THE SOVLS CORDIALL In two TREATISES I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of Sin II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension By that faithfull Labourer in the Lords Vineyard Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Pastor of Lawrence Jury London The third Volum Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Romans 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us London Printed for Nathaniel Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill 1653. J Cross Sculpsit To the Reader READER THou art here presented with two Treatises of the late pious and faithfull Minister of the Gospell Mr. Christopher Love They come to thy view in an unpolished style as they were taken from the mouth of the reverend Author whose endeavour it was to pierce the conscience rather then to please the eare A garish dresse is unbefitting a chaste Matrone if thou expect here what may be pleasing to a wanton appetite stay at the threshold thou wilt lose thy labour if thy stomach be for wholesome Food and Doctrine according to Godlinesse enter in this diet is for hungry soules The first part will shew thee how thou must proceed to obtaine and assure thy heart of pardon of sin viz. by a sound Confession this duty is much decried in these dayes of Libertinisme but by such as decry the power of Godlines and are loath to have a check put upon their licentiousnesse but doe thou remember he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we say wee have no sin we deceive our selves and make God a lier if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive them pardon of sinne is the purchase of the bloud of Christ but intailed upon the Confession of sinne The latter will shew thee thy great advantage by Christs ascension intercession and returne to judgement this is a subject most sutable for the last times times of perill and temptation to quiet comfort and incourage to keepe the heart in the love of God in the patient waiting for Christ and unspotted in the world We have much talke in the World that Christs person shal reigne for 1000. yeares upon earth hee that can see this in Scripture hath a clearer sight then I but what ever becomes of this opinion we are sure of and stay our soules upon this That our blessed Saviour is now at the right hand of God in glory pleading the cause of his despised servants waiting till his enemies be made his footstoole from whence we expect him at that great day to transforme our vile bodies into the similitude of his glorious body to take us into these mansions prepared for us that we may see his glory and be for ever with the Lord. These meditations if they were often in our mindes would engage us to be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord because our labour is not in vain in the Lord. One thing more I advertise thee that in the perusing of these little Treatises thou wilt meet with many typographicall errors for these the Printer craves thy pardon Farewell J. Cranford Pastor of Christophers le Stocks Curteous Reader These Books following are Printed for Nathaniel Brooke and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angell in Gornehill 1. TImes Treasury or Academy for Gentry excellent grounds both Divine and Humane for their accomplishment in arguments of discourse habit fashion with a Ladies love Lecture and Truthes triumph summing up all in a character of Honour by Ri. Braithwait Esq 2. Morton of the Sacrament folio 3. Physiognomy and Chiromancy Metoposcopy the Symmetricall proportions and signall Moles of the body the subject of Dreames to which is added the art of Memory by Ri. Sanders Student folio 4. Theatrum chemicum Britanicum tontaining severall poeticall peeces of our famous English Philosophers which have written the Hermitque misteries in their antient Language by Elias Ashmole Esq 5. Chiromancy or the art of Divining by the lines engraven in the hand of man by dame Nature Theologically practically in 19. Genitures with a leraned discourse of the soule of the World and universall spirit thereof by Geo. Wharton Esq 6. Catholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councells and antient Fathers Moderne writers hoth ecclesiasticall and civill by Ed. Chisenhall Esq 7. Planometria or the whole art of Survey of Land shewing the use of all Instruments but especially the plain Table whereunto is added an Appendix to measure regular Solides as Timber Stone usefull for all that intend either to sell or purchase by Ol. Wallingby 8. 8. An Arithmetick in number and species in two Books 1 Teaching by precept and example the operation in Numbers whole and broken by Decimals and use of the Logarithms Napyers bones 2 The great Rule of Algebra in Species resolving all Arithmeticall questions by supposition with a Canon of the powers of numbers fitted to the meanest capacity by Jonas Moore late of Durham 8. 9. Tactometrica or the Geomety of Regulars after a new exact and expeditious manner in Solids with sundry usefull experiments Practicall Geometry of Regular-like Solids and of a Cylinder body for liquid vessell measure with sundry new experiments never before extant for gauging a work very usefull for all that are imployed in the art Metricall by John Wiberd Doctor in Physick 10. An Astrologicall discourse with Mathematicall Demonstrations proving the powerfull and harmonicall influence of the Planets and fixed Stars upon Elementary Bodies in justification of the Validity of Astrologie by Sir Christopher Heydon Knight 11. Magick and Astrology vindicated in which is contained the true definitions of the said Arts and the justification of their practise proved by the authority of Scripture and the experience of antient and modern Authors by H. Warren 12. An Astrologicall judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the sick also the way of finding out the cause change and end of a disease also whether the sick be likely to live or die by N. Culpeper 13. Catastrophe Magnatum or the down fall of Monarchy by N. Culpeper 14. Ephemerides for the year 1652. being a year of wonders by N. Culpeper 15. Lux veritatis or Christian Judiciall Astrology vindicated and Daemonology confured in answer to Nath. Holmes Dr. D. By W. Ramsey Gent. 16. The History of the Golden Ass 17. The Painting of the Antients the beginning progress and Consummating of that noble Art and how those antient Artificers attained to their still so much admired excellency Israels redemption or the propheticall History of our Saviours Kingdome on earth by Robert
bewail bloudshed wicked men have made publique confessions of sin but in secret between God and their own souls they never made acknowledgement and confession of their evils unto God thus much for the third Quere The fourth Quere is this Wherein appears the difference of a godly mans making confession of sin unto God and between those confessions of sin in wicked men and there are these eight differences First Holy confession in godly men makes the soul to be more active and inquisitive after cure remedy and pardon for sin holy confession makes the soul industrious I confesse sin but how shall I subdue sin I acknowledge sin but how shall I get pardon for sin It makes it enquire how to get cure and remedy for the evils which before were confest Job 7.20 Job 7.20 I have sinned What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men c. I have sinned there is his confession Lord what shall I do there is his industry Thus the Jewes they were convinced by Peter of their great sin insomuch as they cryed out What shal we do to be saved But false confession leaves men idle and carelesse confesse they doe but they are not inquisitive how to get pardon for those sins they doe confesse Secondly Holy confession of sin unto God in godly men is attended with remorse of conscience and with grief of heart Psal 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin there is confession and sorrow joyned together Hos 12.4 Hos 12.4 Yea he had power over the Angell and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Whilest confessions are in the mouth there will be either tears in the eye or sorrow in the heart if confession be true The wicked confesse sin but they never grieve for the sins they have committed they are not ashamed neither can they blush in the Prophets language Thirdly A godly man in confession of sin hath more freedome of spirit to confesse his particular sins in secret then he hath in publique I have poured out my soul before God saith the Psalmist confession of sin is a pouring out the soul before God he that can pour forth complaints against sin in secret more then in publique is a gracious man The wicked are only for confession of sin before men and not before God 4. Fourthly Godly men confesse sin freely out of a willingness they have to be rid of sin wicked men confesse sin with confessions extorted and drawn from them as men on a rack whether they will or no. Godly men confesse sin freely they are freely willing to part with their lusts therefore they confesse them to God Job 32.18 19 20. Job 32 18. For I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Vers 19. Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles Vers 20. I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer Thus a godly man in confessing sin his belly is as it were burst with new wine he must needs have vent else he is broken he must needs confesse sin his sin drives him to God But confession is extorted and wrested from wicked men It was the plagues of Egypt upon Pharaoh that wrung confession from him before these he would say Who is the Lord It was pangs and horrour of conscience in Judas that forced him to acknowledge he had sinned in betraying innocent bloud Mariners cast over their goods not that they hate them but as they are forc't to doe it to escape drowning when there is a storm and a tempest in their consciences then men are forc't to confesse sin it is by compulsion it is not voluntary Fifthly A godly man is conscious to confesse secret and small sins as well as grosse wickednesse David confest his pride and carnal confidence in numbring the people as well as his adultery with Bathsheba David confest the cutting off the lap of Sauls garment as well as spilling the bloud of Vriah But hypocrites confesse their grosse sins but not their small sins Cain confest his murder but not his envie Cain confest his murder but not his bad offering they confesse their grosse sins but not their smaller Pharaoh confest his oppression of the children of Israel but he did not confesse the secret hardnesse of his heart But godly men though they have not so many grosse and open evils yet small and secret evils pinch their consciences and troubles their spirit Those evils which will not break a wicked mans sleep will break their hearts what though they have not uncleannesse in the flesh what though they have escaped the pollutions of the world yet they know they have secret and inward defilements on the spirit and these they bewaile these they acknowledg to God A sixt difference is this that godly men are distinct and clear to confesse these particular speciall evils that have most predominancy over them Beloved observe this Wicked men in their confessions are confused and only run in generall that they are sinners Just like Ahimaaz when he would bring tidings to David touching the issue of the battell with Joab and Absalom saith he I saw a tumult and I heard a noyse but I know nothing Wicked men will tell you that their sins do make a noyse within them but they can tell you nothing distinctly and nothing particularly but only go at randome Wicked men in confessing sin are like Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2. Dan. 2. He dreamt something but he could not tell what it was Wicked men dream of sins and think of them as confusedly as a man in a dream but when how and where and with what aggravating circumstances they know not they have not a distinct and clear view of their corruptions Thus Bellarmine did shew his wickednesse in saying he was not wicked when he was on his death-bed and his Confessor came to him to have him confesse his sin to him saith Bellarmine I do not know any sin in my self to confesse This was not the holinesse of the man but heedlesnesse that he did not observe his wayes Donatus the great ringleader of the Donatists saith O Lord I have nothing that thou shouldst pardon me Beloved this doth arise from stupidity that men see not sin it doth not arise from holinesse but from heedlesnesse and carelesnesse It is an observation that one hath on Job saith Job I have sinned and cause me know mine iniquity and my transgression and my sin Whilest Job made this complaint that he had finned God saith in all this Job sinned not that is not absolutely but meaning comparatively Beloved to be free in complaints and to be full in confession of sins doth not argue that you have more sin then other men have but it argues that you have more sight then other men have and the lesse sinne you have in you Seventhly Godly men confesse sinne out of a
Heaven it is a ground of comfort to thee that though thou hast no place to put thy head in here in this World yet remember Christ is gone to prepare Heaven for thee It may be many of you have poor cottages smoaky houses why for all that lift up thy heart with joy that Christ is gone to prepare a large place in Heaven for thee Ballans the Arrian Emperour when hee did threaten Basill and said that neither by Sea not Land hee should be safe from his power yet saith Basil for all the Emperours rage I shall be either in Heaven or under Heaven Why so though thou mayst be driven to and fro by Sea and Land and have no abiding place of safety to put thy head in yet maugre the malice of Men and Divells thou shalt be either in Heaven or under Heaven A Cardinall threatned Luther with this that there should not be a place left for Luther in all the Empire O saith Luther smilingly if Earth cannot keepe mee yet Heaven shall Beloved beare up your Hearts that though thou mayst not have an abiding place on Earth yet thou hast one prepared for thee in Heaven Fourthly is Christ gone into Heaven to prepare a place for Beleevers then all Christlesse and Gracelesse men have no benefit by the Passion or Ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ dyed but not for thee Christ rose againe but not for thee Christ is gone up to Heaven but not for thee heâ— will prepare no place in Heaven for thee therefore as was spoken of Judas Acts 1.25 That hee may take part of this Ministery and Apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his Owne place It was to no place of Christs preparing it was prepared of old for condemnation In the phrase of Jude Tophet is prepared of old it is a place of an angry God and not a place prepared by a Mediatour This therefore should be matter of astonishment to all Christlesse and Gracelesse men what though Christ be gone into Hearen yet thou shalt never follow after him What though Christ prepareth a place for all his Elect yet hee prepareth none for thee thy place is prepared by an angry God thou goest to Hell and not to a place prepared by Jesus Christ And thus I have done with the second Doctrine to wit that the fruit and benefit that all the Elect of God have by Christs going into Heaven it is to prepare a place for them I goe and prepare a place for you Doct. 3 The third maine Doctrine it is the Doctrine of Christs coming againe I goe and prepare a place for you but I will come againe Christ may stay long but hee will not stay ever but Christ that said he would goe away also said hee would come againe To explicate the phrase I will come againe what is meant by Christs coming againe Beloved there are foure sorts of Interpretations of these words neither which are true but the last First by coming againe some understand by Christs first coming so the Jewes understand the Jewes that doe study for some of them doe study the Evangelists though they study to confute it they doe not believe that Christ is come so they make it of his coming in the flesh John 4. it was their sence of the coming of Christ in the 25. verse The Woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when hee is come hee will tell us all things why hee was come but shee thought that hee had not beene come O saith Jesus Christ I am hee I am come already so that the Jewes and the Samaritans did ever take the phrase of Christs coming but not to Judge the World but of the coming in the flesh Secondly it cannot be understood as by the coming of Christ by his spirit so some Interpreters doe understand the words but I will come againe by his Spirit and they make it agreeable to that phrase but loe I goe away but I will bee with you to the end of the World but Calvin rejects it because the next words say I will come againe to receive you to my selfe Thirdly it cannot be meant as the Milliners understand it of Christs coming again to remaine a thousand yeares upon the Earth and for that I shall give you severall demonstrations from Scripture when I come to handle it Fourthly by Christs coming againe it is to be understood as Calvin and most Interpreters take it of Christs coming to Judge the World As if hee should say I goe to prepare Heaven for you and I promise you to come againe that though your bodies die and rot in the Graves yet I will come againe and raise you up another day and receive you unto my selfe It is to be understood of his last coming And thus much for the Explication of the phrase Obser 3 The Observation is this Christ doth here give them a promise of his coming to comfort their troubled hearts From thence observe That Christs coming againe to judge the World is a Doctrine full of comfort to every Believer whilst they are here upon the Earth for the proofe of this see 1 Thess 4.15 to the end For this wee say unto you by the Word of the Lord that wee which are alive and remaine unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asteepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a sheut with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then wee which are alive and remaine shall bee caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Ayre and so shall wee ever bee with the Lord Wherefore comfort one another with these words In the handling of this there are three particulars and then the use The first is by way of Objection what comfort is this to us or to them that Christ should bid them they should not be troubled that hee would come againe when betweene the making of this accomplishment and this time it hath run above 1600 years already Answer First that Tract of time can neither interrupt the accomplishment of a promise nor the comfort of a promise it is comfortable that what is promised shall sooner or later come to passe especially in this wherein all the comforts of the Elect of God are reserved to the day of judgement Daniel 10.1 In the third yeare of Cyrus King of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose Name was called Belteshazzar and the thing was true but the time appointed was long and hee understood the thing and had understanding of the vision It is a promise made by Christ to comfort you against all the troubles of the World hee will come againe and though the time be long ere hee doth come yet the time appointed will be true it is certaine though it be long Secondly that the godly in ages before us they could
mention it for this to shew the vanity of our age of those who will undertake to shew the very day when Christ should come Likewise to condemne the former Ages who run to things not revealed I remember what a learned Man saith one that commenteth upon my Text saith hee There is nothing that doth expose the Christian Religion to more contempt then that the Preacher of it or the hearers of it will run into nice Questions and be peremptory in their resolves of that the Scripture speaks not of And Jewes and Gentiles may sufpect the whole Gospell because they see Men so peremptory about things which are not revealed in the Gospell and shall see their false-hood appearing to all be not peremptory in your determinations about the time of Christs coming nor about the place where for neither is revealed in Scripture Christ did deny his Disciples when they asked him where hee should come Luke 17.37 And they answered and said where Lord And hee said unto them where the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Christ told them of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the end of the World then said the Disciples but where Lord wilt thou come Christ onely gives them this answer that where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles flee that is where Christ is all the Elect shall bee gathered as Birds of prey flock together after a carcasse to feed upon so that Christ would neither tell the place where nor the time when and this should be a check and a controule to mens curious pryings about that which the Scripture is silent in Lastly take heed of bold and adventurous attempts of the manner of Christs coming to judge the World many are very peremptory about it and there be strange Bookes at least in their owne expressions that they can descry the very manner of his coming that CHRIST shall come from Heaven and dwell a thousand yeares upon the Earth and the Dead shall rise and live in the World but these are such things which the Scripture doth neere take notice of I am to handle on this pâ—omise of Christ but I come againe A perplexed Quere which is this whether Christ Jesus in promising to his Disciples to come again whether that promise of Christ coming againe be to Reigne upon the Earth here a thousand yeares or whether it be to be meant of Christs last coming to judge the World this Scripture and others are made use of and brought to prove that Christ shall come from Heaven and in person and live upon the Earth for a whole thousand yeares they fancy that Jesus Christ when hee shall come on this personall Reigne then hee shall raise all the Martyrs that have lost their Lives in his Cause and the Divell shall be bound up that hee shall tempt Men to sinne no more and wicked Men shall bee ty'd up that they shall not persecute the Church of God this is an Antient Opinion and almost since the Apostles dayes Before I shall come to give you my thoughts from the words touching Christs coming as they pretend to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth I shall shew you the rise of this Opinion First from Eusebius and other they give us this to be the rise of this Opinion from Cyrenthus which had it who lived in the time of John This Cyrenthus who was a pestilent Heretick in those times who held that Christ was borne by the Conjunction of a Man and a Woman and not borne by a Virgin and was borne as others are and so must be a sinner Hee was the Man that was the first authour from whom this Opinion had any life and being Patrius seemed to maintaine this and divers others were ensnared with this conceite and Beloved there was some spice of this in the Apostles for they did dreame of a Temporall Kingdome Therefore they askt Christ when hee was going to Heaven Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel there was in the times of the Apostle a fancy that Christ must be an Earthly Monarch and destroy all the Kings of the Earth and all the Enemies of the World and must come here to Rule and Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth it was brought over in Transilvania and Italy in Germany and there was taken hold on by John of Leydon and in Westphalia and handed over to us in England by men of late Now for the confutation First I shall quote expresse Scriptures that Christ shall not come in person out of Heaven till his last coming to judge the World Secondly I shall give you some reasons from the Scripture why Christ cannot come out of Heaven Bodily and in Person to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth Thirdly I shall shew you some absurdities and incredulities that would follow if Christ should come to Reigne a thousand years upon the Earth First for expresse Scriptures which are foure The first Scripture is in Acts 3.21 Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World began There the Apostle telleth you directly that the Heaven must receive and keepe Jesus Christ how long till the restitution of all things The Milleners hold that the restitution of all things may be at the time of Christs Personall Reigne but I shall shew you that this restitution of all things cannot be till Christs judging the world First there cannot be a totall abolition of sinne in the World at the thousand yeares end there shall be a number of men and wicked during the thousand yeares all things cannot be restored for sinne bringeth the creature under a curse it is apparent that it cannot be till Christs last coming to judge the world because other Scriptures tell you that the time of restitution cannot be till our bodies be raised from the Dead Rom. 8.23 And not onely they but our selves also which have the first fruites of the spirit even wee our selves groane within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our bady That is the creatures do as it were groane being used by man as an instrument to Gods dishonour so that till the bodies of all the Elect be redeemed and glorified till that time the creature lies under a curse by reason of Mans sinnes and Mans abuse And they themselves hold that pleade for Christs personall reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth though they doe hold that the Martyrs shall be raised at that time but doe not hold that all the Elect shall be raised at that time therefore the Apostle saith expresly that the Heavens must keepe the person of Christ till the restitution of all things till the bodies of the Elect come to be raised from the Dead Againe it is apparent from the Context in Acts 3. That the restitution of all things can intend no other time then the time of Christs coming to
doth say that the Saints that were beheaded that they should live with Christ a thousand yeares yet the Text doth not say that Christ shall come to reigne with them a thousand yeares Secondly though the Text saith that they should live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares yet the Text doth not say that they shall reigne with him here upon the Earth Thirdly that though it be said that the Saints shall live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares yet living and reigning with Christ doth not necessarily imply to be in the same place where Iesus Christ is for then you would pervert many Scriptures For loe saith Christ I am with you to the end of the World it doth not therefore follow from that time hee will be upon the Earth to the end of the World but Christ being with us or wee with him it doth not follow wee must be with him where hee is but it is his Spirit Romans 8.17 And if Children then Heires of God and joynt Heires with Christ if so bee that wee suffer with him that we may be also glorified together The Text it doth not denote the samenes of place and the onenes of scituation I give this to take off that which is made of this Text. Fourthly it is evident that this Scripture cannot be a Foundation to build on that Christ shall come to reigne a thousand yeares on the Earth then it will not onely follow that men shall live so long but shall reigne with Christ so long on the Earth Methuselah lived but nine hundred sixty and nine yeares and David saith the life of man is cut short The Text saith they shall live and reigne with Christ in that sence taking living properly and all the Phrases properly they must necessarily say that men shall live when that time comes that men shall live a thousand yeares together Then it cannot be the sence of the Scripture because that cannot be the sence of this Scripture which crosseth the sence of other Scriptures to make this Scripture to affirme that Christ shall reigne on the Earth a thousand yeares for other Scriptures tell you that Christ shall stay in Heaven in person till all men shall rise from the Dead every man shall rise then cometh the end 1 Cor. 15.23 24. But every man in his owne order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end c. 2 Thess 2.1 Now wee beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him Then besides it doth crosse the Scripture to say that at Christs coming onely some men shall arise but not all Job 14.10 11 12. But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is hee As the waters faile from the Sea and the Flood decayeth and dryeth up So man lieth downe and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleepe Job telleth you expresly That the dead shall not be raised till the Heavens be no more and that cannot be the thousand yeares for there will be a Earth and a Heaven then And in Peters phrase The Heavens shall melt away like a scrowle c. Now to make a Resurrection before a Resurrection it is that which the Scripture doth no where mention John 5.28 29. Marvell not at this for the houre is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall heare his Voyce And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation The judging of the just and unjust shall be the same houre and upon Christs coming all men shall be judged 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome So that Christs appearing and Christs coming is a judging of the quick and the dead Now Beloved then to make this Scripture to say that Christ shall come on the Earth before his last coming this is to crosse other Scripture then of necessity it cannot bee the scope of this for there is no jarring between one phrase of the Scripture and another Fifthly when the Scripture saith here That they live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares it may be as well and they have as strong a ground to plead it is not spoken whether it be a reigning with CHRIST in Heaven or on Earth so the phrase neither carryeth it one way or another Sixthly John doth not say that he saw the bodies of men that were beheaded and they reigned with Christ but hee did in a Vision see the Soules of them that were beheaded now to say that they must come to reigne on the Earth for a thousand yeares it were a great inconveniency to them it is said I saw the Soules of them the thousand yeares cannot be applied to Christs personall Reigne for either it must be applyed to him as hee is simply God and it cannot be applyed to him for so Iesus Christ hath an eternall Kingdome hee doth not reigne a thousand yeares on Earth or in Heaven but everlastingly Kingdomes and States of this World have lasted a thousand yeares and to make Christs Kingdome to last no longer it is to give Christs Kingdome too narrow a confine I have consulted with many Authors and I finde the concurrent of Interpreters generally runne this way though some doe fancy that Text speakes of the binding of the Divell for a thousand yeares and during this time the Saints should live and reigne with Christ for a thousand yeares The sense and scope of this First for the period of time when this time began that the Divell was bound Interpreters doe unanimously give this Opinion that it began in the reigne of Constantine the Great hee being the first Christian Emperour in the World hee coming after 300 yeares Persecution by the Roman Emperours who made great massacre and havock in the Church of God Insomuch that in the booke of Martyrs wee reade that there may be for every day in the year five thousand Christians slaine this is a dreadfull persecution and the Divell raged and stirred much Now upon Constantines reigne the Divell was bound up that is the Roman Emperours who were acted by the Devill to all this cruelty when Constantine a Christian Emperour came to reigne hee gave out impreiall Edicts and Lawes for Establishment of the Christian Religion and that put an end to the Heathens Persecution the Roman Emperours and of this Opinion many Interpreters give in their consent Brightman Napman Gerrard with multitudes of others for the thousand years when the Divell was bound did end 300 yeares and more and this is given to be the scope and sense of the Scripture Obj. I but then you will say Though the Divel was bound how comes the Divell to be loose againe
fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome And this Alsted quotes from thence they gather it cannot be meant of Heaven why because there is no eating and drinking there here is promise by Jesus Christ and come to them no more till hee would drinke with them Wine in his Fathers Kingdome and it cannot be unlesse Christ doth come in person amongst his people Therefore Christ must have a Kingdome to eate and drinke with his people in this World This they stand much upon Take these cleare Answers to these Quotations First if all this cannot be meant of a Kingdome in this World for a thousand yeares my reason is this because the Kingdome which is Christs personall reigne it should be called Christs Kingdome and not his Fathers Kingdome it should have been called my Kingdome and not my Fathers Kingdome that is one answer that Divines give Secondly observe this that this may referre to that time betweene Christs Resurrection and Ascention for after Christ did rise from the dead you know hee did continue forty dayes on the Earth and the Scripture telleth you in Luke 24.42 And they gave him a piece of broyled Fish and of an Hony-combe And hee tooke it and did eate before them So he may as well drinke as eate but that to mee is somewhat uncertaine Thirdly which is the true scope of this place I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome hee was taking the Lords Supper and was drinking the Cup of Wine saith hee I am going away and will drinke no more till wee meete in Heaven not that there should be Eating and Drinking in Heaven but when you and I meete wee shall have sweet fellowship and communion together as Eating and Drinking together As Feasting is a badge of Communion and a badge of Love so there should be endeared love and endeared Communion with Christ in Heaven you shall drink it new not new Wine nor eate new Bread but after a new manner of Love and Communion they should expresse Love each to other and have everlasting Communion one with another They say likewise that there shall be no sinne in the World and that the Earth shall be restored to its primitive fruitfulnesse as it were before the fall but I shall not meddle with these And thus according to my poore measure I have laboured to lay downe the grounds from Scripture why Christ cannot come to reigne personally upon the Earth a thousand yeares and have vindicated those Scriptures that seeme to patronize that Opinion Vse Is it so that the Scripture doth not determine of any coming of Christ out of Heaven till his last and great coming to judge the World O then labour to make it your worke to have Jesus Christ as King to reigne in your hearts by mortification to rule in thy Heart by his Spirit to Mortifie thy head-strong lusts that are in thee Secondly Seeing there is no Christ coming as King in this World why then labour to have Christ to reigne in his Church by a well-ordered Discipline that the Government of Christ may be established in the places where you dwell Thirdly seeing there is no Christ coming as King in this World then doe not trouble your selves about Niceties and Obscurities about his coming upon the Earth but labour to be fitted and prepared for his last and great coming Fourthly if Christ should come to reigne upon the Earth which the Scripture no ways speakes of then certainly the Saints of these times they doe make but a bad preparative for Christs reigne men that doe impale Saint-ship and monopolize Saint-ship unto themselves and say they are the people of God The Church of Christ and the Saints of Christ they make but a bad preparation for Christs coming to live in sensuality as they doe and comit such wickednesses as they doe upon the Earth This is but a bad preparation and but poore encouragement to Jesus Christ to come and reigne amongst such Saints as these are which indeed are a scandall to Saints a scandall to Religion and would be a scandall to that thousand yeares of Christ if hee should come to reigne but Christ will have better Saints then these are to reigne with him In treating of the Doctrine of Christs coming againe the other Quere is this how or after what manner shall this coming of Christ be but I will come againe Now in the resolving of this question I shall confine my answer to these six Particulars First hee shall come certainly Secondly hee shall come personally Thirdly he shall come visibly Fourthly hee shall come gloriously Fifthly hee shall come terribly And sixtly hee shall come unexpectedly These wayes the Scripture doth furnish you with severall hints touching his coming First the Lord Jesus shall come certainly Christs coming is not to be numbred among Poeticall Fictions or with the delusion of Mahomet but the certainty of Christs coming againe it is built on these three foundations First it is built on the immutability of Gods decree Acts 17.31 Because he hath appoynted a day in the which hee will judge the World in righteousnesse by that Man whom hee hath ordained whereof hee hath given assurance unto all men in that hee hath raised him from the dead The immutability of Gods decree doth prove the certainty of Christs coming God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World Secondly the certainty doth stand upon the infallibility of Christs promises Mat. 26.64 Jesus saith unto him Thou hast said neverthelesse I say unto you Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven there is Christs promise to which three of the Evangelists doe concurre Thirdly the certainty of his coming it is grounded upon the impartiality of his Justice here every man hath not right and in Solomons Phrase a just man perisheth in his uprightnesse and a wicked man prolongeth his days in wickednesse therefore to shew Gods impartiality there must be a coming of the Sonne of Man to judge the World righteously I means this because the Doctrine of Christs coming is impugned by Atheists therefore you reade what Peter tells you 2 Peter 3.3 4. knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts And saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the begining of the Creation And wee reade of the men of Athens they questioned this and would not believe this of Christs coming to judge the World Acts 17.32 And when they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said wee will heare thee againe of this matter Why of old time in the times of Jesus Christ or soone after men did mock at this Doctrine that the
not in Heaven hee was speaking on Earth to them in his Person in his Humane Nature so likewise in John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee bee with Mee where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given Mee for thou lovedst Mee before the Foundation of the World Gerrard doth raise this Question that when Christ speakes of his being in Heaven CHRIST doth speake of it in the Present Tense as if hee were there already Now why doth Christ say that hee is in Heaven when yet he was in his body on the Earth First Christ saith I am it denotes the certainty of Christs going to heaven that he should bee there as sure as if hee were there Babylon is fallen why the Popedome is not fallen yet it shall bee as sure as if it were fallen It is to note Secondly the suddennesse of it Christ was shortly to bee in Heaven there was but one day betweene Christ and his being in Heaven things suddenly to be done they are said to be done things that are neere a doing are said to be done Thirdly which is the reason that Gerrard gives Christ doth expresse in the present Tense where I am though hee were on Earth it was for this reason saith Gerrard to shew that Christ was truly God as well as Man and in regard of his Divine Nature hee was truly in Heaven as in regard of his Humane Nature hee was on Earth Thus much for the manner of expression that where I am there you may be also the latter part is that they might be with Christ where he is One thing to observe that in Scripture Language there is a great difference betweene Christs being with us and ours said to be with Christ Christ is said to be with us it doth not denote a personall presence but a presence by his Spirit Mat. 28. last verse Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I shall command you and loe I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the World It was not in person for hee left them but I am with you in my blessing in my Spirit but when the Scripture saith of our being with Christ it notes a personall presence a being with Christ in preson Therefore Paul saith I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Christ was with Paul because Christ converted him but Paul was not with Christ but desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ our being with the Lord it notes a personall presence an enjoying of the presence of the Lord. Obser The Observation is this That Christ at his second coming receives the Elect unto himselfe in body and soule that they might bee for ever present where Jesus Christ is in Heaven that where I am there yee may bee also This Doctrine it is out of the common place Here in setting out to you this great happinesse that this should be the consequent of Christs great and last coming to receive the Elect unto himselfe that where Christ is there yee may be also I shall then shew you the great blessednesse in this condition in these eight or nine particulars First our being where Christ is in heaven I may first set out the happinesse of it in this particular First that you will bee more happy in being present with Jesus Christ in Heaven then if you had beene present with Adam in a state of Innocency wee should have thought our selves happy then to bee as Adam was to have had the Immediate presence of God wee should have thought this a very happy and glorious Estate Indeed so it was but now to be present with CHRIST in Heaven thou art more happy ten thousand times then if thou hadst beene made when Adam was made to have lived with him in Innocency First Adam when he was made by God in Innocency he was instated only into an earthly Paradice but now thou being with Christ art stated into an everlasting kingdom Againe Adam was placed in Innocency yet so as to bee liable to lose that blessed and glorious condition hee was in and did lose it though hee were a perfect Creature yet hee lay under a capacity to lose all his excellency but when God brings thee to bee present with Jesus Christ thou art instated into a kingdom that cannot be shaken into a happy condition that cannot be lost Againe thirdly when hee was made by God in Innocency hee enjoyed onely the society of Beasts on the Earth and Birds of the Ayre I but when God brings thee where Christ is hee doth instate thee into a condition where God the Father God the Son and all the Saints and Angels are thy companions Secondly here is another part of thy happinesse being where Christ is that thou shalt enjoy the society of Christ in his Humane Nature where Christ is thou shalt be that is the meaning of that expression John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee be with Mee where I am that they may behold my Glory Beloved this is the Beatificall vision this referres to seeing the glory of Christs Person in his Humane Nature not the glory of his Godhead but the glory of his Man-hood which was in himselfe that they may behold my glorified body the glory of my Humane Nature that was so contemned and so despised when I was on the Earth I beseech thee let all the Elect that long for mee and for to bee with mee I beseech thee that they may bee with mee where I am to behold my glory It was a solemn wish of Austine a little before his Death hee wisht that hee might see three things and then if hee might die hee did not care I wish saith hee First that I might see Rome in its beauty and see Paul in the Pulpit and to see Christ in the flesh every Believer shall see the Lord Jesus in the flesh Job tells you of his confidence long before Christ was borne I know my Redeemer liveth and with these Eyes I shall see my Redeemer here is thy happinesse that being where Jesus Christ is thou hast a society with Christ in his Humane Nature 1 John 3.2 Beloved now wee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know not when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is Wee doe not know what Christ is wee doe not know what a glorified body is wee shall know him then wee shall see him as hee is glorified in Heaven A Third thing that makes much for the blessednesse of the Elect that thy being present with Jesus Christ God gives thee more Honour then ever thou couldst be capable of in former time God gives thee glory by vertue of thy being with Jesus Christ a notable Text John 12.26 verse If any Man serve mee let him follow mee and where I am there shall also my servant be If any Man serve mee
Christ shall come Personally p. 115 Christ shall come Visibly p. 116 Christ shall come Gloriously p. 117 Christ shall come Teribly p. 119 Christ shall come Vnexpectedly p. 120 Christ coming againe proved by the Mutability of Gods Decree p. 112 proved by the Infallibility of his Promises p. 112 proved by the Impartiality of his Justice p. 112 Christ's end in his first coming what p. 144 Christ's coming what produce to the wick p. 123 Christians in some particulers have cause to feare Christs coming Ibidem Christ's coming dreadfull to Opressors p. 124 125 126 127 128 129. Christ's coming dreadfull to Riotous persons p. 124 125 126 127 128 129. Christ's coming dreadfull to Non. Lovers of Christ p. 124 125 126 127 128 129. Christ's coming the end for what p. 133 Christ by his Spirit in the Ministery of Noah did Preach to the old world p. 147 Christ must raise the bodies of the elect why p. 150 Christs Resurrection an Argument of ours Ibi. The Church of Corinth in an error touching the Resurrection p. 159 D. The Doctrin of Christs Ascension p. 4 The Doctrin of The Resurrection Ibid. The Doctrin of Everlasting Life Ibid. The Doctrin of Christs Ascension practically applied p 27 Doctrinall Inferences 4 drawn from Christs Ascension p. 27. 29 The Doctrine of Christs coming againe a comfort to believers p. 50. 52. 55. 57. 121. Duties 6 to be learned upon the consideration of Christs coming againe p. 61 Determinations concerning the place from Whence and Where Christ shall come to Judge the World dangerous p. 68 Bold determinations the foundation of superstitions p. 65 The Devill bound the time when it began p. 96 E. Epicurian Principles brought in that Doctrine of Christs personall reigne p. 102 Endowments 6 the bodies of the Elect shall receive at Christs second coming p. 154 F. Fruits of Christs Ascension p. 4 G. The Gospell under Christs time called a Kingdome p. 90 A godly Man when dying is in the Suburbs of Heaven p. 148 H. Himenius opinion touching the Resurre p. 159 I. Instructions drawn from the crcumstances of Christs Ascension p. 226 Incongruities 8 that would follow upon the personall reigne of Christ p. 85 Inconveniences that would follow should it be granted that God does not receive the soules of the Elect as some hold into Heaven till Christs coming to Judgement p. 145 K. The Kingdome given to Christ in whose dayes it began p. 105 The Kingdom of Christ not of this world p 106 The Kingdome of Christ refer'd to that with the Kingdome of God p. 107 L. Living and reigning with Christ does not imply the place where Christ is p. 92 Labaroch a Martyr his story p. 165 M. Maran-atha a compound word p. 127 Murder committed in Adams sin p. 131 Morall men may live and die in an unpardoned estate p. 136 Magistrates comanded to punish sin p 66 N. Non Lovers of Christ accursed p. 102 O. Opinions of the Seleucians confuted p. 27 Observations drawn from the Doctrine of Christs coming againe p. 52 Objections raised from the doctrine of Christs coming againe cleared p. 53 Opinions of the Milleners concerning the restitutions of all things p. 73 Obiections 2 by those that plead for a 1000 years answered p. 97 Opinions of Divines concerning the dwelling of Righteousnesse here p. 104 Origens mistake concerning the coming of Christ p. 114 The Opinion of those who hold the sleeping of the Soule p. 134 P. Practicall inferences 4 drawne from the doctrine of Christs Ascension p. 33. 29 Practicall inferences 4 drawne from the doctrine of Christ's preparing Heaven for the Saints p. 46 The place where and where not Christ shall come to Judge the World p. 66 The promise of Christs coming handled p. 7â— The promise of Christs coming againe what meant thereby p. 71 Paradice what p. 72 Perkins opinion concerning the Resurre p. 163 Price a Martyr his story p. 165 Pauls argument against uncleannesse p. 167 Q. Queries concerning Heaven being prepared by Christ for the Saints p. 39 40 R. Restitution of all things the time when p 73 74 Restitution of all things what it intends p. 74 Resurrection of the Just and unjust what p. 83 The Resurrection of the body proved p. 140 S. The soules of Saints went to Heaven before the Ascension of Christ p. 41. 135 Scriptures whereon are grounded those opinions of Christs personall reigne upon earth cleared p. 91. 101. 105 106 107. The Saints living and reigning what Christ the First Resurrection p. 98 The Scriptures doe not determine any coming of Christ out of Heaven till he come to Judge the World p. 109 The sins of the wicked to whom published p. 122 The soules of the Elect go to Heaven imediately after death confirmed by Scripture p. 141 142. 150. The Spirit sanctifies the bodies of the Elect as well as the soules p. 151 The Saints happinesse in being with Christ fully handled p. 70 T. The Turkish Emperour when began to beare sway p. 97 W. The wicked seperated from the Elect at Christs coming p. 122 The wicked goe to Hell p. 147 An Alphabeticall TABLE to the Second Part. Saints are bound to confesse their Sins A. ANtinomists their opinion of confession of sin p. 37 Auricular confession a great mistake p. 41 Auricular confession invented by whom p. 42 43 Aggrevations 6 in Adams sin p. 131 Austins aggravation of sin p. 147 Authors opinions concerning Infants p. 172 Antinomians opinions concerning the praying for pardon of sin p. 181 B. Believers both in New testament and old made conscience of confession of sin p. 38 C. Confession the nature of it p. 8 Confession is to the soul as the whetstone to the knife p. 11 Confession of sin is no slavish worke p. 17 Confession of sin in what cases needfull to confesse them to Men. p. 44 Confesion of sin what kind hath necessary connexion with forgivenesse of sin p. 72 Confession of sinne with its connexion how agreeable with the freeness of Gods grace p. 76 Negatively and Positively Considered p. 78 Concomitants 6 that attend a pardoned person p. 83 Characters 4 of a pardoned Man p. 87 Consolations 4 for a disconsolate soule p. 122. 151 Considerations 5 concerning lesser sins p. 128 Considerations concerning great sins p. 139 Christ dyed for Man not for the Devill p. 147 Cases of Conscience resolved p. 156 D. The Duty of confession p. 6 Defects 10 that the godly as well as the wicked lie liable to confession of sin p. 51 Doubts resolved p. 90. 95. 98 Davids 4 projects to hide sin p. 98 Differences 5 between pardoned an unpardoned sinner p. 104 Davids sin the nature of it p. 112 Directions sorgr eatsinners p. 142 E. Every confession of Sin will not serve turne p. 18 F. Forgivenesse of sin wherein it consists p. 21 Forgiveness Confession of sine a necessery connecti p. 66 Forgiveness of sins what it is p. 66 G. Gramarians bow they distinguish the words Sin Iniquity Transgression p. 5 God comands confession of sin p. 39 Gods Act touching the forgiveness of sin p. 46 God in some sence receives injury by Mans sin p. 82 God pardons Sins after repentance not before p. 167 H. Holy confession the properties of it p. 30 Helps against the defects of confession of Sin p. 57 I. Iniquity the signification of the word p. 5. Iustified persons bound to confesse their Sins to God p. 8 P. The pardoned Mans happinesse p. 2 Paul's 8 aggravations of Sin p. 27 Peters Sin the nature of it p. 118 Paul's Sin the nature of it p. 120 R. Rules for confession of Sin p. 19 Relapses into grose sins dangerous Symptoms of a Man to be in a lost condition p. 180 S. Sin in us to hide our Sins p. 1 Sin what it signifies p. 5 Saul made the same confession of Sin that David did p. 18 Saul confest his Sin to Samuel not to God p. 20 Sins in how many respects said to be forgiven p. 70 Sin how many ways considered p 71 Selah what it Signifies p. 111 Sin in divers respects aggravated p. 186 T. Transgression what it is p. 5 Times 3 most seasonable to confesse Sin to God p. 13 W. The way to procure the pardon of Sin p. 2 The wicked confesse Sin how p. 31. 36 Women 4 infamos recorded in the Genealogy of Christ p. 25. THE END