Kingdom of God we are willing and ready to preach throughout the whole world for we wait and expect and groan within our selves for the redemption of our body the elected precious seed which is the Church of Christ which the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath had an eye unto continually yet since the foundation of the world this seed hath suffered and been bruised and slain but certainly we are assured that as the Lord hath performed that part of his Word that it should suffer he will also perform that part of his Word that hath said the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head For according to this Word in the fulness of time he sent his Son made of a Woman and as certainly as the Church and body of Christ hath gone into the wilderness so certainly her Child that she brought forth which hath been caught up to God and to his Throne shall come down and rule all Nations with his rod of iron and dash to pieces as a Potters vessel all his enemies this we wait for and are assured shall come to pass that the elected seed which is chosen of God and precious which is the body that he hath prepared to do his will Christ Jesus which is come is the resurrection and life of all his seed and the hope of the resurrection 〈◊〉 all the seed of Israel which all the twelve Tribes look for the desire of all Nations is come the light of the Gentiles and the glory of the people Israel And surely he will gather his Elect from the four winds from one end of the Heaven to the other and it is for the Elects sake that these days are shortned for except these days had been shortned no flesh could have been saved and Christ saith shall not God avenge his own Elect that hath cryed unto him night and day I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luke 18.7 And the Apostle Paul when he exhorteth his Son Timothy consider what I say saith he and the Lord give thee understanding in all things remember that Jesus Christ the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake that they also may obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus in eternal glory who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Chruch Col. 1.24 It is a faithful saying if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him if we deny him he will also deny us if we believe nor yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself So this was that which the Apostles looked for and waited for the Redemption of the body as in Rom. 8. and they suffered all things for the bodies sake so the Resurrection of this body is that Christ Jesus accomplisheth who saith I am the resurrection and the life he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that lives and believes shall never die I am the Fountain if any man thirst let him come unto me and out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water and this he spoke of the Spirit that was to be poured forth and by this Spirit doth he redeem and recover his elected seed and so the Apostles reckoned the sufferings of this present life not worthy to be compared to the glory that was to be revealed because of the expectation of the manifestation of the Sons of God And this the great Husbandman is now looking for and gathering up who hath long waited for his Crop as he did when he saw the multitudes come unto him he was moved with compassion towards them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd then saith he unto his Disciples the Harvest truly is plenteous but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he send forth painful Labourers into his Harvest here the Lord desired the gathering of his seed And when Christ spoke the Parable of the Sower he said so is the Kingdom of God if a man cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day the seed springeth and groweth he knoweth not how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of her self but when the fruit is brought forth immediately he puteth in the Sickle because the Harvest is come Mar. 4.29 Here Christ brings a comparison by a Parable of his great Harvest and when Jesus had shewed the Parable of the Tares his Disciples came unto him and desired him to declare that Parable he answered and said unto them he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man the Field is the world the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the wicked one the Enemy that soweth them is the Devil the Harvest is the end of the World and the Reapers are the Angels the Son of man will send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father who hath ears to hear let him hear Mat. 13.24 Dan. 12.3 And when the Lord sent forth the seventy Disciples he said unto them the Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest Luke 10. This is the great Lord of the great Harvest this is the great Husbandman I am the true Vine saith Christ my Father is the Husbandman every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit So herein is the glory of the Husbandman that fruits be brought forth And this great and mighty Husbandman hath been patient and waited patiently for the precious fruit and had long patience for it according to James 5.7 for he did sow his seed in Adam above five thousand six hundred years since so as he made the world and created all things in six days so he hath husbanded and tilled and pruned and dressed and watered it well towards six thousand years and to this agrees the Apostles words 2 Pet. 3.3 to 8. when he saith one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day for God is not slack concerning his coming as some men count slackness In Adam he sowed his seed a natural body and this the Apostle very well opens in 1 Cor. 15. where he speaks at large of the Resurrection of the body after he had been speaking how the Apostles had seen Christ after he
29. Isa 13.10 Ezek. 32.7 but Christ saith farther verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled which were fulfilled according to Christs words for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass and were fulfilled in that day and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled but the next words makes it clear Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith Christ but my word shall not pass away my word shall endure for ever and is fullilling through all Generations yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth one Generation comes and another Generation goes and the word fulfills through them all and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled yet they continue in the substance the same fulfilling for ever to the end of the world Christ saith I will be with you who is the word but of the day and houe knoweth no man no not the Angels but my Father only for the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand And according to this the Apostle saith 1 Jâ—h 2. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Little Children it is the last time and ye have heard that Antichrist should come and I even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us c. ver 17.18 and Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ how they told you there should be mockers in the last time who walk after their own hearts lusts So these with several others that might be mentioned confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostacy that was coming on and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure which John saw would come to pass as you may read in Rev. 12. There was War in Heaven then the true Worship of God was lost and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles where the wicked one had no part but they had overcome the wicked one 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one ver 14. That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles they sat together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus as you may read Eph. 1.3 and Chap. 2.6 And Iesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven for he said where the treasure is there the heart will be also Math. 6.20 21. But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman sled into the Wilderness The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven and to this agrees that Prophesie of Christ where he saith the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Mat. 24.29 but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels as you may read in the 10. of Daniel after Daniel had mourned three full weeks and had eaten no pleasant bread neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days for yet the Vision is for many days and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground and retained no strength neither was breath left in him then the Angel came again and touched him as you may read and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia and when I am come forth loe the Prince of Grecia shall come which is the third Monarchy but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince ver 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel Jude 9. And so here in the Apostacy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels for they prevailed not while the woman hath been in the Wilderness for it is a place prepared of God for her that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days but after this John saw the Dragon cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world there was no more place for him in Heaven but he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him when the true and precious seed of the body which is Christ which is his Church appeared again in which the wicked one hath no part then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon therefore saith Iohn Rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed and where his seed is raised up in any where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth then Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea whither he is cast for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there making war but where he is cast out from Heaven there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the man-child and is wroth with her and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And in the next Chapter when John stood upon the sand of the Sea which was but a brittle foundation for it was to be done away there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end but afterwards John saw an Angel slying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and he cryed with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred saying Fear God and give glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth
the Sea and the Fountains of waters The Book which Iohn saw sealed with seven Seals which he mentions in the 5. Chap. he saw the Lamb open it in the 6. Chap. as you may read and so here there followeth another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication as you may read Chap. 14. And in the 15. Chapter Iohn saw the seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God and one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever and in the 16. Chap. he saw the seven Angels go forth and they poured out their Vials as you may read and in the 17 Chap. there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and he said come up hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great Whore So he carried me away saith Iohn in the Spirit into the wilderness here was the place where the true Church was persecuted here was the place where the Dragon cast out his flood after the true Church to destroy her And saith Iohn I saw a Woman sitting upon a Scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the Angel shewed him the Mystery of the Beast and of his horns as you may read throughout that 17. Chap. and in the 18. Chap. he saw Babylon destroyed So here is comfort for all the true seed of Gods Elect for Iohn heard the voices of much people in Heaven saying Halelujah Salvation Glory and Honour and a voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye that fear him small and great let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen white and clean for the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints and he said unto me write Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb and he saith unto me these are the true sayings of God ver 9. as you may read throughout Chap. 19. And in the 20. Chap. Iohn saw the Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the Bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon and bound him a thousand years as you may read And Iohn saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in these Books and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the Lake of fire ver 15. And in the 21. Chap. Iohn saw a new Heaven and a new Earth The Church coming forth of the wilderness here was no Dragon in this Heaven for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea where the Dragon lodgeth and hath his way Isa 27.1 And I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband here the Holy Spirit of the Lord God cloaths her seed that hath so long laid desolate as a nourishing mother which is free and gives liberty and sets at liberty all her free-born which are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free and of this glorious City doth the Prophet Isaiah prophesie when he said Rejoyce O Barren that didst not bear and this is the City which the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all of all the free-born seed of the promise they are the Heirs but the Bond-woman and her Son are to be cast out of this holy City for he is not the Heir Gal. 4.30 And Iohn heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new that is according as the Apostle saith if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 and he said unto me write for these words are true and faithful and he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Here is the rich bounty of God And there came one of the seven Angels unto Iohn which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues and he said come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain he shewed me that great City the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the Glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal This is the Stone the Builders have disallowed which now is become the Head of the Corner of this precious and holy building which is made up of living stones elect and precious and of a Royal Priesthood and of an holy Nation and the Walls of this City had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and the Walls of this City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and the foundation of the City was garnished with twelve precious stones and the twelve gates were twelve Pearls every gate was of one Pearl he that understands reads and sees all these things And I Iohn saw no Temple in this City for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of it And this City hath no need of the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and the Nations of all them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth that are saved shall bring their glory and honour to it and the gates of it are not at all shut by day yet there entereth not any thing that desileth Chap. 21.27 And in the 22. Chap. you may read how Iohn saw the pure River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits and yields her fruits every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations and he said these things are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his