from God's Grace and Favour THerefore in the next place I proceed to the Gentile Oâ—conomy for so I may call it tho it lies not all together as the other Dispensations do but is dispers'd both through the Abrahamick and Mosaick Oâ—conomiâ—s You must know then that tho the Church of God or the Faithful were separated from the greater part of the World which were Infidels and commonly call'd in Scripture the Nations for tho sometimes but very rarely this word be apply'd to Iews as well as Heathens in the Old and New Testament yet generally Gâ—jim gentes is the word in the Old Testament proper to those that believe not in the true God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament expresses the same Thence is the common Antithesis in the New Testament of Iew and Greek or Gentile and this was the perfect dichotomy of all Mankind at that time and tho the Church were those of the stock of Abraham who retain'd the true Worship of God and more especially and eminently the Iews were call'd the Church and peculiar People of God and the Nations were those that invented new Gods and worshipped them and lived in all sorts of Wickedness and Lewdness as Babylon Sodom Egypt and other places yet the Seat of the Church was not so tied to Abraham's family or afterwards to the Iews that Salvation was confined to that People or that there were no other persons professing Godliness besides them Altho God in a peculiar way reveal'd himself to Abraham and his Family and that by Covenant yet others likewise were favoured by God and included in that Covenant Tho God calls himself the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod. 3. 6. that is he was the God of those Patriarchs and of their Seed in a peculiar manner as having actually made a Covenant with them and promis'd that the Blessed Seed the Messiaâ— should arise thence yet in a larger and extensive sense God was the God of other People besides For as all were not Good that were in Abraham's Family or of his Posterity there were Ismael and Esau Incestuous Reuben the Bloody Simeon and Levi and both in the Wilderness and in Canaan there were Murmurers Blasphemers Idolaters and persons every way defiled so all were not Bad or shut out from Grace and the Covenant of Mercy that were not of the Family or Race of Abraham There was Shem Noah's First-born who lived in Palestine when Abraham came thither out of Babylon and it is highly probable that he was a Good Man and a Religious Worshipper Nor must Iaphet be supposed to have revolted form God this was one of the Sons of the Blessing and it is likely was a godly Person Abimelech one of the Kings of Canaan it is probable of the Southern part of it as Melchisedech of whom I shall speakâ— anon was King of the Northern parts was at that time one that feared the true God and thereby was taught to abstain form Abraham's Wife Gen. 20. 3 4. And indeed form several passages in this Chapter it appears that this King was a very Religious and conscientious Man that he had the knowledg of the true God and worship'd him Abraham's asking God to spare Sodom if there were fifty Righteous Men in it implies that he thought there were so many there and consequently other Cities of that bigness had at least that number of Righteous Persons and proportionably in greater places he thought there were more that might be saved Now it is not probable that he was wholly mistaken and consequently there were Religious Persons besides those of Abraham's Seed even in the Cities of Palestine Rahab was a Canaanite but yet a Religious Faithful Woman one that acknowledg'd and worship'd the God of Israel and accordingly is commended for her Faith Heb. 11. 31. and questionless others there were in that Countrey tho they are not particularly mention'd who feared God I will instance in one very Great and Eminent Person who was a Canaanite viz. Mâ—lchisedech I know it is disputed who he was 1. Some have thought that he was an Angel in the Form of a Man as St. Augustin tells us This was the fancy of Origen as we may gather from one of his Homilies 2. Others as Hierax and the Hieracites a sort of Hereticks in the Third Century named from him hold that Melchisedech was the Divine Power of God or more plainly the Person of the Holy Ghost in shape of a Man as Epiphanius reports 3. Others as the same Father relates said he was the Son of God Incarnate And this Opinion is imbraced by a modern Writer who would perswade us that Melchisedech and Christ are the same But these are false and groundless surmises and have no bottom to support them As to the last of them it is incredible that the Type and Antitype should be the same for this is the case here Melchisedech was a Representative of our Saviour according to that of the Apostle Heb. 6. 20. Iesus was a Priest after the Order of Melchisedech Which he explains in Chap. 7. ver 15. After the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another Priest as much as to say Melchisedech and Christ were like one another in several things and thereupon one was design'd to be a fit Type of the other But it is unreasonable and absurd to say that a Person is like himself therefore we cannot rationally imagine that Christ who as St. Paul saith was after the similitude of Melchisedech was the same with him This cannot be admitted by any considerate Man And this also is to be remembred that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews where he particularly treateth of Melchisedech would certainly have told us this if it had been so St. Ierom is of the Opinion that Melchisedech and Shem the Son of Nâ—ah were the same Person and he saith it was the general Tradition of the Hebrews But this is not the first time that he as well as other Christians have been deceived by Iews I grant that the Ierusalem Targum on the Text that speaks of Melchisedech asserts him to be Shem and I deny not that Ionathan the Author of this Targum lived before Christ's coming It was then the Antient perswasion of the Iewish Doctors and therefore I cannot excuse Iacobus Capellus who saith it was but a late Device and Fiction of the Iews If he had said it was an old Fiction of the Rabbies he had spoken Truth for it is wâ—ll known to the Learned that these Men were given to Forgery form the beginning and that their Writings abound with mere Inventions of their own and this among the rest may be one Instance of their Abilities that way Again it was not universally receiv'd by the Iews that Shem and Melchisedech were the same for both Iosephus and Philâ— two of the most Learned and Judicious Men of that Nation think otherwise Further
Salvation by their own perfect Obedience but by virtue of the perfect Righteousness of the Messias who was to come in the fulness of time It only seem'd good to the All-wise God to obscure and disguise this Covenant in part that they might be fitted for the insuing Dispensation of the Gospel and that this Dispensation might appear more bright and glorious Now it was that the Covenant of Grace most signally display'd it self By Christ's coming and by the preaching of the Gospel it was fully and amply manifested tho it had been in being ever since the Restauration of Adam Now at last the actual fulfilling of the Grand Promise of this Covenant viz. the Incarnation of Christ was accomplished He came on purpose to perfect that Covenant which had been made and renew'd before between God and Man Never till this time was there any compleat discovery of this blessed Agreement and Contract between God and us In the Writings of the New Testament alone we find this set forth Here is plainly discover'd the Mediator of this Covenant Iesus Christ the Righteous the Eternal and only begotten Son of God who vouchsafed to assume our Humane Nature to clothe himself with Flesh to converse in the World above thirty Years to instruct Mankind by his Heavenly Doctrine to confirm and establish us in it by his Divine Miracles to direct us to the practice of it by his Holy Life and Spotless Example and at length to die for us to satisfy for our Sins As the publick and most solemn Covenants which we read of in the Old Testament were made with killing and sacrificing and effusion of Blood by Divine Appointment without doubt So here the Blessed Messias who was to compleat the Covenant of Grace shed on the Cross his most precious Blood which therefore is call'd the Blood of the Covenant Again in the Scriptures of the New Testament are plainly and expresly set forth the Terms of the Covenant of Grace i. e. what God hath promised to do and what Obligations are upon us Here Christ and his Apostles and Evangelists proclaim Remission of Sins the peculiar Benefit and Privilege of the Covenant of Grace and Immortality and Eternal Life are brought to light by this Gospel and the performance of all the precious Promises which concern this Life and another is ascertainâ—d to us here And as it assureth us that God will fulfil his Promises so it urgeth upon us the performing of our Ingagements Christianity is an Obligatory Covenant and this Obligation is mutual God will discharge his part we must see that we perform the Conditions which are required on our side The Gospel acquainteth us that if our Peace and Reconciliation be not made it is our own fault wholly we will not leave our Sins and thereby we â—rustrate the Agreement and Contract of the Gospel This therefore calls upon us to undertake the Counter-part of the Covenant i. e. to be holy in all manner of Conversation to deny all Ungodliness and wordly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World to adorn the Gospel by a strict and circumspect walking and to bring forth much Fruit to the Glory of our Heavenly Father In the Evangelical Writings the Terms on our part which are Faith Repentance and Obâ—diâ—ncâ— are more distinctly set down than ever especially the Nature of Faith and the peculiar Virtue of it are explain'd in that manner which they were never before for that by Works and Faith we are saved but that by Faith alone we are justified is the Doctrine which St. Paul hath abundantly asserted proved and confirmed and it is establish'd by the other Apostles which shews the great discrimination between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace The Gospel tells us how we are to find real Advantage by this Covenant and Law of Grace it ascertains us that we can reap the Benefit of it only by Câ—nvâ—rsiâ—n and Râ—gâ—neration It is therefore urged and inculcated that we must be born again that we must be Nâ—â— Creatures that there must be a Renâ—vation of our Hearts and Lives Lastly Christianity informs us what are the Seals of this Covenant of Grace and accordingly let us know that by Baptism we are entred into Covenant with God and into the Church of Christ and that at the Lord's Supper we repeat and renew that Convenant Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant instituted this Federal Ordinance and this is that Holy Supper at which he gives us his Body to eat and his Blood to drink which he assures us is the Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26. 28. The sum then of what hath been said is That God pitied the Miâ—ery of Mankind and was pleased to make a Second Covenant with him and his Posterity after they had broke the First This Second Covenant tho it was made with Adam presently after his Fall yet it arrived not to its height and perfection till the coming of Christ and the preaching of the Gospâ—l Christianity is the Covenant or Law of Grace in the best Edition The Answer then to that Problem How the Old and the New Covenant differ is easily resolved from the Premises for if you understand as some do but how fitly you will judg from what I shall suggest by and by by the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works and by the New one the Covenant of Grace I have plainly and distinctly set down the Particulars wherein they differ Or if you mean by the Old Covenant the Mosaical and Legal Dispensation and by the New Covenant the Dispensation of the Gospel which both are but One Covenant I have given ample Satisfaction to the Question by shewing wherein these two differ and by letting you see that the Covenant of Grace began with Mankind soon after the Fall and afterward was continued in the Mosaick Dispensation and at last was compleated by Christ's coming And here further to illustrate the Point I will clear the Acception of these Terms the Old and the New Covenant which so frequently occur in Holy Writ and I will make it evident to you that in the whole Book of the Scripâ—ures the Old Covenant is never applied to the Covenant of Works but is a part or degree of the Covenant of Grace This then we are to know that the Covenant of Grace is twofold Obscure or Manifest The first was from Adam's Restauration to our Saviour's coming the second is ever since The former is called the Old Covenant the latter the New Covenant and yet they are but one Covenant This you will find to be the stile of Sacred Scripture if you consult those two famous places the one in the Old Testament and the other in the New which treat of the Old and New Covenant The former is Iew. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with
assuming our Nature and thereby redressing the Evils which came by the Fall and by his meritorious Death making Atonement for the Sins of Men and reconciling them to the incens'd Majesty of Heaven And it is here included that even before he was incarnate the Merit of his future Suffeâ—ings and Death should in all Ages be imputed to those who believe in him and look for his Coming For he is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World he was appointed from Eternity to redeem and save lost Mankind by the effusion of his precious Blood This is the purport of this gracious Promisâ— made to Adam in Paradise this was the fiâ—st dawning of the Gospel-Light here were the first Tidings of a Mâ—ssiaâ— Some of the Church of Româ— understand this Promise concerning the Virgin Mary the Vulgar Latin have render'd it ipsâ— she shall bruisâ— thy Head and hence it is inferr'd by Tiriâ—us and others on the place that that Pronoun refers to a Woman and that Woman is the Virgin Mary who bringing forth Christ bruised the Serpent's Head But these Men must be reminded that the Hâ—brâ—w word which we translate It is not hi but 〈◊〉 not she but 〈◊〉 However being of the Masculine Gender it must needs reâ—er to the word before which is of the same Genderâ— and that is Zâ—rang the Sâ—â—d viz. the Seed of the Woman which is Christ. The Lawâ— of Grammar forbid us to render it she and the Laws of the Christian Religion forbid us to apply it to the Virgin Mary seeing it is the proper Work of the Mâ—ssiaâ— to bruise and break the Serpent's Head i. e. to destroy Satan This Interpretation then we quit not only as it is ungrammatical but as it is profane and blasphemously derogates from the Office and Undertakings of Christ. Of him alone we ought to understand these words to him only we can with good reason apply them Thus without doubt they were understood by our First Parents and administred unspeakable Solace and Comfort to them Hence the Messiaâ— was daily expected by them and when Eve was deliver'd of her first-born Son she thought verily she had brought forth the Mâ—ssiaâ— who should bruise the Serpent's Head I have gotten â—aith she a Man from the Lord or according to the Hebrew the Man the Lord. Not only the Iewish especially the Cabalistick Doctors but some worthy Persons of the Christian Perswasion read the words thus and interpret them concerning the Blessed Seed Helvicus hath shew'd that Eth is an Article of the Accusative Casâ— and he doth it in so many Instances in Scripture that it seems to be the Hebrâ—w Idiom And besides it is a demonstrative or â—mphatick Particle and points at some Thing or Person in a signal manner So here it emphatically refers to the Mâ—ssiaâ— who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both Man and God Our Grandmother Evâ— was in hopes that she had born this God-man that Person who was to bruise Saâ—an's Head according to the Promise made to them It is not wholly improbable that 〈◊〉 also perswaded himself that his Son Noah should be the Messias and take away the Curse of the Fall and bring a Blessing with him and comfort the distressed World and give it Rest and Ease and therefore he named him Noah which signifies both Rest and Consolation There was without question a continual expectation of the Coming of this Person and of the fulâ—illing of that Promise concerning his destroying of Satan The seventy Interpreters understood that Text of the Messias which occasion'd their making the masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to answer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Neuâ—er Gender as the Apostle also doth Gal. 3. 16. And all the antiâ—nt Iews understood this Promise of the blessed Seed Christ tho the Moderns do not You will find it thus applied by both the Targums And the New Testament approves of this by bearing witness that Christ is the Person who â—ruisâ—s the Serpent's Head He took Flesh and Blood that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Dâ—vil Heb. 2. 14. To this purpose the Son of God was manifestâ—d that he might destroy the Works of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. and Luke 10. 18. Iohn 12. 31. and 14. 30. with many other places declare that this was he who was to bruise Satan under our feet This is the Scope of the whole Gospel and this is that Gospel which was preached by God in Paradisâ— When Adam and in him all Mankind apostaâ—ized from God and could expect nothing but the Reward of their Rebellion and therefore might have abandon'd themselves to utter Despair God reviv'd them with this Promise of the Mâ—ssias The Seed of the Woman shall bruisâ— the Sâ—rpâ—nt's Head God the Father so loved the World that he resolved to give to his Only Son to be their Redeemer who being the Eternal Wisdom and Word of God and so truly God and one in Essence with the Father was in due time to assume our Nature and become Man thereby to transact the Redemption of lost Mankind and accomplish the Designs of Grace and Mercy to undone Sinners Which tho it be not expresly on this occasion set down in the Mâ—saick History yet other passages of Sacred Scripture assure us that it was so and that the Second Persâ—n in the Sâ—cred Triniâ—y undertook to pacify the Wrath of the Deiâ—y and to reconcile Man unto God and to accomplish the New Covenant made with Adam and his Posterity even a Covenant of Grace and Mercy through his Blood Having thus shew'd the main thing in this Dispensation I must in the next place acquaint you what other considerable things made up this particular Oeconomy and Administration of the Almighty Aâ—ter this grand Revelation and Discovery made to Adam and Eve concerning the Messias to come there were several positive Precepts and Laws given to them and their Children Some reckon that as one that the Woman should be subject to the Man He shall rule over thee Gen. 3. 16. For these words they say may contain not only a Threatning but a Command Here is not only signified the Punishment consequent on the Fall that the Husband should imperiously rule over the Woman which we mention'd before but here is enjoyn'd the subjection of the latter to the former this being now become requisite in the state that Men and Women are in And tho it was a Curse to be tyrannically ruled tho a servile subjection was the Consequent of the Fall yet now it is a Duty to be freely submissive and with it goes a Blessing That also may be look'd upon as another positivâ— Law that Men should labour For tho those words In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat Bread Gen. 3. 19. carry the nature of a Commination and Curse so far as Man's Labour is with uneasiness trouble and pain yet they may likewise be understood in the way of a
was slain instead of the Person that offended This was the intent and meaning of Bloody Sacrifices But this Divine Significations of them was not the issue of Natural Reason Did this tell them that the Blood of beasts was an Atonement for the Souls of men that the blood of slain animals on the altar signified that men deserved to bleed and die Did this tell them that the blood of Brutes was poured forth instead of the blood of Men that Sacrisicing was an Acknowledgment of Demerit and Guilt and that he that kill'd the Beast did as much as confess he deserved to be so used It must be from Revelation at first that they had a particular and distinct knowledg of this that God would accept of a Sacrifice in the place of the Guilty Sinner Natural light could not make this out much less could it discover that these Sacrifices were Representations and Types of the Great Sacrifice which was to come that they shadowed our Christ the Redeemer who was to be sacrificed on the Cross and to shed his Blood for the Salvation of Mankind This was the main thing which those Sacrifices represented God instituted them chiefly to intimate the translating of our punishment on our Redeemer and to signifie the great bloody Sacrifice of the Messias which is truly Propitiatory It was then by Divine Revelation discover'd to our first Parents and to the Antient Patriarchs that offering the blood of slain Beasts would be an acceptable service to God and hereupon they constantly used themselves to this service and worship But you will say Expiatory and Bloody Sacrificing hath been in use among all Nations not only Iews but Greeks Romans Barbarians and even the whole Gentile World If they knew nothing of this by the light of Nature how came they to use this sort of Sacrifice constantly How came some of them to have this notion that the Beasts bled in their stead I answer it was derived to the Gentiles by Tradition they receiv'd it from those who had it first by Supernatural Manifestation Hence they got the notion of Expiatory Sacrifices as well as of some other things as I could shew you they were transmitted to them from the practice of the Iews or if any of the Gentiles had this perswasion before they receiv'd it by Tradition from their Forefathers who had it from the Father of all Adam who had it from God by particular Revelation And this seems to be confirm'd by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain If he sacrificed by Faith as that word may be well understood here there was some Warrant and Word of God for it for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. Faith is grounded on some Word it relyeth on a Divine Command or Promise Therefore when Abel offered of the fat of his flock in Sacrifice he did that which was instituted by God and consequently that sort of Sacrifices was by Divine Institution there was a precept for it Adam and his Sons had a particular Order from God though it is not recorded by Moses neither was it necessary it should be in so short an Account as he intended of things Take the Sum of all in few words This Law of Sacrifices which was in use in the Adamick Oeconomy was partly Natural and partly Divine As Sacrifices were tokens of Thankfulness and Acknowledgments that as they receiv'd the fruits of the Earth and all other inanimate good things from God so the Animals which they sacrificed and all other living creatures for the use and benefit of man were given them by the same Divine hand thus they were a Service dictated by Natural Reason and so were natural acts of Worship but as they carry'd with them the notion of Expiation and Atonement for the Souls of men but especially as they refer'd to the Messias and signified the future Sacrifice of Christ and so were to strengthen and support their faith till that time thus it is certain they were instituted by God and the practice of them was founded on a Divine Command and the Patriarchs knew they would be acceptable to God because they were of his own Appointment It may be asked as it is a question among Writers whether Sacrifices were prescribed before or after the Fall of Adam Here they are divided as the manner is and some say they were instituted before and others say after the Fall But I have made way for a more satisfactory Answer to this Query by the distinction of Bloody and Vnbloody Sacrifices and of Propitiatory and Eucharistical Sacrifices Unbloody Sacrifices and such as are meerly Eucharistical i. e. such as were natural Tokens of Thanksgiving for benefits received were used it is likely by Adam before his Fall which I intimated under that Oeconomy these might begin in Paradise But these Sacrifices needed not to be prescribed them by God because they were a part of Natural Religion and Worship But as for Bloody Sacrifices I mean such as were Expiatory they were not instituted by God till after the Fall For when there was no Sin there was no need of Expiation Priesthood goes along with Sacrificing and therefore it were pertinent to say something of that here Adam was the first Priest and Sacrificer but now under this Dispensation it is expresly recorded that Cain made an oblation of the fruits of the Earth and Abel offered the firstlings of his flock to God The Priestly Office is hitherto but obscure and no particular Persons are assign'd and appointed by God to act in it This we know that Abel the younger brother was the proper Sacrificer and acted the part of a Priest which was to stay and offer Living Creatures unto God but what the practice was afterwards in the sequel of this Dispensation is not set down by Moses and therefore was cannot determine any thing But in the other following Patriarchal Dispensations we find that the Domestick Sacrifices belonging to the Family for of publick Sacrificing we read nothing yet were offered by the Fathers and Masters of Families generally as by Noab Gen. 8. 20. Abraham Gen. 12. 7. Iacob Gen. 35. 3 7. It is the opinion of Selden Grotius and others that the Sacerdotal Dignity resided in the First-born before Moses's time and that the Primogeniture and Priesthood went together Nay they add Kingship or Magistracy to these asserting that the First-born among the Patriarchs were Princes as well as Priests And so indeed Cohen which is the word for a Priest signifies also a Prince or Ruler as in Iob. 12. 19. 2 Sam. 8. 18. 20. 26. and such were the Heads and Fathers of Families and the First-born of old But though it is true the Priesthood was exercised by the chief Heads and Fathers of Families and by the First-born Sons yet we likewise read of Priests or Sacrificers who were younger Brothers as
be born down with the wicked Examples of others Maimonides and other Hebrew Writers tell us that he was cast into the Fire by the Chaldâ—ans because he would not worship it So the Trial of his Faith was by Fire in the most strict and limited Sense of the Apostle's Words 1 Pet. 1. 7. This we are certain of that it seemed good to God to call him out of that place of so great Temptation and to command him to repair to the Land of Canaan When Noah's Family and Race were corrupted he made choice of this Person above the rest and rais'd him up to profess the true Doctrine and Worship He vouchsaâ—ed to reveal his Will to him in an extraordinary and peculiar manner and to make a Covenant with him and to constitute him the Father of the Faithful For Idolatry had invaded the holy Race of Sâ—â—m and thereby obliterated the Memory of the Covenant made with Adam and afterwards with Noah wherefore it was congruous to the Divine Wisdom to call forth Abraham who was of that Offspring and to renew the Covenant and Promise with him and further to assure him and his Seed of the Blessings that should accrue to them by the coming of the Messias It will not be amiss to take notice of the several Steps leading to this 1. God appear'd to Abraham in Chaldâ—a hidding him leave that Place and seek another Country and he assured him of his Blessing Gâ—n 12. 1 2 3. Thâ— Lord had said unto Abram Get there out of thy Country and from thy Kindreâ— and from thy Father 's Hâ—usâ— unto a Land that I will shew thee And I will make of thee a great Nation and I will bless thâ—â— and make thy Name great and tâ—ou shalt be a Blessing And I will bless them that blâ—ss thâ—â— and curse him that cursâ—th theâ— and in 〈◊〉 shall all the Families of the Earth bâ— blessed 2. Abraham being come into Canaan God appear'd to him first at Sichâ—m and the Promise he then made him was this Vnto they Sâ—â—d will I givâ— this Land Gen. 12. 7. 3. God appear'd again to him at Bâ—thâ—l and renewed his former Promises telling him that 〈◊〉 wâ—uld 〈◊〉 his Seed as thâ— Dust of thâ— Earth Gen. 13. 16. 4. He appear'd again to him incouraging and comforting him when he complain'd for want of an Heir He promis'd him that he should have a Son and that his Seed should be multiplied and repeats his Promise also concerning his possessing the Land of Canaan Only he adds that his Seed must expect to be strangers in a foreign Land and to be afflicted 400 Years before they came to settle in the promis'd Country Gen. 15. 1 to 17. And at the same time God solemnly made a Covenant with him saying Vnto thy Seed have I given this Land ver 18. 5. God appear'd to Abraham yet again and renewed the former Covenant saying unto him after this manner I am thâ— Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and I will multiply thee exceedingly and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations and I will establish my Covenant between me 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 Gen. 17. 1 2 4 7. And now it was that his name Abraham was given to him which signifies the Fathâ—r of a multitude i. e. of many Nations for Hamon which is the word here contracted is a Multitude 6. This Covenant is confirm'd with the Seal of Circumcision Every Man-child among you shall be circumcised Gen. 17. 10. This is a particular and distinct Account of God's appearing to Abraham and of his gracious communicating himself to him It is all in way of Covenant and accordingly what hath been said may be reduced to these two things 1. What God promiseth to do on his part 2. What Abraham and his Seed were to do on theirs God promised in general that he would be a God unto him and to his Seed yea he would be an Almighty or Alsufficient God to him which comprehends all that can be said But particularly God promised him these things 1. To give him i. â— his Posterity the Land of Canaan in due time 2. To multiply his Seed exceedingly even as the Staâ—s of Heaven 3. To bless all Nations of the Earth in his Seed And St. Peter in his Sermon Acts 3. 25 26. interprets and explains this Blessing speaking thus to the Iews Yâ— are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham In thy Seed shall all the Kingdoms of the Earth be blessed Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities Christ Jesus the Messias is the Blessing that was promis'd by God to Abraham This we learn also from St. Paul Gal. 3. 8 9. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Heathen through Faith preached befâ—re the Gospâ—l unto Abraham saying In theâ— shall all Nations be blessed So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham And in the 14 th Verse the Apostle declares that thâ— Blessing of Abraham camâ— on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ. And to make this more evident he adds ver 16. To Abraham and his Seed werâ— thâ— Promises madâ— He saith not Vnto Seeds as of many but aâ— of one And to thy Seed which is Christ. This was the Covenant on God's part Now let us see what it was on Abraham's part He and his Seed were oblig'd by this Covenant to behave themselves answerably to such bountiful Promises made to them and such great things as were to be done for them As the Lord had ingaged to be their God so they by virtue of this Covenant undertook to be his 〈◊〉 to deport themselves as such in all the actions of their lives and to do nothing unworthy of this singular Honour and Favour confer'd on them All is summ'd up in those words Walk bâ—forâ— mâ— and be thou perfect To walk before God is to please him Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. 22. which by the Sâ—vâ—nty Intâ—rpretâ—rs is rendred Enoch pleased God And accordingly the Author to the Hebrews saith that Enoch before his translation had this testimony that he pleased God Heb. 11. 5. So Noah walked with God Gen. 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX I will walk before the Lord Psal. 116. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the same Inâ—erpreters Therefore to walk and to please God are joined together by the same inspir'd Writer in 1 Thess. 4. 1. the latter being the Explication of the former This is according to the same Apostle to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Col. 1. 10. Thus Abraham and his Seed by virtue of this Federal Transaction were ingaged to walk before God to serve him
three Patriarchs who could give an Account of all that time wherein they lived which was above 2000 years were able to keep their Families and all other People that were near them in the knowledg of the true Religion and where they err'd and offended to correct them Thus Religion and Divine Worship might be faithfully transmitted from the beginning of the World to above twenty Centuries by three persons only The Church was then sufficiently taught by Tradition from Father to Son vivâ— vâ—câ— because of the Longevity of the Patriarchs some of whom lived 700 years others 800 or 900. For this reason the Church was without Scripturâ— almost five and twenty hundred years But afterwards when the years of mans Life were shortned God used another Method he taught men by a Written Law 2. The Degeneracy of the World was another Reason why the Law was committed to Writing The World at first had many Pious as well as Antient Patriarchs who were as Philo notes Living and Rational Laws and so stood in need of no Written ones for these are but Commentaries on those Old Fathers Lives But the Vices of men grew proportionable to their Numbers and when Mankind was spread wide up and down the Earth Immorality and Sin were dispersed likewise and the World became notoriously wicked The Deluge did not wash away the Contagion but in a considerable time after men were as bad as ever and the very Dictates of their Reasonable nature were discarded by them When they had thus obliterated the Law written on their minds God thence ingraved it on Tables of Stone If men had not been wonderfully corrupted there had been no need of this So faith the Apostle speaking of this Law It was not made for the Righteous but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners I Tim. 1. 9. The same he had intimated before in Gal. 3. 19. The Law was added because of transgression it was given to be a Check to their notorious Sins and that they might not offend uncontroul'd And this may be the meaning of the Apostle's words in Rom. 5. 20. The Law entred that the Offence might abound i. e. that men might see how their Sins abounded God gave his Law in Writing to shew them their Guilt to convince them of their gross Miscarriages and to reduce them to the way of Virtue and Obedience that when God himself had writ down their Duty with his own hand they might be inexcusable 3. The Law was committed to Writing that it might not be forgot One reputed to be a Judicious Writer is of opinion that the Patriarchs were happier without the Written Law than with it it was a mark of God's love and favour that they had no books and writings I suppose he means because they did not need them But afterwards there was occasion for them for the Impressions of the Law of Nature were almost defaced and obliterated the Instructions and Traditions of their Fathers were neglected and the knowledg of God and their Duty could not be kept pure by Oral Tradition when not only their Lives were short but corrupted and miserably depraved Therefore an exact Written Law was wanting to set before their eyes and to remind them of what they were to do to put them constantly in remembrance of what God required of them Hereupon the Moral Precepts were written by God himself and delivered to Mâ—sâ—s that the might communicate them to the People and they to the rest of the World This was out of kindness to them it was design'd to be a Remedy against their forgetfulness and negligence Lastly which comprehends all the Law was written that it might not be corrupted Tradition was unsafe when the numbers of men were increased and the World was dispersed and arrived to a great height of Impiety Therefore God thought it necessary to preserve and perpetuate the Law by Ingraving it on Tables of Stone which are Solid and Duâ—able and by lodging it in the Aâ—k as in a safe Treasury by ordering it to be Transcribed and to be Read to all the People and that they themselves should read it continually This was the best way to prevent all Error and Imposture all Fraud and Corruption about the Law This made it a thing impossible to deprave and pervert the Letter and plain Sense of it For these Reasons that Word which for near 25 Centuries of Years was delivered and promulged by Tradition was committed to Writing in Moses's time and not before For these Reasons the Common Law of Nature was turn'd into this Statutâ— Law of the Commandments I will not here speak particularly of the Ten Commandments because in the Body of the Work which I intend I am obliged to insist upon every one of them distinctly and largely and also because it is the Writing of the Moral Law of which I have given you an Account not the Law it self that is part of this Mosaick Dispensation as it is different from those which went before The Ten Commandâ—ents were given now not that they were of no force before this time but now they were Written on Tables and more Solemnly Promulg'd This was it which we were to take notice of as New and proper to this Iudaical Period If any man thinketh that these Ten Commandments because they were deliver'â— to the Iews were drawn up for that Body of People only and are not of universal Concernment I could silence that surmise by shewing that these Commandments were in force before the Law given by Moses to the Iews and that every one of them was a Law before the Mosaick Oeconomy and that those who lived in all the former Dispensations observed these Commandments Nay they are all of them excepting only the Determination of the Sabbath day the very Law of Nature written on the heart of man at his Creation They are Dictates of Natural Reason and therefore they ought to be done though they were not commanded For this Reason likewise it is not proper to insist upon them in this place for they are no special part of this Oeconomy But the Ceremâ—nial and Iudicial Laws are the grand things which make this a distinct and peculiar Administration Of those therefore I will hasten to speak The Ceremonial or Ecclesiastical Law is no other than the Precepts given by God to the Iews concerning External Rites belonging to Religion and the Worship of God Of these Ceremonial Usages several were in use before Moses's time viz. Priests Altars Sacrifices Oblations Tithes Distinction of Clean and Unclean Animals Not Eating Blood Circumcision But now all the former Rites and Ceremonies are digested into One Body and are become more Fixed and Certain The Ceremonial Service of the Iâ—ws was now precisely determin'd and there was no varying from it Agaiâ— whereas in some Agâ—s one Ceremony was used in another another Now they are all together and are observed at the same Time and by the same Persons
beg leave to dissent from those who assert that these Sacrifices expiated only for lesser Sins and Failings and not for the greater ones of external idolatry Murder Blasphemy and the like It is not to be doubted that all kinds and degrees of Sin were expiated by the legal Sacrifices not only corporal Punishment in the sense which I have explain'd and legal Uncleanness but all moral Impurity and Guilt were taken away by them But this the Mosaick Sacrifices did not do of themselves but by virtue only of the Expiatory Sacrifice of the MESSIAS to come of which they were but Shadows To speak properly and strictly they did not really and formally but typically expiate i. e. as they were Significations and Figures of that great Sacrifice to be offer'd Lastly then the grand and principal End of the Judaical Sacrifices was to typify and represent the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Socinus denies not that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation was a Type of Christ ' s Death But as for the other common and usual Sacrifices he holds that Christ was not prefigured by them but that the Spiritual Sacrifices of Christians were only typified thereby This is a gross Error for the Burnt-Offerings and Sin-Offerings and Peace-Offerings which were common and frequent were Expiatory Sacrifices as I shew'd before and they were as much Expiatory as that which was but once a Year Now being Expiatory they as such were Types of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Lamb of God they prefigured Christ's Death and the Expiation and Satisfaction which he was to make for Sin It is a strange thing therefore to me that Socinus who denies Christ to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice should grant that the Sacrifice which the High Priest offer'd once a Year entring into the Holy of Holies prefigured the Death of Christ for the same reason he ought to grant that all the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Law were Types of our Saviour And he could not but see that the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth not only speak of that Annual Sacrifice as a prefiguration of Christ's Passion and apply it expresly to him in Heb. 9. 12. By his own Blood â—e entred in once into the Holy Place but the same Infallible Spirit in that Epistle applieth what is said of the other Sacrifices unto Christ Therefore the Apostle saith Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 15. 7. Therefore Iohn the Baptist call'd our Saviour the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World John 1. 29. having respect without doubt to the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Old Testament which prefigured Christ the true Immaculate Lamb the Lamb that was slain as the same inspired Writer speaks from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Christ's Offering was the Idea and Pattern of all the Levitical and Mosaical Sacrifices To this very end God instituted these that they might shadow out that to us A greater and better Sacrifice and Oblation of a higher nature was to succeed those viz. the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus by which God is appeased and all our Sins are expiated and therefore the Phrase of a sweet-smelling Savour applied to Expiatory Sacrifices under the Law is used and that properly by the Apostle concerning Christ his giving up himself for us and pacifying God's Wrath on our behalf That the Legal Sacrifices were Types and Symbols of spiritual things is acknowledg'd by Philo but we who have an infallible information from the New Testament are taught further viz. that they were Types of Christ the great Sacrifice And we have the greatest reason imaginable to assent to this because the Blood of Bulls and Goats was a poor Expiation of it self That Butchery that bloody Employment could have no real and intrinsick worth in it and therefore it must needs have been in order to something else it was to prefigure the expiatory Death and Sacrifice of the Massias And all the time that these Mosaick Sacrifices lasted they did not pacify God's Anger and satisfy his Justice and take away Sin and justify Persons by their own Force and Virtue or by their own worthiness but they did all this typically and mystically as they represented Christ and his Merit who was the Great Sacrifice they did it by Divine Order and Institution CHAP. VI. The High-Priest's Office His peculiar Attire The Imployment and Apparel of the Priests The Levites Particular Charge Whether they might sacrifice or no. Their Office in the Reigns of King David and King Solomon differ'd in some things from what it was before The ordinary and fixed Place of Worship and particularly of Sacrificing was the Tabernacle A particular Account of the three Divisions or Partitions of it viz. the Outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies with all things contain'd in them The Mystical and Spiritual meaning of the several Particulars The Travels and Removes of the Tabernacle and Ark. A distinct Account of the Parts of the Temple shewing wherein it differ'd from the Tabernacle Of the Fabrick it self and its Dimensions Houses and Chambers belonging to it The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law HAving spoken of Sacrifices we will now in the second place speak of the Sacrificers the Persons that officiated in the Ceremonial Worship under the Law There were three Orders of these the first whereof was the High-Priest For tho there were Priests before the Law who were Fathers and Heads and the First-born of Families yet we read of 〈◊〉 High-Priest This Office is now added and Aaron had it first of all to whose House it was tied by Divine Institution But it continued not long there only Eleazer succeeded his Father Aaron and upon Eleazer's Death three Priests of his Family successively were High-Priests Then the Office went out of the House of Aaron and came to Eli of the Family of Ithamar But generally afterwards the High Priesthood was by succession of Blood and lineally descended from the Father to the Son or if there were no Son to the next of the Kindred This High Priest was the great and supreme Ecclesiastical Minister among the Iews And even according to Philo and some other Iews was a Type of the Messias His Office was in common with that of the Priests of whom afterwards to pray for instruct and bless the People but his peculiar Province was to preside over the Priests and other inferior Officers of the Church to take care that they discharg'd their Function aright Whereas these administred daily he was obliged to officiate only on the solemn Day of Expiation He differ'd from them in the manner of his Consecration and was peculiar in some other things He had the singular honour to be the Metropolitan of the Jewish Church and the President of the Great Council or Sanhedrim To make him more pompous and venerable the Law took care of his very Attire I will only shew you this Sacred Wardrobe and
the most Solemn Offices of Christianity to be in pure Imitation of a Pagan Usage for he saith Christ in Celebrating the Holy Sacrament of his Supper refer'd to the Custom of the Barbarous Scythians and other Savage Nations who used to drink Blood at their making of Covenants and Bargains thence it is said This Cup is my Blood of the New Testament drink ye all of this This was the highest and most daring result of his â—ormer Notion But I hope the Learned Doctor before he left the World corrected his Error and entertain'd other thoughts of these things and therefore I will not press them any further especially because I discours'd of this matter somewhat freely when I made it my business to prove that many of the Pagan Rites and Customs in Religion as well as in Secular Affairs were borrow'd from the Iews and their Sacred Usages which is directly contrary to what this Author asserts viz. that the Rites and Ceremonies injoyn'd by God himself to the Iews were of Pagan Extraction I might here mention that some others have fallen into the same or the like Notion and have made use of it to ill purpose Our English Socinians approve of this Doctrine that God complied with the Idolatrous Nations in the Sacrifices and other Rites which he instituted And some of the Antienter Racovians run up higher and refer the method of Man's Redemption and Salvation to the Usages of the Pagan World Thus a noted Man among them tells us that God sent Christ into the World in compliance with a Custom that was very prevailing viz. that those who were eminent and celebrated for their Virtue and their serviceableness to Mankind were after their death Canonized as 't were and placed in Heaven as an inferiour kind of Deities and those that wanted their help used to implore it and make them their Mediators Even so God exalted Christ who had been an Excelleâ—t and Useful Person and made him a kind of God And as noted a person of our own seems to have imbibed the same Doctrine for he asserts that a greâ—â— part of the Iewish Religion which was instituted by God himself seems to have been a plain condescension to the general apprehension of Mankind i. e. the Heathen world as he explains himself afterwards concerning the way of appeasing the offended Deity by Sacrifices Nay he makes the Incarnation of Christ and his Suffering of death to be a condescension to the Pagans who he saith loved a visible Deity and had a great esteem of Sacrifices especially of human Sacrifices and used to Deiâ—y their Benefactors aâ—d Heroes That is very strange which he gives as Reason why Christ was incarnate that Men viz. the Gentiles who were much given to admire Mystâ—riâ—s in Religion might have one that is a Mystery indeed So that all was direct compliance with the Gentiles and according to this Writer the way of Salvation of Mankind is derived from the impious Customs of the Heathens But his more Particular words which are almost too harsh to be mention'd I shall have occasion shortly to represent to the Reader in a more proper place 4. The Ceremonial Law and other Mosaick Usages were prescribed the Iewish people because these were fit and proper for them at that time because they were most suitable to their present Geniuâ— and Disposition Thus the Apostle in Gal. 3. 24 c. very handsomely illustrates the nature of this part of the Legal Dispensation The Law was our Schoolmaster saith he Here is Moses with a Rod in his hand We were instituted and educated saith the Apostle under the Pedagâ—giâ— of the Law for being but in our minority we were not capable then of a higher Institution and Instruction But this fitted and prepared us by degrees for the reception of that other and this Schoolmaster of the Law serv'd as an usher to the Gospel But saith the Apostle in the next verse After that Faith i. e. the time of the Gospel is come wâ— are no longer under a Schoolmaster we are then no longer under the lash of the Law our state and condition do not require it And God is pleas'd to administer things wisely according to the condition and circumstances we are under And this Apostle by another fit Allusion in Gal. 4. 1 c. sets forth the nature of this Oeconomy which he had spoken of before The Heir as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all buâ— is under Tutâ—rs and Governors until the time appointed of the Father Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son c. In which words St. Paul compareth the Iudaical Law to a Tutor or Guardian under whom the Heir doth not enjoy that freedom of a Son which afterwards he is to come to This saith he was the case of the Iewish people they were but Minors and Pupils and so stood in need of a Tutor i. e. one that is appointed to take care and have the charge of those who by reason of their insufficient age and understanding cannot look to themselves The Ceremonial Law was the Iews Guardian whilst they were under age this sowr Governour and Overseer kept them in and curb'd them and on that account was very useful to them at that time But the Apostle seems here to recur to his former comparison of the Law to a Schoolmaster when he adds that the Iews as long as they were Children were in bondage under the Elements of the world The Iews were then got no further than their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their First Elements they were but conning their Alphabet Their Sacrifices and Circumcision were as it were so many plain Letters in Blood and there were other Fair and Legible Characters but there were few of the common Iews so good Proficients as to Spell out of them any thing of a future and higher Concernment These and their other Rudiments were sutable to the mean Capacity and Non-age of the Iewish Church when they were in this State such a low and mean Dispensation as this was good enough for them Diversity of Ages calls â—or diversity of Actions and Behaviour and consequently for diversity of Laws Parents rule Children after another manner than when they arrive to any ripeness of Years and are capable of Discourse So God ordereth his Church that is fit for it at one time which is not at another Israel was a Child Hos. 11. 1. that was the state of the Iews when they were call'd out of Egypt And the Apostle uses the same Expression as you have heard Now when the Iewish Church was in this lower Form the First Rudiments were most agreeable to that condition these Beginners were to be used to their Letters God dealt with that People according to their Weakness and Shallowness Wherefore we may
Shadows Christ in this sense is call'd the trâ—e Light and true Bread Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 6. 32. The Ceremonial Law was but a Figure of the Evangelical Truth And this is deservedly called Trâ—th because all the Ceremonial Types are Verified and Fulfill'd in Christ. All those Iudaick Hieroglyphicks are now unridled and plainly discovered to the World and he that runs may read them The Types and Symbols are gone and now the Things themselves are present and are clearly understood by us This makes the difference between the Mosaick Dispensation and the Evangelical One. The Doctrine of Salvation and the means of Life by Christ are more intelligible and plain than they were before Their Conceptions of those things were intricate and obscure but we have arrived to clear and distinct Notions concerning them In short the way of Salvation was before more dark and general they saw Christ through â—ertain Perspectives afar off but now the fulness of time is come and hath given us a near and more perfect view of those things which they saw but in a glass darkly 4. The Religion of the Gospel is more Inward and Lively than that of the Law and the Jewish Administration There is now introduced a Rational and Manly Service our Religion is chiefly the employment of our Minds and Understandings and not so much of our Bodies and lower Faculties We now worship God in Spirit as well as in Truth of which I spake befoâ—e we worship in a spiritual manner opposed to outward and bodily Service as Sacrifices Purifications c. The Evangelical Righteousness is a Spiritual Administration a Vital Principle able to beget a Divine Life whereas the Law comparatively was an external dead Letter and did not sufficiently actuate the Minds and Spirits of Men. It is true the History of the Gospel or the Doctrin of the Evangelists as it is merely propounded and written is as much external as the Law but the ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it going along with the Gospel in a more especial and peculiar manner is a powerful Principle in the Souls of Men whereby they are inwardly renewed and transformed And so the Gospel compared with the Law is of greater Power Might and Efficacy and is able to produce a heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul and a sincere performance of the Divine Laws This is the Law promis'd to be written in the Hearts of Men and to be put into their inward parts Jer. 31. 33. 5. This Dispensation of the Gospel is larger and ampler than that of the Law and of other Dispensations before it For the Church was shut up in narrow bounds and confined to a few Families of the Patriarchs Afterwards it was limited to the Land of Canaan and to the Hâ—brew People excepting a few that were without who knew God's Will and were graciously accepted But after Christ came the Church was not tied to one Place or certain Nation but hath been ever since the Congregation of all such as truly know and worship Christ in any part of the World The Christian Dispensation is not local and temporary not confined to place or time not circumscribed by a particular Country Now not one Natâ—on only or a few of others are honoured with Laws given from God himself but Gentiles and Iews Greeks and Barbarians all Kindreds and Tongues all Countries and Regions of the Universe have heard the sound of the Gospel and have had the Divine Laws which were given by Christ himself offer'd to them Our Saviour bid his Disciples go into all the World and teach all Nations And accordingly as was observ'd before they travell'd into all the World which was at that time known and proclaimed the Messias to them Thus Christ came and preach'd Peace to them that were afar off and to them that were nigh Ephes. 2. 17. All Places and Countries had the privilege of the Gospel and might receive advantage by it This is one remarkable Difference between the Legal and the Evangelical Dispensation the former was Narrow and Contracted the latter was Full Ample Comprehensive and Catholick 6. Altho as hath been said the Conditions of Salvation are the same now as to the main with those before yet they vary as to several Circumstances To begin with Faith the first and chief Condition of Salvation the grand Fundamental Grace of Christianity This is reckon'd by the Reverend Bishop Taylor among the Instances of Duties which are new under the Gospel But the true account is this that Faith was not a Precept of the Natural or Moral Law but was a new Precept added to it by Revelation when the First Promise and New Covenant were made But ever since that it hath not been New for as I have proved the Antient Patriarchs were saved by Faith in Christ. He was the Object of Faith then as well as now the Faith of the first Believers was the same with the Faith of Christians Yet notwithstanding this this Grace of Faith hath a different aspect from what it had The Fathers believed in the Messias that was to come and we believe in the same Jesus who is come and hath taken on him our Nature and laid down his Life and shed his precious Blood for the redemption of lost Man and rose again and ascended into Heaven Thus the believing of Christ's Birth Passion Resurrection and Ascension is in this respect nâ—w that Faith looks upon them as accomplished But otherwise in respect of the things themselves it is the old Faith i. e. the same which those that lived before the time of the Messias exerted Christ that was to be crucified was the Object of their Belief and Christ already crucified is the Object of ours This is confirm'd â—rom Isa. 53. Acts 15. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 9. 11. and abundance of other Texts St. Augustine having affirmed that the Saints of old were saved in the same way that we are viz. by Faith in Jesus adds this distinction They saith he were saved by Faith in Christ's future Sufferings and we by Faith in those Sufferings as they are already past This is that which our Church saith speaking of the People of God that lived before Christ's Incarnation Althâ— they were not named Christian men yet was it a Christian Faith which they had for they looked for all the Benefits of God the Father through the Merits of his Son Iesus Christ as we now do This difference is between them and us that they looked when Christ should come and we are in the time when he is come Besides a more general Belief was sufficient for mens Salvation before the Messias's coming than is now It was not necessary to Salvation to believe so expresly and explicitly concerning Christ and his Undertakings as we are obliged to believe since So that tho there is not now a New Faith neither are there New Articles of Faith yet there are New Exertments of Faith and more clear
Christ's coming were acquainted with but these Precepts and Duties are chiefly the result of the Evâ—ngelical Spirit and they are mosâ— improved by Christianity and they are ofâ—ner inculcated and press'd upon us in the Evangelical Writings than in those of the Old Testament 7. The Grounds and Motives of Evangelical Obedience differ from those of the Legal one as will appear from these three Particulars First There are more deterring Punishments under the Gospel than under the Law It is true the Penalty of Sin unrepented of under the legal Oeconomy was the Eternal Wrath of God call'd by Daniel everlasting shaâ—â— and contempt and by Isaiah everlasting burnings but there was not so full a discovery and so great a certainty of these at that time as there hath been since which should be a mighty disswasive to us from sinning against the Light of the Gospel especially when we consider that our Guilt is unspeakably aggravated by sinning in defiance of the extraordinary means vouchsafed to us by the coming of Christ. If the Word spoken by Angels i. e. if the Law which was given by the ministry of Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience receiv'd a just recompence of Reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which was at first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed afterwards to us by them that heard him Heb. 2. 2 3. And to the same purpose in Heb. 10. 28 29. He that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy Of how much sâ—rer Punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under-foot the Son of God The Penalty of disobedience to the Gospel is more grievous than that which was inflicted upon Offenders against the Law Secondly There are more prevailing Rewards The Law dealt in Temporal Blessings and Earthly Promises chiefly the very mold and make of their Religion being earthly and grovelling but their terrene and temporal Promises figured a Celestial Felicity and were Umbrages of a Future Inheritance Spiritual and Heavenly things were exhibited to the Church of old under Sensual and Earthly Representations and Eternal Life was included in the Promise of the Land of Canaan Yea it cannot be denied that Immortal Life and Endless Happiness were expresly made known and promis'd by God to the Faithful among the Iews This is very fiercely contradicted by Sâ—cinus and the generality of his Party The Racâ—vian Catechism is positive that none of the Pious Men and Holy Patriarchs before the coming of Christ knew any thing of Heaven and Everlasting Life These were not known say they because they were not promis'd to those under the Old Covenant The same thing is asserted in one of Smalcius's Disputations against Frantzius Indeed Volkâ—lius grants that the Iews might have some desire and expectation of Eternal Life tho there was no promise of it but he confutes himself in saying before that such a Discovery was not proper and convenient for that Dispensation He maintains that it is peculiar to the New Covenant under which Christians are and that this is one main thing wherein it excels the Old Covenant To say otherwise saith he were to mix and confound the Covenants and Dispensations And therefore he peremptorily determines that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament they knew nothing of an Immortal State they were tied down to the Earth Canaan was their Heaven He spends a whole Chapter and that one of his longest upon this very thing The Remonstrants are partly of this Opinion as you may see in their Apology and in Grâ—tius and Episcopius who hold that Eternal Life was not promis'd by God to Adam and the Old Patriarchs neither did they know any thing of it Tho Sâ—crates and Platâ— who were Heathens make some mention of a â—uture and endless State yet the People of God the Chosen Generation to whom were committed the Oracles of God had no apprehension of any such thing Abraham Moses David and all the Inspired Soulâ— whom the Writings of the Old Testament speak of had scarce any notice of it All the Antient Worshippers of God all the Religious Patriarchs were ignorant of Future Happiness poor grovelling Creatures they look'd no higher no further than this present Life This is the Doctrine of Sâ—cinus's Followers and Friends but certainly he that hath carefully perused the Old and New Testament cannot but pronounce it false For God tells the Iews that if they will do his Commandments they shall live in them Levit. 18. 5. Which Promise you will find to comprehend in it Eternal Life if you compare that place with Rom. 10. 5. and Gal. 3. 12. And that Life Everlasting was known to those of the Old Testament is manifest from Dan. 12. 2. where it is said Many of them that sleep in the Dust shall awâ—â—â— to Everlasting Life This one place is a sufficient conâ—utation of the Secinian Writers who deny that there was any such thing revealed and known under the Law I might take notice how Iob expresses his sense and belief of this Future State Chap. 19. 25. which without doubt he learnt from the neighbouring Iews But I will pass to the New Testament where it is farther evident that this endless Blessedness was not unknown to the Iews It was one of that Nation that came to our Saviour and ask'd him What â—e should dâ— that he might have Eternal Life Matth. 19. 16. Which shews that Eternal Life was made known to that People and that the Mâ—sâ—ick Law promis'd no less to the Keepers of it Again this is clear from our Saviour's words in Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life He speaks here to the Iews Ye think and believe and that most truly saith he that there is an Eternal State hereafter it being revealed in the Sacred Writings which are committed to you We read that the Pharisees a considerable part of the Iewish People believed a Resurrection to a Future Life Acts 24. 15. Nay this was the ground of the hope of the Promise made of God unto the Fathers Chap. 26. 6. viz. the Promise of Eternal Life founded on the Resurrection from the Dead And that the Fathers of old rested not in Temporal and Earthly Promises is evident from that very plain Text Heb. 11. 14 16. The Patriarchs those Holy Pilgrims sought and desired a better Country that is an Heavenly viz. a State of Immortal Glory and Happiness in the highest â—eavens From all these places of Holy Writ we may 〈◊〉 in the words of our Church That the Old Testament is not centrary to the New for in both of them Everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ. Wherefore they are not to be heard who â—eign that the Old Fathers did look only for transitory Promises This Fiction as the Learned Dr. Hammond rightly faith is caused by not distinguishing between leâ—s clear Revelation and none
at all It is true there were not such plain and evident Discoveries to those Antients of a future endless Existence and consequently a Reward in anoâ—her World as there have been since the coming of the Messias It is granted that the Law dealt in temporal and secular things most of all but it doth not follow thence that the Iews had no higher Promises than those that were earthly and respected this Life only Yea this also must be further granted that tho Moses and Daniel and the Prophets and the most devout Persons among them were sensible of this yet it is likely many of the Iews look'd no further than the present Enjoyments of this Animal Life and indeed most of the Blessings we read of seem to hold forth nothing else But under the New Testament Eternal Life is openly and clearly offer'd and all Persons may be made apprehensive of it Hence it is that Christ is said to be the Mediator of a better Covenant which is establish'd on better Promises Heb. 8. 6. The Promises under the Gospel are better than those under the Law because they are clearer and plainer concerning an Immortal State hereafter Here is one great difference between the Evangelical and the Legal Dispensation the latter propounds future Punishments without end to terrify Ofâ—enders and endless Rewards to â—â—courage the Faithful but the former adds an Assurâ—â—â—â— of both these It makes it manifest evident and undeniable that there are such things it demonstrates to us that there are never-ceasing Torments for the Wicked and eternal Joys for the Righteous of which latter Christ hath assured us by his ascending into Heaven there to prepare perpetual Mansions of Glory for all his Followers He came from above and went thither again that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly John 1â—0 10. that we might be every way ascertain'd of an Immortal State of Glory and thereby be effectually moved and excited to Obedience Thirdly There is this Motive peculiar to the Dispensâ—tion of the Gospel viz the Love of God the Father who sent his Son and the Love of Christ who died for us God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son saith that blessed Disciple whom Jesus loved Iohn 3. 16. And again 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we first loved him but that he loved us first Now observe how he makes this a Motive to the Duty of Evangelical Love If God so loved us we ought to love one another ver 11. No former Dispensation affords this Motive Christ therefore might well say A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13. 34. This is a new thing and is proper to Christianity only Here the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts Rom. 5. 5. Here the Love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5. 14. And then no Duty in Religion comes amiss to us then we act with vigour and chearfulness and exert our utmost Powers and that with ease and complacency This Principle of Love is contrary to the Spirit of Bondage which is most proper to the Occonomy of the Law to the breach of every part of which God hath annexed severe Curses to terrify Offenders and these generally were the most powerful Motives they had to make them obedient The promulgation of the Law was with great Terrors and Astonishment Mount Sinai was another AEtna it cast out Flames and Smoke and nothing was seen and heard but what was very frightful This well represented the terrible administration of the Law which breaths Severity and Rigour and is rightly call'd Esh dath a firy Law Deut. 33. 2. They were scar'd into their Duty for the most part But this servile Spirit this Principle of legal Fear is banish'd out of Christianity those that are effectually brought under this Dispensation act by a Principle of Love for the Spirit of the Gospel is free and ingenuous sweet and gentle and needs not to be push'd on by rigour and austerity God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Therefâ—re we may rightly conclude with St. Augustine that Fear and Love are the grand difference between the Law and the Gospel 8. As Christianity hath 〈◊〉 Motives as our Duty is fastned on us by new Obligations and those the greatest and noblest so we have the perfectesâ— Pâ—â—tern the Example of Christ Jesus our Blessed Lord. Enâ—ch Noah Abraham Moses Iob David and many others were worthy and eminent Examples of Virtue and Goodness in the former Dispensations But alas these were Men of like Failings and Infirmities with our selves and their Lives were not an exact Rule for us to walk by But the Blessed Iesuâ— the Founder of our Religion was without spot and blemish in his Life he neither spoke nor did any thing amiss he was every ways blameless and harmless pure and underâ—â—led He gave us a perfect Example of Piety and Devotion of Justice and Righteousness of Moderation and Sobriety of Mercy and Charity of Humility and Self-denial of Contentedness and Resignation of religious Zeal and Courage of all Virtues and Graces whatsoever which are to adorn the Life of a Christian. Our Saviour was sent on purpose to be a Guide a Pattern a Rule to the degenerate World that by the excellency and transcendency of his Example he might reduce Mankind to the ways of Religion and Righteousness that in him they might behold and admire the beauty of Goodness and the worth of Piety and Holiness and that by this means Christianity might be commended to the World and that Men might esteem and love it when it shineth forth so gloriously in this admirable and unparallel'd Example In this we have an advantage above those who lived beâ—ore our Saviour's time Therefore this may be reckon'd as one Difference between the Iewish and the Christian Church 9. We under the Gospel have greater Helps and Assistances toward the performing of our Duty than those who lived under other Dispensations had We have greater Light to direct us we have more effectual Means to make use of we have all the revealed Knowledg which they had and we have much more besides We have the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to enlighten to inform to instruct us to check and reprove us to comâ—ort and support us We are bless'd with the Sacred Ordinances of Christ's own Institution the sole design of which was to convey Knowledg and Grace Strength and Establishment to our Souls God hath set in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and
of the Knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 c. To this Perfection and Fulness contribute the Holy Sacraments of Christ's appointment It is true the Apostle sheweth that the Israelites had the same Religion the same Covâ—nant and that they might be said to have the same Sacraâ—â—nts with us 1 Cor. 10. 1 c. and indeed the Covenant being the same the Sacraments must be so which are Seals of the Covenant But the Evangelical Sacraments were only typified by those they were never in actual use till Christ's coming Baptism and the Eucharist the two Sacraments of the Gospel may be rightly said to have been virtually in Circumcision and the Passover and so are not new but they are new in another respect viz. as by the former we are initiated and adopted into the Christian Oâ—conomy and by the latter we are confirmed in it By the pious celebrating of both which the Spiritual Benefits of the Gospel are exhibited and conferr'd sealed and assured to the Souls of the Faithful and they are found to be no contemptible Helps to Religion and Holiness But the assistance of the Holy Spirit in these and all other Duties of Christianity is the most signal Privilege of the Gospel For when Christ ascended up on high he gave Gifts unto Men especially that matchless Gift the Holy Spirit whereby not only the Apostles and Primitive Christians were enabled to speak and act in a miraculous manner but in all succeeding Ages the true Followers of Jesus feel the wonderful influence and operation of it on their Hearts and Lives whereby they are strengthned to perform what is required of them in a way far surpassing what was in the former Dispensations This is that which makes Evangelical Grace differ from Moral Virtue and Iudaical Righteousness viz. that the former is heightned not only by the Motives of the Gospel of which I spake before but by the Assistance of the Spirit By this we not only cry Abba Father but are enabled to demean our selves as those who are the Sons of God Thus our Power is mightily increased which is another great Difference between the Law and the Gospel between Judaism and Christianity This is a brief Account of the Difference between those two Dispensations the Legal and Evanâ—elical Tho it was once said by Luther There never was that Man found on Earth who could make a right Difference between the Law and the Gospel yet afterwards he gives us to understand that he thought this was no impossible thing for he tells us That whoso can rightly judg between the Law and the Gospel let him thank God and know that he is a right Divine There is great difficulty in performing this Task and therefore I have gone through it with much caution and the whole I leave to the judgment of the Learned and Judicious The Manichean Hereticks held there was one God that was the Founder of the Law and another God that was Author of the Gospel But this gross and blasphemous Error is baffled by those several Particulars which I have offered to you concerning the Law and the Gospel The same God blessed for evermore wisely appointed both these Oeconomies and tho they are different yet they are not contradictory God made those two great Lights the one to rule the Night the other the Day the former was fitted to those darker times and the latter is most sutable to the Fulness of time when a redundant Light overspread the World The Iewish Oeconomy was narrow weak and imperfect and best comported with the People that were under it but the Gospel-Dispensation is large and ample compleat and perfect and therein more adapted to the condition of the Persons who are under this Dispensation of Christ's Fulness receive and Grace for Grace John 1. 16. Frâ—m what hath been said we may know what to think and determine of that great Query Whether our Saviour hath added any new Laws and Precepts to those which were before under the Old Testament or wâ—ether his Laws and those are the same I find this Question is too peremptorily decided on both sides One positively asserts that all the Evangelical Commands are the very same with the Laws of the former Administration The others say there are New Commands added in the Gospel to those of the Law But I conceive the Question is not to be decided thus in gross but we ought to be more particular and exact in it Take it in short thus First There were many things of Religion under the Law which are abrogated under the Gospel as all Rites and Ceremonies merely Mosaick Therefore the Gospel is called the Law of Liberty Jam. 1. 25. because it â—reesus from observing those Iewish Rites These were Duties then but are no Duties now But secondly all things that are our Duty now were their Duty then Which I explain thus in these four Propositions Prop. 1. There were the same Laws and Commandments in general in the Old Testament that are in the New tho there are some particular things enjoin'd in the New Testament which were not prescribed in the Old as admitting of all Believers into the Church by Baptism which was never practis'd among the Body of the Iews tho it was used toward some Proselytes and celebrating the Lord's Death in the Holy Communion which could not be done before because Christ was not come and therefore could not die So there are some particular Preceptâ— about the Government and Discipline of the Church of Christ which were not before in the Iewish Church and indeed could not be the state and condition of things being far otherwise Likewise with the New Dispensation came a New Sabâ—ath the Seventh day of the wâ—ek was changed into the First This is very rational to believe tho there were no express mention of any such thing for now the Iewish Sabbath being repeal'd Gal. 4. 10 11. Col. 2. 16. some other day was to be celebrated in its room that as the former was set apart from the beginning for commemorating the Creation of the World so this latter might be in remembrance of the Redemption of Mankind The change of the Day and our celebrating of it are upon weighty grounds viz. 1. Christ's Resurrection from the Dead whereby Man's New Creation was perfected a. Warrantable Authority no less than that of our Saviour himself for first it is most probable that Christ himself gave particular Order concerning the observing of this day when as we read for forty days together after his Resurrection he spakâ— to his Disciples concerning the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. This being of so great concern and so nearly relating to that Kingdom and the Occonomy of the Gospel it is to be presuâ—â—ed that our Saviour gave particular directions about it tho it is not to be denied that there may be
Persons and Times he hath to do with Thus our Saviour was pleas'd to fulfil all Rightâ—ousness to comport with the present State and Oeconomy to allow of any thing or Dispensation which God will have to be in the World tho it may seem to some not to be so fitting and decorous This is sufficient that God acteth congruously to the nature of things and that all along he administers every thing for the greatest Good of Mankind altho in various Ways and Manners This is one Reason why the Evangâ—lical Dispensation was not introduced till other Dispensations were past The Indisposition of the former and first Times made Christ delay his Coming he knew they were not prepared to receive his Doctrine and Miracles This Reason is given by St. Augustin and Eusâ—bius agrees with him for treating of this very Question why Christ came so late he renders this Account of it The generality of the World was become like Beasts and so were not fit to receive Christ and his Doctrine It was necessary therefore that the Way should be prepared by Moses's Law by the Doctrine and Example of Prophets and good Men. Before this the World was uncapable of Christ and the Gospel 4. Christ came not till four thousand Years were expired that Mankind might see their Misery and be â—ensible of it and desire a Remedy and in the mean time more strenuously exercise their Faith and Hope Especially with respect to the Iewish People so many Ages had pass'd before the Messiâ—â— came because hereby God would let them see their want of a Messias that they might heartily breathe after and long for a Redâ—â—mâ—r and Saviour that they might earnesâ—ly expect and pray for a Delivâ—râ—r to rescue them from that intolerable Yoke which they were under This seems to be one Reason why God deferred the sending of his Son Which is implied in those words of the Apostle Rom. 5. 20. The Law entred i. e. the Mosaick Dispensation interposed between Abraham and Christ's time and thereby the Evangelical State was deâ—er'd a long time that the Offence might abound that the heinous Transgression of the Law might be the better discern'd to be Sin and that Men might be throughly apprehensive of it Then the Apostle adds where Sin abounded Grace did mucâ— more abound i. e. by this means the Grace of God in â—ending his Son and his pardoning of Sinners through his Blood are the more fully display'd and taken notice of Which leads me to another Account of this matter 5. So far as we can apprehend the wise Designs and Purposes of God we may render this Reason why this Benefit was so long delay'd viz. that it might thereby be Commâ—ndâ—d to us and that we might set the greatâ—r Value on it God suffer'd the Darkness for so many hundred years that he might bring forth a more Glorious Light at last From the opposition of these two the Divine Wisdom is more manifest and the Victory of the one over the other is more eminent Hence Mankind is more eager in embracing the Light of the Gospel and all the Advantages of it become more welcome and grateful 6. It was not fit so Great a Prince and Saviour as the Messias should arrive without Harbingers and Forerunners of his Coming So that Pious Doctor of the Church speaks Christ was to be foretold many Ages before he came because it was no little and mean thing that was to come The greater this Judg was it was fitting the greater should be his Equipage and a longer Train of Messengers and Heralds should go before him Observe therefore after the Types and Shadows were vanished after the Legal Services were expired after all the Predictions of the Patriarchs and Aposâ—les were accomplished after the so often repeated Promises concerning Christ were fulfilled after the appearances of Angels and Visions and Revelations and extraordinary Declarations from Heaven had made way for the arrival of the Messias after he was generally expected by the Iewish Nation after all these Preparatives and Forerunners of his Coming were fully past then he actually enâ—â—ed on the stage of the World and manifested himself in the Flesh. The Time appointed by the Father for the sending his only begotten Son or as the Apostle calls it â—â—e Fulness of Time happily brought along with it the Fulness of Christ as the same Apostle speaks It was Reasonable Decorous and Congruous that so great a Person and so great a Blessing should not come on a sudden but that the World should be a long time prepared for so Glorious a Dispensation 7. The necessities of Mankind seem'd to call for him at that very Time when he came This is the Reason which Gregory Nazianzen gives why Christ came not before but then because the World was more than â—ver corrupted and the Degeneracy was greater the Disease was at its heighth and then the Remedy was most proper So Theodoret compares Christ to those Physicians who reserve their strongest Medicines till the last for having used Lenitives first they choose to administer more powerful Medicines afterwards The corruption by Adam having miserably infected the World God used fit means to stop the growth of it and to curb Sin and Wickedness Besides the Law of Nature implanted in Mens minds which was a constant check to immoral and vicious Actions the Works of the Creation which were continually before their eyes wâ—re servicâ—able to instruct them in the Wisdom and Power of God and to bring them to reverential Thoughts of him and to induce them to serve and obey the 〈◊〉 and Preserver of all things God swept away the Old World with an universal Dâ—luge to make the poor remainder better by reflecting on his Severity againâ—â— Sinners And when the World increas'd again and â—ultitudes of People were spread on the face of the Earth the Almighty God shew'd his Displeasure against Sin in confounding the Language of the Babel-Builders in consuming Sodom and Gomorrâ—â— with Flames from Hâ—â—ven and in several other Instances he let Men understand that he was highly incens'd against Sinners which should have been a Warning to them and was so designed by God that they might tremble at his Judgments and abandon their evil ways When God beheld the obstinacy of Mankind he was pleased to make â—uller Discoveries of himself than before he chose out a peculiar People to impart his Will to that they whatever others did might serve and worship him in a more solemn and pure manner and that their exemplary Lives might have influence on the rest of the World He writ Laws with his own hand to deliver to them he rais'd up Seers and Prophets among them who daily admonish'd them of their Duty and by frequent dispensing of Mercies and Judgments he strove to make them sensible of it and to keep them firm to it When for their crying Sins they were sent into Captivity God restored them again and placed
Christ and Christianity And here I will shew 1. That this sort of Testimony is frequently made use of and appealed to in the New Testament as a sufficient Argument and Proof of Christianity 2. That the Testimony of the Apostles and other Christians who lived in our Saviour's time was the Testimony of credible Persons and therefore ought to be reckoned by us a valid and substantial Proof of Christianity 1. The Testimony of credible Persons who have heard and seen what Christ did is oâ—ten made use of and appealed to as a good Argument of the Truth of Christianity Thus St. Luke in the beginning of his Gospel to conciliate a Belief of what he was to deliver declares he design'd to record nothing but what was delivered to him by such as from the beginning were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word i. e. not only those who saw Christ and what he did but were personally and actually concerned in many of those things as walking on the Sea casting out of Devils c. those who had a part in these great and miraculous Actions those who were not only Spectators but Actors These I take to be the Ministers of the Word here meant as the Original importeth So you see this Evangelist lays his Foundation on the Testimony of Sense he deems it good Ground of Satisfaction that what he writes concerning Christ and his miraculous Doings is attested by those who were Eye-witnesses of them and who most sensibly convers'd with our Saviour and shared in some part of the things done by him This he knew would cause them to be most surely believed among the Christians ver 1. So to the Testimony of Sense St. Peter and St. Iohn appeal'd Acts 4. 20. When the Rulers of the Iews sent for them and commanded them to preach no more in Christ's Name their peremptory Return was this we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard As if they had said Gentlemen what is this that you require of us It is most strange that you would have us to deny our Senses and to give no Credit to our Ears or Eyes All of you as well as our selves can attest the things that have been said and done by Iesus of Nazareth Our Ears have heard his heavenly Doctrine and our Eyes have seen the Wonders he wrought in Confirmation of that Doctrine Would you have us believe and act contrary to our Senses This was never required by any reasonable Men for they always thought that the Evidence of Sense is valid and fully satisfactory St. Peter likewise in his Sermon in Acts 10. builds upon this Rock We are Witnesses saith he of all things which he i. e. Christ did both in the Land of the Iews and in Jerusalem whom they slew and hang'd on a Tree Him God raised up the third Day and shew'd him openly not to all the People but to witnesses chosen before of God even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead ver 39 40 41. We Apostles accompanied Christ our Master when he went about doing Good and working Miracles we were no idle and remiss Spectators of the marvellous things he did in all places where the Jews inhabited And tho they maliciously put him to death and thought that then they had made an end of him and that he should never appear again yet we are Witnesses that the same Iesus who died on the Cross rose again within three Days and appear'd publickly to us all we familiarly convers'd with him we saw him and we heard him and when one of our number was backward to believe his miraculous Return from the dead he bid him approach nearer to him and feel and handle him that by that as well as other Senses he might be satisfied of our Saviour's Resurrection We are certain therefore of it and by consequence of all the other Doctrines which we preach We appeal to sensible Demonstration This clears us of all Imposture And hear what the same Apostle saith in one of his Epistles We have not followed saith he cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty 2 Pet. 1. 16. i. e. l and Iames and Iohn saw such things at Christ's Transiguration which are an undoubted Proof of his Divinity And in the next Verse but one he adds that they were Ear-witnesses also for speaking of the Voice which came to Christ from the excellent Glory he saith This Voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount ver 18. As much as to say you have no cause Brethren to fear any Imposture from us you may be easily convinced that we come with no Fables and Forgeries because we give you assurance of what we say from our own Eyes and Ears we go upon sure Ground our very Senses report to us what we declare to you therefore you may be confident of the truth of it St. Paul as well as St. Peter makes his Appeal to the Verdict of Sense in the matter of Christ's Resurrection He was seen of Cephas and then of the Twelve After that he was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once after that he was seen of James then of all the Apostles and last of all he was seen of me also 1 Cor. 15. 5 c. He proves that Christ rose from the dead because the bodily Sight gave Evidence of it This is one good Argument or rather Demonstration of the Certainty of the thing Many other places there are to the same effect but I will mention but one more and that is of St. Iohn 1 Epist. 1 chap. 1 2 3. ver That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life for the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have Fellowship with us Take this short Gloss upon the whole That which was from the beginning those things that were destined from Eternity and were of old all along prefigured shadowed and foretold by Mosesâ— and the Prophets concerning Christ and the Gospel which we who are Apostles have heard from God the Father testifying and audibly speaking from Heaven and by the preaching of his Son Christ Jesus which we have seen with our Eyes viz. Christ's many Miracles and all the strange and wonderful things that happen by his coming these we have beheld with our bodily Eyes with our own Eyes not relying on others which we have looked upon what we have narrowly pried into what we have often viewed and not slightly and perfunctorily and our Hands have handled Here the third Sense the Touch
cogent Reasons to perswade us that they truly and faithfully delivered down to us those things This I will make good from the Consideration 1. Of the Persons that transmitted these things 2. Of the Evidence of the Cause First as to the Persons I will consider both their Lives and their Deaths Their Lives are sufficient proofs of their Integrity in delivering the Scriptures of the New Testament to us and of their confident belief of the Truth of all that is contain'd in them The Primitive Christians lived after another rate than we do now They did not wrangle and quarrel as we do they did not â—ight and devour one another as the manner of too many is of latter times but they were remarkable for their mutual Love and Concord for their Humility Meekness and Condescension to one another and they were admired for their Gravity Sobriety Self-denial and Patience they were eminent for their Piety towards God and their Innocent and Righteous dealing with all Men. The Ministers practised what they preached and the People were ambitious to imitate their Preachers and both were singularly Good and Virtuous This was it which gain'd so many Proselytes to Christianity in those first times this brought them to a perswasion of the Truth and Reality of Christ's Doctrine Therefore when Origen had excellently proved the Truth of Christianity to Alexander Severus that noble Emperor ingenuously confessed that he was more convinced of the Truth of that Religion by the humble and loving carriage of Christians than by all Origen's Arguments The exemplary and blameless Conversation of those Primitive Professors argued that the Doctrine and Principles of their Religion were real and certain For how can it enter into any sober Mans thoughts that such holy and upright Men true followers of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ would have constantly confessed and owned the Christian way unless they had been throughly convinced of the Truth of it and that it was the very same which was confess'd and acknowledg'd by the Apostles themselves These Holy and Godly Men made Conscience of a Lie and counted it a heinous Crime to falsify yea they esteem'd it no less than a damnable Sin to disbelieve or misreport those things concerning Christ and the Christian Doctrines They were really perswaded in their Minds that their Salvation lay at stake that their Eternal Welfare or Everlasting Ruin were concern'd in these things And can you imagin then that they would report them falsly and impose upon the World by delivering things which were counterfeit Again as the Lives so the Suffering and Death of the Saints in the Primitive Days and in the succeeding Ages are an undeniable Argument of the Truth of what was deliver'd to them and of what they conveyed to us They underwent the most exquisite Pains and Torments with ineffable Courage and Constancy and nothing could prevail with them to renounce the Christian Religion insomuch that when the Pagan Adversaries in those days would express any thing to be impossible they did it thus Ye may sooner make the Professors of Christ quit their Mastersâ— Doctrine This was a thing not to be effected for those Persons first of all forsook their worldly Goods and then parted with their Lives to hold fast their Religion This patient Suffering and undaunted Dying of so many thousands is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth of Christianity For those enlightned and sanctified Men would never lay down their Lives to maintain a Falshood and to perpetuate a Lie No they knew whom they believed in and for whom they suffer'd and that made them so couragious We may conclude then that the Christian Doctrine is confirm'd by the Blood of those Worthy Men those expiring Saints did testify the Truth of Christianity and therefore they are stiled Martyrs Secondly The Evidence of the Cause is an impregnable Argument of the Reality and Truth of these things which I am speaking of There is this following heap of Evidences 1. A great Presumption arising from just Causes and Circumstances yea and from a multiplicity of them which in all Courts of Judicature is of considerable weight and value with understanding Judges This first but lowest sort of Evidence the Christian Church since our Saviour hath not been destitute of for there were never higher Presumptions in any Cause under Heaven than there were in this But we need not mention this when we have 2. The Notoriety of the Facts i. e. when the things in trial are openly and commonly known when they are avouched by publick Fame and the universal Vogue of Men. And that this was the case of Christianity ever since Christ left the Earth cannot be denied by any Man of Modesty and Truth 3. The Succession of Christians and Churches in the World is a plain Proof that they verily believed those things which made them Christians and Churches Hereupon they deliver'd to us those Writings which they receiv'd from the Hands of the Evangelists and Apostles by their transmitting them to Posterity they shew that they believe them to be sacred and certain Verities 4. The Succession of Bishops and Pastors is an other Evidence for it was their Office to read publickly the Scriptures of the New Testament and to preach the Doctrines contain'd in them and consequently to own them to be Truth which is a good Motive to us to do the same 5. The frequent Disputes which Christians in all Ages have held with those who opposed the Scripture and Christianity are no mean Testimony in this Cause 6. To these may be added the famous Writings of the Christians in the several Centuries their Apologies Dialogues Sermons Homilies Orations Commentaries Histories All which proclaim their serious and firm Belief of what they have convey'd down to us 7. All Christian Churches have deliver'd to us certain Symbols or Articles of Belief which they reckon'd to be the Standards of Evangelical Faith and Truth 8. The Constant Communion of the Church and the publick Worship of God in the solemn Assemblies of Christians ever since the days of the Apostles the setting apart a Day for that Worship the reading of the Scriptures at such times the instructing the People out of them the celebrating the Lord's Supper the constant custom of openly rehearsing and proâ—essing the Christian Belief the Prayers and Praises offer'd to God in the name of Christ the yearly Commemoration of the Birth Death and Resurrection of our Saviour the Sacrament of Baptism which acknowledgeth the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 9. The sundry Decrees and Canons of Synods and Councils held in the Christian Churches Lastly the many Laws and Edicts of Christian Emperours and Princes in defence and confirmation of our most holy Religion These and all the rest before-named are clear Proofs and Evidences that the Evangelical Writings which contain the Doctrine and Actions of our blessed Lord were rightly and truly convey'd to us and that we are in possession of the same Faith and
what happen'd utter'd these words Truly this was the Son of God Mat. 26. 54. He being a Pagan did not mean that Christ the Person who then suffer'd was the Son of God by eternal Generation It is not the same Testimony with that of St. Peter concerning Christ of a Truth thou art the Son of God Mat. 14. 33. nor of the Disciples we believe that thou art Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16. 16. But he meant he was a brave and excellent Person a holy and good Man unworthy of that which he underwent one who had deserved nothing of what he suffered And that this is the meaning is plain from St. Luke who relateth this Passage of the Centurion thus certainly this was a righteous Man Luke 23. 47. So he explains St. Matthew Pliny a Heathen Governour under the Roman Emperour speaks honourably of the Christians and he hath left a particular Testimony of their fair and peaceable Demeanour as well as of their early Devotion in a Letter which he writ to Trajan The Publick Archives at Rome and the known Writings and Monuments of the Heathens preserv'd the Memory of many notable things relating to Christ. Therefore Tertullian in his Apologies for the Christians often appeals to these and bids them consult the Censual Tables and other publick Records which testify of those things In brief Profane History relateth many things of our Saviour his Person his Actions his Death the Prodigies that accompanied it the great Changes made by that Religion in the World and many other things appertaining to it of which I shall largely speak in another place Thus God directs the Hearts of Enemies to testify the Truth of the Gospel And certainly this sort of Testimony is very considerable and convincing The Confession of Adversaries is ever look'd upon as such this is deservedly thought to be authentick Nay I could proceed further and shew you that the Infernal Spirit who is emphatically stil'd the Adversary and hath shew'd himself the most implacable Enemy of Christ and his Cause hath yet born witness to the Truth of them Our Saviour is attested by Satan the Devils acknowledg and confess him to be the Son of God Mat. 8. 29. and at another time they confess they know who he is the Holy One of God Mark 1. 24. The very impure Daemons set forth the Praises of Christ's Followers Acts 16. 17. These Men say they are the Servants of the most high God who shew unto us the way of Salvation We read that one of the Pagan Oracles owned the Child Iesus and if that were true which some think that the Sibyls were acted by an Evil Spirit there is further proof that the Devil bears Testimony to the Holy Iesus and that that lying Spirit voucheth the Truth of the Gospel But here I must confess I have digressed and not observed the Bounds which I set my self for I propounded to speak only of Humane and Divine Testimony The former I hope I have finish'd to the satisfaction of sober and considerate Persons I have evinced the Truth of Christianity by all these Proofs and Evidences viz. by the attestation of our Senses by History by Tradition by Tongues and Pens by Speeches and Writings by the Church and the World by Friends and Enemies and by all things that prove any other Relations or give Evidence concerning any other matters of Fact So much concerning Humane Testimony which is able to create in us a Moral Certainty and the strongest Humane Faith imaginable and which is very serviceable to sit and prepare us for the Divine Testimony which I am next to speak of CHAP. XV. All the ways of Divine Revelation under the Mosaick Dispensation were made use of under the Christian one Voices The Testimony of Angels Visions Dreams The Holy Spirit The fulfilling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament is an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of the New Testament Prophesies concerning the Birth of our Saviour Isa. 7. 14. cleared from the Cavils of the Jewish Expositors It is shew'd how these Words may have reference to something in King Ahaz's Days and yet belong to Christ's Birth Prophesies in the Old Testament that relate to Christ's Life and Actions Others that refer to his Sufferings and Death Some that foretel his Resurrection and Ascension Other more general Predictions concerning him Several prophetick Passages concerning the Branch proved to be spoken of Christ. The Hebrew Word for the Branch is refer'd to in the New Testament The two Zacharies agree The Iews Objection viz. that the Messias was to be another kind of Person than what Jesus of Nazareth was answered Another Objection viz. that the Messias was to bring universal Peace answer'd A third Objection of the Iews viz. that their Sins have hindred the Messias's coming at the promised time answer'd The Objection raised from 2 Sam. 7. 13. removed by clearing the sense of the Text. Other extravagant Fancies concerning the Messias caus'd by their mistaking the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning Christ's coming The Conclusion that all the Prophesies concerning the Messias are fulfil'd in Jesus and consequently are a demonstration of the Truth of Christianity IN the next place then the Christian Oeconomy and the whole Institution of the Gospel are confirmed by Divine Testimony We are certain that the Christian Religion is from God and consequently is undoubtedly true because it is attested 1. By all the ways of Divine Revelation used heretofore 2. By the fulfilling of all the Prophesies of the Old Testament 3. By the exerting of Miracles 4. By the strange and stupendous prevailing of the Gospel 5. By the Judgments which God inflicted on the Enemies of it First I will shew that by all the ways whereby God spoke under the Mosaick Dispensation he spoke likewise under the Christian one and this being after that it will at the same time convince the Iâ—ws that their Dispensation is abolished and confirm Christians in the belief of the Divine Authority of the Dispensation which they are now under The Revelations I say under the Gospel are of the same kind with those before I will reduce them to these following Heads 1. The Jews had their Bath Kol i. e. an Audible and Articulate Sound or Voice from Heaven and so have we Christians Our Saviour had this Divine Testimony thrice first at his Baptism Lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. God the Father again by a Voice bore witness to him when he was on the Mount with Peter Iames and Iohn and was there transfigured Mat. 17. 5. Mark 9. 1. Behold a Voice out of the Cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Of which you will find St. Peter speaking in Epist. 2. Ch. 1. v. 17. And thirdly at his Passion when he was praying to his Father there came a Voice from Heaven and testified that his
Prayer was heard and the People that stood by and heard it said that it thunder'd others said an Angel spake to him John 12. 28 29. Thus Christ was signally glorified by his Father and declared by him to be the Messias the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven attended with a kind of Thâ—nder To this we may annex God's speaking in a rushing mighty wind on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. And Christ Jesus himself being in Heaven spake to Saul thence by a Voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. St. Iohn in the Apocalypse makes frequent mention of a Voice speaking to him and revealing great things to him where it is observable that Thunders and Voices go together chap. 4. 5. and 8. 5. Thus the New Testament as well as the Old had the benefit of that Divine Oracle which the Iews stiled the Daughter of a Voice i. e. a Voice from Heaven declaring the Will of God to Men. Afterwards we are told in Ecclesiastical History that those who were set on work by Iulian the Apostate to rebuild the Temple at Ierusalem were defeated by Thunder and a TERRIBLE VOICE that accompanied it from Heaven thereby bearing witness to the Cause of Christianity 2. The Iews had the Testimony of Angels and so have Christians to confirm this Oeconomy By these Heavenly Messengers Zacharias had notice given him of the approaching Birth of Iohn the Baptist and the Virgin Mary had tidings brought her of the miraculous Conception of the Holy Babe Jesus in her Womb and these were the Heralds that proclaimed the News of his Birth to the Shepherds One of this Celestial Order appeared to Ioseph and warn'd him to flie into Egypt with the Blessed Infant These glorious Spirits gave notice of Christ's Resurrection and when he ascended up to Heaven another of this Celestial Hierarchy address'd himself to the Apostles and assured them that in the like manner Jesus should come again to Judgment Another of these Ministring Spirits came to the devout Cornelius and bid him send for Peter that he might be the great and happy Instrument of converting him to the Christian Faith The Angel of God stood by St. Paul in the Night when he was on his dangerous Voyage and ascertain'd him of his safety Acts 27. 23. And sundry other instances there are of Angels making known the will of God unto Men in those early times of the Gospel and thereby attesting the Truth of Christianity 3. The Iews had the Mosaick Dispensation attested by Visions and we have the same way of Revelation to ascertain us of the Truth of Christianity Thus Zachariah saw a Vision in the Temple relating to the forerunner of Christ Luke 1. 22. The Apostles who were at our Saviour's Transfiguration had the same manner of discovery Mat. 17. 9. The Lord spake to Ananias in a Vision Acts 9. 10. You read of St. Peter's Vision whereby he was taught not to despise the Gentiles Acts 10. 10 c. A Vision appeared to Paul in the Night Acts 16. 9. And again the Lord incouraged him in a Vision Acts 18. 9. Of St. Stephen it is said that he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God the Divine Shekinah and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. And we read in the Book of the Revelation that St. Iohn had frequent Visions And hither may be refer'd those visible representations spoken of in the New Testament as the Holy Ghost's descending on Christ in the shape of a Dove after he was baptized The appearance of Cloven Tongues like as of fire over the Apostles heads The Light from Heaven which shone round about St. Paul at his Conversion All these appertain to the Shekinah the Glorious Presence and Lustre of theâ— Heavenly Majesty And hither may be refer'd the Radiant Presence of Christ the bright and glorious Manifestation of his Person which is often mention'd by the Evangelists Mat. 17. 2 5. Mark 9. 3. and Rev. 1. 16. He dwelt among us he was the true Shekinah and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. 4. Dreams were another sort of divine Revelations among the Jews and these also were not wanting to confirm the Truth of Christianity For we read that Ioseph was warned once and again in a Dream concerning Mary whom he had espoâ—sed and concerning the blessed Babe Mat. 1. 20. chap. 2. 12 13 19. And Pilate's Wife suffer'd many things in a Dream because of Christ who was then standing at the Bar before her Husband Mat. 27. 19. But because these Operations on the Imagination by Dreams are more liable to mistakes than Visions and other kinds of Revelation we have but few Instances of this However we are not wholly destitute of this Testimony under the Gospel 5. There was among the Jews that which they signally call'd the Holy Spirit viz. when Men were wonderfully and extraordinarily stir'd up to deliver the Will of God to make some divine Discoveries to the World and to assert their holy Religion This was in Christ himself Luke 4. 1. Acts 1. 2. 10. 38. and in the Apostles Acts 2. 4. 5. 8. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 11. 24. 19. 6. and in all the holy Men that were sent by him to preach the Gospel By this they were enabled to speak without any premeditation before Rulers and Kings Mark 13. 10 11. for our Saviour tells them it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost With this the Apostles were all fill'd when they met together on the Day of Pentecost and utter'd such divine and heavenly things By this Prophetick Afflation or Inspiration the Evangelists penn'd the Scriptures of the New Testament for tho these Writings may be said to be humane Testimony as they were writ by Men yet these Persons being inspired by the Holy Ghost and not speaking of themselves but by extraordinary Assistance their Writings and Testimony are Divine This is part of that more sure Word of Prophesy spoken of by St. Peter Ep. 2. ch 1. ver 19. which in the next Verse he calls the Prophesy of the Scripture By this Divine Inspiration the Prophets and Apostles saw and foretold what should come to pass afterwards By this inward Afflation the Apostles tho mean and illiterate Persons preached the Gospel with that Authority and Evidence which some of their most implacable Enemies were not able to resist These are the Divine Witnesses of the Truth of the Gospel-Dispensation and of the Christian Religion Yea even at this Day and to the Worlds end this last Testimony viz. of the Spirit is useful and necessary I do not mean any Miraculous gift of the Spirit but a special and peculiar assistance of it such as all regenerate Persons have experience of That we may be throughly certain that this or that was deliver'd by God that we may assuredly know that such things were of Divine
Family or Houshold as it were all the Inhabitants of the World who were scatter'd and divided before are now brought under one Head and Governour one Supreme Catholick Ruler as St. Chrysostom expounds the place All Nations divided before by false ways are now united in Christ the Way and the Truth He brings all the Severals into One and makes up a full Church Militant and Triumphant whereas before there was a dispersion Thus Heaven and Earth are happily joined Again the Greek word sometimes signifies to restore or repair and accordingly is rendred by the Vulgar Latin and then the meaning of the Apostle is that all things in Heaven and Earth are restored and renewed by Christ and his Coming There is a happy Restauration of Man's Nature by the Incarnation of the Blessed Iesus the former State of Integrity is now renewed and Man is in a far better Condition than he was at first And as for Angels their State also is much amended they are now confirmed in their Integrity and Happiness Thus according to Theodoret's Interpretation of the place the things in Heaven and on Earth are Restored Renewed Reformed by the Evangelical Dispensation But there is a third and that the most probable Interpretation of the words which is this and the Margin in our English Translation takes notice of it that in the Dispensation of the fulness of Time or the Dispensation of the Gospel God was pleased to sum up all things in Christ. Which may refer to Arithmetical Computation or bringing all Numbers into One and so here is signified that all the former Dispensations being cast up and briefly collected are reduced to this of the Gospel This is the Sum total Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. Or it may refer as St. Ierom on the place thinks to the way of Orators and Pleaders who in the close of their Speeches and Declamations briefly repeat and recapitulate all the foregoing particulars and represent the whole Cause in short In like manner what had been spun out and prolonged in divers foregoing Dispensations is now under the Gospel briefly gather'd and summ'd up in Christ Jesus This is the time wherein God hath made an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath drawn into one all that went before He hath finished the account for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred or the Work and cut it short in Righteousness bâ—cause a short Account or Work will the Lord make upon the Earth Rom. 9. 28. which as you will â—ee by consulting the Context and the place in Isaiah from whence it is taken is meant of the Gospel This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that abbreviated word or short Account or because a word and a thing or work are frequently convertible among the Hebrews whence this is borrow'd short work which God hath made upon the Earth The Law was tedious with its multiplicity of Observances but Christ comes in a compendious way and requires none of those long Undertakings which Moses exacted This saith one of the Fathers is the short word that is here meant the brief words of Faith Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved is the concise way of the Gospel This comprises the greatest things in short Christ the Incarnate Son of God is the Sum and Substance of all the Old Testament and of all the different Oeconomies from the beginning of the World The Evangelical Dispensation is the Recapitulation of all the preceding ones All is to be shut up with this nothing more is to be expected this being the Upshot and Conclusion of all the Administrations that are upon Earth I might argue likewise from the Gospel's being call'd the New Testament for the Greek Word signifies both a Covenant and a Testament Sometimes even when it is rendred a Covenant in the Margin it is translated a Testament But by the very import and scope of the Text we are forc'd to render it a Testament in some places as in Heb. 9. 16 17. The Chriâ—tian Institution and the New Covenant of Grace therein contained are the Will and â—estament of our Saviour wherein he hath set down what he would have done after his death â—or that is the true notion of a Testament Christ the Testator died and bequeathed us the Gospel this his Last Will must stand and that only therefore no other is to be looked for Moreover I might argue from this that the time of the Gospel is call'd the last Time I grant that sometimes the last Day and last Times and the end of the World are understood of the Day of Judgment and particularly the last Day is applied no less than four times in the 6 th Chapter of St. Iohn to the time of the last Resurrection or the Day of Judgment Some modern Writers understand the last Times and the end of the World of Christ's coming to destroy Ierusalem and it is certain they may in some places be understood so But for the most part they are taken otherwise and those Learned Mâ—n who defend the contrary shew too plainly their Prejudice and Partiality in asserting a Notion which they have once taken up But nothing is more evident than this that the last Times and the last Days which latter is different from the last Day in the singular Number are generally meant of the Gospel Dispâ—â—sation which is last of all This I prove from such places as these both in the Old and New Testament Isai. 2. 2. It shall come to pass in the last days that the Mount of the Lord's House shall be establiâ—â—ed on the top of the Mountains and so in Mic. 4. 1. where by the Consent of all Interpreters the last Days signiâ—ie the time of Christ's Coming the Appeaâ—ing of Christianity in the World and in other Prophets this is express'd after the same manner The Apostles use the same way of speaking and all the time from Christ's Coming to the Day of Judgment is call'd by them the last Time and the last Days as in 2. Tim. 3. 1. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5 20. 1. Pet. 3. 3. 1 Iohn 2. 18. and in other places the Time of the exhibitâ—ng of Chriâ—â— in the flesh or of the Reign of the Messias iâ— thus express'd It is also call'd the end of the World by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews who saith Christ appear'd in the end of the World to put away sin Heb. 9. 26. This Consummation of Ages as according to the Greek it may be most fitly rendred this Close or Shutting up of the former Dispensations especially of the Iewish one is call'd by the same Holy Writer the World to come Heb. 2. 5. And the very Iewish Writers fre-frequently give this Denomination to the time of the Messias This according to Daniel is the time of sealing up the Vision and Propâ—ecy Dan. 9. 24. i. e. of ratifying and verifying all the Visions and Prophecies
the Disciples for a time such Prejudices had they on their minds that they could not conceive the meaning of our Lord and they durst not ask him concerning those things It was not as yet reveal'd to them by what means the Messias was to deliver them they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom as the blinded Iews at this day they promis'd themselves much temporal Prosperity and Grandeur in the World Neither could the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection gain assent with them for we read that when he spake of it to the three Apostles before whom he was transfigured they questioned one with another what the rising from the dead should mean Mark 9. 10. And afterwards when he told the other Apostles as well as these that he should rise again the third day they understood not that saying Mark 9. 31 32. That our Saviour's Friends believ'd not his Resurrection appears from their dressing his dead Body with Aromatick Gums and Spices which were design'd to preserve it It had been vain to use these glutinous Gums and Persumes if they thought he was in a short time to rise again And when he was risen they would not believe it as appears too plainly from that Speech of Cleophas one of those whom Jesus talk'd with presently after his Resurrection tho then he pass'd incognito We trusted saith he that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luke 24. 21. Still he doubted tho he had heard of the Lord's Resurrection in saying we trusted he discover'd his distrust and impli'd that Iesus could not be the Messias who was to redeem Israel Tho the Apostles were certified of Christ's Resurrection by those that saw him yet their words seemed to them as idle Tales Luke 24. 11. and they would not be perswaded till they themselves saw Christ among them Nor did they know that he was to ascend for just before he left them they put this question to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou repair the Iewish State and recover its pristine Splendour yea raise it to a higher Dignity than ever it arrived to as we expect should be done by the Messias So likewise it might be proved that some of them were in an Error about the End of the World for they believed it would be about that time By these and other Instances their Ignorance and Mistake were apparently discovered they had very false apprehensions and conceptions of things and some of the chief Articles of the Christian Belief were not credited by them Here I might add that in our Blessed Saviour's time there was not such an effusion of the Holy Spirit as there was afterwards Iohn 7. 35. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified For this Reason several things were not disclosed to them but were reserved till a further communication of the Spirit for tho Christ had said All things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you yet he adds I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot hear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16. 12 13. As much as if he had said there is no new Truth or other Doctrine to be preach'd to you than what you have receiv'd from me already but the time is coming when there shall be a greater Manifestation of those things to you tho the Truths as to the main shall be the same yet your Understandings and Capacities shall be greater you shall then comprehend those matters which before you could not as the calling of the Gentiles the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias c. And moreover the Holy Spirit shall increase your Love and Zeal to God and all Truth so that you shall be enabled not only to preach it to all Nations but undauntedly to suffer Persâ—cution and even to lay down your Lives in the defence of it By this it is evident that Christianity was revealed by degrees as well as the other former Dispensations of Religion Their knowledg in the Christian Institution was gradual they were not to know all together neither were their Zeal and Courage of the same proportion that they were afterwards Secondly in the Times and Ages immediately succeeding our Saviour's being upon Earth the Church was but yet in its Childhood and State of Infirmity It is true they were much increased and advanced in their knowledg of spiritual Truths this being the Accomplishment of our Saviour's Promise as well as Prediction that the Holy Spirit should guide them into all Truth By a more immediate and special Directioâ— of this Holy Guide the Evangelists and Apostles indited and pen'd the Books of the New Testament so that there are no Errors and Mistakes in them of any kind Therefore what a Learned Writer saith on 1 Cor. 15. 51. and 2 Pet. 3. 11. and other places in St. Paul's and St. Peter's Epistles viz. that these Apostles verily believ'd the day of Iudgment was at hand and consequently were under a mistake is not to be admitted is by no means to be credited for these Persons as well as the other Penmen of the New Testament being immediately inspired by that Infallible Guide and Director could not possibly commit any Errors in their Writings whatever their misapprehensions were at other times When therefore they use those Terms with respect to the last Day We and Ye as if they of that Age should survive to see that Day we must remember that they speak not of themselves particularly and definitively but of the whole successive Body of Christians in several Ages who will be expecting the last Day This is the meaning of those Expressions as is plain from their using them on other occasions We have no Reason then to think that the Apostles were deceiv'd about the Day of Judgment or any other matter that they writ of and deliver'd to the World Here is no weakness no defect as to any thing of this nature Nay there was a great Advance and Accession in respect of what there was before in the foregoing part of this Dispensation viz. in the time that our Saviour lived upon the Earth For the Doctrines of the Gospel of which I speak now were gradually deliver'd and consequently the Apostles attain'd now to more than was discover'd in Christ's time he having not thought fit then to communicate all in so evident and plain a manner as we find it was afterwards done Therefore that late Writer is under a great mistake who declares that the Apostles Epistles are only occasional and that we can find no necessary Points of Divinity deliver'd there which were not deliver'd before in the Gospels and Acts whereas the Truth is the Epistles contain the most perfect and complete Doctrines of the Gospel for by degrees the Evangelical Truth display'd it self All the necessary and fundamental Articles of Christianity are explain'd
latter those that succeed And yet as it is in the growth of human Bodies tho the Strength and Stature of them be alter'd yet the same Nature and Persons remain in the mature Years that were before so it is here saith he Christianity is consolidated by Years it is enlarged by Time it is sublimed by Age but still it continues incorrupt and intire And afterwards cap. 29. It is â—itting saith he that the heavenly Philosophy for so he stiles the Christian Religion which was sowed in the Church by the primitive Fathers should afterwards grow up flourish and be cultivated by the Industry of their Sons that by process of time it should become more polish'd but yet that it should retain the same Plenitude Property and Integrity that it had as to its Substance at first Thus that excellent Writer And I was very glad to find my Notion of the last Time confirmed by a Person of so much Judgment and Sagacity and of so great Repute in the Christian Church The Sum of what he saith is that Christianity shall be improved by succession of Time and at last this Beauty shall receive its finishing stroke Now this I will endeavour to make good from Reason and Scripture It is reasonable to believe that there shall be a better State of Religion because this is founded on the constant Method of God in the World We find that it is his Way and Course to proceed in a gradual manner and that not only in the things of Nature as at the Creation of all ranks of Beings but in those of Religion as I have shew'd in the several Stages of it since it began Wherefore it is reasonable to conclude that it will be thus in Christianity that as it hath had already its different Steps Measures and Gradations so there is a greater yet to come and that it shall arrive to the heighth of its Glory in this World Again it is reasonable to believe that great things are to come because so little is done hitherto The unbelieving part of the World is very vast and large The greatest Kingdoms of the Earth are those of the Tartars the Indians the Chinoise the Persians the Turks all whâ—ch are Strangers to the Religion of Iesus Divide the World into three Parts and it will appear that two of them are inhabited even by profess'd Pagans Or if we divide it into six parts we shall find that five of them at this day know not Christ but are either Idolatrous Pagans which are the greatest number or Iews or Mahometans And of the sixth Part how few of those that outwardly make Profession of Christ have true Faith and deserve the Name of Christians Popery which can scarcely be reckon'd as a part of Christianity hath spread it self through the most flourishing Kingdoms in Eâ—rope and hath got footing in Asia and is not wholly a stranger in some parts of Africa and hath found its way even into America Among the Churches which disown Popery some of them are grosly ignorant erroneous and superstitious as the Muscovian Abyssine and Greek Churches generally And even among the Reformed Churches what Divisions and Dissentions what unchristian Feuds and Animosities are there What variety of Opinions is there amongst them How unsetled are they in their Notions and Apprehensions How little of the true Virtue of Religion and Power of Godâ—iness is to be observed among them How is the Satanical Kingdom kept up and maintain'd every where How industriously is it recruited and establish'd Whereas Christians should live better than all the World beside it is sad and deplorable that their Words and Actions bid deâ—iance to every thing which appertains to so Sacred and Honourable a Title They profess the best Religion in the World and do things that are the worst Some that bear this venerable Name are as wicked and proâ—ligate as any other sort of Men upon Earth the grosâ—est Enormities of Barbarians are acted by them It is too apparent a Truth that many who go under the Name of Christians conspire against the Religion which Christ hath set up in the World as well as Iews Turks and Pagans In fine look where you will and you will have cause to say how short is Christianity of its full Arcomplishment What slender effects are there of it in the Lives and Manners of Men How little Progress hath it made in so many Ages How narrow is its Kingdom How ineffectual are its Laws in most places Whence it is rational to infer that there must be some greater Work effected both in the Kingdoms of the World which have no notice of Christ and the the Christian Faith and also in that part of the World which is already Christian. A farther Oâ—câ—nomy or rather a farther Exaltation of this Evangelical Oeconomy which we are under is to be 〈…〉 hoped for We should be tempted to think 〈…〉 God 's Providence if there be no more to be done if Christianity attains not to a greater height than hitherto it hath It is a very surprizing and amazing Problem abstracting from the diâ—ine Destinies concerning it and the Predictions of it in the Holy Writings that 〈◊〉 Kingdom of Satan in all Ages of the World 〈…〉 greater numbers of Subjects than that of Christ. It â—â—ems very harsh and dismal that so many should perish that among Heatheâ—s Iews Mahomâ—tans and even Christians Satan should have such a Haâ—veâ—t But now this is soon answer'd by what I have suggested this which I oâ—fer is a very clear and eaâ—ie solution of the Difficulty for there will be moâ—e Saints in the space of the thousand Years whiâ—h I shall afterwards describe than there were wicked and impenitent Sinners in all the other thousâ—â—ds 〈…〉 preceded this Dispensation There will be such a 〈◊〉 of general Conversion and universal Sanctity through all the Regions of the World that the number of the saved shall at last surpass that of the damned This will plainly appear from what I shall propound in the sâ—quel of this Discourse and it will give us a fair and comfortable Idea of the Divine Philanthropy it will let us see that the Scales of Providence hang even it will clear up the dark Proceedings of Heaven and fully satisfie uâ— about the Wisdom of God in the Conduct of the World Another Argument that I shall make use of shall be from the gradual Improvement of all Arts and Sciences in the World It was well noted by one of the Antients and that with reference to the Dispensations of Religion that the commencement of Sciences is defective and imâ—â—rfect but by little and gradual Additions they come at last to their complete pitch Nothing is more observable than that Learning hath had its noble Accessions in the several successive Generations of Mankind Which was foretold by Seneca long ago who speaking of the Phâ—nomena of Comets and the like Philosophical Disquisitions prophetically utters these words The time shall come when
it hath travelled Westward The Church and the Sun as Mr. Herbert hath observed have observed the like Motion And it â—ath crossed the Western Ocean The Americans hear of Christ. We have an Essay in those Plantations to confirm us in the Truth of what is to come afterwards The true Gospel hath been preached and is at this Day in several Places of this New-found World And though the Roman Priests have planted their Perswasion in many Parts of it with vast â—â—fusion of Blood yet Popery may make way for a better Religion afterwards when the Gospel shall be spread even to the utmost Parts of this Western Hemisphere and so in its direct way step into the East again and visit the Islands in the Eastern Seas and then land on the Continent among the Tartars Indians Chinoises Persians c. and so finish its Circuit by returning to the Place where it set out first of all Thus our Saviour's Words shall be verified The Gospel shall be preached in all the World and then shall the End come Mat. 24. 14. This will be a plain Indication that they are come to the last Period of Time design'd for this World and that as soon as this is past the Day of Judgment is at hand Thus much concerning the Conversion of the Gentiles by whom I understand the People of those Nations and Countries that have not had the Knowledge of the True God And therefore they are to be distinguished from the Mahometans who are not to be reckon'd in the Body of the Gentiles and therefore not be Converted but Destroy'd III. The Conversion of the Iews is another Concomitant of the perfect State of Christianity This being a great Controversy among Divines Whether the Iews shall be Converted to Christ before the end of the World I will Inlarge upon it and endeavour to give Satisfaction in the Point By this Conversion we do not mean the Conversion of a Few but a Great and Remarkable a General and National Conversion of the Jews before the Consummation of all Things This was the general Belief of the Ancient Writers of the Church The Holy Scripture hath declared saith Cyril of Alexandria that the Jews in the last Times shall obtain Mercy being justified with us by Grace in Christ. The Jews saith another Godly Father shall turn unto God and believe in Jesus at the end of the World and be saved And that there shall be this Signal Conversion of that People was the Perswasion of several other Christian Fathers Though I find there is some Disagreement among them about this Whether the Iews shall return to their own Countrey Iudaea and there be fixed again and build and inhabit Ierusalem Origen speaking of the Jews affirms confidently that they shall not be restored to their own Land and with him agreeth St. Chrysostom But Iustin Martyr and some others of the Ancients hold that they shall return to the Land of Canaan upon their imbracing the Messias and that they shall be fixed there To prove which they quote Jer. 25. 5. Turn ye every one from his evil Ways and dwell in the Land which the Lord hath given unto you and to your Fathers for ever and ever In the 39 Chap. of Ezekiel there seems to be foretold not only the Destruction of the Turks call'd Gog in the latter Days ver 1. to 23. but immediately after that the Return of the Iews to their own Land v. 23. to the end of the Chapter All the Circumstances of the Prophecy argue it to be spoken of this last Return from their Captivity and Dispersion Which is further evidenced from those remarkable Words in the close of all v. 29. I will not hide my Face any more from them which shews that the Prediction can't be meant of their Return under Cyruâ— from their Captivity in Babylon because they have been Captives since and banished into all Parts of the World Whence I conclude that this Prophetick Promise was never yet accomplished and therefore must be And other Prophecies which are very plain may be alledged out of Isaiaâ— Ioel and Zechariah which forâ—tel that the Messias shall restore the Israelites to their own Land Indeed if we duly weigh some of those Passages we cannot but think it very credible that these poor Vagabonds shall recover again the Holy Land and inhabit there after their long Dispersion Though I will not designedly concern my self in this Dispute yet I think I shall render their Restauration extremely probable whilst I am discoursing of and proving the main Thing which is their Conversion And that this shall be National and General was the common Opinion of the Ancients and the Moderns excepting a Few assent to them in it I deny not that some of the Texts usually cited out of the Old Testament to prove the General Calling and return of the Jews before the last Judgment are to be understood of the Temporal Deliverance of that People from the Captivity and their Returning back to their own Land presently after And other Texts are meant of the Spiritual Deliverance of the Jews who were Godly and Righteous Some of those Prophecies being to be taken in a Mystical and Spiritual Sense Canaan being a Type of the Church And there are some Places also which speak of the Conversion of the Jews which was to be in our Saviour's Time when he chose his Disciples and Apostles out of the Jewish Nation and when afterwards Multitudes of Iews submitted to Châ—istianity and owned Iesus to be the Christ. All this I acknowledge but yet any unprejudiced Person may take notice of other Places of Scripture both in the Old and New Testament which point at the General and National Calling of the Jews and that towards the end of the World And it may be taken notice of further that some of those Texts which foretel their Return from Babylon to their own Land and others which speak of their turning from Judaism to Christianity at the first Propagation of the Gospel are also to be understood of this Universal Recalling of them at the first setting up of the Glorious Kingdom of Christ which we are discoursing of for there is a Twofold Historical Meaning of such Passages in the Prophetical Writings of the Bible one is Primary and Chiefly intended the other Secondary and Included This I am throughly perswaded of from the Style and Tenour of Scripture that there are different Things spoken of in the same Place and Narrative different Occâ—rrences are prophesied of at one time All other Historical Books have but one Sense and Meaning and no more because they refer to one Thing only But it is not so here Any observing and considâ—rate Man must needs see this and it is a Key to a great part of the Bible There is an eminent Passage in Lev. 26. which I don't find taken notice of but in my Opinion it speaks home to the present purpose God after
by mere Opinion or by Matters of an indifferent Nature We live in an Age wherein Men talk and discourse much concerning Religion and yet the Generality of them have less Religion than any Age ever had Why Because they place Religion in Words and Pretences in some peculiar Sets of Opinions and in a meer external Shew of some Performances that relate to Devotion But in that happy Kingdom which we look for Substantial Religion will take place and the only Standard of it shall be True and Solid Piety Thirdly A greater Measure of Grace shall be bestowed on the Christian Church more of that Divine Spirit Not in the Sense that some mean that Extraordinary Gifs and Supernatural Endowments shall be confer'd and that the Outward Teachings of Man shall cease and become useless But I mean thus that the effectual Power of the Holy Spirit shall be seen in making Men better which indeed is the grand Design and Office of the Holy Ghost and therefore shall take Place in that happy Time The most admired and glorious Gifts are mean and base in respect of Real Goodness and Holiness i. e. a hearty Love of God and his Ways and an upright Life resulting from it Therefore we may infer that by a more abundant Communication of the Spirit these shall be advanced in the World In the Golden Age of Christianity there shall be a mighty Power and Efficacy on Mens Minds exciting them to worthy and noble Actions causing them to be zealous for Religion and to act with Vigour and Concernedness and to overcome all Difficulties that lie in their way and in a Word to design and bring to pass Great Things for the Honour of the Supreme Being and the Good of the World Fourthly IESUS shall then in a more eminent Manner be exalted his blessed Undertakings for our Redemption and Salvation his Merits and Perfect Righteousness shall be more than ever esteem'd admir'd and extoll'd This shall be a more especial Time of magnifying and celebrating the meritorious Transactions of our Lord Christ for the Saving of Mankind Which must needs produce a very high Degree of Holiness in Mens Lives for there is not a more genuine Source of it than the Consideration of what Christ hath done and suffer'd for us There is not a more effectual Spring of True Obedience nor a more powerful Motive to it than the Free and Unmerited Love of God the Father through his beloved Son Iesus Wherefore now the Reformed World shall exercise itself more and more in this true Way that leads to Purity and Holiness viz. a perpetual valuing and prizing the Grace of God in the Gospel through the Blood of the New Covenant This hath not been sufficiently done hitherto yea it hath been shamefully neglected in all Ages of Christianity Therefore now it shall be performed with great Zeal and Application by all the Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem Though their Works and Obedience shall exceed all that went before yet they shall not presume to rely upon them Though their Lives shall be more strict and blameless than ever yet they shall entertain no Opinion of their own Worthiness but confide wholly in the Spotless Obedience of the Lamb of God and they shall attribute all to Iesus and his Holy Spirit Lastly to heap up many Things together in those blessed Days there shall be no New Religion but New Hearts that is more enlightned more warmed and more sanctified There shall then be a continual Striving to excel one another in laudable and vertuous Actions Religion and Piety shall be Fashionable and Goodness and Holiness shall be esteemed most Honourable All Perfidiousness and Fraud all Lying and Falshood shall cease and Truth and Sincerity Integrity and Open-heartedness shall universally prevail Swearing will then be of little Use unless it be as a meer Act of Solemn Worship and owning a God for where there is no distrust of one another where 't is known that Persons deal Truly and Uprightly Oaths are not needful to attest or confirm what they say In those Days Men shall conciliate an assent to what they speak they shall perswade others of the Truth of what they assert or promise by plain Words and by an honest Life Briefly all-sinister and base Designs all unworthy Aims and vitious Ends shall be laid aside and the Glory of the Great God and of his Son Iesus Christ shall be the main Thing which shall influence upon their Lives If it be demanded How this great Change shall be wrought I answer It shall be done by the powerful Aids and Assistances of Heaven which shall be vouchsafed to Men in a very plentiful Manner Hereby they shall be inabled above their own Abilities and Strengths to subdne their Lusts to conquer their Vices and in the most exact manner to conform their Lives to the Rules of the Gospel If you further ask What outward instruments and Means God will make use of to accomplish this Great Work I conceive it shall be effected by Active and Zealous Governors For we cannot but take Notice that Persons of that Character have been raiâ—'d up continually in order to great Revolutions and Alterations in Church and State as is evident in the Examples of Cyrus Alexander the Great Constantiâ—â— the Great Charles the Great and the Electors of Saxony And in the beginning of our REFORMATION in this Land what strange Things did a Resolute and Couragious King bring to pass Much more may be effected here and all the World over by God's inspiring the Hearts of some Christian Kings and Princes with Valour and Resolution especially by adding Goodness and Holiness to these by blessing them with a real Sense and relish of Religion in their own Minds and Consciences Being thus qualified what is there too hard for them to accomplish What may not be expected from Governors of this Character Wicked Rulers are the greatest Mischief and Plague of the World and accordingly it hath been Satan's Stratagem throughout all Ages to procure such Magistrates as will abett and further his Design i. e. that will patronize all Vice and Wickedness and if it be possible establish it by a Law This hath been the Cause and Sourse of that horrid Deluge of Vice which hath broken in upon all Cities and Countries and miserably overspread them Therefore I infer that when God will vouchsafe to stem this mighty Torrent he will set up some Eminent Persons in High Places who by their powerful Laws as by so many Walls and Ramparts shall effectually stop its impetuous Course I question not in the least but that those Words in Rev. 20. 4. I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Iudgment was given unto them refer partly to this they signify to us that Power and Authority which shall be at that time Evil-doers shall be call'd to an Account and punish'd according to their Offences and the Earth shall in a manner be cleared of all wilful and stubborn Criminals This
are to understand the Words in a Literal meaning may be further proved and confirm'd from the brief Repetition of this Prophecy in chap. 65. v. 25. The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock and dust shall be the Serpents Meat they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain It is not probable that the Prophet would have repeated this Prediction and urged it in the same manner and on the same occasion viz. when he was foretelling the Happy Reign of the Messias in the laft Days for he brings it in under the time of the New Heavens and the New Earth v. 17. and it is the close of the Description of the State of the New Ierusalem in this Chapter most part of which I had occasion to mention before it is not probable I say that the Prophet would have reiterated this Prediction in the very same way and circumstances that he mentioned it before if the Words were a meer Metaphor or Allegory and not to be understood in a downright Literal Sense he would have varied the way of expressing and have let us know that a Spiritual meaning is to be understood But indeed the very Natural Tenour and Import of the Words themselves acquaint us that they are not Allegorical but are to be taken according to the obvious signification of the Terms viz. That in those Happy Times the very Brutes the most Furious and Implacable of them shall be reconciled to Man and likewise to themselves mutually in order to which they shall have a new way of sustaining themselves the Wolf and the Lamb shall have the same Food that 's the meaning of Feeding together such as the Earth affords the Lion shall have the same Provender with the Bullock and the Serpent which used to hurt other Beasts as well as Men shall be content with the Food which was at first appointed him Gen. 3. 14. In short the Irrational Creatures shall neither devour Men nor one another as was usual before but they shall become Serviceble and Obedient to Man and shall be at Peace among themselves This may be censur'd perhaps as a new Interpretation of this Prophecy but I believe no Wife and Intelligent Man will condemn it for its Novelty but rather imbrace it because it is so plain easie and intelligible in it self because it agrees so exactly with the Context and because it is so suitable yea so absolutely requisite to that State which I have Discours'd of wherein every thing shall be in a better condition that it was and accordingly the very Nature of the Beasts shall be chang'd that they may be what they were at first that is not Harmful or Terrible as appears from Eve's Conversing with the Serpent and in a Word there shall be such a Catholick change as shall bring with it an accumulation of all Temporal Felicities But this must be said that I may not be mistaken by some Persons that though these Earthly and Corporeal Coveniencies shall be in the Millennary Reign yet they are the least part of it nay they may be said to be the Attendants rather than Parts of it for it is the Confluence of Spiritual and Divine Blessings that gives Denomination to this Happy Oeconomy it is this that makes it chiefly to be Admired and Esteem'd And those other things which I have mention'd which relate to the Body and which are but Appendages of this State are wholly in order to the Better Enjoyments and are no farther to be regarded than as they are some ways subservient to these This I insert that we may not deceive our selves about the Notion of this Happy State which I am speaking of that we may not fancy it to be merely an Earthly Paradise that we may not think Christ's Kingdom to be of this World But notwithstanding this it is a certain Truth that all manner of Good Things inhanse the Comsort and Pleasure of that Blessed Kingdom In fine that which gives the Value to all things relating to the New Ierusalem is that the Glory of God Enlightens it and the Lamh is the Light thereof Rev. 21. 23. That is it is the Eternal Father and Son not excluding the Holy Ghost and not any Created Being or Enjoyment though never so exquisite that can constitute the Blessedness of this State In which respect it is said The City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it that is all Temporal and Mundane Felicities be they never so bright are useless and insignificant in comparison of the fruition of GOD himself I take this to be the meaning of St. Iohn's Words and not what is suggested by the late Thâ—orist viz. That the Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem on Earth shall be wholly destitute of those great Luminaries of Heaven there will be no use of the Light of the Sun and Moon but they shall be supplied by a Supernatural Bodily Light Which mistaken Interpretation was caused by not attending to the place in the Prophet Isaiah whence this without doubt was borrowed Isai. 60. 19. The Sun shall be no more thy Light by Day neither for Brightness shall be Moon give Light unto thee And yet in the next Verse it is said Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self Which evidently shews that the former Words are not to be understood Literally that is concerning those Celestial Bodies otherwise there is a plain Contradiction in those Texts The true intent then of the foresaid Words is no other than this that the Sun and Moon and all the other Temporal Blessings of the Millennary Revolution are Mean and Inconsiderable in respect of the Transcendent Glory Splendor and Influence of the Divine Majesty who alone is able to render that State Happy When that desired Day comes the full Vertue of Shiloh's Name shall shine forth which denotes not only Salvation which that Time shall prepare Men for above any other but Peace or Tranquility both inward and outward and which is much more extensive Prosperity or Happiness which comprehends in it all things that are rationally Desireable in the Life of Man upon Earth as well as in the Mansions above Thus I have briefly represented to you those things which may reasonably be suppos'd to be the inseparable Attendants of the Happy Reign of Christ on Earth which is the highest Exaltation of the Christian Oeconomy It hath been with some doubting and struggling that I have said so much for Holy Writ seems some times to say that the Condition of the Church is such that it shall not be wholly free from Trouble and Calamity but that it shall always or for the most part suffer from the Wicked When I perused those several Predictions concerning the Sufferings and Persecutions of the Church I stagger'd as to my belief of this Future Quiet State on Earth I was apt to think that the World is