A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Whether we may not expect a glorious rest before this finall appearing, and what reſt it will be.
GLorious things are ſpoken of this laſt age, and divers opinions there are about it; ſome conceive a perſonall reign of Chriſt, as Rev. 20.3.4 They lived and reigned with Chriſt a thouſand years; but I underſtand this ſpiritually that he ſhall reign in them, not as he was upon earth, as ſome dream, for Acts 3.21. ſaith,the heavens muſt retain him til the time of restitution of all things: Some thinke this thouſand years began at his birth, others at his Reſurrection, there being books extant on this ſubject, ſhall not ſpeak more of this; for to me I find not the leaſt ground of a perſonall reign of Chriſt: when he went away, he never ſaid, I will come a gaine perſonally, but I will ſend my Spirit that ſhall lead you into all truth, not that I will come again in fleſh upon earth, and live a thouſand years, but in Spirit; and in that place it is ſaid, they lived and reigned with Chriſt a thouſand years, but it ſaith not upon earth, for there is no ſuch word.
But I muſt truly ſay, there will be a glorious reſt for the Saints in divers particulars.
As firſt, in powring out the Spirit, Joel 2.8. Acts 2.17. In thoſe dayes I will powre out my Spirit on all fleſh, your ſons and daughters ſhall prophecie, you ſhall not ſay one to another know the Lord, for you ſhall be all taught of God; this promiſe in my judgement hath this meaning in it, that we ſhall no longer reſt in men, ye ſhall not need that any man teach you, man with his principles, parts, learning: you ſhall no longer ſay to this man, or that man, teach us, for ye ſhall all be taught of God, you ſhall be brought off from that ſottiſh opinion in the world, that think none but men learned in Arts can teach, no my Spirit that ſhall teach you, ye ſhall then come to acknowledge Gods teaching in all, for ye ſhall be made to confeſſe, that it is not Paul, Apollo, nor Cephas, but Chriſt in ail that teacheth: this promiſe doth not overthorw the preaching of the Goſpell, as ſome men may judge, but is a comparative ſpeech, ſignifying what knowledge ſhall be in theſe laſt times, and no man ſhall therefore believe a thing true, becauſe the Miniſter ſaith ſo, but they ſhall have a ſpirit of underſtanding given to know things, as 1 Joh. 2.27. declares to us, that as the ſame anoynting teacheth us, ſo we ſhall judge whether it be God or man that ſpeaks, and thoſe weak words ſhall be laid aſide, as we now ſay, ſuch and ſuch a man taught me, this is a deſtroying thy Maker; therefore thou ſhalt ſay, It was the Lord, and I knew it not.
I have many times admired why Chriſtians get ſo little by hearing, and I find the cauſe to be this: they go to hear men and not God, and ſo they divide; if you be not taught of God to love another, you can never learn it of men: Alas! man is but the cane in which ſugars lies, the trunk through which God ſpeaks; man is but John Baptiſt, a voice and no more; this will be a bleſſed time when we ſhall give every thing its due, not ſay ſuch a man can teach me more then another, this is a calling upon Malcham, to make ſome King or Ruler over thee, beſides the true God; Call no man therefore your Maſter, (or Teacher) but one even God.
2. Secondly, there will be much love and quietneſſe amongſt people; the Lion ſhall eat ſtraw like the Oxe, the Wolf ſhall dwell with the Lamb, they ſhall not hurt, nor deſtroy in all my holy mountain: Theſe are metaphoricall expreſſions, to note God will mightily reſtraine the ſpirits of men; what a wonder is it to ſee a Wolfe lie quiet with a Lamb? ſo it will be, all Lion-like devouring, tyrannizing, proſecuting ſpirits ſhall be as a Lamb, made ſtill, and ſtirre nor, God will turn Lions into Lambs, great abominable ſinners into gracious Saints: Knowledge ſhall cover the earth, as waters cover the Sea; that is, comparatively to former times: Men ſhall be filled with this divine wiſdome, the fool ſhall condemn the wiſe, the weak the mighty, Iſai. 2.4. They ſhall beat their Swords into plow ſhares, what ever was as a ſword to kill, deſtroy lives, liberties of one another, that ſword ſhall be turned into a plow ſhare, it ſhall now worke for the good of all: this notes to us abundance of peace that will be in mens ſpirits; no more cries or perſections ſhall be heard in our ſtreets, the time is coming that perſecution ſhall ceaſe, Mic. 4.5. All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God; all ſuch Lion, and Wolviſh ſpirits ſhall be taken a-away.
3. Thirdly, for an outward peace how far that will extend, take a few hints: That certainly tyranny ſhall be abated much, and justice ſhall run down like a river; Eſa. 32.18. The people ſhall dwell in quiet habitations; and ſhall ſit every man under his vine and his fig tree and none ſhall make them afraid, Mic. 4.4. No power outward or inward ſhall diſmay them, for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it: the abundance of corrupt Lawyers ſhall be pulled down, and when that is done, then rejoyce, O ye inhabitants of the earth, for Babylon, or confuſion and deceit is falling, and untill this be done, we muſt expect no fulfilling of juſtice to run as a river: we have ſome ſtreames already, but thoſe deceivers ſtop the currents they are ſuch as darken caunſell, Luke 11.52. keep the key of Knowledge, and by that gaine wedges of gold to themſelves, and Diana muſt down in all. To performe this worke, God faith, Iſai. 1.26. I will reſtore unto you Rulers as at the firſt, and Judges as at the beginning; God ſits now a refining and gives us great hopes of Judges and Rulers, hating covetouſneſſe and ſelfe-ends; there muſt be ſuch as are like Melchiſedeke, to know no kindred or friend, when in Authority forget all relations, but doe juſtice to all without reſpect to this or that friend, Levit. 24.22. There ſhall be one manner of Law as well for the ſtranger as the countreyman: The Law ſhall be plaine, eaſie, let corrupt men ſeek what they can to hinder it, the ſtranger ſhall know it, he that hath no learning, as well as he that hath; the ſame to the poor as to the rich.
So from all this I ſay not that the Saints ſhall have only an earthly glory, grow high, and they onelyonly poſſeſſe the high places of the earth; but my judgement is, that there ſhall be a ſweet moderation in Government: and though we cannot expect all in Authority ſhould be Saints, yet man (though carnall) ſhall have a ſpirit for the liberties of the People, and ſhall deal juſtly.
Now when God will accompliſh this worke he hath promiſed, I may not fully conclude, but ſay it ſhall be wrought within theſe few yeares; for I ſee God is coming to throw downe oppreſſion, injuſtice, tyranny, in all powers on earth, and he hath already laid the way and foundation for this worke in theſe laſt eight years; therefore rejoyce O ye people, for God is delivering you from thoſe outward bondages.