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
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
for any more seeds to be sowen in it the smell thereof is so acceptably fragrant to every true believer that the scent of all things else in this world how pleasing soever to flesh and bloud is of no value with him but noisome in comparison If we therefore to use the Apostles words or an Angel from Heaven should trample upon this bed or deface the beauty of it by scattering in it any other seeds which of what nature soever they be will prove in effect to be nothing else but the Tares of the Enemy let him be Anathema But to uncover this bed and to shew what a delectable variety there is in the sweet nature of it to the end that those who take pleasure in beholding it may more and more affect it will I hope be adjudged by those that have judgment to discern to be no faulty compliancy at all with new fangled Opinionists who pretending to novel discoveries of truth root up the foundation There is certainly as in Plants many secrets of nature that are yet unknown so in the Scripture much of the minde of God that former Ages hath not been acquainted with which they that come after may understand more perfectly especially in the sense of those Prophecies which are to have their full accomplishment in the last Times Truth is not now barren as one observeth well although she was prodigal in teaching our Ancestours Etiam quicunque fuere mortalium sapientissimi multa scisse dicuntur non omnia she hath a reserve laid up in her Cabinet for her friends and followers at this day and will ever have till she opens all her treasures unto them at the last day I say therefore as countenance is not to be given to those Masters of Novelties and new-Light Mongers of these dayes who frequently and confidently from the light within them vent most damnable Opinions expresly contrary to the Written Word as the Gnosticks of old did whose Disciples they are though they know it not so should encouragement be given to those who taking along with them the Analogy of Faith and the Analysis of those Places of Scripture which they fix their Meditations upon are so happy as to finde out other interpretations thereof then were before known which may occasion more light also to spring up in the Church to the glory of God and advancement of the Gospel To which glorious ends that all whatsoever is here written in this following Treatise may happily tend hath been and shall constantly be the hearty Prayer of the poor unworthy Authour thereof who is Dear Christian Thy Soules friend and The Churches Servant E. L. A POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER THE Method that is here used is I confess according to the ordinary mode plain and homely without those Logical curiosities florid and subtle insinuations or rhetorical transitions and cadencies Wherein the accurate Writers of these Times do abound which things nevertheless in their right use and genuine appearance no man that is wise will at any time condemn but for their sakes whose Conversion from Sin Conviction of Errour and Corroboration in the Faith this Treatise especially aimeth at is this order observed Which as it hath not been found altogether unsuccessful to such ends and purposes so may it now also through Gods blessing be still useful therein being suted for the most part according to their minde and expectation Wherein I do but follow the Apostles Example who became all things to all men that by all means be might gain some Yet if they should chance to meet with some things here Hard to be understood as even Saint Pauls Epistles which required that all things should be done to Edification had in them by the Testimony of Saint Peter things surpassing the capacity of the unlearned it will be easy for them to pass them by and to spend their time and thoughts upon that which they will finde to be within the ken of their apprehension One thing more I must premise with which I shall conclude this Address In regard I have here presumed to render the sense of some places of Scripture otherwise then they have been commonly interpreted least should thereupon be censured for affecting too much a Digression from the grave and profound Judgement of others that are or have been before me it is thought very requisite to add hereunto a Synopsis of the Names of sundry Authours both Antient and Modern that have been as I said before consulted with in the pursuance of this Subject to whom for the most part as it was meet I have with due reverence yielded a ready and willing compliancy in their sense of Scripture and other their Religious and Orthodox Determinations which I hope will suffice not onely to take off the imputation of a Paradoxal Singularity but free me also from a charge of offering violence to Sacred Theology though Philology lead me sometimes into her private Retirements and put me therein upon new Explorations The Names of some Authours mentioned in this Treatise Alstedius Saint Ambrose Amesius Doctor Lancelot Andrews Lord Bishop of Winton Saint Athanasius Saint Augustine Beda Saint Bernard Beza Brentius Bruno Bucanus Calvin Centurists Saint Charles the First of Famous Memory King of Great Britain c. Saint Chrysostome Doctor Collins Saint Cyprian Doctor John Davenant Lord Bishop of Sarum Master Deering Saint Dionysius Areopagita Doctor Downham Master Dyke Epiphanius Eusebius Doctor Featley Master Fox his Martyrol Gerard Bishop Godwin Comarus Saint Gregory H Grotius Doctor Hammond Doctor Harris Ward of Wint. Col. Doctor Joseph Hall Lord Bishop of Norwich Hospinian Saint Jerome Bishop Jewel Irenaeus Junius Doctor John King Lord Bishop of London Doctor Henry King Lord Bishop of Chichester Peter Lombard Ludolphus Luther Peter Martyr Mercer Doctor George Morley Lord Bishop of Winton Doctor Richard Mountague Lord Bishop of Norwich Musculus Nicephorus Origen Paraeus Pelargus Perkins Philo Judaeus Piscator Polanus Doctor John Prideaux Lord Bishop of Worcester Ravanellus Doctor Edward Reinolds Lord Bishop of Norwich Septuagint Socrates Sozomen Tertullian Theodoret Doctor Twisse Master Vines Master Nathaniel Ward Master Thomas Wilson Zanchy c. Things most remarkable contained in this Treatise I. THE Divine Generation of Jesus Christ is in some poor measure declared II. The Restauration of the Creature after the final Judgement proved III. The glorious estate of the Saints in the life to come described in a way and manner that is not commonly thought upon IV. How the Office of Christs Mediatorship was exercised by him and made effectual from the beginning V. How Jesus Christ shall be the Head of his Church Triumphant after he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father VI. The certainty of the Conversion of the Jewes cleared and a demonstration of the fixed time wherein they shall be called gathered from the Holy Scriptures VII The Blasphemy of Socinians discovered VIII Civil Government vindicated IX The folly of Fift Monarchists and Millenaries made
time of the Old Testament with all the legal Ordinances attending upon it is a day that is set and expired being yesterday and therefore not to be brought into our account neither are we to walk in the light of it p. 118. Proved by sundry instances ibid. Whereupon followeth The conviction of those who in this day will grope after the obscure light of yesterday these are First the Jews p. 121. Secondly they that seek to be justified by the works of the law p. 126. Thirdly the Papists p. 128. Fourthly they that now-a-days pretend to Oracles and wait for Miracles p. 129. Where is to be seen What we are to judge of the pretended Visions and Revelations of these times ibid. And what Miracles are now to be regarded in the time of the Gospel p. 132. A second Doctrine propounded viz. Jesus Christ was the Saviour of his Church in the time of the Old Testament even as nâ—w in the time of the New p. 134. Proved ibid. A Question resolved How Christ could be a Saviour before he was in a capacity to suffer death by taking our nature upon him for the expiation of sin p. 135. Jesus Christ was a Prophet from the beginning p. 136. Jesus Christ was a King from the beginning p. 138. Jesus Christ was a Priest from the beginning p. 149. A difference observed in respect of the dispensation and manifestation of Christ to the Fathers and us p. 155. Examples of sundry of the Fathers believing in Christ Adam Abraham Job Daniel c. p. 156. Moses's intercourse with Jesus Christ upon the Mount p. 159. Whereupon followeth 1. An exhortation to the Jews to look unto Jesus p. 164. 2. A warning to take heed of despising the ages before us p 166. 3. Our religion proved to be the onely true Religion p. 169. 4. The Limbus Patrum of the Church of Rome proved to be an absurd forgery p. 170. 5. To hold that the object of the faith of the Patriarchs of old was not Jesus Christ is a gross errour p. 175. 6. And as gross is it to maintain that we are not now justified by the Object but by the Act of Faith p. 176. Of the second course or computation of time viz. To day Wherein first this Doctrine is propounded viz. The time of the Gospel is a time of light p. 180. It is a true light p. 181. It is a great light ibid. It is a marvellous light ibid. It is an invincible light p. 182. Whereupon follow The duties of those who are the children of this day 1. To rejoyce and be glad in it p. 184. An Objection But this day is a day of trouble of rebuke and blasphemy p. 186. Answered ibid. 2. To let the light of this day shine in upon their souls p. 188. A Question put viz. What is this light p. 189. Answered 1. It is the light of Life ibid. 2. It is the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ p. 190. 3. It is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God ibid. 3. To walk in this light p. 191. A two-fold walk 1. Walk in the Commandments of the Lord ibid. Motives hereunto 1. It is the great design of Almighty God this day to save his people from their sins p. 192. 2. We are to walk worthy of our calling p. 194. 3. Consider the length of our way p. 195. 4. This day will have an end p. 196. 2. Walk in the Ordinances of the Lord p. 199. Let then the world be awakened that lyeth asleep in the darkness of sin and ignorance p. 202. Let the Ignorant be roused p. 202. Let the profance be alarum'd p. 203. A Question put viz. How cometh it to passe that wo and misery falls so inevitably upon profane people this day p. 207. Answered 1. The sin of such persons is found out by the light of this day ibid. 2. Their sin doth finde out them p. 208. Application p. 209. Another Doctrine propounded viz. Jesus Christ is the Same to his Church now in the time of the Gospel which he was before under the Law p. 212. Proved by Scripture p. 213. An Objection But we see there is a change to day from what was yesterday in the form of Divine worship How then can Jesus Christ be the Same p. 215. Answered ibid. Inferences thereupon First the Imputations of Novelty upon those Churches which adhere to this foundation charged on them by the Church of Rome cannot be just p. 217. The said Imputations justly retoried upon the Romish Church ibid. Secondly an Exhortation to let the same minde be in us which was in Christ Jesus that is to be the Same in things pertaining to God p. 220. An Application hereof to us of this nation with a free and plain discovery of our late inconstancy p. 222. An Objection Shall we then be the Same which we have been in profaneness and superstition p. 227. Answer God forbid ibid. 1. The bad Old Cause did not preserve us from either p. 228. 2. The League and Covenant though contrived to strengthen the said Cause yet as it was illegal in it self so was it treacherously carried on p. 229. It is objected But is there not a return to Superstition when the Lyturgie Ceremonies and Episcopacy are restored p. 233. It is answered ibid. Where 1. The Lyturgie and Ceremonies are vindicated p. 234. Particularly 1. Our bowing at the name of Jesus p. 235. 2. Our bowing at our entrance into and departure from the Congregation p. 236. 3. Our Lyturgie and Ceremonies are acknowledged to be a will-worship which is plainly manifested to be in some respects lawful p. 238. But that they are extracted from Romish Missals is a slanderous untruth p. 242. 2. Episcopacy is clearly proved by the Scripture to be of Divine Right Sensu Primario p. 248. An Exhortation to the Jews p. 262. Matter of rejoycing to the Gentiles p. 268. An Application hereof to our own Nation p. 270. A serious Expostulation with Anabaptists ibid. Of the third course or computation of Time viz. For ever p. 273. A Doctrine propounded In the midst of 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 Ibid. Proved by Scripture p 274. Inferences from hence 1. Assurance may be had of the Churches perpetuity p. 275. 2. A remedy to cure the sad distempers of our Church about Order and Church-Government p. 276. 3. An Exhortation and Christian Advice given to those who pretend they cannot for conscience sake submit to Church-Government by Bishops p. 277. 4. Comfort to all who live goldy in Christ Jesus both in respect of themselves and their posterity p. 281. Another Doctrine propounded viz. Jesus Christ will be the Same unto his Church in her Triumphant and Glorious estate in heaven unto all Eternity p. 282. Wherein first The full sense is given of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 283. Secondly how
persons putting them upon this Blasphemy that they poor worms are as well and as truly God as Jesus Christ And why Because they have their Being in God Act. 17.28 are partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and are one with Christ John 17.21.22 c. Now if this were admitted what a sordid profession would Christianity be What in time would become of Satisfaction for Sin Imputation of Righteousness the Purity Dignity Royalty of the Blood of God How ridiculous and contemptible would the pretended terrour of the great Day seem unto the World For a Contest might possibly arise who should be the chief Judge at that time and according to the person and quality of the Judge so would the Judgment be But to these deluded ones we may well say as Moses did to Korah and his Complices Num. 16.9 10. Seemeth it a small thing unto you that God hath separated you Numb 16.9 10. and brought you near unto himself but you will seek the Priesthood also What is it nothing to be as you pretend your selves to be advanced to the knowledge of the true God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord to have the Image of God consisting in Righteousness and true Holiness 2 Pet. 1.4 to be repaired and renewed in you which is the participation of the Divine Nature but that you will aspire like the Devil 1 Tim. 3.6 to be equal with God speaking after the language of him who said in his heart I will ascend into Heaven Es 14.13 14. I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will sit upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds I will be like the most High Is the iniquity of our first Parents too little for you from which we are not cleansed until this day but that you will rise up and rebel against the Lord even after the same manner as they did What have you been coeternal with Jesus Christ and immutable like unto him Can ye say You are the same yesterday to day and for ever Where were you then Job 38.4 when God laid the foundations of the earth Declare if you have understanding When he prepared the Heavens when he set a compass upon the face of the Depth when he established the Clouds above when he strenghned the Fountains of the Deep Were you then by him Pro. 8.27 as one brought up with him rejoycing alwaies before him Have you known the mind of the Lord Or have you been his Counsellours Were you joyn'd in Commission with Jesus Christ to be his Co-agents in the great Work of Redemption Es 63.3 Did you help to tread the Wine-press in the discomfiting of his Enemies Or to establish a Church so as the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it Look then now on every one that is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked in their place hide them in the dust together and bind their faces in secret Then will I confess to you that you are free from those Delusions that are charged upon you and unjustly tax'd with Blasphemy whereof otherwise you cannot but be deeply guilty But enough of this The other Project of Hell which is now on foot against Jesus Christ in these our daies is to level him with poor dust and ashes not allowing him a preheminence above the sons of men unless it be such as hath been devised by the Devil for the more close conveyance of his inveterate malice I do not say it is an Egg lately hatch'd by that Cockatrice for it is of an old brood and did exceedingly infest the Church in former times as hath been said before but though it was smitten through and through with the two-edged Sword of Gods word yet there are now again sprung up new Heads of that old monstrous and malicious Hydra who with the faces of Sodom and Gomorah dare publickly tell us that our great Redeemer of whom we make our boast is no other then a meer man I am prone to believe that such as love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity do find their hearts shivering within them at the very mentioning of this horrid Blasphemy but behold yet greater Abominations What an amazement must it be to all the Churches of Christ to read or hear that In A. B. his Exposition of the 17th Chap. of S. John which I have read of Socinus In the reciting whereof there may be some doubt as one said in another case whether you should be desired to open or to stop your ears the speech being so horrible as it is a wonderful patience of God that the Earth opened not her mouth to swallow him up quick yea it may seem strange that the dumb and dead paper did not stand up refusing to take that Ink wherewith such an abominable Blasphemy should be either printed or written which is expressed in these words viz. This Doctrine of Christs Deity is so absurd that the Christian World will one day be ashamed of it and that the word Trinity may be in time as much abhorred as Transubstantiation and the Mass What shall we say to this but as the Angel spake to the Devil Increpet Dominus Es 6.1.3.5.8 John 12.40 41. Psal 102.19 22 23.26 27. Heb. 1.10 11 12. Let the Lord rebuke them whosoever they be that have their Tongues thus set on fire of Hell against Christ and his Glory The Apostle tells us Phil. 2.6 That being in the form of God he counted it no robbery to be equal with God Yet these wretches do in effect say that he is a Thief and a Robber if he shall lay claim to such an equality What Is he the great Jehovah Eternal and Immutable the same yesterday to day and for ever and all this while but a meer man Could a meer man be able to wade into the vast Ocean of the wrath of the Almighty and not be swallowed up everlastingly therein Could he be able to enter into a Plea with Divine Justice and put her to a Non-suit To undertake by his own Righteousness to justifie so many Myriads of Saints and not find to his shame his covering infinitely too narrow to hide the deformities of so great a multitude To encounter with Death and Hell and overcome them in their own Den Surely we must needs say with him in the Gospel If this man were not of God Nay If this man were not God he could do nothing nothing I mean in these great noble and glorious Atchievements For admit that he was perfect in himself both in his birth and in his life the power of the most High when it came upon the Virgin in her Conception stopping up the Current of original sin that it could not pollute him and his own proper power preserving him all his life-time from the least spot of any actual sin yet alas wherein could this single
presumptuously into a Christian Oratory and there with a most abominable profanness pissed upon the holy Table Consecrated for the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist But he was suddenly pursued by a just judgment of God and taken with a terrible disease his Bowels rotting within him the Excrements no more went from him by their natural passages but that cursed mouth which had been the Trumpet of blasphemy was the passage of them Arius that arch enemy of Jesus Christ even when by the strength of his Faction he had so far prevailed that he was ready to make his Triumph over the truth of God concerning the Deity of Christ in the publick Court of the Emperour was forced to withdraw himself as some think by reason of a terrible affrightment that then fell upon his Conscience so the Centurists relate it whereby thinking to recollect himself by hardning his heart or as it is generally reported endeavouring to disburthen Nature his inward parts which as I may say were very wickedness and all his Bowels gushed out so fearfully perishing with a kind of death fitting for such a blasphemous and filthy wretch Nestorius his Tongue rotted in his mouth being eaten with worms Cent. 5. cap. 5. wherewith he had blasphemed Christ He held that the honour of Christs Godhead was conferred upon him as a compensation of his Merit Valens also that Neronical Tyrant was exceedingly mad against Jesus Christ of whom Histories record that in favour of Arianism he executed most horrible cruelty upon the Orthodox Christians persecuting them from Country to Country giving liberty to all sorts of people to profess what Religion they pleased excepting such who maintained the Doctrine of the Eternal Deity of the Son of God resolving by all waies and means to root it out of the World and when he could not prevail Cent. 4. cap. 7. he forced a great multitude of those that professed that Doctrine into a Ship causing the Ship to be set on fire in the midst of the Sea Cent. 4. cap. 10. So furiously was he enrag'd in his cruelty towards the faithful Servants of Christ But behold how visibly the just judgment of God did appear against him sundry waies His Son being desperately sick was by the earnest prayer of Basil the Great that faithful Bishop of Caesarea restored to health beyond expectation Valens thereupon being convinced of his impetuous malice against Christ renounced his Heresie and seemed to repent of his cruelty Cent. 4. cap. 4. quietly submitting himself to the truth as it was preached unto him by that good Bishop but within a short time after he returned again to his former Biass endeavouring also to perswade Basil himself to be an Arian whose consent when he saw he could not obtain he commanded an Order to be drawn up for his banishment whereto being about to affix his name suddenly was his Pen in a miraculous manner shivered to pieces yet still persisting in his resolution he called for another and a third to both which happened the like remarkable Accident a fearful horrour at length seizing upon him he was forced against his will to retract that banishment His rage nevertheless encreasing still more and more against the poor Church of Christ upon the account only of Christs eternal Godhead the revenging hand of God in the end overtook him for being engaged in a War against the Gothes and wounded with an Arrow he betook himself into a poor Shepherds Cottage which being set on fire by the Gothes he there miserably perished The like judgment also befel one of his Attendants who threatning a certain holy man called Aphraates for his zeal and faithfulness in advising the Emperour to forsake his Arianism was in a very signal manner pursued by the vengeance of God for the Emperour willing him to go and make ready for him his Bath whilest he was preparing it suddenly being stricken with madness he leap'd into the Caldron of scalding water and with fearful howlings wofully died his former Menaces so falling deservedly upon his own Pate In a word the Persecution that was in those times only for this Cause of Christ raged so much through the whole Eastern parts especially Constantinople that scarce was there any of the Heathens Nero Domitian Decius or others that did or could in their greatest fury shew greater cruelty then the Arians did But the jealous and the righteous God who hath said his Glory he would not give unto another did not then suffer with impunity his Glory to be taken from him by sinful men for a miraculous hail was sent from Heaven upon those parts of an extraordinary bigness like stones in hardness which destroyed multitudes both of men and Cattel overthrew Cities and with a great Famine was Phrygia then utterly ruin'd Thus hath the Lord from Heaven with his out-stretched arm appeared visibly in the vindication of his great and glorious Name and will surely do the like again whensoever it shall seem good unto him for he is the same still without any change at all so that the World may say This hath the Lord done and it is marvellous to behold verily he is a God that judgeth the Earth And now briefly to make some Application of this There hath been and still is a Generation of men in these times of whom it may be said as it was of Belshazzer Though they know all this Dan. 5.22.23 viz. That God hath most remarkably manifested his displeasure from Heaven upon the World for this great rebellion against the Crown and Dignity of Jesus Christ yet do lift up themselves against the Lord of Heaven and the God in whose hand their breath is and whose are all their waies they will not glorifie And oh that England would look about her that this Treason against the Lord Jesus Christ be not sound therein for if this Iniquity should be marked before the Lord as an indeleble blot upon our Church and State it would undoubtedly be the fore-runner of an over-spreading Desolation The time hath been not long since when Socinianism grew to a very great height among us not that it was publickly professed God forbid we should ever be guilty of such a Racevian Impudency but it had taken such degrees that he who was most skilful to maintain it and could propose doubts most Sceptically about the Deity of Christ Satisfaction for sin and Imputation of Righteousness was amongst a sort of unstable Athenian Novelists who were the Ringleaders of the late Sect of Seekers best accounted of for subtlety and acuteness of Learning yea and Books also too many were printed and prepared for the Press containing most damnable blasphemy against the Son of God insomuch that high time it was to put a stop to the current of this pestilent Heresie And therefore was there a Canon expresly set forth against it in the year 1640. confirmed by the Kings Authority But afterwards when a purer Reformation was cried up and great
that put their trust in him The second Interpretation of the TEXT Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever In a reference to the whole CREATION Adsis O JESV HEnce it is that Christ calls himself the Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.11 the first and the last Being so in this sense as well as in that before-mentioned The first because he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.16 The last Col. 1.16 in that he is after all things Or He shall stand the last on the earth as that place of Job may be rendred or with the last Job 19.25 Es 41.4 Col. 3.11 as the Prophet phraseth it that is continuing with or ruling this whole World to the end of it He is All and in all saith the Apostle in point of eternal salvation all meritoriously all efficiently all sufficiently so likewise is he All and in all in respect of the World and the Creatures therein for all had been nothing without him and all would fall to nothing without him the same good hand of his Power running constantly without the least Retractation or Interstitium through the whole from first to last which clearly demonstrates him what the Text proclaims him to be viz. The same yesterday to day and for ever That is The same in the work of Creation The same in the work of Preservation The same in the work of Restauration According to this triple Distribution of Time here in the Text Yesterday to day and for ever Let us therefore now consider these distinctly by themselves that we may so far as God shall be pleased to enable us take an exact view of the unchangeable power of the Lord Jesus in order to the Creatures CHAP I. How the Text is Applicable to Christ in the work of Creation JEsus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same mighty God or the only He as the word signifies in the work of Creation he is that great Jehovah as it hath been made to appear that Ens entium The beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 Not in a Passive sense but Active that giveth a Being to all Creatures Therefore when this Jehovah saith of himself Es 48.12 I am he Es 48.12 I am the first I am also the last He presently inferreth Mine hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens when I call them they stand up together Ob. But we are to believe will some say according to the Tenor of our Creed that the Father is the Creatour of Heaven and Earth Sol. I answer True but that is not to be taken exclusively of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for as there is a Divine Order between the Persons in the Trinity so this Order is the same towards the Creatures as it is amongst themselves Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa Talis agendo qualis existendo The same in working as in their existency one with another the Father is of himself the Son is of the Father the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son so first the Counsel and Decree of the Father precedeth then the Son produceth that Decree into Act P.R. the Jesuit in his Treatise of Mitigati on against Dr. Morton tels us that Bellarmine Valentia c. Charge Calvin with Arianism for holding that Christ as he is the second person of the Trinity cannot properly be called the Creatour of Heaven and Earth for that say they implieth that he is not God nor equal to his Father Heb. 1.2 then the Holy Ghost maketh it effectual to all those ends and purposes for which it was ordained not as if there were any priority among them either in respect of Dignity or Time but the only wise God being the God of Order and delighting therein this Order is held in all proceedings amongst those three Heavenly Estates as it were who are not either in their Actions or Existence subordinate one to another but only co-ordinate one with another Excellently therefore according to this Rule is this Order in the work of Creation described by Arnobius an Orthodox Writer of the Fourth Century Ipse dixit facta sunt hoc est per verbum Dei facta sunt Patre loquente Filio creante Spiritu Sancto animante He spake and it was done that is By the Word of God were the Heavens and the Earth finished and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth the Father decreeing the Son creating the Holy Ghost quickning Or as Basil the Great at the same time sweetly interprets it In creatione cogita principalem causam corum quae fiâ—nt Patrem conditricem Filium perfectricem Spiritum Sanctum In the work of Creation ever conceive the first Mover thereof to be the Father the working cause to be the Son the perfecting to be the Holy Ghost True it is the Father is said to work by the Son for by him that is the Son saith the Apostle Heb. 1.2 God made the World yet that will not necessarily imply as the Arians impiously construe it that the Son is only ministerial or instrumental to the Father herein as a Servant is to his Lord for this Preposition Per doth sometimes also signifie the very primary efficient cause of a thing that is acted or done v.g. A man may be said per liberum arbritrium by his free-will to undertake a Design his will though cannot be counted as his Instrument in the matter he undertakes but it is the efficient Mover of his undertaking And when a work-man per rationem Idaeam Artis that is by his skill doth perfect some rare artificial Piece we do not say that his Reason or Skill was either his Tool or his Servant that he used in his Work but the very Spring or Principle from whence the Work received its full and whole composure and formality which is so far from being an Impeachment of the Work-mans credit that it rather tends to his greater glory So when the Father is said by the Son to create the World the Son is not thereby subjected to the form of a Servant unto the Father as he was when he undertook to redeem the World but is declared thereby to be in all points 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Co-worker with him as the efficient cause of the Creation to the glory of the Father 1 Cor. 1.24 he being the wisdom of God and the power of God as saith the Apostle And yet to make this clearer we shall find that the said Preposition is in Scripture sometimes used with a reference also even unto the Father v.g. 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful 1 Cor. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son 2 Cor. 1.1 And 2 Cor. 1.10 Paul calls himself an Apostle of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the will of
as if he could not have been perfect without his Creatures for he was from all Eternity ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently pleased with his own Perfection but willing he was that other things might have a Being to the end he might communicate his Goodness unto them And as he began this Work for that end so he continued still the same for his Goodness extended over all the World He is good unto all saith David and his tender mercies are ever all his works Ps 145.9 Psal 145. His Power in like manner was the same from first to last without Diminution or Augmentation without weariness or fainting he rested not that is He ceased not till he had finished all and then pleased himself upon the Sabbath-day rejoycing in all the Works that he had made And now to sum up this whole matter Jesus Christ we see is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same in the work of Creation First The same with the Father in that eternal Counsel and Decree from whence all things had their first Rise and Original Secondly The same with the Father in the execution of that Decree framing and fashioning every Creature in his Rank placing them all in their several Stations exactly according to the primary Pattern and Tenour of that Decree Thirdly The same without any Coadjutour in the mighty Work that he undertook his own and only Omnipotent Fiat gave a Being to the World and all the parts of it without which they had never been Finally The same from first to last without any variableness or shadow of turning exercising his Divine Wisdom Goodness and Power throughout the whole Creation Many are the Inferences that might be derived from this Consideration but we shall not extend our Discourse beyond the due boundary of the Text Only somewhat we will observe that may be for further edification First then this Doctrine may lead us to a further knowledge of our Lord and great Redeemer JESUS CHRIST for saith the Apostle Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Walk we therefore about this Creation go round about it tell the parts thereof mark well the beauty of the Frame the admirable Order of this great and goodly Fabrick consider the several Palaces that are set therein for Angels for Men and the various lustre which the Lights do transmit there being one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars that we may know it for our selves and tell it to the Generations following that Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised his Greatness is unsearchable Ps 145.3 It is indeed unto all the faithful people of God whose hearts are raised up to a spiritual elevation a most pleasing kind of Geography as a reverend Bishop of our Church calls it in this large Map of the created World Bishop of Chi. in the Celestial and Terrestrial Globe to contemplate the Creatour for the works of the Lord are great saith the Psalmist sought out by all them that have pleasure therein Ps 111.2 But when in their search they happen to light upon the soot-steps of the Creatour by the whisperings of his Spirit which is very frequent and common unto them O what an incomparable pleasure is it then to pursue the Tract Hos 6.3 and to follow on to know the Lord So doth the Psalmist in the fore-cited place His work saith he is honourable and glorious Ps 111.3 and then followeth His righteousness endureth for ever Which way of Divine Speculation through the Creatures whereby we may ascend in our Meditations above every name that is named Ps 83.19 to the knowledge of him whose Name alone is Jehovah hath God himself caught us As when he instructed Job and would convince him of his rashness and folly in his peremptory Argutations making him also sensible of his own Almighty Power he brings the work of his Creation into remembrance before him Job 38 39 40 41. viz. Things in Heaven things in Earth and things in the Deep When we shall now therefore consider the Heavens not only this lower Heaven which in some sense may be called our Heaven wherein we and other poor mortal Creatures do breath which we may feel with our hands and wherein the Arm of the most High is many times stretched forth in mighty Winds and roaring Thunders and blazing Comets able to make the very Pillars of the World to tremble yea and to cool the courage and daunt the Spirits of all Atheistical Caligula's But those above especially which we see with our eyes at a greater distance so great that it is a wonder saith a Contemplative Divine we can look up to so admirable a height Bishop Hall and that the very eye is not tired in the way ascribed unto God by David as his Peculiar with this distinguishing term of Appropriation Ps 8.3 Thy Heavens Psal 8.3 Those which are the curious and exquisite Master-pieces of God's fingers Amos 9.6 for there saith the Prophet hath he built his Stories that is his Spheres or Ascentions from the Moon which is the lowest to the Stars which is the highest that can be discerned by men on Earth in which regard it may be though it be commonly taken for David's Night-meditation these two are only mentioned Ps 8.3 comprizing all the rest When we consider further the wonders of God in the Deep wherein saith the Psalmist Ps 104 25 26. are things creeping innumerable both small and great Beasts There go the Ships those moving Islands which bring the several Nations of the World into acquaintance one with another which suck the abundance of the Seas Deut. 33.19 Es 23.3 and Treasures hid in the Sand which reap the Harvest of the Water far surpassing the harvest of the Ground the artificiallest Wonder that ever was framed There goeth that Leviathan the wonder of that Nature the King over all the children of Pride made to play therein Job 41. whose wonderful parts and comely proportion is admirably described by the Tongue of the Learned Bishop King upon Jonas even the learnedst Tongue that the Holy Ghost had as one skilful in Scripture-learning sweetly expresseth it Yea there are the goings of the great God himself whose Name is Wonderful for the Sea is his and he made it Ps 95.5 and his Spirit still moveth upon these waters as it did formerly For as a King he sitteth upon the Water-floods saith the Psalm his power and providence walking constantly in state upon the Surface of them Ps 29.10 And though the proud Waves do rage that the very Mountains shake at the swelling thereof because they are stinted in their Current Job 38.10 11. Ps 104.9 and cannot with a full carrere turn again to cover the Earth yet he still keeps them under
his command shutting them up with Bars and Bolts within their decreed place Jer. 3.22 giving a charge to the poor inconsiderable Sand to be a boundary unto them and though they roar all like Bears and Lions yet they are not able to pass over it When we consider also the Earth the Center of the World as it may be called how stedfast and immoveable That though it be founded on the Seas and established on the Floods Job 38.6 Ps 104.5 Ps 104.24 yet the Corner-stone should be so surely laid that the Foundation shall not be removed for ever How vast and inexhaustible the Treasures thereof are it being full of the Riches of God How excellent and glorious the Attire wherewith it is every year adorned How fertile her Womb from whence such a numerous multitude of living Creatures do derive their Pedigree and Extraction Her uberous Breasts also still sending forth millions of streams to feed as with milk both her young and old Fruit In a word How that from it is ministred matter to defend or offend feed or famish cherish or starve make blind or receive sight to overturn or build up to procure health or sickness soe 's or friends peace or war pleasure or pain sorrow or mirth sleep or watchfulness sores or soundness barenness or fruitfulness life or death and what not When I say we consider these things and amongst them all in a more especial manner our selves made indeed a little lower then the Angels Ps 8.5 6. but crowned with glory and worship having dominion over the works of Gods hands How can we choose but be filled with admiration and say O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the World How glorious is thy Majesty How infinite is thy Power How incomprehensible is thy Greatness Thou who art the great Jehovah Exod. 15.11 Ps 89.13 the first born of every Creature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that givest a Being to this All Who is like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Surely thou hast a mighty Arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand Let therefore all the Earth fear thy Name Ps 33.8 yea let all the Inhabitants of the World stand in awe of thee and yield their homage unto thee And whatsoever is excellent in them let them lay it at thy feet and say Worthy art thou Rev. 4.11 O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Secondly Since it is so let then the Lord Jesus Christ enjoy that absolute Sovereignty which he hath as his Peculiar over all the Earth to dispose of it as seemeth good unto him for it is the greatest right that possibly can be in the world imagined to have a peculiar Title to those things that are of one's own making Poor Creatures will stand much upon their Priviledge herein Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump when he hath prepared and fitted it for his use to make one Vessel unto honour and another to dishonour And hath not the Gardener likewise liberty when he hath contrived his Plat in stretching forth his Line and treading out his Beds and Borders according to his mind to dispose of them for his delight planting and transplanting where and when and as often as he pleaseth Is it not lawful for me said the Master of the Vineyard to do what I will with mine own This liberty is justifiable even by the Law of Nature Seeing then that Jesus Christ is the Creatour of all things and that therefore the Earth is his and the fulness thereof having received from him both matter and form which no Creature in the world can contribute to the work of his hands it is but very meet and requisite that his power should be paramount at all times in giving of it to whomsoever he will and that all men of what Rank soever and to what Right soever they do pretend to be Paravale unto him In vain it is to make a flourish and according to the fashion of the world in a proud insolent manner to boast of our Pedigree and Ancestours and that such an Estate is derived unto me through the prudence and providence of my wise and careful Progenitours whereby I have a Propriety in it and therefore to be perpetuated to me and my Posterity for ever Alas alas these words are but wind empty and foolish only they carry with them an arrogant encroachment upon that supreme Right which belongs unto Jesus Christ as if their present possession notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures by their multiplied disobediences did settle upon them such an entailment as that it lay not in the power of the Lord of the whole Earth to make a re-entry whensoever he pleased and to pass a new Grant unto others that are not of their House and Linage But the wind shall blow no man to preferment out of what quarter soever it may arise for the Prophet tells us Psal 75.6 Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West Ps 75.6 nor from the South or Wilderness as the word is rendred containing both North and South Neque à desertis montibus saith S. Hierom. Canaan being on both side begirt with Deserts But God is the Judge in this case as well as in any else He putteth down one and setteth up another V. 7. which he can and doth justifie very well to the silencing of all contradiction even upon the account of his Creatourship I have saith he Made the Earth the Man and the Beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my out-stretched Arm Jer. 27.5 and have given it unto whom it seemeth meet unto me And thus have we seen how Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same mighty God or the only He as the word signifies in the work of Creation CHAP II. How the Text is Applicable to Christ in the work of Preservation JEsus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same to Day in the work of Preservation and Government of the World which he was Yesterday in the work of Creation For Non minor est virtus quam condere facta tueri There is as much need of power and wisdom to Preserve as to Create What avails it to plant a Garrison without a Captain to defend it To Rigg a Ship for the Sea without a Pilot to guide it To throw Seed into the Ground with an expectation of an encrease at Harvest unless means be used to preserve it from the Incursions of wild Beasts which would utterly destroy it So unless the Lord Jesus Christ be the Preserver of that which he hath created be is not the same to Day which he was Yesterday his years are expired that is his Wisdom Power and Goodness in order to the Creatures have
become of this Glory were it not for Government Authority maintains Piety Government preserves Christianity And therefore may we say that the fifth Commandment which establisheth Authority in the world is very well placed in the midst of the Decalogue to be as it were a Guard to all the rest It was well noted by one Mr. Nath. Ward that where Dominion fails Religion also fails with it it fails Officially it fails Theorically it fails Practically It fails Officially 1 Chr 23. 1 Chr. 24.19 Eph. 4.11 1 Reg. 12.31 David divided the Priesthood into their Courses and Offices and as it is said 1 Chr. 24.19 These are their Orderings Christ hath done the like in the Gospel Eph. 4.11 But when Authority failed these Orderings failed In the time of Jeroboam the lowest of the people were made Priests such as were not of the Sons of Levi who ever would might be Consecrated And hath not sad experience proved this to be too true in the Churches of Christ too frequently in latter times It fails Theorically In the times of those lamented Kings when there came such overturnings one upon the neck of another Ezek. 21.25 26. Zeph. 3.4 Ezek. 21. The Law of God was prevaricated They offered violence to the Law saith the Prophet Zeph. 3.4 So in the time of the Maccabees the Law gathered so much corrupt dross and false glosses that Christ takes much pain to refine it It fails Practically In the time of the Judges when Authority declined Piety degenerated Judg. 17.6 There was no King in Israel and what follows Every man did what was right in his own eyes they took what Gods what Priests what Concubines what Heritages and undertook what War they pleased So then we see what good doth arise by Government in a way of subserviency to Jesus Christ And let this suffice to be spoken of the second Particular viz. That Government is ordained to be subservient to Christ in the dispensation of his power for the good of Mankind And if it be so good as it hath been made to appear it must needs be very bad to profess enmity against it or to take it away But taken away it shall not be notwithstanding the vain surmises of men of corrupt minds for it follows in the third place which comes now to be considered 3. Branch Christ will have this subservient Order to be continued so long as the World endures An Assertion that may be maintained against the World if the World should be so mad as to hold the contrary and indeed a necessity there is to appear in the maintenance of it Because a sort of Antimagistratical Spirits have been conjured up in these times who under a pretence of setting the Lord Iesus Christ in his Throne would bring in Anarchy and confusion destroy all Order and Government among men and as their Song is Overturn Overturn Overturn Inconsiderate persons that weigh not the Consequents of their misguided zeal how much disservice they do unto Iesus Christ and how much they gratifie that Antichrist of Rome against whom yet they wil not spare to proclaim an irreconcilable fiend First That instead of honouring the Lord Jesus Christ in subjecting the World under his immediate Government they do a very great Disservice unto him is manifest in that they would vest him with a power which is inconsistent with his present Oeconomy and which he in that respect as he is Mediatour utterly disclaimed When he said My Kingdom is not of this World If any shall reply It is true it was not then but it shall be before the end commeth John 18.36 The words of our Text will rise up with full strength contradicting this Reply viz. Iesus Christ is the same Yesterday to Day and for ever And whether we should give heed to this Recent Opinion concerning Christ's Monarchy upon earth which implieth a change in the Administration of his power or to the words of the Holy Ghost which tell us there shall be no such change at all judge yee I deny not but the Divine power may act more vigorously in the hearts of those that are in Authority towards the end then it hath done formerly But that there should be any immediate Act thereof continued without a humane subserviency since he hath in wisdom ordained this as a Mean to exercise his Sovereign power amongst the children of men is not to be granted And if Christ were to have such a Dominion as these foolish people imagine it will I hope be agreed upon that it must be for the carrying on of the same Interest which he hath already undertaken otherwise he would not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same And what that Interest is is apparant viz. The enlargement of his Peoples happiness and the subduing of his Enemies both these in a way of Subordination to his Fathers Glory yet neither of them to be obtained in the exercise of such a Dominion as is by these ascribed unto him As for his people their desire is or at least ought to be that they might follow his example as he already led them the way without intangling themselves more then needs must in the things of this World which would rather be a hinderance unto them then a furtherance They are not nor will not be taken up with the muddy vanities of this present life all their minds are upon home and their Fathers house is that which they long after and for the present the happiness which they court and desire here is to find the Kingdom of Christ more enlarged within them and the spreading of the Gospel more and more in the Nations which are things that they prefer before any outward glory by many degrees But how these may be furthered by such a Monarchical Government the holy Scripture sheweth not Neither are his Enemies to be subdued thereby That Almighty power which shall bring them down is not so streightned but that they may be made to lick the dust though the Lord Jesus Christ be the same that he is for the present even to the end of the world He that hath done wondrous works in the Land of Ham and fearful things by the Red Sea that could send his Angel who in one night could destroy in the Camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand men can ease himself still of his Adversaries and avenge himself upon his Enemies as seemeth good unto him The Lord said unto him as he is in his present Station Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies Ps 110.2 And while he sits at the right hand of the Highest in heavenly places his foes shall be made his footstool saith the Psalmist which the Apostle tells us very notably to this purpose Not that he shall come to erect a Monarchical Power of his own to bring it to pass but that he is in expectation of from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool Heb.
the Lord Jesus Christ in order to the preservation of his Creatures A Doctrine it is that is profitable for Conviction for Encouragement and Instruction For conviction of many sinful practises too frequently appearing in these times to the great dishonour of Christ and his Government over the World and for the encouragement and instruction of all the faithful people of God who desire to walk worthy of that preservation which they enjoy under his Government First then this plainly layeth open the gross blindness that hath come upon many who notwithstanding think they see clearly When men will freely acknowledge this great Jehovah the Lord of all to be the sole Fountain of Being unto all Creatures both in Heaven and in Earth And yet in the several changes and revolutions that come upon the World have their thoughts fixed upon second Causes or such it may be as they have framed to themselves not at all regarding the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands as if he were now no more then a mean Spectatour and had nothing to do in the various Transactions of his Creatures about him How impiously do some after the manner of the Heathen ascribe unto Fortune that good or ill success which attends upon their undertakings It was my good fortune saith one Si fortuna volet fies de Rhetore Conful si volet haec eadem fies de Consule Rhetor that brought me to this Honour to this Estate wherein now I am It was my hard hap saith another that I met with such a cross and that I am fallen into this misery even as the Poet once said If Fortune Will thou may'st of Poor be Consul made And if that will thou must unto thy former Trade This you 'l say is not as becometh Christians but behold yet more Abominations some there are yea too many who when they go about a matter of any great Import either to free themselves from some sad disaster as they call it or to enterprize a Design which they conceive may be for their advantage will usually like unto Heathens for the Scripture notes it as a part of their Infidelity consult with Astrologers a sort of people who if they will keep themselves within their own Sphere would have the Approbation of all that are wise but being excentrick they are the very Pest of a Common-wealth and when the success appeareth their Stars forsooth must be Idoliz'd as the cause of that which doth befal them And how unworthy alas is this of that Faith which we do profess But behold yet greater Abominations It is an Abomination souc'd in the very dregs of Heathenism when people will in time of any loss danger or distress of what kind soever it be not look up to him who is and alwaies was the great Preserver of men and upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power but consult with Witches and Conjurers for a supply and preservation And this alas is too commonly found amongst those that call themselves Christians As for the Heathen they were not ordinarily wont unless it were the ruder sort in plain down-right terms Acheronta movere Ab Aves Aspiciendo that is to seek to the Devil for help They had their Auspicium which was by flying of Birds to divine of their successes And they had their Aruspicium by looking into the Entrails of Beasts appointed for Sacrifice Ab Aras Inspiciendo Ezek. 21.21 to the same purpose as it is said of the King of Babylon that he looked into the Liver Ezek. 21.21 when he took up a Divination for Jerusalem They had also their Tripudium taking a conjecture of what should befall them by the rebounding of Corn thrown upon the ground to Chickens Quasi terripudium seu terripavium from whence the Southsayer was called Pullarius And their Augurium which was a Prediction from the chirping or chattering of Birds as also by the founds and voices which they heard they knew not whence Ab Avium Garritu All which and many more though abominable enough yet were not so bad as knowingly and willingly to seek for a remedy or supply so directly from the Devil which they do that consult with those who they are assured have for such ends and purposes made a compact with him To all whom it may be said is it because there is not a Divine Providence that ordereth and governeth the World nor a power in Heaven to help and to deliver Or rather is it not because you are faithless and have no confidence in this great Preserver of men that you betake your selves to the Devil and his Angels for help A most wicked and Atheistical Generation who deny the Lord that bought them and run a whoring after Satan to worship him with a most execrable Idolatry For it may well be said such persons they revolt from God to the Devil howsoever they plaister up their impiety with untempered Mortar as that they seek Gods help though by the means of the Magician But terrible is that threatning which the Lord hath denounced against these wretched people Lev. 20.6 The Soul that turueth after such as have familiar Spirits and after Wizzards to go a whoring after them I will even set my face against that Soul and will cut him off from among my people Bishop King upon Jonas Add unto this that common foolish Opinion as a reverend Bishop of our times hath well observed and I shall render it in his own words If ever Tempest arise more then common experience hath enured us unto especially with the havock and loss either of life or limb in our Selves our Cattel or Housings forthwith the judgment is given as if the Lord of Heaven and Earth were fallen asleep and minded nothing there is doubtless some Conjuring And what then is Conjuring A pestilent commistion convention stipulation betwixt men and Devils Men and Devils what are they Look upon the Sorcerers of Egypt for the one they cryed in the smallest Plague that was sent and past their cunning to remove this is the finger of God their power is limited therefore Look upon the Martyrings of Job for the other for though the Circuit of Satan be very large even to the compassing of the whole earth to and fro yet he hath his daies assigned him to stand before the presence of God for the renewing of his Commission And besides Oviculam unam auferre non potuit He could not take one poor sheep from Job till the Lord had given him leave saying Put forth thine hand Nor enter into the Herd of Swine Matt. 8. without Christ's permission To conclude therefore with the same learned Writer Whether Men or Devils be ministerial Workers in these Actions all cometh from him who is the Judge of all as from the higher Supreme Cause whose Judgments executed thereby no man can either fully comprehend or reprehend justly He professeth no less of himself Es 45.7 Es
wise and carnal Politician What subjection do all these yield unto this great Preserver of men Though in him they live and move and have their being though they be under his protection every day Act. 17.28 yet they will not be subject unto him the God in whose hand their breath is and whose are all their waies Dan. 9.23 they will not glorifie The covetous Earth worm grovels upon his Dunghil saying to his Wedge of Gold Thou art my confidence and as Riches encrease so is his Soul more and more prostituted to his Mammon Job 31.24 Pro. 10.22 never considering that it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich nor remembring that the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and that he giveth it to whomsoever he will Doth the ambitious man that hunts greedily after honour acknowledge Christ's absolute Sovereignty when he will not content himself with that Station wherein Divine Providence hath put him but breaks over all bounds Civil Natural Spiritual aspiring still higher and higher beyond his proportion of strength and ballast of wisdom for the management of his acquired Interest which undoubtedly will either involve him in a Snare to his eternal perdition or else precipitate him here into many woful miseries As for the proud and vain-glorious man who exalts himself like the Pharisee proclaiming his Merits to the World Luke 18.11 12. and brow-beating others with overly looks of contempt and disdain he I say not closely and sliely disclaimeth Christ's Sovereignty but above all others is most guilty of an impudent and arrogant encroachment upon his Prerogative Royal Ps 138.6 and accordingly doth the Lord look upon him afar off in his due time giving a check to his folly making him to know his distance and that wherein he deals proudly Ex. 18 11. he will be above him In fine the profane Politician also that hath been trained up in the Schole of Machiavel and is become a profest and perfect Disciple of his great Patriarch Achitophel is very busie in his contrivances carrying on his unrighteous projects with much confidence and security as if Providence it self were blinde and that he who formed the Eye could not see and he that teacheth man Knowledge were altogether ignorant And thus do poor Creatures make bold with the Lord of the whole Earth withdrawing from him their subjection though they could not one moment subsist without him But O what a sad account will such presumptuous wretches make at the great Day when they shall come to stand before the Tribunal of this great Lord of Heaven and Earth They shall then finde that their preservation here hath been but a reservation they flourish and prosper awhile but it is that they may be cut off for ever Secondly In that Jesus Christ abideth continually the Governour and Preserver of the World here is matter of Instruction to be learned which Instruction shall be branched out into Three Particulars First It may teach all the faithful people of God not to be dismaied at the appearances and apprehensions of Death or of the troubles that come upon them here in this World Secondly It is a Lesson and inducement to draw poor Creatures to a constant dependance upon Divine Providence Thirdly It may let all sorts of people see their own nothingness in respect of a Spiritual standing in Grace and Holiness First then 1 Branch seeing that the Lord Jesus Christ takes a constant care of the World is the same yesterday to day and for ever in preserving the Work of his own hands what need they who may be well assured of his everlasting love unto them be afraid of death Or be daunted at the troubles that may sometimes come upon them or the World about them Concerning the first of these we may for our comfort know that Death was none of those Creatures that received a being from this Prince of the Creation Wisd 1.13 whose design was ever to uphold and maintain his own Workmanship against whatsoever might be destructive unto it But the Apostle tells us which way Death came in It entred saith he Rom. 5.12 into the world by sin This Thief and Robber then came not in at the door but foolish man lets in sin which came creeping upon him by a Serpentine Insinuation Et sicut mors intrat per peccatum â—a peccatum exit per moriem and Sin like a false Traitour makes way for this Cut-throat the Devils Emissary who no sooner in but he shews himself a Tyrant thrusts Life and Immortality into Darkness Plaies Reakes and makes what havock he pleaseth all the whole Race of Mankinde being in danger for ever to be swallowed up by him But when the Lord Jesus Christ who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every Creature findes this pragmatical Intruder so busily trampling upon the Work which he had made Gen. 1 26. Ps 139.14 Es 9.6 especially that Work which with such infinite Wisdom and power was wonderfully formed after his own Image whose Name is Wonderful he cannot suffer this Stranger thus to spoil his Labour but as he began it in Wisdom so he will in Mercy preserve it And therefore out of pure love to his own helpless Creatures he undertook to vindicate it against the Assaults of Death sending forth his Challenge with Indignation as hot as fire in these words O Death I will be thy death Hos 13.14 O Grave I will be thy destruction And not only speaks it but acts it too enters into a Combat with him And here may poor Creatures stand amazed to behold this admirable Duel a Duel of so great Import that the Victory which attends thereupon must carry with it the perpetual Monarchy of the whole World First then Christ hath a body prepared for him Heb. 10 5. that so he might be a fit Combatant with Death In this Body he appears Armed with the Breast plate of his own Righteousness though indeed loaden also with the sins of all the Elect 1 Pet. 2.24 for he bore our sins in his own Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to the Tree and on the Tree which was the field where this Combat was fought and carried them with him also to the Grave yea to Hell which is that Land of separation appointed for them mentioned Lev. 16.22 and there left them with the Devil from whom they had their first Original Lev. 16.22 Death on the other side being set on by the Devil for the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 He was under his command finding a Body in his way ready to give him the Encounter and finding sin also upon it wherein his great strength was wont to lie makes use of his old Plot and stratagem which never before failed him layeth hold upon Sin and with it mortally wounds the Lord Jesus Christ Where alas is now the hope of the Creatures being rescued from under
Job 14.14 The Creature therefore must wait all the daies of their appointed time untill their change come Now the time when this shall be is here very significantly called the Manifestation or Revelation of these Sons of God which word of the Apostle is in Travel as Rebecca with a Twin of Interpretations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it may be taken not only in a Passive sense as some will have it but also in an Active Consider it first Actively These Sons of God that is The Angels shall be sent forth by Jesus Christ and employed in an eminent Work of Revelation four several waies First They shall break open the Chambers of Death and bring out the naked Bodies of the whole Race of Mankinde that have been there shut up and laid to sleep from the beginning of the World not one shall be missing Secondly They shall gather all the Saints which are God's Jewels together Mal. 3.17 and leave the Wicked which are the dross and dregs of the World by themselves thereby manifesting the one from the other each side to receive a Sentence from the Righteous Judge according to their Works Thirdly That Righteous Judgment which shall then pass must also have its manifestation according to the Apostles word Rom. 2.5 Rom. 2.5 And who but these Sons of God shall be the Messengers and Instruments of Justice at that day So saith Jesus Christ himself in the Parable of the Tares the Reapers that is Mat. 13.30 the Angels have their charge given them not only to gather the Tares together but to binde them in bundles to burn them and as for the Wheat they must bring that safely into the Barn Fourthly and above all these Sons of God shall be employed in the manifestation of the Son of man when he comes in his Glory for they shall in effect proclaim the Name of the Lord before him unto all the World as once it was when he passed before Moses being in a Cleft of the Rock Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God Ex. 34.6 7 merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children Ps 50.3 unto the third and fourth Generation A fire shall devour before him and the Lord shall descend from Heaven as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 4.16 with a Shout a Shout that will make the Earth to quake and the World to ring and with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God And what doth this imply but that these Sons of God shall minister unto Jesus Christ at that day in the manifestation of his Glory The Scripture we know speaketh often of the Manifestation and Revelation of Jesus Christ and his Glory 1 Cor. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.7.13 1 Pet. 4.13 c. And though it be most true that the Lord will then make himself known by the Judgment which he then executeth and by his appearing in his peculiar Glory yet doubtless the innumerable multitude of the Heavenly Hostes that attend upon him at his comming will also make his Praise glorious else would not the Wisdom of God have so contrived it that his Appearance should be also made solemn and formidable by reason of his Attendants that wait upon him And to this purpose the Apostle speaks expresly 2 Thes 1.7 So Beza renders it Act. 14.27 15.4 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven But how With his mighty Angels in flaming fire or by his mighty Angels as the Preposition there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth also signifie And thus we see how these Sons of God shall be Active in the great Work of Manifestation at the last Day But then secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also as hath been said to be rendred in a Passive signification Thus these Sons of God shall themselves be manifested and that in two respects first of their Nature secondly of their Number First Their Nature shall be made manifest to the World for though they have appeared often under several Forms sometimes in the shape of Men sometimes like unto flaming fire for the comfort of the Godly and terrour of the Wicked yet doth it not clearly appear thereby what they are Spirits indeed they are Glorious and Heavenly and Immortal Spirits created after the Image of God of marvellous Agility excellent in Strength able to do Wonderously beyond the power of all other Creatures in the World Yet this and all else that we know of them doth not argue but that there will be a more perfect knowledge of them at the time of their Manifestation then shall it appear plainly what Relation they stand in unto God how they come to have cognizance of things done upon the Earth how they have been present in the Assemblies of the Saints and assistant unto them in the solemn duties of Divine Worship and Service 1 Cor. 11.10 then shall it be known and manifested how and wherein they have been a Guard to the people of God to keep them in all their waies and to conclude then shall they more freely and familiarly converse with men not keeping themselves at a distance as he did who reproved Maneah Judg. 12.18 saying Wherefore enquirest thou after my Name seeing it is secret So that a clear manifestation there will be of them in this regard Secondly Mat. 25.31 Their Number or whole Multitude shall then be also manifested For the Lord Jesus shall come with all his holy Angels not only with his Legions Mat. 26.53 Judg. 5.14 Es 40.26 Mat. 26.53 but his holy Myriads attending upon him He will bring out his Hosts by number saith the Prophet calling them all by Names as a General doth his Souldiers on a Training day not one of them shall fail Well may it therefore be called the Manifestation of the Sons of God when there shall be such a general Appearance of them The Lord among them as in the Holy Place Ps 68.17 Psal 68.17 Thousand thousands ministring unto him and ten thousand times ten thousands standing before him And thus have I given my sense of this Particular also which I submit to the examination of the Church it being I confess somewhat singular the Place being taken generally so far as the narrow extent of my poor Reading doth reach for the manifestation of the believing Saints of whom indeed the Evangelist speaketh after the like manner 1 John 3.2 1 John 3.2 which hath inclined Expositours to give the same Interpretation here Now saith he are we the Sons of God it should rather be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Children of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him
as he is But I hope I may without offence give in my poor Judgment as I have done concerning this Scripture considering it is not inconsistent at all with the scope of the Holy Ghost therein and being guided hereto by some certain Probabilities First They are Angels we know and a great multitude of them who did at the Birth of Jesus Christ proclaim Peace to the Creature as well as Good-will towards men the Creature therefore may be in expectation of the manifestation of the Angels that this Promise or Salutation given by them might be made good and perfected Secondly It is not without some reason that the Holy Ghost doth use the different terms of Sons and Children in this Scripture viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons in the 19 Verse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children in the 29 Verse especially considering that that which is predicated of each carrieth with it also a great difference too for the manifestation of the Sons of God answers the expectation of the Creature But the Deliverance of the Creature is not there to be terminated but only by the liberty of the Children of God Now there seemeth to me to be some probability that the varying of the terms should imply also in this place a varying of persons viz. The first to be understood of the Angels of God and the latter of the Saints the latter word also being comprehensive of the first and not the first in a true propriety of speech of the latter considering withall what hath been before said that the Creature must have the Angels employed in working their Deliverance but not the Saints Sons being also fitter then Children in the bringing to pass so great a Work as delivering the Creature out of Bondage is like to be More might be added but this shall suffice for the third Observation from this Scripture viz. The time of satisfying the Creatures expectation that is at the manifestation of the Sons of God Fourthly That which is next offered to our View is the manner of the Deliverance of the Creature or to what it shall be reduced at the expiration of its Bondage it shall be delivered into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God For it is but subjected saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope or under hope of a happy change to a better Estate and though this hope deferred maketh the poor Creature to faint yet the patient abiding thereof shall not perish for ever For hope maketh not ashamed especially when it is fixed upon such a sure Foundation Rom. 5.5 as Gods Eternal Purpose which cannot be disanulled A Deliverance therefore shall undoubtedly arise unto the Creature even as there shall be to the Children of God for as in this corrupt estate wherein they are involved for the present by the first Adam they are both together fellow-sufferers so shall they together in their several Capacities be set at liberty and have their Pristine Excellencies restored yea much more enlarged unto them by Jesus Christ the second Adam who being the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End of the Creation the same yesterday Rev. 21.5 6. to day and for ever is of power sufficient to make all things new It is indeed upon the Childrens account that the Creature shall be Interessed in that glorious Deliverance for as the Apostle speaks in another case Doth God take care for Oxen So may we say doth God so respect the Creature that is the frame of Nature that he will vouchsafe for its own sake to beautifie it when it is deformed Or doth he altogether for our sakes that are his Children For our sakes no doubt shall this glorious Work be accomplished that even the Creature it self also may in a free and liberal manner which is earnestly desired by it be subservient unto his Glory And thus we finde the Preposition here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated into is taken by some as carrying the force of another viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Propter which signifieth for so reading the word thus The Creature shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption for the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God that is That the Childrens Liberty might by their service be the more Glorious For as God made the Creature in the beginning for Man and because of him subjected it likewise unto Vanity that so it might not even in the daies of Vanity be superiour to him for whom it was created So will he deliver it again for Man's sake that is for the Accumulation and Illustration of his childrens Glory Though I confess upon the Creature also it self as it is said before shall be conferred a Glory which shall be in the proportion of its Nature a sutable Advancement unto it as the glory of the children shall be unto them And this I conceive in short to be the sense of the Apostle as to this Particular whereby we may see clearly that there shall be a Restauration of the Creature that is as saith S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 Now Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Which words of new Heavens and new Earth as they are used in a certain place by the Prophet Isaiah being spiritually understood Es 65.17 are I confess appliable to the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel under the Kingdom of Christ when it should be so renewed that it should seem to be as 't were a new World old things being done away 2 Cor. 5.17 Types and shadows removed yea the whole Service of the former Tabernacle abolished and all things made new 2 Cor. 5.17 So that in this sense this Prophecy is already fulfilled Nevertheless though the words of the Prophet may be so taken yet we are not to confine the Spirit of God thereunto especially when he hath declared his meaning elsewhere to be of a larger extent as he hath done in this very particular for the Apostle S. Peter in the forecited place Commenting upon the Prophet speaks of the new Heavens and the new Earth as not so much to be seen in this World as in that which is to come his whole Scope in the said Chapter tending thereunto Let then the spiritual sense be acknowledged by us yet that hinders not but that the other sense viz. That there shall really be new Heavens and a new Earth at the last Day may be acknowledged also even as Glory is said to be begun here in those Graces that are shed abroad by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Elect which shall notwithstanding shine forth in its full Splendour in the Kingdom of Glory Objection I hear what is objected unto this viz. That in the Day of the Lord 2 Pet. 3.10 The Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in divers manners and troops not revealing his Will after one manner but sometimes by a lively Voice sometimes by Visions sometimes by Dreams by inspiration by Urim and Thummim by Signs from Heaven by Types and Ceremonial shadows c. One while making known his Grace under the Promise of the Seed of the Woman breaking the Serpents head which in all likelyhood was the constant Doctrine that the Patriarchs those Preachers of Righteousness in the first Age of the World insisted upon So Luther speaking of Enoch saith Summâ fiduciâ prae aliis Patriarchis Satanae Cainitarum ecclesiae se opposuit confitendo semen mulieris praedicando de conterendo capite Serpentis Another while entituling himself The Lord God of Shem Gen. 9.26 27. who first of all Men upon Earth had God entailed unto him in a special reserved sort of peculiar Appropriation and Noah prophecies concerning him that God should dwell in his Tents that is So Musculus Meo judicio simplicius est ut intelligamus loqui Noc de Deo qui fuerit habit turus in Tabernaculis Shem i e. Omnia illius posteros quoque benedicturus in omnibus illi adfuturus c. Ita etiam Mercer Ex. 3.15 Mat. 19.28 John 15.15 2 Cor. 3.18 2 Cor. 4.6 that his presence should peculiarly be confin'd to him and his Linage Afterwards Ex. 3.15 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob professing that this should be his Name for ever and his Memorial to all Generations that is till the time of Regeneration should come spoken of Mat. 19.28 Thus diversly did the Light of that Day break out and shine forth which various Light is now vanished and another more firm and steddy more resplendent and glorious displaies his Beams over our Horizon for in these last daies God hath spoken unto us by his Son and that not in part but this Messenger of the Covenant hath made known the whole Counsel of God nor obscurely for with open face we may behold as in a Mirroir the Glory of the Lord and the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God shineth now clearly to us in the face of Jesus Christ Now the kindness and love of God towards man hath appeared more plentifully more clearly then ever before being now discovered unto the Church under the Title of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom he hath opened all the Treasures of his bounty in whom his Name is more magnified and his Grace more exalted then Yesterday in all the Ages that were from the beginning From all which it appeareth that the time of the Old Testament with the whole Order and Institute of it is a Day that is past being Yesterday and therefore not to be recalled Which being so this serveth then for the conviction of all those who in this Day will be still groping after the obscure Light of Yesterday The first sort that come under this Censure are the Jews who are still of Yesterday and will know nothing of the Light of this present Day Poor people what wait you for Let me speak unto you in the words of truth and soberness Your Fathers of old did well to take heed unto that sure Word of Prophecy giâ—en unto them by the holy Spirit of God as unto a Light that shined in a dark place whereby they did foresee and acknowâ—edge the expiration of their Day even in the same manner as it hath already come to pass and did discern afar off this present Day which the Lord hath made Rejoycing in it Oh that you would now also in this Day when the Sun of Righteousness hath gotten up into the Meridian of his full Strength take Counsel of the same Word too possibly your eyes may then be opened so as you may plainly perceive the Change that hath been wrought how the great God who hath the Times and Seasons in his own Power hath concluded the Light of Yesterday not onely in Demolishing your Temple and Depriving you of all your Glory but in the full Accomplishment of all whatsoever was written in that Word concerning the Messiah who is the Light of this our Day If you have not Faith to believe this let the faith of the Gentiles convince you of your Unbelief Is it not a clear demonstration without all controversy seeing Light is sprung up to the Gentiles who sat in Darkness that the former Light is vanished and utterly destitute of its Brightness I speak not of a few Proselytes that might be gathered unto you from among the Nations but that whole Nations and Kingdoms should so Unanimously joyn together to believe in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and with one voice to cry out as they did of old 1 Reg. 8.39 Jehovah is the God Jehovah is the God What can it argue but that God hath taken them into Covenant with himself even as he hath done you Time was indeed when you were his peculiar People Deut. 4.7 Ps 147.19 20. and there was no Nation how great soever that had the true God so nigh unto them as you had in all things that you called upon him for Hee made known his Word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel He did not deal so with any Nation and as for his judgments we did not know them But now every Nation that worketh righteousness and feareth God is accepted of him now may we make our boast of Abraham as well as you if we walk in the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham for we finde it by experience to our Comfort that God hath made him according to his Promise the Father of many Nations Gen. 17.5 God doth not now limit his Presence to an Ark as he did before but as it was Prophecyed by Malachi from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same Mal. 1.11 his Name is great among the Gentiles and in every place for no place is now Unclean Incense is offered unto his Name and a pure offering for the Lord of Hostes had said it and his Word must stand that his Name should be great among the Heathen Yea and the Prophet Esaiah likewise telleth us Es 11.10 that In that day that is another Day distinct from that wherein the Prophet lived there shall be a root of Jesse that is a sprig sprouting out and springing up from Jesse as from a Root which shall stand up for an Ensign of the people To it shall the Gentiles seek that is repair and flock together as to their Sanctuary and Refuge wherein they shall trust Now what have we Gentiles to do with Jesse were it not for Jesus this Root should for ever have lain hid in the Earth and we should have joyned with those who once said Look to thine own House David were it not for the Son of David in whom we trust Alas alass your continued Contempt of us
Gentiles was no prevailing Inducement to us to take your God to be our God we were as willing to keep our Distance in those times of our Ignorance as you your selves could possibly desire we should but such hath been the exceeding goodness of your God and our God as to make himself known unto us in this our day as clearly and fully to say no more as he did unto your Fathers Yesterday and as he was pleased to make a Promise that the time should come Es 11.1 Jer. 23.5 when this root of Jesse should shoot forth a Branch Whose name should be called the Lord our righteousness whom he would give to be a Covenant to the people and a light to the Gentiles and that in him should the Gentiles trust Es 42.6 so hath he made good his word unto us blessed be his Name unto us I say who were a foolish people a people that did neither understand nor seek after him He hath brought us into the bond of the Covenant avouching us to be his People and we have avouched him to be our God yea and He shall be our God for ever and ever and we will have no other God besides him If then there be such a blessed Change in us must there not bee a Change in the divine dispensation of Grace if we own your God for our God Is it not clear that there hath a Light appeared which was not of Yesterday And whence comes it that we who were sometimes Darkness are now Light in the Lord surely flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto us but we have received it by the hand of that true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World A Light that lightens the Gentiles as saith your Prophets and which alone must be the glory of Israel Now therefore O yee Jews I beseech you be as we are for in the knowledg of the true God according to the Scriptures we are as you are You have not injured us at all rather your I all hath been to our advantage neither will our Breaches be made up among one selves but by your conjunction with us O consider it is the purpose and decree of the Almighty to make you instrumental in bringing to pass his great Work which is the perfecting of his Church in these latter dayes for as your Fathers were not to be perfect without us so neither shall we be Perfect without you Behold this is that will make you as a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord Es 62 3 and as a royal Diadem in the hand of your God which when it is come to pass as it will surely come Oh how shall we flock together unto you Zech. 8.23 and hang upon you Ten of us taking hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Since therefore this honour is reserved for you What will you be still groping in the Dark will you be ever poring upon Yesterday shall the Day be almost spent before your Eyes be opened to see the Light that now shineth and the Glory that waiteth for you And if ever through the good Providence of God this paper may come to your perusal O let the good hand of God go along with it to rouze and quicken you This is not spoken to you with Disdain but with a hearty desire of your Restauration nor with any contempt or abhorrency at the appellation of Jew but with Pity For though the Name and Title of your Nation carrieth with it a reproach among us Gentiles because you Crucified the Lord of Glory yet we know it hath been a Title of the greatest dignity and honour upon earth and shall be so again unless as it is said by the Prophet you be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Es 62.2 Yea so far is any shadow of scorn from this address unto you that I do here in the behalf of all the Churches that profess the Faith of Christ crucified declare unto you that upon your return unto that great Messiah whom you have hitherto rejected and besides whom it is in vain to seek for any other we will yeild unto you that Preheminence which is your due for though we were in Christ before you yet we must ever acknowledg you to be the First born the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power and as we have been first so we shall be contented according to the order and appointment that is given us to be Last and as you have been the Last so shall it be your lot and honour to be First again In the mean time we must confess that we poor Novices are grown up to be a wanton Generation quarelling and wrangling one with another oftentimes about trifles God knoweth to the blemishing of our holy Profession among those that are without and greiving of that good Spirit of the Lord that dwelleth in us and among us All which would undoubtedly be remedied if we had your Brotherly assistance to make us Wiser We know well what honourable Priviledges God hath of his abundant love graunted unto you Our great Apostle Saint Paul an Hebrew of the Hebrews who as you have heard was at first a bloudy Persecutour of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus yet afterwards even in the heat of his Fury was miraculously converted to the Faith which he before sought to destroy even he in his Epistles hath set us an Example to give you the Preheminence speaking in this manner once and again the Jew first and also the Gentile the Jew first and also the Gentile he hath also given us a Synopsis of your Prerogatives which we with gladness of heart are willing to look upon He hath told us that you are Israelites the noblest Generation in the World Rom. 9.4.5 a People that were wont to prevail like Princes with God himself even as Jacob your Father did whom therefore God was pleased to honour with the name of Israel which name was also by a special indulgence from God devolved upon you as the greatest blessing To you pertained the Adoption being the First born Exod. 4.22 upon whom the name of the Lord was called when we poor Strangers were not under his rule and governance neither were then called by his name Es 63.19 You had the Glory the Ark of the Covenant of your God the Symbol of his glorious presence in the midst of you You had the Covenants even those Tables written by the Finger of God To you was the Law given by the disposition of Angels that is the Oracles of God both Moral and Judicial The service of God was committed unto you which consisted in a Holy Typical use of Divine Rites and Sacrifices prescribed in the Ceremonial Law The Promises also were yours both Legal and Evangelical of this life and that which is to come You are
did Jer. 23.25 Jer 23.25 And his Dream must pass for Currant without a Scripture-interpretation though notwithstanding it may proceed from a filthy Dreamer There another will come and pretend Impulses of Spirit as some of late have impudently done in this Nation for the justifying of his coursel though the unwarrantableness of it be made so plain to his Face that it is past all Gainsaying Yea seeing that Satan transforms himself into an Angel of Light what meanes shall we have to distinguish between Diabolical Delusions and the Infusions of the Spirit of God if every man may obtrude upon us what he pleaseth for a Divine Revelation But we have a more sure word of Prophecy as the Apostle writeth 2 Pet. 1.19 my meaning is we have the Holy Scripture 2 Pet. 1.19 whereunto we should do well to take heed and to have a standing Word to be a constant Light unto us which is the Light of this our Day is far better then to have the several glimmerings of Revelations which were the Light of Yesterday and if we will not believe Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles our Faith will be little furthered by Visions and Revelations Say not therefore who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above even to pull the Sun of Righteousness out of his Orb or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead this were to overturn the Series of thy Salvation the Word is nigh thee and therefore content thy self with it and seek not to call back Yesterday which doth not belong unto thee This Scripture viz. Rom. 10.6 7 8. Rom. 10.6 7 8. I onely in this place make use of by way of allusion and no otherwise O but may some say if there were Miracles wrought now amongst us as there were formerly would not this conduce much to our Confirmation in the Faith I Answer this also was Yesterday's Light therefore of no use unto us and though it did continue also a while at the Dawning of our Day yet it served onely for the manifesting of Christ unto the World and the Propagating of the Gospel in those Primitive Times To this purpose saith Peter Martyr fuerant miracula ut buccinae praecones quibus Evangelium commendabatur Miracles were as Trumpets and Harbingers whereby the Gospel at its first appearance was proclaimed and made glorious which being done the Trumpets became useless Non nunc ut olim sunt necessaria miracula Priusquam crederit mundus necessaria fuere ad haec ut mundus crederet St. Aug. and therefore fit to be laid aside As the Law of Moses obtained Authority among the people by the Miracles done upon Mount Sinai and in the Desart which afterwards ceased upon the entrance of the Israelites into the Land of Promise so likewise Miracles being ordained to be subservient to the Gospel for the same End are now also to cease when the Gospel hath spread far and wide about the World in so much that we may well say if any man who lives under the Light that now shineth should waite to be converted by a Miracle it would bee a Miracle indeed if he were converted Nevertheless to satisfy such amongst us who are too like unto those of whom our Saviour speakes in the Gospel except yee see signes and Wonders Joh. 4.48 yee will not believe Be it known unto you that the Heavenly Oracles by which we are guided in this our Day are accompanied with continued and standing Miracles though Miracles of a more spiritual nature what is the demolishing of the Fortifications of Flesh and bloud and casting down of strong Holds mortifying the Old Man which is our corrupt Nature and ejecting the strong Man which is the Devil out of the Hearts of Sinners whereby the Arm of Lord is made Bare and the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel exerciseth its Virtue and Vigour more abundantly then ever it being as the Psalmist speaketh the day of the Lord's Power More Divels being Cast out since Christ's Ascension then were before what I say are these but Miracles The Miracles which the Lord wrought when he was upon Earth were indeed the Product of an Almighty Power yet he himself tells his Apostles that they and not onely they but others that should be employed in the same Ministery after them Joh. 12.14 should do greater things then those whereby he seemeth to mean the Conversion of Men to the Faith by the Preaching of the Gospel to this purpose saith Saint Austin who himself was a Miracle both in his Conversion and Conversation Mundi ad Christum conversio per Apostolos alios facta omnium miraculorum maximum est miraculum the Conversion of the World unto Christ is of all Miracles the greatest Neither is this an Hyperbole considering as it hath been observed that by so inconsiderable so despicable meanes against so implacable so powerful enemies Truth should triumph and so mightily prevail as that the Conquered should command subdue and at length give Laws to the Conquerours till almost the whole World became her Convert Reason cannot conclude less then non hac sinc Numine this must needs be the Lord 's doing A Miracle well worthy of Admiration that by the Foolishness of Preaching so many Millions have been Converted and made Wise unto Salvation To open the Eyes of the Minde is without all question more then to give bodily sight to make the Deaf to hear and the Dumb to speak were indeed great things But to pronounce Ephatha to the Heart and Mouth of a Wretch desperately set against Christ and his Gospel and he thereupon Immediately to rise up and give Glory to God what can it argue but a marvellous Work and a Wonder It was a Wonder heretofore to hear of Saul amongst the Prophets insomuch that it grew to a Proverb 1 Sam. 10 12 Is Saul also among the Prophets and is it not as great a Wonder to hear of Saul among the Apostles That he who persecuted the Saints in time past should after preach the Faith which he once Destroyed Gal. 1.23 Now if such Changes and Conversions were in other material or sensible things as from Water to Wine from Iron to Gold or a Transition from one Species to another what astonishment would arise thereupon whereas in Spirituals this Changing is more Wonderful though less discernable So then Miracles there are also in these times sufficient to evidence the Truth and Power of the Gospel and to confirm the Faith of those that do believe though not such as were of Yesterday which is past with all the Appurtenances of it and must not be recalled as hath been said and therefore Men had best beware how they quarrel at the present Dispensations of Grace by a pretended Zeal after the Light of Yesterday least that of our Saviour be in the end Charg'd upon them viz. That Light
be able with Comfort to enjoy the Blessings which God gave them under the Sun if they knew nothing of a Way and Mean of escape from the wrath and urse which Sin had brought upon them and who could be able to reveal it but this Wonderful Counsellour No man saith the Evangelist hath seen God at any time that is since the World began The onely begotten Son who is in the Bosome of the Father John 1.18 he hath declared him The original Word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is exposuit is very Emphatical implying that Jesus Christ hath been the Father's Interpreter to the Sons of Men for exegesis is an exposition or Interpretation of things that are obscure So then Christ it was as he saith of himself that was the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 Joh. 1.9 That true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World And whosoever they were in all Ages that spake not according to his Word as he dictated to them it was because there was no Light in them He was the Prophet and Preacher of righteousness to the old World for as the Apostle Saint Peter witnesseth 1 Pet. 3.19 He did then in the Spirit of Quickning preach unto the People of that Generation 1 Pet. 3.19 and because there were then disobedient spirits that would not be quickned by him therefore they were afterwards by the just judgment of Judgment of God shut up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is imprisoned in Hell thrown into the Dungeon where the bright beams and gracious Quicknings of this Spirit should never come at them This office indeed he then executed by the Ministery of Men that were his Servants Ps 68.11 in the same manner as he doth now in this Time of the Gospel The Lord gave the Word and great was the Company of those that Published it as the Psalmist saith in another case He spake by the mouth of all his Holy Prophets which have been since the World began and to him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Even those Patriarchs that were before the Floud Jud. v. 14 what were they but Prophets of his Order When Henoch Prophecyed concerning him he spake as he was moved by his Spirit for as no Man can discern the sun without the Light of the Sun and what Man saith St. Paul knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of Man which is in him even so the things of Christ knoweth no man without the Spirit of Christ 1 Pet. 1.11 yea the Apostle St. Peter testifieth expressly that it was the spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets of old 1 Pet. 4.6 and that the Gospel was preached to them that were dead that is as Mr. Calvin conceiveth very probably by comparing this with that which went before to those of the old world who were alive in the days of Noah but dead in the time of the Apostle's writing All which considered it appeareth clearly that Jesus Christ was the Prophet of his Church from the beginning in making known the Minde of God concerning the Salvation of his Elect and in the Promuâ—gation of the Doctrine which hath alwayes been one and the same Now as touching Sacraments the Institution whereof belongeth to the Prophetical office of Christ when the Divine Wisdom brought them on by degrees and ordained them for the People's Incorporation into the Body and their Corroboration in it what Grace or Spirituality soever they had in them and without which they had been altogether in vain it was not originally nor determinately in themselves but derived from Jesus Christ Rom. 4.11 and in effect wholly depended upon him what was Circumcision but a seal of the Righteousness not of the Law but of Faith that is of Christ's Righteousness which is the proper object of Faith whereby Abraham and his seed were ever justified before God And what was the Paschal Lamb but a Passeover to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World without which Divine Justice would never have distinguisht between Israelites and Egyptians Jesus Christ was the Spirit of Life of the Sacraments of old as well as of those that are now in use amongst us 1 Cor. 10.4 Yea the Apostle saith plainly of the Israelites in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10 4 that They did all eat the same spiritual meate and did all drink the same spiritual drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same Meat the same Drink not onely the same together amongst themselves as some would have it but the same with us for that is according to the scope of the Apostle in that place and the Reason following enforceth it for they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ their Rock therefore is the same with our Rock the Apostle himself being Judge Christ was their Saviour 1 Cor. 10 9. and when they sinned they sinned against Christ for so saith the Apostle v. 9. Christ a King Yesterday Secondly As the People of God Yesterday that is in the times of old had Jesus Christ for their Propher so they had him for their King I speak not now of his Natural Kingdom as he was God Equal with the Father but of his Oeconomical as he was Mediatour between God and Man He was the Head of his Church from the beginning and so consequently was it ruled ordered and guided by him in all things the Government was laid upon his Shoulders for otherwise he could not well have quitted himself in the great work of Salvation as a Prince can never be able to Defend and Protect his Subjects unless he have a Supreme Power and Authority over them and therefore doth the Apostle put forth these together as inseparable Concomitants calling Christ the Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 Hence it is that He is called by the Apostle Rom. 8.29 The first-begotten among many Brethren Many in that place signifying All all that ever had been are or shall be for albeit he was born of his Virgin-Mother some thousands of Years after the Creation and in that respect viz. of time was made flesh taking upon him our Nature after many millions of Brethren that were before him born into the World yet nevertheless he was immediately upon that great Turn of Providence in the Violation of the first Covenant by Adam's Transgression begotten of the Father according to his eternal Decree to be the Mediatour at the very instant of God's gracious reconciling himself to poor man that was then ready to perish So that in this regard he might well say as he doth before Abraham was I am Joh. 8.58 for before Adam himself was that is received into the Brother-hood and made a Childe of Grace in being actually reconciled unto God through his Mediation
a time of clearer Light coming which when the shadows were removed and that old Tabernacle taken down should make the way plainer to those that should walk in that Light for the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth certainly signifie this kind of manifestation by Light as we may see in sundry places of Scripture and not such an Apertio portarum an opening of the gates of Heaven as these Popish Phantasticks vainly imagine who do hereby onely manifest their gross Ignorance in that whereas the Apostle saith the way to Heaven was not manifest in regard of knowledge They will against all sense and reason maintain that the way to Heaven was not open in regard of Entry as if the way could not be open to enter because it was not manifesty known Upon which account as one well observeth they may shut out our Christian Infants at this day who do not onely not manifestly but not at all know the way to Heaven and if the way to Heaven be open to them for entry although it be shut in regard of knowledge how much more was it open to the faithful under the Law who as to sufficiency knew the way to Heaven although not so manifesty as we do As for that which hath been Objected out of our Common Liturgy viz. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers I answer they are much mistaken who render the sense of the said words in that manner to the derogation of Christ's merit for if they be interpreted aright they do rather advance the honour of the Lord Jesus in that way and kinde that we have here insisted upon And as Athanasius used them who was the Authour of them then in the least degree detract from it the genuine meaning of them as we use them being this Jesus Christ after his death did open the Kingdome of Heaven to all Believers viz. to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews whereas before it was open onely unto the Jews Lastly Where as it is said by some that though the Fathers were not shut up in Limbo as the Papists fondly dream but immediately after Death were carried up into Heaven yet they were not admitted to that Vbi that place of Glory wherein they have been ever since our Saviour's Ascension I Answer till such time as we can see some constat for this in Scripture we must take leave to declare our Judgment against it rather because the Holy Scripture is so clear that Jesus Christ was the same Yesterday which he is to day we may admire that the least scruple should arise in the thoughts of any that the power of his Resurrection could not put forth the same Virtue to the Saints of old so as to make them Quoad statum separationis as perfectly happy as it doth unto those that have and shall come after We are not to be regulated by the Opinions of Men in this matter whether Antient or Modern though in some other points that are not of so great concernment we may happily afford a willing compliancy In this case we will call no man Father upon Earth for one is our Father which is in Heaven To the Law therefore and to the Testimony whosoever speaks not according to this Word in Order to Christ's Glory and the Salvation of his Church it is because there is no Light in them And now when I was even about to leave this point so to proceed unto that which followeth I have met with a spoke in my way upon which I must stop a little being well assured notwithstanding that my Text will bear down all Opposition that may be raised against it There have been we know in these late times certain strange Opinions scattered about such as have been of pernicious consequence to Religion And if amongst the rest I meet with any which strike at the Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ which our present Text ascribeth unto him I hope I may take liberty to bear Witness against them of how great Name soever the Authours thereof may be that have maintained them I shall forbear to nominate any Persons but doe heartily wish they would seriously consider with themselves how they may for the Church's sake retract that which they have of this Nature so unadvisedly written It hath been maintained and published by one Authour especially of great and eminent Note That the Object of the faith of the Patriarchs and Fathers of old was not Jesus Christ the Mediatour but God alone that is God the Father And that such efficacy as the expiatory sacrifices of the Law had was not so much in reference to the sacrifice to be made of Christ as extrinsecal and affixed by the Divine ordinance and institution of Almighty God Yea that the very Heathen did in those times without Christ even by the light of Nature attain unto such a Knowledge of God as was enough for their everlasting Salvation That these Cockatrice Eggs were hatched by Hereticks of old is well known The Church was much pestred with these Pelagian vermine in former times But that after they have been crushed with the hammer of Divine truth in the hands of Holy Antients and Servants of Christ of late that they should I say be now brought to Light again perking up with such boldness as they do and that among us in this Church who have been taught by terrible things in righteousness to set up and adore the Lord Jesus Christ in his Throne It is and will be surely too great a provocation of God's jealousie against us Having therefore mett with such Assertions as these so destructive to the Piety of the times and so diametrically contrary to the Doctrine that hath been insisted upon being derogatory to the Merits of the Lord Jesus making them useless to the World before the time of his coming I conceive a necessity is laid upon me to protest against them It hath been the great design of Satan at all times to bring the world to be as little beholding to Christ as may be and to that purpose hath he bewitched men with strong delusions one while suggesting to their minds prejudicate opinions concerning the ways of Christ that they are greivous unprofitable and unreasonable ways another while infusing into them Principles of self-sufficiency that so long as they have materials enough of their own to finish their building what need they go to seek in another's Quarry sometimes perswading them that the Saints in Heaven must be his Coadjutours in office to obtain grace for his people here and to help them in time of need again making them believe that after this Life is ended their souls must lie down in Purgatory for a time before they can be carried up into Heaven And why is all this and much more attempted by this grand Adversary the Devil but because as I said he would draw men to have as little dependance upon Christ
as possibly he can and consequently that he might by degrees totally eclipse the glory of the Lord Jesus for he hates him with a perfect hatred and utterly frustrate in the end the great work of Redemption From this Forge it is I doubt not to say it that this old Antichristianisme now newly revived concerning the needlesness of the Knowledge and Faith of Christ under the Law hath had its forming and contrivance wherein some of late have exceeded above measure It would be too tedious here to intersert all that is written of this matter in a Book called Theologia Veterum and to give answer thereunto this onely would I know how the Lord Jesus could Quatenus Mediatour be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yesterday If all that is said concerning Justification and Salvation not onely of the Fathers that were of old taken into Covenant with God but of the very Heathen not in and through Jesus Christ but onely by a general knowledge of God the maker of Heaven and Earth be true Doubtless there cannot be truth in both these assertions and if any shall assert Doctrines contrary to the express Word of Scripture whether it is better to hearken to the Holy Ghost or them judge you But I shall leave this matter to their second thoughts who have been too rash in spreading about these Anti-scriptural Paradoxes hoping that those who continue still too pragmatically Active therein will now find Cause to repent them betimes of their errour and retract it Onely I must here add if this Errour be to be repented of how much more that other which is made the ground of it and which doth indeed snatch the Crown off from the head of Christ not suffering him to have any thing to do at all in the salvation of his people from the beginning of the World to the end thereof viz. That God was pleased to make choice not of the Object but the Act of faith The T◠Credere as it is called to be imputed to his people for Justification And what I beseech you doth this signifie but that God was not so well pleased with his Son as with us poor sinful Creatures Or as if it stood with the Wisdom and Justice of God to make choice and accept of that which was imperfect for so is Faith in the strongest Believer considering it in the Act to make sinful man Rectus in Curia righteous in his Sight and to reject that which was most Perfect If this be not to dishonour both the Father and the Son I know not what is But as the Holy Martyr said of old in retam sancta Deliberatio non habet locum When such affronts as these are put upon the Almighty God we must not be mealy-mouthed how dares any man utter such a notorious untruth as this God was not pleased to make choice of the Object of Faith for our Justification If an Angel from Heaven should come and preach this Doctrine we should spit in his face and hold him accursed Can there be any thing in this world dearer to us then this that the Lord is our Righteousness Is not this the foundation of our Comfort here and of our hope that we may lift up our heads with confidence hereafter at the great day of Retribution against all the pleas of the Law and the clamours of the great Accuser of the Brethren what Doctrine is there that the Apostle Saint Paul doth more clearly and more frequently insist upon in all his Epistles then this that It is the Righteousness of Christ and Christ alone that is imputed to us for our Justification Rom. 5.19 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 2.16 1 7 To give some instances Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one that is Christ many shall be made Righteous 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ Jesus is of God made unto us Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.21 We are made the Righteousness of God in him Gal. 2.16 17. Knowing this a man is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ that is by Christ himself as is plain in the Verse next following Yea and the Apostle for himself particularly professeth saying I live not but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 for I live by the faith of the Son of God See how he glorieth in the Object of his Faith as that which is the staff of his Life viz. of his justification in the sight of God without which he confesseth himself to be a dead man True it is Rom. 4.5 that he saith elsewhere viz. Rom. 4.5 Faith is counted for righteousness but that must be understood relatively as faith is fixed upon the object and as the object puts virtue into it otherwise we should make the Apostle to contradict himself and it is very observable that whensoever Saint Paul speaketh of faith in this point of justification he still renders it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is through faith or by faith as implying somewhat that we receive by faith but never thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for faith as if Righteousness were a recompense given unto us for the bare Act of believing Neither is it ever said in an active sense faith justifieth but by faith we are justified that is Passively by a forein Righteousness which by faith as the recipient onely is applied unto us When a beggar puts forth his hand to take an almes from a liberal man should he say mine own hand or the sense of my poverty that made me beg hath releived me in my want and have no regard to the Giver or to the Alms it self whereby his Life is sustained When our Saviour tells his Disciples Mat. 5.14 They were the Light of the World Math. 5.14 Joh. 1.9 did he then deny himself to be that light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Joh. 1.9 A power is given unto Ministers of the Gospel in many places of Scripture such as properly belongeth unto God himself and his Son Jesus Christ As for example the works of Regeneration Conversion Remission of Sins everlasting Salvation what are all these but works far beyond the reach of man or Angel being such as hath been said belong unto God and Christ yet we know all these are by the Gospel ascribed unto Ministers 1 Cor. 4.15 Act. 26.18 Joh 20.23 1 Tim. 4.16 for they are said to beget men unto God as also to convert them opening their eyes turning them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God to remit their Sins yea to save them but now because these things are spoken of Ministers in a way of subserviency unto Jesus Christ will any man be so void of reason therefore as to exclude Christ himself and say not Christ but Ministers do regenerate convert forgive and save those that do believe Yet thus do our adversaries argue in this case because it is said faith is counted for righteousness and we are justified by faith
compleating of his most glorious design in this day of his power he will most certainly get himself a name in casting it down and having commanded his Light to shine out of Darkness Joh. 1.5 though the darkness of mens hearts will not receive it yet his Commandment still continueth in force and his word runneth very swiftly In a word true and great and marvellous and invincible is the light of this day concerning which much might be spoken from the predictions of the Prophets who prophecyed of this day and much might be added from the triumphant exultations of the Apostles whose eyes were first opened to see the light of this day but there is no need to undertake any further the clearing of the truth of this point for the day it self doth declare it the Sun which is the light and life of this day being not onely risen but ascended and not onely risen and ascended but fixed in his Meridian never more to descend till time be no more Nescit occasum Let us therefore now come to improve it by some close Applications unto us all whose lot it is to live under this Light First Seeing that this time of the Gospel is such a Lightsome day we then that are the Children of the day are to take notice of those Duties which the day requireth of us First whereof is that we rejoyce and be glad in it Truely Light is sweet saith Solomon and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Eccles 11.7 1. Duty Ec. 11.7 How sweet then and pleasant a thing is it to behold the light of this day wherein the Glory of the Lord is risen upon the Church Es 60.1 as the Prophet foretold it should Es 60.1 That glory which since the beginning of the world was out of the reach and apprehension of any Creature which yet notwithstanding was earnestly longed for by the Holy and faithful Servants of God of old How happy would Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses David Hezekiah Josiah Esaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel c. have accounted themselves to have seen that Glory which is now revealed How full of joy would they have been in the light of this day wherein with open face we behold as in a Mirroir the Glory of the Lord saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3.18 Nay wherein all flesh seeth the Salvation of God wherein the Word of God comes with power and evidence and Demonstration wherein the Spirit is shed forth abundantly in the hearts of Believers wherein knowledg covereth the earth even as the waters covers the seas so that God's people now need teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother the sense and meaning of the Shadows and Ceremonies of old saying Jer. 31.34 Know the Lord the Lord whom these things do typifie and so far as such carnal Ordinances are able make known unto you for now is fulfilled that which then the Lord promised saying they shall all know me from the least of them to the Greatest of them The whole Mystery of Godliness is now clearly revealed in so much that they who are endued with the Spirit of God know all things yea 1 Job 2.20 Act. 2.17 even Children and Handmaidens people of all sorts and Sexes understand more fully the Doctrine of Salvation then the Prophets and great Rabbies of old could be able to reach into And therefore it is worth our considering how emphatically the Spirit of God in scripture doth found out this word now in reference to the great glory of this day of the Gospel to that very end that all who are I say Children of the Day may see the Light and rejoyce in it Observe some instances Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is manifested the Righteousness of God Rom. 3.22 2 Cor. 6 2. Rom. 3.22 Eph 3.10 Eph. 3.5 Col. 1.26 1 Joh. 2.8 Now is made known the manifold Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 The Mystery which was hidden from Ages and Generations is now revealed Eph. 3.5 Col. 1.26 The Darkness is past the true Light now shineth 1 Joh. 2.8 Now Now Now implying that now and never before the dawning of this day there was a light in the world to be reckoned of the highest value O blessed and happy Day And for ever and ever blessed be that good Providence of Heaven that hath brought us to see the Light of this Day making it unto us a good Day A Day of good tidings A day of Reconciliation with the God of Heaven A Day of joy and gladness Let us therefore I say again and again rejoyce and be glad in it Let the Children of the World glory some in their carnal wisdom some in their strength some in their riches But let us glory in this that we underl and and know the Lord. Now in this serene and joyful day of his gracious visitation did Abraham with great pleasure and rapture of spirit rejoyce to see this day afar off and shall not we now rejoyce when it is at hand yea when it comes upon us and the Light of it shineth round about us Surely we are not Abrahams Children unless we do the works of Abraham and if herein we do not rejoyce we are not of the Faith of Abraham and consequently shall not be blessed with him Objection But alas you 'll say this day is a day of trouble of rebuke and blasphemy of trouble to the Churches of Christ throughout the world of rebuke for God is angry with the world for sin of Blasphemy the Provocations wherewith God is provoked every day being very great reaching up into Heaven And should we now rejoyce Answer I Answer It is indeed a day of trouble to the people of God and possibly if they had rejoyced more for the consolation which their eyes have seen they had not seen so much trouble upon them as they do this day But nevertheless albeit there be so great and sore afflictions lying upon the Churches which all the Children of the Day must be sensible of yet in the midst of all this sorrow there is cause of rejoycing for why it is not a Night of trouble wherein no succour or comfort can be found but the Light of the Lord so shineth out before his people that they may plainly see his good works which with an out-stretched arme he hath wrought and still doth for their deliverance Ps 112.4 Vnto the Righteous saith the Psalmist Ps 112.4 Ariseth Light in Darkness that is in the darkest times of trouble then hath their light of comfort been wont to arise most And therefore though in some respect the day be somewhat cloudy yet it is not a Dismal Day though the Affliction be great yet the consolations of God are not so small with us but we may glorifie God in this day and rejoyce before him True you 'll say But alas we remember
and worke in so is the Light of this Day set up for other ends and purposes then for people to sit and chat by pardon the Word for such in truth is all the Twanging of Religion upon the Tongues end so much affected in these dayes without doing It is the working Believer that is the onely Believer and whosoever shall say the contrary he is a Deceiver saith St. John For he that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man therefore make a flourish of his Faith though he could remove Mountains therewith Unless he walke in Love nor say he is a Professour unless he be also a Practitioner of Piety A vain thing it is for a man to boast how far he will walke to heare a Sermon unless he will shew out of a good Conversation how far he will walke to do a Sermon Oh it is doing it is doing that is the Ornament of Religion the Crown of a Christian Profession It is the end and sum of all as we may learn from a good Arithmetician when he had cast up all his Accounts Let us heare saith he Ec. 12 13. The conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of man upon which a Reverend Divine of our times glosseth in this manner it is as if he had said I will in two words give you an Abridgement of all that can be spoken A tedious thing it is to write many Books and as tedious to read them but if a man should write a hundred nay read over a thousand This is the upshot and end of all viz. To fear God for his inward Worship and to keep his Commandments for his outward Service Loe this is the end of man the perfection of the creature all that is written tends to this all that 's commanded all that 's promised all that 's threatned all that 's done for or against man in Scripture may be resolv'd into this to stir us up to a holy and upright walking with God and to a working out our own Salvation according to that Light which this Day bringeth unto us And now the better to quicken us hereunto let us take these Perswasions along with us Consider it is the designe First Motive the great designe of the God of Heaven which he hath undertaken this Day against all the Machinations of Hell to save his people from their sins and to rescue them from the common Destruction which the old Serpent called the Devil and Satanas had with deep Subtlety and in the blackest and darkest Caverne of his inveterate malice contrived against the whole race of mankind To bring which glorious design to pass was the Light of this Day with infinite Wisdome formed And being so formed God saw that it was very good good to discover the Counter-workings of the Adversary and Good to guide his people in all their wayes till they have quite escaped the danger and entred into his rest with joy Moreover as he hath begun his design so his desire is very earnest that it might go on and prosper without any let or hinderance from those for whose sakes he undertook it therefore do we finde him very frequently in Scripture calling to this purpose Ps 81.13 Deut 5.29 Luk. 19.42 Oh that my people had hearkned unto me and that Israel had walked in my wayes Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandements alwayes Oh that thou heast known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace c. Thus all the day long he reacheth out his hand and stretcheth out his voice unto us least by our back-slidings and treacherous tampering with temptations in our way we give advantage to the Enemy to interrupt the Lord in this day of his power in the perfecting his work his great work And now I beseech you brethren If the Lord hath of his abundant mercy been careful with all this care for a Company of poor Creatures that were ready to perish setting up such a light so exceedingly helpful unto them in their way as that without it they could never be able to keep themselves upright but must undoubtedly stumble and fall into utter ruine should they not do well then to take heed unto it that they walk in it And should they not do very ill to turn their Backs upon it thereby so much as in them lieth to frustrate the design of the Almighty for their good Consider shall the Lord the great and glorious God declare the vehement desires of his Soul unto us and shall not we regard them That be far from us For us It is but ask and have with God He bids us open our mouth wide and promiseth that he will fill it When he shall therefore wish and desire a thing of us it is but reason that we should readily grant it The wishes and desires of Kings work mightily upon loving and loyal Subjects No difficulty shall hinder the fulfilling of them as when David did but signifie a desire to drink of the water of Bethleem meaning onely if he could have had it with a wish not requiring or so much as intending that any should fetch it with the hazard of their lives yet immediately three of his mighty men brake through the Hoste of the Philistims and drew of the water and brought it unto him Scipio Africanus being in Sicile preparing for his expedition into Africk when one asked him what made him so confident being a young man to equipp a Navy for the invasion of so great a Countrey he presently shewed 300 of his Souldiers that were before him and pointed likewise to a high Tower whose top was prominent over the Sea saying unto him There is not one of these Couragious and stout fellows that you see but without delay would get up to the top of this Turret and throw himself head-long into the Sea if I commanded him And shall mortal man prevaile more to have his desires fulfilled then the Almighty God who ruleth and governeth all things can have with those people that profess subjection unto him Especially when his desire is towards them for their own good Surely if there were that loyalty in our hearts towards God as there ought to be we could not but give our consent unto whatsoever he shall desire Job 22.3 It was well argued by Eliphaz Job 22.3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous or is it gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect What is there can be added to infinite perfection Rather Pro. 9.12 Phil. 2.12 if a man be wise he is wise for himself And it is our own Salvation that we are called upon to work out so that a threefold Cord is here twisted together to draw us to a diligent walking in the light of this day according to God's Commands viz God's design
of love which was foretold to be in the last times and is now too palpably to be discerned in the World doth plainly demonstrate the setting of our Sun to be very neere Yea and Satan also hath great wrath because hee hath but a short time to work for his Kingdom knowing well that the end of this day will be concluding of his whole design against the Kingdom of Christ Do not these things I say signifie to us that the day goeth away and that the shadows of the evening are stretched out That our Sun is declining and his race even almost at an end Work therefore now for your lives if ever you will do it the night cometh wherein no man can work Could we speak to the light of this day as Joshua did unto the Sun to stand still and make it slay our leisure we might then take our own time But as all our times so especially this is in the hand of God and as no worldly or infernal power can precipitate this day or cut short the hours thereof so can none protract it beyond that measure which the grave and wise antient of dayes hath appointed unto it The day is his and the night is his saith the Psalmist the day I say of the gospel and the expiration of it as well particular to some Persons and Nations as universal at the end of the World are in his power under his irreversible decree to be ordered according to the good pleasure of his Will and therefore out of our reach to be interrupted in their course by any thing that we can do Arise then and walk Up and be doing least dreadful darkness seize upon you before you be aware It is reported by Historians of Titus Vespasianus entituled by them deliciae humani generis because he delighted to do good unto all that when he had spent a day without doing somewhat whereby the Common-wealth or some private persons might be benefited by him he was wont to say Diem perdidi the day is lost O let us consider the day is well nigh spent and the night is at hand If now we stand idle and will do nothing or if we be slothful in the multitude of businesses Rom. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Lord hath set us not Serving the time with that fervency of spirit as is fit for the day we also may say hereafter when it will be too late Perdidimus diem we have lost the day and are lost in the night without any remedy What therefore the Preacher saith in his sense Ec. 9.10 the same say I in this Whatsoever thine hand findeth in the word to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor Knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest That being as one saith Seculum Mercedis not Seculum Operis not a time of work but of wages and your wages shall surely be according to your work To Conclude Let us according to the Advice of the Apostle walk honestly Rom. 13.13 that is Decently as in the Day in all the Commandments of the Lord doing that which is good in his sight for this is indeed that honest decency which adorns a believer and sets a beautiful lustre upon his holy profession In which Adviso the Apostle seems to allude to the civil Customes and Manners of people that are modest in the World who are wont both in their apparel and deportment to demean themselves decently in the day time and will while they are in the light be ashamed that any thing dishonest and unseemely should be found upon them or acted by them whereupon he would have us also that believe to learn and remember to bear such a respect unto this day of the Gospel and the light shining about us as to have our Conversation honest and to do nothing uncomely in it No Rioting or drunkenness no Chambering or Wantonness nor other the like dishonest works of Darkness should be seen amongst us which in this day will cover us with shame to the loathing of our persons in the Eyes of God and his Holy angels Away with them therefore and let us walk honestly And now for a close of this Exhortation I shall take liberty to speak a word unto you in season If you be Children of the day beware of the deeds of darkness in this time wherein you pretend to remember the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ It is not my work to argue against the solemnity which Yesterday to Day and some Dayes following is still held up and continued among us neither will I undertake as the manner is to judge any man here present in the freedom of his Conscience for his observing this Anniversary Festival yea though his observation of it be accompanied with a more then ordinary use of the good Creatures of God provided that he doth as the Apostle speakes observe it to the Lord. But I beseech you Is this to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord to run into excess of Riot and to let loose the reins into all manner of disorder and Licentiousness Is this to Commemorate the Birth of Christ to spend the time in gourmardizing and swinish Drunkeness Siccine exprimitur publicum gandium per publicum dedecus Haeccine solennes dies decent quae alios non decent Will you so testisie your publick rejoycing as to make your selves a publick shame Do such things become these festival dayes which are scandalous and unbecoming those that profess the name of Christ upon other days It was the complaint of Tertullian in his time and we have too much reason to make use of it now O my Brethren beware I fay again of the unfruitful works of darkness at this time if you be the Children of the Day And a needful Caveat it is for I think it hath been too truely said God hath been more dishonoured in many places of this land by Rioting and Drunkenness and other Abominations in the twelve dayes then in all the twelve months following Let us therefore I say again walk honestly as in the Day and as becomes Children of the day in all the Commandments of the Lord. I have I confess been somewhat large in handling this subject But the day will not fail us though we take a turn or two more then ordinary in walking this round I mean in meditating upon this holy walk and in exhorting one another while it is called to day to bestir ourselves in it Let us now pass on to the other side of this walk that is the ordinances of the Lord for they indeed are the excellency and glory of this day and methinks it should be our endeavour yea it should be our Ambition to exercise our selves in this walk also more frequently then we do What greater happiness can there be in this world then to walk with God and to hold a sweet correspondency with him To pour out our complaints before him to
all nations as the Lord once threatned you Which being so Whether then it be better to be under his grace or under his wrath judge ye There is no avoyding it will ye nill ye one way or other you shall ever be subdued unto him either as children or as captives as subjects or as slaves for the Lord hath sworn by himself the greatest oath that ever was heard of the word is gone out of his mouth in righteousness and shall not return That unto him every knee shall bow Esa 45.23 every tongue shall swear Esa 45.23 And if ever demonstrations were found among the creatures for the confirmation of any thing there have been such that are most convincing in this matter of subjecting the world to the irresistable power of Jesus according to this oath That these Oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb at that time the writings of the Heathen do sufficiently witness Two memorable occurrents I shall mention in order hereunto that are past all gain-saying First at his birth the Oracles of the Heathen testified of him by their silence not daring once to peep or mutter out an answer to their importunate suppliants after that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oracle of the Living God once appeared Secondly at his death The Sun in the firmament did also bear witness unto him by a total eclipsing of his light to the amazement of the world far and near In Egypt it was seen and admired by Dionysius Areopagita as appears in his Epistle to Polycarp wherein he desireth Polycarp to enquire of one Apolloohanes who would not it seems be reclaimed from his Gentilisme what he thought of that eclipse which he saw when he was with him at Heliopolis a city in Egypt at the time of our Saviours suffering when he could not but acknowledge that that with other remarkable wonders which they took notice of together were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissitudes or changes of Divine works Which Dionysius being at that time also a Heathen and much astonished at the unnaturalness of the said eclipse cryed out as it is reported of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Either the Deity suffereth or hath sympathy with that which suffereth or the whole world is ready to be dissolved Adding withall Deus ignotus in carne patitur ideoqueVniversum hisce tenebris obscuratur concutitur that is An unknown God suffers at this time in the flesh which makes the world to shake under this obscurity But afterwards when the Apostle Saint Paul came to Athens and affirmed Jesus Christ to be the unknown God at whose death the Sun was so obscured the said Dionysius hearing him became a convert to the Christian Faith and all his life time after an eminent servant to Jesus Christ These reports possibly you will not regard howsoever the truth of the eclipse cannot be questioned by you which may let in so much light upon you to make you believe that somewhat extraordinary was then acted in the world which God would have the world to take special notice of And now to conclude What is it O ye miserably blinded people that you stick at If the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Blessed Virgin our Lord and our God hath not exactly fulfilled all that was Prophecied of the Messiah If he hath not done the works that no other man did or can do If you have not hitherto smarted enough under that heavy Curse which your fathers brought upon you when they crucified the Lord Jesus crying out His bloud be upon us and our children go on then still in your pertinacy deny him to be the Lord that bought you look for another that can do more for you then he hath done For us in the mean time we will bewail before the Lord your woful blindeness and hardness of heart and though we cannot converse with you as brethren because of your perversness in your present infidelity yet we will pity you as those who were once a people in whom the Lord delighted yea as those of whom we have good hope upon the return of your Captivity to see you made the glory of Nations a Praise in the earth Which hope as we may be confident it will not fail us in the time and season which the Father hath put in his own Power so may the consideration of those grounds and reasons hereafter specified whereon this hope is built in time prevail with you to bethink your selves of your long estrangement from your God and to quicken your return unto him Lastly Since it is so that Jesus Christ is the Same to day which he was yesterday then have the Churches of the Gentiles good reason to rejoyce in that they submitting themselves to Christs yoke may be sure that the same Divine Love which was of old manifested to the Jews is in as full measure according to their capacity extended towards them What high account was made of Israel heretofore the holy Scripture doth every where tell us How God entred into a Covenant with them was nigh unto them in all that they call'd upon him for esteemed them his Inheritance his Vineyard his peculiar Treasure when all other Nations were rejected as unclean 1 Cor. 9.11 proclaimed Out-laws and cast forth as dogs not suffered to intermeddle with the childrens Priviledge But now since the Holy Ghost hath not onely told us that Jesus Christ the messenger of this Covenant the parchaser of this Inheritance the planter of this Vineyard the great Lord-Keeper of this Treasury hath broken down the wall of Partition that was between Jews and Gentiles Eph. 2.14 making both one but that he is also the Same to day which he was yesterday as able now to save them to the uttermost whosoever they be that come unto God by him and as ready to do the will of the Father in being a Light to lighten the Gentiles according to the Prophecies of old as to be the glory of his people Israel we may therefore be confident in our approaches before the Lord looking for mercy and grace to help in time of need being as much interessed in all the happy Priviledges of the everlasting Covenant of Promise as ever were the Jews there is no difference now saith the Apostle between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Now is the true heavenly sound gone into all lands the Gospel preached to every creature which the Apostles carried about when they had their Commission given them to go into all the world their Line reached to the ends of the earth Psal 19 4 5. insomuch that the Orb or Tabernacle of the Sun so the Divine Spirit of the Psalmist is interpreted by the Apostle was bounded within the limits of their Commission Rom. 10.18 Saint Paul had his circuit from Jerusalem to Spain
and he made it his business to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named Rom. 15.20 24. lest he should build upon another mans foundation So that if one of these Itinerants could run over so great a part of the world we may well suppose that the other twelve might with ease divide the rest of the world among them And now what alas were we mad and desperate Idolaters that God should bring us hitherto That the Lord should say to us who were not his people You are my people and that we should say O Lord thou art our God O what a mercy is it that we the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blinde Mat. 22.9 Luk. 14.21 23. who abode in the streets and lanes of the City yea that we who wandred about in the high-wayes and amongst the hedges should be called to the Wedding-Feast of the King of heaven That unto us who sate in darkness and dwelt in the region and shadow of death Light should spring up Let therefore the name of the Lord be magnified by us poor sinners the Gentiles as the Prophet soretold it should from the rising of the Sun Mal. 1.11 unto the going down of the same And since we are through grace become children of Sion let us take the liberty here to sing one of the Songs of Sion so far as we may be concern'd therein O give Thanks unto the Lord for he is Good For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of gods For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the Lord of lords For his mercy endureth for ever To Him who alone doth great wonders For his mercy endureth for ever Who remembred us in our low estate For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of heaven For his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord among the Gentiles say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered them out of all lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South not onely to dwell in the house of the Lord here and to see his goodness in the land of the Living but to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of God to all Eternity And let us of this Nation among the rest and above the rest as it is our duty give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name acknowledging his great mercy in that his unchangeable love hath had an extraordinary measure reaching even first unto us Oh how hath the Lord been pleased to send his Gospel upon the wing unto this Nation So wonderfully here prevailing that England hath had this honour in an eminent manner to be the first-born of grace among the Nations Here reigned the first Christian King that ever was in the world King Lucius who submitted to the Law of Christ confirming it by a civil sanction From hence went the first Christian Emperour that put an end to the bloudy persecutions of the primitive Christians Constantine yea and after the general defection from the purity of the faith made by the Romish Church which like the tail of the Dragon threw down to the earth a great part of the Stars of Heaven Here the Reformation of the Christian Religion began first to be established by a Law by the first King that ever cast off the yoke of that Anti-Christian Usurper King Henry the 8. Wherein whether his design was to promote any sinister interest of his own as some imagine or to advance the Kingdom of Christ is not much material for us to know The arme of the Almighty hath hitherto been stretched out for the preservation thereof counter-working all the Machinations of Hell which have been and still are upon the Devil's forge against it Rejoyce therefore in the Lord O England and again I say rejoyce But as it is our bounden duty to ascribe unto the Lord the glory of this mercy and to rejoyce that we are no more strangers and forreiners as the Apostle tells the Ephesians but fellow-citizens with the Saints Eph. 2.19 that is the Jews and of the house-hold of God So we cannot but abhor the treachery of those false brethren among us called Anabaptists who like a brood of Vipers would if it lay in their power but that Gods mercy towards us triumphs over their falsehood disfranchise us of our liberties in the house of our God and rob us of those priviledges wherein the Lord Jesus Christ hath made us free giving us therein equal right with his Israel that was before us because he is still the Same I might instance in sundry of their Anti-Christian tenents tending hereunto But for brevities sake will make mention onely of one that is their Antipaedobaptisme not allowing the Infants of Believers to be admitted into the house-hold of faith by the Sacrament of Baptisme It is not my purpose here to dispute this point at large being out of my way enough hath been written of it already And it hath been found by experience to be a toylsome task to run the wilde-goose chase as a learned divine now with God once phrased it after a well breathed Opinionist they delight in Vitilitigation Mr. Nath. Ward It is an itch as he said that loves a life to be scrubb'd they desire not satisfaction but satisdiction whereof themselves must be judges I shall not therefore say much to this quarelsome people Let them consider how they will answer the Apostle here who avoucheth Jesus Christ to be thee Same to day which he was yesterday Certainly if the infants of the Jews were by virtue of Christs mediatory office to be received into the bosome of the Church and distinguished from those that were without by a Solemn Sacrament of initiation but the infants of Christian parents to whom belongeth the Kingdom of God as as well as to the Jews before must not be allowed to partake of a like priviledge but be reckoned still as dogs as the Scripture calls all that are without Jesus Christ is not the Same according to the Apostles word Neither is his office now of so much use unto his Church as it hath been formerly Of such blasphemy as this not to be mentioned without horrour must this cursed errour be the foundation But let me ask of these deceivers How came it to pass that Christ hath not obtained this priviledge for our Infants as well as he did for the Jews seeing God is not now the God of the Jews onely but of the Gentiles also Surely it must be either because he would not or because he could not To say he would not doth plainly demonstrate his love of us to be less then it was of the Jews which agreeth not with that abundant grace that hath been now revealed in the time of the Gospel To say he could not contradicteth that universal power which the father had given
the first Adam who was made of red earth white in his holiness and red in his bloud and sufferings white in his own immaculate purity and innocence but red in the imputation of our sins which are like scarlet and crimson Es 1.18 White in his goodness and free grace to humble sinners but red and bloudy to all his enemies that will not suffer him to reign over them Worthy is this our Jesus that we should continually look unto him He looks unto us in all our afflictions and supports us in them In all the deadly hazards that we are liable unto through the malice of Satan and preserves us from them In all our backslidings and recovers us out of them In all the duties of Religion and by his spirit enables us unto them In all the works of our callings and commands a blessing upon them Without him we can do nothing without him we are nothing without him we can hope for nothing He looks upon our graces the fruits of his own spirit in us and cherisheth them upon our infirmities and pities them upon the purposes inclinations desires of our hearts towards him and delights in them upon our bodies and souls and will undoubtedly save them Should his eyes then run to and fro amongst us and be still set upon us for good and should not we look unto him again I call you not to an empty speculation of Jesus Christ in a picture according to the manner of superstitious dawbers who paint him out in a Crucifix sutable to their own foolish fancy for who among them can say expresly such was the fashion of his countenance and other parts of his body as we see here in the draught before us and then Pygmaleon-like dote upon it or rather like the Prophets Carpenter as they are well resembled fall down and worship it when they have done Such vanity as this let us leave to those that have their eyes full of spiritual Adulteries Sic ille manus sic ora seâ—ebat whom a deceived heart hath turned aside so that they cannot deliver their own soul nor say when they take hold of their Crucifix is there not a lie in my right hand But beloved Christians I speak as to wise men Judge ye what I say You that have been in the Holy Mount with Jesus I mean that have been conversant with him in his Word and have the anoynting which ye received of him abiding in you whereby you are made able to see him that is invisible you know better how to look unto him 1 Joh. 2.27 that you may draw virtue from him The Wise mans eyes are in his head Ec 2.14 saith Solomon he considereth well what he doth that he may do it to â—he best advantage or he lifteth them upwards saith Saint Ambrose and fixeth them upon Christ his Head sitting at the right hand of God Pro. 17.24 when the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth poring upon vanity to the seeding of his folly but nothing at all to the satisfying of his soul We waâ—k here by faith as the Apostle tells us and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 The less therefore there is of sight the more answerable to the Rule will our walk be Let Faith then have its perfect work in drawing the whole soul to look uncessantly unto Jesus as the Authour and Finisher of our Faith and Salvation who hath begun his good work in us and will also perfect it who hath given us grace to believe and will surely continue this grace with us even to the end because he is the Same for ever Faith will make us to see what he hath done for us how he was faithful in fulfilling all Righteousness what he hath suffered likewise how he was faithful unto death yea unto wrath for that which we should have been suffering in hell for ever that did he in the short time of his Passion suffer in our stead it will make us see what he is now doing dwelling in our hearts shedding abroad his love in our souls preserving us out of the hand of the enemy that seeks our destruction appearing before God in our behalf preparing a place for us that where he is there we may be also And what he will do present us before his Father proclaim our Integrity and Sincerity before his Angels crown us with Glory embrace us with the everlasting Arms of his Love continue to own us for his brethren unto all Eternity Oh then let us look unto this Jesus that our souls may be more and more ravished with his love They that thus look unto him here with the eye of Faith when their natural bodies shall become spiritual bodies shall most certainly with their eyes behold this their King in his beauty for ever with joy unspeakable and full of glory Which exceeding superlative eternal weight of glory that we may obtain both I that have here according to the grace that is given unto me written of this Subject and you that with an honest and good heart have read and perused it The Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation grant unto us through the Mediation of that Son of his love our Lord and our Life Christ Jesus Amen Amen Bern. Serm. 22. in Cantic Currimus omnes post te O Domine Jesu in Odore Vnguentorum tuorum in omnem terram exivit Odor Vitae qui vitalem hanc sparsam ubique fragrantiam non sentit ob hoc non currit aut mortuus est aut putidus AN APPENDIX To the former TREATISE Added because of the several ADDRESSES that are therein made unto the JEWS and proving clearly from Scripture that they shall in time become a people again in whom the Lord will delight BEcause mention hath been made of the great hope that is to be conceived concerning the Jews Restauration it is fit here to shew the reason of this Hope and what good warrant may be produced for our confidence therein The rather because there are some amongst our selves who will because they will be Scepticks in this point being too apt to insult and trample upon this forlorn and desolate people though our Apostle hath given sufficient warning to the contrary Neither will our undertaking herein be impertinent to the matter we have had in hand for it will in the issue plainly demonstrate the Immutability of the Lord Jesus Christ towards this people and that his Covenant which he made with their Fathers is not forgotten but shall inviolably be kept and fulfilled to a titâ—le in this day of his power because even because he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still the Same unto them as ever he was from the Beginning The ground upon which we do in the name of God proceed is this If Moses and the Prophets be of account with the Jews or the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles of any value with us there may be great hope for
that Age and to the apprehension of the Prophet though the Judaical observation of Jubilees was to cease long before the expiration of the time that he was insisting upon But enough of this Let us proceed The time of Jacobs going down into Egypt is as hath been said before very remarkable and may be esteemed a fit Epocha for the beginning of these seventy Jubilees The grounds and reasons of which conjecture I do now here offer to consideration First when Jacob went down into Egypt God promised him to make him a great Nation Gen. 46.3 And withall designed that very place for the performance of his word which was there fulfilled For thus Moses tells the people Deut. 10.22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude Whence we may collect this journey into Egypt was the beginning or providential occasion of forming this people into a Nation and whereby God did visibly fore-lay his design of proving himself unto them to be the great Jehovah in giving a being to his Promise made before unto Abraham Therefore very fit to be the Epocha of the Vision and Prophecy concerning this people Secondly Egypt was the place where Israel was first as a Childe trained up under his Fathers discipline and for the sins wherewith they there sinned God made them there to pass under the rod and brought them first into the bond of the Covenant Lev. 17.7 Josh 24.14 Ezek. 23.3 so that in all likelihood there did the time of Jacobs trouble begin which in the purpose of the Almighty was as the Angel here speaketh cut out and pared for this people And as they continued in their undutifulness forgetting the God that formed them so was their trouble also continued afterwards by sundry punishments inflicted on them in their several Generations but especially in the Babylonish Captivity and to this day lengthned out in their present dispersion into all Lands where the Lord hath scattered them And have we not good reason then to suppose that Jacobs going down into Egypt at the commandment of the Lord was eminently subservient to these ends that God might enter upon his work his great work which he had determined concerning this people Somewhat surely there is in it that the Spirit would have us to take special notice of because we find it so often mentioned in the Scripture see Gen. 46.6 Deut. 10.22 Deut. 26.5 Josh 24.4 Psal 105.23 Act. 7 15. It may be said Abraham also went down into Egypt two hundred and sixteen years before Jacob this account therefore of Jubilees may as well begin from that time as from Jacobs going thither A negative answer must hereunto be given For first though Abraham went into Egypt yet it was not at the commandment of the Lord Ps 105.14.15 but as a traveller from one Country to another as his affairs called him and it was but for a short time for he went up from thence again and which is remarkable All that he had he brought away with him Gen. 13.1 But as for Jacob he went not thither but at the express word of the Lord and there he continued till the day of his death and his Posterity removed not from thence till the Lord led them forth with a strong hand and stretched-out arm Secondly when Abraham went thither God had not made known unto him the afflictions that his Posterity should endure in that Land and therefore he might be at his liberty before to go thither or not as seemed good unto him but when once this was revealed unto him Gen. 15. there must then be no more journeying into Egypt by these Patriarchs till the very beginning of that time came which is here by the Angel said to be cut out for this people that is as I have said for their growing up into a Nation and suffering such chastisements which the Divine Wisdome had appointed for them Gen. 26.2 And hence it was very probably that an express inhibition was given unto Isaac that he should not go down into Egypt as his Father Abraham had done though it seems a necessity lay upon him to relieve himself and his family at that time by the plenty of Egypt being put to as hard a strait by reason of a second famine in the Land of Canaan as his Father Abraham was Thirdly Jacobs going into Egypt was a Type of our Saviours going thither one resembling the other in sundry notable circumstances and in that regard is the greater notice to be taken of it To instance First Jacob went thither at the commandment of the Lord so was Jesus carried thither by a Message from Heaven Secondly Joseph was a means of bringing Jacob into that Land so did another Joseph carry Christ into it Thirdly Jacob went down into Egypt that being the Countrey chosen of God for Israels infancy for he grew a lovely Childe there God taught Ephraim to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.1.3 So was the Holy Child Jesus carried into Egypt to be there for a while kept at nurse as I may say with his mother and during his * Sabellicus Historiographus scribit Josephum cum Maria puero Jesu in Aegypto 7. annos exulasse tantum scil temporis debuit implendae Herodis malitiae Minority to have that education as was meet and convenient for him Fourthly Jacob went thither to preserve his life from the Famine Gen. 45.5.7 And Jesus was carried thither to keep him out of harms-way and to preserve his life from those that sought to destroy it Fiftly Jacob and his posterity were to stay there till the time came which the Lord had set for their dismission from thence so Jesus was not to be brought out of Egypt till he was called according to the saying of the Prophet Hos 11.1 Out of Egypt have I called my Son and word brought by the Angel for that very purpose Matth. 2.13.19 These things being so may we not infer that the time of Jacobs going into Egypt was a time of great remark in Scripture and that it is the fittest of all other to make an Epocha from whence these seventy Jubilees are to derive their commencement and beginning Another argument there is yet to be considered for the confirmation of this sense of the Angels words taken from the end or final cause for which these 70 sevens were determined which is here said To finish the transgression and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquity that is that no unrighteousness of what kinde or degree soever whether that single transgression of Jacob in the sinful manner of supplanting his brother Esau or that unnatural cruelty of his ten sons against their brother Joseph or the numberless multitude of sins whereof they have since been guilty or their most execrable iniquity against the Lord of life and his Gospel sent among them
tell who knows but that by the Commandment may be understood the Word which the Angel spake of before unto the Prophet vers 23. that came forth from God himself at the beginning of his supplications to restore and build Jerusalem rather then an Edict from those Persian Princes whom Expositors have severally fancied to themselves to have issued out for that end without warrant uncontroulable from the Spirit of God Yea and some other sense might yet be rendred of these words more then hitherto hath been thought upon by any which upon trial may possibly endure the Test as well as those that have formerly pass'd for currant amongst us But I approve of that sage advice which an Ancient hath long since given viz. It is best at some time to say nothing at every time to say enough but at no time to say all Go we on therefore to the next that is the Prophecy of Hosea In the first Chapter whereof we finde that when the Lord pronounceth Loammi against his people which should be the last Abdication of them even in this their present dispersion according to the concurrent judgement of sundry Expositors making no other account of them then as of a heathen Nation Hos 1.10 The Prophet notwithstanding upon this angry word which sounds terribly to all that hear it addeth immediately a word of comfort again saying Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbred It will be said that this word of comfort hath reference to the Israel of God among the Gentiles I answer Be it so yet I say here again the holy Ghost hath not set any such limitation as if the posterity of Jacob were to be quite excluded For let me ask with an inversion of the Apostles words Is God the God of the Gentiles onely Rom. 3.29 Is he not also of the Jews Yes of the Jews also otherwise how should the children of Israel and the children of Judah be gathered together as it is said they shall vers 11. after this ultimate abdication and appoint themselves one Head to be their Governour which being yet to be done it followeth that this Prophecy also is not yet fulfilled Yea and if it be true that that vast and large part of the world called now America hath been the receptacle and hiding-place for the ten Tribes ever since their exile out of their own land as of late it hath with very great probability been conjectured to be some conceiving the same to be fore-signified by the Prophet Obadiah vers 20. Obad. v. 20. The captivity of Jerusalem shall possess the cities of the South that is of America so scituate or the dry Cities that Countrey being much under the Torrid Zone Others construing that Prophecy Esa 66.19 as fore-telling the same thing Esa 66.19 I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the Bow to Tubal and Javan to the Isles afarre off that have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory c. Then also shall that be fulfilled in them which followeth Hos 1.11 And they shall come up out of the Land where they have all this while layen hid and where the Lord hath shut them in But how shall they come up will some say seeing they are now ever since their entrance there environ'd round with the sea Shall the sea give them way again as it did when they came up out of Egypt So indeed some are of opinion taking their guess from 2 Esa 13.47 Or shall the Angels be sent to be their Convoy with some unwonted miracle through the ayr I answer First it is questionable whether that other world as it is called be divided from this by the sea some Writers of very good note think otherwise and if both be still contiguous What hinders hut this people may return the way that they went But put case that Time and the Sea two insatiable devourers have through Gods permission made a separation to the end that this banished Nation might be there shut up till the time of their Enlargement be fully come then may that of the Prophet Esay be verified concerning the manner of their return Esa 60.9 Esay 60.9 The ships of Tarshish that is of the Mediterranean sea for so is Tarshish in that place to be taken shall be first ready being of the nearest vicinity to the land of Canaan to bring these Sons of God from far c. unto the Name of the Lord their God Hos 1.11 and to the Holy One of Israel c. At which time great shall be the day of Jezreel saith the Prophet in the fore-cited place that is It shall be a day of great admiration unto all by reason of the gathering together of the Israelites which before seemed rather to be Jezreel that is a people dispersed by God then an Israel that had power with God and prevailed Again in the third Chapter of this Prophecy of Hosea Hos 3.4 vers 4. it is foretold of this people in this manner The children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim As much as to say They should live like a company of salvage Indians no government Ecclesiastical or Civil no form of Religion to be found among them either according to the law of Moses or according to the corrupt Exemplar of their fore-fathers All which hath come upon the ten Tribes in these latter days But mark now what the Prophet addeth Vers 5. vers 5. Afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King that is as it is confessed on all hands the Messiah Davids sonne according to the flesh and shall fear that is worship the Lord and his goodness manifested in the Messiah without Types and Shadows much more without the least mixture of Idolatry old or new in the latter days If then this judgement here written be executed upon this people to the uttermost undoubtedly their Restauration and Return both from their sin and their captivity shall according to the words of this Prophecy be fulfilled and in the determined time brought to pass also Thus have we hitherto seen the Prophets as with one voyce testifying and proclaiming the purpose and counsel of God concerning the Calling and Conversion of the Jews in the latter dayes More Testimonies of the like nature might be produced out of the other Prophets to this purpose But the time or at least the patience of some would fail if we should undertake to shew further what David and the rest have Prophecyed and written hereof We shall therefore forbear to insist upon any more and seeing that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established the Prophets already mentioned may suffice
for the whole number But because there are some amongst us who with much pertinacy do affirm that the Jews shall never be a people again so long as the World endures which assertion doth thwart the Doctrine of Christs Immutability which we have here maintained hear therefore what the spirit speaketh of it to the Churches out of the New Testament For even therein also have we a full and clear testimony from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles to assure us of this truth against all Cavils whatsoever First Luk 21.23 24. Then see what the Lord saith Luk. 21.23 24. 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 Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled See here how in wrath the Lord remembreth mercy saith venerable Bede upon the place Quia non in perpetuum donec tempora Nationum impleantur the judgement here written is not to be perpetuated till time be no more but onely to continue till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Concerning which times though it be true that the Father hath reserved them to himself as a secret not fit to be imparted to the World in which regard it hath been and will be too much boldness to prescribe the very instant of their expiration yet we may safely say of them the words of our Saviour here importing no less that whensoever they do expire Jerusalem shall be delivered from her bondage and consequently that light and gladness joy and honour shall come upon the Jewish Nation Let us then for this end make a little enquiry into them and consider what is meant by these times of the Gentiles Sundry constructions are given of them by Interpreters nevertheless I doubt not but that which hath a tendency to our present purpose we shall finde to be most genuine Two Expositions I have met with which though the Authours thereof be of great note in the Church are not in my poor judgement to be allowed the one reaching beyond the sense of the Holy Ghost the other coming short of it as it shall here evidently appear First That which goeth too far makes the filling up of the times of the Gentiles to be contemporary with the final Consummation of all things and so consequently holdeth that neither the Jews nor Jerusalem shall ever be restored again Thus the Lutheran Expositors generally understand it But against this it may be Objected First We no where finde in Scripture that the fulfilling of the times of the Gentiles is rendred in such a sense viz. For the end of the World and in such cases the Holy Scripture hath been still wont the wisdom of God so ordering it to explain it self by some reiterations and paralel places to the end that the Church might in a form of sound words fully know the minde of the spirit Secondly It is inconsistent with the Prophecies that went before concerning the Gentiles that in the time of the Gospel they should generally submit unto the Church of the Jews as we have before undeniably proved when Jerusalem shall be again inhabited and made a praise in the earth Thirdly it is plain that our Saviour in this 21 of Saint Luke puts a difference between the desolation of Judea Vide Albertum magnum super locum and the dissolution of the world making the former a portentous omen and sad prefiguration of the latter As therefore the dissolution of the world shall be seconded with an eternity of rest to all Believers so that the type may sute the Anti-type shall the desolation of Judea be also attended with a sweet peace and happy deliverance to Gods antient people the inhabitants of that Land even in this World before the dissolution thereof All which considered this cannot be the meaning of our Saviour in this place The other exposition which I mentioned that cometh too short is given by a late learned and industrious writer amongst us Doctour Hammond by name who affirmeth that the times of the Gentiles here fore-told by our Saviour are already past having had their full end at that last and notable destruction both of the City Jerusalem and the people which was brought upon them by Aelius Adrianus sixty five years after the burning of the Temple by the Romans under the conduct of Titus the Son of Vespasianus All which time of the Romans possessing the City he makes the full extent of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill and will have it reach no farther For then saith he Adrian rebuilt a part of the City and called it by his own name Aelia inhabiting it with Gentiles whereupon it followed that as all the Jews remaining such in opposition to the Christians were utterly banisht the City c. So the believing Christian Jews returned thither again from their dispersions and inhabited it again and joyned and made one Congregation one Church with the Gentiles which had there by that time received the faith also and till then continued a distinct Church from the Jews Thus he But against this novel conceit for so it may Salvo honore Docti defuncti Authoris well be called which as I said cometh short of the sense of our Saviour in the fore-cited place some just exceptions offer themselves to our consideration First If we examine the story upon which the said Authour groundeth his assertion we shall finde that the truth of this Prophecy concerning the treading down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled was so far from receiving its final accomplishment at that remarkable change under Adrian that it might well be thought it did then more then ever before begin most eminently to appear The story of which times related both by Ethnick and Christian Authours in short is this The Emperour Adrian being willing it seems to vex the Jews caused an Idolatrous Temple to be erected in Jerusalem dedicating it to Jupiter and commanding withall a certain number of Romans and other Foreiners devoted to that Idol to dwell in the City that they might resort unto his Temple whereat the Jews who till then had a toleration both for the exercise of their Religion and their abode in that Countrey being thereby much provoked and because as some report the Emperour had issued out an Edict against their Circumcision They brake out into open Rebellion whereunto they were stirred up by a Seditious person who called himself by the name of Barchochebas that is the Son of a Star pretending thereby and making the Jews believe that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent to be as a light from Heaven unto them according to the Prophecy of Balaam and that he would deliver them out of their present bondage To him they are easily perswaded to yeild their Consent being deluded by
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
of sundry famous and mighty Nations that were of old contemporary with the Jews whose height was like the height of the Cedars and their strength like unto that of Oakes yet hath God destroyed their fruit from above Dan. 2. and their root from beneath We read of a goodly Image that represented the world in its various and successive gallantry by the advancement of its choicest favourites whose head was of gold his breast and his arms of silver his belly and his thighs of brass and his leggs of iron the gold was precious the silver pure the brass glittering the iron strong yet all of them are broken to pieces and become like the chaffe of the summer-threshing floor carried away with the winde that no place can be found for them What is now become of all their policy magnificence prowess which for the time did so ruffle in the world far and near Where are all their Laws that have been so much extolled and their Law-makers to whom wisdome it self was esteemed but as a dutiful hand-maid Why do not the Romans now appear in the vindication of their Numa Pompilius that mirroir of Princes as Plutarch describes him in his dayes Or the Athenians for their Solon Or the Lacedemonians for their Licurgus Or the Cretians for their Minos Or the Carthaginians for their Charondas Or the Egyptians for their Osiris Or the Sâ—ythians for their Zamolxis All famous Law-givers in the several confines of their times and places If the sword of their Law hath lost its edge is not the Law of their sword able to set it again Are all the stout-hearted among them utterly spoiled and can none of their men of might sinde their hands Tenent omnino reliquias Legis suaâ— circomciduntur sabbata observant pascha immolant Azyma comedunt Aug. in Ps 59. No verily for at the rebuke of the God of Jacob have the Chariots and Horse-men of these Nations been cast into a dead sleep Onely the Jews that were the dearly beloved of his Soul who are scattered about in the World notwithstanding all their troubles captivities dispersions Massacres do every where grow rich and populous keep themselves their Laws and Customes unmixed from all others can still deduce their Original and History by infallible testimony from the beginning of the World which no Nation that now is can do the like A very pregnant proof that they are kept by a special providence according to what the Lord hath said of them by the Prophets as namely by Jeremy Jer. 30.10 11.46.28 Fear thou not O my servant Jacob neither be dismayed O Israel for I will save thee from afar Jer. 30.10.11 Jer. 46.28 Amos 9.8 and thy seed from the Land of their captivity though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee And by the Prophet Amos Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull Kingdome meanning whatsoever Kingdome it be continuing in its sin and I will destroy it from the face of the Earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord that is their sins though they be never so great shall not provoke me to root out their name from under Heaven Amos. 9.8 Answerable hereto is that of the Prophet Jeremy whose testimony once more let us hear Jer 31.36.37 Where the Lord useth as vehement asseverations as any we shall likely sinde throughout the whole Scripture If these Ordinances that is of Heaven and the Sea depart from before me saith the Lord Jer. 31.36.37 then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever Thus saith the Lord if Heaven above can be measured and the foundation searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. Observe though their doings which in an ordinary course of divine justice would certainly bring on their utter undoing and would be enough inevitably to ruine all the Nations else in the World besides if they should at any time be guilty of the like yet shall not the anger of the Lord be so enkindled because of them as to cut off the seed of Israel for ever A high expression of an extraordinary favour which nevertheless will exactly be made good to a tittle even to the end of the World because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And here before I come to infer my intended conclusion from the premises Mr. Thâ— Wilton on the Romans give me leave to super-adde the testimony of a faithful interpreter of the minde of God in Scripture concerning this matter who hath written of it within this present Century whose words are these The counsel of the most wise and mighty God in the wonderful preservation of the Jews ought diligently to be considered whereas sundry very ancient people and famous as Persians Chaldeans Trojans Vandals Lombards Gothes Saxons Picts Hunns c. are either quite extinct and destroyed or else being severed and scattered have not so held their own as to keep still their own ordinances and to be able to shew their Original and History in sure record or to preserve themselves for their civil life and religion unmixed with other people whither they came yet behold a strange thing and remarkable the Jews onely notwithstanding their great and long dispersions and manifold calamities desolations and death in sundry Countries where they have been butchered like sheep as in England here at London and Yorke by hundreds and thousands Judaei sunt Librarii nostri Ne forte Pagani dicant nobis vos Christiani literas istas composuistis proserimus codices a Judaeis inimicis ut confundamus alios immicos Codicem portat Judaeus ut idem credat Christianus Aug. Loco Sup. In Graeco quodam codice Basiliensis editionis Object and elsewhere in other Countries knocked down upon heapes and others cruelly spoiled do for all this not onely remain in very numerous multitudes chiefly in Asia and Africa as Master Beza and Grynaus upon certain knowledge do report but do keep their Tribes distinct and unconfounded and their Religion all without commixtion as much as they may reading and searching the Scriptures but with very corrupt construction yet with this fruit and commodity that both their pedegree and descent from Abraham and the Patriarchs may appear and eke by the witness of our books out of which we derive our holy Christian Faith may be justified and cleared from suspicion of imposture and fraud which the Heathenish Philosophers and other prophane atheistical persons cannot now charge us with seeing the people still remain as preservers of those Oracles of God which be the Fountains of our Religion of all which what other thing are we to deem and judge but that they are reserved thus miraculously of God against the time of their conversion and salvation to come hereafter in Gods determinate