what happen'd utter'd these words Truly this was the Son of God Mat. 26. 54. He being a Pagan did not mean that Christ the Person who then suffer'd was the Son of God by eternal Generation It is not the same Testimony with that of St. Peter concerning Christ of a Truth thou art the Son of God Mat. 14. 33. nor of the Disciples we believe that thou art Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16. 16. But he meant he was a brave and excellent Person a holy and good Man unworthy of that which he underwent one who had deserved nothing of what he suffered And that this is the meaning is plain from St. Luke who relateth this Passage of the Centurion thus certainly this was a righteous Man Luke 23. 47. So he explains St. Matthew Pliny a Heathen Governour under the Roman Emperour speaks honourably of the Christians and he hath left a particular Testimony of their fair and peaceable Demeanour as well as of their early Devotion in a Letter which he writ to Trajan The Publick Archives at Rome and the known Writings and Monuments of the Heathens preserv'd the Memory of many notable things relating to Christ. Therefore Tertullian in his Apologies for the Christians often appeals to these and bids them consult the Censual Tables and other publick Records which testify of those things In brief Profane History relateth many things of our Saviour his Person his Actions his Death the Prodigies that accompanied it the great Changes made by that Religion in the World and many other things appertaining to it of which I shall largely speak in another place Thus God directs the Hearts of Enemies to testify the Truth of the Gospel And certainly this sort of Testimony is very considerable and convincing The Confession of Adversaries is ever look'd upon as such this is deservedly thought to be authentick Nay I could proceed further and shew you that the Infernal Spirit who is emphatically stil'd the Adversary and hath shew'd himself the most implacable Enemy of Christ and his Cause hath yet born witness to the Truth of them Our Saviour is attested by Satan the Devils acknowledg and confess him to be the Son of God Mat. 8. 29. and at another time they confess they know who he is the Holy One of God Mark 1. 24. The very impure Daemons set forth the Praises of Christ's Followers Acts 16. 17. These Men say they are the Servants of the most high God who shew unto us the way of Salvation We read that one of the Pagan Oracles owned the Child Iesus and if that were true which some think that the Sibyls were acted by an Evil Spirit there is further proof that the Devil bears Testimony to the Holy Iesus and that that lying Spirit voucheth the Truth of the Gospel But here I must confess I have digressed and not observed the Bounds which I set my self for I propounded to speak only of Humane and Divine Testimony The former I hope I have finish'd to the satisfaction of sober and considerate Persons I have evinced the Truth of Christianity by all these Proofs and Evidences viz. by the attestation of our Senses by History by Tradition by Tongues and Pens by Speeches and Writings by the Church and the World by Friends and Enemies and by all things that prove any other Relations or give Evidence concerning any other matters of Fact So much concerning Humane Testimony which is able to create in us a Moral Certainty and the strongest Humane Faith imaginable and which is very serviceable to sit and prepare us for the Divine Testimony which I am next to speak of CHAP. XV. All the ways of Divine Revelation under the Mosaick Dispensation were made use of under the Christian one Voices The Testimony of Angels Visions Dreams The Holy Spirit The fulfilling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament is an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of the New Testament Prophesies concerning the Birth of our Saviour Isa. 7. 14. cleared from the Cavils of the Jewish Expositors It is shew'd how these Words may have reference to something in King Ahaz's Days and yet belong to Christ's Birth Prophesies in the Old Testament that relate to Christ's Life and Actions Others that refer to his Sufferings and Death Some that foretel his Resurrection and Ascension Other more general Predictions concerning him Several prophetick Passages concerning the Branch proved to be spoken of Christ. The Hebrew Word for the Branch is refer'd to in the New Testament The two Zacharies agree The Iews Objection viz. that the Messias was to be another kind of Person than what Jesus of Nazareth was answered Another Objection viz. that the Messias was to bring universal Peace answer'd A third Objection of the Iews viz. that their Sins have hindred the Messias's coming at the promised time answer'd The Objection raised from 2 Sam. 7. 13. removed by clearing the sense of the Text. Other extravagant Fancies concerning the Messias caus'd by their mistaking the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning Christ's coming The Conclusion that all the Prophesies concerning the Messias are fulfil'd in Jesus and consequently are a demonstration of the Truth of Christianity IN the next place then the Christian Oeconomy and the whole Institution of the Gospel are confirmed by Divine Testimony We are certain that the Christian Religion is from God and consequently is undoubtedly true because it is attested 1. By all the ways of Divine Revelation used heretofore 2. By the fulfilling of all the Prophesies of the Old Testament 3. By the exerting of Miracles 4. By the strange and stupendous prevailing of the Gospel 5. By the Judgments which God inflicted on the Enemies of it First I will shew that by all the ways whereby God spoke under the Mosaick Dispensation he spoke likewise under the Christian one and this being after that it will at the same time convince the Iâ—ws that their Dispensation is abolished and confirm Christians in the belief of the Divine Authority of the Dispensation which they are now under The Revelations I say under the Gospel are of the same kind with those before I will reduce them to these following Heads 1. The Jews had their Bath Kol i. e. an Audible and Articulate Sound or Voice from Heaven and so have we Christians Our Saviour had this Divine Testimony thrice first at his Baptism Lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. God the Father again by a Voice bore witness to him when he was on the Mount with Peter Iames and Iohn and was there transfigured Mat. 17. 5. Mark 9. 1. Behold a Voice out of the Cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Of which you will find St. Peter speaking in Epist. 2. Ch. 1. v. 17. And thirdly at his Passion when he was praying to his Father there came a Voice from Heaven and testified that his
the Disciples for a time such Prejudices had they on their minds that they could not conceive the meaning of our Lord and they durst not ask him concerning those things It was not as yet reveal'd to them by what means the Messias was to deliver them they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom as the blinded Iews at this day they promis'd themselves much temporal Prosperity and Grandeur in the World Neither could the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection gain assent with them for we read that when he spake of it to the three Apostles before whom he was transfigured they questioned one with another what the rising from the dead should mean Mark 9. 10. And afterwards when he told the other Apostles as well as these that he should rise again the third day they understood not that saying Mark 9. 31 32. That our Saviour's Friends believ'd not his Resurrection appears from their dressing his dead Body with Aromatick Gums and Spices which were design'd to preserve it It had been vain to use these glutinous Gums and Persumes if they thought he was in a short time to rise again And when he was risen they would not believe it as appears too plainly from that Speech of Cleophas one of those whom Jesus talk'd with presently after his Resurrection tho then he pass'd incognito We trusted saith he that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luke 24. 21. Still he doubted tho he had heard of the Lord's Resurrection in saying we trusted he discover'd his distrust and impli'd that Iesus could not be the Messias who was to redeem Israel Tho the Apostles were certified of Christ's Resurrection by those that saw him yet their words seemed to them as idle Tales Luke 24. 11. and they would not be perswaded till they themselves saw Christ among them Nor did they know that he was to ascend for just before he left them they put this question to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou repair the Iewish State and recover its pristine Splendour yea raise it to a higher Dignity than ever it arrived to as we expect should be done by the Messias So likewise it might be proved that some of them were in an Error about the End of the World for they believed it would be about that time By these and other Instances their Ignorance and Mistake were apparently discovered they had very false apprehensions and conceptions of things and some of the chief Articles of the Christian Belief were not credited by them Here I might add that in our Blessed Saviour's time there was not such an effusion of the Holy Spirit as there was afterwards Iohn 7. 35. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified For this Reason several things were not disclosed to them but were reserved till a further communication of the Spirit for tho Christ had said All things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you yet he adds I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot hear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16. 12 13. As much as if he had said there is no new Truth or other Doctrine to be preach'd to you than what you have receiv'd from me already but the time is coming when there shall be a greater Manifestation of those things to you tho the Truths as to the main shall be the same yet your Understandings and Capacities shall be greater you shall then comprehend those matters which before you could not as the calling of the Gentiles the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias c. And moreover the Holy Spirit shall increase your Love and Zeal to God and all Truth so that you shall be enabled not only to preach it to all Nations but undauntedly to suffer Persâ—cution and even to lay down your Lives in the defence of it By this it is evident that Christianity was revealed by degrees as well as the other former Dispensations of Religion Their knowledg in the Christian Institution was gradual they were not to know all together neither were their Zeal and Courage of the same proportion that they were afterwards Secondly in the Times and Ages immediately succeeding our Saviour's being upon Earth the Church was but yet in its Childhood and State of Infirmity It is true they were much increased and advanced in their knowledg of spiritual Truths this being the Accomplishment of our Saviour's Promise as well as Prediction that the Holy Spirit should guide them into all Truth By a more immediate and special Directioâ— of this Holy Guide the Evangelists and Apostles indited and pen'd the Books of the New Testament so that there are no Errors and Mistakes in them of any kind Therefore what a Learned Writer saith on 1 Cor. 15. 51. and 2 Pet. 3. 11. and other places in St. Paul's and St. Peter's Epistles viz. that these Apostles verily believ'd the day of Iudgment was at hand and consequently were under a mistake is not to be admitted is by no means to be credited for these Persons as well as the other Penmen of the New Testament being immediately inspired by that Infallible Guide and Director could not possibly commit any Errors in their Writings whatever their misapprehensions were at other times When therefore they use those Terms with respect to the last Day We and Ye as if they of that Age should survive to see that Day we must remember that they speak not of themselves particularly and definitively but of the whole successive Body of Christians in several Ages who will be expecting the last Day This is the meaning of those Expressions as is plain from their using them on other occasions We have no Reason then to think that the Apostles were deceiv'd about the Day of Judgment or any other matter that they writ of and deliver'd to the World Here is no weakness no defect as to any thing of this nature Nay there was a great Advance and Accession in respect of what there was before in the foregoing part of this Dispensation viz. in the time that our Saviour lived upon the Earth For the Doctrines of the Gospel of which I speak now were gradually deliver'd and consequently the Apostles attain'd now to more than was discover'd in Christ's time he having not thought fit then to communicate all in so evident and plain a manner as we find it was afterwards done Therefore that late Writer is under a great mistake who declares that the Apostles Epistles are only occasional and that we can find no necessary Points of Divinity deliver'd there which were not deliver'd before in the Gospels and Acts whereas the Truth is the Epistles contain the most perfect and complete Doctrines of the Gospel for by degrees the Evangelical Truth display'd it self All the necessary and fundamental Articles of Christianity are explain'd
by mere Opinion or by Matters of an indifferent Nature We live in an Age wherein Men talk and discourse much concerning Religion and yet the Generality of them have less Religion than any Age ever had Why Because they place Religion in Words and Pretences in some peculiar Sets of Opinions and in a meer external Shew of some Performances that relate to Devotion But in that happy Kingdom which we look for Substantial Religion will take place and the only Standard of it shall be True and Solid Piety Thirdly A greater Measure of Grace shall be bestowed on the Christian Church more of that Divine Spirit Not in the Sense that some mean that Extraordinary Gifs and Supernatural Endowments shall be confer'd and that the Outward Teachings of Man shall cease and become useless But I mean thus that the effectual Power of the Holy Spirit shall be seen in making Men better which indeed is the grand Design and Office of the Holy Ghost and therefore shall take Place in that happy Time The most admired and glorious Gifts are mean and base in respect of Real Goodness and Holiness i. e. a hearty Love of God and his Ways and an upright Life resulting from it Therefore we may infer that by a more abundant Communication of the Spirit these shall be advanced in the World In the Golden Age of Christianity there shall be a mighty Power and Efficacy on Mens Minds exciting them to worthy and noble Actions causing them to be zealous for Religion and to act with Vigour and Concernedness and to overcome all Difficulties that lie in their way and in a Word to design and bring to pass Great Things for the Honour of the Supreme Being and the Good of the World Fourthly IESUS shall then in a more eminent Manner be exalted his blessed Undertakings for our Redemption and Salvation his Merits and Perfect Righteousness shall be more than ever esteem'd admir'd and extoll'd This shall be a more especial Time of magnifying and celebrating the meritorious Transactions of our Lord Christ for the Saving of Mankind Which must needs produce a very high Degree of Holiness in Mens Lives for there is not a more genuine Source of it than the Consideration of what Christ hath done and suffer'd for us There is not a more effectual Spring of True Obedience nor a more powerful Motive to it than the Free and Unmerited Love of God the Father through his beloved Son Iesus Wherefore now the Reformed World shall exercise itself more and more in this true Way that leads to Purity and Holiness viz. a perpetual valuing and prizing the Grace of God in the Gospel through the Blood of the New Covenant This hath not been sufficiently done hitherto yea it hath been shamefully neglected in all Ages of Christianity Therefore now it shall be performed with great Zeal and Application by all the Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem Though their Works and Obedience shall exceed all that went before yet they shall not presume to rely upon them Though their Lives shall be more strict and blameless than ever yet they shall entertain no Opinion of their own Worthiness but confide wholly in the Spotless Obedience of the Lamb of God and they shall attribute all to Iesus and his Holy Spirit Lastly to heap up many Things together in those blessed Days there shall be no New Religion but New Hearts that is more enlightned more warmed and more sanctified There shall then be a continual Striving to excel one another in laudable and vertuous Actions Religion and Piety shall be Fashionable and Goodness and Holiness shall be esteemed most Honourable All Perfidiousness and Fraud all Lying and Falshood shall cease and Truth and Sincerity Integrity and Open-heartedness shall universally prevail Swearing will then be of little Use unless it be as a meer Act of Solemn Worship and owning a God for where there is no distrust of one another where 't is known that Persons deal Truly and Uprightly Oaths are not needful to attest or confirm what they say In those Days Men shall conciliate an assent to what they speak they shall perswade others of the Truth of what they assert or promise by plain Words and by an honest Life Briefly all-sinister and base Designs all unworthy Aims and vitious Ends shall be laid aside and the Glory of the Great God and of his Son Iesus Christ shall be the main Thing which shall influence upon their Lives If it be demanded How this great Change shall be wrought I answer It shall be done by the powerful Aids and Assistances of Heaven which shall be vouchsafed to Men in a very plentiful Manner Hereby they shall be inabled above their own Abilities and Strengths to subdne their Lusts to conquer their Vices and in the most exact manner to conform their Lives to the Rules of the Gospel If you further ask What outward instruments and Means God will make use of to accomplish this Great Work I conceive it shall be effected by Active and Zealous Governors For we cannot but take Notice that Persons of that Character have been raiâ—'d up continually in order to great Revolutions and Alterations in Church and State as is evident in the Examples of Cyrus Alexander the Great Constantiâ—â— the Great Charles the Great and the Electors of Saxony And in the beginning of our REFORMATION in this Land what strange Things did a Resolute and Couragious King bring to pass Much more may be effected here and all the World over by God's inspiring the Hearts of some Christian Kings and Princes with Valour and Resolution especially by adding Goodness and Holiness to these by blessing them with a real Sense and relish of Religion in their own Minds and Consciences Being thus qualified what is there too hard for them to accomplish What may not be expected from Governors of this Character Wicked Rulers are the greatest Mischief and Plague of the World and accordingly it hath been Satan's Stratagem throughout all Ages to procure such Magistrates as will abett and further his Design i. e. that will patronize all Vice and Wickedness and if it be possible establish it by a Law This hath been the Cause and Sourse of that horrid Deluge of Vice which hath broken in upon all Cities and Countries and miserably overspread them Therefore I infer that when God will vouchsafe to stem this mighty Torrent he will set up some Eminent Persons in High Places who by their powerful Laws as by so many Walls and Ramparts shall effectually stop its impetuous Course I question not in the least but that those Words in Rev. 20. 4. I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Iudgment was given unto them refer partly to this they signify to us that Power and Authority which shall be at that time Evil-doers shall be call'd to an Account and punish'd according to their Offences and the Earth shall in a manner be cleared of all wilful and stubborn Criminals This
which the Apostles were falsly accused for viz. that they turned the World upside down may truly be attributed to our first Parents they have by their wilâ—ul disobedience perverted the Order of Nature and disturbed the Course of the World It is by their means become a Place of Disorder and Confusion a Stage of Affliction and Misery a Scene of Sorrows Losses Disappointments Poverty Reproach Diseases Pains Tortures and Plagues of all sorts This is Man's portion till he returns unto the Ground for out of it was he taken and unto it he shall return ver 19. Death is the last of all outward and bodily Evils this was threatned in Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Which place alone is sufficient to refute the Socinian Conceit that Man was mortal in his first state of Innocence and that thâ— he had not fallen yet he should have died We find here Mortality pronounc'd the Effect of Adam's Transgression In the day that thou eatest of the foâ—bidden Fruit and thereby â—innest against thy Maker thou shalt surely die i. e. thou shalt immediately become subject to Death and afterwards it shall actually be inflicted on thee So we are to understand these words according to that of Theodoret God here callâ—th the Sentence of Mortality Death And so Chrysostâ—m on the place Man is said saith he to die in that the Sentence of Death is pronounc'd against him It was God's Mercy to reprieve him that he might have time to repent But he was a dead Man at first as a condemned Malefactor is reckon'd a dead Man tho his Execution be respiâ—ed for a time So is it with the whole Race of Adam they are obnoxious to Death they have the Sentence of it upon them and they daily incur that Penalty by their Sins The Great Judg is pleas'd to spare them for a time but at last the Sentence is executed on them Their Nature being corrupted and poison'd by the Fall at length the Venom and Virulency of it break forth the contrary Qualities which have been long fighting within them destroy them in the close or in some other manner their Bodies sink into the Grave and stench and rottenness are their Portion The Inward and Spiritual Evils which are the Consequences of the Fall are yet more grievous and direful Not only the Bodies but the Souls of all Adam's Race feel the cursed Effects of his Apostacy from God Hereby the Rational and Divine Moiety of Man which was the chief and noblest part of his Constitution was corrupted its original Rectitude and primitive Righteousness were defaced and all the Powers and Faculties of his Mind miserably depraved First His intellectual Powers are impaired by Ignorance and Error the Notions of Good and Evil are much obliterated Reason is weakned and can hardly do its office Man understanding not must needs be like the Beasts for it is this Faculty which differenceth him from that rank of Beings It was said of old that Man is a wise Creature And he was so questionless in the state of his first Creation and Primitive Innocency but since his vile Defection he is sunk into folly and sottishness He confutes all his Pretences and baffles all his Boastings of Knowledg and Wisdom for when he should give experiment of them he discovers plainly that he is possessor of no such thing but that his rational part is much enfeebled and that he hath very â—alse and erroneous conceptions of things especially of those which relate to the Kingdom of God Thus Man's Head is hurt by the Fall His Heart likewise his Will and Affections are exceedingly endamag'd by it There is a strange Impotency in our elective Faculty we are not only disabled in a great measure from chusing Good but we have an aversion in us to God and Goodness and an inclination on the contrary to comply with Satan and to do whatever is displeasing to our Marker We are taken captive by Satan at his will for we have lost our Liberty and we have not so much sense as to bemoan our loss This is our condition by Nature abstracted from the blessed Remedy which we have by Christ Iesus and the powerful Influences of the Holy Spirit As for our Affections and Passions they are miserably disâ—orted and dislocated they continually sally forth to undue Objects they are unruly and extravagant and put us into great disorder and disâ—raction And indeed we cannot wonder that they are very refractory and headstrong when they have slipt off that Bridle which right Reason had put upon them Our Love and Hatred our Desires our Fears our Hopes our Joys our Anger our Sorrows are all unbridled and ungovern'd they hurry us into mischief they fill us with perturbation they make us uneasy restless and unquiet and they end in vanity and vexation of Spirit These disorders in the Understanding Will and Affections make way for more visible ones in the actions of mens Lives Hence proceed Idolatry Prophaneness Blasphemy Perjury Injustice Theft Rapine Violence Slaughter Murder Drunkenness Luxury Whoredom and all kind of Lasciviousness in short Sins of all degrees Vices of all dimensions Thus it was rightly said by the Royal Prophet that Man in his lapsed condition is become like the Beasts he is sunk below his own Species He that listned to a Brute the Serpent is become like one Man the Flower and Glory of the Creation resembleth the Beasts He is as sly and crafty as a Fox as lustful and salacious as a Goat as fierce as a Lion as savage as a Bear as ravenous as a Wolf as gluttonous as a Swine as angry and barking as a Dog and sometimes as stupid and dull as an Ass. Thus Man is become like the Beasts which this Psalmist takes notice of in other places likewise where you find him representing wicked Men as fat Bulls devouring Dragons roaring Lions ravenous Dogs And this good King acknowledgeth even concerning himself that so far as he had acted sinfully against God he was not only foolish and ignorant but even as a Beast before him So Agur i. e. as some think Solomon who had been a notorious Offender confesseth that he was more brutish than any one Prov. 30. 2. The New Testament also speaks after this manner Christ calls false Prophets ravenous Wolves and Herod a Fox And Iohn Baptist stiles the wicked Jews Vipers St. Paul calls his Adversaries whom he grappled with at Ephesus Beasts he stiles false Teachers grievous Wolves and Dogs and he thanks God that he was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion meaning Nero. And the Apocalyptick Beast is to be understood of the vilest and wickedest Body of Men under Heaven This too was the Notion and Phrase of the best Moralist among the Platonists and Stoicks They held that wicked men are a kind of Brutes that Vice transforms them into mere sensitive Animals
and that by the wonderful disposal of Heaven Whereupon the Evangelist saith This was done that the Scripture might be fulfill'd A Bâ—nâ— of him shall not be broken ver 36. Which plainly refers to this passage concerning the Paschal Lamb of the Iews that they were commanded not to break any bone of it And if according to St. Iohn that particular injunction concerning the Lamb be applicable to Christ and was fulfill'd in him there is just ground so believe that the other passages and circumstances relating to that Lamb are to be apply'd to Christ the Lamb of God and are accomplish'd in him This no man of composed thoughts can deny And whereas the Iews were to eat their Paschal Lamb with Vnleavened Bread ver 8 20. the Apostle hath told us the meaning of that for after he had said Christ our Passover iâ— sacrificed for us he immediately adds Let us therefore keep the Feast not with old Leaven neither with the Leaven of malice and wickedness but with the Vnleavened Bread of sincerity and truth The corrupt Ferment of Sin especially of Hypocrisie and Dissimulation which our Saviour also calls Leaven Luks 12. 1. futeth not with the Bread of Life which we are to eat Yea we must purge out all sin and wickedness which the same Inspired Author in the same place again calls the Old Leaven ver 7. If we would keep the Christian Passover aright we must abandon every known Vice which is fitly compared to Leaven because it spreadeth it self and soon corrupteth the Soul a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump ver 6. Gal. 5. 9. But from what we read in Deut. 16. 3. we may gather that something besides this is shadowed out there they are bid to eat all the time of the Passover Vnleavened Bread even the Bread of affliction because they came forth out of the Land of Egypt in haste Vnleavened Bread then is the Bread of affliction but why is it call'd so I conceive it hath this name because it is such Bread as the Poor and Afflicted by reason of pressing hunger eat not staying till it be leavened This sort of Bread they were to eat And so we are taught here in what manner we are to eat the Christian Passover viz. with the Bread of affliction we must not pamper our carnal part we must not make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof we must according to the Apostles Example keep under our bodies and bring them into subjection to our better part And this was partly signified by the eating of the Paschal Lamb with bitter herbs ver 8. The spiritual meaning whereof is that we should not indulge our selves in the pleasures of Sin that we should celebrate our Evangelical Passover with godly Contrition and Sorrow with hearty Remorse and Repentance and that with the Penitent Apostle we should weep bitterly for our Sins The Crucified Iesus is best entertain'd with a broken Heart And moreover the posture and demeanour which the Israelites were to observe in their celebrating the Passover viz. with their loins girded and with shâ—â—s on their feet and staves in their hands ver 11. which exprest their readiness to leave Egypt and to depart out of it at the first warning represent unto us our duty which is to be prepar'd to quit our sins which make us worse than Egyptian Bondslaves Christ being sacrificed and ascended we are to fit our selves to follow him we must gird up the loins of our minds we must have our feet shâ—â— with the Evangelical preparation we must be constantly in the posture of Pilgrims whose thoughts are on leaving the place where they are and we must be willing and ready to follow our Blessed Saviour which way soever he calls us This is to be remarked likewise that no Vncircumcised person was to eat of the Passover no Fâ—reigner or Stranger ver 43 44. Which acquainteth us that none but those who are admitted into Christ's Church and are True and Proper Members of it can partake of the Benefits which accrue by the death of our Lord and also that Strangers and Aliens from the Covenant of Grace and those that are Uncircumcis'd in heart receive no real Advantage by coming to the Lord's Supper they partake only of the outward Elements but are excluded from sharing in the Inward Grace and Blessing which are represented by those External Signs Thus you see the Parallel between the Iewish and Christian Passover The Paschal Lamb was a Male and without Blemish and of the First Year It was taken out of their own Fold and kill'd in the Evening and the Door-posts were sprinkled with the Blood It was roasted and then eaten whole not a bone of it was to be broken and nothing of it was to remain It was eaten with Unleavened bread and bitter herbs with loins girt and in haste it was eaten not by Strangers and Uncircumcised persons and in every one of these particulars it was Typical and Representative For tho it is true there was this general Reason why these several Observances concerning the Paschal Lamb were enjoyn'd namely because of their direct opposition to the Heathen Ceremâ—nies then in practice as you shall hear afterwards yet there was a more particular reason and distinct ground of the prescribing of these several Rites viz. because they in some manner were Types and Significations of what our Lord Christ was to do or suffer and of what is required of us in solemnizing the Gospel-Passover If any man shall despise these things and imagine them little and not worthy of the Spirit of God he may correct his prophane mistake by looking into the Epistles of St. Paul especially that to the Hebrews where he will find that the Apostle takes notice of such passages as these which relate to the Iewish Observances and by the direction of the Divine and Infallible Spirit applies them to our Lord and his Blessed Undertakings and the main things of the Gospel-Dispensation Let none then be so presumptuous and impâ—ous as to say that these are Little and Contemptible seeing they are such as the Holy Spirit was pleased to dictate Nay I might add with great reason and truth that this Mystical way of delivering the most weighty matters was heretofore used and approved of by all the Antient Sages and Men of Wisdom especially by the Egyptians whose Learning chiefly consisted in Hieroglyphicks And therefore when we see that some men who have a great esteem of the Egyptian Learning and admire it at a very high rate do yet slight and vilifie those Mysterious Representations of the greatest and most important Truths which the Old Testament presents us with we cannot but observe their wicked perversness whilst they disregard and even ridicule that very way of communicating Truth in the Holy and Inspired Scriptures which they magnifie and extol in Prophane Writers But I have not finished this Parallel yet To make it every way compleat Christ our
Christian Religion So do Infernal Spirits P. 417. CHAP. XV. All the ways of Divine Revelation under the Mosaick Dispensation were made use of under the Christian one Voices The Testimony of Angels Visions Dreams The Holy Spirit The fulfiâ—ling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament is an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of the New Testament Prophesies concerning the Birth of our Saviour Isa. 7. 14. cleared from the Cavils of the Jewish Expositors It is shew'd how these Words may have reference to something in King Ahaz's days and yet belong to Christ's Birth Prophesies in the Old Testament that relate to Christ's Life and Actions Others that refer to his Sufferings and Death Some that foretel his Resurrection and Ascension Other more general Predictions concerning him Several prophetick Passages concerning the Branch proved to be spoken of Christ. The Hebrew Word for the Branch is refer'd to in the New Testament The two Zacharies agree The Iews Objection viz. that the Messias was to be another kind of Person than what Jesus of Nazareth was answered Another Objection viz. that the Messias was to bring universal Peace answer'd A third Objection of the Iews viz. that their Sins have hindred the Messias's coming at the promised time answer'd The Objection raised from 2 Sam. 7. 13. removed by clearing the sense of the Text. Other extravagant Fancies concerning the Messâ—as caus'd by their mistaking the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning Christ's Coming The Conclusion that all the Prophesies concerning the Messias are fulfil'd in Jesus and consequently are a demonstration of the Truth of Christianity p. 457. CHAP. XVI The Miracles wrought by Christ. What those Baskets were which were fill'd with Fragments Christ not only fed but healed the Bodies of Men. He did other Miraculous Works The Apostles as well as our Saviour exerted many Miracles An Objection from 1 Tim. 5. 23. answer'd Five Properties of a true Miracle Counterfeit and lying Wonders The Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were accompanied with seven peculiar Circumstances which prove them to be from God What were the Ends and Designs tâ—ey propounded to thâ—mselves in working of Miracles An Objection from Mark 11. 14. answer'd Several Interpretations of 〈◊〉 Words the time of Figs was not yet Why Christ cursed the barren Fig-tree Another Objection from Mat. 8. 30. answer'd Two other Objections answer'd The Personal Qualities of the Apostles argue the Miracles which they wrought to be true and real A Reply to the several Cavils against the Miracles of our Saviour An account of the wonderful things done by some Pagans especially Vespasian and Apollonius Tyanaeus The Miracles which the Church of Rome pretends to are proved to be Counterfeit It is shew'd from Scripture the Confession of Jews and Pagans and the nature of the thing it self that Miracles are a Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Miracles were necessary for confirming of the Gospel on several Accounts p. 491. CHAP. XVII The wonderful prevailing and spreading of Christianity another proof of the Truth of it Some of the learnedst and wisest Jews converted to Christianity A Catalogue of knowing and learned Pagans in the five first Centuries that abandoned Gentilism and embraced the Christian Religion Remarkable Instances of the Power of the Christian Truth The virtue of the Gospel far exceeds that of Philosophy Examples of great and rich Men converted to the Christian Faith This prevail'd against the rage of the most powerful Persecutors The more the Gospel was oppress'd the more it flourish'd and prosper'd in all Nations Examples of God's remarkable Judgments on the Enemies of Christianity especially on the Nation of the Jews This latter insisted upon and shew'd to be an Argument of the Truth of Christianity Particular Inferences from this part of the Discourse viz. 1. Assent tâ— the Christian Religion 2. Assert and defend it More General Inferences from the whole Christian Dispenpensation are such as these 1. Admire the transcendent Excellency of it 2. Be thankful for it 3. Learn â—ence our great obligation to Holiness and strictness of Life This enlarg'd upon 4. If we live not sutably to this Dispensation our doom will be more intolerable than that of others under the foregoing Oeconomies It appears from the general behaviour of Men that this is not thought of 5. We are to look upon this as the last Dispensation This is the meaning of Eph. 1. 10. which words are fully expounded This is infer'd from the Gospel's being call'd the New Testament And from those Expressions the last times the last days Wherefore we must not expect any New Dispensation P. 534. CHAP. XVIII The several Ages of Christianity It was in its Infancy in our Saviour's time The Apostles knew little concerning his Sufferings and his Resurrection The effusion of the Holy Spirit was but mean in respect of what it was afterwards The Church was in its Childhood in the times immediately after our Saviour There are no Errors and Mistakes in the Writings of the New Testament Some necessary Points of Christianity deliver'd in the Apostolical Epistles that are not in the Gospels and Acts. Some relicks of Judaism remain'd in the Apostles times An Explication of the Decree of the Council at Jerusalem It is particularly proved that the Prohibition concerning the eating of Blood is not obligatory under the Gospel Yet in the first times of the Church many observed it The difference of Dispensations as to Abstinence from some sort of Food Judaism and Christianity were mingled together in the primitive Ages An enumeration of several Extraordinary Gifts that were in the Christian Church at first The Youth or riper Years of Christianity described The cessation of extraordinary Gifts argues the Progress and Growth of the Christian Church Miracles no part of this subordinate Dispensation The non-Appearance of Angels is a Proof of the Improvement of Christianity The usefulness and necessity of attending to the different Administrations of Religion especially the Christian p. 585. CHAP. XIX That Christianity shall arrive to Manhood or Full Age is proved by several Arguments 1. God's Method in the World 2. The low ebb of Christianity hitherto 3. The number of those that perish 4. The gradual Improvement of all Arts and Sciences The several Objections concerning the Decay and Senescency of the World made use of by Jewish Pagan and Christian Writers fully answer'd That the World decays not as to Learning and Arts is made good from the Improvements of Navigation the Inventions of Gun-powder and Guns of Printing of Clocks and Watches the preparing of Sugar the Advances in Anatomy and Physick Astronomy Arithmetick Chymistry Mechanicks the Stile of Writers It is congruous to the Divine Providence and Wisdom that Religion also should have its Improvements as well as Arts and Sciences and accordingly it hath been greatly advanc'd and increas'd by the Reformation From the Increase it hath had already we may gather that there will be farther Accessions afterwards The virile and complete
Prayer was heard and the People that stood by and heard it said that it thunder'd others said an Angel spake to him John 12. 28 29. Thus Christ was signally glorified by his Father and declared by him to be the Messias the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven attended with a kind of Thâ—nder To this we may annex God's speaking in a rushing mighty wind on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. And Christ Jesus himself being in Heaven spake to Saul thence by a Voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. St. Iohn in the Apocalypse makes frequent mention of a Voice speaking to him and revealing great things to him where it is observable that Thunders and Voices go together chap. 4. 5. and 8. 5. Thus the New Testament as well as the Old had the benefit of that Divine Oracle which the Iews stiled the Daughter of a Voice i. e. a Voice from Heaven declaring the Will of God to Men. Afterwards we are told in Ecclesiastical History that those who were set on work by Iulian the Apostate to rebuild the Temple at Ierusalem were defeated by Thunder and a TERRIBLE VOICE that accompanied it from Heaven thereby bearing witness to the Cause of Christianity 2. The Iews had the Testimony of Angels and so have Christians to confirm this Oeconomy By these Heavenly Messengers Zacharias had notice given him of the approaching Birth of Iohn the Baptist and the Virgin Mary had tidings brought her of the miraculous Conception of the Holy Babe Jesus in her Womb and these were the Heralds that proclaimed the News of his Birth to the Shepherds One of this Celestial Order appeared to Ioseph and warn'd him to flie into Egypt with the Blessed Infant These glorious Spirits gave notice of Christ's Resurrection and when he ascended up to Heaven another of this Celestial Hierarchy address'd himself to the Apostles and assured them that in the like manner Jesus should come again to Judgment Another of these Ministring Spirits came to the devout Cornelius and bid him send for Peter that he might be the great and happy Instrument of converting him to the Christian Faith The Angel of God stood by St. Paul in the Night when he was on his dangerous Voyage and ascertain'd him of his safety Acts 27. 23. And sundry other instances there are of Angels making known the will of God unto Men in those early times of the Gospel and thereby attesting the Truth of Christianity 3. The Iews had the Mosaick Dispensation attested by Visions and we have the same way of Revelation to ascertain us of the Truth of Christianity Thus Zachariah saw a Vision in the Temple relating to the forerunner of Christ Luke 1. 22. The Apostles who were at our Saviour's Transfiguration had the same manner of discovery Mat. 17. 9. The Lord spake to Ananias in a Vision Acts 9. 10. You read of St. Peter's Vision whereby he was taught not to despise the Gentiles Acts 10. 10 c. A Vision appeared to Paul in the Night Acts 16. 9. And again the Lord incouraged him in a Vision Acts 18. 9. Of St. Stephen it is said that he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God the Divine Shekinah and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. And we read in the Book of the Revelation that St. Iohn had frequent Visions And hither may be refer'd those visible representations spoken of in the New Testament as the Holy Ghost's descending on Christ in the shape of a Dove after he was baptized The appearance of Cloven Tongues like as of fire over the Apostles heads The Light from Heaven which shone round about St. Paul at his Conversion All these appertain to the Shekinah the Glorious Presence and Lustre of theâ— Heavenly Majesty And hither may be refer'd the Radiant Presence of Christ the bright and glorious Manifestation of his Person which is often mention'd by the Evangelists Mat. 17. 2 5. Mark 9. 3. and Rev. 1. 16. He dwelt among us he was the true Shekinah and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. 4. Dreams were another sort of divine Revelations among the Jews and these also were not wanting to confirm the Truth of Christianity For we read that Ioseph was warned once and again in a Dream concerning Mary whom he had espoâ—sed and concerning the blessed Babe Mat. 1. 20. chap. 2. 12 13 19. And Pilate's Wife suffer'd many things in a Dream because of Christ who was then standing at the Bar before her Husband Mat. 27. 19. But because these Operations on the Imagination by Dreams are more liable to mistakes than Visions and other kinds of Revelation we have but few Instances of this However we are not wholly destitute of this Testimony under the Gospel 5. There was among the Jews that which they signally call'd the Holy Spirit viz. when Men were wonderfully and extraordinarily stir'd up to deliver the Will of God to make some divine Discoveries to the World and to assert their holy Religion This was in Christ himself Luke 4. 1. Acts 1. 2. 10. 38. and in the Apostles Acts 2. 4. 5. 8. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 11. 24. 19. 6. and in all the holy Men that were sent by him to preach the Gospel By this they were enabled to speak without any premeditation before Rulers and Kings Mark 13. 10 11. for our Saviour tells them it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost With this the Apostles were all fill'd when they met together on the Day of Pentecost and utter'd such divine and heavenly things By this Prophetick Afflation or Inspiration the Evangelists penn'd the Scriptures of the New Testament for tho these Writings may be said to be humane Testimony as they were writ by Men yet these Persons being inspired by the Holy Ghost and not speaking of themselves but by extraordinary Assistance their Writings and Testimony are Divine This is part of that more sure Word of Prophesy spoken of by St. Peter Ep. 2. ch 1. ver 19. which in the next Verse he calls the Prophesy of the Scripture By this Divine Inspiration the Prophets and Apostles saw and foretold what should come to pass afterwards By this inward Afflation the Apostles tho mean and illiterate Persons preached the Gospel with that Authority and Evidence which some of their most implacable Enemies were not able to resist These are the Divine Witnesses of the Truth of the Gospel-Dispensation and of the Christian Religion Yea even at this Day and to the Worlds end this last Testimony viz. of the Spirit is useful and necessary I do not mean any Miraculous gift of the Spirit but a special and peculiar assistance of it such as all regenerate Persons have experience of That we may be throughly certain that this or that was deliver'd by God that we may assuredly know that such things were of Divine
Revelation there is need of this help of the Spirit the internal Testimony of the Holy Ghost such a hidden but powerful Operation of that giver of all Grace whereby a firm Faith and certain perswasion of the Truth of those things are wrought in us For that we may be certain of Divine Truth first it is requisite that we be outwardly helped that we make use of Moral Arguments and Evidences that we attend to Reasons and Proofs that we weigh especially the several particular Testimonies in the Word of God the Scriptures of Truth These in a moral way will make it evident to the mind that this or that which is propounded to us is Divinely reveal'd and can proceed from no other but God But then besides these outward means we must have our minds inwardly illuminated by the Holy Spirit for it is this alone which can inable us effectually to see and discern the Light and to take the force of the Arguments which prove the several Truths and to turn the Moral Evidence into Divine Demonstration Lastly as I mention'd among the divers ways of Revelation under the former Dispensations the Divine Impulse whereby Persons were instructed and excited to undertake and atchieve great things so at the erecting of the Gospel there was not wanting this way of communicating the Divine will and pleasure By such an Impulse as this Christ himself whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple by this powerful Afflation his Apostles and Followers were stir'd up to do strange and extraordinary things several of which are mention'd in the Acts of the Apostles and many more in Ecclesiastical History which nothing but this Divine Motion could legitimate it being immediately from the Spirit whereby they were instructed as well as enabled to effect these wonderful things Secondly The next Divine Testimony of the truth and certainty of the Christian Oeconomy and Religion is the fulfilling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament which had respect to the New I have already in another place when I proved the Authority of the Holy Scriptures insisted upon the fulfilling of the Prophesies of the Old and New Testament as they are an attestation of the Truth of those Sacred Writings But at present I am to mention only the Prophesies of the Old Testament and among them only those that relate to the Messias and the circumstances which more nearly and peculiarly appertain to him And the producing of these and shewing how they were exactly fulfill'd will be a clear and demonstrative Argument of the Truth of Christianity For though Spinosa would perswade Men that all the Prophesies in the Bible were the mere result of a brisk Fancy that there was no foundation in the things themselves but that Imagination made all yet surely the bold and impious Man would not have gone so far as to have asserted that the actual fulfilling of the Prophesies is nothing but Fancy No certainly he could not have the face to deny that the completion of those Predictions is some real thing and not founded on Imagination For here is matter of fact which carries reality and certainty with it and therefore is a convincing proof not only of the Truth of those Prophesies but of Christianity it self This then is that which I will now enter upon The Prophets of the Old Testament speak frequently of the Messias they have described and characterized him nothing almost was done by Christ but they predicted it every particular act circumstance and accident of Importance that should happen about him was foretold Now all these were actually verified and fulfilled as namely what related to his Birth his Life his Death his Rising again First what related to his Birth as that Iohn Baptist should be his Forerunner and make way for him Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me Mal. 3. 1. And ch 4. v. 5. Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. Compare these places with Mat. 11. 10 14 Mark 1 2 9. 11. Luke 1. 17 and 76. 7. 27. and you will not question their Accomplishment And the Birth it self and the Conception which was in order to it were plainly prophesied of many Ages before As that in Ier. 31. 22. is thought to be a Prophesy concerning the Conception of Christ the Lord hath created a new thing in the Earth a Woman shall compass a Man Some indeed have interpreted it thus the Church tho weak as a Woman shall compass and besiege her Enemies and take them Captive But this is very flat and frigid especially if you observe the Preface to the Prediction the Lord hath created a new thing in the Earth It is no new thing that the Church gets the better of her Enemies there are many Instances of this in the History of the Israelities So that something else is justly thought to be the meaning of the words And what should it be but this that Christ who was made of a Woman should be incompassed and shut up by her in her Virgin-Womb Her compassing a Man expresses the conception of him The word Sabab circumdedit agrees very well with it for the Mother encompasses round the Faetus with her Womb. And the Greek â—itly answers to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 1. 23. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 1. 31. The plain meaning then is that a Woman Nekebah not Ishah one that is no Wife but a Virgin shall conceive a Man-child in her Womb. And the Woman here meant is the blessed Virgin Mary and the Man is Christ who is God and Man See Dr. Pâ—câ—ck in Not. Miscâ—l in Port. Mos. And this Interpretation is the more remarkable by reason of the Hebrew word which we here translate Man It denoteth not barely one of the Male kind in contradistinction to one of the other Sex but it properly signifies a Man of Power and Might and so it is fitly applied to the Messias who is Omnipotent Yea the antient Iews as Abarbinel one of their own Rabbins testifies understood by this word here God himself to whom Power more peculiarly and eminently belongs It is no wonder therefore that the Fathers of the Church generally interpret this place of the Virgin Mary bearing Christ in her Womb in which he may properly be said to be incompassed and infolded by her This was a new thing indeed there never was the like before nor shall ever be afterwards And therefore a worthy Writer is here to be blamed who unadvisedly saith the Iews might justly laugh at this Interpretation The Delivery and Birth of the Messias thus shut up in the Womb is expresly foretold in Isa. 9. 6. To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder It is true some of the Jews say Hezâ—kiah is spoken of here but they are confuted hence that the Epithets here
are ready to imbrace any bold Impostor who will lay claim to the Title of Messiah And thus it will be as long as they mistake the Prophesies in the Old Testament concerning his coming and will not be perswaded that the time of it is past But shall we take the meaning of Scripture from Them from whom God hath taken away for so many Ages all Understanding and Knowledg Shall we give credit to them who are blinded and besotted and have abandoned their Reason who are most palpably erroneous in Chronology and History as the Learned Isaac Vossius hath shew'd and who in giving the Sense of Scripture are most apparently deluded No surely nor are we to mind what they say when they tell us that no Man ought to be so bold as to compute the time of the coming of the Messias We know the reason of this the Iews cannot indure now to have the Prophesies look'd into and the times of the Messias's arrival reckon'd up Since Christ is come they see that the Times spoken of by the Prophets concerning him are past and therefore they anatbematize all that undertake to compute them They wish that those who curiously enquire into them may perish But the Curse will rather light upon themselves because they wilfully discern not the Times We may then notwithstanding all the Objections Cavils Evasions and perverse Interpretations of the Iews hold fast our Proposition that all the Prophesies in the Old Testament concerning the Messias are really fulfilled Yea the Prophesy concerning the Iews not believing these Prophesies is accomplis'd for it was prophetically set down as one Mark of the Messias his coming that the Jewish Nation should refuse and reject him So that you see the Jews Incredulity and Obstinacy are one great Argument that Christ is the true Messias We have abundant reason then to acquiesce in the Spirit of Prophesy which is the Testimony of Iesus Rev. 19. 10. This bears witness to him and to the Truth and Certainty of Christianity This Spirit of Prophesy witnessed concerning Christ four Thousand Years before he came for so long it was from the first Promise in Gen. 3. 15. Many other things were foretold concerning him three Thousand Years before some two Thousand and some a Thousand before he was manifested in the Flesh. Now our Argument runs thus he that was so many Years before foretold to come as the Messias or Saviour is certainly the true Messias and Saviour But Iesus was so foretold therefore he was certainly the true Messias and Saviour The first Proposition is built on the Truth and Faithfulness of God and is granted us by the Iews themselves The second is that which we have been indeavouring to prove and I hope I have effectually done it for I have plainly demonstrated that it was Christ our Lord who was foretold so many Years before in the Old Testament and that it can be no other than him Therefore it cannot be question'd by any rational Person whether he was the true Messias who was to bring Salvation to Mankind Thus you see Christianity is founded on the Old Testament here it is prophesied that Christ should come in such a manner and the very manner we find particularly recorded in the New Testament Malachi and Matthew join hand in hand and so do the rest of the Prophets and Evangelists Therefore we imbrace Christianity The truth of it is proved from the Prophesies concerning the Messias If we believe these as we cannot but do because they are divine and from Heaven we must believe Christ is come for they are an absolute Demonstration of this grand Point that Jesus the Son of the Virgin Mary whom the Jews put to death at Ierusalem was the Son of God and the true Messias Whereupon it will irrefragably follow that the Faith and Doctrine which he introduced are from Heaven and that the Christian Oeconomy wants not divine Attestation CHAP. XVI The Miracles wrought by Christ. What those Baskets were which were fill'd with Fragments Christ not only fed but healed the Bodies of Men. He did other Miraculous Works The Apostles as well as our Saviour exerted many Miracles An Objection from 1 Tim. 5. 23. answer'd Five Properties of a true Miracle Counterfeit and lying Wonders The Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were accompanied with seven peculiar Circumstances which prove them to be from God What were the Ends and Designs they propounded to themselves in working of Miracles An Objection from Mark 11. 14. answer'd Several Interpretations of those Words the time of Figs was not yet Why Christ cursed the â—arren Fig-tree Another Objection from Mat. 8. 30. answer'd Two other Objections answer'd The Personal Qualities of the Apostles argue the Miracles which they wrought to be true and real A Reply to the several Cavils against the Miracles of our Saviour An account of the wonderful things done by some Pagans especially Vespasian and Apollonius Tyanaeus The Miracles which the Church of Rome pretends to are proved to be Counterfeit It is shew'd from Scripture the Confession of Jews and Pagans and thâ— nature of the thing it self that Miracles are a Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Miracles were necessary for confirming of the Gospel on several Accounts Thirdly MIracles are another Divine Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Here I will first set before you the particular Miracles of Christ and his Apostles Secondly I will prove that these were true Miracles Thirdly I will shew that these are an infallible Testimony of the Truth of Christianity 1. I will set before you the particular Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded in the New Testament Here I might mention his Conception which was by the Holy Ghost and by himself as he was God and his Birth which was of a Virgin both which are Miraculous and I might recount how he was usher'd into the World by a Miraculous Star But I will confine my self to those Miracles which he personally did in his Life at his Death and afterwards One of the first he exerted was at Galilee when he turned Water into Wine Iohn 2. 11. He that could fast forty Days and forty Nights in the Wilderness Mat. 4. 2. which is to be reckon'd as a Miracle also thought good to demonstrate his Divine Power at a Feast and to chear and refresh the Guests with no less than a Miracle Then but I shall not observe the exact Order of his Miracles we read that about Meat as well as Drink he exercised his Omnipotent Virtue for when the multitude which followed him wanted food he had compassion on them and satisfied four Thousand Men with seven Loaves and a few Fishes at which time seven Baskets of Fragments were left Mat. 15. 34. At another time he fed five Thousand besides Women and Children with five Loaves and two Fishes and after all twelve Baskets full remained of Fragments Mat. 14. 19 20. This was a most acceptable Miracle to those
Signification they cannot but be interpreted of these last For if those Prophetick Passages before-mentioned and several others in the Writings of the Prophets be expounded only of the past or present Times of the Gospel it is certain that the Interpretation will not answer the Greatness and Heighth of the Words much less the Weight and Dignity of the matter spoken of If we attend to this we shall discern the full Design and Meaning of those notable Prophecies of the Old Testament we shall apprehend those many Glorious Things both with relation to Spiritual and Temporal Blessings which they foretel shall be in those last Days But I shall have occasion to alledge and particularly to consider those Prophetical Passages when I come to shew distinctly wherein this Dispensation consists and how it differs from all others The Places in the New Testament where this Kingdom of Christ is spoken of are not a Few But that we may not mistake it will be requisite to observe the different Significations of the Word Kingdom as it refers to the Times of the Gospel for we consider not the Word now as it is applied to the future State of Glory in the highest Heavens First By it is sometimes meant the Gospel-Dispensation in general the whole Time of Christ's Administration in his Church from first to last Thus the Angel's Words to the Virgin Mary are to be understood Luke 1. 33. He shall Reign over the House of Iacob i. e. his Church the true Israel of God for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Christianity shall more or less flourish till the World hath its final Period and Consummation In this large and general Sense those Places are to be taken Mat. 4 2â— the Gospel of the Kingdom Luke 8. 1. the Glad-tidings of the Kingdom of God and many others especially the Parables where the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to several Things Secondly We are to understand by it that particular time of the Gospel-Dispensation which immediately succeeded our Saviours Resurrection as is evident from St. Iohn Baptist's Words The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3. 2. and from the same Words used by our Saviour himself Mat. 4. 17. and afterwards by his Apostles Mat. 10. 7. For none of these Texts could be meant of the time of the Gospel when Christ was on Earth or before his Passion but of some other succeeding time otherwise it could not be said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand but rather the Kingdom of Heaven is present or is already come Whence I infer that Christ may be said not to be in his Kingdom as it respects the Gospel he may be said not to Reign all the time betwixt his Nativity and his Resurrection that being the time of his Humiliation But as soon as he rose from the Dead having conquer'd Death and Satan then he set up his Spiritual Kingdom This is clear from Psal. 132. 11. compared with Acts 2. 30. Then he sat upon his Throne as the Apostle here applies it Wherefore he said to his Apostles when he was risen All Power us given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. And those Words concerning Christ Sit thou on my Right-â—and till I make thy Enemies thy Footstool Psal. 101. 1. which are mention'd four or five times in the New Testament are spoken of his Resurrection and Ascension whereby he declared himself to be Head and Lord of his Church Some thus interpret what he saith in Luke 7. 28. He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he i. e. after I am Risen and Ascended the least Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel shall excell Iohn the Baptist for then a clearer Light will shine the Spirit will lead into all Truth Thus we may understand our Saviour when he saith I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of this Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom 〈…〉 which cannot be meant of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in Heaven because Christ will not 〈◊〉 drink Wine with them or at least in a proper 〈◊〉 it is not true But it seems more reasonable to take the Words as spoken concerning the time after Christ's Resurrection when he did Eat and Drink with his Disciples as is expresly Recorded This time is Signally and Eminently called the Kingdom of God or Christ because this Commenced immediately after he rose from the Dead and it is stiled the Kingdom of his Father because soon after his Resurrection follow'd his Ascension and Sitting at the Right-hand of the Father which were his solemn Inauguration and Enstallment This was the first Year of his Reign now he enter'd upon his Royal Offâ—ce having sent his Holy Spirit to rule in an extraordinary manner in the Church which he had not done before Thus you see the Date of Christ's Kingdom as it is more specially and particularly understood And moreover from all that hath been said under this Head the truth of what I before asserted is made apparent viz. That there are certain Steps and Degrees in the Evangelical Dispensation Thirdly The Vengeance of Heaven on the Iewish Nation in the Destruction and Devastation of their City is call'd Christ's Kingdom Mat. 16. 28. His Triumphing over those obstinate People whose Forefathers had been his Murderers was a considerable Instance of his Glorious Reign Thence it is that his destroying those his implacable Enemies is said to be his Coming in his Kingdom and it is call'd the Kingdom of God coming with Power Mark 9. 1. Fourthly Christ's Second Coming viz. at the Day of Judgment when he shall visibly and manifestly in the Face of all the World exercise his Regal Power is call'd his Kingdom thus it is said Christ shall Iudge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 1. Lastly By Christ's Kingdom is meant that peculiar and special time of his Reigning which is the present Subject of our Discourse when Christianity shall arrive at its height when the Church shall be in its Meridian That Petition in the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come seems to be meant of this though not solely of it Then the Grace of God in the Gospel will shine forth in its greatest splendor and God's will shall be done then on Earth as it is in Heaven which may perhaps be one reason why these Petitions are joyn'd together It may be this is that Kingdom of God of which and the things appertaining to it our Saviour Discours'd to his Apostles before he left the World Acts 1. 3. But in the Book of the Revelation of St. Iohn there are many clear Passages which relate to this Perfect State of the Christian Church hereafter and 't is express'd by a Kingdom and by Christ's Reigning on the Earth This New Scene is mention'd after this manner in Rev. 5. 10. and again chap. 7. v. 15. and 17. and more plainly in chap. 12. v. 10. Now is
of Earth but this Earth was marvelously refined and purified And this is implied if not express'd in Adam's Name and in the word which is used in the Original for the EARTH out of which he was taken For the import of the Hebrew Verb Adam whence is the Noun Adamah is not only rubuit he was red or ruddy and so Adam is as much as Edom rufus which was Esau's Name because he was ruddy when he was born Gen. 25. 25. but it is of a larger signification and is as much as splenduit That it bears this sense may be gathered from the word Adamdameth Levit. 13. 19. where it must be rendred shining or glistering or else the same thing there spoken of must be very white and very red as Bochart hath noted Hieroz P. 2. l. 5. c. 6. Sometimes Adam is as much as formosus fuit Thus of the temperate and healthful Nazarites it is said Lam. 4. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were ruddy i. e. they were fair whence Arias Montanus renders it nitidi fuere And so the word Admoni which comes from the Verb Adam is taken in this sense as in 1 Sam. 16. 12. where 't is said of David that he was ruddy i. e. beautiful as is explain'd in the following words Thus Edom of the very same extraction is understood in Cant. 5. 10. where the Spouse saith of her Beloved that he is ruddy i. e. he is comely he is one of a beautiful Aspect And I could here add that the Verb Adam in other Languages bears this meaning thus Bochart acquaints us that in Arabick it is as much as splendere And by Ludolphus we are ascertain'd that in Ethiopick it signifies formosum pulchrum esse In the Latin I could observe something like this for rutilare in its more general signification is splendidum esse So purpureus is the same with splendidus pulcher whence purpureus capillus and purpurei olores I know no Oriental word that comes so near to this as Chur which is both albus fuit and erubuit And the reason I conceive is this both these colours white and red have a great deal of light mixed with them therefore the signification of them is alike and they both of them denote that which is fair and bright And as it is thus with the Hebrew Verb Adam so proportionably the Substantive Adamah doth not only signify red Earth as if it were so called from its red Colour because it is said that that was the native hew of the Earth in the East Country And Iosephus the learned Iew speaking of Adam's Make relates that the natural Mould call'd Virgin-Earth is of a red or yellow Complexion So we have a small County in England that carries Red Earth in its Name because the Soil is generally reddish but the word is of a larger extent and signifies that Earth which is bright and shining and is of the best and purest sort So that when it is said that Adam was form'd out of Adamah there is meant by this word that Earth which was of the purest and finest Composition And to this purpose it may be further observ'd that whereas other Animals are said to be made out of aretz common Earth Gen. 1. 24 25. it is particularly recorded that the first Man was made out of Adamah a peculiar and choice sort of Ground ex meliâ—re luto as the Poet speaking of this very thing fitly expresses it yea out of the dust of this ground Gen. 2. 7. i. e. the finest and most agile part of it All which is an eviction of what I at first asserted concerning the Materials of Adam's Body This was the true Terra Sigillata this was the Earth which God set his Mark and Image on that it might be known whose it was Adam in his Body as well as in his Soul outvied all his Race I attend not to the prodigious Stories which some fanciful Rabbies and Talmudick Doctors tell us of the strange Beauty and Elegancy and of the vast Proportions of Adam's Body Rabbi Solomon Iarchi avers that Adam was so tall that standing on the Earth he could touch the Heavens with his hand And several other such romantick Passages in the Writings of these fond Men I disregard nay those that are sober among themselves give no credit to it but understand it in a mystical manner for some of them tell us that when it is said Adam's Stature reached from one end of the Earth to the other it is to be understood of the Perfection of his Mind that he knew and comprehended the Nature of all things contained in the World but it is certain that as Adam's Soul was made a Transcript of God himself so his Body was framed in a most exquisite manner and the Divine Art and Skill were wonderfully discovered in the shaping of it For as Philo saith We are begot of Men but God himself made Adam The Author being better the Work must be more excellent Yea this must be said that all of us having been in Adam's Loins are part of that excellent Workmanship and have the same Image stamped upon us that Adam had We are all marked and sealed by the Divine Hand his own Impression and Signature are upon us even upon our corporeal part tho 't is true it was much defac'd by the Primitive Aopstacy Secondly The Body of Adam was God's Image as it was made Immortal He was created in full Strength and as a Person of a just Age healthful sound and flourishing For his Body was not like those of Beasts weak and corruptible but was made to be of perpetual Duration obnoxious to no Decays Diseases or Changes If Man had stood entire and kept his Innocence this had been his condition But this Image was restored to him and us who are his Posterity and not only our Souls but Bodies shall everlastingly subsist Thus by their Immortality and eternal Continuance they partake in some measure of the Divine Nature and Likeness Thirdly In the Body of Man as well as in his Soul the Image of God consisteth because the Soul worketh on the Body and by it Hence the Members of the Body are said to be Instruments of Righteousness Rom. 6. 13. As they are instrumental to so excellent a purpose as they are subservient to Grace and Holiness and as the Virtues of the Holy Spirit are exerted by them they are part of the Image of God For it is not to be questioned that the whole Man is God's Image Therefore tho the Divine Likeness doth not equally shine in all Parts yet this corporeal Part of Man in some degree shareth in that Image For which reason the Bodies of good Men are stiled the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. Fourthly God's Image is on the Body of Man as it is of that particular erect Figure which no living Creature else partaketh of Aristotle was so much
beg leave to dissent from those who assert that these Sacrifices expiated only for lesser Sins and Failings and not for the greater ones of external idolatry Murder Blasphemy and the like It is not to be doubted that all kinds and degrees of Sin were expiated by the legal Sacrifices not only corporal Punishment in the sense which I have explain'd and legal Uncleanness but all moral Impurity and Guilt were taken away by them But this the Mosaick Sacrifices did not do of themselves but by virtue only of the Expiatory Sacrifice of the MESSIAS to come of which they were but Shadows To speak properly and strictly they did not really and formally but typically expiate i. e. as they were Significations and Figures of that great Sacrifice to be offer'd Lastly then the grand and principal End of the Judaical Sacrifices was to typify and represent the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Socinus denies not that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation was a Type of Christ ' s Death But as for the other common and usual Sacrifices he holds that Christ was not prefigured by them but that the Spiritual Sacrifices of Christians were only typified thereby This is a gross Error for the Burnt-Offerings and Sin-Offerings and Peace-Offerings which were common and frequent were Expiatory Sacrifices as I shew'd before and they were as much Expiatory as that which was but once a Year Now being Expiatory they as such were Types of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Lamb of God they prefigured Christ's Death and the Expiation and Satisfaction which he was to make for Sin It is a strange thing therefore to me that Socinus who denies Christ to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice should grant that the Sacrifice which the High Priest offer'd once a Year entring into the Holy of Holies prefigured the Death of Christ for the same reason he ought to grant that all the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Law were Types of our Saviour And he could not but see that the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth not only speak of that Annual Sacrifice as a prefiguration of Christ's Passion and apply it expresly to him in Heb. 9. 12. By his own Blood â—e entred in once into the Holy Place but the same Infallible Spirit in that Epistle applieth what is said of the other Sacrifices unto Christ Therefore the Apostle saith Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 15. 7. Therefore Iohn the Baptist call'd our Saviour the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World John 1. 29. having respect without doubt to the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Old Testament which prefigured Christ the true Immaculate Lamb the Lamb that was slain as the same inspired Writer speaks from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Christ's Offering was the Idea and Pattern of all the Levitical and Mosaical Sacrifices To this very end God instituted these that they might shadow out that to us A greater and better Sacrifice and Oblation of a higher nature was to succeed those viz. the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus by which God is appeased and all our Sins are expiated and therefore the Phrase of a sweet-smelling Savour applied to Expiatory Sacrifices under the Law is used and that properly by the Apostle concerning Christ his giving up himself for us and pacifying God's Wrath on our behalf That the Legal Sacrifices were Types and Symbols of spiritual things is acknowledg'd by Philo but we who have an infallible information from the New Testament are taught further viz. that they were Types of Christ the great Sacrifice And we have the greatest reason imaginable to assent to this because the Blood of Bulls and Goats was a poor Expiation of it self That Butchery that bloody Employment could have no real and intrinsick worth in it and therefore it must needs have been in order to something else it was to prefigure the expiatory Death and Sacrifice of the Massias And all the time that these Mosaick Sacrifices lasted they did not pacify God's Anger and satisfy his Justice and take away Sin and justify Persons by their own Force and Virtue or by their own worthiness but they did all this typically and mystically as they represented Christ and his Merit who was the Great Sacrifice they did it by Divine Order and Institution CHAP. VI. The High-Priest's Office His peculiar Attire The Imployment and Apparel of the Priests The Levites Particular Charge Whether they might sacrifice or no. Their Office in the Reigns of King David and King Solomon differ'd in some things from what it was before The ordinary and fixed Place of Worship and particularly of Sacrificing was the Tabernacle A particular Account of the three Divisions or Partitions of it viz. the Outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies with all things contain'd in them The Mystical and Spiritual meaning of the several Particulars The Travels and Removes of the Tabernacle and Ark. A distinct Account of the Parts of the Temple shewing wherein it differ'd from the Tabernacle Of the Fabrick it self and its Dimensions Houses and Chambers belonging to it The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law HAving spoken of Sacrifices we will now in the second place speak of the Sacrificers the Persons that officiated in the Ceremonial Worship under the Law There were three Orders of these the first whereof was the High-Priest For tho there were Priests before the Law who were Fathers and Heads and the First-born of Families yet we read of 〈◊〉 High-Priest This Office is now added and Aaron had it first of all to whose House it was tied by Divine Institution But it continued not long there only Eleazer succeeded his Father Aaron and upon Eleazer's Death three Priests of his Family successively were High-Priests Then the Office went out of the House of Aaron and came to Eli of the Family of Ithamar But generally afterwards the High Priesthood was by succession of Blood and lineally descended from the Father to the Son or if there were no Son to the next of the Kindred This High Priest was the great and supreme Ecclesiastical Minister among the Iews And even according to Philo and some other Iews was a Type of the Messias His Office was in common with that of the Priests of whom afterwards to pray for instruct and bless the People but his peculiar Province was to preside over the Priests and other inferior Officers of the Church to take care that they discharg'd their Function aright Whereas these administred daily he was obliged to officiate only on the solemn Day of Expiation He differ'd from them in the manner of his Consecration and was peculiar in some other things He had the singular honour to be the Metropolitan of the Jewish Church and the President of the Great Council or Sanhedrim To make him more pompous and venerable the Law took care of his very Attire I will only shew you this Sacred Wardrobe and
it is call'd that within the Veil Heb. 6. 19. And Christian Hope is said to enter into it because this Grace looks beyond the Afflictions and Calamities of this Life into that place of endless Glory Ioseph the Learned Iew gives his Suffrage here and declares that this part of the Tabernacle was a Type of the Celestial Mansions above Other Learned Jews acknowledg'd this place to be a Typical Representation of Heaven Yea the whole Tabernacle was if we may so speak God's Heaven here below for it was the place of his special Presence and Habitation To which purpose I could observe that Blue or Sky-colour which denotes Heaven God's Seat was very much made use of in the Tabernacle and all the Sacred Ornaments belonging to it To conclude The Presence of God with his People the Glorious Undertakings of the Son of God the Gracious Influence of the Holy Spirit the State of Christ's Church both here and hereafter were shadow'd forth by the several things which were contain'd in the distinct Partitions of the Mosaick Tabernacle I do not pretend to affirm that there are no other Mystical and Spiritual meanings of these things but what I have mention'd But as I am sure in the general that a mystical Sense was intended by the Holy Ghost as is evident from the greatest part of the Epistle to the Hebrews so the particular meaning which I have offer'd may be gather'd by Analogy as many things in our Holy Religion are yea the main part of what I have said is grounded on express Texts in the New Testament where these Sacred Mysteries are thus unfolded explain'd and illustrated Lastly Before I take my leave of this old Venerable Iewish Monument the Tabernacle I will set down the Travels and Removes of it and the Ark. First They were in the Wilderness forty Years thence they removed to Gilgal and staid there about fourteen Years Afterwards their Mansion-place was Shilâ—h a Country of Samaria a City in the Tribe of Benjamin hither they were brought in the seventh Year of Ioshua's Government and continued here till Samuel's time which was in all about 240 Years as from the Years of the Iudges may be computed Hitherto the Tabernacle and Ark were together now they are parted for the Ark was taken by the Philistines and carried to Bethshâ—mesh and thence to Kirjathjearim where it remain'd many Years then it came to Mishphat then to Gilgal then to Nob then to Gibâ—â—â— and to the House of Obed Edom where it staid but three months and was fetch'd with great joy and triumph to Mount Sion the City of David 2 Sam. 6. 17. 1 Chron. 16. 1. where this Pious Prince erected a Tabernacle for it which whether it was a new one or the old one preserv'd at Shiloh and fetch'd thence I will not dispute And at last the Ark after all its Travels was fix'd in the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple And the Tabernacle it self which was fitted for the foregoing State their continual removing from place to place was laid up as some think as a Sacred Monument in some part of the Temple of which I am to speak next And this I do as when before I gave an account of the Tabâ—rnacle to correct some Mistakes about this matter The Temple was built answerable to the Tabernacle for the Front of it was toward the East and the Holy of Holies was situate toward the West Thence the East Door of the Temple is call'd Shagnar haithon Ezek. 40. 15. the Gate of Access or Ingress because it was the chief Gate whereby they enter'd into the Temple or that directly led up to the main part of it And perhaps from this situation of it and their coming up to it with their Faces and Foreparts towards this East-end and Gate of it the East is call'd Kedem and Kadim the fore-part Ezek. 43. 17. The Temple being thus placed they accordingly worship'd and bowed toward the West tho afterwards some in imitation of the Idolatrous Gentiles bowed toward the East and turn'd their backs on the Holy of Holies Ezek. 8. 16. The Temple as well as the Tabernacle consisted of three divisions viz. the Court the holy Place and the Holiest of all I will briefly shew you what these several Parts contained in them for tho as to the main the Temple was built proportionable to the Tabernacle yet it differ'd from it in several things And for variety sake I will present the Temple to you differently from the Tabernacle that is I will begin first with the Holy of Holies and so pass downward whereas I went upward before In this first part of the Temple was the Ark of the Covenant wherein were deposited the Two Tables of Stone on which the Law was written Some think the Temple fell short of the Tabernacle in this that in the Ark of the Tabernacle were the Two Tables and the Pâ—t of Manna and Aaron ' s Rod But in the Ark of the Temple there was nothing save the two Tables of Stone which Moses put there at Horeb 1 King 8. 9. Deut. 10. 5. It is implied in these words say they that there had been something else in the Ark heretoâ—ore and that now it was missing else it would have been barely said that in the Ark were the two Tables of Stone without this addition there was nothing else which intimaâ—es that other things were there before but now are lost viz. by the Ark's being carried from place to place so often But all this is false arguing and groundless surmise and the true account is this which I partly assign'd before when I spoke of the Tabernacle and on which I have enlarged in a former Discourse that the Ark in that place of the Kings is taken strictly for the chief Apartment or Division of the Ark and so it is rightly said it had nothing in it but the two Tables But in a larger Sense i. e. as the Ark signifies the whole Body and Compass of the Ark it contain'd those other things in it In this part of the Temple were the Cherubims which were placed at each end of the Ark with Wings spread abroad But this is to be observed that whereas in the Tabernacle there were but two Cherubims in the Temple there were four Between their Wings were the Propitiatory and the Oracle whence God gave Answers in difficult Cases but this latter was much larger than that in the Tabernacle The second Part of the Temple was the Body of it or the holy Place or Sanctuary or the outward House of the Lord. Here was the Veil adorned with Cherubims which separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place but was much wider and longer than that of the Tabernacle Here were the Shew-bread and Golden Candlesticks the former of these in the Tabernacle was set on one Table only but in the Temple it was set on tâ—n Tables five being on one side and five on the other
them And these Envoys of Heaven were sent not only to God's own People but sometimes to others as the Ninivites Thus Revelation was made by Voice God spake himself or by others audibly and this was no uncommon way of divulging and discovering his Will Again God spake i. e. communicated himself heretofore not only by the sense of Hearing but by that of Seeing He was pleased to make known his Divine Pleasure by some visible Appearances which most vigorously struck on that Sense and gave more evident Testimony of the Will of Heaven Thus God discovered himself 1. by Angels Appearing for tho it was not the Appearing of these Messengers but their Speaking to persons which gave them the discovery of God's pleasure yet the former was no mean Confirmation of what was delivered because those Glorious Spiâ—â—ts could not appear to Mankind unless they were commission'd by God When he thought fit to send them then and not else they descended from Heaven and shew'd themselves to Men. 2. Writing was another manner of Visible Revelation Thus the Law was deliver'd to Moses and afterwards this way of Revelation grew frequent the Sacred History of Moses and other Histories and Prophecie being committed to Writing Thus the Antient Church before Christ's coming had the Written Word of the Holy Scriptures to inform them 3. God spake to the Sight by those Representations which in Holy Writ are so usually stiled Visions for these properly belong to the outward Sense of Seeing they are either Real Spectacles exposed to the eye as the Burning Bush which Moses saw Exod. 3. 2. and the Pillar of a Cloud which went before the Israelites in the day and the Pillar of Fire which conducted them in the night Exod. 13. 21. and the Cloud in the Temple 2 Chron. 5. 13 14. call'd the Glory of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 1 2. And this Expression is used in other places of the Old Testament to signifie that Visible Glory and Majesty whereby he manifested himself to Mankind in those times Or else Visions in Holy Scripture are certain Images of things represented by God to the Eye as those Strange Appearances and Signs mention'd in the Books of Ieremiah Ezekiel and Daniel Whether these things may be said to be real Objects or whether they be mere Apparitions we need not as some solicitously inquire If they be Resemblances caused by God and there be such an Impression made on the Sense of Seeing that the Organ be affected as if there were such an Object before it it is sufficient to denominate it Vision But this is not to be doubted of that these external Representations and Figures pointed out Real things either present or to come From this sort of Manifestation call'd Vision the Prophets who were most conversant in this way of Revelation were stiled Seâ—rs 1 Sam. 9. 9 18. 2 Chron. 35. 15. Thus I have distinctly spoken of Voices and Visions but it must be observed also that these two are joyned together sometimes This you may see in some of the foregoing Instances and in others not named the Revelation by Voice was mixed with that by Vision so in the New Testament Saul saw a Light and heard a Voice But I am confined at present to the Old Testament for I speak now only of the variety of Revelations which were before the Gospel-Dicd\sspensation It is to be observed moreover that sometimes Vision and Voice were accompanied with an Extasy tho the persons were awake yet they were cast into a Trance Lastly under this head it is remarkable that all the outward and sensible ways of God's revealing himself especially those that are visible are call'd by the Jewish Masters the Shekinah i. e. the Divine Presence and Majesty whereby the doth as it were dwell and is constantly present with his Church for the word Shakan signifies to inhaâ—â—â—â— or dwell whereby he doth gloriously discover himself to his Servants With reference to this the Apostle saith to the Israelites pertaineth the Glory Rom. 9. 4. i. e. the Glorious Presence and Habitation of God with them not only by Angels but all those other ways before spoken of in which he appear'd and manifested himself in the times of the Law This St. Paul stiles the Glory because this Visible Appearing of God is so stiled as you have heard in the Old Testament and because the Seventy Interpreters whose way of speaking this Apostle is wont to imitate used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the Glorious Presence of the Divine Majesty in any kind of Sensible and External manner 2. There are Inward as well as Outward Revelations These are made more immediately to the Soul as the other were to the Body First God spake or reveal'd himself to the Fancies of Men by Dreams He thought good to communicate his Will to persons by a powerful Influence on their Imaginations whilst they were asleep as well as by presenting things to their Senses when they were awake Thus God reveal'd himself to Abraham Abimelech Iacob Ioseph Pharaoh Solomon Nebuchadnezzar In their Dreams their Fancies were impress'd with such and such Representations they verily thought they beheld this or that Object as Iacob thought he saw a Ladder that reached from Heaven to Earth And because these Representations seem to be offer'd to the eye therefore they are sometimes call'd Visions in Scripture I saw a Dream saith Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 5. And so we read of a Dream of the night Vision Isai. 29. 7. But if you speak of Visions in the proper sense then it is certain Visions and Dreams are two distinct Species of Revelation and so I have made them having before spoken of Visions strictly so call'd But this is a thing not consider'd sometimes by Writers on this Subject and so they confound Visions and Dreams Secondly God speaks to the Soul not only by working on the Imagination in Sleep but by immediate Inspiring the minds of the Prophets when they are awake This way of revealing his Will to Men is call'd Inspiration and sometimes Illumination but there is a gradual difference between these the former being of a higher degree than the later and the later being as it were a Preparative to the former This Inspiration which is made by an inward Afflatus and Excitation of the Spirit is signally call'd the Holy Spirit by the Jewish Writers A man say they is said to have the Holy Spirit when being awake and having the full use of his Senses he speaks by the Incitement of the Spirit Thus the Prophets of old spake as they were stirr'd up by this Inward Afflation and Instinct The Jewish Doctors think that this degree of Divine Revelation is especially in the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon and the Book of Iob c. the Writers of which are termed by way of Excellency Chetubim Scriptores by the Hebrews and their Writings are distinguish'd from other Books of
Scripture by the name of Hagiographa This put Holy Men upon Pious Discourses and excellent Strains of Devotion and rais'd them above their ordinary temper Yea All the Holy Penmen of Scripture were moved and actuated by this Divine Influx By this they dictated and composed those Sacred Writings This is that degree of Prophecy or Prophetick Inspiration which is call'd the Holy Spirit Tho you may observe too that all those kinds of Revelation beforemention'd are stiled in the Jewish Writings Inspiration and the Holy Spirit and sometimes they are call'd Prophecy and the Spirit of Prophecy For Prophecy Nebuah is taken either strictly or largely In the strict acception according to the Jewish Notion of it it is when any thing is reveal'd to a person when he is asleep or in a rapture or besides himself And others of them say that Prophecy properly so call'd is either in the way of Dreams or Visions Prophecy in Scripture is taken in a restrained sense for seeing and foretelling things to come and hence as well as from what was suggested before it is probable the Prophets antiently were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seers This also is that which most usually is call'd Prophecy by the Iews But Prophecy in the largest acception is the general word to comprehend all kinds of Divine Revelation it is the way whereby all revealed Knowledg and Truth are convey'd to us Therefore the Schools of the Prophets were those places where young Men were prepar'd for all sorts of Revelation and Inspiration and out of these Schools generally the Prophets were chosen Education and Improvement fitted them for the Prophetick Office and by these Testimonials they were able to go abroad There was a way to know who were True Prophets and who False and to distinguish one from the other Indeed when a Prophet foretold things to come to pass hereafter he could not be convinced of falshood presently because his Prophecy must be known to be true or false by the Event of his Prediction Deut. 18. 21. And yet here was some uncertainty for the thing he foretold might not come to pass and yet he might be a True Prophet for God could do otherwise than the Prophet foretold Ier. 18. 7 8. But then the Prediction was conditional not absolute or rather it was a Commination But if any one by the Prophetical Spirit dictated such and such things to be done it was possible to tell and that presently or in a very short time whether he was a true Prophet or no. This might be known first from the Qualifications of a true Prophet for first he must be no way inclined to Idolatry secondly he must predict nothing against the Law If he said any thing derogatory to the Law of Moses the Moral Law chiefly and the Worship of God he discover'd himself to be a false Prophet Deut. 18. 20. Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Thirdly some add that as he was one who said nothing against the Law so neither must he do any thing against it It was a Notion of the Iews that the Spirit of Prophecy was not communicated to any but Holy Men. But there is reason to doubt as to this Besides the Qualifications a Prophet might be known to be true when he was back'd by another Prophet who was certainly known to be true when this Prophet testified of the other Further when God himself testified concerning a Prophet by some manifest Sign as in 1 Kings 13. Thus they were to judg whether Prophets were counterfeit or no. Add this also that they were deterred from counterfeiting the Prophetick Spirit because by the Law a false Prophet was to be punish'd with Death Deut. 18. 20. Lastly The true Prophets might be discern'd and distinguish'd from the false ones by this that they were plain and downright in their Predictions whereas the others were generally ambiguous and equivocating as we see in the Example of those false Prophets whom Ahab consulted The Lord shall deliver it say they into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22. 6. So we render that place but the Relative it is not in the Hebrew and so the words have two senses either the Lord shall deliver Ramoth Gilead into the hands of the King of Israel or the Lord shall deliver thee and thy forces into the hands of the King of Syria This was frequently imitated afterwards by the Heathen Oracles and was of some advantage for from the ambiguity of the words mistakes might easily arise and by that means the credit of the false Prophets was salved But however this rendred their Predictions uncertain and wavering whereas those that had the true Prophetick Spirit were sure and fix'd and thus there could not but be a certainty of Prophecy among the Iews But at last the Spirit of Prophecy ceased and as the Jewish Writers and Christian Fathers agree ended in Malachi who was the last Prophet But this way of Revelation was afterwards restored by Christ as shall be shew'd afterwards To the foremention'd ways of God's communicating his Will and Pleasure may be added that Impulse whereby persons are stir'd up by God to undertake some extraordinary Enterprize and to accomplish some very notable Act. Thus Maimonides reckons it among the several kinds of Prophecy that Moses by a particular intimation from God slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 12. So by the same Divine Motion Phineas knew it would be acceptable to God to kill those two notorious Sinners and he was stir'd up accordingly to do it By the same Heavenly Impulse Sampson was excited to destroy the Philistines tho with the loss of his own life And several other Instances might be produced of this nature in the Old Testament Thus you see what were the Ordinary ways of Revelation what was the frequent and usual manner of God's communicating his Will in the several Dispensations before treated of In the next place I will enumerate the Extraordinary Means of revealing God's Will As 1. That way of Revelation whereby God conversed with Moses on the Mount when he gave him the Law and whereby he was pleas'd to communicate himself to him at some other times The Jewish Doctors cry up This for the highest Degree of Revelation that ever was and some of them talk such strange things of it as are next to Blasphemy But this we are sure of that the Sacred Spirit represents this as an Vnusual and Extraordinary Revelation and such as was peculiar to Moses alone for it is said The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. Indeed Iacob testifieth of himself that he had seen God face to face Gen. 32. 30. But tho he had seen God so yet we do not read that he talk'd with him after that manner which implieth something more I know Moses tells the people of Israel that God talked with them face to face in the Mount Deut. 5. 4. But this he means of himself viz. that after
would gather that he lived not in the time of any of the Holy Patriarchs or of Moses for then it could not be said that he had not his fellow in the earth But this Inference is of no weight because it is most probable that this is spoken of that particular Countrey wherein Iob lived as the Earth is sometimes taken in that restrained sense in Scripture So that the meaning is there was no man like him in the Land of Uz for the Hebrew word Eretz is the same in both places He was the most eminent Saint in that Region of the World That which we observe at present is that he was so tho he was no Israelite tho he was not of the Holy Seed Notwithstanding this he was a Worshipper of the True God and a Righteous Person In Chap. 31. you may hear him making a solemn Protestation of his Integrity as to many grand things of Religion and particularly his abhorrence of Idolatry ver 26. Indeed the greatest part of the Book is a Testimony of his singular Faith Patience and Piety Whereupon St. Augustine saith thus of him I doubt not but it was particularly order'd by Divine Providence that we should learn from this one Person that even amongst other Nations there might be those who lived according to God and pleased him and belonged to the Spiritual Ierusalem Iob's Friends likewise may be reckoned among the Gentiles for Eliphaz the Temanite was of Esau's lineage Gen. 36. 11. and Bildad the Shuite was of the posterity of Shuah the Son of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25. 2. and Elihu the Buzite was of Buz the Son of Nahor Gen. 22. 21. As Iob sacrificed for his Sons Chap. 1. ver 5. so Eliphaz did for himself and his two friends Iob 42. 8 to appease God's Wrath and all of them shew'd themselves Religious and Pious persons For tho they were faulty as to their misrepresentation of Iob sometimes yet they were in their designs upright and intended only to justifie God and to assert his Providence and to check Sin and Wickedness where they thought they espi'd them And it is not unreasonable to think that Iob and his Companions who were Persons of such eminent Goodness and moreover were Rich and Wealthy Men and of great Authority in the Land of Vz for as Iob himself was a Great Man a kind of King in that Countrey so his three friends were Men of Power and Eminency and are call'd Kings by the Author of the Book of Tobit used their Wealth and Authority for the promoting of Religion among the Inhabitants of that place and so it is probable that there were several that feared God there and consequently that the Church was not confined to one Nation but that God revealed himself in a saving manner to other Countreys Of this we have further proof for as there were these Religious People in Canaan and Arabia or Idumea so in other places some of those that were Vncircumcised were acquainted with the True Religion Abraham's Brother Nahor and his Family tho they dwelt in Mesâ—potamia an Heathenish Countrey and which Abraham left for that reason were not strangers to the True God and his Worship tho they mix'd it with some Superstition thus in Gen. 24. 31 50. the Language of Labaâ— and Bethuel shews that they had a good Sense of Religion and knew and worship'd Iehâ—vah If we pass to Egypt we shall find there that the Midwives that were Natives of that Countrey for such they are deservedly thought to be by the Learned Iewish Historian and Antiquary and tho they are call'd Hebrew Midwives ver 15. yet the Reason of that Denomination was because as it is explain'd in the next verse they did the Office of Midwives to the Hebrew Women and from several circumstances in that part of the Sacred History we may gather that they were of the Egyptian Nation and not Hebrews feared God Exod. 1. 17. and gave a remarkable Testimony of it and accordingly were rewarded by God for it ver 21. Hagar who was originally an Egyptian was honoured with Divine Apparitions and favoured by God in a particular manner Gen. 16. 10 11 13. And afterwards when the Iewish Nation and Church were set up by God other persons and people were not excluded from his Grace and Favour Ruth was a Moâ—bite of the Race of the Daughters of Lot but was converted to the Belief of the True God and her Virtue and Piety were so signal that the Holy Spirit hath recorded them in an intire Book Our Saviour takes notice that the Prophet Elias was sent to the Widow of Sarepâ—a who was a Gentile a Sidonian Luke 4. 26 but shew'd her self a very Good Religious Woman and believed in the God of the Patriarchs Naaman the Syrian was a Proselyte he sacrificed to the God of Israel alone and carried Earth with him out of Iudea to build an Altar a Kings 5. 15 17. and without doubt he propagated the true Religion and Knowledg of God in his own Countrey Ebedmelech an Ethiopian Chamberlain or some such like Great Officer to King Zedekiah was a Patron of the Prophet Ieremiah and a Man of singular Zeal and Piety and was therefore eminently favour'd of God Ier. 38. 7. 39. 16. It is not improbable that Hiram King of Tyre was a Prosolyte 1 Kings 5. 7. And such we have reason to think the Queen of Sheba was 1 Kings 10. 9. Nebuchadnezzar was of this sort and became a Convert as may be partly collected from Dan. 3. 28 29. Dan. 4. 34 c. And it may be Cyrus who is stiled by God his Anointed Isai. 45. 1. may be reckon'd in this number But tho there may be some doubt as to these latter yet it is certain that the rest and several others that might be named in Gentile Countreys were Proselytes to the true Faith In prosecution of which Subject it may be further observ'd that God sent Hebrew Prophets to the People of other Nations Isaiah Ieremiah and Ezekiest prophesied almost to all Nations Obadiah to the Idumeans and Ionas was dispatch'd to the people of Ninive the Metropolis of Assyria who believ'd and repented at Ionas's Preaching This shews that God was kind to Them as well as to the Iews and that they had the True God and his Will in some measure discover'd to them before otherwise they would not have been so capable of understanding the Divine Message when it came to them and of behaving themselves sutably to it For it is not to be question'd that the Ninivites Repentance was true it proceeding as some of the Antients of the Christian Church have observ'd from a true Faith Ion. 2. 5. Mat. 12. 41. Their Fasting and Humiliation were so eminent that the Abyssine Church keeps yearly a Fast of threeday in remembrance of it And I find it is the Comfortable Note of Rabbi Kimchi questioning why the Book of Ionas was rank'd among the Holy Scriptures it making no mention
Israelites yet they were as good as taken in as to other Clauses of it and as to the Effence and Substance of it viz. the Spiritual Mercies couched in it Thus they were comprehended in the Covenant of Life and Salvation for all of what Nation soever were Partakers of the Benefits of it upon their believing and repenting Not only Iews but Gentiles were interested in it In the full Meal and Provision which God made for his own People the Israelites some Portions some Fragments fell besides the Table which others gather'd up This is God's Administration to the Gentiles and I make it a particular and distinct Dispensation tho I see those who reckon up the different Dispensations of Religion omit this The Reason I suppose is because this Gentile Dispensation is mixed with the rest of the Dispensations Because it was concurrent with the Patriachal and Mosaical Oeconomies and was not a thing by it self they took no notice of it But notwithstanding this it is a peculiar Dispensation and a very remarkable one too as the Premises may convince us And at last our Blessed Saviour perfected this Dispensation for a little before he left the World he enjoyn'd the Apostles to go and teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19. to Evangelize the Goyim the Nations for so the Iews call'd all People besides themselves to propagate Christianity throughout the whole World And accordingly we read that when the Apostles had continued some time at Ierusalem after Christ's Ascention only some of them now and then slepping abroad to confirm the neighbouring Churches that were lately planted they issued out with one consent into several Countries where by their Travels they spread the Gospel as effectually as David and Solomon did the Hebrew Tongue the one by his numerous Conquests the other by his prosperous Fleets and Commerces so that even in St. Paul's time the Gospel was Preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. Thus at length the Gentile Dispensation was swallow'd up of the Evangelical one which now I will particularly speak of CHAP. XI The Christian or Evangelical Oeconomy It agrees with the former Dispensations of Grace as to the Designation of the Messias As to the way of Salvation As to the Conditions and Qualifications of it This corroborated by the suffrage of the Antient Fathers It differs from the Mosaick Oeconomy or Law as to the Author in some respect As to the Actual Discovery of it As to the Clearness of it As to its Spirituality As to its Extent As to several Circumstances that relate to the Conditions of Salvation which are largely enumerated As to the Motives of Obedience The Doctrine of the Socinians viz. that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament confuted As to the Perfection of its Pattern As to its Helps and Assistances This Query Whether Christ added any new Laws to those which were before under the Old Testament resolved in several Particulars It is proved against the Socinians that Prayer was commanded under the Law How Love is call'd a New Commandment THe Christian or Evangelical Dispensation is next to be treated of God having at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past hath now in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Heb. l. 1 2. He was pleased to reserve the utmost Completion of all the Promisâ—s made to the Patriarchs and the Iews till this time Now by Christ's coming we have the perfect Accomplishment of them all Christianity comprehends all the other Dispensations and is the Upshot of them all This is called the Revelation of the Mystery which was kepe secret since the World began but now is made manifest Rom. 16. 26 27. and the Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men but is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Eph. 3. 4 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly he that brings forth and distributes that which was before laid up This is agreeable to the Oeconomy which we are now to discourse of the great Things which were hidden and treasured up before are now brought forth and discovered and communicated to the World This is that Dispensation which brings Everlasting Righteousness with it this is the Highest and Noblest Exertment of the Covenant of Grace and all the Mercy and Pardon which former Generations found were on the sole account of this Period This Dispensation of the Messias is represented by Iohn Baptist and by Christ himself to be the most Glorious State that hath yet appeared in the World or that ever shall appear for Christianity as most perfect includes all the Laws before named and all the ways of Discovery that can be made 1. I will shew the particular Nature of this Dispensation and how it differs from the others 2. I will shew why this Evangelical Dispensation took not place in the World before 3. I must particularly and directly prove the Truth and Certainty of this Oeconomy and of the Christian Religion 4. I will discover to you the several Degrees of this Dispensation All which Particulars are of great use for the right understanding of this last Administration of Religion 1. I will display the particular Nature and Quality of this Oeconomy this new Oeconomy of the Gospel Here I will let you see 1. That as to the main it agrees with all the other Oeconomies of Grace viz. from the Restoration of Adam 2. That tho as to the main it agrees with all the foregoing Dispensations yet as to sundry particulars it differs from them First all the Dispensations agree in the main i. e. 1. The Divine Designation or Appointment of the Messias reach'd to them all This Lamb was slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. His Sufferings and Death were decreed from all Ages Christ was crucified from the beginning even from Eternity For tho some interpret this place as if it alluded to the Murder of Abel the first holy Person that was slain and as if it took in the rest of the Martyrs in after Ages the Lamb here signifying the whole Succession of Saints who were innocent and spotless in their Lives and invincible in their Deaths and so Christ as well as others may be said to be slain from the foâ—ndation of the World because there was at First even at the Beginning of the World this Example of the Wicked's murdering the Just yet this must be look'd upon as a forced Interpretation of the words for in the stile of Scripture excepting those places where the Sense must needs be restrained and limited because of the subject matter from the foundation of the World is as much as from Eternity as is plain from Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World and from Ioh. 17. 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the World for from the foundation or before the foundation are here
Shadows Christ in this sense is call'd the trâ—e Light and true Bread Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 6. 32. The Ceremonial Law was but a Figure of the Evangelical Truth And this is deservedly called Trâ—th because all the Ceremonial Types are Verified and Fulfill'd in Christ. All those Iudaick Hieroglyphicks are now unridled and plainly discovered to the World and he that runs may read them The Types and Symbols are gone and now the Things themselves are present and are clearly understood by us This makes the difference between the Mosaick Dispensation and the Evangelical One. The Doctrine of Salvation and the means of Life by Christ are more intelligible and plain than they were before Their Conceptions of those things were intricate and obscure but we have arrived to clear and distinct Notions concerning them In short the way of Salvation was before more dark and general they saw Christ through â—ertain Perspectives afar off but now the fulness of time is come and hath given us a near and more perfect view of those things which they saw but in a glass darkly 4. The Religion of the Gospel is more Inward and Lively than that of the Law and the Jewish Administration There is now introduced a Rational and Manly Service our Religion is chiefly the employment of our Minds and Understandings and not so much of our Bodies and lower Faculties We now worship God in Spirit as well as in Truth of which I spake befoâ—e we worship in a spiritual manner opposed to outward and bodily Service as Sacrifices Purifications c. The Evangelical Righteousness is a Spiritual Administration a Vital Principle able to beget a Divine Life whereas the Law comparatively was an external dead Letter and did not sufficiently actuate the Minds and Spirits of Men. It is true the History of the Gospel or the Doctrin of the Evangelists as it is merely propounded and written is as much external as the Law but the ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it going along with the Gospel in a more especial and peculiar manner is a powerful Principle in the Souls of Men whereby they are inwardly renewed and transformed And so the Gospel compared with the Law is of greater Power Might and Efficacy and is able to produce a heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul and a sincere performance of the Divine Laws This is the Law promis'd to be written in the Hearts of Men and to be put into their inward parts Jer. 31. 33. 5. This Dispensation of the Gospel is larger and ampler than that of the Law and of other Dispensations before it For the Church was shut up in narrow bounds and confined to a few Families of the Patriarchs Afterwards it was limited to the Land of Canaan and to the Hâ—brew People excepting a few that were without who knew God's Will and were graciously accepted But after Christ came the Church was not tied to one Place or certain Nation but hath been ever since the Congregation of all such as truly know and worship Christ in any part of the World The Christian Dispensation is not local and temporary not confined to place or time not circumscribed by a particular Country Now not one Natâ—on only or a few of others are honoured with Laws given from God himself but Gentiles and Iews Greeks and Barbarians all Kindreds and Tongues all Countries and Regions of the Universe have heard the sound of the Gospel and have had the Divine Laws which were given by Christ himself offer'd to them Our Saviour bid his Disciples go into all the World and teach all Nations And accordingly as was observ'd before they travell'd into all the World which was at that time known and proclaimed the Messias to them Thus Christ came and preach'd Peace to them that were afar off and to them that were nigh Ephes. 2. 17. All Places and Countries had the privilege of the Gospel and might receive advantage by it This is one remarkable Difference between the Legal and the Evangelical Dispensation the former was Narrow and Contracted the latter was Full Ample Comprehensive and Catholick 6. Altho as hath been said the Conditions of Salvation are the same now as to the main with those before yet they vary as to several Circumstances To begin with Faith the first and chief Condition of Salvation the grand Fundamental Grace of Christianity This is reckon'd by the Reverend Bishop Taylor among the Instances of Duties which are new under the Gospel But the true account is this that Faith was not a Precept of the Natural or Moral Law but was a new Precept added to it by Revelation when the First Promise and New Covenant were made But ever since that it hath not been New for as I have proved the Antient Patriarchs were saved by Faith in Christ. He was the Object of Faith then as well as now the Faith of the first Believers was the same with the Faith of Christians Yet notwithstanding this this Grace of Faith hath a different aspect from what it had The Fathers believed in the Messias that was to come and we believe in the same Jesus who is come and hath taken on him our Nature and laid down his Life and shed his precious Blood for the redemption of lost Man and rose again and ascended into Heaven Thus the believing of Christ's Birth Passion Resurrection and Ascension is in this respect nâ—w that Faith looks upon them as accomplished But otherwise in respect of the things themselves it is the old Faith i. e. the same which those that lived before the time of the Messias exerted Christ that was to be crucified was the Object of their Belief and Christ already crucified is the Object of ours This is confirm'd â—rom Isa. 53. Acts 15. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 9. 11. and abundance of other Texts St. Augustine having affirmed that the Saints of old were saved in the same way that we are viz. by Faith in Jesus adds this distinction They saith he were saved by Faith in Christ's future Sufferings and we by Faith in those Sufferings as they are already past This is that which our Church saith speaking of the People of God that lived before Christ's Incarnation Althâ— they were not named Christian men yet was it a Christian Faith which they had for they looked for all the Benefits of God the Father through the Merits of his Son Iesus Christ as we now do This difference is between them and us that they looked when Christ should come and we are in the time when he is come Besides a more general Belief was sufficient for mens Salvation before the Messias's coming than is now It was not necessary to Salvation to believe so expresly and explicitly concerning Christ and his Undertakings as we are obliged to believe since So that tho there is not now a New Faith neither are there New Articles of Faith yet there are New Exertments of Faith and more clear
and express Acts of Belief And to Faith I may adjoin Hope for Hope is founded on Faith and therefore Faith being more clear and express under the Gospel as I have said it follows that Hope is so too it is more stable and firm more sure and certain than the Hope of those before Christ's coming and on this account the Gospel is deservedly call'd the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 7. 19. Christians having seen the accomplishment of all those things which â—ormer Ages had no experiment of their Hope must needs be bettered i. e. exalted and increased And as for Charity and all the rest of the Virtues Graces and Duties required of us for I will speak of them altogether they differ from what they were under the Mosaick Dispensation as to these following things 1. There are greater measures of every Grace now under Christianity than there were under the other Dispensations Christians reach now to higher Degrees and Perfections of Virtue than those under the Law did And this indeed was the design of the Gospel this Dispensation came in the last place to add a greater Perfection than ever any other preceding Models of Religion pretended to 2. A greater striâ—tness and â—nactness in all Duties is required now than was under the legal Dispensation This you must know that tho the Rigour of the Law be abated under the Gospel yet the Evangelical Obedience is stricter than that of the Law Except your Righteoâ—sness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yo cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven saith our Saviour Mat. 5. 20. A more circumspect and accurate way of living is expected from Christ's Disciples than from those of Moses A more severe sanctity and conformity to God's Will are required of them than of these But yet I must add in the third place That whereas the Law which did in a manner revive the Covenant of Works required perfect Works and sinless Obedience the Gospel requires no such thing but accepts of imperfect but sincere Obedience which is made acceptable by Christ's Satisfaction Under the Gospel Men are not so much obnoxious for offending as for continuing obstinately in their Offences And Mercy is now denied not for Sin committed but for persisting in Sin without Repentance This is a grand Difference between the Law and the Gospel that was harsh and rigorous this is gentle and favourable Again Duties are further extended and enlarged now than they were before Which must needs be because the State of Christianity is wider and larger than that of Iudaism There is more Love now because the former aversness and enmities are removed Câ—rist as the Apostle saith sath abolish'd in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances i. e. the Mosaick Law consisting in Precepts about peculiar Rites and distinct Observances whereby the Gentiles were differenced from the Iews which made a breach between them But a Vniversal Charity breaths in the Gospel and the Exertments of it are of greater latitude than those heretofore Elijah call'd for Fire from Heaven upon his Enemies and was not blamed but heard by God 2 Kings 1. 10 12. but Iames and Iohn Apostles of Christ did the same thing and were severely check'd for it Luke 9. 54. And we read that St. Peter was commanded to put up his Sword when he drew it in his Master's Quarrel which certainly was the best in the World The reason of this is not only because the Evangelical Temper is more mild and loving than that legal one but because its Laws are more extensive and more favourable Nay whereas the Old Law commanded Love to their Brethren the Gospel bids us shew that Love by dying for them if there be occasion Iohn 15. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 16. And in other Circumstances I might shew that the Evangelical Obedience is larger and more comprehensive than that of the Law In the fifth place this must be said likewise that some particular Graces and Duties flow more gâ—nuinely from the Spirit of the Gospel than from the Legal Principles and are more frequently inculcated and more closely urged on our Consciences and Lives in the New Testament than they are in the Old These special Graces and Exercises of Evangelical Righteousness are purity of Heart and inward sincerity minding the manner of our Duties and serving of God from an inward love of Holiness a shunning of secret Sins a constant sense of our Weakness and Unworthiness of our Inability of our selves to think or do any thing that is good and acceptable to God a being weary and heavy laden under the sense of Sin a feeling of the odious Nature of it and loathing our selves for it Self-denial and Mortification an absolute resigning our selves Souls and Bodies unto God a subduing all our Carnal Desires Lusts and Appetites a refraining from the least Sins making conscience of all Offences evil Thoughts idle Words abstaining from all appearance of Evil renouncing every Sin tho against our Profit and Interest a universal hatred of all Vice without any reserves a continual watchfulness against all Temptations and striving by all means to conquer Sin in us moderation in the use and enjoyment of the good things of this Life a using this World as not abusing it a possessing our Souls in patience in the midst of all Afflictions and Tribulations an entertaining all Occurrences with thankfulness and contentedness and a preparing for the worst a quelling of all inordinate Passion and suffering not the Sun to go down on our Wrath â—aâ—â—â—bstaining from all reviling and bitterness of Speech yeâ— a praying for our Persecutors Bowels of Mercy tender-heartedness pity and compassion weeping with those that weep and bearing one anothers burdens mildness and meekness towards all Men laying aside revenge and forgiving those who have done us wrong yea loving and doing good to our very Enemies Truth and Faithfulness towards those we converse with simplicity open-heartedness sincerity in words and actions a profound humility and lowliness of mind a preferring others before our selves a minding not of high things but condescending to those of low estate the spirit of Supplication and Prayer taking delight in communion with God daily presenting our selves before the Throne of Grace to ask pardon of our Sins for Christ's sake peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost contempt of the World heavenly-mindedness a Spirit raised above the Earth breathing and longing for Heaven and a better State a living on the Life to come a depending on the unseen Glory hereafter a preâ—erring Heaven and everlasting Joys before all things here below a making God the ultimate End and referring all to his Glory not fearing Death but chearfully expecting it lastly growing in Grace daily increasing in Godliness and Righteousness aspiring to the highest degree of Holiness and striving for the utmost perfection we are capable of This is no new Draught of Religion but such as the most Holy Men before
of the Knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 c. To this Perfection and Fulness contribute the Holy Sacraments of Christ's appointment It is true the Apostle sheweth that the Israelites had the same Religion the same Covâ—nant and that they might be said to have the same Sacraâ—â—nts with us 1 Cor. 10. 1 c. and indeed the Covenant being the same the Sacraments must be so which are Seals of the Covenant But the Evangelical Sacraments were only typified by those they were never in actual use till Christ's coming Baptism and the Eucharist the two Sacraments of the Gospel may be rightly said to have been virtually in Circumcision and the Passover and so are not new but they are new in another respect viz. as by the former we are initiated and adopted into the Christian Oâ—conomy and by the latter we are confirmed in it By the pious celebrating of both which the Spiritual Benefits of the Gospel are exhibited and conferr'd sealed and assured to the Souls of the Faithful and they are found to be no contemptible Helps to Religion and Holiness But the assistance of the Holy Spirit in these and all other Duties of Christianity is the most signal Privilege of the Gospel For when Christ ascended up on high he gave Gifts unto Men especially that matchless Gift the Holy Spirit whereby not only the Apostles and Primitive Christians were enabled to speak and act in a miraculous manner but in all succeeding Ages the true Followers of Jesus feel the wonderful influence and operation of it on their Hearts and Lives whereby they are strengthned to perform what is required of them in a way far surpassing what was in the former Dispensations This is that which makes Evangelical Grace differ from Moral Virtue and Iudaical Righteousness viz. that the former is heightned not only by the Motives of the Gospel of which I spake before but by the Assistance of the Spirit By this we not only cry Abba Father but are enabled to demean our selves as those who are the Sons of God Thus our Power is mightily increased which is another great Difference between the Law and the Gospel between Judaism and Christianity This is a brief Account of the Difference between those two Dispensations the Legal and Evanâ—elical Tho it was once said by Luther There never was that Man found on Earth who could make a right Difference between the Law and the Gospel yet afterwards he gives us to understand that he thought this was no impossible thing for he tells us That whoso can rightly judg between the Law and the Gospel let him thank God and know that he is a right Divine There is great difficulty in performing this Task and therefore I have gone through it with much caution and the whole I leave to the judgment of the Learned and Judicious The Manichean Hereticks held there was one God that was the Founder of the Law and another God that was Author of the Gospel But this gross and blasphemous Error is baffled by those several Particulars which I have offered to you concerning the Law and the Gospel The same God blessed for evermore wisely appointed both these Oeconomies and tho they are different yet they are not contradictory God made those two great Lights the one to rule the Night the other the Day the former was fitted to those darker times and the latter is most sutable to the Fulness of time when a redundant Light overspread the World The Iewish Oeconomy was narrow weak and imperfect and best comported with the People that were under it but the Gospel-Dispensation is large and ample compleat and perfect and therein more adapted to the condition of the Persons who are under this Dispensation of Christ's Fulness receive and Grace for Grace John 1. 16. Frâ—m what hath been said we may know what to think and determine of that great Query Whether our Saviour hath added any new Laws and Precepts to those which were before under the Old Testament or wâ—ether his Laws and those are the same I find this Question is too peremptorily decided on both sides One positively asserts that all the Evangelical Commands are the very same with the Laws of the former Administration The others say there are New Commands added in the Gospel to those of the Law But I conceive the Question is not to be decided thus in gross but we ought to be more particular and exact in it Take it in short thus First There were many things of Religion under the Law which are abrogated under the Gospel as all Rites and Ceremonies merely Mosaick Therefore the Gospel is called the Law of Liberty Jam. 1. 25. because it â—reesus from observing those Iewish Rites These were Duties then but are no Duties now But secondly all things that are our Duty now were their Duty then Which I explain thus in these four Propositions Prop. 1. There were the same Laws and Commandments in general in the Old Testament that are in the New tho there are some particular things enjoin'd in the New Testament which were not prescribed in the Old as admitting of all Believers into the Church by Baptism which was never practis'd among the Body of the Iews tho it was used toward some Proselytes and celebrating the Lord's Death in the Holy Communion which could not be done before because Christ was not come and therefore could not die So there are some particular Preceptâ— about the Government and Discipline of the Church of Christ which were not before in the Iewish Church and indeed could not be the state and condition of things being far otherwise Likewise with the New Dispensation came a New Sabâ—ath the Seventh day of the wâ—ek was changed into the First This is very rational to believe tho there were no express mention of any such thing for now the Iewish Sabbath being repeal'd Gal. 4. 10 11. Col. 2. 16. some other day was to be celebrated in its room that as the former was set apart from the beginning for commemorating the Creation of the World so this latter might be in remembrance of the Redemption of Mankind The change of the Day and our celebrating of it are upon weighty grounds viz. 1. Christ's Resurrection from the Dead whereby Man's New Creation was perfected a. Warrantable Authority no less than that of our Saviour himself for first it is most probable that Christ himself gave particular Order concerning the observing of this day when as we read for forty days together after his Resurrection he spakâ— to his Disciples concerning the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. This being of so great concern and so nearly relating to that Kingdom and the Occonomy of the Gospel it is to be presuâ—â—ed that our Saviour gave particular directions about it tho it is not to be denied that there may be
that Christ's words here are not oppofed to Moses's that he doth command nothing contrary to the Law but that he vindicated the Law from the false and corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees you may be convinced that Christ is here no New Legislator but an Interpreter of the Old Law that he only explaineth and cleareth it and more fully delivereth it to the World and consequently that the Precepts of the Gospel are the same in substance with the Decalogue that Christ enjoineth no New Virtue as to the kind of it that he hath made no addition of New Laws and Precepts to the Old ones unless in those respects which I have before mentioned and on the account of them it is that the Legal and Evangelical Dispensation differ so much Being now employed in shewing the Difference between the Old Dispensations before Christ and that which he introduced I cannot finish what I intend unless I particularly handle that noted Question What is the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace or between the Old and New Covenant and why they are called so I have said something already which may give light to this but now I will purposely insist upon it Indeed the Discourse of the Old and New Covâ—nant might have been inserted in the beginning when I enter'd upon the General Oâ—conomy of Grace when I spoke of the first Discovery made to Adam concerning the Messâ—as but then I must have antedated some things which I have mention'd since and I must have treated of the Evangelical Dispensation long before it came in my way It is therefore pertinent and most proper to treat of the Câ—venants in this place and to shew the true difference between them We must call to mind then what I said before that God covenanted with Man 1. When he was in the State of Innocence 2. When he was fallen The former was the Covenant of Wâ—rks the latter was the Covenant of Grâ—ce As to the first it was properly a Covenant for a Covenant is a mutual Agreement betwixt Party and Party with reciprocal Obligations of each other So that Covenant was a Contract between God and Adam and in him with all Mankind wherein God promised Everlasting Life and Happiness to Man if he continued in his Obedience to him And Man having a sufficient Ability given him by God ingaged on his part to perform perfect Obedience and to persevere in all good Works without sinning whence it was call'd the Covenant of Works Upon this Agreement God gave Adam a particular Commandment as a trial of his Obedience that he should abstain from the Fruit of a certain Tree in the Garden where God had placed him But Adam soon broke this Covenant by eating the forbidden Fruit and so brought a Curse on himself and all his Posterity Hereupon the First Convenant or Covenant of Works was succeeded by a Second viz. the Covenant of Grace This is that Covenant which God made with Adam and his Posterity just after his Fall when they were in a state of Sin and Misery Christ was promised forthwith the Seed of thâ— Woman shall break the Serpent's Head Gen. 3. 15. As soon as this Promise was given and made the Covenant of Works expired then began the Covenant of Grace and so was in succeeding Generations more and more revealed till Christ came and fully revealed it This is called the Covenant of Grace as hath been said before because it proceeded from mere Grace and Favour and because a more abundant Grace and Love are discovered in this Covenant for Man's restoring than in the other for preserving him Now a Covenant being a mutual Contract and Stipulation of both Parties as hath been suggested this Covenant as well as the other was made up of something on God's part and something on ours As God is tied to Man so Man is tied to God God promised to send his Son to take our Nature and to make known to us the Will of his Father thus he is a 〈◊〉 and also to satisfy God for our Sins and by this means to redeem us from Hell and Eternal Damnation and to obtain for us forgiveness of Sins and the favour of God and Eternal Life and Blessedness Sinners are justified pardoned and restored to what they lost by 〈◊〉 they are reinstated in the Right and Privilege they had before their Apostacy This is done by Chrrist's Death thus he is our Priest he offers himself a Sacrifice for our Sins Further he inables us to discharge our Duty by sending his Holy Spirit into our Hearts he rules and governs us and so is our King This is the Covenant on God's part On ours it is to hearken diligently to our Prophet and to be desirous and ready to learn his Will to accept of rely upon and apply unto our selves the meritorious Satisfaction of our Priest and to be ruled by him as our King to submit to him and to obey his Laws which briefly are these that we acknowledg his Soveraignty over us that we believe in him and that we repent and forsake our Sins These are the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace on Man's part Or take the whole in a briefer way thus To give Ability and Power to believe and repent and perform Acts of Holiness is the New Covenant on God's part But personally to do these by virtue of the foresaid Power is the New Covenant on Man's part which yet God alone can make effectual It is said by some that Faith and Obedience are not the Conditions of this Covenant on Man's part because they are promised in the Covenant for the Condition of the Covenant must be a distinct thing from the Covenant But this is a mere Nicety for tho in the Gospel-Covenant Faith and Repentance are prâ—misâ—d i. e. God hath ingaged to give us strength to exert these Graces yet so far as they are consider'd as our Acts and coming from 〈◊〉 for God cannot be said to believe and repent they are Conditions They are promis'd by 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 as all that we are to do is promis'd but since we on our part engage and promise to do them they are rightly stiled and really are Qualifications without which we shall never partake of the Divine Favour Neither do these Conditionâ— of Faith and Obedience which are required of us hinder the freeness of the Gospel-Grace as is objected for God promised pardon of Sin and Eternal Life freely and it is the same free Grace which first appointed and afterward accepteth of these Conditions It is mere Favour and Good-will that God was pleased to give Salvation and Everlasting Happiness by Christ on condition of believing and obeying him But you will say it is the Language of the Covenant of Works Do this and live whereas the Gospel saith Believe and be saved I answer The Covenant of Grace as well as the Covenant of Works requires doing and so in effect saith Do this and live But yet
State of the Christian Church prouâ—d from several places of Scripture Mat. 24. 3. 19. 28. Acts 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19 20. Heb. 2. 5. 9. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 3. 8. From those divers Texts that we meet with in the Old Testament which make mention of the Kingdom and Reigning of the Messias A five-fold acception of the Kingdom of Christ in the New Testament The 1 Cor. 15. 25. urged The Millenary Reign The Rise of the Antient Opinions about it It is proved that Christ shall not personally reign upon Earth The deceased Saints shall not rise again to reign with him here What is meant by the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus What is to be understood by their living and reigning with Christ. Two late Writers take it in a literal Sense but without any ground Who are the rest of the Dead that lived not again What are the first and second Resurrection The Reign of Christ a thousand Years is to be upon Earth By a thousand Years we are to understand a certain and definite Number Some Opinions concerning the Beginning and End of the thousand Years refuted Mr. Brightman's odd Fancy rejected We have had some Forerunners and previous Pledges of the millenary Kingdom Mr. Mede's Opinion which joins Christ's Reign and the Day of Iudgment together consider'd p. 609. CHAP. XX. The Millenary Reign is attended with the Destruction of Antichrist i. e. Papists and Mahometans This proved from several Passages in Scripture How the Papal Antichrist shall be destroy'd by the Spirit of God's Mouth Another Attendant of the Reign of Christ upon Earth is the Conversion or Fulness of the Gentiles An Objection answered A twofold Calling or Conversion of the Gentiles Partial and Total The Parable in Luke 14. speaks of this latter The Occasion and Manner of this Conversion The Progress of Arts and Sciences hath imitated the Motion of the Sun The like is observable of Religion The General Conversion of the Jews is a third Concomitant of the Reign of Christ. Whether the Jews shall be fixed in their own Countrey again The Author's Iudgment concerning the Texts of Scripture which are alledged to prove the National Conversion and Return of the Jews Lev. 26. 38 39 c. is meant of the General Return of that People In Deut. 30. 1 c. there is a Primary and a Secondary meaning The latter applied to the Ten Tribes The future Restoration of the Jews proved from Isa. 11. 11. from Isa. 60. from Hos. 3. 4 5. from Amos 9. 14. from Zech. 12. 10 c. from Luke 2. 30 31. from Luke 21. 24. from 2 Cor. 3. 14 c. from several Passages in Rom. 11. What is meant by all Israel The 26 27 28 and 29 Verses particularly consider'd and shew'd to be Arguments for the Complete Conversion of the Jews The 7. Rev. 4. speaks of this The Occasion Manner and Means of it both ordinary and extraordinary enquired into p. 673. CHAP. XXI Universal Righteousness is another Attendant of this Last Dispensation An Objection doubly answered It is not a Sinless State Greater Knowledg than ever shall be at that Time Religion shall then appear in its Native Purity The Influence of the Holy Spirit on Mens Lives shall be more effectual than formerly Jesus shall in a more emineâ—t manner be exalted Other Fruits of this happy Reign How these great things shall be wrought Civil Magistrates shall be made use of Christ's Reign is not inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Rulers shall be Instruments in this great Work All Persons are some ways capable of promoting it Universal Peace is another Blessing that attâ—nds this Kingdom of Christ. On what account it must needs â—e so Scripture attests it An Objection oâ—viated A Concurrence of all manner of Temporal Blessings in this happy State More especially Bodily Health and Long Life Also a vast Increase of the People of that Time The Savage Brutes shall become Tame and Gentle Thâ—se Earthly Blessings are but Appendages of this Dispensation They are Inconsiderable in respect of the Divine Blessings which constitute this State The Author's Doubtings and Reluctances He is not positive as to Particular Circumstances He cannot determine concerning the Fore-runners of this Revolution The Freedom he uses in a Point that is highly probable He follows not some late Writers in assigning the particular Time when the Millenary Reign shall câ—mmence The punctual Date is not to be known The Thing discoursed of is certain tho the Time as to us is not so The Degeneracy of the present times is no obstacle to this The Author leaves a Testimony of his Wishes and Desires p. 721. CHAP. XXII The Last part of the Evangelical Dispensation under the loosing of Satan out of his Prison Who are Gog and Magog Not only the Mahometan but the Roman Power shall be revived The last Days before the end of the World shall be extremely Wicked They shall be exceeding Perillous and Calamitous Christ comes to Judgment The Conflagration of the World succeeds this whatever some have suggested to the contrary A Particular Answer to a late Writer's Arguments on this Subject It is observed how be resembles Origen A plain Exposition of those Words Nevertheless we look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness A farther Proof from the same Chapter The Nature and Design of the Final Conflagration The Sum of the whole preceding Discourse p. 760. Errata to the Second Volume PAg. 424. l. 28. r. indication P. 505. l. 31. r. true nature of P. 510. l. 17. r. were for P. 518. l. 29. dele and consequently P. 527. l. 12. r. the most learned Bp. Stillingfleet P. 536. l. 17. dele that P. 543. l. penult before a insert who was P. 560. l. 16. r. and it P. 586. l. 16. r. ensuing that P. 630. l. 8. for on r. no. P. 631. l. 3. from the bottom after all make a full Stop P. 675. l. 9. r. intensness P. 676. l. 16. r. as the. P. 677. l. 17. dele only l. 18. r. naturally P. 697. l. 23. place yet after not P. 770. l. 23. r. sâ—ender P. 772. l. 4. for Adverb r. Conjunction discretive A SURVEY Of the Various Methods and Dispensationâ— OF RELIGION c. VOL. II. CHAP. XIV The Truth and Certainty of the Christian Oeconomy and consequently of Christianity it self evinced That the Mosaick Dispensation was not design'd to be Perpetual is proved from 1. The Prophesies concerning the enlarging of the Church together with the nature of the Jewish Observances 2. Gods dispensing with the Mosaick Rites and Laws 3. Their being neglected sometimes by the Holiest Men. 4. God's disregarding them 5. The Confession of the Jewish Rabbies An Objection viz. that it is said the Mosaick Law shall be for ever distinctly answer'd Prophesies which seem to relate to the Jewish Church are to be interpreted concerning the Christian one
It is not necessary that there should be a Formal Abrogation of the Ceremonial Law because when the Reason of a Law ceases the Law it self ceaseth But yet it is shew'd from sundry Places in the New Testament that the Ceremonial Law is formally and expresly abrogated We are assured of the Truth of the Christian Religion from Humane Testimony The Testimony of the Outward and Bodily Senses is made use of and appealed to in the New Testament as an Argument of the truth of Christianity St. John's Words 1 Ep. 1 Chap. 1 2 3. ver commented upon There is no Certainty in Religion espâ—cially in the Christian if the Testimony of Sense be not allow'd of The Apostles and those who heard and saw the things done by our Saviour were Credible Persons The four Evangelists and other Writers of the New Testament were Competent Witnesses of what they relate Their Personal Qualities which are particularly reckon'd up render their Testimony worthy of all acceptation The Christians that succeeded them faithfully deliver'd things to us Their Lives are a proof of their Integrity Their Sufferings and Death are an undeniable Argument of their testifying the Truth to us An Heap of Evidences that we are not imposed upon by them The very Jews bear witness to the Truth of Christianity The manner of their Congratulating our Saviour at his riding into Jerusalem particularly consider'd Heathens attest the Truth of the Christian Religion So do Infernal Spirits 111. I Am to shew the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Oeconomy and therein of the Christian Religion And here first we must grapple with the tenacious and stubborn Iew for his Dispensation being so Antient and Authentick he is loth to quit it I must prove therefore before I go any further that it is nulled abrogated and superannuated We need not say much of the Iudicial Law It is the Ceremonial one which makes Iudaism properly and is the most opposite to the Christian Administration The Iudicial Laws so far as they make for Peace and good Order in the Government and so far as they are sutable to the present State of Affairs may be observed still but then they oblige not as part of the Mosaick Law but as they are good Rules of Government in themselves But the main Part of the Iudicial Law is not at this Day practicable amongst the Iews themselves they being dispersed and no longer in a Body that Law cannot be made use of and consequently doth not oblige them And any one may see plainly that that Polity and Government was not to last for ever as they foolishly dream For it was not fitted for the Tempers of all People not proper for all Countries but was in most things calculated for the Iewish Meridian only and for the present Circumstances that People were in at that time and therefore it is evident that it was to be changed afterwards I do not lay any stress on what may be observed of the different Manner of delivering the three Laws Moral Ceremonial and Iudicial but only let it be an occasion to suggest to us a right Notion concerning the different Nature of them The Ten Commandments or Moral Law was delivered on the top of the Mount in the face of the World as it were to signify that it was of universal Influence and obliged all Mankind But the Ceremonial Lâ—w was received by Moses in private in the Tabernacle which may hint to us that it was of a peculiar Concern it belong'd to the Iews only it was to cease when the Tabernacle was down when the Veil of the Temple was rent And as for the Iudicial Law it was neither so publickly and audibly given as the Moral Law nor so privately as the Ceremonial which may intimate to us the Nature of that sort of Law it is of an indifferent kind and may be kept up or not according as its Rules sute with the Place and Government It is then the Ceremonial Law wherein the Religion of the Iews as distinct from other People chiefly consisted which I am ingaged more especially to speak of at present The first thing that I will undertake is this to shew that the Mosaick Oeconomy was not designed to be perpetuated but that it was to be changed and to give way to the Evangelical one If this be proved it is a good step towards the main Point viz. the Truth of the Evangelical Oeconomy 1. That the Mosaick Dispensation was not to last always is clear from the many Promises in the Old Testament of inlarging Religion and of extending the Church to the uttermost parts of the World Which is no ways consistent with the Mosaick Oeconomy for according to the Law all the Males were to assemble at Ierusalem and to worship there thrice a Year But when upon the Messias's coming all Nations were to imbrace the true Religion how was it possible for the remotest Nations of the World to come and sacrifice at Ierusalem and constantly to meet there at solemn Feasts Ierusalem could not hold them the Temple would be too little for the Worshippers This is a Sign that God intended not to confine his Church to Iudea but that he designed a Religion which should be Universal and oblige the whole World According to the Law Sacrifices were to be no where but at Ierusalem But it is said in Isa. 19. 19 23. There shall be Altars and Sacrifices to the Lord in Egypt and Assyria and in Mal. 1. 11. From the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offer'd unto my Name and a pure Offering Therefore the City of Ierusalem was not to be the only Seat of solemn Worship and Sacrifice but upon the coming of the Messias Oblations were to be all the World over God saith of his Church which is his House that it shall be called a House of Prayer to all Nations Isa. 56. 7. Mark 11. 17. That is the Church shall be open to all without respect of Persons or Countries which must needs be and was always acknowledged a Prophesy concerning the spreading of Christianity and its being imbraced by some of all Nations under Heaven Therefore it is said by the same Evangelical Prophet in the last Days all Nations shall flow unto it Isa. 2. 2. So in Isa. 56. 3 4 5. we find that Strangers and Eunuchs Persons uncapable by the Mosaick Law of being of the Communion of the Iewish Church shall be admitted into it And that is yet more remarkable which you read in the same Prophet Chap. 66. where after it was plainly foretold that the Gentiles should have a Holy Church and that there should be an Offering to the Lord out of all Nations ver 20. this is added in the next Verse I will also take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. Observe it there shall be Priests and Levites taken from the
them in the least none but God could alter them who designed to do so in due time for he intended those Mosaick Precepts should continue to such a certain period of time and no longer These Words of Ieremiah are very observable Chap. 3. 16. It shall come to pass in those days saith the Lord they shall say no more the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind neither shall they remember it neither shall they visit it neither shall it be magnified any more i. e. The Mosaick Rites and External Ceremonies of the Law shall not be in request as they were before Men shall not prize and value them as they used to do yea they shall lay the use of them aside but this they must not do till they have Authority from God And God revealed to the Prophet Daniel that he would alter the Law after a certain Revolution of Years The Messias shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease Dan. 9. 27. But it was unalterable in respect of the Jews themselves 3. The Promises and Predictions in the Old Testament which are very many concerning the perpetual Duration of Ierusalem and the Temple and the Iewish Worship and their Polity and Government are to be understood of the Perpetuity of the Church of Christ and his spiritual Kingdom And to this purpose you may observe that in the Writings of the Old Testament where the Times of the Gospel are foretold the Evangelical Worship and Service of God are set forth by sacrificing and other the like Observances commanded in Moses's Law By the Ritual Worship of the Jews is express'd the reasonable and spiritual Service of the Gospel and by those Expressions which seem to denote the Perpetuity of the former the Duration of the latter is signified and ascertained to us This is a most certain Truth and the observing of it will lead us to a right understanding of a great number of Texts which speak of the Iewish Laws and Government as if they were to continue for ever without any Limitation and Restriction We are to know that those places especially the Prophesies in Isaiah concerning the glorious things that shall befal Ierusalem and the Iews are to be interpreted of the State of the Christian Church they are to be understood of the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias and the Times of the Gospel Sacrifices and the Temple signify Spiritual Oblations and the Gospel-Church for the Evangelical Prophet is to be understood in an Evangelical Sense The Angels Words concerning Christ in Luke 1. 32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the House of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end are a plain Comment on all those places in the Old Testament where the Perpetuity of the Mosaick Laws and the Jewish Oeconomy and Government is promis'd They shew that they are all meant of Christ and his Kingdom i. e. his Church both here and hereafter which was prefigured by David's Kingdom From what this Heavenly Messenger saith here we learn that the Prophesies concerning the endless continuance of the Throne of David of raising up to 〈◊〉 David their King Jer. 30. 9. of raising up the Tabernacle of David Am. 9. 11. of God's setting up his Servant David Ezek. 34. 23. are all accomplish'd in Christ. And indeed the Jewish Commentators themselves acknowledg that the Messias is often stiled David in these and other Prophesies of the Old Testament nor are they backward to confess that by David's Throne and Kingdom is meant the Messias's Government as is plain from Psal. 132. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 12. 1 Chron. 22. 10. where God promised David that Christ should sit on his Throne which is taken notice of and applied not only in the forenam'd place in St. Luke but in Acts 2. 30. For Christ is represented by David and the Evangelical Dispensation is express'd in Terms which relate to the Iewish Administration and Government So that it is no wonder this is said to be for ever for it shall last to the end of the World and afterwards Christ shall reign in the Kingdom of Glory to eternal Ages This if duly considered cannot but yield a satisfactory Answer to the foregoing Objection as well as give light to several Prophesies of the Old Testament But here it will be asked where hath God formally abrâ—gated the Ceremonial Law of the Jews I answer it is not necessary he should do this for the Law ceaseth when the Reason of it ceaseth Now the Reason of the Câ—râ—monial Law and all its Observances was chiâ—fly to prefigure Christ and the Gospel of which he was the Institutor and therefore they are now ceased Christ being come of whom they were but Figures and Shadows The Abrogation then of those Mosaick Rites wherein the Religion of the Iews was placed may be proved by this one Argument viz. that Christ was designed by the legal Rites that the Ceremonial Law was a Prefiguration of the Gospel-Dispensation Here it might be shew'd that the Evangelical Oeconomy was prefigured by certain Persons as Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Ioseph Melchisedec about the last of whom the Author to the Hebrews spends a whole Chapter these were Typical Persons as well as Moses and Ioshua and some others afterwards And not only Persons but Things were Typical as the Pillar of a Cloud the Red Sea the Manna and the Rock which two last were Symbols of the Evangelical Sacraments the Eucharist and Baptism 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 c. and the lifting up of the brazen Serpent signified Christs Crucifixion Iohn 3. 14. But if I should speak of those that are properly Legal Rites and Vsages it is yet further evident that they were Representations of our Saviour and of the grand things of the Gospel As for Sacrifices I have treated of them already and made it appear that they foresignified the expiatory Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. As for the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances of it I have particularly display'd their Typical Nature and how they all pointed to this Dispensation I am now speaking of I might proceed to make this good concerning the Ceremonious Washings and Purifications under the Law that they typified some greater Purity they signified the Spiritual cleansing and sanctifying of the Soul and the abstaining from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit The Apostle acquaints us that the difference of Meats and Drinks observing of a Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Days were a shadow of things to come but the Body of this Shadow is Christ Col. 2. 16 17. The Truth the Solidity the Substance are to be sought for in some higher things than those were even in Christ Jesus and in the Benefits of the Gospel Yea he tells us that the whole Mosaick Law is but a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10. 1. All the things contained in it are but rude
and imperfect Delineations of that compleat Frame of Religion which the Messias was to introduce This was the thing designed all along the Ritual and Ceremonial Law with all its external Rites tended to this pure and uncorrupted Model of Religion It was appointed that the Law should adumbrate the Gospel that that Oeconomy should prefigure this Therefore the Apostle saith the Law was our School-master to bring us to Christ which shews the inferiour Nature of the Law and that it was to indure but for a time for the Authority of a School-master over those whom he teacheth is but Temporary The legal Pedagogy was to cease and Christ was to be the end of the Law to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. It is then evident from the Premises that the Iewish Law is disannul'd for when the Reason of a Law ceases that is sufficient to change the Law because as it commenced upon Reason so when that is taken away the Law it self is abolish'd also This is the present Case the Ceremonial Rites and Types were designed to represent and foresignify Christ and the Evangelical Benefits Wherefore Christ being come and having brought with him those Benefits the former mystical Representations and Figures ought to have a Period So that the Reason and Occasion of these Ceremonious Observances being removed this is sufficient to repeal and reverse those Laws especially when you consider that Christ's Miracles of which I shall speak afterwards were plain Evidences of God's Intention to repeal the Law But to close this Point we are not destitute of a Formal Abrogation of the Jewish Laws for such we may justly reckon our Saviour's Words to be in Iohn 4. 21 23. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth Where first he acquaints us that the publick Worship of God shall not be restrain'd to one particular place which very thing is a cancelling of the Mosaick Law which gave Directions chiefly concerning the Temple-Worship They shall not saith he be confined to Mount Gerizim where the Samaritans had fix'd the Seat of their worshipping or to Mount Ephraim in Samaria where Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle and Ark rested from the beginning of Ioshua's time till Samuel nor shall they be confined to Ierusalem whither the Tabernacle was afterwards brought and at length converted into a Temple nor in any other place exclusively shall Men worship God but every Place and Country shall be alike and God shall have Worshippers in every part of the World This utterly makes void the Iewish Ceremonial Service which was tied to a certain place And our Saviour adds this which doth yet further evacuate it that the Worship under the Gospel must be in Spirit and Truth in contradistinction to the legal Worship which was made up of carnal Ordinances and mere Shadows and Types which were but Representations of that which is true and real Thus he plainly erases and abolishes the Mosaick Service and calls those that worship God in the Evangelical Manner the true Worshippers Again the greatest part of the Epistle to the Hebrews is a direct and downright repealing of it Nay we want not the formal Words of Abrogation as in Heb. 7. 18 19. There is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before i. e. the Legal and Iudaical Oeconomy which he calls a carnal Commandment ver 16. for the Weakness and Unprofitableness thereof for the Law made nothing perfect Here is an express disannulling of the Mosaick Law And moreover the Reason of it is rendred viz. because it was weak and imperfect and had little Power to amend and reform Mens Lives You will find it also formally repeal'd in Heb. 8. 7 8 13. where the Apostle treating of the Old and New Covenant by which he means the Law and the Gospel as I have before shew'd he thus concludes If the first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have ben sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith Behold the Days come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant c. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first Old Now that which decayeth and waxeth Old is ready to vanish away or according to the Greek it is near to vanishing Certainly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaks as much if not more than Abrogating And in another plâ—ce where he speaketh of the legal Worship which consisteth chiefly in Sacrifices and Offerings for Sin and not in inward Holiness and sincere doings of God's Will which is the Evangelical Service he applieth the Psalmist's or rather our Saviour's words Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not Then said I Lo I come to do thy Will this is infer'd that he taketh away the first that he may establish the second i. e. the Messias abolisheth the Iudaical Service that the may set up and perpetuate the Evangelical one It can then be no longer questioned whether the Iewish Law was abrogated and that in formal and express Terms Those carnal Ordinances as the Apostle speaks Heb. 9. 10. were imposed upon them only until the time of Reformation i. e. of the Gospel When that came they were made void null and dead And this Epistle to the Hebrews seems to be the Sermon which St. Paul preached at their Funeral or the Office of Burial on that occasion Here is Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust a fatal Period put to the Iudaical Rites the Law interred and intombed never to rise again but the Gospel springs out of those Ashes a new and a more noble Dispensation succeeds in its room And thus I have abundantly proved what I undertook that the Law of Moses consisting in Ceremonies was not to continue but was in time to be nulled and dissolved and that by the coming of Christ they are accordingly nulled dissolved and abrogated Hitherto I have in a more remote manner proved the Certainty and Authority of the Evangelical Oeconomy and consequently of Christianity it self But now I will approach nearer and proceed to a more positive and particular Proof of the Authority of the Gospel-Dispensation Christ succeeds Moses the Gospel follows the Law but quo jure There must be as great Testimony for the one as there was for the other or else it cannot be received on good Grounds Let us see then how this Dispensation will acquit it self There are two kinds of Evidence Humane and Divine the Testimony of Man and the Testimony of God The first creates a humane Faith the second a divine one in us Both of these we have in the present Matter First we are furnished with Humane Testimony i. e. we are assured of the Truth of the Christian Religion by a sufficient number of credible Persons who have been either Ear or Eye-witnesses or both of all the Transactions relating to
they the Negative Paracelsus philosophically attributes this Resuscitation to the mixture of a certain heat in the corrupted dead Matter as Frogs saith he are generated of Slime by the heat of the Sun This is his Blasphemous Nonsense which all Men of sober Reason deride and unanimously acknowledg that the restoring of the dead to Life is an Act of Supernatural and Divine Power and that the Key of the Grave as the Jews say belongs to God only And now to approach towards our Saviours Death a little before which he repeated that Act which he had once before done i. â— the driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple which may be justly reckoned amongst his Miracles for he could not have expell'd so many Men out of that place which they had made the place of their Merchandize and Gain without an extraordinary and omnipotent Arm. And by the same Almighty Power he struck to the Ground those that came to apprehend him Afterwards when he was on the Cross he converted one of the Thieves even just before his leaving the World which was a Miracle and a great one At the same time he caused a miraculous Eclipsâ— for it must be reckon'd as such because it happen'd not after the natural and usual way which is by the Moons interposing between the Sun and the Earth which falls out only in the New Mâ—on whereas when Christ suffered it was Fâ—ll Moon viz. the 15 th Day of the Month Nisan the Passover-day And at his Death the Earth quaked the Veil of the Temple was rent asunder the Graves â—ere open'd and the dead arose which was the forerunner of our Saviour's Resurrection which followed soon after He that raised others raised himself from the dead the third Day which was a Confirmation of all his former Miracles And after he had visibly convers'd with his Disciples for a time he ascended up to Heaven and convey'd himself through all the Regions of the upper World even to the Mansions of Glory These were some of the Miracles of our Saviour But there were innumerable more which are not recorded which occasioned that great Hyperbole used in Iohn 21. ult Indeed Christ did so many and so great Miracles that the Unbelief and Obstinacy of the Iews notwithstanding all of them may seem to be as great a Wonder and Prodigy as any thing that happen'd Secondly the Apostles as well as our Saviour himself exerted many Miracles the holy Spirit being sent to them according to Christ's Promise to inable them to do them â—hey cured all manner of diseased Persons that were brought before them yea they could cure at a distance and by proxy By St. Peter's Shadow and St. Paul's Handkerchief a sanative Virtue was conveyed to the Sick and their Diseases departed from them Acts 15. 15. Acts 19. 12. This was a Gift which was equally wonderful and useful by virtue whereof Maladies were cured without any cost and the poor Patient needed not to fear a Relapse soon after from the sight of an Apothecary's Bill If it be objected that St. Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick 2 Tim. 4. 20. and he cured not Timothy of his weak Stomach without drinking Wine 1 Tim. 5. 23. Therefore the Apostles had no absolute Gift of healing I answer 1. The Gift of healing was for the Confirmation of the Truth and for the Conversion of Heathens rather than for the recovering of Christians and therefore it is no wonder that they could not work this Miracle always and that some were heal'd not all 2. Miracles were not designed to make Men immortal on Earth Sicknesses and Diseases were not always to be cured for then none should die But it was sufficient that sometimes the Power of Healing was exerted that thereby it might be seen that the Apostles were inabled from Heaven and that a divine Power went along with them But it pleased God that at ordinary times Diseases should be cured by the use of Means and that an extraordinary Power should not be made use of 3. Those very Instances or any the like are a great Proof that God bore witness to the Apostles for hence it appeared that this Power was at Gods pleasure and disposal and not at their own they could not do what they pleased there was a certain Limitation which shews it was absolutely a divine and supernatural Power by which they healed Diseases Again another miraculâ—uâ— and extraordinary Gift confer'd on the Primitive Church to corroborate the Truth of Christianity and to convince the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles was speaking with diverse Tongues which was more especially serviceable to this end because hereby they could be understood by Persons of diverse Countries and Languages and so by this Means the Propagation of the Gospel was further'd Thus by the same way by which the building of the Tower of Bâ—bâ—l was hindred did the Apostles afterwards pull down the strong Holds of Satan and build up the Christian Church Of this extraordinary Gratuity the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12. 10. To another saith he 〈◊〉 given diverse kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues i. e. one had the Ability to speak strange Languages and another was enabled to interpret them and make them intelligible So that it seems these two Gifts did not always concur in the same Person at least at this time in the Câ—rintâ—ian Church But however they were both of them the effects of a supernatural Power And by this Miraculous way the Apostles frequently dispossessed Devils who in those days tormented the Bodies as well as Souls of Men. They had power also to raise the dead which was seen in St. Peter's raising of Dorcas Nay the Miracles which the Apostles did were greater than Christ's and so he himself had promised Iohn 14. 12. He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater Works then these shall he do The Apostles were able to speak strange Languages which they never learn'd a Miracuâ—ous Gift which our Saviour never exerted thâ— he could But this is the main Reason why the Wonders which the Apostles wrought are said to be greater than those of our Saviour because they were more large and extensive they were done in all parts of the World where the Apostles preach'd Besides the Fruit and Eâ—â—ect of them were greater their Converts were more numerous they won by them far greater Multitudes of Souls to the Christian Faith Thus you have a shoâ—t account of the various Miracles both of Christ and his Apostles 2. â— am to shew that these Miracles of our Saviour and his Apostles were really true and not counterfeit Miracles Here I have two things to do 1. To shew you what are true Miracles and how they differ from ralse ones 2. To prove that the Miracles of our Saviour and his Followers were such First Let us enquire into the true Nature of a Miracle These are the five grand Properties of it 1. It is
all malicious and mischievous purposes They were plain honest Men who did not these things for vain Gloty and Applause for Credit and Repute in the World not out of Pride Arrogance or Ostentation And it is as clear that they did not act for worldly Gain and Profit otherwise they would not have left all and followed Christ. It is to be consider'd also that the Persons who wrought these Miracles were Just and Charitable Holy and Good Men and even by the confession of their Enemies they lived well and were of exact Conversations whereas false Boasters of Miracles were infamous for some Vice or other and by this it might be known and discerned that they were Cheats Thus from the consideration of the Manner and Circumstances of the Miracles recorded to have been done in the New Testament and likewise of the Ends and Designs of them and of the Quality of the Persons who did them we may conclude that they were True and Real Miracles Thus you may distinguish between the Wonders wrought by the Infernal Spirits Magicians Antichrist and all sorts of Impostors and those Wonders and Miracles which were done by Christ and by his Apostles and other Christians in the next succeeding Ages of Christianity Thus you may know the former to be Lies and Forgeries and the latter to be the sole effects of Divine Power By virtue of the Premises we may also correct the Lies and Blasphemies of those Wretches who have defamed the Miracles of Christ and his Followers The Pharisees could not deny the Miracles themselves and so afterwards Porphyrius Celsus Hierocles Trypho Iulian did not deny the Reality of those Miracles recorded by the Evangelists they confess'd the Matter of Fact and pretended not to boggle at it But tho they acknowledged these things to have been really done yet they maliciously calumniated them It was most impiously said by the Pharisees in our Saviour's time that he did his Miracles by Belzebub the Prince of the Devils And it hath been ever since constantly affirmed by the Iews that Christ wrought those great things by Magick Art Or others of them to mitigate this attribute his working of Miracles to the Cabalistick Art for they hold that in the Hebrew Letters Points Accents Numbers Names the signification of the greatest things is contained even the Nature of all things Divine and Human By this all Wonders are wrought Moses and Elias and Elisha did all by virtue of this Hebrew words include in them all Proprieties of things and those that are skill'd can tell all things by them especially the knowledg of the Virtue of the Tetragrammaton is effectual to produce the greatest Wonders in the World and by the Power of that Name Christ they say did all his Miracles The Calumny of Pagans against Christ's Miracles was something like this as we learn from an Antient Writer who acquaints us that the sense of the Heathens was that Christ was a Sorcerer and performed all by clandestine Arts that he stole from the Mysteries of the Egyptians the Names of some powerful Angels and made use of the most abstruse and mystical Rites of that People for the effecting of his Miracles Celsus as we learn from Origen against him attributed the Apostles Miracles to Magick and pretended that they had Magical Books from Christ to that purpose Iulian declared that St. Paul was the most skilful Magician that ever was and St. Peter according to him was addicted to that Art as we are informed by Cyril of Alexandria Books 3 9. Vaninus Pomponatius Cardan and others Atheistically disposed impeach not Christ of Diabolical Magick for perhaps they holding no God deny all Devils but they declare that his Miracles were done by natural Magick Some imputed the Miracles of the Apostles and other Christians to the force of their Imagination to their exalted Fancy Thus Avicenna a great Arabian Philosopher and Physician was of the opinion that an Intense Thinking operated all At other times they assert that Christ wrought all his Miracles by the virtue of the Stars and the Heavenly Positions or by the Power of Herbs and Plants or of Precious Stones or by a particular Temper of his Body made to heal that is his Body was composed of some particular Ferments the effluvia whereof restored the Temperament of debilitated parts envigorated the Blood dissipated all heterogeneous Ferments and so the Cure was wrought But any unbiassed Person may perceive that all these are mere Fetches and Artifices to give some colour to their Atheism and to uphold their obstinate prejudices against the Divinity of Christ and the Authority of the Christian Religion For from what hath been said before it is evident that the Miracles mention'd in the New Testament surpass all finite Power not only that of Man but of all other Creatures And therefore it is plain that the wonderful Things by which Christ did prove his Divinity and the Truth of the Christian Religion they being Works not only above but against Nature and consequently are not effected by a created Being And as for those who ascribe Christ's Miracles to Diabolical Magick our Saviour himself hath answer'd them long ago Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his Kingdom stand Mat. 12. 25 26. Christ as appeared by his Doctrine and all his Actions design'd the overthrow of Satan's Kingdom therefore it cannot be believ'd that Satan would joyn with Christ to ruin himself which certainly he must do if he helped him to work Miracles which were the great Confirmation of the Christian Religion Besides Magical Cures and other such Operations were always done with Charms and Spells with the use of Herbs and Drugs with much Ceremony and ridiculous Words and Actions But our Saviour's Miracles were effected without any of these they were simply and plainly performed which evidenceth that they were no Magical Prizes It might be added that Diabolical Wonders do not use to be done by Men of Holy and Godly Lives who are Enemies to the Devil and all his Works And such was our Blessed Master and such were his Apostles therefore it is impossible that their Miracles should be from a Diabolical Power and that they should do those Wonders by familiarity with Evil Spirits The cursed Daemons will never help and favour such Persons as they were The other Objections and Cavils scarcely even according to the judgment of some Persons who are no Friends of Miracles deserve any Reply All sober Men who are not affected with the Dreams and Dotages of the Iews look upon the pretence of the Hebrew Alphabet or even of the Tetragrammaton as a mere Sham as having no shew of Reason or probability to support it For to say that Christ turn'd Water into Wine by the help of some Constellation or that St. Peter was enabled by the Stars to walk safely upon the Waves are assertions that are
concerning Christ and his Kingdom The Seal is set upon them there are no other Visions or Prophecies of this nature to be look'd for afterwards From all which it appears that the Evangelical Dispensation is the last of all We have now the perfectest Edition of God's Will and we must look after no other Thus Tertullian acquaints us that this was the great and prevailing Rule among the Christians No more is ever to be believed by us than what is now deliver'd to us by Christ and his Apostles We have all our Belief given us God's whole Will is set down You see how divine Providence hath as it were gone about in the several former Ages of the World it hath been all along upon the Reserve The times before Christ were more or less moving and growing on to Christianity they all the while look'd toward this and were Ushers to it to prepare the way But when our Saviour came he sell closely to the business without any further ambages he alone had the honour to lay open and revâ—al all those things which were before hidden to set those things streight which were before dubious to give us a full discovery of those things which we had but a taste of and to set before our eyes those Mysteries and Truths which were but told us before as that Faâ—her speaks Therefore they think not aright of the Gospel Dispensation who pretend to bring Tidings of a New Edition of Religion who talk of New Lights but despise Old Truths They are vain Men and intend nothing but Imposture who hoise up Sail for the Discovery of an unknown Continent some new Plantation in Religion We must expect no Columbus to discover new Worlds and Treasures to us of that kind Our Religion hath been profess'd in the World very near seventeen Centuries of Years and it is still the same and will never be superannuated and out of Date but will continue to the end of all things for it is the Top and Flower the Crown and Perfection of all Divine Institutions it is the most Consummate Administration of all that ever were in the World and for that Reason it is the Last Revelation that God will make to Mankind But altho this be the Last Dispensation yet there are great Varieties in it which brings me to the next thing I propounded CHAP. XVIII The several Ages of Christianity It was in its Infancy in our Saviour's time The Apostles knew little concerning his Sufferings and his Resurrection The effusion of the Holy Spirit was but mean in respect of what it was afterwards The Church was in its Childhood in the times immediately after our Saviour There are no Errors and Mistakes in the Writings of the New Testament Some necessary Points of Christianity deliver'd in the Apostolical Epistles that are not in the Gospels and Acts. Some relicks of Judaism remain'd in the Apostles times An Explication of the Decree of the Council at Jerusalem It is particularly proved that the Prohibition concerning the eating of Blood is not obligatory under the Gospel Yet in the first times of the Church many observed it The difference of Dispensations as to Abstinence from some sort of Food Judaism and Christianity were mingled together in the primitive Ages An enumeration of several Extraordinary Gifts that were in the Christian Church at first The Youth or riper Years of Christianity described The cessation of extraordinary Gifts argues the Progress and Growth of the Christian Church Miracles no part of this subordinate Dispensation The non-Appearance of Angels is a Proof of the Improvement of Christianity The usefulness and necessity of attending to the different Administrations of Religion especially the Christian. THe fourth and last thing I undertook was to shew you the several Degrees of this Evangelical Oeconomy This Gospel Period which began at Christ's Coming and continues to the end of the World hath four distinct Partitions which differ much from one another 1. The primitive Partition or Period which is past 2. The Period ensuing that which is now present And there are two Periods yet to come I might divide them according to the several Ages of Man for there are as of Man so of the Christian Religion four distinct Ages It had its Infancy and Childhood at Christ's first Coming and some years after its Youth since that to the present times It shall have its Manhood or full Strength which is to come in a short time we hope and there shall be the Old Age or Declension of Religion a little before the World's end I have not met with any Writers that have duly observ'd this Distinction in the Gospel Oeconomy the neglect of which hath caused several â—alse Notions about this Last Administration of Religion But the Inquisitive and thoughtful Reader will find that these things which I have suggested and shall now proceed to explain are absolutely necessary for the framing of a right Idea of the Evangelical Dispensation 1. I begin with the first and tender Years of Christianity in which are comprehended 1. The Time when our Saviour was on Earth 2. The Times which immediately succeeded that First it is evident that in the days of our Saviour the Christian Church was in her Infancy and Minority and that she was not grown up to a sufficient Knowledg and Understanding When Christ first preached concerning the Calling and Converting of the Gentiles Luke 13. 29. Mat. 22. 9 10. his Apostles and Disciples understood not his meaning They knew not that both Gentiles and Iews should be preach'd to under the Evangelical Dispensation and therefore afterwards St. Peter was convinced of it by no less than a particular Revelation Acts 10. 14. Even the Apostles were ignorant of the spiritual Kingdom of the Messias and look'd for an outwardly glorious and magnificent one When Christ told his Disciples as he was on his journey with them to to Ierusalem what grievous things he was to suffer they notwithstanding this Admonishment thought he was going thither to be made King and the Sons of Zebedee made their Suit to him by their Mother that they might have the first Place in the Kingdom which the other Apostles took ill Mat. 20. 20. Luke 19. 11. St. Peter the prime Apostle was ignorant of the Method of Man's Redemption by the Sufferings and Death of Christ which appears from this that he would fain have prevail'd with him to spare himself and not to suffer at Ierusalem Mat. 16. 22. And the rest of the Apostles were infected with the same common error and mistake They perswaded themselves that they should enjoy Halcyon Days and that their Master should be a very Great Earthly Prince You read therefore in Luke 18. 31. that when Christ spoke to them of his Passion they were at a loss they understood none of these things and this Saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken ver 34. In so great Darkness and Ignorance were
Christian Observances in the first Ages Tertullian who flourish'd in the beginning of the third Century frequently joins Christianity and Iudaism together and particularly in his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew he declares there is Salvation in both There were the Coelicolae mention'd in the Code those that worship'd God as he had commanded from Heaven i. e. according to the Precepts and Rites of the Mosaick Law and according to the Precepts of the Gospel for they held that Heaven i. e. God was the Author and Institutor of both and intended that both should be observed Thus the Mosaick Law and Ceremonies were a good while going off they gradually and gently vanish'd away for the Church was then but in its Childhood and was tenderly to be treated It is not to be denied that the Iewish Rites were nail'd with Christ to the Cross they died when he gave up the Ghost But tho they were dead and were of no efficacy yet Men were left free to use or not use them as they saw fit After their decease they were not presently buried but as one of the Fathers speaks were to have an honourable Interment In brief Iudaism staid some time with Christianity and then took its leave Here it must be observed in the next place that extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit were peculiar to this Period of the Christian Church which is a certain Argument of the weak State of it and that it had not outgrown its Childhood but that Knowledg and Faith were feeble in many and that Unbelief had wholly possessed others and there was need of some very great Power which was in those days exerted in a wonderful manner Among the extraordinary Endowments of the Holy Ghost which were then bestowed Prayer was one i. e. an infused and supernatural Gift of Prayer was given to the Apostles and primitive Christians which is call'd Praying with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. and those who were blessed with this singular Gratuity had Matter and Words dictated to them by a special Afflation or Inspiration from Heaven Prophesying was also after an extraordinary and supernatural manner as the fourteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians will inform us It was a Power to interpret and explain the darkest Scriptures to unriddle all sacred Mysteries to urge with great efficacy the Duties of Christianity on the Consciences of Men and sometimes to foretel Futurities of great Importance all which was effected by the immediate Influence of the Spirit This Gift expired soon after the second Century After which they tell us there is little or no mention of the Prophetick Spirit in the Christian Church To which perhaps that passage of the Apostle relates and is Prophetick even of the expiration of Prophecy 1 Cor. 13. 8. whether there be Prophecies they shall fail And as there were in the first Times inspired Prayers and Prophesyings so there were inspired Hymns which is call'd singing with the Spirit ver 15. But the working of strange and wonderful things above the Power of Nature which is most properly doing of Miracles was a great part of the Dispensation of those Days Not only the Apostles but their Followers in the Ages immediately succeeding were indued with this Power Hence Lucius King of this British Island hearing of strange things done by Christians in many places about the end of the second Century sent to Eleuâ—herius Bishop of Rome to receive the Christian Faith of him and was the first Christian King in the World From Iustin Marâ—yr Tertullian and Cyprian's Writings it is evident that Miracles were frequently wrought in the Church and these Persons appeal to them as things that were of common notice and could not be denied Gregory Bishop of Neocaesarea who lived in the third Century purchas'd the Title of Thaumatâ—rgâ—â— by the miraculous Acts which he did Even in the next Age Miracles were done by many as is testified by Ruffinus Theodoret and Sozomen From several passages in Chrysostom's Writings it may be gather'd that they ceas'd in his time more especially from his 32d Homily on St. Matthew where he replies to the Objections of the Pagans against the Christians viz. that they did not confirm their Doctrine by Miracles And so again in his 40 th Homily on the Acts he gives the Reason of the cessation of Miracles But tho he doth this he must be understood of the common and ordinary use of them for sometimes and rarely Miracles were wrought in that Age or else St. Augustin and other Fathers misrepresent those Times Particularly St. Augustin who lived in St. Chrysostom's time bears witness that Miracles were wrought at the Monuments of the Saints in those days But yet from this Father 's own words in another place we may gather that Miracles were then at an end in some parts of the Christian Church The short is this that for three or four hundred Years in one place or other Miracles were generally done in confirmation of the Christian Faith viz. as long as the Church was in her tender and childish Years And it may be observ'd further that there was a Power in the primitive Times bestow'd on the Church of punishing the Disobedient in a strange and dreadful manner viz. by inâ—â—icting suddeâ— Diseases nay Death it self sometimes upon Offenders as is evident in the Relation concerning Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. 1 c. And some such thing as this it is likely is meant by those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 done by the Apostâ—les Acts 2. 43. And indeed it was necessary that in those primitive Times they should have such a power of inflicting extraordinary Judgments on Criminals if you consider the state of things then for the Magistrates being at that time Heathens did not animadvert on those who offended against the Christian Laws on which account likewise the Condition of the Church was weak and low And it may be further observ'd that in order to this Gift or Ability of striking with bodily Maladies or Death those that were gross Offenders there was another Gift bestowed viz. Discerning of Spirits 1 Cor. 12. 10. by virtue of which the Apostles had an insight into the Secrets of Mens minds and could tell whether their hearts were right towards God Hereby it was that they could make a discrimination between true and counterfeit Professors of Christianity and thence accordingly receiv'd or rejected them and if they saw occasion punish'd the latter This was a requisite Gift in those days because it was suted to the nature of that Dispensation at that time wherein Christianity was not grown to any perfection and therefore there was need of these extraordinary Means to nourish and uphold it it wanted these adventitious Aids to support its weakness 2. The Christian Church proceeded from Childhood to Youth This is the Second subordinate Dispensation of the Gospel or the present Period we are now under This began when all the Legal Ceremonies and Jewish Observances
in order to the compleat enlarging of the Church to work Wonders But at present this way of Divine Attestation is unnecessary for Christians have sufficient Means with regard to all the ends of Religion and Salvation among themselves there is no need of any greater at present Nay the cessation of those extraordinary visible and sensible Means is an Argument of the meliority of our Condition Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed saith our Saviour Iohn 20. 29. The meaning is they are more blessed i. e. their Faith is more excellent and laudable and they shall have a greater Reward It is a more blessed and eligible State to believe without such forcible and violent Means than with them Other things might be here mention'd as under the Law and before that time there was scarce any thing done without the ministration of Angels so in the first times of the Gospel the Appearance of these glorious Spirits was common but after Christ's Ascension and to this very time the Church is a Stranger to this particular Dispensation and is not to expect the Attestation or Confirmation of any Truth in this Way The Reason is because the Scriptures of the New Testament being now given us that former way of Revelation which was a Sign of an imperfect and weak State now ceases There is no need of these Divine Admonitors seeing we have the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles which are a certain standing Rule and an infallible Direction to us And in several other particulars if it were requisite it might be shew'd that the State of Religion is alter'd and improved since our Saviour's time and the times after the Apostles And now in the close of this Head we cannot but take notice of the Usefulness and Necessity of attending to what hath been suggested concerning the different Administrations of Religion and particularly of the Christian. We cannot frame right thoughts concerning the Nature and Model of it unless we carefully observe the several Degrees and various Modifications of it before mention'd for tho there be the same general Dispensation yet there is an Alteration as to the particular Scenes of it That which we are under at present differs much from those which were in the first and early Ages of Christianism and therefore it is unreasonable to require now the very same things in the Church of Christ that were then There are some sober and well meaning Persons that attending not to this perswade themselves that there ought to be as to every particular the same Face of Administrations at present that there was at first and thence they look to the primitive State of the Church and examine every thing by that But this is not right for there hath been a Change of things in the Christian Church and this Change was by the particular Superintendency and Disposal of the Divine Providence and supreme Director Hence it is that we are not to expect that all things should be now as they were in the Beginning God himself having been pleas'd to alter the Dispensation in part Let us then remember the particular Division of the Oeconomy we are under and let us be concern'd to do what is fitting and proper to it and thereby we shall help to promote and hasten the next and better one which I am now to speak of CHAP. XIX That Christianity shall arrive to Manhood or Full Age is proved by several Arguments 1. God's Method in the World 2. The Low ebb of Christianity hitherto 3. The number of those that perish 4. The gradual Improvement of all Arts and Sciences The several Objections concerning the Decay and Senescency of the World made use of by Jewish Pagan and Christian Writers fully answer'd That the World decaies not as to Learning and Arts is made good from the Improvements of Navigation the Inventions of Gun-powder and Guns of Printing of Clocks and Watches the preparing of Sugar the Advances in Anatomy and Physick Astronomy Arithmetick Chymistry Mechanicks the Stile of Writers It is congruous to the Divine Providence and Wisdom that Religion also should have its Improvements as well as Arts and Sciences and accordingly it hath been greatly advanc'd and increas'd by the Reformation From the Increase it hath had already we may gather that there will be farther Accessions afterwards The virile and complete State of the Christian Church prov'd from several places of Scripture Mat. 24. 3. 19. 28. Acts 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19. 20. Heb. 2. 5. 9. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 3. 8. From those divers Texts that we meet with in the Old Tastament which make mention of the Kingdom and Reigning of the Messias A five-fold acception of the Kingdom of Christ in the New Testament The 1 Cor. 15. 25. urged The Millenary Reign The rise of the Antient Opinions about it It is proved that Christ shall not Personally reign upon Earth The deceased Saints shall not rise again to reign with him here What is meant by the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus What is to be understood by their living and reigning with Christ. Two late Writers take it in a literal Sense but without any ground Who are the rest of the Dead that lived not again What are the first and second Resurrection The Reign of Christ a thousand Years is to be upon Earth By a thousand Years we are to understand a certain and definite Number Some Opinions concerning the Beginning and End of the thousand Years refuted Mr. Brightman's odd Fancy rejected We have had some Fore-runners and previous Pledges of the millenary Kingdom Mr. Medes's Opinion which joins Christ's Reign and the Day of Iudgment together consider'd THe â—â—ird and most eminent Part of the Evangelical Oeconomy is that which I call'd the Manhood or full Age of the Christian Church Before I enter upon the Description of this I will give you some account of the Truth and Reality of such a State by shewing that Christianity shall arrive to a greater Heighth and Perfection than it is at present It is very observable what one of the Antient Writers who was a great Judg of the Nature and Genius of Christianity saith of this matter The Vnderstanding Knowledg and Wisdom of single Persons as well as of whole â—odies of every individual as well as of Churches in general shall hugely increase and be exceedingly advanced according to the gradual Successions of Times and Ages But as he explains himself this Proficiency shall be in the same kind in the same Perswasions in the same Sense and Iudgment so that the Christian Faith shall still remain the same as to its Substance tho it shall be much better explain'd and known than it is noâ— And he uses the same comparison that I haâ—e expres'd this matter by for he distinguishes between the younger and the riper Years of Christianity he holds the former to be the first Ages of the Gospel the
comprised in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Time of Reformation mentioned by the same Apostle Heb. 9. 10. for he uses this Expression with reference not only to the Mosaick Law which was to be corrected and retrenched but in regard of the Gospel itself which was designed to amend and reform the World and to set it right Now this was not to be a Mock-Reformation but it was to be to Purpose and throughly to be carried on which I call the Heighth and Perfection of the Evangelical Dispensation This may have been signified when St. Paul would have the Corinthians and with them all Christians in future Ages wait for the Revelation of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 17. And when St. Peter exhorted the Converted Iews whom he wrote to and with them all holy Men in succeeding Times to hope for the Grace that is to be brought unto them at the Revelation of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. He had been speaking in the foregoing Verses of the former Dispensations in the Church of God together with the Evangelical one which was then present and now he acquaints them that there is to be a higher Degree of this last Dispensation The Time shall come when the Effects and Fruits of the Gospel shall be more Conspicuous and Eminent when the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation shall produce greater Things in the World to the Astonishment of all the Enemies of the Church and to the Amazement even of Holy Christians themselves This is the Revelation of Iesus Christ. This last Condition of the Church is also expressed by New Heavens and a New Earth 2 Pet. 3. 13. For this is the Style of the Evangelical Prophet Isa. 65. 17. 66. 22. where by New Heavens and a New Earth he sets forth the State of the Gospel and therefore the Heighth of it deserves these Titles much more Whence it is probable that this is the New Heaven and the New Earth which St. Iohn saw Rev. 21. 1. For it is observable that he frequently makes use of the same Expressions and Phrases which are found in the Prophetical Writers And though it is true some Learned Expositors understand this New Heaven and New Earth in the Revelation of St. Iohn concerning the Church Triumphant the State of the Blessed in Heaven yet if any â—an narrowly scans this Chapter he will not be backward to acknowlâ—dge that this can't be the Meaning of it For the New Heaven and the Nâ—w Earth are the same with the Holy City the New Ierusalem in the same Chapter into which the Kings of the Earth bring their Glory and Hâ—nour ver 24. they come with all their Honourable Retinue to submit to the Scepter of Iesus to own themselves his Converts and they are ambitious to be Members of this Glorious Church upon Earth Next I will produce those Plaâ—es of Scripture where this Full and Final Settlement of the â—hristian Church in the last Times of the Gospel is call'd a Kingdom and set forth by Reigning It is not to be question'd that David's Temporal Kingdom was a Type and Earnest of this And those sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 3. are the Faithful Promises made by God to David concerning the Messias and his Kingdom which are not yet fully accomplished and therefore are to be in this Reigâ— of Christ which I am speaking of Of this we often read in the Prophet Daniel as in Chap. 2. ver 44. In the Days of those Kings viz. the Monarchs mentioned in the Verses before among whom 〈◊〉 was one under whom Christ was born shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed That is Christ's Kingdom then began to be erected which afterwards shall more eminently deserve that Name viz. when it shall arrive to its Perfection It is said here expresly that it shall break in pieces all these Kingdoms that is the Four Monarchies Of which we are further ascertain'd in the next Verse for Christ 〈◊〉 is that Stone which was cut out of the Mountains without Hands and was to break in pieces the Iron the Brass the Clay the Silver and the Gold This Famous Stone was to beat down all the Four Metals Christ was to destroy the Four Monarchies that is when these cease Christ's Kingdom immediately succeeds It is true it did succeed in part when the Pagan Roman Empire expired and so in some measure this Prophecy was fulfilled but there shall be a more illustrious and eminent Succession than this upon the compleat expiring of the Fourth General Monarchy Wherefore when we see this quite at an end we may conclude that Christ's Reign approacheth i. e. that the happy Condition of the Christian Church in this World draws near This Fourth Monarchy the Roman is now wearing off being translated to the Germans it is but a meer Name and Title The Wings of this Imperial Eagle have been plucked its Plumes are fallen its Feathers are gone its whole Body almost consumed Rome itself and Italy are not so much as the poor Remains at this Day of the Roman Empire This Image is now on its last Legs and those are infirm for the Holy Spirit tells us that the Feet are of Clay and Iron which Two Materials will not well cement and hold together long Therefore another State of Things is approaching viz. the Fifth Monarchy or Empire here prophesied of the Reign of Christ Jesus here on Earth or which is the same a more illustrious Manifestation of Christianity a more Visible and Glorious Displaying of its Vertue and Power than ever yet was in the World Of this Kingdom of the Son of Man you have another express Prediction in Dan. 7. 14. There was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroy'd Again ver 22. The Time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Agreeably to what was said ver 18. The Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever This Kingdom is again delineated ver 27. There is a great Number of Texts in Isaiah Ieremiaâ— Ezekiel and the Lesser Prophets which speak of this Kingdom of the Messias but they are it is true generally interpreted by Expositors of Christ's Coming in the Flesh and the prevailing of the Gospel afterwards and even to this very Day but they are not thought by them to reach any further This I conceive is a Mistake from the narrow Thoughts which Men are apt to have of those great Things spoken of by the Prophets which we shall find upon diligent comparing of Things to have a very large and comprehensive Meaning Most of the Prophetick Expressions of this Nature have reference not only to the first Times of the Gospel and these at present but to those that are to come Ultimately and completely and in their highest
is likely Christ may appear in the Skies with an amazing Splendor and Glory to these gazing Spectators I conceive he may Personally Appear above though he will not Reign Personally on Earth After he hath shew'd himself he soon retreats and remains in Heaven till the Last and Final Day Mr. Mede who once thought that our Saviour would make a visible Appearance in the Clouds in order to the Jews Conversion afterwards retracted this Opinion as may be seen in one of his Letters because there is no good Foundation for it viz. in Mat 24. 30. which he had formerly quoted for that purpose But whether there is any Foundation for such an Apprehension in that Place of Daniel I leave to the Reader to judge I only offer'd it as probable but am perswaded that no Man can Absolutely determine any Thing in this Case and therefore he is very presumptuous that attempts it Chap. XXI Universal Righteousness is another Attendant of this Last Dispensation An Objection doubly answered It is not a Sinless State Greater Knowledge than ever shall be at that Time Religion shall then appear in its Native Purity The Influence of the Holy Spirit on Mens Lives shall be more effectual than formerly Jesus shall in a more eminent Manner be exalted Other Fruits of this happy Reign How these great Things shall be wrought Civil Magistrates shall be made use of Christ's Reign is not inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Rulers shall be Instruments in this great Work All Persons are some Ways capable of promoting it Universal Peace is another Blessing that attends this Kingdom of Christ. On what account it must needs be so Scripture attests it An Objection obviated A Concurrence of all manner of Temporal Blessings in this happy State More especially Bodily Health and Long Life Also a vast Increase of the Poeple of that Time The Savage Brates shall become Tame and Gentle These Earthly Blessings are but Appendages of this Dispensation They are Inconsiderable in respect of the Divine Blessings which constitute this State The Author's Doubtings and Reluctancies He is not positive as to Particular Circumstances He cannot determine concerning the Fore-runners of this Revolution The Freedom which he uses in a Point that is highly Probable He follows not some late Writers in assigning the particular Time when the Millennary Reign shall commence The punctual Date is not to be known The Thing discoursed of is certain though the Time as to us is not so The Degeneracy of the present Times is no obstacle to this The Author leaves a Testimony of his Wishes and Desires HAving spoken of Three of the Grand Concomitants of the Reign of Christ I proceed now to the Fourth which is Vniversal Righteousness and Holiness You might have observed that in some of those Places of Scripture which I alledged to evince the Future calling of the Jews and Gentiles and you may observe in several others besides which speak of this happy Revolution and the consummation of the Messias's Kingdom that there is some mention all along made of the Holiness which shall abound in that Time This is reckon'd among the Blessings of Christ's Kingdom in several Places of the Prophetick Writings Thy People shall be all Righteous Isa. 60. 21. I will sprinkle clean Water upon you and ye shall be clean Ezek. 36. 25. I will save you from your Uncleanness ver 29. which is the same with cleansing them from their Iniquities ver 33. They shall not defile themselves any more with their detestable Things or any of their Transgressions Ezek. 37. 23. In those Days HOLINESS TO THE LORD must be engraved on the Bells of the Horses Zech. 14. 20. There shall be such a Catholick Reformation that every Thing even the meanest and commonest shall share in it We find it to be the Office of the Messias to bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. 24. not only that of his Own whereby we are to be justified but an Inherent one in our selves though produced by the Holy Spirit whereby we are sanctified If it be said that this and some of the other Texts refer to those Times which are past viz. when Christ came in the Flesh or when the Apostles made so many Converts to our Holy Religion or even to the present Times of the Gospel and therefore they have no respect to what is to come I answer That the Consequence is not valid for though these Prophecies were partly and initially fulfilled before yet it doth not follow thence that they shall not be Completely fulfilled hereafter I grant that they are in part come to pass for there never was more Holiness than since the Rise of the Gospel but I assert withal that the Full Accomplishment is yet behind for there shall be a larger Effusion of Holiness in the ensuing Dispensation Or the former Answer which I gave in the like Case may be Satisfactory here viz. that this kind of Prophetick Passages have a Double Meaning and therefore must have a Double Accomplishment Many of these Predictions which foretold what should be at Christ's first setting up the Kingdom of the Gospel do also foretel what shall happen at his Coming in the Millennium This is a safe way of interpreting those Place and giving an Account of those Prophecies yea this solves the Difficulties which occur in this Controversy This is no groundless Notion but built upon the Interpretation of Scripture dictated by the Holy Ghost himself as I have proved in another Discourse where I have shew'd that this is the peculiar Excellency of the Sacred Writings to have a First and a Second or if you will a Direct and a Collateral Meaning which we find in no other Books whatsoever that are Historical This is applicable here those Passages in the Prophets concerning an extraordinary Measure of Sanctity and Righteousness are to be understood not only of the Primitive Times of Christianity but more especially of those that shall be towards the latter end of the World viz. in the Blessed Reign of Christ. It is not to be doubted but that the Prophetick Words reach to these Two times so that they are fulfilled twice In the Sacred Writings not only different Persons and Things but different Times and Seasons are contain'd in the same Words And as this Holiness of the future State on Earth is foretold in the Holy Scriptures so it naturally follows from what hath been said before For when Babylon shall fall and the Mystery of Iniquity with it when those whose grand Design and Business it was to extirpate the Purity of Religion shall themselves be rooted out when both Iews and Gentiles shall universally abandon their evil Opinions and wicked Practices and jointly set themselves to the Study of God's Will and the observance of their Duty you cannot but think there will follow upon this an Universal Sanctity in the World I do not mean a Sinless State for this is so like
Christ's coming were acquainted with but these Precepts and Duties are chiefly the result of the Evâ—ngelical Spirit and they are mosâ— improved by Christianity and they are ofâ—ner inculcated and press'd upon us in the Evangelical Writings than in those of the Old Testament 7. The Grounds and Motives of Evangelical Obedience differ from those of the Legal one as will appear from these three Particulars First There are more deterring Punishments under the Gospel than under the Law It is true the Penalty of Sin unrepented of under the legal Oeconomy was the Eternal Wrath of God call'd by Daniel everlasting shaâ—â— and contempt and by Isaiah everlasting burnings but there was not so full a discovery and so great a certainty of these at that time as there hath been since which should be a mighty disswasive to us from sinning against the Light of the Gospel especially when we consider that our Guilt is unspeakably aggravated by sinning in defiance of the extraordinary means vouchsafed to us by the coming of Christ. If the Word spoken by Angels i. e. if the Law which was given by the ministry of Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience receiv'd a just recompence of Reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which was at first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed afterwards to us by them that heard him Heb. 2. 2 3. And to the same purpose in Heb. 10. 28 29. He that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy Of how much sâ—rer Punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under-foot the Son of God The Penalty of disobedience to the Gospel is more grievous than that which was inflicted upon Offenders against the Law Secondly There are more prevailing Rewards The Law dealt in Temporal Blessings and Earthly Promises chiefly the very mold and make of their Religion being earthly and grovelling but their terrene and temporal Promises figured a Celestial Felicity and were Umbrages of a Future Inheritance Spiritual and Heavenly things were exhibited to the Church of old under Sensual and Earthly Representations and Eternal Life was included in the Promise of the Land of Canaan Yea it cannot be denied that Immortal Life and Endless Happiness were expresly made known and promis'd by God to the Faithful among the Iews This is very fiercely contradicted by Sâ—cinus and the generality of his Party The Racâ—vian Catechism is positive that none of the Pious Men and Holy Patriarchs before the coming of Christ knew any thing of Heaven and Everlasting Life These were not known say they because they were not promis'd to those under the Old Covenant The same thing is asserted in one of Smalcius's Disputations against Frantzius Indeed Volkâ—lius grants that the Iews might have some desire and expectation of Eternal Life tho there was no promise of it but he confutes himself in saying before that such a Discovery was not proper and convenient for that Dispensation He maintains that it is peculiar to the New Covenant under which Christians are and that this is one main thing wherein it excels the Old Covenant To say otherwise saith he were to mix and confound the Covenants and Dispensations And therefore he peremptorily determines that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament they knew nothing of an Immortal State they were tied down to the Earth Canaan was their Heaven He spends a whole Chapter and that one of his longest upon this very thing The Remonstrants are partly of this Opinion as you may see in their Apology and in Grâ—tius and Episcopius who hold that Eternal Life was not promis'd by God to Adam and the Old Patriarchs neither did they know any thing of it Tho Sâ—crates and Platâ— who were Heathens make some mention of a â—uture and endless State yet the People of God the Chosen Generation to whom were committed the Oracles of God had no apprehension of any such thing Abraham Moses David and all the Inspired Soulâ— whom the Writings of the Old Testament speak of had scarce any notice of it All the Antient Worshippers of God all the Religious Patriarchs were ignorant of Future Happiness poor grovelling Creatures they look'd no higher no further than this present Life This is the Doctrine of Sâ—cinus's Followers and Friends but certainly he that hath carefully perused the Old and New Testament cannot but pronounce it false For God tells the Iews that if they will do his Commandments they shall live in them Levit. 18. 5. Which Promise you will find to comprehend in it Eternal Life if you compare that place with Rom. 10. 5. and Gal. 3. 12. And that Life Everlasting was known to those of the Old Testament is manifest from Dan. 12. 2. where it is said Many of them that sleep in the Dust shall awâ—â—â— to Everlasting Life This one place is a sufficient conâ—utation of the Secinian Writers who deny that there was any such thing revealed and known under the Law I might take notice how Iob expresses his sense and belief of this Future State Chap. 19. 25. which without doubt he learnt from the neighbouring Iews But I will pass to the New Testament where it is farther evident that this endless Blessedness was not unknown to the Iews It was one of that Nation that came to our Saviour and ask'd him What â—e should dâ— that he might have Eternal Life Matth. 19. 16. Which shews that Eternal Life was made known to that People and that the Mâ—sâ—ick Law promis'd no less to the Keepers of it Again this is clear from our Saviour's words in Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life He speaks here to the Iews Ye think and believe and that most truly saith he that there is an Eternal State hereafter it being revealed in the Sacred Writings which are committed to you We read that the Pharisees a considerable part of the Iewish People believed a Resurrection to a Future Life Acts 24. 15. Nay this was the ground of the hope of the Promise made of God unto the Fathers Chap. 26. 6. viz. the Promise of Eternal Life founded on the Resurrection from the Dead And that the Fathers of old rested not in Temporal and Earthly Promises is evident from that very plain Text Heb. 11. 14 16. The Patriarchs those Holy Pilgrims sought and desired a better Country that is an Heavenly viz. a State of Immortal Glory and Happiness in the highest â—eavens From all these places of Holy Writ we may 〈◊〉 in the words of our Church That the Old Testament is not centrary to the New for in both of them Everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ. Wherefore they are not to be heard who â—eign that the Old Fathers did look only for transitory Promises This Fiction as the Learned Dr. Hammond rightly faith is caused by not distinguishing between leâ—s clear Revelation and none