not require this at his hand Can we think that he would not take care to see this Rest from all labour observ'd Can we think that Adam and Eve the last Piece of the Divine Work did not call their Creation and Formation to remembrance and praise God for that as well as for his wonderful making of the World Can we reasonably and on good grounds imagine any of these things when the very Sabbath was instituted on purpose to perpetuate the memory of the Creation May we not rather say that it is expresly recorded that God blessed the Seventh Day before Adam's Fall to intimate to us what Adam and Eve were to do the next day after their Formation viz. to sanctify that Day in a solemn commemoration of the Divine Goodness to them Thirdly There are several passages in the Old Testament whence we may gather the early observation of the Seventh Day The keeping of it seems to be intimated in Gen. 8. 10. where we find that Noah divides the Time by Weeks or seven Days And so he doth again ver 12. Which being repeated seems to tell us that the Seventh Day was then observed in a religious way by Noah in the Ark who questionless had it from Adam who receiv'd it from God who instituted it to be a Commemoration of the Birth-day of the World of the Divine Blessings that accompanied the Creation It is not improbably conjectur'd by a Learned Writer that the Day when the Sons of God i. e. Iob's Sons and other Holy Men who are rightly call'd God's Sons or Children came to present themselves before the Lord Job 1. 6. 2. 1. was the Sabbath Day the Day when the Professors of Religion met together in the publick Assemblies for even in the Land of Vz they kept this solemn Day they living near the Hebrews who had it deriv'd to them from the Creation Further I desire it may be observ'd that there is express mention of the Sabbath Day before the Law was deliver'd on Mount Sinai To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord Faith Moses Exod. 16. 23. And when that Day was come he thus speaks to them To Day is a Sabbath unto the Lord ver 25. And it is plain that it is meant of the Seventh day Sabbath because the Day before was the sixth day as you read in the foregoing Verse but more expresly in ver 26. there is mention of the Seventh Day which is the Sabbath It appears then that this Day was kept before the Decalogue was given and was antienter than the Laws of Moses And indeed the Fourth Commandment which enjoins the keeping holy the Sabbath Day seems to hint no less to us for when the Israelites are bid to remember to do this there is intimated to us in this manner of expression that it was kept holy before for remembrance hath regard to things past and so forgetting respects what hath been heretofore It might be observ'd also that it is call'd in this Commandment Ha Sabbath the Sabbath or that Sabbath which I have enjoin'd you before to keep The Article here seems to imply so much But however from what hath been said it is manifest that there was a day of Rest a keeping of a Sabbath observ'd before the Law of Moses And if before it then it was by virtue of this Primitive Institution which I am now speaking of and consequently the celebrating of this Day was from the beginning of the World In Paradise was given the Law of Sanctifying the Seventh Day as a Day of Rest and holy Worship as some of the ancient Writers of the Christian Church who search'd into this matter further than others have freely acknowledged And therefore those words Gen. 2. 3. God blessed the seventh Day are not proleptick as some groundlesly imagine but acquaint us that that Day was then instituted and was to be observ'd from that very time that they might be settled in the Truth of God's creating the World and not like Pagans think it to have been from Eternity This then must go along with the succeeding Dispensations Fourthly There was a positive Law given to Adam of abstaining from the Fruit of a certain Tree in the Garden of Eden We must know then that in Paradise were divers sorts of Trees but two of them were of more especial not than the rest The first was the Tree of Life which was called so because it was appointed by God to signify that if our first Parents did obey God's Command they should live for ever It was design'd to be a Sacrament of that Immortality which Man should have had if he had retain'd his Innocence This is clear from what is said in Gen. 3. 22. lest he take of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever This Text proves against the Socinians that our first Parents should not have died if they had not transgressed the Divine Law and it proves that the Tree of Life was give them on purpose to perpetuate their lives The eating of the Fruit of that Tree would have been a means to have kept them from dying and to have made them immortal Yea this Tree was a Symbol of all Happiness as Life is taken in that sense very frequently Wisdom is said to be a Tree of Life to those that lay hold on her Prov. 3. 18. Which is thus explain'd in the next Verse Happy is every one that retaineth her As often then as our first Parents had eaten of the Tree of Life they were to be reminded by it that all manner of Bliss and Happiness was to be entail'd upon them and their Posterity if they continued in their Obedience and broke not the Command of God As long as they â—ed on this Tree they should be void of old Age Sickness Pains Cares and all troubles of Body and Mind till at last they should have been translated from the earthly Paradise to those compleat and eternal Regions of Bliss at God's right hand So that it was a Type of enternal Life and Bliss and a Sign and Seal of these to them if they had not apostatiz'd How long a time this particular course of preserving Health and Life should have continued if Mankind supposing in a state of Innocence had increas'd or whether other Trees of the same nature should have been produced in other Regions of the Earth or whether there should have been some other way of keeping Mens Bodies from decay I am not able to determine nor need we concern our selves about it The other Tree in the Garden which was of more note than the rest was the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. And they were strictly forbidden by God to eat of This they were by no means to taste any part of it It was call'd the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil because it was to try Adam whether he would do well or ill or because the observing of that Prohibition was to be
Life without doubt was to consist in the Union of his Soul with the chief Good the infinite and eternal Being for it is this alone which constitutes the Happiness of Man His Mind being of a spiritual Nature could find no satisfaction but in an Object that was of that kind for a spiritual and intellectual Being must be entertain'd by its like But the chief happiness ought to be something that is above us and far exceeds us in excellency for the Capacities of the Mind cannot be happy in any thing that is of an inferior nature to them And the chief Good must be of infinite perfection otherwise the vast and capacious Faculties of the Soul cannot be satisfied Hence it follows that God alone was his supreme Blessedness which he was entirely to possess and enjoy by such a knowledg as was perfective of his Understanding and by such vehement and ardent Acts of Love whereby he might be intimately united to the eternal Good and live in perpetual â—ruition of it and that without Satiety for there is no excess in the chief Good it cannot be known desired loved or enjoy'd too much This was the designed Felicity of our first Parents Neither they nor their whole Race were to be liable to sorrow or misery of any kind but to be possessed of a constant and never-failing Happiness and after innumerable Ages and Successions they were in their courses to be taken up to a heavenly Paradise In this Oeconomy Adam had two sorts of Laws to conduct him viz. 1. The natural Law of Goodness and Righteousness in his own Breast The Light of Reason was his Guide and this shone very bright at that time He had true conceptions of things he had clear apprehensions of what was Good and Right Just and Holy He had a perfect knowledg of his Duty from this Law which God had implanted in his Nature 2. Besides this natural or moral Law Adam receiv'd positive Laws from God in this state of his Innocence and they were these three 1. There was the Law of Matrimony That this State of Life was instituted and appointed by God in Paradise is clear from what we read in Gen. 2. 24. God having made the Woman and brought her to the Man he pronounced the Law of Marriage in these words A Man shall leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave unto his Wife and they shall be one Flesh. Here is the indissoluble Knot of Wedlock But yet this must be said that tho the first instituting and appointing of this State was from God yet the Law of Nature dictated something of it For this teacheth that two and no more agreeing to join in the Fellowship of Marriage should become one Flesh the Light of Reason discovers that a conjugal Union cannot consist of a Plurality Thus far Matrimony as 't is the joining of one Man to one Woman is a branch of the natural Law But as I have shew'd in another place a Law may be partly natural and partly positive and so is this It was positive because God himself directed our first Parents to this State of Matrimony But then Reason approving of the natural Equity of it it may be said to be a Law of Nature 2. The Hebrew Masters reckon that an absolute Precept Gen. 1. 28. Be fruitful and multiply and they look upon it as the first and the chiefest of all as out of several of their own Writers and out of Buxtorf is evident But others esteem it rather a Benediction wherein God approves of the propagation of Mankind as he doth also of other Creatures ver 22. Yet this we may grant that those words had the force of a Precept or Law as well as a Benediction with respect to our first Parents they had the full force of a Command to those two individual Persons Adam and Eve and indispensably obliged them because it was intended by God that Mankind should be increas'd and propagated by those two particular Persons But they are words of Approbation to all others afterwards that is they signify the lawfulness tho not the necessity of Matrimony and Generation 3. There was a positive Law given to Adam in his Integrity concerning the keeping of the Sabbath or observing the Seventh Day God blessed the Seventh Day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. i. e. he assign'd it for some special purpose he separated it from the other Days he dedicated it more especially to Divine Worship he set it apart to be the Feast of the World's Nativity to call to mind the Works of the Creation to magnify the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God in the framing of the Universe to extol his Providence in the World In short this Day was devoted to holy Uses and the more solemn Service of God This is blessing and sanctifying of that Day Indeed we read not that Adam kept this Day after this manner nor is it said that any of the old Patriarchs did But we know that many things were done which are not recorded Moses omits several Matters of Fact and he intending brevity in his History must needs do so but we may supply them by our own collective Reason Thus in the present case we find it expresly recorded that God blessed and sanctified the Seventh Day here he instituted the celebration of it We need not then question whether Adam and the righteous Men that succeeded him practis'd according to this divine Institution But if any shall question it I prove it thus First There was no imaginable reason why this Day should not be celebrated presently after it was instituted What was it sanctified and set apart for if not for this to be observ'd And can you conceive any thing that hindred this No certainly Therefore seeing it was instituted we may conclude it was kept that is that it was so from the Creation of the World If it be objected that Adam in Innocency lived free from Toil and Labour and therfore the cessation on the Seventh Day was not necessary or proper for him I answer It is true he was not subject to hard and uneasy labour and such as was accompanied with fatigue but it is as true that he was bid to dress and keep the Garden and consequently he was not unimploy'd he had ordinarily some bodily Work to do and to think of But there was a certain time set him by God's particular appointment on which he was to cease from this or any other worldly and corporeal Business that he might devote himself wholly to the Worship of God This was the Sabbath Day which he was to keep and there is no reason to think he did not keep it Secondly This appears from the reason of God's appointing and setting apart this Day His ceasing from his Works of the Creation on this Day was the ground of it And what did that infer but Man's cessation from working on that Day Gen. 2. 2 3. And can we think that God would
such an Act as is above natural Force and Abiliâ—y and is done wholly by virtue of an omnipotent Power There is a Physical Virtue and Agency given to all Creatures at their first Creation Their natural Properties and Affections are settled in them by God at first and according to these they constantly act except he who created them changes their course immediately influencing on them When the Creator thus alters their natural Course and Agency and when the Effects are contrary to their natural Power there is a Miracle wrought for Miracles are Actions that are against natural Efficiency This is opposed by Mr. Hobbs who holds that there are no real Miracles because all is by natural Causes only they seem to the Vulgar to proceed from extraordinary and supernatural Causes On this ground he endeavours to vilify the Miracles wrought by Christ. And Spinosa would fain thrust upon us this Proposition that whatsoever the Scripture affirms to have been done did necessarily come to pass according to the Laws of Nature and no otherwise and consequently that those things which go under the Name of Miracles have only natural Causes tho unknown to us And he conceits this to be a sufficient Reason of what he saith viz. that God and his Decrees are unchangeable and therefore the Laws of Nature can't be alter'd and so there are no Miracles because these are said to be Interruptions or Viâ—lations of the course of Nature But if the altering the course of Nature be contain'd in the divine Decrees as most sure it is then what will become of his Argument It is a mere Fallacy and contradicts several Discoveries which God hath made of himself and his doings in the sacred Writ where we find that there are such Actions as cannot be done by the mere Power and Energy of Men or Angels either good or bad or of any created Beings It is of the Essence of a Miracle to exceed all natural Power A Miracle always supposes the Virtue by which it is produced to be Divine 2. This is another property of a Miracle which follows necessarily on the former that it is Vnaccountable We cannot solve it we cannot shew any reason why it is so It is above our apprehension for it being a thing above natural Power it is impossible that natural Reason should tell how it is done A Miracle is such a work of which no Physical Cause can be assigned therefore it is no wonder that it is beyond our Conceptions and that we cannot apprehend how it is performed 3. It is also something done rarely and unusually It is a saying of the Rabbins and a true one A Miracle doth not happen every hour It is an uncommon thing and Rarity is of the nature of it For the design of a Miracle was to beget Faith by its being rare and therefore if you could suppose it to be perpetual the end of it would be lost which is to stir up Men to believe by the uncommonness of what is done Divine works that are done daily and ordinarily are not Miracles thus to justify Sinners to convert them to save them c. are not call'd Miracles So Gods preserving and upholding the World is the work of Divine Power only but it is not call'd a Miracle because it is every moment Pliny declares that it exceeds all Miracles that any one Day passes and all the World is not set on Fire because of the innumerable subterraneous fires and by reason of the infinite number of Stars and the vast heat in the Sun and the inbred fires in Clouds c. But this is no rarâ— and strange thing and therefore is no Miracle The gravity of bodies the strange Operation of the Loadstone the reciprocal motion of the Sea are Phaenomenâ— that depend as I apprehend on the particular and immediate influence of a supernatural cause and yet because they are common are not Miracles God the All-wise Governor of the World hath his usual and ordinary ways but these oftentimes are neglected and despised because they are common wherefore he thinks good to use another method he exertâ— other acts and these are unusual and extraordinary and excite a greater regard and reverence in Men and have the name of Miracles 4. It is the qualification of a Miraclâ— not only to be supernatural unaccountable and rare but also to be something visible at least very evident and discernible The Egyptians saw Moses's Miracles the Priests of Baal saw what Elijah did And whatever Miracles are really done are done in the sight of People or the effects of them are to be plainly seen The reason is because they are exhibited to the World on purpose that they may be observed and taken notice of Wherefore a Miracle is such a Divine Work as is evident and apparent and thence this kind of Operations are frequently call'd Signs i. e. outward and open representations of the Almighty Power of God 5. And lastly they deserve the name of Miracles because they stir up Mens minds to admire them they cause amazement and wonder they are such works of God as create astonishment in all that seriously consider them And this proves what I said before viz. that it is against the nature of a Miracle to be constant and lasting and always continuing for if it were so it would not be wondred at and then it would cease to be a Miracle These are the inseparable properties and qualification of true and real Miraclâ—s but the first is the main and the only essential one for some other things are unaccountable we being ignorant of the extent of Nature's Sphere and unusual and wonderful but they are not against and above the power of natural causes therefore they are not properly Miracles for a Miracle is a thing that cannot be done but by Supernatural and Divine strength Consequently a Miracle cannot be done by the Devil or any of his Ministers and Agents These indeed can do strange and wonderful things that is either such as are really so but then they rise only from occult natural causes and means or such that seem to be so they appear only and are not and then they are mere Jugglings and Tricks of Art Thus far evil Spirits and their Agents are able to go and no further they can counterfeit Miracles but they cannot work one true Miracle Thus the Egyptian Magicians did wonderful things they did not only make their Rods to appear like that of Mercury with Serpents twining about them but which is greater they by their Inchantments turned their Rods into Serpents or seem'd to do so That the worst Men may have power to work such signs and wonders is plain from Deut. 13. 1 2. And the reason why God suffers false Prophâ—ts to work those seeming Miracles is suggested in v. 3. The Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul It is to try Men
Family or Houshold as it were all the Inhabitants of the World who were scatter'd and divided before are now brought under one Head and Governour one Supreme Catholick Ruler as St. Chrysostom expounds the place All Nations divided before by false ways are now united in Christ the Way and the Truth He brings all the Severals into One and makes up a full Church Militant and Triumphant whereas before there was a dispersion Thus Heaven and Earth are happily joined Again the Greek word sometimes signifies to restore or repair and accordingly is rendred by the Vulgar Latin and then the meaning of the Apostle is that all things in Heaven and Earth are restored and renewed by Christ and his Coming There is a happy Restauration of Man's Nature by the Incarnation of the Blessed Iesus the former State of Integrity is now renewed and Man is in a far better Condition than he was at first And as for Angels their State also is much amended they are now confirmed in their Integrity and Happiness Thus according to Theodoret's Interpretation of the place the things in Heaven and on Earth are Restored Renewed Reformed by the Evangelical Dispensation But there is a third and that the most probable Interpretation of the words which is this and the Margin in our English Translation takes notice of it that in the Dispensation of the fulness of Time or the Dispensation of the Gospel God was pleased to sum up all things in Christ. Which may refer to Arithmetical Computation or bringing all Numbers into One and so here is signified that all the former Dispensations being cast up and briefly collected are reduced to this of the Gospel This is the Sum total Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. Or it may refer as St. Ierom on the place thinks to the way of Orators and Pleaders who in the close of their Speeches and Declamations briefly repeat and recapitulate all the foregoing particulars and represent the whole Cause in short In like manner what had been spun out and prolonged in divers foregoing Dispensations is now under the Gospel briefly gather'd and summ'd up in Christ Jesus This is the time wherein God hath made an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath drawn into one all that went before He hath finished the account for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred or the Work and cut it short in Righteousness bâ—cause a short Account or Work will the Lord make upon the Earth Rom. 9. 28. which as you will â—ee by consulting the Context and the place in Isaiah from whence it is taken is meant of the Gospel This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that abbreviated word or short Account or because a word and a thing or work are frequently convertible among the Hebrews whence this is borrow'd short work which God hath made upon the Earth The Law was tedious with its multiplicity of Observances but Christ comes in a compendious way and requires none of those long Undertakings which Moses exacted This saith one of the Fathers is the short word that is here meant the brief words of Faith Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved is the concise way of the Gospel This comprises the greatest things in short Christ the Incarnate Son of God is the Sum and Substance of all the Old Testament and of all the different Oeconomies from the beginning of the World The Evangelical Dispensation is the Recapitulation of all the preceding ones All is to be shut up with this nothing more is to be expected this being the Upshot and Conclusion of all the Administrations that are upon Earth I might argue likewise from the Gospel's being call'd the New Testament for the Greek Word signifies both a Covenant and a Testament Sometimes even when it is rendred a Covenant in the Margin it is translated a Testament But by the very import and scope of the Text we are forc'd to render it a Testament in some places as in Heb. 9. 16 17. The Chriâ—tian Institution and the New Covenant of Grace therein contained are the Will and â—estament of our Saviour wherein he hath set down what he would have done after his death â—or that is the true notion of a Testament Christ the Testator died and bequeathed us the Gospel this his Last Will must stand and that only therefore no other is to be looked for Moreover I might argue from this that the time of the Gospel is call'd the last Time I grant that sometimes the last Day and last Times and the end of the World are understood of the Day of Judgment and particularly the last Day is applied no less than four times in the 6 th Chapter of St. Iohn to the time of the last Resurrection or the Day of Judgment Some modern Writers understand the last Times and the end of the World of Christ's coming to destroy Ierusalem and it is certain they may in some places be understood so But for the most part they are taken otherwise and those Learned Mâ—n who defend the contrary shew too plainly their Prejudice and Partiality in asserting a Notion which they have once taken up But nothing is more evident than this that the last Times and the last Days which latter is different from the last Day in the singular Number are generally meant of the Gospel Dispâ—â—sation which is last of all This I prove from such places as these both in the Old and New Testament Isai. 2. 2. It shall come to pass in the last days that the Mount of the Lord's House shall be establiâ—â—ed on the top of the Mountains and so in Mic. 4. 1. where by the Consent of all Interpreters the last Days signiâ—ie the time of Christ's Coming the Appeaâ—ing of Christianity in the World and in other Prophets this is express'd after the same manner The Apostles use the same way of speaking and all the time from Christ's Coming to the Day of Judgment is call'd by them the last Time and the last Days as in 2. Tim. 3. 1. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5 20. 1. Pet. 3. 3. 1 Iohn 2. 18. and in other places the Time of the exhibitâ—ng of Chriâ—â— in the flesh or of the Reign of the Messias iâ— thus express'd It is also call'd the end of the World by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews who saith Christ appear'd in the end of the World to put away sin Heb. 9. 26. This Consummation of Ages as according to the Greek it may be most fitly rendred this Close or Shutting up of the former Dispensations especially of the Iewish one is call'd by the same Holy Writer the World to come Heb. 2. 5. And the very Iewish Writers fre-frequently give this Denomination to the time of the Messias This according to Daniel is the time of sealing up the Vision and Propâ—ecy Dan. 9. 24. i. e. of ratifying and verifying all the Visions and Prophecies
Signification they cannot but be interpreted of these last For if those Prophetick Passages before-mentioned and several others in the Writings of the Prophets be expounded only of the past or present Times of the Gospel it is certain that the Interpretation will not answer the Greatness and Heighth of the Words much less the Weight and Dignity of the matter spoken of If we attend to this we shall discern the full Design and Meaning of those notable Prophecies of the Old Testament we shall apprehend those many Glorious Things both with relation to Spiritual and Temporal Blessings which they foretel shall be in those last Days But I shall have occasion to alledge and particularly to consider those Prophetical Passages when I come to shew distinctly wherein this Dispensation consists and how it differs from all others The Places in the New Testament where this Kingdom of Christ is spoken of are not a Few But that we may not mistake it will be requisite to observe the different Significations of the Word Kingdom as it refers to the Times of the Gospel for we consider not the Word now as it is applied to the future State of Glory in the highest Heavens First By it is sometimes meant the Gospel-Dispensation in general the whole Time of Christ's Administration in his Church from first to last Thus the Angel's Words to the Virgin Mary are to be understood Luke 1. 33. He shall Reign over the House of Iacob i. e. his Church the true Israel of God for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Christianity shall more or less flourish till the World hath its final Period and Consummation In this large and general Sense those Places are to be taken Mat. 4 2â— the Gospel of the Kingdom Luke 8. 1. the Glad-tidings of the Kingdom of God and many others especially the Parables where the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to several Things Secondly We are to understand by it that particular time of the Gospel-Dispensation which immediately succeeded our Saviours Resurrection as is evident from St. Iohn Baptist's Words The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3. 2. and from the same Words used by our Saviour himself Mat. 4. 17. and afterwards by his Apostles Mat. 10. 7. For none of these Texts could be meant of the time of the Gospel when Christ was on Earth or before his Passion but of some other succeeding time otherwise it could not be said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand but rather the Kingdom of Heaven is present or is already come Whence I infer that Christ may be said not to be in his Kingdom as it respects the Gospel he may be said not to Reign all the time betwixt his Nativity and his Resurrection that being the time of his Humiliation But as soon as he rose from the Dead having conquer'd Death and Satan then he set up his Spiritual Kingdom This is clear from Psal. 132. 11. compared with Acts 2. 30. Then he sat upon his Throne as the Apostle here applies it Wherefore he said to his Apostles when he was risen All Power us given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. And those Words concerning Christ Sit thou on my Right-â—and till I make thy Enemies thy Footstool Psal. 101. 1. which are mention'd four or five times in the New Testament are spoken of his Resurrection and Ascension whereby he declared himself to be Head and Lord of his Church Some thus interpret what he saith in Luke 7. 28. He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he i. e. after I am Risen and Ascended the least Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel shall excell Iohn the Baptist for then a clearer Light will shine the Spirit will lead into all Truth Thus we may understand our Saviour when he saith I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of this Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom 〈…〉 which cannot be meant of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in Heaven because Christ will not 〈◊〉 drink Wine with them or at least in a proper 〈◊〉 it is not true But it seems more reasonable to take the Words as spoken concerning the time after Christ's Resurrection when he did Eat and Drink with his Disciples as is expresly Recorded This time is Signally and Eminently called the Kingdom of God or Christ because this Commenced immediately after he rose from the Dead and it is stiled the Kingdom of his Father because soon after his Resurrection follow'd his Ascension and Sitting at the Right-hand of the Father which were his solemn Inauguration and Enstallment This was the first Year of his Reign now he enter'd upon his Royal Offâ—ce having sent his Holy Spirit to rule in an extraordinary manner in the Church which he had not done before Thus you see the Date of Christ's Kingdom as it is more specially and particularly understood And moreover from all that hath been said under this Head the truth of what I before asserted is made apparent viz. That there are certain Steps and Degrees in the Evangelical Dispensation Thirdly The Vengeance of Heaven on the Iewish Nation in the Destruction and Devastation of their City is call'd Christ's Kingdom Mat. 16. 28. His Triumphing over those obstinate People whose Forefathers had been his Murderers was a considerable Instance of his Glorious Reign Thence it is that his destroying those his implacable Enemies is said to be his Coming in his Kingdom and it is call'd the Kingdom of God coming with Power Mark 9. 1. Fourthly Christ's Second Coming viz. at the Day of Judgment when he shall visibly and manifestly in the Face of all the World exercise his Regal Power is call'd his Kingdom thus it is said Christ shall Iudge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 1. Lastly By Christ's Kingdom is meant that peculiar and special time of his Reigning which is the present Subject of our Discourse when Christianity shall arrive at its height when the Church shall be in its Meridian That Petition in the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come seems to be meant of this though not solely of it Then the Grace of God in the Gospel will shine forth in its greatest splendor and God's will shall be done then on Earth as it is in Heaven which may perhaps be one reason why these Petitions are joyn'd together It may be this is that Kingdom of God of which and the things appertaining to it our Saviour Discours'd to his Apostles before he left the World Acts 1. 3. But in the Book of the Revelation of St. Iohn there are many clear Passages which relate to this Perfect State of the Christian Church hereafter and 't is express'd by a Kingdom and by Christ's Reigning on the Earth This New Scene is mention'd after this manner in Rev. 5. 10. and again chap. 7. v. 15. and 17. and more plainly in chap. 12. v. 10. Now is
very reasonable to think that this Recovering of the Jews the Second Time is First Particularly meant of the Returning of the Posterity of the Ten Tribes who upon Salmanasser's invading Iudaea were either taken by him or fled into strange Countries There shall not only be a Return from Babylon and Assyria but from Egypt and AEthiopia and even from the most distant Regions Secondly more Generally and Comprehensively it is meant of those Times of the Gospel when the Jews dispersed through all Countries shall be restored to their own Land again and shall be Converted to the Christian Faith This is here called the Second and it is the Last and most Eminent Time of their Conversion when they shall be so Happy likewise as to have all the Gentiles for their Fellow-Converts as it follows in the next Verse of his Chapter He shall set up an Ensign for the Nations as well as assemble the Outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Iudah from the four Corners of the Earth The Sixtieth Chapter of Isaiah treats of this very Subject the Glorious Condition of the Church under the Messias's Reign when there shall be a General Conversion of the Iews as well as Gentiles which is most elegantly describ'd by this Lofty and Poetick Prophet And the 20th Verse plainly shews that whatever is said in this Chapter is to be understood not of the First Call of the Iews which is past but of the Second which is to come For the Words are these Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self Where is promised the perpetual Grace and Favour of God to this People without any Interruption but who sees not that this is not yet fulfillâ—d and therefore is not yet past The Sun and Moon have gone down upon the Iewish Nation though the Light shone upon them with great vigour after our Saviour's Coming and many were converted to Christianity yet since that time there hath been a miserable Defection and they have for many hundreds of Years been rejected and have remained in Darkness and have been deprived of the Divine Favour But though the sun and Moon have withdrawn themselves since the first Conversion yet there is a Time coming when they shall no more go down for as it follows the Lord shall be their everlasting Light and the Days of their Mourning shall be ended Therefore this Place of Scripture is meant of the future State and Restauration of this People In my Apprehension this is a a very remarkable Text to prove it And those Words of the Prophet Hosea Ch. 3. v. 4 5. may well be thought to refer to this Last Calling of the Iews The Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a â—rince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image and without an â—phod and without Teraphim Afterward shall the Children of Israâ—l return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodness in the latter days We see the former part of the Words verified Nothing is more evident than that this People have been many days and are are at this very time without a King c. they are destitute of a Head and Governor they are debarr'd the Use of Sacrifices which were the main part of their Religion But yet they do not erect Images and fall into Idolatry as they were wont to do This is the present State of this People which this Text speaks of viz. that they have neither the Mosaick nor Heathenish Worship however the hearts of some of them may be inclined to this latter But I do not judge them And as for the latter part of the Words they shall be verified in due time the Children of Israel shall return i. e. shall be converted unto the Lord as the Chaldee Paraphrast of Ionathan renders it and seek the Lord by Repentance and Faith and David their King i. e. the Messias as is acknowledg'd by that Chaldee Paraphrast and several of the Iewish Doctors on this Place because the Messias was of the Stock of David and because Christ was typified by him whence he is often called David in the Holy Scriptures This fiducial and penitential seeking the Lord and owning the Messias shall be accomplished under his Thousand years Reign which is here call'd the latter days and in other Places signally the last Days before the End of the World And it is impossible it should be meant otherwise because it is to follow this time of the Jews Exile in which they are at this day as we heard confess'd before by one of their Chiefest Rabbies But I found what I say not only on the Concession of this Great Man among them but upon the Words themselves of the Prophecy which tells us that the Israelites shall be without a King or Prince many days which in the Stile of Scripture especially in the Prophetick Writings usually signifies a very great number of Years as in Isai. 24. 22. 32. 10. Ier. 3. 7. Ezek. 12. 27. 38. 8. Dan. 8. 26. 10. 14. so that the time of their Captivity in Babylon whence they return'd as soon as 70 years were expired is not here intended but some much longer space of time And indeed it could not be the time of their being Captive there because that did not immediately precede the latter Days by which in Scripture are frequently denoted the Times of the Messias the last Age of the World and the Hebrew Writers and Commentators themselves freely grant this Here it is said they shall abide many Days without a King c. and afterwards i. e. in the latter Days as it is explain'd they shall return and seek the Lord their God and the Messias Which clearly argues that the time of acknowledging the Messias shall presently succeed after those many days wherein they have abode without a King c. This could not be any part of the time between their Return from the Babylonian Captivity and Christ's Coming in the Flesh for then they were not without a King Prince or Ruler c. therefore it must be since and the Time commenced when Shiloâ— the Saviour came for then the Sceptre departed from ludah then the Iews were left without King or Prince After this particular Period of Time is ended the Messias's Kingdom shall be erected in a more illustrious manner than ever and then the Children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord and shall have a King again they shall embrace that Messias whom their Ancestors crucified and they shall fear the Lord and his Goodness they shall with Reverence and Admiration acknowledge the exceeding Favour and Grace of God to them This I apprehend to be the genuine Import of this Prophecy and I leave it to the Reader to judge whether it be not a Proof of the Grand Point now in hand I might mention Amos 9. 14 15. with some of the preceding Verses which
Account of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. The prohibiting of this latter shew'd in several Particulars to be Reasonable and Equitable 5. The covenant of Works Not only the first Man and Woman but all their Race were under this First Dispensation THE Task which I undertake at present is to delineate and display the various Dispensations of Religion which are recorded in the infallible Writings of the Old and New Testament and are by that means revealed to us as well as they were heretofore to the respective Persons and People among whom those Sacred Records were first dispers'd This certainly is a very delighâ—ful Undertaking for it cannot but be a pleasant Prospect to see all Ages of the World at once and to behold the vast differences of them at one view It must needs be very welcome and entertaining to have before our Eyes the various States of Religion to observe the whole Chain of its Affairs throughout the World And it must be yet more pleasing and diverting to behold how it is linked together to take notice of the excellent Agreement and Harmony of the Universal Scheme of these Administrations which are set before us And this â—ight is as profitable as it is â—elightful for by sailing round this Globe by encompasâ—ing this whole Circle of Religious Dispensations we shall be able to make such discoveries as will be of singular use and advantage in our lives We shall hereby avoid that confusion which too often attends the contemplation of these divine Matters we shall apprehend aright the exact Order of them in the succession of Times we shall attain to a right understanding of the Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament where the several Dispensations are mention'd we shall have an insight into the whole Method and Process of Divine Providence relating to Religion We shall be convinced of the transcendent Wisdom and Goodness of Heaven in the wonderful diversity of those Oeconomies which are presented to our view especially of the Evangelical one which is the perfection of all the rest and was more signally contrived for the welfare and happiness of Mankind Neither have we here a view only of what is past and present but here is represented to us a prospect of what is to come For the same â—acred and Infallible Records which give us an account of the one are not deficient in setting before us the other They acquaint us with the Events and Issues of things which shall be hereaâ—ter they foretel the Fate of the World till the very last expiring Period of all So that our utmost Curiosity as to Futurities may be here fully satisfied These are the things which I am to offer to the Reader And because there have been great failures in the handling of these Dispensations because Authors have not rightly distinguish'd them but some have made them more and others fewer than they are sometimes they have mix'd and confounded those which really differ in themselves and at other times they have made a distinction between such as indeed are the same I shall therefore use great caution and be very careful to avoid these mistakes both in asâ—igning the general and the more distinct and particular division or disâ—ribution of these Dispensations To enter then upon this Task I assert that the more Catholick and Grand Oeconomies are these three 1. The State of Innocency and Felicity or Adam created Upright II. The State of Sin and Misery or Adam Fallen In this State were our first Parents till they were reconciled to God and in this are all their Posterity till they be made partakers of Grace and Pardon III. The State of Reconciliation or Adam Recovered In this State our first Parents were after they were received into favour And in this all the Faithful are Thus Man in Integrity Man Lapsed Man Restored are the three Great Oeconomies The first of these continued from the Creation to Man's Fall The second from Man's Fall to his being recovered The third reacheth from Man's Recovery or Restauration to the end of the World And consequently this last General Dispensation which may be called the Dispensation of Grace is the largest of all and of the longest continuance The first General Dispensation is the State of Innocence which continued from the Creation of Man till his Apostacy We must know then that God having made the World and furnish'd it with all Convenience at last made the most excellent and accomplish'd piece of the visible Creation Man And to Man was added Woman to be a Companion of his Happiness As the Divine Being would not be without his Creatures so neither was it his pleasure that Man should be without the Woman jointly to enjoy the good things of the Creation which were made for that very purpose It was wisely ordered by the Deity saith the Great Philosopher that there should be these two distinct Sexes for mutual Communion and Society in the World yea and I may add for keeping up the World it self which would soon have a period if Human Kind ceased The first Person of this kind was by God himself named Adam because he was made of Earth Adam of Adamah he had this name given him to remind him of his Original And for this reason Adam was the name given to Woman as well as Man Gen. 5. 2. He called their name Adam in the day when they were created For tho the Man was immediately descended of the Earth yet the Woman as being taken out of the Man was remotely so for it is said The Rib which the Lord God had taken from Man made he a Woman Gen. 2. 22. where without doubt by a Rib are meant the Bone and the Flesh and Muscles that go along with it for that is implied in the closing up the flesh in the stead thereof ver 21. and we find Bone and Flesh together ver 23. Whence by the way we may take notice of that mistake of a learned Anatomist the younger Bartholine that Adam had thirteen Ribs on each side and that Eve was made out of a pair of these which is contrary to the express words of the Text God took one of his Ribs Gen. 2. 21. and made the Woman of it Of a single Rib then she was formed and that Rib as the rest of Man's Body being made of Earth she was but one remove from the Earth and therefore might have her name from the Earth in common with Man tho afterwards for another reason she was named Eve by her Husband Gen. 3. 20. and the name Adam became appropriated to him because he was the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that had his first Original out of the Earth And there never was any but he whatever the antient Athenians â—ancied of themselves He was the only Person that had his rise from the Soil he lived on tho 't is true in a remote sense we are all Aborigines as having
our extraction from him and consequently are descended from the Earth And here before we go any further we may observe that the â—olly of the Praeadamitick Opinion is detected The Sacred History of Moses assures us that Adam and Eve were the â—irst Persons that were created on the Earth and lest any should question it our Saviour hath confirmed it From the beginning of the Creation God made them Male and Female Mark 10. 6. For it is undeniable that he speaks this of Adam and Eve because in the next Verse he alledgeth what was said by God presently after the production of this latter Therefore shall a Man leave his Father and his Mother and cleave unto his Wife Gen. 2. 24. Whence it evidently appears that the Male and Female here spoken of are Adam and Eve and that these were made from the beginning of the Creation therefore there were no Men and Women before them This is clear from Gen. 3. 20. Adam called his Wife's name Eve because she was the Mother of all living This reason of her Name is assigned by Moses for when Adam gave her this Name she was not a Mother she was so call'd â—aith he because she was the Mother of all living she was the Person that was the Root and Source of all Men and Women that ever are in the World which plainly intimates that there was no other Woman that was such â— Mother She was constituted by God's appointment the only Mother of the living yea of all living of human kind that have been or shall be upon Earth And consequently there was no Race of Men or Women before her If there were no other Text to be alledged but this one it were sufficient to consute the vain Opinion of the Author of the Praeadamites who with a great deal of straining and forcing of Texts endeavours to prove that there was another Generation besides that of Adam and Eve He tells us there is a Creation of Man and Woman spoken of in the latter end of the first Chapter of Genesis and another Creation of the Holy Race of Mankind of which the first Man and Woman were Adam and Eve spoken of Chap. 2. v. 2 22. Whereas the plain obvious and true Account is that the first Narrative is general but the second is particular that is it gives a distinct and particular account of the formation of Man and Woman Notwithstanding this a late Writer hath revived the Notion of a double Creation and attempts to prove it as Dyrerius doth The most considerable Objection that this latter makeâ— is founded on those Passages which imply a great number of People in the World at that time whereas we read saith he of none descended from Adam and Eve but Cain and Abel and Seth about that time But who knows not that the Mosaick History is silent as to several things of the like nature yea of an higher iâ—portance It is not to be doubted that Adam and Eve had more Children than are expresly mention'd by Moses yea that they had a great many Children and Grand children If we consider this we shall discover the vanity of the Praeadamitical Conceit and answer the Cavils that are rais'd about it by the first Author of it Dyrerius who indeed at last was sensible of the folly of his Opinion and as we are told recanted it Besides to think there was any Man before Adam is groundless because he is expresly call'd twice by the Apostle the first Man 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. It is ridiculous then to imagine that he was not the first of his kind but that there were Men in the World long before him even some thousands of years before him This Text and the others before-mention'd must be removed out of the Bible before we can believe such a thing or that there are others of human Race besides those that descend from Adam as some Inhabitants in the Moon or other Orbs of Heaven as a late Writer and some others fancy The fond Conceit of the Praeadamites being justly rejected let us proceed As the forming of this most excellent Creature Man was the close of the Creation so it may be observed that this was peculiar to him to have a solemn Consultation and Decree about his making which was not about any other Creature God said Let us make Man Gen. 1. 26. Philo the Jew is of the opinion that Angels were Cooperators in framing Adam's Body and to them God spake when he said Let us make Man This Platonist derived this Notion from his Master who held that lesser and created Gods made Men and all other Animals by the command of the greatest and supreme Deity But others deservedly explode this Opinion and think that these words denote God the Father's conâ—erring with the two other Persons of the Sacred Trinity concerning the making of Man This is the general Sentiment of the antient Writers of the Church who usually alledg this place to prove the Doctrin of the Trinity And certainly it is a considerable place for that purpose But however abstracting from this this way of speaking may signify to us that the making of Man was an exâ—ellent and noble Work if it were said only after the manner of Men who hold a Conference and seriously consult and call in Assistance about a Matter which is of great moment and worth Thus God is represented speaking after the same guiâ—e to acquaint us what a worthy excellent and transcendent Work this was I take Seneca's words to be a good Comment on that place Be it known to you saiâ—h he that Man is not a Work huddled over in haste and done without forethinking and great consideration for Man is the greatest and most stupendous Work of God Man hath not only a Body in common with all inferior Animals but into his Body was inâ—used a Soul of a far more noble Nature and Make a rational Principle worthy of the name of a Soul Hereby he is enabled to act according to the designs of his Creation that is to contemplate the Works of God to admire his Perfections and to worship him to live as becomes one who received his excellent Being from him to converse with his fellow Creatures that are of his own Order to maintain mutual Love and Society and to serve God in Consort Man is a wonderful Creature and not undeservedly said to be a little World a World within himself and containing whatever is found in the greater In him is the spiritual and immaterial Nature of God the Reasonableness of Angels the sensitive Power of Brutes the vegetative Life of Plants and the Virtues of all the Elements In brief he is a compound of all And hence it is that the Life of Man is difficulter than that of others for other Creatures are ruled by one single Nature but Man is made up of divers Qualities But as it is more difficult so it is more excellent to be a
Garden and a fruitful Orchard washed with convenient Rivers as you shall hear afterwards but a spacious Park or Forest where all the Beasts met together as you have heard already Concerning this place there have been different Opinions yet it hath been questioned whether it was a Place or no and when it had its beginning Paradise was made before the Heavens and the Earth say some of the Iewish Doctors And St. Ierom who was a great admirer of Theodotion and Symmachus Heretical Iews and averse to the Translation of the Septuagint follows them in that Opinion Some held that Paradise was not Local but that it was a State rather than a Place and that this State was not on Earth This was the high-flown Notion of Philo and Origen of Basil Ambrose and Damascen and sometimes of Ierom who understood Paradise in a spiritual and mystical Sense and conceived it to be meant only of some blessed and happy Condition Some of them seem to refer it to Heaven others to the Virtues of the Soul or the Soul 's chief and principal Faculties Tho St. Ierom on Daniel laughs at those who think Rivers and Trees and Paradise it self to be Allegories which is a sign he chang'd his Opinion And this is not to be marvelled at for he is not wont to approve of that mystical Strain and to allegorize after that high rate which is the way to make void all Scripture-History and by that to null the whole Bible Therefore we find that the Manichees were condemned of old for allegorizing of Paradise And we read that it was part of the Hâ—resy of the Seleuciani and Hermiani that they denied a visible Paradise This Opinion hath been revived by some Moderns and very lately by one who makes the History of Moses concerning the Terrestrial Paradise as well as he doth other parts of it a mere Fable at least a Parable That is the result of his disquisition about it St. Augustin goes in a middle way and holds Paradise to be partly Local and Corporeal and partly Spiritual Ephraim Syrus grants Paradise to be Local but placeth it an other World beyond this It is a place above the whole Creation saith an Other It is seated in the Third Heaven by St. Ambrose Some make it to be the Coelum Empyreum Others say the Moon was the Paradise wherin our first Parents were created and from whence they were thrust down to this Earth Bede and Rabanus Maurus will have it be near the Orb of the Moon One of the â—ewish Doctors comes pretty near this and tells us that Paradise is about the second Region of the Air and hangs between Heaven and Earth It was the wholâ— Earth say Becaâ—us and Noviamagus Some of old held that it was the whole World as relates And Luther of late held the same asserting that the whole World was call'd Paradise because it was at first so delightful and pleasant Others and with good reason assert it to be a parâ— only of this lower World or the Earth but they agree not about the particular Place For some tell us it is seated in an unknown Country remote from the company of the Wicked where Enâ—ch and Elias inhabit So Bellarmine thinks Dâ— Grat. primi hominis cap. 14. And some of that Church follow him and they derive it from some of the Antients who had it from Papias Others assign a known part of the Earth but among these there is also a difference some groundlesly placing it in Africa and in the warmest part there Thus Maimonides Aben Ezra and other Iewish Doctors hold it was seated under the Equinoctial And Durandus and Bonaventure among the Schoolmen are of that Judgment Others fancy it to be in America and in the warmest Country there for these Men think the Torrid Zone to be the most comfortable part of the World But those most certainly are in the right who place it in Asia There is one Man who is singular in imagining Paradise to have been in that part of Asia which is called Palestine near Iordan in the Land of Sodom which he gathers from Gen. 13. 10. But any one may see that no such thing can be inferr'd from those words which only intimate that the Plain of Iordan where Sodom stood was a very pleasant and delightful place and might in some respect be compared with Paradise But after all the rambling Conjectures and wild Fancies concerning Paradise and the particular place where it was this is to be imbraced as the most probable and accountable Truth that it was situated on those most pleasant and fruitful Fields of Asia which of old were called Babylon and afterwards Mesopotamia In the lower part of this Mesopotamia taking in also a part of Shinar and Armenia was this Garden of Eden planted as a learned Knight hath excellently shew'd In the Map you may observe it stands 35 degrees from the Equinoctial and 55 from the Northern Pole Because Paradise being of a very great extent reach'd towards Armenia Galtruchius placeth it in the Mountains of Armenia the Greater especially the Mountain Paiarde saith he was Paradise But herein this learned Man was mistaken for it is evident that Paradise was in Babylon because Eden was there as that worthy Knight hath proved from If a. 37. 12. and Ezek. 27. 23. by shewing where those other Countries are found which are joined with Eden By many Arguments he makes it clear that Eden was part of Babylonia and Babylonia a part of Mesopotamia Or rather I am inclined to determin thus which doth not alter the main thing but only gives you a more distinct account of it Eden and Babylon and Mesopotamia were three Names of the same Country Eden was the first and antientest Babylon was the Name it was call'd by afterwards and Mesopotamia is a Greek Name given to it and signifieth that it stood in the midst of Rivers especially it referreth to its being situated between those two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates tho I know there is a stricter acceptation and that not uncommon of Mesopotamia And so you find this place described in Genesis as famous for its Rivers Gen. 2. 10. A River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and became into four heads i. e. the principal River of Paradise had four great Channels The name of the first is Pison that is it which compasseth the whole Land of Havilah vers 11. This Pison is call'd by some Phasis or Phasitigris it runs they say by that Havilah whither the Amalekites fled 1 Sam. 15. 7. and divides it from the Country of Susiana and at last falls into the Persian Gulf. So Galtruchius is positive that Armenia the Greater and the Coutries thereabout are meant by Havilah and that the River Phasis in that Armenia is the same with Moses ' s Pison Strâ—bo places Havilah in the Borders of Arabia and
Mesopâ—tamia And Bochart thinks it is Arabia it self But so far as I can judg there is no reason to recede from the old Opinion of the Christian Writers who hold that Havilah is India and Pison the River Ganges This was first asserted by Iosephus and from him Eusebius Ierom and most of the Fathers receiv'd it And not without good reason for Moses here adds as a Mark to know the place by that there is Gold and the Gold of that Land is good ver 11. Now it is confes'd by all that India is the most noted for Gold and that of the best sort Further it is added as a Note whereby to discover that place that there is Bdellium and the Onyx Stone There is some dispute about the former some hold it to be a Tree or a Resinous Gum but most think it a precious Stone or a Pearl And this is probable it being join'd with the Onyx Stone And India is famous for precious Stones and Pearls The name of the second River is Gihon vers 13. Galtruchius holds that the River Araxes in Armenia the Greater is meant by Gihon this as well as Phasis flowing from the Mountain Payarde there But Moses adding in this Verse that the River Gihon is the same that compasseth the whole Land of Ethiopia or Cush as it is in the Original there is reason to believe that this Gihon is the River Nile as the forenamed Iewish Antiquary and most of the antient Writers of the Church hold Which may be confirmed by what you may take notice of in the forenamed place where the Garden of the Lord and the Land of Egygt are join'd tother intimating that Paradise by the help of the River Nile did as 't were border upon Egypt which is the principal part of the African Ethiopia which it is most probable is meant here The name of the third River is Hiddekel that is it which goeth toward the East of Assyria ver 14. That it was a River belonging to Babylon is clear from Dan. 10. 4. This is generally concluded to be the River Tigris which divides Mesopotamia from Assyria and therefore runs toward the East of it This commonly goeth along with Euphrates and so it doth here for we are told ver 14. that the fourth River which issued out of Paradise was Euphrates The fourth River or the fourth Channel of the great River Euphrates is by way of eminence here called Euphrates this being the great middle Channel that ran thro Eden or Babylon and it may be thought to take its name from its fructifying quality For what some have thought viz. that the word is deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lâ—tificare and that in allusion to this it is call'd the River whose Streams make glad the City of God Psal. 46. 4. it hath little foundation seeing there is a great probability that its Original is from the Hebrew Perah which is the world here and in all other places of the Bible for this River and is from parah crescere fructificare because the Country own'd its fertility and fruitfulness of the spreading streams of this River But how is Euphrates deriv'd from Perah It is likely that the Greeks made it out of these two words in this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hu Pâ—rath Perath it self for they read it Vphrath and added a Termination of their own and thence came Euphrates Nor is it an unusual thing with the Grecians to borrow words from the Hebrew I will at present instance only in another word which hath relation to the matter in hand and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used by several Gentile Writers for a Garden or Orchard and it is the corruption of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pardes hortus it is this word transmuted into a Greek form These are the Rivers of Paradise mention'd by Moses of which that Noble Author of the History of the World hath copiously discours'd and those that are curious may find satisfaction to their Scruples about this matter We are to think this and it is a very rational thought that Paradise is now scarce to be found because after so many Changes especially that made by the Deluge which marr'd the Figure of it and wash'd away a great deal of its Beauty it is exceedingly alter'd Wherefore we must not expect to find in Historians and Geographers the same description of Paradise which Moses gives Herodotus and Pliny will tell you that Euphrates hath not the same Channel it had in the Ages of old it hath several times been put out of its way And if in so long a time the course of Rivers be changed the Region may be alter'd as to other things Besides the names of Pison and Gihon two Branches of the River of Paradise are not very well known to us because they are not the Names that they are call'd by in profane Authors for 't is common in Scripture to use the names of Places as well as of Men sometimes which are not used in other Writers Or this may be as truly said that some names of Rivers mention'd by Moses are long since lost and extinct as the antient names of several Countries are which is acknowledg'd by all the Learned After so many Generations and changings of Languages it is no wonder that they are not call'd after the same manner that they once were But we cannot gather thence that they are not in being we cannot say with a late Writer that of the four Antient Rivers of Paradise two remain but the other two do not But this may and ought to be said that the altering of the Primitive Names renders it difficult to assign the more particular place of Paradise and to tell exactly where it was But from the Account given us in Genesis and by comparing all things together there is reason to assert that Paradise was in Babylon that noted part of the World For first Moses acquaints us that God planted a Garden eastward in Eden Gen. 2. 8. Which agrees well with that Region of Assyria which it is certain was situate eastward in Asia besides that it lay eastward from Canaan or the Deserts of the Amorites where Moses wrote Again from what you read of this place call'd Eden in 2 King 19. 12. and Amos 1. 5. besides those other Texts before mention'd which Sir W. Râ—leigh takes notice of and comments upon you may gather that this Country was the place where Paradise was seated Next no part of the whole Earth bids so fair for the Seat of Paradise as that for all the Antient Historians agree in this that that Region was the pleasantest in the whole World and that the Soil of it was prodigiously fertile and almost fruitful to a Miracle Moreover Paradise was a place remarkable for its Rivers and such is that Country represented by all to be and particularly it is famous for the great and noted River Euphrates But if it
and bloody ones were not so Thence these latter were disapproved of by the wisest Heathens They are â—ounded upon Divine Institution The practice of Sacrificing among the Pagans was derived to them by Tradition from the Jews or the foregoing Patriarchs Whether Sacrifices were prescribed before or after the Fall of our First Parents Concerning the Primitive Priesthood The Distinction of clean and unclean Animals was in respect of Sacrificing not Eating Gen. 4. 26. explain'd and a settled Church founded upon it Marrying with Infidels seems to bâ— prohibited under this Dispensation The Rise of Polygamy The seven Precepts said to be given to the Sons of Adam and Noah The Improbability of this Jewish Tradition evinced from several Considerations The Mistakes of Volkelius and Episcopius concerning the Antediluvian Oâ—conomy THE Third General Dispensation is that of 〈◊〉 and Recovery through the Mâ—ssiaâ— This is the most considerable State of all and the most lasting for it extends from Adam's Restauration to the end of the World Now begins the Law of grace and the Law of Faith which makes this a new Oâ—conomy Now God's Will concerning Man's Redemption and the free Pardon of Sins was discover'd Now upon the Fall of Adam and the Corruption of Mankind and the forfeiture of all Happiness Life and Immortality are bestowed anew To him that overcomâ—th it is given to eat of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Deliverance here and Eternal Life hereafter are freely offerâ—d Now God treateth with Man de novo viz. by a Mediator Now there was a New Covenant made between God and Adam or rather between God and Mankind in him The sum of the Covenant was this that God on his part would shew Mercy unto Adam and his Prosterity for the sake of the Messias who was to die for their Sins and that by virtue of his Satisfaction and Merit Man should be accepted And on Man's part it was covenanted and promised by Adam that they should believe in this Messias and rely upon his Undertakings and Merits and faithfully perform all the other Conditions requir'd of them in those Laws which God publish'd to the World This Covenant of Grace succeeded in the room of the Covenant of Works made with Man in his State of Integrity for he by his Fall breaking that Covenant there was another enter'd into and it is call'd the Covenant of Grace because it is the result of the Divine Favor and Goodness for on the violation of the first Covenant Man became obnoxious to the Devine Displeasure and might justly have been left to perish in his Sin but the Divine Mercy and Philanthropy exerted themselves in favor of Mankind and graciously submitted to a nâ—w Covâ—nant through the Mediator and Sponsor Christ Iesus the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World This is the Covâ—nant of Grace made with Mankind of which I shall speak But let me remark this by the by that tho this grand Revelation and Covenant constitute a new Oeconomy yet the Administration of the Law of Nature still remained As natural Religion was of use before in the two other Oeconomies for they were under the Law of Nature mix'd with some Revelutions so now it câ—aseth not Tho Nature is corrupted yet this Light is not extinguish'd The Law of Nature written in Man's Heart at his Creation is still necessary and useful This was imprinted on Men as they were created with rational Minds and therefore this must last always and it was made to do so for it must conduct them as they are Mâ—n i. e. as they are indued with Principles of Reason This goes through all the Particular Dispensations which I shall mention afterwards Having premised this I come to speak of the 〈◊〉 Oâ—conomy of Grace which contains in it all those Periods of Time which were from the discovery of the blessed Seed to Adam until the end of the World This one great Dispâ—nsation of Grace comprehends under it these four particular and pâ—culiar ones 1. The Patriarchal 2. The Mâ—sâ—ical or Lâ—gal 3. The Gâ—ntilâ— 4. The Christian or Evangâ—lical Dispensation 〈◊〉 I begin first with the Patriarchal Oâ—conomy which is call'd so because it prevail'd in the Time when the old Patriarchs lived Adam Nâ—ah and Abraham were the principal of them and fâ—om them this Oâ—conomy may be distinguished into three Periods viz. the Aâ—amical for though the two former Dispensations may be â—ruly call'd Adamickâ— as respecting both the innocent and â—allen State of Adam yet here I restrain the term to that particular part of God's Dispensation which was in this first Patriarch's time from his blessed Recovery till his leaving the World and it comprehends whatever things the Holy Scripture hath mention'd as proper to him and his immediate Posterity till the Flood the Noachical and the Abrahamick The first commenceth with the discovery of the Messias made to Adam and lasteth till Noah the second begins with Noah and the Confirmation of the Covenant of Grace made to him the third takes place from the renewing of it to Abraham The first Patriarchal Dispensation call'd Adamical and Antediluvian began with that signal Promise concerning the Mâ—ssias in Gen. 3. 15. I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed It shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel It is true this may be meant of the natural Brood of Serpents and of all the Woman's Offspring namely there shall be a great Antipathy between those and these Who seeth not that there is a natural Enmity between the Serpent and Man The former is ready with his venomous Sting to hurt Mankind he may be said to bruise their Heel for this Creature being on the ground can more easily come at that part and iâ—jure it Therefore Man is afraid of him and fâ—eeth from him but if he hath an opportunity he crusheth him he bruiseth his Head he destroyeth him Thus the Iews generally interpret this Text viz. of the iâ—bred Antipathy between the naturâ—l Serpent and all Mankind But tho this be the literal and most obviouâ— Sense of the words yet it is not the primary one For there is another and higher meaning of them and that is this by the Serpent is meant the Devil because he enter'd into the Serpent and appeaâ—'d in that Shape when he tempted Eve and by the Seed of the Woman is meanâ— Christ who is signally said to be made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. in contradistinction to others who are made of Man and are the Seed of Man There is an irreconcileable Enmity and Hostility between thesâ— two Christ and Satan This latter shews his Enmity in bruising the Heel of the other in persecuting him and his Followers but the former shall shew his Antipathy in bruising the others Head i. â— in utterly destroying his Power and Dominion Here then is the Promise of Christ's coming in the Flesh of the Son of God
Abel and Iacob Gen. 4. 4. 28. 18. 46. 1. Whence I gather that was not the sole Prerogative of the First-born before the Mosaick Law For if the younger Brothers offer'd as well as the Elder the Office of Priest was not confin'd to the Primogeniture The Sum then of all is this that before the Priesthood was setled by the Law of Moses the First-born were Priests that is generally and for the most part but not always for some instances there are of others that offer'd Sacrifices So that this middle way which I have taken may decide the Controversie that hath been among some Learned Writers viz. whether the Priesthood at first resided altogether in the First-born In the next place the Difference of Clean and Vnclean Animals was part of this Dispensation We read of the Distinction between these first of all in Gen. 7. 2. where Noah is commanded by God to put up in the Ark seven pair of Clean and two pair of Vnclean Creatures Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens the male and his female and of beasts that are not clean by two the male and his female This account of the number of the Beasts taken into the Ark may seem to differ from what is said in Gen. 6. 19. Of every living thing of all flesh two of every sort shalt thou bring into the Ark and in Gen. 7. 9. There went in two and two into the Ark the male and the female But by comparing the former of these Texts with the foresaid place we shall find that it is only a general account of bringing the beasts into the Ark viz. by pairs a male and a female of every sort of living creatures But that place which I first produced speaks particularly and specifics the number of the pairs i. e. seven pair of clean beasts and two pair of unclean For whereas some have thought that of clean animals seven only of a sort entred the Ark it is evident from the Original that they are mistaken for the Hebrew word Shibgnah is repeated to signifie that there were two seven i. e. seven males and seven females taken into the Ark that they might have enough for Sacrifice and Food after the flood And as for the latter place that also speaks of all the Creatures whether clean or not clean as you will see in ver 8. and is to be understood of the manner of their going into the Ark they went by couples and here by the way observe that if there were only seven they could not go by Couples but this order of their march contradicts not what hath been said and is plainly gather'd from the other Text viz. that 7 males and 7 females in all of the clean Beasts were preserved in that Receptacle Having thus clear'd the Text which hath been misunderstood I come to the matter in hand Some think these Beasts are call'd Clean or Vnclean by a Prolepsis as much as to say some Beasts went then into the Ark which now since that time are reputed Clean and others went in which are now reckon'd Unclean Moses calls them Clean or Unclean because there was that distinction of Animals in his time Thus Rabbi Solomon on the place tells us that That is called Clean which was afterwards to be Clean Whence we learn saith he that Noah at that time knew the Law For it is a fancy of the Rabbins and Talmudical Doctors that the Mosaical Law was made and existed before the World was But this Historical Anticipation will not serve the turn here though at some other times I grant it is useful for you may observe there is a Reason included in the forementioned words why Noah was to shut up in the Ark more of one sort of Animals than of another viz. because at that time some were Clean and others Vnclean Wherefore did God order him to take fourteen of one sort of living creatures and but four of another Was there not a reason for this disparity And what can we imagin it to be but this that the creatures were of a different nature i. e. as 't is here expresly said that some of them were Clean and others not And this was before Noah's time for this is supposed here as a thing well known But how is this to be understood No creatures are Naturally Vnclean they are all Clean and Pure and Good from the first Creation In what sense then are any said to be Vnclean It is certain this Distinction could not be in regard of Eating for no Animals were eaten before the Flood as shall be proved anon but it is reasonable to think that it was with respect to the Sacrifices that they were call'd Clean or Unclean And if you consult Gen. 8. 20. you will see that this is spoken with particular reference to Sacrifices Noah made use of clean Beasts and Fowls in Sacrificing and whoever sacrificed then did so They did not sacrifice all sorts of Creatures but some only They look'd upon some Animals in respect of others as unfit for Sacrifice they offer'd to God the best or what they thought so as the Sheep and not the Hog c. This was founded in their natural Reason as Sacrifices themselves partly were These Animals which at that time they esteemed the best and choicest and fittest for Sacrifice were reputed Clean and Pure and were call'd so And on the contrary the meanest and worst Animals and which they thought unfit for Sacrifice were reckon'd as Impure and Vnclean and were so called And it is likely there was also a Positive Law for this as well as Sacrifices By this Law such and such Creatures were determin'd to be Clean our Unclean and this Law was before that of Moses yea it was long before the Flood Even then Beasts were call'd Clean or Vnclean in respect of Sacrificing as afterward they were call'd so in respect of Eating We may observe further that there was a Publick Setled Church in the days of those renowned and godly Patriarchs Seth and Enos Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord Gen. 4. 26. I know there is a contrary reading of these words for some think that huchal signifies prophaned as well as began and accordingly they render the words thus Then men prophaned by calling on the name of the Lord. So the Iewish Writers generally interpret this place and particularly the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast and Rabbi Solomon Iarchi understand it Whence Mr. Selden infers that there was Idolatry in those days and that it was set up then first of all But these learned persons considered not that the verb Chalal as it is here used i. e. in the Conjugation Hophal and with an Infinitive Verb after it is never us'd in Scripture to signifie prophaning but beginning Nor did these Writers give themselves time to remember that this place speaks of Seth and his godly Family and not of any Idolaters yea it is likely there was no such
Besides the Worship of the Patriarchs tho not wholly void of Ceremonies was Simple and Plain in respect of what was now Under this Legal Dispensation the number of Ceremonies was vastly increas'd and the Worship was all Gay and Pompous by reason of them Moreover as you will have occasion to observe several of the Ceremonies used by the Iews differ from the same in use among the Patriarchs as to some considerable Circâ—â—stances and Qualifications The Cerâ—monial Law of the Iews comprehended in it 1. The External Worship it 〈◊〉 which consisted chiefly in Obâ—â—tions and Saâ—â—ifâ—ces in Offerâ—ng and Consuming 〈◊〉 to the Honour of God 2. The things belonging to the Persons who Officiated as High-Priests Priests 〈◊〉 3. The Place of God's Worship viz. the Tabernacle and Temple with all the Utensils and Instruments employ'd about them 4. The Sacraments Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb. 5. The Times and Set Seasons of Worship 6. Some things that respect the Coâ—â—ersation of the Worshippers as the difference of Meats and Drinks Uncleanness in touching the Dead Garments c. 7. The Religion of Vows Of these in their order I begin with Oblations and Sacrifices which were the principal Matter of the Ceremonious Worship commanded by the Mosaick Law These two are distinct things as we see in Psal. 40. 6. Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not And in Dan. 9. 27. He shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease Zebach and Minchah which are the words here used for Sacrifice and Oblation are answer'd by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heb. 10. 5. And the same Author again makes this division of the Legal Offerings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts and Sacrifices Heb. 9. 9. The Iewish Writers keep this distinction inviolably in their Treatises relating to this matter First The Mosaick Law enjoined the Minchah the Gift or Oblation i. e. Meal Flower Bread Cakes Wafers Salt Oil Frankincense handfuls of green Ears of Corn and all other Fruits of the Earth These were brought and burnt before God or partly eaten and partly burnt But tho Minchah was the general Name for the Offering and Burning of all inanimate things which were presented to God yet the Bread Meal or Flower that was offer'd was more signally called Minchah For which reason I conceive if I may be permitted to be critical in this matter Minchah which we constantly translate in the â—entâ—teuch a meat Offering should rather be rendred a meal or flower Offering And the Sacrifices of Flâ—sâ— might be called the meat Offerings rather according to our usual way of speaking But the Mincah was a Câ—â—e made of fine Meal Oil and Frankincense and baked It was offer'd every Morning and Evening with the ordinary Sacrifices and at other times it was generally join'd with all bloody Sacrifices The like kind of Oblation among the Gentiles was called Libum The Oblations of the things before mentioned were sometimes stiled Terumoth or Heave-offerings from the manner of offering them viz. by holding them up and by shaking them up and down to signisy say the Jews that God was Lord of Heaven and Earth For Terumah was an Offering to God of something they had received to acknowledg God's Dominion over the whole Earth and to set forth his Praise and Honour It was an honouring of God with their Substance and a thankful remembrance of the Blessings they enjoyed in so good a Land The Oblations of these things were sometimes also called Tenuphoth or Wave-Offerings because they used this kind of gesture in offering them they waved them to and fro from the right to the left East and West North and South and this also was to declare that God was Lord of the whole World These Offerings were instituted by God as an Acknowledgment that the Fruits of the Earth which they enjoy'd were from him The liquid things which were offered to God were Water Wine Oil and Blood The way of offering these Liquors was partly by effusion they poured out the Water Oil and Blood and some portion of the Wine on the ground and spilt them about the Altar and upon the Sacrifices Thence that of the Apostle may be understood If I be poured forth for so it is in the Greek upon the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith Phil. 2. 17. And part of the Wine they drank whence you read of Drink-Offerings or Libations Of which the Psalmist speaks when he saith he will take the Cup of Salvation Psal. 116. 13. which is meant of the Drink-Offering of Praise which was in use when they sacrificed and feasted in the Temple These were the inanimate things of which 〈◊〉 Oblations consisted which were generally known by the name of Mincahor Meat-Offering as we translate it tho it is true likewise that Mincah which is a word of a large signification was the usual term for the daily Sacrifice Secondly Their Worship was accompanied with Sacrifices which were of living Creatures Zebach was the bloody Sacrifice such a one as was always attended with the shedding of the Blood of Beasts It is usually called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Slaughter Offering and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latins Victima and Hostia These Sacrifices properly so call'd were Animals kill'd and then burnt These Animals used in Scripture were either Terrestrial or AErial Beasts or Birds Of Beasts there were these three kinds only viz. the Bull or Cow or Ox which made but one kind the Goat or Kid the sheep or Lamb and this may be observ'd that a Lamb is applied to the young ones both of Goats and Sheep Exod. 12. 5. The Iewish Masters take notice that these were the only Cattel that were used in Sacrifice because they are mild and tame Creatures God made choice say they of those Animals that are driven by others not those that drive and worry others as the Lion the Wolf the Leopard Whence they make a good moral Observation that those are the Elect of God and are fit to be offer'd unto him who are of a meek and patient Spirit Tho I believe the true reason why Bulls Sheep and Goats were the standing Sacrifices was this that they were obvious and easy to be had Of Birds or Fowls they sacrificed Pigeons and Turtle Doves and some add the Sparrow But this is certain that if we reckon not this last among Sacrifices we must put it into the number of Oblations The Iewish Sacrifices were either Set and Determin'd or Vnlimited and Occasional The former were these that follow 1. Such as were Anniversary as that once a year in the Holy of Holies and those that were offer'd yearly at the Passover and other Solemn Feasts And the Paschal Lamb it self was a Sacrifice and often so call'd Exod. 12. 27. 23. 18. 34. 25. Deut. 16. 4 5. Why then is it not numbred among the Sacrifices by those that write on this Subject 2. Such as
beg leave to dissent from those who assert that these Sacrifices expiated only for lesser Sins and Failings and not for the greater ones of external idolatry Murder Blasphemy and the like It is not to be doubted that all kinds and degrees of Sin were expiated by the legal Sacrifices not only corporal Punishment in the sense which I have explain'd and legal Uncleanness but all moral Impurity and Guilt were taken away by them But this the Mosaick Sacrifices did not do of themselves but by virtue only of the Expiatory Sacrifice of the MESSIAS to come of which they were but Shadows To speak properly and strictly they did not really and formally but typically expiate i. e. as they were Significations and Figures of that great Sacrifice to be offer'd Lastly then the grand and principal End of the Judaical Sacrifices was to typify and represent the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Socinus denies not that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation was a Type of Christ ' s Death But as for the other common and usual Sacrifices he holds that Christ was not prefigured by them but that the Spiritual Sacrifices of Christians were only typified thereby This is a gross Error for the Burnt-Offerings and Sin-Offerings and Peace-Offerings which were common and frequent were Expiatory Sacrifices as I shew'd before and they were as much Expiatory as that which was but once a Year Now being Expiatory they as such were Types of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Lamb of God they prefigured Christ's Death and the Expiation and Satisfaction which he was to make for Sin It is a strange thing therefore to me that Socinus who denies Christ to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice should grant that the Sacrifice which the High Priest offer'd once a Year entring into the Holy of Holies prefigured the Death of Christ for the same reason he ought to grant that all the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Law were Types of our Saviour And he could not but see that the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth not only speak of that Annual Sacrifice as a prefiguration of Christ's Passion and apply it expresly to him in Heb. 9. 12. By his own Blood â—e entred in once into the Holy Place but the same Infallible Spirit in that Epistle applieth what is said of the other Sacrifices unto Christ Therefore the Apostle saith Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 15. 7. Therefore Iohn the Baptist call'd our Saviour the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World John 1. 29. having respect without doubt to the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Old Testament which prefigured Christ the true Immaculate Lamb the Lamb that was slain as the same inspired Writer speaks from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Christ's Offering was the Idea and Pattern of all the Levitical and Mosaical Sacrifices To this very end God instituted these that they might shadow out that to us A greater and better Sacrifice and Oblation of a higher nature was to succeed those viz. the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus by which God is appeased and all our Sins are expiated and therefore the Phrase of a sweet-smelling Savour applied to Expiatory Sacrifices under the Law is used and that properly by the Apostle concerning Christ his giving up himself for us and pacifying God's Wrath on our behalf That the Legal Sacrifices were Types and Symbols of spiritual things is acknowledg'd by Philo but we who have an infallible information from the New Testament are taught further viz. that they were Types of Christ the great Sacrifice And we have the greatest reason imaginable to assent to this because the Blood of Bulls and Goats was a poor Expiation of it self That Butchery that bloody Employment could have no real and intrinsick worth in it and therefore it must needs have been in order to something else it was to prefigure the expiatory Death and Sacrifice of the Massias And all the time that these Mosaick Sacrifices lasted they did not pacify God's Anger and satisfy his Justice and take away Sin and justify Persons by their own Force and Virtue or by their own worthiness but they did all this typically and mystically as they represented Christ and his Merit who was the Great Sacrifice they did it by Divine Order and Institution CHAP. VI. The High-Priest's Office His peculiar Attire The Imployment and Apparel of the Priests The Levites Particular Charge Whether they might sacrifice or no. Their Office in the Reigns of King David and King Solomon differ'd in some things from what it was before The ordinary and fixed Place of Worship and particularly of Sacrificing was the Tabernacle A particular Account of the three Divisions or Partitions of it viz. the Outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies with all things contain'd in them The Mystical and Spiritual meaning of the several Particulars The Travels and Removes of the Tabernacle and Ark. A distinct Account of the Parts of the Temple shewing wherein it differ'd from the Tabernacle Of the Fabrick it self and its Dimensions Houses and Chambers belonging to it The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law HAving spoken of Sacrifices we will now in the second place speak of the Sacrificers the Persons that officiated in the Ceremonial Worship under the Law There were three Orders of these the first whereof was the High-Priest For tho there were Priests before the Law who were Fathers and Heads and the First-born of Families yet we read of 〈◊〉 High-Priest This Office is now added and Aaron had it first of all to whose House it was tied by Divine Institution But it continued not long there only Eleazer succeeded his Father Aaron and upon Eleazer's Death three Priests of his Family successively were High-Priests Then the Office went out of the House of Aaron and came to Eli of the Family of Ithamar But generally afterwards the High Priesthood was by succession of Blood and lineally descended from the Father to the Son or if there were no Son to the next of the Kindred This High Priest was the great and supreme Ecclesiastical Minister among the Iews And even according to Philo and some other Iews was a Type of the Messias His Office was in common with that of the Priests of whom afterwards to pray for instruct and bless the People but his peculiar Province was to preside over the Priests and other inferior Officers of the Church to take care that they discharg'd their Function aright Whereas these administred daily he was obliged to officiate only on the solemn Day of Expiation He differ'd from them in the manner of his Consecration and was peculiar in some other things He had the singular honour to be the Metropolitan of the Jewish Church and the President of the Great Council or Sanhedrim To make him more pompous and venerable the Law took care of his very Attire I will only shew you this Sacred Wardrobe and
In the Tabernacle there was but one Golden Candlestick with seven Branches but instead of that in the Temple there were ten Golden Candlesticks five on one hand and five on the other for the Temple being greater wanted more Light The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Altar of Incense was of the same materials and make with that in the Tabernacle The third Part of the Temple was that which was called the Court. This part was not covered but lay open to the Sky but the Body of the Temple and the Oracle were covered This East-end of the Temple was divided into four lesser Courts whereas in the Tabernâ—cle there was but one Area or Court 1. The Priests Court which was next the Body of the Temple In it was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brazen Altar of Burnt-Offerings which were offer'd every Morning and Evening This was a great deal longer broader and wider than that in the Tabernacle for it was 20 Cubits in lâ—ngth 20 in breadth and 10 in height Observe that at first Altars were without Steps but â—â—â—â—wards this was dispensed with And as Religion advanced so did the Altars and rose higher and higher as is evidâ—nt here in this tho some Abatements are â—ade in these Dimâ—nsions by saâ—ing this Altar shâ—uld not be measured by Sacred Cubits but common ones which are as short again as the others In this Court were two Brass Pillars call'd Iachin and Boaz one on the right hand and the other on the left which are an addition to what was in the Tabernacle for we read of no such thing there Here also were ten Lavers of Brass five on the right hand and five on the left whereas there was but one brazen Laver in the Tabernacle The Beasts for Sacrifice were washed here being first wash'd in the Sheep-pool Here was the Sea of Brass standing on 12 Oxen of Brass In this the Priests and Levites wash'd their hands and feet before they serv'd at the Altar Into this Court none generally enter'd but the Priests and Levites 2. The Peoples Court i. e. the Court of the Israelites and all other Circumcised Worshippers This is that which is call'd the Great Court 2 Chron. 4. 9. Here they stood to pray and to see the performance of the Sacrifices Here were several Porches for the People to repair to in rainy weather and thence this Court is sometimes call'd the Porch and it is particularly call'd Solomoâ—'s Porch Acts 3. 11. 5. 12. because he stood here when he dedicated the Temple About the middle of this Court was the brazen Scaffold or Stage which Solomon erected and where he stood and prayed 2 Chron. 6. 13. The Gate of this Court is that which was call'd the beautiful Gate as some think Acts 3. 10. The King only went in at this Gate Ezek. 44. 3. but the People went in by two Gates on the North and South Ezek. 46. 9. This Court was call'd the Peoples Court because the Jewish People went no further than this Court and worship'd here But this Court frequently goes under the Name of the Temple in the New Testament as in Matth. 21. 12. Acts 3. 1. and other places Here Christ preached and here he cast out the Buyers and Sellers 3. The Womens Court which was an Apartment distinct from that of the Men. In imitation of which perhaps it is that among the Iâ—ws at this day the Men and Women do not worship together but are confined to a place that looks into the Synagogue So among the Turks none but Males enter the Moschs And in Russia the Women either stand at the Door of the Church or are in some place shut up from the Men. In this Court stood the Treasury from whence this Court is called the Treasury John 8. 20. It was stiled in Hâ—brew Corban i. e. a Gift because it contain'd the Gifts and Mony offer'd by the People towards the repairing of the Temple relieving the Poor and the providing of Sacrifices Here Christ saw the Widow casting in her Mite 4. The Court of the Gentiles or of the Proselytes of the Gate Here as some think was a Market of Sheep and Oxen Doves c. and here were the Shops and Tables of Mony-changers for the supply of Oblations The others think as hath been mention'd that the Buyers and Sellers had intruded even into the Peoples Court. This outward Court of the Gentiles or Uncircumcised Proselytes is called the House of Prayer to or for all Nations because the Gentiles were admitted to pray in this part of the Temple But they were not permitted to come into the Inner Court of the Temple thence St. Paul is impeached for bringing Greeks into the Temple Acts 21. 28. This Partition was divided from the other Court where the Iews and Circumcised Proselytes were by a little Stone-wall but three Cubits high with this Inscription on Pillars Let no Alien enter into the Holy Place To this Wall the Apostle alludeth saying Christ hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us i. e. between Jews and Gentiles Ephes. â— 14. This Court is sometimes call'd the Temple for the Temple is taken either strictly for that part which was covered into which the Priests only enter'd or largely for all that space walled in but not covered where the People as well as the Priests were and thus these four Courts may be called the Temple This may suffice for an Account of those particular things which were contained in the Iewish Temple As for the Fabrick it self I will only say this which exalts it above all the Buildings in the World that the Contriver of it was God himself the Platform was from Heaven For which reason the Form of it hath been imitated by Christians who generally built their Churches after that Model Thence we read in the Writings of the Greek Fathers and in the Antient Councils and Historians of 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answer to the Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple Thus the Antient Christians emulated that Divine Pattern I may truly call it the Pattern in the Mount for this stately Pile stood upon Mount Sion a principal part of Iâ—rusalem Here God's Temple and the King's Palace were seated Here it was that Abraham of old offer'd his Son Isaac for Mount Sion and Mount Mâ—riah are the same as Ioseph 〈◊〉 and so it was a fit place where those Solemn Oâ—â—erings and Sacrifices should bâ— which were to represent and presigniâ—y the Mystical Isaac the Blessed Messias the Sacrifice offer'd for the Sins of the World As for the Dimensions of this Temple built by Solomon for that which was erected after the return from the Captivity and was afterwards repair'd and in a manner rebuilt by Hâ—râ—d seven Years before our Saviour's Birth differ'd from this as to
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
from God's Grace and Favour THerefore in the next place I proceed to the Gentile Oâ—conomy for so I may call it tho it lies not all together as the other Dispensations do but is dispers'd both through the Abrahamick and Mosaick Oâ—conomiâ—s You must know then that tho the Church of God or the Faithful were separated from the greater part of the World which were Infidels and commonly call'd in Scripture the Nations for tho sometimes but very rarely this word be apply'd to Iews as well as Heathens in the Old and New Testament yet generally Gâ—jim gentes is the word in the Old Testament proper to those that believe not in the true God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament expresses the same Thence is the common Antithesis in the New Testament of Iew and Greek or Gentile and this was the perfect dichotomy of all Mankind at that time and tho the Church were those of the stock of Abraham who retain'd the true Worship of God and more especially and eminently the Iews were call'd the Church and peculiar People of God and the Nations were those that invented new Gods and worshipped them and lived in all sorts of Wickedness and Lewdness as Babylon Sodom Egypt and other places yet the Seat of the Church was not so tied to Abraham's family or afterwards to the Iews that Salvation was confined to that People or that there were no other persons professing Godliness besides them Altho God in a peculiar way reveal'd himself to Abraham and his Family and that by Covenant yet others likewise were favoured by God and included in that Covenant Tho God calls himself the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod. 3. 6. that is he was the God of those Patriarchs and of their Seed in a peculiar manner as having actually made a Covenant with them and promis'd that the Blessed Seed the Messiaâ— should arise thence yet in a larger and extensive sense God was the God of other People besides For as all were not Good that were in Abraham's Family or of his Posterity there were Ismael and Esau Incestuous Reuben the Bloody Simeon and Levi and both in the Wilderness and in Canaan there were Murmurers Blasphemers Idolaters and persons every way defiled so all were not Bad or shut out from Grace and the Covenant of Mercy that were not of the Family or Race of Abraham There was Shem Noah's First-born who lived in Palestine when Abraham came thither out of Babylon and it is highly probable that he was a Good Man and a Religious Worshipper Nor must Iaphet be supposed to have revolted form God this was one of the Sons of the Blessing and it is likely was a godly Person Abimelech one of the Kings of Canaan it is probable of the Southern part of it as Melchisedech of whom I shall speakâ— anon was King of the Northern parts was at that time one that feared the true God and thereby was taught to abstain form Abraham's Wife Gen. 20. 3 4. And indeed form several passages in this Chapter it appears that this King was a very Religious and conscientious Man that he had the knowledg of the true God and worship'd him Abraham's asking God to spare Sodom if there were fifty Righteous Men in it implies that he thought there were so many there and consequently other Cities of that bigness had at least that number of Righteous Persons and proportionably in greater places he thought there were more that might be saved Now it is not probable that he was wholly mistaken and consequently there were Religious Persons besides those of Abraham's Seed even in the Cities of Palestine Rahab was a Canaanite but yet a Religious Faithful Woman one that acknowledg'd and worship'd the God of Israel and accordingly is commended for her Faith Heb. 11. 31. and questionless others there were in that Countrey tho they are not particularly mention'd who feared God I will instance in one very Great and Eminent Person who was a Canaanite viz. Mâ—lchisedech I know it is disputed who he was 1. Some have thought that he was an Angel in the Form of a Man as St. Augustin tells us This was the fancy of Origen as we may gather from one of his Homilies 2. Others as Hierax and the Hieracites a sort of Hereticks in the Third Century named from him hold that Melchisedech was the Divine Power of God or more plainly the Person of the Holy Ghost in shape of a Man as Epiphanius reports 3. Others as the same Father relates said he was the Son of God Incarnate And this Opinion is imbraced by a modern Writer who would perswade us that Melchisedech and Christ are the same But these are false and groundless surmises and have no bottom to support them As to the last of them it is incredible that the Type and Antitype should be the same for this is the case here Melchisedech was a Representative of our Saviour according to that of the Apostle Heb. 6. 20. Iesus was a Priest after the Order of Melchisedech Which he explains in Chap. 7. ver 15. After the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another Priest as much as to say Melchisedech and Christ were like one another in several things and thereupon one was design'd to be a fit Type of the other But it is unreasonable and absurd to say that a Person is like himself therefore we cannot rationally imagine that Christ who as St. Paul saith was after the similitude of Melchisedech was the same with him This cannot be admitted by any considerate Man And this also is to be remembred that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews where he particularly treateth of Melchisedech would certainly have told us this if it had been so St. Ierom is of the Opinion that Melchisedech and Shem the Son of Nâ—ah were the same Person and he saith it was the general Tradition of the Hebrews But this is not the first time that he as well as other Christians have been deceived by Iews I grant that the Ierusalem Targum on the Text that speaks of Melchisedech asserts him to be Shem and I deny not that Ionathan the Author of this Targum lived before Christ's coming It was then the Antient perswasion of the Iewish Doctors and therefore I cannot excuse Iacobus Capellus who saith it was but a late Device and Fiction of the Iews If he had said it was an old Fiction of the Rabbies he had spoken Truth for it is wâ—ll known to the Learned that these Men were given to Forgery form the beginning and that their Writings abound with mere Inventions of their own and this among the rest may be one Instance of their Abilities that way Again it was not universally receiv'd by the Iews that Shem and Melchisedech were the same for both Iosephus and Philâ— two of the most Learned and Judicious Men of that Nation think otherwise Further
Israelites yet they were as good as taken in as to other Clauses of it and as to the Effence and Substance of it viz. the Spiritual Mercies couched in it Thus they were comprehended in the Covenant of Life and Salvation for all of what Nation soever were Partakers of the Benefits of it upon their believing and repenting Not only Iews but Gentiles were interested in it In the full Meal and Provision which God made for his own People the Israelites some Portions some Fragments fell besides the Table which others gather'd up This is God's Administration to the Gentiles and I make it a particular and distinct Dispensation tho I see those who reckon up the different Dispensations of Religion omit this The Reason I suppose is because this Gentile Dispensation is mixed with the rest of the Dispensations Because it was concurrent with the Patriachal and Mosaical Oeconomies and was not a thing by it self they took no notice of it But notwithstanding this it is a peculiar Dispensation and a very remarkable one too as the Premises may convince us And at last our Blessed Saviour perfected this Dispensation for a little before he left the World he enjoyn'd the Apostles to go and teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19. to Evangelize the Goyim the Nations for so the Iews call'd all People besides themselves to propagate Christianity throughout the whole World And accordingly we read that when the Apostles had continued some time at Ierusalem after Christ's Ascention only some of them now and then slepping abroad to confirm the neighbouring Churches that were lately planted they issued out with one consent into several Countries where by their Travels they spread the Gospel as effectually as David and Solomon did the Hebrew Tongue the one by his numerous Conquests the other by his prosperous Fleets and Commerces so that even in St. Paul's time the Gospel was Preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. Thus at length the Gentile Dispensation was swallow'd up of the Evangelical one which now I will particularly speak of CHAP. XI The Christian or Evangelical Oeconomy It agrees with the former Dispensations of Grace as to the Designation of the Messias As to the way of Salvation As to the Conditions and Qualifications of it This corroborated by the suffrage of the Antient Fathers It differs from the Mosaick Oeconomy or Law as to the Author in some respect As to the Actual Discovery of it As to the Clearness of it As to its Spirituality As to its Extent As to several Circumstances that relate to the Conditions of Salvation which are largely enumerated As to the Motives of Obedience The Doctrine of the Socinians viz. that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament confuted As to the Perfection of its Pattern As to its Helps and Assistances This Query Whether Christ added any new Laws to those which were before under the Old Testament resolved in several Particulars It is proved against the Socinians that Prayer was commanded under the Law How Love is call'd a New Commandment THe Christian or Evangelical Dispensation is next to be treated of God having at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past hath now in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Heb. l. 1 2. He was pleased to reserve the utmost Completion of all the Promisâ—s made to the Patriarchs and the Iews till this time Now by Christ's coming we have the perfect Accomplishment of them all Christianity comprehends all the other Dispensations and is the Upshot of them all This is called the Revelation of the Mystery which was kepe secret since the World began but now is made manifest Rom. 16. 26 27. and the Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men but is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Eph. 3. 4 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly he that brings forth and distributes that which was before laid up This is agreeable to the Oeconomy which we are now to discourse of the great Things which were hidden and treasured up before are now brought forth and discovered and communicated to the World This is that Dispensation which brings Everlasting Righteousness with it this is the Highest and Noblest Exertment of the Covenant of Grace and all the Mercy and Pardon which former Generations found were on the sole account of this Period This Dispensation of the Messias is represented by Iohn Baptist and by Christ himself to be the most Glorious State that hath yet appeared in the World or that ever shall appear for Christianity as most perfect includes all the Laws before named and all the ways of Discovery that can be made 1. I will shew the particular Nature of this Dispensation and how it differs from the others 2. I will shew why this Evangelical Dispensation took not place in the World before 3. I must particularly and directly prove the Truth and Certainty of this Oeconomy and of the Christian Religion 4. I will discover to you the several Degrees of this Dispensation All which Particulars are of great use for the right understanding of this last Administration of Religion 1. I will display the particular Nature and Quality of this Oeconomy this new Oeconomy of the Gospel Here I will let you see 1. That as to the main it agrees with all the other Oeconomies of Grace viz. from the Restoration of Adam 2. That tho as to the main it agrees with all the foregoing Dispensations yet as to sundry particulars it differs from them First all the Dispensations agree in the main i. e. 1. The Divine Designation or Appointment of the Messias reach'd to them all This Lamb was slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. His Sufferings and Death were decreed from all Ages Christ was crucified from the beginning even from Eternity For tho some interpret this place as if it alluded to the Murder of Abel the first holy Person that was slain and as if it took in the rest of the Martyrs in after Ages the Lamb here signifying the whole Succession of Saints who were innocent and spotless in their Lives and invincible in their Deaths and so Christ as well as others may be said to be slain from the foâ—ndation of the World because there was at First even at the Beginning of the World this Example of the Wicked's murdering the Just yet this must be look'd upon as a forced Interpretation of the words for in the stile of Scripture excepting those places where the Sense must needs be restrained and limited because of the subject matter from the foundation of the World is as much as from Eternity as is plain from Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World and from Ioh. 17. 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the World for from the foundation or before the foundation are here
Shadows Christ in this sense is call'd the trâ—e Light and true Bread Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 6. 32. The Ceremonial Law was but a Figure of the Evangelical Truth And this is deservedly called Trâ—th because all the Ceremonial Types are Verified and Fulfill'd in Christ. All those Iudaick Hieroglyphicks are now unridled and plainly discovered to the World and he that runs may read them The Types and Symbols are gone and now the Things themselves are present and are clearly understood by us This makes the difference between the Mosaick Dispensation and the Evangelical One. The Doctrine of Salvation and the means of Life by Christ are more intelligible and plain than they were before Their Conceptions of those things were intricate and obscure but we have arrived to clear and distinct Notions concerning them In short the way of Salvation was before more dark and general they saw Christ through â—ertain Perspectives afar off but now the fulness of time is come and hath given us a near and more perfect view of those things which they saw but in a glass darkly 4. The Religion of the Gospel is more Inward and Lively than that of the Law and the Jewish Administration There is now introduced a Rational and Manly Service our Religion is chiefly the employment of our Minds and Understandings and not so much of our Bodies and lower Faculties We now worship God in Spirit as well as in Truth of which I spake befoâ—e we worship in a spiritual manner opposed to outward and bodily Service as Sacrifices Purifications c. The Evangelical Righteousness is a Spiritual Administration a Vital Principle able to beget a Divine Life whereas the Law comparatively was an external dead Letter and did not sufficiently actuate the Minds and Spirits of Men. It is true the History of the Gospel or the Doctrin of the Evangelists as it is merely propounded and written is as much external as the Law but the ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it going along with the Gospel in a more especial and peculiar manner is a powerful Principle in the Souls of Men whereby they are inwardly renewed and transformed And so the Gospel compared with the Law is of greater Power Might and Efficacy and is able to produce a heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul and a sincere performance of the Divine Laws This is the Law promis'd to be written in the Hearts of Men and to be put into their inward parts Jer. 31. 33. 5. This Dispensation of the Gospel is larger and ampler than that of the Law and of other Dispensations before it For the Church was shut up in narrow bounds and confined to a few Families of the Patriarchs Afterwards it was limited to the Land of Canaan and to the Hâ—brew People excepting a few that were without who knew God's Will and were graciously accepted But after Christ came the Church was not tied to one Place or certain Nation but hath been ever since the Congregation of all such as truly know and worship Christ in any part of the World The Christian Dispensation is not local and temporary not confined to place or time not circumscribed by a particular Country Now not one Natâ—on only or a few of others are honoured with Laws given from God himself but Gentiles and Iews Greeks and Barbarians all Kindreds and Tongues all Countries and Regions of the Universe have heard the sound of the Gospel and have had the Divine Laws which were given by Christ himself offer'd to them Our Saviour bid his Disciples go into all the World and teach all Nations And accordingly as was observ'd before they travell'd into all the World which was at that time known and proclaimed the Messias to them Thus Christ came and preach'd Peace to them that were afar off and to them that were nigh Ephes. 2. 17. All Places and Countries had the privilege of the Gospel and might receive advantage by it This is one remarkable Difference between the Legal and the Evangelical Dispensation the former was Narrow and Contracted the latter was Full Ample Comprehensive and Catholick 6. Altho as hath been said the Conditions of Salvation are the same now as to the main with those before yet they vary as to several Circumstances To begin with Faith the first and chief Condition of Salvation the grand Fundamental Grace of Christianity This is reckon'd by the Reverend Bishop Taylor among the Instances of Duties which are new under the Gospel But the true account is this that Faith was not a Precept of the Natural or Moral Law but was a new Precept added to it by Revelation when the First Promise and New Covenant were made But ever since that it hath not been New for as I have proved the Antient Patriarchs were saved by Faith in Christ. He was the Object of Faith then as well as now the Faith of the first Believers was the same with the Faith of Christians Yet notwithstanding this this Grace of Faith hath a different aspect from what it had The Fathers believed in the Messias that was to come and we believe in the same Jesus who is come and hath taken on him our Nature and laid down his Life and shed his precious Blood for the redemption of lost Man and rose again and ascended into Heaven Thus the believing of Christ's Birth Passion Resurrection and Ascension is in this respect nâ—w that Faith looks upon them as accomplished But otherwise in respect of the things themselves it is the old Faith i. e. the same which those that lived before the time of the Messias exerted Christ that was to be crucified was the Object of their Belief and Christ already crucified is the Object of ours This is confirm'd â—rom Isa. 53. Acts 15. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 9. 11. and abundance of other Texts St. Augustine having affirmed that the Saints of old were saved in the same way that we are viz. by Faith in Jesus adds this distinction They saith he were saved by Faith in Christ's future Sufferings and we by Faith in those Sufferings as they are already past This is that which our Church saith speaking of the People of God that lived before Christ's Incarnation Althâ— they were not named Christian men yet was it a Christian Faith which they had for they looked for all the Benefits of God the Father through the Merits of his Son Iesus Christ as we now do This difference is between them and us that they looked when Christ should come and we are in the time when he is come Besides a more general Belief was sufficient for mens Salvation before the Messias's coming than is now It was not necessary to Salvation to believe so expresly and explicitly concerning Christ and his Undertakings as we are obliged to believe since So that tho there is not now a New Faith neither are there New Articles of Faith yet there are New Exertments of Faith and more clear
Salvation by their own perfect Obedience but by virtue of the perfect Righteousness of the Messias who was to come in the fulness of time It only seem'd good to the All-wise God to obscure and disguise this Covenant in part that they might be fitted for the insuing Dispensation of the Gospel and that this Dispensation might appear more bright and glorious Now it was that the Covenant of Grace most signally display'd it self By Christ's coming and by the preaching of the Gospel it was fully and amply manifested tho it had been in being ever since the Restauration of Adam Now at last the actual fulfilling of the Grand Promise of this Covenant viz. the Incarnation of Christ was accomplished He came on purpose to perfect that Covenant which had been made and renew'd before between God and Man Never till this time was there any compleat discovery of this blessed Agreement and Contract between God and us In the Writings of the New Testament alone we find this set forth Here is plainly discover'd the Mediator of this Covenant Iesus Christ the Righteous the Eternal and only begotten Son of God who vouchsafed to assume our Humane Nature to clothe himself with Flesh to converse in the World above thirty Years to instruct Mankind by his Heavenly Doctrine to confirm and establish us in it by his Divine Miracles to direct us to the practice of it by his Holy Life and Spotless Example and at length to die for us to satisfy for our Sins As the publick and most solemn Covenants which we read of in the Old Testament were made with killing and sacrificing and effusion of Blood by Divine Appointment without doubt So here the Blessed Messias who was to compleat the Covenant of Grace shed on the Cross his most precious Blood which therefore is call'd the Blood of the Covenant Again in the Scriptures of the New Testament are plainly and expresly set forth the Terms of the Covenant of Grace i. e. what God hath promised to do and what Obligations are upon us Here Christ and his Apostles and Evangelists proclaim Remission of Sins the peculiar Benefit and Privilege of the Covenant of Grace and Immortality and Eternal Life are brought to light by this Gospel and the performance of all the precious Promises which concern this Life and another is ascertainâ—d to us here And as it assureth us that God will fulfil his Promises so it urgeth upon us the performing of our Ingagements Christianity is an Obligatory Covenant and this Obligation is mutual God will discharge his part we must see that we perform the Conditions which are required on our side The Gospel acquainteth us that if our Peace and Reconciliation be not made it is our own fault wholly we will not leave our Sins and thereby we â—rustrate the Agreement and Contract of the Gospel This therefore calls upon us to undertake the Counter-part of the Covenant i. e. to be holy in all manner of Conversation to deny all Ungodliness and wordly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World to adorn the Gospel by a strict and circumspect walking and to bring forth much Fruit to the Glory of our Heavenly Father In the Evangelical Writings the Terms on our part which are Faith Repentance and Obâ—diâ—ncâ— are more distinctly set down than ever especially the Nature of Faith and the peculiar Virtue of it are explain'd in that manner which they were never before for that by Works and Faith we are saved but that by Faith alone we are justified is the Doctrine which St. Paul hath abundantly asserted proved and confirmed and it is establish'd by the other Apostles which shews the great discrimination between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace The Gospel tells us how we are to find real Advantage by this Covenant and Law of Grace it ascertains us that we can reap the Benefit of it only by Câ—nvâ—rsiâ—n and Râ—gâ—neration It is therefore urged and inculcated that we must be born again that we must be Nâ—â— Creatures that there must be a Renâ—vation of our Hearts and Lives Lastly Christianity informs us what are the Seals of this Covenant of Grace and accordingly let us know that by Baptism we are entred into Covenant with God and into the Church of Christ and that at the Lord's Supper we repeat and renew that Convenant Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant instituted this Federal Ordinance and this is that Holy Supper at which he gives us his Body to eat and his Blood to drink which he assures us is the Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26. 28. The sum then of what hath been said is That God pitied the Miâ—ery of Mankind and was pleased to make a Second Covenant with him and his Posterity after they had broke the First This Second Covenant tho it was made with Adam presently after his Fall yet it arrived not to its height and perfection till the coming of Christ and the preaching of the Gospâ—l Christianity is the Covenant or Law of Grace in the best Edition The Answer then to that Problem How the Old and the New Covenant differ is easily resolved from the Premises for if you understand as some do but how fitly you will judg from what I shall suggest by and by by the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works and by the New one the Covenant of Grace I have plainly and distinctly set down the Particulars wherein they differ Or if you mean by the Old Covenant the Mosaical and Legal Dispensation and by the New Covenant the Dispensation of the Gospel which both are but One Covenant I have given ample Satisfaction to the Question by shewing wherein these two differ and by letting you see that the Covenant of Grace began with Mankind soon after the Fall and afterward was continued in the Mosaick Dispensation and at last was compleated by Christ's coming And here further to illustrate the Point I will clear the Acception of these Terms the Old and the New Covenant which so frequently occur in Holy Writ and I will make it evident to you that in the whole Book of the Scripâ—ures the Old Covenant is never applied to the Covenant of Works but is a part or degree of the Covenant of Grace This then we are to know that the Covenant of Grace is twofold Obscure or Manifest The first was from Adam's Restauration to our Saviour's coming the second is ever since The former is called the Old Covenant the latter the New Covenant and yet they are but one Covenant This you will find to be the stile of Sacred Scripture if you consult those two famous places the one in the Old Testament and the other in the New which treat of the Old and New Covenant The former is Iew. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with
Persons and Times he hath to do with Thus our Saviour was pleas'd to fulfil all Rightâ—ousness to comport with the present State and Oeconomy to allow of any thing or Dispensation which God will have to be in the World tho it may seem to some not to be so fitting and decorous This is sufficient that God acteth congruously to the nature of things and that all along he administers every thing for the greatest Good of Mankind altho in various Ways and Manners This is one Reason why the Evangâ—lical Dispensation was not introduced till other Dispensations were past The Indisposition of the former and first Times made Christ delay his Coming he knew they were not prepared to receive his Doctrine and Miracles This Reason is given by St. Augustin and Eusâ—bius agrees with him for treating of this very Question why Christ came so late he renders this Account of it The generality of the World was become like Beasts and so were not fit to receive Christ and his Doctrine It was necessary therefore that the Way should be prepared by Moses's Law by the Doctrine and Example of Prophets and good Men. Before this the World was uncapable of Christ and the Gospel 4. Christ came not till four thousand Years were expired that Mankind might see their Misery and be â—ensible of it and desire a Remedy and in the mean time more strenuously exercise their Faith and Hope Especially with respect to the Iewish People so many Ages had pass'd before the Messiâ—â— came because hereby God would let them see their want of a Messias that they might heartily breathe after and long for a Redâ—â—mâ—r and Saviour that they might earnesâ—ly expect and pray for a Delivâ—râ—r to rescue them from that intolerable Yoke which they were under This seems to be one Reason why God deferred the sending of his Son Which is implied in those words of the Apostle Rom. 5. 20. The Law entred i. e. the Mosaick Dispensation interposed between Abraham and Christ's time and thereby the Evangelical State was deâ—er'd a long time that the Offence might abound that the heinous Transgression of the Law might be the better discern'd to be Sin and that Men might be throughly apprehensive of it Then the Apostle adds where Sin abounded Grace did mucâ— more abound i. e. by this means the Grace of God in â—ending his Son and his pardoning of Sinners through his Blood are the more fully display'd and taken notice of Which leads me to another Account of this matter 5. So far as we can apprehend the wise Designs and Purposes of God we may render this Reason why this Benefit was so long delay'd viz. that it might thereby be Commâ—ndâ—d to us and that we might set the greatâ—r Value on it God suffer'd the Darkness for so many hundred years that he might bring forth a more Glorious Light at last From the opposition of these two the Divine Wisdom is more manifest and the Victory of the one over the other is more eminent Hence Mankind is more eager in embracing the Light of the Gospel and all the Advantages of it become more welcome and grateful 6. It was not fit so Great a Prince and Saviour as the Messias should arrive without Harbingers and Forerunners of his Coming So that Pious Doctor of the Church speaks Christ was to be foretold many Ages before he came because it was no little and mean thing that was to come The greater this Judg was it was fitting the greater should be his Equipage and a longer Train of Messengers and Heralds should go before him Observe therefore after the Types and Shadows were vanished after the Legal Services were expired after all the Predictions of the Patriarchs and Aposâ—les were accomplished after the so often repeated Promises concerning Christ were fulfilled after the appearances of Angels and Visions and Revelations and extraordinary Declarations from Heaven had made way for the arrival of the Messias after he was generally expected by the Iewish Nation after all these Preparatives and Forerunners of his Coming were fully past then he actually enâ—â—ed on the stage of the World and manifested himself in the Flesh. The Time appointed by the Father for the sending his only begotten Son or as the Apostle calls it â—â—e Fulness of Time happily brought along with it the Fulness of Christ as the same Apostle speaks It was Reasonable Decorous and Congruous that so great a Person and so great a Blessing should not come on a sudden but that the World should be a long time prepared for so Glorious a Dispensation 7. The necessities of Mankind seem'd to call for him at that very Time when he came This is the Reason which Gregory Nazianzen gives why Christ came not before but then because the World was more than â—ver corrupted and the Degeneracy was greater the Disease was at its heighth and then the Remedy was most proper So Theodoret compares Christ to those Physicians who reserve their strongest Medicines till the last for having used Lenitives first they choose to administer more powerful Medicines afterwards The corruption by Adam having miserably infected the World God used fit means to stop the growth of it and to curb Sin and Wickedness Besides the Law of Nature implanted in Mens minds which was a constant check to immoral and vicious Actions the Works of the Creation which were continually before their eyes wâ—re servicâ—able to instruct them in the Wisdom and Power of God and to bring them to reverential Thoughts of him and to induce them to serve and obey the 〈◊〉 and Preserver of all things God swept away the Old World with an universal Dâ—luge to make the poor remainder better by reflecting on his Severity againâ—â— Sinners And when the World increas'd again and â—ultitudes of People were spread on the face of the Earth the Almighty God shew'd his Displeasure against Sin in confounding the Language of the Babel-Builders in consuming Sodom and Gomorrâ—â— with Flames from Hâ—â—ven and in several other Instances he let Men understand that he was highly incens'd against Sinners which should have been a Warning to them and was so designed by God that they might tremble at his Judgments and abandon their evil ways When God beheld the obstinacy of Mankind he was pleased to make â—uller Discoveries of himself than before he chose out a peculiar People to impart his Will to that they whatever others did might serve and worship him in a more solemn and pure manner and that their exemplary Lives might have influence on the rest of the World He writ Laws with his own hand to deliver to them he rais'd up Seers and Prophets among them who daily admonish'd them of their Duty and by frequent dispensing of Mercies and Judgments he strove to make them sensible of it and to keep them firm to it When for their crying Sins they were sent into Captivity God restored them again and placed
Prayer was heard and the People that stood by and heard it said that it thunder'd others said an Angel spake to him John 12. 28 29. Thus Christ was signally glorified by his Father and declared by him to be the Messias the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven attended with a kind of Thâ—nder To this we may annex God's speaking in a rushing mighty wind on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. And Christ Jesus himself being in Heaven spake to Saul thence by a Voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. St. Iohn in the Apocalypse makes frequent mention of a Voice speaking to him and revealing great things to him where it is observable that Thunders and Voices go together chap. 4. 5. and 8. 5. Thus the New Testament as well as the Old had the benefit of that Divine Oracle which the Iews stiled the Daughter of a Voice i. e. a Voice from Heaven declaring the Will of God to Men. Afterwards we are told in Ecclesiastical History that those who were set on work by Iulian the Apostate to rebuild the Temple at Ierusalem were defeated by Thunder and a TERRIBLE VOICE that accompanied it from Heaven thereby bearing witness to the Cause of Christianity 2. The Iews had the Testimony of Angels and so have Christians to confirm this Oeconomy By these Heavenly Messengers Zacharias had notice given him of the approaching Birth of Iohn the Baptist and the Virgin Mary had tidings brought her of the miraculous Conception of the Holy Babe Jesus in her Womb and these were the Heralds that proclaimed the News of his Birth to the Shepherds One of this Celestial Order appeared to Ioseph and warn'd him to flie into Egypt with the Blessed Infant These glorious Spirits gave notice of Christ's Resurrection and when he ascended up to Heaven another of this Celestial Hierarchy address'd himself to the Apostles and assured them that in the like manner Jesus should come again to Judgment Another of these Ministring Spirits came to the devout Cornelius and bid him send for Peter that he might be the great and happy Instrument of converting him to the Christian Faith The Angel of God stood by St. Paul in the Night when he was on his dangerous Voyage and ascertain'd him of his safety Acts 27. 23. And sundry other instances there are of Angels making known the will of God unto Men in those early times of the Gospel and thereby attesting the Truth of Christianity 3. The Iews had the Mosaick Dispensation attested by Visions and we have the same way of Revelation to ascertain us of the Truth of Christianity Thus Zachariah saw a Vision in the Temple relating to the forerunner of Christ Luke 1. 22. The Apostles who were at our Saviour's Transfiguration had the same manner of discovery Mat. 17. 9. The Lord spake to Ananias in a Vision Acts 9. 10. You read of St. Peter's Vision whereby he was taught not to despise the Gentiles Acts 10. 10 c. A Vision appeared to Paul in the Night Acts 16. 9. And again the Lord incouraged him in a Vision Acts 18. 9. Of St. Stephen it is said that he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God the Divine Shekinah and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. And we read in the Book of the Revelation that St. Iohn had frequent Visions And hither may be refer'd those visible representations spoken of in the New Testament as the Holy Ghost's descending on Christ in the shape of a Dove after he was baptized The appearance of Cloven Tongues like as of fire over the Apostles heads The Light from Heaven which shone round about St. Paul at his Conversion All these appertain to the Shekinah the Glorious Presence and Lustre of theâ— Heavenly Majesty And hither may be refer'd the Radiant Presence of Christ the bright and glorious Manifestation of his Person which is often mention'd by the Evangelists Mat. 17. 2 5. Mark 9. 3. and Rev. 1. 16. He dwelt among us he was the true Shekinah and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. 4. Dreams were another sort of divine Revelations among the Jews and these also were not wanting to confirm the Truth of Christianity For we read that Ioseph was warned once and again in a Dream concerning Mary whom he had espoâ—sed and concerning the blessed Babe Mat. 1. 20. chap. 2. 12 13 19. And Pilate's Wife suffer'd many things in a Dream because of Christ who was then standing at the Bar before her Husband Mat. 27. 19. But because these Operations on the Imagination by Dreams are more liable to mistakes than Visions and other kinds of Revelation we have but few Instances of this However we are not wholly destitute of this Testimony under the Gospel 5. There was among the Jews that which they signally call'd the Holy Spirit viz. when Men were wonderfully and extraordinarily stir'd up to deliver the Will of God to make some divine Discoveries to the World and to assert their holy Religion This was in Christ himself Luke 4. 1. Acts 1. 2. 10. 38. and in the Apostles Acts 2. 4. 5. 8. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 11. 24. 19. 6. and in all the holy Men that were sent by him to preach the Gospel By this they were enabled to speak without any premeditation before Rulers and Kings Mark 13. 10 11. for our Saviour tells them it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost With this the Apostles were all fill'd when they met together on the Day of Pentecost and utter'd such divine and heavenly things By this Prophetick Afflation or Inspiration the Evangelists penn'd the Scriptures of the New Testament for tho these Writings may be said to be humane Testimony as they were writ by Men yet these Persons being inspired by the Holy Ghost and not speaking of themselves but by extraordinary Assistance their Writings and Testimony are Divine This is part of that more sure Word of Prophesy spoken of by St. Peter Ep. 2. ch 1. ver 19. which in the next Verse he calls the Prophesy of the Scripture By this Divine Inspiration the Prophets and Apostles saw and foretold what should come to pass afterwards By this inward Afflation the Apostles tho mean and illiterate Persons preached the Gospel with that Authority and Evidence which some of their most implacable Enemies were not able to resist These are the Divine Witnesses of the Truth of the Gospel-Dispensation and of the Christian Religion Yea even at this Day and to the Worlds end this last Testimony viz. of the Spirit is useful and necessary I do not mean any Miraculous gift of the Spirit but a special and peculiar assistance of it such as all regenerate Persons have experience of That we may be throughly certain that this or that was deliver'd by God that we may assuredly know that such things were of Divine
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
Keturaâ— should at last contribute towards the making up the Great and Entire Body of Converted Gentiles And Iacob's Prophecy concerning Ephraim looks this way His Seed shall become the Fulness of the Gentiles Gen. 48. 19. For the Word Gojim is most properly applied to the Gentiles not to the Iews And Our Translation is short when we render the other Word a Multitude for the proper import of it is Plenitudo Fulness Now when it was foretold that Ephraim's Seed should be the Fulness of the Gentiles the meaning is that from Ephraim shall proceed Innumerable Nations who shall imbrace the Gospel and so fill up the Conversion of the Gentiles To this Prophecy appertains Psal â— 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost Parts of the Earth for thy Possession The great and wonderful Access of the Gentiles to the Church of Christ from all Regions of the World is plainly predicted in Isa. 49. 5 c. 54. 1 c. 60. 1. to 15. v. 66. 19 c. The Places are so well known that there is no need of reciting them And in several other Prophets there are the like Predictions To which questionless our Saviour referr'd when he told the Iews that such and such Things should beâ—al them until the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled 21. Luk. 24 until the full Time come when the Gentiles shall be universally called into the Church Of this our Lord speaks Joh 10. 16. Other Sheep from among the Gentiles I have which are not of this Fold of the Jewish Church them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice they shall be Converted and become obedient Christians and there shall be one Fold one Church agreeing in the same Faith and Worship and Religious Practice and one Shepâ—erd they shall acknowledge me to be their Head and Pastor As it had been foretold concerning the Times of the Gospel this last Time especially They shall all have one Shepherd Ezek. 37. 24. they shall be united into one Body under one and the same Head And it may be that which he saith to the Church of Thyatira is to be interpreted of This He that overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the end to him will I give Power over the Nations and I will give him the Morning-Star Rev. 2. 26 28. The most Easy and Natural Sense of which Words is this That he that is Faithful to the end shall be honoured with the Conversion of Eastern Nations I will give him those Heathen People where the Morning-Star ariseth I will give him the Conversion of Those as the Reward of his Faithfulness A Future Calling of the Pagans may be expected at length as the Recompence of Overcoming and of Keeping my Works unto the end But supposing say some that this and other Texts of Scripture before mention'd speak of the Conversion of the Gentiles yet these Prophecies were all Fulfill'd in the Days of the Apostles when they went out to preach the Gospel to all Nations and so they have no reference to that Conversion of the Gentiles which I am speaking of But to this I answer That the Prophecies of the Conversion of the Gentiles were not fulfilled in those Times for though many Pagans were Converted in the Days of the Apostles yet that Conversion was not General Those Persons who were then Called were but the First-fruits of the Whole and Compleat Calling of the Pagans to Christianity which is to be a little before the Conversion of the Iews To this purpose the Apostle of the Gentiles is very clear in Rom. 11. 25 26. I would not Brethren that ye should be ignorant of this Mystery that Blindness in part is happen'd to Israel until the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved The Blindness of the Iews and the Salvation of the Gentiles are here called by St. Paul a Mystery And in this he intimates that those he wrote to did not know and comprehend the Design of God in this Matter Wherefore he unfolds this Mystery this Great Secret of Providence to them acquainting them that God took occasion from this strange Event to communicate the Gospel to the Gentiles and to convert them to the Faith and then by the Calling of these the Iews should afterwards be provoked to believe and to accept of the Gospel and so they should all be saved But whether this be spoken of a General Conversion towards the end of the World or only of the Great Numbers converted by Christ and his Apostles at the â—irst preaching of the Gospel as some are of Opinion is now to be considered I conceive then that there is a Twofold Calling or Conversion of the Gentiles a Partial and a Total one The first was when the Iews were rejected viz. in the Time of our Saviour and the Apostles then the Gentiles were called in to supply their room This is said to be the Salvation which is come to the Gentiles ver 11. of this Chapter and the Reconciling of the World v. 15. But there is a second Calling of The Gentiles and that is named here the Fulness of the Gentiles which is something that is Greater and Higher than the other for it denotes a compleat Body of them This is set forth in the Parable of the Great Supper 14. Luke where the Iews were those that were â—idden But upon their Refusal of the Invitation the Servants are commande to go into the Streets and Lanes of the City and bring in the Poor Maimed Halt and Blind These are the Gentiles that in the Apostles Times and ever since have been converted to the Christian Faith But after this is done it is said Yet there is room viz. for more Converts to Christianity and accordingly the Servant is bid to go out into the High-ways and Hedges and compel them to come in that the House might be filled Here is a plain Distinction between the former and the latter Conversion of the Gentiles After the first Invitation and Entertainment there was more room which intimates in my Opinion a future Calling of them And they are to be fetched out of the High-ways and Hedges to shew that though they be never so Mean and Unworthy they shall Partake of this Grace which shall be so Powerful and Effectual in those Days that they shall seem to be forced and compelled to come in And what follows is very observable and much to our present purpose they are thus compell'd to come in to the Great Supper of the Lord that his House may be filled that the Church may be Compleated and made Entire which it could not be without the Conversion of these Gentiles at last Many were converted before but now there shall be a General Imbracing of the Faith All Nations shall come to the Messias And there is another great Difference between that first Calling and this viz. That the General Calling of the Iews which
it hath travelled Westward The Church and the Sun as Mr. Herbert hath observed have observed the like Motion And it â—ath crossed the Western Ocean The Americans hear of Christ. We have an Essay in those Plantations to confirm us in the Truth of what is to come afterwards The true Gospel hath been preached and is at this Day in several Places of this New-found World And though the Roman Priests have planted their Perswasion in many Parts of it with vast â—â—fusion of Blood yet Popery may make way for a better Religion afterwards when the Gospel shall be spread even to the utmost Parts of this Western Hemisphere and so in its direct way step into the East again and visit the Islands in the Eastern Seas and then land on the Continent among the Tartars Indians Chinoises Persians c. and so finish its Circuit by returning to the Place where it set out first of all Thus our Saviour's Words shall be verified The Gospel shall be preached in all the World and then shall the End come Mat. 24. 14. This will be a plain Indication that they are come to the last Period of Time design'd for this World and that as soon as this is past the Day of Judgment is at hand Thus much concerning the Conversion of the Gentiles by whom I understand the People of those Nations and Countries that have not had the Knowledge of the True God And therefore they are to be distinguished from the Mahometans who are not to be reckon'd in the Body of the Gentiles and therefore not be Converted but Destroy'd III. The Conversion of the Iews is another Concomitant of the perfect State of Christianity This being a great Controversy among Divines Whether the Iews shall be Converted to Christ before the end of the World I will Inlarge upon it and endeavour to give Satisfaction in the Point By this Conversion we do not mean the Conversion of a Few but a Great and Remarkable a General and National Conversion of the Jews before the Consummation of all Things This was the general Belief of the Ancient Writers of the Church The Holy Scripture hath declared saith Cyril of Alexandria that the Jews in the last Times shall obtain Mercy being justified with us by Grace in Christ. The Jews saith another Godly Father shall turn unto God and believe in Jesus at the end of the World and be saved And that there shall be this Signal Conversion of that People was the Perswasion of several other Christian Fathers Though I find there is some Disagreement among them about this Whether the Iews shall return to their own Countrey Iudaea and there be fixed again and build and inhabit Ierusalem Origen speaking of the Jews affirms confidently that they shall not be restored to their own Land and with him agreeth St. Chrysostom But Iustin Martyr and some others of the Ancients hold that they shall return to the Land of Canaan upon their imbracing the Messias and that they shall be fixed there To prove which they quote Jer. 25. 5. Turn ye every one from his evil Ways and dwell in the Land which the Lord hath given unto you and to your Fathers for ever and ever In the 39 Chap. of Ezekiel there seems to be foretold not only the Destruction of the Turks call'd Gog in the latter Days ver 1. to 23. but immediately after that the Return of the Iews to their own Land v. 23. to the end of the Chapter All the Circumstances of the Prophecy argue it to be spoken of this last Return from their Captivity and Dispersion Which is further evidenced from those remarkable Words in the close of all v. 29. I will not hide my Face any more from them which shews that the Prediction can't be meant of their Return under Cyruâ— from their Captivity in Babylon because they have been Captives since and banished into all Parts of the World Whence I conclude that this Prophetick Promise was never yet accomplished and therefore must be And other Prophecies which are very plain may be alledged out of Isaiaâ— Ioel and Zechariah which forâ—tel that the Messias shall restore the Israelites to their own Land Indeed if we duly weigh some of those Passages we cannot but think it very credible that these poor Vagabonds shall recover again the Holy Land and inhabit there after their long Dispersion Though I will not designedly concern my self in this Dispute yet I think I shall render their Restauration extremely probable whilst I am discoursing of and proving the main Thing which is their Conversion And that this shall be National and General was the common Opinion of the Ancients and the Moderns excepting a Few assent to them in it I deny not that some of the Texts usually cited out of the Old Testament to prove the General Calling and return of the Jews before the last Judgment are to be understood of the Temporal Deliverance of that People from the Captivity and their Returning back to their own Land presently after And other Texts are meant of the Spiritual Deliverance of the Jews who were Godly and Righteous Some of those Prophecies being to be taken in a Mystical and Spiritual Sense Canaan being a Type of the Church And there are some Places also which speak of the Conversion of the Jews which was to be in our Saviour's Time when he chose his Disciples and Apostles out of the Jewish Nation and when afterwards Multitudes of Iews submitted to Châ—istianity and owned Iesus to be the Christ. All this I acknowledge but yet any unprejudiced Person may take notice of other Places of Scripture both in the Old and New Testament which point at the General and National Calling of the Jews and that towards the end of the World And it may be taken notice of further that some of those Texts which foretel their Return from Babylon to their own Land and others which speak of their turning from Judaism to Christianity at the first Propagation of the Gospel are also to be understood of this Universal Recalling of them at the first setting up of the Glorious Kingdom of Christ which we are discoursing of for there is a Twofold Historical Meaning of such Passages in the Prophetical Writings of the Bible one is Primary and Chiefly intended the other Secondary and Included This I am throughly perswaded of from the Style and Tenour of Scripture that there are different Things spoken of in the same Place and Narrative different Occâ—rrences are prophesied of at one time All other Historical Books have but one Sense and Meaning and no more because they refer to one Thing only But it is not so here Any observing and considâ—rate Man must needs see this and it is a Key to a great part of the Bible There is an eminent Passage in Lev. 26. which I don't find taken notice of but in my Opinion it speaks home to the present purpose God after
that long Scroll of Curses and Plagues threatened to the disobedient Israelites from 15. v. to 40. shuts up all with a merciful Assurance of their being Restored to their own Land at last Though they should perish among the Heathen and though the Land of their Enemies should eat them up and though they that are left of them shall pine away in their Iniquity in their Enemies Lands v. 38 39. Yet I will remember my Covenant with Iacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land v. 42. He promises to perform the Covenant made with their Forefathers viz. that he would give them the Land of Canaan for a perpetual Possession When they are in the Land of their Enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my Covenant with them for I am the Lord their God But I will for their sakes remember the Covenant of their Ancestors c. 43 44 45 ver The Repeating of these Terms viz. of their being in the Land and in the Lands of their Enemies shews That this refers not only to the Jews being Captives in Babylon but to all their other Dispersions and Banishments and particularly that which is at this time and hath lasted many Ages And so the Reiterating of those Words viz. God's remembering his Covenant plainly refers to the continual performing of his Covenant with relation to the Restoring of the Jews not only when they were Captives in Assyria but when afterwards they should be banished into other Lands as they are at this day even then God would be mindful of his Covenant and bring them back again And to this end he would enable them to confess their Iniquities c. v. 40. This is that Repentance and Conversion which we expect this is the Promise which remains to be fulfilled for hitherto it is not Again it is promised in Deut. 30. 1 c. That if the Israelites when they are driven into other Nations shall call to mind those Blessings and Cursings mention'd in the Chapter before and shall return to the Lord their God and obey his Voice then the Lord â—od will turn their Captivity and have Compassion on them and will return and gather them from all the Nations whither the Lord God hath scattered them If any of them be driven out to the utmost Parts of Heaven from thence will the Lord their God gather them and from thence will be fetch them And the Lord their God 〈◊〉 bring them into the Land which their Fathers possessed and they shall possess it and he will do them good and multiply them above their Fathers and the Lord their God will circumcise their Heart and the Heart of their Seed to love the Lord their God with all their Heart and with all their Soul that they may live In which Words without doubt there is that Primary and Secondry Meaning which I spoke of The former is not denied by any and I will now prove the latter That this Promise extends even to the Vniversal Calling of the Iews is clear from these Things First that it is said they shall be gathered from all the Nations whither God had scattered them and if any of them were driven to the utmost Parts of Heaven from thence the Lord will fetch them Now we know that the Ten Tribes of Israel that were carried Captive by Salmanasser King of Assyria were removed into the utmost Parts of the World Esdras tells us That they went forth into a very far Country where never Mankind dwelt or at least he thought these Regions were not inhabited before They were a Year and a half a going to it and the Region is called Arsareth or Ararath then dwelt they there until the latter Time i. e. the Time we are at present speaking of 2 Esd. 13. 41 45. It is likely this was part of that vast Moiety of the World which is now called America Manasseâ— ben Israel a Learned Jew is perswaded that these Tribes were not only the first Inhabitants of China and some Parts of Tartary but that they went into the West-Indies However we are certain that they came eiâ—her into these or some other Countries that were at a great distance from Iudaea because if they had been near it they would have return'd thither with the rest of their Captive Brethren when Cyrus gave them leave to do so and which is more encouraged them to it It is manifest therefore that they were driven to the utmost Parts of Heaven Or if we should suppose that they were not scatter'd so far but as Dr. Lightfoot thinks were removed to the farthest Parts of Assyria or as others have imagined were dispersed into Egypt and other Parts of Africa or as some have thought travelled into Syria and Arabia yet still we can say this that we no where read of their Return to their own Land I do not speak of the coming back of a Few of which we have some Footsteps in the Sacred History but of the Return of them in a Body or as to a very Considerable Part of them of which this Text speaks We have not one Syllable concerning this and it is certain that if they had returned it would have been mentioned Therefore I infer hence yet that this Promise is not fulfilled And from this Inference I make another viz. that it is to be fulfilled hereafter for none of God's Promises fall to the Ground And hence likewise I gather another which is this That if God will be so favourable to them as to restore them at last to the Promis'd Land it is most probable that he doth it in order to a Greater Blessing viz. the turning every one of them from their Sins and causing them to imbrace that Iesus whom they have so long despised and rejected Therefore their Returning and their Conversion most commonly go together in Scripture and we cannot think that God would take so much Care of those Out-casts as to bring them back to their Own Land unless he intended to extend his Ancient Mercies to them and to receive them for his Own People again And then observe also it is added The Lord will circumcise their Heart to love the Lord their God with all their Heart and with all their Soul which gives us to understand that their Conversion shall be Sincere and Effectual which without doubt will be the Qualification of that Great and Catholick Conversion of the Jews before the end of the World Next I might produce that Prophecy of Isaiah Ch. 11. v. 11. And it shall come to pass in that Day that the Lord shall set his Hand again the Second Time to recover the Remnant of his People which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea It is
at last the Catholick Interest of the World When it is come to this you need not doubt but such a State will last long Being so well founded it is no wonder that it shall continue so many Years That Government is most remote from Desolation which keeps itself most free from Sin and Vice Fifthly and Lastly VNIVERSAL PEACE AND VNITY crown all the foregoing Blessings This must needs be part of the Happiness of those Days because when the Names of Iew and Gentile shall cease and all other Names of Difference shall be taken away and turn'd into that of Christian there will necessarily follow Peace and Concord all Sidings and Factions will be at an end all Parties will be reconciled This will be partly the Effect and Result of that clear Knowledge which shall be the Blessing of those Times Isa. 11. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain For the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord. It is this that mitigates and pacifies the distemper'd Minds of Men and brings them to a peaceable and loving Disposition and thereby prevents unchristian Feuds and Quarrels whence spring Violence and Bloodshed and all manner of Evils in the Lives of Men. It is certain that one great Sourse of those many Quarrels and Disputes that are in the World is the Ignorance or Misapprehension of Persons They form not right Conceptions of Things or they mistake one another Especially in Matters of Religion this proves very troublesome and makes a great Disturbance and miserably divides Mens Judgments and Affections But there shall be no such Thing in that happy Age which is to come because then there will be a greater Light and Men will have a better Understanding of one another Which will in part be occasioned by that Vniversal Language which shall be all the World over We read that soon after the Flood a Plurality of Tongues caused a Dispersion a Division of the Sons of Men But the Unity of Language will join them together in one Communion Their speaking the same Words will be one way to unite them in the same Apprehensions for by this means they may with ease and freedom confer with one another and compare their Notions together and thereby come to an entire Agreement This is so rational to conceive that we cannot but deem it almost impossible that there should be an universal Converse and Peace without it When that wish'd for Period comes about Men being better inform'd of Things shall lay aside their false and mistaken Opinions but especially all Misapprehensions touching Religious Affairs shall have an end and consequently all Controversies relating to them shall vanish All Distinguishing but odious Names whereby Men laboured to brand one another and to perpetuate their Grudges and Antipathies shall be forgot They shall no more revile and which is worse persecute one another They shall not call down Fire from Heaven of fetch it up from Hell to devour their Adversaties In a Word They shall no longer differ from one another but be all of one Mind and Perswasion This must needs be so upon another Account viz. because that Wisdom which is from above is not only â—â—re but Peaceable Especially where that Purity takes place in a very great Degree there will be as considerable a Portion of Peace and Amity True Godliness will extirpate all Rancour and Bitterness all Dissention and Division and will cause the Christian Worshippers to be of one Heart He that purgeth his Church from Error and Vice will clear it also of all Distractions This too ought to be remembred that the principal Disturber of Mankind the great Incendiary of the World and who made it his continual Business to soment Quarrels and Divisions shall be shut up and imprisoned all the Time of that expected Reign And though some of this inferior Agents who shall remain behind may be soliciting a Revival of the Ancient Dissentions yet they shall be repulsed or if some smaller Disagreements shall at any time arise they shall but make way for a greater and more lasting Love The former Bickerings and Disgusts shall be heard of no more and as the consequent of this an universal Calm shall obtain upon Earth Of this the Evangelical King speaks in Psalm 72. which is a lively Description of Christ's Kingdom and among other Properties and Privileges of it it is foretold that there shall be abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth v. 7. Of this the Evangelical Prophet frequently speaks as in Chap. 2. v. 4. They shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more The Messias is call'd the Prince of Peace Ch. 9. v. 6. of the increase of whose Government and Peace there shall be no end v. 7. The Work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the Effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever And my People shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure Dwellings and in quiet Resting-places Chap. 32. 17 18. Thine Eyes shall see Ierusalem a quiet Habitation Ch. 33. v. 20. The whole 60th Chapter is a Prophecy of the Peaceable and Prosperous State of Christ's Church In Ch. 65. 25. there are almost the very same Words which I before recited from Ch. 11. v. 6. 9. To this belongs that of Ieremah Ch. 32. v. 39. I will give them one heart and one way I know it will be said that some of these Prophecies are to be understood of the Times after the Return from the Captivity in Babylon and others respect those Times of the Gospel which are now past I do not wholly deny this for it is my Judgment that they are to be interpreted concerning either of those Times and likewise concerning that Millâ—nnial State which is to come We may truly say that these and several other Predictions of the like Nature are to be understood in a double sense and consequently there is a double fulfilling of them They have in some measure been accomplish'd but the Full and Utmost Extent of them reacheth to that future Period of the Gospel-Oeconomy and so they shall be more amply verified then There shall then be no hurting or destroying there shall be a Cessation from Wars and Bloodshed from Violence and Persecution yea from all Thoughts and Attempts of them For in those Halcyon Days Christians shall be inspired with a peaceable and loving Temper and shall be made like unto their Master who is the Great Pattern of Love The Modern Jews acknowledge that it was a Celebrated Saying among the Old Rabbins that the Days of the Messias shall be one whole perpetual Sabbath This is the very thing we are speaking of Christ shall bring with him such a Rest as was never in the World before They shall enjoy a Sabbath of a Thousand Years Let us be preparing for this Happy Time and let us be hast'ning it
his Christ Rev. 11. 15. But when this Last Angel shall do this Office we are ignorant though a Learned Foreigner lately is confident that this is the Time But we see he had but little ground for it for his Calculations have proved false though he thought he had some more than ordinary Foundation in the Transactions and Events of these late times for what he offer'd And he hath been follow'd by some of our own Countrey Men who presumed to assign the Punctual and Precise time when those Prophetick Passages in the Book of the Revelation were to be accomplish'd as if they above all other Men had a Key to those Divine Secrets and were authorized to unlock them I look upon this as the Product of a well-meant Mistake of their misapplying some Apocalyptick Texts which they were betray'd into by apprehending that the Circumstances which the Publick Affairs were in at that time were agreeable to those Prophecies But certainly this Rashness is very blamable because it may give occasion to ill-minded Men to disbelieve all the other Prophecies in the Apocalypse because the Period of these which was with so great Confidence determin'd is found to be untrue Nay indeed it hath sometimes happen'd that when Positive Men have peremptorily set a certain Year it hath generally proved a worse Time than ordinary on one account or other instead of a welcome issue of their Predictions some very unusual and dismal thing appears upon the Publick Stage as it were a doom for such rash Prognostications Here therefore ought to be a great deal of Caution Prudence and Sincerity But so it is we may observe that it is the way of these Apocalyptick Men like the Clocks of Basil always to anticipate the time they are too hasty in fixing the Periods of Prophetick Occurrences either because they impatiently desire the approach of them or because they are ambitious of being thought the first Discoverers of these Secrets In the Book of the Revelation the Time of the Beasts Reign seems to be determined viz. 1260. Days Rev. 11. 3. 12. 6. i. e. as all grant so many Years for that is the Prophetick way of Numbering which are the same with the Time and Times and half a Time Dan. 7. 25. Rev. 12. 14. and with the 42. Months i. e. of Years Rev. 11. 2. 13. 5. Now if we could tell when the Apocalyptick Beast began we might from what is here expresly set down exactly know its end but the former being no where mention'd we are at a loss for the latter A very Sober and Modest Pen fixes the beginning of the Beasts Reign in the Year of our Lord 456. and consequently by adding 1260. to that number makes the end of it to be A. D. 1716. But according to this way of Computing the Papal Beast was in being before there was Popery properly so called in the World which is sufficient to invalidate that Calculation However if those Numbers refer to the end of the Beast as it is certain they do I agree with this Writer that it cannot be very far off But as to the precise time we may conjecture but we cannot be certain It may be our Chronology is Defective it may be the Account which we have of Years is not Exact and consequently our Calculations cannot be accurate Or suppose they were yet our Saviour acquaints us when he speaks of such Affairs that the time shall be shortned for the Elects sake Mat. 24. 22. So that our exactest Chronology will not avail us then I have nothing therefore to say concerning the Punctual Date of this Notable Revolution which hath been the matter of our Disquisition Yea perhaps it is impossible for any Man to know it infallibly I mean without a particular Revelation Yet I will not as the Iews curse those who Calculate these Times but rather wish that Men would be Sober and Modest in this as in all other difficult and intricate Points It is folly to be over-curious and sollicitous here but it is no less than Presumption and Arrogance to be Peremptory This should suffice us that there is a time when these things shall be accomplished In the mean season let us comfort our selves with the expectation of that Blessed State of the Church Let it be remembred that however things go now there shall be a better Face of them hereafter and though we may not live to the arrival much less the fruition of it yet it is some solace to our Minds that with Moses we have a sight at a distance of that Blessed Canaan the Land of Promise in which all the Defects and Declensions that have been either in Nature or Morals shall be repair'd and amended Nor doth the ill posture of things at present in the least retard my hopes or belief of a change for the better for though it sounds like a Paradox yet it is an experienced Truth that things farthest off are nearest Look into the Calendar and you will see that December which is at the greatest distance from Ianuary is the next Month to it See it in Nature when the Night is darkest it is nighest break of Day Look on the Globe of the Earth and you will find the extream parts of the East bordering on the West And so it is here when things seem to be most remote from this Revolution they are nearest to it Extremity proves successful sometimes The worst Times introduce the Best The Condition of the World is like that of some Disâ—ased Bodies which must of necessity be brought low before they can arrive to a sound and perfect Constitution Our weak languishing and perishing State may by the Divine Disposal make way for our Health and prove the fore-runner and occasion of our lasting Happiness Though the World in some Ages is palpably worse than in others yet bating the Last Scene of all when in respect of the Universal prevailing of Vice it seems to be worst of all as at this time even then it is tending to the best for this hath been always observable since the first Creation that the greatest Corruptions and Apostasies have made way for the most remarkable Reformations and accordingly the horrid Degeneracy of these present times not only among our selves but in all Christian Countries is one Argument to incline me to believe there will be a mighty alteration Irreligion Impiety and Atheism are now making their greatest and last Efforts before that Glorious Day which I have been describing arrives An Universal Prophaneness is to preceed and usher in an Universal Holiness and Purity Unchristian Wars and Commotions Divisions and Contentions in Churches and States are the fore-runners of a General Peace and Repose The World will not go off thus as it is but a more pleasant and delightful Scene of it will appear and this so Vitiated and Corrupted Age shall be followed with as Eminent a Restoration Though we are ignorant of the exact time of it yet this
should content us that the thing it self is undeniable viz. that the Evangelical Oeconomy is not yet perfect that great things are yet to be done that though our Blessed Saviour shall not descend from Heaven till the Day of Judgment for I am none of those that dream of his Personal Reign upon Earth yet by his Spirit he shall come and Reign here a Thousand Years and advance Christianity to its utmost heighth At which time all â—ntichristian Doctrines and Powers shall be exploded and destroyed the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in the Dispersed Iews shall be gather'd and imbrace the Faith of Christ Universal Righteousness and Holiness shall prevail and the Peaceable and Philadelpâ—ian Spirit shall be infused into all Churches so that they shall be of one Heart and of one Mind This â—uture Kingdom of Christ this Happy part of the Evangelical Dispensation is not unworthy of our Assent and Belief However I have entertained my self and the Reader with an Idâ—a of the Delightful and Happy State of Christianity here on Earth If it be not adjusted to Truth though no Man alive I am sure can prove it is not yet it shall remain as a Testimony of my Hearty Desires and Wishes that the Gospel may flourish in a Higher Degree than ever it yet did that Christianity may be the Religion of the whole World and that all Mankind every where may know the True God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent and that knowing him they may Universally practise his Law and do his Will and that they may all be United and Cemented together in the Bond of Peace and Love CHAP. XXII The Last part of the Evangelical Dispensation under the loosing of Satan out of his Prison Who are Gog and Magog Not only the Mahometan but the Roman Power shall be revived The Last Days before the End of the World shall be extremely Wicked They shall be exceeding Perillous and Calamitous Christ comes to Judgment The Conflagration of the World succeeds this whatever some have suggested to the contrary A Particular Answer to a late Writers Arguments on this Subject It is observed how he resembles Origen A plain Exposition of those Words Nevertheless we look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness A farther Proof from the same Chapter The Nature and Design of the Final Conflagration The Summ of the whole preceeding Discourse I Am unwilling to go off from this Pleasant Scene especially to one that is so Black and Melancholick as that which follows But the uncontrollable Wisdom and Providence of Heaven leads us to it and therefore we must be obsequious to their Conduct I proceed then to the Fourth and Last Part of the Evangelical Dispensation namely that which immediately preceedeth the Coming of Christ to Judgment For I have shew'd before that it hath had its Infancy and Childhood its Youth its Manhood or Full Growth and now come its last and feeble Years Wherefore I call this the Old Age of Christianity for now it miserably Declineth and grows Weak and Decrepid Now the World degenerates again and in a short time it becomes very Wicked and Impious For we are expresly told that when the Thousand Years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison Rev. 20. 7. The Wicked shall again assaâ—lt the Church for we must know that the World shall not through all the time of the Thousand Years be free of the Ungodly Race of Men. The Tares i. e. the Children of the Wicked One are to grow up till the Harvest Mat. 13. 30. and that will not be till the End of the World as the same Infallible Teacher hath told us Every Individual Person shall not be Vertuous and Good Heaven only being the place where there are no Sinners but there sâ—all remain and spring up at last upon Earth some very Bad Men out of which Brood afterwards as soon as Satan shall be set at liberty and come to hatch them there shall arise a Deadly Generation of Vipers a Cursed increase of the most profligate Sinners who will be set upon Mischief and will invade and wast the Church and make it their work to Deceive and Seduce the Nations or rather Satan who sets them on work is said here to do it v. 8 9. He shall go out to deceive Nations which are in the Four Quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Bâ—ttel the number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea And they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City The plain General meaning of which Words is this that as of Old God's People the Iews were beset on the North and South with Gog and Magog their implacable Enemies who are meant but not exclusively of others in the 38. and 39. Chaâ—tâ—rs of Ezekiel so the Saints at that time shall be environ'd with their's who will prove no less Restless and Implacable And the more â—articular and Abstruse meaning is this that the Race of the Turks shall be those that shall cause this Disturbance for these are meant by Gog and Magog for the old Gog and Magog were Scythians as is Universally agreed by the Learnedest Commentators on Gen. 10. 2. where we find that Magog was one of the Sons of Iaphet who was the Father of the Getae Massagetae Scythians Sarmaritans and their Neighbours the Tartars from whom it is generally asserted that the Turks first Sprung Iosephus is positive that Magog was the Father of the Scythians and tells us that Magogae was the Name that the Scythians were anciently known buy among the Greeks We learn from Pliny who often gives a better account of Places than of Manners and is very exact in some parts of his Geography that Magog and Scythopolis were Coincident Names of the same Place Therefore there is reason to think that Gog and Magog in this place of the Apocalypse are the Turks and Mahometans who are as â—â—is generally acknowledg'd descended of the Scythians And these are that Stock of People who 〈◊〉 so Molest and Persecute the Saints of the Most High after the expiring of the Thousand Years And it is not unlikely that the Papal Beast will begin to lift up his Horn again I do not mean that any of those individual Persons who acted before shall now appear for they are secured The Beast as well as the False Prophet is in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone v. 10. But there shall be those that shall revive the old Roman Tyranny and Superstitions and shall join their Forces with those of the Mahometan Faction Both these Parties shall arise and shew themselves soon after the thousand years are ended And the Prince of the Infernal Daemons who had been imprison'd and chain'd up all that space shall be Head and Commander of them and gather them to Battle Their Numbers shall be exceeding great even like the Sand of
by mere Opinion or by Matters of an indifferent Nature We live in an Age wherein Men talk and discourse much concerning Religion and yet the Generality of them have less Religion than any Age ever had Why Because they place Religion in Words and Pretences in some peculiar Sets of Opinions and in a meer external Shew of some Performances that relate to Devotion But in that happy Kingdom which we look for Substantial Religion will take place and the only Standard of it shall be True and Solid Piety Thirdly A greater Measure of Grace shall be bestowed on the Christian Church more of that Divine Spirit Not in the Sense that some mean that Extraordinary Gifs and Supernatural Endowments shall be confer'd and that the Outward Teachings of Man shall cease and become useless But I mean thus that the effectual Power of the Holy Spirit shall be seen in making Men better which indeed is the grand Design and Office of the Holy Ghost and therefore shall take Place in that happy Time The most admired and glorious Gifts are mean and base in respect of Real Goodness and Holiness i. e. a hearty Love of God and his Ways and an upright Life resulting from it Therefore we may infer that by a more abundant Communication of the Spirit these shall be advanced in the World In the Golden Age of Christianity there shall be a mighty Power and Efficacy on Mens Minds exciting them to worthy and noble Actions causing them to be zealous for Religion and to act with Vigour and Concernedness and to overcome all Difficulties that lie in their way and in a Word to design and bring to pass Great Things for the Honour of the Supreme Being and the Good of the World Fourthly IESUS shall then in a more eminent Manner be exalted his blessed Undertakings for our Redemption and Salvation his Merits and Perfect Righteousness shall be more than ever esteem'd admir'd and extoll'd This shall be a more especial Time of magnifying and celebrating the meritorious Transactions of our Lord Christ for the Saving of Mankind Which must needs produce a very high Degree of Holiness in Mens Lives for there is not a more genuine Source of it than the Consideration of what Christ hath done and suffer'd for us There is not a more effectual Spring of True Obedience nor a more powerful Motive to it than the Free and Unmerited Love of God the Father through his beloved Son Iesus Wherefore now the Reformed World shall exercise itself more and more in this true Way that leads to Purity and Holiness viz. a perpetual valuing and prizing the Grace of God in the Gospel through the Blood of the New Covenant This hath not been sufficiently done hitherto yea it hath been shamefully neglected in all Ages of Christianity Therefore now it shall be performed with great Zeal and Application by all the Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem Though their Works and Obedience shall exceed all that went before yet they shall not presume to rely upon them Though their Lives shall be more strict and blameless than ever yet they shall entertain no Opinion of their own Worthiness but confide wholly in the Spotless Obedience of the Lamb of God and they shall attribute all to Iesus and his Holy Spirit Lastly to heap up many Things together in those blessed Days there shall be no New Religion but New Hearts that is more enlightned more warmed and more sanctified There shall then be a continual Striving to excel one another in laudable and vertuous Actions Religion and Piety shall be Fashionable and Goodness and Holiness shall be esteemed most Honourable All Perfidiousness and Fraud all Lying and Falshood shall cease and Truth and Sincerity Integrity and Open-heartedness shall universally prevail Swearing will then be of little Use unless it be as a meer Act of Solemn Worship and owning a God for where there is no distrust of one another where 't is known that Persons deal Truly and Uprightly Oaths are not needful to attest or confirm what they say In those Days Men shall conciliate an assent to what they speak they shall perswade others of the Truth of what they assert or promise by plain Words and by an honest Life Briefly all-sinister and base Designs all unworthy Aims and vitious Ends shall be laid aside and the Glory of the Great God and of his Son Iesus Christ shall be the main Thing which shall influence upon their Lives If it be demanded How this great Change shall be wrought I answer It shall be done by the powerful Aids and Assistances of Heaven which shall be vouchsafed to Men in a very plentiful Manner Hereby they shall be inabled above their own Abilities and Strengths to subdne their Lusts to conquer their Vices and in the most exact manner to conform their Lives to the Rules of the Gospel If you further ask What outward instruments and Means God will make use of to accomplish this Great Work I conceive it shall be effected by Active and Zealous Governors For we cannot but take Notice that Persons of that Character have been raiâ—'d up continually in order to great Revolutions and Alterations in Church and State as is evident in the Examples of Cyrus Alexander the Great Constantiâ—â— the Great Charles the Great and the Electors of Saxony And in the beginning of our REFORMATION in this Land what strange Things did a Resolute and Couragious King bring to pass Much more may be effected here and all the World over by God's inspiring the Hearts of some Christian Kings and Princes with Valour and Resolution especially by adding Goodness and Holiness to these by blessing them with a real Sense and relish of Religion in their own Minds and Consciences Being thus qualified what is there too hard for them to accomplish What may not be expected from Governors of this Character Wicked Rulers are the greatest Mischief and Plague of the World and accordingly it hath been Satan's Stratagem throughout all Ages to procure such Magistrates as will abett and further his Design i. e. that will patronize all Vice and Wickedness and if it be possible establish it by a Law This hath been the Cause and Sourse of that horrid Deluge of Vice which hath broken in upon all Cities and Countries and miserably overspread them Therefore I infer that when God will vouchsafe to stem this mighty Torrent he will set up some Eminent Persons in High Places who by their powerful Laws as by so many Walls and Ramparts shall effectually stop its impetuous Course I question not in the least but that those Words in Rev. 20. 4. I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Iudgment was given unto them refer partly to this they signify to us that Power and Authority which shall be at that time Evil-doers shall be call'd to an Account and punish'd according to their Offences and the Earth shall in a manner be cleared of all wilful and stubborn Criminals This
perhaps may be the Meaning of 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World I offer it to be considered whether we may not interpret it thus Do you not know that there shall be a time when there shall be a Christian Magistracy in the World and that especially when Christianity is coming to its Height there shall be such Godly Rulers and Iudges as shall reform all Things that are amiss in the World And this great Sway and Authority shall make way even for their judging of Angels Afterwards v. 3. I am far from abetting in this Discourse the wild Fancy of those Enthusiastick Spirits who make the Reign of Christ on Earth inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes who at the same time that they set up King Iesus pull down all others Their Fifth-Monarchy brooks no Crowned Heads But they forget that in the same Place where the Evangelical Prophet saith Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness meaning Christ and this Kingdom which I am now discoursing of he adds And Princes shall rule in iudgment Isa. 32. 1. Though it is said the Scepter shall depart from Iudah when Shiloh first comes yet neither then nor afterwards is it to be taken out of the Hands of Christian Princes Their Monarchy and Christ's Kingdom are not incompatible Yea I am so far from giving any Allowance to this sort of Men that I confidently aver Christ's Kingdom whereof I am speaking shall be set up and maintain'd by the Kings and Rulers of the Earth Christianity shall arrive to that excellent Pitch by the Assistance of the Civil Magistrate by the Incouragement which shall be given to it by the Secular Powers There is Ground for what I say for we are expresly told that those who formerly gave their Kingdom to the Beast shall afterwards hate the Whore and shall make her desolate c. Rev. 17. 16 17. These great Things shall be effected by Monarchs Princes and States entirely devoting themselves to the publick Good and Welfare and to the Glory of Him who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Builders of that Ierusalem shall hold the Trowel with one Hand and the Sword in the other They shall at the same time Rear this happy Structure and severely Punish those who endeavour to hinder them till at last by sharply Animadverting on all Wickednesses and Enormities these be driven out of the World and Universal Piety and Righteousness come in their room Again This great Work shall be promoted and advanced by the help of Spiritual Pastors and Teachers whose Care and Faithfulness whose Courage and Zeal are as requisite in this present Affair as that of the Civil Magistrate The Rulers and Guides of the Church shall then shew themselves true Lovers of Souls by not refusing any Labour of Love for their Peoples Good they shall preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine they shall Watch in all Things do the Work of true Evangelizers make full proof of their Ministry They shall discharge their Holy Function with all Mildness and Clemency with all Tenderness and Compassion and yet with all Fervency and Vigour They shall let all Men see that they make the Honour of God and the Saving of Mens Souls the Grand Design of their Ministry And it is not without great reason that I mention both these great Orders of Men Magistrates and Ministers for it is absolutely requisite that they go hand in hand towards the accomplishing that Great Work which I am discoursing of Moses and Aaron must befriend each other Zerubbabel and Ioshua must join in building the Temple The great Hinderance of the Improvement and Increase of Christianity hath been the disunion of these Two The Temporal Rulers and Spiritual Overseers have not concurr'd in the promoting the same Religious Designs The Secular and Ecclesiastical Powers have frequently been divided among themselves and thereby have retarded and impeded the Common Good But it shall not be so in those happy Times there shall be no disagreement between Ecclesiastical the State and Church no opposition between the State and Civil Laws The Spiritual and Secular Officers shall be so far from being an Impediment to one another in their particular Charges that they shall make it their Business to promote the respective Cause and Interest of each other If Phocas and Boniface held together and thereby wrought such horrid Mischiefs in the World it is certain we may experience as great and notable Effects of a contrary Nature from the unanimous Concurrence of pious Governours in the Church and Commonwealth When they mutually advise and consult with one another and act jointly for the Advancement of Religion and Godliness as in the Times of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian Gratian when they strive with great Ambition and no other Ambition who shall be most serviceable and beneficial to the Christian Community this will be found to be the true Method for the propagating and establishing of Religion in the World And seeing Religion is the only unshaken and lasting Basis of Kingdoms it is the Concern of thâ—se Two Ranks of Persons to agree to advance this above all Things whatsoever They are to remember that even Civil Politicks are best guided by this Conduct and that if a Nation or Council exclude this in any of their Laws and Constitutions they can't be said to be Wise and Politick For what is disagreeable to Religion is unsafe dangerous and extremely Impolitick To be short all lies in Rulers both of Church and State both Spiritual and Civil These as I apprehend will be the special Instruments which God will imploy to work that happy and wonderful Change When God pleaseth to send such Princes and Leaders as Zerobbabel such Priests as Ioshua such Teachers and Scribes as Ezra the Building of the House of God will soon be finished Such Great and Noble Spirits being sâ—t on work will easily bring it to perfection The Gospel will be completely established Christianity will be universally propagated and Evangelical Righteousness will prevail every where in the World Yea All of us are capable of promoting this great Work more or less and therefore we ought to make it our Concern Our earnest and constant Prayer should be that this Kingdom may come and prevail and prosper that Antichristianism wheresoever it is and under what Shape and Guise soever it appears may be demolished and destroyed that the Infidelity of Iews and Pagans may have a period that Vice and Immorality Irreligion and Prophaneness may be trod down and that the Contrary may be set up and advanced in all the Regions of the World And we are obliged to set forward this blessed Design not only by our Devotions but our Endeavours and to hasten the actual Prevailing of it in our Lives and Practices that Iesus may be seen to Reign among Men and that Christianity may be