Jews Traditions about the comingofth? Mefsiah., áq-ß long in mifery and captivity. But we know, that they ate this plea only as a cove , ring fo their obftinatc blindiids and infidelity. Take them from this difpute, and they are continually boasting of their Righteöufúef and Holincfs, for they do not only allure us that they are better thenall the worldbslides, but alki much better then their fore-fathers, asM.eaaffe plainly affirms in the - place before cited, and that on the day ofExpiation, that is, once a year ; they are as holy as the Angels in Heaven There are therefore one or two thitigswhich I would delire to know of them,as to this pretence of their own fins; which on another account mutt allo be afterwards in- fined ou. F'irltThen, whereas it is a principle. of:their faith, That all 7emr excepting'Apo- ffates are fo holy and righteous, that they (hall all be Laved, have all a portion in the blefled world to come, whence.is it that .none of them, arclò Righteous as to be returnedinto the Landof Canaan? .Is it not (linage, that that Ríghteoufüefs which ferves the turn to bring them all toHeaven; will not ferve.. to bring any one of them to jerufâlem. This latter being more openly and frequently piom1Ged unto them then the former. I know not how to folve this difficulty ; ipf viderint. Again, Repentance from their fins is a thing wholly in their own power, or it is not ; if they [hall fay, it is in their own power, as generally they do; I défire to know why they defer it ? The brave imaginations that they have of the levering of Mountains, the divieiing'ofRivers, the fnging of Woods, and dancing of Trees, of the Coacher and ChariotsofKings to carry them, as ialfo their riding upon the {boulders of their rich neighbours intoJerufálem; the Conquest of the world, the eating of Behemoth , and drinking. the Wine of Paradice, theRiches, Wives, and long Life that they Mall havé in the dayesof the Meffiab, do malee them as they pretend, patiently endure all their ,long exile, and calamitie. And can this not prevail with them for á little Repen- tance, which theymay perform when they pleafe, with a wet finger, and fo obtain them all in a trice. ? If they are fo evidently blind, fòolifh and toads in and about that which they look upon as their only great concernment in this world, have they not great cause to be jealous, left they are alto equally blind in other things , and particularly in that wherein we charge them with blindnefs ? This it fèems is the State of these things. Unless they repent, the MefiaJe will not come; unlcfs he come, they cannot be delivered out of their calamitie nor enjoy the promifis. To repeat is a thing in their own power, which yet they had rather endure all miferies , and foregoe all the promises of God then take' in hand, or go through with it. And what (hall we fay to filch apervade generation of men, who openly proclaim, that theywill live in 'their fins, though they have never more to do with God iamb eternity. If they {hall fay, that Repentance is the gift of Gad , and that without his powring forth' his Spirit upon them, they cannot attain unto it, then I delire to know whence it is that Goddoth not give thenRepentance, as he did to their fore- fathers, if the Covenant continue eftablif lied with them , as in former dayes ? From what hath beendifcourfed , It doth fuf iciertly appear that the flats and condition ofthe Jews hath been loch in theworld, for thefe fixteen hundred years, as . manifeilsthe end of their special Covenant to be long fence come, and confequentiy the Meflìeh, in whom it was to expire. There is one of them, a namelefs perfon, not unlearned, who hath wtittenfome- what lately in thePortugal Language, which is tranflated into Latin by 1$renias the Soeinian, who gives fo fatisfaétory an Anfwer in his own conceit, unto this Ar- gument, that he concludes, that every one who is not obttivate, or blinded with cor- rupt affections, mutt needs acquiefce therein,. His confidence, if not his reatons, de- ferves our consideration, efpecially confidering that he offersfomewhat new onto us, which. their former Malter5 did not solid upon. That then whichhe returns as an Anfwer, unto the enquiry of the Caufes and Rea- fins of their prefcnt long captivities and mifcric , is the fine oftheir tortfathers un- der the firfx Temple. The greatnefs of theft fins, he faith , is expreffed by the Prophet Ezekiel, Chap. 16. 48. As I live, -pith the Lord God, Sodom tly Sifter bath asst done, fhe nor her daughters, at thou half done, thou and thy daughters. To which he adds, Ifa. 1.9. where mention is made again of Sodom. So that this Captivity is t -e them, to the roomof Inch a drttruecion, as Sodomwas overthrown withall. But it may be faid, that thefe fins what ever they were, were expiated in theBa- bytonffh Captivity, and pardoned unto them upon their return. So that now they muff fuffer, on the account of their fins committed under the fecondTemple ; to which he
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