The Resurrection Revealed
[§. 4] And most likely the method will be this: The Pope shall be destroyed by the breath of Christ's mouth; that will prevail with Christendom (as they call it) that will be effectual to all the Christian world that own Christ to be come already in the flesh; to excite them, seeing his mystery of Abominations (afore-named) to be discovered, to pull him down root and branch. But to the Jews, that to this day do not own the coming of Christ in the flesh, Christ must manifestly appear at least in the Clouds, as Zech. 12. Rev. 1.7. (of which afore) to convert them, as at once (and so are brought in as a Nation borne at once, Isa. 66.8.) and thereby are stirred up as one man, to set against the Turk, from whence proceeds his ruin.
[§. 5] Nor may any man fantasy to himself, that he can put off what hath been said upon this Text of 2 Thess. 2. with obtruding a sense upon it, and devolving it upon the ultimate day of judgment; as if then were the just time of Christ's destroying Antichrist by the brightness, or appearance of his coming. For first, this were to overturn the whole tenor of Scripture, that tells us distinctly Rev. 17.16. of the means of the overthrow of Antichrist, viz. That the ten Horns, or ten powerful Dominions, Regalities, or Imperialities, shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh (that is devour or destroy, by an Hebraism imitating the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and her flesh, and not only her spiritual or moral estate) and burn her with fire: And the manner, and measure, and effect, Rev. 18. Rev. 19. 19, 20, 21. viz. A millstone cast into the sea, the cessation of all music, mils, and trades, the extinguishing of all candles, are there used as types and signs of his destruction, and the wailing of Kings and Merchants. for his desolation are used to set forth the sequel thereof. And then it is added expressly, that the Beasts, and the Kings of the earth, and their Armies are gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his Army, and the Beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet, and were cast into a lake of fire, &c. and the remnant were slain with the sword, &c. and all the souls were filled with their flesh. All which things shall find neither time nor place to be acted at the ultimate day of judgment. 2 There is a weighty consideration in this Text of 2 Thess. 2. to evince that it cannot relate to the ultimate day of judgment. For then is the destruction of all the wicked of the world ( Rev. 22.10.) If any of Antichrist, precisely understood, as the brood of Turk and Pope be then extant, they are swallowed up, and drowned (as to the enumeration) among the crowd of Hypocrites, who shall then be judged, condemned, and executed as hypocrites (as oft the day of judgment is so described, Matth. 7.22. Mat. 25.41. Mat. 24.51.) But our Apostle in this 2 Thess. 2.8. speaks precisely of the distinct destruction of Antichrist as Antichrist. And therefore mentions him, and his brood, in a singular phrase, as a single man. In verse. 3. he is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The man of sin. And in the same verse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The son of perdition. verse. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. That opposer, verse. 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , That same lawless one. For if I may have leave to speak my notion, then in precise consideration we may thus distinguish; That as lapsed Adam with all wicked men (consired in him, Rom. 5.) is called the one and only first man, 1 Cor. 15. And Christ the second Adam, with all true Christians (reckoned in him, Rom. 6.) is called the one and only last man, 1 Cor. 15. So Antichrist is one middle person, partly a Man, and partly a Beast (as it is oft in the Revelation ) in whom all Antichristian men, that are neither openly wicked without all show of Religion, nor yet sincerely Christians, are to be reckoned as one with him (as limbs and Trunck make but one body) one Antichrist. So that as Antichrist is a distinct thing in precise notion, from the dirty open wicked, so his destruction is distinct afore the ultimate day of judgment. For Rev. 11. 13, 15, 18. Antichrist is destroyed, WHILES Christ hath a Kingdom distinct from the Fathers ultimate Kingdom. And WHEN the Nations were angry at Antichrists beginning to fall. And Rev. ch. 18. and c. 19. he falls, afore New Jerusalem is set up in Rev. 21. And in c. 20. it is set forth, as the cause of both, that Christ reigns (at least) in and by his Saints, on earth, a thousand years. So that the appearance of Christ, destroying Antichrist is at the beginning of the thousand years. For Christ appears as well at the beginning, as the ending of the thousand years. At the beginning for two main ends; the one for the conversion of the Jews ( Zech. 12. Rev. 1.7.) the other for the destruction of Antichrist, as we have it in this 2 Thess. 2.8. which, though it doth not hold forth the last and ultimate general judgment, yet it holds forth a day of judgment, yea the beginning and preparation to that day of judgment; setting his sheep (as Matth. 25.) on his right hand first, speaking comfortably to them, for a thousand years, to make them triumph on earth, where they have been trampled on, and after, at the end of that thousand years, sets the goats on his left hand, condemning them at that time of the ultimate day of judgment.
SECT. V.
Of the fifth Scripture for Christ's personal appearance at the great Restauration of the Church.
Matth. 26.29.
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom.
[§. 1] THis Scripture is alleged by Mr. Burroughs, for one place, to prove the appearance of Christ personally, at the thousand years.
[§. 2] It may be some may think that commonly this place is understood of Christ's conversing with the Disciples, after his Resurrection. But not so commonly, for the most renowned Calvin, Marlorat, Grotius, &c. are against that.
[§. 3] Besides, it is not said, Luke 24.42, 43. that he did drink with the Disciples after his resurrection; eat he did with them, to show the verity of his Humanity, now risen; but it is not said he drank, as if he needed it either for concoction, or to allay some corporal passion of heat.
[§. 4] It is true that it is said by Peter, Act. 10.41. touching himself, and the rest of the Apostles, We did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead; which may signify their more familiar society with him (as Luk. 13.26. We have eaten, and drank in thy presence ) but doth not assert Christ's drinking. It is said expressly, We did eat and drink, not that he did drink. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 15. the body is raised a spiritual body; And, Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep; which signifies that after the resurrection of the body there is no need of drink, though Christ did then eat, to show himself to be true man, and therefore it is generally conceived that this cup, Matth. 26.29. was his last parting cup that he drank in this present world; as never more to communicate with them in any sort of drinking, till he drank new with them in the Kingdom of his Father. See Piscator on Matth. 26.
[§. 5] And if any will needs presume, that he did drink after his resurrection some sort of drink or other: Let them stay their stomachs with this, that it is spoken in this twenty sixth of Matthew, with a double emphasis upon both Phrases, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I will by no means drink from hence-forward 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of this, this same fruit, or kind of the vine, until, &c. so that beyond all dispute, its evident, that Christ will no more drink of THIS KIND until that day, when he shall drink it new with them, in his Fathers kingdom; which Emphasis at THAT day, with the distinction of his Fathers kingdom, cannot relate to three days after; Christ then still being in execution of his main Mediatorship rising again, ( Rome. 4.25.) for our justification, as he was delivered to death for our offenses.
[§. 6] All which is pinned faster, by the phrase in the Adjective, not in the Adverb. For he saith not, I will drink it newly, but I will drink it new; which could not be within three days after, and in the winter time (when there was need in Judea of a fire in the High-Priests Hall, Luk. 24.55.) at which time, and in so short a space, there could not be made either new wine, or any mere natural creature new. But at the thousand years all things are made new, 2 Pet. chap. 3.13. Isa. 65.17. Revel. 21.1.4, 5.
[§. 7] But it may be some will object, that it is said in the foresaid text, he would drink it new in his Fathers Kingdom; and therefore that place is not so clear for Christ's Kingdom. To which we answer two ways; 1. That this Kingdom of Christ, in this text, may be called also his Fathers Kingdom, because the Father gave it him, Psal. 2. v. 8. And therefore is Christ called there (in v. 6.) HIS King. And the Apostles pray to the Father, in the words of this Psalm to maintain his Son in his Kingdom, Act. 4.24. &c. whereof the glorious state of the Church in Constantine the Great his time, and other short shinings forth of the splendor of the Church in succeeding ages, were but types or prefaces. So Psal. 8.4, 5. What is man that thou art mindful of hem, or the SONNE of man (the common style of Christ) that thou visitest him, for THOU hast made HIM a little (time ) lower then the Angels, AND (that is to say, after that) hast CROWNED him with glory and honor. THOU hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. THOU hast put all things under his feet. All which the Apostle Heb. 2. v. 5, 6, 7. &c. expounds of Christ, and of the inhabited world to come (as the Greek is verse. 5.) and saith, that when Christ was ascended, yet then all things were not put under his feet. For all must be so, all (saith the Apostle there, v. 8.) that nothing must be excepted, except as 1 Cor. 15. God himself. But of this of Heb. 2. abundantly after.
[§. 2] Secondly, we answer: That it is the Kingdom of God his Father, because Christ reigns over it as in unspeakable union with the God-head: That though he be but one person, yet he hath two natures; So that the sense is the Kingdom of my Father, that is, the Kingdom of God, as it is in the Syriac 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, it i • the Kingdom of a God-Christ, or a God-man Christ. For Father is ascribed in Scripture to the God-head usually in relation to Christ incarnate. So that because the two natures are joined as Collegues in one person, over this Empire, therefore it is called the Kingdom of CHRIST, and of GOD. And such a phrase, and upon such an occasion, as clearly relates to the Kingdom whereof we speak doth the Apostle use, Eph. 5.5. The words are these; This know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, &c. hath any INHERITANCE in the Kingdom of CHRIST, and of GOD. The Heathens never imagined that vicious persons should enter into their heavenly Elysian-fields, or the blissful immortality of souls. And Inheritance more suits to Earth then Heaven. And lastly, after the ultimate day of judgment Christ hath no Kingdom, 1 Cor. 15.28. Therefore this place of Ephes. 5.5. relates to the Great Restitution, as plainlier appears by paralelling another place which fully answers to that of Ephes. 5.5. viz. Rev. 22.11.15. The words are these; He that is filthy let him be filthy still, WITHOUT are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. the dogs, the whoremongers, &c. when is this? viz. in the time when the Throne of GOD, and of the LAMB shall be and appear glorious in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, verse. 1, 2, 3. twice expressed. There is also the like phrase of calling it the Kingdom of God, and of Christ, in effect Rev. 12.9.10. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, &c. And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is salvation, and strength, and the KINGDOME OF OUR GOD, and the POWER OF HIS CHRIST. So that Christ as MAN jointly with GOD doth reign in this Millenary Kingdom. And therefore Christ speaks of new Wine. New in the Kingdom of his Father, before the ultimate • ay of judgment. For after that day Christ hath no KINGDOME, nor POWER, but lays down all (as we have oft • epeated it out of 1 Cor. 15.28.) God the Father is then to be all in all. And therefore that expression so frequent in Rev. 20. The Saints hall reign with Christ a thousand years, cannot be meant of supernal eternal glory after the last judgment, because that place but now quoted of 1 Cor. 15.28. affirms, that then Christ himself is said NOT TO REIGNE, but to lay down all, and to be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all; so that then Christ only enjoys glory with his Saints, not reign (as Christ) in glory.
SECT. VI.
Of the sixth Scripture for Christ's Personal appearance at the great restauration of the Church.
2 Tim. 4.1.
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his Kingdom.
[§. 1] THe Kingdom of Christ here mentioned, cannot be referred to his past Government of the Church; for it is express in the future tense, now so long since his Ascension, that he shall judge the quick and dead at his appearance, and his Kingdom.
[§. 2] Nor can this Kingdom of Christ here spoken of, signify any Kingdom of Christ after the ultimate judgment, for then Christ hath no Kingdom; as but now, and oft before, was touched from 1 Cor. 15.28.
[§. 3] But when Christ appears next, to judge the quick and dead Saints, to reward them, and to destroy the then living incurable, and incorrigible wicked, by a particular day of Judgment, at the beginning of the thousand years, which is the Preface to the ultimate Judgment, Christ all that while being busied in executing that first Sentence of Judicature, ( Matth. 25.) Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit a kingdom provided for you; according to Revel. 11.15, 17, 18. (of which much after, compare Revel. 19. three last verses) I say, when Christ shall then appear, he shall have a Kingdom.
[§. 4] The word appearance is the same in the Greek, as that 2 Thes. 2.8. so that Christ must appear to the inhabitants of the earth, where this his Kingdom is. For the present, (as it is said, Luk. 19.11, 12. by Christ himself) Christ is gone into a far Country, viz. into Heaven, to take to him a Kingdom; that is, in the Metropolis Heaven he is to be crowned King of this his Kingdom he is to have on earth, but he is to return, and then to take account of his servants in this his Kingdom, and to dignify the well-doers. Christ must be the fifth Monarch, Dan. 2.45. Dan. 7.13, 14. I say, Christ is to be the fifth Monarch. The Jews now have no King, but in the last days they shall have David, (that is, Christ the Son of David ) to be their King, Hos. 3. ver. 4, 5. And Christ in Acts 1. ver. 3. having for forty days spoken of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, and thereupon being asked by the Disciples, ver. 6 of his restoring the Kingdom to Israel, he doth not deny the thing, but only refuseth then to tell them the Time when it should be done. But after he tells us by John in the Revelation, as we shall see abundantly after.
SECT. VII.
Of the seventh Scripture for the Personal appearance of Christ at the great restauration of the Church.
Acts 3.19, 20, 21.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come, from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which was before preached unto you, whom the Heaven must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, since the world began.
[§. 1] THis place of Scripture is the more considerable, in that it is urged by some (that look upon things only with a cursory eye) against Christ's glorious Kingdom yet to come on earth; which if well weighed, speaks most strongly for it.
[§. 2] For 1. Time, and especially times twice mentioned in the Plural, cannot so well relate to a state after the last Judgment, when time shall be no more, Rev. 10.6, 7. And the Angels sware by him that liveth forever, that there should be TIME NO LONGER, but in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, the Mystery of God should be FINISHED.
2 This time or times are said to be spoken of by all the Prophets [§. 3] since the world began; they therefore that pretend to be skilled in the Prophets shame themselves, in denying that main thing which is in all the Prophets. Now all the Prophets since the world began, have not spoken of the last Day of Judgment; but of the Kingdom of the Messiah they all have spoken, and so much, and so plainly, that the Apostles minds did much run out upon it, even at the first appearance of Christ in the flesh, besides their Doctrines afterwards in their Epistles, &c. concerning it. So it seems by Matth. 20. ver. 20. in the request of the Mother of Zebedees Children, (that is, two of the twelve Disciples, ver. 24. entreating Christ, that her two sons might sit the one on his right hand, the other on his left hand in HIS KINGDOME; and by the strife among the twelve, Luk. 9.46. who of them after Christ's Passion should be the greatest. The same we have, Luk. 22.24. when Christ was ready to suffer. And by the question of the Apostles, Act. 1.6. touching Christ's restoring the Kingdom to Israel; (in all which places Christ doth not in the least hint any negative to the thing it self.) And the Jews yet much expect the coming of the Messiah to restore them, now not long after one thousand six hundred and fifty.
4. One would wonder to see how many of the Prophesies, and Prophets of the Old Testament, godly and learned Dr. Alsted and [§. 4] others do clearly allege for this Kingdom of which we speak. And therefore it must needs be our ignorance if we make a wonder at this point, questioning whether there be any such thing in the Prophets.
5 Peter also speaking to the Jews in his 2 Epistle doth several [§. 5] times quote the Prophets and their Prophesies for this state of the Church which we speak, chap. 1.19. We have a more sure word of PROPHESIE whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day star arise in your hearts. Now that the Lord Christ had come in the flesh, finished our redemption, the effusion of the Spirit had been abundantly fulfilled, the Gospel openly promulgated to the world, and in part they to whom Peter writes converted, v. 1. and Christ ascended, the Apostle calls it a dark time, in comparison of the rising of the Day-star (that is the Son of righteousness Mal. 4.) in their hearts (which cannot be meant of eternal glory after the last judgment) to which the Prophesy of Old Testament doth lead them, to wait for it, till it be fulfilled. And chap. 3.13. We according to his PROMISE look for new Heavens and a new Earth, &c. which promise is Isa. 65.17. And by the context there of inhabiting the earth, cannot be understood of supernal glory after the last judgment.
[§. 6] But what is particularly here mentioned in this third of Acts that these Prophets speak of? There are four notable things:
- 1 That there is now so long since Christ's ascension, a time of refreshing to come for the Jews (to whom these words were spoken) as well as for others: At which time their sins should be totally blotted out. For the state of the Church we speak of, by all we can gather from Scripture, shall be a sinless time as to the Church.
- 2 That this time of refreshing shall be as proceeding from the PRESENCE, or ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) from the FACE of the Lord, which evidently signifies a sight of Christ.
- 3 That God shall send Jesus which was before preached to them. He had sent him already by Incarnation. But yet notwithstanding, God will again send him. The Jews had yet many sorrows, therefore he shall be sent again for their refreshing. And they had their spiritual condition in part restored, but God will send again for the restitution of all things.
- 4 It is said Christ comes for the restitution of all things. Therefore this cannot signify Christ's coming for the destitution, or dissolution of all things.
[§. 7] This also would be well weighed in this place of Act. 3. that in as much as it is said, Until the restitution of all things, the state of things here meant, must of necessity be before the ultimate end of the world, as our opponents conceive of the end of the world: Because at the end of the world according to their opinion shall be the dissolution of the earth, and no need of the Heavens. If then shall be the restitution of some men (namely the Elect) to supernal glory, yet that will not amount to the phrase in the Text, viz. the restitution of ALL THINGS. But the Apostle tells us (as we touched but now) in Rom. 8. That all the Elect, and all the Creation expect a restitution of all things before the final and total end of all things.
[§. 8] Moreover it is said, That the Heaven must contain Christ until the restitution of all things, which clearly infers, that Christ must come out of Heaven when he shall restore all things. At the ultimate day of judgment is the destruction of Gog and Magog, and ten thousands of the wicked, Revel. 20. Again after the ultimate day of judgment he is not the Magnus Restaurator, the Great Restorer, but is Subditus, he is himself subject, 1 Cor. 15.28. Therefore before that, he must come out of Heaven to restore all things. And how? even as it is express in Act. 1.11. spoken by Angels, and attested by Saint Luke there: This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall SO COME in I LIKE MANNER as ye have seen him GOE IN TO HEAVEN.
SECT. VIII.
Of the eighth Scripture for the Personal appearance of Christ, at the great restauration of the Church.
Matth. 23.38, 39.
Your house is left unto you desolate, for I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
THis cannot be meant of Christ coming after his resurrection, for it is plain, that between the time of Christ's speaking this, and his coming with that acclamation, Blessed is he that cometh, &c. there must be a desolation, their house, or habitation, to whom he speaks, must be left desolate.
[§. 2] This speech is directed point blank to the Jews, and more keenly to them inhabiting Jerusalem. So the connection, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not; behold, (mark the connection, or inference) YOVR house is left unto YOU desolate; For, I say unto YOU, YEE shall not see me, &c. Luke inserts, (Chap. 13.35.) Christ's great asseveration, VERILY I say unto you, ye shall not see me. And expresseth it more fully, that this well-coming of Christ was not hard at hand, as at his resurrection, in that Luke saith, Ye shall not see me UNTILL THE TIME COME when ye shall say, Blessed, &c. And Luke as well as Matthew gives us, the Jews not seeing of Christ till that time, with the emphasis of a double negative 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, ye shall by no means (or manner) see me till that time; which was verified in that only the Disciples or Brethren saw him at his resurrection.
3 What this leaving of their house desolate is, our Savior expounds [§. 3] presently; for having spoken in the last two verses of Mat. 23. Your house is left desolate, for I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, &c. presently in the next sentence he is recorded to speak in the twenty fourth Chapter, verse. 1.2. (Chapters being of late invention, nonein the ancient books either in Greek or other Languages) is that of the buildings even of all they behold, that is, of the City, and express of the Temple, there shall not be left there one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down; so that (as Christ pursues the discourse, verse. 15.) They should see the abomination of desolation, set up in the HOLY PLACE, (expounded Luke 21.20. to be the compassing about Jerusalem, with Heathenish Roman Armies. And Luke 19.43. Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground ) And in the sixteenth verse of that twenty third Chapter of Matthew, They in Judea should fly to the mountains, and he that is in the field shall not turn back to take his clothes. So that the leaving their house desolate is the destroying of the place, and face of worship in the Temple, and the grace and place of the City, for to that at last it amounted in two steps, whereof this was the first by Titus (the Roman Emperor) about seventy years after the birth of Christ, destroying the Temple; the second by Adrian the Roman Emperor, about the one hundred thirty fourth year after Christ's birth, destroying the City; so that the Jews never sacrificed there anymore.
4 The word in Greek ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) used here in this twenty third of Matthew, ver. 38. to signify left, is in it self of a mild signification, as in Latin missum facere, and in English, to lay aside a thing; so that it doth not in its own nature signify an utter forsaking, but only a leaving for a time, as the couched Antithesis show us, viz. left desolate UNTILL, and therefore the same Christ that is now going shall be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 coming, and whiles hereafter he is coming, these Jews of Jerusalem, and of Judea, that before had been angry with them that had cried Hosanna to him ( Mat. 21.9. to 16.) and anon cry, Crucify him, should in time to come welcome him with this acclamation, Blessed is he coming (so the Greek) in the name of the Lord.
[§. 5] Now this place of Scripture, and this performance cannot be reserred either to the time between Christ's Resurrection and Ascension, or to the ultimate day of Judgment, and therefore must of necessity relate to a time since his Ascension, yet to come before the general Judgment.
[§. 6] Not to the time between his Resurrection and Ascension, because this is spoken (as we have demonstrated) to the generality of the Jews, who had killed the Prophets, and stoned them that were sent unto them (ver. 37.) whose house therefore is to be left desolate. They suffer in that destruction of the Temple, and City of Jerusalem (aforesaid) who, as to this time of Christ's speech, would not be gathered under the wings of Christ; so after his Resurrection did not welcome him with this, Blessed is he that cometh, &c. but belied his Resurrection, Matth. 28. refused his Doctrine, A •• . 13.45. and persecuted his Apostles, Act. 4.
Nor can this welcoming of Christ with, Blessed is he that cometh, &c. be referred to the ultimate general Judgment, because then is a time for the generality, of lamentation, not of acclamation; then no time of conversion of the Jews to cause this acclamation; but of judging men according to the condition they are found in.
Upon this text of Matth. 23.39. learned and pious Doctor Alsted hath these words;
[§. 9] Clearly therefore the meaning must be, that as Christ thought it requisite to appear visibly in the Clouds to convert so resolute an enemy to him as was Saul, so shall he think it meet to appear yet before the ultimate judgment to convert the Jews so long blinded, seeing unto this day nothing but desolation, rather then restauration.
[§. 10] Just as it is said in Daniel 12.1. Michael shall STAND UP, that is (say some learned) visibly appear, which standeth FOR the children of thy people 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendered For, may be translated Over, as to say, he should appear over them in the clouds, which is to be fulfilled saith the twelfth verse, one thousand three hundred thirty and five days, that is years, after the ceasing of the daily sacrifice, at which time Daniel shall stand in his lot upon earth, verse. 13. So that upon the result of the whole, the meaning of this 23. of Matth. is, that Christ shall so visibly and comfortably come to the Jews, that they shall joyfully and familiarly, as it were, speak to him, saying, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
[§. 11] So that Dan. Heinsius the great Greek Critick, I think, well hits the nail on the head touching these words of Mat. 23.39. in his Annotations upon them.
SECT. IX.
Of the ninth Scripture for the appearance of Christ at the great Restauration of the Church.
Matth. 24.3.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the Disciples came to him privately saying, When shall THESE THINGS BEE, and what shall be the sign of THY COMING, and of the END OF THE WORLD?
THree things are here inquired into:
- 1 The signs of the destruction of the Temple, and City of Jerusalem (which destruction had been hinted, chap. 23.38, &c. expressed verse. 2. of this Chapter)
- 2 The signs of Christ's coming again, which he had intimated chap. 23.39.
- 3 The signs of the end of the world, which they knew must in its time follow the other two (the first being the type, the second the preparation to the third and last.)
[§. 1] Of the signs of the first, viz. of signs of the destruction of the Temple and City of Jerusalem, Christ speaks in the last place (being of a particular and less concernment) in the 15, 16. &c. in these words, When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy place (let him that readeth understand) then let them which be in Judea fly into the mountains. Of which words we spake upon the occasion of those words in Matth. 23.38. in the former, viz. the eighth Section of this second Book.
[§. 2] Next, as in the second place Christ speaks of the second, viz. the signs of his second coming (visibly to appear to them) from the fifth verse to the thirteenth, viz. there shall come,
- 1 False Christ's deceiving many.
- 2 Wars, and rumors of wars, Nations arising against Nations.
- 3 Persecutions, delivering the true Christians to be afflicted, and to be killed.
- 4 Scandals, Christians shall be hated of all Nations for Christ's sake, and many shall be offended, betraying and hating one another.
- 5 The arising of many false Prophets deceiving many.
- 6 The abounding of iniquity, and the decaying of love.
[§. 3] In the third place Christ speaks of the third, viz. of the signs of the end of the world, v. 13.14. But he that shall endure to the END, the same shall be saved. Of the other signs he said they did not signify that the END was immediately at hand, verse. 6. These signs shall be, saith Christ, BUT the END is not YET. But now he comes to speak of the sign of the End of the world, viz. that this Gospel of the KINGDOME shall be preached in all the world. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 published as by an Herald. And THIS Gospel of THE KINGDOME, as pointing at this particular of the good news of the Gospel that Christ should after all these dark clouds of the reign of wickedness, have a Kingdom on earth. And then (saith Christ) shall the END come, which must of necessity import one of these ENDS, and one of these ways must be signified by the publishing of the Gospel in all the world: That either the Gospel should be published in all the world (to Jews and Gentiles) as a sign, immediately before the End of THIS present world, that is, before the thousand years of the great Restauration. Or that the full and effectual manifestation of the Gospel should be in the time of that Restauration in those thousand years (which Paul calls Heb. 2.5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That inhabited world that is to come, of which place, much after) as a forerunning sign of the ultimate general end of the whole world. Let the Reader take which he pleaseth; For either of them concludes for us, that after this sign (according as we interpret the sequel) shall be the beginning or ending of Christ's visible appearance to us on earth. As it follows verse. 29. Then shall appear the (sign of the Son of man (not for a mere short sentence of judgment, but) to gather his elect from the four quarters of the earth. Of which place much in Sect. 3. of this 2 Book.
[§. 4] To gather all into an apparent argument, the sum and signs of all is this. If Christ in showing the signs of his coming (the second time) doth clearly distinguish between his next coming, and visible appearing, and the end of the world, and for that end gives distinct signs of both; then Christ must come before the end of the world, and visibly appear. But so doth Christ clearly distinguish, and distinctly signify those two as we have shown; Therefore there is yet a time wherein Christ will come, and visibly appear before the end of the world. At first we know by the Gospels he came in a state of humility for salvation to sinners that should believe. The next time he comes in glory to reign visibly to the comfort of them that do believe, Rev. 20. first six verses. Third and last time for terror to the wicked, verse. 12. Of that second coming (the thing now under consideration) Christ having given signs (as hath been shown) he concludes in verse 30. They shall see the Son of man in the Clouds of heaven with great power and glory; which cannot be meant of the final sentence of the ultimate judgment, because of that in the 34 verse, bound with an asseveration and attestation before and behind, Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Of which 34. verse. much afterward.
SECT. X.
Of the tenth Scripture for Christ's visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church.
Luke 19. ver. 11. to 28.
He added, and spake a Parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the KINGDOME OF GOD should immediately APPEARE. A certain noble-man went into a far Country to RECEIVE FOR HIMSELFE A KINGDOME, and TO RETURNE, and he called his ten Servants, and delivered to them ten pounds, and said unto them, occupy till I come. But his Citizens hated him, and sent a Message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass when he was returned, HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOME, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he gave the money, &c. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, have thou authority over ten Cities, and so proportionable to the rest. But those mine enemies that would not have me reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me.
[§. 1] THis Parable was spoken a little before Christ's suffering, as appears by the order of the Story here, and in Mat. 25.
It is pend by Luke, who wrote the Acts, where he carefully reports Christ's coming again, just as they saw him ascend, in relation to the restoring of the Kingdom, of which Christ spake, and the Disciples inquired after, Act. 1.3, 4, 5, 6, &c. to 12. only saith Luke, Acts 3.21. The heavens must receive him for a time, and then he shall come from heaven, and cause the restitution of all things, as hath been opened.
[§. 2] The Preface to this Parable is a golden key, to open the curious Cabinet of the meaning of this Parable, that we may not rely upon a mere Allegory; Christ spake this Parable, because he was night to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the Kingdom of God should IMMEDIATELY APPEARE. It doth not deny the appearing of the Kingdom, Christ is for it, only he is against the immediate ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) the sudden appearance of it; he must afore that (as is the main sense of the Parable) go away into a far country, viz. to Heaven, and leave talents in trust with his servants, giving them time to employ them; and to be so long absent; that his enemies grow so bold as to send after him with this high affront, they would not have him to reign over them; that is (according to the direct sense) Some seemingly professors by his long absence, should grow quite careless of improving the talents, or gifts of endowments to his honor; and others by his delay (as they counted it) should become professed enemies against him.
[§. 3] But whatever these mistakers dreamed, the truth was, that as the diligent Talenters expected, and accordingly acted, Christ went away to Heaven, not to return no more, but went thither to take to himself a Kingdom, which phrase, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 must signify a Kingdom peculiar to himself, as he is Christ: else how doth he take it or receive it to himself? And being installed into it, he is to return. He had his Kingdom of grace before he went away, as he oft mentioneth it in his Parables and Sermons; adding that that his Kingdom was not of this world. And he had the Kingdom of glory as his triumph over his Kingdom of grace, having finished his conquest on the Cross. So he needed not to return to receive either of these Kingdoms. It remains therefore that it is the Kingdom we speak of that he returns to receive. He went to Heaven (by ascension) to possess the Kingdom of glory, there to be installed into this on earth: That being the original of this; or that being the Emperiality, to which this the Tributary, or Province: Or Heaven being the Metropolis, this below the Territories. Sure enough express it is, that he went away into a far Country (which can be no other but heaven, Christ having never travelled bodily out of his own Country.) Secondly, that though he were before his going a Noble-man, and had the Regiment, or Government over a Royalty, he had servants, he had the command of employing them as he listed; And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased; so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent, he cast into utter darkness, where was weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matth. 25.30.) All which in that Matth. 25.14. &c. is called the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the Kingdom of Grace, as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins, the same in sense v. 1. &c. Yet thirdly, it is said, this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himself another Kingdom, and to return, verse. 12. where, as his receiving the Kingdom is put before his returning: So on the other side, it is said, He returned receiving a Kingdom, verse. 15. (where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdom;) so that both Kingdoms must be here meant, viz. Christ receiving the Kingdom of glory afore his return; and his Kingdom of visible power of reigning on earth after his return. For merely his Kingdom of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood, because touching his reigning there, it was in vain, unpossible, and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him, saying, They would not have him to reign over them. And merely his Kingdom of grace cannot be here understood, because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents (compare Matth 25.) And moreover it is here distinctly set down that he is to go into a far Country, and then actually to receive another Kingdom, partly before he returned, and partly after he returned, even as there is a diversity of actions; In that Kingdom of Grace, there is mentioned only the neglect of improving the Talents; but in this Kingdom of visible power received after his return, there is an high affront offered, they send a message that they would not have him to reign. Again, there is diversity of names. The former are called Servants; The latter are called Enemies. Add, that there is a different dispensation of justice. The unprofitable servant is put into a dark prison, but the enemies must be slain AFORE HIM. Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdom of Christ's visible power. That was it the Jews expected, yea and the best of them, viz. the Disciples, as we have heard afore, and therefore to that Christ here speaks. And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh, delivering them from the Romans, therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him, and sent a message after him. They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King, or King of visible Dominion, when they cried at his arraignment, They had no King but Caesar. And they sent an embassage after him, when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him, in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES.
[§. 5] There are also several other passages in this Parable for Christ's visible appearance, and setting up his visible Kingdom of power on earth, yet before the ultimate day of judgment; As first, His giving to the improvers of their Talents, to one the rule over ten Cities, to another the rule over five Cities. And the Talent of him that had improved nothing, to him that had improved much, all which, compared with the preface of the Parable, touching the appearing of the Kingdom, cannot in anything well relate to the state of mere supernal eternal glory in the highest Heavens. 2 His causing his enemies to be slain afore his face, suits not to Christ's mere Kingdom of grace, whose Dominion precisely considered, is in the power of the Gospel. Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgment, when instead of slaying enemies, there is a making them alive. And instead of punishing them before Christ's face, there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgment. But these extremely well agree with Christ's appearing to set up his visible Kingdom of power. For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian, Jewish, and Gentilish, and mixed Turkish enemies with the brightness of his appearance, as hath been opened upon 2 Thess. 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book. And shall slay them, corporally, Revelat. 19. latter end.
[§. 6] Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition, and wishly mind, and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof, to aim at Christ's next coming to set up such a Kingdom, as shall not only perfect the spiritual deliverance of the Gentiles, but also to perform the temporal deliverance of the Jews from their dispersion, and corporal miseries. For the natural current of the Parable runs thus: Christ being near Jerusalem, the Jews thought the Kingdom of God would immediately appear. Doubtless it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in, to expect the appearance of the Kingdom of glory in Heaven. For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporal captivity were not fulfilled. And for the Kingdom of grace, these men little minded. And the better sort, viz. the Disciples and Believers had seen it appear already, therefore it is the other Kingdom of Christ, viz. that of his visible power and rule, to deliver them from their corporal enemies, that they supposed would immediately appear. Now to this, saith Christ, It will not immediately appear, but, I must, saith he, first go into a far Country (viz. into Heaven) and there be instated, and Crowned King, and after that come again, and actually and visibly reign; the mean while, you to whom I have given Talents, that is, have endowed with gifts, must employ them, and at my return, as a sign of my visible actual power, I will take account of you, and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning, to be slain afore me.
[§. 7] Now at the ultimate day of Judgment Christ receives no Kingdom, but resigns all his Kingdom, Power, and Dominion, 1. Cor. 15.28.
CHAP. III.
Of five places out of the Old Testament, to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth, at the time of her restauration.
SECT. I.
The first place is out of Dan. 7.11. to end of the Chapter.
[§. 1] THis place we put first, because it doth give much light to the last place afore handled out of the New Testament; this vision much enlightening that Parable in ver. 26, 27. the close expounding that Parable, as the Preface, ver. 11, 12. explains, that it concerns the time following upon the ruin of the four Monarchies.
[§. 2] In the eleventh and twelfth verses the four Beasts, that is, the four Monarchies are slain (as it is expounded after verse 17. The four great Beasts are four Kings ) instead of them, Daniel sees in a vision (ver. 13, 14.) One like the Son of Man, come WITH THE CLOVDES of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him; which notably agrees with that place last spoken of ( Luke 19.11, &c.) where it is said, Christ went into a far Country, to receive to himself a Kingdom, and return. And that visibly (saith this of Daniel ) with the Clouds, or in the Clouds, as Rev. 1.7. in way of Preface to this his Kingdom, Rev. 11. Rev. 20. And (saith Daniel, ver. 14.) There was given to him that was like the Son of Man, DOMINION, and glory, and a KINGDOME, that all People, Nations, and Languages should serve him. Just as Luke 19.15. (according to the Greek) he returned receiving the kingdom. When he visibly returned, he received a Kingdom here below, else why did he return? Add, that here below he exercised visible destruction upon his enemies; for it is not said, as of the unworthy Talenter, he cast them into utter darkness, but he caused them to be slain afore his face.
SECT. II.
Of the second place of Scripture out of the Old Testament, for Christ's visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church.
Jer. 25.5.6.
Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and PROSPER, and shall execute JUDGEMENT AND JUSTICE in THE EARTH. In his days Judah shall be saved, and ISRAEL SHALL DWELL safely, and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOVSNESSE.
[§. 1] FIrst, it is evident by the last clause, that the Lord Christ is the person here meant, it being his incommunicable name, Act. 4.12. 2 Cor: 5. last.
[§. 2] Nextly, It is as apparent by the whole Series of Jeremiah's Prophesy, that this relateth to the times after Judah's Captivity in Babylon, Israel having been carried away captive long afore.
[§. 3] Lastly, It is beyond all objection, that Christ did yet never so reign upon earth as this Text holds forth, as may be made appear with few words in these particulars.
- 1. Christ must reign and prosper; That is, must be every way glorious and successful, so that Judah and Israel shall own him for their King, and call him, the Lord their righteousness.
- 2 He shall execute justice and judgment in the earth; it is not said, he shall preach justice or judgment, or execute it in heavenly places, but he shall execute it upon, or in the earth.
- 3. In his days JUDAH shall be saved, and ISRAEL shall dwell safely, viz. being gathered out of all Countries, ver. 3.
[§. 4] Nor may any put this off, with Christ's Spiritual reigning, for so he did always from the Creation, but this is in the future tense, he shall reign, to signify his reigning so as never before.
SECT. III.
Of the third Scripture •• t of the Old Testament, for Christ's visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church.
Zach. 2.10, 11, 12.
compared with Zach. 14. ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem, for loe I come, and will DWELL in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many NATIONS shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will DWELL in the midst of thee; and the Lord shall INHERIT Judah his portion in the holy Land, and shall CHOOSE JERVSALEM AGAINE. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, and the Lord shall be King over ALL THE EARTH. In that day there shall be one LORD, and his name one.
ZEchary Prophesied after their return out of Captivity in Babylon, see Zech. 1.1. compared with 2 Chron. 36.22. & Ezra, chap. 1. ver. 1. &c. to the end. Therefore this was not fulfilled in their return, for it is spoken of a future time to come.
And Spiritually, God did always dwell among his people, and therefore nor can that be the full meaning of this place.
And when Christ came, and was incarnated, this Text was not fulfilled, for then many Nations were not joined to the Lord, to be his people; nor so much as the generality of any one Nation; the Heathen Romans then inherited the portion of Judah, and filled all Countries with their persons, or powers; and instead of Christ then choosing Jerusalem again, he pronounced woe against it, and gave it up to desolation, which accordingly about forty years after Christ's Passion was fulfilled, Mat. 23. three last, and Matth. 24.1, 2, &c. Nor was the Lord King over all the earth, more then he had been before Christ's Incarnation. Instead of one Lord over all, there were many.
SECT. IIII.
The fourth place in the Old Testament for Christ's personal appearance.
Micah 4. verse. 1, &c. to 8.
In the last days it shall come to pass, that the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established in the top of the Mountain, and MANY NATIONS SHALL COME, AND SAY, Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the LORD, and HEE shall JUDGE AMONG MANY PEOPLE, and rebuke the NATIONS afar off, and they shall BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES, NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP A SWORD AGAINST NATION, neither shall they learn war anymore, but they shall sit every man under his Vine, and under his Fig-tree, and NONE SHALL MAKE THEM AFRAID. In that day I will assemble her that halteth, and will gather her that was driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that was cast off a STRONG NATION, and the Lord shall REIGN OVER THEM IN MOVNT ZION, FROM HENCE-FORTH and FOR EVER.
NOw, when was ever this since the Creation? much less was it performed at Christ's Incarnation, when the Jews were under the Roman power, obstinate against Christ, and scattered to this day.
SECT. V.
The fifth place for Christ's Personal appearance.
Zephan. 3.14. to end of the Chapter.
Sing O Daughter of Zion, shout O JSRAEL, the Lord hath taken away thy judgment, he hath cast out thine enemy, the KING OF ISRAEL, even the LORD is in the MIDST OF THEE. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not, the LORD THY GOD IN THE MIDST OF THEE IS MIGHTY, he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; I will gather them that are sorrowful. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee, I will gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praise and fame in every Land, where they have been put to shame, &c.
NOw, when was Christ ever so in the midst of Judah and Israel, as to do thus? therefore this is yet to be fulfilled.
CHAP. VI.
The close of the second Book in a general brief Discourse of Christ's visible appearance to the Saints on earth, afore the ultimate Day of Judgment.
[§. 1] I Have spoken but briefly to the last Scriptures, and shall no longer insist distinctly upon this Head, of proving by peculiar places of Scripture the Personal visible appearance of Christ, at the setting up of his Kingdom before the end of the World, because we shall have many sprinklings of this, in the prosecution of the whole of the point, yet remaining about the Kingdom it self.
[§. 2] Only, mean while I would have the Reader observe from the Scriptures that have been alleged, That Christ must be a King visibly, it must visibly appear he is a King, or else men that are only sensible will never be convinced; which is the main intent of Christ's visible appearance, so that the Kings of the earth, that of all men are drowned in sensuality, shall come and submit to his Kingdom, Rev. 21. and elsewhere, as we have heard afore.
[§. 2] And is there not all reason that the King of Kings, the Son of Man, should be as completely and apparently King, as the Kings that are under him? They have not only Authority by Writs, Warrants, Proclamations, &c. to punish or encourage by their Officers, but they visibly are crowned, sit in the Throne, bear the Scepter, and attended upon all just occasions with a visible power. Then it is all equity that Christ also should not only have sovereign Authority, but also a visible power, so as he may visibly appear to his very enemies, to be King over all the earth.
[§. 3] Yea earthly Kings have, as a providential care over all their subjects, even to the punishing of the rebellious; so also have they their secret way of insinuation and ingratiating towards their favorites, and their manifest glorious presence at Court in the Metropolitan and most magnificent place of the Kingdom. Therefore at least no less must be allowed to Christ, viz. a providential power over all the world: A spiritual efficacy over his Kingdom of grace, or visible Church, and a visible glorious reigning over all his true Saints.
[§. 4] Now Christ is not King in glory in the highest heavens with, and over all his Saints; for all shall not be there (according to the common Tenet) till the Lord Christ hath resigned all his power according to 1 Cor. 15.28.) or at least when he hath brought all the elect souls to their bodies by a resurrection, and changed them whom he finds alive at his coming, and so brought them all to ultimate glory, just then he lays down all his authority. So that he doth not reign with, and over all his Saints in ultimate glory at all.
[§. 5] But he must be a visible King of visible glory over the Church, made very glorious upon earth at his next appearance afore the ultimate judgment, according to the Scriptures aforegoing. A great comfort to the bodies in the grave; that they shall not there lie so long as to the ultimate judgment, when all the wicked shall be raised (as is evident by comparing verse. 2. &c. of Rev. 20. with verse. 8. &c.) And a great comfort to them alive at his coming, that have waited for him faithfully to the last and worst of the Tragedie of evil times.
[§. 6] I need not speak to the first two Kinglinesses of Christ, viz. Providential of power, and spiritual of grace. But a word will do well here, to the last, viz. his visible glorious appearance before the ultimate day of judgment making all the world sincere, or altogether seeming Saints, and reigning over them as the alone Monarch. He must as visibly succeed in government, he four metals ( Dan. 2.) and the four Beasts ( Dan. 7.) both signifying the four Monarchies ( viz. the Chaldee-Babylonian the Medo-persian, the Grecian, and the Roman ) as these four did visibly precede him in government, Dan. 2.44.45. The God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these Kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. And all this comes to pass in that the stone (Christ Jesus) cut out of the mountain without hands brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, Dan. 7.13, 14. The rest of the Beasts had their Dominion taken away. The Son of Man comes with the Clouds, and the Ancient of days gave him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, and Nations, and languages should serve him. So that Christ at his next appearance is the fifth Monarchy.
[§. 7] When the Lord spake but little to Eve of his dominion over the seed of the Serpent, and consequently his succor of the seed of the woman, how did he anon, and after, and all along the New Testament begin to act in Types this visible Monarchy? He appears to Moses in a burning bush, to give a visible sign of his presence to deliver Israel out of Egypt. And appears to Israel in a pillar of a Cloud, and of fire, sensibly to signify he was their convoy. They are a Royalty (as Peter calls them) but God only their Monarch. Moses, and after Samuel, were only Interpreters between them and their Monarch. And therefore when they rebelled against Moses, it is reckoned as a rebellion against God. And when they refused Samuel, it is charged upon them that they refused God to be their Governor. The Ark is placed amidst the Camp, Numb. 2. as the pledge of God to be their General. Accordingly they carried the Ark in battle with them (1 Sam. 4.) as having that opinion of it. So verse 4. The people sent for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of HOSTS, which DWELLETH between the Cherubims. And so the Philistines conceived. For when the Israelites shouted at the coming of the Ark into the Camp of Israel, the Philistines (verse. 7.) are afraid, and they said God is come into the Camp. This Ark led them through Jordan, as it did (as it is conceived by the most learned) through the Red Sea. So when Israel was to re-edify the Temple, and to settle in their own land after the captivity, Christ appears as a Commander of an Army on horse back with troops behind him, Zech. 1. And as the Son of man sitting in judgment, as a King. Dan. 7. Some will perhaps say these were types of his incarnation. If that so, in some general semblance; yet these did more distinctly set forth his visible Monarchy to come. And therefore his incarnation is made a type or platform of his coming as a Monarch, Act. 1.11. And therefore as the Prologue to his visible appearance again as a Monarch to reign as Revel. 20. he appears as a glorious King, Rev. 1. with all circumstances to set forth the glory of his Royalty: much more therefore in consideration of all that Christ hath said and done in relation to that in the New Testament, may we expect him to come, and visibly appear at the setting up of his Monarchy. He tells Pilate he was borne to be a King, and therefore must be a King: But he would not set it up yet, afore his ascension, Act. 1. He must first go into a far Country, and after that receive his Kingdom, as we heard afore out of Luke 19. Chap. 1. Sect. 7. of this second Book; He must first ascend up on high, and then he leads Captivity captive, spiritually, as a Preface to his visible appearance to make the Church spiritually and Corporally glorious, which the Apostle immediately hints in that fourth of Ephes. Untill we come to a perfect MAN unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which by and by after that, in the same Chapter he calls THE NEW MAN WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESSE and HOLINESSE: As alluding to the state of innocent Adam. And therefore as the first Adam did visibly appear as a glorious Monarch over the visible world, so shall the second Adam, according to the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine in Psal. 8. Hebr. 2. being divine Commentaries on Adams Monarchy, Gen. 1. verse. 26, 27, 28. Of which place, God assisting, you shall hear abundantly in the next BOOK.
THE THIRD BOOK
PROVING That there shall be a most glorious state of the Church; and of all things in relation to the Church, and that on earth, yet, before the ultimate day of Judgment.
CHAP. I. The partition of the ensuing Discourse.
H Aving cleared the visible appearing of Christ personally; In the second place we proceed to the proof of his reigning in this visible Kingdom on earth by his mystical body, his members, the Saints.
Wherein we have two things to do:
- 1 To prove, That there is such a Kingdom yet to be on earth, as aforesaid, in the general Proposition.
- 2 What that Kingdom will be in the particulars.
We shall manage the first by four means.
- 1 By Texts of Scripture.
- 2 By Arguments, drawn from Scripture.
- 3 By the common consent of all sorts of men, as if a law of nature.
- 4 By solution of all the main objections against it.
CHAP. II.
Containing the Scriptures to prove, That there shall be yet on earth before the last Judgment such a Reigning, such a visible Kingdom of Christ, such a glorious state of the Saints, and of all things as is before propounded.
THE drift, scope, and sinues of strength, of all which places, fall into this demonstrative Syllogism. Those things which are prophesied in the word of God, and are not yet come to pass, must be fulfilled. But the great sensible and visible happiness of the Church on earth before the ultimate day of judgment is prophesied in the word of God, both in the Old and New Testament; Therefore it must be fulfilled that such a state be extant upon earth before the ultimate day of judgment. The major is granted by all that believe the word of God. The minor is proved by the ensuing Scriptures.
SECT. I.
The twentieth Chapter of the Revelation fully discussed, with a demonstration of the true meaning of the one and twentieth Chapter, being the exposition of the twentieth.
[§. 1] BEfore we take all the choice places of the whole Scriptures in order as they lie in our English Bibles, I shall pitch the foot of my Compass (to draw a right and clear circle) upon the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation: It being the manner and method of the Holy Spirit to declare things, especially of this nature, gradually, as the Church is meet to hear, the state thereof requires, and the time of fulfilling it draws nearer, and • o speaks most and plainliest at last. Many other instances might be given, but that the subject under hand is vast enought of it self. All these advantages falling to the share of this twentieth Chapter of Revel. touching the point in hand, as the Catastrophe, result, and design of all that God hath spoken before in the Old and New Testament, it makes this twentieth of Revel. no less then a golden key to unlock the Bible, especially the Old Testament; that we may look further into other places of Scripture then merely to make moral observations out of them, and mean while do overlook the Prophetical intent of God in them.
[§. 2] In this twentieth Chapter of the Revel. verse. 1. it is said, AND I saw an Angel come down, &c. which AND, or (as the Translator of the Arab. ) furthermore, or as in sense it oft signifies, then, imports that John saw immediately afore something in order to this: what was that? even that which our late invented distinction of Chapters and verses, puts in Revel. 19. v. 19. I saw (saith John ) the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their Armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his Army (namely against Christ and his members, or Saints, verse. 11, 12, 13, 14.) And what was the issue of the War? That John goes on to tell us in the twentieth verse of this nineteenth Chapter. And the Beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet (that is the Antichrist either under the notion of human Imperialty, or of Ecclesiastical Prophesy, or Teaching ) were cast alive into the lake, &c. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse. AND (saith John in this twentieth Chap. verse. 1.) after this, I saw an 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, that old Serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, &c. which can mean no other thing, but Christ and his Saints conquest over the Beast, and the false Prophet, and their Armies on earth, notwithstanding all the power and policy of their seducing Generalissimo, the Devil. Here then in all, is Christ and his Army, and Anti-christ and his Army conflicting, and they conflict with the Sword, and Antichrists Army is slain with the sword, and so slain with the sword, that the Fowls were filled with the flesh of them that were slain, (chap. 19. verse 20.) A strange thing to me if any should dream these things to be done only Spiritually, or in the world to come. There proceeded indeed the sword out of his mouth, that is, Christ bid his Saints to slay them (which afore and after ye have explained) but they were materially, or corporally slain, as the time, weapon, and their burial in the bowels of Birds challenge that sense; yea, mark further, the Armies ruin is put in Counter-destruction, or opposition to the ruin of their Chieftain, or Chieftaines, whose destruction was to be cast ALIVE into the Lake, therefore the slaying of the Army with the sword, to be devoured by the Fowls, must signify a Corporal destruction.
[§. 3] Now this destruction, Chap. 19.20. cannot be at the ultimate Day of • udgement, for that day is not till after the destruction of Gog and Magog, (which is long after the destruction of Antichrist) verse. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, &c. of this twentieth Chapter, clearly distinguished from that destruction of Antichrist by two notable circumstances, including many other particulars of order, time, place, &c.
. The first Circumstance is, That Gog and Magog war against the Saints, whiles they are in their enjoyment of their glorious peace, after the said Saints had reigned a thousand years, ver. 7.8. when they had been partakers long afore, viz. at the beginning of the thousand years of the first resurrection, as a pledge that they should not die the second death at the second Resurrection, ver. 6. after that they had reigned, and as Kings and Priests, and too with Christ a thousand years, in the same sixth verse none of which particulars can consist with supernal ultimate glory, when Christ himself lays down all his power (1 Cor. 15.28.) And after they have enjoyed this condition a thousand years, then, and not till then begins the Gogicall-Magogicall war, upon which comes the destruction on Gogmagog, ver. 7, 8, 9. but the war of Antichrist in the nineteenth Chapter is, when the Saints are in great trouble; their blood had been poured out unavenged till then, verse. 2. the earth corrupted, ibid. The Nations are till now to be smitten, and to be RVLE'D with a ROD of Iron, ver. 15. The Wine press of the fierceness and wrath of God Almighty to be trodden, ibid. with many the like intimations throughout the Chapter, of the different state of the Church now a thousand years before Christ came to destroy Gogmagog, as the sequel of the twentieth Chapter makes the compute.
. The second Circumstance is, That after the thousand years of Satan's binding, and Antichrists destruction, Satan is again let loose, he seduceth Gog and Magog, and then the Devil himself (Chap. 20.10.) is cast into the Lake of fire, WHERE WERE the BEAST, and the FALSE PROPHET, which had been cast in there formerly, Chap. 19. ver. 20. evidently pointing at the destruction of Antichrist, as finished long afore; the fore-being there of the Beast, and false Prophet, being made the description of Hell, as sometimes the portion of Hypocrites is the description thereof.
[§. 4] The next passage in this twentieth Chapter of Revelation is, what he saw, in ver. 4. John saw Thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and he saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the Beast, nor his Image, neither had received his mark upon their fore-heads, or in their hands; the meaning of all which you have in the next Chapter, viz. the 21. for verse. 1. it is said, And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth; little reason to mention earth, if it had been to describe a state in heaven above. The place is taken out of Isa. 65.17. (as Peter hints, 2 Pet. 3.13. We according to his PROMISE look for new heavens, and a new earth ) I say, out of Isa. 65.17. where God promiseth unto the Jews to build new Heavens, and a new earth, but with all mentions their enjoying of houses and vine yards. In the second Verse of the one and twentieth Chapter it is said, John saw new Jerusalem, indeed that on earth is old; but nothing is old in the highest Heavens, so that nothing there can be said to be new, therefore this cannot be meant of that heaven. It is express, It comes down from heaven, therefore it cannot express a state in that supernal heaven, even as it follows, PREPARED as a Bride; which plainly evinceth that it is not meant of ultimate glory, where the Church is not prepared (that is done in this world) but perfected; as verse. 3. it is said, I heard a voice OUT of heaven, to import, that it was of things not in the supreme Heaven, viz. That the tabernacle of God is with men, where God WILL dwell with them; which if meant of the supernal Heaven, would have been expressed in a contrary phrase, viz. The tabernacle of men is with God; for there is no need of a promise to assure us, that in the highest Heavens God will dwell with us. Agreeable to which the fourth verse promiseth, that all tears shall be wiped away; of which promise, as in relation to the supreme Heaven there was not the least need, since God made it but known to the Sons of men that they shall inherit that place: all sorts, Christians, Heathens, &c. easily know, and believe, that there in that place are no tears, nor cause of tears; as appears in the Christians Creed, and the Heathens Doctrines of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and their Elysian fields. Every thing in that Heaven is so good that it cannot be made, (as in verse 5.) new, that is, better. No need there, of that in the sixth verse (either promise or performance) to give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life. It is enough for God to promise that Heaven, as Paul thought it enough to say, Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; if we be once there, we shall not thirst. Even as there (according to ver. 7.) shall be no striving to overcome, much less to overcome that in ver. 8. Fear and unbelief, &c. They in the supernal Heaven have overcome all things, therefore all these demonstrate that this Chapter is of a state on earth, not of one in supreme glory; of such a state on earth it is proper to say, as v. 7. He that possesseth it shall inherit all things; not only God's presence, but also all things, though as yet all things are not subject to Christ himself, Heb. 2.8. and he shall be God's Son. For if we believe, we now are the Sons of God, afore we come to ultimate glory, then this promised with a shall be, must signify a suture estate; and on earth, because of other circumstances (as we are now enumerating) that are inconsistent with glory in the highest Heaven. In like manner the residue of this one and twentieth Chapter shows, that the meaning is not of supernal, eternal glory (according to former common opinion of divines) as ver. 9, 10. An Angel shows John the Bride, the Lambes wife, viz. the great City, holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God, which cannot possibly be meant of a state in the highest Heaven; no Angel need tell John, or he us, that the Church shall be seen in that Heaven when there, it shall be seen without showing, by all the inhabitants there. Nor is this a direct, but a cross phrase, to express the state of the Church ascended, by its descending out of heaven from God. The souls of the elect must descend, to be united to their bodies on earth, there for a time to inherit all things (as said afore) before their ultimate glory. And for that description of New Jerusalem by measures, &c. from ver. 11.22. can it mean the spanning of Heaven, or the measures of the place of ultimate glory? The parts and particulars are all too short, and to no purpose; we believe more then all in this Text, without this Text; doubtless this Geometrical, and Architectonicall Iconi • me, or description is taken out of Ezekiel, from Chap. 39. to the end of the Book, in all the Prophet importing thus much, that Gog the enemy of Israel shall be destroyed, and they themselves shall be gathered from their captivity and measures out to them their New Testament estate, that it shall be more goodly, and glorious, then all their Old Testament state; and therefore when John hath this given to him, in Rev. 21. as an exposition of Ezech. 39.40, 41, 42, &c. Chapters, it would be but a dark dream to apply it to supernal eternal glory, which many circumstances forbid; for if it be meant of that glory, why (ver. 14.) are only the names of the twelve Apostles to be inserted in the twelve foundations, and not the names also of the twelve Patriarchs of the twelve Tribes? What need was there to tell us (ver. 11.) that the place spoken of here hath in it the glory of God, and a light like a Jasper, clear as Crystal? or to mind us, (ver. 17.) that the cubits were according to the measure of a man? or to warn us, (ver. 22.) that John saw there no Temple? and for that in ver. 23, 24. That God and the Lamb are the light of New Jerusalem, • nd they that are sazed shall walk in it, and Kings shall bring their glory and honor unto it. I ask any ingenuous man, whether he can (keeping his reason with him) apply these things to ultimate happiness in the highest Heaven? Is there a walking, or conversation of life in spiritual light? Is it not a quiet enjoying, and beholding the unspeakable manifestation of God's special presence? Do Kings and Princes there go and come, and bring their honor and glory to heaven? Or do they bring (as ver. 26.) the glory and honor of Nations unto it? Thus take altogether, quarrel not peecely with this or that fragment, but take the whole entirely; and then tell me ingenuously, whether this one and twentieth Chapter can mean anything but a glorious state on earth before the ultimate Judgment, at which time is rather a destruction, then an extruction, or building? and therefore this Chapter clearly contains the admirable state of the Church of Jews and Gentiles for the space of that thousand years in the twentieth Chapter, the exposition whereof is the work now in hand, to which we return.
[§. 5] The third passage in this twentieth Chapter of Revelations is, that the Saints reign with Christ a thousand years, or the thousand years. This number of years is expressed six times in the first seven verses, twice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and four times with an emphatical Article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Can any judicious man take this merely Allegorically, and not Historically, and literally? Can he upon good grounds make it to signify less then a thousand years? It is true, a thousand years in God's account (2 Pet. 3.) in regard of his present knowledge of all things, or knowledge of all things as present, and his eternal entity before, and beyond all things, are but as one day, but still a thousand years are a thousand years in themselves, how ever they be as nothing in comparison of God. But can man make a long time and a short time all one? Are a thousand years to him but as one natural day, or to the Saints here reigning? surely then the Saints privilege of reigning, or the binding of Satan for their sakes, will amount to a very small matter. Then on the morrow, Gog and Magog shall rise against the Saints, for at the end of the thousand years they shall rise against them. Or can any considering man make these thousand years to signify more then a thousand years, viz. eternity? the Scriptures have no such phrase (that I know) And divers of the Fathers afore the Flood, though in a worse life-cherishing state, lived within a few years of a thousand. Is there not a notorious eminent punctum, or point of the beginning, and period of the ending of these thousand years? They begin with the fall of Antichrist, the destruction of his Army ( Rev. 19.19, 20.) and the wonderful binding of Satan, chap. 20. ver. 2. And they end with the loosing of Satan, and the war with Gog-Magog. Is it possible now that any should refer this to the eternity of supreme glory? therefore as ver. 4. it must needs be meant of reigning with Christ on earth at least a thousand years, properly understood, as it is expounded, Revel. 5.10. for all the Saints that are found on earth at Christ's next coming, never reigned with Christ in heaven; and after the last Judgment, Christ doth not reign as Christ, but lays down all, 1 Cor. 15.28.
[§. 6] Let us in the next place take some main particulars of this twentieth Chapter, and compare the mystery of the things, with the history of times; Johns science with our experience, and see whether we can make these all hold together, unless we understand them of a glorious Kingdom of Christ on earth, before the ultimate day of judgment. We will cull out but three particulars: 1 The resurrection of the Saints, verse. 4, 5. They must so live, as the dead wicked that while did not live: But the dead wicked did live that while in soul; therefore the Saints must live more then so, viz. must live that while in soul and body too. Again the Saints must so live at this first resurrection, as the dead wicked shall at the second resurrection. But the dead wicked shall live in soul and body at the second resurrection; therefore the Saints at this first resurrection live in soul and body. Let the Reader piercingly weigh the Text, and he shall find these syllogisms little less then demonstrations. As for the difference of grace and non-grace, that difference was made before death in the life time of the Saints and wicked. The second particular is, the casting of the Devil into the bottomless pit, and shutting and sealing him in it, that he may not seduce the Nations till the thousand years be finished, verse. 3. The third particular is, the letting loose of Satan at the end of the thousand years, to seduce all the Nations on the four corners of the earth, till he gather together an innumerable Army to encompass the camp of the Saints, the event whereof is, that that Army is consumed with five from heaven. After which immediately begins the last judgment, verse. 7, 8, 9. Now we shall challenge literas omnes, & literatos, all learned books, and men, when in all the one thousand six hundred and fifty years of the New Testament by-past, were these three particulars fulfilled. When did the Saints or Martyrs so rise? For still they have been, and are under persecution, or sore afflictions, in one or other, or several Nations more or less? When was Satan so bound, and imprisoned, as that he did not seduce the Nations? For to this day Lutherans, Protestants, Papists, Turks, Indians, Jews, &c. are seduced by him in matters of Error and War. And when was there such an innumerable Army encompassing the camp of the Saints, consumed with fire from Heaven, upon which immediately followed that day of judgment, when the Devil is cast into the lake of fire, a Throne is set, and the books are opened, &c. as it is v. 10, 11, 12?
[§. 7] It is true, some learned men do say, that the time of Satan's binding, that he could not seduce the Nations for a thousand years (to the making of an happy time for the Church so long) began three hundred years after Christ, and so ended one thousand and three hundred years after Christ. For say they, at the end of three hundred years after Christ the ten persecutions ceased, in which persecution (say they) Satan was loose to seduce the world. But those persecutions being ceased, the thousand years of the Churches comfortable condition began. So Mr. Brightman (on Revel. ) and Mr. Fox (in his book of Martyrs) only with this difference, That one of them inserts within the said thousand, by them laid out, the five months mentioned, Revel. 9.5. as a so long interruption of their described quiet in those thousand years; understanding by those five months certain years, that is, that every day of those five months signifies a year, which, according to solary months makes the thousand years end an hundred and thirty years lower, or according to • unary months, one hundred and twenty years later. Pareus begins the thousand years of the binding of Satan, &c. at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus sixty nine years (as he accounts) after the birth of Christ; At which time (saith he) the Jewish Temple and Worship ceasing, the great impediment of the Gentiles embracing the Gospel, was removed: So that this while Satan was bound from seducing the Gentiles, or Nation.
[§. 8] Whence first let the Reader observe by the way, that all these three godly and greatly learned men do concur and fully agree with us in this, that the meaning of the thousand years is literal: That it signifies a thousand years properly taken; yea and to include sensible events, though they differ from us, and from one another in other particulars.
[§. 9] But for the opinions themselves, we cannot agree with them in the beginning of these thousand years, and consequently not in their ending.
1 Not with Mr. Fox, and Mr. Brightmans computation; First, because they include the ten Persecutions (which lasted three hundred years) within the time of Satan's beng loose and seducing the Nations, preceding the beginning of their account of the thousand years, with ten Persecutions include the Apostles time and the Primitive purest times; And so by consequence, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Brightman make those primitive times more corrupt, and more seduced then the ages following the ten Persecutions, which is contrary to Rev. 11.1. and Revel. 12.1. And contrary to experience out of all antiquity; that in those times the Church was far more pure generally then ever since. Secondly, because this compute of Mr. Fox, and Mr. Brightman makes the times following the ten Persecutions to begin an happy thousand years for the Church, and so to continue to one thousand three hundred years after Christ. But this is contrary to experience from all approved antiquity, who doth give us a particular account, that after that little time in the life of Constantine the Great, wherein the Church had some outward peace and prosperity, anon began the black-heresy, and bloody-persecution by the Arians, upon the neck of which followed Pelagianism, and many other gross and grievous errors and heresies.
2 For the computation of Pareus, that cannot stand, for many strong reasons that batter it down: For first, the Jewish worship did not cease (as Pareus affirms) at the destruction of the Temple by Titus, but doth continue to this day. And instead of the exercise thereof in that one Nation of the Jews, it is practiced by them in their Synagogues in most Nations in Europe, if not elsewhere also, as our Country-Merchants and Travelers are ear and eye-witnesses. If by Jewish worship Pareus doth mean that particular of it, of sacrificing, as if that at least ended at Titus destruction of the Temple, therein also is Pareus mistaken, as most Ecclesiastical Histories, and Chronologies abet us to affirm. For, say these Records when Titus had overthrown the Temple, the Jews sacrificed in the City as near the ruins of their Temple as they could. Yea when Hadrian, or Adrian the Roman Emperor had destroyed the City, they sacrificed at Mamre, where God appeared formerly to Abraham. Nor was their zeal to sacrificing so extinguished, when Constantine the Great beat them from Mamre: For anon after Constantine, Julian the Apostate the Roman Emperor encouraged the Jews to return to Jerusalem, there to re-build the ruins, and offer sacrifice, till fire from heaven discomfited them, which falls far lower then sixty nine years after Christ, namely to about three hundred and sixty years after Christ: So that this Jewish worship lasted all the time of the ten Persecutions, in which Mr. Fox, and Mr. Brightman say, Satan was let loose, and not bound up as Pareus affirms. 2 Within this thousand years (of binding Satan) computed by Pareus to begin at sixty nine years after Christ, is found nothing for the Jews, nor their new Jerusalem, contrary to the scope of all the Scripture (as we shall hear abundantly after) which clearly drives at this, that the call of the Jews must be a great part of the glory of that state we speak of, and they the principal partakers thereof. 3 In all that thousand years which Pareus makes up, beginning at sixty nine years after Christ, and consequently ending at one thousand sixty nine years after Christ, all things are found to be in a quite contrary estate to Satan's binding from seducing. For in those ages were infinite monstrous Heresies and Apostasies (so well known to the learned that I spend not time to quote Historians.) For beside the Heresies afore touched, there arose within the said thousand years ( viz. about six hundred and odd after Christ) horrid Mahumetisme, spread to this day over a great part of the world. About which time the mystery of Papal iniquity had wrought to a great height: Both increasing for the general to this day. Both, the one by their Turkish wars, the other by their massacres, having poured out a sea of Saints blood. Now how can we say with any show of reason that Satan was bound this while from seducing the world, when he did so potently prevail? 4 Where are the Learned, or the Libraries to tell us of the rising, or of the reigning of the Saints, or Martyrs from sixty nine, to one thousand sixty nine after Christ? 6 If the thousand years begin at sixty nine years after Christ, and consequently end at one thousand sixty nine there hath been since that a thousand sixty nine to this year one thousand six hundred fifty two above five hundred and eighty years, which five hundred and eighty years cannot be counted a little season. It is said Rev. 20.3. After the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be let loose a little season: But by Pareus his account of the expiration of the thousand years at the thousand sixty nine years, Satan since that hath been let loose five hundred and eighty years (as we have said) which cannot be reckoned for a little season in comparison of the thousand years of Satan's binding (as is Saint Johns sense) for it is above half as much as a thousand years. Seventhly, and lastly, If the thousand years are so long since expired, where, and when since that expiration hath appeared that after a little season was gathered together Gog and Magog encompassing the Camp of the Saints (upon a new seducement by the Devil) and were consumed by fire from heaven, upon which the day of judgment began?
SECT. III.
The usefulness of the Old Testament to the point in hand, touching the glorious state of the Church yet to come.
[§. 1] HAving laid the foundation of the proof of our Thesis (touching the glorious state of All things upon earth, yet to come) in the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation; Now let us take all the Bible afore us, both Old and New Testament in order, and hear what harmony they make as an Anthem, or Prelude before that glorious Scene begins. The Old Testament laid down the ground of our hope. The New Testament now so long since Christ's coming in the flesh carries on our expectation to look for such a thing. We shall cull out of the Old Testament those places that (to our best light) are most clear, and have some touches of explanations out of the New Testament.
[§. 2] And great reason there is to take before us the Old Testament, because the New Testament in speaking of this visible glorious Kingdom of Christ to be on earth, refers us to the Old. As Peter in 2 Ep. Chap. 3. v. 13. refers us to Esa. 65.17. We (saith Peter ) look for new Heavens, and a new Earth according to his PROMISE, wherein dwells righteousness, which promise is that of Esa. 65. Not to repeat things spoken afore, Here is mention of Heavens in the plural. The one Empyrean Heaven is unchangeable: Therefore Heavens of pure manifestation of Doctrine, of pure practice of Gospel order, of a new state of the Church, of new people's added to it, of a renovation of all things on earth must be understood. It must be meant of such heavens as God will shake, Heb. 12.26. spoken by a Jew (Paul) to the Jews (the Hebrews ) after Christ's coming, and ascending. At which time of his presence in the flesh, though he shook down the veil, viz. at his passion, and gave the Temple a shake by Prophesy Matth. 24.1.2. &c. which tumbled it down about forty years after his ascension, yet he had not to that time shaken down the veil off the Jews heart, 2 Cor. 3. Nor hath he to this day, as sad experience testifies. No nor the Jewish worship in their Synagogues practiced to this very time. Nor hath he set up things so as they must remain, instead of the things that are shaken. Therefore Peters promise of new Heavens, wherein dwells righteousness, is yet unfulfilled. A phrase too short to reach so high as to advance the commendation of the Empyrean Heaven, as it is impertinent to tell us, that there shall dwell righteousness, where, we well know, was never any the least unrighteousness. We expect, and must expect by all circumstances upon that place, such a fulfilling of that Promise as shall create, or make new Heavens on Earth, wherein dwells righteousness here below, where formerly hath been unrighteousness. That place only can be said to be made new with the inhabitation of righteousness, that formerly had no righteousness, or little left, it being worn out.
In like manner the same Peter, in 2 Ep. chap. 1. ver. 19. speaking of Christ's Kingdom, refers us to the Old Testament, viz. Numb. 24.17. We have (saith he) a more sure word of PROPHESIE, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day-star arise in your hearts; which is taken out of that of Numbers 24.17. There shall come a star out of Jacob, &c. out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, &c. At Christ's Incarnation this Star Christ did arise on some of their hearts, when the Star guided the Wise men to go to the place of Christ's birth, and there to worship him, and after, some few gleanings of people believed on him. But this while he was but as an evening Star; Peter saith now after his Ascension, that the time was yet to come that he should be a morning Star, a Sun upon the hearts of the generality of the Jews. And it were strange if any wise man should dream, that at the same instant Christ should call the Jews, and come to the last Judgment: That in the same moment the black cloud of the day of Doome should cover the world, and the Daystar of the Son of righteousness should arise on the numerous people's of the Jews, scattered in all Nations. Thus in Act. 3.20, 21. we are referred to the PROPHETS since the WORLD BEGAN to know, and hope for the visible Kingdom of Christ on earth, of which we speak. One of which Prophets (to speak nothing of Acts 3. having spoken so much in the second Book) is Enoch, to whom Jude also refers us, ver. 14, 15. and quotes his words to supply the loss of his Book. Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied, Behold, the LORD COMETH with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute judgment, and convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds, and of all their HARD SPEECHES. Something is in that, that he is numbered a seventh from Adam, a type at least in that, that Christ should come in the seventh Millenary, or thousandth of the whole Age of the world, at furthest. Which seven thousandth is far nearer then generally we account (as after, God assisting, shall be demonstrated) at which time, according to the common consent of the Jewish Talmud, and Rabbins, viz. R. Ketina, R. Schelomo, R. "Kimchi, &c.
[§. 3] So that you may perceive, that this matter in hand is an ancient Tenet, no new thing, as many ignorant of the Prophets make it, and wonder and talk against it. But we in obedience to Christ, do search into the Prophets, and as we are enlightened, and led, as overcome with the truth, so we have, and shall follow.
[§. 4] There is a second reason, leading us into the enquiry of the Prophets, viz. that thereby we may search out the grounds upon which the Jews build their expectation of the coming of the Messiah, and in what manner they expect his coming, that so we may join issue with them in knowledge, hope, and prayer, or otherwise, within our sphere, to help them forward, and the business it self, against all the opposers thereof. We all, both Jews and Gentiles, that have been candid inquirers into the Scriptures have from the beginning looked for his further coming, Heb. 11. oft. By faith they saw the promise afar off, and saluted them (so the Greek.) And by faith they saw him that was invisible, &c. when he came in the flesh, the generality of the Jews saw him corporally, but not spiritually, viz. as a man, not as the Messiah. But the generality of the believing Gentiles saw him spiritually, nor corporally. The Jews therefore still expect his coming, that they may see him both corporally and spiritually. And it will be no grief for the Gentiles, that have seen him spiritually, to see him also corporally. And though he will not come again to the Jews to be made flesh, yet he will come again to them in the flesh. And this later will be more glorious then the former, the greater containing the lesser, radiating more effectually upon the Jews, to a greater effusion of tears from them, and infusion of the spirit of Christ's grace into them, Zech. 12. which John prefixeth to his Revelation, Chap. 1. v. 7. as the end, Catastrophe, and upshot in a great part of that Revelation, as the fitting of them to entertain Christ's appearance, and to enter into the New Jerusalem.
But this is not all. There is a third reason why we should look into the Prophets of the Old Testament, there being the main, and most Types, and Visions used in this Book of the Revelation: I will at present give but one instance, but a most apt one to our business in hand, viz. that in Revel. 20.4. And I saw Thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, &c. and they lived and reigned with Christ, &c. which clearly is taken out of Dan. 7.9. &c. I beheld till the Thrones were set (so it should be translated ) and the Ancient of days did sit, and I saw, and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory, and a KINGDOM &c. And the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven was given to the Saints of the most High, &c. Let us (for the advantage of the general work in hand, and the particular point now under consideration) weigh these two places together in the semblance of both Visions, in the circumstances of both, and in the sameness of intents in both.
. 1 In the semblance or likeness of both Visions in sundry particulars. 1 Semblance; I beheld till the Thrones were set. And why Thrones in the plural? And for whom? These many Thrones were set (in the Vision) ONE for the Ancient of days, whose Throne was like a fiery flame, v. 9. ANOTHER for the SONNE OF MAN, who came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him, and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, and all people, Nations and Languages to serve him, v. 13, 14. THE REST for the TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSANDS THAT STOOD BEFORE HIM, verse 10. viz. The PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS to whom the Kingdom and dominion, &c. under the whole heaven was given (under Christ the aforesaid Son of Man) verse. 27. So Rev. 20.4. I saw Thrones. The Second semblance is, that in Dan. 7. v. 10. where it follows, The Judgment or Judicature was set, (which confirms that our reading of the former verse) That is, the Judges sat as in the great Sanhedrin, as after in verse. 26. and 27. The judgment sitting, the Kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most high. In like manner in Rev. 20.4. it is said by John, I saw (saith he) those that sat on the Thrones, viz. those that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and those which had not worshipped the beast, &c. nor received his mark, &c. Third semblance is in Dan. 7.22. Judgment was given to the Saints of the most High, and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom. In like manner, Rev. 20.4. it is said, Judgment was given to them, viz. to the Saints aforesaid, that having opposed Antichrist, sat upon the Thrones. As Paul saith, 1 Cor. 6.2. The Saints shall judge the world. Fourth semblance, in Dan. 7.22. it is said, The Saints possessed the Kingdom ( viz. under Christ, to whom it is first in order given, verse. 14.) which cannot be at the ultimate day of judgment, when he resigns all, and therefore the Saints then have no Kingdom subject to them. Just so it is said, Rev. 20.4. The Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years; which must be before the ultimate day of Judgment, at which time John saith, Time shall be no more, and Paul saith (1 Cor. 15.) there is no more reigning by any, but by God alone, that then must be all in all. Thus of the Semblance.
. 2 The next thing is the Circumstances, viz. 1 The signal, or note when this shall be, namely when the Son of man shall come in, or with the clouds, Dan. 7.13. In like manner, the signal, or note is in the Rev. Chap. 1.7. where it is said (as the general proposition to the whole Prophesy) Christ shall be seen in the clouds, at his coming to set up this Kingdom, which is explained according to our sense, Rev. 20. v. 1. That Christ comes down from heaven when he restrains Satan, and gives this honor to the Saints of reigning with him. 2 The time itself. The time is saith ( Dan. 7.25.) after a time, and times, and half a time of the powerful prevailing of Antichrist (whether ye understand one limb, viz. the Jewish Eastern, the Turk, called verse. 24. that same ANOTHER that ariseth and subdueth three of the ten Kings, or both, viz. the Western, the Christians Antichrist also, viz. the Pope, expressed in the ten horns or Kings of his Kingdom, v. 24. it makes no matter, if we mind our large discourse afore of the identity of both.) And suitably in the Revelation 11. it is said, that after the witnesses have Prophesied in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty days, because the Woman, the Church was persecuted by Antichrist, Rev. 12.6. for the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, which in verse. 24. is called, A time, and times, and half a time, because Antichrist had power so long to prevail, viz. two and forty months, Rev. 13.5. which is all one with the one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or time, and times, and half a time, as here meant in the Revelation; I say after this time and times, and half a time, it is here said in that Rev. 11.15. That the KINGDOMES of this WORLD were become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ, and of the Saints sharing in this Reigning, verse. 18. The third circumstance is the order of things in this time, viz. That in Dan. 7. v. 3. &c. to v. 9. There must be four Beasts come up from the Sea, 1 A Lyon; 2 A Bear; 3 A Leopard. 4 A terrible one with iron teeth, and ten horns, and out of the ten, one little horn, that brake off three of the ten. The four Beasts, saith Dan. v. 17. are the four Kings, or Kingly-hoods, Royalties, Emperialties, or Monarchies of the world verse. 23. (as by several characters they are described in that Chapter.) The ten horns of the fourth Beast are, saith Dan. v. 24. ten Kings, that is, ten Kingdoms under him. All these four Beasts fall, as the main of the first by the second, and of the second by the third, so the main of the third, and the remainder of all the three former, by the fourth, Dan. 7.19.23. The meaning is, that as the first, the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy, whereof Nebuchadnezzar was the Golden-head, in Daniel's time, Dan. 2. was broken by the second, the silver Medo-Persian, so this second by the third, the brazen Grecian, and this Grecian, and the remainders of all the other, were utterly subdued by the fourth, the iron Roman Monarchy. From this Roman at the time when it was something weakened, by a dividing of it self now the third time, which was about An. Chr. 799. into the Eastern and Western Empire, Constantinople being the Royal Seat of Metropolis of that, and Rome of this, the little horn that sprang out of the ten, and became diverse from the rest, brake off three of the ten, ( Dan. 7. v. 20.24.) that is, about the year one thousand, after Christ, the Saracens took Jerusalem, and have held it to this day. And about the year after Christ one thousand four hundred and fifty, Mahomet, alias Mahumete took Constantinople, where Constantine Palaelogus, the last of the Grecian Emperors was utterly overthrown . So that the Turk plucked up by the roots (that is wholly subdued to him) three of the ten Roman horns or Kingdoms, to wit, Asia, Greece, and Syria (of which Jury was a part) and became absolute Emperor of all the Eastern Empire . But as for the rest of the ten horns of the fourth Beast, the Roman Empire, being the fourth Kingdom upon the earth, and diverse also from all the Kingdoms, it is said it devours the residue of the whole earth (v. 23.) and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And thus the seven Roman horns, and the one Turkish Horn subduing three of the ten, shall go on in their dominions, to enslave the generality of the whole earth; blaspheming God, and making war with the Saints, until a time, and times, and half a time be finished, v. 24, 25. And then (v. 26.) the Judgment shall sit, and they, i. e. the aforesaid judgment, Judicature, or Sessions, shall take away the said dominion, and shall give it (v. 27.) to the people of the Saints of the most High. Suitable to this Circumstance of order in Rev. 13. 1. &c. There is a Beast rising out of the Sea, that is the Roman Emperiality, or Empire, Antichristed or Papized, that answers to all those four Beasts in Daniel 7. For this Beast is like a Lyon in his mouth, like a Bear in his feet, like a Leopard in his adorned shining skin, or fair outside: And for his head it is sevenfold, with ten horns: which ten horns (say the learned) grew all on one head, viz. the last of the seven heads, said to have ten horns, because so at first, as we said but now (upon Dan. 7.) but it hath for continuance but seven horns, because the Turk ( the King of the bottomless pit, Rev. 9.1. to 12.) brake off three. Again, as the Beast aforesaid in Dan. 7. must hurt but for a time, and times, and half a time, or dividing of times: So this Beast in this 13 of the Revelation that contains all four Beasts in Dan. 7. (because it hath the evil qualities, and Tyrannicall power of all those four; And from this one, ariseth the other with one horn, breaking off three of the others ten) must continue, and have power to do (mischief) two and forty months (verse. 5. of this 13. of Rev. ) which two and forty months is made all one with a time, and times, and half a time, Rev. 12.14.
3 The last thing wherein the seventh of Dan. and Rev. the twentieth agrees is, in intents, viz. to set forth, that the Saints shall yet have a glorious Kingdom on earth, over which they shall (under Christ) there reign. For seeing both visions agree in form, and matter, and sense, who can doubt but they must intend the same thing. In that seventh of Dan. it is oft mentioned, and hinted in sundry passages, that the SONNE OF MAN must have the same Kingdom, or dominion, which all the four Beasts had successively, and he must give it to the Saints, verse. 13, 14. I saw one like the Son of Man, and there was given him dominion and glory, and a Kingdom, that all People, and Nations, and Languages should serve him: His dominion is an everlasting Dominion ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 seculi saith Arias, and oft signifies but for a long time) expounded presently, everlasting, that is, shall not be destroyed, that is, by any other earthly Monarch, as the other four destroyed one another, verse. 17, 18. The four great Beasts are four Kings (expounded here, and verse 24. Kingdoms ) which shall arise out of the earth: But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom (which the other four Beasts had successively v. 19, 20, 21.) the same is repeated again with applications of the type or vision, v. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. All which was never yet fulfilled; nor can the ultimate judgment be a time for it. In like manner, Rev. 20. Christ comes DOWN from heaven, v. 1. and chains up the Devil, and for a thousand years. To what end? Not for a state of glory in the highest heavens above, as all those passages testify: But that the Saints may rise and reign with Christ a thousand years ( on earth, as it is express, Rev. 5.10. as a part of the proposition to the whole Revelation; that, and Chapter 1.7. making up the whole) I say to reign in New Jerusalem, which to that end also comes down from heaven, Chapter 21.1. and so long to reign, as till Satan be let loose again to seduce the Nations, that the ultimate judgment begins, verse 7. to the end of the Chapter. So that what dominion the King of the bottomless pit had Rev. 9.1. &c. to hurt for five months; and what dominion the Beast had for two and forty months Rev. 13. and both under Satan, while he was loose, that very same in pure substance, though not in the evil quality, the Saints must have under Christ. So that where the Saints were hurt, beheaded and persecuted, even there they must rise, and reign under Christ a thousand years, v. 4. of this 20. of Rev.
[§. 6] Thus you see there is great reason why we should look into the Old Testament, as well as into the New, for this glorious estate of the Church yet to be on earth. Where note for conclusion of this third Section, That as God gave the Church in the Old Testament a glorious temporal estate on earth, as well as a spiritual, viz. That in Paradise on earth, so by the like reason he will give both to the Church of the New Testament on earth, described in Revel. 21, &c. as a second Paradise on earth. For the New Testament must not be inferior, but rather better then the Old, only with this difference, The Old Testament-Church (being then but in its infancy, had the temporal first, as a type of the Spiritual. The New Testament Church must have the Spiritual first, and the Temporal last, being then made completely up, and unto a perfect man according to the stature of Christ, Ephes. 4.
SECT. IV.
Wherein the Promise to Adam, Gen. 1.26, 27, 28. paralleled with Psalm the eighth, as the eighth Psalm, with Heb. 2.5. fully opened, to prove our main Position, that there is yet to be on earth a glorious state of all things.
Gen. 1.26.
And God said, Let us make man in our Image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea, and over the fowl of the Air, and over the Cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth, 27. So God created man in his own Image, &c. 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and SVBDVE IT, and have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over EVERY LIVING THING that moveth on the earth, Psal. 8.1. O LORD our LORD, how excellent is thy name IN ALL THE EARTH, who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy, ard the avenger. 3. When I consider thy Heavens, the work of thy fingers, the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained. 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of Man that thou visitest him. 5. For thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. 6. Thou madest him to have DOMINION OVER THE WORKES OF THY HANDS, thou hast put ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET, &c. Heb. 2.5. For unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the WORLD TO COME, whereof we speak. 6. But one in a certain place testified, saying, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him? 7. Thou madest him a little lower then the Angels, thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set him OVER the works of thy hands. 8. Thou hast put ALL THINGS in subjection UNDER HIS FEET; for in that he hath put ALL in subjection under him, he left NOTHING that is not put under him. 9. But now WEE SEE NOT YET ALL THINGS put under him; but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower then the Angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory, and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man.
[§. 1] AS Saint John fetcheth in the Notions of the terrestrial Paradise to describe New Jerusalem, (of which Revel. 21.) or (which is all one) the glorious state of the Church that it shall have on earth before the last Judgment, Revel. 22. or else we shall make John to speak impertinently, for in supreme glory is no need of a river of water, or of streets, or of a tree of Life, or of twelve sorts of fruit, one for each month, or of leaves to heal the Nations, or to make him speak untruly, if any would turn it to an Allegory, of a fountain of Doctrine, or of more and fresh effusions of the Spirit, or of Christ, to bear any further fruit, he there laying down all, 1 Cor. 15.28.) even so the Prophet David falls upon a divine meditation of the estate of Adam in innocence, to compose a Prophetical Psalm of praise, for what God would do for his people on earth before the ultimate end of the world, as the Apostle Paul expounds him in the place aforesaid.
[§. 2] Should seem, that though some things by Adams fall were irrecoverably lost, in specie, in their proper kind (though not virtually and equivalently) as man's freedom from corporal death, yet other things, as this dominion of man over all things was not so forfeited, but that in Christ first or last it is recovered. And therefore though David knew full well Adams fall, as appears by Psal. 51.5. yet looking upon the SONNE OF MAN Christ in this Psalm, he holds up his head and heart, and sings out shrilly this praise, in this Psalm of hope, that this dominion shall be made good to man on earth to the utmost.
[§. 3] For surely there is no imagining of this state to be of Saints in the highest Heavens, that there they should have dominion over the Beasts, Fishes, and Fowls, or over wicked men properly that are then in the infernal Lake, wholly under the sole power of the Prince of Darkness; and this was not performed on earth unto David's time, who from his youth, to his end, was ever and anon in danger of Beasts, or bestial men, of the Lion, and the Bear, of Goliath, of Saul, of Absalom, of foreign enemies, &c. Nor was it ever since fulfilled, but that the Saints (the Members of the SONNE OF MAN) have been at the same pass, for the general, with David, or worse, as we have, and shall hear abundantly.
[§. 4] Yet this must be fulfilled visibly on earth, as saith the Psalmist in this eighth Psalm, so as the enemy and avenger among men must be stilled, ver. 2. And all the Creatures subdued, as it is in the rest of the Psalm, and both so as that the Saints mouths may be full of praise, according to the form of this Psalm, and this must be fulfilled too, visibly on earth, saith the Apostle in the said second of Hebrews, Unto the Angels saith he, ver. 5. God hath not subjected THE WORLD TO COME, of which WE SPEAKE. No, for they are charged to be in subjection to Christ, chap. 1. ver. 6. Nor hath God said to any of the Angels, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, ver. 13. but this must be fulfilled on earth, to men in Christ through him. For the Apostles first phrase in that fifth verse of the second Chapter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is spoken with great emphasis, with a double emphatical Article, sounding as we speak in English, THAT SAME world, even THAT that is TO COME, and yet still meaning a state on earth: for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (rendered world) in propriety of signification, signifies the inhabited world, as men inhabit their dwelling houses ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an house being of the Kindred of the world) and in common use, it is put to signify the world on earth; yea so used by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament at least fifteen times, and sometimes in those places earth is adjoined, for plainer expression, yea used so to signify the world on earth in most of the said places, as thereby to mean the Roman Monarchy; the Romans then ruling the whole earth, when the Apostles wrote, as in two of those places (viz. Luke 2.1. Act. 11.28.) the Roman Emperor is expressed by name. Yea lastly, so constantly used in the New Testament by the Apostles, so to signify as hath been said, that it is never used to signify the supremest Heaven, even as it would have been most unapt for such a signification. So that put all the Apostles first phrase in Heb. 2.5. together, and the inhabited world to come can signify no other, but that the Monarchy on earth in the Apostles time under the Romans should be hereafter, before the last Judgment, the Monarchy of Christ, or of the Saints under him. Which the second phrase of our Apostle, viz. of WHICH WEE SPEAKE, doth more explain and demonstrate. For where did the Apostle speak afore of that world to come, as he intimates in this relative speech, but in Heb. 1. ver. 6. which being read ingenuously, and with an honest plainness of interpretation, according to the Greek runs thus; But when AGAINE he bringeth in, or shall bring in the first begotten son into the WORLD, he saith; Whence they that will grant us least, will yield thus much, that would in Heb. 2.5. must signify the world on earth, or else they utterly overthrow the Apostles reference there, The world to come OF WHICH WE SPEAKE. But we must by their favor infer more, viz. that in this, Heb. 1.6. is mention of the same world to come on earth, else how doth the Apostle, chap. 2.5. speak all that [For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come] in form of a repetition of what he had said afore of the self-same matter, which he nowhere afore mentions, unless in chap. 1. ver. 6. viz. BUT when AGAINE he bringeth in the first begotten into the WORLD, he saith ALSO, or in LIKE MANNER, or LIKEWISE, Let all the Angels of God worship him; For our Translators have very untowardly, and incongruously put and placed, AND, between saith, and let; † as they have needlessly, if not prejudiciously to the genuine sense of the verse, put And at the beginning, and altered the order of words of the Greek, which if kept, as we have followed it in our translating, runs exceeding smoothly. Some dictate to us, that Again must be referred to saith, not to bringing in; I would, if possible, they had also demonstrated it, to have saved our labor of demonstrating the contrary. The first AND (seeing they translate it And ) would serve one would think to signify again he saith. For more surety they have put two Ands, but it is safest for us to keep close to the Original (having chap. 2. ver. 5. with many other texts to hold analogy) which fluently runs (as we said) But when again he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith likewise, Let all the Angels of God worship him; As to signify Christ's coming again into the world to come on earth, after the ruin of Antichrist, and all his adherents, as we say, the Old and New world, which was distinguished by the Flood ruining the ungodly, whiles the race of visible Saints still lived. And if all that I have spoken in the Text and Margine do sufficiently evince, with ponderating unprejudicated men, that so (as aforesaid) the Text is rightlier read; then the Quere will be, when did God ever to this day bring his first begotten Son into the world Again? when the ninety seventh Psalm was pend, Christ had not been brought in at all in the flesh into the world (even as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies, as led by the hand.) And when the Epistle to the Hebrews was pend, Christ had been brought into the world but once, never since, again. And for the heavenly Angels of God, they did worship him at his first coming, attending, serving, and admiring his Incarnation (Luke 2.) Temptation (Mark 1.13.) Resurrection (Mat. 28.) Dispensation of the Gospel (1 Pet. 1.12,) and Ascension (Acts 1.) Christ said, he could have twelve Legions of Angels at his command; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Angel in the Revelation signifies also Men-Angles, that is, Magistrates (as well as Ministers) so viz. the Angelical Potentates, Kings, Emperors, Judges, and Powers over men, as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Elohim ( Psal. 97.7. quoted by the Apostle ) signifies the same ( Psal. 82.1.) so that according to the latitude of the words, and the design of God, all human Principalities, Powers, and Dominions, must submit to Christ, and his Saints under his conduct, command, or government, as well as the Angels then shall give him a more visible and fuller honor; the Saints being made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are made able to see it.
But (that we may return to Heb. 2.) this was never yet since Adams fall performed, viz. man so to be over all visibly on earth, as Adam was over all; which is David's application in Psal. 8. of Gen. 1.26, &c. and Paul's explication in this second of Hebrews, of Psalm 8.
. 1. This was never fulfilled to the Saints since Adams fall, they in the general were never thus crowned, Psal. 8. ver. 5. with glory and honor. Their enemies and avengers were never thus stilled, Psal. 8. v. 2. The could never yet sing this eighth Psalm as a praise for the things done, but only in hope it shall be done. It is too too apparent before our eyes to this day in the general state of the universe, that the weeds are ready to eat up, or choke the corn.
2 And this was not periodically, that is totally and finally fulfilled on Adam in innocence.
- For first, David pens this Psalm above two thousand eight hundred years after, as a Psalm of praise for the Saints.
- 2 In Adams innocence there was no enemy and avenger stilled, as Psal. 8. v. 2. makes mention.
- 3 Adam, should seem, was a type of things to come, in that the Apostle makes the eighth Psalm a Prophesy of future events.
- 4 To Adam in innocence the then present world of the whole universe was not actually subjected; his actual dominion was yet within the Territories of Paradise.
- 5 Much less was the inhabitable world to come, subjected to him: For he soon fell, and lost his dominion, which is not yet so actually recovered to the Saints, but that their enemies are more, and mightier then themselves to this day.
3 Therefore the great knot is, whether this hath been fulfilled to Christ! The Apostle in this second of Hebrews seems to me to say, that the things aforesaid were not in his time fully fulfilled to Christ himself. For, the things to be put under Christ's feet is the WORLD, yea 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the INHABITED World, yea and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the inhabited World TO COME, viz. that was to come after Paul wrote that. And the Apostle doth strongly (as Pareus observes) urge out of Psal. 8. v. 8. the universal particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ALL, Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet for, saith he, in that he put ALL in subjection under him, he left NOTHING that is not put under him. But NOW (saith the Apostle) we SEE NOT ALL THINGS put under him. He appeals (saith Pareus ) to sense, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . But NOW we do not YET SEE all things put under him. viz. NOW that Christ is ascended, we see not all things put under him. He is to ascend into Heaven, and there sit at God's right hand, UNTILL his enemies be made his footstool, Psal. 110.1. which our Apostle clearly applies to his ascension after his Passion, Heb. 10.11. Which Untill, plainly signifies, that after his ascension, when Paul wrote, All things were not put under Christ's feet; All his enemies were not made his footstool; but the Jews and Romans still triumphed over his cause all along the story of the Acts, and throughout the ten persecutions; after that the Arian, and since the Papal and Turkish persecution and Tyranny, triumph over it. What was fulfilled, the Apostle freely and fully expresseth, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. That is (exactly to the words and order of them) But him that was made a little while, a little lower then the Angels, we see even Jesus in regard of his suffering of death to be crowned with glory and honor, that he by the free grace of God might taste of death for every man: As if the Apostle should in length of words have spoken out thus much.
SECT. V.
Wherein the Promises God made to Abraham, Gen. 12.1, 2, 3. Gen. 15.4, 5, 6. Gen. 17.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Gen. 18.18. Gen. 22.18. paralleled with other promises to his posterity, Gen. 26.4. Gen. 48.19. v. 26. and with the Apostles explications and applications of those Promises, Rom. 4. v. 3. to v. 25. Gal. 3. v. 6. to 17. Heb. 11. v. 8. to 17. are discussed, for the clearing of the said general Position.
Gen. 12. v. 1.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy Country, &c. Verse 2. And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. Verse 3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee all families of the earth shall be blessed.
Gen. 15. v. 4.
Behold the word of the Lord came to Abram saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the Stars, if thou be able to number them: And he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. Vers. 6 And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Gen. 17. v. 1.
The Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, &c. Verse 2. And I will make my Covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Verse 3. And God talked with Abram saying, Verse 4. As for me, behold my Covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations. Neither shall thy name be called anymore Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a Father of many Nations have I made thee. * Verse 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make Nations of thee, and KINGS shall come of thee. V. 7. And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their Generations, for an everlasting Covenant. Verse 8. And I will give unto thee, and thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an EVERLASTING possession, and I will be THEIR GOD.
Gen 18.18.
Abraham shall surely become a great, and a mighty Nation, and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.
Gen. 22. v. 15, 16.
The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham, &c. by myself have I sworn that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of Heaven, and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore, and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies. ver. 18. In thy seed all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed.
Gen. 26.4.
The Lord appeared to Isaac, and said, I will make thy seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these Countries, and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed.
Gen. 48. ver. 19.
And his father (Jacob) refused, and said, I know it my Son, I know it (that Manasseh is the first borne) he also shall become a People, and he also shall be great, but truly his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater then he, and his seed shall become a MVLTITUDE of NATIONS ver 20. And he blessed them in that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh, and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Gen. 49. ver. 26.
The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors, unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, they shall be on the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head, &c.
Rom. 4. ver. 11.
And Abraham received the sign of Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the Father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, ver. 13. For the promise that he should be the Heir of the world was not to Abraham, and his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ver. 16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the Promise might be sure to all the the seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the FATHER OF US ALL. ver. 17. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many Nations, before him ( or like him, as it is in the Margin ) whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were) ver. 18. Who against hope, believed in hope, that he might become the Father of many Nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be, &c. ver. 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Galat. 3. ver. 5.
He that ministereth to you the Spirit, &c. doth he it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? ver. 6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, ver. 7. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham, ver. 8. And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justify the HEATHEN through faith, preached before the GOSPELL unto Abraham, saying, In thee all Nations shall be blessed. ver. 9. So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham. ver. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law. ver. 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the GENTILES. ver. 15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disanulleth, or addeth thereunto. ver. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made. He saith not, and to SEEDS as of many, but as of one, and to thy SEED, which is Christ.
Heb. 11. ver. 8.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.