goe out of the world with sinne So the Apostle doth connect and couple them 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory i. e. There is then no sinne which is that sting therefore no sorrow which formerly did tend to death and end in the grave But let us take the Scriptures in order for the sorrowfulnesse of this state and time we speak of ¶ 1 Adams state was a sorrowlesse condition therefore so shall the state of the faithfull at this time be as wee have often recited the parallel Gen. 1.26 with Psal 8. Heb. 2. Psal 95. Heb. 4. out of which 95. Psal the Apostle proving a rest to remain yet on earth for the people of God the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from the same root whence Noahs name is prophetically given him to foretell the comfort that should come to the Church by him even the rest in the Arke in the time of the Flood Gen. 5.29 At which time the earth by water was purged of the Churches enemies Answerably the Apostle in a way of parallel in 2 Pet. 3. mentioning that purgation by water infers another purgation by fire after which we are to expect another rest or restauration and that on earth where was and shall be that purgation which the Apostle Heb. 4. descanting upon Psal 95. renders the sense of that Hebrew word vers 9. of that 4. to the Hebrews by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme a Septenary rest As if hee should say It shall be a Sabbath of Sabbaths or above all Sabbaths or the period and perfection of all Sabbaths That as we rest on a Sabbath or seventh day from our weekly work as God did from his and the Jewish servants every seventh yeer rested from their service And every seventh of seven times seven yeers all their land had rest so in the seventh Millenary of the world the whole universe shall have a rest The Church shall have full Dominion over the whole world For in those places of Psal 95. and Heb. 4. being mainly spoken to and concerning the Iewes cannot bee meant of the Sabbath of Gods resting once and for ever past or of their weekly or of their Septenary-anniversary or of their Jubilean or of their Cananitish Sabbath or of an internal spiritual Sabbath or rest of minde and conscience for all these the Church of the Jewes had enjoyed Nor could the Apostle thinke it needfull to prove that an internal rest which all moral Heathens that beleeve the immortality of the soule expect doth yet remain And therefore the Apostle must mean that rest which was proper to cure the then present dispersed and distressed condition of the Jewes continued to this day That as God hath given them the weekly rest and the Septenary-anniversary and the Jubilean and the Canaanitish so he would give them at last a Millenary rest on earth a rest longer and better then ever they had For much is couched in those words Heb. 4.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Therefore there is yet left or there remaineth a Sabbatisme or a kinde of Septenary or Sabbatical rest forthe people of God Marke every word Therefore viz. because God rested on the seventh day in the beginning after that gave them a seventh weekly and yeerly rest and a seventh of seven times seven yeers rest and a rest in Canaan and after all the Lord spake of another rest to come Therefore there remaineth a rest Remaineth or is yet left noteth and importeth something not extant afore in specie in its prime but onely in types but is next to come in order in its native kinde and verdure And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme a word never used but here on this occasion imports a limited time not an everlasting unlimited duration even as Adam lived neer a thousand yeers and had rested so long if not longer in Paradise without sin or sorrow if hee had not hearkned unto the Diabolical temptation And to the people of God which written to the Hebrews must include them so often called by God in the Old Testament my people and so must necessarily signifie that this rest is for the Jewes joyntly with the Gentiles when the Jews shall bee the people of God by faith as now the beleeving Gentiles are as the Apostle disputes Rom. 11. ¶ 2 The Prophet Isaiah also sets forth this sorrowlesse time Chapter 2. vers 2 3 4. And it shall come to passe in the LAST DAYES c. Many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord for he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes and he will judge among the Nations AND THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS NATION SHAL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION neither shall they LEARN WARRE ANY MORE In which words observe that as there is intimated internall spiritual peace so externall corporall peace is openly expressed to come to passe not onely to the Jewes but to all Nations which was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time as this description cannot consist with the ultimate judgement ¶ 3 Another place is in Isa 9. verse 6. Christ shall be called the PRINCE OF PEACE of the increase of his Government and PEACE THERE SHALL BEE NO END upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to establish it c. from henceforth even for ever Which place most plainly speakes of external peace as well as of internal and for a long continuance and doth belong to the time wee speak of as is before demonstrated which Christ hath not to this day fulfilled but rather hath brought a sword then externall peace Therefore the fulfilling of the sense of this Prophesie is yet to come ¶ 4 Isa 11. verse 1. c. A rod of the stem of Jesse c. with righteousnesse shall judge the poore and reprove with equity for the meeke c. He shall slay the wicked c. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountaine For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord c. The envy of Ephraim shall depart and the Adversaries of Judah shall bee cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah Ephraim c. All which taken together doe most plainly relate to the time wee speak of as is before proved But this was never yet fulfilled since Isaiahs time And therefore these high expressions are to bee fulfilled at the glorious time wee discourse of ¶ 5 Isa 14.1 2 3. We have these high promises The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their owne Land and the strangers shall be joyned unto them c. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place c. And the Lord shall give them REST FROM SORROW FEARE AND
ungodly of all their ungodly deeds and of all their HARD SPEECHES Something is in that that he is numbred a seventh from Adam a type at least in that that Christ should come in the seventh Millenary or thousandth of the whole Age of the world at furthest Which seven thousandth is farre nearer then generally we account as after God assisting shall be demonstrated at which time according to the common consent of the Jewish Talmud and Rabbins viz. R. Ketina R. Schelomo R. Kimchi c. He shal bring a destruction upon sinne so as the world shal be refined from the curse as Gold from the drosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Lord alone shal be exalted Isa 3. And he shal shake the earth as at a day of Iudgement as Hag. 2.6 7. and the Lord shall be for a King or instead of a King to or over all the earth Then according to Psal 90. shal be a Sabbath of rest for a thousand yeares I give you their owne very words phrases and quotations a sufficient Commentary on Enoch who saith the Lord shall come with Myriads of his Saints Now after his Ascention Iude alledgeth Enoch that the Lord shall come he doth not say he shall goe away to Heaven but he shal come from Heaven And how As a Iudge to convince and punish all that have persisted to utter hard speeches against Christ viz. against him himself or against him in his Saints and this must be before the ultimate Day of Judgement or else what priviledge is it to the Saints or how is Christs power vindicated afore hee lay downe his power § 3 So that you may perceive that this matter in hand is an ancient Tenet no new thing as many ignorant of the Prophets make it and wonder and talke against it But we in obedience to Christ do search into the Prophets and as we are enlightned and led as overcome with the truth so we have and shall follow § 4 There is a second reason leading us into the enquiry of the Prophets viz. that thereby we may search out the grounds upon which the Iewes build their expectation of the coming of the Messiah and in what manner they expect his coming that so we may joyne issue with them in knowledge hope and prayer or otherwise within our spheare to help them forward and the businesse it selfe against all the opposers thereof We all both Jewes and Gentiles that have been candid enquirers into the Scriptures have from the beginning looked for his further coming Heb. 11. oft By faith they saw the promise afar off and saluted them so the Greek And by faith they saw him that was invisible c. when he came in the flesh the generality of the Iewes saw him corporally but not spiritually viz. as a man not as the Messiah But the generality of the beleeving Gentiles saw him spiritually nor corporally The Jewes therefore still expect his coming that they may see him both corporally and spiritually And it will be no griefe for the Gentiles that have seen him spiritually to see him also corporally And though he will not come againe to the Jewes to be made flesh yet hee will come againe to them in the flesh And this later will be more glorious then the former the greater containing the lesser radiating more effectually upon the Jewes to a greater effusion of teares from them and infusion of the spirit of Christs grace into them Zech. 12. which John prefixeth to his Revelation Chap. 1. v. 7. as the end Catastrophe and upshot in a great part of that Revelation as the fitting of them to entertaine Christs appearance and to enter into the New Jerusalem But this is not all There is a third reason why we should looke into the Prophets of the Old Testament there being the maine and most Types and Visions used in this Booke of the Revelation I will at present give but one instance but a most apt one to our businesse in hand viz. that in Revel 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they that sate upon them and judgement was given to them c. and they lived and reigned with Christ c. which cleerly is taken out of Dan. 7.9 c. I beheld till the Thrones were set so it should bee translated * Our last Translat have mistaken in translating it The Thrones were cast downe I suppose they therein tooke Thrones tropically or figuratively for powers and so they would make this sense of it the powers viz Monarchicall and their appendices were cast down But they were not al down till after the Judiciary sitting v. 11. v. 21 22. Besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some Chalde copies write it signifies material Thrones whereon the Potentates do sit whether we make the noune to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Hemantick signifying As it were for the Talmud useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a material Throne or whether we make the noune to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a radical so it signifies sometimes a material place wherein to exercise or act a gift faculty or power And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as other Chalde copies write it also signifies material Thrones as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a materiall Throne So that every way materiall Thrones to sir in are signified by the words in the Text even as the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly signifies were lifted up advanced or set up so plainly that I cannot in the least imagine nor conjecture what shew of reason our last Translators had to render it The thrones wore cast down Our old Translation hath it The Thrones were set up And most justly For whether we suppose the root to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies he lifâ—ed up he exalted or was made high or exalted to Schindler or whether we make the â—oot to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pagnin Arias Montanus and Hutter affirme which also signifies he elevated he exalted or he or it was high or elevated so Arias Montanus in Apparat. viz. Dict. Syro-chald still our old Translation is right The Thrones wer set up And so runs the stream of the most learned Translators in severall languages Pagnin and Arias Montanus Throni clati sunt The Latine called Hierâ—ms Throni positi sunt the Syriak subsâ—llia posita esse The Arab. ecce sides positae sunt So the Greek Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tiâ—dal in his English Translation The seats were prepared The best French Translation Interpretee par Jean Diodati hath it les Thrones fuerent posés Protestant Bruccioli in his Ital. Translation Furono portate siede and in his Commentary makes his meaning more plain Throni suroâ—o essalâ—ati The best High-Dutch or German Translation by Luther is Stule gesekt wurden i. e. The stools or
in this fourth Chapter doth yet remaine and to the people of God A Sabbatisme signifies a rest upon a seventh most likely as Jude also hints ver 14. in the seventh and last Age of the world and its remaining signifieth it is yet to be fulfilled and to all the people of God that is both Jewes and Gentiles And further to explaine this Sabbatisme the Apostle mindes them that they had injoyed a Sabbatisme every seventh day which was a rest principally upon account of immediatnesse to their bodies though with it a spirituall rest out of which weekly seventh was formed their Pette-Jubile of the seventh yeares rest and their Great Jubile of the seven times seven yeares viz. beginning at the end of the forty ninth yeare and their yet longer rest in Canaan which also was a kinde of Sabbatisme for they divided the Land of Canaan in the * So Bucholcerus in his Ind. Chronolog fiftieth Jubile from the Creation Anno mundi 2500. which was a Jubile of Jubiles and when they returned out of Babylon where they had been seventy yeares it was about the seventieth Jubile from the Creation Now saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes in effect thus You must have a Sabbatisme a Sabatticall rest that must meetly correspond with those former rests of the seventh day and of that in Canaan and of the Sevenths therein enjoyed and so to be a corporall rest and on earth as the others were You have had the seventh dayes rest ever since the Creation as God on the first seventh having finished his Workes rested and you have had your sevenths of rest in Canaan First your seventh yeare then secondly your Jubilean seven-seventh Thirdly your seventieth Jubilean of seven sevens and yet there is another Sabbatisme or Septenary rest still remaining Now what Sabbatisme Septenary or seventh of rest can we finde out beside those aforesaid but the seventh thousand of yeares that is the last thousand yeares of the world before the ultimate generall Judgement This the Rabbins R. Ketina R. David Kimchi R. Schelomo c. assert with one consent grounding themselves upon the Scriptures their words in summe are these As every seventh yeare is a yeare of release so the seventh thousand of yeares of the world is the time of the release of the world according to the ninety second Psalme ver 1. or Title c. A Psalme for the Sabbath Day c. And Psalme 90. ver 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday And ver 15. Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evil And indeed since their desolation destroying their Temple then the City and at last making their daily Sacrifice to cease unto the time of Rabbi David Kimchi Rabbi Mosche Kimchi Rabbi Schimschon Rabbenu Mosche Rabbi Mosche Ben-Tafon R. Meir R. Menahem R. Schem-Toff R. Izhac R. Mordechai Rabbenu Ascher that wrote upon the Talmud Rabbi Aharon Rabbenu Jaaiof and severall others is about a thousand yeares What these Rabbies say of this Sabbatisme see after upon Isa 2. And to settle the Jewes more fully in their expectation of this Sabbatisme the Apostle calls them off from their former Sabbatismes both the lesser of weekes and of the greater in Canaan according to the Prophet Micha chap. 2. ver 10. which was in Hezekiahs time being a time of great prosperity in Canaan Micha 1.1 Arise yee and depart for this is not your rest because marke the reason it is polluted c. which intimates that Micha as well as Paul in their Prophesies looked at the rest that shall be unpolluted as it is said Revel 21. in the new earth shall be no uncleane thing For sutable to the Prophet Micha our Apostle in this fourth to the Hebrewes ver 10. saith That in the great Sabbatisme on earth we shall cease from our worke as God did from his In words it is in the past time but in the intent and meaning it is in future as if he should say When any man hath entred into his rest or shall have entred into his rest Pareus saith the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the Aorist put for at least the present but the connexion of the context both before behind is clearly for the future For in ver 9. it is there remaineth yet a rest and in the eleventh verse Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest 1. Lest any man fail of it Now for our owne workes sinnes are most properly our owne workes because saith Pareus they are done by us and not approved of God so that then we Sabbatismum eum agere incipimus quando apeccatis cessamus that is then we doe act this Sabbatisme when we cease from sin which the Prophet well confirmes Isa 58.13 and chap. 65.2 where he calls sins and sinning a doing or finding our OWNE pleasure a doing our OWNE wayes a speaking our OWNE words a watching after our OWNE thoughts For sins are not as bodily labours or afflictions either commanded of God or commended of God or intended for the service and glory of God Now when we shall enter into the rest we speake of in the new earth we cease from these our owne workes of sinning for into that state no uncleane thing shall enter Revel 21. therefore we though Beleevers are not yet entred into Pauls Sabbatisme because we doe not yet totally cease from those our workes 5 ¶ Object But it seemes by the third verse of this fourth Chapter to the Hebrewes that a Spirituall rest is understood in this Chapter and such as into which every Beleever at his first beleeving doth presently enter for saith the Apostle there We which have beleeved doe enter into his rest To this Pareus saith well Answ Nondum ingressi sumus sed ingredimur ut suit versu tertio Par. in 4. ad Heb. ver 10. we have not yet entred into his rest but we doe as ver 3. meaning the future we shall for so immediatly followes the proofe of a rest yet remaining into which all Beleevers shall enter and therefore Theophylact renders it in the future so also the old Latine from whence Learned men conceive that so it was in the ancient Greek Copy according to which that Latine Translation was made and the Arabian Translation is in the future and so is Hutters Hebrew Translation It is true that by faith we presently enter into the rest of Justification of our persons Rom. 5.1 and into the rest of expectation or hope of possession of glory Rom. 5. ver 2. But all this will not serve to take in all the sence of the Apostle in this of Heb. 4.3 because immediatly in that very third verse the Apostle falls upon a proofe of a rest touching which the Hebrewes were not yet satified and setled in their mindes though of ultimate glory they doubted not I say of a rest yet remaining and to them that doe
beleeve Nor can this be meant of ultimate glory for this reason because we cannot be said there in any tolerable sence to injoy a Sabbatism that is as the Apostles proofe clearly drives at a rest upon or in a Seventh viz. in the seventh Trumpet in the seventh Viol in the seventh thousand yeares of the world for if this Sabbatisme or Seventh be eternity then it is there swallowed up in an infinite that cannot be numbred But if this Sabbatisme be a distinct determinate time bounded with two Resurrections the one at the beginning the other at the end then it will clearly stand numerable for a seventh but not otherwise We usually number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. over things of some semblance in quantity and quality to make a Septenarie If a streame flowes into six Rivers and then falls into the mainest Ocean it is not proper to say the Ocean is the seventh River but the continent or conteiner swallowing up all We must have seven Ages compleat and ended as we say in Leases of Lands made according to Law or else we cannot number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Free-hold or Fee-simple hath no number and therefore as the former great Ages of the world were distinct on earth by some eminent notes as they shall easily finde that consult Chronologers so shall this be as distinct likewise The rest of the Sabbath began with Gods rest after the finishing of his workes the rest in Canaan began with the conduct and Wonders done under Joshua c. so this Sabbatisme of the last thousand yeares is begun and bounded with notable Land-markes it begins with the binding of Satan the fall of the Beast and with the first Resurrection and terminated with the loosing of Satan the rising of Gog and Magog in armes and the second Resurrection so that great things are acted between the end of the Sabbatisme and the beginning of ultimate glory All this is plain in Rev. 20. to them that will read and understand Yea further unlesse this be understood of a pure rest on earth how shall we be said to Sabbatise as is intimated in a Sabbatisme It is true in a Sabbath is signified and enjoyed a rest But so we may rest on another day And every day a beleever hath several rests But we must have according to the Apostle a Sabbatismaticall rest a rare word is used by the Apostle to signifie a rare rest we must Sabbatise that is imitate or in some proportion answer to other typical Sabbaths Imitation and correspondency relate to known things foregone not to after-things never seen And we rest voluntarily as in the day of Christs power whiles he is in power from our own workes as God did from his not necessitatedly when all other occasions are removed and an immutable eternity stamped upon our condition swallowing up all and transforming it into ultimate glory We must sabbatise our restfull injoyment in time and place according to former Sabbatical Rests Therefore it must be on earth and a timeing not an eternizing And thus for the Book of Psalmes with parallels out of the New Testament SECT XI Next we come to the Prophet Isaiah wherein none will doubt that are truly acquainted with his most Evangelicall Prophesies but that we shall finde many clear places for the point in hand § 1 THe first place is in Chapter 2. Verse 1. The word c. concerning Judah and Jerusalem Vers 2. It shall come to passe in the last dayes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last daies that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In or upon the HEAD of the Mountains of the mountaines and ALL Nations shall FLOW unto it Verse 3. And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his paths For out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Verse 4. And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people *âŽ* Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Many peoples and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither shall they learne warre any more Verse II. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day all which Verse is repeated againe Verse 17. Then it follows Verse 18. And the Idols he shall utterly abolish Verse 19. And they shall goe into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth This whole Verse is againe repeated Verse 21. § 2 The first verse plainly shews what ever the Analytical conceits of men may assert that this Prophesie is ultimately and plainly concerning yea for or in the behalfe or favour of Judah and Jerusalem as the * Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 su per propter juxta secundum Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symm ut refert Nobilius Drusius pro. citat Eus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. p. 43. in Hier. pro Juda Ierusalem Hebrew beares and Greeks and Latines affirme Though by and by Verse 6. the Iewes are shewed the reason why they should goe into afflictions afore they have the deliverance mentioned in this Chapter Yet when it is said verse 2 and 3 It shall come to passe in the last dayes that many peoples shall say come let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob c. for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law there can be no lesse intended then that this Prophesie doth ultimately concerne the Jewes welfare when they and the Gentiles converted shall make one glorious Christian Church on earth To this our late Annotationists on the Bible doe well consent and in some termes fairely hint part of our Thesis Here say they in this second Chapter of Isa begins a Sermon contained in the three Chapters following concerning the RESTITVTION of the Church principally UNDER CHRIST which he both beginneth Chapter 2 and after the denunciation of many heavy judgements inserted to be inflicted upon the maine body of the Jewish people for their manifold grosse and grievous sinnes at length concludes with Chap. 4. § 3 The Learned grant * Iunius Piscator Alapide Grotius Engl. Annot. that those promises in the words afore-quoted out of this Chapter do relate to the time of Christs coming and do confesse the generall that the Iews in a sublimer sense do understand them of the times of the Messiah And one of them steps a little higher and bids us for that
shall be subject unto him viz. so as the same Jerusalem Targum expoundeth on the 11. verse of that 49. of Gen. that those Kings and Princes that will not be subject unto him he shall kill making the Universe red with the blood of their slain and the hils white with the fat of their mighty men c. But these things were not fulfilled at Christs being on the earth in the flesh It was above three hundred yeares after ere one King or Nation was subject unto Christ viz. in the time of Constantine the Great except some sprinklings of Converts here and there called Churches the Nations and Kings of the earth either taking no cognizance of his interest or else persecuted it even as to this day they doe even ten parts of the world for one that ownes him Neither hath Christ yet taken that material and sensible vengeance on them by killing the disobedient in order to a bringing in of the rest into a visible subjection to him § 4 Lastly Paraphrast Jonathan in his Chalde Paraphrase of Hos 14.8 hath these words They speaking of the Jewes shall bee gathered together from out of the midst of their CAPTIVITY they shall DWELL under the shadow of their CHRIST and the DEAD shall LIVE and good shall grow in the EARTH and there shall bee a memoriall of their goodnesse FRUCTIFYING and never fayling as the remembrance of the sound of the Trumpets over the old wine which was wont to be offered in the Sanctuary which things were never yet fulfilled on earth We forbear to quote more out of their TARGUM or Chalde Paraphrase now because we shall afterwards oft cast an eye upon it in our discusse of severall Scriptures that tend to the PROOF of the point in hand § 5 To this let mee adde a touch out of the CAPITULA of RABBI ELIEZAR the GREAT because neare of the same Antiquity with the former his words are these As I live saith Jehovah I will raise YOU speaking of the Jewes up in the TIME to come in the RESURRECTION of the dead and I will GATHER you will ALL ISRAEL § 6 You see both doe harmonise to the same tune the effect of their words the same which is not yet fulfilled in as much as to this day the generality of the Jewes have not owned any MESSIA to be come in the flesh but refused The MESSIA Joh. 1.11 according as it was fore-prophesied Esa 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men And the remnant of beleeving Jewes never since as yet saw that particular RESURRECTION of the dead or that their gathering together out of the midst of their CAPTIVITY or that generall GOOD in the EARTH And therefor according to the Scriptures of which by and by these things are yet to come afore the last and generall Resurrection § 7 Of Hebrew Antiquities SINCE the Incarnation of Christ namely their Two TALMUDS their SEDAR OLAM is of the same age near upon with the Babylonish something of which TALMUDS was extant neare the Apostles time if not ancienter and of other Rabbins we shall give you an account in divers particulars In Gemara Sanhedrin R. Ketina hath said in the last of the Thousands of yeares of the worlds continuance the world shall be destroyed of which it is said Esa 2.11.17 THE LORD ONELY SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY And TRADITION agrees with R. Ketina even as every seventh yeare of seven yeares is a years of release so of the seven thousand yeares of the world the seventh thousand yeares shall bee the thousand of Release as it is said AND THE LORD ALONE SHAL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY Likewise That Psalme namely the 92. is said to bee a PSALME OR SONG FOR THE SABBATH DAY THAT IS THE DAY THAT IS NOTHING ELSE BUT REST. As also it is said viz. Psal 90. A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY By which it is plaine to acute observers that the ancient Rabbinicall Jews did clearly understand the Prophesie of Isaiah in Chap. 2. of the EXALTATION of the LORD twice there repeated as meant of the GREAT DAY which some Rabbins call the Day of JUDGEMENT others the Day of MESSIA others the Day of the RENOVATION of the WORLD and of the REIGNING of CHRIST which is elegantly and emphatically there limbed in its colours to the life as it will more shine forth when we come to an accurate discusse of that Chapter In Midâ—asch Tehillim upon the 90. Psal v. 15. Wee thus read MAKE US GLAD ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST AFFLICTED VS That is by the Babylonians the Grecians and the Romans AND THAT IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH And how many are the dayes of the MESSIAH R. JEHOSUAS said that they are Two THOUSAND yeares and it is said ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST HUMBLED US that is according to two dayes for one day of the holy and blessed God are a thousand yeares according to that BECAUSE A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY The Rabbins also have said That according to the TIME to come the DAY of the MESSIAH shall bee one For God which is holy and blessed in the FUTURE that is AGE shall make one day to himselfe of which wee read Zech. 14. And there shall bee ONE DAY which shall bee knowne to the Lord not day nor night and it shall bee at the EVENING-TIME Light This Day is the AGE or WORLD TO COME and the QUICKNING OF THE DEAD § 9 In their Booke called Berachoth wee finde this Benzuma saith It shall come to passe that Israel shall not remember their departure out of the Land of Aegypt IN THE WORLD TO COME and IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH marke diligently how by World to come they understand a time on earth as Paul hath it twice viz Heb 1.6 Heb. 2.5 THE INHABITED WORLD TO COME So the Greeke so the sense For no man could imagine that heaven above should bee put in subjection to the Angels so as to need the Apostles Apology there to prevent such an imagination And how say the Rabbins in that Berachoth doth this appeare By that which is written in Jâ—rem 23. BEHOLD THE DAYES COME THAT THEY SHALL SAY NO MORE THE LORD LIVETH WHICH BROVGHT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL VP OVT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT Which wise men interpret thus not as if the name of Egypt should be blotted out but because the WONDERS which shall bee effected in the DAYES OF THE KINGDOME OF MESSIA shall principally be remembred and their departure out of Egypt lesse § 10 Note by the way that it is not agreed among the Rabbins in what THOVSAND yeares of the world the said DAY of JUDGEMENT or of MESSIAH or RENOVATION of the WORLD shall bee Some say further off in the seventh others nearer in the sixt but others about the fifth § 11 But to goe on The TRADITION of the house of Elijah is Those Just ones whom God shall raise
seats were put And so the last and best Low-Dutch Stoclen gesetteâ— werden So that by all it appears that this was a vision of material Thrones and of them set up set or setled for Divine power to sit upon which is exceedingly confirmâ—d by verse 10. and 26. where wee have the sitting of the Judgement or Judicature and the Ancient of dayes did sit and I saw and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a KINGDOM c. And the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven was given to the Saints of the most High c. Let us for the advantage of the generall worke in hand and the particular point now under consideration weigh these two places together in the semblance of both Visions in the circumstances of both and in the samenesse of intents in both ¶ 1 In the semblance or likenesse of both Visions in sundry particulars 1 Semblance I beheld till the Thrones were set And why Thrones in the plurall And for whom These many Thrones were set in the Vision ONE for the Ancient of dayes whose Throne was like a siery flame v. 9. ANOTHER for the SONNE OF MAN who came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome and all people Nations and Languages to serve him v. 13 14. THE REST for the TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSANDS THAT STOOD BEFORE HIM verse 10. viz. The PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS to whom the Kingdome and dominion c. under the whole heaven was given under Christ the aforesaid Son of Man vers 27. So Rev. 20.4 I saw Thrones The Second semblance is that in Dan. 7. v. 10. where it followes The Judgement or Judicature was set which confirmes that our reading of the former verse That is the Judges sate as in the great Sanedrim as after in vers 26. and 27. The judgement sitting the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most high In like manner in Rev. 20.4 it is said by John I saw saith he those that sate on the Thrones viz. those that had been beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and those which had not worshipped the beast c. nor received his marke c. Third semblance is in Dan. 7.22 Iudgement was given to the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdome In like manner Rev. 20.4 it is said Judgement was given to them viz. to the Saints aforesaid that having opposed Antichrist sate upon the Thrones As Paul saith 1 Cor. 6.2 The Saints shall judge the world Fourth semblance in Dan. 7.22 it is said The Saints possessed the Kingdome viz. under Christ to whom it is first in order given vers 14. which cannot be at the ultimate day of judgement when hee resignes all and therefore the Saints then have no Kingdome subject to them Just so it is said Rev. 20.4 The Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers which must be before the ultimate day of Judgement at which time Iohn saith Time shall be no more and Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. there is no more reigning by any but by God alone that then must be all in all Thus of the Semblance ¶ 2 The next thing is the Circumstances viz. 1 The signall or note when this shall be namely when the Sonne of man shall come in or with the clouds Dan. 7.13 In like manner the signall or note is in the Rev. Chap. 1.7 where it is said as the general proposition to the whole Prophesie Christ shall be seen in the clouds at his coming to set up this Kingdome which is explained according to our sense Rev. 20. v. 1. That Christ comes down from heaven when he restraines Satan and gives this honour to the Saints of reigning with him 2 The time it self The time is saith Dan. 7.25 after a time and times and halfe a time of the powerful prevayling of Antichrist whether ye understand one limb viz. the Iewish Eastern the Turk called vers 24. that same ANOTHER that ariseth and subdueth three of the ten Kings or both viz. the Western the Christians Antichrist also viz. the Pope expressed in the ten hornes or Kings of his Kingdome v. 24. it makes no matter if we minde our large discourse afore of the identity of both And sutably in the Revelation 11. it is said that after the witnesses have Prophesied in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes because the Woman the Church was persecuted by Antichrist Rev. 12.6 for the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which in vers 24. is called A time and times and halfe a time because Antichrist had power so long to prevaile viz. two and forty months Rev. 13.5 which is all one with the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes or time and times and halfe a time as here meant in the Revelation I say after this time and times and halfe a time it is here said in that Rev. 11.15 That the KINGDOMES of this WORLD were become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and of the Saints sharing in this Reigning vers 18. The third circumstance is the order of things in this time viz. That in Dan. 7. v. 3. c. to v. 9. There must be foure Beasts come up from the Sea 1 A Lyon 2 A Bear 3 A Leopard 4 A terrible one with iron teeth and ten hornes and out of the ten one little horne that brake off three of the ten The foure Beasts saith Dan. v. 17. are the foure Kings or Kingly-hoods Royalties Emperialties or Monarchies of the world vers 23. as by severall characters they are described in that Chapter The ten hornes of the fourth Beast are saith Dan. v. 24. ten Kings that is ten Kingdomes under him All these foure Beasts fall as the maine of the first by the second and of the second by the third so the maine of the third and the remainder of all the three former by the fourth Dan. 7.19.23 The meaning is that as the first the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy whereof Nebuchadnezzar was the Golden-head in Daniels time Dan. 2. was broken by the second the silver Medo-Persian so this second by the third the brazen Grecian and this Grecian and the remainders of all the other were utterly subdued by the fourth the iron Roman Monarchy From this Roman at the time when it was something weakned by a dividing of it selfe now the third time which was about An. Chr. 799. into the Easterne and Westerne Empire Constantinople being the Royall Seat of Metropolis of that and Rome of this the little horne that sprang out of the ten and became diverse from the rest
day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man For I was the Kings Cup-bearer § 1 THese words we see are spoken by Nehemiah to God in prayer He plants the footing thereof upon Gods promise quoted out of Deut. 30. v. 1. to 10. discussed but now Sect. 7. viz. That though God should for their sinne scatter the whole Nation of the Jewes consisting intirely of twelve Tribes for in that mighty body they were when Moses wrote that of Deuteronomy and disperse them among al◠the Nations and cast them out unto the utmost part of Heaven yet that God had promised hee would gather them from thence and would bring them into the place that hee had chosen to place his name there § 2 So that this great Saint Nehemiah layes the great foundation of his faith in prayer for the restoring of the Jewes upon that promise of God delivered by Moses wherein his supplication is an exact directory-application how we should understand that place of Moses as a thing not fulfilled to this day § 3 Nehemiah looks beyond the deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity set on foot by Cyrus and beyond the returne of the Two Tribes As whiles he was in the Babylonish Captivity for so many yeers his soule lived by faith on this promise that he and the rest of his brethren of the two Tribes should be delivered so now that the Two Tribes are returned he still urgeth that promise to perfect the whole worke in what of the latitude and extent thereof it was yet unfulfilled Nehemiah should seem was cleer in that sense of perfecting the returne of the whole twelve Tribes and to have a better settlement in their owne land then this Embryon of imperfection in the present state of Two Tribes returned did represent and according to that sense his faith is strong and his prayer fervent § 4 In all which Nehemiah was very right we our selves being judges For as the threat was of the twelve Tribes in one entire body Deut. 28. and pressed Chap. 29. So the promise Chap. 30. is to them all and touching all Captivities as it is cleerly held forth in severall expressions both in Deut. 30 and in this first of Nehemiah of scattering them among the Gentiles or among all the Nations or of casting them out to the utmost part or end of Heaven and of gathering them thence and fetching them thence For if the Jewes in any of the Captivities that were to follow Moses his words either Philistian Syrian Egyptian or Babylonian should sticke fast and never be delivered Moses his promise and Nehemiahs faith and prayer should come all to nothing And if God deliver some of them from all these Captivities and not all of them from all and from any other that should follow after or continue beyond the fore-named Captivities Nehemiahs faith hope and prayer should not be answered nor his desires satisfied though wrought in him by the extraordinary working of the Spirit of God § 5 But Nehemiah is confident upon this promise that his faith hope and desires in this prayer shall be fulfilled and therefore is he so fervent in urging the said promise now after the two Tribes had been returned out of Babylon at least these twelve yeers for their return was about the 3514 yeer from the Creation And Nehemiahs journey to Hierusalem which he began with his prayer was not till Anno mundi 3527. The good man had in his eye not onely the building of the walls of Hierusalem which was but a small matter in comparison but the returne of the Ten Tribes also which had been carried away afore into Captivity into Assyria and still continued when Nehemiah prayed in that Captivity in Halah and Habor by the River Gozan Cities of the MEDES 2 Kings 18.9 c. For there still they are in Nehemiahs time as appears by the Genealogies of them of the Two Tribes that returned Ezra 2. Nehem. 8. Among whom the Pedigree of the Ten Tribes is not found § 6 Indeed the Two Tribes in the greatest part were returned as an earnest or first fruits of the returne of the rest and for assurance of Christs coming of Judah where God continued them till that was done Christ was born for time and place c. according to the Prophets But this is short of gathering the twelve Tribes from among all Nations and from the utmost end of Heaven The Two Tribes were brought from Babylon to Jerusalem which they say are distant the one from the other about six hundred miles But what is this in comparison of Media and Persia towards the North and North-East of the world the length or ends of Heaven being counted from the North pole to the South or what is this to the gathering of them and since of the Two Tribes also in the greatest part scattered among all Nations as Rab. Ben. Israel and our experience do shew to fetch them from thence § 7 Therefore we conclude as Nehemiah prayed beleeved and hoped so we to this day see that Moses his promise urged by Nehemiah is not the one halfe fulfilled But it shall The Saints prayers and hopes are not lost though sometimes long sown ere they come up The Apostles prayer for the conversion of the Gentile Kings and Nations Act. 4. was answered in Constantine the Great his time though three hundred yeers after And the prayers of the Saints under the Altar Rev. 6. shall be answered though now since above one thousand and five hundred yeers they are not fulfilled SECT X. Wherein severall places of the Psalmes put together into a method according to their aspect towards our maine Position are taken into consideration for the confirmation thereof There are three maine Heads of our Position most pathetically and emphatically prophesied and promised in the Psalmes 1 The UNIVERSAL power of Christ both conversive and coercive over the whole WORLD and correlatively the UNIVERSAL subjection of all the WORLD to Christ either by consent or constraint 2 The JUST TIME of fulfilling this 3 That when this is done the Saints are to INJOY a Sabbatisme on earth § 1 TOuching the first we have many passages of severall Psalmes which partly in their owne nature and partly by the Apostles quotations explications and applications are so curiously wreathed together that in that posture wee shall consider them 1 ¶ The second Psalm with a touch of the eighth is the leader which because it is so familiar to most Readers I shall not need to write it out but onely quote it according as occasion requires It is all along in matter and stile notably accommodated to our worke in hand It is spoken to Jewes and Gentiles v. 1 2. and v. 8. and in those lines it is carried by the Apostles through their times to those in after-Generations Act. 4.24 The occasion whereof was that the Jewish Commonwealth and Government then being mixt with the Roman power so that both of them joyntly concurring
Antichristian enemies in the day of his Army raised up to that end and whether we understand it specially of the Jewes by speciall emphasis his people first chosen to be a Church and after of his blood kindred or generally of all sorts of Nations when saw we or our forefathers since the Incarnation that day of power wherein the generality of either sort in either of the said senses were a willing people But on the contrary in all ages ten for one are obstinate against Christ and more especially the Jewes And therefore that God may be true this must bee fulfilled before that ultimate day of judgement which doth not mend but end the incurable enemies of Christ Verse 4. The Lord hath sworne and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech The Apostle hence infers Heb. 7. the exceeding eminency of Christs Priesthood above that of Aaron First In that Christ was made so by an oath not so the order of Aaron which obligation by the oath of God the Apostle Heb. 6. urgeth upon the Jewes as a great ground of faith and that they should not doubt as he will not repent Secondly In that as Melchisedech so Christ must be above the order of Aaron a Kingly Priest a most righteous and peace-bringing King and that at Salem Now seeing Christ by the oath of God was made King of Salem the contract of Jerusalem we must expect that infallibly to be fulfilled according to Psal 2. and v. 2. of this 110 Psal Hee hath indeed been at Salem alias Jerusalem and there acted in his offering up himselfe visibly as well as spiritually the Priest-hood But he hath not since the Apostles writing of that Epistle acted any visibility of his Royalty or Kingly-hood there which is cleer by that in Verse 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath So that when this Psalme is fulfilled to exalt Christ according to the tenor thereof then the Kings of the earth that submit not to Christ must be stricken through by the wrath of God But since Christs Incarnation generally all the Kings of the earth of all men have been least subdued to Christ their Nobles siding with them and have acted most opposition against him drawing all their peoples into confederacy with them But saith this Psalme there must be a day of Gods wrath wherein he wil strike through Kings that stand out against his Sonne And this stroke must be a corporall stroke as it follows Verse 6. He shall judge among the Heathen and fill the places with dead bodies He shall wound the HEAD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is in the Heb. in the singular number and therefore ill rendred in our English Bibles plurally Heads over many Countries The words are plaine for a bringing in of Jewes and Gentiles into a submission unto Christ or they must be slaine on heaps Now hitherto the generality of Jewes and Gentiles both Kings and peoples doe not yet submit to Christ nor are they strucken through or slain in heaps And at the ultimate day of doome the judgement is by fire not by sword and unto eternall death not temporall And therefore this yet to come before that day In fulfilling whereof the Lord shall wound that same HEAD over many Countries that is as Dr. Alsteds and Mr. Ainsworths opinion pleaseth me wel he shal wound the head of Antichrist that pretends to be Head over many Countries or if we say the wicked Rulers of the world who unite under an Antichristian head it comes to one effect This head the Lord must wound or to render it nearer the Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transfixit sic Arias Pagn pierce through So that the Lord will not onely wound a part of the Head-ship as if it should bee healed againe as Rev. 13. But he will utterly destroy as Jael did Sisera when shee pierced his head through Judg. 4. the last and greatest headship of that head as in Rev. 19. three last verses And then Verse 7. Christ shall lift up his head That is his power shall bee visibly exalted above his Capital enemy as visibly as his enemies were exalted against him Thus of two of the Heads touching Christs Kingdome yet to come deduced out of the Psalmes Viz. 1 The Universality of Christs power 2 The time when to be fulfilled 3 Now follows viz. The Sabbatisme the Saints shall then enjoy § 3 For this third Head out of the Psalmes viz. the Sabbatisme which the Saints shall enjoy in the time of Christs future visible Kingdom on earth we have in the 95. Psal from vers the seventh to the end v. 7. To day if ye will hear his voice v. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernesse v. 9. When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works 10. Forty yeers long was I grieved with this generation and said it is a people that doe erre in their heart and they have not knowne my wales 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest 1 ¶ This Psalme was penned more immediately for the Jews as it was penned by the Psalmist a Jew and is first urged upon them by Paul a Jew Heb. 3.7 c. to the end of the Chapter by way of exhortation to heare Christs voice whereby they may not miscarry as their forefathers did in the wildernesse and so misse of entring into Gods rest Secondly propounded by the same Jewish Apostle to the said Jewes now scattered Heb. 4. v. 1. c. to v. 12. by way of consolation that in these words is a cleer intimation and concession that some of the Jewes though they in the wildernesse did not shall enter into Christs rest which the Apostle collects by a strong consequence thus The severall premises of the argument from that 95 Psalme he layes downe in the 5 6 7 and 8 verses viz. 1. For God saith IF THEY shall enter into my rest Seeing therefore it remaineth that SOME must enter therein and THEY to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbeleef He limiteth a CERTAINE day saying so LONG A TIME as it is said to day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts that is long after the Israelites were entered into Canaan under the conduct of Joshua the Psalmist in his time saith to day if ye will heare his voyce c. For if Jesus that is Josuah being so written in Greek viz. Jesus and Jesus and Josuah are of the same signification had given them rest he would not afterward have spoken of another day These two premises being laid downe the Apostle inferres a generall conclusion serving to both v. 9. viz. There remaineth therefore even to the Apostles time and by equall reason downe to this time a rest to the people of God Observe
to compare Dan. 2.35 where all the foure Mettals are utterly broken to peeces and the little stone cut out of the mountaine became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth But I shall God assisting give you a more particular account viz. that both Iewes and Christians do understand the promises in this Chapter of a visible glorious estate of the Church yet to be on the face of the earth before the ultimate end of the world Of the latter sort wee will name onely the famous Piscator Alsted and Heurnius Of the former in briefe thus Their Talmud Gemara Sanhedrim pereck R. Ketina c. assert that this world doth continue six thousand yeers In one it shall be destroyed so as to be purified as gold and freed from the CURSE of which it is said Isa 2. The LORD ALONE SHALL BEE EXALTED IN THAT DAY And R. Scelomo quoting also this second of Isa saith The Lord shall arise and shake the earth terribly in the day of judgement when he shall breake the wicked It is usuall with the learned Iewes to call this glorious time of Christs visible Kingdome on earth a day of judgement not dissentaneous to the wont of Scripture to compellate and compare any great time of Reformation as a day of judgement Psal 50.1 c. 1 Pet. 4.17 And indeed as John shewes us Rev. 11. in the beginning of this most glorious visible Kingdome there is a beginning of the day of judgement in that the wicked alive that submit not to Christ are destroyed and the living Saints have a reward given them together with the resurrection of the deceased Saints which St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection R.D. Kimchi saith In that day in the dayes of Messiah when the Lord shall execute his judgement on the wicked THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED Isa 2. The Lord alone shall be exalted saith he is as much as to say AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH We might quote more but for hast and brevity § 4 And this must be IN THE LAST DAYES saith the second of Isa or nearer the Hebrew IN THE LAST OF DAYES or UTMOST END OF DAYES Therefore if the Prophet had looked at no further time then that of Christs first coming in the flesh he would not have called that the last of dayes since which have passed above one thousand six hundred and fifty yeers The last of dayes properly signifies those after which Aeternity next and immediately follows As it doth after the compleating of the thousand yeers of this visible Kingdome § 5 These things being premised let us view whether the promises afore-quoted out of the second of Isaiah have been fulfilled to this day 1 ¶ Surely that in the second verse and part of the third That the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established on the HEAD of the mountaines c. and peoples shall come and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord c. hath not been hitherto fulfilled and compleated For as yet neither the visible power and glory of Christ nor of his Church so as for Gentiles to say Come let us go up c. hath been established over the HEAD the Pope of the seven Hils of Rome or over the Turk the HEAD of the foure Hils of Ierusalem or over the height of power and glory of the Hils of the generality of the PEOPLES Gentiles or Nations of the world The Church at Ierusalem such as it was in Christs time was in Captivity under the Heathen Roman Empire and so continued till the rise of the Roman Bishops and immediately after that thraldome were subdued to the Turkes who keeps them in that thraldome to this day The Heathen Romans refused at the first the Lord Christ by vote of the Senate and after persecuted his Church for many yeers And the Turks blaspheme Christ in their Alcoran and hath warred against his Church from age to age since their rise And the rest of the world for the generality are Indians Barbarians and Semi-beasts that know neither God nor themselves nor what Christ is nor what a Christian is 2 ¶ Nor was the house of the Lord established in the top of the mountaines that is upon Zion the highest of the foure Hils of Jerusalem For presently after Christs death persecution scattered Christians from Jerusalem Act. 8. And within forty yeers or thereabout after Christs ascension the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and after a while the City and for about three hundred yeers onward the Church of Christ was extremely persecuted by the Heathen Romans and anon after Constantines time onely excepted or little more they were sorely persecuted by the Arian Hereticks So that instead of all Nations going up to the house of the Lord on the top of the Mountaines for divine worship Christian Jews and Gentiles were scattered among all Nations And though Act. 2. there were a handfull of severall Nations at Hierusalem if they were Gentiles and not rather Jewes yet this was farre from ALL NATIONS FLOWING to it saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes For the generality of those very men Act. 2. mocked the Apostles whiles they taught them the wayes of the Lord. And as at Ierusalem so in the Countries round about the Christians were every where persecuted as the history of the Acts doth all along give us a particular account 3 ¶ Nor is that fulfilled to this day which is prophesied in the fourth verse Christ hath not hitherto so judged among the Nations and rebuked many people that they have beaten their swords into plow shares and their speares into pruning-hooks so that Nation hath not lifted up sword against Nation neither learned war any more 4 ¶ Nor hath that been yet fulfilled which is in verse 10 11 12 c. to v. 17. That men have so dreaded the Majesty of the Lord that they have hid themselves That the lofty lookes of men have been humbled and their haughtinesse bowed downe That THE LORD ALONE HATH BEEN EXALTED That the day of the Lord of hosts hath been upon EVERY ONE that is proud and lofty upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and Okes of Bashan that are lifted up upon ALL the high mountaines and hills that are lifted up upon EVERY high tower upon every fenced wall upon ALL the ships of Tarshish and upon all the pleasant pictures to bow down and bring down low all these so that the Lord alone may be exalted in THAT DAY Alas ever since Christs comming in the flesh the whole world generally hath been very high proud against the Lord Christ Antichrist hath been much exalted and the Lord hath been least exalted his Honour his Cause his People have been trampled on In the time of Constantine the Great some little was done in the Roman Empire for a little time for the Church of
in the channell of the Heathen Roman Empire for three hundred yeares anon the black streame of Arian Heresie and Persecution by it after that Popish and Turkish Persecutions with successive Monsters of Massacres Bonfires Inquisitions Suspensions Imprisonments and deadly feudes and enmities of the vast generality against the handfull of Saints throughout all Nations So that the small gleaning sprinklings or first-fruits that were reconciled to God and to one another upon Christs first coming are drowned as i◠were in the Ocean and sea of enmity that from thence forward untill now remaines with great animosity And therefore we beleeve another sence of these words viz. That at Christs next appearance there shal be a generall peace between men and between the Creatures and between both as it followes in the next Argument For it followes in the ninth verse They shall not HURT Arg. 3 NOR DESTROY observe the words nor destroy nor so much as hurt in all my HOLY MOVNTAINE observe that also And lastly observe the confirmation of all viz. That the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Now though there was an increase of knowledge at Christs first coming as a fountaine and spring streame which the further it ran the larger it was sutable to Ezekiels Prophesie of the waters that arose from under the Sanctuary the Gospel of Christ began in Zion and so grew deeper and deeper yet from that time untill now the knowledge of the Lord hath not increased to a sea to cover all the earth so as to drowne all iniquity or opposition against Christ or Christians so as to work men unto that peace that there shall be neither destroying nor hurting in all the holy mountaine Sure enough it appeares by the sacred Story in the Gospel Acts and the Revelation and by experience both leading us downe from Christs Incarnation to these times that at least three parts of foure of the whole world hath not been filled with the knowledge of the Lord but have made opposition against it hurting and destroying and that too in the holy Mountaine whether we take it strictly for Zion or largely for the Church wheresoever seated Christ was condemned and Crucified and the Disciples persecuted unto a scattering at Hierusalem Jerusalem both City and Temple are laid wast by the Roman Emperours the Ten bloudy Persecutions by the Heathen Romans are continued for three hundred yeares the Arian Persecution followes that the Papall Persecution followes that the Turkish overtakes that and both continue to this day the Jewes joyning with them in opposition against the truth of Christ both at Jerusalem and where ever the Church is Beside that vast part of the world in the East and West Indies yet know not the Lord. Further it followes in the tenth verse Arg. 4 And in that day there shal be a root of Jesse which shal stand for an ensigne of the peoples so the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To it shal the GENTILES seek and his REST shall be glorious In which words the Prophet mainly lookes at the great call of the Gentiles as the Apostles the best Expositors have since to that purpose alledged them Rom. 15.8 9 10 11 12. Now I say that Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the Promises made unto the Fathers and that the GENTILES might glorifie God for this mercy as it is written For this cause I will confesse thee among the Gentiles quoted out of Psal 18.49 And againe he saith Rejoyce yee GENTILES with his people quoted out of Psal 117.1 And againe Isaiah saith viz. in the eleventh of Isa ver 10. There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reigne over the GENTILES in him shall the Gentiles trust c. Now as there were few of the Gentiles that were brought into the faith when the Apostle quoted and applied these words to this sence we heard but now in the former argument how generally the Gentiles have and doe oppose the Gospel to this day throughout the world so the Prophets close in this eleventh of Isaiah ver 10. HIS REST SHAL BE GLORIOUS * Which the Hebrew hightens being in the Abstract viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory pure glory doth more evidently demonstrate that this place of Scripture as to the maine intent is not yet fulfilled For if we will understand inward rest the beleeving Saints afore Christs incarnation had it Psal 116.7 and often elsewhere Yea the Apostles in their troublesome times 2 Cor. 6.10 so that there needed not a Prophesie to fore-tell that which had been in past time and was at the present And if we would understand here eternall glory yet we cannot for two reasons 1. Because in this tenth verse it is said Unto the ensigne Christ the Gentiles shal SEEK which cannot consist with eternall glory no seeking then 2. Because of that in the eleventh verse immediatly following And it shall come to passe in THAT DAY that the Lord shal set his hand againe the second time to recover the remnant of his people c. from Assyria Aegypt Pathros c. things inconsistent with the state of eternall glory which last words bring us downe to the fifth Argument The fifth Argument Arg. 5 Why this place of Isaiah is not yet in the maine intent of the Prophet fulfilled is because of those words in the eleventh verse of this eleventh of Isaiah viz. And it shal come to passe in THAT DAY that the Lord shal set his hand AGAINE the SECOND TIME to recover the remnant of his people which shal be left from ASSYRIA and from AEGYPT and from PATHROS and from CUSH and from ELAM and from SHINAR and from HAMATH and from the ISLANDS OF THE SEA Observe diligently the Lord must set his hand againe the second time to recover the remnant of his people from the fore-mentioned places which clearly infer as relatives that God must doe it the first time and then next the second time Now when the Prophet Isaiah Prophesied this eleventh Chapter the Lord had not recovered his people from captivity in Assyria the first time for the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin had not yet been there captivated the first time nor the ten Tribes for ought we can finde For Isaiah Prophesied forty yeares afore the captivity of the ten Tribes and above seventy yeares afore the captivity of the two Tribes as Bulcholcerus states the account You see before your eyes by the length of his Prophesie viz. consisting of sixty six Chapters and by the many Kings under whose reigne he Prophesied viz. Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah the last of them that Isaiah prophesied along time and we are now but upon the eleventh of those sixty six Chapters The Two Tribes were not carried away captive till a long time after Hezekiah viz. in the time of Zedekiah King of Judah 2 Chron. 36. between which Zedekiah
wall v. 5. Thou shalt bring downe the noise of the strangers as the heat in a dry place even the heat with the shadow of a cloud the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low v. 6. And in this Mount shall the Lord make to all people a feast of fat things c. v. 7. And the Lord will destroy in this mount the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations v. 8. He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people he shal take away from off all the earth c. v. 9. And it shall be said in that day Lo this is the Lord we have waited for him c. v. 10. In this Mount shall the hand of the Lord rest and Moab shall be trodden down under him as straw to the dunghill v. 11 And he shal spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that swimmeth c. and shall bring down their pride together with the spoyles of their hands vers 12. and last And the fortresse of the high fort of thy wals shall he bring down and lay low and bring to the ground even to the dust Chap. 26. vers 14. They are dead they shal not live they are deceased they shall not rise c. vers 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shal they rise awake and sing ye that dwel in the dust c. § 2 This Chapter you see by the connexion with the former is to the same purpose as that former Chapter and its sense is extended to the state of the Church of the New Testament that is yet to come by Apostolical Expositions and applications in all the maine parts of it which are three Viâ—â— 1 The Destruction of the enemâ—â—â— â—f the Church v. 2. amplified more afterwards 2 The Deliverance of the Church v. 4. enlarged more in the rest of the Chapter 3 The joyful state of the Church upon that their deliverance and their joy in it v. 6 7 8 and elsewhere in the Chapter All which three parts are I say by the Apostles carried downe to the state of the New Testament Church never yet fulfilled I will give three Instances The first Instance St. Ioh. in Rev. 7. makes these three parts a state yet to come v. 1 2 3. you have the Destruction of the enemy There were four Angels that had power in their hands to hurt the four quarters of the earth both by sea and land as soon as the servants of God should be sealed Those that were to be hurt were those that had held the servants of God under tribulation v. 14. And those enemies were to be hurt by a storme viz. by the blowing of the four winds upon the sea the earth and the trees v. 2 3. even as the Prophet Isa in that 25 Chap. v. 4. calls the state of the wicked a storme and compares it in their opposition against the godly to a blast of a storme dashed against the wall whose fury the wall stops breaks and scatters so that they are sheltered that stand under it So that plainly here is the destruction of the enemies of the Church prophesied by Iohn in like phrase and formes of speech as were used by the Prophet Isa in that 25. Chapter Next for the deliverance of the Church St. Iohn likewise prophesies of it in that seventh of Rev. in the same figurative speeches as the Prophet had used viz. That the Lord shall be among his people in manner of dwelling v. 15. And his people shall hunger no more nor thirst any more nor shall the same light on them or as it is in the Greek fall upon them that is a way of smiting blasting or scorching or any heat v. 16. For the Lamb which is amidst them shal feed them c. and shal wipe away all tears from their eyes v. 17. To which St. Paul speaking of the resurrection of the Saints which is before the ultimate day of judgement in 1 Cor. 15. as we have and shall demonstrate annexeth this Then shal be brought to passe that saying Death is swallowed up in victory And again the same Apostle Paul speaking of the conversion of the Jewes 2 Cor. 3. as of a thing to come after his time but yet not fulfilled but shal bee fulfilled at the great Restitution of which we speak he useth this expression and gives forth this Prophesie in the 15 and 16 verses of that 2 Cor. 3. But even to this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their hearts Neverthelesse when they shal turn to the Lord the vaile shal be taken away viz. By the presence of the Lord. All which expressions of Iohn and Paul in relation to the Churches deliverance are full to the sense and words of the Prophet in that 25 of Isaiah viz. This is the Lord we have waited for him for in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest v. 9 10. whereby to signifie Gods presence amongst his people And shall be a succour to his people from the fury of their enemies as the heat is sheltered off with the shadow of a cloud v. 3 and 4. And he will feed them with a feast of fat things v. 6. And he will destroy the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations v. 7. therefore among the rest that is upon the Jews And v. 8. he will swallow up death in victory according to the words of Paul 1 Cor. 15.54 And chap. 26. of this Prophet v. 19. compared with v. 14. They shall not rise but thy dead men shall rise * Upon this place of Isa 26.14.19 heare what the Hebrew Rabbins the Septuagint the ancient Jews and the ancient Greek and Latine Fathers say and hold R. Solomon saith They shall live that dyed for thy sake bringing in the Prophet as speaking to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is The Royal Regal or Kingly decree went forth from thy face or presence saying MY DEAD BODIES SHAL RISE AGAIN The dead bodies of my people whose bones fell for my sake to them there shall be a resurrection This by way of an Antithesis answers to that v. 14. above written The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 REPHAIM expresse in the Hebrew Text though obmitted I know not why in the English which the Chalde and Jerom render GYANTS SHALL NOT RISE AGAIN but these shall rise againe Thus R. Solomon The REPHAIM be interprets of the WICKED 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are remisse namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who remit or slack their hands from the Law The Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieron vivent mortui tui interfecti mei resurgent And that the ancient Iewes did interpret this place of Isaiah touching the resurrection of the dead appears by that Gemara Sanhedrim
Pagans Papists Atheists Hereticks and prophane persons And without multiplying words the very phrases will not admit of a referring these to the ultimate day of Doome And therefore must yet bee fulfilled on earth before that day SECT XX. § 1 THe eleventh place in Isaiah is Chap. 49. wholly But I shall need to touch only upon three or four places of the Chapter which will give light to all the rest In generall the chapter is of the bringing in of Jews and Gentiles into the Church The Jews are here named by the generall termes that comprehend at least the ten Tribes if not the whole twelve viz. by the names of Israel ver 3 5 6 7. and of Jacob ver 5. and of the Tribes of Jacob v. 6. and the preserved of Israel ibid. In way of distinction from whom the two Tribes are called Zion v. 14. So that all the twelve Tribes that came of Jacob are intended in this Chapter in the close whereof as a seal the Lord stiles himself Their Saviour their Redeemer the Mighty one of JACOB The Gentiles likewise are expressely named in v. 6. viz I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest bee my salvation unto the ends of the earth quoted by the Apostle Act. 13.47 to prove the propagation of the Gospel for salvation to the Gentiles The concurrence of both Jews and Gentiles in coming in to Christ is expressed to the life ver 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring THY sons in their armes and thy daughters shall be carryed upon THEIR shoulders and KINGS shall be thy nursing Fathers and THEIR Queens shall be THY nursing Mothers c. Adde that the engagement of God that thus hee will call home both Jews and Gentiles v. 13.15 19 18 26. is great Sing O Heavens and be joyfull O Earth and break forth into singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his people and WILL have mercy on his afflicted Can a woman forget her sucking child that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb c. Yet VVILL NOT I FORGET THEE Behold I have GRAVEN THEE upon the palmes of mine hands As I LIVE saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloathe thee with them all that oppose thee as with an ornament c. And ALL FLESH shall know that I the Lord am the Mighty one of Jacob. § 2 These being premised let us but only put the question upon some Verses whether ever they were yet fully fulfilled and that will be sufficient to ingenuous reason to confesse they must yet be fulfilled and that on earth § 3 VVhen was the seventeenth verse ever fulfilled viz. Thy children shall make hasle thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe out of thee VVe read no such thing at their return from Babylon but that there were the crew of Sanballat Tobiah c. that opposed them Anon Alexander the Great the Grecian Monarch enters Jerusalem After him Antiochus Epiphanes alias Epimanes King of Syria wasteth it After these the Romans conquer it And now the Turks ever since possesse it § 4 And when ever yet was the nineteenth verse fulfilled viz. Thy waste and desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away Surely since the carrying away captive of the ten Tribes the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah were never full of their owne Inhabitants We never read that ever the Assyrians Babylonians Cutheans c. which the King of Assyria sent into the Kingdome of Israel 2 Kings 17.24 were sent for home againe Nor that ever those CALDEANS that were sent to governe Judea intimated in 2 King 25. were recalled And for after times as we have hinted afore when the Greek went out the Syrian came in when the Syrian went out the Roman came in when the Roman went the Turke came in and there he is to this day These expulsing one another there hath been a constant succession of them that swallowed up the twelve Tribes Their wasters and destroyers have been changed but have not been sent forth far away from Israel and Judah § 5 Againe did the Gentiles and Peoples ever yet as v. 22. bring the sonnes and daughters of the Jewes in their armes and upon their shoulders If we should wave the litterall sense of setling the Jews in their owne Land and condescend to a spirituall sense of the generality of the Gentiles compliance with the generality of the Jewes in matters of Religion and union into the universall Church wee cannot tell when ever this was done to this day § 6 Nor can we say that ever the Kings of the Gentiles as it is v. 23. and their Queens have been nursing fathers and mothers to the Jewes and bowing downe to them Alas poore Jewes they have ever since the beginning of the Grecian Monarchy long before Christ downe to this very day been under the awing power of the Gentiles and mostly used hardly and in most places of the world instead of reverence have been and are much villified Therefore John in Revelation tels us that this is yet to come and to be fulfilled upon earth afore the ultimate day of judgement as the circumstances of things and the phrases of the Prophesie necessarily require Rev. 21. v. 24.26 And the Kings of the EARTH doe bring their glory and honour into New Jerusalem And they shall bring the glory and honour of the NATIONS into it And yet so as there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. § 7 Wee are likewise utterly to seek when ever yet the 25. and 26. verses were fulfilled viz. The captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy children and will feed them that oppresse thee with their owne flesh and they shall be drunken with their owne blood Wee know not of any such thing since the captivity of the Jewes in Babylon in all Histories divine and humane that thus the Jewes were saved by such destruction of their enemies The Jews indeed soon after their captivity made some attempts 2 King 25. v. 25. After that they made some attempts in 1 Book of Macchab And after that they made severall attempts in the time of Titus and Adrian Roman Emperours And since that the Turk hath dominered over them the Kings of the Gentiles especially of England have made some attempts of warre on their enemies managed by the stocke counsell and aide of severall religious orders for that end as of the Templars Knights of the Rhodes or of John of Jerusalem and of the Knights of Malta alias Melita But all these attempts have not amounted to Isaiahs phrase
are inconsistent with perioding at the Pentecost As Gods pouring out of his Spirit UPON ALL FLESH c. Of which largely and distinctly by and by mean while let me intreat the Reader to minde what I have prompted to him several times viz. That Golden Rule That Prophesies of this nature touching the Kingdom of Christ have their gradual progressive and vicissitudinous fulfilling from the first breathing of them to the end of the world as it were from one type to another till it come to the Antitype and full meaning and managing of the perfection of the whole even as the Ark of Noah might be an occasion of the Ark of Moses I am sure signified Baptism and Baptism leads us to salvation in Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 Just like Parelia when we see two or three Suns or Rainbows the one carries up the sight to the other till at last it be fixed upon the Sun it self the substance of all The Church hath its growth and her eyes is not able to endure all degrees of light at first The Infant hath but the glimmering of the light of the fire afterwards it can behold the candle at last indures the light of the Sun And the Sun of the choicest Gospel-Light is not in its Vertical point and Apoge in an instant but by rising and gradual Ascension And thus we have viewed the Text in general § 2 Next for the particular scanning of it that I may deal faithfully with the precious Word of God and with my Reader and mine own heart Let us see and say ingenuously what of this Text of Joel hath been fulfilled in the Acts and what not ¶ 1. These things in part have been fulfilled 1. The pouring out of the Spirit They in Acts 2.4 named in part and numbered to be about One hundred and twenty Acts 1.13 14 15. were all filled with the Holy Ghost 2. The seeing of visions Peter had a vision Acts 10. And Paul had a vision and Ananias likewise concerning Paul Acts 9. So had Cornelius Acts 10. And Stephen Acts 7. 3ly The prophesying of their sons and daughters As Paul did Acts 27. v. 22 c. And Agabus did And Philip the Evangelists four daughters did Acts 21.8 9 10 11. And afterwards John and Peter and Jude did prophesie as the Revelation and their Epistles testifie 4. The darkning of the Sun For before this notable day of the Lords pouring out his Spirit upon the Disciples Acts 2. preceded that terrible darkning of the Sun at Christs passion Matth. 27. For surely all that darkning of the Sun mentioned by our Prophet must not be made more dark by an allegory or evacuated by a figure seeing it is set down as a mark of time when God is about to do some sensible visible exploit 5. That there was a deliverance of some in some sence in Jerusalem and at Mount Zion There being converted at Peters Sermon about three thousand souls Acts 2. which after were five thousand Acts 4.4 All these five heads of this Text of our Prophet Joel were fulfilled in part in the story of the Acts at and upon that pouring out of the Spirit And in regard of these Peter had just reason to apply this Prophesie of Joel to that purpose Although the stream were to run to the magnitude of an ocean in the fulness of its fulfilling yet this running first by Peters door he might well say these waters were for his use and so take up as many buckets as he needed ¶ 2. In these respects this Text in full was not fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles nor yet is to this very day For first This prophesie of pouring out of the Spirit and upon all flesh and upon all sorts upon old men and upon yong men upon Fathers and upon children upon Masters and servants and upon men-servants and upon maid-servants and unto a variety of gifts expressed stylo veteri in an Old Testament phrase as most commensurated to the Jews ears viz. Of visions dreams prophesies I say these things which way soever ye take either with these learned or those learned Interpreters to expound them of an extraordinary portion or giftedness of the Spirit or of an ordinary so as it be in order to salvation as the last verse constrains us to extend it it can intend no less then a plentiful communication of the Spirit not onely to the generality of the Gentiles but also and I should think chiefly to the generality of the Jews But alas what were five thousand Jews converted of the Kingdom of Judah to the generality of them And then what were these five thousand to the generality of the Jews of all the Twelve Tribes And to what doth the story of the Acts of the Apostles amount as to the fulfilling of this clause of Joel when by that time it is carried on the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts the generality of the Jews give the Gospel a Bill of Divorce and send it away whereupon it went unto the Gentiles Acts 13.46 So that the next news we hear of it is in the Epistles of Paul to the Romans and to the Corinthians and Galatians c. viz. To the Latin Greek and Galline Galatia minoris Asiae regiâ— Phrygiae contermina a Gallis it a dicta qui relicta patria ibi sedes fixerunt Incolae appellantur Galarae Gallograeci quod ex Gallis simul Graecis coalâ—orint Steph. Gentiles c. And therefore doth Saint Paul in the eleventh to the Romans give all the Jews both of Judah and Israel for gone into utter blindness till the fulness of the Gentiles were come in Which is not yet done to this day as we see by experience both in the thing and in the effect Most Gentiles by far being ignorant of the light of the Gospel and generally all the Jews with sorrow we speak it are obstinate against the light thereof So that ALL ISRAEL is far from being saved whiles the all of the fulness of the Gentiles is far from coming in For Mr. Mede hath very well approved that account that one hath made touching the Christian state and share of the world thus For one saith Mr. Mede * Diatrib pars 4. p. 82 83. hath well observed That Christianity at this day is not above the sixt part of the known world whereas the Mahumetans have a fifth and all the rest are Ethnicks and Pagans So that if we divide the world into thirty parts Christianity is but as five in thirty Mahumetism as six and Ethnicism as nineteen and so Christianity is the least part of all and plain Heathenism hath far above the one half of the world and the better part of the other is also Mahumetans Thus he with Mr. Medes approbation I onely adde this that even in this account I suppose the Popedome and Papisme wheresoever it is professed is included in Christianity because in a sort a sorry one they acknowledge Christ and then the account
14. Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision 15. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining 16. The Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountain then shall Jerusalem be holy and here shall no stranger pass thorough her any more 18. And it shall come â—o pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim 19. Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness for the violence against the children of Judah because they have shed innocent blood in their Land 20. But Judah shall dwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation 21. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion This as it follows close at the heels of the former place so notwithstanding mens chapter-divisions hath it a great coherence with it Calvin upon this third Chapter verse 1 2. tell us in the general Confirmat his verb is Propheta quod prius docuit de Ecclesiae RESTITUTIONE i. e. The Prophet in these words confirms what before he had taught concerning the RESTITUTION of the Church More particularly let me tell you That the most if not the all of the former place in the second Chapter is again mentioned in this third Chapter and with four great emphases of connexion both sounding of confirmation and explanation of what had been said before 1. FOR Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if the Lord should say I bring this for a proof that I will do as I have said 2. BEHOLD Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As much as to say There shall be some notable thing done some grand event as an eminent sign that I will be as good as my word 3. IN THOSE DAYES and AT THAT TIME with great emphasis of Pronouns and Articles both in Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sound to this effect That methodically and in a just order when I do the former things I will do these following also so that the plurality and magnificence of exploits shall force the eyes of men to see my truth and true performance of all that I have spoken 4. I will in pursuance of that deliverance of my people mentioned in the former Chapter Gather all Nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people which amounts justly to thus much for our present observation That the famous remarkable circumstances as before of time so here of place shall be undeniable witnesses of the substance of my true performance For as the great Philosopher saith Many common accidents concurring may amount to a proprium quarto modo to an infallible property and so to a demonstration And we know that circumstances of time and place c. beget in us great credence to a report That such a thing was done Thus for the coherence of this place with the former § 2 Next for the substance of this place in order to our point take notice in the entrance That the people that shall according to this prophesie be delivered are named in the first verse Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem signifying the Two Tribes In the second verse and verse sixteen they are called his heritage Israel and the scattered among all Nations which most aptly set forth the Ten Tribes who of the Kingdome of Israel became the greatest dispersion among all Nations far beyond those of Iudah And the deliverance of both is so expressed in the Hebrew Chalde and Septuagint that the words may well be extended to a spiritual conversion of their souls from infidelity beside the corporal deliverance of their persons from captivity as many Translaters render it And for confirmation observe That whereas in Hosea chap. 1. the Lord calls them speaking of both the said Kingdoms of the Iews Lo-ammi NOT MY PEOPLE and Lo-ruhamah I WILL NOT HAVE MERCY viz. Whiles they are to be in captivity where for the general they lost their piety as well as their liberty in not receiving Christ and his Gospel from thence to this day Behold here in this Text of Joel the Lord speaking of their deliverance expresseth it in relation and to the effect of receiving them at their return as his people and to be his heritage v. 2. For surely if God did justly for their great wickedness carry them away captive he had little reason to receive them from thence if they were no better then when they went Put now all together and all plainly spells that this first clause of the deliverance of Judah and Israel hath not been fulfilled to this day according to the sence before demonstrated which will clearly appear by the rest that follows § 3 For in the next place we are to observe that this must not bee a meer still and tacit deliverance of the Jewes but withall a tumultuous destruction of their Enemies that formerly caused their bondage and with-held their deliverance ver 2. I will gather all Nations and being them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat and plead with them there or my people c. Which last clause the Chalde renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And I will take vengeance on them there for my people which is much further amplified in ver 9 10 11 12. c. The valley of Jehosaphat is particularly named here as the place where God will avenge his people 1. Because there Jehosaphat overthrew the Ammonites and Moabites and their Confederates that rose up against the Jewes 2 Chron. 20.22 c. 2. Jehosaphat signifies pleading or judging viz. the thing that God will doe upon the incorrigible enemies that yet remaine ver 12. 3. Because this is also called the valley of Beracha that is the valley of blessing Because there Jehosaphat blessed and praised God first in hope of the said Victory Secondly for helpe in the said Victory 2 Chron. 20.22 compare ver 16. 4. Because this is called the valley of decision or threshing twice in this fourteenth verse of this third of Joel because there God threshed his Enemies as the chaffe from the wheat according to Isai 25.10 and thereby decided the controversie between the Jewes and their Enemies viz. that the Jewes should
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood no remission It was necessary therefore that the patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these but the HEAVENLY THINGS THEMSELVES with BETTER SACRIFICES then THESE Heb. 13.19 But to doe good and to communicate forget not for with such SACRIFICES God is well pleased Phil. 2.17 If I be offered upon the SACRIFICE and service of your faith I joy Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the ALTAR having a golden CENSER and there was given to him much INCENSE that hee should OFFER IT with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden ALTAR which was before the Throne Thus you see how the tenth verse sets forth the conversion of the Iews which is further amplified in the eleventh verse thus In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me For then will I take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoyce in thy pride and thou shalt be no more haughty because of my holy mount Which is also most evidently spoken of the Jews and their conversion in that the Lord promiseth to take away their sins and in particular their pride of the Temple of which they had been formerly very sinfully proud Jer. 7.4 and that swelling was not quite down in our Saviours time Mat. 24.1 And therefore then this text was not fulfilled But when their sins shall be taken away then the judgement viz. their shame shall be taken away neither shall they be only negatively good but also positively I will saith the next verse leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. This last clause of trusting in the name of the Lord containes the very life and power of godlinesse As for the first clause whoever can well weigh the Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will duly consider the precedent verse and propheticall purpose of this place touching the conversion of the Jewes cannot but confesse that these words may as well and in some respect better be rendered I will cause to remaine in thee a people that is humble and meeke or poore in spirit as Arias the Septuagint and the Syriack and Arabick render it this and the rest of this verse aptly answers and stands over against as a contrary to their pride in the former verse and is the ready way to that which followes in the thirteenth verse The remnant of Israel that is all the converted as well of the ten Tribes as of the two shall not doe iniquity nor speake lyes nor shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth for they shall feed and lye downe and none shall make them afraid That is they shall there abide because there shall be no danger and they shall be so holy because they shall have grace within and no temptation from without For the second part of the Jewes restitution namely their reversion into their owne Country in a glorious Church-state wee have it in the sixteen seventeen eighteen and twentieth verses thus ver 16. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem feare thou not and to Zion let not thy hands be slack or faint Ver. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will REST IN HIS LOVE an high and glorious expression he will joy over thee with singing Ver. 18. I will GATHER them that are sorrowfull for THE SOLEMNE ASSEMBLY who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burthen Ver. 20. At that time I will BRING YOV AGAINE even in the time that I GATHER YOV For I will make you a name and apraise among all people of the earth when I TVRNE BACKE YOVR CAPTIVITY before your eyes saith the Lord. In which words you have the expression of their reversion into their owne Country in capitall letters as well in sence as writing And the Lords being amidst them more then in his generall presence over the earth and his rejoycing over them with joy yea with great joy as in singing and resting in his LOVE and gathering them into the solemne assembly and to make them a name and a praise among all people of the earth can signifie no lesse then a glorious visible Church-state making them a LOVE or SPOVSE unto their LORD CHRIST For the second generall head the vocation of the Gentiles both unto an effectuall conversion unto God and a most harmonious union with the rest of the Church we have it all and in full in verse the ninth For then will I turne to the people a pure Language that they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Close to the Hebrew thus I will convert in the peoples a pure lip that they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one shoulder I stand not to dispute it from terme to terme because they that know well the Originall and well minde the sence of the place will ease me of that labour * Junius Mutab◠in populis labium ut purum sit quo invocent omnes nomen Jehova colendo cum humero uno Hieron old Latin Reddam populis labium electum ut invocent omnes nomen Domini serviant ei humero une The Chalde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. I will so convert in all nations one choyse speech that all may pray in the name of the Lord that they may serve him with one shoulder The Syriack Then will I restore unto the Gentiles an elect or choyse lippe that all may call upon the name of the Lord and worship him in an equall yoke but rather I will speake a word to the opening It is expresse that the Peoples Nations or Gentiles are here spoken of who upon their conversion should be exempted from the ruine on Nations in the eighth verse and should returne with the dispersed Jewes in the tenth verse and their prophane lips should be purified and their Idolatrous and blasphemous words before their false gods should be turned into holy prayers to Jehovah and they should serve him not only with one consent of minde but with one way of practise as when many lift as with one shoulder to move a thing the same way or draw equally in the same yokes fastened to the same chaine or traces § 5 The third generall the destruction of the enemies of the Church and so of the Jewes converted you have in the fourteenth fifteenth and nineteenth verses very fully You your selves who heed what you read doe perceive these three heads interchangeably interwoven to signifie that the whole of all this visible glory comes together Vers 14. Sing O Daughter of ZION shout O ISRAEL be glad and rejoyce with all thy heart O daughter of JERUSALEM Vers 15. The Lord hath
did at first when he overthrew Amalech and Og c. as the Iews approached near Canaan Surely we have had a sad account to the contrary in the very next preceding Section § 4. in a short but full Chronology from Zecharie to this very day And a meer spirituall notion will not help us out seeing the Text expounds it selfe That the Lord will goe out and fight against the Nations that spoile Jerusalem how or in what manner As he fought at first when the Iewes approached Canaan or to keep to our common translation as when he fought in the day of battle Which exposition needed not to be added if a spirituall sence had been mainly intended Which if it were yet that is not to this day fulfilled that the enemies of Jerusalem are either converted by grace or confounded in hell § 3 T is true that as not any Prophesie hardly so nor is this likely without some allegory But to convert all into a spirituall sence seemes to me impossible without selfe-contradiction or contradicting the Text. For how can we presume upon a spirituall sence when it is said ver 4. HIS FEET shal stand upon the MOUNT of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East c. which shall cleave in the midst And ver 5. Yee shall flee to the VALLEY OF THE MOUNTAINS which shall reach to Azal c. as yee fled from the EARTHQUAKE in the daies of Uzziah and the Lord shall come and ALL HIS SAINTS with him Or how can that be taken in a spirituall sence in ver 7. That there shall be a distinct ONE day and knowne to the Lord that shall not be day nor night but the evening shall be light Surely if the light of the time of the Gospell must bemeant as some will it is no distinct time nor one measured day of a round number of years be it of few or many for it hath been now above one thousand six hundred and twenty years since the first preaching of Christ continued to this day which hath been as well known to us as to the Lord And how should that in ver 9. be comelily and compleatly cloathed and covered with a meer spirituall notion That the Lord SHALL be King OVER ALL the earth And at THAT day he must be the one and onely Lord and his name one For the Lord from the beginning hath been King of power and King of grace secretly ordering and sanctifying whom and wheresoever he listed over the face of the earth Therefore this same shal must import his yet future visible Monarchy before which all must so fall down that they cast away all their Idols seeming Deities and different formes of worship and adore him alone with one uniforme way of worship according to his will which thing to this day is desired being never yet injoyed And as difficult it is if not impossible with cleare reason to fasten a spirituall sence upon the rest of the chapter That all the Land shall be turned or compassed AS A plaine pervious and profitable for habitation FROM GEBA TO RIMMON SOUTH OF JERUSALEM So that it shall be lifted up or exalted in the opinion of men and inhabited in her place FROM BENJAMINS GATE unto the place of the FIRST GATE unto the CORNER GATE and from the Tower of HANANIEL unto the KINGS WINE PRESSES And men shall dwel in it and there shall be NO MORE utter destruction but Jerusalem shal be SAFELY inhabited And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that fight against Jerusalem THEIR FLESH SHALL CONSUME AWAY WHILE THEY STAND UPON THEIR FEET and their EYES SHALL CONSUME AWAY IN THEIR HOLES c. And so shall be the plague of the HORSE of the MULE of the CAMEL of the ASSE and of all the BEASTS that shall be in these Tents as THIS PLAGUE â—oo wonderfull and industrious a circumstantiating of all places plague things c. to signifie meer spirituals § 4 Men may phantasie to themselves a satisfaction that spirituals are here meant because of the next verse that the residue of the Nations that came up against Ierusalem that is left shall go up from year to year to worship the Lord to keep the feast of Tabernacles But we did before give a rule and proved it that even in the Old Testament as wel as in the New the most Gospel Truths are sometimes cloathed with Jewish language and Leviticall phrases * Lib. 3. Cha. 2. Sect 44. §. 2. P. 330. See also Just Martyrs excellent Note in this third Book Chap. 3. Sect. 2. S. 3. and P. 2. Nor indeed is there any Gospell expression scarcely in all the New Testament that is not dressed forth with one or more Tropes and figures As Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden c. Matth. 11. And a bruised reed he shall not breake c. Matth. 12. Christ being no Porter nor Christians reeds in a literall sence Beside for the words of Zecharie themselves there is no more exprest but goe up and once a year and at the feast of Tabernacles as to signifie our deliverance from the Egypt of the world as Israel going out of Topal Egypt first pitched in Succoth that is Boothes And in memorial of that deliverance praised God yearly in the feast of Boothes As we hereafter shall often congratulate our LORD with HALELUJAHS for our deliverance from the Egyptian world frequently prophesied in the Revelation To this day we pray in hope but then when the great restauration of the Church and Restitution of all things is come we shall praise with joy And whoever will not shall be plagued with temporall plagues ver 17 c. For all that then will exist in peace must be holinesse to the Lord they and their imjoyments ver 20. § 5 If all those aforesaid Material expressions and corporal circumstances will not awaken some men but they will fall asleep and dream pleasant dreams of all figurative meanings and will not sensibly see the visible glory here prophesied then I would entreat them to tell us their dreams from point to point upon every Verse when all Nations obstinately at enmity with the Jews were spiritually destroyed when the rest that came in to close with them did joyntly with them own the LORD as King over all the Earth in one way of worship when was Jerusalem safely inhabited as free from spiritual evils And how could the Horse and the Mule and the Camel and the Ass and all Beasts be spiritually plagued § 6 There is but one thing more that I will adde and that is this That those of the Learned that have gone about to squeeze out of this Text a spiritual meaning have I know not how been forced to let fall from them many considerable passages for a literal sence A Lapide applauds Jerom for his spiritual interpretation of this prophesie Quocirca verè S. Hieron hic ad vers 11.
second coming as John Baptist was at his first For to the Jews alone is this Elias promised and not to the Gentiles and John Baptist wee know the Elias of his first coming preached to them alone It is well known that all the Fathers unlesse S. Hierome somewhat staggered were of this opinion and why we should so wholly reject it as we are wont to do I can see no sufficient reason For if the Fathers erred concerning the person and other circumstances of this Elias yet it follows not but the substance of their opinion might bee true As we know also they erred concerning the person quality and reign of Antichrist and yet for the substance the thing was true Our Saviour rejected not the tradition of the Scribes concerning the coming of this Elias when the Apostles objected it though it were mingled with some falshood but corrected it onely for they looked for Elias the Thisbite but our Saviour admits it only of Elias in Spirit not of Elias in person so yeelding it true for the substance though erring in circumstance so should we doe in the like case For hee that throwes away what he findes because t is foule and dirty may perchance sometimes cast away a Jewell or a peece of gold or silver so hee that wholly rejects an ancient Tenet because it hath some errour annexed to it may unawares cast away a Truth as this seemes to be of an Elias to be the Harbinger of Christs second comming And that for these reasons First Though the prophecy of Esaias The voice of one crying in the wildernesse prepare yee the way of the Lord make his paths straight alledged by all the four Evangelists and by John himselfe seems appliable onely to the first coming of Christ yet the other out of Malachi expresly quoted by St. Marke and by our Saviour Mat. 11 though elsewhere alluded unto seemes by Malachi himself to be applyed not onely to the first coming of Christ but also to his second coming to judgement For in his last chapter speaking of the coming of that day which shall burne like an oven wherein all the pround yea and all that doe wickedly shall be as stubble and it shall burne them up leaving neither root nor branch c. he addeth Behold saith the Lord I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of that great and terrible day of the Lord and he shall turn or restore the heart of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse If you wil not admit the day here described to be the day of judgement I know scarce any description of that day in the old Testament but we may elude For the phrase of turning or as I had rather translate it restoring as the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers the meaning is that this Elias should bring the refractary and unbeleeving posterity of the Jewish nation to have the same heart and mind their holy Fathers and Progenitors had who feared God and beleeved his promises that so their Fathers might as it were rejoyce in them and own them for their children that is he should convert them to the faith of that Christ whom their Fathers hoped in and looked for lest continuing obstinate in their unbeliefe till the great day of Christs second coming they might perish among the rest of the enemies of his kingdome Therefore the Son of Syrach in his praise of Elias the This bite paraphraseth this place after this manner who wa st ordained saith he an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or type for so it may bee turned for the times to come to pacifie the wrath of the Lords judgement before it breake forth into fury and to turne the heart of the Father unto the Son and to restore the tribes of Israel Eccles 48.10 which explication also the Angel warranteth Luke 1.17 in his message to Zachary concerning his sonne He shall goe saith he before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just this is instead of reducing the hearts of the children to the Fathers to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. For the better understanding of this first reason we must know that the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ indefinitely and in generall without that distinction of first and second coming which we have more clearly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him that speake of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and all together we who are now more fully informed by the revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a two-fold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second And that which befits both alike as this of an Harbinger or Messenger may be applyed to both My second reason for the proofe hereof is from our Saviours own words in the Gospel Mat. 17.10 11. where his Disciples immediatly upon his transfiguration asking him saying Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come Our Saviour answers Elias truly shall first come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall restore all things These words our Saviour spake when John Baptist was now beheaded and yet speakes as of a thing future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elias shall come and shall restore all things How can this be spoken of John Baptist unlesse he be to come again Besides I cannot see how this restoring of all things can be verified of the ministery of John Baptist at the first coming of Christ which continued but a very short time and did no such thing as these words seeme to imply for the restoring of all things belongs not to the first but to the second coming of Christ if we will beleeve St. Peter in his first Sermon in the Temple after Christs ascension Acts 3.19 where he thus speakes unto the Jewes Repent saith he and bee converted for the blotting out of your sins that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The word is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the time of restoring all things be not til the second coming of Christ how could John Baptist restore all things as his first If the Master come not to restore all things at his first surely his harbinger
in opposition to both sorts of evils immediately afore recounted viz. not only to false Doctrines but to cruell persecutions and therefore a corporal as well as a spiritual salvation must be here meant and these to be performed on earth viz. in the inhabited world just where the Gospel preached converted them and where they endured to the end And unto which Christ doth gloriously appear FROM heaven ver 30 c. to make up the splendor of that state on earth we here speak of Now all these things cannot be fulfilled at the ultimate generall judgement nor are they hitherto fulfilled and therefore they remaine yet to be fulfilled which Mr. Mede solidly amplifies on Jer. 10. ver 11. thus Hitherto saith he we have spoken of the accomplishment of this prophecy for so much as is already past now let us see what that is which we expect as yet to come for though in regard of former times when Ethnicisme was so large and the worshipers of the living God so small a scantling the extent of the Church be now at this day a goodly and large portion of the world yet if we consider the number of Nations yet Pagans or not Christians it will seem too scant as yet to be the accomplishment of this and other prophecies concerning the largenesse of Christs Kingdome before the end of the world For one hath well observed that Christianity at this day is not above the sixth part of the knowne world whereas the Mahumetans have a fifth and all the rest are Ethnicks and Pagans So that if we divide the world into thirty parts Christianity is but as five in thirty Mahumetanism as six and Ethnicisme as nineteen and so is Christianity the least part of all and plain Heathenism hath far above the one half of the known world and the better part of the other is also Mahumetans And though Christianity hath been imbraced in former times where now it is not yet is it now spread in those places where in those times it was not And therefore all laid together we may account Christianity at this day as large I think as ever it was since the Apostles time But that this is not that universal Kingdome of Christ that flourishing and glorious estate of the Church which yet we expect hope for my reasons are these First These frequent places of Scripture which intimate that the Lord should subdue all People all Kingdoms all Nations and all the ends of the earth unto himselfe and that all these should one day worship and acknowledge him Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him for the Kingdome is the Lords and he is governor among the Nations And Psal 47. Clap your hands all yee people for the Lord is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feete And againe God is King of all the earth and reigneth over the Heathen Psal 66. Make a joyfull noise unto God all yee-lands through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee aâ— the earth shall worship thee and sing of thee they shall sing unto thy Name The whole Psal 67. which we read every day is as it were a prophecy and prayer for this great kingdome That the way of God may be knowne upon earth and his saving health among all the Nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Then shall the earth yeeld her increase c. God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him And Psal 89. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name for thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone And Isa 2. which is a prophecy of Christs Kingdome it is said That the Idols the Lord shall utterly abolish or as some read the Idols shall utterly passe away So Esay 54.5 speaking of the amplitude of the Church of the Gentiles Thy Redeemer saith the Prophet the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall be called Certainly this constant stile of universality implies more then this scantling which yet is small being but one of the least parts of the whole earth Secondly The same conclusion may be gathered from 1 Cor. 15.25 26. compared with Heb. 2.8 Christ must reigne saith St. Paul in the first place quoted till he hath put all his enemies under his feet the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death Hence it followes that Christ shall subdue all his enemies whereof the Prince of this world is the cheife before the last rising of the dead for the subduing of death that is the rising of the dead shal not be afore the rest shall be done the vanquishing of death being the last act of Christs reigning which done he shall yeeld up the Kingdome unto his Father In the other place Heb. 2.8 the Apostle speaking of the same thing alleadgeth that of Psal 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and then adds for in that he put all in subjection under him But now marke it we see not all things put under him If any say that the Apostle speakes here of the Kingdome of Glory in Heaven and not of the Kingdom of Grace on Earth I reply first out of the former place that he speaks of such a subjection whereof the rising of the dead shall be the last act of all and which shall be before he yeelds up the kingdome to his Father But neither of these can be affirmed of the kingdome of glory but the contrary viz. The rising of the dead is at the beginning and not at the end of the Kingdome of glory and so is also his yeelding up of his kingdom unto his Father Secondly I reply out of this place that the Apostle speaks of that kingdome and subjection of the earth or state of the earth which was to come For so he speaks v. 5. Unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth or state of the earth which shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which we speak Here he affirms that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that of whose subjection he meaneth If then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signâ—â—â—s onely the earth ' and the earths inhabitants and is no where in the Scripture otherwise used I cannot see how this place can well beare any other exposition First then to confirme this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the Septuagint renders it whose use of speaking I doubt not but the Apostle followes But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most constantly signifies the habitable earth or the earth with the things that live and dwell therein whence the Septuagint though they commonly render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
tranquillous and most happy life because the earth then shall not be infested with any noyse of Arms. And all those wars which before were stoutly waged by reason of the difference of Religion shall then cease The cause ceasing the effect ceaseth After the Prophet had spoken of the time of the Messiah presently he proceeds to those things that are to follow viz. to the day of judgement and the resurrection of the dead For saith he the day of the Lord shal be on every one that is proud and lofty c. upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and upon all the oaks of Bashan and upon all the ships of Tarshish c. No doubt saith he but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE DAY OF THE LORD the Prophet signifies the day of judgement as we shall afterward demonstrate which otherwise is called the day of resurrection of the dead for then the dead are judged called also the day of the Lord because a day of admiration Nothing then that is ordinary shall be done but all above nature c. He alleadgeth likewise for the said head of this Chapter that in Isa 23.14 They shall lift up their voice they shal sing for the Majesty of the Lord c. And Isa 49.14 c. But Zion saith the Lord hath forsaken me c. Can a woman forget her sucking child Psal◠72.16 And they of the City so Menasse renders it shal flourish as the here out of the earth Thus far we have shewn by Scripture saith he that the resurrection of the dead shall be conjunctive to the coming of the Messiah next it remains to be proved that the Ancients were of the same opinion It is to be noted what reason they give why the Patriarchs so much desired to be buried in the Holy-land which was no other then this That they that are there buried shall FIRST RISE * So in Beresit Raba-Paras 74 66. Semot R. pur 32. From whence is inferred That the resurrection of the dead to the comming of the Messiah is annexed in time The same is found also elsewhere ** In the Jerusalmy de Kilaym And so Semuel in Gemarah de berahot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i.e. This world doth not differ from the dayes of the Messiah but in the subjecting of Kings In Zoar †Paras voyera Elar is manifestly and cleerly expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i.e. The blessed God shal first build the Temple and order and dispose the Pallace and build the City and then the dead shall be raised out of the dust The Cabalists do sound their opinion on the words of the Psalmist Psal 147.2 3. The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem he gathereth together the out casts of Israel he healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds 3 In the next viz. the third Chapter of that third Book the Rabbin solves this Question Whether within the aforesaid times shal be the end of the world or after the resurrection of the dead This Question saith he may easily be resolved by that we have said in the former Chapter For when the sacred Scripture treats concerning the dayes of the Messiah it alwayes calls that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the end of dayes So Gen. 49.1 Gather your selves together saith Jacob to his sons and I will tell you that which shall befall you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of dayes Upon which R. Moses Gerundensis commentating saith where ever there is speech concerning the end of dayes it is to be understood of the dayes of the Messia Jacob would have told his sons what should befall them in the dayes of the Messiah but God inhibited him The like phrase is in Balaams speech in Numb 24.14 c. Come I will advertise thee what this people shal do to thy people in the end of dayes I shal see him saith he speaking of the Messiah but not Now I shal behold him but not nigh There shal come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shal arise out of Israel he shal strike through the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth. Note that the time is by him called the end of dayes Therefore he saith I see it but not nigh Againe when he saith he will destroy or demolish the children of Seth he means the inhabitants of the whole world From whence it doth appear that that is to be understood of the Messiah He the said Rabby alleadgeth many other places for that phrase the end of dayes to be taken for the dayes of the Messiah yet to come as Isa 2.2 Jer. 30.24 Chap. 31.1 Ezek. 38.16 Hos 3.5 Mich. 4.1 Dan. 10.14 And because saith R. Menasse our deliverance is deferred to so long a time hence and distant from us therefore David makes that vehement complaint Psal 89. v. 49. O Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses which thou swarest unto David in thy truth c. But I am not ignorant saith Menasse that they that dissent from us do make a double coming of the Messiah and so do expound those places far otherwise But I have no list saith he at this time to dispute with any concerning that thing but simply and candidly to hold forth the opinion which the Hebrews professe From what hath been said two things saith he doe necessarily follow One that the redemption of Israel shall be extended unto the end of the world The other that that same end shall come before the resurrection of the dead And because that end shall take its beginning in the dayes of Messiah therefore there is a necessity that a NEW WORLD SHALL BEGIN FROM THE RESVRRECTION OF THE DEAD therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world to come Dan. 12. v. ult Go thy way unto the end and rest and awake in thy lot in the end of dayes The same is to bee collected out of the saying of the Ancients * In Gemara Abodae Zarae cap. 1. cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is pronounced in the School of Elia not the Thesbit but of some Rabbin that the world shall continue six thousand yeers In two thousand is the void or empty time that is the time untill Abraham being void of Moses Law In two thousand is the time of the Law In two thousand are the dayes of the Messiah So that as it is read elsewhere * In Sebet Jeudah It is not said that the Messiah shal come in the end of four thousand yeers or in the beginning of five thousand yeers but onely that the dayes of the Messiah shall be two thousand yeers that is that within that space the Messiah shall come about the beginning middle or end Which last words say I are very considerable by us Christians For within that space Christ is come and will come ☜ again ¶ 4 In the fourth Chapter are declared the opinions of the ancient Rabbins concerning
be raised incorruptible viz. never to dye any more and we shall be CHANGED viz. all in the same moment ¶ 3 This glorious state of all things on earth yet to come is as a creation in regard of parts That as the whole creation is in Gen. 1. distinguished into six dayes worke so this New creation shall be perfected though not in that successive order of time but rather as I conceive at once in all those things that are enumerated to bee the workmanship of the six dayes workes You had the opinion of the Rabbins in this afore * In 4 Book 4 Chap. 3 Sect. 6 Pat. f. 428. Mine is this First For light answerable to the extraordinary LIGHT created on the first day for the Sunne and Starres were not extant till the fourth day The light of the Church at this time shall be a supernatural light above any created light according to Isa 60.19 The Sunne and Moon shall be no more light but THE LORD shall be unto thee an EVERLASTING LIGHT Sutable to St. Johns Vision and Prophesie Rev. 21.23 The City had no need of the Sunne or of the Moon for the GLORY of GOD did lighten it and the LAMB is the light thereof For it God shall be the Churches Sunne Psal 84.11 as he is likewise light it selfe 1 John 1.5 yea dwels in unspeakable light 1 Tim. 6.16 And Christ is prophesied to be the Sunne arising on the Church Malach. 4.2 That he comes as the Apostle saith 2 Thess 2.8 with a brightnesse yea as Christ himselfe promiseth his comming shall be as lightning shineing from the East to the West yea with GREAT GLORY Matth. 24. verse 27. and verse 30. then will their speciall presence or manfestation be a transcendent light to the Church which must be supernatural far above any created either that which was made the first day or after contracted upon the fourth day into the body of the Sunne as the waters extant the first day were couched into the Channels of the seas on the third day For both these were created But the light of the Church now shall be elucidations and emanations from the Deity overcomming and as it were drowning the glory of the Sunne c. And therefore though the Sunne and the Moon and Stars that now receive their light from the Sunne shall in that New creation be extant existing in their Orbs yet they shall not be there to give light to the Church Both these are distinctly mentioned in both the fore-quoted places Isa 60.19 The Sunne shall be no more thy LIGHT by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give LIGHT unto thee Observe it is not said they shall not exist they shall not be but they shall not be for the light of the Church Just so Rev. 21.23 it is not said the being of the Sunne and Moon shall bee nulled or annihilated but there shall be no NEED of the Sunne nor of the Moon to SHINE in New Jerusalem And the reason is because God and the Lamb shall lighten it and be the light and glory thereof So that though according to the creation of the Sunne and Moon and Stars in the fourth day those lights with the rest of the universe shall bee perfected in this New creation Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people yet not used for a light to the Church at that glorious time For then there shall be no nights and dayes as is intimated in that 60. of Isa verse 19. afore quoted mark it well The Sunne shall be no more thy light by DAY c. but the Lord shall be unto thee an EVERLASTING light i. e. perpetuall without interruptions by vicissitudes of nights succeeding the dayes and for ever But it is expresse in Rev. 21.25 St. John having said as afore quoted in the 23. verse There shall be no need of the Sunne neither of the Moon he addes in this 25. verse The gates of the New Jerusalem shall not be shut at all by day for there shall bee NO NIGHT THERE And if we should suppose that the motion of the heavenly orbs and all the planets and fixed Stars which is the onely cause of night should cease at this glorious time of REST seeing that all motion as saith the Philosopher truly is for rest which these heavenly bodies never had since their creation whiles the Plants have had theirs in the Winter the Sonnes of men in the night on the seventh day and in the grave the Wilde-beasts in the day c. And it is recorded as the most glorious time when the Sunn and Moon stood still Josh 10.12 13 14. There was no day like that before it or since that And if we should conceive that it is not contrary to that text of Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sunne sevefold greater c. to understand it as well if not rather of the extension of those bodies of light then of the intension of their beams of light their very bodies being called lights Gen. 1. And the sevenfold intensivenesse and strength of the beams might be an affliction and so the little globe of the earth would not be of bulke to interpose and eclipse the sight and prospect of any Starre from view and looking upon the rest especially on the magnified dimension of the body of the Sunne so that there should be a continued natural light round the world yet all these should be but for a comely ornament not a naturall concernment to the Church because the paramount presence and elucidation of God and the Lamb should be their light sutable to their paramount condition swallowing up as it were all other glories as the said text of Isa 60.19 Rev. 21.23 hold forth So that as the world began in the first Creation with an extraordinary light so at the end of this world in the New creation there shall be a supernatural light And thus of the state of it in regard of light in parallel with the first and fourth dayes worke in the first Creation Secondly As on the second day was created the Firmament as our Translators render it following the Greeke alias the Expanse according to the Hebrew that is at least the whole element of the ayre so in this New creation it shall be re-created anew that is perfected that there shall be no noysome fumes or vapours or any other noxious exhalations fiery or watery c. to cause sicknesse death it selfe being now swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. And all sorrows removed Rev. 21.4 And the aire shall not be an habitation for devils over the Church as formerly for which he was called the Prince of the ayre Eph. 2.2 But the devill shall be chained up Rev. 20.2 and every unclean
HARD BONDAGE Observe both to what persons and what time these high expressions relate before largely opened and we shal easily conclude this Text was never yet fulfilled and therefore according to the truth of God must bee fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgement for with that time this Prophesie cannot agree ¶ 6 In Isa 25.8 we have it plenissimè planissimè most fully and plainly That in that day viz. of the great restauration of the Church and ruine of their enemies verse 5 6. The Lord will WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM ALL FACES And the rebuke of his people shall hee take away FROM OFF ALL THE EARTH for the Lord hath spoken it Which was never yet fulfilled and therefore is yet to come at the time we treat off as hath been before demonstrated ¶ 7 Isa 54.13 14. is also very high in expressions Thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be ESTABLISHED thou shalt be far from oppression for thou SHALT NOT FEAR and FROM TERROR for it SHAL NOT COME NEER THEE You see the expressions are exceeding high and they are evidently spoken concerning external rest as well as internal and wee see it by experience that this place was never yet fulfilled therefore it is yet to come as we have cleered it afore ¶ 8 In Isa 60.14 c. it is thus written The Sonnes of them that aâ—flicted thee shall come BENDING TO THEE and all that despised thee shall BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE SOLES of thy feet Whereas thou hast been forsaken I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY violence shall be NO MORE heard in thy land The dayes of thy mourning shall be ENDED Which place relates to our Thesis as is before demonstrated The expressions are far too high for us to acknowledge they have been fulfilled therefore we must expect them yet to come before the ultimate day of judgement for that will be no fit time for this Prophesie ¶ 9. Isa 65.19 is likewise very full to the particular in hand though in few words viz. I will joy in my people and the voyce of weeping or crying shall be NO MORE HEARD IN HER. Let the Reader judge whether this was ever yet fulfilled ¶ 10. Isa tells us Chap. 66.12 Thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her the Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles as a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream I leave it likewise to the Reader to consider whether hee hath not reason to expect this as yet to come ¶ 11 We come to the Prophesies of Jeremiah Chap. 23.3 4. I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all Countries c. and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed Which expressions are a great deal too high for our knowledge of Scripture of history or of experience to acknowledge them to have been fulfilled to this day And therefore our faith must be on God for the fulfilling of them and that before the ultimate day of judgement as the nature of the things require ¶ 12 We have in the same Prophet Chap. 30. verse 10. Jacob shall returne and shall be in rest and quiet and none shall make him afraid ¶ 13 Place is in Jer. 46.27 28. to the same effect ¶ 14 Place is in Ezek. 28.24 There shall be no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about them ¶ 15 Place Mich. 4.1 2 3. The same with Isa 2. v. 2 3 4. It s added here in verse 4. They shall sit every man under his owne vine c. and none shall make them afraid ¶ 16 Place Zeph. 3.13 14 15. They shall feed and lye downe and none shall make them afraid Sing O daughter of Zion rejoyce with all the heart the Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evill any more This and all the rest have been proved to mean the time intended in our Position § 2 Adde in the New Testament ¶ 1 Matth. 19.29 Shall receive an hundred fold and inherit eternal life of the large opening of this place see before in the third Book ¶ 2 That in 2 Thess 1.7.9 10. To you REST as Heb. 4. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed FROM HEAVEN his enemies being punished from the presence of the Lord as Chap. 2. and from the glory of his POWER ¶ Rev. 7.16 17 They that are sealed c. serve him day and night in HIS TEMPLE he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more for the Lamb in the middest of the Throne shall feed them and wipe away all tears from their eyes ¶ 4 Rev. 21.4 St. John speaking of the state of the Church in the thousand yeers saith God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrowing nor crying nor paine Every verse of this Chapter shewes it cannot bee meant of everlasting happinesse in the highest heavens Let the close of this Section be to encourage us to patience Patience in perseverance and patience in sufferance Now is Christs Kingdome of patience But anon his Kingdome of peace Twice it is said of the present state of sufferings Here is the patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Once it is said Keep the word of patience Rev. 3.10 But after a while comes the Kingdome of peace therefore Christ seales up all the Bible and all the Revelation almost with this Rev. 22.11 12. He that is righteous let him be righteous still He that is holy let him be holy still and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Then in the last verse save one sc 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Amen Then to that end Iohns prayer closeth all as I close in verse 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen SECT III. § 1 THus you have seen it is a sorrowlesse condition Next follows it shall be a deathlesse condition The Elect once raised at the beginning of the thousand yeers shall dye no more much lesse those alive and changed For if those alive shall not prevent them that are asleep given by the Apostle as an answer to an Objection against this Resurrection much lesse shall they that are alive being the patterne to whom the dead are promoted bee sent to death as to give place to the Elect dead that are raised And if all the Elect are raised to what end or use shall they dye that are alive If it be the priviledge that the other Saints shall be alive at Christs comming why shall they dye when here in soule and body they may behold him which is a fuller injoyment If this time of Christs appearance at the beginning of the thousand yeers be the Kingdome of Saints the prefacing beginning of their full