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afferted in these words, because the Lord JESUS is to fit upon David his Father's throne; which throne cannot with the leaft fhew of reafon be understood of one in heaven, but upon the earth, otherwise called the throne of Ifrael, where David reigned. Surely none will fay, that this throne of David is. to be understood of a throne in heaven; for if any fhould fay fo, then they must affert, that that throne where CHRIST now fits, and hath done ever fince his afcenfion, is not God the Father's but David's throne; quite contrary unto those words in Rev. iii. 21. and to him that overcometh, will I grant to fit with me in my throne, even as I alfo overcome, and am fat down with my Father in his throne. Here we fee in plain words, that the throne where CHRIST now fits in heaven, is not David's but God the Father's throne. Therefore the throne of David, where CHRIST is yet to fit upon, cannot be meant of a throne in heaven: No, that throne where CHRIST fits as GoD-man in his Mediator's perfon, is too great for David or any mere creature to fit upon. Befides I cannot fee how it fhould be faid, that David hath any throne in heaven, any more than the least believer in CHRIST hath; it being upon the foot of free and abfolute grace, that David, and every true believer, doth and fhall ftand, or fit there. Then this throne of David must be one on the earth, as his was where he reigned over the whole houfe of Ifrael; and where it is, that the Lord JESUS CHRIST will fit and reign in his human nature, in the glory of his vifible kingdom, when he fhall perfonally come from heaven with all the faints. Which will appear if we confider what is faid in Rev. xx. 6. Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the firft refurrection: on fuch the fecond death bath no power, but they shall be priefts of God and of Chrift, and fhall reign with him a thousand years.

This is a clear text, among the many which have been brought, to prove the vifible, perfonal reign and kingdom of CHRIST with the faints upon the earth, in the time of the thousand years. I fhall briefly confider the words, and obferve, First, Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the first refurrection. This doth fhew, that all thofe who are in union with JESUS CHRIST, the fountain of holinefs, are the only perfons that are bleffed and holy in GoD's account. Secondly, That all those who are bleffed and holy, by virtue of union to CHRIST, fhall have their part in the firft refurrection; which will be a refurrection of the body. Thirdly, That not one of these who are thus interested in the Lord JESUS, fhall be touched by the fecond death: For on fuch the fecond death

fhall have no power. Fourthly, That all the faints are, by free and rich grace, made kings and priefts, unto God and his CHRIST, and therefore thall reign with him in the glory of his kingdom a thousand years. But as fome godly perfons have no light in the refurrection of the faints to be before the wicked; but think they shall both arife at one and the fame time, I fhall further offer to them the confideration of these following particulars.

Firft, Moft certain it is, this firft refurrection is not to be until the beginning of the thoufand years; at the time of the perfonal coming of the Lord JESUS CHRIST from heaven; because then it is, the dead in CHRIST are to rise first, the dead faints raifed, and the living changed, fhall both be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, that fo they may come along with him to reign in his kingdom, 1 Theff. iv. 16, 17. and if fo, then this cannot be meant of a spiritual, but muft be understood of a proper refurrection.

Secondly, Doth the apostle John fay, he faw the fouls of them which were beheaded for the word of God, and the teftimony of JESUS, and that they lived and reigned with CHRIST a thousand years? Then here is an argument of great weight, that this firft refurrection must be a real and proper refurrection of the bodies of all the faints; becaufe the fouls in this place do certainly take in the whole person; the perfon taking its denomination from the nobler part, namely, the foul, as it is in Gen. xlvi. 27. All the fouls of the house of Faceb, which came out of Egypt, were three fcore and ten. There is none will fay, that these were fouls without their bodies, but that these fouls which came out of Egypt, take in the whole perfon; and therefore the fouls of these martyrs, which Jehn faw live and reign with CHRIST upon their thrones, must be understood of fouls in union with their bodies, as they fhall be at the time of the first refurrection.

Thirdly, The living again of the rest of the dead, by which the wicked must be meant, at the end of the thousand years, refpects the refurrection of the body, as before proved; then, of undeniable confequence, the first refurrection of the faints, at the beginning of the thousand years, muft be the refurrection of their bodies alfo. For there can be no fhew in reason, that the refurrection of the one fhould be taken properly, and the other taken metaphorically, both being treated upon in one and the fame difcourfe.

Fourthly, The firft refurrection at the beginning of the thousand years, must be the refurrection of the body, because

we read of no other with respect to the faints and children of God throughout this whole chapter, but what is to be among the wicked and the reft of the dead, when the thousand years are finifhed. And therefore feeing the faints must live and reign with CHRIST in the glory of his kingdom: it is certain that they must rife in their bodies, in order to live and reign. with him, which in this place is called the first refurrection.

Fifthly, Befides what hath been faid from this xxth chapter, for the proof the refurrection of the faints, before the wicked, we have other texts of fcripture, to the confirmation of this truth. Pfalm xlix. 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave, death fhall feed on them: and the upright fhall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty fhall confume in the grave from their dwelling. In this, we have a plain distinction made between the godly and ungodly; not only here but at the relurrection. Their being laid as fheep in the grave, and death feeding on them, can be understood of no other than the wicked; and therefore by the upright, all the faints and children of God are fignified: The upright having dominion over the wicked in the morning, must be referred to the morn ing of the refurrection: and by their having the dominion, I understand not only the glory and excellency of the faints to be meant, but the precedency in refpect of time, which they fhall have over the ungodly in the refurrection: the upright rifing in the morning, the other not rifing until the evening of that great day of judgment; death during this time of diftance will continue feeding upon their bodies in the grave.

Sixthly, I take notice of these words of our Lord in Luke xx. 35. But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage-but are the children of God, being the children of the refurrection. What I fhall further obferve from hence is, that none shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection from the dead, but they who indeed are the children of GoD. Here is not a word in this place concerning the refurrection of the wicked, and why? Because they will not be accounted worthy to obtain the glory of that new world, nor the refurrection from the dead, as not being the children of GoD, and fo not the children of the firft refurrection. Though true they muft all arife; yet not to partake.. of the glory of that bleffed ftate; none but those who are the only and proper children of the refurrection. And why is it? What reafon is there, can be given that they fhould be called

the children of the resurrection, being counted worthy to par take of the glory of the world to come; if not to fhew the precedency, as well as the excellency, which the faints shall have of the wicked, when the upright fhall have the dominion over them in the morning?

But O what a glorious ftate and time will this be unto all those who are interested in JESUS CHRIST; when in this mountain the Lord of bofts fhall make unto all people a feast of fat bings, a feaft of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines en the lees well refined, Isa. xxv. 6.

Now, however fome of the great myfteries of gofpel-grace may be fhadowed out unto us in thefe expreffions; yet the matter principally intended in the verses can mean no less than a perfect kingdom-glory of CHRIST, to be poffeffed by him and the faints in the New-Jerufalem ftate, as will farther appear in the confideration of this prophefy. Therefore after the deftruction of antichrift, which is fignified in words preceeding, we have the kingdom of CHRIST let out by a feaft of fat things full of marrow, and wines on the lees well refined. In this mountain fhall the Lord of hofts make unto all people a feaft of fat things, &c. The mountain literally means Zion in Jerufalem, the place where GOD promifed his prefence, which spiritually was a type of the church; but the mountain in these words can respect no other than a vifible glory of the kingdom of CHRIST, in the latter branch of it, according to Dan. 35, where CHRIST is fet forth by a stone cut out without hands, who fhall fmite the image of the four monarchies to pieces, until they are driven away as the chaff of the fummer threshing floor; and then this ftone will become a great mountain to fill the whole earth. This therefore must be understood of the kingdom of CHRIST, which after these monarchies are destroyed, is to fucceed them. See verfe 44, when the dream is interpreted, and agrees with ver. 35. And in the days of thefe kings fhall the God of beaver fet up a kingdom, which shall never be deftroyed; and the kingdom fhall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces, and confume all thefe kingdoms, and it shall ftand for ever. Thete texts evidently prove, that by the ftone, CHRIST is meant; and by his fmiting the image, the utter ruin and deftruction of the preceding monarchies is fignified; and that when he hath done fmiting the image, or annihilating these monarchies, this Stone will become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth; which is fynonymous to the God of heaven letting up a kingdom that never fhall be deftroyed. The kingdom of CHRIST then is the mountain where the Lord of Hofts will make unto all

people, a feaft of fat things; a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow. The LORD, by the mouth of his prophet, ufed thefe expreffions to fet forth the wonderful provifion with which he will fatisfy and feed his people in that day, viz. with a feast of fat things full of marrow, the best and choiceft of thofe things which earth or heaven can afford, or the fatisfactory enjoyment which the foul fhall find in the fountain of the eternal Deity. And wines on the lees well refined: Wines being expreffed in the plural fhews the plenitude and variety thereof. Wines on the lees, means fuch as hath ftood fo long that the lees or dregs are well fettled to the bottom, when the wine hath drawn out its full ftrength and vigour therefrom; from whence it is drawn off pure and clarified. It is with thefe wines that the LORD at the time of this glorious feast will fatisfy his faints. This I apprehend to be the fame with that wine, which our LORD told his difciples at his laft fupper, be would drink no more of, with them, until that day, the day of his fecond coming; and that then he will drink it new in the kingdom of God, Mark xiv. 25.-Wine is not fo cheering to the heart, or fo fweet to the taste, as the overflowing fulness of divine grace and love from JESUS CHRIST, will then be to the foul.

Again, And it fhall come to pafs in that day, that the mountains fhall drop down new wine, the bills fhall flow with milk, all the rivers of Judah fhall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the houfe of the Lord, and fhall water the valley of Shittim, Joel iii. 18. These are the mountains of Christ's kingdom, which fhall abundantly flow with new wine, to fill, fatisfy, and ravifh the hearts of the children of God. By the bills flowing with milk, we may understand, the exceeding fweetnefs, comfort and delight, which will flow in like a mighty torrent from all places, to fill and replenish their fouls with goodness.

Rivers of water, alfo continually ftream from the throne of God, and of the Lamb, to refresh them as a well watered garden. By which may be fignified, the infinite love, grace, mercy, and kindnefs of JEHOVAH, flowing through CHRIST the mediator. But it is likewife faid, a fountain fhall break forth from the house of the Lord, which can be no other than the fountain of unfathomable grace, or the Lord JESUS CHRIST, in whom it hath pleafed the Father fhould all fulness dwell. But thefe rivers and this fountain were to water the valley of Shittim. Shittim we find Numb. xxv. i. to be a place in the Plain Z

VOL. III.

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