428 JEWS’ OBJECTIONS AGAINST [EXERC. XVIIL
poral things, at his coming or by it, are but accessory and occa- sional, and such as appertain not directly to his principal work and main design of his coming. Certain it is, that the whole work for which God of old promised the Messiah might have been effected and fully accomplished, though not one word had been spoken of any outward advantage to ensue thereon in this world. These promises, then, belong not directly and immediately to the covenant of the Redeemer, but are declarations only of the sovereign will and wis- dom of God, as to what he would do, in the dispensation of his pro- vidence, at such and such a season. Hence two things will ensue :—
(1.) That all these promises may be conditional. Those which concerned the sending of the Messiah for the accomplishment of his principal work were absolute, and depended not upon any thing in any or all of the sons of men. The whole of it was a mere effect of sovereign grace. He was, therefore, infallibly to come at his ap- pointed season. But those that concern the dispensation of God’s providence in temporal things may all of them be conditional. And evident it is that they have one condition annexed to the ful- filling of every one of them; and that is, that those who would par- take of them do submit themselves unto the law and rule of the Messiah: for in the midst of the greatest collection of promises in the whole Old Testament, which at first view seem to express the glory of the kingdom of the Messiah in outward things, it is added, “The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish, yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted,” Isa. lx. 12. So that all the happiness intimated depends on the condition of men’s submitting themselves to the law of the Messiah, without which they are threatened with desolation and utter wasting. This condition be- longs unto them all; and what other particular considerations there may be, on which their accomplishment may be suspended, we know not. ;
(2.) It follows also from hence, that as to the times, seasons, and places of their accomplishment, they are left unto the desig- nation of God’s sovereign will, wisdom, and pleasure, as are those of all other works of his providence whatever. It is not neces- sary that they should all of them be accomplished at the same time, or in the same place, or after the same manner. God may, and God doth, fulfil them when, where, how, and towards whom he pleaseth ; so that in the issue they shall all have that accomplishment which he hath designed unto them, and which the church hath ground to expect. And thus hath God provided that they should be a ground of comfort and direction to the church in all ages, contaming encou- ragements unto obedience, and consolations in what his saints may expect to fall upon their persecuting adversaries. The Jews, indeed, who know not even how to fancy the kingdom. of their Messiah to
SECT. 5.] CHRISTIAN RELIGION ANSWERED. 429
be any other but what the Roman commonwealth of men only was like to prove, “res unius etatis,” the business of one age, would have all these temporal promises to be fulfilled all at once, “ momento turbinis,’ all on a sudden. But the real kingdom of Christ being to continue through many generations, even from his first coming unto the end of the world, and that in such a variety of states and condi- tions as God saw conducing unto his own glory, and the exercise of the faith and obedience of his people, the accomplishment of these promises in several ages, and at several seasons, according to the counsel of the will of God, is exceedingly suited unto the nature, glory, and exaltation of it. And this one observation may be easily improved to the frustrating all the objections of the Jews, from the pretended non-accomplishment of these promises.
5. Thirdly, Whereas spiritual things have the principal place and consideration in the work and kingdom of the Messiah, they are oftentimes promised in words whose first signification denotes things temporal and corporeal. And this came to pass and was so ordered on several accounts; for, (1.) The very way and manner of the prophets’ expression of their visions and revelations,—wherein, after the way of the people of the east, they made use of many metaphors and allegories,—led them so to set forth spiritual things. That this was the custom of the prophets, as they expressly own it, and as is manifest in their writings, so it is confessed by the Jews, who, in their expositions of them, do ever and anon grant that this and that is to be interpreted Sy» qa, that is allegorically. Now, when it is granted that the subject-matter treated on is principally spiri- tual, all these metaphors are plain and easily accommodated unto the principal scope and end intended.
(2.) Again; as this was the manner of the prophets, so it is a way exceedingly instructive, and suited to convey an apprehension and sense of the things treated on unto the minds and understandings of men. All men know the worth and usefulness of the precious things of the creation,—gold, silver, precious stones; of the desirable things of natural life,—health, strength, long life; of the good things of men in civil conversation,—wealth, riches, liberty, rule, dominion, and the like. Men know somewhat of the worth of these things, and commonly esteem them above it. Now, what is more likely to affect their minds with, and raise their affections unto, spiritual things, than to have them proposed unto them under the names of those things whose excellency they are so well acquainted withal, and whose enjoyment they so much desire? For nothing can be more evident unto them, than that God, in these condescensions unto their capacities, doth declare that the things which he promiseth are indeed the most excellent and desirable that they can be made par- takers of.