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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	lord_n	write_v	3,453	5	5.6031	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26654	God's covenant displayed by John Alexander, a converted Jew ; with a proœmial discourse of the reasons of his conversion.	Alexander, John, Converted Jew.	1689 (1689)	Wing A914; ESTC R18631	21,651	38

a Parable that being an accident Not to say that their Forefathers the LXX interpret it so as we do and as it ought by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Governour or a Ruler and accordingly Matthew in the forequoted place Matth. 2. II. Thus being satisfied about the time and place of Messiah his coming I next considered the manner and knowing what Christians did aver in that point I presumed to look back to the Prophecies Here I might have a large Field to expatiate into and not unpleasant to the Reader yet not intending this Prooem for a Treatise and hastening to the displaying of the Covenant though that also will be compendious I shall only touch the chief passages interwoven with suitable observations thereunto 'T is therefore to be noted that it is a Maxim amongst the Jews That every Promise of GOD ought to be considered as it was pronounced at first without further additions or limitations following in process of time these having a collateral tendency to the same end which yet must take effect in that same simplicity as it hath been held forth in the first Promise But it is agreed on all sides that Gen. 3. 15. after the fall of Adam the Messiah was promised in these words I will put an enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Now these do represent him to us as a seed of a Woman there being no mention made of a Man. And this was the first promise made of a Womans Seed before she had known Man Gen. 4. 1. Which though it was reiterated to Abram who thereupon was call'd Abraham and Sarai Sarah the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Cabalists tell us being taken out of the Tetragrammaton and added to both their names as well for confirming God's Covenant as to shew they were equal sharers in the benefit and conveyance of the promise Gen. 17. 5 16. upon which the inspired Apostle comments most significantly Gal. 3. 15 c. though likewise this Seed be called the Rod out of the stem of Jesse Esay 11. 12. yet they were only as so many Channels from which should at last issue forth a Woman to compleat the promise of the Seed or as so many holy Predecessors of that Virgin which was to conceive and bear a Son whose name should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immanuel Esay 7. 14. pursuant to the promise made in Paradise then shut and ever shut after This manner of Messias his Birth is expressed in Jer. 31. 22. The LORD hath created a new thing in the Earth a Woman shall compass a Man. And if we will list to Cabalistical Mysteries who averr that on every letter of the holy Word hung Mountains or Rocks of concealed Mysteries which being struck at by refined reason as a Hammer and by Grace as a hand do yield an infinite number of Sparks tending to the illuminating of our understandings We may have a pleasant observation in the passage of Esay 9. 7. Where the Messiah being introduced as if he had appear'd already is invested with the following Attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In order to the increase of his Dominion and Peace whereof there will be no end he shall sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom c. Where in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 le Marbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is final 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middle against the nature of Orthography in that Language The passage is on all sides allowed to be a Prophecy of the Messiah to come But the reason of this extraordinary placing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 final is in question What Petrus Galatinus saith concerning it we will refer the Reader to in his lib. 4. c. 19. de Aro Cath. ver And as for the Masorah though that be for the reading of this word with an open Mem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it gives no reason and a sphalma it could not be for that it doth not prejudice the sense the continued exemplaries besides from the Autograph to this day retaining the same Character Let therefore a sober and pious Christian Reader give me leave to explain this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caballistically In the first place the letter considered numerically imports 600. Now from this Prediction to the coming of Messiah even the Lord Jesus are 600 years compleat And from henceforth as if the Prophet had reflected upon his mysterious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the increase of the Kingdom of Messiah was to be i. e. at the end of 600 years from his prediction thence to continue for ever and to spread it self over all Nations the increase not only over National Israel In the next place this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken figuratively denoting that the promised Child and the Son should be born of a Virgin the Prophet having in another place deposited the same in express terms that had not interfer'd with a Man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being close From all this it appears that the promised Messiah was to be born of a Virgin the truth whereof appear'd in the event so uncontroulable that besides the Authority of the Holy Ghost Matth. 2. and all ancient Founders of the Christian Church some of the Rabbies have it upon Record though not without blasphemous aspersions III. Next to this I search'd into the Nature of the promised Seed who that he should be a MAN was certain but I found him also called GOD in the holy Writ especially by the most venerable name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 JEHOVA whereon I will at present solely insist not willing to expatiate in a concern of it self requiring a Volume and which this only instance is able to evince The Jews call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schem hamphorash a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proper and essential name of GOD if so then it being attributed to Messiah he must properly and essentially be GOD. And that the Messiah is called not only the mighty GOD the everlasting father Esay 9. 6. whos 's goings forth are from everlasting Micah 5. 2. but also Jehova is manifest out of Jer. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OUR RIGHTEOUSNES On which passage I find in the Book call'd Ikkarim Orat. 2. c. 28. This Rabbinical Comment which may tend to their own conviction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Scripture calls the name of Messiah Jehova tzidkenu the LORD our Righteousness because the Mediator is to be GOD by whose hands we are to obtain Righteousness from God himself and therefore it calls him by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And by this and the like names and proprieties attributed to the Messiah in the Old Testament I was fully convinced of his Godhead Thence reflecting upon

except that we are unprofitable Servants we have done that which was our duty to do And what is it Man is supposed to have done When ye have done All Luc. 17. 10. Now as this All cannot be done by a Man in the State of Sin so if it had been done in the State of Innocency it had been but a duty tending to no more than Vnprofitableness and therefore not a Result of a Covenant which as to us hath always a proportion Geometrical as being grounded upon distributive Justice 2 Tim. 4. 8. by Grace purchased for us through the satisfaction of an equal in Nature even by Christ Covenanting for us with the Father Here it may be some will say that by this assertion and a kind of a Paradox I bereave GOD of the power of exacting due obedience to his Law from and seem to have little regard of the transmission of original Sin to the Posterity of Adam Answer Not in the least For suppose a Monarch should bestow on his Subject a Feud for himself and his Posterity after him as a meer token of his bounty towards his new Creature if this first Feudatary should break his Allegiance to his Prince he would doubtless involve his Posterity in the same disadvantages he felt meerly by not being trusty to his charge and would transmit to them by generation and imputation the same ignominy he himself was branded with for his disobedience though no such thing as a Covenant had intercurr'd and therefore could not be broken Allegiance being natural and sufficient to keep a Subject within the bonds of obligation without a supervenient paction which in our case cannot be made but amongst equals where the stipulating party is not obliged to any performance whatsoever but by free condescension only for the benefit of others And as for the right of God to exact due obedience to his law at the hands of Adam's Posterity though there intervened no Covenant it still remains inviolable For though they cannot be tied to the performance of that Sanction Of every tree c. Gen. 3. 16. having in their root transgressed it and forfeited the title to their happiness yet they can be tied to the moral Law written in the hearts of Men by the Author of their Lives not having forfeited their Nature by which they owe Allegiance to their Maker who as such hath right to exact due Obedience to his Commandments without a paction And to obviate all exceptions 't is to be considered That though all the Precepts of meer Morality may appear to be violated by Adam in the transgression of this Sanction yet the moral Law might have been and been either kept or violated without such a supervening Sanction added to the Moral Law for Man's trial and final Conviction And let none suspect that here I do shake hands with the Socinians because they likewise deny the Covenant of Nature For besides that I do here acknowledge the Son's coessentiality with the Father particular grace after the Fall meritorious Redemption satisfaction for sin in our stead Justification by Faith taken relatively c. All which evert Socinianism We differ in the ends of our Positions They do it to make Adam subject to mortality in the very state of Innocence as to a consequence of meer nature which I expresly detest somewhat lower I again do it to extol the wisdom and goodness of God who not willing to create Man for a meer terrestrial Life nor ground his happiness on his frailty and foreknowing he would sin and offend his Justice found out means to bring him to the fruition of himself in Heaven to purchase for him perseverance to atone his own Justice by a Covenant made with his Son which being Everlasting no other could be made on God's side that thereby all the glory and the rise of it as well as the accomplishing might be attributed only to him who tenders Grace for Grace that his Heavenly gifts to Men for a gracious or free Covenant fulfilled by the Son in order to Mens Salvation And now emerges the adorable mystery of the Covenant of Grace the sole transaction which not only by way of excellency but absolutely can challenge the name of a Covenant A mystery which the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1. 12. A Mystery whose dimensions are unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. A Mystery without controversie great 1 Tim. 3. 16. The tenour whereof was by the mystical King and Prophet David delivered in Psal 40. 5 6 7 8. Thy thoughts speaking in the Spirit of Christ and them he Covenanted for Thy thoughts NB. towards us cannot be reckoned up unto thee in order If I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine Ears hast thou piered burnt-offerings and sin-offerings hast thou not required Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God thy law is within my heart c. Which eminent and mysterious passage the Aposte periphrastically explains Hebr. 10. 5. c. Wherefore when he comes into the World he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body thou hast prepared me In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure Then said I Lo I come in the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 3. 15 of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God. Above when he had said Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and that for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst thou pleasure in them which are offered by the Law then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God Christian Reader This is the Key let 's now open the Closet of Mystery and by assistance of the Everlasting Truth find out the hidden treasures of God's counsel about us But first give me leave to clear the Text. The words in the Psalm seem to differ from those in the Epistle to the Hebrews in that particular passage whereon we lay the stress of our assertion viz. In the Hebrew it sounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the English and other Translators do render Thou hast opened or pierced my Ears and in Greek again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body hast thou prepared or fitted me which seem to be quite differing things But towards the unfolding of it 1. The Author to the Hebrews St. Paul in quoting the Psalmist did follow the LXX who were Jews and understood the Hebrew phrase whether proper or improper therefore notwithstanding the words may seem to jar with each other there is yet a Harmony in the sense whether 2. We do look upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceeding from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth not only to pierce but also to prepare in which latter sence the LXX having taken it rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ears by body per Metonymiam adjuncti or else