ferns Traditions about the coming ofthe Metiah. 20$ made,is pettedly to def}roy it,and to place the merit ofit in man, whereasitarofe,purely from the Grace ofGod. Again, it utterly takes away and deftroyes the nature ofthe thing promifed. We have proved, that it isaRelief,, a Recovery, a Salvation from fin and mifery that is the fubjed matter of this promife. To fuppofe that this (hall not be granted, unlefs men as a conditionof it, deliver themfelves from their fins, is to affèrt a plain contradietion, fo wholly to deftroy the promife. He was not promifèd unto men, becaufe they were penitent and juft,but tomake them fo. And to make the righteoufnefs ofJews or Gentiles the condition of his coming, is to takn his work out of his hand, and to renderboth him and his comingufelefs. But thisfig- rncnEproceeds from the ael.'-r<v 4.W.í& of the Jews ; namely, that the Meßab is not proinifèd to free them from their ownfins, but to make them poffeffors of other mens goods ; not to fave their fouls, but their bodies and elates, not to make men heirs ofHeaven, but Lords of the earth; which folly hash been before difcovered and difproved. Fifthly, The Jews on feveral accounts are currucaidrerror, or felf-condemned , in the ufe of this pleapr pretence. Their great fins, they fay, are the caufe, why the coming of the Mefliab is retarded. But FirJf, what thofe fins are they cannot declare. Wereadily grant them to be wicked enough, but withal we know their great wicked- nefs to coufift, in that which they will not acknowledge; namely, not in being unfit for his coming, but in refuting him when he came. They inftance fometimes in their hat red one of another, their mutualanimofities, and frequent adulteries, and want of obfetving the Sabbath, according'to the rules of their prefent fupedtitious fcrupulo- fity. But what is all this unto the Abominations, whichGod pallid over formerly in their Nation, and alfo fulfilled his promifes unto them, though. really conditionall. ( z.) Take them from the rack Of our Argurlients, and you hear no more of their . confeflons, no more of their fins and wickednefs,' but they are immediately all righte- ous and holy, all belovedofGod, and better then their fore-fathers; yea, (3.) On the daypf expiation, they are all as holy, ifwe maybelieve them, as the Angels in Hea- ven. There is not one fin among(} them, fo that it is ftrauge the MefJìah (houldnot at one time or another come to them on that day. (4.) They have aTradition among' themfelves, that thecoming of the Mejah may be handled, but not retarded. So they (peak in theirglofs onIfa. 6o. zz. I the Lordwill haften it in its time. Tralfat. Saned. ttnya :1Dt ía4 mum 17 7ltrnx rn» 7nva Tro Itri Aiwa rPiateni Rabbi Alexanderfaid, and Rabbi Joihua theSon of Levi, itk written, in Nis time, and it ¡written, Iwill haften it, Iwill haften it if they define it, and if they defirve it not, yet in its own time; and this they apply to the coming oftheMefliab. (5.) They affert many of theta, that it is themfelves who are fpoken of in the fifty third of Ifaiab, and their being caufeleflyAided by theGentiles; now he whom the Prophet there fpcaks of; is one perfedtly innocent and righteous, and fo they mull needs be in their own diem, fuppoling themfèlves there intended. So that this pretence is known to themfelves tobe no more. Sixthly, This plea is direétlÿ contrary to the nature ofthe Covenant, whichGod pro- mifed to make at the comingof the Meffiah,or that whichhe came to ratifie and elta- blifh, and the martin which Godgives, for the making of that Covenant, .7er. 3r, 31, 32, 3 3. The foundation of the New Covenant lyes in this, that the people had difon- nulled and broken theformer made with them. Now Curtly they do not difannul that Covenant, if they are righteous according to the tenor of is, and unlefs they are fo they fay the Mejüab will not come , that is , the New Covenant (hall not be made , unlefs by them it be firff made needlefs. Again, the nature of the Co vacant lycs inthis, that God in it makes men righteous and holy, Ezekieltt, eo. o that righteoufnefs and holinefs , cannot be the Condition of making it, unlefs ì be of malting it ufelefs. This then is the conteft between God and the Jews, he takes it upon himfdfs to give men righteoufnefs by the Covenant of theMeßiab, they take it upon themfelves, to be righteous, that be may make that Covenant with them. Lately; If the coming of the Mefliab, depend on the Righteoufnen and repentance of the yews, it is not only polüble, but very probable that he may never come. Them(Ives conceive that the world (hall not continue above fix thoufand years. Of this (pace, they do not fuppofe, that there is any more then five hundred re- maining; the time pail Glee the expiration of the dayes determined for the coming fl. 22. 4. á4.
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