19d ?ems Tradrtrons.about thecomingof the ¡Weis'iah. in any work or word of God, can afford them no certainty or fatisfadion in their conteinplation about it? q. 3. Again, The State andcondition,of this people for the (pace of above fixteen hun- dred and thirtyyears, gives evidence tothe truth contended for. The whole time of the continuance of their Church, State andWor(hip, from the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, to thefinal deftruftion of the City- andTemple by Titus, was not above sixteen hundred and thirty years, or fixteen hundred and forty upon the longeh ac- count, allowing all their former Captivitiesand intermiffions of Government into the reckoning. They have then continued in a (}ate of difperfion and rejeEtion from God as long as ever they wereaccepted for his Church and people, what their con- dition bath been in` the world.for theft fixteen Ages is known untoall, and what may be thence concluded, we (hall difiino`tly confider. §, when God took the Jews tobe his people , he did it bya fpecial and folemn,Cove_ nana. In this Covenant he gave them protnifes, which wereall'made good unto them unto the utmofl date and expirationof it in the coming ofthe Meiah. And they prin- cipally refpeêledthefe three heads. Fir)i', That they fhóuld poffefs the LandofCanaan, and there enjoy that Warfhip which he had prefcribed untothem. See Exod. 6.4. Chap. 34. 00, 11. Levit.' 2E. 8, 9. Deut. 18. 18. Chap. 29, 13. Pfalm 105. 10, n. Secondly, Thathe would defend them from their Adverfaries , or if at any time he gave them up to bepurifiedand chaüized:fätceheít fins : Yet upon their repentance and fupplications made unto him, he would deliver them from their Oppreffors. Deut. 30.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Nehem. a. 9. , Deut. 32. 35, 36, 37. r Kings S. 34. Thirdly, That he would continue Prophetsamong them to inflru6h them in his will, and to reclaim themfrom their mifcarriage, Dent. 18. 8. Thewhole Pentateuch, all their DivineWri- tings are full ofPromifesabout theft things. And as we faid until' the time limited for the expiration of that fpecial Covenant, they were all made good unto them. That it was to expire, themfelves are forced to acknowledge, becaufe of the exprefs promife, of a new, or another Covenant to bemade not like unto it ; Pr. 32. The Landgiven them by inheritance, and the place defigned for the Worfhip' of God therein, were continued in their' poffeffion, notwithffanding the mighty Attempts made by the Nations of the world for their extirpation. And when at any time he gave them up for a feafon, unto the power of their Adverfaries, becaufe of their , fins and provocations, as unto the Babylonians in thedayes of Nebuchadnezzar, andaf- terwards unto the Greciansor Syrians in the dayes ofAntiocbur Epiphanes: yet (fill he foretold them of their condition, promifed them deliverance from it, and in a fhort time accomplifhed it, though it couldnot be done without the mine of other King- doms and Empires. The Oppreflon of the Babylonians continued but feventyyears and the perfecution of Antiochus prevailed only for three years and half Pro- pliers alto he raifèd up unto them in their feveral Generations : yea, in the time of their great difirefs ; as Jeremiah at the time of their defolátion : Ezekiel and' Daniel. in Babylon ; Haggai and Zechariah, in their poverty after their return, which difpenfation ceafed not, until! they pointed oat unto them the end of the Covenant, and told them that the Me)rah fhould comé fpeedily and fuddenly unto his Temple; Mal. 3. 1, 2. il. 5. The preterit Jews (Ihope) will not deny, but that God is faithfull f}í11, and as able to accomplifh his Promlfes,as he was in thedayes ofold. Let us then enquire whe- ther, they enjoy any one thing promifed them in theCovenant, or any thing relating thereunto, or have done fo'fince the dayes wherein, as we have proved, the Meffiah- was to come. ( 1.) For the Countrey given unto them by Covenant, and the place ofGods Worfhip therein, the whole world knows, and themfelves continually com- plain, that llrartgers poffefs it, they being utterly extirpated and cart out of it. rt is with them all,as it, was withAbrahambefore the grant ofthe inheritance was accom- plifhed, they havenot poiTellìon of one foot in it in anypropriety, no not for á burying place. Their Temple is deflroyed, and all their attempts for the reftauratiorr ofit, which God fo bleffed of old, fruftrated , yea ceafed. Their daily Sacrifice is ceafed, and whatever they fubftitute in the room of it, is an open abomination unto the Lord. We need not inf(t on thefé things. The Stories of their ruine, exile ; vain attempts to recover their Land , of their Fore -fathers, of the utter pollution of the places of their Worfhip are known, to themfelves, and all men that take care to know ought of theft things. Where is now the Covenant of the Land ofCanaan ? Was it to be abfolutelyeverlafting ? Whence comes it to pail; thatthe great promife of
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