which was a Warring Kingdom: Many bloody Battels were fought by David and his Men, after he was anointed to be King over Ifrael: And fo I do apprehend it will be upon the firft breaking forth of this fpiritual Glory, or about the Time when the Jews fhall be converted; which will be a Warring Difpenfation among the Saints; then it is that one fall chafe a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. And therefore his Reign very fitly typed out the Kingdom of the Stone; as Solomon's Reign did wonderfully type out the Kingdom of the Mountain: For as Solomon fucceeded David, whofe Reign was peaceable and glorious; fo his Reign doth moft fitly type out the peaceable and glorious Kingdom of Chrift in the latter Branch of it, when this Stone fhall become a great Mountain, and fill the whole Earth, which will not be until the fmiting Time of the Image is over. Sixthly and Laftly, The Time when this Kingdom is to be fet up; and that is (as before) in the Days of thefe Kings; which fhews that it must be in this World, and alfo that this Time is yet to come: This Bleffed, this Glorious, and Visible Kingdom of Chrift, when once it fhall begin to make its appearance, will not only awaken all the Saints, but the whole World will be made fenfible of it. It is certain it was not in Daniel's Time, nor during the Mofaical Administration under the Law; tho' Chrift had a Spiritual Kingdom of Grace and Salvation, among his People then; but not this Kingdom fpoke of in the Text: Nor yet was this Kingdom fet up at the Time of Chrift's Firft Coming; which was in a State of Humiliation, to work out our Redemption. Some there were indeed deed, that would have made him King by Force; but he avoided it; John vi. 15. And in another Place, My Kingdom, faith Chrift, is not of this World. If it had, then (faith he) would my Servants fight: But now is my Kingdom not from hence, John xviii. 36. Note that Word, Not from hence; not from the Time of my firft Appearing: Not from hence; not from this World muft I receive my Kingdom, but from my Father; as if Chrift fhould fay, Neither will my Kingdom be fet up by, nor confift of a Worldly Wisdom, a Worldly Power, a Worldly Glory, nor of a Worldly Grandeur. But a Kingdom the Lord Jefus Chrift will have and receive, at the Time appointed, which will exceed the Glory of all the Kingdoms of this World, that have been before it. This I take to be the Meaning of our Lord, in these Words, and fhews, that tho' the Kingdom of Grace was opened, upon Chrift's Firft Coming, and by the Pouring down of the Spirit on the Apostles, and the Primitive Churches, in a brighter and more glorious manner than it had been; yet this was not the Setting up of the Kingdom: Not from hence; this was not the Time. Well then! From the whole we may gather, that this bleffed Kingdom is yet to come: And as foon as the Lord begins to Imite the Image upon the Feet of Iron and Clay; which Time we have Ground to believe is near at hand: Then the God of Heaven will fet up his Kingdom Vifible in this World; which never fhall be deftroyed, nor given to another People. And therefore we may fee how wonderfully this Text, (among many others) doth preach unto us the Glory of a Visible Kingdom of Chrift, to be poffeffed by the Lord Jefus, and the Saints in this World, or under under the whole Heaven; when the Spirit of God fhall, in fuch an extraordinary measure, be poured down upon them; but more peculiarly, when he fhall come, with all the Saints, in his perfonal Glory; or when he fhall perfonally reign as God Man, Mediator, in his Kingdom. CHAP. :xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx: CHAP. VIII, Many things taken notice of, with A Gain, in the Seventh of Daniel, there are In for the Proof of Chrift's Vifible Kingdom in this World, that makes it wonderful to me, how fuch glorious Truths fhould by any of the Godly be once call'd into queftion, when it is fo.plain in that Chapter, that he which runs may read it. Verfe 7. Daniel faw in the Night Visions, and behold a Fourth Beaft, dreadful and terrible, and ftrong exceedingly, and it had great Iron Teeth: It devoured and brake in pieces, and ftamped the Refidue with the Feet of it: And it was diverfe from all the Beafts that were before it; and it had Ten Horns. Now this Fourth Beaft, I understand to be the fame with the Laft of the Fourth Monarchy, mentioned before: And wherein it is fail to be different from all the foregoing Beafts; I humbly conceive that to be in refpect of the different Government which it was under, during the Time or Reign of the Papal Power: By which,in plain Terms (to me) Antichrift is fignify'd, under the Denomination of the Fourth Beaft or Government: For when Conftantine the Great embraced the Chriftian Faith, then was removed that Let which the Apostle Paul fpeaketh of in the Second Epiftle to the Theffalonians, chap. ii. ver. 7. For the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth,will let, until he be taken out of the way.Then fhall that wicked one be revealed, &c. We fee here that the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work in the Apostles Time; and there were then many Antichriffs in being, only he who then did let and hinder his Rifing, would let, until he was taken out of the way: Which must be understood of the Roman Heathen Empire. This was fuch a Let, that Antichrift could not rife to that Heighth of Greatnefs, while he was standing: But whenConftantine was convert ed, |