stoned ver 35. This was the heaviest of all the four kinds of Death that Malefactors suffered in Israel for capital Crimes some were Sentenced to be Strangled others to be Slain with the Sword some to be Burned and others to be Stoned the two last were undoubtedly the most painful because longer in Dying and therefore inflicted upon the grossest Offenders Though in Man's Judgment this might seem too severe a Sentence for such a seeming small Offence yet in God's Judgment it is not a light offence notwithstanding too many men make but little of it to prophane the Sabbath by doing needless Works upon that Holy Day We may well suppose that this Sinner by the Connexion of ver 30. with this Relation sinn'd presumptuously and with publick scandal 5. He was Executed accordingly being carried without the Camp which was a Circumstance aggravating the Punishment being a kind of Reproach as the Apostle noteth Heb. 13.11 12 13. This was done to the Blasphemer before Lev. 24.14 Thus Jezabel did to Naboth under the Notion of Blasphemy 1 King 21.13 and thus the Jews stoned Stephen under the pretence of a Blasphemer without the City both these wicked Deeds were done afterwards However the severity upon this Sinner sheweth of what weight the Commandment touching the Sabbath is the Prophanation whereof God would have thus dolorously to be avenged and it declares the folly and phrensie of the Swedes c. where the baser sort of the People do always break the Sabbath saying that 't is only the Duty of Gentlemen to keep that Day How much better said that poor Indian in New-England soon after its first Plantation by the English who coming by and beholding one of our Countrey-men profaning the Sabbath by felling a Tree said to him Do you not know that this is the Lord's-day Much macket man that is thou very wicked Man what break you God's Day The best and wealthiest of the Jews saith Buxtorf in his Synagogue will with their own Hands sweep the House kindle Fires chop Herbs cleave Wood c. on the Day before the Sabbath call'd their Preparation-day to prevent any servile Work upon their high Sabbath-day This severity doth likewise farther signifie the Eternal Death of such as do not keep the Sabbath of Christ entring into the rest of God by Faith and ceasing from their own Works as God did from his Heb. 4.1 2 3 4 10 11. finding Rest for the Soul in Christ Matth. 11.28 Then after the Violation of the Sabbath thus severely punished God gives a Law of Fringes upon their Garments as a sign of remembrance to help frail sievy memories broken by the fall the Sky colour'd Ribband ver 38. taught them that though their Commoration was on Earth their Conversation must be in Heaven Phil. 3.20 And the Garment taught that they must put on Christ Rom. 13.14 That Wedding-Garment Mat. 22.11 and the new Man Eph. 4.24 and the Armour of God Eph. 6.11 c. 'T is thought Christ wore such a Fringe which the Woman touch'd and was cured c. Luk. 8.44 The next remarkable Occurrence at Kadesh Barnea was the fatal Conspiracy of Korah c. Numb 16. in which the Causes and the Effects or Events thereof are principally to be considered 1. The Causes are three 1. The Efficient 2. The Material 3. The formal Cause 1. The Efficient is either Principal as Korah Cousin-German to Moses and Aaron for Izhar his Father was Brother to Amram their Father ver 1. Exod. 6.18 all of the Tribe of Levi and Hon Dathan and Abiram who were of Reuben's Tribe the Eldest Patriarch and next Neighbours to Korah in the Camp whereby they were the sooner corrupted by him Vvaque corruptâ livorem ducit ab Vvâ For this corrupting of others he is branded as the prime Author of the Rebellion Jude ver 11. Numb 27.3 or less principal ver 2. He decoy'd into his Conspiracy Men of Note and Name famous for their Parts and Parentage whereby the Rebellion was much corroborated as Gen. 6 4. These Men of Name both for Wealth and Wisdom made the Conspiracy stronger against Moses as did that of the Giants against God himself Corruptio optimi est pessima the more famous of Note those Princes and Statesmen were the more notorious became their Sin of Mutiny and Rebellion Of most dangerous consequence was this Conspiracy for as in a Beast the Body will follow the Head so the Mobile Vulgus call'd Bellua multorum Capitum the Multitude follow their Heads Great Men are their looking glasses by which they dress themselves Their Sins do as seldom go unattended as their Persons c. those were two â—â—ndred and fifty Princes in number 2. The Material Cause was Korah's Ambition of the Priesthood ver 3 10. He being a Levite of the Kohathites which was the chief Family of the Levites having the charge of the Ark Table Candlestick Altars and the most Holy things of the Sanctuary took offence and envied at the preferment of Elizaphan the Son of a Younger Brother Vzziel whereas himself was of Izhar Elder than He Numb 3.27 28 29 30 31. This Affectation of Honour was restless and unsatisfiable growing like the Crocodile so long as it lives and lifts up Korah not only against Elizaphan but also against Moses and Aaron in seeking the Priesthood also 3. The Formal Cause Which is expressed in Korah and his Complices accusing Moses and Aaron for unjustly usurping both the chief Magistracy and chief Ministry v. 3. Saying Ye take too much State too much Power too much Honour too much Holiness in appropriating to your selves those publick Administrations wherein all the People being as Holy may partake with you Secondly The Effects of those aforesaid Causes follow namely 1. The correction of those Conspirators and 2. Their confusion First Their Correction is two-fold 1. Humane 2. Divine for First Moses falls upon his face v. 4. and begs of God to direct him how to correct and convince those Conspirators c. This he doth as an humble Supplicant in this lowly posture not only that God might not proceed against them for their sin as he doth v. 22. in conjunction with Aaron but also Addresseth to Korah the Ring-leader of that Rebellion with most moving and Cogent Arguments which God at his desire had directed him to use that he and his Complices might not proceed any farther in their Conspiracy from v. 5 to v. 19. Wherein there is a multifarious fierce altercation pro and con betwixt Korah and Moses More particularly 1. Moses truly retorts upon them the same that they had falsely charged upon him and Aaron v. 7. as Elijah did after upon Ahab 1 King 18.17 18. 2. Out of his particular Faith and Confidence in God who would maintain their Cause and Calling extraordinary against all opposers He telleth Korah that To morrow the Lord will declare manifestly whether he hath made choice of us for those chiefest Offices of Principality
us Rom. 6.14 And though Esau becomes sometimes so strong as to cast off Jacob's Yoak according to the Prophecy Gen. 27.40 in Jorams day when Israel were Apostatized 2 King 8.20 Yet were his posterity brought into subjection again And thus though the Flesh may under some Spiritual Desertion prevail against the Spirit yet never Totally and Finally Rebel it may but Reign it cannot in a gracious Heart It may play the Tyrant but never Rule as a Chosen King Israel had cast off Gods Yoak and Covenant so Edom cast off theirs for a while yet Ten Thousand of them were cast down a Rock to break their Necks 2 King 14.7 2 Chron. 25.2 yet Israel never serv'd Edom nor Spirit the Flesh Oh that the Rock Christ may break the Neck of all our Edomites inordinate Affections c. Having run through the History and Mystery of the First General part Jacob's Birth come we now to the Second General To wit Jacob's Life wherein there be three Grand Remarks The 1. is Jacob's flight to Padan-Aram 2. His Abode there for a long time 3. His Return thence In the first his Flight from his Fathers House are considerable 1. His Inducements compelling him to go thither 2. His Encouragements comforting him in his going this long Journey 1. Of the first of these the Motive or Impulsive cause inducing him to it was to withdraw himself from the Fury of his enraged Brother Esau who was highly incensed against him for bereaving him of his Fathers Blessing Gen. 27. as before he had of his own Birthright Gen. 25. The Birthright and the Blessing must go together Esau had undervalued the former and therefore he most righteously is deprived of the latter The loss of the Birthright made way for his loss of the Blessing for in the Right of the Birthright there were these Priviledges 1. The First Born succeeded the Father in Dignity and Authority so that the younger Brothers were to give place to him Gen. 27.2 The Elder was called not the Younger 2. He was to have a Double Portion of his Fathers Estate Deut. 21.17 1 Chron. 5.1 and 2 Chron. 21.3 3. He must have the peculiar Blessing from his Dying Father as Gen. 27.4 4. The Honour of the Priesthood was entailed upon him so long as his Brethren did Cohabit with him Thus Bereshit Rabba saith Before the Tabernacle was Built the Domestick Worship was managed by the First Born The Levites were chosen by God in their stead for this work Num. 3.6.12 and 8.6.14.17 18. 5. The Father Dying he was the Lord and Prince of the rest Thus Jacob called Esau his Lord and himself his Servant He and his bowing before him Gen. 33.5 6 7 8. and 13. Yet when Isaac had Blessed Jacob instead of Esau he saith I have made Jacob thy Lord Gen. 27.37 6. This Primogeniture was a sacred thing as it was a Type of Adoption so looked toward Life Eternal and hence the Jerusalemite Paraphrase addeth in Esau's selling of the Birthright to Jacob he sold with it Heaven also whereof it was a Type and Pledge No wonder then if Esau be Branded for a prophane Person Heb. 12.16 for despising his Primogeniture which had so many priviledges as the Promise Priority Priesthood c. wrap'd up in it yea 't is not improbable that Esau had long out of his Prophaneness underpriz'd this priviledge and had oft offer'd it to Jacob before which may be gathered from the words of Jacob Mikrah li cajom fell me to Day and Hishabgnah li cajom swear to me to Day Gen. 25.31 33. As if he had said That which thou hast offered me so oft now effectually perform it 'T is likely there had been some Parlies about this Primogeniture before this for Esau was too Prophane for the Priesthood having more mind to converse with unreasonable Creatures in Hunting in the Field than with reasonable Men and Women in Family worship As to the Double Portion he much mattered nor for he presumed to have enough by his Hunting or as his Father foretold of him Gen. 27.48 he could Carve out a competency to himself by his Sword Therefore Having oft as 't is probable made light of it and proffered it to his Brother Jacob now takes the advantage of his Hunger and makes a firm and final Bargain by Oath about it 'T is supposed that the same Famine which caused Isaac to Depart from the Country Gen. 26. might also occasion Esau to part with his Birthright For it is apparent there was great scarcity of Victuals when Jacob was brought to his Lentil Pottage and when Esau if he got not some share of those Pottage look'd on himself as like to Famish Some blame Jacob for unkindness to his Brother in necessity but 't is by others safer suppos'd that Jacob carried on this Contract by a secret instinct or Divine Revelation consulting with his Mother and the Oracle of God How weak soever Jacob was herein which yet God over-rul'd for his own Glory 'T is certain Esau was wicked 1. In despising such a Dignity 2. In limiting it to his Life 3. In chaffering it away so Cheap 4. In preferring present Temporals before pretious Spirituals and future Eternals All this he did willingly and Volenti non fit Injuria 't was Jacobs Piety and Esaus prophaneness Jacob strove for it at his Birth taking hold on Esaus Heel Gen. 25 26. As if he would have turned up his Heels and got to the Goal before him wherein Aben-Ezra noteth that this posture of Jacob's putting forth his hand did break the skin wherein himself was wrapp'd to take hold of his Brothers Heels as it were to pull him back and give way to his Birth which did plainly prognosticate that he would break in upon his Brothers Birthright not that he had any sense or understanding then to strive against the carnal Generation but he was at that time used as an instrument by the Spirit of God who stirr'd him up thus to wrestle with Esau whereby was prefigured that wrestling which would be betwixt the Carnal and Spiritual Seed Yet afterwards Jacob purchases by Price what he could not at his Birth procure by Power He buys the Birthright with Pottage when a Youth which he could not win by Force while an Infant and Unborn ◠Hence have we these Remarks 1. Jacob is the Picture of a Godly Man as Esau of the Ungodly he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plain Man Gen. 25.27 as without welt or guard guile or gall he was smooth in his conversation not rough as Esau 2. Jacob was an heeler or supplanter as his name signifies so should every good man be to his Lusts Psal 49.5 and the more stiff-necked they be the more need of God as Moses words do import Exod. 34.9 to help us in it Psal 71.16 3. As Jacob strove for the Birth-right at his Birth but mist it yet fainted not but gets it after so we must contend for Divine Blessings Jude
and my Judgment-Hall which consisted at least of Three So by we is meant in the Hebrew succinct Speech God Three in One and One in Three Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa All the Three Persons are undivided all concur in External Actions Hermes that antient Aegyptian who flourished before Pharaoh did acknowledge something of this Great Truth from whence he had his Name of Trismegistus for owning the Three great ones And the Heathen Sages after him had some blind Notions hereof as appeareth by Plutarch who reporteth that in Thebe a Town of Aegypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be Immortal and painted him in the likeness of a man blowing an Egg out of his mouth to signifie that he made the round World by his Word and Breath of his Mouth But Christian Faith reacheth farther than Heathens Reason for by Faith we understand that the World was made by the Word of God Heb. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Christ who is the Essential Word and the flowings forth as the word signifies or lettings out of Divine Wisdâ—â— Power and Goodness for God was as it were contracted and contained all within himself from all Eternity but now in the Creation he becomes Deus expansus explicatus letting out himself to the Creature Thus Christ is called the Manifestation of God and the Declarer of the Father Joh. 1.18 John Baptist is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voice but Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word by which the world was made As Verbum est animi Index the Speech discovers the Spirit so Christ unbosoms the Father and the Creation is nothing else but the Creator unfolding himself and dispersing his Divine Essence into several Veins and Channels of the Creature Mundus Vniversus nihil aliud est quà m Deus Explicatus the world is onely God expressed the Invisible is clearly seen as in a Mirrour or on a Theater in things that are visible Rom. 1.19 20. as the Sun is beheld in the waters so is God in his works either by way of Negation Causality or Eminence per species Creaturea The second Enquiry is What is the Material Cause out of which all things were Created Answ God made something out of nothing and out of that something all things Nothing here is not taken privatively as 1 Cor. 8.4 an Idol is nothing to wit privatively as having nothing of a Divine Essence in it yet positively it is something that is Wood or Stone c. Nor 2. is it taken Comparatively as Isa 40.17 All the world is nothing to wit in comparison of the Great God But 3. 't is taken negatively and simply God having no praeexisting matter to work upon as the word Bara created signifies being a word in its proper sense proper and peculiar to God himself so should not be parasitically Attributed to the mightiest of men as too oft it is in Creating Earls Marquesses Dukes unless the Creators and the Created were both holy as God is and Man was There was nothing from Eternity besides God neither is God the Matter or any part of the Creature therefore the world was made out of nothing This puts the difference betwixt Creation and Generation this latter is a production of something out of something but the former of something out of nothing There be three principal Operators Art Nature and God That worker which needeth the fewest helps is the most perfect worker 1. Art needs many helps 2. Nature needs but few But 3. God needeth none at all God is the first Cause and the World was the first effect 'T is a Rule or Maxime Inter primam Causam primum effectum nil intervenit Nothing can come between the first Cause and the first effect therefore in the Creation there could neither be any praeexisting Matter nor any Coassisting Instruments God himself was both the Father and Mother of all Created Beings God was the Father of the World begetting it by his Word and both bringing it out and bringing it up in six days by the overshadowings of the Spirit Gen. 1.2 All this arises from the Efficiency of God who is a most pure Act and is Omnipotency it self is there any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18.14 Job knew that God could do every thing Job 42.2 All things but Lying Dying and denying himself are possible with God Matth. 19.26 his counsel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure Isa 46.10 What God pleaseth to do without all peradventure he is able to do as he is Omnipotent yet may we not argue from his power to his will but from his will to his power Though God be Omniscient Omnipresent and Omnipotent yet is he not Omnivolent he can do more than he will do he can do whatsoever he pleaseth yet he is not pleased to do whatsoever he can God by his Absolute power is able to do all things that are possible though he never do them he can by this unlimited power make a World and unmake it again in a moment he can of stones raise up Children to Abraham Matth. 3.9 c. but by his actual and ordinate power he doth that onely which he willeth to do whatsoever he willeth that he doth both in Heaven and Earth Psal 115.3 135.6 This power God hath limited by his own will wisdom and having freely limited himself according to his own Decree of Secret will and according to his word or revealed will he changeth not because he is unchangeable Jam. 1.17 Some things God can and will not as Matth. 3.9 26.53 Rom. 9.18 c. And some things God neither will nor can to wit such as contradict his Essence and import Impotency 't is safer to say such things cannot be done than that God cannot do them but whatsoever he willeth that he without impediment effecteth as he did the Creation of the world out of nothing Why therefore should it be thought a thing incredible either that God should raise the dead to life Act. 26.8 or that God should make world of nothing 'T is a received rule Quicquid est in Deo est Deus whatsoever is in God is God and so is that Esse posse operari non distinguuntur in Deo Gods Essâ—nce Omnipotency and Efficiency are not to be distinguished in God save only as to our capacity Divine Essence being Almighty and a most pure act doth necessarily infer a Divine Efficiency which made the world of nothing the word of signifying not any Matter but only Order Creation was in Matter but not of Matter not of Matter praeexisting before but of Matter coexisting in the act of Creation The first Matter God made out of nothing was that Rudis indigestáque Moles called the confused Chaos a rude Draught and an undigested lump at the first as the Matter of all things that were afterwards to be Created This first Matter was all things in power yet nothing in act this
into the Heart so Obedience is the letting out of God into the life here is God manifest in the Flesh of his Saints as was after a more transcendent manner in the Flesh of his Son 1 Tim. 3.16 Col. 2.9 otherwise we are alienated from the life of God Eph. 4.18 if we do not lead a Godly life which kind of life none can live but those that do partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 whereby they are renewed to be Holy as God is in Quality though not in Equality 1 Pet. 1.15 and to resemble him in countenance and condition as Children do their Father but such as are thus without God Eph. 2.12 the Devil works in them as the Blacksmith works in his Shop Eph. 2.2 Hammering out many Hard and Hot works of wickedness The Obedience of Faith in Abraham doth evidently appear in all his Ten Tryals I shall Instance and Insist upon only the first and the last of those Ten as the Author to the Hebrews doth Heb. 11.8 and 17. and first of the first Get thee out of thy Country c. said God to Abraham Gen. 12.1 and he obeyed this call by the strength of his Faith This proposition consists of a subject and a predicate the subject is Abrahams Person whereon I have spoken in the threefold aforesaid resemblance the predicate is Abrahams Action his obeying the Call and Command of God wherein four circumstances are very remarkable 1. The Time when it was when God call'd 2. The Terminus à quo or place from whence God call'd him 3. The Terminus ad quem or Countrey whither he was call'd 4. The Reason or End why he was thus said unto by the great God Get thee out of thy Countrey c. First of the first to wit the time when Abraham was call'd It was while he lived in Ur of the Chaldees for Abraham lived with his Father Terah in that place and in Haran or Charan a City of Mesopotamia till he was seventy sive years old Gen. 12.4 and Acts 7.2 3 4. There and then did the God of Glory appear to Abraham Gen. 11.28 This that Blessed Proto-martyr Stephen being filled with the Holy Ghost intimateth to convince those Superstitious and Blood-thirsty Jews who conceited that Religion was confined to Canaan or Jerusalem that Abraham had the true Religion even in Chaldea and in Charan before ever he saw Canaan or receiv'd Circumcision or before any Ceremonies were appointed by the Ministry of Moses and before there was either Tabernacle or Temple When Abraham dwelt with his Father on the other side of Euphrates and served Idols Josh 24.2 even then did God call him out of his Countrey yea call'd him to his Foot Isa 41.2 making him to follow his Call and to run as a Lackey at Gods Stirrup as it were with a blessed though a blind Obedience not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 no much caring so long as he had God by the Hand or might follow him as his Guide step by step Abraham as it were winked when he had put himself and his Hand into Gods Holy Hand to be led at his Divine Leisure and Pleasure By Faith Abraham when called obeyed Heb. 11.8 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports reverence in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and obedience in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not stop his Ear with the Adder to this great Charmer Psal 58.4 5. but he listen'd and hearken'd to Gods Call with an â—weful respect Christ Sheep do know his voice John 10.4 and his Companions or Friends such as Abraham was do hear and follow it Cant. 8.13 and Revel 14.4 Thus Abraham did not dispute but dispatch Gods command but immediately departed without Sciscitation or Carnal Reasonings against it Gen. 12.4 his inner and outer Man were Relatives so it should be with us The second Circumstance is the place from whence which is Twofold 1. Ur. 2. Haran which signifies in the Hebrew Fire and Wrath and so the History includes a Mystery As to the History touching Abraham's departure 1. From Ur of the Chaldees Gen. 11.28 31. where his Father Terah seems to have the Honour of that first Journey for he being inform'd of that Divine Oracle to his Son Abraham it seems repented of his Idolatry and consented to depart from that Idolatrous Countrey and hath the Honour of being principal therein though the Call was immediately and more especially to Abraham his Son Acts 7.2 3. and though they and them mentioned in Gen. 11.31 be meant of both Terah and Abraham yet the Call was chiefly to Abraham Gen. 15.7 and Neh. 9.7 The second place of his Removal was Haran this was after his Father Terah's Death Gen. 11.32 and 12.1 2 4. and Acts 7.4 who probably for his old Age was the cause of his Son Abraham's Sojourning and staying in Haran and hence some think it probable that as Abraham had two Calls from God the first from Ur when his Father was living and from whence the good old Man went along with him The second was from Haran after Terah was dead In the first Call God bid Abraham Get out of thy Countrey not mentioning his Fathers House to be left behind him for his Father went along with him yet this Phrase and more is added at his second Call Gen. 12.1 2. for it would have been not only of bad report among Idolaters but also an Act of undutifulness in it self to have forsaken his old Father and to have left him from whom he had both his Being and Succour succourless in the World From hence have we these choice Remarks and Mysteries The first Remark and Mystery is Parents ought not to hinder their Children from good and from obedience to God Here Terah the old Father did not rebuke Abraham his Son for being too full of Fancy nor charg'd him upon his Blessing to abide in his Native Countrey and not to be so Fantastical as to follow so fond a Call that told him not of the place whither he was to go he did not say to his Son Wil t thou leave a certainty for an uncertainty or wilt thou be wiser than all thy Fore-fathers c. Thus ignorant Parents say now to their enlightned Children Tange Montes Fumigabunt touch the Mountains and they will smoke Psal 144.5 If Inferiours do but touch Superiours in crossing them in their vain Customs Jer. 10.3 by not conforming to them Oh how some in such a Case are Acted more by Rage than by Right or Reason as Nebuchadnezzar was Dan. 3.19 and as too many Parents are but so was not Joash to his Son Gideon Judg. 6.27 30 31. who bravely defended him against the many-headed multitude in his Reformation and so was not Terah here to his Son but would go along with him in Obedience to God as far as his old Legs would carry him at the very first Call and therefore had he the honour of being principal in the first Removal Let
had served his Uncle with all his power Gen. 31.6 Oh that we could serve the Lord so who is a far better Master a more Liberal Lord and a more Bountiful Benefactor than ever churlish Laban could be to Jacob. All this doth plainly hold our that God is a good Master and will see to his Servants that they lose not all as Laban design'd Jacob should do by severing the Ring-straked from the white c. Gen. 30.34 Hoping thereby to disappoint Jacob of having any thing for his Wages in that way he himself had so modestly proposed casting himself chiefly upon the good Providence of God in the use of lawful means as we all ought to do though the World like Laban doth think it neither pity nor iniquity to defraud us of those things that are due to us both as Men and as Christians Neither did God who is Lord of all Acts 10.36 any wrong to Laban in transferring his Cattel to Jacob no more than to the Canaanites when he gave their Land to the Israelites for God is the true Proprietary of all the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Psal 24.1 God gives but his own Goods to whomsoever he gives them and may not the Lord do what he will with his own Matth. 20.15 Besides God herein gave to Jacob what was due to him by a double right 1. In respect of his Twenty years Service all which time he served without Wages as he complains Gen. 31.6 7. In regard of his Wives Dowry hereof his own Daughters do complain as a part of their Fathers Hardness saying Hath he not sold us and doth he not count us as strangers c. Gen. 31.15 16. So that God only directed Jacob to recover out of his churlish Uncles hands that which was his right and due to him both as wages for his hard service and as a Debt for his Wives Dowry Thus the Israelites borrowed of the Egyptians their best things which were but a due Recompence to them for their long Service and cruel Bondage Therefore Laban had as little cause to look lowringly upon Jacob as his Sons had reproachfully to rail at him and the great Grudge which the Father bare against Jacob in his heart providentially proclaimed by the frowns of his face upon him before friendly now spiteful Hen quà m difficile est Animum non prodere Vultu The Fathers frowns I say grieved this good man more and wounded him worse than all the Fraps and Frumps of Slanders that the bare-fac'd Boys blurted out of their black mouths speaking their malicious minds freely This was the double occasion of Jacobs resolve to Return which he would not do rashly without a warrantable cause and call God was good to Jacob while Laban and his Sons were evil to him 1. In giving him due warning to beware of their wicked Intents against him by the backbiting words of the one and by the lowring looks of the other therefore must he look to himself 2. God bids him look homeward Gen. 31.3 11 12 13. This was the third and the fullest call for his Return Oh that the Worlds Affronts and the Frowns of wicked men who change their Countenances as Times do change towards us may drive us to him who changeth not Jam. 1.17 and may make us more to look homewards to our Heavenly Canaan and Countrey Heb. 11.14 15 16. where we shall have a better place v. 10. than heart-grieving Mesheks Psal 120.5 and better company than churlish Laban and his currish Sons The two former Reasons both Impulsive Causes of Jacobs Return were Humane arising from the Sons carriage and the Fathers countenance but this third Reason of his Removal was Divine from the Oracle of God so more clear and satisfactory than the other two upon this he obeys Gods call in way of Duty and trusts him with the Event and Success thereof Former experience of Gods favour breeds in him future confidence therein Hereupon he first consulting with his Wives as it ought to be in weighty matters especially in Removes and gaining their consent they preferring an Husband before a Father according to Gods Word Gen. 2.24 Psal 45.16 casts himself and all his upon God who call'd him and commanded him to be gone He packs up his bag and baggage and yet steals away secretly Gen. 31.20 27. Gods Saints are often put upon the use of such means for their own safety as render them contemptible to worldly and wicked men Jacob assuredly feared that had Laban known of his departure his Avarice and Malice was such as he would lay his Tarrying-Irons upon him and not permit him to go away so long as he could stay him as a Servant whose service had long been a vast blessing to his small Estate NB. Jacobs obedience to Gods command was attended with two remarkable Mischiefs and Discouragements yet the God of Jacob who had promised him his presence carried him safely and comfortably through both This teacheth us two Truths 1. That evils may attend good men even in the way of obedience as Christs Disciples were going whither Christ had commanded them to go Matth. 14.22 yet in their way thither they met with a most dreadful storm v. 24. so that they were almost ship-wrack'd by the boisterous blasts the Prince of the Air had raised which sat cross and contrary to them and if the Winds be contrary to blow in the face of those that walk in the way of obedience oh what horrible Tempests of Fire and Brimstone of the most tormenting temper may beat upon the backs of those that are found in ways of disobedience Psal 11.6 The first thing God will rain upon the disobedient is Snares to catch them and to hold them fast that they may surely and certainly suffer all the rest that follow there God will assuredly command his Judgments to go forth and take hold of the wicked suddenly surprizing them as some pelting Shower doth unexpectedly the unwary Traveller and hold them fast too till they drink up the Cup of Gods Wrath though it be brim-full and hath Eternity to the bottom of it Psal 75.8 God will sooner or later wound the hairy scalp of such as go on in their wickedness Psal 68.21 The hairy scalp'd or shag-hair'd ones as evil Spirits are call'd Shegnirim Levit. 17.7 Mark that all Anti-Round-heads who suffer their locks to grow too long Ezek. 44.20 like Womens or who dress themselves so in an Antick dress with borrowed hair surely saith Mr. Burroughs the Devil forgot this Text when he raised so much Reproach against the Round-heads to be hairy-scalp'd the garb of Gods Enemies Psal 68.21 or shag-hair'd the Character of Devils Levit. 17.7 as before The second Truth taught hence is Though evils do attend good men in ways of obedience yet a good God carries them safe through those evils and however saves them from the evil of evils Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivers them out of
brought forth their Young This was to testifie himself a Stranger having no stately Dwelling-place Hebr. 11.9 10 13. He was the Syrian ready to perish Deut. 26.5 professeth himself a Stranger at Succoth not far from Penuel Judg. 8.15 16 c. the place which Jacob's Sons came to as their first Stage out of Egypt Exod. 12.37 Upon which double occasion of Remembrance the Lord instituted the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles Levit. 23.34 42 43. which yet was not strictly observed no not in David and Solomon's the best of Times until Nehemiah Neh. 8.16 17. After this 't is said Jacob came from Succoth safe to Shechem Gen. 33.18 as the word Salem taken not properly but appellatively signifies to shew the prosperous passage God gave him hitherto according to his Promise Gen. 31.3 and 32.28 so long a Journey through so many Dangers and Difficulties this is Recorded as a Miracle of Mercy that no Evil did befall either himself or his numerous Family his Wives and Children or any part of his prodigious Flocks and Herds none casting their Young or dying by the way but all came safe and sound to Shechem in Canaan Hence the Hebrews have that opinion aforesaid that Jacob must therefore be heal'd of his halting before this c. but whereas there had been hitherto no Mischief or Miscarriage either in him or in his house Here and hence did arise Jacob's first fearful and sinful Cross-providence to wit the Ravishment of his only Daughter Dinah a Damosel not above Fifteen years old of a comely Countenance Born to him by Leah c. The Occasion of this Rape is thus related Gen. 34.1 2. This Virgin having been hitherto vertuously and religiously Educated under most strict observation of her Pious Parents and perhaps slily slipping and sliding at this time out of their sight out of a vain Curiosity went out to see the Canaanitish Daughters who then were coming forth from Shechem with Timbrels to solemnize a solemn Feast saith Josephus to celebrate a Marriage with Plays and Dances say the Hebrew Doctors that she might observe their Persons their Port and Postures their Habits and Behaviours and perhaps to pick up some Acquaintance with them and some Companions among them she being but solitary as Jacob's only Daughter so wanting as she thought some suitable company Moses God's Penman gives darkly this Intimation That Dinah's neeâ—less jetting abroad either by the Indulgence or Ignorance of her Mother to spy the Fashions and Novelties both became the occasion of evil to her self and the cause of Tears to the tender Eyes of her Mother Leah if indeed her Heart were as tender as her Eyes Dinah indeed went out from her Father's House or Tent pitch'd in the Field before Shechem only to see those of her own Sex strutting with stretch'd Necks and Mincing with their feet within the City but she was soon seen of the other Sex and being seen was Desired and being Desired was lust fully Abused by the young Prince of the Land Mars videt hanc visamque Cupit potiturque Cupitâ The Devil threw some Wild-fire-Balls through the windows of the Eyes into Shechem's Soul and set it all into a Combustion Satan made this Princely youngster's Eyes an effectual Burning-Glass to set his Heart on fire ut vidit periit As soon as he saw this strange and lovely Damosel be lusted after her Evil Concupiscence was begotten by his wanton Eye upon this beautiful Object and being once begot it groweth unrulily Headstrong and hasteth to the Evil Act. He taketh her by force picking her up among the Plays and by force Defileth her v. 2.5 Thus this first Folly came to be wrought in Israel v. 7. Inferences hence are various As 1. The most pious and faithful Families may have most fearful Mischiefs befall them as Jacob's had here and elsewhere and David's many afterwards The worst Miscarriages through Satan's Malice may happen in the best Families which may serve First To caution men from placing too much Confidence in pious Parents Educating their Children Grace is not Hereditary 't is not in the Parents power to infuse their own Holiness into the hearts of either their Sons or Daughters Secondly It may serve likewise to restrain men from pouring out too many rash Censures against Religious Parents because of the Faults of their Children The Second Inference Such foul Miscarriages fall not out in such Godly Families but usually there is some Sin or other therein which justly Vindicates God's Righteousness in permitting such severe Judgments to befall them This is manifest even in that None-such Job's Case whose Miscries that befell him were matchless and beyond a Parallel though his Piety was such also yet he crys out under them I have sinned c. Job 7.20 If he had none of those foul Eccentrick Enormities that his three Friends charg'd him with he denies not but at least he had involuntary and unavoidable Infirmities whereby he justified God both in his Soveraignty and in his own Sufferings but much more 't is manifest in David's Case who cry'd out also I have sinned when he heard what sad Consequences were like to be for his Sin in the matter of Uriah 2 Sam. 12.9 10 11 12 13. And 't is apparent too in Jacob's Case when this first Miscarriage in his House came upon him 't was now some Seven or Eight years since the Lord brought him back from Haran or Padan-Aram yet had he not all this time thought of paying that Vow which he made to God when he was going thither Gen. 28.20 c. 'T is no wonder if God overtook him now with this severe scourge to rouze and raise up his dull forgetful Head and neglectful Heart to pay his promis'd Vows The Third Inference is All needless Gaddings abroad are of dangerous Consequence to young People who are unfit to be wholly at their own finding especially the weaker Sex which may prove strong enough to provoke but over weak to resist a Temptation God hath Recorded this woful Example for the Admonition of others under the like Circumstances Altetius perditio tua fit cautio the harms caught by some must be a warning to others The word noteth here that Dinah's wanton gadding abroad and gazing upon others gave occasin to this warm Youngster to look and Lust after her Therefore the same word teacheth after and not without cause that the younger women be Keepers at home Tit. 2.5 and 1 Tim. 5.13 especially Virgins whose Names the three in Hebrew and the two in Greek are derived from House Hiding and Shadow as Beth Gnalam and Talal signifies and from Lock'd Treasure and the Apple of the Eye as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bear that sense to teach them they should refrain from idle Gadding and from Evil Company The Septuagint put in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here which Augustin renders Condiscere implying that Dinah did gadd to
and unkind churlish carriage to him supposing that the baseness of their Birth made them as it usually falls out more morose immorigerous and ill-conditioned Others say further that this Evil Report includes more than their cruel carriage towards him to wit their criminal conversion in the Countrey not only their common contentions among themselves but also their Carnal Copulations if not with Men and Beasts as some censoriously enough say yet with the Daughters of that Heathen Land c Joseph observing this with abhorrency informs his Father of it that he might reclaim them from their evil courses wherein not only the Sons of the two Hand-maids but also those of Leah as Reuben of Incest c. were all found faulty Though this was a good demonstration of Joseph's Piety doing but the Office herein both 1. Of a good Son to his Father seeing 't is part of that Honour ingenuous Sons owe to their Parents required in the fifth Command to promote all that in them lyes their Domestick Discipline and to conceal any thing that is prejudicial thereto but to let all Vice have its due Cerrection 2. And of a good Brother to his Brethren in not suffâ—â—ing sin to lye upon them unreproved which is to do the worst kind of hatred Lev. 19.17 As Joseph out of pure Love to Vertue abhorr'd his Brethrens Vices so out of pure Love to their Souls he might first privately admonish them though the Scripture be silent as well as he did acquaint his Father of their Sins for suture Reformation whereby he acquitted his own Soul of that guilt which he might have contracted by his silence Yet this was the First Ground of their Malice against Joseph which was increased Secondly By Jacob's Indulgency towards him but raised up to its utmost Elevation Thirdly By his own renewed Dreams of his Advancement above them This was that which lay uppermost with most weight upon their Stomack when they resolved to destroy him because he was the Dreamer Gen. 37.19 As to the first ground of their Envy It therefore plainly appeareth from the premises that it was not scandalum datum sed acceptum not offence given caresly but taken causlesty for though it be Satan's Title and Office to be the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 in which work Joseph was now involved yet did he not this out of any premeditated Malice as the Devil doth he being now but an Innocent Child so called here to free him from that Evil but out of the simplicity of his mind and purity of his Affections who could not at this tender age brook Sin in his Brethren whereby an Evil Report was raised against that only Religious Family of his Father Jacob amongst the Heathen which was a great grief to his tender Spirit in his tender years And suppose he did not first privately admonish them which yet may charitably be supposed notwithstanding Scripture silence as before but that he immediately complain'd of them to his Father it may be said in that case that Joseph look'd upon private admonition unnecessary where the offence was publick and he might see those Sinners to be no better than Scorners such as Solomon says must not be reproved Prov. 9.8 9. being like Dogs who love Loathsome Carrion their filthy Sins better than the fragrant perfumes of any Pious Admonition and would rather flye in the face of him who would drive them from it than flee from their Peccatum in Deliciits or Darling Sin or be driven from it by the Precious Balm Psal 141.5 of his Religious rebuke Give not holy things to Dogs saith Christ Mat. 7.6 nor cast Pearls before Swine or Hogs such a Pearl as is the reproof of Life Prov. 15.31 Those unclean Creatures Hogs and Dogs as they were unlawful to be Sacrificed so are unfit to be admonished Such sensual Swine will Grunt against all propounded goodness and such Mad Dogs will furiously flye in the Face of those that tell them of their faults Such as have even wearied themselves with standing and walking so long in wicked ways that they are now set down in the Chair of Pestilence Hebr. that Seat of the Scornful Psal 1.1 Such Scorners are not worth warning tho some unruly ones in the Visible Church must be warned 1 Thes 5.14 because this kind of Scorners refuse to be Reformed and even have to be healed Jer. 51.9 Hos 11.5 Prov. 5.12 Joseph therefore might having no hope of prevailing with his unruly Brethren by his private reproof but that they would hate him the more apply himself to his Father who was the King Priest and Prophet or Publick Person of the Family to inform him as the Monitor doth the Master in the School not with any design to hurt them but with a desire to Reform them both for their own weal in both Worlds and for the credit and honour of his Father's Family He did not blaze their Sins abroad among the Heathen he told not of them in Gath nor Publish'd them in Askelon to make the Infidels Rejoyce and Reproach 2 Sam. 1.20 for then as Austin saith well Non fuerit correptor sed proditor he had not been a just Reprover but a base Betrayer of his Brethren whereas his not acquainting Jacob herewith that he might interpose with his Paternal and Patriarchal Authority to prevent and reclaim them this had been no better than a base Betraying of them yet for this kind of good will Joseph is hated of his Brethren This was the first Cause The second Cause of their Hatred and Envy was his Father's Favour not to say Fondness to him above all his other Sons because he was the Son of his old Age Gen. 37.3 or as Onkelos hath it because he was a wise Son as above Ingenuous and therefore Amiable Whatever was the ground of the Father's love to Joseph this is certain that the Father's love was the Ground of his Brethren's Hatred to him v. 4. The Evidence of the former was the Argument for the latter As Joseph's telling the Truth no Lyes of them veritas odium parit was the first Cause of their hating him for Truth is an excellent Lady but he that follows her too close at heels may hap to have his Teeth struck out as saith the Proverb Can any man that telleth others of their Faults expect to be loved No 't is as those that are awakened out of their sleep be usually unquiet take it commonly unkindly and begin to Brawl with their best Friends for so doing thus Joseph's Brethren treat him for the like So Jacob's shewing more respect to him than to the rest gave occasion of this Grudge and malignant Emulation Joseph's Candour plainly produceth contrary Effects in his Father and in his Brethren The former loved him for it for which the latter hated him His Father loved him for bringing Deeds of Darkness to light but his Brethren hated him because their Deeds loved darkness more than light as themselves did Joh. 3.19
lest Parents partiality presume to put a Difference where neither God nor Nature hath put any Fond Affection express'd by Parents to some one Fantling above all the rest is the ready way to exasperate the slighted against the cockered Against this Evil the Apostle warneth Eph. 6.4 Parents provoke not your Children to wrath well knowing that Parents partiality may breed Heart-burning among Children Therefore 't is a part of Prudence in all Parents so to govern their inward Affections or at least so to order and restrain the Demonstrations of their love in outward signs that they give no cause of either Grudge or Grief among their Children 'T is no marvel saith Ambrose if Brethren fall out about Houses and Land when Joseph's Brethren could so hate him and all comparatively about a Coat finer than theirs Secondly Note hence that over-strong Affections mostly end in over-strong Afflictions they that Love over-much shall be sure to Grieve over-much The excess of one Passion the case coming into the contrary point hath a natural tendency to turn into the excess of another How did David dote upon his Son Absolom who kissed him 2 Sam. 14.33 when he should rather have kicked him if not have killed him by the hand of Justice for his former Villany than thus to have harden'd him for future further and far worse wickedness but he severely smarted for his excessive love and unbounded affection towards his over-loved Absolom for whom he afterward as much over-grieved 2 Sam. 18.33 wishing he had died for him Thus also David doted upon his other Son Adonijah 1 King 1.6 cockering him when he should have been correcting him The fond Father pleased his Son in his Childhood and the foolish Son displeased his Father in his old Age not caring if he crush'd his very Heart when now Bedrid a poor Clynick by his Disloyalty and Usurpation This also was an Evil in old Eli 1 Sam. 2.22 to 29. who likely had marr'd his Sons all along with too much fond Indulgence and now in his old Age had quite lost his Authority over them This gentleness of Eli to his villanous Sons God reproved him smartly for because he would not rebuke them sharply or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly and to the quick Tit. 1.13 for their notorious Villanies saying because thou wilt rather gratifie-them than glorifie me thou shalt have thy belly full of them and in the end they help'd to break both his Neck and his Heart Ch. 4.17 18. Thus also Jacob here very probably was too fond a Father to his Son Joseph who yet was more worthy of his Fathers love than any of the aforesaid yea than any of his own Brethren notwithstanding immoderate Love or over fond Affections even to one well deserving them displeaseth the Lord and therefore he permits Jacob to smart for it so severely as to refuse all Comforts as if there were not a good Providence of God without leave whereof no Beast could bite Joseph to be submitted unto and as if there were no Resurrection to restore Dan. 12.2 Hebr. 11.34 All Parents must therefore watch in both the best may offend that Passions grow not too wild whether love or grief and such as will not be governed either by Refined Reason or by Divinely inspired Grace This may cost them dear as to Jacob here The Third moving Cause in those Sellers to Sell Joseph was as 2. for his Gawdy Coat his Earthly Father gave him out of his probably too fond Affection as before to him So 3. For his Divine Dreams he received from his Heavenly Father once and again and revealed them to his Brethren and Jacob. These Remarks are observable 1. Joseph's Dreams were Divine for it must be the finger of God or a Divine Hand which made Joseph a Child to become a Prophet as the Child Samuel was after 1 Sam. 3.1 4 8 10 and 11 c. and which out of the Mouth of a Babe ordaineth Strength Psal 8.2 to foretel future things Though for the present Joseph being but a Child had as little understanding of his Dreams as the Child Samuel had of his Visions 1 Sam. 3.7 neither of them yet being acquainted with them 2. Those Dreams were doubled as Pharaoh's were Gen. 41.32 not only to make a deepe◠Impression upon the Mind but also to import both Assurance and Expedition of the matter and though his Dreams were double in Vision yet were they but single in Sense and Signification as Pharaoh's were Gen. 41.25 both the Dreams had one and the same Interpretation 3. Those two Dreams were of two differing Kinds The first was of Terrestrial Things that his Brethrens sheaves in their personal Joint-Harvest work did obeisance to his sheaf The second was of Caelestial Things that the Sun Moon and Eleven Stars bowed themselves to him Gen. 37 7 9 that is Father Mother Brethren 4. The former of those Dreams Joseph relates to his Brethren only who could give a right and better Interpretation of it than the Child Joseph as it seems could do and though Joseph told them this Dream not out of any Ambition but out of Simplicity yet in stead of hearkening to this Oracle of God they stubbornly resist Gods revealed Will and hate Joseph yea rebuke him for revealing it 5. The latter of them he declares not only to his Brethren but also to his Father conceiving him concern'd in it as well as them and though Jacob at first gave Joseph a light Rebuke for it either not yet understanding the Mystery of it or prudently pretending a dislike for preventing the further Envy of his Sons against Joseph This latter the judicious Judge to be Jacob's drift and design in rebuking the Dreamer Gen. 37.10 and therefore he draws his Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the impossibility and absurdity of it Shall thy dead Mother Rachel rise again and reverence thee this the Prudent old Patriarch might say to mollifie the Malice of Joseph's Brethren who notwithstanding did bear him more Malice for it v. 11. however as light as Jacob seem'd to make of it he laid it to heart as Mary the Mother of Christ did who made her Memory like the Golden Pot that kept the Mannah so he minded those remarkable Matters judging them not to be Vain but to have something more than ordinary in them Mark here the Mistake of Josephus who saith that Joseph's Brethren found no fault with him at the telling of his first Dream whereas the Text saith expresly they said Shalt thou indeed Reign over us v. 8. and that they said nothing at the rehearsing of the second referring it to the Judgment of their Father to whom it was told again by Joseph whom therefore his Father rebuked in the presence of his Brethren and therefore they spared their Reproof but all this Moses might think meet to omit as Mercer thinketh 6. The Sixth Remark is Joseph in Dreaming and declaring his Dreams thus did not deserve 1. Any real
for us but alas we are made the Tail and not the Head v. 44. because of our Disobedience Thus it was with Ephraim Hos 13.1 The Fourth Remark is such an over-ruling Providence of God attended Joseph that those very means which let in upon him his State of Humiliation were improved thereby to hand him into his State of Exaltation Thus God can by the same means whereby we were cast down raise us up let us leave it with the Lord 't is not good to search too deep into God's Secrets Deut. 29.29 As the Declaring of his own two Dreams to his envious Brethren brought him into all this Misery so the Interpreting of the Butler and Baker's two Dreams to them proved in due rime a great means for his full Delivery at his Age of 28 and two years after the Expounding of Pharaoh's two Dreams to him became not only the Effectual means of his Actual full Delivery but was the very step and stirrup whereby he did climb up into his lasting full Advancement Gen. 40.13 17. and 41.1.25 46 c. The Fifth Remark is also God gave to Joseph for his 13 years Affliction in his Service and Imprisonment full fourscore years Liberty Prosperity and Honour God is a liberal Pay-master and his Retributions to his Servants for all their Sorrows and Suffrings are more than bountiful as to Joseph his Servant here whom God both Inlarged and Advanced by Dreams as before he had been so low abased by them as at last to be thrust down into a Dungeon but behold his God lets down a Ladder of Love to him as he had done to his Father Jacob Gen. 28.12 to lift him up out of his low Condition a Ladder of many Rounds every ascending Step exactly answering those of his descending in this Ladder of Promotion As 1. For his Servitude and Slavery he hath given him a Ring an Ensign of Liberty an Ornament of Honour and a Badge of Authority Gen. 41.42 It being his Signet or Sealing-Ring wherewith he was invested with power as well as honour to Seal with Royal Authority what Commands or Decrees he pleased for the People's observance see Esth 3.10 and 8.2 and Luk. 15.22 2. For his Course kind of Cloathing suitable to his servile and slavish Condition yea for his Mourning Prison-Garments Pharoah gave him a Sute of Silk or very fine Linnen Cotton or Bombazene such as Princes wore so he was ranked among his highest Courtiers 3. For the Iron fetters upon his fett Psal 105.18 He hath a Chain of Gold about his Neck that he might not seem Inferiour to any Prince in the Kingdom 4. For his being fixed in a fast and firm Prison and Dungeon he could not stir his feet out of the Stocks Pharaoh gives him a moveable Chariot whereinto he set his feet to go abroad at his pleasure with Honour yea the second Chariot of the Kingdom Gen. 41.43 which was one of the Royal Chariots as 2 Chron. 35.24 wherein to Ride as a Vice-Roy raised above all the other Princes as Mordecai was mounted upon the King's Horse Esth 6.8 so was Joseph in the King's Chariot and is made the Second man in the Kingdom for Interpreting Pharoah's Dreams whereas Daniel was but made the Third man for Reading the writing upon the wall Dan. 5.29 5. For all his opprobrious Reproaches and contumelious Disgraces that both his barbarous Brethren and his leud Mistriss loaded him with he hath now in their stead the King's Herald to Proclaim before him Abrech Tender-Father or Father of the King for as Ab Hebr. is Father so Rech in Syriack is King from whence the Latin Rex is derived or Oh thou Blessed one as it comes of Barak to Bless whom God hath made a Father to Pharaoh and all the People Gen. 45.8 and while they thus Blessed him who had been sufficiently cursed they bowed the knee to express their Reverence to him who was young in Years yet old in Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an old young man 6. For his being separated from his Brethren Gen. 49.26 He was received into the Royal Society of the Right Honourable the King's Privy-Councillors and was constituted as Chair-man at the Conncil-Table which though Moses doth not express yet David intimateth in Psal 105.21 22. All the very Privy-Councillors as well as the Private People were bound possibly by Oath to obey him in all things and as out of the Chair he magisterally taught these Senators Wisdom Thus the Hebrew Rending runs He bound the Princes to his Soul or according to his Will and made wise his Elders teaching them not only Civil and Moral but also Divine Wisdom for which Cause God sent Joseph saith he into Egypt that some sound of the Redemption of faln Mankind might be heard in that Kingdom at that time the most flourishing in the World Neither is Moses altogether silent herein for he calls him a Master of Wisdom or Father to Pharaoh Gen. 45.8 much more to his Councillors and he says that no hand or foot shall move to wit in Affairs of State at Home or in foreign Embassies abroad without Joseph's order he was the King's Plenipotextiary Gen. 41.44 7. For his being scost'd at by that scornful title of Dreamer Captain-Dreamer Hebr. or this Architect of Dreams Gen. 37.19 and Rogue c. by Potiphar and his Brethren c. behold now he hath an High name of Honour and Office put upon him that is Zaphnath Paaneah Gen. 4◠45 which signifies in the Egyptian Tongue a Revealer of Secrets for his foreshewing the seven years of Plenty and the seven years of Famine or thee Saviour of the World for his saving many Lands from being Famish'd by storing up Provision before the Famine came Wherein he became a most eminent Type of Christ who is so Indeed 8. For his solitary Life he had led a long time both as a Servant and as a Prisoner God gave him in Honourable Marriage the Daughter of Potipherah Prince of On for so cohen signifies Exod. 18.1 and Davids Sons are called cohenim 2 Sam. 8.18 Chief Rulers they were Princes but not Priests And though Joseph was in this strange country constrained to Marry an Idolater because he could not take a Wife out of his Fathers Kindred as Jacob did the Daughter of Laban an Idolater in Syria and Moses a Midianitish Woman Yet the Daughter of a Civil Prince though Idolatrous was a fitter Match for this Religious Man than one of a Superstitious Priest who was a Master of Idolatrous Mysteries this Joseph's Conscience could not dispense with unless he had in this as he had in other things some special direction from God However 't is beyond doubt Joseph instructed her in the true Religion c. 9. And that Joseph might have a full accumulation of comforts proportionable to the time of his Troubles for thirteen or fourteen years of his state of Humiliation whereof about three years he lay in Prison God gave him Fourscore years of
own House the Temple but upon their Dwelling Houses also Thus Gods later House of the Christian Church planted at Rome c. by the Apostles was laid Desolate also for when Religion did degenerate from its primitive power and purity was become Barren being all moss-be grown with Formality and made in time not only a matter of Form but of Scorn also about the Sixth Century the Saracens in the East and those Barbarous People the Goths and Vandals in the West broke in and bore down all before them Thus also we may well expect the removal of our Candlestick a Treading down of our Vineyard and utter Desolation The like Sins bring the like Judgments God may call for a Famine c. If we will not hear his Word we may hear his Rod Mic. 6.9 yea and feel his Sword too Elisha hath his Sword as well as Hazael and Jehu 1 King 19.17 though of another nature to wit his Threatnings and Imprecations all which were infallibly accomplished such as stand it out against the power of two Kings shall yet fall by the Hand and Power of Prayer and when ever our Elisha's unsheath and brandish their Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.17 't is a fair warning that the Sword of Jehu and of Hazael are at Hand see Hos 6.5 and Jer. 1.10 all these aforesaid are for our examples 1 Cor. 10.6 and for our Caution and Admonition v. 11. God Hangs up as it were some in Gibbets for publick patterns of Divine Justice Alterius perditio nostra fiat cautio The Torture of others should be a Terror to us Lege Historiam nè fias Historia worthily are they made Examples who will take none Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum To take warning effectually at the Destruction of Wicked Men for their wickedness is a right and the best washing of our feet in the Blood of the wicked Psal 52.6 with 58.10 the Righteous seeing the Ruine of the Irreligious are made themselves the more Religious thereby The Perdition of the one is for caution to the other and not to take warning is a sure presage as well as a just Merit and desert of utter Destruction which if we Repent not will be our Portion our Candlestick our God and his Gospel will make a removal from us and then wo unto us Hos 9.12 this may be as surely foreseen and foretold as if Letters had been sent from Heaven to such a purpose as were sent to the seven Churches of Asia The Fourth Remark is Though Jacob had a well grounded Faith and good cause to Hope well both of his Warrant for his Journey into Egypt of his welcom thither and of his welfare there yet some strong pang of fear did possess him in his passage from Hebron Had not his Faith been below his Fear and had not his Fear got above his Faith God had not said to him at Beersheba where he pray'd for a prosperous Journey those chearing up words Fear not to go down to Egypt Gen 46.1 2 3. Jacob might justly see sufficient cause of Fear upon sundry Accounts As 1. His Father had been forbid to go thither in the like occasion of Famine Gen. 26.2 2. The very Journey might seem too far for him now become so frail and feeble through old Age he might fear to die by the way 3. In going to Egypt he feared to seem a forsaker of the Land of Promise which was the Pledge of the Heavenly Canaan 4 He feared that coming into that Impious and Idolatrous Country his Righteous Soul would be vexed with their unrighteous Conversation as Lot had been i◠Sodom 2 Pet. 2.7 and with their Idolatry also for about this time began their worshipping of a Pide Bull or Cow named Apis from whence the Israelites learnt to worship a Calf Augustine de Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 4. 5. He might justly fear likewise the Debauching of his Posterity by the Pleasures and Treasures of Egypt Hebr. 11.26 wherewith they being bewitched in that pleasant and plentiful Land might not only become Dissolute and Sensual in life but also lay aside all Thoughts of returning to Canaan 6. Jacob might lastly fear not only the corrupting of his Family both in Worship and Manners but also their Slavery in that Country which was foretold by God to Abraham Gen. 15.13 and so his going now thither seem'd to hasten that Misery upon them which would of it self come soon enough without his going down to fetch it These and the like might be the many Grounds of Jacob's Fears as on the one hand he admits not of that fond Stoical Apathy which is no better than a stupid blockishness so on the other hand his ordinary Faith might be run down by an extraordinary Fear through those carnal Reasonings of a wicked Heart that through Satan's Suggestions pored too much downward upon the rushing and roaring Streams which ran so swiftly under him and his until he was help'd to look upward at his God and the God of his Fathers who had hitherto kept touch with them in his Promise by the Almighty hand of his Power and Providence c. whatever Jacob's Fears were he took the right Method to get rid of them He prays down his Fears and prays up his Faith The very Heathens will not dare to take a Journey without first offering Sacrifice much less ought Christians whose Father Jacob did not dare to neglect it He consults with God as David did after saying Shew me the way I should choose that my Soul may dwell at ease Psal 25.12 13. and 32.8 and the Prayer-Hearing God gives him an Answer of Peace Gen. 41.16 and sweetly counter-comforts him against those his Fears aforementioned As 1. The same God who forbad his Father to go down bids him the Son not Fear to go down 2. As to all those Mischiefs of Soul and Body to thy self and to thine thou fearest may be met with in Egypt fear them not for I will go down with thee c. v. 3 4. thou shalt have me thy Antidote against all those Evils 3. Neither shalt thou die by the way c. but thy Son Joseph shall close up thy eyes when thou diest 4. Whereas thou art afraid that the Egyptian Servitude shall suppress thy Offspring I will there make of thee a great Nation c. This made him couragious Inference hence is First Oh happy and thrice happy are the Children of Jacob the close walking Christians who with their Father Jacob have God saying to them I will go with you both in all your Journeys by Land and in all your Voyages by Sea and not only so but also I will go down with you into your Graves and I will surely bring you back again from thence This is as good Security as can be to God's Servants both while they live and when they die For 1. While they live God is their good and their comfortable Companion
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
is Confidence the Conclusion can be no better than Confusion The Egyptians came forth as a Whirl-wind to devour Israel Hab. 3.14 15. having got the Ball on the foot and confidently carrying it toward the Goal but God gave them a turn and an overturn and in anger cast them down Psal 56.7 Job 9.4 Prov. 29.1 Isa 6.10 11. The 4th Remark is As the great God distinctly foreknoweth uno quasi intuitu with one glance of his All-seeing Eye all the Consults of wicked Persecutors so he can with the more facility confound their Counsels Thus it was here as God guided Israel into this wandring out of the King's high-way on purpose that hereby as by a Strategem Pharaoh and his Army might be decoyed to pursue them So God foretold what Improvement the Egyptians would make of this conceited Stray and Straits that Moses had mistook his way and they now were intangled in the Wilderness c. Exo. 14.3 4. Hereby Pharaoh hardened his own heart to pursue that he might bring them back to Bondage ver 6 7 8 9. as if they had been no better than so many Run-away-Slaves whereas 't is said v. 8. they marched boldly bravely in Battel-Ray and in a most comely Equipage not with any disorder or confusion of Fugitives Thus God dazles dulls and disannuls the Wisdom of the World's Wizzards not only foreseeing their Consults but also forestalling their Projects catching the crafty in their own craft 1 Cor. 1.19 and Psal 9.15 c. All the haste Pharaoh made in making ready his Chariots and driving furiously after Israel was but an hasting to meet his own destruction The 5th Remark is Sore and grievous Distresses oft bring God's Church and Children into sore and grievous Distractions Israel's distress was great here They türned out of the way to Canaan which lay Northward toward Memphis the chief City of Egypt Southward So that their turning Exod. 14.2 was indeed Returning as they might think well in making such a semicircle in their march Besides Migdol was a Garrison-Tower which they had on one side as the Sea on another and their being before Baalzephon added to their distress for this was the Idol of the Egyptians as Baal-peor was the Idol of the Moabites Numb 25.3 In this Idol as Rabbys say the Egyptians placed great confidence conceiting that he could fetch again Fugitives and therefore thought that now Israel was faln into his fast Custody However 't is probable chat this place was another Garrison of the Egyptians whereby all run-aways might be secured All this was ordered thus not by chance but by providence to infatuate Pharaoh making him fancy that Israel was inclosed with Mountains Seas Desarts and Garrisons and indeed Israel in their unbelief thought no better of themselves ver 9 10 11 12. Whereas the truth is the Lord led them thither beside the Reasons afore-mentioned in the first Remark Because 4. God's Power and Providence might be the more manifested in his marvelous deliverance of his People and in his as marvelous destruction of his and their Enemies Notwithstanding when Pharaoh overtook Israel who had got three days march before his setting out in those frightful Straits they were in great Distress which brought upon them great Distrust as well as Distraction which appeared in their reproachful Expostulation with Moses pretending they had been true Prophets in predicting all this evil which was now come upon them as if Moses by his ignorance or imprudence had drawn so vast a People into this desperate danger against their praemonition given him in Egypt Thus they distrusted God their sin having manifold aggravations As 1. They at once forgot all the wondrous works the Lord had wrought for them in Egypt 2. They unthankfully preferred their Bondage in Egypt before their miraculous Deliverance out of it 3. They murmured against God and his Minister Moses 4. They prophanely scoffed saying Because there were no Graves in Egypt c. ver 10 11 12. 5. They were too short-spirited in not waiting God's leisure and pleasure for his season Yea 6. They justified their former Incredulity and Repining Speeches in the house of Bondage We may well suppose them distracted with their distress at the sight of Pharaoh's approaching being disâ—spirited with long slavery mostly unarmed and wearied with three days travel on foot with the out-cries of their Wives and Children which was a very distracting distress so as to over-balance all they had seen of Miracles in Egypt and what they then saw of the cloudy Pillar their conduct and covering So that when they cryed to the Lord it was more from sense of danger than from Faith for deliverance it was an howling rather than a right praying Hos 7.16 Psal 107.28 more from fear than from faith The 6th Remark is The marvelous Infatuation upon Pharaoh and his People and the notorious Blindness God struck them with thus hastily to make them Run headlong upon their own destruction They did not only pursue Israel by Land but also into the Red Sea when the Lord had divided it to make a way for his People whose Extremity tho' they little deserved it was God's opportunity Exod. 14.13 14 23. When the Egyptians saw that the Israelites walked upon firm ground God having dryed up the Mud and paving the bottom c. by an East-wind ver 16 21. they did promise unto themselves the same safety and success also Exod. 15.9 vainly singing a Triumph before a Victory which Israel did not there but they were grosly deceived for they sound to their woe that this fair way before them was only to bring them into the Noose or Draw-Net to catch them It was made for Israel who fled from their Enemies to escape out of their bloody hands who would have slain Moses Aaron and the principal Men of the Host but the common People they would have led back to Bondage It was not therefore made for the Egyptians who pursued the Innocent to destroy them The causes of their Blindness and Presumption were these 1. The long-sufferance and forbearance of God towards them which should have led them to Repentance Rom. 2.5 in sparing their lives hitherto and only smiting their Corn Cattle and First-born in those Ten Plagues And as to Pharaoh their Leader who had made his heart harder than was Jeroboam's Altar of Stone which presently clave asunder when the Lord's Prophet cryed unto it 1 King 13.3 But the mighty Hammer of God's Word in the mouth of that great Prophet Moses with ten Miracles gave ten mighty strokes at Pharaoh's hard heart yet could make no impression or entrance God will therefore take now another course with him to get himself a Name and great Honour by subduing such a sturdy Rebel Neh. 9.10 Exod. 14.4 18. a work which Rabbins say converted Jethro and made him the first Gentile Proselyte to the Jewish Church and which caused the Philistines long after to cry out These are the Gods that smote
And as for the latter he prays that God would not shew any sign of accepting the Offering of those presumptuous Levites the two hundred and fifty that intruded into the Priest's Office which God did by sending fire from Heaven to consume the Oblation Then Moses committed the deciding of the Controversie to God himself So 2. The Divine Correction follows the Humane of Moses from ver 16 to 35. No sooner had those Intruders taken their Censers which they had ready provided upon their first Combination to thrust themselves into the Priest's Office and prepared to offer but presently the Glory of the Lord shining in the Cloud over the Sanctuary appeared unto Moses and Aaron standing on one side and these two hundred and fifty on the other side who most impudently stood stouting it out in defiance of God and making an open profession of their gross profaneness in the sight of the Sun ver 17 18 19. They declared their sin as Sodom Isa 3.9 there was no need of digging to find it out as a thing hid Jer. 2.34 for they set it as it were upon the cliff of the Rock Ezek. 24.7 The Rock of Ages now resolves to ruine them commands the credulous of the Congregation whom Korah had wheadled in to countenance his Conspiracy to withdraw from all familiarity with the Rebels ver 20 21 24 26. Moses denounces their Doom to be extraordinary ingageth the honour of his Office upon a Miracle to be wrought by God ver 29 30 c. for the utter Ruine of those presumptuous Rebels and that presently to be done as he had declared ver 5. in the very view of many hundred thousands of People who were all generally over-ready to comply with Korah's Conspiracy and to favour his Attempt he persuading them that God would favour it also His design being to introduce an equal popularity could not want many favourers among the common People yet those that would depart from the society of those sinners ver 24 26 27. were spared at Moses's Mediation for them praying The God of the spirits of all flesh as Zech. 12.1 Heb. 12.9 Job 12.10 Act. 17.25 El Elohei Haruchoth c. All this People have not sinned like Korah the principal Incendiary who hath inflamed so many into this hot Rebellion Thou Lord knows hearts Numb 27.16 that the People have not sinned out of malice but are only coaxed in by Korah 't is convenient for thy Glory to distinguish betwixt the greater and the lesser Sinners c. Thus Moses intercedes ver 22. and the Lord accepts of his Intercession for all those that would save themselves from that untoward Generation Act. 2.40 Rev. 18.4 In the next place follows the Execution of this Divine Correction The Conspirators all perish they and theirs Dathan Abiram and their Accomplices by the opening of the Earth under them ver 31 32 33. and Korah with his Company by fire from Heaven ver 35. This must needs be an undoubted evidence of God's concurrence with the Ministry of Moses and that he had not out of any private affection to his Brother Aaron preferr'd him to the Priesthood and therewithal it was an undoubted Assurance of the Divine Truth of Moses's Writings in the Pentateuch N.B. Moses here had no sooner spoke the word but God made it good by his deed dictum factum at once avouching Moses and Aaron's Authority and Integrity and avenging his own and their Cause in the just and miraculous punishment of the Rebels notorious Impiety Dathan Abiram c. stood impudently in their Tent-doors out-facing Moses and scorning the Judgment threatned ver 27. then they and their whole housholds went down into Sheol a great Grave of God's own making not into Hell as the Papists say for how could their Tents and Goods go down thither Yea their little Infants were not excepted who tho' not guilty of their Parents sin had sin enough in their Nature to deserve the shortning of their Lives and while God in Justice kill'd their Bodies he might in mercy save their Souls Yet their Parents were punished in their deaths in whose well led lives their memory might have flourished but Korah and his two hundred and fifty were kill'd by fire out of the shining Cloud as they sinn'd by fire as Levit. 10.1 2. Psal 106.18 but Kōrah's Children were not kill'd Numb 26.10 11. for either they consented not to their Father's Rebellion or they repented at the warning given by Moses Numb 16.5 their Genealogy is reckoned 1 Chron. 6.22 38. They were singers in the House of God ver 32. and of them came Samuel ver 33. Thus Children by Repentance cut off the Intail of a Curse from sinful Parents c. Lastly The Consequents of this Conspiracy and of God's Correction of the Conspirators which are twofold First A monument and lasting memorial of God's Judgments upon those presumptuous Sinners against their own Souls and of his Vindication of the Innocency of his most faithful Servants is appointed by the Lord that Israel might be warned there by and that none hereafter should dare to sin so presumptuously ver 37 38 39 40 Wherein 1. Eleazar is bid to take up the Censers of those sinners now slain and to scatter the fire out into an unclean place to shew that the Lord rejected their service as profane Aaron must not do this because he was one of the right Offerers ver 17. and must not be polluted by stepping among the dead but Eleazar as a confirmation of his succeeding him in the Priesthood must do it 2. Those Censers must not be converted to common use because they were consecrated not only as they had been offered up to the Lord as Vessels of the holy Ministry but more especially as now God sanctified them to be beaten out into broad Plates to make a covering for the Brazen Altar and so to be a lasting holy sign of this Rebellious sin c. 3. Hereby Israel must be minded that sin is the Soul's Poison as it was in those Sinners against their own Souls and such are all such as spend the span of this transitory Life after the ways of their own hearts and thereby perish for ever Alas how heartily do sinners feed upon this Poison as the Maid in Pliny did upon Spiders and the Turkish Gally-slaves upon Opium as Bread 4. This Monument and Memorial was to make Israel remember the Transgression of those Sinners God cannot abide to be forgotten and they are worthily made Examples that will not be warned to take them Alterius perditio tua fit cautio And Foelix quem facium aliena pericula cautum N.B. The second Captain deservedly perish'd by fire who took no warning by the so perishing of the first 2 King 1.10 11. as being more impudent and obstinate than the former the third was wiser ver 13. 5. Not only the Israelites in general but also all the Levites in particular save Aaron's Sons only are counted strangers in
but the Amorites had taken them from the Moabites as above from whom now Israel won them by Conquest and had present possession thereof still retaining their old Name Those Plains reached unto the River Jordan in that part which was over against Jericho the first City which Israel conquered in Canaan Josh 6. therefore is it call'd Jordan of Jericho These Plains and Countreys of the Amorites God now gave unto Israel as the first-fruits of their Inheritance after their tiresom Travels and Troubles in the Wilderness on this side Jordan to those that travelled from Egypt to Canaan by which they were to be encouraged against the Residue of their Enemies beyond Jordan as Moses improveth it to that purpose saying Thine Eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done to those two Kings Sihon and Og So will the Lord do to all the Kingdoms whither thou passest c. Deut. 3.21 22. and 31.4 God might well give the Lands of Sihon and Og to Israel for an Inheritance because he is the true Proprietary and Lord Paramount of all the Earth and for this great Mercy David taught Israel in after Ages to be thankful to God and to sound out his praises for this pledge of future favour Psal 135.10 11 12. and 136.18 22. The third Remark is The External Impediment of Israel's Motion by the Moabites c. the place where being Shittim or Abel-Shittim upon which the two former Remarks are made in the general Now come we to a particular discourse upon the Impediment it self branching it self out in three particulars The Moabites endeavour to interrupt Israel's passage to the promised Land First By hiring a Sooth-sayer to curse them which curse God turned into a blessing Secondly By open Hostility and force of Arms drawing out in Battel-ray against them Thirdly By Wiles suggested by the Sorcerer's pestilent Advice drawing them to commit Fornication and Idolatry Numb chap. 22 23 24 25. Now to discourse distinctly upon all the particular passages of this eminent Divine Dispensation toward the Church in the Wilderness will afford many famous particular Remarks As First Beside the place before Remark'd upon in the generals the Principal Agent is the next Circumstance to be considered who is described by his Name Parents and Condition Numb 22.2 and likewise by his Policy and Prudence which appeareth in his consulting how to avoid an imminent common danger he calls in his Neighbour-Nation the Midianites to joyn both their fraud and their force their craft and cruelty with him v. 3 4. Balak King of Moab was the main Man who together with his Subjects the Moabites were sore afraid of Israel This fear God smote them with to make the Enterprizes of his People the more easie Exod. 15.14 15. Deut. 2.25 Josh 2.9 This Balak was a man of note and figure in his day both for Prudence and Prowess a politick and potent Prince Mich. 6.5 Judg. 11.25 He saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites this he looked upon with an evil Eye but not to Receive Instruction Prov. 24.32 The only fruit was He and his People were not only afraid bur also fretted at Israel's weal as the Egyptians had done before them Exod. 1.12 Tho' those Moabites had no cause either to fear or fret they were worse afraid than hurt for Israel passed by them in peace being forbidden of God to touch their Border Deut. 2.9 because Allied to them descending of Lot who was Nephew to Abraham the Father of Israel Beside Israel had eased the Moabites of the Amorites who had been a troublesom incroaching Neighbour taking away part of their Land from them Numb 21.26 Yea they also gave them assurance that they would not meddle or molest them Notwithstanding being degenerated from the Faith of their Father Lot and worshiping Chemosh Numb 21.29 They feared as do the wicked where no fear was Psal 53.3 and being gross Idolaters they loath the People of the God of Abraham and of Lot their Father This is the Guise of Graceless ones being acted and agitated by the Envious One they design to grieve God's People but themselves are grieved and fret to behold them well sore against their will A great sin it was to grieve not for their own wickedness but for Israel's welfare Thus their punishment is made suitable to their sin their Envy becometh both their Crime and their Curse No better was it with the Midianites descended of Abraham Gen. 25.1 2. and so Brethren unto Israel but now being faln from the Faith of their Father Abraham unto that shameful Idol Baal-Peor Numb 25.17 18. they conspired with the Moabites against them who meant neither of them any harm as the Lord had commanded till afterwards Numb 25.17 Nor had these Midianites any occasion of offence at the Amorites overthrow by Israel seeing they had been held in subjection by those Amorites for the five Kings of Midian that now Combined with Moab and perish'd for so doing Numb 31.8 are call'd the Dukes of Sihon Josh 13.21 because he had subdued them by his Tyrannical Power whereof Israel had now freed them therefore had they more cause to be thankful unto Israel for freeing them from Sihon's Yoke and to have rejoyced with the Joy and for the Prosperity of their Brethren than to become Confederates with Moab against them 'T is probable they two had been Nations in Confederacy in former Wars as when Hadad King of Edom smote Midian in the field of Moab 1 Chron. 1.46 when their bordering one upon another was an occasion of Quarrels arising amongst them This Politick Prince Balak imagined that Israel would now lick up his Countrey as the Ox licketh up the Grass a sit Emblem of the wicked Psal 37.2 He sends for the Senators of Midian who club their wits together and discerned that Israel was not to be subdued by any Humane Hands in War But the Devil at the Consult tells them they must have help from Hell c. The second particular Remark relating to this Impediment is The Ministerial Tool and Instrument whereby this Hinderance was managed against Israel who is also described by Name Parents Condition and Habitation Numb 22.5 This was Balaam the Diviner or Soothsayer so call'd Josh 13.22 who had a double Call such as it was to this wicked work of cursing Israel 1. From whence was he called Answ From Pethor or Mesopotamia that lays betwixt Tygris and Euphrates Numb 23.7 Deut. 23.4 the Countrey where Abraham first dwelt Acts 7.2 Gen. 24.4 10. and where he served other Gods Josh 24.2 and where Jacob served for a Wife c. Hos 12.12 Gen. 31.21 Hence his Posterity professed their Father an Aramite or Syrian c. Deut. 26.5 from this Eastern Countrey infamous for Soothsaying and Divination Isa 2.6 Was Balaam sent for 2. By whom Answ By Balak the Elders both of Moab and Midian being his Messengers Numb 22.5 7. having the Reward of Divination in their hands which the
knew though He was now neither Sick nor Weak yet must he shortly dye ver 14. and not lead Israel over Jordan which was a Work reserved for Joshua ver 3. a younger Man so more fit than old Moses therefore Moses himself did desire a writ of ease from his Office Numb 27.17 knowing the Mind of God herein Numb 20.12 Deut. 3.25 26. The Third Remark is Joshua who is called Jesus Heb. 4.8 was a clear Type and Figure of our Lord Jesus who after the ending of the Law of Moses doth by Grace and Truth bring us into God's Eternal rest Joh. 1.17 Rom. 10.4 As Moses could not bring Israel to Canaan because of their unbelief Heb. 3. last ver but Joshua brought them thither So Moses's Law cannot bring us to Heaven because of the Infirmity of our Flesh Rom. 8.3 but the Gospel of our dear Jesus doth it for us And whereas Moses joineth Jehovah and Joshua together ver 3. that Israel might the better give him their Confidence and Obedience rather as a second to God than as a Successor to himself So the second Person in the Trinity Jesus Christ is our Almighty Saviour to the utmost Heb. 7.25 The Fourth Remark is the Encouragement Moses gives to Israel to counter-comfort them against their sad loss of so great and so good a Governour they had enjoy'd for forty Years The People are comforted not only with a Promise of Joshua's Succession in the Government but more especially of the Lord's Presence with them who would not fail them nor forsake them but would as surely give them a Conquest over the Canaanites on the other side Jordan as he had already done over the Amorites on this side the River their former Victories were as Pledges of Future and Greater therefore He bids them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16.13 Quit your selves like men ver 3.4 5 6. and the same encouragement Moses gave to Joshua in particular ver 7 8. The Fifth Remark is This Law or Deuteronomy Moses orders to be read every seventh Year ver 10. which was the Year of release from Debts Deut. 15.1 2 c. for then the People were mostly free from the Cares and Incumbrances of the World and therefore might the better apply themselves to hear the Law of God As that Year of Release was a Figure of our Year of Grace and the release from our Debts of Sin by our Redeemer So seeing we are delivered we should therefore serve God the more Luke 1.74 75. And being bought with a Price therefore Glorifi God l Cor. 6.20 This Book when now read Moses commands it to be laid up in the side of the Ark ver 26. and not within the Ark because 1. After the Ark was once shut 't is probable it was never opened but this Book was fetch'd out of the Temple 2 King 22.8 and 2 Chron. 34.14 15. And 2. Because in the Ark were laid up the Tables of Stone only 1 King 8 9. This was laid up as a Testimony against Israel's falling away from God which Moses foretelleth here ver 16 17 18 26 27. The Sixth Remark is The Song call'd the Song of Moses delivered in Words at large Chap. 32. and but here described by Circumstances as 1. The Principal Author of composing this Song to be Sung was Jehovah himself while Moses and Joshua were both present ver 14 15 19. 2. The Instrument Scribe or Writer of the Song was Moses ver 22. And 3. The Subject matter of the Song is Moses's foretelling Israel's falling away and the Calamity that would come upon them for their Apostasy ver 16 17 18 29. This Song was put into Metre to be learnt and sung of all sorts sizes and sexes that it might be more easily learnt and kept in Memory with Delight Metra parant animos pristina commemorant Metre refreshes the Memory and makes it to retain Songs long in it And before the Knowledge of Letters and Writing which was long before Printing it was the Custom of the Ancients to sing their Laws lest they should forget them In order hereunto 't is said here ver 19. that Parents should put this Song into the Mouths of their Children that out of their own Mouths God might judge them afterwards c. Remarks upon Deut. 32. follow The First is The Recording of this Song at large in this whole Chapter which so distinctly foretelleth Israel's Sins of Ingratitude to God notwithstanding all his matchless Mercies to them and his Judgments of Sword Famine Pestilence and Captivity for their notorious Impieties All this is left upon Record against them that they might have no cause to complain in after times that they were neither admonish'd of their Iniquity nor premonish'd of their Punishments before hand This in general was so remarkable a Passage of Providence that the Rabbins begin here their three and fiftieth Section or Lecture of the Law and which Vatablus and more Modern Authors make the tenth Section Moreover the Hebrews affirm that this famous Song contains in it a Compendium of the whole Law of God because it maketh mention of God's magnificency of the Creation of the World of one God to be worshipped of the Generation of the Flood of the Division of Tongues and Nations of God's kindness to Israel in the Desart and of the last Resurrection The Second Remark is Moses in this Song having call'd Heaven and Earth in as Witnesses ver 1. and wishing that his Doctrine might bring forth as much Fruit in Israel as the Rain and Dew dâ—â—h â—n the Earth ver 2. and commending God to the People for his Magnificency Perfection c. ver 3 4. c. Then gives an elegant Narrative of God's Kindnesses to them both past in his free Choice of them from all other Nations ver 8 9. and present in his preserving them in the Wilderness set forth by both the similitude of the Apple of his Eye ver 10. and of the Eagle to her Young ver 11 12. yea and prophetically of God's future kindnesses to them in bringing them into the Land that flowed with Milk and Honey c. ver 13 14. The Third Remark is The second part of his Narrative consists of Israel's abusing all those kindnesses of God to them intimated ver 5 6. but more fully related both in the Causes of their Ingratitude namely their fulness and fatness ver 15. which made them forsake God their Father falling to Idolatry and following Idols ver 16 17 18. whereby the Lord was provoked to Anger against them ver 19. The Fourth Remark is The Divine Commination against Israel for this Ingratitude wherein is contained many Aggravations as 1. God's hiding his Face ver 20. 2. His retaliating them like for like ver 21. 3. His casting Fire and his Arrows on them ver 22 23. with a multitude of Mischiefs ver 24 25 26. insomuch that both God and Man might laugh them to scorn ver 27 to 39. The Fifth Remark
out that Night lay hid in the Mountains all the Seventh Day and on the Eighth returned to the Camp which three Days are counted just as the three Days of our Saviours Burial The Fourth Remark is The difference Remarkable betwixt those two Spies Joshua sent and the 12 Spies Moses sent who proved ten too many Numb 13. c. Those two were rightly qualified both with Wisdom and with courage for their special Spying work which the ten that Moses sent were wanting in First Their Wisdom was evident in giving a full Relation of all Occurrences in their adventure unto General Joshua alone and not to the Mobile or Multitude as Moses's Ten did well knowing that Neutrum Modò mas modò vulgus the vulgar are apt at such a Narrative to take in impressions either of too much fear or too much forwardness as they did in Moses's Day Numb 14 18 40. Secondly Their courage vers 23. They did not discourage the Hearts of the People as the ten cowardly Spies did with Stories of the Anakim Giants and of Cities Walled up to Heaven c. but these two tells Joshua vers 24. that God had delivered the Land of Canaan into Israel's Hands as if it had been already done c. We do not Read of any such desperate dangers that Moses's ten Spies met with in their enterprize as those two Spies of Joshua's did yet the fewer that their hazards had been the lesser was their courage and encouragement So true is that of Solomon He that sends a message by the Hands of a Fool cutteth off the Feet and drinketh damage Prov. 26.6 Whereas those two the more mischievous Perils they met with the more Magnanimous they were made by their escape from them and the more did they promise to themselves and to their People Israel a compleat Conquest of Canaan In fine Tho' those two Spies were Men of courage yet were they not Fool-hardy but their Wisdom had the conduct of their courage They do not over-daringly outface danger either in Rahab's House or in their return home but improve the means where the Lord had not promis'd Miracles upon this Account our Redeemer saith to Satan Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matth. 4.7 So as to neglect means c. CHAP. III. Josh the Third relateth the miracle of Israel's passing through Jordan in all its circumstances of time place manner c. The First Remark upon this Relation is the solemn preparation of Israel for their best Reception of this Miracle of mercy Israel had three Days time not only to provide necessaries for a march from Shittim to the Banks of Jordan Josh 1.11 but also to prepare themselves both in Body and Soul with Ceremonial and Spiritual Purifications to render them capable of that glorious Efficacy of Gods powerful presence in dividing Jordan vers 5. God oft call'd them to a sanctifying themselves for his presence Exod. 19.10 15. Levit. 20.7 8. Numb 11 18. c. a due preparation for Gods presence brings a true participation of it and the more that our minds are purified for meeting the Lord the more influence hath his presence upon our Spirits and the deeper impression it maketh upon our memories The Second Remark is the Cloudy Pillar being now departed at Moses's Death shewing the shadows of the Law cannot lead us into the Land of promise The Ark of the Covenant being a Type of the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Lord Jesus takes the Conduct of Israel through Jordan into Canaan Josh 3.3 11. which shew that the order of the march of the Ark of God in Moses's time was in the midst of the Camp Numb 2.17 c. But now this course was changed in Joshua's time for the glorious Cloud being gone the Ark of God must go before Israel who must follow after it denoting That as there was no other way of entrance into the Earthly Canaan but by following the Ark of God so there is no other way of entrance into the Heavenly Canaan but only by following the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 14.6 Act. 4.12 Matth. 16.24 The Third Remarks is The much Congruity or Parity 'twixt this Ark the Type and Christ the Antitype as 1. The Ark was made of Shittim-Wood Exod. 25 10 c. A Wood most durable and not subject to putrefaction So Christ was neither subject to the corruption of Sin nor to the putrefaction of the Grave Heb. 27.1 and 4.15 Psal 16.9 10. 2. the Ark was covered with pure Gold So Christ had the Gold of his Godhead covering his Manhood Col. 2.9 3. it had the Tables of the Testimony and pot of Manna c. so Christ had Treasures of Wisdom hid in him Col. 2.3 c. Fourthly the Ark was an Assurance of Gods presence with Israel Josh 3.11 calls it the Loâ—d of the whole Earth which is added to corroborate Israel's confidence for if that God who made the whole Earth out of nothing and governeth all things contained in it by his wise and powerful providence did dwell in the Ark that passed over before them there could be no place left for incredibility or so much as doubting of their ill success where the Ark was there God was Hence the Ark is call'd Gods Face Psal 105 4. and 't is call'd God himself Psal 132.5 wherewith God was present in casting down Dagon and plaguing the Philistins 1 Sam. 5.2 3 4 6 9 10 11 12. and 6.19 20. Where the Ark is and where the ordinances are there God is c. Thus. Christ is both the cause and the assurance of Gods merciful presence with us Joh. 17.21 The Son's union with the Father is an assurance of our Union both with the Father and the Son and of theirs with us Fifthly a reverend respect must be had to the Ark of God so that the People must not come near to it but keep at distance from it two thousand Cubits or a thousand Yards Josh 3.4 Which distance was prescribed to affect their Hearts with a due Veneration to Gods presence whereof the Ark was a Sign in which respect at the giving of the Law there were bounds appointed about the Mount Sinai to keep the People from approaching too near it Exod. 19.12 Thus Gods Command concerning this Ark was they shall not go in to see it Numb 4.20 The Men of Bethshemesh paid dear for their peeping 1 Sam 6.19 Gods secrets must not be searched into Deut. 29.29 Hic oportet mirari potiùs quà m Rimari Arcana Dei sunt Ara Dea a presumptuous prying into the work of Gods Arcanum's is not only an Impious curiosity but 't is also forbidden upon pain of Death as above and Peter giveth charge against that Curiosity as against Theft or Murder 1 Pet. 4.15 't is Bucholcer's Counsel Tu fuge ceu pestem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We should be wise to sobriety and not rush rashly into Gods ordinances or Sacraments Dr. Hall saith well God loves at
of God's Curse upon Hiel the Bethelite as to the Cause thereof ommitting altogether the Story of the Lady Denham The Congruity hath an apt coincidency with Hiel's Case seeing the Father of those two dead Sons aforesaid did over daringly undertake to Rebuild Jericho in his endeavouring to restore the Romish Religion into this Land of Reformation a Work under God's Curse that never prospered in the hands of any Man nor hath it done in his hands c. Moreover this also is very Remarkable that God's Curse was restrained to the Rebuilder only and not at all to the Inhabitants thereof after it was Rebuilt for it was allow'd as a fit Habitation even for good Men to lodge in and those most Holy Prophets Elijah and Elisha did not make any Exceptions for avoiding it 2 Kings 2.4.18 Christ himself did honour this City with his Presence and Miracles Mark 10.40 and Luke 18.35 and 19.1 Tho' it was not Rebuilt till Ahah's time 1 Kings 16.34 yet some private Houses were set up there in David's Day 2 Sam. 10.5 wherein he bid his Embassadors reside till their Beards were grown they must be private for a time because there they could not be seen without shame Oh that God's Curse may be confin'd to that King who would have built the Romish Religion amongst us and not be extended to the Kingdom also but that it may be honour'd with the presence of Christ and his Prophets as Jericho was c. CHAP. VII JOshua the seventh contains an Account of Achan's Sacrliedge described in three parts 1. How it was Committed vers 1. 2. How it was Detected vers 2. to 23. 3. How it was Punished vers 24.25 26. The first Part affords these Remarks The First Remark is That the Sin of one Man or of a few Men may be attributed to the whole Congregation The Children of Israel are said to have sinned when one Man only had done so ver 1. Reasons hereof be because 1. This does show how hateful to God sin is how hurtful to Men it is also 2. The Body Politick like the Body Natural doth Communicate one Member with another both in Joys and Griefs as the Head and Heart are Affected or Afflicted with the Weal or Woe of Hands Feet c. 3. All are here involved that all the Members of Church or State may learn not only to be solicitous each for himself but also one for another Levit. 19.17 every Man is bound to be his Brother's Keeper Gen. 4.9 wicked Cain will not be so for the advantage and weal of the whole Body 4. Because one sinner may destroy much good Eccles 9.18 as Achan did here till his Sin was punish'd and so put away by the People whom the Lord did justly correct for the neglect of their Duty Besides they were such a People as could not want grievous Sins of their own for which God now punish'd them or divers of them might sin by coveting with their Minds what Achan acted with his Hands or by concealing it and not mourning for it and endeavouring to purge themselves from this fault which probably was known to others c. The Second Remark is The Description of this Sinner 1. By his Name Achan here is call'd Achar which signisies to trouble 1 Chron. 2.7 because he was a troubler of Israel as Joshua call'd him vers 25. 2. By his Pedigree he was Nobly descended from the Tribe of Judah vers 1. yet became he a foul stain to his fair Ancestors whereby a good caution is given to all Parents for the most careful Education of their Children in God's fear that they may not prove a dishonour to them when they are Dead 3. By his Temper which the Tempter well knew to be Covetous he felt his Pulse so fitted him a Pennyworth suitable to his Temper Now this Covetous Temper was the worse in Achan because he had Oxen Asses Sheep and a Tent well furnished with goods ver 24. and therefore he had less need to covet Consecrated Goods The Third Remark is The Narrative of his Sin Namely his taking of the Accursed thing vers 1. there in General but ver 21. 't is confess'd by himself more distinctly in particular shewing the Progress and Gradation of it As 1. It began at his Eyes having made no Covenant with them as Job did with his Job 31.1 He first looked at liberty upon those glittering Objects the Wedge of Gold the Babylonish Garment c. Then 2. He lusted after them his Concupiscence did covet them when it was inflam'd by the Burning-Glass of his Eyes 3. That Covetousness call'd the Lust of the Eyes 1 Joh. 2.16 puts him upon actual taking them as his own which was a Sacrilegious Stealing from God against his express Command Josh 6.18 19. And 4. His hiding them in his Tent that he might convert them to his own private use The second Part How Achan's sin was discovered wherein those Remarks are As First The occasion of its Discovery which was Israel's warring against Ai without success as they had against Jericho but on the contrary with Slaughter and Flight ver 2 3 4 5. there was an over-ruling hand of God's Providence that Joshua should follow the direction of the Spyes sent to view Ai in sending only 3000 Men against so strong a City wherein there were far more Valiant Men to defend it than those were that came against it assuredly the ease of Israel's Army was more consulted than their safety herein At first sight it seemed greater policy to have sent the whole Army and not so small a Squadron but God's Holy Hand was in it and his Holy Will must be done and suffered God's Design was that this Forlorn Hope should be defeated and thereby Achan's Sin that was yet secret might be detected Oh Divine Chymistry God never suffers evil to be but he knows how to extract the greatest good out of the greatest evil God had withdrawn himself and his Spirit of Courage from those 3000 Men because of Achan's Sin that they being now dispirited very probably did not endure the first brunt of the Battel but fled away at their Enemies first Approach and Assault Seeing these Israelites that were slain are said to be smitten not in Fight but in Flight ver 5. this small discomfiture proved a great discouragement it caused a consternation among the People ver 5. and among the Grandees also ver 6. because they saw that God was displeased and for this time departed also Hereupon Joshua rent his Cloaths ver 7. in token that his heart was rent with grief and expostulates the case with God to vers 10. The Second Remark is The Author of the Discovery of Achan's Sin to wit God himself in answer to Joshua's Praying and Fasting God will be found of such as thus seek him in truth vers 10.11 God tells Joshua Israel had sinned therefore could they not stand in Batttl ver 12. then God prescribes 1. The means of finding
may well be supposed that Joash might threaten with Punishments from God as well as from himself telling them in Defence of his Son That God had appear'd to his Son and had commanded him to do all that he had done and that it was their Worshiping of Baal for which God had punished them by Midian's Tyranny seven years and that if they persisted therein still God will punish us seven times more c. It is usual in Scripture to give only some short hints of those things that were more largely discoursed But his Third Argument is From the Office of Baal himself by an Ironical Concession saying If Baal be a God let him plead for himself as the God of Israel hath done often times when any Indignity or Injury hath been done to him as when Nadab and Abihu offer'd strange fire Levit. 10.1 2. and in the case of Corah and his Accomplices Numb 16.31 35 c. The sense of his saying thus was this If Baal have such a Divine Power as you imagine then is he able to maintain his own Honour to right himself and to revenge the Wrongs offered to him so needs none of you to plead his Cause but if he be only an idle Idol and Image then is he not worthy to be Worship'd and defended by you who is unable to defend either you or himself such as dare any farther to plead for so silly a God as could not protect himself deserveth to die for their own Folly and Impiety The Tenth and last Remark in this Chapter is Gideon's undertaking to deliver Israel from the Tyranny of Midian from ver 33. to the end No sooner had Joash thus prudently stop'd the rapid Torrent of the Rabble's Fury with those Three forcible Arguments afore-mentioned but he Knights as it were his Son with an honourable Title calling him Jerub Baal that is let Baal plead against him that hath broke down his Altar this Name of Honour was given to Gideon by his Father as a Memorial of his Sons Noble Exploit and to Stigmatize Baal with this black brand of Infamy a fair caution for those foul Successors that would needs Worship Baal in after Ages Gideon's undertaking Israel's Deliverance is described First By the occasion of it the Midianites and their Confederates made a new Invasion as far as Jezreel ver 33. where the Kings of Israel afterward had a Royal Palace 1 Kings 21.1 and not far from Ophrah where Gideon dwelt therefore well might he fear their sudden coming upon him to surprize him but this proved the unhappiest time to the Enemy now to invade Israel when Gideon had begun a Reformation in the Land ver 25. c. N.B. He began at the right end first to abolish false Worship and then to set up the true Worship seeing there can be no Concord betwixt Christ and Belial betwixt the Temple of God and the Temple of Idols 2 Cor. 6.15 16. and if we will serve God the Service of Baal must first be rejected 1 Kings 18.21 Gideon's suppression of that Superstition and Idolatry which caused God to give Israel up to Midian's Tyranny and his begun Reformation of the true Religion must needs make him more couragious and consident of Victory for hereby a door of hope was opened in order thereunto A good Cause a good Call and a good Conscience could not but breed a good Courage in him all these are needful in Civil Sacred yea and in Military Undertakings more especially because they carry their Lives in their Hands and by these they die in peace though they die in War as many good Men do The Second part of the Description is by the efficient Cause namely the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and cloathed him as the word signifies with extraordinary Wisdom Zeal and Magnanimity ver 34. this was a rich addition to that Courage he had from the goodness of his Cause Call and Conscience and hereby the Qualifications of a Judge of Israel did so shine forth that even the Men of Abiezer those of his Father's Houshold ver 27. who were so corrupted with the Idolatry of the times and so zealous then for Baal that he feared to acquaint them with his design of destroying Baal's Altar yet now they are so convinced that God had called Gideon to this great Work both of Vindicating God's Glory and his Countries Liberty that they are the first Voluntiers that will follow him as the person whom God had not only protected in that dangerous attempt of destroying Baal but had also pick'd him out of all the Tribes and pitched upon him by whose hands the Lord would work Israel's Deliverance from Midian Thirdly This Expedition is described by its Instruments whereof Gideon's own Family were a part Joash is call'd an Abiezrite ver 11. the first Soldiers that offered themselves willingly to be as Instruments in God's Hand for this undertaking were the Abiezrites when Gideon an Abiezrite also blew his Trumpet and when he sent Messengers to the other Tribes ver 35. they freely Muster and march up to meet him even the Tribe of Asher it self which was justly blamed by Deborah for their backwardness to fight against Sisera Judg. 5.17 God never starves his Work for want of Instruments but always stirs up those that he will employ therein and where Men are not at hand an Oxe's-Goad in Shamgar's Hand or the Jaw-bone of an Ass in Samson's Hand shall be enough The Fourth part of the Description is the Motive that bore up the Spirit of Gideon in this great Enterprize namely the confirmation of his Faith by a double Sign of the Dew and the Fleece of Wooll ver 36. to the end These Signs he beg'd of God not out of Infidelity but in all Humility not only for the corroborating of his own Courage and Confidence but also for the Encouragement of his Army now gathered together at their Rendezvous in Ophrah that they might more faithfully follow him in this Heroick and Hazardous Attempt we do not read that the Lord answered his Prayer by any words spoke to him but by Deeds he did in this double Sign which was by a wet and by a dry Fleece A proper Representation of Israel which was wet with the Dew of Divine Doctrine when all the World besides was dry and now dry when all the World besides was wet namely with the Dew of Peace answerable to the Prophet's Vision wherein he saw all the Earth sitting still and at rest but Jerusalem only under grievous Indignation Zech. 1 11 12 13. We must suppose their Floors then were not under a cover as ours are now but placed in the open Air as this floor was upon which the Fleece was laid so that nothing interposed to receive the falling Dew N.B. This Fleece was Israel which properly belonged to the great Shepherd of the Sheep Psal 23.1 the God of Israel but now alas how was Israel fleeced and sheared of their Corn and Cattel by the
the Chaldee-Paraphrast Onkelos Rabbi Solomon c. But above all Josephus's Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he Slaying his Daughter offer'd her up for a Burnt-Offering This Authority of the Antients both Jewish Rabbins and Primitive Fathers both Latine and Greek hath captivated the Conjectures of many late Learned Interpreters into a concurrence with this Opinion and the rather because the Letter of the Scripture seems much to favour it which saith Whatsoever cometh out of my House to meet me shall surely be the Lords and I will offer it for a Burnt-Offering But The second Opinion is That Jephtah did not Sacrifice his Daughter but only devoted her to a perpetual Virginity This likewise is the Sentiment of divers of the later Rubbins and of many Modern Judicious Divines above all Exceptions It cannot assuredly be denied that the Parties in both those Opinions are very strong both in their Parts and Proofs on both sides therefore I dare not take upon me to determine the Controversie yet do I lean to the latter Opinion upon these Respects First Because I find the Particle Vau used in the Declaration of the Vow ver 31. is no more than a Conjunction Disjunctive for Or and not for And as Gen. 26.11 Exod. 21.15.17 Levit. 6.3.5 2 Sam. 2.19 c. So that Jephtah's Words in his Vow may be read thus or and not and I will offer it up ver 31. meaning thus If it be such a thing as may lawfully be offered then will I offer it for a Burnt-Offering but if not it shall however be Consecrated unto God and should it be read conjunctively for and I will offer c. this Absurdity is introduced thereby suppose Jephtah's Dog had come out of Doors first to meet his Master as many Dogs do after a long absence to welcome him home after their Natural Instinct This Unclean Creature had been an Abominable Oblation unto God who hath expresly forbid it in his Law Levit. 27.11 12 13. Isa 66.3 as well as Man's Flesh Deut. 12.31 Secondly The 2d Respect or Reason is I find likewise the Execution of the Vow ver 39. is delivered in such Ambiguous and General Terms far darker than that And for Or in the Declaration of the Vow Jephtah did to his Daughter according to his Vow c. where no intimation of his Sacrificing her to the Lord is given but rather that he did Consecrate her to the Lord as a Virgin to serve him in a single Life 1 Cor. 7.32 for the latter Clause in ver 39. and she knew no Man seems Exegetical explaining the Nature and Matter of the Vow that Text saith not He did to her according to his Vow and offered her up for a Burnt-Offering but it saith and she knew no Man immediately after which implies that she lived ever after in a Devout Virginity as her Father had Vowed and she her self had nobly Assented The Third Reason is I find also that this Daughter did not bewail her Death which would have been the chiefest cause of her Lamentation had she been Vowed to Die and that by the hands of her own Father but 't is said she only bewailed her Virginity upon the Solitary Mountains ver 37 38. and not any expectation of the loss of her Life And though it be said That Jephtah at the first sight of his Daughter coming with many more Maidens to sing Songs of Triumph for his Glorious Victory immediately falls into a most passionate Lamentation ver 34 35. crying out N. B. I have been troubled by my bad Brethren that Banish'd me and by the Oppressing Ammonites that Warr'd against me but now after God hath given me a compleat Conquest I meet with my greatest Trouble of all the former by my own dear and only Daughter which hath plainly put a damp to all the Joys of my Victory and all because of my Vow c. This extraordinary pang of passionate Sorrow in Jephtah hath indeed moved many Learned Men to believe that his Daughter was really offered for a Burnt-Offering because had he only vowed to Consecrate her for serving God in a perpetual Virginity he would not have sorrowed after so unspeakable a sort Rending his Cloaths c. N. B. But if it be seriously considered How great a Blessing it was look'd upon in those times to become Parents of Children and how a Barren Womb and want of Posterity was then accounted a most cruel Curse Gen. 30.23 1 Sam. 1.6 7. Isa 4.1 Luke 1.7 and a dreadful Disgrace also because such were excluded from that great priviledge of Increasing the Holy Seed and contributing to the Birth of the Messiah who was to be Born of an Israelitish Woman we cannot but confess Jephtah had exceeding great cause of this his most bitter Grief and Out-cry N. B. Seeing Jephtah being the chief Magistrate in the Common-Wealth of Israel had hereby all hope of living in his Posterity cut off from him because God had blessed his two Predecessors in the Judgeship Gideon and Jair as also were his two Successors Ibsan and Abdon with a very Numerous Off-spring and himself must die as good as Childless this Danghter being his only Child beside her having neither Son nor Daughter ver 34. and she now Vowed to a perpetual Virginity The Fourth Reason that makes this case more dubious as to any Sacrificing of her is The Monstrous Nature of that Horrible and Vnnatural yea worse than any Inhumane yea than any Belluine Fact it seems very improbable that such a Man as Jephtah was so eminent for Piety Wisdom and Godly Zeal and for his Paith also insomuch that he stands inroll'd amongst God's greatest Worthies and his Name Eternalized by the Holy Scriptures for his Exemplary Faith Hebr. 11.32 c. should dare to perform such barbarous and unparallell'd a Massacre upon his own and only Daughter who was a Pious and Innocent Virgin so obsequious to her Father's Will and such an Act of Murder as was directly contrary to the Light of Nature much more to the Law of Scripture c. N. B. The very Heathens abhorr'd such unnatural Acts excepting only those few who were so blinded with a Diabolical Zeal as to devest themselves of all Humanity and Natural Affection and Sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to the Devil in Moloch therefore assuredly the Judgment of Charity doth partly prohibit us from involving a Man of his Figure as above in a deeper degree of sin than the Scripture of Truth doth clearly charge upon him and from aggravating his Faults with our fond and ungrounded Fancies and the same Law of Charity doth partly command us to put as favourable and as candid a Construction upon his Action as the Grammatical sense of the Sacred Text will warrant us we ought willingly to entertain all Advantages which the Word of God allows us taking all Expressions about it by the right handle to clear so great and so good a Father and Governour from all undue
25.6 7 8. The Fourth Remark is The Discommendation of Eli's Sons v. 12. to v. 22. for their five foul sins As First For their affected Ignorance v. 12. the Sons of Eli were Sons of Belial and knew not either the Lord or his Law practically as 't is Rom. 1.28 1 Cor. 15.34 Tit. 1.16 Jerem. 9.3 1 John 2.4 though they could not want a Speculative or Notional Knowledge of God c. by vertue of their Education under a Godly Father Secondly For their odious Avarice Rapine and Violence v. 13 14. where they are branded not only for Inhumane Robbery but also for Impious Sacriledge they did not only rob the offerer of his part of his own offering but they stole God's part too and serv'd themselves before him So covetous they were as not being content with the Breast and Shoulder allotted them by the Lord Exod. 29.27 28. Levit. 7.31 c. which also ought to have been waved c. Levit. 7.34 They catch what they can with their Flesh-hook out of the Caldron and whether it were their part by the Law or not they converted it to their own use this was their Custom but not their Right Thirdly For their Abominable Intemperance and Gluttony v. 15 16 17. Sodden Flesh would not serve and satisfie those Liquorish Losels N. B. They must be fed with Rost-meat forsooth and would be kinder to themselves than God was to them Their Belly was their God Phil. 3.19 they served their Lusts in pampering their Appetites more than the Lord in attending his Altar They made their Gut their God they took what they listed and both how and when they pleased Fourthly For their unparallel'd Whoredoms with the Women that came up out of all the Tribes to Worship God at his Tabernacle v. 22. this was ordinary for Women to accompany their Husbands thither Thus Hannah did here and the Blessed Virgin Mary Luke 2.41 and thus they used to do long before Exod. 38.8 sometimes with their Parents N. B. Oh Abominable Impiety That those Prophane Priests should so scandalize their High and Holy Calling with such Matchless Villanies as to commit a Rape upon the Women that came thither for better purposes possibly to fast and pray as Luke 2.37 However to perform some Service to God in a Religious Manner Oh what an high provocation was this to the most Holy God whose Priests they were that they should give themselves up to such outragious Filthiness And Oh what a pestilent pattern was this to the People in General seeing 't is so generally observed like Priest like People No wonder if it be said Men abborr'd the Offerings of the Lord v. 17. because they knew that their Offerings might pass through the polluted hands of these profligate Priests which was enough to make the Lord to abhor them rather than to accept of them nor durst they trust their Wives to go thither for Purification after Child-bearing as was required Levit. 12.6 much less their Virgin-Daughters lest they should be Ravish'd by those Lecherous Lurdans N. B. Their wanton Tooth was the Harbinger of their Luxuriant Wantonness and their Gluttony was the Gallery that their Lechery walked through Sine Cerere Baccho friget Venus Lechery is a Monster without Gluttony and Drunkenness saith Tertullian Et Ventrem Vino Aestuans despumat in libidines he that pampers his Paunch must fry forth his Froth in wicked ways saith Jerom This Luxury had been abominable in any of the People much more in those Priests who should have taught the People better Lessons by their Lives as well as Lips So that a wicked Priest is the worst Creature in the World N. B. Those that were once Angels of Light damn'd themselves into Devils of Darkness The more damnable was the practice of those Priests because they had Wives of their own Chap. 4.19 and so might drink Water out of their own Cistern c. as Solomon adviseth Prov. 5.15 No Wonder then if Popish Priests who are not allow'd to Marry be so notoriously branded for Whoredom especially considering they mostly want that pious Education which Eli's Sons had And Fifthly or Lastly They stand stigmatiz'd for their Obstinacy and Obduration upon Scripture Record v. 25. They were disobedient to the grave Counsel of their good Father whom they despised for his Old Age so persisted in their pertinacious practices which are described by aggravating Circumstances As First Oh Place in Shilo the Holiness whereof should have smitten them with shame to commit such Horrible Abominations even in the sight of God himself ver 14. Secondly Of Persons Priests who ought to lead exemplary Lives and to teach by pattern as well as by precept And Thirdly By Time when they should have been better employed in God's Worship N. B. But the cause of all their wicked Courses is expressed God gave them up to their own Lusts because he had a purpose to slay them ver 25. The Fifth Remark is The manner how this Good Man Eli yet a fond Father did chastize his most notoriously flagitious Sons for their unparallell'd Sins v. 23. to v. 27. wherein he is found too fondly mild with them all along in his chastizing of such Miscreant Villains not only as too fond a Father but also as too Indulgent a Judge and too remiss an High-Priest both which Superiour Offices did require in him much more severity against such sins of the first Magnitude and against such Sinners of the blackest Dye as they were Chemarims which signifies Black-Coats a word used for Priests Zeph. 1.4 but more especially against sinful Sons of his own Loins and Family He that ruleth not his own House well how can he rule well the House of God 1 Tim. 3 4 5. N. B. Let us take a view hereof in its Branches First He saith over softly to them Why do ye such things v. 23. This was reprove them Lenitate Patris non Authoritate Pontificis saith Jerom with the Lenity of a Father not with the Authority of a Magistrate 'T is an old Saying Pity spoils a City sure I am it did so here for it spoil'd his Family causing the Priesthood to be removed from it as is demonstrated afterwards in the next Remark Secondly I hear of your evil Doing This was too Gentle to mention them in the general only and not to particularize them with their Detestable Aggravations he should have rebuk'd them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly or sharply Tit. 2.15 with all Authority and not by Hear-say only Thirdly By all the People As if it were their Report only and that he was put on by the People to say what he said Fourthly Nay my Sons v. 24. He should have set on his Reproof by saying Ye act more like Sons of Belial than my Sons the Sons of the High-Priest of the Most High God Fifthly 'T is no good Report He should have call'd it the most Dismal and Diabolical if he had had a right Zeal for God's
Trance and Chain'd up in God's Chain like a Wolf restrain'd from Worrying God's Lamb David for a Day and a Night and where Jonathan was Resident and President in his Father's Absence He asks his dear Jonathan What Crime he had committed that his Father was so implacably incens'd against him v. 1. Good Jonathan answers him with a God forbid c. v. 2. not thinking that his Father could be so wicked as to seek David's Life when he had so lately sworn to the contrary chap. 19.6 N. B. The Love of this good Son thought no evil of a bad Father 1 Cor. 13.5 what extravagancy had been in the Father his Charitable Son imputes it as the fruits only of his Frantick Fits and he assureth David saying when my Father comes to himself I dare undertake to reconcile thee to him as I have done heretofore chap. 19 4 5. Thus this Noble-minded Son is least suspicious of evil and puts a more candid Construction upon the evil Actions of a Bloody-minded Father than they truly deserved and so great was the Son's Blind Charity towards a bad Father which was both commendable and comely in him that he assureth David My Father will do nothing either small or great but that he will shew it me To this David replys v. 3. and that with a Solemn Oath because the matter was of great moment that Jonathan might not doubt of it interposing this Reason why Saul concealed his designing David's Death from Jonathan because he knew there was a League of Love betwixt them v. 3. Jonathan's Rejoynder to David's Reply was That he offered his utmost endeavour to grant David's Request for discovering the truth concerning the King's Mind and for preserving his Life who was Innocent yet in danger v. 4. saying to him What thy Soul desireth I will do for thee so our Jesus says to us Matth. 7.7 John 16.23 24. The Second Remark is The manner how Jonathan must pump forth his Father's Mind prescribed by David v. 5 6 7 8. wherein Observe First The Opportunity that is the Solemn Festival time of the New-Moon now at hand which was celebrated as a Testimony of their Thankfulness to God for lending them Times and Seasons Numb 10.10 because all time is the Lords The day is thine and the Night is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Psal 74.16 Secondly The Vacancy of David's usual Seat as he was the King's Son in Law would occasion Saul's Enquiry after him for though David could not well imagine that Saul would expect his Company whom he had once and again endeavoured to kill yet partly Saul might suppose that David would ascribe all those his Extravagancies only to his Frantick Fits but when this Phrenzy was over he would come with a more composed Mind to keep the Feast of the Lord and then David might think himself in safety and so by his coming to fill up his proper Seat would give another fair Season wherein to slay him Or partly and more especially David would try this Experiment for discovering Saul's Mind toward him he begs leave of Jonathan who had power to grant it as the King's Deputy Lieutenant during his Absence at Naioth that he might go to Bethlehem and keep his Annual-Feast among his Kindred for two Days only promising to return and hide himself in the Field near the Court that Jonathan might give him Intelligence how his Father resented his Withdrawment Thirdly David's Appeal to Jonathan's own Conscience concerning his Innocency saying 1. If Iniquity be in me stay me thy self I had rather Die by thy friendly hands than be tortured by the hands of thy furious Father The tender Mercies of the Wicked are Cruelties saith Solomon Prov. 12.10 But if no Iniquity be found in me as thou judgest then be mindful of that Solemn Covenant whereof God is a Witness and give me seasonable notice of Saul's Intentions concerning me If he say well to my Absence by thy leave I am willing to trust my self with him this third time as I have done twice already chap. 18.11 17. and 19.7 notwithstanding his double Double-Dealing with me in forgetting both his Promise and his Oath but if my Absence enrage him for his losing the opportunity of killing me then let me know that I may escape his Rage c. The Third Remark upon the Antecedents is Jonathan's pathetical Promise to David that he would be a fast and a faithful Friend to him at this critical juncture v. 9 10 11. to 18. Wherein observe First After Jonathan had told David he abhor'd the thoughts of either slaying him himself or of betraying him into Saul's Hands to be slain by him v. 9. they consult together by what means and in what place this friendly Office might be performed without suspicion to Saul v. 10 11. So they both walk into the Fields for private Conference where they might not be over-heard and where Jonathan in an abrupt Expression calleth Jehovah the God of Israel to Witness the reality of his Respects and to be Judge betwixt them v. 12 13. Secondly Jonathan's Piety towards God and an humble denial of himself saying Tantamount though I be Heir Apparent of the Crown by Lineal Succession and therefore might envy thee having more cause than my Father for being envious yet because I know 't is the good Pleasure of God to reject my Father and to Elect thee as one better than my Father much Joy mayest thou have of the Kingdom after him and whatsoever becometh of me The Will of the Lord be done therein Acts 21.14 he chearfully submitteth himself and resolveth to cleave close to his Friendship with David in whose felicity he rejoyced as much as in his own Thirdly Jonathan's Faith as well as Self-denial is here very Conspicuous in courting David now in his lowest State of Humiliation even then when David had so solemnly Sworn his own desperate Apprehensions of himself saying As the Lord liveth and as thy Soul liveth there is but a step betwixt me and death v. 3. N. B. Yet at that time Jonathan Complements him as if he were already actually the King of Israel therefore must he have David to Swear and Swear again by way of Restipulation to keep Covenant with himself and with his Posterity whether he were Dead or Alive when David came to the Kingdom which he was sure would be v. 14 15 16 17. N. B. The like famous Faith we find in Abigail afterward Chap. 25.28 30. c. But above all the Faith of the Penitent Thief in him who is called the Son of David he could believe in a Crucified Christ and pray for his kind remembrance when he came into his Kingdom Luke 23.42 as if he saw him already in his State of Exaltation The Fourth Remark upon the Antecedents is The pious Prudence and Policy Jonathan propounds to David as measures to be taken on both sides the one for sounding Saul at the Feast how his Heart stood affected
been not long before this detained before the Lord under pretence of great piety Chap. 21.7 with this very High-Priest Ahimelech yet now impeacheth him of no less Crime than High Treason wretchedly wresting all that he saw and heard done or said at that time relating to David to the most mischievous misconstructions and all along concealing that part of the truth which he was obliged to declare for Ahimelechs just defence namely how he was circumvented by David's plausible pretences so could not be an Accessary to any such supposed Conspiracy with David against Saul N. B. Note well Upon this Occasion David composeth his fifty second Psalm as appears by the Title wherein Doeg is rightly reputed a Lyar and stigmatiz'd he stands for ever upon Scripture Record for his Lying tongue for though he told some truth to Saul here yet not for any love to truth or justice but for Devilish Ends both for incensing Saul and for disgracing both David and the Priests of the Lord. The Fourth Remark is The Massacre of the Lords Priests by Doog both Informer and Executioner at the Command of Saul that bloody Tyrant ver 11. to the 19. wherein we have an account of many sad Circumstances of that most savage Tragedy as First Upon the Evidence given by this cursed Informer Doeg Saul sends out his Summons and serves a Citation by his Apparitors upon Ahimelech and all that wore a Linnen Ephod to appear personally before him at Gibeah N. B. Here Saul stay'd and stood in a Tyrannical posture with a Spear in his hand ver 6. being always under a guilty affrightment of receiving harm from others and always in a ready posture of doing mischief to others N. B. Saul citeth those Priests of the Lord under a pretence of Justice tho' his intent was to be both their Accuser and their Judge and resolv'd before hand they should all dye whatever good defence they could make for themselves and for the saving of their own lives ver 11. The second Circumstance is Ahimelech and the rest appear at Saul's Summons each man in person then Saul impeaches them of High Treason in Conspiring with David against their Leige Lord and Sovereign which Charge or Accusation he could only prove by presumption and probability ver 12 13. Saying In so much as you have contributed your best Assistance to that Grand Rebel David you are Abettors of his Rebellion and therefore you shall dye and Saul was in such a rage here that speaking to Ahimelech in the name of the rest he disdain'd to call him by his own name but the best Title he can afford him was thou Son of Ahitub in a way of contumely because he was resolv'd to condemn him right or wrong though his Arraignment was false for what he did was done in the integrity of his heart The Third Circumstance is Ahimelech's Apology and Answer to the Indictment ver 14 15. wherein the Defendant Argues against this Royal Plaintiff in defence of his own innocency saying First As to David he declareth what David had formerly been both really in himself and relatively in the common estimation both of King and People insomuch that Saul himself had judg'd him worthy to receive him into a Royal Relation in his Court by making him the King's Son-in-Law c. As to present differences that had lately happened between Saul and David he did not take upon him to determine N. B. Some here do say that Ahimelech did not speak words of wisdom in so highly commending David to Saul's face whom he saw so hotly incensed against him at this time whatever he had been formerly But others do better affirm that this Holy High Priest wholly laid aside all Worldly Policy not acting like the Politicians of our times who to curry favour with an Angry Tyrant would acknowledge their mistake and would have promised they will know David better for time to come c. This good Man abhor'd such subtle and sinful shifts but in the honesty of his heart and in all godly simplicity will give David his due rather than debauch his own Conscience he will justifie the righteous tho' he tacitly tax Saul of Tyranny therein and so run himself into desperate danger of his life thereby N. B. In this Apology Secondly Ahimelech speaks as to himself having done with David saying This is not the first time that I have enquired of God for David had it been so there had been some ground of jealousie for my being a Conspirator knowing that David was now fallen under the King's displeasure tho' it hath oft been so before yet have they been as oft again reconcil'd but seeing it hath been my constant custom thus to enquire of God for him in former times when he hath been sent forth upon the King's service therefore this thing ought not to be imputed to me for a fault which is and hath often been but the duty of my Priesthood much less for a treacherous Conspiracy against my Soveraign which my Soul abhorreth and whereof I am altogether ignorant less or more N. B. Though he might know something of Saul's displeasure against David at some times yet this he might ascribe to the violence of Saul's frantick Disease as Jonathan had done Chap. 20.2 and not to himself seeing when his passion was over he had been reconciled to David and gave him security by Oath but he knew nothing of any Treasonable Design c. The Fourth Circumstance is Saul's rash pronouncing that harsh Sentence of Death against innocent Ahimelech and his whole Family of Priests ver 16. Here Saul plaid the part of a bloody Tyrant N. B. This was the worst Act that ever Saul did saith Theodoret and a great cause of his destruction saith Josephus like an unjust Judge he desperately shuts his ears to the High Priests just defence and damnably passeth this bloody doom of death upon him and not upon him only but upon all his Fathers House also and all this upon the single and malicious Testimony of a false and flattering Sycophant whereas the Law of God requireth that none should dye under two or three Credible Witnesses Deut. 17.6 c. Nor doth he take any time to deliberate for discovering any other Testimonies as Reasons why those Innocents ought not to die but without delay in a furious rage he denounced this illegal and rash doom and as furiously proceeds he from this cruel Sentence to a present bloody Execution N. B. It may well be wondred at why Ahimelech did not Apologize at lest now in so desperate a pinch and tell Saul that David had deceived him and drew him on to all he did for him by all those Lyes which he had told him this Allegation might seem most effectual for the High Priests excuse but not a word of this for 't is probable this good man was unwilling by excusing himself of a seeming fault to accuse David of a fault that was both foul and real
glittering glory as the Mobile were at Herod's Grandeur when Cloathed with a Cloak of Silver Act. 12.21 22. 'T is a wonder good David could be silent when he saw how his Son's Pride thus Budded Ezek. 7.10 He should have endeavoured to Cross it and to Crush it in the Bud but alas He was too much blinded with the fondness of his Fatherly Affections and God's Holy hand was in it to bring upon David those Evils out of his own House which he had threatned chap. 12.11 for his Sins The Third Remark is The means whereby Absalom stole away the Hearts of the People from their Right Owner his own Father v. 2 3 4 5 6. All the means he used were all farther Additions to his most Princely Pomp c. Herein Mark 1. That he might be the more popular he Riseth early he Seats himself in the place of Judicature to hear the Peoples Causes to put a slur upon all the King's Judges as if sluggards and careless and none like him for self-denyal and diligence Mark 2. He smoothed the Plaintiffs up with plausible words telling them that their Causes were good right or wrong and Condemned those Judges that had formerly heard the Case and given Verdict against them This pleased the Plaintiffs Mark 3. He Reflects upon his Old Father as one Super-Annuated and past publick Employ so minded not to promote the publick good but sets up such Judges as are bribed and will not do the People Justice N. B. This was a most sordid slandring of his good Father of whom the Holy Scripture giveth a better Character that David Executed Justice and Judgment among all the People chap. 8.15 Mark 4. He wishes that the People would make him Judge seeing the King would not having only brought him into favour at Court and then would he work wonders in pleasing all People N. B. 'T was a great over-sight surely that such an Arrogant Ungrateful Lying Hypocrite was called no sooner to the Bench. Mark 5. When the Vulgar sort came to do him Obeysance Bowing to this Molten Calf made up of Golden-Earings He with a Counterfeit Courtesie took them and kissed them tho' they were Scoundrels and Skullions of lowest Degree So sordid was his Spirit and nothing Royal in it not a dram of David in him and here if ever true Partus Sequitur Ventrem The Birth follows the Belly for assuredly while he was thus Ambitiously Aspiring after a Kingdom he could thus crouch to any Inferiour fellow were his Cause good or bad He had more of his Mother a Pagan Geshurite than of his Father a Godly-Israâ—lite c. Mark 6. Thus he courted the People and collogued with them till he had stolen away all their Hearts And this Thief acted so Slily and Secretly that neither the People nor David himself did discern or discover it The Second part of this Chapter is The Concomitants of Absalom's Conspiracy ver 7 8 9 10 11 12. Upon which Remarks are First The time when this Conspiracy began to be put into Action after its long hatching in secret c. 'T is told us It came to pass after forty years ver 7. About the Computation of this time I find various Opinions N. B. The First is Wherein Arbang Hebr. four is Read for Arbagnim Hebr. forty Thus the Syriack the Arabick and Josephus the Jew Reads it But this is generally exploded notwithstanding the probability that Absalom's conspiracy might require four years time to raise his Rebellion in against his Father because it is of dangerous consequence to allow of any Corruption in the Hebrew Text. The Second Opinion is That these Forty years must begin their computation at the time that Israel asked a King then was an observable alteration of the Government of Israel and so as fit to be made an Epocha or account of time as both the Greeks and Romans did from the like grounds and now the Lord as it were Intimated unto Israel Ye have been mad for a King now shall ye have so many Kings that ye shall not know which of them to follow and many of you shall perish in following the Usurper c. All which and the manner of a King Samuel foretold them of they saw fulfilled in Absalom But this Account from Saul's first year makes it more than forty years The Third Opinion Reckons these Forty Years from the beginning of David's Reign in Hebron who Reigned in all Forty Years in the last of which Absalom raised his Rebellion having catched hold of a Praediction saith Rabbi Levi that David should Reign no longer and lest Solomon should succeed he sets up for the Succession himself in David's last Year N. B. But as Reckoning from the First Year of Saul's Reign makes the time more than forty years so this reckoning from David's first year of Reigning makes it less than forty for the Rebellion of Sheba followed this of Absalom and the three years Famine beside that fell out in the days of David for the Sin of Saul c. Mention is likewise made of David's Wars with the Philistines wherein David was personally present and in danger which could not be in the last year of David's Reign when he was decrepit and kept his Bed but now when David fled from Absalom he was able to walk on foot c. The Fourth Opinion is Therefore the most probable to reckon this forty years from David's first anointing by Samuel which gave him a just Title And though that was then secretly done yet was it known to all after so might be a fit period of time to reckon this forty years from The Second Remark is The Place where Absalom began his Rebellion namely Hebron where he pretended he would pay his Vow he had made at Geshur in Syria v. 7 8. thus he makes Religion a Cloak for his Rebellion pretending like a crafty Hypocrite to pay his Peace-Offerings of Thanksgiving to the Lord for returning him from his Banishment among Pagan Idolaters and restoring him into the King's presence and favour where he might also be present in the pure Worship of the true God Yet resolvedly intending to ruine David in his being as well as in his well-being and lest his Father should suspect him he goes not away without his leave well knowing that his Pious Father would not hinder but further his Devotion and would rejoyce at his Son 's retaining his Religious Desires after the true God having been so long conversant among the Syrian Courtiers where he saw nothing but Idolatry and Debauchery The Third Remark is David's ready grant to his Son 's Religious Petition v. 9. 'T is a wonder so Wise a Man and so Sagacious a King as an Angel of God Chap. 14.17 yea and sometimes so over suspicious as in the case of Mephibosheth afterwards yet no distrust will his heart harbour concerning Absalom upon whom he doted N. B. One would think David might have said to his Son Is not Sion as proper
Father 'till he had gathered all Israel together as Hushai had advised a great advantage to David for in that interim David had got together three Potent Armies wherewith he vanquished Absalom's numerous Host as is related in Chap. the 18th 2 Sam. CHAP. XVIII THIS Chapter is a Narrative of that fatal Fight wherein Absalom the Son fought with David his Father for the Kingdom of Israel In which Narrative there be three General Parts First The Antecedents Secondly The Concomitants And Thirdly The Consequents Remarks upon the First Part are First David Muster'd all his Forces which Josephus reckons but four thousand yet Comestor computes them to be seven thousand v. 1. but 't is probable they were many more from these Cogent Reasons The First is David's Army must needs be greatly augmented by the two Tribes and half beyond Jordan who living far distant from Absalom's Court at Jerusalem had not been corrupted with that Vsurper's flatteries nor alienated in their affections to David whom they knew to be a good King and made now miserable only by an unnatural Rebellious Son therefore out of Compassion as well as out of Loyalty they could not but flock to him in great numbers The Second Reason is Had they been so small a number as Josephus saith David needed not to have been so exact in setting Captains over them by hundreds and by thousands and in dividing them into three Battalia's and committing them to the Conduct of Three Generals as it is expresly recorded in v. 12. though the number be not c. The Third Reason is That expression Thou art worth ten thousand of us v. 3. doth imply that this number was but the one half of the Army beside a fourth part of it left behind to Garrison Mahanaim The Fourth Reason is 't is certain they were such a Considerable Army as therewith David durst venture to take the Field and rationally commit his Righteous Cause to the tryal of a pitch'd Battle The Fifth Reason is David's prospect of his Victory whereof he was so confident that he giveth charge to his Army not to kill Absolom but only to take him Prisoner but more of that after The Sixth Reason is Tho' Victory doth not indeed depend upon the multitude of Armies yet David knew well he ought not to tempt the Lord and to expect a Conquest by a Miracle which God had not promised but by the use of probable means This is evident by David's actings in his persecution by Saul who when he came against him but with three thousand men never could draw David out of his Den into the open Field with his six hundred Men but all along he still lurked in his lurking holes not daring to tempt God Therefore Great Grotius's Opinion is rather to be embraced saying Vaiithkod Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek David mustered his Army Cum videret copias suas non minores Hostilibus When he saw his own Forces not much inferiour in number to his Enemies tho' he could commit his just cause to the protection and providence of God yet the care of the means he knew belonged to him as well as the care of the end belong'd to God and therefore could not want here such means as gave him a prospect of Victory by God's help over his Rebellious Son The Second Remark is David's offering himself to hazard his Royal Person with his Army in the Field-battel v. 2. No doubt but David had besought the Lord by Prayer had wept before him begging the pardon of all his heinous sins and after this was done he applied himself to humane helps of Martialling his Army into three Bodies after he had made a general muster and offer'd to go in person as their Generalissimo well knowing how much the presence of such a Martial Prince doth abundantly animate an Army in the heat of Battle N. B. Alas poor David had forgot this weighty notion in his time of Temptation if he had done so when Joab his General went against Rabbah the Metropolis of the Ammonites he had done far better which he did not so fell into such foul faults Chap. 11.1 2 c. He had learnt then by smarting experience that it was not King-like for him to indulge himself in ease idleness peace and pleasure at home while his Worthies were for his sake carrying their lives in their hands and exposing themselves to all hazards in the Field fighting with a numerous Enemy therefore saith he I will surely go my self with you v. 2. The Third Remark is The Armies refusal of his Royal offer v. 3. which they did not out of any contempt of the King to cross his Kingly Power and Pleasure but out of the highest veneration to his Royal Person which made them so careful and conscientious for his personal preservation and they grounded their laudable refusal of his offer upon solid Reasons As First Thou art say they the main Mark the Rebels aim at and should they know that thou art in the Field they would bend all their Forces against thee as 1 King 22.31 the Syrians did Their Second Reason is The slaughter of thee whom only the Rebels resolve to ruine would rejoyce them more than the slaughter of ten thousand of us thy Subjects for then have they their end to set up Absolom in thy Throne Chap. 17.2 Their Third Reason is The Dignity of thy Person exalts thee above ten thousand of us and therefore thy ruine by the Rebels would do ten thousand times more damage to the state of Israel Their Fourth Reason is But if thou be kept alive tho' the Rebels rout us yet mayst thou recruit a new and another Army and so disappoint them still from accomplishing their design Therefore they conclude from these premises it was both safest and most satisfactory for him to Succour them out of the City both with his Prayers for them as a Prophet and by sending all sorts of supplies out of his Magazine to them as a Prince if need required it N. B. Note well Absolom was drawn in by Hushai's craft and by a divine infatuation to be personally present in the Battle which the People here would not suffer David to do this was the utter ruine of himself and of his cause c. N. B. Learn we from this People to prize the Lord Christ of whom David was both Father and Figure the Chief of Ten Thousand as the Spouse did Cant. 5.10 and and to give him the plus and the prius the first and best of our loves and to love him more than these Sublunary and Lower things as Christ ask'd Peter Joh. 21.15 c. The Fourth Remark is David s Prudence to the People and his Indulgence to his Rebellious Son v. 4.5 wherein Mark First Oh how meekly doth David submit his Royal will to the good will of his People saying What seems you best I will do v. 4. N. B. Affliction and Meekness grow both out of one root in
the Hebrew the former had kindly wrought up David to the latter and had cooled so Hebr the Spirit of this Man of understanding Prov. 17. v. 27. Decet Reges saith Peter Martyr here Interdum Subditorum Consiliis parere it is comely for Kings sometimes to hearken unto the Councels of their Subjects 1 King 12.7.13.15 Mark Secondly How kind a Father is David still to so unkind a Son deal gently with the young Man c. was the Charge he gave both to his Three Generals and to all the Army v. 5. which plainly implieth that David foresaw the Victory would fall on his side having heard how God had defeated the Councel of Achitophel who had thereupon hang'd himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod N. B. Evil Councel is evermore worst to the Evil Councellor himself This Providence prompts David to prognosticate his Victory which when ye have obtained saith he to his Generals do not pursue it with too much rigour take Absalom Prisoner but kill him not The Reasons why David desires the sparing of him some suppose to be First From his natural affectionate disposition always a fond Father to his Children full of Clemency insomuch that he spared Saul his Enemy when in his power once and again 1 Sam. 24. 26. No wonder then if he were for sparing his Eldest Son Secondly He doth not call him my Son because that would have aggravated his Crime but Lenagnar Hebr. The Boy or Young Man imputing his Heinous Rebellion to the heat of his Youth which makes Men heady high minded and inclinable to Evil Counsels and Practices but if he might be spared and Live till he were Older Age and Experience would make him wiser Thirdly David was Conscious to himself that he was the Meritorious and procuring cause of this Rebellion and that Absalom was given up of God to punish David's sins chap. 12.11 12. and therefore pitied him Fourthly This pious Father would not have his impious Son to Die in his Sin without Repentance for then Soul and Body perish for ever Fifthly Peter Martyr makes David a Type of Christ who pray'd for his Crucifiers as David did here for a Rebel Son against his Father Now come we to the Concomitants of this fatal Fight the Second Part. Remarks upon it are First The Place where the Battle was fought 't is called the Wood of Ephraim v. 6. though it was certainly beyond Jordan so not in that Tribe but call'd so either because it was over against Ephraim or because of Forty Thousand Ephramites lost their Lives there Judg. 12.5 6. The Second Remark is David's Victory ver 7. The Battle was soon determined Absalom's Army consisting of Raw Unexperienced Men in Martial matters stood not the first shock of David's Old Souldiers Sanctius saith without Book that Israel's Rebellious Rout had no General to lead them on that the Numerous Rabble was their Ruine being Ungovernable and that David had so pitched his Army in such an Advantagious Post that he left his Enemies no room whereon to draw up their Army I dare boldly affirm that Old David had learned more of the Politicks of War than his Raw-headed Son who was apter in the School of Venus than in that of Mars And if Absalom as Hushai had Advised him did lead his Army they had an Heartless-Hart not a Lion for their Leader and so 't is no wonder if they were so soon and so easily Routed and Twenty Thousand of them Slain A just reward of their unjust Rebellion The Second Remark is The Wood devoured more than the Sword ver 8. Behold here David's Policy and Absalom's Infatuation to Fight in so fatal a place as the Wood of Ephraim which had been so fatal to Oreb and Zeeb in Gideon's time Judg. 7.25 and 8.3 and to the Ephramites also Judg. 12.5 6. The Routed Rabble running from Death ran to it while they ran into the Wood to hide themselves some fell upon Stubs that did beat the Breath out of their Bodies when they had spent the most of it by their hasty Running away some for hast plung'd themselves into Pits and Ditches which were in the Wood ver 17. and which either they saw not being covered with the Rubbish of the Wood and so their violent flight hurried them in at unawares Or if they saw them they desperately threw themselves into those Slime Pits chusing rather to Die by Drowning than to be Slain by the Sword of those Souldiers that pursued them at the Heels some might be Hanged in the Trees as Absolom was some might be devoured by Wild Beasts some were Slain there in the pursuit and some might be Knock'd on the Head by the Countrey-People N. B. So dreadful a thing it is to provoke the Lord of Hosts who can Arm all things to Destroy us c. The Fourth Remark is Absalom was Hanged by the Neck upon the forked Bough of an Oak in this same Wood ver 9. Where Mark First Absalom met David's Souldiers and they according to David's command spared him and gave him an opportunity to escape but Divine Vengeance would not spare him Mark Secondly The great God directed the Branch of the Oak as he Rode under it to catch hold of his Long Hair that was loosely dissheveled upon his Shoulders and there Hangs him up by the Neck betwixt Heaven and Earth as one rejected of both and not fit to live in either of them Mark Thirdly Some do wonder how Absalom came here among the Thickets of the Wood where there was no way especially for Riders Answer Sanctius wittily observes that seeing it is said Absalom met David's Servants by chance it seems he rather peeped upon them fighting in the Battle out of some safe and secret place than fought against them in the front of the Fight this was a Chief Leader and General likely to Conquer However this is beyond doubt that when he saw his Rabble were Routed a dreadful fright fell upon him and fleeing left the Common Road and Rode among the Thickets till caught by his long Locks such as Sampson had Judg. 16.13 in a Crotch of the Oak Mark Fourthly He being held fast here by the Hair of his Head His Mule that was under him went away which might easily happen because being in flight the Mule passed along very swiftly N. B. As this Mule lurched his Master so will Worldly Wealth lurch Worldlings at their Death however And so will false grounded Hopes lurch Hypocrites Job 8.13 and 11.20 whereas a Lively Hope 1 Pet. 1.3 a Daughter of the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.1 rightly grounded on God's Promises will not lurch us no not at Death Prov. 14.32 But will do to us what Bucephalus Alxander's Great Horse did to him which as Aulus Gellius Reporteth though deeply Wounded in both Neck and Sides in a Battle yet carryed his Master with great speed out of Danger of the Enemy and when he had set his Master down in safety then
even in the Field by Martial Law though contrary to the private will of David's Person who was too much transported with fond Affections Secondly Joab saw there could be no safety to the King nor peace to the Kingdom nor security to himself and all Loyal Subjects so long as Absalom lived Heir Apparent to the Crown as may seem probable from chap. 19.10 Till he was dead the People Return not to David Thirdly Joab knew that Absalom's Crimes were already not only abominable but unsufferable even Capital Crimes by the Law of God which commands Rebellious Sons to be stoned Deut. 21.18 21. and it Curseth those that Vncover their Father's Nakedness c. And beside his Murther of Amnon he was now the Chief Cause of the Slaughtering Twenty Thousand of the Lord's People whom he had first wheedled into a Rebellion wherein they dyed Fourthly Joab saw no hopes of Absalom's amendment for by his means and Mediation he had been once and again reconciled to his Father yet had he most notoriously falsified his Faith and now was become a dangerous Traitor and a desperate Rebel against King and State Fifthly Joab perceived likewise that his Father out of fondness of Affection to him was still reconcilable towards him and that it would be a most grievous scandal in Israel to have such an Vnreclaimable Rebel still pardoned by too fond a Father who had well nigh ruin'd himself and the Kingdom by his repeated indulgency to this wretch Sixthly Joab having no hope of Justice from so Affectionate a Father against such a Son and himself being Chief General under the King might well think he might put to Death by Martial Law this unparallell'd Criminal now fallen so providentially into his hands before the Battle was ended therefore he ventured to cut him off preferring the publick peace and Safety of the Kingdom before the private undue Affection of the King whereby tantamont Joab saved David's Life against David's Will Seventhly David himself was so far convinced with the warrantableness of this fact of Joab that 1. he did not after the Battle blame Joab for it when he returned to Mahanaim Nor 2. did David make this fact any part of his charge when afterwards he accused Joab to his Son Solomon for his killing Abner and Amasa but not a word of his Killing the Beloved Absalom 1 King 2.5 The Third Part is the Consequents of this fatal Fight which are expressed from v. 16. to the End Remark the First Joab having cut off Absalom the Head of the Rebellion 1. Sounds a Trumpet to erase the shedding of any more Israelitish Blood the danger being over 2. He Buried this Arch Rebel in a great Pit in the Wood like a dead Beast and whereas other Rebellious Sons were Stoned alive Deut. 21.18 21. Absalom was stoned when Dead having a great heap of stones cast upon him whereby God crossed his Pride who had built a stately Tomb to perpetuate his Memory in the King's Dale hoping to be one of the Kings ver 17 18. The Second Remark is Joab sends tidings of his Victory to David ver 19 20 to 32. Ahimaaz 1. Desires to be the Messenger as he used to do heretofore but Joab prudently put him by because he had bad as well as glad Tidings to carry therefore 2. He sends Cushi the Black Aethiopian thinking it more proper for a Black to bear Black News N. B. The Messenger that brought Tidings The King's Son Christ was alive again was not a Black-moor but an Angel like Lightning and his Raiment as White at Snow Matth. 28.3 5 6. Mark 16.5 6. A Black may serve to tell the sad Tidings of Rebellious Absolom's Death but he is gloriously White that tells the Glad Tidings of our dear Redeemer's Resurrection But Ahimaaz presseth upon Joab and by importunity prevails resolving to be first and to relate the best leaving the worst for Cushi to tell and therefore Runs by the way of the Plain which proved the nearer way though farthest about than was the Hilly way that Cushi Ran And as this good Man was first espied by the Watch so he came first and was overcome to tell a Lie about Absolom as a product of his rashness in Running against Joab's diswasions Then comes Cushi the Black and blabs out all to David fearing the worst c. The Third Remark is David's grief for the Death of his Graceless Son who had nothing good in him but his Name signifying Father's Peace drown'd his Joy of the Victory Omnis in Ascanio chari stat cura Parentis He was moved for him more than was meet est modus in Rebus there is reason in all things N. B. He cried Would God I had died for Absalom by his Natural sorrow but Godly Sorrow taught him not to cry Would God I had died for Uriah 2 Sam. CHAP. XIX THIS Chapter treateth farther upon the Consequents of the Victory over the Rebels which are reducible to Two Heads The First is David's Dolorous bewailing the Death of his Son Absolom ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. The Second Head is David's return from his Banishment ver 9 10 11 to the end Remarks upon the First Head are First Ahimaaz and Cushi tell Joab how sadly David disresented the Death of his Son How he covered his Head after the manner of Mourners as ashamed so great a King should be seen in such sorrowful circumstances of Habit Gestures and Outcries and how he could never have done with that Doleful Ditty Oh my Son Absolom ver 2 3 4. Insomuch that the Victorious Souldiers stole away into the City by the other Gates thereof and not by that Gate where David was as Men ashamed to be seen of him lest he should suspect any of them to have had a hand in the Death of Absalom Yea and some of the People might mourn with David for the Death of Relations in the Slaughter of Twenty Thousand as oft happeneth in Civil Wars the Character whereof is Nullos Habitura Triumphos the very Victory therein ought to have no Triumphs N. B. Hereby the Joy and Triumph of this great Deliverance and most Glorious Victory was converted this day into a miserable Mourning The Body Politick sympathizing with its Head the King Prov. 16.15 and 19.12 The Second Remark is General Joab was greatly concerned that so wonderful a Salvation should thus conclude with so sad a Catastrophe and that so wise a King should fall short of the Prudence of sundry Pagan Princes who have better born the Death of their Dear Sons in Battle than David did saying only Novi me genuisse Mortalem I knew that I had begot a Mortal Now Is it not a shame that Nature should outstrip Grace Therefore Joab bestirs himself and gives the King a severe reprimand for his so unseasonable sorrow ver 5 6 7 8. Wherein Mark 1. It seemeth by this time David was got home to his House where he Quartered having first vented his passion
Spirit Thus the Bridegroom adopted the Bride Ruth 3.9 and so doth God to us Ezek. 16.8 if called c. Mark 3. When this rich Farmer 's Son found his Heart changed by this Habit He leaves his Plough and begs leave of a farewel to his Parents This great change upon Elisha by only the Mantle of Elijah makes up his eighth Miracle Mark 4. Elijah grants it Grace destroys not Nature nor Sanctity Civility Parents do Consent Elisha comes without dallying and delaying not as He did Matth. 8.21 Luke 9.59 and ver 61 62. where Christ grants not to him what Elijah here granteth because Christ knew all Men John 2.24 and that it was a pretence only to leave Christ Mark 5. Elisha's friendly Farewel was speedy This Divine Impression makes him willing to leave his Parents his Plough his fat Farm his All for God c. He slays his Oxen he plow'd with boils the Flesh with the Plough and wooden Instruments makes a farewel Feast for all his Friends here 's no weeping saith Peter Martyr but all Joy at this Happy Day and more honourable imploy Thus Levi did Luke 5.29 1 Kings CHAP. XX. THIS Chapter is a Narrative of Ahab's two great Victories over the Syrians for two years together First of the first Victory in which the Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents are remarkable Remarks first upon the Antecedents As 1. Benhadad the Son of him who had spoiled sundry Cities in Israel chap. 15.20 and the same whom Hazael murdered and succeeded 2 Kings 8.15 waged War against Ahab The Cause of this War is variously assigned As 1. The Syrians above thirty years before had been invited in by Asa to assist him against Baasha and then conquering some Cities 1 Kings 15.17 18. they had felt the sweetness of the Soil of Israel and now they would have all N.B. This is oft the fate of calling in Forein Powers for the suppression of an home-bred Enemy The Remedy oft proves worse than the Disease The 2d Cause saith P. Martyr was Ahab's refusing to pay Tribute to Benhadad which before he had paid him for those Cities that had been taken from Baasha and some also from Omri Ahab's Father not mention'd in sacred Story but implied here ver 34. But the 3d. and true Cause of this War was God's great displeasure against Israel for their Idolatry and Apostasie and Benhadad's Ambition in amplifying those Conquests his Father had made chap. 15.20 was but the Rod in God's hand to chastize the Impiety of his Children Remark the Second Benhadad gathers a vast Host consisting of thirty two Kings c. wherewith he comes up and besieged Samaria the Metropolis of the Ten Tribes designing to catch and conquer that Kingdom wholly to himself ver 1. Hereupon he sends his Embassadors from the Siege into the City to demand all Ahab's Treasures his Wives and Children c. ver 2 3. or expect no Peace but a sudden Assault Remark the Third Timorous Ahab finding himself not only hard pressed with a close Siege without but also worse oppressed with a guilty Conscience within makes a most pusillanimous Truckle to Benhadad's insolent Demands saying I am thine and all that I have ver 4. An evil Conscience was the cause of this Cowardice N.B. Some indeed more charitably call this Prudence in Ahab that by a soft Answer he might mollifie the mind of a Barbarian King so saith Menochius and that he spake not this seriously but only officiously to pacifie Benhadad nor would such a proud Imperious Dame as was Jezebel suffer him to do otherwise as loth enough to be delivered up into the hands of Barbarous Benhadad And Dr. Hall saith that Ahab did wisely like a Reed in the Tempest stoop to this violent Charge of so potent an Enemy he being but half a King while the Kingdom of Judah was divided from him and Benhadad had two and thirty Kings in conjunction with him It is not for the over-powered to expostulate in Capitulations weakness must not argue but yield Might many times runs down Right Remark the Fourth Benhadad insolently incroacheth upon this first submission of Ahab ver 5 6. Ahab offers to be a Tributary King to him and to hold his All in Homage and Fealty under him so the propriety and present possession might be but his No saith Benhadad in his second Message I will not only have Dominion over thy All but I will have present possession of thy All without any subordinate Interest reserved to thy self and not of thy All only but the All of all thy Subjects shall be mine in hold also Thus Insolency is both unsatiable and unreasonable too The unjust knows no shame Zeph. 3.5 he will have his Jezebel too together with the Treasure of the City as well as the Royal City and all the Cash Jewels Plate and portable goods of the Citizens All shall be actually mine saith he nor will I stay till thou deliver them but I will send to fetch them Remark the Fifth Upon the Antecedents Ahab now consults with the Elders whose wealth was now equally involved and incroached upon with his own ver 7. P. Martyr marks well here that Ahab neither consulted God at this pinch nor acknowledged the true cause of it He tells those Elders I have not denied to become his Vassal but nothing will satisfie him save the plundering of our Houses the ravishing of our Wives and the spoiling us of our All that is comfortable This over-strained subjection turns desperate and hereupon the Elders advise him to a Denial and rather stand it out to the Issue of a bloody War ver 8. Then Ahab gave in his Denial but faintly in saying I may not do it ver 9. whereas a right generous Spirit would have said I will not do it thy incroaching Terms required are worse than death c. N.B. Ahab was of such an Abject Temper that he would have submitted to the second Message saith P. Martyr but that he feared a Sedition among his Subjects sending his Answer in such a sordid dress Tell my Lord the King that thy Servant will do all demanded at first He might as well have said and the second too but my Subjects will not suffer me Remark the Sixth Ahab's Denial puts Benhadad into a desperate Out-rage ver 10. He stamps and stares he brags and threats yea and swears by his Gods that he would immediately turn the City Samaria into a Dust-heap And tho' every of his Souldiers should but each take up one hand-full they shall be sufficient to carry the whole City out of its place N.B. Such prodigious Pride and Presumption usually precedes utter Destruction which all Benhadad's Dunghil-Deities could not deliver from Now indeed Ahab answered wisely ver 11. and a little more couragiously than before leaving out that slavish Title My Lord but useth a Proverbial speech Let not him that girds on his Armour boast as he that puts it off N.B. 'T is sublime folly to sound a
walk'd with a dejected Countenance as Gen. 40.7 13. but now both his Release and Advancement was an Elevation both to his Mind and to his Looks Remark the Fourth The occasion of his Exaltation was this Nebuchadnezzar dies and Evil-Merodach his Son succeeds him The cause of this Successor's favour to Jeconiah was 1. either as the Rabbins Lyra and Sanctius say That his Father returning to his Right Mind and being restored to his Throne in which his Son had sate during his Fathers grazing among the Beasts of the Field for seven Years and now hearing of his Sons Male-Administration of the Government in that Interregnum and of his Rejoycing at his Fathers Madness and Misery he cast his Son into the same Prison where Jehoiakin was who told him his Case and thereby found this favour with him c. Or 2ly as Learned Gattaker declining this Tale told by the Talmudists saith If Conjectures may be given in a Case so uncertain it may be supposed that Jehoiakin being a Youth of 18 Years when brought Captive to Babylon 2 Kings 24.8 and of a comely Countenance and having been King of a Kingdom of great Note in those times this induced Evil-Merodach then but a Stripling and about the same Age to cast a campassionate Eye and Affection upon him who tho' he could not shew his favour to him while his Father lived yet he did it after his Decease when Royal Power came into his hands so to do Or 3ly as some others say this Favour was shewn him because of his voluntary yielding himself unto Nebuchadnezzar 2 Kings 24.12 whereunto some add according to the Advice of the Prophet Jeremy which God hereby made to appear that he approved of But we read of no such Advice given by Jeremy to Jehoiakin tho' to Zedekiah 't is Recorded he did so Jer. 38.17 18. but no where is it said so to Jeconiah c. But 4ly tho' the Cause on Man's part be hard to assign being uncertain yet this is certain on God's part that God made many so be pitied by those that carry'd them Captive Psal 106.46 Jer. 15.11 Dan. 1.9 and 2.48 49. and 3.30 and 6.2 28. Neh. 1.12 and 2.8 Acts 7.10 God gave Acceptance thus for Jehoiakin c. Remark the Fifth Evil-Merodach in the first Year of his Reign after his Father had Reigned 45 Years current sheweth favour to this Jehoiakin or Jeconiah the manner how he did it is Recorded 2 Kin. 25.27 28 29 30. and Jer. 52.31 to 34. There those Acts of Favour are Reducible to these Six Heads 1. His Releasing him from Prison ver 31. after he had been 37 Years a Prisoner which was a long time to live in a Prison till he was 55 Years old 2 Kings 24.8 yet after all the Lord Released him because he had yielded to his Enemy c. 2. Evil-Merodach spake kindly to him ver 32. probably from some private Affection to his Person and from some Lenity he had learn'd out of his Father's Madness and Misery Nor did he only speak good words to him but he also did good Deeds for him beyond his expectation 3. He sets his Throne above the Thrones of his fellow Captive Kings such as Nebuchadnezzar had lodged there yet afforded them some Evidences of Royal Dignity above common Captives while kept in Captivity but Jeconiah had the Precedency above them all 4. He changed his Prison-Garments ver 33. as Vnfit for the King's Presence So 't is said of Joseph Gen. 41.14 42. Now is he Array'd not in mean Apparel but in the quality of a Prince at Liberty 5. He is Admitted to the King's Table Eating daily with him as did Croesus with Cyrus saith Grotius and as David did with Saul 1 Sam. 20.3 27. N. B. Oh that we may do so with Christ c. 6. And he had an Allowance at the King's Cost and Charges for himself and his Houshold assigned him every day a Portion all the days of his life ver 34. so long as these two Kings lived together This likewise is a Believer's Portion who therefore may feed with joy Eccles 9.7 N. B. 1. Evil in Hebr. signifies a Fool. Hence some say this King of Babylon's cursed Courtiers call'd him Evil-Merodach that is Fool-Merodach because he was so kind to Jehoiachin and his People N.B. 2. The Lot of this Jehoiachin was far better than that of his Predecessor Jehoiakim whom the King of Babylon slew outright and gave him the Burial of an Ass as is aforesaid Now a living Dog is better than a dead Lion this Man lived long tho' the life of a Prisoner and better than that of his Successor Zedekiah who tho' not slain but let to live in Prison yet was he deprived of his Eyes and lived blind all his days never coming to any such Preferment N. B. 3. This Jeconiah and his Company of Con Captives were the Basket of good Figs which Jeremy spake of so comfortably that they might be Eaten and that they should Return c. Jer. 24.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. The Rabbins report that Jeconiah tho' he had been a Wicked Prince and therefore was writ Childless c. Jer. 22.24 to 30. yet Repented of his Wickedness as Manasseh had done before him and therefore was preferred by Evil-Merodach till the day of his Death But Zedekiah and his Subjects were the Basket of evil Figs Jer. 24.8 9 10. who were look'd upon as the Happier because then at Home and laughing at Jeconiah and his Company as Cowards for yielding c. No doubt but these Fellow-Captives did share with Jeconiah in his Comforts when he was thus preferred tho' no mention be made of it So little is there lost either in doing or suffering for God's sake whose Retributions are more than bountiful as to Jeconiah c. when the other Rotten Figs never Return'd as the others did but were cast to the Dunghil c. Remark the Sixth The Babylonian Empire after it had swallowed up the Assyrian as is before observed ran along in parallel Lines with the Jews Captivity they were contemporary beginning and ending much-what about one and the same time for the first Year of Nebuchadnezzar that most Absolute Monarch of Babylon was the latter end of the Third Year of Jehoiakim Dan. 1.1 and the beginning of his Fourth Jer. 25.1 and then began the Seventy Years Captivity of the Jews as is aforesaid Now Jeremy foretold that the Jews should continue Captives during the Reign of Three Kings of Babylon Jer. 27.7 They must serve the Father Nebuchadnezzar and his Son Evil-Merodach and his Grandson Belshazzar and then that mighty Monarchy should come from its Rise to its Ruine 'T is manifest that the Father Reigned 45 Years and his Son 23 Years and his Grandson only about 3 Years all which Years cast up together amount to the Expiration of the Seventy Years Captivity and of the Babylonish Monarchy whereof Daniel had a Vision in the first Year of Belshazzar Dan.
the Enemy and envious one doth not only Sow Tares among the Wheat Matth. 13.25 39. but also he sets upon all such as do begin to build the Tower of Godliness Luke 14.28 and hinders them to the outmost c. Remark the Fourth When those Adversaries saw all their Artifices in Hectoring the Builders and in Restraining the Men of Tyre and Sidon from bringing such Materials as were requisite for the Building as Sanctius saith proved all Ineffectual they took new Measures in bribing Counsellors saith Wolphius ver 5. to bolster up their bad Cause and to outface a good one These Counsellors saith Josephus were the King's Courtiers or Toparchs Deputites to King Cambyses who was a light loose and lewd Losel as one saith easily prevailed with to hinder so good a Work all the days of his Father Cyrus who favour'd the Jews but was now absent in his Warring abroad against the Lydians and then against the Scythians leaving his Son Cambyses to Reign at Home in his room so that Cyrus knew nothing of this Obstruction of his Royal Decree to the Jews saith Menochius but if he was informed of it and connived at the crossing of his own Decree by his own Son whom he had left his Viceroy behind him It was his Just Reward saith Dr. Lightfoot to meet with such a fatal End by Tomyris the Scythian Queen who Conquering him saith Justin cut off his Head and cast it into a Bowl full of Blood saying Satia te Sanguine Cyre quem Sitisti cujusque Insatiabilis semper fuisti Now glut thy self O Cyrus with Blood which thou hast ever thirsted after and wherewith thou could never yet satiate thy self Remark the Fifth Those Deputies and Officers of King Cambyses beyond the River Euphrates being profoundly bribed by the Samaritans wrote a most Pestilent Epistle full of all Diabolical Accusations Hatch'd in Hell and Dictated by the Devil who sharpen'd both their Tongues and their Pens and all this was done to Hinder God's People from Building God's Temple from ver 6 to ver 16. Mark 1. This Poisonful Epistle was directed to Cambyses in the beginning of his Reign ver 5. or Viceroyship immediately after his Father Cyrus went to his War abroad these crafty Courtiers would lose no time well knowing that tho' the Father was a publick Friend pet the Son was a private Enemy to the Jewish Nation and Religion so they take the fittest Season for granting of Suits from a New King Mark 2. This Cambyses the New King is call'd here Ahasuerus ver 6. which was his Chaldean Name and Artaxerexes ver 7. which was his Persian Name the two common Names of the Chaldean and of the Persian Monarchs as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian and Caesar of the Roman thus say Lyra A. Lapide Sanctius Wolphius Osiander Grotius c. all unanimously Ahasuerus or Achasueros say they is derived of Achas signifying a great V. Hebr. And and Ros or Resh Hebr. Head to signifie that he was a great Prince and Herodotus saith Artaxerxes signifies an Excellent Warrior both which Cambyses was being successful in his Wars adding Egypt and other Countries to the Persianâ— Monarchy He was a great Head indeed Mark 3. The Composers of this Satanical Suggestion are here named ver 7 8 9. the first that is named is Bishlam which Masius takes Appellatively Reading it Be-shalom in peace or in a time of peace so Onkelos c. implying that this mischievous Letter was written when the Jews thought all things were in peace Or it was some Congratulatory Phrase In peace be the King but most Read it as a proper Name with the rest of his Crafty Colleagues yea and Rehum the Chancellor President of the Council was Master of this Misrule and with him a whole Rabble of Rebels against God and his People all concurring in this cursed Confederacy not unlike that which David complain'd of Psal 8â— 5 6 c. Those named here were of Obscure Nations no where Recorded in Scripture such as Asnapper ver 10. some great Assyrian Officer brought from India and Armenia saith Wolphius to Inhabit Samaria 2 Kin. 17.24 Mark 4. As the Character wherewith this Letter was writ was such saith Schindler as might be understood at the Persian Court without an Interpreter so the Contents of it were sundry Lyes sowed cunningly together ver 11 12 13 14 15 16. all an entire hodg-podg of false and scandalous Accusations N. B. 'T is true wicked Zedekiah had once Rebell'd c. as before of him but Error Personae non Arti Imputandus his Personal Treachery ought not to Denominate the City and Nation Rebellious These false Informers say they had set up the Walls c. had they done so before the Temple was built the Prophet Haggai would have Reprov'd them for it as he did for preferring their own Houses before the House of God Hag. 1.4 the contrary appeareth Neb. 1.3 Nor was that old Device of the Devil and his Imps any better in slandering God's People that they are Anarchical against Government and Disturbers of the publick Peace Deniers of Toll c. pretending they certified all this for the King's Honour and Advantage when it only gratify'd their own Malice Mark 5. The Effects of this Letter follow from ver 17 to ver 24. No sooner had King Cambyses received it but he order'd to have it Read publickly before his Council This was so far well done had he kept one Ear free and heard both Parties he had done better However he returns an Answer to this Letter readily because it did so exactly gratifie his malignant Humour of Enmity against the Jews and that it might appear a more plausible piece of publick Iustice the Book of Records is searched as the Officious Letter Requested and enough was found from 2 Kings 24 1 19 20. of former Rebellion to palliate the issuing out of a Royal Decree for forbidding the farther Building of God's Temple N. B. Yet this Humane Decree did but carry on the Divine Decree Thus while Persecutors press backward from God's Command they still step forward to fulfill God's Decree Thus the Building was caused to cease until the Days of Darius Histaspis v. 5 24. Daniel CHAP. X. HERE falleth in and followeth the History of Daniel the 10th which is a Narrative of Daniel's Mourning Three Weeks for the Sad Tidings that the Building of the Temple was now Hindred Remark the First Is the Time of Daniel's Mourning in General 't was in the Third Year of Cyrus ver 1. Namely saith Polanus from his Conquest over Babylon in conjunction with Darius as before and the Constitution of his Absolute Empire and Monarchy over 120 Nations for he had Reigned over Persia only about 28 Years before this leaving his Son Cambyses to keep at home what he had already Conquer'd while himself went abroad to Conquer more Nations and in this Third Year of his Empire which was the 31th of his Reign he was slain
thou Lord wilt not do so our Neighbour Nations will say we serve a bad Master c. Oh do not part with thy Purchase from Egypt and from Babylon so easily c. Mark 6. The Conclusion of his Prayer ver 11. He ends as he began ver 5. pleading the lowest degree of Grace was at least found in them namely They at least desired to fear God's Name therefore begs that God may not cast them off saith Wolphius as having nothing but an empty Title of God's People and that his Petition to the King might be made prosperous whom he calls this Man so much below God who had his Heart in his Hand Prov. 21.1 and he turn'd it c. Nehemiah CHAP. II. THIS Chapter gives an Account First How Nehemiah obtained a Commission from the King to rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem c. And Secondly How he improved that Royal leave against Opposition Remarks upon the First Part. As First See the sure Course this good Man took for Success He applies himself first to God by Prayer and afterwards He Addresses to the King with his Petition The Prayer of Faith founded upon the Covenant Grace as his was cannot easily miscarry 'T is granted it was long even above three Months from Chisleu Neh. 1. to Nisan Chap. 2.1 betwixt his Petition to God and this Petition to the King Reasons are rendred 1. His Turn to wait upon the King came not till the Month of March 2. He could not march so tedious a Journey in the deep of Winter 3. The King might be under some Indisposition or such Attendants were about him as were known Adversaries to the Jews so that Nehemiah could find no fit season for his Petition presenting until now that his Design might not be disappointed Or 4. And that chiefly he thought fit that some considerable Time might be spent in seeking God for success in so weighty an Affair both by himself and some of his Brethren in Prayer and Fasting Remark the Second The fit opportunity that he found was at a Feast ver 2 6. where the Queen was present whom A Lapide reckons with many more Learned Men to be Queen Esther and Menochius makes Mordecai also to be a Guest at this Feast which if so must needs give Nehemiah a fair opportunity to Petition freely but his heavy Heart discover'd by a sad Countenance had like to have spoil'd all in his handing Wine to the King ver 2. N.B. For King's generally are made Merry by Musicianers and Jesters and more especially the Persian Kings for no Mourner might be seen in Ahasuerus's Court Esth 4.4 but this good Man had been Macerating his Body and Afflicting his Soul for some Months as above hence it was that he could not have any blithe Aspect which the King being a Prudent Man and a Loving Master soon observed N. B. Masius makes an odd Construction upon the King's Question Why is thy Countenance sad c The King was Jealous he had put some Poison into his Wine and that the Malice of his Mind was discovered by the sadness of his Countenance Vulius est index Animi the Face is an Indication of the Heart And that which increased the King's Jealousie was that Nehemiah saith Menochius refused from his sadness to Tast to that Wine he handed to the King though the Office of the King's Taster requir'd him to do so This Suspicion of Treason in the King made Nehemiah fore afraid saith Wolphius but necessity of obeying saith Tirinus overcame his fear Remark the Third Nehemiah's Answer to the King's Question concerning the Cause of his sad Countenance ver 3. after he had recover'd his Courage both from former Grief and present Fear He saith says Sanctius It is so far from me to have any Treasonable Design against thy Life that I pray for its length in the Land of the Living Let the King live for ever or very long therefore thou need not suspect my sadness which in Truth hath another Cause namely the common Calamity of the City of his Fathers Sepulchres laying waste at this Time Grotius well observeth he speaks not one Word of the Temple of Religion or Worship wisely considering that he spake to a Pagan King and before such Courtiers who like Gallio Acts 18.17 Cared for none of those things but of his Fathers Sepulchres which all Nations accounted Sacred and Honourable and no less than a piece of Sacrilege to Annoy or Demolish them and which would not be avoided so long as the Gates thereof lay waste Remark the Fourth The King became willing to redress the true Cause of his Cup-bearer's great Grief assoon as he understood it ver 4. saying For what dost thou make Request This put Nehemiah to Prayer again after his much Praying in Chap. 1. not now by turning aside into some secret Place but by darting up saith Grotius an Ejaculatory Desire which was express'd before God by himself Grant me Mercy Lord in the sight of this Man Chap. 1.11 N.B. Thus ought we to begin our Petitions to Kings with Prayers to God And thus with hearty Ejaculations we may Pray always continually and without ceasing Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 1 Thess 5.17 If we do but thus dart up our Desires from a sincere Heart and enflamed Affections at all times in all places and upon all occasions when we are alone or in Company or in working any lawful Work Thus Moses cryed to God yet spake nothing Exod. 14.15 so Hannah was not heard and yet she prayed 1 Sam. 1.13 and thus Nehemiah here that God would direct his own Tongue and incline the King's Heart saith Menochius Such sudden Prayers heartily and frequently used argue an Heavenly Heart and an Holy Familiarity of Men with God and a Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3.20 Remark the Fifth Nehemiah then Petitions the King after he had thus prayed to God ver 5. Wherein Mark 1. Though he was an high Favourite at Court above many Nobles not betrusted with the King's Life as he was yet pleads he not his own Merit but only the King's Mercy saying If it please thee c. Mark 3. Nor doth he Petition for any higher Office at Court as many ambitious Courtiers so great a Favourite of the King as he was would have done under his Circumstances c. Mark 3. But only send me as thy Commissioner into Judah not absolutely saying to rebuild the City saith Sanctius but only the City of his Fathers Sepulchres which repeated Expression saith Menochius denoteth that the Care of Antient Sepulchres was a commendable Custom highly accounted off among the Persians Mark 4. He humbly proposeth this Request wrapping it up in modest Insinuations of acquiescing in the King's Will and Wisdom pleading his former Favours as a Pledge of Future and further c. Remark the Sixth The King grants his Request ver 6. which was God's Answer to Nehemiah's Prayer Chap. 1.11 and here ver 4. Love is Liberal and Charity is no
Receive for himself a Kingdom c. But this was not all for himself telleth us his Errand was also to prepare a Kingdom for his Redeemed John 14.2 3 c. Our Lords Errand into that far Country of Heaven was Manifold as 1. To open a passage for us into Paradise out of which Adam had Excluded himself and all us in him the Gate whereof hath been ever since Guarded by Cherubims with a Flaming Sword Gen. 3.24 But now hath he opened this Gate saying to the Penitent Thief this Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23.43 Thus we read also when Christ gave up the Ghost the Vail of the Temple which separated the Holy from the most Holy Rent in Twain from Top to Bottom Mat. 27.51 Hereupon Christ by his Ascension is said to open a way into the most Holy place Hebr. 9 8. and 13.19 20. and 12 24. 2. To prepare a place even a Mansion of Glory for all his Members as before John 14.2 3. He went not into Heaven suo Nomine in his own Name only but in our Names also as our Father Isa 9.6 Our Lord and Master Mal. 1.6 yea our King ver 14. Now Children may follow their Fathers freely where he takes up his Lodging and Servants their Lord yea and Subjects their Soveraign Heb. 2.10 11 12. This Consideration of so near a Relation affords us not only a faint Hope but also the Riches of Assurance Col. 2.2 As he hath taken our Nature and Flesh along with him as a Pawn and Earnest of our Reception into his Glory John 17.4 Ephes 2.6 3. To send the Comforter to us John 16.7 while Christ was present with his Disples he was one Comforter to them John 14.1 but the Holy Spirit which he sent after his Departure from them was another Comforter to them John 14.16 whose work it is to remind us of his precious promises John 14.26 To help our Infirmities with Spiritual Breathings in Prayer and Mediation Rom. 8.26 and to apply all the Blessed Benefits of his Merits and Mediation by a strong Faith as a Soveraign Plaister to our Sin-sick Souls Hab. 2.4 4. To make an Attonement for us by his Intercession Hebr. 9.24 as the High Priest did for Israel Levit. 26.2.21 34 In him our Persons are Accepted Ephes 1.6 and by him our Prayers are first perfumed Revel 8.3 Then presented acceptable to God Isa 60.7 None of the People under the Law might offer his own Sacrifice but the Priest must both bring it and burn it before the Lord 'T is the work of our Mediatour both to Hallow our Prayers with his Incense as Luke 1.9 And to help them up and hand them into Heaven otherwise they are as Arrows shot short of the Mark c. as Lam. 3.44 5. To answer all Satans Accusations against us as he accused Job to God yet without cause Job 1.6 9. and 2 3. So he accuseth us who give him much cause to do so by our Manifold sins yet have we Christ our Advocate to Non-suit all his Accusations 1 John 2.1 Whose Blood speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel Hebr. 12.24 Though this Accuser of the Brethren as he is called Revel 12.10 be a most Subtle Sophister and can from his almost 6000. years experience plead cunningly enough yea and not without cause yet our Advocate is not ashamed to own us Hebr. 2.11 But he Answereth this Envious Accuser I have Dyed for them they shall not Dye c. How ought we to Admire and Adore this our Advocate though Satan be a Non-such Plaintiff seeing common Plaintiffs have their Term and their Vacation and sometimes a long Vacation but Satan observeth no Vacation 't is alway Term-time with him both for Tempting us to sin and then impeaching us for sin just as the young Man taxed Joab 2 Sam. 18.11 12 13. This Restless Devil never Resteth Night nor Day Yet have we a None such Advocate against this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Adversary who taketh no Fees as ordinary Advocates do but pleads our Cause both freely and continually and whom the Father both hath heard doth hear and will hear always John 11.41 42. As this our Advocates Prayer for us doth give both Value and Vertue to our Prayers c. So it effectually disappoints Satan both of his Temptations to sin and of his Accusations for sin Luke 22.31 32. 6. Another Errand of this Traveller was to lead Captivity Captive Ps 68.18 Eph. 4.8 Namely Satan Sin and Death for before our Lords Ascension Satan had the power of Death through sin Hebr. 2.14 The Field was fought betwixt our Advocate and our Adversary upon the Cross upon which Christ Spoiled the Devil Col. 2.14 Takes him Prisoner and leads him away Captive as his Conqueror This is an Allusion to Conquering Kings who having Conquered their Enemies in the Field do take some of the Conquered Captive and having made them Tributary to his Reign he leads away his Captives in Triumph then goes he to his Pallace to rest himself and to Rule his Kingdom in Peace this our Lord doth when he maketh all his Foes to become his Foot-stool Ps 110.1 5 7. Hebr. 10.12 13 14. 7. He Ascended up on High to oversee all his Sheep that are scattered abroad over all parts of the World both Jews and Gentiles he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Great Shepherd of the Sheep Hebr. 13.20 The grand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Overseer of Europe Asia Africa and America his Eyes run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Hearts are upright towards him 2 Chron 16.9 while Christ was in his State of Humiliation he had but a few Disciples to be his followers and so he could easily oversee them while he remained upon the Earth but since that time he hath broken down the Partition-Wall and hath most Miraculously inlarged his Tents among the Gentiles Insomuch that a very great part of the Posterity of Japhet he hath perswaded to dwell in the Tents of Shem as was Prophesied and promised Gen. 9.27 Christ Riding upon the White Horse of the Gospel hath so gone forth Conquering and to Conquer Revel 6.2 As that now it may be said Who can tell his Generation Isa 53.8 He hath now divided the Spoil with the strong ver 12. That is with the strong Turk strong Pope and strong Devil as that he hath not only an Hundred forty four Thousand Sealed ones among the Jews Revel 7.4 But he hath a Numberless Number also among the Gentiles ver 9. Upon this account our Lord saith it was expedient that he should go away John 6.7 And Travel up to Heaven for his having to speak after the manner of Men a more convenient Prospect upon all his Redeemed in all places he saith I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep c. John 10 14. Yea though they be Scattered upon a Thousand Hills yet are
c. that it is the Gift of God Deut. 8.18 And that God gives it for this End for Man who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Animal not born for himself only to improve it for publick Benefit in his proper Station it is God that works every good Work in Man Isa 26.12 N. B. Note well 6. As God giveth even Natural and Civil gifts to Men in all Ages for the more Orderly Government of the World so he at his Ascension gave Spiritual Gifts to Men Eph. 4.8 For the better Order and Administration of his Church that they might Occupy those Gifts untill he Return Luke 19.13 Though the former be but Pounds and Defective as to Salvation yet ought Men to Trade with them so far as they will go in Order to it all Men can do more than they will do John 5.40 But more especially the latter being Talents must be Traded with such as have Spiritual Gifts given to them they must drive a great Trade for their Masters Glory and for the Advantage of his Redeemed they must stir up the Gift of God that is in them as we stir up the Fire to make it burn better or we blow it up into a Flame as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 2 Tim. 1.6 Such ought to be Crafty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work all wiles in God's Wisdom that Souls may be caught with Guile 2 Cor. 12.16 'T is sad to be said of any He hath done no good among his People Ezek. 18.18 The main Motive that all Men must Maintain a Mighty Trade in a Diligent Faithful Improvement of such precious Gifts as God hath given to them is to consider 1. And how kind God is to us in lending so many Pounds or Talents to us and betrusting us with them though we can give God no Pledge nor lay down any Security for our Fidelity c. This is more than any Usurer useth to do or most Friends amongst us 2. What cause have Believers to bless God who accepteth as well as appointeth his only Son Christ our Saviour to become our Surety Hebr. 7.22 As Judah was for Benjamin to his Father Jacob Gen 43.9 N. B. Note well 7. Behold how Highly Honoured is every Sound Believer even such as is blest with but one single Dram of Saving Grace this is more than to be betrusted with Pounds 't is verily a most precious Talent 't is an old and true Saying a Dram of True Grace is better worth than a whole pound of Gifts such as Knowledge c. Grace is Wisdom from above Jam. 3.17 Which makes a Man Wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Job Extolleth this Wisdom above the Starrs saying Man knoweth not the price thereof Job 28.13 It cannot be gotten for Gold nor shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof ver 15. It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir c. ver 16 17. The price of Wisdom is above Rubies ver 18. and Wise Solomon spendeth a whole Chapter in Extolling the Excellency of this Wisdom Prov. 8. from ver 1. to ver 36. Saying 't is better than Rubies and all Desirable things are not comparable to it c. ver 11. As the smallest Filings of pure Gold is Gold So the least Grain of True Grace is Grace our Lord saith the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a Grain of Mustard-Seed Sown in the Field which indeed is the least of all Seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest among Herbs and becometh a tree So that the Birds of the Air come and Lodge in the Branches thereof Mat. 13.31 32. Importing that the least grain of Real Grace consisting of Incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 and of the Eternal Spirit Hebr. 9.14 will grow up to a tall Tree the top whereof reacheth up to Heaven As the Wheat Harvest is Potentially in the Seed of Wheat when it is Sown in the Field so the Joyful Harvest of Glory is Potentially in the Seed of Grace when it is infused into the Heart For Real Sanctification is the Root and Original of our Eternal Glorification 1 Pet. 1.9 Grace and Glory differ not in kind but in degree The Third part of this Parable is the Lord 's Returning Mat. 25.19 Luke 19.15 Wherein consider four things 1. The Time 2. The Place 3. The Manner and 4. His Attendants First of the first Namely the time when he Returned 't is a very long time after he had Travelled and Ascended up into Heaven Acts 1.9 10 11. Before he doth Return to Judge the World in the General seeing that the General day of Judgment is not yet come in this year of 1695. And when the precise point of that time shall be is not Revealed No Man knoweth that Day and Hour no not the Angels Mat. 24.36 No nor the Son of Man but the Father only Mar. 13.32 to wit in Ordine Sciendi the Son of Man as Man knew it not from himself but from his Father The last Day is known Exclusively as to Men unto the Lord only Zech. 14.7 Ideò latet unus iste Dies ut observentur Omnes saith Ambrose this one Day lies latent to all Humane Understandings that all Days may be diligently observed in watching and prayer Mar. 13.33 34 35 36 37. That this Day will come there is nothing more certain but in what Hour Month Week Day or Night whether at Evening Midnight Cockcrow or in the Morning there is nothing more uncertain Alas How many wild Conjectures have been made at it both by Antient and Modern Authors all which time it self the truest Interpreter of Dark Prophecies hath already Confuted and Confounded those Authors are the safest Guessers who take time enough for its coming that they may not over-live their own groundless Guesses God Conceals this time 1. For his own Glory Prov. 25.2 Rom. 11.33 34 36. and 2. For our good that we may always watch and not become secure with that wicked Servant Mat. 24.48 c. Much less boldly sinfull with the Harlot saying the Good Man is gone a long Journey I know the time of his Return Prov. 7.19 20. Moreover every Mans Deaths-Day is his particular Dooms-Day for then the Soul passes out of the Body and appears before Gods Tribunal Eccles 12.7 And there receives its Final Doom and Sentence either of Everlasting Weal or Everlasting Woe Now all Mankind must say with that Holy Patriarch Isaac I know not the Day of my Death Gen. 27.2 Therefore ought we to make ready every Day and learn to dye daily 1 Cor. 15.31 And so live as those that are evermore prepared to Dye knowing perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh like a Thief in the Night 1 Thess 5.2 For if we learn to dye daily 't is the way to live Eternally The Second Circumstance after the time when is the place whither our Lord Returneth to which Aquinas saith it is the Valley of Jehosaphat Joel 3.2 Over which is the
of the Spirit is with him Mal. 2.15 Rev. 3.1 c. The 5th Cause of Christ's Ascension was to send the Comforter to wit the Holy Ghost John 16.7 I will send him unto you This promise our Lord oft repeateth that his Disconsolate Disciples might once be relieved by it Our Saviour sweetly proceeds in his Swan-like Song before he died John 14.1 Saying Let not your hearts be troubled c. Christ was their comforter while he lived with them Therefore when they heard of his departure from them then sorrow filled their hearts Jo. 16.6 So that they became both uncounsellable and uncomfortable Hereupon he makes his last Sermon takes much pains to convince them of the Expediency of his Departure that if he did not go away the Comforter would not come v. 7. And he had told and taught them before that he could not be so unkind to them as not to tell them the truth were it not so I would have told you John 14.2 It consists not with Christ's Candour to feed his Disciples with the false hopes of an Vtopian felicity as the Devil deals with his Drudges whom he deludes by bringing them into a Fools Paradice and as Mohomet doth with his Musulmans to whom he promises all sensual pleasures when they die in his cause c. No our Lord is no such impostor but tells them truly that he would pray to the Father and the Father would give them another Comforter instead of him their Comforter while he conversed with them and was now departing from them who shall abide with the Disciples for ever John 14.16 The Devil is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Accuser Rev. 12.10 for his accusing the Saints to God as he did Job Chap. 1.9 10. c. the Holy Spirit in direct opposition to the Devil's name is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pleader Advocate or Comforter whose Office is to bring in promises into believers hearts effectually applying them Eph. 1.13 14. to help our infirmities in prayer making Intercession for us Rom. 8.26 27. To discover to us our graces and evidences for Heaven 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 8.28 Whereby we know that we are predestinated unto Glory verse 29.30 31 c. So that such as do refuse to read over their evidences and to rest upon them do no better in that refusal than help Satan the Accuser taking his part against themselves and pleading the Devil's cause against the Holy Ghost their Comforter Yea in a word the Office of the Spirit is to be Christ's Vicar general with whom Christ leaves us by whom he abides with us as he promiseth Matth. 28.20 To the end of the World For he dwelleth in all the Saints John 14.17 which we may never wonder at enough for next to that Divine condescension of Christ's the Son of God's dwelleth in our fain humane nature is this wonderful vouchasafement that the Holy Spirit should not being the Third person in the Holy Trinity disdain to dwell in such dark and dirty Dog-holes as our unholy Hearts and defiled Souls 'T is undoubtedly an Inestimable Favour which is promised Joel 2.28 That God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh What is so vile as flesh Hosea 8.13 'T is there a name of Contempt And what is so precious as Spirit 'T is the Quintessence and Excellency of the best things Extracted from the courser unrefined Sediments The precious graces God gives us are call'd the Spirit Gal. 5.17 and the Fruits of the Spirit verse 22. And when God gives us his Spirit Luke 11.13 He is said to give us all good things in that one gift Matth. 7.11 Hence Christ tells the Disciples he would not leave them Orphans or Darklings John 14.18 But they should have the supplies of his Spirit as Phil. 1.29 phraseth it to be their best teacher of truth teaching nothing but what is consonant to the Holy Scriptures John 14.26 which distinguisheth him from the Spirit of Errour This comforter Christ sendeth as he saith John 15.26 From the Father for Christ hath satisfied the Father's wrath and now the Father and the Son as reconciled join both together in sending the Spirit as the fruit of both their loves and as an earnest which is a part of the total Sum the Spirit is the best guide to godliness John 16.13 and the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth Eph. 5.9 Note Though Christ promised to send the Spirit which was performed ten days after his Ascension at Pentecost c. to his Disconsolate Disciples yet may we not think that they had not the Holy Ghost before he Ascended for they could not have the smallest measure of Grace but it must be by the Spirit of Grace No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.3 that is with a fiducial assent of the heart none can acknowledge Christ to be Lord the only Lord to be worshipped but by the Revelations and suggestions of the Spirit and this these Disciples had oft done before Beside 't is said Christ breathed upon them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost John 20.22 whereby they might know that they received of the same Spirit that was in Christ to fit them for the Ministry without which who can be sufficient 2 Cor. 2.16 Seeing 't is a work that will Burden the Back of an Angel and make him tremble saith Chrysostom Yet the full measure of Grace and the great gift of the Holy Ghost was not given till Pentecost when Christ the King of Kings was installed in his Kingdom Acts 2.2 c. These were reserved till that time as 't is said The Holy Ghost was not yet given for Christ was not yet glorified John 7.39 Though before this they had received some Love-tokens from Christ before his departure to live upon as the Dear Wife from the Loving Husband till the grand promised portion of the Father came for which they were to tarry at Jerusalem ten days Luke 24.49 Learn we hence 1. If the Holy Spirit be so good a gift of God yea all good things be contained therein then we should ask this gift of God above all as Elijah before his Ascension bids Elisha ask what he would He answer That thy Spirit may be doubled upon me 2 Kings 2.9 And it was done accordingly so Christ bids us ask what we will John 16.24 We must answer Lord let thy Spirit be doubled upon me that I may receive double Grace to that I now have c. 2. Then we should prepare an honourable Room in our hearts for entertaining such an honourable guest in as the Holy Spirit is Res Delicata est Spiritus Dei so some read Psal 143.10 the Spirit is a cleanly and delicate thing and loves to live in a clean house or heart c. As the Shunamitish Woman said to her Husband Let us make a little Chamber for the man of God when he comes to us c. 2 Kings
Blasphemy on them as they falsly fastened it on him saying Your Fathers persecuted those that Prophesied of Christ as you do me for Preaching him nay you go beyond your Fathers steps for you have kill'd Christ himself but they kill'd only his Prophets beside you are more for Ceremonies given by Moses than for the Moral Law given by God himself 3dly He tells them of sinning against the Spirit all this inraged them they immediately condemn and execute him having no better Reply to make c. The fourth white of Mercy was the Beatifical Vision vouchsafed to this first Martyr of the Gospel as Abel was of the Law to support him in the midst of all his Enemie's Fury and his own Anguish He both saw and said he saw his Lord standing up to behold his Servants carriage and courage to count every Stone cast at him and to judge and avenge himself of his Judges and Executioners so cannot be conquered c. The fifth white of Mercy was Stephen having seen his Exalted Jesus thro' a shower of Stones kneels down upon his knees in the midst of his Martyrdom and prays as before that this Jesus whom he saw standing might receive his Soul when his Body was Ruin'd imitating his Lord herein Luke 23.46 So after that his Martyrers might be pardoned He prayed for himself standing but when for his Foes he kneeled This had a singular Efficacy for Paul's Conversion 1 Tim. 1.16 c. Then died he quietly as one fallen asleep being assured of his Resurrection See Acts 7. per totum The sixth is The Church not afraid of these mad Murtherers solemnly buried him Acts 8.2 Bewailing their great loss they own him though executed for a Blasphemer c. CHAP. VII The Fourth Persecution of this First Church NOW come we to the Fourth Persecution raised against this first Gospel-Church which had hitherto continued in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in Breaking of Bread and Prayer Acts 2.42 and was highly commended with that honourable Character of having great Grace upon them all both Apostles and Auditors both the Pastors and the People Acts 4.33 An account of this Persecution is given in Acts 8.1 3 4. where there is a Relation only of two grand Remarks 1. Of the Efficient or Instrument of this Persecution to wit the bloody Wolf Saul And 2. The Effect of it to wit the almost Universal Scattering of the Body of that most purely and most powerfully Constituted Church at Jerusalem N.B. But not one word have we here of any peccatum flagrans or flaming sin whereby God was provoked to let loose the Devil's Ban-Dogs among Christ's Flock to scatter them We read concerning God's Church in the Wilderness so call'd Acts 7.38 that while she kept pure from the Iniquity of Baal-peor God saw no sin in her and as the mad Prophet Balaam subtilly said none of that Devil's Spelman's Inchantments could prevail against her Numb 23.21 23. therefore gave he that pestilent Advice to Midian and Moah to entice Israel with their Daughters both to Adultery and Idolatry c. Numb 25.3 Hos 9.10 Micah 6.5 N.B. This Satanical Consult succeeded produced that foul-flaming sin in God's Eye which stunk in God's Nostrils and whereby they were put under Divine displeasure 2 Pet. 2.15 Jude 11. Rev. 2.14 but no such foul God provoking sin is found Recorded concerning this Primitive Gospel-Church for which such a plaguy dispersing Persecution did here so foully fall upon it which may teach us N.B. That sometimes the great God out of his meer Soveraignty over his Servants may let loose Persecution and sore Affliction upon them and in so doing he is not bound to give an account of his Reasons why he does so to the Sons or Daughters of Men Job 33.13 c. Thus God dealt with his None-such Servant Job his prodigious and None-such Sufferings we do not find were inflicted upon him for punishing any gross flaming foul sin that was found in him but meerly for the exercise of his great Grace of Patience and for evidencing his Sincerity which Satan said he wanted c. Nor do we find any provoking sin in this Church which was the procuring cause of this Persecution c. yet may we not say that our heavenly Father doth as earthly Fathers are said to chastize their Children for their own pleasure no but he always corrects for his Children's profit Heb. 12.9 10. Though N.B. Whom he loves he chastens yet he loves not to chasten Rev. 3.19 Heb. 12.6 7 11. God doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men Lam. 3.33 We are in heaviness only when need is 1 Pet. 1.6 7. as well to prevent sin as to punish sin thus the Messenger of Satan was let loose to buffet Paul for preventing his Pride lest he should be exalted above measure c. 2 Cor. 12.7 8. N.B. In this sound sense only may it be said that God afflicts from sin as well as for sin Thus God's Visitation upon Job preserved his Spirit sweet for his Generation-work Job 10.12 And thus the same afflicting hand of God withdraws many men from their sinful purposes and hideth Pride from Man Job 33.17 We must all say always in our afflictions with holy David I know O Lord that thy Judgments are righteous and that thou in thy very faithfulness hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 'T is our duty in a Suffering day dropping in upon our heads then to search our hearts at what door it had its entrance Lam. 3.40 Sinning in the general is always the occasion of suffering when this or that sin is not ever the particular cause thereof as it was in the Church of Corinth For this cause of their unworthy Receiving the Lord's Supper many are weak and sickly among you and some are fallen asleep 1 Cor. 11.30 There could be no just suffering where there is not before some unjust sinning Now seeing God finds all his Churches and all his Children to be sinners against him for there be none that sinneth not 2 Chron. 6.36 and God hath a But at the door of the best as against Naaman 2 Kings 5.1 but he was a Leper and against David but in the matter of Vriah 1 Kings 15.5 The best of men are but men at the best And a notwithstanding I have at least a few things against those seven Golden Churches of Asia Rev. 2.4 14 20 c. wherefore his Soveraignty doth most justly bring sufferings upon them giving them their Hell on Earth to make them long the more for Heaven A bitter life makes men look for a better life c. Now though this Primitive Chruch was the purest Gospel-Church that ever was in the World yet was she not altogether without sin If that glorious Coelestial Body the Moon which borrows her Light from the Sun of the Firmament hath some spots in her no wonder if this Terrestrial Church borrowing her Light from the Sun of Righteousness be not found without some
take the time of Satan's binding for a long time indefinitely Zegerus Emanuel Sa and Esthius all say 't is meant all the time since the first publication of the Gospel Ribera Haimo and Gagneus take it for the time until Antichrists rise who as they say must continue but three years and an half before the day of Judgment Junius begins these thousand years thirty six years after Christ's death for then Satan raged against the Christian Church until Hildebrand before he was restrained c. Brightman reckons at Constantine to Pope Bonifaceâ— the eighth and so do Napier and Mr. Fox the Martyrologist Cotterius begins them at 1517 when Luther arose to a reformation at which time was the rising of the witnesses But Alsted and Archer begin them at 1666 and 1694 the latter of these two Dr. Hall in his Revelation Revealed most highly honoureth saying of him that Mr. Archer was a London Divine of such Sanctity and Estimation as none doubted saith the Doctor to file him among men as pretious as any the Earth bore in his time yet some mistakes attended this pretious man both in reckoning Christ's Reign to begin at 1666 year and in fixing the call of the Jews and the ten Tribes upon 1650 or 56 year both which time it self hath confuted Tho' Dr. Hall give this high character to Mr. Archer yet was he of a differing opinion to him saying the Ten Tribes were 2340 years ago so dispersed as dust before the wind so that now they have no known Being in the world and for them to be fetched again out of the Rubbage of Paganism and Mahometanism credat Judaeus Apella let the circumcised Jew believe it c. As to Alsted he is an Author of Universal Reputation as appeareth by his Encuclopaedia and other learned Works He wrote in Latin his Assertion of the glorious Kingdom of Christ here on earth Illustrates it from sixty five places of holy Scripture and answers thirty five Objections against it which is faithfully Englished by famous Mr. Burton who calls it The beloved City and well-worthy of serious perusal Yet this great professor of the University at Herborne hath his Mistake also in fixing the beginning of Christ's Reign on Earth upon 1694 year or sooner This his Conjecture is likewise expired Re infectâ as well as the former we may well suppose the cause of so many men's mistakes as to times and things is this that seeing the sense of those dark prophecies layeth not in Superficie sed in medulla Scripturae as the Father phraseth it not in the outside of the letter but in the marrow of the Spirit therefore was it a prudent answer of Dr. Andrews when a plain man asked him his opinion about those obscure passages in the Revelations he modestly said My Friend I am not yet come so far c. Yea and great Calvin if Bodinus wrong him not was forced to acknowledge that he was Nullus in propheticis and knew not what many obscure passages of the Revelations meant Seeing as Jerom saith Quot habet verba tot Sacramenta so many words so many Mysteries as before 3dly There be many great lights of the Church that are in the dark about those difficult points rendring their Reasons for their dissenting such as learned Dr. Lightfoot who in his comment upon the Acts pag. 12. doth condemn the Millenarian opinion as erroneous c. And other learned men argue thus 1. The first Lesson that God taught Adam after he had taught him the Lesson of Christ was that he should not expect Christ's Kingdom upon Earth because he then cursed the Earth to him and what should Christ's blessed ones for ever in Heaven do a thousand years on the cursed earth seeing Christ saith His Kingdom is not of this world c. 2. Tho' Millenaries say they understand Satan's binding to be that he shall no more persecute the Church but 't is expressed Rev. 20. v. 3.8 that he shall not deceive the Nations now there is vast difference betwixt persecuting and deceiving and betwixt Church and Nations 3. They say also that the first Resurrection Revel 20.5 is meant the calling of the Jews which is called a life from the dead Rom. 11.15 and John 5.24 25. 4. They add likewise that the Resurrection of the Gentiles or the thousand years of chaining up Satan from deceiving the Gentile Nations did begin at the destruction of the Jewish Temple for then tho' the Gospel had been preached before did Judaism cease and Christianity began c. Hence was that day called a Terrible day Joel 2.31 Acts. â—â— 20 as if it had been the day of Judgment and Christ discourses so of them together that you cannot know them asunder they are so alike in Matth. 24 c. Many more Arguments against the Millennium may be found in Dr. Willet's Hexapla on Rom. 11th and on Daniel c. in Dr. Hall and in Ross's Pansebeia too long to inserit here which Alsted and others have industriously Answered The safest choice I Judge in polemical points is only to speak by permission as the Apostle's phrase is 1 Cor. 7 6. and not over Dogmatically c. Dr. Goodwin concludes his Sermon on the fifth Monarchy with this prudent caution saying Whether so or so I leave undetermined And the Rabbies old Salvo ' with a little variation seems now very seasonable namely Elias cum venerit solvet Omnia when the Messiah Elias's Master cometh he will resolve all those Sacred Riddles we must therefore pray with the Spouse Make hast my Beloved and run like the swift Roe to unriddle all Mysteries c. The last Remark is What became of John after he had delivered this Revelation to the Churches of Asia the Scripture is silent We are told his Epistles and Gospel were writ after his return to Ephesus from Patmos where he had his Revelation were pubished by Gaius his Host and Deacon mentioned Romans 16.23 N. B. And that he was put into a vessel of boiling oil at Rome which did him no harm and that he slumbreth yet under the earth at Ephesus where he made his own grave out of which he had preached c. But these many other stories ficta magis quam facta esse videntur seem vain fictions rather than real facts saith Pareus and be but monkish Evaporations saith Prideaux No better what is told concerning Andrew Philip Thomas Bartholomew Simon the Canaanite Matthew saving that he wrote his Gospel and Matthias chosen by Lot in Judas's stead is if not Fabulous at least uncertain N. B. Where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to speak we may not have a Tongue to ask Now unto the King Eternal Immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13.20 21. Δόξα μόνω Θεῷ Deo Soli Gloria FINIS