ISRAEL'S REDEMPTION, OR THE PROPHETICALL HISTORY OF OVR SAVIOURS KINGDOME ON EARTH.
They asked of him, ſaying, Lord, Wilt thou at this time reſtore againe the Kingdome to Iſrael?
THat Chriſt is already(a)(a)Matt. 1.20, 21. Luk. 2.11. Joh. 1.29, 30, &c. come; that as a Prophet hee hath(b)(b)Matt. 4.17. Luk. 4.15, &c. cald us to repentance, and as a prieſt hath been a(c)(c)Joh. 2.2. Heb. 2.17. Rom. 3.25. propitiation for our ſinnes (and not for ours onely, but alſo for the ſinnes of the whole world) having by(d)(d)Heb. 9.28. ch. 10.14. Mark. 8.31. Luk. 24.46. Joh. 10.15. Rev. 5.9. once offering himſelfe, perfected for ever them that are ſanctified, is the faith of Chriſtians, & the infidelity of the Jews; but that he ſhall come2 as a King to reigne on earth, and reſtore againe the Monarchie of Iſrael, is the faith of the Jewes, and the infidelity of Chriſtians. And I thinke it a matter equally difficult to perſwade either part to the mutuall imbracement of each others beleefe; and yet (with ſubmiſſion to impartiall judgements be it ſpoken) I find not in the Scriptures more voyces for the one, than for the other, and therefore do verily beleeve, that neither Tenet apart, but both together do make up the full and(e)(e)Rom. 8.23. ch. 11.12.15. Eph. 1.14. ch. 4. v. 30. Rev. 10.7. compleat myſtery of our Redemption: Which by Gods gracious aſſiſtance, I ſhall to his owne glory, and our Chriſtian comfort, clearely prove, in the examination of the words now read unto you, For they asked of him, ſaying, Lord, wil thou at this time reſtore againe the Kingdome of Iſrael?
The words you ſee are a querie, and ſuch propoſitions imply three things:
- 1 A perſon, or perſons propoſing it.
- 2 A matter or ſubject propoſed.
- 3 A perſon or perſons to whom it is propoſed.
The perſons here are the Diſciples asking the queſtion, and our Saviour anſwering them, as the context declares; the matter enquired of, is the reſtauration of the captivated Soveraignty of the Jewes, as the text it ſelfe doth informe us: theſe are the parts; yet becauſe it would be impertinent in this buſineſſe, to ſpeake any thing of the perſons, but onely as their joynt authority may helpe ſomewhat to juſtifie the truth of this propoſall; I ſhall (omitting this diviſion) onely glance at them in the enſuing confirmation of the ſubject:God ſhall ſet up a Kingdome ever all the earth. which comprehends in it, theſe two aſſertions,
1 That the Kingdome of the Jewes ſhall againe be reſtored unto them.
31 That the reſtored Jewes ſhall be the royall Nation of that renued world.2 That our Saviour at his comming ſhall reſtore it. And firſt of the firſt, that the Kingdome of the Jewes ſhall againe be reſtored unto them: For they asked of him, ſaying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reſtore againe the Kingdome to Iſrael?
So evidently do theſe words expreſſe an earthly kingdome (I meane onely a Kingdome to be held on earth) that no expoſitor which I have met with doth deny it, and therefore ſeeing they could not but imbrace the ſenſe, mee thinkes they ſhould not ſo raſhly have rejected the conſequence: and that for theſe reaſons.
Firſt, becauſe the authors of this demand were not babes, either in yeares or underſtanding, but the Apoſtles themſelves: Men who had followed(f)(f)Mat. ••▪ 19. our Saviour from the very time that he manifeſted himſelfe to the world, by preaching and miracles, and ſuffered not ſo much as a(g)(g)Mat. 13.36. parable to eſcape their knowledge:Mat. •.17. men to whom(h)(h)Act. 1.3. hee had ſhewed himſelf•alive after his paſſion, by many infal•ible p•oofes, being••e••of them forty dayes, and ſpeaking to them of the things pertaining unto the Kingdome of God. And yet that theſe men. ſhould now at their laſt conference with him be miſtaken in a matter of ſuch importance as this is, which concernes the purpoſe of God touching the whole Nation of the Jewes, is (as I beleeve, and as I thinke you will all ſay) a thing altogether unlikely, and ſo it is too that all the Apoſtles ſhould be of the ſame mind, unleſſe it had beene a truth formerly taught them, and not (as it is imagined) an errour then newly vented by them.
A ſecond reaſon which makes mee diſtaſt the cenſure here caſt on our Apoſtles, is becauſe our Saviours anſwer is alleadged, as a ſufficient ground for it; whereas it will appeare even to a weake4 judgement, by that his anſwer the Apoſtles opinion is as much eſtabliſhed, as their curioſitie is reprehended: for they askt, whether hee would at that time reſtore againe the Kingdome to Iſrael, to which hee anſwered, It is not for you to know the times and ſeaſons which the Father hath put in his owne power: as if hee ſhould have ſaid, it is enough for you to know that ſuch a thing ſhall be done, and by whom, but as for the time when it ſhall be done, this the Father hath put in his owne power, and therefore ought not to be enquired of by you, nor to be revealed by me: This is the whole meaning of the reply, and now give you your verdict, whether you find the Apoſtles hereby condemned, for holding of an untruth; or rather for an over curious affectation, to acquaint themſelves with the very day, in which they ſhould behold the glorious accompliſhment of ſo great a bleſſing.
Another reaſon which makes for our Apoſtles, is the anſwer our Saviour gave the ſons of Zebedee,Mat. 20.21, 22. when they beſought him, that one might ſit on his right hand, and the other on his left in his Kingdome, or as Saint Marke paraphraſeth it,Chap. 10.37. in his glory; Ye know not, ſaid he, what ye aske: this reproofe you will grant, goes neerer to the quicke, than that before uſed to the Apoſtles; and yet if you marke what followes, you ſhall find that the matter of their petition is allowed of, and only the motives thereof condemned, to wit, their ambition in ſeeking the higheſt roome, and their unadviſedneſſe in ſuppoſing, that Chriſt could then give that to any. which none could have but they for whom it was,Mat. 20.23. from all eternity, prepared of his Father. And therefore ſeeing this is all, that theſe two were rebuked for by ſuch a ſharpe reply, how can we miſtruſt that more than this ſhould be included in a milder anſwer?
5Thus farre wee have argued Topically, and by way of probabilitie, but that which ſeemes to mee clearly to quit our Apoſtles from error, though not from oblivion: from errour, I ſay, in the ſubject, though not in the circumſtance; in the thing demanded, though not in the ſeaſon of its performance; is becauſe I find my text to be a leſſon read to them by our Saviour before his paſſion. For ſpeaking of the deſtruction of the Jews, They ſhal fal, ſaid he, by the edge of the ſword, & ſhall be led away captive into all Nations, and Hieruſalem ſhall be trodden downe of the Gentiles, untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfild. Luk. 21. the 24. verſ. and at the 28. verſ. (having before ſhewne what ſignes ſhould immediately foregoe his appearing) he left them this cordiall: When theſe things begin to come to paſſe, then looke up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. Behold here, beloved, the caſting away of Gods people for a time, which wee ſee at this day verified: and their receiving againe for ever, which ſhall as certainly come to paſſe, plainly foretold, the redemption, I ſay, not onely of their ſoules, from the bondage of ſinne, to the favour of God, by the profeſſion of the Goſpel, but conſequently of their bodies too, from their general captivitie to the repoſſeſſing of their country, by a miraculous deliverance: for if no more ſhould be meant by the word [Redemption] but the meere converſion of the Jewes in thoſe places where now they live; it cannot be conceived, why this action ſhould be accompanied with ſuch wonderfull tokens, and perplexity of all other Nations, as is here mentioned: unleſſe wee ſhall admit no ſpace of time betwixt this converſion, and that inſtant in which our Saviour ſhall give ſentence on the dead; which I ſuppoſe few or none will yeeld to, and if you6 ſeriouſly conſider the evidence of the Prophets, I am confident you will confeſſe, that a moſt righteous and flouriſhing eſtate of the Jewes in their owne land, muſt of neceſſity diſtinguiſh the time of their calling, and the worlds diſſolution at the laſt judgement.
And with what teſtimonies can we better begin, than with ſuch as are of neereſt affinity with our Saviours Prophecie. They ſhall ſmite (ſaith Micah in his 5. ch. and 1. verſ) the Judges of Iſrael with arod upon the cheeke. And at the third verſe, Therefore will hee give them up untill the time that ſh•e whi h travelleth hath brought forth: then the(i)(i)Cap. cjuſd. v 7.8. Iſay 1. v. 9. cap. 10.22. Mat. 24.22. Rom. 11. v. 5.28. remnant of his brethren ſhall returne unto the children of Iſrael. What I pray is meant here, by ſmiting the Judge of Iſrael, but the(k)(k)To this interpretation of the Propheſie (ſuiting ſo well with our Saviours ſufferings) the very next verſ which foreſhewes the place where Chriſt the Ruler of Iſrael ſhould be born, doth to my thinking directly lead us. crucifying of Chriſt? (whom, when they had blindfolded him, they ſtroke on the face, and aſked him ſaying, Propheſie, who is it that ſmote thee, Luk. 22. at the 64 verſ. ) and what by, untill the time that ſhee which travelleth hath brought forth, but the whole time of the ſurrogated Gentiles vacation? (for blindneſſe is in part happened to Iſrael, untill the**Whether by [fulneſſe] wee underſtand the whole number of thoſe Gentiles which were ſucceſſively to be called before the Nationall converſion of the Iewes, or elſe the full, univerſall, and contemporating converſion of all unbeleeving Gentiles whatſoever, at, and through that extraordinary reſtauration of the Iewes (whoſe Tribes are wholly comprehended by this word, in the 12. verſ. of the ſame chapter;) whether I ſay, the firſt or laſt of theſe interpretations doth paſſe for currant with us (and one of them muſt needs paſſe) yet it comes all to one reckoning, it doth nothing prejudice the cauſe, for which our Apoſtles ſaying is here alleaged, (which is to ſhew that the giving up of the Iewes muſt laſt untill the time which is appointed for the calling of the ſubſtituted Gentiles, be fully ended:) for if blindneſſe be happened to Iſrael, untill the comming in of the ſulnes of the Gentiles, in the laſt ſenſe (that is, of all of them indifferently) ſhall come to paſſe, then muſt it of neceſſity continue, untill the comming in of the fulneſſe of the Gentiles, in the firſt ſenſe (that is, of the ſubſtituted part of them) be quite and cleane finiſhed, ſeeing the totall converſion cannot take place before the partiall gives way to it. fulneſſe of the Gentiles be come in, Rom. 11.25. ) from7 whence it neceſſarily followes, that this Propheſie, and our Saviours muſt be underſtood of one and the ſame time; for the diſperſion foretold by Chriſt, was to happen after his paſſion, and ſo was this, as their ſmiting the Judge of Iſael declares; which is alleaged as the maine cauſe of it. Againe, the captivitie which our Saviour ſpake of, is to laſt, untill the**Though by the word [times] the dominion and power of the Gentiles over the Iewes, and their poſſeſſion of the holy Land, be in this place eſpecially aymed at: yet becauſe the time of the Iewes ſubjection to, and captivitie amongſt the Gentiles in generall, is to be of equall latitude and extent with the time of the ſubſtituted Gentiles calling; this thing alſo is neceſſarily (though not immediately and primarily) hereby implyed. times (or calling) of the Gentiles he fulfilled: and ſo is this, for when ſhee which travelleth hath brought forth, then ſaith the text, the remnant of his brethren ſhall returne unto the children of Iſrael: which is a plaine interpretation of that which our Saviour doth ſomewhat covertly expreſſe by the word [Redemption,] and this the next verſe doth confirme, which tells us, that at the time of this returne, He (that is, the Judge of Iſrael before ſpoken of, that hee, I ſay,) ſhall ſtand and feed (or rule) in the ſtrength of the Lord, in the Majeſty of the Name of the Lord his God, and they (that is, the Jewes) ſhall abide, for now (that is, at this comming of our Saviour) hee ſhall bee (not as when hee tooke our nature upon him, of no(k)(k)Iſay 53. v. 2 3. forme, nor comelineſſe, a man deſpiſed, and rejected of men, a man of ſorrowes, and acquainted with griefes, but he ſhall be)(l)(l)Zech. 9.10. Pſal. 72.8. great unto the ends of the earth: that is, over all the world; untill hee and his ſhall at the laſt judgement, exchange the earthly Hieruſalem (the(m)(m)Jer. 3. v. 17. ca. 14. v. 21. Throne of his Kingdome) which is to be(n)(n)Jer. 31.38. built againe by men, for that imperiall Hieruſalem, not(o)(o)2 Cor. 5.1. made with hands, eternall in the heavens.
Another Propheſie much like unto this, is that of Amos in his 9. chap. at the 8. verſ. Behold the eyes8 of the Lord God are upon the ſinfull Kingdome, and I will deſtroy it from off the face of the earth, ſaving that I will not utterly deſtroy the houſe of Jacob, ſaith the Lord, for loe I will command, and I will ſift the houſe of Iſrael among all Nations, like as corne is ſifted in a ſieve, yet ſhall not the least graine fall upon the earth. And at the 11. verſ. In that day will I raiſe up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen, and cloſe up the breaches thereof, and I will raiſe up his ruines as in the dayes of old, that they may poſſeſſe the remnant of Edom, and of all the Heathen that are called by my Name, ſaith the Lord that doth this. I will bring againe the captivitie of my people Iſrael, and they ſhall build the waſt cities, and inhabit them, and they ſhall plant vineyards, and drinke the wine thereof, they ſhall alſo make gardens, and eate the fruit of them: and I will plant them upon their land, and they ſhall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, ſaith the Lord God. Now although this Propheſie tooke effect on the tenne Tribes at their tranſplantation, began by(p)(p)1 Chro. 5. v. 6. 2 King. 15. v. 29. Cap. 16.9. Tiglath-Pileſer King of Aſſyria, and ended by Shalmaneſer his ſucceſſour: who alſo brought up ſtrange Nations, and placed them in their ſtead,(q)(q)2 King. 17. v. 5, 6, 24. cap. 18. v. 9, &c. which people were from Samaria, the ancient metropolis of that Province, called(r)(r)Joh. 4.9. Samaritanes: yet who is able to maintaine, that it was fulfilled on the other two (for not the houſe of Joſeph, nor the houſe of Judah only, but the houſe of Jacob wholly, is here ſpoken of: and why elſe is the Tabernacle of David afterwards expreſt, as a prime agent in the reſtauration, if it were not before included, as a ſucceding patient in the diſperſion of Iſrael?) who then I ſay, is able to maintaine, that this Prophecie was fulfilled on Judah and Benjamin, untill their overthrow by the Roman Emperour Veſpaſian, ever9 ſince which time they alſo remaine forſaken, ſcattered, and deſpiſed captives? yea, who dares affirme it, when God hath ſaid, that at their returne from this univerſall captivity,††The uſuall anſwer of a condititionall promiſe, will take no hold on this or the like places of the Scripture: for as God hath here paſt his word that hee will no more pull them up out of their land: ſo in the 32. chap. of Jer. at the 39. & 40. verſ. the 50. chap. at the 20 verſ. In the 36. of Ezek. at the 27. verſ. in the 37. at the 23. in the 39. at the 7. verſ. and in the 3. of Zeph. at the 13. verſ. (All which Propheſies do in the time of their fulfilling, concurre with this) he hath likewiſe promiſed, to give them one way and one heart, that they may feare him for ever. Never to turne away from them to do them good, but to put his feare into their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from him. That the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſinnes of Judah, and they ſhall not be found. That hee will put his ſpirit within them, and cauſe them to walke in his ſtatutes, and to keepe his judgements and doe them. That they ſhall defile themſelves no more with their Idols, nor with their deteſtable things, not with any of their tranſgreſſions. That he will make his holy name knowne in the midſt of his people Iſrael, and will not let them pollute his holy Name any more. And that the remnant of Iſrael ſhall not doe iniquity, nor ſpeake lies: neither ſhall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth. And therefore God having thus equally engaged himſelfe, as well to keepe the Iewes from ſinne, as to free them from bondage, it is as impoſſible that the accompliſhment of this Propheſie ſhould be fruſtrated, and the fruition of theſe bleſſings forfeited for want of obedience; as that God ſhould either forget, or not regard, or be unable to fulfill his word, and conſequently, the appointed time for the finiſhing of ſuch Propheſies is yet to be expected. hee will ſo plant them in their Land, that they ſhall no * more be pulled up out of it? which yet ſhould not be true, if it it had beene ſpoken of any deliverance before our Saviours comming to ſuffer.
The next Propheſie ſhall be that of Joel, who mentions the very ſignes which our Saviour ſaid ſhould be the immediate fore-runners of the Jewes Redemption. And it ſhall come to paſſe afterwards (ſaith hee, in his 2. chap. at the 28. verſ. ) that I will powre out my ſpirit upon all fleſh, and your ſonnes and your daughters ſhall prophecie, your old men ſhall dreame dreames, and your young men ſhall ſee viſions: and alſo upon the ſervants, and upon the handmaids in thoſe dayes will I powre out my ſpirit, and I will ſhew wonders in the heavens, and in the earth blood,10 and fire, and pillars of ſmoake: the(ſ)(ſ)Iſa. 24.23. Mat. 24.29. Rev. 6 12. Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſſe, and the Moone into blood before the(*)(*)Great, not onely in regard of the ſtrangeneſſe, and dreadfulneſſe of events of things then to come to paſſe, but great alſo in regard of the long continuance, and tract of time, which God in his revelations hereafter to be fulfilled, doth by the word [Day] (as well without this epithet, as with i•) frequen•ly import. great and terrible(t)(t)Eze. 39. verſ. 8. Malac. 4.5. Jude ver. 6. Rev. 16.14. day of the Lord come. And it ſhall come to paſſe that whoſoever ſhall call on the Name of the Lord ſhall be delivered: for in mount Zion, and in Hieruſalem ſhall be deliverance, as the Lord hath ſaid, and in the remnant whom the Lord ſhall call. And at the 3. chap. at the 1. verſ. Behold in thoſe dayes, and in that time, when I ſhall bring againe the captivitie of Judah and Hieruſalem, I will alſo gather all Nations, and will bring them downe into the valley of Jehoſaphat (which in the 14. verſ. is called, the valley of deciſion) and will plead with them there, for my people, and for my heritage Iſrael, whom they have ſcattered among the Nations, and parted my land. And at 15. verſ. againe, The Sunne, and the Moone ſhall be darkned, and the Starres ſhall withdraw their ſhining, the Lord alſo ſhall roare out of Zion, and utter his voyce from Hieruſalem, and the(u)(u)Iſa. 2.19, &c. Eze. 38.19, 20. Hag. 2.22. Mat. 24.29. Rev. 16.18. c. 6.13.14. heavens, and the earth ſhall ſhake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the ſtrength of the children of Iſrael.
I am not ignorant, that the darkning of the Sun and Moone, is ſometimes taken allegorically, and by way of alluſion but that therefore it ſhould be ſo underſtood here, it doth not follow, for where it is figuratively applyed, it ſignifies the judgement it ſelfe, which is to befall thoſe people of whom it is ſpoken: but where it is literally uſed, it is put onely for a ſigne of an eminent deſtruction, which ſhall ſuddenly follow it, as the great and terrible day of the Lord ſhall do at the accompliſhment of this Propheſie.
Neither have I forgotten, that the firſt of theſe Propheſies was made uſe of by Saint Peter, to ſtop the mouthes of ſuch as jeered the Apoſtles, when by the deſcent of the holy Ghoſt upon them, they11 began to ſpeake with other tongues:Act. 2.4. but that this Propheſie was then fulfilled, I deny: for when ſome mocking ſaid, Theſe men are full of new wine;Cap. cjuſd. verſ. 13. &c. Saint Peter replyed, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Hieruſalem, be this knowne unto you, and hearken unto my words, for theſe are not drunken, as ye ſuppoſe, ſeeing it is but the third houre of the day: but this is that which was ſpoken by the Prophet Joel: And it ſhall come to paſſe in the laſt dayes (ſaith God) I will powre out my Spirit upon all fleſh: as if he had ſaid, My brethren, theſe are not the effects of wine, but of the Spirit of God, which is now powred out on the firſt fruits of the Jewes, as a pledge & aſſurance of that bountifull effuſion of it, which (as Joel hath ſaid) ſhall one day happen to the whole(u)(u)Iſay 32. verſ. 15. Ezek. 39. verſ. 29. Zech. 12 verſ. 10. Nation. And that this is all S. Peter meant, it may thus appeare: firſt, becauſe the chief and moſt remarkeable effect of the Spirit in the Apoſtles, at this time, was the gift of tongues, of which the Prophet makes no mention: and ſecondly, becauſe as the Prophet revealed, ſo hee repeats this powring out of the Spirit, as a contemporary event with the wonders which ſhall be ſhewne, in the heavens, and in the earth, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. Which day can no way be referr'd to the firſt comming of Chriſt, when he came to(x)(x)Luk. 9. verſ. 56. Chap. 19. verſ. 10. Joh. 12.47. ſave ſinners, and not to deſtroy them: when hee would not take upon him, to be(y)(y)Luk. 12.14. Joh. 6.15. Judge, and Ruler over them: for then it muſt have beene an antecedent of his birth, of the time he lived; and not a ſubſequent of his death and departure, which hath no analogie with a day. Is remaines then that it is an expreſſion of his ſecond coming, which is called a great and terrible day, in regard of the generall deſtruction which ſhall be brought on all Nations, that oppoſe themſelves againſt the Jewes at that time: For in mount12 Zion, and in Hieruſalem (as you have heard) ſhall be deliverance, and in the Remnant whom the Lord ſhall call•▪ And to put it out of doubt, that Gods bringing downe of the heathen into the valley of Jehoſpaphat, is meant onely of his gathering them together to a battell, and conſequently of a judgement on the living, and not on the dead: to put this out of doubt, I ſay, the Prophet makes it to be a concomitant of the Jewes(z)(z)Rev. 16. v. 12, 13, 14. return from their captivitie; and in the 9, 10, 11, and 12. verſ. provokes the Gentiles to prepare warre, to aſſemble their mighty men, and to breake their ploughſhares into ſwords, and their pruning-hookes into ſpeares: a preparation, which as it would be fruitleſſe, ſo doubtleſſe they ſhall neither have time, power, or will to make, when they are ſummoned to receive the dreadfull ſentence of, Goe yee curſed. And for my owne part, I am perſwaded, that this great army here ſpoken of, is the very ſame that ſhall be gathered together to the battell of that great day of God Almighty, by the three uncleane ſpirits like frogs, which Saint John ſaw come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beaſt, and out of the mouth of the falſe Prophet, Rev. the 16. at the 13. verſ. Of this(a)(a)Pſal. 2.1, 2, 3. Pſ. 46.6, 8. Pſ. 68.30. Iſa. 2.12, 13, &c. Ch. 24.21, 22. ch. 26.20, 21. ch. 34.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. ch. 49. v. 26. chap. 66. v. 14, 15, 16. Micah 4.12, 13. deſtruction alſo ſpeakes Zephaniah, in his 3. chap. at the 8. verſ. Therefore wait upon mee, ſaith the Lord, untill the day that I riſe up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the Nations, that I may aſſemble the Kingdomes, to powre upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth ſhall be devoured with the fire of my jealouſie: for then will I turne to the people (meaning the Jewes) a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to ſerve him with one conſent. And at the 19. verſ. Behold at that time I will undoe all that afflict thee, and13 I will ſave her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praiſe and fame in every land, where they have beene put to ſhame. At that time I will bring you againe, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a prayſe among all people of the earth, when I turne backe your captivity before your eyes, ſaith the Lord. And yet more fully Zechariah in his 12. chap. at the 3. verſ. In that day will I make Hieruſalem a burdenſome ſtone for all people: all that burden themſelves with it ſhall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together againſt it. In that day will I ſmite every horſe with aſtoniſhment, and his rider with madneſſe, and I will open mine eyes upon the houſe of Judah, and will ſmite every horſe of the people with blindneſſe. In that day will I make the Governours of Judah like a hearth(b)(b)Obad. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21: of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a ſheafe: and they ſhall devour all the people round about, on the right hand, and on the left: and Hieruſalem ſhall be inhabited againe in her owne place, even in Hieruſalem. The Lord alſo ſhall ſave the tents of Judah firſt, that the glory of the houſe of David, and the glory of the inhabitants of Hieruſalem, do not magnifie themſelves againſt Judah. In that day ſhall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Hieruſalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day, ſhall be as David: and the houſe of David ſhall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them. And in the 14. chap. at the 12. verſ. This ſhall be the plague wherewith the Lord ſhall ſmite the people that have fought againſt Jeruſalem: their fleſh ſhall conſume away while they ſtand upon their feete, and their eyes ſhall conſume away in their holes, and their tongues ſhall conſume away in their mouth: and it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord ſhall be among them, and they ſhall lay hold every one on the hand of his(c)(c)Eze. 38.21. Hag. 2.23. neighbour, and his hand ſhall riſe up againſt the14 hand of his neighbour; and Judah alſo ſhall fight at Hieruſalem, and the(d)(d)Mich. 4.13. wealth of all the Heathen round about ſhall be gathered together, gold, and ſilver, and apparell in great abundance, and ſo ſhal be the plague of the horſe, of the mule, of the camell, and of the aſſe, and of the beaſts that ſhall be in theſe tents, as this plague. And in the 38. and 39. chap. of Ezek. the ſame army is foretold, under the names of Gog and Magog.
Now how can wee forſake the literall interpretation of theſe prophecies, if wee do but conſider, that the Jewes are here diſtinguiſhed from all other Nations, of which wee Gentiles, who are now converted, were then a part; and are by this name in the writings of the Evangeliſts and Apoſtles ſtill diſtinguiſhed from them, if wee conſider what groſſe abſurdities would follow from the Tropicall conſtruction of theſe or the like propheticall revelations, wherein the event of things is ſo plainly and diſtinctly attributed to the Jewes: who I am ſure, did never ſince the Prophets dayes, returne from any captivitie, with ſuch an high hand, and with ſuch a wonderfull victory over their enemies, as is here prophecied. And as for the Church that now is, let the lamentable experience of all ages witneſſe, whether ſhe hath not beene more often crowned with martyrdome, than victory: whether the blood-thirſtie Mahometan hath not gotten much ground upon her: yea, whether he who claimes the priviledge to be her head, hath not, and doth not, moſt of all waſte and devoure her, according as it is written of him in the 13. of the Rev. at the 11. verſ. and therefore theſe propheſies can have no relation to the times of the Gentiles: nor ſo much to the time of the Maccabees, as Cornelius à Lapide endeavours to make15 theſe of Zachariah to have, for neither were their enemies ſmitten with ſuch plagues, nor brought into ſuch ſubjection, as is here foretold; neither was the houſe of David then ſo highly exalted, as is here promiſed: and Iudas and his brethren, who then bare the chiefeſt ſway, were not of the Tribe of Iudah, but of Levi: neither was the wealth of all the heathen round about then gathered together: neither did the Lord(e)(e)Zech. 14.5. deſcend, and all the Saints with him, unleſſe wee will ſay (as our Commentator doth) that this was fulfilled, when the five comely men upon horſes appeared unto the enemies from heaven, as 'tis in the 2. of the Maccab. the 10. chap. at the 29. and 30. verſ. which apparition doth as well expound theſe words, as hee doth that other Propheſie of Zephaniah, by which he would have us to underſtand Gods calling the Gentiles to repentance by the preaching of the Goſpell, when as the text ſaith plainly, that Gods determination is to gather the Nations, and to aſſemble the Kingdomes, that he may powre upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger: and if this be not to cry peace, peace, when there is no peace: if this be not to call evill good, and good evill: to put darkneſſe for light, and light for darkeneſſe: bitter for ſweete, and ſweete for bitter, I know not what is.
But enough of the perplexity, which ſhall happen to other Nations when the Jewes return. Now againe of their returne, and of the proſperity which ſhall then happen to themſelves. And it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, (ſaith Iſaiah, ch. 11. v. 11.) that the Lord ſhall ſet his hand againe the ſecond time, to recover the remnant of his people, which ſhall be left, from Aſſyria, and from Egypt, and from Paphros, and from Cuſh and from E•am, and from Shinar, and from16 Hamath, and from the Iſlands of the Sea: and hee ſhall ſet up an Enſigne for the Nations, and ſhall aſſemble the outcaſts of Iſrael, and(f)(f)Iſa. 49.12.25. ch. 30.18, 19. ch. 62.10, 11, 12. Eze. 20.32, 33, 34, &c. gather together the diſperſed of Judah, from the foure corners of the earth: the envie alſo of Ephraim ſhall depart, and the adverſaries of Judah ſhall be cut off: Ephraim ſhall not envie Judah, and Judah ſhall not vexe Ephraim: and the Lord ſhall utterly deſtroy the tongue of the Egyptian Sea, and with his mighty wind ſhall he ſhake his hand over the river, and ſhall ſmite it in the ſeven ſtreames, and ſhall make men goe over dry-ſhod, and there ſhall be an high way for the remnant of his people, which ſhall be left from Aſſyria,(g)(g)Mica. 7. 15, &c. like as it was to Iſrael, in the day that he came up out of the Land of Egipt. You ſee here that the Prophet ſpeakes plainely of a miraculous recovery of Gods people: of the recovery, I ſay, of Judah, not from Babylon, but from the foure(h)(h)Jer. 16. v. 14, 15. ch. 23.7, 8. corners of the earth; and that together with Ephraim, with the ten Tribes from Aſſyria, which as(i)(i)Joh. 7.35. yet never came back, and therefore this is not yet fulfilled. Such another Propheſie is that of Ezek. in his 37. chap. at the 19. verſ. Thus ſaith the Lord God, I will take the ſticke of Joſeph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the Tribes of Iſrael his fellowes, and will put them with him, even with the ſticke of Judah, and make them one ſticke, and they ſhall be one in my hand. And at the 21. verſ. Behold I will take the children of Iſrael from among the Heathen whither they be gone, and will gather them on every ſide, and will bring them into their owne Land: and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountaines of Iſrael, and one King ſhall be King to them all; and they ſhall be no more two Nations, neither ſhall they be divided into two Kingdomes any more at all, neither ſhall they defile themſelves any more with their Idols, nor with their deteſtable things, nor with any of their17 tranſgreſſions: but I wil ſave them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have ſinned, and will cleanſe them: ſo ſhall they be my people, and I will be their God. And in Hoſea 1.10. Yet the number of the children of Iſrael ſhall be as the ſand of the Sea, which cannot be meaſured nor numbred, and it ſhall come to paſſe, that in the place where it was ſaid unto them(k)(k)Jer. 24, 6, 7. ch. 32.37, 38. Zech. 13.9. Yee are not my people, there it ſhall be ſaid, Ye are the Sons of the living God. Then ſhall the Children of Judah, and the children of Iſrael be gathered together, and appoint themſelves one head, and they ſhall come up out of the Land, for great ſhal be the Day of Jezreel. In both which propheſies the Lord hath promiſed, that the Jewes ſhall againe live under one King onely (as they had done before the diviſion of the Tribes) and that in their owne land too, which hath not beene yet performed, and therefore the time of theſe Propheſies is yet to come: for though this of Hoſea be underſtood by ſome Expoſitors, of the vocation of the Gentiles, that is, of the Chriſtian Church in theſe our dayes; yet doubtleſſe they are much miſtaken in this expoſition, for ſeeing this and the former Propheſie, concerne one and the ſame thing, to wit, the uniting of all the Tribes under one King, therefore they muſt needs receive their accompliſhment at one and the ſame time; and ſo this muſt be referred to the Jewes, as well as the other: and beſides, how can that belong to the Gentiles which was propheſied onely of the Jewes, as is declared by the Prophets wife of whoredomes, and children of wheredomes, which he tooke of purpoſe to upbraid the idol-worſhip, and ſpirituall whoredomes of the Iſraelites? verſ. 2. and therefore when ſhe conceived, and bare him the ſecond ſonne, Call his name, ſaid God, Loammi: For yee are not my people, and I will not be your God. The Iſraelites then18 it were, to whom this Prophet was ſent, and of whom it was ſaid, Yee are not my people; and the place where they were told ſo, was their owne land, and therefore in that place it ſhall againe be ſaid unto them: Yee are the ſonnes of the living God, verſ. 10. And this Piſcator grants to be the meaning of it here in the Prophet; but withall hee holds, that it is applyed in the 9. of the Rom. to the converſion of the Gentiles, becauſe the Iſraelites being thus rejected of God, were become like unto the Gentiles, who untill the preaching of the Goſpell were not his people: but notwithſtanding this reaſon, mee thinkes it is very unlikely, that the Apoſtle ſhould borrow a Prophecie from the Jewes, to prove Gods mercy towards the Gentiles, which is in ſundry places of the Scripture, ſo properly and diſtinctly foreſhewne, as you may ſee by the authorities which are urged to this purpoſe in the(l)(l)v. 19, 20. 10. and(m)(m)v. 9, 10, 11, 12. 15. chap. of the ſame Epiſtle, and therefore I ſhould rather take it to be brought in by Saint Paul, as a teſtimony eſtabliſhing the freeneſſe of Gods election, which is the doctrine he there maintaines, and doth in theſe words (as he did before in the example of Jacob and Eſau) give an inſtance of it, touching the Iſraelites, whom God had for a long time rejected, and would yet again receive: & that becauſe (as the potter hath power over the clay to make of the ſame lump, one veſſell to honour, and another to diſhonour, ſo) he hath mercy on whom hee will, and whom he will hee hardneth. And this the 14. verſ. ſeemes to confirm, where it is ſaid, Eſaiah alſo crieth concerning Iſrael: for what makes the copulative [alſo] here, if the Apoſtle underſtood not the former propheſie of Iſrael, as well as this? and yet in what ſenſe ſoever you pleaſe to take it here, I hope it is already19 ſufficiently declared, that it concernes the Iſraelites only in the Prophet, which is as much as the ſubject of my diſcourſe requires.
There is yet in the 3. of Hoſea, at the 4. verſ. one more materiall argument for the Jewes deliverance. (o)(o)Hier. Zanch: in cap. 3. Hoſ. p. 12. & 23. ed. Genevae, 1619. Pareus in c, idem. p. 481. col. 1. ed. in fol. 1628. Rivetus in c. id. p. 23, 24. ed. 1625. Alſted. Chr. c. 32. p. 294. c. 35. p. 330. Lyra. part. 4. p. 379, C. part. 2. p. 198. C. & p. 249. F. Part. 3. p. 212. F. & p. 213. C. part. 4. p. 151. B, C. & p. 116. A. Dr. Mayers Lect. on James, cap. 1. p. 4.The children of Iſrael, ſaith hee, ſhall abide many daies without a king, and without a Prince, and without a ſacrifice, and without an image, and without an Ephod, and without Teraphim; afterwards ſhall the children of Iſrael returne, and ſeeke the Lord their God, and(n)(n)Iſay 9. v. 6, 7. David their King, and ſhall feare the Lord and his goodneſſe in the latter dayes. Which propheſie cannot poſſibly be as yet fulfilled, for if it be meant onely of the ten Tribes, amongſt whom Hoſea propheſied, it is confeſt, that they did never yet returne: and if of the other two, it muſt be meant of their captivitie ſince our Saviours comming, for till then, the Scepter could not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from betweene his feet: as Jacob foretold, Gen. the 49. at the 10. verſ. and therefore till then they could not be without a Prince, or Governours of that Tribe, although they were long before tributary to other Nations, and this alſo is intimated by thoſe words [the latter dayes] which are no where put for the time before the incarnation of Chriſt. And this it ſeemes made Cornelius a Lapide referre the event of this propheſie to the end of the world, that is, as the Romaniſts imagine, to the comming of Antichriſt: who, as their tale goes of him, ſhall manifeſt himſelfe about that time, and ſhall reigne(p)(p)Fran. Johan. de Combis in compendio totius Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 13. three yeares and an halfe, and ſhall put to death(q)(q)Id. l 7. c. 7. Enoch and Elias, who ſhall be ſent to preach repentance unto the Jewes, and to withſtand the impoſtures of Antichriſt; whom (becauſe hee is, as they ſay, to be borne in Babylon, of the Tribe of Dan) moſt of20 the Jews ſhall receive for their Meſſias: but as ſoone as he ſhall be ſlain on the mount of(r)(r)Id. l. 7. c. 14. Olives in his tent by the power of the Lord, (that is, as the gloſſe on the Apocalyps hath it, either by Chriſt himſelfe viſibly appearing unto him, or by the miniſtry of the Arch-angel Michael) preſently the Jews that followed him, ſhall(ſ)(ſ)Cornel. à Lap. in c. 3. Hof. p. 93. col. 2. partly through the remēbrance of the miracles, & Sermons of the two witneſſes, & partly through the endeavors of other preachers, be converted, & then, All Iſrael ſhall be ſaved: & for this converſion they they allow**The reaſon why they propoſe this number, rather than any other, is becauſe in the 12. chap. of Dan. at the 12. verſ. it is ſaid, Bleſſed is he that waiteth, and commeth to the 1335. dayes: which ſumme is made up by adding, 45. dayes (the dayes, as they call them, of repentance to ſuch as have worſhipped Antichriſt) unto the 1290. dayes, mentioned in the former verſe: and held by them, (and that in their prime, immediate, and naturall ſignification) to be the full time of Antichriſts moſt abominable worſhip, and tyrannicall uſurpation. M. Foxes Acts and Monum. printed 1596. p. 443. in the ſtory of Walter Brute. five and forty dayes, at the end of which dayes, the(t)(t)Fran. Joh: de com. l. 7. cap. 14. Miniſters of Antichriſt (who before boaſted, that although their Prince was dead, yet they ſtill enjoyed their power, peace, and ſecurity) ſhall ſuddenly (and that in the midſt of their jollitie even while they are eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage) be deſtroyed: and ſo the Church ſhall be at reſt unto the end of the world. This is the Papiſts Antichriſt, and this is their opinion of the Jewes converſion, a dreame as full of folly as falſhood: as if it were probable, that the Jewes after ſuch a long time of blindneſſe, and ſo neere the time of their converſion, ſhould fall into a greater errour than ever they did ſince the crucifying of Chriſt, or that they ſhould take one of the Tribe of(u)(u)Joh. 7.42. Rev. 19. v. 20, 21. Dan for their Meſſias, and beleeve him too, rather than Elias whom they yet expect from heaven: or that they could be adherents to Antichriſt, and yet be alive all after his deſtruction, when as the Scripture ſaith, that the beaſt, and falſe Prophet ſhall be taken21 and caſt alive into a lake of fire burning with brimſtone, and that the remnant ſhall be ſlaine. Rev. 16. v. 14. ch. 19. v. 18, 19.And beſides, Antichriſts aſſiſtants ſhall be The Kings of the earth, and of the whole world: and ſuch, I thinke, the Papiſts doe not account the Jewes to be. Againe, as if it were probable, that Antichriſt ſhould come in the name of Chriſt, ſaying that he is Chriſt, and ſo be a falſe**〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉vocantur, non qui ſe pro Chriſto & vero Meſſia falſo venditant, tales enim in Scriptura proprie〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Mat. 24. verſ. 24. Mar 13. v. 22. appellantur, ſed qui doctr. Chriſti, cujus ſe ſecta••res pro fitentur, quoquo mede adverſan. (unde Chriſtum in carnem veniſſe: ſeu, Jeſum eſſe Chriſtum negare, dicuntur, ut〈◊〉collatione verſ. 3 cap. 4. 1 Ep. ver. 7. Ep. 2. & ver. 22. cap. 2. Ep. 1. Johan. cum ver. 4. Ep. Iudae ver. 1. cap. 2. Ep. 2 Pet. & ver. 5. & 8. cap. 3.2. Ep. Pauli ad Tim. luculenter apparet:) unde (etiam) magnus & eximius ille Antichriſtus, qui toti fere doctrinae Chriſtianae corpori adverſatur, & ſub nomine Chriſti quam maxime Chriſtum oppugnat, ejuſque proprium honorem & officium ad ſe transfert, in Scriptura vecatur,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 2 Theſ. 2. ver. 3. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ver. eod. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ver. 4. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ver. 8. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Rev. 16. v. 13. & conſequenter ipſe ille,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉eſt, vid. Diſput. 13. Feſti Hommii. p. 45.46. Chriſt; & not a falſe(w)(w)1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3. 2 Pet. 2. v. 1, 2, 3. 2 Theſ. 2. v. 3, 4, 7, 8. Rev. 13. v. 11.12, 13, 14, &c. chap. 17. v. 1.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c. Chriſtian, ſuch as the Apoſtles foretold he ſhould be: and ſo alſo, be one perſon onely, who muſt reigne but three yeares and an halfe; and not rather a continued**Interim tamen tenendum, numero ſingulati notari aliquod regnum, in quo•ubinde unus quiſpiam praeſideat; cui viam ſtraverunt Antichriſti illi, ſen haere•ici, qui jam tum tempor ibus Apoſtolorum, extiterunt: id quod tum Johannes•ignificat hoc loco, quum ait, Multos Antichriſtos jam tunc exortos; & Paulas 2 Theſ. 2. v. 7. ubi dicit Myſterium illud iniquitatis jam tum,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in aliquibus operari, ſeſeque exerere, vid. Obſervat. 16. Ioh. Piſcat. in cap. 2. Ep. •. Icannis. headſhip and ſupremacy over a ſettled apoſtaſie: for (to let paſſe judicious Doctor(x)(x)In the fourth book of his Apol. & Sect. 4. & 5. Hackwels confutation of this fancie; it being altogether impoſſible, that the(y)(y)2 Theſ. •. v. 7. myſtery of iniquity which began to ſpring up even in Saint Pauls time (and by conſequence was to ripen by degrees) ſhould be the ſudden and irreſiſtible worke of one man, or age, ſo many hundred yeeres after (although indeed it be very likely,22 that the laſt inheritour of the Antichriſtian chaire, may be the moſt wily(z)(z)Rev. 16. v. 13, 14. and bewitching deceiver of all) to let this paſſe) under whom, I pray, have the ſervants of God ſuffered perſecution from the time of the Heathen Roman Emperours untill now, if not under the great Apocalypticall(a)(a)Rev. 17 v. 6. chap. 18. v. 24. Antichriſt? by whoſe deviliſh power and policy, thoſe which ſhould afterwards be ſlaine, were ſucceſſively to be fulfilled. And if martyrdome hath all this while, and doth ſtill go forward under him; then certainly this(b)(b)2 Theſ. 2. v. 4. 1 Tim. 4. v. 1.2.3. Churchchampion, this Wolfe in(c)(c)2 Tim. 3. v. 5. Rev. 13. v. 11 Sheeps clothing, hath beene long agoe reveal'd: and conſequently, the Prognoſtication of a new and upſtart Monarch, of no more then a bare three yeers and an half continuance, will ſerve onely for a popiſh Meridian.
But we are yet to ſhew the Jewes peaceable and proſperous eſtate after their returne,**I appeale here to the conſciences of all men, that ſhall read theſe, or the like prophecies in the word of God; whether they can thinke it poſſible, that the time appointed by God for the diſpenſation of ſuch extraordinary bleſſings, ſhould be the very ſame, in which the world, and eſpecially the Chriſtian part of it, was to groane under the continued plagues written in the Revelation: which yet we muſt needs grant to be ſo, if we reſt on thoſe interpretations, by which all ſuch prophecies, are only, or chiefely applied to the anticipated converſion of us ſubſtituted Gentiles. Read then what Jeremiah hath written in his 23. chap. at the 3. verſ. I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all Countries, whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds, and they ſhall be fruitfull and encreaſe: and I will ſet up Shepheards over them, which ſhall feed them, and they ſhall(d)(d)Iſa. 33. v. 20.21, 22, 24. Zeph. 3. v 14, 15. feare no more, nor be diſmaid, neither ſhall they be lacking, ſaith the Lord: and in his 31. chap. at the 10.27. and 31. verſ. Heare the word of the Lord, O yee Nations, and declare it in the Iles a farre off, and ſay, He that ſcattereth Iſrael, will gather him, and keepe him, as a Shepheard23 doth his flocke: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ranſomed him from the hand of him that was ſtronger then he: therefore they ſhall come, and ſing in the height of Zion, and ſhall flow together to the goodneſſe of the Lord, for Wheate, and for wine, and for oyle, and for the young of the flocke, and of the herd, and their ſoules ſhall be as a watered garden, and they ſhall not ſorrow any more at all: Then ſhall the Virgin rejoyce in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turne their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoyce from their ſorrow: and I will ſatiate the ſoules of the Prieſts with fatneſſe, and my people ſhall be ſatisfied with goodneſſe, ſaith the Lord. Behold the dayes come ſaith the Lord, that I will ſow the houſe of Iſrael, and the houſe of Judah with the ſeed of man, and with the ſeed of beaſt: and it ſhall come to paſſe, that like as I have watched over them, to plucke up, and to breake downe, and to throw downe, and to deſtroy, and afflict: ſo will I watch over them to build and to plant, ſaith the Lord. Behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I tooke them by the hand, to bring them out of the Land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, ſaith the Lord: but this ſhall be the covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael: After thoſe dayes, ſaith the Lord, I will put my Law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they ſhall be my people: and they ſhall teach no more every24 man his neighbour, & every man his brother, ſaying, Know the Lord: for they ſhall all know me, from the leaſt of them to the greateſt of them: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more. And in his 32. c. at the 17. v. Behold I will gather them out of all Countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them again unto this place: & I will cauſe them to dwell ſafely. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may feare me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them. And I will make an everlaſting covenant with them, and I will not turne away from them to doe them good, but I will put my feare into their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoyce over them to doe them good, and I will plant them in this Land aſſuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole ſoule. For thus ſaith the Lord, Like as I have brought all this great evill upon this people, ſo will I bring upon them all the good that I have promiſed. And in his 33. chap. at the 6. verſ. Behold I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveale unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cauſe the captivity of Judah, and the captivity of Iſrael to returne, and will build them as at the firſt, and I will cleanſe them from all their iniquity, whereby they have ſinned againſt me, and I wil pardon all their iniquity wherby they have ſinned, and whereby they have tranſgreſſed againſt me. And it ſhall be to me a name of joy, a praiſe and an honour before all the Nations of the earth, which ſhall heare all the good that I doe unto them: and they ſhall feare and tremble, for all the goodneſſe,25 and for all the proſperity that I procure unto it. And in his 46. chap. at the 27. verſ. and his 50. chap. at the 19. verſ. But(e)(e)Chap. 30. v. 10, 11 feare not thou, O my ſervant Jacob, and be not diſmaid O Iſrael; for behold I will ſave thee from afarre off, and thy ſeed from the Land of their captivity, and Jacob ſhall turne, and be in reſt, and at eaſe, and none ſhall make him afraid: Feare thou not, O my ſervant Jacob, ſaith the Lord, for I am with thee, for I will make a full end of all the Nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a(f)(f)Deut. 32 v. 26, 27, 36, 43. Pſal. 89. v. 31, 32, 33.34. Pſal. 94. v. 14, 15. full end of thee, but correct thee in meaſure, yet will I not leave thee wholly unpuniſhed. I will bring Iſrael againe to his habitation, and he ſhall feed on Carmel, and Baſhan, and his ſoule ſhall be ſatisfied upon Mount Ephraim, and Gilead. In thoſe dayes, and in that time, ſaith the Lord, the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſinnes of Judah, and they ſhall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reſerve. Read alſo what Ezek. hath written in his 28. chap. at the 25. verſ. Thus ſaith the Lord, when I have gathered the houſe of Iſrael, from the people among whom they be ſcattered, and ſhall be ſanctified in them, in the ſight of the Heathen, then ſhall they dwell in their Land, that I have given unto my ſervant Jacob, and they ſhall dwell ſafely therein, and ſhall build houſes, and plant Vineyards: yea they ſhall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgements upon all thoſe that deſpiſe them round about them, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord their God. And in his 34. chap. at the 12. verſ. As a Shepheard ſeeketh out his flock, in the day that he is among his ſheepe that are ſcattered: ſo will I ſeeke out my ſheepe, and will deliver26 them out of all places, where they have been ſcattered in the cloudy and darke day: and I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the Countries, and will bring them to their owne Land, and feed them upon the Mountaines of Iſrael by the rivers, and in all inhabited places of the Countrey: I will feed them in a good paſture, and upon the high mountains of Iſrael ſhall their fold be: there ſhall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat paſture ſhall they feed upon the Mountaines of Iſrael: I will feed my flocke, and I will cauſe them to lie downe, ſaith the Lord God. I will ſeeke that which was loſt, and bring againe that which was driven away, and will binde up that which was broken, and will ſtrengthen that which was ſicke, but I will deſtroy the fat and the ſtrong, I will feede them with judgement. And at the 25. verſ. I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cauſe the evill beaſts to ceaſe out of the Land: and they ſhall dwell ſafely in the Wilderneſſe, and ſleepe in the woods, and I will make them, and the places round about my hill, a bleſſing: and I will cauſe the ſhowre to come downe in his ſeaſon: there ſhall be ſhowres of bleſſing, and the tree of the field ſhall yeeld her fruit, and the earth ſhall yeeld her encreaſe, and they ſhall be ſafe in their Land, and ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hands of thoſe that ſerved themſelves of them. And they ſhall no more be a prey to the Heathen, neither ſhall the beaſts of the Land devoure them; but they ſhall dwell ſafely, and none ſhall make them afraid. And I will raiſe up for them a plant of renowne, and they ſhall no more be conſumed with hunger in the Land,27 neither beare the ſhame of the Heathen any more. And in his 36. chap. at the 8. verſ. O Mountaines of Iſrael, yee ſhall ſhoot forth your branches, and yeeld your fruit to my people of Iſrael, for they are at hand to come: for behold I am for you, and I will turne unto you, and yee ſhall be tilled and ſowen: and I will multiply men upon you,(g)(g)Iſa. 45. verſ. 25. Ezek. 37. v. 11.12, &c. c. 36. v. 25. Ier. 12. v. 14.15. Rom. 11. v. 32. • all the houſe of Iſrael, even all of it, and the Cities ſhall be inhabited, and the waſts ſhall be builded: and I will multiply upon you man and beaſt, and they ſhall increaſe and bring fruit, and I will ſettle you after your old eſtates: and I will doe better for you, then at your beginnings, and ye ſhall know that I am the Lord: yea, I will cauſe men to walke upon you, even my people Iſrael, and they ſhall poſſeſſe thee, & thou ſhalt be their inheritance, & thou ſhalt no more henceforth bereave them of men. Thus ſaith the Lord God, becauſe they ſay unto you, Thou Land devoureſt up men, and haſt bereaved thy Nations, therefore thou ſhalt devoure men no more, neither bereave thy Nations any more, ſaith the Lord God; neither will I cauſe men to heare in thee the ſhame of the Heathen any more, neither ſhalt thou beare the reproach of the people any more, neither ſhalt thou cauſe the Nations to fall any more, ſaith the Lord God. And at the 24. verſ. I will take you from among the Heathen, and gather you out of all Countries, and will bring you into your owne Land, then will I ſprinkle cleane water upon you, and yee ſhall be cleane from all your filthineſſe, and from all your idols will I clenſe you: and I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walke in my ſtatutes, and yee ſhall keepe my judgements, and doe them: and yee ſhall dwell in the Land that I gave to your fathers,28 and yee ſhall be my people, and I will bee your God. I will alſo ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes: and I will call for corne, and will increaſe it, and lay no more famine upon you: and I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increaſe of the field, that yee ſhall receive no more reproach of famine among the Heathen. Then ſhall yee remember your owne evill wayes, and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your owne ſight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Thus ſaith the Lord God, in the day that I ſhall have cleanſed you from all your iniquities; I will alſo cauſe you to dwell in the Cities, and the waſts ſhall be builded, and the deſolate Land ſhall bee tilled, whereas it lay deſolate in the ſight of all that paſſed by; and they ſhall ſay, This Land that was deſolate, is become like the garden of Eden, and the waſte, and deſolate, and ruined Cities are become fenced and inhabited. Then the Heathen that are left round about you, ſhall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was deſolate, I the Lord have ſpoken it, and I will doe it. And in his 39. chap. at the 25. verſ. Thus ſaith the Lord God, Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercie upon the whole houſe of Iſrael, and will be jealous for my holy Name: after that they ſhall have borne their ſhame, and all their treſpaſſes, whereby they have treſpaſſed againſt me, when they dwelt ſafely in their Land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them againe from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies Lands, and am ſanctified in them, in the ſight of many Nations; then ſhall they know that I am the Lord their God, which cauſed them to be led into29 captivity among the Heathen: but I have gathered them unto their owne Land, and have left none of them any more there: Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have powred out my Spirit upon the houſe of Iſrael, ſaith the Lord God.And in the 10. chap. of Zechariah at the 6. ver. It is ſaid,I will ſtrengthen the Houſe of Judah, and I will ſave the houſe of Joſeph, and I will bring them againe to place them, for I have mercy upon them: And they ſhall be as though I had not caſt them off, for I am the Lord their God, and will heare them. And they of Ephraim ſhall be like a mighty man, and their heart ſhall rejoyce as through Wine; Yea, their children ſhall ſee it, and ſhall be glad; their heart ſhall rejoyce in the Lord. I will hiſſe for them, and gather them, for I have redeemed them: And they ſhall increaſe as they have increaſed; and I will ſow them among the people, and they ſhall remember me in farre Countryes, and they ſhall live with their children, and turne againe. I will bring them againe alſo out of the Land of Aegypt, and gather them out of Aſſyria, and I will bring them into the Land of Gilead and Lebanon, and place ſhall not be found for them.
Which Prophecies, as they doe containe many evident and unanſwerable arguments for a future reſtauration of Iſrael, I meane a reſtauration yet to come; ſo they have ſuch correſpondence with that of Iſaiah in his 59. chap. at the 20. ver. And with that of Amos in his 9. chap. at the 11. ver. (both which Prophecies are alledged by the Apoſtles(h)(h)Act. 15. v. 16. Saint James, and(i)(i)Rom. 11. v. 27.26. Saint Paul, for the converſion of the Jewes, after the fulneſſe of the Gentiles is come in, that is, after all thoſe of the Gentiles, which are appointed to be called before30 Chriſts comming againe, be converted. Or rather perhaps, when the fulneſſe of the Gentiles ſhall come in; that is, when the time ſhall come, in which (not a part, as now, but) all the Gentiles that are left, ſhall through the wonderfull deliverance of the Jewes, together with them ſerve the Lord) that ſeeing theſe are not yet fulfild, neither can any of the other: betwixt which and that of**The words, in 15. of the Acts at the 14. ver. upon which the Prophecy of Amos is inferred, are taken by Doctor Mayer, to be meant of the Song of old Simeon, and not of the former ſpeech of Simon Pete•. But it matters not much, which of the two is here ſpoken of: for ſeeing the Prophet doth plainely ſhew a future reſtoring of the Jewes, and yet the intent of the Apoſtle was onely to prove, that God had then called the Gentiles: it cannot otherwiſe be, but that the words [After this] in the Prophecy, being applyed to the foreſaid viſiting of the Gentiles by the Preaching of the Goſpell, muſt needes conclude; that the extraordinary reſtauration of the Jewes, foreſhewne by the Prophet, was to follow the calling of the Gentiles then begun by the Apoſtles: And conſequently, that the Jewes endevour to (1 Theſſ. 2 v. 14, 15.) hinder the growth of the Goſpell, was a ſure proofe of the converſion of the Gentiles, and their owne rejection. Who unto the death of Chriſt, were the peculiar people of God, and not wholly caſt off, untill by their wilfull unbeliefe, they forced the Apoſtles to (Act. 13. v. 44, 45, 46.) turne from them to other Nations, to whom God had not formerly revealed himſelfe, and therefore could not at that time be ſaid, [to Returne] unto the Gentiles, whom he had but then received: no, nor to the Jewes, whom he had then (and not till then) quite forſaken. So that if we conſider the [Returning] of God here mentioned in the Prophecy, to be appliable onely to the Jewes, to whom alone God had ſo long before made himſelfe knowne; and yet that the Jewes were ſhortly after the calling of the Gentiles quite forſaken, we muſt needs grant, that their great happineſſe here foretold hath not beene yet enjoyd, but ſhall be, when the fulneſſe of the ſuccedaneous Gentiles is come in. And wherefore did the Apoſtle change the Prophets, In that day will I raiſe up, into, After this I will returne and build? Wherfore, I ſay, did he, or rather the Holy Ghoſt in him, make choyce of this Paraphraſe in place of the Text? if not of purpoſe to make that which hath been ſaid, the more planely appeare. To wit, that the day of the Jews deliverance, is to await the accompliſhment of the ſurrogated Gentiles vocation. For though this conſolatory Prophecy, according to the order of the things revealed to the Prophet, hath relation onely to a foregoing judgement denounced againſt the Jewes, yet it is not therefore miſ-inferred here by the Apoſtle, as a ſubſequent too of the anticipated converſion of the Gentiles, and that becauſe the very ſame time, which was foreappointed by God, for the execution of that puniſhment upon the forſaken Jewes, was alſo foreappointed by him, to be the time for the promulgation of his mercy, towards the ſubſtituted Gentiles; as theſe next words, That the reſidue of men might ſeeke after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, doe moſt clearely intimate. For what is meant by the [Reſidue of men] but the remainder of thoſe Nations, which are not to be converted, till the foreſaid redemption of the Jewes? (their Redemption, I ſay, as well out of all Countries into which they are ſcattered, and from all Nations amongſt whom (as was foretold) they have beene ſifted (ſo many hundred yeares) as from all their ſinnes, which moved God to uſe ſuch ſeverity towards them.) And what by the [Gentiles on whom Gods name is called] but the remuant of thoſe Nations, which are now already (or ſhall, if any more ſhall) while Davids Tabernacle layes waſte, become the people of God in the hardned Jewes ſtead? So that this Prophecy doth as well prove a profeſſion of the Goſpell, by a great part of the Gentiles, before the Jewes deliverance, and in the time of their blindneſſe, as by all that are left of them afterwards; for that by a people on whom Gods name is called, or which is called by Gods Name, is to be underſtood, a people beloved of God, and called out from other Nations to ſerve him, as the Jewes were heretofore, and as the Chriſtians are now, I thinke none will deny; or that by the Reſidue of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom Gods name is called, all other Nations beſides the Jewes are meant. And was there then ever as yet ſuch an unanimous conſent in the true worſhip of God, betwixt the Jewes and all other Nations as is here foretold? ſurely never betwixt them and any one Nation. No, nor long betwixt themſelves; and (the more the pitty) no leſſe oddes hath a long time beene, and ſtill is amongſt Chriſtians, both in their opinion and practiſe of Religious duties. Vide Commentationum Apocalyp. partem primam de ſigillis, pag. 55, 56, Amos, there is not any materiall difference; and no other betwixt them and that of Iſaiah, then there is betwixt a Comment and the Text, betwixt a briefe intimation and large explication of one and the ſame thing.
31And yet there want not ſome, who by the words, [All Iſrael] in the 11. of the Romans, underſtand onely the Church of the Gentiles, to which ſome of the Jewes ſhould be united: but if the obvious and ſimple meaning of the 28, 29.30,32 31. and 32.**Nihil potuit apertius de futura populi Iſraelitici ſalute proferri. Joſephus Acoſta in locum. Who alſo repeating the Prophecy in the third of Hoſea, at the 4. ver. ſaith thus of it. Hoc quoquequamvis nulla expoſitorum luce illuſtraretur, per ſeipſum clariſſimum teſtimonium eſt. And then goes on with that in the 4. chap. of Deut. at the 30. ver. Nec minus dilucide a Moſe praedictum. Poſtquam te invenerint omnia quae praedicta ſunt (praedixerat vero peccata illius populi, & terrae promiſſae amiſſionem, & diſperſionem in omnes gentes) noviſſimo, inquit, tempore reverteris ad Dominum Deum tuum, & audies vocem ejus, quia Deus miſericors, Dominus Deus tuus, non dimittet te, neque omnino delebit, neque omnino obliviſcetur pacti, in quo juravit Patribus tuis. De teinp. noviſſ. lib. 3. c. 11. p. 547. verſes following, will not ſuffice to diſcover the weakneſſe (that I ſay not, wilfulneſſe) of this interpretation: yet ſurely to any man that is not without reaſon, the(k)(k)Ʋid. D. Parei explicationem dubii 18. in cap. 11. ad Rom. p. 271 Pet. Mart. loc. com. claſſ. 2. cap. 4. pag. 206, 207. & claſſ. 2. cap. 16. p. 410. , reaſons which Wendelinus (in the 19. chap. and 2. Section of his naturall Contemplations, at the 391. pag. ) brings to the contrary, will give abundant ſatisfaction. For, firſt, the Apoſtle doth apparently diſtinguiſh the Jewes from the Gentiles, by the word [Iſrael,] when he ſaith, that blindneſſe is in part happened to Iſrael, untill the fulneſſe of the Gentiles be come in. And therefore I much doubt, whether he would in the very next line, by the ſame word indifferently comprehend both Jewes and Gentiles, eſpecially ſeeing the Iſrael that is to be ſaved muſt needes have relation to the Iſrael, that was before ſaid to be in blindneſſe. And then too, what is become of the myſtery here ſpoken of, if the words, And ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved, ſhould not ſignifie ſuch a converſion of the Jewes, as muſt follow the vocation of the Gentiles? for that ſome particular Jewes were at that time to be gathered to the Church, they knew before, ſeeing many ſuch were then amongſt them, ſome of which did firſt conveigh the Goſpell to them. And therfore in my judgement, thoſe Divines deale moſt ſincerely with the Text, who acknowledging the literall ſenſe thereof, doe ſend us to that of Iſaiah, in his 66. chap. at the 8. ver. as to a plaine proofe of33 this opinion; who, ſaith he, hath heard ſuch a thing? who hath ſeene ſuch things? ſhall the earth be made to bring forth in one day,(l)(l)Zech. 3. v. 9. or ſhall a Nation be borne at once? for as ſoone as Zion travailed, ſhe brought forth her children. Where the wonderfull and unheard of converſion of a whole Nation at once, (ſuch as never happened to any Nation of the Gentiles) together with the expreſſe mention of Zion, and the evidence of the following verſes ſhould, me thinks, be motive enough, to make any impartiall Reader underſtand this Prophecy of the Jewes; which yet implyes not ſo much a returne of the whole Nation to their Country, as to their God; and therefore could not be fulfilled by the returne of a part of them from Babylon, at which time too, the Kingdome of God (that is, the true worſhip of God, the meanes by which that Kingdome is obtained) was amongſt them onely: but hath ſince (according to our Saviours Prophecy in the 21. chap. of Matth. at the 43. ver. ) beene taken from them; and ſhall againe according to this, be ſuddenly and extraordinarily reſtored into them: as Joel alſo before intimated, by the plentifull diſtribution of Gods Spirit in the laſt dayes. 2. That the ſurviving and ſubjected Gentiles ſhall gladly embrace the knowledge and ſea•e of God with the Jewes.
You have hitherto heard of the deliverance and happineſſe of the Jewes only: I ſhall now acquaint you with their partakers, which ſhall be ſuch as are left of the Nations, that are then to be deſtroyed, as you may ſee in the fore-quoted chap. of Iſai. at the 15. and 19. verſes. Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his Charets like a whirlewind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire, for by(m)(m)Ezek. 39. v. 4, 5, 6 &c. Mal. 4. v. 1. Pſal. 50 v. 3 2 Theſſ. 1.1.7, 8. &c. fire, and by his ſword will the Lord plead with all fleſh, and the ſlaine of the Lord ſhall be many. And I will ſet a ſigne among them, and I will ſend thoſe that eſcape of them, unto the Nations, to Tarſhiſh,34 Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tuball, and Javan, to the Iſles afarre off, that have not heard my fame, neither have ſeene my glory, and they ſhall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they ſhall bring all your Brethren for an offering(n)(n)Iſa. 18. v. 7. unto the Lord, out of all Nations, upon Horſes, and in Charets, and in Litters, and upon Mules, and upon ſwift beaſtes to my holy mountaine Jeruſalem, ſaith the Lord, as the children of Iſrael bring an offering in a cleane veſſell into the Houſe of the Lord. And I will alſo take of them for Prieſts, and for Levites, ſaith the Lord. For as the new Heavens, and the new Earth, which I will make, (to wit, at the judgement of the dead, when this Heaven and Earth ſhall paſſe away, as it is in the 20. of the Rev. at the 11. ver. and in the 21. at the 1. ver. as theſe) ſhall remaine before me, ſaith the Lord, ſo ſhall your ſeed and your name remaine (to wit, after the foreſaid returne from their captivity) And it ſhall come to paſſe, that from one New Moone to another, and from one Sabbath to another, ſhall all fleſh come to(o)(o)Pſal. 68 u. 29.31. Pſal. 100. v. 1.2 4. worſhip before me, ſaith the Lord, and they ſhall goe forth and looke upon the carkeiſes of the men that have tranſgreſſed againſt me: for their worme ſhall not dye, neither ſhall their fire be quenched, and they ſhall be an abhorring unto all fleſh.And in his 60. chap. at the 9. ver. and the 61. at the 4. ver. They ſhall(p)(p)I•a. 53. v. 12. build the old waſtes, they ſhall raiſe up the former deſolations, and they ſhall repaire the waſte Cities, the deſolations of many generations. And ſtrangers ſhall ſtand and feed your flocks, and the ſonnes of the alient ſhall be your Plough-men, and your Vine-dreſſers. But ye ſhall be named the Prieſts of the Lord: Men ſhall call you the Miniſters of your God: ye ſhall eate the riches of the Gentiles, and in35 their glory ſhall you boaſt your ſelves. For your ſhame you ſhall have double: and for confuſion they ſhall rejoyce in their portion: therefore in their Land they ſhall poſſeſſe the double: everlaſting joy ſhall be unto them, Surely the Iſles ſhall waite for me, and the Ships of Tarſhiſh firſt, to bring my Sonnes from farre, their ſilver, and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Iſrael, becauſe he hath glorifyed thee. And the Sonnes of Strangers ſhall build up thy wals, and their Kings ſhall miniſter unto thee: For in my wrath I ſmote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates ſhall be open continually, they ſhall not be ſhut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their Kings may be brought. For the(q)(q)Ier. 12. v. 14, 15, 16 17. Nation and Kingdome, that will not ſerve thee, ſhall periſh, yea, thoſe Nations ſhall be utterly waſted. The ſonnes alſo of them that afflicted thee, ſhall come bending unto thee, and all they that deſpiſed thee, ſhall bow themſelves downe at the ſoles of thy feete, and they ſhall call thee the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Iſrael. Whereas thou haſt beene forſaken and hated, ſo that no man went thorow thee, I will make thee an eternall excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou ſhalt alſo ſucke the milke of the Gentiles, and ſhalt ſucke the breaſts of Kings, and thou ſhalt know, that I the Lord am thy Saviour and Redeemer, the Mighty one of Jacob. And in the 49. chap. at the 22. ver. and the 25. at the 6. ver. Thus ſaith the Lord God,Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and ſet up my Standerd to the people, and they ſhall bring thy Sonnes in their armes, and36 thy daughters ſhall be carryed upon their ſhoulders. And Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers, and their Queenes thy nourſing Mothers: they ſhall bow downe to thee, with their faces towards the earth, and licke up the duſt of thy feet, and thou ſhalt know that I am the Lord: for they ſhall not be aſhamed that waite for me. And in this Mountaine ſhall the Lord of Hoſtes make unto all people, a feaſt of fat things, a feaſt of Wines on the Lees; of fat things full of marrow, of Wines on the Lees well refined. And he will deſtroy in this mountaine, the face of the covering caſt over all people, and the vaile that is ſpread over all Nations. He will ſwallow up death in victory, and the Lord will wipe away teares from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people, ſhall he take away from off all the earth, for the Lord hath ſpoken it.And in his 14. chap. at the 1. ver. The Lord will have mercy uponJacob, and will(r)(r)Dan 7. v. 18.22.27 yet chuſe Iſrael, and ſet them in their owne Land, and the(s)(s)Iſa. 55. v 5. Zech. 2. v. 9.11. ſtrangers ſhall be joyned with them, and they ſhall cleave to the houſe of Jacob, and the people ſhal take them, and bring them to their place; and the Houſe of Iſrael ſhall poſſeſſe them in the Land of the Lord, for ſervants and for hand-maides: and they ſhall take them(t)(t)Ezek. 39 v. 10. captives, whoſe captives they were; and they ſhall rule over their oppreſſours.And in chap. 2. ver. 2. It ſhal come to paſſe in the laſt dayes, that the mountaine of the Lords houſe ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountaines, & ſhal be exalted above the hils: and al Nations ſhal flow unto it. And many people ſhal go and ſay, come ye, and let us go up to the mountaine of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will(u)(u)Iſa. 49. v. 6. cha. 60. v. 3. 1 Tim. 2. v. 4. teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths, for out of37 Zion ſhall goe forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jeruſalem. And hee ſhall judge among the Nations, and ſhall rebuke many people ▪ and they ſhall breake their ſwords into plow ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning hookes: Nation ſhall not(w)(w)Pſal. 46 v. 9. lift up ſword againſt Nation, neither ſhall they learne warre any more.The ſame Prophecy alſo you may finde it the 4. chap. of Mic•l•, at the 1. ver. And not much unlike this, is that in the 8. chap. of Zech. at the 20. ver. And that in the 14. chap. at the 16. ver. Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes,it ſhall come to paſſe, th••there ſhall come people, and the inhabitants of many Cities: and the inhabitants••done City ſhall goe to another, ſaying, Let us got ſpeedily to pray before the Lord of Hoſtes: I will go••l•o. Yea, many people, and ſtrong Nations ſhall come to ſeeke the Lord of Hoſtes in Jeruſalem; and to pray before the Lord. Thus faith the Lord of Hoſtes, in thoſe dayes it ſhall come to paſſe, that ten men ſhall taketh old, out of all languages of the Nations, even ſhall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, ſaying, We will goe with you, for we have heard, that God is with you. And in ſhall come to paſſe, that every one that is leſt, of all the Nations which came againſt Jeruſalem, ſhall even go•up from year•to yeare, to worſhip the King, the Lord of Hoſtes; and to keepe•nd fo•ſt of Tabernacles. And it ſhall be, that who ſo will not come up of all the Families of the earth unto Jeruſalem, to worſhip the King, the Lord of Hoſtes ▪ even upon them ſhall be no raine.
I know the moſt of theſe Prophecies are chiefly interpreted of the joyning together of the Jewes & Gentiles in one Church, and rightly: but to ſay, that this is now fulfilled, in the time of the ſubſtituted38 Gentiles Vocation, is to overthrow what was before affirmed, and to take great paines to beguile our ſelves and others of the Truth: It is, I ſay, to put out our owne eyes, and bid others follow us. For Saint Paul in the 11. of the Rom. tells us plainely, that the Jewes are broken off from their Olive:Ver. 19, 20. v. 17. v. 15. v. 7. v. 32. ver. 11. And that we are graffed in for them: That they are caſt away: that they are hardned. That God hath concluded them all in unbeleefe: And that through their fall, ſalvation is come unto us, to provoke them to(x)(x)Deu. 32 v. 21. jealouſie. And therefore it cannot poſſibly be maintained, that the Jewes and Gentiles are as yet(y)(y)Ioh. 10. v. 16. one ſheepefold. And as for thoſe which were converted at the firſt Preaching of the Goſpell, and at other times ſince, they are but the firſt fruites, and roote (as I may ſay) of the branches, and lumpe, which ſhall follow after them by a generall converſion. And therefore the calling of theſe, can no more be accounted a converſion of the Jewes, then the calling of thoſe Gentiles, which were gathered to the Church before Chriſts Nativity, can be taken for the converſion of the Gentiles. Who were (as time hath ſhewne us) but the [〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] the fore-runners and pledge as it were of al thoſe Nations, which were a long time after converted, by the Miniſtery of the Apoſtles, & their ſucceſſors. And beſides, how the bringing of the Jews out of all Nations, Ʋpon Horſes, & in Litters, and in Charets, & upon Mules, & upon mens ſhoulders; can beare any other but a literal ſenſe ▪ Or how The vaile that is ſpread over all Nation•, can now be ſaid to be deſtroyed, when as ſo many of them run a whoring after their owne inventions, I cannot conceive. Yea, Even unto this day, ſaith Saint Paul of the Jews in his time, when Moſes is read, the vaile is upon their heart. Nevertheleſſe, when it ſhall turne39 unto the Lord, the vaile ſhall be taken away, 2 Cor. 3.15, and 16. ver. But we ſee not yet Iſrael returned (yea we ſee it fallen into more groſſe ignorance and ſuperſtition) and therefore the vaile is not yet taken away, and conſequently is not yet Deſtroyed from all Nations. Againe, I know no reaſon, why we ſhould give more credit to the Metaphoricall interpretation of theſe Prophecies, then to the Figurative expoſition, which ſome preſume to put upon thoſe words in the 12. of Zechariah at the 10. ver. Although Saint John in his 19. Chap. at the 37. ver. hath alledged them as the onely(z)(z)Ioh. 12. v. 39. cauſe that our Saviours ſide was pierced: of which fact doubtleſſe there had beene no neceſſity, if the Prophecy were not to be underſtood in a literall ſenſe. And to ſay with others, that it was thus fulfilled in the Diſciples, who beheld our Saviours ſufferings, is not onely to rob the Prophecy of its right end, but alſo to make the Diſciples guilty of their Maſters death: For, the Text ſaith expreſſely, They ſhall looke upon me whom they have(a)(a)Pſal. 22 v. 16. &c. pierced. Where alſo it followes, And they ſhall(b)(b)Mat. 24. v. 30. mourne for him, as one that mourneth for his onely Son, and ſhall be in bitterneſſe for him, as one that is in bitterneſſe for his firſt borne. In that day ſhall there be a great mourning in Jeruſalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the valley of Meggidon. But who can at the ſame time earneſtly bewaile that mans death, whoſe puniſhment they themſelves doe not onely procure, but ſcoffe at? As all that murdered Chriſt, did at his. And what compariſon is there, betwixt the griefe of a few fearefull and ſcattered Diſciples for a day or two, and the ſolemne mourning of all Judah and Jeruſalem, and that to every family apart, and their wives apart? As therefore this Prophecy doth concerne the40 Jewes onely, and chiefely the Tribes that crucified their Saviour, ſo doubtleſſe it ſhall then receive its accompliſhment, when God at their generall converſion,Zech. 12. v. 10. Shall powre upon them the Spirit of grace and ſupplications, that ſo they may at once obtaine the forgiveneſſe of their ſinnes, and thus lament their forefathers malicious and cruell contrivance, and their owne hereditary and wilfull approbation of the death of Chriſt; who ſhall then deſcend unto them, to reſtore their Kingdome, and to raigne over all the earth, as it is in the 14. Chap. of the ſame Prophet, at the 5. and 9. verſes.
3. That the whole creation ſhall be reſtored to its originall perfection.And thus much of the felicity of that remnant of the Nations, which ſhall out-live the reſt at the Jewes returne. Now a word or two of the alteration of the ſenſitive and ſenſeleſſe creatures at that time. The Wolfe, ſaith Iſaiah, in his 11. Chap. at the 6. ver. ſhall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard ſhall lie downe with the Kid: And the Calfe, and the yong Lion, and the fatling together, and a little child ſhall lead them. And the Cow and the Beare ſhall feed, their yong ones ſhall lye downe together; and the Lyon ſhall eate ſtraw(c)(c)Gen. 1. v. 30. cha. 6. v. 20, 21. like the Oxe. And the ſucking child ſhall play on the hole of the Aſſe, and the weaned Childe ſhall put his hand on the Cockatrice den. They ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all my holy mountaine: for the earth ſhall be(d)(d)Hab. 2. v. 14. full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. And in the 65. Chap. at the 25. ver. The Wolfe and the Lambe ſhall feed together, and the Lion ſhall eate ſtraw like the Bullocke: And duſt(e)(e)Gen. 3. v. 1•. ſhall be the Serpents meate. They ſhall not hurt, nor deſtroy in all my holy Mountaine, ſaith the Lord. Where we may obſerve, againſt ſuch as underſtand by theſe expreſſions, the effects of Preaching, on the hearts of cruell-minded men; that41 they are a part of thoſe Prophecies, which concerne the Jewes deliverance, and therefore can have no relation to the calling of the Gentiles. And beſides, is there no hurt nor deſtruction in all the Chriſtian world, that we ſhould thus flatter our ſelves with ſuch vaine fancies? or rather, when was there none? or where is the Nation, ſhall I ſay, or the City, yea, the Village, amongſt us, where cruelty is not practiſed, where ſuch miſchiefes are not to be found, as can ſcarcely be paralleled, in the common wealths of the moſt barbarous Heathen? And as for thoſe words; For the Earth ſhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, which ſeeme to have beene the occaſion of the former interpretation, in my conceit, they imply but this, that therefore God will reſtore to theſe creatures their primitive obedience, and cauſe them to be no more offenſive to his people; becauſe he hath determined to make himſelfe at that time ſo well knowne over all the earth, that his people ſhall no more offend him: And ſo the feare