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
but what saith the Answer of God unto him I will make all my Goodness pass before thee and I will proclaime the Name of the Lord before thee And what could a poor Creature in this World desire more Oh what admirable Honour is this that the Lord vouchsafeth unto his Beloved Favourite what an incomparable Priviledge is This Moses now partaker of above his Brethren But it is the Lord who may do what he pleaseth for so he saith I will be Gracious to whom I will be Gracious and I will shew Mercy on whom I will shew Mercy Nevertheless we may with Modesty enquire how and by what means this glorious Goodness came to be presented unto Moses and that we shall finde to be even by this good old Way which we have here been speaking of viz. the Mediation of Jesus Christ I go not about to wrest this excellent Scripture by forcing upon it a sense which may not agree with the minde of the Holy Ghost therein That be far from me what I have to say concerning it I shall leave to the Judgement of the Wise and Godly First I shall by the way take this for granted because it hath been already proved that Moses had to do with Jesus Christ as the rest of the people had while He and they were together in the Wilderness And it must be confessed that there was as much need of the help and interposition of a Mediatour in this matter that we are speaking of as in any thing els which I say was in great Mercy dispensed unto Moses as is manifest First by the Preparation that preceded this glorious Appearance Secondly by the Form and Method of the Proclamation of the Name of the Lord at the time of that appearance As for the Preparation which is mentioned in the three last Verses of this thirty third Chapter the particulars thereof are very remarkable viz. concerning the place that is said to be by the Lord Ex. 33.21 22 23. and the Lord 's putting Moses into the cleft of the Rock and covering it with his Hand which that we may the better understand and see how apposite they are to our present purpose it will be needful for us to take into Consideration that whole intercourse between the Lord and Moses First Moses prayeth unto the Lord V. 13. in these words Shew me now thy Way What is that Thy Way say some that thou meanest to take with this people in bringing them to the Land which thou didst promise to give unto their Fathers I will not deny but that this might be in the minde of Moses now when the Lord was pleased to admit him into his presence because he was ever zealous for the peoples good But there are some Circumstances which follow that do incline me to another sense at least to joyn another with this both which may be allowed together being not inconsistent each with other but tending both to one and the same end It seemeth unto me that Moses here prayeth that the Lord would reveal himself unto him out of the Cloud in some shape and form as he might be visible unto his bodily sight which he therefore calleth his Way because he had been wont to do so to the Patriarchs before him whom he likewise knew by Name And I do the rather conceive this to be the sense because of the ground and reason of his desire which is added by him in the words following Lord saith he Shew me thy way that I may know thee and that I may find grace in thy sight True it is the Lord promiseth him immediately after this that his Presence should go with him as being an Answer to his request in the behalf of the people the necessity whereof Moses also urgeth and insisteth upon V. 15 16. Yet doth the Lord give him a further Answer in the Words that follow V. 17. as to a thing somewhat differing from that which concerned the people I will saith he do this thing also that thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by Name Now since the Lord had before consented that his Presence should go along with him in the Conduct of the people and that Moses had given his Restipulation thereunto resting him fully satisfied with what the Lord had promised to what purpose is this other Consent now superadded and that with a note of difference from what had passed before if it be not this which I have here declared viz. that the Lord would according to his desire Visibly appear unto him out of the Cloud in a humane shape as he had been accustomed to do to others whom he knew by Name which sense being admitted how clear will the Circumstances following that are preparatory to the great discovery of God in the next Chapter be unto us which otherwise will prove very intricate and obscure Behold saith the Lord there is a place by me and thou shalt stand upon a Rock and it shall come to pass while my Glory passeth by that I will put the in a Cleft of the Rock Now what place upon Earth can be said to be neerer to the Lord then another seeing he filleth Heaven and Earth with his presence And what Rock or Cleft of a Rock could be able to secure Moses from the danger of being consumed by that excellent Glory which did appear seeing the Rocks are cloven to pieces Nah. 1.6 and thrown down before him How then could these things be It is in vain now to produce an Anthropopathy and so stretch it so far as to make it level with every Circumstance for doubtless there was a Reality in this matter and every particular of it was done and effected to Moses sense and to the full satisfaction of his expectation so far as might stand with the safety of his Life Granting therefore that Jesus Christ appeared unto Moses as a Man there might then be a place said to be according to the ordinary course of Nature neerer to him in that Mount where the Lord was wont to meet this his servant then another elsewhere he might also put Moses into the Rock and cover him with his Hand to preserve him from the imminent Danger and then take away his Hand that so Moses might see some glimpse of that Glory that passed by Yea more it is said Exod 34.5 that the Lord Descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord and yet in the sixth verse it is said The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed to stand still with Moses proclaiming and to pass by before him proclaiming too seemeth in reason not to hold well together the true meaning therefore undoubtedly is this Jesus Christ who is Jehovah the Mediatour came down upon the Mount in a Cloud and then after he was descended appears visibly unto Moses according to his former Promise and stood with him there to protect him from Danger while
Jehovah that is God the Father who is essentially one with the Son passed by in his Glory proclaiming his Name To say nothing of the Lord's stay and abode with Moses and his converse with him as it is at large declared in the following part of the Chapter Ex. 34 28. and that for fourty days and fourty nights as appears V. 28. after the end of this glorious Vision which did also put a glorious lustre upon the face of Moses which never any of God's former appearances unto him did It is I suppose manifest unto all men that this preparation that was here made doth demonstrate clearly that Jesus Christ was a mediatour to Moses for good and that without him he could never have been able with safety to his Life to have endured that excellent glory Secondly The form or method of that divine Proclamation doth also intimate the same unto us Let us consider it so far as I conceive for the present it hath a pertinency to the point in hand and that is in the order and method of the Names wherewith the God proclaimeth himself viz. The Lord the Lord God Observe first Ex. 34.6 The Lord then The Lord God The first implying one that hath his Being of himself and who is the Authour of all subordinate Beings the second signifying the Lord Strong and Mighty The first sheweth Goodness the second Greatness The first puts the Creature into a relation unto God and gives it a dependance upon him Ex. 6.3 Note Moses his former admissions into Gods presence were grantted unto him by an extraordinary condescension possibly because he was then to be Mediatour of the renewed Covenant of Works wherein Jesus Christ was not to be concerned the second advanceth the Divine excellency above the Creature and beyond the descent of a Correlation unto it in a Word The first conferres a Right upon Believers to and in the Mediatour for it is Jehovah that gives a being to all the Promises Exod 6.3 the second makes the Mediatour himself-subordinate unto God Now therefore behold the Goodness of God presented unto Moses in that The Lord is named before The Lord God had this Proclamation of the name of God been without this preceeding Title I doubt it had not been safe for Moses to have seen any glimpse of all that transient Glory such as never was the like manifested unto him or any other mortal man before and if so what can this argue but the necessity of a Mediatour between God and man without whom never could any of the posterity of Adam since the humane nature was defiled by his Disobedience have the least Acquaintance with the Almighty to their Comfort but must for ever have been kept at a distance from him But it is the Lord that is between Moses and the Lord God which makes all that God saith of himself to be very good And now I do here humbly commend this Interpretation which I have given of this place of Scripture to the whole Church of God being partly led thereunto by the consideration of the different manner which also is observable of the Scriptures speaking of God before the expulsion of our first Parents out of Paradise where the promise of Grace was given unto them immediately upon their Fall from that which is spoken of him afterwards before viz. In the second and third Chapters of Genesis Moses speaks of God with the Appellative Title of The Lord God but after in the fourth Chapter and so forwards he maketh mention of the Lord onely not The Lord God which to my apprehension doth plainly imply that God did not appear unto Man after the Fall as he did before but what intercourse soever passed between God and Man was in and through the Mediation of Jehovah that is Jesus Christ the Lord Not but the Father and the Holy Ghost are called in Scripture Jehovah too even as the Son see Ps 2.2 Ps 110.1 1 Cor. 12.4 5. But wheresoever these two Titles Jehovah Jehovah El. The Lord and The Lord God are set together and distinguisht each from other as in that to Moses before mentioned and in this latter mentioned by Moses there is the Son onely Quatenus Mediatour to be understood by it Clearly then Jesus Christ was the Mediatour Yesterday between God and his people as well as to Day And upon the whole it is manifest that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same or the onely He to his Church in point of Salvation under the Old Testament even as now under the New And let this suffice for the Confirmation of this Doctrine But as we have proved the Truth of it so it is very fit that we should now improve it in making some Use thereof for the furtherance of the Gospel In the first place I shall again take this opportunity to make an Address to the dispersed of the Jews whom I do beseech by all that antient Love that hath been between God and them that they would yet look upon him whom they have pierced And herein I do but exhort you O yee that were once a People Zech. 12.10 yea the onely people of God to that which your selves know well enough is prophecyed of you 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which shall surely be accomplished shortly by you And I beseech you will it not be far better for you that the Prophet's words should be made good in this Generation then in those that come after you Look upon your present estate wherein you stand and see whether that honourable Bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ which your Fathers shed do not lie upon you as a stupendious guilt unto this very Day Look upon all that is written by Moses and the Prophets concerning him and see whether it be not all exactly fulfilled to a Tittle in that our blessed Lord who on Mount Calvary by Jerusalem was with wicked hands crucified and slain Nay have not your selves been instrumental in executing that upon Jesus of Nazareth which was prophecyed should be done unto the Messiah Alas alas will you be still wilfully blinde look up and behold your King Pilate once spake it in scorn or out of a Design of Rebellion against Caesar Joh. 19.14 but I speak it unto you as I said before out of a hearty desire of your Restauration to your former Glory Behold I say your King and behold your Priest and behold your Prophet Your King who watched over you in all your Generations of old to defend and protect you and to deliver you from all your Enemies and whom now also to serve you will undoubtedly finde to be your perfect freedom Your Priest whose Sacrifice did virtually accompany all the Sacrifices of the Aaronical Priest-hood making them effectual for your Good and will fully expiate your great sin in sacrificing that is Crucifying even this your High-Priest who is now in the Holy place at the right hand of his
should remain as a blot upon them to cause any more separation between their God and them and to bring in everlasting righteousness which will consummate the Vision and Prophecy that they may be a righteous Nation and holy People to the Lord above all others so long as the World endureth Hereupon I demand Have these things as yet been fulfilled upon this People Is their iniquity transgression and sin to speak of it first in a general sense finished or purged away Yea is it at all restrained Rather doth it not abound more and more If then these seventy sevens must be limited to so narrow a compass as they have usually been Where is the truth of this Prophecy Where It is in the Messiah say some who by his death hath done all this for them Most true But nevertheless it shall not be effectual unto them till they do believe and receive him for their Messiah For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth saith Saint Paul Rom. 10.4 But withall the Apostle there addeth that which we finde in this people to this very day Rom. 10.16 They have not all obeyed the Gospel For as Esaias saith so may we Who among them hath believed our report concerning this Messiah which hath been carried to the end of the world Yea the same Prophet feareth not in plain terms to say I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me meaning the Gentiles but to Israel he saith All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain saying people This time therefore is not yet expired because their iniquity transgression and sin as yet remaineth Or if that single transgression in Jacob or his sonnes before-mentioned was finished having received a just recompense of reward at their deliverance out of Egypt and the multiplied rebellions since of the Jewish nation wherewith they in their several generations afterwards did provoke the Lord against them were sealed up at their return out of Babylon so as they should appear no more to their shame yet their iniquity in crucifying the Lord of glory is still marked before the Lord and therefore is their present captivity still continued But when these seventy sevens are ended God will surely be reconciled to them for that also It will be objected How doth this Interpretation agree with the words following where these seventy sevens are branched out into a tripartite division and made to expire at the furthest with the destruction of Jerusalem I answer Though mention be there also made of seventy sevens yet I conceive it will not necessarily follow that they must be the same with those before spoken of ver 24. but because the Prophet had in his prayer besought the Lord for the City Jerusalem as well as for the people therefore after that the Angel had made known the minde of the Lord in order to the whole Vision and Prophecie concerning the people he then goeth on to reveal unto him in the following part of the Chapter more particularly what shall befall the City within the compass of another seventy distinct from the former yet included in it wherein also should happen the greatest manifestation of Gods love unto his Israel For in that time the whole Prophecy relating to the Messiah who was to confirm the Covenant made with Abraham and who as the Angel saith did confirm it in one week of that seventy should be fulfilled In regard therefore that this latter is so expressly referred to the City both for the re-edifying and the destruction of it and the former as punctually referred to the people for those ends and purposes there specified as hath been proved it may well be presumed that they are not the same Yea the Angel himself seems to put the difference For when he speaks of the first seventy he calls upon the Prophet to understand the matter and to consider the vision that is the vision which was by the said term of years to be sealed And when he speaks of the latter seventy he again adviseth the Prophet to know and understand implying that he was about to reveal another secret unto him touching his City which would likewise require his best understanding as the other before did And now to conclude Let it be considered whether this sense that I have through the guidance I hope of Gods grace given of this Scripture doth not carry with it a sound of truth according to the minde of the Spirit of God in it which if it do Is it not clear that the posterity of Jacob called here by the Angel Daniel's people because God would not own them during the time of his desertion of them shall shortly be restored to the honour of their Primogeniture and become Gods people again according to the Covenant made with their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob which Covenant he will not break because he is ' O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same yesterday to day and for ever Much more might be added in the vindication of this sense that I have here given but it is time now Manum de tabula to put an end to this matter in the handling whereof I have already been larger then at first I intended when I entred upon it yet meet it was that I should not onely give the meaning thereof according to my apprehension but to clear up the difficulties of it yea and to answer those objections that might be raised against it I confess there is a singularity that I may possibly be charged with yet I hope I may be excused therein For first in such dark and dubious offertures of the minde of God as this is no man is or ought to be bound up by the sense of another but a latitude may be taken in rendring the construction of them provided that the common Boundaries which the spirit of Truth hath set unto us in this case be not transgressed Secondly I have here with all due modesty declared my opinion after the form of an Hypothesis and by way of Conjecture with submission also to the Church of Christ wherein I do but as becometh a dutiful sonne of the Church Onely let not my humble manner of proposing my judgement create a prejudice in the hearts of any persons to make them to think the more sleightly of what I have here written If it be but a bare conjecture that I have here offered it is but as all other Interpretations have been that hitherto are given of this Scripture Neither indeed was it possible as I have before said that any Expositor could go beyond a conjecture in their Interpretation of it For the variety of their Epoche's do plainly argue much uncertainty in their computations And whereas they generally agree upon one root of time in order to their accounts viz. The going forth of the Commandment though when that should be they cannot precisely