the earth Then with glory to God on high and peace upon earth but hereafter with Vae Vae Vae habitatoribus terrae Thrice wo to them that dwell upon the earth Then to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel into the sheep-fold now to sever the Sheep from the Goats Then to embrace both Jew and Gentile now to divide between servant and Servant at the same Mill between man and wife in the same bed between Jacob and Esau in the same womb and to pronounce the one of them blessed and the other accursed Repent therefore we say unto you for this kingdome of God is at hand to deface all kingdomes to root up the nations to consume the earth with her works and the people with their sins This is the kingdome and no other that is now to be looked for and our Lord is gone to receive it for himself But whosoever they be that will not have him to reign over them whiles he swayeth the scepter of his Grace which is so despicable in the eye of the world Luk 19.12 when he returneth he will have such Rebels and Traytours dragg'd into his presence and see them executed before him Oh then let not the Serpent beguile you any longer with the expectation of a sools paradise Rather come I beseech without any further delay O ye children of Israel and children of Judah together and seek the Lord your God Jer. 5.4 5 who hath promised to be found of you Ask the way to Zion with your faces thitherward and we for our parts will give you the best directions we can Say as it is written of you you shall say Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant that shall never be forgotten Too long alas have you been unmindful of the Rock that begat you and forgotten your God that formed you And will you still continue to be a froward Generation children in whom is no faith Is the Lord Christ a stumbling-block unto you because of the reproach that is cast upon his kingdome by a sinful world A world that accounteth the things of the Spirit of God but foolishness which things it cannot know nor receive because they are spiritually discern'd And will you conform your selves to the guise of the world You that have heretofore with so much zeal declared your abhorrency of it Will you now joyn in a confederacy with it to your shame in that which is so contrary to the concurrent predictions of all your Prophets concerning the kingdome of the Messiah Some of whom I confess do speak of his glory and great atchievements but that must be understood in a spiritual sense as that he will bring the world under the power of his grace And those that do resist it he will by his Word and Spirit most righteously condemn Else how will you free those other Prophets from falshood and errour who speak as much of his poor base and contemptible estate under many miseries and afflictions yea of his death and passion As for that dream of two Messiasses to come the one Ben Joseph of the Tribe of Ephraim who is to suffer and undergo those indignities the other Ben David of the Tribe of Judah who must redeem deliver and restore Israel to their former inheritance and gather them together out of all the earth who must vanquish subdue and make tributary all Princes and Potentates of the world who never must dye but live and reign everlastingly in temporal Glory who shall raise again the dead Israelites unto life and amongst them Messiah Ben Joseph It is so sottish an absurdity that I believe you your selves are ashamed of it The Messiah whom you have expected is the Rock of Ages the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending Would you have him then to vary the form of his Government which he hath alwayes exercised over his Church in a spiritual way to a worldly compliancy with the Princes of the earth What a shameful inconstancy would this be unsutable to his Honour and no whit conducible to the work the great work of Messiah in destroying the kingdome of Satan Yea what fruit would thereby redound unto you in carrying you safely through your pilgrimage here that you might sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of God For us We profess this to be our earnest desire in our own behalf and if you be indeed the children of Abraham it would be your ambition to obtain it rather then any earthly glory Did the Lord ever in all the time of yesterday exercise a temporal Power over the Kings and Princes of the earth Where was his Throne erected What mettal was his Crown made of When Pharaoh kept his people in Egypt What armies of men did he muster up for their deliverance When Amalâ—k came out against them Moses his Deputy betakes himself to prayer whilst Joshua fights the Lords battels But what need the one pray and the other fight if the Lord himself who is the Lord of Hosts not onely of his subjects but of his enemies too was to have exercised such a Power And how ill did the Lord take it of your forefathers when they thus mutinied against him saying Nay but we will have a King over us 1 Sam. 8.7 that we also may be like unto other nations They have saith he rejected me that I should not reign over them meaning in his spiritual mediatory Power as I have before observed which though he still in great mercy continued as formerly during that regal Government which they then chose and which should in time have been mercifully establisht among them had they not been so precipitant in requiring it yet was his Spirit grieved at that their rebellion against him Oh know for certain It is a far greater rebellion against the Lord your God that you are this day guilty of In that you do so causelesly out of a vain affectation of conformity to other nations unwarranted by Moses and the Prophets reject the Anoynted of the most high God that he should not be your King according to that form of Government which is devolv'd upon him by the Father But Non obstante your obstinacy against him hitherto he hath reigned and reign he will still as he hath done Malgrè all the gates of hell He is the breath of our nosthrils and the life of our souls under his shadow we do live and rejoyce yea and we will rejoyce more and more And as for you because of your unkinde refusal of him hath not this our Lord according to his oath hitherto with a mighty hand Ezek. 20.33 and stretched-out arm and fury poured out ruled over you Whence otherwise hath it come to pass that so deep a stain hath been brought upon all your excellency and that your glory is thus eclipsed That you are scattered over the world and whereas you were the head you are now become the tail of
unto him in heaven and in Earth The exercise of which power he would first have to be manifested in discipling whole Nations of the Gentiles Matt. 28.18 19. receiving them into Covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Jews were by the Sacrament of Circumcision Where the word Nation in order to the Gentiles must without controversie be taken in the same sense as it was with a reference unto the Jews for as the Nation of the Jews was made up of all sorts and sexes old and young so in like manner are the Nations of the Gentiles And because his commission which he then gave unto his Apostles was not formed according to the erroneous fancy of these deluded people who in effect render it thus Go and Disciple all men But thus Go and Disciple all Nations baptising them in the name c. And Children being a part of the Nations we may conclude without any hesitancy that the intent and purpose of the Lord in this commission to his Apostles was that they should wheresoever they came baptise the Children as well as the Parents And seeing he came to break down the wall of partition that was between Jews and Gentiles which was actually done in the execution of this Commission It is not to be imagined that he would by it set up a partition-wall between Parents and their Children so as that they should be at as great a distance the one from the other in point of eternal Salvation as Heaven is from Hell A thing he never did in all the Ages before and undoubtedly whatsoever these Dreamers may blasphemously prate against him He hath not done it now because he is still the Same I will not dwell any longer upon the Conviction of these obstinate people least the more reason be shewed unto them out of the Scripture to lead them into the way of truth they be thereby according to their usual wont the more hardened in their errour The Lord open their eyes that they may see betimes what dishonour they bring unto Jesus Christ in the diminution of his power by their frantick Opinions What disturbance they create unto his Church and consequently what hazard they run notwithstanding their conceited assurance of their own everlasting Salvation We have now done with this second particular viz. Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to day which he was yesterday that is The Same to his Church in the time of the gospel which he was in the time both before and under the Law CHAP. III. Sheweth how JESUS CHRIST shall continue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same for ever Vnto his Church WE should now according to our prescribed method come to speak of the third course or computation of time here mentioned in the Text and of that which is predicated of it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Same or the onely He for ever But to avoid Prolixity which hath already spun out the former parts into a greater length then was intended we shall not distinguish this into several propositions as hath been done with those before Neither indeed can we be able to speak of what shall come upon the Church in the continuation of this day of the Gospel to the end of the world Onely this we can say because the Holy Ghost witnesseth it That persecutions and Afflictions do abide it but withall that Jesus Christ will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto it which he ever hath been Hereupon therefore shall we fix the short remainder of our discourse deriving some inferences from it for the further edification of those that take pleasure in beholding the immutability of the Lord Jesus Observe then In the midst of all the various changes and chances that may come upon the Church to the end of the world Jesus Christ will be unto it still The Same No variableness nor shadow of turning shall ever be found in him either in his Mediation with the Father or in the dispensation of his power among his people But he will be Semper idem Alwayes the Same Now herein we can but speak of the exercise of Christs Mediatory office as we have already done and therefore it will be needless to spend many words about it As he began so he will continue to be the Prophet Priest and King of his Church The same word of truth which he hath revealed he will still continue no addition unto it or diminution from it will he ever suffer his Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 1 Pet. 1.25 His word abideth for ever And if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach any other we must therefore much more will he ho'd him accursed Gal. 1.8 He is a Priest for ever according to the oath of God not to be retracted saith the Prophet Hath an unchangeable Priest-hood saith the Apostle Ps 110.4 Heb. 7.24 A Priest established in his Dignity as master and Lord by virtue of his Son-ship not like unto the servants the Priests of Aaron's order Who when they entred into the most Holy place were not there to sit but otherwise to execute their office according to the order prescribed unto them by Moses Heb. 10 11 They stood as became servants saith the Apostle ministring before the Lord. But Jesus Christ when he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and according to the Law entred into the holy place to finish the Atonement Sat down on the right hand of God noting the perpetuity of his office according to the dignity of his person and that he ever liveth which was not possible for any other to do to make intercession Dan. 7.14 Mach. 4.7 His Throne in like manner is for ever and ever His Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth throughout all Generations No Salvation then to be expected for ever Act 4.12 but onely by him No other Name under Heaven given among men from the beginning of the world to the end of it whereby we must be saved For before him as he saith of himself there was no God formed Es 43 10 or rather as it may be rendred nothing formed of God for any such purpose as to be a Saviour Ec. 2.12 Ps 145.11 12. neither shall there be after him What alas can the man do that cometh after the King What He may speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom But to imitate him in his power and his mighty Acts or to compare with him in the Majesty of his Kingdom would not onely be a contempt cast upon his Crown and Dignity but an utter impossibility and a meere vanity for men or angels to attempt it They poor Creatures being infinitely unfit and unworthy must let that alone for ever and they that will expect it of them will finde it to be folly
his own and his own c. John 1.14 The word was made flesh c. Acts 1.6 When they therefore were come together c. Acts 1.7 It is not for you to know the times c. Rom. 8.19 For the earnest expectation of the Creature c. Rom. 8.20 For the creature was made subject to vanity c. Rom. 8.21 Because the creature also it self shall be delivered c. Rom. 8.22 For we know that the whole Creation groaneth c. Rom. 8.29 The first-born among many Brethren c. Rom. 11.25 Blindness in part is hapned to Israel until c. Rom. 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved c. Rom. 11.27 For this is my Covenant with them when c. Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the Law that we c. Col. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God c. 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediatour c. Tit. 1.5 For this cause left I thee in Crete c. Tit. 1.7 For a Bishop must be blameless c. 1 Pet. 4.17 For the time is come that judgement must begin c. 1 Pet. 4.18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved c. Rev. 1.11 I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last c. The Interpretation of these Texts of Scripture Gentle Reader as they are rendred in this Treatise I do leave unto thy most serious consideration Not but that there are besides these sundry Expositions of other places of Scripture here also given that are not usual yet nevertheless may well be conceived to be according to truth without condemning those that have been commonly received These likewise you will meet with as you go along in your reading and will require your most ponderous meditations Onely I do desire that when you meet with an interpretation of the Holy Scripture which may seem somewhat strange unto you not to be hasty in passing censure upon it till you have found the whole discourse about it to be fully finished Again it will perhaps be objected unto me by some that I do here take but a slight occasion to be very large and vehement in maintaining the honour of our Church against her Adversaries by justifying the Order which she observeth in the Publick Worship of God and Ecclesiastical Government Whereto it may well be answered Is there not a cause When not onely the Church which is our Mother the most eminent Pillar and Stay of Divine Truth hath been miserably rent and torn by Schismes and Divisions but our Lord Jesus Christ himself also was very much dishonoured thereby being made by a sort of wretched people the very Authour and Fautor of their Divisions as if he had not been and were not still to be to his poor Church what the Text here insisted upon proclaims him to be viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same Cause enough then there is for every true Son of the Church to spend his Zeal in this Contrast upon all occasions and to marke them as the Apostle adviseth who cause these Divisions and Offences that they may be avoyded It must be confessed the late Schisme while it grew more and more prevalent in this Kingdome till it pleased God to reduce us to our pristine order by a merciful providence never to be forgotten did bring us especially of the Ministery into such a low despondency and pusillanimity of spirit that we had almost lost that Christian Valour yea and English courage pro aris focis for which our Church and Nation have in times before us been so much renowned But since the Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecy when deliverance hath been sent unto us by the out-stretched arm of an Almighty Power who can forbear to rejoyce in it And when God hath shewed us our Errour in suffering our selves to be deluded by a spirit of seduction who can but lament his back-slidings and appeare with his utmost strength in the vindication of that Truth and Church which have been so treacherously forsaken For my own part I do here in the truth and uprightness of my heart solemnly protest before God and men as I have been ashamed of my credulity in giving heed for some time to the cunning insinuations of those who pretended they were for the cause of God but were found Lyars so now though possibly it may be said of me as it was of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 10.10 that my bodyly presence is weak and my speech contemptible and therefore it is but little that can be expected from me that may be for the advantage of the Church in any kinde all which I will not deny yet I do and must account it my duty with that little strength that I have to endeavour what I can by all wayes and means the undeceiving of those poor seduced people who being bewitched with the like sorceries do yet continue in their perverseness against the Lord and against his Anointed What else should I do after so woful a defection that hath been among us when to my apprehension I hear often the word of our Saviour to his Apostle Saint Peter sounding in mine eares Luk. 22.32 tu conversus confirma fratres when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Let no man therefore blame me for my forwardness and vehemency in this matter upon any occasion for I cannot but speak the things which I have seen and heard as the same Apostle also said yea let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth and my right hand forget her skill how poor and slender soever it be if my tongue and pen both be not now ready for the Churches service to fill up the acclamation at the setting on the Head-stone of this great Work of Omnipotency in the re-establishment of Order among us both in point of Divine Worship and of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government with Grace Grace unto it Lastly I should now also be loth to be so far mistaken as that by giving new experiments of rendring the sense of Scripture otherwise then it hath been generally taken I should thereby incline to favour that upstart Sect of holders-forth of new Lights and new Truths against whom I have alwayes protested my dislike with much loathing and abhorrency and do still account of them no better then the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit which would in time darken the light of the Gospel as much as the foggy mists of Popery ever did where it prevaileth Deplorable is their estate and accursed be their attempts whosoever they are that set up any of their pretended Lights in competition with the Holy Scripture and are not contented with that truth which hath already been revealed to the Church in those things that are necessary to salvation The bed of divine truth is green all the year long Cant. 1.16 no filthy weeds of spotted Errour so much as once appearing therein nor no room at all to be found
Church of Rome If then that Cause so much pleaded for had such ill Consequents attending upon it may we not well say Sublatâ Causâ tollitur Effectus When the Cause is taken away the Effect will follow At least as I said before there is great hope it shall follow especially now when God hath in Mercy set over us a Man of Understanding and Knowledge Pro. 28.2 to lengthen out the State and Tranquillity of our Countrey when for the Transgressions of it it was by the Intrusion of Usurpers neer unto utter ruine A Man I say after his own heart Tutour'd and Bred up by him like David in the school of affliction Whose Heart is also fixed upon God to serve him in Righteousness and true Holiness A Prince so pious that he makes it his work and accounts it his glory to have true Religion established amongst his people in the Power and Purity of it See his Majesties Proclamation May 30. 1660. Witness his extreme dislike of Profaness which he hasted to publish the very next day after his happy Return unto us Commanding it to be read in all Churches monethly for six moneths after But well worthy indeed to be set up in them as a perpetual Monument of Piety to all Generations Wherein he declares the Purpose and Resolution of his Religious Heart in these words We will not exercise just Severity against any Malefactours sooner then against men of Dissolute Debauched and Prophane lives with what parts soever they may be otherwise qualified and endowed Requiring all Majors Sheriffs and Justices of the Peace to be very vigilant and strict in the Discovery and Prosecution of all Dissolute and Profane Persons such as blaspheme the Name of God by profane swearing and cursing or revile and disturb Ministers and despise the publick worship of God Witness also the Declaration which his Majesty set forth Octob. 25 immediately following concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs wherein he hath made known to God and the world That his Resolution is and shall be to promote the Power of Godliness to encourage the Exercises of Religion both publick and private and to take care that the Lords Day be applied to Holy Exercises without unnecessary divertisements and that Insufficient Negligent and Scandalous Ministers be not permitted in the Church Which being so What is it but a profane slander of the footsteps of Gods Anointed both of Christ himself and his Vicegerent over us to amuse the world with false reports of a return to profaness as if the Times were now become so loose that Wickedness should be established by a Law Whereas there was never more likelihood then now if the Devil through the turbulent spirits of factious Schismaticks did not hinder it for Religion to prosper and Holiness to flourish Away then with Profaness and let Superstition pack together with it for what entertainment is it like here to finde When King Charls the Sufferer L. Bishop of Winton the sonne of King Charls the Martyr as a Reverend Father of our Church hath worthily proclaimed him is new by the Divine Power and Goodness settled upon his Throne to be the Defender of that Faith for which he suffered That Faith I say which the Church of England professeth in opposition to the Church of Rome From which as it was observed by that Loyal and Peace-making Parliament that first so happily brought the Nation under his Majesties Government neither the Temptation of Allurements Perswasions and Promises from seducing Papists on the one hand nor the Persecution and hard Vsage from some seduced and mis-guided Professours of the Protestant Religion on the other hand could at all prevail upon him to make him swerve in the least Degree But chose rather still to suffer Afflictions though never so grievous as Moses did then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season by so doing For which his Name shall be sweet and his Memorial precious in all the Churches of Christ to the end of the World I say then again Is it like that Superstition in any kinde should be Tolerated much less shall it be Established under the Government of so famous a Sufferer for the Protestant Profession yea and so active a Defender of it who hath made it manifest that his Care and Study is for the propagation thereof And who hath solemnly professed that nothing shall be proposed to testifie his Zeal and Affection for it to which he will not readily consent It will be objected What do we hear Words when we see Deeds Is there not an Actual return to Superstition in this Land now when the Ceremonies which were cast out are brought in again and the Liturgie restored And what are these but either the Issues of Will-worship which the Holy Scripture doth condemn or the Bratts of Babylon which should be taken not to be cherisht but to be dasht against the stones Besides Is not the Government also by Bishops set up again in its former Height which is not warranted by the word of God If we then should consent to these things How shall we like unto Jesus Christ our Pattern in the Text continue faithful with God in our Conformity to his Rule which he hath set us I answer First we may be still the same in a constant Adherency to the Foundation though we may as Divine Providence leads us whether it be in Judgment or in Mercy vary sometimes from that which is Circumstantial of which nature are those things that are here objected unto us and our fidelity to the former wil certainly entitle us to a faithful Imitation of Jesus Christ notwithstanding our change in the latter Nay is it not a great weakning of the Foundation and an injurious imputation put upon the Master-Builder to lay so much weight upon Circumstantials as to make them Unchangeable when they are not of his particular appointment though allowed by him to be annexed to his Building It is Superstition doubtless so to set up External Rites in competition with the Everlasting Rule of the Gospel as if they were not upon any Emergency whatsoever to be altered or removed And it is as ranck Superstition on the other side after they have been removed and restored again Superstitio ex super stando qua significatur nimium ese Sen. Epist 123. pertinaciously to stand in opposition against them especially when Experience hath made it manifest that the removal of them hath introduced much disorder and profaness in the service of God But we may appeal unto Christ himself to Judge in this Case Whether or no when a Christian Magistrate that truly feareth God taking notice of a great decay of Religion which by a wild and lawless Liberty hath been brought amongst his Subjects shall for the improvement of Piety recommend unto them a Form of Divine Service accompanied with such Rites and Ceremonies as are in force by Law and in the observing whereof True Religion hath formerly flourished Whether I say
the Incarnation of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ * Which agrees with Alstedius his account were 1721. years and since the Incarnation are 1660. Both which accounts make up 3381. So that to fill up the said number of Jubilean years there remaineth but one single Jubilee more which will fall out to be in the year of our Lord 1709. About which time the people of Israel called here Daniels people because of his care and tender affection towards them may become a people again according to the concurrency of Scriptural Prophecies their iniquity transgression and sin finished and taken away through the reconciliation that shall be then between their God and them in stead whereof they shall have an everlasting righteousness brought in by the good hand of God upon them whereby they shall become a righteous Nation for ever and so consequently the whole Vision and Prophecy concerning them will be sealed that is confirmed and concluded and the most Holy or the Holiness of Holinesses that is either the Holiness of Israel surpassing all the Holinesses of believing Gentiles shall be anointed that is exalted above all others or the Messiah even the Lord Jesus who is the Holiest of them all for there is Hoâ—ier then the Holiest and there is Holier then they shall be anointed that is reign as King over them and they by their unanimous acclamations and chearful subjection acknowledge him to be their Sovereign The sense of this Scripture I confess is new but it will not follow thereupon that it cannot be true Yet I am not confident that it is the onely meaning of the Spirit for then I should pretend to be wiser then Daniel But I will wait for the determination of the Holy Church about it and expect till the end be what Divine Providence will work in bringing of it to pass hoping to rest and to stand in my lot with Daniel at the end of the dayes Some intricacies I know will appear in this interpretation which I shall endeavour to unfold Yet sure I am they are not so many as other Expositions are perplexed with and so snarled that they can never be resolved First an account will be required of me why I should call and reckon those for Jubilees which are in our Translation called Weekes I answer though the word be translated Weekes which I do not take upon me to correct the word having a measure according to Scripture-phrase extending to various significations yet such as are skilful in the Original do well know that these words may be also rendred thus sevens seventy are pared out for thy people Now the Scripture speakes of three several sorts of sevens or septenaries in order to such times which the Lord hath sanctified First the seventh day secondly the seventh year thirdly the seventh Sabbatical year The seventh day was the Sabbath wherein the people were to rest Lev. 23.3 Lev. 23 3. The seventh year was the Sabbatical year wherein the ground rested Lev. 25.4 The seventh Sabbatical year was the Jubilean Sabbath Lev. 25.8 The acceptable year above all the rest Lev. 25.4 Lev 25.8 Es 61.2 Ezek. 49.17 the year of liking or good-will Es 61.2 or as Ezekiel calls it the year of liberty or general releasement proclaimed by sound of trumpet wherein every man was to return to his Inheritance again and every servant to his freedome which priviledges doubtless brought on much rejoycing and jubilation among them It was a year of great expectation insomuch that it is conceived to be the great Epoche or Cardo of their times as the Olympiads were among the Graecians Hospinian de Orig. Fest. c. 9. and the lustra of old and indictions of late among the Romans Hoc observa saith Alstedius Jubilaeos esse infallibiles Characteres secundum ques praecipua tempora in Scripturis definiri possunt This know that Jubilean Sabbatisins are the most infallible characters to decipher and dâ—stinguish the principal times of note in the Holy Scripture This septenary therefore seems to be worthy of more then ordinary regard And the rather because it did likewise in an especial manner shadow out our deliverance by Christ which was indeed the acceptable year of remission prophecied of before Es 61.1.2 and so interpreted by our blessed Saviour Luk. 4.18 As also thereby was signified our return into the Heavenly Paradise Luk. 23.43 from which we are fallen in Adam The seventh year may be applied to every mans particular consummation when his soule is received up into glory but by the Jubilean Sabbath wherein all the Israelites had their re-entry upon their Lands formerly sold is the general re-entry of all believers into the Kingdome of Heaven which they had formerly forfeited by their sins most happily prefigured These things then being so and the Angel leaving it undetermined which seven of the three it is that is here meant Did not our Saviour allude unto the 70. Jubilees when he spake of our sorgiving one another seventy times seven whether this great Septenary rather then that of weekes of years may not in reason be judged to be that which the Angel here intended when he said sevens seventy are cut out for thy people let the Church determine As for that objection which perhaps may here be cast in that the Jubilean year was not ordained before such time as Moses gave out the Law to the people in the Wilderness and therefore could not be reckoned on before it was in being And that also that the Jubilee was a part of the Ceremonial Law and therefore as out of date not to be reckoned on in the time of the Gospel these I say upon due consideration will appear to be of no force For first the seventh day Sabbaths and Sacrifices were a part of the Mosaical Institute yet were observed by Gods people from the beginning of the World so might Jubilees too for ought that may be objected to the contrary Yea it is apparent that Jubilees have been distinguished of old into two sorts viz. Jubilaei Mundani Jubilaei Mosaici that is Jubilees of the Creation and Jubilees of the Law so that this account by Jubilees might be before the Law But there is no need to go so far for an answer The Angel might here speak of such an account of years by way of Prolepsis or Anticipation a Figure usual in Scripture though there were no Jubilees to be observed by that people for above 200. years after Jacobs going down into Egypt And whereas it is objected in the second place that because the Jubilee is a part of the Mosaical Pedagogy therefore it is not now to be reckoned on I answer no more do we so as to observe it according to the Law of Moses nevertheless while the world standeth 49. years will be so many still and no more nor fewer then they were wont to be when Moses gave out the Law And the Angel might speak according to the Phraseology of
the Chapter Now comes he vers 11 12 c. with variety of Arguments to shew the Probability Afterwards vers 25 c c. he proveth the Certainty thereof In the end applauding and magnifying the Wisdome and Knowledge of God his stupendious Wisdome in making the Desertion of the Jews and occasion of calling the Gentiles and his profound knowledge farre beyond the reach of all the heavenly Intelligences in knowing how to work upon the most obstinate Jews by bringing them to the obedience of the Gospel through their envy and emulation towards the Gentiles This in short is the summe of the Apostles undertaking And should we now follow his track throughout his whole Discourse upon this Subject though possibly some wou'd account it tedious to afford us their company yet we should not be found guilty of an inexcusable digression from the subject that we have before treated of in so doing For the Text being directed to the Hebrews to assure them of Christs immutability towards them which argues clearly that he would not finally forsake them though for the present they were as strangers scattered about the world 1 Pet. 1.1 The explicating therefore of these parallel Scriptures which the holy Ghost hath recorded for our confirmation therein cannot with any shadow of reason be reckoned as an impertinency especially when a point so material to the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ is called in question as it is this day Neither indeed could that which hath been here done in order thereto have been omitted unless we should have betrayed the Text to the gain-saying of men which God forbid And let this serve for a vindication against all those cavillers who are ready to object impertinencies unto me in the allegation of those Scriptures which have here been made use of to this purpose Nevertheless to avoyd more prolixity we shall not exactly trace the Apostle in the pursuance of this argument concerning the Probability of the reâ—ingrafting of the Jewish Nation into the Church of God onely give leave in the behalf of Gods glory and the special interest of his Church to put a Quaere or two which are the fruit and off-spring of an astonishing admiration The Resolution whereof shall be left unto the adversaries of this poor despised people to be determined by them either with a retractation of their errour here and repentance for it or hereafter before the Tribunal of the righteous Judge when he shall appear in his glory First then I demand 1. Quaere Whether it be not just and meet that God should obtain his end which he hath proposed unto himself concerning both Jews and Gentiles in the dispensation of his mercy He hath saith the Apostle vers 32. concluded them all in unbelief that is in his just Judgement shut them all up together as in the very verge of hell under the dominion of sin which misery nevertheless they had brought upon themselves by their contumacy against him but to what end Was it that he might destroy either one or the other No verily but rather that he might have mercy upon them all both Jews and Gentiles To the Gentiles who were first in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertinaciously set against the Lord and his Anointed he would make known the riches of his Grace and take them into his Covenant as well as the Jews But because the Jews indignation was so great against the Gentiles that they would not vouchsafe to own them as brethren and co-partners with them in the same grace though they themselves also most unthankfully rejected this grace when it was offered unto them resembling thereby as the proverb is the Dog in the manger who would neither eat of the fodder himself nor suffer the poor hungry Ox standing by to eat of it that would therefore did God leave them to a woful blindness and hardness of heart that through their fall salvation might come to the Gentiles wherein notwithstanding God had a favourable respect unto the Jews likewise viz. That they seeing the Gentiles taken into his bosome enjoying the priviledges of children farre beyond their expectation and themselves despised of God and dispersed over the world might be provoked to emulation that is to an earnest desire of reconciliation with God as disdaining to be a Nation inferiour to any other Nations in his love and willing to be like unto them yea to surpass them in all things that might endear them unto him Now consider when God shall in the depth of his Wisdome contrive a glorious design for the exalting of his grace so glorious that next to the sending of his onely Sonne into the world would be the greatest that ever should be acted upon the Theater of the world and withall give notice of it in his Word to the children of men that they might wait for the accomplishment thereof Is it not an affront offered to the Wisdome of God and a check given unto his Grace for any to doubt whether it should come to pass or no Secondly 2. Quere Since not onely the glory of God but the interest of his Church is herein highly concern'd I demand in the next place Whether it be not very requisite that they who profess themselves children of the Church should rejoyce in those discoveries of Divine Providence that may any way tend to the promoting of that interest Saint Paul here who was called to be an Apostle of the Gentiles accounts it a magnifying of his office to make his boast of the great encrease of those spiritual riches which he fore-saw should be the portion of the Churches of the Gentiles upon the reception of the Jews in the latter dayes Hear how he argues If the fall of them that is the Jews be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness And again If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life seem the dead Words indeed of an irresistable conviction unless we will say with the Laedicean We are rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing Alas we have need of more grace because Satan now hath more wrath then ever having but a short time to work for his kingdome we have need of more holiness because the pollutions of the world are grown more filthy we have need of more acquaintance with our God because our hearts are grown more deceitful doubtless we are not so full but we have yet need of more at least we have need of more brotherly love and Christian unanimity then is at this day to be found amongst us and that those schisms and divisions under which the poor Church of Christ lyeth struggling as it were for life should be taken out of the way True it is we Gentiles who were before a beggarly people have upon the Jews falling into poverty been enriched by Divine bounty but have