true, they fhall, being made Kings and Priests unto Col, they fhall reign with Chrift, in the actual Poffeffion and Enjoyment of this glorious Kingdom: But what then? Chrift will be the King of Saints, as well as the King of Nations, that in all things, or above all things, he may have the prebeminence: For as the Lord Jefus Chrift is now King of Kings; by whom it is that Kings reign, and Princes decree Fuftice, Prov. viii. 15, fo he will fhew himfelf in that Day, as it is in the Firft of Tim. vi. 15. Which in hisTimes shall fhew who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings, and Lord of Lord Now after alefe clear Texts of Scripture. + Demc ns that the Spirit of C this i in Tv fed Word. Sure it would be much better, and more al honourable, to be like the noble Bereans, to fearch the Scriptures, whether these things be fo or no. If of God doth nothing in vain, then it is not in vain that all thefe Teftimonies concerning the Latter Day Glory, and Chriff's Kingdom, are left upon refcord; which the Word of God is fo full for Proof, both in the Old and New Testament. The first thing I fhall take notice of, in thefe Words, is to enquire who we are to underftand by the Children of Ifrael? It is certain this cannot be understood of the Gentiles; tho' it is faid, If we be Chrift's, we are Abraham's Seed, and Heirs according to the Promife; for fo every Believer is under a Spiritual Confideration, but not properly the Children of Ifrael: Therefore the Jews muft be meant, who are call'd Ifrael, and fometimes (as here) the Children of Ifrael; they being the natural Pofterity of Jacob, who was fo call'd, from the Time of bis prevailing with the Angel for the Blesfing, Gen. xxxii. 24. Secondly, How wonderfully doth the Spirit of God appear, in the Accomplishment of the First Part of this Prophecy! And that is, the Jews being for many Days without a King, without a Prince, with out a Sacrifice, &c. this Prediction being foretold, fome Hundreds of Years before it began to be fulfilled, Hofea living in the Days of Uzziah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah: Yet the Prophet could not have fpoke more diftinctly of thefe things, than if he had lived in our Time, wherein we fee them exactly fulfilled. How many Days and Hundreds of Tears have the Ifraelites been without a King, Prince, or Sacrifice? Were not the Hearts of the Jews harden'd, and their Eyes blinded, one would think they could not but muft fee that the Scripture hath had its Fulfilment upon them: Becaufe the Scepter was not to depart from Judah, nor the Lawgiver from between his Feet, until Shiloh come : And unto him all the Gathering of the People be. Can any thing be fpoken of with greater Clearnefs than this is, concerning Chrift? As many of the ancient ancient Rabbies themselves have expounded the Word Shiloh to be understood of the Meffiab; that the Scepter, or Kingly Power, fhould not depart from Judah, in whofe Loins it was to run until Chrift came. Well! But now we fee that the Scepter hath departed, and the Lawgiver from between his Feet, ever fince our Bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift his Time; they themselves being Witness: For they have had none fince then, of their own, to give Laws to them, nor to exercife Kingly Authority among them; neither to offer Sacrifices, fince the Deftruction of Jerufalem, and the Burning of their Temple: So that we may evidently fee what was here prophetically fpoken of, concerning the Jews, is fulfilled upon them unto this Day. But, Thirdly, Afterwards the Children of Ifrael hall. return, and feek the Lord their God, and David their King. By their Return doubtlefs is meant their Converfion, in owning the Lord Jefus Chrift to be the true Meah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World. 2dly, Their Return hath a respect to their being gathered out of all Countries where they have been scattered, and again placed in their own Land, Zech, x 9. 2dly, Their feeking of the Lord their God, and David their King, does fhew their earnest Defire to know God and Fefus Chrift, whom He hath fent. 4ly, To know and own no other God, but what they can know, fee, and enjoy, in the Perfon of the Mediator. 5ly, To own the Lord Jefus Chrift to be the Typical David, the true Root and Off-Spring of David. 6ly To own him for their only Lord and King, who will then deliver them out of. the Hands of all their Enemies, and re-establish them again in the Land of Promife, who will give them the the Kingdom promifed fo long ago unto their Fa thers: For thefe Words, David their King (as has already been obferv'd) cannot mean Literal David,: who was dead many Years before this Prophecy was extant. Therefore it is the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is the Antitype of David, who will appear in that Day to be their King, unto whom they fhall feek, and him only they fhall ferve. Fourthly, When is this to be? It is in the Text, Afterwards fhall the Children of Ifrael return, &c. Now the Time contained in that Word Afterwards does refpect the whole Time of their Apoftacy, unto the Time of their Converfion; from the Time of their being cut off by Unbelief, unto the Time of their being grafted in again by Faith, Rom. xi. 24. After•wards! (Do but mind that Expreffion) After they had excluded themfelves from the Benefit of the Gofpel,byChrift, and judged themselves unworthy of everlafting Life, or rather judged the Means unworthy, which God hath appointed to fave Sinners by Acts iii. 46. After they had feverely fuffer'd for their Refufal of Chrift; after the Deftruction of their Jerufalem and Temple, which they put fuch great confidence in; and their Strength departing from them: After their being carry'd away captive into all Nations, fcattered up and down all * Parts of the World, as a deftitute forlorn People; after they have been made a fufficient Example of God's Wrath, in crucifying the Lord of Glory; and after rejecting of him, and Salvation by him: After the Time of their Blindness and Hardness of Heart (that has been fo long, and to this day is upon them) is expir'd, and the Fulnefs of Time, or Difpenfation of the Gentiles under the Gospel, is fulfil led, |