in opposition to both sorts of evils immediately afore recounted viz. not only to false Doctrines but to cruell persecutions and therefore a corporal as well as a spiritual salvation must be here meant and these to be performed on earth viz. in the inhabited world just where the Gospel preached converted them and where they endured to the end And unto which Christ doth gloriously appear FROM heaven ver 30 c. to make up the splendor of that state on earth we here speak of Now all these things cannot be fulfilled at the ultimate generall judgement nor are they hitherto fulfilled and therefore they remaine yet to be fulfilled which Mr. Mede solidly amplifies on Jer. 10. ver 11. thus Hitherto saith he we have spoken of the accomplishment of this prophecy for so much as is already past now let us see what that is which we expect as yet to come for though in regard of former times when Ethnicisme was so large and the worshipers of the living God so small a scantling the extent of the Church be now at this day a goodly and large portion of the world yet if we consider the number of Nations yet Pagans or not Christians it will seem too scant as yet to be the accomplishment of this and other prophecies concerning the largenesse of Christs Kingdome before the end of the world For one hath well observed that Christianity at this day is not above the sixth part of the knowne world whereas the Mahumetans have a fifth and all the rest are Ethnicks and Pagans So that if we divide the world into thirty parts Christianity is but as five in thirty Mahumetanism as six and Ethnicisme as nineteen and so is Christianity the least part of all and plain Heathenism hath far above the one half of the known world and the better part of the other is also Mahumetans And though Christianity hath been imbraced in former times where now it is not yet is it now spread in those places where in those times it was not And therefore all laid together we may account Christianity at this day as large I think as ever it was since the Apostles time But that this is not that universal Kingdome of Christ that flourishing and glorious estate of the Church which yet we expect hope for my reasons are these First These frequent places of Scripture which intimate that the Lord should subdue all People all Kingdoms all Nations and all the ends of the earth unto himselfe and that all these should one day worship and acknowledge him Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him for the Kingdome is the Lords and he is governor among the Nations And Psal 47. Clap your hands all yee people for the Lord is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feete And againe God is King of all the earth and reigneth over the Heathen Psal 66. Make a joyfull noise unto God all yee-lands through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee aâ— the earth shall worship thee and sing of thee they shall sing unto thy Name The whole Psal 67. which we read every day is as it were a prophecy and prayer for this great kingdome That the way of God may be knowne upon earth and his saving health among all the Nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Then shall the earth yeeld her increase c. God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him And Psal 89. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name for thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone And Isa 2. which is a prophecy of Christs Kingdome it is said That the Idols the Lord shall utterly abolish or as some read the Idols shall utterly passe away So Esay 54.5 speaking of the amplitude of the Church of the Gentiles Thy Redeemer saith the Prophet the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall be called Certainly this constant stile of universality implies more then this scantling which yet is small being but one of the least parts of the whole earth Secondly The same conclusion may be gathered from 1 Cor. 15.25 26. compared with Heb. 2.8 Christ must reigne saith St. Paul in the first place quoted till he hath put all his enemies under his feet the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death Hence it followes that Christ shall subdue all his enemies whereof the Prince of this world is the cheife before the last rising of the dead for the subduing of death that is the rising of the dead shal not be afore the rest shall be done the vanquishing of death being the last act of Christs reigning which done he shall yeeld up the Kingdome unto his Father In the other place Heb. 2.8 the Apostle speaking of the same thing alleadgeth that of Psal 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and then adds for in that he put all in subjection under him But now marke it we see not all things put under him If any say that the Apostle speakes here of the Kingdome of Glory in Heaven and not of the Kingdom of Grace on Earth I reply first out of the former place that he speaks of such a subjection whereof the rising of the dead shall be the last act of all and which shall be before he yeelds up the kingdome to his Father But neither of these can be affirmed of the kingdome of glory but the contrary viz. The rising of the dead is at the beginning and not at the end of the Kingdome of glory and so is also his yeelding up of his kingdom unto his Father Secondly I reply out of this place that the Apostle speaks of that kingdome and subjection of the earth or state of the earth which was to come For so he speaks v. 5. Unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth or state of the earth which shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which we speak Here he affirms that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that of whose subjection he meaneth If then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signâ—â—â—s onely the earth ' and the earths inhabitants and is no where in the Scripture otherwise used I cannot see how this place can well beare any other exposition First then to confirme this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the Septuagint renders it whose use of speaking I doubt not but the Apostle followes But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most constantly signifies the habitable earth or the earth with the things that live and dwell therein whence the Septuagint though they commonly render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
primum quem legi appellat REDEMPTIONEM ISRAELIS seu PROPHETICAM HISTORIAM DE SALVATORIS NOSTRI REGNO IN TERRIS c. Secundum a me nondum perlectum nominat REDEMPTIONEM ISRAELIS REDEMPTAM sive JUDAEORUM GENERALEM MIRACULOSAM CONVERSIONEM AD FIDEM EVANGELII Eorundemque in suam patriam reditum nostrique salvatoris imperium in terris personaliter ministratum c. In quibus multos recenset authores ut pote Alstedium in Chronolog cap. 32. cap. 35. Fran. Johannem de comb is in compendio totius Theologiae lib. 7. cap. 13 14. It. lib. 7. cap. 7. Foxum in Martyrolog Anglic. * Wendelinum Contemplat Natural cap. 9. sect 2. cap. 21. * sect 2. Johan Acostam De Temporalib Noviss lib. 3. cap. 11. Down in 17. Johan Cum multis aliis c. quorum verba hic describere nec mihi otium est nec animus ne lector taedio affligeretur §. 11. Mr. Archer also an Englishman hath waded farther into the point then wee have in some particulars which are not so cleer to us having written as we are informed two Treatises of it The first is expresse under his name entituled THE PERSONALL REIGNE OF CHRIST UPON EARTH The other is called ZIONS JOY IN HER KING COMING IN HIS GLORY But doubtfull whether his being subscribed with this darke name BY FINIENS CANUS VOVE Nostras etiam Archerius altiùs paulò in nonnullis nobis minus innotescentibus urinatus librum scripsit cujus titulus est REGIMEN CHRISTI PERSONALE IN TERRIS Nec non ut aiunt alium cujus inscriptio est GAUDIUM ZIONIS IN REGE SUO CUM GLORIA VENIENTE §. 12. Learned Mr. Meade our Country-man his Clavis Apocalyptica Commentarius both in Latine and English is famously known to most that read books § a. Learned Doctor Twisse his PREFACE doth shew the METHOD and excellency of Mr. MEDES interpretation of the Revelation It will not bee amisse to give an account of that Preface in the summe of it that by occasion hereof other Nations that understand not English may have it in Latine wherein at once is seen much of Mr. Mede and of the judgement of Dr. Twisse in our Position Many Interpreters saith Dr. Twisse alluding to Prov. 31.29 have done excellently but Mr. Mede surmounteth them all A Daearse set upon a Giants shoulders may see further and a Wren carried up upon an Eagle till this great bird bee wearied may with her little wings spin up a little higher But Mr. Mede hath many notions of so rare a nature that I doe not finde hee is beholding to any other for them but onely to his owne studiousnesse under Gods blessing § b. Observe Gods direction of him in the course that hee hath taken As first in his Clavis Apolyptica wherein he hath drawne together the homogeneal parts of it dispersed here and there yet belonging to the same time 2. The Author gave himselfe to write Specimina Essayes wherein he goes over every part of this book excepting the three first Chapters taking a generall view of each as he goes 3. He proceeds to a more full Commentary from the fourth Chapter to the fourteenth That which follows thence to the end containes onely his former Specimina § c. Whereas in performances of this nature two things are necessary 1. A righ discerning of the meaning of the words and phrase and tropes and figures 2. A right accomodation of things to times For the first Mr. Mede excels viz. in observing the Genius of all those As in opening the Mystery of the battel in heaven Rev. 12. and the casting downe of Satan unto the earth hee shews that States and Kingdomes in the Political world much answer to the condition of the Natural and so represented in Scripture For as the Natural consists of Heaven and Earth so the Political of Nobility and Laity And as in the Heavens there are Sunne Moon and Stars of lesser and greater magnitude So in Kingdomes King Queene and Nobles of severall degrees And as in the Earth there is great variety of Trees Herbs Flowers c. So in the people of any Commonwealth is found great variety of differences And by this way Mr. Mede doth not onely wittily please as others have done but solidly convince his Reader of the true sense even to admiration For the second viz. Accommodation of the Prophesies to their proper times a point of great skill in history I have found that Mr. Medes friends acquainted with his studies would give him the Bell for this as herein out-stripping others § d. 3. I have observed some notable distinctions in this Commentary of Mr. Mede giving great light As first That betweene the Sealed Book with seven seales which hee calls the greater the contents being very large viz. Comprising the History from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel to the end of the world Which hee saith containes Fata imperii i. e. the destinies of the Empire and the little book mentioned Chap. 10. which he saith contains Fata Ecclesiae the destinies of the Church The first containes the seven Seales and Trumpets for the seventh seale produceth the seven Trumpets The six first Seales containe the story of the Empires continuance unto the dayes of Constantine included in whose dayes there being a strange Metamorphosis of the Empire from Heathen to Christian it is represented as it were the ending of the world and beginning of a new which Mr. Mede delivers very judiciously Then the seven Trumpets which are the contents of the seventh Seale represent the judgements of God upon the world for standing out against the Gospel and shedding the blood of the Saints First by the Heathen Emperours for which cause ruine was gradually brought upon the Empire till it was torne into ten Kingdomes The graduall was fourefold which make up the contents of the foure first Trumpets 2. By the Antichristian world the degenerated states of Christendome For which the three Woe Trumpets following containe the three degrees of divine vengeance on them 1. By the Saracens in the first Woe Trumpet 2. By the Turkes in the second Chap. 9. 3. By the end of the World Rev. 11.15 § e. Second distinction of great light and use for the clearing of the STATE OF CHRISTS GLORIOUS KINGDOME HERE ON EARTH is that Mr. Mede gives upon Revel 21.24 Between the NATIONS THAT ARE SAVED c. and the NEW HIERUSALEM where clearly hee makes it appeare that NEW HIERUSALEM is one thing and THE NATIONS THAT ARE SAVED are another The Nations that are saved are those that escape the fire are saved from the fire at Christs coming wherewith the Earth and all the works thereof shall bee burnt in the day of Christs coming 2 Pet. 3. 2 Thess 1. And the NEW HIERUSALEM saith Mr. Mede is CHRIST and his RAISED SAINTS who are called 1 Thes 4. The SAINTS WHOM CHRIST SHALL BRING WITH HIM who shall shine with a glorious light In
we see him for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour which is not a subjection of the INHABITABLE WORLD TO COME unto him much lesse of ALL THINGS therein The Angels are in Heaven as well as he and so in place they as well as hee are above the things below But Christ must have the inhabited world and All things so subject to him and ' under him as they shall not be to Angels So that if we heed the Text and that which followes the Apostle tells us that in one way and sense Christ is exalted above all viz. in his possession of the highest Heaven through sufferings But withall this is in another place then the inhabited world to come viz. the world on earth yet to succeed and upon another account then the precise formall dominion over it viz. to taste of death for every man And it was in prosecution of a designe verse 10. viz. to bring many sonnes to glory not a perfecting of a thing finished viz. of the atchievement and attainment of his absolute dominion on earth over Turkes Jewes Papists and Heathens c. But this must be Christ and his members must have absolute dominion over the world below in that estate of it that is yet to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitation of the world is not to be subjected to the Angels Heb. 2. v. 5. They are but the Churches servants It is an estate that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come after Pauls time though Christ had before ascended But it must be subject to MAN and the SONNE OF MAN v. 6. God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made him a little lower and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a little time Christ or Christians were not lower at all then Angels in nature or spirituall condition but onely in outward dominion and state of life Phil. 2. Heb. 2. and that but for a little time till the time of that world to come on earth which must be before the last day of judgement for then is not any subjection of any thing to Saints or Christ but he and so they to lay down all dominion 1 Cor. 15.28 SECT V. Wherein the Promises God made to Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. Gen. 15.4 5 6. Gen. 17.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Gen. 18.18 Gen. 22.18 paralleled with other promises to his posterity Gen. 26.4 Gen. 48.19 v. 26. and with the Apostles explications and applications of those Promises Rom. 4. v. 3. to v. 25. Gal. 3. v. 6. to 17. Heb. 11. v. 8. to 17. are discussed for the cleering of the said generall Position Gen. 12. v. 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram Get thee out of thy Country c. Verse 2. And I will make of thee a great Nation and I will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing Verse 3. And I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee all families of the earth shall be blessed Gen. 15. v. 4. Behold the word of the Lord came to Abram saying This shall not be thine heire but he that shall come forth out of thine owne bowels shall be thine heire And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now toward heaven and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be Vers 6 And he beleeved in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousnesse Gen. 17. v. 1. The Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the Almighty God c. Verse 2. And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly Verse 3. And God talked with Abram saying Verse 4. As for me behold my Covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations * In the Heb. it is both in the 4. v. 5. vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A Father of a MULTITUDE of Nations Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee * Verse 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitfull and I will make Nations of thee and KINGS shall come of thee V. 7. And I will establish my Covenant between mee and thee and thy seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant Verse 8. And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an EVERLASTING possession and I will bee THEIR GOD. Gen 18.18 Abraham shall surely become a great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him Gen. 22. v. 15 16. The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham c. by my selfe have I sworne that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore and thy seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies ver 18. In thy seed all the Nations of the earth shal be blessed Gen. 26.4 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said I wil make thy seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven and wil give unto thy seed all these Countries and in thy seed shal all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Gen. 48. ver 19. And his father Jacob refused and said I know it my Sonne I know it that Manasseh is the first borne he also shal become a People and he also shall be great but truly his younger brother Ephraim shall be greater then he and his seed shal become a MVLTITUDE of NATIONS * Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is THE FVLNESSE OF THE GENTILES whence the Apostles phrase Rom. 11.25 The fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come ver 20. And he blessed them in that day saying In thee shal Israel blesse saying God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh and he set Ephraim before Manasseh Gen. 49. ver 26. The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills they shal be on the head of Joseph and upon the crowne of the head c. Rom. 4. ver 11. And Abraham received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that beleeve though they be not circumcised ver 13. For the promise that hee should be the Heire of the world was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith ver 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the FATHER OF US ALL. ver 17. As it is written I have made thee a father of many
Nations before him or like him as it is in the Margin whom he beleeved even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were ver 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken so shal thy seed be c. ver 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Galat. 3. ver 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit c. doth he it by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith ver 6. Even as Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse ver 7. Know yee therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham ver 8. And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the HEATHEN through faith preached before the GOSPELL unto Abraham saying In thee all Nations shal be blessed ver 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham ver 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law ver 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the GENTILES ver 15. Brethren I speake after the manner of men though it be but a mans covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto ver 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made He saith not and to SEEDS as of many but as of one and to thy SEED which is Christ Heb. 11. ver 8. By faith Abraham when he was called to goe out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went ver 9 By faith hee sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the Heires with him of the same Promise ver 10 For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God ver 11 Through faith also Sarah her selfe received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a childe c. ver 12 Therefore sprange there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the skie in multitude and the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable ver 13. These all dyed in faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afarre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a COVNTRY * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their fathers Country a country on earth ver 15 And truly if they had been mindfull of that Country viz. Mesopotamia from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned ver 16 But now they desire a better Country that is an HE AVENLY wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a CITY NOte first in the generall That that treasure of Promises of the Old Testament afore recited how narrow soever they may look to short-sighted men as if their eye were intent only upon Jewes Canaan and men under the Law the Divine Apostles the absolute interpretors of the Old Testament doe in the places of the New Testament annext extend their intent sense and meaning unto all Nations of the world in all Countries on earth and under the Gospel and so as that they were not in their judgement then compleatly fulfilled when they wrote nor yet are according to their sense as the experience of all Generations since doth beare witnesse The quick-sighted eye by bare reading over all the places afore collated will soon yeeld this first assertion without any more words of debate on our part § 2 More particularly we may evidently see before our eyes the said Old Testament places extended and intended according to the sense aforesaid by those of the New as Gen. 12.1 2 3 c. by Gal. 3.8 Heb. 11.8 c. Gen. 15.4 by Rom. 4. ver 3. ver 9. ver 18. ver 22. Gen. 17.1 2 c. by Rom. 4. ver 11 c. § 3 And with great justice doth the Apostle so explaine and apply the fore-quoted places to an Evangelicall state under the New Testament in that those Old-Testament Scriptures have in them so many Evangelicall straines all harmoniously agreeing to that glorious state we yet expect under the New Testament viz. 1 ¶ Spirituall yet visible salvation delivered in the expresse terme forme and tenor of a Covenant and of the Covenant of Grace that God will establish his Covenant with Abraham between himself and him and his seed after him in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be A GOD UNTO HIM AND TO HIS SEED AFTER HIM often above repeated and illustrated and amplified with the plaine expression of Faith and of righteousnesse of faith and of Gods accounting faith to the believer for righteousnesse and of blessing and with such a blessing as comes only through the one and onely one of the seed of Abraham 2 ¶ An happy and blessed possession upon the sace of the whole earth in spight of all their enemies yea to the ruine of them that should rise up against them saying that Abraham in his seed should be Heire of the whole world And that he would give them Countries and Nations and blesse those that blessed them and curse those that cursed them 3 ¶ A numerous multiplication of the seed of Abraham both of Jewes and Gentiles who through that salvation should attaine to that possession A multiplication of them as the sands of the Sea that washeth through all the quarters and Countries of the world a multiplication of them as the stars of heaven that surround the whole universe both of them being innumerable A multiplication of them into a multitude of Nations c. Accordingly of Abraham by Hagar came Ishmael of whom came the Ishmaelites Agarens Hagarens or Hagarites Itureans and Nabeans c. Ps 83.6 1 Chro. 5.19 * See Iunius upon that 1 Chron. 5.19 There came of Ishmael in all twelve PRINCES according to their NATIONS And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt Gen. 25.16.19 Of Abraham by Sarah first came Esau who is also called Edom and dwelt in mount Seir from whom came the Edomites Idumeans inhabitants of mount Seir. The fourteen Dukes that came of Esau by his severall wives are particularly named by Moses Gen. 36.15 to 20. Secondly From Abraham by Sarah came Jacob of whom came the twelve Patriarchs of whom came the twelve Tribes ten as we usually number making the Kingdome of Israel the other the Kingdome of Judah Of Abraham by Keturah came Gen. 25.1 2 3.4 First Zimran who gave the name to Zamrans in the Region of Cinedocolpites in Arabia Felix Secondly Jokshan of whom was named Camasa in Syria Palmyrina alias Palmerene Jun. ex Ptolom Geograph Thridly Medan of whom was named the Town Madiana in Arabia
Felix Jun. and the Country of Madianaea on the South of Arabia Hieron Fourthly Midian of whom came the Midianites those arch enemies of the Jews for which God commanded to vexe them of whom was Balaam which gave that wicked counsell against Israel Their maine Country also had from them the name of Madianitis in the borders of Arabia petraea But because also some of them dwelt in the Countries adjoyning to the Ishmaelites therefore they are sometimes called Ishmaelites though of so different an original as aforesaid Gen. 37.25.28 Judg. 7.33 and 8.24 Fifthly There came of Keturah Ishbak who was the founder of Laodicea Scabiosa in Suria Sixthly Shuah of whom came the Saccai inhabiting the East part of Syria by Batanaea Jun. Seventhly Sheba whose posterity dwelt in Arabia deserta Prerer Jun. Eightly Dedan of whom came the ' Dedaneans who inhabited as Hieron supposeth in Aethiopia or in the Country next to the Idumeans as it seems to be hinted Jer. 49.7 8. or in Adadi in Syria Palmerene Jun. Ninthly Epha whose Country is named in Isa 60.6 and is scituated beyond Arabia called Saba Hieron l. 17. in Isa Tenthly Epher of whom saith Josephus Africa had its name Of the rest named in that of Gen. 25. the Countries are not knowne only they are said in verse 6. to dwell East-ward in the East-Country that is Arabia or Syria So that we see many Kingdomes and Nations both of Jews and Gentiles thus far as we have computed came out of Abrahams loynes according so the aforesaid promises and how many Nations since who is able to reckon Now say the above-mentioned Scriptures out of the Old Testament the multitude of Nations to come of Abraham are to partake of the Covenant as an everlasting Covenant God to be their God Yea ALL the Nations of the earth to be blessed in ABRAHAM and to be blessed IN HIS SEED often there repeated 4 ¶ The Lord addes in the said Old-Testament quotations an obsignation or sealing if I mistake not of all the three particulars afore mentioned viz. Of spirituall salvation Of an happy possession of the earth and of a numerous multiplication in Jewes and Gentiles over the face of whole earth accompanied with that salvation in that their injoyment of that universal possession 1 Of salvation he gave them the seale of Circumcision which was a signe and seal of the Covenant of grace viz. of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 And it is said afore in that Gen. 17. that this Covenant or token of the Covenant should be in their flesh for an everlasting Covenant because as in the substance God would continue a Seal of his Covenant for ever till the Restitution of all things as the Covenant it selfe should bee for ever still the same salvation should be sealed still the same use of the seale to confirme the assurance of faith still upon the same ground of the tenor of the Covenant of grace as we shall see after onely the matter of the seale to bee changed viz. the Green waxe of water to be put in the room of the Red waxe of bloody Circumcision Secondly Of that happy possession upon the face of the whole earth he gave them the seale of the seven Kingdomes of the whole Country of Canaan and that for an everlasting possession so as still as it is annexed to be their God For from the time they first entred Canaan according to the promise they were never universally and absolutely expelled out of it and shall there keep possession till they be most gloriously restored to the possession of it the seed of Abraham the beleeving Jews and Gentiles ruâ—â—ng there and over the whole earth as long as ever there shall be any habitation on earth as the Rere of testimonies yet to march up shall abundantly testifie And if any enemies shall rise up against the Nations of Jewes and Gentiles the seed of Abraham by faith they shall as surely conquer them as they did the land of Canaan Thirdly Of their numerous blessed multiplication God gives the seale of changing Abrams name to Abraham He should not be onely Ab-rom that is an High-father but Ab-Rom-Hamon an High-father of a multitude even as he changed Sarais name to the same intent from Sarai my Mistresse to Sarah A or the Mistresse § 4 Sutably how are the said promises to Abraham extended in their utmost breadth to his posterity viz. Isaac Jacob Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh Gen. 26.4 Gen. 48.19 Gen. 49.26 quoted afore at large all sounding of an universall happy dominion over the face of the whole earth § 5 Consonant to this Old-Testament Plat-forme doe the excellent Master-builders the Apostles in the New Testament reare the superstructure with distinct reference to the places and particulars of the Old ¶ 1. For Salvation they often expresse it under the notion of the righteousnesse of faith and of imputing faith for righteousnesse and of being blessed through faith ¶ 2. For Possession it is afore expressed by the Apostle that their leaving of Mesopotamia their owne native Country and never returning though they might and after that their sojourning in Canaan so long as strangers and pilgrims in Tents and Tabernacles though it was promised them for an inheritance and doing all this by faith not seeing the Promise fulfilled by sence did argue that they sought a Country an heavenly one a City that hath foundations prepared of God made and built by God All which how can we better and safelier expound then by the Scriptures which having told us Rev. 20. we shall reigne with Christ on earth as the meaning hath been proved even where Gog and Magog shall after make opposition a thousand yeares In the next chapter viz. 21. they shew us the place and state where and how viz. in the New Heaven and New EARTH in the holy City new Hierusalem coming downe from Heaven where God himselfe will be with them and be their God and all teares shall be wiped away with many other Characters and Circumstances fully answering to that afore of Heb. 11. Which as we have before demonstrated cannot be meant of the Highest Heaven but of a state on earth The like wherof we have in 2 Pet. 3.13 that the Saints shall injoy a new earth according to Gods promise which Promise extant Esa 65.17 will not indure to be interpreted but of a state on earth as the branches of it evince ¶ 3. For Multiplication As the generality of the world Jews and Gentiles have according to the flesh come out of the loynes of Abraham so the Apostles exposition of the Promises holds forth that the generality of the world shall be the Children of Abraham by faith and blessed in THAT SEED of him viz. Christ That they that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham That God would justifie the HEATHEN through faith according to the GOSPEL he preached to Abraham That the sence of that Promise In thee Abraham all the
sword and mine hand take hold on judgement I will render vengeance to mine enemies and I will reward them that hate me Ver. 42. I will make mine arrowes drunke with bloud and my sword shal devour flesh and that with the bloud of the slaine and of the captives from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy Ver. 43. Rejoyce O yee Nations or GENTILES as the Apostle renders it Rom. 15.10 with his people for he wil avenge the bloud of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to HIS LAND and to HIS PEOPLE § 1 THese Sins of the Jewes we have knowne and those Judgements of God viz. their power to be gone and them to see scattered into corners we see to this day but we never saw or heard these Promises fulfilled according to their Tenor here mentioned § 2 First we never knew by Scripture History or Experience that the Nations of the GENTILES rejoyced with the Iewes as sharers in the same generall salvation spiritual and temporall as this Text imports according to the letter here and the spirituall extent in Rom. 15.10 For in Christ or the Apostles time the likeliest time this was not effected A few particular Jews and Proselyte Gentiles in the Acts are as nothing to make up Nations of Gentiles or the generality of the Jews to which comprehensivenesse this Text amounts The two great streams ran crosse in this manner Whiles Christ was on earth nor he or his Disciples preached in the way of the Gentiles but kept close the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matth. 10.5 And when the Gentiles received the Gospel the Jews had refused it Act. 13.45 46. The Jewes generally decryed their Christ with Crucifie him Crucifie him And of the Gentiles no Nation became Christian till after Constantine the Great his time which was above three hundred yeers after Christs incarnation and above two hundred yeers after the death of the last of the Apostles Indeed St. Paul doth in expresse quotation of the 43. vers of this 32. of Deut. in his Ep. to Rom. Chap. 15. v. 10. assert this must be fulfilled that Jewes and Gentiles must rejoyce in the common Gospel-salvation But withall he had told you before Chap. 11. that at that present the generality of the Jewes were under spiritual blindnesse and were so to be till the fulnesse of the Gentiles were come in and so they continue blinde to this very day So that instead of a reciprocal rejoycing in one anothers spirituall salvation they conceive with great indignation us to bee in an errour and we with equal sorrow conceive them to be in an errour And for temporal salvation both Jews and Gentiles were as equally interested in the sorrowful defect thereof in and after the Apostles time both being then under the Heathen Roman slavery and from thence forward were the Gentile Christians bloodily persecuted for three hundred yeers in the ten persecutions and after under the Pope as all the Jewes to this day are either dispersed as a despised people by and among all Nations or under the Turkish slavery the more is the griefe of every good Christian These premised being so apparent the next promise not yet to have been performed viz. of Gods taking a general bloody vengeance on all the enemies of the Jewes according to the many and amplified high expressions in this 32. of Deut. to that sense is of it selfe most manifest For neither the Romans nor the Turks both the grand oppressours of the Jewes for above this sixteen hundred yeers between them are with any signall signe or considerable marke destroyed with a corporall destruction As for the destruct on the enemies of the Jews in the Macchabean warres it doth not in any proportion amount to the elevation and latitude of these Deuteronomian promises Wee know all those Heroick attempts of the Jews were soon squatted flat under after-slavery The Apostle mentions their sore sufferings in those times Heb. 11. latter end Of those warres we may say as in Dan. 11.32 to 36. The people that knew their God did exploits they instructed many in War as well as in Religion yet they fall by the sword And though they are holpen with a little helpe little in time as well as in strength yet they fall And for other victories wherein the Romans having captivated Jerusalem according to Dan. 11.36 the King of the North and South Dan. 11.40 that is the Saracens and Turks come and lead that Captivity captive the Jewes all this while doe but shift and change their oppressours but their oppression is not taken away At the same rate we may value the Holy war as they call it managed by Kings called Christians maintained by a stock gathered first by the order of Templars next of St. John of Jerusalem thirdly of Knights of Malta to beat the Turke and to regaine the holy land for the Turke keeps his footing to this day with inlargements Christian Kings have been so busie in bangling with them of their owne Religion that whiles they divide that grand Blasphemer most insolently reignes as the greatest Monarch now on earth § 4 Therefore wee conclude that this place of Deuteronomy is not fulfilled till that come to passe in Rev. 19.20 21. That when the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies made war against Christ the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet and cast alive into the lake c. And the remnant were slaine with the sword and the fowles are filled with their flesh So that according to the intent and termes of this Text of Deut. 32. there is an avenging of all the servants of God viz. of Jews and Gentiles and a totall corporall ruine of all their enemies yet to be performed Of which sort of destruction there is none such at the ultimate judgement As it can be of no use to the fulnesse of Iewes and Gentiles if it come not afore therefore they must have it afore that they may as is said afore joyntly rejoyce together in each other SECT IX Wherein is considered the words of Nehemiah Chap. 1. v. 8 9 10 11 For proof of the maine of the general Proposition Nehemiah 1.8 Remember I beseech thee the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses saying If ye transgresse I wil scatter you abroad among the Nations Verse 9. But if ye returne unto me and keep my Commandments and do them though there were of you cast out to the utmost part of Heaven yet will I gather them from thence and wil bring them into the place that I have chosen to set my name there Verse 10. Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand Vers 11. O Lord I beseech thee let now thine eare be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name and prosper thy servant this
the whole of Christs passion as it is plaine First by the Title which is of the Canonical Hebrew Text. A Psalme * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning A jieleth Shahar that is the hind of the morning Christ being shut in the grave escaped away in the morning rising from death Secondly by the application of severall passages to Christs passion by the Evangelist Matth. 27. As that of the DESERTION My God My God why hast thou forsaken me v. 1. That of DERISION ' He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him v. 8. That of PIERCING They pierced my hands and my feet v. 16. That of division of his garments They parted my garments among them and upon my vesture cast lots v. 18. Now this Psalme touching Christ though in the first Scene sets forth Christs humiliation yet in the second holds forth his exaltation vers 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren which the Apostle applies Heb. 2.9 10 11 12. to Christs manifestation of his samenesse of nature with the sonnes of men even as in that nature he tasted death for every man and at last would declare that salvation to all the world which clearly tends to our point And v. 27 28 29. we have the effect of his declaring Gods name to the world viz. ALL THE ENDS OF THE WORLD shall remember and turne unto the Lord and ALL THE KINDREDS OF THE Nations or GENTILES * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall worship before him For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations or GENTILES All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship In all which we see the effect effectuall conversion The Generality and Universality in many ALL 's The time in generall viz. It is to be after Christs suffering upon the crosse The characters eat and worship which cannot be understood of the highest heavens And it hath not been fulfilled on earth according to that effect universality and character from Christs passion to this day Therefore it is yet to be fulfilled on earth 5 ¶ According to Psalme 86.9 ALL NATIONS whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and glorifie thy name A place mightily considerable So that so great a promise and prophesie as this by so great a Prophet as this with such a shrill emphasis in the ALL and in the Act worship and in the degree of the effect to glorifie his name must not bee ended with flams of humane glosses but must be really and truly and fully accomplished though as yet it was never compleatly fulfilled as it will be too late to think of those things at the ultimate judgement when Christ comes not for conversion but destruction Therefore yet before that finall Day of Doome this ALL must bee brought to ALL THAT of Worshipping and Glorifying Gods Name 6 ¶ Just as we have it in that little Psalme the 117. but greatly Prophetical Praise yee the Lord ALL NATIONS praise him ALL YEE PEOPLES * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall all these do this unlesse Christ convert all them but those refractory ones whom he confounds Surely therfore this is a Prophesie that God will in time before the ultimate day of judgement convert generally all Nations as Paul extends it Rom. 11.10 11 c. to the coming in of the fulnesse of Jewes and Gentiles rejoycing together as one Church Therefore according to Paul David had a most comprehensive and extensive sense when he spake these things and therefore shall be fulfilled according to its true latitude and elevation without the mincing distinctions of mens braine For a seale of assurance whereof the close of the Psalme hath three weighty clauses First That the MERCIFULL KINDNESSE of Jehovah to the sonnes of men is great Secondly The TRUTH of the same Jehovah is for ever 3 That by faith and hope in that mercy and truth to see these things fulfilled we should PRAISE that JEHOVAH with Hallelujah which is the word of praise all along the Revelation § 2 Having done with the first head contained in the Psalmes touching the universal power Christ shall have over the whole world afore the last judgement though most yet rebell against him Next wee come to the second head viz. The just time when Christ shall attaine this 1 ¶ That place Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee gods the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.6 shall be fulfilled When God shall bring again his Son Christ into the world which place though our Translators render it And again when he bringeth c. as if it were meerly a new proof of Christs superiority above Angels is most truly rendred according to our reading afore set downe againe and againe with reasons to justifie it so that in words and sense it is an Antithesis and Auxesis to the fifth verse thus He saith not to any Angel thou art my Sonne this day I have begotten theee but instead thereof he speakes a thing that doth much lessen the dignity of Angels and more dignifie Christ above them Let all the Angels of God worship him so that the first And must be turned into But proper to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as there placed and that same Againe is not to signifie another proofe of Christs superiority above Angels but to signifie the time when that of ALL the Elohim Angels and Potentates whether of the Spirits in Heaven or men on earth both Angels and Elohim signifying both worshipping of Christ shall be fulfilled For this hath not yet beene fulfilled as to the ALL of the Magnificents and Great-ones of the earth who contrariwise for the generall have despised if not opposed Christ even as it will bee too late and an unseasonable time for them to do it at the ultimate judgement when no adoration or worship is then received from Christs enemies but sentence is given by him upon and against them The time therefore when this shall bee fulfilled is saith the Apostle in this first to Heb. penned after Christs ascension When God shall bring his first-begotten Sonne AGAINE into the INHABITED WORLD When he brought him into the world the first time by incarnation ALL the Potentates and Angels of men The Scribes and Pharisees Herod and Pontius Pilate the Roman Emperours and Senate of Rome did not worship him but refused him and persecuted him and his members most bloodily for neer three hundred yeers after whom the Arians and next to them the Papacy took their turnes to maintaine that stream of blood running downe to our times But when he shall bring his first-begotten Sonne againe into the world in his visible royal exaltation then they all shall worship him I say as the Text sayes ALL but they that are ruined for their refractorinesse The phrase When he bringeth againe if the Greek word were not of a future sense imports a future thing as the Hebrew imperative Psal 97.7 Worship ye
Lord for servants and handmaids and they shall take them CAPTIVE whose CAPTIVES they were and they shall rule over their OPPRESSOURS Vers 3 And it shall come to passe in THE DAY that the Lord shall give thee REST-FROM THY SORROW and from the FEARE and from thy hard BONDAGE wherein thou wast made to serve That thou shalt Vers 4. take up this Proverb against the King of BABYLON and say HOW HATH THE OPPRESSOUR ceased the GOLDEN CITY CEASED The Lord Vers 5. hath broken the staffe of the WICKED and the Scepter of the RULERS Hee Verse 6. who smote the people in wrath with a continuall stroke he that ruled the Nations an anger is persecuted and none hindereth The WHOLE EARTH Verse 7. is at REST and is QUIET they breake forth into singing c. The rest of the Chapter being appurtenances illustrations c. of this here presented § 2 It is worth noting that our New Translators even in those Episcopall times which were so adverse to this our point do concur with us so far as to give us the Contents of the Chapter in these words Gods mercifull RESTAURATION of ISRAEL And they speake well and are not alone in their opinion the stream of Interpreters generally concurring that this Chapter intends Gods joyning of Iews and Gentiles into one Church which is something to the point in hand in the generall § 3 But let us weigh the words more particularly and exactly for a discovery whether yet to this day they have been fulfilled It may be that some may be apt to imagine that this making of Iewes and Gentiles into one Church one sheepfold as it is called Iohn 10. was fulfilled when the substituted or subrogated Gentiles were brought in in the Apostles time beginning in Act. 10. But they utterly mistake if they so thinke For those Gentiles and downwards were and are but substitutions and subrogations of them whiles the Iews fall off till the fulnesse of the said Iews should be brought in and then and not till then is the fulness of the Gentiles brought in with the Jews into one Church So that the FULNES of the Gentiles is not yet brought in much lesse the fulnesse of the Iews For as in Iohn the first Christ coming to his owne his owne received him not So after they crucified him and persecuted his Apostles Whiles in the Old Testament Christ called the Iewes the Gentiles hung off And whiles he called many Gentiles in the New Testament the Iewes generally fell off And although there were some sprinklings of Iewes and Gentiles converted in the Apostles time and after that many Gentiles yet what is all that to the fulfilling of this Text of Isa 14. I will yet choose ISRAEL and bring them into their owne Land and the STRANGERS shall be JOYNED to them and they shall cleave to the HOUSE OF JACOB For neither in the Apostles time nor downward to this day have the GENTILES called here Strangers joyned to Israel or cleaved to the house of Iacob Israel and the house of Iacob signifying the ten Tribes nor to the generality of the two Tribes because neither two Tribes nor ten Tribes have joyned and cleaved to the Lord Jesus To make plaine and prove all this that we have said we will scan first the Apostles discourse Rom. 11. and secondly the particular expressions of this Text of Isa 14. ¶ 1. The Apostle Paul giving us an account of his time and downward Rom. 11. tells us in the 30 vers As yee Gentiles in times past have not beleeved God yet now have obtained mercy through the Iews unbeleef even so also have the Iews now not beleeved that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercy That is that the Church of Christ as needs must whiles he is head being continued at least by vicissitudes of Iews and Gentiles the Gentiles now upon the present falling off of the Iews being in possession of the Gospel may continue the same throughout the successions of the Church till the time of the vocation of the Iewes that the said Jewes may be called thereby through the Ministery prayers and examples of the Gentiles So that the Jews and Gentiles for the generality have been since the first mention in the Old Testament of this distinction of Jewes and Gentiles to this day as two buckets to a Well if one were full the other was empty thus continually keeping their vicissitudes and turnes in imbracing or non-imbracing of the word of Christ which the Apostle further shews us in that 11. to Rom. in the distinct graduals thereof giving two to each of them the two of the Iews thus 1 There was their root or first-fruits or initiation 2 Their branches or lump or fulnesse vers 12.16 and 18. The two graduals of the Gentiles thus 1 SOME wilde branches 2 Their fulnesse v. 11. and 25. Then mark the close of the Apostle concerning both vers 25. and 26. When the FULNESSE of the GENTILS shall come in then ALL ISRAEL shall bee saved quoting severall Prophesies of the Old Testament to prove the same Whence wee must necessarily infer these two conclusions That the conversion of the Iewes and Gentiles heretofore and downward untill now are still but the root first-fruits and beginnings the most persons of the Jews and most Nations of the Gentiles to this day not knowing the Lord Christ 2. That Jews and Gentiles are not to this day one Church according to the Prophesie of this 14 of Isa viz. That the Strangers of the Gentile Nations shall be joyned to the Jews and shall cleave to the house of Jacob and according to the stating of the question by Saint Paul in this 11 of Rom. viz. That when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in ALL ISRAEL shall be saved For let us but aske experience whether ever these were yet fulfilled to the full of these places ¶ 2 This will be far more plain by a punctuall scanning of all the passages in this 14. of Isa First that in the first verse I will saith the Lord yet choose ISRAEL and have mercy on JACOB must needs be extended beyond the return of the Captivity of the two Tribes from Babylon and beyond the conversion of a few of them in the Apostles time For Jacob and Israel must of necessity comprehend the ten Tribes the Prophet Isaiah prophesying long after the division of the whole twelve into two Kingdomes two into the one and ten into the other And therefore the Prophet Isaiah well knew the distinction between Judah and Israel Chap. 1. v. 1. and useth it in relation to our point Chap. 11. v. 12. afore opened And therefore he mindes here well enough what he distinctly means when he saith Jacob and Israel as comprehensive at least of the ten Tribes to bee delivered as well as the Two For secondly when he saith in this same first verse Strangers shall be joyned with them that is with Jacob and Israel he could not
That v. 11. and v. 19. Their shame shall be taken away and they shall be made a name and a praise in all lands where they have been put to shame and all they that afflicted them shall be undone Instead whereof the Iews in all lands are under great reproach and contempt and their enemies rather undo them then that their enemies are undone for their sakes Thus of Zephany SECT XLV § 1 NExt we come to the Prophet Zechary who prophesied within two months at the same time that Haggy prophesied Hag. 1.1 Zech. 1.1 and therefore is commonly accounted as a co-partner with Haggy Both prophesying after Judah's return from Babylon in the second yeare of Darius sonne of Histaspis For Haggai reproves them chap. 1. ver 2. for not re-building the Temple And v. 6. declares that the scarcity upon them was for that neglect Neither of which could have been rationall if they had been then in Babylon Zechariah likewise hints the same time in chap. 1. ver 6. in acknowledging that God had then fulfilled the judgement threatned upon them And expressely in the 16 verse saith The Lord is returned to Jerusalem with mercies and his house shall be built § 2 These being premised the first place we pitch upon in this Prophet is chap. 2. ver 6. c. to the end of the chapter Ver. 6. Ho ho come forth and flee from the land of the North saith the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the Heaven saith the Lord. Vers 7. Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon Vers 8. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts After the glory hath he sent me unto the Nations which spoiled you for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Ver. 9. For behold I will shake mine hand upon them and they shall be a spoile to their servants and yee shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me Sing and rejoyce O Daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. Ver. 11. And MANY NATIONS SHALL BE JOYNED UNTO THE LORD in that day and shall be my people c. Vers 12. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land and shall chuse Ierusalem againe Of which words the introduction preceding in the § 1. leades us into this sence that they look beyond the two Tribes called Iudah unto the returne of the ten Tribes called Isreal § 3 It hath been often very grievous in my eyes to see how Authours commonly follow one another in expounding Scripture as if they were rather led by humain example then by divine reason And let this goe for one instance where they successively vote or dictate not demonstrate that that great call to the Jewes in ver 6. To come forth and flee from the land of the North c. relates to those of the two Tribes that tarryed behind when the rest of them returned I confesse as to wipe off singularity I am glad of the bare company in opinion of them that are learned but I had rather have one of their reasons if they give any then an hundred of their names Oecolampadius speaking for us saith Terram Aquilonis c. that is the Prophet calls Babylon the land of the North which is situated towards the Northern part Eastwardly And seeing that others were dispersed into divers parts of the earth according to the foure winds and others oppressed with other servitude all that are burdened are called c. And Pellican likewise voting for us saith the Prophet here foretels a double gathering of the Inhabitants and cals unto them for the dispersion of the faithfull was two-fold one of the people of Iudah in Babylon who are called together with Nehemiah unto the building of Ierusalem whom the Prophet exhorts to goe forth out of the province of the Babylonians and to beleeve the word of God and to restore the divine worship in the Temple The other was greater and more general of all Israel whom God had scattered into the foure quarters or climates of the world All which the prophet cals and desires to be congregated toward Zion c. But to leave men and words and come to reason ¶ 1. T is clear that this place of Scripture is a prophesie of future things by the language of it speaking all along from the fourth verse to the end of the chapter in the future tense that these and those things shall come to passe and such things and so God will do ¶ 2. And the exhortation in the sixt verse the thing in controversie is expresly there extended not only unto the Jews in the North viz. Babylon but to all of them dispersed in the foure quarters of the world as they are to this day Where marke the connexion For I will gather you from the four winds making this the meaning of coming out of the North. Compare also Zech. 8.7 a considerable place viz. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts behold I will save my people from the East Country and from the West Country and I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Accordingly the Septuagint reads this of Zech. 2.6 thus Ω 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Ho ho fly from the land of the North saith the Lord Because I WILL GATHER you from the foure winds of Heaven saith the Lord. ¶ 3. The said two Tribes had been even now when Zechariah preached this Sermon returned from Babylon into Iudea near this sixteen years For as the best Chronologers cast up the account they returned from Babylon in the year of the world 3435. And Zechary began his prophesie in the year of the world three thousand foure hundred fifty one A faire time for the most of the Jewes of the two Tribes to take heart to returne that are mentioned in the beginning of their deliverance by Cyrus to have lingered behind the rest 1 Chron. 4. if feare of the Kings sincerity in dismissing them had remorated them and to have been incouraged by their fore-runners prosperity in Iudea if any considerable number staid in Babylon for feare of successe And therefore doubtlesse by this time most of the people of Iudah were returned Iosephus boldly affirmeth * and Sanctius approves the account that there returned of the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin forty six hundred thousand Lib. 11. Cap. 4 and twenty eight thousand which may appear to have some truth in it if we compare Ezr. 2.61 62 63 64 65. and Nehem. 13.3 And truly the great work they did in re-building the Temple repairing the City wals and their bountifull offerings at the dedication speake aloud that they were a very numerous people And therefore t is very unlikely that the Prophet in that exhortation verse the sixt should mainly mind a gleaning of a few lingerers in Babylon ¶ 4. This exhortation ver the sixt calling for separation and to
come out of Babylon is carryed downe by the Apostles unto the latter if not to the last times of this world For St. Paul in the 2 Cor. 6.17 18 brings it down to his time which is far beyond any occurrences in Zecharies time who prophesied five hundred and eighteen yeares plus minus thereabouts afore Christs birth And Paul pens this Epistle at least fifty two years after the birth of Christ for about that year he wrote his first Epistle to Corinth his words are these Come out from among them and be yee separate SAITH THE LORD marke his quotation of the old Testament c. and I will receive you and be a father unto you Just to the same effect as Zecharie in the said sixt verse Come forth flee from the land of the North c. Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon c. Lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. Thus far St. Paul extends it But St. Iohn Revel cha 18. ver 2 3 4. extends it much further and that in a propheticall way viz. to the time nearly preceding the fall of Babylon I saw another Angell come down from Heaven having great power c. and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. i.e. shall surely fal And I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues Which two last clauses being of a future tense and sence clearly shew that is fallen is fallen signifies it shall fall and that in regard thereof the people of God must timously come out thence ¶ 5. There are high straines annexed to this prophesie in this second of Zecharie which effectually evince that it is not yet fulfilled as that ver 5. I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her That is a fence about the Church consisting of Jewes and Gentiles of absolute defence to them and of a devouring offence to the enemy And that ver 8 9. Thus saith the Lord after the glory hath he sent me to the Nations which spoiled you For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye For behold I will shake mine hand upon them and they shall be a spoile to their servants And yee shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me That is after this glory of your famous return and rebuilt Temple the Lord hath sent me the Messiah to the Nations that spoiled you that is to your enemies who in touching you to hurt you did as it were thrust their fingers into mine eyes Therefore I the Messiah will shake mine hands upon them as Psal 2.9 To break them with a rod of iron and so to make them a spoile to their servants that is to you whom they rigidly made their servants Lastly that in vers 10 11 12 13. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of ZION for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of THEE saith the Lord. And many NATIONS shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and SHALL BEE MY PEOPLE and I will dwell in the midst of THEE and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee And the Lord shall inherit Judah in the HOLY LAND and shall chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Be silent O all flesh before the Lord Because he is awakened concerning the habitation of his holinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a joyfull time is yet to come when the Messiah shall dwell in the midst of the Jewes they dwelling in the holy Land many Nations being joyned unto the Lord together with the Jewes into one Church he dwelling in the midst of them all for dwelling in the midst is againe repeated so that then they shall effectually know not only that this Prophet was sent of God to preach this to them but also that the true Messiah shall be at the appointed time sent to performe these things to them to the putting of all fleshly and carnall minds to silence that doubted or disputed against these thing I say to put them to silence by the appearance of Christ awakened and bestirring himselfe in the behalfe of his holy habitation or the habitation of his holinesse that is the Church in her pure state and worship Now when were these high straines these sublime expressions ever yet fulfilled We have a watch-word in the twelfth verse that we must looke for the impletion â—hereof far beyond Zecharies time For though he in his time of this Prophesie saw the returne of the Jews into the holy Land yet saith The Lord SHALL inherit Judah his portion in the HOLY LAND and SHALL chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Surely if wee keep the prophesie together as the Lord hath laid it and left it together there was never yet to this day since their return from Babylon that time and state of the Church that is here limbed forth to the life viz. that the Church should consist of Jews and Gentiles joyned to the Lord and owned by him as his people even while the Jewes possesse the holy Land and the Lord should be as a wall of fire protecting them and devouring their enemies and making the Jewes of servants to the cruell Heathens to be the spoilers of them c. and all these things to be carryed up to that height of glory that all spirituall hearts should sing and rejoyce and all fleshly hearts should bee struck dumb or astonished with silence We have before repeated usque ad nauseam foriè aliquibus very often how the Jewes ever since the return of the two Tribes have been little lesse or otherwise then in a captive condition under three Monarchies that when the Jewes a few of them imbraced Christ Acts second third and fourth chapters the Gentiles were not converted When the Gentiles began to be called the Jewes fell off Act. 13. Rom. 11. That the Maccabean conflict in regard of the catastrophe and event is not worthy to be named with this Prophesie And therefore this Prophesie is yet unfulfilled and requires by the circumstances of it a time of fulfilling before the ultimate universall resurrection SECT XLVI THe second place in Zecharie is in chap. 6. ver 13 13 14 15. which I need little more then name V. 12. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying behold the man whose name is the BRANCH and he shall grow up out of his place and HE shall BUILD THE TEMPLE of the Lord. 13. Even HEE shall build THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and RULE UPON HIS THRONE and he shall be a PRIEST upon his throne and the COUNSILL OF PEACE shall be between them both 14. And the Crowns shall be to Heâ—em and to Toâ—ijah and to Jedajah and to Hen the son of Zephaniaâ— for a
into the bottomlesse pit that he should not deceive the Nations no more till the THOUSAND YEARS SHOULD BE FULFILLED and after that he must be loosed a little season And I saw Thrones and they sat on them and judgement was given unto them and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in heir hands and they LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS But the rest of the dead LIVED NOT AGAINE untill the THOUSAND YEARES WERE FINISHED In which words opened laboriously afore in Book 1. Chap. 2. Sect. 1 2 3. and severall times else where we have a burning and trampling as in war both to purpose destroying bond and free great and small answerable to root and branch set on foot by the metaphoricall sword of Christs mouth his word prophesying and commanding the destruction of the Antichristian enemy out executed materially with physical fire and sword if so many material expressions and corporal circumstances can set it forth ending in eternal and all this before the raising and reigning of the Saints at the beginning of the Thousand years and a full thousand years afore the generall execution of all the wicked body and soule in hell fire For most emphatically it is said in ver 7 c. to the end of the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation that after the THOUSAND YEARES WERE EXPIRED that Satan were loosed and had deceived the Nations that then hee was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone WHERE THE BEAST and FALSE PROPHET ARE or WERE viz. afore in chap. 19. ver 20. And with the Devil the dead wicked raised and judged according to the books there opened are cast also into the lake of fire Whether this corporal destruction as to means be ordinary or miracuâ—ary it alters not the case But to dream of a spirituall destruction by the Word and to be set forth by fire and war and in a continued speech that sounds of nothing but opposition against Christ to the very death cannot appear to my best reason any better then a meer chimaera and imaginary fiction And the rather because slaying of men to the giving of their flesh to the fowles of the aire is emphatically distinguished from casting the other ALIVE into the lake of fire as this casting of those alive into the lake of fire is distinguished from the general damnation in hell fire in the last verse of the twentieth chapter ¶ 2. That in the second verse of this fourth of Malachie unto you that fear his name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings cannot be more fitly applyed then to that 2 Pet. 1.19 The whole context runs thus Ver. 16. We have not followed cunningly devised tables when we made known unto you the power and COMING of our LORD JESUS CHRIST but were eye witnesses of HIS Majesty Ver. 17. For HE received from God the Father honour and glory when there came such a voyce to him from the excellent glory THIS â—S MY BELOVED SON in whom I am well pleased Ver. 18. And this voyce which came from heaven we heard when we were with HIM in the holy Mount Ver. 19. We have also a more sure word of PROPHESIE whereunto yee doe well that yee take heed aâ— unto â—â—â—gh that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawn and the DAY-STAR arise in your hearts Peter in his first Epistle chap. 1. v. 1. writing to the Jewes being their Apostle Gal. 2.7 as Paul was of the Gentiles Rom. 11.13 holds forth to these Jewes in the words afore quoted three things 1. That all along there he speaks of Christ 2. That there is a twofold coming of Christ the one past when he wrote this second Epistle viz. when he came at first in the flesh receiving that testimony by voyce from heaven Matth. 17.5 afore mentioned in ver 17. of this 2 Pet. 2. The other to come held forth in a word of Prophesie in this v. 19. which when it is fulfilled the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall dawne and the Day-star 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall arise c. 3. That this Day-star is Christ both by the contexture of Peters speech afore being all of Christ and by the sence of the Day-star which is the Sun as the Moon c. is the night-star Psal 136.8 9. So that Mâ—lachies Sun of Righteousnesse arising with healing in his wings that is in his beames and Peters Day-star shining into the hearts of men is all one And lastly by the Antithesis put between the word of prophesie named onely a light shining in a dark place as a candle or small star in the night and the day-star making full day no person being to be exalted above the word of the prophets but Christ which Sun or Day-star when he shines with a full body upon the whole periphere or compasse of the Moon his Church he makes her full of light that before had much darknesse mixt with her light 3. The Apostle Peter holds forth to the Jewes in the continuation of his speech to them When this Day-star shall arise in their hearts viz. when it shall shine in the generality of them that is that Christ shall be effectually made known to the lump of the Jewes as Paul Rom. 11. cals the Nation or body of them yet unconverted but in after time to be converted so that the ALL OF ISRAEL as is Pauls phrase there SHALL BE SAVED And further that he shall with a dawning of the day remove the long night of their afflictions For as for a spirituall shining by some grace in the hearts of a few Jewes the Apostle acknowledgeth that to be now done already ver 1. But this was but by or through a light shining in a dark place But hereafter when the day dawns the Sun the Day-star shall arise in their hearts And this by the processe of his speech shall be at the great destruction of the enemies and the restauration of the Church Chap. 3. For marke the proceed of the Apostles discourse closely woven together The Apostle having mentioned an adherence to the word of Prophesie UNTILL the day dawn and the Day-star arise c. which words plainly point at a time to come for the fulfilling of it he busies himselfe in nothing but in advancing the true divine prophesies dictated to holy men of God by his Spirit and the interpretation thereof according to the publicke tenor of the Prophets and Apostles ver 20 21. and declaiming against false Prophets and false Teachers damnably teaching and seducing the people chap. 2 throughout I say he busies himselfe in nothing but in these two till he return in the third chapter to exhort the Jewes afresh to be mindful of the words of the Prophets and consonantly of the words of Christ and his Apostles
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet sometimes they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth some-times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is under heaven Therefore with the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth and that which is under the heavens If this suffice not we may yet consider that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a participle of the feminine gender and therefore understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth which is inhabited Lastly wheresoever elsewhere this word is found in the New Testament it is most expresly used of the earth and inhabitants thereof In the beginning of this Epistle we reade Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the heavens are the workes of thine hands Mat. 24.14 This Gospel of the kingdome shall be preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over all the earth and then shall the end come Luke 2.3 Then went a decree from Augustus that all the world should be taxed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rest behinde are farre more expresse but I leave them to your owne leisure and will onely adde this one thing that our English rendring in this place of the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world to come makes it not only ambiguous but seeming to meane the Kingdome of glory But we shall finde that the world in that sense is alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no where in all the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so I leave this with submission to the judgement of others My next reason shall be from that we read in the Revelation where the Church by the conquest of Michael set free from the Dragons fury is said to escape into the wildernesse that is into a state though of safety peace and security yet of hardship misery and scarcity for it seemes to bee an allusion to the Israelites escaping the tyranny of Pharaoh by going into the wildernesse In this wildernesse or place of hardship scarcity misery and much affliction the Church must remaine saith St. John a time times and halfe a time or as he elsewhere speaketh 1260. daies that is a yeare yeares and halfe a yeare and when this time shall be expired that is as learned Divines thinke when so many years shall be ended as those dayes are taking the beginning of our reckoning from Michaels Trophee then saith our Apostle◠shall the kingdomes of the world become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shal reigne for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 Whereby it should seeme that the Church is yet in the Wildernesse and that the promised happinesse of the ample and flourishing glory thereof before the end of the world is yet to come My last reason shall bee from Rom. 11. where St. Paul speaking of the future restoring and calling of the Jewes saith it shall be when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in I would not saith he that yee should be ignorant of this Mysterie c. ver 25. Now because the Jewes are not yet called it followeth that the fulnesse of the Gentiles is yet to come and what should then this fulnesse be but the fulnesse of the Gospels extent over all the nations of the world which our Apostle ver 15. calls life from the dead for if the casting away of the Jewes be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead As if the Church of the Gentiles were as yet halfe dead if it be compared with that glorious vigour and accession which shall come unto it when the Jewes shall be againe received into favour In briefe the fulnesse here spoken of is either a fulnesse of grace a fulnesse of extent or a fulnesse of time A fulnesse of time onely it cannot be because our Apostle saith this fulnesse shal enter in namely shall enter into the Church of Christ but this I see not how it can be spoken of a period of time As for a fulnesse of grace and spirituall gifts that was greater when St. Paul spake then ever it was since and therefore if it be meant it must be yet to come And for the fulnesse of extent it was as large for the number of Nations in the Apostles times as it is now in ours for as for the American Christians they are onely so in name being forced only to seeme so by the Spaniards whatsoever fulnesse then the Apostle here meaneth is yet to come I will adde only one thing more and so end this point some thinke that St. Paul in this place hath reference unto that speech of Christ Luke 21.24 where he foretels That the Jewes should fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all nations and Jerusalem should be trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled or accomplished But it seemes to me that the fulness of the Gentiles and the fulfilling or accomplishment of their times should not be the same howsoever they may be co-incident It should rather seeme that our Saviour hath reference as to a thing knowne unto the Prophecy of Daniel where the times of the Gentiles or the times wherein the Gentiles should have dominion with the misery and subjection of the Jewish Nation are set forth in the vision of a four-fold image and foure beasts which are the foure Monarchies the Babylonian Persian Greek and Roman The first began with the first captivity of the Jewish Nation and through the times of all the rest they should be in subjection or in a worser estate under them But when their times should be accomplished then saith Daniel The Saints of the most high God shall take the kingdome and possesse the kingdome for ever and ever that is there shall be no more kingdomes after it but it shall continue as long as the world shall endure Three of these Monarchies were past when our Saviour spake and the fourth was well entred If then by Saints there are meant the Jewes which we know are called the holy people in that sense their country is called the holy Land and their City in the Scripture the holy City viz. relatively then is it plaine enough what Daniels and our Saviours words import namely a glorious revocation and kingdome of the Iewes when the time of the fourth Monarchy which then remained should bee expired and accomplished But if here by the Saints of the most High are in generall meant the Church yet by co-incident of time the same will fall out on the Iewes behalfe because St. Paul saith that at the time when the fulness of the Gentiles shal come in the Iew shall be againe restored For a conclusion the last limbe of the fourth Monarchy is in Daniel The horne with eyes which spake proud things against the most High which should continue a time times and halfe a time
of themriding upon horses a great company and a mighty Army And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land it shall be in the latter dayes and I will bring thee against my Land that the heathen may know me when I shal be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes Therefore saith Menasse this war being ended THERE SHALL BEE A GREAT CHANGE OF ALL THINGS For then saith he in my opinion shall bee THE END OF THE WORLD * Indeed then shall be an end of this world viz. the begining of the dayes of the Messiah but not the ultimate end of the world as that in the 21 22 23. 24. verses quoted by R. Menasse plainly shews viz. sword pestilence blood hailstones c. of which there is no use at the ultimate end of the world And in the next Chapter viz. the 39. of Ezekiel the Prophet describing the destruction of Gog saith v. 2. that he should not be totally destroyed but onely part viz. onely the sixth part as some will The other five parts shall be reserved as Vatablus expounds to be destroyed at the end of the thousand yeers of the Kingdome of the Messiah Rev. 20 7. Besides Ezekiel in the next Chapter viz. the 40 c. to the end of the Book describes a glorious state of the Jews on earth after the destruction of Gog and Magog And therefore the Prophets former description of their destruction cannot bee at the ultimate end of the world As the restoring of the Temple of the Jews described in that 40. Chapter of Ezek. c. to the end of Book following the destruction of Gog is a Type of New-Jerusalem As Mr. Mede asserts and Dr. Twisse approves Mede Diatr pars 4. page 546. as it is related in the 20. Vers c. The fishes of the sea and fowls of heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things c. shall shake at my presence and the mountaines shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground c. verse 21 22 23 24. to the end of the Chapter Secondly It may be confirmed out of Joel Chapter 3.1 2. Thirdly out of Dan. Chapter 12.1 c. ☞ Who this Gog and Magog are it is not stated by the Jewish Rabbins Mr. Mede saith Diatr pars 4. p. 546. The Turk is Gog and Magog and Dr. Twisse highly approves it But the Jewish Rabbins deliver their minde uncertainly I know saith R. Menasse that others by the war of Gog and Magog doe understand the Antichristian age that shall be at the end of the world Hence Augustine saith l. 20 De Civit. Dei c. 1. Gog is the Devil and Magog the Army of Antichrist Ambrose thinks Gog to be the Goths who invaded and everted many of the Roman Provinces l. 20. De demonstr Evangel cap. 3. Eusebius saith he did thinke l. 5. c. 13. or 23. Gog to be the Roman Emperour and Magog his Kingdome and Empire Pliny asserteth l. 5. c. 23. That there is a City of Cava Syria which he calls Bombices or Bombice and Hierapolis that is called by the Syrians Magog The Hebrews saith he know indeed that Magog is of the posterity of Japhet but which is that Nation at this day they do not know ¶ 6. In the sixth Chapter we have the RESTAURATION or RESTITUTION of the world in the dayes of the New world punctually described as they say to the life by a parallel with the six dayes works of the first Creation viz. In the first day was created light which was saith R. Menasse according to the opinion of the Ancients a supernatural light ** Beresit Raba Paras 3. So in the Restauration of the World there shall be an extraordinary transcendent light according to Isaiah Chap. 60. v. 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the moon give light unto thee but THE LORD SHALL BE UNTO THEE AN EVERLASTING LIGHT and thy God thy glory On which words Isaac Abravanel comments thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou shalt have no need of solary light or light of the Sunne by reason of the divine light On the second day was created the Expanse as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls it or Firmament as we call it according to the Greek which saith R. Menasse according to the opinion of the learned signifies the Region of the ayre So this as we said afore in the New world shall be purged or refined from all noxious exhalations by which is signified saith Ahen Ezra the New heaven And all evill spirits and Devils whose seat was in the Ayre shall bee removed thence according to that in the Tract of Aboda * Aboda Zara. cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. Hell shall not be in the new world But the blessed God at the day of judgement shall draw forth the Sunne out of its sheath and torment the wicked So Malach. 4.1 it is said Behold the day cometh that shall burne like an oven And Zach. 13.2 I will cause the unclean spirit to passe out of the land In the third dayes work the dry land appeared and the plants were created which after were cursed for Adams sinne Therefore in the New world the earth shall be amended and a better efficacie and vertue shall be instilled into it for germination according to Aben Ezra thence in Siphra it is said by the Ancients on Levit. 26.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. The earth shall give her increase not in the manner it doth now but as it did in the time of Adam Likewise we read in Semot * Semot Raba paras 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. It shall be that the trees shall yeeld their fruit every month according to Ezek. 47.12 In the fourth day was created the Sunne Moon and Stars These also shall be renewed For the light of the Sunne the fountain and originall of all celestial light shall in a marvellous manner be augmented as in Semot we read * Semo R. par 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. The blessed God will cause that the Sun shall shine forth nine and forty parts of more light as it is said ** Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shal be sevenfold more as the light of seven dayes In the fifth day were created the Fishes and Fowls and the great Leviathan By which is understood saith Menasse according to the opinion of the Ancients it taken litterally That God will prepare in the world to come all curiosities for the just In the sixth day were created all Animals void of reason and last of all Adam of the dust of the ground yet most perfect in all respects and that without conjunction of male
the enemies of the Church in the Gogican War which Papisme the 19. of the Revel concluded as extinct Wee answer to this objection that it is of no consequence whether it be granted or denyed We doe not raise Papisme nor do I know any that doe And though S. John concludes the utter down-fall of Antichrist Rev. 19. that he shall never reigne more yet Chapter 20.9 hee shews that secret hypocrisie of all Nations shall breake out and indeavour to beset the Church and then comes the ultimate day of judgement CHAP. II. Answering Doctor Pareus THus of your Dr. Prideaux his Arguments against our point in answer of whom with the same labour we have answered the maine Arguments of Pareus on Revelation 20. verse 4. For the Doctor did follow and take much out of Pareus Those wee have not spoken to that are most material that the Doctor did not touch upon them we will now touch SECT I. First Objection Rev. 20.5 THat that Resurrection is not a corporall Resurrection but a spirituall And that because it is called the First Resurrection For this cannot bee the first corporal Resurrection because before this there arose corporally the Sonne of the widow of Sarepta raised by the Prophet Elijah 1 King 17.22 The Sonne of the Sunamitish widow by Elisha 2 King 4.35 The Sonne of the widow of Naim raised by Christ Luke 7.11 12. c. The daughter of Jairus raised by Christ Luke 8.55 of Lazarus raised by Christ John 11.44 Those at Christs Passion Matth. 27. Tabitha by Peter Act. 9.41 Eâ—tichus by Paul Act. 20.10 Answer to this thus First by this argument Christ shall not bee the first-fruits of them that sleep Secondly by this argument the opinion of a spiritual Resurrection from Antichristianisme cannot bee here admitted because by the same reason that cannot bee called the First resurrection because many of them afore-mentioned were raised afore Antichristianisme was in being Thirdly that raising of them was no generall Resurrection of any sort of godly or ungodly But this in the Revelation is general of all Saints Fourthly the T. intends that risen they shall reigne and reigne a thousand yeers But the other mentioned by Pareus soon died and did not reigne in Johns sense Fifthly John had marked these out verse 3 that they had had a spirituall Resurrection already SECT II. Second Argument of Pareus TO the First Resurrection is opposed First death But the First death was spirituall viz. Sinne Rom. 5. therefore the first Resurrection meant here is spiritual Answer first spirituall death and life are sinne and grace But these not expressed here but first and second Resurrection living and dying againe The first death is when all dye corporally some naturally some violently as the godly by Antichrists persecution So in Rev. 6.9 the soules under the altar and the beheaded in this 20. Chapter verse 4. And wicked by Gods judgements Rev. 19. two last Now the first Resurrection is of Saints Rev. 20. is here in ver 4. Second of wicked in verse 12. which is their second death as S. John calls it verse 14. The rest of Pareus his objections to this point are upon a false supposition that onely the Martyrs shall rise therefore need no answer Beside we have given much in answer to him afore in the end of the first Book Thus of Pareus next of Mr. Bayly CHAP. III. MR. Bayly his Arguments come next for I put the best disputant first who being answered wee shall have lesse reason to spend time upon the weaker SECT I. Mr. Baylies first Argument HE that remaines in the Heaven unto the last judgement comes not downe to the earth a thousand yeers before the last judgement But Christ remaines in the Heavens unto the last judgement Therefore Christ comes not downe to the earth for a thousand yeers before the last judgement The major saith hee is unquestionable The minor is proved First from the Article of the Creed from that he sitteth at the right hand of God from thence hee shall come to judge the quick and the dead Secondly from Act. 3.21 Thirdly from John 14.2.3 We answer first to the major First we have not yet asserted that Christ shall come downe on the earth But we have shewed out of several texts a very great probability that Christ will at least appear in the clouds that men and especially the Jews may look upon him c. as Zac. 12.10 2 At the beginning of the 1000. yeers is the beginning of the last judgement as we shewed afore 2. To the minor where Mr. B. affirms that Christ shall remaine in the Heavens unto the last day of judgement We answer it is false For after hee was ascended up to the right hand of God he is so neer to Paul that he calls to him saying Paul Paul c. And Paul replies Who art thou Lord And Christ replies I am Jesus whom thou persecutest And Paul replies Lo what wilt thou have me to do And the Lord replies Arise go into the City and it shall be told thee Act. 9.4 5 6. And verse 10. Christ in a vision speaks to Ananias to goe to Paul Ananias objects and Christ replies At last hee goes and verse 17. speaks to Saul thus putting his hand upon him Brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that APPEARED unto thee in the way Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—en of thee And 1 Cor. 15.5 6 7 8. As SEEN of Câ—phas and the twelve c. after the Resurrection so after the Ascension seen of Paul v. 8. Now by the same reason he may appeare againe to convert the Jews for that must be some sudden businesse Isa 66.8 as a Nation borne at once c. before the ultimate day of judgement And Pauls conversion by Christs appearance in the clouds was the first-fruits how Christ would convert the Jews as is Mr. Medes note on 1 Tim. 1.16 Read the place ¶ 1 To the first proof of the minor from that Article of the Creed First we say that Article doth not prove Mr. Baylies intent in that it doth not assert that there Christ shall fixedly sit for ever untill the last judgement but onely that thence he shall come to judge which he may doe if mean while he descends on weighty occasions which finished hee ascends againe and there hee abides till hee descends to the last judgement Secondly we have shewed afore that the day of judgement begins at this one thousand yeers and continues to the end The beginning is the morning of the day of judgement the end the evening of the day of judgement And all the same day of judgement as it is in Peter 2 Epist 3. Chap. And we have also shewed how in this time all the parts of a day of judgement are acted The last day of which thousand yeers wee all along have called it the ultimate day of judgement And how long this ultimate day may be this evening of the Millenary day wee cannot
shall not If we might be tempted this were not a sorrowlesse condition It was a part of Christs great humiliation that he was tempted though he could not be prevailed against If wicked men the instruments shall not be neer to tempt them then nor Satan the Author So the Text Rev. 19. The wicked are removed Chap. 20. Satan is removed bound up that he should not seduce the Nations any more which phrase would be weighed more then it is I have before shewed in our answer to Doctor Prideaux That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies any the least temptation And now I adde that for ought I know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may fitly be rendred Satan shall not to that end wander up and downe among the Nations The Greek may beare it And the context speaks for it For were all those expressions and acts sc laid hold on and bound him cast him into the pit and sets a seale onely to that end that he might not seduce If God had onely laid his command it had been enough to restrain his acting as when Christ commanded him out of the possessed Rather therefore the meaning is that hee might not have so much as the liberty to peragrare Gentes to wander up and downe over the Nations It must not be with him as in the dayes of the Churches afflictions Job 1.7 and 1 Pet. 5.8 Now he is held chained cast down sealed that he may not wander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the active is to wander as planets that compasse the Earth And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middle voice signifies to wander from place to place viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Criticks give instance obire multa loca to travel over much ground And Christ saith Now is the houre of temptation and the Kingdome of patience Then the Kingdome of perfect peace purity and exultation Rev. 11. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. The Serpent then shal only eat his dust Isa 65.25 in opposition to Gen. 3.14 And the devill that abused his body shall be shut up Now shall be fulfilled that promise Rom. 20.16 The God of PEACE mark Gods title shall tread Satan under your feet c. Now that Satan is in the pit he must be under their feet while the Saints stand on their feet on earth Satan must be under them As all things under Christs feet Heb. 2. As for Satans utter prevailing that was subdued when the Apostle spake those words For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 Observe it is said works c. therefore now Satan himselfe must be under their feet as that text speaks Rom. 16.20 now is to bee fulfilled perfectly that Heb. 2.8 c. All must be subject to Christ And he must destroy death AND HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH WHICH IS the Devil verse 14. So that that time that is a Deathlesse condition is a Devil-lesse a Satanlesse time And as in Rev. 20.7 the letting loose of Satan and Satans tempting go together so by an Antithesis Satans binding and his Non-tempting goe together verse 3. Indeed it is said so frequently in the Revelation that at the seventh Trumpet at this first Resurrection when Christ reigns and the Saints with him on Earth that their businesse shall be to joy praise triumph and sing Hallelujahs Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 14. and Rev. 19.5 or six times in the beginning of that Chapter that it cannot enter into the thoughts of the purest reason that there should be any sad songs of Satan sung to the ears of a Saint Sin and temptation are more sad then death to a Saint and therefore if the lesser sorrow and death shall be gone at this time then much more temptation If nothing that defileth shall enter into this state then not the unclean spirit as Christ calls him O glorious time when there shall be no disposition within nor temptation without to sinne but so full of God and happinesse in manifestation of Christ that there shall be no thoughts but in relation to him The souls of the Elect shall not returne to their bodies to be tempted that were their losse And the living Saints are changed therefore to a state of grace beyond that now which at present is liable to Temptation SECT VI. The next Quality is the RESTAURATION OF ALL THE CREATURES AS Isa 65.17 it is said there must be New Heavens sc a New Church-state so a New Earth a New naturall politick state of persons and things For there is mention of plantings and injoying of them And verse 25. of the Wolfe dwelling with the Lamb c. and that dust shall be the Serpents meat no devouring or hurting So the close They shall not destroy nor hurt in all the holy Mountaine Of this of the Wolfe c. we spake once afore largely on Isa 11.6 7 8 9. which Lactantius takes litterally See before and after the Text it is intended for the time we speake of And the reason of all is For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Knowledge signifies oft all spirituals and here imports that there shal be such an abundant manifestation of Gods presence that all whether taken litterally or metaphorically shall be as in Paradise before Adams fall So Psal 8. makes Gen. 1.26 A Prophesie or Type or both of what man shall injoy in after times And Heb. 2. applies Psal 8. to the time we speak of And Heb. 4. applies Gods resting the seventh day to a Sabbatisme on earth yet to come So the 2 Pet. 3. and Rev. 21.1 apply the New Heavens and New Earth to the said time and call it the New Jerusalem comming downe from God out of Heaven And the addition to the glory of this New Jerusalem shall be a lustre of all creatures materials of building shall be like all manner of precious stones and men shall be like Angels Kings honouring the Church No sea sc to devoure but adorn and comfort man if it be not in a great part crusted into a chrystal body like heaven above consolidated for men to travel upon and come together and to shine to adde an inlightning to the earth for more glory Adde to all this that of Rom. 8.18 As vox naturae THE VOYCE OF NATURE for our point full to our purpose though it may be not heeded for this purpose For Peter gives us a good item when being about to speak of the New Heavens and New Earth 2 Pet. 3. He tels us in v. 3. That before that shall be scoffers and slighters of this opinion of Christs comming they will be as heedlesse as men were before the renovation of the world by Noahs flood Chap. 2. And then having spoken of the New Heavens c. according to Gods promise verse 13. then in the 14. verse he exhorts men to be diligent to bee found blamelesse