O basanos tes aletheias, or, The touch-stone of truth wherein verity by scripture and antiquity is plainly confirmed, and errour confuted / delivered in certain sermons, preached in English by James Le Franc ...

Christ's and the Saints Reign: OR, The Millenaries Confuted. Delivered in a Sermon Preached at S. Andrews in Norwich.

REV. 20.4.

And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

IF any matter hath ever required atten∣tion, I am perswaded that you will confess, that this doth require it; for the learned Interpreters have so vari∣ously expounded it, that it is difficult to determine our selves upon this Subject; Indeed I had not medled with it, if I had not perceived the errour of some of the common people, which follow some blinde leaders, whose ambition is to extoll themselves, and break asunder the Church of God to have some followers; for amongst the

Sectaries you see so many of them blinded by their ignorance, that they will rather choose a worldly reign then a Spiritual Kingdom, earth for heaven, and temporal delights for eternal pleasures; but leaving them for a while upon their earthly Throne, give me leave to tell you, that this Chapter contains three principal parts.

The first of which regards the space of a thou∣sand years, under which Christ with his Saints shall reign upon the earth.

The second includes the short time in which Satan after the expiration of the thousand years shall be loosed out of his prison; from whence you may consider what will be the condition of the world, when in that time you shall see it embroil∣ed with dissentions, wars and seductions, as you may see by the 8. and 9. ver. of our Chapter.

The third part teacheth us the general Judge∣ment of the Universe, where the wicked shall be condemned to eternal punishment, and the godly declared the heirs of eternal felicity and glory.

But as our Text is under the first part of our Chapter, let me tell you, that S. John in the be∣ginning of it brings in an angel which is Christ, co∣ming down from heaven, having the key of the bot∣tomless pit, with a great chain in his hand to binde with it the dragon, which is the devil & Satan, a thou∣sand years, & shut him up into the bottomless pit, with a seal upon him, to stay his power, and hinder his tyrannical Empire over the humane kinde, that he

may deceive the nations no more; where in the gol∣den age of Satans chaining, you may consider the condition of the faithfull and godly men, and see their conquests, triumphs, and victories over their enemies in their very punishments & death, for the promulgation of the Gospel, and the advancing of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ: for in the 4. ver. the beloved Disciple of our Saviour S. John saith, that he saw thrones, and they (that is the Martyrs) sate upon them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the Antichristian beast, neither his image, nor bad received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; adding, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years: which are the words which I have chosen to en∣tertain you with by the special assistance of the blessed Spirit; but for a clear intelligence of them I shall divide my Text into two parts, where in the first I shall speak of the life and reign of the Saints with Christ in these words, and they lived and reigned with Christ; and in the second part I shall shew you the duration of it, a thousand years; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The first Part.

If we consider the holy Scripture we may evi∣dently see that our Saviour hath onely two seve∣ral Kingdoms; the one providential, which is that universal Soveraignty by which Christ mana∣geth

the affairs of all the whole world, both in heaven and earth; the other spiritual, which is that royal but celestial authority which he exerci∣seth over his people, the elect, which is that king∣dom in which the Saints or faithfull live and reign with Christ, as you may see in Revel. 5.10. where it is said, that Christ hath made us unto our God kings and priests, that we may reign on the earth, or and we shall reign on the earth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and that in a spiritual manner; so in Rom. 5.12. we reade, that if by one mans offence death reigneth by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ; and in our Text, and they lived and reign∣ed with Christ.

Which makes me wonder at the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion, which gives our Saviour in this place of Scripture, as in many others, a third Kingdom which they call Monarchical; wherein Christ when he enters upon it, will govern as earthly Monarchs do, universally over the world, in a visible and earthly glory and splendour, which is the personal reign which they give to our bles∣sed Lord, and which I observe to be diversly un∣derstood by its assertors.

For the Jews perswade themselves, that at the possession of that Kingdom, Jerusalem shall be most splendidly reedified with the Temple, which according to them will be the third, Sacrifices of∣fered unto the God of Israel, Marriages amongst

themselves most gloriously celebrated, and all pro∣sperity and happiness without any molestation or hindrance of their enemies enjoyed; so that they understand that reign of Jesus Christ both carnal and spiritual.

Some ancient Doctours of the Christian Primi∣tive Church, as Justin. dialog. contra Tryphon. Lactantius ille, Firmianus, Tertullian, against Mar∣cion, lib. 2. and others were of that opinion, that the Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ should be administred in a spiritual manner without any bloudy sacrifice or libation, without marriages or sensual pleasures; for as Justin Martyr (after his discourse about the day of judgement, which he calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) saith to Trypho the Jew, at that time we shall immolate true and spi∣ritual sacrifices, and offer praises and thanks-gi∣vings unto our God, without any bloudy sacrifice upon an altar.

Some hereticks as Cerinthius and Apollinaris un∣derstood that Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ in a fleshly manner, saying, that the Saints should reign with Christ upon the earth, in all manner of voluptuous pleasures, gulae & luxuriae, of gluttony and wantonness, which perhaps may be the sense of some of our Sectaries, although they pretend to interpret it of a visible and earth∣ly Monarchy, without any fleshly and sinfull vo∣lupty, as one Archer a London-Divine expres∣seth it.

But I will not stay so long upon that Monar∣chical Kingdom, for we do not know such a king∣dom in the holy Scripture, attributed unto Christ, nor to the Saints, although you reade in my Text, and they lived and reigned with Christ; and indeed it is evident that the Scripture denies it, for we read S. Joh. 18.36. that Christ said to Pilate, my Kingdom is not of this world; nor from hence, which manifestly contradicts the Chiliasts or Mil∣lenaries opinion, for if Christ (as they say) will govern at that time as earthly Monarchs do in a worldly visible and earthly glory, how is his king∣dom not of this world?

Moreover, if there were such a kingdom given to our Saviour, we should have heard in the Scri∣pture of a third personal coming of Jesus Christ, which we do not; for the Scripture makes onely mention of two personal comings of our blessed Saviour, where the first is his coming in humane weakness, to make us strong against our powerfull enemies, the devil, the flesh and the world; the second his coming in majesty and glory, to give judgement to the quick and dead after their resur∣rection, and we confess in our Creed that from thence, that is, heaven, where Christ now is, he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, which is confirmed by the Athanasian and Nicene Creed, to whith we must keep close, as being the saith which was once delivered to the Saints.

And if some Millenaries will not understand

that Monarchical kingdom of our Saviour personal∣ly, then that kingdom fals of it self, for Christ now reigneth by his Spirit in the hearts of his regene∣rated Subjects, as they will confess with us, and they reign with him; for as our Text saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But further that Monarchical Kingdom of Christ cannot stand without two general corporal resur∣rections, the one of those Saints which were dead before that personal coming of Christ, at which he shall take the administration of his Monarchical kingdom, the other at the end of the world at his sinal coming to judgement, as they themselves acknowledge, which is a thing that the Scripture makes no mention of; for the Word of God makes onely mention of one general corporal re∣surrection, at the end of the world, as you may see Job 19.25. where it is said by that most pati∣ent Patriarch, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; nay Martha as you reade S. Joh. 11.24. confesseth to Christ, that her bro∣ther shal rise again in the resurrection of the last day, and not at the day of the administration of Christs Monarchical kingdom; and you know that S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.52. saith, that in a moment, in the twink∣ling of an eye, we shall rise at the last Trumpet; and so in our Creed we confess the refurrection, and not the resurrections of the flesh; and that will not serve

the Millinaries to say, that in our Chapter in the 5. ver. it appears clearly that there are two gene∣ral resurrections of the flesh, when we hear of a first resurrection which insinuates a second one; for that first resurrection which is mentioned there, is the resurrection not of the body but of the soul, from the death of sin to the life of grace, as S. Aust. did well observe; I know that some take that first resurrection for the glorious happiness of the soul, by which she alone passeth by the death of the body into eternal life, and that by the prece∣ding words of the 1. verse, which are, but the rest of the dead, that is, the wicked and reprobate, li∣ved not again, &c. because they experimented in hell the first death and damnation, which is of the soul alone, which obligeth S. John to say in re∣gard of the Saints departed who are opposed to the wicked, this is the first resurrection, and blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power; for those that live with Christ in heaven in regard of their souls onely, shall live with him eternally, in re∣gard of both bodies and souls in the celestial Jeru∣salem; but although this explication be true in it self, yet you must observe, that it is not proper in this place of Scripture, which considers the wick∣ed and godly men not as departed from this world, but as living upon the earth; and so S. John con∣siders the wicked as dead in their sins, and having part in the first spiritual death, and the godly men

as living by grace, and having part in the first spi∣ritual resurrection.

I could raise many more Arguments against the doctrine which the Millenaries hold concerning that Monarchical kingdom, but I will not be tedi∣ous: I shall pass by the three several assensions of Christ which they hold, for we know no such thing in the Scripture; I shall also omit the place which some Millenaries maintain besides heaven and hell, where the souls of them are, who shall rise to reign with Christ a thousand years; for you know that the Scripture makes onely mention of two places after death; the one of which saith S. Austin in his hypognost. is according to the Catho∣lick faith, the kingdom of heaven, and the other ac∣cording to the same faith, saith this Father and Doctour of the Christian Church, is hell; Etenim tertium locum penitus ignoramus; for we are whol∣ly ignorant of a third place, which is confirmed in his Book de precat. merit. cap. 28. and insinuated in the 22. artic. of the Church of England.

I will not trouble you with the several passages of Scripture which they bring to prove that Mo∣narchical kingdom, which they will have with Christ, it is enough to tell you, that they put a meerly literal construction upon the Prophesies and promises of Scripture, which the holy Ghost intended to be spiritually understood; for if the Prophets speak concerning the kingdom of Christ the re-edifying of the Jewish Cities, the pomp

and magnificence of restored Israel, and their large priviledges, they draw those things to a gross corporal, and syllabical sense, which the judge∣ment of the whole Christian Church seconded by the event, hath upon good ground ever construed not of the letter but of the spirit, to shew the com∣fortable condition & great advantage of the Evan∣gelical Church under Christ, manifested in the flesh; which evidently teacheth us, as I said be∣fore, that Christ had onely two several kingdoms, of which the one is providential, and the other spi∣ritual, in which the Saints live and reign with Christ, as you may see in my Text, where S. John speaking of that kingdom, saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But for a clear illustration of those kingdoms, you must observe, that the providential kingdom of Jesus Christ, is his essential, universal and na∣tural kingdom, which he administreth as God o∣ver all his creatures, in Majesty and glory, with his Father, and the holy Ghost, and obtaineth as the onely Son of his Father, jure naturali, which kingdom is mentioned in Daniel the Prophet, 4.34. and 6.26. but the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ figured by the kingdom of Judah is the donative, personal, and oeconomical kingdom, which the Son of God received from his Father, as you may see in Psa. 2.6, 8. where God having set his Son for our King upon his holy hill of Sion, saith to him, Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Nations

for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession; as having in any Coun∣treys some that are to be saved, as we see in Rev. 5.9. where it is said, that Christ hath redeemed us unto God by his bloud, out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation.

Moreover, you may see the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ, Dan. 2.44. where it is written, that in the days of the Kings of the fourth divided Kingdom, which was the Roman Empire, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, that is, the spiri∣tual kingdom of Christ, which shall never be de∣stroyed, in which kingdom the Saints living a spi∣ritual and celestial life reign with Christ; for as you read in my Text, which speaks of that king∣dom, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But for a clear intelligence you must observe, that the spiritual kingdom of Christ is distinguish∣ed into two wise, by reason of its two several ad∣ministrations; into the kingdom of grace, and the kingdom of glory, where the kingdom of grace is the Soveraignty which Christ exerciseth in this world over the Elect, governing his people by the Scepter of his holy Word, and defending them a∣gainst their enemies, the devil, the flesh, and the world, by the mighty vertue of his blessed Spirit, which is that kingdom which S. John in chap. 3. ver. 5. speaks of, saying, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king∣dom of God; and Rom. 14.17. the grand Apostle

saith, that the kingdom of God, which is, the kingdom of grace, is not meat and drink, but righ∣teousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost; the kingdom of glory is that Royal Government and Empire, which Christ the King of kings most gloriously exerciseth over the triumphant members of his Church after this life, and shall exercise for ever in his glorious Palace of heaven, over the bodies and souls of all the blessed of his Father, after the universal Resurrection, which is that kingdom which is mentioned, Mat. 8.11. when Christ saith, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with ••braham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, and S. Mat. 26.29. when he saith, I will not drink hence∣forth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom.

But leaving the kingdom of glory, give me leave to tell you, that in our Text S. John speaks of the kingdom of grace when he saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ; for you may observe, that here is described the happy condition of the mili∣tant Church all the time of the shutting up of Sa∣tan, in which the faithfull will reign with Christ, over the devil, the flesh, and the world, overthrow∣ing their enemies in their very death and most cru∣el tortures, as you may observe by the words that precede my Text, where S. John speaks of those that suffered for the word of God, and for the witness of Jesus,; after which he addes, and they lived and reigned, &c.

Moreover, the seditions, battels, and seducti∣ons which follow that happy condition of the Church, as you may see in the 8. ver. where it is said, that Satan after the expiration of the thousand years, shall go out to deceive the nations, and gather them together to battel, evidently shews, that it is of the kingdom of grace which S. John speaks of; which obligeth me to say, and they lived, that is, the life of grace, which is mentioned in Gal. 2.20. where the Apostle S. Paul saith, I live, that is, the life of grace, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life, that is of grace, that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God; and indeed, it is onely in that gracious kingdom of Christ that we live that celestial and spiritual life; for the life and kingdom of grace are inseparable, he that li∣veth the life of grace reigneth with Christ, and he that reigneth with Christ lives the life of grace; and so S. John joyns them together, saying, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

And if you regard the Martyrs who died under Domitianus and other cruel Emperours, enemies of the Church of God, we may say, and they with the rest of the Saints lived and reigned with Christ; for the bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church, by which many come unto the saving knowledge of Christ to reign with him in his kingdom of grace, and in regard of those Saints that are born of them, we reade in the 6. verse, and they in their seed shall reign with Christ, where you

may observe, that here there is no mention of the Millenaries Monarchical kingdom, and indeed without such a kingdom the Saints reign upon the Earth with Christ by grace, they reign with him by faith, by hope, by patience, and by all the rest of the Christian vertues; then let us say, and they lived and reign'd with Christ a thousand years, which leads me to the second part of my Text,

The Second Part.

That number 1000 is taken in Scripture definite∣ly and indefinitely; definitely for a certain & limited number, as you may see Judg. 15.15. and 1 King. 3.4. indefinitely for a great but not limited num∣ber, as you may see Dan. 5.1. where a 1000. lords signifie a great multitude of nobility; and so a great but not limited number is designed by many thou∣sands, Rev. 5.11. according to which sence we shall take that number of a thousand years menti∣oned in our Text, for S. John speaking of the time of Satans binding, in which the Saints should reign with our Lord and Saviour with progress, although not without affliction, saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, and that is confirmed by the Royal Prophet, Psa. 90 4. where he saith, that a thousand years are as yesterday in the sight of the Lord, and after him. S. Peter, 2 Pet. 3.8. tels us, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, to shew us, that any long time whatsoever is as one day, even

as a moment before the Lord, because the eter∣nity of God admits no succession as the eternity of angels and men, for in the eternity of God no∣thing is passed and nothing is to come, all things are present unto him, which is not to be found in the eternity of angels and souls of men, where there is succession to be found, and indeed to di∣stinguish the eternity of God from that of angels and men, which hath a beginning and no end; Boeth. lib. 5. de consol. Philosoph. saith, that it is possessio totalis & perfect a vitae sine termino, a total and absolute possession of a life without any limit; and so S. Austin. lib. 1. de ver. relig. cap. 44. saith, that in the eternity of God he could not perceive any interval of time, because the intervals of time consist in the motion of things, which are passed or are to come, then let me tell you, that the thou∣sand years of our Text do signifie all the time of the reign of the Saints, from the binding of the dragon, untill the formal manifestation of the An∣ti-christian jurisdiction, at the loosing of Satan out of his prison; as you may see by the 7. and 8. verses of our Chapter, and when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battel.

But for a clear explanation of our Text, we must observe the beginning of these thousand years, for there remains the difficulty, where many Learned

men have pleased themselves with their sancies; for (leaving alone Prosper who beginneth them at the beginning of the Seventy weeks which Daniel the Prophet makes mention of in the ninth Chapter of his Prophesie:) Some with Alphonsus a Castro, begin the thousand years of our Text after the day of judgement, saying, that these thousand years are the eternity of the Saints in majesty and glory; but the seductions of the world after the loosing out of the devil, as you have seen in the 7. and 8. verses of our Chapter, evidently shews the con∣trary: Others with the Millenaries, with Papias, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Lactantius, and others, begin them at the death of the Antichrist; but you may observe, in the 7. and 8. verses, that the de∣vil being loosed, after the expiration of the thou∣sand years, the Antichristian jurisdiction shall pre∣vail, and so the thousand years of our Text do not follow the Antichrist but precede him: some of the Rabbins, Ketina and Eliezar among the Iews will have the beginning of those thousand years, after six thousand of the creation of the world, at the beginning of the 7000 to the very end of it; But how do they know that the world shall endure neither more nor less then six thousand years, after which the world shall have a rest of a thousand years; the Scripture I am sure makes no mention of such a thing; and therefore leaving that opinion I say, that others begin them at the Passion of our Saviour, as Gregorius and Austin

and Pererius; but although it was said, that at that time the prince of this world should be cast out, S. Joh. 12.31. and that in the Cross Christ, having spoiled principalities and powers, made a shew of them open∣ly, triumphing over them in it; yet you must know that it was not the beginning of Satans binding, and therefore I omit for the same reason the opi∣nion of some Learned men that begin the thou∣sand years at the death of Julian the Apostate, in the beginning of the Reign of Constantine the Great.

For if we seriously consider, we shall see, that a thousand years begin at the Nativity of Jesus Christ, at that time Christ beheld Satan as light∣ning falling from heaven; for at his Nativity he took that strong man, bound him, and spoiled his house, as Christ himself insinuates, Mat. 12.29. did not the devils know that they were bound when they besought our Saviour saying, if thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine? Mat. 8.31. you cannot but know that verity, if you consider that the devils could not stand before him without fear and trembling, as we reade in the Evangelists; and the heathens themselves shew us, that the devils were bound at the Nativity of Jesus Christ, for Suidas in vita August. recordeth, that Augu∣stus the Emperour, enquiring of the Oracle of A∣pollo, what man should reign after him, received no answer from the devil, then that

an Hebrew child newly born among the Jews, hindred him

to speak; and commanded him to depart from thence;

and I have read, that all the Images of Egypt did fall to the ground, when our blessed Saviour entred into that Countrey to avoid the bloudy fury of the Infanticide King Herod.

Moreover, some Learned Historians tell us, that the Romans having formerly consulted the Oracles to know how long the Temple of the Goddess Peace should stand, an answer was made them,

until a Virgin should bring forth a child;

and so it came to pass, for at the blessed Virgins delive∣rance, it fell to the ground; and further Plutarch. de defect. orac. doth report,

that in the Reign of Tiberius the Emperour, a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour, with cries and howl∣ings, was heard by many in the Grecian Sea, la∣menting and complaining that their great god Pan, the master devil was now departed, inso∣much that all the Sea resounded their dreadfull Ecchoes;

whereby it is plain and manifest, that even in all parts the devil complained on the Na∣tivity of our Lord and Saviour, as being at that time so bound, that he could not as he did before seduce the Nations of the earth, for many of the Gentiles seduced before by him, came at that time unto the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and suffered Martyrdom for our Lord.

And all that agrees very well with the narration of S. John described in our Chapter, for the belo∣ved Disciple of Christ saith at the 1. verse, that

he saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, to bind the prince of darkness with it, which shews us Christ who came down from heaven, as S. John himself saith in the 6. chap. of his Gospel, that being conceived by the holy Ghost in the womb of the blessed Virgin, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he might be born of her to destroy the works of the devil, and binde that strong man, as you may reade in the 12. of S. Mat.

Then you may see that the thousand years of our Text begin at the birth or Nativity of our Saviour, to continue untill the formal manifestati∣on of the Antichristian Jurisdiction at the loosing of Satan, as you have seen by the 7. and 8. vers. of our chapt. which time is already expired and si∣nished; if you consider who are those that are called Gog and Magog, who are to exercise their tyranny against the Church of God, after the ex∣piration of the thousand years, as you may see in the 8. and 9. verses, the devil shall go to deceive the nations of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together, and they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved City.

You know that Gog and Magog are two words which are taken from the 38. of Ezechiel the Pro∣phet, where the Jews by Gog understand the king, and by Magog the people; but you are not ignorant that Magog was one of the Sons of Japheth, as

reade in Gen. 10.2. who at the first did inhabit next to the Caspian mountains, and by succession of time extended themselves into all parts of the world; from thence came the Scythians, Tartari∣ans, and other Barbarians, from thence came the Hunnians, Vandals and Goths, and therefore it is not without reason, that those people are said to be as the sand of the sea in the latter end of the 8. ver. of our chapt. for they have supplied the world with almost an infinite number of people, which caused some Learned men to say, that the North was the shop of all Nations, from thence come also Turks, who by violence took away the Saracenical Empire; as for Gog you know that it is the proper name of one of Joels sons of the po∣sterity of Reuben, 1 Chron. 5.4. who inhabited Eastward, and filled the Little Asia with his po∣sterity, which was called Gog.

But these Nations which came from Gog and Magog having degenerated from their ancestours, became cruel enemies unto the people of God, as you see by Ezech. 38. and from thence the Scripture speaks of Gog and Magog to represent the open and secret enemies of the Christian Church, as you see by the 8. ver. of our Chapter, with a part of the 9. ver. which shews us, that those Nations Gog and Magog compassed about the Camp of the Saints to sight them, then we can∣not but understand the Turks by Magog, and the Pontificial Tyranny with the cruelty of the Se∣ctaries

by Gog; as for Magog from Miggag reveal∣ed and discovered it becomes well the Turks, for they are manifest enemies of Jesus Christ, and o∣pen persecutours of his poor members; they pub∣lickly esteem Mahomet that grand Impostour, the son of the Prince of darkness, before our Lord and Saviour, who is the Son of God, and prefer their Alcoran full of Gentilism, Judaism, and Arianism, compiled by men of impiety, before the sacred Scripture, inspired by the holy Ghost the essential piety; as for Gog, let me tell you that it becomes well the tyranny of the Church of Rome with the cruelty of the Sectaries; for Gog from Gag is the same as covered and hidden, which is very fit for them, for they cover and hide their tyranny and cruelty under the cloak of Religion, professing one Jesus Christ, and him crucified, when they crucifie and hand the true members of our Savi∣our; in all their wicked designes they pretend the good of the Church, when they rend and defile it; and so by a damnable hypocrisie cover all their profanations and wickednesses, as you have in this Realm beheld with your eyes; where the Jesu∣ites with the Sectaries erected a black Tribunal for a most pious and Christian King, and his faith∣full Subjects, under a pretext of a good Consci∣ence.

And indeed as Gog did degenerate from his Pre∣decessour Jacob, and his father Joel, who with hu∣mility and reverence adored the Almighty God

of Israel, and followed his orders, so did the Church of Rome with the Sectaries degenerate from their Ancestours, who acknowledged with all humility and obedience the Church of God and its orders; or if you will, as Gog did imitate Reuben who defiled his fathers bed, so the Church of Rome with the Sectaries imitate Satan, who de∣fileth the Church of God with Schismes and he∣resies; which makes you clearly see, that the de∣vil is loosed out of his prison, and that the thousand years are expired and finished; they lived and reign∣ed with Christ a thousand years; not that I will say that the Saints do not now reign with Christ, for I know that they do reign with him when they are his regenerated Subjects, but that now they reign not with Christ with such progress as they did before the expiration of the thousand years of Satans binding; for we seldom now see a true conversion, or a sincere repentance of our sins, but rather often obstination appears in our errours, we will not change them because we defended our sins openly, and so by our ambition we destroy the Church of our blessed Saviour; there is no fear of God amongst us, nor sincere love one to another, nor charity towards our poor afflicted bre∣thren, as there was in the time of Satans binding; we are as hard as Pharaoh, as cruel as Cain, and as profane as Esau; it seems that all the Christian vertues are vanished amongst men, and that all vices have took their places to give way unto the

prince of darkness, who is now loosed out of his prison; for they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Perhaps you will tell me, if the thousand years are now sinished, or as you said, expired at the formal manifestation of the Antichristian Jurisdi∣ction, how can it be said, that Satan is loosed out for a little while or season, as it is spoken in the 3. ver. To that I answer and say, that this may ve∣ry well be said in regard of Satans eternal binding, which followeth after his loosing out of his prison for a while; indeed if you consider the thousand years binding of Satan, I confess that his loosing out will seem a great while; but if you look upon Satans eternal binding, his loosing out is but a lit∣tle season, which makes me wonder at the Mille∣naries opinion, who expect now a visible and earthly reign, for in the expectation of such a reign, they loose the spiritual kingdom of our Sa∣viour, and in their pretended happiness, they may finde a true unhappiness.

But I will stay no longer upon that imaginary kingdom, for the kingdom that I proposed unto you, is a true and spiritual kingdom; the king∣dom of our Saviour which is of grace, without which it is impossible to obtain the kingdom of glory; for you know, that we must first reign here in grace, before we can reign hereafter in glory; then let me tell you, that the Saints who now reign with Christ in glory, lived and reigned be∣fore

with him in grace by many years; for as you read in my Text, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Conclusion and Application.

But let us conclude with application, to learn from our Text, that the Saints who are actual members of our Saviour live with him in this world the life of grace, the onely life of Gods children, who are not born of the flesh but of the Spirit, Joh. 3.6. not of corruptible but incorruptible seed, the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, 1. Pet. 1.23. not of the prince of darkness, but of the Father of lights; for as we read, and they lived and reigned with Christ; indeed there is none but those that are light in the Lord that pos∣sess it; for this spiritual life changes our darkness into light, and our vices into shining vertues, and makes us like unto the Sun of righteousness by the gracious brightness which the life of grace procures unto us, which is a life that the Scripture cals the life of Christ; because the life of grace looks on Christ as on its sacred object, and its me∣ritorious cause; and by excellency the life of God, not as if God were not the authour of the natural life of the vegetative, sensitive, reasonable, and intelligent creatures, for we know that the God of heaven and earth gives life to all these crea∣tures, and that the natural life dependeth of him as of the God of nature; but it is so called because God by the life of his grace liveth in his children,

that they may live unto him, and conform them∣selves to his sacred Will; for the regenerated know that by that life we die to sin, and live to righteous∣ness, always tending towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God.

Moreover, the life of grace is such an advantage to the regenerated Christian, that by it the image of our God, which we by our sins have desiled, is restored in our corrupted nature, and therefore the Scripture shews us, that the life of grace is nothing else but the new creature and the new man: I wish that I could speak with the tongue of Angels to express in some kinde that celestial and spiritual life which the Saints enjoy in our Saviour, for I am sure that you would be ravished with admiration in the very hearing of that sacred life, yet I desire that you give place to my weakness, excuse my infirmities, and suffer me to exhort you to run af∣ter it with all the sincerity of your hearts.

But before, forsake the world and its lusts; for it is impossible to live with Christ while we live the life of this corrupted world; let then every one of us pull down the Idols which we have erected upon our hearts to the profanation of the Name of the Almighty God, and confusion of our im∣mortal souls; you that are covetous, let me per∣swade you to remove Mammon from your affecti∣ons, that you may offer an agreeable sacrifice unto God, and come to the life of grace; consider that riches continue not long with us, for you know

that sometimes the sea, that unconstant Element takes by violence all ours, and that which we had from others, as great Merchants by experience may inform you, and sometimes a sickness will consume our estate; nay, sometimes the negli∣gence or bad conscience of our debitours will de∣prive us of all our revenues, and make us poor and miserable; but suppose that all your goods remain with you all your lives time, at last they must leave you although you will not leave them; for at death, you carry nothing with you but a winding-sheet in the grave, and a good or bad con∣science before the tribunal of God:

You that are voluptuous, leave your sensual pleasures that hinder you to come to the life of grace; Consider that the pleasures of this world pass as soon as they appear unto us, you enjoy them for some moments onely, and that with grief after their possession; for you know that sorrow inseparably follows the sensual pleasures of this world; those beauties which captivate our affecti∣ons are mortal and changeable, and vanish at the least sickness, but we are blinded by the fatal and irreligious Cupid, which holds us fast with his vo∣luptuous chains, which we must break to turn our faces to the eternal beauty which is unchangeable and full of purity and holiness, that we may enjoy the celestial pleasures with the spiritual life which we have in Christ; you that are ambitious leave your worldly honours, and pull down your pride,

and with humility desire of God through Jesus Christ the life of grace, that you may live with our blessed Saviour; let every sinner pluck his sins out of his own heart, that he may be able to receive the celestial impressions upon it, to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

But observe, that if the Saints or faithfull live with Christ in this world, they reign also with him, for it is onely in the gracious kingdom of Jesus Christ that we live the life of grace; and it is true enough, nay, no Christian can deny, that the Saints reign here with Christ, for in his king∣dom the Saints have power over their sinfull flesh, when before their coming into it, the flesh had power over them; which obliges the grand Apo∣stle S. Paul Rom. 6.12. to say, let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof; in that kingdom of Christ we have power over the prince of darkness, the god of this world; for in that kingdom we have him under our feet, all that he can do is to howl and cry, but not hurt nor offend; for in all the as∣saults which the devil presents unto the regenera∣ted Subjects of our Saviour in the kingdom of Christ, they obtain the victory through him who suffered for their sins, and destroyed for them that power which Satan had over them; in that kingdom of our Lord we have also power over this corrupted world, when before, it had an Em∣pire over us; you are no more subjects nor slaves

of its corruptible treasures, vanishing honours, and sensual pleasures; for if you possess some honours, enjoy some pleasures, and have riches, you apply not your hearts unto them, and so you possess them as possessing them not.

Moreover, Consider what advantage we have in that spiritual kingdom of Christ; for reigning with him we are in some kinde mundi Domim, the Lords of the world, because we have a spiritual right to all the creatures of God; for as the Apo∣stle saith, 1 Cor. 3.21. all things are yours; but I say a spiritual right to distinguish it from that which we call natural and civil right, which men have to that which they legally possess, for we must take heed of this errour which makes an u∣niversall confusion whereever it prevaileth.

Now give me leave to tell you, that it is by faith that we here reign with Christ, and that it is by hope, by charity, and by patience with all the rest of the Christian vertues; for you know that they defend and hold us fast against our e∣nemies, so that we prevail against them in our afflictions and calamities even in our death; Leave then the Millenaries with the earthly opini∣on of their worldly kingdom; let them possess the earth if they will, as for us we must look up to heaven to give there all our meditations while we live upon the earth; we must leave the earth∣ly kingdoms to the Alexanders and Gaesars, and seek after the spiritual kingdom of Christ, for it

is impossible to come into the Celestial Palace of our God, if we have not been in the gracious king∣dom of our Saviour; then let us all look now for that kingdom, and keep there all our life time, that having lived and reigned with Christ in grace, we may hereafter live and reign with him in glory. Amen.