The Little Horns Downfall, Treatise 2 · Discourse · Part 3 · Description 4 · Part 2 – Part 3
Of the manner of the coming of Chriſt and his Saints, and with what bodies they ſhall come.
But now this Queſtion may be propounded It being granted to be an undoubted truth, tha… Jeſus Chriſt ſhall perſonally appear on earth▪ and that the Saints departed ſhall be raiſed from the dead, to raign with him in that day, With what bodies ſhall Chriſt and his Saints come? And how ſhall they be raiſed up? Doth the Scripture ſay any thing to that?
I anſwer, Yes: For hitherto I have quoted the Scriptures, that ſpeak onelyonly of his coming, and the Saints being raiſed; but there are other Scriptures, which ſpeak of the manner how, as that Rev. 1. 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye ſhall ſee him, &c. And Luke 21. 26, 27. For the powers of the heaven ſhall be ſhaken; and then ſhall they ſee the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And Mat. 24 30. 31. And they ſhall ſee the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he ſhall ſend his Angels, with a great ſound of a trumpet, and and they ſhall gather together his elect, &c. And v. 27. As the lightning cometh out of the eaſt, and ſhineth even unto the Weſt; ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be. So that it is cleer, that as the Angels told his diſciples, when they ſaw a cloud to receive him out of their ſight, that he ſhould ſo appear out of the clouds, in like manner as they had ſeen him go into Heaven; and as Angels then attended him: ſo will Angels much more at his appearing, attend him; and he ſhall come with power and great glory.
Now we know, that as the Apoſtle ſays of the Reſurrection of the body, that it's, raiſed ſpiritual: it's ſown a natural body, it's raiſed a ſpiritual body; it's ſown in corruption, it's raiſed in incorruption; it's ſown in diſhonour, it's raiſed in glory; it's ſown in weakneſs, it's raiſed in power. So we know was the body of Chriſt after his reſurrection: it was not a natural body, but a ſpiritual; it was not corruptible, but an incorruptible; it was not mean nor weak, but glorious, and powerful: and being thus a ſpiritual body, and incorruptible, &c. it was quick in motion; upon a ſudden appearing to his Diſciples, and ſuddenly gone from them again. And it was paſſable to all places: it appears to the Diſciples when the dores are ſhut, and aſccnds up into the Heavens in their ſight.
Theſe things a natural body cannot do, but a ſpiritual and a glorious can. And therefore he is ſaid to come as the lightning that quickly ſhineth from one end of the Heaven to the other; ſo can the body of Chriſt, when he appeareth, quickly paſs from one end of the Heaven to another, to be viſibly ſeen of all his Saints, to their joy, but to the terrour of their enemies: and ſo he will come in the clouds, and every eye ſhall ſee him, with power and great glory.
And as the Scriptures ſpeak thus of Chriſt in his coming, ſo there are Scriptures which ſpeak of the Saints, in their appearing with him; As Col. 3. 4. When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, then ſhall we appear with him in glory. Thus the Saints then, were fully perſwaded of the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſpake often of it: and knew that at his appearing▪ as he ſhould appear in power, and great glory; ſo they ſhould appear with him in glory. And ſo again, 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved, now are we the ſons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we ſhall be: but we know, that when he ſhall appear, we ſhall be like him; for we ſhall ſee him as he is. And ſo again, Phil. 3. 20, 21. For our converſation is in heaven, from whence alſo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; who ſhall change our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to ſubdue all things unto himſelf. Thus in this manner, ſhall the Saints that come with him, appear with him in glory: and their bodies being raiſed, ſhall be faſhioned like unto his glorious body.
And now I ſhall conclude all that I have ſaid touching this glorious appearing of Chriſt on earth, and the Saints raigning with him on earth, with that precious Counſel of our bleſſed Saviour, worthy the dayly obſervation of all Saints, (as the uſe which is to be made of all that which is in Scripture ſpoken of this appearing and kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt) which we have, Luke 21. 36. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to eſcape all theſe things that ſhall come to paſs, and ſtand before the Son of man. Knowing what he hath ſaid, Rev. 22. 20. He which teſtifieth theſe things, ſaith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even ſo, Come Lord Jeſus.
Of the ceaſing of wars, and the perfect peace and tranquility that ſhall be enjoyed for a thouſand yeers.
I now proceed, in the further deſcription of this new world, the new Heavens, and the new Earth, which is to follow upon that great day we have ſpoken of.
And in the next place, ſhall ſhew how that after this time, and during this thouſand yeers of the Saints raigning with Chriſt on earth, all wars ſhall ceaſe. All the enemies of the Church being thus gloriouſly overcome, as hath been ſhewed, there ſhall be no enemy left, that ſhall ever ſtir, ſo much as to prepare to make war againſt the Saints any more. And this is cleer, Micah 4. 3. and Iſa. 2. 4. Where it is ſaid, that in the laſt days, when the mountain of the Lords houſe ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountains, that then they ſhall beat their ſwords into plow-ſhares, and their ſpears into pruning-hooks: Nation ſhall not lift up ſword againſt Nation, neither ſhall they learn war any more. There ſhall be ſuch peace and tranquility, and this peace ſo firm, and they ſo certain of the abiding of it, as that they ſhall ſee, that they ſhall have no need of uſing ſwords and ſpears any more; And therefore they ſhall beat theſe inſtruments of war, which they ſhall no more uſe, into inſtruments of husbandry, which they, then living in peace, ſhall have occaſion to uſe. For they ſhall ſow ſeed, and reap it; and plant vineyards, and drink the fruit thereof. And therefore Micah thus expreſſes the peace they ſhall have (Mic. 4. 4.) They ſhal ſit every man under his vine & under his fig-tree, and none ſhall make them afraid. They ſhall have no fear of war; none ſhall make them afraid: Such peace ſhall they have. And Iſa. 33. 20. the Prophet ſpeaking of theſe peaceful times, ſpeaks thus: Thine eys ſhall ſee Jeruſalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that ſhall not be broken down; not one of the ſtakes thereof ſhall ever be removed, neither ſhall any of the cords thereof be broken. Which fully manifeſteth what ſecurity, or rather what ſtability there ſhall be in theſe times of peace. Again, Iſa. 32. 18. the peace of theſe times is thus expreſt: And my people ſhall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in ſure dwellings, and in quiet reſting places. And Iſa. 60. 17, 18. it is further expreſt thus: In that day (ſaith the Lord to his Sion) I will make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteouſneſs: violence ſhall no more be heard in thy land, waſting nor deſtruction within thy borders: thou ſhalt call thy walls ſalvation, and thy gates praiſe. Thus with full, and emphatical expreſſions, is the peace and tranquility of the Church in theſe times ſet forth. There are many other paſſages to this purpoſe; but theſe being ſufficient, I ſhall adde no more in this place, but proceed.