ungodly of all their ungodly deeds and of all their HARD SPEECHES Something is in that that he is numbred a seventh from Adam a type at least in that that Christ should come in the seventh Millenary or thousandth of the whole Age of the world at furthest Which seven thousandth is farre nearer then generally we account as after God assisting shall be demonstrated at which time according to the common consent of the Jewish Talmud and Rabbins viz. R. Ketina R. Schelomo R. Kimchi c. He shal bring a destruction upon sinne so as the world shal be refined from the curse as Gold from the drosse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Lord alone shal be exalted Isa 3. And he shal shake the earth as at a day of Iudgement as Hag. 2.6 7. and the Lord shall be for a King or instead of a King to or over all the earth Then according to Psal 90. shal be a Sabbath of rest for a thousand yeares I give you their owne very words phrases and quotations a sufficient Commentary on Enoch who saith the Lord shall come with Myriads of his Saints Now after his Ascention Iude alledgeth Enoch that the Lord shall come he doth not say he shall goe away to Heaven but he shal come from Heaven And how As a Iudge to convince and punish all that have persisted to utter hard speeches against Christ viz. against him himself or against him in his Saints and this must be before the ultimate Day of Judgement or else what priviledge is it to the Saints or how is Christs power vindicated afore hee lay downe his power § 3 So that you may perceive that this matter in hand is an ancient Tenet no new thing as many ignorant of the Prophets make it and wonder and talke against it But we in obedience to Christ do search into the Prophets and as we are enlightned and led as overcome with the truth so we have and shall follow § 4 There is a second reason leading us into the enquiry of the Prophets viz. that thereby we may search out the grounds upon which the Iewes build their expectation of the coming of the Messiah and in what manner they expect his coming that so we may joyne issue with them in knowledge hope and prayer or otherwise within our spheare to help them forward and the businesse it selfe against all the opposers thereof We all both Jewes and Gentiles that have been candid enquirers into the Scriptures have from the beginning looked for his further coming Heb. 11. oft By faith they saw the promise afar off and saluted them so the Greek And by faith they saw him that was invisible c. when he came in the flesh the generality of the Iewes saw him corporally but not spiritually viz. as a man not as the Messiah But the generality of the beleeving Gentiles saw him spiritually nor corporally The Jewes therefore still expect his coming that they may see him both corporally and spiritually And it will be no griefe for the Gentiles that have seen him spiritually to see him also corporally And though he will not come againe to the Jewes to be made flesh yet hee will come againe to them in the flesh And this later will be more glorious then the former the greater containing the lesser radiating more effectually upon the Jewes to a greater effusion of teares from them and infusion of the spirit of Christs grace into them Zech. 12. which John prefixeth to his Revelation Chap. 1. v. 7. as the end Catastrophe and upshot in a great part of that Revelation as the fitting of them to entertaine Christs appearance and to enter into the New Jerusalem But this is not all There is a third reason why we should looke into the Prophets of the Old Testament there being the maine and most Types and Visions used in this Booke of the Revelation I will at present give but one instance but a most apt one to our businesse in hand viz. that in Revel 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they that sate upon them and judgement was given to them c. and they lived and reigned with Christ c. which cleerly is taken out of Dan. 7.9 c. I beheld till the Thrones were set so it should bee translated * Our last Translat have mistaken in translating it The Thrones were cast downe I suppose they therein tooke Thrones tropically or figuratively for powers and so they would make this sense of it the powers viz Monarchicall and their appendices were cast down But they were not al down till after the Judiciary sitting v. 11. v. 21 22. Besides ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as some Chalde copies write it signifies material Thrones whereon the Potentates do sit whether we make the noune to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be Hemantick signifying As it were for the Talmud useth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to signifie a material Throne or whether we make the noune to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã taking ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for a radical so it signifies sometimes a material place wherein to exercise or act a gift faculty or power And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as other Chalde copies write it also signifies material Thrones as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies a materiall Throne So that every way materiall Thrones to sir in are signified by the words in the Text even as the next word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã plainly signifies were lifted up advanced or set up so plainly that I cannot in the least imagine nor conjecture what shew of reason our last Translators had to render it The thrones wore cast down Our old Translation hath it The Thrones were set up And most justly For whether we suppose the root to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies he lifâed up he exalted or was made high or exalted to Schindler or whether we make the âoot to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Pagnin Arias Montanus and Hutter affirme which also signifies he elevated he exalted or he or it was high or elevated so Arias Montanus in Apparat. viz. Dict. Syro-chald still our old Translation is right The Thrones wer set up And so runs the stream of the most learned Translators in severall languages Pagnin and Arias Montanus Throni clati sunt The Latine called Hierâms Throni positi sunt the Syriak subsâllia posita esse The Arab. ecce sides positae sunt So the Greek Sept. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tiâdal in his English Translation The seats were prepared The best French Translation Interpretee par Jean Diodati hath it les Thrones fuerent posés Protestant Bruccioli in his Ital. Translation Furono portate siede and in his Commentary makes his meaning more plain Throni suroâo essalâati The best High-Dutch or German Translation by Luther is Stule gesekt wurden i. e. The stools or
beleeve Nor can this be meant of ultimate glory for this reason because we cannot be said there in any tolerable sence to injoy a Sabbatism that is as the Apostles proofe clearly drives at a rest upon or in a Seventh viz. in the seventh Trumpet in the seventh Viol in the seventh thousand yeares of the world for if this Sabbatisme or Seventh be eternity then it is there swallowed up in an infinite that cannot be numbred But if this Sabbatisme be a distinct determinate time bounded with two Resurrections the one at the beginning the other at the end then it will clearly stand numerable for a seventh but not otherwise We usually number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. over things of some semblance in quantity and quality to make a Septenarie If a streame flowes into six Rivers and then falls into the mainest Ocean it is not proper to say the Ocean is the seventh River but the continent or conteiner swallowing up all We must have seven Ages compleat and ended as we say in Leases of Lands made according to Law or else we cannot number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Free-hold or Fee-simple hath no number and therefore as the former great Ages of the world were distinct on earth by some eminent notes as they shall easily finde that consult Chronologers so shall this be as distinct likewise The rest of the Sabbath began with Gods rest after the finishing of his workes the rest in Canaan began with the conduct and Wonders done under Joshua c. so this Sabbatisme of the last thousand yeares is begun and bounded with notable Land-markes it begins with the binding of Satan the fall of the Beast and with the first Resurrection and terminated with the loosing of Satan the rising of Gog and Magog in armes and the second Resurrection so that great things are acted between the end of the Sabbatisme and the beginning of ultimate glory All this is plain in Rev. 20. to them that will read and understand Yea further unlesse this be understood of a pure rest on earth how shall we be said to Sabbatise as is intimated in a Sabbatisme It is true in a Sabbath is signified and enjoyed a rest But so we may rest on another day And every day a beleever hath several rests But we must have according to the Apostle a Sabbatismaticall rest a rare word is used by the Apostle to signifie a rare rest we must Sabbatise that is imitate or in some proportion answer to other typical Sabbaths Imitation and correspondency relate to known things foregone not to after-things never seen And we rest voluntarily as in the day of Christs power whiles he is in power from our own workes as God did from his not necessitatedly when all other occasions are removed and an immutable eternity stamped upon our condition swallowing up all and transforming it into ultimate glory We must sabbatise our restfull injoyment in time and place according to former Sabbatical Rests Therefore it must be on earth and a timeing not an eternizing And thus for the Book of Psalmes with parallels out of the New Testament SECT XI Next we come to the Prophet Isaiah wherein none will doubt that are truly acquainted with his most Evangelicall Prophesies but that we shall finde many clear places for the point in hand § 1 THe first place is in Chapter 2. Verse 1. The word c. concerning Judah and Jerusalem Vers 2. It shall come to passe in the last dayes * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the last daies that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top ** ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is In or upon the HEAD of the Mountains of the mountaines and ALL Nations shall FLOW unto it Verse 3. And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his paths For out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Verse 4. And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people *â* Hebr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Many peoples and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither shall they learne warre any more Verse II. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day all which Verse is repeated againe Verse 17. Then it follows Verse 18. And the Idols he shall utterly abolish Verse 19. And they shall goe into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth This whole Verse is againe repeated Verse 21. § 2 The first verse plainly shews what ever the Analytical conceits of men may assert that this Prophesie is ultimately and plainly concerning yea for or in the behalfe or favour of Judah and Jerusalem as the * Heb. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã su per propter juxta secundum Sept. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Symm ut refert Nobilius Drusius pro. citat Eus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã lib. 2. p. 43. in Hier. pro Juda Ierusalem Hebrew beares and Greeks and Latines affirme Though by and by Verse 6. the Iewes are shewed the reason why they should goe into afflictions afore they have the deliverance mentioned in this Chapter Yet when it is said verse 2 and 3 It shall come to passe in the last dayes that many peoples shall say come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob c. for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law there can be no lesse intended then that this Prophesie doth ultimately concerne the Jewes welfare when they and the Gentiles converted shall make one glorious Christian Church on earth To this our late Annotationists on the Bible doe well consent and in some termes fairely hint part of our Thesis Here say they in this second Chapter of Isa begins a Sermon contained in the three Chapters following concerning the RESTITVTION of the Church principally UNDER CHRIST which he both beginneth Chapter 2 and after the denunciation of many heavy judgements inserted to be inflicted upon the maine body of the Jewish people for their manifold grosse and grievous sinnes at length concludes with Chap. 4. § 3 The Learned grant * Iunius Piscator Alapide Grotius Engl. Annot. that those promises in the words afore-quoted out of this Chapter do relate to the time of Christs coming and do confesse the generall that the Iews in a sublimer sense do understand them of the times of the Messiah And one of them steps a little higher and bids us for that
to the last place afore handled out of the New Testament this vision much enlightening that Parable in ver 26 27. the close expounding that Parable as the Preface ver 11 12. explaines that it concernes the time following upon the ruine of the foure Monarchies § 2 In the eleventh and twelfth verses the foure Beasts that is the foure Monarchies are slaine as it is expounded after verse 17. The foure great Beasts are foure Kings instead of them Daniel sees in a vision ver 13 14. One like the Sonne of Man come WITH THE CLOVDES of Heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neere before him which notably agrees with that place last spoken of Luke 19.11 c. where it is said Christ went into a farre Country to receive to himselfe a Kingdome and returne And that visibly saith this of Daniel with the Clouds or in the Clouds as Rev. 1.7 in way of Preface to this his Kingdome Rev. 11. Rev. 20. And saith Daniel ver 14. There was given to him that was like the Son of Man DOMINION and glory and a KINGDOME that all People Nations and Languages should serve him Just as Luke 19.15 according to the Greek he returned receiving the kingdom When he visibly returned he received a Kingdome here below else why did he returne Adde that here below he exercised visible destruction upon his enemies for it is not said as of the unworthy Talenter he cast them into utter darknesse but he caused them to be slaine afore his face SECT II. Of the second place of Scripture out of the Old Testament for Christs visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church Jer. 25.5.6 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and PROSPER and shall execute JUDGEMENT AND JUSTICE in THE EARTH In his dayes Judah shal be saved and ISRAEL SHALL DWELL safely and this is his name whereby hee shal bee called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE § 1 FIrst it is evident by the last clause that the Lord Christ is the person here meant it being his incommunicable name Act. 4.12 2 Cor 5. last § 2 Nextly It is as apparent by the whole Series of Jeremiahs Prophesie that this relateth to the times after Judahs Captivity in Babilon Israel having been carried away captive long afore § 3 Lastly It is beyond all objection that Christ did yet never so reigne upon earth as this Text holds forth as may be made appeare with few words in these particulars 1. Christ must reigne and prosper That is must be every way glorious and successefull so that Judah and Israel shall owne him for their King and call him the Lord their righteousnesse 2 He shall execute justice and judgement in the earth it is not said he shall preach justice or judgement or execute it in heavenly places but he shall execute it upon or in the earth 3. In his dayes JUDAH shal be saved and ISRAEL shal dwell safely viz. being gathered out of all Countries ver 3. But the Lord Christ did yet never thus reigne Instead of reigning and prospering in the eyes of Israel and Iudah he was as a branch blasted a thing accursed Isa 53. ver 3 4 c. so that the Iewes for the generall dis-owned him proceeding against him as a Malefactor guilty of many of the highest Crimes and for matters of Iustice and Iudgement in the earth he refused to meddle with the smallest matters as to give his opinion touching the Adulteresse or to divide the inheritance Nor then nor yet ever did Israel returne from Captivity and dwell safely if wee might say Iudah did at Christs first coming in the flesh as we may not because they were then under the Heathen Roman power as conquered and tributaries Luke 3.1 § 4 Nor may any put this off with Christs Spirituall reigning for so he did alwayes from the Creation but this is in the future tense hee shal reigne to signifie his reigning so as never before SECT III. Of the third Scripture âât of the Old Testament for Christs visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church Zach. 2.10 11 12. compared with Zach. 14. ver 4 5 6 7 8 9. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Jerusalem for loe I come and will DWELL in the midst of thee saith the Lord. And many NATIONS shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will DWELL in the midst of thee and the Lord shall INHERIT Judah his portion in the holy Land and shall CHOOSE JERVSALEM AGAINE And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives and the Lord shall bee King over ALL THE EARTH In that day there shall be one LORD and his name one ZEchary Prophesied after their returne out of Captivity in Babilon see Zech. 1.1 compared with 2 Chron. 36.22 Ezra chap. 1. ver 1. c. to the end Therefore this was not fulfilled in their return for it is spoken of a future time to come And Spiritually God did alwayes dwell among his people and therefore nor can that be the full meaning of this place And when Christ came and was incarnated this Text was not fulfilled for then many Nations were not joyned to the Lord to be his people nor so much as the generality of any one Nation the Heathen Romans then inherited the portion of Judah and filled all Countries with their persons or powers and instead of Christ then choosing Jerusalem againe he pronounced woe against it and gave it up to desolation which accordingly about forty yeares after Christs Passion was fulfilled Mat. 23. three last and Matth. 24.1 2 c. Nor was the Lord King over all the earth more then he had been before Christs Incarnation Instead of one Lord over all there were many SECT IIII. The fourth place in the Old Testament for Christs personall appearance Micha 4. vers 1 c. to 8. In the last dayes it shall come to passe that the Mountaine of the House of the Lord shall be established in the top of the Mountaine and MANY NATIONS SHALL COME AND SAY Come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the LORD and HEE shall JUDGE AMONG MANY PEOPLE and rebuke the NATIONS afarre off and they shall BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP A SWORD AGAINST NATION neither shall they learne warre any more but they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree and NONE SHALL MAKE THEM AFRAID In that day I will assemble her that halteth and will gather her that was driven out and her that I have afflicted and I will make her that was cast off a STRONG NATION and the Lord shal REIGN OVER THEM IN MOVNT ZION FROM HENCE-FORTH and FOR EVER NOw when was ever this since the Creation much lesse was it performed at Christs Incarnation when the Jewes were under the Roman power obstinate
Antichristian enemies in the day of his Army raised up to that end and whether we understand it specially of the Jewes by speciall emphasis his people first chosen to be a Church and after of his blood kindred or generally of all sorts of Nations when saw we or our forefathers since the Incarnation that day of power wherein the generality of either sort in either of the said senses were a willing people But on the contrary in all ages ten for one are obstinate against Christ and more especially the Jewes And therefore that God may be true this must bee fulfilled before that ultimate day of judgement which doth not mend but end the incurable enemies of Christ Verse 4. The Lord hath sworne and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech The Apostle hence infers Heb. 7. the exceeding eminency of Christs Priesthood above that of Aaron First In that Christ was made so by an oath not so the order of Aaron which obligation by the oath of God the Apostle Heb. 6. urgeth upon the Jewes as a great ground of faith and that they should not doubt as he will not repent Secondly In that as Melchisedech so Christ must be above the order of Aaron a Kingly Priest a most righteous and peace-bringing King and that at Salem Now seeing Christ by the oath of God was made King of Salem the contract of Jerusalem we must expect that infallibly to be fulfilled according to Psal 2. and v. 2. of this 110 Psal Hee hath indeed been at Salem alias Jerusalem and there acted in his offering up himselfe visibly as well as spiritually the Priest-hood But he hath not since the Apostles writing of that Epistle acted any visibility of his Royalty or Kingly-hood there which is cleer by that in Verse 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath So that when this Psalme is fulfilled to exalt Christ according to the tenor thereof then the Kings of the earth that submit not to Christ must be stricken through by the wrath of God But since Christs Incarnation generally all the Kings of the earth of all men have been least subdued to Christ their Nobles siding with them and have acted most opposition against him drawing all their peoples into confederacy with them But saith this Psalme there must be a day of Gods wrath wherein he wil strike through Kings that stand out against his Sonne And this stroke must be a corporall stroke as it follows Verse 6. He shall judge among the Heathen and fill the places with dead bodies He shall wound the HEAD * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for it is in the Heb. in the singular number and therefore ill rendred in our English Bibles plurally Heads over many Countries The words are plaine for a bringing in of Jewes and Gentiles into a submission unto Christ or they must be slaine on heaps Now hitherto the generality of Jewes and Gentiles both Kings and peoples doe not yet submit to Christ nor are they strucken through or slain in heaps And at the ultimate day of doome the judgement is by fire not by sword and unto eternall death not temporall And therefore this yet to come before that day In fulfilling whereof the Lord shall wound that same HEAD over many Countries that is as Dr. Alsteds and Mr. Ainsworths opinion pleaseth me wel he shal wound the head of Antichrist that pretends to be Head over many Countries or if we say the wicked Rulers of the world who unite under an Antichristian head it comes to one effect This head the Lord must wound or to render it nearer the Hebrew * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã transfixit sic Arias Pagn pierce through So that the Lord will not onely wound a part of the Head-ship as if it should bee healed againe as Rev. 13. But he will utterly destroy as Jael did Sisera when shee pierced his head through Judg. 4. the last and greatest headship of that head as in Rev. 19. three last verses And then Verse 7. Christ shall lift up his head That is his power shall bee visibly exalted above his Capital enemy as visibly as his enemies were exalted against him Thus of two of the Heads touching Christs Kingdome yet to come deduced out of the Psalmes Viz. 1 The Universality of Christs power 2 The time when to be fulfilled 3 Now follows viz. The Sabbatisme the Saints shall then enjoy § 3 For this third Head out of the Psalmes viz. the Sabbatisme which the Saints shall enjoy in the time of Christs future visible Kingdom on earth we have in the 95. Psal from vers the seventh to the end v. 7. To day if ye will hear his voice v. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernesse v. 9. When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works 10. Forty yeers long was I grieved with this generation and said it is a people that doe erre in their heart and they have not knowne my wales 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest 1 ¶ This Psalme was penned more immediately for the Jews as it was penned by the Psalmist a Jew and is first urged upon them by Paul a Jew Heb. 3.7 c. to the end of the Chapter by way of exhortation to heare Christs voice whereby they may not miscarry as their forefathers did in the wildernesse and so misse of entring into Gods rest Secondly propounded by the same Jewish Apostle to the said Jewes now scattered Heb. 4. v. 1. c. to v. 12. by way of consolation that in these words is a cleer intimation and concession that some of the Jewes though they in the wildernesse did not shall enter into Christs rest which the Apostle collects by a strong consequence thus The severall premises of the argument from that 95 Psalme he layes downe in the 5 6 7 and 8 verses viz. 1. For God saith IF THEY shall enter into my rest Seeing therefore it remaineth that SOME must enter therein and THEY to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbeleef He limiteth a CERTAINE day saying so LONG A TIME as it is said to day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts that is long after the Israelites were entered into Canaan under the conduct of Joshua the Psalmist in his time saith to day if ye will heare his voyce c. For if Jesus that is Josuah being so written in Greek viz. Jesus and Jesus and Josuah are of the same signification had given them rest he would not afterward have spoken of another day These two premises being laid downe the Apostle inferres a generall conclusion serving to both v. 9. viz. There remaineth therefore even to the Apostles time and by equall reason downe to this time a rest to the people of God Observe
to compare Dan. 2.35 where all the foure Mettals are utterly broken to peeces and the little stone cut out of the mountaine became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth But I shall God assisting give you a more particular account viz. that both Iewes and Christians do understand the promises in this Chapter of a visible glorious estate of the Church yet to be on the face of the earth before the ultimate end of the world Of the latter sort wee will name onely the famous Piscator Alsted and Heurnius Of the former in briefe thus Their Talmud Gemara Sanhedrim pereck R. Ketina c. assert that this world doth continue six thousand yeers In one it shall be destroyed so as to be purified as gold and freed from the CURSE of which it is said Isa 2. The LORD ALONE SHALL BEE EXALTED IN THAT DAY And R. Scelomo quoting also this second of Isa saith The Lord shall arise and shake the earth terribly in the day of judgement when he shall breake the wicked It is usuall with the learned Iewes to call this glorious time of Christs visible Kingdome on earth a day of judgement not dissentaneous to the wont of Scripture to compellate and compare any great time of Reformation as a day of judgement Psal 50.1 c. 1 Pet. 4.17 And indeed as John shewes us Rev. 11. in the beginning of this most glorious visible Kingdome there is a beginning of the day of judgement in that the wicked alive that submit not to Christ are destroyed and the living Saints have a reward given them together with the resurrection of the deceased Saints which St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection R.D. Kimchi saith In that day in the dayes of Messiah when the Lord shall execute his judgement on the wicked THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED Isa 2. The Lord alone shall be exalted saith he is as much as to say AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH We might quote more but for hast and brevity § 4 And this must be IN THE LAST DAYES saith the second of Isa or nearer the Hebrew IN THE LAST OF DAYES or UTMOST END OF DAYES Therefore if the Prophet had looked at no further time then that of Christs first coming in the flesh he would not have called that the last of dayes since which have passed above one thousand six hundred and fifty yeers The last of dayes properly signifies those after which Aeternity next and immediately follows As it doth after the compleating of the thousand yeers of this visible Kingdome § 5 These things being premised let us view whether the promises afore-quoted out of the second of Isaiah have been fulfilled to this day 1 ¶ Surely that in the second verse and part of the third That the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established on the HEAD of the mountaines c. and peoples shall come and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord c. hath not been hitherto fulfilled and compleated For as yet neither the visible power and glory of Christ nor of his Church so as for Gentiles to say Come let us go up c. hath been established over the HEAD the Pope of the seven Hils of Rome or over the Turk the HEAD of the foure Hils of Ierusalem or over the height of power and glory of the Hils of the generality of the PEOPLES Gentiles or Nations of the world The Church at Ierusalem such as it was in Christs time was in Captivity under the Heathen Roman Empire and so continued till the rise of the Roman Bishops and immediately after that thraldome were subdued to the Turkes who keeps them in that thraldome to this day The Heathen Romans refused at the first the Lord Christ by vote of the Senate and after persecuted his Church for many yeers And the Turks blaspheme Christ in their Alcoran and hath warred against his Church from age to age since their rise And the rest of the world for the generality are Indians Barbarians and Semi-beasts that know neither God nor themselves nor what Christ is nor what a Christian is 2 ¶ Nor was the house of the Lord established in the top of the mountaines that is upon Zion the highest of the foure Hils of Jerusalem For presently after Christs death persecution scattered Christians from Jerusalem Act. 8. And within forty yeers or thereabout after Christs ascension the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and after a while the City and for about three hundred yeers onward the Church of Christ was extremely persecuted by the Heathen Romans and anon after Constantines time onely excepted or little more they were sorely persecuted by the Arian Hereticks So that instead of all Nations going up to the house of the Lord on the top of the Mountaines for divine worship Christian Jews and Gentiles were scattered among all Nations And though Act. 2. there were a handfull of severall Nations at Hierusalem if they were Gentiles and not rather Jewes yet this was farre from ALL NATIONS FLOWING to it saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes For the generality of those very men Act. 2. mocked the Apostles whiles they taught them the wayes of the Lord. And as at Ierusalem so in the Countries round about the Christians were every where persecuted as the history of the Acts doth all along give us a particular account 3 ¶ Nor is that fulfilled to this day which is prophesied in the fourth verse Christ hath not hitherto so judged among the Nations and rebuked many people that they have beaten their swords into plow shares and their speares into pruning-hooks so that Nation hath not lifted up sword against Nation neither learned war any more 4 ¶ Nor hath that been yet fulfilled which is in verse 10 11 12 c. to v. 17. That men have so dreaded the Majesty of the Lord that they have hid themselves That the lofty lookes of men have been humbled and their haughtinesse bowed downe That THE LORD ALONE HATH BEEN EXALTED That the day of the Lord of hosts hath been upon EVERY ONE that is proud and lofty upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and Okes of Bashan that are lifted up upon ALL the high mountaines and hills that are lifted up upon EVERY high tower upon every fenced wall upon ALL the ships of Tarshish and upon all the pleasant pictures to bow down and bring down low all these so that the Lord alone may be exalted in THAT DAY Alas ever since Christs comming in the flesh the whole world generally hath been very high proud against the Lord Christ Antichrist hath been much exalted and the Lord hath been least exalted his Honour his Cause his People have been trampled on In the time of Constantine the Great some little was done in the Roman Empire for a little time for the Church of
intend to leave out the most of the Jewes viz. ten for two to whom those Strangers were to joyne Nor was this done at the return of the two Tribes from Babylon Then Strangers of the Gentiles joyned not with them Nor was it done at the joyning of the two handfuls the one of Jews the other of Gentiles in the history of the Acts of the Apostles For they could no way answer to Jacob and Israel and Strangers indefinitly spoken without limitation â I have often admonished that the grand prophesied promises touching Christs Kingdome have their gradual successive progressive impletions Redux Juda Juda returning from Babylon was a Type The conversion of an handfull of them in the Apostles time was but the first-fruits Rom. 11. But the fulnesse of Gentiles and Jews is yet behind Thirdly we never yet saw that in the second vers fulfilled That Christians have been servants and handmaids to the Jews in a right religious harmony and complyance For that must be the sense and good news of this promise or else Christians shall have losse and that in things concerning salvation Fourthly nor did we ever see that also in the second verse fulfilled that the Captive Jewes shall take them captive whose Captives they were and rule over their oppressours For neither in their return from Babylon did the Jewes take captive their Captivators but returned by voluntary consent of King Cyrus nor at Christs coming did they take any captive but rather were captives under Augustus and Tyberius Emperours of Rome and of Babylon too as subdued by those Romans the universal Monarchs then of the whole world If any should be of so ayery a phantasie as to evaporate this into a figure that at Christs coming the Jews took their Captivators captive in a spirituall sense of conversion let such remember themselves that Converts are the greatest Free-men Joh. 8.32 And that for the Jews then alas for them the vaile was on them 2 Cor. 3. So that they were generally in a spirituall Captivity themselves like Sampson when his eyes were put out And that Dan. c. 12. intimates that the Iews Conquest over their enemies should be corporall Neither of which Conquests do we yet see that the Jews either corporally or spiritually have subdued them that captivated them Fifthly neither was that in the second verse ever yet fulfilled That the PEOPLES or Gentiles should take the Iewes and bring them to their place c. Calvin on this place grants thus much That this was not done after the Iewes coming out of Babylon giving this reason That the Gentiles were so far from being the conduct and assistance to the Iews in their returne and settlement and to contribute their service to them therein that they did not only trouble the Iews but destroyed them from off the earth quoting Ezra 4.4 Adding that therefore this must be fulfilled in through and by Christ Thus far Calvin But when was this yet ever done by Christ Surely those seeds in Christ and the Apostles time could not be the Harvest here meant whole Iacob and Israel were not then in the land of the Lord. Nor are they to this day But are for the generall under the dominion of Turks Romans Indians and Countries in every Nation almost under heaven rather serving the Gentiles then being served of the Gentiles And therefore this cannot be done till as Dan. 2. that the little stone Christ cut out of the mountain without hands breaks to peeces the fourfold-mettaled image of all the foure Monarchies of the earth Whereas yet the Roman Monarchy in great part stands to this day Sixtly The twelve Tribes of Iacob and Israel are not yet as it is v. 3. delivered from their sorrow and fear and bondage They are in bondage being scattered amongst all Nations They are in sorrow for that scattering from their own Country And are there in fear being forced to pay tribute for their own freedome Nor were they freed from that bondage in Christs time being then Captives under the Romans Nor from their fear but for fear of the Romans if they should owne Christ they crucified him and put him to death Therefore when this deliverance is fulfilled to purpose it is done as it follows in the seventh clause and consideration v. 4 5 6 7 That the Jews shall take up this Proverb How hath the OPPRESSOUR ceased The Lord hath broken the SCEPTER of the RULERS and the staffe of the WICKED so that the WHOLE EARTH is at REST and QUIET that they break forth into SINGING But nor Scripture nor Histories nor Experience shew us that ever these things were fulfilled to this day And at the ultimate day of judgement will be no meet time for such work as every mans own reason will easily prompt Therefore it is yet to be done afore the ultimate day of judgement SECT XV. THe fifth place in Isaiah is Chapter 24. verse 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously * R. Kimchi upon this Chapter hath these words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This parasha or Section is to be fulfilled hereafter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In the destruction of Edom ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Afterward he shall remember the salvation of ISRAEL To understand what he means by Edome he bids us upon v. 16. Look ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã upon the destruction of ROME mentioned in the who le book of God To these few words I shall need to speak but few THEN relating to that afore in verse 22 23. fetcheth its sense from thence In that day say the 22 and 23. verses It shall come to passe that the Lord shall punish the host of the High ones that are on high and the Kings of the earth upon the earth meaning plainly as the last clause evidenceth the Gentile-Potentates and powers And they those Gentiles shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison And after many dayes THEY the Jews saith Calvin giving a strong reason * Quum igitur haec ad sustinendos FIDELES pertinerent non dubium quin IUDAEIS dicerentur apud quos potissimum fides crat aut potius nusquam apud alios apparebat shall be visited To which sense touching the Iews the subsequent words also in the next verse the Text wee are now upon do mightily concur The Moon shall be confounded c. when the Lord shall reigne before his Ancients The originall and rise of which then you now see That upon the great destruction of the impenitent Gentile-Potentates and Powers the Iewes and if you will include the penitent Gentiles it shall not grieve us shall be visited in mercy And the Moon shall be confounded c. that is the glory of the Church shall be such as the light of the Moon and
them again into their folds and they shall he fruitful and increase vers 4. And I will set up shepherds that shall feed them And they shall FEARE NO MORE nor be DISMAYED neither shall they be LACKING saith the Lord. verse 5. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a RIGHTEOUS BRANCH and a KING shall reign and prosper and shall execute justice and judgement upon the earth In his dayes JUDAH shall be saved and ISRAEL shall dwel safely And this is his name whereby be shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE verse 7. Therefore behold the dayes come saith the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt verse 8. But the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the seed of the house of ISRAEL out of the NORTH COUNTRY and from ALL COUNTRIES whither I had driven them and they shall dwell in THEIR OWN LAND § 3 Mark now what the Hebrew Doctors and Jewish Rabbins as opposite as they be to Christ in their writings since the returne of the two Tribes from Babylon It is written in the book Berochoth Benzuma saith It shall come to passe that ISRAEL shall not remember their departure out of the land of Egypt in the WORLD TO COME speaking just as the Apostle Heb. 2.5 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the dayes of MESSIAH by which last clause you may see what the Rab. means by the world to come And saith the Rabbin how doth this appear That which is written in Jer. 23. saith he will prove it Behold the dayes come and they shall say no more the Lord liveth which c. which saith this Rabb wise men interpret thus not as if the name of Egypt should be blotted out but because the wonders which shall be effected in the dayes of the KINGDOME OF THE MESSIAH shall be principal and the Egyptian lesse § 4 Observe next the phrases and circumstances of the place As first That here is mention not onely of Judahs reversion and conversion but of Israels too And secondly that they shall returne not onely from the land of the NORTH but from all Countries whither they were driven which Countries are mentioned Act. 2.9 10.11 and 1 Pet. 1.1 And being compared with ancient and moderne Histories and experience doe shew that they are now scattered into all parts of the world and are so acknowledged to bee by the learned Jew R.M. Ben Israel in his SPES ISRAELIS And thirdly that at the time the Prophet intends there must be a sweet compliance between Jews and Gentiles in matters of Religion And lastly that these things must be when Christ the RIGHTEOUS BRANCH springing from David shall be KING and reign and PROSPER and execute justice and judgement in the EARTH § 5 All which duely weighed doe cleerly demonstrate without multiplying of words that they were never yet fulfilled nor can the transaction of them consist with the ultimate day of judgement And therefore are yet according to the truth of God to be fulfilled afore that day SECT XXVIII § 1 THe second place in Jeremiah is Chapter 30. and Chapter 31. * This 31 Chap. hath been alleadged before Jeroms time for the glorious state of all things in the thousand yeers of which we speak Omnes hujusmodi repromissiones juxâa Judaeâs nostros Judaizantes in mille annorum regno putanâââ esse complendae c. Hieâ on Jer. 31. v. 27. v. 38. both being one continued discourse of one and the same thing as the connexion in verse 1. of Chapter 31. plainly shewes In which are many things which of themselves upon bare reading of them without all glosses shew themselves never to have been fulfilled to this day since the time of that Prophesie For example marke the words well § 2 That in Chapter 30. was never yet fulfilled viz. verse 3. Lo the dayes come saith the Lord that I will bring again the CAPTIVITY of my people ISRAEL and JUDAH naming distinctly both Kingdomes containing all the twelve Tribes and cause them to returne to their own land Nor was that ever yet fulfilled in verse 8. In that day saith the Lord of Hosts I will break his yoke from off thy neck and will burst thy bonds and strangers SHALL NO MORE SERVE THEMSELVES of him but they shall serve the Lord their God and DAVID THEIR KING â The Chaldee is very remarkable ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That is They shall obey the Messiah or Christ the Son of David their King whom I will raise up unto them Nor was that ever fulfilled in verse 10. Fear thou not O my servant JACOB saith the Lord nor be dismayed O ISRAEL for lo I will save thee from a far and thy seed from the land of their captivity and JACOB shall return and shall be in REST and QUIET and NONE shal make him AFRAID repeated again Jer. 46. v. 27. So many things in the 31. Chapter were never yet fulfilled as all that from v. 1. to 15. concerning their corporal restitution into their own Country and their visible peace and glory there Nor can these things of both Chapters be referred to the ultimate day of judgement as the nature of the things speake loud enough And therefore they are yet to be fulfilled afore that time SECT XXIX § 1 THe third place in Jeremiah is in Chapter 32. verse 37. to the end of the Chapter Verse 37. Behold I will gather them out of ALL COUNTRIES whither I have driven them in mine anger c. And I will bring them again into this PLACE and I will cause them to dwell SAFELY verse 38. And they shall be my people and I will be their God verse 39. And I will give them one heart and ONE WAY that they may fear me for EVER c. verse 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not TURNE AWAY FROM THEM to do them GOOD c. verse 41. Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and will plant them in this LAND assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul verse 42. For thus saith the Lord like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them c. § 2 Now these things thus spoken were never yet fulfilled since the captivity of the ten Tribes carried away afore this Prophesie or of the two Tribes carried away after this Prophesie they have not been gathered from all Countries into their own land they have not dwelt there safely they have not had one way c. But since the returne but of two Tribes the ten never yet returning Antiochus of Syria and the Grecians and Romans and Turks have by a continuall succession molested them And the generality of all the twelve Tribes are scattered in all Countries to this day The fulfilling of
14. Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision 15. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining 16. The Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountain then shall Jerusalem be holy and here shall no stranger pass thorough her any more 18. And it shall come âo pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim 19. Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness for the violence against the children of Judah because they have shed innocent blood in their Land 20. But Judah shall dwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation 21. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion This as it follows close at the heels of the former place so notwithstanding mens chapter-divisions hath it a great coherence with it Calvin upon this third Chapter verse 1 2. tell us in the general Confirmat his verb is Propheta quod prius docuit de Ecclesiae RESTITUTIONE i. e. The Prophet in these words confirms what before he had taught concerning the RESTITUTION of the Church More particularly let me tell you That the most if not the all of the former place in the second Chapter is again mentioned in this third Chapter and with four great emphases of connexion both sounding of confirmation and explanation of what had been said before 1. FOR Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chalde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Septuagint ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã As if the Lord should say I bring this for a proof that I will do as I have said 2. BEHOLD Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chalde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Septuagint ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã As much as to say There shall be some notable thing done some grand event as an eminent sign that I will be as good as my word 3. IN THOSE DAYES and AT THAT TIME with great emphasis of Pronouns and Articles both in Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chalde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Septuagint ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which sound to this effect That methodically and in a just order when I do the former things I will do these following also so that the plurality and magnificence of exploits shall force the eyes of men to see my truth and true performance of all that I have spoken 4. I will in pursuance of that deliverance of my people mentioned in the former Chapter Gather all Nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people which amounts justly to thus much for our present observation That the famous remarkable circumstances as before of time so here of place shall be undeniable witnesses of the substance of my true performance For as the great Philosopher saith Many common accidents concurring may amount to a proprium quarto modo to an infallible property and so to a demonstration And we know that circumstances of time and place c. beget in us great credence to a report That such a thing was done Thus for the coherence of this place with the former § 2 Next for the substance of this place in order to our point take notice in the entrance That the people that shall according to this prophesie be delivered are named in the first verse Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem signifying the Two Tribes In the second verse and verse sixteen they are called his heritage Israel and the scattered among all Nations which most aptly set forth the Ten Tribes who of the Kingdome of Israel became the greatest dispersion among all Nations far beyond those of Iudah And the deliverance of both is so expressed in the Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint that the words may well be extended to a spiritual conversion of their souls from infidelity beside the corporal deliverance of their persons from captivity as many Translaters render it And for confirmation observe That whereas in Hosea chap. 1. the Lord calls them speaking of both the said Kingdoms of the Iews Lo-ammi NOT MY PEOPLE and Lo-ruhamah I WILL NOT HAVE MERCY viz. Whiles they are to be in captivity where for the general they lost their piety as well as their liberty in not receiving Christ and his Gospel from thence to this day Behold here in this Text of Joel the Lord speaking of their deliverance expresseth it in relation and to the effect of receiving them at their return as his people and to be his heritage v. 2. For surely if God did justly for their great wickedness carry them away captive he had little reason to receive them from thence if they were no better then when they went Put now all together and all plainly spells that this first clause of the deliverance of Judah and Israel hath not been fulfilled to this day according to the sence before demonstrated which will clearly appear by the rest that follows § 3 For in the next place we are to observe that this must not bee a meer still and tacit deliverance of the Jewes but withall a tumultuous destruction of their Enemies that formerly caused their bondage and with-held their deliverance ver 2. I will gather all Nations and being them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat and plead with them there or my people c. Which last clause the Chalde renders ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. And I will take vengeance on them there for my people which is much further amplified in ver 9 10 11 12. c. The valley of Jehosaphat is particularly named here as the place where God will avenge his people 1. Because there Jehosaphat overthrew the Ammonites and Moabites and their Confederates that rose up against the Jewes 2 Chron. 20.22 c. 2. Jehosaphat signifies pleading or judging viz. the thing that God will doe upon the incorrigible enemies that yet remaine ver 12. 3. Because this is also called the valley of Beracha that is the valley of blessing Because there Jehosaphat blessed and praised God first in hope of the said Victory Secondly for helpe in the said Victory 2 Chron. 20.22 compare ver 16. 4. Because this is called the valley of decision or threshing twice in this fourteenth verse of this third of Joel because there God threshed his Enemies as the chaffe from the wheat according to Isai 25.10 and thereby decided the controversie between the Jewes and their Enemies viz. that the Jewes should
have the mastery not their enemies But though the valley of Jehosaphat be here named by these names yet they are to be understood in intent and meaning appellatively in a larger sence as is most safe to signifie and typifie any eminent place or places where the Lord shall overthrow the incurable enemies of the beleeving Jewes For first Let any reasonable Hebrician looke into the original and he shall plainly perceive that the holy Ghost useth the name Jehosaphat onely as a Paranomasia I will bring them into the valley ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. As if we should say in English I will bring them down to the valley of Jehosaphat and there I will Jehosaphatize them that is overthrow them as Jehosaphat did his enemies Secondly Let any rational man judge whether Jehosaphat as a proper name of a place in Judea doth signifie that there and there onely God will judge the enemies of the beleeving Jewes when as their enemies are scated in every place where the Jews are scattered and those enemies shall oppose them and the beleeving Gentiles that shall help in their returne where-ever they stirre to that end Yet I contend not but that that very place may be one where of some notable overthrow of some cheife enemies of the Jewes as of the Arabians Saracens and Turkes that shall enter into the Holy Land to hinder the Jewes sitting downe and settling there Now this clause of the Prophet Joel in this third chapter was never yet fulfilled since the first Assyrio-Chaldean captivity of Israel or Iudah For the Prophet gives us a sign that this is to be done after the Jewes are sold to the Grecians The Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in its first originall sence and use signifies to yeeld up and deliver up And so the Septuagint renders it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which most commonly as the composition of the word requires signifies to yeeld up or to deliver up into another mans jurisdiction and power And this transmitting of the Jews from their Native Country to Graecia seems to be charged upon several Nations who handed them from one to another vers 2 3 4 5. But the Greeks came not to any considerable repute power and jurisdiction till above two hundred years after the beginning of the Second viz. The Medo-Persian Monarchy Since which time the Jews were never delivered according to the character of the Text viz. By a destruction of their enemies and to such an effect and degrees as that no stranger should pass through Jerusalem any more verse 12 13 14 15 16 17. For we know the contrary by History Experience and sight of our own eyes in our travells § 4 The opening of this destruction of the Jews enemies at their deliverance and the collation of their happy condition when delivered will yet further demonstrate that this prophesie of Joel in this third Chapter is not yet in the main to this very day fulfilled ¶ 1. The destruction of their enemy must be very formidable v. 14 15 16 19. Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision the Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness c. ¶ 2. On the otherside the happy condition of the Jews shall be as glorious as their enemies destruction shall be miserable which is interchangably enterwoven within the same verses the better to minde us that they both concur to the same time and in that method that the ruines of the enemy is the rise of the Jews Vers 16. But the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of ISRAEL V. 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountain then shall Jerusalem be HOLY and there SHALL NO STRANGERS PASS THROUGH HER ANY MORE V. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down new Wine and the Hills shall flow with milk c. V. 20. Judah shall dwell FOR EVER and Jerusalem from GENERATION to GENERATION You see here in this Chapter a corporal destruction of all the Nations that irreconcileably oppose the Jews You see the happy condition of the Jews following thereupon to be expresly both temporal and spiritual and you see it set forth with most ample extension both for latitude and length Need I now upon things so plain spend six sentences to declare this was never yet fulfilled to the Jews since their first captivity in Babylon to this day Surely if the succeeding Monarchy punished the preceding they did withal keep the Jews under their subjection and so from Assyrians to Medes and Persians from them to the Grecians and thence to the Romans and so to the Saracens and Turks to this time the Jews have been more or less under forreign power and not a free people much less so happy or their enemies so miserable as hath been described Lastly If we mark some references of this third of Joel made § 5 by the Apostles themselves in the New Testament we shall beyond all dispute of them that believe the New Testament clear it That the prophesies of this Chapter are not yet fulfilled ¶ 1. Consider how exactly the thirteenth verse c. of this Chapter of Ioel is repeated and applied Rev. 14.15 16 17 18 19 20. to the ruine of Antichrist Put ye in saith Ioel in this third Chapter v. 13. the sickle for the Harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great And then follows expresly the destruction of the enemies of the Jews as we before repeated Sutably Saint Iohn saith in the said place of the Revelation An Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sate on the cloud thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe And he that sate on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp sickle And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud voice Cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sickle and gather the clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her grapes are fully ripe And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the wrath of God and the Wine-press was troden without the City and blood came out of the Wine-press even unto to the horse-bridles by the space
it is here said For the Lord hath spoken it ZAREPHA which others write Sarephta and SEPARAD R. Sel. interprets to bee France and Spaine But out of all such speeches as the Prophet here useth this may safely be collected that because those Nations are here named which most infested the Israelites namely the Canaanites Philistims and Edomites that all enemies of the faithfull are here to be understood which haply is to be fulfilled according to the letter ISRAEL being converted in the last times so that ALL ISRAEL being converted in ALL LANDS they all are to be accounted for the Inheritance of Israel Thus far he Oecolampadius likewise In Monte Sion erit evasio id est salus c. That is on mount Sion shall be deliverance that is salvation or safety T is certain the Apostles by the sending of the spirit upon mount Sion and others conjoyned to the Church were delivered by Christ at his first coming and so we beleeve that at this day every Congregation of the faithfull is delivered But we expect a more ample felicity when the Lord shal come again c. In the last times we expect perfecter sanctity and these of the house of Jacob shall be Lords of those who before oppressed them We find not in History that many of the Jews did bear rule in those Countries save only that the Maccabees seized upon certaine Towns BUT THOSE THINGS DO NOT SEEM TO SATISFIE THE PROPHETICAL MAJESTIE * Majestati ropheticae In the last times that is when Christ shall come we shall see the Apostles and those that have imitated them to be Iudges of the whole Earth albeit at this day the Elect are divers waies afflicted by the Antichristian party yet it shall come to passe that they shall be LORDS OVER OTHERS c. I am not ignorant that some agreeing with the Jewes doe thinke that before the day of Christ this KINGDOM SHALL BE ON EARTH Christ did not tell his Disciples this therefore let not us be solicitous of this thing No farther shone the the dimme light of Oecolampadius touching this truth in those ancient darker times Yet hear him presently almost in the next words how hee doth in the generall grant this truth as a truth worthy to be known on those words And the house of Jacob shall be a fire c. he saith By the people of Esau we saith Oecolampadius understand the enemies of the truth who shall be before it as stubble to the fire which began in the preaching of the Apostles overthrowing idolatry c. But in the day of judgement when hereafter they shall with Christ pronounce sentence and condemne them they shall perish by the word of God c. However the Jewes expound it either of times afore or after the returne from Bâhell yet still they have been adversaries all eit they speak of an HAPPY AGE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS Some doe thinke that the just or righteous Jewes shall rise and dwell upon the earth but I leave that as uncertaine But MOST CERTAINE IT IS that this Prophet doth promise to the people of God in these words A MOST PERFECT FELICITY Among the Edomites shall be no felicity c. In these verses therefore he teacheth that the KINGDOME OF CHRIST SHAL BE MOST AMPLE AND LARGE and not concluded in so strait a corner as formerly c. And upon the twentieth and one and twentieth ver Oecolampadius concludes thus The Jews say that Canaan signifies all Germanie unto France and that Sepharat signifies Spaine which things are uncertaine by this description of places But certainly ALL ISRAEL shall be saved ' All which things I plainly referre to the last day Now compare Oecolampadius with Oecolampadius and see whether he doth not in the generall grant the point in hand and grant it as a thing certaine and to be hoped for Thus for the parallel with Obadiah § 6 The next thing to be considered on this place of Amos now under our hands is the time when this must bee mainly fulfilled viz. At that day saith our Prophet ver 11. that is at some notable day namely when as in ver 9. God hath sifted the house of ISRAEL in all Nations like as corne is sifted with a sieve yet not the least graine fals on the earth that is the wheat of converted Israel for the generall shall be gathered from the chaffe of the obstinate in all nations But alas Judah and Israel all of them for the generality are yet in their chaffe of non-conversion and in the straw of all Nations § 7 The last thing to be considered on this nineth of Amos is the manner of their state when delivered viz. All ruines must bere-built and all breaches closed up they must call upon God as God may own them for callers upon his name There must be as all spirituall so all outward prosperity for the sanctified use of the Church in a goodly succession of seasons for that end expressed under the notions of the Plowmans overtaking the reaper the mountaines dropping sweet wine c. All their injoyments must be perpetuated so as they must never bee pulled up out of their own Land § 8 Now laying all particulars of this Text together let all the men and bookes in the world shew us when Judah and Israel were ever thus delivered since their captivity and put into this spirituall and temporall happy condition in a religious conjunction with the Gentiles to the worlds end and this must be before the ultimate generall Judgement as the circumstances of the place importune and necessitate us to expect Therefore this Prophesie of Amos is yet to be fulfilled Thus of Amos. SECT XLIII § 1 NExt we come to the Prophet MICAH wherein we shall consider onely one place viz. chap. 4. throughout Of which note this in generall 1. That this prophesie of Michaiah is as well concerning Samaria the Metropolis of the ten Tribes as concerning Jerusalem the metropolis of the two Tribes chap. 1. ver 1. Secondly That this place was urged for our opinion before Jeroms time which was three hundred ninety yeares after Christ which Jerom confesseth in these words in Micheam 4. Sciendum quoque c. i.e. we must know saith he that this Chapter also and that like it out of Isaiah meaning Chap. 2. Ver. 2. c. is referred by the Jewes and the heires of their mistake to the Kingdom of Christ and his Saints for a thousand years Thus Jerom for whose jircking our opinion you shall see him anon jirck himself § 2 For particulars note in the first place the time of fulfilling this prophesie that we here alleadge Our last English Translation saith In the last daies The Hebrew speaks higher ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which words differing in Gender and Number and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã properly signifying last cannot be closely construed to the Grammer of them but thus In the last of daies And so also Jerom renders it in
did at first when he overthrew Amalech and Og c. as the Iews approached near Canaan Surely we have had a sad account to the contrary in the very next preceding Section § 4. in a short but full Chronology from Zecharie to this very day And a meer spirituall notion will not help us out seeing the Text expounds it selfe That the Lord will goe out and fight against the Nations that spoile Jerusalem how or in what manner As he fought at first when the Iewes approached Canaan or to keep to our common translation as when he fought in the day of battle Which exposition needed not to be added if a spirituall sence had been mainly intended Which if it were yet that is not to this day fulfilled that the enemies of Jerusalem are either converted by grace or confounded in hell § 3 T is true that as not any Prophesie hardly so nor is this likely without some allegory But to convert all into a spirituall sence seemes to me impossible without selfe-contradiction or contradicting the Text. For how can we presume upon a spirituall sence when it is said ver 4. HIS FEET shal stand upon the MOUNT of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East c. which shall cleave in the midst And ver 5. Yee shall flee to the VALLEY OF THE MOUNTAINS which shall reach to Azal c. as yee fled from the EARTHQUAKE in the daies of Uzziah and the Lord shall come and ALL HIS SAINTS with him Or how can that be taken in a spirituall sence in ver 7. That there shall be a distinct ONE day and knowne to the Lord that shall not be day nor night but the evening shall be light Surely if the light of the time of the Gospell must bemeant as some will it is no distinct time nor one measured day of a round number of years be it of few or many for it hath been now above one thousand six hundred and twenty years since the first preaching of Christ continued to this day which hath been as well known to us as to the Lord And how should that in ver 9. be comelily and compleatly cloathed and covered with a meer spirituall notion That the Lord SHALL be King OVER ALL the earth And at THAT day he must be the one and onely Lord and his name one For the Lord from the beginning hath been King of power and King of grace secretly ordering and sanctifying whom and wheresoever he listed over the face of the earth Therefore this same shal must import his yet future visible Monarchy before which all must so fall down that they cast away all their Idols seeming Deities and different formes of worship and adore him alone with one uniforme way of worship according to his will which thing to this day is desired being never yet injoyed And as difficult it is if not impossible with cleare reason to fasten a spirituall sence upon the rest of the chapter That all the Land shall be turned or compassed AS A plaine pervious and profitable for habitation FROM GEBA TO RIMMON SOUTH OF JERUSALEM So that it shall be lifted up or exalted in the opinion of men and inhabited in her place FROM BENJAMINS GATE unto the place of the FIRST GATE unto the CORNER GATE and from the Tower of HANANIEL unto the KINGS WINE PRESSES And men shall dwel in it and there shall be NO MORE utter destruction but Jerusalem shal be SAFELY inhabited And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that fight against Jerusalem THEIR FLESH SHALL CONSUME AWAY WHILE THEY STAND UPON THEIR FEET and their EYES SHALL CONSUME AWAY IN THEIR HOLES c. And so shall be the plague of the HORSE of the MULE of the CAMEL of the ASSE and of all the BEASTS that shall be in these Tents as THIS PLAGUE âoo wonderfull and industrious a circumstantiating of all places plague things c. to signifie meer spirituals § 4 Men may phantasie to themselves a satisfaction that spirituals are here meant because of the next verse that the residue of the Nations that came up against Ierusalem that is left shall go up from year to year to worship the Lord to keep the feast of Tabernacles But we did before give a rule and proved it that even in the Old Testament as wel as in the New the most Gospel Truths are sometimes cloathed with Jewish language and Leviticall phrases * Lib. 3. Cha. 2. Sect 44. §. 2. P. 330. See also Just Martyrs excellent Note in this third Book Chap. 3. Sect. 2. S. 3. and P. 2. Nor indeed is there any Gospell expression scarcely in all the New Testament that is not dressed forth with one or more Tropes and figures As Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden c. Matth. 11. And a bruised reed he shall not breake c. Matth. 12. Christ being no Porter nor Christians reeds in a literall sence Beside for the words of Zecharie themselves there is no more exprest but goe up and once a year and at the feast of Tabernacles as to signifie our deliverance from the Egypt of the world as Israel going out of Topal Egypt first pitched in Succoth that is Boothes And in memorial of that deliverance praised God yearly in the feast of Boothes As we hereafter shall often congratulate our LORD with HALELUJAHS for our deliverance from the Egyptian world frequently prophesied in the Revelation To this day we pray in hope but then when the great restauration of the Church and Restitution of all things is come we shall praise with joy And whoever will not shall be plagued with temporall plagues ver 17 c. For all that then will exist in peace must be holinesse to the Lord they and their imjoyments ver 20. § 5 If all those aforesaid Material expressions and corporal circumstances will not awaken some men but they will fall asleep and dream pleasant dreams of all figurative meanings and will not sensibly see the visible glory here prophesied then I would entreat them to tell us their dreams from point to point upon every Verse when all Nations obstinately at enmity with the Jews were spiritually destroyed when the rest that came in to close with them did joyntly with them own the LORD as King over all the Earth in one way of worship when was Jerusalem safely inhabited as free from spiritual evils And how could the Horse and the Mule and the Camel and the Ass and all Beasts be spiritually plagued § 6 There is but one thing more that I will adde and that is this That those of the Learned that have gone about to squeeze out of this Text a spiritual meaning have I know not how been forced to let fall from them many considerable passages for a literal sence A Lapide applauds Jerom for his spiritual interpretation of this prophesie Quocirca verè S. Hieron hic ad vers 11.
haec inquit c. that is Therefore Jerom saith truly upon the eleventh verse the Jews and our Chiliasts dream these things shall be literally performed but let us interpret Jerusalem to be the Church which walking in the flesh yet doth not live according to the flesh whose freedom is in Heaven c. So he and yet within a very few lines after the same A Lapide hath these words Dico ergo c. that is I say therefore according to the Letter it is here signified that Jerusalem is to be taken by Antiochus Epiphanes and to be restored by the Maccabees Which how untruly it is asserted we have afore demonstrated onely we alleage this to instance how A Lapide falls from his spiritual to a litteral sence Mr. Calvin whiles mighty much for a spiritual sence of this prophesie hath to this effect on those words in the third verse The Lord shall go forth and fight against those Nations as he fought in the day of battel Zechary saith he tells the Jews Certamen saepe vobis fuit c. i.e. You have often fought with the strongest enemies they have been conquered and that when you have been by far unequal in number and power Seeing therefore the Lord hath so often and so many ways cast down your enemies why shall ye not hope for the same thing from him So he Our new Annotations have many touches of a spiritual sence but many also for a literal expresly or implicitly On the second verse this Here the last destruction of Jerusalem seems more plainly described then afore On the third verse this As when he fought in the day of battel that is not slightly but earnestly as he did for Gideon and divers others Judg. 7.22 On ver the fourth Gods coming to defend his Church shal be conspicuous and glorious On ver the fift the very Jews themselves shall be afraid at the presence of Gods appearance It were needlesly tedious to recite the many passages more they have to the same effect though they are very considerable to our purpose seeing the Reader knows where to finde them SECT LI. § 1 FRom Zechary we come to Malachi where we will consider but one place viz. Chapter 4. but that throughout verse 1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch Vers 2. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall Vers 3. And ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day I shall do this saith the Lord of Hosts Vers 4. Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements Vers 5. Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord Vers 6. And be shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers least I come and smite the Earth with a curse § 2 There are so many famous Authors both Ancient and Modern that understand this Chapter of the second coming of Christ as you may see in the Margent * Paties Graeci Latini Cyril Theodor. Remig. Haymo Albert. Hugo Lyra. Chrysostom Euthym. Beda Anselm Hippol lib. de Consum sâculi Cyprâ tract de Sina Sion Ephrem tract de Antich Prosper in dimidio temp c. 13. Tertul. lib. de anima c. 35. Justin Mart. Dialog contr Tryph. Nyssen lib. Testim contr Judaeos Augustinus 20. Civit. Dei Greg. 11. Moral Andreas Ambros Rupert Arethas in Apocalyp c. 11. Scholastici Thomas in Matth. 17. A Lapid in hoc cap. Malach. c. Translatores Septuag in Anâiq exempl Arab. quorum utrique vertunt Elijam Thesbiten Neoterici Oecolamp M. Mede D. Mayer Sibyllae Tum quoque caelesti curru devectus inibit Terras de caelo Thesbites signaque trina Ostendettoti mundo vitae pereuntis Omnes Judaei communi eorum sententia to the number if we should name all as amounts as Calvin confesseth to the major part that we shall go free from wonder novelty or singularity in holding the same Especially if the Reader will take notice that those that incline to the other interpretation of Christs first coming as Calvin our New Annotations c. do ingenuously confess that the things of this Chapter shall not be compleatly fulfilled till the second coming of Christ Jerom our great adversary though on this Chapter he inveighs against the Jews and Judaizers for their expecting Elijah to come in person yet as A Lapide also hath noted upon Matthew chap. 11. vers 14. chap. 17. ver 11. he clearly teacheth that Elijah must come in person which A Lapide endeavors to reconcile thus Because the Jews do yet expect the first coming of the Messiah and that Elijah in person shall be the fore-runner of that his first coming Therefore Jerom on this Text reproves them but Jerom yeelds that Elijah in person shall be the fore-runner of the Messiahs second coming ** Sunt qui propterea Johannem Heliam votari quod quodam modo IN SECUNDO SALVATORIS ADVENIU JUXTA MALACHIAM PRAECESSURUS EST HELIAS venturum Judicem nunciaturus Sic Iohannes in primo adventu fecerit ET UTERQUE FIT NUNCIUS VEL PRIMI ADVENTUS DOMINI VEL SECUNDI Ierom in Matth. 11.14 Ecce apparuit illis Moyses Elias cum co loquentes Scribis Pharisaeis tentantibus se de caelo signa poscentibus dare noluit sed pravam postulationem conâutavit responsione pindenti Hic vero ut Apostolorum AUGEAT FIDEM DAT SIGNUM DE CAELO Elia inde DESCENDENTE quo conscenderat Moyse ab inferis resurgente âerom on Matth. 17.11 Thus Jerom. For my part I shall endeavor rather to demonstrate then as the manner of most is to dictate what I assert in the matters of this prophesie That this Chapter is of a state of the Church under the New Testament I need not labor much to prove Malachy being the last Prophet of the Old Testament And that V. 2. of this Chapter of the rising of the Sun c. is applyed to Christ John 1.9 Calling him the true light that lightneth every one c. As that V. 5. of this Chapter touching Elijah is applied by Christ Matth. 17.13 in part to signifie John Baptist his harbenger § 3 But the great question is How far into the times of the New Testament this prophesie doth run To answer which lay this for a ground work That the time to which this prophesie doth reach is called the GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD And it is as
second coming as John Baptist was at his first For to the Jews alone is this Elias promised and not to the Gentiles and John Baptist wee know the Elias of his first coming preached to them alone It is well known that all the Fathers unlesse S. Hierome somewhat staggered were of this opinion and why we should so wholly reject it as we are wont to do I can see no sufficient reason For if the Fathers erred concerning the person and other circumstances of this Elias yet it follows not but the substance of their opinion might bee true As we know also they erred concerning the person quality and reign of Antichrist and yet for the substance the thing was true Our Saviour rejected not the tradition of the Scribes concerning the coming of this Elias when the Apostles objected it though it were mingled with some falshood but corrected it onely for they looked for Elias the Thisbite but our Saviour admits it only of Elias in Spirit not of Elias in person so yeelding it true for the substance though erring in circumstance so should we doe in the like case For hee that throwes away what he findes because t is foule and dirty may perchance sometimes cast away a Jewell or a peece of gold or silver so hee that wholly rejects an ancient Tenet because it hath some errour annexed to it may unawares cast away a Truth as this seemes to be of an Elias to be the Harbinger of Christs second comming And that for these reasons First Though the prophecy of Esaias The voice of one crying in the wildernesse prepare yee the way of the Lord make his paths straight alledged by all the four Evangelists and by John himselfe seems appliable onely to the first coming of Christ yet the other out of Malachi expresly quoted by St. Marke and by our Saviour Mat. 11 though elsewhere alluded unto seemes by Malachi himself to be applyed not onely to the first coming of Christ but also to his second coming to judgement For in his last chapter speaking of the coming of that day which shall burne like an oven wherein all the pround yea and all that doe wickedly shall be as stubble and it shall burne them up leaving neither root nor branch c. he addeth Behold saith the Lord I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of that great and terrible day of the Lord and he shall turn or restore the heart of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse If you wil not admit the day here described to be the day of judgement I know scarce any description of that day in the old Testament but we may elude For the phrase of turning or as I had rather translate it restoring as the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers the meaning is that this Elias should bring the refractary and unbeleeving posterity of the Jewish nation to have the same heart and mind their holy Fathers and Progenitors had who feared God and beleeved his promises that so their Fathers might as it were rejoyce in them and own them for their children that is he should convert them to the faith of that Christ whom their Fathers hoped in and looked for lest continuing obstinate in their unbeliefe till the great day of Christs second coming they might perish among the rest of the enemies of his kingdome Therefore the Son of Syrach in his praise of Elias the This bite paraphraseth this place after this manner who wa st ordained saith he an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or type for so it may bee turned for the times to come to pacifie the wrath of the Lords judgement before it breake forth into fury and to turne the heart of the Father unto the Son and to restore the tribes of Israel Eccles 48.10 which explication also the Angel warranteth Luke 1.17 in his message to Zachary concerning his sonne He shall goe saith he before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just this is instead of reducing the hearts of the children to the Fathers to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. For the better understanding of this first reason we must know that the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ indefinitely and in generall without that distinction of first and second coming which we have more clearly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him that speake of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and all together we who are now more fully informed by the revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a two-fold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second And that which befits both alike as this of an Harbinger or Messenger may be applyed to both My second reason for the proofe hereof is from our Saviours own words in the Gospel Mat. 17.10 11. where his Disciples immediatly upon his transfiguration asking him saying Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come Our Saviour answers Elias truly shall first come ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and shall restore all things These words our Saviour spake when John Baptist was now beheaded and yet speakes as of a thing future ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Elias shall come and shall restore all things How can this be spoken of John Baptist unlesse he be to come again Besides I cannot see how this restoring of all things can be verified of the ministery of John Baptist at the first coming of Christ which continued but a very short time and did no such thing as these words seeme to imply for the restoring of all things belongs not to the first but to the second coming of Christ if we will beleeve St. Peter in his first Sermon in the Temple after Christs ascension Acts 3.19 where he thus speakes unto the Jewes Repent saith he and bee converted for the blotting out of your sins that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The word is the same ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã If the time of restoring all things be not til the second coming of Christ how could John Baptist restore all things as his first If the Master come not to restore all things at his first surely his harbinger
in opposition to both sorts of evils immediately afore recounted viz. not only to false Doctrines but to cruell persecutions and therefore a corporal as well as a spiritual salvation must be here meant and these to be performed on earth viz. in the inhabited world just where the Gospel preached converted them and where they endured to the end And unto which Christ doth gloriously appear FROM heaven ver 30 c. to make up the splendor of that state on earth we here speak of Now all these things cannot be fulfilled at the ultimate generall judgement nor are they hitherto fulfilled and therefore they remaine yet to be fulfilled which Mr. Mede solidly amplifies on Jer. 10. ver 11. thus Hitherto saith he we have spoken of the accomplishment of this prophecy for so much as is already past now let us see what that is which we expect as yet to come for though in regard of former times when Ethnicisme was so large and the worshipers of the living God so small a scantling the extent of the Church be now at this day a goodly and large portion of the world yet if we consider the number of Nations yet Pagans or not Christians it will seem too scant as yet to be the accomplishment of this and other prophecies concerning the largenesse of Christs Kingdome before the end of the world For one hath well observed that Christianity at this day is not above the sixth part of the knowne world whereas the Mahumetans have a fifth and all the rest are Ethnicks and Pagans So that if we divide the world into thirty parts Christianity is but as five in thirty Mahumetanism as six and Ethnicisme as nineteen and so is Christianity the least part of all and plain Heathenism hath far above the one half of the known world and the better part of the other is also Mahumetans And though Christianity hath been imbraced in former times where now it is not yet is it now spread in those places where in those times it was not And therefore all laid together we may account Christianity at this day as large I think as ever it was since the Apostles time But that this is not that universal Kingdome of Christ that flourishing and glorious estate of the Church which yet we expect hope for my reasons are these First These frequent places of Scripture which intimate that the Lord should subdue all People all Kingdoms all Nations and all the ends of the earth unto himselfe and that all these should one day worship and acknowledge him Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him for the Kingdome is the Lords and he is governor among the Nations And Psal 47. Clap your hands all yee people for the Lord is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feete And againe God is King of all the earth and reigneth over the Heathen Psal 66. Make a joyfull noise unto God all yee-lands through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee aâ the earth shall worship thee and sing of thee they shall sing unto thy Name The whole Psal 67. which we read every day is as it were a prophecy and prayer for this great kingdome That the way of God may be knowne upon earth and his saving health among all the Nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Then shall the earth yeeld her increase c. God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him And Psal 89. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name for thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone And Isa 2. which is a prophecy of Christs Kingdome it is said That the Idols the Lord shall utterly abolish or as some read the Idols shall utterly passe away So Esay 54.5 speaking of the amplitude of the Church of the Gentiles Thy Redeemer saith the Prophet the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall be called Certainly this constant stile of universality implies more then this scantling which yet is small being but one of the least parts of the whole earth Secondly The same conclusion may be gathered from 1 Cor. 15.25 26. compared with Heb. 2.8 Christ must reigne saith St. Paul in the first place quoted till he hath put all his enemies under his feet the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death Hence it followes that Christ shall subdue all his enemies whereof the Prince of this world is the cheife before the last rising of the dead for the subduing of death that is the rising of the dead shal not be afore the rest shall be done the vanquishing of death being the last act of Christs reigning which done he shall yeeld up the Kingdome unto his Father In the other place Heb. 2.8 the Apostle speaking of the same thing alleadgeth that of Psal 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and then adds for in that he put all in subjection under him But now marke it we see not all things put under him If any say that the Apostle speakes here of the Kingdome of Glory in Heaven and not of the Kingdom of Grace on Earth I reply first out of the former place that he speaks of such a subjection whereof the rising of the dead shall be the last act of all and which shall be before he yeelds up the kingdome to his Father But neither of these can be affirmed of the kingdome of glory but the contrary viz. The rising of the dead is at the beginning and not at the end of the Kingdome of glory and so is also his yeelding up of his kingdom unto his Father Secondly I reply out of this place that the Apostle speaks of that kingdome and subjection of the earth or state of the earth which was to come For so he speaks v. 5. Unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the earth or state of the earth which shal be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of which we speak Here he affirms that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is that of whose subjection he meaneth If then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signâââs onely the earth ' and the earths inhabitants and is no where in the Scripture otherwise used I cannot see how this place can well beare any other exposition First then to confirme this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the same which the Hebrews call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for so the Septuagint renders it whose use of speaking I doubt not but the Apostle followes But ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã most constantly signifies the habitable earth or the earth with the things that live and dwell therein whence the Septuagint though they commonly render it ãâã ãâã
are as one day with the Lord and then after that by way of exposition he saith We expect new heavens and a new earth All this in 2 Pet. 3. The beginning of the thousand yeers is the morning and day-light of this last day And the last end is the evening and night So that in the morning of this last day they that are Christs are raised and as soon as raised their everlasting life begins for they dye no more for ought I know ¶ 3 To the fifth and last place we answer It doth not infer the Antecedent The words in that Heb. 9.28 are Unto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne unto salvation All that Mr. Baily saith upon this place to stretch it to his end is That Christ hath but two times of comming to the earth First in weaknesse to dye upon the Crosse Second time in glory to give everlasting salvation without distinction to all beleevers who look for his comming To which words of Mr. Baily wee say That it doth not follow infallibly that because the Apostle there names two commings by reason of the Antithesis of a second state in opposition to the state of humiliation that therefore there is no third time of his comming Mr. B. now confesseth a second comming of Christ to the earth And it were nothing contrary to Scripture if wee should say that after his second comming at the beginning of the thousand yeers he shall come againe the third time to universall and ultimate judgement But we contend not in this as in relation to our particular point here in hand but shall conclude our answer with this that all that can be inferred from this place is onely this That whereas Christ appeared with sinne upon the Crosse i. e. Hee was reputed a sinner by men and our sin imputed to him by God and was so was made a sacrifice for sin Isa 53.2 Cor. 5. v. ult At his next appearing his second appearing after this as the Apostle reckons hee shall appear in no such garb under no such opinion or notion but most glorious which is truly performed at the beginning of the thousand yeers at which time begins the salvation of them that look for him SECT IV. Mr. Bailyes fourth Argument THe conceit of the thousand yeers makes Christs Kingdome to be earthly and most observable for all worldly glory But the Scripture makes it to be spirituall without all worldly pompe Neither doth the word of God make the Kingdome of the Mediator of two kinds and of a different nature but one uniform from the beginning to the end Luke 1.32 The Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever And 1 Cor. 15.25 He must reigne till hee hath put all things under his feet Here this is but one Kingdome and one way of ruling a Kingdome meerly spiritual and no wise worldly Luke 17.20 The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation neither shall they say Lo here or lo there but the Kingdome of God is within you And John 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world If my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight but now is my Kingdome not from hence Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse peace and joy of the Holy Ghost Eph. 1.20 Hee raised him up from the dead and set him at his right-hand in heavenly places and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all to the Church Then Mr. Baily concludes with this untrue speech The Millenaries make his Kingdome to appeare in Armies and Battels in feasts and pleasures in worldly pomp and power and will not have his Kingdome to stand in ANY of that spiritual power which since his ascension he hath executed on Principalities and Powers which is a false speech if intended as it appears of all Millenaries and so of Protestant Millenaries And it is an answer sufficient meerly to deny what he doth simply affirme without proof If any shall say that we may give a word of answer to this aspersion and rid our hands of it that Battels and Armies at first shall be remotio impedimenti to beat downe Turk and Pope and all their obstinate adherents as it is in Dan. 12. Rev. 17.16 Rev. 19.19 to the end that so these enemies being beaten downe the Kingdome we speak of might be set up it doth not therefore follow that it is asserted that this Kingdome doth consist in these or if it should be said that to all the spiritual glory and power and pleasures they shall have added all outward comforts in a sanctified manner as Adam had as the Apostle Heb. 2.6 in a quotation out of the eighth Psalme as the eighth Psalme is quoted out of Gen. 1.26 sets forth this Kingdome in its peace and comfort to bee like that of Adam in innocency doth it therefore follow that its ave red that this Kingdome consists in these as in its essentials They marbee additionals and circumstantials Isa 65.16 to the end and Matthy 19.29 yet not be the fundamentals and essentials much lesse can it bee truly imagined that any Protestant so indeed would say as Mr. B. affirmes that this Kingdome of which we speake doth not stand in any of that spiritual power which since Christs Ascension hee hath executed on Principalities and Powers Sure the spiritual power shall continue there though it doth not exercise it selfe on Principalities c. when they have submitted onely I make this exception If Mr. Baily means a Classical Presbyterian power I think there shall be none at all I say the lesse to these foule aspersions in this place because I have so abundantly anticipated my selfe afore where I have ripped up the whole mystery of all this iniquity In the third Book Chapter 3. Section 2. beginning at page 369. Jerome is brought in jerking at the Millenaries to the same tune as doth Mr. Baily But hee is I thinke as soundly and justly jerked for his injustice more scholastico as ever any Libeller was by the Lictor or Bedle of the Magistrate There for his fables you have it retorted upon him that by his owne allegation he intimates that the opinion of the thousand yeers was ancienter then his time And his own words are brought against him wherein he confesseth that many Ecclesiastical men and Martyrs have said the same things that he spake against And therefore hee confesseth that he cannot condemne them even when hee had reported them farre worse then ever they spake Yee have there likewise Justin Martyr brought effectually disproving Jerom. Adde to all yee have there Mr. Medes taking Jerom to task In the same third Book third Chapter and third Section yee have the particulars of the aspersions discussed and their Authors disproved They are fathered upon Cerinthus by one Gaius seconded by Dionysius Alexandrinus simply
to restraine ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã seem not so fully to answer the Apostles scope and intention which seems to be a general consolation to all that dye in the faith viz. a fruition of Christ then may we give it the largest sense and yet say that it is not needful that the Resurrection of those which dyed in Christ should be all at once or altogether but the Martyrs first in the first resurrection Then after an appointed time the rest of the dead in the last resurrection Afterward when the resurrection shall be thus compleat those which remaine alive at Christs comming shall together with those which are risen be caught into the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and from thenceforth be eternally with him And so the reason why those which Christ found alive at his coming were not instantly translated should be in part that they might not prevent the dead but bee consummate with them 3 Both these interpretations suppose the rapture of the Saints into the clouds to be for their present translation into heaven But suppose that be not the meaning of it for the words if we weigh them well seem to imply it to be for another end namely to do honour unto their Lord and King at his returne and to attend upon him when he comes to judge the world Those saith the Text which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him He saith not carry away with him Again they and those which are alive shall be caught up together in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the air to meet the Lords coming hither to judgement not to follow him returning hence the judgement being finished Besides it is to be noted that although in the Hebrew notion the air be comprehended under the name of heaven yet would not the Apostle here use the word heaven but the word aire as it were to avoid the ambiguity lest we might interpret it of our translation into heaven If this be the meaning then are those words we shall ever be with the Lord. thus to be interpreted after this our gathering together * In T. More sc his coming c. or gathering unto Christ at his comming so the Apostle calls this rapture 2 Thess 2.1 wee shall from henceforth never lose his presence but alwayes enjoy it partly on earth during his reigne of the thousand yeers and partly in heaven when we shall bee translated thither For it cannot be concluded because the Text saith the Saints after their rapture on high should thenceforth be ever with the Lord Therefore they shall from thenceforth be in heaven for no heaven is here mentioned If they must needs be with Christ there where they are to meet him it would rather follow they should be ever with him in the aire then in heaven which I suppose none will admit And otherwise the Text will afford no more for heaven then it will for earth nay the words he shall bring them with him make most for the latter 4 I will adde this more namely what may be conceived to be the cause of this rapture of the Saints on high to meet the Lord in the clouds rather then to wait his comming to the earth What if it bee that they may be preserved during the conflagration of the earth and the works thereof 2 Pet. 3.10 That as Noah and his family were preserved from the deluge by being lift up above the waters in the Ark so should the Saints at the conflagration bee lift up in the clouds unto their Ark Christ to be preserved there from the Deluge of fire wherein the wicked shall be consumed There is a tradition of the Jews sounding this way which they ascribe unto Elias a Jewish Doctor whose is that Tradition of the duration of the world and well knowne among Divines Duo millia Inane duo millia Lex duo millia dies Messiae viz. Sex mille annos duraturus est mundus He lived under the second Temple about the first times of the Greek Monarchy so that it is no devise of any later Rabbies but a Tradition anciently received amongst them whilst they were yet the Church of God I will transcribe it because it hath something remarkable concerning the thousand yeers It sounds thus Traditio domus Eliae Justi quos resuscitabit Deus non redigentur iterum in pulverem He means of the first and particular resurrection before the general which the Jews acknowledge and talke much of See Wisdome Chapt. 3. ab initio ad finem verse 8. Si quaeras Mille annis ist is quibus Deus Sanctus Benedictus renovaturus est mundum suum de quibus dicitur Et exaltabitur Dominus solus in die illo Es 2.11 quid just is futurum sit sciendum quod Deus benedictus dabit illis alas quasi aquilarum ut volent super facie aquarum unde dicitur Psal 46.3 Propterea non timebimus cum * Psal 46.3 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mutabitur i. e. changed though we there translate it movebitur i. e. moved mutabitur terra At forte inquies erit ipsis dolori seu afflictioni Sed occurrit illud Esa 40.31 Exspectantibus Dominum innovabunt vires efferentur alâ instar aquilarum The Hebrew words are in Gemara Sanhedrin c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Tradition of the house of Eliah The just whom God shall raise viz. in the first resurrection shall not returne to dust But if you aske what shall happen to the just in those thousand yeeres wherein the holy and blessed God shall renew this World whereof it is said Esa 2.11 And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day you must know that God shall give them the wings as it were of Eagles to flye upon the face of the waters for it is said Psal 46.3 Therefore shall wee not feare when the earth shall bee changed But you will say Perhaps it will be to them a paine and trouble but we are otherwise taught by that in Esa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles c. CHAP. VI. § 1 SO much for answering Objections against our Point Next I should come to answer Objection against our Arguments And indeed all men are more busie to reply then to prove the contrary which argues that they are ignorant of our Point and cannot tell what the state of the Church shall bee or of the Jewes what it shall be § 2 Doctor Prideaux his exceptions besides those afore to his own Arguments discussed are first That the Revelation is not a representation of a continued story That computations are not demonstrative To which we answer First Either the Revelation is a continued History or else it is no Revelation as Rev. 1.1 and 4.1 and so we may make quidlibet ex quodlibet what we will of it Secondly It answers to Daniels Prophesie and that is a
spirit shall be removed farre away from the Church Zach. 13 2. Thirdly For the rest of the dayes works of Creation as in them were created the dry-land the Plants the Fishes and Fowls and Animals c. So in this New creation there shall be a perfection of all those then in being for of a resurrection of irrationals I know nothing and they shall be freed and set at liberty from all danger and hardship Isa 11.6 7 8 9. Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. I speak now short to these things because I am not yet come to the qualifications of this future glorious estate into which this Head would sometimes faine draw me but I will not be anticipated ¶ 4 This future glorious estate on earth is a creation in regard of the end viz. that as man was created last of all most perfect in soule and body as the subordinate end next under God for which God made it viz. that man might have the possession and use of all and dominion over all Gen. 1.26 So in this New creation Christ restores all things to their perfection and every beleever to his to that end that all beleevers being raised or changed as afore described may joyntly and co-ordinately rule over the whole world and all things therein next under Christ their Head I say All and not apart onely as some unwarily publish And I say joyntly not one part of the Saints to usurp authority over the rest as many dream And co-ordinately All upon equall tearms not some Saints to rule by Deputies made of the rest of the Saints as the practise of men seem to interpret And all to be true Saints not seeming Thus we read in Dan. 7. verse 14. and 27. And Rev. 20.4 And Chap. 21. verse 24.26 Study the places well and you will easily picke it out CHAP. III. Measuring out the DIMENSIONS of this glorious estate to be on Earth afore the ultimate universal Judgement § 1 HAving done with the Creation of it we come next to the Dimensions Quantity or Extent of the glorious Kingdome of Christ on Earth yet expected viz. That as the other foure Monarchies did over spread all the inhabited world as it is said of Nebuchadnezzars Assyrto-Chaldean Monarchy Dan. 2.37 that he was King of Kings and that WHERESOEVER THE CHILDREN OF MEN DWEâT the Beasts of the field and fowles of the Heaven GOD HAD GIVEN INTO HIS HAND and had made him RULER OVER ALL and of Caesars Roman Monarchy Luke 2.1 That there went out a decree from him that ALL THE WORLD should bee taxed So this fifth Monarchy of the Saints reigning on earth under Christ must be as large as those Monarchies as large as the whole world for ample Dominion though not for sincere conversion That is the generality of men in the time of this Kingdome being converted into true Saints they shall rule over all the whole world of men swallowing up the other former Monarchies So that if there be remaining a secret seed of hypocrisie in âome which shall at last God so foretelling Rev. 20.8 breake out in the Gogican War at the end of our THOUSAND yeers shall yet mean while all men all the time of the thousand yeers shall be demurely subject to the Dominion of the Saints Touching the latitude and largenesse of this Holy-Kingdome read Dan. 2.34 35. The stone cut out without hands smote the Image on his feet that were of iron and of clay and brake them to peeces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken in peeces together and became like the chasse of the Summerthershing floore and the wind carried them away so that NO PLACE WAS FOUND FOR THEM and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountaine and FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH Dan. 7.26 27 And the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his the preceding Monarchies Dominion c. And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN shall be given to the people of the Saints c. And Rev. 10.7 St. John having said In the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel when he shall BEGIN to sound the mystery of God shall be finished he goes on in the 11. Chapter verse 15. saying The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in Heaven saying The KINGDOMES of this WORLD are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever That is no Monarchy shall ever be on earth after his Adde Isa 2. In the second verse c. whereof yee have the propagation of the Gospel of Christs Kingdome and mens obedience to it In the 11 verse repeated againe verse 17. yee have the Lord Christ exalted and his overthrowing all worldly powers prostrate before him in these words The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the LORD ALONE shall be exalted Which words though covertly for feare of provoking worldly Monarchs are alleadged by the Jewes to the same end as you have heard afore at large To the same effect of the largenesse of Christs Kingdome is that notable place in Isa 24. verse 21 22 23. In that day it shall come to passe that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high and the Kings of the earth UPON EARTH and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison and after many dayes they shall be visited Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall REIGNE IN MOUNT SION and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously His Ancients are his ancient people the Jews And as the material Sunne and Moon shall be then nothing in comparison of the light of Gods presence as afore-shewed so the metaphorical Sunne and Moon for the same Scripture may have two subordinate senses Rev. 17.9 10. I say the metaphorical Sunne and Moon of higher and lower humane Majesties shall be confounded with shame So Jacob a Prince in those times and his wife are called by the name and interpreted to be the meaning of that name of the Sunne and Moon in Josephs dream Gen. 37.9 even as we had but now in that 24 of Isa both name and thing metaphor meaning expressed And by the same rule and proportion we may admit of others annexing a metaphorical sense to that Revelation 21. verse 23 24. that in Christs Kingdome to come upon earth there shall be no need of the Sunne or Moon i. e. of Emperial Royal or Princely Potentates to keep the peace as we have expounded it also in a litteral sense of the obscuring of the glory of all the Stars by the paramount glory of Gods presence For God and the Lambs presence shall be in stead of and more then the Sunne and Moon in both senses One both learned and godly doth likewise to the
HARD BONDAGE Observe both to what persons and what time these high expressions relate before largely opened and we shal easily conclude this Text was never yet fulfilled and therefore according to the truth of God must bee fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgement for with that time this Prophesie cannot agree ¶ 6 In Isa 25.8 we have it plenissimè planissimè most fully and plainly That in that day viz. of the great restauration of the Church and ruine of their enemies verse 5 6. The Lord will WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM ALL FACES And the rebuke of his people shall hee take away FROM OFF ALL THE EARTH for the Lord hath spoken it Which was never yet fulfilled and therefore is yet to come at the time we treat off as hath been before demonstrated ¶ 7 Isa 54.13 14. is also very high in expressions Thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be ESTABLISHED thou shalt be far from oppression for thou SHALT NOT FEAR and FROM TERROR for it SHAL NOT COME NEER THEE You see the expressions are exceeding high and they are evidently spoken concerning external rest as well as internal and wee see it by experience that this place was never yet fulfilled therefore it is yet to come as we have cleered it afore ¶ 8 In Isa 60.14 c. it is thus written The Sonnes of them that aâflicted thee shall come BENDING TO THEE and all that despised thee shall BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE SOLES of thy feet Whereas thou hast been forsaken I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY violence shall be NO MORE heard in thy land The dayes of thy mourning shall be ENDED Which place relates to our Thesis as is before demonstrated The expressions are far too high for us to acknowledge they have been fulfilled therefore we must expect them yet to come before the ultimate day of judgement for that will be no fit time for this Prophesie ¶ 9. Isa 65.19 is likewise very full to the particular in hand though in few words viz. I will joy in my people and the voyce of weeping or crying shall be NO MORE HEARD IN HER. Let the Reader judge whether this was ever yet fulfilled ¶ 10. Isa tells us Chap. 66.12 Thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her the Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles as a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream I leave it likewise to the Reader to consider whether hee hath not reason to expect this as yet to come ¶ 11 We come to the Prophesies of Jeremiah Chap. 23.3 4. I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all Countries c. and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed Which expressions are a great deal too high for our knowledge of Scripture of history or of experience to acknowledge them to have been fulfilled to this day And therefore our faith must be on God for the fulfilling of them and that before the ultimate day of judgement as the nature of the things require ¶ 12 We have in the same Prophet Chap. 30. verse 10. Jacob shall returne and shall be in rest and quiet and none shall make him afraid ¶ 13 Place is in Jer. 46.27 28. to the same effect ¶ 14 Place is in Ezek. 28.24 There shall be no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about them ¶ 15 Place Mich. 4.1 2 3. The same with Isa 2. v. 2 3 4. It s added here in verse 4. They shall sit every man under his owne vine c. and none shall make them afraid ¶ 16 Place Zeph. 3.13 14 15. They shall feed and lye downe and none shall make them afraid Sing O daughter of Zion rejoyce with all the heart the Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evill any more This and all the rest have been proved to mean the time intended in our Position § 2 Adde in the New Testament ¶ 1 Matth. 19.29 Shall receive an hundred fold and inherit eternal life of the large opening of this place see before in the third Book ¶ 2 That in 2 Thess 1.7.9 10. To you REST as Heb. 4. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed FROM HEAVEN his enemies being punished from the presence of the Lord as Chap. 2. and from the glory of his POWER ¶ Rev. 7.16 17 They that are sealed c. serve him day and night in HIS TEMPLE he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more for the Lamb in the middest of the Throne shall feed them and wipe away all tears from their eyes ¶ 4 Rev. 21.4 St. John speaking of the state of the Church in the thousand yeers saith God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrowing nor crying nor paine Every verse of this Chapter shewes it cannot bee meant of everlasting happinesse in the highest heavens Let the close of this Section be to encourage us to patience Patience in perseverance and patience in sufferance Now is Christs Kingdome of patience But anon his Kingdome of peace Twice it is said of the present state of sufferings Here is the patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Once it is said Keep the word of patience Rev. 3.10 But after a while comes the Kingdome of peace therefore Christ seales up all the Bible and all the Revelation almost with this Rev. 22.11 12. He that is righteous let him be righteous still He that is holy let him be holy still and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Then in the last verse save one sc 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Amen Then to that end Iohns prayer closeth all as I close in verse 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen SECT III. § 1 THus you have seen it is a sorrowlesse condition Next follows it shall be a deathlesse condition The Elect once raised at the beginning of the thousand yeers shall dye no more much lesse those alive and changed For if those alive shall not prevent them that are asleep given by the Apostle as an answer to an Objection against this Resurrection much lesse shall they that are alive being the patterne to whom the dead are promoted bee sent to death as to give place to the Elect dead that are raised And if all the Elect are raised to what end or use shall they dye that are alive If it be the priviledge that the other Saints shall be alive at Christs comming why shall they dye when here in soule and body they may behold him which is a fuller injoyment If this time of Christs appearance at the beginning of the thousand yeers be the Kingdome of Saints the prefacing beginning of their full
shall be subject unto him viz. so as the same Jerusalem Targum expoundeth on the 11. verse of that 49. of Gen. that those Kings and Princes that will not be subject unto him he shall kill making the Universe red with the blood of their slain and the hils white with the fat of their mighty men c. But these things were not fulfilled at Christs being on the earth in the flesh It was above three hundred yeares after ere one King or Nation was subject unto Christ viz. in the time of Constantine the Great except some sprinklings of Converts here and there called Churches the Nations and Kings of the earth either taking no cognizance of his interest or else persecuted it even as to this day they doe even ten parts of the world for one that ownes him Neither hath Christ yet taken that material and sensible vengeance on them by killing the disobedient in order to a bringing in of the rest into a visible subjection to him § 4 Lastly Paraphrast Jonathan in his Chalde Paraphrase of Hos 14.8 hath these words They speaking of the Jewes shall bee gathered together from out of the midst of their CAPTIVITY they shall DWELL under the shadow of their CHRIST and the DEAD shall LIVE and good shall grow in the EARTH and there shall bee a memoriall of their goodnesse FRUCTIFYING and never fayling as the remembrance of the sound of the Trumpets over the old wine which was wont to be offered in the Sanctuary which things were never yet fulfilled on earth We forbear to quote more out of their TARGUM or Chalde Paraphrase now because we shall afterwards oft cast an eye upon it in our discusse of severall Scriptures that tend to the PROOF of the point in hand § 5 To this let mee adde a touch out of the CAPITULA of RABBI ELIEZAR the GREAT because neare of the same Antiquity with the former his words are these As I live saith Jehovah I will raise YOU speaking of the Jewes up in the TIME to come in the RESURRECTION of the dead and I will GATHER you will ALL ISRAEL § 6 You see both doe harmonise to the same tune the effect of their words the same which is not yet fulfilled in as much as to this day the generality of the Jewes have not owned any MESSIA to be come in the flesh but refused The MESSIA Joh. 1.11 according as it was fore-prophesied Esa 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men And the remnant of beleeving Jewes never since as yet saw that particular RESURRECTION of the dead or that their gathering together out of the midst of their CAPTIVITY or that generall GOOD in the EARTH And therefor according to the Scriptures of which by and by these things are yet to come afore the last and generall Resurrection § 7 Of Hebrew Antiquities SINCE the Incarnation of Christ namely their Two TALMUDS their SEDAR OLAM is of the same age near upon with the Babylonish something of which TALMUDS was extant neare the Apostles time if not ancienter and of other Rabbins we shall give you an account in divers particulars In Gemara Sanhedrin R. Ketina hath said in the last of the Thousands of yeares of the worlds continuance the world shall be destroyed of which it is said Esa 2.11.17 THE LORD ONELY SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY And TRADITION agrees with R. Ketina even as every seventh yeare of seven yeares is a years of release so of the seven thousand yeares of the world the seventh thousand yeares shall bee the thousand of Release as it is said AND THE LORD ALONE SHAL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY Likewise That Psalme namely the 92. is said to bee a PSALME OR SONG FOR THE SABBATH DAY THAT IS THE DAY THAT IS NOTHING ELSE BUT REST. As also it is said viz. Psal 90. A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY By which it is plaine to acute observers that the ancient Rabbinicall Jews did clearly understand the Prophesie of Isaiah in Chap. 2. of the EXALTATION of the LORD twice there repeated as meant of the GREAT DAY which some Rabbins call the Day of JUDGEMENT others the Day of MESSIA others the Day of the RENOVATION of the WORLD and of the REIGNING of CHRIST which is elegantly and emphatically there limbed in its colours to the life as it will more shine forth when we come to an accurate discusse of that Chapter In Midâasch Tehillim upon the 90. Psal v. 15. Wee thus read MAKE US GLAD ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST AFFLICTED VS That is by the Babylonians the Grecians and the Romans AND THAT IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH And how many are the dayes of the MESSIAH R. JEHOSUAS said that they are Two THOUSAND yeares and it is said ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST HUMBLED US that is according to two dayes for one day of the holy and blessed God are a thousand yeares according to that BECAUSE A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY The Rabbins also have said That according to the TIME to come the DAY of the MESSIAH shall bee one For God which is holy and blessed in the FUTURE that is AGE shall make one day to himselfe of which wee read Zech. 14. And there shall bee ONE DAY which shall bee knowne to the Lord not day nor night and it shall bee at the EVENING-TIME Light This Day is the AGE or WORLD TO COME and the QUICKNING OF THE DEAD § 9 In their Booke called Berachoth wee finde this Benzuma saith It shall come to passe that Israel shall not remember their departure out of the Land of Aegypt IN THE WORLD TO COME and IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH marke diligently how by World to come they understand a time on earth as Paul hath it twice viz Heb 1.6 Heb. 2.5 THE INHABITED WORLD TO COME So the Greeke so the sense For no man could imagine that heaven above should bee put in subjection to the Angels so as to need the Apostles Apology there to prevent such an imagination And how say the Rabbins in that Berachoth doth this appeare By that which is written in Jârem 23. BEHOLD THE DAYES COME THAT THEY SHALL SAY NO MORE THE LORD LIVETH WHICH BROVGHT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL VP OVT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT Which wise men interpret thus not as if the name of Egypt should be blotted out but because the WONDERS which shall bee effected in the DAYES OF THE KINGDOME OF MESSIA shall principally be remembred and their departure out of Egypt lesse § 10 Note by the way that it is not agreed among the Rabbins in what THOVSAND yeares of the world the said DAY of JUDGEMENT or of MESSIAH or RENOVATION of the WORLD shall bee Some say further off in the seventh others nearer in the sixt but others about the fifth § 11 But to goe on The TRADITION of the house of Elijah is Those Just ones whom God shall raise
up shall not return unto dust But if you inquire what shall be to the Just in that thousand yeares in which the holy and blessed God shall RENEW his World of which it is said AND THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY Wee must know that the Lord will give them as it were the wings of Eagles that they may stye upon the faces of waters Jesch 40.31 THEY THAT HOPINGLY WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL HAVE THEIR STRENGTH renewed THEY SHALL BE CARRIED UPON WINGS AS EAGLES § 12 R. Saadias brings up the REARE gallantly thus on Dan. 7.18 The Saints of the most High God shall receive a Kingdome Because the children of Israel have rebelled against the Lord their Kingdome shall bee taken from them and shall bee given to the foure Monarchies which shall possesse the Kingdome in this world and shall lead Israel captive and subdue them to themselves Even TILL THE WORLD TO COME untill MESSIAH shall REIGNE § 13 Wee shall for a close of this Section awaken the Reader to have both eyes open upon this That this reigning of the MESSIAH or CHRIST so often mentioned by the aforesaid Rabbins cannot bee in the highest heavens after the ultimate day of judgement for then hee layes downe all and delivers up the Kingdome to God the Father c. 1 Cor. 15.24.28 Nor have these Rabbinicall predictions beene ever fulfilled on earth as experience can witnesse And therefore necessarily they must be in effect of the same judgement as is contained in our Position or Thesis which for that cause cannot be adjudged novel or singular 1. SECTIO De Hebraeotum Antiquitatibus § 1 HArum prima est Targumenica Targum seu Chaldaeus contextus celeberrima inter Judaeos Paraphrasis hinc desumpsit originem quò da Captivitate exolevisset lingua Hebraica neque eam ampliùs intelligerent Extat ab Onkelo in quinque libros Mosis a R. Jonathan in Josue Judicum quatuor Regum omniumque Prophetarum excepto Daniele Et a Josepho Caeco in Caeteros veteris Testamenti libros Plura complectitur quae Synagogae Judaicae faveant passim tamen eam jugulat dum luculentissimè de Méssiâ testatur Guid Mich. le Ja in praefatione seu instituti operis ratione Ad Bib. Reg. Lutetiae edita Multa sunt apud Targum Collatis praesertim exemplaribus ad nostram Thesin pertinentia Targum seu Chaldaea Paraphrasis manuscripta in Ester Cap. 1. ad hunc modum methodum cùm temporis tùm loci computat Monarchias Prima Dei fuit Illa purum putum Hebraismum prositebatur Nimrodus alteram tenebat Monarchiam Pharaonis Monarchia facit tertiam Huic Salomonis Monarchiasuccessit Eam Salomonis quinta subsecuta est nempe Nebuchadnezzaris Magni Huic Babylonici Tyranni Monarchiae sexta successit nempe Persarum Medorum imperium Alexandri Magni imperium facit septimam Alexandri Magni suorumque Satraparum imperium Julii Caesaris octava tandem excepit Monarchia Invadit hanc Julii Caesaris Monarchiam illud Messiae regnum quod nonum est imperium Haec Jacob Colerus S.T.D. in Eliae Hutteri in Biblia Ebraea praefatione Ita in terris hanc ut Caeteras post Romanam Messiae locat Monarchiam § 2 Targ. Babyl seu ordin Chald. Paraph. in Gen. 49. v. 10. Donec veniat Messias cujus est regnum ei obedient populi POPULI dignum observatu in plurali ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã § 3 Quod Targum Hier osolimitanum ad literam magis latiùs seu universaliùs exprimit REX CHRISTUS venturus est cujus est REGNUM OMNES Reges se illi subjicient Ita ut quoscunque regum principumve illi non subjecturos interfecerit ad rubo rem fluminum ex sanguine interfectorum albedinem montium ex pinguedine potentum § 4 Paraphrastes demum Jonathan in Chaldaicâ sua paraphrasi in Hos 14.8 haec habet verba ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i.e. Congregabuntur Israelitae de medio suae Captivitatis in umbrâ CHRISTI SUI habitabunt VIVENTQUE MORTUI BONUM ACCRESCET in TERRA Nec non erit memoriale bonitatis eorum fructificans indeficiens juxta ac memoria Clangoris tubarum super vino veteri quod libari solet in domo sanctuarii Quae res nunquam interris adhus impletae fuerunt Multò plus Targum habet quod ut inutilis vitetur repetitio in ventilationem Scripturarum Thesin probantium comperendinamus § 5 Huic Jonathani Concinit R. Eliezer qui paulò post Templum secundum floruit In Capitulis Magni illius Eliezer Cap. 34. haec comperimus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i.e. Vivo ego dicit dominus quòd suscitabo vos in tempore futuro in Resurrectione mortuorum et congregabo vos cum universo Israel IN TERRAM ISRAEL § 6 Haec verò quae protulerunt Jonathan Eliezer ad hodiernum usque diem ut Judaeis universè UMBRAM imo personam CHRISTI sui rejicientibus Johan c. 1. v. 11. Jesch c. 53. v. 3. minimè impleta fuerint ita pars illa quorundam credentium nunquam vel revixerunt aut de praesenti eorum Captivitate sesquimillenariâ reduces BONUM ILLUD IN TERRA vel Caecutierunt § 7 Ex Antiquitatibus Hebraeorum TALMUDICIS Judaicis nimirum Babylonicis a Ducentesimo Nonagesimo post natum CHRISTUM ad annum saltem 120m. ascendentibus reliquisque Rabbinorum post-natis abundè si placet excipiatis De Talmudicarum aevo Consulite Bucholcerum Indic Chron. ad annum Mundi 4161. Christi 191. Helvicum Theatr. Histor seu Chron. ad annum quod mirum est Christi 500. Joh. Buxtorf in recensione operis Talmudici ejus libro de Abbreviaturis Heb. vulgo annexo M. Lightfoot in Miscellan Cap. 7. De Christo confutante saltem Traditionem Talmudicam Matth. 5. Christum ipsum Judaeos inscitiae arguentem ex suâ ipsorum scriptâ lege câ scilicet ut probabile videtur Talmudicâ in quâ veteris Testamenti authentiam agnoverunt Eâ autem ratione a CHRISTO dictum est Joh. 10.34 Nonne scriptum est in lege VESTRA 1. In Gemara Sanhedrin PEREK CHELEK ita legimus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Id est Dixit R. Ketina in UNO nempe ut intelligit ULTIMO mundi MILLENARIO vastabitur mundus de quo dicitur EXALTABITUR DOMINUS SOLUS DIE ILLO Jesch cap. 2. v. 11.17 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. Convenit Traditio R. Ketinae sicut è septimis annis septimus quisque est remissionis annus ita MILLENARIUS HIC remissionis erit MILLENARIUS quemadmodum dicitur EXALTABITUR DOMINUS SOLUS DIE ILLO PSALMUS scilicet 92. dicitur CANTICUM DE DIE SABBATI Id est de die qui totus est quies dicitur Psalmo nempe 90. MILLE ANNI IN OCULIS TUIS VELUT DIES HESTERNUS En lectores perspicacissimi veteres Judaei Prophetiam Jesch
great things And that this day of ours which is bounded with the rising and setting of the sun doth bear the image of the GREAT DAY which a certain circuit of yeers doth determine After the same manner the forming of the earthly man did carry before it the formation in future of an heavenly people For as when all things were finished God made man last upon the sixth day and brought him into this world as into an house well furnished So now in the GREAT SIXTH DAY the TRUE MAN is formed by the Word of God that is the holy people is figured unto righteousnesse by the doctrine and precepts of God And as then he was made of the earth mortall and imperfect that he might live a thousand yeers in this world He alludes to the Fathers before the flood who lived each of them neer a thousand yeers So now the perfect man is framed of this terrestrial world that being made alive by God he may reigne in this same world for the space of a thousand yeers And saith Lactantius in the fifteenth Chapter of the said seventh Booke As it is in the Scriptures how and for what necessity Israel went down into Egypt there exceedingly multiplyed but oppressed with an intolerable yoke of Bondage God smote Egypt led his people through the red Sea but there drowned the Egyptians endeavouring to pursue the flying Israelites so this famous exploit was a figure of a greater thing to bee which God will bring to passe in the last consummation of times namely that God will deliver his people from the grievous servitude of the world But though God then smote onely Egypt because his people was but one Nation yet now because Gods people are over all the world and every where oppressed by the world God will smite all Nations even all the whole world and deliver his righteous people that worship him And as then there were certaine foresignes by which the the future ruine of the Egyptians was foreshewn So at the last shall bee prodigious wonders by all the elements of the world whereby may bee understood that ruine to all Nations is at hand For so then shall righteousnesse become rate and impiety so multiply that if there bee any good men then extant they shall bee as a prey to the wicked c. Then shall ruine over-run the world The cause of which devastation and confusion shall bee because the Roman authority by which now the world is over ruled MY SOULE saith Lactantius FEARES TO SPEAKE IT BUT I WILL SPEAKE IT BECAUSE IT SHALL COME TO PASSE shall bee taken away from the earth and the EMPIRE shall returne into ASIA and the EAST shall have againe the DOMINION and the WEST shall bee made servile Nor may it be a wonder that so huge and massie an Empire so long continuing and strongly confirmed should fall seeing there is no thing made by man but may bee destroyed by man even as the Emperialty was brought downe from the Assyrians to the Persians from them to the Grecians and from them to the Romans Seneca did not ineptly distribute the times of the CITY of Rome into Ages The first he said was her Infancy under Romulus c. And her first old age was when torne with civil warres she turned to be twy-child c. And if these things be so what remaines but death should follow old age And that this shall shortly come to passe the Sermons of the Prophets under the covert of other names that all might not easily understand doe denounce But the Sibyls doe speak it openly that Rome shall bee destroyed because shee hated the name of God and opposed righteousnesse And Hydospis a most ancient King of the Medes even afore the Trojan race was set up prophesied the same Saith Lactantius Chap. 16. how that shall bee lest any one should thinke it incredible I will declare first the Regality and chiefe power shall bee multiplied into many and cut and minced into crummes Then perpetual civil discords shall bee sowne and never shall bee any quier TEN KINGS shall stand up together who shall not suffer the world to bee ruled but to be ruined Then upon a sudden shall rise up against them a most potent Enemy from the utmost bounds of the North who by meanes of three of that number possessing Asia extinguished shall bee taken into the society of the rest and by them shall bee made chiefe Of them all This man shall domineer vex mingle divine and humane things subvert Lawes establish his owne and shall waste destroy and kill The name and seat of the Empire being changed there shall follow the confusion and vexation of all mankinde And that nothing may bee wanting to the misery of men a Trumpet shall sound from heaven according to that the Sibyl hath denounced giving a manifold lamenting sound whereupon all shall tremble Then from the wrath of God against unrighteous men shall rage sword and fire and famine c. Then according to the Sibyls verses The world shall bee unworlded c. scarce the tenth part of men shall bee left c. But saith Lactantius Chap. 17. I will yet plainlier explain how it shall come to passe The conclusion of times being at hand a great Prophet shall bee sent of God who shall convert men unto the knowledge of God c. And the wicked shall bee destroyed c. which hee shews in many and sundry particulars Then Lactantius in the eighteenth Chapter of the same Booke quotes divers Authors to that purpose As Hydaspes and Hermes and the Sibyls out of which two latter hee doth not onely minde the maine point hee hath in hand but also alleadge out of them that Christ is the Sonne of God And saith Lactantius Chapter 19. of the aforesaid seventh Booke The circle of the whole earth being oppressed at which time humane strength shall bee unable to destroy the tyranny of immense power God moved with the doubtfull power of his people and with their miserable lamentations shall forthwith send the Deliverer Then shall the midst of heaven bee opened in a quiet blacke night so that the light of God descending shall appear over all the world as lightning which the Sibyls expresse thus When as he shall come darknesse in a blacke midnight shall bee as fire c. Of which there is a double reason In the night he was borne and in the night hee suffered death And so after these in the night hee shall receive the * Kingdome of the earth This * is the Deliverer and Judge * the Revenger and King and * GOD which wee call Christ And hee shall descend his Angels accompanying him c. After this saith Lactantius Chap. 20. The places of the dead shall bee opened and the dead shall rise againe and the GREAT JUDGEMENT * shall bee performed by God * Christ concerning them of which Judgement and Kingdome the Erythrean Silyl thus speakes When that DAY shall receive its fatal
this from him as he goes on I marvelled saith hee when I read in Tully Crispold otherwise a pious man in his manuscript Annotations upon this place which are in our Library thus It shall in time come to passe saith Tul. Crisp when the TIME OF NATIONS or THE TIME OF THE GENTILES shall be fulfilled that the City Hierusalem shall bee restored and there shall reigne the JEWES of the house of David and the Priests of the Tribe of Levi shall offer Christian sacrifices and also legall albeit of these legall ones they shall offer but a certaine as it were image and representation as now some Christians taste a Lambe in the Passeover Moreover there shall be Elias perhaps the PROPER APOSTLE of them at that time The Apostles of Christ neverthelesse then also existing yea CHRIST himselfe at least sometime appearing and conversing among them That is certaine saith Lorinus That the KINGDOME is to bee RESTORED to the ISRAELITES and JEWES before the end of the world c. as you have it in the Latine Lay all together and you may plainly perceive that Lorinus knew and could not deny it but that in all Ages since the Apostles learned men have been of our mind touching a glorious state of the Church yet to come before the ultimate day of judgement § 3 JOHANNES LORINUS è societat Jesu Commentariis in Acta Apostolorum haec habet in versum 6. Cap. primi scilicet igitur illativa inquit Lorinus significat Discipulos quod mirum simul videri potest non minus quà m cum de passione suâ loquente CHRISTO primas pro liberis fedes mater illa postulavit cum Christo egisset de regno Dei c. occasionem tamen accepisse interrogandi de regno temporali Hoc muliò probabiliùs ut etiam Oecumenius sentit quà m ut cum Chrysostomo de Judicii die et consummatione seculi Quid enim his cum restitutione regni Israel Fieri potest quoniam alios patres video sequi Chrysostomum Hieronymum Cyprianum Theophilum Alexandrinum Augustinum cum Bedâ hoc loco Justinus Irenaeus passimque de temporali regno intelligatur ut quamvis Discipuli non aliud quà m de RESTITUTIONE seu ut duo illi peregrini lequebantur de redemptione Israel interrogaverint tamen Christus respondendo etiam ad FUTURUM SECULUM respexit quo tandem cognoscetur regnum ipsius non esse de hoc mundo Verùm pace Lorini Apostolus ad Hebr. cap. 2. alibi ponit regnum in seculo âuturo in mundo quamvis non facit ex mundo ut posteà abundantius disputabitur Sed age audiamus Lorinum pergit ad hunc modum Tolerari potuit utcunque in rudibus adhuc Discipulis error apud Judaeos carnales vigens c. sed minus ferendus Chiliastarum seu Millenariorum errorne dicam an haeresis cum Apollinarem hoc nomine Papa Damasus damnaverit ante quem praeter haereticum Cerinthum Papias Irenaeus Justinus Tertullianus Nepos Lactantius Sulpitius quamvis hic fuerit aliquando recentior aliique minus ut existimo pertina citer idem sibi de generali post Mille annos RESURRECTIONE TEMPORALI QUODAM REGNO persuaserant Quò aliquando Augustinus etiam propendet De aliis meminit Eusebius Hieron imus noster Ribera exponens Apocalypsis cäput vigesimum UNDE illi poâissimum ita existimandi ansam sumpserant praeter veteris Testamenti quibus aequè ad illum suum errorem Judaei utuntur testimonia fortasse in hunc sensum tum posteriores patres tum praecipue Discipuli Christi interpretabantur orationis Dominicae petitionem de Adventu regni verba illa Christi Matth. 26.29 Non bibam amodò de hoc genimine vitis usque in diem illum cum bibam illud vobiscum novum in regno patris mei Bene jam confitetur Lorinus sed audiamus ad finem Miratus sum cùm legi apud Tullium Crispoldum pium âaeteròqui virum in manuscriptis notationibus ad hunc locum quae sunt in Bibliotheca nostrâ Futurum olim quando fuerit impletum TEMPUS NATIONUM ut restituatur Civitas Hierusalem ut ibi regnent de domo David Judaei atque de tribu LEVI sacerdotes sacrificaturi CHRISTIANA sacrificia simul etiam legalia quamvis ILLORUM duntaxat quandam seu EFFIGIEM REPRAESENTATIONEM ut nunc Christiani quidam agnum Paschate degustant praetereà ut sit Elias FORTASSE PROPRIUS TUNC ILLORUM APOSTOLUS EXISTENTIBUS QUOQUE TAMEN CHRISTI APOSTOLIS CHRISTO IPSO saltem aliquando COMPARENTE inter illos VERSANIE c. Illud certum est inquit Lorinus RESTITUENDUM REGNUM ISRAEL ac JUDAEIS sub mundi finem hoc sensu ut ad Christi spirituale regnum aggregati transferantur demum in Caeleste Siquidem disertè id reperimus apud JOANNEM PAULUM ESAIAM OSEAM DANIELEM MALACHIAM c. Sic Lorinus contra nostram Thesin necnon secum conflictans multas authoritates omnis generis res pro Thesi profert § 4 Doctor Alsted a German hath written in a Latine Treatise for our Position called Diatribe that is A Disputation concerning the Apocalyptical THOUSAND YEERES not those of the CHILIASTS properly so called and Phantasticks but of blessed Daniel and John § a. Which wee have well translated into English by that able Scholar Mr. WILLIAM BURTON § b. Who in his first Epistle before it gives this Testimony to the Author Work and Subject The AUTHOR is of a general repute among us for learning as any late Writer we have received beyond the Seas these many yeares and the WORKE is an explanation of the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation The SUBJECT thereof is the assertion of the GLORIOUS KINGDOME OF CHRIST HERE ON EARTH a matter no doubt of great comfort and consolation to the Church of God I am not ignorant that Apocalyptical Discourses in generall are liable to many censures and that this divine Prophesie it selfe is as yet a sealed Booke Yet receiving my self MUCH SATISFACTION and SETTLEDNESSE of MINDE from THIS EXPOSITION thereof I thought also Gods people might reap some benefit thereby and this is the maine cause I have made it publicke In his second Epistle before the same Translation hee gives us this account of the History of the opinion of THE THOUSAND YEERS Let mee tell thee good Reader That it was the CONSTANT opinion of the Church in the very next age to the Apostles that THERE SHOULD BEE A RESURRECTION BEFORE THE GENERALL RISING AT THE LAST DAY and an HAPPY CONDITION OF THE FAITHFULL UPON EARTH FOR A THOUSAND YEERS This wee may learne from TERTULLIAN against MARCION and IRENAEUS in his Tractates against all Heresies and JUSTIN MARTYR in his Dialogue with TRYPHO the Jew And so goes on touching briefly out of JUSTIN MARTYR what wee have afore largely quoted And then hee addes his owne judgement in these words I know not saith hee whether so
distinct as that the Apostle makes them opposite 2 Cor. 5.7 Heb. 11. oft Therefore every eye seeing him cannot signifie a sight of faith onely There needed not any expression of EYE or of his being in the Clouds to signifie a sight by faith Wee can now see him in Heaven by faith It is a question whether every eye that is said here to see him shall at first sight see him by faith For EVERY EYE must see him and ALL KINDREDS of the EARTH shall mourne Sure his Antichristian enemies generally shall not see him by faith whom he destroyes at his coming Rev. 19. last 2 Thess 2. to make way for the reigning of the Saints Rev. 20. EVEN SO AMEN John did believe saw Christ by faith but for that sight of him in the Clouds to be visible to him and all the Kindreds of the earth he prayes and raiseth up his faith with an hearty Amen that so it shall bee So that by all these things it is most evident that of a time and state following Christs Ascention John speakes here Nor on the other side can this Revel 1.7 bee understood of the ultimate day of judgement 1. Because it is the same with Zech. 1.10 and so for the same reasons cannot bee meant of that day of judgement 2. Because this is set here as the maine and generall Proposition to the Book of the Revelation in which the Master-peece is to set forth Christ to come and set up his Church into a most glorious estate on earth before the day of judgement as wee shall see abundantly afterwards and to make her reigne with him on earth 3. It were very incongruous for John in the last clause of verse 6. to applaud Christs DOMINION as to continue FOR EVER that is while times and ages last as the Greek imports and in the next breath in the first clause of the seventh verse to say he cometh to make an end of his Dominion For the ultimate day of judgement is the last act of Christs Dominion which done Christ layes downe all his Dominion that God may bee all in all 1 Cor. 15.24.28 Wee may not imagine such incoherencies in Johns expression now most eminently filled with the Spirit Therefore I must needs conclude that there is no such likely time of such an eminent coming of Christ and appearing to his Church as this at the time of Restitution of all things Something of this place will be more plain by that in the next Section § 4 But before wee come to that let us collate and lay together the two precedent places of Zech. 12.10 and Revel 17. and out of both containing the same sense and in the same words let us draw this argument as the summe of both Zechary the Prophet and John the Apostle both prophesie in the aforesaid places of one and the same personall appearance of Christ visibly to the eyes of men on earth after his Ascention But this cannot bee understood of his appearance at the ultimate generall judgement because they speake of his pouring out of grace and giving repentance to the families of the Jewes and of his Dominion thence to continue for many ages to the ultimate end of the world Therefore the said visible appearance of Christ is yet to bee before the ultimate day of judgement Which when should it bee but at the conversion of the Jewes and the throwing downe of his apparent obstinate Antichristian enemies as the circumstances of the said places before hinted doe cleerly evince SECT III. OF THE third PLACE OF SCRIPTURE for Christs Personall Appearance at the great Restauration of the Church viz. Matth. 24. v. 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory § 1 OBserve distinctly every clause and word 1. Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man that is the Sonne of man shall appeare for a signe that great things are at hand as it followes in this verse they shall see the sonne of man and mourne 2. The signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven He was before in the highest third Heaven but now in the lowest first Heaven namely of the Clouds as it follows also in this verse 3. And then shall all the TRIBES of the EARTH intimating Jewes as well as Gentiles mourne Why They shall see the Sonne of man that is as man How mourne Doubtlesse Christ meanes as Zechary meant and John meant namely the Jewes with godly repentance and his obstinate open enemies with desperation for the ruine that is coming upon them 4. Coming IN the Clouds or UPON the Clouds See now what was Johns meaning Rev. 1.7 when he said Christ should come WITH the Clouds To this matter with and in is all one And which is considerable our New Translators concur with us as by quotation in the Margin to make this and Rev. 1.7 to be parallel places tending to the same thing § 2 Now Christ spake this before his Ascention and going away above the clouds Therefore it must needs be that this must bee fulfilled after he hath attended above the Clouds Then and not till then will it be rightly said and properly fulfilled that he comes in the Clouds So the Angels at Christs Ascention Act. 1. After that in v. 9.10 He was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight the Disciples looking stedfastly towards heaven as he went up they say unto them This same Jesus which is TAKEN up from you into heaven shall SO COME It must needs be improper to say he shall COME IN the Clouds before hee be gone above the Clouds Before hee came at incarnation in the Virgins wombe and in a Manger But now after his Ascention above the Clouds hee shall come in the Clouds § 3 Nor can this his coming and appearance in the Clouds be here understood of his coming at the ultimate day of judgement because of that but foure verses after namely v. 34. which Christ affirmeth with grand asseveration namely Verily I say unto you THIS GENERATION shall not passe till ALL THESE things bee fulfilled And then hee seales it and binds it up in the next verse viz. v. 35. Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words and particularly those words aforegoing shall not passe away A seale doth sometimes represent the Writer as well as the words of the writing This doth something also explaine the former passages of this Chapter That heaven and earth shall passe at Christs coming that is in quality not in substance saith Oecumenius on the 21 of Revel there shall bee a new heaven and a new earth the old passing away as Isa 65.2 Pet. 3. Rev. 21. but Christs word for his Personal appearance to his people before the ultimate day of judgement shall not passe For this appearance of Christ in the
hath been said upon this Text of 2 Thess 2. with obtruding a sense upon it and devolving it upon the ultimate day of judgement as if then were the just time of Christs destroying Antichrist by the brightnesse or appearance of his coming For first this were to overturne the whole tenor of Scripture that tells us distinctly Rev. 17.16 of the means of the overthrow of Antichrist viz. That the ten Hornes or ten powerfull Dominions Regalities or Imperialities shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh that is devoure or destroy by an Hebraisme imitating the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and her flesh and not only her spirituall or moral estate and burn her with fire And the manner and measure and effect Rev. 18. Rev. 19. 19 20 21. viz. A milstone cast into the sea the cessation of all musicke mils and trades the extinguishing of all candles are there used as types and signes of his destruction and the wailing of Kings and Merchants for his desolation are used to set forth the sequel thereof And then it is added expressely that the Beasts and the Kings of the earth and their Armies are gathered together to make war against him that sate on the horse and against his Army and the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet and were cast into a lake of fire c. and the remnant were slaine with the sword c. and all the soules were filled with their flesh All which things shall finde neither time nor place to be acted at the ultimate day of judgement 2 There is a weighty consideration in this Text of 2 Thess 2. to evince that it cannot relate to the ultimate day of judgement For then is the destruction of all the wicked of the world Rev. 22.10 If any of Antichrist precisely understood as the brood of Turk and Pope be then extant they are swallowed up and drowned as to the enumeration among the crowd of Hypocrites who shall then be judged condemned and executed as hypocrites as oft the day of judgement is so described Matth. 7.22 Mat. 25.41 Mat. 24.51 But our Apostle in this 2 Thess 2.8 speaks precisely of the distinct destruction of Antichrist as Antichrist And therefore mentions him and his brood in a singular phrase as a single man In vers 3. he is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The man of sin And in the same verse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The sonne of perdition vers 4. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. That opposer vers 8. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That same lawlesse one For if I may have leave to speake my notion then in precise consideration wee may thus distinguish That as lapsed Adam with all wicked men consired in him Rom. 5. is called the one and onely first man 1 Cor. 15. And Christ the second Adam with all true Christians reckoned in him Rom. 6. is called the one and onely last man 1 Cor. 15. So Antichrist is one middle person partly a Man and partly a Beast as it is oft in the Revelation in whom all Antichristian men that are neither openly wicked without all shew of Religion nor yet sincerely Christians are to be reckoned as one with him as limbs and Trunck make but one body one Antichrist So that as Antichrist is a distinct thing in precise notion from the dirty open wicked so his destruction is distinct afore the ultimate day of judgement For Rev. 11. 13 15 18. Antichrist is destroyed WHILES Christ hath a Kingdome distinct from the Fathers ultimate Kingdome And WHEN the Nations were angry at Antichrists beginning to fall And Rev. ch 18. and c. 19. he falls afore New Jerusalem is set up in Rev. 21. And in c. 20. it is set forth as the cause of both that Christ reignes at least in and by his Saints on earth a thousand yeers So that the appearance of Christ destroying Antichrist is at the beginning of the thousand yeers For Christ appeares as well at the beginning as the ending of the thousand yeeres At the beginning for two maine ends the one for the conversion of the Jewes Zech. 12. Rev. 1.7 the other for the destruction of Antichrist as we have it in this 2 Thess 2.8 which though it doth not hold forth the last and ultimate generall judgement yet it holds forth a day of judgement yea the beginning and preparation to that day of judgement setting his sheep as Matth. 25. on his right hand first speaking comfortably to them for a thousand yeeres to make them triumph on earth where they have been trampled on and after at the end of that thousand yeeres sets the goats on his left hand condemning them at that time of the ultimate day of judgement SECT V. Of the fifth Scripture for Christs personall appearance at the great Restauration of the Church Matth. 26.29 But I say unto you I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome § 1 THis Scripture is alleadged by Mr. Burroughs for one place to prove the appearance of Christ personally at the thousand yeeres It is true saith he this place is usually interpreted in a mysticall sense But there is no reason why wee may not take it in a literall And a little afore hee said It is a good rule that all Scriptures are to be understood literally unlesse it make against the coherence of the Text or against some other Scriptures § 2 It may be some may thinke that commonly this place is understood of Christs conversing with the Disciples after his Resurrection But not so commonly for the most renowned Calvin Marlorat Grotius c. are against that § 3 Besides it is not said Luke 24.42 43. that he did drinke with the Disciples after his resurrection eate he did with them to shew the verity of his Humanity now risen but it is not said he dranke as if he needed it either for concoction or to allay some corporall passion of heat § 4 It is true that it is said by Peter Act. 10.41 touching himselfe and the rest of the Apostles We did eate and drinke with him after he rose from the dead which may signifie their more familiar society with him as Luk. 13.26 We have eaten and dranke in thy presence but doth not assert Christs drinking It is said expresly We did eate and drinke not that he did drinke Paul tells us 1 Cor. 15. the body is raised a spirituall body And Christ is the first fruites of them that sleep which signifies that after the resurrection of the body there is no need of drinke though Christ did then eate to shew himselfe to be true man and therefore it is generally conceived that this cup Matth. 26.29 was his * Sumpto poculo renunciat Corporali potioni Theophyl Enâ rat in Matth. 26.29 last parting cup that hee dranke in this present world as never more
house therefore is to be left desolate They suffer in that destruction of the Temple and City of Hierusalem aforesaid who as to this time of Christs speech would not be gathered under the wings of Christ so after his Resurrection did not welcome him with this Blessed is he that cometh c. but belyed his Resurrection Matth. 28. refused his Doctrine Aââ 13.45 and persecuted his Apostles Act. 4. Nor can this welcomming of Christ with Blessed is he that cometh c. be referred to the ultimate generall Judgement because then is a time for the generality of lamentation not of acclamation then no time of conversion of the Iewes to cause this acclamation but of judging men according to the condition they are found in Upon this text of Matth. 23.39 learned and pious Doctor Alsted hath these words By these expressions saith he Christ sheweth that the Iewes a long time after should see him not at the ulmate judgement but before that for at the ultimate judgement they shall not say with acclamation Blessed is he c. for then shall they tremble that are not converted unto him but at that time wherein he shall shew himselfe to them to convert them unto the true faith Thus Alsted I adde Nor can this be meant of the Jewes seeing him onely by faith For it is opposed to their not seeing hence forward with bodily eyes between this speech and that same untill So that the result of the sense is the same with Act. 1.11 This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have SEEN him goe up into heaven Or with that Rev. 1.7 every EYE shall see him in the CLOUDS which now promised after Christs ascension is taken out of Zech. 12.10 c. described to be a time at first glimps of repentance and pouring out of Spirit unsutable circumstances for the ultimate judgement as hath been most largely afore declared § 9 Clearly therefore the meaning must bee that as Christ thought it requisite to appeare visibly in the Clouds to convert so resolute an enemy to him as was Saul so shall he thinke it meet to appeare yet before the ultimate judgement to convert the Jewes so long blinded seeing unto this day nothing but desolation rather then restauration § 10 Just as it is said in Daniel 12.1 Michael shall STAND UP that is say some learned visibly appear which standeth FOR the children of thy people ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rendred For may be translated Over as to say hee should appear over them in the clouds which is to be fulfilled saith the twelfth verse one thousand three hundred thirty and five dayes that is yeers after the ceasing of the daily sacrifice at which time Daniel shall stand in his lot upon earth vers 13. So that upon the result of the whole the meaning of this 23. of Matth. is that Christ shall so visibly and comfortably come to the Jewes that they shall joyfully and familiarly as it were speake to him saying Blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord. § 11 So that * Matth. 23.39 Verba quibus caput hoc concluditur haec sunâ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. de quo ut aliis quibusdam verè diâi potest quot Theologi tot sententiae Alii enim de visione non per fidem quà hîc videtur Dominus sed de eâ qûa cùm ad judicium venerit denuo videbitur quod non paucis placet Alii de de eâ intelligunt quâ a Judaeis qui in primâ agnoscere eum noluerunt tum videbitur Quae opiniones cum ab aliis resutentur singulae minori opera hic defungemur Cerâè quam praecipuè hìc amplectuntur quo nitatur fundamento nondum video Cùm praesettim ea de quibus hic agitur non minori cum gaudio pronuncianda videantur quà m cùm Domino adveneniente Osanna exclamavit populus In Iudiââo autem tribui tetrosem impils Iudaeis vel in primis de quibus fusè ad hunc Evangelistam alibi Chrysostomâs quis nescit Dan. Heinsius the great Greek Critick I think wel hits the nayl on the head touching these words of Mat. 23.39 in his Annotations upon them Surely saith he These things here handled may seem that they are to be pronounced with no lesse joy then when at the coming of Christ towards Jerusalem the people cryed Hosanna But at the day of judgement terror is inflicted upon the wicked upon the Jewes especially of which how largely Chrysostome upon this Evangelist is who knows not By which Heinsius doth plainly hint that he understands this place of a time afore the last judgment as he that can compare the margin may more plainly see SECT IX Of the ninth Scripture for the appearance of Christ at the great Restauration of the Church Matth. 24.3 And as he sate upon the mount of Olives the Disciples came to him privately saying When shall THESE THINGS BEE and what shall be the signe of THY COMING and of the END OF THE WORLD THree things are here inquired into 1 The signes of the destruction of the Temple and City of Hierusalem which destruction had been hinted chap. 23.38 c. expressed vers 2. of this Chapter 2 The signes of Christs coming again which he had intimated chap. 23.39 3 The signes of the end of the world which they knew must in its time follow the other two the first being the type the second the preparation to the third and last § 1 Of the signes of the first viz. of signes of the destruction of the Temple and City of Jerusalem Christ speaks in the last place being of a particular and lesse concernment in the 15 16. c. in these words When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy place let him that readeth understand then let them which be in Judea flye into the mountaines Of which words we spake upon the occasion of those words in Matth. 23.38 in the former viz. the eighth Section of this second Book § 2 Next as in the second place Christ speaks of the second viz. the signes of his second coming visibly to appear to them from the fifth verse to the thirteenth viz. there shall come 1 False Christs deceiving many 2 Wars and rumors of warres Nations arising against Nations 3 Persecutions delivering the true Christians to be afflicted and to be killed 4 Scandals Christians shall be hated of all Nations for Christs sake and many shall be offended betraying and hating one another 5 The arising of many false Prophets deceiving many 6 The abounding of iniquity and the decaying of love All these in a great measure are already fulfilled and much in these our dayes and in these Nations to which we relate § 3 In the third place Christ speakes of the third viz. of the signes of the end of the world v. 13.14 But
by ascention to possesse the Kingdome of glory there to be installed into this on earth That being the originall of this or that being the Emperiality to which this the Tributary or Province Or Heaven being the Metropolis this below the Territories Sure enough expresse it is that he went away into a far Country which can be no other but heaven Christ having never travelled bodily out of his owne Country Secondly that though hee were before his going a Noble-man and had the Regiment or Government over a Royalty he had servants he had the command of imploying them as he listed And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent he cast into utter darknesse where was weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 All which in that Matth. 25.14 c. is called the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins the same in sence v. 1. c. Yet thirdly it is said this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himselfe another Kingdome and to returne vers 12. where as his receiving the Kingdome is put before his returning So on the other side it is said He returned receiving a Kingdome vers 15. * Gr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which Arias renders in redire ipsum accipientem regâum where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdome so that both Kingdomes must be here meant viz. Christ receiving the Kingdome of glory afore his returne and his Kingdome of visible power of reigning on earth after his returne For meerly his Kingdome of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood because touching his reigning there it was in vaine unpossible and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him saying They would not have him to reigne over them And meerly his Kingdome of grace cannot bee here understood because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents compare Matth 25. And moreover it is here distinctly set downe that he is to goe into a far Country and then actually to receive another Kingdome partly before he returned and partly after he returned even as there is a diversity of actions In that Kingdome of Grace there is mentioned onely the neglect of improving the Talents but in this Kingdome of visible power received after his returne there is an high affront offered they send a message that they would not have him to reigne Again there is diversity of names The former are called Servants The latter are called Enemies Adde that there is a different dispensation of justice The unprofitable servant is put into a darke prison but the enemies must bee slaine AFORE HIM Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdome of Christs visible power That was it the Jewes expected yea and the best of them viz. the Disciples as we have heard afore and therefore to that Christ here speaks And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh delivering them from the Romans therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him and sent a message after him They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King or King of visible Dominion when they cryed at his arraignment They had no King but Caesar And they sent an embassage after him when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him in Hebrew Greek and Latine THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES § 5 There are also severall other passages in this Parable for Christs visible appearance and setting up his visible Kingdome of power on earth yet before the ultimate day of judgement As first His giving to the improvers of their Talents to one the rule over ten Cities to another the rule over five Cities And the Talent of him that had improved nothing to him that had improved much all which compared with the preface of the Parable touching the appearing of the Kingdome cannot in any thing well relate to the state of meer supernall eternall glory in the highest Heavens 2 His causing his enemies to bee slaine afore his face suits not to Christs meer Kingdome of grace whose Dominion precisely considered is in the power of the Gospel Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgement when instead of slaying enemies there is a making them alive And instead of punishing them before Christs face there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgement But these extremely well agree with Christs appearing to set up his visible Kingdome of power For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian Jewish and Gentilish and mixt Turkish enemies with the brightnesse of his appearance as hath been opened upon 2 Thess 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book And shall slay them corporally Revelat. 19. latter end § 6 Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition and wishly minde and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof to aime at Christs next coming to set up such a Kingdome as shall not onely perfect the spirituall deliverance of the Gentiles but also to performe the temporall deliverance of the Jewes from their dispersion and corporall miseries For the naturall current of the Parable runnes thus Christ being neer Hierusalem the Jewes thought the Kingdome of God would immediately appeare Doubtlesse it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in to expect the appearance of the Kingdome of glory in Heaven For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporall captivity were not fulfilled And for the Kingdome of grace these men little minded And the better sort viz. the Disciples and Beleevers had seen it appeare already therefore it is the other Kingdome of Christ viz. that of his visible power and rule to deliver them from their corporall enemies that they supposed would immediately appeare Now to this saith Christ It will not immediatly appeare but I must saith he first goe into a farre Country viz. into Heaven and there be instated and Crowned King and after that come againe and actually and visibly reigne the meane while you to whom I have given Talents that is have endowed with gifts must imploy them and at my return as a signe of my visible actuall power I will take account of you and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning to bee slaine afore me § 7 Now at the ultimate day of Judgement Christ receives no Kingdome but resignes all his Kingdome Power and Dominion 1. Cor. 15.28 CHAP. III. Of five places out of the Old Testament to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth at the time of her restauration SECT I. The first place is out of Dan. 7.11 to end of the Chapter § 1 THis place we put first because it doth give much light
conceived by the most learned through the Red Sea So when Israel was to re-edifie the Temple and to settle in their owne land after the captivity Christ appears as a Commander of an Army on horse back with troops behinde him Zech. 1. And as the Sonne of man sitting in judgement as a King Dan. 7. Some will perhaps say these were types of his incarnation If that so in some generall semblance yet these did more distinctly set forth his visible Monarchy to come And therefore his incarnation is made a type or platforme of his coming as a Monarch Act. 1.11 And therefore as the Prologue to his visible appearance againe as a Monarch to reigne as Revel 20. he appeares as a glorious King Rev. 1. with all circumstances to set forth the glory of his Royalty much more therefore in consideration of all that Christ hath said and done in relation to that in the New Testament may we expect him to come and visibly appeare at the setting up of his Monarchy He tells Pilate he was borne to be a King and therefore must be a King But he would not set it up yet afore his ascention Act. 1. Hee must first goe into a far Country and after that receive his Kingdome as wee heard afore out of Luke 19. Chap. 1. Sect. 7. of this second Booke Hee must first ascend up on high and then hee leads Captivity captive spiritually as a Preface to his visible appearance to make the Church spiritually and Corporally glorious which the Apostle immediately hints in that fourth of Ephes Untill wee come to a perfect MAN unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ which by and by after that in the same Chapter hee calls THE NEW MAN WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESSE and HOLINESSE As alluding to the state of innocent Adam And therefore as the first Adam did visibly appeare as a glorious Monarch over the visible world so shall the second Adam according to the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine in Psal 8. Hebr. 2. being divine Commentaries on Adams Monarchy Gen. 1. vers 26 27 28. Of which place God assisting you shall heare abundantly in the next BOOK FINIS LIBRI SECVNDI THE THIRD BOOK PROVING That there shall be a most glorious state of the Church and of all things in relation to the Church and that on earth yet before the ultimate day of Judgement CHAP. I. The partition of the ensuing Discourse HAving cleared the visible appearing of Christ personally In the second place we proceed to the proof of his reigning in this visible Kingdome on earth by his mysticall body his members the Saints Wherein we have two things to doe 1 To prove That there is such a Kingdom yet to be on earth as aforesaid in the generall Proposition 2 What that Kingdome will be in the particulars We shall manage the first by foure meanes 1 By Texts of Scripture 2 By Arguments drawne from Scripture 3 By the common consent of all sorts of men as if a law of nature 4 By solution of all the maine objections against it CHAP. II. Containing the Scriptures to prove That there shall be yet on earth before the last Judgement such a Reigning such a visible Kingdome of Christ such a glorious state of the Saints and of all things as is before propounded THE drift scope and sinues of strength of all which places fall into this demonstrative Syllogisme Those things which are prophesied in the word of God and are not yet come to passe must bee fulfilled But the great sensible and visible happinesse of the Church on earth before the ultimate day of judgement is prophesied in the word of God both in the Old and New Testament Therefore it must be fulfilled that such a state be extant upon earth before the ultimate day of judgement The major is granted by all that beleeve the word of God The minor is proved by the ensuing Scriptures SECT I. The twentieth Chapter of the Revelation fully discussed with a demonstration of the true meaning of the one and twentieth Chapter being the exposition of the twentieth § 1 BEfore we take all the choice places of the whole Scriptures in order as they lye in our English Bibles I shall pitch the foot of my Compasse to draw a right and clear circle upon the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation It being the manner and method of the Holy Spirit to declare things especially of this nature gradually as the Church is meet to heare the state thereof requires and the time of fulfilling it drawes neerer and âo speaks most and plainliest at last Many other instances might be given but that the subject under hand is vast enought of it selfe All these advantages falling to the share of this twentieth Chapter of Revel touching the point in hand as the Catastrophe result and designe of all that God hath spoken before in the Old and New Testament it makes this twentieth of Revel no lesse then a golden key to unlocke the Bible especially the Old Testament that we may look further into other places of Scripture then meerly to make morall observations out of them and mean while doe over-looke the Prophetical intent of God in them § 2 In this twentieth Chapter of the Revel vers 1. it is said AND I saw an Angel come downe c. which AND or as the Translator of the Arab. furthermore or as in sense it oft signifies then imports that John saw immediately afore something in order to this what was that even that which our late invented distinction of Chapters and verses puts in Revel 19. v. 19. I saw saith John the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make warre against him that sate on the horse and against his Army namely against Christ and his members or Saints vers 11 12 13 14. And what was the issue of the War That John goes on to tell us in the twentieth verse of this nineteenth Chapter And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that is the Antichrist either under the notion of humane Imperialty or of Ecclesiasticall Prophesie or Teaching were cast alive into the lake c. And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sate upon the horse AND saith John in this twentieth Chap. vers 1. after this I saw an Angel come downe from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devill and Satan and bound him a thousand years c. which can meane no other thing but Christ and his Saints conquest over the Beast and the false Prophet and their Armies on earth notwithstanding all the power and policy of their seducing Generalissimo the Devill Here then in all is Christ and his Army and Anti-christ and his Army conflicting and they conflict with the Sword and Antichrists Army is slaine with the sword
are found to be in a quite contrary estate to Satans binding from seducing For in those ages were infinite monstrous Heresies and Apostasies so well knowne to the learned that I spend not time to quote Historians For beside the Heresies afore touched there arose within the said thousand yeers viz. about six hundred and odd after Christ horrid Mahumetisme spread to this day over a great part of the world About which time the mystery of Papal iniquity had wrought to a great height Both increasing for the generall to this day Both the one by their Turkish wars the other by their massacres having poured out a sea of Saints blood Now how can wee say with any shew of reason that Satan was bound this while from seducing the world when he did so potently prevaile 4 Where are the Learned or the Libraries to tell us of the rising or of the reigning of the Saints or Martyrs from sixty nine to one thousand sixty nine after Christ 6 If the thousand yeers begin at sixty nine yeers after Christ and consequently end at one thousand sixty nine there hath been since that a thousand sixty nine to this yeer one thousand six hundred fifty two above five hundred and eighty yeers which five hundred and eighty yeers cannot be counted a litle season It is said Rev. 20.3 After the thousand yeers are expired Satan shall be let loose a little season But by Pareus his account of the expiration of the thousand yeers at the thousand sixty nine yeers Satan since that hath been let loose five hundred and eighty yeers as wee have said which cannot be reckoned for a little season in comparison of the thousand yeers of Satans binding as is Saint Johns sense for it is above halfe as much as a thousand yeers Seventhly and lastly If the thousand yeers are so long since expired where and when since that expiration hath appeared that after a little season was gathered together Gog and Magog encompassing the Camp of the Saints upon a new seducement by the Devil and were consumed by fire from heaven upon which the day of judgement began SECT III. The usefulnesse of the Old Testament to the point in hand touching the glorious state of the Church yet to come § 1 HAving laid the foundation of the proofe of our Thesis touching the glorious state of All things upon earth yet to come in the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation Now let us take all the Bible afore us both Old and New Testament in order and hear what harmony they make as an Anthem or Prelude before that glorious Scene begins The Old Testament laid downe the ground of our hope The New Testament now so long since Christs coming in the flesh carries on our expectation to look for such a thing Wee shall cull out of the Old Testament those places that to our best light are most cleer and have some touches of explanations out of the New Testament § 2 And great reason there is to take before us the Old Testament because the New Testament in speaking of this visible glorious Kingdome of Christ to be on earth refers us to the Old As Peter in 2 Ep. Chap. 3. v. 13. refers us to Esa 65.17 Wee saith Peter look for new Heavens and a new Earth according to his PROMISE wherein dwels righteousnesse which promise is that of Esa 65. Not to repeat things spoken afore Here is mention of Heavens in the plurall The one Empyrean Heaven is unchangeable Therefore Heavens of pure manifestation of Doctrine of pure practise of Gospel order of a new state of the Church of new peoples added to it of a renovation of all things on earth must be understood It must be meant of such heavens as God will shake Heb. 12.26 spoken by a Jew Paul to the Jewes the Hebrews after Christs coming and ascending At which time of his presence in the flesh though he shooke down the vaile viz. at his passion and gave the Temple a shake by Prophesie Matth. 24.1.2 c. which tumbled it downe about forty yeers after his ascension yet he had not to that time shaken downe the vaile off the Jewes heart 2 Cor. 3. Nor hath he to this day as sad experience testifies No nor the Iewish worship in their Synagogues practised to this very time Nor hath he set up things so as they must remaine instead of the things that are shaken Therefore Peters promise of new Heavens wherein dwels righteousnesse is yet unfulfilled A phrase too short to reach so high as to advance the commendation of the Empyrean Heaven as it is impertinent to tell us that there shall dwell righteousnesse where we well know was never any the least unrighteousnesse We expect and must expect by all circumstances upon that place such a fulfilling of that Promise as shall create or make new Heavens on Earth wherein dwels righteousnesse here below where formerly hath been unrighteousnesse That place onely can be said to be made new with the inhabitation of righteousnesse that formerly had no righteousnesse or little left it being worne out In like manner the same Peter in 2 Ep. chap. 1. ver 19. speaking of Christs Kingdome referres us to the Old Testament viz. Numb 24.17 We have saith he a more sure word of PROPHESIE whereunto yee doe well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the Day-star arise in your hearts which is taken out of that of Numbers 24.17 There shal come a starre out of Jacob c. out of Jacob shal come he that shal have dominion c. At Christs Incarnation this Star Christ did arise on some of their hearts when the Starre guided the Wise men to goe to the place of Christs birth and there to worship him and after some few gleanings of people beleeved on him But this while he was but as an evening Star Peter saith now after his Ascention that the time was yet to come that he should be a morning Star a Sunne upon the hearts of the generality of the Jewes And it were strange if any wise man should dreame that at the same instant Christ should call the Jewes and come to the last Judgement That in the same moment the black cloud of the day of Doome should cover the world and the Day-star of the Sonne of righteousnesse should arise on the numerous peoples of the Jewes scattered in all Nations Thus in Act. 3.20 21. we are referred to the PROPHETS since the WORLD BEGAN to know and hope for the visible Kingdome of Christ on earth of which we speake One of which Prophets to speake nothing of Acts 3. having spoken so much in the second Booke is Enoch to whom Jude also referres us ver 14 15. and quotes his words to supply the losse of his Book Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied Behold the LORD COMETH with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement and convince all that are
indure for ever Psal 136. v. 4. v. 13 14 15 in bringing them to the land of promise Lastly The Lords Supper doth not onely in the elements typifie our spiritual nourishment and cherishment by Christ but in the posture of sitting signifies our reigning and judging with Christ the whole earth as ruling and judging is oft expressed in Scripture by sitting Mat. 19.28 Rev. 4.4 Rev. 20.4 even as in Luke 22.29 30. Eating and drinking at a table with Christ is put as a signe of a Kingdome and sitting on seats or thrones a signe of judicature § 6 The summe of this Section is that there shall come so many out of the loynes of Abraham both of Jewes and Gentiles to whom God will be their God and blesse them over the face of the whole earth in the seed of Abraham making them partakers of the righteousnesse of faith c. as is afore more largely enumerated that the generality of the whole world shall become beleevers and be the governou of the entire universe All which must be fulfilled as sure as God cannot lie § 7 But these things in all those promises aforesaid have never yet been fulfilled The ten Tribes carried away by Salmanazar remaine still scattered among the Heathen not having received if ever they heard of the word of faith the Gospel of Christ And the two Tribes of Juda and Benjamin do not to this day acknowledge the New Testament The Turkes Arabians Hagarens Tartarians Persians Indians c. have no acquaintance with Christ and salvation We see not yet all Nations under the Stars numerous as the sands of the sea blessed in the seed of Abraham viz. in Christ converted to the faith Some inhabitants of a few spots of ground are called Christians but the most and mightiest Imperialties or dominions know not Christ Wee see not yet Ephraims posterity according to Gen. 48.19 afore quoted to become ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the fulnesse of the Gentiles or to come in as the fulnesse of the Gentiles which phrase the Apostle exactly keeping Rom. 11.25 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in and so all Israel to be saved interprets it of the conversion of the world of Iewes and Gentiles to faith in Christ But alas for the posterity of Ephraim they are not delivered from their captivity temporall or spiritual to this day Nor is one Kingdome of ten over the whole world converted unto the faith Nor is Iosephs posterity blessed according to Gen. 49.26 to the utmost bounds of the everlasting Hils that is saith learned Ainsworth over the face of the whole earth Nor have the Hebrews since the Apostle wrote to them that Epistle so named attained any Country or City that is heavenly or built by God being not converted to this day as fit for any better condition on earth or in heaven And they must be in a better spiritual condition on Earth according to the tenour of all the Scriptures afore they can be received into Heaven Of which more after especially when we come to discusse the 4. Chap. of this Epistle to the Hebrews § 8 Nor can these things be fulfilled at the last general judgement being every way inconsistent with that time being no time then of conversion or dominion of men but of confusion of the wicked and the subjection of all the good yea of Christ himselfe as Christ to God who then is to be all in all as we have oft minded out of 1. Cor. 15.28 SECT VI. Wherein the Prophesie in Numb 24.16 to 25 is discussed as proof of the generall Position Numb 24. v. 16. He hath said or he assuredly saith which heard the words or oracles of God and knew the knowledge of the most High which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open Verse 17. I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh There shall come a STAR out of lacob and a Scepter shall arise out of Israel and shall smite or smite thorow the corners or Princes of Moab and shall destroy Heb. * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shall unwall all the children of Sheth Verse 18. And Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall doe valiantly Verse 19. Out of Iacob shal come he that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of the City Verse 20. And when he looked on Amalek he took up his parable and said Amalek was the first of the Nations â That is the first of the Nation warred against Israel Exod. 17. but his latter end shall be that hee perish for ever Verse 21. And he looked on the Kenites and tooke up his parable and said Strong is thy dwelling place and thou puttest thy nest in a rock Verse 22. Neverthelesse the Kenite Heb. Kain * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shall be wasted untill Ashur shall carry thee away captive Verse 23. And he took up his parable and said Alas who shall live when God doth this ** The Geneva Notes say Some read Oh who shall not perish when the encâây that is ANTICHRIST shall set himself up as God Verse 24. And ships shall come from the coasts of Chitim and shal afflict Ashur and shall afflict Eber and he shall perish for ever § 1 IT will be a faire Preface to what we are to infer from these words to our purpose if in the first place wee give you the exposition of the Verses above quoted in the words of the Hebrews Targum Talmud and Rabbins and of the Greek Septuagint The man that spake this was Balaam but set downe by Moses as a most sure Prophesie and therefore shews us what a full manifestation he had from God of this Prophesie verse 16. It is not unusuall with God sometimes for extraordinary ends to reveale some particular Prophesies to some men at some certaine juncture of time for a present occasion whiles such men are unregenerate So to Caiphas Joh. 11.49 50 51. So to the Sibyls of whom afore in the first Book in the large quotations of Lactantius I say not that God gives them the spirit of Prophesie but that God dictated to them some particular Prophesies as of this Balaam it is said the Lord met him and gave him a charge what he should say and so he was enforced by the power of divine providence to blesse instead of cursing And of this Prophesie we have some touches and phrases repeated in the New Testament 2 Pet. 1.19 Until the day-star arise Rev. 22.16 I Jesus c. am the root of David c. and the bright and morning star yea and some of this Prophesie is punctually fulfilled in the Old Testament so long since as Davids time as wee shall see after § 2 The matter of the Prophesie is very considerable to our businesse if we understand it aright wherein the Hebrews admirably assist for of them
sword and mine hand take hold on judgement I will render vengeance to mine enemies and I will reward them that hate me Ver. 42. I will make mine arrowes drunke with bloud and my sword shal devour flesh and that with the bloud of the slaine and of the captives from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy Ver. 43. Rejoyce O yee Nations or GENTILES as the Apostle renders it Rom. 15.10 with his people for he wil avenge the bloud of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to HIS LAND and to HIS PEOPLE § 1 THese Sins of the Jewes we have knowne and those Judgements of God viz. their power to be gone and them to see scattered into corners we see to this day but we never saw or heard these Promises fulfilled according to their Tenor here mentioned § 2 First we never knew by Scripture History or Experience that the Nations of the GENTILES rejoyced with the Iewes as sharers in the same generall salvation spiritual and temporall as this Text imports according to the letter here and the spirituall extent in Rom. 15.10 For in Christ or the Apostles time the likeliest time this was not effected A few particular Jews and Proselyte Gentiles in the Acts are as nothing to make up Nations of Gentiles or the generality of the Jews to which comprehensivenesse this Text amounts The two great streams ran crosse in this manner Whiles Christ was on earth nor he or his Disciples preached in the way of the Gentiles but kept close the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matth. 10.5 And when the Gentiles received the Gospel the Jews had refused it Act. 13.45 46. The Jewes generally decryed their Christ with Crucifie him Crucifie him And of the Gentiles no Nation became Christian till after Constantine the Great his time which was above three hundred yeers after Christs incarnation and above two hundred yeers after the death of the last of the Apostles Indeed St. Paul doth in expresse quotation of the 43. vers of this 32. of Deut. in his Ep. to Rom. Chap. 15. v. 10. assert this must be fulfilled that Jewes and Gentiles must rejoyce in the common Gospel-salvation But withall he had told you before Chap. 11. that at that present the generality of the Jewes were under spiritual blindnesse and were so to be till the fulnesse of the Gentiles were come in and so they continue blinde to this very day So that instead of a reciprocal rejoycing in one anothers spirituall salvation they conceive with great indignation us to bee in an errour and we with equal sorrow conceive them to be in an errour And for temporal salvation both Jews and Gentiles were as equally interested in the sorrowful defect thereof in and after the Apostles time both being then under the Heathen Roman slavery and from thence forward were the Gentile Christians bloodily persecuted for three hundred yeers in the ten persecutions and after under the Pope as all the Jewes to this day are either dispersed as a despised people by and among all Nations or under the Turkish slavery the more is the griefe of every good Christian These premised being so apparent the next promise not yet to have been performed viz. of Gods taking a general bloody vengeance on all the enemies of the Jewes according to the many and amplified high expressions in this 32. of Deut. to that sense is of it selfe most manifest For neither the Romans nor the Turks both the grand oppressours of the Jewes for above this sixteen hundred yeers between them are with any signall signe or considerable marke destroyed with a corporall destruction As for the destruct on the enemies of the Jews in the Macchabean warres it doth not in any proportion amount to the elevation and latitude of these Deuteronomian promises Wee know all those Heroick attempts of the Jews were soon squatted flat under after-slavery The Apostle mentions their sore sufferings in those times Heb. 11. latter end Of those warres we may say as in Dan. 11.32 to 36. The people that knew their God did exploits they instructed many in War as well as in Religion yet they fall by the sword And though they are holpen with a little helpe little in time as well as in strength yet they fall And for other victories wherein the Romans having captivated Jerusalem according to Dan. 11.36 the King of the North and South Dan. 11.40 that is the Saracens and Turks come and lead that Captivity captive the Jewes all this while doe but shift and change their oppressours but their oppression is not taken away At the same rate we may value the Holy war as they call it managed by Kings called Christians maintained by a stock gathered first by the order of Templars next of St. John of Jerusalem thirdly of Knights of Malta to beat the Turke and to regaine the holy land for the Turke keeps his footing to this day with inlargements Christian Kings have been so busie in bangling with them of their owne Religion that whiles they divide that grand Blasphemer most insolently reignes as the greatest Monarch now on earth § 4 Therefore wee conclude that this place of Deuteronomy is not fulfilled till that come to passe in Rev. 19.20 21. That when the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies made war against Christ the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet and cast alive into the lake c. And the remnant were slaine with the sword and the fowles are filled with their flesh So that according to the intent and termes of this Text of Deut. 32. there is an avenging of all the servants of God viz. of Jews and Gentiles and a totall corporall ruine of all their enemies yet to be performed Of which sort of destruction there is none such at the ultimate judgement As it can be of no use to the fulnesse of Iewes and Gentiles if it come not afore therefore they must have it afore that they may as is said afore joyntly rejoyce together in each other SECT IX Wherein is considered the words of Nehemiah Chap. 1. v. 8 9 10 11 For proof of the maine of the general Proposition Nehemiah 1.8 Remember I beseech thee the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses saying If ye transgresse I wil scatter you abroad among the Nations Verse 9. But if ye returne unto me and keep my Commandments and do them though there were of you cast out to the utmost part of Heaven yet will I gather them from thence and wil bring them into the place that I have chosen to set my name there Verse 10. Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand Vers 11. O Lord I beseech thee let now thine eare be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name and prosper thy servant this
the whole of Christs passion as it is plaine First by the Title which is of the Canonical Hebrew Text. A Psalme * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã concerning A jieleth Shahar that is the hind of the morning Christ being shut in the grave escaped away in the morning rising from death Secondly by the application of severall passages to Christs passion by the Evangelist Matth. 27. As that of the DESERTION My God My God why hast thou forsaken me v. 1. That of DERISION ' He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him v. 8. That of PIERCING They pierced my hands and my feet v. 16. That of division of his garments They parted my garments among them and upon my vesture cast lots v. 18. Now this Psalme touching Christ though in the first Scene sets forth Christs humiliation yet in the second holds forth his exaltation vers 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren which the Apostle applies Heb. 2.9 10 11 12. to Christs manifestation of his samenesse of nature with the sonnes of men even as in that nature he tasted death for every man and at last would declare that salvation to all the world which clearly tends to our point And v. 27 28 29. we have the effect of his declaring Gods name to the world viz. ALL THE ENDS OF THE WORLD shall remember and turne unto the Lord and ALL THE KINDREDS OF THE Nations or GENTILES * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shall worship before him For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations or GENTILES All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship In all which we see the effect effectuall conversion The Generality and Universality in many ALL 's The time in generall viz. It is to be after Christs suffering upon the crosse The characters eat and worship which cannot be understood of the highest heavens And it hath not been fulfilled on earth according to that effect universality and character from Christs passion to this day Therefore it is yet to be fulfilled on earth 5 ¶ According to Psalme 86.9 ALL NATIONS whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and glorifie thy name A place mightily considerable So that so great a promise and prophesie as this by so great a Prophet as this with such a shrill emphasis in the ALL and in the Act worship and in the degree of the effect to glorifie his name must not bee ended with flams of humane glosses but must be really and truly and fully accomplished though as yet it was never compleatly fulfilled as it will be too late to think of those things at the ultimate judgement when Christ comes not for conversion but destruction Therefore yet before that finall Day of Doome this ALL must bee brought to ALL THAT of Worshipping and Glorifying Gods Name 6 ¶ Just as we have it in that little Psalme the 117. but greatly Prophetical Praise yee the Lord ALL NATIONS praise him ALL YEE PEOPLES * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã How shall all these do this unlesse Christ convert all them but those refractory ones whom he confounds Surely therfore this is a Prophesie that God will in time before the ultimate day of judgement convert generally all Nations as Paul extends it Rom. 11.10 11 c. to the coming in of the fulnesse of Jewes and Gentiles rejoycing together as one Church Therefore according to Paul David had a most comprehensive and extensive sense when he spake these things and therefore shall be fulfilled according to its true latitude and elevation without the mincing distinctions of mens braine For a seale of assurance whereof the close of the Psalme hath three weighty clauses First That the MERCIFULL KINDNESSE of Jehovah to the sonnes of men is great Secondly The TRUTH of the same Jehovah is for ever 3 That by faith and hope in that mercy and truth to see these things fulfilled we should PRAISE that JEHOVAH with Hallelujah which is the word of praise all along the Revelation § 2 Having done with the first head contained in the Psalmes touching the universal power Christ shall have over the whole world afore the last judgement though most yet rebell against him Next wee come to the second head viz. The just time when Christ shall attaine this 1 ¶ That place Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee gods the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.6 shall be fulfilled When God shall bring again his Son Christ into the world which place though our Translators render it And again when he bringeth c. as if it were meerly a new proof of Christs superiority above Angels is most truly rendred according to our reading afore set downe againe and againe with reasons to justifie it so that in words and sense it is an Antithesis and Auxesis to the fifth verse thus He saith not to any Angel thou art my Sonne this day I have begotten theee but instead thereof he speakes a thing that doth much lessen the dignity of Angels and more dignifie Christ above them Let all the Angels of God worship him so that the first And must be turned into But proper to the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as there placed and that same Againe is not to signifie another proofe of Christs superiority above Angels but to signifie the time when that of ALL the Elohim Angels and Potentates whether of the Spirits in Heaven or men on earth both Angels and Elohim signifying both worshipping of Christ shall be fulfilled For this hath not yet beene fulfilled as to the ALL of the Magnificents and Great-ones of the earth who contrariwise for the generall have despised if not opposed Christ even as it will bee too late and an unseasonable time for them to do it at the ultimate judgement when no adoration or worship is then received from Christs enemies but sentence is given by him upon and against them The time therefore when this shall bee fulfilled is saith the Apostle in this first to Heb. penned after Christs ascension When God shall bring his first-begotten Sonne AGAINE into the INHABITED WORLD When he brought him into the world the first time by incarnation ALL the Potentates and Angels of men The Scribes and Pharisees Herod and Pontius Pilate the Roman Emperours and Senate of Rome did not worship him but refused him and persecuted him and his members most bloodily for neer three hundred yeers after whom the Arians and next to them the Papacy took their turnes to maintaine that stream of blood running downe to our times But when he shall bring his first-begotten Sonne againe into the world in his visible royal exaltation then they all shall worship him I say as the Text sayes ALL but they that are ruined for their refractorinesse The phrase When he bringeth againe if the Greek word were not of a future sense imports a future thing as the Hebrew imperative Psal 97.7 Worship ye
him all ye gods and the Greek imperative Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him in sense is future that is They all shal worship him as the Epistle to the Hebrews in the Hebrew copy expressely renders it in the future * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they shall adore or worship him As the Angels of heaven do and ever have done and shall more eminently when they shall be more apparently his Ministers and servants to dispense his mercy and justice in that sudden great work sudden in regard of the greatnesse of setting up New Jerusalem the great restitution of all things so the Kings Princes Emperours Potentates Powers and Angels of Churches SHALL WORSHIP HIM They shall they must doe it afore Christ layes downe his power at the ultimate day of judgement 1 Cor. 15.28 and afore they be condemned men when nothing wil be accepted from them They must do it as a sign they are brought into Christ as the intent of this Epistle is to win the Jews to him 2. ¶ To this of the time of Christs universall visible power over the whole world the one hundred and tenth Psalme sings excellent harmony a Psalme so eminent that it is quoted no lesse then seven times in the New Testament and so apt for our purpose that as the two and twentieth Psalm is of the Passion of Chirst so expounded Mat. 27. The sixteenth Psalme of Christs Resurrection so expounded Act. 2. the sixty eighth Psalme of Christs Ascention so expounded Eph. 4. So this 110 Psalme is of Christs Assession or sitting at the right hand of God till all the world be made subject to him Every verse of it almost hath something in it of this as the Chalde Syriack Arab. Rabb well expound * The Chalde on those words The Lord said to my Lord saith the Lord said to HIS WORD which is the stile of Christ in S. Job phrase but some Syâiack thus It is a Psalme concerning Christ and his victory over the Devil who rules in the children of disobedience and gathers the Nations together to oppose Christs Kingdome And upon those words v. 2. Rod of thy strength âoth say An iron rod to break the enemies of the Gospel Moses with the rod of God being a type of the Mesria Some Arab. thus In the day of thy power in the beuaties of holinesse That is Thou Christ art King of thy holy and beautifull Church and of thy Princedome over the Saints shall be no end that is as Daniels phrase is oft After Christ no Monarch on earth shall succeed Christ in that respect also is Alpha and Omega the first Monarch spirituall and the last visible And upon those words Womb of the morning thus Thou wast before the wâmb of thy mother which can be said of no Propher but Christ of whom it is said âs 72. Thy Name is before the Sun R. Isaak Arama in Gen. 47 apud Nebiens dicit Before the morning star that is he was begotten before he shone in the world in the Gospel Suirably other Rabbins Ex Ab. Ezra in Ps 110 Rabbo expoâunt de Melchisedech Abraham sed dumum est Sion de Abraham explicare And upon those words The Lord hath sworn Iuravit Deus cum Davide semine suo Ex. R. Osâad in Psa 110. De Christo Sedeas quia non adhue est tempus revelationis tuae And upon the word Priest Messias fililus Ioseph qui erat occisus Now we know the Apostles quotes this Psalme oft after Christs ascention ver 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole c. By the LORD is meant JEHOVAH as it is expresse in the Hebrew By my Lord ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is meant Christ who according to his humanity is Davids Sonne but according to Deity is Davids Lord as Christ himselfe expounds it Matth. 22.44 Mar. 12.36 Luke 20.41 Accordingly the Chalde calls Christ by the same title John doth Chap. 1. v. 1. In the beginning saith John was the WORD And saith the Chalde on this Psalme The Lord said to his WORD And because Christ is Davids Lord therefore tho Psalmist David himselfe infers that he must rule over Davids poesterity though now for present with many others they be enemies Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole Which phrase cannot with any congruity be meerly spiritually understood For how can we say Converts are enemies or if by conversion his friends how can it be said they are his footstool Christ is upon other termes with men when once made beleevers as that they are one with him Ioh. 15. Ioh. 17. Therefore the plain meaning is that Christ must so rule over all that his very enemies must corporally and visibly be subject unto his power And this is prophesied and promised for future after his ascention and after his first sitting at the right hand of God But to this day now after 1600 yeers since that time Christ hath not ruled over the generality of the Iews either the ten Tribes or two Tribes either corporally or spiritually besides Indians Turks c. so as to bring them into any outward acknowledgement of him And therefore as yet All his enemies are not made his footstool but it remaines to be done before the full and finall destruction at the ultimate day of judgement 3 ¶ Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool is like that Act. 3.21 whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of the RESTITUTION he saith not DESTITUTION of all things And that Rev. 19. last Rev. 20.1 He shall slay his incurable Antichristian enemies and shall descend from Heaven 4 ¶ The Apostle doth yet much more give us light in this thing Heb. 2.8 9. In putting all things in subjection under him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he left nothing that is not put under him Now saith the Apostle We see not yet all things put under him though the Apostle there confesseth that Christ was already ascended So that Christ must sit in Heaven till his enemies be put in subjection under him which cannot be at the ultimate generall judgement For before that Christ at his next coming must receive a Kingdome Luke 19.11 c. which hath been largely cleared afore 2 Book Sect. 10. hee must in order of nature at his next appearance first have a Kingdome and then judge 2 Tim. 4.1 which also hath been abundantly opened afore 2 Book Sect. 6. For upon the ultimate day of judgement he layes downe all his authority 1 Cor. 15.28 5 ¶ The Apostle addes further light to this in his quotation of this of the 110. Psal in Act. 2.32 33 34 35 36. This Iesus hath God saith the Apostle Peter raised up c therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this as
be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the lad Trumpet for it shall sound both the dead shal be raised incorruptible and we shal be changed * So according to the best Greek Copies howbeit the common translation holds forth effectually what we intend Saint John in the Revelation tels us that the last Trumpet is the seventh Trumpet according to the many instances wherein God delights in the number of seven so that six as it is exprest in the Revelation sounded afore this and saith That the last end of all is not till the last Trumpet But there is a great intervall and space within the time of the last Trumpet many things being to be done within that compasse so that at the first beginning of the last Trumpet the enemy so falls that the Kingdomes of THIS world become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of the Lord his Christ in spight of all enemies and their anger the dead Saints are raised and a reward given to them Revel chap. 11. ver 15 16 17 18. which is a summary preface or a prefaciatory sum to the Catastrophe or upshot of the Revelation to follow unto the end as touching the Saints And in Revel 20. first seven verses is expressed how long this visible Kingdome of Christ on earth shall be and consequently so long is the space of the last Trumpet viz. a thousand yeares But the last end of all the ultimate period shall not be till the last end of the last Trumpet Revel 20. vers 12 c. Now let the Reader compare and consider all that Paul hath spoken in this quotation of and upon the one hundred and tenth Psalme touching the subduing of all things to Christ and the five notes of the time when it must be together with Johns explication and confirmation of Pauls last Trumpet and then let him tell me 1 Whether these things must not of necessity be fulfilled upon the earth 2 Whether these things are not yet to come yet to be fulfilled 3 Whether they must not be fulfilled afore the ultimate end of all when Christ resignes up his Kingdome to the Father 7 ¶ But there is yet one quotation more of this hundred and tenth Psalme insisted upon by the Apostle which gives us further light in Heb. 10. ver 11 12 13. Every Priest saith he standeth daily in ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifice which can never take away sin but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes SATE DOWNE ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD FROM HENCE-FORTH EXPECTING TILL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE HIS FOOT-STOOL c. Two things are here at first sight evident before our eyes viz. 1. That the Apostle quotes the words of the one hundred and tenth Psalme And 2. That the Apostle applyes them to explaine the eminency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall in that the Leviticall Priests offered daily Christ but once they oftentimes the same Sacrifice he only once they tooke not away sinnes he did they stood as Servants he sate downe as Lord according to Psal 110. ver 1. Now observe how this suits to our purpose For it is expresse here that Christ did effectually attaine to reigne spiritually in overcoming Sinne and Satan witnessed in making perfect attonement for the sinnes of all that are sanctified and his overcoming death the wages of sinne And the Divel the Gaoler of death by his Resurrection Ascension and Assession at the right hand of God whereby in regard of the place he got above all his enemies And yet for all this to that very houre that the Apostle wrote this Christs enemies were not made his footstoole But saith he still there he sits from THENCEFORTH EXPECTING TIL his enemies be made his footstool as he doth to this day Plainly signifying that Christ must have another-gates Regiment and Government another manner or degree of subduing his enemies then that Which can be no other then a sensible visible subduing of them Which as we on earth expect so he in heaven saith the Apostle sits continually expecting the same For his enemies on earth continuing his enemies under that notion so to be subdued are never subject to him spiritually And further as the Apostle minds us Christ expects that further subduing of his enemies upon his Fathers promise made to him Psa 110. Now at the ultimate day of judgment there is no more subduing of any thing to Christ seeing then Christ layes down all and he the same himself is subject 1 Cor. 15. Therfore this being yet unfulfilled must be performed afore that day and according to the sense of the 110 Psalm of which all this while we have spoken but upon the first verse There are divers other passages more in this Psalme that much concurre to and explaine our point 8 ¶ Verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy STRENGTH out of Zion Rule thou in the MIDST OF THINE ENEMIES Mr. Ainsworth and our New Annotationists parallel this with Psal 2. And withall assert that the Jewish Expositors generally doe acknowledge the second Psalme to be concerning the Messias and infer if that then there is as much reason for this Now as in Psal 2. it is said Christ shall rule his enemies with a ROD OF IRON and breake them incorrigible as a Potters vessel even so in this Psalme it is said the Rod of Christs STRENGTH * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not of authority or power which I should wonder if any dare to restraine to meer spirituall efficacy especially if we heedfully observe that which follows Rule thou as with that Rod * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the middest of thine enemies Now tell me how doth Christ rule spiritually in the middest of his enemies And if you grant with us that a sensible corporal rule must be here admitted then cast about and consider that Christ hath no rule at the ultimate day of judgement 1. Cor. 15. And before that to this day Christ hath not so ruled amidst his enemies in most Nations Therefore it is yet to come afore the ultimate day of judgement Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing or Voluntaries in the day of thy power or Armie as Ainsworth asserts Now Peter assures us that the great day of Christ is a thousand yeers 2 Pet. 3. And wee must of necessity yeeld that this day of power must signifie a distinct determinated time and then to be measured out when Christs power shall most eminently appeare above any former appearance Now whether we take this in a spiritual sense of acting grace after conversion or in an Ecclesiastical as our Annotationists that Christs people shall be assembled unto his Church whose increase shall be as it follows so abundant and wonderful as the drops of the dew falling from the womb of the morning or in a corporal sense that men shall bee willing to pull downe Christs
in this fourth Chapter doth yet remaine and to the people of God A Sabbatisme signifies a rest upon a seventh most likely as Jude also hints ver 14. in the seventh and last Age of the world and its remaining signifieth it is yet to be fulfilled and to all the people of God that is both Jewes and Gentiles And further to explaine this Sabbatisme the Apostle mindes them that they had injoyed a Sabbatisme every seventh day which was a rest principally upon account of immediatnesse to their bodies though with it a spirituall rest out of which weekly seventh was formed their Pette-Jubile of the seventh yeares rest and their Great Jubile of the seven times seven yeares viz. beginning at the end of the forty ninth yeare and their yet longer rest in Canaan which also was a kinde of Sabbatisme for they divided the Land of Canaan in the * So Bucholcerus in his Ind. Chronolog fiftieth Jubile from the Creation Anno mundi 2500. which was a Jubile of Jubiles and when they returned out of Babylon where they had been seventy yeares it was about the seventieth Jubile from the Creation Now saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes in effect thus You must have a Sabbatisme a Sabatticall rest that must meetly correspond with those former rests of the seventh day and of that in Canaan and of the Sevenths therein enjoyed and so to be a corporall rest and on earth as the others were You have had the seventh dayes rest ever since the Creation as God on the first seventh having finished his Workes rested and you have had your sevenths of rest in Canaan First your seventh yeare then secondly your Jubilean seven-seventh Thirdly your seventieth Jubilean of seven sevens and yet there is another Sabbatisme or Septenary rest still remaining Now what Sabbatisme Septenary or seventh of rest can we finde out beside those aforesaid but the seventh thousand of yeares that is the last thousand yeares of the world before the ultimate generall Judgement This the Rabbins R. Ketina R. David Kimchi R. Schelomo c. assert with one consent grounding themselves upon the Scriptures their words in summe are these As every seventh yeare is a yeare of release so the seventh thousand of yeares of the world is the time of the release of the world according to the ninety second Psalme ver 1. or Title c. A Psalme for the Sabbath Day c. And Psalme 90. ver 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday And ver 15. Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evil And indeed since their desolation destroying their Temple then the City and at last making their daily Sacrifice to cease unto the time of Rabbi David Kimchi Rabbi Mosche Kimchi Rabbi Schimschon Rabbenu Mosche Rabbi Mosche Ben-Tafon R. Meir R. Menahem R. Schem-Toff R. Izhac R. Mordechai Rabbenu Ascher that wrote upon the Talmud Rabbi Aharon Rabbenu Jaaiof and severall others is about a thousand yeares What these Rabbies say of this Sabbatisme see after upon Isa 2. And to settle the Jewes more fully in their expectation of this Sabbatisme the Apostle calls them off from their former Sabbatismes both the lesser of weekes and of the greater in Canaan according to the Prophet Micha chap. 2. ver 10. which was in Hezekiahs time being a time of great prosperity in Canaan Micha 1.1 Arise yee and depart for this is not your rest because marke the reason it is polluted c. which intimates that Micha as well as Paul in their Prophesies looked at the rest that shall be unpolluted as it is said Revel 21. in the new earth shall be no uncleane thing For sutable to the Prophet Micha our Apostle in this fourth to the Hebrewes ver 10. saith That in the great Sabbatisme on earth we shall cease from our worke as God did from his In words it is in the past time but in the intent and meaning it is in future as if he should say When any man hath entred into his rest or shall have entred into his rest Pareus saith the Greeke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is in the Aorist put for at least the present but the connexion of the context both before behind is clearly for the future For in ver 9. it is there remaineth yet a rest and in the eleventh verse Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest 1. Lest any man fail of it Now for our owne workes sinnes are most properly our owne workes because saith Pareus they are done by us and not approved of God so that then we Sabbatismum eum agere incipimus quando apeccatis cessamus that is then we doe act this Sabbatisme when we cease from sin which the Prophet well confirmes Isa 58.13 and chap. 65.2 where he calls sins and sinning a doing or finding our OWNE pleasure a doing our OWNE wayes a speaking our OWNE words a watching after our OWNE thoughts For sins are not as bodily labours or afflictions either commanded of God or commended of God or intended for the service and glory of God Now when we shall enter into the rest we speake of in the new earth we cease from these our owne workes of sinning for into that state no uncleane thing shall enter Revel 21. therefore we though Beleevers are not yet entred into Pauls Sabbatisme because we doe not yet totally cease from those our workes 5 ¶ Object But it seemes by the third verse of this fourth Chapter to the Hebrewes that a Spirituall rest is understood in this Chapter and such as into which every Beleever at his first beleeving doth presently enter for saith the Apostle there We which have beleeved doe enter into his rest To this Pareus saith well Answ Nondum ingressi sumus sed ingredimur ut suit versu tertio Par. in 4. ad Heb. ver 10. we have not yet entred into his rest but we doe as ver 3. meaning the future we shall for so immediatly followes the proofe of a rest yet remaining into which all Beleevers shall enter and therefore Theophylact renders it in the future so also the old Latine from whence Learned men conceive that so it was in the ancient Greek Copy according to which that Latine Translation was made and the Arabian Translation is in the future and so is Hutters Hebrew Translation It is true that by faith we presently enter into the rest of Justification of our persons Rom. 5.1 and into the rest of expectation or hope of possession of glory Rom. 5. ver 2. But all this will not serve to take in all the sence of the Apostle in this of Heb. 4.3 because immediatly in that very third verse the Apostle falls upon a proofe of a rest touching which the Hebrewes were not yet satified and setled in their mindes though of ultimate glory they doubted not I say of a rest yet remaining and to them that doe
Christ but anon Arianisme arose then Papisme mounted up then the Beast did arise The Church is put into a Wildernesse-condition the witnesses prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty yeares which are not yet expired for they have not yet laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe 5 ¶ Nor is that in the 18 19 20. verses yet fulfilled That all Idols are abolished that God hath so shaken the earth that he hath made the inhabitants thereof to cast away all their Idols and to hide themselves for feare The Territories of the Papacie extending over France Spaine Italy part of the Low Countries part of upper Germany part of Polonia part of the Indies c. are full of Idols and doe openly worship them as they say in the sight of the Sunne The great shake of these is not till the Witnesses have laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe Revel 11. and then is the great fall ibid. ver 11. and when those things are shaken downe then the things that cannot be shaken viz. pure worship purely Spirituall and pure Saints shall remaine unmoved Heb. 12.27 § 6 Nor can it be rationally imagined that these things shall not be done till the ultimate day of the generall Judgement for then there is no time of establishing of the mountaine of the Lords house upon the top of the mountaine no proceeding of the word out of Zion no running and hiding from the presence of the Lord for the Sea and Grave c. shall give up their dead And all good shall be turned into an eternity of absolute glory Therefore the time of fulfilling of the Prophesies and Promises of this second of Isaiah is yet to come afore the ultimate day of the last generall Judgement * The Diatribae pars 4. of Mr. Mede lately coming forth and come to my hands since I penned this eleventh Section I thought it convenient to insert into the Margine at least his judgement of this second of Isaiah ver 2 3 4. which I will give you in his owne words HILS or MOUNTAINES saith he are States Kingdomes or Societies of men which consisting of degrees rising unto an height one above another are compared unto Mountaines raised above the ordinary plaine and levell of the earth The MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE is that State and Society of men which is called the Church and People of God REGNUM CAELORUM the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. a Kingdome whose both King and Kings Throne have their place and residence in the Heavens These words therefore are a Prophesie or Propheticall promise of the GLORIOUS EXALTATION WONDERFULL ENLARGMENT and UNHEARD-OF-PROSPERITY of this Society of men called the CHURCH above all States and Societies of men whatsoever The glory and EXALTATION is expressed in the word THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE SHAL BE ONE DAY EXALTED yee mounted not only above the lesser hill but above the highest mountaine though at this time it were depressed and trampled under foot by the proud enemies thereof The ENLARGMENT is in the word ALL NATIONS SHALL FLOW INTO IT i. e. though at the time of this Prophesie it were reduced to a small remnant yet the time was to come when it should not only consist of one Nation of the Jewes as then it did but of all Nations under the whole Heaven The PROSPERITY thereof begins to be described from these words ver 4. THEY SHAL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES c. i. e though the greatest part of JACOB were already captive and Judah and Jerusalem in a continuall feare and no lesse danger of the Armies and invasion of the King of Babel yet the time should one day come that the People or Church of God should not only be the most exalted state upon the earth and the most ample and universall Dominion that ever was in the world but the most peaceable quiet and flourishing State that ever was since man was FIRST CREATED This is the Prophesie But now comes the Question Whether this as we have described it be and hath already been fulfilled or whether if already any wayes fulfilled whether it be not in part only performed and the full accomplishment reserved for time to come c. For here the Church is to be established on the tops of Mountaines c. so that no other State shal over-top or over-looke it much lesse trample it under feet Now whether there was ever such a time when this was compleatly fulfilled c. I leave it to any mans indifferent judgement who can compare the description of the Prophet with the stories of fore past and present times In the times immediatly after Christs PASSION I think any man will grant the Church then was neither VISIBLE nor GLORIOUS In the time of the PERSECUTING EMPEROURS when the Church had taken foot among the Gentiles and the Nations began to flow unto it it was a Society indeed VISIBLE but not GLORIOUS I am sure it was not in the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES but the Imperial Mountaine of ROME not only over-topped it but over trampled it under their feet In the time of CONSTANTINE and thereabouts after three hundred yeares cruell persecution the Sunne seemed as it were to breake forth of a Cloud but presently that glory was eclipsed and even the visibility of the Church in a manner covered with the thick and a Universally overspreading cloud of ARYANISME This ARIAN cloud was no sooner blown over but another great cloud of that fore-prophesied APOSTASIE of the Church begun to arise whereby the Churches glory was not onely eclipsed but at length againe the visibility thereof wholly overshaddowed with the thick darknesse of Idolatrous ANTICHRISTIANISME untill after a long day of darknesse it pleased God of late somewhat to dispel the cloud c. and we hope when the cloud shall be wholly consumed by the beams of the Sun of the Gospel the Church shall become not more visible then yet it is but far more glorious then ever hitherto it hath been WHEN THE FULNESSE OF THE GENTILES as St. Paul speaks SHALL COME IN. For we shall finde in the Prophesies of the Scriptures that there are two sorts and times of the CALLING OF THE GENTILES First that which should be in the REJECTION OF THE IEWS as St. Paul saith to PROVOKE THEM TO IEALOUSIE Such a calling as should be in a manner occasionall that God might not want a Church the time the Iewes were to be cast out So Rom. 11.15 The CASTING AWAY OF THE IEWS is the RECONCILING OF THE WORLD i.e. The CALLING OF THE GENTILES Whence we may see that the Apostles were not to preach Christ to the Gentiles untill being first offered to the Iewes they refused him And this is that calling of the Gentiles which hitherto hath been many yeares But there is a second and more glorious calling of the Gentiles to be found in the Prophesies of Scripture not a calling as this is
without consideration of Gods hand in it and should manage the rod with insolent cruelty to the Jewes that God will bring destruction upon the Assyrian for deliverance of the Jewes The confirmation of this deliverance as is the manner of God in the Prophets hath its foundation laid in the sending of Christ Chapter 11. The promise whereof and description of whose person we have set forth and characterised in the first five verses There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdome c. and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes but with righteousnesse shall he judge c. So that although in Hezekiahs time wherein Isaiah prophesied the host of the Assyrians were destroyed to the number of one hundred eighty five thousand by the Angel of the Lord 2 Kings 19.35 And againe in the time of Judahs captivity in Babylon they were overthrown with a mighty destruction by the Medes and Persians Dan. 5.30 yet these are not the ALL of the Threat of this Prophesie against Assyria for the Threat is carried on still in Zach. 1.15 to the end of the Chapter though at that time Judah was returned And to keep to this our Text of Isa according to the length of the foundation of this Prophesie must the superstructure be extended viz. to the comming of Christ which coming of him being not restrictively determined to his first coming in his incarnation must be left at large to reach to his second coming at the great Restauration as the Text doth seem to require in mentioning his judging v. 3. his smiting the earth v. 4. c. For we must know to give you Mr. Medes notion Alicubi as neare as I can That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ INDEFINITLY and in GENERALL without that distinction of first and second coming which we have more cleerly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him speake of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and altogether which we who are now more fully informed by the Revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a twofold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second And that which befits both alike may be applied to both Which notion of Mr. Mede is the more to be acknowledged in that it may appeare by many instances from the Creation hitherto that the grand promises of great deliverances have their successive and graduall fulfilling from their first promulgation unto the end of this world as daily experience produceth fresh testimonies Calvin on Isa The context saith Isa 10.24 c. Thus saith the Lord O my people that dwellest in Zion be not affraid of the ASSYRIAN Hee shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of EGYPT For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger IN THEIR DESTRUCTION c. And in that day his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder c. Now in Hezekiahs time the Assyrian did not smite the Inhabitants of Zion but were smitten by the Angel of the Lord as afore mentioned Nor was the burden of the Assyrian taken away from off the shoulder of the dwellers at Zion at their returne from Babylon by a destruction on them under whom they were then in captivity For the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus their King voluntarily to let them return as we well know the story in the second of Chron. Chapter last and Ezra Chap. 1. And further the Apostles do bring downe many passages of this eleventh of Isaiah unto the Transactions of their times and downwards applying them to the coming of Christ yea to the coming of Christ after his ascention For example ¶ 1. First that in verse 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. is applied by the Apostle Act. 13. v. 22. c. to v. 42. to Christ as the eminent seed of David of the seed of Jesse conjoyning a quotation out of Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee which with other passages in that Psalme as hath been demonstrated signifies Christs visible Kingdome on earth yet to come And a quotation out of Isaiah 55.3 Touching the sure mercies of David And one other quotation out of Ps 16. That his holy one saw no corruption of purpose to prove that though David himselfe be dead yet Christ lives to be the sure mercies of David and to keep off his seed from seeing corruption that in him the ever-living seed of David may reigne to the end of this world and that in some peculiar way priviledge and relation and proportion to David or else the dint and vigor of Isaiahs and the Psalmists Text and the Apostles Commentary is made to languish Which priviledge peculiarity relation and analogy to David what can it bee but a visible Reigning or Kingdome of Christ For Christs Kingdom purely spirituall by his Word and Spirit what doth it more relate to David then to other Christian Kings and Princes of the Gentiles converted from Heathenisme or how more over Davids people or Kingdome more then over all Indians and Heathens where the Gospel is spread and received ¶ 2 Again that in verse the tenth of this eleventh of Isaiah There shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the GENTILES seek the Apostle Rom. 15.12 draws down to Christ then ascended and gives us this sense of the Prophet That Christ is not onely the OBJECT of faith to the Gentiles but that the Gentiles shall be his SUBJECTS he reigning over them How reigning over them Marke curiously the Apostles words and you may perceive something Againe saith the Apostle There shall be a root of Iesse and he that shall RISE to REIGNE over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust His reigning as in relation to David doth not commence from his Incarnation but he shall RISE to reigne spoken by the Apostle after Christs Resurrection and Ascention and rendred as you heare by our Translators under a future notion He shall rise to reigne Yea follow the words yet closer even home to the very doores of the Original and you will see I thinke yet more ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. There shall be a root of Iesse and he shall RISE AGAINE to reigne over the Gentiles or stand up AGAINE to reigne over them Christ had before the Apostle penned that risen the first time viz. from the grave of the earth But now that he hath ascended long since up into heaven and there as it
c. even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt in Pathros answered Jeremiah c. See also Ezek. 29.14 and chap. 30. v. 14. And those Pathrusim were of the linage of Mitsraim or Egyptus Gen. 10.14 1 Chron. 1.12 Others say it signifies Parthos the Parthians of the Country of Parthia with an easie and usuall Metathesis which Parthia is on the borders of Media Or say others it may be Petra in Arabia of which see Esa 16.1 The land from SELA or as it is in the margine Petra whence Arabia Petrea Others say it is a part of Lybia inhabited by the Pharusii mentioned by Pliny and Ptolome and seated neer the Atlantick Sea Of the Jewes being scattered unto the Apostles times in the said Parthia Media Egypt Lybia Arabia we read in Act. 2.9 10 11. And from CUSH that is Ethiopia Compare chap. 18.1 And from ELAM that is Persia And from SHINAR that is a region in Chaldea Gen. 11.28 Jer. 51.24 35. Ezek. 23.16 And of their scattering even to the Apostles times in Elam or Persia and Mesopotamia which was part of Chaldea c. See Act. 2.9 10 11. And 1 Pet. 1.1 And from HAMATH that is Cilicia in Asia the lesse Of their scattering there see likewise Act. 2. ibid. and 1 Pet. ibid. Paul also an Hebrew saith of himselfe that he was borne at Tarsus a chiefe City of Cilicia And from the ISLANDS OF THE SEA that is the maritine Countries bordering upon the Sea or any Kingdome on the other side of the Sea from Judea as it is a common phrase in Scripture the Jews not understanding the nature of other Countries being no travellours or Sea-men to leave their Nationall Church for the barbarous Countries as they were in the times of the Old Testament So that Islands of the Sea comprehends all the World beside the Countries of Judea and Samaria So that according to this enumeration and description God must set his hand the second time to recover all the remnant of his people that are left in any of the said Countries Which is not yet done and therefore yet to be fulfilled Furthermore that in the twelfth verse proves that the Prophesie of this Chapter is not yet fulfilled Arg. 6 The words of that twelfth verse are And he shall set up an Ensigne for the NATIONS Hebr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for the GENTILES that is The unbeleeving people without the Church that had not yet received the word And shall assemble the outcasts of ISRAEL that is the ten Tribes and gather together the dispersed of IUDAH that is the two Tribes from the FOURE CORNERS of the EARTH For first we see that this recovering of Gods Elect the Second time is of the Iews together with the Gentiles which recovering them the second time wee never saw yet At Christs first coming at his Incarnation most Iewes and Gentiles held off from imbracing the Gospel as we see in the story of the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles And soon after Constantines time and downward more of both fell off And at this day all the Iews and the most of the Gentiles continue in infidelity Therefore this gathering of both is yet to come before the destruction of all unbeleevers at the ultimate judgement Secondly observe how distinctly the Prophet names 1 The Gentiles 2 The out-casts of Israel that is of the ten Tribes 3 The dispersed of Iudah that is of the two Tribes which was not done at the returne of the captivity out of Babylon or at the coming of Christ in the flesh nor to this day Thirdly Take notice that the elect of all Iewes Israelites and Gentiles must be called and gathered together from the foure corners of the earth that is from all parts of the world which is larger then Babylon which is not done to this day but the Iewes and Israelites are still found inhabiting in all quarters of the world as Travellours and Sea-faring men see with their eyes and the Rabbins confesse in their books And yet further it appears that the Prophesie of this Chapter is not to this day fulfilled by that in verse 13. c. to the end of the Chapter Arg. 7 The summe whereof is That all envy between Iudah and Ephraim shall cease and that all other that will not obey and comply with the Iewes in a right Gospel-worship of God shall be destroyed viz. The Philistims in the West and the people of the East all of them of Moab Ammon Edom and Egypt and there shall be a way for the remnant of the Iewes from Assyria as there was to them at their coming up out of Egypt But the Iewes in a great part are under the tyranny of the Turk and the rest scattered in all Nations none of their enemies are destroyed nor doe any Nations comply with them in point of Religion to this very day Lastly Arg. 8 It appears by the twelfth Chapter the seal of the eleventh that the Prophesie of the eleventh Chapter is not yet fulfilled For the Iews never yet were so delivered as in the 11. Chap. as in praise therefore to sing that Song of Thanks-giving in the twelfth Chapter Their harps are hung up as at their scattering in Babylon I my selfe have heard some of them bemoaning themselves that this their last captivity or dispersion is longer then ever any before They have not hitherto as it is in that Song verse 4. Declared the name and famous facts of God among the peoples but rather in refusing Christ have obscured his name Nor have they as verse 5. praised for the excellent things that God should doe for them in all the earth Now let the wise and understanding Reader review all that hath been said and be judge himselfe whether the Prophesie of this eleventh Chapter of Isaiah hath been fulfilled to this day And if not sure he will not dream of a fulfilling of it at the ultimate judgement there being something almost in every verse inconsistent with that time when no government as described in the first five verses is remaining in Christs hands 1 Cor. 15.28 c. No dwelling of the Wolfe and Lamb together as held forth in verse 6 7 8. No lifting up of an Ensign to bring men to a seeking after Christ as verse 10. No filling the earth with the knowledge of the Lord c. as v. 11. Therefore as sure as God is true this is yet to be fulfilled afore the ultimate day of judgement SECT XIV § 1 THe fourth place in Isaiah is Chapter 14. verse 1. c. to verse 8. Verse 1. The Lord will have mercy on JACOB and will yet choose ISRAEL and set them in their OWN LAND and the STRANGERS shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the house of JACOB Vers 2. And the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã PEOPLES shall take them and bring them to their place And the house of Israel shall possesse them in the land of the
yet the threats are expresse in v. 1 2. against ALL Nations Secondly Moab and Ammon and the Ishmaelites or Hagarens being knit to the line of the Jewes Gen. 18. Gen. 16. as was Idumea the Country of Esau they are most fitly held forth as types of the Antichristian enemies of the Church of the New Testament Psal 83. 6 7 c. they all being mothers children as Cant. 1. but not acting as brethren even as St. John makes the destruction of those enemies Types and Prophesies of the destruction of Antichrist as we heard but now SECT XIX THe ninth place in Isaiah is Chapter 43. and Chapter 44. being one entire discourse of the same matter notwithstanding the division of Chapters In the main and principall designe they treat of the conversion and salvation spirituall and temporall of the Jewes which are yet unfulfilled We need but touch upon some passages It is said Chapter 43. v. 1 2 3. Thus saith the Lord that created thee O JACOB and he that formed thee O ISRAEL fear not I have redeemed thee I have called thee by name thou art mine when thou passest through the waters and fires thou shalt not be destroyed for I am the Lord thy God the holy one of ISRAEL thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Saba for thee Which place if we look upon as an history of things done then it will be justly queried that though God destroyed Egypt in the book of Exodus for Israels sake yet when dealt he so with Ethiopia and Saba Therefore generally and most safely it is referred as a Prophesie to future things answerable to verse 2. Thou art mine and I will be with thee in all difficulties And to v. 4. I have loved thee and therefore I will give MEN mark the comprehensivenesse of the terme for thee And answerable to verse 5 6. I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North give up and to the South keep not back bring my sonnes from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth And verse 18 19 20 21. Remember not the former things behold I will doe a new thing c. I will even make a way in the wildernesse and rivers in the desart the Beasts of the field shall honour me because I give waters in the wildernesse c. to give drinke to my people my chosen This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise For this giving Ethiopia and Saba for the Jews cannot be understood as Calvin and the Geneva Notes hint of the coming up of Perkaka King of Ethiopia against Assyria whiles Sennacherib King of Assyria was coming up against Jerusalem Isa 27. for these reasons First the Angel of the Lord going forth into the Army of Sennacherib and slaying one hundred eighty five thousand of them Isa 37.36 was the giving of the Assyrians not the Ethiopians for a ransome for the Jewes Secondly If that slaughter of the Assyrians was a ransome for the two Tribes yet is it nothing for Israel the ten Tribes so often mentioned in this Chapter Thirdly As we have no sacred history for it so no humane probability that Sennacheribs Army thus weakned by the Angel was in a fit condition to war against and to worst that Army of the Ethiopians then gathered against Sennacheribs Kingdome of Assyria or to overthrow Seba. As it is alike improbable that Sennacherib could recruit the old or raise a new Army speedily enough to encounter with Perkaka who was then fully ready for fight The story concludes Sennacheribs retreat from Jerusalem otherwise viz. That he returned and dwelt in Nineveh and worshipping in the house of his Idol gods was slaine there by his two sonnes Isa 37. And in this our New Annotationists concur with us saying That though most understand this of Gods turning Sennacheribs forces against Egypt and Ethiopia upon the tidings brought unto him of Tirkakas coming against him when he was making towards Jerusalem to besiege it Isa 37. yet wee cannot conceive say they that to be the meaning of the place For though it be true that the rumour startled him and made him thinke of returning yet was it not that but the fright he tooke upon the unexpected blow given in his Camp that enforced him to flight not to invade Egypt or Ethiopia which he was in a sorry case then to doe but to get him home with as much speed as hee could into his owne Country Chap. 31.8 9. And 37.36 37. So the Annotationists very well But to that they adde I cannot well consent when they say That this of giving Ethiopia and Saba for a ransome for Israel may well have reference to that remarkable defeat of that vast Army the greatest upon record in Scripture given to the Cushites under Asa c. For this Chapter is a Prophesie of things to come speaking both first and last in the Chapter in the future tense If in a touch it speaks in the past tense in the middle of the Chapter it is but usuall in Prophesies to shew their certainty to expresse what shall bee as if done already And it is spoken of Jacob and Israel comprehending all the twelve Tribes at least the ten and not the two onely called Juda over whom Asa was King and mentions the ruine of Saba for Israels sake that they might bee delivered of which wee have nothing in past stories And if this Chapter bee a Prophesie the story of Asa his victory abovesaid over the Chushites will not comport with the meaning thereof Asa dying many yeers Bucholcerus saith above a hundred and fifty afore Isaiah prophesied § 3 Now these things afore prophesied throughout this Chapter further amplified in the following Chapter were never yet since Isaiahs time fulfilled At their returne from Babylon none were slaine for Israels sake Nor at the time of Christs being on earth nor since the Turk possessed Judea for they returned by the voluntary consent of the King of Babylon And from the time of Christs being on earth and downward till the Turk took Judea the Romans severall times as we have shewed afore slew them instead of being slain for them as did the Turks after the Romans deal with them likewise Nor was the seed of Israel brought from the East West North and South and from the ends of the earth to this day Where still they are dispersed c. as it follows in these two Chapters Nor can these things suit with the ultimate day of doom § 4 Therefore there remaines yet a time to come when the Prophesies of these Chapters must be fulfilled afore the ultimate day of judgement There must be a distinct time on earth when Egypt Ethiopia and Saba shall be destroyed for the deliverance and freedome of Jacob and Israel and not onely these but all foure quarters of the world and the utmost ends of the earth as it is
20 21. Assemble your selves and come draw neer together yee that are ESCAPED of the Nations Tell ye and bring them neer Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth c. as it follows in the words above described at large So that by the connexion it is evident that the words above quoted concerne both Jews and Gentiles § 2 The words are not onely a prescript and precept to all the ends of the earth which must needs include Jewes and Gentiles but also a Prophesie and Promise that all the ends of the earth shall look to the Lord for salvation expresse in saying Be ye saved And in the 23 verse I have sworne by my selfe unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall vow surely shall each one say in the Lord have I righteousnesse c. which is the plaine language of a promise and is confirmed in manner of a promise with that great confirmation Gods oath § 3 First for the two former verses viz. the 22 and 23 of looking to God and bowing the knee to him the Apostle applies them twice in the New Testament to that future submission and subjection that all the world shall yeeld to Jesus Christ long after his ascention 1 ¶ The first time is in Rom. 14. v. 8 9 10 11. Verse 8. Whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother c. wee shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ For it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God In which words 1 It is plainly held forth that the Apostle proves Christs Lordship or Kingly-hood over ALL both dead and living by this place of Isa That every knee shall bow to the Lord. And that as God made Christ a Priest by an oath Psal 110. emphatically urged by the Apostle Heb. 7.20 c. so he makes him Lord and King by an oath in this place of Isaiah and so applied by our âpostle in this 14 of Rom. to signifie the certainty of the thing 2 That being delivered in the future tense it must signifie more then Christs spirituall Kingdome which he then had when Isaiah prophesied 3 That the Apostles mentioning after Christs ascention his Lordship over the dead and our standing at his judgement seat must signifie a state now after Christ is in heaven yet to come For he is not God of the dead but as they are living in soule in order to a resurrection as Christ himselfe expounds in the Evangelist 4 That this must be a state on earth before the ultimate Doom in that the Apostle out of the Prophet asserteth that all must bow to him either sincerely or at least seemingly which cannot be so cleerly understood to be feisable at the ultimate day of judgement which is the finall destruction of all not sincere to Christ and the time of Christs Resignation of all his power 1 Cor. 15. For the wicked to submit and perish in the same houre were little honour to Christ and a short time for all the world to confesse to him 5 That this is a kind of day of judgement that is the beginning or preface to the great and ultimate day of judgement at the beginning of the thousand yeers when Christ destroyes all the open obstinate wicked and sets up the Church into a glorious estate Rev. 19. latter end And Rev. 20. first six verses compare v. 8.9 c. And at this beginning or preface do all believers stand at the judgement seat of Christ Revel 11. v. 15. v. 18. Rev. 20. first six verses where they receive honour and rewards of grace and favour For according to our Apostle this bowing c. must be at SOME day of judgement But it cannot be at the ultimate finall and therefore afore at the beginning of the day of judgement viz. at the beginning of the thousand yeers 2 ¶ The second time of the Apostles application of this of Isaiah touching bowing to the submission of all unto Christ is Phil. 2 v. 8 9 10 11. Ver. 8. Being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himself and became obedient unto the death c. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in EARTH and things under the Earth 11 And that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father 1 By the quotation of the place out of Isaiah it is evident that the meaning of bowing the knee at the name of Jesus is to submit to the Lordly and Kingly power of Christ 2 Every knee both of things in heaven that is of Angels as they shall in speciall bee imployed in gathering the Church and setting up the glorious state thereof Rev. oft and in earth that is of all men and under the earth that is at Christs pleasure there shall bee no sea Rev. 21.1 must needs import a state on earth Which in the third particular is more confirmed That every tongue shall confesse that Jesus Christ is the LORD to the glory of God the Father § 4 Now this of Isaiah intended for salvation of Jews and Gentiles and as explained by the Apostle touching submission to and glorifying of Christ cannot comport with the ultimate doome As they were never yet fulfilled but rather most knees and tongues as of Turks Papists Heathens Socinians and all prophane persons whatsoever are against Christ to this day And therefore these things must have a time on earth before the ultimate judgement to bee fairely and effectually fulfilled § 5 As for the two last Verses of this 45 of Isaiah Viz. v. 24 and 25. I need no more but aske the question was that ever fulfilled which is there spoken that every knee and tongue shall come and say for so is the connexion especially according to the Hebrew Text surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Or that fulfilled there also expressed That ALL that are incensed against the Lord shall bee ashamed Or that fulfilled which is the close of all That in the Lord all the seed of Israel shall be justified and shall glory I say when ever were these fulfilled You have seen that the persons spoken of are Israel and Jacob comprehending all the seed of the twelve Tribes and all the ends of the earth of Gentiles and that the Apostle expounds The Lord by the Lord Christ Therefore I may boldly aske when ever were these fulfilled Surely to our sorrow that are Beleevers wee see the contrary of all these in the generality of all men Turks
Pagans Papists Atheists Hereticks and prophane persons And without multiplying words the very phrases will not admit of a referring these to the ultimate day of Doome And therefore must yet bee fulfilled on earth before that day SECT XX. § 1 THe eleventh place in Isaiah is Chap. 49. wholly But I shall need to touch only upon three or four places of the Chapter which will give light to all the rest In generall the chapter is of the bringing in of Jews and Gentiles into the Church The Jews are here named by the generall termes that comprehend at least the ten Tribes if not the whole twelve viz. by the names of Israel ver 3 5 6 7. and of Jacob ver 5. and of the Tribes of Jacob v. 6. and the preserved of Israel ibid. In way of distinction from whom the two Tribes are called Zion v. 14. So that all the twelve Tribes that came of Jacob are intended in this Chapter in the close whereof as a seal the Lord stiles himself Their Saviour their Redeemer the Mighty one of JACOB The Gentiles likewise are expressely named in v. 6. viz I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest bee my salvation unto the ends of the earth quoted by the Apostle Act. 13.47 to prove the propagation of the Gospel for salvation to the Gentiles The concurrence of both Jews and Gentiles in coming in to Christ is expressed to the life ver 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring THY sons in their armes and thy daughters shall be carryed upon THEIR shoulders and KINGS shall be thy nursing Fathers and THEIR Queens shall be THY nursing Mothers c. Adde that the engagement of God that thus hee will call home both Jews and Gentiles v. 13.15 19 18 26. is great Sing O Heavens and be joyfull O Earth and break forth into singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his people and WILL have mercy on his afflicted Can a woman forget her sucking child that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb c. Yet VVILL NOT I FORGET THEE Behold I have GRAVEN THEE upon the palmes of mine hands As I LIVE saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloathe thee with them all that oppose thee as with an ornament c. And ALL FLESH shall know that I the Lord am the Mighty one of Jacob. § 2 These being premised let us but only put the question upon some Verses whether ever they were yet fully fulfilled and that will be sufficient to ingenuous reason to confesse they must yet be fulfilled and that on earth § 3 VVhen was the seventeenth verse ever fulfilled viz. Thy children shall make hasle thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe out of thee VVe read no such thing at their return from Babylon but that there were the crew of Sanballat Tobiah c. that opposed them Anon Alexander the Great the Grecian Monarch enters Jerusalem After him Antiochus Epiphanes alias Epimanes King of Syria wasteth it After these the Romans conquer it And now the Turks ever since possesse it § 4 And when ever yet was the nineteenth verse fulfilled viz. Thy waste and desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away Surely since the carrying away captive of the ten Tribes the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah were never full of their owne Inhabitants We never read that ever the Assyrians Babylonians Cutheans c. which the King of Assyria sent into the Kingdome of Israel 2 Kings 17.24 were sent for home againe Nor that ever those CALDEANS that were sent to governe Judea intimated in 2 King 25. were recalled And for after times as we have hinted afore when the Greek went out the Syrian came in when the Syrian went out the Roman came in when the Roman went the Turke came in and there he is to this day These expulsing one another there hath been a constant succession of them that swallowed up the twelve Tribes Their wasters and destroyers have been changed but have not been sent forth far away from Israel and Judah § 5 Againe did the Gentiles and Peoples ever yet as v. 22. bring the sonnes and daughters of the Jewes in their armes and upon their shoulders If we should wave the litterall sense of setling the Jews in their owne Land and condescend to a spirituall sense of the generality of the Gentiles compliance with the generality of the Jewes in matters of Religion and union into the universall Church wee cannot tell when ever this was done to this day § 6 Nor can we say that ever the Kings of the Gentiles as it is v. 23. and their Queens have been nursing fathers and mothers to the Jewes and bowing downe to them Alas poore Jewes they have ever since the beginning of the Grecian Monarchy long before Christ downe to this very day been under the awing power of the Gentiles and mostly used hardly and in most places of the world instead of reverence have been and are much villified Therefore John in Revelation tels us that this is yet to come and to be fulfilled upon earth afore the ultimate day of judgement as the circumstances of things and the phrases of the Prophesie necessarily require Rev. 21. v. 24.26 And the Kings of the EARTH doe bring their glory and honour into New Jerusalem And they shall bring the glory and honour of the NATIONS into it And yet so as there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. § 7 Wee are likewise utterly to seek when ever yet the 25. and 26. verses were fulfilled viz. The captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy children and will feed them that oppresse thee with their owne flesh and they shall be drunken with their owne blood Wee know not of any such thing since the captivity of the Jewes in Babylon in all Histories divine and humane that thus the Jewes were saved by such destruction of their enemies The Jews indeed soon after their captivity made some attempts 2 King 25. v. 25. After that they made some attempts in 1 Book of Macchab And after that they made severall attempts in the time of Titus and Adrian Roman Emperours And since that the Turk hath dominered over them the Kings of the Gentiles especially of England have made some attempts of warre on their enemies managed by the stocke counsell and aide of severall religious orders for that end as of the Templars Knights of the Rhodes or of John of Jerusalem and of the Knights of Malta alias Melita But all these attempts have not amounted to Isaiahs phrase
to a full saving of the Jews by the destruction of their enemies destroying their flesh and pouring out of their blood But in all these attempts in the end the Jewes party had the worst even as Israel and Juda are still dispersed and those in Judea are still under the power of their enemy the Turk Therefore these things are yet to be fulfilled viz. at the fall of Antichrist Rev. 16.5.6 and Rev. 19. v. 19.20 21. Thou art righteous O Lord c. because thou hast judged thus For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drinke And the Kings of the earth and their armies were gathered together to make warre against him that sate on the white horse and against his army and the beast was taken and with him the false Prophet and cast into the lake of fire c. and the rest were slaine with the sword c. SECT XXI THe twelfth place in Isaiah is in Chapter 54. v. 11. c. to the end of the Chapter Verse 11. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires 12 And will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall bee the peace of thy children 14 In righteousnesse shalt thou bee established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not seare and from terrour for it shall not come neer thee 15 Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake 16 Behold I have created the Smith that bringeth forth an instrument and I have created the waster to destroy 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement shalt thou condemne This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. § 1 If wee keep all these together in their twisted dependance here set downe and in their joynt relation and intent to the glorious estate of Jews and Gentiles conjunctively as is intimated v. 3. c. Thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles c. when were these ever fulfilled unto Christ and the Apostles dayes And therefore they doe cleerly carry downe these things far beyond the age wherein they lived upon earth Saint John prophesies that v. 11 12. of laying the Churches foundations with precious stones that it shall bee fulfilled at the great restauration of the Church yet after one thousand six hundred fifty and two to be fulfilled Rev. 21. v. 18. c. The building of the wall or New Jerusalem is of a Jasper and the City pure gold the first foundation a Jasper the second a Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerald c. proportionably all the twelve foundations So Christ carries downe that in the former part of the 13. verse All thy children shall be taught of God beyond his time unto after times Joh. 6.44 45. That whereas the Jews then murmured against him yet the time should come that they should be ALL TAUGHT OF GOD quoting this of Isaiah Which must the rather relate to future times after Christs time in regard of that annexed in that 13. verse of the 54 of Isaiah so closely as that with the former it makes but one period viz. ALL THY CHILDREN shall be taught of God And GREAT shall be THE PEACE OF THY CHILDREN which being not fulfilled unto Johns time he refers it to the time of the glorious state of New Jerusalem on earth Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine c. so that the time must come that the Jews must not have onely pure inward peace being taught of God but GREAT outward peace also which is further confirmed by that which follows in the next verses viz. v. 14 15 16 17 of this 54 of Isaiah That in righteousnesse they shall be established and they shall be far from oppression and from feare and from terrour that all opposing them shall fall and no weapon shall prosper against them c. as you have it above written before your eyes in the first Paragraph of this one and twentieth Section which Peter 2 Pet. 3. and John in Rev. Chap. 21. apply as things not fulfilled to their time unto the glorious state of the New earth that therein shall dwell righteousnesse and no uncleannesse or abomination shall enter but all tears sorrow paine crying shall be removed as we have oft repeated afore All which wee cannot but expect yet to come being never yet fulfilled but the contrary alwayes extant and to be fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgement there being nor time nor place for foundations windows precious stones teachings from God c. as above described SECT XXII THe thirteenth place in Isaiah is Chapter 59. Verse 19 20 21. When the enemy viz of the Jewes shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him and the Redeemer shall come to Zion or out of Zion as the Apostle renders it Rom. 11.26 For if the deliverer come out of Zion hee comes first to Zion the preposition 7 having great variety of significations as in at according to or for the sake c. And unto them that turne from transgression in Jacob or as the Apostle renders it Rom. 11.26 shall turne away transgression from Jacoh * The Hebâ is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which may for ought I know beare to be rendred To the end to turn men from For ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with the infinitive mood is in value a future And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the root sometimes is used transively to turne a thing away or to turn it from viz. a termino a quo ad terminum ad quem Schindl or to convert from Pagn And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is oft paragogicall and sometimes put for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the Masora gives instances Surely the Apostle would not pervert the Text nor could he erre The Chaldee renders it neer as the Apostle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã To convert the transgressors of the house of Jacob. The Septuagint likewise of the best Edition in Bib. complut in Bib. Reg. Gallicanis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Arab. likewise There shall come a Redeemer for Zion who shall turne away wickednesse from Jacob. As for mee this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed c. from henceforth and for ever § 1 The Prophet having in the next verses before shewed how God would recompence the enemies of the Jews according to their deeds hee presently follows
glory to shew favour to you if we have not done well in casting you out yet the Lord should appear to their joy that had been so hated and cast out for his name sake and those their false brethren should bee ashamed § 2 In the seven and eight verses most evidently the Prophet setteth forth the manner of the conversion of the Jews I say conversion their settlement will cost longer time as it seems Dan. 12. the three last verses viz. their conversion shall bee as the birth of a child before the mother is in pain as the birth of a Nation at once which well may bee being to bee done by the appearance of Christ in the Clouds § 3 In the 10. and 11. verses All Nations must rejoyce with Jerusalem because they shall suck the breasts of her consolations that is share in her comforts ## § 4 In the twelfth verse The Lord will extend peace to Jerusalem like a River and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream See a glorious conjunction of Jews and Gentiles § 5 In the 13 and 14 15 16. verses is set forth the sensible comforts of the Church and the corporall destruction of their enemies As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem and when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants and his indignation towards his enemies For behold the Lord will come with fire c. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Illustrated vers 24. They shall go forth and look upon the carkasses that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not dye nor their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Which in the generall to bee taken literally is confessed both by Jews and Christians Consult our new Annotationists upon the place See Sect. 41. § 5. ¶ 2. § 6 In the 18 19 20 and 21. verses is held forth to us the congregating of all Nations both Jews and Gentiles into union of true religious worship and beholding of the glory of God and that as the Jewish Doctors expound it in his destruction of the enemies of the Church in the dayes of the Messias In the 22. verse we have the height and length of this glorious estate of the universall Church of Jews and Gentiles on earth It is no lower then a state of a new Heaven and a new Earth And it is to be perpetuated It is to remain unalterable continue say our new Annotationists for ever § 7 Now these things were never yet fulfilled according to the phrases and circumstances of the place as to the Gentiles nor in the substance as to the Jews who remaine totally unconverted to Christ and are dispersed and despised to our sorrow throughout the world But God must be true therefore these must be fulfilled and on earth before the ultimate judgement as every verse doth hint unto us And therefore St. John in the Revelation Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 and Chapter 21. doth apply these in a way of Prophesie to the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come at the fall of Antichrist I shal give you them in summe and short because I have before so often made particular applications of them Babylon the great is fallen is fallen How much she hath glorified her selfe so much sorrow and torment shall be given her Her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And after these things I heard a great voyce of much people c. saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are thy judgementss for he hath judged the great Whore that hath corrupted the earth and hath avenged the blood of his Saints And again they said Allelujah And the foure and twenty Elders said Amen Allelujah And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth And the beast and the false Prophet were taken and cast into the lake fire And the rest were slain with the sword But the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand yeers in the new Heavens and new Earth to whom the Kings of the earth and Nations of the world bring their honour § 8 Now let him that readeth understand and consider whether he were best to beleeve his owne phantasie or the opinions of men rather then St. Johns series and system of Visions and Prophesies so aptly in phrase and matter expounding the Prophet Isaiah of a future glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Thus of the Prophet Isaiah SECT XXVII NExt we come to the Prophet Jeremiah The first place for our purpose is in Chapter 16. verse 14 15. compared with Chapter 23. verse 3. c. to verse 9. The words of that in Chapter 16. verse 14 15. are Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that it shall be no more said The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the children of ISRAEL from the LAND OF THE NORTH and from ALL THE LANDS whither he had DRIVEN THEM and I will bring them againe into THEIR LAND that I gave unto their Fathers § 1 The Prophet calling these of whom he speaks by the name of Israel and in relation to their returne out of the Land of the NORTH and out of All Lands whither they had been driven must needs comprehend as well the ten Tribes as the two And the more cleerly to hint to us that his meaning is not onely of a reduction of them to their own Land but of their conversion unto their God and this not at a petty call of a few of them but at the great call of the generality of them all he subjoyns the bringing in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles verse 19. The Gentiles shall come unto the Lord from the ends of the earth and shall say surely our Fathers have inherited lyes c. At which time of the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles as their coming from the ends of the earth fully expresseth All Israel saith the Apostle Rom. 11.25 26. shall be saved § 2 Now let us parallel this with that in the 23. Chapter verse 3 4 5 6 7 8. wherein wee have the same expressions with further illustrations and explanations to confirme the same The words of the Prophet there are verse 3. I will gather the remnant of my flock out of ALL Countries whither I have driven them and will bring
which at the ultimate day of judgement cannot be imaginable and therefore are yet to be fulfilled before that day SECT XXX THE fourth place in Jeremiah is in Chapter 50. the foure last verses viz. v. 17 18 19 20. The words are these Verse 17. ISRAEL is a scattered sheep the Lions have driven him away first the KING of ASSYRIA hath devoured him and last this NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of BABYLON hath broken his bones v. 18. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of ISRAEL Behold I will punish the King of BABYLON and his land as I have punished the King of ASSYRIA v. 19. And I will bring ISRAEL again to his HABITATION and he shall feed on CARMEL and BASHAN and his soul shall be satisfied on mount EPHRAIM and GILEAD § 1 That this Prophesie is not yet fulfilled nor can it be fulfilled at the ultimate day of judgement and therefore to bee fulfilled on earth afore that day note first that he dittie is of ISRAEL which must at least comprehend the ten Tribes which appears not onely in styling God here in relation to this the God of ISRAEL but by severall passages after that all the twelve Tribes are here meant Now the deliverance of the ten Tribes was never yet performed to this day § 2 Secondly the deliverance must be in a hostile way viz. by the destruction of their enemies namely of Kings and Kingdomes expressed v. 18. in relation to which God is called the Lord of Hosts But as yet the Kings and Kingdoms who in a constant succession down to this day have been the enemies of the Jews are not destroyed § 3 Thirdly that God promiseth to come downe in a methodicall order to punish their enemies successively in time and place as successively as they afflicted the twelve Tribes First the King of Assyria had devoured Israel which can be no other then Salmaneser his taking Samaria c. captive 2 King 18.9 which Samaria was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes And this is the King of Assyria's devouring Israel Nineveh being the Metropolis of that Kingdome whiles called the Kingdome of Assyria 2 King 19.36 Then secondly Nebuchadnezzar alias Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon came up against Jerusalem the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the two Tribes and took it and carried away all the considerable persons of that Kingdome and all their substance of any value captive to Babylon 2 King 25.1 c. And this was the King of Babylon his breaking of their bones called the King of Babylon because Babylon then was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of Chaldea the Chaldeans then ruling over the Assyrians And therefore the Monarchy was afterwards called the Assyrio-chaldean Now as God hath punished some of their enemies heretofore viz. Nineveh of Assyria according to the Prophet Nahum And Sennacherib their King and his Host 2 King 19. So he must according to his promise descend in order with destruction in an hostile manner upon Babylon and upon the Kings of Babylon whatsoever and whosoever that Babylon and those Kings be in the Scripture name and notion and extended in the promises of the New Testament And therefore as God did punish Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon with turning him as it were into a beast for certaine yeers Dan. 4. And after hee punished Belshazzar King of Babylon and that City by Darius the Mede invading it Dan. 5. and Darius the Mede then King of Babylon by Alexander the Greek and Alexanders successours then King of Babylon by the Roman and the Roman Emperour then King of Babylon both old and new that is Babylon and Rome by the Arabian Saracen or Turk the now King of old Babylon Dan. 7. so according to the explication and application in the New Testament of this promise made in this Text in the Old God must yet goe on corporally to destroy the Turk the present King of old Babylon and the Roman that once was the Tyrant of Old Babylon and after that continued to be the Tyrant of New Babylon viz. Rome first by Heathen Tyranny and after by Papal and Antichristian Tyranny down to this day acording to Prophesies in Dan. 7. and this must bee done by the power of Christ and his Church ibid. and Dan. 2. Now neither the Turkish King of Babylon nor his Kingdome is yet destroyed but rather mightily prospers and prevailes yea and God is behinde in arrears of judgements with New Romish Babylon for her heathenish ten bloody persecutions extending by intervals about three hundred yeers and hath not given her her present pay for her late Papal and Antichristian massacres inquisitions tortures and blasphemies as to the matter of destroying the supream power and the Kingdome of this Babylon according to the amplification of Revelation 17 18 and 19 Chapters § 4 Note fourthly that the successive punishing the enemies of the Jews in succeeding generations following this Prophesie must so succeed as to have this successe that ISRAEL and JUDAH may be delivered from their dispersion and restored to their own land and distinctly to their severall quarters there viz. Carmel Bashan Ephraim and Gilead One Carmel was a City of the Tribe of Judah some twelve miles from Jerusalem Southward Another Carmel was of the Tribe of Issachar about threescore and foure miles from Jerusalem Northward not farre from Prolemais toward the shore of the Mediterranean Sea Josh 19. Jer. 46. Bashan before the Israelites came up from Egypt to Canaan was of the Country of Og but after became part of the portion of the half Tribe of Manasseh Numb 21. Isa 2.13 Mount Ephraim is between Jericho and Jerusalem extending towards the Sea It was the portion of the sonnes of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh Josh 13. and 17. And as one halfe of the Tribe of Manasseh stuck to Judah so Ephraim is an usuall expression to signifie the Kingdome of the ten Tribes or Israel Isa 7. Isa 9. Hos 5. Psal 59. Gilead was a Country that lay between the sea of Galilee and mount Gilead some sixty miles from Jerusalem It separates the Country of Galilee from Israel By this description of the scituation and owners of these places it evidently appeares that Gods minde in this Prophesie of Jeremy is that not onely the two Tribes but also the other ten and so all twelve are to be restored to their own land though it cost the ruine of all Kings of all Babylons whatsoever But this is not yet fulfilled as the present and long time past condition of those twelve Tribes sadly speak § 5 Therefore as sure as God is true these Prophesies of Jeremiah must be yet fulfilled on earth And that before the ultimate day of judgement as we said before the nature of the things necessarily requiring it Thus of Jeremiah SECT XXXI NExt wee come to the Prophet Ezekiel The first place is in Chapter 28. v. 24 25 26. Vers 24. There shall be NO MORE a pricking briar unto the house of ISRAEL
nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about them that despised them and they shall know that I am the Lord. v. 25. Thus saith the Lord God when I shall have gathered the HOUSE of ISRAEL from the people among whom they are scattered and shall be sanctified in them in the SIGHT OF THE HEATHEN then shall they dwell in their LAND that I have given my servant JACOB v. 26. And they shall dwell SAFELY therein and shall build houses and plant vineyards yea they shall dwell with CONFIDENCE when I have executed judgements upon ALL those that despise them round about them and they shall know that I am the Lord their God § 1 Take notice that God pawnes his manifestation of himselfe to be the Lord God and to be their God twice repeated that this prophesie shall be fulfilled § 2 And fulfilled to the ten Tribes as well as to the two as appears by the severall expressions of Jacob of Israel and the house of Israel twice expressed § 3 The pricking briar and grieving thorne are exprest above to bee the adversaries of the Jews whereof some are named viz. Tyrus verse 1. c. to verse 20. Sydon verse 20 c. to 24. Both there threatned with ruine for being adversaries to the Jews Others are but intimated as verse 24. Nor any grieving thorn of ALL THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT THEM THAT DESPISED THEM § 4 Now mark the matter of the Prophesie viz. First Those adversaries must be destroyed or removed for the bringing of Israel and Jacob into their own land there to dwel SAFELY and with CONFIDECNE Secondly they must be gathered from all places where they have been scattered 3 They must be free from ANY pricking briar or grieving thorne And fourthly they must there dwell in their own land with full liberty as of their Politie to injoy their buildings and plantations so of their Piety to exercise the true spirituall worship of God as to sanctifie God or magnifie him and that fifthly in the sight of all the Heathen Now let the wisest men on earth that know History and take notice of the present state of all the twelve Tribes shew us whether ever this Prophesie was yet fulfilled to them And if not whether it be possible these things should be performed at the ultimate day of judgement And if not whether we have not just cause to beleeve as God is true that these things shall be yet fulfilled upon earth before that day SECT XXXIII § 1 THe second place in Ezekiel is Chapter 34. v. 11 c. to the end of the Chapter Verse 11. Thus saith the Lord I will searth my sheep and seek them out v. 12 illustrated by a comparison from a shepherd seeking his scattered sheep v. 13. God wil bring ISRAEL for that is the name used all along this Chapter from the Countries where they are scattered to their own land to feed them on the mountaines of ISRAEL v. 14 It is amplified that upon the Mountains of Israel shall be their FOULD v. 15. It is further illustrated in prosecution of the same Allegory I wil seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and bind up that which was broken and strengthen that which was sick And I wil destroy the fat and the strong and feed them with judgement i.e. as it is in verse 17. The wicked Rams and Hee-goats And why because verse 18. they eat up the good pasture and tread down the rest and drink of the deep waters and puddle the rest And verse 19. saith the Lord My flock eat that which ye have trodden with your feet and drinke that which you have fouled with your feet Therefore thus saith the Lord verse 20 21 22. I wil judge between the fat and the lean because ye have thrust with side and shoulder and pushed all the diseased with your horns till you have scattered them abroad therefore will I save my flock and they shall be NO MORE A PREY In the 23. and 24. is set down the manner and means of that saving them viz. And I will set up ONE shepherd over them and HE shall feed them even my servant DAVID he shall feed them And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a PRINCE * Heb. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã among them or as the Chalde renders it ** Chalde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a KING In verse 25 26 27 28 29. is held forth the manifestation or confirmation and the measure of this deliverance And I will make with them a COVENANT of peace and I will cause the EVILL BEASTS TO CEASE out of the land And they shall dwell SAFELY in the WILDERNESSE and sleep in the Woods And I wil make them and the places round about my Hill a blessing c. And the trees of the field shall yeeld her fruit c. And they shall be SAFE in the land and they shal know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoak c. And they shall be No MORE a PREY to the heathen c. But they shall dwell safely and NONE shal make them AFRAID And I wil raise up for them a PLANT of renown and they shal be no more consumed with hunger in the land neither bear the shame of the Heathen ANY MORE § 2 Now that yee see so plainly before your eyes the height depth length and breadth of these Prophesies that they are to Israel without limitation over whom Christ the Sonne of David must bee Prince or King and their happinesse here prophesied must bee on earth in their own land with blessings sutable thereunto yet not without God in Covenant with them and they must be delivered from all sorts of evill for ever What need I multiply words to the intelligent Reader to prompt him that these were never yet fulfilled Let him but read distinctly the places afore quoted and keep those things together which the Prophet hath laid together and withall remember what the state of the Jews and Israelites hath been ever since both their captivities down to this day as we have before often and largely set forth and then his own reason will convince him that neither these things have yet been fulfilled nor can they finde room to be fulfilled at the ultimate day of judgement and that therefore the truth of God still lyes ingaged to perform them afore that day SECT XXXIII THe third place in Ezekiel is Chapter 36. the whole Chapter especially verse 9. c. to 37. * So long since at least as afore Jeroms time this Chapter also hath been alleadged for the glorious state of the Church in the time of the thousand yeers not onely by the Jewes but by the learned Christians so Jerome confesseth in these words Haec illi Judaei expectant in mille annorum Regno quando civitatem Hierusalem asserunt extruendam Templum quod in fine hujus voluminis lescribitur
duration saith Mr. Archer that it shall last for ever shewes that it is meant of Christs Kingdome We people saith he shall swallow it up as they have done all other Monarchies The Babylonian was left to the Medes and Persians and this to the Grecians and the Grecian to the Romans But this shall be left to none but shall be for ever Dan. 2.44 that is to the worlds end But the Kingdome at the Worlds end shall be Christs for at the last end of all he gives it up to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 Therefore till then and at that time when ALL ENDS he hath the Kingdom Christs SPIRITUALL Kingdome and his PROVIDENTIALL were before this time Therefore that which is to begin when these Monarchies end must be Christs Monarchy wherefore from this prophesie we learne that Christ shall have a MONARCHICALL STATE ON EARTH and a VISIBLE KINGDOME as other Monarches had swallowing up or causing to vanish all other Monarchies as the latter Monarchies did the former Thus Mr. Archer to whom in the bulk and sum with the explanation afore I assent § 10 By this you have seen some of my good company in this point consenting with me upon the strong reasons they have produced how deduceable our position in the main is out of this Chapter I shall not need to adde any thing by way of argument but only a few words for further explanation of this prophesie ¶ 1. Note how aptly and appositely this fift Monarchy this Monarchy of Christ that is Christ the Monarch and the Christian Church the Saints his Monarchy is compared unto a Stone cut out of the Mountaine c. We know that Christ is often called or typified by a rocke or Stone Matth. 16.18 1 Cor. 10.4 quoted out of Moses Numb 20.8 And the Church is compared to an house built on or in a rocke Matth. 7. Matth. 16. and Zech. 3.7 seven eyes upon one stone is saith Junius the Church built on Christ ¶ 2. Some stone as the Adamant that cannot be filed is harder then iron and an huge stone of any sort falling from a Mountaine will breake the iron that is under it much more the iron that is mixed with clay So Christ and his Church shall make up a Monarchy that shall be too hard and weighty for the fourth the Roman Empire or Monarchy that brake the rest to beare Matth. 21.42 44. Did yee never read in the Scriptures The STONE which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner whosoever shall fall on this STONE Christ shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall FALL it will grind him to powder Zech. 12.3 And in that day I will make Jerusalem a BURDENSOME STONE for all peoples all that burthen themselves with it shall be CUT IN PEECES though all the people of the earth bee gathered together against it ¶ 3. T is said the Stone was CUT out of the mountaine WITHOUT HANDS but withall it is said It SMOTE as a STONE against the Image and as a STONE it brake the MATTER of the Iron and Clay Whence I cannot conceive otherwise but though Christ the Monarch was conceived without man by the Holy Ghost c. and his Church his Monarchy both Jewes and Gentiles is and shall be effectually called and regenerated by the same holy Spirit without humane help yet Christ and his Church shall by a visible hand of power dash in peeces the fourth Monarchy the Roman Pope and his Armies Territories and Powers and the Turke and his which sprang out of the Roman as is afore demonstrated I say shall dash it in peeces by a visible hand of power Dan. 12. Rev. 16. Rev. 19. ¶ 4. The meaning of the continuance of this Monarchy of Christ for ever doth not signifie as if it should never have any end as if Christ should never lay downe all his power of regiment for the contrary is expresse in 1 Cor. 15.24.28 but the meaning is this 1. That it shall never be DESTROYED verse 44. of this second of Daniel that is it shall not end with a devastation and desolation as the former Monarchies did 2. It shall not be LEFT TO OTHER PEOPLE ibid. ver 44. that is other people shall never succeed the Saints or Church of Christ to possesse this fift Monarchy as another people successively succeeded and possessed the other Monarchies by turnes the Medes and Persians took the Assyrio-Chaldean and so down-ward 3. That it shall STAND FOR EVER that is as is explained in that same 44. verse this shall continue when the other Monarchies shall be broken to peeces 4. That the end of this Monarchy of Christ so farre as it may have an end is onely formally of the power or mode of government by Christ he resigning his power to God himselfe 1 Cor. 15.24 28. not materially for the Saints shall continue for ever eternally happy under the wing of the beatificall vision of God himselfe ¶ 5. This visible Kingdome or Monarchy of Christ is to follow the rest in an immediate order and succession of naturall time and in the same physicall place of or upon the Earth as when and where the former having existed their terme were exterminated For if this Monarchy of Christ succeeded onely in eternity in the Empyrean highest Heaven It can bee said no more to succeed the said foure Monarchies as Daniel would by all meanes have it then it succeeded any other Empire or Kingdome on Earth especially those that were contemporary with these foure aforesaid Monarchies yet not subject to them as some such there were all the time of their duration * This last clause of some Kingdome extant in the time of the four Monarchies yet no subject to them is also asserted by Mr. Mede and t is confirmed by Hist and exper SECT XXXVI THE next place in Daniel for our Thesis is in chapter the seventh throughout From whence saith Mr. Mede â Viâe Mr. Mede Diatrib par 4. p. 420. as from the mother Text of Scripture the CHURCH OF THE JEWS grounded the name and expected the great Day of Judgement ** What he means by the great Day of Judgement see by and by at the 2 â with the circumstances thereof and whereunto almost all the descriptions and expressions thereof in the New Testament have reference For in the Vision of this seventh of Daniel we have a SESSION OF JUDGEMENT when the fourth BEAST CAME to be DESTROYED Where we see the great ASSISES represented after the manner of the great SYNEDRION or CONSISTORIE OF ISRAEL Wherein the PATER JUDICII the Father of the Judicatory had his ASSESSORES his Assistants or Assessors sitting upon seates semi-circle-wise before him from his right hand to his left I BEHELD saith DANIEL verse 9. TILL THE THRONES OR SEATS WERE PITCHED DOWN * Vulg lat Donec Throni positi sunt LXX and Theodot ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Chal. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fic ãâã
And that in Luk. 19. vers 11. c. to 15. He spake a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appeare c. And that in Luk. 21. ver 31. When you see these things come to passe know that the Kingdom of God is at hand See what went afore viz. The Sonne of Mans coming in a cloud with power and great glory borrowed from Daniel And that in 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom must signifie the same Kingdome that Daniel saw should be at the destruction of Antichrist and consequently the Kingdome of a thousand years which the Apocalyps includes between the beginning and the consummation of the great Judgement By these we may understand the rest Taking this for a sure ground That this expression of the Sonne of Mans coming in the cloudes of Heaven so often inculcated in the New Testament is taken from and hath referrence to the prophesie of Daniel being no where else found in the Old Testament As our Saviour also cals himselfe so frequently The Son of Man because Daniel so called him in that Vision of the great Judgement and that we might look for the accomplishment of what is there prophesied of in him It was not in vaine that when our Saviour quoted the prophesie of Daniel hee added He that readeth let him understand * Matth. 24. ver 15. Certainly the great Mystery of Christ is cheifly and most distinctly revealed in that Booke § 1 Thus out of my great respect to Mr. Medes learning having given him the precedency to speak first I shall limp after and stammer forth my own Notions such as they are § 2 In the second verse out of the strivings of the blustering spirits of ## the inhabitants of the foure quarters of the World in a Sea of Warres there ariseth a succession of foure Monarchies each in his turn ruling the greatest part of the whole earth This order or series of the foure Monarchies began with Nimrod about the year of the world one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight and afore Christ two thousand one hundred and eighty three and hath continued to this day This succession order or series of the foure Monarchies the Prophet according to his vision sets forth in the third verse under the name and notion of foure Beasts Which he explaines in the seventeenth verse to signifie four Kings or Monarches that should arise out of the earth that is by earthly means domineer over the greatest part of the earth § 3 The first Beast ver 4. is like a Lyon that had Eagles wings wherewith he was wont to lift up himselfe from the earth till they were plucked and then he was made to stand upon his feet as a man resting upon the earth and a mans heart was given unto him By all which is meant the Babylonian Monarchy which was strong like a Lyon and had wings of celerity and victory becoming the Assyrio-Chaidean Monarchy whereby it was lifted up to an Imperiall eminency above the generality of all the earth Obadiah ver 4. Jer. chap. 4. ver 13. Those his wings are plucked by Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian and so made to stand as a man upon his feet that is was brought down to the common rank of men And hath a mans heart given unto him that is the spirit of an ordinary man an ordinary low boates peasants plebeian spirit not an Heroick and Imperiall § 4 The second Beast vers 5. is like a Beare that raised up it selfe on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth and they said thus unto it Arise and devoure much flesh By all which is meant the Persian Monarchy which was ravenously cruell like a Bear raising up one dominion induring no Mate or Corrivall but subdued first the Medes then the Babylonians uniting all into one Monarchy Between the teeth of his mouth of his desires and power demanding and snatching more dominion he hath the three ribs of the Easterne Westerne and Southerne parts of the world by conquest compare Dan. 8.4 He ariseth and eateth much flesh in his cruell slaughterings and spoilings in pursuance of his Victories § 5 The third Beast ver 6. is like a Leopard which had upon the back of it foure wings of a fowle and had also foure heads and dominion was given to it By which is signified the Grecian Monarchy which was like a Leopard in subtilty celerity and rapacity Jer. 5.6 Hab. 1.8 Dan. 8.5 The Subtilty appeared in the policy of Philip the Father and Alexander the Sonne in laying the plot for this Monarchy slyly occasioning a quarrell to fall out with the neighbour Nations And in the cunning of Alexander in battell that would alwayes fight his supernumerous Enemy in straites where his said enemy might not have roome to bring up more of his men in fight then Alexander on his part could display in battell The swift celerity appeared in that the Grecians under the said Alexander did so suddenly within about twelve years over-run the greatest part of the world as if this Conquerour had flowne upon wings of whom the proverb was He came he saw he overcame And is therefore described in Dan. 8. by an Hee-Goate which skips as if he touched not the ground The rapacity or ravenousnesse to devoure appeared especially against the Jewes the foure heads of this Leopard and their Successors exercising matchlesse cruelty against them and every where as naturally ravenous more tearing and destroying then taking prey For Alexander and the Empire under him being the Body his four Captaines that immediately succeeded him in the Empire were the foure Heads or Rulers Dan. 8.8 and 11.4 Cassander head of Macedonia Antigonus of Asia Seleucus of Syria and Ptolomy of Egypt all possessing Imperiall dignity at once By which this Monarchy became a Monster and monstrous in devouring § 6 The fourth Beast verse 7. is so variously monstrous and strangely different that no naturall Beast nor Name is found meet to describe him onely he is said to have ten hornes and iron teeth to devour and feet to stamp the residue of the beasts under it A strange beast different from all Beasts and all the Beasts but compounded as John shewes Rev. 13. of all foure By this description of Daniel is set forth the Roman Monarchy which according to Daniels words was dreadfull and terrible to all Nations being exceeding strong to annoy them all having such teeth of warre as Scipio Pompey Caesar c. iron victors That addition of nailes of brasse ver 19. signifies their Imperiall Senate and Provinciall Magistrates who held fast whatsoever the iron teeth conquered The ten Hornes are explained by Saint John Rev. 17. to be the character of the Roman Empire and to signifie the ten Kingdomes into which at last it
all but beleevers For which work of making the Iewes beleevers the ultimate day of judgement is no time as the Monarchies of the earth need not be removed that Iewes or Gentiles may be converted many thousands beleeving in the time of all four This corporall deliverance therefore of the Iewes besides their spirituall from captivity under the fourth Monarchy not having been yet fulfilled as we see before our eyes is yet to come before the ultimate day of Judgement Which conclusion is further confirmed in that this time of the Iewes deliverance is a time of the greatest troubles defining the qualitie and NATURE of those troubles in a way of analogy and proportion to former troubles of nations ver 1. though greater in degree and not in a way of samenesse or semblance to the destruction by the lake of five at the ultimate judgement Revel 20.14 15. At which time is not an increase of the troubles of them that are the Lords delivered but a putting a totall and finall end to all their troubles § 20 If any object that it may seeme this deliverance must be at the last judgement because of two passages in this chapter the first in the first verse They shall be delivered that are found written in the booke Secondly in the second and third verses Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Both which passages sound much of the last judgement that is to come The ful answers to which we have in a readinesse wil demonstrate that these passages do mightily confirm the contrary we cannot but confess that many learned and pious men in times of more darknesse when few had light or will to object against any thing that such men delivered that were orthodox in the generall did imagine this place of Scripture to intend the last judgement But that we must openly oppose that sence the reasons of our answers will justifie our innocency Which reasons in the generall do arise from the circumstances antecedent and subsequent that inviron those two passages Whence we thus argue ¶ 1. It is said at the opening of that booke MANY of them that sleep in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame c. But at the last judgement ALL shall rise Therefore this cannot be meant of the last judgement ¶ 2. It is said that at this said time spoken of by Daniel the godly called wise and converters of others shall awake though to life yet to great troubles in a time of trouble which is to continue from their awakening to the time of their blessednesse vers 11 12. forty five yeares So that this time shall be a great trying time vers 10. many thereby being tryed purified and made white the wicked on the contrary doing wickedly But the godly doe not rise at the last judgement to troubles or trialls Therefore this cannot signifie the time of the last judgement ¶ 3. The question is asked verse 6. How long shall it be to the end of these wonders Observe curiously How long shall it be to the END not how long to the BEGINNING And how long to the end of these WONDERS meaning by the relative those afore mentioned not how long to the end of the RESURRECTION But if the resurrection had been here meant it had been by far a more proper and usefull question to have inquired of the beginning of the resurrection then of its ending our welfare depending upon our sharing in the happy beginning of it which attained no matter how long it last there being no wearisomenesse in happinesse Therefore this Scripture doth not intend the Resurrection or last judgement ¶ 4. It is said vers 7. these things were to be finished when the Lord shall have accomplished to scatter the holy people But the accomplishing of the scattering of the holy people the Jewes which is by conversion of them and repossessing of them in their owne Country as the Prophets all along afore-quoted have fore-told is on all hands generally confessed to precede the resurrection and day of judgement Therefore the resurrection or last judgement is not here to be understood § 21 And therefore not to urge severall other arguments to the same purpose which might be pickt up out of the context the true meaning of the four first verses of this chapter must be to this effect And I am not left alone without the company of other pious learned men * Huet on Dan. Glimpse of Sions glory Parker in Vis and Proph. of Dan. ¶ 1. These times are said ver 1. to be troubleous times when Michael shall stand up to deliver his people the Jewes First Because the great warlike oppositions that the enemy shall then make against the corporall deliverance of them that awake at that time shall seeme but cold entertainment to new-converts For their arch-enemy the Turke is then in a great fury contending to hold his tyrannical Empire over them Secondly because of the length of these troubles from their first awakening to their quiet settling which will bee forty five years ver 11 12. So that by reason of both viz. the greatnesse and continuance of these troubles for so long many shall ver 2. fall off from that cause to which at first they were awakened and so they rise to their shame and contempt before men not as yet in hell torment ¶ 2. The book mentioned vers 1. in which all and onely they were written that should be delivered must be distinguished For there are divers bookes mentioned in Scripture both in the old and new Testament which cannot be the same book because in Rev. 20.12 there is mention of Bookes in the plurall And of another book ibid. Therfore as to our purpose we must at least distinguish of a two-fold Booke of Life First there is the book of God the Fathers eternall election Phil. 4.3 Help those women with Clement and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the BOOKE OF LIFE Now the writing in this booke is unchangeable 2 Tim. 2.19 Secondly There is the booke of life of the Lamb touching things in time viz. of externall vocation to an outward imbracing the Gospell and a subjection to the Scepter and Kingdome of Christ unto all appearance of holinesse Revel 21. ver 27. And there shall in no wise ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Go INTO it that is the holy City new Jerusalem as it is afore in that chapter called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã any thing that is any creature that maketh no difference between things holy and unholy but counts both as common and so defileth himselfe with things or actions impure or WORKETH or MAKETH or DOTH an ABOMINATION or a LIE but they which are written in
it is here prophesied that not onely some of the Kingdom of Judah who returned from the Babylonish captivity shall imbrace the faith of Christ thus becoming the sons of God Joh. 1.12 which began also to be fulfilled in the Apostles and seventy Disciples sent out to preach and in thousands of other faithfull people of the Jews of whom we read Act. 2. Act. 5 Act. 21. But moreover it is prophesied of the Kingdome of Israel so long continuing no people that the time shall come that they shall be enlightned also and come up or ascend to this high honor out of the Land wherein they have so long lain dead as it were for which Saint Paul calleth their conversion a resurrection from the dead and Ezekiel chap. 37. sets it forth by the reviving of dead bones And saith Dr. Mayer a little above this Here saith he it seemeth plainly prophesied that not onely Juda but also Israel even they of the Ten Tribes who were formerly divided from the Kingdom of Judah should return out of the Land whereunto they were carried and then be united under one King Christ Jesus never to be divided any more And about their uniting under him the Prophet speaketh so as that it cannot be understood ONELY OF SOME OF THE TEN TRIBES who lived mixt with Judah but of them that were never before after their division again mixed till the time here spoken of For it is said They shall gather themselves together intimating they lived at a distance all the time afore and appoint over them one head intimating that they did not so till now And therefore Saint Paul speaketh so confidently that there shall come a time of their conversion Rom. 11.25 applying hereunto Isai 59.20 speaking of the Redeemer coming to Zion and to Jacob as here both are comforted by the like promise So Doctor Mayer § 11 Now lay altogether and think if you can with any shew of reason that this Text hath been duly fulfilled according to the purport thereof to this very day since the first scattering of the Ten Tribes For when ever since that to this time was there such a multitude of Israel like the sands of the Sea c gathered from all the Earth and called the sons of the living God and they and Judah to put themselves under one Head and returning to their own countrey are setled in Christs visible Kingdom The Apostle Paul in his time tells us Rom. 11.25 That even to that very then that blindness in part was happened to Israel so that the conversion of the fulness of them was to his time still behinde As in Acts 13.46 28.25 we have instances § 12 It is true That the same Apostle Paul in the same Epistle to the Romans but two Chapters afore viz. Rom. 9. doth cite in Vers 25 26. this place of Hosea Chap. 1. v. 10 11. But to what effect and degree The Text and Context if we keep close to that will plainly shew us 1. The effect to which Paul alledgeth it is to shew us the riches of Gods glory on the vessels of mercy in them whom he calls not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles as he saith in Hosea and where it is evident let some Authors talk what they please that the Apostle in this ninth to the Romans mindes chiefly the call of the Jews Insomuch that he did suspect others least they should suspect him to mean onely the Jews For so the very phrase here Not ONELY of the Jews but ALSO of the Gentiles doth plainly shew As if the Apostle should say least any should think by my discourse that I mean onely the Jews take notice That I exclude not the Gentiles For most evidently his heart was carried out mainly in this Chapter towards the Jews as ye have it there before your eyes For Vers 1. he begins as passionately affected for the conversion of the Jews ready even to wish himself accursed for their salvation and so goes on minding them to Vers 16. yea never mentioning or hinting the Gentiles but twice in all the Chapter and that is Vers 24. 30. But concludes the Chapter touching the Jews And in the next Chapter viz. the tenth he is mainly upon the state of the Jews and again in the eleventh Chapter Adde to all That the Apostle prevents our drowning this multitude of Israel to be saved according to Hosea in our main comprehension of the Gentiles conversion in that presently to the quotation of Hosea he addes a citation or two out of the Prophet Isaiah that are even altogether concerning the Jews 2. For the degree of the present state of the call of the Jews When Paul in that ninth to the Romans quoted this place of Hosea it is most evident that the Apostle did not think that then when he quoted it that it was commensuratly fulfilled according to the comprehensiveness of the Prophets phrase For after he had said Vers 24. That God hath shewed the riches of his glory even on US whom he hath CALLED not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles he closeth up this ninth Chapter with a Naârative how ISRAEL had not attained to the Law of Righteousness because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law and begins the next Chapter viz. the tenth with this That his desire and prayer to God was that ISRAEL might be saved and closeth up that tenth Chapter with the complaint that God thitherto had stretched forth his hand to Israel a gain-saying People all the day long all in vain And the business of the next Chapter viz. the eleventh is Pauls prophesie that in aftertimes All ISRAEL shall be saved when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come Therefore most clearly Pauls minde in this quotation of Hosea in the ninth of the Romans was not that it was then fulfilled proportionably to the minde of the Prophet in the comparison of the sand of the Sea but onely some first-fruits of Israel were then brought in § 12 Besides let some strain this ninth to the Romans unto the vocation of the Gentiles what they can so as they tear not to peeces the main body of the Text that as Calvin and Paraeus note contains this vocation of the great number of the Jews and Gentiles to be not onely unto salvation but into union and then let them if they can even from thence declare unto me when ever yet was this Prophesie of Hosea justly fulfilled when did ever any eye behold any considerable number or incorporated body of Gentiles joyned in a Religious notion as under one Head Christ unto any numerous Body or Church of Jews For this the least that can be made according to their principle or nothing can be made of this Text and keep the Text entire SECT XXXIX WE shall consider onely one place more in Hosea and that is in Chapter 3. v. 4 5. For the children of ISRAEL shall
by David mentioned Isai 55. and Psal 16. is signified Christ Nor shall David return again till the Physical Corporal Resurrection of the Saints before which must precede the Metaphorical Resurrection that is the call of the Jews at least five and forty years afore as we have before proved upon Daniel chap. 12. So this returning of Israel here meant is not onely from captivity but from sin as is plain by that which follows They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Fear here as commonly throughout the Scriptures being put for all the inward graces and worship of God in the heart as to trust in him rejoyce in him love him c. and that for his goodness that is in through and for Christ who as he is called the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. And the Word of God Joh. 1. c. so he is the Goodness of God because God is not cannot in justice be communicative of his goodness unto the lapsed sons of Adam but in and through Christ Tit. 3.4 5 6. § 6 Which things being so they speak of themselves that they were never yet fulfilled according to the purport of the Text. For the generality of Israel and Judah too are to this day without a King without a Prince without a Priest without a Sacrifice that ceasing at least ever since three hundred sixty and six Nor have they instead of those Princes Priests and Sacrifices sought the Lord their God and David that is Christ their King to fear the Lord and his goodness as hath been afore expounded And for the last day of Judgement that is no time for Conversions of souls and reversions from captivity Therefore this prophesie in the main of it is yet to be fulfilled Thus of Hosea SECT XL. NExt we come to the Prophet Joel The first place in him is Chap. 2. v. 28 29 30 31 32 33. Verse 28. And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out my spirit upon ALL FLESH and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions Verse 29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit Verse 30. And I will shew wonders in Heaven and in Earth Blood and Fire and Pillars of smoak Verse 31. The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before that great and terrible day of the Lord come Verse 32. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the REMNANT WHOM THE LORD SHALL CALL § 1 Note first in general touching the ALL of this Text that though Saint Peter in Acts 2. doth truly apply part thereof to the wonderful effusion of the Spirit there yet is it not solely applicable to that nor is the intent and meaning of the whole or of any part thereof wholly fulfilled and terminated therein And that I may not be condemned of singularity herein let me tell you what others hint to the same effect though they will not speak out to my size That antient pious and most learned Oecolampadius Publick Reader of Divinity at Basil above an hundred years since saith upon Verse 28. ET ERIT ubi illa impleri coeperint ubi Christ us nimirum sanguine suo faedus nostrum confirmaverit ubi a mortu is resurrexerit i. e. The things onely BEGAN to be fulfilled presently after the resurrection of Christ c. And that learned and ingenuous Alapide upon the same Verse POST HAEC i. e. Post Christum doctorem ejusque mortem ascensum in coelum ego Deus effundam Spiritum Sanctum in Pentecoste ac DEINCEPS primo ecclesiae seculo visibiliter in Apostolos Christi discipulos SEQUENTIBUS vero SECULIS invisibiliter cundem effundam in OMNES c. That is God did promise to pour out his Spirit after the Ascension of Christ in the dayes of Pentecost and so afterwards on the first age of the Church visibly in the succeeding ages invisibly upon all So that both these confess upon this first clause That this effusion of the Spirit prophesied by our Prophet was not fully fulfilled in Acts 2. where the Apostles quotes it And for those other passages in Verse 30 c. I will shew wonders in Heaven and on Earth Calvin confesseth Prophetam comprehendere totum Christi Regnum ab initio usque ad finem c. That is The Prophet here comprehends the whole Kingdom of Christ from the beginning to the end thereof And this is usual enough And in other places of Scripture we have shewed that the Prophets commonly so speak or so speak in common When therefore they speak of the Kingdom of Christ sometimes they touch upon the beginning thereof sometimes also they speak of the end thereof But often within one graspe or comprehension they design the whole course race or process of Christs Kingdom from first to last And so the Prophet doth here Thus Calvin with much more to that purpose Alapide likewise on this thirtieth and one and thirtieth Verse deals very plainly and ingenuously with the Text and with us opposing those of his own Religion The Catholicks saith he think that these prodigious signs came to pass 1. At the Nativity of Christ when the star appeared to the wisemen and the Angels appeared to the Shepherds 2. At Christs passion when the Sun was eclipsed the Earth trembled the graves opened the beholders astonished 3. At Christs Resurrection in the appearance of the Angel astonishing the Soldier that kept the Sepulchre and comforted Mary Magdalen and her company 4. At the Pentecost in the cloven tongues of fire at which time the Spirit was poured out This Exposition saith Alapide is probable but incompleat Then indeed began these wonders but shall be compleated a little afore the day of Judgement as I shall declare by and by On the otherside Saint Jerom and Oecumenius saith Alapide hold That these prodigies were acted a little afore the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus But lastly and genuinly it is certain That here are handled the prodigious prognosticks that shall precede the day of judgement which appears from the beginning of the next Chapter Thus Alapide Adde one more Lyra saith Doctor Mayer averts that in this thirtieth Verse The Prophet passeth from the first coming of Christ to his second before which these signs shall be shewed Thus you see I am not singularly bold to assert that this Scripture was not totally and finally fulfilled in that story Acts 2. And Peter himself tacitly intimates as much in translating the Prophets ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã afterward by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In the last days which must not exclude One thousand six hundred and twenty years succeeding reckoning from Christs Ascension but to our time And our Prophet drops some passages which
of one thousand six hundred furlongs In which parallel of Iohn and Ioel you see how accurately Iohn extends that of Ioel to the ruine of the Antichristian enemy and the raising of the Christian Church consisting of Iews and Gentiles yet to come as it will easily appear to him that will carefully read this fourteenth Chapter of the Revelation ¶ 2. Compare this prophesie of Ioel touching the valley of Iehoshaphat and Gods judging there with Isa 66.24 Matth. 5.22 Rev. 16.16 It seems by that place of Isaiah that there shall be a slaughter of the enemy of the Church at his great fall in a more conspicuous place above others perhaps not the remotest from Ierusalem whither the Church made up of Jews and Gentiles shall to keep Isaiah his words go forth and look upn the carcases of the men that had transgressed against God for which they had been slain For saith Isaiah their worm shall not die neither shal their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhoring to all flesh Upon which words our new Annotations say well that apparent enough it is that the execution of Gods wrath on the wicked either on the Mountaines near unto Jerusalem as some of the Rabbins affirme or in the valley of Jehosaphat according to Joel 3. or in Tophet in the vale of Gehinnom Isa 30.33 Ierem. 7.31.33 is here described by a resemblance taken from dead bodies that after great slaughter made of them lie a long time above ground unburyed either as deemed unworthy to be at all interred or because in regard of the multitude of them it cannot suddenly be effected The WORM hath reference to such Vermine as is wont to breed in and feed on dead corpses on such carcasses especially as lie so long above ground until they rot and become as dung The FIRE to the burning of such bodies not sit now to be stirred or removed but to be consumed by fire in the place where they lie And because the putrifying carcasses long time crawle with worms and magots ere the flesh be consumed and it would be a long time of burning to consume the remainder with fire therefore it is said their worm never dyes and their fire is never quenched but a long time are an abhorring to all flesh viz. that shall behold them The Lord Christ as St. Matthew chap. 5.22 gives it us speaks of such a place of common execution of malefactors Whosoever shall say to his brother thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here as Broughton learnedly disputes doth not of it selfe signifie Hell And I adde that it cannot possibly signifie here an eternall punishment in the Hell of the damned for then it would follow from this Text that some sins are veniall and only some are mortall or damnable because our Saviour saith he that is ANGRY with his brother without a cause shall he in danger of the JUDGEMENT and whosoever shall say to his brother RACHA shall be in danger of the COUNCIL and he only that shall say THOU FOOLE shall be in danger of HELL FIRE But this distinction is crosse to all the Scripture and therefore eternall hell fire or the place of the damned cannot be here meant But to keep to the order and nature of the Greeke words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the Gehinnom of fire that is the valley of Hinnom or the valley of the son of Hinnom taking its name from the first possessor Of the name and situation of this place see Iosh 15.8 where it is described to be in the borders of the lot of the Tribe of Judah and therefore not far from Ierusalem even near the East-gate Ier. 19.2 And the sacred history tels us further in the 2 Kings 23.10 and 2 Chron. chap. 28. v. 3. and chap. 33. ver 6. Ier. 32.35 That in this valley of Hinnom was Tophet And that there they burnt their children in the fire as a sacrifice to the Idoll Moloch after the manner of the Heathens Tophet signifies a drum because they beat a drum to drown the noise of the cry of their children when they were cast into the fire And further in Ier. 7.33 we have it set forth as a place of the execution of Gods vengeances Behold the daies come saith the Lord that it shall be no more called TOPHET nor the VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM butthe VALLEY OF SLAUGHTER For they shall burie in Tophet till there be no place Rabby David Kimchi on Psal 27. v. 13. on these words The land of the living saith thus Even as the judgement of the wicked is called GEHENNA which was a valley near Jerusalem whereinto they did cast forth every uncleannesse and dead carkases and there the fire did perpetually burn them even into bones c. And unto this saith Beza will some have it that Christ alludes in that Matth. 5.22 afore quoted This name Geennua or Gehenna is a compound Hebrew word compounded of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gi which signifies a valley and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hinnom the name of the ancient possessor of the place as we touched afore and suitably as Tremelius notes and pronounceth the Syriacke writes and speakes it Gihanna Doubtlesse as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã JUDGEMENT signified a lesser civill punishment viz. that inflicted by the JUDGES and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the COUNCIL signified a greater viz. that which the SANHEDRIM or great Council inflicted so this Gehinnom of fire must signifie the greatest Not but that our Saviour by way of parallel may intend and leaves the learned Pharisees so to apply it that if men did thus gradually punish such faults according to their degrees how much more will the most righteous holy God But this by the way Our businesse now is to explain by way of parallel the meaning of this third of Ioel touching the corporall ruining of the Churches enemies more especially in some such eminent place as the valley of Iehosaphat yet to come For which purpose we must touch one place more afore quoted viz. Rev. 16.12 c. And the sixt Angel poured out his viall upon the great river Euphrates and the waters thereof were dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared And I saw three unclean spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which goe forth unto the KINGS OF THE EARTH and of he WHOLE WORLD to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty Behold I come as a theefe in the night c. And he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue ARMAGEDDON This touching the River Euphrates and the Kings of the Earth would be a little explained and then wee shall the better understand this Armageddon and the suitablenesse of it to our purpose The sixt
according to those prophesies ver 1 2. To what end Why now as he declares himselfe particularly to observe the time when this prophesie shall have an end that the day may dawn and the Day-star arise Which saith he ver 3 4 5.6 7. though some through wilfull ignorance sooffe at the promise of CHRISTS COMING yet be it a thousand years off and more all this to God is but as one day And when that time is come that day shall be a thousand years So that though it seem long to men yea so long to impenitent men as if he would never come yet he will be sure to come and that suddenly as a theife in the night and formidably to the wicked as in form of a day of Doom the Heavens passing away and the Elements melting and the works of the EARTH dissolving But not so to the Church not so is the state of the Church expressed with a keen antithesis NEVERTHELESSE q. d. notwithstanding those high words and huge deeds WE beleevers according to his PROMISE that divine ancient promise so particularly expressed Isa 65.17 18 19 20 c. look for new Heavens and a NEW EARTH wherein dwels righteousnesse Which cannot be the description of a state in the highest Heavens which were never worne old nor made of earth nor without the inhabitation of righteousnesse So that the result of Peters discourse is that that Sun of righteousness or Day-star shall rise and radiate at the time of the dissolution of the power of the wicked and the restitution of all things for the glory of the Church on earth Our oft touching upon this 2 Pet. 3. afore makes us speak so sparingly of it now ¶ 3. That coming of Elijah in the fift verse before this great day must signifie an Elijah yet to come either personally or personatedly For though Elijah is said to come in part personatedly in John Baptist representing him by the similitude of his zeale in doctrine and austerity of life Matth. 17.12 yet Elijahs coming is not totally nor mainly fulfilled to this day He must yet come again either as we said personally that is he himselfe individually in his owne person or else personatedly that is if I may so speake specifically represented by one of the like kind and degree of parts exactly like unto him viz. mighty in spirit and action to doe as aforesaid in this context to convert the heart of the Fathers to the children before that great day afore mentioned yet to come where he shall Matth. 17.11 RESTORE ALL THINGS That this truth may find the better entertainment in mens apprehensions I will for the most wave my obscure selfe and sentence herein and present it in the words of divers learned men wherein they urge their owne reasons for it ¶ 4. The Scribes of and among the Jewes the clerick Classis of them very learned men in their generations by office Expounders of the Law Ezra 7.6 9. Luk. 5.17 and 7.30 asserted after John Baptists death from this very Text of Malachie that Elijah was to come Mat. 17.10 From them grounding on that Text some of the twelve Disciples after Christ had chosen them and indowed them with wonderfull gifts Matth. 10.1 2. c. and had shewed them his transfiguration on the mount Mat. 17.1 2 c. to 9. take up the same Tenet as worthy of consideration touching the coming of Elijah and presseth it upon our Saviour in the same Mat. 17.10 the Lord Christ in answer to them first doth clearly acknowledge at that time a good while after John Baptists death * For John Baptist was beheaded An. 32. after Christs birth and Christs transfiguration was An. 33. Buchol Ad An. 32 33. That Elijah SHAL COME and asserts it with a TRULY as our Translators render it as indeed in sence so it is And then Christ addes that when hee comes he SHAL ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã restore all things Which makes one maine objection that John Baptists time on earth was not the ALL of Elijahs coming Besides Christ speaks of Elijahs coming so long after John Baptists death in the present tence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã commeth as intimating that he is still coming or yet to come So that as Christ comes twice once past another to come so with a proportionable decorum his Harbenger comes twice both times to usher in his Master The one is past in John Baptist the other is to come in him that is still called and expected by the name of Elijah as we shall see more by and by ¶ 5. Of the Christians likewise long since Christs ascension there are many men of fame for piety and learning both ancient and modern that doe not only assert but argue expressely or couchedly for the coming of Elijah yet to be fulfilled 1. Tertullian who flourished about the year one hundred and eighty after Christ in his Book concerning the Resurrection asserts â Quis inimicos Christi jam subjecit pedibus ejus secundum David Psal 110 Quis coelo descendentem Iesum talem conspexit qualem ascendentem Apostoli viderant Nulla ad hodiernum tri bus ad tribum pectora caeâiderunâ âgâoscentes qâeâ puâugerunt Nâmo adhuc EXCEPIT HELIAM Nemo aâhuc fugit Antichristum Nem adhuc Babylon âxituââ flevit Tertuâ lib Ve Resurâect â 22 Et âcce mutam âobis Heliom THESBITEN Sed ânim Metempsychosis illorum est revocatio animae jampridem morte functae in aliud corpus iteratae HELIAS autâm non ex decessione sed ex translatione venturus est nec corpori restituendus de quo non est exemptus sed mundo reddendus de quo est translatius non ex post liminio vitae sed exsupplemente prophetiae idem ipse sui nominis sui bominis Tertul. lib. de Anima Cap. 35. that Elijah after his time was to come by the same reason that his coming is a positively set down in Scripture to be a signe of Christs second coming as any other signes Some of his words are these who hath subjected Christs enemies under his feet according to David Psa 8. Psa 110. who hath seen Jesus so or such a one descending as the Apostles saw him ascending Act. I. II. There is no Tribe with Tribe to this day smiting their breasts acknowledging him whom they have pierced Zech. 12.10 c. Matth. 24.30 Rev. 1.7 No man hath yet RECEIVED ELIJAH Mal. 4.5 Mat. 17.11 No man yet hath fled from Antichrist Rev. 12.6 c. he means from the persecutions of Antichrist for he was not in his time risen to that power as to persecute nor till long after And saith Tertullian no man hath wept over the ruine of Babylon Rev. 18.9 c. He goes on in another place thus And behold I will send you Helias the THESBITE But indeed their Metempsychosis or transmeation of soules is the revocation of a soule that having long since finished the death of that
unto us certaine monstrous things faining them to have been revealed unto him by Angels that the Kingdome of Christ after the resurrection should become earthly that in Jerusalem our flesh again should serve concupiscence and the lust of the flesh And being wholly set to seduce as an enemy to the word of God he said there should be the term of a MILLENARIE feast allotted for marriage Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in his second Book after he had remembred the Revelation of Saint John received by tradition of OLD he reporteth of this man CERINTHUS thus CERINTHUS which founded the Cerinthian Heresie gave his figment a name for the further credit thereof His kind of Doctrine was this he dreamed the Kingdome of Christ should become earthly and set upon those things which he lusted after now being covered with his flesh and conpassed in his skinne that is the satisfying of the belly and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã eum quae sub ventre sunt with meat with drink with marriage And that he might the more colourably bring his devillish devices to passe he dedicated thereunto Holy-days Oblations and slaughter for Sacrifices So far Dionysius But IRENAEUS in his first Book against Heresies layeth down certain more detestable opinions of his And in his third booke he reporteth an history worthy the memory as received by tradition of Polycarp saying That John the Apostle on a certain time entred into a Bath to bathe himselfe and understanding that CERINTHUS was therein bathing himselfe John started aside and departed forth not abiding to tarry with him under the same roofe signifying the same to his company and saying let us speedily goe hence lest the Bath come to fall wherein CERINTHUS the enemy of the truth batheth himselfe Thus Irenaeus And thus you have heard at full Eusebius his report of the whole matter To prepare and make way for an answer whereunto let the Reader take notice that if Cerinthus did say that the Kingdome of Christ after the resurrection should become earthly yet we say not so though we affirme that the Church shall be resident on earth for a thousand years after the first resurrection as t is called Rev. 20. that is the resurrection of all beleevers as t is explained Rev. 11. For the true Church of beleevers hath been on earth from the creation to this day and yet as beleevers not earthly but the spirituall body of Christ The holy Angels and Christ Jesus have conversed on earth and yet they were not thereby earthly And if Cerinthus said That in Jerusalem our flesh againe should serve the concupiscence and lust of the flesh c. Yet our soules abhor any thought thereof But indeed Cerinthus for ought we can find by diligent search into the ancientest and most approved antiquity did not say any such thing nor did he meddle with our opinion at all in the particulars thereof And therefore wee have more cause to suspect Eusebius Gaius and Dionysius to be guilty of too light credulity then to accuse Cerinthus of that we cannot groundedly charge him withall We deny not Cerinthus to be an Heretick as the Ancients call him holding divers great impieties But we cannot beleeve Eusebius Gaius and Dionysius that he was guilty of those things they charge upon him in relation to our opinion To this purpose hear Mr. Medes * Opuscul Lat Ad rem Apoca spect par 2â p 55. answer An non hinc merito quis suspicari possit Gajum istum c. i. e. May not one justly hence suspect that same Gaius to have been one of the number of the heretical Alogi ** Alogi are according to the signification of the word men without the word or without reason And therefore by the Ancients oft called Brutes and charged with denying the word of God both the axiomatical in the etter and the substantiall viz Christ in the flesh which Alogi or Alogians denied saith Epiphanius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dei THE WORD OF GOD and therefore they ascribed to Cerinthus as well the Gospell of John as the Apocalyps The time doth altogether agree to that For Theodotus the Champion of the Alogian Standard was cast out of the Church by Pope Victor and Gaius flourished in the time of Zephirus who next succeeded Victorius Neverthelesse the words of Gaius â ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. loâ citat § 1. hujus Sect. 3. may bee taken in that sence as if he had said Cerinthus had feignedly fathered upon the great Apostle I know not what Apocalypses beside that one and onely Apocalypse out of which feigned Apocalypses that forging fellow endeavoured to prove that after the resurrection the Kingdome of Christ should be earthly wherein men should serve the lusts of the flesh and the inticements of carnall pleasures But what ever was the mind of Gaius it is very likely he was deceived concerning Cerinthus For if this had been the Heresie of Cerinthus how could it be that Justin Irenaeus Melito Tertullian and Hippolytus should be ignorant of it of whom Irenaeus and Tertullian have purposedly numbered up the Heresies of Cerinthus but of that heresie deep silence How therefore came it to be knowne to Gaius Neverthelesse it seems that the words of Gaius an obscure fellow gave occasion to Dionysius Alexandrinus Eusebius and many others in the heat of contention with the millenaries to doubt of the authority of the Apocalypse Thus Mr. Mede § 4 That which I have to adde or illustrate is this that the words of Gaius and Dionysius and the story of Eusebius alleadging them are not to bee weighed in this matter My reasons are ¶ 1. If Eusebius and Dionysius yea and Gaius himself doubted of the auâhenty of the Apocalyps in opposition to our opinion of the glorious state of the Church with a visible yet spiritual glory for a thousand years yet to come they must needs be mis-led thereunto by mistakes untruths and false reports For there is no just reason to doubt of the divine authority of the book of the Revelation Nor is there any thing in our Tenet unbecoming that divine book nor dissentanious there-from but is more evidently held forth there then in any other book of the Scripture ¶ 2. Irenaeus and Tertullian and I adde Epiphanius naming Cerinthus and particularizing his hereticall opinions have not one word of his holding any thing of our opinion * Iren. lib. 1. ca. 25. quoting in Marg. Euseb l. 3. cap 25 and Iren l 3 c 3 1. Irenaeus mentions Cerinthus and his wicked opinions and wickednesse twice yet hath nothing of his holding our Tenet either in the same words with us or in others of any proportion although Erasmus or Grineus or both in their marginall notes doe well mind what Eusebius had said quoting the place All that Cerinthus held as Irenaeus reports the matter was Cerinthus autem quidam in Asia c. i. e. And there was one Cerinthus in Asia who taught
that is a yeare yeares and halfe a yeare In the Revelation it is the beast with so many heads and horns full of names of blasphemy which was to continue forty two moneths the same period with the former which was expressed by times and yeares and the same time with 1260. dayes of the Churches remaining in the Wildernesse When these times whatsoever they be shall be ended then is the period of the times of the Gentiles and of the Jewes misery whereto our Saviour seemes to referre in the Gospel Then by St. Paul shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles enter in Then saith St. John shall the kingdomes of the earth be the Lords and his Christs Then saith Daniel in the former place chap. 7. shall the kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdome under the whole heaven be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him SECT II. The second place in the New Testament is Luke 1. ver 31 32. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus And he shall be GREAT and shall be called the sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the THRONE of his FATHER DAVID and he shall reigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end § 1 ON which words observe first that this place is taken out of Isa 9.7 before discussed * of giving to Christ the throne of his father David which is not yet fulfilled For Pag. 182. l. 3. chap. 2. Sect. 12 S. 5. c. § 2 Observe secondly That Christs coming in his Incarnation was a state of the greatest humility that could be Phil. 2.7 8. and that from his birth to his ascension saving but to a few radiating for a minute in his transfiguration to three of the Apostles Matth. 17.1 and his appearing to the rest of his Disciples after his Resurrection and ascending up in their sight Acts 1. And therefore though these words are spoken by the Angel upon occasion of his Incarnation yet are they not applied by the Angel adequatly to set forth his state of Incarnation but rather antithetically extended to carry the minde of Mary c. farre further as thus That though this Jesus shall be conceived in thy wombe a meane woman in comparison of the visible glory of the royall races of Princes yet this Iesus shall be no meane person but shall be GREAT and shall bee called the SON OF THE HIGHEST and shall have the THRONE of his father David and shall REIGNE over the house of JACOB for ever c. which things were never fulfilled all the time of his Incarnation to the day of his Ascension Nor was that the time so much as of the full revelation of them but when the Apostles taking hint from these words of the Angel and the like places of Scripture asked our Saviour Acts 1.6 a little before he ascended Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to ISRAEL comprehending all the twelve Tribes as doth the house of Iacob in the text our Saviour denied not the thing but the revelation of it that time saying vers 7. It is not for you viz. now the words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. are in the present tence to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power But about seventy yeares after that his ascension God gave the full revelation of it to Christ to shew it by an Angell unto John who might write it to the Churches Revel 1.1 so that § 3 Observe in the third place that at Christs first coming viz. in all the time of his Incarnation from his Birth to his Ascension he was not in the throne of his father David he was in the Manger in the Mountaines more destitute then the Birds and Foxes in a Crowne of Thornes in garments of scorne on the Crosse in the Grave and at last in Heaven but never all that time in the Throne of David The Romans all that time and divers hundreds of yeares after reigned over the Jewes Christ not having any thing of Davids visible corporall government which was the notion of Davids government the High-Priest bearing that which outwardly might be called Spirituall yea when it was offered unto Christ to be made a King and to divide the portions between the Brethren he refused it Therefore § 4 Observe fourthly That the beginning of that Kingdome of Christ which shal be for ever that is after which no Kingdom on earth succeeds as often hath been expounded was not yet begun For after Christs ascension from that day to this other Kingdomes on earth over the Jewes did succeed viz. the Romans Sarazens and Turkes Why the meere spirituall Kingdome of Christ cannot be here understood we have already given unanswerable reasons as we conceive afore when wee parallel'd this place with Isa 9.7 * Pag. 184. l. 1. and why this Kingdome cannot be in Heaven at the ultimate end of the world the reason is at hand because then Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God the Father when he shall have put downe ALL rule c. and the sonne himselfe shall be subject to him c. SECT III. The third place in the New Testament for the said visible glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come before the universall Resurrection is in Luke 21.24 And they the Jews shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall bee trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times Gr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã opportunities of the Gentiles be fulfilled Gr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã filled up OBserve first that our Saviour speaking of the two Tribes that had been now returned from Babylon above five hundred years that they shall be led away captive in all nations must of necessity meane another and a more dispersing captivity following that which was begun by Titus Sonne of Vespasian the Roman Emperour burning both Temple and City selling an hundred thousand Jewes besides the slaughter of eleven hundred thousand about forty yeares after the ascension of Christ as Bucholcerus and Josephus affirme prosecuted by Aelius Adrianus the Roman Emperour about an hundred yeares after Christs ascension at which time the said Aelius Adrianus buried Jerusalem in its own rubbish and gave it to other Nations and Gentiles to inhabite calling it after his own name Aelia promoted yet further by the Saracens making feareful desolations in Judea about a thousand and nine yeares * So Bucholcerus Ind. chron after the Incarnation of Christ and at last this scattering of those two Tribes into all Nations is perfected by the Turkes dominion over them from about the yeare one thousand three hundred after the Incarnation of Christ to this day whereby they are dispersed as our
FACE of Christ but hereafter upon the appearance of Christ at the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the call of the Jewes into one universall visible Church God will shine forth most gloriously through the WHOLE PERSON of Christ upon OVR WHOLE PERSONS so that we shall be like him in glory Phil. 3. 21. and we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 we shall put off all corporall imperfections and shall apprehend him as well perfectly by our sences as by our graces as will appeare more by that which followes For ¶ 4. We shall behold him with open face or unvailed countenance or uncovered or unmasked persons as the Greeke comprehends all and this being spoken indefinitely and unlimitedly either to the beholder or thing beheld it is safest to take in both answerably opposing the two vailes afore so that 1. All we Jewes and Gentiles that shall partake of this glorious state on earth shall behold with uncovered sences with uncovered reason with uncovered graces Our eyes and mindes shall not be held as Luk 24. that our Phantasie should peirce no further then sence or that sence should apprehend extraordinary things in an ordinary notion And our reason shall not be covered nor cumbred with errour and mistakes and sensible desires and our graces shall not be blind-fold with inordinate carnall affections 2. Christ shall be beheld as altogether uncovered he shall not be covered as to be seene only in Aenigmaticall expressions as the Apostles phrase is in the Greek 1 Cor. 13. 12. or in typicall seales as in receiving the elements of the Holy Supper we are said to shew his death till he comes 1 Cor. 11.26 or in the heavens as now he is or in a personall state of humiliation as when he was on earth in afflictions and sufferings but he shall be wholly uncovered to be seene as he is in his great glory in that time of the Churches restauration on earth at his appearance as it is here said in the next particular ¶ 5. Beholding the glory of the Lord. At his first coming we beheld his ingloriousnesse Phil. 2. Isa 53. After at his transfiguration some two or three saw a glimps of a prelude of his glory After that a few saw at his ascension his entrance into supreame glory Acts 1. But here WEE ALL Jewes and Gentiles in generall whosoever and how many soever converted unto Christ shall behold ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THAT SAME glory of the Lord. ¶ 6. And so behold as to be changed into the same image A wonderfull and efficacious beholding which shall transforme the Embryon of the new Creature conceived in the wombe of the Soule into the glorious Image of Christ by beholding him in his glory in this state on earth The divine Plants of God in this new Paradise on earth shall so see the Sun of righteousnesse that they shal blossome and flower and fructifie into like colours stripes an rayes as are in that Sun We must as the Greeke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies be Metamorphosed from our corrupt and inglorious image into the glorious Image of Christ So this text So againe the same Apostle hath it 1 Cor. 15.51 52. The introductory both of the discourse and of the thing leading to this change in verse fifty one begins at vers 22. which we have laboriously opened afore but in the seventh Section immediatly preceding To which adde this memorandum that Paul expresly treates there only of the resurrection of Beleevers as that at Christs next coming When saith the Apostle we shall not ALL sleep but we shall ALL be changed The dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality then death is swallowed up And this change is said to be glorious vers 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall beare the image of the heavenly Adam viz. Christ Which suite to our present text in this 2 Cor. 3.18 That we shall so behold the glory of Christ that we shall be Metamorphosed transformed into the same image By which parallel ye perceive what the Apostle meanes by this transformation into the same glorious Image viz. to our glorious state on earth at the first resurrection of the Saints at Christs next coming At our first conversion we have some spirituall inward change Of this our Apostle made mention afore in this 2 Cor. 3. viz. vers 16. in that phrase of turning to the Lord. And vers 17. in those words where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty But in that clause in the last verse of Metamorphosing into the same Image some greater thing must be intended For ¶ 8. It followes we must be changed into the same Image from glory to glory which sounds of a future For from glory to glory must signifie more then a processe from one degree of grace to another as it is intended in Psal 84. from strength to strength and Rom. 1.17 from faith to faith for though that be the beginning and touched vers 16. 17. of this 2 Cor. 3. yet here the Apostle drives at the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the exaltation of a Saint to his height and must import that the former glory is suitable to the latter glory which is true of personall glory on earth at Christs next appearance that it is like to the latter viz. ultimate glory both glorifying the whole man whereas the glory of our imperfect sanctification doth glorifie only the inward man and that too but in part There is also a difference in the cause as it is in the last clause viz. ¶ 9. By the Lord the Spirit as we touched the Translation afore whereby it is plainly held forth that whereas our inward glory of Sanctification in all the processe thereof is from the inward power of the Spirit of the Lord our personall glory of soule and body at the said coming of Christ is from his personall presence transcendently and efficaciously radiating on our persons to a change and filling the earth with the beames of his glory Now weigh all together and see whether the whole minde of this text can be terminated in our conversion and sanctification or can be wholly extended to ultimate and supreamest glory Or can be fixt upon that unsuitable time of converting Israel at the day of the ultimate Judgement And if not then it is yet to come before the ultimate generall day of Doome SECT IX The Ninth place in the New Testament for the glorious state of all things on earth at Christs next appearance is Phil. 2.9 10 11. God hath highly exalted him Christ and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in the earth and thing under the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the
generall Judgement because then is a totall destruction not an appearance for conversion of them that are found in unbeleefe Then is the Saints full enjoyment of utmost glory not their striving with the Nations Then Christ layes downe all power 1 Cor. 15. therefore doth not put power into the hands of his people SECT XI The eleventh place in the New Testament is Revel 3.21 To him that over-cometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also over-came and am set downe with my Father in his Throne § 1 VVHat can we make of this Text unlesse we understand the Saints viz. sincere Soules and cordiall Christians that persevere to the end reigning with Christ on EARTH As it is by and by added chap. 5.10 which the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders expresse in a Song of praise to Christ Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall REIGN ON EARTH On which our New Annotations confesse That this may signifie the PROSPEROVS TIMES OF THE CHURCH UNDER CHRISTIAN KINGS AND EMPEROVRS Dan. 7.27 which place as we have largely afore demonstrated * Pag. 126. S. 4. p. 127 c. Again p. 249 Sect. 36. c. doth plainly signifie the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Psa 37.11 But the meek shall INHERIT THE EARTH Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall INHERIT THE EARTH Thus they which must signifie a State to come as the expression is in the Future tence and experience shewes us that in past times the meeke have not in the generall INHERITED the earth but in all Ages have been sorely disturbed and distressed That state of Christs Kingdome hath not yet come for it followes in this text deeply to be considered that § 2 It is granted here by Christ himselfe that as he is God and Man he hath not hitherto sate upon his owne Throne but upon his Fathers Throne the highest heaven of glory should seem is the Fathers Throne as it is oft expressed in the Old Testament Psal 11.4 Isa 66.1 c. And there Christ is now Coloss 3.1 but the time is yet to come according to the future expression of the text long after Christs Ascension that Christ must have a Throne of his owne on which together with him those that overcome shall sit § 3 Now this must needs be on earth because after the Judgement Day on earth Rev. 20.11 c. to the end of the chapter Christ layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.24 28. SECT XII The Twelfth and last place in the New Testament which we shall urge for this particular under consideration is Revel the 18. 19. chapters § 1 THe Prophesies whereof are not yet fulfilled to this day so long since the Ascension of Christ ¶ 1. Note that ver 2. of the eighteenth Chapter where it is said Babylon is fallen is fallen for whether wee understand New Babylon figuratively so called viz. Rome described by her seven Hils and seven sorts of Government and the ten Kingdoms under the seventh Rev. 17.9 10 11 12. or old Babylon properly so named viz. where the Jewes were held captive neither of them since this Prophesie are so fallen as is described in the following Verses of this Chapter of which by and by but stil the Popish Antichrist possesseth the one and the Turkish the other and both in the ruffe to this very day ¶ 2. Nor is that in the fourth and sixth verses yet fulfilled wherein the People of God are commanded saying Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works and the cup which she hath filled fill to her double for the people of God have not yet rewarded her either old or new Babylon single but as ver 7. Shee glorifies her selfe and lives deliciously yea and oppresseth the people of God ¶ 3. Nor is that yet fulfilled vers 8. That her Plagues have come in one day viz. Death and Mourning and Famine and utter burning But she both elder and younger stands in great glory to this day ¶ 4. Nor is that yet fulfilled ver 9. That the Kings of the earth that have committed Spirituall fornication and lived deliciously with her shal bewaile her and lament for her seeing the smoake of her burning But generally they rejoyce with her and for her glory in which she is at this day ¶ 5. Nor is that yet fulfilled mentioned from verse eleventh to the end of the nineteenth of the mourning of the Merchants over her destruction by fire standing afarre off crying Alas alas But contrariwise they flocke to her trade with her and admire her glory It is true the Gothes and Vandals have conquered new Babylon and spoyled her as we mentioned afore but not she nor old Babylon is yet totally destroyed by fire that there should be no Candle seen or Milstone heard in them ver 20. 22. but both flourish with great glory in their dominion over the people of God ¶ 6. Nor is that in the twentieth verse yet fulfilled that the holy Apostles and Prophets have yet since this Text was penned ever rejoyced in the destruction of either Babylons but both Babylons doe yet triumph in their owne prosperity and power over the Nations and among them over many Saints vers 7. yea the rejoycing of the Apostles and Prophets over Babylons destruction doth signifie one would thinke the triumph of the Church over their enemies on earth at the first Resurrection of which wee have so largely spoken afore For when else possibly can the Prophets and Apostles rejoyce over the destruction of Babylon § 2 ## For so it followes in the nineteenth Chapter and first seven Verses spoken over foure times Hallelujah that is as it is englished in verse the fift Praise yee God which praise is given to God by the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders and of a great multitude Why because Gods Judgements are righteous and true Wherein Because he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth and hath avenged the bloud of the Saints at her hand And he the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth and the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready ¶ 1. Which last clauses cleerly relate to the first Resurrection wherein all the Saints rise so that the ruine of Babylon and the raising of the Saints immediatly concurre with the sorrow of the one and the triumph of the other But these have not been fulfilled to this day as the contrary face of things gives evident testimony ¶ 2. Nor is that fulfilled from the eighth verse of the nineteenth Chapter to the end of the Chapter of the glory of the Church of the glorious appearance of Christ and of the corporall destruction of all whatsoever that take part against Christ and his Church largely discussed afore more then once out of this Chapter But these things as sure as Christ is the
Magnificat and Te Deum that All Christendome was theirs excepting a few minute spots and obscure corners of a few peevish Protestants Now the Catastrophe of these must be according to the full Tenor of the Argument the stream of all Prophesies and the examples of the three former Monarchies a total ruine of them SECT II. § 1 AFter long and many tedious troubles and afflictions and persecutions the Lord hath in all ages given the Church a generall rest upon earth But the Church hath been long under affliction and troubles and persecutions in all Countries where it hath resided even since about forty yeers after Constantine the Great his Reigne Therefore God will yet again give the Church a general rest upon earth § 2 The minor or second Proposition is plaine by History Experience and that which hath been said in the former Argument and therefore there is no need of speaking more to that § 3 Of the major Proposition the Lord from the beginning hath given his Church severall typical first-fruits laying the foundation of all upon his own example in resting from the Creation the seventh day and thereupon gave them a seventh day every week the seventh year of every seven yeers and the Jubile being the last year of seven seven yeers wherein to rest from labours morgages and servitude as a type and taste of the rests he would give his Church from other troubles and afflictions upon earth notably argued by the Apostle upon those grounds Heb. 4. throughout that Chapter largely opened afore And according to these types so hath the Lord practised towards his Church from the beginning 1 After about One thousand six hundred and fifty years of afflictions upon the Church from the Creation by the murther of Abel Gen. 4. by the ungodlinesse of men and their hard speeches against God in the time of Enoch Jude v. 15. and the ungodlinesse of the world in the time of Noah before the Deluge 2 Pet. 2.5 God gave a rest to the Church in the Arke of Noah the name of that good man typifying and ordered by providence unto that end to signifie rest of viz. from toyl Gen. 2.29 2 After the flood new troubles to the Church began to spring up Nimrod assumed to himselfe to be a Monarchical Tyrant over men called therefore a Mighty Hunter that is as the Learned expound a Man-hunter The beginning of his Monarchy was Babel Gen. 10. 8 9 10. After this the building of the Tower to prevent Gods future judgements Gen. 11. brought confusion of Languages which proved a great affliction After that there was great trouble by the Wars taking Lot prisoner c. Gen. 14. and by the firing of Sodome Gen. 19. But at last God sent Isaack signifying Laughter and a type of Christ all the time of whole life there was a time of great Tranquillity This peace perioding many troubles arose in Jacobs time by Esau Laban Simeon and Levi and the selling of Joseph But Joseph being advanced in Aegypt the Country of Goshen there was provided as a Land of rest for the Church for many years Gen. 28. c. to the end of that Book Joseph being dead and forgotten of the Kings of Aegypt great afflictions are heaped upon the Church in hard labour with much rigor persecutingly putting to death their male Infants causing them to groan and cry to God in much anxiety of Spirit Exod. the three first Chapters But at length God brought them out from that place and persecution and gave them freedome forty yeers in the wilderness After this they had sore Wars with the Canaanites but at last rest in Canaan I should be too tedious to dilate upon their rest in returning to Judea after seventy years Captivity Upon the spirituall refreshing the Saints had for a time after the Maccabean and other troubles which wars and troubles lasted about foure hundred years from Malachi to the beginning of the New Testament Upon the rest the Church had after those persecutions Act. 8.1 which rest is emphatically mentioned Act. 9.31 And upon the rest they had afore the life time of Constantine after three hundred years in the ten Persecutions which distinction of ten was by pointing and distinguishing them by some lucida intervalla some rests and respites between each of them till Constantine gave them a greater rest lasting for about forty yeers § 4 Therefore we have reason yea divine reason to expect a great and notable rest for the Church after so long time of troubles for the general upon all the Church more or lesse since that time which is now above a thousand and three hundred years so the Apostle in part argues as we said Heb. 4. that God having given severall rests on earth to the Church after which ever and anon by turns fresh trouble sprang up therefore yet there remaineth another notable rest on earth to the people of God which rest mentioned in that of Heb. 4. is not meerly spirituall or totally supernall glory as we have laboriously argued afore upon that Chapter And there is also a Prophesie inferred upon their state in the Wildernesse touching the Churches rest upon earth Rev. 12. SECT III. § 1 THe Churches extremity is Gods opportunity as Philo Judaein in his Book ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and experience witnesse But the Church considered in generall in all countries hath been for many years past even till now under great extremities Therefore God will take an opportunity to deliver it The full confirmation of both premises may be sufficiently picked out of the two former arguments The conclusion follows of it selfe SECT IV. § 1 IOynt prayers never miscarry but ever receive gracious returns See the generall Experiment 2 Chron. 15.4 particulars see in the joynt prayers of the Church in Egypt Exod. 2.23 24. under the Judges Judg. 6.6 7. Judg. 10.10 to the end of the chapter under the pious Kings Asa 2 Chron 15.18 to the end Jehoshaephat 2 Chron. 20.12 to 31. Hezekiah 2 King 19.1 c. Josiah 2 King 22.19 § 2 But in many ages even ever since the Apostles prayer Act. 4.24 The Saints and Churches in their convenings have prayed for the fall of Antichrist and all opposers of the Church for the conversion of the Jews and the restauration of the Church to her glory on earth witnesse the severall prayers in the Scriptures and experiences of the prayers of Gods people in all their convenings as the antientest Saints alive have been eare witnesses § 3 Therefore there must be a returne of these prayers according as beside the former precedents God hath made severall promises and engagements as Psa 50.15 Mat. 7.7 Ioh. 14.13 14. Luk. 18.1 c. of hearing his peoples prayers For though God defer long as it is in that parable or comparison Luke 18.1 c. yet he will be sure to answer as he did that prayer Act. 4.24 though it were near three hundred years afore he eminently performed it to
afore in our first Book in Lactantius his Quotation Rectification of the opinions of Heathens And if any be not contented with that and our necessitated brevity here but are restlesly further inquisitive I refer such to Plato himselfe and to the Platonists viz. Ficinus and other zealous Commentators and followers of him But that Metempsychosis added and joyned to all these did compleat them up being fairely interpreted with meet allowance to Heathens into a system or body in the maine sense of our opinion casting up as the high way leading thereunto a resurrection or reunion of soules with their bodies Pythagoras saith that the soule of Euphorbus a noble Trojan slaine in the Grecian wars against Troy transmigrated itselfe into his body Ovid * Ovid Metam l. 15. Fab. 3. juxta Bersmani editionem c. sets forth a briefe of all with great eloquence and learning after his way O Genus attonitum gelidae formidine mortis Quid stygia quid tenebras nomina vana timetis Materiam vatum falsique pericula mundi Corpora sive rogus flammâ sive tabe vetustas Abstulerit mala posse pati non ulla putetis Morte carent animae semper priore relictâ Sede novis domibus vivunt habitantque receptae Ipse ego nam memini Trojani tempore belli Panthoides Euphorbus eram cui pectore quondam Haesit in adverso gravis hasta minoris Atridae Cognovi clypeum laevae gestamina nostrae Nuper Abanteis Templo Junonis in Argis OMNIA MUTANTUR NIHIL INTERIT ERRAT ILLINC Huc venit hinc illuc quoslibet occupat artus Spiritus c. Which I shall give you in English O men whom horrors of cold death affright Why fear you Styx vain names and endlesse night The theam of Poets and fear'd miseries Of a false world If fun'ral flames surprise Or age doth pine your bodies they nor grieve Nor suffer pains Our souls for ever live Though evermore their ancient houses leave Yet live in new which them as guests receive In Trojan wars I I remember well Euphorbus was Phanthöus son and fell By Menelaus lance I knew my shield Born on my left arm in Mars his field Beleeve me you may for this againe At Argos late I saw in Junos Fane ALL ALTER NOTHING FINALLY DECAYES Hither and thither still the spirit strayes Guest to all bodies Out of beasts it flyes To men from men to beasts and never dyes Nihil est toto quod perstet in ââbe-Cuncta fluunt omnisque Vagans formatur imago Corpora vertuntur nec quod fuimuâve sumusve-cras erimus Id est inquit Commentator ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã As Pliant wax each new impression takes Fixt to no form but still the old forsakes Yet is the same So souls the same abide Nought in this circled world is fix'd we view Each fading form at last is form'd anew So change our bodies without rest or stay Nor what we yesterday nor what to day We were or are hereafter we shall be c. They that can read Heathen Poets Philosophers Orators Historians c. in their owne languages shall finde aboundings of this what hope they had of a glorious blisse on earth in the next world Or they that will read but Morneys truenesse of Religion translated into English shall receive satisfaction enough in these things The holy Scriptures themselves take some notice of the minds and meaning of the heathens in these things We will note but two places § 2 The first is Matth. 14.1 2. At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus and said unto his servants This is John the Baptist he is risen from the dead and therefore mighty works doe shew forth themselves in him or as it is the Margent mighty works are wrought by him We might here againe take occasion to repeat the Gentiles Theologie viz. Pythagoras and Platoes and others doctrine of their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The change of the state of souls passing into bodies the change of bodies into better forms and as the New-creation of both and might produce much out of * Plato in l. 10. Poli In Timaeo In Phaedro Cum concinnâ ut ait Chemnitius interpretatione cum amantium Plato â August de Civit. D. l. 22. c. 18. ex varronis libris Austin ** Lactant. l. 7. Ex Chrysippi Stoici libro de providentia Lactantius and *â* Joseph de bello Judaico cap. 7 Josephus to that purpose But brevity puls me by the ear and therefore I shall onely note that which indeed is the main expressed in this Scripture with that great emphasis That John the Baptist being risen from the dead THEREFORE mighty works are wrought by him where plainly to me this Scripture with an intentive eye takes notice that Gentilisme or the doctrine of Heathens whence Herod had his opinion did hold that the soules of good men deceased after their returne to their bodies did put them into a far better condition on earth then they were in before For we read not that John Baptist did in his life time work any miracle or mighty worke at all But wee have a text to the contrary Joh. 10.41 But now that he is risen from the dead as Herod conceived hee judged that he was very able to worke miracles on earth This collection of mine by good providence I found seconded by Great Chemnitius that most pious and learned man and by our received New Annotations Chemnitius his words are Credidit insuper ipsum c. i.e. Furthermore Herod did beleeve that John Baptist that before his death wrought no miracle now as if made more divine and by reason of the sanctity of his former life he could do those works which did surpasse humane power Our New Annotations on the Bible say thus He is risen from the dead Syr. from among the dead Some note here Herods opinion of Johns sanctity as concurring with the Pharisees who thought that the Holy did easily returne to life againe See Josephus Antiq. l. 18. cap. 2. The meaning is as if Herod had said HE HATH MORE POWER NOW THEN EVER HEE HAD For John wrought no miracles John 10.41 Thus our New Annotations § 3 The second place of Scripture is in 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do which are baptised for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead The Apostle here takes notice of the opinion of the Heathens that they had a dim hope of the Resurrection in that they washed the bodies of such as were deceased to lay them trimly and decently accommodated to that end among the dead For if the dead rise not saith the Apostle why will they doe it that wash over the dead or pour water over or upon the dead that is wash the dead as the Greek very wel bears For ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã both in the Text are
corner And the line shall go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb c. Thus the Rabbins to this question by which it is apparent they expect a glorious state on earth at the resurrection Fourthly he gives this as the last reason of the resurrection the rest being not so pat to our purpose Ibid. l. 2. c. 10. p. 186 187 c. I mention not Because saith he if they onely that shall be alive at the time the rest should rise shall enjoy the salvation and deliverance of the Lord and the FELICITY OF THE DAYES OF THE MESSIA then many should be most unjustly dealt with viz. they that have suffered much and that unto death for godlinesse sake c. This reason is as alleadged by R. Menasse so asserted by R. Arisba in his Commentaries called Agadot and assented unto by R. Isaac Abravanel This reason is good but because not pertinently driven home to my purpose as touching making Saints to triumph where they have been trampled I quoted it I confesse rather for the sake of a By-expression as more direct to my Thesis viz. That the Saints at the Resurrection shall enjoy the felicity of the dayes of the Messia which dayes unlesse they be fulfilled on earth afore the ultimate universall judgement I know not how they should in the ultimate glory when Christ shall lay down all Kingdome and power and God must be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24.28 § 3 The third Book presents us with the full minde of the stream of learned Rabbins viz. with the whole state of the world to come immediately following the Resurrection ¶ 1 In the first Chapter are presented to us three several opinions of the Rabbins touching the meaning of the phrase oft in Scripture the world to come Some understanding the world of separated souls others that world that shall follow a certaine terme of time after the time of the Resurrection Others that World that begins at the very hour of the Resurrection Which third opinion saith learned R. Manasse is to me most probable Of this opinion was R. Moses Gerundensis in a contest against R. Moses Egyptius who held the first of the three opinions aforesaid And Gerundensis opinion in sum was this That the world to come is that which immediately follows the resurrection of the dead into which all that live piously probously and honestly being raised shall be brought in soule and body conjoyned to enjoy indefinentlie and without end the reward of their labours With this compare the prayer which the men of the Great Synagogue composed whose words are these ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. That is There is no proportion with thee O Lord our God in this world There is none besides thee O our King in the world to come none besides thee O our Redeemer in the daies of the Messiah and who is like to thee in the resurrection of the dead Which words thus rendred close to the Hebrew without âaking liberty of neoterick phrase may conveniently bee thus explained That in opposition to this life in its mighty length throughout all ages first named they put the World to come of the Eternal state set in the second place And lastly they name the daies of the Messiah at the resurrection of the dead as intercident between both For plainly they here speak in the two last of a World to come ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as they speak and that with an emphasis And therefore the dayes of the resurrection of the dead and of the Messiah at this coming are according to their sense all one With this well concurs that in the Sanhedrim That no man of those that deny the resurrection shall partake of the world to come giving this reason ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i.e. Who ever denieth the resurrections of the dead by this very thing there cannot redound to him a share in the resurrection from the dead Consonantly R. Abraham Bibag in his book called Derech * Emuna l. 3. part 4. proves by severall places of Scripture that The houre of the resurrection of the dead and the continued and perpetuall life which shall follow is called the world to come For although oftentimes the same name is given to the world of separated soules yet properly and more rightly is understood the world of the resurrection of the dead I insist not upon the application of these to our purpose being I have hinted sufficient afore in this Section and we shall anon hear the Rabbins come nearer to us and carry the matter up to the very achme and top of their prospect of light ¶ 2 In the next the second Chapter of the said third Book the Rabbins speak out plainly and freely what before we struggled for by deduction whiles their speeches were darker It shall not bee grievous to us as much haste as we are in to translate much of this Chapter and those that follow of the said third book out of the Latine and Hebrew whiles the things much conduce to the truth in hand because the Book it selfe is not to be had The head or summe of this second Chapter is That the RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD shall be conjoyned unto the DAYES of the MESSIAH This R. Menasse Ben Israel 1 Learnedly proves out of the books of Moses and the Prophets And secondly brings the stream of learned ancient Rabbins consenting thereunto It is apparent saith he out of Moses by that song of his Deut. 32. v. 35 36. to v. 40. To me belongeth vengeance c. their foot shall slide in due time For the Lord shall JUDGE his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone c. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive See here saith Menasse the day of the comming of the Messiah and the day of the resurrection are conjoyned As for the Prophets it is manifest saith he out of the second Chapter of Isaiah It shall come to passe in the last of dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains c. and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shal say Come let us go up to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shal go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and he shal judge among the Nations c. and they shal beat their swords into plow-shares The Prophet here teacheth saith R. Menasse not onely temporal good things but also spiritual which shall come to passe when the Messiah shall come For then all Nations with unanimous consent even as Zephany also foretels adhering to the God of Isaac and Jacob and imbracing his Doctrine shall serve him with one kinde of worship Then all shall enjoy a quiet
the terme and end of the world In the Talmud wee read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. The world shall endure six thousand yeers in one it shall be destroyed upon which many comment thus The ELEMENTARY and TERRESTRIAL world shall endure six thousand yeers and in the seventh thousand all shall return to their ancient chaos of which they were made And after that a New world shall exist And that likewise after it hath stood six thousand yeers shall also relapse to its former Chaos And then the revolution of the world shall endure for nine and forty thousand yeers And after that the heavens and the earth shall be annihilated * It seems by this that what the doctrine of Mahomet said of 1000 yeers and 49000 was learned of these Rabbins All this they thinke to be shadowed forth partly by the six dayes of the Creation because according to the Psalmist Psal 90.4 A thousand yeers in the sight of the Lord are but as yesterday Partly by the Law and the Commandement That six yeers the land should be tilled in the seventh it should rest and in the fiftieth the Jubile should be celebrated As for my opinion saith R. Menasse I thinke That after six thousand yeers the world shall be destroyed upon one certaine day or in one houre that the orbs of heaven shall make a stand as unmoveable that there shall be no more generation or corruption and all things by the resurrection shall be renovated and return to a better condition And this saith he out of doubt is the opinion of the most learned Aben Ezra who commenting on that place of Isaiah Chapter 65.17 Behold I create new heavens and a new earth c. saith thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i.e. Rather we are to say that the Heavens are expansed and that God will make new the aire to be singular good c. and then also shall there bee added to the earth a fresh vigor whereby it shall bee made New According to which verdict of Aben-Ezra saith Menasse There is a total and universal reforming or new-framing of the world And although the Text hath it New Heavens yet there is no necessity nor doth the sense require it that we should understand New Heavens to be meant of other Heavens diverse from these now in being but onely that there shall be a certain Instauration and Reformation of them into better And whereas afore the Ancients said that after six thousand yeers the world shall be destroyed in one the meaning is not that after six thousand yeers should be nothing how can it be measured by ONE Againe the word Destroy doth not signifie a total annihilation but onely a ruine or lapsing of things Therefore from those words cannot be concluded that the world shall be reduced to nothing but as R. Hasday thinketh ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. Nothing else can be gathered from the aforesaid speeches but that there is a CERTAIN NECESSARY ETERNITY OF THE WORLD IN SPECIE or KIND that is that the world be not plainly consumed and turned out into nothing but still bee turned into a better world Accordingly R. Huna saith concerning R. Joseph Galilean even those heavens of which it is written I create new Heavens are already created in six dayes in Genesis And suteably in that 65. of Isa 17. speaking of creating a new earth he doth not say meerly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã new but with an additional of an emphatical article ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã this same earth New So that as Psal 102.25 26. The heavens and the earth waxing old as a garment are CHANGED as a new drest garment And to the same purpose the Ancients speak * Par. 30. Noah say they saw the New world yet at that time the world was not altogether destroyed but renewed according to Psal 102.26 The summe is That the world shall not be destroyed for a thousand yeers but in one day or punctum of an houre the earth shall suffer a mighty change and upon that change immediately shall follow the resurrection of the dead and a new world Even as it is in Zoar * Parasah Toldoth Ishac ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã From the hour of the resurrection of the dead the world shall remain stable And Lactantius Firmianus intimates that he had received it from a Cabalist that the terme of six thousand yeers being consummated the state of all humane affairs shall be formed into a better condition ¶ 5 In the fifth chapter is held forth by the Rabbins what kind of ruine there shall be of the world before the great restauration of it yet to come And concerning the Jews war with GOG and MAGOG All the Rabbins saith Menasse Ben Israel agree in this That theISRAELITES after their return into their own Country at the time of their redemption are not to injoy a full and perfect tranquillity and peace until the last war with Gog and Magog shal be finished For it shall come to passe saith he that after the Israelites shall returne into Palestine that Nation of Gog and Magog shall come to invade and possesse that Country and that with an huge multitude of men and infinite forces of souldiers with the same hope and mind to recover the Kingdome and Empire to themselves as the Goths and Vandals accompanied with a multitude of vile persons subjected unto themselves most puissant Kingdomes and triumphed over them And although perhaps they may be perswaded that Monarchy of the Jewes to bee erected not without the singular divine providence of God yet haply they may thinke that it shall continue but for a time and so may conclude that it will bee as possible for them to subvert and subdue it as it was for Nebuchadnezzar and Titus Vespasian formerly to overthrow and enslave it With this hope and confidence those Nations of Gog and Magog shall with an armed power invade the Holy Land and having againe expulsed thence the Israelites they shall endeavour to subjugate them under their power All which may be confirmed by divers places of Scripture 1 By Ezekiel Chap. 37. where the Prophet treating of the gathering together and restititution of the Ten Tribes and of the other Two signified by the Two sticks in which the names of Judah and Ephraim were written and declaring that all those Tribes shall be conjoyned and shall have David to be their King for ever c. he by and by subjoyns in the 38. Chapter that this people shall be broken and exceedingly troubled by Gog and Magog Therefore he begins the 38. Chapter thus Son of man Set thy face against Gog the land of Magog c. And prosecutes the reason Vers 14. Therefore Sonne of man prophesie and say unto Gog Thus saith the Lord God In that day when my people dwelleth safely shalt thou not know it And thou shalt come from thy place out of the North parts thou and many people with thee all
of themriding upon horses a great company and a mighty Army And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land it shall be in the latter dayes and I will bring thee against my Land that the heathen may know me when I shal be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes Therefore saith Menasse this war being ended THERE SHALL BEE A GREAT CHANGE OF ALL THINGS For then saith he in my opinion shall bee THE END OF THE WORLD * Indeed then shall be an end of this world viz. the begining of the dayes of the Messiah but not the ultimate end of the world as that in the 21 22 23. 24. verses quoted by R. Menasse plainly shews viz. sword pestilence blood hailstones c. of which there is no use at the ultimate end of the world And in the next Chapter viz. the 39. of Ezekiel the Prophet describing the destruction of Gog saith v. 2. that he should not be totally destroyed but onely part viz. onely the sixth part as some will The other five parts shall be reserved as Vatablus expounds to be destroyed at the end of the thousand yeers of the Kingdome of the Messiah Rev. 20 7. Besides Ezekiel in the next Chapter viz. the 40 c. to the end of the Book describes a glorious state of the Jews on earth after the destruction of Gog and Magog And therefore the Prophets former description of their destruction cannot bee at the ultimate end of the world As the restoring of the Temple of the Jews described in that 40. Chapter of Ezek. c. to the end of Book following the destruction of Gog is a Type of New-Jerusalem As Mr. Mede asserts and Dr. Twisse approves Mede Diatr pars 4. page 546. as it is related in the 20. Vers c. The fishes of the sea and fowls of heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things c. shall shake at my presence and the mountaines shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground c. verse 21 22 23 24. to the end of the Chapter Secondly It may be confirmed out of Joel Chapter 3.1 2. Thirdly out of Dan. Chapter 12.1 c. â Who this Gog and Magog are it is not stated by the Jewish Rabbins Mr. Mede saith Diatr pars 4. p. 546. The Turk is Gog and Magog and Dr. Twisse highly approves it But the Jewish Rabbins deliver their minde uncertainly I know saith R. Menasse that others by the war of Gog and Magog doe understand the Antichristian age that shall be at the end of the world Hence Augustine saith l. 20 De Civit. Dei c. 1. Gog is the Devil and Magog the Army of Antichrist Ambrose thinks Gog to be the Goths who invaded and everted many of the Roman Provinces l. 20. De demonstr Evangel cap. 3. Eusebius saith he did thinke l. 5. c. 13. or 23. Gog to be the Roman Emperour and Magog his Kingdome and Empire Pliny asserteth l. 5. c. 23. That there is a City of Cava Syria which he calls Bombices or Bombice and Hierapolis that is called by the Syrians Magog The Hebrews saith he know indeed that Magog is of the posterity of Japhet but which is that Nation at this day they do not know ¶ 6. In the sixth Chapter we have the RESTAURATION or RESTITUTION of the world in the dayes of the New world punctually described as they say to the life by a parallel with the six dayes works of the first Creation viz. In the first day was created light which was saith R. Menasse according to the opinion of the Ancients a supernatural light ** Beresit Raba Paras 3. So in the Restauration of the World there shall be an extraordinary transcendent light according to Isaiah Chap. 60. v. 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the moon give light unto thee but THE LORD SHALL BE UNTO THEE AN EVERLASTING LIGHT and thy God thy glory On which words Isaac Abravanel comments thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Thou shalt have no need of solary light or light of the Sunne by reason of the divine light On the second day was created the Expanse as the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã calls it or Firmament as we call it according to the Greek which saith R. Menasse according to the opinion of the learned signifies the Region of the ayre So this as we said afore in the New world shall be purged or refined from all noxious exhalations by which is signified saith Ahen Ezra the New heaven And all evill spirits and Devils whose seat was in the Ayre shall bee removed thence according to that in the Tract of Aboda * Aboda Zara. cap. 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. Hell shall not be in the new world But the blessed God at the day of judgement shall draw forth the Sunne out of its sheath and torment the wicked So Malach. 4.1 it is said Behold the day cometh that shall burne like an oven And Zach. 13.2 I will cause the unclean spirit to passe out of the land In the third dayes work the dry land appeared and the plants were created which after were cursed for Adams sinne Therefore in the New world the earth shall be amended and a better efficacie and vertue shall be instilled into it for germination according to Aben Ezra thence in Siphra it is said by the Ancients on Levit. 26.4 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. The earth shall give her increase not in the manner it doth now but as it did in the time of Adam Likewise we read in Semot * Semot Raba paras 15. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. It shall be that the trees shall yeeld their fruit every month according to Ezek. 47.12 In the fourth day was created the Sunne Moon and Stars These also shall be renewed For the light of the Sunne the fountain and originall of all celestial light shall in a marvellous manner be augmented as in Semot we read * Semo R. par 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. i. e. The blessed God will cause that the Sun shall shine forth nine and forty parts of more light as it is said ** Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shal be sevenfold more as the light of seven dayes In the fifth day were created the Fishes and Fowls and the great Leviathan By which is understood saith Menasse according to the opinion of the Ancients it taken litterally That God will prepare in the world to come all curiosities for the just In the sixth day were created all Animals void of reason and last of all Adam of the dust of the ground yet most perfect in all respects and that without conjunction of male
God would raise the same bodies twice as those in the Prophets and those at Christs passion and Lazarus c. why should man oppose To a second clause that it is beside the Apostles Creed if not against it we answer Wee would faine know against what article of that Creed this offendeth If the Doctor means against that of the Resurrection We say the Creed doth not deâermine the time or order or distinct worship of persons or degrees of mens rising from the dead as indeed all the Creed is so generall that a man may in a sort believe all and yet be unregenerated To the third clause that it is beside if not against the doctrine of Paul c. Answ first those verses of 1 Cor. 15.1.16 and 17. are nothing to the Doctors purpose viz. If the ãâã rise not then is not Christ risen and if Christ be not raised your faith is in vaine ye are yet in your sinnes This is nothing to the Doctors purpose But supposing by the Doctors words in his argument he intended verse 51 52. Behold I will shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye aâ the last Trumpet for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptiâle and we shall bee chaâged For this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortalâty To this we answer That wâârant that not onely the Maâtyrs but all the Saints shall rise at once and that a thousand yeers before the rising of the wicked at the last day of judgement it is evident by comparing Rev. 11. verse 11.18 c. with Rev. 20.4 and 12. We are apt to call onely great sufferers of persecution Martyrs but the word in Greek signifies Witnesses and all Saints witnesse and are called the two Witnesses Rev. 11. yea all Saints suffer more or lesse therefore St. John names not onely them that were beâeaded but all that seared Gods name Rev. 11.18 Now what inconveniences doth this infer that Christ will according to Mat. 25. first put the sheep on his right hand And we say long before he put the goats on his left hand for every man that dyes notwithstanding this haâh but one resurrection But the Doctor saith This must all be done at the sound of the last i. e. seventh Trumpet We confesse it aâ follows upon the sound of the last or seventh Trumpet But the Saints rise Rev. 11.15.18 at the beginning of the time of the last Trumpet The wicked rise at last the end of the period of the seventh Trumpet viz. one thousand yeers after without the sound of any Trumpet Rev. 20.12 Of the space and businesse of the last Trumpet and of this 1 Cor. 15. we spake abundantly afore therefore now to be brief We further answer to this clause of the Doctor That all the time of the state of the thousand yeers is justly by the Learnedst Jews in generall called the day of judgement For at the beginning of the thousand yeers the Devill is chained and the open wicked upon earth are destroyed and the Saints that were dead are raised and they alive are changed and in the whole space of that thousand yeers they reigne on earth at the end whereof the wicked that were dead do rise and are judged And what is judgement and justice but suum cuique tribuere to give to every one his owne And this while as at the beginning of it the Saints onely are mentioned by Paul in that 1 Cor. 15.51 52 53. the wicked are excluded in verse 50. as uncapable so the dead Saints are to be raised and the living Saints to be changed and that into an immortall state of body The Doctors quotation of 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Thess 4.15 touching a certain kinde of distinction of the first and second resurrection under which Paul he saith repeats the state of things from first to last of the last Trumpet confirmes what we have said and overthrows the Doctors scope For first as touching 1 Cor. 15. you may remember how largely we discussed afore the 23 24. especially if I give you but a touch what I then said viz. The Apostle mentions an ORDER in the resurrection of all men the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies as order so also a troop a legion an army and he addes in his owne order ââoop âegion or army Order implying succession one after another The Apostle distinguisheth the whole Resurrection from first to last into three orders troops legions c. First Christ whom he calls ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the first and first fruits in the plural because he is the representative of all men that beleeve as verse 47. All men included are in two 2 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã AFTERWARDS they that are Christs at his coming And this is to this day one thousand six hundred forty and eight so much is contained in this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Afterward For saith Mr. Mede Diatrib part p. 473 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Afterwards used in 1 Thess 4.17 1 Cor. 15.23 notes a distance of time of above a thousand and half of yeers 3 THEN commeth the end Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã after that or afterwards cometh the end which in analogy to the distance of the first-fruits from the lump and to other Scriptures which we have abundantly alleadged and opened I say which Afterwards must containe a thousand yeers As for that 1 Thess 4.16 17. it goes thus farre with 1 Cor. 15. First that Christ one thousand six hundred fifty and three yeers since rose next comes with a shout with the sound of the Trump of God Secondly that they that are dead in Christ rise ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã first After that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we that are alive shall be caught up Now here is no mention of the rising of the wicked which is against the Drs. omne gatherum If he wil have it intimated in the last ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã AFTER THAT When we are caught up that are alive This is expressed after the resurrection of the dead in Christ and signifies a great distance of time after as wee have shewed afore and so this also will bee against the Doctors Altogether Thus of the Doctors first inconvenience ¶ 2 The second Inconvenience the Dr. names that ariseth from our opinion in the point in hand is that it prorogeth the end of the world at least a thousand yeers with an indefinite augmentation contrary to divers texts of Scripture by which the Learned have collected the consummation of the world to be neerer as it is to be seen largely in Cornelius Alapide on Rev. 20. First wee answer As the Doctor did afore beg the question in saying A slippery tropicall and an uncertaine opinion So now againe in saying Contrary to many T. we prorogue whiles the Doctor doth not dispute these things out Secondly we stand upon nothing more then
family in heaven and earth is named There is Bethel even where God in special appears which special appearance is in the person of Christ And lastly where ever Christ is with us wee are with him so as that for that time is heaven to us therefore the Apostle Paul desiring a state in the world to come Phil. 1.23 calls it a being with Christ not heaven So that yet still it remaines to bee proved that Christ shall not appear to his people before the ultimate day of judgement or that Christ hath no place of refreshing his people for a time before the ultimate day of judgement but onely the highest heavens after the ultimate day of judgement SECT II. Mr. Baylies second Argument § 1 AS to his accusation of coyning new and false senses to many Scriptures wee say it is a begging of the Question And we retort it For Mr. B. opinion for many generations hath so allegorised upon all the Prophets speaking of the state of the Jewes and of the universal Church to be on earth afore the ultimate day of âudgement that I confesse I was thereby for a long time kept in the darke so that I could make no use of the Histories and Prophesies of the Old and New Testament in relation to these things but onely here and there by way of morall observations and allusions § 7 But let us heare his Argument Christ sits at the right hand of God till the last day therefore he comes not to reign on earth a 1000 yeers before the last day To which we say that this argument thus far hath been argued and answered in effect in the first argument yet because there are some fresh proofs we are contented againe to answer it and to discusse them And for answer we deny the Antecedent taking the last day in Mr. Bailyes sense for the ultimate day of judgement But if we take the last day for that day in 2 Pet. 3. which shall be a thousand yeers then Mr. Baily concludes nothing against us But Mr. Baily will prove the Antecedent that Christ doth sit at the right hand of the Father till the last day meaning the ultimate day of judgement viz. the evening of our last day For so I suppose he means his proof is his major Proposition in Ps 110.1 Christ sits at the right hand of God till ALL his enemies be made his footstool Whence he assumes this minor But all his enemies are not made his footstool till the last day For till then Satan death and all wicked men are not fully destroyed therefore c. To this major Proposition out of Ps 110.1 Mr. B puts in a word of great consequence to serve his own turne which in divine arguing from a text is very foule play viz. the word ALL. For as it is not in our English Translation so nor is it in the Hebrew text where it is onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thine enemies indefinitly And the Apostle having an infallible spirit to know the mind of the Scriptures quoting this place Heb. 10.13 renders it that Christ sits there expecting ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. putting no ALL in But suppose it be said ALL all his enemies this is sufficiently fulfilled when Christ overcomes all all his enemies are so subdued yea visibly in themselves or in their effects that they shall never hurt the Church more which shall come to passe when the Iewes are settled at the beginning of the thousand yeers as many Scriptures afore shewed And to speake according to St. Iohn in the Revelation then as in Chap. 19. Antichrist and all his adherents shall downe then as in Chapter 20. Satan shall downe then as in Chapter 21 Sinne shall downe And for death this is destroyed Chapter 20. For if all the Saints then live and reigne a thousand yeers then is this a state of immortality of their bodies And for the ultimate day of judgement then is not a destroying of death but a reviving of the worst death sc the second death to the worst of men so that the wicked live onely to dye that death Rev. 20.12 to the end It is said that the last enemy of the Saints that is destroyed is death 1 Cor. 11. Because so St. Iohn names the enemes in order First all the wicked Rev. 19. Then the Devill Rev. 20.1 And last of all death v. 4. and all these orderly at the beginning of the thousand yeers at the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding his Trumpet I say at the beginning thereof And to make all our answer plainer When it is said All shall be under Christs feet the meaning is not that all shall be annihilated For after the ultimate day of judgement there shall be viz. in hell sinne and devils and wicked men and the greatest death viz. the second death i. e. eternall condemnation therefore the meaning must bee that all shall be so under Christs feet that they shall no more mischiefe the Church Satan shall not seduce them Sinne shall not touch them Death shall not dissolve them But at the end of the thousand yeers Satan and the hypocrites in the corners of the world shall begin to make an head and this immediately draws downe Christ to the ultimate day of judgement who raiseth all the dead wicked and takes them and the wicked that are then alive and passeth everlasting condemnation upon them Rev. 20.7 to the end of the Chapter SECT III. Mr. Bailyes third Argument § 1 ALL the godly at Christs comming from heaven doe rise immediately to a heavenly glory ergo none of them doe arise to a temporall glory for a thousand yeers upon earth § 2 Answ We might deny that wee call the Argument you call it the consequence because Mr. Baily doth not say to glory in heaven much lesse the highest heaven For their state on earth a thousand yeers is not onely an heavenly glory but the state is called Heaven Rev. 21.1 c. 2 Pet. 3. But that we shall fix our answer upon will be the denying of the Antecedent and expounding of the proof Mr. Baily brings for proof of the Antecedent 1 Cor. Chap. 15. vers 22.1 Thess 4.14 Matth. 25.31 Joh. 6.39.40.44 Heb. 9.28 ¶ 1 To the two first we answered afore For the third place of Matthew it concludes nothing to the said Antecedent For Christ separates the sheep from the goats notably at the beginning of the thousand yeers when the open wicked then alive generally perish Revelation 19. and all the Saints alive are set in a glorious condition Chap. 20. ¶ 2 To the fourth place viz. in Joh. 6.39.40.44 I will raise it up at the last day We answer this doth not infer any thing in behalf of the Antecedent For lo this thousand yeers is truly the last day For as it is in 2 Pet. 3. before it are the last dayes in which men shall say Where is the promise of his comming And it is after said A thousand yeers
Church which consists of particular Saints is thus perfected § 4 To the proof of his major There is not one place that concludes his major that That must be the continued condition of the Church whiles it is on earth We will give a touch upon each place ¶ 1 For mixedness Mat. 13 40.24.11 Luk. 18.8 First to that Mat. 13 40. the words are plain for us viz. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be at the end of this world It s not said the end of the world but of this world And not onely so but in Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This series of ages And more yet it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the perfecting 3 As in Acts The restitution no word to properly signifie an end But it implyes an end the end of consummation not of consumption of perfection not of destruction And in opposition to this the Apostle Heb. 2 calls the state of the thousand yeers ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which must signifie a state on earth so that this of Matthew is fulfilled at the beginning of the thousand yeers when the wicked are so destroyed at the beginning of them Rev. 19. last Secondly To that Matth. 24.11 Many false Prophets shall arise and shall deceive many Iniquity shall abound c. We say it is most expresse there that these things are to be before the propagating of the Gospel to all the world So verse 13. and comes between that verse 11 12. and the end of the world verse 14. So that the thousand yeers is the fruit of the Gospel spread to all the world and so brings a cessation of seducement Rev. 20. Thirdly To that Luke 18.8 Neverthelesse shall he find faith We say here is no touch of the ultimate end of the world The coming of Christ is that his appearance in the thousand yeers which Mr. Baâly and others being ignorant of they beg the contrary and lay it for a principle on which to build their argument and so they beg that That the Saints shall not have a time of all peace on earth The meaning of the place is for us viz. Christ will avenge his elect as in shorter captivities in Egypt and Babylon so in this longer But before that the times shall be so full of troubles that it shall be as Dan. 12. compared with Rev. 19. latter end As alwayes was before all deliverances by Christ As at Egypt At Babylon At Christs comming in flesh So that good mens faith shall be very low ¶ 2 For Troubles and Crosses Psal 34.20 Matth. 5 4. Act. 14.23 Rom 8.17.2 Tim. 3.12 To this we answer first That there is no mention here at all of all the times of the world to the ultimate end thereof Secondly All particular Saints do fulfill this in their lives Thirdly That this is that we say and mainly assert that because the Saints have been abused on earth therefore shall they be righted and honoured on earth according to Psal 37. to 11. and 29. and 34. and Matth. 5.5 And the state called Heaven in that Act. 14.23 is expounded of this thousand yeers Rev. 21. there is the beginning And our reigning with him in that Rom. 8.17 is expounded to begin in this thousand yeers Rev. 20.4 ¶ 3 For continuance of Ordinances Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 11.26 It is easily fully answered That if that state in the thousand yeers prove a sinlesse condition the Saints being perfected as it is in that Eph. 4 verse 12. It can be no griefe to Mr. Baily or any else that Ministries of Repentance praying for wants Discipline for Delinquents shall cease And if then Christ COMES and appears as 1 Cor. 11. what matter is it if the Lords Supper shall cease But wee doe not hereby intimate all Ordinances shall cease Adam had some in Paradise and shall have some in glory viz. To sing Hallelujahs praises to Jehovah ¶ 4 To the need of Intercession First I say Mr. B. should have done well to have proved that any did deny the continuing of Christs Intercession till he layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.24 Secondly His places 1 Joh. 1.8 c. 2. v. 1. Heb. 9.24 is true while we have sin But 't would not bee a selfe-deceiving as S. John calls it for a soule to say in heaven above he is without sinne So nor upon earth in the thousand yeers if so Christ makes our condition And when we are without sin we need not Christs active Intercession for conversion or confirmation in regard of weaknesse of grace yet I know not but that Christs presential Intercession shal continue till all the Churches enemies be utterly cast into hell and the Saints attaine their highest happinesse in heaven But that it may cease as in regard of the sins of Saints at the thousand yeers I doubt not if that prove a sinlesse condition as that place quoted by Mr. Baily Heb. 9.24 to the end of the Chapter doth seem to mee clearly to affirme For verse 24.25 c. Christ entring heaven having dyed once in the last verse t is said he shall appear the second time without sinne unto salvation that is as not making attonement for sinne And this second comming is next after his Ascension and that is at the calling of the Jewes at the beginning of the thousand yeers as wee have before proved And this salvation must be a thing beyond the state of grace we are now in therefore most likely it shall bee our sin-lesse condition We shall be as Adam for inward perfection for or ãâã I know and the Apostle hints at it Heb. 2. verse 7. c. As we âââe shewed afore SECT VI. Mr. Bailyes sixth Argument § 1 THe Scripture makes the time of Christs second coming to be secret and hidden not onely to men but to the very Angels and to Christ himselfe as man Mark 13.32 But of that day and that houre knoweth no man no not the Angels neither the Sonne But this Doctrine makes that day openly knowne and tells the time of it punctually For they make the thousand yeers to begin with the one thousand six hundred and fiftyeth yeer or else with one thousand six hundred ninety five and the day of judgement to be at the end of the thousand yeers § 2 Ans First There is a difference between a day to an houre and between about such a yeer Secondly M. Baily cannot but know a difference between Christ on earth and Christ in heaven Christ had not Commission to send so much of the Spirit whiles hee was on earth as when he was in heaven So Eph. 4.8 compare Joh. 7.39 and Act. 2.1 c. In like manner if the Deity did not communicate to Christs man-hood whiles on earth the time for nescience is not a sin yet it s plaine the Deity did communicate it after Christ was in heaven Rev. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ which GOD GAVE UNTO HIM to shew unto his servants
And accordingly John shews it us Chapt. 11. Chapt. 12 Chapt. 13 Chap. 19. Chap. 20. Lastly Mr. Baily confutes himselfe as hee propounds his argument For hee saith our Doctrine makes the day openâ when we say The day shall be either one thousand six hundred and fifty or one thousand six hundred ninety five Surely this is not to make the day so certaine or the yeer For saith the Philosopher qui indefinite c. He that answers indefinitely answers nothing Beside we cannot for our lives count so exactly but we may misse at least one yeer if we did absolutely pitch on any one account that were never so right in the footing For my part I shall affirme what is most probable about the account when I come to the seventh and last Book SECT VII Mr. Bailyes seventh Argument THe reward of the Martyrs is everlasting life in the heavens promised to them at Christs comming to judge the just and unjust therefore it is not temporall in an earthly Kingdome of a thousand yeers The Antecedent is proved Matth. 5.10 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. which without doubt is not before the last judgement else the Martyrs would be in a worse case then the soules of other Saints continuing in heaven injoying the Trinity yea a punishment to them being brought downe to the earth to returnâ to a body not like to the glorious body of Christ nor yet unto these incorruptible immortall spirituall bodies which yet are promised to the least of the faithfull at their resurrection 1 Cor. 15. But unto such a body that eats drinks sleeps fights delights in fleshly pleasures and converseth with beasts and earthly creatures in such a Paradise whereof the Turkish Alcoran and the Jewish Talmud doth speak much But to a godly soule is very tastelesse and to a soul that hath been in heaven exceeding burthensome Answ first We deny the consequence of the Argument For Gods rewarding his people on earth doth not anticipate heaven nor the reward in heaven cut off the rewards on earth See Mat. 19.29 shall receive an hundred fold and shall also inherit eternall life And this in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the New Creation as the word signifies And when they sit on Thrones according to Dan. 7.22 which is according to our Text of Rev. 20.4 Secondly we say that those places Mr. B. brings for the proof of his Antecedent doe prove our assertion viz. of an happinesse of the Saints on earth as well as in heaven As that in 1 Tim. 4.6 7 8. For verse 8. it is said At that day and particularly at Christs appearing To understand which see verse 1. And remember our arguing upon those words Shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Compare Rev. 19. latter end with Rev. 20.3 4. Likewise that which Mr. Baily urgeth out of 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9.10 plainly proves a reward on earth as well as in heaven It is a RIGHTEOUS thing c. It is mercy to the Saints but righteousnesse chiefly appears upon the wicked that are punished And this appears more to all the world being done on earth To you that are troubled REST WITH US The Apostle aims at a Rest first on earth compare Heb. 2.5 and Chapter 4. verse 9. Rest when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from HEAVEN Not in Heaven And the flames of fire are expresse Rev. 17 16. and Chapter 18. verse 8 and 9. and Chapter 19 two last Lastly It is said in that 2 Thess 1.9 They shall be punished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power But Christ hath no power in heaven at the ultimate day of judgement but then layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.24 As for Matth. 5.10 there is no mention of the place but in the word Heaven not expressing which of the three heavens as Paul distinguisheth Now St. John calls the ââte of the thousand yeers Heaven Rev. 21.1 And in this place of Matth. 5.10 The adjoyning the word KINGDOME to Heaven clearly imports a state on earth For in heaven above nor Saints nor Christ have any Kingdome at the ultimate day of judgement Yee see now how truely Mr. B. saith without doubt the reward in these places is not till the last day of judgement As for M. B. words The Martyrs would be in worse case c. They are grounded on a mistake For all the Saints both the deceased and living shall then share in the same glory on earth For those words It would bee a punishment c. These all flow from ignorance of what the Scripture hath said in this point viz. that their bodies shall in the thousand yeers bee immortall and glorious and conformable to Christs body as we have shewed afore For that Mr. Baily concludes of fighting in the thousand yeers c. let him affirm it when he can without contradicting himself he affirming it a time of all corporall pleasures and when we affirme it And for Turkish Alcoran and Jewish Talmud we have nothing to do with any thing but what we are convinced is according to Scripture But it is the Scottish manner to dispute by branding with reproaches But sure their contrary opinion tends to Familisme SECT VIII Mr. Baylies eighth Argument § 1 THe opinion of the Millenaries supposeth the restauration of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Kingdome after their destruction by the Romans But the Scriptures deny this Ezek. 16.53.55 When I shall bring againe the captivity of Sodome and of Samaria and her daughters then will I bring again the captivity of thy Captives c. The Jews saith Mr. Baily are never to be restored to their ancient outward estate much lesse to a greater and more glorious Kingdome Jerusalem was to be re-builded and the spirituall glory of the second Temple was to be greater then the first And in the end of the same Chapter the restitution of the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity by vertue of the New Covenant is promised But the outward estate of that people was never to be restored to its ancient lustre more then Samaria or Sodome As Amos speakes of Samaria Chap. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is fallen and shall no more rise And Isa saith of Jerusalem The transgression thereof shall be heavy and it shall fall and not rise againe According to the prophesie of Jacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Importing saith Mr. Baily that the Tribe of Judah should ever have some outward visible rule till the comming of Christ in the flesh but thereafter the Scepter and Power of the Church shall be onely spirituall in the hand of Shiloh the Messias He was the substance and body of all these types the restauration of Jerusalem and the erecting of the Monarchy in Judah § 2 Answ The Scripture doth not deny the restauration of Jerusalem but affirme it and that most strongly as we have shewed in many
YOUR FILTHINESSE c. and I will save you from ALL YOUR UNCLEANNES 9. Ezekiel Chap. 44.9 speaking of the glorious state of the Church in the last dayes addes Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in HEART shall enter into my Sanctuary ¶ 10 Dan. 12.3 At the time that Michael shall stand up and deliver his people they that be wise shall shine as the BRIGHTNES OF THE FIRMAMENT and they that turne many to righteousness AS THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER Which is to come to passe before the last universal resurrection and ultimate judgement as we have before demonstrated ¶ 11. Zeph. 3.13 The remnant of Israel SHAL NOT DO INIQUITY nor SPEAK LYES neither shall a DECEITFUL TONGUE be found in their mouthes which words relate as the context afore shews to a state of the Church in the last dayes on earth as the thing demonstrates that it was never yet fulfilled ¶ 12. Zach. 14.20.21 Upon all shall be holinesse to the Lord. ¶ 13 Malach. 4.1 c. The day commeth that shall burne as an oven And all that are proud and doe wickedly shall be as stubble and the day commeth that shall burne them up saith the Lord that it shal leave them neither root nor branch All these places and others have been demonstratively cleared to relate to the time following upon the Call of the Jewes and their settlement All which laid together make up a sinlesse condition § 2 Which will be more cleare and more clearly settled on our spirits by adding some places of the New Testament ¶ 1 In 1 Cor. 15.52 54 55 56. it is said When this corruption shall put on incorruption at the sound of the last Trumpet then O death where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne But thanks be to God that gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Now as wee have before proved there is a vast space viz. of a thousand yeers of the whole terme of the last Trumpet afore the universal ultimate Resurrection ¶ 2 In 2 Cor. 3.18 it is said When the Jewes shall have both vayles taken away as wee have before opened viz. that on Moses namely his forme of worship and that on their hearts viz. their unbeleef instead of the remainders of sinne they shall with open face behold the glory of the Lord being transformed into the same image from glory to glory ¶ 3 St. Peter likewise asserts 2 Pet. 3.13 That after the dissolution of this present vaine sinfull world there shall not onely be New Heavens but also a NEW EARTH wherein dwels RIGHTEOUSNESSE Proving it out of Isa 65.17 for those words be repeats This is spoken to the Jewes and concerning their share in the future happinesse on earth And that dwelling of righteousnesse there must signifie an eminent and absolute degree or else it will not surmount the present state of the Chuch in which as such dwels much righteousnesse But I need not struggle about this with most knowing men who incline to understand this place of a perfection as absolute as that in the supreamest Empyrean heaven ¶ 4 Let us adde but one place more viz. That in Rev. 21. v. 1. c. and verse last of that Chapter in a continued description of the glorious state of the Saints on earth yet to come And saith St. John I saw a new heaven and a new EARTH and I saw the holy City New Jerusalem comming down FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN Behold the Tabernacle of God is WITH MEN c. and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that DEFILETH c. but they that are written in the Lambs Book Every verse of this Chapter as before we gave a particular account hath something in it incompatible and incompetible with the supreamest heavenly estate § 3 But then the question will bee where shall abide all those thousand yeers all those hypocrites called Gog and Magog that shall at last break out and go about to oppose the Church though in vain their opposition and subversion concluding in the same moment Rev. 20.8 Wee answer according to that light wee have attained that most probably they shall not be in but without the Church Rev. 22.15 Without shall be dogs evill men and such as make and love a lye The Heathens as appears by Homer * Iliad 8. did use to call the place of out-cast men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tartaros alluding likely to some dismal remote place of the earth as Tartary is from us and from Jerusalem The Apostle takes up that word in 2 Pet. 2.4 and makes a verb out of it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tartaroâ to signifie the putting of men into an Hellish solitary place So that most likely the unregenerate shall be as remote from the Church as Tartary is from Jerusalem and the Christian Church as far as it were from Hell to Heaven The Church now being as in an Heaven on earth the false-hearted spawn of future Gog and Magog shall bee remote on earth neer their future Hell To which that place of Gog and Magog Rev. 20.8 doth contribute some proof in that it saith that Gog and Magog shall bee fetched up against the Church by the Devil from the FOURE QUARTERS OF THE EARTH § 4 But if these Hypocrites were permitted neerer the Church they might perhaps be converted VVee answer no. For it is if we may use that word the Fate of this Millenary period I meane Gods righteous peremptory sentence that as all that time there shall be no degenerating of any beleevers so no more regenerating of any unbeleevers There is a judiciary sentence peremptorily passed to this purpose Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and be which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still That is They shall be so still In order to which it follows WITHOUT are Dogs c. that love and make a lye And I come quickly and my reward is with mee The appearance of Christ at the preface to thiâ thousand yeers will be as it is represented in the Preface to the Revelation Chap. 1. among the Churches viz. that then are or have been Chuâches Therefore it behooves Churches and all Professors to beware they bee not sound as the Foolish Virgins that never had the oyle of regenerating grace in the vessels of their hearts and the oyle of sound principles in their heads by which they made the blaze of Profession is spent i. e. they have lost their principles and so being unready at Christs comming they come when as Ierome saith well the doors are shut SECT II. It is Sorrowlesse § 1 HAving shewed that this future glorious state of the Kingdome of Christ on earth yet to come shall be sinlesse next with good dependence we assert it is a sorrowlesse condition For sorrow came into the world by sinne therefore sorrow shall
goe out of the world with sinne So the Apostle doth connect and couple them 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory i. e. There is then no sinne which is that sting therefore no sorrow which formerly did tend to death and end in the grave But let us take the Scriptures in order for the sorrowfulnesse of this state and time we speak of ¶ 1 Adams state was a sorrowlesse condition therefore so shall the state of the faithfull at this time be as wee have often recited the parallel Gen. 1.26 with Psal 8. Heb. 2. Psal 95. Heb. 4. out of which 95. Psal the Apostle proving a rest to remain yet on earth for the people of God the word in the Hebrew is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which comes from the same root whence Noahs name is prophetically given him to foretell the comfort that should come to the Church by him even the rest in the Arke in the time of the Flood Gen. 5.29 At which time the earth by water was purged of the Churches enemies Answerably the Apostle in a way of parallel in 2 Pet. 3. mentioning that purgation by water infers another purgation by fire after which we are to expect another rest or restauration and that on earth where was and shall be that purgation which the Apostle Heb. 4. descanting upon Psal 95. renders the sense of that Hebrew word vers 9. of that 4. to the Hebrews by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Sabbatisme a Septenary rest As if hee should say It shall be a Sabbath of Sabbaths or above all Sabbaths or the period and perfection of all Sabbaths That as we rest on a Sabbath or seventh day from our weekly work as God did from his and the Jewish servants every seventh yeer rested from their service And every seventh of seven times seven yeers all their land had rest so in the seventh Millenary of the world the whole universe shall have a rest The Church shall have full Dominion over the whole world For in those places of Psal 95. and Heb. 4. being mainly spoken to and concerning the Iewes cannot bee meant of the Sabbath of Gods resting once and for ever past or of their weekly or of their Septenary-anniversary or of their Jubilean or of their Cananitish Sabbath or of an internal spiritual Sabbath or rest of minde and conscience for all these the Church of the Jewes had enjoyed Nor could the Apostle thinke it needfull to prove that an internal rest which all moral Heathens that beleeve the immortality of the soule expect doth yet remain And therefore the Apostle must mean that rest which was proper to cure the then present dispersed and distressed condition of the Jewes continued to this day That as God hath given them the weekly rest and the Septenary-anniversary and the Jubilean and the Canaanitish so he would give them at last a Millenary rest on earth a rest longer and better then ever they had For much is couched in those words Heb. 4.9 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Therefore there is yet left or there remaineth a Sabbatisme or a kinde of Septenary or Sabbatical rest forthe people of God Marke every word Therefore viz. because God rested on the seventh day in the beginning after that gave them a seventh weekly and yeerly rest and a seventh of seven times seven yeers rest and a rest in Canaan and after all the Lord spake of another rest to come Therefore there remaineth a rest Remaineth or is yet left noteth and importeth something not extant afore in specie in its prime but onely in types but is next to come in order in its native kinde and verdure And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Sabbatisme a word never used but here on this occasion imports a limited time not an everlasting unlimited duration even as Adam lived neer a thousand yeers and had rested so long if not longer in Paradise without sin or sorrow if hee had not hearkned unto the Diabolical temptation And to the people of God which written to the Hebrews must include them so often called by God in the Old Testament my people and so must necessarily signifie that this rest is for the Jewes joyntly with the Gentiles when the Jews shall bee the people of God by faith as now the beleeving Gentiles are as the Apostle disputes Rom. 11. ¶ 2 The Prophet Isaiah also sets forth this sorrowlesse time Chapter 2. vers 2 3 4. And it shall come to passe in the LAST DAYES c. Many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord for he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes and he will judge among the Nations AND THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS NATION SHAL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION neither shall they LEARN WARRE ANY MORE In which words observe that as there is intimated internall spiritual peace so externall corporall peace is openly expressed to come to passe not onely to the Jewes but to all Nations which was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time as this description cannot consist with the ultimate judgement ¶ 3 Another place is in Isa 9. verse 6. Christ shall be called the PRINCE OF PEACE of the increase of his Government and PEACE THERE SHALL BEE NO END upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to establish it c. from henceforth even for ever Which place most plainly speakes of external peace as well as of internal and for a long continuance and doth belong to the time wee speak of as is before demonstrated which Christ hath not to this day fulfilled but rather hath brought a sword then externall peace Therefore the fulfilling of the sense of this Prophesie is yet to come ¶ 4 Isa 11. verse 1. c. A rod of the stem of Jesse c. with righteousnesse shall judge the poore and reprove with equity for the meeke c. He shall slay the wicked c. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountaine For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord c. The envy of Ephraim shall depart and the Adversaries of Judah shall bee cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah Ephraim c. All which taken together doe most plainly relate to the time wee speak of as is before proved But this was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time And therefore these high expressions are to bee fulfilled at the glorious time wee discourse of ¶ 5 Isa 14.1 2 3. We have these high promises The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their owne Land and the strangers shall be joyned unto them c. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place c. And the Lord shall give them REST FROM SORROW FEARE AND
happinesse then it must not be taken from them by the old misery of death If all the Elect dead and alive must reigne on earth a thousand yeers as we have proved then there must be no death to cut this time shorter They doe not reigne if subject in the thousand yeers to that great enemy Death Nor do any of them live a thousand yeers if by succession they dye in that thousand yeers If there shall be no more sorrow nor cries nor paines as wee heard afore how then can this Man-eater death continue If sinne be gone why should death remaine § 2 But to leave discourses and come to plaine places of Scripture which are divers ¶ 1 Isa 25.8 He i. e. the Lord mentioned in the former verses will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people c. Wee before demonstrated that this place belongs to the glorious time we speake of sc when the Jewes are called And you see how full it speaks to the thing of the removal of death Calvin confesseth that this is under Christs Kingdome and addes under Christs universal Kingdom And sure Christ as Christ hath no Kingdom in heaven after the ultimate judgement nor universal now ¶ 2 Another place is in Hos 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave And I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I wil be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes Which place is evidently spoken to Ephraim the ten Tribes verse 12. therefore this cannot relate to the return of the two Tribes from Babylon And it is as evident that more then a spiritual deliverance of a mans soul from death in sin is meant in that here is joyned deliverance from the grave with deliverance from death And twice a mention of grave But much adoe there is with some that would faine make this Text a continuation of the Prophets minatory speech in the former Chapter But the words are plaine words of mercy and a Prophesie of mercy quoted by Paul not onely that God can doe such a thing as in the Text but that he will do it Again how common is it for the Prophets in their preaching mifericordias cum minis mifcere to mingle mercies with minatories So that they may as well say almost that the 14. Chapter is a continuation of threatnings It is frequent in this Prophesie to make threats and comforts so take their turnes Chap. 1. Chap. 2. c. And to me it is plaine and evident that as it is noted in our English Translation at verse 9. begins a Sermon of mercy and so is continued to the end of the 14. verse It is said in verse 9. O Israel thou not I hast destroyed thy self Thou hast brought thy misery on thy selfe But I will be thy King where is any other to save thee in all thy Cities So plainly according to Heb. And for experience the Lord tells Ephraim that the King they desired and had could not save them And therefore God was their onely saving King and therefore was not pleased in giving them a King and in anger did he take away Kings from them because of their confidence in them but this taking them away would make way for their imbracing God for their King according to that which follows in the ensuing promises As for verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up and hid Hiding as well sounds of justification and pardon of sin Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.7 as of punishment And for the 13. verse close to the Hebrew thus Sorrows of a woman in travel will come upon him viz. Ephraim He an unwise Sonne * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã If vid. Schindl if he shall stay long in the breaking forth of children i. e. in the straitnesse of the womb i. e. If by repentance he doe not help himselfe out of his sorrows But however verse 14. I sayes the Lord if Ephraim be unwise and helps not himselfe yet I the Lord will ransome them c. as aforesaid Sure enough these words are plaine for the point in hand even as both those two places aforesaid are severall times quoted in the New Testament and applied to a state that is to be afore the ultimate day of judgement ¶ 3 For 1. both places seem to mee to be touched in 1 Cor. 15.54 55. As our new notes on the Bible concur with mee For in the 54. verse seems to be quoted Isa 25.8 For the Apostles words are plainly the same with Isaiah Death is swallowed up in victory And in 55. verse seems a quotation of Hos 13.14 For the Apostles challenge is plainly according to Hosea O grave where is thy victory Secondly The Apostle makes application of the fulfilling of these Prophesies to be at the time we speak of sc of the visible glory of the Church on earth For which observe these particulars First The Apostle mentions our restitution to our state in the first Adam by Christ the second Adam v. 49. compared with Psal 8. As Psal 8. with Gen. 1.26 to which end the visible glorious state of the Church is set out by having a Fountain and Tree of life alluding to Paradise Rev. 22. All which import a state upon earth Secondly That the Apostle mentions the time to be at the sound of the last Trumpet importing other Trumpets to sound first so that the last Trumpet is the seventh as John numbers them not hid from Paul Now from the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet so many things follow as wee have several times demonstrated that there must of necessity be a state of the Churches visible glory before the ultimate day of judgement For when Rev. 11.15 the seventh Angel sounded then First There was an Earthquake v. ibid. Secondly A proclaiming that the Kingdomes of the earth are the Kingdomes of Christ v. 15. Christ shall reign for ages of ages till time be no more ibid. Fourthly Saints sing praise for it v. 16 17. Fifthly Christ takes to him his great power and now reigns v. 17. Sixthly Nations are angry at it v. 18. Seventhly The Saints are raised and rewarded v. 18. Eighthly A destroying of them that destroyed the earth and care is taken of the earth v. 18. Ninthly The Temple of God is opened and the Arke discovered v. 19. Tenthly Lightinings and thundrings and earthquakes and great haile v. 19. All these here beside that in Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Rev. 22. From the beginning of the seventh Trumpet to the end of it Now let any ingenuous man judge by these ten particulars whether they are consistent with heaven above and whether they must not necessarily import a state on earth So that the Apostle here in this 1 Cor. 15. mentioning the raising of the Saints the cloathing of them with incorruption and the changing of them that are alive quoting those two
texts of Isa 25.8 and Hos 13 14. to be then fulfilled doth clearly import a state on earth of a visible glory of the Church when the Jewes shall be called For the said Prophesies mainly had an eye to the restitution of the Jews As the Apostle extends them to Jews and Gentiles attained by Christ And speaks in this Chapter all along of the resurrection of Saints which John Rev. 20.5 calls the first Resurrection and doth not speake of the generall Resurrection of the wicked ¶ 3 Adde to the three former places to prove that this time we speake of shall be a deathlesse condition another most evident place sc Rev. 21.4 I have diverse times demonstrated that this Chapter cannot bee meant of everlasting glory in the highest heavens And once I runne over the whole Chapter to that end And now you may cast your eye upon 1 2 3. verses which lead to the fourth now quoted New heavens because the old passe away But the highest heavens are never old nor passe away And a New earth which cannot import Heaven No more Sea This in no wise can belong to a description of glory in the highest heavens I saw New Jerusalem the holy City comming downe from God OUT of Heaven not going up to Heaven The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them Then it follows v. 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine So that the taking away of all tears as is here expressed is the same with Isa 25.8 And in both places the taking away of death and of sorrow are conjoyned ¶ 4 So that in Revel 7. the last verse relates to the same place of Isa 25.8 And intends fully the taking away of death though not so fully mentioned ¶ 5 The last place to prove this deathlesse condition is Rev. 22.2 3 It is evident that this 22 Chapter relates to the same state as Chapter 21. witnesse not only v. 14 15. But v. 1 2. of the Fountain of water and Tree of life which signifies a state on earth Now in relation to our Point by reason of their partaking of the Tree of life it is said in v. 3. There shall be no curse i. e. No death For that was the original curse to Adam if he did eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill If he did not he might have eaten of the Tree of life and lived for ever Hee should never have dyed but beene translated So now shall it bee in this State § 3 Thus you see the grounds that make it most probable that this time shall be a Deathlesse time A kinde of beginning of immortality If men say the contrary it is by presumptuous interpretation and with a bold THAT IS But these places speake so plaine downe right that I must leave them as I finde them and not dare to alter them If any one intimation in other Scriptures may be found they must for ought I see be accommodated to these The plainer must make the darker comply To deal faithfully with you There is onely one considerable place that I know of relating to the time I speake that hath something of an intimation of mortality to be in these times and that is Isa 65.20 It cleerly relates to the time we speak of v. 17. Behold I create New Heavens and a New earth c. which Peter refers to this time 2 Pet. 3.13 in relation to the promise in that Isa 65. Now the 20. verse our Translators have rendred thus There shall be no more an Infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes For the childe shall dye an hundred yeers old but the sinner being an hundred yeers old shall be accursed Now as far as I can see into Languages and the context these words For the childe shall dye an hundred yeers old may be more fitly translated That the childe should dye an hundred yeers old For the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Hebrew is exceeding often used yea and so rendred by Translators to signifie THAT as wee have here rendred it As for turning shall into should it is not worth the mentioning before a Grammarian that knowes that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã so rendred will infer that the verb speak subjunctively Now read the words so easily altered in the English and without the least violence to the native acception of the Hebrew and the meaning will be quite contrary to any intimation of the mortality of the Saints in this glorious time of the thousand yeers For according as we have translated the sense will runne cleerly thus There shall be no more thence or from that time viz. of the beginning of the thousand yeers of the New Creation an infant of dayes or an old man that hath not filled his dayes that the child or young man should dye at an hundred yeers old So that here is no mention of the mortality of the Saints but of their immortality Which for further clearing of the Text may bee made out two wayes ¶ 1. Thus Hee that is an hundred yeers old in those dayes is but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as it is in the Text but a youth or young man as our old Translation renders it For as a youth hath but the tenth part of that age which many men live in these dayes So an hundred yeers are but the tenth of this Millenary time of life to the inheritors thereof Againe as in the first age of the world wherein Adam lived one of an hundred yeers old was but a young man to one at his full age in those dayes as Gen. 5.4 Adam lived an hundred and thirty yeers and begat a sonne But Adam after that lived eight hundred yeers so all his dayes were nine hundred and thirty neer a thousand Even so in this Millenary age of the New creation one of an hundred yeers old is but a young man to the thousand yeers that hee shall reigne with Christ on earth So that the sense of the Prophet may fairly be taken to be this That in the time of this New creation the thing a type at least of the highest glory and the time a preface of eternity as the young man must not have his dayes cut off so the old man must fulfill his dayes And how are both these accomplished in this New creation but by both their living on earth a thousand yeers old and young all Saints reigning on earth a thousand yeers When I speake of old and young you must understand those Saints that are found alive at Christs comming which anon after are changed for all the deceased Saints are raised to an equall perfection and absolute maturity of age and nature even as the other are changed into the same exactnesse though at Christs first appearance different in age c. So that we may well understand the Prophet to allude to the age of
shall not If we might be tempted this were not a sorrowlesse condition It was a part of Christs great humiliation that he was tempted though he could not be prevailed against If wicked men the instruments shall not be neer to tempt them then nor Satan the Author So the Text Rev. 19. The wicked are removed Chap. 20. Satan is removed bound up that he should not seduce the Nations any more which phrase would be weighed more then it is I have before shewed in our answer to Doctor Prideaux That the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies any the least temptation And now I adde that for ought I know ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may fitly be rendred Satan shall not to that end wander up and downe among the Nations The Greek may beare it And the context speaks for it For were all those expressions and acts sc laid hold on and bound him cast him into the pit and sets a seale onely to that end that he might not seduce If God had onely laid his command it had been enough to restrain his acting as when Christ commanded him out of the possessed Rather therefore the meaning is that hee might not have so much as the liberty to peragrare Gentes to wander up and downe over the Nations It must not be with him as in the dayes of the Churches afflictions Job 1.7 and 1 Pet. 5.8 Now he is held chained cast down sealed that he may not wander ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the active is to wander as planets that compasse the Earth And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the middle voice signifies to wander from place to place viz. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the Greek Criticks give instance obire multa loca to travel over much ground And Christ saith Now is the houre of temptation and the Kingdome of patience Then the Kingdome of perfect peace purity and exultation Rev. 11. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. The Serpent then shal only eat his dust Isa 65.25 in opposition to Gen. 3.14 And the devill that abused his body shall be shut up Now shall be fulfilled that promise Rom. 20.16 The God of PEACE mark Gods title shall tread Satan under your feet c. Now that Satan is in the pit he must be under their feet while the Saints stand on their feet on earth Satan must be under them As all things under Christs feet Heb. 2. As for Satans utter prevailing that was subdued when the Apostle spake those words For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 Observe it is said works c. therefore now Satan himselfe must be under their feet as that text speaks Rom. 16.20 now is to bee fulfilled perfectly that Heb. 2.8 c. All must be subject to Christ And he must destroy death AND HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH WHICH IS the Devil verse 14. So that that time that is a Deathlesse condition is a Devil-lesse a Satanlesse time And as in Rev. 20.7 the letting loose of Satan and Satans tempting go together so by an Antithesis Satans binding and his Non-tempting goe together verse 3. Indeed it is said so frequently in the Revelation that at the seventh Trumpet at this first Resurrection when Christ reigns and the Saints with him on Earth that their businesse shall be to joy praise triumph and sing Hallelujahs Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 14. and Rev. 19.5 or six times in the beginning of that Chapter that it cannot enter into the thoughts of the purest reason that there should be any sad songs of Satan sung to the ears of a Saint Sin and temptation are more sad then death to a Saint and therefore if the lesser sorrow and death shall be gone at this time then much more temptation If nothing that defileth shall enter into this state then not the unclean spirit as Christ calls him O glorious time when there shall be no disposition within nor temptation without to sinne but so full of God and happinesse in manifestation of Christ that there shall be no thoughts but in relation to him The souls of the Elect shall not returne to their bodies to be tempted that were their losse And the living Saints are changed therefore to a state of grace beyond that now which at present is liable to Temptation SECT VI. The next Quality is the RESTAURATION OF ALL THE CREATURES AS Isa 65.17 it is said there must be New Heavens sc a New Church-state so a New Earth a New naturall politick state of persons and things For there is mention of plantings and injoying of them And verse 25. of the Wolfe dwelling with the Lamb c. and that dust shall be the Serpents meat no devouring or hurting So the close They shall not destroy nor hurt in all the holy Mountaine Of this of the Wolfe c. we spake once afore largely on Isa 11.6 7 8 9. which Lactantius takes litterally See before and after the Text it is intended for the time we speake of And the reason of all is For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Knowledge signifies oft all spirituals and here imports that there shal be such an abundant manifestation of Gods presence that all whether taken litterally or metaphorically shall be as in Paradise before Adams fall So Psal 8. makes Gen. 1.26 A Prophesie or Type or both of what man shall injoy in after times And Heb. 2. applies Psal 8. to the time we speak of And Heb. 4. applies Gods resting the seventh day to a Sabbatisme on earth yet to come So the 2 Pet. 3. and Rev. 21.1 apply the New Heavens and New Earth to the said time and call it the New Jerusalem comming downe from God out of Heaven And the addition to the glory of this New Jerusalem shall be a lustre of all creatures materials of building shall be like all manner of precious stones and men shall be like Angels Kings honouring the Church No sea sc to devoure but adorn and comfort man if it be not in a great part crusted into a chrystal body like heaven above consolidated for men to travel upon and come together and to shine to adde an inlightning to the earth for more glory Adde to all this that of Rom. 8.18 As vox naturae THE VOYCE OF NATURE for our point full to our purpose though it may be not heeded for this purpose For Peter gives us a good item when being about to speak of the New Heavens and New Earth 2 Pet. 3. He tels us in v. 3. That before that shall be scoffers and slighters of this opinion of Christs comming they will be as heedlesse as men were before the renovation of the world by Noahs flood Chap. 2. And then having spoken of the New Heavens c. according to Gods promise verse 13. then in the 14. verse he exhorts men to be diligent to bee found blamelesse
Merchants and Travellours finde them into all Countries and Nations therefore the deliverance of the Jewes which is to follow this scattering intimated in the word untill is not yet fulfilled and till then the glorious state of the Church on earth to be made up of Jewes and Gentiles cannot exist as we have often heard afore out of the Prophets Observe next that the Jewes must continue thus scattered into all Nations UNTILL the opportunities or seasons of the Gentiles be filled up or compleatly made up which was not done in Pauls time Rom. 11.25 26. for as it is there added when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED by a Deliverer that shall come out of Sion turning away ungodlinesse from Jacob according to covenant which as it is no opportune businesse for the ultimate Judgement so it hath not had its opportunity hitherto to be fulfilled upon earth as it is apparent before our eyes in the Non-conversion of the Jewes and the non-preaching of the Gospell to all Nations of the Gentiles before discussed * See before in this third Book chap 4. Sect. 1. Observe lastly that this trampling of Jerusalem by the Gentiles is computed by the Holy Ghost Rev. 11.2 to continue forty two Moneths that is vers 3. one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes that is yeares to commence from the time that Antichrist should have that same ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as some Copies read it i. e. power or authority to doe or act as Antichrist as Antichrist growne up to act Or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as other Copies read that is power or authority to make warre Now if we take the eldest account viz. from his power to act or doe this cannot wel commence higher then from the removing of HIM THAT WITH-HELD and LETTED the revealing of Antichrist 2 Thes 2.6 7 8. That is the laying low of the Roman Emperour Anno Dom. 410. by Alaricus King of the Goths taking and spoyling Rome and exposing her by this weakening to future depredations by the Vandals c. And therefore the most learned Elias Reusnerus boldly takes the beginning of the compute of the 42. Moneths from that same time which if granted infers that these 42. moneths or 1260. dayes of yeares that is 1260. yeares then taking their beginning are not expired till the yeare 1670. Reusner gives us both the briefe of the History and the exact account in his Isagoge Historica at the yeare 410. of the Infancy of Antichrist * Roma Victrix inquit Domina orbis ab Alarico Gothorum Rege capta direpta Scââat lib. 7. â 10 a quo tempore auctoritate ejus plurimùm imminutâ ipsa exposita est pari deinceps praedae atque diâeptioni Vandâlis Herulis Longobardis aliisque Germaniae Gentibus quae in Italiâ Galliâ Hispaniâ Britanniâ exâtarunâ diversa regna Ab hâc imperii Romani inclinatione sublato è medio ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Paulus Apostolus 2 Thes 2. Ordiendum esse innuit tempus Filâi PERDITIONIS quâm Dominus confecturus fit spiritu oris sui Rectè ergè hic initium figitur XLII MENSIUM ANGELICORUM regni bestiae septicipitis Apoc. 13. decicornis potestatem magnam ab infernali Dracone mutuantis horribiles contra Deum blasphemias eructantis hoc est Papatus Romani per septem occidentis regna Italiam Hispaniam Britanniam Galliam Germaniam Hungariam Poloniam diffusi a quo tandem posteriora capita quinque per Agnum Dei Apocal. 17 divelluntur quae in decem regna specialia resurgunt nempe Germaniam Bohemiam Hungariam Poloniam Sueciam âaniam Norvegiam Scotiam Angliam Franciam in quibus hodiè contabescit regnum Pontificis Romani HORUM MENSIUM FINIS INCIDET in Anno Christi 1670. Sic Elias Reusnerus Isag Hist De Infantia Antichristi ad annum Christi 410. If we take the younger or latter account viz. from the power of Antichrist to make warre and fix the beginning thereof with the greatest probability as to that among the learned upon Pope Hildebrand alias Gregory the seventh who was the first saith Helvicus That excommunicated the Emperour and arrogated to himselfe the power of appointing and setting up the Emperour enfolding as Reusner carries on the story the Roman Empire in all manner of seditions and civill Wars excommunicating Henry the fourth Caesar making him attend bare-foot at his Palace gate in sharp winter arming the Nobility of Germany against him absolving them from their allegeance I say if we fixe the beginning of Antichrists power to make warre upon this Hildebrand then it will be far longer ere the 1260. yeares wil be run out the said Hildebrand so ruffling in his power not till about the yeare of Christ 1070. to which if we adde 1260. we make up a far larger reckoning then the former and so much farther from fulfilling whereas this our context affirmes ver 28. that when that time of trampling shall be fulfilled the Jewes redemption draweth nigh Which must be fulfilled afore the ultimate Judgement the time of that Judgement being inconsistent with these things or else it cannot be fulfilled at all Therefore as sure as God cannot lye this is yet to bee fulfilled SECT IV. The fourth place is in Luke 22.28 29 30. Ver. 28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations Ver. 29. And I appoint unto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me Ver. 30. That yee may eate and drink at my Table in MY Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of ISRAEL § 1 IN the first place let us not forget that ancient true rule Non est a literâ seu propria scripturae significatione recedendum nisi evidens aliqua necessitas cogat scripturae veritas in ipsâ literâ periclitari videatur i.e. We are not to depart from the Letter or proper sence of the Scripture unlesse some evident necessity compel and the truth of the Scripture seem to be endangered Now there is no such necessity lies upon this Text to recede from the litterall sence thereof For by a litterall and Proper interpretation of this Text neither is the truth of this nor of any other place of Scripture nor of any of the Articles of our faith in the least indangered as wee shall see more abundantly when we come to answer objections against our Thesis Mean while take notice that there are many grave godly learned men not onely in our Nation but in other Countries who while they doe not yet take up this opinion as their own do yet notwithstanding ingeniously confesse that it is a very harmelesse opinion § 2 Note in the second place that there is a great importunity if not necessity incumbent on this Scripture to understand it at least in the general according to the letter For ¶ 1. Therein is promised as a peculiar reward to them that had indured temptations with
equally of the middle voice as of the passive both being in terms and syllables the same in the Greek And then if in the middle voice they may wel be rendred actively as before we have rendred them And so the Syriack renders them actively which Beza highly approves And for justification of our rendring baptizing by washing we have good warrant from Mar. 7.4 where the Greek word Baptisme is rendred washing viz. of cups and pots and brazen vessels and tables as the nature of the things there mentioned necessarily require it to be so rendred Yet if any will contend for a passive signification then saith learned Beza there will be a verball nown included in the verb it selfe as is common among the Hebrews and so this Text must thus be translated What shall they do that is What shall be done to them who are washed with a washing over the dead that is with a mortual as Plautus speaks or funerall washing or a sepulchral washing or a washing belonging to them that are dead It seems by that phrase of heathen Roman Platus and other passages of others of them as Tarquinii corpus bona faemina lavit unxit that is A good woman washed and anointed the body of Tarquin that the Heathen were wont to wash the bodies of their dead which they had learned of the Patriarchs and Jews mentioned in their Talmuds and practised in Act. 9.37 Now saith the Apostle to the Corinthians who formerly were heathens why do the heathen wash their dead if they expect no more of the welfare of such bodies in another world then of the bodies of beasts Others bring I confesse other Interpretations But I leave them to learned Beza and our New Annotations who have elaborately confuted them Onely I adde this word That baptizing with blood in suffering persecution an unknown phrase in Pauls Epistles cannot be here meant as some would because it will not have the force of an argument on them that doubted of the Resurrection For to such out of doubt suffering for Christianity newer then the doctrine of the Resurrection was as doubtful if not more doubtfull then the Resurrection it self Such would bee ready enough to say That it is their stubbornness and pride or at least their valour and honour c. as in Duels not to be mastered by their adversaries that makes men dye for that Religion else if they preferred life they would keep it whiles they had it and comply or conceale their Religion Indeed for Paul to satisfie himselfe and his fellow-beleevers that they were in jeopardy every day for the Gospels sake upon the ground of hoping for a Resurrection is something But to them flatly denyed the Resurrection with whom hee disputes hee must urge Extra scripturian or Scripturelesse arguments viz. customes of men c. in several Nations as touched afore to convince them For surely they that doubt of the Resurrection doubt of the Scriptures that so often as well in the Old Testament as in the New mention the same But of this in the fourth Chapter of this Booke Out of the Heathen Sybils for the glorious state on earth yet to come wee had many of Lactantius his quotations in our first Book And we had not need make repetitions when haste to prevent our friends fear of our tediousness will not permit me to insert all I would assert CHAP. III. Next wee come to the MAHUMETANS viz. the SARACENS TURKS and ARABIANS touching their opinions of the future glorious state on earth yet to come § 1 IN the generall they have this ancient Tradition received among themselves That they last of all shall be subdued by the children of ISAAC So Purchas in his Pilgrimage that large and laborious History informs us and pious and learned Mr. Huet on Daniel takes it up as credible § 2 In particular in their Alcoran according to the English Edition they say * Pref. to the Alcoran That Jesus Christ a great Prophet borne of the Virgin MARY a Virgin both before and after her delivery conceived by the divine inspiration without a Father shall come againe on earth at the end of the world to confirme the Law c. That * Chap. 2. of the Epitome of the Alcoran beleevers after the Resurrection shall enjoy the immense pleasures of PARADISE wherein flow many Rivers and shall there finde all sorts of fair and savoury fruits c. Which particular is there sometimes much illustrated and often repeated in all that mine eye in a cursory reading took notice of to the number of thirty times * To Chap. 3. twice 4. thrice In 5.10.13.14.15 16 18 19 20 21. 22.35.42.48 twice 52.56.64.69.76 78 81 83 88 99. That this happinesse then on earth is better then that now ** Chap. 4. That that happinesse on earth shall have communion with the happinesse in heaven *â* Chap. 3.48 89. That there shall be no evill â Chap. 19.74 There the possessors shall praise God * Chap. 35. Shall enjoy the great grace of God ** Chap. 42. That when JAGOG and MAGOG shall come running from the eminent places of the earth then shall the day of judgement appear *â* Chap. 32. Chap. 21. That all men shall one day be assembled before him to be judged a THOUSAND YEERS being BUT AS ONE DAY before him â Chap. 43. That the comming of JESUS the Sonne of MARY shall bee a signe of the certainty of the day of judgement â Epit. Alcor lat cap. Creatoris rerum ordo num in margin 8. § 3 In their Alcoran according to the Latine Edition for I finde more in that then in the English Edition not onely upon report but by the Epitome of the Alcoran in Latine translated out of the Arab. into Latine by Robert Ketenensis an English-man I say in the Latine Edition of the Alcoran I finde a discourse of the duration of the world to seven thousand yeers six of which much past Of the signes of the day of judgement * Ibid. num in Marg. 60. Of the returning of all mankind and creatures to God That God will raise the dead and make them to returne to him â Ibid num in Marg. 33 That good men shall be in Paradise as Co-heirs with God * Ibid. num in Marg. 60. § 4 In the Theology of Mahomet translated into Latine by Hermannus Nellingunnensis in Quarto and conjoyned in my Copy with the said Epitome of the Alcoran There is a large description of the Paradise which good men shall enjoy on earth after the Resurrection setting forth both the quality and continuance of it Touching the quality Paradise is there described by gold and precious stones not altogether different from some phrases in the Prophets Isa chap. 54. and Revel chap. 21. And by Trees and Rivers not utterly dissonant from Revel 22. The account of the continuance doth something differ The day thereof saith that Treatise is
a thousand yeers The yeer thereof four hundred thousand yeers Possibly the thousand yeers intend the limited felicity on earth the foure hundred thousand yeers the eternal in ultimate glory And then the said Tract of Theologie goes on saying They that possesse this estate shall be all perfect in STATURE to wit in the STATURE OF ADAM and in FORM viz. in the FORM OF JESUS CHRIST never suffering any increment or decrement They shall have all sweet contentment and all at their pleasure without difficulty or delay § 5 It is there added concerning the day of judgement That the day of judgement shall continue a long time Three Trumpets shall bee sounded At the last all shall be gathered together to Jerusalem § 6 Thus you see what glimmering light the Turks had of the future state we speake of If they erre in the manner of their discourse it is no wonder being such Barbarians as I may say in many respects We have in substance confessed by them what wee contend for A wise man hath been sometimes cloathed in a fools Coat We told you before we should not justifie all the words the Heathens Turks and Jews should speak of this point Yet let not this as Mr. Mede saith touching the rubbish mixt in the Fathers and others touching this opinion make us cast away the substance of gold The Turks you see in part and I might have shewed you more sometimes speak in substance according to Scripture And sometimes they speake in effect touching our point against themselves wherein they are to be regarded As in that touching Jagog and Magog who are they themselves and touching Jesus Christ his comming againe to confirme the Law and to be the patterne of our perfection at the Resurrection and not their Mahomet And that the children of Isaac shall at last overcome them Great is the power of truth and it shall prevaile as Cardanus said and in a demonstration thereof as he professeth he wrote the disgracefull story of his owne birth and life CHAP. IV. Containing the Doctrine of the Jewish Rabbins concerning the state of the godly after the Resurrection and the Scriptures they alleadge for their Doctrine § 1 FIrst we will present to you some passages out of a collection of them compiled learnedly by R. Menasse Ben Israel * In his Treatise De Resurrectione mortuorum libritres As for the Rabbi himselfe in the first Book hee doth very orthodoxly assert abundantly out of many Scriptures of the Old Testament and the consent of some Rabbins therein the Resurrection I will touch one because according to his allegation the inference thence naturally flowing looks more particularly with favour on our Thesis Moreover saith he * Ibid. lib. 1. cap. p. 13. 101. Jacob in Egypt would be buried with his Fathers in Canaan and Joseph commanded his brethren that when they should depart out of Egypt they should carry his bones with them All which are of that nature that by them it easily appears that they believed the soule to be immortal or else that care had been ridiculous Yea it had been ridiculous if they had not hoped for an happy estate among the godly in their bodies upon the earth at the Resurrection Else they needed not take any regard of places on earth neer the faithfull or c. of this inference as allowed by the Rabbins see after in this Chapter § 2 In his second Book he brings us many resolutions of questions out of the learned Rabbins 1 That men that were monsters here shall rise againe without all monstrousnesse because else their monstrosity would terrifie the minds of men c. * Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 5. p. 163. which reason argues a conversing of men on earth after the Resurrection 2 That the dead shall rise cloathed ** Ibid. 2. c. 6. p. 164 165. c Thus saith he R. Meyr in Tract Sannedrim asserted when Cleopatra put it as a Question to him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. He gives his answer in summe thus If the Wheat-corne sowne in the earth doth not need for its putrefaction so many wrappers as it springs up with yet it ariseth out of the earth with a blade and ear How much more convenient is it that pious and good men for decorum sake shall rise cloathed with garments And in the Jerusalem Talmud it is said under the name of R. Natan ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. with the same vestiment with which a man is buried shall he rise againe according to that Job 38.14 He is changed as a lump of clay and stands as a garment To the same effect R. Johanan in Beresit Raba R. Irmihah These things I doe not take time to dispute whether true or false but this I inferre that those Rabbins that beleeved this must needs thus thinke upon this ground that there should be an happy estate of good men on EARTH at their resurrection Howbeit for mine own part if you will needs presently know my inclination what to thinke herein remember that Adam and Eve being both naked in innocencie and our estate at the Resurrection shall not bee more imperfect they were not thereby obnoxious either to sinne or shame 3 How the world shall be able to containe all that shall be raised and particularly the land of PALESTINE Ibid. l. 2. c. 10. p. 186 187. c all the JEWS To which the Rabbins answer That there are now many Tracts of the world which are not habitable but either are at present unknown or if known yet through too much heat or too much cold are not inhabited Which things shall not be so at the Resurrection For then all parts of the whole Earth shall be known and all shall be made habitable And for the capacity of PALESTINE or the Holy-land promised to the ISRAELITES as the place of their entertainment this Isaias excellently explains Chap. 54.2 3. Sing O barren c. Enlarge the place of thy Tent and let them stretch forth the Curtaines of thine habitations Spare not lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on thy left and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and shall make the desolate Cities to be inhabited By the place of the Tent saith the Rabbin is meant Jerusalem and by the Curtains of her Tabernacle are meant the Cities of the Holy-land Moreover faith the prophet those Curtains shall extend themselves too far In which matter this Prophet agrees with the words of Zachary Chap. 9. v. 1. That Jerusalem as the Rabin renders it shall be extended unto the gates of Damascus and Hamat with Tyre and Sidon shall enter into the borders of the Holy-land even as the Chalde Paraphrase doth expound which also may be confirmed out of Jeremiah Chapter 31. v. 38. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that the City shall be built to the Lord from the Tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the