432 JEWS’ OBJECTIONS AGAINST [EXERC. XVIIL
streets and buildings of the town, that God did so regard. But one of them having heen for a season, in the days of David, the special place of his worship, and the other the principal habitation of church and people, God expresseth his love and good-will to his church and worship under those names. And it is a fond thing to suppose that the respect mentioned should be unto those places themselves, which now for a thousand years have lain waste and desolate. Those promises, then, which we find recorded concerning Zion, Jerusalem, the seed of Abraham, Jacob, Israel, do respect the elect of God, called unto the faith of Abraham, and worshipping God according unto his appointment, be they of what people or nation soever under heaven. And this we have proved before, in our dissertation about the oneness of the church of the Old and New Testament.
7. Fifthly, By “all people,’ “all nations,” “the Gentiles,” “ all the Gentiles,’ not all absolutely, especially at any one time or season, are to be understood, but either the most eminent and most famous of them, or those in whom the church, by reason of their vieintty, is more especially concerned. God oftentimes charged the Jews of old that they had worshipped the gods of “all the nations;” whereby yet not all nations absolutely, but only those that were about them, with whom they had commerce and communication, were intended. These expressions, then, “all nations,” and “all kingdoms,” which are said to come into the church, and submit them- selves unto the kingdom of the Messiah, at his coming, do not de- note all absolutely in the world, especially at any one time or season, but only such as are either most eminent among them, or such as God would cause his light and truth to approach unto. And those which, in an especial manner, seem to be designed in these prophetical expressions, are that collection of nations whereof the Roman em- pire was constituted, which obtained the common appellation of “the whole world;’ being for the main of them the posterity of Japheth, who were to be persuaded to dwell in the tents of Shem. The Jews would have all nations absolutely to be intended; and Kimchi, with Aben Ezra, tells us, on Isa. ii. 4, in these words of the prophet, “He° shall judge among the nations,” “ That all nations of the earth shall live at peace; for whatever controversies they have among them- selves, they shall come and refer the determination of them to the Messiah, living at Jerusalem.” But how this should be done by all the nations of the earth absolutely, they are not pleased to declare unto us. Certainly the heat of some of their differences will be much abated before they have made a full end of their journey.
8. Sixthly, It must be observed, That whatever is to be done and effected by the Spirit, grace, or power of the Messiah, during the continuance of his kingdom in this world, it is mentioned in the promises as that which was to be accomplished at or by his coming,
SECT. 7-9.] CHRISTIAN RELIGION ANSWERED. 433
But here, as we before observed, lieth the mistake of the Jews: whatever is spoken about his work and kingdom, they expect to have fulfilled as it were in a day; which neither the nature of the things themselves will bear, nor is it any way suited unto the glory of God or the duration of his kingdom in the world. The kingdom of the Messiah is prophesied of to be set up in the room of the other great kingdoms and monarchies that are in the world. And if we take an instance in the last monarchy of Daniel, namely, the Roman, it is spoken of as that which came forth as it were all at once into the world, and did all its work immediately ; while we know that, from its first rise to the end of the things there spoken of, there passed above the space of a thousand years. But yet all the things _ ascribed unto it are mentioned as attending its rise and coming; and that because they were, in process of time, effected by its power. And, in like manner, all the things that are foretold about the kingdom of the Messiah are referred unto his coming; because before that they were not wrought, and they are produced by his Spirit and grace, the foundation of them all being perfectly and unchangeably laid in what he did and effected upon his first coming and ap- pearance. It is no wonder, then, that many particular promises seem as yet to be unfulfilled; for they were never designed to be accomplished in a day, a year, an age, one place or season, but in a long tract of time, during the continuance of his kingdom,—that is, from his coming unto the end of the world. And as the care of the accomplishment of those promises is upon, so the ordering of the time and season of their being effected belongs unto, the counsel and will of the Father: who, as unto his children and servants, hath en- gaged unto him that he should see of the travail of his soul in all generations; and as unto his adversaries hath said, “Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”