Israel's redemption redeemed. Or, The Jewes generall and miraculous conversion to the faith of the Gospel

[ 24] Israel's Redemption. And the place where they were told so was their owne land, and therfore in that place it shall againe be said unto them, Ye are the sonnes of the living God, ver. 10. And this Piscator grants to be the meaning of it here in the Prophet: but withall he holds, that it is applyed in the 9. of the Rom. to the conversion of the Gentiles, because the Israelites being thus rejected of God, were become like unto the Gentiles, who until the preaching of the Gospel were not his people: but notwithstanding this reason, me thinkes it is very unlikely, that the Apostle should borrow a prophecy from the Jews, to prove Gods mercy towards the Gentiles, which is in sun∣dry places of the Scripture, so properly and distinctly foreshewne, as you may see by the authorities which are urged to this purpose in the l 10. and m 15. chap. of the same Epistle.

M^r Petrie's Answer. 1. Where it is said ver. 10. in that place, ye may reade on the margine,

in stead of that it was said &c. and therefore that word proves nothing.

2. It is no lesse true, that the Gentiles are the people of God even in the same lands where they did not serve God. 3. This is no applying by way of similitude, but accommodating (as Piscator speaks) to another particular, that as the Israelites by Idolatrie became like unto the Gen∣tiles, so the Gentiles receiving the Gospel are Jews or the people of God. And this exposition is not onely likely, but very certaine, seeing the Apostle expones these prophecies of God's mercy towards the Gentiles, as you may see by the authorities, which are urged to this purpose in the 10. and 15. chap. of the Epistle to the Rom. and elsewhere.

Reply.

1. Arias Montanus renders the original (Et erit in loco, quo) with∣out any such marginall note at all. And the Septuagint reads it (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) and it shall come to passe, that in the place where, &c. And this expression agrees best with the scope of the Prophecie, which foretells their returne againe to their owne Land; in which it had been said unto them, yee are not my people, yea, the Apostle too alledgeth these words, agreeable to the tran∣slation in the text: and in the latter part of the sentence relates to them with an (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) illic vocabuntur, there they shall be call'd, &c. And therefore this proves so much, that of force you must grant the accomplishment of the Prophecie in its proper sense.

2. And what though (the Gentiles are the people of God even in the same Lands where they did not serve God?) shall not therefore the Jewes be call'd againe, the people of God, in the same Land where once they forsooke God? or shall this Prophecie be there∣fore understood of them, to whom the Prophet was not sent to say, as he did to the Israelites, Ye are not my people?

3. I thinke not that the Apostle did apply this Prophecie by way of similitude to the Gentiles, and much lesse that he did accommodate it to them, as to those of whom it was meant by the Holy Ghost. For the Holy Ghost fore-shewes not the calling of the Gentiles under the name of the Israelites, but in their own name. And surely if it cannot be prov'd, that the Apostle expounds these Prophecies of Gods mercy towards the Gentiles, till the Au∣thorities alledg'd in the 10. and 15. chap. of this Epistle to the Rom. doe shew it, it will never be prov'd: for those Prophecies

speake onely of the Gentiles, and how then doe they expound in any degree the Prophecies of the Iewes in Ezek. Hosea, or any other Prophet?

Notes

• l

  v. 19.20
• m

  v. 9.10, 11.12.