Gentiles of Christians becoming Heathens is the head of the 1290 dayes and the possessing the outward Court and the Treading down of the Holy City is the head of the 42 Moneths and of the 1260 dayes 30 years after the former Thus much for the first place The other place is 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits Doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisy forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from meat This place shews how Jews should turn Gentiles and Christians become Heathens and also shews how the daily Sacrifice was taken away and so will be of great Use to help us in our inquiry after the time when this was done for when the Doctrine of Devils was taught and practised when there was a prohibition of Marriage and when there was a command to abstain from meats then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and the Abomination was set up which proved so desolating a thing to true Religion and to the People of God Now Mr. Mede's interpretation of the Doctrine of Devils rather Daemons is generally known and embraced coming with such evidence that it is not to be rejected this Doctrine of Daemons he concludes to be that which taught the worshipping of Saints departed wherein Christians turned Heathens for they symbolized with them herein it being the custom of the Heathens to deifie and worship their Heroes when dead who were a middle sort of Powers betwixt their sovereign Gods and Men being mediators betwixt them And like to these were the adored Saints among Christians whose Reliques were trusted-in as Powers defending their Cities as appears by some passages which he quotes out of Basil and Chrysostom and these he takes to be meant by the Mahuzzim or God of Forces Dan. 11.38 This kind of Idolatry began saith he after Julian the Reader may see more in his Apostacy of the latter-times Now God was no longer worshipped in truth when this Abomination came in of worshipping Saints and trusting to their Mediation and Intercession and making them Protectors God says My Glory of religious worship and of Christ's Mediation and Intercession I will not give to another If men do it they certainly in this do cast off the daily sacrifice even the true worship of God and besides there is no Abomination more desolating and destructive to true Religion than for men to usurp a Power to command things contrary to the Commands of God and to forbid what God allows as Marriage and Meats no more desolating Doctrine no more desolating Principle than this That Men may take upon them to make Laws about Worship and Matters of Religion when men think to mend God's Institutions and to make a better Religion then what God hath left us in his word this is the ready way to marr all and so take away the daily sacrifice and to set up that Abomniation which makes all desolate Now this I take to be the true Epocha 1290 viz. the time when Christians thus turned Heathens and the Doctrine of Daemons was taught and practised and then these desolating Abominations were set up In which the Apostle sets forth the Apostacy of the latter days and doubtless the Head of this Apostacy is the true Epocha of these Numbers 1290 and 1335 days Secondly Let us see what we can find in Ecclesiastical History of the fulfilling of these things foretold in the Scripture and when this Apostacy began so as that the true Worshippers had cause to take up the Psalmist's complaint O God the Heathen are come into thine Inheritance thy holy Temple have they defiled They are gotten into the outward Court and we fear they will drive all the Worshippers shortly thence and possess it wholly themselves and at length tread down the holy City also Now here I shall make use of some Collections of a late Author declaring when this Apostacy began which he makes the Epocha of the 1260 days this hath been the great mistake hitherto as I conceive from what hath been before laid down and we have great ground to conclude that what hath been pitcht upon for the Head of the 1260 days is indeed the Head of the 1290 days Now let us take the particulars of the Apostacy in that order in which the Apostle gives them to us 1. He saith in the general Some shall depart from the Faith some Sayings of Augustine are mentioned which shew a great departure from the Faith in his time As we who are called Christians do not believe in Peter but in him in whom Peter believed This doth intimate that some pretending to be Peter's Successors did begin to claim such a power and Right as this And what greater departing from the Faith than to come to this to believe in men And again reprehending the Popes arrogancy who suffered themselves to be called Gods He saith he that would seem to be God when he is man doth not imitate him who when he was God for our sakes was made man is not this a departing from the Faith Again saith he the Catholick Faith believes Heaven to be the first place the second Hell as for a third we are wholly ignorant neither is it found in Scripture this intimates a departing from the Faith in this thing Again good works do not precede Justification but follow the justified this also intimates a departing from the Faith when an opinion of Justification by Works began to be taken up This was about the year 393. that he wrote thus And about 393. began Humane Traditions to grow into request and a Monkish Life which was conceived to be a meritorious thing and that thereby men might be freed from Hell and obtain a true certain and plentiful hope of eternal Life Epiphan Contra haeres saith Among many other things shewing the great Defection A. 396. whence is this image-Image-worship and the Design of the Devil Men introduce Images to be worshipped having the Mind adulterated from the One and onely God 2. For the second thing The Doctrine of Daemons and of saint-Saint-worship touching this a saying of Epiphanius is mentioned The Body of Mary was truly holy but not God her-self was indeed a Virgin and to be honoured but not given us that we should worship her she her self was worshipping him who was born of her self We may be sure of this that he observed Divine Honour to be given to her which was the occasion of his writing thus A Saying of Augustine also is mentioned to this purpose It is not our Religion to worship dead Men they are honoured for our imitation-sake but are not to be worshipped for the sake of Religion nor are we to Consecrate Temples to them for they will not be so honoured of us Now that of Epiphanius is referred to A. D. 396. as the other to 399. This shews that the Doctrine of Daemons was then taught and had too much
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
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