Lastly, what slaughters, both of men and women, must this necessarily bring into the world, by the insurrections and civil wars about religion and conscience! Yea, what slaughters of the innocent and faithful witnesses of Christ Jesus, who choose to be slain all the day long for Christ’s sake, and to fight for their Lord and Master Christ, only with spiritual and Christian weapons!
CHAP. CXIV.
Peace. It seems, dear Truth, a mighty gulf between that people and nation, and the nations of the world then extant and ever since.
Truth. As sure as the blessed substance to all those shadows, Christ Jesus, is come, so unmatchable and never to be parallelled by any national state was that Israel in the figure, or shadow.
And yet the Israel of God now, the regenerate or new born, the circumcised in heart by repentance and mortification, who willingly submit unto the Lord Jesus as their only King and Head, may fitly parallel and answer that Israel in the type, without such danger of hypocrisy, of such horrible profanations, and of firing the civil state in such bloody combustions, as all ages have brought forth upon this compelling a whole nation or kingdom to be the antitype of Israel.
The difference of the kings and governors of Israel from all kings and governors of the world. First, they were all members of the church.
Peace. Were this light entertained, some hopes would shine forth for my return and restoration.
Truth. I have yet to add a third consideration, concerning the kings and governors of that land and people.
They were to be, unless in their captivities, of their brethren, members of the true church of God: as appears in the history of Moses, the elders of Israel, and the judges and kings of Israel afterward.