Augustine or Hierom say but what the Scriptures say is Truth And Non creditur quia non scribitur It is not believed because it is not written And Non quid Hieronymus sed quid Moses quid Paulus Not that which Hierom saith but what Moses what Paul say Let us determine the thing by the Determination of this Question Is any Man to be damned if he believe not what the Church Councils Fathers have spoken A Papist may chance say so but will either Reason or Conscience say so with him Let any Religious Conscience say Can he think himself damned because he believes not every thing that the Council of Nice hath decreed or what Hierom or Augustine have spoken They have confest themselves Men subject to Error I know they were so and must I be bound upon Pain of Damnation to believe what it may be in time they believed not themselves And let Râ—ason speak Must I be bound to believe every Tradition that a Monk Friar or a whole Church of such hold out fetched no one knows whence Here is the Advantage of your Protestant Religion here the Benefit of the Ministry we refuse not nay we beg that you try the Scriptures whether we speak true or no. If not spit in our Faces Do you think the Apostle took it ill Acts xvii 11 that the Bereans tried his Doctrine by the Scriptures Luke hath honoured them for it with the Title of More honourable than those of Thessalonica And it speaks the Mind of Paul with whom he travailed that he took it well too Our Ministery begs this of you that you consult their Bibles whether we speak true or no and we have but one Request more that if you find it true you would believe embrace and follow it A Popish Preacher would tell you you must believe it whether you understand it or no VVhether it be agreeable to Scripture or no. For the Church such a Council or Father hath said it and they know better than you I may say as it is 1 Cor. xv 19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable So we are in a miserable Condition if upon the Penalty of Salvation we are to believe every Tradition and Trash that foolish or ungodly Men would put upon us But we have a sure VVord of Prophecy and make much of Scriptures and bless God for them that we have what to rely on Miserable Faith to believe as the Church believes we know not What or if we do we know not Why. But we know what we believe viz. The VVord of God and we know why we believe it viz. because it is the VVord of God Object But how do we believe that they are the Scriptures but that the Church hath told us so How do we believe that such and such Books were written by such and such Men but by the Authority of the Church And the Scriptures had never come to you if it were not for the Church of Rome Thus they plead Answer I. If the Church of Rome could have hindred we must never have had the Scriptures as we have Some of the Learned'st of them have called the Scripture a Book of Heresies and wish'd that there were none at all And they keep them from their own People have put not a few to Death for reading them for having Bibles And would they let us have them if they could chuse They are sensible that we by Scripture have discovered their Errors and that we are thereupon withdrawn from them and would they have convey'd them to us No it was the VVork of the Lord and the Mercy of the Lord and it is marvellous in our Eyes that all their Policy and the Slight of Satan could not hinder them from us Like to that Picture where you have a Candle burning and Pope and Friars and the Devil blowing and cannot blow it out This Divine Light is the Sun in the VVorld that cannot be so totally clouded but that God makes it break out here and there VVhat would the Pope give that there were not a Bible in all the Protestant Churches For then should we be led blindfold by them as they would have it But blessed be God who hath shewed us Light that Light is in Goshen VVhich if at the Courtesie of Rome we must never have had it II. As far as we owe our receiving of Scripture to Men we are least beholden to the Romish Church They put us off with a Latin Translation barbarous and wild But we have a surer VVord the Sacred Hebrew and Divine Greek And the Hebrew we owe to the Jews and the Greek to the Greek Church rather than the Roman Rom. iii. 2 Unto them the Jews were committed the Oracles of God And from them we received the Old Testament And not from them neither for could they have prevented we had not had it Consider how many Copies were abroad in the VVorld The Old Testament was in every Synagogue And how many Copies would Men take of the New So that it is impossible but still Scripture must be conveyed Could all the Policy of Satan have hindred he had done it For the VVord of God is his Overthrow So that it was owing to a Divine Hand And our Faith stands not on the Church to believe the Scriptures but God hath carried the Authority of them from Age to Age. I receive not Testimony from Men saith Christ. No more does his VVord But the Scriptures themselves have overpowered the Belief of Men. As to the Comparison commonly made from John iv 42. They said unto the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ They first believed the VVoman but then they believed not for her VVords but for Christ's sake So first say some Men believe the Scriptures are Scriptures for the Churches sake but after for their own But it is not proper to say we believe Scriptures are Scriptures because of the Church without distinguishing upon believing As Augustin's Non credidissem Scripturis c. I had not believed the Scriptures had not the Church told me That is while he was unconverted But we may satisfie this by an easie Distinction betwixt believing that Scripture is Scripture and believing that the Church all along hath taken them for Scripture To make this plain by a Comparison Canones Apostolorum and Donatio Constantini are believed by the Church of Rome to be from the very Apostles and Constantine I believe that that Church believed them so and yet I believe not a VVord of them to be so My Belief the Church held them so is from the Church but my Belief they are not so is from themselves A good Soul desires to build up its self by the Rule of Faith and Life He finds that the Church hath counted Scripture so and that he believes But as yet he believes not they are
Scriptures upon that Account But he reads studies meditates on them finds the Divine Excellency Sweetness Power of them And then he believes they are the VVord of God And that now is not for the Churches sake but for themselves The Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles hath determined such Books Canonical VVhy Because the Church hath ever held them so That is some Furtherance to their Belief but not the cause of it They first believed the Church held them so but they saw Cause and Reason in the Books themselves to believe they were so As the Samaritans believed not at first that Christ was Christ for the VVoman's Relation but they believed she thought so and believed he might be so but that he was so they believed upon his own Words So we believe the Church owns the Scriptures but he is but a poor Christian that believes the Scriptures are the Scriptures upon no other Account He may believe the Canons of the Council of Trent about Scripture upon such an Account But he is a right Christian that believes the Scripture is the Word of God upon Proof and Trial. II. The Communion of Saints THIS Article harps upon the String of that before I believe the Holy Catholick Church and I believe that Church is in a Communion It is a Church of Saints for it is a Holy Church and tho' it be Catholick dispersed in divers Nations yet there is a Communion of those Saints But to what is this Article material What is it to me whether there be a Communion of Saints or no It is material in it self and if thou beest a true Christian it is material to thee And there is no true Saint but he blesseth God that there is such a Communion and he rejoyceth to be of that Communion as in the opening of the thing you will see the Cause If I should say there is a Communion of Devils or a Communion of ungodly Wretches Devils incarnate I doubt it would prove too true and it might not be unprofitable to observe such a fearful Communion to avoid it But when I say there is a Communion of Saints it is not only a Truth in Divinity but it is a Comfort in Religion and a Perswasive in Reason that Men would strive to be of that Communion if they did but understand what it meant It is not only I believe there is a Company of Saints for the Article before speaks that but I believe there is a Sacred Union Communion common Interest among that Company what is advantageous to every Member and to the whole What this Communion is and wherein it consists we must find out by these Considerations I. That Saints are very thin in the World Here one of Christ's little Flock there another but very rare Jer. iii. 14 And I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion There were many Thousands in the City and but One of so many and many Cities in a Tribe and but Two of all these the Lord 's picked ones to bring to Zion Take the Character of a true Saint of God as David pictures him Psal. xv and how rarely is such an one to be found Day was when in all Jerusalem among Thousands of Persons such a Person was not to be found Jer. v. 1 Run ye to and fro through the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man if there be any that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Cast out the Chaff and Refuse that is in the World and how very little Wheat is to be found Openly prophane and close Hypocrites carnal Gospellers and lukewarm Christians covetous Worldings and voluptuous Epicures set these aside by themselves and look at those that truly fear God and eschew Evil that deny themselves and dare not break any Command of God and how small is that Number But Three Hundred in Gideon's Army fit to do the Work of God of Thirty-two Thousand If there be Three Hundred of Three Hundred Thousand that prove true Saints it is well if there be so many as it is sad there be no more Let me pose any one or let every one pose their own Heart Dost thou think thou art a true Saint of God Every one will be ready to assume the Title but sift thy Heart to the Bran and what saith it Is there no Love of the World No Malice Pride Self-seeking Coldness in Religion Carelesness of Duty there I tell thee a Saint's Heart is a rare Jewel we may go a great way before we find one Oh! that all the Lord's People were Prophets as Moses said so I say Oh! that they were Saints But it proves not so A Saint is a rare Creature and they grow very thin in the World here and there a Berry in the Top of a Bough here and there a Plant of the Lord 's planting but very rare Therefore when the Creed speaks of the Catholick Church meaning true Saints that serve God in Truth it speaks not Multitude tho' it mean Universal But it speaks that such are scattered up and down the World here some in one Nation there some in another here One in One City there another in another II. Therefore Communion of Saints cannot mean Personal or Local Union or Communion Saints in one Place or in one Lump together Not a College of all Saints in one Place but a Communion 'twixt them as scattered here and there all the World over As there is a Communion 'twixt two Friends one in Turky another in England one in New England another in Old The Jews little understand the Communion of Saints when they construe Hos. i. 11 Then shall the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one Head c. and such other Places Literally of their Meeting together and going to Canaan together and dwelling there together Whereas the Words mean their gathering into Communion of another Nature How would you understand that Mat. xxiv 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other By the Angels he means his Messengers the Ministers by the Sound of a Trumpet he means the Gospel by the whole he means that after the Destruction of Jerusalem of which the Speech is in the Verses before God by the preaching of the Gospel would fetch in his Elect among all Nations or call home the Gentiles But how gather them together What Into any one Place or Country or City No but into such a Communion as we are speaking of in the several Nations or Countries where they lived One Saint in Judea another in Assyria another in Greece All staying in the Place where they receive the Gospel and yet all gathered together into one
SOME Genuine Remains Of the Late Pious and Learned John Lightfoot D. D. Consisting of Three Tracts VIZ. I. Rules for a Student of the Holy Scriptures II. Meditations upon some Abstruser Points of Divinity and Explanations of divers Difficult Places of Scripture III. An Exposition of Two Select Articles of the Apostles Creed TOGETHER With a large Preface concerning the Author His Learned Debates in the Assembly of Divines His Peculiar Opinions His Christian Piety and the Faithful Discharge of His Ministry LONDON Printed by R. J. for J. Robinson at the Golden-Lion and J. Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCC TO THE RIGHT REVEREND Father in God JOHN L. Bishop of Norwich My Lord I Present this Book to Your Lordship in this Publick and Solemn manner moved thereto by good Reasons Knowing with what Respect and Honour You are wont to treat the Memory of the Reverend and Pious Man the Author and the great Esteem You express to have of his Studies To whom therefore the Sight of these Tracts some Genuine Remains of that excellent Divine will not I know be unacceptable I was willing also this way to express my Sense of Your Lordship's obliging Favours towards me which You have been pleased to shew not only upon Account of our antient Acquaintance and equal Standing in the University but chiefly in respect of those Studies I have of late addicted my self to which You a known Patron and Furtherer of all good Learning have been always ready to assist and promote You have my Lord afforded me the free Use of Your singular Library stored with so many and so choice Manuscripts together with such Antique and to the present Generation scarce heard of Books and Treatises when Printing was but as it were in its Infancy And besides You have got me the sight of other valuable Manuscripts Whereby I must gratefully acknowledge the considerable Improvements I have made in my Searches into the Historical Affairs of this Church when it first began to reform Abuses and to vindicate it self from Rome and as it happily proceeded under our two first Protestant Princes Which must be more amply owned in case any of my Studies of this Nature hereafter see the Light I beseech Your Lordship therefore to take in good part this my Presumption and to accept of the humble Respects of My Lord Your Lordship 's most Obliged Servant John Stryp THE PREFACE Relating to the AUTHOR SINCE these Genuine Pieces of Dr. LIGHTFOOT might be of good use to such as are Studious of Divine Learning I was unwilling they should lye any longer within private Walls For as he was one of the deepliest Studied Men in the Learning of the Jews whether you regard their Language Phrases Customs Laws Times Worship Temple or Land so he made it his main Bent and Business to render all that Knowledge he had therein useful to contribute Light to the Sacred History and to open the Inspired Writings of the Old and New Testament In the doing whereof he had a happy Faculty by his dextrous Application of his said Learning whereby many Knots in Scripture have been untyed many Difficulties explained many abstruse Questions satisfactorily discussed many Dislocations restored to their right Places and the Chronicle and Method of the Books laid in their due and proper Order This Learned Man's usefulness this way hath been so well known abroad that there have been two or three Impressions of his Works there since his Death In the last whereof finisht at Franeker Anno 1698. are added divers Tracts of his Remains Which several of the Learned there and particularly Remfertus the Professor had earnestly desired of me in order to the publishing of them that no Notions of so great a Man might be lost By which Encouragement I have since at my leisure lookt up together these further Remainders that now appear Which having carefully reviewed and considered and finding them according to my poor Judgment not less serviceable to the good Ends the Reverend Author designed in what he published himself I resolved to prepare and give to the Press also These Tracts are three Concerning each of which I shall say something for the Readers satisfaction I. The First viz. The Rules for a Student of Holy Scripture was written compleat and fair by the Author 's own Hand And surely it is one of the pithiest and plainest Discourses that ever I met with of this Nature in so narrow a compass and in so familiar a way framed to instruct any ordinary Reader that comes with an honest Mind to read the Scriptures whereby he may arrive not to some superficial Knowledge in them but be admitted even into the Depths and Mysteries thereof It was composed by him for the Use of some Person who intending to read the Word of God with Profit had desired his Counsel in his Access thereto Who this Person was I cannot assign but conjecture it might be his Son John who was Chaplain to Dr. Bryan Walton late Bishop of Chester the great and chief Undertaker of the Polyglott Bible or Anastasius his Second Son who was a pious Minister in Hertfordshire Or for whomsoever else it was writ the Author designed it for some that desired to be good Textuists As in Truth all that take upon them Holy Orders and to preach and teach Religion ought to be The Holy Scriptures being the infallible Ground of all Divine Truth whence all sound Doctrine is to befetched And therefore if they be not first well or at least tollerably understood by the Preacher he is likely both to deceive himself and those that hear him and to teach Falshood and Error Whereof hath sprung a great part of those Schisms and wild Opinions that have created so much Disturbance in the Church And for the foresaid purpose the Writer of this Tract doth these things First He directs to reduce the Books of the Bible into a continued Chronicle Secondly He sets down many cursory Notes for the Explanation of Things and Phrases not so obvious Thirdly He shews a Method and Course for a distinct reading of the Scripture according the Historical Order of Time which is not always observed by the Sacred Writers for special Reasons whereby it comes to pass that many Chapters are dislocated that so those Holy Books may be the more clearly apprehended and understood and read with more Profit and Benefit And all laid down in a most plain and easie manner as Instruction to Learners and Beginners ought to be This Discourse seems indeed to have been the Ground-plot of that Piece of the Author 's Printed among his Works intitled A Chronicle of the Times of the Old Testament and of those other Pieces of the Harmony and Chronicle of the New But as they are larger so this is more succinct and may be used as a convenient Manuduction into the other Having also much in it whereof the others are silent So that they may serve all very well to
As in Gen. xiii 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are MEN BRETHREN In fine so well did our Divine acquit himself in this Assembly and such was the General Opinion of his Learning and Integrity that when Much Munden in Hertfordshire was under Sequestration and Mr. Sedgwick moved that some one of the Assembly might be recommended to that Place Lightfoot was Nominated and it was ordered with Universal Consent that he should be recommended to the Committee for that purpose which happened in Jan. 1643. 'T is true this Learned Man was noted for certain peculiar Opinions differing therein from such as were commonly received and believed and thereupon was disliked by some Nor will I deny it but yet I must add that they were such Notions as were innocent and did no harm such as had no bad influence upon Religion nor tended in the least to the Breach of the Churches Peace which he ever held very sacred nor lastly Such as abated the necessity of a Vertuous and good Life And for evidence hereof I will mention some if not the chief of them First That the Jews shall not be called but are utterly rejected And that the Time of their Rejection happened before the Times of Christ and that it so happened to them for their fond and impious Traditions rather than as it is commonly asserted after Christ for their Wickedness in Murthering their Messiah and persecuting the Gospel how grievous a Crime soever that was And that their last and only Calling was in the Times of Christ and his Apostles when some few of them viz. A Remnant were brought in to the Faith of Christ. But that neither then there was nor ever shall be any Universal Calling of them And that that pâ—ace in the Epistle to the Romans Chap. xi 5 At this present time there is a Remnant c. was very unfit to prove this Calling of the Jews to be either Universal or after a great many Ages Secondly His mean Opinion of the Greek Translation of the Bible by the Seventy that it was hammered out by the Jews with more Caution than Conscience more Craft than Sincerity and that it was done out of Political Ends to themselves As that the Bible might be represented after that manner to the Heathen among whom the Jews dwelt that they might have no occasion from any Passages therein to revile or cavil with them and that the Jewish Nation might live the more securely concealing in the mean time as much as they could the Mysteries and Truths contained therein Thirdly His Opinion concerning the Keys that they were given to Peter alone And this he openly hâ—ld in the Assembly of Divines When a long Debate happenning whether the Keys were given to all the Church or to the Apostles only our Divine stood up and granted that in all Ages the Learned hâ—ld that the Keys meant the Government of the Church but that for his part he held that the Keys were only given to Peter according as Christ spake only to him To THEE will I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven But mark in what sense he meant it That is to open the Gospel to the Gentiles which was meant he said by the Kingdom of Heaven And that it was to this purpose Peter spake Acts xv 7 in an Assembly of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my Mouth should hear c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from this Promise of Christ given to him And Fourthly He did not allow that Binding and Loosing related to Discipline but to Doctrine And that because the Phrases to Bind and to Loose were Jewish and most frequent in their Writers and that it belonged only to the Teachers among the Jews to Bind and to Loose And that when the Jews set any apart to be a Preacher they used these Words Take thou Liberty to Teach what is Bound and what is Loose To which I might add Fifthly His peculiar Interpretation of those Words of God to Cain If thou dost not well Sin lyeth at the Door SIN that is not Punishment to take hold of thee but a Sin-offering to make Attonement for thee and that that was the common Acceptation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Sin in the Books of Moses And that God did not intend to terrifie Cain by those Words but rather to keep him from Despair These and perhaps other Notions and Expositions of Scripture however Novel they seemed to be yet as they were not without probability so they never made any Assaults upon Fundamental Doctrines or true Christian Holiness and Peace And thus we have seen somewhat of his Learning and Divinity But that which made it the more valuable was his Integrity and Goodness Which opens to us a second Scene of the Man and brings us to the Consideration of him II. As a Good Christian. And for the the better evidencing of this I shall use the same Method for the most part as I have done before to shew his Learning Namely by looking into his Behaviour while he sat a Member of the Assembly of Divines 1. He was an earnest Promoter of the Peace of the Church And because the breaking of the Communion of Christians by Schisms and Separations and withdrawing from the National Church into distinct Churches did effectually tend to kindle the Fire of Contention and Uncharitableness and to beget Estrangements in the Family of Câ—rist where Love ought to be the great Badge therefore he always set himself to oppose those Practices And for this purpose he would often urge how our great Master and Lord kept up constant Communion with the Jewish Church whereof he was Born a Member and came up duly to the Temple at the Set Feasts and observed the Churches Rites and Customs however corrupt they were in many respects and the Officers and Prime Professors of it very Degenerate and Hypocritical Which Argument he hath managed well in his Discourse upon the Widow's Mite in this Book as well as in other Places of his Printed Sermons extant in his Works To which I might add that when in his Discourse upon one of the Select Articles of the Creed now published he had occasionally said that it might so happen that a Man might be excommunicate out of a true Protestant Church and yet it were hard to doom such an one to Perdition he presently put in this Caution That he spake not this to animate any to separate or withdraw from the visible Church wherein we live Adding withal his Grief at the Separations among us That for such Divisions of Reuben there were great Thoughts of Heart And it is remarkable that when once in the Assembly some began to move whether the Church of England were a true Church and the Ministry of the Church of England a true Ministry some would have waved it lest it might have brought on the Business of
I am not evil She says they bade her ask it Where it had been all this while and what it lived on It said I remain in the Air and the Quarters and Minutes are set down how long it stays on the Earth at a time when it appears And said moreover I am sent from the Lord to discover and disclose And also said I in my Likeness will appear to divers but have no Power to speak to any but to thee She says it saith that it shall enjoy the happy Eternal and that it had no Power to speak till the Stake was taken up She says it appear'd to her the Night before I was with her There is a great deal more of the Story whereof some I heard there of her and some since by others To this is subjoyned The Relation of Mr. Thomas Blackwel Containing almost all that was in Mr. Moor's Word for Word and these Particulars besides ABout Lammas last 1662. it appeared twice like a Child of Two Years old in White the third time like a young Man of Eighteen Years old The Saturday following it appeared in green Breeches Doublet and Coat bare-footed and bare-headed with long Flaxen Hair the upper part of the Doublet unbuttoned as she thought She asked What art thou What wantest thou What wouldest thou have Then it came nearer She said If thou wouldest have ought speak It answered Fourteen Years have I wandred in this Place c. as in the other Letter and vanished and appeared again within a quarter of an Hour and said Be not thou afraid I will never hurt thee thou shalt never want Witness perhaps to be supply'd and vanished About Eight or Nine a Clock the said Saturday it appeared in White and said nothing but moved to and fro and went into the Room where the Bones were and rattled them and vanished Tuesday about Eight or Nine at Night it appeared again and said My Life was taken from me betwixt Eight and Nine c. as in the other Leâ—ter After these things Isabel Billinger to whom it appeared went to the Justice and related the Story to him He wish'd her when it appeared again to ask its Name and Father's c. and at the next appearing it answered That its Name was Robert Elliot his Father's Name Jacob his Mother 's Rebecca his Sisters Jane and Katharine That he lived at West-Ham Three Miles from London And at another time it told further concerning his Relations to this Tenor my Father was born at Chester an Upholster by Trade and came in his latter Days to keep a Hackney Coach in London And that his Sisters were both alive in London the one at the Black Nags-Head in Southwark and the other at the Horse-Shooe that his Mother's Name first was Mrs. Rebecca Hutchinson and they might find it in St. John's Church register-Register-Book in London The Justice bade Isabel ask him how he came to Mary Burton's House The Spirit answered that he came to Nusterton and not finding her there came to Driffield and meeting with her desired Lodging at her House and she being unwilling he said he thought he might have craved such a common Favour from her for the Money he had lent her She said her House was unprovided of Victuals He called for some Ale and drank and told her he came for his Money She said she had it not to give him He said he would either have it to morrow or send for the Bailiff and distrain Upon that she uttered some vain Oaths and idle Words and he called her Bloody Quean Then she swore she could find in her Heart to drink as freely of his Blood as she did of that Cup of Ale and drank it immediately The next time it appear'd it told further that Mary Burton took the Writings with her and went to West-Ham and demanded a Rug and a Tankard worth about That his Sister Katharine being unwilling to deliver them said she had already given him more than came to his Part. That Mary Burton said she had got Writings under his own Hand and that he had gotten a House for his Life and that now she was become a Friend of his That thereupon his Sister deliver'd the Rug and Tankard to M. Burton and that she sold them at London And having discovered this he vanish'd The next time she asked what she should do for Witness and it answered as in Mr. Moor's Letter and moreover bade Isabel desire the Justice to take no Bail of M. Burton but send her to Goal and it would be there Isabel asked what the Fire should be made of it said a bright Fire of Coals and so vanished Isabel said that M. Burton came that Saturday to her House with the Wife of Roger Baker of Driffield And upon her Entrance said to Isabel Good Woman we are come to trouble your House For I hear there is a great Accident befel and that a Spirit appeared to you and said it was wounded here And she desired Isabel to tell whom it accused Isabel not knowing that it was M. Burton said It accused one M. Burton and Alice Colson and Anne Harrison Then M. Burton asked where it said it was put to Death Isabel said in the Chamber of this House Then Mary said her Name was M. Burton and that there was a Bed in that Chamber but none ever lay in it but only the Maid And clapping her Hands together said she never dipt her Hands in any Man's Blood The Spirit said that she knocked him on the Head and no Blood appeared Mary Burton stayed in the Town all Night The next Day being Sunday the Fire was made c. as in the former Letter M. Burton desired to see the Spirit but it said to Isabel M. Burton my great Enemy shall not see me till her last Day Isabel told Mary what the Spirit said who said she would sit no longer there to prate Isabel was first examined before Sir Tho. Remington and Mr. Crompton and afterward her Examination was taken again by Mr. Crompton Afterwards it desired her to go to Two other Justices that they might take the Examination and pointed with its Hand Eastward Isabel told Mr. Crompton what it said Who told her that it mattered not for her going for he would acquaint Sir Tho. Bointon and Mr. Pierson with her Examination When she returned from Mr. Crompton the Spirit was standing on the further side of the Bed where the Child lay and said to her Thou shalt go to the two Justices Which when she told Mr. Crompton he advised her to go and she was examined before them On the 11th or 12th of September it appeared and spoke of other things shewing of some Plot for betraying of King Charles And of the time viz. before Candlemas unless the Country Magistrates and his loving Friends writ to him in secret Also the Person 's Name that should betray him Upon which Mr. Crompton bade Isabel ask the Spirit certain Questions relating thereto
then of his Generation or that come out of his Loins were Sixty-nine in number and himself maketh the Seventieth He is presented before Pharaoh who never saw so old a Man in all his Life As he had nourished Joseph Seventeen Years before he was sold GEN. XLVII so Joseph nourisheth him in Egypt Seventeen Years before he dieth XLVIII Before his Death he swears Joseph to interr him in Canaan XLIX blesseth his two Sons particularly and himself with the rest of his Brethren He dieth an Hundred Forty-seven Years old Joseph Fifty-three Years after dieth himself L. and is cossined up in Egypt to be carried to the Land of Promise when Israel shall be delivered Before Joseph's Death Israel grows numerous in Egypt if not before Jacob's Gen. xlvii 27 And God chuseth them for his visible Church Ezek. xx 5 And to his new chosen Church he appointed Levi to be Priest to teach Israel the Ways of God when their great Instructor Jacob is dead 1 Sam. ii 27 His Repentance upon his Father's Curse Gen. xlix 6 7. obtaineth Pardon and his Dividing in Jacob and Scattering in Israel becomes a Blessing But after Joseph Levi and that Generation be dead they forget God as Judg. ii 7 They follow the Idols of Egypt Ezek. xx 8 Jos. xxiv 14 They reject the Covenant of God and Circumcision the Sign of it they utterly neglect so that they are uncircumcised like the Egyptians Jos. v. 9 Exod. iv 24 25. They make mixt Marriages with the Egyptians among whom they live as Lev. xxiv 10 And following the Customs of Egypt they make prohibited Matches among themselves as Exod. ii 1 Lev. xviii 3 and 12. Thus when his Church grows thus degenerate in Egypt God hath ready a Church to shew among the Heathen IOB After Genesis in order of time lies the Story and Book of Job Which to read here before you begin with Exodus will breed Interruption of a continued Story But when you do read Job remember his time and withal examine and mark how he and his Friends speak closely of foregoing Stories As of the Creation Chap. xxxviii xxxix c. The Fall of Angels and Men Chap. iv latter end Chap. v. 2 Cain's Case who was hid from God's Favour yet hedged in that he could not die Chap. iii. 21 The Flâ—â—d and old World Chap. xxii 6 Babel's Builders Chap. iii. 13 c. V. 13. These and other such things you may find closely couched in their Speeches which they came to know partly by Tradition partly by living so near Israel partly by Revelation as Chap. iv 12 and Chap. xxxviii 1 thereby to provoke Israel to Jealousie even in the House of Job in Arabia Whose like Israel had not Job i. 8 after the Death of Levi and the Birth of Moses God also chastiseth them by hard Affliction an Hundred and Twenty Years together according to the time of the old World Gen. vi SECT IV. EXODUS THE Book of Exodus by the ancient Jews was called The Book of Redemption Abarb. in Preface to Exodus So the Work of Redemption is called Exodus Luk. ix 31 Israel's Sin causes hard Affliction From which no Tribe is exempted even the Royal one of Judah groans heavily under this Burden EXOD. CHAP. I. To this first of Exodus treating of the sore Affliction of Israel in Egypt read Pâ— lxxxviii and lxxxix which were made by two Men Heman and Ethan who then lived and felt that Affliction These were Ezrahites or immediate Sons of Zerah 1 Chron. ii 6 And Zerah was one of those Seventy that went down to Egypt Gen. xlvi 12 So that those two Psalms are the oldest piece of Writing the World hath to shew with the rest of his Brethren In these hard times is Moses born a goodly Child tho' his Mother were by Nature past the Course of Child bearing EXOD. II. He is hid at his Birth lest he should be slain as he was also after his Death lest he should be worshipped His Mother is paid for nursing her own Child EXOD. III. He lives Forty Years a Courtier other Forty a Shepherd spending his time in Divine Contemplation In one of which Thoughts of God God appears to him indeed gives him Charge of the Delivery of his People and withal gives him the Power of Miracles His Shepherd's Staff is turned into a Serpent for the Terror of Egypt and Israel if they rebel EXOD. IV. but into a Rod again for Israel's Conduct if they obey His Hand is Leprous to teach both them and himself that not that impure Hand but a greater did those Miracles Armed with these Powers he goes for Egypt The first Night he had like to have lost his Son for want of Circumcision Which when he had received he is unfit for a Journey and so he and his Mother and Brother are left behind Pharaoh upon Moses Message adds Affliction But God will approve himself Jehovah EXOD. V VI. faithful in Promise The Genealogy of Israel undertaken to be reckoned but stops at Levi Which Tribe was shortly to be taken for all Israel Pharaoh plagued five times and hardens his Heart when he is punisht for Sin EXOD. VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII Therefore God hardens his Heart five times more So that he sins for a Punishment At last Israel is delivered by the Blood of a Lamb. All Egyptian First-born slain For which Israel's First-born is due to God Egyptian Gods are overthrown and their Dogs struck dumb From their coming out of Egypt to the end of Exodus the Text hath so pointed out the Months and Days that being laid Kalendar-wise to view they yield more Facility and Delight Year of the World MMDXIII Days of the M. Nisan or Abib the First Month.  1 Some of the Plagues were at the beginning of this Month at the least the Hail was And Flax and Barley are now ripe So is Rahab's Flax ripe in the same Month Forty Years after and laid upon her flat-roofed House to wither Jos. ii 6  2  3  4  5  6 Rome is Egypt in Rev. xvi and is plagued with Hail for overthrowing Fundamental Points of Religion Every Stone a Talent weight ver 21. answerable to the several Silver Bases for the Foundation of the Tabernacle  7  8  9  10 The Paschal Lamb is taken up  11  EXOD. X. 12 Darkness Three Days  13 Darkness Darkness over Egypt while Israel gathers to Raamses Remember the Three Hours Darkness upon the Jews at Christ's Death EXOD XI.XII. 14 Darkness over Egypt all Day The Passeover kept at Night  15 Israel comes out of Egypt A Day of Unleavened Bread EXOD. XIII 16 They come to Etham EXOD. XIV 17 They come to Pihahiroth  18 Pharaoh arms after them  19 Pursues them  20 Overtakes them EXOD. XV. 21 This Morning they sing Deliverance  22 From hence after three
the Division of the Sanctum and Sanctum Sanctorum bore out the two Vails to view In this Sense the Church is the Pillar of Truth  24  25 9. The Roof of the Sanctuary had four Covers The Sides till within three quarters of a Yard of the Ground had two half a Yard below that but one and the Silver Foundation none at all Such are Mysteries in Scripture the Fundamentals of Religion plain Other things vailed under one Cover others under two and some Counsels of God past finding out  26  27  28 10. The Fabric and Service of the Tabernacle the Fountain of Ceremonies well looked into will shew the Romanist most foolishly ceremonious and his Doctrin concerning the outward Worship of God impious  29  30  Fifty Days after Israel's Departure out of Egypt they receive the Fire of a Law at Sinai the Sixth Day of Sivan in the Morning In the Afternoon he goes up to the Mount and receives Fifty-seven Ceremonial and Judicial Laws of nearest Relation to the Moral That Night he writeth them in a Book here is a piece of Writing older by Forty Days than the two Tables The next Day Morning he causeth an Altar to be built to represent God and twelve Pillars to represent the twelve Tribes He commands the First born of Israel to offer Sacrifice and Peace-Offerings With the Blood he sprinkles the Altar and the twelve Pillars Which * Here is a Figurative Speech in the first Covenant So the Bread is Christ's Body in the second because they represented the People they are called the People And thus Israel enters into Covenant Which when they were their Elders draw near to God which while they were out of Covenant they might not do without Danger Then did they eat a solemn Holy Dinner eating those Parts of the Peace-Offerings before the Lord which were left at the making of the Covenant And in the Strength of this Meat Moses was in the Mount Forty Days and Forty Nights and ate nothing but lived by the Words that proceeded out of the Mouth of God In Divine Contemplation he seâ—th Christ as he was to be shewed to the Jews till the time of Reformation should come under the Figures of a Tabernacle and a Priest The sight of which taught him Christ to the full in his Natures and Offâ—ces In the Tabernacle were three Crowns answerable to his three Offices Viz. the Crown of the Law the Crown of the Priesthood and the Crown of the Kingdom The Crown of the Law was the Ark a Chest gilded with Gold within and without as Christ was pure from Sin both in Thought and Action The Cover a piece of massy Gold called The Mercy-Seat because it hid the Law and because God from it spake favourably to Men from between Cherubins which once were Instruments of his Indignation Gen. iii. ult The Crown of the Priesthood was on 〈…〉 of Incense Which stood between 〈…〉 stick and Shew-Bread and sanctified them both by Prayer The Crown of the Kingdom was on the Table of Shew-Bread where a several Golden Dish applied to every Loaf shewed God's special Care of every Tribe in particular The Measure of Meal viz. Two Omers put into every Cake and the Cakes set before the Lord on the Sabbath-Day put Israel in mind of their Sustinence in the Wilderness When their Stint on the Sabbath was two Omers Exod. xvi For this they might justly rely upon him for their Daily Bread Year of the World MMDXIII Days of the M. Tammuz  1 Consider these few things  2 I. The Angels in the Tabernacle-Curtains taught only their Attendance upon the Church not any Action of theirs in the Work of Mediation For they were only silent Spectators while the Priest did mediate  3 II. The best and holiest of Israel's Men at least that should have been so the Priests and the best Actions of the Priests viz. Sacrificing were not Holy in themselves but had their Sanctity from other The Priest from his Garments the Sacrifice from the Altar that Merits might be excluded and inherent Righteousness only attributed to Christ.  4  5 III. The Priest never went to offer Incense till he had offered Sacrifice Teaching that he only that sacrificed himself for Man is to be his Mediator  6 IV. There was no Sacrifice without Blood Incruentum Sacrificium is a Stranger to Moses and to Holy Language  7 V. Moses is still above Aaron in Dignity tho' he were the younger Brother This might teach Rome Subjection to the Prince  8 VI. God's answering David by the Ephod without the Ark teacheth that God is not bound to the Means himself tho' he bind us On the contrary God not answering Saul by the Ark without the Ephod taught him to remember his Fact of slaying the Priests which should have worn it  9  10  11 The Stones in Aaron's Ephod rightly understood and readily remembred give Light in many Places As Revel xxi The Jasper is the first Foundation in the new Hierusalem This Stone was Benjamin's in the Ephod This pleadeth for Paul of Benjamin and not for Peter of Zebulon to have Pre-eminence in building oâ— the Church of Gentiles The Rainbow about God's Throne Rev. iv is of Smaragd Colour The Rainbow is the Sign of a Covenant Gen. ix The Smaragd in the Ephod was for Levi the Priesthood So here is the true Sign of the Church the Rainbow of Smaragd the true Preaching of the Covenant by the Priesthood  12  13  14  15  16 EXOD. XXXII 17 Moses cometh from the Mount and finds the Golden Calf newly made Moses Second Fast of Forty Days 18 He goeth up again and is there Forty Days more to beg Israel's Pardon Deut. ix 18 He wisheth to be Anathema for his Kindred according to the Flesh. He obtains Respite of Punishment for the present but cannot obtain but that in time it shall fall upon them  19  20 EXOD. XXXIII 12 The Angel of the Covenant is threatned to be withdrawn from them and their Conduct to be committed to a created Angel  22  23   24   25   26   27   28   29  Year of the World MMDXIII Days of the M. Ab.  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28 He comes down from the Mount again Moses his Third Fast of Forty Days and Nights 29 He goeth up with two Tables ready made again and stayeth 40 Days and Nights more
against an evil VVork VVhy the Egyptians perish'd in the Sea the murmuring Israelites in the VVilderness the Samaritans by Lions Bethel's Children by Bears Because there is a Sentence against an evil VVork But where is this Sentence since Thousands and Thousands have abused the Holy Things of God a Thousand times whereas Belshazzar did but once and yet their Finger never aked for so doing Many and many a Thousand have told a Thousand and a Thousand Lies whereas Ananias told but one and yet have escaped in a whole Skin And there have been Thousands as proud in Heart as Herod could be and yet not met with his Fate It was these Men's hard Luck to speed as they did but Millions speed better that do the same Things Therefore where is this Sentence I answer There where it is sure enough And let God himself tell you where Deut. xxxii 34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my Treasures And what is it Look before and it is Vengeance ver 23 c. and look at the very next Verse after it and it is Vengeance ver 35. To me belongeth Vengeance and Recompence their Feet shall slide in due time If you ask then where is the Sentence of God against evil Works when wicked VVorkers go on and flourish and prosper and no Hurt comes to them It is laid up in his Treasures He hath writ it out ready and laid it up in his Desk till he see Time to take it out and put it in Execution In Job Ch. xxxviii 22 there is mention of Treasures of Snow Hast thou entred into the Treasures of the Snow or hast thou seen the Treasures of the Hail And Chap. xxxvii 6 He saith to the Snow be thou on the Earth Now if one ask in the parching Heat of Summer and Harvest where is the Snow you say that God commands to be on Earth VVhere is any Figure or Token of Snow now But it is in his Treasures He hath it in his Shop and VVarehouse to fetch out when he sees his Time So is the Sentence against an evil VVork laid up with him If you will yet have a narrower Answer to the â—â—estion wherâ— is this Sentence whilst the wicked prospâ—â— It is in his VVord it is in his Will in his Book in his Bosom First It is written and laid up sure in his VVord Esay xxxiv from ver 8. forward speaking of the Desolations of the Cities and Habitations of the wicked Enemies of God and Zion it is said that the Corâ—â—rant and Bittern should possess them the Owl and the Raâ—en and Satyre c. at ver 16. he comes on thus Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and read Not one of these shall â—ail none shall want her Mate for my Mouth hath commanded it Whilst these Habitations flourished and their wicked Inhâ—bitants prospered and jovialized in them they were ready to think in Heart I shall never be moved and this Prosperity shall never have end But Seek in the Book of the Lord and read and there you find a Sentence of Desolation and Destruction of the Habitations of Wickedness Is there not a Doom and Sentence in Scripture against every Transgression and Disobedience in Thought Word and Deed And unless you will make God a Lyar and false of his Word as Men are false the Sentence is sure It is said Tit. i. 2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised Is it not true on the other Part about the Certainty of God's Threatnings that God that cannot lye Threatned God threatned Adam In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death But where was any sign of Death when God so threatned Adam was well and immortal then and no Sign of Death or Disease upon him But Death was in that Tree if he meddled with it and so it proved What that Tree was to Adam God's Commands are to us It might be wondered at what did that Tree in the Garden It was as a Rule of his Obedience a Tryal of his Obedience But if he made bold with it it would prove his Death God's Commands are the same to Men A Rule a Trial of their Obedience But if they make bold with God's Commandments and meddle with them otherwise than God alloweth there is nothing but Death and Judgment And the Apostle finds it Rom. vii 10 The Commandment which was ordained for Life I â—ound to be unto Death But many and many an evil Work is committed and no Sign of Judgment or Death And then where is the Sentence The Preacher saith that Sentence is not speedily executed But in so saying it tells us not that there is no Sentence but rather the contrary that there is a Sentence in time to be executed tho' not done speedily Men mistake and deceive themselves because they willingly will misjudge concerning God's Judgments and his Sentence of Judgment and construe it only of some Visible Bodily or Temporal Judgment And many a time the Wickedest meet with no such thing from the Womb to the Grave As Experience shews abundantly and the Holy Ghost tells us Psal. lxxiii 5 6. They are not in Trouble as other Men neither are they plagued as other Men. Therefore Pride compasseth them about as a Chain Violence covereth them aâ— a Garment And they think that Bravery and Joviality shall never be changed Whereas the Sentence of God against their Evil Works standeth if they would but observe it Many things are wont here to be urged That that I shall observe shall be only this that sinning it self is a Judgment The Sinners sinning is their present Punishment And so the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew Tongue signifies both Sin and Punishment For indeed sinning is no less than a Penalty What else means that Passage Ps. lxxxi 11 12. My People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Councils What is the plain English of this but this because they would not hearken unto my Voice therefore I punish'd them by giving them up to Sin according to their own Lusts and Wills to sin and spare not God is the only Choice Excellent Infinite Good VVhat shall we set opposite for the only desperate deep-dy'd Evil VVhat is the direct contrary to God as Black is to VVhite as Darkness to Light Nothing but Sin The Devil indeed is desperately contrary to God as he is his Enemy and the Devil is most deeply dyed Evil. But it is Sin that makes him so and that made him a Devil Hell is a dreadful horrible deep Evil but it is Sin that hath made it so For if there had been no 〈◊〉 there had been no Hell Now if Sin be so great 〈◊〉 Evil so deep so desperate as that it caused the Devil to be a Devil Hell to be Hell then certainly Sin it self is