Man He hath larger Capacities than other Creatures and moveth in a wider Circumference he holdeth converse with both Worlds This and That to come Thus Man is crowned with Glory and Honour he is the most remarkable Workmanship of God Among the greatest things which Nature boasteth of she hath nothing that she can glory in more than in Man Man is a great Miracle a Creature worthy of thâ— highest respect and honour He is that great and admirable Animal which is more precious to God than all other created Beings whatsoever and for which the Heaven the Earth and the Sea and the rest of the World was made Accordingly he was in a more signal eminent manner framed by God and fâ—rmed by the Advice of the Sacred Trinity yea which is yet more wonderful according to the similitude and resemblance of it â—or so we read in Gen. 1. 26. Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Some quaintly distinguish between Image and Likeness following herein St. Augustin in his Retractations and after him Peter Lombard and other Schoolmen But waving those Subtilties I will endeavour to shew you wherein the Image or Similitude for I take them to be both one of God in Man consisteth Negatively 1. Origen's Opinion concerning this Image is not to be imbraced for he saith here is meant the Image and Likeness of the Son of God who is the express Image of the Person of the Father Heb. 1. 3. But besides that the words in the Hebrew and this for it is but one in the Greek do not exactly answer it is to be observed first that it is said in the Plural Let us make Man after our Image and consequently it is not restrained to the Image of the Second Person of the Trinity only therefore there is no reason that we should restrain it Again when afterwards 't is spoken in the Singular yet 't is spoken generally of the Godhead as in the Verse following God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Still here is no restriction and therefore we cannot say it is to be understood only of the Image of the Second Person in the glorious Trinity 2. Philo the Iew and some of the Fathers that were Plaâ—onically dispos'd understood this Image of the Idea according to which God made all things and particularly Man For there were say they Eternal Images and Exemplars of things in God's mind there were Universal Natures of all things certain Archetypes and Patterns by looking on which God framed all things as an Artificer being to build a House first delineateth in his own mind the whole Frame and Scheme of the future Building and by this he afterwards proceeds in erecting the Fabrick God's Idea saith Philo is the Image by which Adam was made and so Man was the fairest Pourtraiture of the fairest Image a Copy of the Divine Original And Iustin the Martyr who had been educated in the Platonick Philosophy followeth this Notion asserting that the Image of God according to which Adam was made was the Exemplar of Man in the mind of God And Clemens Alexandrinus is of the same judgment and interprets the Text in the same manner Now in answer to this I will only say that the Notion of Ideas as it is generally meant by the Platonists is fond and precarious and some of their own Tribe have no great kindness for it But if the Notion of the Divine Idea be soberly understood viz. that from Eternity there were in the Mind of God Images of all things which were afterward to be made and particularly of Man I see nothing amiss in this Assertion yea 〈◊〉 take it to be a very sound and orthodox Notion and such as is of great use in Divinity it being the Foundation of all Truth as I shall shew in another place and it being the Basis on which the Doctrin of the Divine Decrees is establish'd But this then is nothing to our preâ—ent purpose for God's making of Man after his Image is meant in the forecited place of some singular and peculiar thing Neither Beasts nor Fishes nor Birds nor Plants nor any visible Being in the whole Creation mention'd in that Chapter are said to be made after God's Image or Likeness We read that Man alone was created in the Divine Image as much as to say no other Creature whatsoever on Earth resembleth God but Man Therefore it is evident that these words cannot be understood of the Idea according to which God made all things for according to that he made Beasts as well as Men and then we might have expected to read in Genesis not only Let us make Man but let us make Beasts and all other Creatures in our Image after our Likeness 3. The Anthropomorphites held this Image was in the Body of Man because they conceived that God had a Body and so they dreamt that the Shape and Figure of human Bodies answer to the same Lineaments and Proportions in God But I need not stand to conâ—ute so blasphemous and cursed an Opinion I know some would mitigate it by saying that man was made after the Image of Christ who was to come in the Flesh and was to have bodily Parts But this hath no relation to the Anthropomorphites Doctrin and consequently can be no mitigation of it Besides it is contrary to the words themselves which speak not of the Image of Christ either as God or Man but of the Godhead in general Positively then the Image of God wherein Man was created was something in his Soul chiefly something in his outward Man and it also consisted in his Dâ—minion over the Creatures 1. In the Soul of Man is God's Image or Likeness placed For this part of us is of an immaterial and spiritual Nature and such is God he is a Spirit John 4. 24. Again the Soul of Man is immortal and therein is God's Image and Representation This indeed follows upon the former Quality it being immaterial and incorporeal it must needs be in its own Nature incorruptible Herein we signally resemble the Deity and therefore it is rightly asserted by St. Augustin that because of the immortality of the Soul tho not only for that Man is said to be made according to God's Image Moreover the Soul of Man is of a rational and intelligent Nature and therein also is like unto God There was no visible or sublunary Creature before Adam that was of this kind therefore saith God Let us make Man after our Image let us frame a terrestrial Creature with a reasonable Soul with an immortal and immaterial Nature which are Resemblances of the Divinity it self Let us make him capable of conceiving things aright of arguing and discoursing and of making inferences and deductions from things which no Brutes are able to do Let us furnish him with all Divine Knowledg that he may be able to apprehend the things of
God and have an insight into the most sublime and heavenly Truths and by this means also partake of the Divine Nature and Likeness That this Knowledg and Wisdom are part of the Divine Image is clear from the Apostle's words in Col. 3. 10. where he acquaints us that the new Man is renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him that created him Whence it is rationally to be inferr'd that God's Image partly consisted in Knowledg and Vnderstanding Socinus and Smalcius had a very low opinion of the first Man when they asserted that at his being first made he had no more understanding than a stupid Infant yea that Adam was next to a Fool. But may not these Writers be thought to be next to something of that Nature when they assert a thing so unreasonable and absurd so wild and extravagant I do not say that Adam was subtil and scholastical in his Notions that he had any skill in the quirks of Wit and Logick I believe Scotus would have baffled him a knotty Schoolman would have put him to a nonplus and it would quite have puzzl'd and amus'd his Brain to have reduc'd a Syllogism in Bocardo For these Subtilties were not the accomplishments of Innocence and the early attendents of the Spade and Plough No these are the Consequents of Apostacy the Crutches of lame Reason and Supporters of lapsed Understanding the Salvo's of Ignorance and sometimes the greatest increasers of it Therefore I do not think that Adam's intellectual Happiness consisted in these but in that which was solid and useful What Man of sense and sober thoughts can deny that God indued Adam with a quick Understanding upon considering this one thing viz. that he gave Names to every living creature Gen. 2. 19. and it may be tho it is not recorded to the Plants and all Vegetables on Earth yea even to the Stars in Heaven tho the Names of them are now lost yea to all things above and below which were useful and common in the Life of Man And those Names then did express and signify the very Nature and Properties of the things whereas now they are generally ex instituto merely from custom and the arbitrary will of Men. He that was able thus to give Names to all Creatures according to their Natures was no Fool or Sot certainly This was the great Plato's judgment who tells us it was no ordinary and mean thing it was not the work of a vulgar Person to impose Names on things yea he that did it at first was master of more than human wisdom and skill It is reasonable to believe that Adam was a great natural Philosopher had knowledg of all those Creatures which he named else he could not have fitted Names to them And that he did so is evident from comparing the 19th Verse of the forementioned Chapter with the 22 d and 23 d Verses In the former 't is said that the Lord God formed every living Creature out of the ground and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever he call'd them that was the Name thereof In the latter 't is said The Rib which the Lord God had taken from Man made he a Woman and brought her unto the Man And Adam said She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man You see the parallel the brute Creatures were brough by God to Adam on purpose that he should bestow Names on them So was Eve brought to him that she should have a Name given her by him Adam gave proper and significant Names to the other Creatures and so he did to the Woman We gather the former from the latter We find that when God brought the Woman to the Man he fastned a Name on her sutable to her Nature and Original therefore 't is reasonably to be concluded that when the other Creatures of an inferior rank were brought by God to Adam he conâ—er'd such Names on them as were most expressive of their different Properties and Qualities As God had given Adam his Name which was significant so Adam gave other Creatures Names which carried significancy with them This argues his Intellectuals to have been very acute and profound otherwise he could not have perceived the several Signatures and Properties of those Animals which were brought before him It is not to be question'd then that he had an insight into the true Nature of all Beings and was one of unspeakable Sagacity In fine whatever some Rabbies extravagantly assert on the one hand concerning the prodigious transcendency of Adam's knowledg and how meanly soever some of Pelagius and Socinus's Followers on the other hand speak of his Endowments it is a sober Truth that our First Parents were very knowing Persons It is not to be doubted that they had especially a perfect knowledg of Divine Truth from whence all Virtue and Holiness spring Which reminds me of another Quality of Man's Soul in the first Creation viz. its Righteousness or Holiness For God endued it not only with Understanding but with a Will which he adorned with Divine Graces and in these also consisteth the Image of God as we are ascertain'd by an inspired and infallible Writer who tells us that the new Man is created after God i. e. after the Image and Likeness of God in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes. 4. 24. These give us the perfect resemblance of our Maker and imprint upon us the Divine and heavenly Image For these are principally placed in the Will in the elective Faculty of Man that noblest part of his Soul that Sovereign and Ruling Faculty of the mind Thus I have shew'd how the Soul of Man is justly said to be God's Image and Likeness namely as it is a Spiritual Immortal and Intelligent Being but chiefly as 't is capable of Religion and is indu'd with Divine Virtues and Graces By these it is that Man most of all resembles God and is truly bless'd and happy and is as 't were another God Princes stamp their Image on their Coin That which is choicest and most precious beareth their Effigies And so here the exactest Lineaments of the Divine Image are to be seen impress'd on this choice Part of Man which is the Seat of true Grace and Goodness God who is the chief Pulchritude would draw his own beautiful Image on the Soul that That on Earth might be a kind of Representative of Himself and a Pourtray of his own Divine Perfections 2. Tho the Image of God in which Man was made be seated chiefly in the rational Soul of Man yet it is imprinted also on his Body as Ireneus and some other Fathers have rightly asserted Not that the Body can resemble God as if God were of human Shape This we exploded before as absurd and ridiculous But the Image of God was on the Body of the first Man first as it was extraordinarily fair comely and beautiful It is true Adam's Body was made
Prayer was heard and the People that stood by and heard it said that it thunder'd others said an Angel spake to him John 12. 28 29. Thus Christ was signally glorified by his Father and declared by him to be the Messias the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven attended with a kind of Thâ—nder To this we may annex God's speaking in a rushing mighty wind on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. And Christ Jesus himself being in Heaven spake to Saul thence by a Voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. St. Iohn in the Apocalypse makes frequent mention of a Voice speaking to him and revealing great things to him where it is observable that Thunders and Voices go together chap. 4. 5. and 8. 5. Thus the New Testament as well as the Old had the benefit of that Divine Oracle which the Iews stiled the Daughter of a Voice i. e. a Voice from Heaven declaring the Will of God to Men. Afterwards we are told in Ecclesiastical History that those who were set on work by Iulian the Apostate to rebuild the Temple at Ierusalem were defeated by Thunder and a TERRIBLE VOICE that accompanied it from Heaven thereby bearing witness to the Cause of Christianity 2. The Iews had the Testimony of Angels and so have Christians to confirm this Oeconomy By these Heavenly Messengers Zacharias had notice given him of the approaching Birth of Iohn the Baptist and the Virgin Mary had tidings brought her of the miraculous Conception of the Holy Babe Jesus in her Womb and these were the Heralds that proclaimed the News of his Birth to the Shepherds One of this Celestial Order appeared to Ioseph and warn'd him to flie into Egypt with the Blessed Infant These glorious Spirits gave notice of Christ's Resurrection and when he ascended up to Heaven another of this Celestial Hierarchy address'd himself to the Apostles and assured them that in the like manner Jesus should come again to Judgment Another of these Ministring Spirits came to the devout Cornelius and bid him send for Peter that he might be the great and happy Instrument of converting him to the Christian Faith The Angel of God stood by St. Paul in the Night when he was on his dangerous Voyage and ascertain'd him of his safety Acts 27. 23. And sundry other instances there are of Angels making known the will of God unto Men in those early times of the Gospel and thereby attesting the Truth of Christianity 3. The Iews had the Mosaick Dispensation attested by Visions and we have the same way of Revelation to ascertain us of the Truth of Christianity Thus Zachariah saw a Vision in the Temple relating to the forerunner of Christ Luke 1. 22. The Apostles who were at our Saviour's Transfiguration had the same manner of discovery Mat. 17. 9. The Lord spake to Ananias in a Vision Acts 9. 10. You read of St. Peter's Vision whereby he was taught not to despise the Gentiles Acts 10. 10 c. A Vision appeared to Paul in the Night Acts 16. 9. And again the Lord incouraged him in a Vision Acts 18. 9. Of St. Stephen it is said that he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God the Divine Shekinah and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. And we read in the Book of the Revelation that St. Iohn had frequent Visions And hither may be refer'd those visible representations spoken of in the New Testament as the Holy Ghost's descending on Christ in the shape of a Dove after he was baptized The appearance of Cloven Tongues like as of fire over the Apostles heads The Light from Heaven which shone round about St. Paul at his Conversion All these appertain to the Shekinah the Glorious Presence and Lustre of theâ— Heavenly Majesty And hither may be refer'd the Radiant Presence of Christ the bright and glorious Manifestation of his Person which is often mention'd by the Evangelists Mat. 17. 2 5. Mark 9. 3. and Rev. 1. 16. He dwelt among us he was the true Shekinah and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. 4. Dreams were another sort of divine Revelations among the Jews and these also were not wanting to confirm the Truth of Christianity For we read that Ioseph was warned once and again in a Dream concerning Mary whom he had espoâ—sed and concerning the blessed Babe Mat. 1. 20. chap. 2. 12 13 19. And Pilate's Wife suffer'd many things in a Dream because of Christ who was then standing at the Bar before her Husband Mat. 27. 19. But because these Operations on the Imagination by Dreams are more liable to mistakes than Visions and other kinds of Revelation we have but few Instances of this However we are not wholly destitute of this Testimony under the Gospel 5. There was among the Jews that which they signally call'd the Holy Spirit viz. when Men were wonderfully and extraordinarily stir'd up to deliver the Will of God to make some divine Discoveries to the World and to assert their holy Religion This was in Christ himself Luke 4. 1. Acts 1. 2. 10. 38. and in the Apostles Acts 2. 4. 5. 8. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 11. 24. 19. 6. and in all the holy Men that were sent by him to preach the Gospel By this they were enabled to speak without any premeditation before Rulers and Kings Mark 13. 10 11. for our Saviour tells them it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost With this the Apostles were all fill'd when they met together on the Day of Pentecost and utter'd such divine and heavenly things By this Prophetick Afflation or Inspiration the Evangelists penn'd the Scriptures of the New Testament for tho these Writings may be said to be humane Testimony as they were writ by Men yet these Persons being inspired by the Holy Ghost and not speaking of themselves but by extraordinary Assistance their Writings and Testimony are Divine This is part of that more sure Word of Prophesy spoken of by St. Peter Ep. 2. ch 1. ver 19. which in the next Verse he calls the Prophesy of the Scripture By this Divine Inspiration the Prophets and Apostles saw and foretold what should come to pass afterwards By this inward Afflation the Apostles tho mean and illiterate Persons preached the Gospel with that Authority and Evidence which some of their most implacable Enemies were not able to resist These are the Divine Witnesses of the Truth of the Gospel-Dispensation and of the Christian Religion Yea even at this Day and to the Worlds end this last Testimony viz. of the Spirit is useful and necessary I do not mean any Miraculous gift of the Spirit but a special and peculiar assistance of it such as all regenerate Persons have experience of That we may be throughly certain that this or that was deliver'd by God that we may assuredly know that such things were of Divine
they would have been found out 5. Miracles were done in all parts of the World and not confined to Iudea only The Acts of the Apostles relate what Miracles they exerted in several Countries where they went and afterwards the whole World was visited by one or other of them and yet we never read that they were proved to be Impostors But on the contrary we are credibly informed that their Miracles were owned and approved of not in one place only but in all places where they came 6. These Miracles were wrought these Cures were done and the strange Languages were spoken amongst them for many years together whereas what is counterfeit holds not long 7. These Miracles were not control'd and check'd by any greater as the Wonders of the Egyptian Sorcerers were by Moses You may observe that those Magicians could not plague Men and Cattel with Boils they could not restore the Waters to their former quality tho they could gather the Frogs together yet they were not able to kill them They could not counterfeit the Miracle of Fleas and Lice tho they did those of the Serpents Blood and Frogs Here was some restraint the Devil was overpower'd But that was not all They had not been suffer'd to effect so much as they did but that Moses was there ready to countermand them and to baffle their Delusions They turned the Rods into Serpents but Moses's Rod devoured theirs i. e Moses's true Serpents devour'd the Magicians counterfeit Ones But Christ and his Apostles wrought Miracles and there was none to countermand them which shews that they were real Miracles Thus true Miracles may be known by their manner and circumstances Again These may be known to be such from the Ends and Designs which Christ and his Followers propounded to themselves in exerting them First True Miracles are always for the Confirmation of the Truth but seeming and counterfeit Ones are wrought on purpose to maintain some false Doctrine Therefore if a Pretender to Miracles teacheth any thing derogatory to Providence and to the Nature of God and Religion we must look on him as an Impostor for Miracles that are true never contradict the Divine Testimony and the Truth recorded in Holy Writ This then you must know that as Miracles confirm a Doctrine so they are authorized by the Doctrine We must not rest in Miracles alone but to the Word and to the Testimony we must appeal Christ saith the Works I do bear witness of 〈◊〉 John 5. 36. but he adds ver 39. 〈◊〉 thâ— Scriptures they are they which testify of me By this then we may ascertain our selves of the Authority of those Miracles which our Saviour and his Apostles wrought when they were upon Earth They were done to attest a Doctrine which as it contradicted no part of Moral Religion nor the natural Notions of Reason so it was conformable to the written Word of God and all the Truths in the Old Testament In the second place True Miracles tend to the overthrowing of Satan's Kingdom in the World they never confirm and abet Sin and Prophanation in those that do them or in any one else As we observ'd before from Deut. 13. 1. that God some times permits false Prophets to work Signs and Wonders among his People so the Verses following tell us how we may know them to be lying Wonders viz. if the Prophet makes use of them to entice Persons to gâ— after other Gods and to serve them If the Signs and Wonders were intended to seduce them to a false Worship to perswade them to Idolatry and forsaking the true God they were not to be credited they were to be look'd upon as no true Miracles but counterfeit ones For it is not a sufficient proof for the truth of Miracles that they are for attesting the Orthodox Faith unless they also uphold a Holy Life In the third place Our Saviour's Miracles were such as were beneficial to others and was for the good of Mankind He procured Food for Multitudes of Persons when they were almost â—amished he cured the Lame and the Blind he ejected troublesom Devils out of Mens Bodies he relieved the most impotent and distressed But the Signs and Wonders which are done by Impostors are rather harmful than advantageous It is not unworthy of our Remark what was partly suggested before that the Egyptian Magicians turn'd the Water into Blood but they could not reduce it to its Nature again they brought up Frogâ— but they could not clear the Houses of the Egyptians of them They could bring Plagues but they could not remove them And it may be observed also of Impostors that if what they do is not harmful yet it is oftentimes fruitless and unprofitable it is vain and trifling and fit only to entertain fond and scrupulous Minds But here it may be objected that all Christs Miracles were not beneficial for his â—ursing the Fig-â—ree Mark â—1 14. and his sending the unclean Spirit into the Gaderens Swine Mat. 8. 30. were not so As to the first viz. Christs cursing the Fig-tree it was a Symbolical Act figuring the Judgment of God against the unfruitful Religion of the Jews and being thus consider'd it was of great use and benefit Some indeed have thought it strange that our Saviour should do thiâ— when he himself saith the time of Figs was not yet v 13. as if it were unjust to blast the Tree for not bearing Fruit before the time of bearing was come but they mistake the meaning of those words which is no other than this that it was not the time of Figs with that Tree but it was with others The year was not unseasonable for Figs but this Tree bore nothing but Leaves therefore our Saviour dealt thus with it This I take to be the plainest and clearest Interpretation of the Place and then the Objection vanishes for who will be concern'd at the witâ—â—ring of a Barren Tree I know there are other Solutions of the place but none of them seem to me to be genuine That of Episcopius is not to be allowed of viz. that when Christ cursed the Figtree and said the 〈◊〉 of Figs 〈◊〉 not yet he did not know that it was not time of Figs. A learned Writer of our own hath this peculiar Notion that Christ look'd for Figs and yet saith thâ— time of Figâ— is not yet because he look'd not for any Figs that he thought could be ripe and fit to eat that Spring it being about that time but he look'd for those that grew the last Summer and had hung on the Tree all Winter But tho Iudâ—â— was a very fruitful Country and had in it several things different from other Soils yet it is to be question'd whether there were Fig-trees in the Field of this nature and whether the Jewish Writings which this Author refers to speak of this sort of Fruit. Besides if this Tree bore Figs as the Author supposes it is not material whether they were old or
was ulcer'dâ— in his Bowels and pester'd with Worms which crawl'd out of his rotted flesh and in the midst of Conâ—ulsions and exquisite Torments over his whole Body ended his miserable Life to begin one more miserable Iudas who had been a seeming Friend but proved at last a real Adversary to the Christian Cause and perfidiously betray'd the Lord of Life â—as by Divine Vengeance punish'd with a triple Death as I have shew'd in the Exposition of Mat. 27. 5. The Sacred Records acquaint us that Elymas a Sorcerer who opposed the Christian Faith was struck blind by St. Paul Acts 13. 11. Clement the Roman Arnobius Epiphanius and others relate how Simon the Magician an Apostate from Christianity and one who openly defied that Religion afterwards was defeated in his bold Attempt of flying in the Air and was struck down to the ground by St. Peter Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee who beheaded Iohn Baptist and under whom Christ suffer'd Death was afterwards condemned by Caligula to perpetual Banishment where he died miserably Caiaphas was the same time disgracefully removed from the High Priest's Office and Ionathan was set in his Place Pilate who condemned our Saviour was accused at Rome put out of his Place and then banish'd to the Town of Lions and at length slew himself Herod Agrippa Nephew of Herod the Great who stretch'd forth his hands to vex certain of the Christian Church and particularly kill'd Iames the Brothâ—r of Iohn with the Sword and proceeded further to take Peter also and put him in Prison intending after Easter to bring him forth to the People to be executed as Iames was this execrable Man who thus thirsted after the Blood of the Christians and designed a plentifâ—l effusion of it was on a sudden cut off by the just hand of God and that in the midst of those prophane Apâ—plauses which he receiv'd from the People the Text saith he was eaten of Worms Acts 12. 23. It may be observed that most of the Roman Emperors and Tyrants who imbrued their hands in the Blood of Christiâ—ans died violent Deaths some of them laid hands on themselves and the rest in some other manner miserably closed their days Of the twelve first Roman Emperors there were but three that died natural Deaths and of the forty Pagan Emperors of Rome for so many were from Iulius Caesar to Constantine the Great there were few that died in their Beds See Lactantius de Mâ—rt Persecut who undertakes to shew that all the Eâ—mperors and Tyrants that persecuted the Christians â—had tragical ends by the visible hand of God upon them and he particularly recounts the Signal Iudgments which they were deservedly visited with And as for Iulian who was a Flatterer of the Christians and â—â—sed a way quite contrary to what the foregoing Caesarâ—s had done for by Bribes and Preferments he endeavour'd to pervert the Christians and at other times he attempted to jeer them out of their Religion this Man in the very beginning of his Reign was taken off in a very strange and surprizing manner He who vowed to sacrifice to his Gods the Blood of the Christians when he return'd in Triumph from his Persian Expedition as St. Ierom Theodoret and Orosius relate met with a bloody Stroke which defeated his purposes Whence the Truth of what a Christian told â—â—banius was manifest viz. that the Carpenter's Soâ—â— was making a Coffin for Iâ—lian Who gave him his wound is not known to any to this day said the Ecclesiastical Historian but as he adds whether it was a Man or an Angel that inflicted it it is certain he was the Minister of the Divine Wilâ— And the desperate Behaviour of the perishing Emperor is mention'd by the same Writer viz. that he fiâ—l'd his hand with the Blood that issâ—ed from the Woâ—nd and threw it up into the Air with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Author tells us moreover that his Emâ—press a Pious and Religious Lady seeing him thus punish'd seasonably reminded him of his Guilt and plainly told him that he would not have known who it was he had so fiercely opposed unless this Stroks from God had been inflicted on him I might have observ'd before out of the Life of Constantine the Great that as soon as Maximian persecuted the Christâ—ians the Divine Vengeance seized him and his secâ—et Parts and his Bowels were ulcerated And there likewise we find the Emperor declaring that he had himself taken notice of the strange Exits of some that had troubl'd the People of God i. e. the Christians with their wicked Edicts l. 4. c. 12. I could go bacâ— and observe that Tertullian propounds to Scapula the African President several particular Exaâ—ples of the Mischiefs and Plagues that befel certain of his Predecessors and others that vex'd and disturb'd the Christians But among all the Iudgments of Gâ—od on the Enemies and Persecutors of Christianitâ— I may reckon his Vengeance on the Iewish People and Nation as the most observable and notorious According to our Saviour's Prediction they heard of Wâ—ars and rumours of Wars and soon felt them there was great distress in the Land and wrath upon this People they fell by the edg of the Sword c. Nero sent Vespasian to reduce these Rebels who for six Years together miserably destroy'd them and their Country with Sword and Fire Then upon Nero's Death Vesâ—asian who succeeded him sent his Son Titus thither who bent all the Force of the War against their Capital City and closely besieged it Yet as the Historian himself acknowledges this merciful Prince acted this Tragical Part unwillingly he all the while pitied the Iews and testifi'd it by his Tears he deferred from time to time the Destruction of Ierusalem and kept up the Siege the longer that the Iews might repent of their Doings and submit themselves to his Arms. But when he saw they were obstinate and would by no means make good use of his Forbearance he resolv'd to punish their Incorrigibleness and accordingly he fell upon them with an unusual severity and wofully sack'd and destroy'd the City and burnt both it and the Temple to the ground No less than eleven hundred thousand were kill'd by Fire Sword Famin and civil Discord in the time of the Siege and ninety seven thousand were taken Captives at the sacking of it there being then a vast confluence of Iews from all parts to celebrate the Passover for as this was the time when our Saviour was crucifi'd so at this very Season the Iews were remarkably punish'd for crucifying him An innumerable company of that miscreant Nation which sold Christ for thirty pieces of Silver were exposed to sale at a far cheaper Rate for as this Author affirms the Market ran so low that twenty Iews were sold for a penny The whole City and Temple were utterly demolish'd to the ground And this was done by him who was stiled the Darling and Delight of Mankind as if the Iews were
the Disciples for a time such Prejudices had they on their minds that they could not conceive the meaning of our Lord and they durst not ask him concerning those things It was not as yet reveal'd to them by what means the Messias was to deliver them they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom as the blinded Iews at this day they promis'd themselves much temporal Prosperity and Grandeur in the World Neither could the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection gain assent with them for we read that when he spake of it to the three Apostles before whom he was transfigured they questioned one with another what the rising from the dead should mean Mark 9. 10. And afterwards when he told the other Apostles as well as these that he should rise again the third day they understood not that saying Mark 9. 31 32. That our Saviour's Friends believ'd not his Resurrection appears from their dressing his dead Body with Aromatick Gums and Spices which were design'd to preserve it It had been vain to use these glutinous Gums and Persumes if they thought he was in a short time to rise again And when he was risen they would not believe it as appears too plainly from that Speech of Cleophas one of those whom Jesus talk'd with presently after his Resurrection tho then he pass'd incognito We trusted saith he that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luke 24. 21. Still he doubted tho he had heard of the Lord's Resurrection in saying we trusted he discover'd his distrust and impli'd that Iesus could not be the Messias who was to redeem Israel Tho the Apostles were certified of Christ's Resurrection by those that saw him yet their words seemed to them as idle Tales Luke 24. 11. and they would not be perswaded till they themselves saw Christ among them Nor did they know that he was to ascend for just before he left them they put this question to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou repair the Iewish State and recover its pristine Splendour yea raise it to a higher Dignity than ever it arrived to as we expect should be done by the Messias So likewise it might be proved that some of them were in an Error about the End of the World for they believed it would be about that time By these and other Instances their Ignorance and Mistake were apparently discovered they had very false apprehensions and conceptions of things and some of the chief Articles of the Christian Belief were not credited by them Here I might add that in our Blessed Saviour's time there was not such an effusion of the Holy Spirit as there was afterwards Iohn 7. 35. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified For this Reason several things were not disclosed to them but were reserved till a further communication of the Spirit for tho Christ had said All things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you yet he adds I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot hear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16. 12 13. As much as if he had said there is no new Truth or other Doctrine to be preach'd to you than what you have receiv'd from me already but the time is coming when there shall be a greater Manifestation of those things to you tho the Truths as to the main shall be the same yet your Understandings and Capacities shall be greater you shall then comprehend those matters which before you could not as the calling of the Gentiles the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias c. And moreover the Holy Spirit shall increase your Love and Zeal to God and all Truth so that you shall be enabled not only to preach it to all Nations but undauntedly to suffer Persâ—cution and even to lay down your Lives in the defence of it By this it is evident that Christianity was revealed by degrees as well as the other former Dispensations of Religion Their knowledg in the Christian Institution was gradual they were not to know all together neither were their Zeal and Courage of the same proportion that they were afterwards Secondly in the Times and Ages immediately succeeding our Saviour's being upon Earth the Church was but yet in its Childhood and State of Infirmity It is true they were much increased and advanced in their knowledg of spiritual Truths this being the Accomplishment of our Saviour's Promise as well as Prediction that the Holy Spirit should guide them into all Truth By a more immediate and special Directioâ— of this Holy Guide the Evangelists and Apostles indited and pen'd the Books of the New Testament so that there are no Errors and Mistakes in them of any kind Therefore what a Learned Writer saith on 1 Cor. 15. 51. and 2 Pet. 3. 11. and other places in St. Paul's and St. Peter's Epistles viz. that these Apostles verily believ'd the day of Iudgment was at hand and consequently were under a mistake is not to be admitted is by no means to be credited for these Persons as well as the other Penmen of the New Testament being immediately inspired by that Infallible Guide and Director could not possibly commit any Errors in their Writings whatever their misapprehensions were at other times When therefore they use those Terms with respect to the last Day We and Ye as if they of that Age should survive to see that Day we must remember that they speak not of themselves particularly and definitively but of the whole successive Body of Christians in several Ages who will be expecting the last Day This is the meaning of those Expressions as is plain from their using them on other occasions We have no Reason then to think that the Apostles were deceiv'd about the Day of Judgment or any other matter that they writ of and deliver'd to the World Here is no weakness no defect as to any thing of this nature Nay there was a great Advance and Accession in respect of what there was before in the foregoing part of this Dispensation viz. in the time that our Saviour lived upon the Earth For the Doctrines of the Gospel of which I speak now were gradually deliver'd and consequently the Apostles attain'd now to more than was discover'd in Christ's time he having not thought fit then to communicate all in so evident and plain a manner as we find it was afterwards done Therefore that late Writer is under a great mistake who declares that the Apostles Epistles are only occasional and that we can find no necessary Points of Divinity deliver'd there which were not deliver'd before in the Gospels and Acts whereas the Truth is the Epistles contain the most perfect and complete Doctrines of the Gospel for by degrees the Evangelical Truth display'd it self All the necessary and fundamental Articles of Christianity are explain'd
latter those that succeed And yet as it is in the growth of human Bodies tho the Strength and Stature of them be alter'd yet the same Nature and Persons remain in the mature Years that were before so it is here saith he Christianity is consolidated by Years it is enlarged by Time it is sublimed by Age but still it continues incorrupt and intire And afterwards cap. 29. It is â—itting saith he that the heavenly Philosophy for so he stiles the Christian Religion which was sowed in the Church by the primitive Fathers should afterwards grow up flourish and be cultivated by the Industry of their Sons that by process of time it should become more polish'd but yet that it should retain the same Plenitude Property and Integrity that it had as to its Substance at first Thus that excellent Writer And I was very glad to find my Notion of the last Time confirmed by a Person of so much Judgment and Sagacity and of so great Repute in the Christian Church The Sum of what he saith is that Christianity shall be improved by succession of Time and at last this Beauty shall receive its finishing stroke Now this I will endeavour to make good from Reason and Scripture It is reasonable to believe that there shall be a better State of Religion because this is founded on the constant Method of God in the World We find that it is his Way and Course to proceed in a gradual manner and that not only in the things of Nature as at the Creation of all ranks of Beings but in those of Religion as I have shew'd in the several Stages of it since it began Wherefore it is reasonable to conclude that it will be thus in Christianity that as it hath had already its different Steps Measures and Gradations so there is a greater yet to come and that it shall arrive to the heighth of its Glory in this World Again it is reasonable to believe that great things are to come because so little is done hitherto The unbelieving part of the World is very vast and large The greatest Kingdoms of the Earth are those of the Tartars the Indians the Chinoise the Persians the Turks all whâ—ch are Strangers to the Religion of Iesus Divide the World into three Parts and it will appear that two of them are inhabited even by profess'd Pagans Or if we divide it into six parts we shall find that five of them at this day know not Christ but are either Idolatrous Pagans which are the greatest number or Iews or Mahometans And of the sixth Part how few of those that outwardly make Profession of Christ have true Faith and deserve the Name of Christians Popery which can scarcely be reckon'd as a part of Christianity hath spread it self through the most flourishing Kingdoms in Eâ—rope and hath got footing in Asia and is not wholly a stranger in some parts of Africa and hath found its way even into America Among the Churches which disown Popery some of them are grosly ignorant erroneous and superstitious as the Muscovian Abyssine and Greek Churches generally And even among the Reformed Churches what Divisions and Dissentions what unchristian Feuds and Animosities are there What variety of Opinions is there amongst them How unsetled are they in their Notions and Apprehensions How little of the true Virtue of Religion and Power of Godâ—iness is to be observed among them How is the Satanical Kingdom kept up and maintain'd every where How industriously is it recruited and establish'd Whereas Christians should live better than all the World beside it is sad and deplorable that their Words and Actions bid deâ—iance to every thing which appertains to so Sacred and Honourable a Title They profess the best Religion in the World and do things that are the worst Some that bear this venerable Name are as wicked and proâ—ligate as any other sort of Men upon Earth the grosâ—est Enormities of Barbarians are acted by them It is too apparent a Truth that many who go under the Name of Christians conspire against the Religion which Christ hath set up in the World as well as Iews Turks and Pagans In fine look where you will and you will have cause to say how short is Christianity of its full Arcomplishment What slender effects are there of it in the Lives and Manners of Men How little Progress hath it made in so many Ages How narrow is its Kingdom How ineffectual are its Laws in most places Whence it is rational to infer that there must be some greater Work effected both in the Kingdoms of the World which have no notice of Christ and the the Christian Faith and also in that part of the World which is already Christian. A farther Oâ—câ—nomy or rather a farther Exaltation of this Evangelical Oeconomy which we are under is to be 〈…〉 hoped for We should be tempted to think 〈…〉 God 's Providence if there be no more to be done if Christianity attains not to a greater height than hitherto it hath It is a very surprizing and amazing Problem abstracting from the diâ—ine Destinies concerning it and the Predictions of it in the Holy Writings that 〈◊〉 Kingdom of Satan in all Ages of the World 〈…〉 greater numbers of Subjects than that of Christ. It â—â—ems very harsh and dismal that so many should perish that among Heatheâ—s Iews Mahomâ—tans and even Christians Satan should have such a Haâ—veâ—t But now this is soon answer'd by what I have suggested this which I oâ—fer is a very clear and eaâ—ie solution of the Difficulty for there will be moâ—e Saints in the space of the thousand Years whiâ—h I shall afterwards describe than there were wicked and impenitent Sinners in all the other thousâ—â—ds 〈…〉 preceded this Dispensation There will be such a 〈◊〉 of general Conversion and universal Sanctity through all the Regions of the World that the number of the saved shall at last surpass that of the damned This will plainly appear from what I shall propound in the sâ—quel of this Discourse and it will give us a fair and comfortable Idea of the Divine Philanthropy it will let us see that the Scales of Providence hang even it will clear up the dark Proceedings of Heaven and fully satisfie uâ— about the Wisdom of God in the Conduct of the World Another Argument that I shall make use of shall be from the gradual Improvement of all Arts and Sciences in the World It was well noted by one of the Antients and that with reference to the Dispensations of Religion that the commencement of Sciences is defective and imâ—â—rfect but by little and gradual Additions they come at last to their complete pitch Nothing is more observable than that Learning hath had its noble Accessions in the several successive Generations of Mankind Which was foretold by Seneca long ago who speaking of the Phâ—nomena of Comets and the like Philosophical Disquisitions prophetically utters these words The time shall come when
were the first Fathers that writ against this Millennary Reign and soon after this it was generally Condemn'd by the Fathers of the Roman and Greek Church and hath ever since been look'd upon as an Heterodox Opinion excepting that some Anabaptists have made bold to revive it If we consider things aright we shall see sufficient reason to condemn and explode this Doctrine for there are these two gross Errors in it 1. That Christ shall Personally Reign upon Earth 2. That the Saints shall come from Heaven and Reign with him First The Chiliasts are palpably mistaken in this that Christ shall come from Heaven and Personally Reign here and that before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment as they also hold This is contrary to express Words of Scripture which saith concerning our Saviour That the Heaven must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things i. e. as I conceive till the finishing of those times of the restitution of all things which will be a little before the Day of Judgment We are assured that Christ from his Ascension to that time remains in Heaven From thence he shall come to Iudge the Quick and the Dead therefore he shall not come down on Earth before that time and consequently he will not Reign here in Person as those Milleâ—naries imagine It is incongruous and against reason that he should be said to come to Iudge the Men upon Earth and yet at the same time be on the Earth Nor is there any thing in this 20th Chapter of the Revelation which favours this Fancy of theirs Had a Personal Reign been intended here it would have been said that Christ shall Reign with the Saints a Thousand Years which Words might fairly intimate that Christ would descend from Heaven and come among them and Reign in the midst of them so long a time but instead of this it is only said that they shall Reign with him a Thousand Years Or suppose it were expresly said Christ shall Reign yet this doth not prove that he shall Reign in Person How often doth the coming of the Lord in Luke 12. and in other Places signifie Christ's Coming in way of Judgment and Vengeance not his Personal Coming Why then may not Christs Reigning be meant not of a Personal Reigning but of his Reigning in the Hearts and Lives of the Faithful He is with them Spiritually and they Reign with him after the same manner and no other Therefore the Inquisitive Mr. Mede who founds the Future Reign of Christ upon Earth on his Chapter in the Revelations saw no Ground here for his Visible and Corporal Reigning Whence he hath left us these Words The presence of Christ in his Kingdom shall no doubt be Glorious and Evident yet I dare not so much as imagine that it shall be a Visible Converse on Earth for the Kingdom of Christ ever hath been and shall be a Kingdom whose Throne and Kingly Residence is in Heaven I quote this Passage the rather because some have entertain'd another Opinion of this Learned Author Besides in this Chapter v. 8 12. we read that Gog and Magog intervene between the Thousand Years and the Day of Judgment Therefore the Personal Reign of Christ is not before that Day for the Heavens retain him till then Nor is it after that Day for Gog and Magog who come after the Millennium go before the Day of Judgment I conceive this is an Unanswerable Proof And as for the several Quotations of Scripture which they bring to assert the Personal Reign the Answer in brief is this that theywrest those Places which speak of Christ's First Coming and others which speak of his Last Coming to Iudgment and apply them to a Second Personal Coming of Christ before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment From this perverting of those Texts they set up the Corporal Reign of our Saviour which they so much talk of Secondly That is another unpardonable Error that the Bodies of the deceased Saints shall be raised from below and their Souls be dismissed from above and that both shall be united here that they may Reign with Christ on Earth First this is against the constant Discovery which is made to us in Scripture that Heaven and signally the Highest Heavens are the Place of Glory and the Seat of Blessedness prepared for the departed Souls of the Faithful Those Regions above not this Earth below are the Receptacle of Glorified Spirits Yet these Men are pleased to alter the Constitution and Appointment of the All-wise God and to make the Earth the Habitation of Blessed Spirits and the Seat of Happiness This is to abrogate the Laws of God's Kingdom this is to anticipate the State of Glory this is to confound Heaven and Earth Again How absurd and ridiculous is it to assert that the departed Saints shall come to be subject after all the Joys and Ravishments of another World to Calamities and bodily Evils For Gog and Magog shall besiege them as they must needs grant from v. 9. of this Chapter Shall the Saints not only quit their heavenly Mansions and come down here on Earth but also turn Soldiers and put themselves into a Military Posture For you read there of the Camp of the Saints Shall immortal Saints fight after they have been in Heaven Yet the Chiliasts must hold this because they assert that the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years is meant here of their leaving of Heaven and coming down to Reign on Earth They pretend to prove this from several Passages in this Chapter as where it speaks of the Souls of them that were Beheaded and of their Living and Reigning and of the first and second Resurrection which argues say they that this Reigning is to be understood of the Saints that were before in Heaven and that there is one Resurrection a Thousand Years before the Last Judgment and another when that comes In the former the Saints rise to Reign and in the latter all other Men shall be raised But St. Iohn's Words in this Chapter signify nothing of this Nature as will appear from setting before the Reader the entire Text with a brief Comment upon it I saw the Souls of them that were Beheaded for the Witness of Iesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and Reigned with Christ a Thousand Years But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the Thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power ver 4 5 6. It is generally agree'd that by the Souls of them that were Beheaded are meant the Persons that were Beheaded for that is the known way of speaking among the Hebrews whom St. Iohn who was one himself here imitates And by them
often made use of where the Battel of Gog and Magog and their Defeat are mentioned Who doubts that these Enemies of Christ and of his Servants shall be subdued before the Day of Judgment And if so then Christ's Reign all which time his Enemies are subdued and disappear and the Last Judgment cannot be the same I may add that according to Mr. Mede's Opinion the Day of Judgment shall be before the General Resurrection which will hardly be allowed by any thinking Persons And in this very Chapter you will find that this latter hath the Priority of the other v. 12 13. And 't is no other than what the Apostle St. Paul asserts in 1 Cor. 15. 28. He shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father viz. after the Resurrâ—ction which he had been speaking of all along before How then can he be said to come and Reign on Earth after he hath delivered up the Kingdom But yet we may understand this Writer in the fairest Sence and so we ought to do all Authors and then his Opinion is not to be disliked for largely speaking the erecting of Christ's Kingdom in the 1000. Years Reign may be call'd the beginning of the Last Iudgment and it is represented so in Dan. 7. 9 13 22 26. For with the Kingdom of Christ on Earth there is as it were a Iudicature set up and Sentence passes according to the different Qualities of the Persons that are found at that time The Enemies of God and Religion shall then be openly animadverted upon but the true Worshippers of Iesus all the Sincere Professors of Christianity shall be Favour'd Advanced Rewarded Thus the Millennary Reign and the General Iudgment are Contemporary or at least we may suppose some part of the Thousand Years Reign to be included in the General Judgment Thus it is if we take it in the Latitude as Mr. Mede seems to do but is cannot strictly be reckon'd as part of the Millennium for this Chapter expresly tells us that it shall be after is I saw a great White Throne and him that sat on it and I saw the Dead Small and Great stand before God and the Books were open'd c. v. 11. 12. There is no reason then to defer the Reign of Christ to that Time But it is more agreeable to Reason and Revelation to assert that it is not very far off that the Time is approaching when this Millennary State shall Commence when there shall be a greater Progress on the Gospel than ever yet hath been when the Church shall be wonderfully Advanced and Christianity shall arrive to its Maturity and Perfection Christ Iesus shall not visibly come in Person as some have fondly imagined but he shall come and Reign in the Spirit he shall Rectifie the Disorders that have been in the Christian World he shall throw down all False Worship and establish the True and he shall raise the Christian Dispensation to its utmost Perfection CHAP. XX. The Millenary Reign is attended with the Destruction of Antichrist i. e. Papists and Mahometans This proved from several Passages in Scripture How the Papal Antichrist shall be destroy'd by the Spirit of God's Mouth Another Attendant of the Reign of Christ upon Earth is the Conversion or Fulness of the Gentiles An Objection answered A twofold Calling or Conversion of the Gentiles Partial and Total The Parable in Luk. 14. speaks of this latter The Occasion and Manner of this Conversion The Progress of Arts and Sciences hath imitated the Motion of the Sun The like is observable of Religion The General Conversion of the Jews is a third Concomitant of the Reign of Christ. Whether the Jews shall be fixed in their own Countrey again The Author's Iudgment concerning the Texts of Scripture which are alledged to prove the National Conversion and Return of the Jews Lev. 26. 38 39 c. is meant of the General Return of that People In Deut. 30. 1 c. there is a Primary and a Secondary meaning The latter applied to the Ten Tribes The future Restauration of the Jews proved from Isa. 11. 11. from Isa. 60. from Hos. 3. 4 5. from Amos 9. 14. from Zech. 12. 10 c. from Luk. 2. 30 31. from Luke 21. 24. from 2 Cor. 3. 14 c. from several Passages in Rom. 11. What is meant by all Israel The 26 27 28 and 29 Verses particularly consider'd and shew'd to be Arguments for the Complete Conversion of the Jews The 7. Rev. 4. speaks of this The Occasion Manner and Means of it both ordinary and extraordinary enquired into BUT to pass from these Generals to a Particular Account of this Period of the Evangelical Oeconomy this Glorious State of Christ's Church which shall be before the Consummation of all Things comprehends in it these Things 1. The Destruction of Antichrist 2. The Fulness of the Gentiles 3. The Calling of the Jews 4. Universal Righteousness 5. Universal Peace These are the Five Things which are to be expected yet to come and which constitute the Heighth of the Christian Dispensation I. I begin with the Destruction of Antichrist For that it is probable is the first Thing which will be effected when the Thousand Years begin By Antichrist I mean the Church and Polity of Rome and the Impostures of Mahomet The latter is the Eastern and the former is the Western Antichrist For as the Roman Empire was made up of the Western and Eastern Dominions so proportionably Antichrist or the Antichristian Power signally so styled which was to succeed in the room of the Roman Emperours consists of both these Great Powers viz. The Papacy in the West and the Mahometan Usurpation in the East It is well known that both these had their Rise together and it is probable they shall fall together To speak of the latter first Mahometism hath been in the World above a Thousand Years but it must in due time have its Period the Cross shall triumph over the Crescent If it be ask'd Where there is any particular Place of Scripture that mentions this Catastrophe I answer That according to my Apprehension leaving every one to judge as they please the 38 th and 39 th Chapters of Ezekiel plainly foretel the Saracens and Turks invading the Holy Land and then their Destruction and Extirpation It is a most Eminent and Remarkable Portion of Scripture though little taken notice of but whoever will be pleased to consult the Whole with great Seriousness and Intensâ—tness of Mind they will be induced I question not to join with me in this Perswasion That this notable Prophecy hath respect to the Times of the Chiliastick Reign of Christ when the Turkish Infidels the right Gog and Magog with their Adherents shall endeavour by all means to oppose it and in order to that shall appear with a mighty Force against the People of God viz. against the Iews who at that time shall be looking towards the Messias and shall be ready to own Iesus to be
in their being Called are not to be frustrated For as the Apostle adds the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance v. 29. God having made choice of this People they cannot totally be Rejected Though many of them were fallen and many more afterwards should continue in their Unbelief yet God hath not and will not cast off his People whom he foreknew and whom he Elected They shall not finally Perish but be gathered to the Church for the Gifts and Callings c. Such special Favours as these are Unchangable being once Promised they can't be Revoked The Apostle founds the Vniversal Recalling of the Iews upon this that God hath chosen them according to what we read in Deut. 7. 6 7 8. As there was a Remnant a small number of Jews according to the Election of Grace as we find in this Chapter v. 5. who at that present time when the Apostle writ rejected not the Gospel but were effectually Call'd and Converted so likewise hereafter there shall be a vast number of this People who by vertue of the same Election shall turn unto God and besides he will not fail to perform the Promise made to their Ancestors he will not forget his Covenant made with them The Jews were once the Beloved People of God and their Posterity shall be beloved for the Fathers sake which is agreeable to the Faithfulness as well as the infinite and unmeasurable Goodness of God Thus you see how the Great Aposâ—le argues viz. from the Election and from the Covenant and from the Love of God and from his Vnchangeableness All these are concern'd for the restoring of that People and therefore there is no question of the Truth of it Though they are laid aside for the present yet they shall be taken into Favour again and be of the number of those that are Saved This very thing which the Apostle here asserts was the Ancient Notion of the Iews who had this Common Saying though they did not so well understand it Every Israelite shall have his part in the World to come which is the same that the Apostle here affirms All Israel shall be saved there shall be a General Conversion of that People Lastly to insist upon no other Proofs I will only add Rev. 7. 4 c. which gives an account of the number of them that were Sealed of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel which I conceive is to be understood of the numerous Company of Iews that shall be Converted in the Latter Days It is true Expositors generally interpret the Words otherwise and fix this Sealing long before this time Particularly Dr. Hammond thinks this is spoken of the Conversion of the Jews about the time of the Destruction of Ierusalem But if it be considered that the Subject of this Chapter is under the Sixth Seal as is evident from comparing the 12. v. of the 6th Chapter with 1 v. of the 8th Chapter and belongs to the close of it we must be forced to acknowledge that these Words appertain to the Last Times in which the Signal Conversion shall happen which is fitly represented by the Sealing of so many Thousands of every Tribe of Israel Besides I can't find any time when this hath been already fulfill'd i. e. when there was such a vast number of Iews Converted together and therefore this Time is yet to come and accordingly I am perswaded that this place of the Revelation foretells this Notable Event and As I apprehend refers to Zech. 12. 12 c. of which I have largely treated before From all thse places of Scripture laid together I conclude that there shall be at length a Visible National and General Conversion of the Iewish People and that they being joyned to the Converted Gentiles shall make up One Church of Christ. I confess I have heretofore thought the contrary being strongly enclin'd to believe that those Texts of Scripture had no determinate reference to this affair But I have since throughly examined them and more exactly scann'd them and penetrated into the sence of them insomuch that I am now perswaded that a Future Conversion of the Jews in spoken of in them all or most of them Particularly in my Judgment the Eelventh Chapter to the Romans is a very clear and convincing Evidence of this great change of their Condition which as it shall be Amazing so it shall be matter of exceeding Rejoycing and Exultation and therefore is deservedly call'd as you have heard Life from the Dead If it be asked How this General Conversion of the Iews shall be effected I conceive the first Occasion of it will be this They will take notice of the Wonderful and Avenging Hand of God upon the Idolaters of Rome who have so long a time prospered They will observe the sudden downfall of that Wicked Assembly of Men who have boasted of their being founded on a Rock and that they should never be removed When the Iews shall see how remarkably God hath Defeated and Confounded these Men it will have a very good effect upon them and cause them to reflect on their own Stubbornness and Insidelity and to fear lest the Divine Vengeance may overtake them And when the Idolatrous Worship of the Papists is removed which was always so great an Offence to the Iews and was one main reason why they spoke and thought ill of the Christian Religion they will then be encouraged to approach nearer to it to be more familiar with it and to discern the innate Goodness and Excellency of it which was before so much clouded with Ceremonies and corrupted with Superstitious Practices And wâ— must suppose likewise that at that time Christians will lay aside all their former Prejudices against the Iewish Nation It hath been a Vulgar Opinion that the Iews Stink naturally and that the whole stock of them have an unsavory Smell And generally Christians have acted towards that People as if this were really true They avoid their Society and keep at a distance from them as if some unwholsome and fetid Vapours issued from them They have treated them with Scorn and Contempt with Contumely and Reproach which may be more eminently observed in Buxtorf's Synagogue where he most rudely handles them grossly and sometimes almost prophanely deriding them and their Services calling them Beasts Swine Mad Dogs and Devils which certainly is not the way to do any good upon them which yet that Learned Man pretends to in that Book But when those happy Days shall shine which I am speaking of the former Antipathy of Christians against the Race of the Iews shall vanish away and they shall unfeignedly endeavour to promote the wellfare of their Immortal Souls which by the Divine Blessing on their Endeavours will end in their Effectual Conversion It was the Opinion of Tertullian Chrysostom Theodoret and several other Fathers in which they are follow'd by the Doctors of the Roman Church that the Calling of the Jews before Christs Coming to
Judgment shall be chiefly Effected by the Preaching of Enoch and Elias So far we may allow it to be true that such Holy and Zealous Men as they were shall be the Instruments of this Great Work and you may be certain it will easily be brought to Perfection when such Persons are raised up by God to act in it And with Pathetick Instructions Invitations Admonitions and Convictions shall be joyned most Ardent Prayers for at such a time the Christian Church will be stired up to pity the forlorn state of this miserable People and to solicit Heaven with importunate Addresses in their behalf The Devout Mr. Herbert may be a Pattern in this particular who when he had express'd his sense of there Condition in these and the like Words Poor Nation whose sweet Sap and Iuice Our Cyens have purloyn'd and left you dry Compassionately adds O that my Prayers mine alas Oh that some Angel might a Trumpet sound At which the Church falling upon her Face Should cry so loud until the Trump were drown'd And by that cry from her dear Lord obtain That your sweet Sap may come again Moreover the wonderful Conversion of the Gentiles which shall be a forerunner of that of the Iews shall be another cause of the coming in of these latter and of their accepting the Gospel This is suggested to us by our Apostle v. 11. of the 14. to the Romans Salvation shall come for so we may read it because there is no Verb in the Original to determine the time to the Gentiles to provoke them i. e. the Jews to jealousie And this is yet more clear from 25 and 26. v. of the Eleventh Chapter before insisted upon which not only assert the General Calling of the Iews but that it shall be after the Fulness of the Gentiles i. e. when the Gentiles are Converted Blindness in part i. e. for a certain time is happen'd to Israel untill the fulness of the Gentiles be come in And when this is come in then the Jews shall no longer be blinded I take this to be a clear Text for the Priority of the Gentiles Conversion before that of the Iews though I find it opposed by several and particularly by our Learned Hammond who attempts to distort the Words and by the Author of The State of the Church in Future Ages Chap. 6. where he contends that the Apostles Words are to be understood in a qualifi'd sense and that is this Blindness in part is befallen Israel for so long as until the time come in which the Gentiles shall come in in their fullness that is they shall come in then more generally than ever before But whatever this dark Gloss drives at this is a plain obvious and intelligible Truth that though there was a great and notable Conversion both of Gentiles and Jews in the Apostle's time yet that could not be meant here because the Apostle speaks of something to come in Future Ages viz. a Compleat and Vniversal Conversion of those two And as to the Order of them he lets us know that the Gentiles shall be first Converted and then the Iews for saith he the Blindness and Hardness of these latter shall not be taken away until the fulness of the other comes in i. e. until the full number of Gentiles be come into the Church of God by a hearty imbracing and professing of Christianity Can any thing be plainer than this Could the Apostle have used any clearer Words to express this matter viz. That the Conversion of the great Multitude of the Heathen World will preceed that of the Jews that it will be a means to remove their Blindness and Hardness and to cause them to own the Christian Faith Wherefore I can't submit to this Authors qualifi'd sence and that for a Reason which himself assigns in another Place To force an unusual Signification upon a Word where the Scope of the Place and Nature of the Matter where it is used does not necessarily require it hath little Authority in it to procure assent But this Sence which I offer is further evident from what the Apostle adds in the forenamed Place So all Israel shall be saved The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is very Emphatical and Remarkable here for it acquaints us that the General Conversion of Salvation of the Iews shall be such shall be so that it shall be the Effect and Consequence of the Gentiles foregoing Conversion SO they shall be Converted in this Manner they shall be Saved and no otherwise The Jews shall behold that strange Revolution and sudden Change in the Pagan World and thence be stirr'd up to make an Alteration among themselves A holy Emulation shall possess their Minds which shall push them on to this great Work So i. e. in this Manner and Method all Israel shall be Saved the whole Body of the Jews shall be received into the Church Perhaps this Universal Call may be promoted by some extraordinary Appearance or Spectacle in the Heavens Some would infer from that Place before-cited They shall look on him whom they have pierced that our Saviour will come and be seen at that Grand Change of Affairs but from what I have said already on that Passage it is manifest that it is not capable of the Sence As for Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with Clouds and every Eye shall see him and even they which pierced him and all Kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him which is thought by some to be a parallel Place with that which I last named because there is some likeness in the Words in both Places I rather think it is spoken of the Last Day the Day of Judgment when they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Matth. 24. 30. which is generally acknowledged to the meant of Doomsday Then all impenitent Sinners and more especially they that pierced and crucified Christ and died in their Sins shall see him to their unspeakable Sorrow But those Words if any in Dan. 7. 13. may seem to be some proof of Christ's Appearing himself in the Clouds when his Kingdom on Earth is to be set up anew One like the Son of Man came in the Clouds of Heaven and there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom c. for I have shew'd before that these Words are a Prediction of the Millennium Though I cannot be positive here for it may be this coming in the Clouds of Heaven may only refer to the Manner of the Vision which Daniel had I saw in the Night Visions saith he one like the Son of Man who appeared as if he came in the Clouds yet I must needs say I am rather enclined to think that this Place speaks of a visible Appearance of our Saviour at the Entrance of the Millennary Reign especially in order to the rouzing and alarming of the Hardned Iews who will be looking after Signs from Heaven And therefore at such a time it
at last the Catholick Interest of the World When it is come to this you need not doubt but such a State will last long Being so well founded it is no wonder that it shall continue so many Years That Government is most remote from Desolation which keeps itself most free from Sin and Vice Fifthly and Lastly VNIVERSAL PEACE AND VNITY crown all the foregoing Blessings This must needs be part of the Happiness of those Days because when the Names of Iew and Gentile shall cease and all other Names of Difference shall be taken away and turn'd into that of Christian there will necessarily follow Peace and Concord all Sidings and Factions will be at an end all Parties will be reconciled This will be partly the Effect and Result of that clear Knowledge which shall be the Blessing of those Times Isa. 11. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain For the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord. It is this that mitigates and pacifies the distemper'd Minds of Men and brings them to a peaceable and loving Disposition and thereby prevents unchristian Feuds and Quarrels whence spring Violence and Bloodshed and all manner of Evils in the Lives of Men. It is certain that one great Sourse of those many Quarrels and Disputes that are in the World is the Ignorance or Misapprehension of Persons They form not right Conceptions of Things or they mistake one another Especially in Matters of Religion this proves very troublesome and makes a great Disturbance and miserably divides Mens Judgments and Affections But there shall be no such Thing in that happy Age which is to come because then there will be a greater Light and Men will have a better Understanding of one another Which will in part be occasioned by that Vniversal Language which shall be all the World over We read that soon after the Flood a Plurality of Tongues caused a Dispersion a Division of the Sons of Men But the Unity of Language will join them together in one Communion Their speaking the same Words will be one way to unite them in the same Apprehensions for by this means they may with ease and freedom confer with one another and compare their Notions together and thereby come to an entire Agreement This is so rational to conceive that we cannot but deem it almost impossible that there should be an universal Converse and Peace without it When that wish'd for Period comes about Men being better inform'd of Things shall lay aside their false and mistaken Opinions but especially all Misapprehensions touching Religious Affairs shall have an end and consequently all Controversies relating to them shall vanish All Distinguishing but odious Names whereby Men laboured to brand one another and to perpetuate their Grudges and Antipathies shall be forgot They shall no more revile and which is worse persecute one another They shall not call down Fire from Heaven of fetch it up from Hell to devour their Adversaties In a Word They shall no longer differ from one another but be all of one Mind and Perswasion This must needs be so upon another Account viz. because that Wisdom which is from above is not only â—â—re but Peaceable Especially where that Purity takes place in a very great Degree there will be as considerable a Portion of Peace and Amity True Godliness will extirpate all Rancour and Bitterness all Dissention and Division and will cause the Christian Worshippers to be of one Heart He that purgeth his Church from Error and Vice will clear it also of all Distractions This too ought to be remembred that the principal Disturber of Mankind the great Incendiary of the World and who made it his continual Business to soment Quarrels and Divisions shall be shut up and imprisoned all the Time of that expected Reign And though some of this inferior Agents who shall remain behind may be soliciting a Revival of the Ancient Dissentions yet they shall be repulsed or if some smaller Disagreements shall at any time arise they shall but make way for a greater and more lasting Love The former Bickerings and Disgusts shall be heard of no more and as the consequent of this an universal Calm shall obtain upon Earth Of this the Evangelical King speaks in Psalm 72. which is a lively Description of Christ's Kingdom and among other Properties and Privileges of it it is foretold that there shall be abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth v. 7. Of this the Evangelical Prophet frequently speaks as in Chap. 2. v. 4. They shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more The Messias is call'd the Prince of Peace Ch. 9. v. 6. of the increase of whose Government and Peace there shall be no end v. 7. The Work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the Effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever And my People shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure Dwellings and in quiet Resting-places Chap. 32. 17 18. Thine Eyes shall see Ierusalem a quiet Habitation Ch. 33. v. 20. The whole 60th Chapter is a Prophecy of the Peaceable and Prosperous State of Christ's Church In Ch. 65. 25. there are almost the very same Words which I before recited from Ch. 11. v. 6. 9. To this belongs that of Ieremah Ch. 32. v. 39. I will give them one heart and one way I know it will be said that some of these Prophecies are to be understood of the Times after the Return from the Captivity in Babylon and others respect those Times of the Gospel which are now past I do not wholly deny this for it is my Judgment that they are to be interpreted concerning either of those Times and likewise concerning that Millâ—nnial State which is to come We may truly say that these and several other Predictions of the like Nature are to be understood in a double sense and consequently there is a double fulfilling of them They have in some measure been accomplish'd but the Full and Utmost Extent of them reacheth to that future Period of the Gospel-Oeconomy and so they shall be more amply verified then There shall then be no hurting or destroying there shall be a Cessation from Wars and Bloodshed from Violence and Persecution yea from all Thoughts and Attempts of them For in those Halcyon Days Christians shall be inspired with a peaceable and loving Temper and shall be made like unto their Master who is the Great Pattern of Love The Modern Jews acknowledge that it was a Celebrated Saying among the Old Rabbins that the Days of the Messias shall be one whole perpetual Sabbath This is the very thing we are speaking of Christ shall bring with him such a Rest as was never in the World before They shall enjoy a Sabbath of a Thousand Years Let us be preparing for this Happy Time and let us be hast'ning it
by St. Peter and others and it appears from this Chapter that it was after the Devil was loosed after the Thousand Years Reign of Christ here on Earth yea towards the Consummation of all Things This is the true Time of its happening and therefore we are not to credit the fanciful Conceit of the Highâ—flown Spagyrick Tribe who talk of the Calcining of the Earth by that Fire and preparing it in a Chymical Way for the reception of its new Inhabitants after the Resurrection of the Saints Of Kin to this is what the Author of the New Theory of the Earth asserts That the last Conflagration is to alter and dispose the Earth for a New State to receive the Saints and Martyrs for its Inhabitants who are at the first Resurrection to enter and to live and reign a Thousand Years upon it Before this we were told by another Writer that the Millennium shall begin after the beginning of the Conflagration But another Learned Gentleman is positive That the Millennium shall be after the Conflagration is quite past Any Man may see that this latter Author misplaceth the World's Conflagration only to make way for his Paradisiacal Earth of which he expects a New Edition for he fancies that this shall arise Phoenix-like out of the Ashes of that other For this Reason it was necessary to hold that the blessed Reign of the Thousand Years shall begin after the Conflagration is over viz. between this and the last Judgment But so far as I am able to judge most of the Places he quotes are rather against him than for him if they be well scann'd As to what he lays so great Stress upon that the Iudgment and the Reigning of Christ and joined together in the Apocalypse Chap. 11. 20. he should consider that the Iudgment is oftentimes introduced in this Book not as if it were then to happen when it is mentioned but to strike Terrour into the Minds of the wicked Persecutors of the Church and to represent to them the Certainty of their future Punishment viz. when that Day comes Besides that it were easy to prove that not only in this Book but in other Writings of the Prophets every great and Notable Revolution is compared to God's judging the World and is set forth by the Holy Ghost after that manner Again this Learned Writer frequently misinterprets the Places which speak of Christ's Coming as that in 2 Thes. 2. 8. which is not meant of his Last Coming to Iudgment but of that which I have been largely treating of viz. the happy Reign of the Godly when Antichrist shall be destroy'd which commenceth long before the Final Coming of our Saviour And therefore when he saith the Millennium cannot be till Christ's Coming he deceives himself and his Readers by not attending to the true Meaning of Christ's Coming in those Texts which he refers to Indeed most of his Mistakes proceed from this That whereas the Scripture often mentions the Coming of our Lord to set up a Glorious Church on Earth before the end of the World which likewise he himself acknowledges he interprets it of another Coming i. e. he imagines it to be understood of the Last Appearance of our Saviour Another great Occasion of his Misapprehensions in the present Point is this That where-ever almost he finds in the Old or New Testament any Passages concerning Fire and Burning he applies them as the Reader may observe through his whole Treatise to the Last Combustion of the World which hath unfortunately betray'd him to many Errors Likewise wheresoever New Heavens and a New Earth are made mention of in the Bible he understands them of a New Material World whenas there was no such Thing intended for these Terms denote only a new State and Face of Things viz. that blessed Millennium before treated of Then there shall be such a great and notable Change that there shall seem to be a New World The Inhabitants of this Place shall be so strangely alter'd that there shall be as it were an Appearance of a New Creation In this Sense the Apostle uses the Expression 2 Cor. 5. 17. He that is in Christ is a New Creature This Author might as well interpret these Words as the New Heavens and New Earth of a New Material Creation and hold that every Man when he is made a true Christian is physically Created again But I observe it is with this Learned Gentleman as it was with Origen of old who was generally faulty in Allegorizing those Places of Scripture which are to be taken Literally and yet was so unhappy as to expound a clause in Matth. 19. 12. in this latter way notwithstanding it is evident that it was spoken in a Mystical one So we find this Writer turning that part of the Bible which speaks of the Creation of the World and of the Fall of Man into Allegory and Metaphor though they are plain Historical and Literal Passages but those Texts of Scripture which mention New Heavens and a New Earth in a Metaphorical way of speaking are taken by him in a Literal and proper Sense The Heavens and the Earth with the whole Six days Works of the Creation in the first Chapter of Genesis are according to him Allegory and Mystery not to say a Fable But the New Heavens and Earth in Isaiah where they are interpreted to his hand of Ierusalem the the Church of God and in other Places are understood by him in a strict and literal Sense of a New Corporeal System of the World This is the Perverseness of humane Wit and it is its own Punishment I heartily wish the Learned Author were sensible of it and then he would see that this Notion of a New Material Earth and a New Set of heavenly Bodies for Men to inhabit in is all Romance and Fiction built only upon some distorted Texts of Scripture upon some mistaken Passages for want of comparing them with others in the Sacred Writ upon some Scraps and Fragments of a few Platonick and Stoick Philosophers upon the Prepossessions of some of the Fathers of the Church who had been Admirers of the Platonists Opinions upon the Rhetorical Flaunts of some others of them upon the high Flights of some fanciful Poets and lastly on the Dreams of some of the Iewish Rabbins These are too small too tender Wires to hang so great a Weight on as those New Heavens and that New Earth which he fansies If it be said that the New Heaven and New Earth are after the Burning of the World because S. Peter immediately after he had mentioned this dreadful Event adds these Words Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Epist. 2. Chap. 3. ver 13. I answer That this is Inconsequential for we cannot here argue from the Order of the Apostle's Words to the Order of the Things spoken of He relates the Consumption of the World by Fire and
questionless are to be understood of this Kingdom of the Messias which is yet to come The Close of the Prophecy plainly shews that it is meant of this for 't is said they shall no more be pulled up out of their Land which I have given them They have been pull'd up out of that Land that we are certain of and they are not yet return'd to it But when God shall bring them again to that Place they shall no more be pull'd up they shall remain there 'till the End of the World I will add that famous Prediction of the Prophet Zachariab Ch. 12. v. 10 c. I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Terusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. That this Chapter is spoken of the Tews is agreed upon by all and that this Portion of it is more especially so appears from that first thing which is said of them viz. that they shall look upon him whom they have pierced for it refers to the piercing of our Saviour's side with a Spear John 19. 37. where upon this Action this Scripture is said to be fulfill'd Upon this Account their looking upon Christ and mourning for him cannot be meant of what they did presently after their return from the Captivity in Babylon of which some imagine most of the Prophets speak for Christ was not then come and therefore they could not pierce him And besides this Zechary prophesied after the Captivity and the Restauration of the Iews and consequently could not speak of these as future things as here they shall look they shall mourn Nor can this Prophecy be understood as some conceive of the Conversion of the Iews in the Apostles Times when several of them imbrac'd the Christian Faith and particularly in one day there were added to the Church about three thousand Souls Acts. 241. some of whom had been Crucifiers of our Saviour v. 36. for this is far different from a National Mourning and Repentance which are here foretold Not only Ierusalem but the Land shall mourn v. 12. the whole People of the Jews Neither is this Prophecy to be interpreted concerning the Day of Judgement as several Expositors have thought telling us that then there shall be a General Mourning and Lamenting for the Crucifying of Christ when they shall look on him whom they have pierced But this Exposition cannot be admitted because these Words speak of the true and hearty Repentance and Conversion of the Iews which no considerate Man can expect shall be at the Last Day If they have not the Spirit of Grace and Supplications poured on them before it is too late then to have it Nor can the Iewish Families mourn apart at that time as is related here Therefore I conclude seeing none of the foresaid Interpretations are well grounded that the Words are to be understood of the Days of the Millennary Reign when there shall be a National and Universal Call of the Jews The whole Land i. e. all the People shall mourn and every Family apart to shew the Sincerity of the Mourning The Spirit of Grace and Supplication shall be bestow'd on these True Penitents they shall be effectually moved by the former to hate their past Enormities and by the latter to beg Pardon for them They shall in a sincere and saving manner bewail the execrable Wickedness of their Forefathers who put the Blessed Iesus to Death and as cordially grieve that they themselves cruciâ—ied him by their Sins This is looking on him whom they pierced Thus on all Accounts this Prophetick Passage is to be interpreted concerning that Last Conversion of the Jews which is one main Ingredient of the Messias's Kingdom toward the World's End when the whole Body of that People disperesed over the several parts of the Earth shall be brought home to the Flock of Christ. Thus it is apparent that this is one of the most considerable Texts in the Old Testament to this purpose I will now pass to the New Testament which chiefly recounts the wonderful Grace of God in the Conversion of Persons to Christianity in the Times of our Saviour and his Apostles and therefore speaks but little of this future Call of the Iews but two or three Places are very Remarkable which I will Produce The first is that of Luke 2. 30 31 c. where we read that Aged Simeon took the Child Iesus up in his Arms and blessed God that his Eyes had seen his Salvation viz. the Saviour whom God had sent into the World whom he had prepared before the Face of all People i. e. whom he had from Eternity decreed and appointed to make known in due time to all the Nations and People of the World And because Gentiles and Iews are a dichotomy of all the People of the World this Great Blessing is more particularly and distinctly expressed thus that he shall be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of his People Israel Where we are assured that the Gentiles shall first share in this Blessing of the Messias and then the Iews which manifestly shews that this latter is to be understood of the General Conversion of the Iews for in our Saviour's Time the Iews were first call'd and then the Gentiles It shall be otherwise afterwards the way of Salvation and Happiness shall first be discovered to the Gentiles and then to the Iews But observe how differently this is express'd it is said Christ shall enlighten the former but he shall be the Glory of the latter It is a very high Word and lets us know how great how renown'd how glorious the State of the Jews shall be hereafter For this must necessarily be meant of their future Condition because they have never since these Words were spoken been a Glorious People yea they have been above Sixteen hundred years an inglorious base despised People Therefore there remains a Time when these Words of Simeon shall be fulfill'd viz. when the Gentiles are converted to the Faith then Christ shall be the Glory of his People Israel And it is probable that this is meant by those Words that follow Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel that is the Jewish People shall be rejected but they shall afterwards be recovered and restored We have seen the first part of this Prophecy accomplished and at this very day the Truth of it is manifest the Jews are fallen they are cast off and cease to be a Church or Nation The second part of the Prophecy is yet to come when this People shall rise again and be receiv'd to Mercy and Favour The next Text is that which I had occasion to mention partly before but now I will set it down in full Luke 21. 24. where our Saviour after he had been discoursing of the several Fore-runners of those Judgments which were to befal the Iews
foretels that there shall be great distress in the Land and wrath upon this People and they shall fall by the Edge of the Sword and shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Ierusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the â—entiles be fulfilled We are abundantly assured that at the Destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans the Land of ludaea was in great distress and wrath was upon that People and they fell by the Edge of the Sword And those that remain'd were led Captive into all Nations and dispers'd over the whole World But this Captivity and Dispersion this treading down of Ierusalem by the Gentiles shall not last always but only until the time of the Gentiles be fulfill'd i. e. as I explain'd it before till the time of the full Conversion of the Gentile World So that it is plain from these Words that the Jewish Nation is to be restored and that their present Captivity and Banishment shall have an End There shall be a time when the Iews shall not be any more trodden down of the Gentiles and this shall be when the Times of these latter are fully accomplished and run out i e. when the particular time arrives in which they shall be call'd into the Christian Church of which I spoke before The next Passage to this purpose which I will take notice of is in 2 Cor. 3. 14 c. where the Apostle speaking of the Children of Israel saith that their minds were blinded God was pleased not to give them that Light and Knowledge which are common under the Gospel Their dark Understandings were agreeable to their obscure Administrations which consisted chiefly of Types and Shadows Yea even unto this day saith he the Veil i. e. of Ignorance and Blindness is untaken away and is still upon their heart Nevertheless when it i. e. Israel say some but this is not probable because though there is mention made before of the Children of Israel yet not of Israel barely It is more reasonable to believe that it refers to their heart immediately before-mention'd When this shall turn to the Lord when the Jewish Nation shall be heartily converted and embrace the Gospel and the Blessed Author of it then the Veil shall be taken away this Ignorance shall be removed and they shall attain to a compleat Insight of the Imperfection of that Law which they before adhered to and of the Excellency of the Christian Institution and the Founder of it This Veil whenever it is removed is done away in Christ and him only i. e. by believing in him and by renouncing their former Infidelity It is evident that the Apostle speaks of a Time when this shall be therefore it was not then past when he wrote this Epistle Though I grant it was partly accomplish'd at that time because several Iews had received the Christian Faith And I grant that it was further verified afterwards when others of that Nation renounced Iudaism and believed in Iesus But yet still the Apostles Words which are a Solemn Prediction are not compleatly fulfill'd for you may take notice that he speaks of the Iews in General and as they are a Body calling them the Children of Israel which is always understood in this manner And I could observe that the way of speaking here used intimates as much It i. e. their heart in the singular number shall turn to the Lord which implies that this Conversion shall be with a General Consent they shall All turn to the Lord as if they were one Person they shall do it as it is in Scripture express'd with one heart and with one soul the whole Jewish People shall unanimously repent and believe The Reader may chuse whether he will attend to this Criticism or no for I pretend not to prove the Universality of the Jews future Conversion from this Mode of speaking I know this way of arguing is not convincing because we do not know but that this may be meerly an Enâ—llage of Number But then on the other hand we are not certain but that the Holy Ghost intended something remarkable and peculiar in this manner of Expression and therefore I could not but offer it to your Consideration To conclude the Text assures us that there is a certain determin'd Time when the Children of Israel shall turn unto the Lord and then the Veil shall be wholly taken away as it hath been in part already This is to be fully brought to pass at the Time when the whole Community of them shall own the Messias and become Subjects of his Kingdom here on Earth The other place which I will propound is the Eleventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans a most Eminent and Illustrious Proof of the Matter before us There the Apostle speaking of the Rejection of the Iews and the Calling of the Gentiles expresly asserts in the 12. v. the Fulness of the former as well as of the latter afterwards in the 25. v. as much as to say there shall be a time when the Full Conversion of the whole Body of the Iews no less than of the Gentiles shall come to pass This he Appositely calls Life from the Dead v. 15. because it is so wonderful and withal so wellcome a thing And the Expression is the more Observable because the Prophets of the Old Testament express the Restauration and Conversion of the Iews by the same manner of speaking viz. by Living again or by Rising from the Dead And this gives light to Rev. 20. 5. where as I have shew'd you the Glorious Reign of Christ with his Saints is call'd the first Resurrection It is as it were a Living again after Death and particularly the Restoring and Calling of the Iews which is so considerable a part of that Reign is signalized by these very terms even by the Inspired Prophets of God in the Old Testament and by St. Paul in the New Now then I argue thus from what the Apostle here saith if there shall be a Fulness of the Iews their Conversion shall be Compleat and Entire the numbers of those that are call'd shall be Consummated I ask now whether this is past or whether it is to come It is past say some for the Fulness which the Apostle speaks of here happen'd in the first times of the Gospel when both Gentiles and Iews were Converted by the Preaching of our Saviour and his Apostles A great many Jews turned to the Lord and Believed and became Christians just about the time of the Romans besieging Ierusalem and soon after the Destruction of that City many were convinced of the Truth of Christ's Prophecies and owned Christianity But can any impartial Man perswade himself that all this amounts to the Fulness of the Iews which the Apostle here speaks of No the Apostle himself calls it but a Remnant v. 5. and he makes a plain distinction betwixt this Remnant and the General Calling of the Jews which he saith is their