Supplement to Christs Peaceful Kingdom on Earth to Come, Preface
An Additional Supplement to the foreign, OR, Peaceable Conſiderations of Chriſts peaceful Kingdome to come upon the Earth in the Thouſand years, Rev. 20. lately publiſhed, 1665.
The PREFACE.
Chriſtian Brethren,
I Having in my late foreign, pag. 2. declared my purpoſe, to make ſome parallels of part of the Propheſie of Daniel, with the things contained in the book of Revelations of Jeſus Chriſt, which is plainly a Divine Myſtical Comment upon the particulars of the 4th and 5th Monarchies contained in Daniels Propheſie: that is, of what was more fully to be performed under the Roman and Chriſts Monarchy, both before the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands had ſo ſtrucken the Image on the feet and toes thereof, that it was wholly deſtroyed; and alſo afterwards, when the Stone was become a Mountain, and filled the whole earth: But by the hand of God upon me then, ſhewing me my miſtake in reſpect of the manner of Chriſts coming, and of Chriſts Kingdome, that it was not Myſtical (but perſonal) as before I apprehended, until I found that coming was the beginning of the day of Judgment; and likewiſe upon occaſion of thoſe other parallels of the three Babels, which I at firſt thought not of, until by Gods guidance led unto them; I was ſo far thereby taken off from my former purpoſe, That onelyonly in the 5th Chapter concerning thoſe three Babels, I did but briefly touch upon that intended parallel of the Books of Daniel and the Revelations. But ſince (through Gods merciful goodneſs) having further diſcovery of the uſefulneſs of ſuch an endeavour, I have accordingly (by his grace) ſet upon that buſineſs in this enſuing order.
Firſt, to ſet down a brief and plain Abridgment of the ſum of the Prophetical Viſions in Daniel contained: Firſt in Nebuchadnezzars dream of the great …mage, Chap. 2, and Daniels Viſion of the ſame matter, namely, of four Earthly Monarchies under four Beaſts, to paſs before Chriſts glorious Kingdom, take place, Chap. 7. wherein is ſhewed to Daniel a Jew, the beginning of the Judgment at the deſtruction of the fourth Beaſt, which was not ſhewed to Nebuchadnezzar a Gentile (as Mr. Mede obſerve,) though he ſaw the Kingdome of the Stone. A Second Prophetical Viſion was given unto Dan. c. 8. of the ſubduing of the ſecond Monarchy, [for the ruine f the firſt, to wit, of Babylon, had been ſhewed before to Daniel, chap. 7.4.] namely, of the Kingdome of the Medes and Perſians, by Alexander the Great, the founder of the Grecian Monarchy, with the dividing thereof to his four Captains, jointly ſucceeding him towards the four winds (as the Text ſpeaketh) where the Spirit of God paſſing by the Greek affairs for a long time, unto that one King of fierce countenance, Antiochus Epiphanes, at laſt riſing out of one of them, whoſe wicked actings againſt the Church of the Jews, is ſhewed ſhould be ſhort, and his death terrible towards the end of that 8. chap.
In chap. 9. Daniel had a third Viſion of the 70 weeks of years, till Chriſt had finiſhed his work of Redemption, and confirmed the Covenant with many, both Jews and Gentiles, for that time.
But his fourth and laſt Viſion, chap. 10.11.12. ſets forth before him again the Perſian, the Greek, and the Roman Kingdoms, with the beginning of Chriſts Monarchy; yet chiefly in the 11 chap. he ſpeaks of the inteſtine wars, and thereby the decaying of the Kingdome of Grecia under two principal heads of Egypt and Syria, called the Kings of the South and North, mutually battering down each other, and yet both of them ſadly oppreſſing …he poor Jews that lay between them, from v. 4, to 21. and from thence to 36. is ſet down a more full diſcription of that vile and wicked Antiochus Epiphanes, before the Roman Kingdom took place, who at laſt was ſaid to come out of one of the four heads, chap. 8.9. being that wicked little horn, [that probably may well be reckoned as a type of the great Antichriſt] in whoſe ruine the Grecian Kingdome, and Javans rage together ended.
Now after the brief conſideration of theſe Viſions, I ſhall endeavour in ſuch a ſaid Parallel, reſpecting the 4th and 5th Monarchy in Daniel, according as our bleſſ…d Saviour by his divine wiſdom hath been pleaſed to open and ſet them down for the uſe of his Chriſtian Church in his very uſeful book of Revelations, for theſe laſt times, and leaving particular obſervations and applications to Chriſtians in their private Meditations, aiming herein at brevity and clearneſs, I ſhall ſatisfie my ſelf onelyonly
Thirdly, To ſet down ſomewhat in general to thoſe purpoſes (if God will) in the laſt place. N w in conſidering of theſe, I have to the ſaid purpoſes or brevity and clearneſs, profeſtedly avoided all thoſe perplexing controverſies whereby ſome have unhappily obſcured both the ſcope and meaning of the Viſions, as likewiſe, ſome commonly miſtaken expreſſions, as, That the Thrones were caſt down, foreign …onec throni e…ati ſunt as A… Mo…nus, foreign Septfor the Thrones were ſet, Chap. 7.9. having en…eavoured (as God hath enabled me) to ſeek out the moſt genuine ſenſe, and the moſt clear and evident drift of theſe Viſions in the main of them, with divers natural explications from the matter and ſubject of them (which by the aſſiſtance of Gods spirit, (together with the Rule of his Word) I either have, or ſhall obſerve to be moſt conſonant unto truth.
Yet in the intended Parallel between the Fourth, or Roman, and Chriſts Kingdom held out in Daniel and the Revelation, ye may with me take notice of what Mr. Mede ſets down of their different handling thereof, namely, that it is done in Daniel more darkly, ſummatim & in genere, ſummarily, and in general onelyonly; but in the Revelation, Particulatim & in ſpecie, more particularly and ſpecially: Or, ſaith he in another place, Daniel ſpeaks of the Roman …mpire in imaginè confuſa: But Chriſts Revelation contains the ſeries rerum gerendarum, the order of things to be done, according to the diverſe fates and ſtates of the Church; in which reſpect many things in Daniel were ſaid to be ſealed up, and ſhut up till the time of the end, as Ch. 12.9. till Chriſt Jeſus the true and faithful Witneſs, had ſo Divinely made them known for his Churches great advantage by his Servant John.
This further (beloved Brethren) I would advertiſe you of, that beſides Daniel's Viſions, we ſhall (beyond former intentions) endeavour to repreſent ſomewhat of Ezekiel's Viſions, and eſpecially from Chap. 37. to the end of that Book; who b…ing a Prophet of the ſame time of the Captivity, though not in the ſame place with Daniel, yet by the ſame Spirit was guided into the ſame truth, then made known to Gods people for their comfort, yet one explaining the other in ſome things.
Therefore after Ezekiel (chap. 37.) had the Viſion of the Jews laſt and great Reſtauration, when both they and the reſt of the twelve Tribes of Iſrael ſhould be united into one ſtick; that it might not be doubted how it ſhould be done, chap. 38, 39. he ſhewed how the Gog and Magog of the preceding times (then) namely, the Pope and the Turk, ſhould be deſtroyed; and that the happy conſequents of this might be known (then) to the faithful Jews, he hath another Viſion of the New-Jeruſalem ſuited much unto the Jewiſh ſtate, but very excellent, and in this eſpecially, that the Name thereof ſhould be [Jehovah Shamma] the Lord is there, chap. 40. to the end of the Book, which our Saviour in a manner, more ſuitable to the Chriſtian Churches excellency, ſets forth, as coming out of Heaven from God, Rev. 21. which he ſhewed to Saint John, was to ſucceed upon the deſtruction of Antichriſt and his Complices in the Armageddon Battel, chap. 19.11. to the end, when ſo great joy had been, v. 6, 7, for that Brides making ready of Jews and Gentiles, ſo largely celebrated in the beginning of that Chapter. The like I may briefly hint of Chriſts Spouſe, in that Song of Songs which (as Mr. Cotton judiciouſly obſerves) all along to be Prophetical to the calling of the Jews, with the Gentiles more abundant coming in at their riſing, (as the Prophets phraſe is) Eſ. 60.3, 4, 5, 6, &c. and whoſe fulneſs ſhall be the greateſt riches of the Gentiles, Rom. 11.12. which Spouſe will then in the New-Jeruſalem, Rev. 21. be the Lambs Wife, in that holy City where ſhe and Chriſt will be made perfect in one, and one member with another, who ſince the Apoſtles, believed through their Word, till all theſe ſhould ſo be perfect, (as our Saviour prayed) John 17.20, 21, 23. that then in the time of the New-Jeruſalem, the whole world might both believe and know that God had ſent him into the world, when his glory in his Kingdom on Earth ſhould be ſo eminently ſet up there; which Kingdom at his death he willed to them (as a Legacy) or birth-right, with his Fathers Conſent and Grant (the Apoſtles being Witneſſes thereto) as v. 24. of the ſame Chapter, that they might all have their part with him there, and that (as our bleſſed Saviour further teacheth) for a thouſand years, Rev. 20.4. to which purpoſe tends likewiſe the 45 Pſalm.
Thus having briefly given you an Account of this my poor endeavour for the benefit of faithful Chriſtians, and for the greater evidence and clearneſs of theſe (amongſt many) ſo little believed myſteries of ſuch Chriſts coming to begin the Judgment, and ſuch manner of his raiſing up the Saints in the time of his ſaid viſible glorious Kingdom on Earth in the thouſand years: I ſhall endeavour by the further aſſiſtance of his Grace and Spirit, and by the evidence of his Sacred Word of Truth, and in the further explication whereof, Chriſt Jeſus himſelf hath (above what was afforded Daniel in this Book) as the true and faithful witneſs ſo unſealed and opened to his Church in that Divine Book which was ſo gloriouſly given unto him in that Viſion which St. John ſaw, Rev. 5. concerning things to come; and hereupon in reference to ſuch a future Parallel, we have premiſed this enſuing ſhort Abridgment of the whole, that the particular branches thereof might the better be made uſe of to their ſeveral due intendments, by ſuch as are rightly converſant in them; and the greater light of truth might ſo be made evident to all ſerious and impartial ſeekers thereof, by the bleſſing of God thereupon, as God may order their Meditations for their own and others edifying.
Now as that ſhort compriſal in the foreign on the fifth Chapter of the Revelation, pag. 27. as likewiſe in the Letter May 20. 1664. in the Fore-runner, are (as it were) an A. B. C. for ſome Chriſtians to learn to ſpell out the meaning of the ſubſtance of things contained in that Book of the Revelations, which were to come. So may the following ſhort Abridgment of the Viſions of Daniel be for this Book, when they come to be a little acquainted with it; and by the help of both which together, I hope by Gods bleſſing both great clearneſs of the truth, and of the neceſſity of the ſubſtance of the Doctrine of Chriſts Kingdom upon earth, may unto many ſorts of men in due time be undeniably made evident, to be ſuch Divine Truth as is both profitable and neceſſary, appearing ſo infallibly and ſtrongly grounded upon both thoſe Divine and bleſſed Books of holy Scripture, which being once rightly underſtood, will manifeſt them to be (as indeed they are) the ſure key for the right opening of many other Prophetical Scriptures in the Old Teſtament, and ſundry other pertinent Texts in the New, which otherwiſe are little rightly underſtood by moſt ſorts of men.
But after all ſuch outward means to bouſed, with humble and faithful prayer, meditation and conference of them, muſt then be likewiſe inwardly done by him who is ſaid to open the underſtanding of his Diſciples together, after his reſurrection, Luk. 24.35. to make them underſtand the Scriptures: To whoſe moſt gracious guidance and teaching, I commend both you, and all truly Chriſtian and teachable Spirits, ſeeking for a bleſſing to you, and all ſuch in my prayers upon this my poor and weak endeavours, with all other good means to any like purpoſe. Amen.
An. Dom. 1665. Therein remaining yours, and their faithful Servant in him our great Lord, in what I may be uſeful. MƲNƲS.