God and his Father. To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever. O how fhould we (as the Apotle exhorted the Saints in Coloffians) continually give thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. We fee then that as we are made Kings, and Priefts untoGod,fo likewife are we made meet to be Partakers of this glorious Inheritance, being altogether unmeet in and of our felves: It is nothing but Grace that can and does make us meet for Chrift's Kingdom here, and Eternal Glory in the higheft Heavens, for ever.

3dly, I fhall enquire where it is that those who are made Kings and Priefts unto God fhall reign as fuch: And that is upon Earth, as is very fully expreffed in this Text; and hath made us unto God Kings and Priefts, and we fhall reign on the Earth. Can any Point of Doctrine be expreffed in plainer Words than thefe are? The Saints are made Kings andPriefts unto God, and shall with him reign upon the Earth. This Word unto God may be fo render'd, becaufe we are his Kings and his Priefts; Kings and Piefts of the Lord's own making, for his own Ufe, for the Manifeftation of his own Grace, and becaufe we fhall reign in the Fruition and Enjoyment of God's Glory. 2dly, As the Saints are made Kings and Priefts unto God, fo they have a Kingdom promifed unto them, which at the time appointed they fhall take poffeffion of. Fear not little Flock, it is your Fathers good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom. And the Kingdom, and the Dominion under the whole Heaven, fhall be given to the People of the Saints of the Moft High. So then, or wherefore we receive a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have Grace, or

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let us bold faft, whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and godly Fear, Heb. xii. 28. 3dly, As they are made Kings, and have a Kingdom promifed unto them; fo they fhall reign as Kings and Priefs, or as Kings and Princes. If we suffer with bim, we fhall also reign with him; and would to God ye did reign, or that the time of your reigning were come, that we might reign with you, faith the Apoftle to the Church of Corinth, which fhews that they expected a Time when they should reign as Kings: But they fhall be Priests or Princes of God. and of Christ, and shall reign with him a Thousand Tears. For the Lord God giveth them Light, and they fall reign for ever and ever. Rev. xxii. v. But now the Place where they fhall reign, as was hinted before, and that is upon the Earth. This Word needs no Explanation, it cannot be expreffed in greater Plainnefs than it is: This glorious Kingdom and Reign of Chrift with the Saints is to be upon the Earth. It is true they fhall reign in Heaven, in that ultimate Glory, for ever: Yet they muft reign upon Earth firft, as antecedent unto their reigning in Heaven. This may be proved from other Places of Scripture, as in Zech. xiv. 9. And the Lord fhall be King (as the chief Head and Supreme) over all the Earth; yet fo as that the Saints as Kings fhall reign with Chrift in his Kingdom, which, as has been proved, will be upon the Earth, in that Day when there fhall be one Lord, and his Name one. Again in Rev. xxi. we have the Kings of the Earth, with the Glory of the Nations,, that is to be brought into the New Jerufalem, expreffed. All which agrees to this State and Time I am now fpeaking of, and does fufficiently fhew that it must

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be a Place upon the Earth. But having fpoke fomething to thefe Scriptures, I fhall pafs them by at prefent: Befides, if it be confidered that the Perfons who fpake thefe Words, And has made us unto our God Kings and Priefts, were the Saints, and fuch as were already in Heaven when they spoke them; then they expected that they fhould receive a Kingdom wherein they should reign as Kings and Priefts. Now the Place where they fhould reign as fuch appears in the following Words; And we shall reign on the Earth. Can any give a reason why the Saints that were in the poffeflion of Heaven at this time, when John faw this Vifion, and heard them fpeak these Words in their Song, Thou haft made us unto our God Kings and Priefts, and we shall reign on the Earth, if they were not to return again with Chrift at his Second Coming; and as Kings and Priefts to reign on the Earth.

But if it fhould be objected that thefe Words were not spoke by the Saints, as being then in Heaven, but on the Earth. In answer to that I fhall first premise that it will be granted by all, and deny'd by none, but that these two Particles Us and We, has made us Kings and Priefs, and we shall reign on the Earth, muft be the Saints and Children of God, they, and they only being the Purchase of Chrift's Blood, the Travel of his Soul. Then they must be confidered either in Earth or Heaven, when they fpoke thefe Words. If upon Earth, I query whether they did then reign as Kings and Priests (as fome would endeavour to expound the Reign of the Saints to be only a fpiritual Reigning over their Sins and Corruptions; and the Lord knows how poorly we reign over these this day) if you will

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fay that they do now reign, then confider how abfurd and contrary this Interpretation is to this as well as many other Places of Scripture: for if thefe Saints, when they fung this Song, were upon Earth, and did then reign as Kings and Priests; how is it that they faid, Thou haft made us Kings and Priefts, and we fhall reign on the Earth? Why did they fay we shall reign, if they then did reign? Surely there muft be a Difference in thefe two Words, We do and We fhall. Is not this Interpretation contrary to the Truth it felf expreffed in the Text, or at leaft "inconfiftent with the Text, for to fay We do reign, inftead of faying We Shall reign on the Earth? Would it not look strange and inconfiftent, if a King or an earthly Prince who reigns and is in the actual poffeffion of his Kingdom, fhould fay, I am King over fuch a Kingdom, and shall reign in it? Would it not look ftrange to fay, I shall reign, when at the fame time he does reign? If we make fo little or no difference between fall and do, according to this Interpreta tion, as to fay the Saints do reign on Earth, inftead of faying, They fhall; what ftrange Confufion fhould we run many things (the Truth it felf) into? How ftrange would this be, if we fhould alter the Word in many Places, and fay do inftead of fall? As in Prov. iii. 35. The Wife (fuch as are wife to Salvation) fhall inherit (or poffefs) Glory. Should we fay the Wife do inherit or poffefs Glory, what would this be lefs than to fay the Saints are glorified while they are in this World? Or to fay that the Saints are now actually in Heaven, while they are in their Militant State upon Farth? Again in Phil. iii. 21. Who fhall change our l'ile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body. Now to

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alter this Word from all to do, and fay, who does change our Vile Body that it may be fashioned like un to his Glorious Body, would make our Bodies whilft imperfect to be immortal and incorruptible, free from Sin, like the Glorious Body of Chrift; and fo confequently not fubject to Death: Whereas this is not to be until Chrift's Coming, and the Refur rection of the Saints; which is the Time we are fpeaking of, when the Saints fhall reign on the Earth. Now how inconfiftent this would be to the Text and the Truth held forth in it, I leave others to judge. Many other Places I might take notice of, to fhew what a Confufion this altering or putting another Interpretation upon a Word, would make of the Scriptures; but this is fufficient: And therefore we cannot by any means admit of this Word in the Revelations, to be changed from fall, to say they do reign: For if we should, this indeed would be the ready way to make the Scriptures in the Likeness of Wax, to turn and twift it about which way we please, according to the Humours and Fancies of Men. Well then! It is time to thrust this Contrary Inerpretation off theStage; and let us fay no longer they do, but they fhall reign on the Earth.

If any fhould further object, and say that thefe Words are not to be understood as being spoke by the Saints either then in Heaven or upon the Earth; but that it is prophetically spoke of the Saints after the Refurrection of their Bodies, when they fhall be glorify'd; and that then they shall fing this new Song: I have no reafon to contend with this, as long as we do not alter the Text; though I have, in the firft opening of the Words, endeavoured to fhew that this new Song was sung by the