things were antiently and all along promised to the Jews and Israelites and foretold by the holy Prophets successively in all ages and much by the Jews in our Saviours own time though both unseasonably and unsuitably expected and as Mr. Mede and others from Justine Martyr and other Ancients Testifie how the things in the said thousand years were usually by Christians beleived in the times next after Christ yet what by the subtilty of Satan teaching the Jews and others to affix such vain fables and sensual delights somewhat like to a Mahumetan Paradise to that time of Christs glorious Dominion in the world that occasioned many ancient and modern worthies as may happily more hereafter appear too much to have declined from truth to avoid such affixed errors And since by mens apprehensions of inconsistency of those things with some Articles of Christian faith some have thereupon endeavoured as may appear to thrust this thousand years of Christs raign into such troublesome corners of times moving Tabernacle where it never could long find that rest and peace wherewith it must notwithstanding in due time be blessed And to give such harsh and forced interpretations of many Prophesies both in Old and New Testament concerning that happy time to come as are unsuitable to the purport of them And an other stratagem of late times Satan hath used upon the breaking forth of some beams of light again appearing concerning that said happy period to come to stir up the owners of such Doctrine to turn Libertines Spoken according to the then present apprehension I had tillfurther light through grace as after may appear upon serious view in the sequel from the bonds of moral obedience due unto Magistrates as Christs deputies yea to attempt even to take away Magistracy it self and Ministry too whereas Christs Saints must not take the Kingdom to themselves till he the great King of Kings give it to them in his own time not in theirs or else so personally to understand his raign in his humane nature upon earth in a bodily presence that it may seem inconsistent with some Articles of Christian Religion when sacred truth allows not so to determine or as others by putting unwarrantable senses upon the Divine Mysteries not accommodated to the scope of the Spirit of God therein observable which Doctrine when the Spirit of truth shall defecate and cleanse from all old dreggs and scum of former and late errors misapplications and mistakes I confidently believe for the substance it will be owned as a precious truth among the beloved people of God though we may not put weight upon the gronndless conceits or fancies of men and the sacredwritings both of Old and New Testament may throughly evince it but especially this Revelation of Jesus Christ will necessarily enforce it if rightly and orderly considered especially compared with Daniel Ezekiel and other Prophets My endeavour therefore shall be by the assistance of the Spirit of grace and truth who will lead his servants in due time into all profitable and comfortable truth to point out such things tending hereunto which my own infirmity may otherwise prejudice unto others which notwithstanding as I shall endeavour I humbly request may be done with prayers and faithful endeavours by others better fitted for such a work all prejudices to the contrary being wholly laid aside in considering the last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ in the last branch of it now upon proving and therefore at such a time men had need be wary they do not go about even then to disallow and disprove of it when it is neer to be put in execution especially since he upon earth gave this intimation to the world to beware of infidelity upon this occasion Luk. 18.8 as may appear from the former Chapter When saith he the Son of man shall come shall he find faith upon earth He knew well what wiles Satan would use to darken the knowledge of that time which he the Arch-murtherer of mankind beleiving trembles at as is conceived was the mark set upon Cain his first-born murtherer of his Brother Abel when he himself must be shut up in his dungeon of darkness from seducing men which will be his sore torment all that time and the fore-runner of his speedily ensuing perpetual unexpressible misery and that upon his imprisonment the long promised and hoped for happy light and glory of Gods Church shall arise and shine forth Isa 60.1 which will adde to his anguish And as Cain built Cities for his cursed posterity thereby to abate the sence of his trembling but the universal deluge both destroyed them and their habitations so ever since mans fall the Devil to abate the sence of his own horrour hath been building many Castles in the Aair of wicked designes and seducements but knows when Christs raign shall take place they must all perish with their Author And therefore no wonder that Satan should seek to conceal and hide that period from men raging the more because he knows his time is so short Let us therefore the rather by faithful prayers and diligent search of holy Scriptures commend our selves to the guidance of Gods holy Spirit to be led into all truth and particularly in what concern Christs Kingly rule on earth not with respect unto what owning it hath by men but as witnessed unto by the Word of God which is the said holy Spirits evidence which if he once appear to set his Seal unto none shall make it void but it shall powerfully overcome and be victorious in the end as all other witnessings of Christ Jesus have and do and shall overcome the opposers of them though never so great many or eminent in the world April 24. 1664. MVNVS AN Advertisement Christian Brethren YOu may be pleased to take notice that after the evidences in the letter of Novemb. 1663. in the Fore-runner and my serious weighing of many other Scriptures especially in the Revelations compared with Daniel I was abundantly satisfied that such an happy state of the Church was to come on earth but yet it seeming difficult to me for a time to reconcile a personal presence with Christs intercession at the right hand of God and taking it for a truth that the coming of Christ was not to be expected till the last resurrection And not having so fully discerned then the clearness of a personal appearance above 1000. years before as since I beleive to be evident as by the last Paper of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may appear I thought I had fairly-salved the matter and that my reasons against the personal and only for a mystical appearance then had been good and sufficient with the illustrations thereof added as you may observe pag. 35 36 37. c. But besides a remarkable gracious hand of God upon me as you may there likewisy discern both to discover such remarkable passages in Scripture that seem more strongly to hold out a personal appearance then and to
shew me such a way to resolve those difficulties both by the several sences of Christs coming in the New Testament and to open to me a way of interpreting of what texts seemed contrary so as I had no president that I know of and yet so evident as I conceive cannot with good reason be denied and as for what is said of his intercession if Christ will perform that work thence forward by a presential intercession as formerly he did by a supernatural in his mosteminent improvement of his Preistly Office in heaven so may be his and the Fathers good pleasure and that is all that can be said since no Scripture gainsays it Or how the remaining part of his Preistly Office shall thenceforth be performed is known to himself as of the Prophetical till that Preistly begun so eminently to be manifest but divers texts as was said seem to limit his sitting at God the Fathers right hand in heaven to his next appearance or beginning of his coming to judgement However any that are not satisfied De modo may safely in the interim resolve of this that such a glorious Kingdom of Christ upon earth shall be and for that the Seripture is both clear plentiful and a truth with much joy and thank fulness to be embraced though some cannot happily so fully be resolved in what manner Christ will appear to set it up though to me the Scriptures spoken of in the and of the Fore-runner makes it evident that it will be personal andwithal seriously without prejudice consider also what is said of Mat. 28. and Mat. 13. concerning the sence of the end of the world with divers other things of weight to such purposes as you may find Chap. 4. pag. 41 42 43 44 45 46. c. and so I conclude with my prayer for the guidance of Gods holy Spirit for all such as humbly and faithfully seek according to the rule of his sacred Word to be rightly informed in this particular To whom I as to that in special commend all such who is the sole-worker of faith in every branch of it for which his Word hath laid any foundation to be received in the season of it as it was even with the very Apostles themselves concerning the receiving of the Gentiles to grace first by miracles afterwards by the Word and all other means usually ERRATA PAge 3. line 1. r. after likewise p. 5. l. 2. r. Chap. 20. p. 8. l. 1. r. is the p. 15. l. 22. r. Psal 145. p. 24. l. ult r. is set forts p. 27. l. 2. r. of the roul p. 35. l. 3. r. personal p. 42. l. 18. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 47. l. 13. r. after end p. 48. l. 33. r. Saviours p. 49. l. 1. adde and them that were with him and Ibid. l. 19. r. Censers Ibid. l. 24. r. and an eye p. 51. l. 3. adde of those three and of one p. 65. l. 25. r. to Saint Johns p. 73 74 75. falsly numbred at top p. 74. l. 27. r. their p. 75. l. 19. adde will p. 77. l. 1. r. for the spirit Ibid. l. 18. r. Testimonies Ibid. i. 24. r. others p. 81 spokan for spoken p. 94 l. 7. r. of truth CHAP. I. Of the Method and Order in handling the subject Which holds out a twofold consideration of Christs Kingdom on Earth First of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that belong to it Concerning the first seven things to be done I Confess by reason of the stream of Interpreters running contrary and the seeming disagreement with some articles of Christian faith I have been apt to decline any opinion of Christs raigning with his Saints the thousand years to come But since Gods divine providence by his word and spirit hath guided me into a more intense and serious consideration of the great emergencies thereof towards his Church in these latter times by whose especial grace upon search into those mystical Prophesies of Daniel the Revelation with other sacred Scriptures which doubtless hold out many things in reference thereunto I have found much satisfaction in such of Gods proceedings and by the series of times decyphered in the Revelation I see there is a necessity of finding some way of reconciling or removing such appearing difficulties or differences amongst good men For though some by interpreting the day of the Lord to be taken for the whole time of Christs raign upon earth from his first appearing to the end complexively in the sence St. Peter seems to speak of One day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day all which time they personally conceive him to be with his Church upon earth in his humane nature against which I shall by Gods assistance offer some reasons to be weighed in due place This then seemed to me to be a likely way to salve the difficulty I then upprehended c. For I conceive Christs raign these thousand years to be understood mystically for some wonderful manifestation of his Kingly power and dominion in his Church by the operation of his spirit although he remain in his humane nature at the right hand of God to make intercession for his people till the end of the world which may in regard of his infinite power and glory be manifest any other way he shall be pleased to magnifie himself gloriously in the world as before and since his incarnation some time he hath done But that he will in those times to come manifest himself in his Kingly glory and Majesty the Scriptures are so evident as it seems not to be questioned I shall therefore by his assisting grace and by the evidence and direction of his holy Spirit and truth endeavour to manifest the same to be hereafter in the thousand years of the flourishing state of his Church when Satan shall be bound under or about the seventh Trumpet in the considering of which we shall proceed in the order following by these ensuing steps First to consider the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such a reign and Kingdom shall be Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what belong to the said Kingdom and that first Spiritually secondly Temporally Concerning the first seven things are to be done 1. I shall lay down such Theses or Positions agreeing to holy Scripture and the Analogy of Faith as may much make way for Doctrines of this nature 2. I shall offer some reasons against the understanding of a personal reign of Christ in a bodily presence with his Saints on Earth 3. To endeavour to open the sence of the mystical and glorious reign of Christ which we understand according to Scripture sense and give some illustrations of it 4. To Parallel some mysteries in Daniel and Ezekiel with such things as are set forth in the book of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of Saints 5. To point
confounded As by the spirit of Wisdom given by Christ to Daniel the second Chronologer the Astrologers Caldeans and South sayers of Babylon were overcome So by the Spirit and Word of Christs Testimony in the mouth of his sackcloth Prophets according to Saint John the third Chronologer the subtilty of the man of fin is quite defeated and he himself with his cheif followers made utterly desolate and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone so that thenceforward as the Devil the wicked one usurped a rule in the world in the hands of his evil powers abusing such their authority for the most part for the promoting of evill and hindering or preventing of any good so afterwards Christ will put all his authority under his reign and dominion in the world into good hands to remove and hinder evil and to maintain and advance good which happily may be the advantage Satan may take at the end of the 1000 years to stir up the wicked at that time in the world to attempt against Christs true Church at the last to cast off their iron yoke as to them it may seem which they have been so long held under by and to strive to break those bands asunder and to cast away such cords of good Government from them as Psa 2. But then He that sits in heaven will laugh them to scorn and by such means destroy both Satan and his followers and while so they seek to encompass the camp of the Saints they will find Christ come at last against them for ever to destroy both Satan and them when the Devil with his host of evil men shall be sent after the Beast and false Prophet into the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death never any more to commit or work or even further to attempt any mischief in the world and so casting Death and Hell with them into the same destruction Revl 20.10 14. Christ will have the perfect victory when all his enemies are so put under his feet And thus we may observe how notwithstanding all Satans Babels of confusion Christs Kingdom shall be set up both to put an end to all such his designs and to put an end to all such attempts save onely that which after he shall be loosed for a little season will put an end to all his actings in the world and of all his seed and usher in all their misery eternally in Hell but in all the thousand years before that neither he nor they shall be suffered to annoy Gods servants but that will really be fulfilled in the time of the New Jerusalem which shall come down from heaven which will be her priviledge Rev. 22.3 And his servants shall serve him CHAP. VI. Wherein are briefly and summarily set down the Testimonies of the Prophets in all the ensuing times after Moses which have been sufficiently cleared from what hath been formerly said to the contrary to belong to the said time of the Kingdom of Christ in the said Thousand years HAving considered what in the three great Chronologers is observably spoken of our Saviours Kingdom upon earth we shall by Gods gracious assistance proceed in the method concerning the rest which our Saviour himself after his resurrection directeth us unto Luk. 24.43 It is written saith he of me in Moses the Prophets and the Psalms endeavouring to observe some things further out of the other Prophets to this purpose and to come to speak of what is recorded in the Psalms likewise of the Kingdom of Christ wherein that eminent sweet singer of Israel did so abundantly tune forth such melodious streins thereof and even upon occasion of his own Kingdom and Solomons delivereth such great things in reference to Christs Kingdom which could not have their accomplishment in any other then him that was the eternal son of God And the like may be observed in all the ensuing Prophesies of Gods ancient people of Israel and Judah the subjects in cheif of that Kingdom as likewise of their most glorious King and Governour who will then be manifest to them and we have the covenant of God in respect both of these Subjects and of their great King made with David for Solomon as a type 2 Sam. 7. but looking at Christ wherein consisted the sure mercies of David which are largely illustrated both by Gods free and gracious promise by both in Nathans message from vers 10. shewing that Israel should be planted in their own place and move no more nor afflicted any more by the sons of wickedness verse 11 And after speaking of the establishing of Davids house though as in Solomon and in his successors his naturall race might sorely suffer yet in a heavenly King the Son of David and the Son of God vers 13 14. applied Heb. 1.5 there is stability ascertained and so Davids faith and prayer improve it with much grateful acceptation verse 19. Thou hast spoken of thy servants house a great while to come and v. 26. Let thy servants house be established for ever and so again vers 29. this covenant Psal 89. could be in none but Christ the Messiah That the Prophesies and Promises that follow concerning both never yet had any suitably fulfilling nor can have other ways then in such a wonderful way and glorious manner as is peculiar to the Kingdom of Christ at such his appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 which as they have been strangely wrested to avoid a litteral sence by some so have they been sufficiently cleared by others to contain it so that the evident clearness and great vigour in so many Scripture Testimonies cannot but work upon such teachable spirits as this abridgement is intended for It is counted policy though wicked in slandering calumniare audacter haerehit aliquid So in so great abundance of Testimonies of truth upon good Christian policy we may confidently assert for in such clearness something will remain to wit to such as are not more disposed to shut their eyes against Scripture light then to open them to behold it I shall but as it were pass through them because I aim at brevity the large discussion being done by others already and especiall in the second and third books of The dawning of the Day-star composed by Dr. Nath. Homes wherein very learnedly and judiciously such Scripture-Prophesies and Texts respecting the quod sit That there is such a Kingdom of Christ to come on earth in the thousand years are very clearly and convincingly opened and applied thereunto which I had opportunity to peruse since these brief collections who both strongly asserts the truth therein and very satisfactorily afterwards answers what things have been objected to the contrary where I am well assured that intelligent persons by Gods assistance may finde more clear resolution as respecting those mystical Scriptures and Prophesies through the whole book of God then in many large Commentaries of most Writers on them for many hundred of years last past which differ therein from the most
in the glory of his powerful grace and the confluence of such redeemed and saved souls Therefore Such reign of Christ remains still to be executed by him 7. If without such reign of Christ on earth the mystical body of Christ will not be compleated and that in the far greatest part of the members thereof then to come in then it must necessary come in its time to make his mystical body compleat in the members thereof But otherwise it will not be compleat in the far greatest part of the members thereof Therefore It must come in in that its due time CHAP. III. NOw let us come to consider in what manner it may or shall be wherein the great difficulty of the reign of Christ seems to lye which we shall endeavour to hold out two ways These Reasons were writ the contrary way in the Original Copy First In setting down some reasons which may seem to make against the personal reign in his humane nature And Secondly To shew that it probably may be understood in a mystical manner for that some way it shall be according to Scripture is not to be denyed but because that such as his raign shall be such will his coming be when he is to raign and take the Kingdom to himself and set it up in the world we shall therefore in reference thereunto by Gods assistance shew the several sences of his coming according to Scripture since his Ascention into Heaven and endeavour to open this particular sense of his coming to raign under or after the seventh Trumpet and to give some illustrations thereof The first of these we shall now endeavour under this head namely to offer some reasons against a personal reign in his humane nature which are these that follow Unto which upon more serious consideration I have added these ensuing Answers Answer to that But such as his reign shall be such will his coming be That though that may hold true in a general sense These Answers were added to the eleven Reasons in Apr. 1665. yet not in a special for though he will personally appear according to Scripture in the Clouds Visible to the sight of all at his coming yet it is not manifest in so much As I can discern that Christ will at least ordinarily be personally visible to any save those in the New Jerusalem the thousand years though the whole world will then be his Kingdom and at his pleasure he may then stay at or visibly enlighten that City of him the great King as it is called Mat. 5. and shew forth his glory there how and as long as he pleaseth or otherwhere likewise as to Paul Stephen or as in the story related by Mr. Mede in his Answer to Dr. Twisse his second Letter of his visible appearing on a purple Cloud and speaking to the Jews in a great contest with the Christians in the Kingdom of the Omerites about three hundred years after his Ascention for as he hath manifested his Kingly glory in the world in the time of his sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father in Heaven so may be as he and the Father pleaseth some way manifest himself personally Visible in the World though probably vailed save unto the raised Saints in the time of his reign upon earth Answer in general to all the Reasons First and in general to those seeming reasons against Christs personal coming and appearing at the last ruine of Antichrist which I first tendered according to my then present apprehension but afterward by a remarkable hand of God upon me was further resolved from his word as in the sequel may appear Whereupon is likewise considerably offered that in case of a new dispensation a great part of these Reasons will fall voide Answer First Because the Scriptures do not clearly affirm any such thing as his personal being upon earth before the last day of Judgement But since I have found many places of Scripture that sufficiently evince it as in the Fore-runner in the Paper Sep. 27. 1664. But to come to answer them particularly in order for the tendering of things contrary often occasion the clearing up of truth which I wholely herein aimed at or at least then groaped after for some time And thinking it more safe then to prove that such an appearance and reign of Christ should be then which in order of nature was first to be proved and onely offer things considerable at least in appearance why I conceived it to be in this or that manner as both before and after may be observed But the paper Sep. 27. 1664. in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may sufficiently shew my mistake in that seeming reason Secondly Because the interpretations to that purpose do not seem convincing Thirdly Because such interpretations do seem to gain-say some articles of the Christian faith and such interpretations are not to be given that have not Scripture warrant especially if they oppose the received Articles of Christian Religion Answer to the second and third Reasons That the interpreting of Christs coming or appearing to be personal and visible about the destruction of Antichrist and afterwards gloriously to be manifest at least to the raised Saints in the World is not contrary to Scripture but a Scriptural explication of an Article of Faith See in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter end of two papers of Dec. 7. and Sep. 27. Fourthly There seems to be no necessity of any such personal presence since the Scriptures witness how that by a wonderful powerful and glorious presence many great things have been accomplished effectually for the Church in former and latter times as all along when Israel came out of Egypt Christ wonderfully shewed himself to be their King in plagueing Pharâ—ah in destroying him and his Host in the Red Sea while Israel passed safely through it in conducting them wonderfully and graciously by a Pillar of a Cloud by day and a Pillar of fire by night all the time they sojourned in the wilderness as signes of his presence with them to guide them provide for them and protect them And when Christ so evangelically gave to them the Law on Mount Sinai Vide Mr. Ant Burg. Vin. Log. p. 145 146. as Divines do evidence thereby declaring himself their King and Law-giver with such Majesty and terror by thundring and lightning and burning of the Mount with shaking and trembling and a mighty voyce which made Moses himself exceedingly to tremble and quake and the people so affrighted c. And afterward appearing unto Joshua with a Sword in his hand he declared to him he would go with him to subdue the Canaanites saying he himself was the Prince of the Host of the Lord when Joshua likewise worshipped him as is recorded Josh 5.13 14. So Rev. 19.11 12. there is a glorious description how he goes against Antichrist at the Armageddon Battel when he will deliver his people from that spiritual Egyptian and Babylonian bongage
thousand years particularly specified Rev. 20. when he would raign with his Saints on the earth and when the new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of Heaven Rev. 21.2 By all which it may appear that in the whole body of the Book of God the life-blood and spirits as it were of the Scriptures concerning Christ seem cheifly to run in this vein to set forth the excellency of his kingly Office and that even the eminent use of Prophesie in the first period and the execution of Priesthood in the second do in a great part make way for and usher in the most eminent glory of his Kingly Office in the third Period whereupon Christs mediatorship will be perfected full reconciliation made with God and abundant enterance to the mystical body of Christ together with himself their head administred into eternal and perfect blessedness Thus having offered unto the consideration of serious and truly Christian Spirits all the forementioned evidences to confirm this glorious excellent truth wherein the main difficulty of the matter seemed to lye as respecting the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that most certainly the raign and Kingdom of Christ in the world eminently is to come as our Saviour hath made known to Saint John in the thousand years under or after the seventh Trumpet We should here proceed to the other part which concerns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things fore-promised to be enjoyed by Gods people in the time of such his reign And that both spiritually viz. Abundance of grace spiritual peace joy security large communion with God Christ and the holy Spirit Together with much benefit and comfort by the perfected Saints perfected I say in respect of their real happiness and the security of it Rev. 22.9 on such the second death shall have no power And also temporally viz. abundance of outward plenty peace security comfort in the enjoyment of the temporal blessings and good things of this life more then ever any ages of the world since the fall obtained whereunto the Scriptures likewise give large Testimony But because there have been in sundry Proofs already many things set forth to this purpose concerning the things of Christs Kingdom and in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or forrunner hereof already published as in a short abridgement thereof contained many great things of such nature from evident Texts of holy Scripture We shall not at present proceed any further therein but as the Providence of God may further lead thereunto But de modo now we shall add nothing fearing to be either too curious or peremptory therein onely at present resolving that either mystically or personally in case of a new dispensation that Kingdom of Christ will in its time appear that we may not gain-say such as have obtained more light therein nor seem to diminish from the glory of it or any ways resist the truth We should likewise in the last place adde some improvement of this to all sorts of persons which we shall only at present in two words as it were adjoyn First to warn all opposers to take heed that either by denying or opposing Christ Kingdome in Doctrine practice or project least when Christ comes in his Kingdom they should be found resisters thereof and fighters against it or particularly comes in wrath against any such in the interim by sending any swift messenger thereof unto them remembring his sentence against those old rebels the Jews Luk. 19.27 But those mine enemes that would not that I should rule over them bring hither and slay them before me For it is a desperate danger to be found fighters against Christ upon any account or engagement in the world whatsoever at any other time but more especially at that time when he shall come in his glory and will manifest his great power and wrath upon them Secondly To encourage all Christs over-comers to be valiant and resolute in fighting against and resisting of all Satanical frauds and Antichristian oppositions against Christ and his Kingdom and to plead Christs right for the strenghening of others to stand on Christs part but always according to Christs warrant and direction in the pleading of this his last clause in the last part of his New Testament-will left amongst us in special mercy to poor unworthy sinners And for their encouragement they may observe from his word that it seems not to be long before he will make it good Surely saith he I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and this is according to the order of things therewith described probable in its order to draw on very fast For Antichrists ruin will make way for Christs reign on earth in that his eminent Kingdome Office and Authority and to that end let both sorts seriously consider that excellent closure of the Prophesie of that Evangelical Prophet Esay Chap. the last vers 5. and so forward which seems very apposite to that purpose and seriously to be weighed upon sundry considerations both respecting the latter time of Anti-christ and divers matters concerning Christs Kingdom then to come And so we conclude with the Churches earnest request unto Christ for the hastening of his coming Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Arguments for Christs Kingdom upon earth from the Lords Prayer First from the three first Petitions Arg. 1 VVHat Christ set down as the cheif rule and direction of the prayer and faith of his people shall surely be accomplished But that Gods Name should be Hallowed his Kingdom come his will be done on Earth as in Heaven is by him given as the cheif rule of their prayer and ground of their faith Therefore These things shall most surely have their accomplishment on Earth as in Heaven That is intra spheram activitatis quoad statum which in this respect is like to be remakable though corruption then be in the Saints yet will be then strongly and powerfully resisted the more grace the more glory to God then and after to themselves Arg. 2 At what time these are most-eminently promised and foretold to be in the world in that they shall be fulfilled and performed But in Christs reign on earth they are most eminently promised and foretold that they shall be Rev. 11. Rev. 20. Therefore In that time they shall be fulfilled and performed Argument from the fourth Petition Gods people may then pray most comfortably and confidently for daily bread when they find all such grace most inlarged on his Church unto which the entail of all needful temporal blessings is cheifly made yea and upon that account are in great abundance promised But such entail of needful supply of temporals or daily bread upon the abundance of spiritual grace in the time of Christs said reign upon that account is more strongly then made unto them yea and abundance of temporal prosperity unto the abundant measure of grace which then will be given Therefore Gods people will most comfortably and confidently then pray for it Argument from the
with glory to judge both the quick and the dead whose Kingdom shall have none end THose that acknowledge a Kingdom of Christ as Mediator after his first glorious appearance or coming to judge the quick and the dead plainly acknowledge his Kingdom of the thousand years But the composers of the Nicene Creed plainly acknowledge such a Kingdom of Christ after his first glorious appearance or coming to judge the quick and the dead Therefore The composers of the Nicene Creed plainly acknowledge Christs Kingdom in the thousand years This is proved from the quotation of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Title Page grounded upon the Prophesie of Daniel and after the thousand years Christ as Mediator will have no kingdom it being at the end of the world to be given up to God the Father c. Arguments from the Article of the Nicone Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is to be worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets At what times the Scriptures foretell that the Holy Ghost who spake by all the holy Prophets will most inlighten his Saints and Servants in the right understanding of them and will most be manifest to be the Lord and Giver of spiritual life and consequently to be most evidently to be worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son all Gods faithful people are bound specially to believe in him in reference to the fulfilling of all such Prophesies concerning those times But the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath expresly and particularly foretold that such things shall be eminently fulfilled in the time of Christs said Kingdom upon earth when he will most evidently appear to be the Lord and Giver of spiritual life and consequently most eminently to be worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son Therefore All Gods faithful people ought specially to believe in the Holy Ghost in reference unto such eminent fulfilling of such spiritual promises concerning those times He first spake by the Prophets more rarely till Christ was come in the flesh namely only to those few special messengers from time to time whom he immediately inspired He was given more plentifully unto his Saints and Servants after Christ was glorified for so saith the Apostle Joh. 7.39 But after our Saviour commanded his Disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they were indued with power from on high 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Phrase is Emphatical the same with Rom. 13.14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and they were so soon after indued with the holy Ghost Act. 2. which in verse 33. St. Peter calls the receiving of the promise of the Holy Ghost hence the Apostles had a spirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7 and so had all the company of the beleivers that prayed with Peter and John Act. 4.31 when the place was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Ghost So was Steven Act. 6. and many others not onely Jews but Gentiles which then seemed strange to the Christian Jews Act. 10.45 47. but this held not long but for the first setling and ratifying the Gospel of Christ in such extraordinary manner which is by judicious men conceived to be as a preludium of the great fulfilling of the prophesies fully to be accomplished in the thousand years to the end which were applyed likewise for that time by the Apostle Act. 2. out of Joel 2. and Esa 44.3 unto which great fulfilling seems the applying Psa 8. in Act. 4.24 and Act. 2.25 in that prayer when the place was shaken vers 31. to the end both which places have reference mainly unto those times as Heb. 2. and the context of Psal 2. doth evidently make manifest then all Gods Saints will more evidently with open face behold the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same Image by the Lord the Spirit that Spirit of power that was in those first times sent down upon the Apostles and others extraordinarily And if Christ shed forth his Spirit so wonderfully at that time when he went to receive his Kingdom how will he pour it out upon all his Saints when he shall come gloriously to rule and reign in his Kingdom in a different and more eminent way then ever before manifest unto the world which will be executed every way irresistibly and prevalently towards enemies and his people of all sorts by his spirit of Power and Domination as Tremel upon 2 Cor. 3.18 who will then likewise be more fully and evidently manifest to be our God with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is to be worshipped and glorified as the Niâ—ene Creed excellently For the glory of the whole Trinity will wonderfully shine out in that Kingdom of Christ upon earth when the Tabernacle of God is with men So Rev. 11.19 and the pure river of the water of Life shall run through the New Jerusalem come down from heaven which is the place our Saviour tells his Disciples Joh. 14.13 that he went to prepare for them when he would receive them to himself that they might be where he is as divers Scriptures evidence where he injoyns them that as they beleive in God they should also beleive in him and presently after in the same Chapter doth twice promise to them the Holy Ghost First to be a Comforter to them Secondly to lead them into all truth Vers 16. and afterwards again Vers 26. and so God the Father Son and Holy Ghost will be then made evidently manifest unto the Saints when they shall possess that place which Christ there promised to prepare for his Disciples c. even to all the faithful in their degree for they shall all then know him from the least unto the greatest Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.11 As for Testimony of Primitive Churches and Doctors take the evidence of the Nicene Council and therewith the Nicene Creed of whose Kingdom there shall be no end set down in the Title page with sundry quotations of Ancients and Fathers breifly set down in the Appendix following concerning which particular it is not needful here to be large because it is so plentifully learnedly and judiciously already performed by Dr. Nathaniel Homes in the first part of the Dawning of the day-star and in divers other parts of that Book whither the Judicious Reader may be referred in this point for abundant satisfaction therein whereby this Doctrine of Christs reign is abundantly vindicated from novelty and manifested to be purely primitive THE APPENDIX Wherein is breifly considered what Rev. 20. Chap. sets down concerning the thousand years but more especially voncerning the first resurrection verse 4 5.6 compared with the other parallel Text having reference to the same time Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. Setting forth divers reasons for such resurrection of the Saints bodies then spoken of in the said Texts with sundry