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…

Some Jewish ⁽ⁱ⁾interpreters, & ^(k)others, both ancient and ⟨p. 83⟩modern Divines, understand the words literally, and those that are not content with a literal interpretation, yet do not doubt but in them there is an allusion to the resurrection of the last day, and so an argument fetched from the power of God to confirm the Jews in the belief of their salvation, intimating, that if God be able to do such an incredible thing to flesh and blood, as to raise the dead out of their graves, then he is able to accomplish such an incredible thing as Israel's salvation. If we take the words to be spoken by the dead Jews, then the meaning of them may be this, though I am (saith Israel) as dead men are, yet I shall live, yea though I am as a carcass or dead body, yet I shall rise. Now the Jews are said to be in a state of death, and of the grave in two respects especially, 1. In respect of affliction and woeful misery. The deeps of affliction are like unto a grave, and misery is a kind of living death; For comfort is the life of a mans life, and therefore affliction destroying a mans comfort, is justly called by the name of death, Psal. 44.16. Thou hast broken us in the place of Dragons, thou hast covered us with the shadow of death, h. e. Thou hast brought sore and heavy calamity upon us, Isa. 56.10. we are as dead men in desolate places, i. e. we are in a very afflicted, miserable, forlorn estate. And also Psal. 88.4, 5, 6. Lam. 3.6. And truly so may we say concerning the Israelitish Nation, it is an afflicted people, that indeed the very name of that Nation is called afflicted, Isa. 54.11. O thou afflicted, and ⟨p. 84⟩