The Times of Restitution of All Things, Introduction
WHereas our former whole Work of this Nature (as we ſaid) is now by Divine diſpoſal become a very Uſeful Commentary to Explain, Confirm, and Illuſtrate, &c. what of theſe Divine Myſteries is contained or briefly couched in our two laſt Tracts on Rev. 20.5. of the Saints bodily Reſurrection, whereby they will be made capable of the happineſs of Chriſts Davidical Kingdome, and alſo in this Tract upon Rev. 21.5. which ſets forth the particularities making up the happineſs thereof: It being the main ſcope of all Revelation Propheſie (after the ſuffering times of the Church are over) to point out in their due order the fulfillings of the moſt antient Promiſes and Covenants made to and with the faithful Fore-fathers, for themſelves and their Spiritual Seed, &c. then to take place; being (as we obſerved formerly) that excellent uſe of our Saviours ſaid Divine Key in the four laſt Chapters of this Book: Wherefore we prefixed to the former Tract, our Compriſal and Syſtem, to illuſtrate theſe matters, with the Picture of the ſaid Divine Key, p. 63, & 64. of the ſame, which are alſo as much to be looked to in this, becauſe they both ſtand upon the ſame Foundations (as we hope ſound and judicious Chriſtians will be much by this Tract helped farther to diſcern) for Divine Goſpel Truths of this nature are not ſlightly to be paſſed over, but ſeriouſly pondered by all ſuch, as containing now in theſe times more Mercy & Divine Grace in them than the world is aware of; becauſe they have been formerly leſs diſcovered, and their times more remote, but are now neer approaching (as we hope to many ſuch may hereby be made manifeſt) &c.
Now that our former ſaid whole work may be really found thereunto more ſubſervient, we ſhall here add unto the ſaid Compriſal of the ſame work, ſomewhat more particularly to point out what therein ſerves chiefly, 1. For Explication. 2. For Confirmation. 3. For Illuſtration and Application.
1. For Explication chiefly ſerve, our Key by many Diſtinctions, and ſhort Aſſertions referring to many parts thereof, with the Account next following, and all Summaries of theſe Dectrines, as the Letter of Nov. 3.63. in the Prodr. with 16 Divine Theſes in the Iren and the Addition there, to which belongs the Treatiſe on Gen. 3.15. alſo the two Folded Leaves at the end thereof, and all other Letters and Papers in the Prodr. which with the Scheme thereof and Parallels, give much light to the Book of Revelation, and alſo what in the Irenicon is ſaid upon the 4, & 5, ch. which conſidered with the Book of Parallels of Daniel and the Revelation do jointly give the greateſt light to regulate mens minds in theſe Myſteries, and from whence (amongſt many others) the ſtrongeſt Confirmations may be drawn, (as in part was ſhewed in our Account) and the want of ſome competent light therein makes ſome perſons ſtrangly averſe from ſuch Truths, which otherwiſe (I believe) would not be ſo, &c. And alſo for Explication much ſerve the 31. Uſeful Obſervations after the Tract on Rev. 22.20. whereby may be obſerved how the Spirit of God hath Divinely couched matters of this nature in holy Scripture, &c. with other things following: Alſo the Paper of the Jews and Iſraelites great Reſtauration, Printed May 1.74. and much alſo for Explication ſerve the three former Practicals upon 1. Rev. 22.20. the ground whereof, See Aſſert. 6. of our Key, and of Gen. 3.15. in the 17th Aſſert. and upon Jer. 3.17. the ground of which is from the 14th Aſſertion.
2. For Confirmation chiefly ſerve firſt the ſeven Foundations in the Contents of the Ireni…, and in the two firſt leaves of the Abridgment of the ſame, alſo that happy and glorious ſtate of Chriſts ſaid Kingdome is confirmed by the 12 Foundations of the Faith thereof from the beginning of the Holy Scriptures to the end: which is alſo farther again confirmed in many particularities thereof in the 8 Convincing Arguments in the Word written, occaſionally drawn up.
1. Becauſe the Holy Scripture ſets down many things to be at the beginning, and in the time, and after the end of the ſaid thouſand years Reign of Chriſt with his Saints: of which, 36. Particulars are ſpecified, Arg. 1.
2. Becauſe many ſuch things in the Old Teſtament reſpecting the ſame time and ſtate are by Chriſt and his Apoſtles ſo explained in the New Teſtament.
3. Becauſe thoſe times and things belonging to them are ſo ſtamped and marked out by the Spirit of God in the Old Teſtament, which have alſo their Explications and Confirmations in the New Teſtament, reſpecting the ſame times and things.
4. Becauſe concerning them both the Apoſtle Peter divinely teacheth us, Acts 3.20, 21. [That God hath ſpoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets ſince the world began] which is largely proved ch. 5, 6, 7, 8, &c. of the Irenicon, which Teſtimonies are again quoted in the Treatiſe on Gen. 3.15.
5. Becauſe they are eſpecially confirmed by the double Teſtimonie of Daniel, and the Revelation, as is abundantly manifeſt by the Parallels of both Books.
6. Not here to mention any more: Becauſe Chriſt hath encouraged all his Overcomers in all the ſuffering times [until the ſaid happy peaceful times ſhall come] with many ſpecial Promiſes of things to be enjoyed by them in the ſaid ſtate, as by the 7th Argument is manifeſt.
All which Grounds and Arguments may be abundantly ſufficient to all ſuch unto whom God ſhall give Faith to believe them: but in the mean time, thoſe that do not, or will not, cannot be able to over-throw the ſtrength of them: But I hope ſerious and judicious Chriſtians will upon due and impartial conſideration of them, judge them too weighty to be neglected or diſregarded.
3. For Illuſtration and Application of theſe Doctrines all the 5 ſaid Practicals on ſeveral Subjects and Texts, as Gen. 3.15. Rev. 22.20. Jer. 3.17. with theſe two laſt alſo on Rev. 20.5. & Rev. 21.5. may ſufficiently and aptly ſerve, &c. and do not only much illuſtrate the Doctrines of the ſaid ſtate and times, but point out many excellent Uſes of them.
It may here (haply) be advantagious to ſome to hint at leaſt in what way God hath been graciouſly pleaſed to lead us to theſe laſt great Diſcoveries in theſe two laſt Treatiſes, as firſt by two Principles laid by a Reverend and truly Religious Perſon, Mr. H. P. then my Tutor, when I was about 20 years of age, who was much owned and honored in his time, &c. viz. Firſt, That many great Promiſes, ſuch as Eſ. 60. & others like, were neither yet fulfilled, nor were to be interpreted only in a ſpiritual ſence, but would be litterally fulfilled in their time. Secondly, By informing me of what Mr. Mede had then lately written, on Rev. 20. to be in the 1000 years which was owned in the Primitive times, which occaſioned me to look into things of that nature divers years following; but about 30 years after, when I had left the Univerſity, I was ſo taken up in the work of my Miniſtry, and eſpecially in the latter part thereof, in Preaching, Expounding, Catechiſing, publick Faſts, &c. ſo that all that time I had little freedome for ſuch an intenſe buſineſs, when by a double neceſſity, I being very much then ſpent, was then laid aſide: But in that my Retirement I began again to reaſſume my former notions, and perſue them, about Anno Dom. 1662.
1. By that Eſſay in my Irenicon, to prove that ſuch a Kingdom of Chriſt would be, from the ſeven Foundations therein, in that method ſet down ch. 1. which was after altered by the diſcovering that Chriſts Reign being in the great day of Judgment would be perſonal, &c. For in ſearching ſuch Myſteries it was hard to keep any ſet Method then and all parts after were occaſional, not firſt intended: to which I firſt added thoſe occaſional Letters and Papers in the Prodromus, to give light to the order of Revelation Propheſie; to ſupply the want of which and of the Abridgment of the Rev. on ch. 5. in the Irenic. we framed the Scheme of the whole Rev. and Summary of Dan. in one ſheet, of very great uſe, when many hundred of both, Prod. and Irenic. were burnt, An. Dom. 1666. and of the Parallels, from which, with the Abridgment of Daniel, was the Book of Parallels framed, ſuiting to the 5th ch. of the Irenicon, which I found to be of exceeding great uſe both to ground and regulate all ſuch ſtudies ever ſince: After theſe I was divers years ſtopped in my proceeding by the loſs of two Coppies of the two firſt Practicals on Gen. 3.15. & Rev. 22.20. until I was forced by an unexpected Law-ſute to continue ſome time in London, about An. Dom. 70. I then again (as I had formerly) found ſo much encouragement and engagement, both from God, and many Honorable, Learned, Religious and Worthy Perſons of ſeveral Ranks and Conditions, to proceed in theſe Studies, that thereupon I drew up the 12 ſaid foundations of Faith, and publiſhed the ſame, with the ſaid 8 Convincing Argument, containing the ſubſtance of the chief Argumentative parts of all the former: Unto which, the Tract on Jer. 3.17. was added, to explain the Diſtinction from Scripture of the two New Jeruſalems, or the two fold ſtate of New Jeruſalem then for the raiſed, and then converted Saints of one happy Communion, on Rev. 21. gloriouſly deſcribed the Great, Holy, and Beloved Jeruſalem, which, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 11. God is the Maker and Builder of, which hath Foundations, upon its Inhabitants coming down from God out of Heaven, which will by the immediate hand of God be made for the Fore-fathers then which Abraham expected, and for all that die in the Faith till Chriſts ſecond coming without ſin to Salvation, v. 10, 16, 39, 40. Secondly, The other, that Jeruſalem to be built by men, whoſe Walls Strangers and their Kings, ſaith the Prophet Eſay, ſhall build, (probably) that deſcribed in the 9 laſt ch. of Ezekiel, for the then Converted and Reduced Jews, Iſraelites and Gentiles coming in, in the natural life, which Rev. 21. are called the Nations of them that are ſaved, walking in the light of the other ſaid great, holy, and beloved new Jeruſalem: wherein are thoſe fifteen well-approved Reaſons, why it will be then in the world ſuited wonderfully to the condition of the then raiſed Saints.
And laſtly, from thoſe gradual Diſcoveries in all the other parts and parcels by the ſuperaboundant Grace of God to ſo weak and unworthy an Inſtrument, we more lately obtained that great Diſcovery of the main Scope of all Revelation-Propheſie, in the 4 laſt Chapters of the Revelation, as the Divine Key left by Jeſus Chriſt for his Church, opening that ſtate of the 1000 years, to be the fulfilling of the moſt antient Promiſes, Mercies, and Covenants made to the faithful Fathers and their ſpiritual Seed, then in both their ſaid conditions, &c. which we have here, according to Grace received, endeavoured further to open and explain in this laſt Treatiſe alſo: commending the ſame with all the former in our Prayers to his bleſſing for the benefit of all true Believers, who only have intereſt in all Goſpel-conſolations, whether laid down in Holy Scriptures more evidently or more myſteriouſly, whoſe Servant I more eſpecially profeſs my ſelf to be in this their ſo great concernment, and of the Great Lord and Maſter of us all, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
William Sherwin.