An Appeal by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Part 4
Some Short Additional Remarks, taking off what may ſeem to Weaken the former ARGUMENTS.
Rem 1. THE New Jeruſalem Revel. 21. Can neither be the State of Saints in the Higheſt Heavens to Eternity, As Some; Nor any Excellent State of the Church on Earth, As Others would ſuppoſe: It cannot be the State in Heaven; For the New Jeruſalem is firſt by the Apostle Paul, ſaid to be Above, Galat. 4 26. and to be the Heavenly Jeruſalem, Heb. 12. 22. Then Three times in the Revelation, It is ſaid to Come down from God out of Heaven. Not only from Heaven, but from God out of Heaven, Chap. 3. 12. Chap. 21. 2. and Verſ 10. And upon it, The Tabernacle of God is ſaid To be with Men. Now if this were a Going up to God into Heaven, the Apostle had Inverted all; And what he ſays, is a Coming down, muſt be a Going up: As if One ſhould Look up, and ſay, Oh Earth, and Look down, and ſay, Oh Heaven; And whereas on this Account, He ſays, The Tabernacle of God is with Men, It ſhould rather be ſaid, The Tabernacle of Men is with God. When therefore plain Doctrinal Scripture ſays, the New Jeruſalem is Above, and the Prophetick Scripture ſays, It comes Down from God Out of Heaven, What can be more Aſſuring? It is not the Going Up of Saints to Heaven.
On the other ſide, If it were a State of Saints in Glory on Earth, Diſtinct from the Saints in Heaven; How does the Apostle ſay, in that, Gal. 4. The Jeruſalem Above is the Mother of us All; And ſo the Bride, the Lamb's Wife? Whereas the Jeruſalem on Earth would be the Bride, the Lamb's Wife; and ſo the Mother: And how did he ſay, You are come to the Heavenly Jeruſalem, and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect? viz. In Bodies of Glory Coming Down from the Manſions in the Father's Houſe, into the Place of the New Jeruſalem, Chriſt went to prepare for them, and to Receive them in unto himſelf, Even in the Kingdom he went to receive, Joh. 14 2. with Luke 19 This is the Myſtery of Marriage between Christ and his Church, which He Preſents to Himſelf without Spot or Wrinckle, or Any ſuch Thing; Which therefore can be no Other than the General Aſſembly, and Church of the Firſt Born, even of all Saints written in Heaven, both Above and Below, who are the Bride and the Lamb's Wife.
Re 2. Whereas Some would have the Proton or Firſt applyed to the Saints Riſing, 1 Theſſ. 4 16, 17. and the Epita, or Afterward, Applyed to the Saints, The Living, the Remaining Caught up, to be words only of Order, without Diſtance of Time, as they are uſed. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Of Firſt Apostles, &c. Afterward Miracles. I urge it cannot be ſo; For upon this very Suppoſal, Firſt and Afterward, muſt ſignifie either Difference of Order, of Time, or Both: When then Difference of Order cannot be, there muſt be Difference of Time; But the Saints Riſing, and being Caught up, are All of One Order, being Both Alike Saints; even the Saints changed and Caught up are the Wee All, of Saints, and alſo alike Happy; For We are ever with the Lord: So the Firſt and the Afterward being not of Order muſt have the ſame Force to Diſtinguiſh Time; viz. of the 1000 Y. as They Diſtinguiſh now near 1700 between Chriſt the Firſt Fruits, and His at his Coming in the Reſurrection; and the Natural Firſt, the Spiritual Afterward; viz. From the Beginning of the World, to the Kingdom of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 15. v. 23. and v 46. And hereupon indeed follows a Diſtance of Order; Saints Raiſed Incorruptible, of the First Reſurrection; Saints Chang'd, Partakers of the Firſt Reſurrection; Not putting on Abſolute Incorruption, Till Caught up; Yet on whom the Second Death hath no power.
Rem. 3. Whereas by our Tranſlation, and general Interpretation, The Living, The Remaining, are ſuppoſed to mean Thoſe who in ordinary Providence happen to Remain Alive at the Coming of Chriſt: It will by Four Geat Reaſons appear; A State, Order, and Generation of Saints is Intended.
1. The Word Lipomeni, joyned with peri, ſignifies Left under ſome Special Deſignation and Care: So Theſe Saints; In regard of Saints, with Chriſt Above are Left to Inhabit the New Earth Below; In regard of the World of Ʋngodly are Left; viz. Reſerved, Guarded from the Perdition of Fire.
2. The Order in the Original is not, Remaining Alive, or Living; but Living, Remaining, or Left: Whereas, if Remaining Alive, had been only meant, Remaining had moſt Naturally come Firſt in the Greek, as in the Engliſh.
3. To ſhew a High Senſe; The Apoſtle ſays not barely, Living Remaining, but with an Article to Each, Each Is made Emphatick and Diſtinct; As if He had ſaid, The Living, The Left.
4. To give both Certainty and Stronger Impreſſion; It is doubled in the ſame Words, the ſame Order, with the ſame double Article, The Livers, The Left, The Livers, The Left.
Rem. 4. Whereas the Changing hath been generally underſtood to be in order to be Caught up; It is much otherwiſe; For the changing, and not changed Incorruptible, is in order to a Participation of the Kingdom of God, (as even the Living, the Remaining) on the New Earth, before Caught up Incorruptible, to a Full Enjoyment Above; which preſent Fleſh and Blood cannot have. For upon that very occaſion, the Apoſtle ſhews the Great Myſtery of ſome being chang'd, 1 Cor. 15 40. Now if Their Changing were only to be Caught up, That needed not; For being caught up, were it ſelf the higheſt Change, as in Enoch, Elias, our Lord; And yet changing and being caught up, cannot be the ſame; For the changing is at the ſame Twinkling of an Eye, with the Dead Saints Raiſed. The Catching up not till Afterward; Not to meet Chriſt with the Saints he brings with him, and to come down on Earth, (for that could not be, All being in one Twinkle nor does Chriſt ſo come down) but to be for ever with him, after having been The Livers, The Left of a Thouſand Years ſpace of Christ's Kingdom.
THE END.
End of the text · Thomas Beverley, An Appeal by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1691)