felfe been meant by the heavenly Countrey, which the Apostle here fpeaks of, they might as well have obtain'd the joyes of Heaven in their owne Countrey (where their predeceffors had obtain'd them) if they had returned thither, as they could in that, where they lived as Pilgrims. But feeing Chrift was promised to be their feed, and the Land of Canaan to them and their feed for a peculiar poffeffion, they could not leave that Land, and returne to their Countrey, with any confidence to be made partakers of the bleffings which God had promifed to bestow on them and their feed in Ganian onely, and for the expectation of the accomplishment of which promife, he had cald them out of their owne Countrey, to live as ftrangers in that. I fay, they could not returne to their countrey, falva fide, with a firme and ftedfaft faith in the promises, made, and to be fulfilled unto them in the land, whither God had cal'd them; although otherwise they had opportunity to have done it: although they had no outward and worldly hinderance, and inconvenience to keepe them. from returning. So that the Apostle doth here fet forth unto us the faith of all the Patriarchs, as he did before, the faith of Abraham onely, verfe 8. 9. 10. to wit, in this,because through the hope they had, that they should after receive that place for an inheritance, they chofe rather to live as ftrangers in it at that time, when they were liable to the injuries and hostility of the Canaanites, then to returne to their owne Countrey, where with their kindred and acquaintance, they might have lived in more outward fecurity, and contentment. And it is obferveable, that the Apostle calls not this their defire, [an earthly hope,] as you terme the Saints hope to raigne on earth, but an Heavenly hope,a defire of an Heavenly countrey. And well might he call that land an Heavenly countrey, which as Ezekiel forethews chap. 36. verfe. 35. fhall become like the garden of Eden, and in which the glorified Saints and Chrift himself (on whom the Angels fhall vifibly afcend and defcend) fhalbe inhabitants. And well might he call Jerufalem alfo, in relation to the time *This I con- in which it is to be restored under Christ, a * City whose builder the meaning of these words, although in my note. page 47. Ihave referred it to the new Ferufalem; the City not made with hands. For I fee not why Abraham fojourning in the Land of Promife, thould be a more forcible Argument, of his looking for Heaven, then if he had remained in his owne Country. ceive to be and and maker is God, verfe. 10. because as it shalbe rebuilt by Chrift, foit fhalbe built according to the figure and platforme, which God himfelf hath defcribed by Ezekiel. And this may fuffice here to fhew how perverfly you call this hope of the Saints [an eartly bope] and how trivolously you feeke to destroy this hope, by fuch texts as mention their beleif of the forgiveneffe of their fins, and of our Saviours fuffering for fin: and their defire to depart out of this world: and their dying in the faith; as if this were all the happineffe of the Saints that is revealed unto us in the Scriptures; whereas this is to precede their resurrection,and their refurrection to precede their raigne, and their raigne to precede their highest glory, in the new Jerufalem. And befides this,you give the Reader notice, how apt you are to wreft the Scriptures, by the plaine converfion, which you have made of the text, Acts. 15. verfe 11. for you apply it to the Jewes under the Law, faying, they beleeved that through the grace of our lord Jefus Chrift, they should be faved,even as we, when as St. Peter faith, Wee beleeve, that through the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, we fbalbe saved, even as they, and fo fhews the Jewes under the Gofpell,that they should as well be faved by faith in Chrift, without the ceremonies of the Law; as their Fathers had been by this faith under the ceremonies of the Law: and the text, Pfal. 34 verse 22. which you apply to the redemption of the faithfull from etternall torments by the death of the Meffias; is meant of Gods delivering of them, out of temporal calamities and afflictions, as the foregoing verfes doe plainely fhew. And laftly your argument touching old Simeon, [that he craved no longer life, to raigne with Christ on earth] doth make as much against his beliefe of Chrifts fpirituall, as his personall raigne, and against his beliefe of Chrifts fuffering, as against either of these: and furely though he prayed to depart,because it was revealed unto him, that he should not fee death before he had feen the Lord Chrift; yet the teftimony he gave of Chrift, that be should be the glory of his people Ifrael, (which doth as well intimate the generall converfion of the Jewes, and Chrifts raigning amongst them, as his being a light to lighten the Gentiles,doth imply the converfion of the Gentiles) this testimony, I fay, doth fhew, that Simeon did hope to live againe, to raigne with Chrift; although he did then defire to depart, having feen him. And to this hope of the Saints, as well as to the hope of the felfe been meant by the beavenly Countrey, which the Apostle here fpeaks of, they might as well have obtain'd the joyes of Heaven in their owne Countrey (where their predeceffors had obtain'd them) if they had returned thither, as they could in that, where they lived as Pilgrims. But feeing Chrift was promised to be their feed, and the Land of Canaan to them and their feed for a peculiar poffeffion, they could not leave that Land, and returne to their Countrey, with any confidence to be made partakers of the bleffings which God had promifed to bestow on them and their feed in Canian onely, and for the expectation of the accomplishment of which promife, he had cald them out of their owne Countrey, to live as ftrangers in that. I fay, they could not returne to their countrey, falva fide, with a firme and ftedfaft faith in the promises, made, and to be fulfilled unto them in the land, whither God had cal'd them; although otherwise they had opportunity to have done it: although they had no outward and worldly hinderance, and inconvenience to keepe them from returning. So that the Apostle doth here fet forth unto us the faith of all the Patriarchs, as he did before, the faith of Abraham onely, verfe 8. 9. 10. to wit, in this,because through the hope they had, that they fhould after receive that place for an inheritance, they chose rather to live as ftrangers in it at that time, when they were liable to the injuries and hoftility of the Canaanites, then to returne to their owne Countrey, where with their kindred and acquaintance, they might have lived in more outward fecurity, and contentment. And it is obferveable, that the Apoftle calls not this their defire, [an earthly hope,] as you terine the Saints hope to raigne on earth, but an Heavenly hope,a defire of an Heavenly countrey. And well might he call that land an Heavenly countrey, which as Ezekiel forethews chap: 36. verfe. 35. fhall become like the garden of Eden, and in which the glorified Saints and Chrift himself (on whom the Angels fhall vifibly afcend and defcend) fhalbe inhabitants. And well might he call Jerufalem alfo, in relation to the time *This I con- in which it is to be reftored under Chrift, a *City whofe builder ceive to be the meaning of these words, although in my note. page 47. I have referred it to the new Ferufalem; the City not made with hands. For I fee not why Abraham fojourning in the Land of Promife, should be a more forcible Argument, of his looking for Heaven, then if he had remained in his owne Countrey. and : and maker is God, verfe. 10. because as it fhalbe rebuilt by Chrift, foit fhalbe built according to the figure and platforme, which God himfelf hath described by Ezekiel. And this may fuffice here to fhew how perverfly you call this hope of the Saints [an eartly hope] and how trivolously you feeke to deftroy this hope, by fuch texts as mention their beleif of the forgiveneffe of their fins, and of our Saviours fuffering for fin and their defire to depart out of this world: and their dying in the faith; as if this were all the happineffe of the Saints that is revealed unto us in the Scriptures; whereas this is to precede their refurrection,and their resurrection to precede their raigne, and their raigne to precede their highest glory, in the new Jerufalem. And befides this,you give the Reader notice, how apt you are to wreft the Scriptures, by the plaine converfion, which you have made of the text, Acts. 15. verfe 11. for you apply it to the Jewes under the Law, faying, they beleeved that through the grace of our lord Jefus Chrift, they should be faved,even as we, when as St. Peter faith, Wee beleeve, that through the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, we fhalbe faved, even as they, and fo fhews the Jewes under the Gofpell,that they should as well be faved by faith in Christ, without the ceremonies of the Law; as their Fathers had been by this faith under the ceremonies of the Law: and the text, Pfal. 34 verse 22. which you apply to the redemption of the faithfull from etternall torments by the death of the Meffias; is meant of Gods delivering of them, out of temporal calamities and afflictions, as the foregoing verfes doe plainely fhew. And lastly your argument touching old Simeon, [that he craved no longer life, to raigne with Christ on earth] doth make as much againft his beliefe of Chrifts fpirituall, as his perfonall raigne, and against his beliefe of Chrifts fuffering, as against either of these : and furely though he prayed to depart,because it was revealed unto him, that he should not fee death before he had feen the Lord Chrift; yet the teftimony he gave of Chrift, that be should be the glory of his people Ifrael, (which doth as well intimate the generall converfion of the Jewes, and Chrifts raigning amongst them, as his being a light to lighten the Gentiles,doth imply the converfion of the Gentiles) this testimony, I fay, doth fhew, that Simeon did hope to live againe, to raigné with Chrift; although he did then desire to depart, having feen him. And to this hope of the Saints, as well as to the hope of the C glory glory, which thall follow their reigne, St.Paul alludes, when he faith, that others of the faithfull Jewes, were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better refurrection. Préface. Fourthly, And nevertheleffe many leves fought righteoufneffe by the workes of the Law, and not by faith, Ram. 9.32. and they look'd upon the prowifes with a bedily eye onely, as if the Meffias were to erect an earthly Monarchy at Ierufalem. And looking thorow these spectacles they could not think that Jefus Chrift is the Meffias, and fo they frumbled at bis worldly bafeneffe, and being miscaried in their braines, they could not fee his fpiritual power and benefits. After their miferable example others acknowledging Jefus Chrift to be the promised Meffias, and not confeder ing the difference of the promifes, have not attained fally unto the tratb of them, and fo have erred in miftaking his natures and benefies. Tibus Ebion thought bim to be a man, and not God, as if all the promises could have been performed by a man endowed with fingular grace. Cerinthus likewife held that Chrift is mely a man, and because be faw him not fitting on the throne of David, be held that Chrift is not rifen from the dead as yet, but fball rife and reigne in Jerufalem a thousand yeares, and all bis Subjects (bal be fatisfied with all manner of pleasures, in meate, drinke, marriage, feftival dayes and offer oblations and facrifices. Euseb. lib. 3. chap. 25. Anfwer. That the Jewes were in an error, which fought righteoufneffe by the workes of the Law, we willingly acknowledge, but that they did erre, in taking the promises touching Chrifts Kingdom and their owne deliverance in a proper fenfe, wee cannot think. For wee know that the multitude would have made Chrift a King, Joh. 6. verfe 15. and that Nathaniel, that righteous Ifraelite, faid unto our Saviour, Rabbi, thou art the sonne of God, thou art the of King Ifrael. Job. verfe 49 and it were too in jurious to our Saviours innocency (who came into the world to beare witneffe unto the truth. Fab.8. verfe 37.) to imagine that he would not upon thefe occafions have fhewed them, that they were mistaken in his Kingdom, if he was never to be fuch a King, as the Jewes thought he fhould be ; and would then have made him,had he not avoided it by hiding himfelfe from them. And indeed by the parable Luke. 19. touching the |