that time of truth without mixtures of errour a time of light without mixture of darknesse a time of knowledge without mixture of ignorance from whence all Heresie doth proceed The light of the Moon shall be as the Sun and the light of the Sun shal be seven-fold as the light of seven days The Ordinances aso will then be pure without mixtures of superstition humane inventions and will-worship There are those Rivers of water of life clear as chrystal Great also will be the holinesse of that day Zach. 14.9 Rev. 22.1 Isa 2.2 For it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem See also Zach. 8.19.20 21 22. The streets of the City are all gold and golden will be the lives and conversations of the Citizens yea God shall be known in her Palaces for a refuge the foundations of her City are all of Pearl her streets paved with precious stones her Gardens fragrant with all manner of pleasant flowers her delightful walks are always green her Springs are living waters her months are one continued May her Trees bear all manner of lovely fruits and the leaves of the same are for the healing of the Nations her years are one lasting joyful Jubilee and her strength is always firm her same men leap as Harts and the tongue of dumb men then are loosed O when shall we go how shall we get to this holy and beautiful City of God Her time is coming her year is at hand and the Lord will hasten it in his time Reader thou hast here a little taste of the beginning of Zions blisse held forth unto thee only according unto our weak and short manner of conceiving and expressing the things themselves as far surmount our thoughts and words as the Heavens are above the Earth and as the East is distant from the West Give me now leave to put a period to all in a word or two of Application Vse 1 Let us help forward this Kingdom of Christ on Earth by faith and prayer and so much the rather because the time approacheth the Promises are even come to the birth and they draw on apace Pray we therefore for the ruine of Antichrist Rome must down before Christ will set up his Kingdom and for the calling of the Jewes for the beginning of this Kingdom must be with the Jews they â—uâ—t be Caput Imperii the Head and Seat of this Empire must be among them And let us pray according to Christs direction Thy Kingdom come and thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven which will never be till these thousand years Let as saith David all Nations serve thee O God let all people praise thee O pray that God would take to himself his great power and reign before the Ancients gloriously Vse 2 This may inform us that the day of Judgment is not so far off as many think it For if once Antichrists Kingdom go down Christs Kingdom is set up as we have before heard and certainly Antichrists twelve hundred and sixty days of reigning are not long to continue though we cannot tell justly how long yet in the general we know it cannot be long and Christs Kingdom is durante currente die judicii within and during the great day of Judgment Vse 3 This doctrine speaks comfort to you O ye sons of Zion and daughters of Jerusalem O thou Wife and Spouse of Christ thou art She who hast seen and dost see affliction yea from thy youth up thou hast been slain and killed all the day long the furrows have been made long upon thy back and thou hast been â—â—ptied from vessel to vessel Thy flesh hath 〈◊〉 no rest but troubles are on every side without are sight◠〈…〉 been covered as with a cloud and art for a 〈◊〉 word and hissing to passers by yea accounted as the off-scouring of all things unto this day But he of good chear yea awake and sing thou that dwellest in the dust for thus saith the Lord God O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphire and make thy windows of Agats and gates of Carbuncle and borders of pleasant stones For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called Wherefore lift up thy head for thy Redemption draws nigh and the years of thy deliverance are now at hand O wait and pray and bear up yet a little a very little while and thy work shall be rewarded and the wicked train shall be no more but the meek shall inherit the Earth and delight themselves in a very great abundance of peace do but fight stoutly through the pikes and win the field put forth thy strength and spare no pains no cost no sweat no blood O cast about a careful eye use all holy policy rally up thy force afresh it wants but a little and all 's thine own and then thou art made for 〈◊〉 〈…〉 dou◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 pleasure to give thee the Kingdom Thy 〈◊〉 who hath washed thee in his blood 〈◊〉 made thee clean and spotless behold he â—â—mes quickly and his reward is with him â—rise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered â—â—d those that hate thee flee before thee Lay Babylon in the dust and let her Virgins be cut off O 〈◊〉 the hairy scalp of all thine incurable foes 〈◊〉 Zion be exalted and Jerusalem made a praise 〈◊〉 the midst of the Earth preserve thy Spouse in 〈◊〉 midst of Lions strengthen her faith lengthen her â—â—â—ience hasten thy coming O be as a Roe or â—â—oung Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Ameu FINIS
very same night In that day the Heavens shall passe away with a noise and the Elements melt c. which shall not be done simul semel together and at once as is manifest in the words dissolved melt burnt up which require an order of time for their accomplishment But when that is done v 13. we expect a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise which is in Esay 65.17 wherein dwells righteousnesse Mark it I pray you a new Heaven and a new Earth is expected in the second coming of the Messiah But what is meant by Heaven and Earth in the Prophetick stile when they lose their literal signification surely nothing else but the Church and Commonwealth and when it is said that we look for these new it is in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new world to come or in two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new Heavens i. e. new Churches and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new Earth i. e. a new Common-wealth all is new all old Church and Common-wealth fashions passe away Rev. 21.1 and there will be new Churches and new Commonwealths wherin dwells righteousnesse And truly it must needs be a new world Ecclesiastical and Civil Polities must needs be new when Satan who did rule is bound and Christ who was rejected reigns when righteousnesse dwells where sin did rage when all tears shall be wiped away and there shall be no more crying sorrow or pain ¶ Lastly the Apostle John not only in that 20th chapter of which I have already spoken but also elsewhere frequently in the Revelation speaks clearly of this glorious Kingdom of Christ upon earth Of those many places I shall name a few See therefore Rev. 2.26 He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations Surely this refers not to Heaven but to this time of Christs Kingdom we are speaking of So we have that which is as plain as words can make it Rev. 5.10 We shall reign on the earth What can be the meaning of this is it not what Christ promised Mat. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and what shall be fulfilled when the Kingdom is given to the Saints and Christ shall reign So Rev. 11.15 In the dayes of the seventh Trumpet which is a Trumpet of consummation these voices were heard Now all the Kingdoms of the world are becom the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And v 17. Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And that you may know that this Reign and Kingdom is circumscribed within the Great day of Judgment he tells you v. 18. That this is the time of the dead that they should be judged And that saith the Text thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them that destroy the Earth Also Rev. 19 6. speaking of the same time the Church breaks out in a song of oy saying Halleluiah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth The Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready Also when John tells us Rev. 20.4 that the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years we must ever remember which is the only thing I shall here adde that it is one thing for Christ to reign in his Saints and another for the Saints to reign wiâ—h Christ the former was all the time of the Beast the latter is not to be till the Beast be destroyed and Saâ—an bound and the Messiah corn again But though it were easie to be almost infinite in the proof of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this point yet knowing that as some will think I have been too large so others will yet think all too little to convince them I shall therefore only suspend any further proof until I have given you som reasons of this Interpretation of these and such like texts and answered some of those common objections that against this are usually objected unless these may be so ordered as to contain yet further proof And first I shall offer these following Reasons of this Interpretation and why I chuse to believe this to be a truth however by many much decried 1. Because all those places of Scripture in the Old Prophers which foretel a certain glorious and happy estate of the Church upon earth should never be fulfilled here upon earth unless there be a long tract of time appointed for the fulfilling of them wherein Antichrist being conquered and the devil chained up in the bottomless pit the Saints might live safely in the enjoyment of all spiritual and heavenly delights Let us see amongst many two or three Scriptures for this Isa 60.11 to the end Therefore thy gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yëa those Nations shall be utterly cut off The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shall bow down themselves at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the Holy One of Israel I will make thee an eteâ—nal Excillency a Joy of many generations Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck he brèast of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Jacob. I will also mâ—ke thy Officers Peace and thy Exactors Righteousnesse Viotence shall no more be heard in thy Lend wasting nor destâ—uctiâ—n within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord God shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glâ—ry Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall beâ—th ne everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Lana for ever the branch of my planting the work of my handâ— that I may be glorified A little one shall becom a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it his time Isa 65.17 to the end ' For behold I creare new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a Joy And I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice
Thy two horns indeed made the world to take thee for a Lamb Rev. 13.11 but thy speech against the Saints was alwaies like a Dragon Therefore full well art thou cast into Rev. 19.20 the Lake of fire for ever as thine own dung to perish though thy branches shot up to Heaven and thy roots down as low as Hell yet the Saints now do reign and rejoyce in thy ruine II. Satan also is Rev. 20.2 now chained up and imprisoned in the pit That 1 Pet. 5.8 roaring Lyon who went about seeking by what means or whom he might devoure O! happy time when Lyons lye in chains and the Dragons dwelling is in the deep III. Moreover now there is a perfect and compleat end of all godless Governours who did alwaies oppress disquiet and vex the Church and Spouse of Christ God then Rev. 11.18 destroys all those that destroy the Earth Yea then and in that day shall our â—ord Jesus Christ the Lamb and the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Spouse and husband of his Church the Lord of Lords and King of Kings who at the first went out conquering and to conquer who did before hand signifie all these things to his servants by his Angel take to himself his great power and reign and let the Nations be as angry as they will or can yet in despite of all their fury he shall give rewards unto his servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to them that fear his Name both small and great Then Rev. 19.6 shall the Lord God Omnipotent reign with the shoutings and Hallelujahs of his Elect. Yea the Saints shall sit on Thrones 1 Cor. 6.2 Dan. 7.22.27 Matth. 19.28 and judge the World This well may stain the beauty and dazel the glory of all Earthly powers For then Isa 24.23 the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously Then shall Righteousness run up and down and be as a mighty stream IV. Moreover then will be a lasting peace and wars shall cease to the ends of the Earth when Christ the Prince of peace shall sway the Scepter judging amongst many Nations and rebuking many people Then shall their swords be beaten into plow-shares and their Speares into pruning books Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation nor shall they learn war any more Isai 2.4 In that day saith God Hos 2.18 I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle ax out of the Earth and I will make them to lye down safely Peace before had been full oft desired but 't will be then compleatly attained V. Also then will all persecution be brought to an end and cease Then the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the Adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not envy Ephraim Isa 11.13 Ezek 28.24 And there shall be no more a pricking Bryer unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that despised them See also Ezek. 28.25 and 26. then Christ weeds out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity For it is a righteous thing with him to render tribulation to them that trouble his Church and to them that are troubled rest 2 Thes 1.7 VI. Then likewise will be an and of all oppression For who is left to oppress the Beast and false prophet they are gone the Dragon is bound all wicked men are now under the Hatches and laid at Christs footstool Violence shall no more be heard in her Land wasting nor destruction within her borders Isa 54.14 Ezek. 45.8 My Princes shall no more oppress my people they shall be far from oppression The New Heavens and New Earth is a place wherein dwells righteousnesse Psal 72.2 He shall judge the people with Righteousnesse and the poor with Judgment v 4. He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pleces the oppressor VII At that day also and in that time there shall not be any that shall hurt or harm one beast shall no more hurt another nor one man his fellow For Isa 11.6 7 8 9. the wolf shall also dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together and a little child shall lead them And the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lion shall cat straw like the Ox. And the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the Asp And the weaned childe shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain Understand we this of men or Boasts and neither shall be hurtful or offensive each to other but great agreement will be among them And this some understand to be the meaning of the Apostle Rom. 8.19 20 21. in which words these four following things seem to be observable viz. 1. That now the creature is under the bondage of corruption that is prone and apt to devour destroy and make a prey one of another 2. That the creature hereafter shall be delivered from that bondage that is they shall not as heretofore hurt and destroy one another 3. That there shall be a time when the sons of God shall have a glorious liberty that is they shall not hurt one another nor receive hurt from any 4. That the creatures in their kind shall partake of their liberty and they shall not be hurtful one to another but live in peace and quietnesse VIII Moreover then shall be an end of fear terrour and dread For they shall no more be a prey to the Heathen neither shall the Beast of the Land devour them but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid Isa 54.14 In righteousnesse saith the Prophet shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shal not fear And from terrour for it shall not come near thee Jer. 30 10. Therefore fear thou not O my servant Jacob saith the Lord neither be dismayed O Israel for lo I will save thee from far and thy seed from the land of their captivity and Jacob shall return and be in rest and be quiet and none shall make him afraid IX Lastly this will be a time of such purity and holinesse of the fear of the Lord and righteousnesse as never was nor will be till that time This will make it to be Millennium aureum or oureum seculum It will be a golden day and Age indeed for the holy City the New Jerusalem that City of gold and pearl mentioned Rev. 21. doth contemporate and synchronize with the thousand years as might be abundantly proved if Reverend Mede had not done it to my hand so that it would but be act a agere which I intend not This will be