when he went there, after he spoke thefe Words, was at his Afcenfion. The End, or one End for which he went, was that he might receive a Kingdom, and at the Time appointed return and bring the Kingdom with him. Which may be faid, not to be given to him, or he not receiving of it into his actual Poffeffion, until he comes in the Clouds of Heaven, with Power and great Glory: Because this Kingdom will not openly and vifibly appear until then.

Fifthly, The End for which he receives this Kingdom? And that is, that all People, Nations, and Languages fhould ferve and obey him. Now it is certain this Time has never yet been; neither before nor fince the Gospel Difpenfation; all People, Nations, and Languages, did never yet ferve nor obey Chrift: how many in all Ages of the World, and to this Day appeared in Rebellion, and open Hoftility against Jefus Chrift: But fuch a Time there will, and muft certainly be; if Heaven and Earth fhall pass away before one Jot or Tittle of his Word fhall fail; then it is impoffible that this Word fhould not be fulfilled: When all People, Nations and Languages fhall ferve and obey Chrift.

Sixthly, The Duration of this Kingdom; how long it fhall continue, and that is to be everlafting: His Dominion is an everlafting Dominion, which fhall not pafs away, and his Kingdom that which fhall not be destroyed. This may be understood in two or three Particulars: 1. This Kingdom in which Chrift will reign with the Saints, as the Son of Man, or as God, Man, Mediator, is a Kingdom that will last for above a thoufand Years, in its

two

twofold Branches, firft fpiritual, and then perfo nal. Rev. xx. Now in refpect of this long Duration of Time, which exceeds all the Kingdoms or earthly Monarchies, that ever were in the World, it may be faid to be everlafting: The Word Everlafting being often taken in Scripture for a long Duration of Time; as in Lev. xvi. 34. And this fhall be an everlasting Statute unto you, to make an atonement for the Children of Ifrael, for all their Sins once a Tear. Now we know that this Statute continued no longer than while Chrift, the Sub ftance of this Shadow, was come. This I might prove from many other Places: But,

Secondly, This Kingdom may be faid to be everlafting, because it fhall never be deftroyed, as all other Kingdoms have been, after their longeft Continuance, no Power either of Earth or Hell, Men or Devils, will ever be able to deftroy it: This bleffed Kingdom of Chrift fhall never be fucceeded by any other, and therefore it may be called an everlafting Kingdom.

Thirdly, A third Reafon why this glorious Kingdom of Jefus Chrift is faid to be everlasting, is because as it fhall never be deftroyed, nor fucceeded by any other; fo neither fhall it ceafe to be a Kingdom after the laft Judgment; but will be as a Kingdom taken up into a higher, fixed, unchangeable State of the ultimate Glory in the eter nal Heavens: For then the Lord Jefus Chrift, as Man, (when he hath reigned) will deliver up the Kingdom unto the Father, that God may be all in all. And fo the Kingdom of Chrift with the Saints will be swallowed up in the boundless Ocean, Fruition,

ition, and eternal Enjoyment of God, by Vifion for ever; 1 Cor. xv. 28.

Seventhly, There is another Thing to be confidered for the Proof of Chrift's Kingdom, before I clofe this Chapter; and that is, that this Kingdom of Chrift, and the Saints are contemporary: They will begin, and continue together as one and the fame Kingdom: And therefore we read fo often in the Explanation of this Vifion, after the Beaft and all other Powers are deftroyed, the Saints poffeffed the Kingdom. The fame Time that Chrift has this Kingdom given unto him, at the fame Time the Saints are faid to poffefs it; in the 18th Verfe; But the Saints of the most High, fhall take the Kingdom, and poffefs the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. This Kingdom then shall never be deftroyed, nor taken from them, by no Force nor Power whatsoever, but they fhall poffefs and enjoy it for ever, three times expreffed in this Verfe. See again in Verfe 21. I beheld, and the fame Horn made War with the Saints, and prevailed against them. This is that Horn that had Eyes, and a Mouth, that spake very great Things, whofe Look was more ftout than his Fellows; which I look upon (as before) to be the Antichriftian Horn) after he had formed that ftrange Sort of Government, in his clearing the Ecclefiaftical and Civil Power, which he made use of in making War with the Saints, and prevailing against them.. This the People of God have had a fufficient Experience of, not only in our latter, but in Ages paft; which more or lefs will continue, until Chrift comes to fet up his Kingdom; as it is in the 22d Verfe; Until the Ancient of Days came, and Judgment was.

given to the Saints of the moft High, and that Time came that the Sints poffeffed the Kingdom. Let us take a little Notice here, that after the Warring Time of the Beast or Little Horn is over, and the Ancient of Days is come, then Judgment was given to the Saints, which refpects the juft Diftribution of Rewards, which shall be given unto them, by the Lord Jefus Chrift, at that Time; then it is that the Saints poffeffed the Kingdom.

Now this Kingdom, which the Saints at this time are to poffefs, cannot be meant of a fpiritual Kingdom of Grace under the Gospel (as I have often fhewed) is very plain in thefe Words; for the fpiritual Kingdom of Grace, which is in every Belie ver, thefe Saints were in the poffeffion of that, then, during all the Time that the Beaft did make war against them: Therefore this Kingdom muft be that glorious and visible Kingdom of Chrift, which will not be given into their actual Poffeffion, until the War is ended, the Beast destroyed, and the Ancient of Days does fit. Again, neither can this bleffed Kingdom here fpoken of be meant of the Kingdom in the Eternal Heavens, as appears plain alfo, in the 27th Verfe, that if we do but ferionf ly confider it, there will be no room left for a Doubt, to queftion the Truth of fuch a glorious perfect Kingdom-State in this World, to be poffeffed and enjoyed by Christ and the Saints, between the Time of his perfonal Ceming, and the Winding up. of the laft Judgment: The Words run thus, And the Kingdom and Dominion, and the Greatness of the Kingdom, under the whole Heaven, fhall be given to? the People of the Saints of the Moft High; whofe Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom And all Domi-:

nion fhall ferve and obey him. I fhall obferve in thefe Words, First, That here is a Kingdom to be given, which for the Nature of it, is the fame with what I have all along been endeavouring to prove to be a spiritual, and also a perfonal, vifible, and glorious Kingdom.

Secondly, This Kingdom is to be given by the Father (as it is in the 12th of Luke, Verfe 32. Fear not little Flock; it is your Fatber's good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom) unto the Saints of the moft High; by which the People of God, confifting of both Jews and Gentiles, are to be understood.

Thirdly, When is this Kingdom to be given? At the Time of Chrift's fecond Coming, when the whole Number of the Elect fhall be gathered in, the dead Saints raifed, and the Living changed into a State of Incorruptibility and Immortality. For Chrift does not receive this Kingdom until he comes in the Clouds of Heaven, and then it is faid to be given to him, and fo confequently to the Saints, who receives it upon their Account, by Vertue of the Covenant that was between the Father and the Son on the Behalf of his People, for this Kingdom is one of thofe great Bleffings of the new Covenant, and is contained in it, as may be feen in Fer. xxxiii. 20, 21.

Fourthly, The Power of Rule and Government in this Kingdom-State, fhall by Christ be put into the Hands of the Saints, as is fignified in thofe Words, and the Kingdom, and Dominion, and the Greatness of the Kingdom, &c. Now what can these Expreffions mean, but that a Kingdom, not a bare Name of a Kingdom, but that the Glory, Power, Rule, Authority, and Government of the King

dom,