For if the first fruites be holy so is the whole Lump. i. For as then when the Israelites had offred the first fruites of their bread and loaues vnto God, all the whole Lumpe and rest of the fruites were hereby blessed and sancti∣fied vnto them, that they might with good conscience bake, knead and feed vpon them: Euen so, if Abraham Isack and Iacob their stock, fathers and founders of their Nation, were (especially) by reason of Gods couenant holie and accepted with GOD: so shall the elect of their posterity bee (in some sort) fauoured for their Fathers sake, And if the roote bee holy. i. full of the iuice and sappe of grace, so shall the branches. i. The holie remainers by force of GODS coue∣nant shall receiue and drawe iuice, grace and goodnesse from it.
Q. If the conuersion of the Iewes shalbe not onely vnto them, but also vnto the Gentiles a spirituall resur∣rection, and life from the dead, and this must needes bee a little before Christ his second comming, how can this place then agree, to and accord with, that in Luke where it is sayd? But when the Sonne of man commeth shal hee finde faith on the earth? Luk. 18.8. and with that to∣wards the end of the world Sathan must bee loosed▪ Apoc. 20.17. and seduce the people of the world.
Ans. They may very well and aptly bee thus recon∣ciled by distinction: That the last times of the world shalbe happie in respect of the benefits of Christ and the light of the Gospell; and likewise in regard of the gathering togither of the Church of Iewes and Gentiles throughout the world.
But they shalbe vnhappie and miserable by reason of the worlds vnthankefulnesse and the seducement of Antichrist, who shall not be (wholy) abolished before Christ his commming.
Secondly, the number of Atheists, Hipocrites, Apos∣tataes and prophane persons shall incomparably farre exceed the number of those that truely feare God and sincerely serue him: yet, that Church shall neuer wholy