Good Things to Come, Part 2 · Chapter 11
CHAP XI. Containing the propoſal of ſome other prophecyes, that ſpeak of a bleſſed and flouriſhing condition, and great proſperitie, peace, and the enjoyment of great bleſſings, the righteous ſhall then enjoy, when our Lord Chriſt comes, and the bleſſed reſtoration takes place, and the freedom from all want woe and miſery then.
THere are other propheſies beſides thoſe that ſpeak of ſeed, offſpring, children and poſteritie; that ſpeak of great proſperitie the righteous ſhall enjoy then, at the reſtoration and coming of the Lord: namely of the enjoyment of inheritance and poſeſſions, vineyard, and olive yards; of planting, and ſowing, and reaping the fruit, of eating and drinking, building houſes and dwelling in them, of ſitting under their own vines, and figtrees, and none making them afraid, of flouriſhing, and enjoying abundance of all good things; all which, are looked on as low carnal things, by ſome, incompatible with the happineſs of the bleſſed ſtate and condition of the righteous in the world to come: which they count and would have to be heaven it ſelf: and therefore thoſe aforeſaid things are paſſed over and little notice taken of them: or they are referred to times, ſhort of that happy day for their being made good: or otherwiſe, they are allegorized, and have ſome ſpiritual meaning put upon them: but however notwithſtanding, it is very likely, that all thoſe things in the fulneſs according as they are expreſſed in the holy writ, as foretold by the prophets, ſhall be made good and take place: and there hath no ſuch time been yet: it is probable nor ſhort of that happy time of the reſtoration and change, is there like to be, the full performance and making good the ſame.
I do conceive that I cannot without the attracting conſure, and ſuffering loſſe, and being cryed out on as being erronious at the leaſt, propoſe theſe things to conſideration; the ſpirits of ſome are ſo keen, and their thoughts ſo high ſet the other way, that they will cry carnal, carnal, at the leaſt, if not far worſe; however I ſhall bear it, and go on. And ſhall premiſe, as a copy to write by, and as a ſtandard to meaſure by, the condition and ſtate of Adam and the earth, as it was at the firſt, when God created it, before mans fall, and the curſe that entered thereupon: the reſtoration and change will be into the ſame eſtate and condition, with ſome bleſſed advantages to the enjoyers of it, at that happy day. Upon the ſerious-minding whereof ſomething haply may appear, not thought of: for as God neither made, nor ordained any thing in vain, ſo he hath foretold, or promiſed nothing that is inſignificant, uſeleſs, and unſuitable to the ſtate and condition of man: Adam and Eve were man and woman: the changed alive in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, will be the like.
We propoſe in the firſt place, Pſal. 72. It is ſpoken of Solomon, in the type, but of the Lord Chriſt the great Solomon in the antitype. Weigh the Pſalm in the whole, as ſpeaking of the happy day of Chriſts kingdom: to be brief, conſider vers. 7. In his days [to wit, the Lord Chriſt] the righteous ſhall flouriſh, and abundance of peace [with the enjoying of all good things] as long as the moon endureth. See alſo, vers. 16. A handfull of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains, the fruit thereof ſhall ſhake like Lebanon, and they of the city ſhall flouriſh like the graſſe of the earth. There was in Solomons time, a very happy time; and an high attainer; the higheſt that ever Iſrael attayned unto at any time, or that for a time they are like to attain unto in this world; of peace, plenty and proſperity; but alaſe! it laſted not, but went off with him. And beſides, it is ſhort of what is ſpoken of in the Pſalm: and in laſtingneſs no compariſon: for that ſhall abide, as long as the moon endureth. When the Lord Chriſt reigneth, there ſhall be great honour and ſubjection given to him by the great ones; and it will fare well with the poor, vers. 12. 13. 14. alſo vers. 2, 4, 6. of this 72. Pſalm, then ſhall that be fulfilled and made good, Pſal. 67. 3. 4. 6. 7. Let the people praiſe thee, O God, let all the people praiſe thee; O let the nations be glad and ſing for joy: for thou ſhalt judge the people righteouſly, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praiſe thee; As they will do then: they will ſing Hallelujans and prayſe to the lamb: what followeth then? then ſhall the earth yeeld her encreaſe [very fruitful times then] and God, even our own God ſhall bleſſe us, and all the ends of the earth ſhall fear him. It will be ſo eminently then.
In the next place, take we knowledge of that very eminent place, Iſa. 65. It is the prophecy where the new heaven, and the new earth are ſpoken of and promiſed; ſee what is ſaid, in vers. 13. Therefore, thus ſayeth the Lord, behold, my ſervants ſhall eat but ye ſhall be hungry [to wit, the wicked and unſaved nations and people] behold, my ſervants ſhall drink, but ye ſhall be thirſty: behold, [all with a behold: very obſervable] my ſervants ſhall rejoyce but ye ſhall be aſhamed; vers. 14. Behold my ſervants ſhall ſing for joy of heart, but ye ſhall cry for ſorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of ſpirit, vers. 15. And ye ſhall leave your name for a curſe unto my choſen; for the Lord God ſhall ſlay thee, and call his ſervants by another [a new] name: a great difference then; like that of Dives, and Lazarus: we ſee, here is eating and drinking then; for ſo did Adam, and Eve, and ſo did our Lord Chriſt in the day of his being here, both before his death, and after his reſurrection, Luk. 24. 42. 43. And ſo very likely will thoſe changed alive, then do: for they will be men, and women. It followeth, as a reaſon; and that with a behold, alſo vers. 17. For behold, I create a new heaven, and a new earth: The old will be done away, and forgotten vers. 18. They are bidden to rejoyce, for the great bleſſednes and glory, Jeruſalem will be in: God will create them ſo; a rejoycing, a praiſe. Vers. 19. The voice of weeping ſhall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. It is eaſy to ſee, to what time and ſtate that belongs; this world, affords no ſuch exemption from weeping, and crying: only it will (as to the full fulfilling) be in the bleſſed world to come. Vers. 21. They ſhall build houſes, and inhabit them, they ſhall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. Vers. 22. They ſhall not build, and another inhabit; they ſhall not plant and another eat, [it fares ſo in this world many times, but it will not then;] for as the dayes of a tree [which are many] ſo ſhall be the dayes of Gods people. It followeth, and mine elect ſhall long injoy the work of their hands; their building and planting, &c. vers. 23. They ſhall not labour in vain, [as many do in this world] nor bring forth for trouble, [of which we made mention before] For they are the bleſſed of the Lord, and their off-ſpring with them. Vers. 25. The wolf and the lamb ſhall feed together. The ſame with that in Iſa. 11. of which before. It is not hard to conceive, what time this relateth unto: it relateth to and is a prophecy of the new earth, that God will create, when there ſhall be the reſtoration of all things: When it ſhall all come to paſſe, and be ſo, as is declared; whether we believe it or no.
The prophet Jeremiah, declareth ſomething to the like effect, Ier. 33. 6. 7. 8. 9. I will bring them health, I will cauſe their captivitie to return; I will cleanſe them from all their iniquitie, and it ſhall be to me, a name of joy and praiſe before all the people of the earth. For the great proſperitie, God will procure unto it. And vers. 11. The voice of joy, and the voice of gladneſs, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, &c. For he will cauſe their captivitie to return: And ſo he goeth on in a promiſary way, of good things, to the end of the 16th. verſe. See the prophecy at large: I ſpare to ſet it down, for fear or being over-large; And conſider to what time it relateth, for its full fulfilling: at the time, of the branch of righteouſneſs growing up to David; in the land, it will be. We may alſo minde that, Ier. 50. 19. 20. When Iſraels captivitie ſhall be returned, &c. and the iniquity of Iſrael and Judah, ſought for, and not be found; for there ſhall be none: we ſpake of it before.
Hoſea the prophet, mentioned by holy Paul, Rom. 9. Eyeing the time of their great return, and Gods gracious return to them, Hoſ. 2. 18. In that day [to wit, of the reſtoration] I will make a covenant with them and with the beaſts of the feild, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow, and the ſword, and the battel out of the earth, I will make them lie down ſafely. It may eaſily be minded, what day this relateth unto, it being the ſame with Iſa. 11. mentioned before, when the hurtful nature of the creature will ceaſe, and mans enmitye alſo; and wars ceaſe to the ends of the earth, and the reſtoration of all things, and the peaceable kingdom of the Lord Chriſt takes place, then it will be ſo, and it is not like to be before. Vers. 19. I will betroth thee to me for ever. The marriage of the lamb will be nigh then, yea I will betroth thee to me in righteouſneſs, &c. vers. 21. And it ſhall come to paſse in that day, I will hear the heavens and they ſhall hear the earth; and the earth ſhall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oyl, and they ſhall hear Iezreel: and I will ſow her to me in the earth, to wit, the new earth, as to the fulfilling of it: it is not ſayd, in heaven; but in the earth.
Further, ſee what the prophet Ioel, ſayth, chap. 3. 18. And it ſhall come to paſſe when Ieruſalem ſhall be holy, and no ſtranger paſſe through her any more; as they ſhall, in no wiſe then; Rev. 21. 27. at that day, then at that day, the mountains ſhall drop down new wiue, and the hills ſhall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah ſhall flow with waters: a fountain ſhall come forth of the houſe of the Lord, and ſhall water the valley of Chittim. [It will go ill with Egypt then]: vers. 20. But Judah ſhall dwell for ever, and Jeruſalem, from generation to generation: for God will then cleanſe; ſo, as never before: I conceive, by changing of them in a moment: for the Lord dwelleth in Sion: and his tabernacle will then be with men, Rev. 21. 3. And he will dwell with men.
In the next place, ſee what the prophet Micha ſayth alſo; in the matter, Mich. 4. 1. It ſhall come to paſſe in the laſt dayes [not yet made good] that the mountain of the Lords houſe ſhall be exalted and eſtabliſhed, &c: ſee the place, vers. 3. And he [to wit, the Lord Chriſt, when he cometh eſpecially] ſhall rebuke ſtrong nations, and judge many people: And they ſhall beat their ſwords into plowſhares, and their ſpears into pruning-hooks, nation ſhall not lift up a ſword againſt nation neither learn war any more: a bleſſed peaceable time then. Vers. 4. But they ſhall ſit every man under his vine, and under his figtree and none ſhall make them afraid: though they have no defenſive arms: for there will be no need of them: ſure enough to be made true and good: for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. Then at that day, will be the peaceable kingdom of the Lord Chriſt: and he as vers. 7. The Lord ſhall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth, and for ever.
See what the prophet Zechariah ſayth alſo, Zech. 3. 9. 10. And I will remove the iniquity of that land [to wit, the land of Canaan chiefly,] in one day; namely, the day of the reſtoration: and when it ſhall be ſo, then; they ſhall call every one his neighbor under the vine and under the figtree. The prophet Malachy ſpeaketh of the bleſſedneſs of that day, even upon the ſame account Mal. 3. 12. And ye ſhall be a delightfull land, ſayth the Lord God.
There are other high prophecyes in Iſaiah, as that Iſa. 49. from vers. 5. to vers. 13. and from thence to vers. 24. See what great things of like importance, are ſaid, which I ſhall forbear to dilate on. So Iſa. 52. Iſa. 54. Iſa. 55. 11. 12. There are prophecyes in the holy ſcriptures, that ſpeak of inheritances, and poſſeſſions: of Lot and ſharing by Lot, that ſeem as to their full fulfilling to relate to that happy day of the reſtoration, and the new earth promiſed taking place. As ſome time of old the land of Canaan, was by promiſe given Iſrael for an inheritance by the Lord; was after a long time divided to them by Lot; and accordingly poſſeſſed by them in a way of particular propriety: for they had not only a general light in the whole land, as ſo given them of God, but they had a particular intereſt in a part of it, as it fell unto them by Lot: where the Lord himſelf was the determiner; as Solomon ſayth Prov. 16. 33. The Lot is caſt into the lap: but the whole diſpoſing thereof is of the Lord: whither that land ſo promiſed, and after a long time poſſeſſed, and divided by Lot, was not a type of the new earth promiſed and expected; and of ſome higher diviſion and ſharing at the reſtoration of all things, may be conſidered; and the rather becauſe of what Ezekiel hath declared, which will have its fulfilling and making good; though as yet we underſtand it not: it is very probable it is not yet fulfilled; but will ſure enough; which the day will declare fully, though to us it is dark, and we underſtand little. Every tribe, as well as the whole people, will have their ſhare and Lot: and the ſtrangers will ſhare with them, where his dwelling is with them then; Ezek. 47. 22. 23. very conſiderable. The twelve tribes, they are to have every one their ſhare, or Lot: and the prince his: and he muſt not take any of the peoples ſhare from them, to drive them out of their poſſeſſion, ſee Ezek. 46. 18. The twelve tribes will have intereſt in the city, and every one a gate called by their name: and the name of the city from that day [very probable to be the day of the reſtoration] will be, the Lord is there: He will be ſo, in the new earth, Rev. 21. 3.
The prophet Obadiah hath ſomething to the ſame effect, vers. 17. But in mount Sion there ſhall be deliverance, and there ſhall be holyneſs, and the houſe of Jacob, ſhall poſſeſſe their poſſeſſions. Vers. 19. And they of the ſouth ſhall poſſeſſe the mount of Eſau: and they of the plain the philiſtins; and they ſhall poſſeſſe the feilds of Ephraim, and the feilds of Samaria; and Benjamin ſhall poſſeſse Gilead. vers. 20. And the captivitie of the host of Iſrael, ſhall poſſeſſe that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jeruſalem, which is in Sepharad, ſhall poſſeſſe the cities of the ſouth. Vers. 21. And ſaviours [or judges and diſpoſers] ſhall come upon the mount Sion, to judge the mount of Eſau. And [this it will be when] the kingdom ſhall be the Lords: for as yet it hath not been nor is it likely ſo fully to be, till that happy time takes place.
The rather is that conſiderable, becauſe of what the new teſtament holds forth this way, Eph. 1. 10. In the fulnes of times, in the Lord Chriſt, he ſhould gather together in one, the things in heaven, and the things in the earth, even in him; [reſtore them, make them new; all good, and holy, as at firſt.] Vers. 11. In whom we have obtained an inheritance or Lot. Vers. 13. 14. The ſpirit of promiſe, is ſayd to be the earneſt of our inheritance; to wit, of our intereſt, and right unto it, and that we ſhall in time poſſeſſe it: we have for the preſent the earneſt, we ſhall have in the appointed time the full purchaſe: it will be redeemed and ſettled on thoſe it is redeemed and purchaſed for; to the praiſe of the glory of him that hath done it for his. Ephes. 5. 5. It is ſpoken of by the Apoſtle as a known thing; that no wicked, unclean perſon, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Chriſt, or of God; to wit, in that kingdom to come. Col. 1. 12. the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, of giving thanks unto the father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the ſaints in light. The ſaints will then have inheritance given unto them, at that time when Jeruſalems light is come, and the glory of the Lord riſeth upon her, Iſa. 60. 1. when ſhe will ſine gloriouſly; holy Peter, in like manner, 1. Pet. 1. 4. bleſſeth God, for the lively hope, the ſervants of God are begotten again unto, by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead, to an inheritance, [the deſcription of it ſuiteth with the reſtoration, and change: it is] incorruptible and undefiled: it will be ſo when it falls in with that time; when the iniquity of that land is removed, and the curſe taken from the earth, and it made new; in the inheritance then and there: then will be no corruption, or defilement: for there ſhall in no wiſe enter any that defileth, Rev. 21. 27. it is ſaid further, that it fadeth not away; as many times in this world mens inheritances do; but it will not be ſo then: it is in ſure hands, in ſafe keeping; it is laid up in heaven for you, to wit, for the ſervants of God. It may be asked by ſome, how we ſhall come to have it? how we ſhall get to heaven to receive it? take no care; there is no need of abſconding: for vers. 13. holy Peter tells us it ſhall be brought unto us. And telleth, when alſo: at the revelation of Jeſus Chriſt, when the Lord Chriſt ſhall be revealed from heaven, and the dead raiſed; and the living ſaints then changed, it will be brought unto the ſervants of God from heaven. We have now the earneſt of it, as before: and we have the promiſe, Heb. 9. 15. then the called ſhall receive that eternal inheritance, according to the promiſe: which faith, and hope, are now exerciſed about, for the good of the ſervants of God: but ſhall then give place, when the thing it ſelf is poſſeſſed, and enjoyed.
The new teſtament ſeemeth to ſpeak ſparingly, concerning good things, in a particular way. Our Lord tells his, Ioh. 14. of manſion places (or houſes) he is gone to prepare for his: that he would come again, and receive them to himſelf: and that where he is, there they ſhould be alſo. We are told, that in his preſence, is fullneſs of joy, and pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 10. 10. holy Paul tells us, 1. Cor. 2. 9. that the eye hath not ſeen, nor the ear heard, nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive, what [good things] God hath prepared for them that love him. Holy Iohn tells us. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. now we are the ſons of God but it doth not yet appear, [or is not manifeſt] what we ſhall be: how fully happy and bleſſed in our enjoyments: only we ſhall be for ever with the Lord; that may ſatisfy us.
The Scriptures of the new teſtament, they tell us rather of what we ſhall be freed from: what we ſhall not ſuffer and undergo then: and that hath the contrary included as implyed. It tells us, we ſhall hunger no more; nor thirſt no more [there will be then no cauſe] neither ſhall the ſun light on them [ſo as to ſcorch them] nor any heat [ſo as to annoy them,] the lamb ſhall lead them to the living ountains of water: [for their refreſhing] and ſhall ſeed them alſo: and God ſhall wipe all tears from their eyes. Rev. 7. 17.
Rev. 21. 3. the tabernacle of God, is ſaid to 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: and as vers. 4. ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there ſhall be no more death [we may eaſily gueſs when and where that will be] neither ſorrow, nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more pain: for the former things are paſſed away: all thoſe former evil things, the bitter fruit of the curſe. vers. 5. he that ſate on the throne, ſaid, behold I make all things new: and he ſaid unto me, write; for theſe words are true and faithfull. And vers. 6. he ſaid, it is done, I am Alpha and Omega. It is ſure; there will be no failer in it. Rev. 22. 3. there ſhall be no more curſe; the ſad effect of Adams tranſgreſſion, will be no more then, but all good, bleſſedneſs, and felicity for ever. The throne of God and the lamb, the new Ieruſalem, a pure river of water of life: on either ſide of the river, the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yeilded her fruit every month: [for food, it is likely, for God made nothing in vain, nor cauſed any thing to bring forth fruit of no uſe]: and the leaves of the tree, will be good for healing to the nations. And again, it is ſaid, vers. 6. theſe ſayings, are faithfull, and true; and muſt ſhortly be done. For behold, the Lord Chriſt, comes quickly, vers. 7. the whole matter thus held forth, is left to the conſideration of the Reader.