The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 19
SECT. XIX.
THe tenth place in Iſaiah is Chapter 45. v. 14.*Touching v. 14. to v. 22. I will onelyonly inſert Mr. Medes Notes in the margin, becauſe it came not timely enough to bee put into the Text: Eſaiae vaticinium cap. 45. a verſu 14. & deinceps in eodem Adventu (ſecundo Chriſti) implendum reſtatur Apoſtolus ad Rom. c. 14. v. 11. omnes enim (inquit) ſtabimus ante Tribunal Chriſti, ſcriptum eſt enim (nempe in hoc Eſaiae vaticinio) vivo ego dicit Dominus, quoniam mihi flectetur omne genu, & omnis lingua confitebitur Deo. Quod ſi haec Prophetiae pars in ſecundo Chriſti adventu, in die nimirum Judicii adimplenda reſtet; etiam reliqua eodem pertinere neceſſe eſt. Eſt autem Prophetiae initium, hujuſmodi, Sic dicit Dominus, labor Aegypti, & negotiatio Cuſh & Sabaeorum VIRORUM MENSURAE (i. e. MERCATORUM foreign ſic Targum, quod menſuris utantur; non, MEN OF STATUR) ad te (O tu captiva, vel O civitas mea) tranſibunt, & tui erunt & poſt te ambulabunt, in compedibus, ad te incurvabunt ſe, te deprecabuntur dicentes, Tantum in te Deus eſt & non eſt, & alius praeter ipſum Deus. In Hebraeo enim, omnia haec pronomina ſunt generis faeminini, quare ad Cyrum referri nequeunt, ſed ad Jeruſalem captivam, de qua in verſu praecedenti mentionem habuit; quemque ad majorem rei evidentiam ſic verterem, ego ſuſcitavi (Cyrum) in juſtitia, & omnes vias ejus d…gam. Ipſe aedificabit civitatem meam, & captivam meam [foreign] DIMITTET, idque fine pretio, & muncre, dicit Dominus exercitum. Tunc ſequuntur verba quae paulo ante recitavi. Sic dicit Dominus, labor Aegypti &c. q. d. parum eſt quod reaedificaberis & …emitteris. Imo vero magna re O captiva mea, O civitas mea manet olim faelicitas. Obſervandum eſt enim Dominum, inde a fine verſus undecimi eſpondere; quaſi interrogationi de Fatis filiorum fuorum, juxra quod praemiſit, & ventura interrogate me de filiis meis, & de operibus mamanuum earum praecipite mihi, nempe ut narrem vobis quae futura ſunt. Thus far Mr. Mede. By which it is moſt plaine that he thinks, and ſhews for it great ſtrength of reaſon, that this place of Iſa. is to be underſtood of a glorious ſtate of the Church to be on earth, at Chriſts ſecond coming. to the end of the Chapter, but ſpecially verſe 22, 23, 24, 25. viz. verſe 22. Looke unto me and be yee ſaved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none elſe. 23. I have ſworne by my ſelfe, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteouſneſſe, and ſhall not returne, that unto me every knee ſhall bow, every tongue ſhall ſwear. 24. Surely ſhall one ſay, in the Lord have I righteouſneſſe (Heb. righteouſneſſes) and ſtrength, even to him ſhall men come, and all that are incenſed againſt him ſhall be ASHAMED. 25. In the Lord ſhall the ſeed of Iſrael bee juſtified, and ſhall glory.
§. 1 For thoſe foure laſt verſes of the Chapter, this is that I have to ſay: The Prophet having ſpoken to JACOB and ISRAEL, (v. 17, 18, 19.) Iſrael ſhall be ſaved in the Lord with an everlaſting ſalvation, and ſhall not be ASHAMED, nor confounded, world without end, for thus ſaith the Lord that created the Heavens, and formed the earth, hee hath created it not in vaine, he formed it to be INHABITED (which phraſes Not aſhamed, &c. and to be inhabited, extend that everlaſting ſalvation to comprehend a bleſſed ſalvation on earth too) I have not ſpoken in ſecret, in a darke place of the earth; I ſaid not to the ſeed of JACOB, ſeek ye me in vaine, I ſay, the Prophet having ſpoken to Jacob and Iſrael (names comprehending all twelve Tribes) next he extends his ſpeech more generally with them to all the Nations of the world. (v. 20, 21.) Aſſemble your ſelves, and come, draw neer together, yee that are ESCAPED of the Nations, Tell ye, and bring them neer, Look unto me, and be ſaved, all the ends of the earth, &c. as it follows in the words above deſcribed at large. So that by the connexion it is evident, that the words above quoted concerne both Jews and Gentiles.
§. 2 The words are not onelyonly a preſcript, and precept to all the ends of the earth (which muſt needs include Jewes and Gentiles) but alſo a Propheſie and Promiſe, that all the ends of the earth ſhall look to the Lord for ſalvation, expreſſe, in ſaying, Be ye ſaved. And in the 23 verſe, I have ſworne by my ſelfe, unto me every knee ſhall bow, and every tongue ſhall vow; ſurely ſhall each one ſay, in the Lord have I righteouſneſſe, &c. which is the plaine language of a promiſe, and is confirmed in manner of a promiſe, with that great confirmation, Gods oath.
§. 3 Firſt, for the two former verſes, viz. the 22 and 23, of looking to God, and bowing the knee to him, the Apoſtle applies them twice in the New Teſtament, to that future ſubmiſſion and ſubjection, that all the world ſhall yeeld to Jeſus Chriſt, long after his aſcention.
1 ¶ The firſt time is in Rom. 14. v. 8, 9, 10, 11. Verſe 8. Whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord, whether we live therefore, or dye, we are the Lords. 9. For to this end Chriſt both dyed, and roſe, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and living. 10. But why doſt thou judge thy brother, &c. wee ſhall all ſtand before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt. For it is written, as I live, ſaith the Lord, every knee ſhall bow to me and every tongue ſhall confeſſe to God. In which words,
1 It is plainly held forth, that the Apoſtle proves Chriſts Lordſhip, or Kingly-hood over ALL, both dead and living, by this place of Iſa. That every knee ſhall bow to the Lord. And that as God made Chriſt a Prieſt by an oath, Pſal. 110. emphatically urged by the Apoſtle, Heb. 7.20. &c.) ſo he makes him Lord and King by an oath in this place of Iſaiah and ſo applied by our …poſtle in this 14 of Rom. to ſignifie the certainty of the thing.
2 That being delivered in the future tenſe, it muſt ſignifie more then Chriſts ſpirituall Kingdome, which he then had, when Iſaiah propheſied.
3 That the Apoſtles mentioning after Chriſts aſcention his Lordſhip over the dead, and our ſtanding at his judgement ſeat, muſt ſignifie a ſtate (now after Chriſt is in heaven) yet to come. For he is not God of the dead, but as they are living in ſoule, in order to a reſurrection, as Chriſt himſelfe expounds in the Evangeliſt.
4 That this muſt be a ſtate on earth before the ultimate Doom, in that the Apoſtle out of the Prophet aſſerteth, that all muſt bow to him, either ſincerely, or at leaſt ſeemingly, which cannot be ſo cleerly underſtood to be feiſable at the ultimate day of judgement, which is the finall deſtruction of all, not ſincere to Chriſt, and the time of Chriſts Reſignation of all his power 1 Cor. 15. For the wicked to ſubmit and periſh in the ſame houre were little honour to Chriſt, and a ſhort time for all the world to confeſſe to him.
5 That this is a kind of day of judgement, that is, the beginning, or preface to the great and ultimate day of judgement, at the beginning of the thouſand yeers, when Chriſt deſtroyes all the open obſtinate wicked, and ſets up the Church into a glorious eſtate, Rev. 19. latter end. And Rev. 20. firſt ſix verſes, compare v. 8.9. &c. And at this beginning, or preface do all believers ſtand at the judgement ſeat of Chriſt (Revel. 11. v. 15. v. 18. Rev. 20. firſt ſix verſes) where they receive honour and rewards of grace and favour. For, according to our Apoſtle, this bowing, &c. muſt be at SOME day of judgement.
But it cannot be at the ultimate finall, and therefore afore, at the beginning of the day of judgement, viz. at the beginning of the thouſand yeers.
2 ¶ The ſecond time of the Apoſtles application of this of Iſaiah touching bowing, to the ſubmiſſion of all unto Chriſt, is Phil. 2, v. 8, 9, 10, 11. Ver. 8. Being found in faſhion as a man, hee humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto the death, &c. 9 Wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. 10. That at the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow, of things in heaven, and things in EARTH, and things under the Earth. 11 And that every tongue ſhould confeſſe that Jeſus Chriſt is LORD to the glory of God the Father.
1 By the quotation of the place out of Iſaiah, it is evident that the meaning of bowing the knee at the name of Jeſus, is to ſubmit to the Lordly and Kingly power of Chriſt.
2 Every knee (both of things in heaven, that is of Angels, as they ſhall in ſpeciall bee imployed in gathering the Church, and ſetting up the glorious ſtate thereof, Rev. oft, and in earth, that is of all men; and under the earth, that is, at Chriſts pleaſure there ſhall bee no ſea, Rev. 21.1.) muſt needs import a ſtate on earth. Which in the third particular is more confirmed, That every tongue ſhall confeſſe that Jeſus Chriſt is the LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
§. 4 Now this of Iſaiah intended for ſalvation of Jews and Gentiles, and as explained by the Apoſtle touching ſubmiſſion to, and glorifying of Chriſt, cannot comport with the ultimate doome: As they were never yet fulfilled; but rather moſt knees and tongues, as of Turks, Papiſts, Heathens, Socinians, and all prophane perſons whatſoever, are againſt Chriſt to this day. And therefore theſe things muſt have a time on earth, before the ultimate judgement, to bee fairely and effectually fulfilled.
§. 5 As for the two laſt Verſes of this 45 of Iſaiah, Viz. v. 24, and 25. I need no more but aske the queſtion, was that ever fulfilled (which is there ſpoken) that every knee and tongue ſhall come and ſay (for ſo is the connexion, eſpecially according to the Hebrew Text) ſurely in the Lord have I righteouſneſſe, and ſtrength? Or that fulfilled (there alſo expreſſed) That ALL that are incenſed againſt the Lord ſhall bee aſhamed? Or that fulfilled (which is the cloſe of all) That in the Lord all the ſeed of Iſrael ſhall be juſtified, and ſhall glory? I ſay, when ever were theſe fulfilled? You have ſeen that the perſons ſpoken of are, Iſrael and Jacob, comprehending all the ſeed of the twelve Tribes, and all the ends of the earth of Gentiles, and that the Apoſtle expounds The Lord by the Lord Chriſt. Therefore I may boldly aske, when ever were theſe fulfilled? Surely to our ſorrow (that are Beleevers) wee ſee the contrary of all theſe, in the generality of all men, Turks, Pagans, Papiſts, Atheiſts, Hereticks, and prophane perſons. And without multiplying words, the very phraſes will not admit of a referring theſe to the ultimate day of Doome. And therefore muſt yet bee fulfilled on earth, before that day.