they were all of such venerable Antiquity Howsoever the matter of them being sound and Catholick and because it is not to be imagined that one Osmund though an Earl and a Bishop should be generally owned for Os mundi the Speaker to the whole Church in the Liturgy of it we may safely affirm that the said Collects are of the same pure primitive Original with the rest of our Church-Service The form of Letany in the next place which is most cavill'd at was ordered by Saint Gregory Lib. 9. Indict 4. Epi. 45. while Rome continued in the state of innocency to be used in the Church of Sicily without intermission upon the fourth and sixth dayes of every week which our Liturgy in a conformity thereunto enjoyneth to be said or sung upon the same dayes viz. Wednesdayes and Fridayes Lib 1. De vocatione Gentium And Saint Ambrose who was above two hundred years before him saith That this form of publick devotion in the Church for the substance of it was so generally observed Vt nulla pars mundi sit in qua hujusmodi orationes non celebrentur à populis Christianis That there was no part of the world where these Prayers were not used in Christian Assemblies Non solum pro Sanctis in Christo regeneratis sed etiam pro omnibus infidelibus inimicis crucis Christi pro omnibus Idolorum cultoribus pro haereticis schismaticis c. Even as we do at this day in our Letany not onely praying that God would be pleased to bless and keep all his people but that he would bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Our Versicles and Responds we oftentimes meet with in Primitive Liturgies E. g The Lord be with you And with thy Spirit Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us c. Lift up your hearts We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto the Lord It is meet and right so to do c. Thus saith Saint Chrysostome The Priest in the holy Ministration speaks unto the people In 2. ad Cor. Hom. 18. and the people unto the Priest to quicken their devotion and to testifie their unanimity in the Service of God Neither is our Alternate singing though it be not enjoyned in our Liturgy without good warrant from that Antiquity which we ought to reverence Lib. 2 cap. 24. Theodoret writeth that Davids Psalms were sung in the Church of Antioch by the Quire of Singers one side answering the other in their singing Act. 11.26 Which order it seems beginning there as the Appellative title of Christian did Ad fines orbis terrarum tandem pervenit saith he was at length spread over the world And this saith Sozomen wrought marvellously upon Theodosius Lib. 7. cap. 23. diverting him from his intended purpose of destroying the Citizens of Antioch because of some contempts which they had put upon him For as the said Historian relates it they fearing the Emperours displeasure repented them of what they had done against him much bewailing their near approaching ruine and having prevailed with Flavianus their Bishop to intercede for them took this course according to his directions Some of them when the Emperour sat at his table came into his presence singing Psalms after the manner of Antioch that is Antiphonicws one answering the other wherewith the Emperour being a religious Prince was so taken that he let go his anger was reconciled to their City Phialam quam manu tenebat lachrymis obortis irrigavit The Cup which he held in his hand he watered with his tears and so mingled his drink with weeping In fine Lib. 6. cap. 8. This manner of Antiphone in the Church was saith Socrates occasioned first by a vision of Angels which Ignatius Bishop of Antioch that faithful servant of Jesus Christ who had been conversant with the Apostles had presented unto him whom he heard lauding the blessed Trinity with Responsory Hymns the Pattern whereof he commended to that Church to be ever after observed and practised by them Vnde ad omnes Ecclesias ista traditio promanavit saith the Historian From whence also that order of singing went among all the Churches Many more Instances might be produced to witness that our Liturgy is not of such an upstart Original as to derive its Extraction from Rome since by her Apostatizing she hath chang'd her name into Babylon But we must not extra oleas vagari and these few may suffice to convince gain-sayers of their false and uncharitable accusation of our Church-Service as that it is Superstitious and Idolatrous because Popish and Babylonish which is so unjust a calumniation that as it hath been observed There is not any one Protestant Divine of any note or eminency even among the Reformers of Religion who did ever condemn our Service-Book of the least point of Popery but rather many among them did highly commend it Yea and Sir Edward Cook that Oracle of the Law of England unto whom we have reason for his Gravity Courage and integrity in his place and calling notwithstanding all the oblatrations of Popish Rabshekah's against him to give some heed more then ordinary Such was P.R. in his reckonings with Bp. Morton about Equivocation The like is also a. vouched by D. Ben. Carrier in hit letter to K. James pag. 126. He I say affirmeth with much confidence That Pope Pius Quintus wrote unto Queen Elizabeth a letter about the tenth year of her Reign offering to allow and ratifie the English Service-Book if she would accept it as from him which she refusing to do he did excommunicate her and by his Bull roared out an Inhibition to all his party called Roman Catholicks that they should not from thenceforth go to any of our Churches while the said Service-Book was read though to the hearing of our Sermons a Toleration was granted unto them To conclude Since the Primitive Pattern is thought fit next to the holy Scriptures to be a Standard for Church-Orders in the Service of God throughout the Christian world let our adversaries and friends too but conform unto it in such a manner as we have done since we separated from Rome and I dare boldly say we shall have no just cause in the sight of God to charge one another with Superstition And now that Imputation of Superstition upon the account of our Liturgy being with as much brevity as the matter could well bear yet sufficiently if not satisfactorily to our irrefragable opponents removed We should undertake the vindication likewise of Episcopal Government for that also is by our Objectours brought under the same Censure But concerning this neither need there much be said it being abundantly cleared of late against those that have openly professed themselves enemies to that Government We shall not here repeat the Arguments that have been used in the behalf of Episcopacy such an unsipid crambe must
and he made it his business to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named Rom. 15.20 24. lest he should build upon another mans foundation So that if one of these Itinerants could run over so great a part of the world we may well suppose that the other twelve might with ease divide the rest of the world among them And now what alas were we mad and desperate Idolaters that God should bring us hitherto That the Lord should say to us who were not his people You are my people and that we should say O Lord thou art our God O what a mercy is it that we the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blinde Mat. 22.9 Luk. 14.21 23. who abode in the streets and lanes of the City yea that we who wandred about in the high-wayes and amongst the hedges should be called to the Wedding-Feast of the King of heaven That unto us who sate in darkness and dwelt in the region and shadow of death Light should spring up Let therefore the name of the Lord be magnified by us poor sinners the Gentiles as the Prophet soretold it should from the rising of the Sun Mal. 1.11 unto the going down of the same And since we are through grace become children of Sion let us take the liberty here to sing one of the Songs of Sion so far as we may be concern'd therein O give Thanks unto the Lord for he is Good For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of gods For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the Lord of lords For his mercy endureth for ever To Him who alone doth great wonders For his mercy endureth for ever Who remembred us in our low estate For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of heaven For his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord among the Gentiles say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered them out of all lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South not onely to dwell in the house of the Lord here and to see his goodness in the land of the Living but to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of God to all Eternity And let us of this Nation among the rest and above the rest as it is our duty give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name acknowledging his great mercy in that his unchangeable love hath had an extraordinary measure reaching even first unto us Oh how hath the Lord been pleased to send his Gospel upon the wing unto this Nation So wonderfully here prevailing that England hath had this honour in an eminent manner to be the first-born of grace among the Nations Here reigned the first Christian King that ever was in the world King Lucius who submitted to the Law of Christ confirming it by a civil sanction From hence went the first Christian Emperour that put an end to the bloudy persecutions of the primitive Christians Constantine yea and after the general defection from the purity of the faith made by the Romish Church which like the tail of the Dragon threw down to the earth a great part of the Stars of Heaven Here the Reformation of the Christian Religion began first to be established by a Law by the first King that ever cast off the yoke of that Anti-Christian Usurper King Henry the 8. Wherein whether his design was to promote any sinister interest of his own as some imagine or to advance the Kingdom of Christ is not much material for us to know The arme of the Almighty hath hitherto been stretched out for the preservation thereof counter-working all the Machinations of Hell which have been and still are upon the Devil's forge against it Rejoyce therefore in the Lord O England and again I say rejoyce But as it is our bounden duty to ascribe unto the Lord the glory of this mercy and to rejoyce that we are no more strangers and forreiners as the Apostle tells the Ephesians but fellow-citizens with the Saints Eph. 2.19 that is the Jews and of the house-hold of God So we cannot but abhor the treachery of those false brethren among us called Anabaptists who like a brood of Vipers would if it lay in their power but that Gods mercy towards us triumphs over their falsehood disfranchise us of our liberties in the house of our God and rob us of those priviledges wherein the Lord Jesus Christ hath made us free giving us therein equal right with his Israel that was before us because he is still the Same I might instance in sundry of their Anti-Christian tenents tending hereunto But for brevities sake will make mention onely of one that is their Antipaedobaptisme not allowing the Infants of Believers to be admitted into the house-hold of faith by the Sacrament of Baptisme It is not my purpose here to dispute this point at large being out of my way enough hath been written of it already And it hath been found by experience to be a toylsome task to run the wilde-goose chase as a learned divine now with God once phrased it after a well breathed Opinionist they delight in Vitilitigation Mr. Nath. Ward It is an itch as he said that loves a life to be scrubb'd they desire not satisfaction but satisdiction whereof themselves must be judges I shall not therefore say much to this quarelsome people Let them consider how they will answer the Apostle here who avoucheth Jesus Christ to be thee Same to day which he was yesterday Certainly if the infants of the Jews were by virtue of Christs mediatory office to be received into the bosome of the Church and distinguished from those that were without by a Solemn Sacrament of initiation but the infants of Christian parents to whom belongeth the Kingdom of God as as well as to the Jews before must not be allowed to partake of a like priviledge but be reckoned still as dogs as the Scripture calls all that are without Jesus Christ is not the Same according to the Apostles word Neither is his office now of so much use unto his Church as it hath been formerly Of such blasphemy as this not to be mentioned without horrour must this cursed errour be the foundation But let me ask of these deceivers How came it to pass that Christ hath not obtained this priviledge for our Infants as well as he did for the Jews seeing God is not now the God of the Jews onely but of the Gentiles also Surely it must be either because he would not or because he could not To say he would not doth plainly demonstrate his love of us to be less then it was of the Jews which agreeth not with that abundant grace that hath been now revealed in the time of the Gospel To say he could not contradicteth that universal power which the father had given
the first Adam who was made of red earth white in his holiness and red in his bloud and sufferings white in his own immaculate purity and innocence but red in the imputation of our sins which are like scarlet and crimson Es 1.18 White in his goodness and free grace to humble sinners but red and bloudy to all his enemies that will not suffer him to reign over them Worthy is this our Jesus that we should continually look unto him He looks unto us in all our afflictions and supports us in them In all the deadly hazards that we are liable unto through the malice of Satan and preserves us from them In all our backslidings and recovers us out of them In all the duties of Religion and by his spirit enables us unto them In all the works of our callings and commands a blessing upon them Without him we can do nothing without him we are nothing without him we can hope for nothing He looks upon our graces the fruits of his own spirit in us and cherisheth them upon our infirmities and pities them upon the purposes inclinations desires of our hearts towards him and delights in them upon our bodies and souls and will undoubtedly save them Should his eyes then run to and fro amongst us and be still set upon us for good and should not we look unto him again I call you not to an empty speculation of Jesus Christ in a picture according to the manner of superstitious dawbers who paint him out in a Crucifix sutable to their own foolish fancy for who among them can say expresly such was the fashion of his countenance and other parts of his body as we see here in the draught before us and then Pygmaleon-like dote upon it or rather like the Prophets Carpenter as they are well resembled fall down and worship it when they have done Such vanity as this let us leave to those that have their eyes full of spiritual Adulteries Sic ille manus sic ora seâ—ebat whom a deceived heart hath turned aside so that they cannot deliver their own soul nor say when they take hold of their Crucifix is there not a lie in my right hand But beloved Christians I speak as to wise men Judge ye what I say You that have been in the Holy Mount with Jesus I mean that have been conversant with him in his Word and have the anoynting which ye received of him abiding in you whereby you are made able to see him that is invisible you know better how to look unto him 1 Joh. 2.27 that you may draw virtue from him The Wise mans eyes are in his head Ec 2.14 saith Solomon he considereth well what he doth that he may do it to â—he best advantage or he lifteth them upwards saith Saint Ambrose and fixeth them upon Christ his Head sitting at the right hand of God Pro. 17.24 when the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth poring upon vanity to the seeding of his folly but nothing at all to the satisfying of his soul We waâ—k here by faith as the Apostle tells us and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 The less therefore there is of sight the more answerable to the Rule will our walk be Let Faith then have its perfect work in drawing the whole soul to look uncessantly unto Jesus as the Authour and Finisher of our Faith and Salvation who hath begun his good work in us and will also perfect it who hath given us grace to believe and will surely continue this grace with us even to the end because he is the Same for ever Faith will make us to see what he hath done for us how he was faithful in fulfilling all Righteousness what he hath suffered likewise how he was faithful unto death yea unto wrath for that which we should have been suffering in hell for ever that did he in the short time of his Passion suffer in our stead it will make us see what he is now doing dwelling in our hearts shedding abroad his love in our souls preserving us out of the hand of the enemy that seeks our destruction appearing before God in our behalf preparing a place for us that where he is there we may be also And what he will do present us before his Father proclaim our Integrity and Sincerity before his Angels crown us with Glory embrace us with the everlasting Arms of his Love continue to own us for his brethren unto all Eternity Oh then let us look unto this Jesus that our souls may be more and more ravished with his love They that thus look unto him here with the eye of Faith when their natural bodies shall become spiritual bodies shall most certainly with their eyes behold this their King in his beauty for ever with joy unspeakable and full of glory Which exceeding superlative eternal weight of glory that we may obtain both I that have here according to the grace that is given unto me written of this Subject and you that with an honest and good heart have read and perused it The Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation grant unto us through the Mediation of that Son of his love our Lord and our Life Christ Jesus Amen Amen Bern. Serm. 22. in Cantic Currimus omnes post te O Domine Jesu in Odore Vnguentorum tuorum in omnem terram exivit Odor Vitae qui vitalem hanc sparsam ubique fragrantiam non sentit ob hoc non currit aut mortuus est aut putidus AN APPENDIX To the former TREATISE Added because of the several ADDRESSES that are therein made unto the JEWS and proving clearly from Scripture that they shall in time become a people again in whom the Lord will delight BEcause mention hath been made of the great hope that is to be conceived concerning the Jews Restauration it is fit here to shew the reason of this Hope and what good warrant may be produced for our confidence therein The rather because there are some amongst our selves who will because they will be Scepticks in this point being too apt to insult and trample upon this forlorn and desolate people though our Apostle hath given sufficient warning to the contrary Neither will our undertaking herein be impertinent to the matter we have had in hand for it will in the issue plainly demonstrate the Immutability of the Lord Jesus Christ towards this people and that his Covenant which he made with their Fathers is not forgotten but shall inviolably be kept and fulfilled to a titâ—le in this day of his power because even because he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still the Same unto them as ever he was from the Beginning The ground upon which we do in the name of God proceed is this If Moses and the Prophets be of account with the Jews or the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles of any value with us there may be great hope for
hath of late been sufficiently cleared by others Mr. Prinn c. Is not the Lord Jesus Christ called the Prince of the Kings of the Earth as being his honour to have those that are of the highest estimation to be Subjects unto him Which being so it should be the desire and ambition of all the people in the world to be ruled by those persons who are entituled to this subjective Regality And when Divine Providence shall with a strong hand and a stretched-out Arm lead them unto it as it hath done us here in this Kingdom and the Nations of our Vicinity for many Generations it will certainly be their sin if they should not submit cheerfully unto it as it was the sin of the people of Israel when they out of a diffidence of Gods care and protection of them and out of an Apish imitation of other Nations would in an unseasonable preposterous and tumultuous manner be catching at it And now all this considered how can a people with any serenity of Conscience profess Godliness and yet speak reproachfully of the Kingly Office yea account it Antichristian as some have done proclaiming open Hostility against it Were it indeed Heterogeneous to the Divine Ordinance of Civil Government or incongruous to the times of the Gospel or prejudicial to the interest of the Saints as it is said to be or an impeachment in the least degree to the Dignity and Prerogative Royal of the Lord Jesus Christ himself either in respect of his Natural or of his Donative Kingdom such persons might proceed upon warrantable grounds to proclaim their dislike in that kind But it may now appear to all the World that the clamour which is raised against Regal Power upon any of these before-named accounts is altogether causeless and of no moment It will not be expedient here to examine them severally for in so doing we should make too large a digression haply we shall meet with them obiter in our way wherein the inadvertency or to say truly the Seditious frowardness rather then the godly zeal of the Authors and Abettors of these Complaints will be made manifest unto all men In the mean time I cannot but protest against that pernicious Paradox which hath been vented by a leading Divine as he was accounted in these late times of Errour and Rebellion amongst us J. O. who in a Sermon preached at S. Margarets Westminster and afterwards Printed saith thus The Lord had of old erected a Kingly Government in the House of David not for any eminency in the Government it self or for the Civil Advantage of that people but that it might be a Type of the Spiritual Dominion of the Messiah and so was a part of their Paedagogy and Bondage as was the residue of their Types every one of them and consequently this form of Government not to be of any use in the time of the Gospel Were this true we then who are now of the Church of God as that people were before us acknowledging this Messiah to be come according to the Promise may indeed have just cause to say of that kind of Government as the Apostle doth of Circumcision If we should allow of it Christ shall profit us nothing the substance being come what should the shadow of a King do unto us But I hope that those who have through the subtlety of Satan been misled into this Opinion will hereafter find cause to retract it when they shall remember that the rule of the Gospel to which they pretend an exact Conformity requires them to pray and to give thanks for Kings which as the Apostle saith is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. 1 Tim 2.1 2 3. However seeing that Wisdom puts forth her Voice crying at the Gates at the entry of the City at the coming in at the Doors saying By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the eâ—rth Seeing I say this sound is heard from Heaven every day in the Consciences of men Wisdom will herein be justified of all her children And let this serve to terminate the first part of my Proposition viz. Government is an Ordinance of Divine Authorization Secondly It is ordained to be subservient unto Christ in the dispensation of his power and providence towards the preservation of Mankind 2. Branch For though Christ be All in all Col. 3.11 as the Apostle speaks Col. 3. yet to shew himself to be the Lord of all he hath ordained means to be subservient unto him in all the works of his Providence and hath accordingly made use of them To this purpose saith the Son of Sirach very pertinently Ec. 38.2 3 4 5. Of the most High cometh healing yet the Physician must be honoured with that honour that belongeth unto him The Lord also hath created Medicines out of the Earth and he that is wise will not abhor them He hath given skill unto men that he might be honoured in his marvellous works with such doth he heal men and taketh away their pains of such doth the Apothecary make a Confection c. Hence it is as the Prophet Jeremy speaketh Jer. 23.25 That his Covenant with Day and Night and the Ordinances of Heaven and Earth concerning their disposition motion order influences virtues and operations are inviolable They continue this day saith the Psalmist according to thine ordinance Ps 119.91 for all are thy servants not as if his Paramount Authority and power were thereby any whit diminished rather it is advanced nor as if he were necessitated thereunto for want of power in himself for we may see the course of Heaven c. hath sometimes been inverted by him Indulgentiae est non indigentiae non efficaciam quaerit sed congruentiam Ex. 14.16 John 3.16 2 Reg. 10.1 Dan. 3.25 But of his own free will in the abundance of his goodness it is that he governeth and preserveth Creatures by Creatures using the ministery of second Causes for in their present poor estate wherein they are in this world his own immediate hand and power would soon prove intolerable unto them Who alas among us here can dwell with devouring fire Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings Goodness then and mercy it is that is the ground of this Dispensation from Heaven towards poor creatures of all sorts but there is no creature under the Sun unto whom the Lord hath so much respect as he hath to Mankind all other indeed have their being and their well-being whatsoever it is from him as hath been said before But Man is his Favourite the Masterpiece of his wisdom power and goodness the work of his Faciamus not barely of his Fiat as other Creatures were in him he challengeth a special propriety accounting him his own in a peculiar manner for in that sense I conceive that place of the Evangelist John 1.11 He
Job 14.14 The Creature therefore must wait all the daies of their appointed time untill their change come Now the time when this shall be is here very significantly called the Manifestation or Revelation of these Sons of God which word of the Apostle is in Travel as Rebecca with a Twin of Interpretations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it may be taken not only in a Passive sense as some will have it but also in an Active Consider it first Actively These Sons of God that is The Angels shall be sent forth by Jesus Christ and employed in an eminent Work of Revelation four several waies First They shall break open the Chambers of Death and bring out the naked Bodies of the whole Race of Mankinde that have been there shut up and laid to sleep from the beginning of the World not one shall be missing Secondly They shall gather all the Saints which are God's Jewels together Mal. 3.17 and leave the Wicked which are the dross and dregs of the World by themselves thereby manifesting the one from the other each side to receive a Sentence from the Righteous Judge according to their Works Thirdly That Righteous Judgment which shall then pass must also have its manifestation according to the Apostles word Rom. 2.5 Rom. 2.5 And who but these Sons of God shall be the Messengers and Instruments of Justice at that day So saith Jesus Christ himself in the Parable of the Tares the Reapers that is Mat. 13.30 the Angels have their charge given them not only to gather the Tares together but to binde them in bundles to burn them and as for the Wheat they must bring that safely into the Barn Fourthly and above all these Sons of God shall be employed in the manifestation of the Son of man when he comes in his Glory for they shall in effect proclaim the Name of the Lord before him unto all the World as once it was when he passed before Moses being in a Cleft of the Rock Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God Ex. 34.6 7 merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children Ps 50.3 unto the third and fourth Generation A fire shall devour before him and the Lord shall descend from Heaven as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 4.16 with a Shout a Shout that will make the Earth to quake and the World to ring and with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God And what doth this imply but that these Sons of God shall minister unto Jesus Christ at that day in the manifestation of his Glory The Scripture we know speaketh often of the Manifestation and Revelation of Jesus Christ and his Glory 1 Cor. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.7.13 1 Pet. 4.13 c. And though it be most true that the Lord will then make himself known by the Judgment which he then executeth and by his appearing in his peculiar Glory yet doubtless the innumerable multitude of the Heavenly Hostes that attend upon him at his comming will also make his Praise glorious else would not the Wisdom of God have so contrived it that his Appearance should be also made solemn and formidable by reason of his Attendants that wait upon him And to this purpose the Apostle speaks expresly 2 Thes 1.7 So Beza renders it Act. 14.27 15.4 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven But how With his mighty Angels in flaming fire or by his mighty Angels as the Preposition there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth also signifie And thus we see how these Sons of God shall be Active in the great Work of Manifestation at the last Day But then secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also as hath been said to be rendred in a Passive signification Thus these Sons of God shall themselves be manifested and that in two respects first of their Nature secondly of their Number First Their Nature shall be made manifest to the World for though they have appeared often under several Forms sometimes in the shape of Men sometimes like unto flaming fire for the comfort of the Godly and terrour of the Wicked yet doth it not clearly appear thereby what they are Spirits indeed they are Glorious and Heavenly and Immortal Spirits created after the Image of God of marvellous Agility excellent in Strength able to do Wonderously beyond the power of all other Creatures in the World Yet this and all else that we know of them doth not argue but that there will be a more perfect knowledge of them at the time of their Manifestation then shall it appear plainly what Relation they stand in unto God how they come to have cognizance of things done upon the Earth how they have been present in the Assemblies of the Saints and assistant unto them in the solemn duties of Divine Worship and Service 1 Cor. 11.10 then shall it be known and manifested how and wherein they have been a Guard to the people of God to keep them in all their waies and to conclude then shall they more freely and familiarly converse with men not keeping themselves at a distance as he did who reproved Maneah Judg. 12.18 saying Wherefore enquirest thou after my Name seeing it is secret So that a clear manifestation there will be of them in this regard Secondly Mat. 25.31 Their Number or whole Multitude shall then be also manifested For the Lord Jesus shall come with all his holy Angels not only with his Legions Mat. 26.53 Judg. 5.14 Es 40.26 Mat. 26.53 but his holy Myriads attending upon him He will bring out his Hosts by number saith the Prophet calling them all by Names as a General doth his Souldiers on a Training day not one of them shall fail Well may it therefore be called the Manifestation of the Sons of God when there shall be such a general Appearance of them The Lord among them as in the Holy Place Ps 68.17 Psal 68.17 Thousand thousands ministring unto him and ten thousand times ten thousands standing before him And thus have I given my sense of this Particular also which I submit to the examination of the Church it being I confess somewhat singular the Place being taken generally so far as the narrow extent of my poor Reading doth reach for the manifestation of the believing Saints of whom indeed the Evangelist speaketh after the like manner 1 John 3.2 1 John 3.2 which hath inclined Expositours to give the same Interpretation here Now saith he are we the Sons of God it should rather be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Children of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him
but what saith the Answer of God unto him I will make all my Goodness pass before thee and I will proclaime the Name of the Lord before thee And what could a poor Creature in this World desire more Oh what admirable Honour is this that the Lord vouchsafeth unto his Beloved Favourite what an incomparable Priviledge is This Moses now partaker of above his Brethren But it is the Lord who may do what he pleaseth for so he saith I will be Gracious to whom I will be Gracious and I will shew Mercy on whom I will shew Mercy Nevertheless we may with Modesty enquire how and by what means this glorious Goodness came to be presented unto Moses and that we shall finde to be even by this good old Way which we have here been speaking of viz. the Mediation of Jesus Christ I go not about to wrest this excellent Scripture by forcing upon it a sense which may not agree with the minde of the Holy Ghost therein That be far from me what I have to say concerning it I shall leave to the Judgement of the Wise and Godly First I shall by the way take this for granted because it hath been already proved that Moses had to do with Jesus Christ as the rest of the people had while He and they were together in the Wilderness And it must be confessed that there was as much need of the help and interposition of a Mediatour in this matter that we are speaking of as in any thing els which I say was in great Mercy dispensed unto Moses as is manifest First by the Preparation that preceded this glorious Appearance Secondly by the Form and Method of the Proclamation of the Name of the Lord at the time of that appearance As for the Preparation which is mentioned in the three last Verses of this thirty third Chapter the particulars thereof are very remarkable viz. concerning the place that is said to be by the Lord Ex. 33.21 22 23. and the Lord 's putting Moses into the cleft of the Rock and covering it with his Hand which that we may the better understand and see how apposite they are to our present purpose it will be needful for us to take into Consideration that whole intercourse between the Lord and Moses First Moses prayeth unto the Lord V. 13. in these words Shew me now thy Way What is that Thy Way say some that thou meanest to take with this people in bringing them to the Land which thou didst promise to give unto their Fathers I will not deny but that this might be in the minde of Moses now when the Lord was pleased to admit him into his presence because he was ever zealous for the peoples good But there are some Circumstances which follow that do incline me to another sense at least to joyn another with this both which may be allowed together being not inconsistent each with other but tending both to one and the same end It seemeth unto me that Moses here prayeth that the Lord would reveal himself unto him out of the Cloud in some shape and form as he might be visible unto his bodily sight which he therefore calleth his Way because he had been wont to do so to the Patriarchs before him whom he likewise knew by Name And I do the rather conceive this to be the sense because of the ground and reason of his desire which is added by him in the words following Lord saith he Shew me thy way that I may know thee and that I may find grace in thy sight True it is the Lord promiseth him immediately after this that his Presence should go with him as being an Answer to his request in the behalf of the people the necessity whereof Moses also urgeth and insisteth upon V. 15 16. Yet doth the Lord give him a further Answer in the Words that follow V. 17. as to a thing somewhat differing from that which concerned the people I will saith he do this thing also that thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by Name Now since the Lord had before consented that his Presence should go along with him in the Conduct of the people and that Moses had given his Restipulation thereunto resting him fully satisfied with what the Lord had promised to what purpose is this other Consent now superadded and that with a note of difference from what had passed before if it be not this which I have here declared viz. that the Lord would according to his desire Visibly appear unto him out of the Cloud in a humane shape as he had been accustomed to do to others whom he knew by Name which sense being admitted how clear will the Circumstances following that are preparatory to the great discovery of God in the next Chapter be unto us which otherwise will prove very intricate and obscure Behold saith the Lord there is a place by me and thou shalt stand upon a Rock and it shall come to pass while my Glory passeth by that I will put the in a Cleft of the Rock Now what place upon Earth can be said to be neerer to the Lord then another seeing he filleth Heaven and Earth with his presence And what Rock or Cleft of a Rock could be able to secure Moses from the danger of being consumed by that excellent Glory which did appear seeing the Rocks are cloven to pieces Nah. 1.6 and thrown down before him How then could these things be It is in vain now to produce an Anthropopathy and so stretch it so far as to make it level with every Circumstance for doubtless there was a Reality in this matter and every particular of it was done and effected to Moses sense and to the full satisfaction of his expectation so far as might stand with the safety of his Life Granting therefore that Jesus Christ appeared unto Moses as a Man there might then be a place said to be according to the ordinary course of Nature neerer to him in that Mount where the Lord was wont to meet this his servant then another elsewhere he might also put Moses into the Rock and cover him with his Hand to preserve him from the imminent Danger and then take away his Hand that so Moses might see some glimpse of that Glory that passed by Yea more it is said Exod 34.5 that the Lord Descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord and yet in the sixth verse it is said The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed to stand still with Moses proclaiming and to pass by before him proclaiming too seemeth in reason not to hold well together the true meaning therefore undoubtedly is this Jesus Christ who is Jehovah the Mediatour came down upon the Mount in a Cloud and then after he was descended appears visibly unto Moses according to his former Promise and stood with him there to protect him from Danger while
hurteth not the scabberd so is the wrath of God never more incensed then when he punisheth the soul and spares the body Look then into thy soul O poor Sinner and see what this day doth there bring forth either an obduration upon thy heart or an inflammation upon thy Conscience O how is the heart sometimes hardened in sin Made more and more obstinate and perverse against the Lord Yea and that which aggravates the misery it is by that very means whereby the Saints are renewed and made happy in their Conformity to God in righteousness and true holiness for as the heat of the Sun softeneth wax and hardeneth clay both at the same time so hath the light of this day its several operations upon the Godly and Ungodly according to their several Capacities and dispositions The one it brings into an humble frame fit for such impressions as the spirit of God will fix upon them The other are thereby made more and more refractory and inflexible in their sin till they be ripe for destruction And is not this a great terrour unto men that that which might have been for their wealth to enrich them with grace and glory should become unto them an occasion of falling into extream miserie Sometimes again the Conscience of an impenitent sinner is set all on fire by the light of this day and put into such a flame that nothing can quench it yea the more illuminations it hath of the glimpses of that glorious grace which is now revealed the more violent flashes of God's glittering sword do withall break in upon it to the amazing of the soul with terrours that are inextricable and unexpressible A black cloud of Witnesses might be produced that have found this true by too lamentable experience Not as if this light did naturally bring forth such sad effects but wheresoever it shineth being mighty to prevail if it be resisted wo unto them that make the opposition it comes I say like Lightning with greater Violence and where it meets with such combustible stuff as a reprobate Spirit it proves through the just judgement of God a devouring fire True it is that even the most holy and faithful servants of God may sometimes for want of a due observation of this day have terrible apprehensions of it The light of it may seem to go altogether retrograde unto them and the illuminations thereof may also turn into dreadful inflammation upon their Consciences But yet because they are the Children of the Day The healing which is under the wings of that Sun that giveth light unto it shall surely have a comfortable influence upon them And the anointing which they have from the Holy one shall be as an eye-salve whereby they may see the light more clearly and a preservative likewise so to keep them as that the promise shall in this sense be made good unto them Though they walk through the fire they shall not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon them Es 43.2 Es 43.2 Impii autem non sic non sic said the Psalmist in a certain place As for the Ungodly Ps 1.4 it is not nor never shall be so with them For the Prophet as I told you before puts the difference even there where he speakes of that healing that shall come upon those that fear the Lord The day saith he cometh that shall burn as an Oven Mal. 4. â— and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble c. In an Oven or furnace there is no Healing nor escaping but burning and consuming of all that is within the compass of it especially if it be dry stubble so is this day to all Ungodly persons a Magormissabib a terrour round about And to apply the Words of the Prophet Amos to our present purpose for they have a measure that will reach unto it Amos 5.18 The day of the Lord is darkness and not light as much as to say You are much mistaken if such as you think to meet with any light of consolation in this day so long as you continue in your rebellion against the Lord rather you will finde it tobe with you as if a man did flee from a Lion and a Bear met him or went into the House and lean'd his hand on the Wall and a Serpent bit him Amos 5.19 If you have escaped from a Lion the Lion of the Gospel because possibly he is of so noble a nature that he hath not pursued his prey This day will send out a Bear even the terrour of the Law to meet you that shall rend and tear without mercy But if neither of these can overtake you when you enter into the Grave and think to be at rest a Serpent an immortal Worme shall bite and sting you without any remedy Where are now all your glorious boastings of this day of the Lord As that your Lot is fallen unto you in such a pleasant time wherein you need not doubt you say of Gods mercy but hope to be saved as you often swear it too and come to heaven at last as soon as others For why you know this day salvation is come into the World Jesus Christ died for sinners and such you know your selves to be Let Preachers therefore say what they will we fear nothing say you though we do perhaps live in sin as who is there that liveth and sinneth not Yet we will hope howsoever that all shall be well in the end Alas Alas miserable people your expectation will be frustrated and all your hopes vanish away like the spiders Web. Do you not see what a dreadful day is come upon you You look for peace saith the Prophet but behold trouble and for a time of healing but no good comes Even the very Ordinances of this day Jer. 4.19 which are sweeter then Honey to those that live in Gods fear are unto you so long as you abide in your profaness no better then poison You have been baptised with water whereby you are distinguished from those that are without God in the World But if your Souls lie still wallowing in the pollutions of sin it shall be more tolerable for Infidels and Pagans at the day of judgement then for you When you come to the Lord's Table to which you may pretend a right because you outwardly profess the faith of Christ Crucified neither are you to be repelled from it untill you be juridically cast out But when you come O what a woful hazard do you run I need not tell it you in any other words then those the Apostle useth You eate and drink your own Damnation The Word also when you hear it proves not onely a dead but a deadly Letter sent unto you from Heaven to pronounce your Condemnation yea all the Exhortations Admonitions Convictions Reprehensions that you meet with from Ministers from friends from enemies from your own Consciences bring forth no better fruit then to sink
all nations as the Lord once threatned you Which being so Whether then it be better to be under his grace or under his wrath judge ye There is no avoyding it will ye nill ye one way or other you shall ever be subdued unto him either as children or as captives as subjects or as slaves for the Lord hath sworn by himself the greatest oath that ever was heard of the word is gone out of his mouth in righteousness and shall not return That unto him every knee shall bow Esa 45.23 every tongue shall swear Esa 45.23 And if ever demonstrations were found among the creatures for the confirmation of any thing there have been such that are most convincing in this matter of subjecting the world to the irresistable power of Jesus according to this oath That these Oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb at that time the writings of the Heathen do sufficiently witness Two memorable occurrents I shall mention in order hereunto that are past all gain-saying First at his birth the Oracles of the Heathen testified of him by their silence not daring once to peep or mutter out an answer to their importunate suppliants after that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oracle of the Living God once appeared Secondly at his death The Sun in the firmament did also bear witness unto him by a total eclipsing of his light to the amazement of the world far and near In Egypt it was seen and admired by Dionysius Areopagita as appears in his Epistle to Polycarp wherein he desireth Polycarp to enquire of one Apolloohanes who would not it seems be reclaimed from his Gentilisme what he thought of that eclipse which he saw when he was with him at Heliopolis a city in Egypt at the time of our Saviours suffering when he could not but acknowledge that that with other remarkable wonders which they took notice of together were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissitudes or changes of Divine works Which Dionysius being at that time also a Heathen and much astonished at the unnaturalness of the said eclipse cryed out as it is reported of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Either the Deity suffereth or hath sympathy with that which suffereth or the whole world is ready to be dissolved Adding withall Deus ignotus in carne patitur ideoqueVniversum hisce tenebris obscuratur concutitur that is An unknown God suffers at this time in the flesh which makes the world to shake under this obscurity But afterwards when the Apostle Saint Paul came to Athens and affirmed Jesus Christ to be the unknown God at whose death the Sun was so obscured the said Dionysius hearing him became a convert to the Christian Faith and all his life time after an eminent servant to Jesus Christ These reports possibly you will not regard howsoever the truth of the eclipse cannot be questioned by you which may let in so much light upon you to make you believe that somewhat extraordinary was then acted in the world which God would have the world to take special notice of And now to conclude What is it O ye miserably blinded people that you stick at If the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Blessed Virgin our Lord and our God hath not exactly fulfilled all that was Prophecied of the Messiah If he hath not done the works that no other man did or can do If you have not hitherto smarted enough under that heavy Curse which your fathers brought upon you when they crucified the Lord Jesus crying out His bloud be upon us and our children go on then still in your pertinacy deny him to be the Lord that bought you look for another that can do more for you then he hath done For us in the mean time we will bewail before the Lord your woful blindeness and hardness of heart and though we cannot converse with you as brethren because of your perversness in your present infidelity yet we will pity you as those who were once a people in whom the Lord delighted yea as those of whom we have good hope upon the return of your Captivity to see you made the glory of Nations a Praise in the earth Which hope as we may be confident it will not fail us in the time and season which the Father hath put in his own Power so may the consideration of those grounds and reasons hereafter specified whereon this hope is built in time prevail with you to bethink your selves of your long estrangement from your God and to quicken your return unto him Lastly Since it is so that Jesus Christ is the Same to day which he was yesterday then have the Churches of the Gentiles good reason to rejoyce in that they submitting themselves to Christs yoke may be sure that the same Divine Love which was of old manifested to the Jews is in as full measure according to their capacity extended towards them What high account was made of Israel heretofore the holy Scripture doth every where tell us How God entred into a Covenant with them was nigh unto them in all that they call'd upon him for esteemed them his Inheritance his Vineyard his peculiar Treasure when all other Nations were rejected as unclean 1 Cor. 9.11 proclaimed Out-laws and cast forth as dogs not suffered to intermeddle with the childrens Priviledge But now since the Holy Ghost hath not onely told us that Jesus Christ the messenger of this Covenant the parchaser of this Inheritance the planter of this Vineyard the great Lord-Keeper of this Treasury hath broken down the wall of Partition that was between Jews and Gentiles Eph. 2.14 making both one but that he is also the Same to day which he was yesterday as able now to save them to the uttermost whosoever they be that come unto God by him and as ready to do the will of the Father in being a Light to lighten the Gentiles according to the Prophecies of old as to be the glory of his people Israel we may therefore be confident in our approaches before the Lord looking for mercy and grace to help in time of need being as much interessed in all the happy Priviledges of the everlasting Covenant of Promise as ever were the Jews there is no difference now saith the Apostle between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Now is the true heavenly sound gone into all lands the Gospel preached to every creature which the Apostles carried about when they had their Commission given them to go into all the world their Line reached to the ends of the earth Psal 19 4 5. insomuch that the Orb or Tabernacle of the Sun so the Divine Spirit of the Psalmist is interpreted by the Apostle was bounded within the limits of their Commission Rom. 10.18 Saint Paul had his circuit from Jerusalem to Spain
the Jews to expect and good warrant for us to believe their restauration First Hear what Moses saith of this people Deut. 4.30.31 When thou art intribulation as they are this day and all these things are come upon thee Deut 4.30 31. even in the latter dayes remember that if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice For the Lord thy Ged is a merciful God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them But if God hath now cast away his people in these latter dayes so as that they shall be no more a people hath he not forgotten the Covenant of their Fathers which he sware unto them Possibly it will be replyed That promise was attended with this Proviso If they turn unto the Lord their God and be obedient unto his voice But that will never be because of the hardness of their hearts to which they are given up by the just judgement of God for their contempt of the Gospel when it was sent unto them In answer hereunto hear Moses once again Deut. 30.3 c. If thou return unto the Lord thy God Deut. 30.3 c. then will the Lord thy God turn thy Captivity and haâ—e compassion â—pon thâ—e and wâ—ll return and gather thee from all Nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee If any of thine be driâ—en out unto the utmost parts of heaven from then â—e will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live You 'll say How doth this take away the premised Objection Hear and consider First These promises doubtless are grounded upon the new Covenant for the old admits of no mercy to be shewed unto any upon the violation of it The condition therefore must be understood in an answerable sense If you return and if you obey that is when thou shalt Return and when thou shalt obey being induced thereunto by that Grace which I will give unto thee Secondly Of whom speaketh Moses this Of some few a Tribe or two of the Children of Israel or of the whole Nation Surely of the whole Nation but hitherto is not the Captivity of the whole nation turned neither hath the Lord gathered them from all those nations and the utmost parts of heaven whither he had in his sore displeasure scattered them Thirdly Circumcision being the Sacrament of initiation whereby this people were separated from the World and solemnly admitted to be a peculiar portion to the Lord the promise here of circumcising their hearts doth not so much imply their confirmation in their obedience during their restored estate as the turning of their hearts even at the time of their re-admission to be the Lords Fourthly This promise hath never yet been fulfilled in any of their former deliverances For Saint Steven speaketh to them in this manner after all that God had done for them Act. 7.51 Yee stiff-necked and uncircumeised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do yee It remaineth therefore that the accomplishment thereof is yet to come viz. In these latter dayes Thus Moses The Prophets likewise with one Consent do testifie the same First Isaiah is very free and copious in this matter It shall come to pass saith he Es 11.11 12. in that day Es 11.11 12. that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people that shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea that is from all quarters of the World And he shall set up an ensign for the Nations and shall asseble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four Corners of the Earth Let us here also take notice of some considerations very pertinent as I conceive to our present purpose First The Prophet we see speaks of the second time of Gods stretching out his hand for the deliverance of all the posterity of Jacob which second time must be in the dayes of the Messiah as appeareth by the tenth verse Secondly Observe this place is not to be understood of the elect both Jew and Gentile as some will have it For the Prophet had in the tenth verse spoken particularly of the Gentiles Therefore the people here intended are without controversie onely the seed of Abraham according to the flesh Thirdly Consider how the Prophet speaks not of Judah alone or the two Tribes that came out of Babylon after the seventy years Captivity but which is very remarkable not onely here but in sundry other places of Israel and Judah together who never yet were united since their first separation Fourthly This assembling and gathering of Israel and Judah together shall be in those dayes when the Lord sets up an ensign for the Nations that is when the Messiah shall be lifted up in the Ministery of the word For he is the rock of Jesse which should stand for an ensign of the peoples See another Prophecy from the same hand Es 43.5 6. Fear not saith the Lord to Israel for I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North give up and to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the earth And again Es 45.22 2a Look unto mee Es 45.22.25 and be yee saved all the ends of the earth In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Let it be now hereupon considered Hath there been as yet an universal gathering of Israel to the Lord such as is here mentioned Hath the Lord as yet justified all the seed of Israel that is the Nation of them against their enemies Or doth the Nation yet glory in that salvation which hath been wrought in the world now in the time of the Gospel If not then surely these things are yet to be fulfilled If it be objected as some will not stick to do it that these and the like places are to bee understood Synechdochically as putting a part for the whole viz. Israel for the whole Church of God throughout the World that it should be gathered and justified and that all the people of God should glory and make their boast of the Lord. I answer Though it should be so yet the literal meaning here as it referreth to the posterity of Jacob is not to be wholly sleighted for admit that it be an usual form of speech by a Synechdoche to put a part for the whole Yet such a Synechdoche must needs be accounted a violent assault
the Chapter Now comes he vers 11 12 c. with variety of Arguments to shew the Probability Afterwards vers 25 c c. he proveth the Certainty thereof In the end applauding and magnifying the Wisdome and Knowledge of God his stupendious Wisdome in making the Desertion of the Jews and occasion of calling the Gentiles and his profound knowledge farre beyond the reach of all the heavenly Intelligences in knowing how to work upon the most obstinate Jews by bringing them to the obedience of the Gospel through their envy and emulation towards the Gentiles This in short is the summe of the Apostles undertaking And should we now follow his track throughout his whole Discourse upon this Subject though possibly some wou'd account it tedious to afford us their company yet we should not be found guilty of an inexcusable digression from the subject that we have before treated of in so doing For the Text being directed to the Hebrews to assure them of Christs immutability towards them which argues clearly that he would not finally forsake them though for the present they were as strangers scattered about the world 1 Pet. 1.1 The explicating therefore of these parallel Scriptures which the holy Ghost hath recorded for our confirmation therein cannot with any shadow of reason be reckoned as an impertinency especially when a point so material to the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ is called in question as it is this day Neither indeed could that which hath been here done in order thereto have been omitted unless we should have betrayed the Text to the gain-saying of men which God forbid And let this serve for a vindication against all those cavillers who are ready to object impertinencies unto me in the allegation of those Scriptures which have here been made use of to this purpose Nevertheless to avoyd more prolixity we shall not exactly trace the Apostle in the pursuance of this argument concerning the Probability of the reâ—ingrafting of the Jewish Nation into the Church of God onely give leave in the behalf of Gods glory and the special interest of his Church to put a Quaere or two which are the fruit and off-spring of an astonishing admiration The Resolution whereof shall be left unto the adversaries of this poor despised people to be determined by them either with a retractation of their errour here and repentance for it or hereafter before the Tribunal of the righteous Judge when he shall appear in his glory First then I demand 1. Quaere Whether it be not just and meet that God should obtain his end which he hath proposed unto himself concerning both Jews and Gentiles in the dispensation of his mercy He hath saith the Apostle vers 32. concluded them all in unbelief that is in his just Judgement shut them all up together as in the very verge of hell under the dominion of sin which misery nevertheless they had brought upon themselves by their contumacy against him but to what end Was it that he might destroy either one or the other No verily but rather that he might have mercy upon them all both Jews and Gentiles To the Gentiles who were first in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertinaciously set against the Lord and his Anointed he would make known the riches of his Grace and take them into his Covenant as well as the Jews But because the Jews indignation was so great against the Gentiles that they would not vouchsafe to own them as brethren and co-partners with them in the same grace though they themselves also most unthankfully rejected this grace when it was offered unto them resembling thereby as the proverb is the Dog in the manger who would neither eat of the fodder himself nor suffer the poor hungry Ox standing by to eat of it that would therefore did God leave them to a woful blindness and hardness of heart that through their fall salvation might come to the Gentiles wherein notwithstanding God had a favourable respect unto the Jews likewise viz. That they seeing the Gentiles taken into his bosome enjoying the priviledges of children farre beyond their expectation and themselves despised of God and dispersed over the world might be provoked to emulation that is to an earnest desire of reconciliation with God as disdaining to be a Nation inferiour to any other Nations in his love and willing to be like unto them yea to surpass them in all things that might endear them unto him Now consider when God shall in the depth of his Wisdome contrive a glorious design for the exalting of his grace so glorious that next to the sending of his onely Sonne into the world would be the greatest that ever should be acted upon the Theater of the world and withall give notice of it in his Word to the children of men that they might wait for the accomplishment thereof Is it not an affront offered to the Wisdome of God and a check given unto his Grace for any to doubt whether it should come to pass or no Secondly 2. Quere Since not onely the glory of God but the interest of his Church is herein highly concern'd I demand in the next place Whether it be not very requisite that they who profess themselves children of the Church should rejoyce in those discoveries of Divine Providence that may any way tend to the promoting of that interest Saint Paul here who was called to be an Apostle of the Gentiles accounts it a magnifying of his office to make his boast of the great encrease of those spiritual riches which he fore-saw should be the portion of the Churches of the Gentiles upon the reception of the Jews in the latter dayes Hear how he argues If the fall of them that is the Jews be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness And again If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life seem the dead Words indeed of an irresistable conviction unless we will say with the Laedicean We are rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing Alas we have need of more grace because Satan now hath more wrath then ever having but a short time to work for his kingdome we have need of more holiness because the pollutions of the world are grown more filthy we have need of more acquaintance with our God because our hearts are grown more deceitful doubtless we are not so full but we have yet need of more at least we have need of more brotherly love and Christian unanimity then is at this day to be found amongst us and that those schisms and divisions under which the poor Church of Christ lyeth struggling as it were for life should be taken out of the way True it is we Gentiles who were before a beggarly people have upon the Jews falling into poverty been enriched by Divine bounty but have