THE Near Aproach of CHRIST's KINGDOM Clearly proved by Scripture With a certain Account of the Signs of the present Times relating thereto As also That the Conversion and Restauration of Israel will be after the Lord's coming That after the Lord 's coming most of the great Plagues mentioned in the Revelations will be poured out upon the Earth and the Wicked That the Beast and the False Prophet will be then taken alive That all the Christians that came in by Christ of the Gentile Race were termed Heathens in the Old Testament And that the Law and Gospel speaks but to them that are under it That after the Fiery Tempest the Heavens and Earth will be renew'd and all things restored as in the beginning LONDON Printed for M. M. and are to be sold by Tho. Fabian at the lower end of Cheapside in Mercers Chapel And divers other Booksellers about London 1696. Advertisement The most material points that we are in controversie about are already answered which Books are to be sold at the same Booksellers and of a small price that thereby they may be the easier had by all There will other Books come forth in a short time so as by Gods assistance all the disputable places and most of the figurative speeches will be by the word it self fully and clearly explained ERRATA Page 48. l. 27. from the top r. 1 Pet. 4.12 TO THE KING AND Parliament THIS Treatise giving an Account of the Certain Signs of the Times and the near approach of the coming of the Lord is humbly presented That they may know what God is going about to do so as to prepare for the coming of Christ 'T is therefore most humbly hoped our most Gracious King with the Great Council of the Nation who have so wonderfully appeared for the Defence of the Protestant Religion may be further instrumental to the Glory of God in encouraging the knowledge of the Truths herein contained God grant His Majesty to be a Blessing to the Nations till the Lord comes TO THE READER Christian Reader WHEN I heard of those often repeated Earthquakes the like whereof the World never produced and that it is according to the Word of the Lord that there should be Earthquakes in divers places with distress of Nations c. when these things come to pass the Lord hath bidden such as have an Interest in him then to look up and to lift up their heads for their Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21 28. The thoughts of which set me on a fervent longing desire for the coming of the Lord and drew out my heart in more ardent desires after him whereupon I took to the Lord's direction resolving to search the Scriptures with more diligence than ever I had done the which I no sooner had performed but I found the certainty of the coming of the Lord and that it was very nigh at hand but still I was to seek how and in what manner for I could then no ways make the Old and New Testament agree neither did I then rightly understand any of the figurative speeches and finding it too hard for me I was much troubled thereat but as I had taken to the Lords direction in the search of the Scripture whereby I came to the assured knowledge of his coming so I also would according to the advice therein seek to the Lord for knowledge to understand the secrets therein contained as Prov. 2.3 4 5 6. for he is the wonderful Counsellor and the mighty God Isa 9.6 The which when I so did the Lord more and more inlightened my understanding in his Word So as I do wholly acknowledge the discovery of these great and hidden Mysteries was from the Lord and attained according to the way directed in his Word which is by prayer and diligence This small Treatise being an Essay containeth the plain Heads easie to the apprehension of any that thereby all these great things might the better be registred in their memory so as to sink down upon the heart The other Book being somewhat more difficult for them to understand that are not well vers'd in the Word and understand not the way of Scripture speaking For therein is most of the figurative speeches opened by the Key of the Word that is by joyning Scripture to Scripture and in not leaving any other Scriptures to contradict what is said whereby the true meaning of the Word is clearly explained But these great Mysteries were to remain a secret to the time of the end according to the Word of the Lord in Daniel chap. 12.4 And in Zech. 14.7 It is said It shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light And in that God has made choice of so weak an Instrument it is that his power might the more eminently appear therein and that the Infinite God hath now at this evening time caused the true meaning of his Word to be discovered it is an infallible Sign of the certain near approach of the coming of the Lord for whose coming if we prepare we shall be certainly happy but if you will put the day far off it will then come on you as a snare Luke ch 21. v. 34 35. in which you will be destroyed but if you will be as earnest with God for your selves and so continue as I have been earnest with the Almighty for the generality of you all I make no question but you will be for ever blessed for if we will not be wanting to our selves God will not be wanting to us Now that we and the generality of the Christian World would seek the Lord whilst he is to be found and that the Warnings he gives us to prepare for his coming might so awaken us as that we may be found with our Lamps trimmed and our Lights burning is the earnest prayer of Your Friend and Servant in Christ Jesus M. M. A certain Account of the Signs of the Last Times The Coming of the Lord. The Destruction of Babylon With the Christians that remain in their Wickedness Also the Calling in of the Jews And the Restoration of all things Chap. I. A necessity of being ready prepared for the Lord 's Coming lest that Day should come upon us unawares which is very near at hand NOW we not apprehending the dangerous condition that we stand in by reason we falsly imagine that the New Everlasting Covenant is made with us when now the Believers are but Heirs with Israel of the same Promise but because Christ said of them that were given him of his Father to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World that none should pluck them out of his hand And the Apostle speaking of the Churches that first trusted in Christ which had the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit upon them to secure their standing and thereby they generally stood which in Scripture the major part is reckoned for the whole And the Spirit was also given to confirm the Gospel to the World and the
of his coming and that the great Jubile is at hand by the miraculous springing up of a Field of Corn without plowing or sowing and of that goodness and quantity the like was never before heard of since the first Creation when all things sprang up of themselves and this wonderful Crop springing up out of sixteen Acres of fallow Land which formerly had been sown with Turneps This Miracle was near Maidstone in Kent being generally known and accordingly published This Land belonged to a Man that was very charitable to the Poor Thereby the Lord also shewing that in time to come such will be abundantly rewarded For he saith The merciful shall obtain mercy Matth. 5.7 And he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord Pro. 19.17 And it is said Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days Eccless 11.1 Chap. VIII Where the Armies are to be gathered together after the Lord comes THE Lord saith in Revelations ch 16.15 16. Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew Tongue Armageddon Now here in these verses the Lord tells us how he will come and they are those that will be blessed that are found watching for his coming and that when he does come it is then he will gather together these great armies or people to the place called Armageddon And in Joel there the Lord calls it the Valley of Jehoshaphat Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about Joel 3.12 These words shew 't is after they are awakened by the coming of the Lord that then they will be gathered together to the Valley of Jehoshahat for it is there the Lord will sit to judge the Heathen round about that have Israels Land in their possession as in the 3 Ch. 2 ver And where this Valley of Jehoshaphat is is made mention of in 2 Chr. 20.26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the Valley of Barachah for there they blessed the Lord therefore the name of the same place was called the Valley of Berachah unto this day And in this Valley Jehoshaphat blessed God for the great deliverance he had given them from their Enemies which Enemies were those that were related to Israel as Ammon Moab and Mount Seir. So those that are again to be there gathered are those that pretend Relation to the Christian Israelite as Pope and Turk and the negligent Christian all acknowledging the true God but in works deny him For all the Christians that bear the name of Christ of the Gentile race whether good or bad are alike term'd Heathen in the Old Testament 2 Esd 2.34 For then there being no other than Jews and Heathen they could be no otherwise expressed as I have already by the word proved Therefore the Lord here saith Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.22 And also accordingly the Lord saith to Esdras that when he comes it is then they will be gathered together the which will be to the fore-mentioned place For at or about the time of his coming there will be fighting together in their own Land As in 2 Esd 13.30 31 32 33 34. And he shall come to the astonishment of them that dwell on the Earth And one shall undertake to fight against another one City against another one place against another one people against another one Realm against another And the time shall be when these things shall come to pass and the signs shall happen which I shewed thee before and then shall my Son be declared And when all the people hear his voice every man shall in their own Land leave the Battle they have one against another And an innumerable multitude shall be gathered as thou sawest them willing to come and to overcome him by fighting Which fighting here without doubt will be like that of Jacobs wrestling with the Angel which was by prayer for a blessing But they having by their wicked practices as in the 37 and 38 verses lost their day and season of Grace it will with them then be too late as it was with Esau to have the blessing All these places agree in one and the same thing that there will be fighting one against another at or about the time of the coming the Lord and that it will be after the Lord comes that they shall be gathered together to Armegeddon or otherwise called the Valley of Jehoshaphat there to be judged CHAP. IX The Everlasting Covenant and Crown of Life THE Everlasting Covenant and the Crown of Life is one and the same thing And when the Lord again comes he will make that new everlasting Covenant with both the Houses of Jacob in which Covenant the true practical believer will be then included as coming in by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who are now but Heirs with Israel of the same promise Gal. 3.29 And then it is they shall no more teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know ye the Lord For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord Jer. 31.34 35 36. Then it is His People shall be willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holiness Psal 110.3 And then it is Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation They shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end Isa 45.17 And then it is the Lord will rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 Ezek. 37.26 27 28. when Israel is put into a capacity never more to offend him And then is life crowned to the Soul when they are thus secured by him And then it is that sighing and sorrowing will fly away And then it is The days of his People shall be as the days of a Tree and that his Elect shall long injoy the work of their hands Isa 65.22 And then it is The meek shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace Ps 37.11 But the fore-mentioned promised new Covenant will not be made with the rest of the Nations that then will be called in as God by the Prophet hath declared Ezek. 16.61 And after the thousand years when Satan is again loosed and the eminent glory of the Lord is not so visible among them then Satan will again draw off some of them that are spared of those Nations which are not secured by the everlasting Covenant and fire shall come down from Heaven and destroy them And then the Devil that deceived them will then be cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and for ever Rev. 20.3
would have watched and not have suffered his house to have been broken through Luke 12.39 For as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that profess they know him yet will not make preparation for him Chap. V. The Signs of the Times NOW as concerning the Time and the Signs of the Time that is that the time of the Signs and Wonders to the time of Christ's coming and afterwards till such time as the Wicked are taken off from the Earth it doth clearly appear will be forty five years according to which time Israel lay in the Wilderness and were Conquering their Enemies in the Land of Canaan before they were peaceably setled there for in numbers it is said According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought Numb 23.23 The like is said in Micah According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt I will shew unto him marvellous things the nations shall be confounded at all their might Mich 7.15 16. And it is said in Zechary 14.3 Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battel And in Daniel there is just forty five days difference in the number of the days and he is said to be blessed that comes to the last number Dan. 12.12 And that we are now far gone in this forty five days of years is certain by the Signs of the Times and if they began in 1663. when the great Blazing Star appeared which the Astronomers said was a Rod to whip the Earth withal And since we have had Signs in the Sun and in the Moon and oft repeated Blazing Stars according to the Word of the Lord Luke 21.25 or whether the beginning of the limited time was when the Evil Spirits mentioned in the Revelations Chap. 16. 13 14 came out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet which has gathered together the Kings of the earth to the battel of the great day of God Almighty And by these the World is now in an uproar as in 2 Esdras 9.3 4. and also the Lord saith in Luke Chap. 21.25 26 27. There shall be distress of nations with perplexity the sea and the waves thereof roaring mens hearts failing them for fear and looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken By which is meant the ruling powers of the earth which in Scripture is also called the Heavens And then it is the Lord will come as in ver 27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory And it is also given us as a Sign of the Lord 's coming the often breakin gs forth of fire out of the earth altho' History gives us an account that the Mountains were fired before Christ came The Romans being formerly the afflicters of the natural Seed of Jacob as since they have also been of the adopted Seed of Jacob for which with their other abominable sins the anger of the Lord has been kindled against them yet before the coming of the Lord it is declared by the Angel to Esdras There shall be confusion in many places and fire shall be oft sent out again 2 Esd 5.8 which hath lately in a wonderful manner been fulfilled Now all along in the Scripture the Afflictions of the Natural and of the Adopted Seed are joyned together so here in Isaiah 5. from the beginning to the 14. verse in a particular manner treats of the miscarriage and punishment of the natural Seed of Jacob. And beginning at the 14th verse to the 24th treats of the punishment of the adopted Seed of Jacob. For in the 16th verse he saith The Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in Judgment At which time the Lambs shall feed after their manner Therefore this is to be fulfilled when the Lord again comes Against which time it is said Isa 5.14 Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth wide without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it This doth evidently appear that Hell hath enlarged her self by these often torrents and rivers of Fire Pitch and Bitumen which God hath lately sent out thence According to the Word of God in Deuteronomy Chap. 32. 22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains By these words we are to understand that the fire of Hell and the fire in the Foundations of these Mountains extendeth it self from the one to the other This is further treated of in a Book that is to come forth And it is also said in Isaiah 30. v. 30. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it This Tophet here spoken of is Hell the King for whom it was prepared is the Devil but Man that is insnared by him does also fall into it For the Lord saith Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 But all Hell will not be fired till the last and final Judgment when all the dead will be judged Rev. 20.14 And whereas it is said The pile thereof is fire and much wood That is much combustible matter fit for fuel as Brimstone Pitch Sulpher Bitumen Coperas and the like These things the Lord hath so placed and by his breath and command he hath kindled it And it is said of the Beast and false Prophet that after the Lord comes they were both taken and cast alive into a Lake of fire burning with Brimstone Rev 19.20 which Lake is already kindled into which they shall be cast which reacheth to the lowest Hell Chap. VI. Whirlwinds from the Lord. NOW are the Whirlwinds of the Lord gone forth according to the Word of the Lord Behold the Whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury a continual Whirlwind it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath done it and until he have performed the intents of his heart in the latter days ye shall consider Jer. 30.23 24. These Whirlwinds are the continual afflictions wars and commotions which are upon the Earth which will not cease till the Lord hath performed the intents of his heart These things also are set down for them that have the Scripture to consider of that thereby they may know what the Lord is going about to do as to understand the time of their visitation And again it is said Come near ye Nations to hear and hearken
9 10. From which words we are to take notice the Lord here declareth the continuance of day and night as also in Psa 89.36 37. And after the Devil is cast into Hell we read of no other than a temporal punishment inflicted on them of the Nations that will not go up to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and keep the feast of Tabernacles Zec 14.16 17. And how many thousand years it will be after Satan is cast into the fire of Hell before the final judgment the Lord best knoweth But by the word it is clear it will be many thousand years For God hath said He will keep Covenant and mercy to a thousand Generations Deut. 7.9 And from Adam to this time we cannot well reckon above a hundred Generations For where St. Luke counts the Genealogy from Adam to Christ he reckons up but about three score Generations Luke 3. And this fore-mentioned Kingdom is the Kingdom of which the Angel told the blessed Virgin that Christ should Reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luke 1.33 This ever chiefly includes the ever of the world to come in which time Christ will have his Reigning Power and at the time of the last Judgment when the Heavens and Earth are said to fly away Re. 20.11 The fore-mentioned Book explaineth the meaning thereof fully making it appear by the word there is two sorts of Heavens and Earth whereby it is clearly proved that the Kingdom of Christ will have no end according to the word of the Angel to the Blessed Virgin and according to the word of the Lord in Daniel But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Dan. 7.18 And God saith in Isaiah For as the New Heavens and the New Earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your Seed and your Name remain Isa 66.22 For then it is God will give Israel a place of their own so as they shall move no more 2 Sam. 7.10 But we not apprehending there is three Evers three Times three Generations and three Worlds spoken of in Scripture thereby we have been much in the dark concerning this world to come And this world to come being the time that is chiefly comprehended in Psal 89.2 For I have said mercy shall be built up for ever thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very Heavens I have made a Covenant with my Chosen I have sworn to David my Servant Thy Seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Chap. X. The Meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles being again kept NOw in that the feast of Tabernacles is again to be kept when all the other great Feasts are laid aside Zech. 14.16 it doth thereby appear that when Israel and those of the Nations which are saved are first gathered they will then again for some time dwell in booths as Israel did when they came out of Aegypt And therefore this feast to be kept for a remembrance in the ever of the time to come But some may say How can the Nations come up yearly to Jerusalem the Journy being so far distant from some But none need Question but God will make them of ability to do what he requires of them And whereas it is said That every one that is left of all the Nations That is every one of the Nations that were left should go up yearly to Jerusalem but not that it is there meant that every individual person of the Nations will be required to go up year by year unto Jerusalem but some of the heads of the Nations And therefore said in the 18 verse If the Family of Aegypt go not up c. Then a National punishment is threatned Now what we find written in the old and new Testament and nothing therein to contradict the plain meaning thereof that will of certain be fulfilled in the plain and clear way as it is expressed But that is a figurative Speech and not to be taken in the letter of the word where we find other Scriptures in contradiction to it There God hath a secret vail'd in it which he reserves until such time as he will have it revealed But that God commands to be done And what God declares he will have done And what God hath sworn he delights not in And what God hath absolutely promised to do And what God hath sworn he will do These things are to be taken as they are exprest or we are apostatized from the truth And it is at the Restauration of Israel that the Everlasting Covenant will be established as to which time God has sworn to Israel That he will not be wroth with them nor rebuke them any more Isa 54.8 9 10 11 12. For then God will put his fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.39 40 41. And concerning that time The Lord hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his Strength that he will no more give their Corn to be meat for their enemies neither shall the Sons of Strangers drink the Wine for which they have laboured Isa 62.8 This promise will be fulfilled when Jerusalem is made the praise of the earth as in the 7th ver Which is at the time of the Restitution of all things when the Lord again comes Acts 3.20 21 22 23 24. And then it is There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.26 Isa 59.20 Then shall the Lord rore out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his People and the Strength of the Children of Israel Joel 3.16 This Zion or Jerusalem is meant of the glorious Tabernacles spoken of Heb. 8.2 But we all coming out of the Darkness of Popery have lost the right apprehension of this Kingdom or World to come whereby we are involved in great mistakes so as to think the promised everlasting Covenant is now established and that such as belong to it may fall foully but not finally but when that Covenant is established then it is that God will put his fear into their hearts so as they shall never depart from him Jer. 32.40 But we not understanding aright this Kingdom or World to come which has been the causes of turning the plain word of God in the old Testament into figurative Speeches and thereby made the Oath and Promise of God to Israel void Of which St. Peter exhorts the Church to take heed to the sure Word of Prophecy as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Peter 1.19 Chap. XI Where the Great Glory of the Lord will be when he comes to deliver his people WHEN the Lord again comes to deliver his People his infinite glory will then again be in the Clouds