A Wakening Call, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. The Conclusion of this whole Treatise, shewing the Security of true Saints, all along this troublesom confounded World; wherein God never suffers the Rulers of this dark World, Devils or Men, to do any thing to them, in their implacable Malice, but what his infinite Wisdom and Power overrules into a constant Conducibleness to their greatest Good. This, with many other things, are the Matters of this Concluding Chapter.
TRUE Saints have God, and Christ himself, on their Side, in a Partnership with them, under all the Blasphemous Contradictions of Men, to their Words of God's Wisdom, Words which the Holy Ghost, his Gospel-spirit in them, teaches. In Blaspheming such Words, they blaspheme Christ himself and God Most High. Christ say'd to such as search'd the Scriptures, in but their own Understandings (and thought they had eternal Life, in such Obedience as was performable by them, in the restor'd Life of their own Law-spirit of Works) ye will not come to me, the living Word of God, for my Gospel-life of Grace and Truth, in which only, any can be sav'd, or enter into my Kingdom, Iohn 5.39,40. From the same infallible Mouth of God, we have a yet seemingly harder Saying than this; No Man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, by the attractive Power of his electing Love, draw, bring and give him to me, John 6. 44. And, I will give eternal Life to as many as the Father hath given me, (John 17. 2.) to all, whose Names are written in me, the living Word and Book of Life, (Revel. 13. 8.) predestinated to be conform'd to me, in that heavenly, eternal Creature-life, into which I was exalted, as the Lamb slain, from the Foundation of the World, out of the Death of the First-creation, into the Life, appointed to be given Angels and Men, by a Second, Rev. 13. 8. Rom. 8. 29. The attaining eternal Life, is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, in the Life, Will and Understanding of his own Spirit, at best; but of the Will of God, who will shew to whom he please, such Mercy, as is the Free-Grace-Gift of quite another Life, Will and Understanding, than was given Angel or Man, in their First-creation, Rom. 9. 16. The Election, or Elect from among Mankind, will obtain what they seek for, even eternal Life; the rest will be blinded by Satan, and find eternal Death, Rom. 11.7. These, with many the like Sayings in the Scripture, seem exceeding hard to Man's Wisdom, in which, if the attaining eternal Life, or scaping eternal Death, be not in the Power of his own Will; and if the things of God, in his eternal Gospel-life, be quite out of the reach of his own Understanding, so as that it is impossible to be sav'd, in his own Will and Way, he is ready with his strong Reasonings to charge God himself with Unrighteousness, as requiring Impossibilities, Rom. 9. 14-21. Man, with all his strong Reasons, when he produces his Cause, and stands up in his own Defence against God, will be found less or worse than nothing, Isa. 41. 21, 24. All seeming hard Sayings, in the Scriptures of Truth, about Mens eternal Concerns, (the finding eternal Life, depending singly and meerly, on the electing Love of God) exclude none from the Hope of a Share or Portion therein, till guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost or Gospel-spirit, and so, of unchangeable Enmity to God. Even Gospel-Saints know not who are elected of God, till it appear to them, by the self-evidencing Fruits of Christ's Gospel-spirit, in them. On this account, Paul knew his Gospel-converts, amongst the Thessalonians, to be the Elect of God, 1 Thess. 1.4,5. Those that are elected of God, and shall be true Saints, are born, with all others of Mankind, dead in Trespasses and Sins, Ephes. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. Could the self-confident righteous Scribes and Pharisees, think Mary Magdalen and Zacheus, the Elect of God, while in the same corrupt Spirit of Nature, with other Publicans and common Sinners, in Filth of Flesh? Could awaken'd Gospel-Saints think Paul elected of God, when they saw him a fierce Persecutor, and Blasphemer of all Gospel-Truths? None are absolutely excluded from a Hopefulness of a Share in God's electing Love, and so of finding eternal Life, till fix'd by their own sinful, unpardonable Choice (and God's righteous Judgment upon them, in giving them up thereto) in Filth of Flesh or Spirit, corrupt or righteous Nature, rendring them a literal or mystical Sodom, in unchangeable Enmity to God and his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth. No Scriptures, rightly interpreted and understood, give ground to any, for despairing or giving up all Hopes of God's electing Love, save to the two abovesaid Sorts of Sinners. A distrusting our own Understandings, and Wills, at best, as to the finding eternal Life, or ever answering the whole Mind, Will, and Counsel of God; such a kind of Despair, is a Duty, of high Concern; and, a false Confidence therein, is exceeding dangerous, as answering Satan's whole Counsel, to our eternal Destruction. God forewarns us hereof, Ier. 10. 23. Prov. 3. 5-7. None will finally take this warning, but the Elect, and not they, till the dormant Seed of Gospel-life, unknown to themselves, be actually quicken'd and waken'd up in them. The Words of God's Wisdom and Counsel about our eternal Concerns, are universally contrary to the Words of Man's Wisdom. Christ told the self-confident Law-righteous Scribes and Pharisees (who reckon'd themselves and Followers, such as were born of God, (Iohn 8. 41.) and could not miss the Salvation of Heaven) they were Serpents, a Generation of Vipers, that could not escape the Damnation of Hell, Mat. 23. 33. He calls them Hypocrites, not as pretending, only, to, and not really experiencing the Righteousness of Man; but, as accounting themselves, therein, the only true Saints, in the Kingdom-life and Righteousness of God, when in unchangeable Enmity thereto. All such Interpreters of Scripture, exploding, denying and blaspheming Christ's Gospel-life and Truths, in which any can ever enter into his Kingdom, are said to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven, disswading any that are looking after that Life, in which, alone, possible to enter into it, as a most dangerous delusive Fiction, ver. 13. Except our Life and Righteousness be quite of another kind, than the Law-life and Righteousness of Man, to wit, the Gospel-life and Righteousness of God, by a New or Second-creation, we can in no wise, enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 5. 20. The highest Rank of Antichristian Enemies to true Saints, and their Doctrine of Grace, in the Words of God's Wisdom, are such righteous Men, who set up for Salvation, in the same Law-principle of restor'd Nature, as Christ found the teaching and professing Jews, in. Under all blasphemous Contradictions, and Persecuting-work of such as set up in the restor'd earthly Law-life and Righteousness of Man, in preference and opposition to the Heavenly Gospel-life and Righteousness of God, Saints have God on their Side; who can be against them, (Rom. 8.31.) so as to do them the least Harm? 1 Pet. 3. 13, 14. Whatever Devils or Men, as God's permissive Hand, can, in their implacable Malice, do to them, is infallibly overrul'd by God's infinite Wisdom and Power, for their greatest Good. They are secur'd from any hurt, by the great red Dragon, or any of his innumerable serpentine Seed of Mankind, Rev. 12.3-5. What was the Issue of the first War, in Heaven, between Michael and his Angels, in the heavenly Life and Glory of the New or Second-creation, and the Dragon and his Angels, in the earthly Life of the first, we find, v. 7, 8. They were utterly excluded out of Heaven, from ever entring thereinto, as transform'd by themselves into the Guise or Appearance of true Gospel-Angels of Light. And, by such deceitful Work, does that Old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, deceive the whole World, (v. 9.) all, in but the worldly Principle of Life, and Righteousness of Man. By such deceitful transforming Work of Satan and his Angels of Darkness, into Angels of Light, and his Ministers of but the Righteousness of Man, into the Likeness of Christ's true Gospel-Ministers of the Righteousness of God, does he decry all Gospel-Truths, as the greatest Heresies and Blasphemies in the World. Christ himself suffer'd himself, to be so dealt with, by them. When Saints declare the Gospel-life, and assert, that therein, only, any can ever enter into Heaven, or scape the Damnation of Hell; they do not deny that any in the corrupt or righteous Life of their own Nature or Spirit, can ever come to experience Christ's Gospel-life, or enter into his Kingdom; but endeavour to be instrumental, under Christ, for leading them thereinto, 2 Tim. 2. 24-26.
Quest. Does the Gospel-Doctrine of true Salvation discourage or condemn the Righteousness of Man, in the honest moral Heathen, walking in a Sutableness to the rational Light of Nature, restor'd by Christ, in all Mankind, as a Light which lighteth every Man that comes into the World? John 1. 9. Does it discourage the righteous First-covenant Iew, or Christian, walking in his higher kind of good Conscience, in the restor'd First-covenant Law-life, as his Principle, owning the imputed Righteousness of Christ, there, for the compleating him, in a First-covenant-Communion with, and worshipping of God? Consequently, does it judg and condemn the moral Heathen, or legally righteous First-covenant Iew or Christian, for teaching and exhorting others, to walk in such Obedience to God, as is performable in the said Light of Nature, or Life of the Law?
Answ. Nothing of all this, is justly imputable to the right Teaching of the Gospel. Moral and legal Righteousness of Man is good for himself and his Fellow-creatures in this World, (Iob 35. 8.) and better in God's Sight, than gross Wickedness, Injustice, vile Affections and brutish Lusts: but, as to entring into the Kingdom of God, in the World to come, not at all, available, Gal. 6. 15. God himself testified of Iob to the Devil, that there was none like him in the Earth, a perfect, upright Man, fearing God and eschewing Evil, Job 1. 8. The Devil (knowing Iob, in all this, to be rewarded of God, as a Debtor to him, (Rom. 4. 4.) for such Righteousness, in a Plenty of this World's temporary good Things) replied, v. 9, 10. Hast thou not bless'd the Work of his Hands, and encreas'd his Substance in the Land? Take all this away again, and see, if he curse thee not to thy Face, v. 11. God puts it into Satan's Power, to be instrumental, herein, for the Trial of Iob's Patience, and carrying on the Work of his Cross upon him, in a Conducibleness to his greatest Good. His ten Children are kill'd by a great Wind, blowing down the House, where they were Feasting; all his Goods were taken away by wicked Men, under the Influence of the Devil. Thus far, Iob did bear his Trial, without sinning, or charging God, foolishly; blessing the Lord, that gave him, and then took all the said Gifts away, again, from him. Then Satan desires the Liberty of smiting his Body, and God grants him a limited Power, as to that. Then Satan moves his Wife, to counsel him, to do what himself, had said to God, (Iob 1. 11.) Curse God and die, Chap. 2. 9. Job rebukes her, saying, shall we receive Good from God, and not Evil? In all this did not Iob sin with his Lips, Job 2. 5-10. But, when he felt the Cross or Death-work of the Spirit of God, on his very Spirit, as to the Life, Wisdom, and Righteousness of Man, and Satan's permitted working upon him, in this Hour and Power of Darkness, he was sorely put to his utmost Trial, and utter'd many hard Words against God's strange and wonderful Dealings with him, reflecting upon his faithful Walking, (Iob 29. 2.) so as not, in the least, to deserve any such dealing of God with him, Iob 3. & 19. 1-11. & 31. 35. He desires that the Almighty would answer him. Here's the Case and Demeanour of the Mirror of Patience, next the Lord himself, under all Sufferings, in our Nature. Elihu charges him with multiplying his Words against God, Job 34. 37. The Lord himself charges him with darkning Counsel, by Words without Knowledg, Chap. 38. 1, 2. He saw not, as yet, or understood the unspeakable Advantage of all this strange Dealing of God, with him. So, contended with the Almighty, and therein, reprov'd God himself, Chap. 40. 1, 2. He reflected upon his former Condition and flourish in all worldly Prosperity, and such an Eminency in Wisdom and Righteousness, that when he open'd his Mouth in Counsel, Princes refrain'd talking, and Nobles held their Peace; now, Children of Fools abhor'd him, made him their Song and By-word, not sparing to spit in his Face, Iob 29. 9, 10. & 30. 8-10. He comes, at length, to abhor himself, in such a Change of Life and Mind, for the better, as to rejoice in seeing all the fading Glory, Wisdom and Righteousness of his own Spirit, turn'd into Dust and Ashes, as the Way of God, for experiencing his heavenly Creature-life, above all Deaths, and his eternal good Things, therein, the Righteousness and Wisdom of God, and his living and working all his Works, in God's Spirit of Grace and Truth. But, in the hundred and forty Years of his Life, after all this, we hear not a Word of such high Esteem with Men, as when eminent in the Wisdom, and Righteousness of Man.
Were the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man, all that God requires of him, for entring into his Kingdom, Godliness would be no Mystery. The Light of Nature, in all Men, convinces, judges and condemns all gross Sins, vile Affections and brutish Lusts in all others, and themselves also, who are guilty thereof. And, then, also, Satan would have no Mystery of Iniquity, to make use of, in his destructive Practisings upon Mankind. But, for this, he has, not only all the Wisdom, Righteousness and Glory of the First-creation, in himself and Men, to deceive them, by; but a permitted Power, also, to transform all that, in himself and Men, into the Appearance and Likeness of Christ's Gospel-life, and Righteousness of God, and by his Ministers amongst Men, to dress it up with all Scripture Language and Titles of the very Gospel-Truths of God; Regeneration, New-Creature, and the like. So does Satan, as the supream mystical Whore of Babylon, with his whole Babylonish Party of evil Angels and Men, (furnish'd with all Glory of the First-creation, and counterfeit Appearances also of the Second) carry on his Work, in the womanish Spirit of Nature, against God's manly Spirit of Grace, as deck'd and adorn'd with all worldly Glory, Pomp and Beauty, and having a gilded (not golden) Cup, full of Abominations, by which, to deceive, if possible, the very Elect, and, infallibly, all others, into everlasting Destruction. Even Iohn, the peculiarly beloved Disciple, an eminent Apostolical Saint, marvel'd to see the Pomp and Glory of Satan and his whole Party, herein, and in all that, call'd, Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth; all, amounting to a rebellious fixing in the earthly Life of the Creature, in unchangeable Enmity to God, and the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator, offer'd by a New-creation. The Righteousness and Wisdom of Man are the best sort of things, in Nature's First-creation; spiritual enlightning Gifts are the best Gifts, towards a New-creation, receivable by the natural Understanding; and yet, Man, in all these Advantages, short of the very Gospel-life of God, or a living spiritual Faith therein, is nothing, has nothing that will give him Entrance into the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 12. 31. & 13. 1, 2. The best things in Nature, are corruptible, and if corrupted, become the worst of all things. The highest Light, Wisdom and Righteousness, therein, establisht, in preference to the marvelous Light, Wisdom and Righteousness of God, offer'd by a New-creation, is the greatest Darkness, Wickedness and Folly, of all, Mat. 6.23. Mystical Babylon and Sodom is worse than literal, Mat. 11.23,24.
The prevailing Power and Danger of Self-love, did most signally appear in the first Sin of evil Angels. Under the clearest Knowledg of the Will and Command of God, that was possible to be given to their supream natural intuitive Understandings, for the right use of their natural Beings and Life, given them in their First-creation, in order to the Second, they turn'd away from God's Offer of the latter, in Love to themselves, in the former. This did they, in a known Rebellion against God, and a known Contrariety to their own unspeakable Concern, for finding eternal Life or scaping eternal Death. They preferr'd the Life of the Creature in themselves, to the Life of the Creator, in himself, in an unchast, adulterous, murdering Mind of unchangeable Enmity to their Creator, as offer'd to become their Lord, Bridegroom and Husband, in the Life of that all-powerful Spirit, that gave them their own Beings and Life, by a First-creation. They added to this first unpardonable Sin, the drawing all Mankind, in Adam, to make the same evil Choice, for themselves. And, all along this World, when any are restor'd into the Life of the First-creation, and brought under high spiritual enlightning Gifts, convincing Discoveries and Offers of the heavenly Creature-life of God by a Second, evil Angels do attempt, and prevail with many, under such Advantages, to fetch them back again, from Christ's offer'd eternal Gospel-life of the Creator, in his holy Spirit, and set up for themselves in their own holy Flesh, or earthly Life and Righteousness of Man. Gal. 3. 1, 3. & 5. 7, 8. Balaam and Saul, with many others, are signal Instances of such Apostacy from Christ, under the prevailing Influence of evil Angels. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, so that he was among the Prophets of God, under the enlightning Gifts thereof, by which God turn'd him into another Man, gave him another Heart, to see, know, and seek after him. But, he turn'd from God, and the Spirit of God departed from him; and when his Life was in danger, he ask'd Counsel of the Devil, in a known Witch, what would become of him, 1 Sam. 10. 6, 9, 11. & 16. 14. & 28. 7.
Balaam, taken by the Lord, for a time, out of the Hands of the Devil, was forc'd, contrary to his own and the Devil's, and Balak's Mind, to bless, instead of cursing Israel. He declares, that he heard the Words of God, and knew the Most High, saw the Visions of the Almighty, Numb. 24. 16. He pray'd, that he might die the Death of the Righteous, and that his last End might be like his, Numb. 23. 10. He tells Balak, if he would give him his House full of Silver and Gold, he will speak what the Lord says, Chap. 24. 13. After all this, the Holy Ghost in Peter, charges him, with loving the Wages of Vnrighteousness, 2 Pet. 2. 15. When he found himself disabled to curse Israel, he counsell'd the Midianitish Women, to go amongst them, to allure them to Whoredom, and so, to cause the Lord to appear against them, Numb. 31. 16. And, listing himself in the Midianites Army, was slain, with the five Kings of Midian, by the Israelites Sword, v. 8.
None, in the restor'd Life of Man, and under the enlightning Discoveries and Offers of the Gospel-life of God, are out of Satan's reach, till born of God. Then have they a Life in them, which the evil one cannot touch, 1 John 5. 18. All restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man, renders Men but natural Branches in Christ, Servants in the House of God, liable to be turn'd out again, and cast into unquenchable Fire, John 15. 1-6. & 8. 35. In all restor'd Law-life, and Freedom of their own Wills, Men are under the Law, and under the Curse, (Gal. 3. 10.) in danger of the final condemning Power thereof, while destitute of that Gospel-life, that's the only continuing Principle of infallible everlasting well-pleasing Obedience to God. This brings with it, into Man, the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, wherewith Christ makes Men free indeed; in a free Will to Good only, under an Impossibility of ever doing Evil, therein. The Will of Man, in New-creation-life, is in unchageable Harmony with the very Divine Will. In this, he never sins. But, in his own Will, till fully crucified, the Saint continually sins, opposing and fighting against his spiritual Will, that never sins, 1 Iohn 3. 9. & 1. 8. Rom. 7. 15, 19. Gal. 5. 17. In the First-creation, at best, Man was but a mystical Tree of good and evil, but changeably good, and liable, by his own choice, to become unchangeably, unpardonably, and unrepentably evil. In the second, he becomes a particular Tree of Life, under and with Christ, amongst the innumerable Multitude of blessed Angels and Saints, unchangeably Good, and under an Impossibility of ever becoming unchangeably evil. The uncontroll'd Soveraignty of our own Will, at best, and the highest Light of our own Understanding, fix'd in, is the greatest Darkness and Bondage. The unchangeable Subjection and Captivity of our Will to the Will of God, is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, 2 Cor. 10. 5.
Man, in all the Light, Life, Wisdom and Righteousness of the First-creation, (restor'd by Christ, as the Common-Salvation-Benefit of his Death in the Fountain-purity thereof) is still within the Compass of Satan's universal Monarchy or Kingdom of this World, in Opposition to the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, in Christ's reigning Gospel-spirit of the World to come. The Old Serpent was too hard for humane Nature, and so, for all Mankind, in Adam, at best, in the primitive Purity, and personal Perfection of all First-creation-life and Things. We must quit all kindred with the first Adam; yea, with Christ himself, as a Husband and Head to us, in but the restor'd fleshly Life and Righteousness of Man, to be married to him as our spiritual Lord, and Bridegroom, in that quickning Spirit of the Second Adam, his Gospel-spirit of true Holiness, 2 Cor. 5. 16. & 1 Cor. 15. 45-47. Ephes. 4. 24. Christ crucified the living Soul of our Nature, in himself, by which, he purchas'd the restoring of that, in Mankind; and, therein, also, became an unerrable Pattern to them, for the right Use thereof, in Passive Obedience to the Will of God, in order to the attaining that heavenly, eternal, incorruptible Creature-life, he ascended into, which is the only Principle of everlasting well-pleasing active Obedience to God, and Blessedness to Man.
Man, in his First-creation, at best, before his Fall, had but a fallible Understanding and a corruptible Will. And, what was fallible, Satan could and did deceive: what was corruptible, he could and did corrupt: all Mankind are sad experimental Witnesses of both. And, the same things can he do to any, in but the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man, of the First-creation sort, ever since.
If we consider the small part of Mankind this Day, under the Name, Christian, and even amongst them, so call'd, somewhat rare to find such as walk in Obedience to the common Light of Nature, as honest moral Heathens, and much less yet, as First-covenant Believers in Christ, and much less yet, as having a living spiritual Faith in his Second-covenant Gospel-life; all this put together, and consider'd, evidence the near approach of Christ's second Coming, of which himself has said, that when he comes, shall he find Faith on the Earth, (Luke 18. 8.) a Faith in that Gospel-life, he will come in? Both Wise Virgins, in New-covenant Gospel-principles; and foolish ones, in but First-covenant Law-principles, cleans'd from filth of Flesh, only, will be found all slumbring and sleeping, Matth. 25. 1-12. Yet, will he own the Wise, but to the Foolish, he will say, I know you not; so, Matth. 7. 21-23. In the dark Midnight-Season to both, will he come, to the amazing Surprize of the Foolish, and unspeakable Joy of the Wise. All are requir'd to watch (the time of his Coming, being unknown to both and all) Mat. 25. 1-13. 'Twill be a like amazing surprize to the far greater Number of Mankind, as the Flood to the Old World; or Fire from Heaven, on Sodom, Luke 17. 26-30. The Day or time of his Coming, is kept secret, from the Knowledg of spiritual Saints, and the very Angels of Heaven, Matth. 24. 36. (yea, and from the Son himself, Mark 13. 32.) Saints are requir'd, therefore, to watch continually, not knowing the time of his Coming, v. 42. A thousand Years with the Lord is as one Day; and one Day as a thousand Years, 2 Pet. 3.8. 'Twas said, sixteen hundred Years ago, This is the last time, (1 John 2.18.) and, yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry beyond the appointed time, for his second Coming, Heb. 10. 37. Hab. 2. 3. A Day, an Hour, a little time, in God's Account, may be a long time, in Man's. When the Disciples ask'd Christ (after his Resurrection, and ready to ascend into the Glory, he will come again, in) Wilt thou at this time, restore again the Kingdom to Israel? his Answer was, It is not for you (or any) to know the Times or Seasons, which the Father has put in his own Power, Act. 1. 6, 7. Satan can be willing, Man should be presumptuously fore-telling, with great Confidence, what is utterly unpossible for him, to know; that, while busy about an Impossibility, he may be so ignorant and regardless of the Gospel-spirit and Glory, he will come in, as may render his second Coming, most amazingly frightful to him, amongst and with Millions of others, who will be found in unchangeable Enmity to that Spirit, he will come, in. Yet, after all this, and God's withholding the Knowledg of the time thereof, 'tis Man's Duty to observe the fore-running Signs of Christ's Approach, Mat. 16.3. And, such Signs are now remarkable, beyond all former Days; the Harvest seems very near ripe for the Sickle of God's Vengeance, the Press full, the Fats overflowing, the Wickedness of Mankind, exceeding great, Ioel 3. 13. This is a great Sign, that the Day of the Lord is near, v. 14. But, preparatory to the Lord's personal Appearance, will he send his Gospel-Angels, to gather his Elect together out of all Mankind, that Day, on Earth, (Mat. 24. 31.) and they will call up his Gospel-Witnesses, from amongst Men, into an Association with them, in the said Work, Rev. 11. 12. That Gospel-dispensation will be accompanied with a more abundant wonder-working and Gospel-converting Power, than was experienc'd in the primitive Apostolical Gospel-day. This preparatory Dispensation, by Gospel-Angels and Saints, may seem to be, as to the Duration thereof, forty five Years, Dan. 12. 11, 12. This Dispensation, will be but the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven, (Mat. 24. 30.) not his very personal Appearing. In this Preparatory Dispensation, will evil Angels, as false Christs, with their false Apostles, amongst Men, in their transform'd Appearances of Christ and his true ones, be permitted to make their utmost Opposition to true Gospel-Angels and Saints. Satan, with his evil Angels, will not be excluded from such delusive Practices, by his false Apostles, till Christ comes forth in his own Person. Then, they'l be imprison'd in the bottomless Pit, and disabled to deceive Mankind any more, till Christ's thousand Years Reign be fulfilled, Revel. 20. 1, 3. After Christ's thousand Years Reign, Satan will be loos'd out of his Prison, and permitted with his Gog and Magog, his innumerable Multitude of evil Angels and Men (transform'd into the Guise of good Angels and Saints) to compass the Camp of Saints, God's New-Ierusalem-City, in the very Glory of the Resurrection, as their last and most transcendent Presumption, on which, immediately to be destroy'd, for ever, Revel. 20. 7-10. Saints will be immediately taken up into their eternal Heaven; and all Enemies will be thrust down into their eternal Hell. Then, to all eternity, in Heaven, will Saints and Angels acknowledg and ascribe their eternal Blessedness, above all Conception and Wonder, to God's infinite Free-Grace-Mercy and electing Love, as the single and only supream distinguishing Cause thereof, from those that perish, forever, under his everlasting Curse and unquenchable Wrath.
The oft saying the same Things, and quoting the same Scriptures, on several Occasions, is no other than is found in the very Scriptures, where the same things are oft said by the various Pen-men thereof; and, by the same, also.
FINIS.
Books, publish'd by the Author.
FIRST Part of Evangelical Essays —
1666
Book of Nature —
1667
On the Whole Book of Iob, the two Epistles to Timothy, and sixteenth Chapter of Numbers —
1677
Reign of Christ —
1679
On the Whole Book of Ecclesiastes —
1680
Gospel-Catechism —
1688
The two last, and this are sold by William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-street, and Iohn Marshal at the Bible in Grace-Church-street.
This is also sold by Andr. Bell at the Cross-Keys in the Poultrey.
End of the text · George Sikes, A Wakening Call (1698)