The progress of divine providence, set out in a sermon preached in the Abbey…The progresse of divine providence, set out in a sermon preached in the Abbey…

5.¹ Much consolation may be gathered by faithful ones, from the continual increase of Gods providence, in such sad, doubtful, dangerous days, as these our days are. For we may with confidence expect better things. The ⟨p. 29⟩days wherein the Prophet first uttered this prophecy were worse days then ours are; and to comfort the faithful that then lived, and such others as should from age to age live after them, he revealed this promise. There are more particular promises concerning a future glory of the Christian Church, set down by the Prophets in the old Testament, and by Christ and his Apostles in the new, especially in the book of the Revelation, then we have either heard of, or seen in our days to be accomplished. The glorious City described, Revel. 21. 10, &c. is by many judicious Divines taken for a type of a spiritual, glorious estate of the Church of Christ under the Gospel yet to come, and that before his last coming to judgement. I pass by all conceits of our later Chiliasts or Millenaries, (whom in English we may call Thousandaries) who imagine, that Christ shall personally come down from heaven, in that nature in which after his resurrection he ascended into heaven, and reign here a thousand years with his Saints. The certainty of this I leave to be proved by them who are the broachers thereof. But this is most certain, that there are yet better things to come then have been since the first calling of the Gentiles.² Among other better things to come, the recalling of the Jews is most clearly and plentifully fore told by the Prophets. Many apply sundry prophecies that tend that way, to the delivery of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity; and others, to the spiritual Israel, consisting of Gentiles. But assuredly such prophecies as fore-tell the re-uniting of Judah and Ephraim together, have especial reference to the fore-said recalling of the Jews: as that Parable, whereof this our Prophet maketh mention, about joining two sticks, on the one whereof was written,³ For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: and on the other, For Joseph ⟨p. 30⟩