blessed in Abraham The Angel which was the Lord himself did bear witnesse Likewise this promise gave God unto Isaac In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 26. And to Jacob Chap. 28. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in thee and thy seed Therefore it appears that in the Fathers of the Jews and in their seed and in the Jews themselves all the Kinreds all the People all the Nations and Tribes of the earth were to be blessed but these Kinreds Nations People and Tribes we shall meerly call those Gentiles which are without the Kinred Nation People and Tribe of the Jews That blessing by which the Gentiles were blessed in the Jews is The election of God in mystery which was first proper to the Jewes and which by derivation and participation was from the Jews powr'd upon the Gentiles Therefore if God have preferr'd the Jews in a mystical election let the Gentiles have next place with him in the same election But by no nearer title did the Jews cleave to God than by this that they were the first-born in this mystical Election That mystical begetting of the Jews was a kind of a mystical nature by which the Jews were acknowledged as natural Sons For which God is said to have carried them in his womb Isa 46. To which portion or degree of nature because the Gentiles were neither called nor chosen adoption was granted to them which is an imitation of Nature by which being adopted into the family of the Jews they were esteem'd the Sons of the Jews not according to flesh and nature but according to that adoption which is perfected by mystical nature I say by that same election by which the Jews are the Sons of God in the first degree of nature and by which the Gentiles adopted in the Jews are called the Sons of God but because they come in by a second degree by adoption are onely call'd and esteem'd adoptive Sons In which sense St. Paul is to be understood Eph. 1. where he says That God did prâ—destinate or chuse the Gentiles into the Election of the sons of God that is to say of the Jews The Gentiles were adopted into the family of the Jews by that mystical election at which time they were made the sons of Abraham And they were made the sons of Abraham when Abrams name was chang'd and instead of that he call'd Abraham and then when Abram was made Father of the Gentiâ—es Thou shalt be called Abraham sayes the Lord to Abram Gen. 17. Because I have appointed thee father of many Nations Abraham was made father of the Gentiles by the same right as the Gentiles were made sons of Abraham and sons of the Jews in Abraham St. John Baptist meant that election where reproaching the Jews he affirms That God out of these stones could raise up seed to Abraham For he can raise up stones who can call things that are not as if they were as to this purpoâ—e St. Paul spoke Rom. 4. That is to say who can call men out of stones and turn the stones themselves to be men stones I say that are distant from men in the whole scheme of animals I say God that could doe these things which are without and beyond nature could likewise adopt Children to Abraham which is an imitation of nature Adoption sayes he is an holy thing which imitates the benefit of nature But by how much truth is more holy than Imitation by so much is nature more holy than adoption Nature and adoption make sons nature true ones adoption feign'd ones Adoption transfers men from one Family to another and from one name to another It changes the kinred which is fiction and imitation but cannot change the bloud which belongs to nature and truth But neither can adoption alter the condition of the linage As for example it can make sons but of libertines cannot make free or of servants freemen The mystical adoption is otherwise by the force of which the nature of the Gentiles is turn'd into the nature of the Jews That which is imitation of nature in civil adoption is nature it self in the mystical And truth whose image is pretended only by the Law is by the mystery of this adoption really begotten Therefore the Gentiles change both their kind and their linage by adoption and translation into the Nation and family of the Jews And because they change their stock they change likewise the condition of their stock for the Gentiles become by that adoption not only sons but of servants free-men and free-born For all the efficacie of this adoption is to liberty and all such who by right of that adoption come to a part of the liberty of the sons of God claim a liberty That mystery is the force and power of the Spirit of Christ by which the Gentiles are changed into spiritual Jews and into the true sons of Abraham not according to the nature of the flesh but according to the nature of Promise and Spirit which is the true adoption and election of the Gentiles Yea Promise is that election by which alone the Jews are what they are by which the Jews themselves are the sons of Abraham true Israelites and true Jews not according to the flesh but according to Promise and to Spirit For all those that descended of Israel are not Israelites nor those who are the feed of Abraham all his sons but in Isaac shall thy seed be call'd that is to say not the sons of the flesh or the Jews but those that are called sons of the Promise in his seed Rom. 9. I say that promise is it which makes true Israelites and true sons of God But also the Jews without that shall lose their own family which is Gods and their father Abraham they would leave off to be what they are and of Jews become Gentiles and by crosse-changing of their kinred of sons of God become sons of men The Scripture more significantly expresses this conversion of the kinred of the Gentiles into the kinred of the Jews where it affirms them not only to be adopted but ingrafted in the Jews That as a branch which is grafted grows to be one with the tree wherein it is grafted whether it be grafted by plastring or incision I say as by incision one tree is chang'd into another and of two arises one so the Gentiles by ingrafting become one with the Jews as also by force of that ingrafting are chang'd to be the very Jews and so from two Nations are made one people of God Besides there is a difference betwixt grafting of one tree into another and grafting of the Gentiles into the Jews for an unfertil tree uses not to be grafted in an unfertile one nor a wild one on a kindly and right stock but the branches of the Gentiles bâ—rren of holinesse were grafted in the Jews who were holy and fruitful in holinesse of works and those wild ones implanted in the
Publicans and sinners Both with the Jews are unlawful either to enter into the Gentiles or to receive them Publicans and sinners are put together in many places of the Gospel because the Publicans or Farmers of the Customes which the Jews paid to the Romans were Gentiles or sinners amongst the Gentiles We must likewise consider the answer which our Saviour gave to the Jews when they enquired of his Disciples why he sat and did eat with publicans and sinners I came not sayes he to call the just but sinners to repentance which is I came not to call the Jews but Gentiles to repentance For Christ did prophesie there should be a call of sinners and Gentiles of all such as would hear his voice and a rejection of the sinners and Gentiles of all such which would not hear his voice Like to this is that Mat. 26. The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners for the Son of man was betrayed into the hands of men or sinners or Gentiles which is the same that by the Romans who were Gentiles and not by the Jews he might be condemned and crucified Moreover by this observation of sins we excellently finde the meaning of that place to the Galathians Chap. 2. where you shall read this But if desiring to be justified in Christ we be found sinners is God the Author of sin c Which you must thus open and understand But if we Jews desiring to be justified in Christ for here he discourses of the Jews who would not live after the manner of the Gentiles If we Jews sayes he desiring to be justified in Christ the God of the Gentiles are found to be Gentiles that is to degenerate into sinful Gentiles shall Christ be the cause that we contrary to the Command of God have departed from being Jews to be Gentiles that leaving the Law of God we have turn'd to the Councel of the ungodly and walked in the way of sinners God forbid sayes the Apostle that we should think any such thing For Christ is not the cause of the Gentiles sins but of Faith which Gentiles who believe in Christ have in Christ Christ destroyes the sins of the Gentiles but is the Author of Faith to the Gentiles and wakens that Faith which he revealed to the Nations of sinners then in name but elected through Faith and called to the holiness of the Jews What then if we be called Gentiles so long as the Faith of the Gentiles is inherent in us and we are justified by Christ the God of the Gentiles CHAP. VIII Gentiles called children little ones and poor VVE must very attentively observe that which we read in the 9 of the Proverbs where Christ the wisdom of the Father speaks to the Gentiles whom being made a man he was afterwards to call in these words My speech unto the sons of men Understand ye little ones wisdom and ye foolish take heed Wisdom cried out standing in the streets and high-wayes speaking to the trivial commune and unclean Gentiles and who are here openly meant by the sons of men and by the unwise and likewise here called lutle ones That voice which was heard from Heaven which stirs up both Jews and Gentiles gathered into one Church Rev. 19. Give praise to God you his servants that fear him small and great did mean these same little ones that is praise the Lord both Jews and Gentiles as you were of old incorporal and unanimous or as Saint Paul translates and reherses it Romans 15. Rejoyce ye Nations with his people But of the agreement of the Jews and Gentiles in praising of God we shall speak more in its due place It is clear that the Gentiles are called little ones Psalm 64. The arrows of the little ones are made their wounds that is the Gentiles are wounded with the same Arrows which they shot against the Jews according to the 35 Psalm The snare which the Gentiles have laid for the Jews hath taken them and they are fallen into the same snare Wisdom cries out Chap. 1. Ye little ones how long will ye love childishness and ye fools those things that are hurtful to you and fools hate understanding The little ones fools and unwise in that place are the Gentiles who stammer like Infants who desire things hurtful to them and hate the knowledge which is of God Solomon calls those same little ones evil and wicked men Chap. 7. of the same Book where he sayes thus I looked out of my window through the casement and I see the little ones I observe the foolish young man who walks in the street by the corner walking in the dark when it 's almost night Understand those little ones here not such are borderers upon Infancy but those that are foolish of untam'd pleasure wicked men who apply themselves to whores which the following words do make appear The Gentiles are call'd little ones in regard of the Jews who are call'd the great Nation nor was there another Nation so great Deut. 4. And higher then other Nations Deut. 26. The Iews were called great and mighty and high not by reason of their stature for they seem'd to be locusts compar'd to the Canaanite whom they had view'd by their Spies and who Numb 13. were of the sons of Anac men of mighty stature and monsters in regard of the Jews who were but little men Therefore the Jews were great in that they were chosen and belov'd by God and because in that regard they excell'd all other Peoples and Nations On the contrary the Gentiles were neither chosen nor belov'd by God but for the contrary reason call'd low little small To this compare what is written in the 24 Rev. And I saw the dead great and small which ascribe not to the ages or statures of those that shall rise again but to the future resurrection of the Iews and Gentiles which St. Paul calls the 24 of the Acts the resurrection of the just and the unjust of which before Solomon gives the reason of this why the Gentiles should be call'd little and small in that Book to which they say he gave the the Title of Wisdom Chap. 12. Because they wander'd says he in the way of error esteeming those things Gods which were superfluous in beasts living like witlesse children for which cause God had given them a judgement as to foolish children In this sense understand these words which the Lord professes in the gospel Matth. 11. I praise thee O my Father that thou hast hidden these things from the prudent and wise and hast revealed them to little ones that is that Gospel which thou hast not reveal'd to the Jews thou hast made manifest to the Centiles For the Jews are called wise and prudent according to Exod. 4. Behold a prudent and a wise people The Little ones are understood the Gentiles For Christ did not come to the Jews whom he was not then rejecting because they believ'd not in him but to the
likewise call the Jews the sons of Adam since they are also called the sons of Jacob the sons of Isaac the sons of Abraham I say for the same reason as Adam was the Father of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The Jews by name are call'd the sons of Adam Psalm 58. If you truly speak justice and judge rightly ye sons of Adam for ye work wickednesse in your heart and your hands work injustice upon the earth The Kingly Prophet in this place reproves the Jews whom according to the Hebrew text he calls the sons of Adam because professing justice with their mouths they judg'd wickednesse and in their heart and affections wrought the wickednesse of the Gentiles Which reproach you shall often find cast upon the Jews Such is that of Isay 49. This people draw nigh to me with their lip but their heart is far from me and they have worship'd me according to the command of men and doctrine that is they have worship'd me according to the order commands and doctrine of the Gentiles The second reproach cast upon the the Jews in this Psalm is That their hands wrought wickednesse upon earth Which earth is to be understood that choice holy earth and Land of the Saints that is of the Jews Isa 26. It was a great crime in the Jews that they had wrought injustice but a greater crime that they had wrought it in the land of the Lord which was elect and holy which to fill with iniquity as Ezekiel 8 Chap. speaks was to provoke the Lord. Hence that laid upon the Church of the Iews Thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications and wickednesse which in another place he call'd to defile the earth Here the Iews are understood by the sons of Adam who spake justice with their mouthes but judg'd wickedly and wrought iniquities in their heart and fram'd injustice in the Land holy and elect which is as much to the Iews as to live like Gentiles And David to deterre the sons of Adam the Iews from such deeds of the Gentiles shows them what the Gentiles were and what punishment they were to expect for their wickednesse in the same Psalm and in the next words They erre say they being sinners from the womb they are sinners from their from their nativity they have spoken false things which read thus in that place That he meant they were sinners from the womb in the same sense as St. Paul speaks of the Gentiles Ephesians 2. Sons of wrath by nature for by nature is the same as from the womb It is added they have spoken lies which could be only ascribed to the Gentiles For the â—ons of Adam that is the Iews are here sâ—eaking justice and truly If you truly speak justice ye sons of Adam Yea truth was granted to the Iews according to that of Micah Chap. 20. Thou shalt give truth unto Jacob. That truth was the law and justice of God For which cause the Iews who had the Law of God were called a just Nation and observing truth On the contrary understand the Gentiles by those who spake lies according to that of the 5 Psal In the mouth of the Gentiles there is no truth And again Ye sons of men why wander ye in vanity and follow after lies And in the 62 Psalm The sons of men are vain and light in the ballance Vain and Lyars are joyn'd together And when St. Paul writes in the first of the Romans That all the creation is subject to vanity Understand the first creation which of it self is vain flying and like a first dream Wherefore Nature her self being bad made those of the first creation lyers and wicked Therefore the Iews who truly speak justice are the sons of Adam The sinners the Gentiles who spake lyes CHAP. XI The Jews are called by Moses the sons of Adam The 32. Chap. of Deut. is explained And Isaiah and Hoseas of Adam the first Father of the Jews The Gentiles called strangers the Jews a kinde of men distinct in species from the Gentiles The Gentiles earth-born The Psalm 49. is explained Abraham had servants born in his house and also bought who were not of his stock that is of Adam Who are the sons of men who is the son of man The difference 'twixt the brethren of the Jews and other strangers THere is a remarkableâ— place Deuteron 23. which is the song of Moses in which the Jews are prophetically restored into their Land and are separated from all the People and Nations but the people and the Gentiles separated from the Jews And whom the Jews being in the midst of them shall sometime separate are placed on this side and that side bordering upon the Jews where Moses sayes The most high divided the Nations when he separated the sons of Adam he appointed their bounds according to the number of Israel or which is the same according to the twelve Tribes of the Jews which is the number of the sons of Israel And in the 54 Chap. Behold a stranger shall come who was not with me and he who was a stranger to thee shal be joyned to thee The Gentiles shall adhere and be joyned to the Jews shall be neer to the Jews and neer to the borders of the Jews but shall not be mixed with them which observe for that was openly decreed and promised Deut. 33. Israel shall dwell with security and alone that is undefiled with the mixture of the Nations which is not yet but that it shall be we shall show in its due place Moses gave this reason of the separation of the Jews from the Gentiles in the same song and in the words immediately following His people are the inheritance of the Lord and his portion that is Although in that day the Lord bless all the Gâ—ntiles and in his second Election make them partakers of his inheritance although in that day according to the promise made to Abraham all the Nations be blessed in the seed of Abraham Notwithstanding the Jews who are the seed of Abraham blessed first and before the Gentiles shall be a better part and inheritance of the Lord and shall be accounted to God as a peculiar inheritance the most elect are set apart from the less elect as Saint Paul said that he himself was set apart for a most elect vessel for the Gospel of God Chap 1. Epist to Rom. Further these are applied to the Prophesâ—e of Isaiah and are expounded by it Chap. 19. In that day Israel shall be third 'twixt Egypt and Assyria a blessing in the midst of the earth which the Lord hath blessed Blessed be my people of Egypt and the Assyrian the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance Where note That Egypt is beyond Nile and the gulf of Arabia and Assyria beyond Euphrates placed on the one side and on the other borderers upon Israel that Israel is placed in the third plece betwixt Egypt and Assyria betwixt the Bounds of his Rivers I say observe that
election advanced its Head above the rest was called the Princess of the Provinces in the first of the Lamentations of Jeremiah which God had peculiarly chosen out of all the Provinces and Cities of Israel it was called Jebus which is a treading under foot when it was numbred among the Cities of the Nations but being chosen and made a City of the Jews it was called by God Jerusalem that is The sight of peace Baruc. 5. Her foundations are in the holy mountains and glorious things are spoken of her Psalm 87. For that called the faithful City a City holy and elected and adorned with other great Titles well known in holy Writ The Temple placed in it was adorned with an Elogy of most choice holiness I have chosen and sanctified that place that my name may be there for ever and my eyes and my heart continue there alwayes 2 Chron. 7. That Temple was built upon the Mount of Sion God laid the foundation of the mount Sion for everlasting Psal 48. Hence those eternal Hills Deut. 33. as also Genesis 49. which are probably those two on the forked Hill of Sion upon the which the Temple of the Lord was built as likewise the City of David or of the King for which cause Jerusalem is said to be built upon the holy Hills Psal 87. now cited It was called The Temple of the Lord the rest of the Lord and his foot-stool the place of the Throne of God the place of his footsteps where he dwells in the midst of the sons of Israel Ezech. 43. for which cause the Hill of Sion is called the City of God because God dwelt in it God is great and very highly to be praised in his City in his holy hill This God is our God for ever Psalm 48. Our God is onely excellent in Sion cries out Isaias in the ravishment of his Spirit Chap. 3. onely that is cheifly by excellency and beyond all others excellent In which sence that Hill is likewise called a fat mountain and curdled Psalm 68. For all the rest of the Land of Canaan and Jerusalem flowed with the milk of election and sanctity of the Lord but the Hill of Sion was the cream of that milk that milk thickned and curdled a fat cheese pressed out of the milk of the election and sanctity of the Lord but that City was likewise called The city of the solemnity of the Jews Isay 33. Because all the Jews met there to pay their Vows and Sacrifices to God as also for their solemn joy and festivals according to the command of the Lord Deut. 12. In Sion you shall be joyful before your God you and your families in all wherein the Lord shall bless you there you shall feast before the Lord your God you your sons and daughters and your Levites there shall be the rest of the Lord and your rest The Temple and Jerusalem are for the most part joyned 2 Kingâ— 12. In this Temple and in Jerusalem will I put my name for ever And in Joel In the hil of Sion in Jerusalem there shall be salvation he that calls upon the Lord there shall be sâ—ved We must hear the Prayer of Solomon wherein he attests God in the behalf of Jerusalem and the Temple Kings 1. Chap. 8. Wheresoever said he thou shalt send thy People they shall pray to thee toward the City which thou hast chosen and towards that house which I have built to thy Name and thou shalt hear their prayer in heaven More I will say of the holy and chosen Land of Jerusalem and of the Temple of God when I shall speak of the return of the Jews which shall be their full Election In the top of the hill of Sion stood the Palace of the King which was called The City of David and which the Lord himself call'd the City of the great King Of this David and of this great King we shall afterwards have a great discourse In the mean time we must speak something of the Kings of the Jews who sat upon the high Throne of the City of David of whom this was the original We said before that the Lord God was King of the Jews A God to help them with heavenly assistance A King to stand for them in the battel to advance the shield draw the sword and put to flight the â—nemies of the Jews But because when the Jews began to be very stiff-necked it often came to passe that God turn'd from them and going from home as the Gospel speaks conâ—inued long absent then the Jews wthout a King and a Defender were open to the incursions of their enemies who spoyl'd them and most cruelly did destroy them utterly They fearing lest this might again befall them when Samuel their Judge was deed as also his Sons not walking in his ways requested a King who might judge them according to the manner of other Nations who might go out before them and fight their battels for them Which troubled Samuel Nor did the Lord slight the Petition of the Jews Hearken to them in all that they say to thee for they have not rejected thee but me Sam. 1. Chap. 8. Which open thus I was saith the Lord God and King of the Jews by Covenant And I appointed thee O Samuel by that Kingly power which I had over the Jews and thy sons to be their Judges Therefore having rejected thee and thy sons from being Judges they have not rejected thee but me who appointed thee And in that wherein they trespasse against thee they more hainously and grievously trespassed against me For in this they plainly discover'd their thoughts how little confidence they have in me and how weakly their hopes are fix'd upon me But because they are so unbeleeving and hardned in the foolishnesse of their hearts Harken to them and set a King over them Yet truly God had promis'd before in the desert that he would set a King over the Jews Deut. 17. Yea God had promis'd the Jews Kings at what time he blessed Abraham and the Jews in Abraham Kings shall come out of thee And Jacob prophâ—cying and in his sons blessing all the Jews The Scepter shall not depart from Juda. CHAP. V. The Gentiles elected in the Jews by a mystical â—lectâ—on Esteem'd the sons of God because elected in the Jews And grafted in the Jews AFter we have spoken of the election of the Jews it is fit that in order we should speak of the election of the Gentiles which sprang from the Jews as our Lord Jesus Christ himself most openly expresses to the Samaritan Woman in the fourth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John Salvation is by the Jews But that which God the Son told this Gentile woman God the Father long before promis'd the Fathers of the Jews first to Abraham Genesis Chapter 12. All the kinreds of the earth shall be blessed in thee Then in the following Chapter That all the Nations of the earth should be