came unto his own John 1 11. c. is to be understood viz. with a reference not unto any particular people as it is commonly interpreted of the Jews the Context about it utterly excluding that Interpretation but unto Mankind that is to his Rational Creature whereof he being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man per excellentiam 1 Tim 2.5 1 Tim. 2.5 as being the Original of the whole Species that is the Spirit and Life he therefore like a good Father makes provision for his own that they may live under him quietly and peaceably one with another In order hereunto did this great Jehovah himself in the beginning rule over man exercising his absolute Sovereignty as seemed good unto him keeping Court as we may say and proceeding against Delinquents Adam Eve Cain the old World and there was none in a political Subordination unto him for God gave Sovereignty to Adam over Fishes and Birds Gen. 1.28 Pastores pecorum magis quam Reges gentium Gen. 11.25 c. not over Creatures made to his own likeness And the first Righteous men we read of were rather Shepherds and Herdmen over Beasts then Kings over Nations the name of Servant never imposed in Scripture till Noah bestowed it upon his accursed Son saying Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren Remarkably not Cham though the Offendour possibly because he was one of the old World not to be brought under such a censure whereupon it is probable as one makes the Collection Nomen illud culpa meruit non Natura it was not Nature that brought that Denomination into the World but sin So that it appeareth The Lord alone as saith the Psalmist was our King of old and for a space the justice that was done upon earth he did it himself In those daies to speak of this matter in the words of Moses In those years of many Generations when the most High not Adam Deut. 32.7 8.12 Seth Enos or any of the rest divided to the Nations their Inheritance when he separated the Sons of Adam the Lord alone was at that time the Leader and there was no strange God with him But in that golden Age there rose up a Generation of Rebels the Progeny of that Renegado Cain who would not submit themselves to that incomparable Government which was then established in the World but contrary to the Crown and Dignity of Heaven Gen. 6.11 12 13. of Jesher signifying righteousness or uprightness Gen. 6.3 corrupted their waies and filled the whole Earth with their Violence Gen. 6.11 12 13. This Jeshurun whom God made upright Ec. 7.29 grew lawless and unruly and like a fatted Bullock kicked against his Ieeder Now therefore because God would not have his Spirit alwaies to strive in that way and kind with man who was but flesh Gen. 6.3 He was pleased after he had made himself known by the Judgment which he executed upon the World of the ungodly to constitute a subordinate Power in his stead giving out his Decree for the confirmation of it in these words Who so hereafter sheddeth mans blood Gen. 9.6 by man shall his blood be shed The judiciaâ—y form of Gods proceeding against Man-slayers before was not it seems to transmit them over to men to be punished nor himself to punish them with death Gen. 4 15.23.24 as may be seen in the case of Cain and Lamech But now man is ordained to be a Servant unto God herein and to execute upon those of his own kind the Judgment written yet not every man neither for there is an express Law to the contrary Thou shalt not kill this honour hath the Magistrate who under God hath Jus vitae necis Power to punish and to preserve according to the laws and orders given him by his Superiour that is Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Irenaeus a holy and peaceable Servant of the Church in the Primitive times gives us his judgment concerning the Introduction of this subordinate Power into the World in these words Because man would not know the fear of the Lord therefore did God put upon him the fear of man that so fearing humane Laws men should not devour and consume one the other as the manner of Fishes is Clearly then the Powers that be are ordained of God and not only so but he who exerciseth the power let him be of what form soever in respect of the power or of what profession soever in respect of Religion or by what lawful way soever he came at first to be vested in his Authority whether by Conquest or by Contract or by Election or by Inheritance he I say with the Apostle is the Minister of God yea and more then so he is the Minister of God to man for good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.4 Rom 13.4 The Article there added is very emphatical noting the good which it attends upon to be very remarkable If it be demanded what is that Good I answer much every way Look what good the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ was to bring unto the Sons of men if he himself had still continued his Personal Reign among them the same I say not in a gradual sense but Analogical is to be and undoubtedly shall be if the sins of men do not hinder it the blessed effect of those subordinate Powers that are now under him throughout the World If any shall desire to see this General branched out into particulars they may take notice of a fourfold good that under Christ accrueth unto men by Government viz. Natural Moral Civil Spiritual Natural Is it not good to have our Lives and the Lives of our Posterities preserved and secured against the rage and fury of unreasonable men whose feet are swift to shed bloud as Solomon speaks Pro. 1.16 Pro. 1.16 This is the fruit of Government Moral Is it not good to have Wickedness suppressed and Righteousness encouraged and advanced For Righteousness saith Solomon exalteth a Nation but sin is the shame of any people Pro. 14.34 This also is the fruit of Government Civil Is it not good that Laws and Ordinances be established for where no Law is to invert the Apostles word there will be all kind of Transgression Laws I say by virtue whereof men may sit quietly and safely under their Vines and Figg-trees and enjoy the good of all their labours live peaceably together Mich. 4.4 holding society one with another thereby preserving the honour of Mankind which of all Creatures under the Sun is the most lovely and most loving one to another if the malice of Hell did not mingle with them This again is the fruit of Government Spiritual It is very good doubtless that true Religion should prosper and flourish in a Nation that the Ordinances of Divine Worship be set up in their purity for this is the glory of a people But what alas would
He was Which Primogeniture of Christ's into the Brother-hood as it denotes his everlasting Regal Power and Superiority which we shall presently make appear so notwithstanding his Birth which happened to be afterwards in due time it was often signified in those first Ages of the World by the Precedency that was given to the Younger Brethren above the Elder happily that the People then might also discern somewhat of this Mystery which did so neerly concern them For Example those nine Patriarchs before the Floud who succeeded Adam in their several Generations we may say of them with very great Probability I had almost said with apparent Demonstration from the Scripture and so do writers both Antient and Modern Judge that They were not the Eldest Sons and First-born of their Parents Aug. de Civit. Dei Musculus but onely such Holy Eminent Persons whom God had according to the good Pleasure of his Will chosen out from among their Brethren in a successive uninterrupted Line to be the Progenitours of the Messiah The like is to be said of Sem Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Pharez Aram David Solomon all Younger then their Brethren yet preferred before them And this I say Ab sit arrogantia verbo might possibly be so ordered by Divine Providence that the people of God might in all the preceding Ages acknowledge one that was to come after them for their Lord and Governour by virtue of his Primogeniture among them Yea John Baptist doth ingeniously acknowledge so much for himself and which may extend unto all Joh. 1.30 After me saith he cometh a man which is preferred before me for he was before me And in fine all those Types and Figures that were shadows of good things to come were the Praeludiums of his Inauguration to his Office but the effects and consequents of his Primogeniture which was at first given him of the Father The first Begotten then he was from the beginning which argues his Regal Power and Sovereignty that he had over all his Brethren for such Preheminence did belong to the first-born as appeareth in Scripture Gen. 4.7 Gen. 27.29.37 1 Sam. 20.29 And the Apostle saith that the Heir is the Lord of all Gal. 4.1 So S. Peter saith of Christ Act. 10.36 Act. 10.36 He is Lord of all which words are there enclosed with a Parenthesis but the sense and meaning thereof reacheth from the beginning of the World to the end of it Did not Abraham acknowledge Christ to be his Lord when he treated with him about Sodom Gen. 18.3.27.30 31. after he had appeared unto him in the Plains of Mamre And with how low a reverence doth he demean himself in that matter as became a Subject in his Address to his Lord and King Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes And again O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak V. 27.30 Yea again and again with the most proper terms of Homage and acknowledgment of his Power doth he put up his Suit unto him and that it was Christ who then appeared to Abraham is not to be doubted considering the shape wherein he did appear viz. of a man which manner of Apparitions according to the concurrent judgment of Holy and Orthodox Writers was not used by either of the other persons of the Trinity but only by Jesus Christ and was the Prototype to his Incarnation And in regard that Abraham calleth him the Judge of all the World Act. 10.42 which is the Office of Christ For him saith the Apostle hath God ordained to be the Judge of Quick and Dead And because it is so plainly said The Lord that is this Lord who appeared unto and parted from Abraham Gen. 19. Rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord that is as an ancient Council interpreted it who did pronounce an Anathema against all those that affirmed the contrary that Christ the Lord did it from his Father the Lord out of Heaven Thus did Abraham Syrmiensis An. Dom. 356. Cent. 4. cap 9. Ps 110.1 and thus in like manner did David in Spirit call him his Lord as the Lord himself testifieth out of the Psalm when he said The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand that is The Father the Lord said it unto Christ the Lord. If then David and Abraham two eminent persons whom the Evangelist by the Holy Ghost singleth out to be the Coryphaei the principal in the Line of the Progenitours of Jesus Christ did own him in their Generations for their supreme Lord and Governour and that also in a certain way of distinction from the Father though in a subordination unto him it may well be concluded that he was so by all others And let it be observed how Moses saith of himself that he was King in Jeshurun Deut. 33.5 But how could that be Deut. 33.5 1 Sam. 8.9 when the Kingly Government as it is described 1 Sam. 8.9 was not yet set up in Israel I answer this is not to be understood so much with a reference to the Political estate of that People as their Ecclesiastical in respect whereof Israel might in an especial manner be called Jeshurun from a word signifying Uprightness and Righteousness For though their Judicial Law which was the Soul of their Polity was a most righteous Law yet their Ceremonial Law which constituted them a Church was it that made them a righteous Nation before God giving them an interest in the Righteousness of God that is Jesus Christ whose Name is called the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 Now because Moses did the work of a King in giving them this Law he might have the Title of a King given unto him when notwithstanding he was therein but Viceroy to Jesus Christ the supreme Lord of his people in all Ages And so a Viceroy is entituled elsewhere in Scripture as may be seen by comparing 2 Reg 3.9 2 Chr. 21.8 1 Reg. 22.47 Neither indeed was Moses any other for he saith the Apostle Heb. 3.5 was but a Servant in the house Christ was the Son and over his own house Moses had the Pattern given him in the Mount not only of the Form of the Tabernacle but every tittle and Iota of every Law by which that People were to be guided was there prescribed unto him and he was to do all things as became a Viceroy exactly according to that Pattern and Tenour neither adding unto it nor diminishing from it but Christ was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ipse dixit the Legislator of the whole Law that Law I say which did distinguish the Israclites in their Polity from other Nations and Kingdoms viz. the Judicial Law and that Law which made them a Church above all people in the World viz. the Ceremonial Law and that Law which was a Rule of Righteousness not only unto them but to all Mankinde unto the end
was saith Bishop Reynolds to be a middle Person to stand and minister between God and Man in their behalf to be impartial and faithful towards the Justice and Truth of God and not to be over-ruled by his love to Men to injure him and to be compassionate and merciful towards the errours of men and not to be over-ruled by his Zeal to God's Justice to give over the care and service of them And such an high Priest was Christ zealous of his Fathers Righteousness and Glory for he was set forth to declare the Righteousness of God Rom. 3.25 And he did Glorifie him on earth by finishing the things which he had given him to do Rom 3.25 John 17.4 compassionate also towards the errours and miseries of his Church for he was appointed to expiate and to remove them out of the way Col. 2.14 Now since Christ was ordained thus for the good of men Col. 2.14 can it be imagined that he had a care only of that sort of men that came after him into the World and none at all of those that had been before Was Abraham the Friend of God and David the man after Gods own heart of no reckoning with him If so let that accursed Opinion of the ancient Gnosticks the first-born of the Devil have a Licence to pass without controll that no man was saved all went to Hell unto the 15 year of Tiberius Caesar wherein it was from Heaven revealed concerning Christ This is my beloved Son hear him Or was there some other Mediatour before Jesus Christ took upon him our Nature who did execute that Office for 4000 years and then resign'd it up to the Son of God leaving the residue to be done by him in a time which happily may not be half so long Or were all those that lived in that long Tract of time shut up in Limbo when they died from whence they could not be delivered till Christ himself came among them These and such other Carcinomata as Bishop Mountague calls them are rather for Cauteries then curing Salves to work upon we may perhaps meet with some of them hereafter undoubtedly the Lord Jesus Christ was alwaies The man who was is and shall be the Mediatour between God and Man Lastly The high Priest was to offer Gifâ—s and Sacrifices for Sins that so Divine Justice might be satisfied which had been by sin violated Hence it was that as the Apostle saith Heb. 9.22 Almost all things were by the Law purged with bloud Heb. 9.12 and without shedding of bloud is no remission Death was to attend upon Justice as her Executioner but if Justice pass a Sentence at any time and execution follow not upon it Justice vanisheth into nothing and is become a meer Ludibrium for Execution is the very life of Justice Death therefore since he is let into the World by mans sin must do its office that so Justice may live Accordingly did the Priests who were ordained to see that a due satisfaction should be made to Divine Justice and to make an Atonement for the people never come before the Lord without bloud But first they slew the Sacrifice upon the Altar and then took of the bloud Lev. 16.11 15. and brought it before the Mercy-seat within the Veil to testifie the death of the Sacrifice whereupon Sin was expiated and Justice fully satisfied Thus did the Priests under the Law and thus also did Christ without whom all whatsoever they did had been to no purpose their sacrificing of a Lamb had been of no more account with God then the cutting off of a Dogs Neck and there offering an Oblation no better then the offering of Swines bloud Christ therefore I say once for all offered up a Sacrifice which was himself the virtue whereof was alwaies operative to make those former Sacrifices effectual to those ends and purposes before-mentioned and after that by his own bloud he entred into the Holy Place Heb 9 12.10 12. So then Christ it was that was still represented as a slain man in all those Sacrifices of old for a sentence of Death lying upon him through the determinate Counsel and fore knowledge of God made him in all those Ages before Act. 2 23. as good as dead in which regard he is called The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 And because Justice would have Death for satisfaction else must the whole World have immediately fallen under her displeasure therefore in all likely hood the very first thing that died in the World was Christ in a Figure and consequently a Sacrifice from the beginning He was a Sacrifice ready even for Cain to make use of for his good if he had had Faith to apply it as appeareth by the words which the Lord speaks unto him If thou doest not well sin lieth at the door That is Gen. 4.7 a Sacrifice for sin for so the offering for sin is in Scripture frequently called which Interpretation because it may carry with it a sound of novelty Dr. John Harris Harden of Winchester Col. I shall take leave by the way to tell such that as I finde it owned by a late learned and reverend Divine so upon the examining of the grounds whereupon this Interpretation is built it will I doubt not appear to be very probable First God cometh not to deject Cain lower then he was but to raise him up from his dejection as is manifest both by his deigning to give him an Oracle from Heaven and also by the words wherewith he beginneth his speech unto him Why art thou wrath and why is thy Countenance fallen Secondly If the words Sin lieth at the door intend a sudden judgment to seize upon him what coherence can there be between these and the words following which are spoken concerning Abel viz. And thy brothers desire shall be subject unto thee For to read the place thus If thou doest not well thou shalt certainly be punished and thy brothers desire shall be subject unto thee This if there be any coherence at all were to threaten poor Abel more or at least as much as Cain Thirdly The Original word Chateath it is the aforesaid Authours observation as it signifieth Sin so also doth it the Sacrifice for Sin as Hos 4.8 2 Cor. 5.21 Hos 4 8. 2 Cor. 5.21 do witness And it was the custom according to which Moses speaketh as being best acquainted therewith to lay the Sacrifice at the Sanctuary door Vt populum dirigeret ad mediatorem saith Calvin to teach the people to serve God in Christ who is the true Sanctuary This sense therefore upon these Considerations may seem to be very agreeable with the scope of the Holy Ghost in that place so that a Sacrifice was ready for Cain at that time and what Sacrifice was that but Christ the Lamb then slain who alone taketh away the sin of the World and besides it seemeth to be a sacrifice distinct
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
we have been such strangers unto it by giving entertainment to Errour in the most ugly appearances thereof that we might well have asked as he did what is Truth True it is there was a certain Covenant made whether according to truth and righteousness somewhat may be said hereafter but made I say for the extirpation of Heresie and Errour c. But it is as true which was once freely spoken at a Monethly-fast in Saint Margarets Westminster If we had sworn to the utmost of our power to have advanced Errour and Heresy Feb. 24. 1646. they could not well have grown and encreased more then they did when we swore against them There was a time also when we took sweet Counsel together under the peaceful Government of a Religious King and the vigilant inspection of Grave and Orthodox Bishops walking to the house of God in company where we had full Congregations the office of the Ministery Honoured the Word faithfully preached Sacraments duely administred c. And have not Sacraments of late been laid aside as useless and unnecessary The Ministery cryed down as AntiChristian Congregations scattered Churches put to profane and sordid uses to the shame of Religion and the scorn of our Adversaries round about us The Word indeed was preached and we do with all due thankfulness acknowledge it to God's glory for though some did preach Christ of envy and contention not sincerely yet some did it of good will and therefore seeing Christ was preached whether in pretence or in Truth Phil. 1.18 therein with St. Paul we did rejoyce yea and will rejoyce Notwithstanding it was both our sin and our shame that that Holy and Divine Ordinance was I say not with impunity but with publick approbation so much profaned when the pulpit was too often made a Tub for Mechanick praters to pour out their Blasphemies or turned into a Theatre by others to promote carnal interests and to strengthen the Schisme that was the set up And if any honest Orthodox Ministers durst be so bold according to their commission given them of Christ to manifest their zeal in preaching against these impostours and their abettours as some there were who could not forbear It was not their Gravity Learning Piety Fidelity to their Countrey nor ability to promote the glory of the Gospel that could be a sufficient safeguard unto them But they must be branded with the odious mark of Malignancy and even in the very execution of their office affronted interrupted contradicted yea sometimes laughed to scorn I instance not in particular persons His Majesties gracious Act of indulgence forbidding it But hence it was that many faithful Ministers were so much despised throughout the Nation sometimes called Legalists otherwhiles Formalists yea reviled with the most opprobrious terms that Malice it self could invent To some they were too plain to others they were too eloquent one while tax'd for not preaching Christ another while for not holding forth the Doctrine of Free-grace But if in their Sermons they happened to make mention of those Holy Antients whom the Church hath honoured with the Name of Fathers they were presently by some temerarious Head or other censured for Bablers or at the best but low-spirited Men that would be padling in the shallows of Antiquity not fit forsooth to be named with the profound knowledge of these dayes So imperious were people grown in their superintendency over their Teachers yea though they were illiterate Mechanicks yet being the Darlings of the Schisme they would presume as being allowed to be Dictatours to the most grave and learned Ministers that were not of their Faction not considering what the Apostle saith that The spirits of the prophets are subject to the Prophets implying doubtless that it is the Ecclesiastical Senate that should take cognisance of Preachers Doctrines so as to regulate whatsoever may be found amiss in them not the Company of spear-men or calves of the people as the Prophet calleth the rude malitude But such was the impiety of those times that the poor Ministers of Christ though by the Holy Ghost accounted the Prime Masters of the Assemblies did commonly stand in their Pulpits like Prisoners at the Bar when their Hearers Ec. 12.11 how ignorant soever sat like so many Judges round about them Again As preaching was prophaned so in like manner was prayer too much perverted and depraved Whereas in our approaches to God we were wont to fall down upon our knees adoring the Divine Majesty with the humbling of our bodies to the very dust according to the religious example of the devout servants of God in Scripture Luk. 22.41 Mar. 14.35 Mat. 26.39 yea of the Son of God himself of whom Saint Luke saith that He kneeled and prayed Saint Mark that he fell to the ground and prayed Saint Matthew that he fell upon his face and prayed What an Unreverend insolency hath the late times produced when this humble gesture was in many places wholly neglected as being forsooth below the Saintship of our Upstart Reformers who possibly might pretend to have more familiaritie with the God of Heaven then those could be allowed to have that had been before them And therefore they might now serve him without fear though the truth is they did it not in righteousness nor true holiness Was not the spiritualness of prayer confined to the suddenness of conception and volubility of utterance qualities not incompossible with a spirit of opposition to all that is good and holy which also were accompanied too frequently it is to be feared with a vain ostentation of mens abilities for invention and with such expressions many times that no honest heart God knoweth could say Amen unto them When a Set-form though compiled according to the warrant and pattern that Christ hath given us and used with a pious and sincere devotion was contrary to the rules of Christian Charity contrary to the judgement of the best Divines both Antient and Modern forein and domestick yea contrary to the general practice of the Reformed Churches condemned and rejected as unsutable to the spirit of Adoption and unacceptable to the God of Heaven as if the Almighty were more to be taken with the variety of words then with the groans of the spirit which may assoon ascend up into his ears in the Religious use of a form as in the uttering of the best conceived prayer in the World But it is no marvel that set-forms of prayer were so much decryed when the Lords prayer it self was sleighted yea so despised that if according to the good antient Custome among us prayers were concluded with a rehearsal of it Such was the horrible profaness of some who yet pretended to a Seraphical strain of Holiness above others that they would thereupon most unreverendly in the face of the Congregation put their hats on their heads that they might thereby throw contempt upon that prayer and those that used it Which disdainful posture if they did
Being literally signifies an Age which English word is observed to have some affinity with that Greek termination and an Age of what extent soever it be hath an uninterrupted being Now this word being here put in the plural number may probably intend the several ages of both worlds First of this present world together with the sundry revolutions that are in it one generation passing another succeeding And secondly of the world to come This sense I conceive with submission may be allowed for where the word is put in the singular number there is often intended the one world or the other Sometimes it is put for this world as Luke 20.34 Matth. 28.20 Sometimes again it is written for the world to come as Joh. 6.51.58 But being here rendred in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may well be said to comprehend the several ages of both worlds Joh. 6.51.58 I confess the world to come is often in Scripture per se rendred in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with an amplification too in sundry places of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but where the sense will bear a further latitude as it doth here too narrow a confinement is not to be set unto it v. g. Consider we the place of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Tim. 1.17 the Lord is there called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King of Ages or Worlds that is of all Ages in this world and of that everlasting Age in the world to come because indeed as the Psalmist speaketh His Dominion endureth throughout all Ages both here and hereafter So in the Doxologie affixed to the Lords Prayer as Dr. Hammond observeth The same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must intend both Ages or Worlds the present and the future For the Kingdome the Power and the Glory is the Lords not onely in this world but in the world that is to come And therefore we do well in that to ingeminate the words in our English Translation proverbially For ever and ever that is for this world which is one for ever and for the next which is another for ever The same sense and meaning very probably do the words of our Text likewise carry for the Mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ to which they do referre hath and shall have its virtual operation between God and his Saints for ever in this world and as we shall presently shew for ever in the world that is to come Let the words then have their utmost extent and full latitude comprehending both worlds viz. This world till time hath spun out it self to the very last mâ—nute And that which follows with all those years of Eternity that shall never cease The second thing to be considered is How Jesus Christ will be the Same to his Church for ever in the world to come For seeing as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.24.28 He must reign till all enemies are put under his feet and That when all things are subdued unto him he shall deliver up the kingdome to God even the Father that so God may be all in all we may inferre that there shall be a change in him and conclude that therefore he cannot be the Same But let us not be too forward to conclude before we have understood the premises aright as we ought to do First therefore to allude unto what I said before As Jesus Christ is the Same to day under the Gospel which he was yesterday under the Law but in a different way of the dispensation of the mysterie of Godliness so he will be the Same to his Church for ever in heaven but not after the same manner As Moses delivered up his dispensation unto Christ when the mystery of God was translated from the shadow to the Substance from the letter to the Spirit so will Christ deliver up the kingdome to the Father when by his Spirit he hath done all that the Father appointed him to do Yet as he was under Moses the Same in effect to his Church which he is now so will he be under the Father Not indeed so darkly with such glimpses of his appearance and secret illapses of his Light and Love into the hearts of his people as now but with a more free and full manifestation of his own and his Fathers glory without the least interposition of any let or hinderance whatsoever For now saith the Apostle we see through a glass darkly but then face to face c. Which Beatifical Vision as Christ hath here obtained for us by his Merit so will he for ever hereafter be the efficient cause of the uninterruptible continuance thereof unto us by his being in us But that I may not seem to deliver any thing in so important a matter without my warrant let us search the Scriptures and see what Testimony they give of Jesus herein It is not expedient to enquire after or to speak of those things which we have not seen It doth not yet appear saith the Evangelist what we shall be much less can we be able fully to discern what the Lord Jesus Christ shall be either in his Subjection to his Father or in his Relation to us when God shall be all in all Good therefore is it for us to be wise unto sobriety and to content our selves with what is revealed First then this we may assert for a most infallible truth that Jesus Christ will for ever be the Same in the Hypostatical union of his Humane nature with the Divine even then when he hath delivered up the kingdome to God even the Father And in this respect shall he then be subject to God For otherwise 1 Cor. 15.28 according to the word of the Apostle seeing he subsisteth ever in the real essential Form of God so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.6 is to be understood as it is taken in the same place Phil. 2 6. where the Apostle speaks of the Form of a servant he shall as he hath ever been according to his proper right without any injurious encroachment upon the Father be equal with him Though I confess his subjection to the Father is not limited to this sense as we shall see hereafter From which Hypostatical Union of his two Natures so inseparably to be continued unto all Eternity Joy unspeakable and full of Glory will undoubtedly arise to all those who are of the same Humane nature with him that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world O what a happiness will it be to behold this our Lord and Redeeming Kinsman sitting at the right hand of the Throne of God exalted sarre above all Principalities and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named Yea and from hence it will come to pass that the Divine nature whereof by Christ we have been made partakers in the state of Regeneration shall never cease to have a being in us but shall be perfected rather by his Presence
season All which considered I appeal unto all men that are able to discern whether the Apostles words are not hereby clearly confirmed viz. that the gifts and calling of God are to the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word is reported to be rendred unchangeable and not to be repented of For my part I take it to be undeniable and therefore do also infer that undoubtedly there is a time before the end cometh wherein they shall most certainly be restored If it should be yet objected that the Jews are not onely Gods enemies in a passive sense but in an active as not obeying his Gospel nor believing his Son whom he sent among them and thereupon will conclude that there is no hope of their conversion because he that casteth away the remedy makes his disease incurable Sol. The Apostle gives an answer hereto likewise v. 30.31 For as ye in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy Which words seem to be written by the Apostle in forme of a Prolepsis to preoccupate the aforesaid objection by a clear demonstration in themselves that should obtrude it being as much as to say Learn of your selves that the Jews Conversion is not altogether hopeless notwithstanding their present enmity against God in their disobedience to his Gospel For if you who were sometimes foolish and disobedient living in malice and envy even as bad as the Jews hating of God and hateful unto him have yet nevertheless obtained mercy why should you doubt but that the Jews though they be now a stubborn and refractory people may obtain mercy with God also especially seeing mercy hath happily come unto you upon the occasion of their contumacy but to them it shall come in a far more excellent way viz. Through your mercy that is by beholding of that mercy which God hath manifested unto you Gods aim and purpose we see is the exaltation of his mercy though men be merciless in judging and condemning one another for saith the Apostle v. 32. God hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all is commonly interpreted with a reference unto both Jews Gentiles that neither side may have whereof to boast before God but that both these and those may be saved by mercy which sense I willingly subscribe unto as not contrariant to the Apostles scope in this place But I demand may it not be understood as referring to the Jews onely so as that the word of universality all might be taken for all Israel as it is before meaning all the tribes of Israel whom God had shut up in unbelief that he might have mercy upon them all Certain it is the original hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not stand as an idle cypher to signifie nothing but is put as a relative to distinguish this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all from some other and may be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is said before of the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore doth our English translation bring in the word them God hath concluded them all in unbelief as implying the Jews onely in this argument though from the thing it self the Gentiles are not exempted But I leave this criticisme to the examination of the judicious The conclusion notwithstanding from hence also will follow That the Conversion of the Jewish Nation shall for the magnifying of Gods mercy in due time most certainly come to pass Obj. Some yet do further object that the Jews are so embodied with other people and so mingled with other Nations that there is an utter impossibility that they should ever any more become a Nation distinct from the Gentiles But if there be any found that are distinct they shall not be formed into a Nation but those that are in Spain shall be called Spanish Jews and those that are in Italy Italian and those in Germany Germans c. Sol. I answer Let not impossibilities be objected to the Omnipotent God He that can out of stones raise up Children unto Abraham can easily make good his word which he hath spoken concerning the restauration of his Israel And albeit it were so that they are indeed embodied with other people of the world which yet is not true for the generality of them as we have before shewed yet shall that word spoken by the Prophet Amos be herein verified of them Lo I will command Amos 9.9 saith the Lord and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth Amos 9.9 Obj. It is moreover objected that to maintain this Doctrine of the Jews restauration is to put the world into a careless security concerning the end for if this must be before the end cometh will not many people who are too much negligent already in preparing for the great day take occasion thereby to grow more remiss therein and so consequently may that day come upon them unawares as the Scripture often speaketh which if it should finde them in their sins will undoubtedly prove a black and dismal day unto them Sol. I answer First the uncertainty of the time of every mans particular dissolution may suffice to take away all such carnal presumption For as I said before alluding to that of the Psalmist Ps 19.2 Day unto day uttereth speech The day of death gives an infallible testimony to the day of judgement of every mans final estate whether it be good or bad whether it shall be to the resurrection of life or the resurrection of damnation And according to that information so shall the judgment be as death leaves us so judgment shall finde us Secondly We that are Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the manifold grace of God must not be afraid to make known the counsel of God in Scripture least ungodly people should make an ill use of it What ever the consequents be of our sidelity in the discharge of our Ministery we are to leave them to the wisdom and determination of the Almighty who will order all things for his own glory as seemeth good unto him Even in this very case touching the end of the world the Apostle Saint Paul though he had in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians written of the sudden and unexpected coming of the Lord yet when he perceived that some false teachers were like to take occasion by what he had written thereof to make those people believe that the day of Christ was then at hand thinking thereby as it is probable to carry on a pernicious design against the whole doctrine of the Gospel he thereupon tells them plainly in his second Epistle 2 Thes 2.2.3
LOOK UNTO JESUS OR An Ascent to the HOLY MOUNT TO SEE JESUS CHRIST IN HIS GLORY WHEREBY The Active and contemplative Believer may have the Eyes of his Understanding more inlightned to behold in some measure the Eternity and Immutability of the Lord JESUS CHRIST I. In his Divine Generation II. In his Power over the World III. In his Power over his Church in her twofold estate I. MILITANT II. TRIUMPHANT As the List of CONTENTS which followeth next to the PREFACE doth more particularly declare At the end of the Book is an APPENDIX shewing the certainty of the Calling of the JEVVS Written by EDWARD LANE M. A. Vicar of Sparsholt c. in the County of South alias Hamshire London Printed by Thomas Roycroft for the Authour and are to be sold by Humphrey Tuckey at the Black spread-Eagle in Fleet-street and by William Taylor near the Checquer Gate in Winchester 1663. Imprimatur Liber ut eò magis imprimatur JESUS Decemb. 6. 1663. M. FRANCK S. T. P. Reverend in Christo Patr. Dom. Episc Lond. a Sacris Dom. OPTIMO MAXIMO 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DEO DOMINO DOMINI DEI Patris Omnipotentis Filio Unigenito omnisque Creaturae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est Primo-Parienti Primogenito Necnon Inter Deum Homines Mediatori Unissimo Fidelissimo Catholicae etiam Ecclesiae Militantis Triumphantis Capiti unice colendo Ad cujus Nomen supra omne Nomen flectendum est omne Genu Celestium Terrestium ac Subterraneorum Tractatum hunc de Aeternitate Immutabilitate Nominis sui Praestantissimi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 susceptum Protractum Peractum EDOVARDUS LANE in domo ejusdem Domini Servorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inutilissimus Cum humili Indignationis ob multas Infirmitates Deprecatione ardenti Benedictionis Supplicatione Meritissimo Consecravit Voto Reverendo in Christo Patri ac Domino Domino GEORGIO Episcopo WINTONIENSI Vigilantissimo Aureae Periscelidis Praesuli Clarissimo Domino suo Dioecesano Summopere Observando Incrementum Gratiae apud JESUM CHRISTUM 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perinde ac Honoris apud Homines in Translatione sua ad hanc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Provinciam Bona Fide Toto Corde Precatur EDOVARDUS LANE Annos nunc plus minus 27. Ecclesiae Paroechianae in Villa SPARSHOLT in agro SOUTH Vicarius Quinetiam una cum ABRECH Congratulationis Librum hunc ad Celelebrandum JESU CHRISTI Nomen Honorandum in Saecula Praeparatum eidemque Supremo Nomini Perpetuae Gratitudinis ergo Consecratum Ad Gravem Religiosam ejusdem Reverendi Patris Inspectionem Disquisitionem lubente dicavit Studio JESVS SIT TIBI JESVS A PREFACE To the Pious and Judicious Reader GOOD READER HEre is a Treatise presented to thy view wherein through the guidance of Gods grace and the conduct of his word is attempted an assay to set forth the honour of the great Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and to make his praise glorious A Design doubtless very acceptable to all that are Christians indeed who cannot but rejoyce in any thing that may tend to the Exaltation of our dear Crucified and Glorified Redeemer who is the Rock of Ages the eternal excellency of his Church the joy of all Generations A work it is wherein all the company of Heaven is to be exercised unto all eternity And albeit whatsoever is undertaken by Men or Angels in this kinde will come infinitely short of his Merit yet it is but fit that what any one hath here seen of his glory either in his word or works he be free in the communication thereof Possibly there have been sundry attempts made already of the like nature and such that this may seem to some at first sight to be superfluous However Let not the day of small things be despised by us If some new materials which will endure the searching fire of Gods spirit be here added to the gold and silver which others have before built upon this foundation there can be no just offence taken thereat Sure I am they will not be disallowed by the Master of the house and therefore ought not to be rejected by those that are employed and salaryed by him to be Co-workers with me in the building It was not God knoweth any vain ambition or self-seeking that did first put me the meanest of the Lords Servants upon this work which is indeed Opus Dei the work of God neither is it any such sinister aim that makes me rush upon the censure of the judicious in the enlargement and compleating of it Onely if Jesus Christ may hereby be magnifyed and his Church edifyed I have my desire and it shall be the Crown of my rejoycing I confess notwithstanding there was an occasion offered that did first induce me to this Undertaking and it will not be amiss here to make a short mention of it Thus it was In the heat of the late Schisme it fell to my lot to preach a Sermon in the Cathedral Church at Winton upon the 26 day of December wherein because I said An Dom. 1654 I would not judge those people in the liberty of their Consciences who did observe the Feast of our Saviours Nativity to the Lord though withall I then * Which is here also inserted in its proper place spake severely against the prophane abuse of it I was accounted a superstitious person and a malignant such was the discriminating terme that was then used and reported far and near that I had done more hurt by that one Sermon then other Ministers that were employed in that Lecture could be able to repair again by many Which reproachful slander was so great a trouble unto me though I was then justifyed by Persons of very good quality that were both wise and godly that I was often minded being perswaded by those persons and sundry others that heard of it to publish in print the Sermon that I then preached to the end the World might see how causelesly I was traduced I did nevertheless forbear the said publication not out of fear of the persecutions of those evil dayes for I did my self observe that Anniversary Festivity in my own Parish preaching and administring the Sacrament of the Lords supper when very few durst adventure to do the like But having begun upon this occasion to prepare it for the Press and finding in the pursuance of it my Meditations enlarged to other matter then I at first delivered I slighted the Calumny wherewith I was asperst as not worthy to be so much heeded and breaking through many difficulties and hinderances have by degrees extended that very Sermon to this length which is now before you The greatest part whereof I have for some years kept by me without further additions but of late I must confess I was as the Apostle if I may so say pressed in spirit to finish what had begun and to publish the whole
Text that the ground and foundation of their faith to which they did so constantly adhere was no novelty nor yet such as did fail them or expire with them but being the rock of Ages was co-equal with the Church from the beginning and would be also the only sure foundation for all the faithful to the end of the World and that is Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Understand it thus It is as if the Apostle should have said They well knew whom they believed and you may also know him too if you will do as they did for Jesus Christ who is the unchangeable God blessed for ever as they made him their strength and their support so he never failed them Be you therefore followers of them looking unto Jesus who as he led them into all truth and preserved them in it so will he likewise do the same unto you and to all others that shall come after you who believe in his Name for he is the same Yesterday to day and for ever We may now glean up by the way some Doctrinal conclusions which shall be but named that so we may come without any further protraction to taste of the sweetness that springeth abundantly from the Fountain of the Text. 1. We learn hereby That people ought to be followers of their Teachers as they follow Christ and no otherwise 2. The way to abide stedfast in the faith is to stick to the Foundation that is Jesus Christ who is still the same 3. Whosoever they be that make a sincere profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall never be ashamed of it for Christ will constantly without any change own and maintain that faith which hath once and but once been delivered by him to his Saints being first and last like himself This was Preached Decem. 26. These things premised let us now come to the Text whereof if I should undertake to speak any thing in order to this time of Solemnity which yesterday to day and some daies following is held up and continued among us as if it had reference unto it I should then indeed declare myself to be but of yesterday and to know nothing at least to know nothing of my Text as I ought to know But the words in their genuine sense will not lead us unto any such matter It is Insignis locus as Mr. Calvin calls it a most excellent and remarkable Scripture speaking out the Lord Jesus Christ in his due Altitude making the World and every creature in all Ages subject unto him It is the Argument of both the Testaments and to use the words applied by a Religious and Reverend Bishop of our times to another Scripture like unto this Dr. John King Bishop of London It is the staff and supportation of Heaven and Earth they would both sink and all their joynts be severed were it not that Jesus Christ were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same yesterday to day and for ever And what shall I more say as the Apostle said Hebr. 11. When he had spoken much and there was much more behind but that time failed him Rather what should I not say For our Theatre at this time is not only within the narrow bounds of the World but extends beyond it and our Meditations in handling of this Subject are to reach from Eternity to Eternity Let us then duly poize it and with the good blessing of God make use of it for our Edification A three-fold interpretation may be given First Jesus Christ may be said to be The same yesterday to day and for ever in respect of his Divine Nature Secondly This may be applied unto him with a reference to the whole Creation Thirdly It may so likewise with a more especial respect unto his Church and People And here because it may seem strange that I should give so many several interpretations of this Text Give me leave to premise an Apology for my understanding herein I would not be too vehement in forcing a Text to carry a sense which is not directly or by warrantable deduction to be found within the compass thereof And it is a great wrong that is done unto Divine Truths when Scriptures are produced for their foundation that are not Homogenial with them As for this three-fold interpretation which I have here given of this Text though the last be commonly accounted the most proper as being consonant to the scope of the Apostle yet the other two are not to be rejected as inconsistent with the sense of the Holy Ghost therein Nay is there not a greater latitude then ordinary to be allowed unto it when it is propounded as a Divine Theorem cutting asunder the thread as it were of the former Discourse that the eyes and thoughts of all men that read it may in a singular manner be fixed upon it as on a general Sentence or Proposition comprehensive of more then might alonely have reference to the preceding Verse Surely there is somewhat extraordinary to be found in it Therefore as I have already prescribed my Method so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall now prosecute it The first Interpretation of the Text. THe first sense then or interpretation that is given of the Text is this Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever in respect of his Divine Nature that is as he is God equal with the Father begotten of him from eternity to eternity And herein I am not alone but I find the Text so rendred both by Modern and Ancient Expositours Francis Junius writeth of it to the same purpose Hoc quarto ut Logicis lâ—quamur medo proprium Deitatis est This is a most transcendent property of the Godhead to be the same yesterday to day and for ever And from this very Text saith the same Authour do the Primitive Fathers in the purest times prove Jesus Christ to be the true and eternal God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantial and coessential with the Father and the Holy Ghost some instances of whom shall be given in the prosecution of this point Having then the concurrency of others that are sound and Orthodox whose Works praise them in the gates Let us consider how this Text may represent this great Mystery unto us in the several parts of it It is a most certain truth that the Divine Generation is that which gives unto the Son of God his personal Being which Generation is acknowledged by all that are sound in the faith to be from all eternity This is that which in the Text if it referreth at all to the eternal personality of Jesus Christ as it undoubtedly doth and will be here made to appear must be understood by Yesterday Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same or The only He yesterday that is begotten of the Father from all eternity As the word Hodie to Day Psal 2.7 Psal 2.7 is by Expositours truly rendred not only for the Day
against Jesus Christ and the vain Sophistry of such as are seduced by him may somewhat appear it will not be amiss to answer two or three Objections which among many other have been forged in Hell against this comfortable and fundamental Doctrine Object 1 First That of Solomon Pro. 8.22 c. is much perverted by them to the derogation of Christ's honour and their own destruction It is indeed as the Centurists tell us the foundation whereon the Arrians and other Hereticks would build their Blasphemy but that it proves a burthensom stone unto them and grinds them to powder for the words of the Holy Ghost in that place do fully prove the co-eternity of Christ with the Father as it shall here evidently appear Wisdom that is the Lord Jesus Christ as the Arrians themselves do confess is there pleading her Pedigree and Extraction to the sons of men Pro. 8.22 which might demonstrate her Antiquity to the end that she might the better incline them to give ear to her instruction The Lord said she possessed me in the beginning of his way What that way is is not for us to search into for look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth so are his waies far above our waies Es 55.9 Es 55.9 Before his Works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was c. c. The meaning whereof in short is this I the Son was with the Father before the Creation and in the Creation of the world when he formed this great Fabrick with all the parts of it in his eternal purpose according to the good pleasure of his will and when he framed it likewise and gave it a being rearing up this glorious and beautiful Structure answerable to the pattern which I had seen with him in the Mount Now therefore having laid down the premisses she brings her inference V. 32. Hearken unto me Oye children c. This being the proper sense of the place what can our Adversaries make of it to the maintenance of their errour To pass by what the Jews and Samosatenian Hereticks say of it the former conceiving most absurdly that by Wisdom in that place is understood the Law which as they say was ordained two thousand years before the World was made to be the beginning of God's waies because they find in the 30. Verse two words which signifie two daies which they interpret to be two thousand years because a day with God is as a thousand years But this is such a dotage that the very reciting of it carrieth with it a Refutation The latter affirming that this Scripture is not to be understood of Christ but of the Virtue of God whereby all things were in the beginning created and ever since uphold and sustained In which Assertion they discover nothing so much as their impotent malice against the Lord Jesus For what is that Virtue or Wisdom of God but Christ the Son of God Luke 11.49 as appears Luke 11.49 1 Cor. 1.24 And if Satan had not blinded their eyes they might have seen that the very same operations which are by Solomon ascribed to the wisdom of God are elsewhere attributed to Christ the Son of God Heb. 1.2 Col. 1.17 But the Arians a more subtle Generation acknowledging the words as hath been said to be spoken of Jesus Christ yet took hold of this very Scripture using it as their Argumentum Achilleum to undermine the eternal Godhead of Christ for upon all occasions would they stil resort unto this even as the Papists do for their Transubstantiation to the words of our Saviour Mat. 26. And accordingly would the Orthodox appear in the vindication of it Cem. 4. cap. 10. From whence arose many sore troubles to the Church and frequent fierce controversies in those elder times If it be demanded Q how this Scripture which is so clear against them can be so much perverted by them I answer A. It is very well known that the word in the 22. Verse which is rendred in our Translation Possessed me was by the Septuagint translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Created me making the Verse to run thus The Lord created me in the beginning of his way And thereupon did these wretched Hereticks with open mouths most impudently proclaim to the World their cursed errour which was That Jesus Christ who is here called Wisdom is a creature and not the eternal begotten Son of God the Father This in short was the rise of this Cavil which may easily be removed by these following Answers First That Translation of the Septuagint though it be of great Antiquity and much account in the Church yet it is not Authentick not being given by the immediat Inspiration of God and therefore too weak a foundation to bear up an Opinion in a point of faith which is not warrantable from the word of Truth Secondly It is possible that that Greek Translation might be right enough at first but might since either of purpose or casually by reason of the affinity of words be depraved that is that whereas they had rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Eta from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possiden that is Possessed me it was afterwards either by some deceitful or inconsiderate hand turned to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Iota from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Created me Thirdly If it were so or not so is it not a thing much to be lamented that poor worms of the earth should so presumptuously descant on the Dignity and Prerogative Royal of the Son of God yea depose him from the Throne of his Glory upon the account of a small Title only which it not of any moment whether it be taken one way or other for the Original word as it seems had anciently both significations viz. To Possess and to Create Fourthly Some Writers both Ancient and Modern do give an answer hereunto in this manner The Eternal Generation of the Son of God is sometimes called Generation and sometimes Creation because it is so ineffable that it cannot fully be expressed by any one word for Generation signifieth a Production in the same substance but with a certain mutation in the Begetter but Creation signifieth a Production of another substance yet without any mutation of the Creatour Now the Son of God is so produced as that he receiveth the substance of the Begetter and therefore in that respect he is said to be Begotten but he receiveth it without any mutation or alteration of the Begetter and therefore in that respect he may be said to be Created not that his Eternity should thereupon be called in question or that he should be thought to be a Creature but that from both these words we might receive what was fitting and reject what seemeth to be unfit in the right understanding of this unexplicable Mystery This Answer being pertinent to the matter in hand I have
darkness are set about the Pavilion of God Ps 18.11 he therefore that presseth to it will lose himself for ever We read indeed of his out-goings that have been from everlasting that is as is conceived his eternal Generation Mich. 5.2 together with his Purposes and Decrees which should in time be accomplished but for his in-goings with the Father and the Holy Ghost they are laid up with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Revestries of Eternity the knowledge whereof is infinitely beyond the reach of any Creature It is fit for us to be contented with what Christ himself hath been pleased to declare concerning this secret As that he was his Fathers delight Diè Diè in all those daies of Eternity rejoycing alwaies before him Pro. 8.30 31. John 17.5 in that excellent Glory which he saith He had with him before the world began But if vain man who is born like a wild Asses colt will be wise above what is written enquiring what Christ did yesterday before the Creation he must be answered with that saying of old He prepared Hell for such bold Intruders who will so audaciously busie themselves in searching into the secret and eternal Counsels of the most High Yet notwithstanding albeit in this sense we are not of Yesterday and therefore neither can nor ought to know any thing this Doctrine may instruct us concerning Jesus Christ that though he took upon him our Nature yet he continued still to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same what he was from Eternity Quod erat permansit quod non erat assumpsit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He ceased not to be what he was and what he was not he assumed Thou art the same saith David speaking of Christ Ps 102.27 as appears Heb. 1.12 and thy years viz. of thy Wisdom thy Power and other thy glorious Attributes as well as of thy life have no end but indure throughout all Generations Though the Heavens shall be changed and wax old like a Garment and the faithful Witness that is therein shall witness to all that all things in this world are unfaithful yea though Christ himself who in the fulness of Eternity dwelt in that Light that is inaccessible was in the fulness of time made flesh and dwelt among us yet he was still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same God manifested in the flesh but continuing notwithstanding to be God still This was the Weapon wherewith the Orthodox of old did strike through the loins of the Arians Verbum caro factum est sed non mutatum The Son of God was made flesh but not changed into it and they gave it an edge from this very Text which we are now upon Cent. 4. cap. 5. Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever True it is Phil. 2.7 he emptied himself as the Apostle speaks Phil. 2.7 for so the word there sâ—gnifies and that secundum Deitatem too in respect of his Godhead But what emptying was this Not a total devesting himself of his Eternal Power and Godhead for then he had not been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same but the meaning is as the word is well rendred in our Bibles He made himself of no reputation That is as it follows He took upon him the form of a servant which form of a Servant could not surely obliterate the form of God Non depositâ sed sepositâ Majestate as one saith well not by cancelling or laying away but as it were by concealing or laying aside for a time the most glorious appearance of his Divine Majesty In a word the Godhead in Christ was not laid aside at his Incarnation considered as it is in it self common to the three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an approved distinction among the Learned by a gratious dispensation in that he was pleased to condescend so low as to assume our Nature and to joyn it unto his yet not confounding the properties of either and therefore he still abideth immutably the same even as a Prince when he marrieth a poor Beggar may in a sense be said to make himself of no reputation and to have no regard to his great Dignity though nevertheless he continue still in the same state wherein he was before Athanasius gives the reason very clearly Corpus non vim habuit absolvendae Divinae Hypostasâ—os The body which was ordained for Christ was not able to dissolve his Divine Subsistence Now therefore because he made himself of no reputation should we make light account of him God forbid when we consider his Birth here in this world how poor and homely let us withal remember his Eternal Generation how Glorious and Divine When we look upon his poor Mother a despised Woman though indeed the glory and flower of her Sex let us then also think upon his Eternal Father the God of Glory when we see him rejected by men in a worse condition for house-room in the world then the Foxes of the earth and the Fowls of the air let not our Lord thereupon be despised in our eyes but call to mind how he inhabiteth Eternity is in the bosom of the Father upholding all things by the word of his Power and all the Angels of God worshipping him And thus are we faln upon the second Result that ariseth out of this everlasting Truth considering it with a reference unto the people of God Whose duty it is upon the account of Christs Eternity and Immutability to give unto him the glory due unto his Name And how can we indeed do otherwise John 1.14 When we see his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God When we find by comfortable experience upon our Souls the blessed effects of his eternal and immutable Wisdom Power Goodness how can we choose but say Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord Es 25.9 we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Yea this is our faith and confidence and hope and triumph here alone we will fix and here alone we desire to be found to be found in Life to be found in Death and to be found after Death For whither else should we go With him are the Words and with him are the Works of eternal life Such a Saviour it behoved us to have and such a Saviour he hath approved himself to be who did not only begin but throughly accomplish our Deliverance The pleasure desire and purpose of the Lord hath prospered in his hand Es 53.10 And the salvation of his people hath been a salvation to the uttermost So that we may say with Moses He is the Rock and his work is perfect Deut. 32.4 Give unto him then the Glory due unto his Name And if it be demanded how it should be done as it is fit indeed we should be still inquisitive after it
I answer 1. In worshipping him with Divine Adoration 2. In a zealous appearance for him against his Enemies 3. In a ready hearkning to the Voice of his Word First We must yield unto him Divine Honour putting no difference in that respect between him and the Father for as the Father hath sworn that unto him every knee shall bow Es 45.23 Es 45.23 Phil. 2.10 So must every knee bow in like manner to the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 2.10 Neither did Christ who was ever zealous for his Fathers glory ever refuse this Divine Honour when it was given unto him He never said as the Angel See thou do it not Rev. 19.10 But approved Rev. 19.10 commended blessed those that did it as we might instance in the Leper Mat. 8.2 The Ruler Mat. 9.18 The blind man John 9.38 His Disciples Mat. 28.17 and many more If it had not been his due what a derogation had these things been unto his Fathers Honour for which he had been justly liable to his displeasure even as Herod was when he took unto himself the glory due unto God But Jesus Christ is the same with the Father yesterday to day and for ever And therefore is to have the same honour ascribed unto him Heb 1 6. Let then all the Angels of God worship him and let men of what rank soever bow the knee Abrech John 5.23 and cry before him Tender Father for this is the will of God that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father I shall conclude this Branch of my Exhortation with a remarkable Story very well known and very pertinent to our purpose confirmed by the concurrent Testimony of many Writers of great and eminent fame in the Church of God In the Reign of Theodosius there was a Toleration granted to the Arians giving them liberty free from any molestation not prohibiting them to argue publickly against the Godhead of Christ insomuch that they grew thereupon extremely impudent venting their Blasphemy to the great dishonour of the Lord Jesus Christ neither could any man prevail with the Emperour to retract that Toleration which he had with too much indulgence granted unto them At length one Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium a holy man not being able to endure the dishonour that was so frequently done unto Jesus Christ was willing to expose himself to a great hazard for his sake Entring therefore into the Court with some other Bishops and seeing the Emperour and his son Arcadius whom he lately created Joynt-Emperour standing together he did very low obeysance to the Father but none at all to the Son Theodosius imagining the omission of Reverence towards his Son to proceed rather from simplicity and ignorance then from any wilful neglect of the Bishop adviseth him to salute his Son also as became his Imperial Dignity Amphilochius answered boldly in these words Satis est quod honorem ipsi habitisset It was enough that he had given him that honour which he did and withal coming up close to the Son in a familiar manner he stroaketh him on the head saying Salve mi Fili God save you my Child Whereupon the old Emperour being much displeased gave commandment that the Bishop should be punished severely for his insolency which being ready to be executed he having now obtained what he expected very freely speaketh forth his mind in this manner Siccine O Imperator tam graviter fers contemptum filii tui Revocat tibi in mentem quaeso odisse Deumcos qui honoris aliquid adimerent unigenito Filio suo c. Is thy rage O Emperour so great against me for not regarding thy Son Remember I beseech thee that they are odious unto God whosoever they be that take away from his only begotten Son the glory that is due unto him c. The Emperour upon these words bethinking himself better acknowledged his fault to the Bishop and asks him forgiveness immediately issuing forth an Edict against Arianism whereby all whosoever they were that were found guilty of that Heresie were brought to a condign punishment A memorable example in which we may see how Divine Providence hath in those elder times wrought in the hearts of men a reverend awe of the Lord Jesus Christ when possibly convictions from the holy Scriptures through the prevalency of carnal compliancies could not be regarded Which example let it lead the way also to our second particular of giving unto Christ his due honour viz. By a zealous appearance for him against his Enemies who in these our daies lay violent hands upon his Glory cursed Hereticks I mean professing open Hostility against the Lord Jesus seeking by all means they possibly can to snatch his Crown from off his head by undermining the very Foundation of his Honour that is his Divine Nature And surely too many there are of that pestilent Brood in these times of Errour and Vanity an evil Spirit wanders about not only in our Nation but in other parts of the world pretending to Holiness yet doubtless an Emissary sent from the Prince of Darkness that beguileth unstable Souls by infusing into them a lower esteem of Jesus Christ then hath been commonly held up amongst the people of God to the end that this diminution of his Glory might in time bring on with it an annihilation also of his Merit Numine sordidius nihil est cum siditâ—n Imum for as the powers of the Earth when they are brought low are trampled upon and made very despicable so will it certainly be with the Dignity and Honour of the Lord Jesus if it be brought down to the dust there it will be buried and come to nothing It doth therefore highly concern all the faithful people of God to appear in this Quarrel and notwithstanding all the glossing insinuations and pretensions of men willing to be deceived who as they are themselves of a lukewarm indifferency in many points of Religion so they would perswade all others to a sinful silence with them yet doth it I say behove all that truly love the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim and maintain an irreconcilable War with all those whosoever they be that march under the Banner of that evil Spirit against him And to afford some help herein let us a little sound the depths of Satan to the end that we may lay open some of the stratagems of Hell which have been of late contrived and acted against the Lord Christ and his Glory Two waies it is clear doth this Spirit work to bring about this mischievous Design First By raising up men beyond their due 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper Sphere making them equals with Christ and Competitours with him in Glory Secondly By bringing down the Lord Jesus the Lord of Glory from the Throne of his Majesty making him nothing else but a poor Compeer with the sons of men As to the first of these consider what a fearful delusion that is which haunteth some
pretensions made to rectifie all things amiss amongst us in a better way to the credit and furtherance of the Gospel then ever had been before yet even then was there not instead of purging the Land of these damnable Hereticks a more favourable indulgence given to some wretched Desperado's of that Crew then was formerly who in the face of the World both pleaded and printed against the Divine Honour and Dignity of the Lord Jesus And albeit after too long a deliberation in determining Businesses of that nature for as Cyprian said in another case so may we in this In re tam Sanctâ deliberatio non habet locum Away with all deliberation in the high and weighty Points of Faith Albeit I say there came forth at length some kind of disowning of such persons and their Fry of corrupt Tenets yet was there not a condign punishment inflicted upon them according to their Demerits that others might hear and sear and do no more such wickedness And why Liberty of Conscience must be given and a Latitude allowed unto men in points of Religion for a free People must not be beaten into the Faith but rationally convinced and perswaded unto it By this Trick it was that a Politick Interest was promoted and by this Craft did the Devil gain upon the poor Church of Christ But I ask Doth God command in his Law that the Blasphemer be stoned to death Lev. 24.16 and shall it be debated now whether any punishment at all should be laid upon such under the Gospel Did he ever totally repeal that Law Is not the matter of it agreeable to the Dictates of Nature and the Reason of it immutable Is not the Authority of the Law giver the same under both Administrations Old and New Are not the Consciences of Christians as well as Jews subject to his Sovereign and perpetual Jurisdiction Shall the clearer Light that we enjoy lead us to deal more favourably with such Miscreants whose whole endeavour and design is to obscure our Light And because Christ hath brought with him more abundant Grace should we therefore for his sake spare those that are open enemies against him pretending that we must express all meekness now under the Gospel Job 13.7.8 What I beseech you were this but to speak wickedly for Christ and to act deceitfully for him To accept the Person of the Mediatour and to contend for him unto the great dishonour of the Son of God Yea further shall a word spoken against the Person or Authority of a Prince be accounted Crimen laesae Majestatis a Crime of the highest nature and be adjudged worthy of death as it doth well deserve and shall a black mouth with a virulent Tongue utter blasphemous reproaches against the Person of God himself and escape with Stocks and Whipping As a horrid Blasphemer did in the City of Winchester in the time of the late Wars whereof I my self with thousands more were eye-witnesses Nay was there ever any punishment at all laid upon that blasphemous Best Paul Beast or Beast I know not well which but beast he might wel be called who openly before those that then sate in the Commons House of Parliament avowed his heretical Tenet in denying the Godhead of Christ which matter was to the grief of many a faithful heart held in suspense a long time yea so long that whereas there was much doubt then made concerning the Publick Faith of the Kingdom it might rather have been questioned whether the Christian Faith it self should have been established in the Land yea or no. And what became of that abominable Fry a Member of that Convention which was unduely called the Parliament who as one tells us had then blown his Blasphemy about the Nation with his own Bellows What befell him I say but only an Ejectment so far as I could learn out of the house wherein he with others had too long continued whereas he well deserved to be cast out of the Society of all the faithful people of God I confess we do not at present hear so much of the croaking of these Frogs that have crept out of the mouth of the Dragon c for the Scene is now changed and the Devil hath vomited out of the bottomless Pit a sort of quaking Locusts to act their part also against Jesus Christ but I hope and pray that the Lord will still incline the heart of his Majesty our religious King and Sovereign Locustae sunt meticulosae Job 39.30 whom he hath hitherto preserved blessed be his Name and substituted under him for that end to be zealous for his Glory and to be very vigilant in suppressing such bold Insurrections against his Crown and Dignity that none of these his arch Enemies may be suffered to abide in the Land least for their sakes his jealousie as it hath done in former times smoak against the whole Nation And for us we have been long talking of Antichrist Antichrist how he hath grown upon us and threaten much to root him out and not to leave a ragg remaining But if in the mean time we should suffer Anti-Trinitarians Anti-Scripturists and Socinians who are Antichrists to purpose to continue amongst us what are we in effect but meer Anticks in Religion and our pretended zeal for Reformation will indeed prove nothing else but talk But what the Consequents will be which undoubtedly will follow upon such a perfidious Connivance let the lamentable miseries that lately over-spread the Country of Poland declare unto us It is well known that in Cracovia the Metropolis of that Kingdom Satan had erected his Throne for there hath this abominable Heresie been revived published and defended And we have heard how God did visite them in his sore displeasure though he be now for a while gone and returned to his place till they acknowledge their offence and seek his face The Lord in mercy open their eyes that they may look into the bottom of their Afflictions and cast out from among them that accursed thing with other their Abominations unto which they have been too inclinable before Wrath return again upon them to their utter destruction And let us and all Christian Kingdoms in this World take warning by them for assuredly God will not be mocked but will have a Controversie with those Nations who assent unto this Doctrine of the Eternal Generation of the Son of God and yet out of a Supine negligence or lukewarm indifferency will spare to testifie their zeal for the suppression of those blasphemous Heresies that are contrary thereunto I shall conclude this first Interpretation of my Text with the Exhortation of the Prophet in the second Psalm Be wise now therefore O ye Kings Psal 2.10 11 12. be instructed ye Judges of the Earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they
10.13 Heb. 10.13 and therefore is not to be engaged in it self by such a government over men as is here pretended Add unto this his Office of Mediatourship he must not relinquish with reverence be it spoken till he hath finished his whole work that is brought the righteous God and poor man together again who were set at a distance through the Interposition of the Devil In order whereunto he did assume the Humane Nature and in his own person joyn it to the Divine that so by virtue of this Union and in the execution of that Office which was annexed unto it he might Malgrè all the malice of Hell bring many Sons unto glory But now to lay down this Office by leaving the holy place where he is once entred before he hath perfected the Atonement which will not be till all the Elect be delivered out of the reach of Satan would be so great a dishonour to the Divine Majesty that it could not well be repaired by Wisdom it self Perhaps it will be said these are great words be it so but they are also most true And therefore that disservice that is done unto Christ by these Fifth Monarchy-men as they are called in ascribing unto him such a power as they have fancied for it is but the corrupt fruit of their own Imagination as will appear in the end must needs be very great likewise That they do promote the Design of Antichrist is also clear though they perceive it not For hath it not been the Masterpiece of Rome in the setting up of the Popes Vicegerency under Christ to make all the Powers of the Earth stoop unto him yea to render them in time altogether useless save in what he shall ex Cathedra dictate unto them It was said of him by one who knew well what spirit he would be of That he opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped So that to despise Dominion 2 Thes 2.4 and to speak evil of Dignities much more to overturn Order and Civil Government which in infinite Wisdom and goodness hath been established by God in the World must needs be an acceptable Service done unto Antichrist as very much conducing to the carrying on of his pernicious Design and it will sooner be preparatory thereunto then any whit to the advancement of Christ's honour But to let this pass If the word of Truth the Will of the faithful God revealed in holy Scripture be constant and perpetual then may we safely say That this present way which is now in being of the dispensation of Divine Power and Providence in the government of Mankind shall never be changed The Apostle adviseth that every Soul be subject to the higher Powers enforcing it with a Reason that must ever prevail upon the Consciences of men for saith he the Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 He exhorteth also that Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks Rom. 13.1 be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. adding also such a Reason that will undoubtedly over-rule the hearts of those that fear God for saith he This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour Again Put them in mind saith he to Titus to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates c. Implying that though they would be apt to forget mans nature being ever since it was depraved by our first Parents Ambition wondrously inclinable to an irregular exorbitancy yet they should know this was their duty as well as any other that was given them in charge by the Gospel And now I appeal unto all that are not willing to be deceived whether all this doth not clearly imply the perpetuation of these Powers for if they should not continue unto the end this word of command and exhortation would be altogether useless and impertinent which is an Imputation not to be put upon the words of the Wise yea of Wisdom it self If any shall say yea there shall be a Government to the end but not of a Humane Constitution the Apostle S. Peter will presently stop the mouth of this Objection with that express word of command which he giveth saying Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 14. whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him All this then being the undoubted Verity which the Lord Jesus Christ by his Apostles and Servants hath made known unto his Church and which whosoever will peremptorily deny let him expect a Conviction with a manifestation of Gods displeasure what is it that will be objected hereunto What Rather then fail the holy Scripture shall be forced to furnish men with Evasions and Truth shall be set in opposition against in self But O man who art thou that makest this jangling between the words of Truth That turnest the Rule of the Righteous God into crookedness and deformity Is it meet to say to the Eternity of Israel Thou art not the same Fie upon such Blasphemy Let God be true and every man a Liar His words are not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen pure words as silver tried in a Furnace of earth without any the least dross of falshood or prevarication purified seven times It must surely therefore be some strong delusion that puts men upon this Satanical Sophistry to make Truth contradict it self And what is it that is alledged but some obscure Prophetick places of Scripture the Interpretation whereof will be better known by a patient waiting for the Accomplishment if they be not already fulfilled then by a rash and hasty determination to the dishonouring of the holy Spirit in the invalidating of other places that are plain and clear without any shadow of Ambiguity whatsoever And let these Fifth Monarchy-men themselves judge whether it would not be safer and become them better to submit to the express Commands of the Holy Ghost in Scripture then tenaciously to lean to their own understandings in giving a peremptory sense of some dark and dubious Prophecies to the contradicting of those Commands But to close up this whole matter I suppose that now after all the pretended challenges that have in these times been made by parties to promote the Magistrates Interest it will begin to appear unto all men who are willing to see whose Principles are and have been notwithstanding all their flattering Pretensions Antimagistratical Having thus removed the before-named Objection that lay in our way and made manifest the truth of that Proposition which tended to the clearing and illustrating of our Solution of that Objection viz. That Government is an Ordinance of Divine Authorization made to be subservient unto Christ in his great work of Preservation and for that end to be continued so long as the World endures Let us now come to make use of this Doctrine concerning the Immutability of
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
have attained to that Eternal Glory even as good Fathers are wont for the honour of their Children to put some Ornaments upon their Servants Piscator also upon the same place writeth thus Rom. 8. Coelum Terra inn vabuntur quum Patâ—fiet Gloria filiorum Dei Heaven and Earth shall then be renewed when the Glory of Gods Children shall appear Ravanellus likewise a late Writer in his Bibliothecâ Sacrâ saith Etiam Terra quoad substantiam erit Eterna Yea the Earth in respect of its substance shall be Eternal Lastly To name no more Brentius Hom. 53. in Luc. thus argueth Num Coelum Terra transibunt ita ut nihil eorum omnino maneat Minime omnium non transibunt omnino sed mutabuntur abjicient vestimentum corruptionis induent novam vestem incorruptionis Futura quidem Coeli ac Terrae mutatio non autem in totum abolitio Shall Heaven and Earth so pass away that nothing of them shall remain No verily they shall not altogether pass away but they shall be changed they shall cast of the Garment of Corruption and put on a new Robe of Incorruption There shall indeed be a change of Heaven and Earth but not a total Abolition I have not here mentioned any of our own Writers who notwithstanding many of them Grave Learned and Reverend Divines whose Works praise them in the Gates do unanimously Assert the same Doctrine And thus we see the concurrent Judgment of Writers both old and new inclining this way viz. That it is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only as the Apostle's word is in another place 1 Cor. 7.31 and which some construe to this very purpose The Figure the Habit the Form and Fashion of the World that shall hereafter pass away not the Substance Nature and Essence of it for that shall be purified and perpetuated in Glory to all Eternity And though the Scripture speaks of a Conflagration Dissolution and Preterition which they who are of a contrary judgment in this Point do much insist upon yet since they speak no where of an utter Abolition or Annihilation we may with safety abide by what we have declared But here take this Caution it behoves us in these matters to be wise according to so briety and in all humble mod esty to content our selves with this general discovery of the renovation and restauration of the World for we see the Apostle speaks of it in the general term of the Creature meaning the frame and sabrick of the World as hath been said consisting of Celestial and Elementary Regions Now if we should enter too curiously to search what Creatures else of the World shall be restored what place shall contain them what actions they shall have what properties they shall be endued with wherein they shall be serviceable and useful to the Glorified Saints c. If we should I say launch out to venturously into this Deep we shall not have the Cynosure of the word to guide us and so shall certainly fall upon the flats of our own foolish Imaginations or run desperately upon the Rocks of most dangerous errours such as Cerinthus and the Chiliasts have done It is enough for us that we have this general discovery made of the Minde of God herein viz. That the Creature shall be restored and delivered from the bondage of corruption into or for the glorious liberty of the Children of God and that a reparation shall be made by Jesus Christ of that which sin hath so much defaced and disordered And now to conclude Doth not all this evidently speak out that Christ will not fail in the exercise of his power over the World But as he began to manifest it in the Creation and to continue it in the preservation so he will perfect it in the restauration of all things declaring himself thereby mightily to be the Son of God Yesterday to Day and the same for ever But before we dismiss this Point Let us as we have done with the former bring in some few Corolaries to wait upon it for it is not fit that a doctrine of so noble a sublimity should be without Attendants that may some way be useful for the Church of God The first then that appears comes with a rule or a rod to rectify an old errour newly revived For if this truth be admitted as it must unless wee will shut out the Lord Jesus Christ from a most eminent part of his Glory that is then an Errour to be exploded and repented of which is very confidently maintained by many in these times concerning that outward Glory made up of a temporal peace safety and happiness with an affluence of all good things which they have imagined the Saints shall here in this life be Partakers of before the end of the World grounding their opinion upon such Places of Scripture which make mention of this restauration that we have insisted upon But if this Restauration shall not be till after the general Judgment as hath been made to appear I hope such Persons who have been of that erroneous perswasion will finde cause hereafter to be of another Minde I will not deny but that upon the downfal of that Man of Sin the Church may shine forth in a more beauteous lustre in respect of spiritual Glory before the end commeth then now at this present can be discerned in her but whatsoever that may prove it shall certainly be attended with much trouble from the World and from the Divel for the promises that are made to the Church while she is Militant Mor. 10 30 2 Tim 3.12 are accompanied with this Proviso viz. That she must look for Persecution And therefore to look for a Kingdom of Saints here which shall continue a thousand years free from troubles is so Vain a thing that methinks without a strong delusion of Satan it should not enter into the hearts of any that pretend to be acquainted with the Counsels of God in his Word It is not meet that the Spouse should finde her way through Ease and Pleasure when her Lord is gone before through much Labour and Sorrow The Disciple is not to be above his Master nor the Servant to be above his Lord It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and for the Servant that he hee as his Lord If the Master of the House was rejected and despised by men yea made a Man of Sorrows while he was here upon earth Es 53.3 how much more should the same Lot befal those of his household It will assuredly be the Glory of the Church while she is in her warfare to be still in the feild fighting the Lords battels and to resemble the Captain of her Salvation who went through Water and Bloud and was made perfect by sufferings For him Luk. 24.26 2 Tim. 2.12 Mat. 30.23 He ought as he said of himself to suffer and so to enter into his Glory And surely the Church must follow
yea and the greater was our sin that after we had some large experience of this great Glory wherein Divine Goodness had put us we should through our absurd folly deprive our selves of it This for the second Consideration arising from the said Doctrine The third brings a Light in her hand to guide us in the first Resurrection and to shew us the Glory of the second First we are hereby taught to fit and prepare our selves against this time of Restauration viz. By raising up our dull heavy and carnal hearts from this present evil World where they are too apt to lie groveling and by setting our Affections on things above and upon this Comfortable time of Refreshing wherein the Lord Jesus will freely and fully manifest his love and faithfulness unto his beloved people And indeed seeing that these things shall be dissolved and again restored What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Scarce any among us I dare say but do look for new Heavens and new Earth that is expect Salvation in the Day of the Lord. But can we be so deluded as to think that the old Adam should bring us thither A Delusion notwithstanding it is wherewith multitudes are miserably deceived But beloved Brethren let it be remembred that the flaming Sword which keeps the Way to the Tree of Life will never suffer any to enter there under such a Conduct There must dwell nothing but Righteousness neither shall there in any wise enter into it any thing that defileth Rev. 21.27 nor whosoever worketh Abomination or maketh a Lye If therefore we carry our sins along with us we shall certainly stand without amongst Dogs and never be admitted Rouze up thy Soul therefore O poor Sinner and with Indignation shake off whatsoever it be that may hinder thee from having a part in that Glory that shall be revealed For be assured the Lord Jesus Christ will never suffer his new Creation to be sullied with the least spot or stain of Uncleanness He will not have his poor Creature to be ever groaning and when he hath once freed it it shall be freed for ever none but the new Creature shall be the Inhabitant of his new Creation Let all old things then be done away both in our hearts and in our lives and let all things become new I shall conclude this first Branch with that excellent Gloss of Mr. Calvin upon that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.10 Non subtiliter de igne procellâ c. Disputare voluit Apostolus sed tantum inde elicere exhortationem quam mox attexit nempe ut enitamur nos quoque advitoe novitatem The Apostle's design is not subtlely to argue about the sire c. that shall be at the last Day but from the consideration of the change that shall then be to draw forth an Exhortation to perswade men to newness of life So say I let us not busie our selves about too curious an inquisition after the manner of that change that shall be made of the Heavens and of the Earth rather it should be our care according to the advice and warning of the Apostle that seeing we look for such things as new Heavens and new Earth 2 Pet. 3.14 to give all diligence that we be found of him who is the faithful Authour of this Change in peace without spot and blameless And thus are we guided by this Doctrine to the first Resurrection Secondly it will shew unto us somewhat of the Glory of the second For according to the Power and Wisdom of the Workman so is the Work to be expected that cometh out of his hands if he be able and expert in his Art whatsoever it be his Work will be answerable Now it is to be presumed that Jesus Christ who is the Wisdom of God and the Power of God will like himself produce a most glorious Work in his Restauration of all things for herein also he will be the same which he was from the Beginning What therefore the Prophet spake in a certain place may very well be applied to this purpose Es 64.4 Since the beginning of the World for in the beginning there was some kinde of resemblance of that Glory which shall be Eye hath not seen as the Apostle renders it nor Ear heard 1 Cor. 2.9 neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The Eye of man hath seen much the Ear perhaps hath heard more but the Heart conceiveth more then Eye hath seen or Ear heard but Eye Ear and Heart are all too narrow to comprehend or describe the exceeding weight and superlative Greatness of that fulness of Glory It may suffice that it is of his wise and powerful ordering who is the same yesterday to day and for ever In the 14 of S. John the Lord speaketh to his Disciples in these words which have a measure that reacheth unto all Believers I go John 14.2 saith he to prepare a place for you a place with himself that where he is there also may his people be Being then I say of his preparation who is the Lord of Glory and of his Prepossession too how can it possibly be but exceeding Glorious Kings do not use to erect Cottages but set forth their Magnificence in sumptuous Buildings How stately then shall that place be which is prepared by Jesus Christ the King of Glory It was as he himself faith elsewhere prepared from the foundation of the World Mat 25.34 Yet after some thousands of years he saith again I go to prepare a place for you Once more behold here by the way how Jesus Christ is still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same that excellent Work which he made and prepared at first and which was afterwards lost and forfeited by man'd Disobedience he will now prepare it again for all those that believe in him for in him there is no variableness nor ever shall be That Preparation therefore that is to be made will be it seems in part the Reparation of that which was made in the Beginning In part I say for it will not become us to mete out or to set Bounds to this great Work of Christ by any Topographical Delineations otherwise then we have the Word to guide us neither indeed can we positively determine what it shall be 1 John 3.2 It doth not yet appear saith the Evangelist what we our selves shall be though for the present we be the Children of God And what the Glory was of our first Creation we are not able in this our low estate to finde out much less do we know what that Glory is which Christ is preparing But notwithstanding this is certain because it is revealed there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and where Righteousness dwelleth there must needs be great Glory For if Righteousness here where she is but a Forreiner
is enquire into Moses and the Prophets They are they that testifie of me But Quoad dispensationis modum c. The Manifestations of God's Presence with his People are not now after the same manner as in the time of old and the outward form of his Worship which he hath prescribed is not the same with us as it was with the Fathers yet nevertheless this doth no more impeach the Immutability of the Mediator by whom the change is made then a Covenant written and expressed more plainly with a distinct form of words from what it had before doth put an imputation of Inconstancy upon him that granted it Of which more shall be said hereafter The Scripture is very clear for the confirmation of the proposed Doctrine Even Yesterday was the setting of that Day foretold for Daniel prophecied of the putting out of the Light thereof Dan. 9.27 viz. Dan. 9.27 Jer. 31.31 Mal. 1.11 of the cessation of the old Sacrifices and Jeremy foretelleth of a new Covenant Jer. 31.31 c. and Malachy of a new Oblation and the Jews themselves acknowledge according to these Prophecies that when Messiah shall come he shall turn their Day into Night and change their Laws Answerable hereto is that of our Saviour Luke 16. The Law and the Prophets were untill John Luke 16.16 which John was indeed the true Janus who saw both daies the Concluder of the former and the Beginner of the latter There will be no great need to insist much upon the proof hereof the Epistle to the Galatians is in a manner wholly spent upon this Argument let us single out some places wherein the Apostle giveth very pregnant testimonies concerning this matter We saith he Gal. 4.3 Gal. 4.3 when we were children that is before we had that true manly knowledge and wisdom whereto we have now in the fulness of Time attained were in bondage under the elements of the world Heb. 9.10 Carnal Ordinances which were the Abecedarian Rudiments of the Paedagogy of the Law were the Light of that Day but these Elements are now utterly destitute of their former Influence Luster and Vigour being become but weak and beggarly Gal. 4.9 Gal. 4.9 of so mean account are they now even in the judgment of him who saith of himself When he was a childe he spake as a childe making his boast of them 1 Cor. 13.11 verily thinking with himself that he ought to do many things according to those Rudiments but when he became a man he put away all those childish things True it is they had as one saith well been Elements in their time and God had used them as the first Letters of the Book to schole his People with but their Office was ended that fulness of Time which brought Christ into the World and that fulness of Knowledge and Grace which Christ brought with him was their Diminution The Light which they gave though Glorious in that Day is by reason of a more excellent Brightness that now shineth quite extinct and of no value even as the poor light of a Candle is of no use when the Sun appeareth in his full strength Again the same Apostle tells us in the same Epistle Gal. 3.23 Gal. 5.18 Rom. 6.14 Gal. 3.23.5.18 and so also Rom. 6.14 that we are not under the Law And what is the priviledge that we have hereby Surely very great for we are not only not under the Curse of the Law but not under the guidance and conduct of the Law as it was in the hand of Moses John 1.17 He indeed gave the Law that is the Letter of it and that was all the light that he could give and the Veil upon his face did then shadow out the Veil upon the peoples hearts which was not taken away in the reading of the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 2 Cor. 3.6 but the Ministry of the New Testament is not the Ministry of the Letter but of the Spirit and the Veil which was of old under the Law in the reading of the Old Testament is now under the Gospel done away by Christ So that I say again we are not under the Law in the Letter of it as they of old were neither can the Veil of Moses hinder us as it did the people formerly As here so likewise in other places of Scripture doth the Apostle bear witness to this truth Col. 2.14 v.g. Col. 2.14 * Or De crees Deleto quod adversum nos erat Chirographo Doctrinis Christ hath blotted out the Hand-writing or Obligation of Ordinances whereby is principally understood the Law of Ceremonies which was an Act of Yesterday Or Christ hath by his Doctrines that is new Statutes of the Gospel blotted out the Hand-writing viz. of the Law which was against us for so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred without the least perverting of the Apostles sense Let it be construed either way it plainly demonstrates that the Obligation which was of Yesterday in the time of the Old Testament in full force and virtue is now utterly cancelled made void and of none effect And least some might cast out a scruple that though it be blotted yet still it may be legible the Apostle further saith He hath taken it out of the way yea and that it may not be suspected that it should be afterwards brought to light again it is added for the removal of all fears and jealousies whatsoever that he nailed it for our greater security to his Cross that is to die with him and so rent it in pieces Again Col. 2.17 Col. 2.17 having spoken of certain Customs and Rites proper to the Time of the Old Testament he saith of them They were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shadow of things to come And what things were those Such things as many Prophets and Kings have desired to see Luke 10.24 but could not A Complication of all which glorious things the Apostle there ascribeth unto Christ calling him the Body which when it is come there is no more use at all of the shadow but it must give room thereto and vanish away Types are to endure but till the time of Rectifying Heb. 9.10 that is Heb. 9 10. the Evangelical Jubilee which sets all in their due Order and Station Lastly To insist upon no more in Heb. 1.1 2. there is set down a plain difference between Then and Now observe God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son To them at sundry times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by many parts as the word importeth now a part of his will and then a part the Lord was then in the way only of revealing his Minde to his Church letting forth Light by little and little till the Sun of Righteousness Jesus Christ arose he had not told his whole Will And so
the Posterity of Abraham the friend of God and of Isaac and Jacob Heires with him of the same Promise and Grace And in fine as the Complement of all the rest From among you was the Messiah to come And in the fulness of time did come the Incarnate Son of God taking his flesh of you that he might though he be God blessed for ever be the Mediatour between God and Man yea suffer Death for you and us likewise that believe in him All this we willingly yeild unto you nay more we will be confident of your Restauration because the Lord hath said it and he will not Repent concerning which we shall God willing speak more largely hereafter in the following parts of this Treatise because our Text which is the ground of the whole Matter hath a special respect unto you above all others Come then in the name of God let us joyn together and go up to the Mountain of the Lord Es 2.3 4 5. to the House of the God of Jacob He will teach us his ways and we will walk as Brethren in his Paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem He shall judg among the Nations and shall rebuke many People They shall beat their Swords into Plow-sheares and their Spears into Pruning-hookes Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more O House of Jacob come yee and let us walk in the light of the Lord. But as for those wretched Apostata's who were once inlightned but now turn their Backs upon this Light denying the Lord that bought them and so Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open Shame pretending to joyn themselves to you in walking in the Light of Yesterday Wo unto them it had been good for them they had never been born and I doubt not but when you shall come to look upon him whom you have Peirced and to Mourn for him according to the Prophecy of Zechariah as one mourneth for his onely Son Zech. 12.10 that you your selves will abhor them as a People most accursed and so I leave them Another sort that grope after the Light of Yesterday are those that seek to be justified by the Works of the Law who do but lose themselves in the Dark and shall never be able thereby to see the Light of Life True it is the Law was once such a Light which if it had been exactly followed would have been a sure Conduct into the Presence of God but being not observed as it ought to have been it seemed good to the Father of Lights to remove it so as that it is now totally and finally Eclipsed in respect of any Influence in that Point of Justification which was the glory of it in the Beginning And whosoever they be that will now pretend to walk in the Light of it so as to be justified thereby in the Sight of God they shall most assuredly finde it to be a dreadful Blazing Comet that portends nothing but inevitable Ruine and Destruction unto them And yet alas how inconsiderate are many People in fixing their Confidence hereupon Though they cannot but know that Do this and live was the Voice of God Yesterday But Live and do this is the Command of the Lord to Day so expressely contrary is the Light that now is in the manifestations of it to that which was formerly yet such is the Cross-grain'd perversness indeed of us all by nature whereby we are wont ruere in vetitum that we are apt still to thwart God in his Dispensations towards us And because we mist of the Tree of Life by not doing that at first which God commanded therefore being led on by that Appetite which is still in us by Nature after that first Estate wherein we were Created we do contrary to Gods express Inhibition foolishly Endeavour by our own Righteousness to recover it again wherein as hath been said we loose our selves utterly God having now propounded another way to Life But it may be Objected was not the Law given since upon Mount Sinai and if we must not be justified by the works of the Law wherefore was it revived I Answer with the Apostle Gal. 3.19 the Law was added because of Transgressions that is Gal. 3.19 not onely for the restraining of them as it is commonly conceived though that be a chief end of giving the Law but because Transgressions so much abounded in the World when the grace of God had so much appeared In which regard God seeing Men so Unworthy of his Grace he revived the Old Covenant again in giving the Law which was saith the Apostle to continue till the Seed came to whom the Promise was made that so men might thereby as by a Schole-Master be whipped out of their old Forme which being come if any will yet hanker after that old Covenant the Law shall no more be revived for that end as formerly but the Condemnation thereof shall be added for the Contempt of the Gospel Away therefore with all this Homespun Inherent Righteousness let it be accounted in the matter of Justification before God even as in truth it is but a filthy Rag and when we have done all that we can given all our Goods to the Poor and our Bodies to be burned let us say we are unprofitable Servants c. And for the Law let it be a Guide unto us as it ought to be in the way of Holiness and Righteousness all the Dayes of our Lives but we must not make it our Guard to preserve us at any time from Incensed Justice of the Almighty mighty for therein it will certainly fail a good Tutour it is to instruct and admonish us but an idle Advocate to plead for us before God's Tribunal its onely Exercise there being to Accuse and Condemn A Third sort that Unseasonably busy themselves with Yesterday are the Papists who have a long time set up the Ceremonial Law of Moses in the Worship and Service of God who are it seems and still will be Children led on by weak and beggarly Elements which notwithstanding at this time are not any Help unto them at all but rather a Hinderance in respect of any Spiritual Edification and whereas they pretend to promote the Gospel and to advance the Honour of Christ they do in effect by their Conformity to the Mosaical Paedagogy deny and forsake them both To what purpose are their Altars their Priests their Sacrifices their Washings Unctions Shaving Sprinkling Purifying c. To what End I say are these many other the like beggarly Ceremonies but to bring a Vail over the Gospel and to call back Yesterday to which the Lord Jesus Christ hath pronounced a consummatum est And if they be not finished Christ himself hath not yet finished his Work for which he was sent into the World and then where are we There need not much be said
manner declare his consent unto that Judgment Thou saith he hast driven me this day from the face of the earth But how could that be Gen. 4.14 But how could that be seeing it is after said of him that he went and dwelt in the Land of Nod and there he built him a City Gen. 4.16 where he became the prime Leader or Patriarch of an Antichristian Church in that Generation a cast-away-company of forlorn Miscreants both he and they giving themselves up to all sensuality Bishop Mountague Dr. Light-foot Jude v. 11 so to sweeten their misery and banishment as their corrupt fancy might suggest unto them which as one saith probably is that way of Cain mentioned by the Apostle S. Jude He was not therefore quite taken off from the earth but from that part of the earth where he had joyn'd with his Parents in the solemn and pure Worship of God as appears in the words following where he saith And from thy presence shall I be hid which clearly implieth that he was excommunicated by Christ out of his Church where the Lord is wont to manifest his Gracious presence among his people in his holy Ordinances After this the Church in process of time having degenerated from her purity by a corrupt Commistion with the accursed Progeny of Cain thereby contracting to it self the Guilt of all that prodigious Villany that was then acted in the world The Lord Jesus Christ as became a vigilant and faithful Governour over his Charge strove and travelled by his Spirit in the Ministry of his Servants to reclaim his people from the errour of their way 1 Pet 3.19 calling upon them to separate themselves from that wicked Generation but finding them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immorigeri a people that would not be perswaded into Order when he had waited 120 years while the Ark was preparing he did at length like a righteous King and Judge execute his judgment by bringing in the â—loud upon the World of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 so cutting off at one blow the whole Posterity of Cain together with a sort of treacherous Rebels that would not be ruled nor reclaimed by him But I shall not insist upon many Instances that might here be inserted to this purpose Ex. 23.20 take only one more That Angel which God promised he would send to the Israelites to keep them in their way and to bring them into the Land of Canaan was undoubtedly no other then Christ himself For as Pelargus noteth upon that place it could not be Moses according to Caictan's conceit for he did not lead the people into the Land of Promise neither could it be Joshuah for he did not keep the Israelites in the way nor punish their transgressions neither could it be a created Angel for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Adjuncts there specified are not applicable to any such they do only Quadrare i. e. Aptly sute with Jesus Christ Yea the Apostle S. Paul doth testifie so much 1 Cor. 10.9 1 Cor. 10. where it is plainly said of Christ That the Israelites tempted him in the Wilderness Now concerning this Angel God forewarned the people in these words Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions That is he will surely execute his judgment upon you if you rebel against him 1 Cor. 10.9 10. as he did one while by Serpents another while by the Destroyer viz. the destroying Angel Num. 14.37 For saith he Exod. 23.21 My Name is in him that is He is the Lord Jehovah as I am of the same Essence Power Majesty and Authority as one well interprets the place which agreeth with that of the Apostle Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily that is not in Clouds and Ceremonies Col. 2.9 as between the Cherubims but essentially personally So that Orthodox and sound Divine Davenant and therefore it deeply concerned them to stand in awe of him And now to conclude this Point wherein possibly I may be charged with over-much Prolixity but that the advancement of the Honour of Jesus Christ will I hope be a sufficient excuse and plea for me among those that take pleasure in the promoting thereof It is I believe very clear and evident by what hath been here said That the Lord Jesus was the King of his Church Yesterday as well as to Day And therefore when the people of Israel did out of a proud affectation to be like other Nations desire a King to be set over them the Lord saith 1 Sam. 8.7 1 Sam. 8.7 that they had rejected him from being their King that is even Christ the Lord as not contenting themselves with that Church-state wherein by his Spiritual Government over them they were made a people happy and glorious above all other Nations in the world whom preposterously they would now all on a sudden without any direction from God seek to imitate In the next place we are to take into consideration the Priestly Office of Christ for even in this also we shall finde him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ a Priest Yesterday the same yesterday i. a Priest to his Church from the beginning In the pursuance of this Point we shall fix our discourse principally upon two places of Scripture which will I believe make it evident and manifest unto all And first very remarkable is that which the Prophet David speaks of Christ in the 110 Psalm Ps 110.4 Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek In which words we may take notice of two things first the continuance of Christ's Priesthood Secondly the order of it For the continuance it is an eternal Priesthood to last for ever which word for ever comprehendeth in it the whole time and age of the Church from the beginning Or if it be limited to time to come it is to be understood with a reference unto Christ's first entrance upon his Mediatorial Office which was then when the new Covenant passed between God and Christ in the behalf of poor man immediately after the violation of the first as hath been said before And this possibly may be the reason why the Apostle speaking very frequently of Christ's eternal Priesthood Heb. 6 7 Chapters still renders this word for ever in the Singular Number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 7.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat tum supra legem quam post legem ut Metaphysicâ—â— c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saepe ponitur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because Christ's Priestly Office was not to take in that time wherein our first Parents stood in the state of Innocency but only that seculum which was to ensue even unto the end of the world If it be objected that Christ was made Priest since the Law because the Apostle saith Heb. 7.28 That the Word of the Oath which was since the
Law maketh the Son high Priest who is Consecrated for evermore I answer first Although the Word of the Oath as it is mentioned by David came after the Law given upon Mount Sinai yet the Oath it self might notwithstanding be made at the first making of the Covenant and so the word of the Prophet implies being rendred in the Pretertense The Lord sware as a thing that had been done long before Secondly If the Law there be to be taken with a reference to the Covenant of Works given to Adam of which Covenant the Law given upon Sinai was in some respect a Renovation then it will be clear that this Oath was made in the time prefixed viz. upon the passing of the new Covenant Thirdly If it should be limited to the time after the Law was given by Moses yet it appeareth not by the words of the Apostle that the Priestly Office of Christ was not effectual before for though it be rendred in our English Version The Word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Son c. yet it is not so in the Original the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated Maketh not being in this latter clause of the Verse as it is in the former but possibly some other word signifying a Confirmation of the Son in his Office may be there by the Apostle understood or the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may carry with it such a signification But in these things I shall submit unto better Judgements Secondly The Order according to which Christ's Priesthood is confirmed is the Order of Melchizedek who this Melchizedek was is needless here yea unlawful at any time to search out But for his Order we are to enquire unto it And albeit he himself was not known by name in the world till about 2000 years after the Creation and consequently no real resemblance could be made of him before that time yet that hindreth not but that Christ's Priesthood from the beginning might be said to be according to his Order in the purpose and foreknowledge of God and have a virtual operation long before though the actual susception and administration of the Office by Melchizedek was not till 2000 years after By order then or similitude as it is called Heb. 7.15 Heb. 7.15 is meant the state or condition of Melchizedek in the execution of his Office and that was according to the words of the Apostle After the power of an endless life for he was without father Heb. 7.16 Heb. 7.3 without mother without descent having neither beginning of daies nor end of life according to his Scriptural being The meaning whereof in short is this His Priesthood was an everlasting Priesthood Answerable hereunto and home to our purpose such also is the Priesthood of Christ viz. An everlasting Priesthood for as Melchizedek in his Scriptural being had neither beginning nor end but a Priest he was before any mention is made of him Gen. 14.18 And the Apostle saith of him also that he abideth a Priest continually Heb. 7.3 So in like manner was the Lord Jesus Christ in effect a Priest long before his appearance in the world according to the flesh and continueth to be a Priest still now when he hath left the World Thus doth this Scripture witness that Jesus Christ was a Priest yesterday The next Scripture that we shall make use of to this end shall be that of the Apostle Heb. 5.1 Every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God Heb 5.1 that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Where we may see the properties of the high Priest described to shew the truth of them in Christ which upon due examination we shall finde to be fulfilled by him Yesterday as well as to day First It was requisite that the high Priest should be sever'd and set apart from the common multitude for so the words there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is being taken from Men do most properly signifie Ex 28.1 Thus was Aaron and his Sons sever'd and set apart for the Priests Office by the commandment of God And as the Aaronicall Priest was thus sever'd so was Christ for though he had not his bodily being amongst men till he was made of a woman yet he was set apart and destin'd by God to be the Priest of his Church from the beginning and his Office was virtually in force before his solemn and publick undertaking thereof in the daies of his flesh Which Assertion that it may not seem strange I shall endeavour to make it plain by an instance of somewhat the like nature When our first Parents had by their Disobedience thrown themselves under God's Displeasure all the whole Race of Mankinde was then involv'd in the same Hazard all of us I say were then before we had such an Alternate being as we have had since in the World by succeeding Generations brought under the Axe of Divine Justice and that by such a way and manner which we are not able now to comprehend every Mothers Childe as we say in our ordinary Proverb stood then at the Bar of God's dreadful Tribunal ready to be haled away to execution And this I suppose will be easily granted Well then If we were all present at that time in a likely way of an everlasting Perdition How came it to pass that a Pardon was then Actually given to some and Potentially for others if Christ our high Priest was not according to his Capacity of being a Mediatour at time present also But being so as continual experience hath given clear demonstration he was then unquestionably set apart by the Father from the common multitude to perform that Office which Office I say he then began and afterwards continued it in the first-born one Generation after another before the Law putting an excellency upon them and their Offerings which gave them a special Interest in the favour of God above their Brethren Again when it seemed good to the Divine Wisdom under the Law to divert the course of holy and religious Service at God's Altar from the first-born to the Tribe of Levi even those Levitical Priests had Christ's Concurrency with them in the execution of their Office for when God had commanded Moses Ex. 30.30 to Anoint the Priests with sacred Oyl Ex. 30.30.32 in the 32 Verse he forbiddeth to Anoint man's flesh with it How shall we untie this Knot saith Bishop Downham Priests must be Anointed with the holy Oyl but men may not Surely it implieth that that Priesthood surpassed the height of all humane Excellency because of the Relation it had to Jesus Christ in his virtual Concurrency with it It appeareth then that Christ was set apart for this Office from the beginning Again the high Priest saith the Apostle is ordained for men in things pertaining to God That is was appointed to employ all his Office with God for man's good He
Jehovah that is God the Father who is essentially one with the Son passed by in his Glory proclaiming his Name To say nothing of the Lord's stay and abode with Moses and his converse with him as it is at large declared in the following part of the Chapter Ex. 34 28. and that for fourty days and fourty nights as appears V. 28. after the end of this glorious Vision which did also put a glorious lustre upon the face of Moses which never any of God's former appearances unto him did It is I suppose manifest unto all men that this preparation that was here made doth demonstrate clearly that Jesus Christ was a mediatour to Moses for good and that without him he could never have been able with safety to his Life to have endured that excellent glory Secondly The form or method of that divine Proclamation doth also intimate the same unto us Let us consider it so far as I conceive for the present it hath a pertinency to the point in hand and that is in the order and method of the Names wherewith the God proclaimeth himself viz. The Lord the Lord God Observe first Ex. 34.6 The Lord then The Lord God The first implying one that hath his Being of himself and who is the Authour of all subordinate Beings the second signifying the Lord Strong and Mighty The first sheweth Goodness the second Greatness The first puts the Creature into a relation unto God and gives it a dependance upon him Ex. 6.3 Note Moses his former admissions into Gods presence were grantted unto him by an extraordinary condescension possibly because he was then to be Mediatour of the renewed Covenant of Works wherein Jesus Christ was not to be concerned the second advanceth the Divine excellency above the Creature and beyond the descent of a Correlation unto it in a Word The first conferres a Right upon Believers to and in the Mediatour for it is Jehovah that gives a being to all the Promises Exod 6.3 the second makes the Mediatour himself-subordinate unto God Now therefore behold the Goodness of God presented unto Moses in that The Lord is named before The Lord God had this Proclamation of the name of God been without this preceeding Title I doubt it had not been safe for Moses to have seen any glimpse of all that transient Glory such as never was the like manifested unto him or any other mortal man before and if so what can this argue but the necessity of a Mediatour between God and man without whom never could any of the posterity of Adam since the humane nature was defiled by his Disobedience have the least Acquaintance with the Almighty to their Comfort but must for ever have been kept at a distance from him But it is the Lord that is between Moses and the Lord God which makes all that God saith of himself to be very good And now I do here humbly commend this Interpretation which I have given of this place of Scripture to the whole Church of God being partly led thereunto by the consideration of the different manner which also is observable of the Scriptures speaking of God before the expulsion of our first Parents out of Paradise where the promise of Grace was given unto them immediately upon their Fall from that which is spoken of him afterwards before viz. In the second and third Chapters of Genesis Moses speaks of God with the Appellative Title of The Lord God but after in the fourth Chapter and so forwards he maketh mention of the Lord onely not The Lord God which to my apprehension doth plainly imply that God did not appear unto Man after the Fall as he did before but what intercourse soever passed between God and Man was in and through the Mediation of Jehovah that is Jesus Christ the Lord Not but the Father and the Holy Ghost are called in Scripture Jehovah too even as the Son see Ps 2.2 Ps 110.1 1 Cor. 12.4 5. But wheresoever these two Titles Jehovah Jehovah El. The Lord and The Lord God are set together and distinguisht each from other as in that to Moses before mentioned and in this latter mentioned by Moses there is the Son onely Quatenus Mediatour to be understood by it Clearly then Jesus Christ was the Mediatour Yesterday between God and his people as well as to Day And upon the whole it is manifest that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same or the onely He to his Church in point of Salvation under the Old Testament even as now under the New And let this suffice for the Confirmation of this Doctrine But as we have proved the Truth of it so it is very fit that we should now improve it in making some Use thereof for the furtherance of the Gospel In the first place I shall again take this opportunity to make an Address to the dispersed of the Jews whom I do beseech by all that antient Love that hath been between God and them that they would yet look upon him whom they have pierced And herein I do but exhort you O yee that were once a People Zech. 12.10 yea the onely people of God to that which your selves know well enough is prophecyed of you 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which shall surely be accomplished shortly by you And I beseech you will it not be far better for you that the Prophet's words should be made good in this Generation then in those that come after you Look upon your present estate wherein you stand and see whether that honourable Bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ which your Fathers shed do not lie upon you as a stupendious guilt unto this very Day Look upon all that is written by Moses and the Prophets concerning him and see whether it be not all exactly fulfilled to a Tittle in that our blessed Lord who on Mount Calvary by Jerusalem was with wicked hands crucified and slain Nay have not your selves been instrumental in executing that upon Jesus of Nazareth which was prophecyed should be done unto the Messiah Alas alas will you be still wilfully blinde look up and behold your King Pilate once spake it in scorn or out of a Design of Rebellion against Caesar Joh. 19.14 but I speak it unto you as I said before out of a hearty desire of your Restauration to your former Glory Behold I say your King and behold your Priest and behold your Prophet Your King who watched over you in all your Generations of old to defend and protect you and to deliver you from all your Enemies and whom now also to serve you will undoubtedly finde to be your perfect freedom Your Priest whose Sacrifice did virtually accompany all the Sacrifices of the Aaronical Priest-hood making them effectual for your Good and will fully expiate your great sin in sacrificing that is Crucifying even this your High-Priest who is now in the Holy place at the right hand of his
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
therefore hath God made choice not of the Object but the Act of faith to be imputed to us for our Justification There is indeed a lenitive cast in to qualifie the sharpness of this corroding and poisonous errour graunting faith not to be the meritorious cause of Justification But why then is the Lord Jesus Christ the Object of our faith so plainly shut out from having any part at all in this matter and why are we told that where it is said we are justified by faith it is not to be taken Tropically and Metonymically for the Object as many Orthodox Writers do interpret it whom I could set in opposition to those that are mustered up for the defense of this Errour if they have at least given that suffrage unto it as is pretended yea and why is such an inference derived from the Apostles frequent magnifying of faith Rom. 4. as to say the Holy Ghost had not bound himself so precisely to those words and syllables viz. of justification by faith if he had not meant to give this Honour unto faith it self but rather to some other thing as it is most uncomely called which faith laieth hold upon Alass alass that any who pretend to have a share in the merits of Christ should in this manner detract from his Glory did the Lord Jesus Christ himself Bear our sins in his own body on the Tree yea become sin for us that his righteousness might be imputed unto us and according to the appointment of his Father be made glorious in our justification and shall not the travel of his Soul be his peculiar satisfaction what is faith it self become false to the justling of Christ out of his Throne whose office it is and ever hath been to advance and promote his Crown and Dignity or rather is not the hand of Joab I meane the malice of the Devil as I said before evidently to be seen going along in this matter In vain it is for any man living to make a flourish and to boast of a constant adherency to the Protestant Profession notwithstanding the fury of late persecutions when there is such a manifest agreement avouched with Rome in this particular viz. of justification by works It seems by common report that the Authour of the Book called Theologia Veterum is of late deceased nevertheless what is here written may stand as an antidote to preserve others from the infection of these postilent errours which if there were nothing else to work in the hearts of those that are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ a loathing of that Anti-christian Synagogue this alone were enough to cause an everlasting separation But I have done and do be think my self what I have done how I have raised up some spirits that may possibly be thought not to be easily laid again whereas my hope is they are rouzed to give Glory to God in consenting to what is written Nevertheless so long as I have Truth on our side I shall not be afraid though an Hoste of adversaries how Potent soever they may prove to be did rise up against mee It is not God knoweth out of any unbeseeming contempt or disrespect of any Person that I have medled in this controversy Learning I do reverence wheresoever it is as much as any shall onely I do wish that it may not be used as a Weapon to fight against Jesus Christ But floreat Veritas Ruat Coelum Let the World go which way it will with me I cannot I dare not betray the Truth by a sinful silence when so fair an opportunity of vindicating it is presented unto me I must confess there hath been in this particular some small digression for having an Errour in chase it hath made me go beyond my bounds But we shall return and take into consideration the second Period of Time here mentioned in the Text with a reference unto this third interpretation of it Consider what hath been said and let us pray that the Lord may give unto us a right understanding in all things CHAP. II. Sheweth the meaning of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to day as it is rendred in the Text according to our Third Interpretation and treateth also of Christ's Oeconomy therein Proposition JESUS CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same or the onely Hee to Day Now herein also two things are to be considered by us First The Denomination of Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly What is predicated of that Time viz. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to Day First the Denomination of the Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. mansuetus ad differentiam noctis quae immitis â—orrida est to Day from whence we may collect The Time of the Gospel is a time of light The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying it which the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not The text we see calleth it a day and it is light we know that formeth the Day without which it vanisheth and cometh to nothing A Day then it is and a light-some day A day which the Lord hath made even the Lord our Light and our Righteousness the Path of that just one having from the beginning been as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day A glorious day wherein is concluded the light of Yesterday For as the light which for the three first dayes of the Creation was dispersed through the Heavens it pleased God to gather and unite into one body of the Sun so that Light of Yesterday which was diffused through so many shadowes and Legal Ceremonies was at last complicated and folded up in Christ the Son of Righteousness who is now in this day of his Power like a strong man running his Race displaying his Beames distilling his Influences filling the Earth with knowledge even as the Waters covers the Seas But let us more particularly behold and see the Glory of this Light First the Light of this Day is the true Light 1 Joh. 2.8 as the Evangelist Saint John calleth it 1 Joh. 2.8 Not like unto that of old which was darkned with the shadowes of the Mosaicall Oeconomy but clear and manifest Lumen illuminans Joh 1.9 A Light that inlightneth every man that cometh into the World non illuminatum not inlightned by Moses or any man in the World Secondly It is a great Light overspreading the whole World shining out into all Nations making a day of Salvation unto all People There were two great Lights which God Created in the beginning the greater Light to rule the Day Gen. 1.16 and the lesser Light to rule the Night Answerably hereunto hath God ordained two great Lights for his Church the lesser Light to rule the time of the Law and the greater to rule the time of the Gospel and as the Evening did precede the Morning in the ordering of the natural
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
make known our requests unto him and to receive instruction and benedictions from him what a priviledge is it peculiar to this day to finde the Lord Jesus Christ in his Regal and Pontifical attire walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks that is in the assemblies of his people breathing upon them with his spirit and insinuating himself kindly into their hearts by his word and Sacraments Are not the goings of the Lord the Lord I say our God and our King in his Sanctuary worthy to be traced by us especially when the savour of his Oyntments doth so spread it self that it is sensibly to be discerned What do not the words of God do good to those that walk uprightly Shall God all the day long from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same stretch out his hands unto us filled with the choicest of his blessings that ever he did hold out to the Children of men And shall not we put forth our hands to receive them Is it nothing to have Satan fall down like Lightning before us in the powerful dispensations of Gospel-Ordinances O how happy were we if we knew our Happiness But since I am fallen upon a serious expostulation in this case suffer me I beseech you good brethren that belong unto this Congregation to bring it home to your Consciences by a particular application and without offense bee that speech which is intended not to offend but onely to affect with a clear Truth Yesterday it is like if there had been a Sermon in this place here would have been a full Congregation To day also it appeareth our Assembly is greater then it was wont to be upon these dayes yet yesterday and to day and all our dayes what do we that are your Ministers but work the work of him that sent us preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all Whence is it then that our Message is despised That the holy and divine Ordinance of preaching is so much sleighted by your absenting your selves upon such dayes of the week wherein Ministers come freely to impart unto you some spiritual gift such as they have received from the Lord If indeed we did preach any other Gospel then that which the Church of God hath received from the beginning or any other Jesus then him who is the same yesterday to day and for ever ye might have just cause to despise our ministery and to hold us accursed But when we bring unto you no other doctrine of salvation then that which hath been professed and maintained by the Church of God in all Ages sealed and confirmed by the bloud of Martyres yea by the bloud of God himself accompanied also with the mighty operations of the spirit of God to the conversion and salvation of multitudes that hear it how can you without contracting unto your selves an extraordinary guilt in the sight of God refuse as you do to resort to this place at such times when this word is faithfully preached having no lawful lett to hinder you and to keep you from it Do you not hereby openly proclaim unto the world that you have no care of your souls what becomes of them whether they sink or swim whether they saved or damned Pro. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction saith Solomon despiseth his own soul Nay is it not a plain demonstration of too great an impiety as that you care not for God himself that you regard him not fear him not nourishing in your hearts a secret atheism and enmity against him Where there is not a desire of the knowledge of Gods waies there is questionless a slender account made of the majesty of God and a secret if not an open separation from him To this purpose saith Job They that desire not the knowledge of his waies say unto him in their hearts depart from us Nay more Job 21.14 To refuse to hear the word preached when we may and God offereth it unto us at such a time I say to have no minde to it no love to it but disdainfully to turn our backs upon it is a greater sin according to the judgment of Christ himself then the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah Hear what he saith Matth. 10.14.15 And what he speaketh there to his Disciples Matth 10.14.15 he speaks to all his servants lawfully called to the work of the ministery into whatsoever City you enter and they receive you not shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that City Weâ—l be assured of it when all 's done and the time of reckoning shall come This will be found to be a very great sin It will not boot thee then poor man to say I have been careful to celebrate the commemoration of my Saviours Nativity at the usual time of the year no no thy observation of this Ecclesiastical Constitution will not by ten thousand talents counterpoize thy great sin in disobeying the commandment of thy God by so frequent refusing to hear him as thou doest at other time of the year when he speaks unto thee in the ministery of his word Whereas therefore you will do this from which I will not disswade you Do not leave the other undone which God hath so expresly commanded should be done but to day hear his voice and harden not your hearts There are sundry other Ordinances which the children of the day might here be exhorted to walk in But it will not be expedient now to insist upon them all severally onely let the Sacraments which are together with the word the prime Ordinances of this day have that regard which is due unto them The Lord we know hath commanded that we should walk in them For as he said of old under the Law Lev. 18.4 So hath he in effect spoken it again and again in the Gospel concerning his Sacraments especially Levit. 18.4 ye shall keep mine Ordinances to walk therein I am the Lord your God Observe It is not said to talk and discourse of them onely as the manner of some is now-a-daies much less to keep them closed up and confined within those narrow limits which our late upstart Anabaptistical Projectors have devised with whom there hath been too much tampering and compliancy even almost to the irrepairable ruine of that whole Evangelical Institute under which we have hitherto prospered but to walk in them that is to use them both for our incorporation into his Church and our corroboration in it Since then the Lord hath commanded us this service we had not best stand arguing still about the administration of it and in the mean time leave it quite undone But let Ministers and People look to it betimes least the anger of the Lord smoke yet more and more against them for their disobedience Thus much for that which concerns the children of the day and what
hurteth not the scabberd so is the wrath of God never more incensed then when he punisheth the soul and spares the body Look then into thy soul O poor Sinner and see what this day doth there bring forth either an obduration upon thy heart or an inflammation upon thy Conscience O how is the heart sometimes hardened in sin Made more and more obstinate and perverse against the Lord Yea and that which aggravates the misery it is by that very means whereby the Saints are renewed and made happy in their Conformity to God in righteousness and true holiness for as the heat of the Sun softeneth wax and hardeneth clay both at the same time so hath the light of this day its several operations upon the Godly and Ungodly according to their several Capacities and dispositions The one it brings into an humble frame fit for such impressions as the spirit of God will fix upon them The other are thereby made more and more refractory and inflexible in their sin till they be ripe for destruction And is not this a great terrour unto men that that which might have been for their wealth to enrich them with grace and glory should become unto them an occasion of falling into extream miserie Sometimes again the Conscience of an impenitent sinner is set all on fire by the light of this day and put into such a flame that nothing can quench it yea the more illuminations it hath of the glimpses of that glorious grace which is now revealed the more violent flashes of God's glittering sword do withall break in upon it to the amazing of the soul with terrours that are inextricable and unexpressible A black cloud of Witnesses might be produced that have found this true by too lamentable experience Not as if this light did naturally bring forth such sad effects but wheresoever it shineth being mighty to prevail if it be resisted wo unto them that make the opposition it comes I say like Lightning with greater Violence and where it meets with such combustible stuff as a reprobate Spirit it proves through the just judgement of God a devouring fire True it is that even the most holy and faithful servants of God may sometimes for want of a due observation of this day have terrible apprehensions of it The light of it may seem to go altogether retrograde unto them and the illuminations thereof may also turn into dreadful inflammation upon their Consciences But yet because they are the Children of the Day The healing which is under the wings of that Sun that giveth light unto it shall surely have a comfortable influence upon them And the anointing which they have from the Holy one shall be as an eye-salve whereby they may see the light more clearly and a preservative likewise so to keep them as that the promise shall in this sense be made good unto them Though they walk through the fire they shall not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon them Es 43.2 Es 43.2 Impii autem non sic non sic said the Psalmist in a certain place As for the Ungodly Ps 1.4 it is not nor never shall be so with them For the Prophet as I told you before puts the difference even there where he speakes of that healing that shall come upon those that fear the Lord The day saith he cometh that shall burn as an Oven Mal. 4. â— and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble c. In an Oven or furnace there is no Healing nor escaping but burning and consuming of all that is within the compass of it especially if it be dry stubble so is this day to all Ungodly persons a Magormissabib a terrour round about And to apply the Words of the Prophet Amos to our present purpose for they have a measure that will reach unto it Amos 5.18 The day of the Lord is darkness and not light as much as to say You are much mistaken if such as you think to meet with any light of consolation in this day so long as you continue in your rebellion against the Lord rather you will finde it tobe with you as if a man did flee from a Lion and a Bear met him or went into the House and lean'd his hand on the Wall and a Serpent bit him Amos 5.19 If you have escaped from a Lion the Lion of the Gospel because possibly he is of so noble a nature that he hath not pursued his prey This day will send out a Bear even the terrour of the Law to meet you that shall rend and tear without mercy But if neither of these can overtake you when you enter into the Grave and think to be at rest a Serpent an immortal Worme shall bite and sting you without any remedy Where are now all your glorious boastings of this day of the Lord As that your Lot is fallen unto you in such a pleasant time wherein you need not doubt you say of Gods mercy but hope to be saved as you often swear it too and come to heaven at last as soon as others For why you know this day salvation is come into the World Jesus Christ died for sinners and such you know your selves to be Let Preachers therefore say what they will we fear nothing say you though we do perhaps live in sin as who is there that liveth and sinneth not Yet we will hope howsoever that all shall be well in the end Alas Alas miserable people your expectation will be frustrated and all your hopes vanish away like the spiders Web. Do you not see what a dreadful day is come upon you You look for peace saith the Prophet but behold trouble and for a time of healing but no good comes Even the very Ordinances of this day Jer. 4.19 which are sweeter then Honey to those that live in Gods fear are unto you so long as you abide in your profaness no better then poison You have been baptised with water whereby you are distinguished from those that are without God in the World But if your Souls lie still wallowing in the pollutions of sin it shall be more tolerable for Infidels and Pagans at the day of judgement then for you When you come to the Lord's Table to which you may pretend a right because you outwardly profess the faith of Christ Crucified neither are you to be repelled from it untill you be juridically cast out But when you come O what a woful hazard do you run I need not tell it you in any other words then those the Apostle useth You eate and drink your own Damnation The Word also when you hear it proves not onely a dead but a deadly Letter sent unto you from Heaven to pronounce your Condemnation yea all the Exhortations Admonitions Convictions Reprehensions that you meet with from Ministers from friends from enemies from your own Consciences bring forth no better fruit then to sink
inventions worthy of no value We deny not but where Antiquity is found in a way of Righteousness it is indeed a Crown of Glory among the Churches of Christ But being found in a way of Errour wandring from the righteous rule of the written word and laying inconstancy upon Jesus Christ who is this way of Righteousness as if he were not the same still in his Doctrine which he hath delivered to his Church it is fit to be despised We must here now look to be told that the written word is not the onely rule but that there are many other unwritten verities to which we are likewise bound to give heed as well as to that which is written Sess 4. Decreto de Can. Script Yea and the Council of Trent hath thundred out their Anathema against those who refuse Traditions for the rule of faith as well as against those that refuse the written word But may it not then be demanded if it be so where can faith finde a sure foundation to fix upon that which is unwritten being very uncertain whether it be from Heaven or of men If the written word be but a part of Gods revealed will and these unwritten verities as they are called the other part never can there be assurance given to any of the whole Mystery of Salvation neither can the Church know it aright in the whole series of it was God hath revealed it For when some affirm a Tradition to be Apostolical which others of as great account disdainfully reject for a spurious super-inducement and forgery thrust upon the Churches in after-times which dissenting in this case hath frequently come to pass even in the Primitive Dayes of the Gospel what a miserable maze is the faith of a believer brought into Will not our confidences be much weakned in our spiritual conflicts and our hopes of gaining Converts to our Christian Profession from among those that are without if they should make this objection unto us be utterly choaked and our endeavours in that kinde frustrated and come to nothing To let pass the great multitude of these Traditions the number of them being never yet determined whereby they must needs become a great yoke and burthen to the Church of Christ 1 Tim. 3.15 If that which is written be sufficient to make a man wise unto salvation surely that which is unwritten is not absolutely necessary to be heeded by us It is not to be denied but that the Church hath Power to appoint some certain Canons and Rules for the observation of Publick order and decency unto which so long as they are inoffensive in their own nature they that are true Children of the Church will give a ready and a chearful obedience yea we do confess that in things indifferent a respect ought to be yielded to Antiquity and to their Traditions But if an Angel from Heaven should come and tell us that all those things which are simply necessary to Salvation are not to be found in the Holy Scriptures we must hold him accursed Yet Bellarmine saith Nos asserimus in Scripturis non contineri expresse totam Doctrinam necessariam sive de fide sive de moribus Lib. 4. de verbo non scripto Ca. 3. Sect. 1. We further do willingly grant that the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles preached many things that were never written And what they so preached ought to be of equal Authority with us as that which is written Pari veneratione pari pietatis affictu the very words of the Council of Trent not to be disliked with as much Piety and Veneration to be received by us as the Books of Holy Scriptures if they were as certainly known But it is a strange and strong delusion which we hope shall never seise upon us to believe that they preached doctrines which are a directly contrary to what is written in the said Books as light is unto darkness Holy and Faithful Master Deering in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews expostulates this case sadly in these words Is it the word of Christ written that we should not worship Angels And is it his Word unwritten that we should pray unto them Is it his Word written that we should not be bound to our Fore-Fathers Traditions And is it his Word unwritten that our Fathers Traditions should be to us as his Gospel Is it his word written that to forbid marriage which is honourable in all estates is the Doctrine of Devils And is it his Word unwritten that Ministers should be forbidden to marry Is it his Word written that five words in a known Tongue are better in the Congregation then five thousand in a strange Language And is it his Word unwritten that in our Congregations we should pray in a Language which the people understand not Is it his Word written that the dead are blessed which die in the Lord and they rest from their labours And is it his Word unwritten that they are tormented in the fire of Purgatory In short Is it his Word written that his Ministers should be subject to Kings should attend upon their flock and not meddle more then needs must with the affairs of this World And is it his Word unwritten that the Pope shall exercise Authority over Temporal powers depose Kings at his pleasure and that his Inferiours of the Conclave should be secular Princes Hath God written it that Christ sacrificed himself once for all and made a perfect Redemption And hath he left it unwritten that a shaven Priest must sacrifice him every day and say a Mass Propitiatory for the quick and dead What perversness is this of men of Corrupt minds thus to dream of Traditions contrary to the written Word of God And what an intolerable indignity do they put upon Christ to make him thus palpably contradict himself as if he had forgotten to be still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same But full well did Esaias prophecy of these men Es 29.13 saying This people draweth neare unto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men Mat. 15.8 But leaving these to their uncertain Traditions and their most certain innovations Let us look home to our selves and hearken to the Apostles advice which he giveth Phil. 2.5 viz. Phil. 2.5 To let the same minde be in us which was in Christ Jesus for he hath set us an example that we should herein also follow his steps even to be constantly the same in those things that belong to the Kingdom of God Not that we should stand at a stay and make no further progress in Knowledge Holiness Zeal for God's glory Brotherly-love self-denial Contempt of the world c. then we have already attained Rather let yesterdayes work in that sence be forgotten by us Phil. 3.13 and let us reach forth as Saint Paul said he himself
did to a greater perfection making this day to be more abundant then what hath been before for in so doing we shall also resemble Jesus Christ who made his work which the Father had given him to do to appear this day under the Gospel in a more spiritual glory then it did yesterday under the Law But my meaning is that we be still the same not forsaking our first love as the manner of some is nor declining from that close and sincere walking with God whereunto we have happily by reiterated vows and solemn engagements devoted our selves after we escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ A needful warning it will be to us for the truth is mans nature is a wondrous masterpiece of inconstancy No creature under the whole heaven being so variable as man is Nay it is a matter of some difficulty as the world goes amongst a multitude to finde a Man that is One who for a Masculine spirit indeed may deserve the name of a Man or as some render the original word in Scripture A Man A Man Lev. 15.2 Ps 49.12.20 that is A Man both wayes in regard both of the outward and inward man For there are some Men-Men and some Men-Beasts which made the Cynick at noon-day to go up and down in a throng of people with a Lanthorne and Candle in his hand searching as he said for a Man that is A Man for Constancy and Prudence as well as in outward appearance and Seneca also in his time counted it a great rarity Sen. Epi. 128. Magnam rem puta saith he unum hominem agere It is a hard thing to Act a Man kindly meaning to be alwayes One and the Same For one that doth so How many are there that disfigure themselves with diversities of shapes One while they will be frugal and grave another while prodigal and vain Such levity Holy Bernard sweetly taxeth Non paucos frequenter experimur c. We oftentimes meet with many who scarcely one houre continue in the same minde but are like drunkards nodding and reeling too and fro changing their judgment yea without judgment wavering still from what they had determined Semper quod non habent cupientes quod habent fastidientes Alwayes desiring what they have not and loathing that which they have This inconstancy speaks men to be like unto Reuben Vnstable as water Gen. 49.4 Far unlike this our Heavenly Pattern who was alwayes the same No nor like that honest Roman of whom it was said that it was as easie to turn the Sun out of his course as to make him go from his Word or change his resolution But especially in the high and weighty matters of Religion to be wavering and inconstant argues too much feebleness of spirit unbecoming those that are separated from the world to be the followers of Jesus Christ the Rock of ages who never changeth As Nehemiah said Is it for such a man as I to flee So say I for such to fall from their stedfastness One-while to be Zealous and forward in the wayes of Holiness another while backward and indifferent taking up a Form of Godliness according as their humour and fancy leads them like unto those of old whom Hilary speaks of that had a Monethly or a Yearly-Faith what a shame is it Sunt qui menstruan vel annu m fidem habent Yet alas too many there are in these dayes among us of this halting Generation who are apt to turn with every winde of temptation I speak not here with a reference unto changes in point of external order in the Church which may sometimes be excusable as we shall shew hereafter though there be a sort of dissolute and debauched people who can finde no other change to spend their invectives upon the better to palliate their own wickedness but when the life and power of Religion is so far neglected as that we can recede from those engagements and resolutions wherewith we have solemnly devoted our selves to God To turn aside after Vanity walking according to the course of this world in wayes of Licentiousness and Profaness this surely is matter of just complaint Alas we consider not it seemes what a dishonour we bring upon our holy profession How much we grieve the spirit of God nor what advantage we give unto Satan to encroach upon us when we are not Godly and Religious in a constant and continued Course but off and on fast and loose in the Covenant of our God which we made in our Baptisme When with Pilate we are inquisitive after Truth but presently as he did turn our backs upon it seeme to consult with God and his word about our spiritual estate and in the same breath many times cast him quite out of our thoughts as if we could do well enough without him Like unto Saul who in all haste calls out Bring hither the Ark But then go to it skills not greatly Socrates lib. 3. cap. 13. carry it back again Such unsavoury Salt as Ecebolius for his treacherous halting in Religion justly stiled himself can have no rellish in it acceptable to God or his Church Away therefore with this spirit of giddiness which hath too much prevailed in these dayes and let us quit our selves like men in being still the same When we have a Rock appointed for our standing by the wisdome and Faithfulness of the Almighty whereon we may be safe against all the stormes and tempests of the Prince of the power of the air shall we turn away from it and in our Conversation swim with the stream of this present evil world or in our judgement roll our selves upon the waves of new-fangled opinions where we may be tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine and where nothing is to be expected but to be swallowed up at last in the bottomless gulfe of errour and confusion Oh shall we thus dally in a business of so great moment Far be it from us Rather let us Look unto JESUS and follow his Example in being still The Same And now that we may deal impartially herein Let it be a Word in season to us of this Nation who have not like our Pattern been the same of late what we have formerly been We have made it our boast since we separated from Rome and cast off the Yoke of Anti-Christ that we have received Christ Jesus the Lord professing his Gospel to be a Law unto us But how we have walked in him and been Obedient unto it as we have been taught yea taught of God in the Ministery of his faithful servants our deeds may declare Time was when truth was of so high account with us that if it had been possible we would have plucked out our own eyes rather then to have parted with it But we have seen the time wherein Servis dormientibus The Lord pardon us in this Truth was fallen in our Streets and
needs be nauseous unacceptable and to no purpose let all that are yet unsatisfied in that point read over and peruse his late Majesties Arguing about it with those Ministers that attended the Commissioners of Parl at the Treaty in the Isle of Wight M. Marshall M. Caryll M. Vines M. Scaman and if they be disposed to a temper of accepting Reason they will finde cause enough to alter their judgement Once those very Ministers were so farre convinced thereby that though they were very shy and unwilling to discover their mindes in a matter of so great and necessary consequence as to give his Majesty satisfaction in those three Quaeries which he propounded unto them concerning Church-Government 1 Whether there be a certain Form of Government left by Christ or his Apostles to be observed by all Christian Churches pretending that the whole volume of Ecclesiastical Polity was contained therein yet they could not but acknowledge the remarkable Learning of his Reply which was clothed as they write with a singular elegancy of stile wishing that such a Pen in the hand of such Abilities might ever be employed in a Subject worthy of it Yet because it will be expected that somewhat be here also said in answer to this part of the before-mentioned objection Let us take into consideration the main Argument that is used against Episcopacy and with a refutation of it put an end to this Controversie That which is chiefly insisted upon by our Anti-episcopal men is the Identity of Denomination which they imagine the Scripture giveth to Bishops and Presbyters 2 Whether it bind perpetually or be upon occasion alterable in whole or in part from whence they will inferre the Identity of Office viz. That Bishop and Presbyter are not distinguishable in any part of their Authority which the Lord hath given them for the edification of the Church A principal instance hereof they alledge out of the Text of the Apostle Tit. 1.5.7 upon which for brevities sake we will onely fix and which being cleared will help us to interpret aright other places of Scripture of the like nature The words are these 3 Whether that certain Form of Government be the Episcopal Preâ—byterian or some other differing from them both Tit. 1 5.7 For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee For a Bishop must be blameless c. In which place say they the Apostles reasoning were altogether invalid and inconsequent if Presbyter and Bishop were not the same Office as well as they have the same Name But how justly may it be here said Bernardus non videt omnia These men that pretend to know more of the sense of the holy Ghost in Scripture then others and are apt to censure all that are not of the same judgment with them are not so omniscient but that their brethren who come after them may discern somewhat which they could not see I shall therefore take the boldness to tell them my poor judgment concerning that Scripture hoping that I may make use of my liberty as they do of theirs I know well it is no new Opinion that I am about to encounter with but because our late Writers do with a higher confidence then ordinary seem to abound in their sense concerning this matter I shall endeavour their conviction And first I shall premise a Caution by the way yielding in this Controversie as much as may be consistent with Truth I do not undertake to produce any positive Precept from the holy Ghost in this place for the establishment of Episcopacy in the Church it is enough to shew that a Divine Approbation is given of it in describing the qualification of the persons that are to employed in such an Office distinct from that of a Presbyter together with their superiority over Presbyters and how they are to exercise their power in the several parts thereof viz. Ordination and Jurisdiction Which Divine Approbation if we can here finde as I doubt not we shall I hope it will be acknowledge by all to be Tant-amount to a Divine Institution And though it have not any positive Appointment in Scripture but is onely glanced at in some certain places yet that should not create any scruple in the mindes of any about it no more then some points of Faith which we freely profess are scrupled by us though we finde them not expresly commanded in the written Word Is it meet for any to say unto God What doest thou Who alas among us hath known the minde of the Lord Or who hath been his Counsellour to know fully the reason why he doth in such a manner issue out his Precepts Are not Clouds and thick Darkness set about the Pavilion of God Let not silly man then dare to remove them It would far better become us to keep our distance and to be wise according to sobriety then to arraign the pure word of Truth before the bar of our corrupt reason or to call the holy Spirit of God to account for not giving full satisfaction forsooth to our foolish expectation What if Christ being willing to make his Regal Power the more known to the world would onely give some small intimation of his will concerning this matter as he hath done of sundry other things which we need not here mention to try the spirits of men whether they would thereby be subject unto him or no It is ordinary we know with the Princes of the earth to deal thus with their Subjects by a look or a glance of the eye or by a word of the mouth though uttered in an oblique way to give notice of their further intentions so to search into and finde out the Loyalty and ready affections of those about them And shall Jesus Christ be denyed this liberty This being premised let us now come to inquire out the meaning of the Apostle in the afore-cited place and see whether or no his words will allow of such an Identity between Bishop and Presbyter as hath been commonly conceived or rather try whether by deduction we can prove from thence the Divine Right of Episcopacy which is so much contradicted in these days onely let prejudice be forborn till such time as we have put an end to this controversie First it cannot be denied that the Apostle writeth to Titus as to one with whom he had entrusted the sole inspection of that large and spacious Island an Island containing in it an hundred Cities called therefore Hecatompolis wherein his appointed work was Not to gather a Church by converting the inhabitants thereof from their Paganisme and Judaisme to the faith of the Gospel but the manner of governing a Church which was already gathered was prescribed unto him And this is by the Apostle branched out into two things viz Setting in order things that were amiss or wanting or as it is rendred by
and shame unto them I might here enter into a large discourse upon this point and open a great door and effectual for the conviction of sundry enemies of Jesus Christ who by their Opinions and practices do in effect deny him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same for ever But I forbear for the present being willing to draw towards a Conclusion Some short inferences notwithstanding we shall derive from hence that may be of use unto us And first we may here be ascertained concerning the perpetuity of the Church to the end of the World For because Christ will be the Same for ever the Church must continue to be for ever also As the Apostle speaks of the Man and the Woman Neither is the Man without the Woman nor the Woman without the Man in the Lord 1 Cor. 11.11 So may we say of Christ and his Church neither can the Church be without Christ nor Christ as Mediatour be without the Church Relatorum uno posito ponitur alterum nec est relatio nisi inter ea quae sunt actu Objection They are like Hippocrates Twins If one liveth the other cannot dy If one dy the other cannot live what therefore Christ promised to his Disciples Joh. 14.19 He will surely make good unto his Church to the end Because I live yee shall live also But do we not see the Church in a consumptive estate groaning and panting under a most heavy cross melting her self into tears yea ready even to give up the Ghost We may be deceived when we think it is at a low ebb it may be at that very instant in a most flourishing Condition What it loseth in outward prosperity it may gain in spiritual growth We must not bound our conceits of the Church and Kingdom of Christ according to the models of the Kingdoms of this World For though this machina munai this great engine frame and structure may decrease and diminish in its strength and beauty as the opinion of some is by reason of the clashings and shakings that happen among the parts thereof till that which is now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a specious and spacious ornament be made a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confused lump again Yet nevertheless so long as Jesus Christ will for ever be the Same the persecutions and troubles that the Churches lie under yea the differences and contentions that arise amongst themselves shall contrary to their nature tend to their advantage And as poison when it is corrected by the skill of the Physician works more effectually for the health of a sick patient then a wholesome herb so certainly shall the Church grow better by her troubles then if she had been all this while settled in a most peaceable estate Though the Church be afflicted and the enemies thereof may seem to prosper Aus 2. yet let us nor conclude rashly thereupon that Christ hath forsaken her and that she shall unavoidably perish Let David lead you a little into the Sanctuary Ps 73.17.18 then you 'll finde slippery places are set for these prosperous enemies And their feet shall slide in due time But the Church is built upon a rock Deut. 32.35 the rock of Ages and when all the foundations of the earth are out of course we shall find the foundation of the Lord will stand sure because JESUS CHRIST abideth for ever Secondly As we have assurance given us here of the perpetuity of the Catholick Church notwithstanding all her divisions within her and her persecutions from without so we may finde a remedy close-ed up in the rich Cabinet of this Text which will be sufficient if well applied to cure the distempers of our particular Churches Those distempers I say which have been and still are occasioned by our quarrelling about setting up Jesus Christ in his Throne and the establishment of his Kingdom amongst us according to his own rule and order For the healing whereof and to perswade to a Brotherly composure therein What can be more prevalent then this viz. Jesus Christ is the Same for ever We all pretend to look unto JESUS and it is indeed our duty to eye him in all the dispensations of his power and providence towards his Church that we may not vary from that course and order wherein he hath always trained up his people nor be led aside by new-fangled devices either of our own or others But let us consider If he be Semper idem alwayes the Same How is it that we are thus divided about him What Shall the rule and Canon of our Union be constant and perpetual and shall we be still to seek for a way of uniting Let dissenting Brethren but lay aside Animosities and prejudices wherewith they have so easily been beset and follow the track and foot-sleps of the Lord Jesus and we shall quickly see an end of all our differences 2 Sam. 20 18. They were wont to say in old time said that Mother in Israel They shall surely ask counsel at Abel and so they ended the matter Now also according to the word of the Holy Ghost in Scripture Let us stand in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way The way wherein the Lord himself hath walked and let us walk therein and we shall finde rest for our souls Wee shall see Salvation is neer unto us yea neerer then we are aware and that Glory doth dwell in our Land The voice of the Oracle which would guide us into the good way speakes in this manner Jesus Christ is the Same yesterday to day and for ever Which in effect tells us our foundation is sure and stedfast and our corner-stone as it hath hitherto brought on the building into an excellent frame on the one side in the Ages that are past so it would also do the like on the other in these our dayes and the Ages that are to come if there were but such a conformity held with it as there hath been in former times True it is the Word written is an infallible rule for the guiding of us in matters of Faith from which we are not to digress It is so likewise in all things else that concern the Worship of God and the publick good of the Church so far as it doth lead and direct us therein but unless we will say that Christ hath deserted his Church ever since he gave a being unto it we must avow his continued course and practice in the ordering of it which I hope none will say is contrary to what he hath written to be a warrant also of our Subjection thereto What then is that good way Not surely the way of Division and Separation which tendeth to Confusion for God is not the Authour thereof neither will he allow of it in any of the Churches of the Saints but of Unity and Order that all such as make profession of the Gospel may be of one accord and
the Jews to expect and good warrant for us to believe their restauration First Hear what Moses saith of this people Deut. 4.30.31 When thou art intribulation as they are this day and all these things are come upon thee Deut 4.30 31. even in the latter dayes remember that if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice For the Lord thy Ged is a merciful God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them But if God hath now cast away his people in these latter dayes so as that they shall be no more a people hath he not forgotten the Covenant of their Fathers which he sware unto them Possibly it will be replyed That promise was attended with this Proviso If they turn unto the Lord their God and be obedient unto his voice But that will never be because of the hardness of their hearts to which they are given up by the just judgement of God for their contempt of the Gospel when it was sent unto them In answer hereunto hear Moses once again Deut. 30.3 c. If thou return unto the Lord thy God Deut. 30.3 c. then will the Lord thy God turn thy Captivity and haâ—e compassion â—pon thâ—e and wâ—ll return and gather thee from all Nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee If any of thine be driâ—en out unto the utmost parts of heaven from then â—e will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live You 'll say How doth this take away the premised Objection Hear and consider First These promises doubtless are grounded upon the new Covenant for the old admits of no mercy to be shewed unto any upon the violation of it The condition therefore must be understood in an answerable sense If you return and if you obey that is when thou shalt Return and when thou shalt obey being induced thereunto by that Grace which I will give unto thee Secondly Of whom speaketh Moses this Of some few a Tribe or two of the Children of Israel or of the whole Nation Surely of the whole Nation but hitherto is not the Captivity of the whole nation turned neither hath the Lord gathered them from all those nations and the utmost parts of heaven whither he had in his sore displeasure scattered them Thirdly Circumcision being the Sacrament of initiation whereby this people were separated from the World and solemnly admitted to be a peculiar portion to the Lord the promise here of circumcising their hearts doth not so much imply their confirmation in their obedience during their restored estate as the turning of their hearts even at the time of their re-admission to be the Lords Fourthly This promise hath never yet been fulfilled in any of their former deliverances For Saint Steven speaketh to them in this manner after all that God had done for them Act. 7.51 Yee stiff-necked and uncircumeised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do yee It remaineth therefore that the accomplishment thereof is yet to come viz. In these latter dayes Thus Moses The Prophets likewise with one Consent do testifie the same First Isaiah is very free and copious in this matter It shall come to pass saith he Es 11.11 12. in that day Es 11.11 12. that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people that shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea that is from all quarters of the World And he shall set up an ensign for the Nations and shall asseble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four Corners of the Earth Let us here also take notice of some considerations very pertinent as I conceive to our present purpose First The Prophet we see speaks of the second time of Gods stretching out his hand for the deliverance of all the posterity of Jacob which second time must be in the dayes of the Messiah as appeareth by the tenth verse Secondly Observe this place is not to be understood of the elect both Jew and Gentile as some will have it For the Prophet had in the tenth verse spoken particularly of the Gentiles Therefore the people here intended are without controversie onely the seed of Abraham according to the flesh Thirdly Consider how the Prophet speaks not of Judah alone or the two Tribes that came out of Babylon after the seventy years Captivity but which is very remarkable not onely here but in sundry other places of Israel and Judah together who never yet were united since their first separation Fourthly This assembling and gathering of Israel and Judah together shall be in those dayes when the Lord sets up an ensign for the Nations that is when the Messiah shall be lifted up in the Ministery of the word For he is the rock of Jesse which should stand for an ensign of the peoples See another Prophecy from the same hand Es 43.5 6. Fear not saith the Lord to Israel for I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North give up and to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the earth And again Es 45.22 2a Look unto mee Es 45.22.25 and be yee saved all the ends of the earth In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Let it be now hereupon considered Hath there been as yet an universal gathering of Israel to the Lord such as is here mentioned Hath the Lord as yet justified all the seed of Israel that is the Nation of them against their enemies Or doth the Nation yet glory in that salvation which hath been wrought in the world now in the time of the Gospel If not then surely these things are yet to be fulfilled If it be objected as some will not stick to do it that these and the like places are to bee understood Synechdochically as putting a part for the whole viz. Israel for the whole Church of God throughout the World that it should be gathered and justified and that all the people of God should glory and make their boast of the Lord. I answer Though it should be so yet the literal meaning here as it referreth to the posterity of Jacob is not to be wholly sleighted for admit that it be an usual form of speech by a Synechdoche to put a part for the whole Yet such a Synechdoche must needs be accounted a violent assault
upon reason and was never before heard of as that a part should signifie the whole when that part which should express the whole is not included but shut out from it doubtless in all Synechdochichal speeches the part set down for the whole must be always a part of it as when Saint Paul said Yee shall see my face no more Act. 20. His face is a part of him And thus must all other Synechdoches whatsoever be understood the part signifying the whole must of necessity be included and contained in it If therefore all the Nation of Israel here be put for all the Nations of Believers in the World as a part of the whole then it must certainly follow that the Nation of Israel according to the flesh was included apart and not excluded from the whole Let us go on omitting for brevities sake what might be more added out of the Prophet Esay to this purpose wherein he hath abounded Consider how Jeremiah keepeth also in the same track For thus saith he in the Name of the Lord. Jer. 3 18. In those dayes the house of Judah shall walk with or to the house of Israel and they shall come together c. And again I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all Countryes wither I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds Jer. 23.3 4. and they shall be fruitful and encrease and I will set up Shepheards over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed neither shall they be lacking saith the Lord. Add hereunto Loe the dayes come saith the Lord Jer. 30 3.9 that I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord And they shall serve the Lord their God and David their King whom I will raise up unto them The like also is prophecyed by Ezekiel Thus saith the Lord Ezek. 37.21 22 23. c. behold I will take the Children of Israel from among the Heathen whether they be gone and will gather them on every side and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountains of Israel and one King shall be King over them and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them Yea I will be their God and they shall be my people and the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore Again Jer. 31.1 4. At the same time saith the Lord that is Jer. 31.1 4. in the later dayes as appears Jer. 30.24 I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall be my people Again I will build them and thou shalt be built O Virgin of Israel thou shalt be again adorned with thy Tabrets and thou shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry I willingly pass by many other places that might be alledged for it would be too much to insert all that is written thereof But I demand Hath any of these things as yet come to pass When was it that the house of Judah did walk with the house of Israel together since the time they were divided one from the other in the days of Rehoboam Hath the Lord as yet gathered the remnant of his flock out of all Countryes whither he hath driven them or set up shepheards over them to seed or to defend them so as they should fear no more nor be dismayed Do Israel and Judah this day unanimously serve the Lord their God and David their King that is the Messiah David's Son as Interpretersiboth Jewish and Christian expound it of whose government and peace there shall be no end Hath God set his Sanctuary in the midst of them or pitched his Tabernacle among them so as the Heathen do take notice of it that it is the Lord that doth sanctifie Israel If his Sanctuary hath been among some of them it hath been again removed but here it is said his Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore In fine Hath God as yet in these latter dayes declared himself to be the God of all the families of Israel since their defection from him and own'd them again for his people Is this Virgin as yet repayred since she was stript of her ornaments or hath she yet furbisht over and trimmed up her Tabrets that she might rejoyce at her restauration If none of all these things I say be yet come to pass and the word of God cannot be retracted they are yet to be fulfilled and shall in time most certainly have their due accomplishment Yea more that neither their divisions amongst themselves Israel against Judah and Judah against Israel nor their inveterate stubbornnes against the Lord might be any hinderance unto them the Lord promiseth by the Prophet Jeremy in these words Jer. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them And by the Prophet Ezekiel in these words A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Oh blessed and thrice happy shall this people be when these things are fulfilled I deny not but these promises have a measure reaching to us Gentiles even all among us that are interessed in the new Covenant But I say again the people that are mentioned cannot without violence done to the sense of the Holy Ghost be excluded from them in the dayes of the Gospel I omit what might be further added out of these Prophets to this purpose As the vision of dry bones in the Prophecy of Ezekiel restored to life again And that of two sticks made both one in the hand of the Prophet with sundry other discoveries of the minde of God concerning this truth which upon an unprejudicate perusal even by those that are contrary-minded would appear unto them to carry in them this sense viz. That this first-born of the Almighty this people so entirely beloved of the Lord shall not at this day be quite forgotten as dead men out of minde nor be ever divided one from another as they have been but shall restored again notwithstanding the seeming impossibilitie of it to their pristine glory and shall be happily re-united together into one as becometh brethren In the next place let us try whether the Prophecy of Daniel
will afford us the like Suffrage herein as the other Prophets have done But before we enter hereupon give me leave to premise a word or two It is not my purpose here to launch out too ventrously into this deep I foresee the danger that attends upon it many of late having lost themselves in so doing by a too much confidence of their skill and strength that I may not therefore fall under the guilt of rashnes and inadvertency in this kinde with others who have been peremptory in stating and determining the Epoche's and Periods of times mentioned in this Book and that of the Revelation which have appeared to their shame to be of a larger extent then those limits which they have set unto them I shall onely offer what I have to say to the judgement and examination of the Church not daring to determine in a point of such difficulty and uncertainty as that is which I am now about to insist upon The place which I have singled out for my purpose is in the ninth Chapter of this Prophecy and the twenty fourth verse Where the Angel who is before called the Man Gabriel because he appeared in a humane shape speaks unto Daniel in this manner Seventy weeks as it is translated are determined upon thy people Dan. 9.24 and upon thy Holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the Vision and Prophecy and to anoint the most Holy In the exposition of which words I finde Interpreters do gene rally run upon this foot of account making these seventy weeks as they are called to be seventy times seven years and to begin at one of those four Edicts mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah that came forth from those Persian Monarchs Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes for the restoring and returning of the people and for the building of the Temple and City wherein they do much vary one from another and are at a great loss in their computations because not onely the Scripture doth not afford help in this matter not expressing the full years of the reign of those Princes nor yet the series of their succession but those Historians also that have been of old who as a learned Antiquary observeth having so many Bishop Mountague and so great helps at hand which we want of the Persian Babylonian Assyrian Egyptian Writers who at large related the acts of those Princes with whom in their times the state of the Jews did concur and who were abundantly furnished with Histories of the Seleucidan and Lagidan Princes of the Macedonian race with whom the Jews after the Captivity had great negotiations have left unto us so very poor or none at all helps for direction herein in so much that we have little or no cause to thank them for it Upon which consideration I say none of our Expositours before us could nor can any man else to this day conclude precisely upon a certain root of time for the beginning of these years according to this account nevertheless it is the concurrent judgement of writers that at one of these forementioned Edicts must these seventy weeks take their Commencement and Beginning the final Period whereof which must be as uncertain as the Beginning they make to be either at the coming of the Messiah or at his Baptisme or at his Death or at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple the amounty of which time say they makes up 490 years and are afterwards by the Angel branched out into several parcels where every part hath some Cardinal thing of special remarke fixed unto it that should happen within that time But I shall now crave leave to lay down my conceptions of this Scripture differing from the ordinary interpretation of it believing there is enwrapped in it the whole purpose and determination of God concerning his Israel from first to last beginning at some notable Epoche and to be continued untill the final restauration of that Nation which is yet to come This I confess may seem strange at first sight because of the novelty of it But by that time we have duely considered the words as they are delivered by the Angel it may happily be adjudged not altogether impertinent and may give occasion unto some of a more diligent search and enquiry after a further meaning of the Holy Ghost in this Scripture then as yet hath been thought upon Observe then the Prophet understanding by books as he saith in the second verse the number of years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem which years were then expired he setteth himself as ver 3. to seek the Lord God by prayer and supplication in the behalf of his people and the Holy City that mercy might at length be shewed unto them in their deliverance Whereupon this answer is presently returned unto him by Gabriel but what answer is it Not punctually positive to his prayer which was for the aforesaid deliverance so much desired by him now after the expiration of the terme appointed for the Babylonish Captivity that seems to be the least part of the Angels errand at this time but because Daniel was a man greatly beloved the Angel hath a matter of greater import here to reveal unto him in which he might be assured that the deliverance which he prayed for should also be included But what is this business of greater import Is it the happy consequents which should follow upon their deliverance Thus indeed hath it been conceived But rather is it not as I have said and which I shall undertake here to prove to be the purpose of God concerning his delivering this people out of all their troubles especially those which they endured in Egypt and Babylon and now also in their dispersion into all Lands where they are scattered to this very day from the very time when they were first brought into a preparatory way of being formed into a Nation As for the Holy City that onely is inserted in this answer because the Prophet had mentioned it in his prayer and the Angel speaks more particularly of it in the verses following This with submission of my judgment of the Holy Catholike Church and of my Mother the Church of England I conceive to be the genuine sense of that Scripture and what I have now to say to it I desire may be considered without prejudice My supputation of the time here mentioned is after this manner These 70. Weekes as they are called I take for 70. Jubilees each of which being 49. years they together make up 3430 years Now if we reckon from the time of Jacobs going down into Egypt which is the Epoche that I six upon the reason whereof I shall shew hereafter there will not at this time want much of compleating these seventy Jubilees For from that time to
the Incarnation of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ * Which agrees with Alstedius his account were 1721. years and since the Incarnation are 1660. Both which accounts make up 3381. So that to fill up the said number of Jubilean years there remaineth but one single Jubilee more which will fall out to be in the year of our Lord 1709. About which time the people of Israel called here Daniels people because of his care and tender affection towards them may become a people again according to the concurrency of Scriptural Prophecies their iniquity transgression and sin finished and taken away through the reconciliation that shall be then between their God and them in stead whereof they shall have an everlasting righteousness brought in by the good hand of God upon them whereby they shall become a righteous Nation for ever and so consequently the whole Vision and Prophecy concerning them will be sealed that is confirmed and concluded and the most Holy or the Holiness of Holinesses that is either the Holiness of Israel surpassing all the Holinesses of believing Gentiles shall be anointed that is exalted above all others or the Messiah even the Lord Jesus who is the Holiest of them all for there is Hoâ—ier then the Holiest and there is Holier then they shall be anointed that is reign as King over them and they by their unanimous acclamations and chearful subjection acknowledge him to be their Sovereign The sense of this Scripture I confess is new but it will not follow thereupon that it cannot be true Yet I am not confident that it is the onely meaning of the Spirit for then I should pretend to be wiser then Daniel But I will wait for the determination of the Holy Church about it and expect till the end be what Divine Providence will work in bringing of it to pass hoping to rest and to stand in my lot with Daniel at the end of the dayes Some intricacies I know will appear in this interpretation which I shall endeavour to unfold Yet sure I am they are not so many as other Expositions are perplexed with and so snarled that they can never be resolved First an account will be required of me why I should call and reckon those for Jubilees which are in our Translation called Weekes I answer though the word be translated Weekes which I do not take upon me to correct the word having a measure according to Scripture-phrase extending to various significations yet such as are skilful in the Original do well know that these words may be also rendred thus sevens seventy are pared out for thy people Now the Scripture speakes of three several sorts of sevens or septenaries in order to such times which the Lord hath sanctified First the seventh day secondly the seventh year thirdly the seventh Sabbatical year The seventh day was the Sabbath wherein the people were to rest Lev. 23.3 Lev. 23 3. The seventh year was the Sabbatical year wherein the ground rested Lev. 25.4 The seventh Sabbatical year was the Jubilean Sabbath Lev. 25.8 The acceptable year above all the rest Lev. 25.4 Lev 25.8 Es 61.2 Ezek. 49.17 the year of liking or good-will Es 61.2 or as Ezekiel calls it the year of liberty or general releasement proclaimed by sound of trumpet wherein every man was to return to his Inheritance again and every servant to his freedome which priviledges doubtless brought on much rejoycing and jubilation among them It was a year of great expectation insomuch that it is conceived to be the great Epoche or Cardo of their times as the Olympiads were among the Graecians Hospinian de Orig. Fest. c. 9. and the lustra of old and indictions of late among the Romans Hoc observa saith Alstedius Jubilaeos esse infallibiles Characteres secundum ques praecipua tempora in Scripturis definiri possunt This know that Jubilean Sabbatisins are the most infallible characters to decipher and dâ—stinguish the principal times of note in the Holy Scripture This septenary therefore seems to be worthy of more then ordinary regard And the rather because it did likewise in an especial manner shadow out our deliverance by Christ which was indeed the acceptable year of remission prophecied of before Es 61.1.2 and so interpreted by our blessed Saviour Luk. 4.18 As also thereby was signified our return into the Heavenly Paradise Luk. 23.43 from which we are fallen in Adam The seventh year may be applied to every mans particular consummation when his soule is received up into glory but by the Jubilean Sabbath wherein all the Israelites had their re-entry upon their Lands formerly sold is the general re-entry of all believers into the Kingdome of Heaven which they had formerly forfeited by their sins most happily prefigured These things then being so and the Angel leaving it undetermined which seven of the three it is that is here meant Did not our Saviour allude unto the 70. Jubilees when he spake of our sorgiving one another seventy times seven whether this great Septenary rather then that of weekes of years may not in reason be judged to be that which the Angel here intended when he said sevens seventy are cut out for thy people let the Church determine As for that objection which perhaps may here be cast in that the Jubilean year was not ordained before such time as Moses gave out the Law to the people in the Wilderness and therefore could not be reckoned on before it was in being And that also that the Jubilee was a part of the Ceremonial Law and therefore as out of date not to be reckoned on in the time of the Gospel these I say upon due consideration will appear to be of no force For first the seventh day Sabbaths and Sacrifices were a part of the Mosaical Institute yet were observed by Gods people from the beginning of the World so might Jubilees too for ought that may be objected to the contrary Yea it is apparent that Jubilees have been distinguished of old into two sorts viz. Jubilaei Mundani Jubilaei Mosaici that is Jubilees of the Creation and Jubilees of the Law so that this account by Jubilees might be before the Law But there is no need to go so far for an answer The Angel might here speak of such an account of years by way of Prolepsis or Anticipation a Figure usual in Scripture though there were no Jubilees to be observed by that people for above 200. years after Jacobs going down into Egypt And whereas it is objected in the second place that because the Jubilee is a part of the Mosaical Pedagogy therefore it is not now to be reckoned on I answer no more do we so as to observe it according to the Law of Moses nevertheless while the world standeth 49. years will be so many still and no more nor fewer then they were wont to be when Moses gave out the Law And the Angel might speak according to the Phraseology of
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
of the first of the Acts sixth and seventh verses Act. 1.6.7 The words are these When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel And he said unto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own pâ—wer I know well the Apostles have been and are to this day charged here with an errour common among the Jews as it is reported of them namely That the time should come when the Messiah should reign as Lord and King upon the Earth according to the manner of the world and that all Nations should in that kinde be subject unto him and because the Jews were to have the preheminence among them therefore doth the Apostle speak here of his Dominion in this manâ—er calling it the kingdom of Israel But I must crave leave to enter my dissent unto this charge because it runs on too fast in the world without a warrant yea I cannot but account it too much rashness to impute a fault unto those eminent servants of Christ where the Holy Ghost in Scripture hath not given a clear demonstration thereof A fault indeed here is whereof they were too guilty in busying themselves about the knowledge of a time wherein they were not concerned and for which the Lord rebukes them But that they should now as for what they had done formerly in that kinde it is not here Material look for such a temporal Kingdome of the Messiah as the Jews generally did and do still expect this I confidently deny The grounds of which confidence will appear when I shall have proved that this discourse between Christ and his Apostles is a clear confirmation of the point in hand That we may understand aâ—ight the sense of this Scripture let us consider distinctly three things First the occasion of this Question Secondly the persons that put the Question Thirdly the Answer unto it First the occasion from whence the Question did arise is couched in this word therefore when they therefore were come together they asked of him c. By which word of connexion it is manifest that their Question was not suddainly started as of a thing impertinent to the purport of Christs Doctrine which he had been pressing upon them in those fourty dayes since his Resurrection but rather was produced by them as a result very consonant thereunto He had been speaking to them as it is said vers 3. of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God that is of the future estate of his Church for as for the Doctrine of Salvation he had fully made that known unto them before as appears Joh. 15.15 Where he saith All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you So that probable it is the Subject of his discourse now was as I have said concerning his Church giving instructions for the planting and governing of it and premonitions also what dangers and difficulties it was like to suffer and how it should prosper and prevaile over them all in the latter end And herein the Lord manifests his provident care and tender compassion which he had of his Church resembling thereby good old Jacob his Type in this very particular who when he was about to leave the world calls upon his sons to gather themselves together that he migh shew unto them what should befall them in the latter dayes Gâ—n 49 1. Whereas therefore the Lord Jesus Christ had been speaking to his Apostles of these things pertaining to the Kingdome of God and they thereupon enquire of him concerning the restoring the Kingdome to Israel is it not past all gain-saying that some at least of the things which he spake had reference to this restauration Especially when as it is well observed by Grotius In his Annota Luk. 21.24 non negat se id facturum sed quo id futurum esset tempore noluit ab ipsis inquiri he doth not deny that such a thing he would do but onely was not willing to be enquired of by them when it should be done Much was to be done as the sequel now proveth before this which they so hastily sought for could come to pass which they thought not of for it could never have entred into their hearts to conceive unless it had been revealed unto them wherein nevertheless they and their Successours for many Ages should be employed as servants and co-workers with Christ to the end that this much desired restauration might by the bringing in of others also to the faith of the Gospel be attended with the greater glory And hence it is that the Lord commands them that they should not depart from Jerusalem because from thence was the word of life to go out into the world till they were baptised with the Holy Ghost which was the promise of the Father whereby they were to be endued with power extraordinary as being the chief intruments under Christ for so great a work and to authorize others in an ordinary way to be their co-agents in it Secondly consider the persons that put the Question First it was the Apostles men not to be despised such as were legati à latere whom Christ had chosen above all others to be his witnesses of what he did and taught and to be his Embassadours to carry his name into all the world Who did eate and drinks with him after he arose from the dead Act. 10. Secondly the Apostles who though they were not yet baptised with the Holy Ghost according to the promise of the Father yet had received the Holy Ghost by Christs breathing on them whereby they had not onely power given them more then ordinary but knowledge also more then ever they had to discern what might be most conducible to the advancement of their Masters honour and so knew more of his minde in order thereunto then any others could or can possibly attain unto Thirdly the Apostles altogether not one or two of them separated from the rest desirous to winde themselves into their Masters favour above their fellows as it had unhappily fallen out in former time but the eleven with one consent joyned as one man to put this Question unto him for when they were come together it is said they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdome to Israel Which Kingdome if it were never any more to have a being in this World as a thing inconsistent with the manner of Christs Spiritual Kingdome their general agreement about it would doubtless have been adjudged no better then a conspiracy against the Dignity and Prerogative Royal of their Lord and Master and consequently had not gone without a severe check no more then their precipitant disquisition after the time did for which they are reproved Thirdly consider the answer that the Lord giveth It is not saith he for you to know the times or
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie for that is not a blindness in the mind onely but a spiritual obduration overspreading the whole soul whereby they are become utterly unsensible of their sin and misery And thus we finde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred before verse 7. by Beza and others reliqui occaluerunt that is the rest were hardened or covered all over with a brawny thickness Thus also is it written of them Act. 28.27 The heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts c. For why God hath given them in his just displeasure saith the Apostle verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A slothful spirit a spirit that luls them asleep in their sin leading them in the dark or as the word may imply A spirit that pierceth them through railing them fast to their infidelity pricking their eyes that they should not see and boring their ears that they should not hear unto this day Hence it is that they obstinately reject all means of their conversion they blaspheme Christ in their Synagogues and whensoever any mention is made of him they cry out Deleatur nâ—men ejus let his name be forgotten and then spit thrice upon the ground in detestation of him they inure their Children from their Child-hood to curse the Lord Jesus and the blessed Virgin his Mother and if any do undertake to refute their errours out of the word they presently stop their ears refusing to hear c. Thereby verifying the Word of the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.15 2 Cor. 3.15 even unto this day when Moses is read the Vaâ—l is upon their Heart In a word as the same Apostle summeth up their wickedness in another place They killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets 1 Thess 2.15.10 and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men Forbidding to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sins alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost Surely a very fearful and sore judgement it is that is fallen upon this people And what should we do in this day wherein the avenging hand of God lieth so heavy upon them Should we now forget the brotherly-Covenant and with Edom insult over them in the day of their calamity Obad. v. 12 speaking proudly in the day of their distress That be far from us Rather let us for our humiliation consider so long as they are under so severe a lash of Gods just indignation we that are sinners of the Gentiles shall still have a taste given us of the cup of Gods anger none of all our Churches must look to be delivered from their present troubles they must and shall be still haunted with a spirit of division among themselves and with persecution from the Devil and his Anti-Christ For loe the Lord hath begun to bring evil upon his people and upon the City which is called by his name and should we be utterly unpunished Thus argueth the Apostle Saint Peter 1 Pet. 4.17 18 Whose words we may make use of to this purpose When God had begun to cast off the Jews for of them it is probable the Apostle in this place is especially mindful because otherwise the order which he there observeth that God used in bringing his people under his rod before he poured out his fury upon his enemies was no new or strange matter but had been of old He thus writeth 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us that is the Jews for these Epistles were written to them whether it be those amongst us that profess the faith or the generality of our Nation that deny it what shall the end be of them viz. the Gentiles who obey not the Gospel of God that is Who when they have received it are not easie to be perswaded by it but are refractory and unruly under it as we all are to this very day And if the righteous such were all the Jews whiles they continued the house of God scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner of the Gentiles appear Whether this be the proper sense of the place or no I will not contend but will leave it to consideration nevertheless our argumentation cannot be refelled if the green tree suffer in this manner shall the dry tree escape If the children the dearly beloved of Gods soul be thus severely punished shall we in the mean time that were strangers reckoned no better then dogs feeding under our Masters table bee without chastisement especially when now grace hath abounded towards us there are with us also even with us sins against the Lord our God The consideration hereof may I say teach us to walk humbly and should put us to our prayers yea to earnest importunities that God would be pleased once again to look upon his antient people with an eye of compassion and the rather should we be willing hereunto because there is hope in Israel concerning this thing for behold here the unspeakable goodness of God in a mystery made manifest by this scripture of the Apostle according to the commandment of the everlasting God this obduration which is upon Israel is but in part till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Observe first It is but in part that they are thus hardened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In part I say not as if the Jews for the generality had not wholly rejected the grace of God for alas the judgment written in that respect is as it hath been said before come upon them to the uttermost the whole way of God for their salvation being hidden from their eyes but it is in part How because all the Nation hath not fallen under this judgement say some so Saint Austin Ex parte dixit quia non omnes excoecati sunt He saith in part because all are not hardened Epist 59. Tom. 10. Molli locutione significare vellet plurimos non omnes aut non omnino Grotius Ambr. Tom. 5. But if this were the meaning wherein lay the mystery For it was manifest by the Apostle himself and sundry others with him that there was a remnant of Believers among the Jews in those dayes according to the election of grace Rather therefore I conceive with Saint Ambrose He saith in part because this obduration was to be but for a time so that this restriction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not set by the Apostle as Calvin and others would have it to temper the asperity of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as to be an extenuation of their sin for that appears still to be exceeding sinful but it referreth to Gods decreed boundary for the time of the worlds continuance implying that
in it Upon the whole matter then the Apostle by his variation of the Prophets termes seems to take away all scruples of the Jews Restauration First their Redeemer shall be their Deliverer who is both willing and able so to be willing by his relation unto them able because he is the Lord strong and mighty Secondly he shall come out of Sion because he is come unto Sion that is he shall from his Church by some powerful means that shall be used issue out a deliverance unto them because he came to his Church to be her Redeemer Thirdly neither shall their ungodliness that is their pertinacy in their present infidelity hinder this deliverance as some conceive by it an impossibility of their return for he shall turn it away from them and they shall no more turn unto it again Secondly it is observable Though the Apostle here varyeth from the Prophet in the formality of Israels conversion and deliverance yet he fully agreeth with him in the subject thereof that is Jacob For mark Neither of them both saith Ungodliness shall be turned away from Judah which was the remnant that God had reserved to the end that they should know that he was the Lord Neither do they say from Israel as distinguished from Judah which had been long ago driven into banishment But from Jacob as signifying all his posterity All I say not intending probably every particular person that should come out of his loyns but as ranked into several Tribes not one of them shall be lost but all shall be saved that is All of them in their several generations shall after this deliverance continue faithful with their God and never be separated from him any more Thirdly the Apostle and Prophet both engage the truth and faithfulness of God for the accomplishment of this deliverance in these words For this is my Covenant with them when I shall take away their sins With them that is without all controversie to be understood of the seed and posterity of Jacob as the whole current of the Apostles design in this Chapter makes it manifest and as hath been before sufficiently proved I demand then Hath God Covenanted with this his Israel to save and deliver them from their sinne and captivity when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in and when the Word is gone out of his mouth and past into a record in Holy Writ the Register of his revealed Counsels to his Church will he then retract it and not keep his Covenant O farre be it from any to put such an imputation of inconstancy upon the Unchangeable God Faithful is he that hath Covenanted who also will do it And now let us joyn these two together the Strength of Israels Redeemer and the Faithfulness of their God and who is he then that can doubt of their Restauration Object True indeed say some But that shall not be till the very instant of the consummation of all things when the work of Christ is finished the predeterminate number of Gods Elect filled up and a final period be ready to be put both to the sinnes and sufferings of all Gods people throughout the world Sol. I answer Should this be granted which yet is too tenaciously held by the Lutheran party it may well be demanded What advantage would accrew to the Churches of the Gentiles by the reception of the Jews How shall the world be enriched according to the word of the Apostle by their fulness more then it was by their fall and diminution if the world must be dissolved immediately upon their conversion I will not deny but this may be the glorious and blessed Catastrophe of the mighty acts of God upon the I heater of this world and that it is kept as a reserve by the providence of heaven to crown Messiah's victories and his peoples glory But that at the very first appearance thereof when the consolation of Israel and the riches of the Gentiles so largely promised in the Word and so earnestly expected and desired in sundry generations shall by the good hand of God be produced into act that the I say at the very rise and springing of these glorious manifestations of Gods Power and Faithfulness this stage should be taken down and the scene removed into another world as if the distinction between Jews and Gentiles should be continued there as it is here is not easily to be believed Undoubtedly God will so do this marvellous act that it shall for some time be had here in remembrance to the advancement of his own glory the honour of his people and to the everlasting confusion of the Prince of darkness with all his adherents Neither is this considence without sufficient warrant from the word of God for besides that which hath been already said to this purpose if we consult the Prophet Esay once again in the place before-mentioned and compare him with the Apostle in these very words that we have stood last upon we shall finde ground firm enough whereon to build this assertion viz. That this world shall continue for some generations after the Jews return from their finne and captivity Observe therefore When the Prophet had said The Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob he addeth Esa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord henceforth and for ever Which words I confess in the spirit of them are directed to the Church and the children of it assuring them that Gods Spirit and Word shall continue with them for their instruction in all things needful for their salvation But when the Apostle who with the Prophet is guided by the same infallible Spirit shall lead us further to an application of them unto the seed of Jacob after their Restauration we may safely conclude that they do carry also with them this sense as well as the former viz. That Israel shall when they are returned unto the Lord cleave unto him for some generations three at least wherein they shall continue stedfast unto the end Now that the Apostle intendeth the same with the Prophet in this particular as well as in any other before insisted upon seemeth to me very probable He doth not indeed intersert those very words of the Prophet having mentioned that already which was equivalent with them 2 Pet. 3.15 I or as the Apostle Saint Peter will have the long-suffering of God to be accounted Salvation so the Apostle Saint Paul in that he saith All Israel shall be saved reckons the pouring out of Gods Spirit upon Israel and putting his Word into their mouth together with their constant adherency thereunto throughout their generations according to the Prophecy written of them to be Salvation also