The Worlds Resurrection, Section 34
And might saue some of them.
Obs. 2. We learne here that the preaching and ministerie of the gospell, is not a matter onelyonly of ciuility, credit or a bare letter, but the power of God, the worlds saluation, the immortall seed, and to the Elect the sweet sauor of life vntounto life. Act. 13.46.47. 2. Cor. 2.16. 1. Pe. 1.23. and this it was that specially exalted Capernaum to Heauen, and filleth citties and townes full of spirituall ioy. Acts 8.8.
The reason hereof is, because God hath annexed a promise therevnto, and is effectuall, and powerfull hereby to draw and saue all that belong vntounto him. Mat. 28.19.20.…
1 Vse. It condemneth the Swink-feldains, and the Atheists of the world, that thinke the word preached is not of force and power to conuert any; for they looke vntounto the outward sound and letter onelyonly, and not to the powe…, and promise of God who worketh effectually in it and by it in all them that belong vntounto him. Romanes 1.16. 1. Cor. 1. ver. 24.
2 Vse. Let not men despise, contemne and reiect the holy ministery, but thinke and speake alwaies honorably of it, let men herein acknowledge Gods goodnesse towards them, and accept of the riches and treasures of his grace hereby offered vntounto them. For albeit it cannot profit and auaile any thing to saluation without the assistance of the holy spirit: Yet by the helpe of it, which alwaies accompanieth it in the elect, al that are to be saued, are ordinarily won. Hence no Eunuch conuerted without a Philip, no Cornelius without a Peter, and no Lydia without a Paul.
V. 15. For if the casting away of them bee the reconciling of the world▪ what shall their receiuing bee but life from death?
V. 16. For if the first fruites bee holy, so is the whole lumpe, and if the roote bee holy so are the branches.
If the casting away of them, Paraphr.viz. i. the greatest part of the Iewes, bee the reconciling of the world. i. serue and tend to the calling of the Gentles whereby they are reconciled vntounto God, what shall the receiuing be. i. the calling of the fulnesse of the Iewes, by which they that before were cast off, shall againe be admitted and receiued into the Church; but life from death. i. a recouery and bringing of spirituall life againe to the Iewes that were so many hundred yeares dead in their sinnes, and also their restitution & fulnesse shal giuegive an occasion of quickning to the Gentiles,Cal. in hunc locum. and of enriching many with the knowledege of Christ and saluation, & so of enlarging Gods kingdome, both amongst Iewes and Gentiles, and hence by reason of the common felicity shalbe the true and perfect …oy of the world.
For if the first fruites be holy so is the whole Lump. i. For as then when the Israelites had offred the first fruites of their bread and loaues vntounto God, all the whole Lumpe and rest of the fruites were hereby blessed and sanctified vntounto them, that they might with good conscience bake, knead and feed vponupon them: Euen so, if Abraham Isack and Iacob their stock, fathers and founders of their Nation, were (especially) by reason of Gods couenant holie and accepted with GOD: so shall the elect of their posterity bee (in some sort) fauoured for their Fathers sake, And if the roote bee holy. i. full of the iuice and sappe of grace, so shall the branches. i. The holie remainers by force of GODS couenant shall receiue and drawe iuice, grace and goodnesse from it.
Q. If the conuersion of the Iewes shalbe not onelyonly vntounto them, but also vntounto the Gentiles a spirituall resurrection, and life from the dead, and this must needes bee a little before Christ his second comming, how can this place then agree, to and accord with, that in Luke where it is sayd? But when the Sonne of man commeth shal hee finde faith on the earth? Luk. 18.8. and with that towards the end of the world Sathan must bee loosed▪ Apoc. 20.17. and seduce the people of the world.
Ans. They may very well and aptly bee thus reconciled by distinction: That the last times of the world shalbe happie in respect of the benefits of Christ and the light of the Gospell; and likewise in regard of the gathering togither of the Church of Iewes and Gentiles throughout the world.
But they shalbe vnhappie and miserable by reason of the worlds vnthankefulnesse and the seducement of Antichrist, who shall not be (wholy) abolished before Christ his commming.
Secondly, the number of Atheists, Hipocrites, Apostataes and prophane persons shall incomparably farre exceed the number of those that truely feare God and sincerely serue him: yet, that Church shall neuer wholy cease but vnderunder the tirany of Antichrist, there shall remaine not a few that shall rightly call vponupon Gods name, and all the elect shalbe saued, whom the Lord out of all the families, nations, and kindreds of the earth hath marked with a certaine marke of Election and adoption.
Or thus, in that generation or age, wherein the Iewes shalbe conuerted, there shalbe much faith and zeale vponupon the earth, but in the next following wherein many false Christs shall seduce many,Apoc. 7.9. then there shalbe (almost) none.