The Resurrection Revealed, Book 1 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I.
The Poſition propounded.
THe moſt Sacred Scriptures do frequently in many places affirm, that All the Saints ſhall reigne with Chriſt a long time, namely a THOUSAND yeares on EARTH (SATAN the meane while being bound) which yeares are not yet begun, but do ere long; and from thence are at length to be fulfilled, in a wonderful both VISIBLE and SPIRITUAL glorious manner, at the RESTITUTION of ALL THINGS, and their NEW-CREATION, before the time of ultimate and generall Reſurrection.
SAnctos omnes diutinè cum CHRISTO regnaturos, in TERRA ſcilicet MILLE annos (SATANA tunc temporis ligato) nondum incaeptos, brevi incaepturos, indeque implendos, tam viſibili quam ſpirituali mirandâ foreign & foreign gloriâ ante reſurrectionis ultimae generalis Epocham, a Sacroſanctiſsimis Scripturis paſsim aſſeritur.
SECTION I. The Poſition expounded,
§. 1 BY Saints, I meane all the Elect, from time to time extant afore that time, effectually called, whoſe characters (that we may know them) in relation to our Poſition, are in the Revelation limbed to the life, where both it and they are deciphered in one & the ſame table or frame, viz. Rev. 20.4. And I ſaw Thrones, and they ſate upon them, and judgement was given to them; and I ſaw the ſouls of them that were beheaded for the witneſſe of Jeſus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worſhipped the Beaſt, neither his Image, neither had received his marke upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived, and reigned with Chriſt a thouſand years.
§. 2 In which words, I minde at this time, chiefly the three characters of them, that ſhall reigne with Chriſt: The firſt is Beheading, ſynechdochically ſignifying all perſecution, either more particularly (as it is here expreſſed) for the Witneſſe of Jeſus, that is, for aſſerting the God-head as wel as the Man-hood of Chriſt, for which many Martyrs ſuffered in the Arian perſecution, ſoon after Conſtantines time; or more generally, for the Word of God, viz. the fundamental doctrines thereof, for which they ſuffered afore the Arian perſecution, in the heathen-Roman tenfold perſecution, and after, in the Antichriſtian-Roman perſecution, and of late times in ſeverall Countries, in the Arminian and Socinian perſecution: or for both.
§. 3 The ſecond Character is, not worſhipping the Beaſt, no nor his Image. Thoſe that ſhall reigne with Chriſt, reverence not either apparent groſſe Idolatry, or ſpecious refined (under the notion of prudentials) in divine worſhip. They diſ-regard Antichriſt, root and branch, body and tayle.
§. 4 The third Character is, They receive not the marke of the Beaſt in their hands, or foreheads; that is, they yeeld not ſubjection to Antichriſt, ſecretly, or openly, neither profeſſe him, nor conteſt for him, or for any thing againſt the truth. All theſe three Characters are here given to take in all Saints: For haply ſome Saints have ſomewhat ſubjected outwardly to Antichriſt, but did not worſhip. Some perhaps have not ſubjected, but had not the opportunity or magnanimity to ſuffer. Others may be, have ſubjected or worſhipped, and after, repenting, have ſuffered.
§. 5 In other places of the Revelation, inſtead of this Negative, Have not the marke of the Beaſt, they are ſaid to have the marke of the Lambs Father in their forehead, Rev. 14.1. &c. They profeſſe the truth of God, with faith in Chriſt Jeſus. They are truly Saints, and feare the name of God, which is the Cognizance of thoſe that ſhall reigne with Chriſt, Rev. 11.15, 16, 17, 18.
§. 6 All ſuch Saints ſhall reigne with Chriſt, as we have ſaid (the Kingdomes of the earth then being actually and abſolutely become the Kingdomes of Chriſt) the ſaid Saints on earth viſibly poſſeſſing the power and dominion over the earth, for a thouſand yeares, literally and properly taken, and Chriſt moſt gloriouſly appearing at leaſt at the beginning and ending of that thouſand yeares: though wee cannot yet ſo demonſtratively and infallibly hold forth, that he ſhall continuedly bee all that time perſonally preſent upon the earth. The Devil, the meane while, all that time, under what names or notions ſoever, either as a cunning Serpent, and ſecret Satanical Adverſary, are as an open violent rampant Dragon, and reviling Devil, ſhall bee wholly, and abſolutely confined, and reſtrained, in effects, acts, and perſon, from the Precincts of the Church.
SECTIO I. Theſis expoſita.
§. 1 PEr Sanctos, nimirum Electos intelligo omnes, tum vocatos, tum vocandos, quorum characteres ſub REGNANTIUM notione in Apocaly pſi, ad vivum ſubinde delineantur. Capite nimirum 20. v. 4. ad hunc modum. Vidi ſedes, & ſederunt ſuper eas, & judicium datum eſt iis; & animas eorum, qui SECURI PERCUSSI SUNT PROPTER TESTI MONIUM JESU, ET PROPTER SERMONEM DEI, quique NON ADORARUNT BESTIAM, neque IMAGINEM EJUS, NEC ACCEPERUNT CHARACTEREM IN FRON TIBUS ſuis, aut in MANIBUS SUIS; Viventque & regnabunt cum Chriſto MILLE annis. Capite vero 11. v. 15, 16, 17, 18. ad hunc modum, Septimus igitur Angelus clanxit & factae ſunt voces magnae in Caelo, dicentes, facta ſunt regna mundi, regna Domini noſtri, & Chriſti ejus, qui regnabit in ſecula ſeculorum. Tum viginti quatuor illi ſenes, qui in conſpectu Dei ſedent in ſedibus ſuis, prociderunt in facies ſuas, & adorarunt Deum, dicentes, Gratias agimus tibi Domine, Deus Omnipot…ns, Qui es, & Qui eras, & Qui ven turus es; quod adeptus ſis potentiam tuam magnam, & regnum inieris, & iratae ſunt gentes, & advenit ira tua, & praeſtitutum tempus mortuorum, ut judicentur, & des mercedem, SERVIS TUIS, PROPHETIS, & SANCTIS, & TIMENTIBUS nomen tuum, PARVIS & MAGNIS.
§. 5 Apocalypſ. denique Capite 14. v. 1. &c. ità depinguntur. Tunc aſpexi & ecce, aderat Angelus ſtans ſuper montem Sion & cum eo Centum quadraginta quatuor millia, habentia NOMEN PATRIS ejus ſcriptum in frontibus ſuis. EMPTI ſunt e terrâ. Non ſunt INQUINATI mulieribus, SEQUUNTUR AGNUM, &c. Venit hora judicii ſui &c. Cecidit Babylon &c. Beati ab hocce tempore mortui ii, qui domini cauſa mortui ſunt, &c. Aderat nubes candida, & nubi inſidebat quidam ſimilis homini & Demeſſa eſt terra.
§. 6 Omnes inquam hoſce, ſplendidè regnaturos, cum Jeſu Chriſto (quibuſlibet terrarum Dynaſtiis, actu abſoluté que in ILLIUS, aliquantiſper apparentis poteſtatem ſuccedentibus) viſibiliter poſsidentes (ut Dan. 7.27.) Regna, Dominatus, eorundemque ſub toto Caelo amplitudinem mille annis, ad literam propriè acceptis, Diabolo intereà tempor is ab Eccleſiae finibus omnimodè ablegato.
CHAP. II. This opinion is not guilty of Novelty, or ſingularity.
CAP. II.
§. 1 TO remove in the firſt place the prejudice, that lyes heavy upon this Poſition, of Novelty, and ſingularity, wee ſhall produce approved Antiquity (both afore and ſince Chriſt) with a multitude of later Worthies, almoſt in every age hitherto congratulating with this truth.
§. 2 Any of which wee intend not for proofe (which is deferred till the third Chapter, of this firſt Booke, but eſpecially to the whole third Booke) but to remove impediments from mens minds, and to cleare their underſtandings from an averſe waywardneſſe of ſpirit, and ſo to reconcile them to a patient attention and tractable docility.
HAnc Theſin (ne ſtatim in ipſo limine, tanquam privata cujuſdam opiniola, tam novitatis, quàm ſingularitatis rea, condemnetur) priuſ quàm me demonſtrationi accinxero, numeroſo Conſtipatam ſatellitio eruditae antiquitatis, tàm ante quàm poſt Chriſtum editae, in medium proferam.