Fifthly, We shall be gainers by their receiving againe; it should be motive sufficient to us, that God shall be gainer by it, and that not only by the accession of a whole Nation to him, and also of that Nation, which is as the lost Sheep, the finding of which is a matter of great joy, Luke 15. But also because as it is said in Psal. 102.16. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appeare in his glory. Now glory is a manifestation of excellency, and at that time Gods excellency shall shine forth, which is now much hid, and vailed; the excellency of his mercy, of his truth and faithfulnesse, to remember an ancient Covenant made about foure thousand yeares since, and his old friend Abraham, and the Patriarks; all which have seemed to be asleep for many Generations together. So also in Isa. chap. 12. compared with chap. 11. But not only God (which might have been a distinct reason) but we also shall receive great advantages thereby; for then there shall be not only an enlargement of good to us Gentiles, as a concomitant and synchronism with the Jewes conversion (the mistake about which, hath, and doth cause black thoughts in some) as in Apoc. 7.9. after the sealing of the hundred, and forty, and foure thousand (which relates to the time of the forty two moneths) a great multitude, and innumerable, of all Nations, Kindred, Tongues, and people stood before the Lambe, and were cloathed with white Robes; now these numbers of all Gentile-Nations are to be converted at that time when the Jewes are to be brought home; for it is to be at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet. But beside, the Jewes conversion shall in some sort be the cause of it, else what meanes the Apostle in Rom. 11.12. How much more shall their fulnesse be the riches of the Gentiles? and in vers. 15. What shall the receiving of the Jewes be (to the Gentiles) but life from the dead? The Apostle heightens the expression of the benefit by their receiving, to an higher degree than what we got by their fall. It is observable, that the Gospel did in some sense, first goe out of Sion, for the Spirit who enabled the Disciples to preach and propagate it was there given; and Micah speaking of the times yet looked for, saith in Mic. 4.2. The Law shall goe forth out of Sion, and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem; that is, the fulnesse of the Spirit, and knowledge of Christ shall streame through the Jewes to the Gentiles. So that as it was in the first giving of the holy Spirit, he was first given to the Jewes, then to the Gentiles; yea by the Jewes to the Gentiles; so shall it be in the last dayes, fulfilling what Paul saith in Rom. 2. to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile, When God shall be reconciled to Israel, their condition wil be greatly changed; for they who are now actually the most accursed people, then as in Mic. 5.7. The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as dew from the Lord; as the showres upon the grasse, that tarry not for man, nor waite for the sons of men. Dew, and Showers in those hot Countries are Heavens bounty, a cornucopia of all good things; such shall the Jewes be to the places where they shall be, when they shall owne the Lord Jesus.
Sixthly, They were Gods first Wife (as I may say); for a considerable time they were a faithfull people; and many of them have been Martyrs for God. And these things God will thinke on, though we may sleight them.
They were Gods first Wife. Did God ever assay to take any Nation before them, to be his owne people? Yea, did he take any beside them, for two thousand yeares together? In Isa. 54.6. I have called thee as a woman forsaken, and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith the Lord; and what follows, vers. 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. And in verse 8. With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy upon thee. We see God forgets not, though men may, and doe.
They were a faithfull people. As great was their unfaithfulnesse; so there were times when great was their faithfulnesse. In Jer. 2.2. I remember thee, the kindnesse of thy youth, the love of thy espousals, when thou wentest after me in the Wildernesse, in a Land that was not sowne. It was something to follow God in such a Country forty years; and for so long a time to expose themselves, wives, and children daily to almost al sorts of deaths; and you see, God remembers it in after times; and if he did in Jeremiahs time, when those who in person had been so faithfull, had been long dead; and that race of the Jewes then were very provoking, and corrupt; why not also now, in this present succeeding generation of them:
They were Martyrs for God. To prove this, read the History of the Maccabees, and if we like not so farre to owne what is Apocryphall, turne to Heb. 11. which is a booke of the Jewish Martyrs, a Catalogue of them that suffered under Antiochus, and those Syrian Tyrants. And they were not few that suffered, but many; nor light punishments, but unspeakeable torments. Now God takes it so kindly that we give up our lives to torments, and to death for his Name, that commonly he owes that person a good turne in his posterity. And if upon these accounts God hath an eye upon them, we also should be like minded, and love them too.
Seventhly, It is a duty which we owe to Gods expresse command, for so I take that in the literall sence, in Isa. 62.6, 7. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. This duty the Prophet himselfe performed in vers. 1. For Sions sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest, till the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse, &c. And also the Church in her affliction, Psal. 137.5, 6. And now that Sion is in the dust, if we that beleeve among the Gentiles, did pitty her, and compassionate her in her ruines, it were an argument that God is about to arise, and have mercy upon her; as may be urged from Psalme 102.13, 14.
Lastly, They minded our conversion to God. This appeares in the writings of almost all their Prophets, especially in the Psalmes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hoseah, Malachi. Now then for us to love the notion, and in what we may, help forward their returne, what is it but an honest and just retaliation?
Having dispatched the Reasons, two things yet remaine about their Conversion, which I must speake somewhat to, and those are the Time, and the Manner; as for the time when, the determining of that is hard, though not impossible. I beleeve that it is punctually set downe in Scripture, and God wil be as criticall in looking after times as things; but all the difficulty of knowing it is from the darknesse, and defects of our understanding, and not from a supposed uncertainty in the thing. So that I am equally adverse as to the common practise of the Jewes, who because they are unwilling to owne Gods accomplishments, doe therefore dis-allow his computations, and expressly hold that man accursed who busieth himselfe in that study. So to the too common opinion of those who say, That oft in such computations God puts a certaine number for an uncertaine. No, there is an infallibility in the set times of Scripture; only the Well is deep, and the cord to our Bucket is but short! yet this difficulty should not cause despondency, but quicken our industry. All that I shall now say to it is this, I judge the time not farre off; this present age will see those things fulfilled which we have waited and prayed for. R. Maimonides saith of Jesus Christ, That since Moses his time none so like to the Messiah as the Christ of the Christians; so I say, since Christ, no period of time so like to be that, in which the Jewes shall be called, as this in which we live. And perhaps it is nearer than we are aware of, being the more comfortably perswaded of it, by that excellent Treatise called, The Revelation revealed, newly published by a Gentleman of an indefatigable Spirit for God and publick good, Mr. S. Hartlib, in which Apocalypticall computations are explained the most harmoniously, and clearly, that I have read in any discourse of that nature. He saith positively, that at the ending of the last yeare of 1655. the seventh Trumpet shall sound; whose effect will be as much good to Gods elected ones, whether Jewes, or Gentiles, as our hearts can wish for. I shall adde this, The age in which we live, hath been eyed by many Generations past, for the time wherein the Iewes shall be received to mercy; many of their owne Writers, and also of Christian Authors have pitched upon it; And I beleeve that God will be as gracious to them in this their last, and greatest restauration, as he was to them in that of their returne out of Babylon; now concerning that there were three computations and epochaes of the beginning (and consequently of the ending) of the seventy yeares of captivity; and observe, that those seventy yeares ended, and the Iewes returned, not at the latest computation, but with the first, for there were but seventy yeares from Jechoniahs carrying to Babylon, (which was the first Captivity) to the release by the Proclamation of Cyrus. And as God ended that Captivity with the soonest, so I hope that he will doe this; especially considering, that speaking of these mercies to them, in Isa. 60. in verse last, he saith, I the Lord will hasten it in its time; which he should not doe, if he should stay the longest calculation, and utmost period of time. O let us be Gods Remembrancers to put him in minde of this his promise.
For the manner how, and meanes whereby their conversion shall be compassed; this also is a depth equall to the former. And as it is in things Propheticall, the event will best determine it; yet I shall say something to it, according to what I have attained. That of the ordinary way of Christianizing a person, or people, seemes to me not of use here; which hath been by Discourses, written or printed Books, Preachers, or the will and command of a Conquerour; for all these have had their efficacy in (at least a seeming and out-side) conversion of many Nations. But after the application of these to the Jewes, for many ages together, yet we must say as Gehazi did to Elisha, when he had laid his staffe on the Shunamite her Son, thereby to bring him to life; The childe is not awaked. I then conclude, that their conversion shall be in an extraordinary way, it shall be the worke of our Lord Jesus, and of his good Spirit. As Paul was turned by the appearing of Christ to him; so shall they. He will manifest himselfe to them eminently, powerfully, and graciously, to forme them to be a people to himselfe. Whether this his presence to them shall be personall, or only in the Spirit, I will not now say, but leave the Reader to make a judgement, as he sees most cause, out of the Scriptures which I bring. Consider that of Mat. 23.38, 39. Behold your house is left unto you desolate, for I say unto you, ye shall not see me hence-forth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Here you have their doome fore-told, their house shall be desolate, the Temple and Jerusalem shall be destroyed; also their conversion, in those words, their saying, Blessed is he that comes, &c. the medium to compasse it, cf. their seeing Iesus Christ; ye shall not see me, &c. In the order of causes, Christs discovering himselfe to them shall be first, and shall produce their relenting towards him. And for a further proofe, let those two places be joyned together, as bearing the same sence; that of Mat. 24.30, 31. and of Apoc. 1.7. both which are taken out of Zechar. 12.10. And all three not to be understood of Christs appearing to Judgement; for here, saving repentance is the effect of his appearance; but repentance will be then too late when the Judge is come; that shall be a night to all sinners, in which no worke can be done. Againe, there are but three grand periods mentioned in Mat. 24. namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, Christs comming (when, and whereby the Jewes shall be converted, who though they have resisted him, when he came in the flesh, yet they shall not, they cannot, when he comes in the Spirit) and the end of the World. Now the signes of the first of these are in vers. 14, 15.21, 22. Of the second in vers. 29, 30, 31, &c. And of the last, in vers. 36, &c. So that this of ver. 30, 31. must concerne some other thing than the end of the World. And that the three fore-named Scriptures are properly to be understood of the Jews, the texts doe show; for that of Zechariah, (from whence the other two places are taken) expresly saith, I will poure upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, &c. and other passages to the same purpose in vers. 11, 12, 13. of Zechar. 12. And in the two places of Mat. 24. and Apoc. 1. it is expresly applyed to the Jewes; for in Mat. it is, All the Tribes of the earth shall mourn, and see him; that is, All the twelve Tribes scattered upon the face of the whole earth, and these shall be gathered by the Angels from the foure winds. And that of Apoc. 1.7. is clearly to be applyed also to them, for it is said, They that pierced him, shall see him; that is, the Jewes; and All the Tribes (for so the word φυλαὶ ought to be rendred) of the earth shall waile; that is, the twelve Tribes scattered throughout all places. Now the meane whereby these Jewes shall be converted, is, And they shall see him; that is, Jesus Christ, for those words are in all the three Scriptures. It shall be such a sight, as the Israelites had of the Brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse, it was healing to them. Such a sight as Paul had of Christ in Heaven, upon which he saith, that he had seene the Lord. For particularities about this sight. I shall leave them, knowing that secret things doe belong to God.
And because after that I had published in English, about last Autumne, the Booke of Menasseh Ben Israel, called, The Hope of Israel, I received a Letter from an Honourable Person, concerning that Booke, to which I wrote an Answer, and both containe some further discourse about the Jewes, and their Conversion; therefore I thought good to give you them, and they are these which follow.