The Glorious Kingdom of Christ, Chapter 9 – Publishers advertisement
Chap. IX. Of the New Earth.
§ 25. COncerning the New Earth we muſt content our ſelves with what God hath revealed, and not ſearch into the unrevealed things.
1. It is revealed that it will be the Reſtitution of all things; that in it ſhall dwell Righteouſneſs; that the whole Creation groaneth to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God; that it will be a Paradiſe State; that Chriſt ſhall Reign over it; that no Glorified Saints ſhall loſe any of their part in Heaven by it; that there will be no death, nor miſery: Therefore there will be no Gog and Magog, and numberleſs Armies of the wicked: For there entereth nothing that is defiled: It will be a State of Communion with Heaven. Angels and Men will have familiar Converſe: Chriſt ſhall be joyfully known among them as their Saviour and King: Neither Chriſt nor the Saints will lay by the Humane Nature or Body, but their Bodies will be ſo far refined as ſhall be ſuitable to the condition of the New refined World: This much is certain.
But theſe things following are uncertain. 1. How much of the Old Earth God will uſe in the conſtitution of the New. Whether only the Surface of the Earth ſhall be Burnt, and the Things and Works thereon, or alſo the Interiour parts diſſolved into a Chaos: As it is uncertain to us whether the Chaos at the preſent Earths Creation, was the Relicks of a former World: We are not certain whether there was any former World; Though to conjecturing Reaſon it ſeems improbable that God who delighteth in his Works, and will continue a VVorld to Eternity, ſhould from all Eternity have nothing but Himſelf, till Six days ago (Six Thouſand years.) But this will infer Ariſtotle's Eternity of the Univerſe (except mutations of alterable compoſitions) that the VVorld is an Eternal Effect of an Eternal Cauſe; and Gaſſendus his Indefiniteneſs (he meaneth Infiniteneſs) of the VVorld, and the old Opinion that God and the VVorld are but One, as Soul and Body: By which they reſolve the Grand difficulties that God is not Pars Entitatis, which were to be Imperfect and ſo no God, the Entity of the World and God being more than of either alone, if the VVorld have any real Entity.
2. It is uncertain how God will people this New Earth: Some think as he did this Earth by Adam and Eve. Some think, by a Creation of many at once. Some think by a Tranſplantation from ſome other Orb: Some think as Dr. H. More, that except a few rare Saints or Martyrs, all go hence but into an Aerial Vehicle, and may thence without loſs be made Inhabitants of the New Earth. And ſome think that thoſe that are found alive, ſhall live in the Fire and after, and ſome that they ſhall be caught up from the Fire, and Judg'd, and ſent hither again.
3. It is uncertain whether there ſhall be any Generation on the New Earth: Mr. Beverley ſaith, They ſhall multiply ſo as to compenſate with a [much more] for the Jewneſs of the ſaved▪ under the firſt Adam] and each ſhall live the Thouſand years: But Chriſt ſaith that the Children of the Reſurrection neither Marry nor are given in Marriage, but are like the Angels, and die no more. The doubt is then, whether he call only thoſe in Heaven, and not thoſe on the New Earth, the Children of the Reſurrection.
4. It is uncertain whether there ſhall be any ſtated viſible preſence of Chriſt here, or that only he ſhall appear as in Heaven, as the Sun doth by its Light; or only ſometimes be ſeen as he was after his Reſurrection. And ſo of the Angels.
5. It…s uncertain whether the New Earth ſhall have any End or Change, or ſhall be Everlaſting. It's certain that the Thouſand years Rev. 20. are before it in this Life, but of its Duration God hath ſaid nothing to us.
6. It's uncertain how much of the Old Heaven ſhall be Burnt: Though it's likely it will be only ſo much as was Curſed for Sin.
7. It's uncertain whether there will be any removal to a higher VVorld, and each Perſon live his Thouſand years, and then as Henoch and Elias be tranſlated, and ſo on to following Generations; or each Perſon continue here for ever.
8. It's uncertain whether Devils ſhall be permitted here to be Tempters, or all Temptations be caſt out.
§ 26. It will be no diſparagement to Chriſt to Rule the Reſtored Earth as well as Heaven. Nor to Saints or Angels to be Governours under him. VVere the Sun Intellectual it would be no grief to it to be a Benefactor by its Influence to Earth: For it is no diſhonour to God Himſelf, to Communicate all to the Creature that it hath. There may be here ſuch Subjects as God promiſed Apoſtles and Saints that they ſhall Judge.
If by Faith in Chriſt God dwell in us by Love, and we in Him, and we have in us that Kingdom of Grace, we ſhall have our Part in the future Kingdom, though we underſtand not many difficulties about it. For Chriſt is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him.
Decemb. 10. 1690.
A Catalogue of Books Printed for, and Sold by Tho. Parkburſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, near Mercers Chapel.
CAtholick Theology. Folio.
The Saints Everlaſting Reſt; or a Treatiſe of the Bleſſed State of the Saints in their Enjoyment of God in Glory 4to.
The Engliſh Nonconformity, as under King Charles II. and King James II. Truly Stated and Argued. 4to.
The Life of Faith in every State. 4to.
Alderman … Funeral Sermon. 4to.
A Key for Catholicks to open the Juglings of the Jeſuits. The firſt part of anſwering all their common Sophiſms: The ſecond againſt the Soveraignty and neceſſity of General Councils. 4to.
Naked Popery: Anſwering Mr. Hutchinſon. 4to.
Which is the True Church▪ A full Anſwer to his Reply; proving that the General Councils and the Popes Primacy were but in one Empire. 4to.
The Hiſtory of Biſhops and their Councils abridged, and of the Popes. 4to.
A full Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy, ſhewing what Epiſcopacy we own and what is in the Engliſh Dioceſan frame, for which we dare not ſwear never to endeavour any alteration of it, in our places. 4to.
A Search for the Engliſh Schiſmatick; comparing the Canoneers and Nonconformiſts. 4to
An Anſwer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock, conſiſting an Vniverſal-Humane Church Soveraignty, Ariſtocratical and Monarchical, as Church-Tyranny and Popery; and defending Dr. Iz. Barrows excellent Treatiſe. 4to.
Catholick Communion defended againſt both Extremes.
Moral Prognoſtications, what ſhall befal the Church till their Concord, &c.
Full and eaſie ſatisfaction, which is the True Religion: Tranſubſtantiation ſhamed. 8vo. All … by Mr. R. Baxter.
A Hundred Select Sermons on ſeveral Texts, of Fifty on the Old Teſtament, and Fifty on the New. Folio.
The True Prophecies and Prognoſtications of Michael Noſtrodamus, Phyſician to Henry the Second, Francis the Second, and Charles the Ninth, Kings of France, and one of the Beſt Aſtronomers that ever were. Folio.
Sixty one Sermons, Preached moſtly on publick occaſions, whereof five formerly Printed by Adam Littleton, D. D. Rector of Chelſea in Middleſex, Folio.
A Diſcourſe of the Saving Grace of God by the late Reverend and Learned David Clarkſon, Miniſter of the Goſpel. 8vo.
The Viſion of the Wheels ſeen by the Prophet Ezekiel; Opened and Applied: Partly at the Merchants Lecture in Broadſtreet, and partly at Stepney, on January 31. 1689 being the Day of Solemn Thankſgiving to God for the great Deliverance of this Kingdom from Popery and Slavery, by his then Highneſs the moſt Illuſtrious Prince of Orange: Whom God raiſed up to be the glorious Inſtrument thereof. By Matth. Mead Paſtor of a Church of Chriſt at Stepney. 8vo.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, The Glorious Kingdom of Christ (1691)