such an Act as is above natural Force and Abiliâ—y and is done wholly by virtue of an omnipotent Power There is a Physical Virtue and Agency given to all Creatures at their first Creation Their natural Properties and Affections are settled in them by God at first and according to these they constantly act except he who created them changes their course immediately influencing on them When the Creator thus alters their natural Course and Agency and when the Effects are contrary to their natural Power there is a Miracle wrought for Miracles are Actions that are against natural Efficiency This is opposed by Mr. Hobbs who holds that there are no real Miracles because all is by natural Causes only they seem to the Vulgar to proceed from extraordinary and supernatural Causes On this ground he endeavours to vilify the Miracles wrought by Christ. And Spinosa would fain thrust upon us this Proposition that whatsoever the Scripture affirms to have been done did necessarily come to pass according to the Laws of Nature and no otherwise and consequently that those things which go under the Name of Miracles have only natural Causes tho unknown to us And he conceits this to be a sufficient Reason of what he saith viz. that God and his Decrees are unchangeable and therefore the Laws of Nature can't be alter'd and so there are no Miracles because these are said to be Interruptions or Viâ—lations of the course of Nature But if the altering the course of Nature be contain'd in the divine Decrees as most sure it is then what will become of his Argument It is a mere Fallacy and contradicts several Discoveries which God hath made of himself and his doings in the sacred Writ where we find that there are such Actions as cannot be done by the mere Power and Energy of Men or Angels either good or bad or of any created Beings It is of the Essence of a Miracle to exceed all natural Power A Miracle always supposes the Virtue by which it is produced to be Divine 2. This is another property of a Miracle which follows necessarily on the former that it is Vnaccountable We cannot solve it we cannot shew any reason why it is so It is above our apprehension for it being a thing above natural Power it is impossible that natural Reason should tell how it is done A Miracle is such a work of which no Physical Cause can be assigned therefore it is no wonder that it is beyond our Conceptions and that we cannot apprehend how it is performed 3. It is also something done rarely and unusually It is a saying of the Rabbins and a true one A Miracle doth not happen every hour It is an uncommon thing and Rarity is of the nature of it For the design of a Miracle was to beget Faith by its being rare and therefore if you could suppose it to be perpetual the end of it would be lost which is to stir up Men to believe by the uncommonness of what is done Divine works that are done daily and ordinarily are not Miracles thus to justify Sinners to convert them to save them c. are not call'd Miracles So Gods preserving and upholding the World is the work of Divine Power only but it is not call'd a Miracle because it is every moment Pliny declares that it exceeds all Miracles that any one Day passes and all the World is not set on Fire because of the innumerable subterraneous fires and by reason of the infinite number of Stars and the vast heat in the Sun and the inbred fires in Clouds c. But this is no rarâ— and strange thing and therefore is no Miracle The gravity of bodies the strange Operation of the Loadstone the reciprocal motion of the Sea are Phaenomenâ— that depend as I apprehend on the particular and immediate influence of a supernatural cause and yet because they are common are not Miracles God the All-wise Governor of the World hath his usual and ordinary ways but these oftentimes are neglected and despised because they are common wherefore he thinks good to use another method he exertâ— other acts and these are unusual and extraordinary and excite a greater regard and reverence in Men and have the name of Miracles 4. It is the qualification of a Miraclâ— not only to be supernatural unaccountable and rare but also to be something visible at least very evident and discernible The Egyptians saw Moses's Miracles the Priests of Baal saw what Elijah did And whatever Miracles are really done are done in the sight of People or the effects of them are to be plainly seen The reason is because they are exhibited to the World on purpose that they may be observed and taken notice of Wherefore a Miracle is such a Divine Work as is evident and apparent and thence this kind of Operations are frequently call'd Signs i. e. outward and open representations of the Almighty Power of God 5. And lastly they deserve the name of Miracles because they stir up Mens minds to admire them they cause amazement and wonder they are such works of God as create astonishment in all that seriously consider them And this proves what I said before viz. that it is against the nature of a Miracle to be constant and lasting and always continuing for if it were so it would not be wondred at and then it would cease to be a Miracle These are the inseparable properties and qualification of true and real Miraclâ—s but the first is the main and the only essential one for some other things are unaccountable we being ignorant of the extent of Nature's Sphere and unusual and wonderful but they are not against and above the power of natural causes therefore they are not properly Miracles for a Miracle is a thing that cannot be done but by Supernatural and Divine strength Consequently a Miracle cannot be done by the Devil or any of his Ministers and Agents These indeed can do strange and wonderful things that is either such as are really so but then they rise only from occult natural causes and means or such that seem to be so they appear only and are not and then they are mere Jugglings and Tricks of Art Thus far evil Spirits and their Agents are able to go and no further they can counterfeit Miracles but they cannot work one true Miracle Thus the Egyptian Magicians did wonderful things they did not only make their Rods to appear like that of Mercury with Serpents twining about them but which is greater they by their Inchantments turned their Rods into Serpents or seem'd to do so That the worst Men may have power to work such signs and wonders is plain from Deut. 13. 1 2. And the reason why God suffers false Prophâ—ts to work those seeming Miracles is suggested in v. 3. The Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul It is to try Men
proved that several great Professors of the Imperial Law were well-willers to the Christian Institution and some of those Iuris sacerdotes as the Râ—man Law stiles them became Christian Priests I have already mentioned an early instance of a Convert of this rank I mean Zenas to whom we may now add Minutius Fâ—lix an eminent Roman Lawyer who afterwards turned Christian. And to him may be joyned Arnobius and Laâ—tantius his Scholar notable Rhetoricians all three witty and solid Defenders of Christianity against Paganism in which they had been bred up To whom may be added Iulius Firmicus a Pagan first and then gave his name to Christ and writ a Book of the Error of Prophane Religions Afterwards in the fourth Century we may reckon Gregory Bishop of Neocaesarea commonly call'd Thaumaturgus in the Catalogue of learned Pagans converted to the Christian Faith as also Nemesius a Philosopher in Gregory Nazianzen's time Hilary Bishop of Poictiers was a Heathen at first so was Victorinus a learned Rhetorician of Rome though an Africâ—â— by Birth but in his old Age he renounced the Pagan Religion and became a zealous Christian the manner of whose Conversion is set down by St. Augustin And in the fifth Century there was Synesius originally of Cyrene in Egypt first a Heathen Philosopher and afterwards a Christian and Bishop of Ptolemais in Africa known by his excellent Writings Sulpitius Severus a learned Frenchman of a noble Extraction and famous at the Bar forsook his Pagan Principles and Practices and betook himself to Christianity and was a zealous Defender of it and in part vindicated it with his eloquent Pen. All these great Scholars these Masters of Arts and Reason with many more besides in those first Ages of the Christian Church fell down before the Simplicity of the Gospel and were captivated by it These Persons of great Endowments and Acquirements and the most zealous admirers and followers of Paganism became greedy Proselytes to the Christian Faith which certainly is no small Demonstration of its wondrous Power and Energy Questionless it was one great and notable Miracle that Christianity was received in the World and was entertain'd by the Persons we have been speaking of who had by their Principles and Education the highest prejudices against it Râ—finus and Sozomen report that Alexander Archbishop of Constantinople being present at the Council of Nice with a word struck Philosophers dumb But that is a more notable Instance which we meet with in the foresaid Sozomen and in Socrates viz. that one Spyridion an old Disciple of Christ who had suffer'd under Dioclesian for his constant maintaining the Christian Faith and was grown lame and blind with his Sufferings and with his Age this weather-beaten Champion lived so long I cannot say as to see the great Convention at Nice but as to be present at it and particularly interested in the Debates of it More especially it was taken notice of how this tatter'd Confessor this almost Emerit and disabled Soldier of Christ rallied his Forces afresh and with a new and as it were a divinely inspired vigour ingaged the Enemies and Opposers of the Christian Faith that is some Captious Philosophers who came on purpose to shew their Parts and Wit at that great Assembly But this antient Worthy grappled with them with a marvellous and almost incredible Vivacity he beat back their Cavils he baffled their Sophistries he defended the Christian Cause and gain'd upon some of its very Adversaries to own the same And particularly when a famous Philosopher disturb'd the whole Council with his Disputes he only standing up and barely propounding the main Christian Truths to him and bidding him in the Name of Iesus attend to them made him become mute and leave off his Logick and wrangling and confess before them that he believ'd those things to be true and that there came Force and Virtue out of the Mouth of this aged Saint and Confessor which he was not able to resist Here was seen the Virtue and Power of the Christian Truth By its own native strength and efficacy it gain'd these mighty Conquests It pretended not to Mathematical Demonstration it boasted not of skill in Arts and Sciences and yet it baffled all these and confounded the wisest Philosophers and prevail'd upon the Men who were cried up for the most excellent Attainments This is wonderful indeed and therefore you read that when the Jewish Sanhedrim perceived that the Apostles were unlearned and ignorant Men they marvelled and well they might when they saw what was done by these silly illiterate folks void of all Arts and Imbellishments These sorry Creatures as they were then deemed by the wise Men prevail'd upon the World when it was most Learned and Improved as all History assures us it was at that time Not only some of the Rabbies of Ierusalem but the Philosophers of Rome and Athens sat at the feet of the despised Apostles who were Persons of mean education The most knowing and cultivated Spirits submitted to the Sermons of the Ignorant and Artless Which undoubtedly is a proof of the eminency of Christianity above all Philosophy Which made the Apostle not only start this Interrogatory Where is the Scribe i. e. the Man vers'd in the Iewish Law but demand likewise Where is the Wise i. e. where are the Professors of Arts and Sciences especially the Moral Philosophers the Dictators of Ethicks who were signally stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wise Men. Where is the Disputer of this World the natural Philosopher the Man of Physicks that acquaints himself with the Fabrick of this World Where is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Questionist the busie Diver into the profound Mysteries of Nature Or where is the Politician that great Searcher into the Intrigues of the World where are all these What have they done by all their Lectures Have they reformed Mens Lives as the Christians have done Do their Principles make such a Change in Mens Manners as the others have done Hath not the Gospel effected far greater things than all the Dictates of Philosophy ever did Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this World Yea it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching i. e. by that Ordinance of Preaching which by so many of the Learned and Wise Philosophers is reckon'd as Foolishness by this Method and Means it pleas'd the Divine Providence to save them that believe It is true the Greeks seek after Wisdom as the Apostle adds i. e. the Philosophers will have all proved by natural Causes they judg all by the Verdict of Reason and run all things up to the strict Laws of Nature therefore it is no wonder that the Doctrine of Christ was to these Greeks Foolishness But we saith the Apostle in behalf of himself and his fellow-Labourers in the Gospel preach Christ crucified to the Iews indeed a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them that are call'd both Iews and
new whether they were Figs of the last years growth or of the present one why then did our Saviour curse it Some interpret the Words of the time of gathering of Figs but this makes the bearing of Figs and the gathering of them to be the same which is a straining of the words A learned Critick reads the Text thus Where was the time of Figs i. e. saith he there was the time in that place where Christ then was viz. near Ierusalem it was the Season of Figs and because this one particular Tree bore no Fruit when the rest did Christ deservedly curs'd it This Interpretation amounts to the same with what I before propounded but I cannot approve of the Alteration made in the Original An other late Critick comes somewhat nearer to this and by changing the Accent and doubling the Verb reads it thus where he was was the time of Figs. But I conceive this Learned Gentleman is a little too bold here as well as in some other places in his changing the Greek Text where there is no occassion for it and therefore I keep to the received reading which according to the Greek is exactly thus for it was not the time of Figs yet being redundant in our English Translation i. e. it was not the time of Figs with this Tree Tho according to the time of year other Fig-trees bore Fruit yet this degenerated from them and had no Fruit at all on it only Leaves whence our Saviour took occasion to curse it And this he did for the sake of the Iews that they might look on the Tree and be admonished that they might be sensible of the danger of their Vnfruitfulness at such a Season when the greatest furitfulness was required of them Or according to a worthy Person the meaning of Christ's cursing the Figtree was that the acceptable Fruit of everlasting Righteousness was not then found in the Judaical Dispensation this Tree did not bring forth such excellent Fruit but only the fair Figleaves of an external and ceremonial Righteousness and legal Morality Christ therefore came to exprobrate to them the want of more perfect Fruit and to put a Period to the Dispensation of the Jews so that it should quite wither away and be null'd Thus you see there is ground for what our Lord did which makes me a little wonder why that Learned Critick whom I named last and some other Expositors are so much concern'd at Christ's cursing the innocent Tree as they call it I do not see any cause why they should be so for if we could assign no Reason at all of this Action of our Saviour we ought to be fully satisfied with it because he was arbitrary as to this and all other Actions of the like nature by virtue of his Sovereign Power he could in these matters do as he pleas'd But we need not insist upon this because I have offer'd a sufficient Reason why he thought good to shew a Miracle on a fruitless Tree which had nothing but leaves to be destroy'd by his Curse As to the latter Instance viz. Christ's suffering the Gadarens Swine to be driven by the Devil into the Sea I answer 1. It was not so much our Saviour's Act as his Permission for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes imports 2. It was not done of his own accord but upon the importunate Outcry of the disturbed Friends whom Christ saw it was best to lodg in the Deep 3. The Persons who sustain'd this Loss deserved it as we may gather from their carriage towards our Blessed Lord. Here then was no unjust thing done by this miraculous Power of our Saviour nor was it a hurtful thing to punish Offenders according to their deserts But further it may be Objected If Christ design'd to benefit People by his Miracles why did he not do them when they most desired them as in the Case of Herod and when there was the greatest need of them as when our Saviour hung on the Cross For the first we read indeed that Herod was desirous to see Christ of a long season because he had heard many things of him and he hoped to have seen some Miracle done by him Luk. 23. 8. Yet when Christ came before him and was question'd by him he answer'd him nothing ver 9. he spake not one word he did not one Miracle The Reason was because Herod had sufficient opportunities before of hearing Christ's Sermons and seeing his Signs but he was negligent and careless yea he slighted and despised those things This is evident because otherwise he would have gone to our Saviour or sent for him and treated him with Respect and Reverence This great Man having thus neglected the Season of Grace he is justly debarr'd for the future by Christ himself Miracles are denied him after a wilful refusing both of them and other means As for what we read in Mat. 27. 42. that the chief Priests and Scribes declared they would believe in Christ if he would come down from the Cross and yet our Saviour would not gratifie them by his miraculous descending thence Here I have these three things to say 1. We may gather hence that Miracles are a certain and infallible Argument All Men are agreed to be concluded by this the Priests and Scribes declare that on these Terms they would believe in Christ and take him for the Messias they desire no better Proof than a Miracle 2. I say this Miracles the mighty and extraordinary Works of God are not lavishly to be thrown away The Persons had Miracles enough before but they disregarded them and the Author of them they must not therefore now when they think sit call for those divine Testimonies from Heaven It is not meet that Heaven should be thus at their beck and that Miracles must be done when they please 3. The main thing I offer is this that a greater Miracle than this which they now call for was shew'd within a little time afterwards for rising from the Dead was more than coming down from the Cross and yet they were not wrought upon by it So that if our Saviour had come down from the Cross they would not have believed which He who knew all things knew full well and therefore would not comply with their unreasonable desire We may then notwithstanding these Instances alledged assert that our Saviour intended the Good and Welfare of Men by the Signs and Wonders which he wrought and that all the exertments of his miraculous Power were for the Benefit and Advantage of the World which is one Difference between True and False Miracles Moreover if we inquire into the Persons who generally wrought these Miracles we shall be fully satisfied that they were True Not to speak now ofour Saviour the Apostles and Primitive Christians who were the mediate Authors of them were Men of great Simplicity they approved themselves to be void of all secular and 〈◊〉 deâ—igns much more of
prevail'd with him to do as she did i. e. to violate the Commandment because she did so Which we may gather from those words of his Gen. 3. 12. The Woman whom thou gavest to be with me and to be my other-self she gave me of the Tree and I did eat For tho he did ill in laying his Fault and transferring his Guilt on the Woman thereby only to excuse himself yet thus far we may believe him that he was drawn into this transgression by her whom God had given unto him His passionate regard to her betray'd him to this folly Thus this desire of his Eyes was one occasion of his misery By the Inchantments and Sollicitations of a Woman Man was first ruin'd Whilst he was alone he did well but when he saw so fair and Image he was tempted to fall down to it and to comply with it and to forget himself and his duty This was the Origine of Adam's prevarication the sensitive part was too powerful Pleasure betray'd him and ever since all Mankind the animal and sensual Life gets the better of the Divine 3. Another previous Sin of our first Parents was a being dissatisfied with their condition and an ambitious desiring to know more and to become greater It was a vile compound of Curiosity Discontent and Pride yea this latter seems to have the predominancy whence it was the determination of one of the Antient Fathers that Adam and Eve's first Sin by which they fell was Pride The Devil inveâ—gled them with telling them that their Eyes should be opened and that they should know Good and Evil nay that they should be as Gods in knowledg and perfection Gen. 3. 5. This was no mean incentive to the breach of the Divine Law tho indeed it was a strange solecism and absurdity and it is an strange that our first Parents should not observe it viz. that they should be like God by breaking his Law This was an arrant piece of Nonsence and yet it was swallowed the vehement desire of seeing having blinded them their inordinate longing after Wisdom rendring them so foolish and sottish Their affection of Knowledg and their vain Ambition ruined them Their desire to arrive to the Partners with God Almighty made them forget they were his Creatures Their wishing to be Gods made them become like Beasts which perish as you shall hear afterwards Yea their desire to be like Gods made them too like unto Devils The 4 th Sin which made way for their actual violating God's Command was Vnbelief God had himself told him that in the day they eat of the forbidden Fruit they should surely die Gen. 2. 17. But Satan comes and conâ—ronts this and tells them Yâ— shall not surely die Gen. 3. 4. Whereupon they give credit to this Tempter and disbelieve what God had said They attend not to the Divine Threatnings but listen to the Devil's Promises of Impunity They believe the Father of Lies but what the God of Truth saith is none of their Creed This was the cursed Infidelity which was the forerunner of the actual breaking of the Divine Command Thus you may be convinc'd that tho the eating the forbidden Fruit may at first sight seem to be a small matter a kind of venial Fault and some vain Men have labour'd to represent it as such yet upon a particular and narrow view of it and by reason of the Circumstances that attend it it was a most grievous and horrid Crime That Sin which was usher'd in with so many vile Harbingers must needs be a capital Offence Besides the greatness of the Transgression must be esteem'd and measur'd by the Authority of the Lawgiver we must consider not so much what was forbid as who forbad it God their Creator and Father who had absolute Power and Command over them God who knew best how to govern them and what was most for their real Good and Advantage God who required the observance but of a small and easy thing ought to have been obey'd with all exactness Adam and Eve had no Father but God how just and reasonable then was it that they should express all Duty and Obedience to him that they should observe his Laws and not dare to break the â—east Command of his that they should do nothing without his order and never listen to any that would attempt to withdraw them from their duty but that they should continually live in a sense of their dependence upon him that they should call upon him trust in him honour and worship him only that they should strive to walk worthy of the singular Favours they had receiv'd from him and that they should endeavor to persevere in their Innocence and Integrity and to continue in that blessed State wherein God had created them And as for the Matter of the Sin the letter and lighter it is the greater is the Sinner's contempt of God This inhances his Fault that he preferreth so slight a thing before God's Will and Pleasure that he regardeth not the Divine Anger tho it be so easy to avoid it Here we may say as Cicero doth in defence of the Stoicks Paradox viz. that all Sins are alike The Matter is small but the Fault is great Yea I may add the latter is the greater because the former is so small The Sin of Adam and Eve was the more grievous and inexcusable because it was in so little a matter as the bare tasting of the Fruit of a Tree Which was a thing they had no temptation to if we consider that the whole Garden of Fruit was before them and there was but one single Tree only forbidden them But it seems all the rest were insipid without this no Tree will so content them as the forbidden one There was no Fruit so desirable as this and it is likely this had not been desired if it had not been forbidden This argues great perversness and obstinacy and consequently aggravateth their Sin and senders their Offence very heinous Say not then the eating of the Fruit of a Tree is a light and inconsiderable thing So it might be said Lot's Wise did only look back to see the miserable ruin of the place she lived in What! might she not look behind her It was out of pity that she did this Did this deserve so sore a Punishment Abraham look'd on Sodâ—m in its flames and was not punish'd It was not criminal in him to do so Why then was it in this poor Woman The plain Answer is this that there are many things from whence Actions are denominated Good or Evil. They are sometimes reputed so by God according to the intrinsick Causes and Reasons of them sometimes also according to their good or evil Adjuncts but at all times according to the Will and Command of God allowing or disallowing of such Actions By these we must judg of Lot's Wife 's Sinâ— Out of an immoderate love of the City which had been the place of her abode or
hiâ— mâ—nâ—y Gen. 12. 16. 24. 35. so had Iacob Gen. 30. 43. 32. 5. And according to the Mâ—saick Law they were permitted in case of extreme poverty to get money by the sale of their children Exod. 21. 7. Lev. 39. but when the 〈◊〉 arrived Liberty was to be proclaim'd and Servants were set free There is nothing more besides what hath been said that is considerable in this Dispâ—nsatiâ—n unless it be the Longâ—vity of those persons who lived both under this and the foregoing Oeconomy This indeed is very remarkable and because it is peculiar to this period of time for we find that soon after the Deluge the Age of men was abridged and in a short time terminated as ours doth I think it will not be foreign to our present design to give the Reader some account of it that is to inquire into the particular causes of the long Lives of the Patriarchs to assign the reasons why they arrived to six seven eight nine hundred yea almost a thousand years So it is expresly recorded in Gen. 5. 3 c. Adam lived 930 years Seth 912 Enos 905 Cainan 910 Mahalaleel 895 Iared 962 Methuselaâ— 969 Lamech 777 and Noah's age is said to be 950 years Gen. 9. 29. Some indeed labour to perswade us that this Vivacity was peculiar only to those Patriarchs that Moses rehearseth Maimonides goes this way and Aberbanel agrees with him None of late have endeavoured the proof of this more ingeniously than Mr. warren in his Geologia where he tells us that the fifth Chapter of Genesis is the compleat List of those whose lives were thus lengthened in those first times of the world because these were very Eminent and Vseful persons above others men of Extraordinary Piety and Honesty and therefore fitly design'd by God to live so long in the world to instruct and reform it and carry on other designs of Providence for that time But there is no manifest proof of this yea the contrary is very evident for all the days of Enoch who is mention'd in the same chapter with those long livers before named 〈◊〉 but three hundred sixty and five v. 23. and yet he was the most Holy Religious and Exemplary man of them all which is meant by his walking with God which is applyed only to the most Pious and Vertuous persons And on the other side there is no mark of Eminency set on most of those whose long lives are recorded as Cainan Mahalalâ—el Iared Mathuselah c. This is the Sum total of their lives that they livâ—d so many yâ—ars and bâ—gat sâ—ns and daughtâ—rs So that it is evident hence that this length of years was not indulg'd to the Antâ—diluvian Patriarchs for their singular Vertue and Excellency above others but that it was common to all i. â— to the greatest part of the persons of those times as they were people of that peculiar Dispensation wherein God was pleas'd for several Reasons which I shall produce afterwards to prolong their days after this manner And this which Mosâ—s saith is back'd and confirm'd by Pagan Testimony as Ioseph the 〈◊〉 takes notice who alledges the Antientest Authors that have writ concerning the Antiquities of the Egyptians Chaldâ—ans Phâ—nicians Grecians as witnesses to this part of the Mosaick History They all â—ver that the measure of the time which the first people of the world lived was exceeding large and even amounted to a thousand years in some There is no reason therefore to doubt of what Mâ—ses delivers or to think that those of this Period who are not mention'd by him lived not so long as these whose names are enumerated in the 5. Chap. of Gâ—nâ—sis for the Mosaick Relation is known and confess'd by all to be brief and concise and is wont to specifie only a few Instances when the generality is understood But others detract from the Mosaick Verity by a more severe way of cavilling whilst they insinuate a mistake in the Yâ—arâ— which the Old Testament speaks of It is not likely say they that there should be such a vast disproportion between the Antediluvians and us between their lives and ours It may be they then reckon'd a shorter time for a year than we do now and thence it is that they are thought to have lived so much longer than we The years of Adam's life were Lunar i. e. they were but Months saith a Confident man without assigning any reason for what he saith The like was alledged by Pliny long since who mentioning some that were said to live seven or eight hundred years tells us that this proceeded from ignorance of those times and of the accompt or computation they went by their Years being some of them but half others but a quarter of a year And it is true I grant that the Arcadian Yâ—ar was but three months yea I shall not deny that the Egyptians Yâ—ar was no more than the Moons course i. e. a month so that we need not wonder at what Diodore of Sicily saith that some Egyptian people lived in a thousand years And here by the way we may know how to solve those several passages in this Author and Herodotus and Pliny and AElian concerning the vast Antiquity which the Egyptians so much boasted of We find in these Writers that the Egyptian Calculation ran extravagantly high some making their Kingdom to be above ten thousand some above twenty thousand years standing Thus far then I am willing to grant that the Vâ—lgar Year among the Egyptians of old was but a Month though if we may credit Vossiâ—s they had other years that were longer and we learn from a much antienter Author that they had a different computation and that their Year was not always alike but it is groundless and ridiculous to conclude hence that the Years which all other Nations and People reckon'd by were of this small dimension and particularly that these Years are meant by Moses when he speaks of the Patriarchs Yet there are some that have taken up this Conceit and hold that these Years were but Menstruous i. â— they were of no longer duration than the space of the Moon 's passing through the twelve Signs which is done in 28 or 29 days and hereby they think they give a fair account of the reputed Longâ—vity of those persons But this Opinion is soon baffled by considering these following things 1. There never was any such Computation of Years in use among the Hâ—brâ—ws and those from whom they descended The Learnedest and Skilfullest Antiquaries and those who are most conversant in that sort of Knowledg will assure you of this 2. Moses himself who is the person that gives us the Account of the Lives of the Patriarchs makes express mention of Months as distinct from Yâ—ars Gâ—n 7. 11. 8. 13. And if they be really distinct who can have the confidence to say they are the same 3. If you carefully peruse the History of the
truly if the Holy Ghost in Scripture was pleas'd to make mention of it and to describe it it cannot be improper here to repeat it and then leave Origen Ierom Durandus Erasmus and others to comment upon the several Parts and to give you the moral and mystical Sense of them 1. There were Linen Breeches which the High Priest was injoin'd to wear to cover his nakedness Exod. 28. 42. that is that his secret Parts might not be exposed whenever it chanced that the Wind blew up his upper Garments for the Men in those Eastern Countries wore long Garments hanging down low without Breeches whence we read that David was uncover'd in those Parts when he danc'd before the Ark 2 Sam. 6. 20. That the High Priest therefore might not be liable to this Indecency and Inconvenience when he administred in Sacred things or at any other time he was commanded to wear these Breâ—ches or Drawers of Linen 2. There was Ketonah from whence perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tunick or Coat Exod. 28. 39. It was of fine Linen and white and had Sleeves and reach'd down beyond the Ankles It was properly the Shirt for it was that Garment which was worn next to his flesh only it was closer than a Shirt and it was curiously woven with artificial Figures 3. Over these was Mechil a Robe of Blue Exod. 28. 31. which answer'd exactly to the Ephod both in wideness and shape tho not as to length At the bottom or skirts of this Robe instead of Fringes hung 72 Pomegranates of Blue Purple and Scarlet and as many golden Bells 4. The Ephod which was a short Garment without sleeves but most artificially wrought with Gold Purple and broider'd Work in divers figures and colours and thereby made very beautiful and glorious It was worn over all the other Garments but the Girdle it had two holes on the sides to let the Arms come through and they put it on over their Heads as a Surplice is put on This imbroider'd Cope was remarkable for these following things First On the shoulders of it were set two great Onyx Stones whereon were grav'd the Names of the Children of Israel Exod. 28. 9. that is of the twelve Tribes six on one Stone and six on another These precious Gems were set in Gold with two Chains of Gold hanging at them Secondly On the fore-part of this Garment there was fastned a four-square piece of Cloth doubled the breadth and length of it were the dimension of a span imbroider'd with Gold and adorn'd with twelve precious Stones Exod. 28. 15. They were of four Classes or Rows and there were three Stones in each Class and the name of one of the twelve Tribes of Israel was ingraved in each of the 12 Stones In this four-square piece there were also contained the Vrim and Thummim of which I will distinctly speak when I give you a Catalogue of the several ways of Divine Revelation This fore-part of the Garment was called Coshen the Pectoral or Breast-plate and sometimes the Breast-plate of Iudgment and also by the Vulgar Latin Version Rationale which answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Translation of the Septuagint This was fastned to the Ephod with golden Chains and Rings and might be put on or off on occasion This Breast-plate was of the same artificial composure and curious work with the Ephod i. e. it was of fine Linen of divers colours imbroider'd with Gold Thirdly This Garment was remarkable for the Girdle or Belt with which it was surrounded Exod. 28. 39. This was made of the same materials and embroider'd work with the Ephod This Pontifical Shash and who knows but this word is originally the same with Shesh which is the usual word in Scripture for fine Linen of which the Eastern Girdles were made was useful to tie the rest of the High-Priest's Habits close especially when he was call'd to his publick Work and Ministry for then it girt them so together that they were no impediment to him in that Service 5. There was a Mitrâ— or Bonnet of fine Linen which was wrapt up in several folds and worn about his head Exod. 28. 39. On the fore-front of which Mitre was tied with a blue Lace a Plate of Gold two fingers broad call'd a Crown and the Plate of the Holy Crown Exod. 28. 36. 39. 30 for the Antients call'd any thing that was tied about the head a Crown or a Diadem in which Holiness to the Lord and the Name of Iehâ—vah was ingraven In this gay Attire the Iewish Pentif appear'd as often as he officiated and at all great and solemn Times This indeed was an Attire fit to be been only on Holy-days But especially when he was to enter into the Holy of Holies which was the peculiar Dignity of the High Priest to consult and know God's Will he was seen to shine in this Glorious Array a great part of which was as to the matter and shape of it such as Kings and Princes wore as a very knowing Iew expresly testifies However we are certain that these Vestments were appointed for Glory and for Beauty Exod. 28. 2. to represent the Person and Office of the High Priest Glorious and Beautiful he being a type of him who was the Glory of his People Israel Luke 2. 32. Secondly Priests are the next Order whose Office was now fixed to a certain Family whereas before it was executed by any Head of Father of a Family or by the First-born as was said before As the High Priesthood was now confined to the Line of Aaron's first-born so the Priests were the Successors of Aaron's other Children Exod. 28. 1. And afterwards the Priesthood was solemnly settled and entail'd on the Family of Levi Numb 3. 5. 25. 13. This particular Tribe was dedicated to the Priest's Office and so it went by Succession and Birth-right As to the Imployment or Office of the Priests it was to offer Sacrifices for the People to God Numb 3 4. to intercede for them with him to bless the People Numb 6. 23. and to expound and teach the Law Levit. 10. 11. They were the ordinary Instructers of the People as Prophets were the extraordinary ones The Priest's Lips kept Knowledg and they sought the Law at his Mouth for he is the Mâ—â—â—enger of the Lord of Plosts Mal. 2. 7. Moreover the Priests were imploy'd sometimes in the Courts of Judicature they were Judges in Causes both Spiritual and Civil Levit. 10 13. Dâ—â—â— 17. 8 c. Ezek. 44. 24. But tho these things were their chief Imployment yet they did also when there was occasion aâ—â—â— in the carrying of the Avâ—â— and in looking after the Vessels of the Tabâ—â—nacle David a 〈◊〉 wards when the Ark was settled appointed 24 Orders or Coursâ—s of Priests and there was a Chief of every one of those Oâ—ders Both in the Tabeâ—nacle and in the Temple they officiated in their Courses according to the several Ranks they
were forbid because they were Rapacious or because they were night-Birds or because they â—ed upon impure and filthy things on which considerations they were to teach some useful Matter to the Jews This is agreed to not only by some of the Antient Writers of the Church but by Thomas Aqâ—inas and others among the Moderns and by Monsieur Bochart of late But none hath assigned the moral Account of the Law concerning difference of Meats among the Jews more satisfactorily than that worthy and ingenious Writer of this Age I. Wagenseil on Sota 2. This Jewish Institution is thoughâ— by others so have been design'd to teach them Temperance and Self-denial to curb Luxury to check an immoderate Appetite therefore some Meats were denied them So Tertulliâ—n 3. Iosephus renders this Reason because some were gross Meat and would with their feculent Vapours pollute the Mind and cloud the Soul 4. Grotius assigns this as another Reason why God forbad the Jews some sorts of Food because they were not good Nutriment for the Body To this it is likely may be refer'd that Mosaick Command Thou shalt not seeth a Kid in his Mother's Milk Exod. 23. 19. For whilst some of the Hebrew Doctors imagine that by virtue of this Prohibition no Flesh which is to be eaten ought to be boil'd with Milk whilst another thinks that it is cruel and unnatural to take away the young One from its Dam before it is wean'd and consequently that there is good Morality contain'd in these words whilst others are of opinion that not Cruelty but affectation of Curiosity and pleasing the Taste are check'd here whilst some very strangely and unaccountably understand this place of sacrificing the Paschal Lamb or Kid whilst others think this to be a Prohibition of a Gentile Custom that had a Smack of Idolatry and whilst other odd Fancies have been propounded about the meaning of it which you will find rehearsed by several Commentators on the Text and by Bochart in his Hierozâ—icon part 1. Book 2. Chap. 52. I take this to be the easy and plain Interpretation that the Jews were forbid to eat Lambs or Kids or Calves before the due time To bâ—il a Kid in its Mother's Milk is to dress and eat it whilst it sucks the milk of its Dam i. e. at its very first sucking before the Flesh is come to any consistency and maturity and consequently before it is wholesom Aliment I look upon it as a Prâ—câ—pâ— of Health And so it is probable many of those are that make a distinction as to Animals and forbid the eating of some rather than others viz. because the Flesh of them is not so good and laudable Food as that of other Creatures The Great Maimonides was of this Opinion and positively afferts that they were unwholefom Meats and therefore forbidden Mâ—r. Nâ—vâ—â—h Pag. 3. cap. 48. There was this natural Cause of the Prohibition God consulted their Health I do not see sufficient reason to affirm that any of these much less that all of them are false Accounts of the Prohibition as a late Learned Writer confidently asserts They are not the chief Reasons but I cannot aver with him that they are no Reasons But 5. one of the Chief and main Reasons of God's appointing the difference of Meats to the Jews was because he intended this should be a distinction between them and other People This is the positive Reason given by God himself in Deut. 14. 2 3. Levit. 20. 24 25. The Jews were a peculiar People and therefore had this as a peculiar Law 6. With this Reason another is inseparably join'd viz. that by this means they were kept from occasions of Idolatry for hereby a familiar Converse with the Gentiles was hindred They could not eat together because some Meats were unclean to the Iews therefore the Iews could not mix with them but were forced to separate from them which was a good Expedient to keep them from the Idolatry of the Nations Lastly This Law was given the Jews to prevent all Idolatry on another account as thus God appointed some Animals Clen and others Unclean that these People eating the former and abhorring the latter might worship neither for it is the highest madness imaginable to adore what we eat and there is no likelihood of deifying what we abominate Thus Theodoret and some other Fathers say the difference of Clean and Vnclean Animals was set by God because he foresaw the Jews inclinable to Idolatry He ordered some to be clean as Sheep and Oxen and Goats and Doves these being abstain'd from and counted as Gods by the Egyptians therefore the Israelites were commanded to eat these They must now not only sacrifice but feed upon that which some of them before worship'd in Egypt But what the Egyptians eat that the Iews were to abstain from Thus God enjoined them to eat no Swines Flesh because the Egyptians â—ed on no Flesh of four-footed Animals but this reckoning other Creatures as Sacred as Herodotus Diodâ—re of Sicily and several other good Authors testifie and as we may gather from Gen. 43. 32. 46. 34. which places not only the famous Onkelâ—s and Ionathan but the chiefest Expositors antient and modern interpret this way But did not the murmuring Israelites call to mind the flesh-pots they sat by when they were in Egypt Exod. 16. 3. which seems to argue that the Egyptians from whom they had these Flesh-pots did not abstain from the flesh of Animals To which I answer 1. This may be understood of the flesh of Sheep Oxen and Goats which it was lawful for the Israelites to eat and which they did eat in Egypt as often as they could get it So that this refers not to the Egyptians but the Israelites only Or 2. supposing it hath reference to the former it is meant of the flesh of Fish and Fowl which the Egyptians fed upon and of which there was very great plenty in that Countrey And it is to be understood likewise of the Pots and vessels wherein the Egyptians boil'd and kept Hogs-flesh which was a â—ood permitted to them And indeed generally the people of other Heathen Countries tho they abstain'd from some other Animals out of a certain reverence to them fed freely on Swines-flesh Whence I remember Dr. Lightfoot gathers that the Gadarens were Heathens viz. because we read there were Swine among them Luke 8. 32 c. If it be objected the Egytians had Cattle Gen. 47. 6. and flocks and hâ—rds ver 17. therefore they eat of their flesh I answer that this is no good Consequence for they bred up these Cattle not for food but to use in Sacrifices That they did not make use of them in the former manner I prove from that forecited place Gen. 47. 17. where it is said the Egyptians brought their Cattlâ— their flocks and â—erds to Ioseph and exchang'd them for Bread Which they would not have done in the time of Famine if they had
Scribes and Doctors of the Law whom the Phariâ—ees at that day followed These wilfully mistook and depraved the Moral Law and our Saviour sets himself against these and their Doctrine He doth not oppose one Law to another but all that he doth is this he corrects and amends the Law as it was corrupted by the Scribes and Pharisees or rather he doth not correct and amend Moses's Law but the Phariâ—ees Expositions In this Chapter Christ is not a Legiflator but an Interpreter He expounds the Law aâ—ight and takes off their false Expositions and gives the true and genuine sense of the Law He acquaints them that there is a farther meaning of it than they imagined more is commanded in the Prâ—cepts of the Law and more is forbidden than they think And to convince them throughly of this he proceeds to particulars instancing in some Duties which seem to be New and Proper only to Christianity but he acquaints them that they are not New but Old Commandments and so likewise he instances in some Actions which are unlawful under the Gospel and seem to have been made so first of all by the Christian Laws but the design of this Discourse is to let them know that they were forbidden by Moses and were sins long before the Coming of Christ alâ—ho by them of Old the Antient Depravers of the Law they were not thought to be so 1. Anger is Murder by the Christian Law and so it was by the Law of the Ten Commandments Ye have heard that it was said by the Antients Thou shalt not kill restraining this to the External Act only and whosoever shall kill shall be in dâ—nger of the judgment But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment he is interpretatively a Man-â—layer Ver. 21 22. You are to know that tho Immâ—derate Anger be not in express terms forbidden in the Law yet it is inclusively and by just Consequence forbidden Of Cain it is recorded that he was very wroth Gen. 4. 5. and wer read the Result of it ver 8. Cain rose up against Abel his Brother and slew him Wrath is the Parent of Murder He that is excessively incens'd against another is disposed to kill him and iâ— this inordinate Passion be not check'd or some obstacle interpose it will proceed to that height Therefore if Bloodshed be a sin Anger is so too and ought to be suppress'd with the ordinary concomitant of it viz. using of reviling Language as Raca Fool and the like 2. An Vnchast Heart and a Lustful Eye are Adultery and Fornication by the Law of Christ and they were no less by the Mosaick Law And therefore when Christ faith ver 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery already with her in his heart he doth not declare this as a thing contrary to what the Precepts of Morality require of us but to what had been dictated by the corrupt Glosses of the Jewish Doctors of old and of the Pharisees at that time viz. that there is no such thing as the Adultery of the Eye or of the Heart and that these are not forbidden in the Seventh Commandment But our Saviour lets them know that this is a great mistake and that he had not introduced a New Law but only revived an old One. To look on a woman to lust after her was always sinful and unlawful I made a Covenant with mine Eyes saith Job why then should I think upon a maid Chap. 31. ver 1. which argues that it was a sin in those times even before there was any written Law to indulge either lustful Thoughts or Looks And this I take to be the Reason of the Law of Fringes given to the Jews Num. 15. 38 39. viz. that these being constantly in their view might be a means to divert their thoughts as well as sight for so 't is expresly said that they were to entertain their Eyes with looking on them that they might not seek after their own Heart and their own Eyes after wâ—ich they used to go a whoring We read afterwards that it was the Pious King's Prayer Turn away mine eyes from beholding vaâ—ity Psal. 119. 37. And that there is a Restraint to be laid upon this outward Sense and upon the inward Imagination which is wrought upon by it is the acknowledgment of the Wisest Heâ—rew Doctors among whom it is proverbially said the Eye is the Inlet to sin and R. Ben. Maiâ—on saith expresly that evil Thoughts were forbid by the Lâ—w. 3. Swearing rashly is forbidden here by Christ and so it was by the Third Commandment But this as well as the other was misinterpreted by the Scribes and Doctors and not understood in its full Extent Whereupon our Saviour corrects their mistakes saying Swear not at all neither by Heaven c. ver 34. As much as if he had said you make nothing of Swearing by Heaven and by the Earth and by Ierusalem and by your Heads and this is a very common and frequent thing with you and you are perswaded that you act not amiss in doing thus for you think that the Commandment forbids only False Swearing and Perjury you have been told that these are the only breach of that part of the Law But I tell you another thing that Law forbids not only False but Rash Swearing you violate that Commandment as often as you use any vain and unnecessary Oaths as often as you prophanely swear by God's Name as often as you make use of other Names besides God's to swear by as often as you swear by Heaven or by the Earth c. This is the true meaning of our Saviour here Some have thought that all Swearing is forbid in this place by Christ as unlawful under the Gospel altho it was lawful to Swear under the Law but if you consider that it is a Religious Act and is innocent and harmless in its own nature and sometimes becomes necessary as in matters of Controversie which can't otherwise be decided and is an Act of Charity and Righteousness when it is for the real advantage of the Community or any of our particular Brethren and sometimes it is and is approved of by the Example of St. Paul in the New Testament you will be induced to believe that Religious Swearing is lawful even under the Gospel and that there is no New Law given by Christ to forbid it now That which he forbids is Unnecessary and Prophane Swearing yea moreover he commands you to avoid all Swearing in common intercourse and converse one with another and as much as lies in them to abstain wholly from an Oath He would have them to be Persons of so holy and strict lives of such integtity and faithfulness that no one should have occasion to require an Oath of them but that they might be credited upon their bare Words and Promises He would have them shew such Truth
we were not able to assign a particular Reason The Wisdom and Equity of God's dealingâ— are undeniable He must be leâ—t to dispense his Benefits when he pleaseth and most certainly that is the best time which he chooseth It is the Glory of God saith the Wife Man to conceal a thing to hide the Causes and Reasons of his Actions from Men especially of the particular circumstance of Time which is not of such Concern to us as the Things themselves Therefore we ought not to be very inquisitive and scrupulous but finally to resolve all into God's good Will and Pleasure Thus when the Primitive Christians were asked in a cavilling way by the Pagans why Christ came so late they ingenuously answer'd We deny not that we are ignorant of the Reason of it we cannot see and tell God's secret Will and how he orders his Affairs He alone knoweth What is to be done and How and at what Time And again thus In an Eternal and Infinite course of Ages where there is no beginning nor end nothing can be said to be soon or late And St. Augustin's Answer to those that ask'd why Christ came not before was this Because saith he the Fulness of Time was not yet come according to the appointment of Him by whom all Times are for it was best known to him when Christ ought to come And in another place he gives the like Reason why Christ came just at that time and no other The Lord saith he who disposes all things in Measure Number and Weight knoweth when he doth any thing It may suffice then to answer that so it pleased God whose Wisdom is infinite He hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own times for so it should be rendred Tit. 1. 3. When these come he sets such and such a Dispensation on foot Tho this will not satisfie some yet it ought to pass for good Divinity with those that are wise to Sobriâ—â—y But yet tho we must not sawcily pry into the Secrets of Heaven we are permitted with modesty to enquire how far they may be discover'd to us Therefore to give satisfaction even to the Curious I will offer some Considerations wherein are contained the particular Reasons of the Datâ— of the Christian Oâ—conâ—my why Christ came not into the World till it was about four thousand Years old and why he came at that time rather than at another 1. You are to consider that tho Christ was not Born of the Virgin Mary till that very time yet he appeared long before to some of the Patriarchs and Saints under the Old Testament The Angel that appeared to Hagar was the Messiâ—â— the Son of God therefore Mâ—sâ—s calls him the Lâ—rd or Ieâ—ovab Gen. 16. 13. It was the Opinion of the Antient Fathâ—rs that this Second Person in the Glorious Trinity appear'd in human Shape to Abraham as he sat in the Plains of Mamre Gen. 18. 13 c. where he is stiled Iehovaâ— and afterwards the God of Bethel chap. 31. 21. And he appeared to Iacob in the Form of an Angel and wrestled with him he is call'd a Man in the entrance of the Story and God in the sequel of it and the Prophet Hosea speaking of him calls him God Chap. 12. 3. This is that Angel of the Covenant who appeared Num. 7. ultIreneus Tertullian St. Austin and most of the Antients hold that it was Christ who appear'd as an Armed Man and Captain of the Lord of Hosts to encourage Ioshua when he was to take Iericho Jos. 5. 13 14. And many of the Fathers were of opinion that Christ was the Conducter of the Israelites out of Egypt into the Land of Canaan who led them through the Wilderness of Arabia and descended on Mount Sinai and resided in the Tabernacle and the Temple And that of Daniel Chap. 3. 25. the Form of the fourth Person who was seen in the firy Furnace was like the Son of God is interpreted by some of the Eternal Son of God who used to visit the Patriarchs and now visibly bore the three Children company in the Flames And from several other places in the Old Testament it may be gather'd that Christ appear'd to the Holy Men in those days upon extraordinary occasions So then he appeared sooner than is imagined his Incarnation was not the first time of his Appearance in the World he actually manifested and shew'd himself before his Birth His early visiting of the Patriarchs and Prophets was a Forerunner of his more signal Appearing in the â—ulness of time when he took on him our humane Nature and convers'd with Mankind 2. If you consider that all the Benefits which accrued to Mankind by a Saviour were imparted even before Christ was made Flesh you will not think that his Appearance in the World was late He as you have heard was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World The Covenant of Grace that he who repenteth and believeth shall be saved was made immediately after Man's Fall the Merit of the Messiâ—â— his Undertakings was valid from that very time and therefore the Promises of Mercy in Christ are contain'd tho obscurely in the Books of the Old Testament The Gospel is antient the Design of God in all Ages tended to the consummating of this which may take off our marvelling at its being no sooner It was in being long before as to the grand Efficacy and Virtue of it Have then this right Notion of the true Date of Christianity and you will not ask why Christ appeared not before 3. Perswade your selves of this that Christ would have actually appeared sooner and that in our Flesh if the World had been fit to receive him before God acteth according to the Nature of things according to the Capacities and Faculties of Mankind according to the Condition and Frame of Men. Hence his dealings with them are different and various his Administrations and Methods are not alike but they are always most sutable and agreeable to the present Circumstances When Solon was asked whether he had leâ—t the Athenians the best Laws he could he answer'd he had given them the best they were capable of This is more eminently true of the Laws and Institutions the Discoveries and Administrations which are from God the Great and Infalliable Lawgiver they are the most exactly fitted to the Capacities and Dispositions the Inclinations and Genius of the People who are to make use of them He prescribes Laws not according to what he is able to do but according to our Ability to hear and receive them Hence it is that tho True Religion be but One yet it hath had Different Discoveries and Maniâ—estations according to the Different States and Conditions of Men in the several Ages of the World This argues not any Changeableness in God but his great Wisdom and Care of his Church as a Prudent Master of a Family gives different Orders and Rules according to the diversity of
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
perhaps may be the Meaning of 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World I offer it to be considered whether we may not interpret it thus Do you not know that there shall be a time when there shall be a Christian Magistracy in the World and that especially when Christianity is coming to its Height there shall be such Godly Rulers and Iudges as shall reform all Things that are amiss in the World And this great Sway and Authority shall make way even for their judging of Angels Afterwards v. 3. I am far from abetting in this Discourse the wild Fancy of those Enthusiastick Spirits who make the Reign of Christ on Earth inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes who at the same time that they set up King Iesus pull down all others Their Fifth-Monarchy brooks no Crowned Heads But they forget that in the same Place where the Evangelical Prophet saith Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness meaning Christ and this Kingdom which I am now discoursing of he adds And Princes shall rule in iudgment Isa. 32. 1. Though it is said the Scepter shall depart from Iudah when Shiloh first comes yet neither then nor afterwards is it to be taken out of the Hands of Christian Princes Their Monarchy and Christ's Kingdom are not incompatible Yea I am so far from giving any Allowance to this sort of Men that I confidently aver Christ's Kingdom whereof I am speaking shall be set up and maintain'd by the Kings and Rulers of the Earth Christianity shall arrive to that excellent Pitch by the Assistance of the Civil Magistrate by the Incouragement which shall be given to it by the Secular Powers There is Ground for what I say for we are expresly told that those who formerly gave their Kingdom to the Beast shall afterwards hate the Whore and shall make her desolate c. Rev. 17. 16 17. These great Things shall be effected by Monarchs Princes and States entirely devoting themselves to the publick Good and Welfare and to the Glory of Him who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Builders of that Ierusalem shall hold the Trowel with one Hand and the Sword in the other They shall at the same time Rear this happy Structure and severely Punish those who endeavour to hinder them till at last by sharply Animadverting on all Wickednesses and Enormities these be driven out of the World and Universal Piety and Righteousness come in their room Again This great Work shall be promoted and advanced by the help of Spiritual Pastors and Teachers whose Care and Faithfulness whose Courage and Zeal are as requisite in this present Affair as that of the Civil Magistrate The Rulers and Guides of the Church shall then shew themselves true Lovers of Souls by not refusing any Labour of Love for their Peoples Good they shall preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine they shall Watch in all Things do the Work of true Evangelizers make full proof of their Ministry They shall discharge their Holy Function with all Mildness and Clemency with all Tenderness and Compassion and yet with all Fervency and Vigour They shall let all Men see that they make the Honour of God and the Saving of Mens Souls the Grand Design of their Ministry And it is not without great reason that I mention both these great Orders of Men Magistrates and Ministers for it is absolutely requisite that they go hand in hand towards the accomplishing that Great Work which I am discoursing of Moses and Aaron must befriend each other Zerubbabel and Ioshua must join in building the Temple The great Hinderance of the Improvement and Increase of Christianity hath been the disunion of these Two The Temporal Rulers and Spiritual Overseers have not concurr'd in the promoting the same Religious Designs The Secular and Ecclesiastical Powers have frequently been divided among themselves and thereby have retarded and impeded the Common Good But it shall not be so in those happy Times there shall be no disagreement between Ecclesiastical the State and Church no opposition between the State and Civil Laws The Spiritual and Secular Officers shall be so far from being an Impediment to one another in their particular Charges that they shall make it their Business to promote the respective Cause and Interest of each other If Phocas and Boniface held together and thereby wrought such horrid Mischiefs in the World it is certain we may experience as great and notable Effects of a contrary Nature from the unanimous Concurrence of pious Governours in the Church and Commonwealth When they mutually advise and consult with one another and act jointly for the Advancement of Religion and Godliness as in the Times of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian Gratian when they strive with great Ambition and no other Ambition who shall be most serviceable and beneficial to the Christian Community this will be found to be the true Method for the propagating and establishing of Religion in the World And seeing Religion is the only unshaken and lasting Basis of Kingdoms it is the Concern of thâ—se Two Ranks of Persons to agree to advance this above all Things whatsoever They are to remember that even Civil Politicks are best guided by this Conduct and that if a Nation or Council exclude this in any of their Laws and Constitutions they can't be said to be Wise and Politick For what is disagreeable to Religion is unsafe dangerous and extremely Impolitick To be short all lies in Rulers both of Church and State both Spiritual and Civil These as I apprehend will be the special Instruments which God will imploy to work that happy and wonderful Change When God pleaseth to send such Princes and Leaders as Zerobbabel such Priests as Ioshua such Teachers and Scribes as Ezra the Building of the House of God will soon be finished Such Great and Noble Spirits being sâ—t on work will easily bring it to perfection The Gospel will be completely established Christianity will be universally propagated and Evangelical Righteousness will prevail every where in the World Yea All of us are capable of promoting this great Work more or less and therefore we ought to make it our Concern Our earnest and constant Prayer should be that this Kingdom may come and prevail and prosper that Antichristianism wheresoever it is and under what Shape and Guise soever it appears may be demolished and destroyed that the Infidelity of Iews and Pagans may have a period that Vice and Immorality Irreligion and Prophaneness may be trod down and that the Contrary may be set up and advanced in all the Regions of the World And we are obliged to set forward this blessed Design not only by our Devotions but our Endeavours and to hasten the actual Prevailing of it in our Lives and Practices that Iesus may be seen to Reign among Men and that Christianity may be