for Rahab the harlot nor want for poore Lazarus shall bee accepted of God at the judgement A singular comfort for such as live in prophane and wicked places Vse that are enforced to complaine as David did Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar for though the place where thou livest bee as Sodome and the sinnes of it mount as high as Heaven yet if thou bee a Lor that lovest holinesse and hatest iniquitie thou shalt surely be saved from the fire Though the place where thou livest be like the old world so sinfull that God repented that ever hee made it Gen. 6.6 yet if thou bee a Noah faithfull and holy thou for thy part shalt surely bee saved from the water what if thou live in Mesech amongst the untoward Ishmaelites that bend their bowes against the Lord and shoot their arrowes against Heaven like the Thracians in Herodotus his Melpomene For if thou bee a David David after Gods heart when thousands fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand the plague shall not come nigh thee what if thou dwell amongst thornes prepared for the fire yet if thou be a Lilly or a Rose it shall goe well with thee in the day of vengeance what if thou live in the salt sea yet if thou retaine thy sweet and pleasing rellish there shall no harme happen unto thee What if thou passe thorow the weeds and gravell of a brinish Ocean yet if thou be like the river Arethusa commended for that rare qualitie by Virgil in his 10. â—clogue Quamvis fluctus subterlabere Sicanos Dor is amar a suam non intermiscuit undam Thou shalt bee è mult is millibus unus one of a thousand Titio ereptus ex igne one whom God will choose out of the midst of a perverse and crooked generation what then remaines but this that we continue constant and unmoveable in our most holy faith and though wee live in such evill dayes and dwell in such prophane places where wickednesse over-flowes the banks as the sea at an high tide and a full spring though wee be reserved ad tempora novissima to the last times and dwell neare the outsides and the common sewers where all Heretiques make their nests and like to Toads and Frogs engender in these sens and puddles Aug. de temp Scrm. 232. as Augustine is pleased to stile them though wee dwell amongst Papists Anabaptists Familists and have our residence amongst the Bastards of Barrow Browne c. yet if wee beleeve and repent if wee turne to the Lord though we turne from them if wee cleave to the Lord and renounce them if wee keepe our selves unspotted our consciences untouched we shall undoubtedly bee saved and received unto mercie notwithstanding all their peremptorie sentence of condemnation which they passe upon us Before I come to the two other branches let me note unto you the drift of all it is to prove that the Iewes are not all cast off and how it is proved because Paul knowes that hee himselfe is not cast off Here we have Paul sure and certaine of his owne salvation From whence gather A man while he is in this life may be sure and certaine of his owne salvation Doct. and life eternall And I adde ordinarily because I meane to oppose the Trent Councell denouncing the deepe Anathema upon them that say it a Si quis dixerit bominem ronaium justificatum toueri ex side ad credendum se esse ex numero praede stinatorum anathema sit If any man say that a man regenerate and justified is bound by faith to beleeve that he is in the number of the elect let hm bee accursed as Chemnitius notes to be in the 6. Session Canon 15. b Possunt quidom bon sperare peccata sibi remitti sed sine cerid siducia They may indeed hope well that their sinnes are forgiven but not with any certaine assurance In any particular man yet saith Christ Sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee to one and to another Thy faith hath saved thee viz. the woman that had the bloudie issue Mar. 5.34 I fetch my reasons first from the nature and propertie of a free promise made by God as unto Ioshua I will never faile thee unto Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God c. So that if Gods promises be certaine and sure then is the salvation of the faithfull certaine and sure and because some men might doubt the Apostle tels us Heb. 6.17 18. that God was willing to confirme the promise And therefore bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye that they might have strong consolation the one is his word the other his oath whosoever shall not beleeve God in these two maketh God a Liar in this that hee saith he hath given eternall life through his Son 1 Ioh. 5.10 That which the Papist replyes that the promises of God are true in generall but are not certaine to particular men by the certaintie of faith because it is no where faid in speciall I will give thee is most frivolous and idle for if the promise bee made to all that beleeve then when I know that I beleeve I know the promise is made to mee and besides it is false to say that the promises are onely generall See Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus c. thou shalt bee saved Here is certaintie of faith which is nothing else but that assured confidence of our heart by which it perceiveth and doubteth not that it hath right to what is promised and this is that new name written in the white stone Apoâ— 2.17 by this faith God dwelleth in our hearts and suffereth none to perish saith Lombard Booke 3. Distinct 23. Secondly from the propertie of justifying faith First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an infallible perswasion Heb. 10.22 Reason 2 Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance Hebr. 11.1 Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ we have boldnesse Ephes 3.12 Vpon these the Holy Ghost in Heb. 6. by an excellent metaphor compares faith to an anchor fastened in firme earth which the ship-man knowes to bee sound and constant against which no stormes can prevaile Which we have as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 And Paul Rom. 8.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And vers 16. The Spirit of God witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sons of God which Pighius and Andradius setting downe the Trent Councell as Chemnitius reciteth it contend to have beene not by faith but by revelation But I will make it appeare that Paul grounds not this assurance upon revelation but on a ground
holy exclamations to stirre and incite others unto it Thus doth the Prophet Psal 8. O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Hee sets downe his glorie in ordaining strength out of the mouthes of babes vers 2. In creating the Heavens deckt with Sunne Moone and Stars vers 3. In the making of man little inferiour to Angells giving him dominion over all other workes of his hands yet after all this he is faine to admire O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the world In another Psalme O Lord how glorious are thy workes and thy thoughts are verie deepe Psal 92.5 When David hath considered how the Lord redeemed his people from the hand of the oppressour gathered them out of the lands when they wandred in the wildernesse and had no Citie to dwell in hungrie and thirstie that their soule fainted in them hee breakes into this passion O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. Psal 107.8 Againe considering how often God hath satified the thirstie and filled the hungrie soule with gladnesse how he humbled their hearts with heavinesse and yet when they cried delivered them out of their distresse brought them out of darknesse and brake their bands in sunder He breaks out againe into that holy exclamation O that men would therfore praise the Lord vers 15. Againe considering how hee had broken for them the gates of brasse and smitten the barres of iron in sunder how hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from the grave when their soule abhorred all manner of meat and they were hard at deaths doore Hee breakes out into that holy exclamation vers 21. Againe considering how they that goe to sea c. how they are mounted up to heaven and downe to the deepe againe how they reele and stagger and their skill failes yet the Lord turnes their storme into a calme and brings them to the haven Hee breakes out into that holy exclamation vers 31. Wee cannot remember how God hath called us Gentiles without God in the world Ephes 2.12 but it will cause an holy exclamation O the riches of the mercie and goodnesse of God how he hath cast off the Iew whom hee so much honoured but it should cause an holy exclamation O the unsearchable depth of the judgements of God! wee cannot looke upon the heaven beautified with starres upon the earth cloathed with flowers but it should cause an holy exclamation O the depth of his love and bountie unto us in Christ Iesus From whence wee may learne a three-fold dutie First Vse 1 to strive how we may affect and possesse mens hearts with the rarenesse and excellencie yea with an holy admiration of Gods workes and proceedings so doth David Psal 48.4 Sing unto God sing praises unto his name exalt him that rides upon the heavens in his name Iah According to thy name so thy praise shall be to the worlds end Psalm 48.10 And if wee doe remember his workes we must needs admire his workes Who can remember his worke of election and not wonder that hee should love Iacob and hate Esau His creation and not wonder how he could frame so many goodly creatures in heaven and in earth of nothing by nothing but a word His workes of redemption and not wonder at his goodnesse in sending his Sonne into the world to die for sinners His worke of vocation and not wonder how by the voice of his Gospell preached by weake men hee could subdue and convert Nations and Kingdomes Who can remember his framing in the wombe and not wonder I will praise thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully made Psal 139.14 Who can remember how God hath kept him from the wombe fed him with the lives of his creatures preserved him from dangers From the arrow that hath flowen abroad by night from the sicknesse that hath destroyed at noone day yea When thousands have fallen beside him and ten thousands at his right hand and not admire the loving kindnesse of the Lord Let our tongues sticke to the roofe of our mouths our right hands forget to play Let fathers forget their sonnes nurses their sucking babes mothers the fruit of the wombe But let us never cease to magnifie and admire the wayes and proceedings of God whose workes are unsearchable and wayes past finding out The second Vse is Vse 2 That when humane reason is offended with the deepnesse of the doctrine of predestination that wee renounce reason and give glorie unto God and with reverence admire what we cannot understand Let us beleeve that it is so Dâ—spatare vis mecum mirare mecum clama O altituao aâ—bo consenâ—iamus in pavore ne in crrore pereâ—mus Aug de â—â—rbis Apost Serm. 11. because the word hath revealed it but when by reason we cannot apprehend the manner the cause let us fall downe worship the Lord whose wisdome is deeper than the Ocean whose wayes are unsearchable and judgements past finding out It was the modestie of S. Augustine Wilt thou dispute with me wonder with me and crie O deepnesse let us both hoth agree in feare lest we perish in errour Let us learne the lesson of our Saviour I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto babes Is it so O Father because thy good pleasure was such Matth. 11.26 Thirdly Vse 3 it serves to condemne such men as murmure at Gods order and course in matter of reprobation and thinke much that God should leave one in the masse of corruption rather than another that hee should reprobate them before they had done any evill and appoint them to be vessels of wrath and brands of an everlasting burning in a blacke and bottomlesse Tophet before ever their mothers conceived them whereas God is most wise and just and of absolute power and authoritie and therefore alwayes doth and cannot chuse but order rule and dispose of all things most rightly and most wisely albeit our weake and sinite apprehensions cannot see the reason of it The Conclusion Let us beleeve what we see not admire what we understand not reverence and adore that God whose councels are so deepe and wisdome so infinite that men and Angels cannot finde them out And so I come to a second point in generall Wee must in the hidden mysteries and secrecies of Almightie God Doct. not be curious to know impossibilities much lesse object and except against the manner of Gods proceedings but containe our selves within the precincts and limits of his word adore and admire his counsels without all vaine and rash attempting to search and finde them out It is Davids speech Psal 36.6 His mercie reacheth unto the heavens his faithfulnesse unto the clouds his righteousnesse is like the mightie mountaines his judgements like the great deepe And therefore can wee neither finde the reason of them nor except against them First it
hard than to live amongst corrupt persons without corruption as hard as to walke upon coales and not burne his feet or to carrie fire in his bosome and not singe his cloathes saith Salomon Prov. 6.27 For admit saith Isidore that a man were made of iron yet if he stand continually before a great fire hee is in danger to grow supple and soft as wax Nan ques velap as non pâ—tuit sup raâ—e ossâ—duiâ—as superat For whom pleasure could not overcome continuall diligence overcommeth Though a man greatly like not the sinne yet company with a sinner may worke him to it And whom the vice could not overcome Et quos vitium non potuit vincere familiaritas vinc 1. familiaritie overcommeth Mee thinkes they may fitly bee compared to those two rivers mentioned by Maginus 〈◊〉 egr descript â—â—â—span neere to Carmâ—nâ—a in Spaine whereof the one drinkes up all the 〈◊〉 refuseth all The Vse is Vse to teach us to blesse God for this infinite mercie tous who though we lâ—ve in evill times yet God preserves us as he did Lot in Sodome though we passe the sait sea as that Sicilian river Arethusa yet wee retaine our sweet rellish though wee be in Aegypt yet wee feed not upon the garlicke of Aegypt though wee bee in the world yet not of the world and let us pray that God would vouchsafe this grace to us still that though we live in corrupt places we may be cleane though among prophane persons yet we may be holy though among Idolaters yet wee may follow our God though among such men as are polluted and uncleane yet we may be sanctisied thorow out that both our soule and spirit and body may bee kept blamelesse untill the great day Thus having shewed by whom we are preserved I come to shew to whom they are knowen To my selfe God onely knowes certainly who belong unto him 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure c. Where note that Gods children have two markes to bee knowen by as Bellarmine Of grace and free will Booke 2. chap. 13. The one inward the knowledge of divine approbation this marke is manifest to God only the other outward the avoyding of sinne and the outward performance of good workes and the hearing of the Word as Ioh. 10.27 but the point that is meant I comprize in these termes The Lord acknowledgeth none of them to hee his who fall to idolatrie Doct. In Apoc. 14. If any man worship the Beast and receive his marke in his hand or his forehead he shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone And 1 Cor. 10.21 You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and of Devils as if hee should say they that have any communion with Christ must have no communion with Devils but they that sacrifice to Idols sacrifice to Devils vers 20. Wherefore Christ hath no portion in them nor they in him and therfore the holy Ghost excludes such from Heaven Apoc. 22.15 Without meaning the celestiall Ierusalem shall be dogs enchanters murtherers liars Idolaters And the Apostle Ephes 5.5 Neither uncleane persons nor Idolaters have any part or inheritance in the kingdome of God Whence wee must learne Vse that while men abide in the bosome of that idolatrous Synagogue of Rome they are far from Gods kingdome Shall they not be destroyed that live in Babylon which is made the verie habitation of Devils A hold of foule spirits a cage of uncleane birds Apoc. 18.2 And this Babylon is Rome as may be proved by all circumstances I urge against them the authoritie of Hierome whom they urge so often against us Contra Iovin lib. 2. cap. 19. And Canisius the Iesuite cannot deny it in his common place of sinne commending the Citie of Rome that it was a powerfull Citie the head of the world praised by the voyce of an Apostle exhorts it to avoyd that judgement which the Lord hath threatned in the Apocalyps under the name of Babylon And that the Church of Rome is idolatrous appeares by this argument Whosoever gives to a creature divine worship commits idolatrie but Papists doe thus c. in the worship of Saints Reliques Images Consecrate things and the Eucharist The proposition is evident out of Scripture which termes them Idolaters who give divine worship either to an Idoll properly so called as to the image of a Calfe Exod. 32.4 These be thy Gods c. They made a Calfe and sacrificed unto the Idoll Acts 7.41 or figuratively as Mammon yee cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 The assumption is proved both from Scripture and their owne mouthes The Scriptures teach that to put trust in any thing is divine worship Ierem. 17.7 To invocate as Psal 50.15 Thou shalt call on mee and glorifie me Sacrifice Exod. 22.20 Vowes Isa 19.21 Bowing Exod. 10.5 Now that Papists give some of these to Saints some to Reliques some to images some to Things consecrate some to the Eucharist themselves confesse it as in their Missall commanded to be publisht by Pius 5. and the Breviarie corrected by the Trent Councell and authorized both by Pius 5. and Clement 8. may sufficiently appeare I instance onely in one They commit idolatrie in giving divine worship to an image for an image may be the same with an idoll Stephanus in his treasurie of the Latine tongue sayes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies everie image or picture representing a divine power which is to be worshipt and the Septuagint translate the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Eccles triumph lib. 2. In Exod. Hom. 8. Quaest in Exod. 10. quaest 38. But Bellarmine out of an errour of Origen and of Theodoret makes a difference betweene an image and an idoll Let us therefore expresse our thankfull hearts to God Vse who hath delivered us from the Aegypt of Poperie and to expresse this thankfulnesse let us labour to weed out all idolatrie So God bids Israel Iosh 24.2 14. Your fathers served strange Gods but I have brought you out now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in up rightnesse and truth and put away the Gods which your fathers served If wee bee restored to light let us walke as children of the light Ephes 5.5 Wee are now temples of God let us have no fellowship with Idols we are restored by Christ let us have no concord with Belial we are now setled in the truth let us have no commerce with Infidels So Paul 1 Cor. 6.14 And so I come to shew how many were reserved Seven thousand by seven thousand God would signifie the whole multitude that belonged unto him and it is the putting of a certaine number for an uncertaine as the virgins five wise and five foolish Matth. 25. And the rich man had five brethren Luk. 16. Origen is somewhat curious and thinkes that God used the
it unto us their children and vers 23. God according to his promise hath raised up to Israel the Saviour Iesus It was the advice of Socrates in Lacrtius that young men should have alwayes a looking-glasse to looke themselves in it if they were deformed outwardly they might labour to recompence it with inward comelinesse The glasses wherein the Lord would have us to looke be the gracious orna nents and qualities of his servants We should looke on Abraham and learne to beleeve that it shall be done if God say it though wee see not how and part with that wee love best to please hâ—â— Vpon Iob and learne patience in all such crosses as are most neere unto us Vpon Lot and learne to be chaste in the midst of Sodome even when wee have most occasions that 's praise-worthy as Tully said of Muraena non quod Asiam viderat not that he had seene Asia Vpon Elias and be zealous Abigail and releeve those that sight the Lords battels Vpon the Centurion and be good to the Church Vpon Nehemiah and stand for reformation of the Sabbath Vpon every good man and see what is excellent in him that doe affect and imitate As Tully reports of Xeuxis that when he was to make the picture of Helena in the temple of the Crotonians he sent for five of the most beautifull virgins that out of all their excellencies he might compose a perfect beautie and as a man makes a garland or poesie of all the best of flowers in the garden so shouldst thou picke out all the best qualities of men wheresoever thou seest them Whence learne Vse that it is no small benefit that the wicked might reape by the company of good men They may see a patterne of godlinesse and learne to follow it they may reade holinesse in their lives conscience in their doings wisdome in their carriage and learne to affect the same commendable and gracious qualities in themselves There is no grace which they may not observe nor vertue which they may not see lively delineated in them and studie to come to that degree of holinesse which they have that they may live as they doe and have it in that glory which they hope to have I come to a third I observe the great wisdome and loving kindnesse of God toward his children Observat who by his favour shewed unto others and substituting others in their places maketh them ashamed of their unthankfulnesse and laboureth to stirre up in them a desire of reconcilement For confirmation see Deut. 32. Because they have moved mee to iealousie with that which is not God I will prouoke them with those which are no people And herein God deales with them as a tender father with his unkinde and disobedient child that will not come unto him he takes another sonne in his armes sets another on his knees embraceth him commends him makes much of him hereby correcting the stubbornnesse of his other sonne and provoking him to seeke for the like favour and acceptance From whence learne First to condemne those who by their idolatrie Vse 1 as Papists or by their arrogancie contempt and pride doe alienate and detaine the Iewes from Christianitie when they see how the Papist is given over to idolatrie the Protestant to libertie no marvell though the Iewes follow neither the one nor the other when he sees that the Papist beleeves not well that the Protestant lives not well it s a rocke of offence to him that he can approve neither the one nor the other Secondly Vse 2 let us endevour by our pure and sin cere service of God by our zeale our godly life our just dealing to give light unto the Iewes and at length to provoke them to emulation and by our good conversation to win them to Christ that there may be one fold and one shepherd as our Saviour speakes Ioh. 10.16 Example is very powerfull There is nothing more availeable to the winning of one that beleeveth not than the good conversation and life of him that doth beleeve I know not if S. Peter doe not make a good conversation more powerfull to convert an unbeleever than the word it selfe in 1 Pet. 3.1 Let the wives be subiect to their husbands that they which obey not the word may without the word be won by the good conversation of the wives while they behold your pure conversation coupled with feare To this purpose Bernard speaketh well Effâ—aâ—ior est voâ— bonioperis quam elegantis sermonu illius dectoris libenter audio veceâ—â— qui non fibi plansum sed mâ—â—ip anctum movet c Ber. in Cant. ser 59. Segnius irritaâ—t c. siviâ— me fleâ—e dolâ—nduÌ„ prius ipse libi Confess l. 9. c. 9. The voice of a good worke is more effectuall than of an eloquent sermon I willingly heare the voice of that Teacher who doth not move applause to himselfe but weeping to mee and if thou wilt perswade thou maist doe it more by weeping than by declaming And Horace himselfe in his booke of the Art of Poetrie If thou wilt have mee weepe thou must first thy selfe grieve S. Augustine reports that his mother Monica gained her husband Patricia from being an impure Manichee not by strength of argument but by pietie wisdome chastitie So there is nothing can more hinder the Iewes from professing as wee doe than our prophane life and bad conversation to perswade them by good words and yet let them see our bad lives is but to weave Penelope's web to untwist as fast as we weave and to pull downe as fast as we build and to destroy faster with one hand than wee build with the other Wee must therefore learne to let the light of our good life and conversation so shine Matth. 5.16 that men may see our good lives and good workes and holy conversation and so glorisie our Father which is in Heaven Let us so behave our selves toward the Iewes as S. Peter taught once the Iewes to behave themselves towards us 1 Pet. 2.12 Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles that they by your good workes which they shall see may glorifie God in the day of their visitation for feare wee cause them to blaspheme the name of God which they polluted among the Heathen Ezek. 36.23 See Rom. 2.24 So I come to the illustration of his answer in the 12. and 13. verses VERS 12. Vers 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulnesse WHerein there is first an answer to an objection for it may seeme that the one end doth quite overthrow the other for if the Iewes fel that the Gentiles might have place and the Iewes bee to bee converted againe then it seemes that the Gentiles must be cast off againe and so the conversion of the Iewes shall rather hinder the salvation of the Gentiles which is contarie to the first part
past for though some be here and there converted yet the promise being more generall is not yet fulfilled 2. The stumbling blocke which hinders their conversion must first be taken away Babylon must first be destroyed and burnt as Apoc. 18.20 For in Babylon they see some sacrifice to Idols some prostrate themselves before creatures and such horrible wickednesse and by them they judge of us all that till this Babylon be destroyed the conversion of the Iewes can hardly bee expected Now where this Babylon is that must fall let it be judged by a De Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 22 S. Augustine Rome is the daughter of Babylon By b Adversus Iovinian lib. 2. Hierome Rome is that Babylon which God in the Apocalyps threatned And Iohn by Babylon did c Ad Marcoll Epist 17 meane that Rome standing upon seven hils By d Lib. 18. cap. 22. Vives upon Augustine who cites Hierome to say that Peter the Apostle cals Rome Babylon By e Lib. 3. Tertullian against the Iewes and against Marcion And is as good as confessed by f De Pontis Rom. lib. 3. cap. 13. Bellarmine in his answer to an argument Thirdly it will not be long before the second comming of the Sonne of man but toward the latter end of the world which time though the Millenaries in Augustine Of the Citie of God Booke 20. Chap. 7. out of some books of Elias the Prophet as Vives notes upon him have determined the end of the world to bee at the end of six thousand yeeres of which number two thousand were spent from the creation of the world to Abraham and two thousand from Ahraham to Christ and two thousand from his first to his second comming whereof 1618. are already expired so that there remaines no more but 382. yeeres until the end of the world in their account and within that time nay neere about the expiration of that time must this Nation be converted Sex dicbus conditus muâ— dus sex annorum m llibus consummabttur Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 9 per Magdeburgenses citetur Ceul. 6. cap. 4. In six dayes the world was made in six thousand yeeres it shall be ended But for my part I will embrace the lesson of our Saviour Acts 1.6 It is not for us to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power surely that day and houre either when God will convert that Nation or come in the clouds of Heaven to judge the earth no man can tell If any man say that I have said little of so great a point mine apologie is I love to speake truth in the pulpit and what I know not I speake not If any man out of a proud spirit for oftentation shall take upon him to determine the time I professe I beleeve him not I dispute not whether they shall have a policie and recover the holy Land and dwell there for it is likely they shall never recover it because wee finde no such promise I come to the number All Some by all Israel understand the whole people of God consisting both of Iew and Gentile according to that Gal. 6.16 Peace be upon them and mercie upon the Israel of God So Calvin Osiander Theodoret and Augustine But I am rather of the judgement of Paraeus who understands Israel properly of the Nation of the Iewes And then the doubt riseth whether toward the end of the world all the Iewes that then live shall be converted and saved Pererius produceth Chrysostome upon the twelfth verse of this Chapter All shall come to the faith And Aquinas upon my Text Not particularly as even now Vaiversi ad sidem acetss ri suat Non particulariter sicut 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 sal ter â—mac Greg set Ezeth â—iom 12. but universally all So Scotus and Cajetane in their Commentaries Some prescribe the meanes how this whole Nation shall be converted to wit by the preaching of Enoch and Elias as Gregorie Theodoret Lyranus Anselmus and divers others upon this Text which is but a fancie for Elias is come already for that Elias which Malachy saith must come Chap. 4.5 our Saviour expounds of Iohn Baptist. If yee will receive it this is Elias which was to come Matth. 11.14 and Matth. 17.12 Elias is come already Mark 9.13 Elias is come already But they that desire further resolution in this point and would see the dreame of Elias and Enochs comming againe let them read the confutation of it learnedly written by the Kings owne pen in the premonition to all Christian Princes My judgement is That toward the end of the world before the comming of Christ the Iewish Nation shall bee converted yet everie one of that Nation I dare not say for first the testimonies which Paul cites out of Isay must not be understood of some particulars but of a great number ungodlinesse shall bee turned away from Iacob And S. Origen fitly alleageth that prophecie Hos 2.7 I will returne to my first husband for at that time I was better than now Secondly that propheticall vision Apoc. 7.4 The number which was sealed were 144000 of the Tribes of Israel is and may be literally understood and is by Chrysostome expounded of the generall conversion of the Iewes Thirdly Beza in his Annotations shewes that all Israel which must be saved is an opposition to those that are hardened and those were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in part That all Israel here is the same which was at vers 12. called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their abundance so that great multitudes of them shall be converted Fourthly of all ancient people that have beene from the beginning of the world onely the Iewes doe yet remaine in so divers casualties in captivitie in dispersion distinct from all others where they dwell in manners religion which out of question is a demonstrative reason that God hath preserved them for some speciall purpose above all others Lastly there is the consent of Fathers Chrysostome of our Saviours words Serm. 12. Hilarie of the Trinitie Booke 11. Augustine quest on Genes chap. 148. Dionysius Carthusianus Ambrose and Hierome upon the words of my Text. The Conclusion is this Though obstinacie lye never so long upon the Iew Doct. yet none of them within the Covenant shall be lost Which is built upon these grounds 1. The immutabilitie of Gods decree 2. Vpon Christs keeping 3. Vpon the sealing of the assurance as vers 20. And so I come to the proofe and confirmation Then shall come out of Sion the deliverer Exposition and shall turne away iniquitie from Iacob It is not wholly set downe together in any place of the old Testament but a collected Text from the many prophecies of Isay and Ieremie In it I doe observe a place a person an action The place Sion the person a deliverer the worke turning away iniquitie from Iacob To begin with the place Beza observes that in the Hebrew it signifies