then also will be fulfilled that promise to the righteous and meek to inherit the earth for ever Psa 37.9 11 18 29. although in the mean time in this life they lie under all oppression and tyranny of wicked men at whom the Lord laugheth for he seeth that his day is comming vers 13. even the same Lords day wherein Saint John was in the Spirit heard a great voice behind him like a trumpet and saw Christ being come in glory talking with him Rev. 1.7.10 to 20. and after seeing in vision the great transactions and mutations which Christ at his coming will really make upon the earth as that all the tribes of Israel were * The marking their houses with the blood of the passeover whereby to exempt them from hurt by the plagues judgments then to be poured out on their enemies the Egyptians was a lively type Exod. 12.12 which judgments may be counted but as flea-bitings in comparison of those that shall be poured out upon the world at their great and final deliverance by Christ himself sealed before liberty was given to hurt the earth chap. 7.3 To preserve them from being hurt by any of the great plagues then ready to be poured out upon their enemies the Antichristian world The great overthrow of the beast false prophet and the Kings of the earth with all their great and formidable Armies the fall of Babylon and destruction of the Whore The Kingdomes of this world to become the Kingdomes of Christ The new Jerusalem to come down from God out of heaven yea all things made new as new heavens and new earth which shall be so established that it cannot be moved Psal 93.1.96.10 not being created in vain but to be inhabited and remain world without end when Israel the very seed of Jacob shall be gathered together out of all Nations and be saved with an everlasting salvation Esa 11.12 Esa 45.17 18 19. and 60.20 yea the Gentiles shall bring their sons in their arms and their daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders Esa 49.22 Then the earth shall yield her increase and God even their own God shall * The Gentiles have great cause to long and pray for this mercy and blessing upon the Jews from the Lord that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all nations v. 1 2. for then will the law go out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Esa 2.3 and then peace shall be established to the end of the earth Ps 46.9 not onely amongst men but among the beasts of the field also Esa 2.4 Esa 11.6 according to the Angels proclamation at the birth of Christ Luke 2.14 bless them and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psal 67.6 7. Then shall a handful of corn be sown upon the top of the mountains the fruit whereof shall shake like Libanon and they of the city shal flourish like grass of the earth Psa 72.16 for then the Lord will make their wilderness like Eden and their desart like the garden of the Lord joy and gladnesshal befound therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Esay the 51.3 Then shall they eat the riches of the Gentiles and in their glory shall they boast themselves for their shame they shall have double and for their confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their own land they shall possess double everlasting joy shall be unto them Esa 61.6 7. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed vers 9 and hence it will be that ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zach. 8.23 And then also the Lord will be a great King above all gods in whose hands will be the deep places of the earth and the strength of the hills will be his also Ps 45.3 4. Then the Lord with righteousness will judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth Isa 11.4 The throne of iniquity shall then have no fellowship with him which frameth mischief by a law Ps 94.20 for all the horns of the wicked shall be then cut off and the horns of the righteous exalted Psal 75 10. yea the Lord will then utterly destroy and cast out all wicked and unrighteous oppressours and tyrants from off the face of the earth even in the sight of the righteous to their everlasting joy Ps 37 32. to 37. Prov. 10.30 Rev. 11.17 18. Matth. 13.41 Ps 21.8 9 10. whereupon the righteous will then say among themselves Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made upon the earth Ps 46.8 Then shall the Jews and the ten tribes be united in one Kingdome and never more be divided be brought again into their own land and dwell therein both they and their children and their childrens children for ever Ezek 37 although immediately before this their deliverance they shall be in such great affliction and dejection of spirit that they shall in their own sense account themselves a lost people cast off and quite forsaken of the Lord and without any hope of deliverance and this is most elegantly set forth under the similitude of dry bones and even as men quite dead and buried Ezek. 37. but even then out of this great tribulation of theirs which will be so great as there was never any the like upon any people since there was a nation upon the earth no nor ever shall be shall they be delivered and saved by Christ with an everlasting salvation Jer. 30.4 5 6 7. Dan. 12.1 Matth. 24.21 22. Luke 18.1 7 8. And therefore it is as I conceive that thoroughout the Scripture are scattered such eminent and emphatical expressions promises concerning this people to support them and prevent their fainting in this day of Jacobs trouble as then bidding them to look up and lift up their heads with comfort for then their redemption restoration the setting up the Kingdome of God will be nigh at hand Luke 21.26 27 28 30. And although many generations and nations shall perish and be forgotten from off the earth before that day come yet their generation or nation shall not pass away but be preserved to see this great deliverance and saving the whole house of Israel according to the promises and oath of God to Abraham Luke 1.68 to 76. Rom. 11.24 25 26 compared with Esa 59.20 c. Luke 21.32 33. Matth. 24.22 Esa 65.8 9. Luke 18.1 8. And in Ezek. 36. the Lord expresseth himself concerning this people thus In my jealousie in the fire of my jealousie and in my fury because ye have born the shame of the Heathen He would therefore take them from among the Heathen and gather them
circumcize all his male-servants whether born in his house or bought with money of any stranger though not of his seed as well as his natural seed Gen. 17. but these baptize no servant from that ground which they may as warrantably do as baptize any Infant Nor are the Anabaptists who deny the baptizing of Infants excusable upon the same account in pretending to derive divine authority to preach and baptize from the meer recital of that authority which was by Christ given personally to the eleven Apostles who both received and exercised the same long before the recital thereof in Matth. 28. from which no such authority can be derived to any because on that recital no authority at all was conferred by the eleven Apostles themselves there mentioned nor was their authority the more for it 's being there recited nor had it been the less if it had never been recited either there or any where else and therefore no such authority can be derived from that or any other Text. Besides these are very partial in that they assume such great and sublime authority to themselves from the meer recital of such authority given by Christ to his Apostles and not withall judge themselves also as well bound by the recital of that prohibition given also by Christ to the same Apostles viz. That they should not go out in the excercise of that Ministerial Function until they were indued with power from on high by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 And therefore upon due consideration of the whole matter it will be found That these do assume to themselves from meer recitals more authority then that which Christ gave to the Apostles themselves and whereof the Scriptures are but bare recitals Some other there are who disowning all the former wayes of conveyance yet to keep on foot that divine authority and that reverence accommodation which usually they received thereby in the world would by another trick both cozen themselves and all others their own consciences only excepted by telling the people that this divine authority which hitherto they have mist of must needs be in them and that they by their free election and bountiful contribution may convey it on whom they will and on them if they please but this also will be found a meer shuffle and as vain as any of the former for we finde both by Scripture and reason That a true Ministry divinely authorised and impowered did and alwayes must precede beget and constitute a true Church divinely authorised and that no Church or people whatsoever who are not so begotten and indued with divine power and authority themselves can possibly convey any such divine authority on any other this is evidently seen a truth by all the empty vain and fruitless laying on of hands used as well in particular Churches as by others in their Ordination of Ministers in imitation of the Apostles laying on their hands whereby the manifest and powerful gifts of the Spirit as that of tongues and prophesie c. were conveyed Act. 19.6 This form is still retained generally throughout Christendome as well as amongst us but where 's the power that should follow here 's the shell but where 's the kernel Might not little children or Apes in imitation of these lay hands one upon one another to as good purpose and with as much success Nor want we many amongst us who would needs have this whole Nation governed meerly by the Lawes and Ordinances of the Jews recited in Scripture and by Scriptural precepts onely pretending its divine authority to be alike over us as the Lawes and Ordinances given by Moses were over the Jews but how by this our case would be better then now it is I cannot imagine unless our Lawyers could which is not likely and would against their own profit which is not to be hoped make more certain and undoubted Translations Commentaries and Expositions of Scripture then ever any of the most Orthodox Divines have hitherto done But these men as it seems deeming themselves Saints and to be divinely authorized from Scripture to make this Nation the Kingdome of Christ and to set up and enthronize themselves to rule and raign for Christ and in his stead do declare it now their duty to effect all this by force and power * In their Standard set up pag. 10. inviting all the upright in heart to follow and joyn with them in this the work of the Lord * I wish that all Christians besides such as do jump with them were not to be numbred among the Heathen upon whom they would execute vengeane if they had power in their hands to do it To execute vengeance upon he Heathen and punishment upon the people c. and for this take their warrant from Psal 50.5 Psal 94.15 Psalm 149.7 applying these and very many other Scriptures of like import now unto themselves which do properly belong to other times persons and not to be fulfilled until the times of restoration of the Jews and the personal coming of Christ to set up his Kingdome But these mistakes at least as I conceive do arise from their deeming as many others inconsiderately do that the coming of Christ and his Kingdome is to be meerly spiritual by his grace coming and ruling in mens hearts without his personal coming whereas the Scripture plainly sets forth his personal coming in power and great glory visible to all men Act. 1.11 Act. 3 20 21. Matth. 24.30 Luke 21.27 Esa 40.5 after which he will gather together his ancient and elect people the Jews out of all Countreys where they are dispersed Luke 21.28 Matth. 24.31 compared with Esa 11.12 c. after which he will set up his Kingdome Luke 21.30 31. Luke 19.11 12 13. which shall be upon the earth and at the end of this world when he will gather and destroy out of his Kingdome the earth all the wicked and them that work iniquity Matth. 13.39 40 41. Then and not till then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of ther father vers 23. and then Christ will be King over all the earth Zach. 14.9 which will not be until his personal coming on the earth as ver 4 5. do manifest And then will be fulfilled the promise to Abraham and his seed to inherit the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 wherein whilest he lived he did but so journ and dwell as in a strange Countrey with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise Heb. 11.8 9. Act. 7.4 5. these all died in faith and expectation of that promise nevertheless to be performed to them afterward Hebr. 11.13 Then will the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ wherein he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11 15. having the Heathen for his inheritance and the utter parts of the earth for his posession Psal 28. And
and by many pregnant instances and reasons proves the results of Councels Fathers Traditions yea of Churches Popes and pretenders to have the Spirit to be all dubious very fallible and uncertain yea often contradictory to themselves and to one another and therefore from all or any of these satisfaction in respect of the former uncertainties cannot be expected 3. Mr. Joh. Goodwin a man both of great learning and deep judgement who though he hath already discovered much more herein then any of our dissenting Brethren would hitherto ever acquaint us with yet it is supposed to be much lesse then he knows which for his own accommodation and security its thought by some he conceals not so much from the Spanish Inquisition as from the Scottish and English of the same spirit though under several more specious forms of godliness but are much worse and more to be abhorred then the other by how much we appear more like Angels of Light yet act from the very same Principle of self-interest upon pretence of Divine Right and Authority as unjustly challenged and usurped by any of these as by the other or by any formerly condemned and removed for the like usurpation and practise whereby they would subject other mens judgements and consciences to their Dictates even as the other do and bow them as it were to dead Images set up only in some finer shapes and dresses meerly of their own divisings and upon refusal to judge them Schismaticks and Hereticks exposing them thereby to the hatred rage and contempt of the people who being generally led by stupid ignorance superstitious zeal and blind devotion are in all such cases outragious like the waves of the sea hurried to and again even as the wind and the tide of Authority and Doctrine drives them and not ceasing here they will dispose them to utter destruction at least to the uttermost whereto they can get the Civil Powers concurrence or as in more plain English it s said Rev. 17. As the Kings of the earth shall give their power and strength unto the Beast wherein they deal most injuriously and inhumanely in depriving men of that natural native Right which God hath given to every man being born a rational creature to be saved by his own Faith and therefore must have that liberty in matters of Religion and Worship as to be led by the result of his own understanding and not of any other mans Yet all this brutish wickedness among the sons of men is no more then what St. John long since foresaw would come to pass namely That the Kings of the earth should not only give their power and strength to the Beast and commit fornication with the Whore but also that the Inhabitants of the Earth should be made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication even with the blood of the Saints and that power should be given to the Beast not only to cause it self to be worshipped but to make war with the Saints and to overcome them All which being thus foretold what marvel then is it to see the generality of men so drunk therewith as to thirst for the destruction of their harmless Neighbors and friends more then to see a common Drunkard in his drunken frenzie to stob or kill his own Brother or Friend whom he ought and out of that drunken fit would most dearly love and respect but it is a great rarity and wonder almost like the sight of a black Swan to see any in a high place and power so far recovered out of this zealous spiritual drunkenness as to know and openly acknowledge the aforesaid natural Right to be a fundamental and every mans due and that he that would have it ought to give it constituting a Law for every mans enjoying it accordingly c. But it is no such wonder to see such so far to relapse again into that Epedemical distemper as by some forraign sense put upon that Law or by some hidden reserved intention of the Law-makers unintelligable by any words therein in effect quite to uull and make void the same making it a meer empty shell without the Kernal a meer Character without any certain sense or meaning or a meer snare to men for their destruction rather then any security for their preservation for if there had been no such Law and instead thereof some positive Law made to the contrary might not they then as well by such a reserved sense and intention have preserved whom they had pleased and is it any otherwise by having a Law for security when by such a reserved sense or intention they may suffer whom they please to be destroyed Where 's then the difference My dulness is such I must confess that I can see little or none at all And if it be no better from the best of men what can be expected from the worst whereof the generality consists who with open mouth cry for fire from heaven when otherwise they cannot procure it to devour all men of contrary Judgements to their own quite forgetting of what spirit they are and not at all considering from whence that inhumane and unnatural heat proceeds but the unreasonablenesse of these is well set forth by a learned and ingenuous Author in these words following viz. It is unnatural and unreasonable to persecute disagreeing Opinions unnatural for understanding being a thing wholly spiritual cannot be restrained and therefore neither punished by corporal afflictions It is alienà republica a matter of another world you may as well cure the Collick by brushing a mans clothes or fill a mans belly with a syllogism these things do not communicate in matter and therefore neither in action nor passion and since all punishments in a prudent Government punish the offendor to prevent a future crime and so it proves more medicinal then vindiclive the punitive act being in order to the cure and prevention and since no punishment of the body can cure a disease in the soul it is disproportionable in nature and in all civil Government to punish where the punishment can do no good it may be an act of Tyranny but never of Justice for is an Opinion ever the more true or false for being persecuted some men have believed it the more as being provoked into a confidence and vexed into a resolution but the thing it self is not the truer and though the Hang-man may confute a man with an inexplicable delemma yet not convince his understanding for such premises can infer no conclusion but that of a mans life and a wolfe way as well give Laws to the understanding as he whose distates are only propounded in violence and writ in blood and a dog is as capable of Law as a man if there be no choice in his obedience nor discourse in his choice nor reason to satisfie his discourse And as it is unnatural so it is unreasonable that Sempronius should force Caius to be of his Opinion because Sempronius is Consul this
out of all Countreys and bring them into their own land would build their ruined places He the Lord had spoken it and would perform it v. 5 6.24 36. and in Ezek. 37. O my people come out of your graves and again O my people c. And in Esa 41.9 10. Thou art my servant I have chosen thee and will not cast thee away fear not I am with thee be not dismayed for I will help thee yea I wil uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness and v. 13 14. I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee Fear not I will help thee fear not thou worm Jacob ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel and in Esa 49.14 15 16. where Sion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me It 's answered Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands c. And in Jer. 30.10 Fear thou not O my servant Jacob saith the Lord neither be dismayed O Israel for lo I will save thee from afar and thy seed from the land of their captivity and Jacob shall return and shall be in rest and he quiet and none shall make him afraid These with many promises more of like tendency for the comfort and support of this people the natural seed of Jacob are scattered throughout the Scripture And that after their deliverance out of this their great trouble They will become the mightiest people and Nation upon the earth Mich. 4 1 6 7 8 it being said of these That they shall be among the Gentiles as a lion among the flocks of sheep who if he go thorow both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver and all their enemies shall be cut off Mich. 5 8 9 These shall be like a harth of fire among wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf and shall devour all the people round about on the right hand and on the left Zach 12 6 These shall be as the Lords battel Axe and weapons of war wherewith he will break in pieces the Nations and destroy the Kingdomes Jerem. 51 20 These are they whose horns shall be made Iron and hooss brass to break in pieces many people whose gain and substance shall be consecrated to the Lord of the whole earth Mich. 4.13 These are they that shall be as a fire and flame to the house of Esau to devour them for the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Obed. 18 And then will be verified the Word of the Lord to Rebecca which he told her That two Nations were in her womb and that the elder should serve the younger Gen. 25 23 which is not to be understood of the two persons Esau Jacob as some unadvisedly do imagine for Esau never in person served nor worshipped Jacob as Jacob did Esau Gen. 33 3 13 15. but this was a prophesie concerning their posterities and to be fulfilled at the time of the Jews exaltation and power set forth by these Texts These are they that shall be made a new sharp threshing Instrument having teeth wherewith the Lord will thresh the mountains beat them small and make the hills as chaffe Esay 41.15 These are they to whom shall be restored Judges as at first and Counsellors as at the beginning and whose officers shall be peace and whose exactors righteousness Esa 1.26 and 60.17 These are they on whom the glory of the Lord will arise and so shine that the Gentiles may come to their light and Kings to the brightness of their rising so that the abundance of the Sea shall be converted to them and the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto them Esa 60 1. to 7 These are they of whom a little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation Esa 60 22 These are they to whom Kings shall be their nursing fathers and Queens shall be their Nurses and shall bowe their faces to the earth and lick the dust of their feet Esa 49 23 These are they of whom Balaam prophesied That they should have the strength of a Unicorn to eat up the Nations their enemies break their bones and pierce them thorow with arrows and lie down as a lion and as a strong lion and who shall stirre him up Numbers 24.5 8 9. Who then can be meant but these that shall rise up for the Lord against evil doers and stand up against the workers of iniquity Ps 94.16 And in whose mouths shall be the praises of the Lord and a two edged sword in their hand To execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the people and to have that honour to binde their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron Ps 149.6 7 8 9. These fore-cited texts in the general with many more the like are properly applicable to the Israelites the natural seed of Abraham at their return and restoration into their own land the land of Canaan as is evident to any rational man that carries not both his eyes in his pocket that shall but consult these texts particularly and impartially not being prejudiced by any uncouth and absurd senses put upon them by the traditions of men for when the text in Ier. 31 31 shall say thus Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Juda not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt c. Which Covenant is again repeated long after in the same words to the same people Heb 8 besides the place in Jeremiah expresseth Gods further promise to them namely That after those dayes he would put his law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and that all of them should know the Lord and their iniquities should then be forgiven them verse 33 34 and in Ierem 32 40 41 42. the same Covenant is again repeated thus That the Lord would make an everlasting covenant with them that he will not turn away from them to do them good but would put his fear in their hearts that they should not depart from him yea he would rejoyce over them to do them good and would plant them in that land the land of Canaan assuredly with his whole heart and with his whole soul and like as he had brought all this great evil upon this people so he would bring upon them all the good that he promised them and in verse 37 39. it is said That God would gather them out of all Countreys whither he had driven them in his anger and in his fury and in great wrath and would bring them again in that