·~--~---------------------------~ l[a.t.t Mica.4.r. Book IV. Luo~h1g untu :Jefm, Chap. r.Sect. I Sonne ofGod;q.d.tbe beginning of that age of the.world which the Prophets pointed out for the time of :good things to ~orne. or thebe~inning of the exhibition. and completion of ~hat Gofpel, whtch m , refpeel: of the promtfe; figures, and figmtfication was from the beginning of the world. This beginning of the Go· fpel, the Prophets fometimes expreffed by the te'\rme of the !aft dayer, and it foal/ come topaJ[e In the !aft daytJ : fometimes by the termc: of the acceptable year of the Lord, the Spirit ofthe Lord is upon me, to ptoclaime the Acceptable'year of tht Lord: fometimes by the terme of the Kingdome ofGod. And in the dayu of thefe If a. 61 • 11 t, Kings,fball the God of he ~tv en Jet u-p 4 Kingdome, which jJulll never Dan. t. 4 4 • be dFj/royed. Sometimes by the terme of a new heaven, and a lfa. 65, t 1 , new earth, behold I creatr new heavens, anda new earth, and the Jo;mer (hall not be remembred, nor come in minde. Howfoever it is called, this is concluded that the beginning of the Gofpel is not 1 to be reckoned from the birth ofChtifi, but from the beginning Mat. u. u,13 of the minifiry and preachingof John the Baptifi; from the d.tye.r· ofTohn the Baptift until now (t1id ChriQ) the Kingdome ofhe.tven fujfereth violence ; for all the Prophets and the Law prophejieduntil [ohn ; and when the Apoftles were ready in th'eroome of 1 HdM ACl:SI. 21 2.z to choofe a new Apoftle, it is faid that of tho.fe men which compa· ' 1liedwith them all the time that the Lord Jefr~J went in 11nd out - amongft them, beginning from the baptifme of {obn, unto the day thathe was tak,sn up, muft one be ordained to be a witnef{e. And Peter Ach 10 , 37 . preaching to Corneiim and his friends, he tells them that the Word (or Gofpr I) was publijbed throt4ghout all {udeA, and began from Galilee, after the baptifm~ which John preached ; and fee but how immediately thefe words follow, the beginning of the GOJpel4 ~~ k Jefus Chrift the Son;,eof Cjid .: Mit is written in the Prophets, be~ at c 1 ' 1 ' :. bold-/fend my meffenger bt{ore thy face, which fbrdl prepare the way before thee : I know that Tfi~ns miniftry w.as fix months befo~e Chrifis . and yet that now was the begtnmng of the Gofpel, 1t a ppeais', r ln that Baprifme (which was only uied amongft the Jewes for the admi ffion ofProfelites or Heathens to iheir Church) is now publ iihed and propofed to toe Jewes themfelves; fhewing, I. That now they were to be entred an~ tranfplanted 'into a nc;w profeill on; and 2. That the Gentiles and they were now to be knit into one Church ar;d body. And 2. It a:p. peares in tha.t the doctrine and preaching of 'fohn was ofa di~et. tng
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