Plain Evident and Undeniable Let us then be sensible of the Goodness of our Condition and of the Eligibility of it before that of those who lived before this fulness of time came Whereas the Jewish and Gentile Religion were defective and corrupted and Ignorance and gross Mistakes had invaded Mens minds and the True Worship of God was enervated and destroy'd by Atheism and Superstition God was pleased to restore and new model Religion and to give Men a perfect and exact Rule whereby they might reform their Lives and be conducted to Blessedness And this is the Christian Institution which every way surpasses both Judaism and Philosophy it discovers the most absolute Worship of God and dictates the most accurate Precepts of Morality and directs us to the only Means of Salvation This is the sole Prerogative of Christianity and we owe it to the immediate Revelations and Disâ—overies made by God himself Most Men that stile themselves Christians know little or nothing of the Excellency and Preheminence of the Dispensation that bears that Name But let us endeavour to be of the Number of those who both understand and admire the superlative Excellency of the Christian Oeconomy which we are under 2. Let us not only understand and admire it but let this most Blessed Dispensation stir up our most thankful Resentments Behold with grateful minds how our Condition is unspeakably better than that of the Persons who lived under other Dispensations and particularly than that of the Iews who were under the Dispensation which was immediately before ours We have cause to thank the Merciful Lord of Heaven and Earth that our Lot is cast into such Times that we were reserved for this Best of Dispensations that we are blessed with a most Excellent and Worthy Religion a Religion that is in it self Reasonable and every ways adapted to our rectified Faculties and enlightened Minds a Religion that hath the most lively Principles to actuate and inform us the compâ—eatest Rules to guide and direct us and affords us the most effectual and powerful helps to Virtue and Godliness a Religion that holds forth the dreadfullest Punishments to deter us from Vice and assures us of the Highest Rewards to animate and as it were to bribe us to Virtue a Religion that comprehends in it all the Excellent Things which the most improved Philosophers talk'd of and innumerable more not to be parallel'd by any Model of Religion whatsoever a Religion that contains nothing in it but what is of great Moment and Importance and is admirably serviceable to the best and most advantageous Purposes Let us account it an unspeakable Mercy and Favour that we are the Disciples of so worthy and excellent an Institution Let us laâ—d the Divine Goodness that we have these Infallible Oracles to guide us that we are taught of God and that Iesus Christ is our Instructer This is sufficient to raise our Esteem and Value of this Dispensation By this we have the Advantage of all that went before us and this it self is the greatest Advantage For now the Word hath been made Flesh and hath pitch'd his Tabernacle on Earth and hath dwelt amongst us and all the Benefits and Privileges of his Coming are offered to us It seemed good to God to confer this singular Honour upon Vs We see Christ's Day and hear his Gospel we have the Completion of all the Mosaick Types and Representations and all the Prophecies and Promises are fulfill'd before our Eyes We cannot complain that our Religion is harsh and difficult like that of the Iews for all those troublesome Observances are removed and no burdensome Service no intolerable Homage is required of us Our Service is perfect Freedom wherefore we are engaged to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Now since the Woman the Church is clothed with the Sun she hath the Moon the old Mosaick Laws and Ceremonies which shined with a faint and borrowed Light under her feet Let us disregard those old dark Types and Shadows in comparison of the clear Light of the Gospel and let us heartily bless God for so great and matchless a Mercy as the New Dispensation of Christ Jesus 3. I infer as the Meliority of our Condition so our greater Obligation to Holiness and strictness of Life Old things are pass'd away and behold all things are become New under the Gospel-Dispensaâ—tion Let not our Lives be the only exception to it Let the Manners of Christians speak the Transcendency of the Gospel above Philosophy Let us live better than the wisest Heathens in as much as our Rules of Living excel theirs Let it never be said that the Behaviour of Pagans outstript that of Christians and that the Gentile Religion made better Men than the Gospel doth It is true the Pagan Moralists spoke highly against Vice and always rhetoricated in their Declamations against it but the Business of Christians is to live those Great things which they discours'd of Let there be observed not only a great Elogium of Virtue in our Words and Professions but let us take care that all Men may read the Excellency of our Religion in our Lives and thereby discern plainly the vast difference that there is between a Christian and a Philosopher Let us urge it on our Minds and Consciences as our indispensible Concern to yield impartial Obedience to our Master's Commands and to govern our Lives by the unerring Rules which he hath given us Let us not bear the Noble Title of Christians without the true Badges of Christianity Let us not prophane this Name by acting contrary to it Either let us lay aside this glorious Character or do things worthy of it We have a Holy Religion therefore our Conversations should be so too Here our Saviour's words are to be remembred Vnless our Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees of the most strict Pretenders to Judaism as well as Philosophy unless we live more Heavenly Lives and under a greater Sense of Religion we must not expect to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven we shall never attain to Happiness For the Gospel-Oeconomy requires greater strictness than that of the Law as well as of any other Dispensation because the Means of Grace and the Methods of Salvation are much more powerful now and we ought to find and feel that Power in us Let us then think speak and live as those who have such clear and plain Discoveries of God's Will such Divine and Heavenly Truths made known to us with a prospect of such glorious Things hereafter as may effectually encourage us to embrace those Truths and to frame our Actions according to them How shameful will it be that so admirable a Religion should produce nothing but empty Shews and Formalities fair Words and goodly Appearances that it should make us Christians only in Title and Profession and leave us worse than Infidels in our Manners Is our Religion the best why are not we
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
this Sabbath was call'd Sabbath Bereshith because they began then to read Bereshith i. e. the beginning of Genesis They celebrated the foresaid day in thanking of God for his great Mercy in vouchsaâ—ing them the reading of the Law 2. The Eeast of the Dedication of the Temple instituted by Solomon 1 Kings 8. 1. and afterwards observ'd as some think by the Jews 3. The Feast of Dedication or Encoenia celebrated on the 25 th day of November which Month is call'd Kiâ—leu by the Hebrews It was instituted in memory of that great Hero Iudas Macchabaeuâ— who after the death of his Father Mattathias conquer'd the Greeks and Syrians who had taken Ierusalem and tyranniz'd over the Iews He recover'd that City and dedicated the Temple anew which the impious Antiochâ—â—â— had prophan'd He commanded this Festival to be solemnly kept yearly eight days together beginning on the 25 th day of the foresaid Month 1 Mac. 4. 59. 4. Pâ—rim or the Feast of Lâ—ts Esther 9. 21 c. in remembrance of the Deliverance in Esther's time It was kept on the 14 th and 15 th days of the Month Adâ—r the 12 th Month or February It was called Purim which is a Persian word and signifieth Lots in memory of Haman's throwing Lots that all the Iews in Aâ—asuerus's Dominions should be killed for this was an old Custom to cast Lots to find â—it and seasonable times for effecting of any great Business They writ the Days and the Months and put them into a Pitcher and so what they took out according to the Marks they had set down was lucky or unlucky This Feast then of Purim was celebrated in remembrance of the Massacre appointed by Lot against the Jews There were also Fasts among the Jews which tho they were not commanded by the Law of Mosâ—s yet the Jewish Church enjoin'd them to be kept of these you read in Zech. 8. 19. viz. the Fast of the â—ourth Month Tamuz or Iune in remembrance of the time when Ierusalem was invaded and the Tables of the Law broken and the Book of the Law burnt Ier. 52. 6 7. and the Fast of the fifth Month or Iuly for the destruction of the Temple Zech. 7. 3. and the Fast of the seventh Month Tisrâ— or September for the kiâ—ling of Gedaliah 2 Kings 25. 28 and the Fast of the Tenth in which Month Thebat or December the City began to be besieged Ier. 52. 4. Thus much of the Râ—ligious Feastâ— and Sacred Sâ—asons wherein the Jewish People used to lay aside Secular Business and to be imployed wholly in Religious Worship Sixthly There were in the Law of Moses some particular Obsâ—rvancâ—s whiâ—h râ—spected the Conversâ—â—ion of the Wâ—rshippers They were tied up as to their Commerce with others they were not at liberty to associate with every one they were confined as to their Garments and as to their Diet. There was no such thing as Vncleanness by touching the Dead among the old Patriarchs for we read that Ioseph kissed dead Iacob This was puâ—ely Mosaick and so was that of not coming near any Leprous Person or touching those who had issues of Blood and the like But the main thing remarkable was the difference of Meats and Drinks therefore I will speak particularly of that in this place and I may have occasion to glance on some of the rest afterwards Some have thought as hath been suggested before that this usage prevailed before the Mosaick Law i. e. that some Creatures were clean and others unclean in regard of their being permitted or forbidden to be eaten But I have already shew'd in what sense they were said to be clean oâ— unclean viz. in respect of Sacrificing and not of eating But under the Mosaick Law there is and never was before set down the Number of those Creatures which must not be eaten and we are particularly told what the Cleanness or Uncleanness of them is The clean Animals were only those that chew the Cud and divide the Hoof. This was the Sign and Mark of them and it must be observed that by dividing the Hoof is meant dividing it into two parts only not into more for some divide the Hoof into more parts and are not clean as a Dog a Lion a Wolf And Camels have the Hoof divided but not quite through it is paâ—ted above but not below therefore it is said of the Camel Levit. 11. 4. that he divâ—deth not the Hoof viz. from the top to the bottom but only in part as Naâ—ural Historians have observed And as parting the Hoof and chewing the Cud are two signs of a clean Beast so Fins and Scales make a Fish legally clean And as for Fowl you have a particular enumeration of those that are clean or unclean Bees also were unclean and forbidden Food to the Jews but their Honey was not I might observe further that Fat is forbidden to be eaten i. e. the Fat which covers the inward Parts as the Heart Liver Kidneys c. Levit 3. 16. This the Jews might not eat no not at home when they kill'd a Beast But it is to be understood of such Beasts as were used to be sacrificed to God as Sheep Oxen Goats Levit. 7. 23 25. The Fat of these Creatures was to be burnt but by no means eaten And as for the Blood of these and all other Animals it was to be poured on the Ground and by no means to be eaten or drank I could add that the Jews stretched this Abstinence from Meats beyond what was injoined for they would not eat the hinder Legs oâ— Animals because the Angel strained Iacob's Thigh whereupon the Sinews shrank But in Italy the Jews cut out these Nerves by Art and eat the Legs If it be asked What was the Reason that such and such Creatures were forbidden to be Food Why did not God suffer the Jews to feed on all Animals indifferently The Answer may be that of St. Augusâ—in in the like case Quia voluit because it seemed good to God to do so it was his Will and Pleasure and no Reason is to be given Thus Câ—naeus and Spanhemius resolve it wholly into God's Authority and Sovereignty But others offer Reason of God's acting thus 1. Some think that it was God's Pleasure to insâ—il Lessons of Morality by that Prohibition according to the Qualiâ—ies observ'd in those Creatures They conceive that so many Sins and Vices are represented by unclean Animals and so many Virtues and Graces by the clean ones In a mystical wâ—y God taught the Jews and Brutes were Symbolical and Hieroglyphical When God bid thâ—m not eat the Flesh of the Hare the Swinâ— and the Hawk he warned them against the Timorousness of the one the Filthiness of the other and the Ravenousness of the third Thus the antient Jewish Commentators and some of the Fathers of the Christian Church give moral Reasons why such and such Creatures were forbid to be eaten by the Jews And more particularly as to unclean Birds they
Israelites yet they were as good as taken in as to other Clauses of it and as to the Effence and Substance of it viz. the Spiritual Mercies couched in it Thus they were comprehended in the Covenant of Life and Salvation for all of what Nation soever were Partakers of the Benefits of it upon their believing and repenting Not only Iews but Gentiles were interested in it In the full Meal and Provision which God made for his own People the Israelites some Portions some Fragments fell besides the Table which others gather'd up This is God's Administration to the Gentiles and I make it a particular and distinct Dispensation tho I see those who reckon up the different Dispensations of Religion omit this The Reason I suppose is because this Gentile Dispensation is mixed with the rest of the Dispensations Because it was concurrent with the Patriachal and Mosaical Oeconomies and was not a thing by it self they took no notice of it But notwithstanding this it is a peculiar Dispensation and a very remarkable one too as the Premises may convince us And at last our Blessed Saviour perfected this Dispensation for a little before he left the World he enjoyn'd the Apostles to go and teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19. to Evangelize the Goyim the Nations for so the Iews call'd all People besides themselves to propagate Christianity throughout the whole World And accordingly we read that when the Apostles had continued some time at Ierusalem after Christ's Ascention only some of them now and then slepping abroad to confirm the neighbouring Churches that were lately planted they issued out with one consent into several Countries where by their Travels they spread the Gospel as effectually as David and Solomon did the Hebrew Tongue the one by his numerous Conquests the other by his prosperous Fleets and Commerces so that even in St. Paul's time the Gospel was Preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. Thus at length the Gentile Dispensation was swallow'd up of the Evangelical one which now I will particularly speak of CHAP. XI The Christian or Evangelical Oeconomy It agrees with the former Dispensations of Grace as to the Designation of the Messias As to the way of Salvation As to the Conditions and Qualifications of it This corroborated by the suffrage of the Antient Fathers It differs from the Mosaick Oeconomy or Law as to the Author in some respect As to the Actual Discovery of it As to the Clearness of it As to its Spirituality As to its Extent As to several Circumstances that relate to the Conditions of Salvation which are largely enumerated As to the Motives of Obedience The Doctrine of the Socinians viz. that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament confuted As to the Perfection of its Pattern As to its Helps and Assistances This Query Whether Christ added any new Laws to those which were before under the Old Testament resolved in several Particulars It is proved against the Socinians that Prayer was commanded under the Law How Love is call'd a New Commandment THe Christian or Evangelical Dispensation is next to be treated of God having at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past hath now in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Heb. l. 1 2. He was pleased to reserve the utmost Completion of all the Promisâ—s made to the Patriarchs and the Iews till this time Now by Christ's coming we have the perfect Accomplishment of them all Christianity comprehends all the other Dispensations and is the Upshot of them all This is called the Revelation of the Mystery which was kepe secret since the World began but now is made manifest Rom. 16. 26 27. and the Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men but is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Eph. 3. 4 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly he that brings forth and distributes that which was before laid up This is agreeable to the Oeconomy which we are now to discourse of the great Things which were hidden and treasured up before are now brought forth and discovered and communicated to the World This is that Dispensation which brings Everlasting Righteousness with it this is the Highest and Noblest Exertment of the Covenant of Grace and all the Mercy and Pardon which former Generations found were on the sole account of this Period This Dispensation of the Messias is represented by Iohn Baptist and by Christ himself to be the most Glorious State that hath yet appeared in the World or that ever shall appear for Christianity as most perfect includes all the Laws before named and all the ways of Discovery that can be made 1. I will shew the particular Nature of this Dispensation and how it differs from the others 2. I will shew why this Evangelical Dispensation took not place in the World before 3. I must particularly and directly prove the Truth and Certainty of this Oeconomy and of the Christian Religion 4. I will discover to you the several Degrees of this Dispensation All which Particulars are of great use for the right understanding of this last Administration of Religion 1. I will display the particular Nature and Quality of this Oeconomy this new Oeconomy of the Gospel Here I will let you see 1. That as to the main it agrees with all the other Oeconomies of Grace viz. from the Restoration of Adam 2. That tho as to the main it agrees with all the foregoing Dispensations yet as to sundry particulars it differs from them First all the Dispensations agree in the main i. e. 1. The Divine Designation or Appointment of the Messias reach'd to them all This Lamb was slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. His Sufferings and Death were decreed from all Ages Christ was crucified from the beginning even from Eternity For tho some interpret this place as if it alluded to the Murder of Abel the first holy Person that was slain and as if it took in the rest of the Martyrs in after Ages the Lamb here signifying the whole Succession of Saints who were innocent and spotless in their Lives and invincible in their Deaths and so Christ as well as others may be said to be slain from the foâ—ndation of the World because there was at First even at the Beginning of the World this Example of the Wicked's murdering the Just yet this must be look'd upon as a forced Interpretation of the words for in the stile of Scripture excepting those places where the Sense must needs be restrained and limited because of the subject matter from the foundation of the World is as much as from Eternity as is plain from Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World and from Ioh. 17. 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the World for from the foundation or before the foundation are here
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
3. 1. to explain this Place in the Revelation for as Christ is said to be crucified among the Galatians i. e. they had been so clearly and fully taught and instructed in the Nature of Christ's Sufferings as if Christ himself had been crucified in their Sight So in a resembling sort the SAINTS are said to live again i. e. their holy Lives and Actions whence they are denominated Saints are as evidently and completely copied out in the Persons then upon a kind of a Resurrection On such the second Death bath no Power i. e. those who have the Honour to be reserved to that excellent State of the Church which is called Reigning with Christ being Holy and Righteous Persons they shall be rescued from the second Death which is no other than Everlasting Destruction For as there is a Twofold Resurrection as hath been said so in the same way of Allusion there is a Twofold Death a Death of Temporal and a Death of Eternal Destruction This latter is called the second Death because it comes after the other and is a great deal more terrible than it Therefore to be free'd from this is the greatest Mercy imaginable And this is that which all those who live under the Heighth of the Evangelical Dispensation shall be rescued from At the end of those Thousand Years when the Books shall be opened and the Dead shall be judged out of them they shall escape everlasting Death and Damnation and they shall pass from Earth to Heaven from the happy State of the Church here to endless Blessedness in the Mansions above The short then of all is this That the Living and Reigning of the Saints with Christ which is foretold in this Chapter is to be understood of the most Prosperous and Flourishing State of the Church of Christ here on Earth which is the Thing that I have undertaken to prove and illustrate Indeed it is not expresly said that this Reign shall be on Earth but we may most rationally infer as much from this Chapter The Angel who was to bind Satan came down from Heaven ver 1. therefore the Scene of these Things spoken of in this Chapter was to be here below Afterwards ver 3. it is said that Satan was shut up that he might deceive the Nations no more Now none can deny but that these Nations were on Earth And in ver 9. it is said of Gog and Magog That they went up on the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about The Saints then are upon the Earth as well as Gog and Magog And this appears yet further from what follows in the same Verse Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them Therefore neither they nor the Saints were then in Heaven but on Earth else the Fire could not be said to come down from Heaven upon the latter It is out of question then that this Reigning of the Saints with Christ is meant of that happy Administration of the Church here on Earth Though the common Doctrine of the Millennaries viz. of the Saints and Martyrs leaving Heaven and coming down to Reign on Earth and so likewise of the Personal Reign of Christ with them be a groundless Fancy and built neither on Reason nor Scripture yet I have in some good measure shew'd that Tâ—is which I am now speaking of is founded on Both. The former dictates to us that there shall be a more perfect State of Christianity than ever yet hath been and the latter in several Places speaks of this higher Degree of Christianity Though Christ will not come in Person yet he will come in the Spirit to renew his Church and to exalt it to a greater Measure of Holiness and Purity And there shall then be such a joyful blessed Season as never was before and never will be again upon Earth It remains now that I speak particularly and distinctly of the Duration of this Spiritual Reign It shall last a Thousand Years which some have thought is to be understood iâ—definitely As in Iob 9. 3. 33. 23. One of a Thousand is One of a great Many And in Psal. 50. 10. A Thousand Hills and Psal. 105. 8. A Thousand Generations is as much as very Many Hills and Generations so they think here a Finite Number is put for an Indefinite and accordingly the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years signifies no more than the long Time of the Churches Prosperity St. Augustin who takes the Thousand Years in this Indefinite manner holds that they began either at Christ's Birth or his Passion and last to the Worlds end or till a little before it when Antichrist is to come and appear in the World Others say they commence at Christ's Death and that as the Saints are said to Reign so the Devil is bound a Thousand Years i. e. all the Time from Christ's Passion to the Consummation of all Things excepting only that little Time when he is Loosed But these are very extravagant Assertions and no considerate Men have undertaken to make them good Why therefore should I undertake to confute them I will only say this to baffle their Notion who take these Thousand Years Indefinitely that first it is expresâ—y asserted in this Chapter that the Godly shall Reign a Thousand Years and that Satan shall be bound just so many Years which indeed are but the same Time Again The Thousand Years are repeated no less than Six-times by St. Iohn here which clearly makes against and Indefinite and Uncertain Number Unless a Certain Determinate Portion of Years were here meant this Definite and Precise Number would not have been reiterated so often For this reason both the Ancient and Modern Expositors of this Chapter universally agree that the Thousand Years here are to be taken in the most obvious and Proper Sence viz. for that Particular Determinate Number But then there is a great Disagreement about the Beginning and Ending of these Thousand Years thus precisely taken Some say they began at Christ's Nativity and lasted till Pope Silvester the Second which was about a Thousand Years after for Idolatry and all Superstitious Rights in the Church broke out and manifestly appeared under him first of all So our Wickliff and Bilney and Aretius a Foreigner thought But others as Bede Primasius Pererius fix the Date at Christ's Passion Others hold the Thousand Years began at the Preaching of the Gospel or about the Destruction of Ierusalem and ended when Popery first began Eminently to prevail which was they say about the Year of Christ 1073. when Hildebrand i. e. Gregory the Seventh invaded the Chair then Satan also was loosed This is Dr. Lightfoot's Opinion as it was also of our Broughton and Vsher and of Pareus and Iunius abroad But surely it is harsh to say that the Devil was bound all the time of the Ten Persecutions when he had Power given him to stir up those Bloody Emperours and Tyrants to commit such Outrages against the
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