ONE of those great and glorious things which the world, especially, the people of God in the world, are in expectation of at this day, is, The general conversion of the Israelitish Nation. Now having a desire, whilst the hand of Christ shall continue me amongst you, to fulfil the Ministry which I have received in the Lord; I have therefore purposed with my self (by the help of the Spirit of Grace and Truth) to treat upon this subject: And so much the rather, by how much I perceive by the Word and Works of God, that the day is approaching wherein this great My­stery [Page 2] of God shall receive its accomplishment. And in order unto the discoursing upon this matter, the words which have been read unto you are pitched upon. For I know not any Scripture containing a more pregnant and illustrious testimony and de­monstration of the Israelites future voca [...]on, than this which we have before us; it being a main scope of the Apostle in this [...]hapter▪ to ma [...] [...] Mystery unto the Gentiles. And this the [...]postle doth elaborately prove, by many [...], both before, and in, and after this verse. We shall not stay upon any large T [...]tius capitis Analysia le­ge apud Willet de vocatione Iudaeorum, Cap. 3. Analysis of the words, The several Arguments insisted upon, may be mentioned under the Reasons of the Doctrine (if the Lord will) hereafter to be spoken unto: I [...] may now suffice to take notice, that in this verse there are three things contained; 1. A prediction, All Israel shall be saved. 2. The time when this pre­diction shall be fulfilled. And so, i. e. Et sic, pro, & tunc [...] pro [...]. Pareus in loc. Consule versionem Syriacam & Aethiopicam in Bibl. Poly­glott. and then; which words bear reference unto the words immediately pre­ceding in the former verse; so that the sence may be, When once the ful­ness of the Gentiles is come in, then shall all Israel [...]e saved. There is indeed a fulness of the Gentiles, which shall be after the conversion of the Iews, Psal. 98.3, 4. In bringing in which fulness, the saved Tribes of Israel, shall be very instrumental, Isa. 66.19. But there is also a fulness of the Gen­tiles, [Page 3] which shall Videsis quae habet [...]eur­nius in Legat. Evang. ad In­dos, cap. 4. pre­cede the Iews conversi­on, and upon which it shall follow immediately, Luk. 21.24. 3. We have the proof of this prediction, and the Argument from which the Apostle proveth his prediction of Israel's salvation, is from divine [...]stimony, (as saith he) it is written; q. d. [...] in the word of God, that a deliverer [...] away un­godliness from Iacob, then it [...] needs be true, that all Israel shall be saved; but it is so written, therefore this prediction is a most undoubted ve­rity.

The words of the Text fall under the first of these particulars, viz. The prediction it self. And for the opening and clearing of the words, three things may be enquired into; 1. Who are meant by Israel. 2. What by all Israel. 3. What by being saved. Q▪ 1. Who are here meant by Israel: Ans. 1. Israel ‘many times in the Scripture is put for those ten Tribes which revolted from the house of David unto Ieroboam in the dayes of Rehoboam.’ The ten Tribes are often called Samaria, the deno­mination being from the Metropolis, Isa. 7.9. And Ephraim, because the first King over the ten Tribes was an Ephraimite, 1 Kings 11.26. But mostly they are called by the name of Israel, the denomi­nation being from the major part: For the ten Tribes were the greater part of Israels posterity, and therefore after the ten Tribes became a distinct kingdom, he that was King of them is stiled, The King of Israel, as the King over the two remaining Tribes is stiled King of Iudah.

‘2. Israel is sometimes put for those that did [Page 4] remain of Iacob's posterity, after that the ten Tribes were by the Assyrians carryed into perpe­tual captivity.’ The very same persons which are sometimes called Iews, are at other times called Israelites, Mat. 10.5, 6. ‘Go not into the way of the Gentiles, nor into any City of the Samaritans, but unto the lost Sheep of the house of Israel.’ Now, the house of Israel there, doth note those that were the posterity, not so much of the Assyrian, as of the Babylonian captivity. And, Act. 2. They which are called men of Iudea, verse 14. are called men of Israel, verse 22. So Rom. 9. they who are called Iews, verse 24. are called Israel, verse 31. Hence Paul, that was a Iew of the Tribe of Benjamin, is al­so said to be an Israelite, Rom. 11.1. 2 Cor. 11.22. Phil. 3.5. Consider also, Luk. 1.16. And the rea­son why the Iews [...]re called Israelites is: 1. Be­cause that is the more ancient and honourable name. Israel is a name of power and principality; 2. Be­cause there were many particular persons belong­ing to the ten Tribes who lived in the Land of Iudea. See 2 Chron. 10, 17. & 11.3. When Ieroboam ad­vanced h [...]s superstitious worsh [...]p, there were many out of all the ten Tribes who joyned themselves with those that were looked upon as Iews, in contra­distinction to Israelites, 2 Chron. 11.13, 14, 16. And afterwards, in Asa his time, there was an abun­dance of Israelites that fell from Ieroboam to the house of David, Chap. 15. verse 9. And after that, in Hezekiahs time, there were more Israelites that joyned themselves unto the house of Iudah, upon a godly letter wh [...]ch Hezekiah wrote to them to that purpose, Chap. 30. verse 6, 10, 11. And after all this, even when the seventy years of the Babylonian [Page 5] captivity were expired, many of the ten Tribes (and more might have done it had they not wanted gracious hearts) returned with the Iews unto the Land of Canaan. Consider 2 Chron. 36.23. with Ezra 2.70. Now the posterity of those Israelites who returned out of Babylon to Iudea, are (as some learned conclude) the ( [...]) twelve Tribes spoken of in the New Testament, Act. 26.7. Iam. 1.1. For they did consist not only of the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin, but there were ma­ny Families of other Tribes amongst them, whence they might come to bear the name of twelve Tribes. See Luke 2.36. Wherefore. 3. Israel is often used ‘in Scripture as significant of both these, both the ten Tribes, and the two Tribes conjoyned, Psal. 114.1.’ Hos. 11.1. And thus we may under­stand Israel here in my Text. Though the two Tribes be principally intended, yet I would not interpret the words exclusively, as to the other ten Tribes, partly because it is a good rule in interpreting the Scripture, to give it the largest sence the words will bear, and partly because the ten Tribes shall be saved at last as well as the two Tribes.

Q. 2. What is meant by all Israel? Answ. There are divers interpretations which have been given Lege Voet. disp. de gene­rali conversione Iudaeorum, p. 126, 127. thereof. For, 1. Some ‘think, that by all Israel is meant some Few of all Israel.’ But that cannot be the meaning of the words, for the note of universality, All Israel, will not bear such a parti­cular restrained interpretation. That sheweth the Proposition to be an universal, and not a particular Axiom. Surely, the Scripture is not wont to use [Page 6] such Akurologies, harsh improprieties of speech, as to say all, when not all but a few only are intended. Be­sides, the Apostle opposeth that salvation of all Israel, which he predicts as future in the words of my Text, unto the salvation of a remnant, which at that present time when he wrote this Epistle to the Ro­mans was accomplished, v. 5. ‘2. Others think, that by all Aliqui Israelem spiritualem accipiunt, putà omnes ex Iu­daeis & gentibus credentes & salvandos. Ità Theod. A [...]gust. Hieron. Caesarius apud Nazian. verum patet Apostolum toto hoc capite non de spiritua [...] [...] de carnali Israele agere. Corn. a lapide in loc sic etiam Estius. Israel, is meant all the elect of God.’ But though it be a truth, that all the elect of God shall be saved, no link of that golden chain of salvation which beginneth in election, and endeth in eternal glory, can ever be broken, Rom. 8.29, 30. And al­though it be likewise true, that Israel is sometimes used in Scripture for the elect of God, Gal. 6.16. So Rev. 7.4. All the elect of God, during the reign of Antichrist, are there called the sealed ones of the tribes of Israel; yet that is not the true meaning of all Israel in my Text, for the Apostle in this Chap­ter discourseth of natural Israel. We must know there is a double Israel spoken of in the Scripture; 1. There is spiritual Israel, h. e.—such as in respect of faith and Religion, are the Lord's peculiar ones, Psal. 73.1. Ioh. 1.48. Rom. 2.28, 29. Eph. 2.12. And in this respect it may be that Iether is See Ainsworth on Psal. 14.7 & in praefat. to Annot. on Genes. p. 3. Ita R. Salomo. confer. Ioh. Drusii Not. in Sul­picii Severi Histor. p. 103, 104. cal­led an Israelite (though he were a Gentile born) scil. in respect of his faith and Religion.

2. There is carnal or [Page 7] natural Israel, h. e. those that are by generation of the seed of Iacob, who was afterwards called Israel. Hence we read of Israel after the flesh, as well as Israel after the spirit, 1 Cor. 10.18. Rom. 9.4, 5. Gal. 4.23. Now of this Israel doth the Apostle here speak, as you may see Rom. 11.14. Nor indeed had he declared V. P. Martyr in loc. such a mystery as he speaketh of, verse 25. if only he had said that the elect should be saved. Doubtless the Romans knew that before, whereas this salvation of Israel was a mystery that they little thought of, and thence behaved themselves too arrogantly and contemptuously towards the, at present, forlorn and rejected Israelites, which error of theirs our Apo­stle laboureth to correct, by informing them, that there would a time come when Iews should be saved as well as Gentiles.

3. ‘Others Sic Thomas Cajetanus, & Dominicus a Soto. there are, that by all Israel understand, all and every one of the natural posterity of Iacob.’ As if the Apostle's meaning were, that every particu­lar person amongst the children of Israel should partake of this salvation; but in that there is a mi­stake also. For when this salvation shall take place, which is here spoken of, there will be divers par­ticular persons amongst the Israelites that will stand it out against the call of God, for which they shall be destroyed, according to that Text,, Loquitur de finali Iudaeo­rum conversione Lawen. strict. p. 23. Act. 3.23. We may suppose, that some of the Iews will adhere obstinately to their old antiquated Ce­monies, [Page 8] for which the Lord will be dreadfully pro­voked to cut them off. So some Fink on the calling of the Iews. interpret, Isa. 66.3, 4. Consider also, Eze. 20.37, 38. And many have alleadged Dan. 12.2. to confirm this; which Scripture they do therefore interpret alle­gorically, as if the meaning of the place were, that after Zion is raised out of the dust of affliction, and brought out of that grave of sorrow and mi­sery which [...] present the Iews are in, many of them shall perish for their iniquity. And indeed the arguments that are brought by those which favour this allegorical interpretation, Vide Brightmanni Scholi [...] in Dan. 12. Huit in loc. & Burroughs on Hos. 1.11. are of force against them that restrain the words to intend nothing but the ultimate resur­rection of the last judgment. Nevertheless, in as much as the Church of the Iews in old time built her faith of the reserrection upon that very Text principally, and in as much as a literal interpreta­tion of Scripture ought never to be rejected for an allegorical one, except necessity compel thereunto, I am slow to embrace a metaphorical sence of that Scripture, Dan. 12.2. Why may not the true mean­ing of the place be this? viz. That after the Iews are brought into their own Land again, and there disturbed with Gog and Magog (not Iohn's, but Ezekiel's Gog and Magog, at the battel of Arma­geddon) who shall think with great fury to destroy the converted Israelites. After this shall begin the resurrection of the dead, some of which, namely, the Saints of the first resurrection, shall be raised [Page 9] to everlasting life; but other some, i. e. the wick­ed, after the time belonging to the first resurrection is expired, shall be raised to everlasting shame.

This I do believe is the true scope of that place. He that is otherwise minded, let him abound in his own sence.

4. ‘Others think, that by Mr. Strong in his Sermon on Rom. 11.26. Totus Israel nihil aliud declarat quam Isra­elis plenitudinem; cui opponi­tur [...]. Sed notandum est de totâ gente in genere, non de singulis hic disseri, ut de plenitudine gentium statuendum est. Beza in Rom. 11. v. 12, 26. all Israel, is meant the body of the Israelitish Nation.’ And that seemeth to be the genuine interpretation of the words; for in o­ther Scriptures, all is used to signifie many, Mat. 3.5. It is said, That all Iudea was baptiz­ed by John, confessing their sins. Doubtless there were some in Iudea, that neither confessed their s [...]ns, nor were baptized by Iohn, therefore all noteth a multitudinous number: And so is All to be taken, Isa. 66.23. Ioel 2.28. 1 Cor. 15.22. and in many other Scriptures. So when it is said, All Omnis Israel, i. e. multi Israelitae. Vatablus. Israel shall be saved, h. e. very many Israelites shall be saved. Yea, all here noteth, not only many, but most; it signifieth not only a Majority, but a very full and large Generality. Hence the same thing is called their fulness, Rom. 11.12. Now as when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, that must not be extended to every particular person, nor yet to a few only, but to the body of Gentile Nations, whom that prophesie doth concern; so may we say concerning this fulness of Israel. Moreover, such as [Page 10] was Israels [...]. rejection, such must their re-assum­ption into divine favour be, Rom. 11.15. But their rejection was not of every par [...]icular person, nor yet of a few only, but of the body of the Nation; so shall their salvation be National.

Q. 3. What is meant by being saved? Answ. In this salvation there is, 1. The term from which; 2. The term to which it shall be. 1. The term from which, viz. from a state of bondage and misery. And this is double, either, 1. Temporal; oftentimes in the Scripture, salvation is put for deliverance from temporal bondages and miseries, Neh. 9.27. And this is part of the Apostles meaning here; for all Israel hath been in temporal outward bondage and misery this long time. It is now near 1600 years since the house of Israel was left unto them desolate; since which time the generality of the Iews have been in woful servitude, and hated and hissed at of all Nat [...]ons, in almost all places of the world, as the Lord, many hundreds of years before it came to pass, threatned them, that for their disobedience it should be, Deut. 28.37. Thou shalt become an aston­ishment, a Proverb, and a by-word amongst all Nations, whither the Lord shall lead thee. And ver. 43. The stranger shall get above thee very high, and thou shalt come down very low. And ver. 48. Thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck. And ver. 68. You shall be sold to your enemies for bond-men and bond-women, and no man shall buy you. I remember Iosephus Of Wars of Iews, lib. 7. c. 15. relateth, that infi­nite numbers of Iews [Page 11] were exposed to sale at the Roman destruction of Ierusalem, till at last no one would buy them; and then surely was that word of the Lord fulfilled.

2. ‘This salvatio [...] implyeth deliverance from spiritual bondage and misery.’ Hence in the Text it is expressed by turning away ungodliness. And salvation is very often used in the Scripture in that sence, viz. for deliverance from spiritual bondages, Mat. 1.24. Luke 1.71, 74, 77. And therefore when the Apostle saith, That all Israel shall be saved, this also is part of his meaning; That the whole nation of the Iews shall be saved from the blind­ness of their minds, saved from the hardness of their hearts, saved from the unbelief of their souls, saved from that curse and wrath of God which lyeth upon them, and which hath remained upon many of them, for more than 2000 and divers hundreds of years.

2. ‘There is the term unto which this salvation shall be, viz. unto a glorious state of happiness.’ And this is, 1. Temporal. The Iews who have been trampled upon by all Nations, shall shortly become the most glorious Nation in the whole world, and all other Nations shall have them in great esteem and honour, Isa. 60.1, 3. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the bright­ness of thy rising.

2. ‘This salvation implyeth spiritual and eter­nal happiness.’ Usually, salvation in the Scripture is taken in that sence, for the communication of spiritual and eternal good unto the soul, Mark 16.16. 1 Pet. 1.8, 9. Salvation implyeth grace for the soul, and glory for the soul. And this is the main thing here intended. All Israel shall be saved, [Page 12] i. e. they shall be converted unto God, they shall be made partakers of much grace here, and of eter­nal glory hereafter. The salvation of the world to come is comprehended under this saying, All Israel shall be saved. For the words may well have reference unto a speech that the Alludit ad dictum Hebrae­orum, omnem Israelitam ha­biturum partem in futuro sae­culo. Grotius, Hoc dictum vide in Tract. Synod. c. 10. Lege Capelli obser. in N.T. p. 120. Hebrews made frequent use of; sc. That every Israelite shall have a part in the world to come. Therefore everlasting life, which shall be vouchsafed in the world to come, Mark. 10.30. is here intended.

Having thus (by the help of Christ) cleared the ground-work and foundation, the Doctrine to be raised thereupon is plainly this.

Doct. That the time will surely come, when the body of the twelve Tribes of Israel shall be brought out of their present condition of bondage and misery, into a glorious and wonderful state of salvation, not only spiritual but temporal.

Now in the Doctrinal handling of this Truth, four things may be attended; 1. To shew that the twelve Tribes shall be saved. 2. When this salva­tion is to be expected. 3. Why all Israel shall be saved. 4. What kind of salvation it is, which all Israel shall in the appointed time partake of.

1. We are to shew, that the twelve Tribes shall be saved. And this is evident, if we consider, 1. That the two Tribes or Iews, 2. That the ten Tribes or Israelites (so distinguished in the dayes of old) shall be saved.

1. The two Tribes or Iews shall be saved. We [Page 13] shall not here insist upon such arguments as some have stood upon. Austin layeth weight upon a typi­cal argument, sc. That as the Gileadites rejected Iephtha, but afterwards they returned to him again; so the Iews should reject Christ, but afterwards they should embrace him. And others Sic Willet, Beza, Fagus, &c. there are who lay much weight up­on an argument drawn from the secret wonder­ful providence of God in preserving the Iewish Nation entire from mix­tures with other Nations where they are dispersed. The providence of God hath suffered Vide Lazium de Migratio­nibus gentiam. other Nations to have their bloud mixed very much: As you know it is with our own Nation, there is a mixture of British, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman bloud; but as for the body of the Iewish Nation, it is far otherwise. Let an English family live in Spain five or six hundred years successively, and they will become Spaniards; but though a Iewish family live in Spain a thousand years, they do not degenerate into Spaniards, (for the most part.) It is true, that a Genealogical distinction amongst the Iews is now perished, because the Messias being come, there is not now (though before that there was) any need of such distinction, yet a National distinction there still remaineth; whence some conclude, that there will be in due time a National conversion of that people. But albeit, this argument is not to be slighted; yet I chuse rather to build upon plain Scripture-proof. Consider then, Zech. 12.6, 10, 11. And Mat. 23. two last verses. Where it is clearly [Page 14] intimated, that a day shall come when the desolated Iewish Nation shall account him blessed that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Luke 2.32. Christ must become the glory of his people Israel, i. e. the Iewish Nation. Now, they did never yet own Christ to be their glory, he was rejected of that Nation [...]. Chap. 17.25. there­fore a time must come, when he shall be owned and gloried in, by that People and Nation. Consider also, Chap. 21.24. where our Saviour intimateth, that when the Gen­tiles have fulfilled their times of apostacy and ini­qu [...]ty, Ierusalem shall be no longer trodden under foo [...] by them. One place more look into, sc. 2 Cor. 3.15, 16. Even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their hearts: Nevertheless, when it shall turn unto the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. The Jews might see from the writings of Moses, that the Messiah is already come; for the Scepter and Law-giver is utterly departed from Iudah, there­fore Shiloh must needs be come, Gen. 49.10. And they might see this from the Prophets; for within 490 years after Cyrus his proclamation for rebuild­ing the Temple, Messias must come, Dan. 9.25. whereas it is above two thousand years since that proclamation; and Christ was to come before the utter destruction of Bethlehem, and in the time of the second temple, Mich. 5.2. Hag. 2.9. whereas there is no Bethlehem, nor any Temple, for many a day; why then do not the Iews acknowledge Christ? Alas, there is a vail of miserable blindness upon their hearts, that they cannot, they will not, see the Truth: But, saith the Apostle, This shall be taken [Page 15] away. And (saith he) it shall turn. What is that? I answer: [...]. Conversus fu [...] ­rit, nim. Israel. Erasmus. It, there may note the body of the Iewish Nation, or the words may be read, Vide Heinsii exercit. in N. T. p. 398, 399. They shall turn (i. e. the blinded minds of the Iews shall turn) unto the Lord.

2. ‘The ten Tribes shall be saved as well as the two Tribes.’ Some that have acknowledged a gene­ral conversion of the Iews, yet have denied that ever the ten Tribes should partake of that salvation: yea, even some R. Akiba negat decem Tribus habituras partem in fu­turo saeculo. At contrarium astruunt R. Eliezar, & R. Me­nasseh, ac fere universa Rabbi­norum Schola. De conversione 10 Tribuum scribunt Brightmannus, Finxus, Alstedius, P. Cunaeus, Justus Heurnius. Atque juxta Heur­nium primo 10 Tribus conver­tentur, deinde Tribus Iudae & Benjamin. Vide etiam Rive­tum in Hos. cap. 1. Iewish Rabbies, have de­nied this; but methinks the Scripture is mar­vellous clear and full for this as well as for the former particular. You'l say, ‘But how is it proved, that the ten Tribes or Israelites, shall be saved as well as the two Tribes or Iews?’ Answ. 1. Because we read often in the Scripture concerning Israels salvation, as well as concerning Iudahs salvation. Now though Israel in the New Testament doth some­times note the two Tribes or Iews (as hath been said) yet, in the old Testament, Israel usually signi­fieth the ten Tribes, and not the Iews strictly so call­led. And it is an old ob­servation, that Certum est assentiente omni­bus authoribus nostris Hierony­mo, quod cum Iuda cum Israele conjungitur, per Israelem 10 Tribus [...]ntelliguntur. Menasseh Ben Israel in spe. p. 77. when Israel is put in contradi­stinction [Page 16] unto Iudah, the one noteth the ten Tribes, as the other the two Tribes. But we read often of the salvation of Israel, as in contradistinction unto Iudah. See Ier. 30.3. & 33.7, 14, 24, 26. Moreover, the ten Tribes are usually signified by the names of Samaria, Gilead, Achor, Carmel, Ephraim, Ioseph, &c. Now the Scripture speaketh of a restauration to be vouch­safed unto Samaria, Gilead, Achor, Carmel, Ephraim, Ioseph. See Ier. 31.5, 6, 18, 20. Zech. 10.6, 7, 9, 10. Mic. 7.14. Obad. 19. Ier. 50.17, 19.

2. ‘It is evident, that the ten Tribes shall be saved as well as the two Tribes, because there is a promise of the re-union of Israel and Iudah, and that they shall become one entire body.’ Now that could not be, if only the two Tribes should partake of this salvation. There must a time come when Ephraim shall not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim, Isa. 11.13. From the dayes of Ieroboam and Reho­boam, there were bitter envyings between the house of Israel and the house of Iudah, which could never be healed: And at this day, there are most bitter ha [...]reds amongst the Iews, one against another. Those Iews which are called [...] Legendo dicti: i. e. Textuales, Scripturarii, de quibus vide Hottinger. Thesaur. Philol. p. 40, 41. Selden de Anno Hebr. Skikkard. in Bechin. Hopper. p. 103. Buxtorf in Lex. Talmud Rad. [...] Shindler. Lex Pentagl. p. 1648. Karaim, that is to say, a Sect of Israe­lites which do only re­ceive the Scriptures without the Talmud) are more odious than Chri­stians are unto the Tal­mudical Iews. Now there must a time come when [Page 17] this enmity of the Jews, both amongst themselves, & [...]gainst the Israelites, shall be done away, and a glori­ous union be restored amongst them, as it was in David's time, or in Solomon's time, when the twelve Tribes were not divided into two distinct King­doms, so shall it be again. Consider Ier. 3.8, 18. Ezek. 37.16, 19. Hos. 1. last. This promise and prophesie will be fulfil­led Cum Apostolus dicit, to­tu [...] Israel salvabitur, alludit ad Ezek. 37.22. Beza in Rom. 11.26. when all Israel shall be saved.

‘3. There is an ex­press promise in the Scripture, that all the twelve Tribes shall be sa­ved, and therefore not only the two, but also the ten Tribes must partake of this salvation:’ And this promise is sometimes expressed under the no­tion of all the house of Israel being saved, Jer. 31.1. Ezek 20.40. & 39.25. And sometimes under the notion of all the Tribes of Israel, Zech. 9.1. ‘The burden of the word of the Lord in the Land of Hadrach and Damascus shall be the rest thereof, when the eyes of man, as of all the Tribes of Is­rael shall be toward the Lord.’ The meaning of the words may be, that the time will come, when the eyes of all the tribes of Israel shall be toward the Lord as one man, and then God will make fear­ful destruction amongst enemies.

4. Iacob prophecyed, that the Tribes of Dan and Ioseph should own Christ, Gen. 49.18, 26. And from thence we may argue, that the ten Tribes shall be converted and saved, as well as the two Tribes.

Quest. But when will this salvation of Israel be accomplished.

[Page 18] Answ. That is the second thing to be spoken un­to in the prosecution of this point. And in the first place, let me premise this distinction; That the salva [...]ion of Israel, (I speak of a salvation upon Earth) may be looked upon either as inchoat, or consummate. The inchoat salvation of Israel, I take to be at the conversion of the Tribes unto Christ, and their repossession of the land of their fathers. The con­summate salvation of Israel, I take to be that glorious condition which they shall be in after the destructi­on of Ezekiel's Gog and Magog, when the Kingdom shall become the Lords all the world over, and his Saints shall reign upon earth: Now whatever you shall hereafter hear, I desire you would receive as with this distinction, otherwise there will seem to be a repugnancy in things which are indeed very consentaneous amongst themselves. Having then premised this distinction, let us proceed in the fear of God, to enquire, when Israel shall be saved. I might detain you about the computation of Pro­phetical and Apocalyptical times, but that would be less profitable for you, because, at last, you would be left at uncertainties; therefore we shall not in­sist there: But what I have to say in answer to this enquiry, may be laid down in sundry Pr [...]positions, which we shall (by the help of Christ) endea­vour to clear unto you, from the Scriptures of Truth.

‘Pro [...]os. 1. An infallible demonstration of the exact time when Israel shall be saved, cannot be given.’ The Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 13, 9. That we Prophesie but in part; to be sure▪ it is true con­cerning the particular time, when Prophetical My­steries shall be fulfilled, that therein our know­ledge [Page 19] is imperfect. After men have said all that they can say about this matter, all is but an humane conjecture, and not an infallible divine conclusion; as to the day, or Moneth, or year, when this sal­vation shall have its effect. Hence even the Iews themselves have a say­ing,Vide Menasseh-Ben-Is­rael, ubi supra. Sect. 27. ‘That the time when the fifth Mo­narchy shall begin, is kept secret.’ An infallible demonstration of the exact time when Rome shall be destroyed can not be assigned, as is evident, because, if a man would form an argument, to make a demonstration of the time when that shall be one part of the argument, will be grounded upon humane testimony, sc. upon Cronology, and therefore the conclusion must needs be humane, and not di­vine. For it i [...] Conclusio semper est simi­lis Antecedenti ant parti debi­liori. Ram. Dial. l. 2. c. 11. a rule in reason, that the conclusion doth always follow the pars debilior in any argument; if therefore either part of the argument be humane, then the conclusion issuing there-from must needs be humane also; and yet it is an easier thing to be demonstrative, as to the parti­cular time when Anti-Christ shall be ruined, than to assign infallibly the particular time when the Iews shall be converted, for the year of Anti-Christs downfal is noted in the Scripture (did we but know when to begin the account) scil. That it must be 1260. years after his first rise and reign; but I can­not, for my own part by searching find out, that the particular year when the Iews shall be converted, is any where in all the Scripture once mentioned. I [Page 20] know many are wont to alledge that place, Dan. 12.11. to prove that the Iews shall be converted at such or such a time: But truly, I do believe that those 1290. days which Daniel there speaketh of are past and gone long ago; That those 1290 days are past, is the judgment of Arnol­dus de Nova Villa. The Au­thor of Problems concerning Anti-Christ, pag. 186. Mr. Stevens in his Calculation of the number of the beast. Mr. Symonds on Apocal. p. 93. Mede de numeris Danielis, & alibi sparfiùs Wolphius in Cro­nol. p. 116. Alsted Cronol. c. 6. Lud. Capel. in specil. p. 30. and Dr. Twiss in Letters to Mede. nor is it any new or sin­gular opinion so to think. Besides, the Scri­pture doth more than obscurely intimate, that the day of Israels salvati­on is known unto the Lord alone, and that therefore it is not for us to be curiously prying into that which the Fa­ther hath kept in his own power, consider Psal. 102.13. Zech. 14.7. Acts 1.6, 7. And therefore it is not good to be bold and definitive in determining the particular time, when either this or other Prophesies in the word of God shall be fulfilled, especially, consider­ing how the adversaries of the Truth have been hardned by false and peremptory timings of such matters as these we are speaking of.

‘Prop. 2. When the salvation of Israel is near unto its accomplishment, the mystery of it shall be more clearly and fully understood, than in for­mer times it hath been.’ For it is a true and anci­ent observation, ^(z) That the event is the best Inter­preter [Page 21] of Prophecies. It is now a great question which of the vials are past, and which future: But if God let us live to hear of the destruction of Rome, we shall then know which of the vials are past, and which are to come; and all the mystery of God will then be marvellously discovered. Besides, after-ages stand upon the shoulders of them which went before them, and therefore the age immediately prece­ding the fulfillment of these Prophesies, may well see further into them, than others have done. As in other Prophesies so in this, when the time of the end is at hand, they are to be unsealed, Dan. 12.4, 9. Rev. 32.10. And one reason of this is, because, when God is about to accomplish this great and glo­rious design of his grace and providence, he will have much prayer to be made for it, and therefore will he discover it unto his servants, that so they may be stirred up to cry mightily unto the Lord, that he would perform the intents of his heart.

‘Prop. 3. Before this salvation of Israel be ac­complished, the Pope and Turk shall be over­thrown and destroyed.’ Hence, Numb. 24.24. He shall perish for ever, i. e. not Heber, but they that af­flict Heber. Either it is meant of Assur, i. e. the Turk, or else the meaning is, that Chittim shall pe­rish, i. e. the Sic Targum Onk [...]los & Targum Hierosol. Roman, who are of the posterity of Chittim, perish they must, and that for ever. And of the destruction of both these enemies, doth Moses seem to prophe­sie, Vide H [...]urnium libro supra citato. p. 144. Deut. 32.43. consider the place at le [...] ­sure. It cannot be un­derstood [Page 22] of such enemies as did oppress the Iews be­fore the first coming of Christ, for the Nations, i. e. the converted Gentiles (so the Apostle expounded the words, Rom. 15.10.) will rejoyce at the destructi­on of these enemies, when as the Gentiles were not converted before the coming of Christ. Therefore the words are to be understood of those which at the time of the Iews future and hastning conversion, shall be their opposers and oppressors.

‘1. The Pope, (Anti-Christ) shall be destroy­ed before all Israel be saved.’ Divines are wont to observe, that an heavy stumbling block in the way of the Iews conversion, is their judging of all Christi­an Religion by Baptism. Now, they hate Iconolatry, i. e. the Idolatry of image worship; God hath so plagued them for that sin, that even ever since the Babylonian captivity, they have dreaded it. And there­fore seeing such hideous Idolatry amongst the Pa­pists, until the Lord hath born witness against Pope­ry, and for the Reformed Religion by the destru­ction of Rome; it is not to be expected, that the Iews will embrace the true Christian Religion. But the truth of this is further evident, if we consider, 1. That the four Monarchys must be destroyed, be­fore the fifth or Jewish K [...]ngdom be established, Dan. 2.44, 45. & 7.21, 22, 26, 27. And there­fore it is said, Rev. 10.6. That there should be time no longer: How, time no longer? is the meaning of the words, that there should be an utter ceasing of time? no, but Vide Medum in loc. that there should be time no longer to the four Mo­narchys, especially, to the Roman Antichristian Monarchy; and then it follows in verse the 7th. [Page 23] That the Mystery of God shall be finished. 2. ‘This is further evident, because, there is no entring into the Temple before all the vials be poured forth, Rev. 15. last.’ As the Priests could not enter into Solomon's Temple, (1 King. 8.10, 11. 2 Chron. 7.8.) until the seven days dedication was over, so the Priestly Nation of Israel cannot enter into the Temple till the seven vials be poured forth. And if no man shall enter into that pure (Temple) Church-estate, which will one day be in the world, (Rev. 11.19.) until all the vials be poured forth; surely, a whole Nation cannot enter into that estate before that time.

‘3. The truth of this is likewise manifest, be­cause the fifth vial shaketh Rome in pieces; where­as the Iews are not converted till the sixth vial; yea, in the sixth vial their salvation is but begun, by clearing all obstacles out of the way, Rev. 16.10.’ The fifth Angel poured his vial upon the seat Gr. [...]. or throne) of the beast. Now what is the seat of the beast, but Rome? That which was the seat of the Dragon, is the seat of the beast, so saith the spirit, Rev. 13.2. But the City of Sedes quatuor. Roma, An­tiochia, Alexandria, Domus Sanctuarii, sedes maxima est Roma. Shindl. Lex. Pentag. in verb. [...] ex Gr. Arab. Rome is that which was the seat (or throne) of the Dragons, i. e. the Heathen Emperours as acted by Satan, there­fore it is a vain thing for us to expect any general conversion of the Jews, un­til such time as we hear that Rome is burnt with fire.

[Page 24] ‘4. This is yet further manifest, from Rev. 19.1. where it is said, after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Allellu­jah, salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God.’ What is the meaning of this? It may note unto us, that after Rome is de­stroyed, the Iews shall be brought into Christ; for Allelujah being See Mr. Cotton on the Vials. an Hebrew word, may in­timate, that the persons therein especially con­cerned, are Hebrews, or Israelites; as when in Chap. 9. verse 11. there is both an Hebrew, and a Greek word used; it sheweth that both Iews and Gentiles were therein concerned, that both of them should be poysoned with Mahumetism, and stung with Sara­cenical locusts: So here, the Hebrew word used, may signifie that the Hebrew Nation is concerned. But when shall they say, Allelujah? the Text saith, after these things, i. e. after the pouring forth of the vi­als full of the wrath of God upon the Antichristian world, after the destruction of Babylon, which was decribed in the fore-going Chapter. And a great See Mr. Medes Works in Folio. p. 726. Interpreter hath well observed, that this manner of transition, to say, after these things is never used in the Apocalyps, but when that which fol­loweth is in time after that which went before. Now then, if all these things be laid together, and weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary, it is very evident that Rome must be destroyed before the Iews can be converted. And why may not this be [Page 25] one thing meant by Plenitudo ge [...]tium non de­pendet è conversione Iudaeorum, sed viam ipsi sternit ut sequa­tur. Rectius igitur alii post de­letam Romani Idolomaniam, & è medio sublatis Mahometismi blasphemiis Iudaeos arbitran­tur salutem consecuturos. Pri­deaux orat. de vocat. Iudaeor. vide etiam Alsted. diatrib. p. 78. the fulness of the Gentiles coming in? sc. that when the Gentiles shall have fulfilled the days of their Antichristian Apostacy, and when the time is come that the Gentiles shall set themselves to destroy Anti-Christ, then all Israel shall be saved. Consider therefore Rom. 11.25.26. with Rev. 17.17. & Dan. 12.7. Consider, also 28 Chapter of Ezek. and you will find, that Tyrus, as a Type of mystical Babylon, must be destroyed before Israel's Redemption be accomplished. ‘And the Iews of old had it for a received principle, ^(d) that their glorious time should not come, till Rome were first made a desolation.’

‘2. The Turk must likewise be destroyed be­fore all Israel be saved.’ For that Eastern Anti-Christ (as some are wont to call him) having the Land of Israel in his possession we may be sure they shall never peaceably enjoy the Land of their Fa­thers again, as long as he hath any power to hinder it; therefore judicious Interpreters Sic Brightman in Apoc. 20. Dr. Stoughton de faelici­tate ultimi saeculi. p. 122. Finch calling of Iews. p. 135. have ex­pounded that Text, Isa. 27.1. to be a Prophesie of the destruction of the [Page 26] present Turkish power, and that this shall be be­fore the salvation of the Tribes of Israel be accom­plished, is very manifest from divers Scriptures, unto those that understand the meaning of the spirit in them: We shall endeavour by the Lords help to open two or three Scriptures that do hold forth the light of this truth unto us. One Scripture which saith as much as this cometh to, is that Dan. 11.44, 45. ‘Tydings out of the East, and out of the North shall trouble him, therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly make away ma­ny: and he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Pallace between the Seas, in the glorious holy Mountain, yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.’ Now for the right under­standing of this Scripture, we must remember that the scope of the 11. Chapter of Daniel, is to shew what should befall the Iews under the Persian, Greci­an, and Roman Monarchy. Fidenter asserimus in se­quentibus nullum sermonem esse de Epiphane sed ulterius proce­dere Propheta [...] de quarto im­perio loqui. Cocceius de An­ti-Christ. p. 74. This Roman Monar­chy beginneth to be de­scribed in verse 36. and therefore the words which are translated, And the King shall do ac­cording to his will (which hath occasioned many to In­terpret the Text of Antiochus) may be read: For ^(g) [Page 27] a King shall do according to his will: And if the words were so translated, the transition from the Grecian unto the Roman Kingdom would be much more e­vident: Moreover the Apostle Paul doth interpret the words, as descri­bing Vide Graseri Hist. Antich. p. 124. the Roman An­tichrist, 2 Thes. 2.4. And in another place the same Apostle saith, that the spirit speaketh See Mede of the Apostacy of the last times. expresly, i. e. in the written word ( [...]) 1 Tim. 4.1. that the A­postate Church (or the Roman Antichrist) should do so, and so as you may there perceive. Now where doth the spirit by word speak so, except in this place in Daniel; therefore the words do contain a Prophetical description of the Roman state. Now observe further, verse 40. 'tis said at the time of the end, i. e. when this Roman Kingdom shall be under its last, (that is to say, the Atichristian) state, The King of the South shall push at him, h. e. The Saracens who came out of the Sou­thern parts should disturb and trouble the Antichri­stian world; And History doth aboundantly mani­fest the truth of that. Lege Brightman & Huit. in Dan. 11. And the King of the North must come against this Ro­man Antichristian state, like a whirl-wind, h. e. the Turks, who arose out of [Page 28] the North quarters, shall make dreadful destruction upon the Antichristian state; and who knoweth not that this divine prediction hath been fulfilled in those fearful devastations, which the Ottomanical fa­mily hath made upon the Roman Empire? And thus the Angel goeth on, even to the end of this Chapter, to describe this King of the North, for verse 41.42, 43, 44, 45. will not agree with Antiochus his proceedings (as some would force the words) but they do most exactly agree unto the Turkish Em­pire; So then the sum is, That the King of the North, i. e. the Turkish Ottomanical family, shall after the Israelites are gathered together out of the Eastern [...]nd Northern parts, and repossessed of the Holy Land, endeavour with great fury to destroy them (scil. at the battel of Armageddon.) But this furious Turk shall come to his end, and then will follow that glorious salvation of Israel, which my Text speaks of.

Another Scripture which we may consider to this purpose, is that Mat. 24.29, 30. Immediately af­ter the tribulation of those days, h. e. after the last and sorest tribulation of the Jewish Nation is over, the ‘Sun shall be darkned, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the Stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then all the tribes of the Land shall mourn.’ Now what is meant by darkning of the Sun, and Stars falling from heaven, &c? Some adhere unto a li [...]e­ral interpretation, as if the words did Bucanus loc. Com 38. & 15. Vide etiam Parei. Com. in Mat. 24.29. sign [...] ­fie frequent eclipses of the Sun; yea, some imagine that the Stars shall really fall from the [Page 29] heaven to the earth; but this cannot be, for how should the Stars fall upon the earth, when one Star is greater than the earth? others there Solis obscuratio calamita­tes & tristem statum significat. Raupius in Ianuâ Theol. p. 534. Hinc Atticus scribens ad Cice­ronem▪ de Calamitoso tempore, Sol (inquit) mihi è mundo excidiss [...] videtur. are that suppose the darkning of the Sun, &c. may signifie sore cala­mities and troubles in the world; and that in­terpretation is not whol­ly to be rejected. But that doth not fully satisfie: wherefore we must know that the Scripture hath many Oriental notions and expressions in it, which albeit they are not so usual amongst us, yet in for­mer times they were most frequent. Now it was the manner in the Orient, to describe the political by the natural world Hinc Achmetes in Disci­plina Indorum, Sol (ait) ad Regis Personam interpretando refertur, a ia maxima sidera ad viros Regis Amplissimos, &c. Consule Medum in Apoc. 6. so that they did signifie Monarchs by the Sun. See Gen. 37.9, 20. 2 Sam. 21, 17. 2 King. 20.11. And inferiour Magistrates according to the Oriental description, were signified by stars. Hence it is said of Antiochus, that he cast down some of the host of heaven, and of the stars to the ground, Dan. 8, 10. meaning, that he destroyed some of the Jewish Priests and Magistrates, as you know is related in the story of the Macca­ [...]es. Hence the Legatur Ioh. Driedo de Script. Eccles. lib. 3. Tract. 3. Penè initio. King of Babylon is called Lu­cifer, Isa. 14.12. And it is an usual thing in the Prophets, to describe the ruine of great States and Kingdoms, by saying, The [Page 30] Sun shall be darkned, and the stars shall fall from heaven. See Isa. 34.2, 4, 5. Ier. 49.7. to 22. Ezek. 32.6, 7. Ioel 3.15. Hag. 2.21, 22. Ier. 4.23, 25, 28. The overthrow of the Pagan Roman Empire, is descri­bed in such terms as these are, Rev. 6.12, 13, 14. And so of the Roman Christian Empire, Rev. 8.10, 11, 12. wherefore the darkning of the sun, and fall­ing of the stars prophesied to be at the end of the present tribulation of the Iews, may signifie the ruine of great Monarchs and Kingdoms, and especially of the Turkish Monarchy. A Learned Finch Sum of Divinity, chap. 9. p 533. writer confineth the words to that particular, but other Antichristian powers are likewise to be included. It was an insolent and fastidious expression of one of the Popes, Gregorius 9. inter alia hoc emblema Profert, Duo sunt lu­minaria magna, Sol, hoc est Papa, & Luna, hoc est impe­rator. Alsted. Cronol. cap. 32. that there ‘were two great lights, the Sun (saith he) that is the Pope; and the Moon, that is the Emperour; and truly, when this prophesie shall be fulfilled, wo to those Lights, they shall sit in obscure darkness:’ Never­theless, though the ruine of other Antichristian powers may be comprehended under that expres­sion, of darkning the Sun and the Moon, &c. yet the Turkish power is, I suppose, pricipally intended: And this must be before the tribes shall mourn, viz. with such a mourning as that, Zech. 12.10.

A third Scripture, to prove that the Turk must be destroyed before the tribes of Israel be saved, is that, ‘Rev. 16.12. The sixth Angel poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates, and the wa­ter [Page 31] ther [...] was dryed up, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared.’ Now by Kings of the East, the Israelitish Nation may be signi­fied; for Israelites are so called in Scripture even Kings, or a Kingdom of Priests, Exod. 19.2. And there are that think (though that interpretation of the place is not to me satisfying) that by Vide Brightman in Apoc. 16.12. Kings of the earth, Isa. 24.21. the Jewish Nation is meant. However the Scripture puts upon them a royal appellation, and they may be termed Kings of the East, because when the Israelites shall be convert­ed, they shall especially come forth out of the Ea­stern parts of the world. Therefore in that place be­fore mentioned in Daniel, it is said, that tidings out of the East should trouble the (Turk) King of the North: And such a thing as this I do believe is in­timated, Ezek. 43.2. where it is said, Behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East, and his voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shined with his glory: Consider the place, with Rev. 19.6. But then what is meant by Euphra­tes, ‘which must be dryed up for the Kings of the East?’

Answ. 1. This may be understood literally, ‘See 2 Esdr. 13.47. that the River Eu­phrates (and other Ri­vers also) shall be dryed up for the Israelites to pass over, when God shall cause their captivity to return:’ For I would not unnecessarily reject Una eadem (que) Scriptura in multos deduci potest sensus: summa tamen haec est tenenda, quem (que) locum suum certum ha­bere sensum, simplicem & lite­ralem, R. Solomon Iarchi in Prefat. in Cant. vide Hottinger. Thesaur. Philol. p. 236. a literal interpretation of any Scripture, espe­cially [Page 32] considering that oftentimes in the New Testament it is said, that this and the other thing came to pass, that so there might be a literal fulfilling of such Scriptures, which yet had a mystical interpretation, as in Rev. 8.5. the Earth-quake there spoken of, is to be in­terpreted mystically of a great shaking brought up­on the Roman Empire, in answer unto the prayers of the persecuted and martyred Saints; yet there was also at the same time a De quo Terrae-motu scri­bit Ammianus Marcellinus, l. 26. cap. 14. literal fulfilling of that prophesie in a most horrendous Earth-quake, which Historians make mention of. And thus may we say concerning the exsiccation of Euphrates; and understand it both literally and spiritually. And this literal interpretation doth very well sute with o­ther Scriptures: Read Isa. 11.15. which intima­teth unto us, that the Branches of the River Nilus, which hath seven streams, shall be dryed up for the Israelites at their return, and so shall Euphrates, ver. 16. Consider also Isa. 27.12. with▪ Zech. 10.11. And why should this seem incredible? Iosephus Antiq. l. 3. c. 7. saith (albeit there Brightman ubi supra.are that question the truth of that story) that in Alexanders time the Pamphylian Sea was dryed up for him and his Army to pass over in his expedition against the Persian Empire. And other Haiton cap. 16. refert Sy­monds in Apoc. p 155. See the life of Clenches l. K. of Tartars. Historians do relate, that Anno Dom. 1211. ap­peared [Page 33] a great Comet; and soon after the Tartarians came out of their seats into the European world, through the Caspian Sea, which gave them way mi­raculou [...]ly, as an Angel had directed them. If there should be any thing of truth in these reports, which many judicious Authors have credited, it maketh much for a literal interpretation of the place we have before us.

But 2. By Euphrates may be meant the Turkish Em­pire: There are Confer Brightmam & Medum in loc. e­specially two reasons which do constrain me to close with that inter­pretation (not excluding the former.) One is be­cause I find that in another place in the Book of the Revelation, the Turkish power is signified by Euphrates, Rev. 9.13, 14. I heard a voice saying, loose the four Angels which are bound in the great River Euphrates. The meaning of the place may be, That the Turks which lay on both sides the River Euphrates, and were divided into four Sultanies or Kingdoms should be let loose, partly by composing their civil dissentions, and partly by being united under one Ottomanical head, to make a dreadful irruption upon the Roman Empire. Again, Euphrates is used in the Old Testament, as being significative of the Assyrian Empire, Isa. 8.7. The Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the River, Vide Targum. i. e. Euphrates, which, by way of eminency, is called the River. See 1 Kings 4.21. Psal. 72.8. & 80.11. even the King of Assyria: So that you see the King of Assyria is expressed by Euphrates. Therefore the Turk being the Assyrian of the world at this day, [Page 34] may well be expressed by the same term. ‘So then the sum of all is, that when it is said that Euphra­tes must be dryed up, that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepare: It noteth, that divine providence will by some means or other, bring a fatal destruction upon the Turkish Empire, in order to making the way clear for Israels salvati­on.’ In a word, (and so I pass off from this proposi­tion;) Rome shall be destroyed before the conversi­on of the Iews: and as for the Pope and Turk, they shall be utterly destroyed after the Iews conversion, yet before or together with the consummate salvati­on of the Tribes of Israel. The utter destruction of all Antichristian power is in order of nature be­fore, but in time it doth synchronize with the con­summate salvat [...]on of Israel.

‘Prop. 4. It will be in a time of very great trouble when Israel shall be saved:’ As it is said concerning the second Temple, Dan. 9.25. that it should be built in troublous times: So it is true of E­zekiel's Temple (which the Iews are wont to call the third Temple, and tha [...]'s one reason why they em­brace not the Christian faith Lege P. Galat. lib. 5. cap. 10. because they say, when Messias co­meth, he shall build the third Temple, understanding that literally, which they ought to understand only in a mystical sense, Rev. 21.22. And applying those th [...]ngs to the first coming of Messias, which belong to his second co­ming. I say it is true of Ezekiel's Temple) that the building thereof shall be in very troublous times, though after the buiding is finished, there shall be the most glorious times that ever were since the [Page 35] world began. Before Sion can be delivered, as to this last and great deliverance which my Text speaketh of, she must be in pain, and distress, and anguish▪ Isa. 26.17. Yea, the Tribes of Israel must be reduced unto an extream hopeless, helpless e­state as to man, or outward appearance before their great salvation shall break forth, Ezek. 37.11. Hos. [...].15. As when Israel was redeemed out of Egypt, they were in a most forlorn, and seemingly for ever and one estate, according to that Scripture, Ezek. 16.5. (for that's the proper meaning of the place) so must it be with them again before this their great deliverance, Ier. 30.7. Alas! for that day is great, what day is that? even the day when Israel and Ju­dah shall be returned to the Land of their Fathers, ver. 3. there is none like it, it is even the time of Jacob's trou­ble.

Yea, I am perswaded, that after the Israelites shall be in their own Land again, they shall be brought into the greatest distress that ever any peo­ple were in in this world. Dan. 12.1. There shall be such a time of trouble, as never was since there was a Nation unto that same time. And when is that? even then when the Israelites shall again possesse the glori­ous holy Mountain, chap. 11. ver. 45. For even all the Nations of them which shall be destroyed with the fire that Christ shall be revealed from heaven in, shall combine against the converted Israelites, where­by they will be brought in [...] marvellous distress: Let him that hath understanding consider for this, these Scriptures, Ioel 3.1, 2. Zech. 12.2, 3. & 14. from verse 1 to 12. Rev. 16.14, 15. Mal. 4.1, 2, 3.

[Page 36]And as it is true, that Israels salvation will be i [...] a time of very great trouble unto that Nation, s [...] there must immediately precede this glorious day, Qu [...]s ergo non videt mag­nam aliquam & horibilem to­tius mundi mutationem ex­pectandam esse. Gualt. in Rom. 11. Hom. 66. most dreadful sha­kings and over-turn­ings, confusions and de­structions all the world over. Well therefor [...] might Balaam say, whe [...] the inspiration of the Almighty moved him, Ala [...] who shall live when God do [...]h this! Numbers 24▪ 23.

Before this salvation is over, the great battel o [...] Armageddon must be fought, which will be the mos [...] terrible day of battel that ever was. Turk and Pope, and House of Austria, &c. the great Dragon of the bottomless pit acting and breath [...]ng in them all▪ you must expect that they will rally their broken forces, and combine together to destroy the King­dom of Christ amongst Iews and Gentiles, and thi [...] will cause trouble and amazement, and a great sha­king over all the earth, Rev. 16.13, 14. Besides, before this day, God will be very terrible in his do­ings amongst the Children of men, he will over­throw great Kingdoms, and make Nations desolate and bring defenced Cities into ruinous heaps: And therefore if now the time should be at hand wherein this mighty work shall be brought to pass, you must expect to hear that the devouring plagues of God are utterly consuming all things. Look then to hear of Pestilencies, Fires, Wars among the Nations, such as the like was never known since the world began. All Europe, Asia, and Africa, will be in a [Page 37] flame, when this day is come. ^(z) Asia is like to be in a flame of War between Israelites and Turks, Europe between the followers of the Lamb, and the followers of the beast, the worshippers of Christ and Antichrist; yea, then you must look to hear such dreadful, doleful things, that the first hearing of them will make your hearts to ake, ears to tin­gle, and your souls within you to stand amazed with horrour. Consider Luke 21.25, 26, 27, 28.— [...], &c.

‘Prop. 5. There is reason to hope that the sal­vation of the Tribes of Israel is near to be reveal­ed.’ Indeed to determine justly how nigh the con­version of the Iews is; for my own part, I look up­on it, as presumptuous and unwarrantable, for the reasons before mentioned. Only in general, that the time is near, we may safely conclude. Q. But what reason is there for such a conclusion? Answ. 1. Because the Scripture saith that this work must be brought to pass in the last dayes, Numb. 24.14. Hos. 3. last. Ier. 30.24. In the latter days you shall consider it, h. e. when the latter days are come, then you shall understand the truth of this Prophesie, that your enemies shall be destroyed, and your selves saved. And indeed it will be in the latter part of the last days, when this salvation shall begin; for the Iews shall be converted, when Antichrist is near [Page 38] unto his total ruine. Now that the latter part of these last days are accomplished in some measure is evident, if we consider the characters of the last times laid down by the Apostle, 2 Tim. 3. begin. It would be too long to insist upon all the character [...] of the last time, which the Apostle there doth men­tion. Only let us take notice of three or four o [...] them, and then judge if we are not fallen into those times 1. Men shall be covetous, that's one character of the last times; if we see men laying up a world of money, and unjust gain, procured by usury, by bri­bery, by selling Offices, and the like unrighteous practices, it giveth us sad occasion to think of this word. 2. Unthankful; when the best friends in the world are forgotten, and those that have been in­struments of great deliverances, are requited evil for all their love; such ingratitude is a character of the last times. 3. Truce-breakers, when there are those that will promise any thing to serve their own ends, but never do as they have promised. And when the most Solemn Covenants, not only with men, but with God are made nothing of; this is what the word hath fore-told shall come to pass in the last times, 4. Traytors i. e. such as shall betray the Saints of God; for that is the Scripture notion of a Traytor, one that is false and perfidious to an in­terest of Jesus Christ. Lege Cyprian ad Mag­num. Such an one as Iuda [...] was, is a Traytor, Luke 6.16. and such as the Pharisees were, are Traytors in the language of Scrip­ture. So then, by these things it is evident, that the last times are come, and therefore the conversion of the Iews hastneth.

[Page 39] ‘2. That large measure of the spirit of grace which God hath given to some of his people, is a comfortable ground of hope that Israels salvati­on is not far off:’ As when salvation is near to come, men ought to be very holy, Isa. 56.1. So the Saints of God are wont to be so. When the Lord intends to bestow eminent mercy upon his people, he useth to prepare them for it, by pouring abundantly of his Spirit upon them, Luke 1.17. Now the conversion of the Iews will be an eminent mercy unto Gentile Churches, Rom. 11.15. There­fore before that day, the Lord will refine his peo­ple. And hath he not done so? why have the Churches of Christ been put into the furnace of late? Surely it is that they might come forth, as gold cometh out of the fire. Great tribulation is upon the Saints in other places of the world, that so they might come forth with their garments washed in the bloud of the Lamb. And doubtless, as the Lord God is hardning the wicked for the day of destruction; so he is sanctifying his people, and fitting them for a day of great salvation, by the present judgments, persecutions, and general calamities which are come, and coming upon the world.

‘3. The wickedness of the wicked, is grown to a monstrous height, and that is a sign it will not be long before the deliverer come unto Sion.’ When righteous men are more and more righteous, and when wicked men are more and more wicked, 'tis a sign that the Lord is coming to finish the Myste­ry of God, in creating the new world wherein the righteous should dwell, Rev. 22.11, 12. Mal. 3.13, 14, 15, wherefore if we would know whether this salvation of Israel be near or no, then we must [Page 40] consider whether the Antichristian Generation have filled up the measure of their iniquity, collate Gen. 15.16. with Luke 21.24. And truly, there is rea­son to think that the iniquity of the Antichristian world is almost full. For [...]hen is sin full, when ac­cording to all the dimensions of it, the measure thereof is filled up, scil. ‘when the breadth, and length, and height, and depth of sin is fulfilled.’ And is it not coming to that [...]pace at this day? sin hath filled up its breadth, when i [...] is become univer­sal. And how doth the iniquity of the Antichristi­an Generation abound in this respect? Have not some Lands received (if not the mark) the number of the beasts name, which once had almost wholly cast him off? Doth not Popery spread it self a­broad, and prevail exceedingly? However to be sure, there was a time when all the world wondred after the beast. And sin hath filled up that dimensi­on of its length when it hath been of long continu­ance. And hath not the iniquity of Antichrist been so? It might be proved, that the Blasphemy (i. e. the Idolatry) Isa. 65.7.) of Antichrist hath conti­nued above 1200 years. Again, sin hath filled up that dimension of its height when it is grown inso­lent against heaven, when there is sinning with an high hand, when hideous blasphemies are spoken a­gainst the God of heaven. Thus must it be imme­diately before the calling of the Iews, Rev. 16.11, 12. And is it not so at this day? How do the wick­ed blaspheme God? Do they not blaspheme prayer, and blaspheme the word? Do they not blaspheme the Son of God? Again, sin hath filled up that di­mension of [...] depth, when men are hellishly bent to do wickedly, when the sins of men are as deep as [Page 41] hell, when they are [...] of rage and malice against goodness, which is the principal sin of hell. If we see that the Antichristian party is full of malice a­gainst God, against the Ministers of God, against the Saints of God, then know that sin is coming to its depth apace: So when the haters of the Lord are not bettered by judgments, but when the migh­ty hand of God is lifted up they trespass yet more against the Lord. These are signs that Antichrist is filling up his measure of iniquity, and so that the Redemption of Israel hasteneth.

‘4. We may reason from that great and gene­ral expectation which is in the hearts of the Lords people, that the salvation of Israel is near to be revealed.’ It is ob­servable, Vide Hornbeck, contra Iudaeos. l. 3. cap. 1. that at Christ's first coming there were some that had at that very time great expectations of his co­ming. Simeon was one in whose heart God by his spirit, had put this earnest expectation, Luke 2.25. And besides Simeon, there were many other gracious souls which were then looking for the consolation of Israel, verse 38. yea, it was generally expected that Christ would then appear. Hence the Wo­man of Samaria said unto our Saviour, Iohn 4.25. Messias cometh in the present Tense, doth come; and not in the future Tense, shall come; q. d. We are now all expecting such a thing as this, the time spo­ken of by the Prophet for Messias coming is fulfilled, and therefore we conclude that now he is coming; even so when the Lord is appearing to build up Si­on (albeit a death may come upon those expecta [...] ­ons for a while) he will raise up great hopes and [Page 42] expectations in the hearts of his people touching this matter: And that you see is strangely come to pass already, though I believe, many that have much confidence now, will ere long despair of ever seeing that which now they suppose (but very un­reasonably as to the time) they shall see it may be the next year. Nevertheless it is not for nothing that the Lord hath raised such expectations in the world. And it is good for us from hence to draw a wise and sober encouragement unto faith and pray­er, that the Lord would be pleased to accomplish this work so much looked for, and hasten it in its season.

‘5. We may argue from the works of God, that the salvation of Israel is near to be revealed.’ The present disposition of divine providence maketh it evident, that God is about some great work. And why may it not be this work, or in order to prepa­ring things for this great day of Israels salvation? Consider well the workings of providence before this great and notable day which I am speaking of. ‘There must be wonders in the heavens, and in the earth bloud, and fire, and pillars of smoke, the Sun shall be turned into darkness, and the Moon into bloud, Ioel 2.30, 31.’ Now when there have been terrible Comets, and many other ama­zing prodigies visible to the world; and when Towns and Cities have been desolated with fire, and the smoke of their burning hath darkened the Sun, and made the Moon to look as red as bloud; hath not this Scripture been fulfilled? Surely these things do declare, that some notable day of the Lord is at hand. Christ's first coming was signifyed [Page 43] by Lege Alsted. Cronol. cap. 49. a Comet, where­upon Caesar enquired of one that went under the notion of a Prophetess; what should be the meaning of that Comet? and answer was returned, that there was an Hebrew Child born, (viz. Christ) that should be the great­est man that ever was, and that there was a new Re­ligion, (viz. the Christian Religion) shortly to be set up in the world. And what if the providen­tial coming of Christ to destroy Rome, and to convert the Iews, should be signifyed by Comets and other prodigies? The ruine of the Jewish state by the Ro­mans had Vide Ioseph. de Bello. Iud. 2.7. cap. 12. fearful sights to fore-run it, Luke 21.11. And why may not their restauration, and the great changes which then shall come upon the world, be signifyed by the same kind of providences? Add to this, the present shakings and dashings of the Nations one against another, with that distress which is upon the earth; mens hearts failing them with expectation of what is coming, and the waves of many Nations begin to roar and lift up their voice, so must it be when the Redemption of Israel draweth nigh, Luke 21.25, 26, 27, 28. That the Lords name is near his wondrous works do de­clare, Psal. 75.1.

‘6. The light of those truths which do concern the calling of the Iews, is wonderfully broken forth of late time.’ Not long since it seemed very paradoxical to affirm, that ever there should be a general conversion of the Jewish Nation: But that truth of late hath gained ground much throughout [Page 44] the world. And albeit there have ever been some amongst the Orthodox that have in the general The­sis concurred, that such a thing shall be in the ap­pointed season; yet as to the glory of this day and the happy time which then shall come and conti­nue unto the Church, there hath been little known in many ages during the reign of Antichrist: Only in these late days, these things have obtained cre­dit, much more universally than heretofore; And that's a sign that the time of the end draweth on a­pace, Dan. 12.4, 9. Rev. 22.10.

‘Prop. 6. Between the inchoation and the con­summation of Israels deliverance, there will a con­siderable space of time intervene.’

From the time of Israels coming out of Egypt, un­to the time of their quiet possessing the Land of Canaan, there was the space of 46 years. Also the second Temple was 46 years in building, (Iohn 2. 20. Ego simpliciter accipio de tempore quo extrui ab Herode Caeptum erat templum, & ab ipsis fundamentis instauratum. A primis ab Herode jactis Tempsi fundamentis, ad id mo­mentum quo istud Christo ob­jiciunt Iudaei, fluxerunt prae­cise 46. anni. Lud. Capel. Spicil. p. 60. or in Herods repairing of it.) And some conceive that Eze­kiel's Temple will be a­bout 45 years in finish­ing, because of the dif­ference which is in Da­niels numbers, chap. 12. verse 11, 12. But al­though I am far from their opinion, who think those days are to be un­derstood of natural, and not of Prophetical days; and therefore that they were fulfilled in Sic Iunius, Broughton, Rol­ [...]oc, Po [...]inus, W [...]llet, &c. Antiochus his time) yet I believe that both [Page 45] the 1290, and the 1335 days or years are past and gone, and that therefore no such conclusion can be grounded upon that place. Nor would I go about to determine how long this work of Israels salvation shall be in finishing after once it is begun. I love not to utter things that have not (to my own un­derstanding at least) a solid foundation upon the Scripture: Only I say in the general, it will be the work of some years. It may be some of you may think that if this work should now begin, that then it would be all over within a few Moneths, or with­in a year or two: but you will surely find your selves mistaken, for there are yet divers vials to be poured forth before this work be over. Now the pouring forth of a vial, doth take up a considerable space of time: Some assign Sic Author Clavis Re­cusae. the space of six times six (i. e. 36) years to every vial, Phialae aliquot saecula sibi poscunt nec pauciora quam decem. Cotterius, in Apoc. cap. 20. others a far larger space of time; but though those principles will not hold, yet every vial must have some considerable time for its pouring forth. For a vial is [...]. Sca­pula. a ves­sel of large quantity with a narrow mouth; so that if a vial be full, it must have some time to be poured forth. A vial is not emptied at once in an instant, but gradually. Therefore inasmuch as there are divers vials full of the wrath of God to be poured forth between the in­choation and consummation of Israels deliverance; it is evident, that there must a considerable space [Page 46] of time intervene between the beginning, and the finishing of this work.

Let us then consider, that there is 1. A prepara­tory salvation of Israel. Hence we read of the way of the Kings of the East being prepared, Rev. 16.12. ‘See also Ezek. 37.7. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together bone to his bone.’ When this salvation of Israel shall begin, it will make a noise, and a sound all the world over, even such a noise as shall make the Nations stand amzed. The dead bones when they begin to stir will make a ratling all the world over, and a shaking: As when the Iews were returned out of Babylon, there was a noise and a shaking, for the Babylonian Empire was shaken in pieces, and all the earth was moved at the fall thereof. Even so when the twelve Tribes of Israel shall be saved, Babylon shall be shaken, the Turkish Empire shall be sha­ken, the house of Austria shall be shaken, and other Kingdoms shall be shaken; and this shaking is pre­parative: Read the verses following. 2. There is a plenary salvation of Israel. This doth not take place till after the destruction of Ezekiel's Gog and Magog, i. e. the Turk, Ezek. 39.22. And (which will be at the same time) the utter abolition of the man of sin.

‘Prop. 7. When once God shall begin this work of Israels salvation, it shall be carryed on with speed and irresistible might.’

"1. The work will be carryed on with speed. And this may well stand with what before was said. For that which is long in respect of us, considering our hasty expectations, is in it self speedy, Hab. 2.3. Luke 18.8. All motions when they come near their [Page 47] center are most swift; As an arrow that is shot out of a bow, when it cometh near unto the earth is most speedy in its motion, so it is here. Hence it is said, that the Israelites at their return shall even fly, Isay 11.14. Besides the Lord Jesus is eager in his pursuit, when once he is near unto the possession of his glorious kingdom upon earth: As Satan when he knoweth that his time is but short, he rageth ex­ceedingly, and doth more mischief than ordinary, so may we say that the Lord Jesus will do more good in destroying the great enemies of his king­dom, than in the ordinary course of his providence hath been known: So that Christ will do more work, and destroy more adversaries in a few years in the last times, than in many years in former days. The heart of Christ doth even long to be possessed of his kingdom, when he seeth the time is at hand. Therefore the Lord will hasten this work of Israels salvation in its season, Isa. 60.22. when once the wheel is set a going, when once the Lord is upon the wing, he will come leaping over the hills like a Roe upon the mountains.

‘2. The work shall then be carryed on irresi­stibly.’

Heretofore there have been attempts (as here­after may be said more abundantly) towards the salvation of Israel which have all ended in miserable disappointments: But when the appointed time is come (though stops & seeming-retrograde motions there may be somtimes, that is a usual method of divine providence) it shall be carryed on success­fully at last. The Lord will pluck up the mountains by the roots when they stand in his way, Zech. 4.7. No enemies shall be able to stand before the saved [Page 48] Tribes of Israel, Numb. 24.8. Zech. 9.13. For the Lord from heaven will fight for them: As when the Jewish state was destroyed by the Romans, the Lord did fight against them. And therefore Titus refused to be crowned for that victory Philostr. lib 6. cap. 14. Io­seph. de Bello Iud. l. 7. c. 16. for (said he) ‘If their God had not fought against them, I could never have overcome them:’ So when the Lord shall in mercy return them to the Land of their fathers again, he will fight for them, Rev. 16.14. Hos. 1.7. Zech. 9.14.

And thus much may suffice for the second thing propounded to be spoken unto in the Doctrinal dis­cussion of that great truth which we have before us. In the third place we proceed to inquire into the Reasons of this point. Why the Tribes of Israel shall be saved? Briefly, there are such reasons as these to be assigned, why this salvation shall come to pass.

"1. Because of the free rich grace & mercy of God: This was the very reason why God took the Israe­lites to be his people at first in the days of old, when they, and they only were the Militant Church, Deut. 7.7, 8. And the same reason remaineth still to be given why the Lord will take them to be his people again. Why did not God cast off the Israelites soo­ner? certainly they deserved it long before, but because of his own infinite grace and goodness, the Lord did not of a long time reject them. So he will not cast them off for ever, for the same reason: As the justice of God is a ground of the Israelites rejection, Rom. 11.22. So his mercy is a ground of their reception into divine favour again. Hence it [Page 49] is said, that the Lord doth this for his own sake, and not for the sake of any thing in the Israelites them­selves, Ezek. 20.44. & 36.32.

"R. 2. From the stability of Gods election, 2 Tim. 2.19. Dan. 12.1. It is not possible that so much as one elect soul should miss of salvation, though all the deceivers on earth, and all the devils of hell should do their utmost to destroy such a soul, Matth. 24.24. Iohn 17.12. Sure then it cannot be that an elect Nation should miss of salvation. Whence was it that some few of Israel were saved in the Apostles days, and not others as well as they? This was the reason, because some belonged to e­lection, which others did not, Rom. 11.7. And this is one reason which the Apostle giveth in this Chapter, verse 28. to prove that a time will come when all Israel shall be saved, viz. because of electi­on. Consider Iohn 10.16.

"R. 3. Taken from the power of God: This also is another reason given by the Apostle in this Chap­ter, to prove that the Israelites shall again be taken into Covenant with God, notwithstanding their pre­sent rejection, because verse 23. God is able to graff them in again. And that God is able to do this diffi­cult (and to nature and reason impossible) work, is proved in verse 24. from the calling of the Gentiles, if (saith the Apostle) God hath called the Gentiles, and so contrary to nature graffed that which was wild into the good Olive tree: Sure then he is able to graff the Israelites, which are the natural branches into their own Olive tree: But God hath called the Gentiles, there­fore he is able to call the Iews again to become his people, therefore this shall be done.

[Page 50]Yea verily, such is the infinite power of Ieho­vah, that he is able to bring this mighty work to pass by a beck of his finger. Hence it is said, Zech. 10.8. I will hiss for them and gather them: The Lord can as easily gather the dispersed Israelites out of all corners of the earth, as a man can hiss, or whistle, or call a creature that will come to him with the beck of his hand. Such is the power of the great God. Alas, there are many in the world that these things seem incredible unto; but as the Apostle said to them, Acts 26.8. Why should it be thought a thing in­cre [...]ible with you that God should raise the dead? So I say in this case, why should it be thought a thing in­credible, that God should raise the dead Iews out of the grave of sin and utter darkness, and that he should breathe the breath of life into those dry and dead bones? Indeed if the work were to be done by men or Angels, or any creature alone, well might it be thought a thing incredible: But inasmuch as the great God, to who [...] nothing is or can be too hard, (inasmuch as he who hath made heaven and earth) hath engaged his omnipotency to bring this work to pass, most certainly it shall be accomplished in the appointed time.

‘Reas. 4. That so the divine Prophesies of the Scripture may be fulfilled.’ It must needs be that what ever God hath spoken by his holy Prophets should be accomplished, Isa. 44.6. Hence divers times in the Scripture it is said, that this and the o­ther thing came to pass, that so that might be fulfil­led which was befo [...] spoken by the Prophets. See Matth. 1.23. & 13.14, 34, 35. & 26.54, 56. Now the Prophets have spoken concerning this salvation of the Tribes of Israel: This mystery of God hath been [Page 51] declared by the Prophets, Rev. 10.7. Yea the truth is, that all the Prophets which have written since the world began have spoken more or less concerning this matter; for this you may see an express place of Scripture, Acts 3.21, 24. And let any man unto whom God hath given understanding, impartially search the writings of the Prophets, and he shall find that this was their great design, to fore-tell the glo­ry of Messias his kingdom, which will appear after all Israel shall be saved. The truth is, that there is not any one prophetical book (the book of Ionah is rather an History than a Prophesie) in all the Scri­pture, be it in Old Testament or in New, which doth not speak something concerning the salvation of Israel. Therefore this must needs be brought to pass.

"R. 5. Because of the Covenant of God. This also is another reason used by the Apostle in this Chapter, to prove that all Israel shall be saved, ver. 27.28. And the strength of that argument lyeth in this, that the Covenant of God is everlasting. Hence it is said, verse 25. Blindness is hapned unto Israel but in part, i. e. their blindness is neither universal (for a remnant were saved in the Apostles days, verse 5.) nor perpetual; for because of Gods everlasting Co­venant, this blindness shall not be everlasting blindness. And if we observe the Scripture, we shall find, that the salvation of Israel is still ground­ed upon Gods Covenant. See Levit. 26.42. Ezek. 16.60. Zech. 9.11.

Qui irritum facit foedus Abrahami, Patris nostri, non habebit partem in futuro saecu­lo Vide Hospinian. de Orig. Fest. fol. 19. ex R. Maimon. de circumcis. cap. 3. s. 8. The Iews have a saying frequently a­monst them, ‘That if any one do make void [Page 52] the Covenant of their Father Abraham, he shall have no share in the good things of the fu­ture world.’ But what do they l [...]ss than make void the Covenant of Abraham, who deny that the Iews shall be converted? And truly shall I say t [...] you, that they who make a nothing of the Covenan [...] of God with faithful Ancestors, will see their erro [...] if ever they see the Iews converted.

‘R. 6. Because of the many fervent and faith­ful prayers which have been put up unto God for Israels salvation.’ How many of the Saints have prayed in faith for this? Did not Moses do so▪ Deut. 33.7. which prayer of the man of God wa [...] indeed in part fulfilled in the return of the Babylo­nish captivity, but a further answer thereunto is yet behind. Did not David for this pray in the holy Ghost, Psal. 14.7. Oh (saith the Psalmist) that the day were come when the deliverer shall come unto Sion, and all Israel shall be saved! And what shall we say of Pauls prayer continually, if this wer [...] not it? Rom. 10.1. And are not Confer Brightmanni Scho­lia in Cant. and Mr. Cotton in loc. Leigh Critica Sacra in verbo. [...]. those words, Can. 6.13. an ear­nest prayer of Gentil [...] Christian Churches for the conversion of the Iews? In the book of Canticles the Church in general is signified by the Daughters of Ierusalem, and the Jewish Church in special by the Shulamite, because of the peace and perfection which shall be in that Church after the Tribes are converted.

And thus have you heard the reasons of this truth. We c [...]me now in the fourth place to enquire [Page 53] what kind of salvation it is which all the Tribes of Israel shall partake of?

Answ. They shall partake 1. Of a glorious, 2. A wonderful, 3. A spiritual, 4. A temporal salvati­on. Now of these in their order.

‘1. All Israel shall be saved with a glorious salvation.’ See Isa. 60.1, 3. and 62.2, 3. and 66.11.

Quest. But in what respects will the salvation of the Tribes of Israel be a glorious salvation?

‘Answ. 1. In respect of the place which the Israelites shall again possesse, viz. the Land promi­sed unto their Father Abraham.’ Some Sic Willetus, Prideux, Voetius, &c. that have believed and asser­ted a general conversion of the Iews, yet have doubted whether they should ever again possess the Land of their fathers; But the Scripture is very clear and full for this, that I see not how it can justly be denyed or questioned. See Isa. 61.4. Ier. 30.3. Ezek. 36.33, 34, 35. And Zech. 12.6. "Ierusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Ierusalem, which must not be restrained unto the return from the Ba­bylonian captivity, for it must be in that great day (even the time of Messias) spoken of verse 3, 4, 8, 11. Besides, in the former Chapter, the crucifying of Christ, and the rejection of the Jewish Nation was prophesied of. Now after this must Ierusalem be inhabited again. Consider also Chap. 14. verse 9, 10, 11. where you will find, that when the time cometh (which is surely yet to come) that there shall be one Lord, and his name one; Ierusalem shall be a­gain inhabited.

[Page 54]Now in this respect Israels salvation may well be esteemed glorious, for the Land of Iudah is in Scripture language a glorious Land, as being indeed a Type of heaven, the place of everlasting glory. See Dan. 11.41, 45. & 8.9. with Ezek. 20.6, 15. Isa. 36.17. Mal. 3.12.

‘Secondly, the salvation of Israel will be glori­ous in respect of the multitude of them which shall be saved:’ The Israelites shall come flock­ing in marvellous multitudes, when this gloriou [...] day is come. See Ier. 31.8. Ezek. 36.38. & 37.10. & 43.2.

And this is evident, if we consider that the Iew [...] and Israelites are scattered even throughout the whole world more or less, and that many parts of the earth do abound with them, Deut. 28.64. Isa. 43.5, 6. There are many Israelites in Europe. Some Viz. Anno Dom. 1211. le [...]e R. Abrabaneel in Isa. [...]6. Hornbeck Prolog. in Iudae. pag. 6. write that at one time there were driven out of Spain as many Iews as came out of E­gypt in the days of Moses, and Confer [...]undem ibid. that there were at another time twice as many Iews expelled Franc [...] as there came Israelites out of Egypt in the days of old. Salonica is full of none but Iews See Lithgows Travels p. 115, 116. where they do (and no where else in the world do they so) if reports of Travellers may be credited, speak Hebrew as their natural language. And there are that affirm Purchase Pilgr. l. 1. ch. 13. p. 119. that in those two Cities of Sa­lonica (called of old, an [...] [Page 55] in the Scripture Thessalonica) and Constantinople there have inhabited sixteen hundred thousand Israelites. And in that one City of Rome have been numbred sometimes ten, sometimes twenty thousand Iews. And Africa Vi [...] Leo. Afric. lib. 2. c. [...].6. &c. doth more abound with Israe­lites than Europe. But e­specially it is true con­cerning Asia, that most numerous multitudes of Is­raelites are there. Vide B [...]hani Geogr. Sacr. l. 3. c. 1 [...]. p. 220. In Media there are exceed­ing many. Iosephus Antiq. l. 11. c. 5. saith, that in his time the ten Tribes were known to be beyond Euphrates in vast and innumerable companies. Hence Agrippa in that oration which he made to the Iews De Bello Iud. l. 2. c. 16. to disswade them from re­belling against the Roman Empire, tells them (as Io­sephus relateth the story) that their brethren beyond Euphrates would not help them. And Consule Hierom. in Ioel 3.6. vide quo (que) Magdeb. Cent. 4. p. 1457. Ierom (who lived 400 years after Christ) saith, that in his time the ten Tribes were known to be in Me­dia, whither the Scripture saith they were transpor­ted in the Assyrian capti­vity, 2 Kings 17.6. And R. Benjamin in Iti [...]r. Con­fer Purchase ubi supr. p. 123. another that lived long after Ierom, saith, that travelling those parts, he saw numerous multi­tudes of Israelites, being the posterity of the ten Tribes, and that they were distinguished by their Tribes, the Tribe of Reube [...] being in such a place, [Page 56] the Tribe of Gad in such a place, &c. So that if one may believe a Iew, the body of the ten Tribes still remaineth about those parts where the King of Assyria had placed them. Likewise Mornae de ver. Rel. Christ. c. 26. p. 423. Tar­taria doth abound with Israelites. Mornae ibid. Boterus Re­lat 2. At (que) Anonymus quem habeo M. SS. multis id argu­mentis conatur probare. Some think that the Tartars are the ten Tribes: But Purchase l. supr. citato. p. [...]20. Fuller Miscel. l. 2. cap. 6. Vo [...]t. Disp. part. 2. p. 134, 144, 147, 681. ubi citat Besoldum & alios. others upon better grounds affirm the con­trary, that the Tartars are not the progeny of the ten Tribes, yet many Israelites there are scattered amongst them. And many of them are in China. Hence some learned Sic Iunius in loc. & Men. Ben. Israel in spe. p. 48. Sic eti­am Heurnius de legat. Evan. c. 4. p. 135. men are of opinion, that by the Land of Si­nim, Isa, 49.12. is meant China. But although I think not so, for Sinim there may well be interpreted (according to the exact scope of that place, declaring a gathering of Israelites out of the four corners of the earth) as signifying the South, and therefore the word may well intimate a place Sic interpretantur R. Aben­ezra, & Saadias apud Kim­chium. Bochartus in lib. ante ci­tato. p. 312, 346, 359. Engl. Annot. in Egypt called Sin) yet it is true, that many Israelites are dispersed in those parts. In a word, it is justly believed, that if all the Israelites which be in the world were Si Iudaeos spectemus ma­nifesta veleris benedictionis ve­s [...]igi [...] in illi [...] conspici possunt, maximè quoad numerasam & incredibilem multitudinem, quâ omnes alias gentes quot­quot in toto terrarum orbe sunt longe superant. Gualt. in Rom. p. 159. confer etiam Bezam in Rom. 11.25. together, they would make the greatest Nati­on [Page 57] upon the whole earth. Hence the Scripture [...] intimateth (for why should we unneces­sarily refuse literal in­terpretations?) that at the return of Israel, the Land of their Fathers will be too little for them, such will the multitude of their number be, and that therefore they must have other Countreys adjoyn­ing for their possession. Consider Zech. 10.10. Isa. 49.19, 20. & 54.2, 3. Numb. 24.17, 18. Obad. 19.

‘3. The salvation of Israel will be glorious, in respect of the continuance of their happiness, when once this great work is brought unto per­fection.’

Justly how long this glorious day shall continue, is not for us to say, for therein the Scripture is si­lent; Only it is evident, that it will be for Genera­tions one after another. If you look into that place in the Prophet, from whence the Apostle taketh the words of my Text (viz. Isa. 59.20, 21.) you will see that the saved state of Israel must continue at least for three Generations. See also Ezek. 37.25. yea this glory will continue for many Generations, Isa. 60.15. Hence the new heavens and the new earth, which God will create when the salvation of all Israel shall be consummate, is said (not to be for a while, and so to pass away, but) to remain before him, Isa. 66.22. Yea this glorious state and condition of Israel is said to l [...]st for ever, partly because they shall never more be brought into the hands of any oppressors, and partly because this their glory will be of very long continuance, Ioel 3.20.

[Page 58] ‘4. This salvation of the Tribes of Israel will be glorious unto them, inasmuch as the Israelitish Nation shall then be acknowledged and respect­ed in the world above any other Nation or peo­ple.’ Consider Zech. 8.22, 23. & 9.16. Ier. 22.8. Isa. 61.5, 9. & 14.1, 2. Zeph. 3. last. Mic. 4.8. Ezek. 16.61.

And there is good reason why it should be thus, 1. Because they are as it were the Eldest Brother, Luke 15.25. Exod. 4.22. Gen. 9.27. The Iews were the people of God before the Gentiles. There was a time when they were the only Church upon earth, Amos 3.2. Iohn 4.22. So that the Gentile-Church which now is, is surrogate Israel, Rom. 11.17. and is therefore often called Israel in the book of Revelation. It is also observable, that the first Christian Church which ever was in the world did consist wholly of Iews, Rom. 1.16. Matth. 10.5, 6. Acts 13.46. & 1.15.

‘2. Because the Messias, the Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world according to his humane nature, was an Israelite, Gen. 12.3. Heb. 3.16.’ And of the Tribe of Iudah, Heb. 7.14. It is evident (saith the Apostle) that our Lord sprang out of Iudah: Al­though now the Iews have raised great controver­sies about the Genealogy of Christ, yet in those days it was so manifest that Jesus of Nazareth was sprung from Iudah, that no Iews (although such as denyed that Jesus was the Christ) could ever deny that he came of the Tribe of Iudah; ‘Therefore the Apostle saith, that it is evident, our Lord came of Iudah, q. d. no man doubteth of that.’ For Messias came from the house of David, Acts 2.30. therefore he was of the Tribe of Iudah: And this is manifest, if [Page 59] we compare Matthews and Lukes Genealogy of Christ. Mary the Mother of Christ was of the house of David. Eli was Marys natural father, for he was Iosephs legal Father (or Father-in-law) Luke 2.23. which is evident, because Iacob was Iosephs natural Father, Matth. 1.16. Therefore Mary being Elie's Daughter, was naturally descended from the line and loins of David; Therefore Christ sprang of Iudah. It is true indeed, that Christ descended from Ruth, who was a Moabitess, to signifie that Gentiles should by him be saved as well as Iews, but the rest of his Predecessors were Israelites. Now this is the greatest thing which the Iews have to glory in, and that which maketh the Israelitish Nation to be above others desirable, Hag. 2.7. Therefore the Apostle speaking of the priviledges and glories which the Israelites had above other people, mentio­neth this in the last place, as being more than all o­ther things that may be said or thought of, Rom. 9.5. As it is true, that the humane nature is exalted a­bove the Angelical nature in respect of Christ, Eph. 1.20, 21. Col. 1.15. because it may be said that Christ is a man, but not that Christ is (in respect of nature) an Angel; So, in respect of Christ, the Jewish Nation is exalted above every Nation, be­cause it may be said that Christ was an Israelite, but not that he was of any other Nation.

‘5. This salvation of Israel will be glorious in­asmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ shall then possess his Davidical kingdom.’ If we search the Scrip­tures, we shall find that there is a threefold king­dom of Christ. 1. Providential, whereby he gover­neth the world, in respect whereof he is called the King of Nations, Jer. 10.7. See Matth. 28.18. [Page 60] Iohn 5.27. 2. Spiritual, in respect whereof he is stiled the King of Saints, Rev. 15.3. and this is ei­ther. 1. Internal in the souls, hearts and consciences of men, and is very fitly termed the kingdom of grace, Col. 1.13. Rom. 14.17. or 2. External, i. e. Eccle­siastical, under this consideration cometh the kingdom of Ordinances. Christ, as King and Head of his Church, hath appoi [...]d a Government and Ordi­nances therein. Thus it is said, Acts 1.3. that the Lord after he was risen, appearing to his Disciples, spake to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, part of the meaning of which Scripture may well be, That Vide Parker de Polit. Ec­cles. lib. 2. cap. 42. Sect. 7. Christ did then instruct his Di­sciples concerning the Order and Government of his Church, what Officers, what Seals, what Cen­sures, &c. he would have observed therein: But besides these, there is 3. See Mr. Strong's Sermon on Rom. 11.26. Christs Davidical kingdom: Of this we read Luke 1.32, 33. ‘the Lord God will give him the Throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Iacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end: compare the place, and consider it with Isa. 9.7. Ier. 13.13. & 29.16. & 36.30.’ Surely the Throne of David denoteth more than an Internal or Eccle­siastical kingdom: Now this Davidical kingdom shall Christ possess after the conversion of the Iews, and re-union of all the Tribes. Hence the battel spo­ken of under the 6th. vial, which prepareth the way for the Kings of the East, is said to be at Arma­geddon, Rev. 16.16. in which words amongst other [Page 61] things there may be See Mr. Cotton on the 6th. vial. an allusion unto that bat­tel wherein Saul was slain, by means whereof, way was made for David to possess his kingdom, even so after the battel of Armageddon shall be fought and finished, way will be made for the Lord Jesus Christ to possess his Davidical kingdom. See Ezek. 21.27. & 34.23, 24. & 37.24, 25. Hos. 1. last, & 3. last. And of this very kingdom doth Oba­diah prophesie, verse 21. when he saith, the kingdom shall become the Lords, then will that saying be fulfil­ed indeed, that the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancient people gloriously, Isa. 24.23.

‘6. This salvation will be glorious, inasmuch as thereby great advantage will come unto the Gentiles.’ They shall hold out the sweet breasts of Gospel-Ordinances in such power and glory as shall be greatly to the satisfaction of elect Gentiles, Isa. 66.10, 11. Some Sic Gualter ubi supra, & Danaeus in Aug. de Haeres. c. 97. in fine▪ Plenitudo gentium] i. e. cacitas erit Israeli donec nume­rus eorum qui ex gentibus cre­dituri sunt Plene compleatur intret (que) in ovile Christi. Com. A Lapide in Rom. 11.25. indeed have thought, that as when the Gentiles were called, the Iews were re­jected, so when the Iews shall be recalled, that the Gentiles shall be re­jected: And it is a ter­rible truth, that the Apo­state Antichristian Gentiles shall then be rejected and destroyed, even whole Kingdoms and Nations to­gether, but otherwise, not judgment, but great and glorious mercy shall redound unto Gentiles by the conversion of the Iews, Rom. 11.30, 31. And the A­postle [Page 62] saith, if the world (i. e. the Gentiles, who are often called the world in Scripture, in contradistin­ction to the Iews, who only were the Church for­merly) gained by the fall of the Iews, surely the Gentile world shall much more gain by their return, verse 12. And the truth of this is evident, ‘1. Be­cause when the blessed time is come that all Is­rael shall be saved, a world of unconverted Gen­tiles shall be brought home unto God also, Isa. 2.3. & 60.5. Zech. 2.11.’ Many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in that day, and shall be his people: So Chap. 8.22. and verse 23. It is said that ten men (i. e. Decem interdum accipitur pro multis; quia denarius est absolutus & perfectus numerus, unitatum ut maxima ita & fi­ni [...]. &c. Shindl. Lexic. Pent. p. 1404.1405. [...]. Vide quae habet Chr. Chartwright in Gen. 31.7. & authores ab eo citatos. many Gen. 31.41. Iob 19.3. Eccles. 7.19.) Out of all languages shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Although it be certain that God will preserve an holy seed for a Church upon earth, [...] converting work will not go for­ward so as were to be desired, till the time come when all Israel shall be saved, and then will convert­ing work go on gloriously all the world over, even amongst Indians and Infidels, and such as never heard of the name of Iesus. See Ezek. 16.53, 55. ‘When I shall bring again the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy daughters in the midst of them:’ What now is the meaning of this Scripture? Is it that Sodom should ever be dwelt in again? No, for God hath [Page 63] made it a perpetual desolation, turning the place in­to a mare mortuum, to be as it were a standing Type of that lake which burneth with fire and brmstone, which is the second death: As of old in the days of the first Temple, Hell was called Heb. [...]. Septuag. V. Mede in loc. the place of Giants (Prov. 21.16.) from that fearful destruction which came upon the old world, and called Tophet and Gehenna from the slaughter of the Assyrians, by the Angel in the val­ley of the Son of Hinnom, so Hell is called a lake of fire and brimstone in allusion to Sodoms destruction. Sure then the meaning of the place is not, that ever Sodom shall be restored again; Is it then that the Iews shall never be converted? No, for that is con­trary to more than a thousand Scriptures: But by So­dom, the Gentiles may be signified, and by Samaria the ten Tribes; so that the meaning may be, that when the Lord will have mercy on the Iews, he will also have mercy on the Gentiles, and on the ten Tribes. Therefore Ezekiel and Paul do very well agree; for Paul saith, that when all Israel is saved, a fulness of the Gentiles shall come in; And Ezekiel saith, that when Sodom shall be brought out of the captivity of Satan and powers of darkness, then shall the Iews have an happy and glorious day. Gentile Nations will be so affected with the power of God appear­ing in the conversion and restitution of the Iews, as that they will thereupon become the Lords people, Ier. 16.19. And how glorious will this be? if the conversion of one soul causeth joy in heaven, Luke 15.7, 24. certainly it will be a glorious day when so many thousands and thousands of souls; yea, [Page 64] whole Nations of men shall be converted to God by Jesus Christ.

‘2. The salvation of Israel will be advantagious, not only to the unconverted amongst elect Gen­tiles, but also to them which are already conver­ted.’

The news of the Iews conversion will put life into all the Churches upon earth, Rom. 11. [...]5. It will be (unto the Gentiles) as life from the dead. For Gentile Churches shall be enlightned, and therefore enlivened from Jewish Churches. Then Cum Elias venerit, solvet nodos. shall many dark and difficult questions be resolved, which at present cause sad thoughts of heart, Rev. 21.24. Ezek. 43.11. Isa. 2.3.

‘7. Upon the salvation of all Israel there will follow a reformation of all things, there will be a See Mr. Strong's Sermon on Isa. 2. p. 648. Universi Fa­brica liberabitur a servitute corruptionis, & restituetur na­tiva suae integritati & pul­chritudini, cum plenitudo tem­poris advenerit juxta illud, coe­los novos & terram novam, &c. Vide quae habet nosset Da­venantius in Colos. 1.20. glorious renew­all of the whole U­niverse.’

I know there have been many foolish dreams a­bout the renewal of the universe, the Platonical year, &c. but doubtless the finger of Satan hath been deep therein, that so the glory of these truths might be unknown. I say then, it is an holy truth, that after the salvation of Israel is consummate, the state and face of things will be quite altered through the world. Hence it is said, Rev. 21.1. That when New Ierusalem cometh down from heaven, there shall be no more Sea: i. e. ei­ther [Page 65] there shall be no more corruptions in Religi­on, or (which interpetation suiteth with the Prophe­tical notion of Sea) the meaning is, that there will be no more such troubles and combustions, moti­ons and commotions, dreadful shakings and confu­sions, as shall be in the world a little before the Iews conversion; but all things shall be quiet, and and calm, and peaceable, and days of glorious tran­quility throughout the earth. Hence it is said in the same verse, that there shall be a new heaven, and a new earth: i. e. a new state and face of the world. As this present state of the world is called a new world in respect of that which was before the floud, which is termed the old world, so the state of things after the consummation of Israels salvation, may in respect of this present state of the world be termed, a new world; for the world will then as far excel (and more) what the world now is, as the world at pre­sent doth come short of what it was before the floud. Hence the Apostle Peter saith, 2 Ep. chap. 3. ver. 13. ‘we, according to his promise, expect a new hea­ven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous­ness.’ This cannot be meant meerly of the new Gospel-dispensation, because that was already come, whereas the Apostle speaketh of this as fu­ture, as a thing under expectation, and not under present fruition: Nor can it be meant of the state of glory in heaven, because the Apostle saith, accor­ding to his promise, which promise is in Isa. 65.17. and that speaketh expresly concerning a state here upon earth. Consider verse 21. Therefore the crea­tion of the new heaven and earth, noteth a glorious renewal of this inferiour world; and therefore it is said, Rev. 21.5. Behold I make all things new: Now [Page 66] many times things are altered for the worse, and not for the better; seldom hath there been any great reformation in the Church, but a sad after-clap hath come, that so that reformation might be seal­ed with suffering: After that Paganry was over­thrown by Constantine, then came a Iulian, who set it up again: And, you know that in our own Nati­on after that Popery was pulled down by our En­glish Iosiah (as he is usually and deservedly called) there came dark and bloudy Marian days, wherein Popery had another turn like the blaze of a snuff a little before utter extinction, but when Israels sal­vation is consummate, the alteration will be no more for the worse, but for the better only. Now the truth of this will be evident, if you consider that those two principal things which put all the world out of order, shall then cease. ‘For 1. One thing which puts all the world out of order is conten­tion and division, Iam. 3.16.’ But when once the salvation of Israel is accomplished, the contentions and bitter strifes of men will be at an end. For the Israelites shall have unity and unanimity amongst themselves, Isa. 11.13. Ier. 32.39. Nor shall there be such schisms and divisions amongst Gentile Churches as hitherto hath been, to the infinite scan­ [...]al of Christian Religion. Before Popery got up, Christians were miserably divided amongst them­selves, that Pagans were wont to deride them upon their publick Theaters for their divisions and con­tentions one with another. And, since the Refor­mation, what woful and most sinful heart-burnings have there been amongst the professors of a more pure Religion. Though the Reformation in respect of purity of Doctrine hath been a Sea of glass, yet in re­spect [Page 67] of contentions (as well as persecutions from adversaries) amongst themselves, it hath been mingled with fire, Rev. 15.2. But after Israels sal­vation there will be no more of this; For there shall be one Lord, and his name one, and that over all the earth, Zech. 14.9. one shall not say, I am a Calvi­nist, and another I am a Lutheran, another I am th [...]s, and another I am that; Such carnal schisms shall then be at an end. ‘2. Another thing which bring­eth confusion upon the face of the world, is that desolating sin of persecution.’ Observe the Scrip­ture, and you shall find, that when God hath brought desolating and astonishing plagues upon the earth, it hath been chiefly for the sin of persecution. Hence come overturnings, overturnings, overturnings, hence come Wars, Plagues, Famines, Fires, and eternal desolations. What was that sin which ruined the four Monarchies? It was the sin of persecution. See Ier. 50.17, 18. Rev. 6.9, 12, 13, 14. And what was that sin which brought like a whirlwind of the Lord, destruction upon the Jewish state and Nation, and that long, and lasting, and most doleful ruine which continues to this day? It was because they perse­cuted his Saints, and stopped [...] mouths of his mes­sengers, 1 Thes. 2. [...], 16. But after Israels sal­vation is consummate, [...] more persecution shall be heard of in the world, no not for a thousand years together. Nay, the Saints shall never more be de­livered into the hands of persecutors after this glo­rious day, Ezek. 28.24. & 45.8. The Iews of old were not to have any fire upon the Sabbath day, which might singnifie unto us, that, in that glorious Sabbatism, that rest for the people of God, which shall one day be upon this earth, there will be free­dom [Page 68] from fires of contention and persecution▪ And this is manifest ‘1. Because persecution is from the Devil.’ It is he that stirreth up wicked instru­ments to molest the Servants of God for Righte­ousness sake, Rev. 2.10. 1 Thes. 2.18. Now Satan must be bound for a thousand years, Rev. 20.1, 2, 3. "2. Because persecution is from Antichrist. The Devil and the Pope are the two great Authors of persecution. Look into the world, and you shall find, that where Saints are persecuted (i. e.) suffer for Righteousness) it is caused by Antichrist, or some Limb or Horn of Antichrist: But Antichrist shall be utterly destroyed (as hath been shewed) when the salvation of Israel shall be consummate. There­fore when the beast shall be slain, and his body gi­ven unto the burning flame, there will be no more destruction in all the Lords holy mountain.

Thus have you heard the first particular, as to the kind and manner of Israels salvation, viz. that it will be glorious.

‘Secondly, the salvation of all the Tribes of Is­rael will be wonderful as well as glorious.’ And although it be true that what hath been said concern­ing the glory of this day, doth sufficiently evince that it will be a wonderful day, nevertheless because I would not multiply too many particulars under one general head, therefore for methods sake, I chuse to mention this, as a distinct head from the for­mer. And the truth of this is further evident; ‘1. Because the Scripture doth plainly express as much as this cometh to. scil. that the day of Is­raels salvation will be a wonderful day, Ioel 2.26.’ You shall praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wondrously with you, and verse 30. I will shew [Page 69] wonders saith God, speaking concerning this very time of Israels conversion and salvation. Hence that day is called a great day, because God will then do great and wonderful things, such as the like shall not be again, Hos. 1. last, great shall be the day of Iezreel: By the day of Iezreel, is meant especially the day when the twelve Tribes of Israel shall be saved. Now this is said to be a great day, because then God will take unto himself his great power, and shew the greatness of his being, and holy Attri­butes, in working great deliverances, and in de­stroying great enemies, and so as to cause great ad­miration in the world. And hence also this salvation of Israel is called a Mystery, as in the verse before my Text, I shew you (saith the Apostle) a Mystery, that blindness is in part hapned to Israel, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved. So that the mystery which the Apostle speaketh of is not only (as some have restrained the words) that blindness is hapned to Israel; Albeit that is in­deed a very mysterious thing, that they, which were once the people, and the only people of God, should be rejected by him for so long a time, well might the Apostle, even in that respect break forth into such an holy extasie and admiration, saying, O the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how are his judgments unsearchable, and his ways past finding out? but that's not all the mystery; It is likewise a wonderful mystery, that this blindness, which is hap­ned to Israel, should only be a partial, and not an eternal blindness, that this blindness should last no longer than till the Gentiles have fulfilled their time; And that then all Israel should be saved: This is the wonder of wonders. As the conversion of [Page 70] the Gentiles was a mystery made known unto the Iews, Eph. 3.9. So the conversion of the Iews is a mystery made known unto the Gentiles; yea, it is a most excellent admirable mystery; therefore it is called the mystery of God, Rev. 10.7. When the se­venth Angel shall sound the Trumpet, the mystery of God shall be fulfilled: The mystery of God in that place may note the reversion of the Children of Is­rael unto the Land of their Fathers, and their con­version, together with the restauration of all things to their first glory. Now, why is it called, the my­stery of God? Is not this one reason of it, to signifie unto us the divineness, and admirable excellency of the mystery? It's an usual Hebraism in the Scrip­ture to express a thing that is superlatively excellent and admirable by the name of God. Thus we read of harps of God, and mountains of God, and Cedars of God: i. e. very excellent ones, so the mystery of God, i. e. a most excellent mystery. And therefore this salvation will be wonderful. For a mystery is as much as to say, Mysterium est sacrum se­cretum occultam hauens intelli­gentiam. Vide Voet. disp. de Gentisism. p. 642. Origo Voca­buli Hebraica est. [...] est ocultare, und [...] [...] quasi res occulta. Drusius. vide Ama [...]a Antib. Bib. l. 3. a di­vine wonderful secret, such a wonderful secret, that the knowledge thereof would not be had a­mongst the sons of men, were it not for divine extraordinary revelation of the spirit: Therefore the Incarnat [...]on of the Son of God is called a myste­ry, 1 Tim. 3.16. because i [...] is a thing unknown to na­ture: men that have nothing but the Law of Na­ture, never thought of such a thing: And for the same reason the Resurrection of the body is called [Page 71] a mystery, 1 Cor. 15.51. Behold (saith the Apostle, speaking concerning the Resurr [...]ction of the body) I shew you a mystery: And why a mystery, but be­cause it is such a wonderful secret, that, had it not been for divine Revelation, men had been wholly ignorant thereof. I know some Sic Plato, Zoroastres, O­racula Sybillina, Mahumadi­stae in Alcorano, &c. heathen writers have spoken concerning the Resur­rection of the body, but then doubtless they had that knowledge from Quod autem Resurrectio [...]it actu futura, per rationem aliquā naturalem no [...] potest cer [...]o de­monstrari; nec a priore nec a posteriore, sed proprie est de fi­de. Ames. Theol. l. 1. c. 41. Th. 14. Maxime verisimile est Platonem & alios Philosoph [...]s nonnulla Mosis scripta logisse, unde rerum divinaram notitiam hauserunt. Hinc illud Nume­nius (quod profert Clem. Alex. l. 1. Strom.) [...]. Vid. Just. Mart. Orat. Paran. p. 17. something else, than from the book of nature. Now thus may we say of the conversion of the twelve Tribes, that men had never once imagi­ned, that such a thing should come to pass, had not the word and spirit of God revealed it.

‘2. It is a wonderful thing, that ever the Israe­litish Nation should be preserved in the world, through so many and stupendious changes as have attended that afflicted Nation.’ The truth is, that never any Nation upon earth was under so dreadful an hand of God, so sore, and of so long continu­ance, as the Jewish Nation hath been, and is: This and more is affirmed by our Saviour, Matt. 24.21. For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be: So that this last and most grievous tribulation of [Page 72] the Jewish Nation. It is not only the greatest ca­lamity that ever did befal any Nation since the world began, but the greatest that ever shall befal any people to the worlds end, that indeed one might wonder that ever the Nation should be up­held in being in the midst of such wasting and woful judgments; Therefore it is added, verse 22. Except those days should be shortned, no flesh should be saved; but for the elects sake those days shall be shortned: The mean­ing is, that such direful vengeance and wrath will befal the Jewish Nation, that were it not that there is an elect seed to proceed out of their Loins in due time to be called, that whole carnal Nation would be utterly destroyed. Consider Isa. 65.8. Besides, there never was any Nation guilty of such prodigi­ous wickedness as the Jewish Nation hath been guilty of, whereby they have infinitely provoked the most high to cast and cut them off for ever.

I remember a writer of their own Iosephus of Wars of Iews. lib. saith, ‘That at the time when the Romans came and destroyed Ierusalem, the people were so wicked, that he doth believe (he saith) that if the Romans had not come to lay them desolate, God would have sent fire down from heaven to have consu­med them, as he did Sodom and Gomorrah.’ But why speak I of Sodom and Gomorrah? for the wick­edness of Sodom was not comparable, to the wicked­ness of the Iews. Nay it is not possible for any crea­ture, no not for the Devils themselves to be guilty of a greater wickedness, than the whole Nation of the Iews was guilty of, when they rejected and cru­cifyed the Lord of life and glory. And yet for all [Page 73] this (which is a wonderful thing) the providence of God hath so ordered, that this people doth not cease to be a Nation, no, nor ever shall do. We may therefore say, that concerning the Jewish Nation, which we cannot positively and infalliby affirm of any other particular Nation under heaven. scil. that it shall continue in being to the end of the world, Ier. 31.36. Thus saith the Lord that giveth the Ordi­nances of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, if these Ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord, then the seed of Is­rael shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever: The meaning is, that they shall never cease to be a Nation as long as the Sun and Moon endureth, as long as heaven and earth remain undisolved, as long as the frame of nature is kept from ruine: And this I take to be the genuine Interpretation of those words, Matth. 24.34. Verily I say unto you, that this Nation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled: [...] pro gente usurpa­tur Matth. 24.34. Leigh Crit. Sacr. at (que) sic Medus noster, im [...] vero Pareus [...] vertunt. Sic Beza in Mat. 11.16. Pis­cator in Matth. 23.36. Ac re­vera notum est [...] apud Hellenistas Nationem significa­re. Consule Brunfelsium, Areti­um, & inter criticos Vatablum in loc. & Winkelmanni Co­ment. in Marc. 13. p. 415. Optima est sententia Lutheri, Bakii, &c. quod Christus doce­re voluerit, Iudaeos, in vasta­tione Ierusolomo [...]um, non esse totaliter dele [...]dos, sed ad con­summationem saeculi perdara­t [...]ros. Friedlib. in Har [...]. E­vang. obser. p. 172. I chuse rather to read the words, this Nation, than as it is in our Tran­slation, this Generation, because the Greek word [...] properly signify­eth a Nation, and is so rendred in other places, as Phil. 2.15. Be without rebuke in the midst of a perverse Nation, the Greek word is [...], the same which in the place mentioned in Matthew, is translated Generation. Besides, the scope of our [Page 74] Saviour seemeth to be to prevent an objection which might arise in the hearts of his Disciples, for they might well say within themselves: But if such fearful and fatal calamity must come upon the Iews, what then will become of the poor Nation [...] will not our Nation then be brought to an anihila­ting confusion? No saith Christ, all that misery which you have heard of shall come upon the Iews, and after this, the son of man shall appear unto their conversion: And after this all the elect of God shall be called, and gathered together unto Christ, that are in the four quarters of the earth, Verily I say unto you, all this shall be before the Jewish Nation shall cease to be a Nation. Now this is won­derful!

‘3. It is evident, that this salvation of Israel will be wonderful, because men are so unapt to believe it.’ The truth is, that there is a natural a­versness in the hearts of sinful men from giving due respect and credence to prophetical Scripture; such is the lamentable corruption of mens nature, that they are more apt to be taken with fond, foolish, false prophesies that have nothing of a divine inspi­ration in them, than with the blessed and holy pro­phesies contained in the Scriptures of truth, Luke 24.25. He said unto them, O fools, & slow of heart to be­lieve all that the Prophets have spoken! So that even the Disciples of Christ may be slow of heart to be­lieve the things spoken by the Prophets. Yea, I am per­swaded that it is one of the greatest sins of many that truly fear God, that they are so slow and neg­ligent in searching into the things spoken by the Pro­phets. Now this salvation of Israel is a principal [Page 75] thing spoken of by the Prophets: Yea, all the Prophets have said something concerning this very thing; therefore men are slow to believe here. We may say concerning the salvation of the Jewish Nation, as was said of their destruction by the Caldeans, Hab. 1.5. Behold ye among the heathen, and regard and won­der marvellously, for I will work a work in your days, which you will not believe though it [...]e told you. Even so when the salvation of Israel is come out of Sion, the Lord will work such a work as that the Gentile Na­tions shall wonder marvellously; yea, it will be such, that men will not believe it though they be told of it before-hand, and told of it too from the word of the Lord.

As the Iews were very slow in believing the con­version of the Gentiles, Acts 10.45. They of the circumcision were astonished because that on the Gentiles also was poured the gift of the holy Ghost: what? that the spirit of grace should be given to the Gentiles, it was wonderful, even to astonishment. See also chap. 11. ver. 18. When they heard these things, they glorifyed God, saying, Then also hath God granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life, q. d. here's a strange thing in­deed come to pass, here's such a thing as we little imagined, but men ever thought the contrary; what? that the Gentiles should have repentance to life given them. So the truth is, that Gentiles are too slow to believe the conversion of the Iews. Some there are that will not so much as believe the thing, that ever such a thing shall come to pass whilst the world standeth. Others there are that do believe the thing, but as to the manner of it, and that glory which shall follow, there they are at a stand, and know not how to believe; others again believe [Page 76] both that the thing will be, and also that it will be a very glorious day, but as to the time when this shall be, they are exceedingly in the dark, they can­not think that it will be so soon, as most certainly it will be: The time surely draweth on apace (as hath been shewed) and yet there are that do not be­lieve that it will be these many score; nay, some hundreds of years. Thus are men, one way and another way, dis-believing concerning this great truth. Hence it is that so much is spoken of this matter in the holy Scriptures. I have many times thought on it with admiration that there is not any one thing in all the word of God more abundantly witnessed unto than this truth, that all Israel shall be saved: What should be the reason of that? doubt­less there are divers reasons for it; one is, because the Lord would not, by any means have his people ignorant of this great truth: ‘Therefore the Apostle saith, Brethren I would not have you ig­norant that blindness is hapned to Israel, only till the Gentiles have fulfilled their times, and that then all Israel shall be saved; men are apt to think with themselves it is no great matter, though they be ignorant in such truths as these are, as being truths of a lesser concernment, and the men of the world are ready to think with themselves, what should they trouble themselves so about the conver­sion of the Iews?’ But now God would not have such a spirit as that to be in his people; therefore the Lord layeth wait upon this point, and cometh over and over with it many an hundred time by his spirit in the mouths of his Prophets. Again, ano­ther reason why there is so much said in the Scrip­ture concerning this salvation of Israel, may be, be­cause [Page 77] it is that which men are most unapt to believe, I cannot think the spirit of God would so often in­culcate this truth, if there were not such a reason as that for it: And why, think you, are men so unapt to believe this truth? but because of the strangeness and wonder that is in it; It is a thing beyond humane sence and reason.

‘4. It is evident, that the salvation of Israel will be wonderful, if we compare it with those former deliverances which in the days of old have been vouchsafed unto the Tribes of Israel.’ It is indeed true, that God hath in former times bestow­ed more eminent and wonderful salvations upon the Israelitish Nation that upon any Nation in the world, Psal. 147.20. He hath not dealt so with any Nation. It is true, in respect of deliverances and salvations which were vouchsafed unto them, as well as in respect of the Covenant, and Word, and Or­dinances of God which were bestowed on them, that God dealt not so with any Nation as with the He­brew Nation; nevertheless, this salvation which we are now speaking of as yet to come, will be more wonderful than any of those former which hereto­fore have been. That deliverance of the Iews by Cy­rus out of Babylon, was very wonderful, yet nothing so wonderful as this will be, as is evident, because that was but a Type of this, and therefore it is, that in many places in the Scripture, the very same ex­pressions are used to signifie both that deliverance out of Babylon, and this which is to come; so the Vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel doth firstly refer to the Iews captivated in Babylon, but principally to the forlorn estate of the Iews at this day, and the like may be said concerning many passages in other [Page 78] of the Prophets, that they do firstly concern the Babylonian condition of the Iews, but lastly their pre­sent condition; but because that deliverance was a Type of this, therefore this will be the more emi­nent and wonderful, for the Type must needs come short of the Anti-type.

Again, when the Children of Israel were brought up out of Egypt, it was a very wonderful delive­rance; for God did then cause many great signs, and wonders, and miraculous demonstrations of his power and providence to be seen: Read Psal. 78.11, 12. He shewed them wonders, mavellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the Land of Egypt, and in the field of Zoan; what wonders, what marvel­lous things? verse 12, 14, 19. He divided the Sea, and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as an heap, in the day time he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light fire, he clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths: And so the Psalmist goeth on to shew what won­ders the Lord did for the Children of Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt. And I am perswad­ed that God, whose ways are everlasting, when the time cometh that all Israel shall be saved, will do as great and glorious (yea greater) wonders Hinc i [...]lud Iudaeorum, om­nia priora miracula ad Messiae miracula, nihil erunt. Ac illud, quae diebus postremis fient mi­racula, ad miracula Aegypti, ut substantia ad accidens, sese ha­bebunt. Vide Midrash Cohe­lesh. c. 1. & Talmud. in Tract. Beracoth. c. Nee [...] aillai corin. amongst them as e­ver were done in the days of old, in the years of ancient Generations; Therefore it is said, Isa. 11. last, It shall be to Is­rael like as it was in the day that he came up out of the Land of Egypt, i. e. [Page 79] in respect of miraculous providences, in drying up great waters before them, &c. Consider Hos. 2.15. & Mic. 7.15. Moreover, when the Children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt, God did mi­raculously fight from heaven for them against their adversaries, God did wonderfully fight from hea­ven against Pharoah, and God did wonderfully fight from heaven against the Amorites; so it will be a­gain, when the day cometh that all Israel shall be saved. See some Scriptures for it, for I would be loth to speak such things as these without book. See then Isa. 31.4. The Lord of hosts shall come down to fight for Mount Sion: And verse 18. then shall the Assyri­an fall by the sword, not of a mighty man, and the sword not of a mean man shall devour him: The Assyrian was the most formidable enemy which the Iews had in the Prophet Isaiah's time, and therefore that name may be made use of to signifie him that shall be the Assyrian of the world at the Iews conversion: Now when it is said that neither the sword of a mighty man, nor of a mean man shall devour him, the mean­ing is, that this Assyrian shall be destroyed, not by any humane sword at all, but by the glittering sword which the Lord doth whet in heaven. Moreover we are to know that after the twelve Tribes shall be returned into the Land of their Fathers Omnes Rabbini in eo con­sentiunt, Israelitas post redi­tum in patriam suam, non ple­ne & perfecte omni pace & tranquillitate fruituros, nisi demum post confectum postre­mum & ultimum bellum Gog & Magog. Menasseh-Ben-Is­rael de Resur. l. 3. c. 5. then will Gog and Magog come up against them, with a most formidable army, thinking with great fury to destroy the Israelites, by reason whereof they shall be in [Page 80] mavellous distress, but out of this distress will God deliver them, by miraculous judgments out of hea­ven upon their adversaries, Ezek. 38.21, 22. I will call for a sword against him (saith the Lord God) I will plead against him with pestilence, and with bloud, and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain and great hail-stones, fire and brimstone. Consider also Rev. 20.9. which words, though they are not the same (for Ezekiels Gog and Magog cometh only out of the North quarters, whereas Iohn's Gog and Ma­gog cometh out of all quarters of the earth) yet they are an allusion to that place in Ezekiel. Thus you see that this salvation of the Twelve Tribes of Is­rael will be like that deliverance out of Egypt; yea, we may truly affirm, that it will be a greater salva­tion, than that out of Egypt was: And for this also the Scripture is express, Ier. 23.7, 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord, that they shall no mone say, the Lord liveth which brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt, but the Lord liveth which brought up, and which led the house of Israel out of the North Country, and from all the Countreys whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own Land: And this is manifest, ‘1. Because the Israelites are more scattered now than when they were in Egypt, even into all Coun­trys are they driven, as it is there said:’ Now they are become like a Lamb in a large pasture, as the Lord threatned them it should be, Hos. 4.16. i. e. here a [...]ew, and there a Iew, scattered up and down the world. Now to save a dispersed Nation, a scat­tered Nation; yea, a Nation that is scattered all the world over from one end of heaven to the o­ther end of heaven, that there is not such a Vaga­bond [Page 81] people under the Cope of heaven again, as are the Iews, I say the salvation of such a dispersed Na­tion, is more wonderful, than the salvation of a Nation that are together; therefore this delive­rance will be more wonderful than that out of E­gypt was. ‘2. The present affliction which doth abide the Jewish Nation, hath been of far longer continuance than their Egyptian bondage was.’ For they were in Egypt but See Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 3. chap. 6. about 215 years, whereas their present misery hath lasted 215 years seven times told and more, therefore this salvation will be more wonderful than that out of Egypt was. ‘3. Notwithstanding that deliverance out of Egypt, they were subject unto captivities and calamities one upon the back of another, but, after this deliverance, they shall never be brought into bondage again any more at all, Ioel 3.17.’ Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no stran­gers pass through her any more, Dan. 7.18. the Saints of the most high shall take the kingdom and possess the king­dom for ever, even for ever, and for ever. Therefore this salvation will be more wonderful than that out of Egypt.

‘5. It is evident, that this salvation of Israel will be wonderful, if we consider the state from which they shall be saved, scil. from a state of death.’ I find that some of the V. Menasseh-Ben-Israel de Resurrect. l. 3. c. 2.3, 6. & in Consiliatore ad I [...]zech. Quest. 12. Sic etiam R. Eli [...]zer. refe­rente Pet. Galatino l. 12. c. 1. Jewish Rab­bies have an opinion, that their restauration and the resurrection from the dead shall be contempo­rary. [Page 82] Whether there will not be a particular re­surrection soon after the Iews conversion, is a con­troversie that I intend not here to meddle with, on­ly it is certain, that the ultimate, universal resur­rection from the dead will not be till long after that. Nevertheless it is true, that the salvation of Is­rael is described by expressions taken from the re­surrection of the last day, to signifie unto us that it will be such another wonderful work of God as that is. What more wonderful than that the bodies of men which have been dead and rotting in their graves for ages, after-ages, should be raised, and brought to life again? This is a mighty wonder: even so that the Jewish Nation, which have been perishing in a cruel grave, and there lain dead for many hundreds of years, to be made alive again, to say the least of it, it is a wonder. See the Scripture here a little, Ezek. 37.12, 13. Thus saith the Lord God behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and a [...]d cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the Land of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. ‘Mark how the Lord insists upon this, out of your graves, out of your graves, out of your graves, out of your graves; not less than four times in two verses is it spoken.’ See also Isa. 26.19. Thy dead shall live [...]y dead body, they shall arise: For so I c [...]use to read the words, our version of them seemeth to me to darken the sence. There are variety of interpretations of the place, which I shall not trou­ble you with. Some Jew­ish R. Solomon. lege quae sunt in Gemara Sanhedrin. cap. 11. interpreters, & Irenaeus lib. 5. cap. 15, 34. Tertul. de Resur. cap. 31. Au­gust. de Civ. Dei l. 20. Clemens Romanus in Epist. ad Corinth. p. 65. P. Rami. Theol. l. 1. c. 24. Bucan. loc. com. 36. p. 4 13. others, both ancient and [Page 83] modern Divines, understand the words literally, and those that are not content with a literal inter­pretation, yet do not doubt but in them there is an allusion to the resurrection of the last day, and so an argument fetched from the power of God to con­firm the Iews in the belief of their salvation, inti­mating, that if God be able to do such an incredible thing to flesh and bloud, as to raise the dead out of their graves, then he is able to accomplish such an incredible thing as Israel's salvation. If we take the words to be spoken by the dead Iews, then the meaning of them may be this, ‘though I am (saith Israel) as dead men are, yet I shall live, yea though I am as a carkass or dead body, yet I shall rise.’ Now the Iews are said to be in a state of death, and of the grave in two respects especially, ‘1. In respect of affliction and woful misery.’ The deeps of afflicti­on are like unto a grave, and misery is a kind of living death; For comfort is the life of a mans life, and therefore affliction destroying a mans comfort, is justly called by the name of death, Psal. 44.16. Thou hast broken us in the place of Dragons, thou hast co­vered us with the shadow of death, h. e. Thou hast brought sore and heavy calamity upon us, Isa. 56.10. we are as dead men in desolate places, i. e. we are in a very afflicted, miserable, forlorn estate. And also Psal. 88.4, 5, 6. Lam. 3.6. And truly so may we say concerning the Israelitish Nation, it is an afflicted people, that indeed the very name of that Nation is called afflicted, Isa. 54.11. O thou afflicted, and [Page 84] tossed with tempest, and not comforted: And it would pity a mans heart to read in some books, See Harrisons Messiah al­ready come in his Epistle to the Iews. Vide Hor [...]beck con­tra Iud. Prolog. p. 20. what cruel and worse than Egyptian slavery the poor Iews are in at this day, in some parts of the world. ‘2. The Israelitish Nation is said to be in a state of death, and of the grave in respect of sin.’ For sin is the most deadly death, it is such a death as killeth an immortal soul, Matth. 8.22. let the dead bury their dead, i. e. le [...] those that are spiritually dead, bury those that are corporally dead, let such as are dead in sin, go bury their dead relations, Iohn 5.25. The hour now is that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, which (although it is true, that some which were corpo­rally dead were not long after [that hour] Christ spake those words, quickned by the Son of God, yet it is true that the place) may be understood of a spi­ritual sinful death, Eph. 2.1, 5. You hath he quickned who were dead: How dead? In respect of Trespasse: and sins, so Col. 2.13. Now thus may we say concern­ing the Iews at this day, they remain in a state of sin, and therefore in a state of death: And how should it be otherwise, as long as they re [...]ect him that is the way, the truth, and the life? To live, and yet to re­ject him that is eternal life, is not possible. Well did the Lord Jesus say to them, Iohn 8.24. Except you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins. Now the wretched Iews will not believe that Jesus Christ is he, that Jesus Christ is the true Messias, the Sa­viour of the world, therefore they live, they die in sin: so then their salvation will be wonderful. For any one soul to be brought out of the grave of [Page 85] sin, is wonderful, no less a wonder, than for a bo­dy that hath been rotting in the belly of the earth to be brought out alive from thence: But what a mi­racle then will it be when a whole Nation shall be brought out of a grave of sin? who can chuse but wonder at the thought of it?

‘6. This salvation of Israel will be the more wonderful, inasmuch as the Iews have heretofore many a time & often made fruitless and miserable attempts to deliver themselves out of their pre­sent tribulation.’ Such hath been the dreadful, dire­ful wrath of God against that stubborn and stiff neck­ed people, that he hath left them often to be delud­ed with vain hopes and attempts of salvation. And there are two ways especially, whereby the Iews have vainly sought to deliver themselves. 1. ‘By hearkning unto false Christs that have risen up a­mongst them.’ Thus the true Messias told the Iews that it would be, Iohn 5.43. I am come in my fa­thers name, and ye receive me not, if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive: As Profecto puto ob nullam aliam causam ecclesias in Gala­tia, Corintho, &c. Per Pseu­do-Apostolos sic turbatas esse, quam quod suos veros doctores neglexerint. Luther in Gal. 6.6. when God sendeth an able and faithful Ministry a­mongst a people, but they are not duly en­couraged, he will plague such a people by suffering false Teachers and Mi­nisters of Satan to rise up amongst them. When a Ministry that hath light in it is not duly received, what will God then do? He will even remove the Lights into corners, and snuffs shall be set up in their rooms, so because the Iews received not the true Messias, therefore the vengeance of God gave [Page 86] them enough of false Christs: we read of two or three false Messias in the Scripture. In Acts 5.36. Before those days rose up Theudas boasting himself to be some-body, to whom a number of men, about 400, joyned themselves, who was slain, and all as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to nought: And there was Ioseph. Antiq. l. 20. c. 2. Ruffinus c. 5. another Pseudo-Mes­sias amongst the Iews, whose name also was Theudas, of whom Iosephus Eccles. Hist. l. 2. cap. speaketh, that he was a great Magician, &c. Indeed Eusebius thinketh that this Theudas in the Acts, and that in Iosephus were the same, but others Vide Bezam in lac. Origen. contra Celsum l. 1. Isaac Causab. exerc. 2. n. 59. Drusii Praeter. l. 5. up­on good grounds suppose them to be two distinct persons, not living at the same time. See al­so verse 37. And after this man rose up Judas of Gali­le in the dayes of taxing, and drew away much people after him, he also perished, and as many as followed him were scattered. Iosephus also Antiq. l. 18. c. 12. speaketh of one Iu­das, who endeavoured to make himself a King amongst the Iews, drawing a­way multitudes after him. Again Acts 21.38. Art not thou that Egyptian which before these days madest an upr [...]ar and leddest out into the wilderness 4000 men that were murtherers. Iosephus Of Wars of Iews l. 2. c. 12. likewise saith that in the days of Nero, there was an Egyptian rose up, who, by his pretending to be a Prophet, and by his Magical lying wonders, procured many followers, [Page 87] though to their own destruction; And besides these false Christs mentioned in the Scripture, theee are many others spoken of in humane stories. It may not be amiss to instance in some; which I do not, to cast a darkness upon the providence of God in the present st [...]rrings which we hear are amongst the Is­raelites. I thank the Lord I am not of that spirit, I pity those which do in a scornful tryumphing man­ner say, ‘All that you hear is nothing, but a com­pany of Arabians make a tumult:’ The Lord pity such men, they little think what spirit they are of: But I give these instances to cause sobriety in con­jectures concerning the present dispensations of di­vine providence; for as yet there is no stirring a­mongst the Iews, but what may possibly die and come to nothing at last; Wherefore to proceed: About 135 years Vide Calvis. Cronol. p. 345, 346. Scaliger in Cron▪ Euseb. ad An. 1648. Buxtorf. Synag. Iud. cap. 36. Genebrard. Cronol. l. 2. ad An. 4157. Raimundi Pug. fid. part. 2. c. 4. Philo Iud. in Brev. de Temp. af­ter Christ, there arose a certain Impostor a­mongst the Iews, who called himself Barcho­chaeb, i. e. the Son of the Star, saying he was the person meant, Numb. 24.17. where it is said, a Star shall arise out of Iacob: But afterwards the Iews called this Barchochab, by the name of Barcotzba, i. t. the Son of lying; And well did he deserve the name, for he belyed his Na­tion almost into utter ruine; for by his means a world of Iews got head together and made a great Rebellion against the Roman Empire, until many hundreds and thousands of them were cut off. And the effect of this woful attempt was, that the Iews might not after that so much as come within Ierusa­lem, [Page 88] only some few had leave to come once a year to bewail the misery of their City and Nation, and Souldiers were appointed to stand by them all the while, nor might they continue weeping above so many hours, except they would give more money to pay for their tears. This story is mentioned by Iustin Martyr In Apologia ad Antonin. Pium. as a thing that was newly done in his days. Again Anno 432. a Vide Calvis. & Alsted. in Cronol. ad An. 432. Pseudo-Messias (some think it was the Devil in humane shape) rose up a­mongst the Iews, who told them, that he was Moses come from heaven, and that he would lead them through the waters, &c. as he had done their fathers out of Egypt, whereupon a multitude of silly Iews followed him to their own perdition. Again, Anno 1130 De quo Maimon. & R. Benjamin, & Gentius in Hi­stor. Iudaic. p. 169. there arose in Persia one Da­vid el David, who had the confidence to go to the King of Persia himself and to tell him, that he was the Messias; This David el David used Magical in­cantations, and by his lying wonders caused great amazement to be in the world, and also procured a marvellous multitude of deluded Israelites to fol­low him, till at last both he and they were destroy­ed. Many See Herberts Travels. p. 118. Calvis. Cronol. in An. 202. & 457. & 721. Vide etiam Theoph. l. 21. c. 16. Hornbech. contra Iudaeos. l. 3. c. 1. other in­stances I could give you here, but I forbear. These are enough to confirm the truth of that which our blessed Saviour saith, Matth. 24.24. ‘There shall arise false Christs, [Page 89] and false Prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, inasmuch as if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.’ Truly it hath been so, many a false Christ hath risen amongst the Iews, who, by signs and lying wonders, hath seduced ma­ny. Therefore when the Children of Israel shall in­deed be delivered out of their misery, it will be so much the more wonderful, because they have met with so many, and so doleful disappointments here­tofore. 2. ‘The Iews have attempted to deliver themselves out of their misery by blind and legal humiliations.’ For An. 1502. it was Memorabile est illud, quod Anno quingentesimo secundo, Iudaeos, omnium consensu ubi­cun (que) terrarum locutos, solenni se obstriuxisse decreto, ut annum une fere integrum jejunio, Plan­ctuum, lachrimis, senes, vi [...], ju­venes, omnes se [...] afflige [...]es. Willet de vocat. Iud. in Epist. dedic p. 5. gene­rally agreed upon by the Iews throughout all Eu­rope, that they would spend a whole year in prayer, and fasting, and penance, as far as their bodies were able to bear, and they did so, Men, Women, and Children, and yet they had no delive­rance. Indeed it is true, that God doth sometimes bestow outward deliverances upon men, because of legal humiliations, so it was with Iudah in Rehobo­hams time, and with Israel in Ahabs time: And there is some reason to believe that the Iews, many of them, will be repossessed of their own Land again before such time as they have any general Evange­lical repentance. And thus some interpret that place, Ier. 31.19. After Ephraim was turned, he re­pented; namely, that after the Israelites shall be re­turned to their own Land again, the spirit of repen­tance shall be poured forth upon them. Consider [Page 90] Ezek. 36.24, 25. & Zech. 12.10. Nevertheless in­asmuch as the Iews have heretofore found legal hu­miliations in vain) therefore their deliverance, when it cometh, will be the more admirable.

‘7. This salvation will be wonderful in respect of the Fertasse ita, futurum est ut Deus novo quodam & extra­ordinari [...] modo usurus sit in convertendis Iudaeis. Sebaldus Schnell in Disput. contra Abra­vanel in Isa. 34. way and means of the conver­sion of the Tribes of Israel.’

Chrysostom of old called the conversion of the Iews very fitly and truly, [...], a strange thing, and a wonder. The truth is, that the conversion of any soul is a miracle. The conversion of souls, is the only stand­ing miracle which remaineth in the Church of God; For it is beyond the power of nature to produce such a thing as soul-conversion: But what a mira­cle then will the conversion of the Iews be? for a whole Nation to be converted, and that at once, a Nation born at once, and such a Nation as the Iews, who have ever been so opposite to God, and to Je­sus Christ, and to the Gospel, and to the spirit of grace? how miraculous will this be? But besides this, I conceive and believe that the conversion of the Iews will not be brought to pass only by the or­dinary means of preaching the Gospel, but by Vi­sion, as Paul's was, by a glorious manifestation of the person of the Son of God from heaven unto all the Tribes on the earth, causing them to mourn. There are many Scriptures and reasons which make me inclinable to such an apprehension, but intend­ing to handle that subject by it self, I here desist; for I would not anticipate my self.

[Page 91]So much may suffice to be spoken of the second particular, which is the wonderfulness of Israels salvation.

‘We come now in the third place, to shew that this salvation of Israel will be a spiritual salvation.’ And the truth of that is evident, ‘1. Because the Tribes of Israel shall be delivered out of the hands of spiritual evils and adversaries:’ As now their blindess of mind and hardness of heart, is a spiritual evil; for the mind is a spirit. Hence the Apostle saith, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Eph. 4.23. i. e. in the mind which is a spirit: now the Iews remaining in unbelief, are under the power of a blind and hardned mind, Rom. 11.7. The rest were blinded, and verse 25. blindness is hapned to Israel; or as the word may better be rendred, hardness is hap­ned to Israel. [...] male vertitur, caecitas cordis, non quod ad sensum attinet, sed quoniam haec vox, [...], non caecitatem proprie, sed ex consequente tantum significat, nam proprie duritiem significat. Cameron. in Matth. 19.3. Pro­prie significat callosam concre­tionem, instar tophi, ut in ar­ticulo Podagricorum, quae in membro callo obducto non facile admittit tactum, & sensum, s [...]d duritie sua quasi repellit, &c. Chemnit. Harm. The Greek word noteth a brawny hardness, a de­sperate obduration, such as maketh stupid and sensless: And they that have had to do with un­believing Israelites, have seen the truth of this. From hence it cometh to pass, that though the Iews have the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which they keep and read with great dili­gence, & those very Scriptures testifie plainly con­cerning Christ, that nothing can be more evident, than that Iesus is the Christ, yet the Iews believe it [Page 92] not, but as it is said, Acts 13.27. Because they know not the voices of the Prophets, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And why know they not the voices of the Prophets? that spake so clearly and abun­dantly of Christs coming, both first and second, and time, and place, and manner, and of his two na­tures and all, why do not the Iews understand this? surely it is because they are under the power of a blind mind and hard heart. See therefore 2 Cor. 3.14, 15. their minds were blinded, for untill this day re­maineth the same veil untaken away, in the reading of the old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ, but e­ven unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Now what is this veil which the Apostle here speaketh of? I an­swer Duplex velum Iudaeorum oculis obductum est: Prius in­durata mentis; Posterius legis ipsius: Nam Christus in lege tr [...]ditur obscurius & v [...]luti pe [...] nubem at (que) involucrum. Lud. Capel. Spicil. p. 102. there is a dou­ble veil, 1. There is an external veil, a veil upon the object read, the books of Moses, h. e. the ceremonial Law. There is a Temple and an Altar, there are Sacrifices, Washings, Sabbaths, &c. Now the poor blind Iews are not able to look through this veil of Moses Law, unto Jesus Christ the truth, the Anti-type of all such cerimonious observations, they cannot be­hold the Sun of Righteousness through the cloud and darkness of the Law. ‘2. T [...]ere is an internal veil upon the minds and hearts of the Iews, that is to say, blindness and hardness which is upon them; they are under a strange and stupid error of conscience, whence they think, they do well to adhere unto the Mosaical dispensations, and to op­pose Chr [...]st and his Gospel;’ And they are under [Page 93] perversness and obstinacy of will, whence they shut their eyes against the light, and grow blind against the Sun, that they neither do nor will believe, when conviction is held out before them, they will not come to Christ, that they might have light and life, he hath stretched forth his hands all the day long un­to a gainsaying & a rebellious people, he would have gathered them under his wings many a time and often, but they would not be gathered by him; This is a dark and dreadful veil upon the heart of that Nation, but they shall be saved from it, therefore verse 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. In a word, all sin is a spiritual enemy, such an enemy as would destroy a mans spi­rit, as would (that I may so speak) suck the bloud of a mans soul; therefore the Apostle exhorts to beware of sin, because it wars against the soul. Now the Iews remaining in unbelief, are under the power of this enemy, Iohn 8.34. Verily, verily I say unto you, he that commits sin, is a servant of sin: Certainly the Iews commit sin when they reject the counsel of God against themselves, when they go on contra­dicting and blaspheming the Son of God, when they put away the word of life from them, therefore they are in woful servitude unto sin. But the day will come when they shall be freed from this bon­dage, for they shall at last own and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. In the latter days ('tis said) they shall seek the Lord, and David their King: And by that means they will be freed from sin, verse 36. If the Son make you free, then you shall be free indeed: Therefore when they shall once believe on the Son of God, they shall indeed be made free from sin, so 2 Cor. 3.17. Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the [Page 94] spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; the Lord, i. e. the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Lord even Ieho­vah, (for the Lord in the New Testament doth of­ten answer to Iehovah in the Old Testament) and who is a spirit, where he is embraced and believed on with all the heart, there is liberty from bondage of the Law, and liberty from the thraldom of sin. And the truth of this is also held forth in this very verse wherein my Text is. All Israel shall be saved (saith the Text) ‘for a deliverer shall come out of Sion, and turn away ungodliness from Iacob.’ So that the house of Iacob, even all Israel, must be saved from ungodliness: And of this same thing there is a promise, Ezek. 36.29. I will save you from all your uncleannesses. And admirable to this purpose is that place, Ier. 50.19, 20. ‘I will bring again Israel to his habitation in those days; and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and the sins of Iudah, but they shall not be found.’

Again Satan is a spiritual adversary, he is called by the name of an evil spirit, and the Devils are said to be spiritual wickednesses in high places, he thirst­eth after the bloud of souls, he goeth up and down like a roaring Lyon, seeking to make a prey of the immortal spirits of men. Now, alas, the unconver­ted Iews are under the power of this spiritual ad­versary, 2 Cor. 4.4. ‘The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not.’ Eph. 2.2. The Prince of the power of the air worketh in the hearts of the Children of disobedience: or, as the word is, [...]. the children of un­perswadableness. Now the Iews have hitherto been [Page 95] children of unperswadableness, so that it is an easier matter to convert any one unto Christ, than to con­vert a Iew. Lonicerus (out of Suidas) hath a strange story to this purpose concerning Theodosius the Iew. Vide [...]oniceri exempl. 3. Prac. p. 266. Hanc tamen Suidae Narrationem vir doctis. Iacob. Capellus in Heb. 7.14. non veretur fabulam nominare. Sic & magnus noster Rain [...]l­dus de lib. Apocr. Praete [...]t. 139. Nay when thy are convinced that Christ is come, yet they deny it: And hence it hath come to pass, that seldom any conside­rable number of Iews hath been converted, ex­cept by miracle, as it was in the day of the A­postate V. Calvis. Cronol. in An. 363. Magdeb. cent. 4. p. 431. So­crat. l. 3. c. 20. Theod. l. 3. c. 17. Sozomen. l. 5. c. 21. Amia [...]. Marc. l. 23. Iulian. Iulian out of the horrid and hellish despite of his heart against Christ, bad the Iews go and re-edifie the Temple, they accor­dingly laid the foundation, but behold in a night God sent a terrible Earth-quake, that overthrew all that they had ddone, that not a stone was left upon a stone, and the tools which the Iews wrought with (as the story saith) were consumed by fire from heaven, by reason of which miraculous providence, many Iews were converted to Christ: But without some such miracle as this, it hath scarcely hitherto been known, that any considerable number of them hath been converted, therefore they are children of unperswadableness, and therefore under the power of Satan. Besides it is evident that they are so, because they have long, and long ago, ceased from being the Church and people of God. Therefore Rom. 11.11. we read of their fall, that is to say, their falling from that relation which once they stood in to­wards God, and of their casting away, verse 15. and [Page 96] of their being broken off, verse 17. h. e. they are broken off from that Covenant and Church relation which once they stood in. This is true concerning the Israelites or ten Tribes, according to that, Hos. 1.9. ‘call his name Loammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.’ And it is true concerning the Iews or two Tribes, as we may see Zech. 11.10, 11. ‘I took my staff Beauty and cut it asunder, that I might break my Covenant, which I had made with all the people, and it was broken in that day.’ Now inasmuch as they cease to be a­ny ways of the visible Church, therefore they are externally in the same capacity with the Pagan world, and therefore under Satans Regiment, be­cause he is the Prince of the world, Iohn 16.11. why are excommunicate persons said to be delivered unto Satan, but because they are Authoritatively decla­red to be no longer of the visible Church, See Gelaspy Aarons Rod. p. 297. but of the world, and therefore in the hands of Satan, who is the worlds God and Prince? Thus may we say concerning the Church of Israel, God hath given her a Bill of divorce, God hath excom­municated her for the present: But there is a day coming, when God will receive them into favour again, and then they shall be under the powers of darkness no longer, Luke 1.71. ‘they shall be sa­ved from the hands of their enemies, and from the hand of all that hate them, which words al­though they are comprehensive of temporal, yet they are not exclusive of spiritual enemies.’ Besides, we read Rev. 20. That not long after the Iews con­version an Angel cometh down from heaven (i. e.) [Page 97] Christ the Angel of the Convenant) and taketh hold of Satan, and layeth him in chains, and shuts him fast under the bars of the bottomless pit.

‘2. The Tribes of Israel shall not only be thus delivered from the hands of their sp [...]ritual ene­mies, but they shall have spiritual life bestowed upon them.’ Indeed it is true, that first a civil life must enter into them, but after that a spiritual life. These two we have plainly distinguished one from the other, Ezek. 37.7, 8. the bones came together, bone to its bone, but there was no breath in them: Here is a civil life, for bone cometh to his bone, but no spi­ritual life, for as yet there is no breath in them; even so, when the day of Israels salvation cometh, we must first expect to hear that the Iews are gathe­ring together out of one Countrey, and out of ano­ther Country, and making head toward their own Land, before we hear of their conversion, but after­wards, it followeth therefore, verse 14. It is said, I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live. This spiri­tual life is in regenerating grace, when the day of Gods power passeth over the soul to make it willing and obedient. Converting grace may well be called life, because it maketh them that were dead to be­come alive, therefore it is said concerning the con­verted prodigal, He was dead, but he is alive: Also because grace is the inchoation, the seed, the bud of eternal life and glory. Grace reigns to eternal life, Romans 5. last, holiness ends in everlasting life. chap. 6.22. Likewise grace is rightly called spiri­tual life, because the Author of it is the blessed spirit of God, therefore all saving graces are said to be the fruits of the spirit. Gal. 5.22. And Iohn 3.5. It is said, except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, i. e. except he [Page 98] be regenerated by the spirit of God, whose opera­tions are like unto water, to cleanse, and purge, and purifie the soul. Now, thus it true, that the Tribes of Israel shall have converting grace bestow­ed upon them. The Lord hath promised to put his fear into their hearts, Jer. 32.40. And this is one thing intended in the Text, when it is said, that all Israel shall be [...]aved, s [...]il. that there shall be a gene­ral conversion of the Israelitish Nation. And it is true concern [...]ng all the Tribes of Israel, therefore it is said, Matth. 24.30. All the Tribes of the earth shall mourn; which, that it is (in part at least) meant of a penitential mourning, I doubt not. As when the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt, not on­ly a civil, but a spiritual life was conferred upon them, according to that Scripture, Ezek. 16.6. ‘When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy own blouds, I said unto thee in thy blouds, live; yea I said unto thee in thy blouds, live, h. e. when I saw thee under bloudy bondage by reason of Egyptian Task-masters, when there was a bloudy proclamation gone forth out of Pharoahs Court, that all thy Male children should be destroyed, then I looked upon thee, and caused a political life to en­ter into thee, and when thou wer [...] in a filthy bloudy condition by reason of sin, corrupt nature and Ido­latry which thou layest in whilst in Egypt, I bestow­ed the grace of my Covenant upon thee, &c.’ So it is in the like sort true, that when all Israel shall be sa­ved, not only a life of liberty, but a life of grace shall enter into them.

‘Yea 3ly. There shall be plentiful effusions of the spirit of God upon the Tribes of Israel, when the day cometh that all Israel shall be saved.’

[Page 99]And this will be in two respects; 1. In respect of gifts. 2. In respect of the saving grace of the spirit.

‘1. There will be a plentiful effusion of the spi­rit of grace upon the Tribes of Israel, in respect of the gifts thereof, Zech. 12.8.’ He that is feeble among you at that day, shall be as David, h. e. (as some interpret) they that are of low, mean, contempti­ble parts shall be so raised and enlaged, that they shall be like unto David, who was a man of extra­ordinary gifts and qualifications; bu [...] what shall they then be who are as David? It followeth, the house of David shall be as Elohim [...]. Sept. i. e. Sicut Angelus quiest in Dom [...] Dei. Vide Corn. A Lapide in loc. h. Chald. Paraphrastes, instar Heroum, h [...]bet. Consule Vers. Arab. in Bibl. Polyglo [...]. & Drusium at (que) Vatablum inter Criticos Sacros. (for so is the Hebrew word) i. e. like unto the blessed Angels. They shall have most Se­raphical gifts bestowed upon them, yea, they shall be like to the Angel of the Lord, h. e. they shall be like unto Jesus Christ, the Angel of the everlast­ing Covenant: Christ was anointed with the oil of Gods spirit above his fellows; but they shall re­ceive in abundant measure of that spirit which was in Jesus Christ even above measure. In a word, the Scripture seems to intimate that those extraordina­ry gifts of the spirit, which are now ceased in the Church, will be then revived. See Ioel 2.28, 29. ‘I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie, your old men shall see dreams, your young men shall see visions also upon the Servants, and upon the hand­maids, in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ It [Page 100] is indeed true, that there was Hujus va [...]ici [...]ii comple­mentum, Petrus Apost [...]lus osten­dit jam partim factum in ad­mirabili spiritus sancti effusione super Apostolos & Apostolicam Ecclesiam in Pentecoste: Partim praedicie futurum ante extre­mum Domini adventum, quando ecclesia horribilibus calamitati­bus implicabitur. Pareus in A­poc. 6.12. a partial fulfil­ment of this prophesie in the days of the Apo­stles, yet that there is a further accomplishment thereof to be expected, is most evident from the context. Those extraor­dinary effusions of the spirit, which were in the Apostles days, were but a sprinkling & first fruits, in respect of what shall one day be made good upon the Israelitish Nation. And we may argue, if the first fruits of the fulfilment of this prophesie and promise to Israel, were so great and glorious, what then will that full harvest be in the day when all Israel shall be saved? yet the con­verted Israelites shall excel in that which is more excellent than gifts. ‘For 2ly. An abundant mea­sure of saving grace shall be poured forth upon them.’ They shall be made the most gracious, ho­ly [...]eople that ever were upon earth. When Eze­kiels Temple shall be built, it will be most holy, Ezek. 43.12. It will [...] be holiness of holinesses, as the Hebrew phrase is, it be­ing the manner of the Hebrews to express the superlative degree by a substantive plural. Yea such a measure of the spirit of grace shall be poured forth upon them, that they shall be holy even in their ci­vil converse amongst men, Zech. 14.20, 21. In that day there shall be upon the Bells of the worses, holi­ness unto the Lord, yea every pot in Jerusalem and in [Page 101] Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts. The meaning may be that they shall act from holy prin­ciples, and for holy ends, in all that they do, whe­ther they buy or sell, whether they tarry at home or go abroad, whether they eat or drink, or make use of this or that creature for their comforts, they shall see God, and enjoy God, and seek the glory of God in all. This is excellent, and thus holy shall they be: As for sin and corrupt nature which remains more or less in the Saints whilst they are in this world, it shall be wonderfully restrained and con­sumed by the spirit of grace in these converted Is­raelites, Isa. 4.4. ‘The Lord shall wash away the filth of Sion, and shall purge the bloud of Ierusa­lem by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.’ As for the bloudy filth of sin which is up­on them, Gods spirit shall teach them to judge themselves for it, and also shall consume and burn up their dross for them. There [...]ore he is said to be a spirit of judgment and of burning. Many there are both ancient and modern Divines, who think that after the Iews conversion, the Saints upon earth shall be brought into a sinless estate, that there shall be such a glorious renovation of all things here be­low, that this world shall be as it was before sin entred into the word, and death by sin. What I conceive to be the truth of God concerning that matter, and needful for you to know, I shall (by the help of his grace) plainly declare unto you in these following Conclusions.

‘Conclus. 1. The Tribes of Israel shall be con­verted before Jesus Christ cometh to raise the dead, and to judge the world, Mal. 4.5, 6. Be­hold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before [Page 102] the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hear [...]s of the children to their fathers, least I come and smite the earth with a curse.’ The meaning of the place may be this, that although the childen of Israel for the present are in such a state of sin and enmity against God, that if their godly Ancestors should come and see them, they would be ashamed to own them for their chil­dren; yet before the coming of the great day of judgment they shall be turned to serve the God whom their fathers served. It is true, that there was a partial and typical fulfilment of this Scripture in the Ministry of Iohn Baptist, who was a blessed in­strument of converting many of the children of Is­rael, before that great and notable day wherein the Jewish heaven and earth was utterly dissolved (which day may be looked upon as a Type of the last and great day) nevertheless, that there is yet a Read Mr. Medes Discourse on Mar [...] 1.14, 1 [...]. & Alsted. [...]atrib. de Mille Annis. p. 213.214. greater accomplishment of this prophesie to be expected, we may plain­ly discern from the words of our Saviour Christ, Mat. 17.11, 12. Iesus said, Elias shall first come and restore all things, but I say unto you, that Elias is come already: As if the Lord had said, although it be a truth that one in the spirit of Elias must come be­fore the great day of judgment, yet it is true, that such an one is come already, and so that prophesie in part fulfilled in the Ministry of Iohn Baptist. But observe further, the Lord saith, that Elias shall come in the future Tense, which how can it be meant of Iohn Baptist, who was beheaded when our [Page 103] Saviour thus spake to his Disciples? Moreover, the Lord saith, that Elias at his coming shall restore all things. Did Iohn Baptist restore all things? was the first coming of Christ the time of the restitution of all things? the Scripture saith, that it is to be at the second coming of Christ, Acts 3.21. wherefore it remains that there is yet another to come in the spi­rit of Elias, who shall be a no [...]a [...]le instrument in the hand of Christ to prepare the Iews for the day of judgment. Again, see what the Scripture saith, Acts 3.19. Repent ye therefore and be converted to the blotting out of your sins, that so the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord: We have it tran­slated, when the times of refreshing shall come. But I find many Sic Syrus, & Arabs, & Athiopicus Interpres. Tertulli­an vertit, ut superveniant. Ire­naei interpres, & venient. Ver­sio Tertulliana Cl. Medo, Hein­sio, Lud. De Dieu, & Caspari Stresoni placet. Versions that read the words as we have now rendred them. And indeed the Greek [...] ut. non significat Causam finalem, sed conse­quens, sive se quelam. Leigh Critica. [...], properly signifyeth, that so they may come; So then, before the times of refreshing come, h. e. before the great day of judgment beginneth, when the Saints shall be freed from the annoyance of every evil, it is necessary that Israel should re­repent and be converted, and have their sins blot­ted out. And indeed, they must either repent be­fore that day cometh, or never repent at all, for then the professed enemies of Christ shall find re­pentance will be too late. If the Iews should not repent before Christs coming from heaven to judge the world, they must needs perish in that deluge of [Page 104] fire (as Contra Haeres. lib. 5. cap. 29. Irenaeus call­eth it) wherewith the wicked opposing enemies of Christ shall be de­stroyed at that day. They would be smitten with a curse, as you have it, Mal. 4. last, if they should not be turned to seek the Lord before that great day. Consider Mal. 4.1. with 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9. and Isa. 66.15, 16. See also 2 Pet. 3.7. ‘The heavens and the earth which are now, are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of un­godly men.’ Therefore if ungodliness should not be turned away from Iacob before the day of judg­ment, fire would then consume them. See also verse 9. where it is said, The Lord is not slack con­cerning his promise, but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now, what is the meaning of this Scri­pture? I take the true and genuine interpretation of the place be this, See Mr. Medes excellent Paraphrase on 2 Pet. chap. 3. saith the Apostle, the reason why Jesus Christ doth not come imme­diately to judge the world, and to destroy the un­godly, is not because he is unmindful of his word, or any way slow, (as some have sinfully imagined) in performing what he hath promised; no, that's not the reason of it, but it is rather because of his long suffering towards us Israelites, he is not willing that our Nation should perish, but would have all Israel to be saved; now, if he should come imme­diately to judgment, then our Nation being at pre­sent without repentance, must needs perish amongst the ungodly that then shall be consumed with fire. [Page 105] This I believe is the true scope of the Apostle in those words. Moreover, it is conceived by some, that the reason why the Saints, whom Christ shall find alive at his coming, must be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thes. 4.17. is, that so they might escape that conflagration whereby the wicked upon the earth shall be destroyed: As in the days of Noah when the world was destroyed by water, they that were not in the Ark perished: So when the day cometh that the world shall be destroyed by fire, (which fire See King Edw. 6. his Ca­techism. Hinc Origines [...]. Contra Celsum. l. 3. shall also purifie the earth, and make it fit for the Lord and his Saints to reign on during the judgment day) they that are not with Christ (who was typified by the Ark) but setting themselves in a way of opposition against him in his Members upon earth, shall be consumed with that fire. Nevertheless, I do not think hat it is any Heresie to believe (though I am not of that perswasion) that the rapture of the Saints into the air to meet Christ will not be at his next coming to de­stroy Antichrist, and to set up his glorious kingdom upon earth (which coming of Christ some great Divines look upon rather as a personal appearance, than a personal residence upon earth) but that this rapture will be at Christs coming to destroy Gog and Magog at the ultimate judgment, when the Lord will be for a long time resident in this lower world. By all this then it is apparent that before Jesus Christ cometh to judge the world, the Iews shall be converted.

[Page 106] ‘Conclus. 2. From the time of the Iews conversi­on, even till the day of judgment, they will not be in a sinless perfect estate.’ Albeit 'tis true that there shall be an eminency of gifts and grace among them, yet it is a vain thing to dream of a state of perfection upon earth before the last day. Hence we read of steps or stairs in Ezekiels Temple, Ezek. 40.22, 26, 31, 34, 37. What is the meaning of that? but, that after Ezekiels Temple shall be begun, there will be a gradual going on towards perfection, they shall go from step to step, appearing before God in Sion, they shall go on from one degree of grace to another. Therefore there will not be an absolute freedom from sin. Besides the thing is marvellous clear if we duly consider what is said, Ier. 31.29, 30. In those days, (i. e. in those days when all the Tribes of Israel shall be saved) they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the childrens teeth are set an edge, but every one shall die for his own iniquity, every man that eateth a sour grape, his teeth shall be set an edge. The meaning of the place may be this. Vide Zanch. de peccat. Orig. p. 46. The Israe­lites, or ten Tribes, they complained that misery lay upon them because of the sin of Ierchoam; the Iews or two Tribes, they complained that they suffered for the sin of Menas­seh. Now saith God, the time will come, when by reason of the grace of my new and everlasting Co­venant, you shall not suffer any thing for the ini­quity of your Idolatrous fore-fathers, only then for your own personal transgressions, you shall die. Now then, how can it be, that after the Israelites are brought under the new Covenant dispensati­ons, every one that sinneth shall die for his own ini­quity [Page 107] in case there should then be no more sinning? In a word, after the Iews conversion, the soul that [...] shall die, as we have it, Ezek. 18.4. There­fore after the Iews conversion there will be sin­ning.

Again, where there is hypocrisie, there is sin, but there will be hypocrisie in the Church, after God shall have brought home his anient people. Some Nullus aggregabitur in hanc Ecclesiam nisi qui fuerit in electis. Haec Ecclesia nullis conspurcabitur [...]ypocritis, & simulatis Christianis [...] olim, pura omnium zizaniorum & loliorum. Brightman in Apoc. 20.15. of very great note and worth, have thought that there would a time come long before the day of judgment, when the Church upon earth would be so pure, that not an hypocrite would be in it: But how can that stand with the words of Christ, who hath assured us that there will be tares in the field, i. e. hypocrits in the Church, even till the end of this world, whereas the Iews shall be converted before (though towards) the end of this world. Therefore there must be tares, therefore there must be hypo­crites, and therefore sin in the Churches of Israel af­ter their conversion unto Christ.

‘Conclus. 3. During the time of the day of judgment the raised Saints of God shall be whol­ly freed from sin and all imperfections.’ It is in­deed true, that before the Resurrection of Christ divers were raised from a state of death unto life, who yet were afterwards subject unto sin. Thus may we say concerning that Widows Son which was raised from death in the days of Elijah; the Iews have a tradition, that that Widows Son was [Page 108] the Prophet Ionah, if so, to be sure he had more than a little of sin and corrupt nature in him after his Resurrection. Thus also may we conceive of Lazarus and others mentioned in the Scripture, as rising from the dead before our Saviours Resur­rection. And that they were subject unto sin, is e­vident, because they dyed again; And that is pro­ved, because Jesus Christ was the first born from the dead, See Mr. Ieanes on Col. 1.18. Col. 1.18. Acts 26.23. Rev. 1.5. Now, why is Christ said to be the first born from the dead? Is it not, because he is the first that had a Resurrection, even a Resurrection to a state of im­mortality? Though there were others that rose from the dead before Christ, yet their Resurrection was not perfect, for they dyed again, stand in need of another Resurrection unto immortality, there­fore Christ is the first born from the dead. But at the last day, all the Saints shall be raised unto a sinless immortal state. And this is manifest, because the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death, 1 Cor. 15.26. But if the Saints after their Resurrection should be subject unto sin, there would be another enemy far worse than death, scil. sin to be destroyed after the abolition of death, which is expresly contrary to what the holy Apostle faith.

And hence we read concerning the new Ierusalem, which cometh down from God out of heaven (which new Ierusalem I take to be the very same with the first Resurrection spoken of, Rev. 20.) that there is in it nothing that defileth, nor any besides such whose names are written in the Lambs book of life, Revel. 21.27.

[Page 109]And in this sence only it is true, that there will a time come (according to those blessed Petitions in that pattern of prayer, commonly called the Lords prayer) Tum demum regnum Dei n [...]bilissimum advenerit, cum tr [...]rio temporum judicio corpo­ribus assumptis vivi mort [...]i (que) judicabuntur: tum enim abs (que) murmure peccati, abs (que) [...]b [...]l­lione carnis Deus regn [...]bit & imperabit: Ita (que) judicii illius adventus hac precation [...] at (que) adoratione exoptatur. P. Rami Theol. l. 3. c. 6. when ‘in the kingdom of God his will shall be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven, Matth. 6.10.’ I say I doubt not to affirm to you, that there will be such a day, when the Saints upon earth shall do the will of God with as much perfection as it is now done by the Angels of heaven. But stay a while, look not for that day till the Resurrection of the just, and then you shall see it. So that it is a great & a precious truth, that there will be a day when the Saints of God shall even up­on earth be for a long time in a sinless glorious e­state. For the day of judgment will be upon earth; For where should men be judged, but in the place where they have lived, either to the honour or to the dishonour of the great God and Judge of all the earth? Therefore Iob speaks, as you find chap. 19. verse 25.26. I know (saith he) that my Redeemer li­veth, and that he shall stand at the latter day, (i. e. the day of Judgment) upon the earth, and that in my flesh I shall see God, so Zech. 14.4. It is said, his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. And as it is true, that the judgment will be upon the earth, so likewise it shall be a day of long continuance. Can a world of men, even all that have been alive from Adam, to the last man that ever shall be born [Page 110] into the world; I say, can all those millions of milli­ons of men and women that have been, are, or ever shall be upon the earth, be called to a particular ac­count for all the words, thoughts, and actions of their lives? can the secrets of all hearts be disclosed in the hearing of heaven and earth in a little space of time? No verily, but the preparation for eternal judgment will take up more time than a few weeks, or moneths, or ages. I do believe, that a thousand years will be but a part, a morning as it were, of that great and last day, after which all things must be swallowed up in the amazing gulf of an endless eter­nity.

Moreover, we may argue thus. The world to come will be of long continuance. Consider Isa. 66.22. Hence this world to come is called, an everlasting kingdom. Jesus Christ is the Prince and Father of the world to come, and he is an everlasting father, Isa 9.6. The Et si ista verba [...] non sunt in Exemplari Vatica­no, sunt tamen in Pl. 11. Vide Vulg. vers. tat. & Euseb. Evang. Dem. l. 7. Sep­tuagint render the words, the father of the world to come. But the day of judgment is call­ed the world to come, Matth. 12.32. whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in thi [...] world, nor in the world to come, i. e. neither now nor at the day of judgment. Con­sider Matth. 19.28. with Mark 10.30. And see Heb. 2.5. ‘unto the Angels he hath not put in sub­jection the world to come, whereof we speak.’ What now doth the Apostle mean by the world to come? it cannot be meant of the present state of the [Page 111] world for Mundus futurus non de Praesenti mundo intelligitur, quia Praesens orbis subjicitur Angelis. Estius. that is subject to the Ministring, gubernation of holy An­gels, who are therefore styled, Thrones, Domini­ons, Principalities, and Powers, &c. whereas this world to come is not subject to Angels Dr. Goodwin on Eph. 1.21. or a great Divine well ob- (as serves) there wil then be no need of the Ministry of the holy Angels, be­cause the evil Angels shall be shut up in hell, and the raised Saints shall then do that which is the work of the Angels in this present state of the world. It cannot be meant of the state of eternity in heaven, for that is not put in subjection unto Christ as Me­diator. When the day of judgment is over, then Christ delivers up the kingdom to the father, and the son himself becometh subject, 1 Cor. 15.25, 28. [...] designat [...], ut recte ob­servavit Iac. Capollus. Besides the Greek phrase denoteth a state upon earth. It remaineth therefore that by the world to come Aptissime Theod. Thom. & Lyranus accipiunt orbem futu­rum quem post resurrectionem Pater Christo subjiciet. Corn. a Lapide. is meant nothing else but the day of judgment when in­deed the Angels them­selves shall be judged, & when the Lord Jesus alone shall be exalted to be­come judge of all the world, and every knee in heaven and earth, and under the earth shall bow un­to him. Besides, observe the Apostle addeth whereof we speak. And where was that, but in chap. 1.6. when he shall bring again the first begotten into the [...] Proprie Ha­bitabilis. Leigh. habi­table [Page 112] world he saith, let all the Angels of God worship him. I marvel why the words are translated. [...]. non autem, [...]. Adde quod A [...]ristus secundus subjunctivi significationem habet futuri. At (que) hunc interpretationem se­quntur nonsolū Cl. Medus noster. Homesius. Heinsius. Camero ea­jus argumenta validissima sunt. sed etiam inter Pontificios, E­stius, Ribera. Corn. a Lapide, at (que) inter Antiquos, Ambrosi­us, Nyssenus, & alii. Sat equi­dem scio nonuullos Socini as­seclas hanc interpretationem se­qui, At inquam ego, cum ipsi inimici verum confiteantur ma­gis confirmatur ipsa veritas. And again, when he bringeth the first begotten into the world, when as they ought to be read, when he bringeth again the first begotten into the world, and not again when he bringeth, &c. which words do evidently point at the day of judgment, and that Psalm (viz. Psal. 97.) out of which the Apostle taketh those words, treateth of Christs second coming to judgment, and not of his first coming in the form of a Servant; therefore, by the world to come is meant the day of judgment, therefore the day of judgment w [...]ll be of long continuance, therefore there will [...] day when the S [...]ints upon earth shall for a long time be in a sinless glorious estate. And then will that Scripture, which is now fulfilled spi­ritually, be fulfilled literally, Rev. 5.10. We shall reign on earth, but expect not that the kingdom under the whole heaven should be given unto the Saints of the most high, untill such time as the judgment shall sit, Dan. chap. 7. And this is the best and clearest answer, that I know, to that object [...]on, which some have made against those who maintain that there will be a glo­rious day for the Church upon earth, after which the Saints shall endure no more persecution, viz. That [Page 113] this is against the Doctrine of Christ and the Apo­stles, who say, that all that will live godly shall suf­fer persecution, and if we will reign with Christ, we must suffer for him, and have many tribulations, and that this world is an evil world, &c. True, it must be thus as long as the present state of the world continueth, but in the new world, or world to come, which the Scripture speaketh of, the condition of the Saints will be quite otherwise than in this present world it is wont to be.

‘4. It is evident, that the Tribes of Israel shall partake of a spiritual salvation, if we consi­der the visible Church estate which they shall be in after their conversion.’

Albeit now there is no Church amongst the Iews, yet the time is at hand, when God will erect many glorious Churches amongst them, and upon every dwelling place of Sion, and upon all the glory he will be a defence. And the Church polity which Is­rael shall then be under, will not be a carnal one (such as was from Moses unto Christ) but a very spi­ritual polity, for they shall be no more under the Mosaical paedagogy, no more under the ceremonial Law. It hath been charged upon those who did in the Primitive times assert the glorious reign of Christ upon earth, that they did also maintain that there would be sacrifices and other ceremonies of Moses Law, so Hieron. in Ier. 19.10. & in Zech. 14.10. Ie­rom saith, that the anci­ent Doctors held. I do believe, that that is a ve­ry injurious charge; and that it never once enter­ed into the heart of any of those godly and Learned Teachers in the Church to imagine such a th [...]ng. [Page 114] However, sure I am, that the word of the Lord [...] express to the contrary. Hence the Iews, after the [...] conversion, are said to be under, not the old, bu [...] the new Covenant, i. e. not under the old but the new manner (for the Covenant of grace as to th [...] substance of it is for ever the same) of administrati­on of the Covenant. Hence the Lord saith to Is­rael. But not by thy Covenant, Ezek. 16.61. The truth is, that Christ, by his coming, abolished the ceremonial Law, and nailed it to his Cross, and bu­ryed it in his grave. And a most loathsome work do they perform both to God and man, that dig up the ceremonies out of that grave where Jesus Christ buryed them, above sixteen hundred years ago. Hence Psal. 45.10. forget thy fathers house, i. e. mind no more, neither Chald. Paraph. in loc. old Idolatries, not yet set your heart upon old antiquated ceremonies which your father [...] used.

A little to particularize here.

‘1. The Officers, the Ministry in the saved Tribes of Israel will be very spiritual.’ Then will the Lord cloath his Priests with righteousness, Psal. 13 [...].9. See Mal. 3.3. ‘He shall sit as a refiner and p [...] ­rifier of silver, he shall purifie the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.’ There shall be a wonderful spiritual glory upon the Ministers of God in those days, Dan. 12.3. Those that be [...] Teachers shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever. [Page 115] As 'tis said of Iohn Baptist, that he was a burning and a shining light; so shall all the Ministers of God be in that day which is hastning apace; They shall be set in a brighter firmament of Church-estate, than ever yet was in the world, and their shining shall be answerable. To be sure, there shall in that day be no [...] qui nigras in­duunt vestes Arias Montanus. Alii a Pullis quas gestabant vestibus R. D. Kimki. Alii a stigmatibus qua suo corpori inurebant. Stuckius de sacrif. p. 66. verbum [...] signifi­cat sacerdotem gentilem nigris vestibus Indutum. Vide Tar­gum in Iud. 17.12. Hinc a­pud Rabbinos Mo [...]achus voca­tur [...]. Shindl. Lex. Pentaglot. p. 871. Vide si pla­cet quae habet Hottingerus in Thesaur. p. 33. more Che­marims, no more of those black Priests which wear the marks of Baal about them continually▪ I mar­vel not that that sort of men are enemies unto these truths; If they could hinder it, Mini­sters should never preach of them, people should never hear of them, nor one nor other should ever dive into them. Why? their guilty-self-condemned hearts mis­give them, that when this day cometh they must [...]ll, when Sion awaketh to put on her beautiful gar­ments, and to shake her self from the dust, Wo to Babylon, and to all the Babylonish brood! they shall pe­rish from off this earth, and from under these hea­vens.

‘2. There will be spiritual members in the Church, as well as spiritual officers.’ And this will be not only here and there, even (as it is at this day amongst a few Churches who in conscience to God endeavour that their building may be of living stones, which I look upon as a first fruits of [Page 116] what shall be hereafter) in a particular Church or two, but universally, Isa. 60.21. thy people shall be all righteous. There will not be a profane person tole­rated in the Church in those days, Zech. 14. last, there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of the Lord. And what ever it is now, I am sure then, meer civi­lity and morality, together with an outward profes­sion will not be thought enough to qualifie for Church Member-ship, except there be experience of the regenerating grace of God in the soul. See Ezek. 44.9. No stranger uncircumcised in heart, no [...] uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary. So that circumcision in flesh, baptism, and outward pro­fession, will not be enough to give admittance into the Church of God, except there be the circumcision of the heart; and what's that, but regeneration?

"3. There will be spiritual ordinances. Then will the blessed day come, when the pure ordinan­ces of God shall be no more corrupted with the cursed inventions of men. Ezek. 43.7, 8. My holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile by the carka­ses of their Kings, i. e. by their rotten idols which their Kings caused them to serve; nor in their setting up their threshold by my threshold, and their post by my post, h. e. the inventions of men shall no more be set up cheek by joul with the sacred Institutions of God. For indeed the condition of that sin cannot stand with the peace and prosperity which shall be in the world after the day of Israels salvation. It is an usual thing with the God of jealousie to send death, famine, and sword, generation after genera­tion, for that sin of corrupting his worship with hu­mane inventions, according to what the Lord hath [Page 117] said in the second com­mandment, sc. That if men Non imago, non simulacrum prohibetur, sed non facies tibi. do make any thing to themselves in the worship of God, he will visit the iniquity, as upon the fa­ther, so upon the son. And wherefore is it, think you, that God is at this day about to bath his sword in heaven, and to darken the Sun and Moon, and to cause the Stars of heaven to loose their shining? verily the Lord is shaking this once more, not the earth only, but the heavens, and proceeding to do a marvellous work amongst his people, even a mar­vellous work, and a wonder, to cause the wis­dom of the wise to perish (as he hath done already) and the understanding of the prudent to be hid, be­cause they that profess his name have their fear to­wards God taught by the precepts of men. Where­fore when the day is come that all Israel shall be sa­ved, inasmuch as then peace and prosperity shall run down like a River, and like a mighty stream all the world over, the sons of men shall no more set up their post by Gods pillar, saith he, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

We come now in the fourth and last place to shew (as God shall help) that [...] [...]he Tribes of Israel shall partake of a Tempora [...] [...]lvation. For the Iews are not only in spiritual, but in [...]mporal bondage also, and therefore they shall partak [...] not only of spiritual, but also of a temporal salvation. The truth of this may be evinced and cleared in some particu­lars.

‘First the thing is evident, inasmuch as the day will come when the children of Israel shall be no more oppressed by the great ones of the earth;’ [Page 118] There will be a time when the man of the earth shall no more oppress, Psal. 10.18. Hence Isa. 54.1 [...]. thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from terrour, for it shall not come near thee. Hence Pe­ter said unto the Iews, that after their repentance, times of refreshing shall come, Acts 3.19. Now what do these times of refreshing note, but a day, wherein there shall be freedom from all persecution and cor­poral oppressions?

And hence we read of the Redemption of Israel, as in that verse from whence the Apostle demonstra­teth the words of my Text, sc. Isa. 59.20. 'tis said, the Redeemer shall come to Sion. Now that very word Redemption doth usually signifie temporal as well as spiritual salvation, a deliverance of the body as well as of the soul, Luke 21.28. your redemption draweth nigh, what is that? Calvin Harm. Piscator in Luc. 21.28. v. A [...]es. Med. Theol. l. 1. c. 41. Th. 3. great Interpreters take it to be the same with that redemption which the Apostle speaketh of, when he saith, Rom. 8.23. we wait for the redemption of our body. However, sure it its, that the time will come when strangers shall be able to oppress the children of Israel no more, but the quite contrary shall be true, sc. that their oppressors shall be brought under them. See Zech. 10.4. out of him (i. e. out of Israel) came forth (or shall come forth, for the words are a Prophesie of what shall be, and not an History of what hath been) the corner, out of him the nail, i. e. the Magistrates and Rulers, who are compared unto corner stones, and to nails, because the safety of the whole building and body politick greatly depends upon them; out of him the battel bow, i. e. the Military man, out of [Page 119] him every oppressor together, i. e. such as shall suppress, not Israel but the enemies of Israel. ‘So Isa. 14.2, 3. They shall take them captives, whose cap­tives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give them rest from their sorrows, and from their fears, and from the hard bondage wherein they were made to serve.’ See also Chap. 60. verse 14. with Ezek. 39.10.

Nor shall any amongst themselves oppress their poor brethren. Indeed it hath been so formerly, which caused the Apostle to use that interrogation, do not rich men oppress you? Iam. 2.6. But after this day of salvation which we are speaking of, it shall be so no more; Ezek. 46.18. ‘The Prince shall not take of the peoples inheritance by oppression.’ Isa. 60.17. I will make thy officers peace, and thy ex­actors righteousness. For it is observable, that the children of Israel were not subject unto oppression from their own Rulers, until such time as they cast off that Theocraty, or Government by Judges which was of divine appointment. See 1 Sam. 12.3. Now after the Iews conversion, such a Government as that was, will be restored again amongst them. Isa. 1.26. I will restore thy Iudges as at the first, and thy counsel­lors as at the beginning. S [...]on and her converts shall be redeemed with righteousness.

‘Yea 2ly. There w [...]ll a time come when the Is­rael of God shall be saved from all outward af­flictions:’ Not only from persecution and oppres­sion from men, but [...] all external and corporal calamities: And [...] shall be upon earth too; for I am not speaking of that salvation which the elect of God shall [...] eternally after the end [Page 120] shall come, but of what shall be upon earth sometime before Jesus Christ hath delivered up his Mediato­ry kingdom. Now I say there will a time come when upon earth the Israel of God shall be wholly freed from affliction, Zeph. 3.15. Thou shalt not see e­vil any more, Isa. 61. ‘Beg. liberty shall be pro­claimed to the captives, the opening of the pri­son to them that are bound, and to them that mourn in Sion shall be given beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spi­rit of heaviness.’ So that after the time cometh that the Iews shall mourn, that they shall look up­on him whom they have pierced and mourn bitter­ly, they shall no more lie in the ashes of affliction and outward calamity. See Chap. 51.11. sorrow and mourning shall flee away: Affliction shall vanish. And hence it is said of the new Ierusalem, Rev. 21.4. ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain, for the former things are passed away.’

‘3ly, The truth is further evident, in that there will a day come, when the Israel of God shall en­joy length of dayes as to natural or corporal life.’

As if Adam had never sinned, he had enjoyed a natural life upon earth for a long time. And in­deed it was especially a natural life, which the Co­venant of works promised. When it was said to Adam, Do and live, the meaning was, Thou shalt then live a long and happy life upon earth: even so when God shall make all things new, the Saints shall be wonderfully delivered from natural, as well as spiritual death. Therefore it is said that [Page 121] when new Ierusalem cometh down from heaven, there shall be no more death. And of this we have a promise made to Israel, Hos. 13.14. ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death.’ See also Isa. 65.17. behold, I create new heavens, & a new earth; & v. 20. ‘there shal be no more thence an infant of days, or an old man that hath not fulfilled his days, verse 22. for as the days of a tree (or rather the tree) are the days of my peo­ple, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.’ Hanc interpretationem se­qui videntur, Septuaginta, Chaldaeus, Paraphrastes Iusti­nus Martyr, & alii. Some interpret the place that they shall live as long as Adam should have done, in case he had been confirmed in his integrity by eating of the tree of life which was in the midst of Paradise. However the Scripture must be fulfilled, which saith that the meek shall inherit the earth, Psal. 37.11. Matth. 5.5. The meek shall in­herit not only heaven, but the earth, heaven and earth are theirs, they have a right to both in respect of the promise; they are heirs of God, and joynt heirs with Christ. The meek, for the present, how do they inherit the earth, when the wicked turn them off from the earth at their pleasure? well, but the time will come, when they shall inherit the earth. Abraham, and so the children of Abraham, shall be­come heirs of the world, h. e. of the new world, which according to divine promise we look for in time to be created, Rom. 4.13. 2 Pet. 3.13.

‘4ly, There will a day come, when the saved Tribes of Israel shall enjoy great outward peace, and in that respect it might well be said that they shall partake of a temporal salvation.’ Indeed a [Page 122] little before the conversion of the Iews, there will be the most terrible doings in the world that ever was heard of, in respect of wars and commotions, the waves of the Sea roaring, confused noise and garments rolled in bloud, bloud and fire, and vapour of smoke; but after the kingdom shall be restored unto Israel, then will be glorious day [...] of peace and tran­quillity. See some Scriptures for this; Hos. 2.18. ‘I will break the bow and the sword, and the bat­tel out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely, Zech. 14.11. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destructi­on, but Ierusalem shall be safely inhabited.’ Yea there will be wonderful peace and prosperity in those days, such as never was since the world began. Isa. 66.12. I will extend peace to her like a River. See also Chap. 60. ver. 18. & Mic. 4.3, 4. ‘And ye shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not lift up sword a­gainst nation, neither shall they learn war any more, but they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of Host's hath spoken it.’ Then certainly it shall com [...] to pass that there willl a day be upon earth when the nati­ons shall be at peace, and war shall be learned no more, if [...] the mouth of the Lord of Host's hath spoken it.

‘5ly, The time will come when the Land of Israel shall be made exceeding fruitful, therefore we may well assert a temporal salvation. I say [Page 123] there will a time come when there shall be great V. Lactant. l. 7. c. 4. Bur­roughs on Hos. 2.18. plenty as well as great peace over the earth, Zech. 8.12. the seed shall be prospe­rous, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things, Ioel 3.18. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Mountains shall drop down new wine; and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the Rivers of Iudah shall flow with waters, &c.’ These expres­sions of the mountains dropping down new wine, &c. are the high and hyperbolical Metaphors of a prophetical strain, whereby may be signifyed the admirable fertility of the earth. And it must needs be so, because the bar­renness of the earth was a fruit of the curse for the sin of man. God said to Adam, after he had sinned, cursed is the ground for thy sake: But now, when new Ierusalem cometh down from heaven, the curse shall be removed, Rev. 22.3. ‘there shall be no more curse, but the Throne of God, and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.’ For the truth is, that in the new heaven and the new earth, which is promised in the Scripture, things shall be restored unto that glorious perfection which they were in at the first creation before the Apostacy, Ezek. 36.35. They shall say, this Land which was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden, i. e. like Paradise. See Isa. 51.3. Hence the Prophets have spoken of the times of the restitution of all things, Acts 3.21. why, the restitution of all things? But be­cause man by sin, hath put all the world out of or­der, [Page 124] sin hath brought a curse and confusion, and sad disorder even upon the frame of nature, but See Deoda [...]e on Act. 3.21. & Engl. Annot. & Mayer in loc. the days will come when all the creatures shall be restored unto their right order and use, for which they were made at the first. There­fore also the Apostle saith, Rom. 8.20, 21. ‘the creature was made subject unto vanity not wil­lingly—the creature it self also shall be deliver­ed from the bondage of corruption, into the glo­rious liberty of the children of God.’ The unrea­sonable creature is become subject unto vanity, bondage, and corruption, but it is as it were a­gainst its will; and therefore the creatures do all in their kind, sigh and groan before the great God that he would deliver them from this servitude, that they might no more be made use of to the di­shonour of their blessed Creator; and therefore the creatures shall be delivered, and made use of only for that end which they were at first made for. And this shall be in the day when the glory of the sons of God shall be mani­fested. Non bestiae per hoc tem­pu [...] sanguine alentur, non aves prada sed quieta & placida erunt omnia. Canis non vena­bitur, accipitres non nocebunt, infans cum serpentibus ludet, &c. Lact. l. 7. c. 24. At (que) hinc Sybilla Erythea sit cauit, [...]— [...], &c. And hence the state of the new hea­ven, and the new earth is described by such things as were when A­dam was in Paradise, but never since, Isa. 65.25. ‘The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together, and the Lion shall eat straw like the Bullock, [Page 125] and dust shall be the serpents meat, they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord.’ Lege Calvin in Isai. c. 11. ver. 6. Before the fall, the Woolf and the Lamb, the Bullock and the Lion could live quietly by one another, man was not subject to hurt by serpents or venomous creatures, there was not that enmity in any of the creatures to seek the de­struction of one another. Even thus shall it be a­gain: as Adam was a Type of Christ, Rom. 5.14. So was Adams world, a Type of Christ, the second A­dam his world, when he shall come to judge the earth. I know some Iewish Doctors deride at these things Vide M [...]inon in Iud. Cha­zeka c. ult. Rabbi Samuel i [...] Sanhedri [...]. c. Chelek. saying that when the new heaven and new earth spoken of in the Scripture shall take place, there will be no alteration in the nature of things, only that their Nation shall have a tempo­ral Monarchy and Dominion over all other Nati­ons. But what if such Rabbies Mede. should be amongst the number of those scoffers which the Apostle Peter speaketh of, who say, that all things shall continue as they were from the creation, and that Messias, at his coming, shall not destroy the old world and create a new one?

It is also true, that these truths have been very much obscured, they have been little searched into, little known, little believed in the world. It may be some of you think that they are new and strange notions: But if you think them new, I can assure [Page 126] you upon diligent search, that these things passed for currant Doctrine in the Church of God for di­vers hundred of years in the Primitive and purest days of the Christian Church. Yea they were never called into question until the third or fourth Cen­tury, when Antichrist began to rise. And then in­deed it was high time that those truths, which do so much concern the glory of the kingdom of the Messias, should be opposed and obscured, when the great enemy of Christ began to get head in the world. And ever since, albeit some of the Lords Worthies have born witness unto these very truths, yet they have been exceedingly darkned; partly by those that have gone beyond what is written in the word, and partly by those that have set themselves to oppose what the word saith. Nevertheless, if these be (as I am perswaded verily they are) the faithful and true sayings of God; it will be our great sin, if we should neglect to search into them: But how sinful a thing then must it needs be to oppose and contemn these Mysteries of God?

Thus have you heard the Doctrinal part of this great truth concerning Israels salvation spoken un­to. Only, before we proceed to infer any uses from the Doctrine, thus far (as the Lord hath holpen) treated upon, it may not be amiss to remove some objections, which may be made against the things delivered, especially against this last particular, of a glory upon earth, yet to come to the Saints of God.

‘Obj. 1. Those Scriptures which speak of tem­poral salvation, are not to be interpreted literal­ly, but mystically, Hieron. in Jer. 31.27. spiritual things being [Page 127] set forth by corporal, heavenly things by ter­re [...]e.’

‘Answ. 1. By way of concession, there is some­thing of truth in that assertion,’ That often in the old Testament Leg [...] Hornbe [...] co [...]ti [...] Iu­da [...]s. l. 3. c. 2. spi­ritual and heavenly things are set forth by terrene and corporal Allegories; And this principle taketh place when we read of a glorious Temple, Altar, Priests, Sacri­fices, Incense, &c. to be in the days of Messias, these things are not then to be interpreted literally, but allegorically: These expressions are used ad capt [...]m auditorum & pro more saeculi, as being suitable and accommodated to that Age and state of the Church. The holy Prophets were wont to speak in the style and dialect of the Church and Age they lived in. ‘Yet [...] This principle must not be extended too far, partly because it is a wrong to the Scripture to make unnecessary allegories;’ As Augu­stin De civitate Dei. long since well observed, a literal interpretation of Scripture is not to be refused when it will stand with the Analo­gy of faith. It is a diminishing of the word of God, causlesly to reject such an interpretation. Also be­cause it giveth occasion of great offence to the Iews, when they perceive Christians deny that which their Prophets have so abun­dantly affirmed. It is not (as Prideux orat. de voc. Iud. Voet. disp. de signis & naturae miraculis, & in Disp. de Regno Millenario. some have thought) the best way to deal with the Iews, when they urge, that in the days of Messias, they must have [Page 128] such glory bestowed upon them, as the like never was in the world, to tell them that all those things must be understood spiritually, and not literally, which in the Prophets look that way; A [...] non optima cum Iudae­is agendi ratio esset, non ut clarissimae illae de secundo ad­ventu Prophetiae [...] primum torqueantur, &c. Dum enim nos clarissimas illas de rebus in se­cundo adventu Christi Prophe­tias ad primum torquemus, Iu­daei nos derisui habent & in infidelitate sua magis obfir­mantur. Clavis Apoc. In fine. but it were better yield to them, that they shall have such glory as the like ne­ver was, only that this must not be at Messias first appearing. Besides, the Scripture is so abun­dant in terms which sig­nifie a corporal salvation as well as spiritual, that I cannot but think that the holy Ghost fore-seeing that men would be ready to make this objection, the more frequently useth these literal expressions, that so a mystical [...]nterpre­tation might not be looked upon as sufficient.

‘Obj. 2. Doth not Christ say that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, Luke 17.20. How then is it true, that Christ shall have such a glorious kingdom upon earth as we have heard?’

‘Answ. 1. The meaning of our Saviour in that place may be, that his first coming should not be according to the Pha­risees expectation:’ Fieri potest ut aliud sit [...] quam vulgo existimatur. Ut mens sit, non venit regnum Domini expectan­do: notum quanto spatio Mes­siae regnum Iudaei expectave­rint, quanta animo conceperant. Respondet Dominus non adven­turum expectantibus qui j [...]m venisset: etiam dicturos frustrae hunc aut illum esse qui inter eos versaretur. Heinsius. The words rendred with observation may be read with expectation. The kingdom of God, i. e. the kingdom of Messias, which is called the kingdom [Page 129] of God, and the king­dom of heaven, because it is that kingdom which Daniel prophesied the God of heaven should set up, was not to begin as the Pharisees and other Iews thought it would. You (saith Christ to the Phari­sees) make account that as soon as Messias cometh, he will deliver you out of the hands of the Romans, and become a great earthly Monarch; but you are much mistaken, therefore it is added, ver. 21. The kingdom of God is amongst you, i. e. the Messias is now amongst you; for I do not take the meaning of those words to be, that Christ's kingdom is regnum ani­marum in the souls and consciences of men, though that be a great truth, Vide Bezam, Heinsium, Iunium, Tremelium, & Pisca­ [...]em in loc. yet though there be veri­tas rei in that exposition, there is not veritas loci, but Christ would give them to understand, that Messias was already come and conversing amongst them.

2. ‘We must distinguish between the first and se­cond coming of Christ.’ The Pharisees were wil­lingly ignorant of this necessary distinction; nor do the Iews, even to this day, believe, that there is any such distinction to be made of Messias's coming▪ Nay their Rabbies do expresly teach the contrary, sc. that there shall be Menassch. Ben Israel de Resurrect. l. 3. c. 3. but one coming of the Messias. And because the Scriptures of the old Testament are clear for two comings of Christ, therefore the Iews have embraced an heretical ficti­on [Page 130] that there shall be Idem in spe Israelis p. 78. & Rabbini in Talmud passim. C [...]nsule etiam Targum in Zech. 9.9. & Cant. 4.5. Porchetus ostendit, veteres Iudaos Mes­ [...]um filium Ioseph, & filium Da­vid, pro uno eodem (que) habuisse: Ac (inquit) Christus uter (que) fuit, filius Ioseph educatione & fi­lius David natura. two Messias's, one of the Tribe of Iudah, and another of the Tribe of Ioseph.

Now then by applying this distinction, the an­swer to the objection is clear & easie, viz. that the first coming of Christ should not at all be according to the Iews expectati­on in respect of visible glory, but at the first he was to come in the form of a Servant, as an abject a­mongst men, and to be abhorred of his own Nation according to the savings of the Prophets; but the second coming of Christ shall be in as great visible (and yet spiritual) glory as ever the Iews expected that the coming of Messias would be, Matth. 24.30. ‘They shal see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and Chap. 25.31. The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him; then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory.’ And hence it is ob­servable, that Christ did never absolutely deny his having such a visible glorious kingdom upon earth, as that which his Disciples then looked for, only he cor­rected their errour as to the time of this kingdoms appearing. The Disciples said, ‘Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ Acts 1.6. Christ did not say to them, that there should never [...]e any such restauration of the kingdom to Israel, as their thoughts were running upon, only telleth them that the times and seasons were not for them to know, thereby acknowledging that such a [Page 131] kingdom should indeed be as they (for the substance of it) did from the holy Prophets expect; Thus, Luke 19.11. ‘There were some that thought that the kingdom of God would immediately appear.’ Now therein was their errour; not in expecting a glorious appearance of the kingdom of God, but in that they made account this would be immediately. Whereupon our Saviour, to correct that errour as to the time of his kingdoms coming, speaketh a Parable of a certain noble man that went into a far Country to receive for himself a kingdom, and so to return. What is this far Country, but heaven? when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, then he began his glo­rious kingdom: Hence our Saviour said, Mark 9.1. ‘there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste death till they have seen the king­dom of God come with power.’ What is the meaning of that? The Sic Theophylact, E [...]thymi­us, &c. Ancients are wont to expound it of the trans­figuration of Christ which followed a few days after those words were spoken; and indeed in that transfiguration the words of Christ were typically fulfilled: But I take the spe­cial design of Christ to be, an intimation to his Disciples of his Beza in Matth. 16. ult. as­cension. Some of you saith Christ shall see me ascend into the heaven of heavens, there to sit reigning till my enemies be made my foot-stool. Now this is expressed by saying, they should see the kingdom of God come with great power, or as Matthew hath it, the Son of man coming in his Skingdom. Where­fore it is most certain that Christ went to receive [Page 132] a most glorious kingdom, at his ascensio [...] into hea­ven, therefore at his return from heaven the glory of the kingdom of God will appear.

‘Obj. 3. Doth not Christ say, my kingdom is not of this world, Iohn 18.36. how then is it true that Christ shall have such a glorious king­dom upon earth as that which hath been spoken of?’

‘Answ. 1. That may be in this world which is not of the world, so Iohn 17.14. they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ And yet both Christ and they were then in the world. ‘2. The kingdom of Christ may be said not to be of this world, because it is not of a carnal earthly, but of an high and heavenly nature. It is an heaven­ly kingdom, 2 Tim. 4.18.’ The very kind and na­ture of it is so. This bringeth to mind a Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 15. Edi [...]. Lat. remarkable story which Eusebius relateth to have fallen out in the days of the Emperour Domitian, it is this. ‘There were (saith he) some malicious Iews, who out of envy at the truth informed the Empe­rour, that such and such persons were, as concern­ing the flesh, near akin unto Christ; whereupon the Emperour sent for those persons, intending to have killed them; but when he heard them say, that the kingdom of Christ was not of a terrene, but only of a celestial nature, he dismissed them without doing them any hurt.’ And hence it is, that the kingdom of Christ is not carryed on by earthly and carnal, but by spiritual weapons, 2 Cor. 10.4. our weapons are not carnal. The kingdoms of this world how are they got? and how are they [Page 133] kept? Is it not by fire, and bloud, and sword? but so it is not with the kingdom of Christ, he subdu­eth the world, by the power of his word and spirit, that's the bow whereby he conquereth the Nations before him, Rev. 6.2. And this interpretation suiteth exactly with the scope of our Saviour in the place alledged, therefore he saith, his servants do not fight; It is therefore a woful mistake in those men, who say, that the Saints, as such, must take up arms and destroy the ungodly of the world before them, and when they have done so, they will invite Christ to come from heaven and reign over them. Nay verily, but the weapons of Saints as such are not swords and spears, but Preces & lacrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae. Ambrose. prayers and tears. 3. ‘I answer, That though the kingdom of Christ be not of this world, yet it is of the world to come.’ Christ doth not say my kingdom [...]s not of any world, only it's not of this world. And indeed that glorious kingdom promised unto Christ and his Saints upon the earth, is not to be ex­pected in this world, but in the world to come, i. e. at the day of judgment. Sometimes indeed the world to come is taken more comprehensively, for Dies Messiae, the whole time of the Messias; therefore the Apostle saith, that upon them the ends of the world were come, and that Apostates may taste of the powers of the wold to come, yet more than once in the Scrip­ture is the world to come taken more strictly for Dies judicii, vel secundi adventus Messiae, the day of judgment as we shewed you the last opportunity. Consider Eph. 1.20, 21. Luke 20.34, 35, 36. Then, and not till then, will be the time when the Saints [Page 134] shall judge the world, and have dominion over all the earth. There are many mistakes about this mat­ter. Some deny that ever the Saints shall have a glorious kingdom upon the earth; others say, that it shall be, but long before Jesus Christ cometh to judge the world. But the truth is, that great glory promised to the Saints, the new heaven and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, will be neither before, nor after, but during the time of the day of judgment. Then shall every knee bow, and every tongue confess unto God, Rom. 14.10, 11. Thus Psal. 66.4. it is said, ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee, they shall sing to thy name.’ Selah. Now in the Septuagint that 66 Psalm is in the Title of it called [...]. Vide Cald. Paraph. in ver. 9. Istius Psalmi. Vulgat. Lat. Aethi [...]p. & Arabic. In­teror [...]s isla verba habent. At­tamen Grotius existimat Grae­cem Ecclesiam ea addidisse. a Psalm of the Resurrecti­on. Then therefore will that Scripture be fulfil­led, that All the earth shall worship God, sc. af­ter the resurrection at the last day. Let us consider the Scripture a little further, Psal. 96.11. ‘O let the heavens rejoyce, and let the earth be glad, let the Sea roar, and the fulness thereof, let the field be joyful, and all that is therein, then shall all the Trees of the Wood rejoyce.’ Now when is that, that the crea­tures shall thus be delivered and restored to their primitive beauty and glory? ver. 13. before the Lord, for he cometh, ‘for he cometh to judge the earth, he shall judge the world with righteous­ness, and the people with his truth.’ See also Isa. 44.23. And hence the Apostle, Rom. 8.20, 21, 22, [Page 135] 23. giveth us to understand, that the creature which is at present subject to corruption, h. e. the air which may become Pestilential and unwholsom, and so subject unto corruption in that respect; and the water which may be corrupted and distempered with winds, and storms, and tempests; and the earth which is subject to blastings with the fruits thereof, &c. shall be delivered from this subjection to cor­ruption at the time when the bodies of the Saints shall be redeemed from the power of the grave, as well as freed from molestation and oppression by wicked and unreasonable men. Hence Psal. 49.14. It is said, the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning: So that there will a day come when the Saints of God shall have dominion over the wicked; yea, over all the rich and great ones a­mongst the wicked of the earth (according to the scope and context of that place) but when will this day of the upright's dominion be? even in the morning, i. e. at the re­surrection of the just (as Sic Calvin, Iunius, Pisca­tor, Ainsworth, & Transla­tors, &c. Interpreters are wont to expound it) which is resembled unto the morning. And indeed the first resurrection (the dead in Christ shall arise first, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection) will be the morning of the day of judg­ment: and therefore the day of judgment, when the raised Saints shall have dominion over the world, may well be called the morning by the Psalmist. Again see Matth. 19.28. ‘ye which have followed me; (there the stop should be made in reading the words) in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his [Page 136] glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Israel.’ So that there will be a day when the Saints upon earth shall sit upon Thrones of judgment. But when? even in the regeneration, [...], i. e. in renovatione mundi vel potius post renovationem mundi in altero saculo: Quanquam nomen [...] vi­detur potissimum intelligen­dum de restitutione corporum & resurrectione. Piscator sic & Jac. Capellus. Intelligitur totius naturae nostrae perfecta renovatio, & plenaria moriis abol [...]tio. Ge [...]h. Harm. Vide Parcum in loc. Confer etiam Vers. Syriac. Arab. & Aethiop. that is to say at the resurrecti­on, when there will be a [...], a regenera­tion or renovation of the world. Hence the Vide Epiphanium adver­sus Manetem. Ac Iustinus Mar­tyr in Dial. Cum Tryph. resur­rectionem corporis vocat [...]. Porro Augu­stinus [de Civ. Dei lib. 20 c. 5.] hac habet verba, Quod autem ait in regeneratione procul­dub [...]o mortuorum resurrectio­nem n [...]mine voluit regenera­tion's intelligi. Adde quod ip­se Varro de corporis resur­rectione philosophatus est, qu [...]m deserte [...] vo­cavit. are wont to call the day of judgment, [...], the regeneration (or renovation) of (or from) the Lords presence. More­over that by the regenera­tion, we are to under­stand the resurrection, is evident, because Mark and Luke, instead of the word regeneration, say, the world to come. Yet more, the truth hereof is evi­dent from Dan. 7.26, 27. ‘The judgment shall sit,—and the kingdom, and domi­nion, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most h [...]gh, &c.’ So that when the time cometh that the greatness of the kingdom under the whole [Page 137] heaven shall be given to the Saints, the judgment shall sit. Now, that by the judgment fitting is meant, the great day of judgment, is to me past a doubt. For whence is that term of the day of judg­ment? we do not find it in the old Testament, but often in the new. And the reason why Christ and his Apostles used that term, was, because it was much used in the Church of the Iews, and had a Scripture foundation. Hence we read of the day of judgment more frequently in the Iews writings then in the new Testament it self. Now the Iews took up that term, of the day of judgment, from the 7th. Chap. of Dan. Therefore no doubt but that by the judgment sitting, is meant the great day of judgment; therefore till that day the kingdom un­der the whole heaven cometh not into the hands of the Saints. Again, Acts 3.19. The times of re­freshing ‘are said to be from the presence of the Lord.’ Therefore Jesus Christ will be personally present (and that he will not be till the judgment) when the times of refreshing shall come. And in the Scripture the day of judgment is described by Hinc in Epist. Polycratis (apud Euseb. l. 3. c. 25.) de obitu Philippi & Iohannis ait, [...]. the presence of the Lord, 2 Thes. 1.9. More­over to be acquainted with the writings and notions which were of old in use amongst the Iews, is of wonderful advantage towards the understanding of many pla­ces in the Scripture, especially in the new Testa­ment. Now the Iews were wont to call the day of judgment, [...] or the world to come, by that [Page 138] very name of a time of refreshing. Hence they were wont to say, ‘That one hour of refreshing in Vid. Heins [...]i exerc. in N. T. p. 256. the world to come, was better than a whole life in the pre­sent state of the world.’ And in vers. 21. It is plainly expressed, that in the glorious time of the restitution of all things, Jesus will come again from heaven. And is not 2 Thes. 1.7. a clear place to prove, that the glorious Sabbatism which remains for the Saints upon earth will begin at Christs coming from heaven to judge the world? Hence also Christs kingdom is said to be at the time of his appearing to judge the quick and the dead, 2 Tim. 4.1. And Rev. 11.15. ‘the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.’ So that when the time cometh that all the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ, the seventh Angel sounds the Trumpet. Now by the seventh Trumpet (as Sic Andraas, Aretas, Beda, Primasius, Foxus, Bullingerus, Tossanus, Marloratus, Alphon­sus, Pareus, Medus, Piscator, & alii. Interpreters do very unanimously carry it) we are to understand the last Trump, which shall usher in the resur­rection of the dead, and the day of judgment, wherefore vers. 18. 'tis said, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants, ‘the Pro­phets, and to thy Saints, and them that fear thy name small and great, and shouldst destroy them [Page 139] which destroy the earth.’ By all these Scriptures then it is abundantly evident, That the glorious kingdom which Christ with his Saints shall have upon earth, will not be till the great day of judg­ment. Only remember that the Scripture speaks of a first and a second resurrection, and so of a first and an ultimate judgment. For as in a day there is an evening and a morning, so in this great day, even the day of judgment, there is an evening and a morning: The one containeth that blessed thousand years Iohn speaketh of, the other containeth that space which shall be between the resurrection of the unjust, and the time when Christ shall give up his Mediatory kingdom, when God shall be all in all.

‘Youl say, but this is cold comfort for us, we expected a glorious time for the Saints upon earth to be at hand, but you tell us that that great glory promised to the Saints upon earth, when new Ie­rusalem cometh down from heaven, is not to be expected before the day of judgment.’

Answ. Truly I do tell you so, yet I trust not I, but the Lord; Nevertheless as for such of you as do indeed love and long for the appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ: I shall say two things to you which are full of admirable consolati­on. 1. ‘That the day of judgment is not so far off as the world imagines it is.’

Not that I can Lege August. Epist. ad He­sychium. any way approve of their presumption, who go a­bout to determine just­ly, how long it shall be to the day of judgment; [Page 140] Nay, if that principle which was Traditio D [...]mus Eli [...] Sic etiam R. Ketina & R. Ashe, qui fuit Author Talmud Baby­lon. An. Ch. 367. an ancient and common tradition amongst the Iews whilst they were yet the Church of God, and which from them many Learn­ed men Vide Alsted. Cronol. cap. 1. Cyprian ad Fortunatum Iren. l. 5. c. ult. Lactan. l. 7. c. 14. Gregor. in 1 Reg. 9. Corn. a Lapid. in Apoc c. 20. have taken up, should hold true, viz. That this world should continue six thousand years (according to the days of the week at the first creation) and that the 7th. thousand should be the glorious Sabbatism or rest upon earth which remaineth for the people of God, yet no one can tell justly when the day of judgment shal begin, for none can tell justly how old the world is. According to the The Author of Revelation revealed, thinks the world was 6000 years old above ten years since. And according to Epiphanius, Orosius, Ierom, Philo, Isidore, Eusebius, Nau­clerus, Bede, Suidas, Cuspinian, the world was above 5000 years old at the birth of Christ. Nay, according to Regi [...]mon­tanus, and Alphonsus, the world was then 6984. years old. Le­ge Alsted. Cronol. c. ult sic etiam Craconius, On [...]phrius, Gau [...]i­cus, Lauretus, & Martyrologi­um Romanu, lege Voet. Dis [...]ut. de tempore Nat. Christi. Drusii Notas in Sulp. Severum. l. 2. p. 251.252. account of some, the world is even now a­bove 6000 years old; According to the pre­sent Jewish Viz. That begun by R. Hittel, which maketh the world to be now 54 [...]7 years old. suppu­tation the world will not be so old near this 600 years; And others there are, Following the Samaritane Pentiteuch. who, upon very probable grounds, think that the world wanteth not an hundred years of being 6000 years old. Thus there is great [Page 141] variety in computations. Doubtless (as one ob­serveth) by this confusion in accounts, the Lord hath put a check to the ambitious and curious minds of men, who else would have been (as some have) too rashly determining the very time of Christ's co­ming to judge the world, whereas God will have that day to come upon all the earth like a snare. Nevertheless we may safely affirm in the general, that the time is nearer than most are aware of. E vicino Praecedit finem saculi mysteriosa illa populi Iu­daici conversio, de qua Apo­stolus. Rom. 11. &c. Za [...]ch. de fine saeculi. p. 88. Divines are wont to make the conversion of the Iews an immediate sign fore-running the day of judgment. Consider Rev. 11.14. ‘when the second wo is past, the third wo will come quickly.’ By that time the Iews conversion is well over, (if not before) the second wo will be past, that is to say, the Turk shall no more scourge the Christian world. Now after this, the third wo co­meth quickly, That is, the day of judgment, which will be the most terrible and woful day to a world of un­godly ones, that ever was since man was placed up­on the earth; ‘That day will burn as an Oven, and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble.’ Fur­thermore weigh in your thoughts this argument: The final destruction of Antichrist will not be until Jesus Christ come to judge the earth. So Daniel plainly expresseth it, that Antichrist must prevail more or less even till the Lords coming to judg­ment, Dan. 7.21, 22. And so saith the Apostle, 2 Thes. 2.8. ‘The Lord will consume the wicked one with the breath of his mouth, and [...]. In dis­crimine sunt [...] & [...]. Et signan­ter hic distinguuntur. Illud est tractim iminuere, hoc est fun­ditus tollere. Cocceius de An­tich. Dissert. p. 38. a­bolish him with the [Page 142] brightness of his co­ming.’ Mark here I pray you, There is a consumption to befal An­tichrist, and after that, an abolition; The con­sumption is to be by the breath of the Lords mouth, i. e. by the power of his word and spirit. Antichrist hath been in a deep consumption above these hun­dred years. Bellarmin De R. P. lib. 3. c. 22. complains that ever since the Protestants have taught that the Pope was Antichrist, his dominion hath been exceedingly diminished. But then there is an utter abolition of Antichrist yet to come, and that will be by the Epiphany of the Lords presence, the brightness of his co­ming, which even they Cartwright in his Cate­chism p. 324. Bradshaw in his Expos. on 2 Thes. See also Confessions of Helvetia and Auspurg. In Harm. of Confes. p. 88.103. Vide Pare. in A­poc. 19.20. Cujus verba sunt, Illustri adventu suo abolebit, Quod citra controversiam in­telligendum est de novissimo ad­ventu Domini ad Iudicium. that are far enough from any Millenary no­tion or opinion, do ne­vertheless (some of them) interpret of a personal coming to judgment: And indeed the day of judgment is usually signifyed by that expression, of the coming of the Lord, 2 Thes. 2.1. & 1 Cor. 16.22. If any love not the Lord Iesus Christ, which words are an Hebraism, the meaning is, if any maliciously blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, i. e. accursed; maranatha, i. e. the Lord cometh, the meaning is, let the curse of God remain upon him till dooms day. So that the day of [Page 143] judgment is signifyed by that expression of the Lords coming. Furthermore, in the 9th. Psalm, in the Title of the Psalm it is said to be upon Muth-labben, that is in English, the death of the son, what son is that, but the son of perdition, sc. Antichrist. Now in ver. 7, 8. ‘It is said the Lord hath prepared his Throne for judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judg­ment to the people in uprightness.’ So that when Muth-labben, when the death of the son of perdition shall come, the Lord will sit upon his Throne judg­ing the world. But the final ruine of Antichrist cannot be far off. It is certain that the time, times, and half a time allowed for Antichrists reign is very far spent; therefore the day of judgment draws on apace. Now what a most comfortable meditation is this? Amen, even so, come Lord Iesus, come quick­ly!

‘2. Consider, That there will be a glorious in­choation and first fruits of that kingdom which the Saints shall possess at the great day, even before Christ cometh from heaven to judge the earth.’ For the Iews (as hath been shewed) shall be con­verted before the day of judgment. And Rome (though not the whole Antichristian state) will be destroyed before the coming of Christ; and the resurrection of the two witnesses will take place before the sounding of the 7th. even towards the conclusion of the 6th. Trumpet. Consider Rev. 11.11, 12. So that there must be an heaven established in the world which shall put great respect upon the slain and silenced witnesses of Jesus Christ, h. e. God will shake the European Nations (this once more he will shake not the earth only, but the hea­ven) [Page 144] until he hath brought forth such higher powers as shall promote the interest of Jesus Christ and his Saints. That I take to be meant by heaven, even an higher power. For so the Prophetical strain runs. Hence the ruine of the King of Babylon is described by saying, how art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer ▪ and the destruction of the state of Idumea is set forth by saying, the Lord will hath his sword in heaven, the overthrow of the Roman Pagan higher powers is called a departure of the heavens as a scroll: And hence it is said, Rev. 12.8. The Dragon found no more place in heaven, i. e. Pagans were no more suffered to be in any place of Authority, &c. Thus when it is said, that the witnesses must hear a great voice from heaven, it argueth that an higher power shall be established in the world, which will highly advance and honour the faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. Now by comparing the word and works of God to­gether. I cannot but be perswaded, that the Lord is even now about to bring this great work to pass, though in such a way as shall astonish all the earth. It may be in such a way, and by such means as that you read of Iudg. 7.22. And 2 Chron. 20.23. How­ever sure it is, that when the witnesses are raised, 'tis by a spirit of life from God, h. e. the thing will be effected by the mighty wonder-working hand of Divine Providence. Likewise this work must be brought to pass suddenly and unexpectedly, which may possibly be intended when it is said, Rev. 11.12. The witnesses ascended in a cloud, h. e. not only with the acclamations of a multitude, as thick as clouds, Isa. 60.8. Heb. 12.1. but suddenly and unexpect­edly. For the clouds fly swiftly, and when the hea­ven is clear many times, speedily and unexpectedly [Page 145] it is over-spread with clouds. Therefore in the Prophetical strain, a sudden and strange event is signifyed by the notion of a cloud. Consider Ier. 4.13. & Isa. 19.1.

Thus have we done with the Doctrinal part of this great Truth, concerning Israels salvation. We pro­ceed now (as the Lord shall help) to infer some Uses from the Doctrine delivered.

‘Use 1. Is it so that the time will surely come when all Israel shall partake of such a salvation as that which hath been spoken of? Hence then it fol­loweth, that we should labour to be acquainted with these Truths which do concern the Mystery of God in Israels salvation.’ Indeed if these things were cunningly devised fables, or if they were but the uncertain conjectures of men, we might be held excused, though we should not be­stow precious time in looking into them; but in­asmuch as they are things that shall surely come to pass, the evil will be great if we should not look into these holy Mysteries. We may say of these things, as the Prophet Daniel spake concerning that dream which God sent upon Nebuchadnezar, Dan. 2.45. ‘the dream is certain, and the interpretation there­of is sure.’ Now part of that dream was concern­ing the kingdom of Jesus Christ, first, as a little stone, by the power of his word and spirit, sub­duing the world; and after that as a great mountain filling the whole earth. So that there will a time come when the kingdom of Christ shall be esta­blished all the earth over, the thing is certain and sure. And therefore Iohn (or Christ by Iohn) speak­ing concerning that new heaven, and new earth [Page 146] which shall be when part of heaven shall come down upon the earth, sc. when new Ierusalem shall come down from God out of heaven, saith, Rev. 2 [...].6. These sayings are faithful and true, h. e. they [...] such things as God will faithfully and truly perform, that nothing shall be unfulfilled of all those sayings which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. There­fore these are sayings not to be neglected.

Now in the prosecution of this Use, two things may be attended. 1. To lay down some Motives to stir us up to search into these mysterious things. 2. Some Rules of direction to be observed, in or­der to attaining the knowledge thereof.

‘For Motives consider 1. The divine excel­lency which is in these mysterious truths.’ Indeed all truth is of a divine original. God is the Author of all truth, because he is the Author of all being, and truth and being are the same: As all goodness is originally from the goodness of God, so all truth is originally from the truth of God: Hence God is called, the God of truth, and his spirit, the spirit of truth; because Veritas a quocun (que) est, a spiritu sancto est. Ambros. Prophetae Daemonum si vera lo­quantur, ista veritas est a spiri­tu sancto. Vide Raimund. Bre­gan. de Theol. Gent. c. 12. all truth is from God, and from his spirit. But e­specially this is true concerning those truths that cannot be known by the book of the creature, but only by the book of Scripture: and most of all is this true concerning Prophetical Scripture. All Scri­pture is given by inspiration of God; but this is eminently to be affirmed of the prophesies con­tained in the Scriptures of truth, 2 Pet. 1.20, 21. Hence the prophetical book of the new Testament [Page 147] is called by the name of Revelation, Rev. 1.1. The revelation of Iesus Christ; why Revelation? but be­cause the things contained in that book, had never been known amongst the sons of men, had it not been for the extraordinary Revelation of the spirit of Christ. As the Gospel is said to be by revelation, Gal. 1.12. because the mysteries of the Gospel are not learned out of the book of Nature. So the pro­phesies of God's word are called Revelation, because the things therein contained had never been known unto the world, but by and from the Revelation of the spirit.

Besides, it is evident, that there is some peculiar excellency in these mysteries which concerns the glory of Christs kingdom upon earth, because it hath been the great design of Satan to obscure, and darken, and hide these truths from the world. From the great subtilty of Satan it hath come to pass that some men of very corrupt minds have asserted that Messias shall have a glorious kingdom upon the earth, Some So say Eusebius and Au­stin. But it may be questioned whether Cerinthus did indeed hold any such opinion, for neither Irenaeus, nor Tertulli­an, nor yet Epiphanius do mention any such thing to be amongst the Errours of Ce­rinthus. say that Cerinthus (adding to this opinion carnal and he­retical delusions) did so maintain; to be sure he was a very desperate Heretick, and may be one of those Antichrists which the Apostle speak­eth of when he saith, that many Antichrists were then come, 1 Iohn 2.18. Likewise the Iews in their Talmud have many gross and carnal conceits about the temporal glory of Messias his kingdom. So [Page 148] have many [...]hat are of the fifth-Monarchy perswasion. So had those monstrous De quibus legantur Span­hemius in Histor. Narr. & Sleid [...]n. Comment. vide quo (que) Zuinglium de Authoribus se­dition [...]m. German Anabaptists which were stirred up by the Devil to oppose the Reformation in Lu­thers days. And there is a Viz. Fratres Roseae cru­cis. V [...]deat cui vacat Epist. Dedic. ante Fratris Rogeri Ba­conis Epistolam. Sed detestabi­lem hujus Sectae Idolatriam pas­sim in Disputationibus ostendit Clariss. Voetius. Ac hisce Fra­ [...]ribus addi possint Weigeliani, Paracelsistae, Fran. P [...]ccius, &c. Vide Hornbeck Apol. Pro Eccles. Christian. p. 84. Popish Sect at this present, which doth maintain that there will be a glorious restitution of all things here below. Now by this means Sa­tan hath greatly prevail­ed to keep the world in ignorance of the true glory of these mysteries; for many good men are apt to think with themselves, what? shall we be­lieve that the Saints shall have a glorious reign up­on earth? that's an opinion which Hereticks have held, which savours of Iudaism, which such and such disorderly persons have been taken with, and so Sa­tan hath his design in keeping many godly souls from enjoying the comfort of these truths. This then sheweth, that there is some divine excellency in these mysteries, otherwise the wicked one would not so envy Gods children the knowledge of these things. Again, it is evident, that there is an ex­cellency in these truths, because of the difficulty which is in coming to the clear understanding of them.

It is an usual observa­tion, that [...]. Arist. precious things are attained with [Page 149] much difficulty; so may we say concerning truths▪ as well as things, precious truths are found out with much difficulty. The sweetest kernel is many times hid under the hardest shell: even so before a man come to the kernel of these truths, there's an hard shell to be broken which will cost some pains and difficulty. I say there is difficulty and obscurity in these truths. Hence, 2 Pet. 3.16. In which (saith the Apostle) are some things hard to be understood. The Antecedent to that relative [which] is not Epistles, but things (for Lectionem amplector quam pieri (que) codices sequuntur ut [...] non [...] legatur. Heinsius. See the Dutch-An­no [...]. in loc. the Greek is [...], and not [...], h. e. those things concerning the Lords coming to judge the world, and to create the new heaven, & the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Our belo­ved Brother Paul, saith Peter, hath spoken not only in his Epistle unto Viz. Hebr. 1.6. & 2.5. & 12.14, 28, 29. you Hebrews, but in all the rest of his Epistles concerning the coming of Christ to judge the world, and to set up his glo­gious kingdom upon the earth, in which things there are some matters hard to be understood. Moreover, this is wont to be noted as one difference between truths fundamental and extra-fundamental. In that, as for fundamental truths, the knowledge of them is easily attained▪ As he Hilary. said of old, In per­spicuo & facili stat aeterni­tas. Truths absolutely necessary to salvation are clear and easie to be discerned: whereas extra-fun­damental [Page 150] truths are many times involved in great diff [...]culties and obscurities. And of this sort are the truths which concern that glorious visible kingdom which Jesus Christ shall one day possess upon the earth. Let no one say, then we will not labour after the knowledge of these truths, if they are of a cir­cumstantial nature only: By the same reason you may say that you will not labour to be acquainted with the order which God hath appointed for the Government of his Church which is his house, be­cause the knowledge of those things is extra-funda­mental; yet surely we should labour to be ac­quainted not only with matters of faith, but of order; not only with matters of Doctrine, but with matters of Worship and Discipline: But inasmuch as these truths concerning Christs kingdom are ex­tra-fundamental, therefore the knowledge of them is difficult▪ And inasmuch as the knowledge of them is difficult, therefore the truths are excel­lent.

Furthermore it is evident, that there is a pecu­liar excellency in these truths, because the right knowledge of them maketh one blessed. See Rev. 1.3. Blessed is he that readeth, i. e. he that rightly in­terpeteth: we call the interpretation of a Riddle the reading of it, so the interpretation of prophe­sies (which are Riddles before their accomplish­ment) is the reading of them, and they that hear the words of this prophesie, h. e. they that hear one rightly interpreting the words of that prophesie. Now where can you find amongst all the books of God, the like solemn encouragement to the reading and study thereof? what other boo [...] is there in all the Bible that begins so, Blessed is he that understandeth [Page 151] this book? Therefore undoubtedly there is a divine and glorious excellency more than ordinary in the truths contained in that Book which is a more full declaration of the Mystery of God revealed unto the holy Prophets.

‘Consid. 2. It is no small evil to be willingly ig­norant of these divine and holy mysteries.’ Indeed when men are ignorant through weakness or inabi­lity [...]odiscern the truth, God will many times pass by such weakness as that is: But if ignorance be either through prejudice conceived against the truth, o [...] through a spirit of sloth and negligence whence a man will not take pains to come unto the know­ledge of the truth, it is a very provoking sin. ‘What saith the Apostle? 2 Pet. 1.19. we have a [...]ure word of prophesie, whereunto you do well that you take heed:’ But what then shall we think of those who as to the word of prophesie they give no heed unto it? certainly they do not do well, but they do very ill. Some there are that as to the word of exhortation or practise, that they take heed unto, and that is so far well, but as to the word of know­ledge or prophesie, they never heed that, in which neglect they do not well; but ill. Certainly if it be a duty incumbent upon those to whom the Lord hath committed the word, to preach of these truths concerning the restauration of Israel, then it must needs be a duty incumbent upon people to seek af­ter the knowledge of these truths. But the former of these is true, Ier. 31.10. ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O ye Nations, and declare it in the Isles afar off, and say, he that scattered Israel will ga­ther him.’ As if the Lord had said, as for you that are the publishers of my word amongst the [Page 152] Gentiles, you that are employed in sounding the Trumpet of the everlasting Gospel amongst the Nations, see that you do not neglect to declare these truths amongst them, which concern the salvation of Israel. Therefore people ought to be acquai [...]d with such truths as these are. Indeed men do ill as to themselves, they wrong themselves exceedingly when they neglect to search into these very truths: For it is said, 2 Tim. 3.16. That all Scripture is pro­fitable, therefore they that neglect prophetical Scri­pture, sin against their own spiritual profit and ad­vantage. And Rom. 15.4. The Apostle saith not that some things only, ‘but that whatsoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning.’ He doth not say that matters of pra­ctice were written for our learning, but as for mat­ters of prophesie they were written for no bodies learning; the Apostle never spake such a word as that, but he affirms the quite contrary: But especi­ally the evil of this neglect appears, in that it is great ingratitude unto the most high God for the riches of his grace in condescending to make known his counsels unto the Sons of men. Shall Iehovah, who humbleth himself to look upon the things that are done in heaven, condescend so infinitely as to make known his eternal counsels unto men upon the earth. And shall he speak unto us concerning this Mystery of the restitution of all things, not only by one, or two, or three, but by the mouth of all his Prophets? And yet shall we mortals be so ungrate­ful, and so wretched, as to take no notice of what the Lord hath spoken? shall they be as words spo­ken in the air? shall we let these truths lie by us as if they were of no use? God forbid that it should [Page 153] be so. One would think that every one should ra­ther be taken with admiration at the infinite grace of God, as David was, Lord! (saith he) that thou shouldst speak to me of things to come: So it should af­fect our hearts, [...] God should speak unto us of things [...] come▪ therefore not to mind [...] be an evil very hainous and pro [...]oking.

‘C [...]sider [...]. That a gracious soul may have much spiritual delight and comfort in diving into these mysterious truths. Iohn had experience of this, Rev. 10.10. when I ate the book, it was in my mouth sweet as honey.’ It is true, that when the book was in his belly, it was bitter, the meaning of which may be, that bitter afflictions should befal the Church during the reign of Antichrist, and in re­spect of those calamitous events, the book is said to be bitter in his belly. But in his mouth it was sweet as honey, to signifie to us that the understanding of prophesies is a most sweet and comfortable thing. And thus also the Prophet Ieremy, Chap. 31.26. ‘upon this I awaked, and beheld, and my sleep was sweet unto me, h. e. he had newly had a Vision concerning the salvation of all the Tribes of Israel, and upon this, his sleep was sweet unto him.’ As sleep is a marvellous comfor­table and Tale tuum carmen nobis divine Poeta-Quale s [...]por fes­sis, &c. refreshing thing unto a man that is weary, so was the con­templation of Israels salvation a marvellous refresh­ing to the blessed soul of the holy Prophet. The truth is, that whilst a man is dwelling upon these meditations, he is as it were in heaven upon earth, he hath fellowship with the Angels in heaven; [Page 154] whence the Angel said unto Iohn, I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the Prophets. When men of God in former times have had their minds taken up with divine Visions, Angels of God have been with them; [...] so it is with the servants of God at this day, though the Ministery of the holy Angels be more secret, spiritual and invisible, than some­times formerly. When the servants of the Lord are reading, or writing, or meditating, or praying concerning these Mysteries to the great God of Heaven and Earth, the blessed Angels are standing by them all the time; and no doubt but that the se­ven spirits which stand before the Throne of God, are instruments of much grace and peace towards his servants, especially when they are ingaged in such a work as this is: But there is that which is bet­ter than fellowship with Angels, even communion with the blessed holy God is to be enjoyed in these Meditations. Yea, much of God is to be seen and felt in these studies. It is said that the Lord hath made darkness pavillions round about him, 2 Sam. 22.12. ‘And doth not Solomon say, 2 Chron. 6.1. The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick dark­ness, even so it is most true, that God dwelleth in the dark prophesies of his word.’ There he is to be seen, there are the breathings of his spirit, there is a presence of God that is unutterable.

And this I may affirm to you, that if there be any man which hath not had communion with God in looking into these Mysteries (which Angels love to pry into) either it is because he hath no grace in his soul, and these Mysteries indeed are such things as an unregenerate heart can find no sap, nor favour in them. They are the deep things of the spirit of [Page 155] God, which being spiritually discerned, the natural man cannot see any beauty in them; nay, his heart secretly riseth against them; or else it is because of ignorance and unacquaintedness with the truth of these Mysteries, that a man seeth not much of God in them. And so it is too sadly true, that some of the Lords own children may have very low and un­worthy thoughts concerning these Mysteries, scil ▪ through their weakness and ignorance in the Truth. Thus we read concerning the Disciples themselves, Luke 24.11. that when they were told of Christs Resurrection, they looked upon those words as idle tales, and believed them not: So there are that look upon the things that concern the first Resurrection as dreams not to be believed. As if these things were only the airy, empty speculations of some men with notions above the clouds: But as for those whose understandings God hath opened to conceive and re­ceive these truths they see a glory in them above the world, that eye hath not seen, nor tongue can ex­press.

‘Consider 4. That the time wherein the Myste­ry of God shall be finished draweth on apace. The salvation of all Israel, it is now near to be re­vealed.’ And this is a marvellous incouragement, to look into this Mystery of Israels salvation. For inasmuch as the time of fulfilling prophesies it at hand, we may hope that they shall be unsealed unto those whose hearts are set upon them, Rev. 22.10. and Chap. 10. ver. 11. It was said to Iohn, Thou must prophesie again; what is the meaning of that? Is it (as Sic Andreas & qui [...]um sequuntur. some have thought) that Iohn should [Page 156] be again sent into the world before the last day? I do not think so. Though something may be said to prove that Mede. Iohn Bap­tist shall be raised from▪ the dead a little before the day of judgment, to be an instrument of con­verting the Jewish Nation, yet there's no reason to believe so concerning Iohn the Apostle. The mea­ning then of those words, thou shalt prophesie again, may be, Mr. Cotton in loc. in M. S. [...]. In hanc sententiam ire vi­dentur, Pareus, & Lawenus, & Burroughs, in Hos. 1. that there will a time come, when the gift of inte [...]eting prophetical Scripture shall be wonderfully re­vived in the Church, that the book of Revelation shall be interpreted and understood as clearly al­most, as if Iohn himself were here to preach of these things: And when should this time be, if not when the prophesies are come to their birth? well, but how doth it appear that the Mystery of God will shortly be finished? This is manifest, because the signs fore-running the accomplishment of the My­stery of God in the glorious salvation of all Israel are already working, what sign? what token of this day can you think of, but that it is even now appear­ing? I'le mention (by the help of Christ) two things unto you, that are signs of this great and no­table day of the Lord being near. 1. ‘When the Virgins, not only foolish, but wise also are a­sleep; this is a sign that the Mystery of God shall be finished ere long, Matth. 25.5, 6. whilst the Bridegroom tarryed, they all slumbred and slept, and at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the Bridegroom cometh:’ So then, when the wise [Page 157] Virgins are asleep, amongst the rest, this is a sign that Jesus Christ is coming (not to the ultimate judgment, but) as a Bridegroom. This is a sign that the great and blessed Nuptials draw on apace, concerning which Christ spake at the Institution of the Lords Supper, saying, ‘I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new i. e. not corporally, but after a spiritual and new kind of manner, in the kingdom of God, Mark 14.25.’ Consider also Rev. 19.6, 7. ‘There was the voice of a great multitude, saying, Allelu­jah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her self ready:’ When once the Iews are converted, then will this voice be heard; then will the Lambs Wife be made ready for the Marriage. Now I say, the fore-going sign of this, is sleeping amongst the Virgins. And alas is it not so now? Are not all the Virgins asleep? what else meaneth that strange spirit of worldliness that possesseth and prevaileth upon great Professors? Lamentable! Professors are ready to comply with any thing, though it be to the straining of their consciences; what say they? we must be wise, we must be wise: and though the wisdom of the Serpent, devoures the in­nocency of the Dove, they care not. Any thing to save an estate; what though the men we have to do withal be the enemies of God, and of his Saints, yet say they, Let us comply as far as ever we can. I do declare unto you, that, the Lord Jesus is coming to shake men out of these slumbers. Is it now a time to use base compliances, to save an Estate, when all mens Estates are going to wrack and ruine? Now must you needs have great things for [Page 158] selves, when the Stars cannot keep themselves in hea­ven? I pray God for you, that when the Lord Je­sus cometh, you be not blamed and shamed before all the world.

‘2ly, The present Tumults and shakings of the Nations are a sign, that the Mystery of God shall be finished ere long, and that the kingdom shall become the Lord's all the world over.’ Certain­ly I do believe that this earthquake which the Lord of heaven and earth hath now begun, will not be o­ver until Babylon fall and rise no more. A few years ago there was a strange calm upon the world; what was that a sign of? Truly, that calm, which was on the earth six or seven years ago, was a prog­nostick of the Earthquake wherein the witnesses shall be raised, and a tenth part of the City shall fall. Consider the Scriptures, see Psal. 46. (which some are wont to call Luthers Psalm, because Luther was much delighted in the reading and singing thereof.) Now in the Title of the Psalm it is said to be upon [...]. de Secretis filii. Arab. Consule Ainsworth on Tit. istius Psalmi. Alamoth, what is that? the word cometh from the He­brew Alam, which signi­fyeth hid or secret, Vide Kircheri Concord. part 2. p. 791. and therefore the seven­ty Interpreters render the word [...], i. e. upon the hidden things: So then from the Title of the Psalm we may gather, that when the things therein spoken do come to pass, it is a sign that the Mysteries of God, even that Mystery which hath been hid in God, as the Apostle speaketh, is fulfilling and finishing. Now see ver. 8. Behold the works of God, what desolations he [Page 159] hath made in the earth. Is not this Scripture fulfil­ling? Is not the Lord making desolations in the earth? we may gather thence, that the [...], the hidden things of the Mystery of God are finishing apace. Consider also ver. 9. ‘He maketh Wars to cease unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear insunder, he burneth the chae­riot in fire:’ There shall such a day as this come upon the earth, even a day wherein the Nations shall learn War no more; but before this day there must be terrible doings and desolations made upon the earth, as a sign of that glorious tranquillity, which the most high (whose method of divine pro­vidence, is to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, order out of confusion, peace out of war) will establish on the earth. I may tell you therefore, that dreadful wars, confused noise, and garments rolled in bloud, are a sign of Christ's appearing to establish his kingdom on the Earth. I remember Lactantius de Divino Praemio l. 7. c. 19. Lactantius (who li­ved in the third Centu­ry) hath a saying, that before the Lord Jesus come from Heaven to set up his glorious kingdom here below, there shall a sword fall from heaven to the earth, whereby the Saints then living (saith he) shall gather courage, as knowing that ere long, their Lord will come to redeem them out of the hands of all that hate them. Now this is come to pass at this day, there is a sword fallen from Heaven to the Earth, the God of Heaven and Earth hath put all the world into a bloudy frame of revenge and war one against another. Therefore let the Saints lift up their heads, and let them know that the Lord is coming, [Page 160] is coming, is coming. The great and terrible day of the Lord, it is near, it is near, wherein the mighty man shall cry bitterly.

I might also tell you, that direful and astonish­ing desolations by fire, are a sign that the time is at hand wherein the Mystery of God shall be finished. Consider Rev. 16.8. ‘the Angel of the fourth vial hath power given him to scorch men with fire.’ Now then if the Angel that hath power to hurt with fire be in the dreadful execution of his commission, what shall we gather from thence? Ante Rome ruinam eruen­tur funditus Civitates, interi­bunt igni, &c. Lactant. ubi supra. c. 16. Truly that Romes turn is next. Therefore it followeth ver. 10. ‘the fifth An­gel poured out his vial upon the seat of the Beast.’

Now is it not so at this day, that the world seem­eth to be all on fire? Did not providence a few days since bring unto our ears doleful and Viz. The doleful news of Londons conflagration which came hither a few days since. This was Preached 1^mi 1^mo. 1666/7. exa­nimating tydings, that a fire is broke forth in Gods anger wh [...]ch hath burnt to the foundations of the mountains? that now we may say unto God, how terrible art thou in thy works? the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens! ‘The voice of the Lord is calling upon us, saying, come and see the works of God, he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men.’ But though this calamity be heavy, yet be comforted, in that these awful tre­mendos dispensations are such, as that by the light of this fire we may see the vial full of the wrath of God [Page 161] is ready to be poured upon the head of Rome. Ye [...], such things as these, they are a sign, not only of Christ's providential coming to destroy Rome, but also (which will follow not long after that) of his perso­sonal coming to begin that long, and last, and great day, when the Saints shall judge the world, Acts 2.19, 20. There must be wonders in Heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, bloud, and fire, and vapour of smoke, before that great and notable day of the Lord co­meth: what's the meaning of all this? part of the meaning of it may be, that there shall be strange and terrible Tossanus & Strigelius in loc. Voetius. Disp. part. 1. p. 609. & part. 2 p. 921. prodi­gies in heaven and earth, to signifie that Christs coming to judgment draw­eth on apace.

Bloud may note the turning of water into bloud: Fire, that there shall be strange fiery Meteors, flashes of fire in a fearful manner seen in the Hea­vens; vapour of smoke, may signifie terrible Comets, which (some say) the Hebrews of old, were wont to call by the name of a Mede on Ioh [...] 10.20. vide etiam Grot. in Ioel 2.30. Zanch. de oper. Dei. ubi de cometis. pillar of smoke. But be­sides this, bloud may note a bloudy sword; and fire terrible devastations by burning, and (possibly) vapour of smoke Vaporem fumi, i e. urbium incendia. Melancthon. may signifie burnings by fire also. Now then, is this the day of bloud and fire? The Lord then is roaring from on high, to give us warning, that the great and notable day is coming. One Scripture more let me mention be­fore I pass off from this, viz. Hag. 2.6, 7. ‘Thus [Page 162] saith the Lord of hosts, yet once it is a little while, and I will shake the Heaven, and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land, and I will shake all Nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.’ The words are true concerning the second coming of the Messias, as well as concerning his first co­ming. Observe now, I will shake Heaven and Earth, i. e. the whole The Hebrews of old were wont to express that by those two words, of Heaven and Earth, which we express by one word of the world. Vide Castellion. Annot. in 2 Pet. 3. & Med [...] Paraphrasin. world. Particularly, consider what is said. I will shake the heaven, saith God. Is not this come to pass? Are not the powers of heaven shaking? I am perswaded, that who ever liveth a while longer, will hear that the Stars are falling down from heaven, like untimely figs from a shaken tree. And the earth; Is not this ful­filling also? Do you not feel an earthquake at this day? Is not the Lord arising to shake terribly the earth? The earth is moved exceedingly, the earth reeleth to and fro, the earth is clean dissolved, the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. And the Sea; Is not this sign also fulfilling? what roarings have there been upon the Sea of late? Is not the day of the Lord upon the Ships of Tarshish? How are men afraid to venture upon the Sea? because God is shaking not only the dry Land, but the Sea? I will shake all Nations; Is not this also fulfilling? God hath allarumed all the Nations, do you not hear the rushing of the Nati­ons? when were all the Nations in such a posture? Europe, Asia, Africa, America, all are in a tumult. [Page 163] The Lord hath allarm'd them all. Men know not where now to go; they cannot think of what Na­tion to transport themselves unto, but the shaking of God will take hold on them in that Nation. Now, these are signs, that he who is the desire of the Elect amongst all Nations will come ere long. Amen, even so, come, come, come Lord Iesus!

‘Consider 5. That some of us are under special advantage to understand these mysterious truths of God;’ That is to say, such of us as are in an exi­led condition in this wilderness. Indeed some came hither upon worldly accounts, but others there are that came into this wilderness purely up­on spiritual accounts; (yea, and that continue here upon no other account) that so they might bear witness not only against the Name of the Beast, and against his character, but also against his Number (which some good men may be polluted with, though as to the character of the Beast, no good man can receive that) which is the number not of an Angel, but of a man, h. e. that so they might bear wit­ness against all humane inventions in the worship of God, who is exceeding jealous as to the manner and means, as well as in respect to the matter of his worship. Now such of you (I speak to some such this day) may hope that God will discover much of his counsel to you, if in his fear you search into what he hath declared by his servants the Pro­phets. Where was Iohn when he had the Revelation of Iesus Christ? He was, by reason of Ita scribitur in Codice A­rabico. v. Alsted. C [...]onol. p. 26. & Euseb. Hist. l. 3. c. 16. Domiti­an the King, banished in­to the Isle of Patmos, Rev. 1.9. So Daniel and Ezekiel were exiles, when they [Page 164] saw Visions of God. And I have often thought up­on that which is said, Rev. 17.3. Namely, that John was led into the wilderness to see the destruction of Rome: What should be the meaning of that? A Learned Viz. That famous Mr. Ro­bert Parker in his Exposition of the 4. Vial. man and faithful servant of Jesus Christ long since conjectured: ‘That therefore some Land should be brought into a very desolate wilderness-condition; and he believed it would be a Protestant Country; yea, and that this de­solation would be by fire, out of which desolated Land, the ruine of Rome shall arise suddenly and unexpectedly.’ This I mention because of the pre­sent workings of providence, and God doth some­times give strange hints to his eminent servants, of what he will do long be­fore hand. But Brightman in loc. ano­ther thinketh that Iohn's being led into the wilderness to see Romes destru­ction, may signifie, that some faithful ones of God in a wilderness, shall have a wonderful discovery of those things made unto them. God hath led us into a wilderness, and surely it was not because the Lord hated us, but because he loved us, that he brought us hither into this Ieshimon. Who knoweth but that he may send down his spirit upon us here, if we con­tinue faithful before him? These then are the Mo­tives to stir us up to search into these Mysterious truths.

‘Quest. You will say, but how shall we do to understand them?’ Now that is the second thing to be attended in the prosecution of this Use. For answer, such rules as these are to be observed.

[Page 165] ‘1. He that would understand these mysteries, must be convinced that they are things intelligi­ble.’ For this is that which discourageth and keeps off many from looking into these Truths, that they think with themselves there's nothing of certainty in these things, all Interpretations of prophetical mysteries are but conjectural, &c. But as the Apo­stle speaks of unbelieving prayer, let not him that asketh doubting, ‘think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord:’ So I say in this case; If a man be indeed of that perswasion, that there is no­th [...]ng demonstrative in these mysteries, let not such a man think that he shall be able to understand any thing to purpose in these mysteries. I beseech you consider, if it were true which some men of carnal and slothful spirits would make the world believe, that the book of Revelation is a book not possible to be understood, would the spirit of God pronounce them blessed, who read (i. e. rightly interpret) it? can any man be blessed for reading himself he knows not what, things that no one can under­stand? Their sloth and sin is very great that do so imagine. Besides, the Lord Jesus Christ hath pro­cured, that the book should be unsealed, Rev. 5.4, 5. Therefore let not any Disciple of Christ be terrify­ed with the obscurity of these mysteries, for Christ hath and will unseal the book. It is indeed true, that there is difficulty and In Apocalypsi Quot ver [...]a tot sacramenta. Hieron. in E­pist. ad Paulin. Res divinae multum habent caliginis. Cato. darkness, not a little in prophetical my­steries, for they are the deep things of the spirit of God: Nevertheless, they are knowable, though the knowledge of them be [Page 166] with difficulty. Hence our Saviour rebuked those which had no discerning of the signs of the times; therefore there are signs of the times whereby the fulfilling of prophesies may be discerned; other­wise, our blessed Saviour would never have been so severe in his holy rebukings of those that wanted this discerning.

‘2. He that would have good understanding in the Mystery of God, must be sure to walk before the Lord in simplicity, and in godly sincerity.’ Sin­cerity, truth of grace will do much to help one in this case. Hence it is observable, that Christ when he blamed the Pharisies for their ignorance in the signs of the times, he doth not call them fools and blind, as oft he did, and as they deserved; but he calls them Hyp [...]crites. Matth. 16.3. ‘O ye hypocrites, ye cannot discern the signs of the times, q. d.’ If you had sincerity, you would discern the signs of the times; but because you are graceless hypocrites, you discern them not. And Matth. 13.11. Christ saith unto his sincere Disciples ‘It is given unto you to know the Mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.’ It was given unto them to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel and kingdom of grace; likewise it was given unto them to understand the Mysterie of the kingdom of the Messias, in making all things new, that by the second Adam the world might at last be restored unto that glorious conditi­on in the which it was created for the first Adam. This is a Mystery of the kingdom indeed, which the world understands but little of in truth. See also Dan. 12.10. None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. The wicked shall not per­ceive what God is doing in the world, when he is [Page 167] fulfilling what he hath spoken of by his Prophets. Though the works of God, and the word of God, speak plainly enough unto those that have their hearts set upon the truth, to know it; yet as for profane and hypocrites, their minds shall be blind­ed, and their hearts hardned, that they shall not see nor believe, but the wise, i. e. the righteous (for he, and only he, is a wise man in the account of God and Scripture, who is a sincere righteous man) shall understand. See Hos. 14. last. Hence the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 8.3. If any man love God, the same is taught: (So Beza. the words may be rendred) of God; That's a man that is like to be taught of God, who hath sincerity of love and grace in his heart towards God.

‘Yea 3. If a man would have good understand­ing in these Mysterious truths, then he should la­bour for much grace.’ Not only for sincerity, but for a large measure of the spirit of grace. All the Prophets of God were very holy men, Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit, even so they that would understand the Mystery of God, which he hath declared by his servants the Prophets, had need be very holy: For unto whom will God discover his counsels, but unto those whom he lo­veth most? As it is amongst men, a wise man will not communicate his secret counsels to every one, but unto such as he hath a peculiar affection for, and delight in; even so we may be sure, the blessed God will not discove [...] [...] secret counsels (which have been hidd [...] from the foundation of the world) to every one: [...] unto such as he hath a peculiar respect for. Hence Iohn, that had the Revelation, [Page 168] was the beloved Disciple; And Daniel was a man great­ly beloved: And that is very observable, which the Lord himself speaketh concerning Abraham, Gen. 18.17. The Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do? I am, saith God, about to bring great changes, strange and dreadful overturnings in the world, for which my name and dread shall be spoken of to all Generations, and shall I [...] let Abraham know of it? a man so dear unto me as A­braham is, shall I not tell him o [...] the thing which I purpose to do?

So that they whom the Lord loveth most, are like to have the clearest Visions and discoveries of his counsels. Now God loveth those most, who have most of the grace of his spirit in their souls. It is true, that as for God's love of benevolence, it is without any respect unto grace in the creature, whilst the elect of God are in their bloud, the Lord beareth unto them a love of good will: But as for his love of complacency or delight, that is more or less according as men have more or less grace in their souls, whereby they love and fear God. See Psal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and it is his Covenant: (So the words may be read, and so many [...]. Septuag. Inter. Vi [...]esis Targum, Vers. Vulg. Lat. & Athiopicam in Bibl. Polyglot. Inter­preters carry it) to make them know it, h. e. It is the Covenant of God to make them that fear him know his secret; what secret is that? Truly there are secrets of the love and grace of God, secrets of communion with God, which others know nothing of, but they that fear him are acquainted with them: There are also se­crets [Page 169] of the works of God, Mysteries of divine pro­vidence, as well as mysteries of grace, which he ac­quaints them with that fear him, that they shall know what God is doing, and about to do in the world, though others know nothing of these mat­ters. Therefore the way to have much acquaintance with the secret of the Lord, is to get much of the fear of the Lord. They that are such as Nehemiah saith of Hananiah, chap. 7. ver. 2. even faithful men, and fearing God above many, are like to know much of his counsel. Therefore labour for much grace, Superbo oculo veritas non videtur, sincero Patet. Bem. Serm. 62. in Cant. espe­cially for much of that grace which maketh a man nothing in his own eyes. Paul, though he was a man, in respect of Learning and other gifts of Gods spirit extraordinary; yet he saith concerning him­self, I am nothing. Now Paul was one that had an a­bundance of the Revelations and Visions of God. See Psal. 25.9. Prov. 11.2.

‘4. He that would have a clear and good un­derstanding in the mysteries of God, must be dili­gent in the use of all means appointed for that end.’ For we must not think to attain unto this knowledge by extraordinary Visions and Revela­tions, because the word of God, if we will be dili­gent in comparing God's word, and his works to­gether, is sufficient to instruct us; yea, even the Prophets themselves did use great diligence in searching into this mystery of God concerning the new world (of which you have heard) as when it should begin, and how it should be carryed on, &c. 1 Pet. 10.11. And the Lord Christ gave the Prophet Ezekiel a charge to be intent in looking into these very Mysteries, Chap. 40. ver. 4.

[Page 170]If you ask, but what means shall we use to get un­derstanding in these Mysteries? I answer,

1. Reading and meditation is one good means, that by the blessing of God may help you to much under­standing. Hence Dan. 9.2. I (saith the Prophet) understood by books that seventy years should be accomplish­ed, &c. Daniel, though he were himself a Licet ipse Daniel Propheta esset & doctor Ecclesia, non gravatus fuit Ieremiae discipu­ [...]us fieri & ex ipsius libris Pro­ficere. Polan. in loc. Prophet, yet he disdain­ed not to make use of the books written by Ieremy, that so he might understand the counsel of God concerning the Tribes of Israel which then were.

‘2. Discourses and holy conferences about these matters would be an excellent means to at­tain unto a right understanding in them.’ The Prophet Malachy saith, ‘that they that feared the Lord spake [...]ten one to another.’ And truly, if they that fear God when they meet together, in­stead of worldly discourse, or vain unprofitable dis­course, and foolish questions which gender strife, would speak one to another in a serious manner concerning [...] glorious kingdom of Christ, in the day when he shall restore the kingdom unto Israel, it would be much more for their comfort in the day of accounts: And the Lord who is in heaven above, and on earth beneath, would take notice of it, and give a blessed reward for it in that day. And this is a most suitable subject for Saints to be discoursing on, Psal. 145.10, 11. ‘Thy Saints shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.’

‘3. Earnest prayer to God for light and under­standing in these heavenly Mysteries, is another [Page 171] means to attain unto the knowledge of them.’ See Prov. 2.3, 5. Isa. 45.11. Ier. 33.3.

For God is the father of lights, and therefore the best way in the world to be enlightned, is to have recourse unto him in and through Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. In his light we shall see light, Psal. 36.9. Iam. 1.17. And certainly this is a very lawful request. Hence the Apostle bids the Corinthians, 1 Epist. 14.39. covet to prophesie; what's the meaning of that? but that they should earnestly desire of God that they might be able to understand and interpret the blessed prophesie of his holy word? Wherefore betake your selves unto God, that he would give you sound judgment, and right apprehensions in these Mysteries, that you may not so much as in your thoughts adde any thing unto, or diminish ought from the truth. And I beseech the Lord to open your eyes, that you may behold won­derful things out of his word.

‘Use 2. If it be so, that the Tribes of Israel shall be saved. Hence then it followeth, that such is the infinite grace of God, that even the chief of sin­ners may be encouraged to return and look unto him, that so they may be saved.’ Certainly if the Iews shall be converted, then there is grace enough with God to convert and save the greatest sinners upon earth. For what guilt can there be greater, than the guilt which lyeth upon the miserable Nation of the Iews? As now a little to instance here, that so all may see and admire the infinite grace of God in Jesus Christ, encouraging the most vile and sinful amongst the children of Apostate Adam to return unto him, that they may be saved by him.

[Page 172]"1. Idolatry is a most heinous sin: A most guil­ty crime. As Tertullian of old rightly said of it: 'Tis, saith he, the principal crime that mankind is guil­ty of. And indeed there is no Vid. Aquin. 2ae. 2a. Q. 94. Art. 3. iniquity that is a greater abomination unto God: Hence Idols are called detestable things. Yea the Lord calleth Idols by the name of Devils, Deut. 32.17. 2 Chron. 11.15. And from hence it cometh to pass that the holy God is wont to be dreadful in his judging for this sin. This iniquity provoketh the eyes of his glory to send bitter destruction, to make his arrows drunk with bloud, and to furbush his great and glit­tering sword for the slaughter. Seldom, if ever, hath it been seen, that a Nation which hath been taught better, hath fallen to Idolatry, but the God of jea­lousie hath sent the Pestilence; yea, and sooner or later, the s [...]ord into the bowels of that Nation, to the end that he may repay vengeance upon the heads of blind Idolaters. I re­member a Non fit tibi ulti [...] Israel in qua non fit uncia de iniquitate vituli. R. Moses-Ben-Nach­man dictus Gerundensis. Jewish Rabbi hath an observati­on, ‘that never any judgment came upon the Israelitish Nation, but God put in one ounce of vengeance more for that iniquity of the Calf in the wilderness.’ And yet then they only worship­ed the true God after a false superstitious manner: They would worship Iehovah still, but because they did it in such a way, and by such means as he never commanded, neither did it enter into his heart; The Lord did surely visit for that iniquity. Now the Iews lie under the guilt of Idolatry, therefore their [Page 173] conversion (even that conversion which is yet to come) is described by saying, they shall be turned from Idols, and cleansed from Idols, and say, what have I to do any more with Idols? &c. because Idolatry was the reigning sin in the days of the Prophetsl. Aso because, though the Iews now dread that kind of Idolatry which their fathers were guilty of, sc. Iconolatry, or the worshipping of graven Images; yet they wor­ship God in another way than he hath appointed; for out of Christ do they worship, and that's Idolatry; therefore the Apostle, after he had said, Iesus Christ is the true God, and eternal life, immediately addeth, keep your selves from Idols, 1 Iohn 5. two last. yet the Idolatrous Iews shall be converted and saved. There­fore the greatest sinners may be saved.

‘2. Malice against that which is good, is a most grievous sin.’ It is the sin of Hell, and of the De­vils that are there. Now this guilt lyeth upon the poor sinful Iews. Some Quos citatos vide apud Morini exerc. l. 1. exer. 1. c. 2, 3. have charged them with malicious corrupt­ing of the Heb. Text, that so Christians might not have the benefit of the Scri­ptures of the old Testament. I believe that that is a very false Vide Glass. Phil. Sacr. Joh. Isaac. Contra Lindan. Bellar. de verbo Dei. l. 2. c. 2. At (que) Iudaeos textum hebraicum ma­litiose non corrupisse, inter ipsos Pontificios fatentur, Senensis, Bannesius, Lorinus, Pagninus, Morinus, Buxianus, Valla, A­dradius, Genebrardus, &c. Consule Hottingeri Thesau. Philol. and in­jurious charge against them: Nevertheless, it is too true that the heart of that people is despe­rately moved with envy and malice against the true Religion. See Act. 13.45. & 17.5. As Paul, before his conversion, [Page 174] was mad with blind zeal and malice against the truth: So it is with the Iews; yet because Paul did, what he did ignorantly in unbelief, he found mercy, so shall the Jewish Nation when the fulness of the Gentiles is accomplished. Therefore the greatest sinners may be saved.

3. Blasphemy is a most fearful sin ▪ It is a crime to be punished by the Judge. Now the Iews lie under the guilt of blasphemy, as it is said concerning the Papists, Rev. 13.6. That they blaspheme the tabernacle of God, i. e. the humane nature of Christ in respect of their Idolatrous Mass, Transubstantiation, &c. So it is true concerning the Iews, that they bla­spheme the tabernacle of God. In another sence, they speak evil of the man Christ Iesus. Yea they are (some of them at least) guilty of the most hideous and horrid blasphemy against the Son of God, the only God-man Jesus Christ, that ever was heard of. For they are wont to curse that blessed name in their Synagogues. Iudaei in suis Synagogis [...]er Christo singulis diebus ma­ledicunt. Hieron. l. 22. c. 49. in Isa. Blasphemi Iudai vo­cant Christum [...] Per igno­miniam, &c. Shindl. Lec. Pent. p. 1972. In their Lyturgies they pray, that the name of Iesus of Na­zareth may be rooted out of the Earth. O fearful blasphemy! whose heart trembleth not at the hearing of it? In this respect some of the Jewish Lyturgies are worse than the Turkish Alcoran; For See Purchase Pilgr. l. 3. c. 10. that speaketh honourably of Christ: Likwise they are wont to call the blessed Go­spel Evangelium dici volunt quasi [...] Gualpe­rius. a Volume of lies, [Page 175] or falshood. One would think it impossible that such sinners should ever be saved. And indeed if they knew they did blaspheme (as the Pharisees knew it, many of them) there were no forgiveness for them: But because of the infinite grace of him whose name it is to forgive iniquity, transgression and sin, they may, and in God's time the Nation shall have re­pentance and remission of sins given unto them. Therefore the greatest sinners may be saved.

4. Murther is a most horrid sin. The cry of bloud is heard from Earth to Heaven. Now, the Iews lie under the guilt of Bloud and Murther. Some Hows Hist. of England, p. 200. Calvis. Cronol. p. 423. Cranzius l. 5. c. 40. Wernerus in Fasc. temporum. At (que) hi [...] Proverbium illud, Faelix Res­publica ubi non est Abraham, nec Nimrod, nec Naaman, i. e. nec Iudaus, nec Tyrannus, nec leprosus. have laid a most hy­deous fact to the charge of the Iews, sc. that they have been wont once a year to steal Christian children, and to put them to death by cruci­fying out of scorn and hatred against Christi­ans. But inasmuch as those reports were taken up in dark and Popish times, it Vide Hor [...]beck Prolog. Con­tra Iudaos. p. 26. Men-Ben-Israel in spe. Sect. 28. may be questioned whether truth be in them or no. So it hath been laid to the charge of Iews, that Trithemius Hirs. Cron. p. 291. they poysoned the waters of some Coun­treys that they might be the death of those that lived therein. However, it is certain, that the most prodigious Murther that ever the Sun beheld, (yea such Murther as the Sun durst not behold) hath been [Page 176] committed by the Iews, and that the guilt thereof lyeth upon the Jewish Nation to this day, even the guilt of the bloud of the Saviour of the world, of him that is the Prince of life, and Lord of glory. See Acts 2.23. & 7.52. Oh! to be guilty of bloud, though it were but the bloud of the meanest person in the world, is a sad thing; but to be guilty of the bloud of him that is God as well as man, how doleful is that? whence is it, that coming unwor­thily to the Lords Supper is such a dreadful sin? if a man come to the Table of the Lord either without regenerating grace in his soul, or without actual preparedness. Though he should have grace, yet if his heart be not in a right and heavenly frame to come to the Table of the Lord, it is a dreadful thing; why? because he becometh guilty of the bloud of the Lord, not only guilty, but guilty of bloud; yea of the bloud of the Lord. Now this is true concerning the Jewish Nation, that the guilt of the bloud of the Lord of Heaven and Earth lyeth upon that Nation; yet they shall be converted and saved. Therefore the greatest sinners may be saved.

5. Unbelief is a most grievous sin, 1 Iohn 5.10. ‘He that believeth not hath made God a Liar.’ What more horrible can be thought of, to call God a Liar? This doth every unbeliever under heaven. This therefore is the condemnation, Iohn 3.19. And when the Lord saith that he will punish a man's soul with a vengeance, he expresseth it by saying such an one shall have his portion with unbelievers, Luke 12.46. The truth is, if a man would study with himself, how to vex the soul of God, he could not do it more than by unbelief; that is, than by not accepting of Jesus Christ upon his own terms as [Page 177] propounded, and freely offered in the glorious Go­spel of the blessed God. Yet for all this, the unbe­lieving Nation of the Iews shall be converted and saved. Therefore the greatest sinners may be sa­ved.

Suppose thou hadst been an Idolater, a Blasphe­mer, a Murtherer, and Unbeliever (yea, and thou hast been so who ever thou art) yet there is salvati­on to be had even for thee. Only then thou must do as the Iews shall do when God hath mercy on them▪ That is, Repent and mourn bitterly, for all the wrong thou hast done to God by sin, and return un­to him with all thy heart, and he will not reject thee. See Zech. 12.10. Ier. 29.12, 13, 14. This then I do proclaim amongst you from the God of heaven this day▪ Let the vilest sinner return unto the Lord by Repen [...]ance and Faith in Jesus Christ, and though his sins were as Crimson, they shall be as Wooll; though they were as red as Scarlet, they shall be­come as white as snow; Wherefore thus saith the Lord, let the wicked forsake his way, and the un­righteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

‘Use 3. If it be so, that all the Tribes of Israel shall be saved: Hence then it followeth, that we should seek unto God continually that he would hasten the day of Israels salvation.’ Matters of prophesie and promise should be turned into prayer. Now there is a prophesie and a promise (my Text containeth them both) That all Israel shall be saved. Therefore let prayer be made by us all that have any interest in the God of Israel, that he would [Page 178] perform (yea, and hasten it in its time) what his own mouth hath spoken concerning this mat­ter.

Here consider briefly. ‘1. That thus to pray it our duty. The holy Commandment of the Lord requireth i [...], Isa. 62.6, 7. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Ierusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night; ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, and till he make Ie­rusalem a praise in the earth.’ What a solemn charge is here, that we should pray continually every night and every day, and that we should let the Lord have no rest in heaven, till Ierusalem be ma [...]e a praise in the earth? And when will that be? Verily when Ierusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Ierusalem. Therefore we should be uncessant in prayer for this! We ought to pray for the Inc [...]ation of Israels salvation, in the con­version of the Jewish Nation. Likewise we ought to pray hard for the consummation of this salvation, in new Ierusalems coming down from God out of heaven. ‘This did our Lord teach us, when he bid us pray, that the kingdom of God might come; and that his will might be done on earth as it is done in heaven.’ In that kingdom which the God of hea­ven shall set up at the day of Messias his second co­ming, his will shall be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Oh! how should we strive in prayer that the coming of this dear and blessed day may be hastned? Besides, the examples of God's ser­vants, who have prayed for Israels salvation, do bind us to do the like. How earnest was the Apostle in his desires after this thing? Paul could have been con­tent [Page 179] that any curse or censure, short of Maranatha should have come upon him, even to have been Anathema from the Lord, upon condition that the Israelites might have been converted and saved; Rom. 9.3, 4. & 10.1. Brethren (saith he) ‘my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.’ He speaketh concerning the Tribes of Israel, even of Israel according to the flesh. And truly so should it be with us all, our desire, yea our hearts desire and our prayer to God for this Is­rael ought to be, that they may be saved.

‘ [...]. Consider that we have many promises to encourage us in making this prayer before the Lord.’ We have not only promises, that the thing shall come to pass in due time, which is encourage­ment enough; but it is promised, that we our selves shall be no loosers by praying for this thing. ‘If David could say that when he fought unto God for his enemies, that his prayer returned into his own bosom:’ Surely we shall find, that when in since­rity we seek unto God for Israel, that prayer will re­turn into our own bosom. Remember what the Lord saith, Psal. 122.6. ‘pray for the peace of Ie­rusalem, they shall prosper that love thee:’ And though the words are to be extended unto Mystical, there is no reason why Literal Ierusalem should be excluded out of that Text. See also Rev. 21.6. I will give (saith he, who is Alpha and Omega) to him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. To him that is a thirst, for what? even to him that is a­thirst for the salvation of Israel, for the conversion of the Iews, for the creating of the new heaven and the new earth which is promised, to him that is thus athirst will the Lord give of the fountain of the wa­ter of life freely.

[Page 180] ‘Consider 3. There was a time when the Israelite [...] did pray for us, therefore in equity we should pray for them.’ Time was when the Iews were the people of God, and Gentiles were not so: And then did they pray for the conversion of Gentiles, that Gentiles might have the saving health of God ex­tended towards them, and the breasts of divine Or­dinances to suck grace and consolation from. There­fore inasmuch as the case is now quite altered, that the Iews are not the people of God, but many a­mongst the Gentiles are so: we should in like man­ner pray for them, that they may see the salvation of the Lord, Psal. 67. per totum, Cant. 8.8.

‘Consider 4. Prayer may be a means to hasten the coming of this glorious day of Israels salva­tion.’ Would we not have Sion to be delivered, and that speedily? pour forth earnest and conti­nual prayer, and it will hasten the birth of Sion, that even a Nation shall be born in one day. It is prayer that sets the wheels of divine providence a going; It is prayer that turns the world upside down. Therefore you may observe, that seldom doth any great [...]teration of the state and face of things come to pass in the world, but the Lord first sends down a spirit of prayer into the hearts of his Saints, ‘and that shaketh heaven and earth in pieces in a short time.’ Observe then (my friends, and brethren, beloved in the Lord) and be awakened this day, I say, observe, that when the prayers of Saints ascend before the Throne of God, with the incense of the merits and intercession of the Lord Jesus, there fol­loweth upon it thundrings, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake, Rev. 8.4, 5. would you then see that earth­quake wherein the mountains of prey, that devour Israel, [Page 181] shall be brought low, and wherein the Lords house, which is now trampled upon, shall be exalted on the tops of the mountains? Oh then pray as for your lives all manner of prayer, even publick prayer, fami­ly prayer secret prayer; and in all stir up your selves to call upon the Lord, and say, ‘awake, a­wake, O arm of the Lord as in the days of old; awake, as in the years of ancient generations, that Sion may return with singing, and everlasting joy upon her head.’

And shall I tell you (yea from the Lord I will tell you) that the prayers of poor despicable ones, that know, and fear, and serve God, can do great things with him that doth even whatsoever he please­eth in heaven, and on earth, and in all deep places. Oh consider of it! I remember Melancthon (that great and Learned Divine) saith, ‘he was much en­couraged to hope that God would carry on the work of Reformation in Germany (and the Lord did carry it on with great success in those days) because he understood that there were many poor godly women, that were wont to meet together to pray that the work of Reformation might go forward:’ Even so if the Lord stir up the hearts of his poor servants to favour the dust of Sion, and to shew it by earnest prayer before him at all times, surely the day will not be long before the Lord ap­pear in glory to build up Sion, for he will have re­gard to the prayer of the destitute, and he will not despise their prayer. Know ye this, yo [...] servants of the Lord, to your everlasting encouragement. But thou O Lord how long! how long! how long!