to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and many of them shall fall and be snared and be taken and hath not this been your condition meerly upon this account of rejecting Christ for his meaness and for the meaness of his followers upō this account it was that he was set at naught of the builders and yet is become the head stone of the corner not understanding the Scriptures which spake of him Isa 14. 32. That the Lord hath founded Zion and the poor of his people shall betake themselves unto it Chap 29. 19. the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy one of Israel Other reasons might be presented but not so useful in this place Oh therefore let it be your wisdom to imbrace him and not to stand it out with him any longer I say the night is far spent and the day is at hand Oh kiss the Son lest he be angry and his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him Psal 2. I say unto you as once Paul Act. 13. 38 39. be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Oh do not contradict and blaspheme any longer for he is still good and gracious the arms of his mercy are yet open to receive you he is not yet risen up out of his holy habitation to take vengeance on his enemies but he is yet complaining as in Isa 49. 4. Then I said I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work is with my God Behold Christ complaining for the rebellion of his nation as if he had spent his labor in vain suffered in vain because of their long rejecting of him but see the answer of God unto him to comfort him in his sad complaint v. 6 7. And he said art thou ligher then that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Iacob and to restore the restored of Israel and till Israel doth receive thee and is gathered by thee for thy comfort I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel Israel shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousness Oh therefore stand it not out with the Lord any longer for if ye will not believe ye shall not be established the way by which God will work your deliverance will be your owning of the holy child Jesus he it is that must be your peace and that by faith in his blood for he hath given his life a ransom for many to be testified in due time and that prophesie Zach. 12. 10. shall be fulfilled they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shal mourn for him c. and he it is that was peirced by your fathers and by your selves too in so much as you have justified your fathers in their sin by your rejecting of him and that opinion will prove but a fancy mentioned in Menasseh Ben Israel his book page 33. Sect. 26. that some of your wise men say that there is Messiah the son of Ephraim and that he shall dye in the last war of Gog and Magog and do apply this Scripture to that they shall look upon me whom they have peirced c. This cannot be for these reasons 1. There is never but one Messiah spoken of in the Scriptures Dan. 9. 25 26. and that Messiah is the Son of David and he was to be cut off but not for himself but for men Second Reason Because the cuting off of the Messiah was to be after the building of the City Ierusalem in their coming out of Babylon and before the second destruction by Titus expressed in these words that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Ierusalem viz. in coming forth of Babylon unto Messiah the prince seven weeks that is seven times seventy weeks and the seventy weeks is seventy times seven weeks which is all one in computation of time then the Messiah was to be cut off and after Ierusalem destroyed again by the people of the Prince that shall come for the Roman Monarchy was not then in being but was to come so that it cannot be so understood that Messiah should be cut off in the last war of Gog because he was to be cut off before the destruction of Ierusalem by the Roman power 3. It cannot be understood so because that word in Zachariah clears it self he doth not say Gog Magog shall look on him whom they have peirced so it must be if he were to be slain by Gog but I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of Grace c. and they shall look upon him whom they have peirced c. he was peirced by you and you it is that shall look upon him and mourn when the Lord doth pour out the spirit of Grace upon you 4. It cannot be in the last war of Magog for then shall be no destruction to any but Gog himself for there are two destructions to Gog as in its place I shall make it appear Oh therefore be intreated to sit down a little and sadly consider your estate If this be truth which is undeniable that the true Messiah was according to prophesies to suffer and all things spoken of by the prophets was fulfilled in him and so it appears that he was and is indeed the Son of God King of Israel Is it not high time for you to awake out of sleep Doth not the Lord say by the Prophet that there is a veil covering cast over all people Isa 25. 7. And Paul 1 Cor. 3. that the covering in the reading of Moses law remaineth untaken away When that is taken away you shall see him to be the substance as hath been minded of Moses law Priest sacrifice attonement prophet and king and to him you will submit in all things Do you believe the Prophets I know you believe them Oh then desire the Lord that you may understand them that you may not remain in that estate that Christ being come you do not know him it was want of knowledge that was the cause why your fathers crucified him so Paul speaks 1 Cor. 2. 8. had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Oh continue not in that sin of ignorance and unbelief I know you shall not long I do rejoyce in the hearing of your zeal against idolatry Images Pictures in your keeping close to your own people in your marriages by which you are preserved in your great expectation of the Messiah but Oh my soul longs that you might know him in his humiliation that so you might suffer with him and for him and
reign with him that you might know who it is you look for one that hath suffered and been tempted that so he might be your king in his humiliation a little before he come in his glory Oh it will be your joy and crown of rejoycing one day if you have hearts to own him truly in his humiliation Well your duty is and its that which the Lord calls you to to repent and believe the Gospel to be baptized after believing in the name of the Lord Jesus wherein is represented the washing away of sin both in conscience and conversation through faith in his blood it s onely the duty of believers to be baptized we own no national Church under the Gospel before the day of Christs glorious appearing but whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall be saved the nations delude themselves with the form of godliness without the power Oh it s the life and power of godliness that will stand us instead at the last it s your duty to own him in every part of his word and will for God hath raised him up a Prophet to you and it s your duty to hear him in all Dcut. 18. 15. with Act. 3. 22 23. Moses gives up all to him if Moses were upon the earth he would willingly submit himself to this prophet therefore stand it not out with him remember that word of Christ Luk. 19. 27. but those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me The Lord Jesus in his glorious appearing will render vengeance to them that know him not to them that obey him not but will be admired in all those that have believed in him in that day 2 Thess 1. 8. 9 10. Oh therefore fear and tremble to stand it out with him any longer he is that stone that whosoever falls on him will be broken but on whomsoever he shall fall he will break them to pieces you have been stumbling at him a long time Oh take heed lest he fall on you he is not onely a Lamb full of meekness patience and forbearance slain for the sin of sinners but he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and when the Lyon roareth all the beasts of the Forest will then tremble Oh then blessed are all those that put their trust in him To conclude this word remember I bessech you these three things 1. That without him there is no life there is no other name given among men whereby you may be saved but by the name of Jesus viz. through faith in his blood 2. Consider the grievousness of your sin in rejecting him so long as you have consider of that word of the Prophet if it had been an enemy I could have born it but it is thou O man my acquaintance Psal 45. 13. it is his own and they have not received him Oh thats it will cause you to weep bitterly every family apart Zach. 12. when you shall come to look upon him whom you have peirced and shall mourn for him Oh it s that will break your hearts when you shall see and say he that is our king hath been our reproach we it is that have wounded and peirced him we it is that have rejected him and trampled him under our feet and accounted the blood of the covenant an holy thing yet know that if the Lord make you sensible of your sin he is gracious he is yet a Lamb full of meekness his blood shall cleanse you from all your sins for the promise is to you as many as the Lord our God shall call For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 15. 3. Consider that notwithstanding your rejecting of him yet he shall be your King at last and he it is that shall be manifest to be the Lord of lords and King of kings that one Lord Jesus Christ who hath been so much set light by you see Hos 13. 10. I will be thy King Where is any that may save thee in all thy Cities and this leads me to the fourth particular SECT IV. THe fourth particular that I shall present you with is that this Jesus shall reign on earth and the twelve Tribes of Israel shall be gathered by him to their own land in peace 1. That this Jesus shall have his kingdom and dominion here on earth manifest among the sons of men Having had his day of humiliation among the sons of men He shall have his day of glory on earth among the sons of men that as he hath been abased in person on earth so shall he in person reign on earth In the confirmation of this glorious truth I shall present you with many Scriptures both in the old and new Testament Psal 2. throughout Where the Lord hath said it that notwithstanding the heathen rage and the people imagin a vain thing for they imagine that Christ shall not reign which is a vain thing vain imaginations c. yet verse 6. Have I set my King upon the holy hill of Sion And verse 8. He shall have the heathen given him for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession what shall he do with them he shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel This is a clear prophesie of the reign of Christ the anointed I have set mine anointed upon Zion the hill of my holiness and all the rage of men on earth shall not hinder it or prevent God in his great designe of the exaltation of the man Jesus to this fully agreeth that glorious prophesie Psalm 72. throughout though it may be supposed that the Prophet in this Psalm intendeth Solomon which I do not altogether deny yet he intendeth Solomon no otherwise than as he was a type of Christ but in the Messiah the man Jesus shall this prophesie be truly and fully made good in the day of his glory vers 2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement vers 4. He shall judge the poor of the people and shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor vers 5. they shall fear thee so long as the Sun and Moon endureth throughout all generations This was never made good in Solomon nor in any man else but it shall be in Christ Dan. 7. 27. all dominions shall serve and obey him but to return vers 7. in his dayes the righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace till there be no Moon vers 8. he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth and so to the 17. verse are many glorious prophesies of his kingdom and his name shall be for ever he shall be a son to continue his
present unto you is That that Jesus which was crucified by your forefathers at Jerusalem without the gate was and is the true Messiah and this is that principle of truth you have to this day rejected and my earnest desire is that you would read these lines with patience and weigh well the truth herein presented with much tenderness and love unto you and in this I shall present you with many new Testament-Scriptures useful being compared with the old be willing to read and compare them together before you judge And Oh that you would be moâ—e in searching after the knowledge of the truth of Gods grace held forth in the new Testament and if the Lord work upon your hearts I should commend principally unto you the Epistle to the Hebrews which especially concerns you and may through the blessing of the Lord be of much use unto you I desire to mind you of one thing by the way before I come to the confirmation of the truth asserted viz. that the true and promised Messiah was according to the Scripture to have his day and time of humiliation as hath been already proved and then his glory Isa 9. 6. first a childe a son and then a King and the government must be upon his shoulders c. Chap. 53. throughout till the last ver he is presented in his suffering estate and in the last vers in his reign Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong To this agrees that of Christ Luk. 24. 25 26. Oh fools and slow of heart to believe that which the prophets have written ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. the suffering part as in relation to himself in his own person he hath passed through and is entered into glory Act. 1. 9 1â— Though while the Church is under suffering yet as he is considered one with his Church the time of his humiliation is not over till all the members are glorified with him Now that this is the true Messiah that suffered at Jerusalem will appear if you consider 1. That in him was fulfilled all the legall types that did represent him in his sufferings he it was that is the true Pascal Lamb or rather the Lamb represented in the Passeover Exod. 12. The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1. 29. 36. the true passeover that was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. that whosoever believeth in him all their iniquities shall be passed over John 3 16. And he was the substance of all those sacrifices and offerings in the law of Moses those sin-offerings burnt offerings heave-offerings and wave-offerings they all lead to him were fulfilled in him those sacrifices served to the purifying of the flesh suitable to the covenant that then you wer under but they never purified the conscience from dead works to serve the living God in spirit and in truth no otherwise then as it had relation to Christ the true sacrifice Christ being become an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9. 13 14. For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God As the high Priest then entered once a yeer into the most holy place offering sacrifice for himself and the people Exod. 30. 10. Levit. 16 2. with Heb. 9 7. So is Jesus Christ become a high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Heb. 9. 11 12. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us c. Heb. 9. 24 25 26. so that what was figured out in the sacrifices priesthood temple and tabernacle Christ is the substance of all fully and compleatly answers them and fulfills them and ends them all so that he is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes Rom. 10. 4. By all which it appears that he is the true and promised Messiah because that in him is fully answered all the figures and shadows of the old Testament It will farther appear that this is the true Messiah if you consider how fully in him is answered all the prophesies and promises of him in the old Testament in relation to his humiliation and in him shall be fulfilled all the promises of his glory but every thing in its order that God hath set it 1. For his humiliation see what the Prophet David personating Christ as it might be very well for sometimes Christ is called David Ezek. 39. 24 25. and the promise made with David and his seed hath a speciall relation to Christ Psal 89. from the 19. to the 39. vers see Psal 22. the prophet personating Christ in his sufferings you may clearly see Christ answering those things or all those things fully answered in him in way of complaint ver 6. I a worm and no man this was the condition of Christ vers 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn so it was fulfilled in Jesus Mat 27. 29 30 31. and when they had plated a crown of thornes in reproach they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him and said Haile King of the Jews c. Again Psal 22. 8. he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him See this made good Mat. 27. 43. when he was upon the Cross in the height of his sufferings for the sins of others then his enemies tauntingly fulfilled the Scripture and said He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him c. So again Psal 22. 16. For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me they have peirced my hands and my feet and this was fulfilled in him as is clearly imployed in John 20. 24 25. and Thomas one of the Twelve said c. Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails c. I will not believe Again Psal 22. 17. they part my garments among them and cast lots upon or for my vesture and this was fulfilled in Christ See Mat. 27. 35. Joh. 19. 23 24. Again in Isaiah Chap 7. 14. the Lord by the prophet Ahaz refusing to ask a signe gives him a signe Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Emmanuel this
cannot be rightly intended or understood but of Christ the true Messiah For first never a virgin conceived a child in the ordinary course of nature And secondly his name Immanuel viz. God with us could not properly be given to any but the Son of God nor ever was there a virgin that bear a Son but Mary the mother of Jesus or any one besides him truly called Immanuel that is God with us and with his believing in him by his spirit and grace shall be with his in glory Mat. 23. Luk. 1. 26 c. here in is the mystery of Gods wisdom grace to men that as by a womā sin and condemnation came first into the world so by a Son born of a woman a virgin salvation is come into the world As his conception and birth was according to the Scripture of a virgin so the place of his birth was according to prophesies exactly fulfilled viz. in Bethlehem Mic. 5. 2. with Mat. 2. 1 5. and for this reason it was that Herod commanded all the males in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof from two yeers old and under to be slain that so he might make sure to slay Jesus Mat. 2. 16. and this makes way for the fulfilling of another prophesie Jer. 31. 15. with Mat. 2. 17 18. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying In Ramah was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not though I do not question but that there may be much in this prophesie relating to the distressed estate of Israel and afterward a prophesie of their return But it was likewise fulfilled in this also for Benjamin came of Rachel Gen. 35. 18. and Ramah was one part of Benjamins possession Nehe. 11. 33. and the fulfilling of this Scripture made way for the fulfilling of another prophesie Joseph at the command of God flying with Jesus into Egypt to save his life from Herod made way for the fulfilling of that prophesie Hos 11. 1. Out of Egypt have I called my Son Mat. 2. 15. he was there viz. in Egypt until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying out of Egypt have I called my Son It s true there might be something in it relating to your coming out of Egypt by the hand of Moses but prophesies are of a large extent and the most precious mystery is hid from our eyes if the Lord open not our understanding His life was a life of suffering assoon as he came into the world his life was sought after and afterwards he was the reproach of men accounted a friend to Publicans and sinners a blasphemer one that cast out divels through Belzebub the Prince of divels Mat. 12. 24. John 10. 33. and so in him was fulfilled that prophesie Isa 8. 18. with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel He came to his own and his own received him not and so that prophesie was fulfilled Isa 53. 1. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed and that prophesie Isa 6. 9. Go tell this people hear ye in hearing but understand not and see in deed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eys lest they hear with their ears and see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them And hath not this been your condition many yeers and hath not there been a forsaking in the land upon this account and the Lord hath removed you far away but there is a tenth which shall return c. See vers 11 12 13. And in him was fulfilled that prophesie Zach. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh to thee he is just having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the fole of an Ass This was fulfilled in him Mat. 21. 5. to the 10. this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Behold thy King cometh unto thee meekly sitting upon an Ass c. Note this was an act of Christ to be performed in his humiliation he must come lowly meekly riding upon an Ass this is not to be expected in his glory then he shall come in power and great glory Who will abide the day of his coming and who will stand when he appeareth Mal. 3. 2. But first he must come meekly and humbly and yet riding in this meek estate wherein was a resemblance of his glory the great multitudes that went before and followed after him cryed saying Hosanna to the Son of David blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Mat. 21. 9. if there was so much glory appeared in his meekness in his humiliation how will he appear glorious when he shall appear in his power when the song of Saints shall be the Lord God omnipotent reigneth With what clearness was that prophesie fulfilled in all the circumstances of it Isa 52. 14 cha 53. throughout Cha. 52. 14. as many were astonished at thee his visage was so marred more than any mans and his form more than the sons of men Was not this fulfilled when your fathers cryed out crucifie him crucifie him give us not this man but Barabbas Mat. 27. 20 21. Jesus was so marred in their eyes that they preferred Barabbas a thief and a murderer before him Act. 3. 14 15. thus was he a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs despised rejected of men and not esteemed Chap. 53. 3. Oh was not this prophesie fulfilled to the life in Jesus verse 4 5. Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows yet we did esteem him striken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him c. the reason was in vers 6. Because that all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and he bare our sins on his own body on the cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. In him was fulfilled that saying of the Prophet Micah 5. 1. They shall smite the Judge of Israel with the rod upon the cheek Mat. 27. 30. They spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head and so fulfilled that Scripture Isa 50. 6. I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spiting Thus was he numbered among transgressors Isa 53. 12. accounted worse than Barabbas crucified between two thieves Mark 15. 27 28. and the Scripture was fulfilled In all which he
and for oil c. and their soul shall be as a watered garden and they shall not see sorrow any more Ier. 31. 11 12 the Lord will gather them out of all places whither they have been driven and they shall come with weeping and supplication vers 8. 9. that is they shall come in with the sense of the sin that hath been the cause of their being put far away they shall look upon him whom they have peirced and shall mourn for him Zach. 12. First he will gather Iudah and Benjamin and let them have some sight of his grace Zach. 12. 7. the Lord also will save the tents of Iudah first and pour first upon them the Spirit of Grace and of supplication that the glory of the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnifie themselves against Judah that which I understand in it is that because Iudah and Benjamin had their hands especially in the crucifying of their King The Lord will first to shew that he is gracious save Iudah first called the tents of Iudah because the two tribes known by that name live as it were in tents not so possessed of any Nation as to call it their own And secondly he will save the tents of Iudah first thar the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Ierusalem do not magnifie against Iudah not but that Iudah is the house of David but the glory of it will be the coming in of the ten tribes so long lost that will be the glory of the house of David that is of Christ but the tents of Iudah must be first that the ten tribes may not magnifie against them because they had a hand in the crucifying of their king they it were that said this is the heir come let us kill him but Israel was ignorant of this Therefore to prevent Israels magnifying against Iudah the Lord will save the Tents of Iudah first behold the riches of his grace and kindness to men this is one prevailing thing that hath at this time drawn forth my heart and pen in writing to you And secondly He will save the ten tribes and bring them to their own land who have been for a long time driven far away yet not so properly said to dwel in tents as Iudah because I do believe that they are not onely in being but that there are great and strong nations of them as for the many places mentioned by Menasseh Ben Israel of their habitation I am not so curious about it it is enough to me to know that they are and that they shall return when their day is come I do give much credit to that mentioned by you in 2 Esdra 13. their being passed through the River Euphrates into a strange land where never mankind dwelt c. and that there they shall remain till the latter day and then the Lord will work signs for them and return them the same way and will drie up the river again for them to passe through and to this agreeth that prophesie in Isa 11. 11. when the Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant that are left from Assyria c. then vers 15. the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river and shall smite it in the seven streams and make men go over in shoos and v. 16. there shall be a high way for them that are left from Assyria c. that is the ten Tribes that was carried away captive by Salmanazer king of Assyria where Euphrates is called the Egyptian sea in way of allusion because it shall be like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt vers 16. to this agreeth that in Zach. 10. 11. and he shall pass through the sea with affliction and shall smite the waves in the sea and all the deeps of the river shall drie up and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down because Assyria carried them away and the Scepter of Egypt shall depart now the reason why Egypt is so much spoken of and the return from Egypt I do judge is because there was a remnant that was not carryed captive into Baylon but went into Egypt Jer. 43. 5 6 7. and I have not read of their return but its probable that they might be driven away into some obscure place and shall undoubtedly return at the time appointed But to return to this agreeth that in Rev. 16. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates and the water thereof was dried up that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared Doubtless the ten Tribes are in all this time of their being in the unknown parts of the world grown into many kingdoms and great people and their coming in through the river Euphrates will be a great amazement to the world thus shall both Iudah and Israel be gathered to their own country under Christ the head of his Church and that prophesie shall be fulfilled Ezek. 37. 16. Iudah and Ioseph shall be both writen on one stick and shall become one and shall have one king even David that is Christ shall be their prince for ever and he shall make a covenant of peace for them and they shall be no more two the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Iudah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Iudah nor Iudah shal not vex Ephraim Isa 11. 13. this is that which the Lord hath said that though thy bruise be incurable and thy wound grievous yet the Lord will restore health and will heal thee of thy wounds c. Jer. 30. thus shall Ierusalem be inhabited again in her own place even in Ierusalem Zach. 12. 6. I shall say no more to this at present beeause I finde Manasseh Ben Israel so full of clearness in this part of the truth and I do perceive by his lines your earnest expectation of the accomplishment of this great salvation by the Messiah which is indeed my joy but Oh that your souls did know him and believe in him who will appear for your joy and as for the time I dare not pitch upon it because I believe as is mentioned in the hope of Israel the Lord hath reserved it to himself So Christ answered his disciples Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the angels of heaven but my father Mat. 24. 36. and when his disciples asked him after his resurrection if he would at this time restore the kingdom to Israel He answered them it is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath kept in his own power Act. 1. 6 7. yet I do believe and have very much confidence that the time is at hand and it is yet but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry
even so amen But who will abide the day of his coming and who will stand when he appeareth Mal. 3. and this I desire to minde you by the way that as at or in the beginning work of your deliverance You must come in by weeping cross not onely in the sight and sense of your sin Jer. 5. 4. Looking on him whom you have peirced and mourning for him Zach. 12. but likewise in relation to the great trouble you are like to meet with also from the world that as you have been scattered among the nations and Israel hath been kept in obscurity so the nations will rage in your gathering together and then will be the first war of Gog and Magog mentioned in Ezek. 38. and 39. and it will go hard with you for a time see Zach. 14. 1 2. to this that agreeth Rev. 16. 12. when the River Euphrates is dryed up that the way of the kings of the earth may be prepared vers 13 14. on their appearance three unclean spirits like frogs went out of the mouth of the dragon the beast and the false prophets which are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world to gather them together to the battel of the great day of God almighty that is the great battel of Gog and Magog mentioned before called the great battel of God almighty because it is that great battle appointed of God where he will destroy both his and your enemies And in this great distress by reason of the nations fury called Gog and Magog then shall Michael the great prince of his people stand up for your deliverance Dan. 12. 1. Then will the Lord send a fire upon Magog and he shall know that there is a God in Israel and the Lord will make his holy name known in the midst of his people Israel and he will not let them pollute his holy name any more c. Ezek. 39. 6 7. And then shall that prophesie be fulfilled Isa 2. and Micah 4. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more onely after the glorious reign of Christ and his Saints Satan shall be loosed for a little season Rev. 20. and shall gather together Gog and Magog that is those that were left of the nations in the first destruction Ezek. 39. 2 and they shal compass the campe of the Saints about the beloved City fire shall come down from God and destroy them this shall be the last encamping together of Gog and the last destruction and final judgement in this day of glory shall all believing Gentiles be gathered in with you for he is given as well to be a light to the Gentiles as to be the glory of the people Israel Isa 49. 6. Thus have I in tenderness and faithfulness both to the Lord and you discharged this as my duty in commending these few lines unto you the Lord grant that it may finde acceptance with you Here are many prayers presented for you at the throne of grace by those who clearly see and believe Gods intention of good to you for my self I trust my heart is so much set at liberty towards you that I could not onely prostrate my pen and prayers for your good but my person likewise if I saw a clear call from the Lord to serve you In a word to conclude I do believe that you have some of those remembrancers in this nation spoken of Isa 62. 6 7. That will give the Lord no rest till he have made Ierusalem a praise in the earth which is the earnest and daily prayer of him who is both yours and the truths servant as far as he may though unworthy T. C. THE POSTSCRIPT MY Friends to whose hands this Epistle may come The estate of the Jews having been a long time sad and indeed as once the Gentiles were and all unbelieving Gentiles are without Christ in the world and so without hope in themselves as in relation to the true Messiah the Lord having given me some apprehension concerning his purpose both of grace and glory towards them I could not with good conscience altogether hold my peace at this time without writing these preceding lines unto them it being translated into French that being a language that they are exercised in and so sent unto them the work being done the issue I leave to the Lord who I know doth usually honour himself in working by weak means and being desired by some friends I have likewise got it printed in English thereby not onely to provoke others who perhaps may be more inlarged in this work toward those poor dark despised people but likewise that all whose hearts are truely Zion-ward may be instant with the Lord in prayer for them and so much the more because their coming in will be to us life from the dead and their fulness will be our glory Oh therefore let all be warned not to be wise in their own conceit and know that blindness is happened to Israel but in part but that till the fulness of the Gentiles is come in and then Israel shall be saved I have a few words my brethren and friends to present you farther with concerning the reign of Christ and that is that he shall have a kingdom upon the earth and shall reign with his people upon the earth manifesting his power and glory amongst them and over the world But before I proceed any further I shall answer one objection that is some may say It was not long since that your self was against this principle c. Answ It s true in part I was being much informed in the truth of the reign of Christ but judging it to be a glorious reign in the spirits of his people over the world and this is the apprehension of many precious sons of Zion at this day but the Lord opening the seals by degrees unto his people he gives them to see farther into the mystery of his will concerning his kingdom and as light shines in their darkness doth flye away I could not but judge it my duty to give some hints concerning my farther apprehension of the kingdom of Christ in which I shall be very brief That his kingdom shall be manifest on earth will appear from these ensuing grounds 1. It was and is the great design of the Father to exalt the Son here on earth before the sons of men this was his design before he made the world and ever since all things hath doth and will concur to the bringing about of this great design therefore he at first made the world by him and for him Eph. 4. 9. Col. 2. 16. Joh. 1. 1. afterwards man being faln and the curse come in upon the whole creation Gen. 3. God did by him and for him recover the world again Col. 1. 20. that so he might have a selected people to himself that might enjoy his grace and glory Col. 1.