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Part. 2. phets, and to the Saints, and them that fear thy name; Small and great. This doth not fignify the last judgement, or the laft Refurrection.

Chap. II.

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"Tis the first Resurrection, the Deliverance of the Church, her coming to the expected King. dom. This is fet forth after the fame manner in the 20th Chapter of the Apocalyps, as hath been already feen, The Time of the Dead to be judged; he faith not, the Living and the Dead,or all the Dead; but fpeaks of the Church, which lay as dead during the reign of Antichrift, and fhall rife again when that Kingdom is deftroyed. The Dead fhall be judged. And how? 'tis God will reward the faithfull and the Church by giving them Peace and a Kingdom. 'Tis a judgement of Grace, and of Beneficence. He fpeaks not of eternal Rewards, as appears by what follows: and to deftroy thofe, who deftroyed the Earth. Which is not a proper term to fignify eternal punishments, wherein nothing is deftroyed: men continue under them for ever: fo that the ruin of the Antichriftian Empire must be here

meant.

V.19. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was feen in his Temple the Ark of his Teftament. The Ark is the fign of God's Covenant with the Jews; fo this Prophecy of the Ark in the Temple of God, fignifies the recalling of the Jews.The Temple of God was open: The Church fhall be open to all Nations, all People fhall refort to it; and among others, we fhall fee that People, who derive their Glory from the Ark of the Cove

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CHAP,

CHA P. XXIV.

The Characters of the Kingdom of the Church. Eight are certaiu, and five doubtfull. What shall happen after this Kingdom. What is meant by Gog and Magog. There shall probably be a leffer kind of Antichrift a little before the end of the World.

Having confirmed the Truth of this Reign of Chrift upon Earth, we ought now to confider the Nature and Characters of it; they may be divided into two Claffes; fome that are doubtful, and others certain. It is fit that we begin with the certain. We are not to reckon among the Characters of this Reign, either the fall of the Babylonish Empire, or the conversion of the Iews, or the converfion of the remaining Gentiles. For these three things are to go before it. They can never be brought about, but with confufion and Tumult. The Popish Empire cannot fall, but it muft coft blood, and make a mighty noife. The conversion of the Ïews must needs be attended with great Commotions among the People, and it may be violent contradictions. "Tis likewife impoffible to conceive, that the Converfion of the Gentiles can be brought about, without the utmost endeavours of the Devil to hinder it he will raife all his forces every where, to hinder the last establishment of this Kingdom of Christ, as he did in the firft Ages of the Chriftian Church. So that we cannot doubt, but he will caufe great oppofition, not only by words, but it may be blows. Now this cannot belong to

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the

Part 2.

Part 2. the Kingdom of Chrift, whereof the principal Character is Soveraign Peace. Infomuch that we thus conceive of it. 1. The Papal Empire fhall fall. 2. After that fome years will be neceffary to abolish Sects and Parties, and compofe the differences among Chriftians. 3. That after this; many Heathen Nations, and the Jews fhall betonverted; for it cannot be thought, that they should be converted, while Chriftians are fo much at variance among themselves, and feeking the deftruction of one another. 4. After the Converfion of the Jews, the remainder of the moft remote Nations fhall alfo be converted; Now for all this there must be time; for fhould we think that God will act in a more miraculous manner in this than in the establishment of the firft Chriftian Church, Wherefore as the Chriftian Church was near an hundred years in its firft fetling, no lefs will be neceflary perfectly to refettle it; and then fhall that bleffed Kingdom come, which we expect, not but that there is fome probability, that God may be-' gin to compute the thousand years from the fall of Antichrift, even before the Converfion of the Jews and Gentiles, and fo the fall of the Antichriftian Kingdom, and the Converfion of the Nations, may in fome fort be comprehended within the Reign of Chrift, for a thousand years. But when we ipeak here ofthe Kingdom of Chrift, we fpeak of it as in its perfection, which will not be till after these things are come to pass.

An extra

effufion of

The firt certain Character of this reign of Chrift, ordinary is the plentifull effusion of the Spirit of God upon men. the Spirit The Prophecy of Ioel to this purpofe, is one of those, which is but in part accomplisht hitherto, I Character. will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and jour Daughters shall prophecy, your old Men

the first

certain

Chap. 2. 28, 29.

shalt

377 shall dream dreams, and your young Men fee vifi- Part 2. ons; alfo on the fervants and the hand-maid in thofe days will I pour out my Spirit. That leffer effufion of the Spirit, which the firft Chriftians experienc't, is not enough to fill up the Senfe of this Prophecy. 1. Because that did not extend very far; the number was not great of thofe who did pertake of it. 2. That did not last but a little while, for even before the death of the Apostles, the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit became rare; So that what was then, was properly but a prefage and type of that large effufion of the Spirit, which fhould be in the laft Period of the Church; not that all men fhall then become Prophets, aud be infpired; but all fhall be affifted and led by an extraordinary and all-powerfull influence of the H. Spirit..

Character

2. From this firft Character will arife a fecond, The fecond viz. great Holiness. Great in refpect of the de- great Holigrees, and of the extent of it. In refpect of de- nefs. grees; for fuch as fhall then be Holy, fhall be incomparably more fo than any are now, who are reputed fuch: and as to the extent of it, because the number of Holy perfons fhall be greater. Nevertheless, 'tis not to be understood, as ifmen fhall then be altogether without fin, for they muft dye. There must therefore be fome remainders of fin; even the Holy Apoftles did not cease to be Men, by being Saints. The like fhall be in reference to men in this last Period. Neither is it to behop't that all men without exception, fhall then be holy; but 'tis credible, that the number of the Good fhall exceed that of the Wicked, as much as 'tis now inferior to it. By Good men, I intend not thofe who are commonly called Honeft men; of fuch there is yet a confiderable number in the World; but fuch Es fhall be diftinguifht by an extraordinary Piety, and

Sf 3

Part 2. and Holiness; The number of fnch is now but very small, but the greateft part of Men shall then be fo. And for the Men of another Character, they fhall then be as rare as now they are common. This great Holiness of Men in those days, is abundantly proved by the many Prophecies already mentioned, and which certainly have not hitherto been fullfilled..

The third
Character,

Doctrine.

3. From thence follows a third Character, viz. Purity of Purity ofworship and Doctrine. Corruption in Reliworship &gion follows the corruption of manners. God cannot permit that any Church which is greatly corrupted in manners, fhould for any long time preferve Purity of Doctrine and worship; and therefore we find in the Papacy that natural conjunction of a great Idolatry, with a great corruption in manners. So on the other hand, God cannot fuffer that a Church that is eminent for Holiness, fhould decline from the Purity of Religion; wherefore we may be confident, that the Church in its laft Period, fhall not admit any alteration in the purity of its worship,or of its Doctrine,or in any thing of its Religion. There fhall no Herefy be received in that. Church; and I am perfwaded, that Pelagianifm, which is now fo common, fhall be quite extirpated; for then all men fhall be full of God, and perceive and acknowledge him in every thing. Whereas the Pelagians, who prevail in fo many places, do not fee and own him any where, but make a God of Man, by making him Independent. These men are far enough from having a right Idea, of a Being infinitely perfect. I dare fay, that God is not much in those men, who feel and perceive fo little of God.

4. Chara

4. The fourth Character of this Reign of Chrift, Ster. Great is a Soveraign Pease. This is plainly revealed by

Peace.

many

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