The blessed Jew of Marocco: or, A Blackmoor made white. being a demonstration of the true Messias out of the law and prophets / by Rabbi Samuel, a Iew turned Christian ; written first in the Arabick, after translated into Latin, and now Englished ; to which are annexed a diatriba of the Jews sins and their miserie all over the world, annotations to the book ... with other things for profit in knowledge and undertanding, by Tho. Calvert ...

CHAP. XIV. Of the Iews blindnesse, who neither beleeve, nor understand that Christ is come.

WHat Esay from the Lord hath said, O Master, I shake with fear, lest it be our lot to have it fulfilled in us, Blindnesse is fallen upon Israel,* 1.1 till the fulnesse of the Gen∣tiles become in. And again he saith, Hearing they shall hear,* 1.2 and shall not understand; seeing they shall see, and not perceive, because the heart of this people is waxen fat. And in the same Chapter, Make the heart of this people blinde, and stop their ears, least they should learn, and be converted to me, and I should heal them. Esay then said,* 1.3 How long, O Lord? and he answe∣red, Vntill the Cities be wasted, and the house bee left without an inhabitant. You have

Daniel also saying,* 1.4 Shut up, and seal up, or wrap up the Prophecie.* 1.5 Jeremie follows with his testimonie, The sinne of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron, and the Point of a Diamond, it is graven on the table of their heart. Esay likewise in his first Chapter saith, The Oxe knowes his owner, and the Asse his Masters Cribb, but my people doth not understand. Jeremie to that pur∣pose, The Stork, the Crane, and the Swallow know the time of their comming, but my people know not me. All these speeches, O Master, are Gods Arrows shot at us, and do shew our condi••ion, because we had eyes lockt and bol∣ted up, that we could not discern the first comming of that righteous Lord. Of us do the Lords words in Esay mean,* 1.6 when he saith, Bring forth (or, cast far off) the blinde people, that have eyes, and the deaf people, that have ears. Behold, they are all gathered together, or rather, Let all the Nations be gathered together. These words carry no other meaning, but this, that the Prophet saith, The Lord hath rejected us, because we knew not soon enough the time of that Righteous Ones comming, and in stead of u•• he hath gathered the Gentiles to him by faith. This is it which made that admira∣tion break out of Davids lips,* 1.7 The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe. Yet for all this we belong to the Lord, though

thus sore in an haplesse estate, and deepe de∣pressing Captivitie, wherein, as in a labyrinth, we are, and can finde no end, or out-gate, though a thousand years we have runne with wearied foot-steps in this amazing Maze of miserie; neither did ever our Fathers smart thus, though they did fully transgresse the Law, worshipt Idols, and slew the Prophets, yet drunk they not of such a Cup of Indigna∣tion, and Judgement, as we their Children.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 11.
• * 1.2

  Esa. 6.
• * 1.3

  Esay 5.
• * 1.4

  Dan. 12.
• * 1.5

  Ierem. 17.
• * 1.6

  Elongate saith the Translator, Esay. 3. T••anslator reads 〈◊〉〈◊〉 have no ey•••• and th〈◊〉〈◊〉 have no ears.
• * 1.7

  Psa. 118.