seasonable at this time to inform Men and to prevent the Mistakes that many are ready to make concerning the Kingdom of our Lord. Further This may indifferently serve for an Answer to several Books that have come forth since the Writing hereof particularly Mr. Richard Baxter's intituled The Glorious Kingdom of Christ It may seem strange that such great Mistakes are about the Glorious Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ on Earth and that by those that are accounted Wise c. sith the Holy Scripture is so full and plain in this Case But call to remembrance the words of our Lord Jesus Mat. 11.25 26. Luke 10.21 22 23. and that may satisfy you for the Promise of making known these great things is to them that humble themselves to do the Will of Christ Joh. 7.17 I have been solicited by several to write more fully what I understand concerning this Glorious Kingdom and the wonderful Preparatives to it i. e. those exceeding great Things that shall be wrought in a little Time or few Years before the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ all which have been my Meditation this many Years with great Diligence and Delight but shall forbear till I see how this will be accepted or rejected and therefore stand ready to make defence against any that shall soberly and pertinently oppose And hereafter if God permit shall answer the Desires of those above-mentioned for the Edification of the Churches of Christ All that I shall further say at present is The Time is short the great and terrible Day draws near and hasteth greatly as appears by the Signs given by our Lord and in part come to pass viz. The great Wars and Rumours of Wars in the World and the great Earthquakes in divers Places c. which are by our Lord called The beginning of Sorrows and must first come to pass Mat. 24.6 7 8. Mark 13.7 8. Luke 21.9 10 11. May we not now conclude that this Generation shall not pass before all these things shall be fulfilled Mat. 24 3â— Mark 13 2â— Luke 21 3â— What manner of Persons ought we then to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness looking for and hasting unto the Coming of the Day of God Be diligent that ye may be found of him in Peace without Spot and Blameless 2 Pet. 3.11 12 14. And remember the Words of our Lord When these things be seen to come to pass then look up and lift up your Heads for the Day of your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21.28 And take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life and so that Day come upon you unawares for as a Snare shall it come on all them that dwell upon the face of the whole Earth Luke 21.34 35. He which testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Rev. 22.20 21. FINIS ERRATA IN the Epistle Page 7. line 4. for alone read all one P. 9. l. 9. f. latter r. Letter In the Book Page 2. line 26. for Throne read Thrones P. 13. l. 13. f. the r. your P. 14. l. 37. f. fulfilled r. finished P. 15 and part of the 16 till the third Argument raze out the double Comma's in the Margent P. 18. l. 18. f. seem r. serve P. 19. l. 31. f. subjecting r. converting P. 29. l. 36. f. former r. form and. P. 31. l. 29. f. For r. From. l. 36. f. the same sense r. the same Tense Idem f. the r. your P. 35. f. be seen r. begin
be any Hell now viz. any Place so called A needless Question in my Opinion and of bad consequence for by that Rule we may as well question whether there be any Heaven now And then whither shall we run at last even to question whether there be any God or Devil Therefore he had far better ne're undertook to answer such an Objection than left it so 3dly If this be true as to the New-Heavens and New-Earth as I grant in the main of what he there saith it is then how contradictory is this to the former Book and unhinges all that was said in it by the first Author That it is as contrary as Light is to Darkness consider these Instances In the first Book the Author tells us p. 164 That if these glorious things spoke of Rev. 21. of the New-Heavens and New-Earth and New-Jerusalem be taken in the Letter are but of earthly corruptible perishing and fading things The latter Author in his little Treatise frequently affirms the literal and perpetual Duration of these things Rev. 21. And his 11th Arg. p. 6. is this That the New-Heavens and New-Earth Rev. 21.1 are utterly inconsistent of any other Sense viz. than literal and eternal The first Author affirms this New-Heaven and New-Earth and New-Jerusalem Rev. 21. to be only Mystical and Spiritual and to be fulfilled before the Personal Coming of Christ as you may see p. 125 127. And the last Author affirms it to be literal material and to be after Christ's Personal Coming after the Day of Judgment as p. 2. Thus I have shewed the Contradiction 2dly That it unhinges all that the first wrote about his thousand Years Reign as to the time of it is also evident if you consider how he makes his Notion viz. Rev. 20 and 21 chap. an Allegory and the foundation of his thousand Years Reign I say all his Discourse is built hereon as you may see Title-page and p. 229. with the whole Discourse about it But see how much these Men have mistaken themselves arguing from false Premisses mistaking Scriptures making an Allegory of that which is spoke literally The first Author tells us p. 8. 'T is alike injurious to Truth to take a mysterious Allegory in the Letter as to make an Allegory of the plain Scripture Now by his grant 't is alone or alike dangerous How he quits himself of the latter let all Men judg when we have made a Trial. This Author proposes p. 10 11 12. First As necessary to the Exposition of the difficult things in these 20th and 21st Chapters of the Revelation as previous to all and of absolute necessity 1st Prayer 2dly Reading 3dly Meditation 4thly Conference 5thly Practice all very good As to the four first I hope I may say I have herein exercised my self long before this Vndertaking as many can bear me witness and to the last let my Work speak for me and not my own Mouth After these the Author lays down some Rules to go by in order to our understanding things aright herein 1. To compare any obscure Places with those that are plain 2. To consider what Vision or obscure Passage the Holy Ghost hath interpreted in the Revelation it self for of all such the Exposition is undoubted and infallible and so will the Revelation be the best Expounder of the Revelation and from those Expositions proportionably borrow Light for the discovering of other obscure Passages depending thereupon or relating thereto or contemporaneous therewith His 3d Rule is To observe diligently the Scope Order and Harmony of the Prophecies and further adds p. 43. That where there is no necessity to take a Scripture in a figurative Sense we are to take it in the Letter All which I approve and shall endeavour to observe But now how doth this Author vary from these Rules by him proposed as I hinted before In his 10 and 11 pag. he tells us what things are plain and amongst the rest for our better understanding this That Saints shall come forth in Vengeance He bids us compare Rev. 19.13 Isa 63.2 Rev. 19.15 with Psal 29. Isa 63.3 Now since by the word Saints he means Christ's Disciples or Believers as such and by coming forth in Vengeance he intends in this Life viz. before the Personal Coming of Christ as 't is evident p. 3. and from the whole of his Discourse Then I ask where this is plain in any of these Texts when there is not one word of it nor any thing like it in all the Texts unless confident Assertion shall pass for a plain Evidence Nay where is this found plain in all the Bible Is not this contrary to the Scope Order and Harmony of other Scriptures I am sure the contrary is plain yea so plain that he that runs may read it See Rom. 12.19 Dearly Beloved sure these spoken to are Saints avenge not your selves but rather give place unto Wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. But no wonder when Men have got the knack to make hard things easy and easy things hard as I read an Author lately affirmed That the beginning-Principles of the Christian Religion were hard to be understood notwithstanding the Apostle calls them Milk for Babes c. Thus we see oft-times Confidence supplies the place of Evidence Again he tells us p. 11. That Rev. 1.20 i. e. the Mystery of the seven Stars and seven Golden Candlesticks are interpreted by Christ and the Mystery of the Woman and the Waters are explained and expounded by the Spirit and 't is the Divine Key of the Revelation Now be it so that these are plain and to be taken literally why must not other things that are explained also be so accounted For instance Chap. 11.8 we read of a City where the dead Bodies of the two Witnesses shall lie three Days and a half It 's told us as plain as words can be spoken what City this is or at least as plain as either of the Authors explained things See them parallel'd at least in one of them The Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth chap. 17. ult This the Author acknowledges to be plainly meant of Rome because Rome reigned then over the Kings of the Earth p. 11.17 As Rome is her literal Name Babylon is her mystical Name Their dead Bodies shall lie in the Street of the GREAT CITY which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was Crucified chap. 11.8 Now let the Reader judg whether there is not as much nay far more ground to take this according to the latter than the first viz. The Woman for Rome All that we have to know the Woman to be meant of Rome is but this one thing I deny not but 't is enough viz. She is that Great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth But touching the other we have not only the same Description viz. That it is the great
were so ignorant as to intend by such a Conversing that those Saints that shall remain alive till Christ comes should continue in a mortal State during the thousand Years But you further tell us That when Christ comes he must have all the Saints come with him who are raised c. You did very well to put in these words who are raised c. for who think you will oppose you here I say again certainly none will be so weak as to affirm that any of these shall be left behind But shall there be no other Men left behind is now the Question for satisfaction read Matth. 24.40 41. Luke 17.34 35 36. Zech. 14.16 Again Though all those that died and shall be found in the Faith when Christ comes shall be raised and changed yet this follows not that there shall be none converted at and after his Coming who will not then viz. at that instant be changed with whom those glorified Ones many converse But you come after with this Reason which you think cuts off all viz. Because Christ shall come in flaming Fire against them that know him not nor obey his Gospel the Day of Grace being then over and none to be converted after that Answer First take notice that although he shall come in flaming Fire c. yet the Holy Scripture no where tells you That all Men that are upon the Earth the glorified Saints here excepted shall be burnt up Neither doth it any where tell you that the Day of Grace shall be so over as that there shall be no Day of Grace to any after that time nor that none shall be converted at or after the coming of Christ neither is any thing like it in all the Book of God but the contrary And whereas you hint at the Parable of the Virgins Matth. 25. as a Ground for this your Conception pray consider these were not only Persons that had the Day of Grace before allowed them to whom the Gospel was preached but were Members of the Church of Christ and therefore no marvel that it will be too late for such to get Oil in the Vessel when Christ comes But what 's this to the purpose respecting others not in that Capacity but under other Circumstances But now to your 3d Absurdity Abs That whereas Christ saith The last Enemy is Death Here the raised Saints after Death are to meet with another Enemy viz. the Gog-Magog Army Answer What though the Apostle Paul which I suppose you mean tells us The last Enemy is Death 1 Cor. 15. yet he doth not there tell you this Enemy of Christ shall be destroyed at the very instant when the Saints that died before Christ's Coming shall be raised Neither is it any where else so written but the contrary Read the 24th and 25th Verses from whence it is evident that this Enemy Death shall not be destroyed till the end of Christ's Reign And 't is as plain Rev. 20. that the Gog-Magog Army shall make that Attempt and be destroyed immediately before the last Resurrection or Destruction of Death True it is the Saints before-mentioned shall through Christ get the Victory over Death before so did our Lord at his Resurrection But I presume you will not say he did then destroy Death for Victory and Destruction are two things Thus I have shewed that this Opinion you contend against infers no such Absurdities I come now to your 10th Argument This cannot be the Corporal Resurrection because it is said expresly That during this thousand Years c. the Saints shall build plant marry and give in Marriage enjoy the Works of their Hands be liable to Death c. Which is utterly inconsistent with the Resurrection-State Luke 20.34 35. Answer Here you reason fallaciously for you cannot but know the word Saints is an ambiguous word and ought not to be disputed from unless explained for though our Lord tells us the Children of the Resurrection shall not marry viz. when raised yet he no where tells us that Saints shall not marry in the thousand Years viz. fuch as are in a mortal State Thus this Argument falls to the ground like its Fellows Therefore lastly It will follow that if it be neither the Corporal Spiritual nor Eternal Life that is here meant to the which the Saints are raised then must it be the Mystical or Civil Life c. Answer This last is built upon all the rest especially as it respects the Corporal Resurrection To which there needs no other Answer but this viz. If there be no weight in them then this must needs be too light also and that they are so let the Arguments and Answers be compared and I leave it to every unbiassed and impartial Reader to judg As for those five Arguments in your large Sheet or any elsewhere in the Book they are either the very same with some of these sixteen that I have answered or else comprehended in them and therefore I suppose need no particular Answer I shall therefore proceed to the second Author to answer his Arguments or Demonstrations as he calls them which are in number six A Brief ANSWER to Six Demonstrations as the Author calls them laid down by T. M. in his Treatise of The New Heavens and New Earth pag. 8. to evince this for a Truth That the thousand Years Reign of the Saints with Christ will be before and so without his Personal Presence on Earth Or before the Second Coming of Christ as Title-page Demonst THE thousand Years is set forth in Scripture and so generally understood to be a time of Peace Plenty Liberty and Rejoicing of the whole Earth But when Christ comes in Person it produces an universal Destruction and Astonishment to the World Rev. 6.15 Every Bondman and every Free-man crying to the Rocks c. so Rev. 1.7 Matth. 24.30 Answer This Demonstration is fallacious in that it unites where it should divide and is true in one sense and false in another As to your first Proposition of this Demonstration If by time of Peace c. you mean only and altogether without any War or Destruction as that 's your Meaning or else you give away the Cause And by the whole Earth you intend every Man upon the face of the Earth all the time of the thousand Years then I deny this Proposition and tell you That the Scripture no where sets out the thousand Years to be such a Time neither is it generally so understood as you affirm nay so far from being generally so understood that I know of none at all that understand it so Doth not your self hold that there shall be War in the thousand Years and therefore you frequently call the first part of that time The smiting part as may be seen in the first Author's large Sheet and frequently in his Book But now to your second Proposition of this Demonstration If by universal Destruction and Astonishment to the whole World you mean every Person in the World
both great and small without Exception as that is it you must intend or else you say nothing then I deny this Proposition also and tell you Christ's Personal Coming will have no such Product Your Scriptures produced for this are three viz. Rev. 6.15 and 1.7 Matth. 24.30 In two of these there is not a word of Destruction In the other it 's only wished or called for But admit this that every one of these shall be destroyed mentioned in this last Text yet doth it not follow that every Person both great and small upon the face of the Earth at that time shall be destroyed For it 's well known this phrase every Man in Scripture is oft-times to be understood respectively without reference to that sort of Men the Discourse concerns and not every Man in the World as 1 Cor. 12.7 and many more and so here 't is as evident for at the opening of the sixth Seal when he sees these run to the Rocks 〈…〉 7.3 c. there 's a 144000 of the Tribes of Israel upon the Earth which are not of this Number that run to the Rocks and wish for Destruction besides many more that might be named which shall not perish immediately at the Appearing of Christ Ergo Your Demonstration is become no Demonstration Demonst 2 When Christ comes all the dead Saints are raised and the Living changed and all together caught up to meet the Lord in the Air and so to be for ever with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 18. So that from that time they could no more converse with the unconverted of this World as the thousand Years requires See Luke 20.35 36. Answer If by these words Caught up into the Air and ever with the Lord you intend these shall never come down out of the Air again then you say something as to these But pray who told you that not this Text nor any in the whole Bible 2dly What you mean by Conversing with the Vnconverted I do not well understand and therefore when you have told me I shall give you a further Answer 3dly What if these should not so converse with the Unconverted as you mean Shall there be no other Saints then to do it Pray mark the Text speaks only of such as were converted before Christ's Second Coming and not of those that shall be converted when he comes See more in my Answer to the 9th Argument of the first Author in my 24th and 25th Pages Demonst When Christ comes he comes in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God c. 2 Thess 4.7 8. Jude 14 15. and then also the World and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 Now all these Persons and things being destroyed at that Day if this were at the beginning of the Thousand Years where was the Reign for a thousand Years after of the Saints over the World in converse with the Unregenerate Therefore Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years Answer I answer And first by way of Concession taking your first Proposition to be true according to your three Texts I resolve your Query as to the Persons thus That notwithstanding these Persons spoken of in these Texts should be destroyed at the beginning of the thousand Years yet there shall many more remain undestroyed over which these Saints shall reign As 1st Though one of these Texts tell us that he will take Vengeance in flaming Fire on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel c. yet it follows not from hence that he will then destroy them that do know the Lord and turn to him Nor 2dly Those that are at that time incapable to know him for Incapacity is no Sin nor Cause of Vengeance Nor 3dly Those that have not heard of his Fame or had the Gospel preached to them for pray mark the Texts and you may clearly see they speak of such Persons which had the Gospel preached to them and were disobedient to it and persecuted them also that did obey the Gospel Secondly As to the Destruction of things which you say will then be pray remember your self what you said of it in your 5th Page viz. That none of these i. e. Shaking Melting Dissolving Burning up Folding up and Changing express an Annihilation but destroying the former Surface and the Works of Men on Earth Therefore you have no cause to say Where shall they reign c. But Thirdly What Cause had you to make this Supposition if this were at the beginning of the thousand Years Certainly no ground from these Texts nor any other and therefore you do by this subtilly deceive your Readers â—â—et 3.10 Pray mind once more the Text But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away Not in the beginning of which So that your Conclusion viz. That Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years falls to the ground See more in my Answer to the first Author's second Argument in my 4th Page Demonst 4 Upon Christ's Coming and Raising the Saints c. Then follows the Day of Judgment 2 Tim. 4.1 which is clearly set down in the Order of things to follow the thousand Years Rev. 20.11 to the end See p. 9 10. So that Christ's Coming to Judgment cannot be before but after the thousand Years Answer Your first Proposition I grant viz. That the Day of Judgment shall follow Christ's Coming and the Saints Resurrection c. But what you assert in the second place I deny and intreat you and every unbiassed Man to consider First Whether there be any thing like it in this Text â—ev 20. nay it 's so far from it that the very contrary is found evident therein First see 2 Tim. 4.1 Who shall judg the Quick and the Dead at his Appearing and his Kingdom and Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. gives us an Account of the Saints Resurrection and their reigning with Christ a thousand Years before this in the 11th Verse shall be accomplished And you confess herein and in your 10th Page That upon the first Resurrection viz. of the Just Christ will sit and judg his People So that 't is plain the Judgment-Day shall begin as you confess when Christ comes and hath raised his Saints which as I have already shewed will be at the beginning of the thousand Years and therefore Christ's Coming in Person will be before and not after the thousand Years See more in my Answer to the first Author's first Argument in my 2d Page and to his 4th and 5th Arguments of the 2d sort in my 20th and 21st Pages Demonst 5 Psal 110.1 Acts 3.21 Christ is to remain at God's Right-hand till his Enemies be made his Footstool But after the thousand Years Gog and Magog assault the Saints Rev. 20.8 9. Therefore he came not a thousand Years before while that Enemy was unsubdued Answer This Demonstration is much-what the same with the third Argument of the
first Author therefore my Answer to that in my 5th Page might suffice to which I refer you But I 'll add a few words because we have a little more in this The first Author both in his third Argument and again in his large Sheet tells us that it is expresly said in the Scripture That Christ shall continue and sit at the Right-hand of God till all his Enemies be made his Footstool or destroyed But he had that Policy in both these places not to tell us where 't was thus expressed fave as aforesaid But this hath told us where i.e. Psal 110.1 Acts 3.21 I suppose he means Acts 2.34 35. Which places I have well considered and find no such thing neither in Words nor Sense nor in any other place of Sacred Scripture True it is thus written The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my Right-hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool But not until I have made them so Now who is so weak that cannot see a Difference between these two words It 's well known the one viz. until I make speaks of a Work to be done and so respects the beginning of that Time when this must be set about The other viz. until I have made speaks of a Work done and so respects the end of Time Therefore consider how you have abused these Texts and led many an unwary Reader aside making this the Foundation to build this your Principle upon For you cannot but know that to Change Add or Take away from a Word but so much as one Letter quite alters and destroys the Sense as hath been told the Quakers in Print who are much guilty herein or at least their Advocate W. L. For that Instance in 1 Cor. 15.51 it 's said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed Leave out but the Letter C and then it must be read We shall all be hanged And the like in changing a Letter as might be shewed as you have now done in taking away K and putting in D instead of it and more than this in adding the word Be which you are forced to do or some such word of the same Sense or else you can make no Sense of it in the Reading And more yet in adding the word All as the first Author hath done and the Latter in effect If that Printer in King James's time was fined a thousand Pounds because the Particle Not was lest out of the Seventh Commandment What shall they be thought worthy of that both change in respect of Letter and add Words to what is written to the total Destruction of the true Sense thereof Read and fear what 's said Rev. 22.18 19. Object But possibly some may object and say Although the word Made be not in the Text cited yet 't is in Heb. 10.12 13. Answer True it is so but then pray mark 't is not here said He shall sit at the Right-hand of the Father till his Enemies be made his Footstool but thus This Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sat down on the Right-hand of God From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool Which alters the case For who is there but will grant this viz. his Expectation from that Day forward that such a Work shall be done and yet deny that he shall sit there till it be done for as he in Heaven so we on Earth expect this viz. that his and our Enemies shall be made his Footstool But what 's this to the Case in hand Ergo Your Conclusion That Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years or that he will not come a thousand Years before the subduing of Gog and Magog Rev. 20.8 9. is altogether false Demonst 6 Neither is Gog his last Enemy but Death is so called 1 Cor. 15.26 Therefore Christ's Coming is not till he comes to swallow up Death in Victory ver 54. in the Resurrection of the Saints See above Answer This Demonstration I grant in all the Parts or Branches of it except your Therefore First Your Antecedent That Gog is not the last Enemy but that Death is so called 1 Cor. 15. 2dly Your Consequence or Conclusion though not from these Premises Christ's Coming is not till he comes to swallow up Death in Victory in the ver 54. Resurrection of the Saints But now what 's this to the Question viz. That Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years You bid us see above and I refer you to the abovesaid Answers But I suppose here lies your Mistake as this Demonstration implies i. e. that you account Destruction and Victory both one thing and therefore you argue from the one viz. Destruction to the other viz. Victory A strange Mistake and as strange Arguing of a wise Man Do not all Men know that although sometimes they may go together yet they are two distinct things and very frequently go asunder viz. the Victory before the time of Destruction Instances hereof enough among Men might be produced if need were And 't is as true in this case 'T is well known our Lord himself got the Victory over Death when he rose from the dead yet did not then destroy Death so the Saints through Christ get the Victory over Death at their Resurrection yet Death shall not then to wit at that very instant be destroyed And our Apostle very wisely makes the Distinction in that 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25 26. and this very Verse viz. 54. He doth not say That at the Saints or first Resurrection shall be brought to pass the Saying O Death or O Grave I will be thy Destruction But that Saying Death is swallowed up in Victory And herein you greatly contradict your self in making these two one viz. Destruction and Victory or contemporary namely at the Resurrection of the Just or first Resurrection For in your 9th and 10th Pages you tell us The Wicked shall not be raised till after the Saints nay that many things shall pass or be done between the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust Now if this be true as I grant it is then by your own Grant Death will not be destroyed at the first Resurrection since it shall hold the rest down after that is past And this is evident from both Isaiah from whence the Apostle hath these words and from 1 Cor. 15. also Ergo I conclude from this your Demonstration or the Consequence thereof that since Christ shall come Personally at the first Resurrection and that will be as I have shewed at the beginning of the thousand Years that then the thousand Years are not before nor without but with his Personal Presence on Earth Thus much in answer to your Six Demonstrations A POSTSCRIPT READER this Treatise was wholly composed and designed for the Press some Years past as may be conceived by some Passages in the Epistle But for some Reasons of no necessity herein to be inserted came not forth till now and I hope may be as