Position is As the First World Destroyed by the Flood of Water that Lay as the forenamed Excellent Theory hath set out within its own Bowels And yet that Destruction was not till 1656 Years after its Creation so long the Word of God Secured it and there was yet a World after it So the Heaven and Earth that now are shall be destroyed by Fire Hid as it were in its Entrails for about such a space of Time from the Apostle's writing Till that Appointe◠Time the same Word of God Interposes and Secures it But saith the Apost that you may Rightly Judge of the Position I would by no means hove you Ignorant of this one Thing this Principal Thing in this Point that I am about to Lead you to Of the New Heavens and the New Earth That as the First Heavens and Earth and the Host of Them Finish'd and God's Resting in them was on the Sabbath and Seventh Day So the Day of Judgment the Great Sabbatism of Resting and Rejoycing in his Works to God to Christ and his Saints shall be a Day but It is with God in his Determination and Counsel concerning it a Day of a 1000 Years and to so Great Day He hath made each 1000 Years of the Worlds Continuance a Day and They are Six as at the Worlds First Creation For in the Evening of the Sixth Millenary That Day shall Begin Think not therefore the Lord is Slack for He hath with Great Wisdom Ballanc'd and Weigh'd out for the First Seventh Day Sabbath a Sahbath of a 1000 Years For the Day of Judgment that will be for Perdition to the Wicked shall be a Day of a 1000 Years Rest to the People of God and to so Great a Day of a 1000 Years He hath with infinite Patience to Bring All his own Elect into it weigh'd out also for each Day Leading to the First Sabbath Six Millenaries or 1000 of Years which he Accounts as Days to Gathe◠in all his Elect as the Apostle Paul Heb. 4. Shews the Long suffering of the Lord to the several Ages of his People to be Salvation to Them till that very Sabbatism comes that Remains to the People of God This is the Great Sense that lies under the very profitable and Exscellent Discourse of the Apostle taken in Common Sense But that There is this Great Sense I Argue not only from the Symbols of the New Heaven and New Earth coming out of the Floo◠and from the New Heaven and the New Earth having Six days and then a Sabbath of a 1000 Years Symboliz'd by the Sabbath and the Six Days of Creation before it to which the whole Scope of the Apostle's Discourse makes it plain that He Refers But I Especialy Argue from These Two Things 1. From the Apostle's Great Preface shewing a Mystical Doctrine as such Prefaces do Rom. 11. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 51. Now that the longest and shortest Time with God the High and Holy one that Inhabits Eternity the Absolute Eternal Being are All Alike is an undoubted Principle of Natural Rational Religion which All are supposed to Know and therefore that Great Truth needs no such Preface as not to be Ignorant of that One Thing there being many other so Great Principles of that Order of Natural Religion that ought not to Lye hid from Any 2. Because this would not all Answer the Apostle's Scope either with Relation unto the Scoff of them that say Where is the Promise of his coming not Satisfie and Comfort the Sincere Christian concerning the delay of that Coming For what Comfort is it to the Sincere Christian to whom Each Minute of delay of the Coming of Christ especially under suffering is as an Age that to an Eternal Being a Day is as a 1000 Y. and a 1000 Years as One Day and how would the Scoffer Triumph in this Each Day with God is a 1000 Years how many 1000 of Years may be then to the Coming of Christ when every Day with God is a 1000 Years So many Days then so many 1000 Years And if He Counts a 1000 Years but as One Day how long may He delay e're the coming of Christ be The Comfort proper to this Case must be such as is proper to the Creatures of Time What is proper to the Alone Paramount Eternal Being Flys too High and Alought over this Case however an Admirable a Truth it is in it self and God most Adorable in it Nor is there therefore Any Cause to vilifie this Kingdom of Christ Because It is but a 1000 Years and that a 1000 Years is with God but as a Day Because even according to the Letter of this Scripture each Day of the 1000 Years is with God as a 1000 Years as well as the 1000 Years but as One Day when therefore we may by this Apostolic Canon if we had Respect to the Letter Count every Day of the 1000 Years Kingdom as a 1000 Years it self how Great then would it be But I have sole Respect to the Mystic meaning That God the Lord of Time knows how much and no more is proper to his Ends hath Resolv'd A Sabbatism of a 1000 Years Beginning with and Ending with a Grand Judgment and its middle Space a Judgment or Government according to and with Relation to those Two Grand Judgments and so most Fitly call'd Judgment or Day of Judgment shall be a perfection of Time and the Fullness of All Times and the duration of the Kingdom of his Son as Son of Man And that Six Days each Day as a Milennium or 1000 Y. of his Patience and Long suffering for the Vessels of Wrath Fitting Themselves to Destruction at that Day and for the Gathering his Elect from the several Ages of the World as well as from the Four Winds shall go before it And it self from its Beginning to its End shall bear this Character Fullness of Times without Nice distinction of one part from Another and so Eternity ensues and this State which shews the Fitness of the Symbols shall have New Heavens and a New Earth according to Creation according to the Great Promise Esay 65. c 66. which also shews the opposite State of the Carcases under a never dying Worm and an Vnquenchable Fire to mean much higher then the Carcasses of the Assirians whatever Type that slaughter might be Lastly That this Prophecy of the Apostle Peter hath also Great Reference to the Antichristian State I observe by Indications however They may seem small yet are most Significant 1. The Vnlearnedness Barbarity and Ignorance most Natural to Antichrist however since the Reformation Necessity hath made his Party more Learned taken notice of in the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 16. 2. Their Apostacy as Wandring and falling Stars as the Papacy it lelf is also Symboliz d by a Star falling from Heaven to the Earth Revel 9. v. 1 is Signified by a Dis-firmamented State in the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wander'd from their Firmament and
concerning Christ having his Palace of Glory not on this New Earth but in the New Heaven concerning the Wicked Dead Rais'd In which Points I perceive my Self to differ from Him but as I Hope on Great Scripture Grounds Now to Conclude All This Kingdom is the Great Practical Doctrine which when It shall be Vniversally Preach'd by the Everlasting Gospel shall Bring in all the World Jews and Gentiles to Christ And besides the Blessed Effusions of the Spirit that shall go along with it How must it needs in Reason prevail For what would the Great Value and purchase of but a 100 Years in the Vigors and All Affluences of Life be and in such a Heaven and Earth as are now and if Men were so enclin d in all wise and vertuous Converses Of what Inestimable Value then to every serious Considerer even now the offer of so much a Higher and Longer 1000 Y. of Life as is propos'd on so Great Scripture Grounds How may it satisfie that Appetite Implanted by Creation into our Natures which is that very Olam or World set by God in the Heart of Man Ecclâ—s 3 11. the Desire to see the Glory of God in his Visibly Glorious Creation for a perfect Duration of Time But how much stronger will the Impression be upon an Enlightned Convinced Awaken'd World under that Everlasting Gospel Preach'd when that shall be Fully declar'd and â—â—liev'd that Few will now Believe though it be never so plainly Told Them In the mean Time seeing we All profess to Believe Fully the Apostle Peter s Doctrine of Looking for New Heavens and a New Earth according to his Promise wherein Righteousness shall dwell Let us Resolve what Manner of Persons we ought to be in all that Holiness and Godliness of Conversation and let us Grow in Grace and the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ beyond the Beginnings of his Doctrine Going on to Perfection and so unravel the Apostasie where it Began in not so doing and above all Let us Give All Dilligence that we may be Found of him in Peace without Sâ—ot and Blameless and by Him be so Presented before the Presence of his Glory And let us consider the Day is near Approaching Concerning the Truth of which I make Appeal to Him to show by his Arm made bare in unquestionable Evidence of Fact and Event every Thing in its proper Time And I am now waiting at this Time when the Kings are preparing to Go out to War for a Dawn of thâ— Morning Star on the Suffering Witnesses of the yet Afflicted Thyatyra the French and Vaudois and that the Rod of Iron should begin to Break tâ—at Potters Vessel whom patience hath yet spar d from being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what ends will be seen who with a more then Herodian Insolence and Cruelty hath nâ—â— only let Rest on Him as Herod but even Hunted for such Attributions as to a God and not to a Man and so Inhumanely Vex'd so many of the Church of Christ to please a Sacrilegiously Flattering Jesuitic Order Now to the only wise God be Glory for ever Amen A REPRESENTATION OF THE Thousand Years Kingdom OF CHRIST Endeavouring to Reconcile it to the General Confessions of the Faith of Christians and particularly to the Judgment of the Eminent Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ with a Vindication from Further Objections I Can Sincerely Appeal to the Searcher of Hearts I am in all the Substantial and Essential Points of Christianity of the Judgment of all the Wisest Soundest and most Universally Approved Ministers of the Gospel and Christians in the Faith at once Deliver'd to the Saints and have no By nor Secret Opinions in Reserve either concerning the Person of the Great Media or God and Man or concerning his Kinâ—dom as if it had not been from the Beginning or were not to be for ever in such Explications of it as the Churches of Christ most Agree in according to Scripture I make the same Appeal concâ—rning my Belief of the Eternal Happiness of the â—aints with and by Christ in the Distinctness of Humane nature Spirits in Bodies of Glory united by Him to the Father and yet each one in his own proper Personality and so made Truly Equalâ— to the Holy and Elect Angels and of the punishment of the wicked in their Spirits and Bodies together with the Devil and his Angels even throughout a Strict and proper Eternity a Parte Post as They speak or for ever Except therefore my Doctrine and Affirmation of the Kingdom of the Thousand Years can be shown in a perfect Amity and Conciliation with this Gospel and Form of Sound Words I Acknowledge It ought to be Rejected I therefore Attempt in very Brief to shew it to be in such a State of Agreement and to vindicate it from Exceptions to it I observe therefore one Great Complex of Articles of Faith wherein All Christians are as much as in any Point of Christianity at One and They may be thus Given 1. That there shall be a Day or Time before the State and Kingdom of Eternity wherein Jesus Christ shall Come from the Right Hand of the Father to Judge the World and this as Man Acts 17. 31. 2. That Jesus Christ shall Come in the Glory and Power of the Father to this Judgment and that It shall be a most Illustrious Appearance of his Kingdom that was not before nor shall be after For He comes in his Kingdom and the King shall say c. Matth. 25. and He Sits on the Throne of his Glory v. 3â— v. 34. 3. That at the same Time There shall be a Glorious Resurrection and Appearance of his Saints with Him as Sharers in the Glories and Triumphs of that Day 4. That the Saints that shall at that Time be living and Remâ—ining upon Earth shall not Dye but at the very same Time be Chang'd so as that They also may have their part in the same Glory and Resurrection 5. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Vnjust and of Those that have done Evil to the Condemnation to the Dishonour and Contempt and to the Punishment that shall at that Day be Executed upon Them 6. That the Heavens and Earth that now are are Reserv'd for Fire at that Day and that Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks 2 Thess 1. 7 8. shall be Reveal d in Flames of Fire taking Vengeance and that as the Apostle Peter says The Day of the Lord Cometh as a Theif in the Night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a Great Noise and the Elements melt with Fervent Heat and the Earth and the Works that are therein shall be Burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10. and again v. 12. Looking for and Hasting unto the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on Fire shall be dissolv'd and the Elements shall melt with Fervent Heat Now seeing the very Revelation of Christ is in Flames of Fire as Lightning and that our Lord compares his Coming
to the Flood on the Old World and the Fire and Brimstone on Sodom the very same day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and Lot went out of Sodom Luke 17. 27 28. The Conflagration must be a Conflagration before the Judgment or Instantaneous with the Beginning of that Day and so I suppose is the Judgment of all Divines 7. The Wicked Alive shall be speedily by this Fire brought into the same Condition with the Dead Wicked Raised to share in the Common Perdition For the Heavens and Earth that now are are Kept in Treasure for the Day of Judgment and the Perdition of Vngodly Men. 2 Pet. 3. v. 11. 8. Seeing the Apostle Expresly teaches v. 13. That we Look for New Heavens and New Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell It is most according to Scripture that the New Heavens and New Earth should come as a Vessel out of the Refiner's Fire and Righteousness dwell therein So that the New Heaven and the New Earth immediately Come out of this Fire All this I look upon as so Agreeable to Scripture and the most undoubted Sense of it that whoever keeps Inviolate this Form of Sound Words cannot fall into any Great Error I then making a Solemn Profession that I am Fully perswaded of all these Things even to a Plerophory of Assurance and supposing All Sober Christians herein to Joyn with me I pass forward with Greater Assurance 9. The particular Precise State of the Kingdom of Christ as in this Judiciary State shall be deliver'd up at some Time to God and to the Father and so the Kingdom and State of Eternity succeed I do also suppose is the Universal Faith of Sober Christians Although the New Heavens and New Earth may be suppos'd to continue for ever as They are by Mr. Baxter and as I Remember by that so excellent Interpreter Calvin on the aforenam'd Text and very probably by many other Great Theologers and Scripture-Interpreters Now from all these Principles lay'd together several Points are Allowed upon the Consideration of the General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment that are ready to be charg'd as Unreasonablenesses or Antiscripturisms on the Doctrine of tho Thousand Years Kingdom which compar'd with what is taught universally of Christ coming to Judgment will be as a Load taken off from it 1. Seeing the Day of Judgment is a middle State of the Kingdom of Christ between the present State and the State of Eternity It is hence undeniable There is a middle Kingdom or middle State of the Kingdom of Christ. 2. When a Dispensation or Oeconomy for the Divine Glory as for Judgment Requires it It is no dishonour to Christ to come from the Right Hand of God where He is Exalted above All Heavens into the Lower State of the World much less Degradation from present Glory for Saints to Come with Him 3. Nor does Christ suffer any diminution of Glory when He Goes back to Heaven the Business of such Oeconomy as of Judgment being dispatch'd 4. There is sufficient Security in the midst of the Conflagration for the Bodies of Saints whether Risen or Chang'd though we cannot define how 5. Nor shall the Bodies of the wicked however punish'd be consum'd in these Flames 6. There is no Absurdity on Scripture Account to suppose a manifold Change of Body according to the Variation of States 7. There will be Found Room for the Bodies of all both Risen and Changed Saints as also of all the wicked according to the General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment 8. A New Heaven and a New Earth and by Consequence a Restitution of All Things are in the very Letter to be Expected according to Scripture Now whatever may according to Scripture and without any Contradiction to the Great Principles Notions and Sense of it be suppos'd for a Lesser or so much as Any Time may be suppos'd for a longer Time even for so long as Scripture gives us any Reason to extend it unto seeing There is no Scripture Inconsistency in the Fundamental Possibility And now there being such a Foundation lay'd in that which is Agreed among all Christians if there shall be Any Inducement from Scripture to do it we may Build upon this Foundation 1. That seeing Christ shall Appear from Heaven with his Saints in a Kingdom of Triumph and Glory over his Enemies and that there is no Signification of the Time of duration Contradictory to that of a 1000 Years and at least one Great Signification It is a 1000 Years Why may we not Conclude the Kingdom is a Kingdom of a 1000 Years 2. Seeing there shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth that shall come forth as a Vessel for the Finer out of the Conflagration and that there is Great Reason to think That They shall be both inhabited Why may not the Saints of the Resurrection Equal to the Angels Inhabit the New Heavens and the Saints Chanâ—'d who are so peculiarly called twice the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Living the Remaining as a most peculiar Generation of Saints that Christ so Holds in his Hand as that They can no more Fall as may be Surmized then the Saints Above who are as Angels confirm'd Inhabit the New Earth as Adam should have done a 1000 Years Especially seeing It is supposeable It shall be Inhabited and we Know not Any who shall Inhabit it God knoweth only who shall Inhabit it Except these Living Remaining Saints 3. Seeing it is Agreed The Administration of the Kingdom as at the Day of Judgment shall not Last to Eternity and that Christ and All his Saints Ascend up to God and that Kingdom of Judgment Ends Why may not this be the Sense of those so Weighty Words of the Apostle concerning the Son's delivering up the Kingdom of his being Subject and of God being All in All or what else is so likely as this of the Son 's Resigning up that Illustrious Appearing visible Glory that He shall be invested with during that Judicatory Kingdom seeing it is a Kingdom of Triumph and Victory that is so Deliver'd up And why should it not be the Kingdom of a 1000 Years Seeing the naming a Kingdom though of a 1000 Years yet because It is but of a 1000 Years Implys It shall end And as the Apostle makes plain in that it is a Reign till All his Enemies are put under his Feet It is a Kingdom of Victory and Triumph Beginning and Ending in putting down Enemies as Judgment must needs do and then Given up to God And thus there is an easie Slide from the Acknowledged and most General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment into what the Scripture says of a Kingdom or Reign of Christ for a 1000 Years For it is expresly said There were Thrones as of a Kingdom and Judgment was Given to Them that sat upon the Thrones the very word proper to thâ—t Day and â—hey that Sate upon the Thrones must needs be Christ and his Saints For They Lived and Reigned