THE SAINT'S INHERITANCE After the Day of JUDGEMENT. Being also An Answer to certain scruples of late delivered, and others Printed, especially in that Book entitled, [The Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth.] By T. B. Isa. 45. 17, 18. For Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation, ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end: for thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God himself that form the earth and made it, he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he form it to be inhabited, I am the Lord, and there is none else. Dan. 7. 18. 27. But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever, and the Kingdom, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all Dominions shall serve and obey him. LONDON, Printed by Richard Cotes, and are to be sold by John Sweeting, in Popes-head-Alley. 1643. Revel. 21. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and be shall be my son. THe meaning of these words are not to be confined only to the joys of heaven, when the body is dead and the Soul is ascended up thither, and hath the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and the blessed Spirit, and the holy Angels and souls of just men made perfect, but it reacheth unto all things that are here below in this world to satisfy the body also at the resurrection day when the creatures and man also are all restored again to their first perfection; for saith the Lord, I will bring a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it; Isa. 65. 10. 11. see 3 5, 2. and my Servants shall dwell there; and Sharron shall be a fold for flocks, and the valley of Anchor a place for the herds to lie down in for my people that have sought me: This is promised to those that overcome. First the world as it is now corrupted by the sin of man, so that neither the pleasures nor profits thereof, deceive our hearts to set our love immoderately on it, Let your moderation be known to all men, the Lord is at hand. Secondly, to them that stand fast against all the wiles of the Devil, Phil. 4. 5. Ephe. 6. 11 and do not let Satan get advantage of them, those that are not ignorant of his devices, but resist the Devil and cause him to fly from them. Thirdly, 2 Cor. 2. 11 Jam. 4. 7. Isa. 44. 20. Pro. 4. 23. 1 Cor. 9 27 those that their own deceived heart hath not turned them aside, those that keep their heart withal diligence, those that keep under their body and bring it in subjection, and keep their mouth with a bridle, Psal. 39 1. and make a covenant with their eyes, Job 31. 1. he that thus overcometh, saith Christ, will I grant to fit with me on his throne. Rev. 3. 21. he shall inherit all things; but in this world we are Warriors fight against them, for they are not really overcome in this world, therefore the full fruition of all things is reserved till after death in the world to come, when old things are passed away and all things are become new, for he that sat on Revel. 21. 5 the throve said, Behold I make all things new; then saith the Lord, I will be his God and he shall be my Son. Beloved now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, but while we are here in this 1 Joh. 3. 2. Gal 4. 1. world, we are as the heir under age being a child and differing nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all, we are not fit to have that authority over the creatures as Adam had, till we are again restored to that perfection that he had to be without sin as he was; neither are the creatures fit to do their duty to us being all corrupted with our sins, but when we and they are again restored to our first perfection, then and not before shall the Saints inherit all things, for this inheritance must be immortal, uncorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, but these things as they 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 5. Heb. 12. 28. are now are sometimes taken from us, and sometimes we are taken from them, and at the day of judgement the heavens and earth shall pass away, I do not mean the heaven of the blessed, that is a kingdom that cannot be moved, but the starry heavens and the cloudy heavens they shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up, the heavens being 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12. on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; and saith John, I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them; thus in Revel. 20. 11. the day of Judgement, but the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts, but who may abide his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he shall be like refiners fire and fullers soap, he shall purify the sons of Levi, for he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and shall purge them as gold and Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord; but in this Judgement he will be a swift witness against the wicked, then will Christ purify the creatures through fire at that day, and consume their dross with fire and brimstone, and bring them bacl again to their first Chaos: and then saith John in his vision, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, Rev. 21. 1. for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea; and we according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, 2 Pet. 3. 12, 13. wherein dwelleth righteousness; for saith the Lord, Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, for the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind: The new heavens and the new earth which I will make, shall remain before me. Isa 65. 17. Isa. 66. 22. And for the rest of the creatures, the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God, for the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious Rom. 8. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. liberty of the Sons of God; For we know that the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in pain together until now, and not only they, but we ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies, and then man shall inherit all things, both 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22, 23. in heaven and in the earth, things present and things to come; All are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is Gods. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up to death for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? Godliness Rom. 8. 32. 1 Tim. 4. 8. is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. The reason why man after the day of Judgement shall inherit all things, is this, because the second Adam hath restored again all that the first Adam lost, for he is mighty to save, he is a Rock and his work is perfect, he Isa. 63. 1. Deut 32. 4. Joh. 17. 4. 19 30. Heb. 7. 25. hath not done his work by the halves, he saith, I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do, he said, It is finished, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, so that all which the first Adam had, is restored by the second, but the first Adam was the Masterpiece of the whole creation, therefore man was the last that was made, and all the rest were but prepared for him; and when man was to be made, the Lord did it with much deliberation, and called a Council, the whole Trinity seemed to consult about his creation, saying, Let us make man in our likeness, in our image, and let him Gen. 1. 26. 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 thing that creepeth upon the earth: And man is an Epitome or an Abridgement of all the creatures; he hath a vegetative, or a growing life, answerable to the plants and the Herbs, and grass of the earth; and he hath a sensitive life, answerable to the beasts, and fowls, and fishes; and he hath a reasonable life, answerable to that of Anges: thus all the creatures are to be seen in man; he hath a soul so glorious, fit to associate itself with the glorious Angels in Heaven, and he hath a body compounded of the four elements, fit to communicate with and to govern the creatures here below: and when he was made, God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and Gen. 1. 28. have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And when the Lord had form all Gen. 2. 19, 20. the beasts of the Field, and fowls of the air, he brought them all to Adam, as to their Lord, to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam called every creature that was the name thereof, and he gave names to all Cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field: thus they tendered their duty to him and were at unity among themselves. But now since Adam fell from God, the creatures are disobedient to man, saith the Lord to Job out of the whirlwind, Will the Unicorn be willing to Job 39 9, 10, 11, 12, 27. serve thee, will he harrow the valley after thee, wilt thou trust him because his strength is great, or wilt thou leave thy labour to him, wilt thou believe that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy Barn? or doth the Eagle fly at thy command? no, we find the creatures disobedience to us, since our first disobedience to the Lord. But to our comfort, the second Adam hath restored to us again all that the first Adam lost, and although we have not that duty and service from the creatures, as Adam had at the first, by reason of their corruption, that came by our sin, yet after the day of Judgement, when they are freed from this bondage, under which they groan, and shall be restored to their first perfection, than they will freely do their duty unto man as they ought to do, but this will not be, till the restitution of all things, for he that sat upon the Throne said, Behold, I make all things new, then shall that saying Rev. 24. 5. be fulfilled, Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5. 17. And saith the Lord, Behold, I do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, and shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert; Isa 43. 19 and what follows; the beasts of the field shall honour me, even the unlikeliest of all the creatures, Dragons and Owls at that day. The reason why the creatures, as the Heavens and the earth, and all sorts of creatures in them, shall be restored to their first perfection, is, because they with man since the fall at their best estate are but vanity, Psal 39 5. so, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, saith the Preacher: Eccles. 1. 1. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subdued the same, but yet in hope and expectation to be delivered, for the whole creation groaneth in pain until now, and not only they, but we ourselves also, which have received the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. Rom. 8. 20. 22, 23. The bondage which makes the creatures groan are many, from which in time they shall be delivered, I mean at the restauration of all things after the day of Judgement. First, They are frail and subject to corruption, and putrefaction, which came by the sin of man, this is a sore bondage. Secondly, They are subject to confusions and inconstancy in any one condition, as by the many mutations, and alterations appears daily, being compounded of the four elements, and the many confusions from the same four elements; from this bondage they groan to be delivered. Thirdly, They are forced to serve wicked men, The Sun shines on the just and unjust, and the heavens make fruitful with their showers, the field of the wick●d as well as the field of the just, Mat. 5 45. and the earth is forced to feed and to receive into her bowels, the ungodly as well as the godly, this is a sore bondage. Fourthly, The visible creatures of God proclaim as in a book, the invisible things of God, as his eternal power, and Godhead, to vain men Rom. 1. 20. that will not learn; This is a sore bondage for which they groan. Fifthly, The creature is many times made the subject of man's punishment, for man's sin, as when the heaven is made Brass, and the earth Iron, Deu. 28. 23 and when the ground was cursed for man's sin, Gen. 3. 17, 18. He turneth a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein; Psa. 107. 34 this is a sore bondage. Sixthly, Every creature would preserve his own kind for ever, but the variance and discord of the creatures one with another make it to seem impossible, and all their labour to be lost, this was occasioned by the sin of man, that all the foundations of the earth are out of course; Psa. 82. 5. from this burden, they groan to be delivered. Seventhly, It is a great bondage to the creatures, that they have lost a great part of their virtue, operation, and influence, they are by the sin of man much dulled and disabled to act or to operate, or to communicate their virtues to others as they did at the first creation, and this is a great bondage, from which they groan to delivered, but this is true, that the Heb. 1. 11, 12. Joh. 15. 15. heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture they shall be changed, and subject to perish too for the sin of man, for that it hath defiled them. The heavens are not clean in his sight; and it is observed by some since the creation, that the Sun hath lost a great part of its heat, and that it runs nearer to the earth now than it did at the first, by at the least 9976. German miles, Byfield on the Colossians. which shows the dulness of it in comparison of its first creation, therefore without exception, the heaven and the earth with all the creatures that are in them as men and beasts and fowls groan to be delivered. But I suppose that the Sea and the Creatures that live in it shall not continue after the day of judgement; for it is said expressly, when the new heavens and the new earth are made, there shall be no more Sea; neither were the Fishes brought to Adam as to their Lord, to see what he would call Rev. 21. 1. Gen. 2. 19, 20. Gen. 1. 21. Gen. 6. 17. 19, 20. them, when all the beasts and fowls were, and God gave the Whales their name before Adam was made, neither were any Fishes in Noah's Ark preserved from that great Deluge, which was a type how some of every kind shall be preserved from the fire in the day of judgement, as than they were from the water which then drowned all the world, therefore I exclude them from the groaning creatures. And the blessed Angels I cannot include among the groaning creatures, yet they sustain a kind of bondage, for they are made to serve earthly Psal. 91 11. Matth. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 14. things, men have their Angels to attend and guard them, and it is thought they have the charge and protection of Kingdoms committed to them, from such places as these in Scripture, Dan. 10. 13. 12. 1. Psal. 34. 7. Revel. 12. 7. Luk. 2. 9, 10. 13. 15. And some think they move the Orbs of Heaven, and sometimes they are put to inflict punishments on wicked men, as on the Isa. 37. 36. Camp of the King of Assyria, and sometimes they are hindered in their work, as one complains, that the great Prince of the kingdom of Persia Dan. 10 13. withstood him one and twenty days; and although the Angels shall be employed at the day of judgement, yet they must not know when it must Matth. 24. 31 36. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephe. 3. 10. Luk. 15. 7. be, and the Angels desire to look into the mystery of our redemption as not being satisfied in their knowledge; and by the Church is made known to them the manifold wisdom of God, and they have some joy when one sinner is converted; thus when their knowledge and joy is increased by the Church, and they are freed from all the forementioned things; it will be a great ease to them as it were a deliverance out of bondage; but this is true, For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come, whereof Heb. 2. 5. we speak; they shall be eased of that bondage. Object. Suppose any do object and say, that the world to come is meant ever since Christ was on the earth now under the Gospel, because we keep our account not from the beginning of the world but from the year of Christ. I answer, that is no more than we do the year of our King; but what is this concerning the age of the world, we are not so simple as to affirm the account from Christ is the account of the world, for we know the contrary. Again, it cannot be meant that now under the Gospel is the world to come, for saith the Apostle, after Christ's ascension we are they on whom 1 Cor. 10, 11 Heb. 9 2●. the ends of the world are come; now if it be counted by the Apostle since that Christ was on the earth to be the end of the old world, it cannot be the world to come here spoken of. Again the world may be divided into three parts; the first from the creation, to the giving of the Law, in which man's diet was the herbs of the field, and they had not the written Law but only by tradition, and the Church was in but one family. Secondly, Gen. 1. 23. Gen. 18. from Moses to Christ, in which they might eat of such beasts as were clean by the Law, so that they did not eat the blood which was the life, and they had the Law written, yet darkly in types and shadows, and a whole kingdom taken into the Church. Thirdly, from Christ to the end of the world, in which all things may be eaten with thanksgiving, & nothing 1 Tim. 4. 3. Acts 10. to be counted common or unclean, and we have not only the Law in dark types and shadows, but the veil taken away, and the Gospel clearly setting forth Christ fare beyond all types and shadows, and the bounds of the Church to be in all nations; this third age of the world is Matth 28. 19 Gal. 4. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Judas 17. 18, 19 called the fullness of time, and saith Paul, In the last days perilous times shall come, and saith Peter, There shall come in the last day's scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saith Judas, Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that they told you that there should come mockers in the last times, who would walk after their own lusts; now mark, These be they, saith he, who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit, and saith John, Little Children, it is the last time, and ye have heard that Antichrist 1 John 2. 18. shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time; therefore if now be the last times of the old world, then sure I am that it is not the world to come, and as Adam was made Lord of all the creatures living under heaven, and the Lord himself brought all the beasts and Gen. 1. 29. Gen. 2. 19 fowls unto him as to their Lord, to see what he would call them, but now since the fall, neither beasts nor fowls will yield him any free subjection, but by the halves, as he doth to the Lord; but at the restauration of all Job 39 9 27. things when all that offend are taken away, and all that do iniquity, then shall the righteous shine as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father; Matth. 13. 41. 43. 1 Cor. 15 24. Heb. 2. 8. that is, when Christ hath rendered up the kingdom to his Father, then shall all these creatures yield their free obedience to man as at the first; but saith the Apostle, we see not yet all things put in subjection under him, and as I said before, the Angels have the charge of things here below, because man by reason of his corruption and weakness that came by sin is unable to govern the creatures; but when man is restored to his first perfection, and made able to do it, the Angels shall do it no longer: but this we see is not yet, therefore it is still the third part of the old world, for unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come, than the Angels shall abide in heaven their own proper place, and man being made equal to the Angels shall have the dominion over all things as at the first; and Christ is at his Father's right hand till all these things be done, the heaven shall receive him until the restitution of all things to their first perfection, this is that refreshing that is for to come from the presence of the Acts 3. 19 21. Lord, he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, than you that are troubled shall rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 2 Thes. 1. 7. 10. from heaven with his mighty Angels, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, then shall the creatures be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, that is, Rom 8. 21. they shall have a most excellent estate when the children of God are glorified, the Lord will do them justice also in restoring them to their first perfection, and they shall have again all that they lost by the sin and fall of Adam; I do not say that there shall be any resurrection of the creatures that are dead, but there shall be some of every kind that was given to Adam, Gen. 6. 19 20. Eccle. 3. 14 1 Cor. 3. 15 both of fowls and beasts, whereof Noah's Ark was a figure, for I know saith Solomon whatsoever God doth, it shall be for ever, the judgement day shall be as a purgation to purify the creatures, and they shall be saved as through fire, as death and the grave do not destroy our bodies for ever and as the corn is cast into the earth, it must die before it can be quickened, but being dead God giveth it a body, so shall the creatures be purified at the day of judgement, then shall the light of the Moon be as the light of the 1 Cor. 15. 36, 37, 38. Esa. 30. 26. Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, but as the wages of sin is death, and it is gone over all except those that are found alive at the last day, they shall not die but be changed at the twinkling of an eye, and so made able to endure the fire that they may not be 1 Cor. 15. 52, 53. consumed but purged from their corruption. But some, because it is said that the Saints shall reign with Christ a thousand years, and they will needs have it in this world before the end, Revel. 2 5. and not knowing where to find it they say the judgement day shall continue a 1000 years, but this cannot be except they deny the express Word of God: because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world, The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, The great Acts 17. 31. 1 Thes. 5. 24 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12. Acts 2. 20. Rom. 2 16. Matth. 24. 36. Matke 13. 32. and notable day of the Lord, In the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men, That day and hour knoweth no man; thus it appears to me to be rather less than a day then more, it may be the shortest day that ever came for any thing we know, but more it cannot be, when the Scripture is so full and clear to every understanding that will be satisfied in it. When the righteous and the wicked appear before the Lord at the day of judgement, Christ for the love he beareth to the righteous he will come leaping over the mountains and skipping over the hills, Can. 2. 8. he is not slack concerning his promise, 2 Pet. 3. 9 When the Son of man cometh, I tell you that he will avenge them speedily, Luk. 18. 8. and concerning the wicked saith he, I will come nearre to you to judgement, and I will be a swift witness against them, Mal. 3. 5. here Christ comes leaping and skipping speedily and swiftly, that his elect may not be held too long in suspense from their happiness, as some would have it, a 1000 years waiting at the bar before the Judge for absolution. And there is good reason for it, for God that is able and will bring to every man's remembrance at that day, all their thoughts, words and deeds that ever was in all their lives, and the book of their conscience, and the book of the Law of God shall be both open to them; Revel. 20. 12. then I suppose the sentence may soon be passed upon them, they need not have their sentence one after another, as some that affirm this would have it, but the righteous being all on the right hand, and the wicked all on the left hand, then shall the Judge say to them on the right hand, Come ye blessed, and to all on the left hand, Go ye cursed. Matth. 25. 34. 41. And if they reply and say, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years. I answer, this was the judgement of those that hold, because God was six days in creating the world, therefore it should continue six thousand years, which if it be so, there being passed above five thousand and a half already, where will you find a thousand years more before the day of judgement? so that this will not help them at all; and to say the Saints do reign with Christ a 1000 years, meaning while they stand at the bar of his judgement, to me it seems very improper, and though their cause be never so good; neither can they be said to reign here before the day of judgement, when the wicked shall have as great authority and riches as they, neither can it properly be said that the Saints shall reign in heaven, for there is none to be subject unto them, than it remains that the Saints after the day of judgement shall reign here on earth, Revel. 5. 10 when they shall shine as the Sun in the Firmament, Matth 13. 43. and be as glorious in the fight of God as he was at the first, & all the creatures restored to their first persection than they will yield to man all that obedience that is due unto him, and then shall man be honoured in the earth by the creatures, as their Lord and King, and wonderful happy among the Angels in heaven, being of their nature in his soul, and in his body also, being made of the same elements with other creatures here below; then the Angels shall continue in heaven and these creatures shall continue here, and men shall have bodies so full of agility to ascend up to heaven, and to walk in the air, as to go upon the ground, and the glory of the soul shall be the wonderful perfection of God's Image in all the faculties of it, then shall we know both the secrets of heaven and earth, then shall our memories, will and affections be after an unconceivable manner made conformable unto God, yea we shall have both in our souls and bodies rivers of joys, and pleasure for evermore; Psal. 16. 11. Revel. 21 7 Esay 66. 22. then shall the Saints inherit all things, and the new heavens, and the new earth which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, and so shall your seed and your name remain; then shall we be Luk. 20. 35. 36. equal to the Angels, being children of the resurrection, and counted worthy to obtain that world, and we shall be as Kings and Priests, and we shall reign on the earth, Revel. 5. 10. and all the creatures here will yield subjection to us as to their Lord and King, and we shall be as Priests to offer the sacrifice of praise to the Lord, and give him all the glory. And if any shall yet say, these times shall be before the end of the world, because in the eighth Psalm it is said, thou hast crowned man with glory and honour, and thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, and hast put all things under his feet, and then names all the creatures here below. I answer, David here magnifies the Lord for that great glory and honour that was put upon man at the first in Paradise, when he had dominion over Psal. 8. 6. all things under the heavens, for this is spoken in the time past, Thou madest him have dominion, and thou hast put all things under his feet; but Heb. 2. 8. if we speak of the new world, we see not yet all things put under him. And whereas some hold that the souls of men departed shall return again, and their bodies shall be raised and united to them, and they shall live here again before the day of judgement a thousand years; but I demand Revel. 20. 4 with what bodies shall they rise, if it be sown a corrupted body, shall it not rise in incorruption, if it be sown a natural body, shall 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. it not rise a spiritual body? they must rise with such a body as Christ did. But when the disciples saw him they were terrified and affrighted, Luk. 23. 37 Act. 10. 40. 41. and supposed that they had seen a spirit: and as for wicked men, they never saw his body at all after his resurrection; him God raised up the third day, and shown him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses, chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he Luk. 24. 31. 51. John 20. 17. Mich 〈◊〉. 10. arose from the dead: and when he was with them, as soon as they knew him he vanished out of their sight, this strangeness was between his spiritual and their corporal bodies, this is not your rest because it is polluted; he charged Mary that she should not touch him, than what communion can be betwixt them, when some must not touch him, and others were affrighted at the sight of him, and as soon as they knew him he vanished away because the world is polluted, than it cannot be that spiritual and corporal bodies should live together, and though he eat and drank with them after his Resurrection, yet we must not think it was for necessity, or through the peril of hunger, but only for delight, and to show them that Luk. 24 3●. 40. he had a real body as before, with flesh and bones, only it was made immortal and everlasting, never to die more, nor to suffer any peril more. And whereas it is said, That the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness Revel. 20. 4 of Jesus, and for the word of God, and had not worshipped the beast, they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years: This cannot be meant of a corporal death, or of a bodily resurrection, for the rest that were dead lived not again Vers. 5. 6. till the 1000 years were finished, and yet in the first Resurrection, who are as blessed and holy as the rest, On them the second death hath no power: and they being in the first resurrection, and yet not raised in their bodies, what is this but to rise from the death of sin to the life of grace? on such the second death hath no power; and Christ answered the Sadduces that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living, for God is the God of the living, and he is their Mat. 22. 32 John 5. 24. God, he that is thus alive shall die no more, but is passed from death to life. And again the planting of the Gospel, and increasing or spreading of the Church may very well be called a Resurrection, because men were brought out of a state of death to a state of life, and the growth of the Church was like to the rising of the waters of the sanctuary, first to the Ezekiel 47. ankles, then to the knees then to the loins, and to a river that could not be passed over, so was the Resurrection of the Church, at the first but twelve, Acts 1. 15. 2. 41. 44, 5 14. than a hundred and twenty, then there was added three thousand, than five thousand, than multitudes both of men and women; now he that hath part in this first resurrection, on them the second death hath no power, and whether they have this first Resurrection, in the first thousand years, after Christ's ascension, or in the second, it matters not, so they have it before the day of Judgement, on them the second death hath no power: But our controversy is about those that were slain for the witness of Jesus, and yet lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, but as I said before, this cannot be meant of a corporal death, or bodily resurrection, but it must be understood mystically, that they were slain in their outward livelihood, both in their name and estate; saith David, I was as a dead man out of mind in the esteem of the world, and yet at the same time reign over satan and their own corruptions. Or if any were slain in the first thousand years, yet God left not himself without witness, but the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied Acts 14, 17 Exod. 2. 12 Rev. 11. and grew, as Israel did in the bondage of Egypt, and some of the witnesses that were slain are said to lie in the streets, and not suffered to be buried, and after three days and a half, the Spirit of life came into them and they stood upon their feet, these things have been clearly showed of late to be understood mystically. And again, can we think that some of them that are dead, their souls shall return, & some shall not, to live here a thousand years, and their bodies raised, and not all? shall some rise a thousand years before others? doth not Christ say, they shall all rise in one hour? Marvel not at this, for the hour cometh in which all that are John 5. 28, 29. in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. 1 Cor. 15. 52. And doth not Paul say, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised: Then I conclude this argument, that if the bodies of all shall rise together in one hour in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, but it is said, all they that are in the graves, not some of them, and in a moment, not a thousand year's distance of some from the rest that shall rise from the dead. And whereas some affirm, that in this thousand years, the Church or Kingdom of Christ, shall be all righteous, all Saints under the King of Saints, and no hypocrites, nor excommunicate persons, and the wicked Revel. 15. shall be as slaves to them in that day, and the Saints shall be as Lords in the earth, and shall neither marry nor be given in marriage, and the Apostles shall come and rule this Kingdom. I answer, these things some are false, and some are true, but mis-applyed, those that are true, are to be fulfilled after the day of Judgement, and not in this corrupted world, as when the people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the Land, not only a thousand years, but for ever in the Isa. 60. 19, 20, 21. new world when the Sun shall no more go down, nor the Moon withdraw itself, but the Lord shall be to them an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. And so, if the Saints of the most High shall take and possess the Kingdom. I answer, After the day of Judgement, so they shall not only for a thousand years, but for ever, even for ever, for his dominion Dan. 7. 18. 14, 7. is an everlasting dominion, when all people and Nations, and languages shall serve him in it: and to say that there shall be no Hypocrites in it, I say so too, in the new Jerusalem, when it comes down from heaven unto the earth, but this will never be, till the restitution of all things, till the fire at the day of Judgement hath purged the earth, and made it fit for so great a mercy, wherein dwelleth righteousness, but till that day of Judgement this cannot be. For the Tares and the Wheat shall grow together until the Harvest, which is at the end of the world, and the Angels are the Reapers, and by them shall the Wheat be brought into the Barn, they shall gather the elect from the four winds, Mat. 24. 31. And they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them Math. 13. 41, 42. that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire, but when the Angels are sent about this business, they will find them altogether minding earthly things, as eating and drinking, and marrying, and mixed together, Mat. 24 37, 38. two in a bed, the one taken and the other left, two in the field, and two grinding at the Mill, the one taken and the other left. Therefore, when Christ comes to Judgement, there shall be Hypocrites, and they shall not be used as slaves, but in the same bed, at the same work and recreation together. And to say the Saints shall be Lords over the wicked, this cannot be true neither here nor hereafter, for before the end the wicked shall have as great a share of outward riches and honour as the Saints, and many times greater: and after the day of Judgement, I shown before that all things that offend, and that do iniquity, shall be cast into the furnace of fire: so that though it be true, they shall be Lords and Kings, it is not meant over wicked men, but over the rest of the creatures, this Adam had, and lost it, and Revel. 5. 10 the second Adam hath restored it to us again, as I shown before, and to say that the Apostles shall rule this Kingdom when they are all Saints, and the King of Saints present, is not worth the answering, for they shall be all Kings and Priests unto God and his Father, Fear not little flock, it is your Rev. 1. 6, 5, 10. Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom: none shall rule but God alone, for all rule and authority, and power, shall then be put down. Then shall Luke 12, 32 1 Cor. 15. 24, 28. Revel. 20 1, 2, 3. God himself be all in all. But they will object against all this clear light, that John 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 bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should not deceive the Nations till the thousand years should be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season; This say they, is to be understood of Christ, binding the devil a thousand years, after their souls are returned again, and their bodies raised and united to them, than they say they shall live here a thousand years again before the day of Judgement in great glory and happiness. I answer, the devils were bound in chains of darkness as soon as they had sinned, For God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness. And if you ask me how long? I 2 Pet 2. 4. Judas 6. Job 1. answer, till the day of Judgement. He was in chains in Jobs time, and could not touch his goods nor children, nor his body, but as he had commission from God, and the devil desired to entice Ahab to go and fall at Ramoth Gilead, and told the Lord how, but he could not do it, till the 2 Chron. 18. 20, 21. Lord said, Go and do so: and so in the times of the Gospel, they besought Christ that they might go into the herd of Swine, but could not, till Christ said unto them, Go: but yet in this time he did not cease to compass Mal. 8. 31, 32. 1 Pet. 5. 8. the earth, but goeth up and down like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, and his chain is long, and his commission large to do much hurt, but that God who is able to bring good out of evil, and all things work together for good to them that love God, as in Jobs case, 2 Sam. 16. 12. Jam. 5. 11. And as the malice of joseph's brethren wrought for his good, but when Christ came into the world, the devils knew that he would Rom. 8. 28 Gen. 50. 20. chain them up from their purpose a thousand years, which would be a great torment unto them, therefore when they saw Jesus they fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, Thou Son of God most high, I beseech Luke 8. 28, 29. 31. thee torment me not: But he commanded the unclean spirit to come out. And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the deep, meaning this bondage for a thousand years: Christ comes and disarms the strong Mat. 12. 29, Luke 11 21 22. Col. 2. 14, 15 man and binds him, and then spoils his goods, upon the Cross he spoilt Principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in it, the Son of God was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil, then saith Christ after this, I am he that was dead 1 Joh. 3. 8. and am alive, and behold I live for evermore, and have the keys of hell and death. Then he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil, and Revel. 1. 18 Revel. 20. 1, 2, 3. Satan, and bound him from his purpose a thousand years, he having the keys of the bottomless pit, cast him in and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should not deceive the Nations any more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season. Here Christ did not bind the devil from going up and down as a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, and his commission did reach 1 Pet. 5. 8. to do much hurt in this thousand years to single persons, but the Devil's purpose was to set up the man of sin, that mystery of iniquity, that son of perdition, the Antichrist, in his Throne and full authority: this he knew would make great spoils in the Church of Christ, and the mystery of iniquity did already work, and Diotrephes loveth to have the pre-eminence, 3 Joh. 9 10 he prates against the ministers of Christ with malicious words and would not receive them, and forbade others that would, and cast them out of the Church. Here you see how busy the devil is with this instrument to set up Antichrist, because he aims not so much at single persons as the ruin of nations from which he is bound a thousand years: I grant that he raised great persecutions and sowed the tares of heresies that did much mischief, and occasioned great wars, and made great spoils in the Church, yet this did not content him, for he knew that Antichrist was for to come, having great knowledge in the prophecies of Daniel, which made him stir so Dan 7. 20, 21. much, and caused his wicked instruments to bring in one patch of Popery after another, and would not rest till he had him in his throne, which was about a thousand years before he was in his full ruff to do that mischief to the Church of God that the Devil expected he should. Now when this thousand years was ended, there was a star fell from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bittomlesse pit, Revel. 9 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose the smoke of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the Sun and the air was darkened by the smoke of the pit, and there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the earth, and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power, and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads, and to them was commanded, that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented or vexed five months, and that their pain should be as the torment of a Scorpion when he stingeth and striketh a man. Here you see the bottomless pit that was shut, and the devil that was bound a thousand years, now the pit is opened and the devils loosed, yet not to do what they list, but according to the commission granted to them. Francis Junius in his Annotations upon this place, saith, by this star is meant some Angel glistering with glory as a star from heaven, it may be Christ who by princely authority hath the Keys of Hell, Chap. 1. 18. or some other inferior Angel who hath the same key permitted unto him, and occupieth it ministerially or by office of his ministry, the key was given to the star; for those powers of wickedness are thrust 2 Pet. 2. 4. Judas 6. Revel. 20. 3 down into hell, and bound with chains of darkness and are there kept unto damnation unless God for a time do let them lose; by the bottomless pit he meaneth the deepest darkness of hell, and the smoke of the hellish and infernal spirits, all dark, and dackning all things in heaven and in earth, the spiritual darkenesses are the causes of all disorder and confusion, for the devil sent these darkenesses into his kingdom, that he might at once with one impression overthrow all things, and pervert if it were possible the elect themselves, by this light, both active as the Sun and passive as the air, which is lightened by the Sun, is taken away, and this is that which goeth before the spirits, a description of the malignant spirits invading the world, taken from their nature and power; from their nature, for they are like unto Locusts in quickness, subtleness, hurtfulness and in number; and for their power they are like the Scorpians of the earth who have a secret power to do hurt, yet although these devils be let lose, and their commission is enlarged, yet still they are bounded by the counsel of God, because they hurt not all men, but only the reprobate, verse. 4. neither had they all power, nor at all times, nor ever all those that are their own, but limited in manner and time by the prescript of God, verse. 5. After the thousand years was expired, the devil was loosed a little season, that is, five months, Revel. 9 5. or a hundred and fifty days, or so many years, in which Revel. 20 3 time the devils have mightily perverted all things in the world, and yet without killing as they were commanded, verse. 5. being under the fifth Angel this little season of a hundred and fifty years wherein Satan had his commission enlarged being loosed Revel. 9 5. Verse 1. Francis Junius Annotations. Revel. 9 5. 20. 3. in some measure from his thousand year's bondage; which saith Francis Junius fell out precisely in the Popedom of Gregory the seventh, that monstrous Necromancer a man being made altogether of impiety and wickedness, a slave of the devil whom he served, he was the most wicked firebrand of the world, he excommunicated the Emperor Henry the fourth, he went about by all manner of treachery to set up and pull down Emperors and kingdoms, he doubted not to put in Rodolph the Sweden over the Empire in stead of Henry the fourth, sending him a crown with this verse annexed to it: The Rock to Peter gave the Crown, And Peter Rodolph doth renown. He so sinely beslirred himself in his affairs, that he miserably set all Christendom on flre, and conveyed over unto his successors the burning brand of the same, who raged with like ambition, never ceased to nourish that flame, and to kindle it more and more, whereby Cities, Commonwealths, and whole Kingdoms set together by the cares amongst themselves by most expert cutthroats, came to ruin while they most miserably wounded one another, this hundred and fifty years being that little season that Satan was loosed ended in the time of Gregory the ninth. This man caused to be compiled by one Raymond his Chaplain the body of decretals, and by sufferance of Kings and Princes to be published in the Christian world, and established for a Law, for by this sleight at length the Pope's arrogated unto themselves licence to kill whom they would whiles others were unawares, and without fear established a butchery out of many of their wicked Canons and of the Decretals, the effects of these bloody actions declared upon the sixth verse of the ninth Chapter that the miserable world languishing in so great calamities run together unto death and prefer the same before life, by reason of the grievous miseries that oppressed So fare Junius. them. B●t before these Kings were in the first thousand years, the Saints may Revel. 9 1. be said to reign with Christ, because the devil should be hindered of his purpose all that time, but the time being expired and Satan loosed in the 2 Thes. 2. 9 ninth Chapter, than the Dragon gave him his power and his seat, and great authority, Revel. 13. 2. then he was set up whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power, and signs, and lying wonders; now the Angels are loosed that were bound in the River Euphrates, being a type Revel 9 13 14. of new Babylon, when they were going to set up the Pope in his Throne, they were bound in the River, and could not get over till the thousand years were ended, but now they are gone into all the four quarters of the earth to deceive the Nations, and to gather Gog and Magog together, both Revel. 20. 7, 8, 9 Revel. 11. 8 Turk and Pope, whose number is as the sand of the Sea, against the holy City, the Church of God, till fire come down from God out of heaven and devour them; for as Rome is spiritually called Sodom for their filthiness committed in it, so I suppose their judgement shall be alike, both for the Gen. 19 Revel. 18▪ suddenness, the one in a moment, the other in an hour, and both with fire from heaven. If some shall yet say, that Satan was not bound the first thousand years, Revel. 20. 3, 4. because as soon as he is loosed there is mention made of thrones, and they that sat on them; I answer, they were not the throne of Christ, for that is mentioned in the 11. Verse, where John saith, I saw a great white throne, and him that is Christ sat on it, but the other are called in the Psal. 12 25. plural number thrones, and they that sat on them, these are thrones of judgement, thrones of the house of David, or earthly thrones, these Dan. 7. 9 thrones must be all cast down when the ancient of days doth sit, and he alone shall be exalted in that day. Again, them that plead for Christ's living here a thousand years before the day of judgement, they hold that then all things here below shall return to the same confused Chaos as it was in the creation, and so remain for ever: and they hold likewise that the bodies and souls of men after the day of judgement shall be confined in heaven: but I have answered these things already, and something more I shall say anon. But the mean time what delight is it to the Lord to look upon a confused Chaos to all eternity, when all his glorious works of creation are spoilt? if it should be so; both God, and man, and the rest of the creatures would be at great loss, God for spending his labour in the creation, and now to end in a confused Chaos, and man would suffer a great loss to lose a world of creatures that was given to him at the first, this would become a great reproach to the second Adam, as though he were not able to restore again to us all that the first Adam lost, & the rest of the creatures would suffer both loss & injustice, if they should not have that restored which was not lost through their default, but surely God that is able to change our vile bodies when they are turned to dust, is able to subdue all things unto himself, The Lord made Phil. 3. 21. Prov. 16. 4. Eccles. 3. 14 Deut. 32. 4. Gen. 1. 31. Exod. 31. 17. all things for himself, than whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever; He is a rock and his work is perfect; A God of truth without iniquity, Just & true is he, All his ways are done in judgement, The Lord looked upon all his works, and said they were very good, He took so great delight in them that it is said he rested and was refreshed: then shall all things lie for ever in a confused Chaos? I cannot harbour such a thought. Then saith the Lord, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind; and what follows, Esay 65. 17, 18, 19 Be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create, for I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, violence shall be no more heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates Reve. 21. 22. 22. 9 prayer, the Sun shall be thy light no more by day, neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory, thy Sun shall no more go down, Esay 60. 18, 19, 20, 21. neither shall the moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended, thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands that I may be glorified: and not only Esay 86. 24. so, that they shall enjoy all things here, but they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of them that have transgressed against the Lord, for their worm shall nor die, not the fire be quenched, but they shall be an abhorring to all flesh, the miseries of the damned that they shall see shall much increase their joy, when they shall see what judgements the Lord hath saved them from; and what a joy will it be when the creatures shall yield us true subjection as they did to Adam in Paradise? and how will the Angels rejoice to see all the Saints not only converted but glorified? Luke 15. 7. and how shall we rejoice to see the will of God done on the earth as it is in heavens; and when we shall have that Petition granted, which we have so long prayed and waited for, which is, Thy kingdom come? Matth 6. If any shall yet object and say, the Saints shall not enjoy all things, because we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we shall carry nothing out, naked we came and naked we shall return; Arise and departed, 1 Tim. 6. 7. Job 1. 21. Micah 2. 10 Heb. 11. 16 Matth. 8. 11 Luk. 23. 43 Eccle. 12. 7 for this is not your rest, because it is polluted; therefore they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly, and they shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, and this shall be as soon as they depart this life, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, then shall dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God who gave it. The answering of this may satisfy three sorts of opinions, first, that the soul is begotten as well as the body; secondly, that there is a place of abode for the soul when it is departed from the body besides heaven or hell; thirdly, it may answer those that think the soul and body both shall not after the day of judgement enjoy all things, but shall be confined in heaven for ever. First, if the spirit return to God that gave it, than the Father did not beget it, but the Lord breathed into Adam the breath of life, and he became a living soul, and the Lord formeth the spirit of man within him, and Gen 2. 7. Zach. 12. 1. some untimely births never had any spirit in them. Man is the father of the flesh, because he begot it, but it is Gods own peculiar title to be the Father of Spirits, Numb. 16. 22. 27. 16. See Heb. 12. 9 because he form it, Zach. 12. 1. and gave it, Eccles. 12. 7. If man should beget the soul of his child, than he that hath a righteous soul would beget a soul in his own likeness, but we see the contrary. Again, if a man should beget the soul of his child, he must either infuse his own soul into it, or else he must infuse a piece of it, but which of the two is it? If he infuse a piece of his own soul into the child, than he hath but a piece left himself, and his child another piece, but if he hath parted with all his soul, than he hath none himself; but so much for this ridiculous question. For the second, that there is a place for the soul's abode, when it is departed from the body, besides heaven or hell, this I deny, for I suppose the testimony of Christ is sufficient to prove that the Souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are in Heaven, for we do not conceive that their bodies are there, but that they are turned to dust, and are in that burying place which Abraham bought of Ephron the Hittite; then their souls are in heaven, else Gen. 23. 15 how shall they come from the East, and from the West, and sit down with them in Heaven? If they were not there before the day of Judgement, we should be there as soon as they: But where is that great assembly, of the first borne, I mean of all those that are borne anew of the water and the Spirit, if they be not entered into the Kingdom of God? Where those first borne, such as Andronicus and Junia, who were in Christ before me, Joh. 3. 3. 5. Rom. 16 7. Heb. 12. 22, 23, 24. are not they in the heavenly Jerusalem, the City of the living God, is it not there where the spirits or souls of Just men are made perfect? they are with Jesus the mediator of the new Covenant, and where is he but in heaven till the restitution of all things? and this as soon as their souls depart Acts 3. 21. Heb. 9 24. from the body; saith Christ to him upon the Cross, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise: but will you know where this Paradise is? if you will take Paul's word for it, he will tell you that it is the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12. 3 4. for saith he, such a one was taken up into the third heaven, he was caught up into Paradise, now if from this place you be not satisfied that Paradise and the third heaven is to be understood the same thing, you must be forced to grant that Paradise is above it, for he was first taken up into the third heaven and then he was caught up into Paradise, he doth not say that he was cast down again into Paradise, so than if the soul of the thief was that day with Christ in Paradise, than it was in the third heaven where the souls of all just men are made perfect that are departed, for they are not so while they are here; and in the Parable the rich man died and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments, here it is plain that his Soul went immediately to hell, but the beggar went to Abraham's bosom. But Luke 66. 22 23. say they, where is Abraham? I say that Christ hath told you already, in heaven: but why in Abraham's bosom? because he is said to be the father of the faithful; as the father of the Prodigal rejoiced to see the return of his Son, so will Abraham rejoice to see his children partake with him of that eternal happiness in heaven; saith John, I have no greater joy Luke 15 20 3 John 4. then to hear that my children walk in truth: yet I suppose the rich man's petition was not to the soul of Abraham, but to the God of Abraham who is the chief and only father of the faithful, who hath said he will gather his lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, to him all the souls in heaven are subject: then to me it seems adsurd to think that the soul of Abraham should have power to send the soul of Lazarus out Isa. 40. 11. 46. 3, 4. Gen. 31. 55 Psa. 24. 6. Hos. 3. 5. of heaven, and for the name we need not much to scruple at, for the Lord is often times called by the name of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Joshua, and the like, and if they should say that the soul of Abraham, and the rest of the Saints departed, are in the airy heaven, than they might know many things that are done on the earth, for the soul is of a large capacity being disburdened Isa. 13. 16. of a corrupted body, But Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel knows us not, then surely their souls are gone above the two lower heavens, which are stained with sin, and must be purged with fire at the Judgement day. If they say, none but the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, so none but Christ, to heaven in his body & soul, after his resurrection, I answer, Heb. 9 24. the beast that was sacrificed, signified the body of Christ, and the Holiest of all was the figure of heaven, but the High Priest went in, and left the sacrifice behind, and so did Christ go into heaven itself, while his body Luke 23. 43 46. was sacrificed, and lay in the earth, that day was he in Paradise; if this be not sufficient to prove it, then mark his last words, Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, and when he had said thus, he gave up the Ghost. Neither would he suffer his Joh. 20. 17 body to be touched, till that had been with his Father, although afterwards he bade them to handle him, to strengthen their faith in him, now shall we think that this going to his Father, was not to go into the glory of the third heaven? themselves cannot deny it. It may be they will say that heaven was not opened till Christ entered in with his body and soul. I answer, the way hath been open from the beginning, although not made so manifest, for Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and their faith before his visible coming in the flesh, gave substance Heb. 9 8. Revel. 13. 8. Heb. 11. 1. John 8. 56. to things hoped for, Abraham saw his day and was glad: but if they grant that heaven is open since his coming in the flesh, I demand why the souls that now departed must not enter into it: this they dare not grant, because there is a great gulf fixed, and no passage out, till they come with Luke 16. 26 1 Thess 3. 13. Judas 14, 15 Zach. 14. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 22. Acts 3. 21. Christ to Judgement, at the last day, so that then they cannot Reign here a thousand years before the end of the world: but suppose the souls departed be not in heaven, yet they cannot deny but Christ is there, he is gone into heaven, and the Heaven shall receive him, till the restitution of all things. This gulf must keep him in till the day of Judgement, and that is called his second coming, which is unto salvation, therefore there can be none before that, and as the High priest went in, not for himself, Heb. 9 28. Exo. 28. 29 but bare the name of all Israel upon his breast, no more did Christ, but as soon as the body of any of the elect is sacrificed by death, their soul he John 17. 24 receives to himself, to be where he is, to behold his glory, else why did Steven when he was stoned, and saw the Heaven's open, and Christ standing at God's right hand, say, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit? and to what purpose Acts 7. 56, 59 1 Pet 4. 19 doth Peter bid us, when we suffer according to the will of God, to commit our souls unto him? did God the Father deceive the Son when he prayed thus? doth he not say, Thou hearest me always? or did the Son dissemble, when he said, I will that they be where I am; and therefore he Joh. 11. 42 Heb. 5. 7. would not hear Steven, a man full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost? or doth Peter deceive us all, in bidding us at our death to commit our souls to God when they shall not come near him? I mean to that happiness prepared for them: but what makes Paul, desire to departed and to be with Christ, Christ is not among the Stars, nor is he yet come in the clouds, that we Phil. 1. 23. 1 Thess. 4. 16, 17. 2 Cor. 5. 6, 8. should go there to meet him, what makes him say, while we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord, and we are willing rather to be absent from the body, that we may be present with the Lord; but if their souls after they depart should be kept in a kind of purgatory, or prison from the Lord Christ, they had as good be in the body still, and absent from the Lord here, as there to be frustrate of our expectation, but the wicked shall be turned into hell, and the expectation of the poor Saints shall not perish, their soul shall return to God who gave it; as there is but Psal. 9 17, 18. two ways, so there is but two ends for all men good and bad, which are Heaven or Hell: saith Christ, In my Father's house are many Mansions, if Eccle. 12. 7 it were not so, I would have told you, that I go to prepare a place for you, But he will make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, John. 14. 2. Rom 9 23. Mat 25. 34. Psal. 3●. 19 which he had afore prepared unto glory, The Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for them before the foundation of the world, This is laid up for those that fear the Lord: they will not say, surely, it is among the stars, or in the clouds, no, let Edom make his nest there, but when we depart, we shall be with Christ, which is fare better. It may be Phil. 1, 23. some will after all this, rather than they will yield, that the soul departed is gone into the heaven of the blessed, they will say that it dies mortally with the body, but if they will believe Christ, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are living, they may be convinced of it; for God is the God of the living, and he is their God, they need not to fear them that kill the body, but cannot Mar. 22. 32. Mat. 10. 28 Luke 2. 29. kill the soul, the soul cannot die with the body, but it departs away from it: Then I conclude, that if the Soul assoon as it leaves the body, goes immediately to Paradise, the third heaven, there is neither purgatory nor place of residence after death, but as the tree falleth so it lies, after death to Judgement; a particular sentence is passed immediately upon them for heaven or hell, and there is no place of abode for Abraham's children, till they come into his bosom with him in Heaven for ever. But thirdly, which is the main objection to all my former discourse, if the soul of Abraham be in Heaven, and when he was here he desired a better Country than this world, which is a heavenly, than they say after the day of Judgement, the Saints shall not inherit all these things here below in this world, because the Saints did always set a low value of them. To this I answer, that the Soul is of a Heavenly substance, and when it Rom. 6. 7. leaves the body, than it hath ceased from sin, therefore no place between this and Paradise is fit to receive it. Therefore saith the Prophet, Arise ye and departed, for this is not your rest, because it is polluted: and after the Heb. 12. 23. day of Judgement, the Angels shall abide in Heaven, being a place for such glorious Spirits, and the souls of men made perfect, being of the same nature with them, shall abide in Heaven also till the body shall rise again, for as the souls of men are now confined in Heaven, Luk. 16. 26. and the Angels have business both in the Heavens and in the Earth, so after the day of Judgement, when they have finished their work in this world, they shall rest, and I suppose shall be confined in Heaven for ever, and when our bodies Eccle 21. 7. are risen and united to our souls, then shall we inherit all things here in their first perfection, and also we shall have sweet communion with Angels in Heaven: for as I said before, man consists of two parts, body and soul, so he shall have two worlds answerable to his two natures to delight himself in, that he may have fullness of joy for whom all things were made; 1 Tim 4. 8. for godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come; and the mean time that the body lies in the grave, the soul is gone to take possession of the kingdom of heaven, and when the body riseth again it shall then have this world bestowed upon it, and as the soul brought nothing with it, so it shall take nothing out with it, no not his own body but leaves it here, in the earth till it comes again, and so the body goes to the grave and takes nothing with it but weeping and mourning, yet when it comes again, having had the precious seeds of grace in it, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, and Psal. 126. 6. bring his sheaves with him: so then after the day of judgement when all things are purified by fire, and restored to their first perfection, than I say man shall inherit all things, both in this world and in the world to come; then shall the meek inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance Psal 37. 11. Joh. 16. 20. 33. Esay 49. 8. Matth. 10. 16. of peace; but this cannot be before the day of judgement, for saith Christ In this world you shall have tribulation, & Christ was given for a covenant of the people to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritage's, but for the present the Saints are as sheep among wolves, so that these things shall not be restored to the Saints till themselves are in their first perfection, than they shall be given us again perfect as they were to Adam at the first. And although man's body shall put on immortality, and shall be made so firm and permanent as to endure for ever eternally, yet his body shall not be turned into a spirit, it shall be a body still with flesh and bones, as Luke 24. 39, 49. the body of Christ was after his resurrection; saith he, Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have, And he did eat and drink with his disciples after his resurrection, they gave him a piece of a Luke 24. 42, 43, 30. Joh. 21. 9 12. 13. Acts 10. 41 Matth. 26. 29. Rom. 14. 17 Joh. 18. 36. broiled fish, and of an honey comb, and he took it and did eat before them: so it is likely man may after his resurrection, for saith Christ, I will henceforth drink no more of the fruit of the vine, till I drink it new in my Father's Kingdom, this cannot be meant presently after his ascension, for we never read that he drank wine in all that forty days, and his kingdom doth not consist in drinking wine, but in righteousness, peace and joy in the holy Ghost, My kingdom is not of this world saith he, than I conclude that Christ will not drink of the fruit of the vine till he hath rendered up the kingdom to 1 Cor. 15. 24. his Father, then will Christ amongst the Saints drink it new, not as though he desired to drink new wine rather than old; for he himself saith, that no man having old wine desireth new; for he saith the old is better: Luke 5. 39 then the meaning is, when the vine is made now, and all the trees and creatures restored to their first perfection, then will he drink with them in his Psal. 96. 11 12, 13. Father's kingdom, then shall the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, the fields shall be joyful, and all the trees of the wood shall rejoice before the Lord when he cometh to judge the earth, He shall judge the world with righteousness and his people with his truth; then here you see the world, every creature, the very trees shall have righteousness, as they have suffered by the sin of man, so shall they have benefit in man's deliverance from his sin, this is that which the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in pain together until now, but the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children Rom. 8. 21. 22. of God; but it is observable when all the creatures in heaven and earth rejoice at the coming of Christ to judgement, at the same time the Sea Psa. 96. 11. roars, and the fullness thereof, because it is said there shall be no more Sea, Revel. 21. 1. then shall man enjoy all the creatures that were given him at the first as he did in his innocency, so that he may eat of all the trees for his pleasure, and yet not feel the peril of hunger, and although our bodies shall be made perfect and glorious like unto the body of Christ, yet with flesh and bones as he had after his resurrection, and as our souls shall be renewed Phil. 3. 21. Luke 24. 39, 40. in all the faculties, so shall the bodies be perfect in all the senses, and they shall be abundantly satisfied for ever in the world to come. If any shall ask me what the bodies of Christ, and Enoch, and Elias now do feed upon? I answer, when they were here they lived upon food as others do now: Yet as God was able to make Christ, and Elias, and Moses to fast forty days and forty nights, so he is able to make them live there without food; yet I will not contend whether our bodies shall eat for necessity, yet I suppose when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and the Saints shall inherit all things, that then they shall eat and Revel. 21. 7 drink although not for hunger, and thirst, but only for pleasure sake, and although those bodies that are in heaven want earthly food, yet they have souls like Angels, and they amongst them are content with the joy of Angels as here sometimes inward comfort satisfies a Christian, when he wants outward comfort, so are they with heavenly food at this time in the want of earthly food, yet their fullness or joy is not till they enjoy all things both in heaven and earth answerable to both parts of body and soul. But it may be they will say it is absurd to say that the bodies of Eno●h and Elias are in heaven, or at the least that they were there before the body of Christ, because Christ is become the first fruits of them that slept, 1 Cor. 15. 20. and all shall be made alive, every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits, and afterward they that are in Christ, ver. 23. To this I answer. That there were many both in the Old Testament and the new, that were raised from a corporal death to a corporal life, and all before Christ, but they died again, 1 Kings 7. 22. 2 Kings 4. Joh. 11. 44. and it is said expressly that Eliah went up in a whirlwind into heaven, 2 Kings 2. 11. but he died not, and Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and God took him, Heb. 11. 5. Gen. 5. 24. here you see some arose under the Law, and under the Gospel to confirm their resurrection, yet died again, and some ascended into heaven before the Law, and under the Law to confirm their hopes after death, yet Christ was the first that did both arise from the dead and died no more, but ascended into heaven, and there he is with the souls of all the Saints departed, and there is the body of Enoch and of Elias, and it is no absurd thing to believe it. And because the souls of all the elect when they leave the earth ascend up to heaven, therefore it is called Jerusalem which is above, the mother of us all, it is called the mount Zion, the City of the living God, the heavenly Gal. 4. 26. Jerusalem, the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, where the spirits of just men are made perfect; but at the day of judgement when Heb. 12. 22. 23. their bodies shall rise spiritual bodies and in their first perfection, Then Jerusalem which is above shall come down from God out of heaven Revel. 21. 3, 4 as a bride adorned for her husband, than the Tabernacle of God shall be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, then shall the bride be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Christ, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and the bride hath made herself ready: we were espoused Revel. 19 7 Isay 54. 4. jer. 3. 14. Hose. 2. 19, 20. Ephe. 5. 31. 32. Revel. 15. 3 2 Thes. 1. 10. Revel. 19 8 Luk. 2. 36, 37. Reve. 7. 14, 15. Reve. 19 9 or betrothed unto Christ in our convesion, but the great solemnity of the marriage is when the King of Saints shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired of all them that believe, then to his bride shall be granted that she shall be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints, these are they which have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, they served God in the temple with fasting and prayer night and day, therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell amongst them when this great solemnity is kept, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb, these are the true say of God, The Angel said unto John, come hither, and I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife, and he carried me in the spirit to a great mountain, and shown me the great City, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, Revel. 21. 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. and in it was the glory of God shining like a stone most precious: it had a wall great and high, and twelve gates to it, and twelve foundations, the City was foursquare, the length and the breadth and height they are all equal, twelve thousand furlongs every way, & the wall was a hundred forty four four cubits in thickness, and the wall was built of Jasper stone, & the City was pure gold, like unto pure glass, the foundations of the wall of the City was garnished with all manner of precious stones; & the twelve gates were of twelve pearls, and the streets of the City were of pure gold as it were transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty & the Lamb are the temple of it, and the City had no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light of it, and the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it, and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there, and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, or whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but only they which are written in the Lamb's book of life, this is the glorious City, the new Jerusalem, the Lamb's wife. And he shown me a pure River of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding Revel. 22. out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb in the midst of the street of it, and of either side of the River was there the tree of life which bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruits every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations, and there shall be no more curse, but the Throne of God, and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the Sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever, and he said unto me, These say are faithful and true; then blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City, then shall they rejoice in their portion, in their land they shall have double, everlasting joy shall be unto them: I Isay 61. 7. Isay 60. 15. 18. will make thee an eternal excellency, violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise: For they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, for the Lamb in the midst of the Throne shall Reve. 7. 16, 17. Luk. 20 35, 36. feed them, and lead them unto living fountains of water: and they that are accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, can die no more, but are equal to the Angels in this new heaven, and new earth: God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither any more pain, because the former things are passed away: And he that sat on the Throne said, behold I make all things new, and there shall be none in Revel 21. 1, 4, 5 that world that his strength is gone with age nor an Infant who is weak Isay 65. 20. for want of age, or that hath not fulfilled his days, they shall be all in their full growth, and first perfection. If it be said the child shall die a hundred years old, I answer, I have showed before that there shall be no more death in the new Jerusalem when it is come down from God out of heaven, Revel. 21. 4. Luk. 20. 36. then the meaning of that place is this; those that lived in the first age of the world, living eight or nine hundred years were a hundred years before they came to their full growth, but in the resurrection they shall rise in their full growth as if they had dyedat the age of a hundred years old; yet in this age of the world I suppose they that die shall rise about the age of the second Adam, when he gave his life a ransom for us, being the full growth of this age to their full strength and Isay 65. 22. perfection: but it was I suppose a hundred years in the first age, before they came to the stature and full growth of the first Adam in the day of his creation; this is also the meaning of the next words, For as the days of a tree, are the days of my people, that is, say the Philosophers an Oak tree is a hundred years before it is come to its full growth, so was man before the flood: then at this age they shall rise again, and long enjoy the work of their hands: then Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation, Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end, for thus saith the Lord, that created the Heavens, God himself that form the Earth and made it, he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he form it to be inhabited, I am the Lord and there is none else. Isa. 45. 18, 19 Do but mind this Text and consider it well, and judge thyself, who ever thou art that readest it, whether the lower Heavens, and the Earth, and all the creatures in them shall be consumed at the day of judgement, and become an unprofitable and uncomfortable Chaos, and so remain for ever. No, the Lord Reigneth, the world shall be established, that it shall not be moved: Psa 96. 10. One generation goeth, and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth for ever: Eccles. 1. 4. The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein, for he hath founded it upon the Seas, and established it upon the floods, Psal. 24. 1, 2 The world also is established that it cannot be moved. Psal 93. 1. 2 Peter tells us in the last days there shall come scoffers, and then showeth the occasion of their scoffing, and that is some promises that were made of the coming of Christ, such as these, Sing, O Daughter of Zion, for lo I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord, Zach. 3. 10, 11, 12. 8. 3. 8. Behold, I come quickly, Revel. 22. 12. He that shall come will come, Heb. 10. 37. Behold he cometh, Rev. 1. 7. Judas 14. But say these scoffers, where is the promise of his coming? 2 Pet. 3. 3. Another occasion is of his preparation for his coming, for saith the Apostle, we according to his promise in Isa. 65. 17. 66. 22. look for new Heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, ver. 13. But say these scoffers, All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation, ver. 4. now this is to be understood literally of the Heavens and earth, for he blames them of their ignorance, how that the Heavens were of old, and the earth stood out of the waters, and then in the waters, for the world that then was, was overflowed and perished, v. 5, 6. But the Heavens and earth that are now, are reserved for fire at the day of Judgement, then shall the elements melt, and the earth and all things in it shall be burnt up, v. 7. 10. 12. Then he exhorts them to a holy conversation, and godliness from this motive, that we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth after that day, wherein dwelleth righteousness, v. 11. 13. And God made all things for himself, Prov. 16. 4. And he greatly delighteth in the works of his hands, and although man hath prodigally lost them all by sin, yet God will not lose them so, and by Christ all things were made, both in heaven, and in earth, they were all made by him, and for him, and shall we think that Christ will lose them all? no, he made peace through the blood of his Cross, to reconcile all things unto himself, both things in earth, and things in heaven, Col. 1. 16. 20. And God hath made Christ Heir of all things, for by him the worlds were made, and he upholdeth all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 2, 3. And the children of God are joynt-heires with Christ, of the same inheritance, and the creatures themselves wait for that day, to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, Rom. 8. 19 21. And all the creatures rejoice at the coming of Christ to Judgement, Psal. 96. 11, 12, 13. because then they shall be restored again to their first perfection; by these things I know that what God doth it shall be for ever, Eccles. 3. 14. Yet I am confident that in this world before the end of it, here well be glorious days, for the Gospel shall be Preached in many nations together in the last days, in the times of the Gospel being the third and last age of the World, when the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills, that is, the Gospel shall Micah 4. 1, 2, 3. Isa. 2. 2, 3, 4 prevail against and above all mountains and hills of opposition and all nations shall flow unto it, and many nations shall go and say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people, that is, Christ by his Church and people will bridle and curb and keep under the power of the enemies: but the next words cannot well be fulfilled in this world before the end, that is, when they shall beat their swords into Ploughshares, and their spears into Pruning hooks, and learn wars no Verse 4. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 2, 3, 4. Mat. 24, 7, 8 more, for all the life of a Christian is but warfare, and we must endure hardness as a good Soldier and we know by experience what wars hath been this last age under the Gospel, and so they shall continue, for Kingdom shall be against Kingdom, and there shall be wars and rumours of wars till the coming of Christ to Judgement, but after that day when the Saints shall have all things restored to them in their first perfection Mat. 13. 41, 42. and all things are taken out of his Kingdom that do offend and that do iniquity, and are cast into the furnace of fire by the Angels at that day, than I suppose the Saints shall dress the gardens and prune the vineyards as Adam did in his innocency, yet for pleasure and recreation, not working as a toil but for delight, then shall this be fulfilled, there shall be wars no more, but in the most glorious times under the Gospel before the end of the world we shall never be freed from wars as I said before, but when Kingdom is against Kingdom, and Nation against Mat. 24 6, 7. 14. 29, 30 36. Nation, then shall the Gospel be Preached in all the world for a witness unto all Nations, and then shall the end come, and immediately after the tribulation, shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, yet the Judgement day knoweth no man nor Angel in heaven. But it will be very glorious times when the hearts of Lions, Tigers, Wolyes, Leopards and Cockatrices shall be taken from them, and the hearts of Lambs and Children given to them, so that they shall not hurt nor destroy in the Isa. 11 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. mountain of the Lord, but the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters that cover the Sea, then shall his rest be glorious when his ways are known upon earth, and his saving health is come into all Nations, and some shall be redeemed out of every Nation, every kindred, tongue, and people, Other sheep he hath which are not yet of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear his voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd, yet all this in troublous times. Dan. 9 25. The children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David Psal. 67 2. Rev. 5. 9 Joh. 10. 16. Hos. 3. 5. their King, and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesses in the latter days. Zions' righteousness shall go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth, and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all Kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name which the Isa. 62. 1, 2, 3. mouth of the Lord shall name, thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the Lord, & a Royal Diadem in the hand of thy God; Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, for darkness shall cover Isa 60. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. the earth, & gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall rise upon thee, & his glory shall be seen upon thee, & the gentiles shall come to thy light & Kings to the brightness of thy rising, thy sons shall come from fare, & thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side, then shalt thou see and flow together, and thy heart shall fear and be enlarged, because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee, and the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee: surely these will be glorious times when Jews and Gentiles so well accord to serve the Lord, and this shall be before the end; and I Rev. 31. 13. 18, 19 hope it is near at hand that Antichrist shall down this Kingdom being the tenth part of the great City which now is falling off, and the rest will soon molder away, and the Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament & the Nations were angry: then what makes the Nations so angry with us? how quiet have the Nations been these hundred years, till now the tenth part of the City fell, and the Temple is opened and the Ark and the Testimony are seen, that is Christ, and the saving doctrines of election and free grace are clearly laid open, this makes the Nations angry, but we hope in this great Earthquake all the superstition and Idolatry of Antichrist will tumble down, and many of those gracious promises shall be fulfilled. But as the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the world foretold in the Gospel, are so enfolded together that it is hard to distinguish one from the other, because that in many things they do so agree, Mat. 24. yet in some things they may be known: so the restauration of Jerusalem or the calling of the Jews doth so agree with that restauration of all things to the first perfection and the coming down of that Jerusalem out of heaven, Rev. 21. 2. that it is hard to distinguish the one from the other, yet in some things they may be known. I will here name some places of the Scripture which I suppose the promises are so mixed that they neither can be applied before nor after, but partly before and partly after: it is said, judgement shall dwell in the Wilderness, and righteousness remain in the Isa. 32. 16, 17, 18. fruitful field, the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever; and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, sure dwellings and quiet resting places: again, Isa. 33. 5, 6. the Lord is exalted, for he dwelleth on high, he hath filled Zion with judgement and righteousness, and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation, the fear of the Lord is his treasure. But I suppose these precious promises are not to be fulfilled till after the day of Judgement, for which the sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrite; they say, who shall dwell with devouring fire? who can dwell with everlasting burn? ver. 14. the answer is made, he that walketh righteously, that speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, and stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evil, he shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure, thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty, they shall behold the Land that is very fare off. vers. 15, 16, 17. But where is this land which these promises are of? look unto Zion the City of of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, nor one of the Stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the coards thereof be broken, and the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick, the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. ver. 20. and 24. These things cannot be fulfilled in this world, for before the end all Churches are subject to sin, sickness, and alteration, and desolation. But is this promise to the Jews only? I answer, No: Come near ye Nations to hear, and hearken ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein, the world and all things that Isa. 34. 1. come forth of it: here you see the extent of this promise is to all people and Nations, and not only so, but to the earth and all creatures that come forth of it: Out of the ground the Lord God form every beast of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam. All Gen. 2. 19 these have suffered a long time for the sin of man, but here is a promise for them; this is the ground of their hope and the earnest expectation Rom. 8. 19 of the creature, this makes the heavens and the earth so glad, and the Psal. 96. 11. 12. 13. field and the trees of the wood to rejoice; when the Lord comes to judge the earth and the world, he will then do all creatures Justice. But shall this promise be fullfiled before the day of Judgement? I answer, No, for all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their host shall fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as the falling fig from the figtree, for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion; vers. 4. 8. then shall the wilderness and desert Isa 35 1. be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose, it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing, the glory Ver. 1, 2. of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God; this may very well be understood to be after the day of Judgement, for your God will come with vengeance, even God with recompense, he will save you; vers. 4. Then in what manner shall this salvation be? I answer, from all bodily infirmities, there shall neither be blind, nor lame, nor dumb, nor deaf, v. 5, 6. but this cannot be fulfilled in this world before the end, till all the creatures are freed from the corruption that came in with sin; but that cannot be before the day of Judgement, for if sin were removed before the day of Judgement, that day should never come, for God will not judge and condemn men where no sin is. Again, they are not only freed from infirmities, but from danger without. No Lion shall be there, nor any any ravenous beast shall be found there; and then the great comfort and fellowship of the Saints, none but the redeemed shall walk there, the ransomed of the Lord of hosts shall come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing stall flee away. v. 9 10. I suppose none will think to have these things fulfilled in this corrupted world before Acts 3. the restitution of all things to their first perfection at the last day. Again, in those days and in that time saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found, for I will pardon them whom I reserve; but this cannot be understood of Israel and Judah in this world, but of them Jer. 50. 20. that are reserved for another, yet I grant that single persons in respect of their justification are freed from sin, yet not in respect of sanctification, it is there still although it doth not reign in them, but if we take in all Israel and Judah, it must be fulfilled after the day of judgement. Again, he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob nor seen perverseness in Israel, the Num. 3. 21. Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King among them, that is, God was with them by his Angel that went before them, & the Ark was a Exod. 23. 20. Micah 7. 18. sign of his presence, and by success and conquest over their enemies, and God did pass by their sins; and as the Apostle saith, in the times of ignorance Acts 17. 30 God winked at them, that is, he did not so exactly mark their iniquities as to punish them, but this is chief to be understood after the Psal 130. 3. day of judgement, than there shall be no sin, and Christ will live amongst them; I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day, which can be Zach. 3. 9 no other but the judgement day; again, sing and rejoice O daughter of Zion, for lo I come, and I 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 Zach. 2. 10, 11, 12. shall inherit Judah his portion, and shall choose Jerusalem; again, thus saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth, the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain, but now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord, for the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I will cause the Zach 3. 3. ●…, 12. remnant of this people to possess all these things, I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness; The Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people, for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land; In that day Zach. 9 16. shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David, and the house of David shall be as Zach. 12. 8, 9 God, as the Angel of the Lord before him; And in that day I will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and the Lord shall be King over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one, and men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited, And the Lord shall reign over them in Zach. 14. 9 11. Micah 4. 7, 8. mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever, and thou O Tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come even the first dominion, in that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely, for them that are escaped in Israel; and it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion, & shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement, and Isay 4. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. by the spirit of burning, and the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud, and a smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for upon all the glory shall be a defence, and there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. In the valley of Jehosaphat the Lord will sit to judge the heathen round about, for the day of the Lord is near, the Sun and the Moon shall Joel 3. 12. 14, 15. 20, 21. be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining, but Judah shall ldwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation; for I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion, then shall the light of the Moon be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth Isay 30. 26. the stroke of their wound; The Lord most high is terrible, he is a great King over all the earth, he shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet, he shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved; God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet, Sing praises to our God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises, for God is the King of all the earth, sing praises Psa. 47. with understanding, God reigneth over the heathen, God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness. In a little wrath I hide my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, for as the waters of Noah I have sworn shall no more go over the earth; so have Isay 54. 9, 10, etc. I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee; behold the mountains shall departed and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not departed from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee; O thou afflicted, tossed with tempests and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay the foundations with saphires, and windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones, and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children, in righteousness shalt thou be established, thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come unto thee, and whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall, for thy sake no weapon that is form against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn, this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord; Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the mountain of his holiness, beautiful for situation, Psal. 48. 1, 2. the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, God is known in her palaces Verse 3. 8. 11, 12, 13, 14. for a refuge, as we have heard, so have we seen, in the City of the Lord of Host, in the City of our God, God will establish it for ever, Selah; Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgements, walk about Zion, go round abour her and tell the towers thereof, mark well her Bulwarks, for this God is our God for ever and ever: these things are mixed together concerning the calling of the Jews to their Jerusalem, and the coming down of Jerusalem out of heaven that it is hard to distinguish them, yet many of these things cannot be fulfilled before the restitution of all things, for Christ must be in heaven till then, so that these things must be fulfilled afterward; again, at the day of judgement Christ shall come from heaven with his mighty Angels, 2 Thess. 1. 7 10. when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints; for, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all, Judas 14 15 but if Christ and his Saints should come and live here a thousand years before, 1 Thess. 3. 13. how could it be said he and all the Saints shall come down from heaven at that day; but you see that to be true, And we which are alive and remain here, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: 1 Thess. 4. 17. then I conclude that the Saints departed are in heaven with Christ, neither shall they come again before, with him nor without him, till the day of judgement, for as Adam had the world prepared for him before his creation, so shall the Saints departed have; the world purged from all the corruption of it before they shall have it restored to them again, and this shall be a great happiness to them to have it in the first perfection for ever; yet I grant from the creation of the world to the end of it, that Christ as a King rules by his power and providence over all kingdoms, peoples, and creatures, he upholds all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. he saith, By me kings reign, and Princes decree justice, by me princes rule, and nobles, even all the Judges of the earth, Prov. 8. 15, 16. our God is in heaven and hath done whatsoever he pleased, his counsel shall stand, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Psal. 115. 3. 135. 6. 33. 10, 11. Secondly, Christ rules his Church in an especial manner, ordering all the affairs of it, he hath made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, he worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, Ephe. 1. 9 11. thus Christ rules now, and shall to the end of the world, and no otherwise. Phil. 2. 13. And to say that Christ shall rule and govern as earthly monarches have done over this corrupted world before the day of judgement, in a worldly visible and earthly glory, is but a fancy and cannot be grounded upon the word of God, and the author of that book that goes in the name of Mr. Archer, grants himself, Page 5. that there is a world to come to be put in subjection to Christ, of which Adam in his Innocency was a type in many respects, first as he damned all mankind, this was a type and figure of Christ saving all the elect, Rom 5. 14. and his marriage to the woman was a type of the conjunction of Christ to his Church, Ephe. 5. 30, 31, 32. and his sovereignty over this present world was a figure of the subjection of the world to come to Christ, these things I grant, yet not before the day of judgement, because the good and the bad are mixed together, and shall be so till the day of judgement; joh 15. 15. and because all the creatures are corrupted by the sin of man, The heavens are not clear in his sight; and God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt, Gen 6. 2. for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth, this came by the sin of man, and shall not be purged but by fire at the judgement day. But they object, this cannot be after the day of judgement, because than Object. 1 Cor. 15. 24. Luke 19 11, 12. 2 Tim. 4. ● Christ resigns up his Kingdom; but Christ in that parable of the noble man is gone into a fare country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return, and saith the Apostle at the appearance of Christ and his kingdom, from these places they would prove that Christ shall come a thousand years to reign here before his last coming to judgement. To these things I answer, that it is not meant that Christ shall render up his kingdom out of his own hand, but to render up the manner of government he shall then render up his mediatorship, he need make intercession no longer when his people are in full possession of all that happiness that is promised to them, neither need Christ to make use of earthly things, as his deputies or Isay 49. 23 Dan. 7. 9 1 Cor. 15. Vers. 28. Heb 7. 25. Mark 13. 3 John 8. 29 4. 34. vicegerents to be nursing fathers to his Churches; all these thrones shall be cast down when the ancient of days doth sit, and though it may be said then the Son shall be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all, this is to be understood the humanity of Christ shall be subject to the deity and so it is now, for he now makes intercession for his people, and as man he knoweth not when the day of judgement shall be, and saith he, the Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him, Jesus said unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work, but his mediatorship is not yet finished, Matth. 22. 44. till all his enemies are made his footstool, then will his glory be fare greater than now it is: when the Devils and wicked men, and all things that offend, and that do iniquity shall by the Angels be cast out of his kingdom, and cast into Matth. 13 41, 42. John 17. 2 Ephe. 1. 2 4. 13. Dan 7. 1● 18. 27. Revel. 22. ●… Revel 21. ●… Luke 19 ●… 11, 12. Heb. 12. 2● 24. 2 Tim 4. ● 1 Thess. 3● 3 13. 2 Thess. 1● the furnace of fire, & all his Saints shall be where he is to behold his glory, this is called the fullness of Christ when all his Saints are glorified with him, his dominion is everlasting which shall not pass away, his kingdom shall not be destroyed, but when the curse is taken from the earth, the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him as natural members of his body, when the Saints shall inherit all things. And whereas it is said, that Christ went to receive a kingdom, and to return, I answer that he is gone to heaven to receive that kingdom for us, and the souls of just men made perfect do enjoy it; and from that other place spoken of his appearing and his kingdom, this is at the day of judgement when he comes to judge both the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdom, and then shall Christ have another kingdom when he comes from heaven with all his Saints, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels, all these earthly things shall then be purified by fire, and restored again to him and his Saints in their first perfection, and unto them that look for him, he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, then if salvation be at his second coming, in my judgement there needs Heb. 9 2● not a third, neither can his second coming be understood of his living here in this corrupted world a thousand years, but after the day of judgement in that new world to all eternity. The Prophet Isay, after he hath spoken of the coming of Christ in the flesh, Chap. 11. from the first verse to the eleventh, than he speaks of his coming to judgement, and this he calls a second coming, Vers. 11. in these words, And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left in many parts of the world, and from the Islands of the Sea: he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth, Vers. 12. the next chapter is nothing else but a praising God for those excellent things that he hath made known in all the earth, Vers. 5. and in the 13. Chap. Vers. 9, 10, 11. is showed the manner of his judgements; Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the Land desolate, and he shall destroy the sinners out of it, than the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the Sun shall be darkened and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine, for I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; now if the coming of Christ to judgement be his second coming, then where will be found his coming to reign here a thousand years before the end of the world? But they would needs have Christ to rule here as the other monarches have done, because he is mentioned to rise upon the downfall of those monarches; first the Assyrian which fell into the Babylonian, that was overcome by the Medes and Persians, and that of the Medes and Persians was overcome by the Grecians, and that of the Grecians was overcome by the Romans, and that of the Romans was overcome by the white stone cut out of the rock without hands, this western monarch which fell into many kingdoms, the white stone shall ruin all these kingdoms, & smite the image on the feet that were of Iron and Clay, and swallow up the whole Image, all the foregoing monarches were ●an. 2. 34, ●5. brought under, and by it to nothing, and it became a monarch over the whole earth, by these things he would have the monarchy of Christ here spoken of to be before the day of judgement in this corrupted world, while the good and the bad are in it, and every creature defiled with sin as I have showed before, but this cannot be, for all things that offend, and that do iniquity, the Angels shall gather out of this kingdom, and cast them into the Furnace of fire, Matth. 13. 〈◊〉, 41, 42. and this kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him, the Saints of the most High shall possess the kingdom ●an. 7. 27. ●ers. 18. for ever, even for ever; then this cannot be before the day of judgement, because that none but Saints shall possess it, for here the Tares and Wheat shall grow together, and the good and the bad shall be together till the very day that the Angels are sent to fetch them before the Judge, and the heavens shall receive Christ till the restitution of all things to their first perfection, then shall the Saints inherit all things. And where he saith, that the Saints shall be confined in heaven, and all things here below shall be turned again into a confused Chaos, and so remain for ever, this I have answered already. One scruple more is this, whether the middle heaven, called the starry heaven, shall continue after the day of judgement, because some times it is spoken in the singular number; I saw a new heaven, and the City had no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it, and there shall be no night there; now if the Revel. 21. 1 heavens be destroyed, and but one be made new, and the City no need of the Sun, Moon or Stars, then say they, God will make nothing in vain; Revel. 21. 23. 25. Isay 45. 18. Revel. 21. 1 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12, 13. I answer, where it is said, I saw a new heaven, in the same place it is said, the first heaven passed away, this is spoken only for brevity as in Cap. 20. Ver. 11. it is said, the earth and the heaven fled away, but we know the heavens shall pass away, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and we according to his promise look for new heavens; now where the Scripture in some places speaks more briefly, and other places more largely, we ought to take the largest expression, and whereas it is said, in the City there shall be no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it; I answer it is true when every Saint of God shall shine as the Sun in the Firmament, and Christ their head ten thousand times more brighter than the Sun, besides the infinite glory of God himself Matth. 13. 43. Revel. 21. 23. shall be there to enlighten it, so that in the City there will be no need of these things, yet out of the City the beasts and fowls both stand in need of these things, therefore they shall be purified, that the rest of the creatures may have those comforts belonging to them, and so they shall continue for ever, the light of the moon shall then be as light as the Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound; then shall the Sun no more go down, neither shall the Isay 30. 26. Moon withdraw itself, else the creatures would not be in so happy a condition under the second Adam in the new world, as they were in their creation Isay 60. 20. under the first Adam in the old world. The uses follow. First Use, hath Jesus sent his Angel to testify these things unto the Churches? Revel. 22. 16, 17. 20. then let the Spirit and the bride say Come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is athirst come, for he that testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly; even so come Lord Jesus; there be many benefits that come with Christ that may cause the Saints to desire his appearing; there is a Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me alone, but to all that love his appearing. Beloved, 2 Tim. 48. 1 Pet. 5. 4. we are now the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, then let us look for that blessed hope, and the glorious 1 John 3. 2 Titus 2. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Psal. 96. 11 12, 13. appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, We according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, the heavens rejoice and the earth is glad, the field is joyful and all that is therein, and all the trees of the wood will rejoice before the Lord, when he cometh to judge the earth; Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, when these things begin to come to pass, then look Luke 21. 27, 28. Revel. 19 7 Luke 2. 25. 26. up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draneth nigh; Let us rejoice and be glad, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his bride hath made herself ready; because it was revealed to old Simeon that he should not see death, till he had seen the Lords Christ, therefore he waited for the consolation of Israel; be patiented therefore brethren unto the coming of our Lord, behold the husbandman waiteth for the fruit of the earth, be ye also patiented, establish your heart, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, saith Micah, James 5. 7, 8. Micah 7. 7. I will wait for the God of my salvation, and Paul commends the Corinthians for this thing, for saith he, ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord, for saith he, our conversation 1 Cor. 1. 7. 8. is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies, and make them like unto his Phillip 3 20, 21. glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself, Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335. days saith the Angel to Daniel, but go thou thy way, thou shalt rest till the end Dan. 12. 12, 13. be, and then stand in thy lot in the end of the days when all things are restored to their first perfection, than Daniel shall have his lot among other Saints; therefore wait I say on the Lord, I will wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, in his word do I wait, My soul doth wait for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning, I say more than they that watch for Psal. 130. the morning; let Israel hope in the Lord, watch therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord doth come, therefore be ye ready, for in such an Matth. 24. 42. 44. 46. 47. hour as ye think not of the Son of man cometh; blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing, verily I say unto you he will make him ruler over all his goods, now what are those goods that the Saints shall be made Rulers over at the day of judgement, but those creatures that were given to the first Adam, and he by his sin lost this Lordship over them, and the second Adam hath restored to him all again in their first perfection, and saith Luke, he will make him ruler over his Luke 12. 42. 44. household and over all that he hath; now saith Paul, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and Ephe. 3 14. 15. earth is named, what other meaning can this have but this after the day of judgement, to be made Lords and Rulers over all the creatures here below, and as I take it in some degree also above the Angels in heaven? howsoever here is sufficient to answer a question sometimes moved, which is this, whether Quest. shall the Saints or Angels have the highest degree of glory after the day of judgement? I answer the Saints, for as the beasts shall be confined to the earth, so Answ. the Angels shall be confined in heaven, but man shall inherit all things, all things I say both in earth and heaven, and as man shall have more glory on earth than any beast or fowl can have, so I suppose he shall have more glory in heaven then any Angel there, because that he is the master piece of all, and as it were a model of all the creation, being the last that was made, all the rest being but made for him; the Elders were with Christ on the throne, and the Angels standing round about it, read Revel. 7. 11. therefore in more glory Revel. 5. 11 7. 11. than the Angels. Secondly, Use may teach us admiration with David, and say, O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou Psal. 31. 19 hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! First, Look bacl upon sin and see the cursed nature of it, and admire at the filthy contagion of it that hath defiled the lower heavens and the earth job 15. 15. Gen 6. 12. and all creatures in them and spoilt the glory and beauty of them all. Secondly, This may teach us to admire at the great mercy and goodness Psal. 136. 23. 72. 12. Psal. 63. 5. of our God who remembered us in our low estate, how he delivered us when we had no helper, he looked and there was none to help, than his own Arm brought salvation. Thirdly, Here we may admire at the folly of Adam that would hazard such a glorious world of creatures and lose them all for a bit of an Apple. Fourthly, we may admire at their happy and permanent condition under the second Adam, when as they shall be established for ever, and see how fickle and mutable they were under the first Adam, O then happy is he that is not under the first but under the second Adam, who hath restored again what the first lost. Fiftly, here we may admire at the great price of our redemption, the worth and value of the blood of Christ, when we had spoilt and ruined the whole 1 Pet. 1. 19 creation, all the glorious works of God by our sins, that the blood of Christ should purchase redemption for mankind, and establishment to the Angels that had not sinned, and purification to the creatures here below, and establishment to all. Sixtly, here we may see and admire at the justice of God to all, that creatures that have suffered punishment, not for their own sins but for ours, now they shall not only be delivered after so long a time, but established in an unchangeable condition for ever, which will make amends for their great loss they had by the sin of man. Seventhly, admire at the wisdom of God that could find out such a way to satisfy his own justice and yet to save his creatures. Eighthly, this may teach us to admire at the power of God that is able to do all these things, which in all men's judgement was a greater work to renew the ruins of the old world, than it was at the first to make it of nothing, he traveled in the greatness of his strength, and is mighty to save, he laid Isay 63. 1. Psal. 89. 19 Psal. 33. 9 help upon one that is mighty whereas the world was made by a word of command, He spoke and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast. Ninthly, this may teach us to admire at the great love of God to us, in not sparing his own Son, but gave him up to death for us all. Rom. 8. 32. 10. Admire at the great love of Christ, for when we were yet without Rom. 5. 68 strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, God commended his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 11. Admire at God's free acceptation of Christ's atonement and satisfaction when he became our surety, saith he, behold my Servant whom I have L 2 Heb. 7. 22. F Mat 12. 18, I 20, 21. 2 chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall show Judgement to the Gentiles he shall send forth judgement unto victory, and in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 12. Admire at the faithfulness of God the father to God the son in giving to Christ all the elect, and of the Son to the Father that will lose none of them that the Father, gave him before Christ came in the flesh, the Father gave Christ all the elect and set him a day to pay for the purchase, and now it is paid, the Son trusts the Father for all the elect as they fall in their several ages of the world. The third use, Is it so that all things shall be restored again to the Saints in their first perfection? then let us not so much labour for them in their corrupted condition, as to have them perfect at the day of Judgement, let us use them to God's glory in giving to relieve the poor, and behold all things are clean Luk. 11. 41 unto you, unto the pure all things are pure; that is, he hath not only a pure and a sanctified use of them here, but they shall be restored to their first purity Tit. 1. 15. after the day of Judgement; let us not desire them immoderately in their corrupted condition, nor to get them unjustly by fraud or deceit, nor unjustly possess them by keeping them to ourselves, when the Lord calls for them for public uses, neither be thou envious at the foolish, when thou seest the prosperity of the wicked: There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Psal. 37. 1. 7 3. 3. Eccles 5. 13 Vers. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Prov. 23. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Heb. 10. 34 Prox. 8. 18 Sun, namely, riches kept to the hurt of the owners; these things in their corrupted condition will not satisfy us, he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase; and they are but uncertain riches, trust not in them but in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy, then set not thine heart upon that which is not, for riches make themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle toward heaven, cast your care upon God, for he careth for you, the Saints in former times could suffer with joyfulness the spoiling of their goods, because they had a better and an enduring substance, let us labour for wisdom, and that will bring with it durable riches and righteousness, and her merchandise, and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord, it shall not be treasured up, for her merchandise shall be before them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently Isa 23. 28. Mat 6. 33. Luk. 12 31, 32. Luk 12. 43, 44. Gen. 3. 17, 18. Isa. 55 12, 23. & for durable clothing. First seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you, if not in this world, yet they shall in their purity and first perfection be restored at the last day; Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Here might be a use of comfort to the poor Saints of God, who have but little of these outward things, let them not be discouraged, for all is theirs as soon as the dross and corruption is taken off from them, for they are like unto men that wait for their Lord, if you be found so doing you shall be blessed and made rulers over all that he hath: when the curse is taken from the earth, and in stead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and in stead of the briar shall come up the fir tree, this shall be to the Lord for a name and for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off, for ye shall go forth with joy and be led forth with peace: the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, his honour have all the Saints, praise ye the Lord. Psal. 149. 9 FINIS