Sect and was of any Tribe as the Jewes themselves intimate There were two sorts â— Laic 1. Such as taught to write which we call Scribes or Writing Masters 2 Such as drew Deeds and Writings of bargaines and sale which we call Sâ—riveners To both these Psal 45. ver 1. alludes Then thirdly out of these that were most expert there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kings Scribes which we call Secretaries 2 King 12 10. and chap. 22. ver 1. And 2 Sam. 20.25.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scribes of the people which were much like to our Clerkes of Assizes for these Scribes were to attend the publicke Courts and Consistories 1 Maccab. 5.42 The second sort of Scribes were Clericks learned men called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Scribes of the Law Ezra 7.6 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lawyers Matth. 22.35 Luk. 7.30 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctors or Teachers of the Law Luk 5.17 Elias must first come he answers Elias truly shall first come and restore all things but I say unto you that Elias is come already and THEY the Iewes led by those Scribes knew him not but have done unto him whatsoever they listed Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of THEM Then the Disciples understood that he spake to them of John Baptist And by Christs speech that generation in which he was borne should bee called to an account for all the blood of the Saints shed by the Jewes persecution from Abel down to the Apostles which must needs include the murther of Iohn Baptist Matth. 23.35 Luk. 11.51 And further the sacred Text doth intimate that these Herodians had held some dangerous leaven of doctrine though t is not there expressed Mar. 8.15 The Assideans were of two sorts the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsadikim and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasidim The Isadikim kept close to the letter of the Scriptures and studyed that The Chasidim commonly translated Assidael Assideans studyed how to adde to the Scriptures The Tsadikim conformed outwardly at least to what the law required But the Chasidim would be holy above the Law D. Kimch Psal 103.17 Pirke Aboth cap. 5. The Essenes first Of the Essenes Held many of the Pythagoreans evill opinions as a communitie of goods Aul. Gel. l. 1. c. 10. Laert. in Pythag. Ioseph l. 18. c. 2. They allowed not lawfull pleasures Iustin l. 20. Ioseph de bello l. 2. c. 12. they ascribed all things to fate and destiny Suid. Ioseph Antiqu. l. 13. c. 9.2 They worshipped towards the sun rising Philo. Ioseph 3. bound themselves by oath to preserve the names of Angels the phrase implying a kind of worshipping of Angels Ioseph de bel l. 2. c. 12. c. The Gaulonites Of the Gaulonites who had their name from one Iudas sometimes called Iudas Gaulonites sometime Iudas Galilaeus Ios Antiq. l. 18. c. 1 2. mentioned Act. 5.37 Held first That tribute was not to be paid to Princes as being a badge of servitude Secondly that they ought to call none Lord but the Lord of Lords the God of Heaven Thirdly They forbad sacrifices to bee offered for the welfare of the Roman Empire and Emperour which is conceived to be the reason why Pilat mingled their blood with their sacrifices Luk. 13.1 Oecumen in Act. 5.37 Theophyl in Luk. 13.1 For Pilat was not over the Nation or province of the Galileans and therefore it must be this Sect that Pilat so punished And thus you have had an account of the Iewes corrupting of Religion in Christs time as Iewish And as for Christian religion they did for the generality refuse both it and him Ioh. 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not And so they did after in the Apostles ministrations rejecting their Doctrine and persecuting their persons Act. 13. Act. 4. and so saith St. Paul Rom. 11. they are to continue in blindnesse till the fulnesse of the Gentiles shal be come in that then ALL ISRAEL may be saved ¶ 3. For the Jewes victory prophesied in this fourth of Micha it is set forth in the eighth verse c. to the end of the chapter v. 8. And thou O Tower of the flock the strong hold of the daughter of ZION unto thee shall it come even the FIRST DOMINION the Kingdome shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem That is thou must have a flourishing estate at least as glorious as at first in David and Solomons time ver 10. Thou shalt be delivered from Babylon there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies They shall not onely be dèlivered as by a common providènce but shall be redeemed as relating to the fruit of a Saviour Luk. 3. ver 30 31 32. and v. 38. Ver. 13. Arise and thresh O daughter of Zion for I will make thine horne Iron and I wil make thine hoofs brasse and thou shalt beat in peeces MANY PEOPLES And I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord and their substance to the Lord of the earth So that the Jewes must not onely be delivered from their enemies but must be the destroyers of their enemies that continue enemies and that not of a few but of many peoples Now when ever had the Jewes since their first captivity such prosperity such victory such a Kingdom and such a conquest Ten Tribes for two are still by the Jewes confession in captivity And the two Tribes ever since their first return have been notwithstanding under the power of one Monarch or another by an immediate and concatenaâ—ed succession 1. The Persian 2 The Grecian 3. The Roman 4. The Saracen 5. The Turke So that this Scripture is not yet come to passe and cannot be deferred to the ultimate general resurrection as being inconsistent with that time in most of the branches Therefore it is yet to bee fulfilled afore that time Thus of Micha SECT XLIV Next we come to the Prophet Zephany where we shall insist but upon one place and that is an Eminent one viz. chap. 3. ver 9 c. To the end of the Chapter § 1 IN this place three things are prophesied which orderly laid together doe compleatly make up the maine of our point that yet before the ultimate judgement at the universall resurrection there shall be a most glorious visible Church on earth beautifully woven and integrated of Iewes and Gentiles 1 Here is prophesied the RESTITUTION of the Iewes both in a way of conversion unto God and of reversion into their owne Country unto a glorious Church State 2 The VOCATION of the Gentiles both unto an effectual conversion unto God and a most harmonious union with the rest of the Church 3 The SUBVERSION of the enemies of the Jewes and of the Church of Christ § 2 The first the RESTITUTION of the Iewes as to the first part thereof viz. their conversion wee have it in the 10 11 12 and 13 verses Ver. 10. From beyond the river of Ethiopia
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 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Syâ—iack 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 â—oth 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 wâ—mb of thy mother which can be said of no Propher but Christ of whom it is said â—s 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 expoâ—unt 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. Osâ—ad 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
you see and heare For David is not ascenascended into the heavens but he saith himself THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD SIT THOV ON MY RIGHT HAND UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL therefore let the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom yee have crucified both LORD and THE CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For from hence we may boldly conclude the sence of the Apostle that by Christs ascention not only was the Spirit to be poured out as Ephes 4. Joh. 7.39 but the house of Israel must know assuredly that he was there initiated enstalled and entitled to be LORD and THE CHRIST That as before we opened it out of Luke 19.11 Christ went away to heaven to returne and receive a Kingdome So that Christ must have besides his anointing with his Spirituall power another Lordship to subdue all his enemies to be his footstoole and this the house of Israel must know assuredly now after Christs ascention as after his ascention the Apostle there made that application of the one hundred and tenth Psalme But sure enough to this day neither doth the house of Israel know this assuredly nor are his enemies his footstoole but contrariwise Christ in his repute and in his Members and his Gospel is their footstoole 6 ¶ The Apostle carries on this yet further in 1 Cor. 15. ver 24 to ver 29. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and all power For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For he HATH marke here he useth the past time put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifested that he is excepted which did put all things under him And WHEN all things SHALL BE SVBDVED UNTO HIM observe now the Apostle speakes in the future time then also shall the Sonne himselfe be subject unto him that put all things under him You see evidently that in the five and twentieth verse are quoted the words of the one hundred and tenth Psalme and in the twenty seventh verse is quoted part of the eighth Psalme which is the reason why the Apostle speakes there in the past time Not that the things were then fulfilled when the Apostle pend that 1 Cor. 15. for presently in the twenty eighth verse he speakes them in the future but because it is in the Hebrew in Psal 8. in the past time alluding to the type of it in Adam Gen. 1.26 c. Howbeit the sence is a Prophesie of things to come that they shall be all subject to Christ as they were to Adam as this our Apostle applyes it Heb. 2. of which afore These things being premised let us now see what the Apostle doth comment in this 1 Cor. 15. upon that one hundred and tenth Psalme First the Apostle layes it downe for a sure Position in the twenty fourth verse that the END OF ALL is not till Christ hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father 2. He gives us a signe in the same verse when he will so give up the Kingdome viz. When he hath put downe all authority rule and power 3. The Apostle proves this out of this one hundred and tenth Psalme ver 1. FOR saith the Apostle ver 25. he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet which is all one with making his enemies his footstoole and plainly holds forth to us by this connexion that part of Christs putting downe all authority and power is to put all his enemies under his feet which saith the Apostle must be so universall that all enemies to Christ or his Members as well things as persons must be comprehended even Death it selfe as the last of all the rest 4. That all things were not subdued unto Christ when the Apostle wrote that 1 Cor. 15. for in the twenty eighth verse he speaketh of them as of things to come viz. when all things SHALL BE SVBDVED VNTO HIM Christ had before that about eighteene yeares by-past * Christ ascended about Anno 34. Paul writ his first Epist to the Corinthians about Anno 52. risen and ascended yet notwithstanding the Apostle speakes of putting all his enemies under Christs feet as of a thing yet to come which doth excellently confirme that sence we give of the Apostles words Heb. 2. viz. that Paul and those of his time did not see all things put under Christ or subject to him though they saw him ascend and to be ascended Nor doe we or have we now about one thousand six hundred yeares since that seen all things subject to Christ whereof the Apostle gives us six signes of assurance for saith the Apostle 1 If all things were subject to Christ then the END cometh ver 24. 2. The full end is not till Christ resigne up all viz. the Kingdome and Dominion c. to God ver 24. 3. That before that be done Death must be destroyed as one of the enemies to be put under Christs feet ver 26. By the destroying of death is not only meant a Morall or Spiritual destruction of it that it shall not prejudice our Salvation for so it hath been destroyed to all Beleevers from the beginning of the Promise of Christ revealed to Eve but Physically that there shall be no more death to the godly Revel 21.4 4. That Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed ver 26. which is fulfilled to the godly at the beginning of the thousand yeares of which we speake when all the Elect deceased shall rise from the dead the wicked deceased not rising till the end of the said thousand yeares as before we have touched and shall be after demonstrated at which time Death shall be removed from those wicked to the end that they with their companions that a little afore made head against Christ in his Saints may receive their finall Judgement But because the Apostle here mentions Death as an enemy to Christs Kingdome for the death temporall or eternall of the wicked is a friend to Christs Kingdome he must of necessity meane the abolishing of corporall death from the Saints which is performed at the beginning of the thousand yeares which placing of Death in the order and relation of the last of the enemies of Christ and his Church doe clearly intimate that many enemies of Christ and his Saints must be destroyed afore that which stood in opposition to this All-glorious and All-peaceable visible Kingdom of Christ on earth And as death is destroyed Physically as wee have shewed so all that submit not to Christ are destroyed Physically that is they cease to be on earth 5. That Death is not destroyed till the last Trumpet ver 51. 52. in that 1 Cor. 15. Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shal
wall v. 5. Thou shalt bring downe the noise of the strangers as the heat in a dry place even the heat with the shadow of a cloud the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low v. 6. And in this Mount shall the Lord make to all people a feast of fat things c. v. 7. And the Lord will destroy in this mount the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations v. 8. He 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 he shal take away from off all the earth c. v. 9. And it shall be said in that day Lo this is the Lord we have waited for him c. v. 10. In this Mount shall the hand of the Lord rest and Moab shall be trodden down under him as straw to the dunghill v. 11 And he shal spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that swimmeth c. and shall bring down their pride together with the spoyles of their hands vers 12. and last And the fortresse of the high fort of thy wals shall he bring down and lay low and bring to the ground even to the dust Chap. 26. vers 14. They are dead they shal not live they are deceased they shall not rise c. vers 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shal they rise awake and sing ye that dwel in the dust c. § 2 This Chapter you see by the connexion with the former is to the same purpose as that former Chapter and its sense is extended to the state of the Church of the New Testament that is yet to come by Apostolical Expositions and applications in all the maine parts of it which are three Viâ—â— 1 The Destruction of the enemâ—â—â— â—f the Church v. 2. amplified more afterwards 2 The Deliverance of the Church v. 4. enlarged more in the rest of the Chapter 3 The joyful state of the Church upon that their deliverance and their joy in it v. 6 7 8 and elsewhere in the Chapter All which three parts are I say by the Apostles carried downe to the state of the New Testament Church never yet fulfilled I will give three Instances The first Instance St. Ioh. in Rev. 7. makes these three parts a state yet to come v. 1 2 3. you have the Destruction of the enemy There were four Angels that had power in their hands to hurt the four quarters of the earth both by sea and land as soon as the servants of God should be sealed Those that were to be hurt were those that had held the servants of God under tribulation v. 14. And those enemies were to be hurt by a storme viz. by the blowing of the four winds upon the sea the earth and the trees v. 2 3. even as the Prophet Isa in that 25 Chap. v. 4. calls the state of the wicked a storme and compares it in their opposition against the godly to a blast of a storme dashed against the wall whose fury the wall stops breaks and scatters so that they are sheltered that stand under it So that plainly here is the destruction of the enemies of the Church prophesied by Iohn in like phrase and formes of speech as were used by the Prophet Isa in that 25. Chapter Next for the deliverance of the Church St. Iohn likewise prophesies of it in that seventh of Rev. in the same figurative speeches as the Prophet had used viz. That the Lord shall be among his people in manner of dwelling v. 15. And his people shall hunger no more nor thirst any more nor shall the same light on them or as it is in the Greek fall upon them that is a way of smiting blasting or scorching or any heat v. 16. For the Lamb which is amidst them shal feed them c. and shal wipe away all tears from their eyes v. 17. To which St. Paul speaking of the resurrection of the Saints which is before the ultimate day of judgement in 1 Cor. 15. as we have and shall demonstrate annexeth this Then shal be brought to passe that saying Death is swallowed up in victory And again the same Apostle Paul speaking of the conversion of the Jewes 2 Cor. 3. as of a thing to come after his time but yet not fulfilled but shal bee fulfilled at the great Restitution of which we speak he useth this expression and gives forth this Prophesie in the 15 and 16 verses of that 2 Cor. 3. But even to this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their hearts Neverthelesse when they shal turn to the Lord the vaile shal be taken away viz. By the presence of the Lord. All which expressions of Iohn and Paul in relation to the Churches deliverance are full to the sense and words of the Prophet in that 25 of Isaiah viz. This is the Lord we have waited for him for in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest v. 9 10. whereby to signifie Gods presence amongst his people And shall be a succour to his people from the fury of their enemies as the heat is sheltered off with the shadow of a cloud v. 3 and 4. And he will feed them with a feast of fat things v. 6. And he will destroy the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations v. 7. therefore among the rest that is upon the Jews And v. 8. he will swallow up death in victory according to the words of Paul 1 Cor. 15.54 And chap. 26. of this Prophet v. 19. compared with v. 14. They shall not rise but thy dead men shall rise * Upon this place of Isa 26.14.19 heare what the Hebrew Rabbins the Septuagint the ancient Jews and the ancient Greek and Latine Fathers say and hold R. Solomon saith They shall live that dyed for thy sake bringing in the Prophet as speaking to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is The Royal Regal or Kingly decree went forth from thy face or presence saying MY DEAD BODIES SHAL RISE AGAIN The dead bodies of my people whose bones fell for my sake to them there shall be a resurrection This by way of an Antithesis answers to that v. 14. above written The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 REPHAIM expresse in the Hebrew Text though obmitted I know not why in the English which the Chalde and Jerom render GYANTS SHALL NOT RISE AGAIN but these shall rise againe Thus R. Solomon The REPHAIM be interprets of the WICKED 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are remisse namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who remit or slack their hands from the Law The Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieron vivent mortui tui interfecti mei resurgent And that the ancient Iewes did interpret this place of Isaiah touching the resurrection of the dead appears by that Gemara Sanhedrim
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 Heb◠is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may for ought I know beare to be rendred To the end to turn men from For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the infinitive mood is in value a future And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oft paragogicall and sometimes put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To convert the transgressors of the house of Jacob. The Septuagint likewise of the best Edition in Bib. complut in Bib. Reg. Gallicanis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
to this day falls far shorter of the fulnesse of the Gentiles coming in and therefore shorter yet of the Saving all Israel as the Apostles phrases are Rom. 11 We have it from day to day before our eies that not one of ten Christians hardly is more then called a Christian and not one Jew of ten thousand bears the name of a Christian And therefore in this first branch this place of Ioel is not in the main yet fulfilled 2. This of this second of Ioel is not yet fulfilled That at the time the Prophet mainly means there must be such wonders in Heaven and in Earth as must be accompanied with blood and fire and pillars of smoake and such a darkning of the Sun and discolouring of the Moon c. As all these things must amount to the making up of a GREAT and TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD And that in relation to the destruction of them that believe not so as to call upon God in faith as the last verse intimateth Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved And the destruction shall be especially of those unbelievers that are enemies to the Jews as the same last verse of this second Chapter and the first and second verses of the third Chapter do evidently hint For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call For behold in THOSE DAYES and in THAT TIME when I shall bring again the captivity of JUDAH and JERUSALEM I will also gather ALL NATIONS and will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat and will PLEAD with them there for my people and for my heritage ISRAEL whom they have scattered For by the wonders at the passion of Christ Matth. 27. there was no destruction of any man At the effusion of the Spirit after his ascension Acts 2. There was nothing but consolation or at least admiration At the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus according to Matth. 24. there was the sad destruction of the Jews but of none of the Jews enemies 3. This of this prophesie of Joel is not yet fully fulfilled viz. In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance AS THE LORD HATH SAID and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call For this was not compleated in the few Jews converted in the Acts or since as these Reasons induce me to think 1. The Apostle Peter in Acts the second quoting Joel makes not the least mention of this clause 2. Christs coming to Jerusalem as a Spiritual Deliverer in his publick ministration of the Gospel was before that of pouring out of the Spirit about five years as his disputing with the Doctors was two and twenty years before and his incarnation above four and thirty years afore But the deliverance mentioned according to the Apostles method yea and of the Prophets is after the pouring out of the Spirit And indeed follows after as naturally as the effect succeeds the cause This pouring out of the Spirit fitting instruments for the salvation of those ages 3. The Prophet addes as the Lord hath said viz. By his Prophets But they mainly spake of the Jews corporal deliverance as we have before opened in the discuss of many places For as for spiritual they then had it and there was no doubt but it should be continued in all ages else the Church would be extinct or Gods Covenant with Abraham and David would fail 4. The Deliverance must be not onely in Jerusalem but in the remnant whom the Lord shall call But Christ did not at his being on Earth save the generality of the remnant either corporally or spiritually The Two Tribes were then under the Roman captivity and they generally refused Christ John 1.11 Acts 13.46 47. and for the Ten Tribes they for the generality neither saw nor heard Christ but continued in their captivity in Assyria c. 1 Pet. 1.1 Jam. 1.1 They were not returned to Zion or Jerusalem and for the Gentiles if any will make them of the remnant which is hatsh being the greater part of the world they and the Jews were never yet incorporated in Religion as the copulative And promiseth viz. There shall be deliverance in those days and at that time in Jerusalem AND in the remnant whom the Lord shall call 5. The Prophet Joel speaks of such a deliverance of the Jews as shall be by bringing down their enemies to the valley of destruction to them though of salvation to the Jews as the next Chapter vers 1 2 c. shews But this hath not been yet fulfilled as was touched afore neither can it be fulfilled at the last judgement For that being once come there is no effectual salvation or invocation as the last verse of the second Chapter mentions SECT XLI THe second and last place we shall touch in this Prophet Joel is Chap. 3. v. 1 c. to the end of the Chapter For behold in § 1 those days and in that time when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem 2. I will also gather all Nations and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my Land 3. And they have cast lots for my people and have given a Boy for a Harlot and sold a Girle for Wine that they might drink 4. Yea and what have ye to do with me O Tyre and Zidon and all the coasts of Palestine will ye render me a recompence and if ye recompence me swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head 5. Because ye have taken my silver and my gold and have carried into your Temples my goodly pleasant things 6. The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians that ye might remove them far from their border 7. Behold I will raise them â—ut of the place whither ye have sold them and will return your recompence upon your own head 8. And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah and they shall sell them to the Sabeans to a people far off for the Lord hath spoken it 9. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles prepare war wake up the mighty men let all the men of war draw near let them come up 10. Beat your plough-shares into swords and your pruning-hooks into spears let the weak say I am strong 11. Assemble your selves and come all ye heathen and gather your selves together round about Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down O Lord. 12. Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about 13. Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe Come get you down for the oress is full the fats overflow for the wickedness is great
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its first originall sence and use signifies to yeeld up and deliver up And so the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
holinesse and the HOUSE OF JACOB shal possess their possessions And the HOUSE OF JACOB shall be a fire and the house of JOSEPH a flame and the house of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them And they of the South shall possesse the mount of Esau and they of the plaine the Philistims and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of SAMARIA and Benjamin shall possess Gilead And the Captivity of this Host of the children of ISRAEL shall possess that of the Canaanites even unto Zarephath and the captivity of JERUSALEM which is in Sepharad shall possess the Cities of the South And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the Kingdomes shall be the Lords In which words we have such a character of the future happy state of the Church on earth harmoniously and beautifully wreathed and inter-woven of Jewes and Gentiles converted unto Christ as yet never was but still lies upon the engagement of Gods infallible truth to be fulfilled For on the Gentiles part here expressed under so many names they are not all to be destroyed but possessed with a mixed cohabitation of Jews according to the aforesaid place of Amos with which is our present collation this of Obadiah that there shall bee a REMNANT of Edom and a REMNANT for so the grammer of the word carries it of all the Heathen among whom and by whom the name of God shall be called upon And on the Jewes part both the Kingdome of Judah now as Judah and Benjamin are called 1 King 11.13 and ch 12.20 because of the mixture of their territories as the Geneva notes well give the reason and also the Kingdome of Israel must bee here understood as sharers in the spirituall salvation and outward happinesse here so laboriously inculcated else why doth the Prophet use one while such comprehensions in words as the house of Jacob and that twise and the house of Joseph Another while such distinctions and discriminations in terms as the captivity of the host of the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL and the captivity of JERUSALEM plainly enough setting forth the two Tribes the ten Tribes and generally the learned agree that both are here understood though severally they fix the footing of their interpretations Oecolampadius saith on ver 20. Duplices facit captivitates c. that is the Prophet makes two captivities For he gives to Israel the space towards the North and then he gives to them that were of Jerusalem that is to the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin that tract which is towards Egypt Mercer hath it over and over that in the 19. verse of this Obadiah is touched the State of Judah and in the 20 verse the State of Israel Hierom saith the house of Jacob signifies Judah and the house of Joseph the ten Tribes And Ephraim the son of Joseph out of which Tribe was the Regality of Samaria intimates that the two Kingdoms were to be again coupled or re-united for the devastation of the Edomites that is as t is generally agreed among the learned both Jewes and Christians those that are incorrigible Antichristian enemies of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus And then that which is added in the close as the corenis of this glorious internal and externall salvation of all these to be saved that Saviours in the plurall shall come upon mount Zion to judge the enemies and the Kingdome shall be the Lords is of that strength and torrent that it bears downe afore it all limitations of the meaning to their return from Babylon or the incarnation of THE SAVIOUR CHRIST whose then was the Kingdome in kind no otherwise then it was formerly when he ruled the world by his power and his Church by his Word and Spirit whereas this close THE Kingdome shall be the Lords must intend that it shall be answerable to the description from the seventeenth verse downward viz. a most holy Kingdome and withall a most visible outwardly large and glorious Kingdome and that on earth all corporall incurable Antichristian enemies sensibly falling before it Which is not only my opinion and sence of these words Mercer presents to us Ex Lyr. commenting on this Prophet thus much Odium Esau in Jacob in semine perseveravit c. that is the hatred of Esau against Iacob continued in the very seed therefore the overthrow of them is foretold Isa 21.34 Ier. 49. Ezek. 35. Amos 1. Mal. 1. This Prophet doth excellently handle and is wholly in this That as Christ is the Son of Abraham and of Israel and that after the flesh and therefore all indued with the spirit are his Brethren and belong to the seed of Abraham and of Israel so all false brethren that is ANTICHRISTS and Hypocrites belong to the seed of Esau Unto these agrees and suites whatsoever thou here readest against the Edomites Obadiahs Prophecy is smal in bulk great in sence comprehending many things in a few words He prophesieth in the behalfe of Israel against Edom prophesying the subversion of the Edomites and the GLORY of the true Israel the Church of Christ and that he alone shall reigne He saith that on mount Sion shall be deliverance and salvation which are more perfectly fulfilled according to the letter in the Church collected of all the faithfull then in mount Zion because the state of mount Zion continued but for a time but the Church abides for ever which shall be wee are confident more eminently famous in the very land of Israel when Israel in the LAST TIME SHAL RECEIVE CHRIST And their possessing their possessions or that they shall possess those that possessed them as he renders it shall he saith come to passe with illustrious glory after the LAST CONVERSION OF ISRAEL It is some-how fulfilled daily in the Elect overcoming their enemies with invincible patience But it is to be fulfilled more sublimely and gloriously in the judgement when the wicked shal openly before all be judged of the Elect. In speciall the house of Joseph is named albeit it is contained under the house of Iacob least for their worshipping of Calves and their long captivity it should be deemed as rejected Ioseph and Ephraim of which Tribe was Ieroboam are the ten Tribes whose captivity say the Hebrewes is not yet discharged But as it is said in the end of the Prophet Amos in the LAST TIME ISRAEL SHALL BE CONVERTED There are they which by Esau understand the Gentiles and by Israel the faithfull whom I contradict not There were of the Tribe of Iudah and Benjamin among the Apostles But who of the Tribe of Ephraim and Ioseph were among them is uncertaine But they on whom this Prophesie must be fulfilled must be of all Israel converted and the house of Iacob shall be a fire Who can deny this yet to bee fulfilled hereafter Apparently it shall be fulfilled when the world shall be judged For t is impossible that this should be fulfilled seeing as
come out of Babylon is carryed downe by the Apostles unto the latter if not to the last times of this world For St. Paul in the 2 Cor. 6.17 18 brings it down to his time which is far beyond any occurrences in Zecharies time who prophesied five hundred and eighteen yeares plus minus thereabouts afore Christs birth And Paul pens this Epistle at least fifty two years after the birth of Christ for about that year he wrote his first Epistle to Corinth his words are these Come out from among them and be yee separate SAITH THE LORD marke his quotation of the old Testament c. and I will receive you and be a father unto you Just to the same effect as Zecharie in the said sixt verse Come forth flee from the land of the North c. Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon c. Lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. Thus far St. Paul extends it But St. Iohn Revel cha 18. ver 2 3 4. extends it much further and that in a propheticall way viz. to the time nearly preceding the fall of Babylon I saw another Angell come down from Heaven having great power c. and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. i.e. shall surely fal And I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues Which two last clauses being of a future tense and sence clearly shew that is fallen is fallen signifies it shall fall and that in regard thereof the people of God must timously come out thence ¶ 5. There are high straines annexed to this prophesie in this second of Zecharie which effectually evince that it is not yet fulfilled as that ver 5. I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her That is a fence about the Church consisting of Jewes and Gentiles of absolute defence to them and of a devouring offence to the enemy And that ver 8 9. Thus saith the Lord after the glory hath he sent me to the Nations which spoiled you For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye For behold I will shake mine hand upon them and they shall be a spoile to their servants And yee shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me That is after this glory of your famous return and rebuilt Temple the Lord hath sent me the Messiah to the Nations that spoiled you that is to your enemies who in touching you to hurt you did as it were thrust their fingers into mine eyes Therefore I the Messiah will shake mine hands upon them as Psal 2.9 To break them with a rod of iron and so to make them a spoile to their servants that is to you whom they rigidly made their servants Lastly that in vers 10 11 12 13. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of ZION for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of THEE saith the Lord. And many NATIONS shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and SHALL BEE MY PEOPLE and I will dwell in the midst of THEE and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee And the Lord shall inherit Judah in the HOLY LAND and shall chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Be silent O all flesh before the Lord Because he is awakened concerning the habitation of his holinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a joyfull time is yet to come when the Messiah shall dwell in the midst of the Jewes they dwelling in the holy Land many Nations being joyned unto the Lord together with the Jewes into one Church he dwelling in the midst of them all for dwelling in the midst is againe repeated so that then they shall effectually know not only that this Prophet was sent of God to preach this to them but also that the true Messiah shall be at the appointed time sent to performe these things to them to the putting of all fleshly and carnall minds to silence that doubted or disputed against these thing I say to put them to silence by the appearance of Christ awakened and bestirring himselfe in the behalfe of his holy habitation or the habitation of his holinesse that is the Church in her pure state and worship Now when were these high straines these sublime expressions ever yet fulfilled We have a watch-word in the twelfth verse that we must looke for the impletion â—hereof far beyond Zecharies time For though he in his time of this Prophesie saw the returne of the Jews into the holy Land yet saith The Lord SHALL inherit Judah his portion in the HOLY LAND and SHALL chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Surely if wee keep the prophesie together as the Lord hath laid it and left it together there was never yet to this day since their return from Babylon that time and state of the Church that is here limbed forth to the life viz. that the Church should consist of Jews and Gentiles joyned to the Lord and owned by him as his people even while the Jewes possesse the holy Land and the Lord should be as a wall of fire protecting them and devouring their enemies and making the Jewes of servants to the cruell Heathens to be the spoilers of them c. and all these things to be carryed up to that height of glory that all spirituall hearts should sing and rejoyce and all fleshly hearts should bee struck dumb or astonished with silence We have before repeated usque ad nauseam foriè aliquibus very often how the Jewes ever since the return of the two Tribes have been little lesse or otherwise then in a captive condition under three Monarchies that when the Jewes a few of them imbraced Christ Acts second third and fourth chapters the Gentiles were not converted When the Gentiles began to be called the Jewes fell off Act. 13. Rom. 11. That the Maccabean conflict in regard of the catastrophe and event is not worthy to be named with this Prophesie And therefore this Prophesie is yet unfulfilled and requires by the circumstances of it a time of fulfilling before the ultimate universall resurrection SECT XLVI THe second place in Zecharie is in chap. 6. ver 13 13 14 15. which I need little more then name V. 12. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying behold the man whose name is the BRANCH and he shall grow up out of his place and HE shall BUILD THE TEMPLE of the Lord. 13. Even HEE shall build THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and RULE UPON HIS THRONE and he shall be a PRIEST upon his throne and the COUNSILL OF PEACE shall be between them both 14. And the Crowns shall be to Heâ—em and to Toâ—ijah and to Jedajah and to Hen the son of Zephaniaâ— for a
he is against Christ in the effect of his processe viz. in his Headship opposite to Christ the onely head of his Church in his Doctrine of Justification by workes enervating Christs merits and his Trentine Anathemaes cursing the fundamentall truths of Christ in the New Testament But these things wee leave as not the maine of our present businesse Now saith this Text in hand of the 2 Thessalon 2. The Lord shall consume Antichrist with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the brightnesse of his coming And although these two Master-limbs of Antichrist should not fall together but that the Pope be first bowed downe as he that by his imagery Idolatry and impurity in his worship of Christ is the great stumbling blocke to impede the Jewes imbracing Christ whereby to contend with the Turke for freedome to owne our Messiah and the Turk bee ruined after him perhaps at the end of the five and forty yeers of the Jewes struggle with him Dan. 12 two last verses yet this text of the Thessalonians stands firme that Antichrist must fall by the Spirit of Christs mouth and by the brightnesse of his coming The Spirit of his mouth is his Word called Isa 11.4 The rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips with which he shall smite the Earth and slay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one for the settlement of his glorious Kingdom of peace on earth as the context in that 11. of Esa gives it in with this word Christ prefaceth and perfecteth the ruine of Antichrist That is first Christ destroyes him morally as he his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as this Text in the Thessalonians calls him that is exlex as Zanchy renders it the lawlesse one For he leaves Christs word and substitutes his owne viz. Alcoran Legends Traditions c. And by them sets up Blasphemy Idolatry Heresie Impiety and Tyranny and that over consciences as well as bodies Now Christ discovering and discarding confuting and confounding these by the breath of his mouth viz. his word he destroyes him morally Secondly Christ by animating men by the same Spirit in his Word to a corporall War against Antichrist destroyes him Physically that is with a corporall destruction By that Spirit of his mouth he rouseth up mens spirits to take up armes and fight down Antichrist with a corporal War So it is emphatically set forth Joel 3.9 to 17. inserted between two Prophesies the first immediately preceding v. 1. c. to v. 9. the other immediately succeeding touching the glorious Kingdom of Christ on Earth v. 17. to the end of the Chapter weigh the place with which compare Rev. 17.16 Rev. 18. the whole Chapter Rev. 19.17 to the end In which places the Holy Ghost with all endeavour as we may say after the manner of men by all circumstances fitted to humane capacity sets forth the corporal War that must personally destroy Antichrist The scruples of men about those places of Scripture wee shall remove when wee come after to the full discusse of the Quod sit viz. That there is such a glorious state to come I say Christ shall with a corporall Warre excited by his word destroy Antichrist personally For when notwithstanding that Christ hath rendred the wickednesses aforesaid of Antichrist odious to the generality of the world and hath dissected and cut them up by the roots with the sword of his mouth that they take not with the myriads of men enlightened yet Antichrist will act as Antichrist like himselfe opposing Christ in the power of his Gospel the purity of his Saints and worship and the glory of his Kingdome then I say shall Christs word the sword of his mouth put the sword of his hand into the hands of his people the rod of his mouth shall proceed to the use of his rod of iron in his hand Rev. 19.15 And then as the Prophet speakes touching the corporall destruction of the bodily enemies of the Church Jer. 48.9 10. The Cities of Moab shall bee destroyed Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and cursed is he that keepeth backe his sword from blood So that Christ with this breath of his mouth prepares or begins the ruine of Antichrist The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall waste him as an estate is wasted or consume him as a body by a consumption pines away But by the brightnesse of his coming he shall make a full end of Antichrist as to the preparation for his glorious Kingdome on Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall abolish as Beza renders it shall make him a nothing as the Greeke word is often used Which brightnesse of Christ coming to doe this is more closely to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by the manifest appearance of his coming And so our last Translators could finde the way to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in relation to Christs Kingdome by the word appearance 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at or according to his APPEARING and his Kingdome So likewise 1 Tim. 6.14 Keep this Commandement c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the APPEARANCE of our Lord Jesus Christ Sutably it is our common phrase to call the day of the appearance of the starre at Christs birth Epiphanie By all that we have said it is manifest that as the first Schene of the ruine of Antichrist is acted by the Spirit of Christs mouth so the second is performed by the appearance of his person or else what need that be added AND by the appearance of his COMING The breath or Spirit of his mouth doth not make an end of the worke without the appearance of his coming As in that of 2 Tim. 4.1 First is his appearance and then his Kingdome For Antichrist must bee downe ere Christ shall have an apparent Kingdome And Christ must have his Kingdome before the ultimate day of judgement or else he will have no Kingdome For then it is the Fathers Kingdome not his 1 Cor. 15.28 § 4 And most likely the method will be this The Pope shall bee destroyed by the breath of Christs mouth that will prevaile with Christendome as they call it that will be effectuall to all the Christian world that owne Christ to bee come already in the flesh to excite them seeing his mystery of Abominations afore-named to be discovered to pull him downe root and branch But to the Jewes that to this day doe not owne the coming of Christ in the flesh Christ must manifestly appeare at least in the Clouds as Zech. 12. Rev. 1.7 of which afore to convert them as at once and so are brought in as a Nation borne at once Isa 66.8 and thereby are stirred up as one man to set against the Turke from whence proceeds his ruine § 5 Nor may any man phantasie to himselfe that he can put off what
a glorious state of all things Gen. 1.26 And God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowle of the Aire and over the Cattell and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth 27. So God created man in his owne Image c. 28. And God blessed them and God said unto them be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth and SVBDVE IT and have DOMINION over the fish of the sea and over the fowle of the aire and over EVERY LIVING THING that moveth on the earth Psal 8.1 O LORD our LORD how excellent is thy name IN ALL THE EARTH who hast set thy glory above the heavens 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy ard the avenger 3. When I consider thy Heavens the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Stars which thou hast ordained 4. What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of Man that thou visitest him 5. For thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour 6. Thou madest him to have DOMINION OVER THE WORKES OF THY HANDS thou hast put ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET c. Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the WORLD TO COME whereof we speake 6. But one in a certaine place testified saying what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him 7. Thou madest him a little lower then the Angels thou crownest him with glory and honour and didst set him OVER the workes of thy hands 8. Thou hast put ALL THINGS in subjection UNDER HIS FEET for in that hee hath put ALL in subjection under him he left NOTHING that is not put under him 9. But now WEE SEE NOT YET ALL THINGS put under him but we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man § 1 AS Saint Iohn fetcheth in the Notions of the terrestriall Paradise to describe New Hierusalem of which Revel 21. or which is all one the glorious state of the Church that it shal have on earth before the last Judgement Revel 22. or else we shall make John to speake impertinently for in supreame glory is no need of a river of water or of streets or of a tree of Life or of twelve sorts of fruit one for each month or of leaves to heale the Nations or to make him speake untruly if any would turne it to an Allegory of a fountaine of Doctrine or of more and fresh effusions of the Spirit or of Christ to beare any further fruit he there laying downe all 1 Cor. 15.28 even so the Prophet David falls upon a divine meditation of the estate of Adam in innocency to compose a Propheticall Psalme of praise for what God would doe for his people on earth before the ultimate end of the world as the Apostle Paul expounds him in the place aforesaid § 2 Should seem that though some things by Adams fall were irrecoverably lost in specie in their proper kind though not vertually and equivalently as mans freedome from corporall death yet other things as this dominion of man over all things was not so forfeited but that in Christ first or last it is recovered And therefore though David knew full well Adams fall as appeares by Psal 51.5 yet looking upon the SONNE OF MAN Christ in this Psalme he holds up his head and heart and sings out shrilly this praise in this Psalme of hope that this dominion shall be made good to man on earth to the utmost § 3 For surely there is no imagining of this state to be of Saints in the highest Heavens that there they should have dominion over the Beasts Fishes and Fowls or over wicked men properly that are then in the infernal Lake wholly under the sole power of the Prince of Darknesse and this was not performed on earth unto Davids time who from his youth to his end was ever and anon in danger of Beasts or beastiall men of the Lion and the Beare of Goliah of Saul of Absolom of forreigne enemies c. Nor was it ever since fulfilled but that the Saints the Members of the SONNE OF MAN have been at the same passe for the generall with David or worse as we have and shall heare abundantly § 4 Yet this must be fulfilled visibly on earth as saith the Psalmist in this eighth Psalme so as the enemy and avenger among men must bee stilled ver 2. And all the Creatures subdued as it is in the rest of the Psalme and both so as that the Saints mouthes may be full of praise according to the forme of this Psalme and this must be fulfilled too visibly on earth saith the Apostle in the said second of Hebrewes Unto the Angels saith he ver 5. God hath not subjected THE WORLD TO COME of which WE SPEAKE No for they are charged to be in subjection to Christ chap. 1. ver 6. Nor hath God said to any of the Angels sit thou at my right hand * Mat. 24.14 Luke 2.1 Luke 4.5 Luk. 21.26 Acts 11.28 Act. 17.6 Act. 17.31 Act. 19.27 Act. 24.5 Rom. 10.18 Hebr. 1.6 Heb. 2.5 Rev. 3.10 Rev. 12.9 Rev. 16.14 untill I make thine enemies thy footstool ver 13. but this must be fulfilled on earth to men in Christ through him For the Apostles first phrase in that fifth verse of the second Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is spoken with great emphasis with a double emphaticall Article sounding as we speake in English THAT SAME world even THAT that is TO COME and yet still meaning a state on earth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered world in propriety of signification signifies the inhabited world as men inhabite their dwelling houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an house being of the Kindred of the world and in common use it is put to signifie the world on earth yea so used by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament at least fifteen times * The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the first Aor of subj mood as I conceive hath the signification of a suture Of this place of Scripture see more in this third Book chap. 2. Sect. 10. and sometimes in those places earth is adjoyned for plainer expression yea used so to signifie the world on earth in most of the said places as thereby to meane the Roman Monarchy the Romans then ruling the whole earth when the Apostles wrote as in two of those places viz. Luke 2.1 Act. 11.28 the Roman Emperour is expressed by name Yea lastly so constantly used in the New Testament
rectitudinis Dei de novatione mundi de hostium sub pedibus conculcatione omnia si Apostolo credimus ad secundum Christi advâ—utum referenda sunt Admonitio autem quae 4 primis versiculis cap. 2. haec excipit per parenthelin est legenda versu demum quinto ad propositum redit Apostolus prolixâ—â—s exequitur quae dehumanae naturae supra Angelos prerogativa differuerat Non Aâ—gelis inquit subjeci◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de qua loquimur Sed de quo aliâ—ubi â—estatus est Psalmographus dicens Domine quid est â—omo quod memor es ejus aut â—â—lius hominis quod visitaâ— Modico minoâ—em Angelis fecisti cum gloria honore coronasti cum c. Et paulò post Qui verò modico minor Angelis factus est Jesus id est factus homo qui natura angelica modico inferior est videmus propter mortis perpessionem gloria honore coronatum Confer Phil. 2. v. 7 8 9. Arque baec ni fallor mens Apostoli Mirabiliter autem nostri versum illum sextum capitis primi transferunâ— ut primo Chriâ—â—i â—aventui accommodent trajiciendo nimirum particulam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acsi scriptum esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum scriptum sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujusmodâ— trajectionis exemplum nusquam uspiam ostendi potest Et praeterea verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeterquam quod cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conjungatur futuri significationem habeat cùm sit Aoristus secund us iubjunctivi porro notandum Ps 97. unde testimonium illud de Angelis Christum in secundo adventu adoraturis desumptum est tam apud Septuagiâ—ta quà m vulgatum Interpretem hujusmodi Epigraphe praenotatum esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalmus David quando terra ei restituta est Quid hoc reâ— esse dicemus An Psalmus quo David Messiam in resurrectione celebrabit An quem cecinit postquam ab Absolomo filio pulsus Regno â—estitutus est In Hebraeo hodierno Psalmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Sed LXX aut in suis exemplaribus reperisse aut ex traditione mutuatos addidisse vix dubitandum est ut alios alicubi Psalmorum titulos qui nunc in Hebraeo non extant In versione igitur Anglica v. 6 pro And AGAINE when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world Corrige And when he bringeth AGAIN the first-begotten into the world or shall bring c. Sic v. 8. pro unto the Sonne Malim of the Sonne ut antè v. 7. of the Angels nam eadem sunt verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. ut apud LXX sunt qui legendum existiment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facili mutatione Et â—ta habet Textus Hebraicus in Psal 102.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latina vulgata versio utrobique mutabis eos Ita quoque in Psalmo legit Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 6. Ita Tertullianus adv Hermog c. 34. ¶ 1. This was never fulfilled to the Saints since Adams fall they in the generall were never thus crowned Psal 8. ver 5. with glory and honour Their enemies and avengers were never thus stilled Psal 8. v. 2. The could never yet sing this eighth Psalme as a praise for the things done but only in hope it shall be done It is too too apparent before our eyes to this day in the generall state of the universe that the weeds are ready to eat up or choak the corn ¶ 2 And this was not periodically that is totally and finally fulfilled on Adam in innocency For first David pens this Psalme above two thousand eight hundred yeers after as a Psalme of praise for the Saints 2 In Adams innocency there was no enemy and avenger stilled as Psal 8. v. 2. makes mention 3 Adam should seem was a type of things to come in that the Apostle makes the eighth Psalme a Prophesie of future events 4 To Adam in innocency the then present world of the whole universe was not actually subjected his actuall dominion was yet within the Territories of Paradise 5 Much lesse was the inhabitable world to come subjected to him For he soon fell and lost his dominion which is not yet so actually recovered to the Saints but that their enemies are more and mightier then themselves to this day ¶ 3 Therefore the great knot is whether this hath been fulfilled to Christ The Apostle in this second of Hebrews seems to mee to say that the things aforesaid were not in his time fully fulfilled to Christ himselfe For the things to be put under Christs feet is the WORLD yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the INHABITED World yea and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inhabited World TO COME viz. that was to come after Paul wrote that And the Apostle doth strongly as Pareus observes urge out of Psal 8. v. 8. the universal particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet for saith he in that he put ALL in subjection under him he left NOTHING that is not put under him But NOW saith the Apostle wee SEE NOT ALL THINGS put under him He appeals saith Pareus to sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But NOW wee doe not YET SEE all things put under him viz. NOW that Christ is ascended we see not all things put under him He is to ascend into Heaven and there sit at Gods right hand UNTILL his enemies be made his footstool Psal 110.1 which our Apostle clearly applies to his ascention after his Passion Heb. 10.11 Which Untill plainly signifies that after his ascention when Paul wrote All things were not put under Christs feet All his enemies were not made his footstoole but the Jewes and Romans still triumphed over his cause all along the story of the Acts and throughout the ten persecutions after that the Arian and since the Papal and Turkish persecution and Tyranny triumph over it What was fulfilled the Apostle freely and fully expresseth viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is exactly to the words and order of them But him that was made a little while * So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be distinguished see the margin of your Bibles a little lower then the Angels we see even Jesus in regard of his suffering of death to be crowned with glory and honour that he by the free grace of God might taste of death for every man As if the Apostle should in length of words have spoken out thus much The world to come is not to be put in subjection to Angels but unto Christ that is the sense of verse 5. but unto Christ the world to come is to bee put in subjection according to the eight Psalme as in the application of it in verse 9. the Apostle expounds it of Christ But this saith he is not yet totally fulfilled all things are not yet put under him onely
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
and he shall be to me a SONNE But when AGAINE to give it you as afore in termes and order of words close to the Originall * Thus Arias doth order them When the Apostle would say And againe he saÃd in verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in this sixth verse he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which last word is in the second Aâ—rist in the subj mood which sounds future and so the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But againe He SHALL bring his first begotten Sonne into the INHABITED world he saith let all the Angels worship him The sense is obvious That God never owned any one of the Angels to be his only first begotten Sonne but when againe he shall bring his first begotten Sonne into the world he hath given command that all the Angels shall worship him as his only begotten Sonne That this text speakes of Gods bringing his first begotten Sonne againe into the inhabited world now after Christs ascention when the Apostles wrote that we have afore largely discussed Book 3. chap. 2. Sect. 4. § id est sectiuncula 4. I only adde be heedfully mindfull of the Apostles expression in the future now after Christs coming in the flesh and that after the generall Iudgement Christ as Christ shall lay downe all his dominion over Angels and men and therefore it must be of some middle time between our present generation that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered here Angels must give Christ whiles he is Mediator a more ample and apparent homage then ever they have done according to the glorious state of Christ and of things at that time on earth 3 ¶ For this place of the Hebrewes Let all the Angels of God worship him is quoted by the Apostle out of Psal 97.7 which word for word according to the Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Bow downe to him all yee Gods which as we said afore comprehends as all Angels so all Kings Potentates and Magistrates called by God himselfe Gods Psal 82. ver 1. ver 6. and so applied by Christ Joh. 10.34 Jesus answered them Is it not written in your Law I said YEE ARE GODS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he called them gods to whom the Word of God came c. And indeed they can properly bow or crouch downe as the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precisely signifie as the Angels can doe it only vertually And on the other side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angel is oft used in Scripture to signifie eminent men in Office Mal. 4.1 Rev. chap. 2.1 chap. 2. chap. 3. But granting that the Apostles designe being to prove Christ to be above Angels doth render the Hebrew Text according to the Septuagint Greek then a common Translation in frequent use throughout the world since the late Greek Monarchy over all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship him all yee his Angels yet this is as true that as the Apostle closeth that his discourse in that first of Hebrews with a touch of Christs future dominion over all Angels and men on earth saying To which of the Angels said he at any time quoted out of Psal 110. sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole so that 97. Psalm doth really include and intend our position in hand viz. Christs visible glorious Kingdome over all the world yet to come For in the first verse of that 97. Psalm it is said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Or the Lord reigning the earth SHALL rejoyce and the many Islands SHALL * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be glad ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This LORD is Christ as the Apostle applyes it Heb. 1.8 9. Now Christ had reigned in his ordinary providence and power from the creation to the Psalmists time c. as appeared in overthrowing his and his peoples enemies and preserving his people in the flood in the fire on Sodome in his miracles in Egypt Wildernesse and the Red-sea in his victories over the several Nations in Canaan c. And after the last judgement it is improper to say Christ reignes in glory 1 Cor. 15.28 And Christ never yet so reigned as is described in this first verse of this 97 Psalm That ALL the EARTH without limitation shall rejoyce at that his reigning and the multitude of Isles shall be glad By Isles according to an ancient usuall Hebraisme and Jewish phrase is meant all the Nations of the GENTILES Isa 41. v. 1. Keep silence before me O ISLANDS and let the PEOPLES or NATIONS renew their strength * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And v. 5. The Isles saw it and feared and the ENDS OF THE EARTH were afraid Chap. 42. v. 4. The ISLES shall wait for his Law and so nine times in this Prophet three times in Jer. 9. times in Ezek. in Zeph. once viz. Chap. 2. v. 11. The Isles of the Heathen or Gentiles * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Gen. once Gen. 10.5 The Isles of the Gentiles The reason of the phrase is because the Jews dwelling in the continent of Asia they counted all the world Islanders that were divided from them by the Mediterranean Sea Whence is that phrase of Isles of the Sea Ester 10.1 Ahasuerus laid a taxe or tribute upon the land and upon the ISLES OF THE SEA And Isa 24.15 Glorifie the name of the Lord God of Israel in the ISLES OF THE SEA And Ezek. 26.18 Now shall the Isles tremble in the day of thy fall yea the ISLES THAT ARE IN THE SEA shall be troubled yea to make all yet plainer it is twice said viz. Jer. 2.10 Ezek. 27.6 The Isles of Chittim By which Chittim is oft understood the Roman Monarchy as Dan. 11.30 for one instance So that according to this sense of this 97 Psame vers 1 All the world of Jewes and Gentiles must be glad and rejoyce at the reigning of Christ as it follows in the sixth verse The Heavens declare his righteousnesse and ALL the people see his glory ALL without exception which two clauses cannot be aptlier applyed and expounded then by that Rev. 1.7 Rev. 20.1 Rev. 21.1 Christ comes in the clouds and every eye shall see him Christ as the great Angel descending from heaven binding Satan and causing his Saints to reigne on earth New Jerusalem a New Heaven and a New Earth being brought downe from Heaven wherein as Pet. 2 Ep. 3. chap. enlargeth dwelleth righteousnesse But ALL PEOPLE yet never saw that his righteousnesse and glory ALL the gods as in v. 7. all Kings and Princes Potentates Magistrates and Powers never yet worshipped him as Christ but generally in all ages from the Creation to this day have opposed him as such both of Jewes and Gentiles 4 ¶ But all must ere the last judgement either sincerely or seemingly worship him Psal 22.27 28 29. which Psalme is concerning
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
Commentary he explaines thus Of the Saints of these times some were put to death by the sword 2 Maccab. 5.26 Others were cast into the mercilesse fire 2 Maccab. 7.5 Others spoiled of their goods 1 Maccab. 1.35 And others were sold to the Gentiles for slaves 2 Maccab. 5.24 The little help they had in these distresses was the exploite of Mattathias and his Sons Judas and his Brethren Who though they were but a handfull in respect of Antiochus his Army yet through the good hand of God prospering their attempts they were a refuge to their distressed brethren and a vexation to their enemies To whom they gave many onsets and many foiles 1 Macca 2.24 25 44. yet were there many false brethren as Alcimus and others § 3 In the 34. ver which according to our last English translation is And SOME of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end because it is yet for an appointed time We have saith Mr. Mede Clausulam persecution is Epiphanianae c. That is The close of Epiphanes his persecuting And therefore he reads it points it and notes it thus And of those that are understanding men MANY shall fall for the tryall of them and to make them pure unto the time of the end there putting the full stop of the whole five and thirtieth verse adding at those words unto the time of the end this note That is to saith he the end of the Greekish Kingdome And accordingly he comments upon it thus With this close saith he of the Epiphanian persecution the Greekish Kingdome according to the reckoning of the Holy Spirit is judged to have its end neither beyond that doth it come into the account of the propheticall Tetrarchy or quaternion of four Kingdomes And bids us for this to compare Dan. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which let me not inconveniently adde this that our English renders that of Dan. 8.23 And in the LATTER time of THEIR KINGDOME But Pagnin and Arias in novissimo regni eorum i. e. in the last of their Kingdome § 4 In the 36 verse the former part we have saith Mr. Mede * Note that in all the general sence of the verses following of this 11. chap. of Dan. which Mr. Mede gives of them as to signifie the fourth Roman Monarchy Mr. Huet also doth concur with him the characterisme of the fourth to wit the Roman Kingdom c. This verse in our English is rendred and pointed thus And the King shall doe according to his will and he shall exalt himselfe and magnifie himselfe above every God c. But Master Mede begins this 36 verse higher viz. from the last clause of the five and thirtieth verse which last clause is reckoned to begin immediately after the word end thus even to the time of the end or as Master Mede BECAUSE as yet unto an appointed time a King shal doe according to his pleasure and shal extol and magnifie himself above every God For saith he these words as thus parted and pointed are a Transition And the Article H prefixed to King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commemorative or repetitionall of some thing or person mentioned afore but in this place onely signifies some certaine or eminent thing or person as it doth likewise in Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive of which virgin there is no mention afore yet is it written with that article prefixed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of the ill placing of Soph Pasuck the Hebrew full point in the middle or â—ody of the verse contrary to distinct order and sence see Gen. 23.17 and elsewhere In which place of Genesis the full point put at made sure in our English or the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 round about which is all one the Hebrew differing a little in the order of the words is contrary to nature For doubtlesse the assurance and the person to whom the assurance is made should be put both within the same period or full stop But you see if you list to turne to it in the English translation which is pointed just according to the Hebrew the field and the cave and the trees of the field of Ephron were made sure put in the seventeenth verse locked up with a full point And then the eighteenth verse begins Unto Abraham for a possession Mr. Mede having thus parted and pointed this six and thirtieth verse of the eleventh of Daniel he comments upon as much of it as is afore expressed by him thus The thirty sixth verse is the characterism of the fourth or Roman Kingdome from the conquering of Macedonia to the end of Augustus who as it were with a certaine fiercenesse and torrent of fortune brought into subjection to himselfe the Gentiles or Nations and their gods * Vid. Florum l. 2. c. 7. Patert l. 1. c. 6. 1 Macc. c. 8. See the like phrase also concerning the rising Persian Monarchy Dan. 8.4 and touching the Grecian Dan. 11.4 By a propheticall Trope The Gods of Cities and Nations are said to be made subject and conquered when the Nations and Cities themselves are brought into subjection over whom those gods were supposed to be presidents and protectors Isa 46.2 Jer. 50.2 and 51.44 and chap. 48.7 Even as on the contrary which you may more wonder at they are said to serve those Gods that is politically who are compelled to submit their necks to those Nations whose gods they were Deut. 4.28 with parallell places in chap. 28. vers 36 64. and Jerem. 16.13 and 1 Sam. 16.19 upon all which places see the Chalde paraphrase Here only it will be worth while to consider the solemne custome of the Romans when they besiedged Cities of calling forth in verse those gods or goddesses that were the protectors of those places to bring them to be on their side casting away their tutelarity or protection of their enemies * Formuâ—am vide apud Macrob l. 3. Saturnal c. 8. In the latter part of the six and thirtieth verse which Mr. Mede renders Moreover he shall speak or edict stupendious things against the God of Gods and shall prevaile till the indignation be consummated for there is made a decision of the time There is the characterisme of the same fourth or Roman Kingdom from the death of Augustus to the abrogation of Gentilisme in which intervall of time the said Roman Empire crucified Christ THAT GOD OF GODS then appearing in the flesh under Pontius Pilate and exercised the worshippers of HIM with direfull persecutions and butcheries for near three hundred years § 6 In the thirty seventh verse Furthermore moreover or hence forth as Mr. M. renders it he shall not regard nor give any heed to the gods of his ancienters or the desire of women yea he shall not give his mind to any Deity but shall magnifie himselfe above all is set forth the
Truth and the faithfull witnesse Joh. 14.6 and Revelations Chap. 1.5 must be fulfilled and afore the ultimate generall Judgement for after that Christ is no King as vers 16. After that he rules not the Nations with a rod of Iron vers 15. After that there is no giving the flesh of Kings Captaines c. as meat to the Fowles of the Heavens vers 19. I say he is none of these doth none of these 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Therefore it must be fulfilled at the first Resurrection and reigning of the Saints in the twenty and one and twenty Chapters largely opened afore CHAP. V. Conteining several Arguments to prove the QUOD SIT That there is such a glorious time aforesaid yet to come before the ultimate judgement SECT I. § 1 IF God hath been wont generally in all ages to punish on earth and there to destroy all long fierce Tyrants and Persecutors of his Church then still hee will so punish them But Antichrist consisting of Pope and Turke and their adherents as afore-demonstrated have been long time and still are fierce tyrants and persecutors of the Church Therefore that Antichrist will God yet punish and destroy upon earth § 2 For proofe of the antecedent of the first proposition or major as we call it viz. that God hath been wont c. note briefly 1. The Scripture sets forth the destruction of the Egyptians on earth by ten plagues and their drowning in the red-sea for their long and fierce tyranny over the poor Israelites for about 300 years Exod. the first fifteen chapters 2. The Scripture notes the ruin on earth that is brought upon the first that is the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchie for that Nebuchadnezzar who is the head of the monstrous persecuting image Dan. 2. having slaine the Nobles hee carryed away captive to Babylon the whole land of Judah in all the considerable things and persons thereof 2 King 25.2 Chron. 36. And having them there commanded them to worship his Idoll golden Image upon paine of being put into a fiery oven which he executed on Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. For in the reign of Nebuchadnezzars Grand-child viz. Belshazzar son of Evil-Merodach the son of Nebuchadnezzar the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy is swallowed up of the Medo-Persian Monarchy Dan. 5.28 29 30 31. Thirdly The Medio-Persian Monarchy treading in the same steps of cruelty to the Church or worse as the sixth chapter of Daniel and the whole books of Ester and Nehemiah give us a full account is swallowed up of the Grecian-Monarchy according to Daniels vision cha 7. of the fulfilling whereof we have a large account in the Books of Maccabees Quintus Curtius Josephus c. The Grecian Monarchy following the same rode invading Judea and at length most miserably corrupting and depopulating the parts and places of their worship and cruelly putting to death thousands and ten thousands of the Jews as Heb. chap. 11. and the books of Maccabees relate at large it is at last swallowed up of the fourth and last that is the Roman Monarchy according to Daniels Visions and Prophesies Dan. 7. Dan. 8. and Dan. 11. This fourth Monarchy of the Romans not differing from the former in cruelty unlesse in exceeding them concurring in putting to death Christ and his Apostles as the New Testamament gives us hints and lengthning and increasing their cruelty for three hundred yeers with variety of horrid torments executed on the Christians over the world reaching even to our England the Lords divine justice ever since that hath been pouring out a Vial of wrath upon it though it is not yet totally consumed Pilate and two and thirty Emperours next succeeding came to untimely ends as Mr. Fox in his Book of Martyrs gives an excellent account About the year three hundred and twelve Constantine the Great rising up in behalfe of the Christians slew his Colleagues and their Armies that had so persecuted About the yeer One thousand after Christ the Saracens tear from the Romans part of their Empire in particular Judea Drechs Cedr page 582. Bucholc Ind. Chron. ad annum one thousand and nine About three hundred years after viz. Anno one thousand three hundred the Turks by their addition to the Saracens making a mighty Empire rend three Horns of the ten on the head of the Roman Beast from him that is so many great parts of his Empire afore largely explained leaving him but seven Bucholc Jud. Chron. ad annum one thousand three hundred Huet on Dan. c. I may not here be so tedious as to descend to and dilate on all particulars how God hath punished the German persecutors with above twenty years wars by the noble King of Sweden The Spanish Inquisition-cruelty with the wars of the Netherlands the revolt of Portugal and the French wars in Catalonia The French massacres with annual bloody Insurrections among themselves The English persecutions and Marian Bonefires and High-commission cruelties with several Invasions the Barons-wars the Tway-King-conflicts and the late vials of blood Thus of the Antecedent of the major Proposition For the Consequent and sequell of it it is founded upon the unchangeablenesse of God being immutable in his Counsel immutable in his purpose immutable in his controversie against and his justice upon the same wayes of sinne immutable in his power and immutable in his goodnesse to his Church to quit it from the hands of the wicked And upon the warrant we have from the word of God so to infer from Gods unchangeablenesse that because God hath delivered his Church and people and that by destroying the wicked enemies thereof therefore wee may expect hee will so doe for future So the Apostle Paul is confident 2 Cor. 1.10 So the Apostle Peter infers and that from severall examples 2 Pet. second Chapter first nine verses and many other places might be alleadged but for brevity § 3 For the second or minor Proposition 1 That the Turk and Pope have been long time and still are fierce persecutors of the Church of God we need not insist upon the proof thereof having so often afore repeated their history and Chronologie and the eyes and ears of the present generation are witnesses so that both of them are healing and growing up againe to their Zenith Apoge or Achme I mean very high notwithstanding the many cuts and wounds aforesaid given them by divine vengeance So that the Turk hath slain as many Christians in one battel as the tips of their right ears being cut off have filled nine sacks as Mr. Fox gives us the story in his Martyrologie And daily he mightily enlargeth his Empire whiles the Christian Kings and Emperours and Nations Popish and Protestant are bangling one with the other And for the Pope his eldest sonne the house of Austria and his Catholick Kingly Sonne of Spaine is now higher and more Monarchicall then he hath been these many yeers so that his unholy Holinesse the Pope and his Crew in their late Jubilee at Rome sang their
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 â—udgement 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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
then the Lord shall deliver them from all their captivities when and wheresoever they be § 3 For Moses aimes not at this or that particular captivity among Philistims Aegyptians Babylonians or c. that had been to little advantage to deliver them from one captivity to let them fall into another and there to stick for ever The words of the Promise are of a very comprehensive latitude viz. if they be driven among all the Nations ver 1. or any of them be driven out to the utmost parts of Heaven ver 4. The Lord will gather them from all Nations ver 3. and will fetch them from the utmost parts of Heaven ver 4. § 4 And as the Promise is of a great latitude so of a great length for this gathering of them is promised after the Babylonian captivity Ier. 29.1 Jer. 31.10 and after Christ was come in the flesh it is delivered as a Prophesie by Saint Johns Exposition Job 11.51 52. That Christ should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad Of a thing to be done in after times in the fulnesse thereof compare Rom. 11. § 5 Adde to all the fulnesse of the Promise they should be so delivered from all captivities that all the curses should be on their enemies and all blessings temporall and spirituall should be on them for so it followes that upon their deliverance out of captivity If any of them be driven out ver 4. unto the utmost part of Heaven from THENCE will the Lord thy God gather thee and from THENCE will he take thee And ver 5. the Lord thy God will bring thee into the Lana WHICH THY FATHERS POSSESSED and he will DOE THEE GOOD and MVLTIPLY thee above thy fathers and ver 6. The Lord thy God will CIRCVMCISE THINE heart and the HEART OF THY SEED to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule c. And ver 7. The Lord thy God will put all these CVRSES ON THINE ENEMIES And ver 8. thou SHALT RETVRN and HEARKEN TO THE VOYCE OF THE LORD AND DOE ALL HIS COMMANDEMENTS And ver 9. The Lord thy God will make thee plenteous or fruitfull IN ALL THE WORKES OF THY HANDS IN THE FRVIT OF THY BODY in the fruit of thy CATTELL in the fruit of thy LAND and marke FOR THY GOOD And the Lord will REJOYCE over thee for good § 6 Now let the ingenuous Reader confesse whether ever these promises were thus fulfilled For we know not either by Scripture or History that ever the Ten Tribes returned from their captivity And we doe know by the Scriptures that many of the two Triles returned not with the rest 1 Chron. 4.21 22 23. read the place exactly * Josephus in his Antiq. asserteth thus much And we are sure by experience to this day that thousands of them are in Captivity as we may say under the Turkish and Romane Empire and ten thousands of them dispersed among the Indians and Protestant Christians in Poland Holland c. as Rab. Ben Israel hath given us an account in his Book Spes Israelis so that the Jewes themselves not only the unconverted but some that are converted to Christianity confesse these things never yet to have been fulfilled as I my selfe have been an eare witnesse from M. Melos a Jew of Portugal converted to the faith § 7 Much lesse are the Jewes so delivered as to have their hearts circumcised to love the Lord their God with all their heart and to obey his voyce in the Gospel as the Apostle before expounded or to be blessed with all temporall blessings or to have all the curses put upon their enemies § 8 Therefore these things are yet to be fulfilled for God must be true as the Apostle saith though all men that deny it be lyars The Jewes must be called and the fulnesses of them and the Gentiles must be brought in Rom. 11.26 by a deliverer that comes out of Sion turning away ungodlinesse from Jacob to the performance of Gods Covenant with them which the Targum called Jonathans saith must be performed by the hand of ELIAS and by the hand of KING CHRIST And indeed a few were converted by John Baptist and Christ but the generality of the Jews were in blindnesse after that in Pauls time Rom. 21. Besides what was the conversion of a few to the fulfilling of the all of these promises in their severall particulars to the all of the Jewes As it is said afore If ANY of thine be driven out unto the utmost part of the heavens from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee and the Lord will make thee fruitfull in ALL THINGS and for thy good § 9 And these things must be fulfilled before the ultimate generall Judgement or else there will be nor time nor place for these things as to circumcise hearts to keep Commandements to inherite Canaan to be blessed with outward blessings c. as is before expressed SECT VIII Wherein is alledged Deut. 32. ver 15 c. to ver 44. for the proofe of the maine generall Proposition In Deut. 32. ver 15. to ver 19. are set downe the sins of the Iewes But Ierusalem waxed fat and kicked c. Then he forsook God c. they provoked him to jealousie with strange gods and they sacrificed to Devils not to God c. In ver 19. c. to ver 35. is set downe the wrath and revenge that God would exercise upon them for those sins When the Lord saw it he abhorred it or despised them because of the provoking of his sonnes and daughters And he said I will hide my face from them c. They have moved me to jealousie c. and a fire is kindled in my anger and it shal burne c. I wil heap mischiefe upon them c. I said I would scatter them into corners c. In ver 35. c. to 44. is set downe Gods comforting of the Iewes and his terrour to their enemies ver 35. To me belongeth vengeance and recompence their enemies foot shal slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that shal come upon them make haste ver 36. For the Lord shal judge his people or shal plead the cause of his people * So Piscator Causam populi sui age◠and REPENT HIMSELFE for his SERVANTS when he seeth that their POWER IS GONE and there is none shut up or left Ver. 37. And he shal say where are their gods their rock in whom they trusted c. ver 38. Let them rise up and help you and be your protection ver 39. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive I would and I heale neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand ver 4. For I lift up my hand to Heaven and say I live for ever ver 41. If I whet my glittering