Thirty-One Select Sermons, Sermon collection · Sermon 12
THE DOCTRINE Of the Iews Vocation.
Preached at Gregories Lecture.
ROM. 11.26.
And ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved, as it is written, &c.
THe Apoſtle having ſpoken in the cloſe of the former Ch. of the vocation of the Gentiles, I was found of them that ſought me not; & of the rebellious, under which is implyed the rejection of the Jews, all the day long have I ſtretched out my hands to a diſobedient and gain-ſaying people: he cloſes the Diſcourſe in this Chapter, and makes of this Chapter three parts; firſt, Conſolatoria; he hath not caſt off his people, foreign, è conſpectu amovere: he hath caſt them off, but not ſo as he will never look after them again; he hath not ſo caſt them off: for there is even amongſt them, and to come out of their loins, who are at preſent rejected, a ſeed according to the election of grace, though thoſe four great Judgements threatned are come upon them: there is poured upon them the Spirit of a deep ſleep unto this day: their table is made a ſnare: and their eyes are darkned that they ſee not: and they do alwaies bow down their backs; but theſe Judgements ſhall not alwaies lie upon them, becauſe they are dear unto God, according to the election of grace: the Lord hath not caſt off his people whom he knew before.
Secondly, Hortatoria: If the Jews were broken off, that were the natural branches, yet let not the Gentiles boaſt againſt the branches broken off: be not highminded but fear: for if God ſpared not the natural branches, take heed leſt he ſpare not thee alſo: behold therefore the goodneſs, and ſeverity of God; towards thee goodneſs, if thou continue in his goodneſs; if not, thou ſhalt alſo be cut off.
Thirdly, Prophetica: and that is of the grafting in of the Jews again, the natural branches, if they continue not in their unbelief of what the ſtate of the Jews ſhould be when the Lord again ſhall return to them in mercy, and build up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen down: and this he doth Uſher in with a praemium, as being a great truth, and that which he would have ſpecially obſerved, I would not have you ignorant of this myſterie: What is a myſterie? a myſterie is ſomething made known by Revelation, and can be known no other way: it is from the word foreign, Phil. 4.12. I am inſtructed from heaven: a truth which the Apoſtle had been taught by divine Revelation: and though much of this is ſpoken of and foretold in the Scripture, yet there is a ſpirit of Revelation that muſt go to the opening thereof, or elſe he could never have underſtood it himſelf, nor been able to reveal it or diſcover it to others: its true, it was abundantly revealed in the Scriptures: and when it was diſcovered to the Apoſtles, they could ſee clear Scripture for it, but not till then: they are myſteries till the Lord pleaſe to enlighten the underſtanding to know theſe myſteries: and therefore as the calling of the Gentiles is ſaid to be a myſterie hid in God from Ages and from Generations, and made known only by Revelation, Eph. 3.4,5,6. ſc. that the Gentiles ſhould be fellow-heirs with the ſame body, and partakers of the Promiſe of Chriſt by the Goſpel; the calling of the Gentiles, though abundantly foretold in the Scripture, was a myſterie unto the Jews, that they underſtood it not; and ſo the calling of the Jews may ſeem alſo a myſterie unto the Gentiles, till the Lord reveal it unto them; foreign, Chryſoſtom ſo calls the Doctrine of the Jews calling, Chryſoſtoma paradox, and ſtrange thing; A ſtrange and a wonderful thing, and he that doth publiſh it, ſhall ſeem at firſt to preach a paradox and a new Doctrine: But what is this myſterie? Blindneſs in ſpirit is hapned unto Iſrael, until the fulneſs of the Gentiles ſhall come in: that is the myſterie: Blindneſs is in part come upon them, foreign. There are three Interpretations, and all true. Firſt, non omnibus, it is not come upon all Iſrael, but upon a part; and ſo it is to ſpeak as the Apoſtles manner is, molli locutione, though it came upon a great part of them, and in compariſon, there were but a few converted unto the faith of Chriſt, yet he ſaith it came not upon all, but upon part of them only, the whole Nation were not caſt away, foreign, Chryſoſt. there are many of them now do believe, and many of them hereafter ſhall believe: and therefore it is not come upon all the Jews, for God had mercy on many in thoſe primitive times; Inſomuch that the firſt glorious Chriſtian Church, was a Jewiſh Church: Blindneſs is therefore but in part. Secondly, non omnino: it is not a blindneſs in all things, but in reſpect of this one particular, to ſee Jeſus Chriſt to be the Meſſiah, and the Saviour of the world, the conſolation of I ſrael which they expected and waited for; in this reſpect they were under a judicial blindneſs: they that were otherwiſe, Ieſhuron, the ſeeing people, and they that had lived in the valley of Viſion, and knew more of the mind of God then all the Nations of the earth beſides, for in Iudah is God known and his name is great in Iſrael, &c. ſo that there is a particular blindneſs in Judgement; that as God may and doth hide ſome objects from a people, as he did Lots door from the Sodomites, and ſo the Diſciples that conferr'd with Chriſt, their eyes were held that they might not know him; ſo the Lord doth in Judgement hide ſome Truths & ſome Doctrines from men, that they ſhal not ſee them; 2 Cor. 3.15. to this day when Moſes is read, there is a vail upon their hearts, that is, in reference unto Chriſt, and the things of Chriſt, which are foretold and ſpoken of in the Old Teſtament; but when they ſhall turn to the Lord, the vail ſhall be taken away, &c. and ſo, though they know much of the Law and the mind of God, in reſpect of moral duties, and the worſhip of the Lord required of them, yet the intent of theſe, either as Chriſt was hid in the one, or as the other was a Schoolmaſter to bring unto Chriſt, ſo they had a blindneſs upon their hearts: a blindneſs ſo in part was come upon them in reſpect of the object: thus we may often note; men may be knowing in ſome things, and yet have on them particular blindneſs in others. Thirdly, in reſpect of the time, it ſhall be but in part, not a continual, or everlaſting blindneſs; though it hath been a long and dreadful deſertion as ever came upon any people, never was any the like, therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, wrath is come upon them …wordE the uttermoſt, 1 Theſ. 2.…6. foreign which may be either underſtood of thoſe particular perſons, as Beza ſaies, who did oppoſe the preſent miniſterie, and ſo wra… might come upon them for ever to eternity: an everlaſting deſtruction, refer'd unto the particular perſons who did maliciouſly oppoſe the preaching of the Goſpel; or elſe it may be underſtood de atrocitate paenae; and ſo the word is uſed, 1 Pet. 1.13. Hope to the end, or hope perfectly; but the end is commonly put for the finiſhing of any particular diſpenſation; ſo the end of judgement upon the Jews, Dan. 9.24,26. and Luke 21.9. the end is not by and by; and ſo the end of any Judgement or diſpenſation; the end of the adminiſtration of the Kingdom of Chriſt: 1 Cor. 15.24. then cometh the end; Dan 12.9. Seal the Book till the time of the end; till the time that God hath appointed for the calling of the Jews, and the fulfilling of this myſterie, 1 Pet. 4.7. the end of all things is at hand; the total deſolation of the Jewiſh ſtate and worſhip, not of the end of the world is it ſpoken; So 1 Iohn 2.18. This is the laſt time; we read, This is the laſt hour; of what? of the world? no, but of this diſpenſation to the Jewiſh ſtate, before their utter ruine; So, wrath is come upon them to the end; till the time that the Lord hath appointed when they ſhall be called, and then the Lord will cauſe his fury to depart from them; and that ſhall be, when the fulneſs of the Gentiles ſhall come in, then the wrath upon the Jews ſhall end, and continue no longer; but when the fulneſs of the Gentiles is come in, then ſhall the blindneſs of the Iews be taken off: and they ſhall be again ingrafted into their own Olive-Tree, that is, they that were called Loammi, and were not a Church unto God, but were caſt off and termed deſolate and forſaken, they ſhall become a Church unto God again, and ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved. By all Iſrael, there is a double ſenſe of it.
Firſt, ſome refer it only to the Iews, and ſo all Iſrael, is as much as tota gens Iſraelitica, that whereas before, even in the time they were broken off, and the Gentiles grafted in, and ſurrogated in their place, there were many particular perſons converted of the Jews, and they were brought home unto Chriſt, and added unto the true Church of Chriſt, but yet the Nation ſtill remained under blindneſs, as rejected by Chriſt ſtill; but now, that mercy which was before ſhewed unto particular perſons, ſhall now become National, and it ſhall take in the body of the Iewiſh Nation, which is yet preſerved in their diſperſions in great multitudes, unto this great day of Jeſreel; So Beza. Par. &c.and they ſay, Elſe the Apoſtle had revealed no ſuch great myſterie, to ſay, that when as blindneſs was removed from the Iews, then the fulneſs of the Gentiles that come in to the faith, ſhall be ſaved, and a great number of the Iews; for it was plain that the Gentiles were converted and brought home daylie; but the ſubject the Apoſtle had in the words, is to ſpeak of the coming in of the Jews which ſhould be as a new reſurrection, and therefore they underſtood it not of ſpiritual Iſrael, but of Iſrael according to the fleſh; others do underſtand it of the whole Iſrael of God, that is, of the whole Church of God; which ſhall be made up of Jewes and Gentiles, when it ſhall be preſented by Christ unto the Father, without ſpot or wrincle, &c. And it is a ſpeech like unto that John 10. Other ſheep I have which are not of this fold, them I muſt bring in, and theſe ſhall be one fold, and have one ſhepherd. What is there ſpoken of the converſion of the Gentiles, is here ſpoken of the converſion of the Jewes, &c. and yet there is a myſtery revealed in it alſo, not to ſay that the Gentiles converted ſhall be ſaved, that was a thing commonly known, but that at the comming in of the Jewes, there ſhall be a greater fullneſſe of the Gentiles brought in, and that the Gentile Church ſhall be great gaines by the Jewiſh convertion; that as their caſting off was the inriching of the wor…d, ſo their comming in ſhould be life from the dead; and that there ſhould be a great addition to the comming in of the Gentiles, and a ſecond fulneſs of them brought in at the converſion of the Iewes and ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved, not onelyonly natural Iſrael, and thoſe that were ſurrogated and ingraffed into their Room, but alſo thoſe that are ſupperaded unto both theſe; For as is ſaid, Eſa. 60 3.the Gentiles ſhal come unto thy light, and Kings to the brightneſſe of thy riſing. I will ſend thoſe that ſcape of them unto the Nations unto Ta…ſhiſh, Pull, and Lud to Tubal, and Javan, to the Iſles a far off, that have not heard my fame, nor ſeen my glory, and they ſhall declare my glory among the Gentiles, Eſa. 66.19. So that when the fullneſſe of the Gentiles that God had appoynted before their call ſhall come in; then blindneſſe ſhall be take off from Iſrael, and they ſhall be converted to the Lord in a great multitude, A national way, that they ſhall become a Church unto Chriſt, being ingraffed into their own Olive tree; and then ſhall there come in a greater fulneſs of the Gentiles, even of many that never heard of the name of the Lord, and ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved; but indeed the enſuing promiſe doth ſeem to reſtrain it onelyonly into natural Iſrael; For it is a Redeemer ſhall come to Sion, and he that turnes away the iniquity from Jacob, Eſa. 59.20. And this is the Covenant that I will make with them, when I ſhall pardon their ſins; and ſo it refers all unto Iſrael, that is, unto the Iews; and all Iſrael is ment not a ſprinkling, & ſome few firſt fruits but the whole crop; and whereas before he had ſaid that blindneſs came but in part upon them, foreign, Now he ſaith when their deliverance ſhall come, it ſhall come unto all Iſrael, even unto the whole Nation, for their iniquities ſhall be turned away by God, and they alſo ſhall turn from their iniquities: All Iſrael ſhall be ſaved: not every particular perſon, but a National converſion. All Iſrael, &c.
Beeing to treat of the comming in of the Iewes, when all Iſrael ſhall be brought in; there are many heads unto which all may be reduced, which orderly the Scripture ſpeaks there, which I ſhall briefly in a ſumme foreign, ſet before you at this time; that I may be at leaſt an occaſion of enquiry into each of them, and thereby happily light may be encreaſed.
Firſt, there ſhall be National converſion of the Iewes, wherein a great, if not the greateſt part of the Nation of the Iewes that are reſerved, ſhall be turned unto the Lord. This ſome oppoſe, a Converſion they grant, but a National Converſion it muſt not be.
Secondly, this Converſion ſhall be in the height of their miſery, when there ſhal be the greateſt miſery and affliction upon them, that ever was ſince their diſperſion; There ſhall be a time of trouble, ſuch as there never was ſince they were a Nation unto the ſame time; and at that time, Daniels people ſhall be delivered, as many as are found written in the book, Dan. 12.1. when they ſhall be dry bones, and all hope ſhall be paſt with them, that they ſhall ſay, our bones are dry bones, our hope is paſt, and we are cut off for our part; then the dry bones ſhall live, and they that ſleep in the duſt ſhall awake, Ezek. 37.11.12. Behold, Oh my people, I will open your graves, and cauſe you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Iſrael. That's the Lords time of love above all other times, when men lie wallowing in their blood; when their hopes ſhall be loweſt, their Redemption ſhall be near.
Thirdly, when they are converted, they ſhall return unto Chriſt, and embrace him whom they formerly crucified and rejected, ſaying, we will not have this man to rule over us, and his blood be upon us and our Children; but there ſhall come a time, when Iſrael and Judah ſhall be gathered together, (which never yet was ſince their rejection) and they ſhal appoint to themſelves one head, Hoſ. 1.11. and this head can be no other then Chriſt, whom they ſhall then by their own election appoint to be as a Head or a King over them: its true that he was appointed by the Father in his eternal decree, and in the covenant made between the Father and the Son before the World was, as he himſelf ſaith, I was ſet up from everlaſting: it cannot be ſpoken of him as he is God, for it is foreign I was appointed, Prov 8.2.3.whch muſt refer into the office into which he was deſigned from eternity by the Father, it is the ſame word uſed Pſ. 26. I have ſet my King upon my holy hill of Sion; but now their hearts ſhall be brought about, and they that rejected the counſel of God againſt themſelves, and would not have him to be their head, whom the Lord had appointed; now they ſhall alſo chuſe the ſame, and conſent unto him; they ſhall appoint unto themſelves o…e head, &c. In that day ſhall there be a Fountain open unto the houſe of David, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem for ſin and for uncleanneſs, Zach. 13.1. it is ſpoken of the day of their converſion, as appeares by what goes before in the former Chapter; then ſhall Chriſt become the glory of his people Iſrael; hee was their glory, becauſe that of them, according to the fleſh Chriſt came, Rom. 9. But now they ſhall chuſe him as their glory, and they ſhall rejoyce and glory in him, and they ſhall in their return ſeek the Lord and David their King, Hoſ. 3.5. that is, they ſhall ſeek God aright, according to the way of the Goſpel, and with Goſpel apprehenſions, they ſhall not onelyonly ſeek the Lord from whom they have grievouſly revolted; but they ſhall ſeek him in Chriſt, and they ſhal come to him in the way that he hath appointed; that is, in Chriſt, and unto Chriſt ſhall they come.
Fourthly, at their converſion, there ſhall be wrought in them a great and a national humiliation Jer. 31.18.19. I was aſhamed and confounded becauſe I did bear the reproach of my youth, Hoſ. 14.8. Ephraim ſhall ſay, What have I doe any more with Idols? I have heard him and obſerved him, &c. Zach. 12.10. I will pour upon the houſe of David, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem the ſpirit of Grace and ſupplication, and they ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced; and they ſhall mourn for him, and be in bitterneſs for him, as for an only ſon, as he that mourns for his firſt b…rn: There ſhal be a great mourning, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, &c. Jer. 31.8,9. Behold I wil bring them from the North country, & wil gather them from the ends of the Earth, and they ſhal come with weeping, and with ſupplication: I wil lead them to Sion, they ſhal come, but with weeping and ſupplications, &c. But is not this ſpoken of their return from Babylon? How can it? did they come out of Captivity weeping? It cannot be meant fully of that return, though there are different degrees of the accompliſhment of propheſies; but if we look to verſe 1. At the ſame time, ſaith the Lord, I wil be the God of all the Tribes of Iſrael; and they ſhal be my people; Which can hardly be imagined unto the ten Tribes, in that return to be fulfilled; for they did never return from the land of their Captivity unto this day. There were but two Tribes returned from Babylon, we never read of the return of the ten Tribes. They went into Captivity with weeping, and with weeping ſhall they return. But if ſo it ſhall be ſorrow under ſuffering in the one, and under the ſight and apprehenſion of their ſin in the other.
Fifthly, the Scripture ſeems to ſpeak, as if the great meanes of their Converſion, ſhould not be by the preaching of the Goſpel, as the Gentile Churches are brought home unto the Lord, but that it ſhall be by ſight, and by a viſible appearance of the Lord Jeſus unto them. I ſhall aſſert nothing poſſitively in it, onelyonly give me leave to ſet before you ſome Scriptures that ſeem fully to ſpeak ſo much, Zach. 12.10. They ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn. And that it is not barely a ſpiritual looking upon him with an eye of faith, ſuch as the holy Ghoſt calls, Joh. 6.40. Seeing the Son, and believing on him, but that it is a bodily viſion, and to ſee him with bodily eyes; for Dan. 7.13. there is the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven brought to the ancient of days, to receive a Kingdome. What Kingdom; ſure his Davidical Kingdom, when he ſhall ſit on the throne of his Father David. When Chriſt receives this Kingdom, it is not as he receives the ſpiritual Kingdom, and entred upon the adminiſtration of the providential Kingdom that was by his ſitting down at the right hand of his Father, and ſo enter as man actually, upon the adminiſtration of all things: for its plain, that to receive this Kingdom which ſhall be after the four beaſts are deſtroyed, He ſhall come in the Clouds of Heaven, and they ſhall bring him unto the ancient of dayes: he comes attended with the Angels, and they bring him unto the ancient of days; its true, that Gods comming in the Clouds, his riding upon the Clouds; its that which notes out the eminent, viſible, glorious appearance, of his Majeſty: but its the appearance here of Chriſt, as he is the Son of man, which I conceive is never found to be ſo uſed in the Scripture, but at the laſt day, the Lord Jeſus ſhall appear in the clouds when he comes to judgement. As ſpoken of a viſible appearance; ſo this alſo ſhall be, and ſo much haply is meant, Mat. 4.30.31. Then ſhall appear the ſigh of the Son of man in Heaven, and then ſhall ye ſee the Son of man comming in the clouds of Heaven: I know its a perplexing Scripture, yet haply is meant this appearance of the Son of man, not to judgement, but as a ſigne that the judgement is neer: that which they may be as truly aſſured of, as the husband-man can be, that the ſummer is neer, when he ſees the figtree put forth leaves, &c. and therefore I ſhould rather conceive there is meant the appearance of Chriſt in the clouds for the converſion of the Iewes, and to receive a Kingdom, rather then his appearance at the day of judgement, when he muſt ſhortly give up the Kingdom; and I am induced rather to think ſo, becauſe it follows, and he will ſend the Angels with a great ſound of a Trumpet, and they ſhall gather together the elect from the four windes. Which is, I do not conceive to be reſtreined unto the day of judgement, though the Apoſtle doth ſo ſpeak alſo of the general Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15.52. The Trumpet ſhall ſound, and the dead ſhall be raiſed, the Lord ſhall deſcend from Heaven with a ſhout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the trumpet of God, 1 Theſ. 4.16. But when this Trumpet ſhall ſound, all the Nations ſhall be raiſed, bad as well as good, Elect as well as Reprobate, and they ſhall all awake unto judgement; but this is a Trumpet, that gathers onelyonly the Elect from the four winds: therefore it ſeemes that none ſhall hear this trumpet but the Elect; and that it ſhall ſound unto them as ſuch, and ſhall never reach unto the Reprobate, and that inſtruments of mercy or judgement are called Angels is ordinary, and that what the Lord doth eminently, and publickly and dreadfully make known his glory to them, with the ſound of a Trumpet, is clear, Rev. 1.10. & 4.1. and therefore it may be ſpoken of the Lords gathering in the Elect of the Iewes, having not caſt off whom he knew before, who are now ſcattered, even into the four windes of Heaven: and therefore there is that which ſeems to incline unto this, of the converſion of the Iewes at firſt, ſhall be by ſight and by appearance of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt viſibly in the clouds of Heaven, and ſo Pauls converſion ſhould be as the firſt fruits, the Lord ſetting forth him as a pattern to the whole Nation; his converſion was by a ſight of Chriſt from Heaven: and a glorious light that ſhone round about him: and ſo its probable there ſhall alſo be, but yet not all of them ſo converted, but the Lord will take ſome of them, and make them to be as Prieſts unto the Lord, and they ſhall declare his glory amongſt the Gentiles, and ſhall be inſtrumental in gathering of them, and they ſhall alſo bring in their brethren, (that is) ſay ſome, the unconverted Gentiles, which ſhall be as brethren, then all the differences between them, being taken away. Others more properly refer it unto the Iewes, the remainder of them not brought in the firſt grand converſion of the Nation: for it is ſaid, They ſhall bring all their brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations, upon Horſes and Charriots, and upon wild beaſts unto my holy mountain; So that it may be ſome of them ſhall be converted by the appearance of Chriſt, and others of them by the preaching of the Goſpel, by thoſe that are amongſt them converted: that their brethren going forth to them, and declaring to them the returning of God in wayes of grace unto their Nation, and the great things that he hath done for them, and ſo they having a ſpirit of grace poured out upon them, ſhall alſo be brought as an offering to the Lord.
Sixthly, The manner of their calling ſhall be exceeding eminent and glorious, unto the admiration of all Nations, that they ſhall all ſee how the Lord hath honoured them, Eſa. 60.1. The glory of the Lord is riſen upon them, Hoſ. 1.11. Great ſhall be the day of Jiſreel, it ſhall be a glorious day, that which ſhall make them honorable in the eyes of all the Nations of the Earth: that ten men out of every Nation under Heaven ſhall lay hold of the ſcirt of a Jew, and ſhall ſay, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Pſ. 10.2.16. When the Lord ſhall build up Sion, he will appear in Glory; they ſhall have glorious appearances of him, ſuch as no people ever had, and this ſhall make them to be the deſire of all people, as they have had a great day of miſery, ſo a great and glorious day of their deliverance ſhall come, to the aſtoniſhment and amazement of the Nations: and there are many great reaſons that it muſt be a great day; but I cannot inſiſt upon them.
Seventhly, the time of their calling ſhall be when the fulneſs of the Gentiles is come in, blindneſs ſo long is happened unto them: when the four Monarchs are caſt down to duſt in the period of them, Dan. 7.12.13.14. after the deſtruction of Antichriſt, when the little horn is ſlain, and his body given unto the burning flame; now he comes to receive a Kingdom of the ancient of days; and it ſhall be when the ſeventh Angels Trumpet ſhall ſound, then the Kingdoms and Nations under the whole Earth, become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Chriſt, Rev. 11.16. which is from the ſetting up, the abomination of deſolation, the 1290. days, which ſhal be the year of the Iews redemption, Dan. 12.11. which is to be finiſhed four thouſand year after which is 1335. daies, but theſe are times …hat I cannot now ſpeak to.
Eighthly, then ſhall be amongſt them a glorious Church, in which the preſence of the Lord ſhall dwell, Ezek. 37.27. I will ſet my Tabernacle among them for ever more. And elſewhere, Ezek. 48. ultthe name of the City ſhal be, Jehovah ſhammah, the Lord is there. Rev. 21.3. The Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them; and it is not in Heaven, for it is new Jeruſalem that comes down from God out of Heaven: and the Kings of the earth ſhall bring their glory to it, and the glory of the Lord and of the Lamb ſhall be foreign the light of it, and Rev. 21.12.twelve Angels at the gates: and there ſhall be no uſe of the ſervice of the Angels in Heaven, they are ſent forth as miniſtring ſpirits for the good of the Elect. But when they are gathered in, as their Kindom begins with the Kingdom of Chriſt, ſo ſhall it end alſo; for he will put down all rule, authority and power: it is to be underſtood, Etiam de principatu Angelico, as well as of any other. And they ſhall have the pureſt Ordinances, Rivers of water of Life, that is clear as Chriſtal, not running blood, not mixed with fire, Rev. 22.1. Not blood, as is the Doctrine of Antichriſt: nor mixt with Fire, either of affliction or contention, as are the doctrines of the reformed Churches, and then ſhall be the exacteſt diſcipline, all that love and make a lye ſhall be without: and the more of Gods order, the more of his preſence, and his bleſſing: for they ſhall ſee his face, and his name ſhall bee written upon their foreheads, &c.
Ninthly, this Church of the converted Jewes ſhall be the Mother Church, and ſhall be exalted above all the Gentile Churches; the mountain of the Lords houſe exalted above the tops of the mountains, Ezek. 16.61. then ſhalt thou be aſhamed when I ſhall give thee thy ſiſters for daughters: all the Gentile Churches ſhal know that they do receive, as the Law from them at the firſt, ſo now aboundance of light and nouriſhment; great diſcoveries, of God and of his grace; for the light of the Moon ſhall be as that of the Sun, and the light of the Sun ſeven-fold: and the Temple ſhall be opened in Heaven, and you may ſee into the Ark of the Teſtament: all vailes ſhall be taken away, both from the hearts of men, and the myſteries of God and the Abdita, the hidden things of God revealed, the which ſhould then be made fully manifeſt. For he did not write the Word for the World to come, but for the Life that now is: and therefore there is nothing there hid, that ſhall not be made manifeſt; it ſhall appear unto the world, that he wrote none of thoſe divine myſteries in the word in vain.
Tenthly, Then ſhall follow great peace and proſperity in the world; all perſecutions, either from Enemies without, or Tyrants within, ſhall come to an end, Ezek. 34.25.26. I wil make with them a Covenant of peace, and wil cauſe evil beaſts to ceaſe out of the Land, they ſhall dwell ſafely in the wilderneſs and ſleep in the woods, Eſa. 66.12. I will extend peace to her like a River that ſhall never be dryed up: that when the enemies ſhall look when it will be dry, it may be expected in vaine, Labitur & labetur: Zach. 14.11.Jeruſalem ſhall be ſafely inhabited, perſecutions from without for the four Monarchs ſhal bee deſtroyed, and Satan ſhall be bound, that he ſhall not ſtir them up to make war against the Saints, Rev. 20. Ezek. 45.8.becauſe their Princes before did ſlay them, and not hold themſelves guilty, make nothing of oppreſſion, but now he ſaith, my Princes ſhall oppreſſe my people no more: a wall 12000 furlongs high, Rev. 21.16. and for proſperity, Eſa. 60.16.17. &c, ſhe ſhall ſuck the milk of the Gentiles, and the breſts of Kings.
Eleventhly, Over this people Ieſus Chriſt ſhall in a glorious manner reign, and that in a more eminent manner then he hath done over the Churches of the Gentiles; for it is the Kingdom of David his Father which he is to ſit on, a Kingdom which he is yet to receive, Ezek. 34.23.24. …zek. 37.25 Ezek. 21.26David my ſervant he ſhall feed them, and rule over them: I will be their God, and David my ſervant as a Prince amongſt them: when the dry bones are riſen, David my ſervant ſhall be their Prince for ever, remove the Diadem, &c, he will overturn, overturn, overturne, and then will he come whoſe right it is. The Scepter ſhal depart from Judah, and they ſhall be many days without a King: Any form of government of their own, Hoſ. 34. and what then? they ſhall ſeek the Lord, and David their King. unto whom the Father hath committed all judgement, Joh. 5.22. and in a ſpecial manner the Kingdoms and Nations over this people, that from his preſence their judgement is to go forth, and therefore he ſhall in a more ſpecial manner be be King of the Jews, as being his own people, unto whom he hath a right of inheritance, more then he has over any people of the world beſides, and yet I do confeſſe, I do not ſee light from the Scripture to aſſert the perſonal reign of Chriſt upon Earth over them, and the Saints reigning with him in his perſon; I know Aliud eſt Chriſtū regnare in Sanctis; Aliud Sanctos regnare cum Chriſto: both ſhall be in this life in ſome ſenſe; but yet whether Chriſt ſhall rule them by a perſonal reſidence upon earth, is unto me ſtill a doubt; but this I ſay, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt hath a peculiar right unto the Kingdom of the Jews, as he is of the ſeed of David: And God will give him the Throne of his father David.
Twelfthly, The people ſhall be exceeding holy in this Church, walking in truth and ſincerity; there is a form of Godlineſs, but there is little of the power now, there ſhall be much of the power of Godlineſſe, of the life of Chriſt manifeſted in them; thy people ſhall be all righteous, the branch of my planting that I may be glorified, Eſay 60.21. It is the Bride, the Lambs wife having the glory of the Lord upon her, Rev. 21.10,11. its true there ſhall not be perfect holineſſe in the Saints, for there is a Tree of life for medicine as well as for meat, Rev. 22.2. and they ſhall not be without Hypocrites, thoſe that ſhall cleave unto them by flattery, but yet there ſhall be a glorious ſpirit of diſcerning even of them alſo, and they ſhall be without, not onelyonly that make, but they that do love a lie.
Thirteenthly, This Church ſhall have abundance of converts, and their Ordinances ſhall be exceeding fruitfull, to bring in ſouls into the Lord, Ezek. 37.9,10,11. Where the Waters come, every thing ſhall live, and there ſhall be a multitude of fiſh, even as that of the great Sea exceeding many, thy Gates ſhall be open continually not ſhut day nor night, that they may bring the riches of the Gentiles and their Kings ſhall be brought, and they ſhall flie as a Cloud, and as Doves unto their Windows, becauſe of the glorious Majeſty of the Lord that is ſeen amongſt them, &c.
Fourteenthly, They ſhall be brought home into their own land, and they ſhall dwell there, they ſhall dwell in their own Citie as in the days of old, and Ezek. 12. Ezek. 37.25.Jeruſalem ſhall be inhabited again in her own place even in Jeruſalem: they ſhall dwell in the land that I gave to Jacob their father, wherein their fathers dwelt, they ſhall dwell there even they and their Children, and Childrens Children for ever.
Fifteenthly, There ſhall be a perfect union between the ten Tribes, and the two Tribes, and the hatred ſhall depart, that breach was never yet made up, But then the ſticks ſhall become one, Ezek. 37.19. The envy of Judah ſhall depart, and Ephraim ſhall vex Judah no more: I wil gather them out of all Countries, whither I have driven them in my anger, and I wil give them one heart, and one way, and then Jehovah ſhall be one, and his name one, &c.Jer. 32.39.
Sixteenthly, They ſhall be the great inſtrument in the hand of the Lord, for to ruine and deſtroy the Turkiſh Empire, when the Lord ſhall bend Judah for him, and fill his bow with Ephraim, Dan. 11.40.44. We read of the King of the South, whom tidings out of the North, and out of the Eaſt ſhall trouble. There are ſeveral reaſons, why by the King of the South, I conceive to be meant the Turkiſh Empire, as that which had the next power, and exerciſed the next Tyranny over the Jews; and being come to a height, there is tidings from the Eaſt and North, troubling the gathering together of the Jews, Ezek. 37.7. when the bones came together, there was a great noiſe, and a ſhaking, and ſtanding up, they became an exceeding great and formidable Army; and he ſaith, that theſe bones are the houſe of Iſrael returning into their own land; here is the tidings that trouble the King of the South; there the Turk invadeth the glorious holy Mountain, and then he comes to an end, and none ſhall help him: it is Euphrates muſt be dried up to prepare the way for the Kings of the Eaſt, Rev. 16.12. that they may join themſelves with the Weſtern Chriſtians.
Seventeenthly, At their returning to the Lord, there ſhall be by them a wonderfull bleſſing upon all the Gentile Churches, their gain ſhall be much by it, they were gainers by the Jews rejection, their caſting off was the inriching of the World, their diminiſhing the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulneſſe, Rom. 11.12.15. it ſhall be as life from the dead, it is not I conceive ſpoken of the Jews, that there comming in ſhould be ſuddenly and by an act of almighty power as a reſurrection, as it is reſembled, Ezek. 37. but it ſhall be unto the Gentiles, as life from the dead; that is, as miſery is expreſt by death, ſo all joy and happineſſe is expreſt by life, it ſhall be as it were a reſurrection, put a new face upon the world, that as it ſhall be a glorious condition upon earth, when all the Saints ſhall ariſe and ſtand upon the earth with joy, being perfected in their graces, and in their faculties, ſo ſhall this be even unto the Gentiles, as well as unto the Jews, a reſurrection.
Eighteenthly, With the calling of the Jews, the Kingdome of the God of heaven ſhall be ſet up; that which is now ſo commonly called the fifth Monarchy, ſhall begin when the four Monarchies are deſtroyed, which ſhal be with the drying up the River Euphrates, that is, the Turkiſh Empire: Its true that Chriſt hath a Kingdome, during the rule of the Monarchies, in the dayes of thoſe Kings God doth ſet up a Kingdome, but it is a little ſtone and it breaks the Image by degrees, and then afterward becomes a Mountain, and the Kingdome given unto the Saints of the moſt high: Which in the Book of Dan. 7.27. its meant the Jews. who are every where called the holy people, not of the Gentile Saints, Dan. 8.24. and 12.7. and therfore it is they muſt take the Kingdome and poſſeſſe it, and it ſhall be given to them, which is not wel applied by all that will call themſelves Saints and holy people, as if they were to take to themſelves the rule of all the Kingdomes of the world.
Nineteenthly, Unto this time the perfect fulfilling of all the propheſie of God doth belong: there are degrees of fulfilling the prophecies more or leſſe in all times; but its unto this that the perfections of the World are reſerved, Rev. 10.7. its never before the 7th Trumpet ſound, that the myſtery of God is finiſhed; that is, all thoſe ſecrets that were in the boſome of God to perform, and which he revealed unto his ſervants the Prophets, all thoſe do not receive their full accompliſhment; all that God doth intend to do for his people in the advancement of his ſon in this World, is now fulfilled and accompliſhed.
Laſtly, And this glorious condition ſhall continue unto this people unto the day of judgement; that they ſhall ſuffer no more, the Sun ſhall no more go down, nor the Moon withdraw it ſelf: Eſay 60.20. I will ſet my Tabernacle in the middle of them for evermore, Ezek. 37.26. by an everlaſting covenant, and I will plant them in their own land with my whole heart, and my whole ſoul: and I will never turn away from them to do them good; there ſhall be no more ſorrow, nor crying, all tears from their eyes ſhal be wiped away, and no more curſe as they formerly had, Rev. 22.4. they ſhal be caſt out of the land no more, &c. There Sun did riſe and ſet, but now ſhal go down no more: Theſe things require further diſcuſſing then one hour permits: But having laid down theſe things in the general, I hope it will ingage others to look further into them.
The firſt by way of Doctrin on this time, There ſhal be a great and a national converſion of the Jews unto the Lord; not here and there a man, but even multitudes of them, a whole Nation, all Iſrael, the whole houſe of Iſrael ſhal live, they that went before, were but as the firſt fruits, Rom. 11.16. if the firſt fruit be holy, ſo is the lump, the harveſt, therefore all that have been converted is but as the firſt fruits, in compariſon of the lump, the harveſt of that people are yet to come into God, Iſ. 66.8. the Earth brings forth in a day, and a Nation born at once, Eſay, 49.21. I was deſolate and left alone, who hath begotten me all theſe, where have they been? &c. And the grounds are; Firſt, they do many of them belong to the election of grace, God will not caſt off his People whom hee knew before; and though we can ſee none, yet the Lord looks not as men look, he hath 7000 in Iſrael, &c. when a man cannot ſee one, and the Elect ſhall attain mercy, for electing love wil follow a man til it overcome him, and prevail with him, and wil overcome.
2dly. Auſtrium Predeſtinatio electos ad gloriam uſ que producit.By reaſon of the covenant made with their fathers, they are beloved for their fathers ſake; its true God doth take children into their Parents covenant, but they firſt in the outward priviledges of the covenant, then God breaks them off from this alſo, but the Lord hath a time when the covenant ſhal take place again, and it is by vertue of this covenant that they do attain mercy; the Lord remembring the covenant made with Abraham and with his ſeed; and therefore he wil not caſt away the whole ſociety in the latter dayes, he will return unto them again, and a redeemer ſhal come unto them there is a ſeed of election runs through their fathers loyns, and when this ſeed is brought forth, then for their fathers ſake they ſhal be called.
Ʋſe.
Such a converſion we ſhould help forward by faith and prayer, and ſo much the rather, becauſe the time approaches, the promiſes are even come unto the birth, and they do draw on apace: Conſider theſe ſix things, firſt how ſweet wil the preſence of God then be: 2. The Sun ſhal be aſhamed and the Moon confounded, when the Lord ſhal reign in Mount Sion, and in Jeruſalem and before his ancients gloriouſly, Eſay 24. laſt. Then ſhal it be ſaid, the Tabernacle of God is with men. 2dly How glorious wil it be to ſee aboundance of Souls converted every one bearing twins, and not one barren amongſt them, Rev. 15.8. No man was able to, enter into the Temple during the time of the Vials, now the ſmoke being gene many enter in. 3dly To ſee Grace acted in the life and in the glory of it, which is but little in the Chriſtian Church to ſee men walk in the povver of the holy Ghoſt, being as Juſtin Martyr calls them, foreign, how lovely and amiable would the lives of Chriſtians be, it ſhal be as life from the dead, as they that have known, nay, had experience in themſelves of another reſurrection, &c. 4thly To ſee ſo many lie as dead, withered branches, upon whom the heart of God was ſet, and were dear unto him, they pitied you, how much more ſhould you pity them, that through your mercy they might attain mercy, Rom. 11.31. that is, by the ſight and the apprehenſion of the mercy that God hath ſhewed unto you, they may be provoked for to look out for a part in the ſame mercy that was ſhevved tovvards you, when you were loſt, the ſame wil the Lord extend unto them alſo, &c. 5thly Conſider that their comming in ſhal be without your loſs, your comming in was with their rejection, the natural branches were broken off, that tho… mightſt be grafted in; we can knovv no reaſon for it, but admire the Wiſdom of God; as Chriſts ſpirit was not given, becauſe Chriſts ſpirit was not glorified, &c. but novv you may be of the ſame Olive Tree, and you may be in the ſame fold, &c. 6thly You have great benefits by it, you have much profit by their rejection, you ſhal have more by their reſtoration, even life from the dead to you, an inriching of the Gentiles with greater riches, then the Gentiles can inrich them, for the Lord Jeſus will in a ſpecial manner exalt the Kings of the Eaſt.
Some Objections are to be anſwered when God gives another opportunity. As then ſuffer them to live among us, that they may have the Goſpel preached to them, that's the way to their converſion, to bring them into our land.
Anſ. Firſt, if they be here, in providence we ſhould not caſt them out. 2. If the Jews did live among you, they were to have by the Law of God, no other liberty among Chriſtians, then the Jevviſh Magiſtrates were to give the Heathens among the Jews: if they were here, as they were not, to ſuffer the Gentiles amongſt them, upon the account of aiming at their good, neither might we ſuffer theſe among us, not to abuſe their worſhip, or ſet up a falſe worſhip, prophane their Sabboth, or blaſpheme their God. This the Jews permitted not to the Gentiles, nor ſhould the Gentiles now permit the Jews. 3. The ſtage & place of their converſion ſhal not be in the Weſtern parts of the world, where few of thē are, but in the Eaſt and North, &c. Dan. 11.44. its ſaid, tydings out of the Eaſt and North ſhal trouble them, as indeed their main reſidence is in thoſe parts. 4. It ſhal not be by the preaching of the Goſpel, vvhichwhich is the ordinary way for the Gentiles, but the Lord will do it in an extraordinary way, A Nation ſhal be born at once; therfore theſe are but the weak plots or charitable miſ-apprehenſions of men (in this) ignorant of the Scripture, and all Labours this way will be to no purpoſe, but let thy compaſſion run out in faith and prayer, to bring the promiſe to the birth, &c.
FINIS.