PuritanSearch

SECT. XIII.

[§. 1] THe third place in Isaiah is Chapter the eleventh in whole, and throughout, with a brief collation of the tenth Chapter preceding, and the twelfth following, and therefore too large to write out. In lieu thereof we shall express the several passages from whence we deduce any argument.

[§. 2] To speak as shortly as we may to this place of Scripture: In the tenth Chapter preceding, the Lord threatens Judah, that for their hypocrisy in Religion, and their unrighteousness in their dealings, he will send against them the Assyrian. But then withal it is threatened, that because the Assyrian would afflict the Jews without consideration of God's hand in it, and should manage the rod with insolent cruelty to the Jews, that God will bring destruction upon the Assyrian for deliverance of the Jews. The confirmation of this deliverance (as is the manner of God in the Prophets) hath its foundation laid in the sending of Christ, Chapter 11. The promise whereof, and description of whose person, we have set forth, and characterised in the first five verses. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, &c. and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom, &c. and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, but with righteousness shall he judge, &c. So that although in Hezekiah's time (wherein Isaiah prophesied, the host of the Assyrians were destroyed to the number of one hundred eighty five thousand by the Angel of the Lord (2 Kings 19.35.) And again, in the time of Judah's captivity in Babylon they were overthrown with a mighty destruction by the Medes and Persians, Dan. 5.30. yet these are not the ALL of the Threat of this Prophesy against Assyria, for the Threat is carried on still in Zach. 1.15. to the end of the Chapter, though at that time Judah was returned. And (to keep to this our Text of Isa. ) according to the length of the foundation of this Prophesy, must the superstructure be extended, viz. to the coming of Christ: which coming of him, being not restrictively determined to his first coming in his incarnation, must be left at large to reach to his second coming at the great Restauration, as the Text doth seem to require, in mentioning his judging, v. 3. his smiting the earth, v. 4. &c.

For we must know (to give you Mr. Medes notion Alicubi, as near as I can) That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ INDEFINITLY, and in GENERALL, without that distinction of first and second coming, which we have more clearly learned in the Gospel. For this reason, those Prophets ( except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings, and the Gospel out of him) speak of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely, and altogether, which we who are now more fully informed by the Revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a twofold coming, must apply each of them to its proper time. Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it, and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second. And that which befits both alike, may be applied to both.

Which notion of Mr. Mede is the more to be acknowledged, in that it may appear by many instances from the Creation hitherto, that the grand promises of great deliverances have their successive and gradual fulfilling from their first promulgation, unto the end of this world, as daily experience produceth fresh testimonies. The context saith, Isa. 10.24. &c. Thus saith the Lord, O my people, that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the ASSYRIAN, He shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of EGYPT. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger IN THEIR DESTRUCTION, &c. And in that day his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder, &c. Now in Hezekiah's time the Assyrian did not smite the Inhabitants of Zion, but were smitten by the Angel of the Lord (as afore mentioned.) Nor was the burden of the Assyrian taken away from off the shoulder of the dwellers at Zion at their return from Babylon, by a destruction on them under whom they were then in captivity. For the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus their King, voluntarily to let them return, as we well know the story, in the second of Chron. Chapter last, and Ezra Chap. 1.

And further, the Apostles do bring down many passages of this eleventh of Isaiah unto the Transactions of their times, and downwards, applying them to the coming of Christ, yea to the coming of Christ after his ascension. For example:

1. First, that in verse 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, &c. is applied by the Apostle, Act. 13. v. 22. &c. to v. 42. to Christ as the eminent seed of David, of the seed of Jesse, conjoining a quotation out of Psal. 2. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: which with other passages in that Psalm (as hath been demonstrated) signifies Christ's visible Kingdom on earth yet to come. And a quotation out of Isaiah 55.3. Touching the sure mercies of David. And one other quotation out of Ps. 16. That his holy one saw no corruption, of purpose to prove that though David himself be dead, yet Christ lives, to be the sure mercies of David, and to keep off his seed from seeing corruption, that in him the ever-living seed of David may reign to the end of this world, and that in some peculiar way, privilege, and relation, and proportion to David, or else the dint and vigor of Isaiah's, and the Psalmists Text, and the Apostles Commentary is made to languish. Which privilege, peculiarity, relation and analogy to David, what can it be, but a visible Reigning, or Kingdom of Christ? For Christ's Kingdom, purely spiritual, by his Word and Spirit, what doth it more relate to David then to other Christian Kings and Princes of the Gentiles converted from Heathenism? or how more over David's people or Kingdom, more then over all Indians and Heathens, where the Gospel is spread and received?

2 Again, that in verse the tenth of this eleventh of Isaiah, There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people, to it shall the GENTILES seek, the Apostle Rom. 15.12. draws down to Christ then ascended, and gives us this sense of the Prophet, That Christ is not only the OBJECT of faith to the Gentiles, but that the Gentiles shall be his SUBJECTS, he reigning over them. How reigning over them? Mark curiously the Apostles words, and you may perceive something. Again (saith the Apostle) There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall RISE to REIGNE over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. His reigning, as in relation to David, doth not commence from his Incarnation, but he shall RISE to reign, spoken by the Apostle after Christ's Resurrection, and Ascension, and rendered (as you hear) by our Translators under a future notion, He shall rise to reign. Yea follow the words yet closer, even home to the very doors of the Original, and you will see (I think) yet more, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. There shall be a root of Jesse, and he shall RISE AGAINE to reign over the Gentiles, or stand up AGAINE, to reign over them. Christ had, before the Apostle penned that, risen the first time, viz. from the grave of the earth. But now that he hath ascended long since up into heaven, and there as it were had been (in the opinions of most men) buried in oblivion, and his glory covered, he must rise again from that obscuring himself from men, to reign over them. Which the Prophet Daniel c. 12. calls His standing up as a great PRINCE to deliver his people; which shall begin, saith the Angel, one thousand two hundred and ninety days, that is, so many years, from the ceasing of the daily sacrifice, and shall be five and forty years in finishing, ere all the Jews enemies shall be thrown down. After which immediately begins the great Restitution of all things, the Resurrection of the Saints, Daniel standing up in the lot.

3 So that this Text of the 11 of Isaiah is most clearly to be extended beyond the Jews deliverance out of Babylon, unto Christ's personal coming, and on the other side, cannot be confined, stinted and terminated in Christ's first personal coming, in his Incarnation, but must be carried on far beyond that, as these arguments following will evince.

First, after the Prophet had in the first of verse this 11 of Isaiah prophesied of Christ's coming, and verse 2, 3, of his qualification with gifts, and graces, then in the fourth verse he prophesies that Christ with righteousness shall judge the poor, and reprove with equity, for, or in behalf of the meek of the earth, and shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his mouth shall he slay the wicked. But Christ did not reprove in the behalf of the meek, nor slay the wicked at his first coming in the flesh. But it is extended by the Apostle, 2 Thess. 2. (after Christ's ascension) unto future times, when Christ shall destroy Antichrist (who was not revealed when the Apostle wrote) whose destruction is the introduction to the future Restitution, as hath been afore demonstrated upon that 2 Thess. 2. &c. in our second Book.

Secondly, when the Prophet had prophesied of Christ's coming, and the excellency of his person and gifts in the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 verses, before he comes to the main of the Prophesy, whereon I shall chiefly insist, in verse 10, 11, &c. he inserts between in the 6, 7, and 8 verses, a Prophesy that the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, &c. meaning the restitution of the creatures from the enmity of the curse by Adams fall, according to Rom. 8.19, 20, 21, 22, 23. For which (saith the Apostle) not only the Saints, but the creature itself earnestly expects, and the whole creation groaneth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and vanity, to which it is now subject, and to be put into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. Which yet never was; nor can it be imagined to be at the ultimate day of doom, and therefore is yet to come. I know full well that divers understand this part of this Prophesy metaphorically, of men by nature fierce as beasts, to be made tame and loving by the power of the Gospel at Christ's first coming. Too common a fault in Writers, through laziness or blindness to take the sent and cry of the former, and to run with full mouth after them. But if this be a sufficient argument to assert the sense of a place of Scripture, we can produce both Jews, and Christians, averring that this place is to be understood literally, of the change of the nature of the wild Beasts at the restitution (of which we speak.) The Jews take this according to the Letter, as if the Prophet should say:

In the time of the Messiah the Wolf, the Leopard, the Lion, and the rest of the wild Beasts shall be made tame, and shall no more hurt just and good men.

And thus much is acknowledged by Alapide upon this place.

Calvin also doth in his own judgment assert hence, the change of the nature of wild Beasts, and the restitution of the Creation as at first.

Hence, saith he, it follows that God will form the spirits of Believers by his holy Spirit. Howbeit the speech of the Prophet looks far beyond this; For it is all one as if he should promise, that there shall be a blessed REPARATION of the world. For he describes what was that order from the beginning, before that unhappy and sad subversion, or disorder befell us, by the fall of man, under which we now groan, &c. Surely there had been no disagreement between the Creatures of God, if they had stood in their first and perfect original, &c. Seeing therefore when Christ shall come, he shall by abolishing the Curse, reconcile the world to God, the INSTAURATION OF A PERFECT STATE is not impertinently ascribed to him. As if the Prophet should say, THAT GOLDEN AGE shall return, in which, before the fall of man, full felicity flourished.

Thus Calvin, with much more to very good purpose to our point, which I forbear to repeat, or quote other latter Writers of the same opinion, because I may have occasion in that kind to speak more to this Text, upon the WHAT this glorious RESTITUTION shall be. Mean while I attain what I aimed at, that if some Learned men be opposite to us in their giving the sense of this place, we have other Learned men to balance them, and that (as I conceive, grounding upon Divine reason) upon a better account. For to that the Analogy of other Scriptures concur, Rom. 8. ver. 19. &c. Psal. 8. compared with Heb. 2. fully opened afore. To that also agrees that full enumeration of all the worst, and most hurtful Creatures; whereas a less reckoning, or a shorter expression would have served, to signify an agreement among men by the power of the Gospel. Which whiles some so peremptorily defend to be the full meaning of this place, they had done themselves much right, and given us some satisfaction, if they had shown us that effect of the Gospel at Christ's first coming, answerable to the mind of this Prophesy, viz. That it should exceed that agreement and peace that was in the National Church of the Jews afore Christ's coming, and that since Christ's coming that hath been, as better, so more general. But alas this they cannot do, and therefore we cannot embrace a sense that cannot be found out. For as Christ himself at his first coming said, I came not to bring peace, but a sword, and to set those of the same family one against another; so we know by the Histories of the four Evangelists, and of the Acts of the Apostles, that great Oppositions, mighty Tumults, hideous Persecutions followed upon Christ's first coming, and so continued from Age to Age; the stream of a deep torrent of blood running in the channel of the Heathen Roman Empire for three hundred years, anon the black stream of Arian Heresy, and Persecution by it; after that Popish and Turkish Persecutions, with successive Monsters of Massacres, Bonfires, Inquisitions, Suspensions, Imprisonments, and deadly feudes and enmities of the vast generality, against the handful of Saints throughout all Nations. So that the small gleaning sprinklings, or first-fruits, that were reconciled to God, and to one another upon Christ's first coming, are drowned as i • were in the Ocean and sea of enmity, that from thence forward until now remains with great animosity. And therefore we believe another sense of these words, viz. That at Christ's next appearance there shall be a general peace between men, and between the Creatures, and between both, as it follows in the next Argument.

For it follows in the ninth verse, They shall not HURT, [Arg. 3] NOR DESTROY (observe the words, nor destroy, nor so much as hurt ) in all my HOLY MOVNTAINE (observe that also.) And lastly, observe the confirmation of all, viz. That the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Now though there was an increase of knowledge at Christ's first coming; as a fountain, and spring stream, which, the further it ran, the larger it was; suitable to Ezekiel's Prophesy of the waters that arose from under the Sanctuary (the Gospel of Christ began in Zion ) and so grew deeper, and deeper; yet from that time, until now, the knowledge of the Lord hath not increased to a sea, to cover all the earth, so as to drown all iniquity, or opposition against Christ, or Christians, so as to work men unto that peace, that there shall be neither destroying, nor hurting, in all the holy mountain. Sure enough it appears by the sacred Story, in the Gospel, Acts, and the Revelation, and by experience, both leading us down from Christ's Incarnation to these times, that at least three parts of four of the whole world hath not been filled with the knowledge of the Lord, but have made opposition against it, hurting and destroying, and that too in the holy Mountain; whether we take it strictly for Zion, or largely for the Church, wheresoever seated. Christ was condemned and Crucified, and the Disciples persecuted, (unto a scattering) at Jerusalem. Jerusalem both City and Temple are laid wast by the Roman Emperors; the Ten bloody Persecutions by the Heathen Romans are continued for three hundred years; the Arian Persecution follows that, the Papal Persecution follows that, the Turkish overtakes that; and both continue to this day, the Jews joining with them in opposition against the truth of Christ, both at Jerusalem, and where ever the Church is. Beside, that vast part of the world in the East, and West Indies, yet know not the Lord.

Further, it follows in the tenth verse, [Arg. 4] And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people's (so the Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) To it shall the GENTILES seek; and his REST shall be glorious. In which words the Prophet mainly looks at the great call of the Gentiles, as the Apostles (the best Expositors) have since, to that purpose alleged them, Rom. 15.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Now I say, that Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers; and that the GENTILES might glorify God for this mercy, as it is written, For this cause I will confess thee among the Gentiles (quoted out of Psal. 18.49.) And again he saith, Rejoice ye GENTILES with his people, (quoted out of Psal. 117.1.) And again Isaiah saith (viz. in the eleventh of Isa. ver. 10.) There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the GENTILES, in him shall the Gentiles trust, &c. Now as there were few of the Gentiles that were brought into the faith, when the Apostle quoted and applied these words to this sense (we heard but now in the former argument, how generally the Gentiles have, and do oppose the Gospel to this day throughout the world) so the Prophets close in this eleventh of Isaiah, ver. 10. HIS REST SHAL BE GLORIOUS doth more evidently demonstrate that this place of Scripture, as to the main intent, is not yet fulfilled. For if we will understand inward rest, the believing Saints afore Christ's incarnation had it, Psal. 116.7. and often elsewhere. Yea the Apostles in their troublesome times, 2 Cor. 6.10. so that there needed not a Prophesy to fore-tell that which had been in past time, and was at the present. And if we would understand here eternal glory, yet we cannot, for two reasons;

1. Because in this tenth verse it is said, Unto the ensign Christ, the Gentiles shall SEEK, which cannot consist with eternal glory; no seeking then.
2. Because of that in the eleventh verse immediately following, And it shall come to pass in THAT DAY, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, &c. from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, &c. (things inconsistent with the state of eternal glory) which last words bring us down to the fifth Argument.

The fifth Argument, [Arg. 5] Why this place of Isaiah is not yet in the main intent of the Prophet fulfilled, is, because of those words in the eleventh verse of this eleventh of Isaiah, viz. And it shall come to pass in THAT DAY, that the Lord shall set his hand AGAINE the SECOND TIME, to recover the remnant of his people (which shall be left) from ASSYRIA, and from EGYPT, and from PATHROS, and from CUSH, and from ELAM, and from SHINAR, and from HAMATH, and from the ISLANDS OF THE SEA. Observe diligently, the Lord must set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people from the fore-mentioned places; which clearly infer, as relatives, that God must do it the first time, and then next, the second time. Now when the Prophet Isaiah Prophesied this eleventh Chapter, the Lord had not recovered his people from captivity in Assyria the first time, for the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin had not yet been there captivated the first time, nor the ten Tribes, for ought we can find. For Isaiah Prophesied forty years afore the captivity of the ten Tribes, and above seventy years afore the captivity of the two Tribes, as Bulcholcerus states the account. You see before your eyes by the length of his Prophesy, viz. consisting of sixty six Chapters, and by the many Kings, under whose reign he Prophesied, viz. Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (the last of them) that Isaiah prophesied along time; and we are now but upon the eleventh of those sixty six Chapters. The Two Tribes were not carried away captive till a long time after Hezekiah, viz. in the time of Zedekiah King of Judah (2 Chron. 36.) between which Zedekiah and Hezekiah reigned, five or six Kings over Judah. And the Ten Tribes were not carried away captive into Assyria, till the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah, 2 King. 18.9.10. And therefore it seems that Isaiah prophesied the Prophesy of this eleventh Chapter, when Hezekiah was not come to the Crown, nor were any of all the twelve Tribes in captivity in Assyria the first time, and therefore could not be supposed to be delivered thence the first time. But before this Text can be fulfilled, they must be in Captivity in Assyria the first time, and be delivered the first time (as it is hinted in the Text, they had been in Egypt the first time, and been delivered thence the first time.) Now they were in Captivity in Assyria the first time (as we touched afore) in the ten Tribes, in the reign of Hoshea King of Israel, 2 Kin. 18. And in the two Tribes, in the Reign of Zedekiah King of Judah, 2 Chro. 36. So here is the total Captivity of all the twelve Tribes in Assyria the first time: And their deliverance out of that Captivity the first time (the first that we can possibly reckon) is set down in the book of Ezra Cha. 1. and Chap. 2. &c. where for the general the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned to Jerusalem, as is plain by their Genealogies, they were of the two Tribes, excepting some others that went up that could not show their Genealogies. So that if we make the most of the first recovery or deliverance, we can put the emphasis nowhere, but upon the return of the two Tribes. Nor can we find where at the soonest, to pitch this great emphasis of God's recovering his people the second time, but upon that time when he shall bring back the rest of the Tribes, viz. The ten Tribes, which were (and still are) in Assyria, from thence, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the Isles of the Gentiles.

Thus for the least and soonest Second time we can possibly find out, of their deliverance out of Assyria, and the parts afore-mentioned, which is not fulfilled to this day.

But a greater Second, and of the same length too, is this: This same [Again the Second time, &c.] may import two considerations: First, Two parts of the recovery, or deliverance of the All of the twelve Tribes from Assyria; the first time of the two Tribes, the second of the ten Tribes, of which we have spoken afore. Secondly, Two distinct times of deliverance of the twelve Tribes, both the two, and of some of the ten, but especially of the Two. [Object.] (The conceit of some, that the Second out of Assyria, answers to the first out of Egypt, is in my opinion but weak: Because they must be delivered, according to this Text, the Second time out of Egypt, as well as out of Assyria. And therefore these are co-eve, co-etanean, of the same age, and not successive. I say Second doth import (as appears by history, both divine and human, abetted with experience) a Second deliverance of the twelve Tribes (more or less) from Assyria, as well as from Egypt, but specially this Second time, centers upon the two Tribes, called by the name of Jews, (of whom Christ came) as the ten were called Israel. Which as briefly as we can we open thus:

That whereas God brought up the two Tribes from Assyria to Jerusalem by Ezra (as his book makes large mention) the Jews there continued for about three hundred threescore and ten years pretty quiet, till that Antiochus Epiphanes comes up into Judea, enters the City, spoils the Temple, robs the City, and kills a many of the Citizens as the learned Chronologers quote out of Macchab, 1.1. In which Macchabean wars, the Jews were much wasted and scattered. Yet after that act of Antiochus, the generality of the two Tribes that were left, and the sprinklings of the ten Tribes as is supposed, Ezra 2.62. (as many as came up with them under Cyrus by Ezra ) abode there, about a hundred sixty and six years more (with much trouble in the ensuing Macchabean wars, and the Roman invasions and domination succeeding them till Christ should be borne at Bethlehem in Judea, that the Scripture might be fulfilled touching that place of his birth. But they crucifying Christ, affronting his Gospel with sacrificing, and persecuting his members, and with all (divine justice therein most righteously recompensing them) rebelling against the Romans their Governors, God and men conspired in a further prosecution of this second scattering (on foot by the Antiochian Macchabean, and Roman wars) Titus the Roman Emperor some forty years after Christ's ascension, destroying their Temple, and after him Adrian destroying the City of Jerusalem; After whom Constantine the Great scattered them from Mamre, and then God himself scattered them, being about to re-build the Temple (by the encouragement of Julian the Apostate ) by fire from heaven, and wonders on earth. After all which, the Saracens, Arabians, and Turks invaded their land, and miserably scattered them, and so they continue (excepting a few Jews in, and about Jerusalem ) to this day dispersed in the Isles of the Sea, or of the Gentiles, viz. in the West-Indies, Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Low-Countries, Media, Persia, Assyria, &c. (as we shall see presently) and in most Countries in the world, as the Rabbins in their books plainly confess. So that God's setting his hand THE SECOND TIME to recover his people out of ASSYRIA &c. cannot be straightened to the return of the two Tribes under the conduct of Zerubbabel and Joshua, with Ezra, for this was but the first time. They are again scattered. And the Ten Tribes as well as the Two, are his people; and the promise is, Rom. 11. of saving all ISRAEL. Therefore the whole work of restoring all the twelve Tribes now lies on God's hands to recover them from Assyria the second time, in this sense also. And he must do it universally, including the generality of all his people that are scattered, and from all places, as (saith our Text) from ASSYRIA] the common name of the Empire at their first captivity there. Of which there is abundant mention in the books of Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra. And there were of the Jews there in the time of Jeremiah the Prophet, Jer. 44.1. And from EGYPT.] Which likely afterwards was added in part or whole to that Empire, as several times in the reign of several Kings of Israel and Judah, many Jews were carried thither. Of whose scattering there unto the Apostles time, see Act. 2.10. And from PATHROS] There was Pathros sometime belonging to the Territories of Egypt, there being mention of the Country of the Inhabitants called Pathrusim, Gen. 10.14. whose place or land of habitation may very fitly be called Pathros, and was a Province of Egypt. Jer. 44.1. The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews, which dwell in the land of Egypt, &c. Then (v. 15) All the men, &c. even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt in Pathros answered Jeremiah, &c. See also Ezek. 29.14. and chap. 30. v. 14. And those Pathrusim were of the linage of Mitsraim or Egyptus, Gen. 10.14. 1 Chron. 1.12. Others say, it signifies Parthos, the Parthians of the Country of Parthia (with an easy and usual Metathesis ) which Parthia is on the borders of Media. Or (say others) it may be Petra in Arabia (of which see Esa. 16.1. The land from SELA, or as it is in the margin Petra ) whence Arabia Petrea. Others say, it is a part of Libya, inhabited by the Pharusii mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy, and seated near the Atlantic Sea. Of the Jews being scattered unto the Apostles times in the said Parthia, Media, Egypt, Libya, Arabia, we read in Act. 2.9, 10, 11. And from CUSH] that is Ethiopia. Compare chap. 18.1. And from ELAM] that is Persia. And from SHINAR that is a region in Chaldea, Gen. 11.28. Jer. 51.24. & 35. Ezek. 23.16. And of their scattering even to the Apostles times in Elam, or Persia, and Mesopotamia, which was part of Chaldea, &c. See Act. 2.9, 10, 11. And 1 Pet. 1.1. And from HAMATH] that is, Silicia in Asia the less. Of their scattering there, see likewise Act. 2. ibid. and 1 Pet. ibid. Paul also an Hebrew saith of himself, that he was borne at Tarsus a chief City of Silicia. And from the ISLANDS OF THE SEA, that is, the maritine Countries bordering upon the Sea, or any Kingdom on the other side of the Sea from Judea, as it is a common phrase in Scripture; the Jews not understanding the nature of other Countries, being no travellours, or Sea-men, to leave their National Church, for the barbarous Countries, as they were in the times of the Old Testament. So that Islands of the Sea, comprehends all the World beside the Countries of Judea and Samaria. So that according to this enumeration, and description, God must set his hand the second time to recover all the remnant of his people that are left in any of the said Countries. Which is not yet done, and therefore yet to be fulfilled.

Furthermore, that in the twelfth verse proves that the Prophesy of this Chapter is not yet fulfilled. [Arg. 6] The words of that twelfth verse are, And he shall set up an Ensign for the NATIONS (Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the GENTILES, that is, The unbelieving people without the Church, that had not yet received the word) And shall assemble the outcasts of ISRAEL (that is, the ten Tribes ) and gather together the dispersed of IUDAH that is, the two Tribes ) from the FOURE CORNERS of the EARTH, For first, we see that this recovering of God's Elect, the Second time is of the Jews, together with the Gentiles, which recovering them the second time we never saw yet. At Christ's first coming at his Incarnation, most Jews and Gentiles held off from embracing the Gospel; as we see in the story of the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles. And soon after Constantine's time, and downward, more of both fell off. And at this day all the Jews, and the most of the Gentiles continue in infidelity. Therefore this gathering of both is yet to come before the destruction of all unbelievers at the ultimate judgment. Secondly, observe how distinctly the Prophet names,

1 The Gentiles;
2 The outcasts of Israel, that is of the ten Tribes;
3 The dispersed of Judah that is of the two Tribes,

which was not done at the return of the captivity out of Babylon, or at the coming of Christ in the flesh, nor to this day. Thirdly, Take notice that the elect of all Jews, Israelites and Gentiles must be called and gathered together from the four corners of the earth, that is, from all parts of the world, which is larger then Babylon, which is not done to this day, but the Jews and Israelites are still found inhabiting in all quarters of the world, as Travelers and Sea-faring men see with their eyes, and the Rabbins confess in their books.

And yet further it appears that the Prophesy of this Chapter is not to this day fulfilled by that in verse 13. &c. to the end of the Chapter. [Arg. 7] The sum whereof is, That all envy between Judah and Ephraim shall cease, and that all other that will not obey and comply with the Jews in a right Gospel-worship of God shall be destroyed, viz. The Philistines in the West, and the people of the East, all of them of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Egypt, and there shall be a way for the remnant of the Jews from Assyria, as there was to them at their coming up out of Egypt. But the Jews in a great part are under the tyranny of the Turk, and the rest scattered in all Nations, none of their enemies are destroyed, nor do any Nations comply with them in point of Religion to this very day.

Lastly, [Arg. 8] It appears by the twelfth Chapter (the seal of the eleventh) that the Prophesy of the eleventh Chapter is not yet fulfilled. For the Jews never yet were so delivered (as in the 11. Chap.) as in praise therefore to sing that Song of Thanks-giving in the twelfth Chapter. Their harps are hung up, as at their scattering in Babylon. I myself have heard some of them bemoaning themselves, that this their last captivity, or dispersion, is longer then ever any before. They have not hitherto, as it is in that Song verse 4. Declared the name, and famous facts of God among the people's, but rather in refusing Christ, have obscured his name. Nor have they (as verse 5.) praised for the excellent things that God should do for them in all the earth.

Now let the wise and understanding Reader review all that hath been said, and be judge himself whether the Prophesy of this eleventh Chapter of Isaiah hath been fulfilled to this day. And if not, sure he will not dream of a fulfilling of it at the ultimate judgment, there being something almost in every verse, inconsistent with that time, when no government (as described in the first five verses) is remaining in Christ's hands, 1 Cor. 15.28, &c. No dwelling of the Wolf and Lamb together (as held forth in verse 6, 7, 8.) No lifting up of an Ensign, to bring men to a seeking after Christ (as verse 10.) No filling the earth with the knowledge of the Lord, &c. (as v. 11.) Therefore (as sure as God is true) this is yet to be fulfilled afore the ultimate day of judgment.

SECT. XIV.

[§. 1] THe fourth place in Isaiah is, Chapter 14. verse 1. &c. to verse 8. Verse 1. The Lord will have mercy on JACOB, and will yet choose ISRAEL, and set them in their OWN LAND, and the STRANGERS shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of JACOB. Vers. 2. And the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 PEOPLES shall take them, and bring them to their place. And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them CAPTIVE whose CAPTIVES they were, and they shall rule over their OPPRESSOURS. Vers. 3 And it shall come to pass in THE DAY, that the Lord shall give thee REST-FROM THY SORROW, and from the FEARE, and from thy hard BONDAGE, wherein thou wast made to serve; That thou shalt (Vers. 4.) take up this Proverb against the King of BABYLON, and say, HOW HATH THE OPPRESSOUR ceased, the GOLDEN CITY CEASED. The Lord (Vers. 5.) hath broken the staff of the WICKED, and the Scepter of the RULERS. He (Verse 6.) who smote the people in wrath, with a continual stroke, he that ruled the Nations an anger is persecuted, and none hindereth. The WHOLE EARTH (Verse 7.) is at REST and is QUIET, they break forth into singing, &c. The rest of the Chapter, being appurtenances, illustrations, &c. of this here presented.

[§. 2] It is worth noting that our New Translators even in those Episcopal times, which were so adverse to this our point, do concur with us so far, as to give us the Contents of the Chapter in these words, God's merciful RESTAURATION of ISRAEL. And they speak well, and are not alone in their opinion, the stream of Interpreters generally concurring, that this Chapter intends, God's joining of Jews and Gentiles into one Church, which is something to the point in hand in the general.

[§. 3] But let us weigh the words more particularly and exactly, for a discovery whether yet to this day they have been fulfilled. It may be that some may be apt to imagine that this making of Jews and Gentiles into one Church, one sheepfold (as it is called John 10.) was fulfilled when the substituted or subrogated Gentiles were brought in, in the Apostles time (beginning in Act. 10.) But they utterly mistake, if they so think. For those Gentiles, and downwards, were and are but substitutions and subrogations of them whiles the Jews fall off, till the fullness of the said Jews should be brought in, and then, and not till then, is the fullness of the Gentiles brought in with the Jews into one Church. So that the FULNES of the Gentiles is not yet brought in much less the fullness of the Jews. For as in John the first, Christ coming to his own, his own received him not. So after they crucified him, and persecuted his Apostles. Whiles in the Old Testament, Christ called the Jews, the Gentiles hung off. And whiles he called many Gentiles in the New Testament, the Jews generally fell off. And although there were some sprinklings of Jews and Gentiles converted in the Apostles time, and after that many Gentiles; yet what is all that to the fulfilling of this Text of Isa. 14. I will yet choose ISRAEL and bring them into their own Land, and the STRANGERS shall be JOYNED to them, and they shall cleave to the HOUSE OF JACOB. For neither in the Apostles time, nor downward to this day, have the GENTILES (called here Strangers ) joined to Israel, or cleaved to the house of Jacob (Israel and the house of Jacob signifying the ten Tribes ) nor to the generality of the two Tribes, because neither two Tribes, nor ten Tribes have joined and cleaved to the Lord Jesus. To make plain, and prove all this that we have said, we will scan first the Apostles discourse Rom. 11. and secondly, the particular expressions of this Text of Isa. 14.

1. The Apostle Paul giving us an account of his time, and downward, Rom. 11. tells us in the 30 verse. As ye Gentiles in times past have not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy through the Jews unbelief, even so also have the Jews now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. That is, that the Church of Christ (as needs must, whiles he is head) being continued, at least by vicissitudes of Jews and Gentiles, the Gentiles now, upon the present falling off of the Jews, being in possession of the Gospel, may continue the same, throughout the successions of the Church, till the time of the vocation of the Jews, that the said Jews may be called thereby through the Ministry, prayers, and examples of the Gentiles. So that the Jews and Gentiles for the generality, have been since the first mention in the Old Testament of this distinction of Jews and Gentiles to this day, as two buckets to a Well, if one were full, the other was empty, thus continually keeping their vicissitudes, and turns in embracing, or non-embracing of the word of Christ, which the Apostle further shows us in that 11. to Rom. in the distinct graduals thereof, giving two to each of them, the two of the Jews thus,

1 There was their root, or first-fruits, or initiation.
2 Their branches or lump, or fullness, verse. 12.16, and 18.

The two graduals of the Gentiles thus:

1 SOME wild branches;
2 Their fullness, v. 11. and 25. Then mark the close of the Apostle concerning both, verse. 25. and 26.

When the FULNESSE of the GENTILS shall come in, then ALL ISRAEL shall be saved, quoting several Prophesies of the Old Testament to prove the same. Whence we must necessarily infer these two conclusions, That the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles heretofore, and downward until now, are still but the root, first-fruits and beginnings, the most persons of the Jews, and most Nations of the Gentiles to this day not knowing the Lord Christ. 2. That Jews and Gentiles are not to this day one Church, according to the Prophesy of this 14 of Isa. viz. That the Strangers of the Gentile Nations shall be joined to the Jews, and shall cleave to the house of Jacob; and according to the stating of the question by Saint Paul in this 11 of Rom. viz. That when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, ALL ISRAEL shall be saved. For let us but ask experience whether ever these were yet fulfilled to the full of these places?

2 This will be far more plain by a punctual scanning of all the passages in this 14. of Isa. First, that in the first verse [ I will saith the Lord) yet choose ISRAEL, and have mercy on JACOB] must needs be extended beyond the return of the Captivity of the two Tribes from Babylon, and beyond the conversion of a few of them in the Apostles time. For Jacob and Israel, must of necessity comprehend the ten Tribes, the Prophet Isaiah prophesying long after the division of the whole twelve into two Kingdoms; two into the one, and ten into the other. And therefore the Prophet Isaiah well knew the distinction between Judah and Israel, Chap. 1. v. 1. and useth it in relation to our point, Chap. 11. v. 12. afore opened. And therefore he minds here well enough, what he distinctly means when he saith. Jacob, and Israel, as comprehensive at least of the ten Tribes, to be delivered as well as the Two. For secondly, when he saith in this same first verse, Strangers shall be joined with them; that is, with Jacob and Israel, he could not intend to leave out the most of the Jews, viz. ten for two, to whom those Strangers were to join. Nor was this done at the return of the two Tribes from Babylon. Then Strangers of the Gentiles joined not with them. Nor was it done at the joining of the two handfuls, the one of Jews, the other of Gentiles in the history of the Acts of the Apostles. For they could no way answer to Jacob and Israel, and Strangers, indefinitely spoken without limitation. I have often admonished that the grand prophesied promises, touching Christ's Kingdom, have their gradual, successive, progressive impletions. Redux Judah, Judah returning from Babylon was a Type. The conversion of an handful of them in the Apostles time was but the first-fruits, Rom. 11. But the fullness of Gentiles and Jews is yet behind. Thirdly, we never yet saw that in the second verse. fulfilled, That Christians have been servants and handmaids to the Jews. in a right religious harmony and compliance. For that must be the sense and good news of this promise, or else Christians shall have loss, and that in things concerning salvation. Fourthly, nor did we ever see that also in the second verse fulfilled that the Captive Jews shall take them captive, whose Captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. For neither in their return from Babylon did the Jews take captive their Captivators, but returned by voluntary consent of King Cyrus; nor at Christ's coming did they take any captive, but rather were captives under Augustus and Tiberius, Emperors of Rome, and of Babylon too, as subdued by those Romans, the universal Monarchs then of the whole world. If any should be of so ayery a fantasy, as to evaporate this into a figure, that at Christ's coming, the Jews took their Captivators captive in a spiritual sense, of conversion; let such remember themselves that Converts are the greatest Free-men, Joh. 8.32. And that for the Jews then (alas for them) the veil was on them, 2 Cor. 3. So that they were generally in a spiritual Captivity themselves, like Sampson when his eyes were put out. And that Dan. c. 12. intimates that the Jews Conquest over their enemies should be corporal. Neither of which Conquests do we yet see, that the Jews either corporally or spiritually have subdued them that captivated them. Fifthly, neither was that in the second verse ever yet fulfilled, That the PEOPLES or Gentiles should take the Jews, and bring them to their place, &c. Calvin on this place grants thus much,

That this was not done after the Jews coming out of Babylon; giving this reason, That the Gentiles were so far from being the conduct, and assistance to the Jews in their return and settlement, and to contribute their service to them therein, that they did not only trouble the Jews, but destroyed them from off the earth, quoting Ezra 4.4. Adding that therefore this must be fulfilled in, through, and by Christ.

Thus far Calvin. But when was this yet ever done by Christ? Surely those seeds in Christ and the Apostles time, could not be the Harvest here meant, whole Jacob, and Israel were not then in the land of the Lord. Nor are they to this day. But are for the general under the dominion of Turks, Romans, Indians, and Countries in every Nation almost under heaven, rather serving the Gentiles, then being served of the Gentiles. And therefore this cannot be done till as Dan. 2. that the little stone Christ, cut out of the mountain without hands, breaks to pieces the fourfold-mettaled image of all the four Monarchies of the earth. Whereas yet the Roman Monarchy in great part stands to this day. Sixthly, The twelve Tribes of Jacob and Israel are not yet (as it is v. 3.) delivered from their sorrow, and fear, and bondage. They are in bondage being scattered amongst all Nations. They are in sorrow for that scattering from their own Country. And are there in fear, being forced to pay tribute for their own freedom. Nor were they freed from that bondage in Christ's time, being then Captives under the Romans. Nor from their fear, but for fear of the Romans if they should own Christ, they crucified him, and put him to death. Therefore when this deliverance is fulfilled to purpose, it is done as it follows in the seventh clause and consideration, v. 4, 5, 6, 7 That the Jews shall take up this Proverb, How hath the OPPRESSOUR ceased. The Lord hath broken the SCEPTER of the RULERS, and the staff of the WICKED, so that the WHOLE EARTH is at REST and QUIET, that they break forth into SINGING. But nor Scripture, nor Histories, nor Experience show us, that ever these things were fulfilled to this day. And at the ultimate day of judgment will be no meet time for such work, as every man's own reason will easily prompt. Therefore it is yet to be done afore the ultimate day of judgment.

SECT. XV.

THe fifth place in Isaiah is Chapter 24. verse 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded, and the Sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his Ancients gloriously.

To these few words, I shall need to speak but few. THEN, relating to that afore in verse 22, 23. fetcheth its sense from thence. In that day, say the 22, and 23. verses, It shall come to pass, that the Lord shall punish the host of the High ones that are on high, and the Kings of the earth upon the earth (meaning plainly, as the last clause evidenceth, the Gentile -Potentates and powers) And they (those Gentiles) shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison. And after many days THEY (the Jews saith Calvin, giving a strong reason ) shall be visited. To which sense touching the Jews the subsequent words also in the next verse (the Text we are now upon) do mightily concur. The Moon shall be confounded, &c. when the Lord shall reign before his Ancients. The original and rise of which then, you now see; That upon the great destruction of the impenitent Gentile-Potentates and Powers, the Jews (and if you will include the penitent Gentiles, it shall not grieve us) shall be visited in mercy; And the Moon shall be confounded, &c. that is, the glory of the Church shall be such, as the light of the Moon, and brightness of the Sun shall be nothing to it. At which time, as it follows the Lord of Hosts (in Christ Jesus, saith Diodat ) shall reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem (types of the universal Church) and that in great glory before his Ancientours, who were the Church of the Jews, by blood, as well as by Profession; Christ being considered as man, as the local circumstance of Zion and Jerusalem, calls for that notion.

[§. 3] Calvin again clearly intimateth in many circumlocutions, that his sense of this Text is, that Christ (speaking in the future of time after Calvin's time) shall establish his Church on earth in a most glorious estate. Ego non dubito quin persequatur Propheta, &c. That is,

I doubt not, but that the Prophet prosecutes the consolation which he had touched in the former verse to this sense or effect; when the Lord shall visit his people, and shall purge his Church from their filthiness, he shall settle his Kingdom, and that so illustrious, that it shall obscure the Sun and Stars with its splendor; which kind of speech is usual with the Prophets, as we have already seen. But here Isaiah speaks of the BODY of the Church, and not only of the HEAD: Seeing therefore the Lord will ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOME upon MOUNT ZION, so great shall be the Magnificence thereof in the INSTAURATION of the People, as that the things that otherwise shone in the sight of men, shall now be as darkness. Which that he might express to the life, be names these things that above all are most splendent. The word RULING is improperly drawn (to signify) God's vengeance. For although God be said to reign, when he acts the office of a Judge, yet this speech so comprehending within it, concerning THE KINGDOME of God in MOUNT ZION, it always hath the notation of mercy and salvation. For he speaketh of the RESTITUTION of the Church. Whence it follows that this is not fulfilled but in Christ. He making a precise mention of Elders or Ancients, useth a Synecdoche, which is exceeding usual in Scripture. For he taketh a special part of the Church for the whole body of the Church, yet not without a consult purpose. He calls by the name of Ancients, as well the PRIESTS, as other RULERS, who were chief over Discipline and Manners, by whose moderation, and prudence, the rest are to be governed. Under their names he comprehends all the people, not only because they represent the whole body, as under their shadow the people was covered, but also that believers might conceive hope of a future ORDER. For otherwise it would little, or nothing profit, that the multitude should be left dissipated in manner of a dis-membred body, or confused Mass. Neither is it impertinently added, BEFORE the ANCIENTS, that the Jews might know that the power of God should be MANIFEST and ILLUSTRIOUS, &c. For SO HE REIGNES, that we may PERCEIVE HIM PRESENT WITH US. For if it should be beyond our COMPREHENSION, no COMFORT would redound to us thereby. For GLORY, others read GLORIOUSLY, others GLORIOUS. I had rather take it in the substantive (GLORY) although it makes no difference in the sense. For it teacheth how great shall be the magnificence and glory of God by ERECTING THE KINGDOME OF CHRIST, in that all splendor is obscured, and ONLY the glory of Christ must be eminent and CONSPICUOUS. Whence it follows, that THEN at length, God shall enjoy HIS OWN RIGHT AMONG US, and have his due honor, WHEN ALL HIS CREATURES BEING GATHERED INTO ORDER, he alone is RESPLENDENT IN OUR EYES.

Thus Calvin, whose words and phrases here, can bear no less then a sense favoring a visible glorious Kingdom of Christ on earth, though something of it (as he saith) must be comprehended by faith above sense. To which visibility of Christ's Kingdom on earth, the correlative in 22, and 23. verses answering to our relative THEN in our Text, of punishing the Kings of the earth upon the earth, &c. doth strongly bear witness.

[§. 4] Now lay altogether, and then judge, when was this Text ever fulfilled? Surely in a literal sense, as to corporal Transactions, not at their return from Babylon. For then the Babylonians were not punished, nor put in prison. Nor were the Jews in an outward glorious condition, but as in subjection still to Babylon, and made a scorn by Sanballat, Tobiah, &c. with the multitude of their adherents, hindering their building, discouraging their work, raising lies, laying plots to endanger them. So that they were as long, near upon, in repairing the Temple and City of Jerusalem, and settling the state thereof from the first that they began it, as they had been in Captivity. Nor was this Text of Isa. literally, and corporally fulfilled to them, at Christ's being on earth, being then also under captivity and reproach by the Romans; and to this day in the same condition under them, and all Nations in the world. Nor hath this been yet fulfilled in a spiritual sense from that time to this day, in that, not one of ten thousand of the Gentiles, admired their Levitical glory. And their Ancients, the Scribes, Pharisees, Elders, and Rulers of the Synogogues, and People generally opposed and persecuted Evanagelical glory. And though for a spurt some few favored the Gospel, Act. 1. Act. 2. yet by and by they universally ( Act. 13.) fell off from this Glory, and so continued until these our times.

[§. 5] Nor can these be fulfilled 〈◊〉 • ltimate judgment. For then Christ RULES not, 1 Cor. 15. v. 24. v. 28.

SECT XVI.

[§. 1] THe sixth place in Isaiah is that which follows at the heels of this, viz. Chapter 25. throughout, but especially from v. 7. to the end of the Chapter, with some passages of the 26 Chapter, being also a Song of praise for the glorious state of the Church to be; especially those passages, v. 14. v. 19.

The late invention of Chapters, may not hinder our prospect upon the continued sense of this Chapter, inseparably depending on the former; where in the last verse the Prophet having said, THEN shall the Moon be confounded, and the Sun ashamed, WHEN the Lord of Hosts shall REIGN in Mount Zion, and Jerusalem ( &c. explained afore) he now begins this Chapter with a solemn praise to God, for his preparation to, and manifestation of that his glorious Reign. To give you the main passages of the whole Chapter, v. 1. O Lord thou art my God, I will exalt thee, &c. v. 2. For thou hast made of a City, an heap, of a defensed City a ruin; a palace of strangers to be no City; it shall never be built. v. 3. Therefore the strong people shall glorify thee, &c. v. 4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, and needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones, is a storm against the wall. v. 5. Thou shalt bring down the noise of the strangers as the heat in a dry place, even the heat with the shadow of a cloud, the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. v. 6. And in this Mount shall the Lord make to all people a feast of fat things, &c. v. 7. And the Lord will destroy in this mount, the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. v. 8. He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people he shall take away from off all the earth, &c. v. 9. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is the Lord, we have waited for him, &c. v. 10. In this Mount shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him as straw to the dunghill. v. 11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth &c. and shall bring down their pride together, with the spoils of their hands. verse. 12. and last, And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, and lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust. Chap. 26. verse. 14. They are dead, they shall not live, they are deceased, they shall not rise, &c. verse. 19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they rise, awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, &c.

[§. 2] This Chapter (you see by the connection with the former) is to the same purpose as that former Chapter; and its sense is extended to the state of the Church of the New Testament, that is yet to come, by Apostolical Expositions and applications in all the main parts of it, which are three, Vi ••

1 The Destruction of the enem ••• • f the Church, v. 2. amplified more afterwards.
2 The Deliverance of the Church, v. 4. enlarged more in the rest of the Chapter.
3 The joyful state of the Church upon that their deliverance, and their joy in it, v. 6, 7, 8, and elsewhere in the Chapter.

All which three parts are, I say, by the Apostles carried down to the state of the New Testament Church never yet fulfilled. I will give three Instances.

St. John. in Rev. 7. makes these three parts a state yet to come. v. 1, 2, 3. you have the Destruction of the enemy. There were four Angels, that had power in their hands to hurt the four quarters of the earth, both by sea and land, as soon as the servants of God should be sealed. Those that were to be hurt, were those that had held the servants of God under tribulation, v. 14. And those enemies were to be hurt by a storm, viz. by the blowing of the four winds upon the sea, the earth, and the trees, v. 2, 3. even as the Prophet Isa. in that 25 Chap. v. 4. calls the state of the wicked a storm, and compares it in their opposition against the godly, to a blast of a storm dashed against the wall, whose fury the wall stops, breaks, and scatters, so that they are sheltered that stand under it. So that plainly here is the destruction of the enemies of the Church prophesied by John, in like phrase and forms of speech, as were used by the Prophet Isa. in that 25. Chapter. Next, for the deliverance of the Church, St. John likewise prophesies of it in that seventh of Rev. in the same figurative speeches as the Prophet had used, viz. That the Lord shall be among his people, in manner of dwelling (v. 15.) And his people shall hunger no more, nor thirst anymore, nor shall the same light on them (or as it is in the Greek, fall upon them, that is a way of smiting, blasting, or scorching) or any heat (v. 16.) For the Lamb which is amidst them shall feed them, &c. and shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (v. 17.) To which St. Paul speaking of the resurrection of the Saints, which is before the ultimate day of judgment in 1 Cor. 15. as we have, and shall demonstrate, annexeth this, Then shall be brought to pass that saying, Death is swallowed up in victory. And again the same Apostle Paul speaking of the conversion of the Jews 2 Cor. 3. as of a thing to come after his time, but yet not fulfilled, but shall be fulfilled at the great Restitution, of which we speak, he useth this expression, and gives forth this Prophesy in the 15 and 16 verses of that 2 Cor. 3. But even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their hearts. Nevertheless when they shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away, viz. By the presence of the Lord. All which expressions of John and Paul, in relation to the Churches deliverance, are full to the sense and words of the Prophet in that 25 of Isaiah, viz. This is the Lord, we have waited for him, for in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord, rest, v. 9, 10. (whereby to signify God's presence amongst his people.) And shall be a succor to his people from the fury of their enemies, as the heat is sheltered off with the shadow of a cloud, v. 3, and 4. And he will feed them with a feast of fat things, v. 6. And he will destroy the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all Nations, v. 7. (therefore among the rest, that is upon the Jews) And (v. 8.) he will swallow up death in victory, according to the words of Paul, 1 Cor. 15.54. And chap. 26. of this Prophet, v. 19. compared with v. 14. They shall not rise, but thy dead men shall rise. As for the third part, the agreement between Isaiah and John prophesying of the joyful state of the Church, and their joying in it, he that hath but half an eye may see that it signifies, that great will be the glory of the Church, when those things mentioned by Isaiah and John shall be fulfilled, and can signify no less then a glorious restauration of the Church on earth, as all circumstances concur in both places. Even as, great was the Prophets and the Evangelists joy, personating, or representing the Church in a way of Songs of praise. John in the 9, 10, 11, 12 verses of this seventh of the Revelation, speaks of the Churches triumphing, on this wise. After this (saith he) I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all Nations and Kindreds, and People, and Tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white Robes, and Palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne, and about the Elders, and the four Animals, or living creatures, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen, Blessing, and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honor, and Power, and Might be unto our God forever, and ever, Amen. Which expressions of Praise meetly suit to the words of our Prophet in the five and twentieth of Isaiah, verse. first, second, third, and fourth; O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee, I will praise thy Name, for thou hast done wonderful things (by faith here praising God for things to be done, as if done; as the Church doth in that seventh of the Revelation) for thou hast made, saith Isaiah, of a City an heap, &c. Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee &c. for thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, &c. And verse 9. It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: This is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. Thus of the first Instance.

John likewise in the 21 Chapter of Revelation first four verses, applies those three parts of Isa. 25. (viz. the Churches salvation, the enemies destruction, and the Churches exaltation ) unto a future glorious state of the Church yet to be upon the earth. I saw, saith John there (in a Prophetick vision) a new heaven, and a new EARTH, (which sounds shrilly of a state on earth) For the first heaven, and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more Sea. Pareus confesseth New in quality, not in substance, which plainly condescends to a glorious state of the Church to be on earth; the highest heaven above being of so much better a substance physically (as the Philosophers rationally contend) that it needs not to be made better in quality. Therefore the meaning must be, that the lower heavens, and the earth below, shall be qualified with freedom from all evil, as to the Church, and the inhabitants thereof high and low, shall be made better both physically and morally. The old heaven, and earth, must pass away. The enemies of the Church must be removed, or converted. Adams curse shall cease ( Rom. 8.) and in this state shall (as in 2 Pet. 3.) dwell righteousness, and absolute pure worship. And the cessation of Sea, signifies also the removing of all enmities against the Church far from her. For if it be taken figuratively, it signifies no more brinish, brackish waters of false doctrine in the Church (as waters sometimes in Scriptures signifies doctrines) and no more wicked men among the Church (compared Isa. 57. to the troubled Sea) for there shall be (as John tells us in this 21 of Revelation ) no unclean thing to enter into this estate: If taken literally, with some acute wits, it signifies that at the time of this great Restauration, the Sea shall be no longer totally liquid, and fluid, but at least at top, in most parts of the habitable world crusted over, consolidated, and compacted to be as a Chrystaline heaven below, to be an high-way for all parts of the world to travel each to other, for spiritual communion, without any impediment of wind or weather. Then (being a time as of a New creation) there will be no need of trafficking for riches. Nor shall the knowledge of the Lord be bounded from the poor Indians, who have not the help, art, or animosity of Navigation to learn of Christians. Then nor the Egyptiack Sea, with the seven streams, nor the great Euphrates, &c. shall hinder Jews, or Gentiles from personal, & spiritual communion, and communication. God would rather either thus alter, or else dry up all Seas, then the glory and welfare of his Church should be hindered. To that we have said touching the meaning of the cessation of Sea, our grave new Annotationists concur thus far;

No more Sea (say they) either literally, for there will need none for trade: The fire perhaps at the worlds end will dry it up; or figuratively, no more war against, nor trouble in the Church. The Church shall not be like the raging Sea, but like the quiet earth.

So they. Saint John goes on in the description of the glorious state of the Church on earth, of which Isaiah prophesies; I saw, saith St. John, New Jerusalem coming down FROM Heaven, saying, The Tabernacle of God is WITH MEN, and He will DWELL with THEM, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be WITH THEM, and be their God (all which clearly relate to a state on earth) and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. Which words exactly answer to Isaiah's words, in v. 8. of swallowing up death, and wiping away all tears.

Third Instance. In like manner St. John carries down other passages of Isa. 25. to the times to succeed long after him, not fulfilled to this day. For what is there spoken in Isa. 25. v. 2. and v. 12. of making the City of strangers an heap, a defensed City a ruin, a Palace to be no City, an high Fortress into dust, &c. to the great joy of the Saints, so that they shall sing for joy of it (Isa. 26.) the same things John applies to the fall of Antichrist, and the ruin of his nest, viz. the City where he rests, Rev. 16.19. we have it once: The City of Nations fell, and great Babylon came in remembrance before God. But in Revel. 18. we have it three times, viz. v. 2. v. 10. v. 18.

SECT. XVII.

UPon the seventh place in Isa. viz. Isa. 33. v. 20, 21. I will only ask this question of all the men and books in the world; When was that ever fulfilled, since Isaiah's time, which is here spoken, viz. Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that shall be taken down; not ONE of the stakes thereof shall EVER be removed, neither shall ANY cord thereof be broken; But there the Lord will be to us a place of broad rivers, and streams, wherein shall go no Gally with Oars, nor gallant ship pass by: I say, when since Isaiah's Prophesy was this fulfilled? For about seventy years after his beginning, to prophesy, Jerusalem was taken by the King of Babylon, and the King and Nobles carried away captive into Babylon. And whereas they returned again about the year five hundred thirty six afore Christ, and enjoyed their Country a good space of time; yet about one hundred sixty seven years afore Christ, Antiochus Epiphanes, being ejected out of Egypt by the Romans, invades Jerusalem with a great Army, and spoils and wastes both City and Temple. About threescore and eleven years after Christ's birth, the Temple was destroyed by Titus the Roman. About threescore and one year after that, viz. a hundred thirty and one after Christ, the City was destroyed by Adrian the Roman Emperor. After these the Saracens and Turks invade Jerusalem and Judea, possessing it to this day.

SECT. XVIII.

[§. 1] THe eighth place in Isaiah is Chap. 34. v. 1. to v. 18. we shall need but touch upon some passages of so plain a place as this. Vers. 1, 2, &c. Come near ye Nations to hear, and hearken ye people, let the EARTH hear and ALL that is therein, the WORLD and ALL things that come forth of it (observe, this Prophesy concerns the whole Universe) for the indignation of the Lord is upon ALL Nations, and his fury upon ALL their Armies, he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter; with many more illustrations, and all for the sake of Zion, to be avenged of Zion's enemies, v. 8. But there was nothing of this done at the Jews return from Babylon (carried captive thither about seventy years after this was spoken.) And at Christ's Incarnation, they were under the Romans power. And to this day under the Turks, who next succeeded the Romans in dominering over them. Therefore St. John carries this down to the New Testament, and the later times thereof, unto the ruin of the Antichristian Nations (that are incorrigible enemies of Christ) whereby to make way for the glorious Restitution of which we treat, Rev. 11. There was a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, and there were slain of men seven thousand (a number of perfection, to signify a sufficient number for the design, were taken off) The Lord takes to him his great power, and destroys them that destroy the earth. Rev. 19. One sat upon a white horse, called faithful and true, his eyes were as a flame of fire, &c. and out of his mouth went a sharp sword, that with it he might smite the NATIONS, and rule them with a rod of IRON. And an Angel cried with a loud voice, saying, to the fowls, &c. Come, and gather yourselves together, &c. that ye may eat the flesh of Kings, and of Captains, and of mighty men, and of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of ALL men both free and bond, both small and great, &c.

[§. 2] Again, verse. 8, 9, 10. of this 34. Isa. it is prophesied, It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become a burning pitch, and it shall not be quenched night, nor day, THE SMOAK thereof shall go up FOR EVER. Now as there was none of this acted at the return of the Jews from Babylon, or at Christ's Incarnation, or since; but that still Antichrist, both Eastern, and Western, domineer over most of the world: So Saint John in the Revelation, not only in my judgment, but in the judgment of the old Geneva Notes, and of our New Annotationists too, carries down these Prophesies of the destruction of the Antichristian world, Rev. 14.11. Rev. 18.18. and Rev. 19.3. where it is said, And the smoke of their torment ascended up forever, and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the Beast, and his Image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. And they saw the smoke of the burning of Babylon, and her smoke went up forever and ever.

[§. 3] Again, it is prophesied in the 11. • erse of the 34. of Isa. that in, and upon the desolations of the enemies of the Church, shall dwell the Cormorant, Bittern, and the Owl, and Raven; which being never fulfilled to the effect of Isaiah's Prophesy unto St. Johns time, he carries it down (as our New Annotationists consent with me) unto the desolations yet to be made upon Antichrist, Rev. 18.2. An Angel cried mightily with a strong voice saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, is become the habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean, and hateful bird.

[§. 4] And (which is very considerable) the Hebrew Rabbins, and Chaldee Paraphrase interpret these judgments denounced in this chapter of the ruin of Rome, Chal. v. 9. &c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 i. e. The streams of Rome shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land into burning pitch. So the Chaldee, which Kimchy cites, and approves. R. Kimchi also on verse 16. hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The ruin of Rome. With which passages the Roman Clergy being offended, leave out in their Editions of those Authors the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rome, and put in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 i. e. Cuthith and Javan, that is Grecia.

[§. 5] And as all these things have not been hitherto fulfilled, so they cannot be imagined to be fulfilled at the ultimate judgment, at which time one place will be no more desolate then another; no birds inhabiting desolations, &c. Therefore they must be fulfilled in a time between this Age, and the ultimate judgment.

[§. 6] If it be objected, that the threats of this Chapter are directed against Idumea the Country of Edom, or Esau, and Bozra the Metropolis thereof, v. 6. It is easily answered, that though Idumea be named in particular, as a most intestine Jew-hating enemy, as the manner of unreconciled kindred is, and to be destroyed among the rest, yet the threats are express in v. 1, 2. against ALL Nations. Secondly, Moab, and Ammon, and the Ishmaelites, or Hagarens being knit to the line of the Jews ( Gen. 18. Gen. 16.) as was Idumea the Country of Esau, they are most fitly held forth as types of the Antichristian enemies of the Church of the New Testament, Psal. 83. 6, 7, &c. they all being mothers children (as Cant. 1.) but not acting as brethren, even as St. John makes the destruction of those enemies Types and Prophesies of the destruction of Antichrist, as we heard but now.

SECT XIX.

THe ninth place in Isaiah is Chapter 43. and Chapter 44. being one entire discourse of the same matter (notwithstanding the division of Chapters.)

In the main and principal design, they treat of the conversion and salvation, spiritual and temporal of the Jews, which are yet unfulfilled. We need but touch upon some passages.

It is said Chapter 43. v. 1, 2, 3. Thus saith the Lord that created thee O JACOB, and he that formed thee O ISRAEL, fear not, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name, thou art mine, when thou passest through the waters and fires, thou shalt not be destroyed, for I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of ISRAEL, thy Savior, I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee. Which place if we look upon as an history of things done, then it will be justly queried that though God destroyed Egypt (in the book of Exodus ) for Israel's sake, yet when dealt he so with Ethiopia and Saba? Therefore generally and most safely it is referred (as a Prophesy) to future things, answerable to verse 2. Thou art mine, and I will be with thee in all difficulties. And to v. 4. I have loved thee, and therefore I will give MEN (mark the comprehensivenesse of the term) for thee. And answerable to verse 5, 6. I am with thee, I will bring thy seed from the East, and gather thee from the West; I will say to the North give up, and to the South keep not back, bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. And verse 18, 19, 20, 21. Remember not the former things, behold I will do a new thing, &c. I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, the Beasts of the field shall honor me, because I give waters in the wilderness, &c. to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise. For, this giving Ethiopia and Saba for the Jews, cannot be understood (as Calvin and the Geneva Notes hint) of the coming up of Perkaka King of Ethiopia against Assyria, whiles Sennacherib King of Assyria was coming up against Jerusalem, Isa. 27. for these reasons: First, the Angel of the Lord going forth into the Army of Sennacherib, and slaying one hundred eighty five thousand of them ( Isa. 37.36.) was the giving of the Assyrians, not the Ethiopians, for a ransom for the Jews. Secondly, If that slaughter of the Assyrians was a ransom for the two Tribes, yet is it nothing for Israel the ten Tribes, so often mentioned in this Chapter. Thirdly, As we have no sacred history for it, so no human probability, that Sennacherib's Army thus weakened by the Angel, was in a fit condition to war against, and to worst that Army of the Ethiopians then gathered against Sennacherib's Kingdom of Assyria, or to overthrow Seba. As it is alike improbable, that Sennacherib could recruit the old, or raise a new Army speedily enough to encounter with Perkaka, who was then fully ready for fight. The story concludes Sennacherib's retreat from Jerusalem otherwise, viz. That he returned and dwelt in Nineveh, and worshipping in the house of his Idol gods, was slain there by his two sons, Isa. 37. And in this our New Annotationists concur with us, saying,

That though most understand this of God's turning Sennacherib's forces against Egypt and Ethiopia, upon the tidings brought unto him of Tirkakas coming against him, when he was making towards Jerusalem to besiege it ( Isa. 37.) yet we cannot conceive (say they) that to be the meaning of the place. For though it be true that the rumour startled him, and made him think of returning; yet was it not that, but the fright he took, upon the unexpected blow given in his Camp, that enforced him to flight, not to invade Egypt, or Ethiopia; which he was in a sorry case then to do; but to get him home with as much speed as he could into his own Country, Chap. 31.8, 9. And 37.36, 37.

So the Annotationists very well. But to that they add, I cannot well consent; when they say

That this of giving Ethiopia and Saba for a ransom for Israel, may well have reference to that remarkable defeat of that vast Army, the greatest upon record in Scripture, given to the Cushites under Asa &c.

For this Chapter is a Prophesy of things to come, speaking both first and last in the Chapter in the future tense. If in a touch it speaks in the past tense, in the middle of the Chapter it is but usual in Prophesies to show their certainty, to express what shall be, as if done already. And it is spoken of Jacob and Israel, comprehending all the twelve Tribes, at least the ten, and not the two only, called Judah, over whom Asa was King: and mentions the ruin of Saba for Israel's sake, that they might be delivered, of which we have nothing in past stories. And if this Chapter be a Prophesy, the story of Asa his victory abovesaid over the Chushites will not comport with the meaning thereof, Asa dying many years ( Bucholcerus saith above a hundred and fifty) afore Isaiah prophesied.

[§. 3] Now these things afore prophesied throughout this Chapter (further amplified in the following Chapter) were never yet since Isaiah's time fulfilled. At their return from Babylon, none were slain for Israel's sake. Nor at the time of Christ's being on earth, nor since the Turk possessed Judea; for they returned by the voluntary consent of the King of Babylon. And from the time of Christ's being on earth, and downward, till the Turk took Judea, the Romans several times (as we have shown afore) slew them, instead of being slain for them, as did the Turks (after the Romans ) deal with them likewise. Nor was the seed of Israel brought from the East, West, North, and South, and from the ends of the earth to this day. Where still they are dispersed &c. as it follows in these two Chapters. Nor can these things suit with the ultimate day of doom.

[§. 4] Therefore there remains yet a time to come, when the Prophesies of these Chapters must be fulfilled, afore the ultimate day of judgment. There must be a distinct time on earth when Egypt, Ethiopia, and Saba shall be destroyed for the deliverance and freedom of Jacob and Israel, and not only these, but all four quarters of the world, and the utmost ends of the earth (as it is express in v. 4, 5, 6.) shall be forced to let Jacob and Israel go free. The Lord will (as it is v. 19.) do a NEW THING (which must properly signify a thing never done afore) to make way for their return and liberty, as it is express, v. 19. &c. (before set down at large.) Which wanton wits may endeavor to elude with Allegories and Phantasms of their own hatching, which neither can convince a rational Christian, nor deliver the Jews according to the intent of the Prophet. Who though afore that their deliverance (as in v. 22. &c.) they should not call upon God, as they ought, but should be weary of the Lord, and should weary the Lord with their iniquities, and therefore they are given up to the curse, and to the reproach; yet after these things (as it follows in the 44. Chapter, and first seven verses, as an Antithesis to their said evil condition) the Lord promiseth, and the Prophet prophesieth it, that they should have a glorious condition, saying, Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and ISRAEL whom I have chosen. Thus saith the Lord that made thee, &c. Fear not O Jacob, and thou Jesurun (the name also of the twelve Tribes, Deut. 32.) I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will POUR MY SPIRIT upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the Lord, the KING of Israel, I am the first, and I am the last: Who, as I, shall CALL, and declare it, and SET IT IN ORDER for me, since I appointed the ancient people, and the things that ARE COMMING, and SHALL COME?

[§. 5] Thus you see the present state of the Jews, as in the latter end of the former Chapter, viz. sinful, and doleful; you see their names, viz. Jacob, Israel, and Jesurun (all names of the twelve Tribes) you see what is meant by pouring water upon the thirsty, viz. pouring out of the spirit; you see what is meant by growing as willows by the water-courses, viz. by the effusion of the Spirit, multitudes shall own the Lord; you see what Titles Christ hath, of KING of ISRAEL, and of FIRST and LAST, which are his Titles when he prophesies of his visible Kingdom to be on earth, repeated several times in the Revelation. Now then deal ingeniously, and compare the expressions with the Jews condition, for above these one thousand six hundred and fifty years to this very day, and see then whether you can indeed, and bonâ fide, imagine that these Prophesies have been ever yet fulfilled; or that it is proper, or feisable that they should be fulfilled at the ultimate day of Doom.

SECT. XIX.

THe tenth place in Isaiah is Chapter 45. v. 14. to the end of the Chapter, but specially verse 22, 23, 24, 25. viz. verse 22. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else. 23. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness (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 be justified, and shall glory.

[§. 1] For those four 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, he hath created it not in vain, 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 dark place of the earth; I said not to the seed of JACOB, seek ye me in vain, 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 yourselves, and come, draw near together, ye that are ESCAPED of the Nations, Tell ye, and bring them near, 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 connection it is evident, that the words above quoted concern both Jews and Gentiles.

[§. 2] The words are not only a prescript, and precept to all the ends of the earth (which must needs include Jews and Gentiles ) but also a Prophesy and Promise, that all the ends of the earth shall look to the Lord for salvation, express, in saying, Be ye saved. And in the 23 verse, I have sworn by myself, unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall vow; surely shall each one say, in the Lord have I righteousness, &c. which is the plain language of a promise, and is confirmed in manner of a promise, with that great confirmation, God's 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 yield to Jesus Christ, long after his ascension.

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 die, we die unto the Lord, whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and living. 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother, &c. we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. In which words,

1 It is plainly held forth, that the Apostle proves Christ's 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 signify the certainty of the thing.
2 That being delivered in the future tense, it must signify more then Christ's spiritual Kingdom, which he then had, when Isaiah prophesied.
3 That the Apostles mentioning after Christ's ascension his Lordship over the dead, and our standing at his judgment seat, must signify 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 soul, in order to a resurrection, as Christ himself 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 clearly understood to be feisable at the ultimate day of judgment, which is the final destruction of all, not sincere to Christ, and the time of Christ's Resignation of all his power 1 Cor. 15. For the wicked to submit and perish in the same hour were little honor to Christ, and a short time for all the world to confess to him.
5 That this is a kind of day of judgment, that is, the beginning, or preface to the great and ultimate day of judgment, at the beginning of the thousand years, when Christ destroys 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 judgment seat of Christ (Revel. 11. v. 15. v. 18. Rev. 20. first six verses) where they receive honor and rewards of grace and favor. For, according to our Apostle, this bowing, &c. must be at SOME day of judgment.

But it cannot be at the ultimate final, and therefore afore, at the beginning of the day of judgment, viz. at the beginning of the thousand years.

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, he 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 confess 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 special be employed 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 Christ's pleasure there shall be no sea, Rev. 21.1.) must needs import a state on earth. Which in the third particular is more confirmed, That every tongue shall confess 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 doom: As they were never yet fulfilled; but rather most knees and tongues, as of Turks, Papists, Heathens, Socinians, and all profane persons whatsoever, are against Christ to this day. And therefore these things must have a time on earth, before the ultimate judgment, to be fairly 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 ask the question, was that ever fulfilled (which is there spoken) that every knee and tongue shall come and say (for so is the connection, especially according to the Hebrew Text) surely in the Lord have I righteousness, and strength? Or that fulfilled (there also expressed) That ALL that are incensed against the Lord shall be 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 ask, when ever were these fulfilled? Surely to our sorrow (that are Believers) we see the contrary of all these, in the generality of all men, Turks, Pagans, Papists, Atheists, Heretics, and profane 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 be fulfilled on earth, before that day.

SECT. XX.

[§. 1] THe eleventh place in Isaiah is Chap. 49. wholly. But I shall need to touch only upon three or four places of the Chapter, which will give light to all the rest. In general, the chapter is of the bringing in of Jews and Gentiles into the Church. The Jews are here named by the general terms that comprehend at least the ten Tribes, if not the whole twelve: viz. by the names of Israel, ver. 3, 5, 6, 7. and of Jacob ver. 5. and of the Tribes of Jacob, v. 6. and the preserved of Israel, ibid. In way of distinction from whom, the two Tribes are called Zion, v. 14. So that all the twelve Tribes that came of Jacob, are intended in this Chapter, in the close whereof, as a seal, the Lord stiles himself Their Savior, their Redeemer, the Mighty one of JACOB. The Gentiles likewise are expressly named in v. 6. viz, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth; quoted by the Apostle Act. 13.47. to prove the propagation of the Gospel for salvation to the Gentiles. The concurrence of both Jews and Gentiles in coming in to Christ, is expressed to the life, ver. 22, 23. Thus saith the Lord God, behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring THY sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon THEIR shoulders, and KINGS shall be thy nursing Fathers, and THEIR Queens shall be THY nursing Mothers, &c. Add, that the engagement of God that thus he will call home both Jews and Gentiles, v. 13.15, 19, 18, & 26. is great. Sing O Heavens, and be joyful O Earth, and break forth into singing, O Mountains, for God hath comforted his people, and WILL have mercy on his afflicted. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb, &c. Yet WILL NOT I FORGET THEE. Behold I have GRAVEN THEE upon the palms of mine hands. As I LIVE, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all (that oppose thee) as with an, ornament, &c. And ALL FLESH shall know, that I the Lord am the Mighty one of Jacob.

[§. 2] These being premised, let us but only put the question upon some Verses, whether ever they were yet fully fulfilled; and that will be sufficient to ingenuous reason, to confess they must yet be fulfilled, and that on earth.

[§. 3] When was the seventeenth verse ever fulfilled? viz. Thy children shall make hasle, thy destroyers, and they that made thee waste, shall go out of thee. We read no such thing at their return from Babylon, but that there were the crew of Sanballat, Tobiah, &c. that opposed them. Anon Alexander the Great the Grecian Monarch enters Jerusalem. After him, Antiochus Epiphanes, alias Epimanes King of Syria wasteth it. After these the Romans conquer it. And now the Turks ever since possess it.

[§. 4] And when ever yet was the nineteenth verse fulfilled? viz. Thy waste and desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up, shall be far away. Surely since the carrying away captive of the ten Tribes, the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah were never full of their own Inhabitants. We never read, that ever the Assyrians, Babylonians, Cutheans, &c. which the King of Assyria sent into the Kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17.24.) were sent for home again. Nor that ever those CALDEANS that were sent to govern Judea (intimated in 2 King. 25. were recalled. And for after times (as we have hinted afore) when the Greek went out, the Syrian came in; when the Syrian went out, the Roman came in; when the Roman went, the Turk came in, and there he is to this day. These expulsing one another, there hath been a constant succession of them that swallowed up the twelve Tribes. Their wasters and destroyers have been changed, but have not been sent forth far away from Israel and Judah.

[§. 5] Again, did the Gentiles and Peoples ever yet (as v. 22.) bring the sons and daughters of the Jews in their arms, and upon their shoulders? If we should wave the literal sense of settling the Jews in their own Land, and condescend to a spiritual sense of the generality of the Gentiles compliance with the generality of the Jews in matters of Religion, and union into the universal Church, we cannot tell when ever this was done to this day.

[§. 6] Nor can we say that ever the Kings of the Gentiles (as it is v. 23.) and their Queens, have been nursing fathers and mothers to the Jews, and bowing down to them. Alas, poor Jews! they have ever since the beginning of the Grecian Monarchy, long before Christ, down to this very day, been under the awing power of the Gentiles, and mostly used hardly, and in most places of the world instead of reverence, have been, and are much villified. Therefore John in Revelation tells us, that this is yet to come, and to be fulfilled upon earth afore the ultimate day of judgment, as the circumstances of things, and the phrases of the Prophesy necessarily require, Rev. 21. v. 24.26. And the Kings of the EARTH do bring their glory and honor (into New Jerusalem) And they shall bring the glory and honor of the NATIONS into it. And yet so, as there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, &c.

[§. 7] We are likewise utterly to seek, when ever yet the 25. and 26. verses were fulfilled, viz. The captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered, for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children, and will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. We know not of any such thing since the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, in all Histories divine, and human, that thus the Jews were saved by such destruction of their enemies. The Jews indeed soon after their captivity made some attempts, 2 King. 25. v. 25. After that, they made some attempts in 1 Book of Macchab. And after that, they made several attempts in the time of Titus and Adrian, Roman Emperors. And since that the Turk hath dominered over them, the Kings of the Gentiles, especially of England, have made some attempts of war on their enemies, managed by the stock, counsel, and aide of several religious orders for that end; as of the Templars, Knights of the Rhodes, or of John of Jerusalem, and of the Knights of Malta, alias Melita. But all these attempts, have not amounted to Isaiah's phrase, to a full saving of the Jews by the destruction of their enemies, destroying their flesh, and pouring out of their blood. But in all these attempts in the end, the Jews party had the worst, even as Israel and Judah are still dispersed, and those in Judea, are still under the power of their enemy the Turk. Therefore these things are yet to be fulfilled, viz. at the fall of Antichrist, Rev. 16.5.6. and Rev. 19. v. 19.20, 21. Thou art righteous O Lord, &c. because thou hast judged thus: For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink. And the Kings of the earth, and their armies were gathered together to make war against him that sat on the white horse, and against his army, and the beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet, and cast into the lake of fire, &c. and the rest were slain with the sword, &c.

SECT. XXI

THe twelfth place in Isaiah is in Chapter 54. v. 11. &c. to the end of the Chapter.

Verse 11. O thou afflicted! tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with Sapphires.

12 And will make thy windows of Agates, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established, thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not sear, and from terror, for it shall not come near thee.

15 Whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold I have created the Smith that bringeth forth an instrument, and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment shalt thou condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

[§. 1] If we keep all these together in their twisted dependence, here set down, and in their joint relation, and intent, to the glorious estate of Jews and Gentiles conjunctively, as is intimated, v. 3. &c. Thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, &c. when were these ever fulfilled unto Christ and the Apostles days? And therefore they do clearly carry down these things far beyond the age wherein they lived upon earth. Saint John prophesies that v. 11, 12. of laying the Churches foundations with precious stones, that it shall be fulfilled at the great restauration of the Church (yet after one thousand six hundred fifty and two) to be fulfilled Rev. 21. v. 18. &c. The building of the wall or New Jerusalem is of a Jasper, and the City pure gold, the first foundation a Jasper, the second a Sapphire, the third a Chalcedony, the fourth an Emerald, &c. proportionably all the twelve foundations. So Christ carries down that in the former part of the 13. verse, All thy children shall be taught of God, beyond his time, unto after times; Joh. 6.44, 45. That whereas the Jews then murmured against him, yet the time should come that they should be ALL TAUGHT OF GOD, quoting this of Isaiah. Which must the rather relate to future times after Christ's time, in regard of that annexed in that 13. verse of the 54 of Isaiah, so closely, as that with the former, it makes but one period, viz. ALL THY CHILDREN shall be taught of God, And GREAT shall be THE PEACE OF THY CHILDREN; which being not fulfilled unto Johns time, he refers it to the time of the glorious state of New Jerusalem on earth, Rev. 21.4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain, &c. so that the time must come that the Jews must not have only pure inward peace, being taught of God, but GREAT outward peace also, which is further confirmed by that which follows in the next verses, viz. v. 14, 15, 16, 17, of this 54 of Isaiah, That in righteousness they shall be established, and they shall be far from oppression, and from fear, and from terror, that all opposing them shall fall, and no weapon shall prosper against them, &c. as you have it above written before your eyes in the first Paragraph of this one and twentieth Section, which Peter 2 Pet. 3. and John in Rev. Chap. 21. apply (as things not fulfilled to their time) unto the glorious state of the New earth, that therein shall dwell righteousness, and no uncleanness, or abomination, shall enter, but all tears, sorrow, pain, crying shall be removed (as we have oft repeated afore.) All which we cannot but expect yet to come (being never yet fulfilled, but the contrary always extant) and to be fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgment, there being nor time, nor place for foundations, windows, precious stones, teachings from God, &c. as above described.

SECT. XXII.

THe thirteenth place in Isaiah is Chapter 59. Verse 19, 20, 21. When the enemy ( viz of the Jews) shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him, and the Redeemer shall come to Zion (or out of Zion, as the Apostle renders it, Rom. 11.26. For if the deliverer come out of Zion, he comes first to Zion, the preposition 7 having great variety of significations, as, in, at, according to, or for the sake, &c.) And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob (or, as the Apostle renders it, Rom. 11.26. shall turn away transgression from Jacoh. ) As for me, this is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, &c. from henceforth, and forever.

[§. 1] The Prophet having in the next verses before, shown how God would recompense the enemies of the Jews according to their deeds, he presently follows on, with this, that I have now presented before you: So that temporal and spiritual deliverances are here conjoined, in one and the same Prophesy, to which in the first verse of the next Chapter he annexeth the glory of the Church of Jews and Gentiles conjuctively (of which in the next Section.) Now this present place, the Apostle ( Rom. 11.25, 26, 27) refers unto the great call of the Jews upon the coming in of the fullness of the Gentiles, both making one glorious Church; which the Apostle speaks of, as a thing to come to pass after his time. His words are (that ye may see how fully they answer to those of the Prophet) Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in, and so ALL ISRAEL shall be saved, as it is written, THERE SHALL COME OUT OF SION THE DELIVERER and SHALL TURNE AWAY UNGODLINESSE FROM JACOB. FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT UNTO THEM, WHEN I SHALL TAKE AWAY THEIR SINNES.

[§. 2] Now this was never yet fulfilled, as we plainly see by the forlorn state of the Jews both temporal and spiritual to this day. And therefore this Scripture is yet to be fulfilled, and that afore the ultimate judgment, which is utterly inconsistent with this Prophesy.

SECT. XXIII.

THe fourteenth place in Isaiah is in Chapter 60 (the very next Chapter) the sum whereof our last Translators have meetly given us in saying, that the Chapter is concerning the glory of the Church (of the Jews converted to Christ) in the accession and addition of the Gentiles. The passages of most concernment to our point are,

[§. 1] Vers. 1. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the Lord is upon THEE. v. 2. Darkness shall cover the EARTH, and gross darkness the PEOPLE; but the Lord shall arise unto THEE, and his glory shall be seen upon THEE. verse. 3. And the GENTILES shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising. v. 4. Thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. v. 5. And thine heart shall be enlarged, because, the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee, and the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. v. 6. They of Midian, and Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold, and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. v. 7. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the Rammes of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee, &c. and I will glorify the house of my glory. v. 8.9. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows? Surely the ISLES that wait for thee. v. 10. The sons of the strangers shall build up thy walls, and THEIR KINGS shall minister UNTO THEE. v. 11.12. Thy gates SHALL BEE OPEN DAY and NIGHT, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that THEIR KINGS may be brought. For the NATION and KINGDOME that will not serve thee, SHALL PERISH. v. 14. The sons of them that afflicted thee, shall come BENDING unto thee, and all that despised thee, shall BOW THEMSELVES DOWN at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee THE CITY OF THE LORD, the ZION OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. v. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken, and hated, I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY a JOY OF MANY NATIONS. v. 16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the GENTILES, and the breasts of KINGS. v. 17. For brass I will bring gold, for iron silver, &c. and I will make thy OFFICERS PEACE, and thy EXACTORS RIGHTEOUSNESSE. v. 18. Violence shall be NO MORE heard in thy Land, but thou shalt call thy walls SALVATION, &c. v. 19. THE SUNNE shall be no more THY LIGHT by day, neither for brightness shall the MOON GIVE LIGHT unto thee, BUT THE LORD SHALL BE THY EVERLASTING LIGHT, and thy God thy glory. v. 20. Thy Sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self, for THE LORD shall be thy EVERLASTING LIGHT, and the days of thy MOURNING SHALL BE ENDED. v. 21. Thy PEOPLE also shall be RIGHTEOUS, and they shall inherit the Land FOR EVER. ( i. e. none after them.) v. 22. (the close of all) I the Lord will hasten it, IN HIS TIME.

[§. 2] Now I put the question to all the Learned and Libraries in the world, when was ever any such estate of the Church since the Jews going into captivity in Babylon? If any are so heavy headed, as falling fast asleep, shall dream, that all these passages concern not a visible glorious estate of the Church on earth, or that these all are already spiritually fulfilled, let such know that they would be hard put to it, so to expound this Chap. congruously, and to tell us the time and manner, and make all handsomely hang together. And therefore St. John, a surer Commentator, having prophesied in Rev. 20. v. 4. compared with Rev. 5.10. of the Saints reigning with Christ on earth, and in the 21 Ch. having given us his vision of a New EARTH, and of New Jerusalem, coming down FROM heaven (with many more passages of the future glory of the Church on earth, of which abundantly afore, several times) he goes on in that 21 Chapter to apply many of the passages of this sixtieth of Isa. to that future glorious estate of the Church on earth, yet to come, after the fall of Antichrist, which is not (as we see) yet performed. For example; The third verse of this sixtieth of Isaiah (but now presented afore your eyes) is exactly so applied, Rev. 21. v. 24. And the Nations of them that are saved, shall walk in the light of it (that is, the light of the glory of God, and the Lamb, as it is in the former verse) and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. So that in the 11. and 12. verses of this sixtieth of Isaiah (as you see it afore) is likewise applied to that future glorious state of the Church on earth afore the ultimate judgment, Rev. 21. v. 25, 26. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory, and honor of the Nations into it. So the 19. v. of this sixtieth of Isaiah is in like manner applied in Rev. 21. v. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the MOON TO SHINE IN IT; (Mark, to shine in it, intimating that though those Planets continue in being, yet there shall be no need of their shining) for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The same is to be seen in the application of the 20 v. of this sixtieth of Isaiah in Rev. 21. v. 3, 4. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, &c. and God himself shall be with them, &c. And shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, &c. And lastly, the application of v. 21. of this sixtieth of Isaiah is as clearly applied to the same purpose, Rev. 21. v. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it, anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie.

[§. 3] Now where is the man, or book that can say these things have been fulfilled since the time of this Prophesy, That the Nations of Jews and Gentiles have conjoined in matters of Religion; as in the first ten verses of this sixtieth of Isaiah? When ever did the Nations of the Gentiles bow down to the Jews, and those that would not serve them did perish, as v. 11.12? When were the Jews made an eternal excellency, and the joy of many Nations, as it is in 15 v? when (as v. 21.) were the Jews made a righteous people to inherit the Land forever? But as sure, as God is true, these things must be; And upon earth, as the circumstances contstrain. And therefore before the ultimate judgment.

SECT. XXIV.

[§. 1] THe fifteenth place in Isaiah is in Chapter 63. first six verses, of which in a word.

Christ comes up (as it is revealed to the Prophet ) from Edom, with died garments from Bozra, red in his apparel, by treading the Wine-press alone, treading down his enemies in fury, til their blood be sprinkled upon his garments.

[§. 2] John in the Revelation Chapter 14, v. 19, 20, and Chapter 19, v. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. applies these in the same phrase and figure to Christ's destroying of Antichrist, to be fulfilled on earth, yet afore the last judgment. Another Angel came out from the all • ar, which cried to him that had a sharp sickle, saying, thrust in thy sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great Winepress of the wrath of God. And the Winepress was trodden without the City, and blood came out of the Winepress, even unto the horse bridles, &c. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him, was called FAITHFULL and TRUE, and in righteousness he doth judge, and make war. His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head were many Crowns, &c. And he was clothed with a Vesture DIPT IN BLOOD, his name is called THE WORD OF GOD. And the Armies which were in Heaven, followed him upon white horses, &c. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the Nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he TREADETH THE WINEPRESSE OF THE FIERCENESSE and WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD. And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORD'S.

[§. 3] These are obvious enough for everyone to apply to the point in hand, according to our former method so often repeated. ##

SECT. XXV.

THe sixteenth place in Isaiah is Chapter 65. verse 17, &c. to the end of the Chapter.

Verse 17. Behold I create new Heavens, and a new EARTH, and the former shall not be remembered, &c. v. 18. But be you glad and rejoice FOR EVER in that which I create; for behold I creat JERUSALEM a rejoicing, and her people, a joy, v. 19. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the VOYCE OF WEEPING SHALL BE NO MORE HEARD IN HER, NOR THE VOYCE OF CRYING. v. 20. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days, &c. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them, &c. And plant vineyards, &c. Before they call, I will answer, &c. The woolf and the lamb shall feed together, &c.

[§. 1] This, will everyone say, that marks what he reads, must signify a state of the Church upon earth, to be before the ultimate judgment. ##

[§. 2] And there is no man or monument can be produced that ever this was so fulfilled since it was prophesied. Therefore it must signify a state on earth yet to come, according to the Prophesies of the Apostles, and their applications of the aforesaid Prophesy of Isaiah. So doth Peter, and John apply the 17. verse. Peter in 2 Ep. chap. 3. v. 12. and 13. comforts the Jews (to whom he wrote, 1 Pet. 1.1.) that before the ultimate judgment there should be new Heavens, and a new EARTH wherein dwells righteousness, according to God's promise, meaning this of Isaiah 65.17. And John in Revel. chap. 21. refers this same place of Isaiah to the time of the glorious state of the Church on earth immediately after the fall of Antichrist. In Rev. 19. the three last verses is Antichrists fall, Chap. 20. the Devil is bound, and the Saints reign, Chapter 21. is their glorious estate described, and in part by these words of the Prophet Isaiah, I saw (saith John ) a new Heaven, and a new Earth, and the first heaven, and the first earth were passed away. And adds in verse 17. Nothing that defileth, enters therein. In like manner the 18. and 19. verses of this 65 of Isaiah are referred and applied by St. John in Rev. 21. the first five verses, to the glorious state of the Church yet to come, after the fall of Antichrist. Behold I make all things new, new Heavens, and new Earth, and new Jerusalem (which is all one, as to say he creates, ) And wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more sorrow, &c. I need say no more of this place to an understanding Reader, of which Mr. Mead, comparing it with 2 Pet. 3.13. and Peter with it, saith, Mirror, &c.

I wonder how any man can understand this of a state in the highest heavens.

SECT. XXVI.

THe seventeenth and last place in Isaiah is Chapter 66. v. 5. &c. to the end of the Chapter.

[§. 1] The Prophet in the fifth verse, directs his speech to them that in an holy manner, trembled at God's word. The effect of his speech there is, that though their false brethren hated them, and cast them out for God's name sake, saying, Let the Lord be glorified (that is, we have done well in casting them out, or let God appear in his glory to show favor to you, if we have not done well in casting you out) yet the Lord should appear to their joy (that had been so hated and cast out for his name sake) and those their false brethren should be ashamed.

[§. 2] In the seven and eight verses most evidently the Prophet setteth forth the manner of the conversion of the Jews, I say, conversion (their settlement will cost longer time, as it seems Dan. 12. the three last verses) viz. their conversion shall be as the birth of a child, before the mother is in pain; as the birth of a Nation at once, which well may be, being to be done by the appearance of Christ in the Clouds.

[§. 3] In the 10. and 11. verses: All Nations must rejoice with Jerusalem, because they shall suck the breasts of her consolations; that is, share in her comforts. ##

[§. 4] In the twelfth verse, The Lord will extend peace to Jerusalem like a River, and the glory of the Gentiles, like a flowing stream. See a glorious conjunction of Jews and Gentiles.

[§. 5] In the 13, and 14, 15, 16. verses, is set forth the sensible comforts of the Church, and the corporal destruction of their enemies. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem, and when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb, and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants, and his indignation towards his enemies. For behold the Lord will come with fire, &c. For by fire, and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. Illustrated verse. 24. They shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, nor their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh: Which in the general to be taken literally, is confessed both by Jews and Christians. Consult our new Annotationists upon the place. See Sect. 41. §. 5. . 2.

[§. 6] In the 18, 19, 20, and 21. verses is held forth to us the congregating of all Nations both Jews and Gentiles into union of true religious worship, and beholding of the glory of God, and that (as the Jewish Doctors expound it) in his destruction of the enemies of the Church, in the days of the Messias.

In the 22. verse, we have the height and length of this glorious estate of the universal Church of Jews and Gentiles on earth. It is no lower then a state of a new Heaven and a new Earth: And it is to be perpetuated; It is to remain unalterable; continue (say our new Annotationists) forever.

[§. 7] Now these things were never yet fulfilled according to the phrases and circumstances of the place, as to the Gentiles, nor in the substance as to the Jews, who remain totally unconverted to Christ, and are dispersed and despised (to our sorrow) throughout the world. But God must be true, therefore these must be fulfilled, and on earth before the ultimate judgment, as every verse doth hint unto us. And therefore St. John in the Revelation Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, and Chapter 21. doth apply these in a way of Prophesy to the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come at the fall of Antichrist. I shall give you them in sum and short, because I have before so often made particular applications of them. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. How much she hath glorified her self, so much sorrow and torment shall be given her. Her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire. Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people, &c. saying, Allelujah, salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God, for true, and righteous are thy judgementss, for he hath judged the great Whore that hath corrupted the earth, and hath avenged the blood of his Saints. And again, they said Allelujah. And the four and twenty Elders said Amen, Allelujah. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Allelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. And the beast and the false Prophet were taken and cast into the lake fire: And the rest were slain with the sword. But the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand years, in the new Heavens, and new Earth, to whom the Kings of the earth, and Nations of the world bring their honor.

[§. 8] Now let him that readeth understand, and consider, whether he were best to believe his own fantasy, or the opinions of men, rather then St. Johns series and system of Visions and Prophesies, so aptly in phrase and matter expounding the Prophet Isaiah, of a future glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come.

Thus of the Prophet Isaiah.

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 days 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 again 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 return 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 clearly to hint to us, that his meaning is, not only 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 subjoins the bringing in of the fullness 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 lies, &c. At which time of the coming in of the fullness 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 we have the same expressions, with further illustrations, and explanations to confirm 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. verse. 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 days 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 judgment upon the earth. In his days JUDAH shall be saved, and ISRAEL shall dwell safely. And this is his name whereby be shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE. verse 7. Therefore behold the days 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 return of the two Tribes from Babylon.

It is written in the book Berochoth Benzuma saith, It shall come to pass 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. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) in the days 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 days 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 days of the KINGDOME OF THE MESSIAH shall be principal, and the Egyptian less.

[§. 4] Observe next the phrases and circumstances of the place; As first That here is mention not only of Judah's reversion, and conversion, but of Israel's too. And secondly, that they shall return not only 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, do show, that they are now scattered into all parts of the world, and are so acknowledged to be 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 judgment in the EARTH.

[§. 5] All which duly weighed, do clearly demonstrate, without multiplying of words, that they were never yet fulfilled, nor can the transaction of them consist with the ultimate day of judgment. 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. both being one continued discourse of one and the same thing (as the connection in verse 1. of Chapter 31. plainly shows) In which are many things, which of themselves upon bare reading of them, without all glosses, show themselves never to have been fulfilled to this day, since the time of that Prophesy. For example, mark the words well.

[§. 2] That in Chapter 30. was never yet fulfilled, viz. verse 3. Lo the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the CAPTIVITY of my people ISRAEL and JUDAH (naming distinctly both Kingdoms, containing all the twelve Tribes) and cause them to return 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, 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 shall 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 judgment, as the nature of the things speak 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 rejoice 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 Prophesy) or of the two Tribes (carried away after this Prophesy) 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 return but of two Tribes (the ten never yet returning) Antiochus of Syria, and the Grecians, and Romans, and Turks, have by a continual 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 judgment cannot be imaginable; and therefore are yet to be fulfilled before that day.

SECT. XXX.

THE fourth place in Jeremiah, is in Chapter 50. the four last verses, viz. v. 17, 18, 19, 20. The words are these:

Verse 17. ISRAEL is a scattered sheep, the Lions have driven him away; first the KING of ASSYRIA hath devoured him, and last, this NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of BABYLON hath broken his bones. v. 18. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of ISRAEL, Behold I will punish the King of BABYLON, and his land, as I have punished the King of ASSYRIA. v. 19. And I will bring ISRAEL again to his HABITATION, and he shall feed on CARMEL, and BASHAN, and his soul shall be satisfied on mount EPHRAIM, and GILEAD.

[§. 1] That this Prophesy is not yet fulfilled, nor can it be fulfilled at the ultimate day of judgment; and therefore to be fulfilled on earth afore that day, note first that he dittie is of ISRAEL, which must at least comprehend the ten Tribes, which appears, not only in styling God here, in relation to this, the God of ISRAEL, but by several passages after, that all the twelve Tribes are here meant. Now the deliverance of the ten Tribes was never yet performed to this day.

[§. 2] Secondly, the deliverance must be in a hostile way, viz. by the destruction of their enemies, namely of Kings and Kingdoms, expressed v. 18. in relation to which God is called the Lord of Hosts. But as yet the Kings and Kingdoms, who in a constant succession down to this day, have been the enemies of the Jews, are not destroyed.

[§. 3] Thirdly, that God promiseth to come down in a methodical order, to punish their enemies, successively in time and place, as successively as they afflicted the twelve Tribes: First, the King of Assyria had devoured Israel, which can be no other then Shalmaneser his taking Samaria, &c. captive, (2 King. 18.9.) which Samaria was the Metropolis of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes. And this is the King of Assyria's devouring Israel, Nineveh being the Metropolis of that Kingdom, whiles called the Kingdom of Assyria, 2 King. 19.36. Then secondly, Nebuchadnezzar, alias Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon, came up against Jerusalem (the Metropolis of the Kingdom of the two Tribes) and took it, and carried away all the considerable persons of that Kingdom, and all their substance of any value, captive to Babylon, 2 King. 25.1. &c. And this was the King of Babylon his breaking of their bones, called the King of Babylon, because Babylon then was the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Chaldea, the Chaldeans then ruling over the Assyrians. And therefore the Monarchy was afterwards called the Assyrio-chaldean. Now as God hath punished some of their enemies heretofore, viz. Nineveh of Assyria, according to the Prophet Nahum. And Sennacherib their King, and his Host, 2 King. 19. So he must according to his promise descend in order, with destruction in an hostile manner upon Babylon, and upon the Kings of Babylon, whatsoever, and whosoever that Babylon, and those Kings be, in the Scripture name, and notion, and extended in the promises of the New Testament. And therefore as God did punish Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, with turning him as it were into a beast for certain years, Dan. 4. And after he punished Belshazzar King of Babylon, and that City by Darius the Mede invading it, Dan. 5. and Darius the Mede (then King of Babylon ) by Alexander the Greek, and Alexanders successors (then King of Babylon ) by the Roman; and the Roman Emperor (then King of Babylon both old and new, that is Babylon and Rome ) by the Arabian, Saracen, or Turk (the now King of old Babylon ) Dan. 7. so according to the explication and application in the New Testament, of this promise made in this Text in the Old, God must yet go on corporally to destroy the Turk, the present King of old Babylon, and the Roman, that once was the Tyrant of Old Babylon and after that continued to be the Tyrant of New Babylon, viz. Rome, first by Heathen Tyranny, and after by Papal and Antichristian Tyranny, down to this day, according to Prophesies in Dan. 7. and this must be done by the power of Christ and his Church, ibid. and Dan. 2. Now neither the Turkish King of Babylon, nor his Kingdom, is yet destroyed, but rather mightily prospers, and prevails, yea and God is behind in arrears of judgments with New Romish Babylon for her heathenish ten bloody persecutions, extending, by intervals, about three hundred years, and hath not given her, her present pay for her late Papal, and Antichristian massacres, inquisitions, tortures, and blasphemies, as to the matter of destroying the supreme power, and the Kingdom of this Babylon, according to the amplification of Revelation 17, 18, and 19 Chapters.

[§. 4] Note fourthly, that the successive punishing the enemies of the Jews, in succeeding generations, following this Prophesy must so succeed as to have this success, that ISRAEL and JUDAH may be delivered from their dispersion, and restored to their own land, and distinctly to their several quarters there, viz. Carmel, Bashan, Ephraim, and Gilead. One Carmel was a City of the Tribe of Judah, some twelve miles from Jerusalem Southward. Another Carmel was of the Tribe of Issachar, about threescore and four miles from Jerusalem Northward, not far from Prolemais, toward the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Josh. 19. Jer. 46. Bashan before the Israelites came up from Egypt to Canaan, was of the Country of Og, but after became part of the portion of the half Tribe of Manasseh, Numb. 21. Isa. 2.13. Mount Ephraim is between Jericho and Jerusalem, extending towards the Sea. It was the portion of the sons of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh, Josh. 13. and 17. And as one half of the Tribe of Manasseh stuck to Judah, so Ephraim is an usual expression to signify the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, or Israel, Isa. 7. Isa. 9. Hos. 5. Psal. 59. Gilead was a Country that lay between the sea of Galilee, and mount Gilead, some sixty miles from Jerusalem.