45. The protestant kingdoms and states, being thus reformed and united in themselves, will be inflamed with an earnest desire of the good of all other churches, and of all the world: and therefore, as divines have held something called general councils for the union of all those churches; so these princes will by their agents hold assemblies for maintaining correspondence, to the carrying on of the common good of the world, by the advantage of their united counsels and strength; and then no enemy can stand long before them. For they that love and serve them zealously at home, will venture their lives for them zealously abroad, if there be cause.
46. The excellent and successful use of the magistrate's government of the churches in their dominions, will quite shame all the usurping claims of the pope and general councils, and their mongrel ecclesiastic courts, and all the train of artifices and offices, by which their government of the world is managed. And the world, and especially princes, will plainly see how much they were abused by their usurpations, and that there is no need of pope or cardinal, nor any of those officers or acts at all; but that these are the mere contrivances of carnal policy, to keep up an earthly kingdom under the name of the catholic church. And also the purity and unity of the reformed churches, where the vulgar have more religion and union than their monasteries, will dazzle the eyes of the popish princes, states, and people; and when they see better, and especially the happiness of the princes, they will forsake the usurper that had captivated them by fraud, and will assume their freedom and felicity; and so the Roman church kingdom will fall.
47. The deluded Mahometans seeing the unity and glory of christendom, as they were before kept from Christ by the wicked lives and the divisions of christians (thinking that we are far worse than they); so now they will be brought to admire and honour the christian name, and fear the power of the christian princes. And one part of them will turn christians; and the rest, even the Turkish power, the christian's force, by the power of God, will easily break. And so the Eastern churches will be delivered and reformed, and the Mahometans come into the faith of Christ.
48. The poor scattered Jews also, when they see the glory and concord of christians, will be convinced that Christ is indeed the true Messias: and being converted, perhaps, shall by the christian powers be some of them re-established in their own land; but not to their ancient peculiarity, or policy and law.
49. And then the christian zeal will work to the conversion of the poor idolatrous, heathen world; and part of them will yield to reason and faith, and the rest by just victories be subdued. And so the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ; and the gospel shall be preached in all the world.
50. And when the kingdom of grace is perfected, and hath had its time, the kingdom of glory shall appear, upon the glorious appearing of Christ our King; and the dead shall arise, and they that have overcome, shall reign with Christ, and sit with him upon the throne, even as he overcame, and is set down with the Father on his throne. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me," John xvii. 20-24.
_Object._ But if this world should ever become so happy, it would be more amiable, and so be a greater snare to our affections, and make us willing to stay from heaven.