N00091:126
The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applied: or, A discourse concerning the general…The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applyed: or, A discourse concerning the general…
The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applied: or, A discourse concerning the general conversion of the Israelitish nation. Wherein is showed, 1. That the Twelve Tribes shall be saved. 2. When this is to be expected. 3. Why this must be. 4. What kind of salvation the Tribes of Israel shall partake of (viz.) a glorious, wonderful, spiritual, temporal salvation. : Being the substance of several sermons preached / by Increase Mather, M.A. teacher of a church in Boston in New England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applyed: or, A discourse concerning the general conversion of the Israelitish nation. Wherein is shewed, 1. That the Twelve Tribes shall be saved. 2. When this is to be expected. 3. Why this must be. 4. What kind of salvetion the Tribes of Israel shall partake of (viz.) a glorious, wonderful, spiritual, temporal salvation. : Being the substance of several sermons preached / by Increase Mather, M.A. teacher of a church in Boston in New England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
London: printed for John Allen, 1669
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. 1. This may be understood literally, *that the River Euphrates (and other Rivers also) shall be dried up for the Israelites to pass over, when God shall cause their captivity to return: For I would not unnecessarily reject †a literal interpretation of any Scripture, especially ⟨p. 32⟩considering that oftentimes in the New Testament it is said, that this and the other thing came to pass, that so there might be a literal fulfilling of such Scriptures, which yet had a mystical interpretation, as in Rev. 8.5. the Earth-quake there spoken of, is to be interpreted mystically of a great shaking brought upon the Roman Empire, in answer unto the prayers of the persecuted and martyred Saints; yet there was also at the same time a (q)literal fulfilling of that prophecy in a most horrendous Earth-quake, which Historians make mention of. And thus may we say concerning the exsiccation of Euphrates; and understand it both literally and spiritually. And this literal interpretation doth very well suit with other Scriptures: Read Isa. 11.15. which intimateth unto us, that the Branches of the River Nilus, which hath seven streams, shall be dried up for the Israelites at their return, and so shall Euphrates, ver. 16. Consider also Isa. 27.12. with▪ Zech. 10.11. And why should this seem incredible? Josephus (r)saith (albeit there (s)are that question the truth of that story) that in Alexander's time the Pamphylian Sea was dried up for him and his Army to pass over in his expedition against the Persian Empire. And other