be as plainely made to Abraham Isaack and Iacobâ— their owne persons as it is unto their seed and to all the seed as well as to a part or any one of them and that they of the many nations the faithfull Gentâ—les are of the same seed as well as the faithfull Iewes and heires of the promise together with them according as all the forementioned Scriptures do plainely declare so plainâ—ly as I suppose no man will denie Then I aske whâ—refore or for what cause they should not all receive the same and not any one or part be excluded seeing God is faithfull that promiseth God did covenant also with Abraham to be his God and the God of his seed and this hee established in no plaineâ— or suâ—er manâ—er then he did to give them the land for an everlasting possession as in the same place Gen. 17.7 8. appeareth but if God should faile either Abraham oâ— any of his seed in this respect how did he then keepe his covenant even so of the other Therefore as God will not faile either Abraham or any of his seed to be their God neither will he faile to give them the land of Canaan and all the world besides for an everlasting possession The fourth question Fourthly I aske if the true intent of the promise in the forementioned places be not of an eternall estate in the world to come after the resurrection of the body and end of this world That Abraham Isaak and Iacob and all their seed shall then inherit I say not the land of Canaan only although principally as the Throne and City of the great King but all the earth even to the utmost ends and bounds thereof according to Psal. 37. and Mat. 5. Where it is promised that the meeke shall inherit the earth And as the twenty foure Elders sing in their new song unto the Lamb Christ Iesus saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people nation hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Revel. 3.10.11 And who may these redeemed ones out of every kindred tongue people nation that shall raigne on the eaâ—th be but those of the many nations the faithfull Iewes and the faithfull Gentiles which God made Abraham a Father of and Saint Paul saith are heires with Abraham of the world And the promise that the meeke shall inherit the earth doth belong to every meek man as well as to any one of them and so to be fulfilled but it was never so yet in this world Abraham Isaack and Iacob the Fathers of those meeke unto whom the Land of Canaan was promised for an inheritance dyed and inherited not a foote Therefore that God may be found â—â—ue of his word they must all of them inherit it in the the resurrection because here it is otherwise neither is it said they doe inherit or raigne but they shall neither when God promised the land of Canaan unto Abraham and to his seed the earth the world to inherit as in the forementioned places did he meane this present as it is now polluted neither were they so to looke for it as the Prophet Micha saith to them of his time Arise yee and depart â—or this is not your rest because it is polluted It shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Mich. 2.10 But God spake and intended it of the world to come when all things should be new holy and heavenly and so did the Fathers understand and expect it And this doth the Apostle Paul proove from their owne words when they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth saying And they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a Countrey And truely saith he if they had beene mindfull of the Countrie from whence they came out they might have had oppertunitie to have returned but now they desire a better Country that is an heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City Heb. 1â— 13.14.15.16 In which words the Apostle doubtlesse hath respeâ—t to the promise in Gen. 17.7.8 Where God did establish his covenant with Abrahâ—m to be his God and the God of his seed and to give them the land and so understood both to be of like certainty and continuance and such as are heavenly and eternall And that there was also a Citie having foundations whose builder and maker is God which they looked for upon the promise and that therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God For Abraham well understood it was not for a corruptable countrey or a mooveable Citie in a transitory world as now this is that God called him out of the land of Vr to give him and his seed to inherit but for an uncorruptable unmooveable eternall in a better world and so much doe the very words of the promise expresse in that it saith for an everlasting covenant for an everlasting possession for no corruptable things are everlasting neither are these promises such as shall either vanish or faile And upon the ground of this covenant did Christ himselfe proove the resurrection from the dead against the Saduces knowing it to be most sufficient for the purpose saying Now that the dead are raised even Moyses sheweth at the Bush where he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaack and the God of Iacob they being now dead when Moyses thus spake which the Sadduces knew and therefore Christ saith unto them God is not the God of the dead but of the living Luk. 20.37.38 Prooving hereby that Abraham Isaak and Iacob must rise againe from the dead and live to inherit the countrey and Citie promised that God may be found true of his word and declare himselfe to be their God for everlasting according to his covenant Gen. 17. Ezod. 3.6 And that it shall be a heavenly eternall estate in the world to come the Lord also manifesteth in his answeâ—e to the Carnall objection of those Saduces a litle before where he saith The children of this world marry are given in marriâ—ge but they that shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead neithâ—r marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall unto the Angels and are the children of God being the Children of the resurrection Luk 20.35.36 Where the Lord sheweth plainly that the world to come which the holy Fathers and their seed shall inherit at the resurrection will be such a world as none of the ungodly shall be counted worthy to inherit any part thereof as they doe most parts of this world And to this covenant also had David respect in his Psal where he exhorteth the people of Israell saying Seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his
THE LAND OF PROMISE AND The Covenant thereof Explained by certaine questions and propositions propounded To those that teach a deliverance of the Iewes out of all Countries to the Land of Canaan and from their long continued blindnesse to the faith of Christ and a glorious estate in the land for a thousand yereas And also to those that teach a personall comming of Christ and a resurrection of the just to live and raigne with Christ a thousand yeares before the resurrection of the uniust and end of the world Of which there bee severall sorts who are commonly called Millinaries By which doctrine of each of these the true intent of sundry places of Scripture of great importance to the Church and people of Godm is uch obscured which being rightly understood and taught acording to their true and playne meaning would be greatly to the edification and comfort of Gods chosen especially now in these last dayes wherein the accomplishment of all things which God hath spoken draweth so nigh And to the end it may be so I thought good to publish that which hereafter followeth LONDON Printed by F. L. For I. W. the younger and are to be sold at his shop at the upper end of the old Baylie 1641. The Promise of the land of Canaan To the holy Fathers and their seed First to Abram Gen. 13.14.15 And the Lord said unto Abram lift up thine eyes and looke from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed Againe to Abram Gen. 13.17 Arise walke through the lâ—nd in the length of it â—nd in the breadth of it for I will give it unto thee Againe to Abram Gen. 15.7.8 And he said unto him I am the Lord that brought thee out of the land of Vr of the Caldees to give thee this land to inherit it And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And he said unto him take me an heifer of three yeares old c. To Abraham Gen. 17.7.8 And I will establish my covenant betweene mee and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God To Isaak Gen. 26.1.2.3 And the Lord appeared unto him and said goe not downe into Egypt dwell in the land that I will tell thee of so journe in this land and I will be with thee for unto thee and unto thy seed will I give all these Countries To Iacob Gen. 28.10.11.12.13 And Iacob went out froâ—Beersheba and went tâ—ward Haron and he lighted upon a certaine place and tarried there all night because the â—â—nne was set and he tooke off the stones of that place and put them for his pillow and lay downe in that place to sleepe and he dreamed And behold a ladder set â—pon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven And behold the Angells of God ascending and descending on it And behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaak the land whereon thou lyest To thee will I give it and to thy seed The Land of Promise AND The Covenant thereof Explayned by certaine questions and propositions propounded To those that teach a restoring of the Iewes to the Land of Canaan and faith of Christ for a thousand yeares yet to come And also to the severall sorts of Millinaries that are in these times who teach a persâ—nall comming of Christ and resurrection of the just to live and raigâ—e with him a thousand yeares before the resurrection of the unjust and the end of the World The first Question or Proposition FIrst I askâ— if the Promise of the land of Canaan to bee given for an inheritance as in the places of Genesis before mentioâ—ed be not as plainely made unto Abraham Isaack and Iacob their owne persons as it is unto their seede The second Question Secondly I aske if the promise bee not to all the Seed as well as to a part or any one of them The third question Thirdly I aske if the Gentiles which have the faith of Abram be not of the same seed and included also in the promise as well as the Iews having the same faitâ— concerning what God said to Abram when he was making this covenant with him Gen. 17. Saying As for me behold my Covenant witâ— thee And â—hou shalt be a Father of many Nations Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee verse 5.6 And considering also what Saint Paul saith Rom. 4. Speaking of Abraham and of this same covenant that God made with him at the same time when he also appointed him circumcision for a token thereof as in Gen. 17. The words of Saint Paul are these And hee received the signe of Circumcision a scale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that hee might be the father of them that believe though they bee not circumcised that rightâ—ousnesse 〈◊〉 be impuâ—ed â—â—to them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision onely but also walke iâ—â—â—e steps of the faith of our Father Abrahamâ—â—hâ—ch â—â—e had being yet â—ncircumcised For the proâ—ise that 〈◊〉 shoâ—ld â—â—e the heire of the world was not to Abraham or â—o 〈…〉 through the Law but through the righteoâ—snesse of Faith for if they which are of the law be heyres faith is made voyd and the promise made â—f none effect because the law worketh wrath â—â—r where nâ— law iâ— there is no traâ—sgression Thereforâ— it is â—f fâ—ith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seedâ— not â—o that onely which is of the â—aw 〈◊〉 to that also â—hich â—â—â—f the faith of Abâ—aham whâ— is tâ—◠〈…〉 of â—s 〈…〉 writtenâ— I have made thee a Father of many Nations Before him whoâ— bee believed even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things wâ—ich be not aâ— though they were who against hope believâ—d in hope that hâ— might become the Father of many Nations accordâ—ng to that which was spâ—ken So shall thy seâ—de be Rom. 4.11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. And as he testifâ—eth againe saying there is neither Iâ—w nor Grâ—â—kâ— there is neither bâ—nd nâ—r free â—here is nâ—ithâ—r male 〈◊〉 female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus And if ye bee Christâ—s then are ye Abraham's sâ—ede and heires according to the promise Gal. 3.28 Now if these things bee so that the promise of the land of Canaan which Saint Paul expresseth by the name of the world
inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever there are a hâ—ndred words in the Scriptures of God to prove as ye may see by that whicâ— is written And when Christ cometh in his glory his holy Angels shall come with him and God himself will dwell with his people and they shall be his Tabernacle as hath beene declared And this I say yet further that if you can breake Gods covenant with the day and his covenant with the night and that there should not be day and night in their seasons If ye can remoove the Sunne the Moone and the Starres out of their places and from their order and put an end to the dayes of Heaven then ye may breake and put an end to the things before declared otherwise they shall stand and not faile for ever as the Lord hath said Ier. 31.35.36.37 Ier. 33.20.21 Neither shall these ordinances ever depart from before the face of the Lord What were it that all these excellent promises and sayings in Scripture should onely intend a thousand or two thousand yeares glorious Church of the Iewes or of any other to be in the time of this world and then to cease and how many absurdites would follow too many to relate The Iewes had almost two thousand yeares time in their troublesome Typical estate and there hath beene neere one thousand six hundred yeares since wherein all that glory hath beene troden downe and the people disperst as well the Saints that were then in the land as the other one whom the wrath of God which was written is ceased upon And will ye have this glorious estate that hath beene so many thousand yeares spoken of and looked for of all the faithfull upon Gods promises since the beginning to last but for a thousand yeares or two as some would have it and to concerne only and belong to a remnant of Iewes remaining discended of the most viperous generation of them that ever were as Christ himselfe chargeth them such as were to fill up the measure of their Fathers wickednesse and that these should be all of them generally called and saved this is beyond all sound aprehention and besides all Scriptures of truth such a calling and such a saving was never knowne to be of the best dissent naturall that ever was nor was ever knowen to be the manner of Gods dealing and procâ—eding in any age with any people whatsoever But to chuse out from among them and their Children here one and there one as Abell leaving Cain Isaack leaving Ishmael Iacob leaving Esaw and so in all times both with Iewes and Gentiles seldome many of one mans Children and lesse times all like as is hoped was with Iacobs sonnes but as it is writen Though the Children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved for God will finish the worke as Saint Paul saith and cut it short in righteousnesse because a short worke will the Lord make upon the earth and as he saith againe from Esay Excâ—pt the Lord â—f Sabbath had lefâ— us a seed wee had beene as Sodome and beene made like unto Gomorrah Rom. 9. And as Christ himselfe saith for shewing how it would be to the worlds end Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth â—nto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7.14 If ye say the Scriptures speake much of the Iewes calling and especially Saint Paule in Rom. 11. My answere is it seemeth to doe so but there is a great mistaking of the Apostles wordes and meaning by many for he speaketh onely of a remnant of elect Iewes and chiefely of those in his owne time which the Christian Romanes had their eye upon Marvelling that so few of so great and religious a nation did beleive the Gospell of Christ and confest him which was the occasion of the Apostles writing unto them in this manner to informe them as concerning the reason thereof and proveth unto them by former experience and testimonies of the Prophets that they were alwayes but few in comparrison of the great number of obstinate ones that did beleeve in their â—earts to salvation as in Chap. 9. from the testimonie of Esaiah and in this Chap. by that in the time of Eliahs And so all his arguments are to prove that God did never cast away his elect people of Israel Nor would but that they should all come in according as many of them did especially in those dayes for then they had the most excellent meanes that ever they had or shall have while the world stands which because the Rulers and greatest number of them did so wilfully reject filling up the measure of their Fathers sinnes who persecuted and killeâ— the Prophets and they now Christ himselfe was therefore to be taken from them and the wrath of God to cease upon them to the uttermost according as Moyses had foretold long beâ—ore Deut 28. from the 15. verse to the end of the Chap. And as Christ himself pronounceth sayingâ—For these be the dayes of vengance that all things that are written might be fulfilled But woe be to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those dayes for there shall be great distresse in the land and wrath upon this people and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led captive into all Nationâ— and Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentilâ—s till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luk. 21.22.23.24 As also Saint Paul testifieth Thesalo And the time being now come that the Gentiles should heare the word of the Gospell that Gods elect among them which by Gods appointment were now in these latter dayes to be many in number might bee brought inâ— So long as untill the times of the course of the Gospel among the Gentiles for the bringing in of all Gods Elect of them be accomplished Hierusalem is to be troden downe of the wicked unbeleeving Gentiles And so long also shall blindnesse continue upon the generation of those vipers that Christ spake to that they may fill up their measure as they did the measure of their fathers according as they said his blood bee upon us and upon our children These are that part of Israel of whom Saint Paul saith Blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulâ—esse of the Gentiles be come in the fulnesse of Gods Elect Gentiles for so he meaneth so the words themselves doe expresse And these are those other sheepe of whom Christ spake in Iohn 10. which being brought in there shall be one fould and one Shepheard one Nation and one King for ever And all the blinded Iewes and Gentiles also that have reiected the grace of God in Christ shall see these sheep of the Gentiles that come from the East and the West and North and South sit with Abraham Isaack and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and themselves cast out as