God may suffer a false Prophet to withstand him even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses And as Elias shall perswade the Elect to follow the Lamb so this false Prophet shall seduce the Vessels of Wrath and draw them after the Beast And that Elias which shall come may have the gift of working Miracles and then as the Magicians of Egypt did seemingly some Wonders which were done by Moses and Aaron so may this false Prophet do somewhat in appearance like the Miracles of Elias 3. This Beast and false Prophet will have a most remarkable and strange Judgment executed upon them Rev. 19.20 These both were taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire that is Hell Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and the false Prophet are So the Lake of Fire is Hell and these both were cast into it Which doth not only shew that the Antichristian State and Kingdom and so the Antichrist and Man of Sin shall be destroyed but it shews that the particular Person which shall then have Supream Power and Command in the fourth Kingdom and shall stand up against the Prince of Princes and that false Prophet which shall then be so active for the Beast even these two persons shall be cast alive c. Now that we are to take the Beast and false Prophet for two Individual Persons may be gathered from Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet are This is above one thousand years after the taking of the Beast So that when the Antichristian State and Kingdom shall be wholly abolished the Beast and the false Prophet will be in torment Now this being cleared we may observe farther that they are said to be cast alive into this Lake That is destroyed Body and Soul in Hell For as this will be such a Beast as never was since there was a Beast causing such trouble to the Jews as never was since there was a Nation so he and his false Prophet shall have such Judgment as never was before Korah Dathan and Abiram went down quick into the Pit Numb Chap. 16. ver 30. For the Earth opening swallowed them up and so they were buried alive But this Beast and false Prophet shall be cast alive into Hell For at this time God's fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 And the anger of the Lord will be so exceeding hot against them for their most daring wickedness in standing up against the Prince of Princes a greater Sin than that of Korah's standing up against Moses and Aaron that he will not respite their full torment till the resurrection of the wicked above one thousand years after but then immediately shall they be cast Body and Soul into Hell and be under full torment in both And as Enoch and Elias persons so eminent for Godliness were translated that they did not see Death and were carried alive to Heaven so this Beast and false Prophet persons so eminent in wickedness shall be cast alive into Hell This sense is somewhat favoured by what follows The remnant were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest therefore these were not slain by a bodily Death but both in Soul and Body were under the power of the Second Death Thus much of these two Beasts 4. The Day of Judgment and the Worlds perishing by fire For the better understanding of what we find in Scripture concerning the Day of Judgment take notice of two things 1. Christ will begin the work of Judgment at his next appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom When Christ shall appear and the New Jerusalem shall come down and Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign then he shall judge the quick and the dead Q. What shall Christ then do as a Judge or what shall be his judging-work at the beginning of the thousand years A. 1. The dead Saints shall be raised and judged at this time which is evident from Rev. 11.15 The seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and there were Voices saying The Kingdoms of the world are beeome the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ This is at the beginning of the thousand years Now observe what is said verse 18. Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged And what dead are meant the following words declare And that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets to the Saints and to all that fear thy Name small and great So by dead in this place are meant the dead Saints and all the dead Saints even as many as fear God's Name All these shall be judged by a sentence of Absolution and shall receive he Kingdom which was promised to them 2. Christ's work at this time as a Judge will be to destroy them that destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Whence we may gather that this will not be the time of raising the Wicked but of destroying them not of raising them out of their Graves but of sending them to their Graves Which is also evident from 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth whieh are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men Here the day of Judgment is mentioned and this will be a day of perdition of ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of killing not of making them alive again And lastly The Heavens and Earth which now are shall then perish by Fire And here I shall insist a little upon these words and shew what we are to understand by the Heavens and Earth which now are and how they shall perish by fire and by this we shall see farther what the judging work of this day will be Consider then The Heavens and Earth which are now do signifie the World which now is both with respect to that which was before it and perished by Water and also to that which shall be after it and is to come even the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell And if we consider what World it was that perished by Water we shall the better know what World it is that shall perish by Fire Now the Heavens taken in a proper sense did not perish neither did the Body of the Earth perish but all the Men upon the face of the Earth perished except those in the Ark and all other living Creatures without the Ark in whom was the Breath of Life and also the Fruits of the Earth 2 Pet. 2.5 Bringing in a Flood upon the world of the ungodly This World of the Ungodly perished by water And together herewith there were Analogical Heavens and Earth which also perished by water Analogical Heavens there were which perished and those both Political and Ecclesiastical 1. Political Heavens that is the Superiour Sovereign and Ruling part of that World for as
is a God so in this time of such glorious light there shall not be Atheism amongst the unconverted ones in the world And this is a reason why the Devil endeavours so much to fill the world with Atheism now because he knows his time is short of being Ruler of the darkness of this world and the day is at hand in which the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord And when the Morning of this Day shall come then the wild Beasts shall lay them down in their Dens and not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain of God And men shall be ashamed to commit those abominations which now the world is so full of They that be drunken are drunk in the Night But in that Day they shall be sober and civilly and morally good who shall be without saving grace 2. There were Laws given to the Jews concerning the Lepers both for the tryal of them and removing them from the Camp when pronounced unclean and it was supposed there might be a Leper of the house of Aaron Lev. 22.4 Thus hitherto it hath been in the Church much of spiritual Leprosie hath been found there and even amongst those of the seed of Aaron but we find not any thing here of such Laws What may be concluded hence but that at this time there will be no Lepers in Israel Spiritual Leprosie shall not appear amongst any in Churches to occasion their removal from them Rev. 21.27 In the New Jerusalem there shall be nothing that defileth 3. There was a Law about blessing and cursing in Israel Deu. 27.12 The blessings were to be pronounced from Gerizim and the curses from Ebal but we find not any command here for cursing any in Israel There wil be that day blessing but not cursing in Israel Jer. 31.23 It shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness But as it is Rev. 22.3 there shall be no more curse All shall have the blessing of Abraham and none the curse of Ishmael to be cast out There shall not be an Anathema Maranatha for any of the Church then 4. There were Laws about the redemption of Inheritances Lev. 25.25 If thy Brother be waxen poor and sell his possession and any of his Kin come to redeem it then he shall redeem that which his Brother sold But we read not any thing here of selling or redeeming Inheritances because no Brother shall at this time wax poor aâ—â— sell his Inheritance Now 't is as Christ said Thâ— Poor ye have always with you but then there shall be no Poor in the Land They that obtain that Kingdom which is to come shall have all other things added to them Christ will not be then Hungry Naked Sick or in prison in any of his Members 5. There were Laws concerning such as had familiar Spirits and were Wizards Lev. 20.27 A man or a woman that hath a familiar Spirit or is a Wizard shall surely be put to death But at this time there shall not be such in the Land of Immanuel nay not amongst the unconverted ones Evil Spirits shall not be Familiar Spirits to any then for they shall be all bound and shut up in the bottomless Pit 6. There were Laws for tryal of Jealousie which was the bitter water that caused the curse which the suspected woman was to drink Now as among the Tribes in the Land and among the sacred Nations there will be Marrying so none that shall defile themselves either by Fornication or Adultery No Adulterers or Effeminate shall be in that Kingdom of God but all shall possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour Prop. 8. This will be a time in which God will honour those that honour him which is promised 1 Sam. 2.30 And in this time and state of the Church it shall be eminently made good This may be concluded from Chap. 44.16 The Priests the Levites the Sons of Zadok which keep the charge of my Sanctuary when the Children of Israel went astray from me they shall come near to minister unto me As for the Levites that went astray after Idols and made the Children of Israel go astray â—hey shall bear their iniquities and not come near 〈◊〉 the Office of a Priest v. 10.13 but I will make them keepers of the charge of the house Here two things are to be opened 1. What this hath reference to under the Old Testament that is when did the Sons of Zadok shew themselves faithful in keeping the charge of the Sanctuary and when did the Levites go astray themselves and cause Israel to go astray 2. What this foretels in reference to the times here meant For the first Let it be considered who were the Levites going astray and when and how they went astray and next wherein the Faithfulness of Zadock and his Sons appeared As for the Levites that went astray they were those of the stock of Eli. It 's said of his two Sons Hophni and Phineas they were Sons of Belial and knew not the Lord and therefore God denounced a Judgment 1 Sam. 2.20 I said that thy house should walk before me but now be it far from me And upon this God said v. 16. I will raise me up a faithful Priest which was fulfilled when Abiathar followed Adonijah and Zadock was made Priest in his room And those Levites went astray in two things 1. Eli's Sons made a God of their Belly and offered to that Idol what was brought to be offered to the Lord. Their custom was 1 Sam. 2.13 14. When any man offered Sacrifice the Priests Servant came while the Flesh was in seething with a Fleshhook of three Teeth and struck it into the Pan and all that the Fleshhook brought up the Priest took to himself v. 15. Thus the Sin of the young men was very great for men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. 2. Abiather who was of the Stock of Eli went after Adonijah and no doubt drew some other of the Levites with him and by this the iniquity of Eli's House came to be full which brought the Judgment threatned as we see 1 Kings 2.27 Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest that he might fulfill the Word of the Lord which he spake concerning the House of Eli. Next as touching Zadock's Faithfulness that was seen in his keeping with David and anointing Solomon 1 Kings 1.39 and many faithful Priests descended from him as Jehoiada whose faithfulness was eminent in hiding Joash and after bringing him forth and giving order for the slaying of Athalia Matth. 23.35 mention is made of Zacharias who was slain betwixt the Temple and the Altar Ezra also was of the Posterity of Zadock Ezra 7.2 2. As for what this foretels observe these particulars 1. When Idols shall be abolished many that have gone after them may find mercy and favour As for Idols they shall be abolished Isa 2.18 But many that go after them may be spared
carried above them there came a Voice out of the cloud Hear him After they had thus seen they were commanded to hear and we may well conceive that thus it will be in the New Jerusalem state some will be as Moses and Elias in the presence of Christ and like him in glory so the Saints in the New Ierusalem others will be as Peter Iames and Iohn who may sometimes see Christ and yet be under a command of hearing so the People of the Land Secondly Paul had a sight of Christ after he was received up into glory 1 Cor. 15.8 Last of all he was seen of me also And this sight of Christ was with his bodily eyes even as the other Apostles and five hundred Brethren had seen him But notwithstanding this sight Paul remained under Ordinances Consid 2. The Members of Churches shall have true holiness and righteousness Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous Chap. 43.7 The place of my throne shall the children of Israel no more defile No carcase shall be here none dead in sins shall be admitted into this spiritual house Eliashib was guilty of this evil thing in relation to the material Temple He prepared a chamber in the courts of the house of God for Tobiah which grieved Nehemiah and therefore he cast the housholdstuff of Tobiah out of the chamber Nehem. 13.7 8. But no Tobiah shall have a chamber prepared in the Courts of this House of God neither shall any of Antichrists Housholdstuff be found in this House to defile it Chap. 44.9 No stranger uncircumcised in heart or flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary All shall put off the body of the sins of the flesh and be circumcised to the Lord both in heart and flesh inwardly and outwardly they shall be holy in heart and life and in all manner of conversation There shall not be any who under a form shall deny the power of Godliness In the later perillous times it is so but in the last pure and peaceable times it shall not be so Rev. 22.3 His servants shall serve him him and not their Enemies him onely and him throughly All shall be an oblation to God and shall present their bodies a living sacrifice Chap. 45.15 16. One lamb out of the flock out of the fat pastures of Israel for a meat-offering Ordinances and means of Grace shall then be fat Pastures for the Saints to feed in The Church hath been in the Wilderness and nourished there Rev. 12.14 but at last it shall be brought out of the Wilderness into the fat Pastures of Israel and the Saints feeding in them shall be fat and flourishing whereby he that is feeble shall be as David and he that is as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord. And mark what follows All the people of the Land shall give this Oblation for the Prince or be this Oblation to the Prince in Israel And how shall this be Veâ—se 1â— It shall be the Princes part to give Burnt-offerings and Meat-offerings making good that Promise I will cause you to walk in my Statutes Now to set forth this more fully consider 1. All the Sacrifices shall be holy and without blemish Chap. 46.4 Lambs without blemish The Saints of that time shall be Lambs in innocency and Lambs without blemish Now there being much spoken in this Prophecy about Sacrifices and Offerings I shall take this occasion to unfold somewhat of the Mystery of them And in the first place shall take notice that mention is made of the Princes Offerings and of the Peoples Offerings The Prince is Christ and of his Offerings we read chap. 45.22 On the day of the Passeover shall the Prince prepare for himself and the People of the Land a Bullock for a Sin-offering and seven Bullocks and seven Rams for a Meat-offering the Sin-offering for the People of the Land the Meat-offering for himself and the People of the Land The Peoples Offerings are mentioned chap. 46.24 These are the places of them that boil where the Ministers of the House shall boil the Sacrifices of the People â—n the next place we may observe the several kinds of Sacrifices mentioned in this Prophecy being four the Sin-offering the Burnt-offering the Meat-offering and Peace-offering 1. The Sin-offering and this is Christ who maâ—â— his Soul an Offering for Sin Q. How shall Christ be offered when this Temple shall be built A. 1. There shall be a full discovery of the Mystery of Christ crucified of his being made Sin and fulfilling righteousness We may observe that where Christ crucified was preached and his death was shewn forth in the Lords Supper there he is said to be crucified Gal. 3.1 Before whose eyes Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you So that he was crucified at Galatia that is evidently set forth as crucified In like manner when this Temple shall be built Christ shall be slain that is evidently set forth as slain The price of his Bloud and his great love in laying down his Life will be fully manifested and the Doctrine of Justification by Free Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ will be fully cleared up and all Errors about it will vanish Christ was crucified at Ierusalem without the Gate and at Galatia now at the time here meant Christ will be crucified not as at Ierusalem but as at Galatia in being evidently set forth as crucified 2. Christ crucified shall be applied by Faith The Jews shall not establish their own righteousness then but shall submit to the righteousness of God and the Benefits of Christ crucified shall flow in abundantly upon them as in reconciling them to God so in purging them from dead works to serve the living God Chap. 45.20 The bloud must be upon the posts of the house the settle of the altar and on the posts of the gates so shall ye reconcile the house And this is to be done for every one that erreth and is simple The least sin can't be done away but by the Bloud of Christ and then all from the least to the greatest shall be done away Concerning this Sin-offering one thing more is to be observed against Popish Altars and the Mass Chap. 40.39 There are Tables to slay the Sin-offering upon we do not read of Tables for this use under the Law but onely of an Altar Christ will not be sacrificed and offered on an Altar as the Papists dream they do supposing the consecrated Bread and Wine to be the very Body and Bloud of Christ which their Priests pretend to offer up upon an Altar as an Expiatory Sacrifice But Christ shall be onely slain upon Tables that is evidently set forth as slain both in the Word preached and in the Lords Supper which as hath been before shewn will be then administred among the People of the Land and the whole Mystery of Christ crucified will be made so plain upon these Tables that he may run that shall read it 2. Burnt-offerings
will be all bound and cast into Prison and not be suffered to walk to and fro in the New Earth As in this World there are evil Angels tempting to Sin and hindring the doing of much good causing trouble to the Saints So there are holy Angels withstanding them which are fit and proper Instruments to be imployed against them And as Saints have invisible Enemies so invisible Friends Dan 10.13 The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days Which saith one must be understood De daemone quodam Aulico c. Acting in Cambyses and his evil Counsellors and inkindling hatred against the Jews Now saith the holy Angel This Prince withstood me Here 's Angel against Angel But in the World to come 't will not be so because evil Angels will be all shut up in the Bottomless Pit and so no need of the Ministration of holy Angels to withstand them Thus then the World to come is not put in subjection to Angels 2. Affirmatively 'T is to man What is man 1. To the man Christ Jesus who took the Seed of Abraham and was by the suffering of death crown'd with glory and honour He will be supream Lord of this World to come 2. To the Saints who as they now suffer so then shall they reign with Christ Rev. 5.10 We shall reign upon the earth First The glorified Saints we shall reign of whom 't is said Rev. 24.4 They lived and reigned with Christ This shall be so that God may have a time for honouring the Saints Why shall the Saints execute the Judgment written That it may be said This honour have all his Saints Psa 149.9 So why shall the Saints succeed the holy Angels in their Government that it may be said This honour have all his Saints And seeing God hath such regard to their honour how dear should His honour be to them Q. But how shall the glorified Saints rule in the World to come A. For the How take this hint As the glorified Saints shall succeed the holy Angels in their government so shall they reign after such a manner as the Angels did before and so as in the Resurrection they shall be like the Angels in not eating and drinking and not marrying so also in matter of rule and government And therefore as Angels have been sent to make known the mind of God to his Servants 2 Kin. 1.3 15. Dan. 10.14 Rev. 22.16 So may the glorified Saints be the Messengers of the Mind of God to Saints not glorified The Law was given by Angels and 't is said The Law shall go forth from Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem In which may be the Ministry of glorified Saints Angels ascend and descend upon the Son of Man They are at Christ's command and come and go when he bids them They ascend to know and descend to do In like manner shall the glorified Saints go and come at Christ's command And lastly when Saints die Angels carry their Souls into Abraham's bosom Luk. 16.22 So when the time shall be for the Translation of any Saint into the New Jerusalem some glorified ones may be sent to bring them in For a conclusion of this particular consider 2 things 1. As Angels lose no glory by coming out of Heaven to do their work on Earth so shall not glorified Saints by going out of the New Ierusalem to Saints not glorified 2. If the Angels of Heaven and Saints on Earth might have any converse together so as that the Saints could bear the Access of Angels as Abraham did then much more may the not-glorified Saints of the World to come be able to bear the Access of the glorified ones to them and that because Saints glorified and not-glorified will be of the same nature and also the Saints not-glorified will then be better capacitated in respect of Purity and Spirituality to bear the Access of the glorified Saints than any were heretofore to bear the Access of Angels to them And lastly glorified Saints may appear in such a form which the not-glorified ones may be able to bear This seems hinted Ezek. 44.19 When they go to the people they shall lay aside their garments in which they ministred and put on other garments Thus much of the Reign of the raised Saints Secondly the Saints not-glorified that is those of the twelve Tribes in their portions in the Land and also those of the saved Nations shall reign Dan. 7.27 The greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high and all Dominions shall serve him Not that all Saints shall be Rulers but all Rulers shall be Saints Magistracy and Government will be then in the hands of Saints Rulers shall as Men live soberly as Magistrates righteously as Members of Churches godlily They will be as David men after Gods own heart doing all his wills as Solomon having wisdom to go in and out before the people and Nehemiah seeking the welfare of the people of Israel Ier. 30.21 Their Nobles shall be of themselves and their Governors shall proceed from the midst of them Ezek. 45.8 My Princes shall no more oppress my People Thus shall it be in that glorious Commonwealth of the Jews which is to come Princes in it shall be the Lords Princes and the People the Lords People and none but the Lords Princes shall rule over the Lords People and none of them shall be oppressing Princes to them Verse 9. Let it suffice you O Princes of Israel remove violence execute judgment c. Isa 60.18 Violence shall be no more heard in thy land and wasting and destruction within thy borders And as verse 17. I will make thine officers peace and thine exactors righteousness Ezek. 43.9 Let them put away the carcases of their Kings c. What were Ahaz and Ahab and Jeroboam and Manasseh also before he repented but as abominable to God as Carcases are to Men But when the Jews shall be called their Rulers shall not be such but Davids Hezekiahs c. doing that which is good in the sight of the Lord. Q. What need will there be of Rulers then seeing God hath promised he will put his Law into the mind and write it in the heart of all his People and cause them to walk in his statutes and they shall keep his judgments which promises shall be eminently fulfilled then A. Rule and Government may well consist with that pure and glorious state for 1. If Adam had continued in innocency there would have been Rule and Government as we may well suppose for he should have begotten Children and so have had rule over them as a Father The Law of Nature would have taught Children to honour a Father 2. Christ in his childhood and growing estate was under the rule of Joseph and his Mother Luke 2.51 He went down with them and was subject to them Consid 7. There will be during the one thousand years a
Cubits before the Temple and he said unto me this is the most holy place Not that which was the Figure but the true And this affords a strong Argument to prove that this Name The Lord is there intimates a personal presence For Christ must be personally present in the most holy place to make intercession which will be at last upon Earth Thirdly The Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in this City Rev. 22.3 And Christ on this his Throne sitting at the right hand of God and making intercession Under the Law there was a two-fold Throne 1. A Throne above upon the Ark called the Mercy Seat Exod. 25.17 There the Lord promised to meet and commune with the High Priest This was a Figure of the true which is called the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 This Throne will be in the New Jerusalem and Christ a Priest upon it Zachar. 6.13 praying for and dispensing Grace from it to the Saints 2. A Throne of Judgment Solomon made a great Throne of Ivory there was not the like in any Kingdom 1 Kin. 10.18 And this was a part of Jerusalem's Glory of old Psa 122.5 There are set Thrones of Judgment the Thrones of the House of David and upon David's Throne must Christ sit Now when 't is said the Throne of God and and of the Lamb shall be in it this also is meant And here let this one thing be observed As Christ shall give to the Saints to sit with him upon his Throne so this is not meant of the Throne of Grace where Christ is High Priest True they may go boldly to it to obtain Mercy because Christ is there making intercession But Saints shall not sit there as joynt Mediators with Christ though they are said to be Priests yet not Priests upon a Throne But the Saints shall sit with Christ upon his Throne of Judgment to whom they shall be Servants in executing Justice and Judgment in the Earth Psal 149.9 To execute upon them the Judgment written Christ shall write the Judgment and they shall execute the Judgment written by him This honour have all his Saints Having thus laid down some Arguments to prove the personal presence of Christ in the beloved City and some Objections against it being answered that this great truth may be the better evidenced let the last words of David be a little considered These we find in 2 Sam. 23. and Psal 72. In the former place v. 1. 't is said These be the last words of David and the Preface to what he had to utter shews that they were things of very great weight and very glorious truths David the Son of Jesse said and the Man who was raised up on high the anointed of the God of Jacob the sweet Psalmist of Israel said The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his Word was in my Tongue the God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the fear of the Lord. As these words were a direction to Solomon so chiefly a Prophecy concerning Christ which may be thus rendered Be thou ruler over Men just ruling in the fear of the Lord. Davids Sons succeding him in Government were not all such But Christ who was made of the Seed of David and is to sit upon his Throne shall be such a Ruler He shall be as the light of the Morning when the Sun ariseth even a Morning without Clouds as the tender Grass springing out of the Earth by clear shining after Rain v. 4. Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall arise he shall shine forth as the light of the Morning after the long Night of Antichristian darkness and then there shall be a Morning without Clouds Christ shall come in Clouds but being come the Clouds shall pass away and the tender Grass shall spring out of the Earth they of the City shall multiply and flourish like the Grass of the Field David did not expect it should be thus in the Generations then immediately following True in the beginning of Solomon's Reign there was a short Morning without Clouds but in his latter days he declined and after him things grew much worse Hence he saith Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure As if he had said I see by a Spirit of prophecy that my successors will not be all just yet the Covenant made with me stands sure and shall be made good in him who is my Lord and shall be my Son And here is all my Salvation and all my desire I see his day and long for the great Salvation of it and all my desire is that he may have a name above every name and be exalted and extolled and be very high I see the defections and desolations of my House but look beyond these and do well know that a Rod shall come forth of the Stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his Roots and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and he with Righteousness shall judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth In the latter place which is Psal 72. there is a Prayer added to this Prophecy and the conclusion of these last prophetick words of David The contents given of it are these David praying for Solomon sheweth the goodness and glory of his in type and in truth of Christs Kingdom Several passages in it shew that it must be meant of Christ chiefly as v. 5. They shall fear thee as long as Sun and Moon endure throughout all Generations v. 7. In his days shall the Righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth v. 17. His Name shall be for ever and men shall be blessed in him This was the promise made to Abraham In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed that Seed was Christ Gal. 3.16 Glorious things are spoken of Christ's Kingdom in this Psalm He shall judge the people with Righteousness The Mountains that is Rulers shall bring peace to the people They shall not be the Mountains of Prey but the Mountains of Peace His Kingdom shall be universal even to the ends of the Earth An absolute Victory will be gotten over his Enemies they shall lick the Dust and the greatest shall be made to bow to him The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring Presents the Kings of Sheba and Sebah shall offer Gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him And then will be the Churches full Redemption v. 14. He shall redeem their Soul from deceit and violence Now the fore-sight of this glorious Kingdom and of the happy Estate of the Church in it makes David to break forth into Praises v. 18. Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things and blessed be his Glorious Name for ever and ever and let the
whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen And then he concludes this and all other his Psalms with these words v. 20 The prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended Whence may be gathered that this Psalm contains the remainder of the last words of David and that this Psalm was the last of David's Psalms though it be not set last in the Book of Psalms For the clearing whereof two things may be considered 1. The Psalms are not all placed according to the time of their composure or the occasion of them for Psalm the Third is a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom Now many made before this are set after it as Psa 34. A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech And Psa 51. A Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba Soe also Psa 57 and 63. So then this may be the last though not set last 2. The Psalm it self gives us ground to conclude that it was the last and made by David a little before his death For thus he begins it Give the King thy Judgments O God Which shews that Solomon was now made king for so he is here called And this Psalm was made when both Father and Son were Kings Give the King thy Judgments There David is called King and thy Righteousness to the King's Son There Solomon is called King And that Solomon was King David's own words do declare 1 Kin. 1.48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath given me one to sit upon my Throne mine Eyes also seeing it By this 't is evident that the plain literal sense may stand that this was the last of the Psalms of the sweet Psalmist of Israel who never sung more sweetly than now And to this these three things may be added 1. The matter of this Psalm contains that which was the sum and scope of David's Prayers even that Christ might reign gloriously and that in his days the Righteous might flourish This is all my desire and in this my Prayers will reach their end 2. David being carried in spirit to the Day of Christ's glorious reign and being set in the View of his blessed Kingdom and seeing him breaking Oppressors in pieces and perfecting that which concerns the Saints and at last delivering up the Kingdom to God the Father breaks out into this joyful Acclamation The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended They are fulfilled and fully accomplished they are all consummated So much is in the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prayers of David and of all the Saints will at last have a full accomplishment and Faith may even as God doth call the things that are not as though they were So by a voice of Faith he might well say The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are fulfilled 3. When Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign and shall have put down all that is to be put down and shall present all the Saints faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy then Prayers will be ended As the Prayers of Saints so Christ's also who is David the Son of Jesse Hos 3.5 They shall serve the Lord and David their King There Christ is called David And Isa 11. A Rod shall come forth of the Stem of Jesse there he is the Son of Jesse So the Prayers of this David the Son of Jesse will be ended All that ever he prayed for will be accomplished yea all that he hath to pray for will be granted For then all the good things contained in God's Decrees shall be brought forth and whatever Christ hath purchased for shall be enjoyed by the Saints All Promises will be fulfilled to them and all the desires of their hearts given them And then as Faith will be swallowed up in Vision and Hope in Fruition so Prayers will end in everlasting Praises That the great things contained in this Prophecy in which we have been thus running to and fro may be the better understood and improved somewhat shall be added upon these following particulars 1. The Calling of the Jews 2. The Restitution of all things 3. The Description of the two Beasts Revelat. 13. 4. The Day of Judgment and the World 's perishing by Fire 5. Some Signs of the times when the Fall of Babylon is at hand 6. Some Advantages which the knowledge of these Truths will afford 7. The Conclusion of all in some Counsels and Directions 1. The Calling of the Jews We may conceive that there will be a twofold Calling of the Jews A First Calling will be at the ending of the One thousand two hundred and ninety days Dan. 12.11 At that time the Jews Deliverance will begin and there will be then a calling and a gathering of them But at this time many will be called but not so many chosen This calling will be inward and effectual to some but to many but outward and in profession only For after this their calling they will have many Enemies causing great trouble to them Dan. 11.31 there is mention of an Enemy and 't is said Arms shall stand on his part and they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength And v. 45. He shall plant the Tabernacle of his Palace in the glorious holy Mountain Zach. 14.2 I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem and the City shall be taken Now as this will be a time of great tryal so many of the Jews shall fall away Dan. 11.30 This Enemy shall have indignation against the holy Covenant and have intelligence with them that forsake it v. 33. some he shall corrupt by flatteries and some of them of understanding shall fall some such as Peter and others such as Judas The second Calling will be at the end of one thousand three hundred and thirty five days which is forty and five years more than the former number 't is said blessed is he that cometh to these days At this time all Israel will be saved as from their persecuting Enemies so from sin and all will be called and chosen and faithful Rev. 19. Thy People shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 All shall be effectually called and their Children shall be as aforetime Jer. 30.20 these shall be of the Church and like John Baptist shall be sanctified from the Womb. No Noah shall have a cursed Cham no Isaac a prophane Esau for this would be a grief of heart contrary to that promise there shall be no sorrow God shall put the Law in the mind and write it in the heart and they shall no more teach every man his Neighbour saying know the Lord for all shall know him from the least even to the greatest of them They may need to be instructed farther in the knowledge of the Messias but no need to be taught which is the Messias no need to be taught as Andrew did Peter Joh. 1.41 We have found the Messias as the
after shall be shewn thus Heaven is sometimes taken And 't is to be observed that the Ruling part of that World was exceeding corrupt For those that were highest in power were most eminent in wickedness The great Men were the greatest Sinners and did fill the World with Violence Rapines Oppressions and all manner of unrighteousness Gen. 6.11 And therefore God brought a Flood in which these Heavens perished For all the Principalities and Powers of that wicked and ungodly World were swept away by the Flood 2. Ecclesiasticall Heavens Churches on Earth are sometimes called Heaven the Kingdom of Heaven frequently in the Evangelists signifies the Church Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven That is in the Church Now the Ecclesiastical Heavens that is the Churches of that World perished by Water even all except that in the Ark. 'T is said Gen. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord. There were Churches of Seth's Posterity which worshipped God But these did at last exceedingly apostatize as we see Gen. 6.2 The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took them Wives of all that they chose And thereupon the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is flesh Observe these words He also the Sons of God were spoken of immediately before this He also therefore is meant of the Church-member even he that was called the Son of God was also flesh Not onely those without but also those within the Church not onely the Posterity of Cain but also the Posterity of Seth had corrupted their way and all the imaginations of their hearts were also evil continually Now these Heavens did also perish by water because of the great wickedness found in them There was an Analogical Earth also which perished by water that is as Superiours so Inferiours as Masters so Servants as the Mighty men so the mean men as the Giants so the Dwarfs the Flood swept all away and one as easily as the other And here we may do well to observe what kind of wickednesses they were which brought the Flood there was desperate Apostasie of the Sons of God there was Pride amongst them they became men of Renown and also cruelty and oppression they filled the world with voilence The Giants in stature were Giants in wickedness The old world was an Atheistical and desperately debauched world and when God gave space and warning to repent by Noahs preaching they repented not In a word 't is to be observed that the world of the ungodly then was become wholly arbitrary every one would be sui juris and not be subject to or act by a Law The mighty men and Sovereign part of it were absolute and arbitrary They would be arbitrary in ruling others and exercised what violence they pleased and arbitrary in ruling themselves giving themselves up to the lusts of uncleanness not only taking Wives of the Daughters of men but as Gen. 6.4 also after that they went in unto the Daughters of men to others that is besides their Wives and they took of all that they chose and therein the arbitrariness of that world appeared they chose by Lust and not by Law from their own wills and not according to the will of God The People of God will have God to chuse for them Psal 47.4 He shall chuse our Inheritance for us But these would chuse for themselves This was the first transgression Adam would become arbitrary he liked not Gods choise but he himself would chuse what Fruit to eat and we may observe how displeasing this was to God Behold the man is become like one of us Gen. 3.22 to know good and evil that is as God is absolute and his Will is the rule of good or evil what he wills is good and what he nils is to be lookt on as evil So now Adam would become absolute to know good and evil and have his own Will the rule of it this highly provoked God 'T is his incommunicable Prerogative to be absolute This arbitrariness God did avenge and that speedily upon him 1. He must not eat of the Tree of life 2 He was cast out of Paradise He that would be all and absolute loses all thereby And when the old world became arbitrary a Flood came and swept all away Thus we see what world it was that perished by water In the next place let it be considered what Heavens and Earth are to perish by Fire And now I shall endeavour to make it manifest that there are as natural so analogical Heavens and Earth and Heavens both Political and Ecclesiastical Isa 34. we have a Prophecy of the Judgments wherewith God will at last avenge his Church v. 2. The Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his fury upon all their Armies V. 4. All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their Host shall fall down and the next verse shews what Heavens are meant My Sword shall come down upon Idumea and upon the People of my curse to Judgment The Unicorns shall come down and the Bullocks for it is the Day of the Lords Vengeance and the Year of Recompenses for the Controversie of Sion So that by Heaven here are meant the Churches Antichristian Enemies who have been in Power and above and long have had the upper hand in the World This will appear also from Hag. 2.6 7. I will shake the Heavens the Earth the Sea and the dry Land This shaking is to make way for the coming of Christ That it looks beyond his first coming is evident from Heb. 12.27 where 't is spoken of as a thing then to come And why shall these Heavens and Earth be shaken 'T is for the removing of things that may be shaken as of things that are made Not things as made by God for this is no reason for their removal that they are made by God therefore by things made are meant the things made by Men. For as there are Heavens and Earth made by God so there are Heavens and Earth of Mens making and that both in a Political and Ecclesiastical sence There are many Babels of Mens building The Turkish Religion and frame was made by Men. The Pope both in his Civil and Ecclesiastical Power was made by Men. The Popish Religion and that Antichristian Form of Worship and frame of Government which Popery doth establish is of Mens making Now this shaking will be to remove things made contrary to the Mind of God And this agrees well with Peter The Earth with the works therein even all Antichristian Works shall be burnt up And with Mat. 13.14 The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity There are now many things which offend God and good Men but at last all will be gathered out of the Kingdom This appears also from Rev. 6.12 13. I beheld when he opened the
was at the Red Sea and such a destruction of their Enemies as was that of Pharaoh and the Egyptians there which will be the occasion of singing the Song of Moses For the Saints will be brought into such a strait as the Israelites were then in Great Multitudes of inraged Enemies will persue them and as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire will be before them We know what a kind of fire that of Glass burning in a Furnace is What a dreadful thing would it be to behold a Sea of such Glass mingled with fire and to be in danger to be driven and forced into it Now such will be the case of the People of God at last Such trouble such danger so great a strait as never was since there was a Nation Not that there will be such a Sea of Glass in a proper sense but as 't is said John saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire so a destruction so dreadful will be threatned to the People of God as if they were in danger to be forced into such a Sea and that another Red Sea even of fire more terrible than the Red Sea of Water But what will the Lord do for his People in this so great an extremity He will even make a way for them through this as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and the Fire shall be to them as the Waters of the Red Sea were to the Israelite a Wall on their right hand and on their left And their persuing Enemies shall perish in this Sea of Fire as Pharoh and his Host did in the Sea of Water and as the world of the ungodly perished by the Flood And then shall the so wonderfully delivered Saints stand upon this Sea of Glass having the Harps of God that is as the Israelites stood and sang upon the Sea-shore when they saw the Egyptians dead upon it so in like manner shall the triumphing Saints stand upon this as it were a Sea of Glass and see all their Enemies destroyed in it And as Isa 66.24 Shall look upon the Carcases of the that have transgressed against the Lord whose Worm dyes not neither shall their Fire be quenched And they shall they sing the song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints 2. After the thousand years Christ will finish the work of Judgment As the dead Saints will be raised and judged at the beginning of the thousand years so the dead Sinners after the end of them Rev. 20.11 I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and these are such who died in their sins whose names shall not be found written in the Book of Life If we compare Rev. 11.18 and 2 Pet. 3.7 with Rev. 20. it will evidently appear that some of the dead will be judged at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and at the time when the new Heavens shall be created and others of the dead above a thousand years after 1 Cor. 15.23 24. First Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming Then cometh the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards cometh the end for this hath the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore as there is a great space of time betwixt Christ's Resurrection and the Saints so there will be also betwixt that of the Saints and the Resurrection of the wicked 5. Signs when the time is near for the fall of Babylon Some have taken upon them to declare the set and appointed time for the Fall of Babylon and the accomplishment of the great things before handled But I shall not presume to do this but shall onely hint some signs by which we may know when the time draws nigh Christ gave signs and 't is our duty to endeavour to discern them and though the wicked shall not understand yet the wise shall understand both what God is about to do and what they ought to do Dan. 12.10 We may take notice of two sorts of Signs Signs in the Nations and Signs in and amongst the Saints 1. Signs in the Nations Luke 21.25 Vpon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity This distress is elsewhere set forth Hag. 2.7 I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come Isa 24.20 The Earth shall reel to and fro like a Drunkard and be removed like a Cottage and the transgression of it will be heavy upon it When the Lord shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously As the pains of a Woman in Travel are a sign that a Child is brought to the Birth so the shakings perplexities and distress of Nations are their travelling-pains and a sign that redemption from Antichristian bondage draws nigh And as the Nations troubles are their travelling pains so there are times in which the Lord sets himself forth as travelling with Judgments as it were pained to be delivered of them For iniquity will abound and wicked men will wax worse and worse till the Harvest of the Earth be fully ripe Sin will become exceeding sinful unrighteousness exceeding unrighteous and filthiness exceeding filthy They will sin as Sodom and declare their sin as Sodom And what will the Lord do then This we see Isa 43.13 14 15. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty Man he shall cry yea roar he shall prevail against his Enemies I have long holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling Woman I will destroy and devour at once I will make waste Mountains and Hills and dry up all their herbs But what follows and what are these things a sign of v. 16. I will bring the blind by a way they know not and lead them in paths they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things strait these things will I do unto them and not forsake them The People of God may be blind as to times and ways of deliverance but the Lord knows how and when the best way and the best time in which to deliver them 2. Signs amongst the People of God Now here I shall mention three The scattering of the power of the holy People or the killing of the Witnesses And then next to this the Serpent's casting a Flood out of his Mouth to swallow up the Woman when she is driven into the Wilderness the second time And lastly the Dragon's War with the remnant of the Woman's Seed And if there shall be a concurrence of Providences and Events answering the Prophecies there will be evident signs given of the downfal of Babylon as very near 1. The scattering of the Power of the holy People Dan. 12.6 7. One said to the Man clothed in Linen How long
days here as well as in many other of his Prophecies even to the time when Jerusalem shall be a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down v. 20. Q. What then shall we understand by this Fire A. It is such a Fire as the Righteous shall dwell with and not be hurt by and therfore not Hell-Fire so they shall not dwell with it Why should not the Fire which Peter speakes of be here meant That Fire to which the World that now is in Being is reserved called everlasting Burnings because as to the wicked which will be consumed by them they will be the beginnings of everlasting burnings For the ungodly ones who shall perish by them shall never be out of the Fire afterwards Now who shall dwell with those burnings who shall live when God doth this and when this dreadful Conflagration shall be who shall be like Moses on the Mount that burned and not be consumed The Answer is He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly And 't is farther promised Thine Eyes shall see the King in his beauty That is Hezekiah say Interpreters who as in the time of the Siege he did rend his cloaths and covered himself with Sackloth so when that great Deliverance was wrought he was seen in his beauty again but the Chaldee Paraphrase gives a better sense which in Latine is thus rendered Gloriam Majestatis regisâ— seculorum in decore suo videbunt oculi tui Thine Eyes shall see the King eternal as he is called 1 Tim. 1.17 in the glory of his Majesty Even that King spoken of v. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King And 't is farther promised They shall behold the Land that is very far off That is say some Senacheribs Siege shall be raised and then the Jews shall go abroad in the Land again But what reason was there to call any part of Judea the Land very far off from Jeurusalem Surely somewhat else seems hinted and why may we not think it to be meant of a Land very far off in respect of the time of its being For as we read of times afar off so there was a Land far off in regard of the time of its existence even the new Earth which is to be created in which Righteousness shall dwell and upon which the Saints shall reign with Christ This was in Isaiah's time The Land very far off but now very near which they that walk in Righteousness shall behold 6. Pray earnestly that this Kingdom may come God delights much in such Prayers We may see what a large Commission is given for praying for these things Isa 45.11 Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons I have spoken much of them and do you ask me of them Ask and you shall know much of them Ask and they shall come ask me of them and you shall have a share in them when they come And concerning the works of my hands command ye me 1. Command ye me God hath put himself under a Law by his gracious Promise Covenant and Oath He that Commands all yields to be Commanded by the Prayer of his People 2. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me Which may either look back to works already wrought or forward to works to be wrought First to works already wrought My Sons are the works of my hands created to good works and formed for my praise Now do you command me concerning them and then I will command their Enemies to let them go free I will say to the North give up to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth Secondly to works to be wrought I will create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy I will make the new Heavens and the new Earth and concerning these works which my hands shall make command ye me Those that would at last reign must now overcome First within there is an Old Man to be overcome and you must get the Rule of your own Spirits which is better than to rule a City Let Grace reign over Corruption Spirit over Flesh Let Faith Love and the Fear of God rule in patience possess your Souls Let there be a Kingdom of Patience and then shall there be at last a Kingdom of Power Secondly you must overcome without There is a World to be overcome and that both the good and the evil of it The good thus All things are lawful but I will not be under the power of any Covetous Men are under the power of Riches let it not be so with you do you through Grace rule them and use them as you ought and let not them rule you And as for the evil things of the World meddle not with them but keep your selves unspotted of the World Save your selves from the Sins and so shall you from the Plagues of an untoward Generation There is a Satan also to be overcome 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God keepeth himself and that evil One toucheth him not Tactu qualitativo that is by a touch altering the Nature he shall not destroy the Divine Nature or Seed of God in the Regenerate He touched Adam and he died but he can't so touch a true Saint There is lastly a Beast to be overcome There is a twofold overcoming the Beast First In his temptations and endeavours to subject the Hearts and Consciences of all to him So Saints choosing to suffer from him rather than to serve him do overcome There is a Victory gotten over his Mark and over the Number of his Name when many do adore him and reverence and honour his Name as a Name above every Name as exalting himself above all that is called God they have his Name in greatest contempt when some call him the Vicar of Christ the Head of the Church and when he shews himself that he is God The faithful Witnesses overcome all these high Titles and great Names and call him by his right Names the Antichrist the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition Secondly In his Power and Kingdom Overcome him in the first sense and 't will not be long before the Saints shall see him overcome in this latter sense Great Promises are made to Overcomers in the Second and Third Chapters of the Revelations and they look to the Day of Christ's Personal Reign as the special time for their accomplishment Not but that the Spirits of Just Men have the substance of them in Heaven but when their Bodies shall be raised then will be the eminent time of fulfilling them For then shall they rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and sit with Christ upon his Throne Be Overcomers then and you shall be able to say at last as Joshua did Not one thing hath failed of all the good Word which the Lord hath spoken Written by William Alleine Minister of the Gospel FINIS Some Discovery OF THE NEVV
shall take place Mic. 4.13 I will consecrate their gain to the Lord. And their substance to the Lord of the whole Earth then the Creature shall have its due and deserved Liberty Thus much for the Change which will be in the Natural State of Things 2. There will be a Change in the Civil State of Things there will be New Heavens and a New Earth in a political sence for in the New Earth dwelleth righteousness All Civil Government will be administred in a way of Righteousness for as Amos. 5.24 Judgment shall run down like Water and Righteousness as a mighty stream In Antichrist's Kingdom unrighteousness cruelty and oppression hath been a mighty Stream but that sinful Kingdom must be destroyed and after this Judgment shall dwell in the Wilderness and Righteousness shall remain in the fruitful Field and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of it quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.16 there shall not be then any Throne of iniquity establishing mischief by a Law But that which above all doth commend the happiness of those Times in point of Government is this Government then will be Theocratical and Divine so that there will be another Divine Common-wealth more glorious than that of the Jews heretofore After the Jews were brought out of Egypt as God made them a Church in the Wilderness so also a Common-wealth and God himself was Supream amongst them and gave them as a Moral and Ceremonial so a Judicial Law so that he was their King and Law-giver and their Divine Common-wealth was not to end till the coming of Christ according to that Prophecy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 the Sceptre shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Jacob's prosperity was to grow at last into a Kingdom and Common-wealth and to continue till the coming of Christ The Scepter of this Kingdom was given to Judah now though the Ten Tribes revolted from the Scepter and after were carryed Captive and did not return and so were without a King and without an Ephod c. yet Judah did remain as a Divine Common-wealth till the coming of Christ and Judah had right to the Sceptre though sometimes it was violently wrested out of the hand of Judah yet of right it did belong to Judah till Shiloh came and then Judahs Sceptre did return to him that gave it and then the Jews Crucifying the Lord of glory God did suffer their City to be Trodden down of the Romans and then their Common-wealth till that time continued in the Tribe of Judah was utterly destroyed and they were carried Captive into all Nations till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and when these shall be fulfilled then shall the Jews have again a Divine Common-wealth And Joseph and Judah being Joyned together they shall have one King as is evident Ezek. 37.22 24. I will make them one Nation and one King shall be King to them all David my Servant shall be King over them That is Christ who shall reign in Righteousness and give them Civil as well as Spiritual pastors even Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning Ezek. 34.23 I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David and how happy they shall be then is shewn I will make a Covenant of peace with them and the evil Beasts shall cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the Wilderness and sleep in the Woods I will make them and the places round about my hill a Blessing there shall be showers of Blessings Now as Mr. Baxter once said It is this Theocratical polity or Divine Common-wealth which is the unquestionable Reign of Christ upon Earth which all Christians are agreed may be justly sought and the temporal Dignity of Saints which would undoubtedly much bless the World And he sayeth whether there be any other Reign of Christ to be expected that is by his visible personal Abode This controversy I do not now determine For my own part I reverence the Ancients that were of that mind and many latter that have followed them I am my self as meerly Neutral in it as in almost any point of so great moment so often propounded to my consideration I oppose them not in the least nor am I for them Now as for the Visible and personal Abode and Reign of Christ upon Earth having given some arguments for it already I shall here adde something more to see whether any contrary or Neutral Judgment may be more inclined to the owning of this Truth And 1. this truth doth clearly spring forth from 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to her Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Where we may take Notice of these particulars First there will be a great and blessed change wrought in the World so far as to make all things New even to the bringing in of a New World This is the Saints expectation we look c. the Apostles and other Saints did then and therefore we ought now to expect this New World consisting of a New Earth as well as a New Heaven Secondly this New World shall have Inhabitants in it for there shall be Men in it which may be gathered from those words In which dwelleth Righteousness If Righteousness then both the subjects and the Objects of it that is Men living and acting Righteously and these shall Dwell in this New Earth they shall not be as wayfaring Men that tarry but a Night but shall dwell in it They shall not be here after this New Creation but a day with Christ of twenty four hours and then ascend to Heaven not a day as Men count a day but a day as 't is with the Lord that is a Thousand years and a Thousand years as one day v. 8. which hath been taken as a Periphrasis of the day of Judgement This is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a World to dwell in and for Men to abide in so long as to be called Inhabitants And this Inhabited World is chiefly that which Christ is said to Rejoyce in Pov. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. This is the Land which shall be called Beulah Isa 62.4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed Desolate that is without Inhabitants but thou shalt be called Hepzibah and thy Land Beulah For the Lord delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be Married to Christ that is Thirdly Christ shall come personally at his time when the World that now is shall perish and the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be Created For this Personal coming is that which the Scoffers derided asking where is the promise of his coming v. 4. Again this is that which the Apostle asserts v. 10. The day of the Lord will come and come as a Thief in the Night which Mat. 24.43 and 1
in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
Kingdom which he should have even all Liars but in the end the word came And next 't is said The word of the Lord tryed him The tarrying Word is a trying word It tries Faith and Love and other Graces which holding out and enduring the trial are found unto praise And the word having had its work in trying him Then the King sent And loosed him even the ruler of the People and let him go free He made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance to bind his Princes at his pleasure and to teach his senators wisdom 3. The worse the bondage grows the nearer the Sons of God are to Glorious Liberty Isa 9.1 At first he lightly Afflicted the land of Zebulon and Napthali afterwards more grievously such is the Lords dealing with his People first more lightly 't is that he afflicts them at last more grievously The Churches last trouble is thus set forth in Scripture such trouble as never was since there was a Nation Now that the hope of this Glorious Liberty may be the more confirmed 1. Have an Eye to the All-sufficiency of God When God made Promises to Abraham that he should have a Son and that his Seed should be multiplyed and that Kings should come out of him these things being hard to be believed God sets himself forth in his All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God and therefore able to make good my Promises Isa 49.23 They shall bring thy Sons in their arms Kings shall be thy Nursing-fathers and Queens thy Nursing-mothers they shall bow Down to thee with their faces to the Earth and lick up the dust of thy Feet But v. 24. a doubt is raised shall the Prey be taken from the mighty or the Lawful Captive delivered rather as in the Magin shall the Captivity of the just be delivered Is this any way likely But thus saith the Lord even the Captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with him that Contendeth with thee and will save thy Children and I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own bloud as with sweet wine and all flesh shall know that I am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mighty one of Jacob. Though Satan be mighty and Antichrist be mighty yet all flesh shall know that the Lord is more Mighty and therefore the prey shall be taken from the mighty and the Lord will turn the captivity of the just as the streams in the South 2. Have an Eye to the Faithfulness of God for he is faithful who hath Promised God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets of these thing Acts. 3.21 And is not this enough to stop all contradicting Mouths who ask where is the promise of these things The Scripture is most copious and abundant in foretelling and declaring these things Paul in all his Epistles hath spoken of these things and all the Prophets have spoken of them So then great ground there is for Faith in this that glorious liberty shall come And 't is observable that these Promises are not barely propounded and held forth but they have a Sealing and confirming Word added to them As Rev. 19. After the prophecy of the Lambs Marriage 't is farther said These are the true sayings of God and John was commanded to write that is for the Generations to come Rev. 21.5 He that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things New and he said unto me Write Doth God give a Command that this be written for our learning and shall not we read and then 't is again added These words are true and faithful Rev. 22.6 The Angel said to John after some promises given These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God sent his Angel to shew to his Servants the things which must shortly be done Should not then all the Servants of God endeavour to know and wait for these things v. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angels to testify these things in the Churches Is it not then the duty of Churches and all believers in them to know these things and to set their Seals to them that they are true and should not these things be taught among the Churches thus Daniel having foretold the destruction of the four Monarchies in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars dream concludes all thus The dream is certain and the intepretation thereof sure 3. The Sons of God even because they are Sons shall have this Glorious Liberty Exod 4.23 Let my Sons go that they may serve me Isa 43.6 I will say to the North give up to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the Ends of the Earth Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son I earnestly remember him still I will surely have mercy on him Now by this which hath been thus briefly Layed down concerning the New Heavens and New Earth somewhat of the glory of them doth appear which is well worth the waiting for and the glory being so great so desirable there is reason sufficient that we should be ready to do and contented to suffer what the Will of the Lord is in order to our sharing in the happiness and glory of that blessed time and state A right to enter into that City is incomparably better than all the riches and glory of this world which is to perish And when we hear these glad-tidings of great joy to come why should it not be with us according to that of Solomon Prov. 25.25 As cold waters to a thirsty Soul so is good News from a far Countrey As cold waters to a thirsty Soul so should the good News be of this better Countrey and World to come This may be a Well for the Sons of God to refresh themselves at when they are going through the valley of Baca. But let two things be considered that none may be ashamed of their Hope of these things 1. Gracious Liberty is the way to Glorious Liberty Liberty from bondage to the flesh to our own Wills and lusts to Satan and the World and the having of a heart inlarged toward God and his Commands is absolutely necessary to this that we may have a Lot in these things Except a Man be born again he shall not see the Kingdom ef God As not the Kingdom of God in Heaven so not that which shall be when Christ comes from Heaven 2. We must be ready to take up a Cross and to chuse sufferings for the sake of Gracious Liberty to serve God so are we in the way to Glorious Liberty This was Moses his choice for himself and the Israelites Exod. 8.27 We will go into the Wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God as he hath commanded us They went into the Wilderness to have Gracious Liberty to serve God and God led them through the Wilderness into Canaan where they had as
Widow saith Babylon but thou shalt know Widowhood and loss of Children saith the Lord. I shall not see sorrow saith Babylon but what is the Word of the Lord concerning her How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment of sorrow give her Rev. 18.7 3. If these things be so much expected in Heaven how much more should they be expected on Earth If where there is no sin nor sorrow but perfect holiness and happiness then sure the Saints here in this present evil World have great reason to be much in the thoughts and expectation of these things As therefore 't is the duty of Saints to look for these things so let me give a few Directions for the right performance of this Duty 1. Expect the same things which Christ expects He expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool he expects the Fall of Babylon he expects to be revealed from Heaven and to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe And these things should the Saints on Earth look for even the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Thus we are sure our expectations shall not perish because they are Christ's also but the expectation of his Enemies shall perish and their hope shall be as the Spiders Web. 2. Expect because Christ expects he knows what he expects and hath sufficient ground for his hope and hath power to make good his own expectations Now when the Saints want some Stay and Support for their hope and their Hearts like Moses his Hands are heavy they should look to Christ's Hope and this will be to their hearts as Aaron and Hur were to Moses his hands they stayed them up and so they were steady till the going down of the Sun and till Amalech and his People were discomsited by Joshua with the edge of the Sword 3 Expect as Christ expects Hopes on Earth should bear the Image of Heavenly Hopes there 's no fear no taking thought in Heaven Hope deferred doth not make any heart sick there but there is joy of hope As Christ expects that his Enemies be made his Footstool so he laughs at their Imaginations and Contrivance against him and hath them all in derision Such should the Saints hope be here and so they shall be able to say of Babylon the Man of Sin and all that give up their power to him as Isaiah did of Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem Isa 32.22 The Virgin the Daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The Power and threats of the Romish Beast with all that take part with him should not shake the hearts of the faithful Witnesses but they should shake their Heads at him and laugh him to scorn Surely there is little cause to fear those who shall very shortly be Christ's Footstool Christ expects also with Constancy and Perseverance there is perseverance in the hope of Heaven Christ expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool Christ's hope is like himself The same yesterday to day and till all be accomplished which he hopes for Nothing on Earth weakens the hope of Heaven no changes no scattering of the Power of the holy people no Death of the Witnesses make any the least alteration in the hope of Heaven Now such should the Saints hope be on Earth even the same in all changes they should hope when the Beast kills the Witnesses and those that dwell on the Earth rejoyce over their dead bodies as well as when the Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues as often as they will they should hope not onely when a deadly Wound is given to the Beast but when that deadly Wound is healed and when Babylon triumphs and glorieth most then may Sion hope the more and rejoyce most of all in her hope For when Babylon saith I sit a Queen am no widow and shall not see sorrow then her plagues shall come in one day Rev. 18.8 That is a very short time after this her vain triumph For when having been under great Fears and these passing away she saith The bitterness of death is past and comes forth delicately like Agag then if the Sauls that should do it will not some Samuels will be found that shall hew that great Whore in pieces And secondly when her plagues come quick dispatch will be made with her even in a day as it were yea in one hour so great riches and glory will come to nought Thus we see what the expectations of Heaven are which do call for such hope on Earth as that which Peter exhorts 1. Pet. 1.3 Be sober and hope to the End For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ And thus we see 't is the Saints duty to look for these things and how they should do it Q. But here it may be askt as the Disciples did of Christ When shall these things be Seeing we are to look for them we would gladly know when we may expect them at least when the time is near A. For answer to this it may be said as Elijah did to Elisha Thou hast asked a hard thing 'T is indeed a hard thing to tell when the time will be yet certain it is that the time is revealed in Scripture when the Jews shall be called when Babylon shall fall and the two Beasts shall be destroyed and why is it revealed but that first or last Men might come to the knowledge of it Daniel understood by Books the number of the years of the Jews Captivity in Babylon though it was but a very short time before the expiration viz. in that very year in which Babylon was taken Dan. 9.1 and why may we not hope it may be given to some beloved ones to understand by books the number of the years of the Churches desolations some little time at least before the accomplishment of them We may observe three numbers in Daniel and one in the Revelations which concern the times when these things shall be brought to pass The first is Dan. 8.14 How long shall be the Vision of the daily Sacrifice and 't is answered unto Two thousand and three hundred days that is years for so the rest of the numbers are interpreted and why should not these days be so taken also The other two are mentioned together Dan. 12.11 12. From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days Blessed is he that cometh to the thousand two hundred and five and thirty days The fourth number is Rev. 11.2 3. Forty and two months and a thousand two hundred and sixty days being the same time Now it is upon good ground conceived that the 2300 days and 1335 will end together and that the 1290 days and the
Magog but not the Saints in Paradise When the Sons of God in Job's time came before God Satan came also among them and he was at Joshuah's right hand to resist him What a Glorious Liberty will it be for the Sons of God to present themselves before the Lord and no Satan among them The Saints will be also free from the Worlds temptations for neither the persons nor the things of the world shall allure them to evil the forbidden Fruit will not then be lookt on as fair and good to be desired nothing of the Old World shall come upon the heart as the things of Egypt did upon the hearts of the Israelites in the Wilderness Isa 65.17 And nothing in the New Heavens and Earth shall prove a snare Saints shall not be tempters to Saints no Eve shall tempt an Adam no Peter will then turn Satan that is a tempter And none of the Unconverted shall then be tempters to the Converted the Sons of God shall not look upon the Daughters of men neither shall the Woman which now sits upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast having a Golden Cup in her hand full of abominations be in that World to tempt any to commit Fornication with her for Satan the great Tempter being bound and the seducing false Prophets being taken and cast into the Lake of fire that doth intimate that all other Tempters and Seducers will be bound up from deceiving and tempting any of the Saints of the New Heavens and New Earth And lastly Saints will not be exercised with God's temptations of tryal Thus once God tempted Abraham and the Israelites in the Wilderness to prove them and to know what was in their hearts Deut. 8.2 Now Faith is many times put to the tryal in this way but then Faith and other Graces will be found to praise in a constant and vigorous exercise of them and thereby will it be seen what is in the heart 3. Glorious Liberty consists in a freedom from Persecution and Sufferings for the Gospels sake Whilst the Man of Sin remains and Satan is going to and fro in the Earth Saints must look to suffer the Cross must be taken up if men will follow Christ in this time all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution but at last the Man of Sin will be destroyed all the Enemies of Christ shall be made his Footstool then the troubles of the Saints shall be recompenced with tribulation and then the troubled Saints shall have rest none shall hurt or destroy in all the holy Mountain of God 4. Saints will be free of that City whose Name shall be The Lord is there that City that hath Foundations whose Light shall be like a Stone most precious whilst abroad they shall have the light of it to walk in and they shall have right to enter in through the Gates into the City and to eat of the Tree of Life there and to drink of the Waters of Life The Worshippers of the Beast account it a great liberty to be free to buy and sell in the great City Babylon but all the joy they have and delight they take herein will end in crying alas alas for in one hour so great riches will come to naught How much better will it be with the Sons of God when they shall have right to enter into the great City New Jerusalem and to eat of the Tree of Life there and to live for ever After Adam had sinned the Way of the Tree of Life was guarded that he might not eat thereof and live for ever Whence it 's gathered that the Tree of Life had a Virtue to have perpetuated Life and to preserve men from old Age Diseases and Death if he had not sinned and had once come to eat of it Now as Adam lost the right to eat of that Tree of Life which was Typical and Sacramental so a right to eat of the Tree the Tree of Life is now given to the Saints which by Faith they eat of and 't is promised to those that do overcome that they shall eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God which is Christ whom they shall behold in his Glory and so they shall live for ever a holy and a happy Life Thus in some few particulars somewhat of that Glorious Liberty which the Sons of God shall have in the time of the New Heavens and New Earth hath been shadowed out when how much soever they are despised now yet they shall be made a Praise in the Earth yea an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of it This is the Glorious Liberty which the Creatures would be delivered into they would be subject to and serve the Sons of God and will readily yield up their Glory if that may contribute any thing to the happiness of the Sons of God Isa 60.13 The Glory of Lebanon shall come to thee c. to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary and to make the place of my feet glorious thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and the breasts of Kings For brass I will bring gold for iron I will bring silver for wood brass and for stones iron I will also make thine Officers peace and thine Exactors righteousness Now that the Saints may in a time that they with the Creatures groan under a sore bondage rejoyce the more in hope of this Glorious Liberty let a few things be considered 1. Present Bondage is no way to be compared with future Liberty The Bondage whilst Antichrist reigns is not so grievous as the Liberty when Christ shall reign will be glorious Bondage will not be for ever it will end well and when Liberty comes it will be so glorious that Saints shall remember no more their anguish for the joy they shall have in Christ's taking to himself his great power to reign What was Joseph's anguish and trouble to the joy which after he had What was David's great affliction in the Wilderness to his great glory which he had when advanced to the Throne 2. Bondage and Affliction makes way for glorious Liberty Joseph's great Sufferings and Bondage did work for him a greater weight of glory Psa 105.17 He sent a man before them even Joseph who was sold for a servant Joseph was sold by his Brethren but sent by God his Brethren sold him for a Servant but God sent him to be a Lord His Brethren sold him to make void his Dreams but God sent him that his Dreams might be made good And being sold his Feet were in Irons until the time that the Word came Sometimes after a Word and Promise is given it seems to go away hence some askt where is the Promise of his coming but though the word may seem to be quite gone yet it will come As Christ is he that shall come so the Word is that which shall come David said in his haste All men are Liars Samuel and Nathan and Jonathan and who-ever had spoken of a