The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 11
SECT. XI.
Next we come to the Prophet Iſaiah, wherein none will doubt, that are truly acquainted with his moſt Evangelicall Propheſies, but that we ſhall finde many clear places for the point in hand.
§. 1 THe firſt place is in Chapter 2. Verſe 1. The word, &c. concerning Judah and Jeruſalem. Verſ. 2. It ſhall come to paſſe in the laſt dayes *foreign in the laſt daies.that the mountaine of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top **foreign, that is, In or upon the HEAD of the Mountainsof the mountaines, &. and ALL Nations ſhall FLOW unto it. Verſe 3. And many people ſhall goe and ſay, Come ye, and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walke in his paths. For out of Zion ſhall goe forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Ieruſalem. Verſe 4. And he ſhall judge among the Nations, and ſhall rebuke many people,*⁎*Hebr. foreign, that is, Many peoples. and they ſhall beat their ſwords into plow-ſhares, and their ſpears into pruning hooks; Nation ſhall not lift up a ſword againſt Nation, neither ſhall they learne warre any more. Verſe II. The lofty looks of man ſhall be humbled, and the haughtineſſe of men ſhall be bowed downe, and the Lord alone ſhall be exalted in that day (all which Verſe is repeated againe, Verſe 17.) Then it follows Verſe 18. And the Idols he ſhall utterly aboliſh. Verſe 19. And they ſhall goe into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth for feare of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majeſty, when he ariſeth to ſhake terribly the earth. (This whole Verſe is againe repeated, Verſe 21.)
§. 2 The firſt verſe plainly ſhews, what ever the Analytical conceits of men may aſſert, that this Propheſie is ultimately and plainly concerning, yea for, or in the behalfe, or favour of Judah, and Jeruſalem, as the*Heb. foreign ſu per, propter, juxta, ſecundum. Sept. foreign Symm. ut refert Nobilius & Druſius, pro. citat. Euſ. foreign lib. 2. p. 43. in Hier.pro Juda & Ieruſalem. Hebrew beares, and Greeks and Latines affirme. Though by and by, Verſe 6. the Iewes are ſhewed the reaſon why they ſhould goe into afflictions afore they have the deliverance mentioned in this Chapter; Yet when it is ſaid (verſe 2 and 3) It ſhall come to paſſe in the laſt dayes, that many peoples ſhall ſay, come, let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Iacob, &c. for out of Zion ſhall goe forth the Law, &. there can be no leſſe intended, then that this Propheſie doth ultimately concerne the Jewes welfare, when they, and the Gentiles converted, ſhall make one glorious Chriſtian Church on earth. To this our late Annotationiſts on the Bible doe well conſent, and in ſome termes fairely hint part of our Theſis. Here (ſay they, in this ſecond Chapter of Iſa.) begins a Sermon, contained in the three Chapters following, concerning the RESTITVTION of the Church, principally UNDER CHRIST; which he both beginneth, Chapter 2, and after the denunciation of many heavy judgements inſerted, to be inflicted upon the maine body of the Jewiſh people, for their manifold groſſe, and grievous ſinnes, at length concludes with Chap. 4.
§. 3 The Learned grant*Iunius, Piſcator, Alapide Grotius, Engl. Annot. that thoſe promiſes in the words aforequoted out of this Chapter do relate to the time of Chriſts coming, and do confeſſe the generall, that the Iews in a ſublimer ſenſe do underſtand them of the times of the Meſsiah. And one of them ſteps a little higher, and bids us for that to compare, Dan. 2.35. where all the foure Mettals are utterly broken to peeces, and the little ſtone cut out of the mountaine became a great mountaine, and filled the whole earth. But I ſhall, God aſſiſting, give you a more particular account, viz. that both Iewes and Chriſtians do underſtand the promiſes in this Chapter of a viſible glorious eſtate of the Church yet to be on the face of the earth, before the ultimate end of the world. Of the latter ſort wee will name onelyonly the famous Piſcator, Alſted and Heurnius. Of the former in briefe thus: Their Talmud, Gemara Sanhedrim pereck. R. Ketina, &c. aſſert that this world doth continue ſix thouſand yeers. In one it ſhall be deſtroyed, ſo as to be purified as gold, and freed from the CURSE, of which it is ſaid, Iſa. 2. The LORD ALONE SHALL BEE EXALTED IN THAT DAY. And R. Scelomo (quoting alſo this ſecond of Iſa.) ſaith, The Lord ſhall ariſe, and ſhake the earth terribly in the day of judgement, when he ſhall breake the wicked. (It is uſuall with the learned Iewes to call this glorious time of Chriſts viſible Kingdome on earth a day of judgement; not diſſentaneous to the wont of Scripture to compellate and compare any great time of Reformation as a day of judgement, Pſal. 50.1. &c. 1 Pet. 4.17.) And indeed (as John ſhewes us Rev. 11.) in the beginning of this moſt glorious viſible Kingdome, there is a beginning of the day of judgement, in that the wicked alive, that ſubmit not to Chriſt, are deſtroyed, and the living Saints have a reward given them, together with the reſurrection of the deceaſed Saints, which St. Iohn calls the firſt Reſurrection. R.D. Kimchi ſaith, In that day, in the dayes of Meſsiah, when the Lord ſhall execute his judgement on the wicked, THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED, Iſa. 2. The Lord alone ſhall be exalted (ſaith he) is as much as to ſay, AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH. We might quote more, but for haſt and brevity.
§. 4 And this muſt be IN THE LAST DAYES (ſaith the ſecond of Iſa.) or nearer the Hebrew, IN THE LAST OF DAYES, or, UTMOST END OF DAYES. Therefore if the Prophet had looked at no further time then that of Chriſts firſt coming in the fleſh, he would not have called that, the laſt of dayes, ſince which have paſſed above one thouſand ſix hundred and fifty yeers. The laſt of dayes properly ſignifies thoſe, after which Aeternity next and immediately follows; As it doth after the compleating of the thouſand yeers of this viſible Kingdome.
§. 5 Theſe things being premiſed, let us view whether the promiſes afore-quoted, out of the ſecond of Iſaiah, have been fulfilled to this day.
1 ¶ Surely that in the ſecond verſe, and part of the third, That the mountaine of the Lords houſe ſhall be eſtabliſhed on the HEAD of the mountaines &c. and peoples ſhall come and ſay, Come ye, and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord, &c. hath not been hitherto fulfilled and compleated. For as yet, neither the viſible power and glory of Chriſt, nor of his Church (ſo as for Gentiles to ſay, Come, let us go up, &c.) hath been eſtabliſhed over the HEAD, the Pope of the ſeven Hils of Rome, or over the Turk, the HEAD of the foure Hils of Ieruſalem or over the height of power and glory of the Hils of the generality of the PEOPLES, Gentiles, or Nations of the world. The Church at Ieruſalem, ſuch as it was, in Chriſts time was in Captivity under the Heathen Roman Empire, and ſo continued till the riſe of the Roman Biſhops, and immediately after that thraldome, were ſubdued to the Turkes, who keeps them in that thraldome to this day. The Heathen Romans refuſed at the firſt, the Lord Chriſt by vote of the Senate, and after perſecuted his Church for many yeers. And the Turks blaſpheme Chriſt in their Alcoran, and hath warred againſt his Church from age to age ſince their riſe. And the reſt of the world for the generality, are Indians, Barbarians, and Semi-beaſts, that know neither God, nor themſelves, nor what Chriſt is, nor what a Chriſtian is.
2 ¶ Nor was the houſe of the Lord eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountaines, that is upon Zion (the higheſt of the foure Hils of Jeruſalem;) For preſently after Chriſts death, perſecution ſcattered Chriſtians from Jeruſalem, Act. 8. And within forty yeers (or thereabout) after Chriſts aſcenſion the Temple of Jeruſalem was deſtroyed, and after a while the City, and for about three hundred yeers onward, the Church of Chriſt was extremely perſecuted, by the Heathen Romans, and anon after (Conſtantines time onelyonly excepted, or little more) they were ſorely perſecuted by the Arian Hereticks. So that inſtead of all Nations going up to the houſe of the Lord on the top of the Mountaines for divine worſhip, Chriſtian Jews and Gentiles were ſcattered among all Nations. And though Act. 2. there were a handfull of ſeverall Nations at Hieruſalem, if they were Gentiles, and not rather Jewes, yet this was farre from ALL NATIONS FLOWING to it, ſaying, Come, let us goe up to the houſe of the Lord, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his pathes. For the generality of thoſe very men (Act. 2.) mocked the Apoſtles, whiles they taught them the wayes of the Lord. And as at Ieruſalem, ſo in the Countries round about, the Chriſtians were every where perſecuted, as the hiſtory of the Acts doth all along give us a particular account.
3 ¶ Nor is that fulfilled to this day which is propheſied in the fourth verſe; Chriſt hath not hitherto ſo judged among the Nations, and rebuked many people, that they have beaten their ſwords into plow ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning-hooks, ſo that Nation hath not lifted up ſword againſt Nation, neither learned war any more.
4 ¶ Nor hath that been yet fulfilled which is in verſe 10, 11, 12, &c. to v. 17. That men have ſo dreaded the Majeſty of the Lord that they have hid themſelves; That the lofty lookes of men have been humbled, and their haughtineſſe bowed downe; That THE LORD ALONE HATH BEEN EXALTED. That the day of the Lord of hoſts hath been upon EVERY ONE that is proud and lofty, upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, and Okes of Baſhan that are lifted up, upon ALL the high mountaines and hills that are lifted up, upon EVERY high tower, upon every fenced wall, upon ALL the ſhips of Tarſhiſh, and upon all the pleaſant pictures, to bow down, and bring down low all theſe, ſo that the Lord alone may be exalted in THAT DAY. Alas, ever ſince Chriſts comming in the fleſh, the whole world generally hath been very high, proud againſt the Lord Chriſt; Antichriſt hath been much exalted, and the Lord hath been leaſt exalted, his Honour, his Cauſe, his People have been trampled on. In the time of Conſtantine the Great, ſome little was done in the Roman Empire for a little time, for the Church of Chriſt; but anon Arianiſme aroſe, then Papiſme mounted up, then the Beaſt did ariſe. The Church is put into a Wilderneſſe-condition, the witneſſes propheſie in ſackcloth one thouſand two hundred and ſixty yeares, which are not yet expired, for they have not yet laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe.
5 ¶. Nor is that in the 18, 19, & 20. verſes yet fulfilled, That all Idols are aboliſhed, that God hath ſo ſhaken the earth, that he hath made the inhabitants thereof to caſt away all their Idols, and to hide themſelves for feare. The Territories of the Papacie extending over France, Spaine, Italy, part of the Low Countries, part of upper Germany, part of Polonia, part of the Indies, &c. are full of Idols, and doe openly worſhip them (as they ſay) in the ſight of the Sunne. The great ſhake of theſe is not till the Witneſſes have laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe (Revel. 11.) and then is the great fall (ibid. ver. 11.) and when thoſe things are ſhaken downe, then the things that cannot be ſhaken, viz. pure worſhip, purely Spirituall, and pure Saints ſhall remaine unmoved, Heb. 12.27.
§. 6 Nor can it be rationally imagined that theſe things ſhall not be done till the ultimate day of the generall Judgement, for then there is no time of eſtabliſhing of the mountaine of the Lords houſe upon the top of the mountaine, no proceeding of the word out of Zion, no running and hiding from the preſence of the Lord, for the Sea and Grave, &c. ſhall give up their dead. And all good ſhall be turned into an eternity of abſolute glory. Therefore the time of fulfilling of the Propheſies, and Promiſes of this ſecond of Iſaiah is yet to come, afore the ultimate day of the laſt generall Judgement.*The Diatribae pars 4. of Mr. Mede lately coming forth, and come to my hands ſince I penned this eleventh Section, I thought it convenient to inſert into the Margine, at leaſt, his judgement of this ſecond of Iſaiah, ver. 2, 3, 4. which I will give you in his owne words: HILS, or MOUNTAINES (ſaith he) are States, Kingdomes, or Societies of men, which conſiſting of degrees, riſing unto an height one above another, are compared unto Mountaines raiſed above the ordinary plaine, and levell of the earth. The MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE, is that State, and Society of men, which is called the Church, and People of God. REGNUM CAELORUM, the Kingdome of Heaven, i. e. a Kingdome, whoſe, both King, and Kings Throne, have their place, and reſidence in the Heavens. Theſe words therefore are a Propheſie, or Propheticall promiſe of the GLORIOUS EXALTATION, WONDERFULL ENLARGMENT, and UNHEARD-OF-PROSPERITY of this Society of men, called the CHURCH, above all States, and Societies of men whatſoever. The glory and EXALTATION is expreſſed in the word, THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE SHAL BE ONE DAY EXALTED, yee mounted not only above the leſſer hill; but above the higheſt mountaine, though at this time it were depreſſed, and trampled under foot, by the proud enemies thereof. The ENLARGMENT is in the word, ALL NATIONS SHALL FLOW INTO IT, i. e. though at the time of this Propheſie it were reduced to a ſmall remnant, yet the time was to come, when it ſhould not only conſiſt of one Nation of the Jewes, as then it did, but of all Nations under the whole Heaven. The PROSPERITY thereof begins to be deſcribed from theſe words, ver. 4. THEY SHAL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES, &c. i. e, though the greateſt part of JACOB were already captive, and Judah and Jeruſalem in a continuall feare, and no leſſe danger of the Armies, and invaſion of the King of Babel, yet the time ſhould one day come, that the People, or Church of God, ſhould not only be the moſt exalted state upon the earth, and the moſt ample, and univerſall Dominion that ever was in the world, but the moſt peaceable, quiet, and flouriſhing State that ever was, ſince man was FIRST CREATED. This is the Propheſie; But now comes the Queſtion, Whether this, as we have deſcribed it, be, and hath already been fulfilled? or whether if already any wayes fulfilled, whether it be not in part only performed, and the full accompliſhment reſerved for time to come, &c.? For here the Church is to be eſtabliſhed on the tops of Mountaines, &c. ſo that no other State ſhal over-top, or over-looke it, much leſſe trample it under feet. Now whether there was ever ſuch a time, when this was compleatly fulfilled, &c. I leave it to any mans indifferent judgement, who can compare the deſcription of the Prophet, with the ſtories of fore paſt, and preſent times. In the times immediatly after Chriſts PASSION, I think any man will grant the Church then was neither VISIBLE, nor GLORIOUS. In the time of the PERSECUTING EMPEROURS, when the Church had taken foot among the Gentiles, and the Nations began to flow unto it, it was a Society indeed VISIBLE, but not GLORIOUS. I am ſure it was not in the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES, but the Imperial Mountaine of ROME, not only over-topped it, but over trampled it under their feet. In the time of CONSTANTINE, and thereabouts, after three hundred yeares cruell perſecution, the Sunne ſeemed as it were to breake forth of a Cloud, but preſently that glory was eclipſed, and even the viſibility of the Church in a manner covered, with the thick and a Univerſally overſpreading cloud of ARYANISME This ARIAN cloud was no ſooner blown over, but, another great cloud of that fore-propheſied APOSTASIE of the Church begun to ariſe, whereby the Churches glory was not onelyonly eclipſed, but at length againe the viſibility thereof wholly overſhaddowed with the thick darkneſſe of Idolatrous ANTICHRISTIANISME, untill after a long day of darkneſſe, it pleaſed God of late, ſomewhat to diſpel the cloud, &c. and we hope, when the cloud ſhall be wholly conſumed by the beams of the Sun of the Goſpel, the Church ſhall become not more viſible then yet it is, but far more glorious then ever hitherto it hath been. WHEN THE FULNESSE OF THE GENTILES (as St. Paul ſpeaks) SHALL COME IN. For we ſhall finde in the Propheſies of the Scriptures, that there are two ſorts, and times of the CALLING OF THE GENTILES, Firſt, that which ſhould be in the REJECTION OF THE IEWS, as St. Paul ſaith, to PROVOKE THEM TO IEALOUSIE. [Such a calling as ſhould be in a manner occaſionall, that God might not want a Church,] the time the Iewes were to be caſt out. So Rom. 11.15. The CASTING AWAY OF THE IEWS, is the RECONCILING OF THE WORLD, i.e. The CALLING OF THE GENTILES. Whence we may ſee, that the Apoſtles were not to preach Chriſt to the Gentiles, untill, being firſt offered to the Iewes, they refuſed him And this is that calling of the Gentiles which hitherto hath been many yeares. But there is a ſecond and more glorious calling of the Gentiles to be found in the Propheſies of Scripture; not a calling as this is, wherein the Jewes are excluded, but a calling wherein the Jewes ſhall have a ſhare of the greateſt glory, and to have a preeminence above other Nations, when ALL NATIONS SHAL FLOW UNTO THEM, and walke in their light; for the calling of the remainder of the world (which is not yet under Chriſt) is reſerved for the ſolemnizing of the Iewes RESTAURATION. This is that calling, and that time which hee calls the FVLNESSE of the GENTILES, conjoyned with the ſaving of ALL ISRAEL, Rom. 11.25. This is that time whereof he ſpeakes [That if the preſent FALL of the Iewes be the RICHES OF THE WORLD, and their DECAY the RICHES OF THE GENTILES, how much more ſhall their FVLNESSE be the fulneſſe of the Gentiles.] This is that glorious time which the Propheſie of this text principally, if not altogether intended, which is not yet fulfilled. While the Roman Iron part of Nebuchadnezzart Image ſtood, a ſtone was hewne out of the mountaine without hands. This is the firſt call of the world hitherto. At length the time of the feet of the Image coming that the ſtone ſmote them, the wind blowes the Image away wholly, and there was no more place found for any part thereof; which was no ſooner done, but the ſtone which ſmote the Image ſwelled into a great Mountaine, and filled the whole earth. This is the time of the fulneſſe of Chriſts Kingdome, the FULNESSE of the Gentiles; This is the time when THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE ſhall be eſtabliſhed on the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES, namely when the ſmall ſtone of Chriſts Kingdome, which is now in being, ſhall ſmite the brittle feet of the laſt remainder of the Romane State, now ſubſiſting in the Popedome, in whom the divided toes of too many Kingdomes are united, &c