Some considerations propounded to the Jewes that they may hear and consider, and their hearts at length may be turned towards that which alone is able to convert them to God, that they may once more become His people, and enter into an everlasting covenant with Him that may not be broken, that so they may abide in His love and covenant of life, and remain His people for ever. Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A54056 of text R14965 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing P1192). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 19 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A54056 Wing P1192 ESTC R14965 12005819 ocm 12005819 52308 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A54056) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 52308) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 574:2) Some considerations propounded to the Jewes that they may hear and consider, and their hearts at length may be turned towards that which alone is able to convert them to God, that they may once more become His people, and enter into an everlasting covenant with Him that may not be broken, that so they may abide in His love and covenant of life, and remain His people for ever. Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. 8 p. s.n., [London? : 1660?] Caption title. Signed at end: J.P. Attributed to Isaac Penington. Cf. NUC pre-1956. Imprint date from NUC pre-1956. Imperfect: top of pages cropped. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. eng Judaism -- Controversial literature. A54056 R14965 (Wing P1192). civilwar no Some considerations propounded to the Jewes, that they may hear and consider, and their hearts at length may be turned towards that which al Penington, Isaac 1660 3701 6 0 0 0 0 0 16 C The rate of 16 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-10 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2005-10 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion SOME CONSIDERATIONS Propounded to the JEWES , That they may hear and consider , and their Hearts at length may be Turned towards that which alone is able to Convert Them to God , that they may once more become his People , and enter into an Everlasting Covenant with him that may not be broken , that so they may abide in his Love and Covenant of Life , and remain his People for ever . Consideration I. WHat great Love , Mercy and Kindness God shewed to that People , above all Nations and Peoples under Heaven . Of his own free love he set his heart upon them , chusing them to be a People to himself . He brought them out of Egypt by a mighty hand and outstretched Arm ; he mightily preserved them in , and led them through the Wilderness . He entred into a Covenant with them to become their God , and betrothed them unto himself for his own Lot and Inheritance . He gave them righteous Laws , Judgments , Statutes and Ordinances , both of Worship towards him , and of an upright Demeanour and Conversation among themselves and towards all men . He drove out , the Heathen from before them , and gave them a pleasant Land to possess , even the glory of all Lands , a Land flowing with Milk and Honey . He built an habitation for himself among them , first a moving Sanctuary or Tabernacle , afterwards a more setled abiding place or Temple ( which Solomon built ) wherein was the Ark of his presence , where he was to be sought unto and enquired of by them , and towards which their Prayers were to be directed , and there was a Mercy-seat , whereof they had large experience , and he ever and anon sent Prophets among them , to reprove their errors and blackslidings , and to set them to rights again . He raised up Judges likewise to defend them : and although they were weary of his Government , desiring a King after the manner of the Nations so vehemently , that they even forced a King from him , yet he took him away from them , and after him chose a man after his own heart , to feed Jacob his People and Israel his Inheritance , who fed them according to the integrity of his heart , and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands . What should I say more ? what was wanting of Love , of Care , of Goodness , of Kindness , of Mercy , of Gentleness , of any thing that a People could desire of their God ? I say , what was wanting of all this on Gods part ? What could he have done more for his Vineyard , than he did do ? Nay he emptied upon them all the Goodness , all the Mercy , Love , Favour , &c. that that Covenant would hold to the full , yea and more too : for he bare with them more than that Covenant required him to bear , and redeemed them oftner than that Covenant engaged him , yea many time turned he his anger away , and did not stir up all his wrath , as he might often have done according to the tenour of that Covenant . Yea in all their afflictions he was afflicted , and the Angel of his presence saved them : And he was still ready to say in his heart , Surely they are my People , Children that will not lie , at length they will see their error , repent and be true to me : insomuch as he was never weary of saviug them , of trying them again and again , of stirring up his Bowels of Love and Pitty to Redeem them , of sending his Servants and Prophets among them to warn and reclaim them , even till at last it was manifest that there was no remedy but he must cast them off , and provoke them to jealousie by a foolish Nation ▪ ( Deut. 32. 20 , 21. ) drawing them nigh to him , who had been Worshipping Stocks and Stones , making them become a People , who had long been no People , and casting these out of his sight , making them become no People , who had so long been his chosen peculiar People , in Covenant with him , and nigh unto him above all the Families of the Earth . Consid. II. What constant Rebellion and stiffness of Spirit that People all along expressed towards the Lord , what wild sowre Grapes they still brought forth to him , sowre Love , sowre Obedience , sowre Worship and Sacrifices , such as the pure pallate of the Lord could find no relish nor savour in : but as Moses had told them , that it was not for their Righteousness God chose them to give them the good Land to possess , for they were a Rebellious and stiff-necked People , Deut. 9. 6 , 7. So it was not for their Goodness that God continued his love to them , for they were all along provoking him , Jer. 44. 4. When God came to shew that great Mercy to them of Redeeming them out of Egypt , and bid them cast away their Idols , they would not cast away their Idols , Ezek. 20. 7 , 8. neither did they regard that Mercy of Redemption from the House of Bondage , and from the Iron Furnace , but said to Moses it was better for them to stay in Egypt and to serve the Egyptians , Exod. 14. 12. Again in the Wilderness , how did they provoke him all that forty years of Mercy , how did they err in their hearts from his pure fear , and from Love to him , and from Faith and Confidence in him ! how did they murmur against him , and against Moses and Aaron their Leaders ! how did they forget his Works and his Wonders continually ! When they came near the Land , and should have gone in to possess it , then they would not , but repined and rebelled because of the talness and strength of the Enemy , and of their Cities : and when they were forbid to go , then they would go and fight with them . What should I mention the time of the Judges and of the Kings , how often the Lord made them smart by their Enemies in their own Land , how often he gave them up to Captivity out of their Land , even till at length that great Captivity of Babylon befel them , and since that a greater Captivity and Desolation than that of Babylon ? Consid. III. Whether God , having tryed this People even to the utmost , by that Covenant which he made with them by Moses in Mount Sinai , may ever please to try them so any more : Or if there yet remain any Mercy or Love from God towards them , whether it is not to be expected another way , and upon another account ? This is very necessary and profitable for them to consider , that they may not be looking that way for Mercy and Favour from God , in which it is never to come , and so have their eyes and hearts diverted from that way according to which it is to come : for this must needs put them back exceedingly , if their eyes be looking out one way , and the Love of God hath chosen another channel to run towards them in . This may make them refuse the very Mercy , Love and Redemption when it comes , suspecting it not to be it , because it comes not in the way and after the manner that they look for it . Now God hath expresly said , that when he shall be pacified towards them , and shall look again upon them with an eye of Favour to do them good , it shall not be by their Covenant ( which could never last , but was still broken on their parts ) but by his own everlasting Covenant , which he would establish to them , Ezek. 16. 60. &c. It would therefore diligently be enquired by them , What Covenant it is which is called their Covenant , vers. 61. And what Covenant it is which is called Gods Covenant , vers. 62. That they may withdraw their eyes and hopes from the one , from whence their Redemption , Recovery and Mercy cannot come , towards the other from whence it is to come ? To which Query , for their sakes , it is in my heart to return this Answer . Answ. Their Covenant is that which they entred into with God , the Covenant that their hearts chose to unite with God by : and that was to this effect , That if God would shew them his Will , they would obey it . Go thou near ( said they to Moses ) and hear all that the Lord our God shall say , and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee , and we will hear it and do it , Deut. 5. 27. Thus they thought , but the Lord knew otherwise , for O saith the Lord that there were such an heart in them , &c. vers. 29. and Moses knew otherwise , he knew that they would corrupt themselves , and that evil would befal them in the latter dayes , Deut. 31. 29. But Gods Covenant was the free Covenant he made with Abraham , Isaac and Jacob , the Covenant of his Grace , the Covenant of his free Love , whereby he was able to reach them in Egypt , upon the cry of the Seed in them ( in the midst of their Idolatries , and to bring them out and do them good notwithstanding their stubbornness and stiff-neckedness ) even before the other Covenant was made . This Covenant of Love was Gods Covenant . This is the Covenant God remembred to them in the days of their youth , while they were young and tender , and not yet grown up to be a people under the other Covenant : and this is the Covenant which lasts for ever , which is not founded upon their obedience , but on God's free Love to them for his own Name sake , and for their Fathers sake with whom he freely made it . Quest . What doth this Covenant contain ? Answ. putting his Fear in the Heart , writing his Laws in the Mind , pouring of pure clear Water upon them to wash away the pollutions of their inward parts , circumcising the filth of the Heart , healing the backsliding Nature by creating of a right Spirit within , and keeping of the created Spirit right by the presence of that Spirit which created it : See Jer. 31. 31 , 32. Ezek. 36. 25 , &c. Hosea 14. 4. This is God's Covenant , this is the new Covenant , which is to be made with the House of Israel and Judah when God redeems them : and they can never be redeemed but by this Covenant , but are to remain desolate , until the Spirit be poured out from on high upon them , Isai. 32. 15. until their Hearts be circumcised to love the Lord their God , untill his fear be placed there , and they thereby caused to walk in his ways . As therefore they receive the Spirit , are brought into the fear , have the Law written in their minds and become subject thereto , so will they tast of this Covenant , be brought into Redemption by it , and become a glory inwardly , and outwardly also upon the Earth . Quest . What is the way for them to have the fear of God put in their Hearts , to have their Hearts circumcised , to receive the Spirit and his Laws into their minds , and so to come into this Covenant ? Answ. There is no other way but that to which Moses himself directed them , after God had made the other Covenant with them , and tryed them long by it , together with many Temptations , Signs and Wonders both before and after it ; and seeing by all these they had not had an Heart to perceive , nor Eyes to see , nor Ears to hear , Moses at length directs them to another Covenant , the Word whereof would give them Eyes to see , and Ears to hear , and an Heart to understand . Which Covenant was a Covenant besides the former , Deut. 29. 1. And was indeed the Covenant concerning Life or Death eternal , chap. 30. 15. ( the other being but a Covenant of their outward state , made with them after their coming out of Aegypt , upon their deliverance there from , and according to their choise to become a People to God according to it . ) This Word , Moses tells them , was near them ( nearer then that which was spoken by God on the Mount , and afterwards written in Tables of Stone . ) The voyce of this Word and the Commandment thereof was nearer , that they need not seek anywhere abroad for it , but only listen at home to hear its speech , obey it in the faith , and live for ever , Deut. 30. 11 , &c. This is the way for them and all Men to come into this Covenant , and there is no other ; There is a Light shining in the Darkness of Mans heart , which Springs up in him , and casts forth it's rayes to discover and draw him out of the Darkness : Now as this Light is felt , loved , understood in Spirit , hearkned and cleaved to in the pure Faith , which it begets ; that which cleaves to it , is drawn out of the darkness by it , into the Covenant of the pure eternal Light , where God is , and whither all they are translated , who are drawn to him in and by this Covenant , as they are kept , preserved , and continue in the Faith , Love and Obedience of it . Now I would yet put these few things more to them . First , Whether that People of the Jews , as they stood related to God in that Covenant ( given by Moses at Mount Horeb ) with the Covenant it self and all things appertaining thereto , were not a shadow of some inward and Spiritual thing afterwards to appear and be made manifest in its season . Whether they themselves were not a shadow of a more inward and Spiritual People , to be gathered to God by the inward and Spiritual Covenant ; and whether their outward Covenant was not a shadow or visible representation of that Covenant , and the Laws of it a shadow or representation of the inward Laws , which were to be written in the hearts of that Spiritual People ? Was not their Tabernacle , or Temple , a shadow of the true Tabernacle or Temple , seeing God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands , but in a poor , humble , contrite Spirit , and in the Heart that trembles at his Word , Isai. 57. 15. and chap. 66. 1 , 2. So was not their circumcision a shadow of the circumcision which is to pass upon the Hearts of God's chosen ? Were not their Sacrifices types or representations of the Sacrifices of praise and of a broken Heart ? Psal. 51. 17. and Psal. 50. 14. Was not their Canaan , or Holy-land , a type of the true Holy Spiritual rest which the faith gives entrance into ? Their City Jerusalem a Tipe of the Jehovah-shammah ? Their Priests and Levites Tipes of the Spiritual Priesthood , which was to offer the pure offering and Spiritual Sacrifices among the Gentiles ? Malac. 1. 11. Mark that place , if it did not plainly foretel the casting off of the Jews , with the rejecting of their Offerings , Priests and Levites , and God's raising up a seed among the Gentiles , where he would have a more acceptable People and Worship , even a pure Spiritual People , and a pure Spiritual Offering . Secondly , If they were Types , Representations , or Shadows of somwhat Spiritual to come , then were they not to give place to that which is Spiritual when it came , and so to be swallowed up in it ? Is not the Spiritual Glory , the Glory ? the inward Jew , the Jew indeed ? the circumcision of the Heart , the choice circumcision ? the offering up of praise and of a broken Heart , the acceptable Sacrifice ? the Land of Life and Righteousness , the true Land of rest to the living by Faith ? Is not the Spiritual City , House , or Temple which God builds , the Ierusalem or Temple of the new Covenant ? Is not this the choice House to God ? and is not this Spiritual Glory to be expected in the days of the Messiah , and all the Tipes and shadows of Moses , which pointed at him , to end in him , when once he comes to set up his true , inward , invisible , substantial Glory among his inward and Spiritual People ? When the day of Messiah dawns , shall not Moses his shadows fly away ? O that your Eyes were opened to behold the inward Glory of Li●e , the good things of the new Covenant , the great Treasure and Riches which are revealed and possessed in the Spirit ; by the Spirits that are redeemed unto God , that ye might partake thereof ; and then your Eye would not be so much on that which is outward , which ifye had even to the utmost of your desires , are not comparable to the inward . Lastly , Search the Prophets , see if the Messiah is not first to come in a despiseable way as a man of sorrows , Isai. 53. 2 , 3. whose visage in that appearance was to be more marred then any mans , Isai. 52. 14. and consider whether he was not to be cut off , though not for himself ▪ Dan. ● . 26. and then to sit at the right Hand of God , until his Enemies be made his Footstool ; Psa. 110. ●● Before he come in that Glory wherein 〈…〉 . So that if he be not thus come already , then that coming of his is yet to be expected , and his Hands and Feet are yet to be pierced by you , and then afterwards ye may look upon him whom you have pierced ; Zach. 12. 10. and all the Families of Israel mourn bitterly apart for it , ver. 12. When Moses gave the Law , the vail was over his face : your Fathers were not able to bear the Light wherein the Law was given , nor the Light wherein the Prophecies of the Prophets were given , and so they still erred from the Law , were offended at the Prophets while they were alive , & mis-understood their words after their death . Now do not ye search into Moses and the Prophets , in the same Spirit of error as your Fathers did , being shut out from the Light of them , even as they were ? If it be thus , if the vail be over your hearts , if ye be ignorant of the true Light , of the true eternal Power wherein the Scriptures were given forth , ye must needs mis-understand them , mis-understand Moses , mis-understand the Prophets , mis-understand the things spoken concerning the Messiah , & so not be able to see unto the end of those things ministred by Moses , & of that ministration which was to pass away , nor into the beginning of the ministration of the Messiah , which was to succeed it . O turn within to the Word nigh in the Heart , that the true Jew may be begotten and formed in you , and his Light may arise and overspread you , that in that Light ye may see the Light of Moses , and the Light of the Prophets , and not gather false meanings from their words , but understand them a right in the same Holy Spirit , and injoy the blessedness they spake of and directed to , which lyes in the inward raising up of an inward Seed , and not in an outward conformity of the outward man , while the heart and mind remains unchanged and unrenewed , which can never be made new by any ministry of the Letter without the Spirit , but alone by the ministry of the Spirit , whether with or without the Letter , as he pleaseth . J. P. THE END .