Concerning thy Meliah. t;q tion of the world ? Is this the meaning of the Promife givenunto Adam 7 Was this the End of the Call and Separation ofAbraham? This the intendment of the Fromifemade unto him, that in his feed all the Nations of the Earthfhould be bleffd ? Is this only the importance, of it , that towards the end of the world , manyof them (hall be admit:red? Was this the intent of the Oath made unto David, and of the Mee mercies confirmed unto him, and his, thereby ? Do all the Promifes in the Prophets, fet out in words glorious and magnificent, end in a Warri: ser interior it may be unto many of thole whore dettruftion they Prophefiedof? Or is not this rather a way to expofe the whole Old Teftameut unto Jnrn and reproach , as making the Promifes thereof not to extend unto that Glory , which in others the Penmen of it defpifed ; or at leali to regard only things of the fame nature with them ? Was this the Expeélation of the Fathers of Old ? Is this that which they defirbd,, prayed for, longed for, efteeming all the Glory of their prefent Enjoyments as nothing in comparifon of it ? What is in this Meffiah that he (hould be the Hope and Ddiire of all litatimn ? Did God fee him forth as the great Effech of his Love, Grace, Goodnefs and Faithfulnefs towards them, and then bring forth a Military King , in whofe exploits they were not all to be concerned ? Was the Church in travail for fo manyGenerations to bring forth this Fighter ? Had they no Eye of old unto. Spiritual and Eternal things in the Promife of the Meffiah ? Of late indeed Jnfephus Albo tells us that the.Do trine of the coming Of the Wit, is not fundamental ; And Hillel of old maintained that Hezekiab was theM. eh ; He should have been fo, faith another, had he composed a Song unto God. Bam cosba a feditious Negromancer is the Meffiah, Cayes R. Aloha; He thaltcome, it may be, immediately before the Refurredlion faith Manaf. But do thefe thoughts fuit the Faith , Hope , Prayers , and Expeaations of the Church of old ? Do they anfwer any one Promife of God concerning him ? No man not utterly unacquainted with the Scripture cari give the leali countenance unto fuch- imagi- . nations. What all this.while is become of the work every where in the Scripture affigned 4. 3s. unto the Meffiah ? Who is that call off unto ? Who (hall brew¿ the SerpentsHead ? Who (hall take .away the rude that entered on Sin ? Who fhall be a bleffing un- to all Nations ? To whom (hall the Gentiles be gathered to be Caved by him ? Who (hall be a Prieft after the Order of Melehizedeck? Who (hall have a. Body prepared him to offer in flead of the Sacrifices of the Law ? Who thall have his hands and feet pierced in his fffering, and his Veflure parted by Lot? Who (hall make his Soul an Offering. for fin? Who (hall be bruifed, grieved, and afifled by God himfelf, becaufe he Ihall bear the Iniquities of his People? Who (hall make Atonement for Tranfgreffors and bring in everlafling Righteoufntfs ? Who (hall for' ever make Intercefon for Tranfgreffors? And who (hall ft at the Right Hand of God in his Rule over the whole world ? All theft things and fundry others of the like 'kind , are openly and frequently promifed concerning the true Meffiah, whereof not any of them is to be accomplifhed in or by him whom they look for. But there men indeed, take a way to defiroy all Religion, and to turn the whole Bible into a Rory of earthly things, without either Life, Spirit,or Heavenly My- fiery in it. It is acknowledged that there are many Promifes ofMercy and Glory unto the i 33 Church in the Dayes of the Meffiah expreffed in Words , whore fìrlt literal fenfe reprefènts things outward and temporali And there is a threefold Interpretation of their contended for. The fiefi is that of the Jews, who would have them all undertiood according unto their literall -importance, without the allowance of any Figure or Allegory in them. But no thing can be more vain then this imagination; nor do they make ufe of it, but where they fuppofe that it will ferve their prefect..deligu. For whereas the Wijjt of them do grant, that in thedayes of the Melliah the Nature of things (hall not, be changed; but only their nie , many oftheft Promifes in their fide, literall fenfe, import a full anddireft alteration in the Heavens and Earth and all things contained in them. So Ifa. r t. v. b, 7, 8. Lions, Bears, Leo, parda, Cac..atrices , Afpes, Calves, andyoung Children are raid all to live, feed, and play together. And Chap. 60. v. 7. , That the Flocks of Kellar , and the Rams of Nebaioth (hould minifter unto the Church ; ver. s4. that they (hould fuck the Milk. T z of
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