Divine Essence both in the Eternal Decrees and in the execution of all f Psal 33.6 joyntly in their order concurred and so g John 5.17 with John 14.10 11 16. will do from Eternity through all Times unto all Eternity Secondly that all the glory of God the Father was by the Eternal Decree to be manifest h 2 Cor. 4.6 Heb. 1.3 Joh. 1.3 4 5. in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son the Lamb slain in the Eternal Decree of the Father i Rev. 13.8 1 Pet. 1.19 20. before the foundation of the world was laid And according to the said Eternal Decree the holy Ghost k 1 John 5.7 one God co-essential and co-equal with the Father and the Son l John 15.26 proceeds from the Father and the Son the m 1 Tim. 2.5 Mediator between God and Man as the sole n Gen. 11.2 John 14.16 17 26. efficacious Worker and Accomplisher of all spiritual good in and for Angels and Men o Jam. 1.17 all real good in all Creatures which in their several p Exod. 20.11 Orders and Natures they were capable of receiving Thirdly Accordingly in the Creation God made the q Prov. 3.19 Prov. 8.27 28 29 30. World by his Wisdom the Eternal Word John 1. the Spirit sitting as it were upon the surface of the Waters then covering the Earth powerfully to produce the Creatures then to be made and so both the Heavens with the Angels as Divines conceive and the Earth were made the first day Gen. 1.1 as all that were made in the whole World afterward in the five following days which the word Elohim in the plural number put with the Verb Barah in the singular number denoting the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of Essence seems to declare whose concurrence in the making of man is likewise very remarkably exprest when God said Let Us make Man after Our own Image after Our likeness Gen. 1.26 Fourthly The making of r Ephes 1.11 Angels in Heaven and Man and all Creatures in the World was in the execution of the said incomprehensibly glorious Trin-Une-Deity in their several Orders Natures Stations and Conditions Fifthly As no other but the holy and good Will and Pleasure of the infinitely glorious and incomprehensible GOD was the reason and cause why they were all made absolutely as they were so that they should be for Himself as Å¿ Prov. 16.4 his Word witnesseth as their utmost End and no other inconsistent Reasons or Ends ought to be given or assigned by men Sixthly As the t Gen. 1.31 whole Creation was all good suitable to the Author of it so the preserving ordering over-ruling and disposing of all Creatures according to his good Pleasure by his infinite Wisdom Power Providence and Goodness u Rom. 11.33 is not to be measured or judged by any scantling of any created Capacity who will notwithstanding be w Psal 51.4 justified in his saying and clear when he is judged there being in such his proceedings so many fathomless depths in respect of Creatures which it is not lawful for any men to search into further then Gods Word doth warrant them but in things not revealed or forbidden x Deut. 29.29 they are not to enquire Seventhly Since God according to his said Eternal Decree and good pleasure of his will at the Fall of our first Parents in Paradise revealed and testified his wonderful powerful Grace That the blessed Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head there is sufficient ground y Psa 51.5 for ever to humble all mankind and z 1 Cor. 15.10 for ever to exalt Gods free and rich Grace therein and a Matt. 11.28 Tit. 2.11 12. all men are thereby engaged to use all GOD's means to obtain their part therein Eightly According to the Declaration of that wonderful rich and free Grace of God for the Salvation of his People and for carrying on his great Design therein As the Father Son and holy Ghost by an Eternal Decree had purposed so to be wonderfully glorified in the powerful Redemption and Salvation of b Rom. 8.28 30 33. his elect People in such a way of free Grace so in the creation of all things all sorts of Creatures were made c Act. 15.18 in a capacity to carry on that Design and from that very period of their first being holily and most wisely over-ruled and disposed of d Psal 119.91 in reference thereunto and so ever since have been are and shall be most wonderfully holily and powerfully though many times secretly and unsearchably throughout all Ages by the joynt concurrence of all the said three Persons of the most sacred Trinity in their order of working e Eph. 1.11 Heb. 6.17 2 Tim. 2.19 John 13.18 to the infallible perfecting and compleating of the said Design Decree and Purpose Ninthly That the f Isa 42.2 1 Pet. 1.19.20 John 3.16 1 Tim. 2.5 mannagement and administration of the great work of Mediatorship between God and Man ever since the said promised Seed was revealed to our first Parents hath been committed to Jesus Christ the Son of God who in his Word commands all men g Mat. 17.5 Luk. 9.35 to hear him h Psal 2.12 1 Pet. 2.6 by acknowledging receiving and obeying him Tenthly That the mannagement and administration of Mediatorship between God and Man hath ever since been executed by Christ in his three great Offices wherein He and he onely is to appear most powerful wonderful gracious and glorious to his Church upon Earth as her great i Act. 3.22 Prophet k Heb. 5.5 6. Priest and l Psal 2.6 King Eleventhly Christs execution of the said three great Offices is two ways to be considered 1. More generally for his universal Church in respect of the m Gen. 3.15 Psal 110.1 Rev. 11.15 several seasons wherein in order he was to execute them severally most eminently until his work of Mediatorship should perfectly be accomplished and n 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20 21. full reconciliation made between God and all his elect People his o 2 Cor. 12.12 27. mystical Body the true Church being compleat in all the Members of it and perfect Union and Communion attained with himself as their Mystical Head together with the p 1 Joh. 1.3 Father and the holy Spirit as also with the glorious Angels and one with another in most happy enjoyment of all Good to all Eternity 2. It is again considerable particularly and specially in respect of every truly believing Soul in the particular application of the efficacy of those three great Offices to them by his holy Spirit making good means and ordinances efficacious to every faithful Soul so exhibiting himself to them q Act. 3.22 as their great Prophet inwardly powerfully and savingly teaching them all necessary Truth and Doctrine secondly r Heb. 7.15 as their great High Priest in the like way evidencing
their Peace and Reconciliation with God through that expiation that he should or hath made for their sins thirdly in the like way also to evidence to them at one time or other Å¿ Act. 2.36 that he is their powerful King and Protector that hath and doth and will subdue all his and their Enemies and keep them in a loyal and good condition by Faith and Grace unto Salvation Twelfthly Consider that the general more eminent and glorious execution of those three great Offices for his universal Church more remarkably in the World is in these three great Periods of his manifesting himself in the World according to all that his t Joh. 4.34 Father had given him to do 1. As u 1 Pet. 3.19 20. the great Prophet of his Church by his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in all his immediate Messengers till his coming in the Flesh and so Christ is said to preach in the time of Noah to the Spirits in Prison as St. Peter speaketh 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2. As w Psal 110.4 Heb. 5.6 7. Chap. the great high Priest in the second Period after his coming in the flesh when putting an end to all the Types and Shadows of his Priesthood he actually undertook in his Person and executed the Work and Office of Priesthood as the great High Priest having made a full and perfect attonement and satisfaction for the sins of all his People he ascended into the x Heb. 8.1 Holy of holies the highest Heavens there sitting at the right Hand of God the Father powerful and glorious there to execute and improve that Office by making intercession for his People till his coming again 3. y Rev. 11.15 5.10 In the third great Period of the World under the seventh Trumpet Christ will appear more eminently in executing the Office of a King in this general consideration in respect of his Universal Church subduing wonderfully and manifestly in the world z Rev. 2.27 Rev. 19.11 to the end his own and his Churches Enemies powerfully a Deut. 30.4 5 6. graciously enabling his Saints to walk in the obedience of his Laws taking away in a great degree the evils of sin and suffering with the causes of both by b Rev. cap. 19 20. binding of Satan and destroying the wicked powers of the World c. I say in a great degree though not then c Rev. 20.7 8 9 10. totally nor finally Lastly Consider how Christ hath and doth and will work in these three great Periods of the World In the first he wrought by d 1 Pet. 1.11 12. his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation making known the Will of the Father in all things for substance respecting Faith and Obedience In the second By e Joh. 1.17 Joh. 14.17 Joh. 17.17 his Spirit of Grace and Truth powerfully sanctifying his people more eminently and largely then in the former In the last When he will take to himself his Kingly Power Rev. 11.15 19. by f 2 Cor. 3.18 2 Tim. 1.7 his Spirit of Power and Domination What things concern this third Period see further after the large Paper December 7. 1664. Novemb. 3. 1663. Part of a Letter sent to a Friend not long after the Writer thereof had more intensively inquired into the last times in order held out in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ contained under the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.9 and Thousand years of Christ's Reign on Earth Rev. 20. AS for the New-Jerusalem since the bar was taken away whereby I have formerly conceived it to be an Article of Faith which the Scripture expresly declared viz. That the Heavens must contain Christ's Person till his coming the second time to Judgement My meaning was to the last Judgment I have I say found much since in Scripture but especially in the Book of the Revelation to tend to a coming of Christ as the great Monarch to set up his glorious Kingdom upon the putting down all other worldly Powers that stood in opposition to him 1 Cor. 15. when he will begin to judge the quick and dead Rev. 11.17 18. I have lately perused Mr. Archers Book of Christ's Personal Reign and though in all things therein I am not satisfied yet I cannot find solid reason in many things to dissent and in other things it seemeth convincing and doubtless in his time he was a very discerning Christian and I had of late before I read that or any other of the like nature since my most earnest search into mystical Prophecies of the latter times the same apprehensions of divers passages in Scripture which I find to agree with his Book as the applying what our Saviour promised to his Disciples when he came to his Kingdom which I find will be in the Thousand years Rev. 20.4 promised to the New-Jerusalem Inhabitants Rev. 3.21 that then they should sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And that of our Saviour Luke 21.24 that Jerusalem should be trodden under foot till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled but to be raised up again then And when he wept over Jerusalem he said They namely that People of the Jews should not see him thenceforth till they said Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Mat. 23. ult denoting that then they should see him And that Promise Zech. 12.10 to the end which is in a way of mercy foreshewing how upon their Conversion they should mourn in humble contrition and look to him at his appearing when that Nation shall be born in a day Isa 66.8 which judicious Expositors apply to the expression Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him that is the People of the Jews that after their imprecation on themselves and on their children shall be accomplished will as the Apostle Paul speaks Rom. 11. appear to be beloved for their Fathers sake when those times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Act. 3.19 and then all Israel shall be saved both of Jew and Gentile And though many grave Divines for a long time interpreted all that hath been spoken to this purpose for the most part to a spiritual sense yet the things that some hold out to the contrary seem easie to be answered so that if this Opinion or rather matter of Faith be but freed from those evil additions that the subtilty of Satan in the primitive times thrust upon it as if it should be a Kingdom of sensual pleasure for before this misrepresentations or false aspersions rather as Mr. Mede notes it was very antient And freed likewise from that bold presumption and scandalous wickedness of our latter times for any under pretence of Christs Kingdom given to the Saints to go about by the Sword or any other unlawful means to divest Magistrates and Governors of their Offices to take that Kingdom before Christ give it to them
new Song and afterwards fall down and worship but the top of rejoycing for all that was in the Book and after all that should be done and suffered by and for and in Christs Church which they represented in that vision it was this which was the great enforcement of their joy while the World was to continue And say they vers 10. we shall reign upon Earth And that Subject of such their reign there after all their labours and sufferings of the Saints as their time of refreshment Acts 3.19 and Sabbatism or rest Heb. 4. is largely treated of in sundry Particulars in the 19 20 21 22. the four last Chapters of the Book of the Revelations and that those things therein contained must necessarily be understood of the state of God's Church upon earth according to the series and order of the Book in the last times and therefore were never yet accomplished take into serious consideration the brief abridgment of Reasons and Testimonies following to that purpose 1. The New Jerusalem is said to come down from God chap. 21.2 and not to ascend up or be taken up unto God as the Church Tryumphant at the last day shall be 1 Thes 4.17 Christ will take the Church up to himself John 14.3 it shall not come down after the last Judgment to remain here 2. The Church is said to be prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband I conceive the New Jerusalem that comes down from God will be a kind of tryumphant Church consisting of the raised Saints though in the thousand years it be not fully glorified yet perfectly sanctified and saved Rev. 20. knowing in due season they shall be so glorified as 1 John 3.2 3. But all others of the faithful in the natural life shall walk in the light of that Jerusalem the Mother of us all Gal. 4. Rev. 21.24 and accordingly the several Texts relating to either are to be destinguished vers 2. Now the Church Tryumphant of all the Elect gathered together is not a Bride prepared but a Wife in marriage fully accomplished 3. Because it is called a Tabernacle a removing state and God also said to be with men and to dwell as in a Tabernacle with them but concerning the Church Tryumphant in Heaven the manner of speaking is to say It is with God 4. Because the Holy Ghost so strongly confirms this renovation of all things avouching it again and again vers 1.5 commanding to write and affirming the words to be faithful and true which needed not in so generally approved believed truth touching the state of the Church Tryumphant 5. Because John is made to ascend on high to see this new City below him descending out of Heaven from God 6. Because it is said to be measured and that with the measure of a man v. 16 17. which sheweth it to be the Church on Earth which is only measurable and to be measured c. 11.1 Zach. 1.16 but not the Tryumphant in Heaven 7. Because here is said That Nations shall walk in the light of it and Kings of the Earth shall bring their glory and honour to it vers 23 24. yea the glory and honour of the Nations too v. 26. But none can bring earthly glory and honour for of such he speaketh into Heaven above to beautifie it withal 8. This seemeth not unreasonable though something in the Letter carry our thoughts to a state of full perfection chap. 21.4 22.3 4 5. because the like speeches have been used by the Holy Prophets aforetime to set out the graceful and peaceful state of the Church Isa 65.17 18 19 25. 60.18 20. 25.8 60.21 and yet further observe after those high expressions it is said chap. 22.6 These sayings are faithful and true the Lord God of the Holy Prophets who had spoken of old time sent his Angel to shew unto his Servant John the things which must shortly be done which words shortly be done seem alwayes in this Book to note the state of the Church on earth Now for Testimonies in the next place Some such thing is promised to the Jews in the Books of the Prophets which seem not yet to be fulfilled but deferred till the seventh Trumpet be blown when the Mystery of God shall be finished as hath been declared to his Servants the Prophets by which words it is clear that all things in the Prophets are not accomplished till this Book of the Revelation be fulfilled for the Prophets have formerly spoken of this Mystery to be finished under the seventh Trumpet Now that we may not wonder at the New Jerusalem here set forth look unto the prophesies of old and mark what by them the Lord did promise unto the Jews after their captivity 1. He tells them They shall be brought back again to Jerusalem and to inhabit Judea Zach. 8.7 8. 10.8 9. Isa 60.10 15. 62.10 And this shall the Lord do who shall cause Righteousness and Praise before all Nations Isa 61.11 2. He will pour upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him Zach. 12.10 14. 3. He will make them strong to overcome all their enemies and they shall inhabit Jerusalem again Zach. 12.6 and build the old wastes they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the waste Cities and the desolations of many Generations Isa 61.4 58.12 and that by the help of strangers and their Kings Isa 60.10 4. Being so built whereas it had been forsaken and hated so as no man went thorow it he will make it an eternal Excellency and a Joy of many Generations Isa 60.15 For 1. Violence shall no more be heard in the Land wasting nor destruction within the borders but her Walls shall be called Salvation and her Gates Praise Isa 60.18 The Sun shall be no more her light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto her Isa 60.19 20. 2dly All the people shall be righteous Isa 60.21 and no Canaanite there Zech. 14.21 3dly Her Officers shall be Officers of Peace and her Exactors Righteousness Isa 60.17 4thly Her Watchmen shall never be silent Isa 62.6 neither shall her Vision ever be wanting Isa 59.21 But the false Prophet and the unclean spirit shall be cut off Zech. 13.2 So as by this glorious and graceful state she shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isa 62.2 that is Hephziba and the Land Beulah for the Lord would delight in her and marry her or Jehovah there shall be the name of the City Ezek. 48.35 5thly Hereupon they shall be known among the Gentiles and People and all that see their Seed and Off-spring shall acknowledge them the Seed which the Lord hath blessed Isa 61.9 An holy People the Redeemed of the Lord fought out and not forsaken Isa 62.12 6thly The Gentiles and their Kings shall see her Righteousness and Glory Isa