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
those times of light it is like because they will not then be needful as Mr. Archer conceives of the Lords Supper which was to shew the Lords death till he come as when Christ came in the flesh typical worship ceased yet the promise for those times in this is clear Thy teachers shall not be removed into corners any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers Isa 20.20 yea The watchmen upon her walls shall never hold their peace Isa 62.6 But after all when I was transcribing my said Reasons and was to begin the last page of a sheet unwittingly I wrote them inverso ordine from bottom to top which made me think happily I must retract as to them hereafter which in case of a new dispensation in a way of grace before not known may take off the force of all such reasons Especially if our Saviour promise to be with his Ministers to the end of the world in the foresaid way of Ministration by baptizing and teaching them to observe all that he commanded them before was meant by him but till that time he himself in vision swore time namely of the evil world shall be no more Rev. 10. but at the seventh Trumpet the good new world should begin and such a pattern was that new dispensation to the Israelites when God had by a mighty hand plagued and at last destroyed Pharoah and them when Israel were passed through the Red Sea by Christs conduct then into the wilderness as Moses had signified to Pharaoh we know not with what the Lord will be served there until we come thither but there were new Revelations to Moses new given Laws in Tables of stone again and again new Ordinances of justice in the civil government new institutions appointed for ceremonial and divine worship new orders of priests of Aarons race in several branches in the rooms of the first born besides occasional appointments as the brazen Serpent the Sensors of Corah Dathan and Abiram c. so when God shall deliver his people from the spiritual Egyptian bondage of Popish tyranny and set them in the ready and safe way to the Heavenly Canaan though they have but a moving Tabernacle where he is worshiped in this world yet he may make such new Heaven and earth of ordering matters of Church and State and so feed his Israel while he guides them the sure way to Canaan and the heavenly Sion with Heavenly Manna as in that former type which we may no more know how in particulars then the Israelites did in Egypt and therefore though the thing be most certain that such a glorious reign of Christ is to come on earth which we shall now here contrary to former purpose a little here insist upon yet de modo though I would chuse what is least offensive so far as I may yet I must have an ear an eye open to receive further instruction and light from the word and spirit of grace and truth But at present accordingly for confirmation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall I say endeavour these two ways to shew the certainty thereof First from the witness of St. John the Angel the Spirit yea Christ and of him that sits on the Throne as ratified in the Revelation Secondly by the other two with Christ at his transfiguration viz. James and Peter and from St. Paul to whom Christ did so eminently reveal himself at his conversion First the Apostle John one of the three at Christs transfiguration which seemed to be with him a secretis as we may say that beloved Disciple to whom the Revelation was given he sets down in sundry places there that the Kingdoms of the world should be Christs Chap. 11.15 And the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Chap. 19.6 And the twenty four Elders give him thunks that he hath taken to himself his great power and hath reigned Chap. 11.17.20 the Saints shall raign with Christ a 1000. years and so often and strongly the things concerning his Kingdom are asserted first concerning the marriage of the Lamb Chap. 19.7 8 and in vers 9. he concludes these are the true sayings of God again concerning the New Heaven and the new Earth when he that sat on the throne had said Behold I make all things new he adds again write for these words are true and faithful Chap. 21.5 and after the vision of the pure River of the water of life and the tree of life by it with twelve manner of fruits with leaves for the healing of the Nations his servants are said to see his face and his name is in their fore-heads and they shall reign for ever and ever Chap. 22.4 5. he adds vers 6. These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God of his holy Prophets hath sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things that must shortly be done then in time for eternity hath no such distinction of shortly or long time to come again vers 10. John must not seal the saying of the Prophesie of this book for this reason the time is at hand and Christ concludeth vers 20. Surely I come quickly And further observe how the Prophets Testimony is often called in to these things Chap. 10.7 for at the finishing of the mystery of God it is said as he had declared to his servants the Prophets So Chap. 11.18 that then he should give reward to his servants the Prophets and Chap. 18.20 The Apostles and Prophets are bidden to rejoyce at Babylons ruine because God hath avenged them on her and one of the seven Angels that had the seven Vials full of the seven last plagues that came to John Rev. 21.9 and shewed him the new Hierusalem the Lambs wife the bride descending down from Heaven and after that the pure River and tree of life Chap. 22. and having there asserted the truth of the things he shewed and told her adds and the Lord God of the Holy Prophets hath sent his Angel c. and when St. John was about to worship him he refuseth saying I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this book and of the new Heavens and the new earth The Prophet Isaiah speaketh plainly Isa 65.17 and Peter speaks of the same with a nevertheless before the last destruction 2 Pet. 3.13 which seems by his words to have been again promised by Christ to him and other Disciples saith he according to his promise and so we have enterd upon the Testimony of another those three of Disciples that were with Christ in the Mount and in Chap. 1.16 he speaks of that power and coming of Christ in that his transfiguration in the Mount as a glimpse of the glory of his coming in his Kingdom vers 17 18. and Chap. 2.5 7. How God delivered Noah from the destruction of the Old world and Lot from the destruction of Sodom which as they were for examples of vengeance to those that live ungodly so he
the Jews did poyson this dart so in Pilates sight and hearing that either it must kill Christ or greatly hazard Pilate after many clearings of Christ and offers to release him and propounding him or Barabbas a notorious offendor that Christ might escape which when he failed in he would know what he should do with the King of the Jews Yea when he had scourged Christ and suffered the Souldiers shamefully to abuse him as a King in scorn putting on him a Scarlet Robe a Crown of Thornes a Reed for a Scepter in his hand bowing the knee in mockage crying Hail King of the Jews and according to his wives admonition from her dreams and his own conviction to have freed Christ and lets the Souldiers bring him before the Jews in that garbe saying himself Behold the man as thinking probably all this would satisfie since he was innocent and knowing for envy they did accuse him as Mar. 15.10 Yet at last by that poysoned dart I say they would strike home If thou let this man go thou art not Cesars friend for whosoever makes himself a King speakethagainst Cesar and yet after that he bad them Behold their King and when they cryed Crucifie him He urges Shall I crucifie your King And when he was enforced still upon his Loyalty to Cesar and to avoid tumult having washed his hands as guiltless of Christs blood and the Jews taking it upon themselves and their children he delivered him to be crucified But after all to witness to all the world what Christ was and what was the accusation that carried the cause Mar. 15.26 against him First Pilate is over-ruled by God to write his Title in Greek and Latine and Hebrew Luk. 23.36 This is the King of the Jews as if the successions of the Greek Latine and Heorew Churches in order might read and acknowledge it till he took his Kingdom And when the Jews envied this â—itle and would have Pilate write He said I am God over-rules again and Pilate resolutely refuses with what I have written I have written and observe Pilate was too much convinced and netled and galld to mock in the matâ—â—er of that Title as a the other persecuters then did whom therein he did not then seek to please but resist c. And happily that earnest enforcement of that truth as our Saviour said to him before Joh. 18.37 when Pilate perceived that though he was not a worldly King yet he would not deny himself to be a King He thereupon urges him further in that respect Art thou a King then saith Pilate he Answereth with such a double asseveration and as if this was the main thing he had now to bear witness to and a main cause of his coming into the world saying For this end was I born and for this end came I into the world to bear witness to the truth which seems to be mainly the truth that he was a King and that of Israel us afterwards the Priests Scribes and Elders at the Cross called him Mat. 27.42 and King of the Jews as the Souldiers likewise then mocked vers 44. And after that above all not to insist upon many other passages take notice here of that wonderful Confessor if not first Martyr of and with Christ the formerly infamous but since famous good thief that when the world sought to cast the greatest ignominy and contempt upon Christ he most of all to their faces set forth his honour and even then by putting forth his right hand of a true faith upon the Cross to lay hold upon his last and best booty to steal unexpectedly the Kingdom of Heaven condemnes then both himself and his fellow-thief and the wicked world which condemned and crucified our Saviour and King in the lowest dejection of his present condition acknowledging then Christs Soveraignty and right to his Kingdom and power to give it to others yea even to himself when he was so vile and miserable in other respects saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom happily he had been before a well principled Jew but had for a time with-held the truth in unrighteousness but now by grace such good education breaketh forth with light of truth and comfort in him and he looks for no less then a Kingdom at the hands of a crucified Saviour and Soveraign here was a glory above the wonted brightness of the Sun when the Sun himself for shame hid his face in darkness from the then darkned and spiritually hardened world Thus the Kingly glory of Christ was even then so held out by the Spirit of power to the saith of Gods people so that from the first humiliation of Christ at his birth and even conception too all along to the very hour of his death his Kingly excellency was strongly attested by all sorts of Angels and men young and old high and low good and bad Creatour and creatures in Heaven and Earth the star at his birth the sun at his death the Rocks the Earth the Vale of the Temple the dead Saints that slept and rose again and went into the holy City Jews and Heathens enemies and friends what evidence in all respects could be more glorious in such an ebbe of seeming dejection of the true Son of God the true King of Israel till by his glorious conquest over sin death and Hell whereby it was impossible for him any longer to be held under he wonderfully at his resurrection declared himself to be a most powerful King and that all-conquering King that will set up his Kingdom in the world when he will yet further make his enemies to feel his Kingly power by making them his foot-stool as his Father had promised after the set time of his sitting at his â—ight hand when that shall be fulfilled Psa 110. th at he may triumph with his people in his glorious raign according to the promises and covenant made unto the Fore-fathers and recorded by the holy Prophets since the world began And once more after his resurrection he once again to his Disciples implyes no less having finished almost the forty days in speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1.3 when they would know of him whether at that time he would restore the Kingdom to Israel though he repels their curiosity in respect of the time which God then kept in his own power to make known verse 7. that it was not for them to know the time then yet he doth not at all gainsay the thing but in the next verse he shews they should receive power by the Holy Ghost which accordingly they did in that particular as appeared in James Peter Jude then in Paul being converted and last of all he gave to St. John the Revelation of things to come to the end of the world he sets down in the due place in the series of times ensuing when that his Kingdom should be set up namely under or af-the seventh Trumpet and in that