whofe fake all other Creatures are to be reftored: All which plainly fhews that here will be no more Converfion when Chrift is come; which will not be until the Reftitution of all things, as before hinted.

But before I close this Subject, let us fee how full thofe Words are in Rev. xix. 7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife bath made her felf ready. It is certain, as appears from thefe Words, that when Chrift perfonally comes from Heaven will be the Time of the open Solemnization of the Marriage-Glory between him and the Spoufe: And if fo, then the Bride must be ready against that Time; As it is expreffed in this Text. And bis Wife made ber felf ready: Which cannot be, if they are not all converted before Chrift comes: For this I think is undeniable, that by the Wife, Bride, or Spouse of Chrift, the whole Elect must be understood. What tho' fhe is fometimes diftinguished into Mother and Daughter, Virgins and Honourable Women, 'tis but to fhew the particular Degree of Glory that shall by Chrift be conferred upon the Saints in that great Day: Yet when fhe is spoke of as a Wife or Bride, it muft undoubtedly take in all the Elect; because the leaft Believer is as near to Chrift (as they ftand to him in this Relation) as the greateft. Befides, however fhe may be diftinguished in any other Confideration, yet in this fhe is but one; as it is in Solom. vi. 9. My Dove, my Undefiled is but one, he is the only one of her Mother; he is the Choice one of her that bare her, &c. This fhews that the whole Elect, or every Believer, goes to the making up that one Wife, Bride, or Spoufe of Chrift: And if the whole Elect muft make up or Ff

compleat

compleat that one Bride, and that they must be all ready when the Lord Jefus Chrift comes in his perfonal Glory to folemnize the Marriage, in the open Face of Heaven and Earth; then here can be no Converfion afterwards. If the Elect are to be all converted, that they may actually, vifibly, and perfonally be ready at this time of Chrift's Coming, as this Text does undeniably fhew they muft; then where is there any room for Converfion? No, those who are yet to be converted, both among the Jews and Gentiles, will be in the First Part or Branch of Chrift's Kingdom: That Time indeed will be a wonderful Time of Converfion, when the Spirit of God fhall be poured down as Water out of a Bucket, and an innumerable Company brought home to Chrift out of many Nations! But not one Soul, as I can fee (either from Scripture or Reafon) that will be converted after Chrift perfonally defcends from the Right Hand of the Father, because they will be all converted before, in the time of her Spiritual Glory. Befides, how can it be, thought that Chrift, when he comes from Heaven to celebrate the Marriage-Feaft between himself and his People, that he should have a Lame and Imperfect Bride ; as fhe muft be, if fome fhould be with Chrift in a Perfect Glorify'd State, and fome of his Myftical Body at the fame time in an Imperfect and Unglorify'd Condition; had the Lord fuch a regard unto the Good of the New Teftament Church, as to provide fome better thing for us, that they (that is, the Saints of God among the Jews) fhould not be made perfect without us, Heb, xi. 4. How then can we reasonably think that the Lord fhould not have the fame regard unto the rest of his Mem

bers

bers, that one part might not be made perfect without the whole; but that the Compleating of their Perfection may be altogether? And therefore as the Old Teftament Church was not to be made perfect without us, fo neither shall we be made perfect until the reft of God's Election are brought into Jefus Chrift, by effectual Calling: And if fo, then there can be no Converfion after Chrift's Def cenfion from Heaven, and the Refurrection of the Saints: For then it is that thofe Words will take place, in Rev. xxii 11. He that is unjust, let him be unjuft ftill; and be that is filthy, let him be filthy fill, and be that is righteous, let him be righteous Still, and be that is boly, let him be holy ftill.

This fhews that the People of God, as they fhall all be found righteous and holy at this time, fo they fhall continue for ever: And as the Wicked will be found filthy and unjuft, fo they must continue ftill without any Change of their State, which will then be eternally fix'd. Now that this will be fo when Chrift perfonally comes in the Clouds with Power and great Glory, the Words following do fully exprefs, v. 12. And behold Icome quickly and my Reward is with me, to give every Man according as his Works fhall be. Then no more Converfion at this time. Again here is another thing looks very inconfiftent, for Converting-Work to go forward in this perfect State; and that is, for the Saints to live and converfe together, while fome are in a Perfect, and others in an Imperfect Condition: For 'if the great Apoftle John, fo much endued with the Spirit of God as he was, could not bear the Vifionary Sight of Chrift, in the Firft of Revelations, but fell down as one dead at his Feet; how is it poffi

Ff2

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ble

ble then that any of the Saints fhould behold the Glory of Chriff's Perfon in that Day (who will ten thousand times exceed the Glory of all Created Beings) whilft they are unglorify'd? And therefore this cannot be fo: For how can Mortal and Immortal, Glorified and Unglorified, Perfect and Imperfect Perfons, converfe together? This feems to me to be impoffible. I know I am a poor, weak, nothing Creature, and not worthy to carry fome of thefe Mens Books; yet I cannot in this matter but think that my dear Brethren must be mistaken concerning these things; and that the Miftake lies in holding the gracious and glorious Church to be together at one and the fame time; which I cannot fee nor believe that it will; but that the gracious Church will be firft, upon the wonderful Pouring down of the Spirit; and that the glorious Church will not be till after Chrift's Reign by his Spirit in the Saints hath been fulfilled: And that then, upon Chrift's perfonal Coming from Heaven with all the Saints, when his Wife the Bride (or whole Elect) fhall be ready, by having all of them the Garments or Robes of Glory and Immortality on, will the glorious Church commence, and appear vifible in the perfonal Reign and Kingdom of Chrift.

Now that which is the Ground of thefe my prefent Thoughts concerning the 2 Parts or Branches of Chrift's Kingdom, one fpiritual, the other perfonal, is because I fee many Prophefies in God's Word, which do hold forth a Bleffed State of the Church, fuch as I am fatisfied hath not yet been fulfilled upon her, and yet does not run high enough to reach unto a perfect Glory. Again, I fee that there are many Promises and Prophefies which are expreffed in too high a Strain to be confiftent and

run

run contemporary with a Weak, Mortal, and Im perfect State; and therefore here must be a Distance of Time allowed for the Accomplishment of both.

Well then! This Spiritual Glory of Chrift upon the Saints, must have its fulfilment ; Firft, Such a Glory as has never yet been Jeen upon the Church, be fore his perfonal Coming. Yea that Glory which was upon the Primitive Saints in the Apoftolical Day, when the Spirit was fo wondeafully poured down upon them, was but as the Earneft, or fome Drops of that glorious Shower which is to be ponr ed out upon all Flesh' in the Latter Day. What the Apofile Peter faith in the Second of the A&s, was indeed fome of the First Drops of that bleffed Shower promis'd in the Second of Joel: But that the Full Shower did then come down, can in no wife be allowed; for thofe great things fpoke of by foel in that Chapter, did not then, neither have yet come to pafs, as may be eafily feen by reading the Prophecy through; but fomething of that Glory did appear in the Apoftles time: And if the First Fruits or Drops were fo glorious, what will the Earneft or full Shower of the Spirit be, when it fhall not come by Drops, but fhall be poured down as Water out of a Bucket; for fo it is expreffed in Numb. xxiv. 7. He (that is the Lord Febovah) fhall pour the Water out of his Buckets, and his Seed fhall be in many Waters, and his King fhall be higher than Agag, and his Kingdom fhall be exalted. It is certain thefe Words are a glorious Prophecy of the Reign and Kingdom of Chrift, in the Firft Branch thereof, which will be wonderfully feen (at this time) upon Ifrael, together with theConverted Gentiles; when the Spirit of God fhall be poured