The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 27 – Section 29
SECT. XXVII.
NExt we come to the Prophet Jeremiah. The firſt place for our purpoſe is in Chapter 16. verſe 14, 15. compared with Chapter 23. verſe 3. &c. to verſe 9. The words of that in Chapter 16. verſe 14, 15. are, Behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that it ſhall be no more ſaid, The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Iſrael out of the land of Egypt; But the Lord liveth that brought up the children of ISRAEL from the LAND OF THE NORTH, and from ALL THE LANDS whither he had DRIVEN THEM, and I will bring them againe into THEIR LAND, that I gave unto their Fathers.
§. 1 The Prophet calling theſe of whom he ſpeaks by the name of Iſrael, and in relation to their returne out of the Land of the NORTH, and out of All Lands whither they had been driven, muſt needs comprehend as well the ten Tribes, as the two. And the more cleerly to hint to us, that his meaning is, not onelyonly of a reduction of them to their own Land, but of their converſion unto their God, and this not at a petty call of a few of them, but at the great call of the generality of them all, he ſubjoyns the bringing in of the fulneſſe of the Gentiles, verſe 19. The Gentiles ſhall come unto the Lord, from the ends of the earth, and ſhall ſay, ſurely our Fathers have inherited lyes, &c. At which time of the coming in of the fulneſſe of the Gentiles (as their coming from the ends of the earth fully expreſſeth) All Iſrael (ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 11.25, 26.) ſhall be ſaved.
§. 2 Now let us parallel this with that in the 23. Chapter, verſe, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. wherein wee have the ſame expreſſions, with further illuſtrations, and explanations to confirme the ſame. The words of the Prophet there are, verſe 3. I will gather the remnant of my flock out of ALL Countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again into their folds, and they ſhall he fruitful and increaſe. verſ. 4. And I will ſet up ſhepherds that ſhall feed them. And they ſhall FEARE NO MORE, nor be DISMAYED, neither ſhall they be LACKING, ſaith the Lord. verſe 5. Behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that I will raiſe unto David, a RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, and a KING ſhall reign and proſper, and ſhall execute juſtice and judgement upon the earth. In his dayes JUDAH ſhall be ſaved, and ISRAEL ſhall dwel ſafely. And this is his name whereby be ſhall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE. verſe 7. Therefore behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that they ſhall no more ſay the Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Iſrael out of the land of Egypt. verſe 8. But the Lord liveth which brought up, and which led the ſeed of the houſe of ISRAEL out of the NORTH COUNTRY, and from ALL COUNTRIES whither I had driven them, and they ſhall dwell in THEIR OWN LAND.
§. 3 Mark now, what the Hebrew Doctors, and Jewiſh Rabbins (as oppoſite as they be to Chriſt) in their writings ſince the returne of the two Tribes from Babylon. It is written in the book Berochoth Benzuma ſaith, It ſhall come to paſſe that ISRAEL ſhall not remember their departure out of the land of Egypt, in the WORLD TO COME (ſpeaking juſt as the Apoſtle Heb. 2.5. foreign) in the dayes of MESSIAH (by which laſt clauſe you may ſee what the Rab. means by the world to come.) And (ſaith the Rabbin) how doth this appear? That which is written in Jer. 23. (ſaith he) will prove it; Behold the dayes come, and they ſhall ſay no more the Lord liveth which, &c. which (ſaith this Rabb.) wiſe men interpret thus; not as if the name of Egypt ſhould be blotted out, but becauſe the wonders which ſhall be effected in the dayes of the KINGDOME OF THE MESSIAH ſhall be principal, and the Egyptian leſſe.
§. 4 Obſerve next the phraſes and circumſtances of the place; As firſt That here is mention not onelyonly of Judahs reverſion, and converſion, but of Iſraels too. And ſecondly, that they ſhall returne not onelyonly from the land of the NORTH, but from all Countries whither they were driven; which Countries are mentioned, Act. 2.9, 10.11, and 1 Pet. 1.1. And being compared with ancient and moderne Hiſtories, and experience, doe ſhew, that they are now ſcattered into all parts of the world, and are ſo acknowledged to bee by the learned Jew, R.M. Ben Iſrael in his SPES ISRAELIS. And thirdly, that at the time the Prophet intends, there muſt be a ſweet compliance between Jews and Gentiles in matters of Religion. And laſtly, that theſe things muſt be, when Chriſt the RIGHTEOUS BRANCH ſpringing from David, ſhall be KING, and reign, and PROSPER, and execute juſtice and judgement in the EARTH.
§. 5 All which duely weighed, doe cleerly demonſtrate, without multiplying of words, that they were never yet fulfilled, nor can the tranſaction of them conſiſt with the ultimate day of judgement. And therefore are yet (according to the truth of God) to be fulfilled afore that day.
SECT. XXVIII.
§. 1 THe ſecond place in Jeremiah is Chapter 30. and Chapter 31.*This 31 Chap. hath been alleadged before Jeroms time, for the glorious ſtate of all things in the thouſand yeers, of which we ſpeak, Omnes hujuſmodi repromiſsiones jux…a Judae…s & noſtros Judaizantes, in mille annorum regno putan… eſſe complendae, &c. Hie…. on Jer. 31. v. 27. & v. 38. both being one continued diſcourſe of one and the ſame thing (as the connexion in verſe 1. of Chapter 31. plainly ſhewes) In which are many things, which of themſelves upon bare reading of them, without all gloſſes, ſhew themſelves never to have been fulfilled to this day, ſince the time of that Propheſie. For example, marke the words well.
§. 2 That in Chapter 30. was never yet fulfilled, viz. verſe 3. Lo the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that I will bring again the CAPTIVITY of my people ISRAEL and JUDAH (naming diſtinctly both Kingdomes, containing all the twelve Tribes) and cauſe them to returne to their own land. Nor was that ever yet fulfilled in verſe 8. In that day, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burſt thy bonds, and ſtrangers SHALL NO MORE SERVE THEMSELVES of him, but they ſhall ſerve the Lord their God, and DAVID THEIR KING,†The Chaldee is very remarkable, foreign, That is, They ſhall obey the Meſsiah, or Chriſt (the Son of David) their King. whom I will raiſe up unto them. Nor was that ever fulfilled in verſe 10. Fear thou not, O my ſervant JACOB, ſaith the Lord, nor be diſmayed, O ISRAEL, for lo I will ſave thee from a far, and thy ſeed from the land of their captivity, and JACOB ſhall return, and ſhall be in REST and QUIET, and NONE ſhal make him AFRAID: (repeated again, Jer. 46. v. 27.)
So many things in the 31. Chapter were never yet fulfilled, as all that from v. 1. to 15. concerning their corporal reſtitution into their own Country, and their viſible peace and glory there.
Nor can theſe things of both Chapters be referred to the ultimate day of judgement, as the nature of the things ſpeake loud enough: And therefore they are yet to be fulfilled afore that time.
SECT. XXIX.
§. 1 THe third place in Jeremiah is in Chapter 32. verſe 37. to the end of the Chapter. Verſe 37. Behold I will gather them out of ALL COUNTRIES whither I have driven them in mine anger, &c. And I will bring them again into this PLACE, and I will cauſe them to dwell SAFELY. verſe 38. And they ſhall be my people, and I will be their God. verſe 39. And I will give them one heart, and ONE WAY, that they may fear me for EVER, &c. verſe 40. And I will make an everlaſting Covenant with them, that I will not TURNE AWAY FROM THEM to do them GOOD, &c. verſe 41. Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good, and will plant them in this LAND aſſuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole ſoul. verſe 42. For thus ſaith the Lord, like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, ſo will I bring upon them all the good that I have promiſed them, &c.
§. 2 Now theſe things thus ſpoken, were never yet fulfilled ſince the captivity of the ten Tribes (carried away afore this Propheſie) or of the two Tribes (carried away after this Propheſie) they have not been gathered from all Countries into their own land, they have not dwelt there ſafely, they have not had one way, &c. But ſince the returne but of two Tribes (the ten never yet returning) Antiochus of Syria, and the Grecians, and Romans, and Turks, have by a continuall ſucceſſion moleſted them. And the generality of all the twelve Tribes are ſcattered in all Countries to this day. The fulfilling of which at the ultimate day of judgement cannot be imaginable; and therefore are yet to be fulfilled before that day.