But you will yet say It is true they may be understood as Common persons representing indeed the Nation of the Jews but yet will what is here said be warrantably extended to the Beleevers of Jewes and Gentiles under the New Testament to the end of the world I answer Yes For the Covenant that God made with Abraham was to be heire of the world as well as heire of Canaan so Rom. 14. 13. And accordingly in other things the Analogie holds for them with these here For as these so the Saints they are called Strangers and Pilgrims scattered and dispersed in all Nations So Peter speaks of them even as here he calls these strangers ver 12. when they were but few in number and strangers in the land as the Saints in the world To give parallel places of Scripture to strengthen this In the Old Testament In the forty fift Psalme you have a Prophesie of the Church of the New Testament under the type of Solomon taking Pharoahs daughter who was a Gentile into his bed as Christ of whom he was the Type one day should doe the Gentiles which Church is made that great mother that shall have such multitudes of children Gal. 4. Now of those children of the Church of the New Testament as the Mother and of Christ as the Father the 16. verse of that Psalme thus speaks Instead of THY FATHERS shall be THY CHILDREN whom thou mayst make Princes in all the earth The meaning whereof is this that in the stead of these great Patriarchs and other the Fathers of the Jews spoken of in the Text shall succeed others the children of the New Testament even all the Saints as Successors of them and as they were as Princes in all Lands they came into here so shall thy children be sayes the Psalmist there And the 7. verse of that Psalme calls them anointed and so speaks also in the language of the Text when under that notion he commands not to touch them That verse speaking of Christ saith He is ANOINTED with the oyle of gladnesse above his FELLOWES namely these his fellowes and children spoken of ver 16. you have at once as the great anointed one Christ so all his children called anointed ones also and as they are his fellowes so anointed too Thus you have all meet Abraham and the Fathers the anointed ones of the Old Testament Christ and his Saints the anointed ones in the New in their stead and both Princes and Strangers in all Lands and so of the one as well as the other this charge is here intended Touch not mine anointed c. And to this accords the language of the New Testament the whole mysticall body is called Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. and Beleevers his fellows are said to have received an anointing 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 John 2. 27. yea and elsewhere the reason of this their preservation and Gods protection over them is put upon this very anointing Esay 10. 27. The burthen shall be taken off thy shoulder speaking of the oppression of Gods people and the yoke shall be destroyed BECAUSE OF THE ANOINTING Having thus explained the words I come to those Observations which I shall make out of them and insist on at this time I resolve the words into these three parts 1. Here is the neerenesse and the dearnesse of the Saints unto God They are dearer to him then Kings and States simply considered that is otherwise then as they in their persons are also Saints for you see that for their sakes he reproved Kings and so sheweth that he preferreth them to Kings 2. Here is the great danger to Kings and States to deale with his Saints otherwise then well Which appeareth many wayes For he doth not onely in words give a charge not to touch them but he carryes it in a high way for so God may doe when he pleads their cause Touch them not as if he had said Let me see if you dare so much as touch them and it is with an intimation of the highest threatning if they should upon your perill if you doe for that is the scope of such a speech and accordingly in deeds he made this good for the Text saith He suffered no man to doe them wrong Not that he did altogether prevent all wrong and injuries for they received many as they went through those lands but at no time did he put it up at their hands or let it goe unpunisht in that sense he suffered them not You know how he plagued Pharaoh King of Egypt with great plagues and all his houshold for Abrahams wives sake Gen. 12. And so Abimelech King of Gerar the Lord commeth upon him with a greatnes and his first word is in Gen. 20. 3. Behold than art but a dead man afore he had first told him why or wherefore though then he addes the reason he brings him upon his knees ver 4. bids him look to it that he give satisfaction to Abraham and restore his wife to him againe ver 7. and well he scap'd so and tels him also that he must be beholden to Abrahams prayers for his life He is a Prophet saith he and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt live The third is the care and protection which God had over them set out and amplified 1. by the number and condition of the persons whom he defended though few men of number that is soone reckoned for their power and strength a few or very small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint in the parallel place 2 Chro. 16. 19. As also 2. by what he did for them He suffered no man how great soever to doe them any wrong how small soever not without recompence and satisfaction not to doe it though they had a mind to it though the people had an ill eye at them Gen. 26. 11. God causeth Abimelech to make a Law on purpose Abimelech charged all his people in Isaacs behalf and of his family which I mention because it gives light to the Text and speaks in the very words of the Text He that TOUCHETH this man or his wife shall be put to death although they envied him ver 14. strived with him ver 20. hated him ver 27. I shal passe over the sett handling the first of these namely The neernesse and dearnesse of the Saints to God it will after come in well enough under the second as the reason thereof That maine thing which I have singled forth to insist upon is the danger that is unto States to deale otherwise then well with the Saints Gods anointed And the Observation is plainly this That the dealing well or ill with the Saints of God Obser it is the greatest and highest INTEREST of Kings and Kingdomes on which their welfare or their ruine depends I have the story of the whole world afore me to gleane Demonstrations and instances out of to make good this truth But I shall endeavour to present it to you under
that prospect that runs through the story of the whole Bible My Observation out of the Story of which and the summe and issue of all is this That God from the beginning hath in his Providence so ordered it that the greatest and most flourishing Kingdomes and States should still have to doe with his Saints and People in all Ages and either they have beene broken by their ill using of them or they have prospered by their well dealing with them You shall find this I say throughout the whole Scripture My Text leads the round to all the rest and I therefore indeed chose it rather then any other though otherwise as a bottome to this point I might have pitcht upon others perhaps more full We will begin with the very first Kings and Kingdomes that you read of after the Flood How he reproved the King of Egypt and the King of the Philistines for the sake of Abraham and Isaac that I mentioned afore Besides those there is mention of foure Kings Gen. 14. Amraphel King of Shinar or Babylon which was the first Kingdome in the world after the flood Gen. 10. 10. and was one of yea the first great Monarchie There is likewise Chedorlaomer King of Elam or Persia which afterward likewise proved a Monarchie For as Assyria and Babylon made the first so you know Persia was the next You have two other Kings more there confederate with these These foure Kings they brake in upon Gyants and smote all the Countries about they smote the REPHAIMS in Ashteroth Karnaim Terrible ones and the ZUZIMS in Ham and the EMIMS Deut. 2. 10 11. and the Horites in Mount Seir And they returned and came to Enmishpat The Observation exemplified in all States and Kingdoms through the Scriptures which is Cadesh and smote all the Countrey of the AMALEKITES and also the AMORITES that dwelt in Hazezon tamar as you may reade verses 6 7 8. And all the while they over-ran these vast Countries 1. Foure Kings overthrowne by Abraham where there was not one Saint to be found they found no resistance having but to doe with Nations not Saints in them but unhappily to them when they came to fight against the Kings of Sodome and Gomorrah they light upon one Saint and but one and that is Lot so the 12. verse They tooke Lot Abrahams brothers sonne who dwelt in Sodome and his goods and departed Alas to them little thought they what a Prisoner they had they took him in the crowd amongst the wickedest people under heaven a people so wicked that one would have thought God should so little have considered this one Saint to save him from perishing as that his vengeance should have taken the opportunity to ruine these though this one poore Lot had been involved in their destruction But you shall see how tender God is of his Saints Jerem. 3. They had unawares devoured an hallowed thing one righteous Lot and had taken him but Prisoner they had drunk poyson and all the riches and all the goods they had taken they vomit up againe together with their owne blood The Lord in this giving demonstration of that his care and skill which Peter makes observation of upon the story of Lot the Sodomites The Lord knowes how to PRESERVE the righteous and RESERVE the unjust 2 Pet. 2. 9. And whom should God use to be the instrument to doe this too God had not many more Saints then in the world but onely Melchisedechs we reade of and Abraham and his family and God useth that one Abraham and he had an Army but of a few and a very few even as the Text hath it but three hundred and eighteene men borne in his house ver 14. he pursues them and smites them ver 17. with a great slaughter and brought back all the goods and his brother Lot and his goods c. Gen. 20. 16. ver 18. And thus they were reproved You see the Text made good from the very first beginning of Kingdomes He reproved Kings for their sakes indeed Thus he began the world at first and this very victorie is made a leading case a standing encouragement to the sons of Abraham the Saints for ever after So you have it applyed in Esay 41. 2. Who raised up sayes God to raise up his peoples hearts the RIGHTEOUS MAN from the East namely this one Abraham and called him to his foot Follow me I le be thy Generall said God to him Gave the Nations before him and made him rule over Kings he means these very Kings you have heard the story of He gave them as the dust to his sword and as driven stubble to his bow he pursued them and passed safely c. Did God doe thus then for one or two of his Saints and will he not goe on What saith the 4. verse Who hath wrought and done it calling the generations from the beginning and so having ordained all the generations of Abraham to do the like exploits in their severall ages I the Lord am the first and with the last I am he I began to doe this with Abraham and I will goe on to doe so even to the last for the sons of Abraham And that this is plainly his meaning appeares by ver 8. where he makes a generall application of it to his seed But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the SEED OF ABRAHAM my friend Therefore saith he ver 10. Feare thou not thou worme Jacob ver 14. for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I wil uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish All the whole Chapter is nothing else but incouragement to all the seed of Abraham from this very instance I have now given you And the Text here confirmes it premising unto all those instances He hath remembred his Covenant the word he commanded to a thousand generations The next Kingdome in the world that flourished in those first times 2. AEgypt that grew to any greatnesse that we reade of was that of Egypt and though C ham the founder of Egypt was cursed yet as usually those God layes the greatest curse upon he first begins to blesse with outward blessings in the world so he did the seed of Cham in that infancy of that new world How renowned a Kingdome that then was both for continued succession of Kings in a race which Esay insinuates and for other greatnesse Chap. 19. 11. the story of Moses and Herodotus and other prophane stories do celebrate it was as would seem in those first times more flourishing then Assyria the Territories of Assyria could not then be great when such other three Kings forementioned bordered about it and when Chedorlaomer of Persia was
the finall desolation on of that Nation For which consult first the 11. of John ver 49 50. say they generally If we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the ROMANS will come and take away both our place and Nation And what saith the great High-Priest further upon it Ye know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for US that one man should dye for the people and that the whole Nation perish not And although this is there said to be spoken as a Prophesie God guiding his mouth therein yet withall if you look into the 18. of John ver 14. it is charged upon him to have been a wicked councell given take it as it was intended by him for there he is branded This is THAT CAIAPHAS that gave COUNSELL to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people How it might be both these as directed by God and intended by him would be too long to shew But take it as it thus came from him and he takes on him as High-Priest to speake as a deepe Oracle of State and to utter a State-Maxime with sleighting of his fellowes You know nothing and his Maxime followes Better that one man who is not considerable be taken away then a Nation perish And yet he therein had an eye to the Priests interest that is of himselfe and his fellows to keep up their honour as well as to the preservation of the Nation though he colours it over with that of the whole Nation For in John 11. 50. the words are It is expedient FOR Us namely Priests that one man should dye for the people They were jealous of Christ getting the people from them You shal likewise find that when the matter was brought to Pilate it was State interest also caused Pilate to come off to cōdemne him The Jewes cryed out If thou let this man goe thou art not Caesars friend Whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar And the Text addes When Pilate THEREFORE heard that saying He sate downe and condemned him John 19. 12 13. When I read and considered this story it made me understand that in 1 Cor. 2. 6. We speak not the WISDOME OF THIS WORLD nor of the Princes of this world that comes to nought but we speak the wisdome of God in a mysterie which NONE OF THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD KNEW for had they knowne it they would NOT HAVE CRUCIFYED THE LORD OF GLORY He speakes of these very Princes the Rulers of the Jews and of Pilate and the holy Ghost you see maketh the very same Observation upon it that I have now done to you They thought themselves wise and they went upon axioms of State in doing of it but had they knowne their interest they would never have crucified the Lord of glory And the Apostle you see gives this as the greatest and most eminent instance of the folly of State-policie which often Princes take up against Christ and the Wisdome of the Gospel the true Wisdome And it is farther observable to this purpose what likewise the Apostle saith in the following Chap. 3. 17. applying the same in substance which hee here had observed upon their crucifying Christ unto the defiling or destroying the Church of God the Saints which is the point in hsnd whom Christ hath left behinde him out of the like Carnall wisdome and worldly policie IF ANY MAN DEFILE OR DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD HIM SHALL GOD DESTROY for the Temple of God is holy WHICH TEMPLE ARE YE Let no man deceive himselfe If any man among you SEEMETH TO BE WISE IN THIS WORLD let him become a foole that he may be wise for the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God for it is written HE TAKETH THE WISE IN THEIR OWNE CRAFTYNES As God caught those Jewish Princes and Priests in their owne craftinesse against Christ so will he for ever doe those It is the Interpretation of Doctor Jackson which because it openeth a Scripture I will give in his owne words Out of this undoubted prenotion that this was the very time wherein the Lord had promised to deliver this people from the hands of their enemies they became so prone as the event proves they were to take Arms and rebell against the Romans partly about the time of our Saviours birth but especially after his Resurrection There was no man of great might or potency among them which did not take upon him to promise this peoples deliverance from the Romane yoke and the multitude were as prone to beleeve every one that would take upon him the name and title of a Saviour or Deliverer The fore-fight of this pronenesse in great ones to promise salvation to this people and the peoples pronenesse to beleeve them did occasion our Saviour to give those admonitions to his Disciples Beware of false Christs Matth. 24. ver 4. Mark 13. ver 6. Luke 21. ver 6. which would arise in Jury before the destruction of Jerusalem with such faire enticing promises and pretences of deliverance that if it had been possible the very Elect should have been deceived by them In a Sermon upon Luke 21. 25. that offer violence to his Saints especially when out of state and worldly interests That these Jews were taken in their own craftinesse if it needed might largely be shewne the thing they feared and avoided was brought upon them the Romans came and took away their place and Nation to this day yea and it was greatly occasioned by the same motive which in policy they embraced whereby to avoid it For as the rising of many false Christs was the curse of that Nation for refusing the True and is made the signe of their destruction by our Saviour Mat. 24. so it was the Jews pronenesse to beleeve that their Messiah should come about that time and deliver them from the Romane yoke that the more encouraged them in their Rebellion and revolt from the Romans which occasioned their utter destruction by them And so Tacitus yea and Josephus also did thereupon interpret that Jewish Prophesie of the King of the world to come out of Jury of vespasian himselfe that was the destroyer of them he comming a Victor out of Jury who was Lord of the world God thus retorting out of the mouthes of these two witnesses a Heathen and a Jew their former sinne in rejecting their naturall Lord the true King indeed of all the world his sonne Thus returning it I say with the highest Reproofe upon these Jewes by this that that Emperour of Rome * Vespasian their enemy and destroyer together with his sonne * Titus should obtaine and carry away the repute of that Prophesie they relyed upon too late and this because they came out of Judea from the executing that vengeance the Jews had by this brought upon their owne heads His blood be upon us and our children said they who had formerly said of the greatest
Kingdomes in their ruines My blood upon Caldea shall Jerusalem say Jer. 51. 35. This having beene manifestly the destruction of that Nation and being likewise the pattern of the New Testament Give me leave to give you this further observation by the way about it That God disposed it in his providence so that all States and sorts of men among them should have their hands in it because Gods purpose is not to destroy any Nation for his peoples sake till all sorts therein concur in their ill using of them The second Psalme Prophecying of the crucifying of Christ sayes that the Heathen the people the Kings of the earth the Rulers tooke counsell against the Lords Anointed which the Apostles in their Prayer of which by and by Acts 4. 27. interpret That Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together against his child Jesus both the Ecclesiasticall and the Civill state among the Jewes concurred in it The Sanedrim first and Elders of the people and they with much adoe perswade the people The chiefe Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude Mat. 27. 20. and when that was with difficulty done it was long ere Pilate did consent he kept off and washt his hands though the people Priests and all sought to him but in the end yeelded And what was the reason that Pilate came in at length also Because God would have the Romane Empire which he meant to break upon Christ and his Saints as the former to be wound in even in the guilt of Christs blood and to embrue their hands in it as Pilate the Romane Governour did by his sentence and the Roman Souldiers by execution And therefore we find Rev. 11. 8. Rome to be called the City where our Lord was crucified because by the power and jurisdiction of that State that so the blood of all yea even of Christ himselfe might be found in her at her destruction Revel 18. ult But to proceed in this Jewish story When our Lord was ascended we reade Acts 4. that when Peter and John were preaching to the people the Priests and the Captaine of the Temple and the Sadduces came upon them ver 1. and they laid hands on them and put them in hold ver 3. And then ver 23. they being let goe onely with threatning to speak no more in his name they went to their owne company and there they went to Prayer and what doe they urge to God but the second Psal and spread that before him meerly upon this occasion that they were falne upon and interrupted in his worship and threatned to preach no more in that name which they being the relicts of Christ left behinde him here were to hold forth They prayed over with one accord the second Psalme Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vaine things The Kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus WHOM THOU HAST ANOINTED and now anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together c. These his Disciples being his fellowes in his anointing did accordingly as you here see interest their cause in his by putting God in mind what they did unto their Lord in crucifying him to provoke him thereby to consider what was now done to themselves by the Rulers Scribes and Elders Priests and Band of the Temple ver 1. 5. Well still the Jewes goe on and follow the same trade as our Saviour Christ in Luke 21. 10 11. foretold his Disciples that they should and withall he foretold them that there should be wars upon this and commotions Nation rising against Nation c. BEFORE ALL THESE sayes Christ they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prison being brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names sake Our Saviour therein shewing that this persecution of the Saints should be the cause of all these wars and so of that Nations ruine as well as his owne death so involving his cause and theirs together But they as afore the warres so after the warres and during the time of them Christ sayes should goe on and take no warning this you find in Mat. 24. 7 8 9. verses compared And this sayes Christ there shall be a testimony unto you Now that second Psalme whither the Apostles have brought us and which the Apostles in the beginning of the Gospel prayed thus over against the Jewes was by the holy Ghost intended against all Nations and Kingdomes that should in like manner deal injuriously with the Saints as the Jews had done with Christ to the end of the world so making this instance the pattern and example to the rest In the next words if you read on you find a solemne inauguration of Christ as King now when ascended into heaven I have set my King on my holy hill with a Proclamation Declaration of Gods Decree and great Designe under the New Testament to be effected and accomplished by this his new King set up I WILL DECLARE the DECRE c. ver 7. which as a Preface refers to all that followes and is in effect no other then the same you have all this while heard out of the Old He gives Christ as a boone upon his Inauguration all the Kingdoms of the world I will give thee saith he the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession What to doe Either to break them or convert them Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell and this drift the Apostles well knew and therefore pertinently urged it in their Prayer to God against the Jewes which Prayer of theirs had a concurrent influence into their ruine Now as the destruction of Jerusalem is made by Christ the fore-running type of the end of the world so the destruction of that Nation for these their doings to Christ and his Apostles and their followers is an example to all Kingdomes that shall doe the like afterwards unto the Saints for which Christ hath and will break them also Therefore how ends the Psalme BE WISE O YE KINGS AND INSTRVCTED YE JUDGES OF THE EARTH c. That is in effect All ye States and Princes of the world learn to know this your INTEREST Although this might be enough in the generall for the whole New Testament Yet come we to the Roman Empire 2. The Romane Empire The Book of the Revel is a Prophesie of the destruction of that Empire either as Heathenish in the whole or else when Christian yet persecuting then in both the parts of it East and West That Book is a Tragy-Comedy
which begins with a Kingdome given to be won by conquest * Revel 6. 8. When the seals begin to be opened Christ goes forth conquering and to conquer and ends with the Coronation of a King and the marriage of his Bride and all between is but the removing of all such lets and impediments namely of the Romane Monarchie and all other Kingdoms which that was broken into so far as they stand in his way and possesse the roome of that Kingdome which he is to set up That this is one main argument of that Book I refer you to what that great and learned Interpreter Master Mede hath largely opened And herein Christ when he first began the whole world then worshipping Idols had work enough to doe He sets first upon conquering the whole Romane Empire as it was Heathenish and the worship of Satan and Idols in it and in three hundred yeeres he dispatcheth that and throwes downe all both Idoll-worship and Princes Chap. 6. that did uphold it This the first six seales doe shew And then when the whole Empire was turned Christian yet as one well said the devill did not turne Christian But under the name and profession of Christ he stirreth up the Arrian Christian world to persecute the Orthodox Christians as much as Heathenish Rome had done But Christ takes farther vengeance for this persecution under both these Heathenish and Arrian Rome * It was the cry of the blood of the Saints slain underboth that brought on them the vengeance that followed See Cha. 6. 10 11. The Empire having been divided afore into two parts the Eastern all which now the Turk possesseth and the Western this in Europe He falls first upon the Westerne European part breaking that by the incursion of those barbarous Nations the Goths and Vandalls and this the foure first trumpets doe sound forth Chap. 8. Then for the Eastern part of the Empire although his revenge was slower yet he reserved them to the sorest vengeance that could befall the Christian world Chap 9. the conquest and tyrannie of the Saracens first and afterwards the Turks and these the fift and sixt Trumpets successively held forth Thus here is an end of the Roman Monarchie under the Emperours in the whole and in the parts of it Chap. 12. The Westerne part in Europe was by occasion of the Goths invasion broken into ten Kingdomes which though helping the woman against the flood of Arrian persecution yet through Satans seducing of them they set up the Beast or Antichristian Rome and these all together did joyn together to make as great a warre against the Saints in the 13. Chap. 13. Chapter as the Heathens and Arrians had done And so Christ was in a manner as farre off his Kingdome as at the first What then is the next great counter-plot of Jesus Christ It is to overcome these ten Kingdomes so you find Revel 17. 14. They shall saith he make war with the Lambe and the Lambe SHALL OVERCOME THEM for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull The world though turned Christian yet in all the variations of it goes on still to persecute the Saints For why the world wil be the world still and the Devill who is the Prince of the world is the same still and so he still followes that trade he had formerly practiced the same which you read of Chap. 12. ver 17. even to make war with the remnant of the womans seed which keep the commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus This is his designe and let the world turn never so much and refine as much as it will Satan endeavours still to forme a party up amongst them whom he turns against the Saints or some of the Saints for that is the great interest of his Kingdome as that place shews it is more to persecute the Saints then to carry men on to sinne And he will be content to fall but upon a few sometimes rather then be put out of this his trade And therefore now besides plain Popery which is prophecyed of in 1 Tim. 4. to arise in the latter dayes You have in 2 Tim. 3. 1. another Prophesie of a sort of men that shall arise in the LAST DAYES Popery is Prophecyed of to be in the latter dayes who shall have a forme of godlinesse and be despisers of them that are good Thus the Devil hath carryed on his design Age after Age and Jesus Christ pursues more closely his great designe also and will never leave till he hath overcome And HE SHALL OVERCOME for He is the King of Kings and those that are with him are called chosen and faithfull And all this if it were not the scope of that Booke of the Revelation yet story would make good Why should I instance in more you know the little stone Christ and his Saints shall dash all in pieces Dan. 2. But enough You have heard the truth of this point exemplified by all these instances As for Reasons of it the Scripture affords a farre greater plenty then of Instances and in many of the instances given you may finde Reasons adjoyned by God himselfe as here in the Text they are Gods anointed in that example of Egypts overthrow Gods first-borne in that of Babels 't was the vengeance of Gods Temple and so on The time will give me leave to single out but a very few of many The Doctrine was this That the greatest interest of all States and Princes lyes in their usage of the Saints to deale ill or well with them is that whereon their misery or welfare doth depend One reason of it is 1. Reason that which should indeed have been my first Observation out of the Text viz. The neerenesse and dearnesse of the Saints to God You see how tender he is of them TOUCH them not If you would understand the tendernesse of Gods heart expressed in that word parallel it with that He that TOUCHETH them toucheth the APPLE OF MINE EYE and you have the expression twice Ps 17. 8. and Zech. 2. 8. there is nothing more deare then the eye you would have pulled out your eyes sayes Paul and of the eye the pupa the black of the eye most When the Ammonites required of the men of Jabesh Gilead that they should thrust out all their right eyes 1 Sam. 11. 2. the Text saith ver 6. that when Saul heard of it the Spirit of God came upon him and his anger was greatly kindled and he went and cut them off and scattered them so that not two of them were left together If Saul their King a tyrannicall King was thus moved for this offer of an injury to the eyes of his Subjects much more God for those who are to him as his own eye yea as the apple of it Or if you will have this Reason in an expression more neerely akin to the
doctrine it selfe they are dearer to God then Nations simply considered the reason is strong That therefore the Interest of all Nations must needs lye in these Saints Esay 43. 3 4. I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life Thus he valued them under the Old Testament But did he give Nations for them then They have cost him more since they have cost him the blood of his Sonne He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us how shall he not with him freely give us ALL THINGS Rom. 8. 32. All things are theirs the world c. because they are Christs Look what reasons the Old Testament gives of this point in hand from their neerenesse to God the New Testament useth the same They are my first borne said God to the Kingdome of Egypt and therefore I will take away thy first-borne The New Testament speaks the same they are the Church of the first-borne written in heaven Heb. 12. 23. Was it the vengeance of the Temple was Babels overthrow the New Testament utters the same and to the same purpose If any man destroyes the Temple of God him shall God destroy FOR THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS HOLY which Temple are YE 1 Cor. 3. 17. Againe Israel is Holinesse to the Lord the first fruits of his encrease and therefore all that devoure him shall offend offend greatly and evill shall come upon them saith the Lord Jer. 2. 3. Thus speaks the Old Testament The same reason and expressions are given you see in the New The Temple of God IS HOLY and they are the FIRST FRUITS of all his creatures Jam. 1. 18. These are the redeemed from among men and the FIRST FRUITS to God and the Lambe and therefore prevaile Revel 14. 4. And as because they are thus deare to God therefore if they be dealt ill withall it is the cause of the ruine of a Nation so on the contrary likewise if a Nation deale well with them it is a cause of his blessing upon them Yea he doth give Nations and States their being for their sakes They are a blessing in the midst of the land Esay 19. 24. In so much as God spareth the tree for a small bunch of grapes so he compareth his people in respect of the rest of a Nation Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it Esay 65. 8. or rather as the same Esay they are to the whole tree the Nation they live in what the pith the heart the substance is As an oke whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves so the HOLY SEED the Saints shall be the SUBSTANCE OF IT Esay 6. ult That preserves life in a Nation when the branches of it are hewne or it cast its leaves These things are spoken in relation to their being the cause of the preservation of a nation in both these places Saints that are as strangers to a Nation and onely make it their refuge yet their presence is in such a case a preservation to them Moab sayes God Let mine out-casts dwell with thee and be thou a covert to them Esay 16. 4. And ver 5. And in mercy shall the throne be established But much more NATIVE Saints procure this blessing their relation being nearer and dearer Of Sion it shall be said This and that man was BORN in her And what followes The highest himselfe shall establish her Psal 87. 3. Secondly 2. Reason another reason is taken from the great interest the Saints have in God the Governour and the priviledge which themselves have vouchsafed them by God in ruling and governing this world and the providences of God therein They are Privy Counsellors to the great King of Kings who governs all the States and Kingdomes in the world and God doth give these his Saints a Commission to set up and pull down by their prayers and intercessions The Old Testament speakes in a high language in Esay 45. 11. I might have quoted it before for it comes in as the reason of Gods setting up Cyrus for his peoples sake Aske me of things to come concerning my sonnes and concerning the WORK OF MY HANDS COMMAND YE ME. Who speaks this The words afore are Thus SAITH the Lord the holy One of Israel and his Maker It would have been blasphemie for us to have said it but that the Lord himselfe first hath said it and given them this priviledge Concerning the work of my hands command ye me And which makes it the more observable before he doth in this place mentioned confer this honour and priviledge upon them he first as on purpose minds them of that infinite distance and disproportion betwixt himself and them so to put the more wonder upon it he tells them ver 9 10. that they were but the clay he the Potter that could not therefore of right say so much unto him about his matters as Why madest thou me thus Yet behold I that am thus your Maker give you leave to dispose by your prayers the great works of my hands which concerne my children my sonnes the affaires of Kingdoms even so far as they relate to their good And he speaks it upon this occasion that for their sakes he had raised up Cyrus and pulled downe the Babylonian Monarchy because they by their prayers had sought this They are said elsewhere to decree a thing Job 22. 28. so Job and to bring it to passe and God is said to fulfill their counsels Psal 20. And this interest they have either for good or evill to the nations they live in First for evill Thus Revel 11. 6. the two Witnesses have power to smite the earth with plagues as oft as they will And if any man WILL hurt them in THIS MANNER he shall be killed that is with the highest and sorest vengeance and God avengeth them speedily Luke 18. 8. And so for blessing The innocent delivers the Island through the purenesse of his hands Job 22. 30. Thus one righteous Lot was for the present the cause of the rescue of the Sodomites the wickedest people in the world and afterwards ordained to the greatest judgement A third reason 3. Reason is the INTEREST of Jesus Christ himselfe And to shew that he is King even King of Kings and hath a Kingdom ordained to him and his Saints supreame to all theirs in the meane while his design and practice is and hath been to break all Kingdoms that do oppose him or oppresse his Saints This reason I might enlarge out of Daniel The God of heaven shall set up a Kingdome which shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes but it shall stand for ever Cha. 2. 44. and Chap. 7. but I shall insist in this Head of Reasons onely upon that eminent title of Christs which holds forth this his
still Jerusalem and the Temple were preserved Yea Alexanders heart was so changed as Esaus that he went in peaceably And the High Priest shewing him the Prophecie of Daniel how the King of Grecia that is himselfe should overcome the King of Persia he was thereby encouraged to the conquest of the King of Persia and not onely spared them but gave many immunities to the Jewes and in that his expedition against Darius prospered accordingly Now that Monarchie thus raised by him was divided into foure parts Dan. 8. 22. all which are accounted to make up that Grecian Monarchie And in the latter end of their Kingdome sayes the 23. verse when the transgressions are come to the full Joseph Antiq. Jud li. 11. that is when God meant to begin to break it and to put a period to it and to reckon with them for their other sins This his wonted designe sets his providence awork that they should fall foule upon his people and so be broken as the former had been and eminently among and above the rest you have a little horne arising Antiochus the successour of one of them the story is cleare in Dan. 8. who magnified himselfe against the people of God the daily sacrifice against the truth c. ver 11 12. and in this God laid the foundation not onely of his ruine but of the rest of the Grecian Monarchie This I might shew out of Daniel ver 25. He shall be broken without hand c. but I will rather do it out of the 9. of Zachary having already begun with that and shewed out of it the rise and proceedings of that Monarchie in the first horne thereof Alexander let us see what it sayes of the ruine of it in that which followes ver 13. When I have bent Judah for me and filled the bow with Ephraim it is an elegant similitude and raised up thy sonnes O ZION against thy sonnes O GREECE and made thee as the sword of a mighty man And the Lord shall be seene over them and his arrow shall goe forth as the lightning c. Here the Grecian Monarchie in the last remainders of it the Kings of Egypt and Syria the Longidae and Seleucidae who both oppressed the Jewes being therefore called GREECE They are called Greece as the King of Persia is called King of Ashur Ezr. 6. 22. and as Cyrus Ez. 5. 13. and Artaxerxes Neh. 10. 6. are called Kings of Babel because successours to these Kings because they were the Successors of it is ruined and by whom even by the people of the Jewes or for their sakes God raised up the sonnes of Sion against these sonnes of Greece God made Judah his bow and Ephraim his arrowes and when God himselfe will be the Archer weake arrowes and instruments will doe wonders And besides that for their sakes God used miraculous and wonderfull wayes to ruine these enemies The Lord shall be seene over them c. ver 14. God used the Jewes themselves the Maccabees to vindicate themselves against these reliques of the Grecian Empire as the story in the book of the Maccabees shewes plainly as Interpreters upon the Text have observed and particularly how Antiochus came to his end And afterwards the ruine of the whole by the Romans it was for the Jews sake and their quarrell and at their prayer it was by Ephraim being his arrow and Judah his bow and God himselfe appearing from heaven against them So then here the GRECIAN MONARCHY is likewise broken upon the Jewes And thus we have done with the Old Testamet Now let us come to the New Testament NEW TESTAMENT The Observation exemplified in the Jews state and Romane Empire Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who was the eminent anointed one he comes obscurely and as it were stealing into the world who was to be King of all the world in the dayes of him who laid the first sure foundation and settlement of the Romane Empire namely Augustus and he comes to his owne to the people of the Jewes over whom the Romanes having the power and a President amongst them our Saviour came to have to doe at once with both these States And first for the Jewes 1. The Jewish Because that which befell that State for their dealing with Christ and his Disciples is the leading case of the New Testament as what was done to these Kings and Nations here in the Text and in the story of Genesis for their carriage towards Abraham Isaac and Jacob was the leading case of the Old I will therefore begin therewith and spend a little time in the opening of it so farre as it concernes the point in hand And now you shall see that Nation State of which hitherto you have heard that it had beene for the rising or falling of all the Monarchies and also lesser Kingdomes round about it it selfe to be the first of all other that was broken and ruined under the New Testament as an example to all the rest that follow and broken not upon another whole Nation like it self but upon a few a very few anointed ones in that Nation namely Our Lord and his Disciples God altering now the way of his dispensation under the New Testament using but a few Saints in Nations which is the more glorious to effect the same designe he did before by that whole Nation of the Jewes under the Old Revel 5. 9. He hath redeemed us say they out of all Nations who are to him a royall Nation 1 Pet. 2. 9 compared with Chap. 1. 1. typified out by that whole Nation of the Jewes whom now he maketh to be to all Kingdoms where they are found either a stone of stumbling whereby they shall be broken or a sure Basis and foundation of their wel-fare according to their usage of them How the Jews used Christ and his Disciples we all know The interest of that Nation wherein stood it Not so much to have entertained Christ for their Temporall King he avoided that but to have received him for their Messiah and anointed Saviour and that this was the interest of the Nation and its wellfare is cleere by that speech of Christ Luke 19. 42. Oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace He therein intending as well the Temporall peace of that Nation as the eternall peace of their soules As Tyre had stood to that day if they had repented as Christ speaks so had Jerusalem also if they had knowne and kept to this their INTEREST But they were so farre from doing this that they clean diverted from it and took up other worldly and politique interests of their owne to save themselves by which were their ruine Yea which I beseech you mark and observe the Lord did order it so in his providence that even REASON OF STATE and a word lye crosse INTEREST to this should be the chiefe motive to them of crucifying Christ and so of