An Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Objection and answers 2
Object. To all that hath been ſaid of this Prayer, That it is the Prayer of the Kingdom, and that there is in it a paralelliſm between the New Heaven and the New Earth, in doing the Will of God; There may be this Objection made, A Kingdom of God and of Chriſt is eminently directed to in this Prayer, and alſo a parallel State betwixt Heaven and Earth: But All This is to be underſtood of the Kingdom of Eternity, which Kingdom of Eternity ſhall have a New Heaven and a New Earth. And it is a Kingdom that ſhall never end, and it is called Eternal Life: This therefore lifts up a Kingdom of Chriſt much above that of a Thouſand years.
And whereas the Son is ſaid to deliver up a Kingdom, it is only to be underſtood of that Kingdom, wherein he is in a State of continual Acquiſition, wherein he is Riding out Conquering and to Conquer, and ſubduing Enemies; That is the Kingdom He indeed ſhall deliver up to God, and Receives at the ſame Time the Kingdom of Fruition and Enjoyment, which endures indeed for ever and ever.
The Thouſand Years muſt therefore be caſt back into ſome ſpace moſt fit for them within that Kingdom of Chriſt, that is in a State of Acquiſition. And what fitter Time is there, than when the Chriſtian Empire began in Conſtantine, until that great Ravage the Turks, as a Gog Magog, made in the World. In Anſwer hereunto,
Anſw. 1 I cannot underſtand how the Apoſtle's expreſs Words of the Son's delivering up of the Kingdom to God, even the Father, can be expounded of changing a Kingdom of Acquiſition for a Kingdom of Fruition; much leſs, how the Son's being Himſelf ſubject, can be interpreted into ſuch a Kingdom of Fruition. It is very plain, the Son, who delivers up, and who is ſubject, muſt be the Son of Man, who Receiv'd the Kingdom from the Hand of the Ancient of Days; For the Eternal Word can neither Receive a Kingdom, nor Deliver it up; Nor would God be more All in All, ſo much as to Oeconomy, or Diſpenſation, for the Eternal Words Delivery up of a Kingdom to Him, who is One with Him. The Kingdom therefore the Eternal Word ever had, the Father ever had unitedly with Him: If he ſhould deliver up a Kingdom to the Father, he would ſtill have it equally with the Father, becauſe the Father and He, as the Eternal Word, are One. There can be no Receiving, nor Delivering up of a Kingdom betwixt the Father and the Eternal Word: There can be no ſo much as Repreſentation of God, and the Father, more or leſs All in All, for any Kingdom, the Eternal Word hath, or Delivers up of a Kingdom: The Kingdom therefore delivered up, that God may be All in All, muſt be the Kingdom of the Son of Man, which as in Oeconomy, or Repreſentation, is made ſo ſupreme, though indeed to the Glory of God the Father; that the Glory of God ſeems not to ſtand Alone in Glory, but is pleas'd to Allow Full Glory to, and not to outſhine the Kingdom of the Humane Nature of Chriſt, or of the Man Chriſt Jeſus.
Anſw. 2 There is no poſſible Fitting Any Part of Time, that hath yet been, to the Deſcription Given of the Thouſand Years, by the Spirit of God, Revel. 20. But it muſt needs be yet to come, for this Great and moſt Apparent Reaſon: There hath been no Time yet, wherein Sathan could be ſaid to be ſo Bound, as not to deceive the Nations any more; What Time hath there yet been, in which, beſides all Unholy Practices, he hath not Deceiv'd with Paganiſm, with Mahometaniſm, and Antichriſtianiſm? Theſe Thouſand Years muſt therefore be proper and peculiar to a Kingdom of Chriſt yet to come; and that therefore muſt be to the Kingdom deſign'd by Chriſt in this Prayer.
Anſw. 3 The parallel State of the Will of God done in the New Heaven, and in the New Earth, as in the Kingdom of Eternity, can have no place in this Prayer, becauſe it can indeed have no place at all in that Eternal State.
Arg. 1 Becauſe the Apoſtle ſtiles the Time of the Delivery up of the Kingdom, moſt Signally and Eminently, The End; And he diſtinguiſhes it from that End when Chriſt ſhall come; with which alſo concurs the Reſurrection of His, his Reign, and ſo Kingdom, till Death, the Laſt Enemy ſhall be ſubdued; and then the Kingdom is Delivered up. Seeing then the End it ſelf is after the Coming of Chriſt, and after the Reſurrection, the End it ſelf muſt be an End to that Laſt State; For the Coming of Chriſt, and the Riſing of his Saints, is an End to this World, and to the State of it; ſo it cannot be the End of this State, but of that After-State of the Reign of Chriſt, and whatever conſiſts with that: And that we ſhall find to be the State of the New Heaven and of the New Earth. For,
Arg. 2 The New Heaven and New Earth, muſt needs be the World to come, whereof, ſaith the Apoſtle, we ſpeak; which is put into ſubjection to Chriſt; and it is put into ſubjection to Him at his coming, when He Reigns, and hath All Things put under Him. If then there ſo comes an End, when this Kingdom ſhall be deliver'd up, by the Great Ruler of it, Chriſt; what Reaſon is there to believe, that That World it ſelf is then to take End at and with that End? It is certain, it muſt have End, or be deliver'd up; For the Son ſhall be ſubject. It can be his World therefore no longer; his Heaven and Earth no longer.
Arg. 3 If then the State of God's Kingdom, even the Father, ſhall be ſuch, that it will bear no ſuch Heaven nor Earth; then it is certain, They muſt have End when All is deliver'd up. But God being All in All, No New Heaven, nor New Earth can be born; for either They muſt Enjoy God, or be Enjoyed by God, and by his Saints. Their Natures are ſuch, that they cannot enjoy God, being not Creatures of Underſtanding or Will: To be therefore, and not to enjoy God, takes off from God being All in All: For then would there be Creatures of an Eternal Duration; even when God is All; and They in no Capacity to enjoy him. If it ſhould be ſaid, They do enjoy him in their way; I Anſwer, That is High enough for an Oeconomical State, but not for this of Eternity. If it be ſaid, That God may enjoy them, and his Saints may enjoy them, and praiſe him for them, and they Declare his Glory. I Anſwer, This alſo is Allowable to the Oeconomical, but not to the Eternal State; God is the only Enjoyable in that State to himſelf, and to his Saints; and He Enjoys his Saints only in the Communication of Himſelf to Them: No leſs than This can be underſtood by God being All in All; He muſt be The Alone to be Enjoyed; and He muſt be Enjoyed.
Argum. 4 There is but One Place of Scripture that gives Account of Things after the Thouſand Years Kingdom of Chriſt, and that is, Revel. 20. It plainly gives Account of the State after that Kingdom, becauſe it gives an Account of Things after the Expiration of the Thouſand Years, when Sathan is Looſed. And the Thouſand Years are ſaid to be the Reign of Chriſt with his Saints. So it muſt be the Thouſand Years Kingdrm of Chriſt. Now the utmoſt End of that State is a Great White Throne, and One ſate upon it, from whoſe Face Heaven and Earth fled away, and there was not Place Found for them.
Now from hence ſeveral Arguments Ariſe, Aſſuring us, There are no Heaven and Earth, except the Heaven of Divine Preſence, after the utmoſt End of All.
1. There appears an Emblematical Introduction to the Utter Bla… ching and Annihilation of All Being, but God and his Saints, on one ſide, and the Lake of the Second Death, with its Dead, on the other.
2. Becauſe the Lake receives All the Dead, with Death it ſelf, we are Aſſured, it is that very End, when the Kingdom is deliver'd up, and the Son becomes Subject, All being ſubdued to him; For here the Laſt Enemy, Death, is ſubdued; and then is the End.
3. When this Heaven and Earth Fled away, There was no Place Found For them; When any one dies, it is ſaid, Their place knows them no more; Their place remains, but it knows them no more; Another comes in their place; Or, as it is ſaid in Job, Out of their Earth another grows. So when the Heaven and Earth, that now are, are burnt up, another Heaven and Earth ſhall come in their room: But when this Heaven and Earth Fly away, there is no place for them, not ſo much as place where they may be; and ſo not where any other may come.
4. The Heaven and Earth that now are, are Treaſur'd up for fire, and are to be for the perdition of ungodly men; and ſo in other Scriptures. But theſe fly from the ſole Preſence of Him that ſits on the white Throne. Theſe Two Deſcriptions are very differing.
But if All Theſe Things could be Accommodated, and it be ſaid, There are New Heavens, and a New Earth that ſucceed, c. 21. thoſe which fly away, c. 20. I further Argue:
Argum. 4 The Heavens and Earth that fly away, c. 20. are no other, nor can be any other than the very New Heavens, and New Earth that John ſaw, c. 21. And though to draw a Veil on Prophecy, They are ſet, as it were, in a Succeſſion to the Heaven and Earth that Fled away; yet there are ſeveral Great and Undeniable Arguments, That the Flying away of the Heaven and Earth ſpoken of, c. 31. muſt be after the New Jeruſalem State, and therefore muſt be of the New Heavens and New Earth, that were created New, together with the New Jeruſalem.
For the New Heaven and Earth John ſaw, are ſo cloſe Tied with the New Jeruſalem, as not to be ſeparated: For after the mention of them it is immediately ſubjoyn'd, I John ſaw the New Jeruſalem, that made her ſelf Ready, as a Bride Adorned for her Husband, cap. 19. Come down, cap. 21. And again, after the ſeeing both the New Heavens and the New Jeruſalem; He that ſate on the Tbrone, ſaid, Behold, I create All New. So there is a Locking in the New Heaven, and the New Earth, even on purpoſe with the New Jeruſalem, that they may not be Divided.
But the Flying away of Heaven and Earth from him that ſate on the white Throne, muſt needs be after the New Jeruſalem; For it is after the Holy City, and the Beloved City; which was no other than the Bride, the New Jeruſalem, that was therefore Beloved, becauſe the Bride; and therefore Holy, becauſe Arrayed in Linen White and Clean, which is the Righteouſneſs of the Saints.
Now this New Jeruſalem, muſt be together with the Thouſand Years alſo; for at the end of the Thouſand Years, Satan was Let Looſe, to make the Attempt on the Holy, and Beloved City, by deceiving the Nations into that Attempt: Now Satans being let Looſe is expreſly ſaid to be, when the Thouſand Years were expired; ſo the City muſt needs be during the Thouſand Years in Peace and Safety, and Attempted at the end of the Thouſand Years; when Fire Comming down to deſtroy the Enemies, and Satan not being Sealed up only, but caſt into the Lake, after this Attempt, immediately Following the White Throne, and Heaven and Earth, flying from the Face of Him that Sat upon it. So then the Heaven, and Earth that Fled away muſt be the New-Heaven and Earth, that were together in the Holy City, during the Thouſand Years. And yet hath not this Kingdom End, when the Thouſand Years End, becauſe Chriſt delivers up the Saints into the Enjoyment of God, the Principal Part of this Kingdom; but yet much more ſtrictly, and properly, the Kingdom is delivered up, Becauſe what was more Immediately mannaged by Chriſt in the Humane Nature, in a Viſible and Conſpicuous Glory, is now mannaged by the Divine Nature, conveying his Love by the Eternal Word, through the Human Nature in Grace to his Saints, and in Wrath to thoſe in the Lake. For the Kingdom delivered up, is the Power delivered up, and it is explained by the Son being Subject, and by God even the Father, therein oppoſed to the Son, being All in All; All things elſe Being then Subdued, and the Glory ſhining from the Father by the Eternal Word, Vibrated by the Eternal Spirit, through the Human Nature; For ſo Aſſures us our Lords whole Diſcourſe, John 17. 21. to the End.
And with this whole State of things, upon cloſe Examination, will be found to Agree all the Oeconomies of Scripture; and otherwiſe none of them will be found to Agree.
So that if it ſhould be ſaid, why ſhould not this Prayer be underſtood of the preſent State of the Kingdom, as High as we can attain in it, and then of the Abſolute, Perfect, and Supreme Kingdom of Eternity? The Anſwer is very plain: He who is the only Wiſe God, hath found the Oeconomy of this Kingdom of Chriſt neceſſary, both as a Mirror of his own Wiſdom and Glory, in Relation to his Creation, as Reſtored by the Redemption of Chriſt; and alſo as a preparation of his Saints, by Chriſt in the Glory, and Holineſs of Human Nature, for that Union with himſelf, in the Abſolutely Divine Kingdom of Eternity.
In which That Laſt Act of Jeſus Chriſt, as in our Nature, ſeeking not his own Will, nor Glory, but the Glory of the Father; He does not only in, and by himſelf perform, as that Higheſt Act of Obedience, and ſelf Reſignation; but he United all his Saints with him in that Act; that however the State of the Kingdom of Chriſt might ſeem more proportioned to the Human Nature, as of Spirits in Bodies, Chriſt the Head for his whole Body of Saints the Church, and they in and by him Chooſe and are moſt gladly Delivered up into that whole State, to have Body as much (as can ſtand with Remaining Higheſt Spiritualiz'd Bodies; and Diſtinct Beings) ſwallowed up of God all Spirit, and Created ſwallowed up of Increated; and is that Laſt and moſt perfect Act of Chriſts Declaring to All, the Name of the Father and wherein He will declare it; that the Love, wherewith the Father Loved Chriſt may be in them, and He in them, John 17. ult. All which is in cluded in this Prayer for the Kingdom.