THE SAINTS INHERITANCE After the Day of IVDGEMENT Being also An Answer to certaine scruples of late delivered and others Printed especially in that Booke intituled The Personall Reigne of Christ upon Earth By T. B. Isa 45. 17 18. For Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end for thus saith the Lord that created the heavens God himselfe that formed the earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I am the Lord and there is none else Dan. 7. 18. 27. But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possesse the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever and the Kingdome and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve and obey him LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes and are to be sold by John Sweeting in Popes-head-Alley 1643. Revel 21. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and be shall be my sonne THe meaning of these words are not to be confined onely to the joyes of heaven when the body is dead and the Soule is ascended up thither and hath the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and the blessed Spirit and the holy Angels and soules of just men made perfect but it reacheth unto all things that are here below in this world to satisfie the body also at the resurrection day when the creatures and man also are all restored againe to their first perfection for saith the Lord I will bring a seede out of Jacob and out of Judah an inheritour of my mountaines and mine elect shall inherit it Isa 65. 10. 11. see 3 5 2. and my Servants shall dwell there and Sharron shall be a fold for flockes and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lye downe in for my people that have sought me This is promised to those that overcome First the world as it is now corrupted by the sinne of man so that neither the pleasures nor profits thereof deceive our hearts to set our love immoderately on it Let your moderation be knowne to all men the Lord is at hand Secondly to them that stand fast against all the wiles of the Devill Phil. 4. 5. Ephe. 6. 11 and doe not let Satan get advantage of them those that are not ignorant of his devices but resist the Devill and cause him to flye from them Thirdly 2 Cor. 2. 11 Jam. 4. 7. Isa 44. 20. Pro. 4. 23. 1 Cor. 9. 27 those that their owne deceived heart hath not turned them aside those that keepe their heart withall diligence those that keepe under their body and bring it in subjection and keepe their mouth with a bridle Psal 39. 1. and make a covenant with their eyes Job 31. 1. he that thus overcometh saith Christ will I grant to fit with me on his throne Rev. 3. 21. he shall inherit all things but in this world we are Warriours fighting against them for they are not really overcome in this world therefore the full fruition of all things is reserved till after death in the world to come when old things are passed away and all things are become new for he that sate on Revel 21. 5 the throue said Behold I make all things new then saith the Lord I will be his God and he shall be my Sonne Beloved now we are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but wee know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him but while we are here in this 1 Joh. 3. 2. Gal 4. 1. world we are as the heire under age being a childe and differing nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all we are not fit to have that authority over the creatures as Adam had till we are againe restored to that perfection that he had to be without sinne as he was neither are the creatures fit to doe their duty to us being all corrupted with our sinnes but when we and they are againe restored to our first perfection then and not before shall the Saints inherit all things for this inheritance must bee immortall uncorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away but these things as they 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 5. Heb. 12. 28. are now are sometimes taken from us and sometimes we are taken from them and at the day of judgement the heavens and earth shall passe away I doe not meane the heaven of the blessed that is a kingdome that cannot be moved but the starry heavens and the cloudy heavens they shal passe away with a great noyse and the elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the heavens being 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12. on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and saith John I saw a great white throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them thus in Revel 20. 11. the day of Judgement but the Lord whom ye seeke shall suddainly come to his Temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hoasts but who may abide his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he shall be like refiners fire and fullers sope he shall purifie the sonnes of Levi for he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and shall purge them as gold and Mal. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord but in this Judgement he will be a swift witnesse against the wicked then will Christ purifie the creatures through fire at that day and consume their drosse with fire and brimstone and bring them backe againe to their first Chaos and then saith John in his vision I saw a new heaven and a new earth Rev. 21. 1. for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea and we according to his promise looke for new heavens and a new earth 2 Pet. 3. 12 13. wherein dwelleth righteousnesse for saith the Lord Behold I create new heavens and a new earth for the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind The new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remaine before me Isa 65. 17. Isa 66. 22. And for the rest of the creatures the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God for the creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 23.
Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a Citie of truth the mountaine of the Lord of hoasts the holy mountaine but now I will not bee unto the residue of this people as in the former dayes saith the Lord for the seede shall be prosperous the vine shall give her fruit and the ground shall give her increase and the heavens shall give their dew and I will cause the Zach 3. 3. â—… 12. remnant of this people to possesse all these things I will bring them and they shall dwell in the middest of Jerusalem and they shall bee my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousnesse The Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flocke of his people for they shall bee as the stones of a crowne lifted up as an ensigne upon his land In that day Zach. 9. 16. shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as Zach. 12. 8 9. God as the Angell of the Lord before him And in that day I will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem and the Lord shall bee King over all the earth in that day there shall be one Lord and his name one and men shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited And the Lord shall raigne over them in Zach. 14. 9. 11. Micah 4. 7 8. mount Zion from henceforth even for ever and thou O Tower of the flock the strong hold of the daughter of Sion unto thee shall it come even the first dominion in that day shall the branch of the Lord bee beautifull and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall bee excellent and comely for them that are escaped in Israel and it shall come to passe that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the middest thereof by the spirit of judgement and Isay 4. 3 4 5 6 7. by the spirit of burning and the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and a smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence and there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heate and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storme and from raine In the valley of Jehosaphat the Lord will sit to judge the heathen round about for the day of the Lord is neare the Sunne and the Moone shall Joel 3. 12. 14 15. 20 21. bee darkened and the starres shall withdraw their shining but Judah shal ldwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation for I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion then shall the light of the Moone bee as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth Isay 30. 26. the stroake of their wound The Lord most high is terrible hee is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet he shall chuse our inheritance for us the excellency of Jacob whom he loved God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Sing praises to our God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises for God is the King of all the earth sing praises Psa 47. with understanding God reigneth over the heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holinesse In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer for as the waters of Noah I have sworne shall no more go over the earth so have Isay 54. 9 10 c. I sworne that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee behold the mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee O thou afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay the foundations with saphires and windowes of agates and thy gates of carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children in righteousnesse shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not feare and from terrour for it shall not come unto thee and whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord Great is the Lord and greatly to bee praysed in the Citie of our God in the mountaine of his holinesse beautifull for situation Psal 48. 1 2. the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion God is knowne in her palaces Vers 3. 8. 11 12 13 14. for a refuge as we have heard so have we seene in the Citie of the Lord of Hoast in the Citie of our God God will establish it for ever Selah Let mount Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements walke about Zion goe round abour her and tell the towers thereof marke well her Bulwarkes for this God is our God for ever and ever these things are mixed together concerning the calling of the Jewes to their Jerusalem and the comming downe of Jerusalem out of heaven that it is hard to distinguish them yet many of these things cannot be fulfilled before the restitution of all things for Christ must bee in heaven till then so that these things must be fulfilled afterward againe at the day of judgement Christ shall come from heaven with his mighty Angels 2 Thess 1. 7 10. when he shall come to bee glorified in his Saints for behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Jude 14 15 but if Christ and his Saints should come and live here a thousand yeares before 1 Thess 3. 13. how could it be said he and all the Saints shall come downe from heaven at that day but you see that to be true And wee which are alive and remaine here shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
and the earth Iron Deu. 28. 23 and when the ground was cursed for mans sinne Gen. 3. 17 18. He turneth a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psa 107. 34 this is a sore bondage Sixthly Every creature would preserve his owne kind for ever but the variance and discord of the creatures one with another make it to seeme unpossible and all their labour to be lost this was occasioned by the sin of man that all the foundations of the earth are out of course Psa 82. 5. from this burden they groane to be delivered Seventhly It is a great bondage to the creatures that they have lost a great part of their vertue operation and influence they are by the sinne of man much dulled and disabled to act or to operate or to communicate their vertues to others as they did at the first creation and this is a great bondage from which they groane to delivered but this is true that the Heb. 1. 11 12. Joh. 15. 15. heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture they shall be changed and subject to perish too for the sinne of man for that it hath defiled them The heavens are not cleane in his sight and it is observed by some since the creation that the Sun hath lost a great part of its heate and that it runnes nearer to the earth now then it did at the first by at the least 9976. Germane miles Byfield on the Colossians which shewes the dulnesse of it in comparison of its first creation therefore without exception the heaven and the earth with all the creatures that are in them as men and beasts and fowles groane to be delivered But I suppose that the Sea and the Creatures that live in it shall not continue after the day of judgement for it is said expresly when the new heavens and the new earth are made there shall be no more Sea neither were the Fishes brought to Adam as to their Lord to see what hee would call Rev. 21. 1. Gen. 2. 19 20. Gen. 1. 21. Gen. 6. 17. 19 20. them when all the beasts and fowles were and God gave the Whales their name before Adam was made neither were any Fishes in Noahs Arke preserved from that great Deluge which was a type how some of every kind shall be preserved from the fire in the day of judgement as then they were from the water which then drowned all the world therefore I exclude them from the groaning creatures And the blessed Angels I cannot include among the groaning creatures yet they sustaine a kinde of bondage for they are made to serve earthly Psal 91 11. Matth. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 14. things men have their Angels to attend and guard them and it is thought they have the charge and protection of Kingdomes committed to them from such places as these in Scripture Dan. 10. 13. 12. 1. Psal 34. 7. Revel 12. 7. Luk. 2. 9 10. 13. 15. And some thinke they move the Orbes of Heaven and sometimes they are put to inflict punishments on wicked men as on the Isa 37. 36. Campe of the King of Assyria and sometimes they are hindred in their worke as one complaines that the great Prince of the kingdome of Persia Dan. 10 13. withstood him one and twenty dayes and although the Angels shall bee imployed at the day of judgement yet they must not know when it must Matth. 24. 31 36. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephe. 3. 10. Luk. 15. 7. be and the Angels desire to looke into the mystery of our redemption as not being satisfied in their knowledge and by the Church is made known to them the manifold wisedome of God and they have some joy when one sinner is converted thus when their knowledge and joy is increased by the Church and they are freed from all the forementioned things it will be a great ease to them as it were a deliverance out of bondage but this is true For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come whereof Heb. 2. 5. we speake they shall be eased of that bondage Object Suppose any doe object and say that the world to come is meant ever since Christ was on the earth now under the Gospell because wee keepe our account not from the beginning of the world but from the yeare of Christ I answer that is no more then we do the yeare of our King but what is this concerning the age of the world we are not so simple as to affirme the account from Christ is the account of the world for we know the contrary Againe it cannot be meant that now under the Gospell is the world to come for saith the Apostle after Christs ascension we are they on whom 1 Cor. 10 11 Heb. 9. 2â— the ends of the world are come now if it be counted by the Apostle since that Christ was on the earth to be the end of the old world it cannot bee the world to come here spoken of Againe the world may be divided into three parts the first from the creation to the giving of the Law in which mans diet was the hearbs of the field and they had not the written Law but onely by tradition and the Church was in but one family Secondly Gen. 1. 23. Gen. 18. from Moses to Christ in which they might eate of such beasts as were cleane by the Law so that they did not eate the blood which was the life and they had the Law written yet darkely in types and shadowes and a whole kingdom taken into the Church Thirdly from Christ to the end of the world in which all things may be eaten with thankesgiving nothing 1 Tim. 4. 3. Acts 10. to bee counted common or uncleane and wee have not onely the Law in darke types and shadowes but the vaile taken away and the Gospell clearely setting forth Christ farre beyond all types and shadowes and the bounds of the Church to be in all nations this third age of the world is Matth 28. 19. Gal. 4. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Jude 17. 18 19. called the fulnesse of time and saith Paul In the last dayes perilous times shall come and saith Peter There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their owne lusts and saith Jude Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you that there should come mockers in the last times who would walke after their owne lusts now marke These be they saith he who separate themselves sensuall having not the Spirit and saith John Little Children it is the last time and yee have heard that Antichrist 1 John 2. 18. shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time therefore if now be the last times of the old world then sure I am that
chaines in Jobs time and could not touch his goods nor children nor his body but as he had commission from God and the devill desired to intice Ahab to goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead and told the Lord how but he could not doe it till the 2 Chron. 18. 20 21. Lord said Goe and do so and so in the times of the Gospel they besought Christ that they might goe into the herd of Swine but could not till Christ said unto them Goe but yet in this time he did not cease to compasse Mal. 8. 31 32. 1 Pet. 5. 8. the earth but goeth up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure and his chaine is long and his commission large to doe much hurt but that God who is able to bring good out of evill and all things worke together for good to them that love God as in Jobs case 2 Sam. 16. 12. Jam. 5. 11. And as the malice of Josephs brethren wrought for his good but when Christ came into the world the devils knew that he would Rom. 8. 28 Gen. 50. 20. chaine them up from their purpose a thousand yeares which would be a great torment unto them therefore when they saw Jesus they fell downe before him and with a loud voyce said Thou Sonne of God most high I beseech Luke 8. 28 29. 31. thee torment me not But he commanded the uncleane spirit to come out And they besought him that he would not command them to goe into the deepe meaning this bondage for a thousand yeares Christ comes and disarmes the strong Mat. 12. 29 Luke 11 21 22. Col. 2. 14 15 man and bindes him and then spoyles his goods upon the Crosse hee spoyled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it the Son of God was made manifest to destroy the workes of the devill then saith Christ after this I am he that was dead 1 Joh. 3. 8. and am alive and behold I live for evermore and have the keyes of hell and death Then he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devill and Revel 1. 18 Revel 20. 1 2 3. Satan and bound him from his purpose a thousand yeares he having the keyes of the bottomlesse pit cast him in and shut him up and set a seale upon him that he should not deceive the Nations any more till the thousand yeares should bee fulfilled and after that he must bee loosed a little season Here Christ did not bind the devill from going up and downe as a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devoure and his commission did reach 1 Pet. 5. 8. to doe much hurt in this thousand yeares to single persons but the Devils purpose was to set up the man of sinne that mystery of iniquity that sonne of perdition the Antichrist in his Throne and full authority this hee knew would make great spoyles in the Church of Christ and the mystery of iniquity did already worke and Diotrephes loveth to have the preheminence 3 Joh. 9. 10 he prates against the ministers of Christ with malicious words and would not receive them and forbad others that would and cast them out of the Church Here you see how busie the devill is with this instrument to set up Antichrist because he aimes not so much at single persons as the ruine of nations from which he is bound a thousand yeares I grant that he raised great persecutions and sowed the tares of heresies that did much mischiefe and occasioned great warres and made great spoyles in the Church yet this did not content him for he knew that Antichrist was for to come having great knowledge in the prophesies of Daniel which made him stirre so Dan 7. 20 21. much and caused his wicked instruments to bring in one patch of Popery after another and would not rest till hee had him in his throne which was about a thousand yeares before hee was in his full ruffe to doe that mischiefe to the Church of God that the Devill expected hee should Now when this thousand yeares was ended there was a starre fell from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bittomlesse pit Revel 9. 1 2 3 4 5. and he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose the smoake of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace and the Sunne and the ayre was darkened by the smoake of the pit and there came out of the smoake Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth nor any greene thing nor any tree but onely those men which have not the seale of God in their foreheads and to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should bee tormented or vexed five moneths and that their paine should bee as the torment of a Scorpion when he stingeth and striketh a man Here you see the bottomlesse pit that was shut and the devill that was bound a thousand yeares now the pit is opened and the devils loosed yet not to doe what they list but according to the commission granted to them Francis Junius in his Annotations upon this place saith by this star is meant some Angel glistering with glory as a starre from heaven it may be Christ who by princely authority hath the Keyes of Hell Chap. 1. 18. or some other inferiour Angel who hath the same key permitted unto him and occupieth it ministerially or by office of his ministry the key was given to the starre for those powers of wickednesse are thrust 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6. Revel 20. 3 downe into hell and bound with chaines of darkenesse and are there kept unto damnation unlesse God for a time doe let them loose by the bottomlesse pit he meaneth the deepest darknesse of hell and the smoake of the hellish and infernall spirits all darke and dackning all things in heaven and in earth the spirituall darkenesses are the causes of all disorder and confusion for the devill sent these darkenesses into his kingdome that he might at once with one impression overthrow all things and pervert if it were possible the elect themselves by this light both active as the Sunne and passive as the ayre which is lightned by the Sunne is taken away and this is that which goeth before the spirits a description of the malignant spirits invading the world taken from their nature and power from their nature for they are like unto Loâ—usts in quicknesse subtlenesse hurtfulnesse and in number and for their power they are like the Scorpians of the earth who have a secret power to doe hurt yet although these devils be let loose and their commission is inlarged yet still they are bounded by the counsell of God because they hurt not all men but onely the reprobate vers 4. neither had