Woman of Samaria did the Samaritans Come see the man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ But they may then teach as Aquila and Priscilla did Apollo who instructed him in the way of God more perfectly This second Calling appears Zach. 13.9 Two parts shall be cut off and dye and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine and try them I will say it is my People they shall say the Lord is my God And we may conceive that this second Calling will be by means of the personal appearing of Christ Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Rev. 1.7 Every eye shall see him they also which pierced him Not only Judah which pierced Christ but also the ten Tribes Thus as Paul was converted by seeing Christ so shall the Jews And after this Joseph and Judah shall become one and one King shall be to them all And then every Tribe shall be in its portion in the Land and the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Saints coming with Christ shall stand in their Lot in the City 2. The Restitution of all things We read of a twofold Restitution of all things The first by Elias the second by Christ 1. By Elias Mat. 17.12 Elias shall first come and restore all things but I say Elias is come already The occasion of what was spoken of Elias was Christ's transfiguration which did prefigure his coming in glory And the Disciples from hence seem to conclude that Christ should then reign in glory But this lay in the way the Scribes say that Elias must first come To which Christ gives an answer in which two things are to be considered First Elias shall come and restore all things Here 's a plain assertion Elias shall come Which was spoken after John Baptist was come and gone And then this was a truth Elias shall come Secondly Christ answers Elias is come already So both are true Elias is come and Elias shall come As there is then a twofold coming of Christ so a twofold coming of Elias for an Elias is a forerunner of Christ at both his comings The first coming of Elias was foretold Isa 40.3 The voice of one crying in the Wilderness Mat. 3.1.3 this was fulfilled in John Baptist This is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet And Mat. 17.12 Christ said that John was the Elias which was to precede his first coming The second coming of Elias is foretold Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple c. Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven v. 5. Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet Though these Prophecies had some degree of accomplishment in John Baptist yet certainly the full accomplishment is yet to come For an Elias shall be 〈◊〉 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Now this dreadful day must certainly be chiefly meant of the day of his second coming For first all here foretold cannot be said to be fulfilled at his first coming For did this day burn as an Oven so that all the proud and such as did wickedly were burnt up and had not root or branch left them This threat had not its accomplishment at the destruction of Jerusalem for this happened several years after the first coming of Christ 't is promised that at that time those that fear the name of God should go forth that is out of their bondage and afflicted state and should tread down the wicked so as that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet But no such thing was done then the Saints did not tread down the wicked Jerusalem was trodden down by the Romans This Prediction doth well agree with other Prophecies of the great destruction of Christ's and the Churches Enemies and very much with Peter's Prophecy of the world's perishing by fire The time of Christ's first coming is called The acceptable year of the Lord and of proclaiming liberty to sinners to get forth from their spiritual Captivity So 't is expounded by Christ This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luk. 4.21 Now how can that so sweet a day spoken of by Esaias be the dreadful day spoken of by Malachi In this dreadful day the Sons of Levi shall be purified and the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant as in the days of old This was not fulfilled at Christ's first coming for then the Sons of Levi were the great Enemies of Christ and had the chief hand in crucifying him And then Judah and Jerusalem killed the Prince of Life so far were their Offerings from being pleasant as in the days of old By this it appears that an Elias is yet to come who shall restore all things and that to the Church in general and to the Jews in particular First To the Church in general The Apostles first preached the Gospel and were Witnesses to Christ they laid the Foundation which is Crist and built upon that Foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Their Doctrine was pure and the Truths they preached very precious They laid no Commands upon the Disciples but what they received from the Lord They planted and watered and God gave an Increase Doctrine was found and saving Discipline was good Ordinances were rightly administred and they were the true Worshippers who worshipped the Father in Spirit and in Truth They had the guidance of an infallible Spirit in what they did as Apostles and Ministers of Christ But false Teachers quickly arose the Evil One sowed Tares the Mystery of Iniquity began to work and there were those who did build Wood Hay and Stubble Damnable Heresies were brought in and at last the Man of Sin was revealed with whom came in Idolatry Superstition and all kind of Abominations But in the time of this departure from the Faith Christ hath his faithful Witnesses bearing a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus They prophesie when the Beast reigns but in Sackcloth and at last the Beast slays them But after three days and half the Spirit of Life enters into them and they stand upon their Feet and as they were sown in weakness so shall they be raised in power and be the Angel flying in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel Now these raised Witnesses and this revived Ministry will come in the spirit and power of Elias And by the spirit of Christ's Mouth will the Man of Sin now be consuming And as Elijah did by Fire from Heaven convince the People that the Lord was God and Baal was no God and by this occasioned the destruction of the Priests of Baal Even so shall the Elias which is to come preach the everlasting Gospel and by him Apostolical Doctrine Ordinances and Discipline shall be restored And this Day shall declare Men's Works
The Mystery OF THE TEMPLE and CITY DESCRIBED In the NINE last Chapters of EZEKIEL UNFOLDED Also these following Particulars are briefly handled I. The Calling of the Jews II. The Restitution of all Things III. The Description of the Two Beasts Rev. 13. IV. The Day of Iudgment and the World perishing by Fire V. Some Signs of the Times when the Fall of BABYLON is near VI. Some Advantages which the Knowledge of these Truths will afford VII The Conclusion of all in some Counsels and Directions By WILLIAM ALLEINE Minister of the Gospel Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God PSAL. lxxxvii 3 Blessed are they that keep his Commandments that they may have right to eat of the Tree of Life and may enter in thorow the Gates into the City REV. xxii 14 LONDON Printed for B. Harris and are to be sold at the Stationers Arms in Sweetings-Alley near the Royal Exchange and by T. Wall near the To sey in Bristol 1679. Some Discovery OF THE NEVV HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH ALSO OF The Earnest Expectation of the Creature to be delivered from its Bondage into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God TOGETHER With some Hints wherein it will consist Gathered out of Holy Scriptures AS ALSO A Guess at the Time wherein it may probably be expected Together with the Profitable Uses to be made of it As in 2 Pet. 3.14 By WILLIAM ALLEINE Now with the Lord. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Harris 1679. TO THE READER Reader IT will be a good recompence of much Labour in bringing forth that which here follows for the opening of a dark Prophecy if it shall make thee resolve as Moses did concerning the burning Bush I 'le turn aside to see this great Sight even that City the Frame whereof was shewn to the Prophet and whose Name shall be JEHOVAH SHAMMAH The Lord is there In this Prophecy there are as in Paul ' s Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things hard to be understood yet to be in some measure understood if He shall lead into these Mysteries whose work it is to lead into all Truth When I first applyed my self to a more serious and fixed search into the Matters contained in this Prophecy I was little better than blind unto them but now I seem to be able to say as the Man that was brought blind to Christ after the Lord had put his Hands upon his Eyes I see Men like Trees walking And if others shall be like the Angels in desiring to look into these things it is to be hoped they may see and discover them more clearly and distinctly The Glorious Truths which here lie hid under a Vail of Legal Shadows and Figures do in other parts of Scripture appear with open Face and the Holy Spirit speaking by Ezekiel in Parables doth by other holy Men of God speak more plainly And the way of teaching by Parables is very grateful and convincing when the Parable is understood The words of the Wise thus given forth do better sink down into the Heart and will not be so easily let slip August lib. 2. de Civ Dei Cap. 56. saith well Nemo ambigit per similitudines liberius quaeque cognosci cum aliqua difficultate quaesita multo gratius inveniri Qui enim prorsus non inveniunt quod quaerunt fame laborant Qui autem non quaerunt quia in promptu habent fastidio saepe marcescunt In utroque autem languor cavendus est Magnifice igitur salubriter Spiritus Sanctus ita Scripturam modificavit ut locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus fastidia detergerit Nihil enim fere de illis difficultatibus eruitur quod non planissime alibi reperiatur He that by the guidance of the Holy Spirit brings the light Scripture to that which is more dark and the plain Scripture to the Parable is an Interpreter one of a thousand And if it shall be the Endeavour of any to do thus in relation to this and other Prophecies then let them take these two Instances for their Encouragement The first is that of the Eunuch who came to Jerusalem to worship and in his return as he sate in his Chariot read Esaias the Prophet and when he read God hearkened and heard for the Spirit said to Philip Go near and joyn thy self to this Chariot As if he had said Here 's one reading a Prophecy which he doth not but would understand go thou therefore and make him to understand it and Philip began at that Scripture and preached unto him Jesus So read and set your Hearts upon all that is here shown and see whether the Spirit will not joyn himself to your Hearts and Preach much of Jesus to you in and from this Prophecy The other Instance is that of Daniel Chap. 9.2 Who understood by Books the Number of the Years of Jerusalem's desolations and then Verse 3. sets himself to seek the Lord and whilest he was speaking the Man Gabriel being caused to flie swiftly said to him O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee Skill and Understanding If Daniel had not read the Prophecy of Jeremiah he had not understood the time of the Jew's Deliverance from their Captivity neither had that Great Discovery been made to him upon his Prayer of the coming of the Messiah Now go and do thou likewise and then may the Lord give thee Skill and Understanding also in this dark Prophecy whereby abundant Matter for Prayer and Ground of Hope will appear which may be an Anchor of the Soul in Troublous and tempestuous Times When you shall be in the Contemplation of this and other Prophecies you will be as Moses on the top of Pisgah taking a View of the Promised Land And thus may you come to be like the Men of Issachar who had Understanding of the Times to know what Israel ought to do As for the ensuing Discourse the Thoughts of Men may be various about it Some may judge that too little is said and that Things should be more particularly spoken to Others may think that too much is said and may scoff as the Athenians Thou bringest certain strange things to our Ears If any shall complain that too little is said I will confess it For every thing in the Description of this TEMPLE and CITY hath its proper Signification But I must say not for want of Time but for want of better Skill and Understanding of all these Things I cannot now speak particularly yet I find that of Hosea verified Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. If any say 't is too much let them enter into the Sanctuary of God and weigh the Scriptures well on which the Things which may seem strange are grounded before they reject them for the Aim hath been not to utter any thing from Fancy and Conceit but all from Scripture and not from a private Interpretation of Scripture but an Interpretation justified by other Scriptures And
surely it may be expected that upon diligent search accompanied with prayer much may be understood of this so dark a Prophecy 'T is again prest chap. 44.5 Mark well and behold with thine eyes and hear all that I say unto thee See and set thine heart as in the former place it is commanded behold with thine eyes the Frame and set thine heart to know the signification of it behold with thine eyes the shadow and set thine heart upon the substance and if the heart be set upon these things it shall be given to know the Mystery of them This Prophecy then should not be lookt on as unprofitable or that which cannot be understood Surely if all Scripture be profitable then this also and if all things were written for our learning then these things likewise how dark soever they may seem to be Luke 2.20 Christ read out of Isaiah the Prophet and then closed the Book and expounded the place to the Hearers saying This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And in this the Ministers of the Gospel should be like Christ they should read and give the meaning of Scripture But as to this Prophecy what do the most when they have read it but close the Book and lay it aside and are like those reproved by Christ Isa 29.11 The vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men delivered unto one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed and the book is delivered to one that is not learned saying Read this and he saith I cannot for I am not learned The Preachers excuse is the book is sealed the Peoples we are not learned but God hath not sealed it therefore let not men seal it either to themselves or others God saith Behold with thine eyes and set thine heart to all that I shew thee Let not any then shut their eyes nor turn away their hearts from these so admirable and glorious Discoveries For as God hath not said to the Seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain so he doth not here say See in vain Prop. 2. What is in this Prophecy given forth as a Precept and as shewing what ought to be is to be taken under the notion of a Promise and as declaring what shall be in the glorious state of the Church here set forth as chap. 45.9 O Princes of Israel remove violence Now as Princes at all times ought so then the Princes of Israel shall remove violence according to that promise Isa 60.18 Violence shall be no more heard in the land Chap. 44.24 The Priests shall judge according to my judgments Though 't is their duty yet it hath not been always their practice but in the estate of the Church here foretold it shall be as their duty so their constant practice Plato gave an Idea of a Commonwealth not such as ever was in the world but such as ought to be now here we have an Idea of a Church and Commonwealth not onely which ought to be but also which shall be Prop. 3. In this Prophecy one and the same Church is set forth by these two representations of a Temple and City by the Temple is set forth a pure and glorious Church constituted according to the mind of God wherein he shall be purely worshipped In it shall be the true Worshippers who shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth The Father seeketh such to worship him and here they shall be found By City is meant the same Church as a spiritual and heavenly Commonwealth As the same people of Israel were a Church and Commonwealth so as that all that were of the Church were also of the Commonwealth of Israel and all of the Common-wealth were of the Church so will it be in this time and State here foretold In this Temple Christ is the High Priest and Priest upon a Throne ministring for men in things pertaining to God In this City he is a King in the Temple he is Head of Saints as a Church leading them in and out and being in the midst of them chap. 46.10 giveth counsel life grace strength and acceptance to all As the Heart is in the midst of the body the Fountain of Life as the Sun is in the midst of the Planets giving light to all so is Christ in the Church And in the City he is Head of the same Saints as a Commonwealth Prop. 4. The Church which is here set forth as a Temple and City is that glorious Church which shall be after the calling of the Jews even that Church whose Windows shall be of Agates and Gates of Carbuncles and all her borders of pleasant stones And as this is meant of the Church of the Jews when they shall be called so therefore it is described by a Temple like the Temple at Jerusalem and by Jewish Rites and Figures The Substance is given forth under the names of the Shadows and the Holy Spirit speaking of things which shall concern the Jews speaks to them in the Jews Language That the Church of the Jews when they shall be called is here meant appears because the Names of the Tribes of Israel are mentioned as having Portions in the Land and Gates in the City and the Strangers that is the Fulness of the Gentiles who shall be brought in shall have an Inheritance with them Prop. 5. There is an Outer and an Inner Temple mentioned in this Description the outer Temple with its Courts and Gates and the Chambers of the Courts and Gates are described chap. 40. and 41. and the building of the separate place chap. 41.13 which is there called the Inner House and Inner Temple verse 15. and 17. In this Inner Temple are North and South Chambers even many Mansions Here are Priests which approach to the Lord and eat the most holy things Without in the Outer Temple are Ordinances which are holy things but in the Inner Temple the most holy things are eaten that is Christ himself in a Beatifical Vision of him Here is also a City described with its Gates and without that Portions for the Tribes of Israel each Tribe having a Portion in the Land and a Gate in the City Now what doth this signifie but that there will be a Church 1. In the City New Jerusalem and in the Inner Temple that is the Church Triumphant consisting of Saints come up to the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ of Saints I say both raised and coming with Christ and also of those which shall be then changed 2. It shews that there will be Churches also without the City consisting of Saints which shall have Portions in the Land and Churches of the Outer Temple and Saints in the Chambers of the Courts and Gates as well as in the Inner Temple Those in the chambers of the Courts and Gates and Outer Temple shall have the Perfection there required and that measure
Matthew is called the Fathers Kingdom Mark 14.25 and Luke 22.18 is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God in the Gospel most usually is taken for Christs Kingdom Luke 11.21 The Kingdom of God is within you or among you which must be understood of Christs Kingdom It is to be observed also that what is called the Fathers Kingdom in Matthew is called Christs Kingdom Luke 22.30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom 2. Christs Kingdom is included in the Fathers in that Petition Thy Kingdom come The Prayer is made to the Father Thy Kingdom c. Now in this Petition the coming of Christs Kingdom is first desired and after the Fathers when Christ shall have finished the work given him to do as Mediator Consid 6. This House with the whole Limit thereof and every thing belonging to it shall be most holy Chap. 43.12 This is the Law of the House upon the top of the Mountain the whole Limit thereof round about shall be most holy And 't is added to shew the certainty of it This is the Law of the House Q. But how a Law A. The Law of this House shall not onely be a Law shewing what ought to be For thus 't is a Law now and at all times that all things in the Church should be holy 1 Cor. 3.17 The Temple of the Lord is holy That is ought to be so But also a Law shewing what shall be There is a Law commanding and a Law causing that to be which is commanded like the Law of the Creation Let there be Light and there was Light So God will say Let this House be holy and it shall be so There is the Law in the Word and the Law in the Heart and in relation to this time especially God promises I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write them in their hearts c. The Law in the Scriptures requires obedience the Law in the Heart inclines to it and makes it natural and pleasant Paul said of Timothy I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state So when the Law is in the Heart it will make Men to care naturally for the things of God I mean with respect to the Divine Nature which Saints partake of Rom. 8.2 Mention is made of the Law of the Spirit Now such will be the Law of this House The Law of the Spirit which is mighty in Christ Jesus shall make the whole Limit of this House holy Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them And here let this farther be taken notice of and it will be a very comfortable consideration Not onely the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured but also the Courts both inner and outer and the Gates and Chambers thereof all are to be measured and made according to their Pattern and so most holy Now compare with this Rev. 11.1 2. Where the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured But the Court without was not to be measured because it was to be given to the Gentiles c. This sets forth the time of Antichrist's Reign who was to possess the outer Court But when the Gentiles thus tread down the Court which is without there is still a Temple and Altar and there are those that worship therein even a true Church holding Christ the Head and holding forth the truth as it is in Jesus and such who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And in this time the holy City must be troden down fourty and two Moneths Jerusalem in the Letter was trodden down of the Romans and Mystical Jerusalem hath been trodden down also As that by the Power of Rome when Heathenish so this by the Power of Rome Antichristian but Heathenish still Papists being but Heathens to the true Israel of God This Court trodden down of the Gentiles is cast out and not measured being cut off and separated from the Temple that is the true Church of God by the Reed of the Word as not belonging to the same Thus in John's Vision the outward Court is not measured but Heathens possess it But Ezekiel in his Vision sees the outward Court also measured with the Gates Thresholds Posts and Chambers thereof and all most holy What may be concluded hence but that 1. The State of the Church as it shall be after the Destruction of Antichrist is here set forth when the fourty and two Moneths shall be ended the Witnesses raised and the Jews called for so long as Antichrist remains he possesses the outward Court and it is not measured But being measured as we see in Ezekiel's Vision the Gentiles will be then cast out and Christ will tread in his anger and trample in his fury those who did tread down the Holy City And this measuring of the outward Court shews that the times of the Gentiles will be then fulfilled and the Jews inwardly and in the Spirit even a true Church shall be in the outward Court 2. Churches at this time will be pure yea most holy even the Churches of the outward Court for all will be measured The Wall on the outside of the House chap. 40.5 the Stairs the Gates the Thresholds and every little Chamber v. 6 7. all agree with their Pattern and so there will not be any Antichristian Church left but all will be holy yea most holy How will this be Churches will be as true so pure and in a degree of purity above what they have been at any time yet in the World The Church of the Jews in the Wilderness was holy the measured Churches which have been in the time of Antichrist's Reign have been holy And the Primitive Church gathered by the Apostles was more holy than any before or since But that Glorious Church which shall be after the Calling of the Jews being compared with the former shall be the most holy of all As Christ said of Iohn Baptist A greater than he hath not risen notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he So there hath not been a more Glorious Church in the World than the Primitive was but the least in the time here meant will be greater than that The least of Churches in the time of the New Heavens and New Earth will be greater and more glorious than the best in the times of the Old Heavens and the Old Earth And why may we not conceive that God is pleased to make use of the Names of the Types and Figures in setting forth this Glorious Church to declare that this Spiritual House will be framed as exactly according to an Heavenly Pattern as the typical House was and that true holiness will be as perfect and exact in this as typical was in that We know that Moses his Work was according to the Pattern
suddenly come and Babylon's hopes and Sion's fears shall not come to pass This Flood shall not cannot carry away the Woman but must be swallowed up in the Earth the Woman must have help and we see that rather than want it the Earth that hates shall help the Woman And that God which rides upon the Heaven in his People's help and in his Excellency on the Sky shall ride also upon the Earth for their help And what comfort is this for the threatned Woman that both Heaven and Earth will be against the design of this Flood and shall utterly make it void God hath said it and it must be done For verily till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from this and other Prophecies which the Lord requires his People to give heed to till all be fulfilled 3. The last sign is the Dragon 's making War with the Remnant of the Woman's Seed Rev. 12.17 Which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ For this consider 1. The Woman is the Church of God in this European part of the World where the Beast hath his Seat and where he hath great Authority The Church in the Wilderness persecuted by the Dragon but protected and nourished there 2. The remnant of the Woman's Seed are some who were the Seed of that Church which the Dragon would carry away with the Flood having been begotten in it by the Word of Truth but when the Dragon makes this War with them they are removed from it into some other part of the World which appears by this 't is said the Dragon went to make war with this remnant in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit he went away He goes away from the Woman which must be the Protestant Churches which the Serpent would carry away with a Flood to make this War therefore this remnant must be elsewhere So he leaves his Work for afflicting this Woman to his invisible and visible Angels and goes away to afflict this remnant So that after the War against the Witnesses and besides the casting the Flood out of his mouth to carry away the Woman he makes War with this Remnant 3. This Remnant is known by these two Characters 1. They keep the Commandments of God and worship him according to his own Institutions 2. They have the Testimony of Jesus Christ They hold it yea and must maintain it and keep it up notwithstanding the War made against them Now when it shall be seen that the Dragon is gone to make War against such a Remnant of the Womans Seed this will be a great sign of a Day of Redemption from Antichristian Tyranny drawing nigh For the next thing which we read of concerning the followers of the Lamb is that the 144000 of the suffering and sealed Saints get out of the Wilderness and stand with the Lamb on Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 and then it follows v. 6. I saw another Angel flie in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel to preach it to those that dwell upon the Earth Where observe that as the Earth did help the Woman so for a reward the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to those that dwell upon the Earth And then v. 8. we read Another Angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Now as for this Remnant this one thing may be observed That whoever and wheresoever they shall appear to be thus much may with much certainty and comfort be concluded that as the Lord takes such care of the Woman that she shall not be carried away of the Flood so he will have the like care of this Remnant that they shall not be destroyed by this War of the Dragon For this is all that is said he went away to make War with them 'T is not said he shall overcome and destroy them whereas when the War against the Witnesses is foretold 't is said the Beast shall make War against them and overcome them and kill them and we may well suppose that if God had intended the like effect of this War it would have been foretold also but their comfort will be this the Dragon shall make War with them and afflict them for a time which will work for their good he shall not overcome and destroy them But when the Lord shall have chastised and humbled them and done his whole work upon them by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning he will then deliver them and create upon Mount Sion and her Assemblies a Cloud and Smoak by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night for upon all the Glory shall be a defence 6. Some Advantages by the Knowledge of these Truths If any shall ask as Paul in another case What advantage hath the Jew So what advantage hath he that knows these Mysteries What profit is there by speaking or writing of them I may answer much every way For 1. The knowledge of them may have a great Influence upon the Saints to make them better Saints and to promote Holiness and Godliness among them This is the use which Peter makes of this Doctrine 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness v. 14. Seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless What things The New Heavens and the New Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell This World will pass away and a better will come What should you do then but pray that you may be accounted worthy of that World and the Resurrection from the Dead even of a part in the First Resurrection and may stand before the Son of Man God hath left us these Truths amongst his Oracles and the Oracles of God are to be reckoned amongst the chief advantages which now the Saints have Doth the Scripture speak in vain saith James Chap. 4. v. 5. Why but if these truths which the Scripture speaks so abundantly of are not to be read studied and searcht into then it must be said that the Scripture speaks much in vain Surely the Scriptures do not contain any superfluities of truths and if such as preach the Gospel would be able to say as Paul I have not shunned to declare the whole Counsel of God then they should study and preach these things 2. The knowledge of these truths will be Meat to the People inhabiting the Wilderness if mixt with Faith in the heart They are some of the hidden Manna and Honey out of the Rock and a Well in the Valley of Baca. Psa 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living David being once amongst the Idolatrous Philistims was then in the Land of the Dead even among such who were dead in sins
in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
believe lest it should be said as to Peter get thee behind me Satan In a word 't is to be observed that the arguing from conceived absurdities against any truth was the great way of the Sadduces in opposing the Doctrine of the Resurrection They tell a story of a Woman that had seven Husbands successively and ask whose wife she should be of the seven in the Resurrection Questions like to this have been askt and more may by such as are in this matter not knowing not searching the Scriptures for if the Scriptures were well searcht enough would be found to put to silence the ignorance in this thing of many in other respects wise Men. Thus much of the Government which will be Theocratical even a glorious reign of Christ 3. There will be a Change in the Ecclesiastical State Now seeing much hath been written before to set forth the great and happy Change which will be made in the Church which the business of unfolding the Mystery of Ezekiels Temple did lead to therefore I shall adde but a little upon these three following Heads The glorious Light the great Purity and the glorious Liberty which the Church shall have in the times of Restitution 1. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of breaking forth of great and glorious Light For the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun sevenfold as the Light of seven days Isa 30.26 And this Light will be a discovering Light and a healing Light First a discovering Light Light makes manifest Good and evil truth and error will be made manifest by the Light of the New Heavens The Gold and Silver wherewith some have been Building the Wood Hay and Stubble wherewith others have been building will be seen in that Light Pilate askt What is Truth Then a full answer shall be given to this question and it shall be known What is Truth and we may in particular observe that those two great Gospel-truths will have then a clear manifestation and discovery Christ as Righteousnes and Christ as Lord Christ as made Righteousness for the justification of Men to cover their sin and to keep the shame of their Nakedness from appearing and Christ as made Lord Lord of Faith and Lord of Life Lord of Soul and Spirit of Conscience and the whole Inner-man and Lord of Body also and of the whole Outward-man Now I ground this upon that Promise Jer. 23.5 6. Jer. 33.14 15. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and execute Judgment and justice in the Earth and in his days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Christ shall then appear as the Churches Lord and righteousness yea shall account it his glory to appear for so he shall own this for a Name and Title In the other place there is the same promise only with this variation This is the Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness As Christ shall owne this for a Name so shall the Church too In the former Name we see how Christ is offered even to be Lord and Righteousness In the latter how the Church receives him that is to be her Righteousness and to be her Lord. In the former we see God in Christ not imputing sin but imputing righteousness without workes In the latter we see faith in Christ justifying through laying hold on and applying Christs righteousness as that alone by which the Church shall account her self righteous but together herewith submitting to be guided and Governed by Christ as Lord so we find These two great truths in these Names The righteousness which justifies is not our own at all but only Christ's and this and this alone is sufficient to justify no other is nedeed no other is required For observe 'T is not the Law our righteousness 't is not love to Christ and evangelical Obedience flowing from it which is our righteousness but the Lord himself our righteousness not any thing we do as Servants but what the Lord of the Law becoming a Servant to it hath done By this it 's evident the gross Popish Doctrine of the Merit of mens works and justification thereby will not be the Doctrine taught or received in the New Heavens New Jerusalem-Light will shew the Vanity of this Doctrine And as for that more refined and Spiritualized piece of Popery and therefore the more dangerous which is but of Yester-day up amongst us and is owned by such who have the persons and parts of the propagators of it in admiration and therefore are so ready to own their pernicious Paradoxes viz. that Evangelical obedience is to be taken in as that Righteousness by which we are to be justified for so they understand James when he saith a Man is justified by works although James himself gives ground enough for another sence when he sayth shew me thy faith by thy works I say this Popery nay this Socinianisme will be quite shut out of the New Heavens also and shall pass away as a Morning Cloud before the New Jerusalem-Light For this shall be the Churches Name then as well as Christs The Lord our Righteousness And this New Doctrine then will be found amongst the Old things which must pass away And amongst the works of the Earth which are to be burnt up And then also Christ shall appear as Lord and Saints shall say other Lords have had Dominion over us but now will we make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 and will henceforth call thee by this Name The Lord our righteousness and will account this our glory to be called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness This Name implies thus much as given to Christ He that hath made Christ Righteousness hath made him also Lord and in that the Churches of the New Heavens shall be called by this Name it shews that all of that Church shall take Christ as for Righteousness so also for a Lord. Christ shall be called by this Name and therein God joyns these two together Christ as Righteousness and Christ as Lord. And what God joyns together his People will not put asunder for they shall be owned and called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness taking Christ for Lord as well as for Righteousness Thus the Light of that glorious day which is to come will be a day discovering Light 2. 'T will be a healing Light and that in Saints and among Saints First in the Saints that is in their hearts and Consciences All Wounds made there will be healed all horrors all disquieting thoughts and fears there will Vanish before that Light which shall shine into the heart For as 't is foretold Mal. 4.2 The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings The full and compleat accomplishment of this
thing of great Use if it could be found out Thus much of the first Number 2300 dayes The second and third have an Epocha which next is to be enquired into This Epocha is the time of taking away the daily Sacrifice and setting up the Abomination that maketh desolate Dan. 12.11 12. Here our enquiry must be to know what is meant by the daily Sacrifice and when it was taken away 1 What is meant by the Daily Sacrifice Now the generality of those that look for Redemption in Israel do take the Jewish Sacrifices and Worship to be here meant which were abrogated by the coming of Christ To these Julian out of his hatred of Christianity gave countenance and he was willing to have them brought into Use again and so they conceive the Daily Sacrifice was taken away c. when Julian gave liberty to the Jews to rebuild the Temple from the doing of which they were miraculously hindred But this puts a strange sense upon the words for here 's taking away and setting up the taking away is to give oportunity for the setting up of somewhat in the room of what is taken away and therefore the taking away is first mentioned and so if we must understand the Jewish daily Sacrifice 't will be as if it had been said the Daily Sacrifice and the Jewish Worship was taken away which was a great Abomination and an Abomination that would make desolate set up and this Abomination which was to be set up was the Temple and Jewish Worship which was indeed the Daily Sacrifice And thus the sense will come to this the Jews Worship was taken away to make way for the setting up of the Jewish worship an Abomination was taken away to set in an Abomination the Daily Sacrifice was taken away to set up the Daily Sacrifice Secondly The Daily Sacrifice must be taken here in a good sense that is for the pure worship of God spiritual evangelical worship set forth under a Legal Name and thus the sense will run clear pure Religion and Worship in the free and publick exercise of it was that which the Enemies of it would prevail to take away and set up an Abomination a false Religion corrupt and impure Worship in the room of it which would bring great desolation upon the true Church and such as would worship in spirit and truth and would be a very great desolating thing to true Religion and by this means the World would come to be filled with abominable Doctrines with abominable Idolatries with abominable Will-worship and Superstition Now for the farther clearing of this that the Daily Sacrifice is to be taken in a good sense and not in an evil sense let 's consider a little a parallel place before mentioned Dan. 8.11 12 13. He magnified himself to the Prince of the Host and by him the Daily Sacrifice was taken away and the place of his Sanctuary was cast down I have proved before that this was to be done in Gospel-times by what was said concerning the little Horn Now most evident it is that in this place the daily Sacrifice is to be taken in a good sense for it is joyned with the Truth an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice and it cast down the Truth to the ground The Truth and the daily Sacrifice suffer together and then 't is asked How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice to give the Sanctuary and Host to be trodden under foot and he said unto 2300 days then the Sanctuary shall be cleansed and the daily Sacrifice restored Now the daily Sacrifice being taken in a good sense in this place why should it not be so in the other both speak of Gospel-times and both mention it as a great calamity to the Church to have it taken away and doubtless it must be taken in the same sense in both places there is onely this difference that taking away in the Eighth Chapter is meant of the great Calamity which shall come upon the Jews after their First Call and that in the Twelfth Chapter of a desolation to come upon the Churches of the Gentile Saints And thus we are quite beaten off from making that mentioned concerning Julian our Epocha there where we find pure Religion and the true Worship of God to be eminently cast off by the generality of men professing Christianity and in the room of it a false Religion and Worship set up so that true Religion in comparison with its former state becomes a desolate thing maintained and owned but by a few This is to bring us to a right understanding of the daily sacrifice and the Abomination set up that so we may stand upon a sure foundation in our Inquiry And so I come to the next thing which is 2. When the daily Sacrifice was taken away And here I shall consider first what we find foretold in the New Testament concerning this which may be a help to us in this Inquiry and secondly what we find in Ecclesiastical History of the fulfilling of things foretold in the Scripture Now for the former of these let two places of Scripture be considered The first is Rev. 11.2 The court which is without measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles and the holy City shall they Tread under Foot That which I would here take notice of for our present purpose is the Name given to those to whom the outward Court is given which is Gentiles Now these are called Gentiles in opposition to those that are called Jews that is such who were Jews inwardly as Paul saith 'T is observable in the same Book of the Rev. the true Worshippers are called Jews Rev. 29. and 3.9 I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but the synagogue of Satan and doe lye This Intimates that some were Jews and did not blaspheme in calling themselves so others were Heathens who yet would have been called Jews So the Gentiles there spoken of are Jews turn'd Gentiles and Christians turned Heathens yet such as would keep up a Name for being Jews and Christians which argues a great Apostacy Now observe this when such an Apostacy did eminently appear and Men proffessing Christanity did turn Heathens and took up the way of the Heathens in many things in their worship then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and the Abomination that made desolate was set up these Gentiles 't is said Tread down the Holy City and that is the head of the 42 Moneths and 1260 dayes But before these Gentiles get into such power and grow so numerous they must have a time to become Gentiles and we may well conceive there may be a considerable space of time betwixt their first becoming Gentiles and there getting into such power as to be able to carry it in the outward Court against the true Worshippers the Jews inwardly and to tread down the Holy City So then the time of the Jews turning