common in all their Authors When they cite any of the Doctors of their Schools they commonly use these words Amern rabbothenu Zicceronam libhracah in four letters thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus say our Doctors of blessed memory But when they speak of holy men in the Old Testament they usually take this Phrase Gnalau hashalom on him is peace in brief thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus when they mention Moses Solomon David or others this is the memorial they give them The Arabians have the like use in their Abbreviation of Gnalaihi alsalemo on whom is peace The words in Hebrew want a verb and so may be construed two ways On him is peace or on him be peace The learned Master Broughton hath rendered it the former way and his judgement herein shall be my Law To take it the latter way seems to relish of Popish superstition of praying for the dead which though the Jews did not directly do yet in manner they appear to do no less in one part of their Common Prayer Book called Mazkir neshamoth the remembrancer of Souls which being not very long I thought not amiss to Translate out of their Tongue into our own that the Reader may see their Jewish Popery or Popish Judaism and may bless the Creator who hath not shut us up in the same darkness CHAP. XL. Mazkir neshamoth or the Remembrancer of souls in the Iews Liturgy Printed at Venice THE Lord remember the soul or spirit of Abba Mr. N. the son of N. who is gone into his world wherefore I vow to give Alms for him that for this his soul may be bound up in the bundle of life with the soul of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Sarah and Rebecca Rachel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which be in the garden of Eden Amen The Lord remember the soul of Mrs. N. the Daughter of N. who is gone to her World Therefore I vow c. as in the other before Amen The Lord remember the soul of my father and my mother of my grandfathers and grandmothers of my uncles and aunts brethren and sisters of my cosens and consenesses whether of my fathers side or mothers side who are gone into their world Wherefore I vow c. Amen The Lord remember the soul of N. the son of N. and the souls of all my cosens and cosenesses whether on my fathers or mothers side who were put to death or slain or stabd or burnt or drowned or hanged for the sanctifying of the Name of God Therefore I will give Alms for the memory of their souls and for this let their souls be bound up in the bundle of life with the soul of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Sarah and Rebecca Rachel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which are in the garden of Eden Amen Then the Priest pronounceth a blessing upon the man that is thus charitable as it followeth there in these words He that blessed our father Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses and Aaron David and Salomon he bless Rabbi N. the son of N. because he hath vowed Alms for the souls whom he hath mentioned for the honour of God and for the honour of the Law and for the honour of the day for this the Lord keep him and deliver him from all affliction and trouble and from every plague and sickness and write him and seal him for a happy life in the day of Judgment and send a blessing and prosper him in every work of his hands and all Israel his brethren and let us say Amen Thus courteous Reader hast thou seen a Popish Jew interceding for the dead have but the like patience a while and thou shalt see how they are Popish almost entirely in claiming the merits of the dead to intercede for them for thus tendeth a prayer which they use in the book called Sepher Min hagim shel col Hammedinoth c. which I have also here turned into English Do for thy praises sake Do for their sakes that loved thee that now dwell in dust For Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake Do for Moses and Aarons sake Do for David and Salomons sake Do for Jerusalem thy holy Cities sake Do for Sion the habitation of thy glories sake Do for the desolation of thy Temples sake Do for the treading down of thine Altars sake Do for their sakes who were slain for thy holy Name Do for their sakes who have been massacred for thy sake Do for their sakes who have gone to fire or water for the hallowing of thy Name Do for sucking childrens sakes who have not sinned Do for weaned childrens sakes who have not offended Do for infants sakes who are of the house of our Doctors Do for thine own sake if not for ours Do for thine own sake and save us Tell me gentle reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whether doth the Jew Romanize or the Roman Judaize in his devotions This interceding by others is a shrewd sign they have both rejected the right Mediator between God and Man Christ Jesus The prophane Heathen might have read both Jew and Papist a lecture in his Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Jovem propitium habeam which I think a Christian may well English let go all Diminutive Divinities so that I may have the great Jesus Christ to propitiate for me CHAP. XLI Of the Latine Translation of Matth. 6. 1. ALms in Rabbin Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedhakah righteousness which word the Syrian Translator useth Matth. 6. 1. Act. 10. 2. and in other places From this custom of speech the Roman vulgar Translateth Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis One English old manuscript Testament is in Lichfield Library which hath it thus after the Latine Takith hede that you do not your rightwisnes before men to be seyne of hem ellis ye shullen have no mede at your fadir that is in hevenes Other English Translation I never saw any to this sense nor any Greek copy It seems the Papist will rather Judaize for his own advantage than follow the true Greek The Septuagint in some places of the Old Testament have turned Tsedhakah Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almsdeeds or little or to no sense As the Papists have in this place of the New Testament turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almsdeeds by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness to as little purpose In the Hebrew indeed one word is used for both Tsedhakah for Almsdeeds which properly signifies Righteousness upon what ground I know not unless it be to shew that S◠Chrysostom hath such ◠touch Alms must be given of rightly gotten good or else they are no righteousness or they are called Zadkatha in Syrian Hu ger zadek le mehwo they are called righteousness because it is right they should be given and given rightly The Fathers of the Councel of Trent speak much of the merit of Alms whom one may
them was the greater matter whether of them the greater work Was not the Resurrection Not indeed in regard of the Power that effected both but in regard of the effect or concernment of man 1. By his Resurrection he had destroyed him and that that had destroyed the Creation viz. Sin and Satan and did set up a better world a world of Grace and Eternal Life 2. Had it not been better that Man as he now was sinful had never been created than Christ not to have risen again to save and give him life As it was said of Judas It were better if he had never been born so it were better for sinful men if they had never been born than that Christ should not have been born from the dead to restore and revive them Observe that the Resurrection of the Heathen from their dead condition took its rise and beginning from the Resurrection of Christ as Christ himself closely compares it from the example of Jonahs rising out of the Whales belly and converting Nineveh To that purpose is that prophesie Esai XXVI 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust The dead Heathen that had lain so long in the grave of sin and ignorance when Christs body rose had life put into them from that time and they rose to the life of grace For by his Resurrection he had conquered him that had kept them so long under death and bondage Now was it not most proper for the Church of the called Heathen to have a Sabbath that should commemorate the cause time and original of this great benefit accruing to them A SERMON PREACHED upon EXODUS XX. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee THIS is the First Commandment of the Second Table and it is the first with promise Eph. VI. 2. Why it is the first of the second Table the reason is easie because when the second Table teaches our duty towards our Neighbour it is proper to begin with the Neighbour nearest to us such is our Father and Mother and with the Neighbour to whom we owe most peculiar Duty as we do to those that are comprehended under this title of Father and Mother But why this is called the First Commandment with promise is not so easie to resolve The difficulties are in these two things I. Because that seems to be a promise in the Second Commandment Shewing mercy unto thousands c. II. And if it be to be understood the first of the Second Table that hath a promise annexed unto it that is harsh also because there is no other promise in the Second Table and the First Commandment with promise argues some other Commandments with promise to follow after Now to these difficulties I Answer First That in the Second Commandment is rather a description of God than a direct Promise A jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children c. and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me As much Gall is mingled there as Honey as dreadful threatnings as comfort and therefore not to be looked on as a clear promise but as an argument and motive to Obedience taken from both mercy and judgment Secondly It is true there is never a promise more in the Second Table that comes after this but there are abundance of promises after in the rest of the Law And so may this be understood it is the First Commandment with promise in the whole Law from the Law given at Sinai to all the Law that Moses gave them afterwards And the first promise in the Law given to Israel is the promise of long life That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee So that here especially are four things to be spoken to I. The nature of the promise that it is a temporal promise concerning this life II. The matter of the promise Length of life in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee III. The suitableness of the Promise to the Command Honour thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long c. IV. The extent of the Promise to all that keep the Commandment Which four heads will lead us to the consideration of several Questions The first leads us to this Observation That the Promises given to Israel in the Law are I. most generally and most apparently promises temporal or of things concerning this life First look upon this Promise which is first in the Law and whereas it may be construed two ways yet both ways it speaks at first voice or appearance an earthly promise There may be an Emphasis put either upon Thy days shall be long or upon Thy days long in the land Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long that thou mayst have long life Or Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. That thou mayst have long possession of the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee and mayst not be cast out of it as the Canaanites were before thee Now take it either way what speaks it else but a temporal promise and that that refers to this life and to our subsistence in this world And so look upon those promises that are in Levit. XXVI and Deut. XXVIII and you find them all referring to temporal and bodily things And hereupon it may be observed that you hardly find mention of any spiritual promises especially not of eternal in all Moses Law No mention of Eternal Life joys of Heaven Salvation or Everlasting glory none but of things of this life Hence it was that the Sadducees denyed the Resurrection and the world to come because they only owned the five Books of Moses and in all his Books they found not mention of any such thing And therefore when our Saviour is to answer a Cavil of theirs against the Resurrection Mark XII 18 c. observe what he saith vers 26. Have you not read in the Book of Moses c. For he must prove the thing out of Moses to them or they would take it for no proof And observe also how he proves it by an obscure collection or deduction viz. because God says I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Therefore they lived though they were dead Which he would never have done had there been plain and evident proof of it And which if there had been they could never have denyed it And that which we are speaking to that the promises of the Law are of temporal things is also asserted by that Heb. VIII 6. He is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises If the promises of the Law had been Heavenly promises there could not have been better promises Had they been of Grace and Glory there could not have been better promises but those of the Law were
as they would make him Chap. 31. Then Elihu the Pen-man undertakes to moderate but inclining to the same misprision with the others the Lord himself convinceth them all of the uprightness of Job which no arguments of Job could do and this not only by an oracle from Heaven but also by Jobs revived prosperity wherein every thing that he had lost was restored double to him but only his children which though they died yet were not lost His years were doubled for he lived an hundred and forty years after his trouble and so was seventy years old when his trouble came and died two hundred and ten years old the longest liver born since Terah CHAP. II. to Ver. 11. Years of the Promise 341 ISRAELS afflictions increase upon them the cruel King of Egypt commanding Years of the Promise 342 all the Male children to be slain Miriam was born not far from Years of the Promise 343 this time she was able to stand and watch Moses when he was cast into the Years of the Promise 344 river her name signifieth Bitterness and Rebellion both and it is not to be Years of the Promise 345 doubted but holy Amram when he gave her name had regard to that sad Years of the Promise 346 cause and effect of which they had so great cause to be sensible Miriam Years of the Promise 347 was a Prophetess Exod. 15. 20. Micah 6. 4. World 2431 Years of the Promise 348 AARON born a Saint of the Lord Psal. 106. 16. His name soundeth Years of the Promise 349 both of sorrow and joy as the tenor of Psal. 88. 89. made in these afflictions Years of the Promise 350 doth World 2433 Years of the Promise 351 Moses 1 MOSES born supernaturally his mother being exceeding old at his Years of the Promise 352 Moses 2 birth she was his fathers own Aunt the daughter of Levi so is Moses Years of the Promise 353 Moses 3 a Levite both by father and mother He is preserved in an ark like a Years of the Promise 354 Moses 4 second Noah his mother is paid for nursing her own child he is adopted Years of the Promise 355 Moses 5 by Pharaohs daughter for her own son and so the King is his nursing Father Years of the Promise 356 Moses 6 and the Queen his nursing Mother And in this doth Moses typifie Years of the Promise 357 Moses 7 Christ that his true Father is unknown to the Egyptians and he Years of the Promise 358 Moses 8 reputed the son of Pharaoh as the true Father of Christ unknown to Years of the Promise 359 Moses 9 the Jews and he reputed the son of Joseph Years of the Promise 360 Moses 10 Moses was educated and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Years of the Promise 361 Moses 11 Years of the Promise 362 Moses 12 Acts 7. 22. Stephen speaketh this from necessary consequence not having Years of the Promise 363 Moses 13 express Text for it for it could no otherwise be conceived of the adopted Years of the Promise 364 Moses 14 Years of the Promise 365 Moses 15 son of a King and of a King of Egypt which Nation was exceedingly Years of the Promise 366 Moses 16 given to learning and study JOB is yet alive and probably out-liveth Years of the Promise 367 Moses 17 Moses In the reading of his Book it may be advantagious to the Years of the Promise 368 Moses 18 Years of the Promise 369 Moses 19 Reader to observe how in very many places it toucheth upon the history Years of the Promise 370 Moses 20 Years of the Promise 371 Moses 21 that is contained in the Book of Genesis though that Book was not then Years of the Promise 372 Moses 22 written The creation is handled Chap. 38. The first Adam mentioned Years of the Promise 373 Moses 23 Chap. 15. 7. The fall of Angels and Man Chap. 4. 20. 5. 2. The miserable Years of the Promise 374 Moses 24 Years of the Promise 375 Moses 25 case of Cain that was hedged in that he could not die Chap. 3. 21. Years of the Promise 376 Moses 26 The old world and the flood Chap. 22. 6. The builders of Babel Chap. 3. Years of the Promise 377 Moses 27 Years of the Promise 378 Moses 28 15. 5. 13. The fire of Sedom Chap. 20. 23 26. and divers such references Years of the Promise 379 Moses 29 may be observed which are closely touched in the Book which Years of the Promise 380 Moses 30 Years of the Promise 381 Moses 31 they came to know partly by tradition partly by living so near the Hebrews Years of the Promise 382 Moses 32 and the places where these things were done and partly by revelation Years of the Promise 383 Moses 33 as Chap. 4. 12. 38. 1 Years of the Promise 384 Moses 34 Years of the Promise 385 Moses 35 The Pen-man of the Book before and after the speeches of Job and his Years of the Promise 386 Moses 36 friends often useth the name Jehovah but in all the speeches never but Years of the Promise 387 Moses 37 once and that is in Chap. 12. 10. speaking there of Gods giving the Creature Years of the Promise 388 Moses 38 Years of the Promise 389 Moses 39 his being CHAP. II. from Ver. 11. to the end World 2473 Years of the Promise 390 Moses 40 MOses by faith at forty years old Acts 7. 23. refuseth the Courts Years of the Promise 391 Moses 41 visiteth his brethren slayeth an Egyptian fleeth into Midian Years of the Promise 392 Moses 42 Years of the Promise 393 Moses 43 Heb. 11. 24 25 26. By faith Moses refuseth to be called the son of Pharaohs Years of the Promise 394 Moses 44 daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then Years of the Promise 395 Moses 45 Years of the Promise 396 Moses 46 to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ Years of the Promise 397 Moses 47 greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence Years of the Promise 398 Moses 48 Years of the Promise 399 Moses 49 of the reward In Midian he marrieth Zipporah and hath a son by Years of the Promise 400 Moses 50 her whom he calleth Gershom which signifieth a desolate stranger because Years of the Promise 401 Moses 51 of his remote residence from his own people in a forain land Years of the Promise 402 Moses 52 Years of the Promise 403 Moses 53 Israel is not yet throughly humbled under their affliction and therefore Years of the Promise 404 Moses 54 it is but just they should continue under it they refused the deliverer Years of the Promise 405 Moses 55 Years of the Promise 406 Moses 56 when he offered himself unto them with Who made thee a Prince Years of the Promise 407 Moses 57 and a Ruler over us And therefore they are but answered according to Years of the
had seen the figure and pattern of a glorious Tabernacle so now in this second forty days fast he desireth to have a sight of the glory of God On the thirtieth day of the month A◠he goeth up again with the two Tables and beginneth another forty days fast and seeth the Lord and heareth him proclaim himself by most glorious attributes and receiveth some commands from him On the tenth day of the month Tisri he cometh down with the glad tydings that all is well betwixt God and Israel with the renewed Tables in his hand and with commission to set about making the Tabernacle CHAP. XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX XL. World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 AND so do Israel fall about that work which by the first day of the month Abib the first month of the next year is finished and it begun to be erected when it is set up the cloud of glory filleth it and God taketh up his seat upon the Ark in figure of his dwelling amongst men in Christ. The Book of LEVITICUS OUT of the Tabernacle newly erected God giveth ordinances for it and first concerning Sacrifice to represent Christs death as the Tabernacle it self did represent his body The whole time of the story of Leviticus is but one moneth namely the first month of the second year of their deliverance and not altogether so much neither for the very first beginning of the month was taken up in the erecting of the Tabernacle of which the story is in Exod. 40. CHAP. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII RUles given for all manner of sacrifices This is the first Oracle given from off the Mercy-seat There is the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first word of the Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written less then all his fellows and it seemeth by such a writing to hint and intimate that though this were a glorious Oracle yet was it small in comparison of what was to come when God would speak to his people by his own Son whom the Ark Mercy-seat and Oracle did represent CHAP. VIII IX THE seven days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons follow after the time of the setting up of the Tabernacle and were not coincident or concurrent with that time as the Jews very generally but very groundlesly do apprehend as Seder Olam Tanchum ex R. Joseph Baal Turim Ab Ezra R. Sol and others For 1. this command for their consecration is given out of the Tabernacle now erected as well as the rules for sacrifice were And 2. they abide the seven days in the Tabernacle Chap. 8. 33. and the very first day of the seven the congregation were gathered to the door vers 3 4. which undeniably shew that it was finished and set up when these seven days of consecration began CHAP. X. THE death of Nadab and Abihu was on the very first day that the service of the Altar began namely on that eighth day after the seven of the consecration when Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices for themselves and the people This appeareth plainly by comparing the third and fifteenth Verses of the ninth Chapter with the sixteenth Verse of this tenth Chapter and thus the service of the Sanctuary by an accident began with Death and Judgment NUMBERS IX to Ver. 15. AFter the end of the tenth Chapter of Leviticus in the proper order of story are the first fourteen Verses of the ninth Chapter of Numbers to be taken in which treat concerning the Passover For the Tabernacle being reared on the very first day of the second year of their coming out of Egypt namely on the first day of Nisan these orders and rules concerning Sacrifices and the Priests consecration were given and the eight days of Priests consecration and Sacrifices were accomplished before the fourteenth day of that month came when the Passover was to be kept by an old command given the last year in Egypt and by a second command now given in the wilderness so that this order and method is clear Now the reason why this story of this second Passover is not only not laid in its proper place in this Book of Leviticus but also out of its proper place in the Book of Numbers for the Book beginneth its story with the beginning of the second month but this story of the Passover belongeth to the first month The reason I say of this dislocation is because Moses his chief aim in that place is to shew and relate the new dispensation or command for a Passover in the second month which was a matter of very great moment For the translation of that feast a month beyond its proper time did the rather inforce the significancy of things future then of things past as rather recording the death of Christ to come then their delivery from Egypt when it hit not on that very night This story therefore of the Passover transferred to the second month upon some occasions being the matter that Moses chiefly aimed at and respected in that relation and history he hath set it in his proper place for so is that where it lies in the Book of Numbers and intending and aiming at the mention of that he hath also brought in the mention of the right Passover or that of the first month as it was necessary he should to shew the occasion of the other LEVITICUS XI XII XIII XIV XV. AFter the rules for things clean and fit for sacrifice the Lord cometh to give rules for things clean and fit to eat and clean and fit to touch for this was the tripartite distinction of clean or unclean in the Law Every thing that was unclean to touch was unclean to eat but every thing that was unclean to eat was not unclean to touch every thing that was unclean to eat was unclean to sacrifice but every thing that was unclean to sacrifice was not unclean to eat for many things might be eaten which might not be sacrificed and many things might be touched which might not be eaten And under the Law about clean and unclean there is exceeding much of the doctrine of sin and renovation touched considerable in very many particulars 1. By the Law of Moses nothing was unclean to be touched while it was alive but only man A man in Leprosie unclean to be touched Lev. 13. and a woman in her separation Lev. 12. but Dogs Swine Worms c. not unclean to be touched till they be dead Lev. 11. 31. 2. By the Law of Moses uncleanness had several degrees and Leprosie was the greatest There was uncleanness for a day as by touching a dead beast for a week as by touching a dead man for a month as a woman after Child-birth and for a year or more as Leprosie 3. Every Priest had equal priviledge and calling to judge of the Leprosie as well as the the high Priest 4. The Priests that were judges of Leprosie could not be tainted
with it see the notes at Numb 12. 5. The Priests could not make any man clean but only pronounce him clean 6. He that was Leprous all over and no place free was to be pronounced clean for it appeared that all the poyson was come forth and the danger of infecting others was past but he that had any part that was not scabby over he was unclean he that appears before God in any of his own righteousness like the proud Pharisee he hath his answer in that Parable but that humble confession of a poor sinner that shews him Leprous all over like that of the Publican obtains the best answer 7. The Leper that was cleansed had not his disease healed but the danger of the infection being over he was restored to the society of men again so that he was not so much clean unto himself as unto the Congregation CHAP. XVI THE solemn and mysterious Feast of Reconciliation instituted to be on the tenth day of the month Tisri the day that Moses had come down from the Mount with tydings of reconciliation betwixt God and the People as was said be-before And as the solemnity and carriage of the work of this day was a figure of good things to come in Christ so the very time it self had some respect that way for if Christ were not born and came into the World a Reconciler on that very day yet was he born and baptized nine and twenty years after in that very month CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX XX. XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV DIvers Laws are given concerning Offerings Marriages Festivals the Priests and other things and the main end of them all Piety Sanctity Charity and in them a distinction of Israel from other people CHAP. XXVI XXVII SAD denunciation of judgment upon disobedience and the valuation of persons in reference to redemption of vows Hosea speaketh in allusion to the rates and values mentioned here when he saith I bought her to me for fifteen shekels of silver and for an homer of barly and half an homer of barly Hos. 3. 2. The fifteen shekels was the value of a man above sixty years old Lev. 27. 7. The homer of barly which valued fifty shekels ver 16. was the value of a man from twenty years old to sixty ver 3. And half an homer which valued five and twenty shekels was for one from five years old to twenty twenty shekels ver 5. And from a month old to five years five shekels ver 6. World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 The Book of NUMBERS CHAP. I. ON the first day of the second month the Lord provided for the pitching of their camp as on the first day of the first month they had begun to erect the Tabernacle First the people are numbred from twenty years old and upwards and their sum amounteth to 603550. men of all which number only two men enter the land The Levites are not reckoned in this sum nor with this reckoning and accordingly they fall not under the same curse with the others of not entring into his rest Not a man impotent through old age in Israel CHAP. II. THeir Camp is pitched and the Sanctuary set just in the middle of it for Religion is the heart of a State The Levites pitch next unto it in a quadrangular body round about it at a certain distance The whole body of the army pitcheth at an other distance about them in the same form and 2000 cubits distance from the Tabernacle every side of the square carried its several colours Judah a Lion Ephraim a Bullock Reuben a Man Dan an Eagle Compare the description of Christ dwelling in the middest of the Christian Church Rev. 4. 4. The Ark the strength of the Lord Pitcheth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh Psal. 80. 2. CHAP. III. IV. THE Levites taken for the first-born of Israel and so interessed in every family among them The first-born had been Priests till the consecration of the Levites now that function must be confined to that Tribe The Levites ingaged to their service from nine and twenty years old compleat or thirty currant till fifty Our Saviours age at his entrance into his Ministry Luke 3. 23. answereth to this type CHAP. V. VI. A Law concerning uncleanness and offences that the Camp might continue in purity and unity chastity and unchastity tried miraculously The Law concerning Nazarites the only votaries of the people The Congregation to be blessed by the Priests in the name of the Trinity CHAP. VII VIII THE Princes offer to the Sanctuary and more ordinances are given about it That they offered not till they were ordered into their standards is plain by the order and method of their offering The Levites to be five years probationers at the Sanctuary before they take their office Chap. 8. 24. compared with Chap. 4. 23. CHAP. IX from Ver. 15. to the end And CHAP. X. to Ver. 11. BEfore the reading of the fifteenth Verse the Reader is to suppose a Passover to be kept the fourteenth day of this second month although the keeping of it be not expresly mentioned but only hinted for on the fourteenth day of the first month which was the proper day for the Passover some men because they were unclean could not observe it and upon their acquainting Moses with their case he presently gives them a warrant to keep it the fourteenth day of the next month which they did no doubt accordingly although it be not in plain terms related For the occurrences mentioned in the Book hitherto came to pass in the first thirteen days of the month save only the offering of the Princes which indeed began before the fourteenth day but continued World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 beyond it notwithstanding the Holy Ghost would conclude the story of their offering all together and on the fourteenth day those that had been unclean at the proper time of the Passover kept the Passover by a new ordinance so that the order of the story of this new Passover is most genuine and proper here but Moses could not relate the thing but he must relate the occasion namely because some could not keep it at the right time therefore he giveth the story of the right time here which as we shewed before lieth properly between the tenth and eleventh Chapters of Leviticus From the fifteenth Verse of this Chapter to the eleventh Verse of the tenth Chapter there is mention of two special things namely the dwelling of the cloud upon the Tabernacle and the making of the silver Trumpets which however they were indeed somewhat afore this time for the Cloud descended and the Trumpets were made before the fourteenth day of this month yet are they brought in here as relating to the removal of the Army which is mentioned in Chap. 10. vers 11. for then the Cloud was taken up and the Trumpets were sounded EXODUS XVIII BEtween the tenth and eleventh Verses of the tenth of Numbers as
Horhagidgad the first day of the fifth month and is lamented all that month CHAP. XXI SOme Canaanites are overcome here appeareth some glimpse of the performance of Gods promise but the people turning clean back again they begin to murmur Here the strange word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 5. and the scornful word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for Manna sheweth their scornfulness and fuming Seraphim Nehashim fiery Serpents or Serpents of a flame colour sting the murmurers and the brazen Serpent lifted up and looked at cureth them a figure of better things to come Joh. 3. 14. This brazen Serpent seemeth to have named the place Zalmonah Num. 33. 42. that is the place of the image and the coming up of the Serpents upon the people seemeth also to have named the place there about Maaleh Akrabbim The coming up of the Scorpions See Josh. 15. 3. From Zalmonah they remove to Pimon to Oboth to Ije Aharim by the border of Moab they are forbidden to invade Moab Deut. 2. 9. They pass the valley Zared and here all the generation numbred at Sinai is clean gone Deut. 2. 14. They coast along Moab and Ammon and so to the other side Arnon Deut. 2. 13 18 24. In Numb 21. ver 14. there is this Geographical quotation taken out of the book of the wars of the Lord which describeth that part of the Country thus Vaheh in Suphah and the brooks of Arnon and the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar and lieth upon the border of Moab This Book of the war of the Lord seemeth to have been some Book of remembrances and directions written by Moses for Joshua's private instructions in the managing of the wars after him see Exod. 17. 14 16. It may be this Book was also called Sepher Jasher liber rectus or a directory for Joshua from Moses what to do and what to expect in his wars and in it Moses directs the setting up of Archery 2 Sam. 1. 18. and warrants him to command the Sun and to expect its obedience Josh. 10. 13. From thence they come to Beer where the seventy Elders of the Sanhedrin by Moses appointment do bring forth waters by the stroke of their staves as he had done with the stroke of his Rod this great work and wonder and this great priviledge bestowed upon so many of them maketh all the people to sing for joy Sihon and Og conquered It is now six and twenty generations from the Creation or from Adam to Moses and accordingly doth Psal. 136. rehearse the durableness of Gods mercy six and twenty times over beginning World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 the story with the Creation and ending it in the conquest of Sihon and Og The numerals of the name Jehovah amount to the sum of six and twenty CHAP. XXII XXIII XXIV XXV BAlaam cannot curse Israel but curseth Amalek their first and Rome their last enemy He foretelleth that Israel shall be so prosperous and happy that he wisheth that his end might be like theirs He returns to his own place Chap. 24. 25. that is saith Baal Turim He went to hell as Acts 1. 25. He went not home to Syris his own Country but he went homeward and by the way falls in with Midian and giveth them the cursed counsel to intangle Israel with their Daughters and Idolatry Israel is yoked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Baal Peor not only to the Idol but to the women the old generation of wicked Israel is utterly gone and this new generation that must enter Canaan begins after their fathers with such courses as these there died for this sin 24000 men viz. 23000 by the plague 1 Cor. 10. 8. and 1000 by the hand of Justice CHAP. XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX THE people are numbred that must go into Canaan as those had been that came out of Egypt One family of Simeon that had gone into Egypt is extinct namely that of Ohad a Prince of Simeon had been chief actor in the matter of Peor Chap. 25. 14. It may be that utterly rooted out his stock Divers Laws given CHAP. XXXI XXXII MIdian destroyed though Abrahams children Reuben Gad and half Manasseh have thereby the quieter setling beyond Jordan when they say We will build us Sheepfolds and Cities Chap. 32. 6. and when the Text saith they did so ver 34. it is to be understood that they took course for such buildings for they themselves went over Jordan and were in Canaan wars seven years CHAP. XXXIII XXXIV XXXV XXXVI ISraels two and forty stations from Egypt to Jordan the borders of the Land the Cities of the Levites the disposal of Zelophohads daughters The Book of DEUTERONOMY THE sum of the Book of Deuteronomy is a rehearsal and explanation made to the children of the Law given to their fathers the time of the Book is but two months namely the two last months of their fortieth year divided into the time of Moses his repeating the Law and dying and Israels mourning thirty days for him There can be little dislocation of stories expected where there are so few stories at all and therefore it will be the less needful to insist much upon the Book when that which we chiefly aim at in this undertaking is already done namely the laying of the story in its proper method and order only some few things it may not be impertinent nor unprofitable to observe 1. Whereas Moses is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he explains this Law Chap. 1. 1. it is to be understood that he was over against Suph in Moab and not near the Red-sea see Numb 21. 14. Vaheb in Suphah World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 2. Speaking of the exclusion of the people out of Canaan for their murmuring at Kadesh Barnea upon the return of the Spies Numb 14. he brings in the story of his own exclusion as if it had been at the same time Chap. 1. 35 36 37. whereas it was not till eight and thirty years after but thus close and concisely doth the Scripture sometime use to speak in rehearsing known stories see Acts 7. 7. 3. He speaketh to the generation then present as if they had been the generation that was already perished and consumed in the wilderness see Chap. 1. ver 26. 27 34 35 c. for he puts the murmuring at Kadesh and the decree against entering into the Land upon these men present as if they had been the men whereas those men that were properly concerned in that business were already dead and gone But he useth this manner of stile 1. Because they were abundance of them capable of murmuring then as well as their fathers they being many thousands of them indeed under twenty years and yet not so much under but that they could be and could shew themselves as untowardly and unlucky as they that were above twenty years of age And by this manner of expression Moses would bring
them to be humbled some for their fathers guilt some for their own and some for both and to acknowledge that their being alive till now and their liberty to enter into the Land was a free and a great mercy for their own and their fathers faults might justly have caused it to have been otherwise with them 2. They had imitated their fathers rebellion to the utmost in their murmuring at Kadesh at their last coming up thither and in the matter of Baal Peor and therefore he might very well personate them by their fathers when their fathers faults were so legible and easie to be seen in them 4. He reckoneth not their second journy to Kadesh by name but slips by it Chap. 2. 1 4. Nor mentions their long wanderings for seven and thirty years together between Kadesh and Kadesh but only under this expression We compassed mount Seir many days Chap. 2. 1. because in that rehearsal he mainly insisteth but upon these two heads Gods decree against them that had first murmured at Kadesh and how that was made good upon them and Gods promise of bringing their children into the land and how that was made good upon them therefore when he hath largely related both the decree and the promise he hastens to shew the accomplishment of both 5. In rehearsing the Ten Commandments he proposeth a reason of the Sabbaths ordaining differing from that in Exodus there it was because God rested on the seventh day here it is because of their delivery out of Egypt and so here it respecteth the Jewish Sabbath more properly there the Sabbath in its pure morality and perpetuity And here is a figure of what is now come to pass in our Sabbath celebrated in memorial of Redemption as well as of Creation In the fifth Commandment in this his rehearsal there is an addition or two more then there is in it in Exod. 20. and the letter Teth is brought in twice which in the twentieth of Exodus was only wanting of all the letters 6. In Chap. 10. ver 6. 7 8. there is a strange and remarkable transposition and a matter that affordeth a double scruple 1. In that after the mention of the golden Calf in Chap. 9. and of the renewing of the Tables Chap. 10. which occurred in the first year after their coming out of Egypt he bringeth in their departing from Beeroth to Mosera where Aaron died which was in the fortieth year after now the reason of this is because he would shew Gods reconciliation to Aaron and his reconciliation to the people to Aaron in that though he had deserved death suddenly with the rest of the people that died for the sin of the golden Calf yet the Lord had mercy on him and spared him and he died not till forty years after and to the people because that for all that transgression yet the Lord brought them through that wilderness to a land of rivers of waters But 2. there is yet a greater doubt lies in these words then this for in Numb 33. the peoples march is set down to be from Moseroth to Bene Jahaan ver 31. and here it is said to be from Beeroth of Bene Jaahan to Moseroth there it is said Aaron died at mount Hor but here it is said He died at Moseroth now there were World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 seven several incampings between Moseroth and mount Hor Numb 33. 31 32 c. Now the answer to this must arise from this consideration that in those stations mentioned Numb 33. From Moseroth to Bene Jaahan to Horhagidgad c. they were marching towards Kadesh before their fortieth year and so they went from Moseroth to Bene Jaahan But in these stations Deut. 10. 6. they are marching from Kadish in their fortieth year by some of that way that they came thither and so they must now go from Bene Jaahan to Moseroth And 2. how Moseroth and mount Hor Gudgodah and Horhagidgad were but the * * * As Horeb and Sinai were though they be counted two several incampings of Israel Exod. 17. 1 6. and 19. 1. compared same place and Country and how though Israel were now going back from Kadish yet hit in the very same journies that they went in when they were coming thither as to Gudgodah or Horhagidgad to Jotbathah or Jotbath requires a discourse Geographical by it self which is the next thing that was promised in the Preface to the first part of the Harmony of the Evangelists and with some part of that work by Gods permission and his good hand upon the Work-man shall come forth 7. It cannot pass the Eye of him that readeth the Text in the Original but he must observe it how in Chap. 29. ver 29. the Holy Ghost hath pointed one clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To us and to our Children belong the revealed things after an extraordinary and unparalleld manner to give warning against curiosity in prying into Gods secrets and that we should content our selves with his revealed will 8. Moses in blessing of the Tribes Chap. 33. nameth them not according to their seniority but in another order Reuben is set first though he had lost the birth-right to shew his repentance and that he died not * * * So the Chaldee renders ver 6. Let Reuben live and not die the second death the second death Simeon is omitted because of his cruelty to Sichem and Joseph and therefore he the fittest to be left out when there were twelve Tribes beside Judah is placed before Levi for the Kingdoms dignity above the Priest-hood Christ being promised a King of that Tribe Benjamin is set before Joseph for the dignity of Jerusalem above Samaria c. 9. The last Chapter of the Book was written by some other then Moses for it relateth his death and how he was buried by the Lord that is by Michael Jude 9. or Christ who was to bury Moses Ceremonies The Book of JOSHUA THIS Book containeth a history of the seventeen years of the rule of Joshua which though they be not expresly named by this sum in clear words yet are they to be collected to be so many from that gross sum of four hundred and eighty years from the delivery out of Egypt to the laying of the foundation of solomons Temple mentioned 1 Kings 6. 1. for the Scripture hath parcelled out that sum into these particulars forty years of the people in the wilderness two hundred ninety and nine years of the Judges forty years of Eli forty of Samuel and Saul forty of David and four of Solomon to the Temples founding in all four hundred sixty three and therefore the seventeen years that must make up the sum four hundred and eighty must needs be concluded to have been the time of the rule of Joshua CHAP. I. World 2554 Ioshua 1 JOSHUA of Joseph succeedeth Moses the seventh from Ephraim 1 Chron. 7. 25. and in him first appeared Josephs birth-right 1 Chron. 5. 1. and
the last meaning The Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Job Ruth Esther c. Then do they tell that the Books were particularly thus ranked The five Books of Moses Joshua Judges Samuel Kings and then the Prophets among whom Jeremy was set first and then Ezekiel and after him Esay and then the twelve But they object was not Esay long before Jeremy and Ezekiel in time Why should he then be set after them in order And they give this answer The last Book of Kings ends with destruction and Jeremy is all destruction Ezekiel begins with destruction and ends with comfort and Esay is all comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore they joyned destruction and destruction together and comfort and comfort together And thus in their Bibles of old Jeremy came next after the Book of Kings and stood first in the volume of the Prophets So that Matthews alleadging of a Text of Zachary under the name of Jeremy doth but alleadge a Text out of the volume of the Prophets under his name that stood first in that volume And such a manner of speech is that of Christ Luke 24. 44. All things must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes in which he follows the general division that we have mentioned only he calleth the whole third part or Hagiographa by the title the Psalms because the Book of Psalms stood first of all the Books of that part In that saying Matth. 16. 14. Others say Jeremy or one of the Prophets there is the same reason why Jeremy alone is named by name viz. because his name stood first in the volume of the Prophets and so came first in their way when they were speaking of the Prophets CHRISTS Arraignment before Pilate The chiest Priests and Elders bring Jesus to Pilate but would not go into his House the House of a Heathen lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover John 18. 28. Why They had eaten the Passover over night at the same time that Jesus ate his and well they had spent the night after it But this day that was now come in was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their day of presenting themselves in the Temple and offering their Sacrifices and peace offerings of which they were to keep a solemn feasting and this John calls the Passover In which sense Passover Bullocks are spoken of Deut. 16. 2. 2 Chron. 30. 24. and 35. 8 9. The School of Shammai saith their appearing was with two pieces of silver and their chagigah with a Meah of silver But the School of Hillel saith their appearing was with a Meah of silver and their chagigah with two pieces of silver Their burnt offerings at this solemnity were taken from among common cattel but their peace offerings from their tithes He that keepeth not the chagigah on the first day of the feast must keep it all the feast c. Chagigah per. 1. Pilate conceives him brought to him as a common malefactor and therefore he bids them take him back and Judge him by their own Bench and Law and in these words he meant really and according as the truth was that it was in their power to judge and execute him and needed not to trouble him with him And when they answer We may not put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. They speak truly also and as the thing was indeed but the words of Pilate and theirs were not ad idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a tradition that fourty years before the Temple was destroyed capital Judgments were taken away from them Jerus in Sanhedr fol. 18. col 1. But how Not by the Romans for they permitted them the use of their Religion Laws Magistracy capital and penal executions and judgments in almost all cases as freely as ever they had and that both in their Sanhedrins within the Land and in their Synagogues without as far as the power of the Synagogues could reach at any time as might be proved abundantly if it were to be insisted on here The words then of these men to Pilate are true indeed That they could put no man to death but this was not as if the Romans had deprived the Sanhedrin of its power but because theeves murderers and malefactors of their own Nation were grown so numerous strong and heady that they had overpowred the Sanhedrins power that it could not it durst not execute capital penalties upon offenders as it should have done And this their own Writings witness Juchasin fol. 21. The Sanhedrin flitted fourty years before the destruction of the Temple namely from that time that the Temple doors opened of their own accord and Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said O Temple Temple Zechary of old prâ—phecied of thee saying Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may enter c. And also becausâ— that murderers increased and they were unwilling to judge Capital matters they flitted from place to place even to Jabneh c. which also is asserted in Schabb. fol. 51. Avodah Zarah fol. 8. When they perceive that Pilate no more received the impression of their accusation of him as a malefactor like others they then accuse him of Treason as forbidding to pay Tribute to Cesar and as saying that he himself was a King and this they thought would do the business Pilate hereupon takes him into his Judgment Hall for hitherto the Jews conference and his had been at his gate and questions him upon this point and Jesus plainly confesseth that he was a King but his Kingdom not of this world and therefore he needed not from him to fear any prejudice from the Romane power and so well satisfies Pilate that he brings him out to the gate again where the Jews stood and professeth that he found no fault in him at all Then the Jews lay in fresh accusations against him to which he answereth not a word Brought before Herod Pilate by a word that dropt from them understanding that he was of Galilee Herods Jurisdiction sent him to Herod who was now at Jerusalem partly because he would be content to have shut his hands of him and partly because he would court Herod towards the reconciling of old heart-burnings between them And now Jesus sees the monster that had murthered his forerunner Herod was glad to see him and had desired it a long time and now hoped to have got some miracles from him but he got not so much as one word though he questioned him much and the Jews who followed him thither did vehemently accuse him The old Fox had sought and threatned his death before Luke 13. 31 32. and yet now hath him in his hands and lets him go only abused and mocked and gorgeously arraied and so sends him back to Pilate that so he might court him again more then for any content he had that he should escape his hands See Acts 4. 27. Before Pilate again Pilate at his gate again talks
of the Section next going before Now since the Evangelist hath begun with the genealogy that also must here be taken in and that the rather because he hath placed it in the forefront of his Gospel for special reason First that he might make way for the understanding of those words of the Angel Joseph thou Son of David Verse 20. Secondly that the title which the wisemen give to our Saviour might be cleared when they call him King of the Jews Chap. 2. 2. Thirdly that his being the true and right Messias might be approved by shewing that according to the promises and Prophecies made before concerning him he was descended of the seed of Abraham and the stock of David For the two first and main things that the Jews would inquire after concerning our Saviour to try whether he were the true Messias or no would be these First whether he were of the house of David Secondly whether he were born in Bethlehem and so we find them questioning about him Joh. 7. 42. In this regard it was necessary that Mathew an Hebrew writing his Gospel for the Hebrews should at the very first entrance of it give them satisfaction in these two particulars which he doth accordingly shewing his descent from David in this Chapter and his birth in Bethlehem in the next Chapter following The last verse of this Section and Chapter He knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son c. may seem to interrupt the right order of the story and to bring in Christs birth before its time if we lay it here But since the Evangelist will say no more of it but only this and because we desire to break the text into as few peeces as possible this shall be let to lie where it doth without any transposition and we will imagine the two next Sections to be expositions at large upon what this verse doth but speak in brief Harmony and Explanation PUblike Registers of the Tribe of Judah and of the other Tribes that adhered to it were reserved even in the Captivity and forward as may be collected by the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah And from Lukes telling that Anna was of the Tribe of Aser and Pauls that himself was of the Tribe of Benjamin From one of these doth Matthew fetch the latter end of his genealogy and Luke from another the beginning of his having then the civil records to avouch for them if they should be questioned which the Jews now wanting do unjustly cavil The Son of David the Son of Abraham Jesus Christ is to be applyed unto both thus Jesus Christ the Son of David Jesus Christ the Son of Abraham as see the like phrase Gen. 36. 3. Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah the Daughter of Zibeon that is thus to be understood Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah Aholibamah the Daughter of Zibeon as that Chapter maketh it most clear And there is the like and far more largely Luke 3. 32. c. Now Abraham and David are named rather then any other First because one of them was father of the Jewish Nation and the other the first in the Kingdom of which Nation and Kingdom all Prophecies had told that Christ should come Secondly because the promise of Christ was made to these two in plainer termes then to any other David is first named first because the promise to him was fresher in memory plainer and more explicate secondly because the descent of the Messias from David was the main thing the Jews looked after in him thirdly the Holy Ghost doth hereby as it were beforehand answer the impious distinction so frequent among the Rabbines of Messias ben Joseph and Messias ben David Ver. 2. Judas and his brethren His Brethren are added from Gen. 49. 8. to comfort the dispersed Tribes that were not yet returned out of Captivity as Judah was in their equal interest in Christ as well as he as Hos. 1. 11. Ver. 3. Phares and Zara He nameth Zara because he would bring in their Mother Tamar Ismael and Esau the one a brother to Isaac the other a twin to Jacob are not named because they were both wicked but the brethren of Juda and the twin to Phares are named because they are both good At the birth of Jacob and Esau it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twins with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wanting because Esau one of them was evill But at the birth of Phares and Zara it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with that letter supplyed because both of them were good R. Sol. in Gen. 25. and 38. Of Thamar Four women are named in this genealogy women once of notorious infamy Tamar incestuous Rahab an harlot Ruth an Heathen and Bathsheba an Adulteress To shew that Christ came to heal all sores when he recured such sinners and that he despised not our shame when he shamed not to descend of such Parents Ver. 5. Rahab It can little be doubted but that he meaneth her mentioned Josh. 2. Now the Jews belike to deface the truth of Mathew who from ancient Records averreth her for the wife of Salmon have broached this tenet that she was married unto Joshua vid. Kimki in loc Ver. 8. Joram begat Ozias Here * * * * * * The seed of the wicked shall be cut off Psal. 37. 28. See the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seed and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked cut out of that Acrostical and Alphabetical Psalm at that very place three descents are omitted namely Ahaziah Joash and Amaziah as compare 2 Chron. 3. 2 Kings 8. But it is most divinely done from the threatning of the second Commandement Thou shalt not commit Idolatry for I visit the sins of the Fathers upon the children to the third and Fourth Generation Joram committed Idolatry like the house of Ahab for the daughter of Ahab was his wife 2 King 8. 18. Therefore it is just with God to visit that sin upon his children in sign of which he blotteth them out of this line to the fourth generation So is it the manner of Scripture very often to leave out mens names out of certain stories and Records to shew a distaste at some evil in them So all Cains posterity is blotted out of the Book of the Chronicles as it was out of the world by the Flood So Simeon is omitted in Moses blessing Deut. 33. for his cruelty at Shechem and to Joseph So Dan at the sealing of the Lords people Rev. 7. because of Idolatry begun in his Tribe Judg. 18. and so Joab from among Davids worthies 2 Sam. 23. because of his bloodiness to Amasa and Abner Such another close intimation of Gods displeasure at this wickedness of Joram is to be seen 2 Chron. 22. 1 2. where the reign of his Son Ahaziah is not dated according to the custom and manner of the other Kings of Judah but by the
hath more clear prediction concerning Christ than the book of Daniel And yet neither of these are taken in among the books of the Prophets as the Jews did commonly divide them in their Bibles and read them in their Synagogues but they come under the third part Cetubhim And therefore as by the Law here is to be understood all the Books of Moses so by the Prophets is to be understood all the Old Testament beside And so what is spoken in a Psalm is said to be spoken by a Prophet Matth. 13. 35. and Daniel is called a Prophet Matth. 24. 13. And so the Penman of the book of Job Esther Chronicles c. deserve the same name And this very consideration were argument enough if there were no more to plead Solomons salvation 2. That Christ is the general and chief subject of the Law and the Prophets And here are we got into a very large field if we would but traverse it to shew how Law and Prophets in types and prophesies did speak before of Christ but this consideration and particulars of it will be continually occurring and emerging as we go along 3. That when Nathaneel saith That we have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazaret he meaneth not that either Moses or the Prophets had so articulately named him but that Jesus of Nazaret proved to be he of whom they had written and spoken so much Vers. 46. Can there any good thing come out of Nazaret This seemeth to be spoken by Nathaneel not only as referring to the poorness and obscurity of the City Nazaret as that it is neither mentioned by the Prophets to be a producer of any good nor likely in it self to be so being a place of an inferior and contemptible rank but as referring rather to the wickedness and prophaneness of the place that it was so wretched and ungodly a City that it was unlikely that any good thing should come out of it The wickedness of the people of this place appeareth Luke 4. 29. when they are so desperate as to go about to murder Christ at his first appearing among them Vers. 47. compare Jer. 9. 4 5 6. Behold an Israelite indeed c. Although this be the character of every true Christian as Esay 65. 8. and it be accordingly conceived almost generally by Expositors that our Saviour aimeth only at such a thing here namely that this is one that serveth God sincerely and with a good heart and this is such a one as God requireth a man to be in the profession of Religion yet can I not apprehend this to be the sole and proper meaning and intention of these words for why might not the same have been spoken of and to Peter Andrew and Philip Certainly they were very sincere and upright towards God and were Israelites indeed without guile or hypocrisie in matter of Religion as well as Nathaneel their fetching one another to Christ and the readiness of them all in imbracing of Christ confirmeth this past all denial and it is hard and harsh to think that Christ should give that for a singular Encomion to Nathaneel which might generally be given to any of his Disciples when he nameth Simon Peter it was for some singular and peculiar respect and so when he nameth James and John Boanarges and doubtless when he passeth such a character as this upon Nathaneel it was for some regard and respect in which he was differenced from other men The cause and occasion therefore of this description of him by our Saviour I conceive rather to be Nathaneel's uprightness and deceitlesness towards men than towards God though his uprightness and sincerity towards God is by no means to be denied And it seemeth that this was a common name and title which Nathaneel had got among his neighbors and those that knew him for his very honest upright and exemplary dealing converse and integrity amongst them that he was commonly called the guiltless Israelite as that Roman was called verissimus for his exceeding great truthfulness And truly to me it is very probable that the great variety of names that we find divers men in Scripture to have had as some to have two names some three some more proceeded in very many of them from this very cause and occasion namely their neighbors and acquaintance observing some singular quality in them and action done by them gave them some denomination or other agreeable to that action or quality So Gedeon came by his name Jerubbaal Judg. 6. 32. and Jerubesheth 2 Sam. 11. 21. So Shemaiah the false Prophet came to be called the Nehelamite or the dreamer Jer. 29. 31. and divers others mentioned in Scripture and in Josephus some of which will be taken up in their due places Now it being a common title that Nathaneel had got among all that knew him to be called the Israelite without guile our Saviour when he sees him come towards him calls him by the same name and thereupon Nathaneel questions him how he came to know him that he could so directly hit upon his common denomination Vers. 48. When thou wast under the figtree I saw thee This seemeth to refer not only to his being under the figtree but to some private and secret action that he did there and for which he went thither And as our Saviour convinceth the woman of Samaria that he was the Messias by telling her of her evil actions that she did in the dark and secret so doth he Nathaneel by hinting some good things that he did from the eyes of men under a figtree before Philip light on him there as praying vowing or some other action which none knew of but himself And this appeareth rather to be the matter that Christ aimed at and that worketh in Nathaneel for his conviction because that it was possible that Christ might have been near the figtree himself as well as Philip and he might see Nathaneel and Nathaneel not see him and so might Nathaneel have supposed but when he telleth of some secret action that passed from him under the figtree which his conscience told him that no mortal eye could be conscious to but himself then he crys out Thou art the Son of God c. Vers. 49. Thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel This he speaketh from 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psal. 2. 6 7. Psal. 89. 26 27. Where God setteth his own and only begotten Son upon his hill of Zion and throne of David and to rule over the house of Jacob for ever Luke 1. 33. Vers. 51. Verily verily I say unto you In the Greek it is Amen Amen Now because this manner of expression is exceeding usual in the speeches of our Saviour through the Gospel sometimes single Amen as in the rest of the Evangelists and constantly doubled in John Amen Amen and because this is the first place according to our Harmony-order and method that we meet with the word at
into an hotch-potch of Religion in some things like the Jewish in many things exceeding Heathenish And the people sometime shewed friendship to the Jews sometimes enmity sometimes claiming kinred of them when they saw them in prosperity pretending to have been descended from Joseph but sometimes again scorning and despising them when they saw them brought to any ebb or in calamity Jos. Ant. l. 9. c. 14. lib. 12. cap. 7. 3. When the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin were brought to the lowest ebb and captived out of their own land into Babel then did these Samaritans get elbow-room and insolency against them against their coming to their own land again These were the main opposers and hinderers of the building of the Temple Ezra 4. called the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin vers 1. and the people of the land vers 4. yet pretending to seek God and to sacrifice as well as the Jews vers 2. c. Here the fewd and hatred began to be more apparent and as the Samaritans were thus bitter to the Jews so the Jews to their power were not behind hand with the Samaritans For if we may believe their own Authors Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gathered all the Congregation into the Temple and brought in three hundred Priests and three hundred books of the Law and three hundred Infants and they blew Trumpets and the Levites sung and chanted and cursed excommunicated and separated the Samaritans by the secret Name of God and by the glorious writing of the Tables and by the curse of the upper and lower house of Judgment that no Israelite eat of any thing that is a Samaritans for he that doth doth as if he eat swines flesh Nor that any Samaritan be proselyted to Israel nor have any part in the Resurrection as it is said what have you to do with us to build the house of the Lord our God Nor have you any part or right or memorial in Jerusalem And they wrote out and sent this curse to all Israel in Babel and they added thereto curse upon curse and the King fixed a curse everlasting to them as it is said And God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hands to alter it Haec R. Tanchuma fol. 17. 4. Hitherto the Samaritans after the captivity of the ten Tribes were Heathenish and no Jews among them save one or a few Priests to teach them the Law according to the ten Tribes usage of it and as it seemeth by Aben Ezra on Esth. 1. they had the book of Moses law among them but in so wild a translation that the first verse of it was read thus In the beginning Ashima created heaven and earth What Ashima meaneth see 2 King 17. 30. but from the times of Ezra and Nehemiah exceeding many Jews began to be mingled among them and became Samaritans The main occasion was this One of the sons of Jojada the son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite a chief man among the Samaritans for which cause he was driven from the Priesthood by Nehemiah Neh. 13. 28. Josephus nameth both the man and the woman and relateth the full story to this purpose Manasses saith he the brother of Jaddua the High Priest had maried Nicasso the daughter of Sanballat Which thing the Elders of the Jews taking exceeding ill as a violation of their Laws and as an introduction to strange marriages they urged that either he should put away his wife or that he should be put away from the Priesthood Yea and Jaddua his brother drave him away from the Altar that he should not Sacrifice Whereupon Manasses addressing himself to his Father in Law Sanballat tells him that it was true indeed that he loved his daughter Nicasso most dearly but yet would not lose his function for her sake it being hereditary to him by descent and honourable among his Nation To this Sanballat replied that he could devise such a course as that he should not only injoy his Priesthood still but also obtain an High Priesthood and be made a primate and metropolitane of a whole Country on condition that he would keep his daughter still and not put her away For he would build a Temple on mount Gerizim over Sichem like the Temple at Jerusalem and this by the consent of Darius who was now Monarch of the Persian Empire Manasses imbraced such hopes and promises and abode with his Father in Law thinking to obtain an High Priesthood from the King And whereas many of the Priests and people at Jerusalem were intricated in the like marriages they fell away to Manasses and Sanballat provided them lands houses and subsistence But Darius the King being overthrown by Alexander the Great Sanballat revolted to Alexander and did him homage and submitted both himself and his Dominion unto him and having now gotten an opportunity he made his Petition to him and obtained it of building this his Temple And that that helped him in this his request was that Jaddua the High Priest at Jerusalem had incurred Alexanders displeasure for denying him help and assistance at the siege of Tyrus Sanballat pleaded that he had a son in Law named Manasses brother to Jaddua to whom many of the Jews were very well affected and followed after him and might he but have liberty to build a Temple on mount Gerizim it would be a great weakning of Jaddua for by that means the people would have a fair invitation to revolt from him Alexander easily condescended to his request and so he fell on to build his Temple with might and main When it was finished it caused a great Apostasie at Jerusalem for very many that were accused and indited for eating of forbidden meats for violating the Sabbath or for other crimes fled away from Jerusalem to Sichem and to mount Gerizim and that became as a common Sanctuary for offenders To this purpose Josephus To which it may not be impertinent to add the relation of R. Abrah Zaccuth about this matter When Alexander the Great saith he went from Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite went forth to him with some Israelites and some of the sons of Joshua the High Priest who had made marriages with the Samaritans and whom Ezra and Nehemiah had driven from the house of the Lord and he desired of Alexander that the Priests his sons in law might build a Temple in mount Gerizim and the King commanded that it should be done and so they built a Temple Thus was Israel divided half the people after Simeon the Just and Antigonus his scholar and their society following what they had received from the mouth of Ezra and the Prophets And the other half after Sanballat and his sons in Law and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed out from the house of the Lord and made ordinances of their own invention And Manasseh the son in Law of Sanballat the son of Joshua the son
saith to him That is not lawful For as the Law was given in fear and terror so must it be used with fear and terror The same man went into a Synagogue and saw the Angelus Ecclesiae reading and setting no man by him no Interpreter as Alphesi expounds it He saith to him That is unlawful for it was given by the hand of a Mediator so is it to be used by the hand of a Mediator He also went into a Synagogue and saw a Scribe reading his interpreting out of a Book He saith to him That is unlawful for what by word of mouth by word of mouth and what out of the book out of the book The Reader of the Haphtaroth or portion out of the Prophets was ordinarily one of the number of those that had read the Law he was called out to read by the Minister of the Congregation he went up into the desk had the Book of the Prophet given him began with Prayer and had an Interpreter even as it was with them that read the Law And under these Synagogue rulers are we to understand Christs reading in the Synagoue at this time namely as a member of the Synagogue called out by the Minister reading according to the accustomed order the portion in the Prophet when the Law was read and it is like he had read some part of the Law before and having an Interpreter by him to render into Syriack the Text he read he then begins in Syriack to preach upon it Now if it be questioned Under what notion may the Minister of the Congregation be thought to call him out to read It may be answered 1. It is possible he had done so many a time before while Christ lived amongst them as a private man for though none but men learned and in orders might Preach and Teach in their Synagogues yet might even boys and servants if need were read there if so be they were found able to read well And Christ though his education was but mean according to the condition of his parents John 7. 15. yet it is almost past peradventure that he was brought up so as to read as generally all the children of the Nation were 2. Christ in other parts of Galilee had shewed his wisdom and his works and his fame was spread abroad and no doubt was got to Nazareth where he was best known and this would readily get him such a publick tryal in the Synagogue if he had never been upon that imployment before to see what evidences he would give of what was so much reported of him Vers. 17. And there was delivered to him the Book of Esaias It is a tradition and so it was their practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they read not in the Synagogues in the five books of Moses bound together but every book of the five single by it self And so also may it be conceived they did by the Prophets that the three great Prophets Esay Jeremy Ezekiel were every one single and the twelve small Prophets bound together And we may conclude upon this the rather because they had also this Tradition and practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Maphtir or he that read in the Prophets might skip from passage to passage that is from one text to another for illustration of the matter he read upon but he might not skip from Prophet to Prophet but only in the twelve small Prophets The delivering of the Book unto him by the Minister to whom he also delivers it again when he hath read vers 20. doth confirm what was said before that Christ stood up to read as a member of the Synagogue and in the ordinary way of reading used there for so it was the custom of the Minister to give the book to those that did so read But if Christ had gone about to read beside or contrary to the common custom of the place it can little be thought that the Minister would so far have complied with him as to give him the Book that he might read irregularly or beside the custom To which may also be added that if our Saviour intended only to rehearse this passage of Esay that he might take it for his text to ground his discourse upon he could have done that by heart and had not needed the Book but it sheweth that he was the Reader of the second Lesson or of the Prophets this day in the ordinary way as it is used to be read by some or other of that Synagogue every Sabbath § He found the place where it was written c. Not by chance but intentionally turned to it Now whether this place that he fixed on were the proper lesson for the day may require some dispute They that shall peruse the Haphtaroth or Lessons in the Prophets which were precisely appointed for every Sabbath to be read will find some cause to doubt whether this portion of the Prophet that our Saviour read were by appointment to be read in the Synagogue at all But not to insist upon this scrutiny in the reading of the Prophets they were not so very punctual as they were in the reading of the Law R. Alphes ubi supr but they might both read less than was appointed and they might skip and read other where than was appointed And so whether our Saviour began in some other portion of the Prophet and thence passed hither to illustrate what he read there though the Evangelist hath only mentioned this place as most punctual and pertinent to Christs discourse or whether he fixed only upon this place and read no more than what Luke hath mentioned it is not much material to controvert his reading was so as gave not offence to the Synagogue and it is like it was so as was not unusual in the Synagogue He that read in the Prophets was to read at the least one and twenty verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if he finished the sense in less he needed not to read so many Megill Maym. ubi ante Vers. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me The Jews in the interpretation of this Scripture do generally apply the sense and truth of it to the Prophet himself as the Eunuch was ready to apply another place in this same Prophet Acts 8. 34. So the Chaldee renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prophet saith The spirit of Prophecy from before the Lord is upon me And David Kimchi These are the words of the Prophet concerning himself In which application they did not much amiss to bring the meaning of the words to Esay himself if they did not confine and limit the truth of them there For the words do very well speak the function of the Prophet his calling and Ministery being to those very ends and purposes that are named here but to restrain it to him only is to lose the full and vigorous sense of it which the words hold out and which the Prophet could not reach unto to have
9. I believe that he shall overcome death This Israel saw by necessary conclusion that if Christ should fall under death he did no more than men had done before His Resurrection they saw in Aarons Rod Manna Scapegoate Sparrow c. 10. I believe to be saved by laying hold upon his merits Laying their right hand upon the head of every beast that they brought to be offered up taught them that their sins were to be imputed to another and the laying hold on the horns of the Altar being sanctuary or refuge from vengeance taught them that anothers merits were to be imputed to them yet that all offenders were not saved by the Altar Exod. 21. 12. 1 King 2. 29. the fault not being in the Altar but in the offender it is easie to see what that signified unto them Thus far each holy Israelite was a Christian in this point of doctrine by earnest study finding these points under the vail of Moses The ignorant were taught this by the learned every Sabbath day having the Scriptures read and expounded unto them From these ground works of Moses and the Prophets Commentaries thereupon concerning the Messias came the schools of the Jews to be so well versed in that point that their Scholars do mention his very name Jesus the time of his birth in Tisri the space of his preaching three years and an half the year of his death the year of Jubile and divers such particulars to be found in their Authors though they knew him not when he came amongst them SECTION XXVIII The Covenant made with Israel They not sworn by it to the ten Commandments Exod. 24. WHEN Israel cannot indure to hear the ten Commandments given it was ready to conclude that they could much less keep them Therefore God giveth Moses privately fifty seven precepts besides namely Ceremonial and Judicial to all which the people are the next morning after the giving of the ten Commandments sworn and entred into Covenant and these made them a Ceremonial and singular people About which these things are observable 1. That they entred into Covenant to a written Law Chap. 24. 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord c. Against traditions 2. That here was a book written forty days before the writing of the two Tables Against them that hold that the first letters that were seen in the world were the writing of God in those Tables And we have seen before also two pieces of writing before this of Moses viz. the eighty eighth and eighty ninth Psalms And of equal Antiquity with them or not much less was the penning of the book of Job most probably written by Eliâ—u one of the Speakers in it as may be conjectured from Chap. 32. 15 16 17. and some other probability 3. That this first Covenant was made with water and blood and figurative language For the twelve pillars that represented the people are called the people Exod. 24. 4. 8. As the words in the second Covenant this my Body are to be understood in such another sense 4. That the ten Commandments were not written in the book of that Covenant but only those 57. precepts mentioned before For 1. The Lord giveth the other precepts because the people could not receive the ten for could they have received and observed those as they ought they must never have had any parcel of a Law more as if Adam had kept the Moral Law he had never needed to have heard of the promise and so if we could but receive the same Law as we should we had never needed the Gospel Now it is most unlike that since God gave them those other commands because they could not receive the ten that he would mingle the ten and them together in the Covenant 2. It is not imaginable that God would ever cause a people to swear to the performance of a Law which they could not indure so much as to hear 3. The ten Commandments needed not to be read by Moses to the people seeing they had all heard them from the mouth of the Lord but the day before 4. Had they been written and laid up in this book what necessity had there been of their writing and laying up in the Tables of stone 5. Had Moses read the ten Commandments in the beginning of his book why should he repeat some of them again at the latter end as Exod. 23. 12. Let such ruminate upon this which hold and maintain that the Sabbath as it standeth in the fourth Commandment is only the Jewish Sabbath and consequently Ceremonial And let those good men that have stood for the day of the Lord against the other consider whether they have not lost ground in granting that the fourth Commandment instituted the Jewish Sabbath For First The Jews were not sworn to the Decalogue at all and so not the Sabbath as it standeth there but only to the fifty seven precepts written in Moses his book and to the Sabbath as it was there Exod. 23. 12. Secondly The end of the Ceremonial Sabbath of the Jews was in remembrance of their delivery out of Aegypt Deut. 5. 15. but the moral Sabbath of the two Tables is in commemoration of Gods resting from the works of Creation Exod. 20. 10 11. SECTION XXIX The punishment of Israel for the golden Galf. Exod. 32. ISRAEL cannot be so long without Moses as Moses can be without meat The fire still burneth on the top of mount Sinai out of which they had so lately received the Law and yet so suddainly do they break the greatest Commandment of that Law to extreamity of Aegyptian Jewels they make an Aegyptian Idol because thinking Moses had been lost they intended to return for Aegypt Griveous was the sin for which they must look for grievous punishment which lighted upon them in divers kinds First the Cloud of Glory their Divine conductor departeth from the Camp which was now become prophane and unclean Secondly the Tables Moses breaketh before their face as shewing them most unworthy of the Covenant Thirdly the Building of the Tabernacle the evidence that God would dwell among them is adjourned and put off for now they had made themselves unworthy Fourthly for this sin God gave them to worship all the host of Heaven Acts 7. 42. Fiftly Moses bruised the Calf to Powder and straweth it upon the waters and maketh the People drink Here spiritual fornication cometh under the same tryal that carnal did Numb 5. 24. These that were guilty of this Idolatry the water thus drunk made their belly to swell and to give a visible sign and token of their guilt then setteth Moses the Levites to slay every one whose bellies they found thus swelled which thing they did with that zeal and sincerity that they spared neither Father nor Brother of their own if they found him guilty In this slaughter there fell about three thousand these were ring-leaders and chief agents in this abomination and therefore made thus exemplary
Beza in this place and indeed in hundreds of other places for he doth rather suspect the truth and purity of this Text than believe the story that so many Priests should believe And yet it seemeth among all his Greek Copies there was not one that read otherwise Truly it is a daring that deserves castigation in him that when he either understandeth not the perfect meaning of a place or findeth difficulty in it or hath fancied a sense contrary to it that he should throw dirt into the face of the Scripture and deny the purity of the Greek text before he will ungive any thing of his own groundless opinion Honorable is the memory of that man in the Church of God and his name as a sweet perfume among us but I would this his boldness which he took to himself continually had not given so great occasion to Jews and Papists to bark against the purity of the Text and the truth of the Gospel as it hath done Vers. 9. The Synagouge of the Libertines That is of Jews that were freeborn as Paul Act. 22. 28. viz. the sons of those Jews that had obtained the Roman freedom He that from a slave or servant obtained manumission and liberty was called libertus and his child born to him in this freedom was libertinus Vers. 15. His face as the face of an Angel Stephen is accused by the students of this Libertine Colledge of blasphemy against Moses and the Temple for preaching of the destruction of his ceremonies and of that place whereas he spake but what Moses and an Angel had foretold before Deut. 28. and 32. Dan. 9. and accordingly his face hath the splendor of an Angel and shineth like the face of Moses Acts VII Vers. 2. Men Brethren THAT is Brethren for the word men is added only by an Hebrew Elegancy and custom as Gen. 13. 8. we are Men Brethren which our English hath well rendred we are Brethren so vers 26. of this Chapter §. When he was in Mesopotamia For Chaldea was also reckoned to Mesopotamia and so Pliny accounteth it Lib. 6. Nat. Hist. cap. 26. Babylon Chaldaicarum gentium caput diu summam claritatem obtinuit in toto orbe propter quam reliqua pars Mesopotamiae Assyriaeque Babylonia appellata est And afterwards Sunt etiamnum in Mesopotamia Hipparenum Chaldaeorum hoc sicut Babylon And presently after Orchein quoque tertia Chaldaeorum doctrina in eodem situ locantur Vers. 3. And said unto him Get thee out of thy Country Divers expositors have intricated themselves into a perplexitie they cannot well tell how to get out of by supposing these words and the words of Moses Gen. 12. 1. to be the same and to speak of the same time and thing whereas they are visibly and vastly distant and different and they mean two several calls of God to Abraham the one in Chaldea the other in Charran In Chaldea God appears to him and bids him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred but maketh no mention of leaving his fathers house for that he took along with him Gen. 11. 31. The Holy Ghost indeed hath ascribed the conduct of this journy to Terah as if he had received the call and had been the chief mover in the business but it is only to shew his conversion and forsaking of his native Country and Idolatry and his readiness to go with Abram when God calleth Abram but that the call was to Abram it is not only asserted by Stephen here and Joshuah Chap 24. 2. but also confessed by some of the Jews themselves as Aben Ezra on Gen. 12. 1. The Lord commanded Abram whilst he was yet in Ur of the Chaldees that he should leave his Country But when God calls him from Haran or Charran he then bids him depart from his fathers house as well as he had done from his country and kindred before for now he left his brother Nahor and all his fathers house behind him Had this been observed there could never so many sâ—ruples have risen about Terahs age at Abrahams birth nor about Abrahams journey as there have done nor would there be such ambiguity about translating the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 12. 1. as there hath been The story in Genesis runs current and in a continuation and may be illustrated in this Paraphrase God in Ur of the Chaldees appeared to Abraham and said unto him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred but take thy fathers house with thee and go to a land which I shall shew thee And when Abram told Terah of this command Terah condescended and consented And Terah took Abram and Lot and Sarai and they Terah and Abram went with them from Ur to Haran and dwelt there And Terah died in Haran And then God saith to Abram Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house also now and go into Canaan c. And to take away all cavils that might be made against the matter in this respect in that both Ur and Haran are called Abrams country and kindred Stephen hath laid them both in Mesopotamia as is noted before Vers. 5. Not so much as to set his foot on As Deut. 2. 5. Abram was forced to buy a place of burial though all the land was given him by promise Vers. 6. And intreat them evil four hundred years There is a double sum of years mentioned concerning the seed of Abraham namely four hundred and four hundred and thirty Gen. 15. 13. Exod. 12. 40. The four hundred and thirty was from Abrams receiving of the promise to the delivery out of Egypt And the four hundred was from the fifth year of Isaac to that delivery Then did Ismael mock and then began affliction to Abrahams seed and from thence they were in affliction and sojourning in a strange land Canaan and Egypt four hundred years See the LXX at Exod. 12. 40. Vers. 7. And serve me in this place This clause is here alledged by Steven as if it had been spoken to Abraham whereas it was spoken to Moses four hundred years after but the holy Ghost useth to speak short in known stories as Matth. 1. 12. 1 Chron. 1. 36. Mark 1. 2 3. c. Vers. 14. Threescore and fifteen souls Whereas Moses saith that all the souls of the family of Jacob that went down into Egypt were but threescore and ten Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 5. Deut. 10. 22. Stephen inlargeth the number and saith threescore and fifteen and herein he followeth the Septuâ—gint who in the two first cited places have that sum and they make up the account in Gen. 46. by fetching the names of five children of Joseph out of the book of Chronicles which Moses mentioned not and which indeed were not born at their going into Egypt but after and these are Machir Giliad Shutelah Tahen and Eden and the reason of this their reckoning I have shewed elswhere viz. In Harm
from the Phaenicians And Euphorus thinks that Cadmus was he that conveyed them Chaerilus in Eusebius makes Phaenicians and Jews all one For he nameth Jews in Xerxes army and names their Tongue the Phaenician his words be these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English thus A wondrous people marcht behind along Their Dialect was the Phaenician Tongue On hill of Solymae they dwelt thereby A spacious lake not far remote doth lie These Phaenicians if you will call them so or Jews were the first that had Letters But the Jews were not Phaenicians indeed nor their Tongue the same yet for bordering of their Countries the Poet makes them all one The Phaenician is not now to be had unless the * * * The Syrian translating of the word Phaenicia in the New Testament seems to confirm this for true Punick or Carthaginian and Phaenick or Phaenician were all one which most like they were And then some few lines of the Tongue are to be found in Plautus his Paenulus which as Paraeus saith can little or nothing be made of Eusebius speaks of Sancuniathou that wrote the Phaenician History in the same Tongue but more of the Language he saith not But to the matter That Letters were so long in use before the giving of the Law I am induced to believe upon these reasons First Josephus is of this mind that Letters were before the Flood And the Scripture cites Enochs Prophesie which whether it were written by him or not is uncertain yet if there were any such thing those many places which we find of it in Tertullian Clemens and others do argue that so much could not punctually be kept by word of mouth A second reason to move me to think of Letters before the giving of the Law is to think of Josephs accounts in Egypt which seem almost impossible without writing Thirdly But omitting that I cannot see how all Arts and Sciences in the World should then flourish as considering their infancy they did without the groundwork of all Learning Letters Fourthly Again for the Jews upon the writing of the Law to be put to spelling as they that had never seen letters before and not to be able to read it had been a Law upon the Law adding to the hardness of it Fifthly Nor can I think that when Moses saith blot me out of thy book that he taketh the Metaphor from his own books which it is probable he had not yet written but from other books which were then abounding in the world Sixthly The Egyptian Chronicles of so many thousand years in Diodorus and Laertius I know are ridiculous yet their carefulness of keeping Records I have ever believed The Greeks were boys to them as it is in Plato and Moses was Scholar to them or their learning Act. 7. Now I cannot think that this their exceeding Humane Learning was kept only in their brains and none in writing Nor do I think that if it were written that it was decyphered only in their obscure Hieroglyphicks but that some of it came to ordinary writing of familiar letters CHAP. XXX Of the Hebrew Tongue WHO so will go about to commend the Hebrew Tongue may justly receive the censure that he of Rome did who had made a long book in the praise of Hercules This labour is in vain for never any one dispraised Hercules Other commendations this Tongue needeth none than what it hath of it self namely for Sanctity it was the Tongue of God and for Antiquity it was the Tongue of Adam God the first founder and Adam the first speaker of it In this Tongue were laid up the Mysteries of the Old Testament It begun with the World and the Church and continued and increased in glory till the Captivity in Babel which was a Babel to this Tongue and brought to confusion this Language which at the first confusion had escaped without ruine At their return it was in some kind repaired but far from former perfection The Holy Scriptures viewed by Ezra a Scribe fit for the Kingdom of Heaven in whose treasure were things New and Old In the Maccabean times all went to ruine Language and Laws and all lost and since that time to this day the pure Hebrew hath lost her familiarity being only known by Scholars or at least not without teaching Our Saviours times spake the Syrian Kepha Golgotha Talitha and other words do witness In aftertimes the unwearied Masorites arose helpers to preserve the Bible Hebrew intire and Grammarians helpers to preserve the Idiome alive but for restoring it to the old familiarity neither of them could prevail For the Jews have at this day no abiding City no Common-wealth no proper Tongue but speak as the Countries wherein they live This whereof they were once most nice is gone and this groat they have lost As the man in Seneca that through sickness lost his memory and forgot his own Name so they for their sins have lost their Language and forgot their own Tongue Their Cain like wandring after the murther of their brother according to the flesh Christ Jesus hath lost them this precious mark of Gods favour and branded them with a worse mark Cauterio conspirationis antiquae as saith Saint Bernard in another case Before the confusion of Tongues all the world spake their Tongue and no other but since the confusion of the Jews they speak the Language of all the World and not their own And that it is not with them so only of late but hath been long Theodoret beareth witness in these words Other Nations saith he have their children speaking quickly in their own mother Tongue Howbeit there are no children of the Hebrews who naturally spake the Hebrew Tongue but the Language of the Country where they are born Afterward when they grow up they are taught the letters and learn to read the Holy Scripture in the Hebrew Tongue Thus Theod. in quaest on Gen. 59. 60. About this their training up of their Children and growth of Men in their own Tongue and Learning a Rabbin hath this saying in Pirke Auoth Perek 1. Ben He he saith At five years old for the Scripture at ten for Mishneh at thirteen * * * Or Philacterits c. for the Commandment at fifteen for the Talmud At eighteen for Mariage at twenty for Service at thirty for Strength at forty for Understanding at fifty for Counsel at sixty for Old age at seventy for Gray Hairs at eighty ‖ ‖ ‖ Or fortitude of mind or God for Profoundness at ninety for Meditation at one hundred he is as Dead and past and gone out of the World The Jews look for a pompous Kingdom when Messias the Son of David shall come whom they watch for every moment till he come as it is in the twelfth Article of their Creed in their Common Prayer Book He shall restore them as they hope a temporal Kingdom and of that mind till they were better taught were the Apostles Acts 1.
answer in the very words of their vulgar Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis Take heed you do not make them your Justification CHAP. XLII An Emblem A Wall in Rome had this picture A man painted naked with a whip in one hand and four leaves of a book in the other and in every leaf a word written In the first Plango I mourn Is the second Dico I tell In the third volo I will and in the fourth facio I do Such a one in the true repentant He is naked because he would have his most secret sins laid open to God He is whipped because his sins do sting himself His book is his repentance His four words are his actions In the first he mourns in the second he confesses in the third he resolves and in the fourth he performs his resolution Plango I mourn there is sight of sin and sorrow Dico I tell there is contrition for sin and confession Volo I will there is amending resolution Facio I do there is performing satisfaction CHAP. XLIII Mahhanaiim Gen. 32. 2. AND Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Jacob said when he saw them This is the Host of the Lord and he called the name of the place Mahanaim The word is dual and tels of two Armies and no more what these two Armies were the Jews according to their usual vein do find strange expositions To omit them all this seems to me to be the truth and reason of the name There was one company with Jacob which afterwards he calls his army and there was another company of Angels which he calls the Army of God These are the two Armies that gave name to Mahanaim two Armies one heavenly and the other earthly and from this I take it Salomon compares the Church * to the company of Mahanaim for so the Church consisteth Cant. 6. 12. of two Armies one heavenly like these Angels which is the Church triumphant and the other travailing on earth like Jacobs Army which is the Church militant CHAP. XLIV The book of Psalms THE Psalms are divided into five books according to the five Books of Moses and if they be so divided there be seventy books in the Bible the unskilful may find where any one of these five books end by looking where a Psalm ends with Amen there also ends the book As at Psal. 41. 72. 89. 106. and from thence to the end These may even in their very beginnings be harmonized to the books of the Law Gensis The first book of Moses telleth how happiness was lost even by Adams walking in wicked counsel of the Serpent and the Woman Psal. 1. The first book of Psalms tells how happiness may be regained if a man do not walk in wicked counsel as of the Serpent and Woman the Divel and the Flesh. This allusion of the first book Arnobius makes Exodus The second book of Moses tells of groaning affliction in Egypt Psal. 42. The second book of Psalms begins in groaning affliction Psal. 42. 43. Leviticus The third book of Moses is of giving the Law Psal. 73. The third book of Psalms tells in the beginning how good God is for giving this Law This allusion Rab. Tanch makes very near Numbers The fourth book of Moses is about numbring Psal. 90. The fourth book begins with numbring of the best Arithmetick numbring Gods mercy Psal. 90. 1. and our own days vers 12. Deuteronomy The last book of Moses is a rehearsal of all Psal. 107. So is the last book of the Psalms from Psal. 107. to the end In the Jews division of the Scripture this piece of the Psalms and the books of the like nature are set last not because they be of the least dignity but because they be of least dependance with other books as some of them being no story at all and some stories and books of lesser bulk and so set in a form by themselves The Old Testament books the Jews acrostically do write thus in three letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every letter standing for a word and every word for a part of the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Aorajetha or Torah the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Nebhiim the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Cethubhim or books of Holy Writ this division is so old that our Saviour himself useth it in the last of Luke and vers 44. All things written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms By the Psalms meaning that part of Cethubhim in which the Psalms are set first CHAP. XLV Of the Creation TWO ways we come to the knowledge of God by his Works and by his Word By his Works we come to know there is a God and by his Word we come to know what God is His Works teach us to spell his Word teacheth us to read The first are as it were his back parts by which we behold him a far off The latter shews him to us face to face The World is as a book consisting of three leaves and every leaf Printed with many Letters and every Letter a Lecture The leaves Heaven the Air and Earth with the Water The Letters in Heaven every Angel Star and Planet In the Air every Meteor and Soul In the Earth and Waters every Man Beast Plant Fish and Mineral all these set together spell to us that there is a God and the Apostle saith no less though in less space Rom. 1. 20. For the * * * In the Syrian translation it is the hid things of God invisible things of him that is his eternal Power and Godhead are seen by the creation of the World being considered in his Works And so David Psal. 19. 1. It is not for nothing that God hath set the Cabinet of the Universe open but it is because he hath given us Eyes to behold his Treasure Neither is it for nothing that he hath given us Eyes to behold his Treasure but because he hath given us Hearts to admire upon our beholding If we mark not the Works of God we are like Stones that have no Eyes wherewith to behold If we wonder not at the Works of God when we mark them we are like Beasts that have no Hearts wherewith to admire And if we praise not God for his Works when we admire them we are like Devils that have no Tongues wherewith to give thanks Remarkable is the story of the poor old man whom a Bishop found most bitterly weeping over an ugly Toad being asked the reason of his Tears his answer was I weep because that whereas God might have made me as ugly and filthy a creature as this Toad and hath not I have yet never in all my life been thankful to him for it If the works of the Creation would but lead us to this one Lecture our labour of observing them were well bestowed How much more
all the length of the River that was in Judea 478 528 Passover when Instituted p. 27. Several particulars concerning it p. 708 709. The manner of the celebration of it p. 951. The Difference and Parallel between the Passover in Egypt and the Passover in succeeding Ages p. 952. The manner of the choosing the Lamb. p. 952 953. The passages of the afternoon of the Passover Day what p. 954. The Time of killing the Passover p. 955 c. The Paschal Societies p. 956. Women were not bound to appear at the Passover but yet they usually did with the Reasons p. 956. The killing the Passover with the Hymn that was Sung in the mean while p. 262 957. The Manner or Method of eating it at evening Sitting they began with Thanksgiving then with a Cup of Wine and they were to drink four of them their Bread was unleavened they also used five kinds of Herbs Lettice Endive Succory Beets Horehound p. 959 to 965. They washed their Hands several times p. 959 964 965. The Lamb roasted was set whole on the Table they began with other Meat they used a thick Sauce p. 962 963. They gave thanks when they began on every differing part p. 959 to 965. Then the cup of blessing p. 964 965. The fourth cup of Wine then they finish with Prayers and Praises p. 967. It was a full Representation of Christs Passion it gives good instructions for the Lords Supper p. 1008. The Jews find thirteen Precepts about keeping the Passover 1009 Passover week the Riâ—es and Solemnity of the first Day p. 968. The second Day 969 Pastors one of the Titles of the Gospel Ministers 228 Patriarchs all their Bones were brought out of Egypt and buried at Sichem 781 782 Paul's Conversion c. wonderful 281 283 Paul's greatest enemies were the Hellenists because he had been one of them p. 283. He had a Trade and wrought with his Hands after he was an Apostle p. 295. He is inferior to none in wickedness except that it was not final and inferior to none in Holyness his rare History and Life with all his Travels and Affairs 789 to 794 813 to 816 Peace was universal when Christ first approved in the World 425 Peace offering of rejoycing what 968 Penalties inflicted upon unclean Persons found in the Temple what p. 901 902. Penalties Capital the Jews had four sorts of them Stoning Burning Slaying with the Sword and Strangling 2006. * Penitents comfort for them drawn out of the Scripture Genealogy 26 Pentecost Feast was a Return or Offering of the Harvest of the Jews called the Feast of Harvest Exod. 23. The Solemnity thereof how performed p. 970. It lasted eight days p. 277. The time and nature of the Feast it was called a Sabbath be it what day of the week it would p. 746 747. That day of Pentecost on which the Holy Ghost was given was the Lords Day 747 Persecution spreads the Gospel 280 785 Persecution against the Christians under Nero was very bloody and barbarous so as to move the pity of their enemies saith Tacitus the Jews heightning that Persecution against them 333 334 Persian Kings and the Time of their Government considered 138 139 Persian Monarchy the state and fate of the Temple under it 2063 to 2066. * Persons the distinction of Persons in the Trinity what 39â— Persons change of Persons in Grammatical Construction is usual in the Hebrew Rhetorick and Eloquence Page pag. 451 Peters denial of Christ was foretold by Christ at two distinct times p. 259. His improbability of being at Rome p. 316. He was Minister of the circumcision and Paul Minister of the incircumcision they had their Interchanged Agents to shew their agreement and harmony to those with whom they had to do p. 329. Peter why called Cephas p. 531 532. He had a suspension for a time in his Attendance on Christ. p. 633. He was ever first named in the Catalogue of the Apostles and why p. 634 635. He was ever a chief Speaker as concerning the Church in Judea being for the Circumcision p. 743. His shadow wrought Miracles as it seemeth p. 764. He and James were equal the first not Prince of the Apostles nor the second Bishop of Jerusalem p. 815. Whether it is probable he was Bishop of Rome at all Answered Negatively p. 878 879 880. How he was guarded in Prison and delivered by an Angel 886 Pharaoh a common Name or Title of the Egyptians Kings as Abimilech of the Philistines 423. Marg. Pharisees their Doctrine and Practises what p. 255 256 Though they differed from other Hereticks yet they harmonized with them to oppose the Gospel and Christianity p. 373. Their Original Names Qualities and Principles p. 457 458 459. They were most ceremoniously devoted to unwritten Traditions They were the Separatists of the Nation though they did not separate from publick Assemblies but in Matters referring to higher Acts of Holiness pretending to higher Degrees of Holiness than all the rest p. 656 657. The Talmud doth characterize them 656 657 658 Phaenix one seen in Egypt An. Dom. 35. 804 Philo the Jew what he was in Life and Writings 860 861 862 Philosophy was an eminent part of Solomons wisdom p. 73. He writ Books of Philosophy which are lost p. 75 Not only Moses was great in Humane Learning and Philosophy but also Heman Ethan Chalcol and Dardan 73 Phrases two Phrases of the same Nature use to heighten the sense 420. Marg. Phylacteries what p. 256. How necessary p. 568. What they were who used them when they were rehearsed 944 945 Pictures of Christ what against the Papists 232 Pillars the two Pillars in Solomons Temple described p. 1074. * Their height p. 1074. * The place where they stood and the signification of their Names 1076. * Pity is moved by cruelty 333 334 Place the most holy Place what p. 719. The most holy Place the description of it with what was contained therein 1072 1078 1080 to 1088. * Plagues of Egypt 26 Poligamy its original p. 3. It s called Fornication or Whoredom p. 15. Poligamy was the sin of Lamech 693 Pomgranates there were ninety six on a side others say there were two hundred in all 1075. * Pondion what sort of coyn 1096. * Pontius was a common Prenomen among the Romans 448 Marg. Pontius Pilate his character p. 452. His malitious and stirring Spirit always smart and furious upon the Jews p. 773 803 818. He falling into disgrace and misery ends his days with his own hands 818 Pool of Bethesda whence it received its waters whence it had its excellent Vertues 667 668 Poor put for meek humble the Saints of God 617 Porch of the Temple described p. 1073. * The steps to it It was supposed to be the place whither Satan brought Christ in his Temptation p. 1073. * The things in the Porch as a Vine Candlestick and two Tables described with their use pag. 1078. * Porches were Cloyster-walks p. 661 668. Bethesda's Pool had five
of them according to the quinque-lateral form 668. Porters Their distribution and office their attendance were on doors gates guards c. 918 919. Possessed of the devil so often mentioned in the Gospel what they were p. 639. Christ only did dispossess them they were of two sorts p. 639 640. To be Bodily possessed was the saddest earthly misery could befal a man 640. Prayers are to be made for all and not as the Jews only for themselves and their own Nation p. 309. Prayers were made after the Phylacteries in the Morning p. 946 c. Hypocritical Prayers reproved by Christ. 1024. Praying was immediately performed after Baptism they who were Baptized coming out of the Water presently addressed themselves to Prayer 479. Preachers in the Synagogue were Priests and Levites or any other Learned men as well as they some of which had been Proselites and Mechanicks but these were first usually though not always ordained 612. Preaching whether inconsistent with Baptizing Paul saying that he came not to baptize but to preach the Gospel 217. Preaching in a Mount why used by Christ. p. 257. Preaching among the Jews was performed sitting 619. Predictions strange 820. Presidents or Overseers over the times of Service the Doors the Guards the Singers the Symbal Musick the Lots the Birds the Seals or Tickets the Drink-offerings the Sick the Waters the making of the Shew-bread Incence Vail and the Garments for the Priests what 903 904. Presidents of the Sanhedrim their Names and something of their History from the time of the Captivity 2007. Priest Christ was a Great Priest when and how p. 239. The Priest that was to burn the Red Cow was to be put apart seven days and where the place 2024. * Priesthood why changed from one House to another p. 51. It was valued by the Jews above all other things even above the Commandments of God 574. Priests and Levites how distinguished p. 89. There was a Consistory of them in the Temple to take care of the Affairs thereof and no further to act p. 281. They which were so busie in the Acts of the Apostles against Christianity were of the Sanhedrim p. 282. Their Courses in which they were to attend on the Temple Service p. 401 to 406. They were exceeding many p. 406. Some of them were a Guard to a King p. 406. They entred their Office at the age of thirty years p. 486. They could not cure the Leprosie but Christ did yet he was tender of their reputation p. 648. Their several Ranks p. 903. These were the Consistory of Priests p. 903. There were 24 Courses of them at what age they entered The manner of their Instalment p. 915. How cast into 24 Courses p. 916. According to their Division so were their Degree how they served p. 917. They were put for Heads of the Families of the Priests or chief of the 24 Courses c. 438 439 Priests Those that had blemishes ate of the Holy Things and served in the Wood-room by searching if any of the Wood for Sacrifices was Worm-eaten p. 1093. * Their Court and Desks prescribed p. 2025 to 2029. * what their Garments before and after the Law 2049. * Princes put for the Great Men of the Sanhedrim 1063. * Priority amongst the Disciples contested for at a most unseasonable hour p. 271. compared with p. 250 Prodigality what 849 850 Prodigies Very many before a great destruction in England and before the destruction of Rome and of Jerusalem and Persecution of the Primitive Christians 329 334 359 Professors of the Gospel were called Disciples Believers the Church devout Men Brethren and among the unbelieving Jews in scorn the Seat of the Nazarites at last Christians p. 871. Esseans were no Christians notwithstanding some affirm it 871 872 Prophaneness what 862 863. Prophesie and Tongues were the Gifts of the Holy Ghost p. 281. why they were given p. 281. Prophesie and Inspiration ceased when the Scriptures were finished p. 357 358. It had long ceased before John the Baptists time but began to revive with him p. 423. Text. Marg. It is put by it self in the Scriptures in Chapters as well as Books notwithstanding they were not so delivered p. 121. It had been in the Church ever since the fall of Adam Miracles but since Moses was in the Wilderness p. 701 702. Both ceased after the days of Zachary and Malachy p. 701 702. Prophesie from the death of Moses to the rising of Samuel was very rare 758 Prophet Christ was a Great Prophet when and how 239 Prophets one of the Titles of the Gospel Ministers p. 223. Prophets and Teachers were distinct Functions yet sometimes went together p. 288. The Scrutiny or judging of a Prophet belonged only to the Sanhedrim p. 321. The Law and the Prophets put for all the Old Testament and how p. 533 534. Any one that came in the Spirit of a Prophet had permission to Preach but all such were tryed whether true or false Hence it was that our Saviour and Paul c. had liberty to Preach in every Synagogue p. 613. How to know their Original 999 Prophets The four last Prophets viz. Ezra Haggai Zacchariah and Malachi are all said to dye in one year 2066 2068. * Proselites were admitted into the Jewish Church by Baptism 209 210. Proverbs of Solomon mentioned in Prov. 25. 1. were found in the Temple in an old Manuscript 106 Providence of God much seen in bringing good out of evil 48 Psalms of Degrees why so called p. 111. The Jews have a Rule that every Psalm that bears not the name of the Author of it in the Title is to be reputed of his making who was last named in the Title before but the Holy Ghost seems to intimate that David was the Author of all those that have no Author mentioned in the Title p. 761. The Book of Psalms Harmonized with the five Books of Moses 1019 Publicans what they were p. 230 231. Their Office at first was creditable but afterwards disgraceful p. 461 462. there were two sorts of them 660 Publick Prayers what 944 Pulpit of Wood in the middle of the Temple where the Minister of the Congregation stood p. 205. There was one also in the Court of the Women 973. Pulpits what 2027 * Punishing offences ought to have three causes 415. Marg. Purifyings were of four sorts in the days of Christ 585. Q. QUuadrans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what sort of measure p. 546 Quotations Allegations or Citations when taken out of the Old Testament by the New are sometimes two Places couched together as if they were one yet maketh it sure that the first is always that very Place which it taketh upon it to quote though the second be another p. 451. One place of Scripture quoting or citing another doth sometimes change the Words to fit the occasion 498. R. RAb Rabban Rabbi Titles given the Learned Jews came but in use a little before the Birth of Christ what they denote p.
z Berac sol 5 4 The righteous even in death are said to live and the wicked even in life are said to be dead But how is it proved that the wicked even in life are said to be dead From that place where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no delight in the death of the dead Is he already dead that is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dead And whence is it proved that the righteous even in death are said to live From that passage And he said to him this is the land concerning which I sware to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith to him Go and tell the Fathers whatsoever I promised to you I have performed to your children The opinion of the Babylonians is the same a a a a a a Berac sol 18. 1 The living know that they shall dye They are righteous who in their death are said to live as it is said And Benaiah the son of Jehojada the son of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— living man c. And a little after The dead knew nothing They are the wicked who even in their life are called Dead as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou dead wicked Prince of Israel The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly rendred Profane in this place they render it also in a sense very usual namely for one wounded or dead b b b b b b Ibid. col 2. There are further divers stories alledged by which they prove that the dead so far live that they understand many things which are done here and that some have spoke after death c. CHAP. XXIII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In Moses seat c. THIS is to be understood rather of the Legislative seat or chair than of the merely Doctrinal and Christ here asserts the authority of the Magistrate and perswadeth to obey him in lawful things Concerning the Chairs of the Sanhedrin there is mention made in Bab. Succah c c c c c c Fol. â—1 2. There were at Alexandria seventy one golden chairs according to the number of the seventy one Elders of the great Council Concerning the authority of Moses and his Vicegerent in the Council there is also mention in Sanhedrim d d d d d d Chap. 1. hal 6 The great Council consisted of seventy one Elders But whence was this number derived From that place where it is said Chuse me out seventy men of the Elders of Israel And Moses was President over them Behold seventy one What is here observed by Galatinus from the signification of the Aorist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sat iâ— too light and aery He saith They sat saith he and not They sit that he might plainly demonstrate that their power was then ceased e e e e e e Chap. 6. Book 4. But if we would be so curious to gather any thing from this Aorist we might very well transfer it to this sense rather The Scribes and Pharises the worst of men have long usurped Moses seat nevertheless we ought to obey them because by the dispensation of the Divine Providence they bear the chief Magistracy Concerning their authority thus Maimonides f f f f f f In Mamrim cap. 1. The great Council of Jerusalem was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g g g g g g See 1 Tim. III. 15. The Pillar and Ground The ground of the traditional Law and the pillar of Doctrine whence proceeded statutes and judgments for all Israel And concerning them the Law asserts this very thing saying h h h h h h Deut. XVII 11. According to the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee Whosoever therefore believes Moses our Master and his Law is bound to relie upon them for the things of the Law Christ teacheth that they were not to be esteemed as Oracles but as Magistrates VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heavy burdens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Talmudick Language Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A heavy Prohibition i i i i i i Jerus Roshbashanaâ— fol. 56. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k k k k k k Maim in Mamr chap. 1. Let him follow him that imposeth heavy things There are reckoned up four and twenty things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the weighty things of the School of Hillel and the light things of that of Shammai l l l l l l Jerus Jom Tobh fol. 60. 2. Sotah f. 19. 2 R. Joshua saith m m m m m m Ibid. chap. 3 hal 4. A foolish religious man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A crafty wicked man a shee-Pharisee and the voluntary dashing of the Pharisees destroy the world It is disputed by the Gemarists who is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crafty wicked man and it is answer'd by some He that prescribes light things to himself and heavy to others VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They make broad their Phylacteries THESE four places of the Law Exod. XIII ver 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Exod. XIII ver 11 12 13 14 15 16. Deut. VI. ver 5 6 7 8 9. Deut. XI ver 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Being writ upon two Parchment-Labels which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tephillin were carried about with them constantly with great devotion being fastned to their forehead and their left arm To the forehead in that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n n n n n n Bab. Taanith fol. 16. 1. in the Gloss. where the pulse of an Infants brain is This of the forehead was most conspicuous and made broad hence came that Let no body pass by the Synagogue while prayers are saying there But if he hath Rhylacteries upon his head he may pass by because they show that he is studious of the Law o o o o o o Maimon on Tephilla Chap. 8. It is not lawful to walk through burying places with Phylacteries on ones head and the book of the Law hanging at ones arm * * * * * * Bab. Berac fol. 18. 1. They are called in Greek Phylacteries that is Observatories because they were to put them in mind of the Law and perhaps they were also called Preservatories because they were supposed to have some vertue in them to drive away Devils It is necessary that the Phylacteries should be repeated at home anights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drive away Devils p p p p p p Jerus Berac fol. 2. 4. Pisk in Berac Chap. 1. art 6. Rabben Asher ibid. Chap. 1. Col. 1. Concerning the curious writing of the Phylacteries see Maimon on Tephillin q q q q q q Chap. 1. 2. Concerning their strings marked with certain small letters See
only asks How shall this be c Doubtless she took the Prophecy in its proper sense as speaking of a Virgin untoucht She knew nothing then nor probably any part of the Nation at that time so much as once thought of that sense by which the Jews have now for a great while disguised that place and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 II. Give me leave for their sakes in whose hands the book is not to transcribe some few things out of that noble Author Morney a a a a a a De Verit. Christ. Relig. cap. 28. which he quotes concerning this grand mystery from the Jews themselves b b b b b b Moses Haddarson in Psa LXXXV Truth shall spring out of the earth R. Jotten saith he notes upon this place That it is not said truth shall be born but shall spring out because the Generation and Nativity of the Messiah is not to be as other creatures in the world but shall be begot without Carnal Copulation and therefore no one hath mentioned his Father as who must be hid from the knowledge of men till himself shall come and reveal him And upon Genes Ye have said saith the Lord we are Orphans bereaved of our Father such an one shall your redeemer be whom I shall give you So upon Zachary Behold my servant whose name is of the branch And out of Psal. CX Thou art a Priest after the order of Melchizedech He saith R. Berachiah delivers the same things And R. Simeon Ben Jochai upon Genes more plainly viz. That the Spirit by the impulse of a mighty power shall come forth of the Womb though shut up that will become a mighty Prince the King Messiah So he VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath also conceived a Son in her old age THE Angel teaches to what purpose it was that Women either barren before or considerably stricken in years should be enabled to conceive and bring forth viz. to make way for the easier belief of the Conception of a Virgin If they either beside or beyond nature conceive a Child this may be some ground of belief that a Virgin contrary to Nature may do so too So Abraham by Faith saw Christ's day as born of a pure Virgin in the birth of his own Son Isaac of his old and barren Wife Sarah VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. She went into the hill Country c. THAT is to Hebron Jos. XXI 11. For though it is true indeed the Priests after the return from Babylon were not all disposed and placed in all those very same dwellings they had possest before the Captivity yet is it probable that Zachary who was of the seed of Aaron being here said to dwell in the hill Country of Judah might have his House in Hebron which is more peculiarly said to be the City of Aaron's off-spring VERS XLI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Babe leaped in her Womb. SO the Seventy Gen. XXV 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Children leaped in her womb Psal. CXIV 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mountains skipped That which is added by Elizabeth Vers. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The babe leaped in the womb for joy signifies the manner of the thing not the cause q. d. it leaped with vehement exultation For John while he was an Embryo in the Womb knew no more what was then done than Jacob and Esau when they were in Rebecca's Womb knew what was determined concerning them a a a a a a Hieros Sotah fol. 2. 3. At the Red Sea even the infants sung in the wombs of their Mothers as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. LXVIII where the Targum to the same sense Exalt the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye infants in the bowels of your Mothers of the seed of Israel Let them enjoy their Hyperboles Questionless Elizabeth had learnt from her Husband that the Child she went with was designed as the fore-runner of the Messiah but she did not yet know of what sort of Woman the Messiah must be born till this leaping of the infant in her womb became some token to her VERS LVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abode with her three Months A Space of time very well known amongst the Doctors defined by them to know whether a Woman be with Child or no. Which I have already observed upon Matth. I. a a a a a a Iâ—â—â—moth fol. 33 2. 34. â— 35. 1 c. VERS LIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they called it c. I. THE Circumciser said a a a a a a Schabb. fol. 137. 2. Blessed be the Lord our God who hath sanctified us by his precepts and hath given us the Law of Circumcision The Father of the infant said who hath sanctified us by his precepts and hath commanded us to enter the Child into the Covenant of Abraham our Father But where was Zachary's tongue for this service II. God at the same time instituted Circumcision and changed the names of Abraham and Sarah hence the custom of giving names to their Children at the time of their Circumcision III. Amongst the several accounts why this or that name was given to the Sons this was one that chiefly obtained viz. for the honour of some person whom they esteemed they gave the Child his name Which seems to have guided them in this case here when Zachary himself being dumb could not make his mind known to them Mahli the Son of Mushi hath the name of Mahli given him who was his Uncle the Brother of Mushi his Father 1 Chron. XXIII 21 23. b b b b b b Cholin fol. 47. 2. R. Nathan said I once went to the Islands of the Sea and there came to me a Woman whose first born had died by Circumcision so also her second Son She brought the third to me I bad her wait a little till the blood might asswage She waited a little and then Circumcised him and he lived They called him therefore by my name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nathan of Babylon See also Jerusalem Jevamoth c c c c c c Fol. 7. 4. d d d d d d â—ab Jevam. fol. 105. 1. There was a certain Family at Jerusalem that were wont to die about the eighteenth year of their age They made the matter known to R. Johanan ben Zacchai who said perhaps you are of Elie's Lineage concerning whom it is said The increase of thine House shall die in the flower of their age Go ye and be diligent in the study of the Law and ye shall live They went and gave diligent heed to the Law and lived They called themselves therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Family of Johanan after his name It is disputed in the same Tract e e e e e e Fol. 24. 1. whether the Son begot by a Brother's raising up seed to his Brother should not be called after the
amongst them yet were they not exactly Eleven then for Thomas was absent Joh. XX. 24. 2. When the Eleven are mentioned we must not suppose it exactly meant of the number of Apostles then present but the present number of the Apostles VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They supposed they had seen a Spirit WHereas the Jews distinguished between Angels and Spirits and Daemons Spirits are defined by R. Hoshaiah l l l l l l Beresh rabb◠fol. 34. 2. to be such to whom souls are created but they have not a body made for those souls But it is a question whether they included all spirits or souls under this notion when it is more than probable that apparitions of Ghosts or deceased persons who once had a body were reckoned by them under the same title Nor do I apprehend the Disciples had any other imagination at this time than that this was not Christ indeed in his own person as newly raised from the dead but a Spectrum only in his shape himself being still dead And when the Pharisees speak concerning Paul Acts XXIII 9. That if an Angel or a Spirit hath spoken to him I would easily believe they might mean it of the Apparition of some Prophet or some other departed just person than of any soul that had never yet any body created to it I the rather incline thus to think because it is so evident that it were needless to prove how deeply impressed that Nation was with an opinion of the Apparitions of departed Ghosts VERS XLIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms IT is a known division of the Old Testament into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the Holy Writings by abbrevation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. The Books of the Law and their order need not be insisted upon called commonly by us the Pentateuch but by some of the Rabbins the Heptateuch and by some Christians the Octateuch m m m m m m Schabb. fol. 116. 1. R. Samuel bar Nachman saith R. Jonathan saith Wisdom hath hewn out her seven Pillars Prov. IX 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the seven Books of the Law The Book of Numbers compleats the seven Books of the Law But are there not but five Books only Ben Kaphra saith the Book of Numbers is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three Books From the beginning of the Book to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it came to pass when the Ark set forward Chap. X. 35. is a Book by it self That verse and the following is a Book by it self And from thence to the end of the Book is a Book by it self The reason why they accounted this period Chap. X. 35. 36. to be one Book by it self was partly because it does not seem put there in its proper place partly because in the beginning of it it hath the letter Nun inverted thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so after the end of it in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in both places is set for a boundary and limit to distinguish that period from the rest of the Book Whatever therefore goes before from the beginning of the Book to that period is reckoned by them for one Book and whatever follows it for another Book and the period it self for a third Eulogius speaking concerning Dosthes or Dositheus a famous seducer of the Samaritans hath this passage n n n n n n Apud Phot. Cod. ccxxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He adulterated the Octateuch of Moses with spurious writings and all kind of corrupt falsifyings There is mention also of a Book with this title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Cod. xxxvi The Christians Book An Exposition upon the Octateuch Whether this was the Octateuch of Moses it is neither certain nor much worth our enquiry for Photius judgeth him a corrupt Author besides that it may be shewn by and by that there was a twofold Octateuch besides that of Moses Now if any man should ask how it come to pass that Eulogius and that probably from the common notion of the thing should divide the Books of Moses into an Octateuch I had rather any one else rather than my self should resolve him in it But if any consent that he owned the Heptateuch we have already mentioned we should be ready to reckon the last Chapter of Deuteronomy for the eighth part Aben Ezra will smile here who in that his obscure and disguised denial of the Books of the Pentateuch as if they were not writ by the pen of Moses he instances in that Chapter in the first place as far as I can guess as a testimony against it You have his words in his Commentary upon the Book of Deuteronomy a little from the beginning p p p p p p Cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you understand the mystery of the twelve c. i. e. of the twelve Verses of the last Chapter of the Book for so his own Country-men expound him thou wilt know the truth i. e. that Moses did not write the whole Pentateuch an argument neither worth answering nor becoming so great a Philosopher For as it is a ridiculous thing to suppose that Chapter that treats of the death and burial of Moses should be written by himself so would it not be much less ridiculous to affix that Chapter to any other volume than the Pentateuch But these things are not the proper subject for our present handling II. There also was an Octatuech of the Prophets too q q q q q q Bava bathra fol. 14. 2. All the Books of the Prophets are eight Josuah Judges Samuel Kings Jeremy Ezekiel Isaiah and the twelve For the Historical Books also were read in their Synagogues under the notion of the Prophets as well as the Prophets themselves whose names are set down You will see the title prefixt to them in the Hebrew Bibles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former Prophets as well as to the others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Prophets The Doctors give us the reason why they dispose the Prophets in that order that Jeremiah is named first Ezekiel next and Isaiah last which I have quoted in Notes upon Matth. XXVII 9. and let not the Reader think it irksome to repeat it here r r r r r r Bava bathra ubi supr Whereas the Book of Kings ends in destruction and the whole Book of Jeremy treats about destruction whereas Ezekiel begins with destruction and ends in consolation and whereas Isaiah is all in consolation they joyned destruction with destruction and consolation with consolation III. The third division of the Bible is intitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Writings And here also is found an Octateuch by some body as it seems though I know not where to
find it Herbanus the Jew s s s s s s Oregent Dial. at the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a man excellently well instructed in the Law and holy Books of the Prophets and the Octateuch and all the other Writings What this Octateuch should be distinct from the Law and the Prophets and indeed what the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the other writings besides should be is not easily guessed This Octateuch perhaps may seem to have some reference to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hagiographa or Holy Writings for it is probable enough that speaking of a Jew well skilled in the Holy Scriptures he might design the partition of the Bible according to the manner of the Jews dividing it but who then can pick out books that should make it up Let the Reader pick out the eight and then I would say that the other four are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the other Writings But we will not much disquiet our selves about this matter It may be asked why these Books should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures when the whole Bible goes under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Scriptures Nor can any thingbe more readily answered to this than that by this title they would keep up their dignity and just esteem for them They did not indeed read them in their Synagogues but that they might acknowledge them of most Holy and Divine Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of them they confirm their Traditions and they expound them mystically t t t t t t Schabb. fol. 116. 2. Yea and give them the same title with the rest of the Holy Scriptures u u u u u u Bathra ubi supr This is the order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hagiographa Ruth the Book of Psalms Job the Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Canticles the Lamentations Daniel the Book of Esther Ezra and the Chronicles It is here disputed that if Job was in the days of Moses why then is not his Book put in the first place the answer is they do not begin with vengeance or affliction and such is that Book of Job They reply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruth also begins with affliction viz. with the story of a Famine and the death of Elimelech's Sons But that was say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an affliction that had a joyful ending So they might have said of the Book and affliction of Job too We see it is disputed there why the Book of Ruth should be placed the first in that rank and not the Book of Job But we might enquire whether the Book of Psalms ought not have been placed the first rather than the Book of Ruth IV. In this passage at present before us who would think otherwise but that our Saviour alludes to the common and most known partition of the Bible and although he name the Psalms only yet that under the title he includes that whole volume For we must of necessity say that either he excluded all the Books of that third division excepting the Book of Psalms which is not probable or that he included them under the title of the Prophets which was not customary or else that under the title of the Psalms he comprehended all the rest That he did not exclude them reason will tell us for in several Books of that division is he himself spoken of as well as in the Psalms and that he did not include them in the title of the Prophets reason also will dictate because we would not suppose him speaking differently from the common and received opinion of that Nation There is very little question therefore but the Apostles might understand him speaking with the vulgar and by the Psalms to have meant all the Books of that Volume those especially wherein any thing was written concerning himself For let it be granted that Ruth as to the time of the History and the time of its writing might challenge to its self the first place in order and it is that kind of priority the Gemarists are arguing yet certainly amongst all those Books that mention any thing of Christ the Book of Psalms deservedly obtains the first place so far that in the naming of this the rest may be understood So St. Matthew Chap. XXVII 9. under the name of Jeremiah comprehends that whole Volume of the Prophets because he was placed the first in that rank which observation we have made in Notes upon that place VERS XLV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then opened he their understanding WHere it is said that by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles the gift of Tongues and of Prophesie was conferred they spake with tongues and they prophesied Acts XIX 6. by Prophesie nothing may be better understood than this very thing that the minds of such were opened that they might understand the Scriptures and perhaps their speaking with tongues might look this way in the first notion of it viz. that they could understand the original wherein the Scriptures were writ VERS L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As far as Bethany HOW many difficulties arise here I. This very Evangelist Acts I. 12. tells us that when the Disciples came back from the place where our Lord ascended they returned from Mount Olivet distant from Jerusalem a Sabbath days journey But now the Town of Bethany was about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem Joh. XI 18. and that is double a Sabbath days journey II. Josephus tells us that the Mount of Olives was but five furlongs from the City and a Sabbath days journey was seven furlongs and an half q q q q q q Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 6. About that time there came to Jerusalem a certain Egyptian pretending himself a Prophet and perswading the people that they would go out with him to the Mount of Olives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being situated on the front of the City is distant five furlongs These things are all true 1. That the Mount of Olives lay but five furlongs distance from Jerusalem 2. That the Town of Bethany was fifteen furlongs 3. That the Disciples were brought by Christ as far as Bethany 4. That when they returned from the Mount of Olives that they travelled more than five furlongs And 5. Returning from Bethany they travelled but a Sabbath days journey All which may be easily reconciled if we would observe That the first space from the City toward this Mount was called Bethphage which I have cleared elsewhere from Talmudick Authors the Evangelists themselves also confirming it That part of that Mount was known by that name to the length of about a Sabbath days journey till it come to that part which was called Bethany For there was Bethany a tract of the Mount and the Town of Bethany The Town was distant from the City about fifteen furlongs i. e. two miles or a double Sabbath days journey but the first border of this
the situation of the place Pliny hath this hint Prospicit Asphaltitin ab Oriente Nat. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 6. Arabia Nomadum Moab it is a meridie Machaerus secunda quondam Arx Judaea ab Hierosolymis The meaning of which is this that Arabia of the Nomades or Moab situated on the East of Asphaltites fronts it on the West and Machaerus situated on the North fronts it on the South We meet with it in the Talmudists under the name of Macvar The Mountanous Country of Peraea was the Hill Macvar and Gedor The Jerusalem Targum Hierosol Sheviith fol. 38. 4. and Jonathan upon Numb XXXII 35. instead of Atroth Shophan and Jaazer have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maclelta of Shophan and Macvar to which Jonathan adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macvar of Garamatha It is obvious enough how they came to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atroth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maclelta as also Onkelos hath done viz. because they translated the Hebrew word which denotes a Crown by the Chaldee word which is of the same signification But why Jaazer by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macvar Onkelos upon the 3. v. of the same Chap. renders Jaazer and Nimrah by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I should translate the Atrati or denigrati of the house of Nimrin And Ptolomy comments thus in Arabia Petraea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There are all along that Country certain mountains called the black mountains namely from the Bay which is neer Pharan to Judea but whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macvar hath any relation with blackness from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dish or furnace I leave it to others to enquire So that we see Herodium and Machaerus are situated on the outermost Coast of Peraea toward the South or the land of Moab neer the shore of Asphaltites or the Dead-sea The nature of the place we have describ'd by Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Excid lib. 7. cap. 21. c. There spring out neer this place certain fountains of hot waters of a very different tast some bitter some sweet there are also many springs of cold waters c. Compare the bitter waters with the waters of Nimrin Isa. XV. 6. and the other with those of Dimon v. 9. where quaere whether Dimon be not the same with Dibon Beth and Mem being alternately us'd that by that pronunciation it might agree more with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The waters of Dimon are full of blood Whiles we are in this watry Country are we not got amongst the rivers of Arnon The Learned Beza commenting upon those words of St. Joh. III. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there was much water there affirms it commenting thus Multi videlicet rivi quorum etiam in eo tractu circa Aroer fit mentio in libris Mosis namely many rivers of which also in that Tract about Aroer there is mention in the Books of Moses And the situation of the place confirms it When as Macherus was the very utmost bounds of the land of Israel toward Moab according to Josephus as also was Arnon according to Moses But here we find no place that is call'd either Aenon or Salim True indeed but the place for the very wateriness of it deserves to be call'd Aenon that is a place of springs and if Salim may be the same with Salamean here we have also the Kenite or Salamaean Gen. XV. and Numb XXIV However in a thing so very obscure it is safest not to be positive and the Reader 's candor is beg'd in this modest way of conjecturing The way we tread is unbeaten and deserves a guide which as yet we have not obtain'd SECT VII The Hill Missaar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. XLII 6. LET us now however something beyond our bounds pass from the first entring of the Coasts of Moab toward the North to the utmost limits of it Southward I will remember thee saith the Psalmist from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the hill Mizaar Where is this Hill Mizaar not to take any notice of what we meet with in Borchard and others concerning Hermon neer Thabor by what authority I can't tell as also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hill Misaar is render'd almost by all a little Hill or in a word that the Targumist and R. Solomon tell us it is Mount Sinai Apollinarius that it is Mount Hermon It seems plainly to be the hilly part of Zoar whither Lot would have fled if the streightness of time might have permitted him Gen. XIX 20. O let me escape to this Cicy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it not Mizaar or a little one so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hill Misaar may be the same as if it had been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hilly part of the little City Zoar. The reasons of the conjecture besides the agreeableness of the name may be especially these two I. As Hermonim or Hermon was neer the Springs of Jordan so the hilly part of Zoar lay hard by the extreme parts of Jordan in Asphaltites and the Psalmist speaking of the land of Jordan or of the land on the other side of Jordan seems to measure out all Jordan from one end to the other from the very spring-head to the furthermost part where the stream ends II. As David betook himself to the Country on the other side of Jordan towards Hermon in his flight from his Son Absalom so was it with him when flying from Saul he betook himself to Zoar in the land of Moab 1 Sam. XXII 3. And so bewails his deplorable condition so much the more bitterly that both those times he was banisht to the very utmost Countries North and South that the river Jordan washt SECT VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eglah Shelishijah Isa. XV. 5. WITH the mention of Zoar is this clause subjoyn'd in Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eglah shelishijah or an heifer of three years old So with the mention of Zoar and Horonaim the same clause is also subjoyned in Jeremy Isa. XV. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Fugitives unto Zoar an Heifer of three years old Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In it unto Segor For it is an Heifer of three years Vulgar Vectes ejus usque ad Segor Vitulam conternantem Its bars were unto Segor An Heifer in his third year Targum Ut fugiant usque ad Zoar vitulam trimam magnam That they should fly as far as Zoar a great Heifer of three years old English His fugitives shall flee unto Zoar an Heifer of three years old Jerem. XLVIII 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Zoar to Horonaim an Heifer of three years old Vulgar A Segor usque ad Horonaim vitulâ conternante From Segor unto Horonaim the Heifer being in his third year And so others I am not ignorant what Commentators say upon these places but why
mountain than in that cursed place Saith the R. I will tell you what you are like you are like a god greedy after carrion so you when you know that Idols are hid under this mountain as it is said Gen. XXXV 4. and Jacob hid them you are acted with a greedy desire after them They said amongst themselves seeing he knows there are Idols hidden in this mountain he will come in the night and steal them away And they consulted together to have kill'd him but he getting up in the night stole away Somewhat akin to this Temple on Gerizzim was that built by Onias in Egypt the story of which you have in l l l l l l Antiqu. lib. 13. 6. Josephus and the description of it m m m m m m De Bell. lib. 7. cap. 37. Of this Temple also the Gemarists discourse n n n n n n Menacoth fol. 109. 2. from whom we will borrow a few things Simeon the Just dying said Onias my Son shall minister in my stead For this his brother Shimei being older than he by two years and an half grew very envious He saith to his brother Come hither and I will teach thee the rule and way of ministring So he puts him on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and girds him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall have the meaning of the words by and by and then setting him by the Altar crys out to his brethren the Priests see here what this man hath vow'd and does accordingly perform to his wife viz. that whenever he minister'd in the High Priesthood he would put on her Stomacher and be girt about with her girdle The Gloss upon the place saith that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a leathern garment but Aruch from Avodah Zarah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Abba saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stomacher of the heart What the word in this place should mean is plain enough from the story it self Shimei that he might render his brother both ridiculous and odious to the rest of the Priests perswades him to perform his services with his wife's Stomacher instead of the Brest-plate of the High Priest and her girdle instead of that curious one they were wont to be girt with c. The story goes on His brethren the Priests upon this contrive his death but he escaping their hands fled into Alexandria of Egypt and there building an Altar offer'd Idolatrous sacrifices upon it These are the words of R. Meir but R. Judah tells him the thing was not so for Onias did not own his brother Shimei to be two years and an half older than himself but envying him told him come and I will teach thee the rule and method of thy Ministry And so as R. Judah relates the matter the Tables are turn'd the whole scene alter'd so that Onias perswades his brother Shimei to put on his wife's Stomacher and gird himself with her girdle and for that reason the Priests do plot the death of Shimei But when he had declar'd the whole matter as it was indeed then they design to kill Onias He therefore flying into Alexandria in Egypt builds there an Altar and offer'd sacrifices upon it to the name of the Lord according as it is said o o o o o o Isa. XIX 19. In that day shall be an Altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt And now it is at the Readers choice to determine which of these two Temples that in Egypt or this upon Gerizzim are built upon the best foundation the one by a fugitive Priest under pretence of a Divine Prophesie the other by a fugitive Priest too under pretence that that Mount was the Mount upon which the blessings had been pronounced Let the Jews speak for themselves whether they believed that Onias with pure regard to that Prophesie did build his Temple in Egypt and let every wise man laugh at those that do thus perswade themselves However this is certain they had universally much more favourable thoughts of that in Egypt than this upon Mount Gerizzim hence that passage in the place before quoted If any one say I devote an whole burnt-offering let him offer it in the Temple at Jerusalem for if he offer it in the Temple of Onias he doth not perform his vow but if any one say I devote an whole burnt-offering for the Temple of Onias though he ought to offer it in the Temple at Jerusalem yet if he offer it in the Temple of Onias he acquits himself R. Simeon saith it is no burnt-offering Moreover if any one shall say I vow my self to be a Nazarite let him shave himself in the Temple at Jerusalem for if he be shaven in the Temple of Onias he doth not perform his vow but if he should say I vow my self a Nazarite so that I may be shaven in the Temple of Onias and he do shave himself there he is a Nazarite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And ye say that in Ierusalem c. What did not the Samaritans themselves confess that Jerusalem was the place appointed by God himself for his Worship No doubt they could not be ignorant of the Temple which Solomon had built nor did they believe but from the times of David and Solomon God had fixed his name and residence at Jerusalem And as to their prefering their Temple on Gerizzim before that in Jerusalem notwithstanding all this it is probable their boldness and emulation might take its rise from hence viz. they saw the second Temple falling so short of its ancient and primitive glory they observ'd that the Divine presence over the Ark the Ark it self the Cherubims the Urim and Thummim the spirit of Prophesie c. were no more in that place VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know that Messias cometh IF the Samaritans rejected all the Books of the Old Testament excepting the five Books of Moses it may be a question whence this woman should know the name of Messias for that it is not to be found throughout the whole Pentateuch From whence also may further arise a twofold enquiry more one whether the Samaritans were of the same opinion with the Sadducees the other whether those Sadducees that liv'd amongst the Jews rejected all the Books of the Old Testament excepting those of Moses only Perhaps they might so reject them as to forbid their being read in their Synagogues in the same manner as the Jews rejected the Hagiographa but the question is whether they did not use them read them and believe them as the Jews did those holy writings p p p p p p Schabb. fol. 115. 1. They snatch all the sacred Books out of the fire though on the Sabbath day whether they read or whether they read them not The Gloss is Whether they read them that is the Prophets which they are wont to read in their
Synagogues on the Sabbath-day or whether they read them not that is the Hagiographa It is likely that the Sadducees and Samaritans I mean those Samaritans that liv'd about our Saviours time and before might disown the Prophets and the Holy writings much after the same manner and no more For is it at all probable that they were either ignorant of the Histories of Joshua Judges Samuel the Kings and the writings of the Prophets or that they accounted them tales and of no value There were some amongst the Samaritans as Eulogius in Photius q q q q q q Cod. CCXXX tells us who had an opinion that Joshuah the Son of Nun was that Prophet of whom Moses spake that God would raise up to them out of their brethren like to him Do we think then that the History and Book of Joshua were unknown or disown'd by them However I cannot omit without some remarks some few passages we meet with in Sanhedr r r r r r r Fol. 90. 2. The Sadducees asked Rabban Gamaliel whence he could prove it that God would raise the dead from the Law saith he and from the Prophets and from the Holy Writings And accordingly he alledgeth his proofs out of each Book which I hope may not be very tedious to the Reader to take notice of in this place I prove it out of the Law where it is written And the Lord said to Moses Deut. XXXI 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold thou shalt sleep with thy fathers and rise again They say probably it is meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This people will rise up and go a whoring I prove it out of the Prophets according as it is written thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust Isa. XXVI 19. But perhaps say they this may be meant of those dead which Ezekiel raised I prove it out of the Hagiographa according as it is writien The roof of thy mouth is like the best wine for my beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Cant. VII 9. But perhaps say they it is meant they move their lips in the world I add say they though it is not I confess in the Gemarists Text because reason and sense makes it evident that this ought to be added and the Gloss confirms it Now it would have been a most absurd thing for Gamaliel to have offer'd any proofs of the Resurrection either out of the Prophets or the Hagiographae against the Sadducees if those Books had been either not known or of no authority amongst them And we see that the Books themselves out of which these proofs were brought were not excepted against but the places quoted had another sense put upon them and pleaded for by them s s s s s s Hieros Jevamoth fol. 3. 1. It is a Tradition of R. Simeon ben Eliezer I said unto the Scribes of the Samaritans ye therefore err because you do not interpret according to R. Nehemiah for it is a Tradition of R. Nehemiah's where ever we meet with a word which ought to have the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of it if it have it not you must then put an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of it e. g. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they answer R. Nehemiah but behold it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now those that return this answer to R. Nehemiah if they be the Samaritan Scribes then do they themselves quote the ninth Psalm But further the Book of Ezekiel is quoted by a Samaritan in this story t t t t t t Ellâ—h haddthherim Rabba fol. 292. 2. 3. Rabban Jonathan went to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neapolis i. e. Sychar of the Samaritans A certain Samaritan was in his company When they came to Mount Gerizzim the Samaritan saith unto him How comes it to pass that we are gotten to this holy mountain R. Jonathan saith how comes this mountain to be holy the Samaritan answer'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was never plagu'd with the waters of the deluge saith R. Jonathan how prove you this the Samaritan answer'd is it not written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son of man say unto her thou art the land not cleansed nor rain'd upon in the day of indignation Ezek. XXII 24. If it were so saith R. Jonathan then should the Lord have commanded Noah to have gone up into this mountain and not have built himself an Ark. We also meet with a Sadducee quoting the Prophet Amos Cholin fol. 87. 1. A certain Sadducee said to a certain Rabbi He that created the Hills did not make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit or the wind And he that created the wind did not make the hills for it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind Amos V. 13. The Rabbi answer'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou fool go on but to the end of the verse and thou wilt find the Lord of Hosts is his name That passage also is remarkable x x x x x x Schabb. fol. 116 1. They do not snatch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Books and Volums of the Hereticks from the flames they may be burnt where they are The Gloss is The Books of Hereticks i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idolaters or those that use any strange worship who wrote out the Law the Prophets and the Holy writings for their own use in the Assyrian character and holy language But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the place renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They snatch not away the Volums and Books of the Sadducees If by Hereticks the Sadducees are to be understood as the latter Gloss would have it then comparing it with the former they had the Law Prophets and the Holy writings writ in the Assyrian Character in the Holy language If by Hereticks the Christians are understood as in the former Gloss for as to the Gentiles there is no room to understand it of them in this place then we see what Copies of the Old Testament the Hebrew-Christians anciently had in use It may be objected that if the Sadducees admitted the Books of the Prophets and the Holy writings with this exception only that they had them not read in their Synagogues how came they to deny the Resurrection from the dead when it is so plainly asserted in those Books To this may be answer'd that this argument might have something in it if it had not been one fundamental of the Sadducees Faith that no article in Religion ought to be admitted that cannot be made out plainly from the five Books of Moses Compare this with that of the Pharisees y y y y y y Gloss in Sanhedr fol. 90. 1. However any person may acknowledg the Resurrection from the dead yet if he does
not own that there is some indication of it in the Law he denies a fundamental So that whereas Moses seemed not clearly and in terminis to express himself as to the Resurrection the Sadducees would not admit it as an article of their Faith though something like it may have occur'd in the Prophets so long as those expressions in the Prophets may be turn'd to some other sense either Historical or Allegorical But if they had apprehended any thing plain and express in the Books of Moses the Prophets also asserting and illustrating the same thing I cannot see why we should not believe they were receiv'd by them It is something of this kind the passage now in hand where we find the Samaritan woman using the word Messias which though it is not to be met with in the Books of Moses yet Moses having clearly spoken of his coming whom the Prophets afterward signaliz'd by the name of the Messias this foundation being laid the Sadducees and the Samaritans do not stick to speak of him in the same manner and under the same title wherein the Prophets had mention'd him But then what kind of conceptions they had of the person Kingdom and days of the Messiah whether they expected the fore-runner Elias or the Resurrection of the dead at his coming as the Scribes and Pharisees did is scarcely credible VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They marvel'd that he talked with the woman THEY marvel he should talk with a woman much more with a Samaritan woman z z z z z z Erubhim fol. 53. 2. R. Jose the Galilaean being upon a journey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am much mistaken if it should not be writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 found Berurea in the way to whom he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what way must we go to Lydda She answered O thou foolish Galilean have not the wise men taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not multiply discourse with a woman Thou oughtest only to have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which way to Lydda Upon what occasion this woman should be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berurea is not our business at present to enquire but that the Reader may know something of her she was the wife of R. Meir a learned woman and a teacher her self a a a a a a Juchasin fol. 40. 2. His wife Berurea was a wise woman of whom many things are related in Avodah Zarah Another story we have of her b b b b b b Erubhin ubi supr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berurea found a certain Scholar reading mutteringly and spurn'd at him c. c c c c c c Kiddushin fol. 7â— 1 Samuel saith they do not salute a woman at all d d d d d d Bâ—mid ir rabba fol. 135. 4. A certain Matron askt R. Eleazar why when the sin of the Golden Calf was but one only should it be punisht with a threefold kind of death he answer'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a woman ought not to be wise above her Distaff Saith Hyrcanus to him because you did not answer her a word out of the Law she will keep back from us three hundred measures of Tythes yearly but he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the words of the Law be burn'd rather than committed to women e e e e e e Vid. Joma fol â—6 2 Ibid. fol. 240. 2. Let no one talk with a woman in the street no not with his own wife VERS XXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Left her water-pot T WAS kindly done to leave her water-pot behind her that Jesus and his Disciples whom she now saw come up to him might have wherewithal to drink VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Who hath told me all things that ever I did c. THIS passage doth something agree with the Jewish notion about their Messiah's smelling f f f f f f Sanhedr fol. 93. 2. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall make him of quick scent or smell in the fear of the Lord Isa. XI 3. Rabba saith he shall be of quick scent and shall judg as it is written he shall not judg by the sight of his eyes c. Ben Cozibah reign'd two years and an half and said to the Rabbins I am the Messiah They say unto him it is said of the Messiah that he shall be of quick scent and shall judg let us see if you can smell and judg which when he could not do they killed him The Samaritan woman perceiv'd that Jesus had smelt out all her clandestine wickednesses which she had perpetrated out of the view of men for which very reason she argu'd it with her self that this must be the Messiah And by her report her fellow Citizens are encourag'd to come and see him They see him hear him invite him receive and entertain him and believe in him Is it not probable therefore that they as well as the Jews might have expected the coming of the Messiah about this time if so whence should they learn it from the Jews or from the Book of Daniel VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are yet four months and then cometh the harvest THE beginning of the harvest that is the barley-harvest was about the middle of the month Nisan Consult Levit. XXIII 10 c. Deut. XVI 9. Bava Mezia fol. 106. 2. Half Tisri all Marheshvan and half Cisleu is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seeds time Half Cisleu whole Tebeth and half Shebat is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the winter Half Shebat whole Adar and half Nisan is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the winter solstice Half Nisan all Ijar and half Sevan is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the harvest Half Sivan all Tammuz and half Ab is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Summer Half Ab all Elul and half Tisri is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great heat They sow'd the wheat and spelt in the month Tisri and Marheshvan and so onward Targ. upon Eccles. XI 2. Give a good portion of thy seed to thy field in the month Tisri and withhold thou not from sowing also in Cisleu They sow'd barley in the months Shebat and Adar i i i i i i Gloss. in Râ—sh hashanab fol. 16. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lateward seed or that which is hid and lieth long in the earth the wheat and the spelt which do not soon ripen are sown in Marheshvan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the early seed the barley which soon ripens is sown in Shebat and Adar k k k k k k Menacoth fol. 85. 1. They sow seventy days before the Passover The Barley therefore the hope of an harvest to come after four months was not yet committed to the ground and yet our Saviour saith Behold the fields are already white unto the harvest Which thing being a little observ'd will help to illustrate the words and design of
of the Scribes So we often meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is out of the Law or Scripture to which is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is out of the Rabbins That Christ abideth for ever How then came the Rabbins to determine his time and years some to the space of Forty years some to Seventy and others to three Generations q q q q q q Sanbedr fol. 99. 1. After the days of Messiah they expected that Eternity should follow VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Therefore they could not believe c. THEY were not constrained in their infidelity because Isaiah had said Their heart is waxen gross c. But because those things were true which that Prophet had foretold concerning them Which Prophesie if I understand them aright they throw off from themselves and pervert the sense of it altogether r r r r r r Rosh hashanah fol. 17. 2. R. Johanan saith repentance is a great thing for it rescinds the decree of judgment determined against man as it is written The heart of this people is made fat their ears heavy and their eyes are closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they shall be converted and healed For to that sense do they render these last words diametrically contrary to the mind of the Prophet They have a conceipt that Isaiah was cut in two either by the Saw or the Ax by Manasses the King principally for this very Vision and Prophesie s s s s s s Jevamoth fol. 49. ◠It is a Tradition Simeon Ben Azzai saith I found a Book at Jerusalem in which was written how Manasses slew Isaiah Rabba saith He condemned and put him to death upon this occasion He saith to him Thy Master Moses saith no man can see God and live But thou sayest I have seen the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up Thy Master Moses saith Who is like our God in all things that we call upon him for Deut. IV. 7. But thou saiest seek ye the Lord while he may be found Isai. LV. 6. Moses thy Master saith the number of thy days I will fulfil Exod. XIII 26. But thou saiest I will add unto thy days fifteen years Isai. XXXVIII 5. Isaiah answered and said I know he will not hearken to me in any thing I can say to him If I should say any thing to the reconciling of the Scriptures I know he will deal contemptuously in it He said therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will shut my self up in this Cedar They brought the Cedar and sawed it asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when the Saw touched his mouth he gave up the Ghost This happened to him because he said I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips Manasses slew Isaiah and as it should seem the Gemarists do not dislike the fact because he had accused Israel of the uncleanness of their lips No touching upon Israel by any means VERS XLI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When he saw his Glory ISAI VI 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne Where the Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I saw the Lords Glory c. So Exod. XXIV 10. They saw the God of Israel Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They saw the glory of the God of Israel and vers 11. and they saw God Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they saw the glory of God So the Targumists elsewhere very often commended therefore by their followers for so rendring it because no man cold see God It might be therefore thought that our Evangelist speaks with the Targumist and the Nation when he saith that Isaiah saw his glory whereas the Prophet himself saith he saw the Lord. But there is a deeper meaning in it nor do I doubt but this glory of our Saviour which Isaiah saw was that kind of Glory by which he is described when he was to come to avenge himself and punish the Jewish Nation As when he is said to come in his Kingdom and in his Glory and in the Clouds c. viz. in his Vindictive Glory For observe 1. The Prophet saw the posts of the door shaken and removed as hastening to ruine 2. The Temple it self filled with smoke not with the cloud as formerly the token of the Divine Presence but with smoke The forerunner and prognostick of that fire that should burn and consume it 3. He saw the Seraphims Angels of fire because of the predetermined Burning 4. He heard the decree about blinding and hardening the people till the Cities be wasted and the Land desolate CHAP. XIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now before the Feast of the Passover THE Vulgar Beza and the Interlinear read Now before the Feast-day of the Passover But by what authority they add day it concerns them to make out For I. In the common language of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do never signifie less than the whole Festivity and time of Passover Pentecost and of Tabernacles no part of that time being excepted nor does the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feast occur any where throughout the whole Bible in another signification II. It is something harsh to exclude the Paschal Supper out of the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Feast of the Passover because the name of the whole Feast takes its original from it This they do who imagine this Supper mentioned in this place to have been the Paschal Supper and yet it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Feast of the Passover We have therefore shewn by many Arguments in our Notes upon Matth. XXVI 2 6. That the Supper here mentioned was with that at Bethany in the House of Simon the Leper two days before the Passover VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Supper being ended I Acknowledge the Aorist and yet do not believe the Supper was now ended We have the very same word in the story of the same Supper Matth. XXVI 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Jesus being in Bethany Which in St. Mark is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being in Bethany Chap. XIV 3. So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being Supper Let us joyn the full story together whiles Jesus was at Supper in the House of Simon the Leper two days before the Passover a Woman comes and pours very precious Oyntment upon his head when some murmured at the profuseness of the expense he defends the Woman and the action by an Apology and having finished his Apology he rises immediately from the Table as it were in the very midst of Supper and girds himself to wash his Disciples feet so that while they are grumbling at the anointing of his head he does not disdain to wash their
this was in Sichem you will say what became then of the Sichemites faith which Christ himself had already planted amongst them Joh. IV. It may be answered though in so very obscure a thing I would not be positive that it was some years since the time when Christ had conversed in that City and when as he had done nothing that was miraculous there Simon by his Magicks might obtain the easier reception amongst them But however grant it was Sebaste or any other City of Samaria that was the scene of this story yet who did this Simon give out himself to be when he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he himself was some great one And what sort of persons did the Samaritans account him when they said of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this man is the great power of God I. Did they take him for the Messiah It is commonly presumed that Simon was a Samaritan by birth but should Messiah spring out of the Samaritans It is no impertinent question whether the Samaritans when they looked for the Messiah Joh. IV. 25. yet could expect he should be one of the Samaritan stock when they admitted of no Article of Faith that had not its foundation in the Books of Moses Could they not gather this from thence that the Messiah should come of the Tribe of Judah A Samaritan perhaps will deny this and elude that passage in Gen. XLIX 10. by some such way as this It is true the Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come but then this does not argue that Shiloh must derive his Original from the Tribe of Judah only that some Dominion should continue in Judah till Shiloh should appear Where by the way it is worth our observing that the Samaritan Text and Interpreter in that place instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Jod and instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from between his feet that Text reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from between his banners and the Interpreter hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from between his Ranks or Companies That figment concerning Messiah ben Joseph or Messiah ben Ephraim for he goes by both those names whether it was first invented by the Jews or by the Samaritans is not easily determined The Jewish Writers make very frequent mention of him but the thing it self makes so much for the Samaritans that one might believe it was first hatcht amongst themselves only that the story tells us that Messiah was at length slain which the Samaritans would hardly ever have invented concerning him And the Jews perhaps might be the Authors of it that so they might the better evade those passages that speak of the death of the true Messiah II. However it was impiety enough in Simon if he gave out himself for a Prophet when he knew so well what himself was and if you expound his giving out himself to be some great one no higher than this yet does it argue arrogance enough in the knave I would not depress the sense of those words concerning John Baptist Luke I. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall be great in the sight of the Lord but if we take it in the highest degree he shall be a Prophet before the Lord Christ it carries both an excellent truth along with it and also a most plain agreeableness with the office of John And when Stephen expresseth Moses to have been a Prophet in these terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was mighty in words and deeds perhaps it bears the same sense with what the Samaritans said and conceited concerning this Simon that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great power of God VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then Simon himself believed also THAT is He believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah and so was made capable of Baptism as in vers 37. and was indeed baptized in the Name of Jesus vers 16. And now O Simon what thinkest thou of thy self if hitherto thou hadst exhibited thy self as the Messiah Darest thou after this pretend to be the Son of God That which is commonly told of him and which Epiphanius reports without alledging any others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Samaritans he gave out himself to be the Father to the Jews to be the Son betrays not only the blasphemy but the madness of the man that amongst the Jews he should pretend himself to be the Son of God when they would acknowledge no Son of God at all VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They sent unto them Peter and Iohn c. c c c c c c Hâ—res 21. EPIPHANIUS here very apositely tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Philip being but a Deacon had not the power of imposition of hands so as by that to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost It was the Apostles peculiar Province and Prerogative by laying on of their Hands to communicate the Holy Ghost that is in his extraordinary gifts of Tongues and Prophesie for as to the Spirit of Sanctification they never dispensed that Peter and John besides the eminent station they held amongst the Apostles were also to be the Apostles of the Circumcision in forreign Countries James the brother of John was now alive who with those two made up that noble Triumvirate that had a more intimate familiarity with Christ. And one would believe he ought also to have been sent along with them but that they were sufficient and that this was only as a prologue to their future charge and office of dealing with the Circumcision in forreign Countries They lay their hands upon some whom the Holy Ghost had pointed out to be ordained Ministers And by so doing they did communicate the gifts of Tongues and Prophesie so very visible and conspicuously that it is said that Simon saw how through the laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given Amongst the Jews persons were ordained Elders by three men But here this duumvirate was abundantly more valuable when they could not only promote to the Ministry but further confer upon those that were so promoted a fitness and ability for the performance of their office VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Give me also this power c. HOW infinitely mistaken is this wretch if he think that the gifts of the Holy Ghost could be bought and procured by Silver or Gold and how much more mistaken still if he think that the power of conferring these gifts to others could be thus attained The Apostles had a power of imparting these gifts but even they had not a power of enabling another to impart them Paul by laying hands on Timothy could endow him with the gifts of Tongues and Prophesie but he could not so endow him that he should be capable of conveighing those gifts to another This was purely Apostolical to dispense these gifts and when
honour l l l l l l Hieros Jevamâ—th fol. 3. 1. Bab. Jevamâ—th fol. 16. 1. in a far different signification the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking its derivation from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decline from VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deputy THIS is a word much in use amongst the Talmudists with a little variation only in the reading m m m m m m Hieros Beraceth fol. 9. 1. R. Chaninah and R. Joshua ben Levi passed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Deputy of Caesarea He seeing them rose up to them His own people say unto him Doest thou rise up to these Jews He answered them and said I saw their faces as the faces of Angels See the Aruch upon the word VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They came to Perga in Pamphylia FROM Paphos in Cyprus whether old or new both being Maritim places situated on the Western shore of the Island they seemed to Sail into the mouth of the river Cestrus concerning which Strabo hath this passage n n n n n n Geograph lib. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Then there is the river Cestrus which when one hath sailed sixty furlongs he comes to the City Perga near which is the Temple of Diana of Perga in an high place where every year there is a solemn convention Ptolomey also speaks of the river Cestrus and of the Cataract concerning which Strabo hath some mention But Mela o o o o o o Mela lib. 1. cap. 14. hath this passage Thence there are two strong rivers Oestros and Cataractes Oestros is easily navigable but Cataractes hath its name from the violence of its running amongst these is the City Perga c. One may justly suspect an error in the Writer here writing Oestros for Cestros and it is something strange that Olivarius hath taken no notice of it We may conjecture there was no Synagogue of Jews in Perga because there is no mention of it nor any memorable thing recorded as done by the Apostles here only that John whose Sirname was Mark did in this place depart from them for what reason is not known VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They came to Antioch in Pisidia STrabo reckons up thirteen Cities in Pisidia p p p p p p Strabo lib. 12 from Artemidorus amongst which he makes no mention of Antioch But Pliny q q q q q q Plin. lib. 5. cap. 27. tell us Insident vertici Pisidiae quondam Solymi appellati c. There are that inhabit the top of Pisidia who were once called Solymites their Colony is Casarea the same is Antioch And Ptolomey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The inland Cities in Pamphilia are Sileucia of Phrygia and Antioch of Pisidia Where the Interpreter most confusedly Civitates sunt in Provincia Mediterranea Phrygia quidem Pisidiae Seleucia Pisidiae Antiochia that is there are Cities in the midland Country Phrygia of Pisidia Seleucia of Pisidia Antioch and in the margin he sets Caesarea VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets BUT in what Language were the Law and the Prophets read in this Synagogue It is generally supposed that in the Synagogues of the Hellenists the Greek Bible was read But was that Tongue understood amongst the Pisidians Strabo at the end of his thirteenth Book tells us The Cibratian prefecture was reckoned amongst the greatest of Asia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cibyrates used four Languages the Pisidian the Solyman the Greek and Lydian Where we see the Pisidian Tongue is expresly distinguisht from the Greek If Moses and the Prophets therefore were read here in the Greek Tongue were they understood by those in Pisidia Yes you will say for the very name of the City Antioch speaks it to have been a Greek Colony Grant this but then suppose a Jewish Synagogue in some City of Pisidia that was purely Pisidian such as Selge Sagalessus Pernelissus c. or in some City of the Solymites or of the Lydians in what Language was the Law read there Doubtless in the same Tongue and the same manner that it was read in the Synagogue of the Hebrews i. e. in the Original Hebrew some Interpreter assisting and rendring it to them in their mother Tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They sat down So it is exprest commonly of any one that teaches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sat down And if the Rulers of the Synagogue had no other knowledge of Barnabas and Saul they might gather they were Preachers from this that when they entred the Synagogue they sat down according to the custom of those that Taught or Preached VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ye that fear God THAT is Proselytes r r r r r r Bemedv rab fol. 227. 2. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways Psal. CXXVIII 1. He doth not say Blessed is Israel or blessed are the Priests or blessed the Levites but blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the Proselytes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that fear the Lord. According as it is said of Israel Blessed art thou O Israel so is it said of these blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Now of what proselyte is it said that he is blessed It is said of the proselyte of justice Not as those Cuthites of whom it is said that they feared the Lord and yet worshiped their own Gods VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He suffered their manners THE particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to exclude the reading of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word we meet with in the Seventy Deut. I. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God did indeed bear with them full forty years and so you will say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not wide from the truth But the Apostle adding the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the time of forty years seems chiefly to respect that time which went between the fatal decree that they should not enter the land and the going in VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seven Nations THE Rabbins very frequently when they mention the Canaanitish people give them this very term of the Seven Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 About the space of four hundred and fity years AMongst the many things that are offerd upon this difficulty I would chuse this that in this number are reckoned the years of the Judges and the years of those Tyrants that opprest Israel computing them disjunctly and singly which at first sight any one would think ought to be so reckoned but that 1 Kings VI. 1. gives a check to a too large computation 1. The years of the Judges and Tyrants thus distinguisht answer the Sum exactly The Iudges Othniel XL. Eliud LXXX Deborah XL. Gideon
Fathers of the Sanhedrin and Rulers of the people and so in reviling him he transgressed that precept Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people as well as if he had reviled the High Priest II. It is very little to the credit of the Apostle to think that when he said God shall smite thee thou whited wall c. That he uttered it rashly and unadvisedly or carried away in an heat of passion and indignation or that he did not know whom he thus threatned or what degree and office he held But he spoke it soberly and as became an Apostle by the Authority and guidance of the Holy Ghost Nor did he nor had he any need to retract those words or make apology for his rashness but they are of the very same tenor with the rest that he uttered III. If this Ananias was that Sagan of the Priests that perished in the destruction of Jerusalem as hath been already said I would conceive his death was foretold prophetically by the Apostle rather than that he rashly poured out words that he afterwards retracted Let me therefore paraphrase upon the words before us I know it is not lawful to speak evil of the Ruler of the people nor would I have said these things to him which I have if I had owned such an one but I did not own him so for he is not worthy the name of an High Priest IV. The President of the Sanhedrin at this time was Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel his Father Gamaliel having been dead about two or three years before Paul knew Simeon and Simeon very well knew him having been fellow Disciples and both sate together at the feet of Gamaliel nor indeed could he be ignorant of any of the Rulers of the people if they were of any age because he had been so long educated and conversed in Jerusalem So that it is very improbable he should not know either Ananias the High Priest if he were now present or Ananias the Sagan or indeed any of the Fathers of the Sanhedrin if they had any years upon their backs Indeed not a few years had passed since he had left Jerusalem But seeing formerly he had spent so many years there and had been of that Degree and Order that he was an Officer of the Sanhedrin and had a Patent from them he could not have so slippery and treacherous a memory but that upon his return he could readily know and distinguish their faces and persons And whereas it is said in the Verse immediately following That Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees c. If it should be asked whence he came to distinguish so well concerning their persons it may be answered That if he had no other ways to know them he might understand that by his former knowledge of them He had known them from the time that he himself had been a Pharisee and conversed among them See Chap. XXII 5. V. Forasmuch therefore as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wist not I do not see how it can argue so much an ignorance of his person with whom he might have had some former transactions in obtaining that accursed commission against the followers of Christ but that it must relate to his affection rather than his understanding So that the sense is I knew not that there was any High Priest at all or I do not acknowledge this person for such an one It was safer to inveigh against the person than the office But if he had said concerning the very office I do not know that there is any High Priest at all I question not but he had uttered his mind being well assured that that High Priesthood was now antiquated by the death of our great High Priest Jesus For let us lay down this Problem Although the Apostle as to other things had owned the service of the Temple for he was purified in it Yet as to the High Priesthood he did not own the peculiar ministry of that doth it not carry truth with it seeing God by an irrefragrable token viz. the rending of the Veil of the Temple from the top to the bottom had shewn the end and abolishing of that office But suppose the words of the Apostle relate to the person and not the office and that they were spoken in reference to the man himself I do not own him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 High Priest that he is not worthy of that title Perhaps St. Paul knew of old how wicked a person he had been or from his present injustice or rash severity had reason enough to make such a reply To know instead of to own and acknowledge is not unusual in Scripture stile that is a sad and dreadful instance enough I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity And in the Jewish Writings when R. Judah being angry with Bar Kaphrah only said to him I know thee not he went away as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one rebuked and took 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rebuke to himself The story is this z z z z z z Moed Katon sol 16. 1. When bar Kaphrah came to visit him he said unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Bar Kaphrah I never knew thee He understood what he meant Therefore he took the rebuke unto himself for the space of thirty days VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sadducees say there is no Resurrection WHAT therefore is the Religion of a Sadducee He Prays he Fasts he offers Sacrifice he observes the Law and yet doth not expect a Resurrection or life Eternal To what end is this Religion It is that he may obtain Temporal good things observing only the promise of them made in the Law and he seeks for nothing beyond the meer letter That the Sadducees took their denomination from one Sadoc a Disciple of Antigonus Socheus is commonly received and that not without reason In the mean time it may not be amiss to enquire whether Sadoc did himself deny the resurrection and whether he rejected all the Books of the Holy Scripture excepting the five Books of Moses which the Sadducees in some measure did I. The Jewish writers do relate his story with so much variety that as some represent him we might think he denies the resurrection and future rewards but as others that he did not For so say some a a a a a a Yuchasin fol. 15. 2. Sadoc and Baithus were the heads of the Hereticks for they erred concerning the words of their Master c. b b b b b b Ramban in Avoth cap. 1. Sadoc and Baithus hearing this passage from their Master be ye not as Servants that serve their Master for hire and reward sake c. they said among themselves our Master teaches us that there is neither reward nor punishment c. Therefore they departed from the rule and forsook the Law c. Others say otherwise c c c c c c
Avoth R. Nathan cap. 5. Antigonus Socheus had two disciples who delivered his doctrine to their Disciples and their Disciples again to their Disciples They stood forth and taught after them and said what did our Fathers see that they should say It is possible for a labourer to perform all his work for the whole day and yet not receive his wages in the Evening Surely if our Fathers had thought there was another world and the resurrection of the dead they would not have said thus c. d d d d d d Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antigonus Socheus had two Disciples their names Sadoc and Baithus He taught them saying be ye not as hirelings that serve their Masters only that they may receive their pay c. They went and taught this to their Disciples and to the Disciples of their Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they did not expound his sense Mark that There arose up after them that said if our Fathers had known that there were a resurrection and a recompence for the just in the world to come they had not said this So they arose up and separated from the Law c. And from thence sprung those two evil Sects the Sadducees and Baithusians Let us but add that of Ramban mentioned before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sadoc and Baithus did not understand the sense of their Master in those words Be ye not as Servants who serve their Master for the rewards sake c. From all which compared together as we find the Jewish writers varying from one another somewhat in relating this story so from the later passages compared one would believe that Sadoc was not a Sadducee nor Baithus a Baithusian that is that neither of them were leavened with that heresie that denied the resurrection c. There was an occasion taken from the words of Antigonus misunderstood and depraved to raise such an heresy but it was not by Sadoc or Baithus for they did not understand the sense of them saith Ramban and as it appears out of the Aruch they propounded the naked words to their Disciples without any Gloss at all upon them and their Disciples again to the Disciples that followed them So that the name sect and heresie of the Sadducees does not seem to have sprung up till the second or third generation after Sadoc himself which if I mistake not is not unworthy our remark as to the Story and Chronology There was a time when I believed and who believes it not being led to it by the Author of Juchasin and Maimonides that Sadoc himself was the first Author of the Sect and Heterodoxy of the Sadducees but weighing a little more strictly this matter from the allegations I have newly made out of R. Nathan and Aruch it seems to me more probable that that sect did not spring up till many years after the death of Sadoc Let us compare the times The Talmudists themselves own that story that Josephus tells us of Jaddua whom Alexander the great met and worshipped but they alter the name and say it was Simeon the just Let those endeavour to reconcile Josephus with the Talmudists about the person and the name who believe any thing of the story and thing it self but let Simeon the just and Jaddua be one and the same person as some would have it e e e e e e Vide Juchas fol. 14. 1. So then the times of Simeon the just and Alexander the great are coincident Let Antigonus Socheus who took the chair after him be contemporary with Ptolomeus Laguâ— Let Sadoc and Baithus both his Disciples be of the same age with Ptolomeus Philadelphus And so the times of at least one generation if not a second of the Disciples of Sadoc may have run out before the name of Sadducees took place If there be any truth or probability in these things we shall do well to consider them when we come to enquire upon what reasons the Sadducees received not the rest of the Books of the sacred Volume with the same authority they did those of the five Books of Moses I ask therefore first whether this was done before the Greek Version was writ You will hardly say Antigonus or indeed Sadoc his Disciple was toucht with this error He would have been a monster of a president of the Sanhedrin that should not acknowledg that distinction of the Law the Prophets and Holy writings And it would be strange if Sadoc should from his Master renounce all the other books excepting the Pentateuch The Sadducees might learn indeed from the Scribes and Pharisees themselves to give a greater share of honour to the Pentateuch than the other Books for even they did so but that they should reject them so at least as not to read them in their Synagogues there was some other thing that must have moved them to it When I take notice of this passage f f f f f f Massech Soph. cap. 1. that five of the Elders translated the Law into Greek for Ptolomy and that in Josephus g g g g g g â—â—tiqu lib. 1. cap. â— that the Law only was translated and both these before so much as the name or sect of the Sadducees were known in the world I begin to suspect the Sadducees especially the Samaritans might have drawn something from this example At least if that be true that is related by Aristeas that he was under an Anathema that should add any thing to or alter any thing in that Version When the Sadducees therefore would be separating into a Sect having imbibed that heresie that there is no resurrection and wrested the words of Antigonus into such a sense it is less wonder if they would admit of none but the Books of Moses only because there was nothing plainly occured in them that contradicted their error and further because those antients of great name having rendred those five Books only into Greek seem to have consigned no other for Books of a divine stamp I do not at all think that all the Sadducees did follow that Version but I suspect that the Samaritans took something from thence into their own text It is said by some in defence of the Greek Version that in many things it agrees with the Hebrew Text of the Samaritans as if that Text were purer than our Hebrew and that the Greek Interpreters followed that Text. They do indeed agree often but if I should say that the Samaritan Text in those places or in some of them hath followed the Greek Version and not the Greek Version the Samaritan Text I presume I should not be easily consuted Shall I give you one or two agreements in the very beginning of the Pentateuch In Gen. II. 2. the Hebrew Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For God ended his work on the Seventh day But the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God finished his work on the sixth day The Samaritan
Text agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He finisht his work on the sixth day c. You will say the Greek Version translated according to the Samaritan Text. I say the Samaritan Text was framed according to this Greek Version Who shall determine this matter between us That which goes current amongst the Jews makes for me viz. that this alteration was made by the Seventy two h h h h h h Megill fol. 9. 1. Massech Sopher cap. 1. But be it all one which followeth the other in this agreement we next produce in the same Chapter Gen. II. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God had formed out of the ground The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God formed as yet out of the ground The Samaritan Text agrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will not enquire here which follows which but we rather complain of the boldness of both the one to add the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as yet which seems to perswade us that God after he had created Adam and Eve did over and above create something anew which as yet to me is a thing unheard of and to whom is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is no resurrection In my notes upon Matth. III. 9. I take notice out of the Gloss upon Bab. Beracoth if he be of any credit that there were Hereticks even in the days of Ezra who said that there is no world but this which indeed falls in with Sadducism though the name of Sadducee was not known then nor a long time after But as to their Heresie when they first sprung up they seem principally and in the first place to have denyed the immortality of the Soul and so by consequence the resurrection of the body I know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Jewish Writers is taken infinite times for the Resurrection from the dead but it is very often taken also for the life of the dead So as the one denotes the resurrection of the body the other the immortality of the Soul In the beginning of the Talmudick Chapter Helec where there is a discourse on purpose concerning the life of the world to come they collect several arguments to prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of the dead out of the Law for so let me render it here rather than the resurrection of the dead And the reason of it we may judge from that one agrument which they bring instead of many others viz. i i i i i i Sanhedr fol. 90. 2. Some do say that it is proved out of this Scripture He saith unto them But ye did cleave unto the Lord your God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are alive every one of you this day Deut. IV. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is plain that you are now alive when Moses speaks these things but he means this that in the day wherein all the world is dead ye shall live That is ye also though dead shall live which rather speaks out the immortality of the Soul after death than the resurrection of the body So our Saviours answer to the Sadducees Matth. XXII 31 32. from those words I am the God of Abraham c. is fitted directly to confute their opinion against the immortality of the Soul but it little either plainly or directly so proves the resurrection of the body but that the Sadducees might cavil at that way of proof And in that saying of the Sadducees themselves concerning the labourer working all the day and not receiving his wages at night there is a plain intimation that they especially considered of the state of the Soul after death and the non-resurrection of the body by consequence Let the words therefore be taken in this sense The Sadducees say Souls are not immortal and that there are neither Angels nor Spirits and then the twofold branch which our sacred Historian speaks of will the more clearly appear when he saith but the Pharisees confess both It is doubtful from the words of Josephus whether the Essenes acknowledge the resurrection of the body when in the mean time they did most heartily own the immortality of the Soul k k k k k k Iâ—s de excidâ— lib. 2. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This opinion prevails amongst them that the body indeed is corruptible and the matter of it doth not endure but Souls endure for ever immortal So that the question chiefly is concerned about the Souls Imortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither Angel nor Spirit They deny that the soul is immortal and they deny any spirits in the mean time perhaps not denying God to be a Spirit and that there is a Spirit of God mentioned Gen. I. 2. And it is a question whether they took not the occasion of their opinion from that deep silence they observe in Moses concerning the Creation of Angels or Spirits or from something else There is frequent mention in him of the apparitions of Angels and what can the Sadducee say to this Think you the Samaritans were Sadducees If so it is very observable that the Samaritan Interpreter doth once and again render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels So Gen. III. 5. Ye shall be as Elohim Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall be as Angels Chap. V. 1. In the similitude of God Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels So also Chap. IX 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels And whereever there is mention of Angels in the Hebrew Text the Samaritan Text retains the word Angels too Did not the Sadducees believe there were Angels once but their very being was for ever vanisht that they vanisht with Moses and were no more Did they believe that the soul of Moses was mortal and perisht with his body and that the Angels died with him otherwise I know not by what art or wit they could evade what they meet with in the Books of Moses concerning Angels that especially in Gen. XXXII 1. You will say perhaps that by Angels might be meant good motions and affections of the mind The Pharisees themselves do sometimes call evil affections by the name of Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil affection is Satan But they do not call good affections Angels nor can ye your selves apply that passage so The Angels of God met him and he called the name of that place Mahanaim i. e. two Camps or two hosts One of those Camps consisted of the multitude of his own family and will you have the other to consist of good affections If the Sadducees should grant that Angels were ever created Moses not mentioning their Creation in his History I should think they acknowledged the being of Angels in the same sense that we do in the whole story of the Pentateuch but that they conceived that after the History of
And now let us briefly weigh what things are said on the contrary side CHAP. X. What things are objected for the Affirmative I. FIRST That passage is objected a a a a a a Hieros Sotah cap. 7. R. Levi went to Cesarea and hearing them read the Lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schma Deut. VI. in Greek would hinder them R. Jose observing it was angry saying He that cannot read in Hebrew shall he not read at all Yea let a man read in any Tongue which he understands and knows and so satisfie his Duty So the words are rendred by a very learned Man But the Gemara treats not of reading the Law in the Synagogues but concerning the repeating of the passages of the Phylacteries among which the first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O Israel Deut. VI. Therefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be rendred reading but repeating In which sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occurs very frequently in the Masters As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b b b b Bab. Megill fol. 17. 1. She recites the book of Ester by her mouth that is without book And c c c c c c Biccurim fol. 86. 1. Heretofore every one that could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Recite that passage used in offering the first fruits Deut. XXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Recited And he that could not recite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they taught him to recite or they recited for him II. That example and story is urged concerning reading the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia Act. XIII 15. To which there is no need to answer any thing else but that it begs the Question III. That also of Tertullian is added d d d d d d Apoleget cap. 18. Sed Judaei palam lectitant Vectigalis libertas vulgo auditur or aditur singulis Sabbatis But the Jews also read openly the liberty of the Tax is heard or gone unto every Sabbath day I answer Be it granted that Tertullian speaks of the Greek Version which is not so very evident that which was done under Severus doth not conclude the same thing done in the times of the Apostles but especially when Severus was according to the sense of his name very severe towards the Jews as Baronius teacheth and Spartianus long before him Under whom Sabbaths could not be kept by the Jews but under a Tax And be it granted that the Greek Version was read then by them at Rome as the Glosser upon Tertullian describes the scene of the affair that was also under a Tax not by the choise of the people but by pure compulsion IV. That of Justin Martyr is produced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e e e e e e Orâ—â— Pâ—ranâ—â— ad Graecos But if any say that these books belong not to us but the Jews and therefore they are to this day preserved in their Synagogues And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. f f f f f f Apolog. â— The books remained even among the Egyptians hitherto and are every where among all the Jews who reading them understand them not V. But that is instead of all that Philo and Josephus follow the Greek Version and that which is still greater the holy Pen-men do follow it in the New Testament in their allegations taken out of the Old Therefore without doubt say they that Version was frequent and common in the Synagogues and in the hands of men and without doubt of the highest authority among the Jews yea as it seemeth of divine These are the arguments which are of the greatest weight on that side That I may therefore answer together to all let us expatiate a little in this enquiry CHAP. XI By what Authors and Counsils it might probably be that that Greek Version came forth which obtains under the Name of the Seventy I. IT was made and published without doubt not for the sake of the Jews but of the Heathen We have Josephus a witness here in his story of the Seventy granting him to be true in that relation what moved Ptolomey so greedily to desire the Version to purchase so small a Volume at such vast expenses Was it Religion Or a desire of adorning his Library By that paint does Josephus colour the business but reason will dictate a third cause and that far more likely For both the Jewish and Heathen Writers teach that Egypt at that time was filled with an infinite multitude of Jews and what could a prudent King and that took care of himself and his Kingdom do else than look into the manners and institutions of that Nation whether they consisted with the peace and security of his Kingdom since that people was contrary to the manners and Laws of all other Nations When therefore he could neither examine nor understand their Law which comprized their whole Religion Polity and Occonomy being writ in Hebrew it was necessary for him to provide to have it translated into their Vulgar Tongue Hence arose the Version of the five Elders as we may well suppose and lest some fraud or collusion might creep in the assembling of the Seventy two Elders was occasioned hence also And does it not favour of some suspicion that he assembled them being altogether ignorant what they were to do For let reason tell us why we should not rather give credit to the Talmudists writing for their own Country-men than to Josephus writing for the Heathen And if there be any truth in that relation that when he had gathered them together he shut them up by themselves in so many chambers that still increaseth the same suspicion II. Let it be yielded that they turned it into Greek which as we have seen is doubtful yet the speech in the Gemarists is only concerning the Books of Moses and concerning the Law only in Josephus Who therefore Translated the rest of the Books of the Holy Volume It is without an Author perhaps should we say the Jerusalem Sanhedrin but not without reason For III. The Jews wheresoever dispersed through out the World and they in very many Regions infinite in their numbers made it their earnest request that they might live and be governed by their own Laws and indeed they would live by none but their own But what Prince would grant this being altogether ignorant what those Laws were They saw their manners and rites were contrary to all other Nations it was needful also to see whether they were not contrary to the peace of their Kingdoms That very jealousie could not but require the Version of those Laws into the common Language and to force it also from them how unwilling soever they might be The great Sanhedrin therefore could not consult better and more wisely for the safty and security and religion of the whole Nation than by turning their Holy Books into the Greek Language that all might know what it was that they professed They could
to the wisdom of this World are the great matters and mysteries of the Gospel and of Salvation The Judgment to come that he speaks of in this verse he characters or pictures in divers colours or circumstances I. The object of it He shall judge the World II. The manner He shall judge it in Righteousness III. The time At a day which he hath appointed IV. The agent to be imploied in it The man whom he hath ordained V. And lastly the certainty of it He hath given assurance thereof c. There is some controversie about the translating of that clause He hath given assurance In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which will admit a double construction The Vulgar Latin and the Syriack gives one our English and the French another The Vulgar Latine renders it Fidem praebens omnibus Which I should have supposed might freely have been rendred in the sense our English gives Giving assurance to all but that I find some expositions constrain him another way viz. Affording faith to all and the Syrian inclines the same way for it renders Restoring every man to his faith or to faith in him As if the meaning were that God by the Resurrection of Christ did restore the World to faith and believing from that ignorance and infidelity which it lay under before which is a real and a very noble truth but I question whether that be the Apostles meaning in this place For he is shewing That God had appointed an universal Judgment and hath ordained Christ to be Judge and for proof and confirmation of both especially of the latter he saith as our English well renders he hath given assurance and as the French he hath given certainty in that he hath raised and the Greek very clearly bears such a sense And this to be the sense that is intended is yet further clear by observing the argumentation of the Apostle in this place Read the verse before The times of their ignorance God winked at but now commandeth every man to repent Because he hath appointed a day c. Why Was not this day appointed before that time that Christ was risen The Jews will tell you that Heaven and Hell were created before the World then certainly the Judgment that was to deem to Heaven or Hell was appointed before But our Saviour in the sentence that he shall pronounce at that Judgment Matth. XXV Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you c. shews that the appointing of the day of Judgment was of old time long and long ago before Christs Resurrection but the Apostle tells that he had never given such assurance of it before as he did then by raising him that should be Judge The Apostle at this portion of Scripture doth plainly shew three things First He lays down a doctrine Secondly He proves it And thirdly He makes application His doctrine is That God hath appointed a day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness His proof From Gods own real vouchment He hath given assurance in that he raised Christ from the dead His application therefore Let all men in every place repent I should deserve a just censure if I should refuse the Apostles method to take another and not tread in the steps of that Logical proceeding that he had printed before Yet I shall decline to insist much upon the confirmation of the doctrine as a particular head by it self since the taking up the second thing the proof of it is the doing the same thing Only I shall call out as the Prophet Esay doth in the place cited who assoon as he had said Thy heart shall meditate terrors presently subjoyns where is the Scribe c. So while our heart is meditating of terrors of the thing we are speaking this day which God hath appointed wherein he will Judge the World c. Where is the Sadducee where the Atheist where the Disputer of this World What say they to this thing I. The Sadducee will tell you That there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit Act. XXIII 8. And would perswade us that Moses was of the same opinion because he speaks not of any such things in terminis in all his book It is a common received opinion among the Learned that the Sadducees refused all the Books of the Old Testament but only the five Books of Moses If they mean it absolutely I must confess my small reading hath not taught so far as to be satisfied in that But if they mean it with some qualification then I believe the thing is very true In such a qualified sense as to say the rest of the Jews refused the third part of the Bible which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians render the word Hegiographa that is they refused to have it read in the Synagogue The Law and Prophets they read there every Sabbath Act. XIII 15. but admitted not the reading of Job Psalms Solmons books Daniel Lamentations Chronicles Ezra c. not so much out of the undervaluation of those books but because they accounted the other were sufficient So if you say the Sadducees admitted no other Books of the Old Testament to be read in their Synagogues on the Sabbath but only the books of Moses I doubt not but you speak very true but that they utterly rejected and made nothing of the rest of that Sacred Volume I am yet to seek for satisfaction And I suppose something may be said out of the ancient records of the Jews that might countenance the contrary but it is not now time and place to enter into such a discourse But you will say If they had them in their closets though not in their Synagogues If they read them though not there If they believed them how could they be ignorant of the resurrection Judgment to come and World to come of which there is so plain declaration in the rest of the Old Testament though not in Moses The answer is easie Because they had this principle that nothing is to be believed as a fundamental Article of Faith but what may be grounded in Moses The very Pharisees themselves did not far differ from them in this principle and I could produce a Pharisee in their own writings saying That if a man believed the Resurrection c. yet believed not that it was taught and grounded in the Law of Moses he should not be Orthodox Now why Moses did so obscurely intimate these great fundamentals in comparison of other parts of the Bible I shall not trouble you with discussing though very acceptable reasons may be given of it We find the Resurrection asserted by our Saviour out of Moses by one argument and we find it asserted by many arguments by the Pharisees against the Saducees in the Jews own Pandect and so we leave the Sadducees to take his answer and confutation there But II. Behold a worse then a Sadducee is here and that is a Christian
the gift of God as well as Pardon It is he that pours out the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. XII 10. Him God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. V. 31. Therefore that man takes the interest of God and Christ out of their hands that presumes he shall give himself Repentance and that when he pleaseth Can such a man give himself life when God will not give it health when God will not give it And can he give himself Repentance when God will not give it They in the Apostle James that say To day or to morrow we will go into such or such a City c. are justly confuted by the uncertainty of their life that can so little maintain it that cannot tell how long or little it shall be maintained So those that promise to themselves repentance the next year or the other besides that they cannot promise to themselves to live to such a time and if they do can they any more give themselves repentance then than they can now Or can they presume God will give them repentance then any more than now I remember that passage of the Apostle 2 Tim. II. 15. If peradventure God will give them repentance If the Apostle put it to a Peradventure whether God will give them repentance I dare say it is past all peradventure they cannot give it themselves It is God that gives repentance as well as he gives pardon For he and he only is the giver of all grace and repentance is the gift of sanctifying grace as pardon is of justifying 2. He that hath set conditions upon which to give repentance a rule whereby to come to repentance as well as he hath set repentance the rule whereby to come to pardon And his rule is Take Gods time as well as take Gods way His way is to attend upon his word that calls for repentance to cast away every thing that may hinder repentance So his time is Betake to repentance when God calls for repentance And that is this day this very hour every day every hour We hear of to day and while it is called to day in the claiming of mans duty but we never hear of to morrow or the next day much less of the next month or next year or I know not how long to come How ever this man in the Text neglected Gods time all his life and yet sped well enough at his later end because God would make him a singular example of Gods mercy and Christ's Purchase and triumph yet canst thou find no reason in the world to expect the like mercy if thou neglectest Gods time unless thou canst think of Gods setting thy name in the Bible for a monument to all posterity as he did this mans The Rule of our duty that we go by and not by Providence especially miraculous and extraordinary Now the rule of our duty teacheth that we delay not any time but to it to day while it is called to day And as our Saviour's lesson is about not taking care for to morrow in respect of food and clothing so we may say We are not to put off the care till to morrow in respect of repentance and amendment Object But do you think that Death-bed repentance never speeds well There have been many that have not betaken themselves to repentance nay nor never thought of repenting till death hath been ready to seize on them and yet then have shewed great tokens of repentance and have made a very hopeful end Answer We must distinguish the rule of our duty and the rule of judging others The rule of our duty is plain and legible the rule of our judging others is not so plain if so be we have any rule at all besides the rule of Charity which not seldom is mistaken It is not for us in such cases to be so wise as either to limit God or to be too confident of our own determinations or too ready to judge The words of our Saviour may hint unto us a good caution in this case Joh. XXI 22. What is that to thee follow thou me Be not inquisitive after other mens occasions but mind thine own And this may be very pertinent counsel Venture not Salvation upon such late Repentance and venture not to have the question determined in your case but keep to the stated and fixed Rule A SERMON PREACHED upon ACTS XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both TWO Parties mentioned in the Text that are oft mentioned and oft mentioned together in several other places in the New Testament viz. The Pharisees and Sadducees Simeon and Levi. Brethren in evil though at enmity among themselves Samsons Foxes looking with their faces several ways but their tails meeting together in heresie and mischiaf Their Doctrine different in many particulars but both corrupt leaven and equally to be taken heed of Mat. XVI 12. Their manners different and their hearts envious one against another yet both agreeing to be vexatious to Christ and both proving alike a generation of Vipers Matth. III. 7. Parties that differed not only about this Article of Religion viz. The resurrection and the World to come but that differed even about the whole Frame of Religion For the Pharisees would have their Religion to be built upon Traditions and the Sadducees would admit of no Tradition at all The Pharisees admitted all the Books of the old Testament to be read in the Synagogue the Sadducees the Books of Moses only The Sadducees sound in this particular that they would not admit of Traditions as the Pharisees did But as unsound again in that they would not acknowledge the Resurrection The Pharisees sound in that particular in that they acknowledged the Resurrection which the Sadducees did not But as unsound again in that they so denoted upon Traditions as they did Both erring from the truth and not a little and both maintaining opinions directly contrary to the way of Salvation and directly contrary to one another It is a saying of the Jewish writers and is very true That after the death of the later Prophets Zechary and Malachi the Spirit of Prophesie departed from Israel and went up So that there was no Prophet thenceforward among them no Vision no Revelation no Oracle by Urim and Thummim at the least for four hundred years till the rising of the Gospel Ah! poor nation how art thou not stript of thy great jewel and priviledge the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation What will now become of thee when thy Prophts are gone and such divine Guids and Teachers are no more Time was when thou mightest in thy doubting have recourse to them and they could resolve thee in thy fear have recourse to their prayers and they would prevail for thee in thy desire to know the mind of God and they would inform thee But now what
what is contrary to Right and Good Sometimes Heresie is bred of ignorance sometimes of too much knowledge sometimes of too much carlesness about the word of God sometimes of too much curiosity sometimes of leaning too much to sence and sometimes too much to carnal reason most commonly of pride of mens seeking themselves of crosness of boldness about divine things and ever of mens wilfulness to have their own minds Might I not instance and give example in all these things And hath not the Church had too sad experience of these things in all generations Weeds ever creeping up in that garden out of one peice of cursed ground or other and is never free of them There must be Heresies saith the Apostle there have been Heresies saith Experience and there will be Heresies saith the corrupt nature and heart of man that will be seeking it self and hath no mind of obeying the truth Weighty is that saying of the Apostle 2 Thes. II. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God sends them strong delusion that they should believe a lie It is more proper to say and it is more commonly done that men rather fall into Heresie than that Heresie falls upon them That is that they rather choose it themselves than that they are any way inforced to it Heresie is a Greek word put into an English dress And the word in Greek as Grammarians will tell you signifies a Wish a choise Heresie is a thing that a man takes up of his own wish and choice And I think it might be a disputable poynt Whether a Heretic ever took up and maintained his opinions purely out of conscience The great Heresie abroad in one party is Popery And can I or you believe that the ring-leaders of that Religion that lead the poor silly people blindfold do maintain that Religion purely out of the principles of a good conscience when we see they make no conscience of Massacres Powder-Plots killing Kings and disquieting Kingdoms The great Heresie abroad in another party is Socinianism And can I think or believe that the ring-leaders in that doctrine do maintain that doctrine purely out of the principles of conscience when even the whole System and Body of that Divinity doth clearly speak it self to be a crossing even all the Articles of Religion of what hath been received for sound and orthodox in the Church in all ages And I must be excused if I take Quakerism to be a direful Heresie and that it is hard to find out that the ring-leaders in it do maintain it purely out of the principles of conscience while they are so bitter high cross and censorious You remember the saying of the Apostle The Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Jam. III. 17. If their wisdom or profession carry those marks and if their Doctrine carry even any badg of Truth we do not yet understand it or them And as for the Heresie that the Text speaks of the Sadducees denying those great Articles of Religion The Resurrection Angels and Spirits Can we think they maintained their opinions meerly out of the princiâ—ples of conscience and not rather out of Faction Sectarism or some other by respect and regard Our Saviour chargeth them with Ignorance in the Scripture and in judging concerning God Do ye not err saith he not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God And it is not very suspicious that there was wilfulness in the matter too that they were resolved to stick to their opinion for some by-ends that they had of their own Let us a little consider of the Persons and then of their Opinions I. Of the Persons We read not of Sadducees but under the second Temple or after the return out of Captivity but when and how they rose then is something questionable Some think there were Sadducees in the time of Ezra and the Prophets that lived after the Captivity Haggai Zechariah and Malachi And they think that those words Mal. III. 13. Your words are stout against me do refer to the Sadducees And there are of the Jewish Writers that say that in the time of Ezra there were Sadducees that denyed the World to come And therefore to affront that Heresie they of the great Council ordained that in the end of some prayers instead of saying Amen they should say for ever and ever As instead of Blessed be the Lord Amen they should say Blessed be the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ever and ever or as the words do properly signifie To worlds of worlds or to ages of ages Others ascribe the original of Sadducees to a later date and that one Sadoc was the first author of the Heresie divers years after these holy Prophets were dead and gone Which opinion is most embraced both by Jews and Christians II. Well be it the one way or the other the first singularity of this sect was that they would receive no poynt of Faith but what they could see plainly grounded in the Books of Moses For the other Books of the Old Testament they admitted not of to be of such authority as were the Books of Moses And because they could not find the I. Resurrection and the World to come spoke of in plain terms in all Moses therefore they would not take those Articles into their Creed They would be their own choosers and what they will have to be Scripture must be Scripture and what they would not have must not be The great cause of Heresie which we mentioned before mens wilfulness to have their own minds It is a blessed thing to be led by Scripture for that will lead to Truth and to Heaven But on the contrary a cursed thing to lead the Scripture whether a man would have it For that will certainly end in error and miscarriage It is but too common a thing for men to take up an opinion or doctrine of their own heads or minds and as please themselves and then to lead and strain the Scripture to speak to their opinion and to maintain it to make the divine Oracles of God to truckle to their fancies Like that that Solomon accounts so absurd and preposterous to set Servants on horseback and Princes to lacquy by their horse side and to trudge afoot These Sadducees had learned from their Master Sadoc that there was no Resurrection nor world to come And to maintain that opinion they will make so bold with Scripture that that which speaks not plainly of those things shall be Scripture but that that does shall not be at all How the Church of Rome dealeth in this kind is very well known That Church hath taken up cursed and abominable Opinions and Doctrins and she cries down the Scriptures and would not have them meddled with And you know who among us talk so much of the light within them as all-sufficient for their guidance and salvation and
from other Men. 99 100 Nazareth its situation 495 496 Nazarites they were forbid the total use of Wine whether the Law about the Nazarites had not some reference to Adam while he was under that Prohibition in the state of innocency p. 382. Only two Nazarites were set apart by God viz. Sampson and the Baptist three hundred at once made themselves Nazarites by their own voluntary vow p. 384. They being forbid the total use of Wine how could they keep the commands referring to the keeping the Passover c. in which Wine was used p. 382. They wore long hair among whom Absolom was one p. 774. Why they let their hair grow long 774 Nazaritâ—sin what and how the Vow of it was sometimes laid aside 1219 1220 Neapolis the Jews in scorn called it Sychar 52 53 Neighbour and Brother what the difference between them p. 141. Neighbour the Jews denyed any Gentile to be their Neighbour p. 425. Who is our Neighbour p. 1298. We are to love our Neighbour as our selves what 1301 New Creation new Heaven and new Earth put for the times and state of things immediately following the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish State Page 626 New Jerusalem the Holy City why called New and why Holy City p. 1196 1197 1198. What it is not and what it is and where to be found 1197 to 1202 New Testament why it so exactly follows the Translation of the Septuagint in the Old Testament p. 403. New Testament Phrases and Passages the surest and safest way to understand them viz. is not to frame a sense of our own which we think fair and probable but to observe how they were understood by them to whom they were uttered 1041 1042 Nicholaitans that impure Sect did not spring from Nicholas the Deacon but took the Name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Necola p. 662. They impudently did oppose the Decree of the Apostles p. 695 696. They were wicked Hereticks perswading to eat things offered to Idols and to commit Fornication p. 756. Notwithstanding the affirmation of Antiquity they did not spring from Nicolas one of the seven Deacons 756 Nicholaitism and Judaism were two errors on each hand the Gospel into which some Primitive Christians did fall 1097 Nicodemus the reason of his Name and what he was he was also called Bonai he was exceeding rich and yet his Family fell to great poverty 513 532 Nicoplois what 371 Noah's Flood was a prognostication and assurance of the Last Judgment 1104 Nob a City of the Priests from whence one might easily see Jerusalem 42 Numbers and Things near alike are said to be the same 99 100 Nunship or Virginity the vow of it among the Papists is accounted a devout and sacred Thing which is false and never to be proved by them 1216 1217 1219 O. OATHS in the Jewish Writings reduced to a Promissory Oath p. 148. A vain or rash Oath concerning which four Things and an Oath concerning something left in trust and a Testimonial Oath what p. 149. The Jews only took care of the truth of the thing sworn and not of the vanity of swearing it was customary among them to swear by Creatures Page 149 Obedience of Christ made his blood justifying and saving p. 1255. It conquered Satan and satisfied God p. 1256 Christ died meerly out of obedience p. 1257. His obedience does not dissolve the obedience of a Christian. 1263 Obeying and Believing are not to be separated 1263 Obolus what 468 Offering of water used at the Feast of Tabernacles how performed whence derived and what the meaning of it 560 Officiousness a great fault in an Historian 1142 1143 Old Testament how the Jews divided the writings of it p. 483 584. When any place of the Old Testament was cited by the Jews they delivered it always in the very Original Words p. 694. The Sadducees are said by some to refuse all the Books of the Old Testament except the Five Books of Moses 1101 Ono where and what 325 c. Opinion and a Scripture Text distinguished 758 Orbo the City 317 Original Text of the Hebrew whether corrupted or not 131 Orphan Amen or Psalm what 786 Outward Action the Jews thought the Law was to restrain and bind the Outward Action only not regarding the inward Thought Page 1098 Oyntment precious how prized 352 P. PALESTINE the third called Palestine the healthful whence the Name Page 293 294 Paneas or Panias the spring-head of Jordan there being none such thing as two Fountains 62 63 64 298 Papacy it followeth Jannes and Jambres and is the great Resister of the Truth of the Gospel 1188 1189 Papists the improbability ridiculousness and irreligion of their holding that the Patriarchs were in Purgatory 1342 1343 Parables were the Jews most familiar Rhetorick p. 193. Parables were used by Christ among the Jews because they would not see the Light 339 Paradise what the Jews understood by being in Paradise p. 477 478. Paradise put for the state of the blessed 1272 1273 Paras was the space of fifteen days immediately before the Passover Pentecost or the Feast of Tabernacles 635 Pardon and Salvation it s the greatest difficulty to make Men fit and capable for them p. 1276. What are the sure Grounds of hope for Salvation and Pardon p. 1277. Pardon is the gift of God as well as Repentance 1277 Parents It was the opinion of the Jews that Children born crooked maimed or defective was according to some sin of the Parents p. 568. Why the Children suffer for the Parents sins the Justice thereof p. 1316 1317. This only designs corporal or external punishment 1318 Parsa a Parsa was four miles 319 Paschal Supper the whole Method and Order of it in eight Particulars p. 257 258. How Wine came to be there and what quantity they drank 259 260 Passover or Paschal Lamb how made ready in five Particulars p. 255 256. Whether Christ kept his Passover the day before the Jews i. e. on the fourteenth not the fifteenth day of the Month. p. 353 356 357. The difference between the first Month and the second p. 354. Preparation of the Passover what p. 356 to 358. After the Lamb was eaten every Israelite was bound within that seven days Solemnity First To appear before the Lord in the Court and that with a Sacrifice this was called the Appearance p. 356. Secondly To solemn joy and mirth and that also with Sacrifices this was called Chagigah The Festival p. 356 357. Whether was it lawful to depart from Jerusalem till the seven days of the Passover were ended p. 394 395. How the Passover was prepared for many days before it actually began 550 Passovers four intervened between Christ's entrance into his publick Ministry and the time of his Death with the several Actions which he did about the time of each 1033 Patriarchs where they were buried p. 668. Whether their Souls were in Purgatory 1342 c. Paul and Saul his Roman and Hebrew Name and why p. 687 1191.
the Doxology is added to it by Saint Matthew and omitted by Saint Luke 1139 Prayers were sometimes performed with great silence in the Temple p. 351. Prayers of the Jews consisted in Benedictions and Doxologies p. 427. Private Prayers in what part of the Temple they were performed p. 464. Dayly Prayers of the Jews were eighteen in number what they were 690 Praying for the dead founded by the Rhemists on that Text 1 John 5. 16. refuted 1094 Preaching was one part of Prophesie Singing Psalms and foretelling of Things from Divine Revelation were the two others 785 Precepts there were say the Jews six hundred thirteen Precepts in the Law of Moses 1114 Pre-existence of Souls some of the Jews held it 569 1352 Preparation of the Sabbath what 358 Presbyters and Elders were to judge in Pecuniary Affairs 755 Preservation of God how he preserves all Men alike and yet not all alike Page 1213 Presumption Monuments of Mercy were never set up in Scripture to be encouragements to Presumption 1276 Priestess one born of the Lineage of Priests of these the Priests commonly took themselves wives 379 Priesthood and High Priesthood only differed in two things 585 Priests married Gentlemens Daughters p. 42. One hundred sixty Priests were married in Gophna all in one night p. 52. Priests were the setled Ministry of the Church of Israel they always lived upon Tithes when they studied in the University Preached in the Synagogues and attended on the Temple Service p. 86. They were called First Plebeian Priests for Priests were not made but born so some of them were poor yet being of Aaron's seed though unlearned they had their Courses at the Altar Secondly Idiots or Private because still of a lower Order Thirdly Wâ— thier being besides the High Priest Heads of the Courses Heads of Families Presidents over Offices And such as were Members of the chief Sanhedrim p. 110. The Marriage of the Priests was a thing of great concern on purpose to keep them uncorrupt p. 379. Priests and Levites what was lawful and unlawful in them p. 382. Priests were examined by the Great Council whether they had any blemishes which if they had they were sent away arraied in black p. 388. Chief Priests Elders and Scribes how distinguished 469 Prince of this World the Devil how so called 591 592 Probatica or the Sheep Gate was not near the Temple contrary to the common Opinion 507 Prodigies very memorable which happened forty years before the destruction of the Temple what 248 Prophane or polluted and unclean distinguished 199 200 Promises given to Israel in the Law are most generally and most apparently Temporal Promises p. 1331 c. Scarcely any Spiritual much less any Eternal Promises in the Law of Moses p. 1332. In the Books of Moses they were all for earthly things as they belonged to the Jews p. 1332. Why God gave them such Promises p. 1333. There were spiritual Promises before the Law p. 1333. The Gospel State happy in the better Promises p. 1332 1333. God intended Spiritual Things under Temporal Promises p. 1333. Why God did not speak out Spiritual and Eternal Things but only obscurely hinted them in such Temporal Promises 1333 1334 Prophesie comprehends the singing of Psalms to Preach and Foretel something from Divine Revelation p. 785. From the death of the later Prophets the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Prophesie ceased from Israel p. 802. Prophesie expired at the fall of Jerusalem p. 1048. Prophesie was one of the two extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit p. 1157. Prophesie Revelation and Urim and Thummim was gone from the Jews for four hundred years before Christ came p. 1284 1288 1289. Prophesie was sometimes performed by ill Men as Caiaphas and Balaam 1288 to 1291 Prophesying what it was in Saint Paul's time 1157 1158 Prophets Schools of the Prophets were little Universities or Colledges of Students their Governor some venerable Prophet inspired with the Holy Spirit to give forth Divine Revelations c. p. 86. Prophets how divided by the Jews p. 407. How unrolled and distant Places put together p. 407 408. Prophets put for Prophetical Books of Scripture p. 458. From the days of Zachary and Malachy the Jews expected no Prophets till the coming of the Messiah p. 522. Prophets were not the standing Ministry of the Church neither under the Law nor under the Gospel but occasional and of necessity p. 1034 1049. The Books of the Law and Prophets only were read by the Jews in their Synagogues the rest they read not 1102 Proselyte what Page 234 Proselytes Fearers of the Lord are used for Proselytes every one of them are blessed 689 Prosperity of the wicked did once occasion both weeping and laughing p. 706. Prosperity or Peace outward in the things of this World is no sign of Peace with God p. 1053. It 's sometimes a sign of God's enmity proved from Ecclesiastes 5. 13. and from Mal. 2. 2. p. 1053. The Prosperity of wicked Men is an Argument of the Last Judgment and future state 1104 Protestant Church and Religion where they were before Luthers time 1201 Providence of God not a Rule for Men to go by but his Word 1276 Psalms put for the Hagiographa p. 265. Singing of Psalms was one part of Prophesie p. 785. Singing of Psalms in Christian Congregations is a great and heavenly work p. 1158. The Primitive Christians sung David's Psalms in their publick Congregations p. 1158. The singing whereof is a Duty incumbent upon Christians p. 1158 to 1162. Our Saviour the Apostles and the Primitive Church practised it 1159 to 1162 Ptolemais also called Acon a City of Galilee how situate 60 Ptolomy is in something amended 320 Publican what his business p. 171. Publican Heathen what 215 Publicans were odious to the Jews p. 152 c. They were of several Degrees 466 467 Purgatory the Doctrine of it p. 1341. The improbability ridiculousness and irreligion of the Papists holding that the Patriarchs were in it 1342 1343 Purification days of a Woman after Child bearing when accomplished p. 391 392. Purification after touching a dead Body what 790 Purifying water Children were born and brought up in some Courts under ground to be made fitter to sprinkle the Purifying water 34 Purifyings some were performed in a longer and others in a shorter time 586 Purim the Feast of Purim opposed by some of the Jews 578 Putting away for divorcing what p. 146. Putting away a Husband by the Wife c. among the Jews what With the Form thereof 759 Pythons what 175 Q. QUAKARISM Popery and Socinianism are great Heresies Page 1280 1281 R. RAbban Jochanan ben Zaccai something of his History Page 652 653 Rabbi an haughty Title not common till the times of Hillel which in later times was much affected 232 233 Rabbins of Tiberias were mad with Pharisaism bewitched with Traditions blind guileful doting and magical and such a like work is the Jerusalem Talmud which they made there it 's not possible to suppose that
the Synagogue were done p. 185. Sabbath from the second first what p. 184. Sabbath to the Jews was a day of junkets and delicious Feasting p. 184. What worldly things were not to be done on it p. 184 187 547. And what worldly things might be done on it p. 186 187 547 The care of the Sabbath lay upon Adam under a double Law p. 186 187. Sabbath days journy what p. 304. The Preparion of the Sabbath what p. 358. Second Sabbath after the first what p. 409. The Jews used to get much and excellent Victuals on that Day for the honour of the Day p. 445 446. The Jews allowed all necessary things to be done on that day as to heal the sick c. p. 446. To save Beasts in danger p. 446. The night before the Sabbath candles were lighted up in honour of it and the Evening of the Sabbath was called Light p. 479. The length of the Sabbath days journey at first was twelve Miles with the reason afterward it was confined to two thousand cubits or one mile p. 485 486 636 637. Circumcision as given by Moses gives a right understanding of the nature of the Sabbath p. 557. The institution of the Sabbath and how God rested on it p. 1325. Resting on it hath four ends Moral to rest from Labours Commemorative to remember God's creating the World Evangelical referring to Christ and Typical to signifie eternal Rest. p. 1327. It was given to the Jews at Sinai to distinguish them from all other people p. 1327 1328. It s antiquity c. Page 1328 Sabbath Christian the Jews say that the Christian Sabbath was the first day of the week why Christ changed it from the seventh to the first p. 271 272 1329 1330. It was not controverted but every where celebrated in the Primitive Times only some Jews converted to the Gospel kept also the Jewish Sabbath 792 793 Sabbatick River said to rest on the Sabbath day suspected 313 Sacrament of the Supper receiving unworthily two dreadful things against it 779 Sacramental Blood as it may be called of the Old and New Testament and the very Blood of Christ harmonized 777 778 Sacraments are visible marks of distinction proved p. 1125. They have several Ends. p. 1125. They are perpetual p. 1126. They are Seals of the life of Faith p. 1126. How they answer Circumcision and the Passover 1126 Sacrifices Spiritual every Christian hath three Spiritual Sacrifices to offer to God p. 1260. The Altar on which these Sacrifices are to be offered 1260 Sadducees their Original whence they came to deny the Râ—â—urrection p. 124 to 126. They did not utterly deny all the Old Testament except the Five Books of Moses but the Five Books were only what they would stand by for the confirmation of matters of Faith p. 542 1101. They denyed the Resurrection what therefore was their Religion and to what end p. 699. They take their Heterodoxy and Denomination say some from Sadoc p. 699 700. At first they denyed the Immortality of the Soul and so by consequence the Resurrection p. 701. The Religion of the Sadducees was not the National Religion of the Jews but a Sect and Excrescence from it p. 1036. They held nothing for a Fundamental Article of Faith but what might be grounded on the Five Books of Moses p. 1102. The Resurrection of the last day demonstrated against the Sadducees and Atheists p. 1235. The difference between the Sadducees and Pharisees in matters of Religion was very great p. 1278. Though the Sadducees and Pharisees greatly differed betwixt themselves yet they easily harmonized to oppose Christianity p. 1278 1279. The Sadducees held several Heretical Opinions about some main Articles of Faith p. 1279 1280. The Sadducees considered in their Persons or Original and Opinions 1280 to 1284 Sadduceism the Foundation of it laid in the days of Ezra 124 Sadoc said to be the first Founder of Sadduceism whether he denied the Resurrection or all the Scripture except Moses 699 700 Sagan was not so much the Vice-High-Priest as one set over the Priest therefore called the Sagan of the Priests he was the same with the Ruler of the Temple p. 397. Because his dignity was higher and independent therefore he was sometimes called High-Priest p. 397. Sagan was the same with the Prefect or Ruler he was to be a Learned Man Page 608 Saints judging the World expounded against the Fifth Monarchists p. 753. Not referred to the Last Judgment but to Christian Magistrates and Judges in the World p. 753 754. Saints in Glory have not the Spirit p. 1150. Saints in Heaven what they do referring to Saints or Sinuers on Earth 1268 Salamean or Salmean or Kenite the same and what 499 Salem the first Name for Jerusalem which was compounded of Jireh and Salem and why under what latitude how holy above other Cities 20 to 22 Salim what and where situate 498 499 Salting with fire and with salt the custom and the meaning of the phrase 346 347 Salvation and Pardon what the sure ground of hope of them is 1277 Salutares some Companies and Wings of the Roman Army being so called in likelihood gave the Title of Healthful to some Countries 294 Salutations were not performed by the Jews at some times 420 Saluting of Women was rarely used among the Jews 385 Samaria under the first Temple was a City under the second a Country called Sebaste the Religion thereof was Heathenism and Samaritanism p. 52 53. Samaria was planted with Colonies two several times 503 504 Samaritanism what 53 Samaritans rejected the Temple at Jerusalem and why p. 540 541. How they rejected all the Old Testament but the Five Books of Moses whether they were not acquainted with the rest and owned them in some cases 541 542 Samaritan Text follows the Greek Version 701 Samaritan Version or Pentateuch three things in it containing matter of notice and a fourth of suspition 504 505 Samochonitis the Lake of Samochonitis is in Scripture called the Waters of Merom c 64 Sampson what were his failings 1215 Sanctification Adam had not the Spirit of Sanctification nor of Prophesie p. 1150. Why we are justified by perfect Justification and yet not sanctified by perfect Sanctification and holiness answered 1153 Sandals and Shoos not the same against Beza and Erasmus 178 Sanhedrim the Jewish Sanhedrim consisted of Priests Levites and Israelites p. 109. Sanhedrim the Lesser and Greater their time of sitting the number that made a Council p. 355. It was against the Sanhedrims own Rule to seek for Witnesses against Christ. p. 355. The whole Sanhedrim was sometimes comprehended under the Name of Pharisees p. 571. The Sanhedrim lost the power of judging in capital Causes by their own neglect being so remiss to the Israelites with the Reasons of it p. 611 to 614. The Sanhedrim removed from the Room Gazith to the Tabernae and from the Tabernae into Jerusalem forty years before the destruction of that City with the Reason of it p.
Heathens that is lost p p p p p p Nedarin cap. 3. hal 4. It is lawful for Publicans to swear that is an Oblation which is not that you are of the Kings retinue when you are not c. that is Publicans may deceive and that by Oath VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. THESE words depend upon the former he had been speaking concerning being loosed from the office of a brother in a particular case now he speaks of the Authority and Power of the Apostles of loosing and binding any thing whatsoever seemed them good being guided in all things by the Holy Ghost We have explained the sense of this Phrase at Chap. XVI and he gives the same Authority in respect of this to all the Apostles here as he did to Peter there who were all to be partakers of the same Spirit and of the same Gifts This power was built upon that noble and most self-sufficient Foundation Joh. XVI 13. The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth There lies an Emphasis in those words Into all truth I deny that any one any where at any time was led or to be led into all Truth from the Ascension of Christ unto the worlds end beside the Apostles Every holy man certainly is led into all truth necessary to him for salvation but the Apostles were led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church because they were to deliver a rule of Faith and Manners to the whole Church throughout all Ages Hence whatsoever they should confirm in the Law was to be confirmed whatsoever they should abolish was to abolished since they were endowed as to all things with a Spirit of Infalibillity guiding them by the hand into all truth VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if two of you shall agree upon earth c. AND these words do closely agree with those that went before There the speech was concerning the Apostles determination in all things respecting men Here concerning their Grace and Power of obtaining things from God I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of you Hence Peter and John act joyntly together among the Jews Acts II. III. c. and they act joyntly among the Samaritans Acts VIII 14. and Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles Acts XIII 2. This bond being broke by Barnabas the spirit is doubled as it were upon Paul II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agree together That is to obtain something from God which appears also from the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching any thing that they shall ask suppose concerning conferring the Spirit by the imposition of hands of doing this or that Miracle c. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them THE like do the Rabbins speak of two or three sitting in Judgment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine presence is in the midst of them VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I forgive him until seven times THIS Question of Peter respects the words of our Saviour Ver. 15. How far shall I forgive my brother before I proceed to the Extremity What Seven times he thought that he had measured out by these words a large Charity being in a manner double to that which was prescribed by the Schools q He that is wronged ◠Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 5. say they is forbidden to be difficult to pardon for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel But when the offender implores him once and again and it appears he repents of his deed let him pardon him and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise worthy It is well but there lies a snake under it r r r r r r Bab. Jomah fol. 86. ◠For say they they pardon a man once that sins against another Secondly they pardon him Thirdly they pardon him Fourthly they do not pardon him c. CHAP. XIX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came unto the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan IF it were barely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan by the Coasts of Judea one might understand the bounds of the Jews beyond Jordan Nor does such a construction want its parallel in Josephus for Hyrcanus saith he built a fortification the name of which was Tyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between Arabia and Judea beyond Jordan not far from Essebonitis a a a a a a Antiq. lib. 12. chap. 5. But see Mark here Chap. X. 1 relating the same storie with this our Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came saith he into the coasts of Judea taking a journey from Galilee along the Country beyond Jordan VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause OF the causes ridiculous shall I call them or wicked for which they put away their wives we have spoke at Chap. V. ver 31. We will produce only one example here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Rabh went to Darsis whither as the Gloss saith he often went he made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day Rabh Nachman when he went to Sacnezib made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day The Gloss is Is there any woman who will be my wife while ◠tarry in this place The Question here propounded by the Pharisees was disputed in the Schools and they divided into parties concerning it as we have noted before For the School of Shammai permitted not divorces but only in the case of Adultery the School of Hillel otherwise b b b b b b See Hierof Sotah fol. 16. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered c. INterpreters ordinarily understand this of the unkindness of men towards their wives and that not illy but at first sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hardness of heart for the most part in Scripture denotes rather obduration against God than against men Examples occur every where Nor does this sense want its fitness in this place not to exclude the other but to be joyned with it here I. That God delivered that rebellious people for the hardness of their hearts to spiritual fornication that is to Idolatry sufficiently appears out of sacred Story and particularly from these words of the first Martyr Stephen Acts VII 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God turne d and gave them up to worship the host of heaven c. And they seem not less given up to carnal fornication if you observe the horrid records of their Adulteries in the holy Scripture and their not less horrid allowances of divorces and polygamies in the books of the Talmudists so that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
carries with it a very proper sense if you interpret it To according to its most usual signification Moses to the hardness of your hearts added this that he permitted divorces something that favours of punishment in it self however you esteem it for a priviledge II. But you may interpret it more clearly and aptly of the Inhumanity of husbands towards their wives but this is to be understood also under restriction fo r Moses permitted not divorces because simply and generally men were severe and unkind towards their wives for then why should he restrain divorces to the cause of Adultery but because from their fierceness and cruelty towards their wives they might take hold of and seek occasions from that Law which punished Adultery with death to prosecute their wives with all manner of severity to oppress them to kill them Let us search into the Divine Laws in case of Adultery a little more largely 1. There was a Law made upon the suspicion of Adultery that the wife should undergo a trial by the bitter waters Numb 5. but it is disputed by the Jewish Schools rightly and upon good ground whether the husband was bound in this case by duty to prosecute his wife to extremity or whether it were lawful for him to connive at and pardon her if he would And there are some who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he was bound by duty and there are others who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was left to his pleasure c c c c c c See Hierof Sotah as before 2. There was a Law of death made in case of the discovery of Adultery Deut. XXII 21 22 23. If a man shall be found lying with a married woman both shall die c. not that this Law was not in force unless they were taken in the very act but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be found is opposed to suspicion and means the same as if it were said When it shall be found that a man hath lain c. 3. A Law of Divorce also was given in case of Adultery discovered Deut. XXIV for in that case only and when it is discovered it plainly appears from our Saviours Gloss and from the concession of some Rabbins also that Divorces took place For say they in the place last cited Does a man find something foul in his wife he cannot put her away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath not found foul nakedness in her that is Adultery But now how does the Law of death and that of Divorce consist together It is answered They do not so consist together that both retain their force but the former was partly taken off by the latter and partly not The Divine Wisdom knew that inhumane husbands would use that law of death unto all manner of cruelty towards their wives for how ready was it for a wicked and unkind husband to lay snares even for his innocent wife if he were weary of her to oppress her under that law of death And if she were taken under guilt how cruelly and insolently would he triumph over her poor woman both to the disgrace of wedlock and to the scandal of Religion Therefore the most prudent and withal merciful Law-giver made provision that the woman if she were guilty might not go without her punishment and if she were not guilty might go without danger and that the wicked husband that was impatient of wedlock might not satiate his cruelty That vvhich is said by one does not please me That there was no place for divorce where Matrimony was broke off by capital punishment for there vvas place for Divorce for that end that there might not be place for capital punishment That Law indeed of death held the Adulterer in a snare and exacted capital punishment upon him and so the Law made sufficient provision for terrour but it consulted more gently for the woman the weaker vessel lest the cruelty of her husband might unmercifully triumph over her Therefore in the suspicion of Adultery and the thing not discovered the husband might if he would try his wife by the bitter waters or if he would he might connive at her In case of the discovery of Adultery the husband might put away his wife but he scarce might put her to death because the Law of Divorce was given for that very end that provision might be made for the woman against the hard heartedness of her husband Let this story serve for a Conclusion d d d d d d Bab. Berac fol. 19. 1. Shemaiah and Abtalion compelled Carchemith a Libertine woman-servant to drink the Bitter waters The husband of this woman could not put her away by the Law of Moses because she was not found guilty of discovered Adultery He might put her away by the Traditional Law which permitted Divorces without the case of Adultery he might not if he had pleased have brought her to trial by the bitter waters but it argued the hardness of his heart towards his wife or burning jealousie that he brought her I do not remember that I have any where in the Jewish Pandect read any example of a wife punished with death for Adultery e e e e e e Hierof Sanhedr fol. â—4 2. There is mention of the daughter of a certain Priest committing fornication in her fathers house that was burnt alive but she was not married VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs from their mothers womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs which were made Eunuchs of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Talmudists VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then were little children brought unto him NOT for the healing of some disease for if this had been the end propounded why did the Disciples keep them back above all others or chide any for their access Nor can we believe that they were the children of unbelieving Jews when it is scarcely probable that they despising the Doctrine and person of Christ would desire his blessing Some therefore of those that believe brought their Infants to Christ that he might take particular notice of them and admit them into his Discipleship and mark them for his by his blessing Perhaps the Disciples thought this an excess of officious Religion or that they would be too troublesome to their Master and hence they opposed them but Christ countenanceth the thing and favours again that Doctrine which he had laid down Chap. XVIII namely That the Infants of believers were as much Disciples and partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven as their Parents VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou shalt not kill c. IT is worthy marking how again and again in the New Testament when mention is made of the whole Law only the second Table is exemplified as in this place so also Rom. XIII 8 9. and Jam. 11. 8. 11 c. Charity towards our neighbour is the top of Religion and a most