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And to this conjecture, Isai. 27.12. doth sufficiently confirme; [ 87] For the great sound of the Trumpet before spoken of in Saint Matthew, as a warning of the gathering together of the elect, is there said to be a warning also of the Jewes returne: the words are these, It shall come to passe in that Day, that the Lord shall beate
off from the channell of the river unto the streame of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel, and it shall come to passe in that day, that the z 1.1 great Trumpet shall be blowne, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the Land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem.
If this be a conjecture, how is it sufficiently confirmed by the Prophet? or if it be sufficiently confirmed, why is it called a conjecture? A con∣jecture it is, and hath no warrant from the Prophet: for the Prophet and Evangelist are not speaking of the same purpose: the Prophet is spea∣king particularly of the Jewes deliverance out of Syria and Egypt, and of the trumpet that did sound at the proclamation of Cyrus for their re∣turne, which was past before the dayes of the Evangelist. And never∣thelesse our Authour concludeth triumphantly.
And why may not a conjecture be as well confirmed by scrip∣ture, as grounded on scripture? yea whence can such a conje∣cture have a better confirmation then from scripture? And that this conjecture, (to wit, That some of them who are left, when the elect shall be gathered together at Christs comming, shall be lest to perish in the great destruction which shall then light on all Nations that sight against the Jewes, and others of them to be eye-witnesses of Gods wonders at that time,) that this conjecture, I say, is warranted by the Prophecy of Isaiah, touching the Jewes returne, chap. 27. ver. 12, 13. it is evident, first, from the identity of the signe, which is to precede the ac∣complishment of this Prophecy, and that of our Saviour Matth. 24.31. For what is the great sound of the trumpet mentioned by the Evangelist, but the blowing of the great trumpet foretold in Isaiah? And secondly, it is evident from the contents of the prophecy which speake not of the returne of the two Tribes, of the returne of the captivity of Judah and Benjamin from Babylon: but of the returne of the ten Tribes, of the returne of the captivity of the children of Israel from Assyria; who, as Divines confesse, did never yet returne. And admit it had been spoken of the returne of the two Tribes, yet it could not be already ac∣complished, because it foreshewes the returne of the Jewes out of Assyria in a time when they shall be ready to perish there; which
cannot be affirmed of the Jewes, that returned to Jerusalem up∣on the proclamation of Cyrus, by whom they were so much fa∣voured. And by whose command the Jewes that returned, were so much enricht with silver, and gold, with goods, and with beasts, &c. as it is written, Ezra 1.4. And although it be true, that Cyrus made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdome for the returning of the Jewes, yet we reade not of the sounding of any trumpet at the proclamation. And if it had been a custome to doe so, not one, but many trumpets doubtlesse had been soun∣ded at the publishing of that proclamation, which was by many messengers sent into all the Provinces of Cyrus Kingdome, to whom God had given all the Kingdomes of the earth, Ezra 1.2. And lastly this Prophecy doth intimate a gathering, and bring∣ing of the Israelites to Ierusalem, by the extraordinary power of God. A gathering of them, I say, not by the helpe and assistance, but against the will and resistance of earthly Princes, as is plaine∣ly foretold Zech. 9.12, 13, 14, 15, 16. and in many other Pro∣phecies. And seeing we have alledged so many cleare prophecies for the vindication of the truth we hold, why may we not say, as the Apostle doth Heb. 12.1. (after that he hath by divers in∣stances set forth the force and efficacy of a justifying faith,) to wit, that we are compast about with a great cloud of witnesses: of which surely every single prophecy, (as it is of it selfe sufficient, so it) ought to give satisfaction to a Christian; who is as well bound to manifest his obedience towards God, by the readinesse of his beliefe, as by the righteousnesse of his life. By his confiding on the accomplishment of Gods prophecies, as by his confor∣ming to the practise of Gods precepts, as it is said, 1 John 3.23.
Isai. 18.3. Zech. 9.14.