not triumph over his enemies as a Conquerour his sufferings would be counted in vaine on earth therefore Jesus Christ as he is God for the glory of his God-head by his servant John revealeth to His who shall partake of that glory that shall be on earth when the power of the Devill shall be done away And when new heavens and a new earth and the holy City new Jerusalem from heaven shall appeare then shall Jesus Christ glorifie himselfe as God over the Devill and all his workes and powers as that God by whom all things were created both in heaven and earth equall with the Father as a son and heir of all things and second person in the Trinity in that Trinity which is so unâ—ted in the God-head that cannot be dâ—vided in the persons as the Nycâ—n Creed very wâ—lâ— sets forth And thus is Christs coming to reign on the earth proved by the promises of God the workes of God and the glory of God Quest What manner of glory will that be that Christ will have on earth amongst his Saints and what habitation will hee reside in Answ. It will be a heavenly glory according to that which Christ desired as a sonne from God as a Father saying Father glorifie thy sonne with that glory which he had with thee Jesus Christ amongst men on earth prayed to be glorified amongst men on earth with a heavenly glory that men on earth might see him a glorified God and a conquerour of his enemies as well as they did see him a despised and a suffering man under his enemies therefore and according to this doâ—h John after the prophesie of Isay say I saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy City new Jerusalem comming downe from God out of heaven with a loud voyce saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them This glory for the fulnesse of it is not revealed nor shall it be manifested unto men untill mens corruptions shall be done away and that shall not be untill the power of the Devill by the power of Christ shall be taken off of mortality according to that of John I saw on Angell come down from heaven and he laid hold on the Devil bound him a thousand yeares that he should deceive the Nations or corrupt mortality no more untill those thousand yeares should be fulfilled or accomplished This heavenly glory is within the apprehension of no corrupted flesh further then the things of the flesh doth behold the brightest glory of mortality is the Sun and John saith that that glory shall passe the glory of the Sunne insomuch that that holy City new Jerusalem shall not need the light of the Sunne neither shall there be any night in it But as in the Land of Egypt there was an exceeding darknesse at noone-day but in the Land of Goshen there was no darknesse so likewise during those thousand years in all the world there shall be night as well as day but in the new and heavenly Jerusalem there shall be no night at all And this is all that God hath revealed concerning the fulnesse of that heavenly glory because corrupted mortality can apprehend no more as Paul saith If our hope were only in this mortall life then we were of all men most miserable to suffer affliction for hope of a better life if wee should misse of it but saith he Yet it doth not or here it doth not appeare what wee shall be but when mortality shall put on immortality and corruption shall be changed into incorruption then it will appear for here wee know but in part but then shall we know as we are known That is wee who know Jesus Christ as a sufferer and rest upon the promises of God by faith in Jesus Christ for a rewarder though now wee here with Christ suffer for the same shall then know God and Jesus Christ in a heavenly glory conqueringly as they knew us here sufferingly Secondly besides this heavenly glory which will in brightnesse passe the glory of the Sunne Christ will be glorified by new created heavens and earth as Peter saith That is by restoring of the firmamentall heavens whereof now the Devill is Prince into that same condition they were by God created in when God saw them to be very good before man had sinned and they therefore corrupted by those evill Inhabitants the Devill and his Angels And by restoring of the earth with all the creatures created of it by God in the beginning within the fix first days and that God when he had looked saw them to be very good to that same condition they were by God ceated in before man had sinned and they therefore and thereby were by the power of the Devill corrupted This restoration after so long a continuance as almost six thousand yeares shall by men be such a strange alteration as though it were rather a creation then an alteration and they who never did see no other but the corrupted heavens and earth to see an uncorrupted heaven and earth will be to them as a new created heaven and earth And none male nor female from Adam and Eve ever saw any but a corrupted heaven and earth because the heavens and the earth were corrupted before they had any issue therefore doth the Text say that God will create new heavens and earth because the sonnes of Adam never saw that very good condition the heavens and the earth were at the first created in and into which they shall be again restored Thirdly God Christ on earth will be glorified by a a holy City a new Jerusalem from God out of heaven which shall in largenesse so farre passe that old Jerusalem builded by the Jewes though it was in Solomons time the greatest City in the whole world as a Citie of twelve thousand furlongs square which is by eight furlongs to a mile fifteen hundred miles square can passe the largenesse of that old Jerusalem and this City shall so far passe the old Jerusalem in glory as precious stones can surpasse in glory ordinary stones wood bricke morter iron steele and brasse in the foundations walls and gates thereof and the pavements of this City shall so far surpasse in glory the pavements of the old Jerusalem as polished gold like transparent glasse doth surpasse pibble stones as John at large expresseth the same And the Temple in this City shall so far surpasse in glory Solomons Temple that was the glory of the old Jerusalem as the glory of God and Jesus Christ doth surpasse the glory of fine gold which was the glory of that Temple as the Text saith The gold beautified the Temple And this holy and great City shall be the refiding place of GOD and Jesus Christ on earth with all the faithfull members of Jesus Christ from Abel to that day Object This relation of John is to signifie and figure out Gods glorious Kingdome to eternity and not
is acted by lust and lust is an act of sinne for although Adam and Eve were matrimonially lawfull man and wife before they sinned yet did they not get Cain the seede of the Serpent before they had sinned for if they had he could not have been wicked for the Text saith all mn were conceived in sin And this Text may very well be granted because Cain the first man that was conceived was a bloody murthering sinner for if Cain had been righteous then might some have disputed whether Cain had not beene conceived before Adam and Eve had sinned as well as they to be married before they had sinned therefore and thereby is Jesus Christ only and alone known to be the Son of God because he was not conceived by the sinfull and lustfull seed of sinfull man but as the text saith he was and none but he was conceived by the holy Ghost and horn of the Virgin Mary A virgin because with Child her womb not defiled with sinfull seed of lust The Devill is said to be the God of this world because of his princely power overal the mortal works creatures of God in this world through mans sin gained by the Devils subtle temptation therefore Jesus Christ though the Sonne of God by the love of God to the world must take upon him sinfull flesh that thereby hee might redeeme sinfull man from the sins of the flesh under which work of Redemption Jesus Christ though perfect God as well as perfect man during the time of his mortall flesh which hee did receive from the Virgin must be and was subject to the Principalities and powers of this world even to the Devill himselfe and his wicked instrumentall members saying Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars for my Kingdome is not of this world during the principality of the Devill for God and Belial cannot dwell both together that is God and the Devill cannot be both Kings in one Kingdome at one time because God is light and the Devill is darknesse as the Text saith light and darknesse cannot abide together for either light comprehendeth the darknesse or else the darknesse comprehendeth the light as every night and day maketh it appear unto us But Pilate the Governour said unto Jesus Christ are thou the King of the Iews he denied not saying thou hast said it as if Christ should have said Pilate Wise Solomon saies there is a time for all things under heaven although a sonne in his nonage or infancy by reason hee is under subjection differs not from a servant yet the time will come when it will appeare he is Lord of all things So Pilate though I now by reason of my sufferings at the present in the time of my mortall flesh nonage and infancy of my not being risen from the dead and againe being not yet glorified of my Father in heaven but am here counted as a servant The time will come when it will appeare that I am he that shall be the King of the Jews and King of Kings and Lord of Lords as my Father hath said sit thou at my right hand untill I have made thine enemies thy foote-stool even when all power shall be given me of my Father both in heaven and in earth then Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be right-glad because of the new heavens and the new earth and the holy Citie new Jerusalem which Iohn saw and Isaiah prophesied of comming downe from God out of heaven And because Christ Gods Tabernacle shall be with men and dwell with them on earth and they shall be his people And God himselfe shall be with them and be their God as the Text by the Spirit in Solomon saith from God as a promise to the children of God It is true indeed that God will dwell on the earth as Paul saith of Christ at the present saying who only and none but he hath immortality and dwelleth in that light that none can attaine unto which is in the glorious presence of God Almighty whom never man saw neither can see as the Text saith No man hath seene God at any time neirher can see him while hee is cloathed with sinfull flesh but when the sinfulnesse of the flesh shall be done away then men shall see God and Jesus Christ on earth in such a glory as mortall sinfull flesh cannot behold for the exceeding brightnesse thereof as God himself saith No man can see my face and live that is no man who is corrupted by transgression or sinne can behold the righteous face of God because that transgression is darkenesse from the Devil the Prince of darkenesse whose darkenesse cannot stand before the righteous glory of God Almighty For as the presence of the suns glory doth doe away the darknesse of this world so the presence of Gods glory doth doe away all the spirituall darknesse of the Devill and sinne therefore saith John that an Angel from heaven must first by his power shut and chaine up the Devill and then behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with men and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God That is God shall wholly be their God because the Devill shall wholly with all his power be taken away and confined as close prisoner for a thousand years during which thousand years all the mortal creatures shall be at peace as the Prophet Isa saith The Lyon shall eate grasse like an Oxe and leave devouring because the Devill by whose power in all the mortall creatures all the mortall creatures were set at an evill oddes shall be totally done away for that thousand yeares that he should deceive the Nations no more untill the thousand yeares should be fulfilled Qu. What reason is there grounded upon Scripture that Christ shall come and dwell on earth and reign Kinge of Kings and Lord of Lords a thousand years Answ. First for his promise-sake who hath promised the same in divers Scriptures as Peter saith That in the latter dayes there shall be scoffers that shall say where is the promise of his comming We doe not believe it for all things continue as they were from the beginning These scoffers do not regard what Solomon saith That there is a time for all things under heaven But because such scoffers will not stay Gods time but expect that time sooner then God hath appointed the same and for that they want patience to waite upon God will fall into unbeliefe and say where is the promise of his comming as though hee would never come but unto such saith the same Apostle Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day As if Peter should say scoffers if through impatience you will not believe the promises of God for Christ his comming who is faithfull in all his promises and who is in all his
that there shall ever be here on earth any such glorious place or being Answ. That which is impossible with man is possible with God who is able to doe all things And hath any man found God a lyar at any time who is faithfull in all his promises and just in all his wayes But Peter saith That in the latter dayes there shall be seoffers who shall say where is the promise of his comming for all things continue as they were from the beginning and so deny the word of truth But saith Peter We who are written in the booke of life Neverthelesse we according to his promise looke for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse which is Jesus Christ as John saith I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God as Solomon saith It is true indeed that God will dwell on the earth And for a sure evidence of the same saith the Text I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches which things Peter questioned not but to his Church said Beloved seeing that ye looke for such things be diligent that ye may be found in peace without spot and blamelesse And to any Church that shall question these things saith Iohn These sayings are faithfull and true for I John saw and heard these things and I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this booke wheresoever it is published that if any man shall adde too or take away from the words of the prophesie of this book God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and also take away his part out of the holy City which City saith the Tâ—x lyeth four-square the length is as the breadth twelve thousand furlongs the squares lye East West North and South The East and West are derived from the antipodes of the rising and setting of the Sunne in the firmament all heavens created on the fourth day The North and the South are derived from the antipodes of the two ends of the worlds Axletree called the North and South pole or the two frozen zones of the earth by reason of the Suns obscurity and distance This City is to be on earth because it lyeth four-square East West North and South It is walled about and so bounded the length is as the breadth twelve thousand furlongs which is fifteen hundred miles The text saith in it there shall be no need of the Sun But the Text doth not say that it is not within the compasse of the Sunne therefore on earth For in heaven Gods glorious kingdome habitation and dwelling place is no Sun and where there is no Sunne there can be no East West North nor South therefore this City cannot be meant nor understood to be heaven but is meant and to be understood that such a City shall be on earth Now the reason why these things of the Devils confinement or imprisonment for a thousand yeares and the glorious new Jerusalem with all its glorious accommodations promised are not believed by us Gentiles is this As the Devill by his power in mortality deceived the Jews of the suffering comming of Jesus Christ for mans redemption though promised and prophefied of by the only looking for Jesus Christ a conquerour and King of Kings according to the promises of a conquering Saviour by the Devils deceit esteeesteeming his suffering Redeemers condition to be too mean a condition for the Sonne of God and so therefore did not believe him to be the Son of God but upon the Crosse said unto him If thou be the Son of God come down from the Crosse and then we will believe thee And so the Devill deceived the Iewes from their benefit of Jesus Christ his redeeming condition And so also the Devill by his power in mortality goes about to deceive us Gentiles of Jesus Christ his glorious conquering Princely condition by putting on this mask of infidelity upon us Gantiles notwithstanding all the sure promises of God that for Christ to come downe out of heaven and on earth to dwell in a walled Citie that is bounded is too glorious a condition for man to behold and for the earth to bear and therefore through unbeliefe and the Devils deceit doe scoffingly say where is the promise of his comming Expecting no other comming but his comming to judgement and so doth the Devill goe about to deceive us Gentiles of our benefit of Christ his glorious conquering reigne and condition here on earth in that great and holy City new Jerusalem Noah had three sons Shem Ham and Japhet Noah was drunke Ham jeeres at his Fathers nakednesse and threfore is cursed and deprived of all the precious promises made to Noah and his seed Shem and Japhet were sorry and ashamed to see their Fathers nakednesse and therefore going backward covered their Fathers nakednesse upon whom the promises of God to Noah were confirmed notwithstanding the said confirmation of promises inasmuch as the Devils originall power in and over mortality by Adam is not taken away his deceit ceaseth not for as he did deceive the Jews of Christs suffering comming so he laboureth to deceive us Gentiles of Christ his conquering comming as he doth deceive the Heathen of both who neither have had in the one nor shall have in the other any more benefit then the bruit beasts therefore saith Iohn without this City shal be dogs murtherers whoremongers adulterers lyers into whom the Devil when he shal be let loose for a little season shall again enter into under the name of Gog and Magog to make them more wicked then ever they were before according to that Text Out of whom the Devill is cast and returnes again he carrieth with him seven worse spirits then the former and so the latter end of that man is worse then the beginning because they have no share or part in the booke of life nor in this holy City Quest When will the time of the comming of Christ be to reign on earth for 1000. years Ans. That man that will declare more then God hath revealed must be wiser then God made him for saith the Text If an Angell from heaven teach any other doctrine then what is delivered believe him not and as is also said If they will not believe the Law and the Prophets neither will they believe if one should rise from the dead The precise time God hath concealed therefore no man can declare it But so far as God hath revealed and prefidents of Scripture doe make out so farre may a man suppose thus Man was tempted by the Devill to disobey God whose disobedience God suffered from the creation of Adam to Noah's flood which was 1656. yeares And as God waited with patience on Sathans deceived ones
1656. yeares In relation by comparison to that may be supposed that Iohn doth declare the time of Christ his patience and waiting on Sathan the deceiver for as God in vengeance did not destroy the old world untill he with patience had suffered their evill manners 1656. yeares So may it be supposed that Christ will not destroy the power of Sathan the deceiver untill with patience hee hath waited and borne and suffered in himselfe and members Sathans evills 1666. yeares from his own birth for John saith Here is wisdome let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. David in his dayes did number the dayes of a man to be 70. yeares and Iohn here to 66. yeares because of the decay of nature for it cannot be thought that mans life toward the end of the world of which John treates should be 666. but 66. may be and also is commonly seene by which supposition it may be gathered that Christ with patience will wait and forbear Sathans evils ten yeares longer then God did beare with the old world The one was 1656. yeares and the other will be 1666. yeares according to this collection Christ will beare and suffer the evils of Sathan before hee take vengeance on the Devill to destroy or confine his power for a thousand years untill 1666. yeares from the birth of Jesus Christ to deliver the whole mortality from the power of the Devill as Paul saith The fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the Sons of God shall be revealed for the creatures earnestly desire the revelation of the time that the Sons of God shall be delivered because the creature is subject to vanity not of its own will but by reason of him which hath subdved it under hope The creature did not offend it was the man male and female Adam that did offend but the creature because it was created for man must abide the curse with man therefore the creatures also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God for wee know that every creature groaneth with us also and travelleth in paine together unto this present and not only the creature but we also which are the first fruits of the Spirit even we do sigh in our selves and wait for the adoption even for the redemption of our bodies or an assurance of our parts in the blessed first resurrection which shall bring us the redemption of our bodies who are the adopted Sons of God in Jesus Christ by which blessed first resurrection shall our bodies be delivered out of the Devils prison the grave and the bodies hell to Gods Saints against whom the Devill had no further power but to kill our bodies and to imprison them in the mortall hell the grave of earth from whence our bodies came and unto which we did expect they should returne again for a time and as the corne there lyes in the earth waiting with the Husband-man for the first fruits of the spirit which is that blessed first resurrection of all that are dead in Christ from Abel the first that dyed and all others dead before and the living then in the year of Christ from the birth of Christ 1666. shall be partakers of Jesus Christ his glorious reign for that 1000. years of the Devils confinement or imprisonment That man is only and alone saved by the free favour or grace of God and Jesus Christ and not at all by man nor of any thing that man can doe THe grace of God is the favour of God and the free grace of God is Gods free favour And that which is free is compleat and absolute of it selfe and hath no partner nor partaker neither is under any controule And so it was the free favour or grace of God which did arise or spring from the love of God in Jesus Christ to choose some in the second Adam Jesus Christ out of the All that was lost in the first Adam For God who hath an al-seeing eye did see or fore-see all men lost in the first Adam before the world was and that was before man was a living creature and man was a living creature before he was a lost creature and therefore God did before the world was through his love in Jesus Christ and meer mercy towards poor lost man predestinate by his power elect or choose through his love such as should be saved God did predestinate by his power such as should be saved by pulling of poore lost man out of the snares and thraldome of Sathan by the perfect obedience and satisfactory sufferings of Jesus Christ for mans sins who himself sinned not And this was a free favour or grace of God to man to give Christ his Son unto the death to ransome sinfull man from sinne because man in himselfe had nothing worthy to move God thereto and therefore was it the free grace or favour of God And as Paul saith That God did give up Jesus Christ for us all to the death Saith Christ Father if it be possible let this cup of thy fury wrath or indignation passe from me neverthelesse not my but thy will be done And as Jesus Christ the Sonne and second person in the Trinity is God as well as God the Father and first person in the Trinity So Jesus Christ as he was God did give up himselfe to the death for sinners because in them there was nothing worthy that could or did move him thereunto and therefore was it the free favour or grace of Jesus Christ to dye for mans redemption And that Christ did freely lay downe his life a ransome for sinners saith Christ know this that if I did not lay downe my life freely all the Devils in hell and all the men on earth could not take it away from me For if I should pray unto my Father for a rescue because I am unjustly condemned hee would give or send me more then twelve legions of Angels And so are all such as shall be saved by the free favour or grace of God and of Jesus Christ through the power of God in Jesus Christ predestinated unto salvation by the free grace and favour of God and of Iesus Christ and not by any thing at all in man for if there could be any thing in man towards his owne salvation Then were not the salvation of man from the free grace and favour of God and Iesus Christ if man had any share or part in his owne salvation but that the salvation of man is wholly and alone from the free grace and favour of God and of Iesus Christ is thus proved God did predestinate elect and choose man unto salvation before he was created therefore man could have no share or part in his own salvation God did elect and choose through his love in Iesus Christ before the world was such as should be