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A59938 A plain and evident discovery of the two personal comings of Christ one at the beginning of his thousand years reign, Rev. 20, 4, with his holy and blessed raised saints in the Now [sic] Jerusalem, come down from God out of heaven, Rev. 21, the other after the little space when the thousand years are ended, &c. : whereunto are added many profitable applications of the same doctrine for all sorts of persons. Sherwin, William, 1607-1687? 1670 (1670) Wing S3408; ESTC R38237 52,178 52

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many of them had such faylings or given such offence as occasion others to stumble or they are so mean in esteem as not much to be regarded c. Answ Though perhaps some have been such yet not all there are very ancient as well as modern Witnesses thereof and in most times some and good and eminent men too as well as meaner persons if men would impartially enquire and much I doubt not might be fairly answered to particular exceptions if things were duely weighed but it hath been usual to take up any vain pretences against what is really good but the rule of old was non quis sed quid Our Saviour hath two cautions in hearing take heed what and take heed how but he reserveth to himself liberty to send his messages by any sort of men As we must not have his Faith with respect of persons so not receive or own it in respect of persons but as founded upon the Scriptures of Truth How oft hath the looking asquint upon Gods Messengers upon some appearing or pretended occasion of disrespect or other proved a sad judgement unto many to whom they have come and who have been sent by him in great turnings of times that have not been assaulted in some kind respecting their persons Those rebels of old excited one another to smite the Prophet with the tongue that they might not give heed to any of his words Jer. 18.18 However notwithstanding the worst that can be pretended against mens persons men may consider that Gold that is found but in dunghills ordraughts if by the touch-stone it be approved to be Gold deserveth to be laid up when washed from the soil upon it as well as that which had been kept closely before in the Treasury or Cabinet Wisdom will be justified of her Children in all her Oracles for this reason because they are her Oracles Gods Servants here are to have their grain of allowance but the vain World useth to preoccupate the judgment of the Saints unjustly by harsh censures and hard speeches as Antichrist hath done their reign to come by wicked Idolatry Object But these Doctrines c. shake the foundation of worldly interest and enjoyments for if Christs glorious appearance will be so terrible and work such desolations and changes and that its approach is nigh what will become of Possessors treasures and their owners Answ Good to the good and evil to the evil Rev. 11.18 and therefore God seems to cause such seasonable Truths to be known and published in these last dayes to loosen mens hearts from the world and especially from their wickedness and as Daniel counselled Nebuchadnezzar when he was to be driven from his most stately Palace to feed among the Beasts Dan. 4.27 Let men break off their sins by righteousness and their iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor viz. Gods poor c. and like to our Saviours wise Steward let them make themselves friends with the Mammon of iniquity whilest time serveth that they may receive them into their houses when they are out of their stewardships even those houses and mansions which our Saviour went to prepare for his little little flock in his Kingdom and at his return will give them possession of them with himself But here to be short Let sober and serious Christians further consider that God hath not said so very much of these things in his Word to no purpose but every truth contained in his Word is useful in its season to his Church working as all holy Scriptures do Sanctification in his People besides take notice that mystical Truths may now from the Word be expected to be revealed in great measure when that point of time is hastening to us wherein the Mystery of God will be finished Rev. 10.7 And according to Mark 13.32 which Text many stumble at Christ saith that as man he knew not the day and hour of the last times at least not strictly taken yet even then he being such a person in whom the Godhead dwelled bodily as Col. 2.9 did then to his Disciples make known much of these things Matth. 24. Luke 20 21. Mark 13. and in other places at least in some latitude although in a strict sense the day and hour of Christs comming may not be known to us by means of incompleat or broken years or some imperfection of Chronology or the like as God is pleased to over-rule c. So likewise when Christ tells his Disciples Acts 1.5 6. It is not for you to know the times and seasons then in the state they were in at present which the Father hath put in his own power Yet even then he tells them in the next vers of being endued with power from on high on Pentecost then near at hand when they were not only fitted for the work of the Ministry and to work Miracles but to know the great Mysteries of holy Scriptures and of Daniel in particular as was seen in Peter Acts 3.19 20 21. in James Acts 15.15 16 17. In St. Paul abundantly in his Epistles and even in Jude's short Epistle vers 14. But above all the beloved Disciple St. John is taught to unlock all the formerly shut up Mysteries of the greatly beloved Prophet Daniel even to those times and that by Christ himself in the whole Book of the Revelations thenceforward to be useful for his Churches successively for the time of the end for which they were reserved as is observable Dan. 8.17 19. Chap. 11.40 12.4 9. So that from that time they were unsealed by our Saviour and his holy Spirit who through all times of the Seals hath hitherto opened his Mysteries in their orders Rev. 6. Rev. 8. c. much of this nature might be added not only to remove the frivolous and erroneous conceits of many respecting these things whilest they little consider in what Glory and Majesty Christ will then come in the Clouds of Heaven or with Clouds as Rev. 1.7 accompanied with all his holy Angels And as Enoch long since prophesied Jude 14. with ten thousands of his Saints who shall then come with him 1 Thess 1. ult and 4.14 that he then uniting their Spirits to their Bodies may make them alive and remain against his last coming as verses 15 17. and may so make them capable to behold his glory in the New Jerusalem the thousand years John 17.4 with Rev. 20. In sum then Christian take notice of these representations of the points of Doctrine respecting Christs comings and Kingdom on earth First These Points as all other divine Truths are Uniform See this considered in many particulars in Obser 31. and bear an excellent harmony with themselves and all other true Doctrines and no wayes twharting or disagreeing in themselves or with any others which sound Christians own or profess as by comparing particulars will appear Secondly There is nothing new in them in substance being only fuller explications of divine Mysteries before more darkly couched yet contained in the Word of God Thirdly They will more and more be manifest to have no greater enemies than ignorance of Gods Divine Counsels revealed and sinful unbelief or prophaneness being of themselves sacred and sanctifying Truths which likewise is another evidence of their divine excellency Lastly That now they are in their due season especially made known by the especial grace of God to be published to and improved by his faithful People upon whom the ends of the World are coming And as for some misapprehensions of some good men to whom Mysteries of this nature are not yet discovered whence not only a strange slighting of these great things of God sometimes proceeds but likewise hard speeches both concerning the things and Christs own witnesses of them according to his Word who are therein to be pittied and prayed for with endeavours of information if God afford opportunity and shall be pleased to vouchsafe his blessing However all men herein are to be admonished that they offend not any such wayes against Christ more than they are aware of by contemning or speaking evil of those divine matters they understand not and therefore do not believe yet will be fulfilled in their season Amen FINIS Errata's formerly omitted though smaller faults be passed by IN the Forrunner pag. 10. before line 26. add of the eternal decrees p. 34. r. Rev. 13. in the marg In Irenicon p. ult Chron. Table l. 18. r. 410. In the Preface p. 3. l. 1. r. witnessings In the Advertisement l. 19. 1. supernal p. 84. l. 27. r. Pharisees not Disciples p. 100. l. 26. 1. Ideom p. 101. l. 39. r. special not spiritual p. 109. l. 6. r. thy In Parallel p. 36. l. 9. r. incheate Plain Discovery p. 1. l. 4. r. new
be ended See them at large in the Plain Discovery after the Parallels At the first Christ removes the hinderers and opposers of his reigning in the World towards whom God had shewed long Patience all the time of Christs sitting at his right hand and his faithful Servants patience had been all along exercised by them Yet notwithstanding by their Faith and Patience all along that Kingdom of Patience now almost at an end have inherited the Promises hitherto and still shall do through the thousand years But Psal 110. at the end of Christs sitting at Gods right hand in Heaven he will begin to make his foes his foot-stool by destroying the first Gog and Magog the Turk and Pope by a complication of Judgments Ezek. 38 39. Rev. 19.11 16.18 Dan. 12.1 with Dan. 11.45 And binding Satan Rev. 20.1 2 3. See Observ 3. Then God will set his King upon his holy hill of Sion Psal 2. and so perform the sure mercies to David for ever and that before himself for all which it is plainly recorded as is to be well observed 2 Sam. 7. in a great part of that Chapter See Observ 21. And then he will make every knee to bow to him in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth Phil. 2. Having given him a Name above every Name c. For then those in Heaven Angels and Saints come with him into the World when God shall bring his Son the second time into it as Heb. 1.6 which was prophesied of by David Psal 97. throughout and many other Scriptures Vide Irenicon from pag. 42 to pag. 88. And then all such as sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 See Obser 21. And he will then bodily begin to reward his Servants the Prophets and his Saints c. Rev. 11.18 by that blessed first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 and probably as they were eminent in grace or sufferings or both so much the sooner And in Earth the Jews will then become upon a miraculous Call and Conversion a very zealous and blessed People being beloved for their Fathers sake Rom. 11. See Observ 15. The heathen Gentiles will earnestly then seek Christs face and favour and even make use then of the Jews interterest to procure Christs favour Isa 6. Isa 19. c. The very inferiour creatures then will be freed from their bondage of co●uption Rom. 8. For there shall be no wicked men that shall then dare to abuse them or tyrannize over them as formerly See Observ 21. yea even such wicked men as will then be spared proving hypocrites as is probable will themselves be made slaves then as diverse Scriptures seem to speak For as sin brought alwayes with it a Spiritual slavery before so it is like always remarkably to add an outward visible slavery to all evil men in the world then But those Creatures will be matter of Gods praise to the Saints c. Christ will then delegate the power and management of that his Kingdom to the Saints for him Dan. 7.18 22 27. even that Kingdom he received of the Father and which he gave to them as he speaks and that they may rule for him v. 27. First to the first raised Saints and then to other eminent Saints in the natural life as his enemies which he came to destroy had ruled against him before which will be the just reason and cause of their ruine then Luke 19.27 The Covenant and Mercies to Abraham Isaac and Jacob promised and sworn to them personally and yet never personally performed in respect of their enjoying the Land of Canaan neither had their natural Seed that Land as it was made sure to that one seed Christ Gal. 3. for ever Deut. 30. and Deut. 11.21 and that as the dayes of heaven upon the earth c. See Observ 15. But it shall be then accordingly performed as it was promised and sworn As likewise the Oath to David in David's Seed and Saviour and Antitype to reign so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure See Irenicon pag. 77 to pag. 80. And Observ 21. So of the New Jerusalem called Jehova Shamma Ezek. 48. ult which is said to come down from God out of Heaven Rev. 21. where the Tabernacle of God is said to be with men See Observ 3. And the new Heavens and new Earth See Observ 22. later end with divers other Contemporaries for that thousand years as the Tree of Life and pure River See Iren. pag. 30. whereby the blessed gracious and glorious state of all things then are decyphred c. If these and the like points of Doctrine were enlarged upon and sitly placed in their due order of accomplishment as the holy Scriptures set them forth with such Rational and Scriptural Illustrations as are best suitable to their natures amongst themselves and in their sweet harmony with all other divine Truths there set down I doubt not but when once God shall give any sorts of men such Faith as to receive these things upon the divine authority of his Word they will appear both comfortable and excellent and prove forcible to such true Believers for increase of sanctification above what they received before and make to them as I have found by experience many parts of holy Scripture more clear and sweet and many wayes more useful than otherwise they can be to them whereas without these Doctrines I find I did not nor could ever have rightly understood or known them namely what such Texts of Scriptures respecting these and the like Doctrines do chiefly mean or drive at and I believe many others by degrees may find the like experience thereof in time But I am now many wayes restrained from enlarging therein and therefore only at present hint these things to believing Christians in such respects c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Glory's God all Glory 's due for aye To Him alone this Due let all his pay FINIS A brief representation of the Doctrine of Christs Kingdom of Power to come upon Earth together with an endeavour to remove unjust prejudices from it To prevent the great sin and danger of being ashamed of Christ and his Truth even that great Truth of his Kingdom Joh. 18.37 Before a sinful and an adulterous generation of both which we are warned Mat. 8.38 True Christian Friend c. THE great and precious Truths respecting Christ Jesus our Saviours glorious appearance to destroy Antichrist to convert the Body of the Jewish Nation to begin his glorious Reign with his raised Saints on Earth for a thousand years c. And all this probably shortly to be manifest in the World which God hath been graciously pleased to discover unto me a poor weak and an unworthy instrument in such remarkable wayes as he hath led me according to his Word and by the guidance and operation of his holy Spirit and hath so strongly evidenced to my own soul and which hath been by sundry learned men and judicious Christians acknowledged
and I doubt not will be owned more and more I am well assured are of so high concernment both for the glory of God and our Lord Jesus Christ and for the edification and comfort of his People in the last times that I shall be ready by his Grace upon all fitting occasions to warn all such as truly fear God to take heed either of slighting or rejecting of them for though they are of that nature that God hath in his most wise counsel reserved to be more especially known for his true Churches benefit in these last dayes when his ancient People the Jews are shortly to be converted unto Christ their Saviour as the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11. and all Israel shall be saved that even as the Mystery of the Gentiles Conversion was hidden to the Jews and even for a time to the Apostles themselves when it was to take place until by Miracles Word Spirit and Visions they were powerfully taught to acknowledge it So theirs is like in great part to be hid to the Gentiles And as Antichrist was to come to be revealed to reign to be consumed with the breath of Christ's mouth uttered by his Witnesses but all to be fulfilled in a great Mystery all along to the most in the World saving unto some few persons and places unto whom by degrees God in special wayes of mercy hath been pleased from time to time to manifest these things and yet I say but by degrees for the accomplishment of God's Mysteries have in all times been very wonderful and above mens reach ordinarily to discover And as the Apostle Paul was greatly honoured and imployed by the Jewish Rulers and learned Rabbies of his time whilst he persecuted the Christian Faith yet when afterward he preached that Gospel of Christ crucified and that unto the Gentiles was as much by those Jews persecuted and opposed himself and by all of their way so in a degree may it be expected of such as God manifesteth such things unto as he will accomplish in the end of the dayes as Daniel's phrase is which shall appear to be against the interest of men in the world or above the ordinary strain of the times that many though not all will slight and oppose them even until God fulfils them and such their slighting and opposing is like to be as to the Jews of old the occasion of such his fulfilling of them Dan. 12.10 But then many such will they nill they must give glory to God as Rev. 11.13 for so it pleaseth God usually to hide great things from the wise and prudent and to reveal them unto babes Luke 20.21 But to prevent and remove prejudices First then Let all serious Christian Spirits take notice that in those two first Books I have endeavoured to vindicate the true Doctrine of Christ's Kingdom on Earth to come from those unjust aspersions of Disloyalty to Kings and Magistrates as most opposit thereunto which though haply it hath been unpleasing to some yet otherwise I had not therein so approved my self unto God satisfied mine own conscience done right to many sorts of men nor to the Doctrine which I have been taught as I said before and this may three times be seen in the said Books in the first pag. 15. somewhat largely and pag. 41 42. reckoning such delusions among Satans Vials on Christ's Kingdom and in the second Book in the Preface of it towards the end of the second leaf c. Secondly Let all such observe that those things which as I believe I have by God's special guidance published are for the substance nothing but the true Scriptural explications of the old Articles of the Faith as Learned-men had before manifested from the best Antiquity and owned in great part in the most pure Primitive-times But yet upon a better ground for us are now to be owned from the most pure and infallible Word of Truth that more sure Word of Prophecy as 2 Pet. 1.19 whereunto all Christians are bound to take heed For as we profess to believe that Jesus Christ will come from the right hand of the Father to judge the quick and the dead and likewise to believe the Resurrection of the Just and the Life of the World to come as the Nicene Creed according to Heb. 2.5 And how these things shall be fulfilled our Saviour who best knew hath himself instructed his Church together with the time when in some good measure as Rev. 11.18 at his glorious appearing both beginning to judge the quick then by destroying of them that destroyed the Earth i.e. Antichrist and his Accomplices with the appearance of his coming as 2 Thess 2.8 and 2dly by giving reward unto his Servants the Prophets and unto his Saints and to all that fear his Name both small and great which is then to be done in the Resurrection of the Just as is further explained Rev. 20.4 5 6. when also begins the Reign of the Saints with Christ on Earth the said thousand years while Satan also shall be bound as ver 1 2 3. during which time our Saviour shews that the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 concerning which Period he more fully explains himself Luke 22.29 I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me where his Throne must be distinct from his Fathers where he sate on his right hand in Heaven as Rev. 3.21 is clearly explained which Kingdom appointed to him by his Father the Apostle shews 1 Cor. 15.24 at the end the same shall be delivered again to his Father when ends the said Kingdom that the Father had appointed to him with his Saints on Earth which began at his beginning to judge the quick and the dead at his first appearing as was shewed which continued all the said thousand years and the finishing of the Judgment of the Just and Wicked concerning which there are so abundant and evident proofs in Scripture that when Antichristian prejudices shall once be removed even that spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh as 1 John 4.3 which such do not in the Apostles sense that acknowledg not the fulfilling of all Christ's Offices in their seasons as the Scripture holds them out till his Mediatorship be consummate which the spirit of Antichrist hath all along opposed c. Then I say I confidently believe those glorious Truths will evidently be manifest and received in the true Church of Christ Thirdly Now for the Subjects of that Kingdom of Christ on Earth that we may give a little further taste of the Doctrine thereof before we proceed to the removal of the prejudices against it They will be first the Body of the Nation of the Jews c. for the most part miraculously converted upon Christ's glorious appearance and probably his speaking to them as in that pattern of St. Paul's Conversion and of many Jews about three hundred years after Christ as
of the proceedings wherein I have endeavoured in sundry places on several occasions to give an account advantagious to serious Christian souls and greater than if it had been otherwise as upon sundry considerations might be made to appear and though in such subjects for divers reasons men that write of them cannot well be much in explications and applications lest they be too voluminous in laying down the principles and confirmation as the foundation of them in the first place necessary yet afterwards it will be easie by God's assistance for all sorts of understanding Christians to do it for their own benefit and the edification of others And to which purpose I shall likewise by God's Grace be ready upon any call of his to approve my self to all mens consciences in the clearing and improving of such needful Truths according to my measure and as he may give me opportunity which haply I conceive may be the chief work remaining to me in this world though haply they may find resistance from Satan the end of whose Kingdom they hold out or from several sorts of men either upon prejudice or want of searching and trying them by the Scriptures or from some evil disposition of spirit or other or worldly engagements to the contrary c. as it hath usually been with the Witnessings of other Truths of God in their seasons but this is the comfort in such case Truth shall prevail and Gods Word shall stand when all is done for he that is with such as witness for it is Almighty and will suffer no Truth of his utterly to fall to the ground though for a time it may suffer an eclypse but in the mean time the work of his Witnesses is with him their Lord and their labour with their God And as no Truth of God is in its season to be rejected so concerning these there seems to be less reason in this regard because the Spirit of God seems in all times of his Messengers to be so abundant in giving testimony thereunto that men may not onely find much in Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms as our Saviour then directed to search for his first coming in his Kingdom of Patience Vide Irenicon p. 81 82 83 c. but concerning his second coming and Kingdom of Power then to be set up in the World they may have abundant evidence besides from his Apostles Evangelists and many sorts of persons there recorded to have been divinely inspired and after all our Saviour's most sure Explications and Applications of all the former strongly asserted and sent by his beloved Disciple St. John unto the Churches for their Edification and Comfort unto his said Coming again as all along by the quotations in the said two Books by his remarkable hand sent abroad of late may more fully appear to such as duly weigh the Scriptures Obj. But it may be alledged against these things as it was at our Saviours first coming Have any of the Rulers believed on him So Do the Great and Learned or Eminent Men in the World of many Ages past acknowledge these things Answ It was a great stumbling-block to many sorts of the People of the Jews that their Rulers did not But were they not both by our Saviour therefore characterized by Blind leaders of the blind c. and the same obstacle hath many times since and still is like to fall in the way of many But the Scripture informs men on the other hand Not many Wise not many Learned not many Noble c. though some of all those c. So neither are these Truths without some Witnesses of all such ranks and many in the purest primitive times besides more late ones as hath been abundantly not long since published but while men as we hinted before have more respect to Men than God's Word it is no wonder they are in some great matters misled Therefore in a word they are to be warned that they pin not their faith on other mens sleeves but with the Noble Bereans search by the holy Scriptures whether these things be so if they would stand upon a sure foundation c. It matters not to thee saithful Christian who are the persons that plead for or against any divine Truth whilst thou mayest find the Word of God evidently to give witness to it and if in this thou follow any sort of men rather than Christs truth thou wilt certainly be misled above what thou mightest in other things for our Saviour hath in these things forewarned thee Luke 18.8 Their Faith will be wanting when he cometh as in the latter part of the foregoing Chapter is particularly described wherefore they should pray and not faint c. Object But there is one dangerous shifting here comes on to be avoided i.e. Many good men able faithful and well approved do not at all own such Doctrines and some reckon them to be little better than fancies c. Answ No good men however qualified or approved in this world are perfect Who better or equal to the Apostles of Christ yet the chiefest of them shewed their infirmities Peter and Paul were so at difference that they parted from each other and Barnabas was far carried away with the dissimulation of a mistaken party and there was much adoe among some of them before the believing Gentiles could be received though the Word and Will of God was for it till God made the business out of question but the evidence of the Jews conversion and things contemporary with them have much more clearness that they shall be accomplished and though good men in many things have been upheld in upright wayes pleasing unto God yet they may fail in others and what sorts of good men have not had their failings and is not that vanity in many able approved and learned men that they are apt so to conceive of their light or parts or learning or experience that nothing is to be owned and received that is not suited to their own standard and all is but fancy that is not comprized within the summary of their Faith although they have not searched and tryed them by the true touch-stone of the Word But let all such be they who they will either in their own esteem or in the esteem of others take heed of being in such regard resisters of any divine Truth God hath more Truths yet to reveal than any times past have been hitherto capable of receiving or that these times we are in can attain to but will be revealed and received too at the time when his Temple shall be opened in Heaven and when men shall see in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Rev. 11.19 But he hath now in our times revealed some things which he would have owned by us which have not of many years past been so manifest and clear but are now very seasonable to be many ways improved in these last days Object But the Teachers of such or such Doctrines have