reign with him that you might know who it is you look for one that hath suffered and been tempted that so he might be your king in his humiliation a little before he come in his glory Oh it will be your joy and crown of rejoycing one day if you have hearts to own him truly in his humiliation Well your duty is and its that which the Lord calls you to to repent and believe the Gospel to be baptized after believing in the name of the Lord Jesus wherein is represented the washing away of sin both in conscience and conversation through faith in his blood it s onely the duty of believers to be baptized we own no national Church under the Gospel before the day of Christs glorious appearing but whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall be saved the nations delude themselves with the form of godliness without the power Oh it s the life and power of godliness that will stand us instead at the last it s your duty to own him in every part of his word and will for God hath raised him up a Prophet to you and it s your duty to hear him in all Dcut. 18. 15. with Act. 3. 22 23. Moses gives up all to him if Moses were upon the earth he would willingly submit himself to this prophet therefore stand it not out with him remember that word of Christ Luk. 19. 27. but those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me The Lord Jesus in his glorious appearing will render vengeance to them that know him not to them that obey him not but will be admired in all those that have believed in him in that day 2 Thess 1. 8. 9 10. Oh therefore fear and tremble to stand it out with him any longer he is that stone that whosoever falls on him will be broken but on whomsoever he shall fall he will break them to pieces you have been stumbling at him a long time Oh take heed lest he fall on you he is not onely a Lamb full of meekness patience and forbearance slain for the sin of sinners but he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and when the Lyon roareth all the beasts of the Forest will then tremble Oh then blessed are all those that put their trust in him To conclude this word remember I bessech you these three things 1. That without him there is no life there is no other name given among men whereby you may be saved but by the name of Jesus viz. through faith in his blood 2. Consider the grievousness of your sin in rejecting him so long as you have consider of that word of the Prophet if it had been an enemy I could have born it but it is thou O man my acquaintance Psal 45. 13. it is his own and they have not received him Oh thats it will cause you to weep bitterly every family apart Zach. 12. when you shall come to look upon him whom you have peirced and shall mourn for him Oh it s that will break your hearts when you shall see and say he that is our king hath been our reproach we it is that have wounded and peirced him we it is that have rejected him and trampled him under our feet and accounted the blood of the covenant an holy thing yet know that if the Lord make you sensible of your sin he is gracious he is yet a Lamb full of meekness his blood shall cleanse you from all your sins for the promise is to you as many as the Lord our God shall call For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 15. 3. Consider that notwithstanding your rejecting of him yet he shall be your King at last and he it is that shall be manifest to be the Lord of lords and King of kings that one Lord Jesus Christ who hath been so much set light by you see Hos 13. 10. I will be thy King Where is any that may save thee in all thy Cities and this leads me to the fourth particular SECT IV. THe fourth particular that I shall present you with is that this Jesus shall reign on earth and the twelve Tribes of Israel shall be gathered by him to their own land in peace 1. That this Jesus shall have his kingdom and dominion here on earth manifest among the sons of men Having had his day of humiliation among the sons of men He shall have his day of glory on earth among the sons of men that as he hath been abased in person on earth so shall he in person reign on earth In the confirmation of this glorious truth I shall present you with many Scriptures both in the old and new Testament Psal 2. throughout Where the Lord hath said it that notwithstanding the heathen rage and the people imagin a vain thing for they imagine that Christ shall not reign which is a vain thing vain imaginations c. yet verse 6. Have I set my King upon the holy hill of Sion And verse 8. He shall have the heathen given him for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession what shall he do with them he shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel This is a clear prophesie of the reign of Christ the anointed I have set mine anointed upon Zion the hill of my holiness and all the rage of men on earth shall not hinder it or prevent God in his great designe of the exaltation of the man Jesus to this fully agreeth that glorious prophesie Psalm 72. throughout though it may be supposed that the Prophet in this Psalm intendeth Solomon which I do not altogether deny yet he intendeth Solomon no otherwise than as he was a type of Christ but in the Messiah the man Jesus shall this prophesie be truly and fully made good in the day of his glory vers 2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement vers 4. He shall judge the poor of the people and shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor vers 5. they shall fear thee so long as the Sun and Moon endureth throughout all generations This was never made good in Solomon nor in any man else but it shall be in Christ Dan. 7. 27. all dominions shall serve and obey him but to return vers 7. in his dayes the righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace till there be no Moon vers 8. he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth and so to the 17. verse are many glorious prophesies of his kingdom and his name shall be for ever he shall be a son to continue his
cannot be rightly intended or understood but of Christ the true Messiah For first never a virgin conceived a child in the ordinary course of nature And secondly his name Immanuel viz. God with us could not properly be given to any but the Son of God nor ever was there a virgin that bear a Son but Mary the mother of Jesus or any one besides him truly called Immanuel that is God with us and with his believing in him by his spirit and grace shall be with his in glory Mat. 23. Luk. 1. 26 c. here in is the mystery of Gods wisdom grace to men that as by a womā sin and condemnation came first into the world so by a Son born of a woman a virgin salvation is come into the world As his conception and birth was according to the Scripture of a virgin so the place of his birth was according to prophesies exactly fulfilled viz. in Bethlehem Mic. 5. 2. with Mat. 2. 1 5. and for this reason it was that Herod commanded all the males in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof from two yeers old and under to be slain that so he might make sure to slay Jesus Mat. 2. 16. and this makes way for the fulfilling of another prophesie Jer. 31. 15. with Mat. 2. 17 18. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying In Ramah was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not though I do not question but that there may be much in this prophesie relating to the distressed estate of Israel and afterward a prophesie of their return But it was likewise fulfilled in this also for Benjamin came of Rachel Gen. 35. 18. and Ramah was one part of Benjamins possession Nehe. 11. 33. and the fulfilling of this Scripture made way for the fulfilling of another prophesie Joseph at the command of God flying with Jesus into Egypt to save his life from Herod made way for the fulfilling of that prophesie Hos 11. 1. Out of Egypt have I called my Son Mat. 2. 15. he was there viz. in Egypt until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying out of Egypt have I called my Son It s true there might be something in it relating to your coming out of Egypt by the hand of Moses but prophesies are of a large extent and the most precious mystery is hid from our eyes if the Lord open not our understanding His life was a life of suffering assoon as he came into the world his life was sought after and afterwards he was the reproach of men accounted a friend to Publicans and sinners a blasphemer one that cast out divels through Belzebub the Prince of divels Mat. 12. 24. John 10. 33. and so in him was fulfilled that prophesie Isa 8. 18. with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel He came to his own and his own received him not and so that prophesie was fulfilled Isa 53. 1. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed and that prophesie Isa 6. 9. Go tell this people hear ye in hearing but understand not and see in deed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eys lest they hear with their ears and see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them And hath not this been your condition many yeers and hath not there been a forsaking in the land upon this account and the Lord hath removed you far away but there is a tenth which shall return c. See vers 11 12 13. And in him was fulfilled that prophesie Zach. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh to thee he is just having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the fole of an Ass This was fulfilled in him Mat. 21. 5. to the 10. this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Behold thy King cometh unto thee meekly sitting upon an Ass c. Note this was an act of Christ to be performed in his humiliation he must come lowly meekly riding upon an Ass this is not to be expected in his glory then he shall come in power and great glory Who will abide the day of his coming and who will stand when he appeareth Mal. 3. 2. But first he must come meekly and humbly and yet riding in this meek estate wherein was a resemblance of his glory the great multitudes that went before and followed after him cryed saying Hosanna to the Son of David blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Mat. 21. 9. if there was so much glory appeared in his meekness in his humiliation how will he appear glorious when he shall appear in his power when the song of Saints shall be the Lord God omnipotent reigneth With what clearness was that prophesie fulfilled in all the circumstances of it Isa 52. 14 cha 53. throughout Cha. 52. 14. as many were astonished at thee his visage was so marred more than any mans and his form more than the sons of men Was not this fulfilled when your fathers cryed out crucifie him crucifie him give us not this man but Barabbas Mat. 27. 20 21. Jesus was so marred in their eyes that they preferred Barabbas a thief and a murderer before him Act. 3. 14 15. thus was he a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs despised rejected of men and not esteemed Chap. 53. 3. Oh was not this prophesie fulfilled to the life in Jesus verse 4 5. Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows yet we did esteem him striken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him c. the reason was in vers 6. Because that all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and he bare our sins on his own body on the cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. In him was fulfilled that saying of the Prophet Micah 5. 1. They shall smite the Judge of Israel with the rod upon the cheek Mat. 27. 30. They spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head and so fulfilled that Scripture Isa 50. 6. I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spiting Thus was he numbered among transgressors Isa 53. 12. accounted worse than Barabbas crucified between two thieves Mark 15. 27 28. and the Scripture was fulfilled In all which he
even so amen But who will abide the day of his coming and who will stand when he appeareth Mal. 3. and this I desire to minde you by the way that as at or in the beginning work of your deliverance You must come in by weeping cross not onely in the sight and sense of your sin Jer. 5. 4. Looking on him whom you have peirced and mourning for him Zach. 12. but likewise in relation to the great trouble you are like to meet with also from the world that as you have been scattered among the nations and Israel hath been kept in obscurity so the nations will rage in your gathering together and then will be the first war of Gog and Magog mentioned in Ezek. 38. and 39. and it will go hard with you for a time see Zach. 14. 1 2. to this that agreeth Rev. 16. 12. when the River Euphrates is dryed up that the way of the kings of the earth may be prepared vers 13 14. on their appearance three unclean spirits like frogs went out of the mouth of the dragon the beast and the false prophets which are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world to gather them together to the battel of the great day of God almighty that is the great battel of Gog and Magog mentioned before called the great battel of God almighty because it is that great battle appointed of God where he will destroy both his and your enemies And in this great distress by reason of the nations fury called Gog and Magog then shall Michael the great prince of his people stand up for your deliverance Dan. 12. 1. Then will the Lord send a fire upon Magog and he shall know that there is a God in Israel and the Lord will make his holy name known in the midst of his people Israel and he will not let them pollute his holy name any more c. Ezek. 39. 6 7. And then shall that prophesie be fulfilled Isa 2. and Micah 4. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more onely after the glorious reign of Christ and his Saints Satan shall be loosed for a little season Rev. 20. and shall gather together Gog and Magog that is those that were left of the nations in the first destruction Ezek. 39. 2 and they shal compass the campe of the Saints about the beloved City fire shall come down from God and destroy them this shall be the last encamping together of Gog and the last destruction and final judgement in this day of glory shall all believing Gentiles be gathered in with you for he is given as well to be a light to the Gentiles as to be the glory of the people Israel Isa 49. 6. Thus have I in tenderness and faithfulness both to the Lord and you discharged this as my duty in commending these few lines unto you the Lord grant that it may finde acceptance with you Here are many prayers presented for you at the throne of grace by those who clearly see and believe Gods intention of good to you for my self I trust my heart is so much set at liberty towards you that I could not onely prostrate my pen and prayers for your good but my person likewise if I saw a clear call from the Lord to serve you In a word to conclude I do believe that you have some of those remembrancers in this nation spoken of Isa 62. 6 7. That will give the Lord no rest till he have made Ierusalem a praise in the earth which is the earnest and daily prayer of him who is both yours and the truths servant as far as he may though unworthy T. C. THE POSTSCRIPT MY Friends to whose hands this Epistle may come The estate of the Jews having been a long time sad and indeed as once the Gentiles were and all unbelieving Gentiles are without Christ in the world and so without hope in themselves as in relation to the true Messiah the Lord having given me some apprehension concerning his purpose both of grace and glory towards them I could not with good conscience altogether hold my peace at this time without writing these preceding lines unto them it being translated into French that being a language that they are exercised in and so sent unto them the work being done the issue I leave to the Lord who I know doth usually honour himself in working by weak means and being desired by some friends I have likewise got it printed in English thereby not onely to provoke others who perhaps may be more inlarged in this work toward those poor dark despised people but likewise that all whose hearts are truely Zion-ward may be instant with the Lord in prayer for them and so much the more because their coming in will be to us life from the dead and their fulness will be our glory Oh therefore let all be warned not to be wise in their own conceit and know that blindness is happened to Israel but in part but that till the fulness of the Gentiles is come in and then Israel shall be saved I have a few words my brethren and friends to present you farther with concerning the reign of Christ and that is that he shall have a kingdom upon the earth and shall reign with his people upon the earth manifesting his power and glory amongst them and over the world But before I proceed any further I shall answer one objection that is some may say It was not long since that your self was against this principle c. Answ It s true in part I was being much informed in the truth of the reign of Christ but judging it to be a glorious reign in the spirits of his people over the world and this is the apprehension of many precious sons of Zion at this day but the Lord opening the seals by degrees unto his people he gives them to see farther into the mystery of his will concerning his kingdom and as light shines in their darkness doth flye away I could not but judge it my duty to give some hints concerning my farther apprehension of the kingdom of Christ in which I shall be very brief That his kingdom shall be manifest on earth will appear from these ensuing grounds 1. It was and is the great design of the Father to exalt the Son here on earth before the sons of men this was his design before he made the world and ever since all things hath doth and will concur to the bringing about of this great design therefore he at first made the world by him and for him Eph. 4. 9. Col. 2. 16. Joh. 1. 1. afterwards man being faln and the curse come in upon the whole creation Gen. 3. God did by him and for him recover the world again Col. 1. 20. that so he might have a selected people to himself that might enjoy his grace and glory Col. 1.
THE Day-Dawning And the DAY-STAR Arising to the Dispersed of JUDAH ISRAEL Wherein is briefly handled Their CALL AND CHRISTS Second coming whose day is neer at hand By THO. COLLIER LONDON Printed by H. Hills for T. Brewster at the three Bibles neer the West end of Pauls 1655. 〈…〉 It may seem strange that I at such a distance from you and not of your nation should trouble my self so much about your estate being a people now despicable in the worlds eyes scattered and dispersed among the nations and upon a rational account unlikely to be a people beloved for the Fathers sake and that shall be honoured of God when the nations shall fall before you and confess you a people sought out and saved and not forsaken but I have had several prevailing arguments in mine own heart which have occasioned me to present you with this Epistle and I intreat and beseech you for the Lords sake and for the love of the truth that you do read this Epistle and ponder it well in your hearts desiring the God of Grace to give you an understanding in the truth herein presented to you for with much bowels of tenderness and love have I written to you the reasons moving me thereunto are these 1. That cleer discovery God hath given me by his Spirit from the Word of truth of his intention to do you good and that although you have been a long time rejected and scattered for your own sake yet you are beloved and shall be gathered for the Fathers sake Secondly being thus instructed in the truth of your calling it lay much as a duty upon my heart and I am confident from the Lord to write unto you that I might perform my duty to you in my generation leaving the blessing to the Lord. Thirdly Likewise being assured that the time of your gathering is at hand Fourthly knowing likewise that your fullness will be the time of the deliverance of all believing Gentiles now dispersed and trampled under foot for their Lords sake for he was given to be a light to the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel Fifthly and last I finde it to be the desire of Manasseh Ben Israel in his book titled The hope of Israel in his Epistle to the Reader That if any to whom his book came had any thing worthy of posterity that they would give him notice of it I have not here presented you with any thing of History or outward learning but have indeavored according to the grace received in the plain evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power of truth to present you with such things as may through the blessing of God tend to your eternal good The first principle of truth I have to present you with is that the true and promised Messiah was according to the counsel of God to suffer death for the redemption of sinners and this I shall clear unto you by convincing grounds from the Scriptures Moses and the Prophets whom you know and own and my earnest desire for you at the throne of grace is that the God of grace may give you an understanding in the knowledge of this truth This I shall confirm unto you from three grounds 1. Promises 2. Types 3. Prophesies First Is that Promise of grace Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and hers it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel This promise hath a special relation to the Messiah and clearly presents us with his suffering that by his death he should break the Serpents head viz. the head of Satan though he himself were bruised though he suffered in the flesh yet he should overcome in suffering I do not deny but that this hath been and is accomplished in all that truely know the Lord Satan sin and evil men oppose but the seed of the woman hath and will bruise the head of all in and for his people though he himself was appointed to be bruised by the Serpents seed to this agreeth Isa 53. 5. He was bruised for our iniquitiès c. Secondly see it clearly and fully presented in types and shaddows first the Paschal Lambe or Passeover mentioned Exod. 12. was a lively representation of the crucifying of the Lamb of God the Messiah who was to come and by his blood to make attonement and peace for sinners that as the children of Israel were then made partakers of a deliverance out of Egypt by that means the killing of a Lamb eating the flesh and sprinkling the door-post with the blood c. so must the Messiah give his life and blood for the redemption of his people out of spiritual Egypt darkness oppression both of Jews and Gentiles 2. All the sacrifices offerings by the Priests commanded in the law of Moses were clear types and representations of the sufferings of the Messiah the offering of Lambs Rams Bullocks c. to be sin-offerings burnt-offerings and peace-offerings c. all presentations of Christ the Messiah in English the anointed who was to be the alone peace and sin-offering for his people the Priest was to offer sacrifice for sin as is exprest at large Levit. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and 9 Chapters and Chap. 16. 34. they were to make an attonement once a yeer both for themselves and the people All these offerings could not do away sin but as it had a relation to the true offering he that was to offer himself once for all that he might by one offering for ever perfect them that were by him sanctified this truth you shall see when the Lord taketh away the veil that is spread over your faces that clearly under all these offerings is represented the offering up of the true Messiah once for all c. 3. This truth is likewise clearly prophesied that he that runs may read There is scarce any prophet of God but did foresee and foretell of this truth the sufferings of the Messiah Moses the servant of the Lord and great prophet and type of the anointed as you may see Dcut. 18. 15. he by the inspiration of the Lord presents him much as hath been minded In his suffering estate the prophet David likewise in Psal 22. presents him a sufferer particularly in vers 16. They peirced my hands and my feet a clear prophesie of the Messiah I beseech you weigh it in your hearts David was never peirced in his hands and feet See likewise the prophet Isaiah chap. 53. throughout describing the Messiah that he was wounded and bruised rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs and that God laid upon him the iniquity of us all And Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have peirced all which confirms the truth that the Messiah which you look for was to come forth first in his humiliation in contempt in suffering c. SECT II. THe second principle of truth that I have to
present unto you is That that Jesus which was crucified by your forefathers at Jerusalem without the gate was and is the true Messiah and this is that principle of truth you have to this day rejected and my earnest desire is that you would read these lines with patience and weigh well the truth herein presented with much tenderness and love unto you and in this I shall present you with many new Testament-Scriptures useful being compared with the old be willing to read and compare them together before you judge And Oh that you would be moâ—e in searching after the knowledge of the truth of Gods grace held forth in the new Testament and if the Lord work upon your hearts I should commend principally unto you the Epistle to the Hebrews which especially concerns you and may through the blessing of the Lord be of much use unto you I desire to mind you of one thing by the way before I come to the confirmation of the truth asserted viz. that the true and promised Messiah was according to the Scripture to have his day and time of humiliation as hath been already proved and then his glory Isa 9. 6. first a childe a son and then a King and the government must be upon his shoulders c. Chap. 53. throughout till the last ver he is presented in his suffering estate and in the last vers in his reign Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong To this agrees that of Christ Luk. 24. 25 26. Oh fools and slow of heart to believe that which the prophets have written ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. the suffering part as in relation to himself in his own person he hath passed through and is entered into glory Act. 1. 9 1â— Though while the Church is under suffering yet as he is considered one with his Church the time of his humiliation is not over till all the members are glorified with him Now that this is the true Messiah that suffered at Jerusalem will appear if you consider 1. That in him was fulfilled all the legall types that did represent him in his sufferings he it was that is the true Pascal Lamb or rather the Lamb represented in the Passeover Exod. 12. The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1. 29. 36. the true passeover that was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. that whosoever believeth in him all their iniquities shall be passed over John 3 16. And he was the substance of all those sacrifices and offerings in the law of Moses those sin-offerings burnt offerings heave-offerings and wave-offerings they all lead to him were fulfilled in him those sacrifices served to the purifying of the flesh suitable to the covenant that then you wer under but they never purified the conscience from dead works to serve the living God in spirit and in truth no otherwise then as it had relation to Christ the true sacrifice Christ being become an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9. 13 14. For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God As the high Priest then entered once a yeer into the most holy place offering sacrifice for himself and the people Exod. 30. 10. Levit. 16 2. with Heb. 9 7. So is Jesus Christ become a high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Heb. 9. 11 12. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us c. Heb. 9. 24 25 26. so that what was figured out in the sacrifices priesthood temple and tabernacle Christ is the substance of all fully and compleatly answers them and fulfills them and ends them all so that he is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes Rom. 10. 4. By all which it appears that he is the true and promised Messiah because that in him is fully answered all the figures and shadows of the old Testament It will farther appear that this is the true Messiah if you consider how fully in him is answered all the prophesies and promises of him in the old Testament in relation to his humiliation and in him shall be fulfilled all the promises of his glory but every thing in its order that God hath set it 1. For his humiliation see what the Prophet David personating Christ as it might be very well for sometimes Christ is called David Ezek. 39. 24 25. and the promise made with David and his seed hath a speciall relation to Christ Psal 89. from the 19. to the 39. vers see Psal 22. the prophet personating Christ in his sufferings you may clearly see Christ answering those things or all those things fully answered in him in way of complaint ver 6. I a worm and no man this was the condition of Christ vers 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn so it was fulfilled in Jesus Mat 27. 29 30 31. and when they had plated a crown of thornes in reproach they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him and said Haile King of the Jews c. Again Psal 22. 8. he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him See this made good Mat. 27. 43. when he was upon the Cross in the height of his sufferings for the sins of others then his enemies tauntingly fulfilled the Scripture and said He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him c. So again Psal 22. 16. For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me they have peirced my hands and my feet and this was fulfilled in him as is clearly imployed in John 20. 24 25. and Thomas one of the Twelve said c. Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails c. I will not believe Again Psal 22. 17. they part my garments among them and cast lots upon or for my vesture and this was fulfilled in Christ See Mat. 27. 35. Joh. 19. 23 24. Again in Isaiah Chap 7. 14. the Lord by the prophet Ahaz refusing to ask a signe gives him a signe Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Emmanuel this
fulfilled that saying Isa 53. 7. he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearer is dumb so opened he not his mouth with Mat. 26. 62 63. And thus in silence for the sins of men he suffered death even the shameful death of the Cross and that Scripture was fulfilled Isa 53. 8. He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he cut off and verse 9. he made his grave with the wicked c. and vers 12. he poured out his soul to the death and he was numbered with the transgressors for he bear the sins of many Thus have I given you a brief tast of this truth so necessary to be known in this day of grace that Jesus Christ is the true promised Messiah The Lord give you an understanding in this precious truth which in it self is so full of clearness that whosoever runs may read if the vail remain not still untaken away I shall add in the last place that he according to the Scripture came of the tribe of Judah and so was the Son of David according to the flesh and in him were the prophesies fulfilled Gen. 49. 10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the law-giver from between his feet till Shilo come and to him shall the gathering of the people be And that prophesie Isa 11. 1. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Iesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots with Act. 13. 22 23. I have found David the son of Iesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my wil of this mans seed hath God according to his promise raised a Saviour Jesus and this is proved both by Matthew Chap. 1. and Luk. chap. 3. in their account of the genealogy of Christ both agree in their account that he was the Son of David though probably there may seem some scruple because they reckon upon a contrary line yet I do believe there is much of the wisdome of God in it Matthew reckoning after the genealogy of Ioseph who was the supposed father of Christ and Luke after the line of Mary the mother of Christ so that take it on which side you will both came of David and so Christ was the son of David and the son of Abraham Mat. 1. 1. and so he was acknowledged in his incarnation by all that had any convictions of heart upon them Mat. 9. 27. The two blind men cryed Thou son of David have mercy on us and the woman of Canaan Chap. 15. 22. Cryed saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David and Chap. 21. 9. the multitude cryed out Hosanna to the son of David c. Let this suffice he was the son of David he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1. 3. 4. For he did not only dy for our sins but he was also raised again for our justification according to the Scriptures Rom. 4. 25. and so that Scripture was fulfilled Psal 16. 11. Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption David saw corruption but this man saw no corruption being quickened and raised by the Spirit Mark 16. 6. 1 Cor. 15 and being risen he is ascended to the Father Ioh. 20. 17. Act. 1. 9 10. And the heavens must receive him till the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. Thus much shall suffice at present in confirmation of this truth that that man Jesus who was crucified at Jerusalem is the true and promised Messiah though I might give many grounds more as the wise men coming by a star from the East to Jerusalem saying where is he that is born King of the Jews together with the many and great miracles which he did as to turn water into wine Ioh. 2. heal the sick open the eys of the blind raise the dead preach ed with authority Mat. 7. 29. Never man spake like this by the confession of those that were sent to apprehend him Ioh. 7. 46. Thus his works do witness that he was the son of God Iohn 36. and Iohn was a witness to him Ioh. 1. 15. 5. 33. the father by his Spirit bare witness to him Mat. 3. 17. with Ioh. 5. 37. all his disciples and servants were witnesses to him in their cleaving to him and bearing up of his name though in a way of suffering the Sun being darkened in the day of his sufferings was an evident witness that he was the Son of God Mat. 27. 45. the rending of the veil of the temple and raising of the dead and quaking of the earth convincing witnesses Mat. 27. 51 c. that he was the Messiah And finally your being cast out of your own country amongst the nations your City and temple destroyed according to his word Mat. 24. 2. for your rejecting of him according to that parable Mat. 21. 33. 38. 41. This is the Son come let us kill him c. Read that parable and consider all these with many others that I could produce do confirm that Jesus is the Christ SECT III. THe third general truth I desire to present you with is that the rejecting of this Jesus hath been and is your sin and that its your duty to own him and to believe in him I say unto you as once the Messiah said unto your fathers Iohn 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he you shall dye in your sins There are several reasons why your fathers did and you to this day do reject him 1. The meaness of his condition in outward appearance Oh you looked for him to come in glory a King to deliver you from all your enemies Oh you did not you do not know the mystery of his humiliation it was hid from your eyes it was hid from his own disciples till after it was accomplished Hence it is Christ saith Luk. 24. 25 26. O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory the meaness of Christ was and is to this day a veil cast over your faces by reason of which you did not you do not know him 2. The meaness of his followers Oh they were too mean for such a presence as was supposed would attend the true Messiah hence it was I will not say and yet is your selves best know that the chief Priests and Pharisees said have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him Ioh. 7. 48. Oh consider that prophesie Isa 8. 14 15 He shall be for a sanctuary but for a stone of stubmling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare