The sealed book opened. Or, A cleer explication of the prophecies of the Revelation. Together with the lessons that are to be observed from every chapter thereof, being cleerly explained. Intended chiefly for the discovery to all of that Roman antichrist, and that Rome her final destruction is surely at hand, by that blessed work of reformation happily begun in the several churches and kingdoms of Europe. / By William Guild D.D. and preacher of Gods word.

Ver 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be Priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Of which resurrection whosoever are partakers, he declares, 1. Their quality, that they are holy. 2. Their condition, they are blessed. 3. Wherein their blessednesse consists, to wit, 1. In being freed from the power of the second death. 2. In being advanced to be Priest•• of God and Christ, ••nd at last to reign with Christ in glory, adding a thousand yeares, without any article as he did before, to shew that thereby a definite time is not meant, but an indefinite or long time, which the spirit expounds elsewhere, c. 22.5. to be for ever and ever.

Against the Chiliasts then, who abuse this place for main∣taining their errour, we are to remark, 1. That v. 4. and here, v. 6. where it is said, that the godly shall reign with Christ a thousand years, there is no word of his or their reigning on ear••h, but on the contrary, Rom 8 17. it is told us, that as they suffered with him on earth, they shall reign with him in glory, (2 Tim. 4.18.) and in heaven. 2. v. 5. There is no word of a ••o••ily resurrection before the last day, but spiri∣tual, as has been said, neither finde we in all the Scrip••ure any mention of any bodily resurrection but one, common to good and bad, immediately before the general judgement, Dan. 12.2. John 5.28. Act. 24.15. and inseparably joyned therewith, and so, not one bodily resurrection proper to the godly a thousand years, before that last general resurrection, common to all. 3. Neither is there any word in Scripture, but of a first and second coming of Christs; The first in humiliation, the second in glory and in the clouds at the last day, Heb. 9.28. which second coming is ever like∣wise

jo••••ed with the general resurrection and the last judge∣ment, and therefore there is not any such a thousand years before it, as we see, Mat. 25.31. 1 Thes. 4.16. 4. It is told us likewise in Scripture, Acts 3.21. Psal. 110.1. and 1 Cor. 15.25. that the heavens must contain Christ in his bodily presence, till he come to the general judgement, where he sits in heavenly places at the right hand of his Father, till he make all his enemies his footstoole, whence it follows, that if he must remaine in heaven till the last day, he is not to be on the earth a thousand yeeres before that day. 5. The time of Christs coming to the general judgement is hid, un∣known, Mark 13.32. 2 Pet. 3.10. but if the Millinaries o∣pinion were true, that before that day Christ should reign on earth with the godly a thousand years before, then that day should not be hid, but well enough known. 6. v. 2. and 3. Satan is said to be bound up these thousand years only from seducing the Nations, as he had done before Christs first coming, whereas the Chiliasts would have him bound up all that time from all temptation of the godly unto any sinne whatsoever.

Last of all, Christs Kingdome wherein the godly shall reigne with Christ after this life is only called heavenly, and therefore not earthly, therefore sayes the Apostle, 2 Tim. 4.18. the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will pre∣serve me unto his heavenly Kingdom.

Likewise out of this text of the Revelation, and the words thereof we have further to consider, 1. That, v. 4. John speaking of the godly who had suffered for Christ, he sayes, he saw the soules of such, in vision, but speaks not of their bodies, or any bodily resurrection. 2. He sayes they lived, vixerunt, sed non, revixerunt. 3. He sayes, they reigned with Christ, but not (as has been said) that they reigned on earth with him. 4. v. 5. Where it is said, that the rest of the dead lived not againe, till the thousand years were finish∣ed, if a bodily resurrection were spoken of, then (as has been said) it should cleerly and certainly be known, when the last resurrection should be, and consequently the last judgement, contrary to holy Scripture.