Or, THE PROPHECIES IN THE OLD AND NE VV Vindicated from the misinterpre- By ALEXANDER PETRIE Minister of the Scots Kirk at Roterdame. The epiftle thevves the ground and pedigree of the miltake. To fhew the originale of an errour is a convincing of it. 141. m. 209. AT ROTERDAME, Printed by Isaak VVaesbergen, at the figne of To the vvorthie and his beloved the Scotes and Englilhes of the Scots congregation at Roterdame; Alexander Petrie wheth conftancie in the faith which wes once delivered. Ome prophecies fpeak plainly of CHRIST, and can not be understood of another; Efa.9, 6, Vnto us a child is borne, unto us a fone is given, — his name shalbe called Wonderfull, &c. Some ar typical or delivered with coveres of thinges fignifying Chrift, his offices and benefites. And of these fome ar fpoken of the type or thing fignifying,and can be understood only of the thing fignified, and fome ar true both of the type and of Chrift ether in the fame or in a different maner,that is,fome ar true of both in a proper fenfe;fome ar true of both in a tropical or figurative fenfe; and fome ar true of the one properly, and of the other figuratively. All thefe fortes ar manifeft in fundrie prophecies: here I touch one for all. 2Sam.7. 12. When thy dayes be fulfilled, and thou shall fleep with thy fathers,. (fayth the Lord unto David) I will fet up thy feed after thee, which fhall proceed out of thy bowelles,& I will establish his kingdome. This wes true in the perfone of Solomon and of Chrift too properly.. V.13, Hefhall build an houfe for my name. This wes true of Solomon in the proper acceptation of the word houfe,& figuratively of Chrift, who fayd Mat. 16, 18, Upon this rock will I build my Church. It followes; I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever. This wes not true of Solomon in refpect of his perfone (for he died) nether of his pofteritie, from whom Iacob had foretold that the scepter fhould departe at the coming of Shiloh Gen, 49. 10, bat of Chrifti: is true: for his throne is eftablished for ever and ever Heb.1.8. v. 14. I will be his father, and he fhalbe my fone. This is true of Solomon in refpect of adoption, and of Christ in refpect of eternal generation. Fiftly it is fayd there; If he commite iniquitie, I will chaften him with the rode of man-but my mercie shall not departe from him, as I took it from Saul.This is true of Solomon, and not of Chrift (who wes free of fin junleffe we understand his members, or their fines imputed unto him. V.16, Thy konfe and thy kingdome fhalbe established for ever before thee: thy throne shalbe eftablished for ever.This can not be understood of David or Solomons houfe or kingdome (as experience proves now for the space of 1600 yeers and more) but of Chrifts houfe and kingdome, which fhall never faile. By this one paffage it is manifeft,1,how miferable ignorance it is,to expone all the prophecies after one and the fame maner or in a proper fenfe only; 2. that the Euangeliftes and Apoftles exponing thefe prophecies in a fpiritual and figurative fenfe, doe not wrefte them, even albeit these have been fulfilled fome way before; but according to the intendment of the Spirit they bring them unto CHRIST, who is the end of the lawe and scope of the Prophetes. So the promises of deliverance from Babel hade their own accomplishment in the dayes of Ezra and Nehemia: but that wes not all the meaning of these prophecies, which wer in another maner and more fully performed by Chrift: for this cause it is fayd Col.1,12,Giving thankes unto the Father, who hes made us meet to be partarkers of the inberitance of the Saintes in licht, who hes delivered us from the power of darknes, and hes tranflated us into the kingdome of his deare Sone, in whom we have redemption through his blood: and Rev.5.9. thou haft redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of everie kinred and people and natione. There is our Redeemer more glorious than Ezra or any other: there is our inheritance and kingdome better than Ierufalem; and there is a redemption from all nationes. Now when thefe prophecies ar fulfilled once in refpect of the type, and againe in a more tranfcendente maner by Chrift; If we denie what God hes done, we ar falfe and ungrate: and if we expect them to be fulfilled yet again in the type,it wer a worse returning than that of the Galatianes c.4.9:(that wes unto the types of his prieftly, and this unto the types of his kingly office:) and Christ is become of none effect unto fuch. The elect Iewes did not rest upon the Mofaical types, but all the Prophetes gave witnesse unto Chrift, that through his name whosoever believes in him fhall receive remiffion remission of fines Act. 10.43, they believed that through the grace of the Lord Iefus Christ they should be faved even as wee, Aft. 15. 11: m this faith they all died, Heb.11.13, I fay, This faith, becaufe as faith is one in refpect of the object, Eph.4.5, fo the Apostle declares our faith by the exemple of the antientes. Neither did they reft on the promifes as only earthly, but they defired a better countrie,that is heavenly,Heb. 11.16:and when they wer tortured, they wold not accept deliverance from their tormentes,that they might obrain. abetter refurrection N.35. Wes that an earthly hope? no: they believed the redemption of their foules by the Meffias Pfal. 34, 225 that he was to be wounded for their tranfgreffiones, and bruised for their iniquities, and the chastisement of their peace wes to be upon Him, and that they wer to be healed by His ftripes, Efa. 53. 5. And Symeon waiting for the confolation of Ifrael, when he fawe Him, bleffed God,and fayd, Lord now let thy fervant departe in peace for my eyesbave feene thy falvation, Luk, 2. 29. He craves not longer lyfto reigne with Chrift on earth, but wes content to departe, having feen the falvation of God, the licht of the gentiles and glorie of Ifrael. And nevertheleffe many lewes fought richteoufneffe by the workes of the Lawe, and not by faith, Rom. 9. 32, and they looked u upon the promises with a bodily ey only,as if the Meffias wer to erect an earthly Monarchie at Ierufalem and lookingthorow these spectacles they could not think that lefus Chrift is the Meffias,and fo they stumbled at his worldly baseneffe,& being mifcaried in their braines they could not fee His-fpiritual power and benefites. After their miferable exemple others acknowledging refus Chrift to be the promised Meffias,and not confidering the difference of the promises have not attained fully unto the trueth of them, and fo have erred in miftaking His natures and benefites. Thus Ebion thought him to be a man and not God, asif all the promises could been performed by a man endowed with fingulare grace.Cerinthus lykwife held thatChrift is only a man, and because he fawe Him not fitting on the throne of David,he held that Chrift is not rifen from the dead as yet, but fhal rife and❜ reigne in Ierufalem 1000 yeeres,and allHis fubjectes shalbe fatisfied with all maner of plea fures in meat, drinke,mariage,festival dayes,and offer oblationes and facrifices, Eufeb.lib.3.c.25, Vpon this occafion the Apoftle Iohn wrote the gofpell againe, and more largely than any other of the Euangeliftes fpeakes of Chrifts Godheid,his wonderfull workes, his kingdome,refurrection and his coming again, especiall that the Sone of man is now glorified c.16.33.that be bes overcome the world c.16.33. that his kingdome is not of this world, and if his kingdome wer of this world, his fervantes wold feight that he should not be delivered unto the Lewes,but now is his kingdome not from hence c.18.36:& of the códition of his fubjectes he fayth, Remember the word that I fayd unto yow, the fervant is not greater than the Lord: if they have perfecuted mee, they will alfo perfecute yow c.15.20: Verely I fay unto yow, Yee fhall weep and lawsent, and the world fball rejoyce, and you fhalbe forow full, but your forowe fhalbe turned into joy: these thinges have I spoken unto yow, that in mee yee micht have peace in the world yow (hall have tribulation, but be of good cheer c.16.20. 33: And of his coming again he fayth,In my Fathers house at many manfiones-if I goe and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that wer I am, there you may bee alfo c.14,2: now you have forowe, but I will fee you again, and your heart fbal rejoice,and your joy na man takes from you C.16.22. All which wordes wer written flatly aganft the errores of Ceriathus, and teach us that Chrifts kingdome is not an earthly king, dome, nor delayed for one or two 1000 yeeres, but now is his kingdome, now he hes overcome the world, his fubjectes ar not to live on earth without perfecution and forow, and when he comes again, he will receive them with him into his Fathers manfiones,and their forow halbe turned into joy, that fhal never joy,that Be taken from them. After Cerinthus we read nixt of Papias, of whom Eufeb.lib.cit.c.39, writes thus, He reportes ftrange parar bles of our Saviour, mixed with fabulous doctrine, wher he dreameth, that the kingdome of Chrift fhall corporally here.on earth laft the space of 1000 yeeres after the refurrection of the dead; which error(as I fuppofe)grew heerof, in that he received not richtly the true and myftical meaning of the Apostles,aether deeply weyed the thinges delivered of them by familiar exem ples: for he wes a man offmal judgement,as by his bookes plainly appeares: yet heerby he gave unto diverfeEcclefiaftical perfones eccafion of errour, who refpected his antiquitie, namely unto 3 |