more solid reason of their dying within that term is rather to shew that the life of man though it be never so long yet in respect of Eternity is very short and not a day but a magnum nihil Mine age saith David my World Heb. That is my abode in the World is as nothing Psal 39.5 Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus 't is but a point and less than a point so though never so long yet far off from perfection 'T is but a small space of time that the longest liver hath on Earth compar'd with Eternity in Heaven The Phrase and he died is added at the end of all those ancient Patriarchs to shew how unalterable was that grand Stature of Heaven Thou shalt die the Death Gen. 2.17 And 't is appointed unto all men once to die Heb. 9.27 So that the youngest and strongest should be mindful of their mortality learning to die daily as Paul did 1 Cor. 15.31 And to make death familiar to us at Bed and Board for as young as we and as strong as we do daily drop down into the dust The Proverb saith assoon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market as that of the old Sheep 'T is a witty and yet a worthy saying That while Death was but a young Archer newly come into the World and unexperienced he could not hit the mark for many hundred years Hence it was that those Primitive Patriarchs most of the Ten lived nine hundred years why Death then could not hit them with his Killing Dart any sooner but now he is become a better Marks-man and can strike down right Dead within the term of one hundred nay at seventy years Psal 90.10 which number is there stated as the term of Man's Life few exceed it and fewer attain to it As mens wickedness increased so the length of their lives decreased even in Mose's time who was the Pen-man of that 90th Psalm as the title telleth Yea Death learns to hit the mark sooner now for mens lives are daily shortened and Generations are fast justled out of their Beings to give place for others Eccles 1.4 The Stage of the Earth still standing in its place while the Actors upon it are often changed that so the World may come the sooner to its End and though there be some singular Examples of a longer life yet in the general 't is observ'd that more Die before they be Ten years old since Death became such a cunning Archer than there be that live above Sixty Yea some of Mankind there be whom Death sends out of the World as soon as Life hath led them into the World whose short passage is ab Utero ad Urnam from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave There is but a little inter-space 'twixt their lying in the Womb and being laid in their Tomb Living in the former but Dead in the latter Besides how many die in their youth while their bones are full of marrow and their veins full of blood They perish in the midst of their way Psal 2.12 like the Jay pruning her self on the Tree Death shoots his Arrow and down they tumble while they hope in themselves to see many fair Summers The 4th Circumstance concerning Enoch's Appearance is the Function Capacity and Condition wherein he Appeared This is twofold 1. Publick as a Prophet of God and a Preacher of Gods Word or Will 2. Private as a Professor and a Practiser of Godliness both in the Form and in the Power of it in his walking with God 1. Of the first he appeared in the Quality both of a Prophet and of a Preacher both were publick Functions 1. Of a Prophet The Apostle Jude expresly mentioneth Enochs Prophecy Judes Ep. v. 14 15. How Jude came to this is uncertain There be two opinions concerning it the 1. is that the Apostle Jude had these two verses out of a book call'd the Prophecy of Enoch whereof Origen Tertullian Jerom Augustin Bede c. make mention That there was such a Book called by that name in those primitive times of the Fathers is not denied but all the doubt lieth 1. Whether Enoch was its Author Or 2. Whether Jude quoted those his two verses out of that Book considering 1. Because none of the Prophets either Moses Samuel or those after them in the Old Testament quotes any such book as those of Moses are by after-prophets 2. Because no such book is mentioned to be kept either in Moses Tabernacle or in Solomons Temple as the Tables of the Testimony were in the Ark of the Covenant 3. Because the Old Testament Church had no such book among all their Canonical Scriptures before their Babylonish Captivity 4. Because had there been such a book Moses could not have concealed it seeing the Creation of the World the History of all the primitive Patriarchs from Adam to himself were so distinctly revealed to him and had there been any such book in a true being he could not be ignorant of it but would have mentioned it as he doth all other things from the beginning Especially in his History of Enoch 5. Because if Enoch had indeed writ such a book then Moses had not been the first writer which all learned Authors both Protestant and Popish do acknowledge and which the words of our Lord Beginning at Moses he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luk. 24.27 do import for had Enoch writ a book before Moses Christ would have begun at Enoch and not at Moses 6. Because neither Philo nor Josephus two learned writers of the Jewish antiquities do make mention of such a book of Enoch now they both being curious observers and careful preservers of all memorable Monuments would undoubtedly have discovered such a precious treasure as could not but be in all generations of the Jews most highly valued both for the Reverend Antiquity and Eminent Piety of the Author as likewise for the sublime excellency of the matter There be indeed other various sentiments about this Enochs Prophecy some say he wrote it upon Pillars of Stone or brick that neither of those two grand destructions of the World which he foresaw by Water and by Fire might destroy it others say that he wrote it in a book which is lost as many other Books mentioned in Scripture as the book of the Wars of the Lord Numb 21.14 the Book of Jashar Josh 10.13 With many others of Nathan Semeiah Gad Ahiah Haddo Hanani c. Named in the Chronicles c. Others say that this book was preserved in Noahs Ark from the Floud or if it were lost yet was it restored by Noah thereunto inspired This was the opinion of Tertullian But all those are uncertain Conjectures having no confirmation from Scripture yea rather are a contradiction to it as it maketh Moses the first writer in the World Herewithal these following considerations introducing the 2d Opinion are worth due observation As 1.
is not improbable these Converts were five thousand distinct from the three thousand See after this was the provocation to the first Persecution Acts 4.4 Thus this Fisher-man Peter became by Christ's helping Spirit a very notable Fisher of Men according to his Master's promise for in this second rouzing Oration He 1. Abaseth himself and his Fellow-Disciple that he might exalt Christ saying This Miracle is not done by our holiness Acts 3.12 It seems the Jews had a conceit that extraordinary Holiness would attain to miraculous workings The Apostle answers No to it for Holiness though it be never so real and raised in Men cannot cause the least Miracle although all things considered it self be a great one requiring so much power to work it in us as the Raising of Christ from the Dead Eph. 1.19 much less could their Holiness heal a Man that was born Lame as he reasoned well who said Since the World began was it not heard that any opened the Eyes of one that was born blind John 9.32 2ly When he had rectified their readiness to pay their Rent to a wrong Landlord then he corrects and rebukes them sharply for their cursed contempt of Christ v. 13. in denying him crying We have no King but Caesar Joh. 19.15 And again But ye denied him verse 14. in preferring Barabbas the worst of Men and a Murderer before Jesus the best of Men and a Saviour crying His blood be upon us and upon our Children Matth. 27.20 25. This Nail of their denying Christ he beats upon again and again and drives it home to the head and the more because it had been Peter's own sin which had cost him so much bitter sorrow Luke 23.62 He proposed to them the same effectual Remedy 3dly Then dipping his Nail in Oil that it might drive the deeper he not being able to excuse their Malice and Murder of the Prince of Life thus far mitigateth it that it was not the Sin against the Holy Ghost which can never be forgiven verse 17. whereby he put the penitent among them in hope of pardon because it was their Ignorance and blind Zeal that had led many of them into this unparallel'd Enormity So 1 Tim. 1.13 1 Cor. 2.8 and Luke 23.34 Note This ought to be carefully cautioned when such as have been Persecutors are under conviction and contrition for having favoured the wicked and frowned on the godly c. They must thus be informed that they despair not of Divine Mercy Thus Peter from his own experience opened a door of hope for them who had given consent only to the Crucifying of Christ and therefore was that Sin charged upon them though probably none of those present did actually nail Christ to his Cross if they did but repent and be converted verse 17 19. The same door of hope may we have opened to us by Repentance c. Though we have too often given our consents that such and such Soul-murdering Sins like so many Barabbas's should be preferr'd before a precious Christ Thus both Jews and Gentiles conspir'd against Christ as foretold Psal 2.1 2. 4ly Beside this Lenitive to qualifie the foregoing Corrosive Peter doth not only tell them how God used the Ignorance of some and the Malice of others for his own glorious Ends in accomplishing the foreordained and foretold Death of our dear Redeemer but also informs them v. 19 21. 1. Of a day of Refreshing to cool their now-inflamed Consciences if indeed they repented and were converted that is if they came up to a true and thorough contrition for sins in time past and to a real universal Reformation from sin for time to come though now in an angry Conscience they felt an angry God yet then their sins should be blotted out Isa 43.25 and 44.22 and not be found any more though they should be sought for Jer. 50.20 And though they had been writ in God's Book of Remembrance with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond Jer. 17.1 yet the Red Lines of Christ's Blood should be drawn over the Black Lines of their Sins and so cancel out the bitter hand-hand-writing against them Col. 2.14 c. And their sins being thus perfectly remitted by Christ as if they had never been committed against Christ They should then sit as cool under Christ's shadow Cant. 2.3 as the weary Labourers or Travellers do under refreshing shades when the hot Sun-beams hath beaten upon their heads Now the Judgments of God and his most hot Displeasure did hasten to destroy the Jewish Nation but ye by embracing Christ says he shall escape And he informs them 2dly Of a Time of Restitution as well as of a day of Refrigeration wherein all things put out of order by the Sin of the First Adam shall be repaired and restored into their primitive order and beauty by the blessing of the Second Adam Acts 3.21 to the end Under this present Disorder upon the Universe the whole Creation is said to groan Rom. 8.19 20 21 c. waiting and looking out at a Window as Sisera's Mother did Judg. 5.28 earnestly expecting this blessed and blessing Friend's coming Note When this Time shall be is become a great Question Plato hammer'd at it in his great year of Revolution wherein all things shall return in statu quo prius as they were at first All the Constellations of the Heavens shall come to the very same point wherein they were created Some think it shall be at the calling of the Jews which Paul calls Life from the Dead Rom. 11.15 Their Restoration will bring better blessings to us Gentiles than did their Rejection a more glorious State a thorough Reformation such as shall be at the last Resurrection of the Dead CHAP. IV. The First Persecution of the first Church c. THE next Inquiry is what in general more particularly afterwards were the Divine Dispensations of Providence towards this Primo-primitive Church and to these two principal Pillars of it Peter and John's Answer the Church had here as the Militant Church always hath her Habitation at the Sign of the Chequer both the Black of Misery and the White of Mercy were marvelously mingled together hanging upon the Sign-post at her door her Adversity and her Prosperity were placed orderly the one over against the other as Solomon saith in his Sapientials Eccles 7.14 and most beautifully intermingled Chekered work is alway by all persons look'd upon as a piece of beautiful work c. 1st Let us view her Adversity the Black of Misery attending this Church These two Apostles are laid hold of while they hold forth to and are thus teaching the People and are also put into hold We have an exact account hereof in all its circumstances Acts 4. 1. By whom this was done v. 1. not only by the Jews Priests c. but also by the Gentile Captain over that Guard of Roman Souldiers appointed to prevent Tumults that might arise by such vast Confluences of the
the power of impiety may consist together in the same person N.B. When this holy Apostle Judas not Iscariot the Apostate who cryed how is it Lord that thou manifests thy self to us and not to others in the world chap. 14.22 had stirred up these Christians of his day to contend earnestly for the faith c. ver 3. which was then opposed by seducers crept in among them ver 4. such as the Gnosticks who gave themselves up to all manner of prodigious pollutions c. At that time in whose stead the Ranters c. Are started up in our day who are likewise filthy dreamers defilers of the flesh c. ver 8. this Scripture-expression is sadly fulfilled before our eyes the Apostle proceds to declare the certainty of those seducers destruction not only from former examples as before but from the likeness of their sins with those which God had punished in sinners of old verse 8 9 10. Then he amplifies his conclusion saying woe to them they shall all likewise perish ver 11. as Cain Balaam and Korah c. did and then he illustrates the sin of those seducers by five elegant comparisons comparing them 1st to spots 2dly to clouds without water c. 3dly To decayed Trees ver 12. 4thly To raging waves of the sea c. and 5thly To wandering stars c. ver 13. After all this the Apostle urgeth another argument to certifie the destrctuion of those seducers adding a third branch to his two former both of examples and of comparisons namely the prophecy of Enoch ver 14 15. which was likewise of the most ancient date as all his examples were because ancient things have the most of Veneration in them 1 Chron. 4.22 In this ancient and infallible prophecy of Enoch Jude declareth the lost estate of those Apostates at Christ's coming to judge sinners ver 14 15. and then he applyeth it to to them ver 16. shewing that these seducers were the same ungodly persons which Enoch had described and therefore such as are liable to the Judgment threatned Lastly this Apostle having dispatched the doom upon those Hereticks he returns to exhort those Christian Jews whom he had spoke unto in the preface ver 1 2 3. 1st That they beware of such seducers alledging the warning words of those Apostles who wrote before him to wit Paul in 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4. and Peter 2 Peter 3.2 3. who both of them foretold the carriages and condemnation of those pestilent persons verse 17 18 19. 2dly He exhorts them to an edification on their most holy faith verse 20. 3dly To a Supplication in the holy Ghost Ibid. 4thly To a Conservation of themselves in the love of God verse 21. And 5thly to an expectation of the coming of Christ Ibid. In all which Jude directs them to the right means of perseverance both as to those two blessed duties to wit conference and prayer and as to those two blessed graces namely Love and Hope intimating that it is not enough to get grace but we must be careful to keep it that we leave not our first Faith 1 Tim. 5.12 nor lose our first love Rev. 2.4 but do our first works of obedience verse 5. having our last works to be our best verse 19. and not decline as David did in his old age 2 Chr. 17.3 who then fell into foul sins of adultery and murder Now the Apostle having done his directions in those duties that concern themselves he directs them in their carriage towards others even to the very Seducers verse 22.23 to be gentle to the simply Seduced 2 Sam. 15.11 Gal. 6.1 but rough to Rebellious Ring-Leaders Tit. 1.11 and 13. Lastly he ends in a Doxology verse 24 25. Praying that God may keep them c. Note well Some do Question the Pen-man of this Epistle Objecting First Because he gives not himself the Title of an Apostle Answer Nor doth James call himself so James 1.1 Nor doth Paul style himself an Apostle in four of his Epistles to wit to the Philippians to the 1st and 2d of Thessalonians nor to Philemon Objection the 2d This Pen-man Ranks himself after the Apostles verse 17. Answer Tho' his writing this Epistle was indeed after the writing of the other Apostles in point of time as above yet this degrades him not in his Office and Authority Objection the 3d. He speakes both of a Contention about Moses's Body and of Enoch's Prophecy neither of which are found in Scripture-Record Answer 1st As to that about Moses the Substance of it is Recorded Deut. 34.5 6. and tho' the other Circumstances were but Jewish Traditions therefore doubtful before yet now the holy Spirit in Jude makes them undoubtedly true as is done to the names of these Magitians that opposed Moses whom Paul calls Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 So Moses's quaking at Sinai Heb. 12.21 And Jacob's worshiping on the top of his Staff Heb. 11.21 And Joseph's being laid in Irons c. Psal 105.18 none of these Circumstances doth the Scripture mention in their proper places yet now are they all Sanctified as well as certified by the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost and have put upon them the stamp of Divine Authority Answer the 2d As to Enoch's prophecying c. tho' that was but a Tradition yet the same may be said of this as of the former moreover that Enoch preached to the old world of the final day of Judgment is here made Authentick and now is put into Sacred Canon Some say that Enoch wrote it and his Book saith Tertullian was kept by Noah in his Ark tho now lost but 't is more probable he only preached it and not wrote it for undoubtedly Moses was the first writer seeing Christ began at Moses c. Luke 24.27 had Enoch wrote a Book before Moses surely our Saviour would have begun there Learned Rivet affirmeth that Jude had a Special Revelation to assure him that this Prophecy quoted by an Apocryphal Author did verily come from Enoch Objection the 4th This Epistle seems to be only a Transcript from 2 Pet. Chap. 2. Answer 1st Tho' that 2d Chapter of the second of Peter carry a great congruity with this Epistle of Jude in respect of its substance as it is a disswasive from Apostacy yet there is so much disparity and difference in circumstances as do plainly discover this is no Transcript from that c. Answer the 2d Why may not the holy Spirit dictate the same truths to several Pen-men at several times to be declared to several persons c. Ans the 3d. Upon this account of likeness as before the prophecy of Obadiah may be rejected because the same matter is mostly found in the prophecy of Jeremiah So Ps 60. is Mostly the same with Psal 108. and so is Psal 14. the same with Psal 53. and so it may be said of many other Scriptures Paul wrote the same relative duties both to the Ephesians and to the Colosians Answer
was the common stock out of which the following days works were deduced having its Original from God alone without any concurring power or foregoing Matter as the word God created noteth Whatever is or existeth besides God must proceed from God who is the Original of all All Creatures were in God before the Creation as effects are in the cause as the Rose before the Summer when it is neither spread nor sprung is in the Root the Idaea of all was in his understanding and will Thus David saith Thine Eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy books all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Psal 139.15 16. God had all the Names and Number of every part of the Creation as it were writ down in his common-place-Common-place-book like a curious workman that works all by the book and by a Model set before him he draws first a rude Draught then polisheth and perfecteth all The Third Enquiry is What is the Form of the Creation Answ God having made this rude Mass or first Matter of nothing by his Almighty Creating power in process of time and by degrees this Tohu Vabohu or Material Mass without form and void hitherto the Lord gave every part a proper and particular Form and perfection both in the higher and lower world beautifying Heaven with two great Lights and bespangling it with a numberless number of Stars so it became a stately Star-chamber for glorious Angels and glorified Saints to dwell in though that stupendious Arch-work of Heaven be not born up by props and pillars yet falls not upon our heads to the earth and clothing the earth with grass garnishing it with Flowers and furnishing it with Fruits This is called Creation-Mediate because her Matter praeexisted as Plants and Animals were Created out of the earth and out of the waters Gen. 1.20 24 25. but the production of that Matter out of which they were Created is called Creation-Immediate as it was made of nothing simply yet inasmuch as this Matter was a subject that had no Hability in it self to produce any thing the earth a dead lump had no power of it self to produce Plants or living Creatures no more than the Rock in the Wilderness had power to produce Water Exod. 17.6 Hence Gods producing all sorts of Creatures out of the first Matter is call'd Creatio Mediata as Gods making the first Matter out of nothing is call'd Creatio Immediata These two are call'd the primary and secundary Creation The form of the Creation is twofold 1. That which is common to all Created things was the Existency of all things which Existed not before that God gave to them in one moment by his Almighty Word and All-working command yea a most perfect Existency all his Creatures were very good Dei dicere est efficere God spake the Word and it was done so that Creation was no Motion but a simple and bare Emanation which is when without any Repugnancy of the Patient or toilsome labour of the Agent the work doth freely flow from the action of the Working Cause as the shadow doth from the Body This wonderful work of the great World made by Gods Irresistible Word is the shadow and obscure Representation of his unsearchable Wisdom Power and Goodness 2. That which is proper and peculiar To each Creature both Coelestial and Terrestrial God gave a distinct and differing Form making the Stars above and all things below to differ in their kind one from another This Formation of all things in differing Species out of the first Matter without either Successive Motion preceding Mutation or gradual Alteration no Created Being could possibly effect but God the Father alone by his Eternal Word and Spirit made all out of the first Matter and gave to all their several Form which was not in the first Matter but was Created out of nothing perfection was the Form and Beauty of the World and of every Creature in the World All the works of God are perfect works Deut. 32.4 Nothing could have been made more perfect essentially though God could have made some things better than he made them accidentally as he could have made Worms to be Angels and he could have given more excellent endowments to every Creature respecting the parts of the world but in respect of the whole the World was perfect both in respect of Degrees and Parts Every days Work was good Gen. 1.4 10 18 21 25. in respect of the parts severally but when the whole is spoke of all together 't is said They were all very good v. 31. The Fourth Enquiry is What was the Final Cause or End of it Answ The End of the Creation is twofold 1. The Supreme End 2. The Subordinate The first is the Manifestation of Gods Glory the second is the Instruction and Comfort of Man Gods Master-piece 1. Of the first God who is the most pure Act as before may be considered under a twofold Act. 1. Internal 2. External 1. The Internal or inward Act was not onely his actual enjoying of himself and solacing himself in himself from all Eternity thus God was happy in himself and was an Heaven to himself and needed no Created thing to make him more happy he was God blessed for ever without and before the Creation but also his Decree which was one eternal voluntary constant Act of God absolutely determining the Infallible future Being of whatsoever is beside himself unto the praise of his own glory Eternity is an Everlasting Now. whatever God thinketh or willeth he always thought and willed and always doth and will both think and will there can no more be a new thought or a new purpose in God than there can be a new God Gods thinking or determining is God himself whatever is in God is God as before God decreed the Futurition of the Creatures freely not from any necessity of Nature but only from his meer good pleasure Psal 115.3 Isa 49.3 Dan. 4.25 Eph. 1.11 c. God had no need of the things decreed had he so pleased they had never been but continued for ever in their Nothing-state yet God might have been without them and happy without them though they had never been he being Eternal All-blessed All-glorious light life and love all in himself This Divine Decree gave not only a possibility that all Creatures may be but also a futurition or certainty that they all shall be they shall have an Existence an actual being in time according to Gods determination before time 2. The External or outward act of God is his Efficiency or working all that he decreed according to his Decree Gods Decree was the great design of future Action and Gods Efficiency is the execution of that design those two answer each other as the pattern and Tabernacle Exod. 25.40 and as the pattern and Temple 1 Chron. 28.12 As the actual framing of Davids Body answered the Idaea or Platform thereof
thanksgiving is the good life of the Thanks-giver to be restless for receiving and to be careless of returning was hateful to the Heathen Ingratum si dixcris omnia The sin of Ingratitude hath all other sins in it yet 't is ten to one but we ate guilty of it in not returning with the Leper to give God the praise of our mercies Luk. 17.15 17. And in not making it our Spiritual Project and Study with David what to render to God Psal 116.12 For all his benefits he had nothing to give but what was Gods before therefore he cries What shall I render As having nothing good enough for so good a God Hence he saith v. 13. I will take the Cup of Salvation Which some render Poculum Eucharisticum the Sacramental Cup which the Apostle calls the Cup of Blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 As the whole Sacrament of the Supper is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eucharist or Thanks-giving Or according to the opinion of others this Cup David speaks of there hath relation to that Festival Cup after the Peace-offering mentioned in 1 Chron. 16.3 Which was called Calix Salutis ceu Salvationis A Cup of Health and a Cup of Happiness 'T is pity any should willingly not to say wilfully want this happy Cup This Salutiferous and Beatifical Cup. God is good so is the Object of praise and he doth good so is the Object of thanks and both these v. 4. are best done in the Cup of Blessing rightly received that Passover Cup the Blood of the Paschal Lamb. The 4. Gospel Sacrifice in a word is all the good Works both of Piety and Charity Heb. 13.16 If wrought in God Joh. 3.21 Quoad fontem quoad finem from a good principle and for a good End Such as have a feci deo writ upon them when the Soul can say what I have done I have done to God 1 Cor. 10.31 With a single Eye to Gods glory and with a sincere love to the Souls of Saints or Sinners As works of Piety done to God so works of Charity done to men and to Christs poor members whether it be more according to our abundance or less according to our Ability 2 Cor. 8.11 12. Have their high Value and Estimation with God such good works are call'd also a Sacrifice and an Odour of a sweet smell acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord Phil. 4.18 Where the Church of Philippi administring to the Apostle their Ministers wants was no less than a blessed perfume Thus likewise our Lord saith that a Cup of cold water though not at the cost of a little fire to warm it given in the name of a Disciple or of a Prophet shall not lose a Disciple or a Prophets reward Mat. 10.41 42. And that is no small reward for God is a liberal pay-master Sauls five pence given to Samuel was rewarded with a Kingdom 1 Sam. 9.8.20 and 10.1 Though the Butler forget Josephs kindness to him in Prison Gen. 40.23 Yet God is not unrighteous to forget your labours of love having them all writ in his book of remembrance Mal. 3.16 17. Which he oftner peruseth than Ahasuerus did his Chronicles Esth 6.1 that ye have shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do Minister Heb. 6.10 Hence is Inferred 1. Though we be exempted from the Sacrifices of the Law yet not from those of the Gospel Oh where then is Gospel-Sacrifice 'T is no less than three times commanded in the Law Let none appear before the Lord empty that is without an offering Exod. 23.15 and 34.20 and Deut. 16.16 17. Though that Law-Service was a chargeable and heavy service yet was it equally obliging to the Poor as to the Rich though not to offer as much as they for that Rigorous Dispensation admitted of this Divine Indulgency that he who had not a Lamb to bring unto God might bring two Turtle Doves and if he could not procure them then the tenth part of an Ephah should be acceptable Lev. 5.7 11. And 't is said further If he be poor and can not get so much let him bring such as he is able to get and it shall be accepted Lev. 14.21 22 32. Those are all gracious provisoes for poor people shewing that God respect more the mind of the giver or offerer than the worth of the gift or offering God minds more the truth of inward devotion than the measure of the outward oblation 2 Cor. 8.12 God accepts of a little where much not to be had and he will receive a very small present from him who would bring a better were it in the power of his hands so to do The 2. Inference is our Gospel Sacrifice must not only for the matter but also for the manner be according to divine prescription As we must not appear empty so we must not bring what we Phansie but what God prescribes The very Philistinâ— would not send baâ—k the Ark of God empty 1 Sam. 6.3 Oh what a shame it is then for those call'd Christians to be worse than the uncircumcised in appearing empty of those Gospel-Sacrifices as Prayer Praise Repentance and works of Piety and Charity yet were their presents Ridiculous as well as Superstitious suggested by Satan to their diviners in contempt of God and not prescribed by him who loves and likes those Services that are of his own prescribing How do the Superstitious offer God their ridiculous though Golden Mice and Emrods which could not well be figured without some shew of their Posteriorums where the Emrods break forth and so are loathsom to the Lord Isa 1.12 13 14. When our Services are not according to the Pattern shew'd us in the Mount of the Holy Scriptures Heb. 8.5 When and where we write up Service then and there God writes up sin God carefully provided that his Worship should not be corrupted saying This is the Law of the Burnt-offering and of the Meat-offering c. Lev. 7.37 And he left nothing unprescribed that the frothy exuberancy of mans foolish brain might find no Room to foist any thing into his Service Paul himself would not obtrude his own Inventions into Christs Institutiton but delivered all to the Church as he had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 Cypriaâ— saith Adulterum impium Sacrilegium est quodcunque Humano furore Instituitur 'T is an Adulterous and Sacrilegious Act to violate a Divine Ordinance And Calvin gives this reason why God was so exact in prescribing the whole of Legal Worship nequid adventitium obreperet ex hommum Commentis ad vitianda sacrificia nihil observatu dignum deus omisit nequid aggredi auderent homines nisi ex Dei praescripto Inde colligere promptum est quantopere fugienda fit temeritas quicquam fingendi audacia Lest man should take leave to set up his Posts to Gods Post This is daring impudency Calvin on Lev. 7.37 and on Mat. 15.2.9 To do more than Goâ— Commands is to serve the
Though many books as all those forenamed be lost yet no Canonical Scripture the preservation whereof entire hath been a standing divine miracle of mercy to the Church in all ages 2. The Apostle Jude doth indeed say that Enoch Prophesied but he doth not say that he wrote what he prophesied he saith not It is written as if he were quoting some passage out of the sacred Scriptures 3. Though there might be in this Apostle Jude's time a book of some Apocryphal author containing in it the true Prophecy of Enoch but mixing with it many forged Fables yet Jude had a peculiar particular Revelation that this special Prophecy cited by that Author did verily come from the Prophet Enoch as he speaks of the Contention betwixt Michael and the Devil about the body of Moses no where mentioned but in his verse 9. in sacred Scripture This he might have by Divine Revelation 4. That Enoch was a Prophet strictly taken as the word in its proper notion doth signify to foretell things to come This he certainly did in naming his Son Methuselah which signifies he dieth and the Dart cometh which is a clear indication of his Prophetick Spirit whereby he foresaw and accordingly did foreshew thereby that the lease of that wicked old World was only the Term or Time of his Sons life for no sooner was his Sons head laid but in the floud came like a dart cast by a divine hano 5. That Jude had Enochs Prophecy concerning the destruction of the World most probably by Tradition from his Fore-fathers which is the 2d of the two aforesaid opinions how the Apostle came by it and not out of any book It being delivered from hand to hand from Father to Son down to that time and so applies he that Prophecy to the Gnosticks or loose-coats of his day intimating that the like sins would certainly bring the like Judgments Thus he argued with the Jews then Sensualists having not the Spirit v. 19. from things taken for granted and from their own Testimonies 6. Suppose Jude did cite this Prophecy out of some Apocryphal Author or which is more likely took it up upon the generally received Tradition of that time yet doth not this render this Catholick Epistle of Jude as some would hence have it no better than Apocryphal for then the Apostle Pauls Epistles and several other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacred Scriptures must be Apocryphal also seeing many such Quotations are made in them 'T is frequent with the holy Penmen of sacred writ to interlace some such circumstances as are not mentioned in their proper places or Histories As 1. In Exodus we read of the opposition which the Magicians made against Moses but no mention is there of their names yet Paul undertakes to name them James and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 Which he took up from Tradition of the Jewish Talmud yea Apuleius and other Histories describe the contest speaking of those two famous Magicians and the same Apostle quoteth three sentences out of profane Poets yet this is so far from making his Epistles Apocryphal that indeed it maketh those sayings of Heathen men to become Canonical Scripture 2. David in his Psal 105.18 telleth us how Josephs feet were hurt in the Fetters and he was laid in Iron Whereof Moses in his History of Josephs imprisonment Gen. 39.20 mentioneth not a word yet this makes not the book of Psalms Apocryphal The same 3. May be said touching Moses quaking Heb. 12.21 4. Touching the Water of the Rock following Israel through the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.4 5. And touching Jacobs worshiping upon the Top of his Staff Heb. 11.21 Yet are all Canonical 7. Although Jude receiv'd this Prophecy of Enoch by Antient Tradition yet not by Tradition only for he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspired of God 2 Pet. 1.21 therefore it makes nothing for the Foolish Traditions of the Romanists who argue from hence that seeing the Apostle did deliver this Prophecy to the Church which he receiv'd by Tradition therefore say they the written Word of God containeth not all things in it that are to be known by the Church necessarily concerning Faith and Manners there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions as well as Scriptures without which they are not sufficient To this Popish Objection 't is Answered 1. Besides what hath been said before though some Books be lost yet no Sacred Scripture the most Holy and most Wise God hath so order'd the matter by his good Providence that no Book no Scripture no Saying or Sentence is lost that was necessary to Salvation 2. The same Spirit whereby Enoch Prophesied as all the other Prophets did Luke 1.70 did inspire Jude also with an extraordinary Spirit of discerning whereby he certainly knew it to be no other than Enoch's Prophecy This the Romanists may nor pretend to The third Answer is Though this Prophecy of Enoch was to that time but a Tradition yet then it seemed good to the Holy Ghost by the Apostle Jude to make it a part of Canonical Scripture 't is there made Authentick and put into the Canon The fourth Answer is Though hitherto it had been deliver'd only by Tradition yet was it always Consonant to the Truth of other Sacred Scriptures so this cannot palliate those Romish Traditions which are directly repugnant to the Word of God All the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles set forth that great Truth of Christs coming to Judgment whereof Enoch Prophesied so it was agreeable not contrary to the Word of God Oh the bold presumption of the Church of Rome to equal Friars Dreams with Holy Scripture though quite contrary to Scripture But 2. If Enoch were not a Prophet in the strict sense as Moses Samuel c. yet was he a Prophet in the large sense as he was a publick Preacher as he had his Word of Exhortation to that wicked World in which sense the word Prophecy is taken 1 Cor. 14.3 and 1 Thes 5.20 Thus Enoch was undoubtedly a Preacher of Righteousness as well as Noah 2 Pet. 2.5 Thundering out direful Threatnings to the old Impenitent Wicked World the sum whereof was those two verses v. 14 and 15. in Judes Epistle for that Apostle considering the Circumstances and corrupt Manners of that profane people to whom Enoch Preached gathered thence the substance of his Sermons as Behold the Lord cometh c. as at the Deluge of Noah and as at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai c. both which were dreadful Comings of the Lord. This Doctrine of the General Day of Judgment unquestionably Enoch Preached Though he did not write it and Jude one of Gods Pen-men sanctifies his Sermon and puts the stamp of Divine Authority upon it applying it to his own Licentious Times for deterring them from sin Hence note 1. That the Doctrine of the Resurrection and of Coming to Judgment was known to the Fathers before the Flood 2. The like Threatnings are
the Ark in its being made up of long strong hewed and smoothed Timber yea and covered Hebrew Copher over within and without Gen. 6.14 with the Atonement of Christ as it was pitched to make her Tight that the Waters of Gods wrath may not enter in upon her So she is flat-bottom'd as the Ark being well grounded on Christ and having a firm constancy and steadiness in him She is stablished in the Faith Col. 2.7 and cannot be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4. 14. The Moralist calls a good Man Homo quadratus one that lyes firm and four-square upon his ground not like a round Bowl or Ball very unsteady quia tangit in puncto it touches only in one point that may be moved and removed with the least touch of the Finger if not with a little blast of the Mouth And this Philosophy assigneth as the reason why the motion of a Sledge which lyes flat on the ground requires a far greater force to promote than the motion of a Wheel that toucheth the Earth in one single point only Thus the Ark lay flat yet Floating 3. The Measure of the Ark Three Hundred Cubits in length Fifty Cubits in breadth and Thirty Cubits in the heighth of it Gen. 6.15 In this Symmetry or Proportion of Measures the length of the Ark was Ten times the heighth of it and Six times the breadth of it for Ten times Thirty is Three Hundred and Six times Fifty is Three Hundred likewise No doubt but Moses who wrote this Book being well learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7.22 giveth here an exact Geometrical Description of all the just Dimensions of the Ark. This shews the Blessed Symmetry and Proportion that ought to be in all the Dimensions of a Gospel-Church its height length and breadth must be answerable one to another according to the Analogy of Faith not over-grown in any one as the Diocesan Churches c. are According to this measure the Ark contained Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Square Cubits in the whole within the Wooden Walls of it So far as its three Stories extended each of which consisted of an Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cubits to which add Three Thousand Six Hundred Cubits more as some do for the finishing of its Roof and Sky light all which solid Contents solidly considered do demonstrate that the whole Fabrick of the Ark was spacious enough and had a capacity sufficient to contain all those Creatures and all their Provisions which were laid in there So that Apelles that wretched Disciple of the wicked Heretick Marcion had no just cause to Cavil at and Blaspheme this Sacred Story as a loud Lie because as he saith most prophanely This Dimension here described was Insufficient and could not possibly comprehend them To this Atheist it is Answered 1. The Ark may be measured greater or lesser according to the difference of Cubits which be of three sorts 1. The common Cubit from the Elbow to the end of the middle finger as before 2. The Cubit of the Sanctuary which probably was twice so much as the common or ordinary for as the Hebrew Weights of the Sanctuary were double to the common and usual so the Measures of the Sanctuary were accordingly Exod. 30.13 However it appeareth to be an hand-breadth more than the common Cubit Ezek. 40.5 43.13 3. There is also the Geometrical Cubit which is six times greater than the common and according to Origen's Opinion the Ark should be measured by this last sort of Cubits so that if the measure by the first or by the second sort of Cubit be too little a capacity for all the Creatures with their provisions lodged in it from the beginning to the ending of the Floud which was a full year this last measure of Cubits will be sufficient and super abundant But Answer The 2. There is no necessity constraining us to compute this one Cubit six with Origen seeing the Holy Scriptures do not reckon according to this Geometrical Cubit other Fabricks in other places for should the Altar described by Cubits Exod. 27. be measured in its height by this last Cubit it would mount it up so high as none could come to serve there but by the help of a Ladder Indeed the Scripture doth mention a Great Cubit Ezek. 41.8 which presupposeth also a lesser one But suppose we should go to the lowest and least of those three to wit the common Cubit this may be conceived to have been much bigger than 't is now because Mans Stature before the Floud was much greater than now Suppose no more than our common Cubit now The Ark being divided into three Stories and each of them consisting of an hundred and fifty thousand Cubits according to common estimation the Ark will be found of sufficient capacity for three hundred common Cubits make up an hundred and fifty yards which contain four hundred and fifty foot almost two furlongs in length which make the eighth part of a mile and multiplying the length by the breadth fifty times three hundred make fifteen thousand Cubits which being again multiplied by the height of thirty Cubits there will the whole capacity and measure of the Ark amount to thirty times fifteen thousand which makes every of the three Stories to be an hundred and fifty thousand Cubits as multiplied only by ten and in the whole four hundred and fifty thousand solid Cubits as multiplied by three tens which is thirty besides the three thousand six hundred Cubits more allowed for the Roof or Covering so that the Dimensions of the Ark were vastly prodigious and capacious enough to contain all the Creatures and all their Provisions as Johannes Buteo De Arcâ Noae and our Dr. VVilkinson do clearly demonstrate This latter worthy Author well observing that no carnivorous creature was fed with flesh in the Ark. For 1. There was but a certain number of some kind but two received into the Ark so there could not be flesh for them 2. Neither is it likely that Noah should be so slavishly employed in such a daily and dirty work for a whole year so to feed them 3. 'T is more probable that by the same miraculous power whereby Lions Leopards Tygers c. laid aside their fierceness and were tamed c. thereby also they were made content to want flâ—sh for that time and to feed upon fruits c. From all which aforesaid may be learnt those following Divine Lessons The 1. is As this Ark lay all along in a prostrate posture suitable to the Tabernacle and Altar thereof not to the Temple and Ark therein both which had an Erect Situation and was a fleeting floating rolling tumbling and travelling Fabrick Even so is the Church Militant afflicted tossed with Tempests and not comforted Isa 54 11. Hence Clemens Alexandrinus well observeth that the Antients built their Temples or Churches in the Form of this Ark or Ship to denote the Tossing State of the
lye Isa 63.8 And a sordid slander and they say little better that affirm Abraham spoke so with a Mental Reservation If God will for he knew the Will of God was otherwise declared or that he Equivocated with his Servants using the plural for the singular lest they should obstruct his obedience and therefore he deluded them with an ambiguous expression Such do better than either of the aforesaid that say Abraham believed to receive his Son again from the dead according to Heb. 11.19 Yet this cannot be the genuine sense For 1. The Apostle only saith there that he considered God was able to do it but that God would do it presently he knew not 2. Had Abraham been assured of Gods being willing as well as able at that instant to restore Isaac it had been no such strong Tryal of his Faith and Obedience neither would he have deserved such a signal commendation thereof They say best of all that think Abraham being confident of Gods Power and leaving his will to his own wisdom Prophecyed in General of something he was ignorant of and like one under an amazement as well he might he spoke he knew not what as Peter once did at Christs Transfiguration Luk. 9.33 and as he Prophesied beyond himself of Isaac's return so of Gods providing a Lamb in Isaac's Room when those Cutting and Killing Compellations my Father and my Son passed between them Gen. 22.7 8. This is the second part of his Prophecy though he knew nothing how In a strong confidence of both these he proceedeth steedily to the Action which is the fourth and last particular of offering Isaac wherein observe 1. Abraham built an Altar upon Mount Moriah where the Temple was afterwards built 2 Chron. 3.1 To sanctify his Sacrifice Mat. 23.19 So Christ is our Altar that sanctifiâ—â— all our Services Heb. 13.10 2. He told his Son then the Command of God unto which Isaac submitted Josephus without a Divine Warrant relateth the Communication betwixt them 3. He bound Isaac who offered his Hands to the Cords his Body to the Altar and his very Throat to the Knife it self without any resistance the Sons Will was wrap'd up in the Fathers Will because it appear'd to him to be Gods Will. 4. He took the Knife to slay his Son v. 10. Oh what Painter in the World could express the posture of Abrahams outward Countenance under the most powerful yernings of his inward Bowels and Affections over his Dear yet Dying Child surely that Painter which set forth Agamemnons Sacrificing his Daughter Iphigenia for the safety of his Army would have drawn Abrabam as he did Agamemnon with his Face under a Veil as unable to delineate his unconceivable sorrow and when the Knife was up and Abraham just going to Kill his Son God calls twice for haste Abraham Abraham c. v. 11. This God took in so good a construction that 't is said he offered him Though Isaac was not indeed offered Heb. 11.17 God reckons as if he had done it because he was willing and would have done it every man is so good before God as he truly desires and endeavours to be All those have their Names writ in the Book of Life qui quod possunt faciunt etsi quod debent non faciunt that do what they can though they cannot do what they should saith Bernard God took it kindly at Davids Hands that it was but in his Heart to Build him a Temple 1. Kin. 8.17 18. and Christ took it well from that good Woman that she did all she could Mark 14.8 so gracious is our God as to account that to be done which man is but about to do as in Abrahams and Davids case when we cannot do what we ought we ought to do what we can Inferences hence be 1. All difficulties in Divine Commands ought to be wholly rolled from off our selves upon our God as Abraham did here 2. God will provide himself a Lamb we may have Fire and Wood but the Sacrifice we must have from God 3. God loves to bring his Servants low and to the last when the Knife is up then the Lord comes down he reserves his Holy Hand for a Dead lift of Deliverance 4. When we are in the most pinching exigents and cannot tell whither to turn us then should we believingly say God will provide a Pious and Precious Proverb much to be mused on and made use of 1 Cor. 10.13 In the Mount God will be seen and make a way to escape 5. God will not have Holy Purposes frustrate and altogether dismissed without Holy Performances though Isaac was spared yet Abraham must not go away with dry hands God Offers a Ram to Abraham and Abraham offers that Ram to God Gen. 22.13 c. 6. How ought all Children to learn Obedience to their Parents in the Example of Isaac's to His 7. How ought all the Children of Abraham to learn Obedience to God As he gave up his Isaac his Joy and his Laughter to him so should we resign whatever is Nearest and Dearest to us unto him 8. Such us are unwilling to Sacrifice their Ram or Rammish Lusts to God will much less their Isaac or their Lives and Souls He that Offers up his Ram or Lust his Isaac or Soul shall not only he spared but it shall live for ever Faith teacheth this Orthodox Paradox that the way to keep Isaac is to give up Isaac 9. Faith is most tryed in acting against Nature especially against corrupt Nature 10. Faith reconciles the seeming contradictions 'twixt Precepts and Promises as here they clashed and cross'd as two contraries 11. God Watches all the motions of Abraham his lifting up the Knife at last no less he doth of all the Children of VVickedness who he saith shall not waste any more as before 1 Chron. 17.9 12. Our last Tryals may be our hottest this the hottest Fire of all the Ten Tryals that Abraham was Tryed with he had waited long for this Son and now he must want him yea and that by the worst way imaginable he himself who had waited so long and plainly longed for him must now as if weary of him with his own Mouth as it were worry him If he did not sure I am we in his case would have mustered up many strong carnal Arguments against this Act. As 1. Assuredly the God of Mercy cannot delight in any such Barbarous and Unnatural cruelty How can the Blood and Murder of Man have in it any acceptable Piety to God 2. If God will take pleasure in the Murder of a Man for a Sacrifice to him will not some Stranger serve Must none but my Son be that Burnt-offering Cannot my God find out and fix upon some other Man than my Son 3. If God will single out my Son and have no other Man why might not my Son Ishmael serve for a Sacrifice if a Stranger will not serve for it might not he satisfie and exempt my Son Isaac 4. If it
to the Woman and her Seed for conveying Life and Salvation still it must be convey'd by a Covenant Way Sixthly There can be no Inconvenience in admitting Children into the New Covenant fellowship Named but the same Inconveniencies may be as well supposed to reach those under the Old there being the same reason in both Covenants The third Inference is If the nature of the Old and New Covenant be one and the same for substance differing only as the Old and New Moon in different Appearances then it follows hence that the Old Testament is not out of date but is of use to us under the New That it was not a Temporary Testament or a Bond and Covenant cancell'd by the coming of Christ as to the substantial Truth contained in it may be thus demonstrated The first Argument David calls Gods Word Ner a Lantern and Or a Light Psal 119. v. 105. The former is for use in the night and the latter is more profitable and comfortable in the day intimating hereby that as God created two great Luminaries Gen. 1.14 15. the lesser to wit the Moon to guide the night and the greater to wit the Sun to guide the day so hath he made the Old Testament as the Moon or as Davids Lantern and Candle to direct mans feet aright in the night-time of the Worlds Ignorance and of the Churches Nonage but he hath given the New Testament as the Sun or Davids Day-light to order our steps in a right path during the Day and Sun-shine of the Gospel What the Sun and Moon are for service to the World that the Old and New Testament are for usefulness to the Church The Old Testament is Novum Involutum the New Veiled the New is Vetus Revelatum the Old Revealed and as the Moon borrows light from the Sun so the dark passages in the Old Testament receive light from the New The second Argument The Church is said to have two Breasts as Twins wherewith to feed her Children Cant. 4.5 with sincere Milk 1 Pet. 2.2 This can bear no better sense than to signifie the two Testaments which like Breasts and Twins have an harmonious correspondency each with other and those Breasts of Consolation so called Isa 66.11 are both fair and full yea strutting out and even akeing to be drawn that the Churches Children may suck and be satisfied growing up and increasing with the increase of God to a full stature in Christ Col. 2.19 Eph. 4.13 Those two Breasts are also suitable and equally matched as Twins so are the two Testaments in sundry respects for as the Old Testament hath four sorts of Books to wit Legal Historical Sapiential and Prophetical so hath the New in a due proportion as Evangelical answerable to the Legal The Acts of the Apostles to the Historical The Epistles to the Sapiential or Dogmatical for in them Paul principally presseth Faith Peter Hope and John Charity and lastly the Revelation c. to the Prophetical so that there is a wonderful Conformity of the one Testament to the other not only in the Sameness of Sense but also in this Quadriformity of parts also This seems mystically to be signified in Ezekiel's Vision of the Wheel with four faces and his VVheel within a Wheel implying the Old Testament in the New and the New Testament in the Old and these two Breasts for Christs Babes are near each other and as like as near and so is the Milk in them alike pure alike sweet and nourishing They are but bad Nurses who would reduce the Babes of Christ to one Breast seeing the like sincere Milk is found in both these Breasts what the one Testament teacheth the other teacheth also they being like the two Cherubims in the Temple which had their faces looking toward the Ark and were beaten out of one piece of Gold Exod. 37.7 So doth both the Testaments look towards Christ the Ark containing all one and the same Doctrine for substance to wit leading us to the Faith and Obedience of Christ Alma Mater Ecclesia must have two Breasts the Church as well as the VVorld which hath two Breasts or rather Botches Profit and Pleasure The third Argument Whatever Divine Promise or Precept so far as it contains a Moral Equity of universal concern is found in the Old Testament the same hath a Divine Authority therein to us under the New Hence Promises made to any Old Testament Believer where no Reason in special is expressed why it should not be peculiar to him may be appropriated also by a New Testament Believer and he must act Faith upon it as made to him Thus the Promise made personally to Joshuah Josh 1.5 I will not fail thee nor forsake thee which is five times renewed in Scripture is universally propounded to the Faith of every New Testament Believer Heb. 13.5 which we all may press and press again till we have expressed all the the sweetness out of it never leaving to suck as the Child at its Mothers Breast so long as a drop will come yea keeps sucking still till fresh Milk flows into those Breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 We should labour to see our own names writ upon every Promise to secure it for us Hence also Precepts as well as Promises do concern us under the New Testament as much aâ— those to whom they were personally propounded Thus Hosea saith God found Jacob in Bethel Gen. 28.18 and especially 35.9 4 15. there he spake with us Hos 12.4 who were then in his loins and promised in him to take the Lord for our God and we are to hold our selves no less concerned therein than Jacob was The like expression is found in Psal 66.6 at the Drying up of the Red Sea and Jordan There did we saith David in the Churches name rejoyce in him What we could this be but the we our selves who were then in the loins of our Fore-fathers so had some share in their Joy And thus also Psal 102. what God spake to the Afflicted that he would regard the Crys of the Destitute and not despise their prayer v. 16 17. the same he spake to us for 't is said v. 18. This shall be written for the Generations to come to wit that the poor Shrub had sped so well in prayer and whatever else God said in that Psalm or indeed in any other Book of holy Scripture Rom. 15.4 Hence the Fourth Argument is from Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever was written before our times was written for our Learning in this time This Paul saith upon occasion of his alledging a tâ—xâ— out oâ— the Old Testament Psal 69.9 which that Evangelical Doctor did not look upon 〈◊〉 Bond cancel'd and out of date nor disdain them as some do now but whereas he might have proved his point as well by other sayings in the New Testament and those also as pertinent as learned Pareus observeth upon that place yet he purposely quoteth an Old Testament proof and thereby presseth the point of Duty
by Authority taken from thence It seems this great Doctor of the Gentiles was not of the same opinion with those Jesuits who say that the Epistles of the Apostles were intended only for the use of those Persons and Churches to whom they were first written how much more all the Books of the Prophets in the Old Testament must be antiquated and not concern us as some Jesuited Enthusiasts say in our Day prefering their own Phantastick Revelations above the Rule of Scripture though both Testaments were writ by Divine Inspiration We must rather be of Godly Josiah's Mind who saith concerning Moses many hundred years before him that Moses wrote for us 2 Kin. 22.13 the Book of the Law which Moses wrote with his own hand v. 8. and 2 Chron. 34.14 and ordered to be laid up in the sides of the Ark Deut. 31.26 this Book good Josiah reckoned did speak to them in his Day and feared that great Wrath was kindled against them because they had not hitherto hearkened to do all that was written as he saith concerning us Reckoning aright that General Directions Recorded in Gods Word do Infallibly concern all Ages as 1 Cor. 10.6 11. or likewise of Blessed Stephens Mind who speaking of such as live in the Days of the New Testament saith that Moses recieved the lively Oracles of God to give them unto us Act. 7.38 Moses did indeed deliver those Oracles to the Fathers of the old Testament but they receiv'd them to give them unto us under the New and thus the writings of all the other Prophets after Moses were written for us and for our Learning for Paul's learning and for the learning of that famous Church of Rome the fame of whose Faith was publish'd through the World Rom. 1.8 how much more for our Learning who come far short of their high Attainments and cannot pretend to a greater Perfection The fifth Argument If the Old Testament was disannulled by the Death of Christ then the Church was without a Canon or Rule from that time for many years until the N. Testament was written but this is to suppose what may not be supposed For those Scriptures in which Timothy had been trained up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a Child and wherein Paul exhorts him to continue they being profitable to teach reprove c. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. must be the Scriptures of the Old Testament seeing at the time of Timothy's Childhood none of the New Testament was written for Timothy was taken into Paul's Fellowship before any either Gospel or Epistle was published some of the Epistles were writ before any of the Gospels as that of the first to the Thessalonians yet this was writ after Timothy had joined himself to Paul for Paul's Preaching to the Thessalonians must be before his writing to them as appeareth by many passages in that Epistle yet Timothy was taken into Paul's company before Paul Preached there for the former was done Acts 16.1 2 3. but the latter not till afterward Acts 17.1 c. So that the first New Testament Scripture not being writ when Timothy was grown up and received into Paul's Society see Lightfoots Harmony and Chronology for this It necessarily follows that those Scriptures wherein Timothy was trained up from his Childhood were the Scriptures of the Old Testament yet Paul's Testimony of those very Scriptures was that they were Divinely Inspired and profitable to teach Truth to convince Errour to reprove Vice to instruct in Righteousness and to make wise unto Salvation v. 15 16. The consequence then is evident from hence that the Old Testament could not be look'd upon or supposed by the Church as an obsolete and cancell'd Bond or that the Church was then without a Canon The sixth Argument If the Scriptures of the Old Testament were given by Divine Inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 And if the holy men of God the Prophets wrote them as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 and their Writings were therefore called The Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 then without all controversie there must be the same holy and heavenly Truth or Divine Doctrine found in them as is in the Scriptures of the New Testament There being but one Spirit as there is but one God one Faith breathing in both Testaments Eph. 4.4 'T was this one Spirit which inspired the Pen-men of them both who is the Spirit of Truth John 14.17 leading both the Prophets and the Apostles into one and the same Truth John 16.13 14 15. Therefore the Books of both should be received with the same Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 and neither of them ought to be refused NB. 1. To reject the Old Testament is to reject the Holy Spirit that speaks in it 2. 'T is not only rejecting but resisting the Holy Ghost as Stephen charges the Stiff-necked Jews for rejecting the words of the Prophets which they had spoke to them by the Spirit Act. 7.51 Let none now commit the same sin 3. It can come from no other than from the Inspiration of the Devil to reject the Old Testament which was writ by the Inspiration of God contrary products must proceed from contrary principles The seventh Argument If the Old Testament Scriptures be profitable for such blessed uses as are afore-mentioned then they who cast them away as unprofitable are not only Enemies to the Churches Profit and Edification and are Friends to Errour Vice and sinful Folly all which three the Apostle declareth are disappointed by those Scriptures convincing Errour reproving Vice and making wise to Salvation but are also Blasphemers against God and his holy Spirit that did dictate and indite them There be blasphemous deeds as well as blasphemous words Ezek. 20.27 Now to blaspheme any part of the holy Scriptures either by word or deed is Blasphemy in an high degree and at least borders near upon that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost Matth. 12.31 32. That Opinion of rejecting any part of the holy Canon of the Scriptures which is undoubtedly very hateful to God as well as hurtful to men can never be a good Opinion 'T is not Heaven but Hell-born The eighth Argument If the Prophets as well as the Apostles be the Doctrinal Foundation of the Church as Christ is the Personal thereof 1 Cor. 3.11 then the Books of the Prophets Moses c. may not be rejected But the Antecedent is clear from Eph. 2.19 20. speaking of a Gospel-Church Therefore the Consequent must be clear also Mark well Paul puts no difference betwixt the Doctrines of the Prophets and that of the Apostles he makes them not two but one only Foundation therefore we cannot be true Christians nor indeed a true Church as the Ephesians were and that of Ephesus was unless we be Built upon both such as remove themselves from the Foundation of the Prophets may ere long make as little matter of Building upon the Apostles not regarding any written Word at all but rather
Eyes upon the Wicked for evil and not for good Amos 9.4 He looks upon all created beings from Angels down to Worms Psal 113.5 6. Curat universa quasi singula singula quasi sola saith Austin He Eyeth All as if one and one as if all and no more This Ladder or Pillar of Providence hath not only a long reach from Heaven down to the Earth but also a large Eye looking well Jer. 40.4 unto and upon Cities Ezr. 5.5 Families Isa 49.16 and every Righteous Person Psal 33.18 and 34.15 Job 36.7 1 Pet. 3.12 as here upon and unto this poor Pilgrim Jacob numbring the very hairs of our Heads Matth. 10.30 setting an Hedge about us as Job 1.10 and a wall of Safety Isa 26.1 and 60.18 Ezr. 9.9 This Ladder is still let down from Heaven as here for the Comfort of Jacob so for all the Seed of Jacob still Angels are ascending and descending upon it all charged to look well to God's little ones Psal 91.11 as their careful Nurses bearing them up in their Arms while they are all along in this lower world and at Death carrying them away safe through the Air the Devils Territories Home to their Father's House into Heaven there laying them down in the warm bosom of Abraham Luk. 16.22 that they may be ever with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 and there sing Hallelujahs to him for evermore in a beâ—er World How may this support us with Comfort in all our Trials and Troubles seeing Christ is at the top of this Ladder overlooking every Stone that is thrown at us as at Stephen Acts 7.55.58 and saying to us Fear not thou worm Jacob Isa 41.14 and as once he said to Martha If thou wilt believe thou shalt see the mighty power of God Joh. 11.40 so Jacob saw after this The Third Sense put upon this Ladder is it represents the Church's Pilgrimage through the World mounting up like Pillars of Smoak from Earth to Heaven Cant. 3.6 How hath she had her Ascensiones Fumi the rising Rowlings and Agglomerations of Smoak which though black and sooty as it is through manifold Imperfections and Infirmities attending her yet hath a principle within to carry her upward as it hath and comes more welcom and sweet to God than all the costly Evaporations of Myrrh and Incense and all the odoriferous Powders of the Spice Merchant as being perfumed with the fragrant Odours of her Redeemer's Merits and Mediation Hebr. 9.24 Revel 5.8 and 8.4 whereby her Prayers pass up as a sweet memorial Act. 10.4 and the Persons that be her Members are accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 both go up as Incense Psal 141.2 and sometimes wonderfully Judg. 13.19 20. for besides the Inward principle aforesaid there is likewise an outward Influence lifting up both Prayers and Persons 1. Her Prayers being kindled and rarified by the fire of God's Spirit do move and mount upward as the Flame doth naturally toward Heaven Christ carrying them along as he did Manoah's Sacrifice in the flame whereof he ascended for it is his office to present the Churches Services before God and to procure their gracious Acceptance with him hereby they become right Heave-offerings to the Lord Exod. 29.28 wherein our hearts should be heaved up to Heaven 2. The Persons belonging to her themselves The Lord at the top of the Ladder lets down his long Hand and gives them many an effectual lift Drawing them to himself Cant. 1.4 Joh. 6.44 and 12.32 Causing them to approach to him Psal 65.4 for it is his gracious will that where he is there they may be also Joh. 17.24 therefore doth Christ both hold and hale them by the hand by the heart Hos 11.4 his left hand being under their heads and his right hand embracing them Cant. 2.6 in which posture he carries them gently in his bosom Isa 40.11 through the Wilderness of this World to Rest with himself in Eternal Glory Thus hath the Church been climbing up this Ladder in her Militant State both before the Law under the Law and after the Law under the Gospel to this present day and will be climbing to the end of the World the Angels attending her all along Deus videt Angeli astant c. therefore though she be bewilder'd yet in her VVilderness state she cannot miscarry 'T is with her as with Israel in their Pilgrimage from Egypt through the Wilderness to Canaan wherein they had Forty two Stations from Raamses to Jordan a long Ladder with so many Steps or Stages which pre-figureth the various wandrings of the Church and her many removes in this worldly Wilderness yet hath she the conduct as Israel had of the Pillar of Glory to protect them to direct them and to suit their Necessities Night and Day Exod. 13.21 22. chusing though not the nearest yet the safest way for them and ordering the matter so that evils should not be ready for them till they were made ready for evils Thus the Heirs of Heaven may not murmure that they are wanderers oh Earth and as younger Brohers shift from place to place Gods Pilgrims have no fixed Seat Gen. 47.9 1 Chron. 29.15 1 Pet. 1.17 and 2.11 Heb. 11.9 10 13 14. yet still they have this to comfort them they in all their wandrings have hold of their Fathers Hand and he of theirs conducting them from step to step upon this Pilgrim ladder until he Hand them to the highest step and from thence into Heaven The Pillar of Providence leads the Church-Militant through the World to be Triumphant in Heaven The fourth sense of this Ladder according to others is It hath the resemblance of Divine Predestination Descending from Heaven to the Earth and again Ascending from the Earth to Heaven the Eternal Decree and Everlasting Covenant of God concluding at the end in Mans Salvation In this latter way to wit of Ascension Gods Predetermination is the Root of the Ladder and Mans Salvation is the Top of it but in the former way of Descension God is at the top of it fore-knowing and writing in the Book of Life the Names of such as shall be saved and the several Steps thereof are 1. Election 2. Creation 3. Vocation 4. Justification 5. Adoption 6 Sanctification and 7. Glorification The two sides of which Ladder they make to be the Justice and Mercy of God Even the Heathen Poet Homer could dream of a Golden Chain which the Gentile Jupiter let down from Heaven to Earth whereby according to the Wisdom of the Antients he ordered all things according to his Will but our blessed Apostle Paul tells us better of a Golden Chain indeed whereby the True Jove or Jehovah manages matters concerning Mankind in an orderly manner Rom. 8.29 30. to the praise of the glory of his Grace Eph. 1.5 6. and according to the counsel of his own Will v. 11. Oh how should men mind more the lower Steps of this long Ladder and become better Scholars in the Grammar-School of Faith
World and Jam. 5.11 Some suppose that Job was a Son of Nahor Abraham's Brother descended from him by his Son Uz as Elihu was of his Son Buz Gen. 22.20 21. Job 32.2 and so Elihu came to live near to Job who was Son of the Elder Brother as he was of the Younger others suppose him to be that Jobab of Esau's Posterity Gen. 36.33 34. being a Magistrate and Judge in his Country Job 29.7 8 9 c. whose Name was contracted into Job by his Adversity who before was call'd Jobab at length in the day of his Prosperity There is an odd Story Jacobus Justus relates in the Notes to his Map of the Holy Land that Balaam Job and Jethro were Pharaoh's Counsellors when Moses was born and found by Thermutis the King's Daughter who brought him into the Court Moses while a Child trampled Pharaoh's Crown under his feet Balaam said It presaged Destruction to the State Job would have nothing determin'd against him but Jethro said it was only a childish Trick so not to be regarded whence these three sped afterward accordingly Balaam was slain Job afflicted and Jethro made happy by Moses affinity The Second Remark is the Book of Job is a Tragi-Comedy writ either First by Job himself who wished the History were written in a Book Job 19.23 24. so after his Deliverance might answer his own with Or Secondly Elihu who came not from far as the other three did but neighboured upon him and nameth not himself as coming with them and who saith I will shew my opinion c. Job 32.15 16 17. Or Thirdly By Moses in Midian who wrote it for the comfort of Israel sorely distressed in Egypt Whoever was the Penman it matters not God was its Author and Paul quotes Job 5.19 as canonical 1 Cor. 3.19 the whole Book setting forth Job's fall from a very great height of Dignity into the very depth of Misery by Satan's Malice first against his Estate and then against his Body The Dialogues his three Friends held with him were to convince him that his Sinning had been extraordinary because his Suffering was so The Doctrinal part of whose Disputations was sound but their prejudice misled them in the Application Job vindicates himself all along but not prevailing that way He stops their Mouths by imprecating himself in particulars Job 31.1 to last then comes Elihu in as Moderator but inclining to the same Misprision of the others the Lord himself convinceth them all of Job's Integrity not only by an Oracle from Heaven but also by reviving Job's Prosperity doubling all he had lost save only his Children who were with God and making him the longest liver that was born after Terah who died at two hundred and five years old Gen. 11.32 and supposing Job Seventy years old when his trouble came he lived two hundred and ten years old having his years doubled also Behold a Miracle here How Job a Camel for Grandeur and Riches passeth notwithstanding through the eye of a Needle yea with Six thousand Camels c. Job 42.12.16 He entreth that strait Gate into a Mansion of Glory c. his eminent Piety had eminent Misery which yet ended in both Temporal and Eternal Felicity CHAP. XVI The History and Mystery of Israel's Bondage in Egypt and Deliverance out of it THE Ending of the History of Jacob and Joseph introduceth the Beginning of the History of Moses who with his Sacred Pen gives an Account of those two great Patriarchs Periods Gen. 49.33 and 50.26 before he relate his own Birth Life and Death Exod. 1 c. and Deut. 34.6 Now come we to the most grievous part of Israel's Bondage in Egypt where good Joseph had left them after his Death and where they through God's singular Blessing exceedingly multiplied notwithstanding their cruel Oppression according to God's Promise to Jacob Gen. 46.3 Deut. 26.5 This Offspring of Israel after the Death of all the twelve Patriarchs do by Degrees fall into all manner of Abominations As First They commit Idolatry Josh 24.14 Ezek. 20.8 Secondly They forget and forego Circumcision the Covenant of their God and this was the Reproach of Egypt Josh 5.9 c. Thirdly They joyned in Marriage with the Egyptians who were notoriously addicted to Idolatry and all Impiety Levit. 24.10 Exod. 12.38 whereby they were infected with the Vices predominant in that Country for this cause good Jacob seared to go down into Egypt which not only had been some Damage to Abraham Gen. 12.15 and flatly forbid to Isaac Gen. 26.2 and would expose his Posterity to many Perils of both Soul and Body Therefore was their Father afraid to go thither till he had God's Warrant for so doing Gen. 46.2 3 4. Now as in Abraham's Vision of a smoaking Furnace at Sun-set c. Gen. 15.12 17. The Sun of Religion was gone down among those degenerate Israelites walking according to those wretched Principles and Practices aforementioned Therefore the Lord cast them into a Furnace of Affliction call'd an Iron Furnace Deut 4.20 1 King 8.51 Jer. 11.4 An horrid Darkness as of Impiety so of Misery came upon them which afterwards ended in a burning Lamp the other Branch of Abraham's Vision God commanding light to shine out of darkness in their deliverance out of Bondage Psal 112.4 and 97.11 now it was that a new King arose that knew not Joseph who had made such vast Additions both of Wealth and Power to the Crown of Egypt called Busiris a most savage Tyrant even in Heathen Histories This brutish Man envying the wonderful Efficacy of the Promise of God made to Jacob Gen. 46.3 in Israel's increasing so abundantly the Strength of that Promise made the Men strong to beget Children though over-pressed with intolerable labour and the Women also to have no Abortions but to be more lively than other Women in bringing forth c. This became a most grievous Eye-fore to this envious King that to be revenged of them he falls upon them in Cruel Methods 1. Private in his cursed Command to the Midwives for Killing all the Males whom he mostly feared at their Birth which the Midwives not daring to do fearing God more than the King in their contrary Commands It put the Tyrant 2. Upon Publishing that Publick and bloody Edict that seeing neither the Intolerable toil of the Israelites under hard Taskmasters nor the holily refractory Midwives would suppress their spawning Procreation It should be lawful for any of his Subjects to drown the Males as soon as Born Exod. 1.7 8 9 10 11 16 22. In these bitter Times Heman and Ethan 1 Chron. 2.6 Prophetically penn'd the Eighty eighth and Eighty ninth Psalms In this time also was Moses born The first Remark concerneth his Parents who are Canonized in the Canonical Scripture for eminent Believers Hebr. 11.23 where the Apostle being about to bring in Moses's Faith speaketh first of the Faith of his Parents Amram Hebr. High and Jochebed Hebr. God's Glory both of Levi's Race and
before and after him he was the Law-giver he was a Mediator though not of Redemption yet of Relation as he fetched Divine Laws from God to Israel and as he carried Devout Prayers from Israel to God Moreover this is very Remarkable and quite cross and contrary to that Popish Doctrine of their Monastick perfection The Romanists affirm that the Married Estate is far less Honourable than the Unmarried because say they the Apostle Paul who was an Unmarried Man had the Honour of going up to God in his Rapture into Paradise but passing by his own saying That he had power to lead about a Sister a Wife c. we Answer that this Moses who was a Married Man had a greater Honour confer'd upon him insomuch as God vouchsafed to come down to him 'T is much more condescention in a Mortal Prince to rise up from his Throne and come down Stairs to his poor Subject than if only he were call'd up to him And as to the latter respect God wrought many Miracles of Mercy upon Israel and of Plagues and Judgments upon Egypt by Moses's Hands whereby the Church of God was delivered out of the House of Bondage and carried through the Wilderness to the very Borders of Canaan No further doth Moses or the Law go 't is Joshua our Jesus leads us into the Land c. The Life of Moses consisted of an hundred and twenty years so that it may most aptly be divided into three distinct Forties In his first forty years he had his Deliverance from Pharaoh's Infanticide as above and lived all those years after as the Adopted Son of Pharaoh's Daughter who gave him that Advantage by the help of his Tutors as to a Princess's Sun to become so mighty in words and deeds as Stephen speaketh Acts 7.22 which Character he giveth Moses not from any express Scripture but by necessary consequence for it could no otherwise be conceived concerning the Adopted Son of a King and of a King of Egypt a Land abundantly addicted to Learning and Study Until he was Forty years old he lived in Pharaoh's Court as the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and as some say was designed â—o succeed Pharaoh in the Throne He being now grown up to full Maturity of Stature Authority and all Accomplishments both as a great Orator and as a great Warriour was minded to visit his afflicted Brethren Exod. 2.11 This he did partly by Natural Inclination having a Sympathizing Spirit towards their Relief And partly by Divine Instigation intimating to them that he was raised and sent of God to deliver them Acts 7.23 25. The signal whereof was his slaying the Egyptian as a Judge appointed of God his Call thereto being manifested to his own Conscience Exod 2.12 13 14. Moses had Suck'd in such a Savour of Godliness with the Milk of his Mother who with his Father had instructed him that he was of the Seed of Abraham the Heir of the World c. that all the Court-pleasures and Treasures could not wear off Heb. 11.25 26. He refuseth his Courtiers Life offers to be his Brethrens Reconciler and Deliverer they not yet enough humbled refuse their own Deliverance and puts it back forty years longer Pharaoh heard what he had done and to secure himself from so dangerous a Person whom he suppos'd to be the Man foretold by his Priests that would be the Scourge of Egypt and the Deliverer of Israel sought to slay him Exod. 2.15 upon this Moses flies into Midian which brings us to the second forty years which time he tarried there when of an High Courtier he became a poor Shepherd and of a Student in Philosophy was turn'd a Student in Divinity yea and studied even God himself and while he was so doing hath that famous Vision of Christ in a Bush burning but not consumed Exod. 3.2 by the good will in it Deut. 33.16 In this Vision the Place Time and End are very Remarkable 1. The Place 't was not in Pharaoh's Court where he never had such a Vision as this for full forty years he lived therein but it was in the Wilderness When Man is satiating himself with the Honours and Pleasures of a Worldly Court there is no leisure to have or hold Commerce with the Court of Heaven Felix was for his more convenient Season Acts 24.25 Worldly Pomp and Vanity make such a noise in a Courtiers Ears that God may speak once and twice and he perceive it not Job 33.14 Hence Israel was allured into the Wilderness and there God spake kindly to her Heart Hos 2.14 there the Pillar of Glory came to them and walk'd with them from Stage to Stage in a Familiar manner Exod. 13.20 21. When they were in Aâ—tham Hebr. hard Ground God comes when distant from Egypt or the World When the Soul is drawn at distance from the Distractions of the World then is it in the fittest frame for the Visions of God Prov. 18.1 2. The time when relating 1. To Moses and 2 To Israel 1. As to Moses This Vision of the Bush was at the end of his second forty years Acts 7.30 so long had he lived a private Life as a poor Shepherd 'T is a wonder his former forty years Life of an Honourable Courtier had not put his Mouth out of taste for so long a Dishonourable Countrey Life But a good Heart is taught to condescend to all conditions and can be abased as well as Exalted as Paul Phil. 4.11 12. and David was call'd to be a Courtier yet content after to become a Shepherd till his Conquering of Goliath 2. As to Israel both Moses and Israel must wait long for this comforting Vision Moses finds Israel as the Messias did after in the sharpest part of their misery Duplicantur lateres venit Moses Though the Tyrant was dead Exod. 2.23 yet Tyranny was not one Pharaoh succeeds another as afterwards the Bloody Herods did and all of the same Brutish Bran Though Israel's Chief Oppressor was suppressed yet were they Oppressed still for another Pharaoh succeeded as great in Power and as grievous in Persecution They changed only their Master but not at all their Miseries which indeed grew greater and greater this made them sigh and groan and as it was with Job their stroke was heavier than their groaning Job 23.2 3. The final Cause wherefore This is double also not only for comforting Israel in their Bondage but also Moses in his Banishment who spent not his second forty years private Life in Idleness but in Divine Contemplations as above and in Writing the Book of Genesis and as some say the Book of Job for comforting his Countrey-men in Misery teaching them thereby to lean upon the Lord and to learn to live by Faith on the Promises made to their Forefathers the Holy Patriarchs Mens very Miseries cry to God as Hagar's did Gen. 16.11 when her self cried not The Lord knew their Soulâ—â—n Adversity Psal 31.7 Gods Eye saw what the wicked did to Moses and
yea but when Sir for he went not Mat. 21.29 The Eighth Remark is The variety of Laws given to the Church in the Wilderness the lively Oracles or life giving Oracles of God Acts 7.38 First The Moral Law spoke by God himself in the audience of all the people which is call'd our Life or the Rule of an Holy and Spiritual Life Deut. 32.46 47. Secondly The Judicial Laws which were meerly Judaical and peculiar to the People of the Jews and which cannot fit every Nation no more than any Shoe can fit every foot tho' Carolostadius would have all Magistrates to govern their Subjects by them in all Nations The end of giving the Judicial Laws was to teach Natural Equity to which Judicial Laws mentioned in Chapters 21 22 23. of Exodus must be added those Directions that Jethro gave Moses for substituting Inferiour Magistrates Exod. 18. which choice of Elders was not made till Israel's departure from Sinai Deut. 1.7 8. Nor could Jethro offer Sacrifices as he did Exod. 18.12 before the Law was given Nor could Moses make known God's Statutes to the People as he doth Exod. 18.13 16. before himself knew them So 't is misplaced for weighty Reasons as Dr. Lightfoot observes Harmony of Old Testament Pag. 65.66 Thirdly The Ceremonial Laws were all Typical and therefore Temporary call'd a Yoke too heavy for our Fathers Act. 15.10 Yet their end and use was to prefigure and shadow out the Gospel in its divers Truths in which sense they continue still though not in respect of Observation or Practice yet in respect of Instruction Direction and Testimony to Christ and his Truths The Ceremonial and Judicial Laws are a Commentary and a kind of outwork to the Moral Law The Ceremonial to the first Table and the Judicial to the Second And they are call'd a Wall of Partition betwixâ— Jews and Gentiles because they are made up of Laws that are hard as so many Stones in Nature and that are so many in number as make up a Wall The number of both being reckoned fifty seven when the Moral Law or Decalogue was given by the Son of God Vivâ Voce by his own audible Voice with such Terrour that the People were not able to abide it but desire Moses to be a Mediator He hereupon draws near to God in the thick Darkness receiveth seven and fifty Precepts Ceremonial and Judicial which when he came down from the Mount He telleth the People of and writes them in a Book namely in his Pentateuch The Moral Law sheweth Man what he ought to do and with the same sight he seeth that he cannot do it This makes Man seek to the Ceremonial Law for some Sacrifice or Ceremony to satisfie for his not doing his Duty to the Decalogue wherein Man may see soon that burning a Dead Beast is but an inconsiderable satisfaction for the Sins of a living Man and that outward Purisfyings of Mens selves can avail but little to the cleansing of a soiled Soul the Prophet tells us Thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oil will not do it nor can the Fruit of the Body expiate the Sin of the Soul Mic. 6.6 7. The Jews wearied God to the Soul with their Sacrifices and Ceremonies Isa 1.13 14. And David could say Sacrifices thou would not but a broken Heart Psal 51.16 17. The Consideration of this Deficiency in the Ceremonial Law delivers sinful Man up to the Judicial Law which holds forth the Penalty of obstinate Offenders and discovereth to him what he deserveth by the Law of Retaliation This Law is contained in the three Chapters Exod. 21 22 and 23. And thus all those three Laws the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial are as a Schoolmaster to whip us home to Christ Gal. 3.24 None of those Laws of Mosâ—s can save us It was not Moses or the Law but Joshua or Jesus that brought Israel into the Land of Promise Hereby we are constrained to seek out for a Saviour the Lord our Redeemer For there is no other Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved but by Jesus Christ Act. 4.12 N.B. The Parable our Lord himself propounds tends something to this purpose as Luk. 10.30 31 32. Concerning the Man Travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho and falling among Thieves c. Wherein the Man mentioned is Travelling the wrong way He should have travell'd from Jericho the Place of God's curseâ— to Jerusalem the Place of God's Worship and Blessing not from Jerusalem to Jericho As the Man went out of God's Precincts and so out of God's Protection no wonder then if he falls among Thieves Thus the Original Sinner Adam went the wrong way when he listened more to the Serpent's Promise and to his Wife Eve's proffer than he did to God's Precept He went from the Tree of Life to the Tree of Knowledge there hearkening after Honour of the Devil 's giving and not God's he falls among Thieves that stopp'd him stripp'd him and strip'd him so that he was half Dead of his wounds 1. Satan dismounts him of his State of Innocency which should sustain him 2. Sin strips him of all Righteousness which should aray him And 3. Death was the third Thief that strip'd him striking fall'n Man with his own guiltiness and miserably wounding him here is Man in a woful Condition By comes a Priest that is the legal Priesthood or Moral Righteousness This passeth by him but does not cannot help him By also comes a Levite with the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law or formal Holiness This also passeth by and relieveth him not Both these are Physicians if no value miserable Comforters the Eyes of neither of the two did pity him But by comes a good Samaritan our Saviour himself whom they call'd a Samaritan c. he Pities him Salves him Mounts him Lodges him and Pays all for him This Christ the second Adam did for the first Original Sinner N.B. Oh that he may do so for us Adam's Children who are all Actual Sinners and whom the Thieves Satan Sin and Death have wounded Oh that Christ may 1. Pity us when no other doth so Ezek. 16.8 Jer. 31.20 c. 2. Salve us pouring in the sharp Wine of Reproof to search our wounds as well as the sweet Oil of Comfort to supple them 3. Mount us upon his own Righteousness or we never reach the new Jerusalem 4. Lodge us in his own Chamber his Church here and in his Fathers Bosom hereafter 5. And pay all for us by his Active and Passive Obedience which is the two Pence here As our first sinning was without us in Adam so our full satisfying is without us in Christ his Justitia Personae Justitia Meriti pays all c. The Ninth Remark in this twelvth Station at Mount Sinai is the Promulgation of the Law is confirmed by bringing the People into Covenant with God whereof we have an account Exod. 24. which relateth First The Place where according to God's appointment the side of
the Mountain for the Elders ver 1. the Top of the Mountain for Moses and the bottom of it for the People ver 2. Secondly The Manner how Wherein is related what 1st Moses did who 1. Wrote all God's Statutes in a Book ver 4. Heb. 9.19 2. In the Morning the very next day after the fiftieth Day whereon the Law was given he erecteth an Altar to represent Christ and twelve Pillars to represent the twelve Tribes who were both the Parties in the Covenant 3. He sent the First born who were the Sacrificers till the Levites were taken in their stead Numb 3.41 c. to offer up burnt offerings and Peace-offerings both Types of Christ to sanctifie the People for entring into Covenant with God ver 5. 4. With half of the Blood he besprinkled the Altar and the Book that lay upon it to be sanctified thereby ver 6. Heb. 9.19 5. He took the Volume of the Covenant and read it in the Audience of the People that he might bring them into the Bonds of the Covenant ver 7. Ezek. 20.37 6. He took the other half of the Blood and besprinkled the People or the twelve Pillars or the seventy Elders that did represent them ver 8. all which were Patterns of those heavenly Things done by Christ sanctifying us by the Blood of a better Covenant Joh. 17.19 Heb. 9.13 14 18 23. 1 Pet. 1.2 2dly What both Moses said and the People too 1st Moses explained the Covenant and Commands of God to the People ver 3 and 8. as if he had spoke thus This whole People thus besprinkled with the Blood of the Covenant are received into God's Covenant Care and Custody yet upon that Condition If they will exactly keep the Law of their God and in Truth obey all his Commandments 2ly The People Promise their Obedience to all these Conditions of the Covenant ver 3 7. as they had done before Exod. 19.8 and 20.10 Thus the Covenant betwixt God and Israel was establish'd by a mutual and willing Consent though as yet they knew not the Impossibility of the Law which is weak through the Flesh Rom. 8 3. nor did Mind the twelve Pillars of Stone representing to them how their hard stony Nature was thereby resembled to them as the two Tables of Stone did resemble their hard stony Hearts Exod. 31.18 2 Cor. 3.3 3ly The Issue and Effect of this entring into Covenant The Elders of Israel that before might not come near the Lord now see his Glory eat and drink before him and he layeth not his avenging Hand upon them c. ver 9 10 11. Great Joy it was also to all the People ver 15 17. But Moses is call'd up into the Mount with his Servant Joshua ver 12 13. where he must abide to receive the Tables of Stone and the Pattern of the Tabernacle with all the Utensils of it c. In whose absence Aaron and Hur must manage all matters of Controversie in the Camp ver 14. The Glory of the Lord on Mount Sinai appearing all that Time in their sight like consuming Fire ver 15 16. Six days God prepares Moses for receiving the Law as in six days he created the World and rested upon the seventh Gen. 2.2 The same number is here at the giving of the Law wherein God manifested as much Wisdom as in making the World Psal 19. per totum Upon the Seventh day God calls Moses alone into the Cloud who stood at a distance with his Servant till called of God That Seventh Day is supposed to be the Sabbath being call'd the Seventh Day by an Emphatick Article as the Christian Sabbath is emphatically also call'd the Lord's Day above others Rev. 1.10 The People had but three Days of Preparation to receive the Law Exod. 19.10 11. But Moses must have Six to shew what singular Holiness is required of Ministers The Measures of the Sanctuary as the Shekel Cubit c. were double to the ordinary among the People Ministers must wish with Elisha a double Portion of the Spirit that they may save themselves and those that hear them Moses abode in the Cloud Forty Days and Nights ver 18. without eating Bread or drinking Water Deut. 9.9 The like number of days Elias fasted for Reviving the Law which in his day was lost 1 King 19.8 And Christ did the same when he entred into his Ministry of giving the Gospel Matth. 4.2 and it must be supposed that the Lord enabled Moses to abide there forty days as well as to enter the Cloud which he could not do Exod. 40.35 N. B. If it be asked What became of Joshua all this time for he came down with Moses and knew nothing of the Calf set up in the Camp Exod. 32.17 when Moses brought the two Tables It is thus answered Tho' it be expresly said That Joshua went up with Moses and came down with him yet is it not mentioned in Scripture how high he went or whether he heard what God said to Moses c. It seemeth he staid still with Moses during the six days preparation till God call'd his Master from him into the Cloud and like a faithful Servant he staid in some place where his Master appointed and knew how to find him upon his Return Exod 32.17 18 not knowing any thing of Israel's Idolatry so had no meat from the Camp nor did he fast the forty days as Moses did but was as some say sustained all that time with Manna c. in some extraordinary manner by the Lord. In this forty days and nights Conference which the Lord held with Moses in the Mount God gave him the Ceremonial Law which was the Shadowed Gospel for this Infant Church as before he had given the Moral and the Judicial Laws The Ceremonial Law was to direct this Church in the External Worship of God As 1. That a place be prepared for his Publick Worship called then the Tabernacle which as Josephus saith was a portable Temple 2. That the People now in Covenant with their God must offer voluntarily all materials for the making of this Tabernacle both for the outward Fabrick and all the inward Utensils thereof Exod. 25 26 27 and 30. chapters 3. God ordains the Persons to attend the Service of this Sanctuary and they are Aaron and his Sons of the Tribe of Levi who are directed both as to their Garments and as to their Sacrifices and Ceremonies of their Consecration chap. 28 and 29. 4. God calls forth and qualifies the Persons for the whole workmanship of the Tabernacle within and without as Bezaleel and Aholiab with others whom he filled with the spirit of Wisdom and made them meet for the making of all sorts of the Manufacture thereof chap. 31. All which materials must be exactly made according to the Pattern or Model that God now shewed in a Vision unto Moses in the Mount giving him as is supposed an Aetherial Idea or Platform both of persons and things as God afterward
rapt up to Heaven at their Deaths whom they worshipp'd as Gods and had the Devil known Moses's Assumption he would have made Israel to worship him as a God N B. The Story of Moses's appearing with Elias who was Assumed c. at Christ's Transfiguration seems to favour this Ancient Conceit of Moses's Assumption About which Point the hot Dispute might be ' twixc Michael and Satan But the 3d and chief Reason is a Mystery that the Law whereof Moses was the Minister being once Dead and Abrogated by Christ should never more be sought after nor its legal Rudiments both being abrogated by the Grace and Gospel of Christ both out of the Conscience and out of the Church The abolishing of Sacrifices c. was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9.24 25 26 27 and confirmed by the Apostle Gal. 4.9 10 11. and 5.4 and till the Jews return and seek the Lord their God and the Son of David their King Hos 3.4 5. their State lies buried they that are for the seventh Day-Sabbath c surely do not beâ—ieve that Moses is buried by the Messiah they would send us back to Moses's School c. The 4th Kemark Moses died in the Mount Deut. 32.50 but was buried in the Valley here N.B. Let Man rise never so high to the highest Pinnacle of worldly Honour while he lives yet must He be laid low enough in the Valley of the Grave Psal 49.13 when he dies 'T was the Valley of Moab's Land which was a large spâ—ce of ground so that Moses's Grave could not be found when God left no Signs of it on purpose to conceal it N B But why had Moses Possession of the Land of Moab by his Burial when God said He would give to Israel none of that Land Deut. 2.9 Answer This is to be understood of that Land whereof Moab was in peaceable Possession at that time but there was another part of their Land taken from them by the Amorites Numb 21.26 which though in the Hands of other Lords was yet call'd the Land of Moab the old Name and in which put was Mount Nebo where Moses died c. N. B. But why must Moses be buried over against Beth-peor the Place of that abominable Idol Baal's Temple Numb 23.28 and 25.3 where Balaam expected God to meet him for cursing Israel but in vain yet where he laid that sad stumbling block before Israel that God might be made their Enemy had not Moses stood in the Gap by his Intercession for them Psal 106.23 Israel is told here of the Place of Moses's Burial over against Beth-peor to mind them of their Sin and of his Mediation c. The second Consequent of Moses's Death was the Lamentation made for Him ver 8. which lasted thirty days as for Aaron Numb 20.28 and for Miriam also as Josephus saith it was their manner to make thirty days the measure of publick Mourning for principal Rulers whereas seven days Mourning was sufficient for Persons of a private Figure thus Joseph did for Jacob Gen. 50.3 seventy days by the Egyptians and but seven days by Joseph ver 10 't is the Lot of many or God's Servants to have more Honour after their Death than in their Life The third Consequent was the Nomination of his Successor namely Joshua ver 9. which demonstrateth the care and kindness of God to his Church in not leaving her without a Governour Sic uno avulso non deficit alter aureus The great Tree of Providence as one Branch is broken off so another riseth up in the Room Joshuah was full of the Spirit of Wisdom fitted for the Succession wherein he was a figure of our blessed Jesus who was filled with the Holy Spirit when he entred his Ministry Isa 11.2 Luk. 4.1 God bade Moses Lay thy Hands on Joshua Numb 27.18.23 with 8.10 by which he received a greater measure of the Spirit Herein Joshuab the Son of Nun shadowed out our Jesus the Son of God to whom Moses gave â—estimony Job 5.46 Act. 26.22 23. and talked with him about his Decease in his Transfiguration Luk. 9 30 31. The fourth Consequent is the magnifying of Moses's Office and administration as in a Funeral Song ver 10 11.12 a nonesuch for Birth Life Death and Burial The First Remark upon this last Consequent is Moses is magnified for his Familiar Communion with God so as to know him Face to Face ver 10. Jehovah spake to him as a Man speaketh with his Friend Exod. 32.11 perhaps in humane shape besides out of the Cloudy Pillar as He did hold a long Conference with Abraham his Friend Gen. 18. and thus God spake to Moses Mouth to Mouth Numb 12.8 Humanitus dictum which manner of Communication magnifies Moses above all the Prophets The Second Remark is Moses's five Books are compleated by these Clauses writ by Joshua or Eleazar c. Divinely inspired That the Pentateuch being the first Original of all writings might be worthily celebrated over all the World being confirmed by God himself Numb 12.7 8. approved and expounded by all the Prophets after Mose yea by Christ himself and his Apostles so that they who hear not Moses will not be perswaded though one rose from the Dead Luk. 16.31 Hence Theodoret doth well call Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fountain and Ocean of Divinity out of whose Works all the Prophets and Apostles have watered their several Gardens The Third Remark is Moses is made a none-such for his mighty Miracles as well as for his Familiarity with God in his Ministry ver 11 12. wherein God magnifies his own Majesty Moses being but God's Minister and Instrument so dignified here N.B. This Praise of Moses may not prejudice the Praise Christ gives of John Baptist none greater born of Women Mat. 11.11 Though he wrought no Miracles as Moses did Yet exceeded he all in Dignity and Doctrine As those Elements that are nearest Heaven be the purest so the nearer Christ the more excellent He was the immediate forerunner of Christ He began Gospel Baptism and baptized our Lord himself c. But unto us God hath raised up a Prophet like unto Moses as he promised Deut. 18.18 Act. 3.21 even our blessed Messias the Son of God a Man approved of God by many Miracles c. Act. 2.22 Heb. 2.4 by whom God reconciled the World to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 whom though God buried not as he did Moses yet he raised him from the Dead Psal 16.10 Act. 2.24 and 13.37 that he saw no Corruption Of Him Moses wrote Joh. 5.45 47 and to him all the Prophets give their Testimony Act. 10.40 43. and 13.39 He is the true God and Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5.20 Here ends the Pentateuch which contains the History of 2553. Years from the Creation of the World and which is all as Sciccard saith that was Translated by the Septuagint of the Hebrew Bible into Greek by Ptolomy's order SOLI DEO GLORIA The IId Volume Joshua Chap. I. The History
and Mystery of Israel's Conduct to Canaan by Joshua HAving finished the five Books of Moses which contain the History of the first 2554 Years of the World according to Sir Walter Rawleigh's Reckoning such Variety being in the Computation of Chronologers I come now to the History of Israel's Conduct into Canaan under General Joshua who was Moses's Successor in the Government Constituted their Supreme Governour by God himself The Book of Joshua gives us a Narrative hereof on which Book the General Remarks are first to be observed and they are threefold The first is concerning the Scope of the Book The second is concerning the Author of it And the third is concerning the Subject of the whole Book First As to the Scope of it in the General 't is a solemn Doxology or giving Glory to God for the manifestation of his four Glorious Attributes his Mercy his Justice his Power and his Truth namely 1. His Mercy to Israel his Old Testament Church tho' they provok'd Him to the highest Displeasure with their most Heinous Sins both in Egypt and in the Wilderness c. yet God would not write Lo-ammi upon them Hos 1.9 so as to Unchurch or Unpeople them but his Mercy still Triumph'd over his Justice Jam. 2.13 bearing with their Evil Manners in the Wilderness forty years Act. 13.18 God's Pardoning-Mercy did follow them from their Departure out of Egypt until they came to the Borders of Canaan Numb 14.19 2. His Justice to those Cursed Canaanites who when their Sins were full Gen. 15.16 filled up their Ephah Zech. 5.6 and the measure of their Iniquity Matth. 23.32 were universally cut off by the Justice of God save only some Reserved not only for the Exercises but also for Drudgery to that Royal Nation 3. His Power that such a poor contemptible People born all of Bond-slaves and Brick-makers in Egypt all Foot-men should be impower'd to conquer so many War-like Nations who had Iron Chariots and Horse-men Josh 10.6 9. and 17 18 c. 4. His Truth in performing his Promise that God made to Abraham of giving Canaan to his Seed Gen. 12.7 13.15 15.18 tho' that Promise had been made four hundred years before this yet now God fulfils with his hand what his mouth had spoken and now doth as he had said Beside all this respecting God's Glory c. the Scope of this Book aimeth at a most Graphical Description and Character both of a right Godly Man and of a right Godly Magistrate such an one as Joshua appeareth to be as will be demonstrated occasionally in the sequel of this Discourse The second general Remark is concerning the Author of this Book which respecteth Joshua under a twofold capacity 1. As the Sacred Pen-man or Writer of it And 2. As the Principal Sword-man or Warriour in it 1. Of the Writer of it c. There be indeed various Opinions in this point As 1. Some make Isaiah the Author but without any Argument this is Gratis Dictum Or 2. Eleazer the then High-Priest whose Office was not only by speaking vivâ voce but also by writing to teach the People 3. Some say it was either Samuel or Ezra We grant some parts and passages might be added to this Book by either of them to wit what happened after Joshua's Death as Joshua wrote the last of Deuteronomy The Occurrences after Moses's Death 4. Others affirm it was written by Phinchas grounding their Opinion only upon mentioning the consequences of Joshua's Death which Joshua himself could give no particular account of But 5. The most probable Opinion is that Joshua was its Writer for 1. He is call'd Moses's Successor in Prophecyings that is in writing the Sacred Scriptures Ecclesiastic 46.1 2. Joshua being all along Moses's Minister might well learn from his Master to write his own Acts as Moses had done his 3. 'T is said Josh 24.26 Joshua wrote all these things c. The third General Remark respecteth the Subject of this Book which as it bearech the Name of Joshua so Joshua is the Subject of it throughout consisting upon three Topicks wherein he is described 1. By his Office or Figure he bare in the World 2. By his Actions both in the time of War and of Peace and 3. By his End First As to his Office He was solemnly called and inaugurated by God himself to be Moses's Successor in the Chief Magistracy and Conduct of Israel This was signified by the change of his Name from Oshea into Jehoshua or Joshua Numb 13.16 the former Name fignifying Save us O God or let God save us the latter God shall save us to teach us that under the Law which brings us as it were into the Wilderness we may desire wish and pray that there were a Saviour but under the Gospel we are sure of Salvation For as Moses foreseeing by the Spirit that this Man his Successor would certainly save Israel from all the Cursed Canaanites named him Joshua in Greek Jesus Act. 7.45 and Heb. 4.8 which signifies a Saviour Matth. 1.21 So he became a Type of our Jehoshua or Jesus who hath as the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 bound himself to fulfil all Righteousness for us Matth. 3.15 that He might ensure Salvation to us and Land us safe at the Key of a better Canaan the Kingdom of Heaven It was the manner of Monarchs to change the Names of their Ministers Gen. 41.4 5. and Dan. 1.7 upon the account of Honour but Moses learnt this from God himself who had changed the Names of Abram Sarai Jacob c. Gen. 17.5 15. 32.28 thereby putting a greater Dignity on them God at Moses Request constitutes Joshua his Successor in his Supremacy Numb 27.15 18. at which time Moses gave to his Minister his Honour or Glory v. 20. As if the shining of Moses's face Exod. 34.30 35. had been transferred upon Joshua Hereupon the Rabbins say that the face of Moses shone as the Sun and the face of Joshua shone as the Moon being inferior to Moses Deut. 34.10 yet our Joshua or Jesus is counted worthy of greater Honour than Moses Heb. 3.3 Secondly Joshua's Actions in his Publick Office are of three sorts 1. Military 2. Sacred 3. Civil relating to his Time both of War and Peace As to his Inauguration into Moses's Imperial Office whereof an Account is given Josh chap. 1. hath been already discoursed upon in the end of Deuteronomy therefore do I omit it here The first sort of Joshua's Actions were Military whereof we have this short Scheme 1. His sending forth the two Spies to search the Land chap. 2. 2. His Miraculous March through the midst of Jordan chap. 3. for a Memorial of which twelve Stones were taken out of the River and set up in Gilgal chap. 4. 3. His Besieging and Destroying of Jericho chap. 6. where Sacriledge was committed but Expiated chap. 7. After this 4. His Storming of Ai in chap. 8. 5. His Conquering five Kings chap. 10. 6.
them from ver 16. to 26. utterly to renounce all Idols and Idolatry letting them to have no place in their hearts and affections but to cleave to the Lord as their Lives as Deut. 30.20 Secondly By Reading a Lecture out of the Law of Moses to them ver 25. repeating the Heads and Conditions of the Covenant out of Deutronomy which he had by him in the Ark laid up there for the Ruler's Direction Deut. 17 18. and 31.9.26 and Thirdly By Writing this Covenant and the Acts of of this present Parliament that this Solemn Action might be kept in perpetual remembrance litera Scripta manes and to lay the stronger obligation upon the People to keep true to their Covenant and likewise that this Writing might be a lasting Witness for God against them if after they Apostatized from their present Engagement ver 20. And a great Stone he also Erecteth there as another standing Witness for convincing their Consciences of any future perfidiousness to the Lord ver 27. Thus were there Witnesses upon Witnesses unto this solemn Renewing of the Covenant with God for First Joshua had told them ye are Witnesses against your selves ver 22. The Testimony of your own Consciences which will do their Office tho' you neglect yours will suffice to convince you but Secondly In case your Consciences be silent this Volume of the Written Covenant will speak as a Witness against you and Thirdly Eben Gedolah a very great Stone call'd a Pillar Judg. 9.6 is another Witness ver 27. where 't is said the Stone heard the whole Contract by an usual Prosâ—popia a Figurative Speech whereby sense is ascribed to senseless things as Deut. 32.1 Isa 1.2 Jer. 2.12 Ps 19.1 Luke 19.40 c. yea Fourthly The Oak stood by the Stone supposed to be the same Oak under which Jacob Buried the Mawmets found in his Family Gen. 35.4 that when ever they saw it by the Stone if their Consciences did not mind them of their Covenant they were more senseless than them both The Sixth Remark is Joshua's Death ver 28 29. the second part is the Concomitants thereof which are three as First The Assembly departed home into the Country and afterwards Joshua departed home to Heaven his Father's House They departed with great joy as 2 Chron. 15.15 but he with greater joy so great it could not enter into him but he must enter into it Math. 25.21.23 Secondly His Character The Servant of the Lord dyed this was the Crown of his Commendation David gloried more in being God's Servant than Israel's King Ps 18. Title of it if Monarch of the World had been the Inscription upon Joshua's Tomb as it was on that of Silly Sesostris King of Egypt in Sampson's time this Title far exceedeth it he had served a most Honourable Lord who had employ'd him in most honourable work and now call'd to pay him his most honourable wages Thirdly His Age an Hundred and Ten Years Old the Age of his Father Joseph Gen. 50.26 He dies after he had divided Jordan shouted down Jerieho's Walls stop'd the Sun Conquer'd Canaan set up the Tabernacle setled the People twice renewed the Covenant and acted Gloriously as Israel's General for seventeen years in the most of which praemises he is a clear Type of Christ The Seventh Remark is Upon the Consequents of his Death which is the Third Part in this Chapter namely 1. The Burial of him ver 30. in Timnath Serah or Here 's Judg. 2.9 which signifies the figure of the Sun a proper place for him who had stop'd the course of the Sun And the Burial of Joseph and the Patriarchs Bones at Shechem the head City of the Land v. 32. yet some suppose this must be done long before as soon as God gave Israel rest from War for no reason can be rendred why the burying of their Bones should be deferred to Joshua's Death The Reason why 't is related in this place and not before seems to be that it may have a coincidency with the commemoration of the Burial of such Famous Men as Joshua was and that of Eliazar also ver 33. who was buried near Shiloh having by special savour his Habitation adjacent for his better conveniency in attending the Ark there as the High-Priest of Israel The Second Consequent after this Three-fold Burial is the State of Israel as to Religion after Joshua's time this is express'd ver 31. they kept tight to God while he lived and those Holy Elders that out-lived him but no longer as the Book of Judges relateth which shews how great a loss is the loss of one great and good Man good Princes make good People contrà qualis Rex talis Grex Magnates Magnetes Lords are Loadstones to draw Losels either to good or evil Regis ad exemplum totus Componitur Orbis As in the Body Natural of Beasts the Body follows the Head so 't is in the Body Politick The Book of Judges which I come next to especially that of Kings do Illustrate this truth c. JUDGES CHAP. I. The History and Mystery of Israel under the Judges Government THE Book of Judges containeth the History of the State of Israel after the Death of Joshua unto the Death of Sampson whereon some General Remarks may be made before the Particulars The First General Remark is The Writer of this Book is uncertâ—in some suppose it to be Ezra but more probably it was Samuel who might Collect this History out of the publick Records kept in the Treasury from one Judges time to another But whether Samuel wrote it as the Rabbins affirm or some other Holy Prophet it is not material Regis Epistolis acceptis c. saith Gregory when a King sends his Letters Patents to his Subjects it matters not who was the King's Secretary and 't is ridiculous to enquire with what Peo it was written if once it be known that it is the King's Order or Royal Decree That God was the Author of this Book the account we have both in this second Chapter and in Psal 106.34 c. doth plainly evidence Nor did Christ or his Apostles blame the Jews to whom those Oracles of the Old Testament were committed as to God's Library Keepers Rom. 3.2 for falsifying their Trust in corrupting any part of the Canonical Scripture The Second General Remark is Those Judges which giveth the Title to this Book were not ordinary Magistrates but were Men endued with Heroick Minds extraordinarily raised up by God as occasion required in cases of extremity so they were indeed God's Deputy-Lieutenants for in all their times God was their King and kept the Jura Regalia or Royal Rights in his own hands unto whom they were to appeal in Cases of greatest difficulties until Samuel's time wherein they are said to reject God and his Government 1 Sam. 8.7 and 12.12 Then would they have a King of their own to Reign over them like other Nations 'Till then they could Triumph and say The Lord is our Judge
cannot behold it but he must punish it how much more are those great and gross Sins of Apostacy and Idolatry but more especially in God's Israel who sinned against greater Light and greater Love than other Men and who should have said Shall we again after so many Deliverances turn away from God ver 9.13 N. B. Those sins in them were sins of the greatest Aggravation their sins were therefore worse than others because they ought to have been better than others and hereupon God most justly sells his own Circumcision to be plagued by the Vncircumcision The Lords of the Vncircumcised Philistines do Lord it over God's Circumcised Heritage most probably during the Days of Samson and Eli because they had misimproved that pretious Peace they had enjoyed under the three forementioned Judges The Prosperity of Fools destroyed them Prov 1.32 The Second Remark is Now the ever-flowing and overflowing Fountain of Divine Compassion towards his own Oppressed People begins to break forth and to raise up a suitable Remedy for their sore Malady In order hereunto no less than the Angel of the Covenant the Eternal Son of God who had appeared to Joshua and to Gideon in an Humane Shape now appeared unto Manoah's Barren Wife of the Tribe of Dan though Idolatry had broke forth first publickly in that Tribe ver 2 3 c. N. B. Some indeed say He was but a Created Angel because he would not have Manoah to Sacrifice to him but to the Lord ver 16. But this is easily Answered being spoken only according to Manoah's Opinion of him that he was no more than a Meer Man like that of Christ Why callest thou me good There is none good but God Matth. 19.17 because he thought him to be but a Man But this here was more than a Man even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-Man and more than an Angel even the Lord of Angels whom Manoah afterwards calleth Elohim ver 22. and his Wife calleth him Jehovah ver 23. and by himself he is called Wonderful which is one of those Names given to Christ Isaiah 9.6 N. B. The Messiah appeareth to Manoah's Wife who is not named here yet had she her Name writ in the Lamb's Book of Life and was undoubtedly a good Woman and possibly the better because she was Barren for this Providence was an Ordinance to her and a blessed Means to humble her and so to prepare her for such a Mercy in her singular Son Samson N. B. 'T is an excellent Observation that the Barren Women in both Testaments such as Sarah Rachel Elizabeth c. had the best Children N. B. Christ tells her though she was Barren by the Course of Nature yet should she be Cured by the Power of God He foretells Samson's Conception and Birth Instructs her how both to Breed him in the Womb and to bring him up when brought forth into the World according to the Law of the Nazarites Numb 6.1 2 3 c. as one separated from the World and Consecrated unto God ver 3 4 5. Thus Samson must be both Conceived and Born Supernaturally of a Barren Woman and must be the first Nazarite we read of in Divine Record and all this to be a fitter Type of Christ himself who is the Grand Votary c. as after and who gave those Directions here to his Mother that seeing he must draw Nourishment from her both in her Womb and at her Breasts she hath her Dyet prescribed both for Meat and Drink that the Sanctifying of her Son might take its beginning from her self and the Mother must observe all these Rules only for her Son Samson's sake because commonly Partus sequitur ventrem the Birth follows the Belly the Child taketh after the Mother N. B. And therefore that Mother who would have an Holy Child must be careful that her self be Holy and Parents may learn from Samson's Parents to be praying Persons ver 8. and to cry How shall we order the Child ver 12. Such Sollicitude is laudable and God's Direction for Childrens Education is very needful The Third Remark upon the Antecedents of Samson's Birth is the second Appearance of the Messiah to both his Parents from ver 6. to ver 20. As soon as he had appeared to the Wife the first time and delivered his Message to her she immediately ran and told her Husband that a Man of God had been with her and had said to her that she should Conceive c. ver 6 7. N. B. Josephus tells us that this Manoah was a great Prince in the Tribe of Dan that his Wife was a most Beautiful Woman and that he was Jealous of her c. But who told him so Thus to slander a godly Couple for had he indeed been Jealous of her to her knowledge she would hardly have told him such a Story of a most Majestick Man with an Angelical Countenance coming to her in her Countrey-Farm as Josephus reports Waving therefore those Fables the Scripture of Truth tells us as soon as Manoah heard these Tidings he prayed to the Lord that the Man of God might come again c. ver 8. God hearkened to his Prayer and the Messiah came again to his Wife ver 9. and not to him because as is supposed she was more afflicted about her own Barrenness than her Husband was and therefore had she been a longer and a more Ardent Sutor for the Removal and Cure of it Christ comes to her as she sat in the Field about her Country Affairs not to her Husband as Josephus saith untruly but to her who immediately call'd him and when come he held a long Conference with the Angel wherein he hath a Confirmation of his Wives Information and new Instruction for the Order of the promised Son ver 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. upon this Manoah invites this Man of God to a Banquet accounting him worthy of a Prophet's Reward even double Honour 1 Tim. 5.17 namely Reverence and Maintenance he must give him the usual Respect and Entertainment of Strangers Gen. 18.5 Judg. 6.18 Manoah cannot demonstrate his Gratitude to him for appearing at his Prayer and thus directing them as a Prophet better than to feast him with a Kid and thereupon begs his Patience to be detained a while with them unto which he consented N. B. Oh Happy we if Christ may be detained a while if we can constrain him to stay a little with us as the two Disciples did at Emmaus Luke 24.29 Christ stays here until the Kid can be prepared and Oh how profitably was that short time Improved in Divine Discourse would to God we could learn to do so The Man of God tells Manoah though he was willing to be detained yet would not he eat of his Meat because he needed it not as Mortal Men do so he adviseth him to turn his Feast into a Sacrifice Hereupon Manoah enquires after his Name the Messiah answers his Name was Secret or Wonderful the Hebrew Word signifying
came under Solomon's protection saith Grotius and not only paid him Tribute but also brought him presents to procure his favour The Third Effect was v. 34. when Solomon's Wisdom sounded afar off to remote Kingdoms as well as to those nigh at hand Mark 1. Even all Kings of the Earth that had heard of his Wisdom the report of which Fame had now filled all the World came also to hear it and because Kings do not commonly go out of their Kingdoms in Person but upon some great Emergency they sent their Embassadors at the least saith Peter Martyr to Jerusalem to correspond with him and to communicate his profound Wisdom to their Masters Mark 2. The Excellency of this Wisdom of Solomon that thus sounded abroad in all the parts of the World it was of as great extent as the sand upon the Sea shore v. 29. which can never be numbered or measured even so was the largness of Solomon's Wisdom and innumerable notions even a Sea of Knowledge he had within himself so that he was wiser than Arabians Chaldeans Philosophers Astronomers v. 30. yea Wiser than all Men v. 31. far beyond Pythagoras Plato Aristotle or Socrates himself whom Apollo in his Oracle at Delphos pronounced to be the Wisest of all Mortal Men All their Learning was only acquired but Solomon's was infused Mark 3. The Wisdom of Solomon did manifest it self in his Learned Works he wrote Books of Ethicks and of Physicks v. 32 33. the greatest part whereof were lost in the Captivity and whereunto Aristotle was not a little beholden when they fell into his hands at Alexander's taking of Babylon with whom he was as his Tutor However the Choicest part of his Natural Moral and Divine Wisdom God preserved for the Church and left them Recorded in those Three Books Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Canticles Mark 4. Those Works of Solomon had as much variety in them as the World hath in it self treating upon all therein Eusebius thinks Hezekiah destroyed them because the People did Idolize them as they did the Brazen Serpent but Peter Martyr says better seeing so many of his Books are lost let us be more thankful to God for the Three Books of his we have and make the better improvement of them This made Solomon so Famous far and near that tho other Kings came not in person to partake of his Wisdom themselves yet the Queen of Sheba did Chap. 10. N. B. How doth this aggravate the perverseness of their dispositions that regard not the Wisdom of him who was Wiser than Solomon Mat. 12.42 In all which Solomon was a Type of our Blessed Saviour who draws in all Nations to the Gospel and who reads better Divinity Lectures to Men than ever Solomon could do c. 1 Kings CHAP. V. GIves an Account of Solomon's preparations for his Building the Temple wherein all the four Causes do concurr 1 Matter 2. Form 3. Efficient and 4. The Final End Remarks upon the First are First The Materials for Building it are procured by a double Embassage First Hiram King of Tyre and Sidon two Sea Towns in Phoenicia bordering upon Galilce near Lebanon the People whereof came in multitudes to Jesus Mar. 3.8 and Jesus also went into their Borders Mar. 7.24 call'd Huram 2 Chron. 2 3. sent his Embassadors to Solomon so soon as he heard of his succession to his Father David of whom he had always been a firm Lover and a fast friend to him to congratulate his coming to the Crown of Israel v. 1. and Peter Martyr observes well here that tho' these Embassadors of King Hiram had been sent long before this time yet now only is mention made thereof because an occasion is related here of Solomon's requesting of him materials for the building of his Temple and Grotius mentions the loving Letters passed between them The Second Remark is Solomon sends secondly his Embassadors to this Hiram v. 2. upon these well supposed Reasons First Because Hiram probably was a Proselyte Prince one believing in the God of Israel v. 7. where his thankfulness to the true God for setting up Solomon over Israel was a good sign of true Grace the Greeks have but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express both grace and thanks Secondly Because of that Love and League that had formerly been betwixt Hiram and his Father David to whom he had done the like Courtesies 2 Sam. 5.11 which inward intire and continual affection both to the pious Father and to the pious Son was no small evidence of true piety in Hiram and whose congratulatory message before encouraged Solomon to send now to him Thirdly Because King Hiram was the only Prince that could gratifie Solomon in his suit None else had that Ability to supply Solomon with Materials for the Temple as Hiram was able and therefore the Son renews the League 'twixt Hiram and his Father ver 11. The Third Remark is The most Elegant and effectual Oration Solomon sent by his Embassadors to King Hiram here v. 3 4 5 6. wherein Mark First The Preface thou knowest c. v. 3. both first that David could not build the Temple tho' it was in his heart to do it because of his continual Wars which gave him no time for it N. B. This good Son would not lay open to Foreigners his Father's nakedness as cursed Cham did his Gen. 9.22 25. for the Reason rendred of David's Divine Prohibition was his shedding much blood as that of Vriah's and his fellow Souldiers that fell with him 2 Sam. 7.5 1 Chron. 22.8.28.3 but Solomon comes off only with his Father's uncessant Wars to shew that Children ought to speak the best things of their Parents for to speak evil either of them or to them was death by the Law of God Math. 15.4 yea and by Solon's Law too tho' but a Pagan Lawgiver one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece c. And Secondly Solomon in his Preface tells Hiram the Reason why he resolved to erect the Temple which his Father had no capacity nor opportunity to accomplish because of his Wars but now the Lord hath given me an Vniversal Peace v. 4. which he ascribes not to his Earthly Father as the effect of all his Victories Foreign and Domestick nor to his own prudence but to the Lord by whom Kings Reign Prov. 8.15 and from whom all peace and promotion cometh Psal 75.6 7. saying as Peter Martyr saith here I may not abuse my ease which my Heavenly Father hath granted me to idleness and luxury but having no work in Wars abroad I will restore Religion at home ver 5. Mark Secondly Solomon's Proposition after his Preface he requests of Hiram such Materials as were requisite for building the Temple both Wood and Stone v. 6 18. for tho' David before his death had prepared abundantly both Wood and Workmen 1 Chron. 22.2 3 4 c. 29.3 yet nothing near enough for so great a work and Hiram must help him with Workmen
raised up to its Zenith or highest point and pitch yet through Humane Infirmity in the faln Estate is not durable but hath its declensions and as P. Martyr noteth ought not to have any confidence placed in it the Wheel of Providence in ordering worldly affairs when at its highest point of Exaltation then begins to decline downward N.B. The glory of all Kingdoms as in the four grand Monarchies of the World hath its Times and its Turns Solomon here is a clear Specimen hereof whom the Lord exalted to the highest Eminencies and Perfections that this lower World could afford him yet God suffered him to fall so foully that he like another Adam in his Paradise-Happiness might exemplifie this great Truth that there is no constancy in the compleatest worldly Felicity and nothing here below is to be trusted to but all is vanity save only the Kingdom which is not of this World c. N.B. Behold here a Star of the first magnitude fall from Heaven a None-such Saint into scarce None-such Sins another Lucifer c. Isa 14.12 c. The particular Remarks upon the first part namely Solomon's Sins are 1. The Occasion of his foul fall from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or highest degree of earthly Excellency was his love of Women ver 1 2 3 4. This is one of Satan's Baits which hath put a monstrous But at the Doors of the best of men who were but men at the best as in those famous Examples upon Scripture-Record N. B. 1. In that of Adam the Innocentest Man that ever was in the World yet was he made Nocent and undone by a Woman which was given to him for a Comforter and not for a Counsellor much less for a Controuler Therefore God in his first Sentence against Adam expresseth this as the cause Because thou hast obeyed the Voice of thy Wife c. Gen. 3.17 2. In that of Sampson the strongest Man that ever was in the World who by his prodigious strength slew his Thousands of Men laying them heaps upon heaps yet so weak he became in the hands of a Woman that in fine he lost his Strength his Eyes and his God also And 3. In this of Solomon the wisest Man that ever was in the World yet how foully did he fall by his exorbitant love of fair Ladies c. The 2d Remark is The Time when this lustful Devil took possession of Solomon's Soul and prevailed so far over him that himself after his Repentance calleth it a bitterness beyond that of Death Eccles 7.26 As if he had said I had better have been buried alive than thus to have miscarried to the great dishonour of God and gross detriment of Israel This he did in his old Age c. ver 4. N.B. Solomon having now Reign'd about 36 years as Dr. Lightfoot computeth it and being about 20 years old when he began to Reign when his Son Rehoboam was one year old chap. 14.21 was not now sixty years old So that in truth he did but now begin to be an old Man yet might it have been well expected that the Elder be was the Wiser he should have been Job 32.7 having had so long Communion with God and Experience of his goodness which might have made him Better Beside his body had been long despumed and one would think well-nigh drained dry upon his many Wives and Concubines which he multiplied both for his Lust and for his Pride and Magnificence looking upon it as a point of Honour c. However his Age here is an Aggravation of his sin seeing his lust now was as monstrous as to behold green Apples upon leafless Trees that look gray or white with Snow in Winter Gray Hairs and green Hearts can never have a comely and commendable Agreement Whenever the time was both Piscator and Junius reckon from it to the Ruine of Solomon's Temple of Jerusalem and of the Kingdom of the Jews 390 years according to Ezek. 4.5 Solomon's sin here was the beginning of all the mischiefs that followed after N. B. Note well with P. Martyr here This teacheth that no Age is free from Temptation there is such weakness and wickedness even in the best and wisest of Men that if left to themselves they may foully fall While Solomon was young he was wholly taken up with his framing famous Fabricks with Executing Justice among his Subjects and with writing sundry excellent Books but now beginning to grow old he indulg'd himself in Amorous Imbracements c. therefore should we watch in all Ages old and young The 3d. Remark is Solomon's Sin It was the Sin of Idolatry that Land-desolating Sin into which David never fell tho' he greatly sinned otherwise ver 5 6 7 8. where his sin is marked to be manifold As 1. In Doting upon so many Wives c. His Father contented himself with six Wives 2 Sam. 3.3 4.5 but his Son will have seven hundred Wives and three hundred Concubines ver 3. here 2. His marrying so many Idolatrous Strangers contrary to the Law of God 3. In suffering them to set up their Idolatrous Worship in God's Land and to practise it 4. In appointing Places for their Idols 5. In raising heavy Taxes upon his Subjects whereof Complaint is made by them in the next Chapter to maintain the Idolatrous Priests and Worship of his Wives c. 6. In conforming himself to their Desires in worshiping their Idols Venus Bacchus and other Pagan Idols with them in his own person say Lavater and Serrarius yea and compelling his Hebrews to worship them also And 't is said here ver 4. that his Wives turned away his heart after other Gods For after he had once gratified his Mistresses of Moab the rest of his Idolatrous Women wished him to do the like favour for them and he out of a Complaisant Humour being left of God to himself did unlike himself comply with them unwisely for wise Solomon to do as P. Martyr observeth The Fourth Remark is No wonder if the Lord were Angry v. 9 10 11 12 13. The Effect of his Complicated Sin and so oft twisted Transgression Though Solomon was Jedidiah God's beloved Darling Wherein Mark 1. God's Chastizements of his own Children as the ground is grieved Love so the end is fuller and freer Embracements The Antinomian Notion is here condemned that saith God is never Angry with his People fall they never so foully no not with a Fatherly Anger This is contradicted here and Isa 57.17 and 1 Cor. 11.30 Mark 2. When the Heart is won the whole Man is won in that hidden Man of the Heart 1 Pet. 3.4 When Solomon's Heart was turned aside from God then took he this Liberty to Sin thus grievously 't was a wicked Heart of Vnbelief that was the grand ground of his great Sin and set him upon departing from the Living God to Dead Idols Heb. 3.12 Mark 3. God's great Favour in appearing twice to Solomon after an extraordinary manner was a great Aggravation
the Reputation of a Prophet upon it ver 28. Remark the Third His cursed Carcass is carried in his all-bloody Chariot out of the Field to Samaria The Chariot was wash'd at the Pool there the Dogs came to claim their Due lapping up Blood and Water together as Vatablus saith after their nature and the Tongues of those Brutes verifie the Tongue of God's Prophet Remark the last is Micaiah and Elijah are justified Naboth is revenged Ahab is judged and his whole Council of false Prophets are all confounded which is a sufficient proof that Councils may err and now Zedekiah ware Horns thou art the next Sacrifice to expiate the Son Joram's Vengeance for leading his Father Ahab into Ruine The Lord is righteous in all his ways c. Psal 129.4 and 145.17 2 Kings CHAP. the first BEfore the History hereof some general Remarks must be made to make way for it The first is The last Chapter of the first of Kings gives a short account of Jehosaphat's Life and Death from ver 41 to ver 51. but speaks nothing of him in this second Book of Kings yet have we a large Relation of Jehosaphat's Reign in the second Book of the Chronicles Chapters 17 18 19 20. the summ of which is referred to this last Book of Kings Remark the Second in general is Ahaziah the Son of Ahab is briefly described 1 Kings 22.51 52 53. but more amply in this 2 Kings chap. 1. but not at all mentioned in the 2d of Chronicles because his Reign was short and enough had been recorded already of so bad a King Remark the Thâ—â—d in general is Ezra the Scribe as is generally affirmed was the holy Pen-man of these two Books of the Chronicles as appears by the two last verses of the last chapter of these two Books and the three first verses of the Book of Ezra which are almost the same word for word This is an evidence that they were written after the Captivity and therefore that Book of Chronicles to which the two Books of Kings do so frequently make a Reference cannot be those Sacred Chronicles which were written long after both the Books of Kings As the Hebrews do call these Holy Chronicles Debre-Haiamim the words or deeds of days because they contain an History from Adam to Ezra's Day So the Greeks call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Remainders or gatherings up implying that the Books of Chronicles have gathered up what the Books of Kings had left out and not recorded yet omit many passages that were before fully related as the foul fall of David and the fouler fall of Solomon c. we have not a word there of them The Fourth general Remark is The second Book of Chronicles is the same with those two Books of Kings save only that after the separation of the Ten Tribes which was the turning point and began the Declinings of Israel's Glory that holy Pen-man gives over his History of the Kings of Israel which is sufficiently supplied out of this second Book of Kings and insisteth only upon the History of the Kings of Judah until their Captivity in Babylon and where-ever He relateth the same History formerly Recorded he returns as one phraseth it with Vsury as is before noted N.B. Only sometimes some of the Affairs of the Kingdom of Israel wherein the two Kingdoms had to do one with another are intermingled The Fifth general Remark is The cogency of this consideration causeth it therefore to be unavoidably necessary that as it hitherto hath been done so the History both in this second of Kings and in that second of Chronicles must go hand in hand in conjunction so far as the coincidency of matter doth constrain Hereupon this History of the second of Kings must be supplied out of that in the second of Chronicles and so begin this Book with the History of Jehosaphat of whom we have heard a little out of the first of Kings and tho' he be not treated on in the second of Kings yet is he largely in the second of Chronicles therefore begin we with him omitting what is already said before we come to Ahaziah Remarks in particular first upon Jehosaphat are First He was the fourth King of Judah succeeding his Father Asa 1 Kings 15.24 2 Chron. 17.1 in whose History is first His care of Religion tho' he was contemporary with wicked Ahab and Reigning about eighteen years in Affinity with him yet was he both Religious in his own person walking in the first ways of David before his fall into foul infirmities ver 3. he was not corrupted with that contagious Air of his neighbouring Idolatrous Israel ver 4. but his heart was lifted up in the ways of God not with Pride but with Zeal ver 6. He also endeavoured to make his People Religious by sending Teaching Princes Priests and Levites among them to teach them the Law of God ver 7 8 9. and not Humane Traditions For this the Lord requited him with a rich Reward 1. When he had established a Preaching Ministry the fear of the Lord fell upon Kingdoms round about him ver 10. And 2. His growing greatness brought in great Tributes to him from the Philistines Arabians c. ver 11. And 3. God blessed him with a prodigious Army of eleven hundred and sixty thousand brave fighting Men ver 12 14 19. of this 2d of Chron. c. 17. so that 't is no wonder that Ahab molested him not but made a League with him Remark the Second After this Jehosaphat joyns with Ahab and marcheth with him to Ramoth Gilead as is before related in 1 Kings 22. and now here again repeated in 2 Chron. 18.1 to the last verse N.B. 'T is usual for this Author Ezra to give only an Abridgment of those Histories he found so fully Recorded before yet this History he repeats over again almost word for word which must needs most highly commend the Contents hereof as exceeding necessary useful and profitable seeing the Holy Spirit who was Ezra's Enditer can do nothing in vain But he adds 2 Chron. 19.1 as well as that precious passage The Lord helped him noted before Jehosaphat returned to his house in peace looking upon his Deliverance as no less than a Miracle saith Vatablus and reckoning himself as a brand pluck'd out of the fire Zech. 3.3 and having seen Ahab suffer shipwrack before his Eyes he resolves to take more care of his own tackling for time to come c. Remark the Third God sent a Reprover to him 2 Chron. 19.2 even Jehu the Son of Hanant the Seer who delivered his Message with better success to patient Jehosaphat than his Father had done to passionate Asa 2 Chron. 16.7 10 c. whose wrath with God's Prophet would have better become wicked Ahab than godly Asa but a true sense of God's goodness in good Jehosaphat when he saw his Soul had through Divine Help at his call escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler
honourably as a Father saying Thy Son Benhadad hath sent me to say to thee shall I recover c. Remark the Fourth The Oracle Elisha Answers ver 10. in ambiguous Words Thou mayst certainly recover the Hebrew particle Lo may be read either as a Negative say not or as a Relative particle say to him therefore saith Sanctius the Prophet mock'd this wicked King as Micajah had done Ahab when he bid him go and prosper 1 Kings 22.15 and deludes him saith Piscator with vain Hopes of Health again but Tremellius renders it non omnino revalesces thou shalt in no wise recover so that Hazael manifestly lied saith Lyra in returning his Answer ver 14. some read the Words Interrogatively Say to him shalt thou indeed recover as thou dost flatter thy self No which Negation is implied in the very Interrogation The Lord hath shew'd me that he shall surely Dye Peter Martyr here adds also that this seeming contradiction is easily reconciled for Elisha doth but tell Hazael that Benhadad's Disease was not Deadly in its own Nature 't is not so mortal of it self as to take away his Life but though he dye not by this Disease He shall surely Dye by another Cause to wit by Suffocation ver 15. Remark the Fifth The Prophet fixed his Eyes upon Hazael ver 11. and look'd with such an awful Gravity as put this Peer to the blush but Elisha wept foreseeing all the Villanies that this Hazael would execute upon Israel as Christ did Luke 19.41 The Third Oracle of Elisha Recorded here which makes his Fifth as before is his foretelling Hazael should come to the Kingdom ver 12 13. Mark 1. Hazael with Reverence asks Why weepeth my Lord Elisha answers because I foreknow from Elijah my Master that thou wilt be King 1 Kings 19.15 16. and then wilt thou exercise and execute most excessive Acts of inhumane Barbarities upon Israel The Evil of sinning I foresee in thee and the Evil of suffering I foresee in them is the double Cause of my Tears Mark 2. Hazael replies still with Reverence to the Prophet Is thy Servant a Dog c. to do so more like a ravenous Beast than a reasonable Man Peter Martyr puts a double Sense upon his Words 1. I am now but a mean Dog as 2 Sam. 3.8 and have no Power to act such Cruelties which none but a King can Act which I am not nor am like to be Or 2. Hazael at this time might abhor such barbarous curst and cruel Actings as rending forth the Bowels of Women and dashing their Children in pieces c. he might here speak sincerely be it far from me not knowing his own Heart N.B. No Man knows before hand what Depths of the Devil Rev. 2.24 lay lurking in the bottom of his Heart which is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 only the Lord knows it ver 10. who searcheth the Reins and before whose Eyes all things lay dissected and with their Faces upward as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Heb. 4.12 13. Insomuch that he knows beforehand both what good men will do hereafter Gen. 18.19 and what wicked men will do also in after-times and this same all-knowing God John 21.17 Acts 1.24 reveal'd to Elisha this bloody Disposition to be in Hazael and though he did not suspect himself to be such a Dog at this time yet when he came to be King his Honours chang'd his Manners and he became such a savage devouring Dog justly for the Vexation and Vastation of Idolatrous Israel as God's scourge to them Remark the Fifth Hazael returns with Elisha's answer to Benhadad ver 14 15. Wherein Mark 1. Hazael relateth the Prophet's answer by halves only and with as much honesty saith Junius as he afterwards strangl'd his Soveraign He represents only one part of the Prophet's Words concerning the possibility of his recovery because his Disease was not mortal but he conceals what the King most desired namely the Event and Issue of his Sickness And this he did out of design to make his Master the more secure that he might the better execute his Treason Mark 2. The means whereby Hazael murder'd his Master was a wet cloath ver 15. Hazael being impatient of delay lest the King should recover from his Fever which his fretting had cast him into pretends to cool and cure Benhadad's burning Fit saith Piscator but intends to stifle him as he did And this he the more boldly attempted because the Prophet's Prediction made him confident of the success which Oracle saith Peter Martyr excuses not Hazael's Treason and Treachery He made too much haste saith Grotius to accomplish God's Oracle but he ought to have waited God's time Though some say Hazael applied it at the King's command who unable to bear his burning bad him to do so but not to Choak him Mark 3. This Crafty Traitor did so cunningly contrive his Master's Death saith Peter Martyr that 1. He could not cry out Murder when his Mouth was stop'd with this cloath And 2. There appear'd no wound upon Benhadad's Body only his Breath was stop'd hereby Hazael was not suspected by either Peers or People to be the Murderer and therefore they quietly suffer'd him to succeed the King in his Throne whom none durst oppose because powerful with the People Did not these two Benhadad and Hazael make two famous Syrian Gods both which saith Josephus are worship'd with Divine Honour in that Countrey N.B. Many Kings may thus be murder'd and the World never the wiser c. 2 Chron. Chap. 21. with 2 Kings Chap. 8. ver 16 to 25. Remark the First is A Preliminary Word to this following History because the Narrative of Jehoram King of Judah begins here 2 Kings 8.16 and carried on to ver 25. but more amply described in 2 Chron. 21. throughout the whole Chapter Therefore is it necessary to joyn those two Histories together and the rather because the latter by Ezra is far larger than the former of this Book of Kings which as some suppose was writ by Jeremy wherein we find oft but a short account so 't is supplied in the Book of the Chronicles as hath been observed before And whereas the two Sons of Ahab and Jehosaphat had much what the like Names through the Confederacy and Affinity of the two Fathers and both of them lived and reigned together at the same time therefore for Distinction-sake I call the King of Israel the Son of Ahab Joram and the King of Judah Jehosaphat's Son Jehoram Remark the Second Jehosaphat is still alive until the fourth Year of Joram the Son of Ahab 2 Kings 8.16 and then Jehosaphat Dying his eldest Son Jehoram Reigned in his stead 1 Kings 22.50 2 Chron. 21.1 2 3. though he had ruled as a Viceroy in his Father 's both Absence and Old-Age And 't is not improbable but that this Jehoram had a fair Deportment while his Father lived because he twice committed the Government of the
fourth Consequent was The restoring of the Primitive Order of the Priests and Levites in the Temple-worship ver 18. and 2 Chron. 23.18 19. where Baal's Priests call'd Athaliah's Sons 2 Chron. 24.7 possibly her Bastards had put all out of Order in the Service of God now Jehoiada rests not till he brings all to the rights and reforms every thing found amiss both in Worship and Order which Athaliah say Junius and Piscator had greatly corrupted Mark 5. The Consequence was Jehoiada's bringing forth the new King after a six Years close Confinement into a Possession of his Ancestors Throne and Kingdom ver 19. and 2 Chron. 23.20 Here God perform'd his Promise 1 Kings 11.36 and 15.4 here anew he is set up on the Throne that Solomon built saith Grotius 1 Kings 10.18 Mark 6. The Consequence The universal Joy of the Land for this Happy Change from an Vsurping and Tyrannical Queen to the Young King Joash under the Conduct of good Jehoiada ver 20. N.B. 'T is worthily observed by a worthy Expositor that as all the People of the Land did rejoice exceedingly when that wicked Woman Athaliah was executed by the High-Priest Jehoiada even so and much more than so shall the whole Community of God's People do when the Whore of Rome shall be executed by Christ the true Jehoiada who shall throw her out of the Temple and burn her with Fire because she hath slain the Seed Royal put down Kings at her Pleasure usurped the Government of the Church set up Altars and Images to Baalim and called such Traitors as have only endeavoured to seek and set the Crown upon Christ's Head c. The last Remark from ver 21. and Chap. 12.1 and 2 Chron. 24.1 Joash began to Reign in the seventh Year of Jehu who pieced out God's Providence with his own Policy as before never molesting Athaliah c. and in the seventh Year of his own Age for he was about one Year old when sought for to the slaughter and lay hid by Jehoshebah six Years Whatever his Mother Zibeah was his Foster-Mother his Aunt Jehosheba did all the Offices of a good Mother to him but he ill requited her afterwards in her Son Zechariah whom he ungratefully slew for the faithful discharge of his Duty 2 Chron. 24.21 2 Kings CHAP. XII and 2 Chron. CHAP. XXIV THESE two Chapters of Kings and of Chronicles consist of two General Heads First The good Government of Joash during Jehoiada's Life wherein Joash's Acts were laudable and to be commended And the Second is Joash's Apostasy from goodness after Jehoiada's Death where his Actions were Illaudable and to be condemned Remarks upon the first Part are First All Joash's Acts in General were right as to the Matter while Jehoiada lived but they were not upright as to the Manner of them in the sight of God ver 2. here and 2 Chron. 24.2 Education moveth somewhat though it be only an external Motive So Nero was good saith Grotius for his first five Years while he made use of his good Master Seneca who wrote his excellent Book de Clemontiâ for his Direction which had such an influence upon him that when desired to set his hand to the Warrant for the Execution of a condemned Person he cried out Vtinam nescirem literas I wish I had never learn'd to write so loath he was to sign it Remark the Second Joash's freeness and forwardness to repair the breaches and ruines of the Temple which had been notoriously neglected if not abused by his Idolatrous Predecessors especially by the Sons of Athaliah ver 7. Jehoiada did what he could to make Joash good and therefore he provided Wives for him 2 Chron. 24.3 N.B. Well knowing the mischief that Jezebel the Wife of Ahab and Athaliah the Wife of Jehoram had wrought in Israel and Judah Therefore this good High-Priest provideth that this King should not miscarry by such mischievous Matches Now the first good Act of this Young King was He was minded to repair the Temple 2 Chron. 24.4 2 Kings 12.4 5. hereby he testified his thankfulness to God who had so safely hid him in that House for six Years from the bloody Hands of the usurping and tyrannical Queen Remark the Third This young King doubtless by Jehoiada's Direction for what could his own Father had he been living have done more for him than to provide him Wives and give him continually all good Counsel commands that all the Half Shekels Exod. 30.12 13 c. payable by all above Twenty that perpetual Poll-Mony called the Collection of Moses appointed for the use of the Tabernacle and Temple for ever yea and all the Redemption-Mony Levit. 27.2 c. and all the Free-will Offerings of the People Exod. 35.5 c. All these vast Summs shall be laid out only for Repairing the Temple wherein the Lord had so marvelously preserved him from the Murderess his Mother to make up the Breaches which the Temple had contracted by Antiquity having now stood 155 Years or by the Iniquity of those later times 2 Chron. 24.5 6 7 c. Remark the Fourth The fervency of Joash's Zeal though but an Hypocrite yet it seems he chides even Jehoiada his Tutor and Foster-father because the Priests neglected to repair the Temple according to his Royal command 2 Kings 12.5 6 7. and 2 Chron. 24.5 6 7. So zealous was Joash saith De Dieu that he bids the Priests and Levites pass through the Land and gather this Poll-Mony of the People in all parts and not stay at their own homes till the people brought it to them Menochius notes well here That Joash found the Priests negligent partly because they gathered not the Mony for themselves but for the Temple they had no benefit by it but their Labour for their pains taking the Mony with one hand and paying it with the other N. B. We love to see something coming out of our Labour which otherwise hath but little Life in it and partly he saith from Josephus that the people were backward to part with their Poll-Mony not daring as yet to trust the Priests with it until their Faithfulness was after made apparent ver 15. and partly saith Grotius because publick Work is always least promoted what is the care of all men is oft the care of no man 't is a vulgar saying The mean Pot boils but meanly However Joash chides Jehoiada for this neglect which shews saith Grotius that Kings have the care of Sacred as well as of Civil Matters committed to them N. B. To which I add And that Kings may reprove the High-Priest the Pope 'T is a wonder so good a Man as Jehoiada was should stand in any need of quickning from the King who now though a mere Temporary yet was the fore Horse as we may say in the Teem the Ring-leader of his best Officers to a good Office and Exercise c. Remark the Fifth Josephus excuseth Jehoiada saying That it was the High-Priest himself
Apostatiz'd Vzziah's unsoundness is described 2 Chron 26.5 he sought God while he took for his Tutor that holy Seer Zachariah whom Hierome calls the Son of Zachariah the Son of Jehoiada whom Joash stoned As long as Uzziah sought the Lord God made him to prosper ver 6 7. to ver 16. But when he was strong God marvelously helping him until he was mounted up to the very Pinacle of Power by his Victories abroad ver 7 8. and by his Grandure at home with his Mathematical Engines c. ver 9 10 15. his Pride now budded to his Downfal Remark the Third When God had handed this Vzziah thus high then began he to fall and to serve God as we say a slippery Trick Ambition and Avarice saith Gattaker became the accompanying pests of his power Hitherto this Hypocrite had only God's Person in admiration as 't is said Jude ver 16. for his own advantage when he had what he would then starts he aside like a broken bow Hos 7.16 as Rehoboam had done before him 2 Chron. 12.1 then began Vzziah to abuse his great power in Acts of Pride and Presumption his Prosperity had intoxicated him Prov. 1.32 he profanely invades the Priests sacred Office ver 16. as if he aspir'd to be Jack of all Trades for 't is said he was a Warrior a Sheep-master and a lover of Husbandry c. ver 10. and now the King will play the Priest also Remark the Fourth Vzziah is rebuked for his Arrogancy and Impudency in taking the golden Censure in order to burn Incense ver 17 18 19 c. Mark 1. God's High-Priest rebukes him telling him That Kings ought not to usurp an Office that appertains not to them N. B. This teaches Ministers must be Men of Courage to withstand the Torrent of Vices and not spare the greatest if need as Nathan did not spare David and John Baptist Herod c. Mark 2. Vzziah was wroth with the Priests as Asa had been with the Prophet 2 Chron. 16.10 both looking upon it as too sawcy an Affront for Subjects to withstand their Sovereigns though modestly managed and not by force Mark 3. Vzziah's wrath against the Priests did the more incense God's wrath against him God smote him with Leprosie taking his Servants part against him as Num. 12.10 Mark 4. When God had thus spit in his Face he needed no thrusting out by Violence but hastens out of his own voluntary will for fear of a farther mischief saith Grotius And no wonder if he were affrighted out seeing as Josephus c. say that terrible Earthquake c. Amos 1.1 Zech. 14.5 fell out at that very time Remark the Fifth The following punishment of his presumptuous Usurpation was two-fold First in his Life and Second at his Death Mark 1. God's Law saith A stranger that approaches the Priest's Office shall be put to Death Numb 3.10 and 18.7 Now is Leprous Uzziah little better than dead for he was not only excluded from all Temple-service but also from all humane Society ver 21. Mark 2. God would have this Leprosie to be incurable that he might live and die so Osiander observes excellently from hence That Vzziah by coveting and compassing the Honour of the Priesthood doth lose his Royal Dignity yea the Privilege of every private Person that were not Lepers who might be admitted into the Temple to God's Worship from which he had wilfully excluded himself ver 20 21. Mark 3. Nor was this all the Punishment he had pull'd upon his own Head by his Presumption in his life-time for by pressing farther into God's House than he should He deprived himself of that Liberty which before He had nor may He live in the City but only in the Suburbs and when He died He must not have that honourable Funeral as the Kings His Fore-Fathers had for they said He is a Leper ver 23. N. B. Here 1. the Note of a learned Commentator saying Let Day-preachers look to it and learn Wisdom from this just Judgment of God upon Vzziah for Usurping what belong'd not to him N. B. His Leprosie is said to arise as a Vapour out of the stirred Ashes of the Incense-Altar ver 19. Thus God wrote his Sin upon his Punishment N. B. And though such presumptuous Persons be not presently punish'd some mens Sins go before to Judgment and some follow after 1 Tim. 5.24 yet know God will maintain his own Order ordained by himself both in Church and State and sooner or later will take an Order with such as violate his Ordination Alterius perditio tua fit cantio Vzziah here is Recorded for our Caution not for our Imitation N. B. 2. Learn hence a cogent Argument against the Arminian Notion of a true Believer's total and final Fall here is an exemplification As Vzziah while he lived thus excluded from Church and State by his Leprosie had indeed lost his jus Aptitudinale his Right of Capacity for his Crown and Kingdom but he did not lose his Jus Haereditarium or Hereditary Right for his Son Jotham was only his Vice-Roy managing all State-Matters in his Father's Name until his Death So a Believer by falling into an Act of Sin loseth his present fitness for Heaven but still his Hereditary Right is not lost thereby as David by his foul sin had not sin'd away his Right to Salvation he had only lost the present Joy of Salvation which he so earnestly begs of God to restore to him Psal 51.12 But mark more of this in my Antidote against Arminianism in their five grand Points Remark the Sixth There had been Prophets before this time continually but none left their Prophecies in writing behind them yet now ariseth a company of Prophets that do so For Vzziah Reigned 52 Years in which long Reign we read of First Isaiah the Prophet's writing the Acts of Uzziah 2 Chron. 26.22 which Junius saith he did partly in the Book of Kings and partly in his own Prophecy as Isa 6.1 c. where he saw the Glory of Christ in the Temple John 12.41 and filling the Temple with smoak to betoken the burning of it because the Jews began more and more at that time to fall into a state of Obduration whereof Isaiah treats in his five first Chapters especially Isa 1.10 and 5.1 2 3. c. and again Isa 14.29 the Prophet saith Out of the Serpent's Root shall come forth a Cockatrice and his Fruit shall be a fiery flying Serpent the Sence is The Philistims rejoiced at Vzziah's Death because he had sorely smote them 2 Chron. 26.6 7. but now was become a broken Rod yet the Prophet Prophesies that Hezekiah should arise out of that Root and be as a Serpent to sting them worse than ever his Grandfather had done The Second Prophet in the days of Vzziah was Hosea Chap. 1.1 timed as Isa 1.1 whose expression was Blood touches blood Hos 4.2 which relates to the Murder of Zocharias the Son of Jehoiada whereby they made their measure
the whole of his Discourse therein is carry'd on in a stately Style in figurative Terms full of Passion and Compassion as to shew his love to his Country so to work upon his hard-hearted Country-men pressing them to Repentance Prayer Patience together with a Sanctify'd use of all their Sufferings and a confident expectation of a most happy Issue at the end notwithstanding his doleful Echa which signifies How which he useth no fewer than three times in the 1st Verse of Lamentations the 1st intimating 1. How are all the Holy Vessels of God's Sanctuary now carry'd into Captivity 2 Kin. 25.13 14 15 16. 2 Chron. 36.18 Jer. 52.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. All the Instruments of God's Service together with the Ornaments of the Temple were all carry'd away as had been foretold by Jeremy Jer. 27.21 22. where he adds to that Threatning which they then would not believe a comforting promise that a great part of those Vessels should be brought back again and be anew Consecrated to the Lord's Service Ezra 1 7. and 7.16 The 2. Echa or How is the Glorious Temple that Solomon built for an House to the Lord the Wonder of the World c. now laid in Ashes because his People had notoriously prophaned it and all the Holy Vessels of it c. And the 3. Echa or How is His bewailing the Desolations both of City and Country once full of People able to send forth vast Armies in the Days of David Asa Jehosaphat c. once a Princess commanding many Nations but now a Solitary Widow forsaken of her God of her King and of her People c. Remark the Fourth The Occurrencies Recorded in Scripture which happened in the first Year of this long Captivity are Mark 1. Young Daniel and three other young Nobles of the Blood-Royal are brought to Babylon as had been foretold Isa 39.7 where they refused to Defile themselves with the Court's Diet because it was oft such as was forbidden by the Law of God Levit. 11. and Deut. 14. which would have been an offence to their weaker Brethren with whom they chose rather to sympathize in their Adversity than to live in excess and fulness Amos 6.6 This was done in the third Year of Jehoiakim Dan. 1.1 3 5 8 11 15. Their Pulse and Water in their austerity of Life made them look fresh and fat shewing Man lives not by Bread only c. Deut. 8.3 Matth. 4.4 The main matter that made them look so well was God's blessing on their courser fare Josephus the Jew is much mistaken in Antiq. lib. 10. cap. 7. making this to fall out in the 4th Yea of Nebuchadnezzar and in the 8th of Jehoiakim Rabbi Don Joseph upon Daniel doth better saying Nebuchadnezzar in the first Year of his Absolute Reign after his Father's Death came up against Jerusalem in the latter part of Jehoiakim's third Year and took it in the beginning of his fourth Dan. 1.1 Jer. 25.1 Mark 2. In this same first Year of the Captivity it was that Jeremy prepared a Cup of Indignation for Jerusalem and for all the Nations round about it and at last for Babylon it self Jer. 25.1 c. The Captivity began at the first Year of Nebuchadnezzar and ended at the first Year of Cyrus and Darius 2 Chron. 36.20 21 22. in which Court Daniel continued all that time Dan. 1. ver 1 21. Jeremy's Cup was Babylon's Sword which was Commission'd by God Jer. 47.6 7. and caused to ride its Circuit like a Judge in Scarlet N. B. And this Cup tho' it began at Jerusalem Judgment begins at God's House Ezek. 9.6 1 Pet. 4.17 and made Judea Desolate for Seventy Years yet after it had gone its Round running from Nation to Nation it ends at last at Babylon it self Jer. 25.9 10 11 12 15 19 to 29. the Scourging Rod God burns at last Mark 3. In this Year also Baruch writes the Prophecy of Jeremy in a Book Jer. 36.1 to 8. About twenty Years had Jeremy spent his pious pains among them for he began to Phophesy in the 13th Year of Josiah Jer. 1.2 who Reigned 31 Years so as Jeremy Prophesied 18 Years during Josiah's Life and this was the 4th Year of Jehoiakim Here God commands Jeremy to Record all the Revelations he had from God for 22 Years last past and to write the summ of all his Sermons that they might be reserved as Witnesses against them seeing they had been nothing better by that Doom he had so deservedly denounced against them Chap. 25 c. And now the Time drew near wherein all was coming to pass at this juncture Jeremy was confin'd to his House by Jehoiakim for he says Jer. 36.5 I am shut up Therefore Baruch must Read the Roll for him Remark the Fifth There is no particular Occurrence Recorded in many of the following Years of the Captivity yet in the Second of the Seventy there is namely the Reading this Roll publickly upon a publick Fast-day and the Effects thereof Jer. 36.9 to the end A Fast-day on which a great concourse of People could not but be expected from all parts of the Country was a fit Season for Reading this Scripture Roll yet was it not the Ordinary Yearly Fast Levit. 23.27 call'd the Day of Expiation or Atonement for that was held on the Tenth Day of the Seventh Month whereas this was kept in the Ninth Month appointed upon Emergency for fear of the Chaldeans c. Mark 1. It seems there was some Form or Carcase of Religion yet left in this so Degenerated Nation insomuch that a Fast was observed for the Prophets God sent them kept the Coal from being quite quenched N. B. This is one difference betwixt the Lord's casting off the Jews at this time and that of his casting them out for Crucifying of Christ afterwards for now God sent them Prophets both before and all along their Captivity therefore 't is call's a Transmigration only but this last easting out hath had no Prophets sent from God to them so their House is left Desolate as if under an utter Rejection for almost this Seventeen Hundred Years c. Mark 2. Baruch Read this Roll probably out of a Chamber-window or some Balcony that all the People under him might the better hear ver 10. The Princes it seems were not present at this Fast but were Solacing themselves with their Court-Consolations while the People were Humbling themselves before the Lord and Trembling at the Word Therefore Micaiah one that had heard it runs to tell these Privy-Counsellors ver 11 12 13. They sent Jehudi to fetch Baruch who comes couragiously and these Princes not all out so bad as the King very courteously bade him Sit down and Read the Roll v. 14 15 16. So far they were at the first affected with it that tho' they durst do no other but Acquaint the King yet knowing the fierceness of his Temper c. advise Baruch to Hide himself and Jeremy ver 17 18 19
Kingdom of Persia Remark the Second Hence Daniel nameth only Darius his settling the Kingdom consisting of 120 Provinces over which he set 120 Princes whereof Daniel was Chief c. Dan. 6.1 2 3. and this he did with all expedition even immediately after the Conquest of Babylon within the compass of that Year saith Dr. Lightfoot for which Haste Junius renders this Reason because he was now come to his Old Age which is call'd an Evil Age Eccles 12.1 and desir'd to see some Settlement before he died Josephus saith that Darius carry'd Daniel from Conquer'd Babylon along with him into Media out of his great Veneration to him because 1. He had foretold the fall of Belshazzar c. for which cause Nebuchadnezzar had favour'd Jeremy Jer. 39.11 c. 2. He saw in Daniel a Right Noble Spirit even the Spirit of the Holy God And 3. Because himself was now Old and unfit for Government and therefore Darius took Daniel along with him for his Assistance Jos Antiq. 10.12 N.B. 1. We read how Daniel Prophesied in the first Year of Belshazzar Dan. 7.1 c. of the four Monarchies which he calls Beasts because they were all Beast-like unruly troublers of the World especially of the Church in the World The Jews thought that when they saw the first Beast the Babylonian Kingdom destroy'd and themselves in hope of returning from Captivity they might enjoy sublime Peace and God's Plenty after their Return To this Daniel saith Nay in a plain Denial saying Three Beasts were yet to follow in troubling them and this Prophecy he wrote in Chaldee for a Caution to the Chaldees but Belsbazzar would not be caution'd but by Pride and Profaness ruin'd himself and all his N.B. 2. Daniel after that first Year of Belshazzar Prophesies again in his third and last Year Dan. 8.1 c. Now was Babylon closely besieged therefore Daniel could not be corporally at this time in Shushan the chief City in Persia but in Vision only ver 2. saith Maldonate tho' Josephus saith it was in Ecbatane a prime City in Media In this Chapter Daniel Prophesies how the Grecian Goat should destroy the Medo-Persian Ram as he had done the Babylonian and how in the 137th Year of the Grecian Monarchy when the Transgressions of the Jews are come to the full a little Horn should arise out of Alexander's Successors namely Antiochus Epiphanes which would cast down the Doctrine of Truth and its Professors to the ground prospering in such Practices for a little time which as Christ himself that Palmoni Hammadabbar or Excellent Speaker or Wonderful Numberer ver 13. Interprets to last not all out 7 Years which was much less than their 70 Years Suffering in Babylon for 23000 Natural Days of 24 Hours do but amount to Six Years Three Months and Twenty Days so Gracious was the Messiah to put so timely a period to his Peoples Sufferings at that time in their own Land ver 14 20 24. but the Prince of Princes against whom he Warreth shall at the end break him in pieces by laying a loathsom Disease upon him and so wrap him up without the hands of Man in the Sheet of Shame v. 25. This Prophecy Daniel writes in the Hebrew Dialect and all the following Chapters to the end of this Book because these all concerned the Jews to know as before he had writ in the Chaldean Tongue from the 2d Chap. ver 4. to this Chap. the 8th because it concern'd the Chaldeans c. This sad Vision made Daniel Sick out of Sympathy with Sion yet prudently he restrain'd his Sorrow and rose up to do the King's business ver 27. Which words make it manifest saith Polanus out of Calvin that Daniel was not now in Persia but in Babylon executing the Office of that Triumvirate or Chief of the three Princes who had the oversight of the 120 Governours whom Darius had plac'd over his 120 Provinces whose Accounts Daniel took both of Tribute and Affairs with his other two Co-partners N. B. 3. Darius being enamour'd with that excellent Spirit of Prophecy Prudence c. he beheld in Daniel design'd to preferr him over all the Princes and Presidents and to commit to him the Government of the whole Realm when he found himself disenabl'd for it by his Old Age Dan. 6.3 This singular Promotion of Daniel conceiv'd to be presently after the Conquest of Babylon and Settling of the Empire made this Holy Prophet a most obnoxious Eye-sore and object of Envy to all the Princes and Presidents who hereupon Club their Wit with the Devil as well as one with another ver 4. to find some fault in the Management of his High Matters that they might impeach him of High-Treason say Grotius and Vatablus and so take him out of their way but they failed in this Impious Project Remark the Third Is hereby Introduced No sooner had God promoted Daniel thus High for the good of his Church in her low Estate still in Babylon to have such a Friend in the Court as this prudent Prophet to Plead for them but presently the Devil imploys all his Imps and Instruments to Remove him out of the way and when they could find no Treason in him as to his Service of Man saith Grotius they resolve to find it in his Service of God They lay their Plot to destroy Daniel but God over-shoots the Devil in his own Bow Mark 1. Those Plotting Princes do Request of this King Darius to Establish a Royal but a most Irreligious Statute That whosoever shall ask a Petition of any God or Man for 30 days save of thoe O King he shall be cast into the Den of Lions ver 5 6 7 8. This Act of Vniformity by an Vnalterable Decree is the Plot. Mark 2. This too facile Old King now in his Dotage was easily overcome to pass this Act and to Sign it with his Signet Manual because saith Capellus it was accommodated to his ambitious Humour now flush'd up with his new Conquest of Babylon he can now swallow down Divine Honour done to him beside saith Junius this would exalt him above his Corrival Cyrus c. Mark 3. When Daniel understood what was done ver 9. hearing it proclaim'd He left the Court as unwholesome Air to breath in and retiring to his House he comfortably converseth with his God his Windows being ope as his Custom was ver 10. and this Custome he would not break in shutting his Windows now either to the scandal of the Weak or scorn of the Wicked who watched him and would have charged him with Dissimulation if he had shut them c. Mark 4. These Watchers found Daniel thus praying upon his Knees The Sun shall sooner stand still in Heaven than Daniel will stop his praying to his Father in Heaven Who can stand before Envy Prov. 27.4 those envious ones had now got matter enough they come with full Mouth to accuse Daniel to Darius ver 11 12 13. they call him in
of Zedekiah and so it continued under the Chaldeans and now under the Persians Remark the Third Relating likewise to the Quantity their number is summ'd up together ver 64. to be in the whole forty two thousand three hundred and sixty whereas the Summs recited in all the foregoing Verses amount only to twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen to whom are added in this total Summ twelve thousand five hundred and forty two which either were of the other ten Tribes beside Benjamin and Judah or were such as supposed themselves Israelites but could not prove their Pedigree by their Genealogies though these be not reckon'd here by their Names say Lavater and Junius yet are they added here to make up the total summ which as Wolphius well observes makes it manifest from comparing the number of the Captives carried away in the Books of Kings Chronicles and Jeremy with this number of them that returned they were by God's Blessing upon them multiplied to more than a double number even in the Time of their Captivity thus had it been with Israel in Egypt the more they were molested the more they multiplied Exod. 1.12 and thus it was with them in Babylon also N.B. 'T is the Motto of the Palm-tree Depressa Resurgo the more weights to pull me down the higher Launches I make upward The Church is God's Camomile the more it is troden the better it grows Sanctius observes the same Solution for the like Catalogue in Neh. 7.66 his foregoing account falling short also of his total Summ. Secondly Their Quality is rank'd into Princes and People Remark the First The Guides and Governours are named First As Men of Renown of which eleven are numbred here ver 2. The first of this number of the Men of Name and Note saith Vatablus is Zerubbabel which signifies a Stranger at Babel or a Disperser of Confusion some say he was born in Babylon however this was a Babylonish Name given him as to Daniel and his three Companions Dan. 1.7 but his proper Name was Sheshbazzar Joy in Tribulation as before Ezra 1.8 that famous Prince of Judah and the Governour thereof Hag. 1.1 his Hands laid the Foundation of the Second Temple Ezra 3.8 c. and his Hands also finish'd it Zech. 4.6 7 8 9. with the Assistance of his famous Second namely Jehoshuah the High-Priest Ezra 5.1 2. Hag. 1.14 These two were those faithful Witnesses of God in their Generation as before them had been Moses and Aaron N.B. The Work of God goeth best endways when the Word goes along with the Sword when Magistracy and Ministry do concurr c. Remark the Second Among the other nine Nehemiah and Mordecai are named whom some Learned Men say were not that Nehemiah that hath an History in a Book of him after this nor that Mordecai who was so famous in the Book of Esther but others of the same Name Reasons see in Mr. Pemble's Period of the Persian Monarchy page 30 31. but I find Sanctius Dr. Lightfoot c. Judge them the same Persons saying 't was the same Nehemiah who wrote the Book of that Name and who first came with Zerubbabel and then returned to Babylon upon the Obstruction of the Temple's Building but after some Years he returns to Jerusalem again as will be shewn in its Place and then repaired the City c. as to Mordecai Tirinus and Mariana say with Dr. Lightfoot that he was Esther's Vncle and the overthrower of Haman who saith D' Dieu when he saw the Building of the Temple and City did not succeed according to his desire went back to Shushan c. until a better Day dawned Remark the Third The other seven were Men famous in their Generation though little or nothing be Recorded of them beside their Names upon Scripture-Record only Seraiah call'd Azarâ—ah Neh. 7.7 is supposed to be Ezra call'd Seraiah after the Name of his Father Ezra 7.1 and who is supposed to be the same with Malachy the last of the Old Testament Prophets as some say for the Word Malachy may be taken Appellatively signifying my Messenger so that Prophet was God's Messenger in Ezra's Time as the Matter contained in that Prophecy plainly demonstrates but more of that afterwards unto those eleven Men of Fame Nehemiah adds a Twelfth by Name Nachamani Neh. 7.7 for he came not up now but before Nehemiah took that Catalogue who likely like that Young Man in the Gospel at first said I will not but after repented and went Matth. 21.29 30. Thus far of the Princes of whom Zerubbabel was Chief now of the People Remark the First The People that returned are computed to be forty two thousand three hundred and sixty described by their Families saith Vatablus from ver 2 to ver 21. then by their Cities to ver 35. then by their Dignity either Sacerdotal or Levitical to ver 40. then by their Employs as Singers ver 41 65. Porters of the Temple ver 42. and Nethinims the Sons of the Gibeonites who were Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water ver 45 to 55. and the Sons of Solomon's Servants ver 55 to 58. as the Nethinims Hebr. were Deodati given to God or God-sakes devoted to his Service in his House ministring to the Levites as the Levites ministred to the Priests N.B. Whereby their Misery in Bondage and Burdens imposed on them as a Punishment for their beguiling Israel Josh 9.4 5 c. became their Mercy for the nearer they were to the Church the nearer they came to God and this gave them occasion to partake of the things of God and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psalm 17.15 N.B. So those Servants of Solomon were such Strangers of Canaan that submitted to Solomon saith Piscator and served him in Building the Temple 1 Kings 9.20 21. and becoming Proselytes were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Israel and whose Posterity say Lyra Erpennius and Osiander Solomon devoted to a perpetual Preservation and Reparation of the Temple in after Ages Or those Proselytes might give their Family this Name accounting it a great Honour to be Servants to so great a King N.B. How much more may we Glory in being Servants to so great a God Psalm 34.2 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Psalm 18. Title and who is so gracious as takes where he likes without respect of Persons Acts 10.33 and admits Strangers us Gentiles when the Children of the Kingdom the Jews are cast out Matth. 8.11 12. Remark the Second The Men-Servants and Maid-Servants are cast up here likewise to be seven thousand three hundred and thirty seven ver 67. where Sanctius-makes a wonder that above forty thousand Masters should have so few Servants at their return to this I add whereas we read how one Abraham the great Father of all those Jews had no fewer than three hundred and eighteen Men-Servants in his single Family Gen. 14 14. yet this vast Multitude of Masters had no more Servants though there be added to
that this History of Esther seemeth to be after Ezra's Time so that could not be while the Temple-building was hindred N. B. 2. Some Rabbins say the Synagogue of the Jews to whom Mordecai wrote Letters Esth 9.20 was the Author of it But N. B. 3. 'T is the concurrent Conjecture of most Interpreters both Hebrew Greek and Latine that Mordecai himself was its Penman who being a man of God an Eye-witness and a principal Actor in this whole History therefore none so proper and prepared as he for it Besides Serrarius saith Queen Esther her self did contribute to this work who also had the Holy Spirit N. B. 4. Mordecai wrote this Book of Esther yet names not God in it tho' he had many occasions of mentioning that Sacred Name as in prayer fasting and dependance upon God for his Deliverance from most eminent Dangers c. The Reason supposed for his not naming God in it was lest this Book going abroad among the Pagans should be abused as Gen. 1. ver 1. was by them putting in Asima that Samaritan Idol 2 Kings 17.30 instead of Elohim as Aben-Ezra relateth From this corruption of the first verse in the Bible this word Asima afterwards was corrupted into the word Asina which signifies an Ass and from thence the Pagans slandered the Jews that they worshipped an Ass's Head Mordecai foresaw it and prevented this corruption by the Samaritans therefore names not God in this Book This is the more probable because such a mistake some Heathens made of the Hebrew word Jerusalem by making it in bad Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierosulon which signifies Sacrilege c. N. B. 5. This History holds forth the Inconstancy of Human Affairs The lofty Luminaries of a worldly Heaven do fall into an Eclipse and the lowly Shrubs of the Earth are elevated to the Stars Behold here Humility advanced to the Throne and Ambition in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zenith and Highest Exaltation is hanged upon the highest Gallows This teacheth that the Great Ones of the World ought not to rely upon a Fortune of Ice but to fear every thing Job 3.25 and that the Godly Poor tho' never so low and miserable ought to despair of nothing 'T is the work of Almighty God to look on the Proud and bring him low Job 40.11 12 13. and to lift the Poor from the Dung-hill and set them among Princes 1 Sam. 2.7 8. N. B. 6. Some say Mordecai had a Prophetick Dream wherein he saw a most Dreadful Tempest of Thunder Lightning and Earthquake which was followed with a fight of two fierce Dragons sending forth horrible Hissings many Nations looking on and expecting the Issue of the Combat Then he saw a small Fountain which soon became a great River attended with a Light growing so great as that of the Sun and thereby the Earth was both watered and illuminated Mordecai learnt the Interpretation of this Dream by the great Combat he had with Haman and in the Exaltation of his little Niece Esther that was promoted to so high a Splendour as to Refresh and Englighten her own Nation and others c. The Third General Remark is concerning the Time of this History which 1. Munster Mercator Canus Cedrenus and Vatablus place in some time of the Captivity But 2. All others do unanimously affirm it to be after their Return yet before the Time of Alexander the Great and while the Persian Monarchy stood in its Grandeur moreover 't is said expresly ver 1. in Ahasuerus's Reign Now come we to the Particular Remarks upon Esther chap. 1. which may be reduced to two Heads First The Causes and Occasions of Esther's Advancement And secondly The Occurrences attending the Banquet that occasion'd it all which Dr. Lightfoot doth fix for Time the next following the History of Daniel chapters 10 11 12. Remark the First upon the first Part is the Person who made this sumptuous Feast was the Persian Monarch who is call'd Ahasuerus a Median and Artaxerxes a Persian name saith Bonartius from Dan. 9.1 and Ezra 4.6 7. common Names to these mighty Monarchs 'T is not of necessity to know which of those Persian Kings this was so much controverted among the Learned The Rabbins in Sedar Olam say it was Cambyses call'd by those common Names as is aforesaid upon Ezra 4.6 7. However he was a greater Potentate and Prince than either Cyrus or Darius before him were who had but One hundred and twenty Provinces Dan 6.1 whereas this King had added seven more by his Conquests of India and Ethiopia ver 1. here yet in all his Reign saith Dr. Lightfoot the building of God's Temple lays forgotten Hereupon divers Jews who had gone up to Jerusalem in the first of Cyrus return back during this Disturbance to their old Residences in Babylonia or in Persia again c. among whom were Mordecai with his Niece Esther to do good unto his Country-men abroad when he could no longer help them at home Remark the Second This great Conquerour elevated with his late Conquests of seven more Provinces makes a most sumptuous Feast for all his Nobles c. ver 2. to gratifie them for their former Valour and Victory 'T was a None-such Feast in respect of the number of its Guests largeness of Preparation and continuance of Time for it lasted half a year long and seven days longer in Shushan ver 3 4 5 c. And this he did also to demonstrate his own Splendour and Glory N. B. Tho' this Feast lasted long yet had it an end but so hath not the Feast of a good Conscience Prov. 15.15 Remark the Third Tho' there was much that was Blame-worthy and justly to be condemned at this None-such Royal Feast such as 1. Vain-glory. 2. Prodigality 3. Mis-spending of Time 4. Neglect of Business 5. Contempt of the True God not once acknowledged either by the King or any of his Guests 6. The mad Merriments and profane Jollity and Jovialty for so long a time practised without the least Note of Sanctity or Respect to God's Glory as Merlin well noteth yet something there was very Laudable and rightly to be commended that this King together with his lawful Liberality to his Peers and his comely Courtesie to his People did prescribe by a Law that every man should only Drink what he thought good without either stint or force As there was no Restraint from Sufficiency on the one hand ver 6 7. so there was no Constraint to a Superfluity on the other hand ver 8. This King's Law was that none should compel another to drink more than he listed N. B. 1. Masius reads it none did compel another to drink according to the Law of the Persians which allowed forcing of drink among that loose People this Law Regulated that N. B. 2. Erpenius bewails the Luxury and Intemperance of our Times seeing the Roaring-Boys so they will needs be call'd by a woful Prolepsis Here for Hereafter in Hell when Fire
while they stood out of Doors N. B. Then why is there not the like care taken and the like speed used to make peace with God who commands us Agree with thine Adversary quickly while thou art in thy way of Health and Strength Matth. 5.25 seeing for ought we know 't is now if ever now or never 2 Cor. 6.2 to Day hear his Voice or not at all c. Hebr. 3.7 Is it nothing to lose an Immortal Soul They here do hasten lest they should lose only their Temporal Estates and shall we stand trifling from Day to Day crying to morrow will he soon enough and while we fondly future our Repentance until it be all too late and the season of Grace gone so we fool away our own Salvation not learning to be wiser than the foolish Virgins Matth. 25.10 11. The Second Part is the Concomitants of this Divorce c. Remark the First Ezra's Oration to the Multitude Ye have transgressed in taking strange Wives c. ver 10. Adding this Sin to all your other Sins which heaps them up to Heaven as Chap. 9.6 and so calls for fierce Fire as well as this furious Water of Rain from Heaven upon you Psal 11.6 Therefore confess ver 11. and forsake too then shall ye find mercy Prov. 28.13 Ye have pleased your selves now do ye please God Remark the Second The Multitude understanding the Equity of Ezra's Exhortation promiseth Obedience with a loud voice ver 12. only they begged time for it because 1. The Transgressors were too many to be dispatched in one Day and 2. Much less on such a Rainy Day ver 13. and they were afraid to stand any longer out of Doors that Day because saith Wolphius this was an Extraordinary Rain more like Spouts than Showers falling on them and therefore Indications of God's Indignation Their Fear was much augmented by their Guilt and therefore they desire the Settling of the Sanhedrim who might take time to determine all dubious Cases ver 14. and so dismiss them for that Rainy Day Remark the Third Ezra as the King's Lord Commissioner grants the Peoples Petition the Sanhedrim is Settled Ledariosh Hebr. to Examine and Execute all Matters c. ver 15.16 where Dr. Lightfoot noteth That the word Dariosh may hint that the Meeting about this Matter might be in the seventh Year of Aataxerxes Darius the same Year that Ezra came to Jerusalem And this Work proved so weighty that it was not the Work of one or two Days as ver 13. but of full three Months ver 17. tho' the Sanhedrim sequester'd themselves from all other Affairs and set wholly to this saith Masius The Work lasted the longer because there were so few Innocent Persons to employ in managing this matter among the People only Jonathan and Jahaziah among the Priests that were not guilty Meshullam Chap. 8.16 and Shabbethai the Levite Assistants to the two Priests these four pious and prudent Men had their hands full from our December to our March Remark the Fourth Who they were that upon Conviction Covenanted by giving their Hands to assure the assent of their Hearts as 2 Kin. 10.15 that they would put away their Wives which still retain'd Pagan Opinions The 1st were Ecclesiasticks named ver 18 to 25. this was a contagious Sin saith A Lapide that had corrupted so many Priests and Levites yea even the Sons of good Jehoshua who had help'd Zerubbabel to Build the Temple Chap. 3.2 N. B. To shew That Grace is by Gift and not by Entail c. And the 2d were Laicks numbred from ver 25 to the end Ver. 44. concludes the Account saying That some only of the Pagan Wives had Children that were all put away ver 3. yet this implies the most of them were Barren which came to pass saith Vatablus by a special Providence of God who blasted such Matches and who would not have Ezra c. over match'd with too long and tedious Trials as must have been seeing All the Children were judg'd with the Wives Nehemiah CHAP. I. THIS Chapter is a Narrative how Nehemiah was stirr'd up to repair the Walls of Jerusalem wherein we have those Circumstances the Time Place Means and Manner Remark the First This Book begins with The Words of Nehemiah hence Sanctiâ—â— c. do infer that he was the Pen-man of this Book being writ in an easier and plainer stile than Ezra wrote who as Wolphius observes mixt his Book with much Chaldeâ— but many Ancients make Ezra this Book 's Author also calling it the second Book of Ezra c. However Nehemiah is the principal Subject of it who according to the Notation of his Name Hebr. the Comfort of God was a most singular Comforter from God to his Countreymen the afflicted Church of God And it came to pass ver 1. that Phrase declareth this Book to be a Continuation of the foregoing Book Nehemiah being God's third Instrument to Comfort his Disconsolate Church after the Captivity's Years were expired and deservedly counted and called the third Founder of the Common-wealth of the Jews after Zerubbabel and Ezra Remark the Second The Time when is express'd in the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes about thirteen Years after Ezra and his Company first came to Jerusalem Ezra 7.8 with Neh. 2.1 during this interspace there is a silence of any thing done saith Dr. Lightfoot from Ezra's Action of Reforming their mixt Marriages Ezra 10. which most probably was done in Darius's seventh until his twentieth and then Nehemiah began to stir but in this space of twelve Years saith the Doctor we may well conceive that the Prophet Zechary was Prophesying among the People and helping for ward the Reformation which Time saith he taketh up his 9.10.11.12.13.14 Chapters In which the Prophet prophesieth plainly of many things concerning Christ and the Time of his coming c. Remark the Third The Place where Nehemiah was in Shushan ver 1. which was the King's Winter-Palace as Ecbatana was his Summer-Palace c. and the City was call'd Shushan which signifies a Lilly not only because it abounded with Lillies in the Spring but chiefly for its beautiful Situation In this Palace Nehemiah was a Courtiâ—â— with the King and as Cup-bearer to him ver 11. as Esther came to the Kingdom so Nehemiah to this Office for such a Time as this Esth 4.14 Though he was a Captive a Stranger and one of another Religion yet is made the King's Taster which was 〈◊〉 Office not only of great Honour but also of mighty Trust wherein the Life of the theâ—â— greatest King upon Earth was put into his Hands This must needs be looked upon as an over-ruling Work of Almighty God to cause sundry Pagan Princes thus to Countenance a Religion the excellency whereof they were so ignorant and to protect that People whom their Subjects hated even with a perfect hatred Remark the Fourth The Means whereby Nehemiah came to be stirred up was the coming of Hanani c. from Jerusalem to
from the greater to the lesser ver 26 27. saying if none-such Solomon both for Wealth and Wisdom was drawn away by strange Wives unto strange Sins if this befel such a Green-Tree what may Dry Trees expect c. Remark the Second Nehemiah's Severity in special against one of the Sons of Joiada Eliashib the High Priest's Son ver 28. whom he banish'd for ever from all Civil Society either at Court or in the City This Priest is not named here but Wolphius out of Josephus calls him Manasses who Married Sanballat's Daughter N.B. Who being banish'd to Samaria Sanballat built him a fair Temple upon Mount Gerizim near the City Shechem and to keep him with his Wife made him the High Priest thereof Thus this Vile Apostate Brother to Jaddua the right High Priest who met great Alexander as before drew many other prophane Priests like himself and many People also who would not put away their strange Wives unto this Mock Temple of Sanballat and so became the first Founder of that deadly Feud and Sad Schism betwixt the Jews and the Samaritans so as there was no dealings between them John 4.9 Remark the Third Nehemiah in his Vezakarah lehem Hebr. Remember them O my God ver 29. turns the incorrigible of those Priests that hated to be Reformed over unto God to be punish'd by himself for polluting the Priesthood and prophaning the Covenant of that sacred Function wherein God had promis'd to give them an Everlasting Office Numb 25.12 13. 1 Sam. 2.30 Mal. 2.4 5. and wherein they had likewise reciprocally promis'd all faithfulness on their Part according to the Holy Rules God gave them Levit. 8.35 and 21.1 c. and 22.2 c. Vatablus saith here N.B. Wo to those Priests that should outshine all others in godly Patterns yet dare to debauch the People by their wicked Practices Corruptio optimi est pessima the sweetest Wine makes the sourest Vinegar and a wicked Priest is the worst of Mankind and woe to such prophane Priests whom God's People do thus turn over unto God to punish Remark the Fourth Nehemiah's purging the Priest-hood c. ver 30 31. Mark 1. He made all the Ministers of the House of God put away their strange Wives and the Children born of them as Chap. 9.2 and such as would not do so he forced them to forsake both the Temple and the Land of their Nativity lest they should corrupt others Mark 2. When he had purg'd away all the filth and rubbish from the Priesthood and made clean Work he sets all such as willingly Reformed in their several Stations appertaining to them in their sacred Function so caused the Priesthood to shine again as the Word here Tahar Hebr. ver 30. signifieth Mark 3. He prepareth the Wood-offering which saith Vatablus was the sacred fuel to nourish the Coelestial Fire to keep it always burning upon God's Altar And the first-Fruits likewise see Chap. 10.34 35. Grotius out of Josephus saith there was a solemn Day appointed to be observed in Memory of this Wood-offering call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. A bearing of Wood observing both a Season to cut it and a Season to carry it Remark the Fifth The most sweet Conclusion of the Old Testament History a sacred Sentence of his fervent Supplication Mark 1. Nehemiah had prayed before that God would remember those prophane Priests for evil ver 29. and now he shuts up his hole History with this pithy and pregnant Prayer for himself Remember me O my God for good ver 31. as he had done ver 15. and ver 22. and Chap. 5.19 wherein he doth not Brag or Boast of his good Deeds but only produceth them in his Prayer as blessed Testimonies of his Sincerity whereof he begs God's gracious acceptance he prays with so much Reverence as to God yet with so much Confidence as to his God c. Mark 2. This Devout Sentence in Nehemiah's last Supplication is the closing sweet-bit of the Old Testament-Times upon sacred Record for though the Book of Esther be set after this yet is it an History of many Years before this as is abovesaid As for the Prophets they all but the three Last lived before the Captivity Haggai and Zechariah prophesy'd while the Temple was in building Malachy when it was builded saith Mr. Pemble reproving mixt Marriages c. Mark 3. Learned Dr. Lightfoot excellently observeth that though the Scripture be utterly silent to express the number of the Years of the Reign of Artaxerxes Ahasuerus who was Husband to Queen Esther long before Nehemiah's last return to Jerusalem or of any of his Successors in clear Expressions so that we are not told how long he Reigned Yet the Scripture mentions Artaxerxes Darius his second Year Ezra 4.24 his fourth Year Zech. 7.1 his sixth Year Ezra 6.15 his seventh Year Ezra 7.8 his twentieth Year Neh. 1.1 and 2.1 and his thirty second Year Neh. 13.6 but how long he farther Reigned the Scripture gives no account no more than of the former Kings and here the Chronicle of the Old Testament-Times as to any express Terms endeth N. B. 1. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost as the Phrase is Acts 15.28 and to his sacred Penmen to Name some several Years of those Kings intending to continue the Scripture Chronicle until the City Jerusalem was compleated and the Temple thereof was compleatly Reformed and its Worship reduced to its Primitive Purity of the legal Priesthood and there to end the Church's Annals c. N. B. 2. The former of the two last Prophets namely Zechariah doth indeed Prophesy concerning the coming of Christ of his Riding upon an Ass Zech. 9.1 9. of his confounding the three Shepherds to wit the Pharisees Sadduces and Esseans and of his being Sold for thirty pieces of Silver Zech. 11.8 12. and of his Disciples to be scattered Zech. 13.7 and of divers Jews mourning over him whom they had pierced Zech. 12.10 as likewise of the City and Temple now restored to their pristine Beauty their second Destruction Zech. 11.1 c. because of their unbelief Though the Time of Zechary's prophesying be express'd as above yet have we no History of the Time between these Times N. B. 3. The latter of the two last Prophets namely Malachy concludeth his Prophecy Chap. 4. with an Exhortation to the Jews to study well the Law of Moses and the Old Testament and giveth them an Expectation of Elias's coming namely John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament Because after the Death of this Prophet Malachy the Spirit of Prophecy was to depart with this Malachy from the Jews and was a Stranger among them until the dawning of the Gospel 'T is true some Apocryphal Books were writ betwixt those Times but they all wanted the dictating of that Holy Spirit which was now departed N. B. 4. Malachy concludeth the Canonical Books of the Old Testament with a Prediction of Elias's the Baptist's coming and with a Threatning
of God's Curse upon the unbelieving Jews Mal. 4. ver last Sixtus Senensis sets this Prophet Malachy so low as about five hundred Years before Christ Alsted makes the distance of Time betwixt this second and last Prophet and the Birth of Christ to be five hundred and twenty nine Years Alsted Encucloppad Lib. 33. Cap. 3. and so do other Authors To write an History of this interspace when the Spirit of Propheâ—y was withdrawn Hic Labor hoc opus est 't is hard Work APOCRYPHA CHAP. I. REmarks in General First are First Malachy knew that after him no Prophet should arise until the Days of John Baptist as is aforesaid therefore he shuts up his Prophecy with a most solemn Exhortation to the Jews that from henceforth after his Departure and in the Departure of the Spirit of Prophecy with him also They must read and remember the Law of Moses and with it the Prophets those Interpreters of the Law and excellent Commentators thereupon Mal. 4.4 Buxtorf observeth that a great Zain is put in the Hebrew Word Zakor Remember to intimate the necessity and excellency of this Duty of minding Moses Law c. during the Deficiency of Prophecy while there was no more any Prophet among them c. Psalm 74.9 from which Expression there some do conclude that this Psalm was penned after the Captivity for there was then Cathimath Chazon a Sealing up of Prophecy as Dan. 8.26 and 12.4 9. and though this sealing up and ceasing of that Spirit of Prophecy continued for some hundreds of Years yet at their Expiration Malachy tells them God will send them one as great as Elijah to prepare the way for the blessed Messiah Mal. 4.5 He saith not the same in Person as the Jews and Romanists fondly Fable in favour of such Mistakes as they have adopted the one that Jesus who was crucified was not the Christ and the other that the Pope is not the Antichrist because Elias the Thisbite is not yet come But the Angel of God better Interprets Malachy's meaning Luke 1.15 16 17. and so doth the Angel of the Covenant the Lord of Angels Matth. 11.10 11 12 13. and 17.9 10 11 12 13. though John deny'd himself to be a Prophet in their Sence John 1.21 yet doth not that contradict this for Christ calls him one greater than a Prophet Matth. 11.9 and the Evangelist Mark begins his Gospel with these very Words of Malachy Remark the Second In General The Books called Apocrypha which were written after Malachy's Death and after the departure of the Spirit of Prophecy were never received among the Canonical Books by the Antient Jewish Church to whom the Oracles of God were betrusted Rom. 3.2 the Authentick Catalogue whereof was collected by Ezra whom some suppose to be Malachy as above either alone or with the Assistance of other Prophets who lived in his Time and as neither Christ nor any of his Holy Apostles condemn any where the unfaithfulness of the Jewish Church in corrupting the Canon so nor do they honour the Apocrypha with one Quotation out of it N. B. The Synodicum set forth by Pappus tells us this Story that the Council of Nice made a miraculous Mound betwixt the Apocryphal and the Canonical Scriptures setting them altogether a little below the Holy Table and earnestly pray'd to the Lord that those Books of Scripture which were of Divine Inspiration might be found above but those that were of a spurious Extract might be left below and this saith Gregory God granted them graciously for a distinguishing sign between them N. B. We are commanded by the two great Apostles to give no heed to Jewish Fables 1 Tim. 1.4 and 4.7 and 2 Tim. 4.4 and Tit. 1.14 and again 2 Pet. 1.16 such as the History of Susanna and of Bell and the Dragon both additionals to the Book of Daniel and both which Jerom confidently condemns for a couple of Jewish Fables and no better a Character can be given of the History of Judeth whereof Josephus the Jewish Historian and an exact Searcher of the Hebrew History and the Antiquities of that Church maketh not the least mention of N. B. Luther boldly affirmeth that those Books of Judeth Tobit c. were at the first but Plays or Comedies acted as Stage plays and then converted into Histories afterward The best Title I find given them is that they might be sacred Poems c. and though Ecclesiasticus be the best undoubtedly of all the other Apocryphal Books for a Moral Discourse about the avoiding of Vice and the pursuing of Vertue c. yet therein is found a minture of many Matters saith Diodate contrary to Canonical Scripture and too low for the Majesty of God's Spirit Nor is it at all Historical and therefore improper for our present purpose in relating the History of the Jews Remark the Third In General though both the Books of the Maccabees be an Historical Narrative of the State of the Jews in this Interval betwixt Malachy and John Baptist yet was it not written by infallible Inspiration seeing then was a Cessation of Prophecy c. and though the subject of the first Book be very profitable and necessary for the understanding of Daniel's Prophecy c. yet seeing it cannot be made manifest that the Author of it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired of God therefore could it never be accounted Canonical having only the Greek-Translation and not any Hebrew Original Much less hath the second Book of Maccabees found Reception in the Church of Christ. Because First In the beginning of that second Book we have a strange Story how the Holy Fire that first came down from Heaven was found hid in the Earth after the Captivity and of the Altar Ark and Tabernacle all hidden by Jeremiah Secondly The other Part of that second Book which begins at Chap. 2. ver 20. besides the Description of the Death of Antiochus Chap. 3. is very much differing from that in the first Book Chap. 6. there is likewise the commending of Rhasis for murthering himself Chap. 14.41 to 46 which Act of self-murder the Doctrine of the sixth Commandment and of all Canonical Scripture is quite contrary unto and therefore all Learned Divines look upon it as a Fact rather to be pitied than defended And Thirdly The false Judgment that Author gives concerning Judas Maccabeus his Sacrifices and Prayers for those of his Army that had been slain in Battel for the Expiation of their Sins to turn away God's Wrath from the surviving Remnant of it as if that had been done for the Benefit of those who were dead for their Sins also Chap. 12.44 45. whereas the Holy Scripture giveth no Ground nor Approbation for using any Sacrifices or Prayers for the Dead and 't is contrary to the Custom of the Jews at this Day to do so Moreover Joseph ben Gorion who wrote these Matters in Hebrew and out of whose writings this Author took his Abridgement maketh no mention
cannot but better approve of Dr. Willet's Opinion who judiciously takes along the Prophetical History of this vile Antiochus and yet makes the Mystery of it to be also a Prophetical History of that Man of Sin Antichrist betwixt whom and Antiochus he learnedly demonstrateth that they run all along in twenty five Parallel Lines together As 1. Both rose by Craft and Flattery 2. Both Prospered and Prevailed 3. Both were Covetous and Rapacious c. 4. Both were notorious Dissemblers 5. Both step'd up after a general Apostasy and falling away from the Faith 6. Both abused the secular Power as Instruments of their Butcheries c. 7. Both abrogated the True Worship of God and set up a false Idolatrous Worship in its stead 8. As Antiochus used those Apostate Priests Jason and Menelaus to promote his false Worship so Antichrist useth the Pens and Tongues of Jesuits c. 9. Both persecuted Princes and People that would not Conform to them 10. Both exalted themselves above all that is called God 11. Both exalt themselves against the True God 12. Both utter horrid Blasphemies 13. Both had success for a Time while their Leases are run out 14. Both forsake the God and Religion of their Fore-fathers 15. Both seem not to care for Women 16. Both are for Atheism and Prophaneness and in effect not caring for any God 17. Both set up new Idols 18. Both were for Theatrical Services of their new Idols 19. Both were for distributing Dignities c. to their Flatterers c. but for Mony 20. Both were abominably Ambitious 21. Both are barbarously Bloody to the Church of God 22. Both be insatiable in Hunting after and Hoarding up Treasures of Gold and Silver 23. Both be inraged against the faithful upon any defeat they find from them and their Forces if foiled but a little by them 24. Both have their Palaces situated between two Seas the former between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean the latter between the Tyrrhene and the Adriatick The one without and the other within the Temple of God the Church And Lastly Both be branded for their coming at last to most miserable Ends all which twenty five Marks wherein both Antiochus and Antichrist meet together in Parallel Lines the Learned Doctor doth distinctly illustrate by as many undeniable Instances and uncontrolable Demonstrations too large to be related here and therefore I must referr the Reader who is curious to compass them unto Dr. Willet's Hexapla upon Daniel page 445 to 462. N.B. Who likewise excellently observeth that as Antiochus's Tyranny continued not much above six Years so that of Antichrist in those bloody Marian Times of abhorred Memory was cut shorter here in England by a gracious God who praedetermines the End of all his Church's Persecutions Dan. 11.27 and 36. for that lasted not so long as this of Antiochus for it continued not full out six Years page 463. N.B. Oh how marvelous is the Proportion that Divine Goodness observeth in Days of Persecution If it be but little God lets it be long but if it be very sharp then shall it be very short as in those Instances Mark 3. Hitherto the Malady and Misery of the Church of God hath been declared by Gabriel to Daniel Chap. 11. now is the Church's Remedy and Relief revealed in Chap. 12. as was needful for the Comfort of those that were found faithful In this Annexion to the foregoing Historical Prophecy are handed in seven consolatory Arguments to Daniel for the Comfort of the afflicted Church four from Gabriel and three from Christ himself The First from the Angel is that at that Time Michael the Prince of Angels the Lord Christ shall stand up to secure and save his Servants ver 1. being the mighty God as Michael signifies and always a fast Friend and a Faithful as well as a powerful Protector of his People while the Government is upon his Shoulder Isa 9.6 and he Lord of all Acts 10.36 while he is Lord both of the Church and of the World he lets not the Church be wrong'd by the World The Second Comfort from the Angel is that every one whose Name is found written in the Book of Life to wit all the Elect both Jews and Gentiles shall assuredly be delivered by Michael their mighty Deliverer and if not by a Temporal Deliverance seeing many of the Saints be martyr'd by those two matchless Monsters of Mankind both Antiochus and Antichrist yet however by deliverance Eternal ver 2 3. though they be Dead and do sleep in their Graves after they had born their Testimony and made many Wise to Salvation by the Ministry of their Lives and Doctrine while they lived yet the Angel assures him even those shall awake as out of a sweet Sleep filled with God's Image Psalm 17.15 and shall shine as Stars c. whereas their Persecutors who now Triumph over their Graves shall be haled as worms out of their Holes and condemn'd to Everlasting Contempt c. The Third Comfort is more especially to the Ministers among those Martyrs who by their publick Ministry wisely managing it do make many wise unto Salvation and to partake of that Everlasting Righteousness which the Messiah was to bring in Dan. 9.24 These shall have a most blessed and perfect Reward after a peculiar Manner for all their present sufferings Dan. 11.33 with Rom. 8.18 Solomon allow'd but low and little Wages to his principal Workmen Cant. 18.12 but Christ greater than Solomon doth grant greater Rewards for they that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Firmament yea as the Stars ver 3. and yet higher as the Sun in his Strength Matth. 13.43 yea as Christ himself shineth for such shall all appear with him in Glory Col. 3.4 though they now be slurr'd and slighted c. Oh what a glorious and desirable Place will Heaven then be The Fourth Comfort or Cordial is that the Church of God should be preserved by God even in those worst of Times This was that precious Truth a Jewel that Daniel is commanded to Seal up ver 4. until the Time appointed ver 9. and Chap. 8.26 Daniel must keep this Divine Secret to himself in sacred Silence and reserve it in writing for the support of after-Ages that God would never forsake his People utterly though their Sins most justly provoked the pure Eyes of God to profound displeasure against them These Arcana Ecclesiae imperii Secrets concerning both Church and State must be sealed Because First To let Daniel know God's great Favour to him who was Ish Chamudoth a Man greatly beloved Dan. 9.23 and therefore of God's Council Psalm 25.14 Gen. 18.17 one betrusted with Divine Secrets Secondly Lest should they come into common Hands the Prophane might make either an evil use of them or utterly despise them Thirdly That the truly Pious might prize them the more as a most precious Treasure when brought forth out of God's private Treasury Fourthly These Secrets were Sealed
all Ladies for Faith Obedience c. Heb. 11.11 1 Pet. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6. 2. Rebekah Gen. 25.22 and 27.4 6. 3. Rahab Josh 2.11 James 2.25 Heb. 11.31 4. Deborah Judg. 4.4 5.1 c. 5 Naomi and Ruth Ruth 1.16 20 c. 6. Manoah's Wife Judg. 13.3 23 c. 7. Hannah 1 Sam. 1.13.28 2.1 2 c. 8. Abigail 1 Sam. 25.25 26 28 31 c. 9. Bathshebah Prov. 31.1 c. 10. The Queen of Sheba 1 Kings 10.1 8 9. Matth. 12.42 11. The Shunamite 2 Kings 4 8 9 10. 12 The Widow of Zareptah 2 Kings 17.12 15 18 24. 13. Esther chap. 2.20 c 4.16 c. To name no more here for brevity's sake 2dly In the New Testament As 1. The blessed Virgin Mary who found favour with God above all Women c. Luke 1.30.46 c. 2. Elizabeth Luke 1.6 42. 3. Anna Luke 2.36 37. 4. Mary Magdalen and the other Mary Matth. 28. v. 1 c. 5. Joanna the Wife of Chusa and Susanna Luke 8.3 24.10 6. Priscilla Acts 18.18.26 7. Tabitha or Dorcas Acts 9.36 8. Phoebe Rom. 16.1 9. Lois and Eunice 2 Tim. 1.5 Many more might be added seeing some Criticks do observe that the New Testament affords more holy Women upon Record than the Old doth Secondly The Holy Actions of Religious Women that are Recorded for imitation Rom. 15.4 be many more than the Confines of an Epistle can contain Take a few Instances beside that of Sarah whose Name Hebr. signifies a Lady or Princess above-mentioned As 1st 'T is a lasting monument upon the heads of those wise-hearted Women who span with their hands Blue Purple and Scarlet c. for the use of the Tabernacle in Moses's Time Exo. 35.25 I do not at all doubt but your Ladiship hath spun fairer Threads for the Service of the New Jerusalem c. 2 dly 'T is a Memoir of great Honour to those Devout Women who so willingly resigned up their own curious Looking-glasses that a Sacred Laver of Brass for God's Service be made of them Exod. 38.8 Resolving that whereas other Women out of vanity do spend many hours in looking upon their Looking-glasses these zealous Souls will spend their precious Time better in Fasting and Prayer at the Door of the Tabernacle Likewise I dare with confidence affirm Madam that you spend much more precious Time in looking into the Looking-glass of God's Word how you may adorn the hidden Man of your heart 1 Pet. 3.3 4. to render you the more acceptable to your Creator c. than you do to compose your Outward Dress in your common Glass for Acceptance among Fellow-creatures and you could freely sacrifice all your Artificial Looking glasses so the glory of God's service might thereby be promoted 3dly Abigail is famous upon Record for her meek and quiet Temper which is in God's sight of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 who would not cross her Husband while the Spring-tide of his Passion lasted but she prudently waited until it was a low Ebbing-water and then she made an effectual Application 1 Sam. 25.36 37. And 't is a Ruled Case that the Husband and the Wife should never be angry both together c. 4thly Phoebe hath an high Title of Honour given her Rom. 16.2 where she is called not so much an Helper but a Patroness as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 5thly Priscilla is called a Co-worker with the Apostle as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Rom. 16.3 see verse 6. and 12. There is not Room to add more Instances Thirdly The holy Qualifications summ'd up together 1. Virtuous Ruth 4.11 2. Gracious Prov. 11.16 3. Prudent Prov. 14.1 4. Faithful 1 Tim. 3.11 5. Sober 6. Grave 7. Chast 8. Holy c. Titus 2.5 1 Pet. 3.1 2 3 4 5. If I say these Virtues have an happy conjunction in you I can assure you Madam 't is not the stinking breath of a sordid Sycophant for I must say with Elihu I know not to give flattering Titles to any in so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 32.21 22. This I must say you affect not the vanity of those foolish fashions drawn up by the Finger of God himself in that Map of one and twenty Ornaments Isa 3. where the Moons there mentioned verse 18. which Women wore upon their heads then seem now grown to the full Moon in our wanton Dames but your Dress is decent rather below than above your Station c. That you may retain your Honour by Humility as the strong Man retaineth Riches by Wisdom and Power Prov. 11.16 That you may still walk humbly with your Maker both in God's Arm and in God's Armour and that all those Sacred Truths contained in this Volume may be writ by the Spirit of God upon the Table of your heart as the Epistle of Christ 1 Cor. 3.3 is the unfeigned prayer of Your Ladiships Servant in the best Bonds Christopher Ness A Brief Account and Recommendation of the Author 's worthy and profitable Labours in these four Books styled The History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament although we judge that they carry a sufficient Testimonial within themselves and that they need no other commendation from or to any man but the serious Reading and purusal of them For we find that by his ingenious Contexture of the History of the Scriptures and opening the Mystery contained therein he hath made the Reading of the Scriptures more pleasant more profitable and more plain to the understanding than what may be found in any Expositour that hath gone before him we cannot but bless God who hath inclined the heart of our worthy Brother to a work of this nature and to publish it in such a season wherein so many Attempts have been made to cast contempt upon the Scriptures and all revealed Religion August 27. 1696. Matthew Barker George Griffith Samuel Slater Many more hands might be procured but the Press will not give time An Alphabetical Table of the Principal Matters contain'd in the Fourth Volume of the New Testament A ABraham's bosom what Vol. 4. Page 155 Accounts to be given by and of all Vol. 4. Page 185 186 Actions of the same godly Man different Vol. 4. Page 298 Evidence of Saintship Vol. 4. Page 451 Adam at his Fall fell among Thieves Vol. 4. Page 111 112 113 More restored by the second than lost by the first Adam Vol. 4. Page 144 Afflictions promote Salvation Vol. 4. Page 427 All must come to Christ Vol. 4. Page 84 Antichrist rising Vol. 4. Page 520 B Backsliding dangerous Vol. 4. Page 112 Bath Coll the Voice from Heaven Vol. 4. Page 169 170 Bethlehem Ephratah signifying the fruitful house of Bread Vol. 4. Page 17 Bethesda its Pool Vol. 4. Page 47 Blasphemy of Papists in imitating Christ Vol. 4. Page 5 Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Vol. 4. Page 60 Burial-places without the City antient Vol. 4. Page 57 C Christ his
absolute and alsufficient Saviour to all sorts Sixthly and Lastly To denote that Christ's Circumcision must take off our Vncircumcision pulling off that wretched Foreskin from our hearts as our Malady came by the first Adam so our Remedy comes by the second Hence are we also said to be buried with him in Baptism which succeedeth in the place of Circumcision Col. 2 11 12. and is also to us as it was to the Jews a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 Circumcision of it self avails nothing Gal. 5.6 where the Heart is not Circumcised unregenerate Israel was to God as Aethiopia Amos 9.7 And Men be not a Button better for their Water-Baptism If they have not that of the Spirit also and be Baptized with the Holy Ghost c. The Fourth Thing considerable is the Commemoration It was the Time of Christ's taking his Name Jesus Luke 2.21 The Romans gave names to their Children on the ninth Day the Athenians on the tenth and other Nations on the seventh as the Jews here upon the eighth These Tertullian calls Nominalia naming Days but Christ having abrogated both Jewish and Heathenish Rites hath not confined us to a Day either for Naming or Baptizing our Children As Names were given at Circumcision so now at Baptism for three ends 1. For Distinction 'twixt Man and Man 2. For minding us of the Names writ in the Book of Life And 3. That we carry as God's adopted ones having his Name put on us as his proper Goods This Name Jesus is famous in Heaven Hell and Earth 't is as Ointment poured forth to Saints Cant. 1.3 Austin pray'd Remember thy Name O Jesu and be a Saviour to me c. CHAP. V. NOw after Christ's Circumcision the various passages of his private Life do follow As First His Parents presenting him to the Lord in the Temple at Jerusalem Luke 2.22 23. This was done when Christ was about forty Days old according to the Law of Purification Lev. 12.3 4. The Mother of a Male-child was unclean seven days ver 2. till the eighth Day for Circumcision came she might not converse with Men nor till the fortieth Day might she appear before God in the Sanctuary nor then without a Burnt-offering for Thanksgiving and a Sin-offering for Expiation of a double Sin to wit that of the Mother conceiving and that of the Male conceived c. This Law of Purification proclaims our uncleanness whose very Birth infects the Mother that bare us The Virgin Mary observed this Law not in Conscience of any particular Sin by conceiving Christ c. for she was rather purified than polluted by his Conception and Birth nor in shew to satisfie the Law much less in Hypocrisie But in Conscience of her own natural Corruption which by her Oblation according to the Law not wrangling with it nor claiming an Immunity from it she did humbly and holily acknowldge before God and his People The Law of the Lord saith The first born that openeth the Womb shall be given to God without delay Exod. 22.29 so that no demurr being allowed in this Case we may well suppose Christ was about six Weeks old when He went from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to be presented as Holy to the Lord Luke 2 23 24. a young Traveller Christ became to redeem us the brood of Travellers as 't is Phrased in the old singing Psalms Psalm 24.6 thither was he brought that it might be done to him according to the Law Luke 2.27 that is to redeem the Redeemer of the World Exod. 34.20 with matters of small value the Lamb of God was redeemed with less than a Lamb Exod. 13.13 even with a pair of Turtle-Doves Luke 2.24 because his Mother was Poor Lev. 5.7 11. and 14.30 31. and 27.8 while this was in doing 1. Old Simeon one that was both a good first-Table and a good second-Table Man as both Righteous and Religious Luke 2.25 came by the Holy Spirit 's Direction as Psalm 37.23 and found this Babe of Bethlehem in the Temple would to God we could find him in God's Worship takes him up in his Arms ver 27 28. as the most blessed Armful that ever the good old Man had in all his Life laying in his Heart what he lap'd in his Arms and then sang his Soul's willingness to go out of his Body as fearing no Sin and dreading no Death yea saying as it were oh sweet Babe let this Song of Mine be a Lullaby to Thee and a Funeral for Me. Oh sleep in my Arms and let me Sleep in thy Peace ver 29 30 c. Note well Here we may observe the wise Dispensation of God in stirring up a Citizen of Jerusalem and one famous among the Jews to make Christ known to the Holy City Had the Shepherds been appointed to manifest Christ's Birth they might have been Despised as Poor Men or had the Wisemen done it they being strangers would not have been believed but here an Home-witness doth witness home indeed as Tit. 1.12 one of your own Poets c. no more of Simeon because spoke of before 2. Anna the Prophetess by the like secret motion of the Spirit who is appointed as a Tutor to direct us into the right way John 14.16 17 26. 16.13 Isa 30.21 came also at that very Instant and Succinuit Simeoni seconded Simeon in his Song and these two old Saints sang the same Song she gave Thanks likewise for this great Gift of God Jesus Christ John 3.16 4.10 Luke 2.36 37 38. Thus this coming of the World's Redeemer into the World at that very time was Confirmed by the Mouths of two extraordinary Witnesses that the truth thereof might be the more established 'T is a quaint notion of Gregory Nissen who makes Simeon which signifies obedience to represent the Tenure of the Law that goes before but Anna signifies Grace to figure the Gospel for he was willing to let go and to dye with the Law yet lives with her to cherish her living longer with Grace and Gospel The second passage of his Private Life was his flying into Aegypt If Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Mat. 2.3 At the manifestation of Christ's Birth at Bethlehem by the Wisemen this being a great distance from the Metropolitan City how much more when Christ was come to Jerusalem it self and thus proclaimed to be the Light of the World and the Glory of Israel Luke 2.32 Yea the World's Redeemer ver 38. and Governour or Ruler Mat. 2.6 All this so near the Court must needs bring prodigious perplexity They were troubled at that whereat the Shepherds the Sages and Simeon with Anna rejoiced 'T is said expresly that Herod was exceeding wroth Mat. 2.16 Hereupon the Destruction of this most Innocent Babe was Designed but God who had this Blood-Hound in a Chain pull'd this harmless Lamb out of the Lions Mouth by a sweet Providence for He sent his Angel to warn them that the Devil in Herod would worry the
Instance which Christ himself uttered as a Specimen of the Management of the Day of Judgment both for Matter Manner c. Mat. 25.31 to the end of ver 46. Where the Lord Judge Denounceth the Final Doom both upon the Sheep at his Right Hand and upon the Goats at his Left ' and all by way of Dialogue c. ye saw me naked c. Now 't is farther Alledged that seeing the Father Judgeth no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son John 5.22 And that the Son will Judge the World as he is Man in Humane Nature and that none of all the Posterity of Adam shall be excused for their Absence from this General Assizes none shall be allowed to appear by a proxy but every Individual Man Woman and Child Poor or Rich Jew or Gentile shall be compelled to appear personally before this Judge's Tribunal 2 Cor. 5.10 And there have a fair and full Tryal either for Weal or Woe Now upon this Supposition the Day of Judgment may take up a much longer time than most do imagin for it Requires as much time to speak a Mans Life as to read it c. we may well believe that this General Just Judge will not suddenly shuffle up any Matters for Eternity in that Day Upon these Considerations that Holy Man of God Mr. Shepheard in his Sincere Convert page 37. saith that this Day of Christs Kingly Office in Judging the whole World shall haply last longer than his private and less Glorious Administration in Governing the World shall do c. this saith he may be made evident both by Scripture and by Reason c. N. B. Note well 3. This is the time however long or short wherein all Mankind both the good and the evil Servants must Reddere Rationem give an exact Account of their Stewardship whether they have wasted their Lords Goods either Pounds or Talents or have improved them in Tradeing Luke 16.1 2. and 19 15. c. Mat. 25.19 c. All Persons must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to Reckon with the Judge about all things they have done in the Body 2 Cor. 5.10 whether they have received the Graces or Gifts of God in vain 1 Cor. 15.10 Oh! Blessed is that Faithful and Wise Steward who giveth a good account to his Lord at his coming Luke 12.42.44 Now the particular account Men must then give is Threefold First of their Thoughts which are known to God Hebr. 4.12 13. in that day God will Judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ c. Rom. 2.16 Then the Book of Conscience shall be opened which is Index Vindex Judex 'T is Gods Spye and Mans Overseer faithfully Recording every Vain as well as Villainous thoughts Rom. 2.14 15. John 8.9 1 Cor. 10.29 Hebr. 10.2 Tho' sinfull Thoughts be free as to Men yet are they not free to Conscience which is better Sore than Seared much less can they be free to an All knowing God John 21.17 Acts 1.24 Secondly They must Reckon with this Lord Judge for their words Mat. 12.34 35 36 37. If idle and wast words must be accounted for in the Day of Judgment how much more for evil and wicked words Cassiodore saith that among ten Thousand Talents of Mens common Communications there is scarce an Hundred pence no non decem quidem obolos not so much as ten half penny 's of Spiritual and Savoury Discourse Alas How much frivolous and fruitless Speeches do frequently slow from every Mans Mouth hereupon Wise Xenophon and Plato did propose this profitable practice that Mens Speeches and Discourse might be written down in a Table Book both at Meals of Meat and at all Meetings c. that they might be brought to shame when they Reviewed their many Extravagant Expressions Thus the Psalmists Heart was greatly grieved when he Reflected upon what he had spoke amiss but a little before Ps 73.13 21 22. Therefore did he pray Set a Watch O Lord before my Mouth keep the Door of my Lips Ps 141.3 well knowing what an unruly Member the Tongue is which no Man can Tame Jam. 3.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. where the Tongue is called not a City of Evil or a Country of sin but a whole World of Iniquity hereupon we ought to put our untameable Tongues into the Hands of God as David did who alone is able to tame them the Difficulty of which Work we are taught by the God of Nature who hath given the Tongue its place and Situation betwixt the Head and the Heart that it might take Counsel from them both before it utter any words c. and the God of Nature hath fenced the unruly Tongue within bounds by a double Wall the one of flesh to wit the Lips and the other of Bones to wit the Teeth that it may be kept the better within Compass from all Extravagant Speeches c. For this very cause of the Tongues unruly Nature God hath ordered not only that Children shall not be able to speak untill they grow up to some wit and understanding whereby they may the better order their Speeches with their Tongues but also that all they who are born Deaf must be Dumb likewise because they being Deaf cannot hear Instruction for Teaching them the Right use and Government of the Tongue Even a fool when he holds his peace is accounted wise c. Prov. 17 28. Thirdly Then an Account must be rendered as for all their Thoughts and for all their Words so for all their Works Namely for all such Works wherein there hath been any Omission of Good and wherein likewise there hath been any Commission of Evil It may be Succinctly Reduced into those distinct parts the Reckoning hath a double Relation both unto good and unto evil First unto the first of Good which is thus Expressed Either 1. De bonis Omissis of good that is waved or De bonis Demissis of good that is wasted Or 2. De malis Commissis of Evil that is committed or De Malis permissis of Evil that is permitted when it is in the power of our Hands to prevent the Perpetration of it hereby we make our selves partakers of other Mens Sins 1 Tim. 5.22 N. B. Note well Participans Nutans non obstans non Manifestans c. Which the Grave and Godly Mr. Greenham Interprets thus saying we become Accessories to other Men who are the principal Actors of them either by commanding or by commending or by consenting or by counselling or by countenancing or by communicating or by concealing if we be not Admonishing nor Mourning nor Praying for the Offenders c. And Accessorium Sequitur principale saith the Maxim in Divinity he that is but Accessory to other Mens sins is likewise Involved in the Guilt of the principal sinner and so he may partake of the Plagues thereof Revel 18.4 1. Sam. 3.13 Rom. 1.32 see much more upon this point Dr. Ames Cases of Conscience pag. 299 c.
Rod then there gushed out Streams of Water Exod. 17.6 no Heart can be so hard or obstinate but Christ can conquer and overcome it when he pleaseth to put forth his power upon it Manasseh had made himself an obdurate Sinner yet is greatly humbled proportionably as he had greatly sinned 2 Chron. 33.12 The Seventh Wonder was the opening of the Graves Mat. 27.52 53. which might be the Issue of the Earth quake and of rending the Rocks out of which they used to Hew their Sepulchres ver 60. this was done to shew that our Lord died indeed but not to remain under the Power of Death for his Grave must be opened also as well as the Graves of those Saints that had only slept in their Bodies until his Death then are they Quickened and Raised up from the Sleep of Death to Life again and came forth out of their opened Graves c. And all this was done N. B. Note well To let us understand that the power of Christ's Death and even those that believed on the Messiah before his Incarnation have an Interest in Christ's Death c. and when Christ seems dead then comes the opening of the Graves Ezek. 37.12 c. CHAP. XXXIII THE 5th Grand Remark is Our Lord 's seven last Words or Sentences which he uttered while he hung upon the Cross The First was his Prayer for his Enemies Father forgive them for they know not what they do this he prayed for them while he was Bleeding to Death by their Bloody Hands His Face all swollen by their barbarous Blows and Buffets so that his Visage was marred more than any Mans ' Isa 52.14 His Shoulders all Torn by their brutish Lashes and Scourgings so that the Cross laid upon those galled parts must needs notoriously pinch those tender places Yea while both his Hands and both his Feet were pouring out his precious blood at the four Wounds the Murderers had made with their Savage Nails in all those Members yet even then was his blessed Mouth opened to pour out this Pathetical Prayer for those Monstrous Miscreants which proved a Prayer so prevalent not only for the Conversion of the People who were but the lesser offenders herein as before but also for the Conversion of many Priests who were the Capital Criminals and Chief Ring-leaders in this Diabolical Dance and Design Yet Christ so far prevailed by his Prayer here that not only many thousands of the People Acts 2 41 c. 44. but also a great company of the Priests became obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 N. B. Note well Oh the kindness of Christ to his Enemies even in the midst of their Acting Enmity against him yea their unparallelled Villany Was there ever such love to Enemies as this of His to be so kind to the unthankful and to the evil Luke 6.35 Let us cry with David This is not after the manner of Men O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.19 These were more like the Bowels of God and not of Man Hos 11.8.9 I am God and not Man And because our Lord was God as well as Man therefore this matchless compassion was found in his Heart toward his Enemies The Second Sentence or Word Christ spake on the Cross was His bidding John to take Mary for his Mother John 19.26 27. Oh marvellous filial compassion and commiseration towards his Mother now a Widow and very Poor in the midst of his own matchless misery yet cannot he forget her but in the very height of his own Torments hath his Mouth opened in her Remembrance commanding his Beloved Disciple to take care of his better Beloved Mother after his Decease seeing her Husband Joseph the Carpenter was then Dead and her Son Jesus the Redeemer was now Dying John beholding Jesus so careful and conscientious in discharging his Duty to his Earthly Mother while he was paying that prodigious price of the World's Redemption to the Justice of his Heavenly Father N B. Note well To shew that Duties done in Obedience to the First Table ought not to Justle out the doing of Duties in Obedience to the Second 'T is Godly honesty to pay Man his Due as well as God c. Hereupon John takes that Holy Virgin to the best home he had Accounting her the most blessed Depositum or matter of Trust the Richest Jewel that ever as to persons he was betrusted with verily expecting that every place where she came would be blessed by and better for her Abode in it See more of this and of the first in Christ's carriages on the Cross The Third Word Christ spake upon the Cross was to the Penitent Thief This Day verily thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23 43. If the last words of Dying Saints be deemed Living Oracles How much more the seven last Words of our Dying Saviour his last Sayings and Sentences who was the grand Prophet and Infallible Oracle of God's Church deserve to be Writ in Letters of Gold and to be laid up as the Manna was in the Golden Pot of a Sanctified Memory that they may be retained by all the Godly in everlasting remembrance Mark Here in these last Words of our Lord to this Good Thief that though Christ had promised Paradise to the Penitent in the General only yet doth he perform more than had been either promised to him or prayed for by him in particular as is abovesaid This Thief begged only a bare Remembrance in General yet Christ grants him the high Advancement of Paradise and that with Expedition even that very same day c. N. B. Note well 1st If so bad a Man proved through Grace so good a Penitent even at the last Gasp then ought we to despair of none because we know not whose Names are Writ in Heaven Luke 10.20 we never looked into the Lamb's Book of Life Rev. 13.8 The Election obtains Grace Rom. 11.7 though it be not till the Eleventh hour of the Day at the last Minute Mat. 20.6 9 c. As many as God ordains to Life do believe Acts 13.48 This Gist of God is given to them Eph. 2.8 Phil. 1.29 All those whom God Predestinateth he effectually calleth c. Rom. 8.30 Therefore seeing no mortal is of God's Privy Counsel to peruse the Records of Eternal Predestination that Man said not amiss who cried dum Spiro Spero while I breath I hope Grace may come Inter pontem fontem betwixt the long Race of a Wicked Life and the fatal stroke of final Death as here N. B. Note well The 2d Note here is If our Lord have such a precious Promise of giving that Beatifical place of the Celestial Paradise to the vilest of Sinners as this Thief was when becoming a Penitent how much more are they Accepted of him that fear God and Work Righteousness even the greatest part of their Lives c. Acts 10.34 35. The Fourth Word Christ spake upon the Cross was Eli Eli Lamasabacthani Mat 27.46 or Eloi Eloi
thou hast not suffâ—â—d me to go on iâ— the broad way to Hâ—ll to perish in my Ignorance as I might have done but seâ—ing them hast gâ—â—nâ—â—d me 〈…〉 for my 〈◊〉 Faith in thy Promises and powebâ—â—â— all before theâ— in Newâ—â—â—â— of Life therefore shall thou be my Lord my God 〈…〉 1. Thus God suffereth some slips in his Saints as in Thomas here thaâ— in their Recovery themselves 〈…〉 might be more confirmed Thomas his doâ—bting more advanceth and advantaâ—eth our Faith than either Mary Magdaâ—â—â— or the other Disciplâ— sooner believing did for while Thomas handled the wounds of Christ's flash he healed the wounds of Unbelief in us for his doubting put this great Truth oâ—â— of doubt to us God would not permit evil to be unless he could extract good out of it Note 2. How soon â—an Christ change the most pertinacious Unbelief into the most precious and saving Faith as here Thomas only felt the Manhood yet believes the Godhead of Christ's now his Faith was the evidence of things not sean Heb. 11. â—â— Now his Faith exeâ—â—'d his Sense on which before he had so much depended Note 3. Christ owns his Sense for Faith verse â—0 his seeing for some say he durst not touch his Lord was his believing Now 't is enough for Faith to see Christ in the flesh by the Apostle's Eyes as Israel did Canâ—an by the Eyes of the Spiâ—â— verse 29 30 31 CHAP. XL. Of Christ's Seventh Appearance THE Seventh Appearance of Christ after his Resurrection was to the Seven Apostles when they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberius which John only relateth chap. 21. verse 1. per totum where the Lord did more fully and in a peculiar manner restore Peter from his Fall in his Threefold Denial by a Threefold Confession of him c. This Sea of Tiberius is call'd the Sea of Galian also John 6.1 because Galilee is the Province adjacent to that Sea which is six Miles broad and sixteen Miles long The Apostles were now drawn out of Jerusalem and were drawing into Galilee according to the command of Christ Matth. 26.32 and the Admoâ—â—â—ion of the Angel Matth. 28.7 The Remarks of this Seventh Appearance are accordingly concerning the Time Place Persons Occasion and Manner of Christ's Manifestation c. to evidence that he was Risen indeed 1st The Time when 't was after that Appearance to the Eleven Disciples whereby Thomas was convinced of that great Truth and confirmed in the Faith of the Messiah which John relates in chap. 20.26 to the end And after these things saith the same Evangelist John 21.1 Christ appears again and confirms Peter more fully in this as he had done Thomas in that foregoing Appearance upon what day of the week this Appearance was is not expresly mentioned as before but some suppose it was upon the third first day for these Reasons 1. John calls this the Third time chap. 21. verse 14. which Grotius refers to the number of days for Christ's first five Appearantes were on the the first first day the very day of his Resurrection five several times to several persons then his Second Appearance was on that day seven night the very next first day to the Eleven c. Now follows this Appearance as to the day which John calls the Third Time as it relateth to the third first day or the Now Christian Sabbath and thus John's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or again verse 1. is explained by his verse 14. as Marks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or last Mark 16. v. 14. is explained both before and after The 2d Reason is Christ did not now as he had done before his Death so frequently and familiarly converse with his Disciples for it was incongruous that a person now Immortal should be always conversant with Mortal Men but only by Intervals though often to â—â—â—â—tifie the Reality of his Resursurrection and the Interval was betwixt one first day and another upon which days only he manifested himself for the better founding of the new Gospel-Sabbath The 3d. Reason is Though this Immortal Body did in State abscond it self for forty days yet it is probable that he shewed himself every first day while he abode upon Earth Note If we grant this Appearance to be upon a week day then may it give incouragement to God's People in their upholding Holy Meeting occasionally upon weeks-days also seeing Christ may and undoubtedly doth manifest himself upon week days as well as upon Sabbath-day Meetings When and wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them Matth. 18.20 especially if they love him he will manifest himself to them John 14.21 But upon whatever day this manifestation was made 't is expresly mentioned that it was in the Morning of that day John 〈◊〉 'T is probable our Lord waited until those seven Disciples would leave work being wearied with their succesless toiling all the night and hopeless of speeding better upon the day when noise round about doth affright away the Fisher from the Net However they learnt this Lesson which David taught That mourning lasts but till morning Psal 30.5 For though they were sad enough at their lost labour all night the Lâ—â—d all the while looking on and letting them labour in vain yet they sped better next morning through their Lord's presence and blessing Flebile principium melior forâ—una sequetur A good ending may follow a bad beginning The 2d Remark is the Place where it was This is apparent to be in Galilee whither the Apostles were now resorting as before to enjoy more of their Master's Appearance For though they had been priviledged with his presence once and again in Jerusalem which the Evangelist relateth in John 20.19 26. they still long for more and can be content to travel from the City so far as Galilee for such a beatifical Vision and how they began to be blest therewith the same John gives an account in chap. at While some have not warily enough observed the difference betwixt those Signs Christ shewed in Jerusalem to confirm the Faith of his Disciples and those he after shewed them in Galilee they have been of this Opinion that John 21. was not writ by John but added by another as the last Chapter of Deuteronomy was to the five Books of Moses because John seems to conclude his History in the end of his 20th Chapter Note Enquiry But why now will Christ again appear to them in Galilee seeing he had appeared twice already to confirm them in Jerusalem Answ Reason the first Because he had promised to go before them into Galilee by the Angel's mouth Mark 16.7 which going was Secondly An act of local motion intimating that all natural motions of a Body Christ retained still and doth retain them even in Glory as sitting standing going c. The Angel said to Mary Magdalen Lo he is not here c. Mark 16.6 and verse 7. He goes before you into
yet our Saviour tells him he looked upon all the good or evil done to his Members as done to himself And 2 The Lord reclaims him with a Proverbial speech borrowed from stubborn Oxen or Slaves whom Men used to prick on to their work with Goads c. which being obstinately spurned at did usually wound their Spurnets shewing hereby that such Kickers against the pricks of the Law Deut. 32.15 and 1 Sam. 2.29 do it to their damage and deadly detriment Much more such as are Kickers against the pricks of the Gospel How much sorer punishment do such deserve c. Heb. 10.28 29. N.B. As this should teach Persecutors Moderation so must it teach the Persecuted Patience knowing that the evil which evil men do will recoil on their own heads Persecutors do but provoke God who is more potent than the most powerful persecuting Potentate to lay a more crushing load upon them and to batter them down by a more fatal blow 1 Cor. 10.22 Jer. 7.19 c. whereby the Innocency of Christ in his Members may be vindicated N.B. Thus our Lord had knocked down this Persecutor here to the Earth and he seconds his Blow with these Rebuking words By this time Saul laying all along groveling upon the ground became humbled and docible his foregoing Question Who art thou Lord were words of one doubting yet desirous to learn and somewhat disposed to believe In his Who art thou he acknowledged his Ignorance yet in calling him Lord this was a word of Faith It was a sign of some feeble inclinations toward Believing Saul lay still but a little while humbled under Christ's mighty hand then moves he his second Question with trembling and astonishment Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 Oh what a strange change is apparent here wrought by an immediate and omnipotent hand of Christ How soon is Saul altered from himself he is now not only another Man as his old Name-sake King Saul was 1 Sam. 10.6 but as it were a quite contrary Creature not a Wolf as before but now a Lamb. The Wolf that had hainously hunted and hideously howled for catching his Prey now gently couches here like an harmless Sheep yea and which is more admirable is become both willing and desirous to hear the Voice of the Shepherd He that had been so violent to oppose is now made a Volunteer to obey the Gospel of Christ and he that thought he had done God good service John 16.2 in persecuting Christ now offers himself as Rasa Tabula a white Paper for Christ who had now rased or scraped out the depraved principles of his mistaken Zeal to write the Divine Principles of his Evangelical Law upon the Tables of his heart his heart was now in the hand of Christ and was as a Rased Table out of which his Raging and furious Phrenzy against the Gospel was well wiped off and now 't is made a Marble Monument Ingraven with Christ's Graving-Tool the lively Pourtraiture of Saving Grace N.B. 'T is not What shall I say but That shall I do We may sooner find a fire without any operative heat and a burning Nature than a true Convert without a lively heart and a working grace The Mark in the forehead of one whose name is writ in the Lamb's Book of Life is that he willingly and speedily inquireth after his Lord's Will that he may do it 't is not the talking but the walking and working person that is the true Christian indeed Such an one crys with converted Saul here Lord Reform me of my sins Inform me of thy Will and Conform my will and way to it N.B. The Lord's Answer to Saul's second Question was Arise go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do Here be three remarkable parts in this Answer The First is Saul is bid by his Lord to Arise He was knock'd down and fallen to the ground by the Lord's Power but now hath he not only the Lord's leave but Life also to Rise again Christ did not strike Saul down to confound him but to convert him His heavy Revengeful hand could have done the former Psal 2.12 so have made him to perish in his way of wickedness but his gracious and compassionate heart did the latter that he might become a Monument of Mercy upon Divine Record to all Generations 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. Saul did but fall to rise again Christ thus smites him to heal him who otherwise would have smitten Christ in his Members to have wounded himself against the pricks he kick'd at This was a favourable though an affrighting stroke that did strike down with a design to raise up again N.B. Why should we not humble our selves under that hand which hath therefore cast us down when a very little time is over Isa 10.25 to lift us up again Should we lay still that little time N.B. Secondly Go into the City He was going to Damascus before at the Devil 's bidding but now he hath the Lord's leave and Law for it Why he rose not up the same Man as when he fell down for he fell from a Wolf a Saul a Persecutor but he rises again a Lamb a Paul a Preacher c. As he had now a better Authority to go thither than was his Commission from the High-Priest so he had now likewise a better Errand It was not now for other's destruction but for his own instruction N.B. So it follows Thirdly Ananias though he was taught immediately by Christ himself Gal. 1.12 must be his Teacher whose Destruction he designed but now whose Instruction must be accepted Thus Christ honoured his own Ordinance here and Acts 10.3 6. Neither did Christ Read a Lecture of Redemption unto Saul here nor the Angel to Cornelius there but both are referred to Preachers that the Ministry and the use of Gospel-means which are call'd the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 might be commended thereby N.B. The Fourth Remarkable Circumstance is the Testimony or Witnesses of Saul's Conversion to wit the Men that Journied with him Acts 9 7. 'T is evident he carried many Companions with him such as were base Bailiffs and busie Pursivants or Sergeants by whom he was designed by the Sanhedrim to bring both Men and Women that profess'd Christianity bound to Jerusalem verse 2. which was a fuller Aggravation of his Sin to involve others in the same guilt and provocation of God N.B. 'T is said that those Fellow-Travellers of Saul saw indeed the Lightning and heard the Thunder and were struck astonished thereat yea struck down with Saul to the ground Acts 26.14 And though they heard a Voice here that is a confused Noise or an Inarticulate Sound as of Thunder yet did they not hear that Articulate Voice of Christ that spake so powerfully so convincingly and so convertingly to Saul Acts 22 9. Thus it was in a parallel case The People are said to hear that Voice which spake to Christ from Heaven yet
be either Hector'd by threatnings or allured by Flatteries to lay down his ministry and desist from his preaching-work No doubt but his silence would have been his security both against the malice of the adverse Jews and against the power of the Idolatrous Pagans But a Necessity was laid upon him and a wo unto him if he preached not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 which himself denounced Fourthly This he did also with all confidence and with an undaunted Courage for his love to Christ was somewhat like Christ's love to him stronger than death Cant. 8.6 As Christ had dyed for him so was he ready to dye for Christ Acts 21.13 and he was the more confident because none were found so fool-hardy to attempt the making him timerous and diffident as followeth Fifthly no man forbidding him not because the Jews wanted malice or the Pagans power but because God who setteth bounds to the raging Sea Job 38.11 who suffered not a Dog to bark at Israel's coming so calmly out of inraged Aegypt Exod. 11. v. 7. and who shut the Mouths of the hungry Lions that they hurt not Daniel Dan. 6. v. 22. did deliver Paul both from Nero and from the Jews So that it was then even in Rome-Heathen as impossible to hinder the progress of the Gospel as to stop the Sun from shining or the Wind from blowing Yet such attempts are in Rome-Anti-christian at this day Wherein the contrary to all the afore-said may easily be exemplified Joseph did indeed provide a Granary or store-house of Corn in every City and Village against the famine that lay on the Land of Aegypt But popish Countries want such a Joseph Publick Statutes are made to forbid Christians of the Reformed Religion from having either publick or private places of meeting into worship God and no man incouraging contrary to this here where there 's no man forbiding The Supplement after the last of Acts 28. CHAP. XXIX A Scripture account of Paul while at Rome c. VVHERE Luke the Evangelist tho' guided by the good Spirit of God yet thought it his duty to desist from giving any farther account of the History of the Apostles Lives and Acts and more especially of the Apostle Paul's with whom he was a constant companion in Rome There must I begin this my Supplement N.B. Wherein because Ecclesiastical History having only an humane Testimony is found both various and uncertain about the lives and deaths of the Apostles therefore I shall not dare to confine my following Discourse unto what is Recorded by Nicephorus Eusebius and others from whose Conjectural Relations nothing can be positively and with undenyable evidence asserted N.B. Now that the Sequel and Supplement of this Apostolical History may be as Harmonious Homogeneal and Symbolizing with the former foregoing twenty eight Chapters as the matter may admit I have thought of this Expedient to bottom my Assertions still upon such Historical Hints as are found scattered here and there in the Sacred Scriptures namely in the Canonical Epistles of the Divinely Inspired Apostles themselves which they wrote upon several occasions as they were guided by the Holy Ghost to give an infallible Account N. B. Hitherto we have had lent us by the Lord a Divine Clew of Thread to lead us through this vast Labyrinth of writing the History of the Apostles Lives so far as Luke who wrote their Acts so called hath led us which Book of the Acts might as well be called The Wonders of the Apostles considering what Wonders it containeth not only such Wonders as were wrought by the Apostles but also for them to deliver preserve and incourage them in their prodigious Apostolical Work Insomuch as all the Attempts both of the Tempter himself the Red Dragon and of all his many and mighty Tools which he imployed for silencing the Apostles and for stopping the progress of Christianity which was every where spoken against Acts 28 22. were confoundingly disappointed N.B. We may well therefore call that History of the Apostles not only the Acts a name wherewith that holy Pen-man Luke the Apostles themselves modestly contented themselves but also the Wonder of Wonders wherein the Truth and Power of God did so wonderfully appear that the Gospel should be so irresistibly propagated by them when all men generally both Jews and Gentiles in all Places and of all Ranks both Princes and Peasants opposed it So that the Doctrine of Christianity which the Apostles taught had the multitude the Powers and Authority the Wisdom of the whole World yea and if all the seeming Sanctity that then was in the World to wit among the Jews all these every where were against it Christ was a Sign spoken against as was foretold of him Luke 2.34 in all places by all people N.B. Now what could rationally be expected in such a desperate case and concern which the Apostles undertook and entred upon but that every natural man would at the least suspect that which all the World so generally condemned Notwithstanding all this universal opposition yet did the Gospel prevail and run through the World like a Sun-beam yea and did so much so universally and so constantly flourish in despite of both Angry Men and of Inraged Devils that indeed this became by the mighty Power of God no less than a wonder of Wonders N.B. Now waving Ecclesiastical History let us still stick to the Sacred Scriptures so far as they give light to this Apostolical History Re-assuming the passages of Providence that attended Paul after his coming to Rome The first Remark farther concerning Paul is His writing several Epistles during his Imprisonment at Rome to several Churches and Persons Luke who accompany'd Paul to Rome as appeareth by his phrase We all along Acts 27. and more expresly in Acts 28. And when we came to Rome verse 16 c. gives no farther account of him but only of his lying a Prisoner there for two whole years and Preaching c. Acts 28.30 31. N.B. As it cannot be supposed that Paul spent all this two whole years time in his Preaching work for this would have wearied hoth himself and his Auditors but that there must be a due Interval betwixt one exercise and another not so much for his private Preparations in his Study because he had an extraordinary Apostolical gift c. So nor may it be imagined that such an Indefatigable Labourer in God's Vineyard could carelesly omit the Improvement of his Horae succisivae or spare hours in this two whole years time and therefore 't is no more than rational to affirm that during this his long Confinement he wrote sundry Epistles c. as above But beside the rationality hereof some Scripture-Light may confirm it Note As 1. His Epistle to the Galatians he wrote from Rome this is render'd the more probable 1. From the Postscript of that Epistle unto the Galatians written from Rome tho' this be no part of the Canonical Scripture for in other Postscripts to some