face continually remâ—mber his marvelous workes that he hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth yee seed of Israell his servant yee Children of Iacob his chosen ones he is the Lord our God his judgâ—ments are in all the Earth Be ye mindfull alwayes of his covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham and of his oath unto Isaack and hath confirmed the same unto Iacob for a law and to Israell for an â—verlasting covenant saying unto thee will I give the land of Canaan the lot of your inheritance when ye were but few even a few and strangers in it c. 1 Chro. 16. But small reason had David and as little reason had they either the Fathers or the children to be alway mindfull of this covenant if God had not confirmed it sure unto them all even to the thousand generations for an everlasting Covenant ever to endure and that it had not beene heavenly without corruption The covenant was made when they were strangers on earth but when they shall inherit the same they shall be no more strangers but true owners Then shall they worship the Lord in the beawtie of holynesse and feare before him all the earth the world also shall be stablâ—â— that it be not mooved Then shall the heauens bâ— glad and the earth shall reioyce and men shall say among the Nations The Lord raigneth According as David declareth in the same Psalme And that David did well vnderstand this covenant of the inheritance of the land of Canaan to be an eternall inheritance in the world to come he declareth himselfe further unto the People in another Psalme where he exhorteth them also saying O come let us worship bow down let us kneele before the Lord our maker for he is the Lord our God we are the people of his pasture the sheep of his hands To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernesse when your fathers tempted me proved mee and saw my workes fortie yeares long was I greived with this generation and said it is a people that doe erre in their hearts for they have not knowne my wayes unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Psal. 95. Where the King and Prophet David doth playnly shew that when God did sweare in his wrath they of Israel that sinned in the wildernes erring in their hearts should not enter into that good Land which God sware he would give to their Fathers as it is in Deut. 1.34.35 God meant most especially and cheifly the heavenly estate of inheritance in the world to come wherin holynesse and righteousnesse rest and peace should habit and abide and God himselfe would dwell with all the holy Fathers and their Seed as in his Tabernacle for evermore for which cause he calleth it his rest and sheweth that they that will enter into it must vnharden their hearts and heare his voyce that is to say repent and believe the promise otherwise there is no entering into it And this doth the Apostle plainly prove mentioning this very same thing to the Hebrewes saying And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that bâ—leived not So we see saith he that they could not enter in because of unbeleife let us feare therefore least a promise being left of entering into his Rest any of you should seeme to come short of it for unto us was the Gospell preached as well as unto them c. Heb. â— 7.8.9.10.4.1.2.3 c. Where he also declareth that every one that hath the faith of Abraham that so beleiveth as He did not onely hath an entrance heere in the Spirit Spirituallyâ— as he saith we which haue beleived doâ— enter and as all the holy Fathers had but also shall hereafter their owne persones soule and body inherit the same really and truely with all the holy Fathers and sheweth that the same rest and entrance into it is preached unto us by the Gospell as it was also unto them by the promise it containing the summe of the Gospell And that it remaineth yet to be expected of all the people of God who are heere so entred by faith Their calling and election being made sure as the Apostle Peter saith For so an entrance is aboundantly ministred unto us into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.10.11 For Gods rest eternall is Christs everlasting Kingdome which is to be manifested at his appearing when he shall also judge the quicke and the dead as Saint Paul saith to Timothy For Ioshâ—a did not give the people of Israel that rest but Iesus Christ is to doe it in whom they beleived And of this salvation of Israel inheritance of the Earth and stability of the world doth the Prophet Esay also speake where he having forshewed the shame and confusion of the ungodly and Idolatours of the world which is to come upon them saith But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation yee shall noâ— be ashamed nor confounded world without end for thus faith the Lord that created the heavens God himselfe that formed the Earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I am the Lord and there is none else I have not spoken in secret in a darke place of the Earth I said not unto the seed of Iacob Seeke ye meâ— in vaine I the Lord speake righteousnesse I declare things that are right Esay 45.14.15.16 So that if Abraham Isaack and Iacob and their seed should not live and inherit the earth If God that made it had not established it so as they should inhabit the same and well therein for ever according to his word Then had he created it in vaine then had he said unto the seed of Iacob all this while seeke yee mee in vaine But the Lord speaketh righteousnesse he declareth things that are right and such as shall surely come to passe in their due time and season Neither hath he spoken in obscurity in darke places or corners of the Earth as if he would not have his mind knowen nay he speaketh plainly and openly to the eares of the people and inhabitants of the world So as the simplest soule through his grace may understand his meaning And for further confirmation that God did not create this excellent worke and Fabrike of the world to destroy it but that he hath established the same and will that it be not movâ—d Consider these scriptures 1 Chro. 16.30 â—sal 78.69 Psal. 93.1 Psal. 96.10 Psal. 14.5 The fift Question or Proposition Fiftly I aske iâ— the deliverance by Moyses and the possession and estate Ioshua gave the naturall Israelites in the land of Canaâ—n which God fore-shewed unto Abraham in Gen.
THE LAND OF PROMISE AND The Covenant thereof Explained by certaine questions and propositions propounded To those that teach a deliverance of the Iewes out of all Countries to the Land of Canaan and from their long continued blindnesse to the faith of Christ and a glorious estate in the land for a thousand yereas And also to those that teach a personall comming of Christ and a resurrection of the just to live and raigne with Christ a thousand yeares before the resurrection of the uniust and end of the world Of which there bee severall sorts who are commonly called Millinaries By which doctrine of each of these the true intent of sundry places of Scripture of great importance to the Church and people of Godm is uch obscured which being rightly understood and taught acording to their true and playne meaning would be greatly to the edification and comfort of Gods chosen especially now in these last dayes wherein the accomplishment of all things which God hath spoken draweth so nigh And to the end it may be so I thought good to publish that which hereafter followeth LONDON Printed by F. L. For I. W. the younger and are to be sold at his shop at the upper end of the old Baylie 1641. The Promise of the land of Canaan To the holy Fathers and their seed First to Abram Gen. 13.14.15 And the Lord said unto Abram lift up thine eyes and looke from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed Againe to Abram Gen. 13.17 Arise walke through the lâ—nd in the length of it â—nd in the breadth of it for I will give it unto thee Againe to Abram Gen. 15.7.8 And he said unto him I am the Lord that brought thee out of the land of Vr of the Caldees to give thee this land to inherit it And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And he said unto him take me an heifer of three yeares old c. To Abraham Gen. 17.7.8 And I will establish my covenant betweene mee and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God To Isaak Gen. 26.1.2.3 And the Lord appeared unto him and said goe not downe into Egypt dwell in the land that I will tell thee of so journe in this land and I will be with thee for unto thee and unto thy seed will I give all these Countries To Iacob Gen. 28.10.11.12.13 And Iacob went out froâ—Beersheba and went tâ—ward Haron and he lighted upon a certaine place and tarried there all night because the â—â—nne was set and he tooke off the stones of that place and put them for his pillow and lay downe in that place to sleepe and he dreamed And behold a ladder set â—pon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven And behold the Angells of God ascending and descending on it And behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaak the land whereon thou lyest To thee will I give it and to thy seed The Land of Promise AND The Covenant thereof Explayned by certaine questions and propositions propounded To those that teach a restoring of the Iewes to the Land of Canaan and faith of Christ for a thousand yeares yet to come And also to the severall sorts of Millinaries that are in these times who teach a persâ—nall comming of Christ and resurrection of the just to live and raigâ—e with him a thousand yeares before the resurrection of the unjust and the end of the World The first Question or Proposition FIrst I askâ— if the Promise of the land of Canaan to bee given for an inheritance as in the places of Genesis before mentioâ—ed be not as plainely made unto Abraham Isaack and Iacob their owne persons as it is unto their seede The second Question Secondly I aske if the promise bee not to all the Seed as well as to a part or any one of them The third question Thirdly I aske if the Gentiles which have the faith of Abram be not of the same seed and included also in the promise as well as the Iews having the same faitâ— concerning what God said to Abram when he was making this covenant with him Gen. 17. Saying As for me behold my Covenant witâ— thee And â—hou shalt be a Father of many Nations Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee verse 5.6 And considering also what Saint Paul saith Rom. 4. Speaking of Abraham and of this same covenant that God made with him at the same time when he also appointed him circumcision for a token thereof as in Gen. 17. The words of Saint Paul are these And hee received the signe of Circumcision a scale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that hee might be the father of them that believe though they bee not circumcised that rightâ—ousnesse 〈◊〉 be impuâ—ed â—â—to them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision onely but also walke iâ—â—â—e steps of the faith of our Father Abrahamâ—â—hâ—ch â—â—e had being yet â—ncircumcised For the proâ—ise that 〈◊〉 shoâ—ld â—â—e the heire of the world was not to Abraham or â—o 〈…〉 through the Law but through the righteoâ—snesse of Faith for if they which are of the law be heyres faith is made voyd and the promise made â—f none effect because the law worketh wrath â—â—r where nâ— law iâ— there is no traâ—sgression Thereforâ— it is â—f fâ—ith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seedâ— not â—o that onely which is of the â—aw 〈◊〉 to that also â—hich â—â—â—f the faith of Abâ—aham whâ— is tâ—◠〈…〉 of â—s 〈…〉 writtenâ— I have made thee a Father of many Nations Before him whoâ— bee believed even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things wâ—ich be not aâ— though they were who against hope believâ—d in hope that hâ— might become the Father of many Nations accordâ—ng to that which was spâ—ken So shall thy seâ—de be Rom. 4.11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. And as he testifâ—eth againe saying there is neither Iâ—w nor Grâ—â—kâ— there is neither bâ—nd nâ—r free â—here is nâ—ithâ—r male 〈◊〉 female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus And if ye bee Christâ—s then are ye Abraham's sâ—ede and heires according to the promise Gal. 3.28 Now if these things bee so that the promise of the land of Canaan which Saint Paul expresseth by the name of the world
15.16.18 Were not a Typicall signeâ— or token of that to come before spoken of by which Abraham as well as his seed after him was given to know of a certaine that he himselfe should inherit it in the perfectionâ— according to his motion and request that he mâ—de unto God immediâ—tely upon the promise that God made unto him of the land in Gâ—n 15.7 saâ—ing â—ord God whereby shall I know thâ—t I shall inheâ—iâ— iâ— ver. 8. And the Lord said unto him take me an Heifer of three yeares old c. Although it were then 400. yeares to come before his naturall Children who were to goe into a strange country and be afflicted there should be brought to the land to possesse it so Typically and that he must dye before that day as the Lord had shewed him For Abraham now â—nderstood that God had so appointed that neither he nor any of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles or Saints whatsoever should be made perfect in the promises before or without other nor till all the seed were accomplished and brought in according as the Apostle declared in Rom. 4. Before mentioned and as he testifieth againe in Heb. 11. Where he saith of the Fathers then past These all dyed in faith not having received the promises But having seene them a far off and were perswaded of them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrimes on Earth ver. 13. And also he having mentioned the rest of the Holy Fathers and Prophets and other of the faithfull their faith also their distresses and sufferings faith These all having obtained a good report through faith received not the Promises God having provided some better thing for us that they without us shâ—â—ld not be made perfect Ver. 39.40 They might not be made perfect without the children which is farre better for us then if they had neither may the Câ—ildren without them which is no harme to us but a better thing for them also then if we should Gods dealing and ordering all things is right and just without all exception They are all of them to receive the perfection of the promises together And unto this doe the wordes of Christ agree where he saith Many shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the Southâ— and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaackâ—and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and the children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 8.11.12 Luk. 13.28.29 And againe and other sheepe I have which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one Shepheard Ioh. 10. In which places Christ plainly sheweth that all the elect Gentils whom Christ calleth other sheepe that he had besides them of the Iewes fold These he must bring they having heard his voyce from all the foure quarters of the Earth and sit downe together with all the holy Fathers and Prophets and all the rest of the elect Iewes in the Kingdome of God Where there shall be one fold and one Sheapheard one King and one people and the Children of the Kingdome all those unbeleiving Iewes which have still erred in their hearts shall be cast out c. So then If all these things be so how are we to understand the Prophets that have foretold of a deliverance of the children and seed of Israel from all countries wheresoever they are scattered to their owne land the land which God gave to their Fathers wherein their Fathers had dwelt c. as in Ier. 16.14.15 Ier. 23.8 Ezek. 37.11.12.13.14 Ezek. 39.26.27.28 And other places What deliverance and possession of the Land of promise may this be but the same that was promised the Fathers and they looked for agreeing with all the promises and Scriptures before mentioned and must needs be the substance and perfection of that which was performed by Moses and Ioshuah being the Tipe of this which is to be performed be Iesus Christ the true deliverer and the Children and seed of Israel there spoken of are all Gods elect both of Iews and Gentils as the Prophet Ezekial doth plainly declare they with all the holy Fathers Ezek. 37.24.25.26 c. And this doth Zacharias the father of Iohn the Baptist declare in his propheticall song saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his Servant David as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us to performe the mercy promised our Fathers to remember his holy Covenant The oath which he sware to our father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve him without feare in holynesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life c. Luk. 1.68.69 Where this holy Servant of God sheweth plainly that all whatsoever the Holy Fathers looked for which God sware he would grant and give unto them and their seed to save and deliver them from their enemies and from the hand of all that hated them to serve him without feare in holinesse c. Was to be brought to passe by Christ whom he knew was now soone after the birth of Iohn to be borne according to all that the Prophets had spoken since the world began which great deliverance from their enemies and from all the haters of them is not yet fulfilled as they have all hitherto knowne and doe yet know still by experience But that it shall bee they duely expect according to all that the Prophets have spoken And according to that of Zecharias and all the rest before doth the Apostle Peter give testimonie speaking to the Iewes of Christ also the true deliverer whom they had crucified and was now ascended into Heaven saying vnto them Repent ye therefore and bee converted that your sinnes may bee blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And hee shall send Iesus Christ which before was Preached unto you whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Acts 3.20 21. So that this great redemption and restitution of all things wherof all the holy Prophets have spoken as with one mouth agreeing with the Fathers and all the rest of the holy Servants of God is not to bee till Christ shall come in his glory Which Christ himselfe doth most fully confirme where hee having foreshewed the signes of his comming and end of the world saith And they shall see the Sonne of man come in the clouds of Heavenâ— with power and great glory and he shall send his Angels with a great
sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather his Elect together from the foure Windesâ— c. and then saith to his faithfull ones When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads for your redemâ—tion draweth nigh Then know that the Kingdome of God is nigh at hand Mat. 24. Luke 21.30.31 This is the redemtion which all the faithfull looked for even that deliverance of the whole house and Seede of Israel out of all Countries whereof the Prohets had spoken And here we see by what meanes the Lord will gather them and bring them together in that day even by his holy Angels whom he will send forth with a great sound of a Trumpetâ— They shall gather his elect together from the foure Winds as well they of the tenne Tribes of Israell and of the Gentiles also as them of Iudah and Beniamine he will leave none of them any more there he will open their graves and bring them up out of their graves and place them in their owne land where their fathers had dwelt and they shall know that the Lord had not onely spoken it but that he hath now performed it according as Ezekiel prophesied Ezek. â—7 They being now delivered from the hands of their enemies shall serve the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of their life according to the prophesie of Zacherias Luke 1. And as David in his Psalme of the Covenant saith unto the people of Israell O give thankes unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever and say yee save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the heathen that we may give thankes to thy holy name and glory in thy praise 1 Chro. 16.34.35 And now upon this great redemption shall the Kingdome bee restrored to Israell which the Apostles so desired to know the time of that which Christ commended to his little flocke to comfort them in the time of their affliction saying feare not little flocke for it is you fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luke 12.32 And of which he saith againe And I appoint unto you a Kingdome as the father hath appointed unto me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my Kingdome and sit on Throne iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.29 30. meaning the ungodly of all the Tribes And whereof he spake also unto the unbeleeving Iewes and all other Hippocrite and workers of iniquitie to their shame in their condemnation saying When ye shall see Abraham Isaack and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and your selves cast out Luke 13.27 where is to bee noted that the ungodly shall see the righteous in the Kingdome of God when themselves are cast out This is the Kingdome which God had prepared for his chosen from the foundation of the world to bee inherited now at this time when Christ shall come in his glory to judge the quicke and the dead as himselfe also further declareth saying And when the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him then shall he sit in the Throne of his glory and before him shall bee gaâ—hered all Nations and hee shall separate them as a Shepheard doth his sheepe from the goates and he shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goats at the left then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungry and ye gave mee meate I was athirst and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and ye tâ—oke me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sicke and ye came unto me I was in prison and ye visited me c. And unto them on his left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire c. In which happie sentence to them that shall stand on Christs right hand at this day of Iudgement Christ in foretelling us of it doth give us to understand as a faire fore-admonition to us all what manner of persons they are and must be found to be in respect of workes that shall inherit this Kingdome And hereby also wee may perceive what it is to make us friends with the goods of this world called the Mammon of unrighteousnâ—sse because men love them so much setting their hearts upon them and by many unrighteously gotten And who the friends are that can will receive us into everlasting habitation even Christ himselfe and God his father also So that whosoever shall receive one of those little ones that beleeveth in Christ in Christs name receiveth Christ he that receiveth Christ receveth God the Father that sent him for so he hath said he that shall give a cup of cold water to one of the least of Christs brethren because he belongeth to Christ he shall not lose his reward because Christ counteth it as done to him self he wil stand his friend when the great day time of nâ—ede shall come and all frienâ—s else will faile him These bee the workes of Abraham which doe shew the faith of Abraham and of Abrahams children that shall inherit the kingdome And when Christ shall so come in his glory and shall sit in the Throne of his glory and be possest of his Kingdome which God the father had appointed unto him as he said Luk. 22.20 for the possession of his Kingdome and his appearing in glory to Iudge the quicke and the dead or both together as Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 4.1 and the Saints possâ—ssing the Kingdome also dependeth upon his and beginneth as from his and by him is continued This Throne and kingdome of Christ I say is not to cease or be taken from him nor he from it God will settle him therein according as hee said and sware to his father David long beforre saying But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdome for ever and his throne shall be established for evermore 1 Chro. 17.14 And againe My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sunne before me it shall bee established for ever as the Moone and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven Psal. 89.34 36. Christ is not to come to sit and passe sentence of Iudgement onely and so to depart away as some thinke but he is to continue to raigne upon his thrown in this kingdome for everâ— according also as in another Psal. it saith Thy Throe O God is for ever and ever a Septer of righteousnesse is the Septer of thy Kingdome Psal. 45.6 as also Heb. 1.8 And of this throne and Kingdome of Christ and the endlesnes thereof spake the Angel