it and for the familiarity into which Christ will entertain all his as there he entertain'd the Nobles of Israel though not for the terrour of it Secondly as outwardly priviledges and advantages may consist with so they all shall be added and annexed to this Kingdom and shall serve and Minister in it This is so express that it is asserted by our Saviour in totidem verbis in two of the Evangelists Mat. 6.33 Luk. 12.31 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you And in how full a stream the Prophets of the old Testament are found to concur and joyn I need not acquaint you Sir nor such as you are diligent perusers of the Scriptures And if those places in the Evangelists do only promise and secure to us things that we need as to some by the words foregoing v. 32. They may seem to be restrained yet the Prophets speak of a freer dispensation in the end the places are too many and frequent to need quoting And if any shall say those things are to be understood spiritually I say spirituality is the intern form and Essence of this Kingdom but that which is added to this must be something else otherwise why is it said to be added And if the Scripture hath no where restrained the sense and meaning of these expressions to a meer spiritual nature and import by what authority may we presume to be so Magisterial as to impose such a sense and interpretation upon them against not the sence and interpretation only of others and perhaps men as spiritual as our selves but against the express voice of the Scriptures as to instance in some places Psal 67. where this glorious state of Christs Kingdom on Earth is Prophetically celebrated when his way shall be known upon Earth not in Heaven only and his saving health among all Nations not the Jews only as then or in Christendom as now when all the people shall praise him then it is said the earth shall yield her increase and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Now will it not be a violent suppression and muzling the Scripture to understand this of the Earth yielding her Increase meerly spiritually and mystically so Esa 65.16 He that blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth Shall we take this Earth of Spiritual things or rather is it not to declare to us the spiritual use and enjoyment that we shall have of Earthly blessings in that day which denies not nor takes away the Vse of them but rectifies it according to a third Scripture Esa 62.8.9 The Lord hath Sworn by his right hand and by the Arm of his Strength Surely I will no more give thy Corn to be meat for thine Enemies and the Sons of the strangers shall not drink thy Wine for which thou hast laboured but they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the Courts of my Holyness as Israel was required to bring their special offerings as in liew of the whole and to eat and drink and rejoyce before the Lord under the Law So Zach. 9. last How great is his goodness and how great is his Beauty Corn shall make the young Men chearful and new Wine the Maids and Mal. 3.10 Bring ye all the Tithes into the Store-house that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it And I will rebuke the Devourer for your sake and he shall not destroy the Fruits of your ground neither shall your Vine cast her Fruit in the Field c. and if you say these are antiquated promises to the Jews I answer they hold to the worlds end and the last times of Christs Kingdom as they shall excell those past times in spiritual glory so they shall not come short of them in those outward promises We live upon the terms of the New Covenant as delivered by the Prophets to the Jews and that very New Covenant Jer. 31. is yet to give down its milk more freely then ever it hath done and see what is said of Israel when they return and it shall be made good to the whole Israel of God Gentiles as well as Jews They shall Sing in the heights of Sion and flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine and for Oyle and for the young of the flock and of the herd Jer. 31.12 Now how great confidence is required in that man that shall restrain these Scriptures to a spiritual meaning only I must confess it must be much greater then is with me Besides many others that might be alleadged from Esa 65. as promises of long life of planting Vineyards and building houses and long enjoying the works of their hands yea Esa 30.23.24 not only to Israel is promised their bread shall be fat and plenteous but that in that day Their Cattel shall feed in large Pastures the Oxen likewise and the young Asses that ear the ground shall eat clean Provender winnowed with the shovel and with the fan and the enmity of the Bruit creatures shall cease I dare not for a world say these things are meerly mystical and allegorical Sir I heartily close with you that the spirit of the Kingdom stands not in any nor in all these put together but in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but that all outward blessings are as the body the image the cloathing of this beautiful inward form and life is what I verily hope and believe If the particulars as already alleaged appear not of that force give me so much patience while I recollect them and give you a brief Synopsis of them together adding some other particulars to them whereby it may appear that so far is the Kingdom of Christ from not having in it any thing at all of worldly concernment that the whole Creation the World All the Kingdoms of the world will be found to be the concern of it till all be brought at last to lye in the Armes Bosom and Embraces of it as the whole World hath lain in the wicked one as it is govern'd influenced and mannaged by him Therefore is this Kingdom of Christ deservedly called 1. A New Creation not only Mystically and Radically or Seminally as in the present state of Faith and Suffering but manifestly and explicitely as grown up or risen into its own body and proper appearance Rev. 21.1.5 where we have the entireness of this Creation expresly recognized by the two constitutive parts of it a new Heaven and a new Earth can any thing be fuller And these words are true and faithful 2. This new Creation is a World and is so called Heb. 2.5 The world to come 3. This world
is a Kingdom Daniel 7.27 And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High This promise comes in upon the dissolution of the fourth and last Monarchy both East and West The little Horn that riseth after the Ten being the Turk and therefore did not the very express terms and circumstances in the Text decide it the Time the Place the order of Succession would carry it to be a vissible and powerful Kingdom to be exercised here on Earth The very notion of a Kingdom imports a collection a panoplia of all delights but when it is said the Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven it imports an Vniversal Monarchy or the Monarchy of the Universe whereof the four precedent Monarchies were but improperly so called by a Synecdoche and this Universal Monarchy to be most absolute most full most perfect for all felicity and abundance otherwise it could not invite and unite all the Earth as it shall do for the Kings shall bring their glory into it it shall be set in the top of the Mountains many Nations shall say come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and they shall find themselves at rest here and therefore is the reign of the Lord Jesus celebrated with such joy by the Spirit of Prophesy Psal 96. The heavens and the earth and the Sea and the Fields and the Trees of the Wood are called upon to rejoyce and sing and so in the next Psal 97. The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof so that as there shall be Righteousness Peace and Joy Heavenly and Divine within which is the whole substratum of your model of Christs Kingdom so over above and besides this shall righteousness likewise dwell in this new earth and shall fill all the administrations of this new World and the Kingdoms thereof and Peace as the work of this righteousness and Joy as the fruit of all these are the Mystical flowers and fruits that shall adorn this new state of things when the Winter of the Militant and suffering state is over and gone 4. This Kingdom contains in it and under it All the Kingdoms of this World Rev. 11.15 Possibly not all at first but only the Kingdoms of the fourth Monarchy both East and West but in the process of it it shall reap and gather in all the rest for the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish Esa 60.12 Yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted the whole Chapter is of it and in the last Chapter of that Prophesy we are made acquainted with one means how this shall be brought about vers 19. where the Lord saith I will set a * And what difference between a Signo Digito monstrari dicier hic est Sign among them and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the Bow to Tubal and Javan and to the Isles afar off that have not heard my Fame neither have seen my Glory and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles He had said before vers 15. Behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Then they that escape of these judgments shall be sent to the Nations who shall be armed and instructed not only with the Gospel of tydings of Christs first appearance but with the tydings of his second appearance and shall declare unto them what Christ hath done to the fourth Monarchy utterly consuming it and making it as the chaff of the Summer threshing floor to be carried away with the wind for ever for there will the judgment begin and this Embassy will prevail with many and those that stand out must expect the like severity and to be broken in pieces with the Rod of Iron as a Potters Vessel is broken to Shivers This is no mystical business no more then the destruction of Jerusalem was of old by Titus and Vespatian nor then the destruction of Heathenism was under the Sixth Seal Now if Christs Kingdom shall do all this and yet not concern it self with the world I much marvel 5. But this will be yet more clear if we consider in the next place that this time of Christ's coming is called the times of refreshing and Restitution of all things and if all things shall be restored then as the Apostle argues on the like universal Term. There is nothing excepted there is a dissolution is first to pass and that is upon an all too seeing all these things shall be dissolved saith the Apostle Peter but the work of Christ rests not there for nevertheless we according to his promise look for a new Heaven and a new Earth the restitution shall be as larg a restitution of all things where by the way we may learn that the new Heavens and Earth are the same Heaven and Earth new cast as I may say to which the word dissolution doth point as Plate that is melted down and cast in a new Mould and takes a new form and therefore it is called a restitution to its Pristine beauty integrity and innocency though I conceive the pattern to which it shall be restored is the pattern in a higher mount than Paradice even that mount where corruption never entred nor can enter for it is said as is the Earthly such are they that are Earthly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly and as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15.48.49 Which is a glory far superior to the glory of the terrestrial Adam and that state of things which was Mutable and corruptible at the best and therefore if this renovation were but the restoring all things to that state it could not properly be said That it were new for Solomon saith nothing is new that hath been of time before Now when and how this great change shall be the Apostle tells us ver 53. when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality 6. That which yet farther strengthens this is The Redemption of our Body which the Apostle saith the most spiritual Believers even notwithstanding their being possest of the first fruits of the Spirit yet even they groaning within themselves do wait for Rom. 8.23 and this the Apostle calls the Adoption Adoption is of Strangers whereby the Apostle intimates that till the body be redeemed we are as Strangers or in a Strange form and appearance not like the Sons of God as John saith 1 Joh. 3.1.2 Therefore we see Christ at
delights in the Body or Image of its manifestation without waits for it and is perfected in it for though it be said my strength is perfected in weakness yet it rests not till it hath removed weakness and therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13 4. though now we are weak in him yet we shall live by the power of God towards you We shall have a time to shine and be acknowledged a time to appear what now we do not Otherwise this bodily and visible Creation were in vain 1 Cor. 14.2.14 and as the Apostle speaks of speaking in unknown Tongues in the Spirit they speak Mysteries but their understanding was unfruitful so hero even Christ should in vain take flesh and in vain retain human nature and form in glory Nay he is not glorified in his human nature if his Members shall not therein be glorified likewise with him Do we suffer in our bodies and in our outward circumstances suffer with Christ and suffer for Christ and shall we not in the same be glorified together was the Earth made in vain to be only the range of wild Beasts was it not made to be inhabited and planted with righteousness and for the will of God to be done in it and will you call this an outward Kingdom and inconsistent with spirituality because it is visible and the object of sence Are we not fain in the present state to abstract from our bodies our sences when we would converse with Divine things as the Prophets that were in Trances when in the visions of God is not this through the weakness of the Vessel and is it not the glory of God and the happiness of Man when this shall be done away When also there shall be no pricking Bryar nor grieving Thorn no Persecution no oppression no wants no sickness nor pain do not these much hinder us from bringing forth those delicious fruits of Praise which we shall abound in when these are removed Sir I wonder that a person as you are that are not only acquainted with the Theory of what I speak but the experience that have suffered under the finest and most refined formes of this old World and their unrighteous usurpation in the things of God of which I perceive you have a quick sence still remaining with you that your ears should be so heavy to the News of a New World Were it a cunning devised Fable an officious Lye to deceive the pain of the present circumstances I should commend your high resolution not to be beholden to such collusions or were we in a hasty spirit of wrath and reveng calling for fire from Heaven upon our Persecutors you would be justified if you should tell us we know not what spirit we are of But when it is not our device but Gods revealed Counsel and design It is not our ease but his glory that is chiefly concern'd herein pray let us not be wiser then he nor more free of his glory and our own sufferings then he himself is pleased to be LET GOD HAVE A KINGDOM AMONG MEN. Give it not away to Satan to Antichrist they have had it long enough Is it not said for thy Glory All things are and were Created Is not his Name blasphemed continually every day while they that Rule over his people make them to howl Is this all the Kingdom God shall be allowed in the world to be glorified in the faith and patience of his suffering Saints Doth not the Apostle say It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us c. Contend for spirituality as much as you will I shall joyn with you There is need enough so to do but oppose not the visibility the universality of Christs Kingdom who must be King over all the Earth known and acknowledged by all Zach. 14.9 And whereas you say towards the end of your Book That this expectation savours too strongly of the spirit of the old persecuting Jew who through the expectation of such a glorious Messiah rejected the Messiah in that tender he made of himself and Crucified him I hope Sir you intend not hereby to cashiere and cut off that people from their part in the glorious state of that Kingdom who if they had not particuler promises and assurances of a special regard to them in the turn of things that God will make in that day and that they were not to be an eminent and signal instance of the irresistable power and prevalency of the rich free and boundless grace of God as I am well satisfied they are from the 11th to the Romans and multitudes of other places yet for the universality of this Council of grace which is to take in the whole Earth they must upon that account be allowed to come in for their share with the rest of the Nations Their error was that they overlook't the Testimony of the Prophets yea of the spirit of the Messiah himself in the Prophets that testified before hand of the sufferings of Christ and of the glory that should follow they were not mistaken in expecting a glorious Messiah but in expecting him out of the order and time that God had set for it but now that Christ hath suffered yea and his Body mystical hath fill'd up the measure of his suffering in themselves under the 42 months of the Beast if we deny him his Kingdom shall we not not only persecute him but all his members likewise worse then the Jews did You say in the entrance upon this argument you would not be concluded as a meer stranger to the nature and circumstances of this controversie having read Mr. Brightman and Mr. Mede but found them defective Sir I have that charity for Philalethes according to the Import of his name and for the long experience and acquaintance I have had with him that he would not prevaricate with his light nor speak or write against the least truth he was convinced of But Sir you are not ignorant that though truth be eternal in its spring-head in God yet in respect of its discovery to us it is the daughter of time there are seasons for all truths to come forth into the world there was so for the Gospel 1 Tit. 2.3 Mr. Brightman lived and died remoter from the times of this light Mr. Mede who lived nearer to them saw farther But besides Sir there is as in one place of your Book pag. 65. you express a certain Divine position and configuration of minds as well as things that disposeth or indisposeth them for some truths and therefore considering this position and configuration in Mr. Mede who was alwaies in his opinion for conformity and for the Hierarchy in the Church it is to be admired that he should engage so far as he did in this cause of Christ's glorious Kingdom on earth and it adds no small weight to the evidence of that truth that against the