shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26 27. yet in my flesh shall I see God my eyes shall behold him this was the comfort of Jobs knowledge that he knew that Christ was his Redeemer O man or whoever thou art that readest what doth thy Soul say to this canst thou say as Job said hath Christ given thee an entrance into his everlasting Kingdom of Grace believe it otherwise this truth will afford thee little comfort he doth not say A Redeemer or THE Redeemer but MY Redeemer and this Redeemer shall stand upon the earth yea saith he mine eyes shall behold him for our vile bodies shall not be taken away from us at Christs appearance but as Paul saith they shall be changed and made like unto his glorious body And now we come to the 2. Psalm where you have a plain demonstration of Christ and his Kingdom vers. 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion as sure as ever this was performed in his state of Humiliation so shall it surely be accomplished in his Exaltation Acts 4.25 yet this Psalm doth more particularly point at his Exaltation when he shall come the second time without sin unto salvation for it is said in the 9. verse Thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron agreeing to that which is said in another place By the breath of his mouth he shall slay the wicked yea we finde sometimes that God hath so revealed this truth in his word that it cannot well be understood spiritually unlesse we will turn Scriptures into Allegories as in Psalm 47. where the very Translators or Expositors of the Bible have helped us with this Exposition The Nations are exhorted cheerfully to entertain the kingdom of Christ In the 2. verse it is said He is terrible and a great King over all the earth whereas Christ as he is King to his people he is the Prince of peace Isa. 9.6 but see the work that this King is to do in v. 3. He shall subdue the people under us and the Nations under our feet this will be more especially done at his second glorious appearing agreeing to that in Dan 12.1 And another thing that you may take notice of in the Psalm is in v. 9. where he saith The Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham By Princes here I understand the Saints of God for they are made Kings and Priests by Christ unto God the Father as the Apostle saith If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3.29 that it is spoken of the Saints that shall rule and reign with Christ as Princes you may see in Isa. 32.1 Behold a King shall reign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgement Second verse and a man shall be as an hiding place from the winde and a covert from the Tempest this is the Man Christ Jesus born of the Virgin Marie crucified dead and buried and ascended for as he suffered as God-man in the earth so he shall be exalted as God man upon the earth witness his own words who is truth it self Mark 13.26 And they shall see the Son of man coming in the Clouds with great power and glory Christ so coming as he is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham Now the place whereunto he shall gather all his people it is said to be the excellency of Jacob which is in the Land of Canaan The next Psalm that speaks of this truth is 67. 4. O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy why what is the matter it follows For thou shalt judge the people righteously and lead the Nations upon earth It cannot be denied but that Christ doth govern and dispose of all things now but this points at his very personal being as God-man upon the earth vers. 6. Then shall the earth yield her increase I cannot believe that the earth doth now yield the same increase that it did before the fall of Adam but certainly God will make the earth as glorious for the second Adam as ever he did for the first You have also a plain Prophesie of his Kingdom Psalm 72. But I passe to the second of Isaiah in the second verse And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be exalted in the top of the Mountains agreeing to that in the fourth of Micah the first The Scripture maketh a difference between the latter dayes and the last dayes Christ saith As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the coming of the Son of Man Object But is not Christs second coming called the judgement of the great day as in the sixth of Jude where then is any room for dayes I answer that this day of judgement may as well be taken for the thousand years rule of Christ as for one days and the Scripture doth bear witnesse that there is no difference as to God second of Peter the third and eighth verse One day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day in the fourth verse And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people Here he is brought in performing his Kingly office upon the Throne of his father David amongst the Nations the glorious effects of this his Kingdom you have in Isa. 35. The whole Chapter is a most glorious Prophesie of the Kingdom of Christ not onely internally in the spirit of his people but also externally in the world Object Was not this already performed when Christ came in the flesh when the deaf did hear and the blind see and the lame leap Answ. Though the Prophesie hath a special eye unto that time and was specially fulfilled then yet it reacheth unto a higher dispensation as will appear if we consider the 8th verse and the 10th verse in the 8th verse it is said And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called The way of holinesse I know not the like expression again in all the Scripture where the way of holinesse is called an high-way I do believe that when Christ spake of the straight way and narrow Gate that leadeth unto life that he meant the way of holinesse now we know that an high way it is a broad way and a plain way and yet rightly considered they do not oppose each other for while the Prince of the power of the aire which is the Devil doth rule and bear sway in the world he as all other Kings have hath his high way which is the high way of sin error and profanesse and there are multitudes that are found galloping in this way but the way of holinesse is so strait that he that walks in that way must walk alone but when Christ cometh and shall be King over all the earth then shall be fulfilled that saying of the
that he beares unto his people by his Spirit and that is a witness that he holds forth by his Spirit unto their spirits that they are the children of God Rom. 8.16 Secondly he is called the first begotten of the dead as the Apostle argues it in 1 Cor. 15.21 For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead and in verse 22 he speaks of Christ as being the first fruits agreeing to that in Col. 1.18 where he is called the first born from the dead Thirdly he is called the Prince of the kings of the earth and this very manifest in Scripture he is often called the King of kings and Lord of lords But I shall speak something of that which he delivered to the Pharisees Mat 22.49 If David then call him Lord how is he his son It was the question that Christ put unto the Pharisees What saith he think ye of Christ whose Son is he And they answered him The Son of David How then saith Christ doth David call him Lord as in Psalm 110.1 So that by this it doth appear that Christ is both Davids Lord and Davids Son he is Davids Lord not onely as he is Lord of Heaven and Earth but also as he is King of kings and Lord of lords And thus he is Davids Lord and Davids Prince as well as Nero's Prince or any other wicked Prince that ever was upon the Earth Again he is Davids Lord in respect that he shall sit upon David's Throne and this is that which David by faith did foresee and that which is promised Christ in Luk. 1.31 32 33. Now I hope that there is none that will deny that Christ is the Son of David for taking upon him our sins he must of necessity take upon him our body a body hast thou prepared me And thus he was in all things like unto us sin onely excepted and that the Scripture might be fulfilled he is born of a Virgin Isa. 7.14 compared with Mat. 1.23 I am perswaded in my very conscience that the clearing up of the birth of Jesus Christ with his personal appearance in the flesh to suffer and dye for sinners together with his personal appearance in glory hereafter will be the Doctrine that God will make effectual in order unto the conversion of the Jews for I understand that herein lyeth their blindness which was also in their forefathers an expectation of the Messiah in a state of glory but what saith Christ unto this O fools and slow of heart to believe ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to have entered into his glory Luk. 24.25 so that the very foundation of Christs exaltation lieth and consisteth in his humiliation because he was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief therefore shall he come in the glory of his Father and in the glory of his holy Angels This Truth is farther confirmed from Rev. 2.26 He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations even as I have received of my Father Psal. 2.9 The saints as the Scripture speaks are Heirs joynt Heirs yea co-Heirs with Jesus Christ and therefore he having received of God the Father to have power over the Nations he will give the same power over the Nations unto his saints that do overcome and as he did overcome Sin Death Satan and the World and is now set down in his Fathers Throne so also he hath a Throne even the Throne of his father David that he will give his overcoming Saints to sit down upon with him Rev. 3.21 In Rev 11.15 it is thus written And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great Voices in heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ from hence it is very plain that they are the Kingdoms of this world which shall be given unto Jesus Christ And the devil that red Dragon that devouring Lyon that old Serpent did know full well of this when he came to tempt Christ for after that he had failed twice he comes in the third temptation with this All the Kingdoms of this world will I give thee and the glory of them so thou wilt but fall down and worship before me Mat. 4.8 9 he knew it with a witness from the very first promise that God gave unto fallen man The seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpents which is Christ born of the Virgin Mary and manifested to destroy the works of the devil Object Whereas you speak here of a thousand years reign it is said in this verse That he shall reign for ever and ever I answer I do believe that a thousand years is a Type of perfection and therefore we cannot read of any of the sons of Adam that God did suffer to live a thousand yeers to demonstrate unto man that there is no persection here in this life but then see the limitation that this word Ever hath in Scripture in Psal. 72.17 it is for ever as long as the sun But let us take a little notice how the Nations will take this it is said They were angry vers. 18. so that while the Saints are praising and rejoycing before God with great admitation in the enjoyment of this salvation the Nations will be sretting and vexing to see what is come to pass for thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged all Christs implacable impenitent Enemies do but heap up wrath against this day of wrath for this will be a day of Judgement wherein Christ will give to every man according to his works yea God will have an account of the very carth which he hath let out unto the sons and daughters of Adam for it is said He will destroy them which destroy the earth And certainly this is that the Church of Christ is now in pain for and crying travelling to be delivered even of this Man child who shall rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron Rev. 125. and that because of that great joy which they will receive when Christ is exalted for the Saints they are such as love the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 For when he shall come in flaming fire unto his Enemies he shall be with his people as a Lamb And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion here is fulfilled that Prophesie in Psal. 2. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion so that he will be both King and Lamb upon mount Zion Mount Zion as it is written shall be exalted above all mountains and the Name of Jesus upon this exalted mountain shall be exalted above every Name and then shall the Saints of God sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Rev. 15.3
Zeph. 3.14 Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all the heart O daughter of Ierusalem Now see the reason why The Lord hath taken away thy judgements and then thou shalt not see evil any more O how beautiful upon the Mountains should the feet of such publishers be that would say unto Zion Thy God reigneth Isaiah 52.7 Then shall the Saints of the Lord sing that song which none shall learn but onely those who are redeemed from the earth and from amongst men Rev. 14.4 Then shall Mount Zion sing Zech. 2.10 Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord And many nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people Verse 12. The Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land and shall chuse Jerusalem again There will be such abundance of light in the latter days that the Nations shall be able to see and to distinguish between the Bride and the Whore the false Church and the true Church the house of God and Babylon that shall be made the Cage of every unclean and filthy bird even when the Gentiles shall come to the light of the Jews which shall be as life from the dead Rom. 11.15 for as sure as ever the Lord hath cast them off so surely will he receive them again but Oh the dreadfull work that the Lord must make in the earth before he shall have accomplished his designes unto his people and for this he hath appointed a day and Oh that Saints and Sinners would take notice of it Mal. 4.1 For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord Agreeing unto this is that Prophesie in Isa. 2.12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And in vers. 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idols of silver and his Idols of gold which they made to the Moles and to the Bats All which may certifie us of a notable fiery day of Tryal which will come before the great day of Christ And truely here I may justly take up a deep Lamentation in the Consideration of that abundance of pride and wickedness which doth abound not onely amongst the common profane of the world but also amongst Professors themselves this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation O how few have kept their first love and such as are in the day of their first Espousals if they be not very watchful will be caried away with the stream amongst Professors that have cooled in their first love certainly therefore it is a time for such as fear the Lord to be thinking upon his dishonoured Name for unto such as fear his Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings Thus far there hath been onely treated of this Kingdom from the Old Testament Prophesies I shall come now to some New Testament Scriptures wherein it is as clearly affirmed From Mat. 25.31 it is thus written When the Son of man shall come in his glory then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and in the 34 verse Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand By the man Christ Jesus the Son of David the Son of Abraham God will judge the world yea and so judge them as he is a King or elâ—e what Kingdom shall he have to deliver up unto God the Father Then cometh the end saith the Apostle when he shall have delivered up the kingdom unto the Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25. Mat. 2.2 Mark 13.26 Luk. 1.32 there God makes a promise unto Mary by the Angel that that child Jesus which was in her womb should sit upon the Throne of his Father David which is to rule and reign over the house of Jacob as it followeth in the 33 vers. And in order unto this he shall so come from Heaven as he ascended up into Heaven Now there is none that will deny this but such as will deny Christ and Scripture too that he did ascend with the same body with which he did arise this is his own testimony of his second coming when he saith Then shall ye see the Son of man coming Act. 1.9 10 11 but until that time the Heavens must receive him which will be the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3.21 2 Tim. 4.1 Paul doth charge Timothy upon the account of the appearing and Kingdom of Christ to be faithful in the work of his Ministry so that Christ as he is King and in his Kingdom shall judge both the quick and the dead but when Christ shall give up this Kingdom unto God the Father wch he shall do 1 Cor. 15. then saith Christ to his Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid And thus God the Father shall be all in all the Saints shall come into the Fathers Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father Luk. 12.32 It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom and this is a Kingdom which was prepared for them from before the foundations of the world were laid so that the Saints of God besides that Kingdom that they shall have upon the foundation of the world shall have a Kingdom prepared for them from before the foundation of the world was laid which is a house eternal in the Heavens Amongst the twelve chosen Apostles of Jesus Christ John was the beloved Disciple who lay in the bosom of Christ and therefore he did deeply share in afflictions for Christ and being banished into the Isle of Patmos there he had the glorious things that do belong unto this Kingdom opened unto him it is the Revelation which God the Father gave unto Christ and Christ by his Angel revealed unto John I John saith he in the ninth verse who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of of us Christ John and the Saints that he did write unto were travelling towards this Kingdom yea and they were in the way too and that was through many tribulations You have in the third verse a blessing pronounced upon him that readeth and they that hear and keep the things which are written in this Prophesie that is keep up the testimony of them and the power of them being manifested in their lives and conversations Now see those sweet Motto's that he gives to Christ in the fifth verse First he is the fathful witness and that in respect of that witness that he did hold forth in the world to his Fithers glory And Secondly in respect of that witness
because we do not walk as becomes the truth but God hath promised and we do believe it that the Redeemer shall come out of Zion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.26 And then the inhabitants shall not say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their inquity Isa. 33.24 Oh how greatly now is Unity to be desired amongst the Saints Truly I have for a long time been running to and fro and now I will give you the report of all but I may truly say All seek their own and none the things of Jesus Christ yea even the Saints themselves in their several Forms are so zealous about shadows and are not so careful in the substantial commands of Jesus Christ that as for poor Way-faring souls they may cry out and say Lord where are thy Disciples which are to be known by their love one to another but may also come upon Jesus Christ again and say Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest VVell let the way-faring man be encouraged and let the lambs of Jesus Christ be comforted for yet a little while and there shall be but one Shepherd andone sheepsold and in the mean time see that ye are walking in the way that ye should go even in the way of holiness wherein the way-faring-man though a fool shall not err but be seeking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward And Oh that the Lord would put it into the hearts of his people according to that Isa. 57.14 Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people Surely if ye did but know how the mouths of the wicked are opened against you all you would quickly shut your mouths that ye have so opened one against another There are many I fear that are ready to say with the fool in his heart There is no God but it were to be wished that the people of God would continually remember this that whatever comes to pass it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled if a Judas betray Christ it is because the Scripture might be fulfilled Act. 1.16 compared with Psa. 44.9 If perillous times come wherein men shall be lovers of themselves covetous and the like if because iniquiâ—y shall abound the love of many shall wax cold or if we should see one servant smiting his fellow-servant or eating and drinking building and planting which so abound in our dayes in the excess of them come what will come we may say of all The Scriptures must needs be fulfilled and herein is to be admired the faithfulness truth of Him who is Truth it self who hath fore-told us all things that shall come to pass unto his second coming If many should come in His Name saying I am Christ it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled but believe it Christian whoever thou art no true Christ comes until Jesus comes who shall come in the glory of his Father and of his holy Angels So that thou shalt not need to follow Lo here or lo there for if thou art indeed a Christian one that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God thou shalt appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 Again it is written That he shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather together his Elect from the four windes that so the prayer of Jesus Christ may be fulfilled upon all his servants Father I will that they also which thou hast given me be with me where I am Joh. 27.24 Wherefore as the Apostle faith comfort one another with these words and certainly hereby will the saints be distinguished in the latter dayes from all others Because that when such as are but men shall have their hearts fail them in the sight of those Judgements Earthquakes Famines and Pestilences which shall come upon the earth then shall the Saints of the most High lift up their heâ—ds as knowing that their Redemption draweth nigh Unto which duty I will also resolve in the strength and Spirit of the Lord with the Prophet In Isa. 61.10 11. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with jewels For as the earth bringeth forth her bud and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause Righteousness and Praise to spring forth before all the Nations HOSANNA unto David's Son The Lords anointed One Who shall have the Dominion Upon his Father's Throne Triumph and shout O heavens high And let the earth rejoyce For why with Might and Majesty He shall lift up his voyce O let the Bride prepare her self Against this Marriage-day When Christ shall bring his saving health Unto his Saints for aye Let Sinners come and now fall down And worship at his feet For he alone shall have the Crown When his with him shall meet Before his golden Scepter fall Then know assuredly His Iron Red you shall not feel With grief and misery His bleeding wounds out-stretched arms And yearning bowels sure Run towards you that from all harms You might alwayes endure He is the sure Foundation-stone JEHOVAH'S Treasury He is the choice and lovely One Unto the faithful eye He is true Wisdom for the fool The sure and certain way Meat Drink and Cloathing to the Soul That trusts in him alway He is the first and eke the last Was dead and is alive And lives for aye O then to Christ All honour glory give If to the Father thou wouldst go He is the onely door O strive to enter in why so Few shall then strive the more If unto God an Offering Thou wouldst put up for sin It 's Christ our Priest hath done the thing Our sins were laid on him A Prophet to his Saints is he A King to Rule and Reign King Priest and Prophet thou may'st be Thy Title hee 'l maintain Acquaint thy self now with the Lord His Name and dwelling Place Be guided by his Spirit and Word Till thou hast run thy Race O Virgins know both Fools and Wise The Bridegroom is at hand He comes he comes let this suffice But who with him may stand It 's he that walketh rightecusly And speaketh full upright As for deceit he sets it by From evil shuts his sight His dwelling place shall be on high His bread and water sure His eyes shall see the Kings glory Injoy for to endure What blameless ones ought we to be That know he will appear From worldly cares Lord set us free Remaining in thy fear O let the glory of this day So dwell upon our Minde That we may forward press alway Forgetting what 's behinde And let the Nations Know O Lord Thou wilt thy right maintain Unto the Heathen send this word That JESUS