its Magnitude it was just as big again as the Tabernacle for the one was 60 Cubits long 20 Cubits broad and 30 Cubits high but that was but 30 Cubits in length 10 in breadth and 15 in height But when 't is said in 1 Kings 6. 2. that the Temple was 30 Cubits high it must be meant only of the space which reached from the Floor to the first Story for when it is compared with the Tabernacle it is consider'd without a Roof or any Superstructure because the Tabernacle was such But if you take the whole height of the Temple it was no less than 120 Cubits as you read in 2 Chron. 3. 3. Thus then it is from the bottom to the first Roof were 30 Cubits from thence to the second Roof 30 more and from thence to the top 60 Cubits So the height of the Temple from the Floor to the top of all was 120 Cubits Thus the Learned Iewish Antiquary reconciles those Texts in Kings and Chronicles which seem to oppose one another I might add that as the Tabernacle when 't was fix'd in Shiloâ— had Buildings about it for the Priests and Levites to lodg in so likewise it was contriv'd in the spot of Ground where the Temple was erected there were Houses to receive those Sacred Officers of the Temple and in them they lodg'd and resided all the time of their Ministry as our Deans and Prebendaries Houses are round about their respective Cathedrals And about the Temple there were divers Chambers some of which were us'd as Storehoses to lay up the Tithes and Offerings 1 Chron. 9. 26. 2. Chron. 31. 11. Others were Repositories for the Vessels and Utensils and all things belonging to the Service of the Temple Nehem. 1. 39. 13. 5. And some of them were made use of as places of Reâ—ection Ier. 35. 2. So much of this Magnificent Temple at Ierusalem which was the Iews Cathedral as the Synagogues were their Parish-Churches where their Ceremonious Worship was perform'd with the greatest pomp and splendor Fourthly The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law are here to be taken notice of They were Circumcision and the Passover The former was in use before the Mosaick Dispensation it being appointed as a Sign of the Covenant between God and Abraham It was reestablished by God when he delivered the Ceremonial Law to Moses and it was to continue a Badg and Confirmation of the same Covenant that the Posterity of Abraham the Iews might receive comfort thence It was also to be a remarkable Token to difference the Iews from other Nations tho other People afterwards borrow'd Circumcision from the Israelites as the Idumaeans the Egyptians c. There were other Ends and Designs of this bloody Rite which you will find enumerated under the Abrahamick Dispensation and therâ—â—â—e I will not repeat them here The other Iewish Sacrament was the Passover but because I may more properly speak of it among the other Feasts I refer it thither and accordingly proceed to the consideration of the set Times of Iewish Worship CHAP. VII The Jewish Feasts Sabbaths New Moon Passover The Parallel between the Paschal Lamb and our Saviour shew'd in several Particulars This mystical Way approved of Christ celebrated not the Passover on the same Evening that the Jews did but in the Evening before This represented in a Scheme The Feast of Pentecost The Feast of Tabernacles The Feast of Trumpets Of Expiation Other lesser Feasts not commanded in the Law but appointed by the Jewish Church Fasts kept tho not injoin'd by the Law The difference of Clean and Unclean Animals Why the latter were forbidden to be eaten The chief Reason of the Prohibition was to prevent Idolatry Two Objections answer'd Vows proper to the Mosaick Dispensation They were either Personal or Real The Cherem IN the Fifth place I am to treat of the Solemn Times and Set Seasons of Worship appointed the Iews by the Mosaick Law These by a general Name were call'd Feasts but if you speak properly some of them were Fasts But because the word is sometimes taken by the Iews for a solemn Time of Religious Worship whether it was accompanied with Rejoicing or Mourning that term is applied to them all The Design of these Festivals was to commemorate some great Blessing to maintain mutual Love Friendship and Communion and to join together in the Service of God These Feasts are divided by the Iews into the greater and the lesser The greater Feasts are these 1. The Sabbaths For tho this word be of a larger signification and is applied to all Feasts and Solemn Times of Worship yet it hath a restrained Sense and is particularly applied to these certain Seasons viz. the Sabbaths of Days and the Sabbaths of Years The Sabbaths of Days are the lesser and the greater the lesser are every seventh Day call'd the Sabbath by way of eminence in memory of God's resting or ceasing from the Works of the Creation But it was commanded now with particular reference to the Iewish People and to their resting from their Captivity and Bondage in Egypt I say no more of it here because I am to insist largely upon it when I come to treat of the Fourth Commandment The greater Sabbath of Days was when the Passover â—ell on the Sabbath-day as it did that Year when Christ suffer'd Iohn 19. 31. This was call'd the Great Sabbath by the Iews And as there were the Sabbaths of Days so there were the Sabbaths of Years These were two first Every Seventh Year was a Sabbath of Rest to the Land Levit. â—5 4. and then there was no plowing or sowing nor making any the like provision but what the Ground yielded that Year of it self was sufficient and it was in common to all Persons to eat of it It was God's Pleasure to deal thus with this People to bring them to a sense of his Providence in the World that he was able without their Care and Art to sustain them that he was Lord of all things and the Supreme Disposer of them This was the reason why their Land enjoy'd its Sabbaths Secondly There was the Sabbath which was the end of seven times seven Years that is 49 Years Levit. 25. 8. This was the greatest Sabbath of all and was call'd the Iubilee But whether it was kept in the close of that 49 th Year as Scaligâ—r Petaviâ—s Calvisius think or in the Year after viz. the 50 th Year â—s those who follow Iosephus determine I will not dispute at present having said something of it in another place This we are certain of that when the Year of Iubilee return'd all Debts were to be cancell'd and mortgaged Lands were to return to their Owners and every Freeholder repossess'd what was alien'd from him and all Prisoners and Debtors were set free and Captives were released and all Controversies and Suits about Lands Estates Possessions and Properties were ended It is certain likewise that as on every seventh Year so in
shall be objected that it is improbable Paradise was washed with all these four Rivers viz. Euphrates Tigris Ganges and Nile for then it must needs be almost as large as a third part of half the Globe Especially as to Pison and Gihon how can we hold that the former is Ganges and the latter Nile for then we must take in almost all Asia and a great part of Africa into Paradise Therefore this Notion concerning the Rivers of Paradise is very extravagant and consequently must not look for any reception I answer 1. It is not so extravagant to make a quarter of half the Earth Paradisiacal as to hold that it was all of it so at first which yet we find vouched of late But 2. it is a gross mistake in the Objectors to think that what I have said enlarges Paradise to that wideness which they mention for when we speak of the Rivers belonging to this place this must be remembred that the Heads and Springs of them are meant not the whole body and current of them For you read but of a River Gen. 2. 10. i. e. one River but this one River was parted as you read in the same Verse into four Branches or if you will into four Rivers viz. without Paradise not within it The one River was in Paradise and was serviceable to water it whilst these Arms and Branches of it spread themselves to a vast distance even on one hand to some Regions of Africa and further yet on the other hand to some remote parts of India Here is nothing extravagant in this Assertion and consequently Nile and Ganges might and certainly did descend from the capital River of Eden The River Pison is said to compass the whole Land of Havilah and Gihon is said to compass the whole Land of Ethiopia that is the Waters of these Springs or Fountain-heads which had their rise in Paradise flow'd as far as Havilah in India and Ethiopia in Africk and encompass'd these places with their various turnings and windings Moses tells us what Regions of the World these derivative Streams and Branches which in broad Channels made very considerable Rivers reach'd to But we cannot conclude thence that Paradise it self was extended so far This I think is very plain and intelligible and no Man of sense can oppose it and therefore there is no cause for that outcry which is made against Ganges and Nile's being two of the Rivers mention'd in Gen. 2. Notwithstanding what some late Writers have ingeniously offer'd I think the old Opinion is the most probable or at least I take it to have as much probability in it as any of the Modern ones And so any unprejudic'd Person will be inclin'd to think if he considers how likely a thing it is that the Fountains and Springs of Rivers are much alter'd since the Creation of the World and consequently what these learned Men alledg concerning the rise and spring of Euphrates c. which they have met with in some Authors is to little purpose 3. I will add this that Euphrates and Tigris were the only Rivers that were proper to Eden or Paradise but the other two are mention'd because they wash'd those Regions which appertain'd to and border'd upon that blessed Ground called Paradise Paradise strictly taken was not so wide and spacious but all the whole Country lying about that particular Ground is in a large sense termed Paradise We may observe it is said God planted a Garden in Eden Gen. 2. 8. not that the Garden was as large as Eden but rather it is evident from these words that Eden was that Region of the Earth in part of which God planted a Garden which was not and indeed could not be so large as the place he planted it in Yet without doubt it was of a very considerable length and breadth the circumference of it was large and specious and therefore Rivers or Arms of Rivers at a great distance might belong to it In short the Soil thereabouts was in some measure Paradisiacal but this one part of it was more eminently so and in a peculiar sense might be call'd Paradise and the Garden of Eden Thus I hope I have given a full Answer to what was objected and thereby made it very clear and perspicuous that Paradise was planted in that Region which was afterward call'd Eden and that Babylon even that which was cursed Babylon afterwards was the Seat of that blessed Ground And tho what Tertullian and Augustin and several of the Moderns as Aquina◠Gregory de Valentiâ Bellarmine Del Rio and others have held viz. that this happy place is not known to Mortals may be thus far true that we are not acquainted with the individual Spot of Ground where Adam and Eve were placed in their Innocence yet if these Persons aforemention'd meant what they said in a more general sense their Opinion is false and groundless for it is evident from the premises that Paradise was in the eastern part of the Continent of Asia that it was that part of Mesopotamia which was wash'd with Tigris and Euphrates that it was a kind of an Island made so by these and other Rivers that encompass it and particularly that Babylon now a known place in Turky was afterward the name of the Country that pleasant and delightful Country where the Garden of Paradise was situated Here it was that our first Parents were seated by the particular appointment of God In this happy Region of the World in this blessed Island they were to spend their days But what were they to do here What manner of Life were they to lead What Laws were they govern'd by This we are next to consider and it is necessary to do so in order to our being acquainted with the nature of this first Dispensation God who had given Adam the whole Earth and all that was in it to possess and enjoy yet assign'd him this lesser portion of Ground to inhabit in and to cultivate and he would not suffer him to be idle and unimploy'd in that happy state of Innocence but set him to dress and keep that choice piece of Earth Gen. 2. 15. which would want his care because it was so luxuriant Here he was to employ his Mind as well as exercise his Body here he was to enjoy God Himself and the whole World Here he was to contemplate and study God's Works to submit himself wholly to the Divine Conduct to conform◠all his Actions to the Will of his Maker and to live in a constant dependence upon him Here he was to spend his days in the continual exercises of Prayers and Praises and it may be the very natural dictates of Gratitude would prompt him to offer up some of the Fruits of the Ground and some living Creatures in way of Sacrifice unto God There were thousands of Objects to exercise his Wit and Understanding to call forth his Reason and to employ it But the ultimate perfection of his
in that way which was most acceptable to him This religious and spiritual walking denoteth as the bodily one generally doth continued Motion Progress Acquaintance Converse Friendship And to walk before God implieth that the Persoâ—s who do so consider that they are in God's Presence and therefore do nothing but what is pleasing to him The walking before God after this manner denominates a Man perfect that is it is the only Persection which he is capable of in this Life We see then what it was that made this a peculiar Dispensation The Law of Grace or Covenant made with Adam and confirmed to Noah was renewed to Abraham with special and peculiar Promises to him and his Seed with singular Ingagements on their part Here were new Discoveries and Manifestations concerning the Messias viz. That he should be of the Seed of Abraham and consequently of the Nation of the Iews and that tho he should spring out of the Herbeâ— Stock yet he should be an Universal Saviour and all Nations should be capable of receiving benefit from him and of being blessed by him and that they should all be justified by Faith as we have ground to infer from what is said of Abraham in Gen. 15. 6. He believed in the Lord and he counted it to him fâ—r Rightcousnâ—ss and from the Apostle's Comment on it in Gal. 3. 8 9. And then this is peculiar to this Period that whereas hitherto there had been no diffâ—rence of any Countries and Nations of Men now there is a palpable difference made For as God chose a Person out from the rest of the World so he will now make of him a great Nation and People which shall be differenced from the rest of Mankind God seeing the World generally running into Idolatry and all sorts of Wickedness set up Abraham's Seed to stem the Torrent of Vice to keep up Religion pure and entire and to maintain the true Worship of God upon the Earth The Church before was not separated and gathered from the rest of the World but was in common with it as to Place and Stock till Abraham's time But now it is distinguish'd from other Nations and it is confined to one Race of People among whom there shall constantly be some religious Men who are true and living Members of the Church and of whom at length the Messias the Lord of Righteousness shall come according to the Flesh. This Stock and Posterity of Abraham were called Hebrews but what occasion'd this Name first of all is disputable The Iewish Antiquary and from him several others have thought that the Hebrews were call'd so from Heber the Son of Salah the Father of Peleg Others think it more reasonable to assert that they had their Name from Abraham I do not mean it in St. Augustin's sense i. e. Hebrai quasi Abraâ—â—i which was the Opinion of this Father at first but afterward he retracted it and adhered to the foremention'd one But I mean this that this Name of the Hebrews as several have been induced to believe is derived from Gneber transiit viz. from the passing of Abraham and others with him from Vr in Chaldea through Mesopotamia into Canaan Thence this Patriarch is called and that emphatically Abram the Passenger Hagnibri Gen. 14. 13. We translate it Abram the Hebrew But the Septuagint who well understood the true derivation of the word render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Passenger or the Traveller The Reader may take his choice of these two Opinions viz. whether the Hebrews were call'd so from Heber or from Gâ—ibri But to speak freely tho I have no Author on my side I do not see why they might not have their Name from both i. e. from Heber and afterwards from Abraham For 't is certain that the Iews were the Progeny of that worthy Man Gneber or Heber and therefore from him might originally be call'd and he may be said to be the Father of the Hebrews But it is as certain that Abraham was also the Father of them and we cannot but acknowledg that his leaving his Country and travelling into Canaan where afterward his Posterity settled were most famous and remarkable Occurrences and might deservedly give him the name of Gnibri the Traveller whence the denomination of the People descended from him is Hebrews In this Name is recorded the Rise of that Nation viz. from Mesopotamia whence the Father of them came And you may observe that it is particularly and signally mention'd by God himself Iosh. 24. 2. that he led him over Euphrates to go to Canaan and therefore I am inclin'd to think that from this Epithet tho not wholly I say from this Epithet given to Abraham because he left his own Country and passed over Eâ—phrates and so came travelling to Palestine the Posterity of Abraham took their Name and were call'd Hebrews Afterwards they were callâ—d Israelites from Iacob whose Name was chang'd into that of Israel and Iews from Iudah Iacob's Son Some think this last Name did not prevail till the Kingdom upon Solomon's death was divided into Iudah and Israel But I see no footsteps of its prevailing then for these People are not called Iews but once in the Old Testament before the Captivity viz. in King Ahaz's Reign 2 Kings 16. 6. Which howâ—ver confutes that of Iosephus that they were first call'd Iews when they return'd from the Captivity in Babylon That they might be known to be a peculiar People they were distinguish'd from all others by the bloody Badg of Circumcision which was another thing that contributed towards the making this a new Dispensation It is true this Rite was instituted first with relation to Abraham's particular Person for in my judgment the best Account is given by Iustin Martyr of the primary reason of this practice viz. because Abraham believ'd in God even when he was aged and unâ—â—t for Generation and when his Wife was decrepid and barren he then believ'd I say that he should be a Father of a Child for that reason God gave him a Sign of this nature viz. the Circumcision of the Foreskin of that part of his Body which then through Age was useless as to Procreation but through Faith became otherwise But there are other Reasons secondary ones and some of them mystical which have reference not only to Abraham but the People descended from him 1. Circumcision was intended and appointed to be a Character of Genealogical Sanctity a special Mark of distinction between the People of God and Infidels between the true Worshippers and Idolaters between the holy Seed and the Profane in short between the Seed of Abraâ—am and the rest of the World Therefore all the forty Years the Israelites were in the Desert they did not make use of this distinguishing Mark because then they had no converse with other People and so there was no need of an external Note of distinction to discriminate them from other Nations 2. Circumcision
them And these Envoys of Heaven were sent not only to God's own People but sometimes to others as the Ninivites Thus Revelation was made by Voice God spake himself or by others audibly and this was no uncommon way of divulging and discovering his Will Again God spake i. e. communicated himself heretofore not only by the sense of Hearing but by that of Seeing He was pleased to make known his Divine Pleasure by some visible Appearances which most vigorously struck on that Sense and gave more evident Testimony of the Will of Heaven Thus God discovered himself 1. by Angels Appearing for tho it was not the Appearing of these Messengers but their Speaking to persons which gave them the discovery of God's pleasure yet the former was no mean Confirmation of what was delivered because those Glorious Spiâ—â—ts could not appear to Mankind unless they were commission'd by God When he thought fit to send them then and not else they descended from Heaven and shew'd themselves to Men. 2. Writing was another manner of Visible Revelation Thus the Law was deliver'd to Moses and afterwards this way of Revelation grew frequent the Sacred History of Moses and other Histories and Prophecie being committed to Writing Thus the Antient Church before Christ's coming had the Written Word of the Holy Scriptures to inform them 3. God spake to the Sight by those Representations which in Holy Writ are so usually stiled Visions for these properly belong to the outward Sense of Seeing they are either Real Spectacles exposed to the eye as the Burning Bush which Moses saw Exod. 3. 2. and the Pillar of a Cloud which went before the Israelites in the day and the Pillar of Fire which conducted them in the night Exod. 13. 21. and the Cloud in the Temple 2 Chron. 5. 13 14. call'd the Glory of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 1 2. And this Expression is used in other places of the Old Testament to signifie that Visible Glory and Majesty whereby he manifested himself to Mankind in those times Or else Visions in Holy Scripture are certain Images of things represented by God to the Eye as those Strange Appearances and Signs mention'd in the Books of Ieremiah Ezekiel and Daniel Whether these things may be said to be real Objects or whether they be mere Apparitions we need not as some solicitously inquire If they be Resemblances caused by God and there be such an Impression made on the Sense of Seeing that the Organ be affected as if there were such an Object before it it is sufficient to denominate it Vision But this is not to be doubted of that these external Representations and Figures pointed out Real things either present or to come From this sort of Manifestation call'd Vision the Prophets who were most conversant in this way of Revelation were stiled Seâ—rs 1 Sam. 9. 9 18. 2 Chron. 35. 15. Thus I have distinctly spoken of Voices and Visions but it must be observed also that these two are joyned together sometimes This you may see in some of the foregoing Instances and in others not named the Revelation by Voice was mixed with that by Vision so in the New Testament Saul saw a Light and heard a Voice But I am confined at present to the Old Testament for I speak now only of the variety of Revelations which were before the Gospel-Dicd\sspensation It is to be observed moreover that sometimes Vision and Voice were accompanied with an Extasy tho the persons were awake yet they were cast into a Trance Lastly under this head it is remarkable that all the outward and sensible ways of God's revealing himself especially those that are visible are call'd by the Jewish Masters the Shekinah i. e. the Divine Presence and Majesty whereby the doth as it were dwell and is constantly present with his Church for the word Shakan signifies to inhaâ—â—â—â— or dwell whereby he doth gloriously discover himself to his Servants With reference to this the Apostle saith to the Israelites pertaineth the Glory Rom. 9. 4. i. e. the Glorious Presence and Habitation of God with them not only by Angels but all those other ways before spoken of in which he appear'd and manifested himself in the times of the Law This St. Paul stiles the Glory because this Visible Appearing of God is so stiled as you have heard in the Old Testament and because the Seventy Interpreters whose way of speaking this Apostle is wont to imitate used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the Glorious Presence of the Divine Majesty in any kind of Sensible and External manner 2. There are Inward as well as Outward Revelations These are made more immediately to the Soul as the other were to the Body First God spake or reveal'd himself to the Fancies of Men by Dreams He thought good to communicate his Will to persons by a powerful Influence on their Imaginations whilst they were asleep as well as by presenting things to their Senses when they were awake Thus God reveal'd himself to Abraham Abimelech Iacob Ioseph Pharaoh Solomon Nebuchadnezzar In their Dreams their Fancies were impress'd with such and such Representations they verily thought they beheld this or that Object as Iacob thought he saw a Ladder that reached from Heaven to Earth And because these Representations seem to be offer'd to the eye therefore they are sometimes call'd Visions in Scripture I saw a Dream saith Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 5. And so we read of a Dream of the night Vision Isai. 29. 7. But if you speak of Visions in the proper sense then it is certain Visions and Dreams are two distinct Species of Revelation and so I have made them having before spoken of Visions strictly so call'd But this is a thing not consider'd sometimes by Writers on this Subject and so they confound Visions and Dreams Secondly God speaks to the Soul not only by working on the Imagination in Sleep but by immediate Inspiring the minds of the Prophets when they are awake This way of revealing his Will to Men is call'd Inspiration and sometimes Illumination but there is a gradual difference between these the former being of a higher degree than the later and the later being as it were a Preparative to the former This Inspiration which is made by an inward Afflatus and Excitation of the Spirit is signally call'd the Holy Spirit by the Jewish Writers A man say they is said to have the Holy Spirit when being awake and having the full use of his Senses he speaks by the Incitement of the Spirit Thus the Prophets of old spake as they were stirr'd up by this Inward Afflation and Instinct The Jewish Doctors think that this degree of Divine Revelation is especially in the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon and the Book of Iob c. the Writers of which are termed by way of Excellency Chetubim Scriptores by the Hebrews and their Writings are distinguish'd from other Books of
Scripture by the name of Hagiographa This put Holy Men upon Pious Discourses and excellent Strains of Devotion and rais'd them above their ordinary temper Yea All the Holy Penmen of Scripture were moved and actuated by this Divine Influx By this they dictated and composed those Sacred Writings This is that degree of Prophecy or Prophetick Inspiration which is call'd the Holy Spirit Tho you may observe too that all those kinds of Revelation beforemention'd are stiled in the Jewish Writings Inspiration and the Holy Spirit and sometimes they are call'd Prophecy and the Spirit of Prophecy For Prophecy Nebuah is taken either strictly or largely In the strict acception according to the Jewish Notion of it it is when any thing is reveal'd to a person when he is asleep or in a rapture or besides himself And others of them say that Prophecy properly so call'd is either in the way of Dreams or Visions Prophecy in Scripture is taken in a restrained sense for seeing and foretelling things to come and hence as well as from what was suggested before it is probable the Prophets antiently were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seers This also is that which most usually is call'd Prophecy by the Iews But Prophecy in the largest acception is the general word to comprehend all kinds of Divine Revelation it is the way whereby all revealed Knowledg and Truth are convey'd to us Therefore the Schools of the Prophets were those places where young Men were prepar'd for all sorts of Revelation and Inspiration and out of these Schools generally the Prophets were chosen Education and Improvement fitted them for the Prophetick Office and by these Testimonials they were able to go abroad There was a way to know who were True Prophets and who False and to distinguish one from the other Indeed when a Prophet foretold things to come to pass hereafter he could not be convinced of falshood presently because his Prophecy must be known to be true or false by the Event of his Prediction Deut. 18. 21. And yet here was some uncertainty for the thing he foretold might not come to pass and yet he might be a True Prophet for God could do otherwise than the Prophet foretold Ier. 18. 7 8. But then the Prediction was conditional not absolute or rather it was a Commination But if any one by the Prophetical Spirit dictated such and such things to be done it was possible to tell and that presently or in a very short time whether he was a true Prophet or no. This might be known first from the Qualifications of a true Prophet for first he must be no way inclined to Idolatry secondly he must predict nothing against the Law If he said any thing derogatory to the Law of Moses the Moral Law chiefly and the Worship of God he discover'd himself to be a false Prophet Deut. 18. 20. Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Thirdly some add that as he was one who said nothing against the Law so neither must he do any thing against it It was a Notion of the Iews that the Spirit of Prophecy was not communicated to any but Holy Men. But there is reason to doubt as to this Besides the Qualifications a Prophet might be known to be true when he was back'd by another Prophet who was certainly known to be true when this Prophet testified of the other Further when God himself testified concerning a Prophet by some manifest Sign as in 1 Kings 13. Thus they were to judg whether Prophets were counterfeit or no. Add this also that they were deterred from counterfeiting the Prophetick Spirit because by the Law a false Prophet was to be punish'd with Death Deut. 18. 20. Lastly The true Prophets might be discern'd and distinguish'd from the false ones by this that they were plain and downright in their Predictions whereas the others were generally ambiguous and equivocating as we see in the Example of those false Prophets whom Ahab consulted The Lord shall deliver it say they into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22. 6. So we render that place but the Relative it is not in the Hebrew and so the words have two senses either the Lord shall deliver Ramoth Gilead into the hands of the King of Israel or the Lord shall deliver thee and thy forces into the hands of the King of Syria This was frequently imitated afterwards by the Heathen Oracles and was of some advantage for from the ambiguity of the words mistakes might easily arise and by that means the credit of the false Prophets was salved But however this rendred their Predictions uncertain and wavering whereas those that had the true Prophetick Spirit were sure and fix'd and thus there could not but be a certainty of Prophecy among the Iews But at last the Spirit of Prophecy ceased and as the Jewish Writers and Christian Fathers agree ended in Malachi who was the last Prophet But this way of Revelation was afterwards restored by Christ as shall be shew'd afterwards To the foremention'd ways of God's communicating his Will and Pleasure may be added that Impulse whereby persons are stir'd up by God to undertake some extraordinary Enterprize and to accomplish some very notable Act. Thus Maimonides reckons it among the several kinds of Prophecy that Moses by a particular intimation from God slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 12. So by the same Divine Motion Phineas knew it would be acceptable to God to kill those two notorious Sinners and he was stir'd up accordingly to do it By the same Heavenly Impulse Sampson was excited to destroy the Philistines tho with the loss of his own life And several other Instances might be produced of this nature in the Old Testament Thus you see what were the Ordinary ways of Revelation what was the frequent and usual manner of God's communicating his Will in the several Dispensations before treated of In the next place I will enumerate the Extraordinary Means of revealing God's Will As 1. That way of Revelation whereby God conversed with Moses on the Mount when he gave him the Law and whereby he was pleas'd to communicate himself to him at some other times The Jewish Doctors cry up This for the highest Degree of Revelation that ever was and some of them talk such strange things of it as are next to Blasphemy But this we are sure of that the Sacred Spirit represents this as an Vnusual and Extraordinary Revelation and such as was peculiar to Moses alone for it is said The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. Indeed Iacob testifieth of himself that he had seen God face to face Gen. 32. 30. But tho he had seen God so yet we do not read that he talk'd with him after that manner which implieth something more I know Moses tells the people of Israel that God talked with them face to face in the Mount Deut. 5. 4. But this he means of himself viz. that after
is concern'd Before Christ's Death and after his Resurrection we discern'd him to be a true Man even by the Sense of Feeling And in many other things which happen'd this Sense was interested as in the Earthquake at Christ's Passion and in the shaking of the House where the Apostles were met and in sundry other Occurrences Thus our Senses have been exercis'd and employ'd about the Matters which belong to the Word of Life i. e. Christ who is called the Word and the Life and here ver 2. he is called the Eternal Life which was with the Father Or by the Word of Life are meant the things relating to the Gospel which sheweth us the way to eternal Life For the Life was manifested viz. by Christ's assuming our Flesh and conversing with Men on Earth and the Grace of God in the Gospel hath appeared and manifested it self to all Men by his coming And we have seen it and â—ear witness And again that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you By all these ways the Doctrine of the Gospel is cleared and manifested and proved to be true We have found it to be so by the Testimony of our Senses and accordingly we preach we proâ—laim we testify we declare these things to you and not only to you but to all the World that they may be ascertained of the Truth of the Christian Religion and come into the same Fellowship with us and heartily imbrace the Gospel Thus the Apostles tho divinely inspired appeal'd to the rational Evidence of Sense for they knew that this was satisfactory to all sober and intelligent Men and that the highest Evidence that can be desired for Proof of Matter of Fact is the Testimony of those Persons who were Eye and Ear-witnesses of it and that if the Testimony of the bodily Senses by not allowed there is no Certainty of Religion or of Divine Revelation by which Religion was convey'd for this was by the Ministry of the Senses especially Hearing and Seeing Nay the Veracity and Faithfulness of God may justly be call'd in question if you take away this Evidence for how can we attain to Truth unless God communicates it to us But how can he do that if our Senses being rightly disposed viz. when the Organ is sound the Medium fitly qualified and the distance of the Object duly proportion'd be deceived if when we are really perswaded that we see and hear such things we do not see them or hear them Must we not hence conclude that God deludes us and that in a Matter which concerns his Glory and our own Happiness and consequently that his Sincerity and Truth are impaired Into this Blasphemy must they needs run who deny the Truth of the Senses given us by God And upon this it will follow that there are no credible Ear or Eye-witnesses and so no certain Testimony of Matter of Fact If the Evidence of our Senses be not to be made use of and allowed as authentick then all the Passages recorded in the New Testament concerning Christ's Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension are of no Credit For these are to be proved as other Matters of Fact are by Testimony of Witnesses who heard or saw those things In short if our Senses be false the whole Gospel is a Lie and a Cheat for ought we know For it is impossible we should have any assurance of the truth of any thing there unless God hath given Men Senses which are capable of discerning one thing from another and unless the Persons likewise who attested those things from the Verdict of their Senses were Men that might be credited And this is the present Case which we are concerned in as I shall make evident by the next Particular 2. The Testimony of the Apostles and other Christians who lived when our Saviour was upon Earth andâ— heard and saw the things done by him is the Testimony of credible Persons and consequently is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth and Reality of those things which they attest That they were credible Persons will appear if you consider 1. They had sufficient Means to acquaint themselves certainly whether the things which they attested were true or no. This is the main thing which is to be cleared and therefore I will chiefly insist on this That they were furnished with sufficient Ability to know what they related methinks should not be denied by any one who considers that they were no Fools or Children they were not mad or senseless they had a share of Understanding as well as others and their Ears and Eyes were as good as other Mens The things which they related might evidently be known by them being Objects of common Sense and of general Cognizance Can there be any reason then to think that these Persons were not competent Judges as well as others of these Matters But as they were naturally capable of judging in these things so I will make it evident that they had all Means and Opportunities of informing themselves throughly concerning those things which they delivered Some of them were Eye-witnesses others Ear-witnesses of what they report and sometimes both or else they certainly informed themselves of the truth from others who saw or heard those things What St. Luke professeth of himself is true of all the Evangâ—lical and Apostolical Writers they had perfect understanding of all things from the very first Luke 1. 3. As for the four Evangelists two of them Matthew and Iohn were of the number of the Apostles who were Persons particularly chosen out by Christ on purpose to be Eye-witnesses of his Actions and some have infer'd from Acts 1. 21 22. that it was a necessary Qualification of an Apostle to be an Eye-witness It is certain that these two forenamed Persons were such They lived with their Master and were present at his Miracles and saw what they writ The latter of these especially was made more than ordinarily conscious to Christ's Words and Actions and was his Familiar and Intimate The other two Evangelists were not Apostles but they inhabited and convers'd in the same Regions where Christ did these things and at the same time when he acted them Herodotus Plutarch and other Historians writ of things done in former Ages and afar off in other Countries and Kingdoms which makes their Relations to be suspected sometimes But these Men lived in the Places and Times where and when the things were done and therefore they could easily attain to a true and impartial Account of them I cannot say with Iâ—rom that St. Mark and St. Luke did not see our Saviour but I grant that most of the things related by them were not within their own sight or hearing Yet this is certain that they receiv'd what they writ from those who were both Ear and Eye-witnesses St. Mark was a Disciple of St. Peter who was intimately acquainted with Christ's Actions and could inform him concerning every Particular of his Doctrine Life
given belong to no mortal Man for he shall be called the mighty God the Everlasting Father and of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end ver 7. which is parallel with the Words of the Angel concerning our Saviour Luke 1. 32 33. All thâ— Circumstances relating to the Birth of the Messias â—re particularly specified in the Writings of the Prophets as that his Ancestors should be of the Tribe of Iudah and the Family of David and consequently that he should be of that stock Mic. 5. 2. Isa. 11. 10. Ier. 23. 5. And 't is observable that the Targum on these three places understands them of the Messias Therefore when Christ asked the Scribes and Doctors of what lineage and race the Messias was to be They answer'd he was to be the Son of David Mat. 22. 42. It was a thing it seems well known Accordingly the Genealogy of both Ioseph and Mary is deduced by the Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke from Abraham along by David As to the Place of his Birth it was prophesied he should â—e born in Bethlehem Mic. 5. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephratah tho thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel Some obstinate Jews say Zorebabel is meant here but they are silenced by others more learned of that Nation who confess that he was not born at Bethlehem but Babylon Besides they contradict the Opinion of the Chaldee Paraphrast and of the Rabbins who generally by the Ruler in Israel here understand the Messias Wherefore the Jewish Doctors and Scribes being asked of Herod where the Messias was to be born said without hesitating in Bethlehem Iudah they having learnt this out of the Prophesy of Micah Again it is foretold in the Old Testament that he shall be born of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel The Jews to evade this place say that the Hebrew word which we translate a Virgin signifies a Woman in general But those that are acquainted with that Language know that they shew themselves very perverse in this and that the Hebrew word Gnalmah properly signifies a Virgin i. e. a Maid not known by a Man For whereas there are three words in the Hebrew for a Maid or Virgin this only signifies a pure untouched Virgin nor is otherwise understood in any Text of Scripture where it is mentioned as it is to be found but in six places besides this of Isaiah Therefore the Septuagint who well understood the force and signification of the Hebrew word translated it by a Greek one which signifies a Virgin properly so call'd whereas they might have used other words And the Hebrew word is with a demonstrative Article before it which makes it emphatical and denotes some certain definite and peculiar thing or Person It is found but thrice in the Bible with this prepositive Article viz. in Gen. 24. 43. and in Exod. 2. 8. and in this place of Isaiah In the two first it points at particular Persons and signiâ—ies a pure Virgin not known by Man Why should we not think it doth so in the third Moreover 't is said The Lord shall give you a sign behold Here is then some strange and wonderful thing spoken of Therefore it cannot be meant of a Woman concâ—â—ving i. e. of a Woman that is no Virgin For as an antient Father observes what wonder had it been for a young Woman not a Virgin to conceive And indeed the Old Rabbins who believ'd the Messias was to be born of a Virgin have signalized this word in the Hebrew In the Cabala and Ionathan's Targum you will find that it is written with a Men Clausum in the middle to signify something extraordinary here meant to intimate that it was a Virgin shut up to denote the wonderful Mystery of the Virgin Mary's Conception If it be said what R. Kimchi and other Modern Jews suggest that this 7 th Chap. of Isaiah and this Verse more particularly refer to the Times of King Ahaz and so belong not to the Birth of Christ which was about 700 Years afterwards I answer by denying the Consequence For this Chapter and Text may have reference to King Ahaz's Days and likewise point at something done a long time after that The reason of this Assertion is because there is oftentimes a double Sense in Scripture Any one that is conversant in the holy Book is not ignorant of this and the Jews themselves acknowledg a literal and mystical Sense of Scripture So then these words a Virgin shall conceive were verified in the first and literal Sense in Isaiah's time a Virgin bringing forth a Child it may be in the presence of the King of Iudah to be a Sign and Assurance of the deliverance of Iudah from the Oppression of the Kings of Syria and Israel This Virgin it is likely was afterwards Isaiah's Wife and at that time betrothed or to be betrothed to him and is the same with the Prophetess spoken of in the 8 th Chapter Of this Child it is said Butter and Honey shall he eat that he may know how to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good For before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings ver 15 16. That is this Child shall be nourish'd and brought up as Children are used to be Butter and Honey being the Food of these little ones to eat these is as much as to be used as a Child Whence the Antients gave these to Children at Baptism to taste of as Tertullian and Ierom testify this Child shall fare as other little ones are wont to do and we shall all of us in this Land live in Peace and Plenty and shall not be disturb'd by the Kings of Syria or Israel for before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good in as short a time as this or any other Child shall be grown up they shall both of them forsake this Land which they now threaten and they shall die in their own Kingdoms This you shall see happen before the Child comes to Age or Years of Discretion that is meant by refusing the Evil and chusing the Good And accordingly it happen'd the two Kings Rezin and Pekah were destroy'd before that Child came to Years of knowledg 2 Kings 15. This is the simple and first Sense of the words But there is also another and mystical Sense or it may be called a secondary literal Sense of them and so they are meant of Christ and the Holy Ghost intended that this Prophesy should be applied to him But how could the Birth of Christ which was some Ages after be a Sign of that which was to happen then I
of this Age or Dispensation we are now under for this is the proper Signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And accordingly in this Chapter is foretold by our Saviour what shall happen in the End or Conclusion of this Dispensation and what are the Signs and Forerunners of the following Scene of Things in this World as well as of the Day of Judgment in the close of it Some think this is meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 19. 28. for they join this Word with those that immediately follow When the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory and read the whole thus Those who have followed me i. e. all Persons who are true Christians and Followers of me shall in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall fit on the Throne of his Glory fit also upon Twelve Thrones This shall happen in that last and blessed Dispensation of Christianity which is fitly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it was used by the Ancient Philosophers both Platonists and Stoicks to signify the Renovation of all Things their happy Restitution to their former State In this Time of the Regeneration or Restauration of the World Christ properly Reigns here on Earth shewing vengeance on his Enemies and rewarding his sincere Followers as you read in the next Verse Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Name 's sake shall receive a hundred-fold viz. in this present Time as 't is expounded in Luke 18. 30. the parallel Place to it Which implies that the former Passage relates to Christ's Reigning upon Earth or sitting on the Throne of his Glory in this World But I confess there are some Things that occur in the Context and in another parallel Text Mark 10. 30. which may induce us to think that these Words are not absolutely meant of the matter now before us and therefore I will not urge them But the Times of the Restitution of all Things Acts 3. 21. seem to look this way for we may observe that the Times in the plural denote several Ages and Successions of Time and so may be well applied to the Millennium And moreover it is remarkable that in those Days there shall be a Restitution of all Things not only of all Persons but of all Things there shall be an universal Restauration of the World a blessed Change in the whole Creation which must needs point to that Time which I am speaking of and not to the Day of Judgment as some would have it But it will be Objected that 't is said here the Heaven must Receive Christ until those Times therefore it must be meant of the Last Day The Answer in brief is That the meaning of the Place is that Christ shall not return until those Times of Restitution be come and perfected till there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an universal total and compleat Restoring of the World and then soon after this follows the Final Judgment This is included in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Revelation or Manifestation as our English Translators render it of the Sons of God which the Creature earnestly expects longing and groaning to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8. 19 20. If you take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Creature for the Gentile World as Dr. Hammond and some others do it may be fitly applied to the present purpose For according to what God hath determined and in the Scriptures foretold concerning their future Conversion of which I shall speak anon they may be said to expect and have been long expecting this joyful Revelation they earnestly look for the Manifestation of the Sons of God viz. when they and all other Infidels shall be converted to the Faith and thereby become the Sons of God or when the Iews particularly who were originally the Children of God shall embrace the Gospel But we may take the Word in a larger Sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Creature sometimes signifies Man or Mankind in the Sacred Style and so I apprehend it is to be understood in Mark 16. 15. Preach the Gospel to every Creature i. e. to every Rational Creature viz. Men. And so in the Talmud and other Rabbinical Writings the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creature is as much as Man But there is yet a more comprehensive Sense of the Word for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Creation ver 22. of this Chapter the whole created System of the World and every Thing in it and so by the eâ—rnest Expectation of the Creature or the Creation we may understand the fervent Longing not only of all Mankind but of the whole Stock of created Beings They all in their Way and according to their Capacity long and groan for the last Welcome Dispensation which is fitly call'd by the Apostle a Deliverance from the â—ondage of Corruption i. e. from the Slavery of Sin by reason of which every Creature is in some sort enslaved The whole Frame of the Creation groans and travaileth in Pain they are as it were in Pangs of Child-birth which is a frequent Similitude in the Holy Scriptures ready to bring forth impatient of being delivered This is appositely call'd here the Adoption v. 23. because it is accompanied with Freedom And it is styled the Redemption of our Body i. e. it is as it were a Releasing us from Captivity a perfect Deliverance from all Servitude and Misery There could not be a more congruous Expression to set forth that Dispensation which I am now treating of as will appear from the particular Account which I shall speedily give you of it It is no improbable thought that this is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the World to come Heb. 2. 5. whereof saith the Apostle we speak viz. in that Chapter where he speaks of Christ's Kingdom and in Chap. 6. ver 5. where it is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Age to come that particular Age of the World when Christ and his Apostles appear'd or more generally that Time wheâ— the Gospel was preached And I have observed before that this manner of speaking is borrowed from the Style of the Iews who were wont to call the Time of the Messias Gnolam habba the World or Age to come But as these are general Terms to signify the Time of the Messias so they are taken in a more restrained Sense for the last and concluding Part of this Time viz. when Christianity shall be at its Heighth That properly and peculiarly is this World to come that particular State of the Gospel when all Persons Jews Gentiles and Infidels shall imbrace the Christian Religion when all the Nations and Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of Christ. This New Evangelical World this New Kingdom of the Gospel is likewise
Innocent Christians This is sufficient to confute that Opinion Therefore Others hold the Thousand Years began under Constantine the Great when coming to the Empire he caused the Persecutions to cease and set up Christianity as the Religion of the Empire which was about the Year of our Lord 310. and they ended at the rise of the Ottoman Empire and with â—the Papacy of Boniface the Eight who made the Sanguinary Laws against the Waldenses and Albigenses which was about the Year 1300. Thus thought those Great Men Willet Forbes Napier Grotius Hammond And Brightman likewise seems to hold that the Reigning of the Saints and the Binding of Satan were from Constantine the Great to the beginning of the Fourteenth Century of thereabouts But this could not be the time of the Saints Reign for we read in Rev. 12. That the Woman viz. the Church as soon as she should be delivered was to be in the Wilderness a State of Distress how then could she Reign which denotes her Prosperity And she was to be in this State for the space of 1260. Days i. e. Years This began according to Mr. Brightman from the time that Constantine the Great was taken up to Heaven for he is the Manchild caught up to God v. 5. and to him the Context referreth Now reckon from the Death of that Emperour which was A. D. 337. till the time that the 1260. Years are expired and you will find that the Thousand Years ended later than he had set them for instead of ending in 1300. they could not according to this Computation have their Period till the Year of Christ 1597. Here you see one Prophecy of the Book of the Revelation is so interpreted as to thwart another which is an Argument that his Calculation is not right And indeed what Considerate Person can believe that the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign and of Satan's Imprisonment are part There hath been nothing yet that hath look'd like it When was Satan so bound that he seduced not the Nations Or when was he loosed again so that we may discern the palpable difference between either Do we not know that when the Ten noted Persecutions were expired yet others were raised against the Servants of God in this Period And all this time either Old Heresies were revived or New ones invented Therefore I infer that the time of the Thousand Years is not yet come when the Angel is to cast Satan into the Bottomless Pit and to shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more And as for Gog and Magog who were to appear soon after Satans being loosed where are they at this time If by those are meant thâ— Pope and Turk then they make the date of Popery and Turcism to be before Satans loosing and the expiring of the Thousand Years of the Saints Reign which is an Absurdity which they would willingly avoid Mr. Brightman hath an odd fancy of his own that though the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years be their Reigning all the Thousand Years in which the Devil was bound i. e. from Constantine the Great to the Year 1300. yet there is another Reigning a Thousand Years viz. from the Year 1300. till a Thousand Years after that be expired But if there be any good ground for this it is in this 20th Chapter of the Revelation where the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign are spoken of expresly and no where else But here it is manifest that the Reigning and the Binding are in the same Thousand Years for it is said v. 7. When the Thousand Years viz. of Christ's Reign expresly mention's in the verse immediately before are expired Satan shall be loose out of his Prison Therefore the Reigning of Christ and the Binding of Satan shall both expire together which proves also that they both began together the same Thousand Years including both The Opinion then of Mr. Brightman and others that the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign are past hath no Foundation at all but is a mere imaginary and precarious Assertion And yet this Assertion was taken up and believed by very Learned and Pious Men the cause of which I apprehend to be this they were prejudic'd against the Doctrine of the Old Millennaries and look'd upon it and that justly as a Groundless and Scandalous Opinion and thereupon were willing to resolve the Thousand Years into some past Time rather than into any that is to come and thereby quash'd that fond conceit of a Personal Reign This was an ill method they took but their great dislike of the other Opinion occasion'd it and therefore they are on that account excusable But if they had rejected what is amiss in the Doctrine of the Chiliasts and had retain'd what is true in the General viz. that there shall be a Future State of the Christian Church which shall be every ways better than its former one they had taken the right Course and had asserted a Truth which is founded on the Sacred Scriptures Thence any Unprejudiced Person may inform himself that the Thousand Years are so far from being past as some have thought that they are not yet come Only to assure us before hand that there shall be such a thing the Christian World hath had some foretasts of it already I cannot positively say with some that the Thousand Years began at the Reformation and that Luther was the Angel that had the Key of the Bottomless Pit and bound the Devil I cannot fix the beginning just here because Wickliff Ierom of Prague and Iohn Huss and several others before Luther did something of this Nature they in some measure restrain'd Satans Power and Jurisdiction by Converting many Persons from the Papal Impieties So that if we say Babylon began to Fall in those Times and mean no other than this that those forenamed Worthies made way for it I grant the Assertion to be true but it is to be remember'd that I am not now treating of the Preparatives and Forerunners of the Blessed Millennum but of that Determinate State and Time it self I grant that at the Reformation the Souls of those that were Beheaded for the Witness of Iesus and for the Word of God might truly be said to Live they were as it were raised from the Dead When Luther and the rest of God's Faithful Servants appeared and were active in Restoring and Reforming Religion the Holy Apostles and Martyrs and all the Primitive Professors of the True Faith were then as it were revived and came upon the Earth again This is a Forerunner and Pledge of that which is call'd the First Resurrection this is a Previous assurance of the Millennary Reign or Christ here on Earth in that Sence which I have before explain'd Mr. Mede's Conceit that the Thousand Years of Christ's Reign shall not begin till the Day of Iudgment is not worthy of so Learned a Person and is confuted from what you Read in this Chapter so