The Resurrection Revealed, Book 6 · Introduction – Chapter 1
THE INTRODUCTION, Laying forth the generall Heads, of this Book, touching the WHAT of this Glorious Time.
§. 1 HAving demonſtrated the Quòd ſit, THAT there is A Glorious ſtate of all things yet to bee on Earth afore the univerſal judgement (of all the quicke and dead.) Next we are to declare the Quid ſit, WHAT the ſaid glorious ſtate ſhall be.
§. 2 For which we have already made ſome way and preparation, by a neceſſitated anticipation, by reaſon that the proofs being Divine, and interwoven, with ſeverall paſſages of both, viz. of the That, and What of this aforeſaid ſtate, we could not pick the one from the other, nor explaine, and demonſtrate the meaning of the former, without a ſcruteny into ſome paſſages of the later, where we found them ſo intermixt. Howbeit, we inſiſted upon them no further then to a proofe of the literall meaning of the place, reſerving the diſtinct and larger diſcuſſe for this Book.
In this WHAT, are to be conſidered theſe five Heads.
§. 3 I The Chaos, Of the glorious ſtate aforeſaid, yet to come, and to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement.
II The Creation, Of the glorious ſtate aforeſaid, yet to come, and to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement.
III The Dimenſions, Of the glorious ſtate aforeſaid, yet to come, and to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement.
IV The Qualifications, Of the glorious ſtate aforeſaid, yet to come, and to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement.
V The Priviledges. Of the glorious ſtate aforeſaid, yet to come, and to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement.
CHAP. I. Touching the Chaos.
§. 1 BY the Chaos we mean the preparation to this eſtate; or the manner of the beginning thereof: That as in the old and firſt Creation, the Chaos was the evening of the world, with which it began, (as the Rabbins before quoted,*Lib. 4. Chap. 4. uſe to ſpeake) ſo this ſecond, or New Creation (as it is called, Iſa. 65.17. 2 Pet. 3.13. Rev. 21.1) begins with an evening. And as after that, as an Antitypicall memoriall of the finiſhing thereof (celebrated on the Sabbaticall ſeventh day) the Church of the Jews in all ages to Chriſts time, began their Sabbath in the evening; ſo this Sabbatiſme (of the glorious ſtate of which we ſpeak as it is called Heb. 4. afore largely explained) ſhall begin, and have its Ante-ſcene, or Prelude in a kind of evening. Now as the evening taken in that largeneſs, as Gen. 1. in the firſt part, hath ſome light, and ſometimes a glare of the Sun at its laſt withdrawing (though the day hath been dusk and dim all afore) and receives for a farewell, a reflexion of the beams darted backward upon the clouds, with a twy-light following it; but in the latter part it is darke: So in this evening, in the firſt part thereof, there ſhall be ſome manifeſtation of the Sonne of Righteouſneſſe, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for the Call of the Jewes (Zach. 12.10. Rev. 1.7.) and the ſetting them on foot to contend for their liberty againſt the Turk, and all Antichriſtian enemies. But in the latter part of this evening, after that Chriſt hath rowſed them up to that conteſt, there ſhall be a darkneſſe of great troubles, (Da. 12.1.) And theſe troubles it ſeems by the two laſt ver. of that 12 of Dan. may laſt 45 yeers afore the Jews with the Gentiles, come to their glorious enjoyments at the reſurrection of all the Elect deceaſed, and the change of the believers then alive. But when that evening and night is paſſed over, the Righteous ſhall have the DOMINION in the morning, Pſal. 49. v. 14. which learned Junius interprets of the Saints happy eſtate in the morning of the reſurrection, which S. John Rev. 20.4. calls the firſt Reſurrection, as we have before demonſtrated. For at the laſt ultimate end, when CHRIST layes downe all his rule, and power, 1 Cor. 15.24.28. we cannot imagine that Chriſtians may be ſaid to have Dominion.
§. 2 Now as in the evening ſhutting in, there is an end, a ſetting in a cloud, and a darkning of all the glory of the precedent day; all glorious things are wrapt up in obſcurity, and all glorious perſons, (their Maſters) Kings, Princes, and Potentates are couched and crouched downe as beaſts in their dens, and lye like dead men; and none of all theſe things, or perſons ſurvive, but whom, and what God will permit to eſcape fire, or death &c.) So this glorious ſtate ſhall begin, as to the preface or preparation, with a ſetting, and dark eclipſing of all the worldly glory of former times, things, and perſons, viz. of the foure former Monarchies, root and branch, with all their impertinent appurtenances, that ſtand in the way to hinder Chriſts glorious Kingdome on earth, Dan. 7. Rev. 11.18. and 19. Chapters, &c. of which abundantly afore. And we have ſeen it far more by experience, ſince this ſubject was divers yeers by-paſt preached and aſſerted. Wonder not therefore at the pullings downe of humane glories to this day, and the many ſcuffles about them, almoſt over the whole World. The ſumme of worldly pompe is declining towards Sun-ſet, the ſhadowes grow long, it begins to be duske upon all Secular ſplendor. The night comes on, great ſtormes will ariſe; but though they may be univerſall on the Jewes for the ſaid five and forty yeers, becauſe univerſally they have for above five and forty ſcores of yeers refuſed the Meſsiah; yet, likely, the tempeſt on the Gentiles that have owned Chriſt, may but drive along by coaſts, falling here and there, by ſucceſſion, they having ſuffered much already for Chriſts ſake by Heathens, Turks, Papiſts, and falſely named Proteſtants.
§. 3 But as after the ſhutting down of the evening, even in the dark night, there is ſtill a continued tendency towards the ſucceeding day, and the glory thereof: The Sunne is ſtill haſtening to riſe again. So whiles the ſaid darke troubles are extant, and incumbent upon the Church, even therein is a continued tendency towards the glory thereof; theſe refining the Church for that ſtate, Malac. 3. verſes 2, 3. and thereupon Chriſt is neerer, and readier for their full deliverance and acceptance, verſes 4.5.17.
§. 4 For after the night is over, the day dawns unto the appearance of the day-ſtar, the Sunne. So at the end of theſe dark troubles, yea for the ending of them, Chriſt the Sonne of Righteouſneſſe ſhall appeare, Malach. 4.2. (mark the method of that Prophet after that Chapter 3. v. 2, 3.) compared with 2 Pet. 1.19. (all which places are largely diſcuſſed afore.) So that when the ſaid troubles are at the higheſt, then Chriſt will appear moſt gloriouſly for the deſtruction of the cauſers of all thoſe troubles, even all the enemies of the Church: of which appearance of Chriſt, and deſtruction of the enemy, ſee Dan. 7.13, 14. &c. 2 Theſſ. 2.8. Rev. 19. verſe 11. &c. to the end of the Chapter, where they are lively characterized, moſt worthy the Readers peruſall. Upon which deſtruction on the enemies by the preſence of Chriſt, the glorious time of the thouſand yeers begins, and that with the reſurrection of all the Elect, as moſt methodically it follows after that in Daniel, as a cloſe of all the troubles mentioned in the whole Propheſie, Chap. 12. the two laſt verſes; and doth methodically follow that in the Revelation, as the bleſſed Cataſtrophe of all the confuſions in that whole Propheſie in Chapter 20. the firſt ſix verſes. So that next in an immediate order of nature followes the New Creation, Chapter 21.1. of which in the next Section.