Verfe (Deut. 18. 15.) is to be understood; fo that those who fincerely believe in him, fhall enjoy all the fpiritual Comforts of this Life, and the Life hereafter, Ifa. 62.8, 9. and shall not be molefted by any Stranger, i. c. The Heathens and Idolaters, who before Chrift came, knew not the Almighty, neither his beloved Son Fefus Chrift, but worshipped ftrange Idols; nevertheless, God, in his infinite Goodnefs and Mercy, opened their Eyes and Ears, and they received and embraced the holy Christian Faith, and true Light, to lead them to their future Happinefs; but you that would not hearken, neither would be obedient to the Voices of the Prophets; but still continue in your Hardness of Heart and Contempt, God rejected from being, as you were before, his peculiar People, and his Wrath and Indignation was poured out upon you, that you should be a fcattered People on the Face of the whole Earth; and the Lord chofe the Heathen for his Inheritance; I have been fought of them that asked not, I was found of them that fought me not, I faid, Behold me, Be"bold me, unto a Nation that called not upon my Name; fo that for your most heinous Crimes contained in this Chapter (Isa. 65.) you were cut off from Ifa. 65. I. God's God's Love, and inftead of you, a People that knew not God were called, and they having more Piety than you, did embrace the Chriftian Faith. At the time my bleffed Lord and Saviour was on Earth, there were great Factions and Commotions amongst you; but fuch as accepted of Chrift's Doctrine were appeased and united unto his holy Church, at that Time was fulfilled and accomplished that Text of Ifa. 65. 25. The Wolf and the Lamb fhall feed together, &c. by which is plainly demonftrated,that many of the Pharifees, Sadducees, and Koraites, &c. were alfo united to his holy Church, and were circumcifed unto the Lord; for it is not outward Circumcifion that makes our Peace with God; for as Circumcifion was a Covenant for ever; fo likewife was the Land of Promife a Covenant for ever; yet, nevertheless you fee you are difpof feft thereof, and the Reasons are, viz. ft. For crucifying the Lord of Life; 2dly. The Lord made his fecond Cove-Ifa. 59. 20,21. nant, which was not to abolish the Subtance of the Old Law, but to fulfil it, wherein the bare external Ceremony can gain no Approbation with God, when we shall truly believe in him, he will grant us his Peace, for the Lord shew-Jer. 16, 19, eth his Mercy to all Nations, the Lord 20, 21, fhew Ifa. 4. 2› fhewed his Mercy toward the Gentiles, that did believe in him, and in his Anointed, where God promiseth the Restitution of the Church by Jefus Christ, the Lord our Righteoufnefs; the righteous Branch which fhall grow up unto David, in whom God hath fulfilled his Promifes, that he fhall execute Judgment and Righteousness in the Land. In that Day fhall the Bud of the • Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the Fruit of the Earth fhall be excellent. Which Verse your Traditions will have to refer to the Meffia, efpecially un In the Targum, which fayeth, That in that Time the Meffia of God shall be for a Rejoycing and Glory to those that keep the Law, to the Praise and Redemption of Ifrael: That is, To thofe Ifraelites that fhould embrace Chrift's Doctrine, and escape the Punishment wicked Men must endure and undergo. God has effectually fulfilled his Promise, by fending us his beloved Son, our Meffia, as well as his Promise of old by Mofes, to release you out of Bondage, and to deliver strong and mighty Kings into the Hands of the Children of Ifrael, and grant you the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance. But notwithstanding God's great Mercy and Goodness in ful filling filling his royal Word, yet fo hardned were your Hearts, that you rejected and defpifed the Lord who would have given you Life; but this is no Wonder, for your Ancestors were of the fame obftinate Temper, that God was forc'd to pour his Wrath and Indignation on them, there fore the Lord chofe a People to be his D or Peculiar, that heretofore knew him not; for faith the Lord, I faid, Ifa. 65. 1. Behold me, behold me, unto a Nation that knew me not; for when Christ came, there were several Heathen Nations that readily embraced his Gofpel. 67. 3. 72. II. 86. 9. Farther, The royal Pfalmift faith, PlaL 2. 8. will give thee the Heathen for thine Inberitance: Thy faving Health Shall be known to all Nations: All Kings Shall bow down before him: All Nations fhall ferve him. He farther fhews the great Glory of Chrift, That all Nations shall ɗa. 49. 22,23, be gathered unto him, to hear and to act according to his bleffed Doctrine. Kings fhall humble themselves, whereas before they were Idolaters and Heathens. I proceed. Why do the Heathen rage, why do the pral 2. 1, the People imagine a vain Thing? The Kings of the Earth ftand up, and the Rulers take Counfel together against the Lord, and bis Anointed When When my bleffed Saviour was on Earth he wrought many Miracles, to the great Astonishment of Multitudes of Spectators: Nevertheless there were many of the Heathens or Gentiles, that would not presently believe in him. The People imagined him but a vain Thing, not worthy of their Notice: They reputed him to be a Man that did not know what he did, and the Jews feeing his Miracles, pretended they were done by Magick, or by putting on holy Names into his Flesh; if fo, certainly there must have been fome among you that could have acted after the fame Manner; but we never heard of one, no not one who could raife the Dead, give Sight to the Blind, cure the Lame, &c. fave only Jefus Chrift, who from God alone receiv'd this Power. At the fame Time was accomplished that Prophecy, That Kings and Governors took Counsel against the Lord, and his Anointed which was Herod, who fought the Life of the Anointed, as did alfo your Rulers and Priefts, who fought how they might put him to Death but it pleased the Divine Majesty that he fhould not be delivered unto them, until all the Scriptures and Prophecies were fulfilled and accomplished concerning him, and he was made an Oblation and |