and repeats it again the more strongly to assertain it ver 52. latter part of the verse for the Trumpet saith he shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed See this explained in the Treatise on Rev. 20.5 p 56 57 c. It seems also necessary that there be a distinct consideration of the state of such as are of the New Jerusalem come down from Heaven which seems to be the City whose Maker and Builder is God as it is said Heb. 11.10 which is again said v. 16. to be prepared by him for the faithful Fore-fathers that died not having received the Promises v. 39 who without us will not be made perfect ver last having all died in Faith which is probable to to be meant by our Saviour when he calls it the City of the great King Mat. 5.35 where his Deputies the twelve Apostles shall sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.30 on whose twelve foundations of the Wall thereof shall be written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb Rev. 21.14 and seems to be the chief mansion-place of the blessed holy then raised Saints having part in that first Resurrection wholly then freed from the second death Rev. 20.6 upon which the Glory of the LORD will then eminently shine continually to the eclipsing of the glory of the Sun and Moon Isa 60.19 Rev. 21.23 22.5 Very glorious things saith the Psalmist in a Prophetical Rapture are spoken of thee O City of God Psal 87.3 as is observable in that whole Psalm Again the then happy estate of the converted and reduced twelve Tribes of Israel and Juduh those two sticks united into one Ezek. 37. together with the converted Gentiles in their fulness then come in Rom. 11. who together with very large endowments of inward spiritual Grace and therewith abundance of temporal prosperity which the Prophets largely spake of with very much exemption from the evil of sin and suffering when Satan is bound the Churches enemies destroyed or subdued and brought under which happy estate they and their posterity will successively enjoy through all the Generations of the said thousand years according to the Prophecies or Promises Deut. 30. ver 1. to 11. Isa 61.1 The Seed which the Lord hath blessed Ezek. 37.25 They and their Childrens Children for ever and my Servant David that is Christ the Messiah shall be their Prince for ever Isa 59. last Deut. 4.30 31. with many texts more and which were theirs not in a mortal that is a changeable condition from a natural life by some removal or Translation as otherwise they should have no Seed or Posterity to enjoy those many Promises all the thousand years so neither should they at last be lyable to any evil attempt of Satan and wicked men called Gog and Magog though by gracious Promise such as live at that last Period of time are secured from the evil even of the attempt likewise many other things the holy Scripture seems to hold forth in reference to the differing state of the naturally living and the Saints raised at the beginning of the thousand years and as for the restitution of all things in respect thereof without Scripture-warrant why look we for any more than Gods removing the Curse as the inflicting that from the Fall hath been the efficient Cause of all that bondage that hath been ever since upon the Creatures held on by the means of Saran till then when he shall likewise be bound Thus in such a way if the distinction between the last mystical Trumpet and the last said sounding Trumpet and the state of the raised Saints and such as then will remain in their natural Life be well observed it may greatly make way for the clearing by degrees by the help of Gods Word and Spirit many excellent Truths respecting these things wherein much caution and moderation will still be very useful and necessary in what things are not clear and evident c. The third Paper of December 7. 1664. of Mr. Durhams Book of Scotland occsionally sent to be perused c. and is added here as a Supplement to the two former Papers AS for the perused Author he was manifestly a man of great Abilities Worth and Piety as is evident from his grave judicious and truly pious Determinations Discourses Cases and Treatises of several Subjects and many Expositions along that large Book of his upon the Revelations and first more purticularly in the most things handled by him on the three first Chapters of the seven Churches of Asia and on the fourth and fifth Chapters setting forth the glory of God the Creator and Christ the Redeemer But as for the right series of things following in that Divine Book he appears not to have attained the right Key so far as I can by the guidance of God's Word and Spirit as I believe with such other helps which in special mercy have hitherto been afforded me discern and to this purpose I shall endeavour by his Grace to set down some brief hints of Differences between him and others which upon the former accounts I much rather approve of as namely of judicious Mede and some others since him yet living though haply in some things I may differ from all yet I conceive Light and Darkness may so thereby the better discover themselves and illustrate each other that whoso like the noble Bereans shall search the Scriptures answerably concerning what shall be set down may probably find whether all these things be so for as no mans eminency should lead us into error so no mans meanness should make us neglect or despsie the Truth he tenders especially the Divine and Heavenly Truths which God hath set forth in his Word for the true comfort and Edification of his Church I shall briefly for what is past give only some hints of both for the most part referring to a former Letter to such purposes dated May 20. 1664. with the foregoing Key to both which this Paper may be a supplement but haply somewhat more largly of what is to come as God shall direct and enable me whose assistance I must confess to his glory I have formerly experimentally found First then What this Author understandeth in the Seals That the Horses signifie the Church and the Persecutions thereof along the Primitive Times seem to me more aptly otherwise to denote with Mr. Mede and others the dispensations of God in the world as in Zach. 1.10 both towards the Church and others with whom they had to do namely the Roman Empire called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament and though both the Books in the Seal-prophesie and the little Book chap. 10. speak much in some sort of both yet each chiefly relates to one as namely the Seal-prophecy for the most part to the Empire and the Book-prophecy for the most part to the Church as after may more by Gods assistance appear which is to be
in the little book chap. 10. begins again with the affairs of the Church more especially having set forth Gods dispensations in respect of the Empire both while it was Draconized and after it had been Christianized Which little Book when John had eaten up he is told by the mighty Angel of the Covenant that he must prophesie again before Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings so that they might have advantage to know these Prophecies had they enquired as he had so prophesied for as it was otherwise of them so it was before them and as he had done it in one respect before namely of the Empire wherein the Church had her being so he should do it again in another respect namely of the Church who had her being there but chiefly under Antichrist in his time where there was another 144000 followers of the Lamb to arise chap. 14. Therefore after the Table of the Times in part of chap. 11. to ver 15. wherein we may see ver 1. a description of the state of the Primitive Times in ver 2. her state in Antichrists forty two months and ver 3. the true Churches state in regard of the most eminent part of it namely of the two Witnesses her Pastors their thousand two hundred and sixty days of years who should feed the Woman in her Wilderness condition and stand on Christs part against Antichrist powerfully and successfully till about the time of finishing their Testimony to ver 7. and then what should befal the Beast upon his last War against the finishing Witnesses upon their Resurrection and Ascention after the Beast had killed them to ver 17. where is the ending of the second Wo and thereupon comes in a short Abridgment of the seventh Trumpet containing the great Changes of the affairs of the World and of the Church namely evil to the wicked World but happy to the true Church and this excellent Abridgment seemed needful in regard of the great concernment of all sorts to understand this as of main use to the whole Book Again the foresaid Author faileth in not distinguishing between the first War the Beast makes against the Saints and Servants of Christ wherein he kills and prevails whereupon all the World wonder after the Beast and the second War against the Witnesses which is dismal and fatal to himself as Mr. Mede well observes and hence the said Author reckons the Witnesses slain above an hundred years ago and so passeth without taking notice of the last finishing Witnesses as then counting the Beasts forty two months expired reckoning the Vials in the seventh Trumpet before the second Wo be past or almost any thing of the Beasts ruine begun which work the Angels that have the Vials are to begin and finish as Mr. Mede and others judge upon considerable grounds c. But in chap. 12. is begun the story of the new Prophesie of the true Church in the Primitive times which is there represented by a Woman cloathed with the Sun and having the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars whereby was described her excellency of the Primitive Church of Christ which soon contesteed with the great red Dragon and his Angels till she by Faith and Prayer obtained the Man-child Constantine the reforming Emperor by whose means God cast down the great red Dragon from his heaven upon earth together with his Angels by which means the Woman had two wings of an Eagle given her to flee into the Wilderness for a time times and half a time but before her flight into that retired hidden condition the Serpent cast out his flood of abominable Heresies chiefly against the Persons of the Holy Trinity by Arrius Eutiches Macedonius and others to have carried her away thereby which took up probably almost an hundred years before her time times and half with Antichrists 42 months took place all which time from Constantine the forementioned Author reckons within the date of the Beast and consequently he ends it as much too soon as may farther appear and yet for the Earths opening her Mouth and swallowing up of the Dragons flood of Heresies what he objects against the usual opinion to wit That it was not the incursion of the Barbarous Nations because some of them favoured Arrianism the same might likewise be objected against what he says of the visible Professing Rulers to be the Earth then opposing those Eerrors in many Councils though they favoured Superstition and so might be accounted the Earth but to that might be answered amongst them were many in those times good and Orthodox men about the fourth Century and yet perhaps more fitly it might be applyed to the Bishops of Rome and their party that in those times to get to themselves preheminence did take upon them to end differences in Religion and became in a sort famours thereby getting honor and credit among men thereby and being to be the Beast out of the Earth acting for earthly ends the Earth might be said to help the Woman by withstanding errors against the Sacred Trinity yet promoting Superstition c. and so might swallow up the flood Rev. 13. Concerning the two Beasts in the thirteenth Chapter the said Author is very excellent full and clear above any I have seen if he had timed their rising rightly only he seems to confound the number of his Name ver 17. with the number of the Beast ver 18. whereas the first denotes evidently the remotest sort of Antichrists followers that only may be reckoned or numbred amongst his party which were to be in the last days as they are described by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. when others of the Beasts party come in the latter times which forbid Marriage and command to abstain from Meats c. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the number of the Beast ver 18. belongs to the Beast himself concerning the Exposition whereof he giveth a probable conjecture of his many errors as the Sober Guess and others produce many more which learned and industrious men have observed and particularly opposing the Beasts number to the 144000 or the measure of the Holy City and I conceive the considering it as numerus Terminans as Dan. 5. may be more considerable than many think as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another consideration setting out what Countrey man Antichrist should be and what Language he should use in his Laws and Worship wherein I conceive the wonderful Divine Wisdome of God is much to be acknowledged in setting down Mystery Babylons name so to exercise the several gifts he hath given to several men several ways to have their apprehensions agreeable to truth and considerable in reference to this menifold monstrous Beast wherein they are to be found in one respect on other and so the largest comprehensive sence is like to prove the true sence and many of them to be acknowledged real in such a strange compounded Creature of many as he
c. And thus of Satans seeming seven Vials on Christ's Kingdom but the glorious appearance of Christ will shortly abolish all appearance of truth in them and so all Satans Vials upon Christ's Kingdom will be utterly ended and yet will not that Kingdom be thereby in the least degree impaired Lastly Whereas the said Learned Author interpreteth the New Jerusalem to be the Church Triumphant besides the many considerable reasons to the contrary in the Letter of Novemb. 3. 1664. he might have observed that the Lamb's Wife was spoken of before Chap. 19.7 by which he there understands the coming in of the Jews to the Catholick Church I conceive rightly and that the beloved City Cap. 21.2 spoken of Chap 20. as being before the Battel of Gog and Magog when the Devil stirred up the Hypocrites of those times which had been long held under by good Government then to attempt to besiege that beloved City though to his and their utter ruine that so they might receive that portion of hypocrites as the Antichristian Scoffers had theirs before when both sorts should meet with their Leaders the Pope and the Devil in the Lake of Fire and Chap. 21. being but a further decyphering of the same City should therefore be expounded accordingly of that City that was in the thousand years it being the observeable Method of the Holy Ghost in that Book after some more obscure expressions of things more generally afterwards to give more full and particular Explications of the same as in the seventeenth Chapter an Explication of Babylon and the Beast c. and what was said of the ruine of Babylon Chap. 14. explained by the Vials Chap. 15 and 16. and further of the last Vials Chap. 18 19 and part of 20. and so somethings in the 19 and 20. further explained Chap. 21 and 22. besides many things belonging to the New Jerusalem are incompetible to the state of the Church Triumphant in Heaven see the forementioned Letter Novemb. 3. 1663. And for the first Resurrection it may appear not to be of the Spiritual Resurrection of the Soul from sin both from the drift of the Holy Ghost further to open the Mystery of the Resurrection which St. Paul had in some respect shewed before 1 Cor. 15. And the Doctrine thereof hath been gradually set down in the Scriptures and this Chap. 20. giveth light thereunto above all others both as to the Resurrection of the Just and Wicked which are opposed one to another as first and second and their distinct times set out for as Chap. 11.18 When the Kingdoms of the World shall be Christs then he gives reward unto his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to all that fear his Name both small and great such as not only suffered for him who are said Chap. 20. to be beheaded for him c. but such as have done his Will on Earth shall have such reward from him in Earth as 2 Tim. 2.12 And for such Souls that is Persons in Scripture language to live again what sense in Reason or Religion can fitly be applied to such sufferers or others but such first Resurrection I know many learned men have tired their parts to find shifts to avoid this but have been more solidly and substantially answered besides many others by Mr. Mede and Dr Homes in his Answer to Pareus Dr. Predeaux and others in one part of the Dawning of the Day Star Read them seriously c. Mr. Mede conceives that Resurrectio Justorum will be in acting all or most of the thousand years every one in their own order and the Ancients conceived there will be mora delay in respect of some c. but that the living again of such as were so beheaded to be meant of the Spiritual Resurrection is far from the scope of the Text besides all other considerations about it see the Appendix in the Irenicon and the forenamed Authors it is actum agere to say much of it c. And for the number of a thousand years to be taken indefinitely as it is contrary to the judgment of learned men on both sides for many considerable Reasons so somewhat this learned Author mentions himself namely That that that Thousand Years so often spoken of in respect of Saints and Satan and with all the considerable circumstances what was done at the beginning of them with all the continuance and what should be at the end of them c. might have swayed his judgment otherwise if he had not been prejudiced against the whole Doctrine thereof and all that concerns it for those Souls said to be Beheaded cannot fitly be said to live again but in respect of that state namely of their bodily living again wherein they had died before for as the Spirits of just men they lived ever since their departure from their Bodies so that living again denotes their living bodily and living in a different manner than they had done before Now the drift of all these things being for the comfort and edification of all God's People in this great point of the Resurrection of the Just and being specially useful against the evil times going before the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ when Antichristian Tyranny should most rage in the World God in Mercy to his People is pleased now again to cause the light of these precious Truths to break forth again more than they have done in many Ages last past when that said Glorious Appearance of Christ and beginning of the Day of Judgment and Joyful Resurrection following upon it do in their order near approach It is much to be desired and earnestly prayed for that true Christians would duly weigh and consider them being so mainly for their Edification and sound Consolation if they will not over-look their own good or put it off from themselves since the great goodness of Christ is therein manifest towards them A Paper of Septemb. 27.1664 concerning the Personal Appearance and Reign of Christ Rev. 20.4 AS for the personal appearance of Christ at the destruction of Antichrist and the general calling of the Jews when that Nation shall be born in a day as Isa 66.8 many Texts of Scripture seem to me fully to evidence it as first that great Promise That they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn with such a penitent Contrition promised to them in mercy Zac. 12.10 compared with Rev. 1.7 with Even so Amen as a great mercy in its time to be accomplished And from St Peter's Sermon to the Jews when he tells them That the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord at the restitution of all things shall come when God will send Jesus whom the Heavens must contain till then Act. 3.19 20 21. which the Apostle Paul calls Christs appearing at his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 and in Dan. 7. after the little Horn the Pope spoken of before verse 9. the Ancient of Days did sit and in