Christ to be revealed from Heaven which is the glorious estate of Christ and the Saints upon earth which hath been foretold by the mouths of the Prophets and also of the Lord Christ himself and his holy Apostles that through their words together with the holy Spirit sent down from God into our hearts which bears witness to the same truth we might have strong consolation thorow laying hold upon the hope set before us and therein wait for the Son of God to be revealed from Heaven who is heir of all things even the world present and that which is to come thorow whom also we have obtained by promise an inheritance being predestinated to be made Kings and Priests and to raign upon the earth And in order to the clearing of this truth I shall lay down this Point or Position which is That Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon Earth This I shall prove first by plain text of Scripture and secondly by reasons drawn from Scripture and thirdly the manner how Christ shall take the Kingdome fourthly a few words as touching the distance of time between the Resurrection of the just and unjust fifthly the place of Christs Kingly seat sixthly how long Christ shall raign and the estate and condition of the wicked in the time of Christs raign And first to prove That Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and to raign upon earth which is clear from the Scriptures proved for so saith the Prophet Dan. 7.13 14 18. in these words And I saw in the night a vision and behold one like the son of man came with or in the cloudes of Heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away but the Saints of the most high shall possess the Kingdome for ever From these words we may safely conclude That Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a Kingdome and raign for so saith the Prophet Isai 32.1 in these words Behold a King shall raign in righteousness meaning the Christ and Princes meaning the Saints shall rule in Judgment To which also agreeth the words of the Prophet Obadiah vers 21. which saith And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion and Judge the mount of Esau when the kingdome shall be the Lords And that this kingdome shall be upon earth and the Saints raign with Christ there you may take notice of these Scriptures for the proof and so I shall pass to the reasons drawn from Scripture the Scriptures are thus read He maketh warr to cease to the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the heathen I will be exalted in the earth Clap your hands all ye people shout to God with the voyce of triumph for the Lord most high is exalted he is exalted he is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praise to God for God is the king of all the earth God raigneth over the heathen for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for behold he cometh to Judge the earth the Lord raigneth bring those mine enemies that will not that I shall raign over them and slay them before me Psal 98.9 and Psal 99.1 Luke 19.14 27. From these words we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a kingdome and raign upon the earth for it is plain from what hath been said that the shield of the earth belongeth unto Christ and that he shall raign upon earth the which as yet he never did but was as a servant unto all men when he was upon earth and did also suffer which is a vast difference from raigning but he shall take to himself his great power and raign and so shall his people as they now suffer with Christ or for Christ so they shall raign with him and that their raign shall be upon earth read the word of the Lord for the proof of it as you may find it written by Saint John Rev. 5.9 10. in these words And they sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred and tongue and people and nations and hast made us unto our God Kings and Preists and we shall raign upon earth From these words with the precedent we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive a kingdome and raign upon earth the which proveth the truth of the Point before laid down viz. That the raign of Christ and his People c. But as touching the raign of Christ and his people many will consent to but withall say it is to be understood either spiritual here or otherwise in Heaven To which I answer and say That the Saints shall not raign while they live in this mortal body is plain because the Scripture saith that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 And also that thorow many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God and if so then it is plain that the Saints cannot be understood to raign here because here they are to fill up the sufferings that are behind of Christ and persons cannot be said to suffer and raign at one and the same time And secondly there is not one Scripture that I at present know of nor I believe none else which saith that Christ and the Saints shall raign in Heaven but the Scripture saith that when the Mediator-ship shall be delivered up into the hands of the Father then shall the Son himself be in subjection unto the Father and then shall God himself be all in all but it is plain and I shall make it yet more plain that the Scripture saith That Christ and the Saints shall raign upon earth And now I shall come to give you the Reasons of the Position or Point before mentioned viz. That Christ with his Saints shall possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and the first reason is Reas 1. Because the Scripture saith it is a Kingdome under and not a kingdome in heaven as you may read in the Prophesie of Dan. 7.27 in these words And the kingdome and dominion and greatness of the kingdome VNDER the whole heaven mark that shall be given into the hands of the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is to be an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him From whence you may see that there is a day a coming that Christ and the Saints shall receive
Truth and Innocency Prevailing against Error and Insolency Wherein is Examined and Discovered these following PARTICULARS I. Whether Baptism be Sprinkling or Dipping II. Whether the Subject to be Baptised be Infants or Believers III. Whether the punishment of Original Sin be the first or second Death IV. Whether Man be in an immortal estate before the Resurrection V. As touching the Resurrection whether these Bodies of ours shall rise again be made immortal or whether it will be another Body VI. Of Gods Love to the whole Lump of Mankind made known VII Of the Personal Raign of our blessed Saviour upon Earth It being occasioned by way of Answer to Mr. Hezekiah Holland sometimes Preacher at Sutton-Valence in Kent Whereunto also is Added A SECOND PART Wherein is proved That all the Laws and Statutes of King Jesus in his last Will and Testament are practicable and to be practised by all the Lords People according to their several abilities until the worlds end with many Objections Answered It being an Answer to one Mr. Simon Hendon of Benenden in Kent By George Hammon Pastor to the Church of Christ in Biddenden Kent Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. LONDON Printed for the Author in the Year 1660. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO Mr. Hezekiah Holland SIR I Have examined your Treatise entituled Truths Conflict with Error and find it to be no other but Error and Insolency striving against Truth and Innocency and is found to be no more ablier to stand than Dagon was to stand before the Ark of the Lord. I had writ a very considerable Piece in Answer to the several Particulars in your Treatise and was at the Press with it long since but taking these things into consideration I did return back again with it and have it lying by me at this time the Reasons that caused me to lay that aside at present was First because I found very little asserted by you more than what I had before answered and disproved And Secondly because the answering of petty or inconsiderable Objections in controverted Points is but of little profit to the Reader And Thirdly because your self far remote and also saying that you would not appear in the Press or otherwise with me in this Controversie any more as I was informed by one that said they had it from your own mouth And Fourthly because I find that it is most profitable to the Reader for whose sake I have written this to lay down things in particular Points or Positions and to confirm it by Scriptures and Reasons drawn from the Scriptures which is my method in the following Treatise nevertheless I have answered every thing cited by you that hath any weight in it or at least that which appears of any weight unto me And Fifthly because I had other Points to speak to being desired thereunto by some Friends and such like occasions calling me thereunto the which caused me to be more briefer in the several Particulars than I would have been and to omit that large Discourse which I had written and to contract my self into a briefer method and yet large enough to clear up the Truth and unvail the falsity of that long deceiving Doctrine of Infants Baptism together with several other Doctrins which do attend it the which being read and weighed with an impartial heart will appear to be the truth as it is in Jesus But Sir what may I say to animate you to that thing for as much as the way of Truth is every where spoken against and your self and your Brethren the greatest Persecutors thereof Let not I pray you vain imaginations deceive you any longer perswading your selves that you are the people whom God hath revealed his secrets unto and that you are wise and the knowledge of Gods Mysteries are in your hearts because of your parts and education Remember such may be deceived and that the Priests of old were the greatest Enemies that our blessed Saviour had upon earth how that they were the men that took counsel and gave Judas Thirty Pieces of Silver to betray his Master and also that it was the Priests that gave the Soldiers large Money to make a lie to say that Christ was not risen from the dead but his Disciples came by night while they slept and stole him away which saying is reported amongst the Jews to this day and yet doubtless these men had human parts and learning and also zeal and yet for all this had not the knowledge of the Mysteries of God for indeed it is the fulfilling of the Word of the Lord which saith that God hideth his Wisdome from the wise and prudent and revealeth it to babes and sucklings Sirs Let these and such like Scriptures as these be of which there be many put you upon serious tryal with prayers and supplycations that if peradventures God may open your eyes that you may see the Truth that so you may bring glory unto his Name for it is not learning will do it although it be good in its place without the inspiration of the Almighty and let not Antiquity or Customs be your guide for the aged do not alwayes understand judgment but wait at Wisdoms gate on God by prayer sighs and groans lay aside pride and vain-glory be not conformable to this world in its pleasure honour fashions and friendship and the like but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds and put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil it in the lusts thereof and by so doing you shall come to know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God and your eyes shall see out of obscurity and your ears shall hear a voyce behind you saying This is the way walk in it when you turn to the right hand or to the left which shall guide your feet into the way of peace and having served your God and your Generation in the way of Truth the gates that the King of Glory shall enter in at shall be set wide open unto you and all such as keep the Truth with uprightness of heart shall enter in thereat to their everlasting joy and felicity never to have end Which is the desire of him Who delights in the Conversion of Souls and to be the Servant of all men for Christs sake GEORGE HAMMON THE Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader FOR thy sake I have yet once more taken in hand to set out in order publickly those things which will conduce much to thy Instruction if thou seriously read and peruse those things which are contained in the following Treatise although they much differ from the common opinion of men yet try them and be serious not wise in thy own eye but wise according to what is written in
not a fit Subject for Baptism for Baptism represents a Death and Burial of the old Man and a rising to Life in the new Man which cannot be represented by an Infants being sprinckled but by a Beleevers being baptized So then for as much as Baptism is a visible demonstration of a Covenant made between God and the Soul wherein the Soul promises to put on Christ and walk in him and God promising to give him his holy Spirit to assist him in his so walking which shews That the person thus Covenanting in Baptism must be a Beleever And so I pass to the 10. and last Reason that at present I shall represent unto you to prove that Beleevers are the only fit Subjects of Baptism which is Reas 10. Because without Faith it is unprofitable for any to appear before God in any Gospel Ordinance for without Faith they cannot please him in their so appearing before him Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh so to God must beleeve that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Hence the three thousand beleeving and gladly received the Word were baptized The Samaritans beleeving also were baptized Simon beleeving was baptized Act. 8. and the Eunuch also with the Jaylors houshould And without Faith or profession of Faith at the least none were admitted to Baptism although that they were in the first Covenant being Abrahams seed to whom was the Promise yet they came not to Johns Baptism without confession of sins and being instructed in the Messiah which was to come as you may read Mat. 3. and Luk. 3. at larg and thus of old was the practise of the Ministers of the Gospel to prepare a Temple for the Lord of sanctified stones built up a spiritual house a peculiar people to offer spiritual sacrifice to God 1 Pet. 1.9 Which clearly proveth That if the building of God in Gospel-times be a building through the Spirit Eph. 2.19.12 then spiritual Beleeving Men and Women are the persons which ought to be the subjects baptized and being such fit matter and so fitly joyned together groweth to be a holy Temple for the Lord for as the stones that Solomons Temple was built of were hewn in Hieroms Country before they were brought to Jerusalem and compacted as a Temple for God figuratively to dwell in even so now must the stones of the spiritual building be hewed and fitted before they be laid in that building Hence our blessed Saviour commanded his Disciples to go preach the Gospel so as to make Disciples by instructing of them and then to baptize them and such as did gladly receive the word were baptized and so the Lord added to his Church daily such as should be saved And this was the way of God of old and is the way and will for ever be found to be the right way of Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore be not carried away with the inventions of men but walk as you have had Christ and the Apostles for an example doing all things according to the Primitive patern in the worship of God and as many as walk according to that rule peace shall be unto them and mercy upon all the Israel of God And so I leave this Subject and come to handle the second Position which is Position 2. That Infants as such are not fit Subjects of Baptism IN the Discourse of which I shall Answer my Antagonist in his aleaged Texts of Scripture with several more Objections of that nature which is not aleaged in his Book and now briefly to the Reasons which sheweth That Infants are not fit Subjects for to be Baptized And so to the first Reason which is Reas 1. Because God hath no where in Scripture appointed Infants to be Baptized either by Precept or by the Example of the Apostles whole steps we are to follow and therefore it 's an unlawful practise for whosoever adds to the Word of the Lord God will add the Plagues which are written And the Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in the Name of the Lord which he hath not commanded the same Prophet must die Deut. 18.20 Revel 22.18 Therefore add thou not unto his word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 30.6 But as for Gods wayes as in the time of the Law it was very plain and perfect as witness that Ordinance of Circumcision there was the manner of Circumcision and the Person which was to be Circumcised plainly discovered as the foreskin of the flesh and the Children of Abraham and the time when even at eight dayes old nay his Servants and Slaves were to be Circumcised and in a word no uncircumcised person must abide in that Land nor be accounted of Abrahams Family which sheweth That in a spiritual sense none can be accounted Abrahams seed but such as are Circumcised in heart viz. those that have the vayl of Ignorance and Unbelief taken away from off their hearts which causeth the Apostle to say That Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness Know ye therefore saith he that they which are of Faith the same are the Children of Abraham So then Infants not having the vail of Ignorance and Unbelief taken from off their hearts cannot be accounted of Abrahams Family for he received Circumcision as a Seal of the righteousness of that Faith which he received before Circumcision that he might be the Father of all them which do beleeve Gal. 3.7 Rom. 4.11 So then Circumcision was a Seal of the Father-hood of the Faithful unto Abraham therefore the Faithful only are Abrahams seed which cannot be Infants because they have not Faith and that they have not Faith is clear because the Apostle saith That there is but one Faith and that one Faith is wrought in the Soul by Hearing the Word Preached the which Infants are not capable of as will be granted by all men as I think One word or two more about Abrahams Circumcision and so pass to the next Reason which is Abraham received it as a seal of the righteousness of Faith but none of his seed did receive it as a seal neither could do because they could not have the Father-hood of the Faithful sealed up unto them it was only Abrahams prerogative neither was it ever called a seal to any of Abrahams seed and much more I might say But I pass briefly to the second Reason to prove Children not fit subjects to be Baptized which is Reas 2. Because all that are Baptized may and ought to receive the Lords Supper unless they be scandalous in their Conversation after Baptism and that hinder them but Children may not receive the Lords Supper Ergo Reas 3. Thirdly Because Children are not in Gospel-Covenant because all that are in Gospel-Covenant need not to be taught to know the Lord for they all know him from the greatest to the least but children of seven or eight dayes old knows not the Lord
doctrine by the slights of men cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive From this text we may learn that it was the wisdome of Christ in order to accomplish his last will and testament that he did give gifts to men that they might be enabled in their successive generations to preach exhort reprove and correct to the end that the man of God or servants of God namely the Church of God might be furnished with every good work that henceforth that is from that time forward they might not be tossed that is removed from that doctrine which Christ left in command in his last will and testament Ephes 4.10 11 12 13 14. 1 Tim. 3.14 15 16. The consequence is that what Christ appointed in his last will and testament was perpetuated and to remain from that time and forward until all the Saints came to the unity of the faith and that perfect man even to the stature and fulness of Christ and so I pass to the third ground and reason Reas 3. It further appears that whatsoever Christ appointed to be practised in his last Will and Testament is perpetuated and to remain because it was before declared by God to Moses and good reason there was that the Laws and Statutes of Christ should be perpetuated and remain as well as Moses Law which did remain untill a more glorious administration for when Moses was dead yet his Law spake which shewed him to be a Law-giver of some authority but if it were as some would have it Christs Law must needs be so weak as to die with him or a non after him or at least some of them and so in effect say that Christ is a more weaker or an imperfecter law-giver than Moses but that it was foretold by God and given in charge that all Christs Laws and Statutes should remain in all Generations for all men to practise according to their several abilities or measures read Peters words Acts 3.22 23. which saith For Moses truly said unto the fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to passe that every Soul that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people That which is to be observed from this text is first that Christ must be heard in every thing whatsoever he saith and secondly as he must be heard in every thing in whatsoever he saith even so he must be heard in every thing by every soul and thirdly that it is so is clear because whosoever doth not heare viz. obey shall be destroyed so then its plain that all the Statutes and Ordinances of the last will and Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to be believed and practised by all those that are the Lords people in all ages and so I pass to the fourth ground and reason to prove the continuation of all the Statutes and Laws of Kings Jesus Reas 4. Because there must be no adding nor deminishing from his words no putting to nor taking from them for it is a very great evil to put in or take out of it if it be but a mans will and Testament as saith Saint Paul Gal. 3.15 in these words Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant or Testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth there unto For as saith the Lord Rev. 22.18 I testifie to every one that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this booke if any man shall adde unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall take away from the words of this booke God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and the holy City and from the things that are written in this booke For as he is an unalterable Priest and hath an unchangeable Preist-hood even so he is an unalterable King and Prophet and hath unalterable or unchangeable Lawes Ordinances and Statutes and happy are all those that observe and keep them unto the end And to this end the Apostle Paul who was faithful to Christ who did not hide or shun to declare the whole counsel of God did direct the successive Ministers as Timothy and Titus what to do after him both in respect of Doctrine and discipline and sheweth them how they should behave themselves in the Church of Christ and also to commit it to faithful men that might teach others after them and what quallifications ought to be found in Bishops and Deacons namely Pastors and such as were to take care of the poor so that it is very evident that it was the care of the Apostle to leave in charge an orderly provision for both souls and bodies of the Churches of Christ as Pastors or Bishops to take care of their souls and Deacons to take care of their bodies and the externall way of establishing them or appointing them to the work was by fasting and prayer with laying on of Hands as he himself and the rest of the Ministry were established as Acts 13.3 and 1 Tim. 4.14 Chap. 5.22 Tit. 1.5 6 7 8. more there might be added but at present I shall only add a few sentences of Scriptures but not any of them texts last cited but others as first the charge that Paul giveth to the Pastors or Elders of the Church of Ephesus at his departure Acts 20.28 in these words Take heed unto your selves and unto all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood For I know this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock Wherefore saith he to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.1 in these words I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearance and Kingdome Preach the word instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine Watch thou in all things indure affliction do the work of an Evangelist make a full proof of thy Ministry for their are many unruly and vain talkers wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be found in the faith but a man that is an Hereticke after the first and second admonition reject And the things that thou hast heard and seen in me the same commit to faithful men who also may teach others Tit. 1.10 Chap. 3.10 2 Tim. 2.2 So then those Laws that Christ appointed his Disciples to walk in they must teach there successors to walk in and their successors must commit it to others that they might teach the Generation to come to that end that Christs Laws Statutes Ordinances might be as unchangeable as his Preist-hood and so the words of the author to the Hebrews may be verified Heb.
Gods Judgments upon the Earth that they may be spared when the seal of the living God is seen upon their fore-head for this to be after the Man-child is caught up to God and to his Throne at which time the Gentile Church which I conceive to be the Man-child is to be in the Ark of their safety being caught up to meet the Lord in the ayre and then the Jews that look for their Messiah it being the time that God hath promised that all Israel viz. the natural seed of Abraham shall be saved as it is written Rom. 11. They shall have the Seal of God or the name of God written in their foreheads to distingush them from the worshippers of the Beast who are to have the name of the Beast in their right hand or forehead Revel 13.16 upon whom the seven Angels are to pour out their vials upon the earth that the same persons who have received the mark of the Beast in their foreheads or hands may be tormented and then the executing Angels will pass by all those that have the Seal of God in their forehead so that they shall not be plagued with those Judgments that shall be executed upon the Beast and his worshippers and to this end the Angel of the East forbid the four Angels that had power to hurt the earth that they might not go forth to execute their office till the servants of God were Sealed in their foreheads Revel 7.2 And this agreeth with the manner of Gods dealing with his people when he executes his Judgments upon the earth as you may see Exod. 12.14 Ezek. 9.4 5 6. and to that end was these Israelites Sealed so that none of the plagues either of the four Angels or the seven Angels did them any hurt And thus much at present of the Sealed number who they are and the Cause of their being Sealed and afterwards was seen preserved as a Sealed number Revel 14.1 2 3 4. Chap. 15.2 3 4. And so I pass to give my opinion what the Temple and the outward Court and holy City is Only by the way I thus say that although I have read Mr. Hendens opinion of the outward Court yet I cannot believe it nor adhere to what he saith because I do not find that ecclesiastical order is in any one Text called the outward Court neither doth it hold parallel with the outward Court but rather to the inward Court even the holy of holies into which the Priest was to enter alone who had the ecclesiastical order put upon him by God but because I find not the Scripture warranting such a parable I leave it and now come to speak briefly to that Text Revel 11.1 2. and first I shall cite the Text it self which is thus read And there was given me a reed like unto a rod and the Angel stood saying rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein but the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths and I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloated in sackcloth from this Text with many more we find that Jerusalem and the Temple is to be built again and the Jews are to worship their God according to the Law of Moses at which time they shall earnestly look for their King namely the Son of God according to the words of their Prophets for although they were blind and understood not his coming in the day of his poverty yet they do believe that they have a King viz. Son of God to come in glory and to ragin upon the Throne of David and when God shall give them opportunity to return out of their long captivity then shall they sit upon their building to redifie the City and Temple as I have formerly proved at large read my Zions redemption and that Jerusalem is to be built again which is called the holy City relating to Revel 11.1 2. read the words of the Prophets which saith They shall build the old wast places they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the wast Cities and THE DESOLATIONS OF MANY GENERATIONS behold the day cometh saith the Lord that the City shall be built to the Lord from the Tower of Hanael unto the gate of the corner and the measuring line shall yet go forth over again compare Revel 11.1 2. upon the Hill Garib and shall compass about Goath it shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more FOR EVER in that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruins and I will build it as in the dayes of old and I will plant them upon their Land and they shall be NO MORE plucked out of their Land which I have given them saith the Lord God And Ezekiels vision relates to this very thing where he saith In the vision of God brought he me into the Land of Israel and set me upon a very high Mountain by which was as it were the frame of a City on the South and he brought me thither and behold there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed so he measured the length thereof twenty cubits and the breadth twenty cubits before the Temple and he said unto me this is the most holy place this is the Law of the house upon the Mountain and these are the measures of the Altar after the Rubites and the name of the City from that day shall be THE LORD IS THERE And that the Cities of Jerusalem is called a holy City read Isa 64.10 chap. 61.4 chap. 60.18 Jer. 30.18 chap. 31.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. chap. 33.12 13 14 15 16 17. Amos 9.14 15. Ezek. 40.3 chap. 3.13 chap. 41.4 chap. 48.35 From all that which hath been said this is the Sum in short that the City Jerusalem and the Temple is to be built again and inhabited and God there worshipped only there will be a stop in the work by the Antichrist before the outward Court is finished and therefore the measuring line is said not to pass over the outward Court or it not measured but that I may be plain and easily understood I shall divide the matter in short and brief particulars The first is the building of the City the which I have spoken already to And the second is of the Temple The third is the outward Court being given into the hands of the Gentiles and the holy City being trod under foot forty and two months And fourthly of the two Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes That the City and Temple is to be built you have heard somewhat
the which was practised by the Lord and the primitive Churches and left written for us to follow their examples and therefore wanted no new signs or miracles to confirm it it being already confirmed and that they only want new Signs and Miracles for confirmation that walk in new waies and Ordinances which have not as yet been confirmed but the waies and Ordinances which we walk in and contend for are the same which have been already confirmed as none can deny and therefore warrantable to be practised by all the Lords People and thus I leave this particular and come to the next thing considerable which is All the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or beginning of the second Century in a little time after Evangilists and Prophets you may from this place as well argue the constant abiding of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists as of Pastors and Teachers seeing the Spirit here speaks of a compleat full dispensation of Official Ministers consisting of all these together to bring this noble work to its perfection page 21. Answ Whereas you say all the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or the beginning of the second Century It 's a very hard matter for you to prove it unless by the word ALL you mean ALL the twelve Apostles and if so its very like that all they might be dead by that time but that either the Offices of Apostleship dyed then or that all the Apostles which were to be to the worlds end were then dead that I possitively deny because I find that in the time of the Roman Beast or Babylonias raign their shall be Apostles and Prophets who shall rejoyce at her down-fall who have been persecuted by her Revel 18.20 in these words Rejoyce over her thou Heavens and ye holy APOSTLES and PROPHETS for God hath avenged you on her The word Heaven is to be understood the Church and Apostles and Prophets is to be understood Messengers and such as have been fore-tellers of Babels destruction for so is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolos Prophetas to be understood for the word Apostolos is to be understood a Messenger one sent in the Lords message to carry the good news of salvation unto the sons of men and the word Prophetas men fore-telling of things to come and such as speak to edification exhortation and comfort for so saith St. Paul Prophesie is a speaking to edification exhortion and comfort and such Apostles and Prophets they were that were to rejoyce at Babylons down-fall and such were before the second Century and since it and also such there will be at Babylons down-fall and till the end of the World so then Apostles and Prophets are to remain and as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelists they are such as set forth carry or publish either with tongue or pen the joyful or sweet news or glad tydings of great joy which is to all men hence Matthew and John who were without all dispute Apostles yet were called by way of emphasis Evangelists because they published by way of writing the joyful news or glad tydings comprehended in the life and death of the Lord Jesus and so Paul writing to Timothy bids him do the work of an Evangelist make an full proof of thy Ministry 2 Tim. 4. So then an Evangelist I understand to be such an one that hath a great faculty or more properly a gift carrying him on to set forth both with tongue and pen the glad tydings of great joy Every one hath his proper gift from God and some have a gift much leading them to reprove for sin and exhort from sin I do not say that such cannot or do not preach glad tydings at any time but say they may at some times and yet their gift runs out or leads them forth most to reproof for sin and the like and so it is on the other hand some mens gift leads them forth to preach mostly upon comfortable things to the godly as the joyes of salvation and all such glad tydings and not reproof and terror and the like and I understand that it s not the OFFICE simply considered which is from the Lord but it is the gift qualifying for the OFFICE which is from the Lord and the OFFICE it self from the Church and the Text carryeth the gift to quallifie for the Office to be from God and not the OFFICE it self as you may read Ephes 4.8 Psal 68.18 in these words Wherefore when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave GIFTS to men compared with vers 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers ver 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ until we ALL come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ From whence we may learn that all those gifts spoken before are for the work of the Ministry and if the Ministry did remain in all the times of apostacy as you say it did then of necessity those gifts and offices did also remain for all these are comprehended in the Ministry and it is for the perfecting of the Saints till we all come into the unity of the faith now the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a very large acceptation or signification as from the Lattin word CONSVMMATIO a full finishing or atchieving the total sum and ending of the work from whence I understand that from the word which saith for the PERFECTING of the Saints VNTIL we ALL that is all the Saints come into the unity of the faith to the measure and stature of Christ Is meant that these gifts offices are to remain until all the Saints even until the last which is to be born and brought forth gradually into the World is converted and united into the faith and made a perfect man in Christ Jesus So then all these official gifts are to remain and are unseperable in the Ministry for the gathering of the Saints and perfecting those that are thereby gathered until all be both gathered and perfected and thus I shall leave this as having more to say to it but want time and therefore pass to the next thing which is The Sealed number are not the natural seed of Abraham saith M. Henden but Gentile Israelites proved by these reasons First The Book of the Revelation was not sent to the Jews but to the Gentiles Secondly The main body of the vision was after the dayes of John Thirdly The four Angels stood upon the quarters of the Earth Fourthly The hurt was chiefly introduced by the Locust and by the Beast which can in no sense be applyed to the Jews Fifthly The Nations possessed the Court without which was the stand of the common
the Scriptures and if thou find in this Treatise any thing that seems strange unto thee be not over hasty to condemn it or the Author but know assuredly that he is one that aimeth and strives after Truth as much as thy self who ever thou art and know that the things that are disapproved of by men are the things that are chosen of God and precious and that in all Ages as I have formerly said the Truth of God hath been accounted Heresie and the assertors thereof Hereticks and turners of the world upside down therefore it much concerns thee to be earnest with God in prayer and supplication to give thee a discerning spirit that thou mayest discern between Truth and Error I have in the following Treatise shewed in a methodical order what Baptism is and that it is not Sprinkling or scattering a little water in the face of the Subject no but a Dipping or Plunging or a thorow washing of the person Baptised and also that the Subjects to be Baptised are not Infants as such but such as have first believed in the Lord Jesus or at least such as do make a visible profession of faith such were those that John the Baptist Baptised for they came and confessed their sins and was Baptised of him in Jordan and also when the Eunuch said to Plilip See here is water What hindreth me that I may not be Baptised and he said If thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest and the Samaritans when they did believe the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the name of Jesus they were Baptised both men and women So that the Scripture is plain that testifieth what Subject should be Baptised And that conceit or more properly great deceit about Original Sin in saying That Infants dying in their Infancy without being Baptised are damned and so bring in Infants Baptism to purge away Original Sin I have shewed is no such thing but a dream of mens own brains and that there is not one Text of Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation which saith that any shall die the second Death for Original Sin nay the second Death was not so much as threatned in any one Text of Scripture either upon Adam or any of his posterity for that sin but the Death of the Body was threatned and also executed for saith the Lord Dust thou art and unto Dust thou shalt return And as touching Mans Mortality it is a general received Opinion That the Soul of Man is Immortal and dyeth not although the Scripture saith that Christ poured out his Soul to death and made his Soul an offering for sin but it is supposed that when men die their Souls if they have done evil go immediately to Hell and in the Resurrection come again from thence to be judged to see whether they deserve it yea or nay as though Souls should be put into their torments before they are tryed and judged to see whether they have deserved it yea or nay for although some mens sins go before to Judgment so as that they are convicted before death yet some mens sins come after them that there is not the sense of their sins at the time of death but they come after them unto Judgment these things I have shewed my opinion upon also the which amongst men is strangely looked upon as a gross Error however peruse it for there is no dangerous consequence in it for he that believeth it or he that believeth it not may both meet with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God if they walk uprightly according to their several measures although if it be a Truth as it appears to me to be it is very necessary that every godly man know it for several reasons that I could give But as touching the Resurrection of the Body which I also have spoken to that is of such weight that without believing it and being stedfast in the same it makes Preaching voyd and Faith voyd and whosoever doth deny it their words eat as doth a Canker and indeed I do not see as yet how such men as deny it can be saved I have also shewed the great and universal love of God to all men which is the ground of Faith and Salvation to all that do believe and be saved which is a very comfortable Doctrine to all men and I think that none can have cause to be offended at it but such as have their eyes evil because Gods eye is good And as touching the Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth viz. on the Throne of his Father David in Zion in Jerusalem is that which causeth the godly to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory and it is that which Christ hath commanded us to pray for though we understand it not as we should do when we pray Thy Kingdome come thy will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven but that he is to receive a Kindome and Reign upon Earth I have proved in its particular order although briefly I have also added a second Part entituled The good ancient Laws and Statutes of King Jesus Vindicated wherein I have proved the continuance of all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus given forth in his last Will and Testament with many Objections answered And also have shewed who is the travelling Woman spoken of in Revellations 12. and who is her Man-child and who is the Remnant of her Seed and to what Wilderness she is to flea into and for how long and who are the two Witnesses and the time and place of their Prophesie and many such like things which I have shewed my opinion upon in the following Treatise and therefore I desire thee courteous Reader to peruse these things seriously and desire the Lord to give thee an understanding heart to receive it so far forth as thou findeth it agreeable to the Word of the Lord and sound Reason It should have been published long before this time if extraordinary occasions had not hindred me therefore it is my desire that they that have long waited for it may excuse the matter because many are sensible of my great occasions taking me off from finishing of it sooner So desiring the Lord to make it to be a word in season unto thee and to fill thy heart with joy thorow believing and also with the fruits of righteousness that having thy fruit in holiness the end may be everlasting life which is the desire of Thy Friend and Brother in the Faith and Profession of the Gospel of Christ GEORGE HAMMON THE CONTENTS OF THE Principal Matters Contained in this BOOK B BAptism to be Dispenced to such as are of ripe years and of understanding Page 5. to page 12. Baptism may not be Dispenced to Infants for several Reasons page 13. to page 25. Of the Battel of the great Day and the Destruction of Gogg and his Company page 89. to page 92. G Of Gods universal Love unto all men and how far
takes up his Cross and followeth him cannot be his Disciple So then Infants being not capable so to do cannot be Christs Disciples but such as are to be baptized must first be taught and made Disciples and then baptized as is to be understood in the word baptize THEM that is such as before have been taught and made Disciples from whence you may see that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Women may and ought to be baptized it being the last Will and Testament of the great Law-giver who also saith That he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. And so I come to the Second Reason which is Reas 2. Because Disciples viz. Beleevers were the Subjects that Christ and the Apostles baptized and we are to follow their steps and now to prove that Christ and the Apostles did baptize such read John 4.1 When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus MADE and baptized more Disciples than John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples from whence we may see that Jesus MADE Disciples before he did baptize them and also we see it was the Apostles and Disciples practise so to do as Acts. 8.12 it s said That when the Samaritans did beleeve they were baptized Men and Women but no mention at all of Children so then Beleevers are the subjects who are to be baptized Reas 3. Thirdly Beleevers are the subjects because none are accounted as Members in the New Covenant so as to have right to Gospel administrations but such as know the Lord viz. beleeve in his Name for so saith the Scripture Heb. 8. For this is the Covenant that I make After those dayes saith the Lord they shall not teach every one his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall know me from the least even to the greatest From whence we see that the least Member in the Gospel-Covenant must know the Lord but Children of seven or eight dayes old know him not and therefore have not right to Gospel-administrations only beleevers that know God for they shall all know him from the least to the greatest as saith the text And so I pass to the Fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Because those that have right to be Baptized may and ought to eat the Lords Supper the which is not meet for Children to do for it is a Feast that Beleevers only have a right to partake of but all baptized ones even such as have right to the New Covenant have right to the Supper and all other Covenant Priviledges for so saith the Scripture Acts 2.41 42. Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day was added to the Church about three thousand Souls and they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayer From whence we see that no more were baptized but those that gladly received the Word and they that were baptized continued in the Apostles Doctrine in Fellowship and in breaking of Bread viz. the Lords Supper and Prayer therefore beleeving Men and Women and not Children are the right subjects of Baptism and ought to be baptized they having a Command enjoyning them thereunto And so I pass to the Fifth Reason to prove that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Woman are the only fit subjects of Baptism which is Reas 5. Because Christ was baptized when he came to be of years of discretion being about thirty years old as you may read Luk. 3. and Christ was given to be a leader to his People Isa 55.4 Now if Christ were not baptized before he came to be of years of discretion and he given to lead us an example then we ought not also to be baptized till we be of years of discretion and so follow his steps The former of these is true and the Consequence cannot in truth be denied And so I pass to the Sixth Reason to prove beleevers the only subjects of Baptism Reas 6. Because Repentance and Confession of sin is required of Persons before Baptism be administred unto them for such was the Baptism of John when he was to prepare a People for the Lord although the People which he baptized were the seed of Abraham and so in the Old Covenant yet they came to John and confessed their sins and were baptized and it was called the Baptism of Repentance and when they would have been baptized upon the account of being Abrahams seed and Children of the Covenant John did reprove them saying O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the Wrath to come Bring forth fruit worthy of amendment of life and do not begin to say ye have Abraham to your Father for God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham and now is the Ax laid to the root of the Trees and every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down c. Peruse this diligently and you may see that there was no admission unto Baptism without Repentance and it is the very same Doctrine that Peter taught Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit Hence you see there was Repentance required of ever one that is Baptized and this is acknowledged by the Old Catechism and Book of Common Prayers and hence it came to pass that the old God-fathers and God-mothers as we were wont to call them did confess our sins for us it being a wicked deceiving invention of Pope Ignatius whereby thousands of poor souls were deceived the Pope invented it and the Priest readily received it and it being a custome the people loved to have it so the Priest was to ask the child Whether it would forsake the Devil and all his works and the God-father or Surety was to Answer in the behalf of the Child as though the Priest were a Juglor and had jugled the mans voice into the Child saying This is our or my desire and then ask if it would be Baptized And the Answer was returned again as it were in the person of the Child that it was its desire when it was far from desiring any such thing and so far were the Sureties themselves from forsaking the Devil and all his works and from being Beleevers that some were Drunkards some Swearers and some Whore-mongers and yet did dare by the means of the Pope his Clergy to tell God who is the searcher of all hearts that they did beleeve and forsake the Devil and all his works and yet were led captive by him at his Will Consider O ye blind Priests how you deceived the people and made them beleeve they did well and worshipt God when they told lyes in the face of the Congregation and so did worship the Devil Did you ever read of such a practise in the Primitive time No surely Gods Soul abhors you But courteous Reader hence thou mayest see that the
Ignorance and unbelief being taken away doth entitle Persons as heirs of that heavenly Land And Secondly That Baptism came not in the room or place of Circumcision is plain Because it is impossible for one thing to be said to stand in the room and place of another until the first is taken away but Circumcision and Baptism was practised both together for several years and therefore one could not come in the room and place of the other And so I pass to the next false or supposed ground of Infants Baptism which is Object 8. There never was but one Covenant saith my Antagonist since the Fall and Children were in that Covenant and never cast out and therefore are to be baptized Answ And first that there was two Covenants made with Abraham is clear one in Gen. 12. and the other in Gen. 17. And that God might make it plain that he did make two several Covenants with Abraham he sets it forth by his Wife and Bond-woman and the two Seeds by their two Seeds as saith the Apostle Gal. 4.22 it is written That Abraham had two Sons one by a Bond-woman and the other by the Free-woman and saith the Apostle These are the TWO Covenants And also saith in vers 30. Cast out the Bond-woman and her Son From whence we take notice that one Covenant viz. the fleshly one and her seed was to be cast out to give place to the spiritual one and her Seed which sheweth That there is two Covenants And now that these are two in substance as well as in Administrations we may see the Apostle makes distinction between the Covenant and the Ordinances or the Administrations of the Covenant saying Verily the first Covenant had Ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary c. And the Apostle further saith That the Administrations of the second Covenant was far better it being spiritual Administrations and the other carnal but because I have spoken before of this also I shall be brief saying That carnal administrations cannot be the administrations of a spiritual Covenant For as it is said in another sense a good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit but the administrations of the Covenant was faulty and carnal by your own grant how then could it be a spiritual Covenant but that Covenant and Administrations and Seed was carnal and faulty and must be cast out is clear for the Scripture is plain Cast out the Bond-woman viz. the first Covenant and her Seed and touch not her Ordinances or Administrations for they are carnal and were but shadows of good things to come But saith my Antagonist I can prove that there is Five Covenants as well as you can prove that there is Two as one with Noah and one with Abraham and one with David and the like I Answer That was but a speaking over again or making known his Covenant to these several men but that I may try you I pray resolve where the Scripture is written that saith there is Five Covenants or Three the Scripture saith plainly that there is Two as a New and an Old Covenant a better and a worse a first and a second one faulty and one perfect but the Scripture no where saith that there is Five nay or Three so then you are seen and found to be at a loss And because I have shewed formerly what these Two Covenants are I pass only take notice of an Objection in this particular which is say you Object If the first Covenant was but an earthly one with earthly blessings what so great a hurt was it for the Jews to be cut off and we Gentiles to be grafted in and what is all our blessings temporal for we are grafted into that stock from whence they were cut off away say you Answ To which I Answer and say That methinks here you shew your self to be subtil or very simple which of them you are guilty of in this case I shall not determine but by your flourishing it appears to be simplicity for Solomon saith That a Fool rages and is confident But did you indeed dream that the stock from whence the Jews was cut was any of the Covenants no such thing surely but the stock was Abraham that is to say The Ax was laid to the root of the Trees to cut those off that had not Faith and to raise up another seed to Abraham as John the Baptist nay also as the Prophet before had said and so did of stones as it were viz. the Gentiles raise up Children to Abraham for he was the stock and not the Covenant as you blindly did conceive for as Ishmael was cut off from Abrahams house so was Hagar also and Isaac was placed with Sarah in her room for so soon as Sarah had brought forth Seed to Abraham then Ishmael and Hagar must go both packing together and Sarah and Isaac must only live with Abraham These are the Two Covenants go learn what it means that you may distinguish better between Stock and Covenant another time And so I pass to the next and last Objection which at present I shall make use of which is Object 9. Although there be no plain Precept or Example for Infants Baptism yet it is no where forbidden that Infants should be baptized say you And there is no Command nor Example for Womens eating of the Lords Supper and yet is lawful having good consequence leading thereunto Answ To which I Answer And first to the First Although it be not forbidden in so many words saying Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children yet it is vertually prohibited in the words written by St. Paul in Col. 2.21 22. and many other places it being an Invention of Man and not from an Appointment of God as I before have shewed For consider that there is many things that men practise pretending service to God which is no where forbidden in so many words and yet is mans Tradition and Vain I shall only mention Two or Three at present as your former practise viz. The sign of the Cross in Baptism and your Surplices and such vain Fangles And also the present Practises of the Church of Rome which Baptize their Books and Bells and use Cream Salt and Spittle and several such foolish Ceremonies in Baptism and in their other kinds of Worship such vain Traditions And will any wise man account this to be a warrantable Worship and Service to God although it be their antient practise surely no yet notwithstanding if you look into the Scriptures there is no Text that saith Thou shalt not sign with the Cross or use Surplices or baptize Books or Bells or use Cream or Salt or Spittle in baptism there 〈◊〉 no Text that saith in so many words thou shalt not do any of these things only a general prohibition which comprehendeth all these particulars and many more Touch not Taste not Handle not the Traditions of men the which either of these are as well as Infants Baptism and therefore
must not be meddled with The sum of all is this First That there is many things used amongst the Sons of Men pretending Worship to God which is abomination unto the Lord and yet no text of Scripture forbidding in so many words saying Thou shalt not do so And Secondly Whereas it hath been affirmed That there is no Example or Command for Women to Eat the Lords Supper It 's false for there is a plain Precept 1 Cor. 11.28 in these words Let a man examine himself and so let him eat which is Preceptory that is He must examine himself and so he must eat The word LET is preceptory Object But if it be Objected that the Text saith Let a Man Examine himself and let a Man eat Answ I Answer It is read in the Greek Let a Man or Woman examine themselves See 1 Cor. 11.28 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Woman as well as a Man and thus the Woman is to be understood implyed in many places although not mentioned in our Translation as well as the man And so it is said Gen. 5.2 That God made them Male and Female and blessed them and called THEIR name Adam And thus you may see that God hath not left us to be guided by blind Consequences but hath left us a plain Rule And as many as walk according to it Peace be unto them and Mercy upon all the Israel of God So then there being many things practised pretending Worshipping of God and are vain and yet not forbidden in so many words Thou shalt not do it So that these may see themselves Answered which hopes that Infants Baptism may be lawful because the Scripture no where saith Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children neither is it any where Thou shalt not Baptize thy Books and Bells and yet to do it is to practise a Tradition of Man in the Service of God and unlawful And thus I pass from this Objection and also from this Subject of Discourse and come to the next which is that of Original Sin Some Objections ANSWERED TOUCHING Original Sinne. AS touching Original Sin there hath been a great Controversie Whether it made Adam and his Posterity guilty and liable to the Second Death or to the First only or to both And it being the main Controversie between me and my Antagonist I thought good to give my Opinion further upon it and to Answer such Objections as are offered by my Adversary and possibly some others as time will admit of and my Way or Method to make the Matter plain shall be by laying down this Position which is Position 1. That the Sin which Adam committed in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the Second Death Which I shall prove by several plain and evident Reasons drawn from the Scriptures but before I speak unto it be informed what I mean by the second Death and that is the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which the Scripture calls the second Death Revel 20.14 for I do beleeve that the Wages of Sin is Death but as there is a twofold Covenant so there is a twofold death viz. a first and second Death And that sin in Paradice made Adam and his guilty of the first Death but sin against God manifest in Christ makes man guilty and liable to the second death And so I come to the Reasons to prove That Adams sin in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the second Death And so to the First Reason which is Reas 1. Because God did neither threaten the second death neither did he pronounce a second death or any thing of that nature in the Sentence but the first death only with sorrow labor and such like things as the punishment due to that sin And first we may read the threatning Gen. 2.17 in these words But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Well for all this threatning Adam did eat and thereby did transgress Gods Law whereupon God goeth on to pass sentence upon Adam according to what he threatned to bring upon him if he did eat and transgress his Law and his sentence sheweth what death it was that he threatned which was the first death only and not so much as one tittle intimated of the second death in the sentence as you may read Chap. 3.17 18. in these words And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eat of the Tree whereof I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the ground for thy sake Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground for out of it was thou taken Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return From whence we may see that there is not so much as a tittle of a second death but only the first death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return that was to be the end of all Object But it is Objected and said That the death mentioned in the threatning must be understood a death of the Soul for ever or a second death because Adam died not in his body or the bodily death that day which he sinned but lived many dayes afterwards Answ In Answer to this Objection Consider these two things The First is That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 And Adam lived not a thousand years nor no man ever did and therefore Adam upon Gods account died the same day which day in Gods account is a thousand years which no man as before said ever attained to and so died according to what God threatned within the compass or time of the Day In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Secondly God that seeth all things at once and calls things that shall be as if they were saw Adam dead the same hour that he sinned and he was as really dead in Gods account as Christ was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world or as Abrabam Isaac and Jacob living in a state of Resurrection when God appeared to Moses in the bush Matth. 22.30 31 32. And thus much briefly to the first Objection the second is Object 2. What is meant by the Hebrew word saith my Antagonist in dying thou shalt die Answ To which I Answer and say That so soon as Adam had sinned he was mortalized and in a dying condition never continuing in one stay but in the midst of life subject to drop into the dust and so in being in a dying condition till he did return to dust it was said in dying he should die that is he should be dying till he was dead and this is meant by the word
namely Mans Mortality A DISCOURSE Touching the Mortality of the Soul IN order to the clearing up of this Subject of Dicourse I shall lay down this Position which is That man by sin made himself wholly mortal So that when God shall take away his breath which is from the time of death till the time of Resurrection he is no more then what he was before God breathed into him the breath of life which was but dust and also to dust he doth return and the word Soul is used for illustration sake and very large in its acceptation in Scripture sometimes to be understood one thing sometimes another that no man living can say of any one thing this is the soul and this is not but the whole individual man is taken for the soul and where there is spoken of soul and body there is no more difference than there is between Spirit and breath only it is spoken by way of illustration and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie several things as the Mind Will Soul Delight Pleasure Affection Disposition Phantasie Life Breath Wind Blast Wrath Anger Memory Thought Stomack Courage Advice Opinion Heart Witt Stoutness Willingness Promptness or Readiness of Mind also Sleep and also Man these many significations and more is derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read in our Translation Soul But leaving these things I shall come suddenly to the Reasons and then answer some Objections but first see some Scriptures which proveth that Man is wholly mortal and first see the words of the Wise man Eccles 3.19 20. in these words For what befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they have all one breath so that man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity all go to one place all are of the dust and return to dust again Agreeable to the Word of the Lord Gen. 3. Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return and this is also further amplified by John 4.7 8 9 10 11 12. in these words For there is hope of a tree if he be cut down that it will sprout again and the tender branches thereof will not cease though the root thereof wax old in the ground and the stock thereof die in the earth yet thorow the descent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant but man dyeth and wasteth away ye man giveth up the Ghost and where is he as the waters fall from the Sea and the floods decay and dry up so man lyeth down for we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered neither doth God respect the person of any man yet he hath used a means that his banished shall not be for ever expelled from him From whence we may see that the estate of man is compared to the floods that are dryed up that is become as it were nothing and is so to remain until the resurrection for by sin and death we are banished from the Lord yet he hath used a means namely to bring us forth again at the Resurrection that his banished should not be for ever kept from him but if the righteous go to heaven so soon as they die how are they banished from him and become as water spilt upon the ground For what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Psal 89.48 2 Sam. 14.14 No he cannot deliver his soul from the hand of the grave when God sets his heart to look upon man as you may see Job 34.14 15. in these words If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath all flesh shall perish together and man shall again return unto dust From these words we see all flesh is to perish and man is flesh yea the whole man for that which is born of flesh is flesh now the soul of man is born of flesh and if it be not spirit it must die and the Apostle saith that the first man meaning the whole man was earth earthy and as is the earthy so are they that are earthy howbeit it was not first that which was spiritual but that which was natural and then that which was spiritual speaking there of the man Adam and the man Christ affirming that the first Adam was an earthly natural man and the second Adam viz. Christ was a heavenly spiritual man so then the first man thorow his sin made himself mortal even the whole man there is a multitude of Scriptures that proveth this thing but time being very pretious with me I cannot at this time set them in order before thee but shall pass to some few Reasons to prove man wholly mortal and the first is Reas 1. First because Christ dyed soul and body to purchase our souls and bodies from the grave and if Christs soul dyed it was really to that end that our souls might not lie in the grave and if we had dyed only in body then Christ had dyed only in body but the whole man being mortal and returned to dust Christ also poured out his soul to death and made his soul an offering for sin as saith the Prophet Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed mark that he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 12. Because he hath poured out his soul to death and he was numbred with the strangers and he bore the sins of many c. From hence we see that Christs SOVL dyed that ours might live again and not be left in the grave which proveth that our souls are mortal and die and so I pass to the second reason to prove That the whole man is mortal which is Reas 2. Secondly because if mans body be mortal and that die and his soul immortal that live then man hath two lives two distinct Beings which is not for if there be two distinct lives and two distinct Beings then Adam was two distinct Creatures and then it cannot be said that as by the offence of ONE Judgment came upon all men to condemnation for Adam upon that account was TWO distinct beings having two distinct lives but man having but one life the whole man must be mortal or the whole man immortal and that the whole man is mortal the Scriptures and our experience doth witness Reas 3. Again Thirdly Because otherwise Christ had done Lazarus wrong by raising him from the dead for if his Soul had been in Heaven four dayes and then Christ fetched it from thence it was so far from an act of love to him whom Christ so well loved that it was great prejudice and also I strange that Lazarus did not mention one tittle of the glory of Heaven if he had been
there the four daies that he was dead but I remember that the Apostle saith That David is not yet ascended into Heaven but if Souls departed are there he also would have been there and Christ would not have brought Lazarus from thence But no man hath ascended yet to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven John 3. And so I pass to the Fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Because the Scripture saith that immortality only dwelleth in Christ but if every man have an immortal Soul dwelling in him then immortality dwelleth in every man but the Scripture denieth that and saith that immortality dwelleth in none but in Christ or only in Christ which is one and the same and that you may see this proved to you read 1 Tim. 6.16 in these words v. 15. Which in his times shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate the KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS who ONLY hath immortality dwelling in the light that no man can approach unto so then immortality dwelleth only in Christ and the glory of man is as the flour of grass for they dye and in the same day their thoughts perish which sheweth that man is wholly mortal and so I pass to the Fifth Reason which is Reas 5. Because the Scripture saith Gen. 7.23 That every living substance was destroyed in the floud in which was the breath of life save Noah and those that were with him in the Ark and then if the Soul have life or be a living substance it was destroyed as Joshua destroyed every living Soul with the edge of the Sword Josh 11. The conclusion is this that which may be destroyed is mortal but the Soul may be destroyed and therefore mortal Reas 6. Again Sixtly Because that which is the mortal part of man bears the name living Soul which sheweth that the whole man is mortal for the Scripture saith That God made man out of the dust of the earth and breathed upon him the breath of life and he BECAME a living soul mark it was not a living Soul inferred into him but by being breathed upon the man that was made of the dust of the earth BECAME a living soul mark the word BECAME a living soul now it was not the breath that became a living Soul but it was the man which became a living soul and if the breath be not that which is called the living soul what is man when his breath returns to God that gave it surely it is a dead lump and when Paul speaks of mortality and immortality he argues mortality from the very word LIVING SOVL saying The first man was made a LIVING SOUL and the second Adam a quickning Spirit the first man was of the earth earthy and so forth These things considered sheweth that the LIVING SOVL viz. the first man was mortal and the quickning Spirit viz. the Second man Christ Jesus was he that only had immortality dwelt in him so then if mortality be attributed to that which is called the LIVING SOVL then it is plain that the whole man is mortal and so I pass to the Seventh Reason which is Reason 7. Because if the Soul dye not then it abideth alone and is unfruitful for it is not quickened unless it dye as saith the Apostle and if it dye not then is not Christ the first fruits of it for Christ is only the first fruits of them that sleep and indeed it was no argument of weight that Christ used to the Saduces to prove the Resurrection if the soul dye not for he saith God is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him or in his account meaning by a Resurrection but if the Soul dye not for a time how could Christ have used the words all live to him to prove a Resurrection for if it had been so that the soul dyed not then they might have said it is true their souls live to God and so it had been no argument at all to prove the Resurrection but Christ bringeth it to prove the Resurrection implying that there is no other living to God after this life is ended but in a Resurrection which brings me to the Eight and last Reason to prove Man wholly mortal which is Reas 8. Because as those that go to the Grave cannot praise God so all our glory in the enjoyment of our inheritance is promised to us that we shall receive it at the Revelation of Christ or that God will reward us at the Resurrection of the Just and that was the main comfort of the godly in the time of their afflictions as Heb. 11.35 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. 1 Pet. 1.8 9 10. And it was Pauls comfort at his death saying Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give to me AT THAT DAY not before take notice there is a time limited For the hour is coming that all that are in the graves shall come forth and then those that are wise shall shine as the firmament add this that if the dead rise not then such as are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and the Saints of all men most miserable but if there be such a thing as a soul of the righteous which goeth to God how can it be that if the dead rise not that the Saints of all men are the most miserable for they are in felicity whether the body rise yea or nay moreover doubtless this opinion of the soul being immortal hath begot all these vain errors as prayer over the dead and Purgatory for that is the received opinion that men be not in their full joy or torment till the Resurrection and some are so bould as to deny the Resurrection by reason of this conceit and I could shew that the Heathen in chief have been the authors of this Opinion but there be many things that I am fain to omit because of time and offer that only which is drawn from Scripture and thus having briefly given you these few Reasons in the next place I shall instance that which men call the Soul and shew that that is mortal omitting the Opinion of the Stoick and Democritus and Plato and the like I shall speak somewhat of the received Opinion what the Soul is and that is Some say it is the Understanding part of Man the which if so then all are born without Souls and many never have any First That Children have not understanding at the time of their Birth I think all will grant if the Scripture did not prove it and also that there be many that never have understanding but are natural fools and therefore if the Understanding part of Man be the Soul then those that have no understanding have no Soul and they that have a Soul if understanding be the Soul it dieth with the man for in the same day their thoughts perish and the dead understand not Eccles
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it bearing many significations for the word is a root as I may say bearing many branches this considered the text might be thus read Thou fool this night shall thy life be required of thee and if so there is no colour for to prove the Soul to be immortal add this that in answering this text I also have answered that which is written in the 1 King 17.21 22. where it is said That the soul of the Shunamites child came into him again and he revived it may be read that the life or breath came into the child again and he revived Thus may that text Luke 12. and all texts of that nature be answered according to truth and so I come to the second text Luke 16. which speaks of Lazarus being in Abrahams bosome To which I answer and say that it is but a Parable and was no more so then what is spoke of the trees in Judg. 9.8 in these words And the trees went forth on a time to annoint a King over them and they said unto the Olive tree raign thou over us but the Olive tree said shall I leave my fatness c. Moreover consider the Obsurdities that follow if that be any more than a Parable As first then there is knowledge after the flesh but the Scripture saith henceforth know we no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. but if that text be more then a Parable then we shall henceforth know persons after the flesh for the Rich-man knew that he had seven brethren and he had a care of them in particular And secondly he knew Abraham to be the father of the Children of Israel again if that be to be litterally understood then a soul hath eyes and fingers and a tongue and a bosome and the like And thirdly it calls not only Lazarus a beggar but Abraham the father of the damned and will Abraham trow own the damned when they are in hell to be his sons no surely Fourthly what then may we understand by this text of Scripture Answ We are to understand it a Parable spoken by way of illustration to shew the happy estate of all such as suffer here in this life chusing reproach for Christs sake that they shall when this life is ended injoy everlasting felicity and that those that have chosen the pleasures of this present life shall hereafter be punished yet notwithstanding both the glory of the godly and the punishment of the wicked is not to be till the appearance of Jesus Christ at the day of Judgment for so saith the Scriptures 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished And hence the Devils asked Christ why he was come to trouble or torment them before the time when he cast them out of those whom they had possessed and as I have said before all the wicked mans punishment and the righteous mans glory is reserved till that time and then shall the wicked be cast into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth then shall the righteous shine forth as the Son in the kingdome of their father who hath ears to hear let him hear Mat. 13.40 41 42 43. 1 Pet. 1.8 9 10 11. 2 Thes 2.7 8. John 5.28 Mat. 25 31 32 33. Heb. 11.35 Revel 22.12 Luke 21.27 28. From these and many such like Scriptures we are taught that both the reward of the righteous and the Wicked are reserved till the appearance of the Lord Jesus at the day of Judgment And as touching Hell I have formerly written that it is not in being till the day of Judgment and that the Devils place is in the ayr he being called the Prince thereof and that also he compasseth the earth by walking to and fro in it but if he were in Hell viz. the Lake he could not so do for from thence none can possibly come when they are once there but let no sottish soul therefore take liberty to sin for know as I before have said that so soon as a wicked man dyeth he shall be brought to Judgment and then receive a just recompence of reward that is to say in his account it will be present to him there being no time or remembrance of time amongst the dead so that the time between his death and resurrection will be no more to him then the time was to him before he was born that is to say from the Creation of the world to the time of his being although it was a great time yet to him it was no time no not a moment neither will it be after death a moment of time till the Resurrection in the account of the dead therefore take not liberty to sin for if thou do thy judgment slumbereth not but hasteneth and will fall on thee in a moment take heed and thus I pass to the last Scripture mentioned In Luke 23.43 I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise To which I answer and say That although I have answered this text before in another place yet I shall speak somewhat to it here and first consider That Christ was not that day in heaven nor many dayes after as I before have said for Christ was three dayes both soul and body in the grave as you may read Psal 16.10 compared with Isa 53.10 12. and Acts. 2.31 And after he was risen from the dead and amongst his Disciples He said touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto my Father John 20.17 Which sheweth That Christ was not in Paradise himself that day in which the words were spoken Secondly it cannot be proved That the Thief was dead the same day neither is it likely that he was because that Christ was not dead himself till after the ninth hour Mat. 27.46 47 48 50. And if Christ dyed not till after the ninth hour then there was not three hours more remaining of the day and after this time and in all likely-hood very neer to the end of the day they besaught Pilate that their legs might be broke that they might be taken down from the Cross because the preparation of the Sabbath drew neer that they might not hang on the Cross upon the Sabbath day for that day was an high day with the Jewes and the text saith that they brake the legs of the first and of the second and when they found Christ dead already they brake not his legs the which implyeth clearly that the other two Malefactors were not dead and also take notice that the death of the Cross was a languishing death and it being unutial or unlawful to bring the prisoners from their execution to prison again therefore that they might not make an escape but die according to the Law they brake their legs and then by their so doing there could be no means of escape but they must die yet it doth not follow that
his flesh with his eyes and not others should he see Christ his Redeemer in the latter day stand upon the earth whom he should behold for himself and not another So then the very same Job that then was in misery the very same Job was afterwards to see the Lord to which add that the very same body that suffereth with Christ the very same body shall raign with Christ for it is against pure justice that one body should suffer with Christ or for Christs sake and then another body glorified and that body which suffered to perish for ever this cannot be in justice which also proves that the same body shall arise out of the dust And so I pass to the sixth Reason further to prove that the dead bodies of men which now are asleep in the dust of the earth shall awake live and be raised again from the dead which is Reas 6. Sixtly Because Daniel further confirms the truth of this saying Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 In this text there is these two things considerable the first is that such as sleep shall awake and Secondly the place where that they sleep and that is in the dust and Thirdly that it is not meant spiritually that is to say to awake out of a state of a sleep of sin to Righteousness because some of those that awake do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which cannot be taken in a spiritual fence for I hope no man is so void of understanding as to think that such as awake out of sin and stand up from a spiritual death that they awake to everlasting shame and contempt but some of those that do awake Daniel saith do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which sheweth that those that die and sleep in the dust that the very same shall arise again even that which sleeps both of good and bad some to everlasting Joy and some to shame and everlasting contempt which clearly proveth that the dead bodies of such as sleep in the earth shall even they themselves and not another arise And thus I pass to the seventh reason to prove the Resurrection which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Saint Paul saith That the dead in Christ shall rise first Now this cannot be meant spiritually first because those that be in Christ cannot be spiritually dead that is to say dead in trespasses and sins and secondly if it should be Objected that there may be dead branches in the Vine John 15. then I answer that such shall forthwith be cut out and have no priviledge by Christ but the dead in Christ spoken of both by Saint Paul and Saint John have priviledge by being dead in Christ which means the death of the body and the Resurrection of the body from the dead that is to say the godly even such as live and die in Christ shall arise a thousand years before the wicked as you may see 1 Thes 4.14 15 16. compared with Revel 20.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And that this is no spiritual Resurrection but a Resurrection of the body is plain because it is that which the Apostle is a speaking of in that place as you may read 1 Thes 4.13 14 15 16. In these words I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that are a sleep that ye sorrow not even at others that have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO mark that them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we that are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall be ever with the Lord. From whence we may see clearly that the Apostle is speaking of the Resurrection of the body for saith he If we beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO them ALSO that sleep the even so implyeth that as Jesus slept and rose again even so shall we sleep and rise again and we may know that the same body that was crucified unto death and was buryed even the same body rose again for so saith Christ to Thomas after his Resurrection Come feel the Print of the nails in my hands and reach hither thy hand and feel my side that is piersed so that we may see it was the same body which was crucified dead and buryed which also rose again even so shall our bodies even the self-same body arise out of the dust of the earth and come to Judgment And so I pass to the eight Reason to prove that those that are now asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise from the dead which is Reas 8. Eightly Because Christ hath proved it from the Scripture and the Spirit of God in his People have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it and first that Christ hath proved it read Mat. 22.31 32. in these words As touching the Resurrection saith Christ of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living In these words Christ is proving the Resurrection in opposition to the opinion of the Saduces which held that there was no Resurrection but Christ tels them that they did err no knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God as much as if he should have said if you had known the Scriptures you would have believed and acknowledged the Resurrection for they bare their Testimony to the truth thereof or if you had been well instructed about the power and omnipotency of God it would not have seemed to be a thing so incredilous unto you that God should raise the dead for saith he God did tell Moses that he was the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob and God is not the God of the dead but of the living but now Abraham Isaac and Jacob is dead as if Christ should say therefore God is not their God upon your account O ye Saduces but God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for they live to him that is in his account for God seeth all things past present and to come and calls things that shall be as if they were Rom. 4. And so he seeth all men risen from the dead and stand before him alive in a Resurrection and thus all live to him viz. in his account and this is to be understood in this text as I before have
said so then there was a sort of men then even as there is now which did deny the Resurrection of the bodies of the dead which are in the dust but Christ opposeth them and proveth That there is to be a Resurrection And Secondly the Spirit of God in his people have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it as you may read Heb. 11.35 36. in these words Others had tryals of cruel mocking and scourgings yea moreover of bands and imprisonments and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection From these things which have been written you may see that both Christ have proved and the Saints earnestly hoped and waited for the Resurrection and indeed and in truth it was never questioned by the godly for when Christ tels Martha that her brother Lazarus should rise again I know saith she that my brother shall arise again in the Resurrection at the last day she never once questioned but that her brother even the same man Lazarus should arise again at the last day which sheweth that both Christ and the Saints doth prove and acknowledg that those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise even the same bodies only incorruptible and come to Judgment And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that those which are asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise which is Reas 9. Ninthly Because otherwise were the Saints in a worse condition then the wicked for they bear about in their bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus and suffer deeply and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter and the wicked they eat and drink and take their pleasure now if there be no Resurrection then the wicked were in the best condition for if there were no Resurrection then there would be no judgment and then the word remember for all this God will bring thee to judgment were of no force and I never yet read of a day of judgment since Adams being cast out of Paradise to be till after the Resurrection and then no Resurrection no Judgment then I may say with Saint Paul Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die but that there is to be a Resurrection and that it will go ill with the wicked read John 5.28 Dan. 12.2 and the like But if there were no Resurrection then the righteous were in the worst condition as you may read 1 Cor. 15.16 17 18 19. in these words For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable From whence we see were it not for a Resurrection the wicked were in the best condition and the Saints of all men the most miserable because of their sufferings but it is not so for they are in the most happiest condition And thus I pass to the tenth Reason to prove that the dead as before said shall arise which is Reas 10. Because the Scripture saith that our vile bodies shall be fashioned and made like unto Christs glorious body as saith the Apostle Phil. 3.20 21. in these words For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies OR RENEW OR REFORM OR PVT IT INTO A BETTER ESTATE AS THE WORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Qui reformabit corpus WILL BEAR IT that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body From whence we may see that the dead shall arise and have their vile bodies renewed or reformed even changed into another estate and condition yet the same body and made in fashion like to Christs glorious body so then it is not another body but these our vile bodies fashioned and made like to Christs glorious body which proveth that the same body which dyeth the same body shall rise again only corruption and imperfection taken away and this agreeth with the whole current of Scripture And thus I pass to the Eleventh Reason to prove that such as are returned to dust shall again awake and come forth out of their graves unto judgment which is Reas 11. Eleventhly Because the Scriptures saith That all things even the whole Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and restored into its primitive estate only those excepted who have voluntarily made themselves miserable for ever yet even they shall arise with such a body as shall not die any more the greater will be their misery And that there is to be such a Resurrection read these Scriptures Acts. 3.19 20.21 Rem 8.20 21. in these wordes Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And he will send Jesus which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began for the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him viz. Adam who hath subjected the same in hope for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God for even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies From these Scriptures and more that might be added of this nature it doth appear that the bodies of the sons of men shall be raised again from the dead and he restored into that estate wherein they were created and also into the glorious estate that the body of Jesus Christ himself is in for when he shall appear we shall be made like him and he hath a body of flesh and bones which proves the Resurrection for if it be not the same body that goeth to the dust which is raised again but another body then it is a new Creation and not a Redemption by a Resurrection and then is not the Scriptures true which saith O Death I will be thy Death and Death shall deliver up her dead but God and the Scriptures is true and all them that do deny that the dead bodies shall again live and arise out of the dust of the earth are lyers And so I pass to the Twelfth and last reason although I might add many more if time would permit to prove That the dead which sleep in the dust both good and bad shall arise and come to Judgment which is Reas 12. Because the Scripture saith that although we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground yet God hath used a means that those that are thus banished should not be for ever expelled
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
the Greek Phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to this agreeth the saying of our blessed Saviour written by Saint John 3.16 17. in these words God so loved the WORLD mark the word WORLD that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not his Son into the WORLD to condemn the WORLD but that the WORLD thorrow him might be saved To which add that which is written 1 John 2.1 2 3. in these words My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation of our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD From these Scriptures with many more that might be added it doth evidently appear that Jesus Christ did die for every man and yet further to confirm this truth I shall prove it by sircumlocution or plain reasons drawn from the Scripture and the first is Reas 1. First Because God hath sworn by himself because he could swear by no greater that he desireth not the death of such as die or of the wicked but tels them that their destruction is of themselves as Ezek. 33.11 in these words Say unto them as I live saith the LORD GOD I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he would turn from his wicked wayes and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die O house of Israel And wo be to thee Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Thy destruction is of thy self thy wickedness hath procured it Jer. 13.22 27. From whence we may see that God is so far from decreeing any mans damnation simply of his own will unless in reference to their rejecting of grace tendered that he hath entred into an oath before the sons of men not to desire their ruin unless they resist his spirit in the tenders of grace which sheweth that he gave his Son to die for such as perish for without blood there is no remission of sins so then there cannot be a tender of the Gospel which is remission of sins to such for whom Christ dyed not but more of that anon I pass at present to the second Reason to prove that God gave Christ to die for all men to bring them to a Resurrection and glory as before said which is Reas 2. Secondly Because as God hath sworn not to take pleasure in the death of them that die so he hath also said that it is good and acceptable in his sight and well pleasing to him to have all men have Salvation and to that end Christ dyed as you may read 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. in these words I exhort therefore first of all Supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for ALL MEN for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who would have ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for ALL to be testified in due time From whence we may see that first as God hath sworn by himself that he desireth not the death of the wicked Secondly that he also saith he would have all men saved and that they might be saved he saith that he gave Christ to be a ransome for all men so that from these two reasons you may see Gods love to all men extended and I pass to the third Reason which is Reas 3. Thirdly Because God hath commanded the Gospel to be declared to all men and condemneth such as believe it not and the Gospel is to be understood good news viz. remission of sins and salvation by Christs blood and commandeth men to believe it upon pain of eternal wrath But if Christ did not die for every man to whom the Gospel is commanded to be preached then a lye is commanded to be preached to the greatest part of men and they damned because they believe and receive it not the which to say were ridiculous and blasphemy But that you may see that this is true consider well that if there be a Command given to Christs Ministers to preach the Gospel to every man that is to say in plain english that Christ dyed for their sins and rose again for their Justification and yet Christ did not die for every man then this is to command a lye to be preached to the greatest part of men and they damned for not believing of it if Christ only dyed for a few as some say the which so to say is wickedness and then also those that are damned for not believing the Gospel are damned for not believing a lye and how wicked such an opinion is I shall leave all to Judge who know any thing of God And that you may see that the Gospel is to be preached to every creature and men to believe it upon penalty of condemnation read Mark 16.15 16. in these words And he said unto them go ye into ALL THE WORLD mark that and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATVRE mark that he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned From whence we may see that the Gospel namely the good news of Salvation thorow Christs blood is to be preached to every man and whosoever doth not believe it namely that there is life and remission of sins for them thorow Christs blood are to be damned because they make God a lyar John 3. Chap. 8. 1 John 5.10 These well considered sheweth that God did give his Son the Lord Jesus to die for every man as before said and so I pass to the fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Fourthly Because it is very plain that so many as were made sinners by the first Adam so many were made righteous by the second Adam and it is evident that all were made sinners by the first Adam Ergo all are made righteous also by the second Adam for there is all set in oposition to all that is to say so many all as was made sinners by Adam so many all was made righteous by Christ and if so then it doth follow undenyably that God gave Christ to die for every man and that the premises are true read the words of Saint Paul Rom. 5.18 19. which saith Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many be made righteous From these words we may see All set in
oposition to All and Many in oposition to Many which proveth what hath been before said and thus it is undeniable that God did give his Son to die for all men Reas 5. Fifthly it further appears that God hath given Christ to die for all because that God did invite and exhort such to salvation which upon the rejecting of grace are appointed to reprobation as is evident Prov. 1.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. Mat. 23.37 in these words How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorner delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge turn ye at my reproofe behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my mind unto you because I called and ye refused I stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at naught all my counsel and would have none of my reproofe I will also laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they have hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not Behold I leave unto you your houses desolate For the kingdome of heaven is like to a certain King which made a marriage for his son and sent sorth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding but they would not come Again he sent forth other servants saying tell them that are bidden behold all things are prepared come unto the marriage but they made light of it and went their wayes one to his farm and another to his Merchandise and the remnant took his servants and intreated them spitefully and killed them And when the King heard thereof he said none of those that were bidden shall taste of my supper but was wrath with them and sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their Cities Mat. 22.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. compared with Luke 14.24 From whence we may see that those that never shall partake of that rich benefit which is held forth in this Parable viz. glory because they rejected it yet notwithstanding it was once offered unto them and also intended them if they had not rejected it but thankfully received it for take notice God never yet offered that to any man which he intended him not if he would accept of it and receive it for God offereth nothing by way of complement but all his words and works are done in truth faithfulness and righteousness and therefore cannot offer more then he hath to give or more then he doth intend to give if persons do receive it when he offereth it which proveth that Christ did die for all men and hence all men have the tenders of grace and such only perish who reject grace and so I pass to the sixt Reason to prove that God gave Christ to die for all men that they might attain a Resurrection to life and glory if they like Adam or Esau sell it not by sin which is Reas 6. Sixtly Because those that are damned are charged with denying the Lord which bought them mark that and so heap upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and if so then it is evident that Christ did die for all men to which I add this Argument That if Christ dyed for those that are saved and those that are damned then he dyed for all men But he dyed for those that are saved and those that are damned Ergo he did die for all men That he dyed for those that are saved none will deny and that he did die for those that are destroyed or damned is also proved in these words But there was false Prophets amongst the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in DAMNABLE Heresies even DENYING THE LORD THAT BOVGHT THEM and BRING VPON THEMSELVES SWIFT DESTRVCTION From whence we may see plainly that some of them that the Lord hath bought or purchased shall be found in Damnable wayes so as to deny the Lord that purchased them or bought them and so heap unto themselves swift destruction and that this purchase is no other way then but with Christs blood read 1 Pet. 1.18 19 Heb. 10. And what punishment shall he be thought worthy of who treads under foot the Son of God and counts the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and doth despite to the Spirit of grace We ought to conclude that such are guilty of the body and blood of Christ by crucifiing him again afresh putting him to open shame so then there be some whom the Lord hath bought which will come to deny him and so perish which sheweth that Christ dyed for all men for such as are saved and such as perish and that mans destruction is of himself and Gods love great to all men And so I pass to the seventh Reason to prove that God gave his Son to die for all men as before said which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because men that perish are charged with the neglect of their Salvation but if Christ never dyed for them then there never was any means or way of Salvation and then it is an impossible thing to neglect it for it cannot be truly said that man can neglect the attaining of that by slothfulness which was impossible to be attained with all his diligence but if Christ did not die for all men then those whom he dyed not for could not either neglect put away or reject their own salvation but such as perish do neglect reject and put away their own salvation which sheweth that Christ did die for all men and that there is sufficient means of Salvation to accomplish the end thereof Heb. 2.12 13. Act. 13.46 And thus briefly I pass to the eighth Reason and also hasten to the conclusion Reas 8. Eightly Because God is no respector of persons Rom. 2.8 9 10. Act. 10.34 1 Pet. 1.17 18. And therefore it doth appear that God did give Christ to die for all men or otherwise God of necessity must be a respector of persons for all men were created happy alike in the lines of Adam or otherwise grievous obsurdities would follow and as all men were created alike happie in Adam so all men sinned alike in him and now if God had given Christ to dye but for a few of them then was God a respector of persons and then was not the free gift and satisfaction as large as the transgression then was not the Serpents head broken and if so then was Christ an imperfect Saviour which to say were blasphemy but Christ is the Saviour of all men and especially of such as do believe 1 Tim. 4.10 that is he hath saved all
the Saints praise ye the Lord Psal 149.8 9. Psal 72.5.6 7 8 9. Psal 37.9 10 11. Mat. 5.5 From which reason and Scriptures appeareth plainly that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth And so I pass to the fourth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 4. Because God hath promised to restore the Kingdom to Israel and their Judges as at the first which were men that judged them in righteousness even holy men and Christ sheweth us that he and those that obey him are to be Judges over the twelve Tribes of Israel now this is not to be understood in a spiritual sense that is to say that there were to be some of the twelve Tribes converted and Christ to rule over them for hear we see the Saints shall judge them that is meant be governors as the Judges at the first which cannot be taken in such a sense for the Saints are not to exercise authority one over another as considered in one and the same body as saith Christ The Lords of the Gentiles exercise authority and they that are cheef bear rule but amongst you it shall not be so but he that is greatest let him be your servant But that the Saints with Christ shall receive a Kingdome and judge the twelve Tribes read Luke 22.28 29 30. in these words Ye are they that have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink with me at my table in my Kingdome and sit upon Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And as before said this honour shall all the Saints have and therefore saith Saint Paul to the Corinths Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 4. Luke 22.28 29 30. Isa 1.26 These Scriptures with many more that I could add only I study brevity proveth that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome upon earth and raign and Judge the Tribes of Israel And so I pass to the fifth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon the earth which is Reas 5. Because the Scripture saith that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and he to take his great power and to raign and it is a true and a faithfull saying that those that suffer with Christ shall raign with him but to prove that the Kingdomes of this world shall become Christs kingdome and he to take his great power and to raign read Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall raign for ever and ever and the four and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seats fell upon their face and worshipped God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned and the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets to the Saints and to them that fear thy name small and great and should destroy them which destroyed the earth From these words we may see these particulars laid down First that the Kingdomes of this World are to be the Kingdomes of Christ at the sound of the seventh trumpet read my Vindication of Zions Redemption and Original Sin where you shall find the effect of the seventh trumpet the which at present I shall not speak to in particular but know that there is a set time that the Kingdomes of this World is to become the kingdomes of Christ But peradventure some will say was there a time when the Kingdomes of this World were not Christs I answer yea for although Christ was born King of the Jewes and by his descent according to the flesh was to be King as the Lord shewed the wise men that came from the East to worship him yet Christ tells Pilate that his Kingdome was not then of this World for he was first to suffer and afterwards to receive a Kingdome and raign so that there is a set time when the Kingdomes of this World shall be given into the hands of Christ And secondly the Nations were angry and his wrath and fury came up into his face he took his great power and did raign From whence we may see that although Christ never was without power yet there is a set time for his exercising of it which is implyed in the word TOOK his great power and did raign Thirdly it is the time that the dead shall be judged that is the dead in Christ and then he shall give the reward to his servants the Prophets and all that fear his name small and great Fourthly He will destroy them which destroyed the earth and make warr to cease from the ends of the earth and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shears and their Spears into pruning hooks for there shall be abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth So then there is a set time for Christ to take his great power and to raign and for the Kingdomes of this world to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ From whence we may see that Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and so I pass to the sixth reason to prove Christ and the Saints to have a Kingdome and raign upon earth which is Reas 6. Sixthly Because the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he shall dwell with them now this very word the Tabernacle with men and he dwell with them implyeth that Christ shall come again and dwell upon earth for so is the comparison that Christ made while he was upon earth that the Son of man was like to a certain Noble man that went to receive a Kingdome and to return Luke 19. verse 11 12 13. From whence we may see that Christ is to return again as he also hath said I will come unto you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man shall take from you but as for this I shall shew more at large anon only that you may see that the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he dwell with them read Rev. 21.3 in these words And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt Judge the people righteously and govern the Nations
upon the earth Selah Then shall the earth yeeld her increase and God even our God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him for the Lord shall be King over all the earth From these Scriptures we may see that the Lord is to dwell with men even to come down and dwell with them it is not said that man shall dwell with God implying a removing of their place but the Tabernacle of God to be with men and he to dwell with them implying that God will remove his habitation But peradventure some may say will the Lord come and dwell with us upon a corrupt carnal earth To which I answer and first Christ did dwell with his Disciples upon the earth and eat with them after his Resurrection what will that teach us weigh it well But secondly the earth then shall be more pure then the Heavens are now for the earth shall be clean in his sight and very good as he at first made them when the restorer shall have restored all things for then the curse will be taken away but as saith Eliphaz Job 15.15 The heavens are not clean in his sight I might speak of Gods dislike of it by reason of the Angels transgression But you will say there shall be a new heaven as well as a new earth I answer it is true where ever Gods seat is there is Heaven but Gods seat shall then be upon earth in Jerusalem where he was shadowed out of old and hence Jerusalem is called by the Prophet Isa 65.17 18 19. the new Heaven in these words Behold I create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more in her nor the voyce of crying From these words we may see what is to be understood by the new Heaven and new Earth spoken of in the 21 Chapter of the Revel and what is to be understood of the Tabernacle of God being with men and he to dwell with them even the Lord of Hosts in his holy mountain at Jerusalem And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion viz. Saints to Judge the mount of Esau when the Kingdome shall be the Lords and so I pass to the seventh Reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Christ hath commanded us to pray for it even that his Kingdom might come that his will might be done in Earth as it is in Heaven For there is a time coming that it shall be so and the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as water covereth the Sea when the Law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem now till that day there will be weakness and imperfection amongst the godly that the will of God sometimes will be opposed and resisted but at that time there shall be no sin or disobedience amongst the godly for if they seek for sin in Judah there shall be none found for they shall defile themselves no more with any of their detestable things for all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee for the Kingdoms is the Lords he is the governour amonst the Nations Psal 22.27 28. Ezekiel 37. Matth. 6.10 Micah 4. From hence we may see that Christ is to have a Kingdom and raign and govern the Nations upon the earth at which time his will shall be done upon earth as the Angels do it in Heaven and this Kingdom also is the Saints it being the good pleasure of the Father to give it unto them as saith Christ Luke 12.32 So then Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth And so I pass to the eighth reason to prove Christ and his Saints to raign upon earth which is Reas 8. Eightly Because the Scripture saith that God will raise up unto David a righteous branch viz. Christ who shall have the Government upon his shoulders and execute Judgment and Justice in the earth mark that and in his dayes Judah shall be saved which yet is not and Israel shall dwell safely and the Saints shall shout for joy and the wicked shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet for God will make Zion as a threshing of Iron having teeth which shall beat the mountains of oposition into dust and the little hills into powder And that there shall be such a righteous branch rise up to David who shall give his people rest and a Kingdom and dominion that they may raign with him upon earth read these Scriptures and peruse them well Jer. 23.5 6. in these words Behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the EARTH in his day Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE From these words we see that the Son of David namely the Lord Christ our Righteousness is to be King and that over all the earth to execute Judgment and Justice therein and at that time or in the dayes of his raign Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely that is God will restore as before said their Judges as at the first viz. the Saints who will judge them in righteousness for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for so saith the Prophet Isa 9.6 7. in these words For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wounderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever From whence we see that if Davids Kingdome was upon earth then Christ will have a Kingdom upon earth for it is to be upon the throne of his Father David and that is the sure mercies of David that he was never to want a man to sit upon his throne meaning that Christ was to sit there but more of that anon Hence you may see that Christ is to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth and his Saints with him for they are joynt heirs that in suffering with him they may also be glorified together and raign with him according to the Scriptures Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.12 And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that
Heavens shall be filled with the flesh and bloud of Captaines and great men of the earth For thus saith the Prophet Ezek. 39.17 18. And thou son of man thus saith the Lord God speak unto every feathered foul and to every beast of the field Assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that ye may eat flesh and drink blood Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the Princes of the earth and ye shall eat fat till ye be full and drink blood till ye be drunken of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you And all the heathen shall see my Judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them Revel 19.17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fouls that flie in the midst of Heaven come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men small and great bond and free From these Scriptures you may see that there is to be a very great slaughter at the time when the Lord Christ shall take his Kingdome to Raign upon Earth and several Prophets also bear their testimony to this thing as Isa 34.5 6. Joel 2.1 2 3 4. But because of the want of time I pass to the reasons of the point Reason 1. Because the Scripture saith that God will give him viz. Christ the heathen for his inheritance and he shall bruise them like a potters vessel Psal 2. and we also see what the Psalmist saith of Christs victory over his enemies Psal 110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries for saith he I will tread them down in my anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed is come from whence we see that Christ is not only to take the Kingdomes of the whole World into his hands but also to trample the wicked as ashes under the soles of his feet and so I pass to the second reason Reason 2. Because the Lord hath said that the destruction of the Assyrian viz. the man of sin or Antichrist shall be like the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib Isa 10.24 25 26. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwell in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt for yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction and the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib now that you may understand what that slaughter was you may read Judg. 7.22 Where we find that the Lord set every mans hand against his brother so that they destroyed each other with a very great slaughter and so it will be in the day of the Lord for when they see the great unavoydable judgments which shall overtake them and that the mountains will be too narrow a covering for them then will their indignation be kindled one against another so as to destroy each other as you may see from that type in the dayes of Gideon and also from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 38.18 19 20 21 22. which saith it shall come to pass at the same time when Gogg shall come up against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face For in my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken Surely in that day shall there be a great shaking in the Land of Israel So that the fish of the Sea and the fouls of the heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth and all men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground And I will call for a sword against him thorow all my mountains saith the Lord God every mans sword shall be against his brother And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hailstones fire and brimstome Thus will I magnifie wy self and so forth from these words with the Prophet Zach. 14.13 We may see that there will be a very great slaughter upon Gogg and his Army at the time when the Lord Christ shall dispossess him of his great power and authority and it will be like to that slaughter of Gideon which was called the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon Judg. 7.18 Reason 3. That there is to be such a great slaughter is clear because it is to be like the great slaughter of Jehoshaphat upon Moab Ammon and Mount Seir 2 Chron. 20.22 23 24. which was a very great slaughter as you may read in the fore cited text and that this slaughter was a type of the slaughter that shall be at the time when Christ shall take the Kingdome you may see what Joel saith to this Joel 3.1 12 13. For behold in those dayes and in that time when I shall bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations and will bring them down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there let the heathen be awakned and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judge the heathen round about proclaim ye amongst the Gentiles prepare war beat your Plowshears into swords and your pruning hooks into spears put you in the sickle for the harvest is ripe and the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the winepress even to the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Revel 14.19 20. From whence we may see that there is to be a very great slaughter in and amongst the Army of Gogg and Magog I could cite many such like texts only time suffereth me not but I pass to the fourth reason Reason 4. Because it is to
be the year of vengeance and recompence for the controversie of Zion that as the Church of God and also the Jews have been spoiled so for a reward God will give their enemies into their hands they shall spoil them by whom they were spoiled so that Zion shall be as a thrashing instrument of Iron having teeth that shall beat the mountains into dust and the little hills into pouder for God will shew his indignation upon the Nations and his fury upon the Armies as saith the Lord by the Prophet Isa 34.1 2 3 5 6 8. in these words Come neer ye nations to hear and hearken ye people let the earth hear and all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations and his fury upon all their armies he hath utterly destroyed them he hath delivered them unto the slaughter For my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold I will come down to Idumea and upon the people of my curse to Judgment The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness and with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Ramms for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Zion From whence we may see that although Gods people do suffer at present and are to suffer until the day of redemption yet at that day even when the Lord shall appear although it be the time of Jacobs trouble yet they shall be delivered and the wicked shall come in their stead that is they shall then be in very great trouble and so I pass to the fifth Reason Reason 5. Because Gods determination is to gather the nations and assemble the kingdomes that he may pour upon them the fierceness of his indignation and that it is to be at that day read Isa 63.1 2 3. Zeph. 3.9 Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Isa 10.23 Ezek. 38.19 Micah 4.12 13. Isa 3.27 28 29 30 31 32 33. From these Scriptures we may see the great slaughter that will be at the time aforesaid which indeed the Prophets have spoken fully to and because I have given you an account of it in my former Treatise I shall pass it at present and come to the next thing which is a few words as touching the distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust There is to be a distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust As to the the proof of this subject of discourse I shall be brief omitting circumlocution and only give you plain proof of Scripture although I might give many reasons And first we may see that our blessed Saviour doth affirm it when he speaks of his second coming to raise the dead and to take up the quick into the clouds saying that Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels in Heaven but my Father only but as the dayes of Noah was so shall be the coming of the Son of man for in the dayes before the floud they were eating and drinking marrying and giving into marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not until the floud came and took them all away so also shall the coming of the son of man be Then shall two be in the field the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other shall BE LEFT two women shall be grinding at the mill the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other LEFT two shall be in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left Mat. 24.36 37 38 39 40 41. compared with Luke 17.34 And that this speaks of the taking up of the faithful that are alive and leaving the unfaithful behind upon the earth and raising of the dead that are faithful and leaving the rest of dead behind that are unfaithful is further cleared by the words of Paul to the Thessalonions 4.15 16 17. which saith For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them that are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and shall be for ever with the Lord. From these words we may see the words of Christ are explained where he saith two shall be in one bed the one taken the other left which is saith Paul at his COMING that such as sleep in the Lord will Christ arise FIRST to bring with him and also the quick that are faithful shall be caught up with them and the rest to be left behind and the rest of the dead also not to live again until a certain juncture of time appointed of God as you shall see more anon but hence you see without controversie that the dead in Christ shall rise first as well as the faithful that are alive shall be caught away and the other viz. the wicked left behind And now I come to the next thing which is the last that I shall say to this subject that is How long the just shall rise before the unjust which is the whole time of Christs holding his Kingdome which is the tearm of a thousand years and that you may see the truth of this read Revel 20.4 5 6. in these words And I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God and they lived raigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were fulfilled This is the first resurrection or indeed as we may fitly say the Resurrection of the first or just that both from Christs words and Pauls and also Jesus we may see that the godly shall arise a thousand years at the least before the wicked to possess a Kingdome and to raign upon earth the which glory God hath prepared for those that love and obey Christ and walk in his Ordinances and keep them to the end and thus I briefly pass to the fifth particular which is the place of Christs Kingly Seat Fifthly As to the place of Christs Kingly Seat the Scriptures seem to be very clear in making of it out to be at the former beloved place Jerusalem which is to be built and inhabited as of old time the which in another Treatise I have fully proved that Zion and Jerusalem is the beloved place of the Lord where Christs Throne is to be established in the place where Davids Throne was for so saith
the Scriptures as you may read Isa 9.6 7. In these words For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the THRONE OF DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign IN MOVNT ZION AND IN JERVSALEM before his ancients gloriously Isa 24.23 From these Scriptures you may see that Christs Throne is to be in Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the time of his raign as First because God himself hath declared it by the Spirit of prophesie in David Psal 2.6 7. Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion c. Secondly it is a Doctrine preached by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.30.31 32. In these words And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God And beh 〈◊〉 ld thou shalt coceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID c. Thirdly Jerusalem is to be called the Throne of the Lord as faith the Prophet Jer. 3.17 Fourthly The Lord himself saith that he will dwell there Zach. 8.3 In these words Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth it is a Prophesie of the last times as is very clear from the Text. Fifthly The Lord saith that Zion and Jerusalem is his rest and dwelling place for ever speaking prophetically also by David Psal 132.13 and Isaiah saith Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Isa 12.6 A clear Prophesie of Christs Kingdome Again Lastly That Christs Seat is to be in Zion in Jerusalem is clear for Micah prophesying of the last dayes and of both the Houses of Israels return viz. Israel and Judahs return out of their last long captivity saith I will make of her that halteth a remnant and her that mas cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall raign over them IN MOVNT ZION henceforth even for ever for the Lord hath appeared of old unto thee saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love for there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to ZION VNTO THE LORD OVR GOD. For there shall the glorious Lord be unto thee a place of broad rivers for he shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem for the LORD DWELETH IN ZION Micah 4.2 3 4 5 6. Jer. 31.6 Amos 1.2 Isa 31.4 Chap. 33.2 From these and many more Scriptures and reasons that might be given we may see where Christs Throne shall be in the time of his Kingdome which is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem that Throne which was his Father Davids which he took from the Jebusites and Christ will also take it from the Antichrist and will possess it for ever that the everlasting covenant may be made good in him even the sure mercies of David not to want a man to sit upon his Throne but that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he should raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne and so shall the word of the Lord be fulfilled in its time which speaks of Christs Kingdome according to the very letter of the word as it was fulfilled in the letter of the word about his sufferings and thus I pass this particular and come to the sixt and last which is how long Christ shall raign and the estate of the wicked in that time Sixthly As it hath been already proved that Christ and the Saints shal receive a kingdom raign upon earth now I shal proceed to resolve the matter as touching the time and that is also fore-told in the Scriptures to be a thousand yeares which time will contain ten generations it being preconsidered that persons shall live in that day to be an hundred years old according to the words of the Prophet Isa 65.20 which saith There shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred yeares old and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed and that curse shall be the same spoken by the Prophet Zech. 14.12 and that the time will be a thousand years is plain from the words of the Lord to John Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. where the Lord shewed John that the godly were to live again after death and to raign with Christ a thousand yeares before the rest of the dead men viz. the wicked were to live again But if it should be demanded of me whether Christ and the Saints shall raign but one thousand yeares I should not say possitively that they are to raign no longer as just to limit the time yet I shall give my judgment as a man who have obtained favour of the Lord and say its like that a thousand yeares may be the set time first because we know that Christ is to give up the Mediator-ship and kingdome into the hands of the Father and then he is to be all in all as you may read 1 Cor. 15.24 and the Son then must be in subjection to the Father so that although Christ be to receive the Kindom and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven and possess it and raign yet he is to leave it again at the time appointed of the Father which seems to be the time before mentioned viz. at the end of the thousand yeares but if it should be objected and said Object That that thousand years raign which you speak of may possibly be but the very time or day that Christ and the Saints shall pass sentence upon the wicked as Christ to judge the righteous to be said to judge as they acknowledg Christs judgement to be just so trample down the wicked because the Apostle saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 Answ It cannot be so understood because Christ is to sit upon the Throne of his father David and to GOVERN IT in which time his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the rivers unto the end of the world they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow to him his enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents
the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him his name shall be for ever Name signifieth authority his name shall be continued as long as the Sun and the whole earth shall be filled with his glory Amen Psal 62.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. This whole Psalm with many more speaks fully of this thing and how can it be imagined that the Babylonion and Pertian and Gretian and Roman Monarchs should continue so long and Christs Kingdome that the Scripture speaks most of which is to be the Kingdome under the whole Heavens should remain so little a while as some do Imagine to what end is it for him to take his great power and to raign if it be for such a small time as one day according as a day is in our account no doubtless it is to be for a thousand years at the least Secondly We understand the six dayes vocation of Gods work doth hold forth and teach us that the continuation of the World is to be for six thousand years it being considered that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years only the dayes to be shortned for the elects sake and the seventh day which was Gods rest from his labour and the year of Jubilee to be understood to figure out unto us the seven thousand years which is to be the time of Christs Kingdome and the glorious rest that we are to labour to enter in to Thirdly It appears to be a large time because the families of the earth are to come up to worship this great King the Lord of Hosts Isa 66. Zach. 14. Mich. 4. and the Lord is to be their teacher and he is to make war at that time to cease to the ends of the earth and he is to be one and his name one at that time and to govern the nation upon the earth all which things bespeaks more time than a moment or one natural dayes time Fourthly It further appears that the time will not be short because in the time of Christs Kingdome his will shall be done in earth as it is done in heaven when the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he dwell with them as the time is at hand when it will be so and the earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea time would fail me to speak of these things in particular and therefore I shall omit it at present and more especially because there are many in this nation would assist me with their help in this point of Christs Kingdom if it should lie at the stake for want of proof and that makes me the more sparing for I could thorow Gods assistance speak more largely about the same point but because of the reasons before mentioned I have only given thee what lyeth before me in my understanding and leave the most serious perusal of things until a future and greater occasion offereth it self unto me and at present shall only speak a few words to the estate and condition of the wicked in the day of the Lord and in the time of his Kingdome which is First as concerning the coming of Christ we find that the greatest part of men shall be gathered together to make up that company of Gogg and Magog and we may read what will become of them when the Vine of the earth is reaped and cast into the great Winepress of God and trod without the gates of Jerusalem that blood shall come out to the horse bridle and Joel and Ezekiel speaks largly of that and more of it Revel 19.1 And although time admits not of writing the words of the several texts yet peruse them at thy leasure as thou mayest find them written Isa 63.1 2 3 4. Ezek. 39. to the sixteen verse Joel 3.11 12 13. Revel 14.18 19 20. Chap. 16.16 ARMAGEDDON a place of slaughter Chap. 19.17 18 19 20. From these and many more which might be cited the which elsewhere I have cited we may see that a very great multitude will be slain at the very time when Christ shall take his Kingdome although a few shall be affrighted and give glory to God but the next or that which remains is to speak somewhat of the rest which are not slain and First we cannot conclude any of them in a state of Salvation or any grace to be offered to them that are wicked and refuse the tender of the Gospel save them few above written because when Christ cometh he that then is holy shall be holy still and he that then is filthy shall then be filthy still Revel 22.11 12. Secondly the great Antichrist shall cause all unless the sanctifyed ones and some few elect that shall escape him to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead and they that escape the sword which received his mark they shall be tormented day and night and they shall have such curses as I spake of not long before concerning the sinner that remained so till he come to be a sinner an hundred years old But paradventure some may say There is some that have not heard of Christs fame shall at that time be sent to that they may see his glory Isa 66.19 Answ There are some that shall escape the Man of sin and not receive his mark as Edom and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon Dan. 11.41 And Moab shall be an hiding place to Israel in that day these shall be sent to Tarshish and pull and lug that they that by reason of being remote have not heard these shall have a day of grace offered in the time of Christs raign and also the children that are in their non-age but the Sons of those that have afflicted Gods people shall come bending unto them and in brief thus as the wicked shall be broken like a Potters Vessel at the coming of Christ even so those that in their generations come not up to worship the Lord Christ in the time of his Kingdome shall be bond-slaves to Israel and at last perish in the manner before spoken of so in the time of Christs Kingdome there will be some sinners though not of the Jews and their Judgment will be great and at last when the Devil is loosed at the end of the thousand years there will be such a seed for him to work upon as in fore time and then he shall befool them perswade them that they may break off their yoak from off their neck and not be captivated but may themselves conquer and raign and so shall come up to Jerusalem thinking to besiege it and take it and then fire shall come down from God out of Heaven and destroy them and this bringeth in the resurrection of the unjust namely the last and general resurrection the eternal Judgment then when all Rulers and authority is put down even the very last enemy which
Ordinances and Statutes Christ commanded the Apostles and his Disciples which was the first Church the very same must be taught to the successive Churches in all ages to the worlds end the consequence is clear which is that Christs Ordinances and Statutes are to be taught upheld and practised after Christ and the Apostles by their successors in all ages till the worlds end And this further appears for as Christ promised them that in their so doing that he would be with them to the end of the world even so the holy Apostle Paul saith as touching that holy Ordinance of breaking of bread and eating of it and blessing of wine and drinking of it in commemoration of Christs death that their doing of it was to shew forth the Lords death till he came again To which I find these two objections viz. as first to that in Mat. 28. Loe I am with you always to the end of the world That is saith Mr. Henden to the end of that age and this he said to me in that discourse above mentioned to which I say now as I said then to him It seems very strange to me that a man that professeth Schollar-ship and godliness should say so without shame and blushing for confident I am that if Mr. Henden knoweth any thing he knoweth this that although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken for age yet it is to be understood the end of age or the whole time at least of Christs ascention till his coming to judgement for if it were to be understood only that age or generation then in being then the word would have been rendred thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a word used by the same Evangelist for generation Mat. 24.34 and it is frequently used for the present age or generation but a few words to observe the sequal or obsurdities of the consequence which is By Mr. Hendens opinion preaching and baptizing and the promise of Christs presence with his people was to continue no longer than that present age that the Apostles lived in for preaching and baptizing and the promise of Christs presence is the things that Christ speaks of in Mat. 28.19 20 21. And that is to be understood but to continue but for that present age saith Mr. Henden and yet he saith in the second page of his book intituled A glass of some new discoveries That the Ministry and Baptisme and Communion was to remain and did not fall in all the times of Apostasie And how these things agree together or whether they come not from a Babel understanding I shall leave the serious reader to Judge and pass to the next Objection which is in answer to Saint Pauls words to the Corinths 1 Epistle 11. Chap. which saith So often as you eat of that bread and drink of that cup shew ye the Lords death till he comes But say some here I do not accuse Mr. Henden but rather the generation of men commonly called Quakers affirming that Christ is already come meaning that he is come in spirit dweling in the hearts of the Godly To which I answer and say that they which had obtained that injoyment even the Church of Thessalonica which was in God even they did expect that personal coming of the same Jesus that was crucified and raised again form the dead which delivered us from the wrath to come and that the Church of Thessalonica was a Chruch in God read 1 Thes 1.1 8. And that the word of the Lord sounded out from them read vers 8. and yet for all that they waited for Christs appearance vers 10. chap. 2.19 chap. 3.13 chap. 4.15 16 17 18. 2 Thes 1.7 many places of holy Scripture might be brought to prove this but time is pretious and also because this Church is a people much spoken of by them I only bring this Epistle although I could bring Peter and James and John to prove this at large but I leave this objection and the former and shall shew you several grounds and reasons why all the Ordinances of Christ shall continue practicable and to be practised by the Lords people till his second coming Reas 1. The first ground and reason is because the Commission doth not only direct command the Apostles Ministry to teach men to observe all things viz. all Christs Statutes and Ordinances but also commands that it should be made known to all the World successively that every creature may hear of it for the obedience of faith and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 28.18 19 20. In short I shall observe only these three things which is First that it was the will of Christ that the Apostles should teach the observation of ALL HIS STATVTES Secondly as it was his will to have the observation of all his Statutes taught so also it was his will that the observation of all his Statutes should be taught to all men namely all Nations or every creature that is where ever the sound of the Gospel went which hath or shall be preached to all nations for a witness Mat. 24.14 Revel 14.6 Thirdly it was also his will that all men might know that in their observing all his Statutes and Ordinances unto the end that they should not only obtain salvation at the last but in the mean time in the observation of his Statutes and Ordinances they should have his spiritual presence with them alwayes to the end of the World that is he would as well manifest his spiritual presence with the successive generations to the end of age as to the age or generation then present Object But some will say that God doth not manifest himself in our age as he did in the primitive age for they could work mircales so cannot we To this I briefly say at present because I do intend to speak more largely to it anon that God hath manifested himself very gloriously to many that never wrought any miracle as I think none wil deny for John did no miriacle and yet God did manifest himself very excellently to him but more of that anon and at present I pass to the second ground reason to prove that all the Ordinances that Christ appointed in his last will and testament are to continue till his second coming Reas 2. Because when Christ ascended up on high as he left his mind and will what he would have done even so he gave gifts to men some to be Apostles viz. Messengers and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering or perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of Christ that we HENCEFORTH mark that be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of
when the book of the law was found after it had been lost rent his cloathes when he heard it read in the consideration how far the people were revolted from it and gave commandement to the people to reform and observe to do the commandement of the Lord as it was found written in the book of the law of Moses and as it was given in commandement to all the godly or all the Israelites to observe and keep the commandement as it was writeen even so all that were godly amongst the Israelites did accordingly observe and keep them untill Shilo or the great law-giver came even Jesus Christ and in like manner as Jesus Christ did command his Laws and Statutes to be tought to every creature and to be observed by all the faithful even so the faithful have and will in every age faithfully keep them and that Christs Laws are set in oposition to Moses Laws that is to say they are as weighty and as perpetual as Moses were is proved and it is also evident that they were to remain as well when they came out of Babylon as before they went into Babylon Nehem. 8.1 2 3. Chap. 13.1 2 3 4. and so I pass to the seventh ground and reason to prove that all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances appointed by Christ in the new Testament which is his last will are to remain to be practised by the Lords people untill his second coming Reas 7. It further appears that Christs Laws are perpetuated and to remain as aforesaid because if it be but a mans Testament yet if it be confirmed no man must disanul nor add thereunto as saith Saint Paul Gal. 3 15. but this is not only the will and Testament of him who hath an unchangeable Preist-hood and liveth for ever but also it is confirmed not by the blood of bulls and goates but by his own blood and therefore no man may disanul or add thereunto without being in danger of everlasting wrath and cuting off from amonst the people and that Christs will and Testament was confirmed both by his blood and with signs and miracles read these few cited texts in the room of many that might be cited see Heb. 9.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. In these words For if the blood of buls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause he is the Mediatour of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth Whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without blood For when Moses had spoken every precept unto the people according to the Law he took the blood of calves and of goats and so forth Saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these From this text compared with chap. 2. and vers 3 4. with Mark 16.20 we may learn that the new Testament is confirmed both with signs and miracles and divers gifts of the holy Ghost and also with Christs blood for the Testator did die and is alive and therefore unless one greater than Jesus Christ or himself do cancel that will and Testament woe woe woe be to that man or woman that disanulleth any one of Christs Laws and Statutes they at the last will be found to be transgressors and guilty of all for so it was in Moses Law all things must be done according to the pattern as it was written and even so saith Christ Teach them after you to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And the very same as hath been said already was given in charge by St. Paul to the Ministry after him as Acts 20 35. Phil. 4.9 Those things that ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you And thus I pass to the eighth ground and reason to prove that all the Laws and Statutes of Christ given forth in his last will and Testament are to remain and be practised by the Lords people Reas 8. It further appears that Christs Laws Statutes and Ordinances are perpetuated and to remain till the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ because St. Paul saith that if I or an Angel should bring another Gospel than what he had preached we must hold him accurst and we well know that the Gospel that Saint Paul preached was a Gospel with all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ even Repentance Acts 17.30 Faith Acts 16.3 Baptisme Laying on of Hands Acts 19.6 2 Tim. 1.6 1 Tim. 5.22 Heb. 6.2 The Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. Eternal Judgment 2 Cor. 5. Church fellowship Phil 1.5 with receiving into communion Col. 4.10 Rom. 15.7 casting out of the Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. Tit. 3.10 and to sum up all in short be did declare the whole counsel of God Acts 20.27 and taught the Churches how to deale with offenders 2 Thes 3.6 1 Cor. 5.7 9 10. to keep themselves pure And now for men to bring a Gospel as they pretend without some of these Ordinances and to nullifie others and extenuate the strength of many is to bring such a Gospel as Saint Paul never brought but it is another Gospel and such are to be rejected by the servants of Jesus Christ admit of this short argument which is If the Gospel which Saint Paul brought and preached was a Gospel containing all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of King Jesus then those that bring a Gospel with many of them left out bring not the same but another Gospel and is to be rejected But the Gospel that Paul brought was a Gospel containing all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of King Jesus Therefore he that brings or preacheth a Gospel with manay of them left out bringeth another Gospel and is to be rejected Read the words of Paul Gal. 1.6 7 8. which saith I marvail that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel Which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have alreardy preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any
I shall branch them out in particulars as first Mr. Henden saith Every thing hath its beginning and continuance from the Word of God Answ It is very true hence we conclude that God having commanded in his Word that we should hear his Son in every thing whatsoever he shall say unto us and that the Son also hath commanded his Apostles to teach others to do every thing which he had commanded them to do which was the observation of all his Ordinances alwaies even to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 16. which sheweth for what I can yet see from your fore cited text Isa 56.5 that all Christs Ordinances are perpetuated and to remain Secondly you say and cite many texts to prove it that the Ministry Prayer Praises Baptisme and the Communion was upheld and did not fall in the greatest to Apostasie My answer in breif to it is this That if the fore mentioned Ordinances were upheld by the power of Gods Word in the greatest times of Apostasie practicable to be practised as a duty injoyned to the Godly then see your self that you condemn your self in the thing that you alow for you do alow and believe as you say that Baptisme and the Lords Supper was upheld by the power of Gods Word and did not cease but was practicable and tole practised by the Lords People thorowout all the times of Apostacy as in page 2. line the 25. compared page 17. Paragraph the first and if so then you are to be condemned out of your own mouth for to my best understanding of your practise you neither baptize and nor practise that Ordinance of the Lords Supper and then it 's to marvel if that God hath given you over to blindness of understanding and mind for it is just with God both to give an inlargement of understanding to him that faithfully practiseth that which he knoweth and also to take away the Talent from him that improveth it not and give him up to blindness of mind be wise to consider before the decree pass and there be no remedy Thirdly The third particular is That the Ordinance of Ordination with Church Censures and the like are ceased Your first cited Text is Isa 56.5 in these words Even to them will I give in my House and within my walls a place and name better than that of Sons and of Daughters I will give unto them an everlasting Name that shall not be cut off The Place say you is to be understood by interpretation from the Hebrew word J A D a Hard alluding to Church power and why should not the word Place within my House be everlasting as well as the Name especially they being both joyned together if the Spirit had not seen the fail and interruption of the change thereof Answ If this Text say that some of Christs Ordinances as Ordination or Church Censures or the like are to cease I have wholly lost my understanding in the Scriptures but yet give me leave to shew my opinion and then judge of it as the Lord shall guid your understanding There is these two things in chief that Mr. Henden gathereth from this Text the one is that it is a Prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church containing the Gentiles which at that time should turn unto the Lord. And secondly That the place within his House is to be understood a HAND alluding to Church power viz. outward Discipline as Ordination of Ministry and Government and Church Censure and the like To which I answer and say though it will be proved to be a Prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church I have not yet seen by what Mr. Henden hath said that there was Gentiles and Eunuchs proselyted and joyned unto the Lord under the Law is plain and that they were to keep the Sabbath from polluting is also as plain and that they should have a place and a name in Gods House by laying hold of the Covenant is plain hence the Eunuch came from a far Country to Jerusalem to Worship who was after converted by Philip and this Text speaks in order both to provoke the Jews to be zealous to observe the Law of Moses and also to encourage the Gentiles who were made Proselytes in their so doing that they should have a Place and a Name in his House as well as others even the Jews and that it speaks of that juncture of time and of those Ordinances under the Law and not of Gospel Ordinances read vers 7. where he saith that their burnt Offerings and their sacrifices should be acceptable upon his Altar the which if I well understand it relates to the Ordinances under the Law which were to be observed by the proselyted Gentiles as well as the Jews and not at all to Gospel Ordinances mark I do not deny but the Prophet Isaiah doth prophesie of the conversion of the Gentiles to Gospel Ordinances as in Chap. 42.1 2 3 4 5. and in many other places but not at all in that place And as for the word My salvation is near it may be understood their being saved from the hands of their enemies or many other wayes and not of Gospel Ordinances which the word Salvation will bear And the word I will gather others unto him which you seem to question is shewn to be the House of Israel as well as the House of Judah to wit the dispersed of Samaria and that this speaks of the other House as Judah and Israel are distinguished into two Houses namely the House of Israel read vers 8. and peruse it well and consider the two Sticks that are to become one in the Prophets hand and compare these together Ezek. 37.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. and you may find what is meant by the word I will gather others unto him But I pass this for brevity sake and come to the fourth and last Particular as an answer to the above-mentioned Maxime which is The Name and Place which saith Mr. Henden are joyned together in the Text and yet one perpetuated viz. the Name and the other to cease viz. the Place which by interpretation is a Hand alluding to Church Power To which I answer and say That although this Text cannot be proved a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church as before said yet I shall speak to this to leave it without a cover And whereas Mr. Henden saith that the Hebrew Word J A D signifying a Hand alluding to Church Power it is known that the variety of acceptations both in the Hebrew and the Greek are so great and many that if men be of a corrupt opinion they may wrest and pervert the mind of the holy Spirit I could instance some places according to the small knowledge that I have in it but I suppose the Assertion will not be denied by you take heed of making the Scripture a nose of Wax to turn both this way and that way or as men please bear with my expression and
caution without offence but admit it were as you say which it is not so that is to say what if that should be as it is not a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church and that also the word PLACE should signifie Hand alluding to Church Power Doth that Text imply that the word Place is not perpetual or everlasting as well as the Name I am sure that the Text doth not say that the Place viz. Hand as you call it is not perpetual or everlasting as well as the Name but if it be as you say that is that by PLACE is to be understood a Hand alluding to Church power then I will take your own argument and disprove you that is if I can prove the PLACE perpetuated and to remain as well as the Name then all that you have said here falls to the ground without remedy and that they are to remain in the PLACE viz. the Hand which is the Church power as you say see the words of the Prophet Nathan which is a prophesie of that House and Place and Name which Isaiah speaks of that the Gentiles as well as the Jews should have the priviledge to have a Place therein before ever the Place or Walls or House was built read 2 Sam. 7.10 1 Chron. 17.2 in these words Moreover I will appoint a PLACE for my people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a PLACE of their own and move NO MORE And that this Text holds correspendency with the fore-cited Text Isa 56. see vers 3. compared with vers 8. Chap. 57.13 which also agreeth with the words of the Psalmist Psal 69.35 36. which saith For God will save Zion and build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession the seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his Name shall dwell therein according to that Text Revel 3.12 which saith that they shall go no more out but I will write upon him the Name of my God c. and that is a better Name than of Sons and of Daughters So then the Place is as lasting as the Name But give me leave to speak a little like your self by conjectures and imaginations and probabilities and the like and if I be admitted I shall thus say that whereas you say that the word PLACE is to be understood Church Power I say that the word NAME is that which signifieth Church Power in Scripture and in reason more properly than the word PLACE for it is said that God gave Jesus a NAME above every NAME that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Now if we simply understand it as a NAME there were other which were Named Jesus as well as the Lord Jesus But by NAME I understand signifieth Power that Christ had all Power in heaven and earth resigned up into his hands and so his NAME signifieth his Power and also it hath been a Proverb formerly We charge you in the Kings NAME meaning by his Power or Authority much more I could say but enough to prove the word NAME to signifie Power and if so then the power is to be an everlasting power and Throne viz. PLACE and so to remain to all generations I could peradventure alligorize the Scriptures and make them serve my own imaginations and carry a very fair face that wayes and thereby be like unto one hopping in the Clouds and lead other after me but these things I do protest against and endeavour nothing more if my heart deceive me not than to know and declare Christ Jesus and his Laws in the plainness and simplicity of them as they were delivered to and practised by the primitive Churches whose footsteps we ought to walk in agreeing with that Propesie Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. in these words We will not hide them from their Children shewing to the generations to come the praise of the Lord for he hath established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children that the generations to come might know them walk about Zion and go round about her tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her bull-works consider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the generations following FOR I have made a covenant with my chosen thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all generations wherefore Glory be to God in the Church by Christ Jesus through all ages World without end Amen Ephes 3. last Psal 89.3 4. Psal 48.12 13. And now I shall only sum up all in a few words and pass from this particular And the first is First That every thing hath its beginning and continuance from the word of God saith Mr. Henden and yet did say in the above mentioned Conference to Captain Tucker when he urged a Scripture command for to warrant the practice of Baptisme in our age said that a command to warrant the practice of it was not sufficient unless it were accompanied with the same power the which I conceive agreeth not together Secondly Mr. Henden saith that Baptisme and the Lords Supper did not cease in all the time of Apostacy BVT DID REMAIN practicable as a duty to be practised it having a word for its continuation and yet to my best understanding of his practice by information he practiseth neither of them and thereby condemns himself in the thing that he alloweth and therefore its just with God to give him up to blindness Again as for his cited place Isa 56.5 to prove some of the Ordinances to cease is answered as First by shewing it was not a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church because the primitive Gospel Church was to offer no burnt offering and sacrifice upon the Altar as these were to do and to be accepted in so doing but these things were taken out of the way and not to be mentioned amongst a Gospel Church for so saith the Spirit sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings thou wouldst not neither hadst thou pleasure in them but a body hast thou prepared Again the Gentiles were then under those sacrifices joyned to God Again it s proved that the PLACE is as everlasting as the NAME and that NAME in Scripture signifieth power more properly than PLACE And thus I pass to the next proof or reason to prove the cessation of some of Christs Ordinances cited by Mr. Henden which is saith he Turn to Mat. 16.18 Where you may observe that to the profession of Peters faith and Christ the rock believed is fore-spoken that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it but vers 19. The keyes of binding and loosing opening and shutting are set after â—as having no such promise annexed to them and why should this be but to shew that these keyes in the Churches hand should have a
namely of receiving in or casting out although one Star fell from Heaven to Earth Revel 9. yet he carryed not away the heavenly keyes or power no more than the evil Angels when they fell could carry away the heavenly power and authority of the good Angels no they were so far from carrying away the power that the good Angels had that the power that the evil Angels had was taken away and given to the good Angels as the one Talent was taken and given to him that had ten so to him that hath shall be given and to him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath so then the conclusion is that if one Star did fall it s nothing in comparison of many Stars which did not fall and that fallen Star did not carry away the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven namely the heavenly power but God took it away from him and the Devil gave him the keyes of drakness so it was not the keys of the Kingdome for they still remained with them that abode in the truth as hath been already proved and by your self in effect hath been granted and thus I pass to the next thing considerable which is The four Winds Revel 7.1 with its interpretation by Mr. Henden But by the way I take notice of what is said in the beginning of his 4. page from Zech. 4. which speaks concerning their building of Jerusalem and the Temple after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon the which he applies to be a Gospel Church and the Pipes there spoken of to be understood Ordinances and from the seven Pipes spoken of vers 2. is to be understood the practising of the full number of Ordinances in the Primitive time and the two Golden Pipes in vers 12. Is to be understood the least of numbers and that least of numbers relates to the time of the Churches being in Babylon that then the lesser number of Ordinances were practicable and to be practised This is the sum in short that I gather from that his discourse To which I answer briefly and first that the 4 Chapter of Zech. is a Prophesie of a Gospel Church I cannot as yet see nor believe it is clear that it was a prophesie of the redifying of Jerusalem and the Candelstick the Lamps and Pipes belonging to it is the same vessels that God appointed in the Temple as you may read Exod. 25. Lev. 24.4 Numb 4.9 the oyle vessels ministering unto it is to be understood the Pipes Chap. 8.2 2 Kings 4.10 1 Chron. 28.15 from these and many more Scriptures that might be added we may see that the Candlestick with the Lamps and Pipes viz. the ministering vessels unto the Lamps and Candelstick was the same that God shewed unto Moses in the pattern and appointed it to remain in the Temple and after that pattern it was made in Solomons time and the very same was to be after the seventy years of captivity and it is far more evident because if we observe the Prophesie of Haggai who speaks of one and the same thing he will tell us that Zerubbabel and Joshua according to Zechariahs words that he should lay the foundation and also finish it Hag. 1.14 Zech. 4.9 and that this prophesie relates to Jerusalem read Haggai and Zechariah at large I do not say that it relates only to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple at the end of the seventy years captivity but in it is a Prophesie of the redifying of the City and Temple destroyed since by Titus Vespatian which is yet to be built again according to the Word of the Lord Rev. 11. but more of that anon but in a short sentence I further add this as a reason to prove that the Prophesie of Zechariah Chap. 4. most primely relates to the redifying of Jerusalem at their coming out of the seventy years of captivity because that both Haggai and Zechariah have the Word of the Lord coming to them both at that time as to Haggai the Word of the Lord came to him in the sixth seventh month in the second year of Darius Chap. 1.1 Chap. 2.1 and to Zechariah it came in the eighth month in the same year Zech. 1.1 and the work of both Prophets was to stir up the People to the work of building of the House of God for they being hindred by subtilty in the dayes of Cyrus because that Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers would not let the people of the Land build with them as you may see at large in Ezra 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. that they at last out of custome grew careless and was content to live in their sealed houses and let the house of God lye waste Hag. 1.2 and hence the Word of the Lord stirred them up by the two fore mentioned Prophets namely Haggai and Zechariah that they might go on to finish the Work for Zerubbabel had begun it before and laid the Foundation in the daies of Cyrus and being stopped as before said he was to finish it in the daies of Darius which agreeth with the words of Zechariah Chap. 4.9 in these words The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands also shall finish it compare Haggai with the four first Chapters of Zechariah and compare them both with Ezra 3.8.9 10. Chap. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. and you may clearly see that what I have said is undeniably true and that is the thing that Zechariah speaks of in Chap. 4. which Mr. Henden would have to be a Gospel Church it 's clear that men may be carried away very strangely in the judgments and understandings if that they be guided by their own spirits or immaginations without searching the Scriptures and well comparing them together so as they may hold a correspondency together I am not willing to be nice in observing obsurdities the which if I were and had time I could observe many but at present I shall leave this thing saying that if the Pipes signifie the Ordinances of the Gospel and that they were lost from seven to two so that there is now but two Ordinances practicable and it 's a question to some whether Mr. Henden practise above one of them two what Ordinances they be which remain but you say that the two signifie the least of numbers and so I think that two is the least of numbers but that I may take you in the best sense I understand you mean that the Ordinances was devided in two numbers and the biggest number was to cease in Babylon as you call it and the lesser number to be perpetuated and remain the which if so cast up your account again and you will find upon your own account that the greater number is perpetuated and to remain as 1. Ministry 2. Prayer 3. Praises 4. Baptisme 5. the Lords Supper 6. the Sealed elect number 7. the Spiritual union 8. the beginning and profession of faith
9. the duties of charity all these are acknowledged by you to be perpetuated and to remain Secondly the other number as 1 Confirmation 2 Ordination 3 Church-Censure 4 Church-stating these are corrupted and are ceased as you say and which of these is the greatest number I leave the wise to judge from whence they may see that the two Pipes should not parallel with the perpetuated Ordinances and therefore shall leave them as excellent in their proper place and signification but altogether of an uncertain sound as they have been applyed not fit for persons to dance after and thus I leave this particular and come to speak somewhat to the four Winds Revel 7.1 The four Winds saith Mr. Henden Page 4. Is to be understood the Winds of the Spirit the begetting and preserving cause of these visible keyes before spoken of where by reason of the falling away were wholly with-held from their apparent blast and the cause failing the effects must also cease These four Angels we conceive to be evil Spirits working by their principal Ministers the four capital Patryarchs of the Christian World to wit the Bishop of Alexandria for the South of Antioch for the East of Constantinople for the North and Rome for the West who usurping all ecclesiastical government into their hands did by their contention and pride gradually detain the four Winds from breathing in the external regement till at the last the head-ship fell into Rome Page 29. Answ There is many things laid down the which I shall speak to in particular and that very briefly because I am much straitned for time and also I think there is so little coulour of truth in it that few will believe it whether I speak any thing to it yea or nay but because I would not willingly miss any thing that seems of weight in your eye I shall examine the particulars and first to the first which is The four Winds spoken of Revel 7.1 Is the Winds of the Spirit saith Mr. Henden In Answer to this I shall cite the Text and speak little to it but leave the Reader to Judge see the Text Revel 7.1 in these words And After these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the Earth holding the four Winds of the EARTH that the Wind should not blow upon the Earth nor on the Sea nor on any green Tree From these words we may take notice that the four Winds are called the Winds of the EARTH mark that and wherever the Spirit of the Lord or the breathings forth of his Spirit is called by the name of the four Winds of the Earth I never yet read although I have examined Ezek. 1.4 5. chap. 37.9.14 Acts 2.2 The which none of the places run parallel with Revelations 7.1 They are not called the four Winds of the Earth as for Exekiels vision chap. the first Ezekiel saw the Heavens opened it was not the four Winds of the Earth no but a whirle-wind and a cloud from the OPEN HEAVENS North-ward in the which whirle-wind the Lord appeared to Ezekiel between the sour living creatures which were Cherubims and we know it is usual for the Lord to appear in a whirle-wind between the Cherubims that those living creatures spoken of in Ezek. 1.5 were Cherubims and that the Lord dwelleth between or amongst the Cherubims is clear from chap. 10. compared with 1 Sam. 4.4 2 Kings 19.15 Psal 80.1 and 99.1 And that which is spoken obscurely in the first chap. of Ezekiel is more plainly expounded in Chap 10. where the living creatures spoken of in Chap. 1. are called Cherubims in Chap. 10.20 in these words This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar and I knew that they were Cherubims Time would fail me to open the matter contained in the vision and the end of it but enough to prove that it relates not at all to the four Winds spoken of in Revel 7. Secondly as to the Winds spoken of in Ezek. 37.9 I say that its only used by way of allusion because our lives are called wind Job 7.7 and Israel being in captivity and so as dead men the Lord sheweth the Prophet Ezekiel that he would revive them and recover them out of their captivity and bring them again into their own Land vers 21. and also we may observe that they must first have the breath of life and be brought out of their graves which breath of life to raise them from their graves was to come from the four Winds and then after this they were to be brought into their own Land and the Spirit of God was not to be poured out upon them while they were in captivity but after they were come into their own Land at a set time Zech. 12.9 10 11. which sheweth that Wind spoken of there was not that Spirit which you aim at which if it were yet it holds no agreement with the text cited by you Revel 7.1 because it is not called the Winds of the Earth for there is the Winds of the Earth and there is the Winds of Heaven Dan. 8.8 Chap. 11.4 Zech. 2.6 Mat. 24.31 Revel 7.1 Thirdly To the Text cited by you Acts 2.2 in these words And suddenly there came a sound FROM Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind c. from these words we may see that this Wind came from HEAVEN and so was not that Wind spoken of in Revel 7. Because that was the four Winds of the EARTH mark that Fourthly it doth not say that there came a Wind from Heaven and sate upon each of them but cloven tongues which sate upon each of them and the sound was like unto a mighty rushing Wind it doth not say it was a Wind that blew but there was heard a sound as it were a mighty rushing Wind so then the sound of it was as it were or like a Wind and every likeness is not the same but why need I keep such a stir about this Wind I remember Mr. Henden saith in his 28. Page and line 19 20. that the with-holding the Winds of the Spirit hurt not the elect his words are these all save the elect were hurt thereby and subverted From whence we now learn from what Mr. Henden saith in this place that it was from the reprobate that the Winds of the Spirit was with-held from blowing on them This is that I understand from his words if I understand him aright unless there be a third sort of men that is to say the elect and reprobate and another sort which is neither elect nor reprobate and if this be Mr. Hendens opinion viz. that the with-holding of the Winds of the Spirit did not hurt the elect but the reprobate then one of us have fought as it were with our own shadow for it was ever my judgment since I knew any thing of God that Gods holy Spirit was ever with-held from the reprobate they having no part or portion in
from the Prophets to witness it but further you may see that there will be a Temple although not the union of the sealed number as Mr. Henden supposed which hath been already answered but a material Temple as saith St. Paul 2 Thes 2.4 He viz. the man of Sin or Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God But if the Temple be to be understood to discypher the Mistical union of the one hundred forty and four thousand as Mr. Henden saith then it is impossible that the Man of Sin should sit there for they are not to be hurt and that connot be said to be the Temple of God in a spiritual sense which is the seat of the Man of Sin but in a material Temple it hath been so already and will be so again for saith Christ It is written my House should be a House of Prayer but ye have made it a den of thiefs And secondly that there is to be a Temple is also proved from Revel 15.8 in these words And the Temple was filled with smoak from the glory of God from his power and no MAN was able to enter into the TEMPLE till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled From hence we see that there shall be a material Temple which shall be so filled with Gods glory that no MAN shall enter into it until the plagues of the seven Vials be executed and so Christ by the brightness of his coming and excellent glory shall dispossess the Man of Sin of his seat and that the glory of God did shine so of old in his Temple read the words of the Prophet Isa 6 4. Ezek. 10.4 And secondly that the glory of the Lord is to appear or fill his House or material Temple Again read Ezek. 43.5 6 7. in these words So the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner Court and behold the glory of the Lord filled the House and I heard him speaking unto me out of the House and the man stood by me and he said unto me Son of man the place of my Throne and the place of the sole of my feet where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for EVER and my holy Name shall the House of Israel no more defile Agreeable to Chap. 37.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. as you may read at large I could give many reasons more to prove a material Temple and elsewhere I have done it But if it should be objected That God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands I answer and say it is very true that the Temple of Jerusalem they had defiled with their abominations and therefore the Lord destroyed it and for a while took unto himself the instruments of a foolish Shepheard Zech. 11.15 and so was a Gin and a Snare to the House of Israel and so the litteral Zion was to be plowed like a field and Jerusalem to become a heap but it doth nor say that Christ will never dwell in Temples or a Temple made with hands nor that he will never dwell in Mount-Zion litteral in Jerusalem but contrariwise saith in many places that he will come unto his Temple and dwell in Mount-Zion in Jerusalem as I before have proved read the place of Christs Kingly seat in the time of his Reign in my Treatise to Mr. Holland annexed to this I could prove that the Lord will have his seat there at large and that when his Tabernacle shall be with men and his seat where his Father Davids was that then it is to be in material Jerusalem when the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this was the City and Altar and Temple which was to be measured and the Worshipers which was therein namely the Jews which were to return and at that time shall be returned unto their own Land where they shall worship God according to Moses Law waiting for their Messiah Thirdly what is to be understood by the outward Court not measured or cast out or left out as in reference to measurement it is that after the Israelites be returned before they have finished their outward Courts and walls and the like for their great care and first work shall be upon the chief and principal place viz. their City and Temple the Gentiles namely Gogg the Prince of Meshech and Tubal whose Army shall be of them of Persia Ethiopia and Libia with Gomer and the Family of Togarmah a very great Army of the North Quarters shall be gathered together upon the Mountains of Israel and shall prevail and spoil the Jews for a small season and this shall be done before the outward Court and walls be finished which causeth the Army of the Gentiles to call Jerusalem a Town of unwalled Villages being without Bars and Gates as you may read Ezek. 38.11 in these words And thou shalt say I will go up to the Land of VNWALLED VILLAGES I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely all of them dwelling without WALS having neither BARS nor GATES to take a spoil to take a prey c. And to this agreeth the words of the Prophet Zecha 2.1 2 3 4 9. which saith I lift up mine eyes again and looked and behold a man with a MEASVRING LINE in his hand Then said I whither goest thou and he said unto me to measure Jerusalem to see what is the breaà th thereof and what is the length thereof And behold the Angel that talked with me went forth and another Angel went out to meet him and said unto him run speak to the young man saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a TOWN without WALS c. From these Scriptures and more that might be added we may see that the Walls and outward Court shall not be finished till it is taken and the holy City trod under foot but the time of its oppression is so short as not worth speaking of in comparison of time namely three years and a half so that this Prophet speaks little of the oppression of Israel but doth as it were overlook it because the time of it is so short and speaks of that which is of the greatest moment namely the Enemies destruction but the Prophet Zechariah agreeing with the Revelations sheweth that the City shall for a small time be surprised and taken and the Jews persecuted although the City it self shall not be destroyed but shall be the place of the Enemies Randesvouz and that this is true read the words of the Prophet Daniel compared with Zechariah which saith He shall enter also into the glorious Land and many Countries shall be overthrown but these shall escape out of his hands even EDOM and MOAB and the CHIEF OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON and he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Pallace between the Seas in the glorious holy mountain yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him And at that time
the 15 vers of that fore mentioned 11. Chapter of the Revelations in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in Heaven saying the KINGDOMES of this WORLD is BECOME the KINGDOMES OF OVR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST AND HE SHALL RAIGN FOR EVER AND EVER and thus much briefly to the Measurement of the Temple and City and outward Court being cast out and the holy City being trod under foot and fourthly the time of the witnesses Prophesying the which will be just three years and a halfe which is proved in the precedent discourse also more of that a non And as for Mr. Hendens computation of time which is saith he A day being taken for a year the flight of the woman and the City being trod under foot and the two witnesses Prophesying in Sackcloath is to be understood one thousand two hundred and threescore years in which time the Church is only a sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exterior Order paragraph 4 page 65. And also he further saith that the time of the beginning of the suffering of the Church and the City being trod under foot was in the year 390. and to be fully expired in the year 1650. and applieth it to a little light broke forth in England about that time and that you may see the SVM of this spoken by him although in more words at large read in his book page 10. compared with paragraph the fourth To which I answer briefly in particulars and First if the forty and two months and the one thousand two hundred and threescore daies with the TIME and TIMES and halfe a TIME all which is acknowledged to be one and the same Time for the Latitude thereof be expired and ended in the year 1950. then upon that account the Woman is come out of the Wilderness already and hath been almost for ten years since upon Mr. Hendens computation or calculation of time and if so I hope Mr. Henden will admit that the Woman may practise all the Ordinances as they were delivered or if not when shall she if it be answered that she is not to practise them till the Winds of the Spirit breath upon them again and if this be the time then is also as clear that the spirit is entered into them again from Mr. Hendens own opinion for these two Prophets saith Mr. Henden were to Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore years in Sackcloath which time was expired or ended as he saith in the year 1650 and we find that when they had accomplished their Prophesies which was accomplished at the time aforesaid then they were slain and lay dead but three daies and a halfe the which upon Mr. Hendens account is but three years and a halfe at the end of which time the Spirit of life was to enter into them again Rev. 11.11 which was above six years since Sir look about you its time for you to up and be doing or to cast up your account a new but more to these things anon when I come to shew my opinion upon the travelling Woman and Man-child and Witnesse as before said but I fear I shall be much straitned for time Secondly It cannot be as Mr. Henden saith that the Winds of the Spirit is to be with-holden these forty and two months or 1260. daies so as that there shall not be that visible demonstration of the spirit as in the Primitive time for it is clear that the two witnesses in the time of their Prophesie in Sackcloath shall have as great power and visible demonstration as ever was known upon earth that they have power read Rev. 11.5 6. in these words If any wan will hurt them sire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enimies and if any man will hurt them they must in this manner be killed these have power to shut Heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into blood Rev. 16.3 4. and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will For the Angels that hold the four Winds the seven Angels are imployed as ministering Spirits both to desend them from the malice of the Beast so as he cannot hurt or interrupt them all the time of their Prophesie and also to pour out their Vyals and with-hold the Winds and smite the earth with curses so often as they please and that they did also exercise their power in the time of their prophesie is clear from vers 11. where it is said that They tormented the Earth so then they had power and did also exercise it which confutes what Mr. Henden saith And thirdly whereas Mr. Henden saith in his page 65. that the true Church is only a Sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exteriour order I answer say it seems strange to me that the sealed number which Mr. Henden before said was not hurt and yet saith now that she were dis-robed of her beauty in outward order and if this be not hurt I know not what is hurt because God did ever delight in outward Order where there was inward grace he being a God of Order in all the Churches of his Saints Fourthly It yet wants a proof that ever the Woman lost any one of her robes if she be to be understood a Gentile Church as Mr. Henden saith she is for she had them on when Saint John saw her in his vision and I do not read of any ever saw her without them after she had put them on unless Mr. Henden did but I suppose he did not and so I shall leave this particular and pass to the next particular which is from the text Mat. 24 cited by M. Henden and I shall not take notice of every circumstance of things but the ground of the matter wherein we differ which is saith he The marks of the false Churches are four as first the visibility in their stative order loe here or loe there The second the phrase here and there notes a manifest place of rest or sitting down Thirdly the variety here and there which must Scatter whereas the true is uniform Fourthly The visible loe or model is first and then Christ is brought into it loe here is Christ as if the Spirit of life and divine primitive power were in it the Wilderness is to be understood a Metaphorical Wilderness and secret Chambers which figures out our lesser stated bodies and so forth page 50 51 52. In order to the answer of these things I shall not take notice of every objection or contradiction but shall plainly and briefly cite the text and open it and then leave the reader to judge whether it speak of gathered or false constituted Churches as Mr. Henden saith when it speaks of the Wilderness or desart or secret Chamber or whether it be to be understood litterally of a Material face Christ in a desart or in a
Mountains or the like and to this agreeth the Prophets that saith The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for he shall come in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and all the kindred shall waile because of him So in short I understand it is the personal coming of the Lord Jesus which is spoken of in that Text Mat 24. and not any spiritual coming for the same Jesus even the same blessed man which did once ascend in like manner shall again descend as I have proved in the former part of this Treatise intituled Truth and Innocency and thus much briefly of the coming of the Lord Jesus like lightening which lightening is to be seen from one end of Heaven to the other even from the East unto the West which light all men that have their natural eye-sight do see at once even so shall the personal appearance of Jesus Christ be that all men shall see his glory together when he shall appear in the Clouds of Heaven with all his holy Angels with him and this I am very confident was the mind of Christ in that place and thus I pass to speak somewhat to the Carkass and Eagles being gathered unto it which is Fourthly the fourth and last thing sheweth the taking up of the Saints to meet Jesus Christ the Carkass being understood Christ and the Eagles the Saints it s only a simily shewing that as the Eagles suddenly gather themselves tegether to the place where a Carkass is even so the Saints shall suddenly be gathered together to the place where Christ is agreeing with 1 Thes 4 14 15 16. and Mat. 24.40 the which I have before spoken of more at large therefore shall leave it at present with the Reader and pass all the other things very briefly because I find the things already spoken to is the whole grounds or master-pieces of your Book and those things that I shall now speak to I shall take them as they lie in order in your book and the first thing that I observe and shall speak to is Of the new pouring out of the Spirit and a new marriage after the former Page 5. Answ I find there was a Marriage between God and old Israel which is a Metaphor to wit the enjoyment of the inheritance and the marriage bed as I may so call it the presence of the Lord in Types dwelling amongst them in that holy Land or glorious Mountain Jerusalem which was a Type of the heavenly Jerusalem and the Tabernacle of God to be with men when they shall injoy the marriage bed to wit being present with Christ knowing him as we are known by him the which while we live in this Body we do not for we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 And that there shall be a marriage and a marriage Supper I grant but it s after Christ is come the second time read Luke 12.35 36 37. compared with Revel 19.7 8 9. with more that might be said but as to the first marriage spoken of by you which was say you in the primitime times in the first breathing of the Spirit I cannot see nor believe nor I am certain you cannot prove it for the Church of Corinth had as great breathings of the Spirit as any had coming behind in no gift and yet were in that time but in a Virgin estate and condition as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 in these words But I am jealous over you with godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chaste VIRGINE to Christ From whence we may see that the primitive Church who lived under the breathings of the Spirit and had excellent gifts of working of Miracles and yet were but in a Virgine condition and so shall the Church be at the very time of the second coming of the Lord Jesus until he is come read Mat. 25.1 to the 11. And as to your cited text Mat. 22.1 2 3. it is a Parrable and it s also clear that the whole time of the preaching of the Gospel is the time of the inviting the Ghests and the Parrable holds not if all the Ghests be not invited before the day of the marriage supper and I am sure that all the Ghests are not yet invited nor born I could speak at large unto it but I study brevity and so shall pass to the next thing which is The Churches was in Babylon as appears saith Mr. Henden by her being called out Revel 18.4 it being a strange Land from the native Canon of a Gospel word where they were strangers under other Lords page 8. Answ I have read that the Israel of old was in Babel in Chaldea from whence they were to depart but I never yet read that the Elect Sealed Number were subject to other Lords in respect of order that is to say they submitted not to the Babylonish order neither was their order become Babel read Dan. 3. It 's true that the Jews had several Ordinances which were to be performed only at Jerusalem and hence it came to pass that they practised them not in Babylon and therefore they were far from being Babellish but the Gospel Ordinances are limitted to no one place more than other insomuch if there were a Church in Rome they might practise all Christs Ordinances if they could enjoy their Liberty so to do although it be the seat of the Pope and yet not be blamed but commended of by the Lord as was the Church of PARGAMVS Rev. 2.12 who lived where Satans seat was and yet did hold fast their profession even so it 's like there may be some in the City called Babylon Revel 18.4 which may own and practise the Truth although unknown to the Pope at the very time when the Lord will destroy it and so he may call them out as once he did call Lot out of Sodom but to suppose that God owns a People to be his People which are Babel in their order is but vain when we rightly understand how zealous God ever was of his order never admitting of his own people to mix it with the confused order of men or Babel for those that are partakers of her sins which they were not which were called out Revel 18.4 shall be partaker of her plagues but if Babels order were sin and the Church order which was in Babel was established then the Church must be partakers of her sins and so of her plagues which was not and so I pass this also and come to the next thing which is You may find all your new stated Churches saith Mr. Henden of a different Mettal from the true how near soever to the primitive they seem to be in the outward shell and yet in reallity do ground upon another foundation upon Believers not possessed with such a power sent down from heaven page 14. Answ They differ not in their Mettal
is universal the four Winds and the hurt thereby to all the unsealed Israelites which cannot agree with any one Nation Answ That the Angels stood upon the four quarters of the Earth is true and the with-holding of the Winds is so universal as to hurt all places and persons except the Sealed number and the places that escape the Antichrist which some shall as is before proved but what for all this doth it therefore follow that the Sealed Israelites were Gentiles its no reason at all to me for it is clear that the Jews are scattered into the four quarters of the Earth and it is as clear that God will gather them from thence and will get them fame in all places where they have been put to shame and also it is as clear that it is the family of the Gentiles which are to be deceived as hath been already proved and it may also be further seen to be they that shall be deceived first and last even Gogg and Magog as Revel 20.8 He shall deceive the NATIONS viz the family of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gogg and Magog c. but the Elect viz. the Jews shall not be deceived And whereas you say the hurt is to all the unsealed Israelites my answer is Shew that any of the Israelites at the fullfiling of this Prophesie shall be unsealed I am sure that the Prophets and also the Apostles saith that then they shall all be holy unto the Lord and all Israel shall be saved as it is written when the Lord shall thorowly purge away the filth of the Daughter of Zion then although they seek for sin in Judah they shall find none for they shall defile themselves no more with any of their detestable things or abominations So then in short the answer to the third reason is that although the Angels were standing on the four quarters of the Earth holding the four Winds and the with-holding the four Winds were universal and the hurt to all the unsealed Israelites proves not at all to my understanding that the Sealed number were Gentiles they that can receive it let them for I do asure you I cannot see not so much as a colour of reason in it and thus I pass to the examination of the four reasons to prove the sealed number cited by Mr. Henden to be Gentiles which is saith he because This hurt was chiefly introduced by the Locust Chap. 9.4 and by the Beast which cannot be applyed to the Jews but to the Christian Nations Answ I could if I had time speak much concerning the Locust and their King and the persons tormented but that which I say at present in answer to it is I think that herein Mr. Headen and I am very near of one opinion in this thing for saith he the hurt was chiefly introduced by the Locust and Beast which can in no sense be applyed to the Jews And all that I have been contending about is that those that were not hurt were the Jews which were the sealed number and here Mr. Henden saith the hurt introduced by the Locust and Beast was unto the Nations I understand him Gentiles for he saith it cannot be applyed unto the Jews and if the hurt cannot be applyed unto the Jews then upon his own argument the Jews were the sealed number for all others were hurt only they that were sealed were not to be hurt Revel 9.4 But by the way the hurt there was not at all by the Beast and his followers but to the Beast and his followers by the Locust and so I pass this and come to the fifth reason which is By comparing the Text with chap. 11.2 we may clearly see saith Mr. Henden that the Nations possessed the Court without the Temple Answ It is true the Nations or Gentiles did take the outward Court before it was measured viz. Walled and did tread the holy City under foot for which cause the Lord sent those plagues on the Nations when he had sealed the Tribes of the Children of Israel which were not to be hurt by the plagues of the Locust or Angels although they were troubled and persecuted by the Beast for which cause God sent plagues upon him as he did upon Pharaoh King of Egypt for the case may be fitly paralleled with Israels suffering in Egypt by Pharaoh King of Egypt and as God sent several kinds of plagues on Pharaoh for his cruelty exercised against his people Israel even so will the Lord send several kinds of plagues upon the Antichrist and his followers the Nations for their cruelty again the very same people viz Jews for his love unto them is an everlasting love and therefore will he have compassion on them and gather them and destroy all their enemies according to his word and thus I pass this reason also saying that although it be not denyed that there be alligorise in the vision of this book yet it 's meet that we distinguish between reason and madness and take heed of making an alligory of that which is plainly to be understood that we come not under that reproof of darkning words without knowledge and perverting and wresting the Scriptures to our destruction and thus I come to the sixth and last reason cited by Mr. Henden to prove that the Sealed Number were Gentiles which is saith he The number Sealed from amongst them was the same not hurt by the Locust chap. 9.4 nor utterly deceived by the Beast chap. 13.8 Mat. 24.24 The same standing on Mount-Zion chap. 14.1 which duly pondered with all the circumstances can be reduced to no time or condition but of that of the elect in Babylon if the Roman and Antichristian defection be not decyphered by these figures but the Jews only then it is altogether omitted in this book Answ Whereas it is said the number sealed was not hurt even so have I said already that the Tribes of the Children of Israel were sealed to the end that they might be distinguished from the worshippers of the Beast that they might not be hurt when the plagues were to be executed upon the Beast and his worshipers And Secondly where you say nor utterly deceived by the Beast I understand your Judgment is that they were deceived although not utterly deceived it seems to be a kind of a curious distinction the word nor utterly deceived by the Beast such an one as I find not made by Christ either in Mat. 24. or Revel 9. for saith Christ they shall deceive if it were possible the very elect implying that it was impossible to decive them And Thirdly whereas it is said the same sealed ones standing upon Mount-Zion can be reduced unto no time or condition but the Elect in Babylon Answ This is a strange alligory indeed to reduce Mount-Zion to Babylon or that Babylon is set forth by Mount-Zion I pray when you write again cite one text that calls Babylon by the name Mount-Zion
Wilderness of Moab Sixthly The time of her abode in the Wilderness is three years a half Seventhly The people to whom the two Witnesses shall prophesie is the small number of the ten Tribes then in Jerusalem Eightly The two witnesses I understand to be John who saw the vision in the vayl of Patmose and Elijah these things I shall speak to in particular and give my reason why I thus believe and leave the Reader to judge hoping that if any judge me to be deceived in the matter they will rather make me an Object of their pitty rather than an Object of their scorn and shew me their judgment upon the thing in particular and their reason why they so believe and I hope that I shall not slight it but peruse it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary and if it hold weight to own it and receive it but passing this I come to the matter and first to the first wich is First The Woman that travaileth spoken of in Revel 12.1 2 3 4. I understand to be Zion and Zion I understand to be the two Tribes which was called the Church of Judah and first that Zion is to be understood the two Tribes even Judah and Benjamin which Jeremiah prophesied unto which was carried into Babylon spoken of in his Lamentations chap. 1.17 in these words Zion spread forth her hands and there was none to comfort her she is called Zion more than ten times over and she to wit Judah and Benjamin bears the name Zion in respect of her place and City that God had placed her in which is called Zion the City of David at large in the Scripture and I think none will deny it which makes me forbear citing the Scripture And that this also in the Lamentations is so plainly spoken of Judah and Benjamin called by the name Zion that I think none can deny it that they which went into captivity and are called Zion read Lam. 1.3 4 6 8 17. Chap. 2.10 are to be understood Judah and Benjamin read Ezra 4.1 compared with Lam. 1.3 is also as plain so then where the Prophets speaks of Zion they mean either the City Zion which was a Mounâ— in Jerusalem which David made his seat which was so called or otherwise it is to be understood the worshippers of God or people in that place namely Judah and Benjamin as aforesaid and now having premised these things I come to prove that this travelling Woman is this Zion or Jerusalem viz. Judah and Benjamin the two Tribes for so I would be understood when I speak of Zion and that she is the Woman which is to travail and afterwards to flie into the Wilderness read Micah 4.7 8 9 10. in these words I will make HER that HALTETH a Remnant and HER that WAS CAST OFF a strong Nation and the Lord shall raign over them in MOVNT ZION from henceforth and for ever And thou O Tower of the flock the strong hold of the Daughter of ZION unto thee shall it come even the first dominion the KINGDOME SHAL COME TO THE DAVGHTER OF JERVSALEM Now why dost thou cry out aloud is there no King in thee is thy Counsellors perished for pangs have taken thee as a Woman in travail Be in pain and labour to bring forth O daughter of Zion like a Woman in travail for now thou shalt go forth out of the City and thou shalt dwell in the field and thou shalt go even unto Babylon there shalt thou be delivered there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hands of thy enemies From these words we may understand that the Woman spoken of which was to travail and bring forth was the two Tribes as from these words for pains have taken hold on THEE as on a Woman in travail Who THEE even THEE Judah which halted pains hath taken hold of THEE Why so Because there is no King in Thee and thy Counsellors are perished yet shall the first dominions come unto the daughter JERVSALEM so then that these people which are called Zion and Jerusalem in this Text is clearly to be understood the two Tribes for these Reasons First Because she is called her that halted and her that was cast off which is usually to be understood the Jews and not the Gentiles which is not called a People halting or cast off Secondly Because it is called by name ZION and JERVSALEM which the Gentiles were not it 's a name proper to the Jews even the two Tribes and not to the Gentiles Thirdly Because the Text saith that then shall the Law go forth of ZION and the word of the Lord from JERVSALEM relating to the time of the fulfilling of the Prophets when the Lord Jesus shall raign upon the Throne of his Father David over the House of Jacob namely the Jews to establish order and govern it in Jerusalem from henceforth and for ever Fourthly It further appears that the travelling Woman is the Jews read Jer. 30.3 4 5 6. in these words For loe the day cometh saith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to return to the Land that I gave their Fathers and they shall possess it And these were the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah for thus saith the Lord we have heard a voyce of trembling of fear and not of peace wherefore do I see every man with his hands upon his loyns as a woman in travel it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it From hence also we may see that the natural seed of Abraham viz. the Jews as a foresaid is the Woman that is to travel spoken of Revel 12. Fifthly It further appears that the travelling Woman is Zion viz. the Jews from the words of the Prophet Isa 66.6 7 8 9.10 which saith A voyce of noise from the City a voyce from the Temple a voyce of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his enemies before she TRAVELLED she brought forth before her pains came she was delivered of a MAN CHILD who hath heard of such a thing who hath seen such a thing shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be born at once for as soon as Zion travelled she brought forth her Children shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God Rejoyce ye with JERVSALEM and be glad with her all ye that love her so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in JERVSALEM From this Text we may also clearly see that the travelling Woman is Zion namely the inhabitants of Jerusalem even the Jews as is above expressed for here is the very Woman and the Man-child mentioned which John spake of in Revel 12. and I do not find that the Scripture in any place else speaks of
a Woman and a Man-child agreeing with the Text Revel 12. save this Text Isa 66.6 7 8 9 10. which speaks as it were the very same there is in many places spoken of Zions travel but not the word MAN-CHILD used so that we are to understand that this is the Text which giveth us light to understand who is the Woman and who is her Son or Child and we see that it is clearly applyed to the Jews the Mother and the Gentiles the Man-child for there is the word Zion and Jerusalem mentioned in the Text and the Gentiles sucking of her breast a metaphor of a Woman and her Child but more of this anon but from what is already said it appears that the travelling Woman is Zion and also Zion is to be understood the two Tribes and so I shall pass this and come to the second thing namely to shew who is this Man-child spoken of Revel 12. which is Secondly The Man-child I understand to be the Gentile Church even all the faithful in the primitive times and downwards amongst whom there was a few Jews but not a number worth speaking of in consideration of the whole House of Judah nor in comparison of the Gentiles but as it were a tenth according to the words of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 6.10 11 12 13. and that the converted Gentiles or Gospel Church is to be understood the Man-child spoken of by John Revel 12. I shall give these Scriptures and Scripture Reasons following to prove it And in the first place I shall shew that the Prophet Isaiah who clearly prophesied of the same thing that John saw even the Woman and Man-child sheweth us that the Woman is to be understood Zion or Jerusalem namely the People called by that name which were the Jews and her Man-child to be the Gentile Church as you may read Isaiah 66.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. in these words Before she travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a MAN-CHILD From this verse we see that there is a Man-child spoken of which was to be brought forth agreeing with the Text Revel 12. only this Text saith that before she travelled she brought forth and the Text Revel 12.2 saith she being with child cried travelling in birth pained to be delivered These two Texts of Scripture speak of one and the same thing and yet seems to contradict one another the which I shall reconcile the word Travel I understand to be meant this that Judah being forsaken of her God and given up to be made a Wanderer amongst the Nations was to be sorrowful as in a pained travelling condition until the fulness of the Gentiles and this is that which is to be understood from the Text Revel 12. where it saith she cried travelling in birth and pained to be delivered and then at that time shall the Lord take away the vail of unbelief and then shall they see Jesus and acknowledge him to be their God which they have waited for Isa 25.9 and yet her persecution after that time will be great although it shall endure but for a short time for in the very time of the Gentiles being taken up until the Lord shall descend upon the Mount of Olives it is called the time of Jacobs trouble and such a day of trouble as never was since there was a Nation upon the earth Dan. 12.1 2 3. Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Jer. 30. So then although the Church of Judah was given up for her unbelief made a wanderer among the Nations yet nevertheless her trouble will be greater in that nick of time thorow Moabs treachery and the great Antichrists violence although the time of her trouble will be very short than even it was afore time and that caused the Prophet Isaiah to say BEFORE she travelled she brought forth BEFORE her pains came she was dâ—vered of a MAN-CHILD implying that she was to travel and be pained afterwards for so saith the Text BEFORE she travelled and BEFORE her pains came implying that she was to travel and be in pain but she was to bring forth first so that she was to have pain and travail after her bringing forth the Man-child and yet notwithstanding this very Text that saith Before she travelled she brought forth also saith that as soon as Zion travelled she brough forth her Children The sum of all is this that Zion or the Church of Judah was given up unto unbelief and to be scattered amongst the Nation until she brought forth the Man-child namely until the fulness of the Gentiles and so to be in a suffering condition and also after she was delivered of the Man-Child she must flie into the Wilderness and there to be in a sorrowful condition and in pain and travail as it were until all her children be brought forth even the ten Tribes also which were carried away by Salmonazar in the dayes of Hosea be brought back and made one Sheep-fould so as not to be divided into two Nations any more at all that the first dominions may come to the daughter of Zion and that they are called the Womans seed is clear for we may see that the small number of the ten Tribes which were not of Judah and yet lived amongst them since the dayes of Hosea are called the remnant of her seed Revel 12. which cannot rationally be understood any other people but a small number of the ten Tribes as I could shew from the Prophets at large but because of the want of time I pass from this Objection or the reconciliation of the Text Isa 66. with Revel 12. and come to give you Reasons drawn from the Scriptures to prove the Gentile Church to be the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. and so to the first which is First Because the Text Isa 66. imports so much in these words Then shall ye suck ye shall be born upon her sides and dandled upon her knees as one whom HIS Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem and that this is spoken of the Gentiles that shall flow in or be converted is clear from the first clause of the verse in these words Isa 66.12 For thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream Then shalt thou see and flow together and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee Chap. 60.6 So that Judah is to be troden under foot in a sorrowful pained and travelling condition till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and then there shall be a participation of each others glory as the Gentiles shall suck of her breast and milk out and rejoyce in the abundance of her glory even so shall she afterwards when her child viz. the Gentile Church is come to full age namely when it shall descend with
Christ and take its Government with him to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron then shall the Jews suck their breast namely partake of their glory who shall judge the world in righteousness So then the first Reason to prove the Man-child to be the faithful Gentiles is because the Jews are mentioned in the Text as the Mother and the converted Gentiles as the Man-child sucking her breast and also because she is to be troden under foot until the fulness of the Gentiles So then her travelling in pain to be delivered of a Man-child to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron is to be the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles so that the Gentile Gospel Church being compleated and risen from the dead which shall be at the time of the appearing of Christ in the clouds at the same time when the Jews shall see him and believe in him because that Man-child that shall rule all Nations with a rod of Iron And Secondly That the faithful Gentile Church is the Man-child which is to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron is clear because they are the people that have the promise made to them to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron even the very same thing which is spoken of the Man-child for saith the Text Revel 12. He was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron and that this is to be understood the faithful Gentile Church who are to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron read the words of the Lord Jesus spoken by St. John Revel 2.26 27. which saith He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron even as I have received of my Father c. From whence we see that the very same honour that God gave the Lord Jesus spoken of in Psal 2. which was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron even the very same honour he hath given unto his Church which followeth him in the regeneration as it was promised to the Church of Thyatira And I call the Gospel Church the Church of the Gentiles because that there was but a very few Jews converted it being the Gentiles day and the Jews shut up under unbelief yet I would not be understood to exclude the converted Jews of the same priviledges that the converted Gentiles shall have for they are all one in Christ and to have all one priviledge And as for the Man-child which is to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron we see plainly that it is the Gentile or Gospel Church as is promised to the Church of Thyatira and they are also called joynt heirs with Christ that as Christ had that honour put upon him even so did Christ put it upon his Church which is his Body and thus I pass this second Reason saying that it is plain that the Man-child was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron and I find none have that honour put upon them but Christ and the Gospel or Gentile Church for the whole House of Israel have not that honour because the Scripture saith that the converted Gospel Church shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel so then the Man-child spoken of Revel 12. is either Christ or the Gospel Gentile Church because none else have the promise of ruling all Nations with a rod of Iron and that the Man-child is not meant Christ I could give many Reasons if I did find any that did affirm it but because I find none assert it I shall spare my pains And secondly if it be not Christ which is called the Man-child which was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron then it must needs be the Gentile Church because none else have the honour promised them to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron but Christ and the Gospel Church and thus I pass to the third and last Reason to prove that the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. is to be understood the Gospel Church which is Thirdly and lastly Because the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. is to be caught up unto God and to his Throne before the Woman takes her flight into the Wilderness the which agreeth not as I understand to any thing else save that of the Gentile-Church who are to arise first from the dead and be caught up to meet the Lord in the ayr 1 Thes 4.14 15 16. Revel 20.5 6 7. Mat. 24.40 41. Luke 17.35 36. And from the time of the Signs of Christs coming until he shall descend upon the Mount of Olives the Jews shall be in perplexity and every Family shall mourn apart and there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as in HADADRIMMON in the valley of MEGIDDON Zech. 12.10 11 12. And that the Jews shall then be living upon the earth in their bodies before their change at the very time when the Lord Jesus shall come is so plain that I think that none can deny it for the Scripture saith it is the time of Jacobs trouble and also saith that in that day when Jerusalem shall be spoiled that then shall the Lord come and his feet stand upon the Mount of Olives The two things which is observable to clear the truth of this Reason and to shew the parrallel between the Man-child being caught up before the Womans flight and the Resurrection of the faithful Gentiles and their being caught up to meet the Lord in the air is first to shew that when the Lord Jesus comes to raign upon the earth that then there will be some living in the flesh unchanged or not changed into an immortal state And secondly to prove that all the faithful shall be changed before he descends upon earth and that they are to come with him being before caught up to meet him these things proved and well considered will shew us that the Man-child is no other but the Christian Gentiles And First That there will be some namely both Jews and Gentiles although not such Gentiles as were converted by a Gospel preaching living upon earth at the Lord Jesus his coming upon the earth to take his Kingdome and to raign is plain for when the Lord shall have descended upon the Mount of Olives and shall have made Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth when the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more at all in her which will not be till after the very coming of Christ and yet when all this shall be fulfilled that Christ shall be in Jerusalem and rejoyce over his people there even in that time of Christs raign there shall be death and dying in Jerusalem for death is the last enemy that shall be conquered and that there shall be dying after Christs raigning in Jerusalem is clear from the words of the Prophet Isaiah which saith That the child shall die an hundred years old and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.19 20. in
these words I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more in her nor the voyce of crying there shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred years old and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed c. From whence we may see that there will be some even the Jews who shall live in the flesh before their change and yet Christ shall be with them in Jerusalem And where it is said in Revel 21. That there shall be no more death that relates to the time when Christ shall have given up his Mediatorship into the hands of God the Father after the last Judgment spoken of in Revel 20. and I think it cannot be rationally imagined that Christ should raign over the House of David in Jerusalem a thousand years and no Generations to come into the world and pass out of it again yea it is certain that Christ shall dwell in Zion in Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited and abide for ever even from Generation to Generation so that there shall be coming into the world and going out of it again which is understood by the word from GENERATION TO GENERATION Isa 60.15 Joel 3.20 So then it is certain that some shall live in the flesh in the Kingdome of Christ yea even all the Jews that live to his coming and are not before converted unto Gospel obedience shall live in their flesh and not be changed at the present but shall be judged by the Gospel Saints and so pass in their Generations gradually as the Scripture declares the which I before have spoken of and thus I pass the first thing although more might be said to it but enough to prove that there shall be some living in the flesh even the Jews when Christ cometh and also in the time of his Kingdome And Secondly all the Gentile Saints shal be with Christ before he shal descend upon the Earth for they shall be caught up into the Clouds to meet him shall come with him descend with him that they shall all be caught up to meet him in the ayre and come with him is clear if we compare the words of Paul and the words of the Apostle Jude together which saith the dead in Christ shall rise first and we that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be for ever with the Lord For behold the Lord shall come with ten thousand of his Saints 1 Thes 4.17 Jude 14. yea saith Zech. 14.5 The Lord thy God shall come and ALL SAINTS with him from whence we may see that the Saints yea all the faithful Gentiles are to be caught up to God and to his Throne to meet Christ and yet the Jews to live and remain in their flesh and to have Christ their King raigning over them in Jerusalem from generation to generation which being truly weighed it amounts to this that the Woman flying into the Wilderness is the Jews and that the Man-child which before is caught up to God is the Christian Gentiles and thus much as to the third reason to prove that the Gentile Church is the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. although I could speak more unto it if time would admit of it but time would faile me to speak to these things in particular because they be very large and as the thing it self is not so pleain and easie to be understood as some other subjects are even so the proof of Scriptures relating to it is more dubious and wants a larger explication than other Scriptures to other subjects want for there is to the proof of this thing much in Mich. 5. from the 3. verse to the end of the Chapter and many other places speak to this thing but what hath been said is sufficient to prove the Woman to be Zion namely Judah and the Man-child to be the Christian Gentiles for as the Woman is to travail and be in pain even so it is until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11. to bring forth the fulness of the Gentiles and also the restoring the other ten Tribes the remnant of his brethren into their former capacity and to a better estate than that of the first when the envie of Ephraim shall depart so as that Ephraim shall not envie Judah nor Judah vex Ephraim any more at all and the Man-child is clearly seen to be the faithful Gentiles because they are to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron as is promised to the Church of Thyatirah and as they are to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron even so they are to be caught or taken up to meet the Lord in the ayre and the other to be left behind for as they are to be Christs glorious army and seen in Heaven even so they shall descend with him and are called Prince decreeing judgment Isa 32. and Saviours coming on Mount-Zion judging the Mount of Esau when the Kingdoms shall be the Lords and they judging the twelve Tribes of Israel but I shall leave this and come to the opening of the other things before mentioned in the which I shall be very brief at present yet full enough to shew the truth of it and so I pass to the third thing in order which is the remnant of her seed Thirdly as touching the remnant of her seed we may observe the words as they lie which is thus read Revel 12.17 And the Dragon was wrath with the Woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which kept the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Jesus from whence we may take notice that there is not only a Man-child brought forth by the Woman that is to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron which is caught up unto God and to his Throne before the Woman flieth into the Wilderness but also there remaineth a remnant of her seed that the Dragon makes war withal when he seeth he cannot devour the Man-child nor carry away the Woman with the floud which he cast forth out of his mouth now the remnant of her seed is as well mentioned in Isa 66. as in Revel 12 17. for there is mention made of the Man-child saying Before she travailed she brought forth before her pains came she was delivered of a Man-child and with all saith Who hath heard of such a thing shall the earth be made to bring forth at one day or a Nation be born at once for as soon at Zion travailed she brought forth her Children Isa 66 8. So then as here is spoken of a Man-child even so here is spoken of Children which agreeth with Revel 12.17 where there is mention made of the remnant of her seed so then as the Christian Gentiles are the Man-child
particular and come to the fifth which is Fifthly The fifth thing is the place into which the Woman is to flie and that I understand is into the Wilderness of Moab that she is to flie into a Wilderness is clear where she is to be hid from the face of the Serpent and to be nourished by the Lord that is by the Lords appointment and that he hath appointed her to flie from the Serpent that she may be hid from his face is clear from the words of the Text Revel 12.14 And secondly we may as plainly know what place she was to hide in or what place was to be her hiding place if we peruse the Scriptures as first that we may see that Moab or the Wilderness of Moab was to be her hiding place read Isa 16.1 3 4 5. in these words Send ye the Lamb to the ruler of the Land from Sela to the Wilderness unto the Mount of the Daughter of Zion take counsel execute judgement make thy shadows as the night in the midst of the noon day hide the outcasts bewray not him that wandreth Let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler for the extortioner is at an end the spoiler ceaseth the oppressors are consumed out of the Land And in mercy shall the Throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness c. From these words we may see that as God hath appointed the Woman to flie from the face of the spoiler even so he hath shewed us the place where even in the Wilderness of Moab there is the Lamb or the Present to be sent even to the Wilderness unto the Mount of the Daughter of Zion and that we may know also what Wilderness it is that the Lord sends the Woman into that she may hide her self from the face of the spoiler he tels us it is the Wilderness of Moab saying hide the outcast bewray not him that wandreth let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler From whence we may plainly see that the place that God had prepared for the Woman to flie into from the face of the Serpent was the Wilderness of Moab I could shew if time would admit how the Lord brought them thither it being as it were a type of things to come when they came out of Egypt when Edâ—m gave them not leave to pass thorow their country it being the place where Balaam was sent for to curse them by Balick King of Moab and what deceit Balick used as a means to destroy them by the counsel of Balaam all which was types of that which will be done to them in the latter day by Moab which causeth the Lord to complain in the very next verse Isa 16.6 against Moab saying we have heard of the pride and wrath of Moab and indeed there be many places as the foregoing chapter and many prophesies more speak of Moabs destruction because of his pride and cruelty against Israel so that the Lord will cause a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter out of Israel to destroy them at last according to Balaams Prophesie Num. 24.17 or at least to smite the corners of Moab and bring them down and this wrath of Moab to Israel is prophesied in several places as in Zeph. 2.8 9 10 11. and in many more but I leave this particular saying according to the text Revel 12. and Mich. 4 the woman was to go or flie out of the City into the field or Wilderness of Moab and to dwell there and Moab to be a hiding place to her from the face of the spoiler where she shall dwell in the field the time before spoken of and then go to Babylon and there be delivered according to the word of the Lord by Mich. 4. and thus we see that the Woman is to flie into the Wilderness yea God hath provided the place for her and allured her thither and will nourish her there Revel 12.17 Hosea 2.14 there is many Scriptures that proveth her being in the Wilderness and also it sheweth what Wilderness it is and that it relates to the very time of the end of Jacobs troubles is very clear I shall cite the Scriptures relating to this thing and so enter upon the sixth particular Isa 32.13 14 15 16 17 18. chap. 43.19.20 Hosea 2.14 Psal 55.5.6 and 74.9.14 and 120.5 Ezek. 20.34 35 36. chap. 34.25.26 Mich. 4.10 Isa 16.1 compared with the 4. chap. 35.1.6 Cant. 8.5 thus desiring thee to search into those Scriptures wherein thou maist see that the Woman before spoken of shall have a place prepared of the Lord in the Wilderness of Moab he having as it were bespoke or took up her quarters before hand saying Moab be thou a hiding place or let my outcast dwell with thee be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler and there he speaks comfortably to them and takes away all imperfection from them there that the lame man may leap as an Hart and the feeble amongst them as the Angels of God for there will the Lord speak with them face to face and they shall lay their hands upon Edod and Moab and the children of Ammon shall then obey them So shal he get them fame in all places where they have been put to shame Zeph. 3.19 20. And thus I come to the sixth particular which is the time of her abode in the Wilderness Sixthly As for the time of the Womans abode in the Wilderness and the trouble of the remnant of her seed which remain in Jerusalem I understand to be three years and an half in which time the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloath and that it is so read Revel 11.2 3. compared with chap. 12.6.14 and Dan. 7.25 chap. 12.7 in these words And to the Woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie into the Wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent Hide my outcast let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoilers and the Woman fled into the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Send ye the Lamb to the Rulers of the Land from Sela to the Wilderness to the Mount of the Daughter of Zion for the Wilderness and Solitary placâ— shall be glad for them for in the Wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the Desart no Lyon shall be there nor ravenous Beast but the redeemed shall walk there c. Isa 6.1.3.4 chap. 35.1 6 9. From these Scriptures we may see that Moab is the Wilderness or hiding place for Zion into which she is to flee to be hid from the face of the
spoiler or Serpent and the time we also see to be a time and times and halfe a time or a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes or as it is in chap. 11.2 3. called forty and two months which being accounted according to the Jews account thirty dayes for a month it amounts just unto three years and an half for a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes makes forty and two months and forty and two months makes just three years and a half so then the time of Jerusalems being trod under foot and of the wearing out of the Saints of the most high namely the remnant of the Womans seed which abode in Jerusalem and of the Womans abode in the Wilderness is just three years and a half and not a thousand two hundred and threescore years as Mr. Henden and some other expositers saith and further to prove that it is but three years and a half according to the litteral account both in Daniel and the Revelation and not so long a time as before mentioned I shall give a few reasons drawn from the Scriptures to prove it and the first is First Because the scripture saith that the seventh head which is the eighth and to go to perdition which is the man of sin or the Assyrian or vile person or the spoiler that when he cometh forth to raign that his time is but short that is he shall continue but for a short space as a seventh but is to be the eighth is the same that is to wear out the Saints of the most high and it shall be gien into his hands for a time and times and the dividing of time read Revel 17.10 11 12 13. compared with Dan. 7.23 24 25 26 27. so that the seventh head is to have but a short space or time to raign and also the eighth spoken by St. John is to continue but a short space even a Time and Times and half a Time spoken of by Daniel which is just three years and a half as I before in this Treatise have proved by shewing what is to be understood by TIME and TIMES and half a TIME comparing the word TIME and TIMES with the seven TIMES which was the seven years of Nebuchadnezzars being cast out into the open field and eating grass with the Oxen until he did acknowledge the Lord only to rule in the Kingdomes of men and giveth it to whom soever he will Dan. 4.25 So then the TIME is to be understood one year and TIMES in the plural number is to be understood two years and the half TIME or dividing of TIME is to be understood half a year according to the true account of Daniel from the word TIME or TIMES the which amounts to no longer Time than just three years and an half which is that short space that St. John speaks of the Beasts continuance in troubling the Saints or the sealed number Secondly The Time further appears to be but three years and an half because as it is called one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes even so it is also called FORTY AND TWO MONTHS which is just three years and a half and also a Time and Times and half a Time being compared with Forty and two Months sheweth clearly what Time is to be understood by the one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes that it is just three years and a half Thirdly It further appears to be but three years and a half and not so long as a thousand two hundred and threescore years that Jerusalem shall be taken and troden under foot and the people persecuted because this taking of the City and treading of it under foot is to be after the measuring line hath passed over the City in the latter dayes as I before have shewed that when Judah cometh out of her long captivity then shall she sit upon the repairing of her breaches and before she hath finished her Walls and outward Court there shall be a stop put to it by the Antichrist as it was in the dayes of Judah coming out of Babylon that there was a stop in their building in the dayes of Syrias until the dayes of Darias which was a type of this stop and hinderance in the work as I before have shewed so then if we consider this interruption of Israel and the time when even when they be newly brought out of captivity according to the Prophet Ezekiels words Chap. 38. it clearly sheweth us that the time must be very short agreeing with the Prophet Zechariahs words Chap. 14.1 2 3. which saith Behold the day of the Lord cometh and the spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee and I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem to battail and the City shall be taken agreeing with Revel 11. which saith The holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations as he fought in the day of battail and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives This being well observed may clearly be seen to be a thing falling upon Israel in the latter dayes and that the time of their trouble THEN after their great and long time of being scattered amongst the Nations shall be very short and not exceed the time of three years and a half Fourthly and lastly It appears to be but a very short time namely the time before mentioned because the two Prophets are to prophesie all the time of the Womans flight to establish the remnant of the Womans seed and to smite the Antichrist and his followers with plagues as Moses and Aaron did smite Pharaoh King of Egypt for his wickedness against the Children of Israel and that the two Prophets or Witnesses are to Prophesie all the time of the Womans flight and abode in the Wilderness and of the holy Cities being trod under foot is clear from the words of St. John Revel 11.2 3. in these words The holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months and I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in sackloth From whence we may see that the time of the Womans flight and abode in the Wilderness and the persecution of the Remnant of her seed which remain in Jerusalem is but for the space of three years and a half because as it is called but for a short space and forty and two Months Time and Times and half a Time even so it is but to endure for the time of the prophesying of the two Prophets in Sackcloth which cannot be long much less one thousand two hundred and threescore years nay it is but the just time that the Scripture calls it take it either way namely a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes or forty and two Months or Time and Times and dividing of Time which is just three years and an half as before said And thus I
thing represented or the figure of the thing called by the name of the thing figured and hence we may see although I could say much more of things of this nature that both Christs words and also Johns were true Christ calling John Elias it s to be understood John was a figure of Elias or represented Elias not only coming in the power and spirit of Elias but he being a forerunner of Christ in his first day to perswade the Jews to obedience to Christ as Elias is to be a forerunner of Christ in his second day namely the Great Dreadful day of the Lord and to perswade and establish the Jews in their waiting for their King Jesus and their obedience unto him And secondly Johns words are true also where he saith I am not Elias that is he was not that Elias really or simply understood that they looked for although he was a type of him and might by Christ be called by his name as well as the bread which Christ brake might be called his body or the pictures of Cherubims called Cherubims and Christ called David and many such like things that borrow their name from the things which they represent and thus much briefly by way of Answer to the Objection and the reconciliation of the words of Christ and the words of John which seemingly contradicts each other but being understood accordingly as they were spoken they agree together so then still it remains that Elias is to come before the GREAT AND DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and that it is to be Elias really so understood I give these reasons which before have been mentioned in general in a short and brief method First John the Baptist was not the real Elias as I think all will confess for he was the Son of Zacharias and Zacharias had a commandement from the Lord to call the name of his Son not Elias but John Luke 1.13 But ELIAS is to come as hath been proved before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Secondly John the Baptist was not the forerunner simply so considered of the great and dreadful day of the Lord for that day that John was a forerunner of was the day of Christs sufferings and not the day of dread unto his enemies so as it will be in that day that the chief Captains and great and mighty men of the earth shall call to the Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come say they and who can stand but Elias is to be the forerunner of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Thirdly The hearts of the Fathers shall be turned unto the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers in that day which yet are at a distance for Christ sake so that the parents hate their Children and Children shall betray their parents to death for Christs sake although it be not denyed that John in a measure was a type of Elias in that thing according to the saying of the Angel to Zacharias Luke 1.13 18. For all men did account John a Prophet and he preparing the way of the Lord all Judah and Jerusalem came out to him to be Baptized of him in Jordan and yet notwithstanding afterwards were at great variance about Christ some saying that he was a good man and others saying nay he hath a Devil and is mad and after that laid violent hands on him and crucified him and the distance was so great that many families even Parents and their Children have been and are at a distance about him and so will be until that day of the coming of Elias and then the hearts of the Fathers shall thorowly be turned unto their Children and the hearts of the Children unto their Fathers and envy shall depart from Ephraim as before said which brings me to the fourth last reason to prove Elias one of the two Witnesses which is Fourthly Because the same judgments which was brought upon the earth by Elias when he was upon earth shall be again brought upon the earth by the two Prophets or witnesses Revel 11.6 compared with James 5.17 1 Kinge 17.1 which bespeaks such a thing as though Elijah should be one of those two Witnesses if we also consider that these Witnesses must be slain and therefore must be such as never yet have tasted of death because it cannot be rationally imagined that those Prophets which are so to die are any of the Prophets which are dead and shall be raised from the dead and then be slain again I speak this because some have supposed Moses to be one of these two Prophets which in reason cannot be so neither do I find any Scripture warranting any such thing neither do I find any where in my most serious search of the Scriptures of any extraordinary Prophets namely such Prophets as is mentioned in Revel 11. to be borne in the last dayes when this prophesie is to be accomplished but Elijah never yet was slain but was caught up to Heaven in a whirle-wind and so at present I shall leave this and pass to the next thing which is to shew my opinion who it is that is the other Prophet because the Text saith that there is to be two Prophets or two Witnesses which are to prophesie in sack-cloth and as to the other Prophet I shall be very brief because I do not find any such Objection as I meet with against the fore mentioned Prophet namely against Elias and therefore I shall briefly shew my opinion and leave it Secondly As for the other Prophet which is to be a fellow companion with Elias I understand to be John that holy Apostle the beloved Disciple of Jesus which leaned upon his breast at Supper for as Elias was a man highly in the love and favour of God although hated by men and persecuted and banished even so was John dearly beloved of God although hated and banished from men yet the Lord Jesus dealt with him by manifesting of himself to him as God did to Elijah when he fled from the face of Ahab and Jessibel 1 Kings 17. and Chap. 18. but being in hast I pass many things which otherwise were necessary to be spake by way of parallel and come to shew the reasons why I understand John to be one of the two Witnesses spoken of in Revelations the 11. which are these First because when John writ the Gospel of Christ which was supposed to be thirty years after the ascention of Christ it was then reported amongst the Disciples that John was not to die John 21.23 and yet at that time they had the spirit of the Lord to teach them But if it should be objected and said that John saith not that Christ said he should not die but what if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee fellow thou me signifying Peters death To which I answer and say that it is true
when Ephraim and Judah shall be one after Israels return out of Assyria as you may read in the foregoing Chapters as chap. 36. and 37. And they shall never be divided into two Nations any more but as yet they are Quer. 4. Whether shall the Jews be succoured in the time of the Man of Sins raign by any Nation that shall be unsubdued by the Antichrist Answ Yea Moab is appointed of the Lord to be a hiding place to Israel and Moab shall not be subdued by the Antichrist but shall escape him that Moab shall escape him read Dan. 11.41 and that Moab is appointed to be a harbour or place of safety to Israel from the spoiler read Isa 16.4 I could cite many Scriptures more but I pass Quer. 5. Whether shall the Jews be changed at the coming of Christ and made immortal as the believing Gentiles or whether shall nature have more years accompanying it Answ I do not find in Scripture that any shall- be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord but as have dyed in the Lord neither do I find that any shall be changed amongst the living at that day but such as have before that day believed in Christ and waited for him for at his coming two shall be in one bed the one taken and the other left behind and the Saints are to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel not when the twelve Tribes are changed into an immortal state but before for I do not find that one immortal Saint shall judge or govern another who himself when so judged is immortal Mat. 24.40 1 Thes 4 15 16. Revel 20.6 7 8. Luke 22.30 But if it should be Objected and said what correspondency can there be between bodies mortal and bodies immortal I Answer and say in what may they not correspond in their commerce one with another Was there not correspondency between Christ after his resurrection and his Disciples which were in their mortal bodies did they not walk together and discourse yea did they not eat together after his resurrection surely they had society and communion one with another although Christ was raised from the dead and his Disciples lived in their mortal bodies Luke 24.38 39 to the 48. And that nature shall have more years is clear from the Text cited Isa 65.19.20 and also Zech. 8.4 and more which might be added but I pass saying that I have spoke more or less to the chifest part of thy Queries already as thou maist read at thy leisure in my Book elsewhere Quer. 6. Whether shall Christ give the Jews a Law to keep in obedience to him differing from the Law of Moses or the new Testament Answ I do not find in Scripture mention made but of two Testaments one given from God by Moses as a mediatour and the other by Christ and as for the second or new Testament which is by Christ the Jews did reject and therefore it was taken from them and they shut up under unbelief until the fulness of the Gentiles and I do not find that the gospel administrations are to remain any longer than until the fulness of the Gentiles which will be at the appearance of the Lord Jesus and as touching the Gospel the Jews are to be enemies unto it and as I before have said I never find that the preaching of the Gospel is the way to turn the whole house of Israel from their sins but God hath appointed another way of convertion to the house of Israel namely the glorious appearing of Christ in the Clouds of Heaven at which time the spirit of grace and supplication shall be poured out upon them when they look upon him whom they pierced then shall they mourn and say this is our God we have waited for him Zech. 12.10 Isa 25.9 Mat. 23.38 39 Rom. 11 26 27 28. Isa 59.18 19 20. And as touching the two places of Scripture cited Isa 2.3 Mich. 4.2 to prove that the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem it appears that as the Jews shall be waiting for their King in the Laws of Moses even so those Laws shall remain with the Jews in that day read Isa 66.20 21 22 23 24. Zech. 14.16 17 18 19 20 21. There is many Scriptures speaks to this purpose but I study brevity only giving those Scriptures which lie before me in my mind at present and so pass to the seventh Query which is Quer. 7. How it may appear that Christ shall raign in Mount-Zion in Jerusalem and judge in the valley of Jehoshaphat Answ This also I have before shewed that although the Wine-press shall be trod without the gates at the valley of Iehoshaphat so as blood to come out even to the horses bridle when the Man of Sin shall go forth with fury to destroy the Jews at the Womans return and the ten Tribes with her yet afterwards Jerusalem shall be cleansed and Christ shall have his Seat there as I have fully proved in this Book Dan. 11.44 45. Ezek. 39.11 12 13 14. Revel 14.20 So then the great slaughter shall be without Jerusalem in the valley of Iehoshaphat where he will judge or plead with the heathen with fire and the sword yet he shall afterwards possess Jerusalem or Zion his holy Mountain and his Throne shall be in the place where his Father Davids was where he shall raign in Mount-Zion in Jerusalem thenceforth even for ever Isa 24.23 chap. 9.7 Luke 1.32 33. Quer. 8. Whether the new Jerusalem that shall come down from Heaven be the place for Christ and the Saints to raign in Answ The Scripture saith that they that are saved shall walk in the light of it and shall go no more out and there shall in no wise enter into it that which is unclean but such as are written in the Lambs Book of life Revel 21.24 27. cap. 3.12 Isa 36.1 2 3. So then that is the place for Christ and the Saints where they shall be glorified and there they shall remain for ever for it is the City which Abraham looked for whose maker and builder is the Lord and it is Gods Tabernacle which shall be with men when he shall dwell with them Quer. 9. What shall be the condition of the wicked and also of such as shall believe in Christ and own him in the time of Christs raign Answ As for the wicked they shall have great Judgments in this life as I before have shewed their eyes shall consume in their holes and their flesh shall consume from their bones while they stand upon their feet and afterwards have their due deserts at the time when all shall arise at the general Judgment Zech. 14.12 18. Revel 20.12 And as for those that do believe and obey Christ so as to come up to worship the King the Lord of Hosts even such Gentiles shall have priviledges although inferiour to the Jews and see his glory Isa 60.10 11 12 13 14. chap. 61.1 chap. 66.23
13.8 Which saith Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines but do all things according to the pattern which the Lord Jesus hath shewed us in his last Will and Testament and as many as walk according to this rule as Paul in another case saith peace be upon them and mercy upon all such Israelites of God and thus I passe to the fifth ground and reason to prove that all the Laws Statues and Ordinances appointed by Christ in his last Will and Testament are to remain practicable and to be practised by the Lords people Reas 5. It further appears that all the Statutes and Ordinances of Christ are to be practised by the Lords people till his second coming because when the Apostle Jude speaks by the holy spirit of some that would be as wandring stars which had turned from the simplicity of the Gospel he exhorts the Saints earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. which agrees well with that prophetical saying of the wise man Solomons Song or the Cant. 1.7 8. which saith Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flockes of thy companions If thou know not O thou fairest among women go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flocke and seed thy kidds beside the shepheards tents The which both places sheweth plainly that the people in after ages should walk in the same footsteps and by the same rule that the primitive Church walked in for that text is a prophesie of these times or that which very much concerns these times as we may see from Chap. 2.9 10 11 12 13 14 15. in these words My beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart he standeth behind our wall he locketh forth at the window shewing himself thorow the lattesse My beloved spake and said unto me Rise up my fair one and come away for loe the winter is past mark that the raine is over and gone The flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land The fig tree putteth forth her green figgs and the vines with her tender grapes give a good smell Arise my love my fair one and come away O my dove thou that art in the clefts of the rocks in the secret places of the stares let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voyce for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely Take us the foxes the little foxes that spoile our vines for our vines have tender grapes From this text we may learn or observe these things first that Christ doth manifest or shew himself to his People now although not so visibly to be beheld or tooke notice of by others no but as it were out of a window or thorow a lattesse secondly that it is a prophesie that concerns us is clear from these words for loe the winter is past meaning the sharp persecutions of the Romish Whore which hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of fornication and the Kings thereof to commit fornication with her and so they by her appointment have persecuted the Saints in their severall dominions and so have caused the people of God to creep as it were into the clefts of the rocks out of the which they are to come forth and the next and last deceit of the Devil is to transform himself like unto a Angel of Light and so shall destroy more by subtilty then by violence and that is his design in the last daies as Christ and his Apostles have foretold at large the which we see to be accomplishing a great pace in our Nation which sheweth that these are the last dayes and also this text speaking to the same thing saying Take us those foxes those little foxes that spoile our vines for our vines have tender grapes Which is to be understood that when the Church is young and newly come forth out of those troublesome times that many shall be spoiled by the subtilty of the Devil putting it into the hearts of the sons of men to pervert the Scriptures and turn men away from the good ancient paths of Christ which makes the Spouse inquire in the midst of these varieties of opinions where Christ would have his Flock to rest and his answer is that they must Goe by the footsteps of the flocke that is in the very steps or way that Christs flock of old walked in and contend for that faith and hold fast the profession of that faith without wavering because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever and thus it appears that all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances which are comprehended in the last Will and Testament of the Lord Jesus are practicable and are to be practised by the Lords people and thus I passe to the sixth ground and reason to prove that al Christs Statutes and Ordinances as before mentioned are perpetuated and to remain till the Lords second coming Reas 6. It further appears that all Christs Laws and Statutes are to remain because the author to the Hebrews 10.28 Set the transgressors under Moses law as an example to those that despise or observe not Christs laws and if all Christs Laws Statutes and Ordinances which are written in the new Testament and confirmed are not as perpetual as Moses law then it cannot be a more greater transgression and a more sore punishment to disobey them for Moses laws was perpetuated with a cursed is he that continueth not in all things that is written in the book of the law to do them and all the people shall say Amen but Christs Laws which are written for many of them were not perpetuated but lost their authority and dyed with that age or generation as saith Mr. Henden and some are so bold as to say that not only some but all the Statutes Ordinances of Christ which are written in the new Testament were only theirs or belonging to them in that age and not to us and in my understanding one speaks as true as the other for he that saith some of the Laws and Statutes of Christ are to cease and yet cannot prove that the will of Christ is cancelled nor shew where Christ or his Apostles have said that these Statutes and Ordinances must cease at such a time were as good say all must cease one having as good a warrant for what he saith as the other But passing this all that was written in Moses laws was to be observed kept as wel when they had lost that gift of Vrim and Thummim after their coming forth of Babylon as before For we find that the book of the law was to be read and the People to observe and do it according as it was written therein and we find that good Josiah