be as plainely made to Abraham Isaack and Iacobâ— their owne persons as it is unto their seed and to all the seed as well as to a part or any one of them and that they of the many nations the faithfull Gentâ—les are of the same seed as well as the faithfull Iewes and heires of the promise together with them according as all the forementioned Scriptures do plainely declare so plainâ—ly as I suppose no man will denie Then I aske whâ—refore or for what cause they should not all receive the same and not any one or part be excluded seeing God is faithfull that promiseth God did covenant also with Abraham to be his God and the God of his seed and this hee established in no plaineâ— or suâ—er manâ—er then he did to give them the land for an everlasting possession as in the same place Gen. 17.7 8. appeareth but if God should faile either Abraham oâ— any of his seed in this respect how did he then keepe his covenant even so of the other Therefore as God will not faile either Abraham or any of his seed to be their God neither will he faile to give them the land of Canaan and all the world besides for an everlasting possession The fourth question Fourthly I aske if the true intent of the promise in the forementioned places be not of an eternall estate in the world to come after the resurrection of the body and end of this world That Abraham Isaak and Iacob and all their seed shall then inherit I say not the land of Canaan only although principally as the Throne and City of the great King but all the earth even to the utmost ends and bounds thereof according to Psal. 37. and Mat. 5. Where it is promised that the meeke shall inherit the earth And as the twenty foure Elders sing in their new song unto the Lamb Christ Iesus saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people nation hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Revel. 3.10.11 And who may these redeemed ones out of every kindred tongue people nation that shall raigne on the eaâ—th be but those of the many nations the faithfull Iewes and the faithfull Gentiles which God made Abraham a Father of and Saint Paul saith are heires with Abraham of the world And the promise that the meeke shall inherit the earth doth belong to every meek man as well as to any one of them and so to be fulfilled but it was never so yet in this world Abraham Isaack and Iacob the Fathers of those meeke unto whom the Land of Canaan was promised for an inheritance dyed and inherited not a foote Therefore that God may be found â—â—ue of his word they must all of them inherit it in the the resurrection because here it is otherwise neither is it said they doe inherit or raigne but they shall neither when God promised the land of Canaan unto Abraham and to his seed the earth the world to inherit as in the forementioned places did he meane this present as it is now polluted neither were they so to looke for it as the Prophet Micha saith to them of his time Arise yee and depart â—or this is not your rest because it is polluted It shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Mich. 2.10 But God spake and intended it of the world to come when all things should be new holy and heavenly and so did the Fathers understand and expect it And this doth the Apostle Paul proove from their owne words when they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth saying And they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a Countrey And truely saith he if they had beene mindfull of the Countrie from whence they came out they might have had oppertunitie to have returned but now they desire a better Country that is an heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City Heb. 1â— 13.14.15.16 In which words the Apostle doubtlesse hath respeâ—t to the promise in Gen. 17.7.8 Where God did establish his covenant with Abrahâ—m to be his God and the God of his seed and to give them the land and so understood both to be of like certainty and continuance and such as are heavenly and eternall And that there was also a Citie having foundations whose builder and maker is God which they looked for upon the promise and that therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God For Abraham well understood it was not for a corruptable countrey or a mooveable Citie in a transitory world as now this is that God called him out of the land of Vr to give him and his seed to inherit but for an uncorruptable unmooveable eternall in a better world and so much doe the very words of the promise expresse in that it saith for an everlasting covenant for an everlasting possession for no corruptable things are everlasting neither are these promises such as shall either vanish or faile And upon the ground of this covenant did Christ himselfe proove the resurrection from the dead against the Saduces knowing it to be most sufficient for the purpose saying Now that the dead are raised even Moyses sheweth at the Bush where he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaack and the God of Iacob they being now dead when Moyses thus spake which the Sadduces knew and therefore Christ saith unto them God is not the God of the dead but of the living Luk. 20.37.38 Prooving hereby that Abraham Isaak and Iacob must rise againe from the dead and live to inherit the countrey and Citie promised that God may be found true of his word and declare himselfe to be their God for everlasting according to his covenant Gen. 17. Ezod. 3.6 And that it shall be a heavenly eternall estate in the world to come the Lord also manifesteth in his answeâ—e to the Carnall objection of those Saduces a litle before where he saith The children of this world marry are given in marriâ—ge but they that shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead neithâ—r marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall unto the Angels and are the children of God being the Children of the resurrection Luk 20.35.36 Where the Lord sheweth plainly that the world to come which the holy Fathers and their seed shall inherit at the resurrection will be such a world as none of the ungodly shall be counted worthy to inherit any part thereof as they doe most parts of this world And to this covenant also had David respect in his Psal where he exhorteth the people of Israell saying Seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his
to whom it belonged and my servant David shall be their King for ever Moreover saith the Lord I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore my Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the hâ—aâ—hen shall know that I the Lord doe sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall bee in the midst of them for evermore Ezek. 37. This is that Country and Citie which the holy Fathers sought mentioned in Heb. 11. This is the place whereof God spake to David where he said Also I will ordaine a place for my people Israel and will plant them and they shall dwell in their place and shall be moved no more neither shall the children of wickednesse wast them any more as at the beginning c. 1 Chron. 17.9 This is that purchased possession untill the redemption wherof the faithfull are Sealed with the holy Spirit of promise the earnest of that their inheritance spoken of by Saint Paul Ephe. 1.13 14. This is that Eternall Tabernacle which God is the builder of and not man spoken of in Heb. 8.2 and 9.11 which Christ hath purchased with his owne blood for our Eternall inheritance as in verse 12. This is the place which Christ spake of to his Disciples when he said I goe to prepare a place for you Iohn 14. And this is that Building of God not made with hands eternall in the heavens spoken of 2 Cor. 5.1 This is that inheritance incorruptable undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to bee revealed in the last time spoken of in 1 Pet. 3 4 5 6. the times of restitution of all things whereof he spake in Acts 3. for then it is to bee revealed from heaven as Iohn foresaw Revel. 21. when all things shall be new This is the Kingdome which cannot be shaken spoken of in Heb. 12.27 28. This is that Citie of which he saith for here we have no continuing city but we seeke one to come Heb. 13.14 And this is the glory which Saint Paul saith the children and heires of God that suffer with Christ shall receive as joynt heires together with him for the manifestation whereof the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth and untill which the whole creation travelleth together in paine as in Rom. 8.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. And this is the rest which is said to remaine unto the people of God spoken of in Hebâ— 4. where hee exhorteth saying Let us therefore labour to enter into that rest leâ—t c. verse 9.10.11 Now all these promises and testimonies being of one and the same eternall inheritance as doth plainely appeare and that it belongeth to all the faithfull as is also manifest and being so acomplished as before is declared Then Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the holy Fathers before them and their children and their childrens children after them to the thousand generations even all their seede to this worlds end for there shall be no increasing of children any way afterwards shall inherit according to the promise the Land of Canaan which God gave unto the Fathers that good Land which he espied for them the glory of all lands as the Scriptures title it And not that Land onely but every habitable part of the world besides yet that land principally as the glory of all the rest There the Fathers sojourned in expectation thereof upon the promise There by faith they tooke order and gave charge to have their bones laid expecting their resurrection to that end Thither their children were brought from their servitude in Egypt to possesse it typically There God revealed his counsells and testimonies by his servants the Prophets There was the Temporall typicall Hierusalem There was Davidâ— Throne There was Iesus Christ the true king and heire of all things borne There he suffered and underwent the shame from thence he ascended into Heaven and to the same place he shall come againe as it is written And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Hierusalem c. Zech. 14.4 And there shall his Throne be upon the holy hill of Sion according to Psal. 2. For although his Kingdome and dominion shall reach throughout all the World from Sea to Sea and from the river to the ends of the earth as it is said where also his Saints shall inherit and raigne yet there shall be his Throne and his glory most eminent even there where he suffered the reproach and that shall all his enemies in that day see and know For God will get his servants praise and fame in every land where they had been put to shame according as he said Zeph. 3.19 And all the Seed and children of the promise since the beginning of the world the true Israel of God shall now be a nation before the Lord for ever and be Kings and Preists unto God and shall raigne on the Earth as the twenty foure Elders declared and being all of them the Children of God and of the new Hierusalem redeemed by the blood of the Lambe The Lambe wil now among all the rest of his promises and gifts performe this also in Rev. 3. Where he saith Him that overcomeâ—h will I make a pillar in the house of my God and he shall goe no more out I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God The new Hierusalem which cometh downe out of Heaven from my God and my new name ver. 12. Where we see also as in Rev. 21. that it is to come downe out of Heaven I aske now If these things be so as hath beene declared or no if they be truly so then I aske where ye will have ground for your doctrine of a thousand yeares glorious Church of the Iewes in the Land of Canaan or of any other that ye will have rise from the dead before the end of this world or what have ye to object against that which hath beenâ— said If ye object and say heere is not in all this a word spoken of heaven that the Saints after the resurrection of the body and end of this world shall ascend with Christ and Christ with them to live and raigne there in the presence of God and with all his holy Angels for ever I confesse I have not spoken a word to that purpose and the reason is because I find not a word in all the holy Scriptures that saith it and what they speake not I am not bound in this case to beleive though I deny them not heaven God may take up of them into heaven as he did Paul if he so please though he hath not said it That the Saints shall
inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever there are a hâ—ndred words in the Scriptures of God to prove as ye may see by that whicâ— is written And when Christ cometh in his glory his holy Angels shall come with him and God himself will dwell with his people and they shall be his Tabernacle as hath beene declared And this I say yet further that if you can breake Gods covenant with the day and his covenant with the night and that there should not be day and night in their seasons If ye can remoove the Sunne the Moone and the Starres out of their places and from their order and put an end to the dayes of Heaven then ye may breake and put an end to the things before declared otherwise they shall stand and not faile for ever as the Lord hath said Ier. 31.35.36.37 Ier. 33.20.21 Neither shall these ordinances ever depart from before the face of the Lord What were it that all these excellent promises and sayings in Scripture should onely intend a thousand or two thousand yeares glorious Church of the Iewes or of any other to be in the time of this world and then to cease and how many absurdites would follow too many to relate The Iewes had almost two thousand yeares time in their troublesome Typical estate and there hath beene neere one thousand six hundred yeares since wherein all that glory hath beene troden downe and the people disperst as well the Saints that were then in the land as the other one whom the wrath of God which was written is ceased upon And will ye have this glorious estate that hath beene so many thousand yeares spoken of and looked for of all the faithfull upon Gods promises since the beginning to last but for a thousand yeares or two as some would have it and to concerne only and belong to a remnant of Iewes remaining discended of the most viperous generation of them that ever were as Christ himselfe chargeth them such as were to fill up the measure of their Fathers wickednesse and that these should be all of them generally called and saved this is beyond all sound aprehention and besides all Scriptures of truth such a calling and such a saving was never knowne to be of the best dissent naturall that ever was nor was ever knowen to be the manner of Gods dealing and procâ—eding in any age with any people whatsoever But to chuse out from among them and their Children here one and there one as Abell leaving Cain Isaack leaving Ishmael Iacob leaving Esaw and so in all times both with Iewes and Gentiles seldome many of one mans Children and lesse times all like as is hoped was with Iacobs sonnes but as it is writen Though the Children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved for God will finish the worke as Saint Paul saith and cut it short in righteousnesse because a short worke will the Lord make upon the earth and as he saith againe from Esay Excâ—pt the Lord â—f Sabbath had lefâ— us a seed wee had beene as Sodome and beene made like unto Gomorrah Rom. 9. And as Christ himselfe saith for shewing how it would be to the worlds end Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth â—nto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7.14 If ye say the Scriptures speake much of the Iewes calling and especially Saint Paule in Rom. 11. My answere is it seemeth to doe so but there is a great mistaking of the Apostles wordes and meaning by many for he speaketh onely of a remnant of elect Iewes and chiefely of those in his owne time which the Christian Romanes had their eye upon Marvelling that so few of so great and religious a nation did beleive the Gospell of Christ and confest him which was the occasion of the Apostles writing unto them in this manner to informe them as concerning the reason thereof and proveth unto them by former experience and testimonies of the Prophets that they were alwayes but few in comparrison of the great number of obstinate ones that did beleeve in their â—earts to salvation as in Chap. 9. from the testimonie of Esaiah and in this Chap. by that in the time of Eliahs And so all his arguments are to prove that God did never cast away his elect people of Israel Nor would but that they should all come in according as many of them did especially in those dayes for then they had the most excellent meanes that ever they had or shall have while the world stands which because the Rulers and greatest number of them did so wilfully reject filling up the measure of their Fathers sinnes who persecuted and killeâ— the Prophets and they now Christ himselfe was therefore to be taken from them and the wrath of God to cease upon them to the uttermost according as Moyses had foretold long beâ—ore Deut 28. from the 15. verse to the end of the Chap. And as Christ himself pronounceth sayingâ—For these be the dayes of vengance that all things that are written might be fulfilled But woe be to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those dayes for there shall be great distresse in the land and wrath upon this people and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led captive into all Nationâ— and Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentilâ—s till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luk. 21.22.23.24 As also Saint Paul testifieth Thesalo And the time being now come that the Gentiles should heare the word of the Gospell that Gods elect among them which by Gods appointment were now in these latter dayes to be many in number might bee brought inâ— So long as untill the times of the course of the Gospel among the Gentiles for the bringing in of all Gods Elect of them be accomplished Hierusalem is to be troden downe of the wicked unbeleeving Gentiles And so long also shall blindnesse continue upon the generation of those vipers that Christ spake to that they may fill up their measure as they did the measure of their fathers according as they said his blood bee upon us and upon our children These are that part of Israel of whom Saint Paul saith Blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulâ—esse of the Gentiles be come in the fulnesse of Gods Elect Gentiles for so he meaneth so the words themselves doe expresse And these are those other sheepe of whom Christ spake in Iohn 10. which being brought in there shall be one fould and one Shepheard one Nation and one King for ever And all the blinded Iewes and Gentiles also that have reiected the grace of God in Christ shall see these sheep of the Gentiles that come from the East and the West and North and South sit with Abraham Isaack and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and themselves cast out as