pure Churches over whom the Line and Reed shall pass Chap. 44.22 The Priests shall not take for their Wives a Widow or her that is put away For the better understanding of this we may observe that Pastors of Churches are called Husbands there being a kind of Spiritual Marriage betwixt them and Churches Lev. 21.4 The Priest shall not defile himself being a chief Man among his People or being a Husband among them So that a Pastor is an Husband to his People Now at this time the Priest shall not take a Widow c. What is signified hereby All Antichristian Popish and pretended Churches will at this time be put away and thrust forth For though there will be a time of Babylon's boasting that she shall sit a Queen and not be a Widow nor see sorrow yet her Plagues shall come in one day and Babylon must know Widowhood and the loss of Children And when Antichristian Churches shall be Widows and thrust forth none of the Priests of the Lord shall marry them Now when any Popish Churches are Widows there are Priests ready to marry them but then they shall be left desolate And in this sense will that be fulfilled Rev. 18.23 The voice of the Bridegroom and the voice of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee No Priests of Babylon shall be left to marry them and none of the Priests of Sion shall then marry any Widow or Daughter of Babylon And observe what follows They shall take Maidens of the House of Israel Churches shall consist of chaste Virgins espoused to Christ and of such who are Israel after the Spirit Such shall the Priest take or a Widow that had a Priest before That is If any Churches shall be Widows by the translation of the Pastors into the New Jerusalem such a Widow a Priest may marry 6. They shall not err in Doctrine or Judgment No Tares of false Doctrine will then be sowen Chap. 44.23 They shall teach my People the difference betwixt the holy and prophane and cause men to discern betwixt the unclean and the clean They shall not justifie the Wicked nor condemn the Righteous neither call Evil good nor Good evil but shall faithfully shew unto Men what is good and what the Lord requireth of them Now many like Ahab's false Prophets utter smooth and pleasing things but then all shall be Micaiahs in speaking what the Lord shall declare to them verse 24. In Controversie they shall stand in Judgment and shall judge it according to my Judgments All Controversies about matters of Faith Worship and Government shall then be at end for the Priests shall judge them according to Gods Judgments 7. They shall not in a way of Church-Communion converse with such as are but dead of themselves to the committing of Sin or are under a force in the profession of Godliness This may be gathered from Chap. 44.31 The Priest shall not eat of any thing that is dead of it self or torn whether it be Fowl or Beast This was forbidden under the Law Exod. 22 31. That which died of it self and was not orderly slain was unclean and forbidden to Aaron and his Sons The Sacrifices must be orderly slain and so they might be eaten Now this in the spiritual signification of it forbids Communion with carnal persons who may seem mortified ones But their body of Sin not being truly slain by the Word and Spirit they shall not be judged fit for religious Communion For the better clearing of this let Acts 10.12 13. be considered Peter saw in a Vision a Sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed Beasts c. And there came a voice Rise Peter kill and eat And what was meant hereby may be gathered from v. 28. Ye know that it is unlawful for a Jew to keep company with one of another Nation but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean That is I must preach the Gospel to Gentiles as well as Jews and I must endeavour to kill the Old Man in them and this being done I may eat that is keep company with them and no longer judge them unclean This place of Ezek. then hints thus much That in the New Jerusalem-state all admitted to Church Communion shall be sound and sincere in the matter of Godliness and true Nathaniels Israelites indeed in whom will be no guile There are now three Ranks of Men professing Godliness 1.
in the New Jerusalem then he shall not be ignorant of the People of the Land but as the holy Angels know the Saints on Earth so shall the New Jerusalem glorified Saints know those not glorified Rev. 4.1 c. We have a Representation of this City as now in Heaven but chiefly as it shall be on Earth for 't is said I will shew thee things which shall be hereafter And what was shewn him A Throne set in Heaven and one that sat upon it like Jasper with a Rain-bow about his head To assure the Saints that there shall be no more any Deluge of trouble and adversity There are Four and twenty Seats and Four and twenty Elders which are glorified Saints in the Mansions prepared for them they have Crowns of Gold they Reign with Christ in the New Jerusalem And as Christ will have Work for them so they shall be fitted for it The four Beasts have the Face of a Man that is Wisdom and Understanding Of an Ox Strength for Work Of a Lion that is Courage And of a flying Eagle they shall make haste and not delay to do the Will and Work of God Then the Kingdom so long prayed for will come and the Will of God shall be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Consid 4. This City is to be taken two ways more strictly and more largely 1. More strictly as distinct from Suburbs and the portions of land without it having twelve Gates c. 2. More largely as comprehending all that belong to it and shall be under the Government of it and shall walk in the Light of it and partake in its Liberties and Priviledges Thus the Tribes and Strangers with them in their Lots and Portions shall belong to the New Jerusalem and be reckoned to be of it As the Great City Babylon more strictly taken is Rome which is said to Reign over the Kings of the Earth But as more largely taken it comprehends all the Nations that walk in the Darkness of it which wonder after and worship the Beast and are under his Power So the New Jerusalem more properly is that which cometh down from Heaven but comprehends also all that walk in the Light of it And as Babylon hath ten parts so New Jerusalem twelve parts even a Portion for each Tribe Consid 5. the Dominion of Christ the King in this Great City shall be extended over the whole World For as he shall Reign in the New Jerusalem and there have his Throne so he shall in that Day be King over all the Earth Zachar. 14.9 And all even Saints and not Saints shall be subject to him although in a different manner Chap. 46.16 The Prince is said to have Servants and Sons which two Names will take in all The Sons are such as shall be born of God and made after God and all besides will be comprehended under the Name of Servants who shall be under the Dominion of Christ and be made to submit to such Laws which Christ shall give for the Government of the unconverted Nations who from slavish fear at least and haply from some taste they will have of the benefit of his Government shall become Servants to him as King of Nations Jer. 7.10 he is so called There shall be a time in which all shall fear him either filially or slavishly The Sons out of an awful respect shall with Love and Delight serve Christ as King of Saints the Servants because they must shall submit to his Government See Psa 18.44 Psa 66.3 See the Hebrew For the farther Illustration of this let Zach. 14.16 be considered Every one left of the Nations who shall escape the destruction of that Day for all found in actual opposition against Christ in that Day will be cut off shall come up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and shall keep the Feast of Tabernacles Here are large Expressions taking in all For all shall worship Christ either as Sons or as Servants and keep the Feast of Tabernacles And to know what is meant hereby we must consider on what ground the Jews kept this Feast Now we find first 1. That in this Feast the Israelites were to dwell in Booths and to rejoyce before the Lord who had brought them out of Aegypt Lev. 23.43 Now in answer to this the Nations shall acknowledge a great benefit in Christ's taking off the Antichristian and all other Tyrannical Yokes from them and by his reigning in Righteousness whereby every Man shall sit under his Vine and Fig-tree The Servants under their Vines and Fig-trees of outward Peace Plenty and Prosperity and the Sons under their better Vines which shall yield them abundance of Spiritual Blessings they shall abide in Christ the true Vine under whose shadow they shall sit with great delight 2. The Feast of Tabernacles was kept to acknowledge the Goodness of God in blessing them in all the Works of their Hands and in all their Increase Deut. 16.15 Thus the Lord shall wonderfully bless the Nations in the works of their Hands and give them great Increase which they shall acknowledge to be a benefit of his Government and thus they shall keep this Feast 3. In the Feast of Tabernacles the Law was to be read that they might observe to do all the works of it Deut. 31.11 Thus the Nations shall own all the Laws of Christ for their Government in Righteousness and shall submit to them All therefore shall keep this Feast but in different manner The Servants shall worship the King the Lord of Hosts but the Sons shall worship the Lord their God and David their King Hos 3.5 The Servants shall fear the Lord and his wrath and justice The Sons shall fear the Lord and his Goodness The Servants shall serve the Lord and the King The Sons their Lord and their King And here it may be farther observed That as all shall be subject to Christ so he will give Rewards to all though not in like manner but suitably to their Service The Servants shall have an outward and temporal Reward for external Subjection the Sons a Spiritual and Eternal Reward The Servants like Abraham's Children by the Concubines shall have Gifts for a time The Sons an Inheritance for ever The Servants shall have an Esau's Portion the Dew of Heaven and the Fatness of the Earth The Sons a Jacob's Portion the Lord or their God an exceeding great Reward The Servant shall have such a Reward of outward Peace Plenty and Prosperity as to be able to say as Esau I have enough The Son such a Reward as to be able to say as Jacob I have all This may be gathered from Chap. 46.16 17. If the Prince give a Gift to any of his Sons the Inheritance thereof shall be his Sons they shall have it as joynt Heirs with Christ and it shall not be taken from them But if he give a Gift to one of his Servants of his Inheritance then it shall
Lord is there and this shall be its Name from that day Which doth intimate such a Presence of Christ with the Saints which was not before He hath been present in Spirit from the beginning of the Gospel-Church but at this time the Church shall have another kind of Presence even his Personal Presence Here 's a new Name for a new Presence the Name of it from that day shall be The Lord is there Chap. 43.2 The glory of the God of Israel came from the East his voice was as the noise of many waters and the earth was lightned with his glory Haec Dei gloria est Christus saith one Surely this Glory of the Lord is no other than the Lord of Glory who is the brightness of the Fathers Glory Solomon's house was filled with the glory of the Lord that was a typical House and had a typical Glory that is some glorious sign of Gods Presence and his owning that House Here will be the true Temple into which the King of Glory shall come The Ark was a sign of Gods presence with the Iews which is therefore called the Lord Josh 3.11 Behold the Ark of the Covenant even the Lord of all the earth c. As the Jews had the typical presence so when they shall be called they shall have the true presence of the Lord in the New Ierusalem Rev. 11.19 In the Temple was seen the Ark that is the Lord of all the earth typed by the Ark. This Temple shall be the place of Gods Throne and of the Soles of his Feet chap. 43.7 Now he is upon a Throne in Heaven but when Ierusalem shall come down in it shall be his Throne Ier. 3.17 At that time they shall call Ierusalem the throne of the Lord. At what time When all the Nations shall be gathered to the Name of the Lord to Ierusalem and when the House of Iudah shall walk with the House of Israel verse 18. Observe also what is said verse 16. They shall no more say The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind The presence of the Lord with the Israelites is no way to be compared with that his presence which is to be in the New Ierusalem for the Ark shall not then come into mind 'T is well observed by Cornelius à Lapide Hoc nomen valde congruit cum illo quod Christo imponitur Isa 7.14 Immanuel This Name hath very near affinity with the Name Immanuel God with us now as Christ was Immanuel by a personal presence on earth so the City will be called Iehovah Shammah from his Personal presence Now for the better clearing of this great truth of Christs personal Presence and Reign and of the Saints reigning with him two things are to be done 1. Scripture-Arguments for it shall be produced 2. Objections against it shall be answered For the first As Christ took our Nature and therein did execute his Prophetical Office by teaching and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and also his Priestly Office by offering himself without spot to God so he hath a Kingly Office also which as he hath been executing providentially and spiritually he shall so do it personally and where he preached and suffered there will he reign and execute justice and judgment even in the earth Arguments to prove the Personal Presence of Christ in the New Jerusalem and his Reign upon Earth Arg. 1. REv. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my throne as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Christ was at this time in Heaven sitting upon the Fathers Throne which is his also as God He reigns as Mediator but sits on the Fathers Throne where he must sit till all his Enemies be made his Footstool Psalm 10.1 Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool We may observe that there is Christs sitting at the right hand of God upon the Fathers Throne and his sitting at the right hand of God upon his own Throne In the former respect he sits upon a Throne in Heaven in the latter he shall upon Earth The Scripture gives ground for this distinction for the former see Heb. 8.1 Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens that is at the right hand of the Father upon his Throne in Heaven Heb. 12.2 And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Then for the latter his sitting at the right hand of God upon his Throne see Zech. 6.13 He shall sit and rule upon his throne His as distinct from his Fathers And he shall be a Priest upon his Throne two things are here manifest First as he sits and rules upon his Fathers Throne so he shall sit and rule upon his own Throne Secondly as he is now a Priest upon the Fathers Throne so he shall be a Priest upon his own Throne and there make Intercession and whilest he is a Priest making Intercession he is at the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 Who is at the right hand of God making intercession for us Thus we see that there is the Fathers Throne and Christs own Throne but where is the place of his Throne Not in Heaven for there he sits on the Fathers Throne therefore it must be on Earth of which we have a clear proof Mat. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory then and not till then upon his own Throne and his own Throne is that which is called the Throne of his Father David Isa 9.7 Luke 1.32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall rule over the house of Jacob. First he shall rule over the House of Jacob which he did not at his first coming for then the House of Jacob rejected him Secondly when he shall reign over the House of Jacob his Kingdom will be of long continuance of his Kingdom there shall be no end his Kingdom shall not be destroyed as those that go before it This Kingdom over the House of Jacob is doubtless that which the Disciples thought should immediately appear and 't is observable that Christ doth not deny the appearance of it in its time but the immediate appearance He shall sit upon the Throne of David David was in the old Jerusalem where he had his Throne and Christ who is David shall be in the new Jerusalem and have his Throne in it Then shall that Prophecy of Daniel be fulfilled Dan. 7.13 I saw one like the son of man which is expounded to be Christ verse 27. All Dominions shall serve him He came in the clouds of Heaven which in Scripture sets forth his personal coming and there was given him Glory and a Kingdom which is meant of a Kingdom on earth for it 's given him that all People Languages and Nations
Woman of Samaria did the Samaritans Come see the man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ But they may then teach as Aquila and Priscilla did Apollo who instructed him in the way of God more perfectly This second Calling appears Zach. 13.9 Two parts shall be cut off and dye and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine and try them I will say it is my People they shall say the Lord is my God And we may conceive that this second Calling will be by means of the personal appearing of Christ Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Rev. 1.7 Every eye shall see him they also which pierced him Not only Judah which pierced Christ but also the ten Tribes Thus as Paul was converted by seeing Christ so shall the Jews And after this Joseph and Judah shall become one and one King shall be to them all And then every Tribe shall be in its portion in the Land and the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Saints coming with Christ shall stand in their Lot in the City 2. The Restitution of all things We read of a twofold Restitution of all things The first by Elias the second by Christ 1. By Elias Mat. 17.12 Elias shall first come and restore all things but I say Elias is come already The occasion of what was spoken of Elias was Christ's transfiguration which did prefigure his coming in glory And the Disciples from hence seem to conclude that Christ should then reign in glory But this lay in the way the Scribes say that Elias must first come To which Christ gives an answer in which two things are to be considered First Elias shall come and restore all things Here 's a plain assertion Elias shall come Which was spoken after John Baptist was come and gone And then this was a truth Elias shall come Secondly Christ answers Elias is come already So both are true Elias is come and Elias shall come As there is then a twofold coming of Christ so a twofold coming of Elias for an Elias is a forerunner of Christ at both his comings The first coming of Elias was foretold Isa 40.3 The voice of one crying in the Wilderness Mat. 3.1.3 this was fulfilled in John Baptist This is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet And Mat. 17.12 Christ said that John was the Elias which was to precede his first coming The second coming of Elias is foretold Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple c. Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven v. 5. Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet Though these Prophecies had some degree of accomplishment in John Baptist yet certainly the full accomplishment is yet to come For an Elias shall be 〈◊〉 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Now this dreadful day must certainly be chiefly meant of the day of his second coming For first all here foretold cannot be said to be fulfilled at his first coming For did this day burn as an Oven so that all the proud and such as did wickedly were burnt up and had not root or branch left them This threat had not its accomplishment at the destruction of Jerusalem for this happened several years after the first coming of Christ 't is promised that at that time those that fear the name of God should go forth that is out of their bondage and afflicted state and should tread down the wicked so as that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet But no such thing was done then the Saints did not tread down the wicked Jerusalem was trodden down by the Romans This Prediction doth well agree with other Prophecies of the great destruction of Christ's and the Churches Enemies and very much with Peter's Prophecy of the world's perishing by fire The time of Christ's first coming is called The acceptable year of the Lord and of proclaiming liberty to sinners to get forth from their spiritual Captivity So 't is expounded by Christ This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luk. 4.21 Now how can that so sweet a day spoken of by Esaias be the dreadful day spoken of by Malachi In this dreadful day the Sons of Levi shall be purified and the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant as in the days of old This was not fulfilled at Christ's first coming for then the Sons of Levi were the great Enemies of Christ and had the chief hand in crucifying him And then Judah and Jerusalem killed the Prince of Life so far were their Offerings from being pleasant as in the days of old By this it appears that an Elias is yet to come who shall restore all things and that to the Church in general and to the Jews in particular First To the Church in general The Apostles first preached the Gospel and were Witnesses to Christ they laid the Foundation which is Crist and built upon that Foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Their Doctrine was pure and the Truths they preached very precious They laid no Commands upon the Disciples but what they received from the Lord They planted and watered and God gave an Increase Doctrine was found and saving Discipline was good Ordinances were rightly administred and they were the true Worshippers who worshipped the Father in Spirit and in Truth They had the guidance of an infallible Spirit in what they did as Apostles and Ministers of Christ But false Teachers quickly arose the Evil One sowed Tares the Mystery of Iniquity began to work and there were those who did build Wood Hay and Stubble Damnable Heresies were brought in and at last the Man of Sin was revealed with whom came in Idolatry Superstition and all kind of Abominations But in the time of this departure from the Faith Christ hath his faithful Witnesses bearing a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus They prophesie when the Beast reigns but in Sackcloth and at last the Beast slays them But after three days and half the Spirit of Life enters into them and they stand upon their Feet and as they were sown in weakness so shall they be raised in power and be the Angel flying in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel Now these raised Witnesses and this revived Ministry will come in the spirit and power of Elias And by the spirit of Christ's Mouth will the Man of Sin now be consuming And as Elijah did by Fire from Heaven convince the People that the Lord was God and Baal was no God and by this occasioned the destruction of the Priests of Baal Even so shall the Elias which is to come preach the everlasting Gospel and by him Apostolical Doctrine Ordinances and Discipline shall be restored And this Day shall declare Men's Works
God may suffer a false Prophet to withstand him even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses And as Elias shall perswade the Elect to follow the Lamb so this false Prophet shall seduce the Vessels of Wrath and draw them after the Beast And that Elias which shall come may have the gift of working Miracles and then as the Magicians of Egypt did seemingly some Wonders which were done by Moses and Aaron so may this false Prophet do somewhat in appearance like the Miracles of Elias 3. This Beast and false Prophet will have a most remarkable and strange Judgment executed upon them Rev. 19.20 These both were taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire that is Hell Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and the false Prophet are So the Lake of Fire is Hell and these both were cast into it Which doth not only shew that the Antichristian State and Kingdom and so the Antichrist and Man of Sin shall be destroyed but it shews that the particular Person which shall then have Supream Power and Command in the fourth Kingdom and shall stand up against the Prince of Princes and that false Prophet which shall then be so active for the Beast even these two persons shall be cast alive c. Now that we are to take the Beast and false Prophet for two Individual Persons may be gathered from Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet are This is above one thousand years after the taking of the Beast So that when the Antichristian State and Kingdom shall be wholly abolished the Beast and the false Prophet will be in torment Now this being cleared we may observe farther that they are said to be cast alive into this Lake That is destroyed Body and Soul in Hell For as this will be such a Beast as never was since there was a Beast causing such trouble to the Jews as never was since there was a Nation so he and his false Prophet shall have such Judgment as never was before Korah Dathan and Abiram went down quick into the Pit Numb Chap. 16. ver 30. For the Earth opening swallowed them up and so they were buried alive But this Beast and false Prophet shall be cast alive into Hell For at this time God's fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 And the anger of the Lord will be so exceeding hot against them for their most daring wickedness in standing up against the Prince of Princes a greater Sin than that of Korah's standing up against Moses and Aaron that he will not respite their full torment till the resurrection of the wicked above one thousand years after but then immediately shall they be cast Body and Soul into Hell and be under full torment in both And as Enoch and Elias persons so eminent for Godliness were translated that they did not see Death and were carried alive to Heaven so this Beast and false Prophet persons so eminent in wickedness shall be cast alive into Hell This sense is somewhat favoured by what follows The remnant were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest therefore these were not slain by a bodily Death but both in Soul and Body were under the power of the Second Death Thus much of these two Beasts 4. The Day of Judgment and the Worlds perishing by fire For the better understanding of what we find in Scripture concerning the Day of Judgment take notice of two things 1. Christ will begin the work of Judgment at his next appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom When Christ shall appear and the New Jerusalem shall come down and Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign then he shall judge the quick and the dead Q. What shall Christ then do as a Judge or what shall be his judging-work at the beginning of the thousand years A. 1. The dead Saints shall be raised and judged at this time which is evident from Rev. 11.15 The seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and there were Voices saying The Kingdoms of the world are beeome the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ This is at the beginning of the thousand years Now observe what is said verse 18. Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged And what dead are meant the following words declare And that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets to the Saints and to all that fear thy Name small and great So by dead in this place are meant the dead Saints and all the dead Saints even as many as fear God's Name All these shall be judged by a sentence of Absolution and shall receive he Kingdom which was promised to them 2. Christ's work at this time as a Judge will be to destroy them that destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Whence we may gather that this will not be the time of raising the Wicked but of destroying them not of raising them out of their Graves but of sending them to their Graves Which is also evident from 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth whieh are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men Here the day of Judgment is mentioned and this will be a day of perdition of ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of killing not of making them alive again And lastly The Heavens and Earth which now are shall then perish by Fire And here I shall insist a little upon these words and shew what we are to understand by the Heavens and Earth which now are and how they shall perish by fire and by this we shall see farther what the judging work of this day will be Consider then The Heavens and Earth which are now do signifie the World which now is both with respect to that which was before it and perished by Water and also to that which shall be after it and is to come even the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell And if we consider what World it was that perished by Water we shall the better know what World it is that shall perish by Fire Now the Heavens taken in a proper sense did not perish neither did the Body of the Earth perish but all the Men upon the face of the Earth perished except those in the Ark and all other living Creatures without the Ark in whom was the Breath of Life and also the Fruits of the Earth 2 Pet. 2.5 Bringing in a Flood upon the world of the ungodly This World of the Ungodly perished by water And together herewith there were Analogical Heavens and Earth which also perished by water Analogical Heavens there were which perished and those both Political and Ecclesiastical 1. Political Heavens that is the Superiour Sovereign and Ruling part of that World for as
after shall be shewn thus Heaven is sometimes taken And 't is to be observed that the Ruling part of that World was exceeding corrupt For those that were highest in power were most eminent in wickedness The great Men were the greatest Sinners and did fill the World with Violence Rapines Oppressions and all manner of unrighteousness Gen. 6.11 And therefore God brought a Flood in which these Heavens perished For all the Principalities and Powers of that wicked and ungodly World were swept away by the Flood 2. Ecclesiasticall Heavens Churches on Earth are sometimes called Heaven the Kingdom of Heaven frequently in the Evangelists signifies the Church Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven That is in the Church Now the Ecclesiastical Heavens that is the Churches of that World perished by Water even all except that in the Ark. 'T is said Gen. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord. There were Churches of Seth's Posterity which worshipped God But these did at last exceedingly apostatize as we see Gen. 6.2 The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took them Wives of all that they chose And thereupon the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is flesh Observe these words He also the Sons of God were spoken of immediately before this He also therefore is meant of the Church-member even he that was called the Son of God was also flesh Not onely those without but also those within the Church not onely the Posterity of Cain but also the Posterity of Seth had corrupted their way and all the imaginations of their hearts were also evil continually Now these Heavens did also perish by water because of the great wickedness found in them There was an Analogical Earth also which perished by water that is as Superiours so Inferiours as Masters so Servants as the Mighty men so the mean men as the Giants so the Dwarfs the Flood swept all away and one as easily as the other And here we may do well to observe what kind of wickednesses they were which brought the Flood there was desperate Apostasie of the Sons of God there was Pride amongst them they became men of Renown and also cruelty and oppression they filled the world with voilence The Giants in stature were Giants in wickedness The old world was an Atheistical and desperately debauched world and when God gave space and warning to repent by Noahs preaching they repented not In a word 't is to be observed that the world of the ungodly then was become wholly arbitrary every one would be sui juris and not be subject to or act by a Law The mighty men and Sovereign part of it were absolute and arbitrary They would be arbitrary in ruling others and exercised what violence they pleased and arbitrary in ruling themselves giving themselves up to the lusts of uncleanness not only taking Wives of the Daughters of men but as Gen. 6.4 also after that they went in unto the Daughters of men to others that is besides their Wives and they took of all that they chose and therein the arbitrariness of that world appeared they chose by Lust and not by Law from their own wills and not according to the will of God The People of God will have God to chuse for them Psal 47.4 He shall chuse our Inheritance for us But these would chuse for themselves This was the first transgression Adam would become arbitrary he liked not Gods choise but he himself would chuse what Fruit to eat and we may observe how displeasing this was to God Behold the man is become like one of us Gen. 3.22 to know good and evil that is as God is absolute and his Will is the rule of good or evil what he wills is good and what he nils is to be lookt on as evil So now Adam would become absolute to know good and evil and have his own Will the rule of it this highly provoked God 'T is his incommunicable Prerogative to be absolute This arbitrariness God did avenge and that speedily upon him 1. He must not eat of the Tree of life 2 He was cast out of Paradise He that would be all and absolute loses all thereby And when the old world became arbitrary a Flood came and swept all away Thus we see what world it was that perished by water In the next place let it be considered what Heavens and Earth are to perish by Fire And now I shall endeavour to make it manifest that there are as natural so analogical Heavens and Earth and Heavens both Political and Ecclesiastical Isa 34. we have a Prophecy of the Judgments wherewith God will at last avenge his Church v. 2. The Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his fury upon all their Armies V. 4. All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their Host shall fall down and the next verse shews what Heavens are meant My Sword shall come down upon Idumea and upon the People of my curse to Judgment The Unicorns shall come down and the Bullocks for it is the Day of the Lords Vengeance and the Year of Recompenses for the Controversie of Sion So that by Heaven here are meant the Churches Antichristian Enemies who have been in Power and above and long have had the upper hand in the World This will appear also from Hag. 2.6 7. I will shake the Heavens the Earth the Sea and the dry Land This shaking is to make way for the coming of Christ That it looks beyond his first coming is evident from Heb. 12.27 where 't is spoken of as a thing then to come And why shall these Heavens and Earth be shaken 'T is for the removing of things that may be shaken as of things that are made Not things as made by God for this is no reason for their removal that they are made by God therefore by things made are meant the things made by Men. For as there are Heavens and Earth made by God so there are Heavens and Earth of Mens making and that both in a Political and Ecclesiastical sence There are many Babels of Mens building The Turkish Religion and frame was made by Men. The Pope both in his Civil and Ecclesiastical Power was made by Men. The Popish Religion and that Antichristian Form of Worship and frame of Government which Popery doth establish is of Mens making Now this shaking will be to remove things made contrary to the Mind of God And this agrees well with Peter The Earth with the works therein even all Antichristian Works shall be burnt up And with Mat. 13.14 The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity There are now many things which offend God and good Men but at last all will be gathered out of the Kingdom This appears also from Rev. 6.12 13. I beheld when he opened the
shall take place Mic. 4.13 I will consecrate their gain to the Lord. And their substance to the Lord of the whole Earth then the Creature shall have its due and deserved Liberty Thus much for the Change which will be in the Natural State of Things 2. There will be a Change in the Civil State of Things there will be New Heavens and a New Earth in a political sence for in the New Earth dwelleth righteousness All Civil Government will be administred in a way of Righteousness for as Amos. 5.24 Judgment shall run down like Water and Righteousness as a mighty stream In Antichrist's Kingdom unrighteousness cruelty and oppression hath been a mighty Stream but that sinful Kingdom must be destroyed and after this Judgment shall dwell in the Wilderness and Righteousness shall remain in the fruitful Field and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of it quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.16 there shall not be then any Throne of iniquity establishing mischief by a Law But that which above all doth commend the happiness of those Times in point of Government is this Government then will be Theocratical and Divine so that there will be another Divine Common-wealth more glorious than that of the Jews heretofore After the Jews were brought out of Egypt as God made them a Church in the Wilderness so also a Common-wealth and God himself was Supream amongst them and gave them as a Moral and Ceremonial so a Judicial Law so that he was their King and Law-giver and their Divine Common-wealth was not to end till the coming of Christ according to that Prophecy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 the Sceptre shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Jacob's prosperity was to grow at last into a Kingdom and Common-wealth and to continue till the coming of Christ The Scepter of this Kingdom was given to Judah now though the Ten Tribes revolted from the Scepter and after were carryed Captive and did not return and so were without a King and without an Ephod c. yet Judah did remain as a Divine Common-wealth till the coming of Christ and Judah had right to the Sceptre though sometimes it was violently wrested out of the hand of Judah yet of right it did belong to Judah till Shiloh came and then Judahs Sceptre did return to him that gave it and then the Jews Crucifying the Lord of glory God did suffer their City to be Trodden down of the Romans and then their Common-wealth till that time continued in the Tribe of Judah was utterly destroyed and they were carried Captive into all Nations till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and when these shall be fulfilled then shall the Jews have again a Divine Common-wealth And Joseph and Judah being Joyned together they shall have one King as is evident Ezek. 37.22 24. I will make them one Nation and one King shall be King to them all David my Servant shall be King over them That is Christ who shall reign in Righteousness and give them Civil as well as Spiritual pastors even Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning Ezek. 34.23 I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David and how happy they shall be then is shewn I will make a Covenant of peace with them and the evil Beasts shall cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the Wilderness and sleep in the Woods I will make them and the places round about my hill a Blessing there shall be showers of Blessings Now as Mr. Baxter once said It is this Theocratical polity or Divine Common-wealth which is the unquestionable Reign of Christ upon Earth which all Christians are agreed may be justly sought and the temporal Dignity of Saints which would undoubtedly much bless the World And he sayeth whether there be any other Reign of Christ to be expected that is by his visible personal Abode This controversy I do not now determine For my own part I reverence the Ancients that were of that mind and many latter that have followed them I am my self as meerly Neutral in it as in almost any point of so great moment so often propounded to my consideration I oppose them not in the least nor am I for them Now as for the Visible and personal Abode and Reign of Christ upon Earth having given some arguments for it already I shall here adde something more to see whether any contrary or Neutral Judgment may be more inclined to the owning of this Truth And 1. this truth doth clearly spring forth from 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to her Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Where we may take Notice of these particulars First there will be a great and blessed change wrought in the World so far as to make all things New even to the bringing in of a New World This is the Saints expectation we look c. the Apostles and other Saints did then and therefore we ought now to expect this New World consisting of a New Earth as well as a New Heaven Secondly this New World shall have Inhabitants in it for there shall be Men in it which may be gathered from those words In which dwelleth Righteousness If Righteousness then both the subjects and the Objects of it that is Men living and acting Righteously and these shall Dwell in this New Earth they shall not be as wayfaring Men that tarry but a Night but shall dwell in it They shall not be here after this New Creation but a day with Christ of twenty four hours and then ascend to Heaven not a day as Men count a day but a day as 't is with the Lord that is a Thousand years and a Thousand years as one day v. 8. which hath been taken as a Periphrasis of the day of Judgement This is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a World to dwell in and for Men to abide in so long as to be called Inhabitants And this Inhabited World is chiefly that which Christ is said to Rejoyce in Pov. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. This is the Land which shall be called Beulah Isa 62.4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed Desolate that is without Inhabitants but thou shalt be called Hepzibah and thy Land Beulah For the Lord delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be Married to Christ that is Thirdly Christ shall come personally at his time when the World that now is shall perish and the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be Created For this Personal coming is that which the Scoffers derided asking where is the promise of his coming v. 4. Again this is that which the Apostle asserts v. 10. The day of the Lord will come and come as a Thief in the Night which Mat. 24.43 and 1
believe lest it should be said as to Peter get thee behind me Satan In a word 't is to be observed that the arguing from conceived absurdities against any truth was the great way of the Sadduces in opposing the Doctrine of the Resurrection They tell a story of a Woman that had seven Husbands successively and ask whose wife she should be of the seven in the Resurrection Questions like to this have been askt and more may by such as are in this matter not knowing not searching the Scriptures for if the Scriptures were well searcht enough would be found to put to silence the ignorance in this thing of many in other respects wise Men. Thus much of the Government which will be Theocratical even a glorious reign of Christ 3. There will be a Change in the Ecclesiastical State Now seeing much hath been written before to set forth the great and happy Change which will be made in the Church which the business of unfolding the Mystery of Ezekiels Temple did lead to therefore I shall adde but a little upon these three following Heads The glorious Light the great Purity and the glorious Liberty which the Church shall have in the times of Restitution 1. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of breaking forth of great and glorious Light For the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun sevenfold as the Light of seven days Isa 30.26 And this Light will be a discovering Light and a healing Light First a discovering Light Light makes manifest Good and evil truth and error will be made manifest by the Light of the New Heavens The Gold and Silver wherewith some have been Building the Wood Hay and Stubble wherewith others have been building will be seen in that Light Pilate askt What is Truth Then a full answer shall be given to this question and it shall be known What is Truth and we may in particular observe that those two great Gospel-truths will have then a clear manifestation and discovery Christ as Righteousnes and Christ as Lord Christ as made Righteousness for the justification of Men to cover their sin and to keep the shame of their Nakedness from appearing and Christ as made Lord Lord of Faith and Lord of Life Lord of Soul and Spirit of Conscience and the whole Inner-man and Lord of Body also and of the whole Outward-man Now I ground this upon that Promise Jer. 23.5 6. Jer. 33.14 15. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and execute Judgment and justice in the Earth and in his days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Christ shall then appear as the Churches Lord and righteousness yea shall account it his glory to appear for so he shall own this for a Name and Title In the other place there is the same promise only with this variation This is the Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness As Christ shall owne this for a Name so shall the Church too In the former Name we see how Christ is offered even to be Lord and Righteousness In the latter how the Church receives him that is to be her Righteousness and to be her Lord. In the former we see God in Christ not imputing sin but imputing righteousness without workes In the latter we see faith in Christ justifying through laying hold on and applying Christs righteousness as that alone by which the Church shall account her self righteous but together herewith submitting to be guided and Governed by Christ as Lord so we find These two great truths in these Names The righteousness which justifies is not our own at all but only Christ's and this and this alone is sufficient to justify no other is nedeed no other is required For observe 'T is not the Law our righteousness 't is not love to Christ and evangelical Obedience flowing from it which is our righteousness but the Lord himself our righteousness not any thing we do as Servants but what the Lord of the Law becoming a Servant to it hath done By this it 's evident the gross Popish Doctrine of the Merit of mens works and justification thereby will not be the Doctrine taught or received in the New Heavens New Jerusalem-Light will shew the Vanity of this Doctrine And as for that more refined and Spiritualized piece of Popery and therefore the more dangerous which is but of Yester-day up amongst us and is owned by such who have the persons and parts of the propagators of it in admiration and therefore are so ready to own their pernicious Paradoxes viz. that Evangelical obedience is to be taken in as that Righteousness by which we are to be justified for so they understand James when he saith a Man is justified by works although James himself gives ground enough for another sence when he sayth shew me thy faith by thy works I say this Popery nay this Socinianisme will be quite shut out of the New Heavens also and shall pass away as a Morning Cloud before the New Jerusalem-Light For this shall be the Churches Name then as well as Christs The Lord our Righteousness And this New Doctrine then will be found amongst the Old things which must pass away And amongst the works of the Earth which are to be burnt up And then also Christ shall appear as Lord and Saints shall say other Lords have had Dominion over us but now will we make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 and will henceforth call thee by this Name The Lord our righteousness and will account this our glory to be called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness This Name implies thus much as given to Christ He that hath made Christ Righteousness hath made him also Lord and in that the Churches of the New Heavens shall be called by this Name it shews that all of that Church shall take Christ as for Righteousness so also for a Lord. Christ shall be called by this Name and therein God joyns these two together Christ as Righteousness and Christ as Lord. And what God joyns together his People will not put asunder for they shall be owned and called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness taking Christ for Lord as well as for Righteousness Thus the Light of that glorious day which is to come will be a day discovering Light 2. 'T will be a healing Light and that in Saints and among Saints First in the Saints that is in their hearts and Consciences All Wounds made there will be healed all horrors all disquieting thoughts and fears there will Vanish before that Light which shall shine into the heart For as 't is foretold Mal. 4.2 The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings The full and compleat accomplishment of this
Promise will be at Christ's Second coming as is evident from what follows Ye shall go forth that is from your bondage and Tread down that they shall be ashes under the Soules of your feet which was not done at his first coming Now observe this Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings what are the Wings of this Sun the Beams of this Sun are its Wings which coming into the Heart shall heal it of all its Wounds which the killing Letter shall make which the Conviction of Sin especially against Christ in Piercing persecuting slighting Christ shall have made So we find concerning the Jews when Christ shall first appear they shall remember their piercing of Christ which will then pierce through their own Souls and shall cause them to mourn and be in bitterness as for a first-born Zach. 12.10 and Rev. 1.7 The first effect of Christ's appearing will be a great mourning and wailing but quickly after this comes healing for the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and will restore health and heal all these Mourners of their Wounds I shall mention two places of Scripture for the clearing of this one is Jer. 31.18 c. I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thou hast chastised me and I was chastised turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Ten Tribes none can say that the fulfilling of this Prophecy is past already for no such thing hath been yet done amongst the Ten Tribes Now when Ephraim shall thus bemoan himself what shall the Lord say That we see verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him And thus the Lord will quickly comfort Ephraim and give the Oyl of Joy for Mourning The other place is Isa 33.24 When Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down When the Jews shall say The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King as verse 20.22 Then at that time no inhabitant of Jerusalem no man walking in the light of it shall say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Sin shall be forgiven and every Saint shall know it and have assurance of it as is evident from that Promise None shall say I am sick Surely if there be knowledge of Sin and no assurance of Pardon the Soul will be sick with Sin guilt remaining in the Conscience will trouble it so long as 't is there but no Inhabitant shall say I am sick therefore all shall have assurance of the forgiveness of their sins and this assurance shall continue with them Secondly 'T will be a healing light amongst the Saints many Rents have been made in the Church Saints by their divisions have made wounds amongst themselves through divisions there have been great thoughts of heart great heart-burnings and thence have they come to that Paul complains of amongst the Galatians Chap. 5.15 even to biting and devouring one another Now the Light of that Great Day of the Lord will heal all Wounds which have been made amongst the Saints by Rents and Divisions for Christ will spread his wings even the beams of his light which shall then most gloriously shine forth and he shall gather all the Saints under his wings as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and so will restore health to them and heal them of their wounds This we have set forth Zeph. 3.8 9. Wait ye upon me saith the Lord till the day that I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdomes to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealously We may observe what an admirable harmony of Prophecies there is This is the same in substance with that Prophecy of Gog and Magog in Ezek. and also with that great gathering of the Nations to the Battel of Armageddon Now consider what great mercy God will at that time bring forth to his People Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Lord to serve him with one consent There shall be one Lip and Language and that a pure one and so there shall not be divisions amongst the Saints but they shall all speak the same things and be perfectly United together of the same mind and the same Judgment 2. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of great purity this we see foretold Ezek. 36.25 c. Great Promises are made to the Jews to be fulfilled in the latter days and amongst other things 't is promised that they shall be made a very pure and holy People Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean and from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you a new spirit will I put within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes God promises that this shall go with their outward Mercies verse 33. What time I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will cause you to dwell in the Cities and the desolate places shall be built up Psa 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness What is meant by the Beauties of Holiness the Church is meant hereby this is an ordinary Periphrasis of the Church say our Annotators the Sanctuary was so called Psa 29.2 Worship the Lord in the beauties of holiness that is in the Sanctuary the true Church is always holy but then it shall be much more eminently holy it shall be even the Beauties of Holiness that is very beautiful and glorious in holiness yea it shall be the beauties of holiness having variety of Graces even all meeting together and appearing in their beauty without spot or wrinkle or any such thing As the Sanctuary was called the beauty of holiness even the typical Sanctuary so then tho true spiritual Sanctuary shall be called the beauty of holiness and be as perfect and exact in true holiness as the worldly Sanctuary was in ceremonial and typical holiness Isa 35.8 There shall be an high-way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it But it shall be for those the wayfaring-men though Fools shall not err therein There hath been an high-way of Prophaneness an high-way of Superstition of Antichristian Idolatry and great multitudes have gone in this way and the ways of Sion have been desolate very few have gone in these but at last that high-way of Prophaneness Idolatry c. will become desolate and the way of Holiness and Godliness will be the great
Body grew downwards so it shall die upwards beginning at Vltima Thule Obj. Shall we think that the Holy Spirit making a discovery of Alexander's Kingdom and the four Kingdoms which were to stand up out of his would immediately pass from these over so vast a space of time and on a sudden come down to speak of what should be in the last times A. So it is and we are necessitated to conceive so For first 't is when the Transgressors are come to the full that is when their number is filled up and the number of their Iniquities is filled up also when they are accomplished Dan. 8.23 This little Horn will fill up the number of the Transgressors when he comes he will be the last Secondly He will be broken without hand v. 25. this last Transgressor will not be destroyed as the former they were broken with hands the Babylonish Transgressors by the hands of the Medes and Persians they by Graecian hands and the Graecian by Roman hands But the last Transgressors without hand that is such a hand as the others were destroyed by for the Lord himself shall destroy them and then the slain of the Lord shall be many 2. 'T is usual with the Prophets in their Prophecies to leap on a sudden from their times to the very last times of all delighting to be in view of them and to be speaking of them hereby comforting themselves amidst the calamities of their times and also laying up comforts in store for the Saints in all ages viz. by prophesying of these times of ruine to all their enemies and of the restitution of all things 't is usual with them having the Wings of the Dove to fly to these times that they may be at rest Thus Isa 1. The prophet complains of Sin and bewailes the Judgments which it brought upon the Jews and then on a sudden he is carried by the Spirit to the very last times v. 25.26 I will purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin not only purge but purely purge or according to pureness which is to be done when the Jews shall be called and I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Surely they must be the last Judges of the World that shall be as the first and Counsellors at the end of the present World who shall be like those at the beginning and then Chap. 2.1 c. he goes on to declare these blessed times It shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains c. See also Isa 11.30.18 to 26. Thus we see grounds to conclude that this little Horn must be the second Beast and Objections answered And one thing more is very worthy of our observation concerning him That is As he shall wax great so it shall be only towards the East and towards the South and towards the pleasant Land Nothing is said of his waxing great towards the West The Lord it appears by this will be gracious to this Western part of the World where the first Beast hath been so long tyrannizing and exercising so much Cruelty so that though he shall destroy Wonderfully and prosper and practise yet it shall not be in that part where the Witnesses prophesied in sackcloth 1260 days And now having spoken so much of this little Horn which was very necessary that we may better know what to Judge of the 2300 days when they began and when they will end let this come into consideration in the next place 1. That the 2300 dayes and the 1335 dayes will end together for first the 1335 days bring us to the end of the dayes of trouble and affliction to the Saints and to the end of those days at which Daniel shall stand up in his Lot Dan. 12.13 so 't is in Dan. 8.19 I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the Indignation that is when he that shall prosper and practice and destroy the mighty and the holy people shall come to his end and be broken without hand This will be at the end of the 2300 dayes and of the 1335. And doubtless this last end of the Indignation and the breaking of this little Horn that shall stand up against the Prince of Princes without hand shall be the pouring out of the last Vial Rev. 16.17 Then secondly At the end of 2300 dayes the Sanctuary shall be cleansed then all shall be cleansed then all shall be pure and clean as it ought to be in the Church and among the Saints Now compare with this Chap. 11.35 some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white but how long shall this trying time be to the time of the end because it is yet for an appointed time this is spoken concerning the Jews after their first Call Now when shall this time end When the 1335 dayes end of which it 's said Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to them because then the trying time will be over for at this time the Sanctuary shall be perfectly cleansed so there will be no more need of afflictions and sureffings to try to purge them to make them white 2. The 2300 are to be accounted to begin at the time when Daniel had his Vision This I gather from Dan. 8.13 14. How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice And he said unto 2300 dayes How long shall be the Vision that is how long from the beginning to the end of it how long from the first representation of these things in the Vision to the accomplishment of them how long from the time of the Prophecy to the time of the performance Now Daniel said v. 1. In the third year of Belshazzar a Vision appeared to me Belshazzar reigned but three years and in his third year but after Babylon was taken Daniel had this Vision For v. 2. He sayeth when I saw I was at Shushan in the Palace Now Shushan was in Persia thither he was carried after Babylon was taken so he had this Vision at the beginning of the Persian Monarchy and that we must take to be the Epocha of this Number And if any one can find out and give an exact account of years since the beginning of the Persian monarchy then I think I may undertake to tell when they will end And consequently when all the other Numbers mentioned will come to their end A late Author who hath laboured much to find out the true account fixes the period of this Number in A. D. 1701. but for my part I shall only declare what I am most inclined to believe which is that it will not be till about 1731. those that have Books and leasure may do well to try what by searching they can find out of the certain Number of years since the beginning of the Persian-monarchy which would be a