meekness of Wisdom Jam. 3.13 It must he a wife meekness Wisdom must be both its cause and its quality It must be such as is only opposite to an heady and furious fierceness which knows no due bounds not to a well-grounded and well-guided Zeal and Fervency of Spirit Rom. 12.11 The Spirit appeared not only in the form of a Dove Mat. 3.16 but also in Cloven Tongues of Fire Acts 2.3 4. There is a blessed consistency of the Spirit of Power and of Love 2 Tim. 1.7 Nazianzen gives a good Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let meekness be mixed with wariness then is it wise meekness or meekness of VVisdom We must neither be Foxes for subtilness nor yet Asses for silliness couching under every Burden without complaint Meekness many times brings on Injuries God requires not we should be as the silly Sheep that suffers the Crow to stand upon her Back and to pull off Wooll from her side Paul wishes us wise to that which is good as well as simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Horns not Horned Beasts to push others to evil Rom. 16.19 A Second Objection or Doubt cloth arise to be answered As 1. Whether Rebekahs Device and Advice for circumventing Blind Isaac be excusable 1. Answ Negatively If this act he weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary the sacred Rule so far as her project was promoted by any transport of Carnal Affections and Private Respect to her beloved Jacob together with a particular prejudice or grudge against Esau 't is not Excusable For 1. She Sins against her Husband Isaac whom being blind she deludes laying a stumbling block before the Blind which the Laws calls a Cursed Act and Curseth the Actor Deur 27.18 2. She Sins against her Son Esau whom she designs to deceive of his Fathers Blessing which seemed to be his due as he was their first Born 3. She Sins against her Son Jacob whom she should have taught better things than to lye many lyâ—â— and thereby to deceive his own Father which moreover might have brought upon him his Fathers Curse as he feared and which must unavoidably expose him to his Brothers Implacable Hatred 4. She Sins against her self and agâ—â—â—st her own Soul Numb 16.38 in imprecating with a weak and Womanly precipitancy the Curse her Son feared upon her self v. 12 13. desiring his danger of the doubtful Issue of that deceit might be upon her 5. She Sins against God lastly in carrying on his Holy Counsel by Unholy Contrivances as Lying and Deceit not willing to wait till God make good his own Oracle but doing evil that good might come thereby contrary to the Apostles Rule Rom. 3.8 2. Answ Positively This fact of Rebekah may be excused though it seem a sinful project as in those live respects aforesaid yet in truth it might all flow from a strong Faith in her working wisely not so much to deceive her Husband as to correct his Errour in his acting contrary to Gods Oracle going about to give the Patriarchal Blessing to the wrong object Though all the Actions of Holy Men and Women cannot be excused but are set down in Scripture for Caution not for Imitation Yet in doubtful cases wherein probable reasons may be rendred Charity bids us chuse the better part and not to condemn without cause For clearing this point two things are considerable First The Matter of the fact to wit the translating of the Blessing upon Jacob herein Rebekahs Faith might manifestly operate upon solid grounds As 1. Upon the Divine Oracle The Elder shall serve the Younger 2. Upon that wonder at the Birth that Jacob took hold of Esau's Heel 3. Upon the sale of the Birth-right 4. Upon Esau's Profaneness and Departure from the Covenant in wicked Marriages The Second is The Manner of her translating the Blessing from Esau to Jacob seemeth most dubious as to the Quo Warranto in divers circumstances yea 't is the common opinion of the Antient Fathers that Rebekah did all by a Divine Instinct and Warranty from Heaven which notwithstanding makes not God the Author of fraud and lying For 1. There is a good craft as well as a bad the bad is when one thing is acted and another feigned for the hurt of him whom the design is to deceive this was not Rebekah's deceit but it was a good and an honest craft to reduce her Husband from a gross mistake such projects and politick practices are so far from being condemned that they are sometimes commended as in the Faithful Physitian who beguiles his fond Patient in order to his cure giving him some effectual remedies which if he knew them he would not take them So in the tender Mother who oft is constrained to cheat the froward child to bring it either to eat or sleep None condemn Pauls for using craft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an high point of Heavenly Wisdom Dan. 12.3 to gain the Souls of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12.16 nor Christ for seeming as if he would go further than Emmaus to stir up the Disciples desires for his abode with them Luke 24.18 29. As to the five Articles wherewith Rebekah is Arraigned in the first Branch they all may be thus answered in order 1. She did not lay a stumbling block before the Blind but rather remov'd one out of his way by directing Isaac into a right way of obeying and accomplishing Gods Oracle 2. 'T was no Injury to Esau for she design'd not to bereave him of any thing that was properly his due the Blessing belong'd not to him but goes with the Birth right 3. Neither did she corrupt her Son with pernicious counsel but rather corrects her Husband with pious prudence her honest advice and device did no damage to Isaac which he never complain'd of after to her but confirms it as profitable counsel to them both neither did it incur the danger of a Curse which Jacob feared as the event did demonstrate nor that deadly hatred of Esau against Jacob for this happen'd by accident from his malice 4. It was not Female rashness but certainty of Faith that made her Prophecy a good Issue saying Only obey and upon me be thy Curse thou vainly fears though as to second causes the counsel seem'd doubtful but she surely saw a good event from Gods Oracle which she believed 5. Neither did She act against God herein but according to God and his will declared to her in his Oracle besides other Providences to be spoke of in the last remark concurring to demonstrate the mind of God to her and therefore she was not to wait till God by some miracle should confer the Blessing on Jacob but upon this emergency uses those means an honest Wile to effect it it follows then she did not do evil to procure good and if she gave good counsel Jacob sin'd not to take it but more of this afterwards The Fifth Remark or remarkable means of Jacob's obtaining the Blessing was the over-ruling Providence of God
of Felix's Guard at Caesarea c. Acts 23.24 was a Devout Man The second Remark is 'T is a good evidence of true Devotion and of the Religious Fear of God when a Master obligeth all his Family to observe the same Family-duties in the fear of God with himself as much as in him lieth This was God's commendation of Abraham I know that he will teach his Children and his Servants the knowledge of my ways Gen. 18.19 And David would testifie his sincerity by his being sacredly serviceable to his Sons and Servants at home Psal 101.2 c. in a faithful discharge of that Family-Trust committed to him A good Housholder is like the Bee which whatsoever Honey it gathers abroad brings home to the Hive and House The lips of the Righteous feed many Prov. 10.21 those under his own Roof especially N.B. Every man is in truth what he is at home He is really what he is Relatively Follow Hypocrites home to their Houses and there you shall discern what they are Like Stage-Players who act the part of Noble and honest persons while you look on them upon the Theatre but follow them to the Tyring-Rooms where they divest themselves of their borrowed Robes then are they discovered to be but Shabby-persons and the vilest of Varlets This conscientious Cornelius was therefore Really because Relatively Religious As he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Devout Man Acts 10.2 a right Worshipper as the Greek signifies not resting in the King's Religion which was Heathenism as the Melchites which Nicephorus mentions who would be of the King's Religion whatever it was so had their name from Melech Hebr. a King or as the Herodians Matth. 22.16 who were meer Courtiers joyning in a conformity to Herod the Conquercur's Religion which was a Mongrel hodge-podge of Heathenism and Judaism Mark 8.15 So this Centurion tho' not circumcised which was not imposed upon the Gentiles Acts 15.10 24. yet forsook his Gentile-Idolatry and devoted himself to the Worship of the true God becoming a Proselyte of the Gate observing the seven Precepts of Noah and lived without any offence to the Jews and others call'd Proselytes of the Covenant who submitted to Circumcision and the whole Mosaick Paedagogy Yea he not only stands Recorded in Scripture with a famous Character of being a Religious Man in his private Devotion betwixt God and his own Soul but also in his Relative Duties and more publick Family Exercises This good man will not go to Heaven alone but would have his Houshold to go with him thither The third Remark is Oh how good God is to those that fear him The Lord would not let this Religious Souldier lose his labour in the practice of his Piety but Respects Records and Rewards all Though this man was no Jew nor lived under the Law no not so much as a Proselyte as some say because the Jews at Jerusalem cavilled at Peter's Application to him whom they looked upon no better than as an Heathen yet the great and gracious God who is no respecter of persons Acts 10.34 had respect to this man's person as he had to righteous Abel Gen. 4.4 Heb. 11.4 Matth. 23.35 First God had respect to his Person and then to his Performance It may justly be marveled at how this man a Gentile came to this Religious Devotion especially to such an high pitch of Piety as to abound so both in his much Alms to poor People and in his many Prayers to the Almighty God As this People to whom he gave much Alms were principally Jews whom he had the greater kindness for because they worshiped the True God So his Prayers are commended here with a double commendation Acts 10.2 1. From their Object He prayed not unto dumb Idols with the blind Heathen nor to Creatures Saints or Angels with the superstitious Romanists but to Jehovah the great Creator And 2. From their perseverance he prayed not by certain fitts and sudden starts in some pang or passion as of fear or danger thus did even Jonah's Heathen Mariners devoutly in a Storm c. Jonah 1.6 but he prayed always or at all times not taking time in a natural sense for then he must have neglected all other duties N. B. God will not have our General Calling to justle out our Particular There is a time for all things and every thing is saith Solomon beautiful in its season Eccless 3.1 11 17. But he prayed always taking time in a moral sense for the seasons and opportunities of that duty This he would not neglect whatever else he neglected gaining some suitable hours for secret communion with God and endeavouring to keep his heart alway in a praying frame and in a devout disposition Thus Rom. 12.12 Eph. 5.20 and 6.18 Col. 4.2 are to be understood to be constant and instant in prayer earnest as Hunting Dogs who give not over pursuing their Game till they do gain it While Prayer stands still the Trade of Godliness stands still also Nor may we say with Austin that Peter laid the Foundation of Cornelius's Faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Therefore must it be asserted that this Centurion had the seed of Faith at the least and some saving knowledge of the Messiah who was vulgarly discoursed of at that time in Jerusalem otherwise neither this man's person nor his prayer could have pleased God much less so rewarded for being so faithful in his little Matth. 13.12 as to have first an Angel and then an Apostle sent him for his farther Instruction and Comfort The second part of Cornelius's Conversion is the Organ or Instrument namely Peter the Apostle who undertook a special Journey to convert this Gentile Wherein the Causes and the Accidents are to be considered First The Causes of Peter's Journey and Passage from Joppa to Cornelius the Centurion in Caesarea which be twofold 1. The Remote Cause to wit Peter's Vision which is described in all its Circumstances as time place manner matter and end Acts 10.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. but the principal and proximate Cause was both Divine in God's commanding him to go verse 29 20. and Humane by the Embassage whereby Cornelius call'd for Peter to come verse 17 21 22 29. Peter obeys the Call both of God and of Man verse 21. Secondly The Accidents hereof are three 1. Who were his Companions verse 23. 2. How he was Expected verse 24. and how Entertained verse 25 26 c. The Remarks hereupon are these First The Apostle must be the Organ of Cornelius's Conversion and not the Angel that appeared to him The Angel indeed told Cornelius of the Acceptance of his Person and Performance which he might know as having not only a natural knowledge that attends the Angelical Nature and an experimental knowledge beholding daily the manifold Wisdom of God in managing his Church as in a Mirrour or Looking-glass Eph. 3.10 but also a revealed knowledge as Dan. 9.21 22 23.
Earth Revel 11.10 never considering that those Saints in the Earth Psalms 16.3 do bear up the Pillars of the Earth Psalms 75.3 and that God gratifies his own Servants with the preservation of their persecutors as he did Paul with the live of all those Infidels who were in the Ship with him Acts 27.24 37 42. Thus the Stagg in the Emblem by biting off the boughs under which he lay hid from the Hunters bewrays and betrays himself into their hands c. The third Remark is Paul chused to labour with his hands rather than he would disadvantage the Gospel or become burdensome to those poor people who had here received the Gospel 'T is said He wrought with Aquila in Tent-making Acts 18.3 This Trade Paul learnt before he was called to the Ministry N. B. The most Learned among the Jews did alway learn some Handy-craft-Trade holding themselves obliged by their Traditional Law that every Father must teach his Child some Trade and their Rabbi Judah saith that whosoever doth not teach his Child a Trade doth as bad as if he bad him go play the Thief Paul therefore having learnt this Trade of a Tent-maker did work with his hands here for his own subsistency as he did in other places upon the same exigent 1 Cor. 4.12 1 Thes 2.9 and 2 Thes 3.8 Paul had power enough and warrant to challenge Maintenance for his Preaching-work as he intimateth many times over in his Epistles N. B. But 1. There was not yet any Church at Corinth to maintain him 2. When there was a Church there he would take nothing of the Gentiles for the greater honour and promotion of the Gospel among them 3. The persons that embraced the Gospel and believed were mostly the most mean persons as appears most probably from 1 Corinth 1.26 Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called Therefore spared he those poor Proselytes and would not be burdensome to them 4 It was to shew that he sought them more than theirs their persons to be saved by him more than their purses for him to be sustained by them N.B. Yet did he assert his own Right and the Right of Ministers by Divine Appointment 1 Cor. 9.6 11 12 14 c. But because of the present Necessity and Emergency of Affairs he denied himself here as Acts 20.34 2 Cor. 11.7 8. and 2 Thes 3.9 c. working with his hands in sowing Skins together whereon to make Tents used much by the Souldiers in those hot Countreys and by others also to keep off the violence of the Weather c. N.B. Hereupon one saith of him That he was no less busie in his Shop among his Tents than in his Study among his Books and Parchments which he mentions 2 Tim. 4.13 yet was it no work of supererogation as the Romanists say for in this case it was a duty saving the honour of the Ministry but no general Rule So thus Musculus when driven out of his place by Persecution was forced to pick up a poor living by Digging and Weaving And a late Martyr as great a Scholar as Europe had being banished served a Mason for his livelihood The fourth Remark is That painful Preachers must not be blamed for the blood of their perishing People N.B. Paul saith here I am clean your blood be upon your own heads ver 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am not in the fault if ye perish The Kill-Christ Jews cryed His blood be upon our heads Matth. 27.25 that is the guilt and punishment thereof Accordingly Paul proposeth his speech to his opposers your blood be upon your own heads answerable to that aforesaid wish in their wretched Imprecation and according to the Jews Custom of the Witnesses laying their hands upon the head of the guilty person as devoting him thereby to death Deut. 17.7 And as the Sacrificers laid their hands upon the head of the Beast to be sacrificed whereby they transmitted their own sin upon the Sacrifice Exod. 29.10 15. and Levit. 1.4 and 3.2 c. N.B. But they had another manner of the High Priest's laying his hands upon the Scape-Goat's head also Levit. 16.10 21. that this Live-Goat might carry away all their sins from them along with him into the Land of everlasting forgetfulness never to be remembred against them any more as Isa 43.25 which was a Type of our Dear Redeemer upon whom God hath laid all our Iniquities Isa 53.6 7. and whom those Opposers rejected when tendered to them by Paul's Preaching Christ and therefore Paul tells them they were so many Felo's de se Self-destroyers and were guilty of their own Death and Damnation for seeing they refused that Christ should redeem them and save them from their sins they must bear their own burdens which without Repentance would bear them down into the bottomless Pit N.B. Nor could Paul be charged with the loss of their Souls for he was free from their blood because he had warned them of their Damnable State and shewn the way of Life and Salvation to them He had blown the Trumpet c. Ezek. 3.17 18 19 20 21. and 33.4 5 6 7 8 9. The Watch-man must give warning of Danger if his warning be effectual for Reformation then both the Warner and the Warned do deliver and save their own Souls If the Watch-man's Warning be not heeded by the Hearers they shall die in their sins but there is no danger to the Watch-man for he did his duty as Paul did here But if the Watch-man give no Warning not only the Sinner dies by his unrepented-of-sins but also the Minister by his not admonishing the Sinner becomes involved in that guilt death and damnation God will punish him as a Dumb Dog Isa 56.10 for not barking according to his duty to sound an Alarm of his People's danger Isa 58.1 All these passages in this Prophet Isaiah as one saith seem non Verba sed Tonitrua not Aery words but frightful Thunder-bolts What then will become of Idol-or Idle-Ministers But Paul was a better Pattern being a painful Preacher he doth his part here and would not have to answer for the blood of them that perished through any neglect in him but leaves it at their own door and upon their own heads as here and Acts c. 20. v. 26. The fifth Remark is The Lord's promise of his presence is a sweet incouragment to his Servants for their Abiding in a place and among a people notwithanding their fears from angry men and from inraged Devils Thus here the Lord Christ spake again to his Servant Paul saying be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee c. Acts 18. verse 9.10 N.B. We may well wonder what was the cause of any new fear in Paul that Christ should now say to him fear not seeing the coming of Silas and Timothy to him according to his order Acts
First VOLUME from ADAM to MOSES Containing about Two thousand four hundred thirty three years CHAP. I. The History and Mystery of the Worlds Creation THE Creation was Gods first Emanation flowing forth or going out of himself giving the first Being and beginning to Time Place Persons and Things till then God was as it were Deus contractus containing all in himself now Deus expansus explicatus spreading his hand which had hitherto been as contracted to create the World not because he was now weary with doing nothing as Atheists say but he did it when it pleased him to manifest his own Wisdom Mercy Power and Glory as Augustine saith Nec cessando torpuit nec operando laboravit August cont Advers leg lib. 1. cap. 2. God who is the most pure Act is neither idle in Resting nor weary in working Hereupon 't is said what God did or how he employed himself before the Creation is a Sea over which no Ship hath ever Sailed is a Mine into which no Spade hath ever delved an Abyss into which no Bucket hath ever dived our fight is too tender and slender to behold this Sun 'T is Humane folly to say there was a World before Adam then he is falsely called the first man frequently in the Scripture of Truth this is to be wise above what is written but 't is Divine Faith to say that this World was created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affabrè factum neatly made up by the word of God Heb. 11.3 and then Time Place c. had their beginning Gen. 1.1 If so there could be none before it As we know not what God did before neither what he will do after the world Augustine smartly answers this sawcy Question That God was making an Hell for such over-curious Busie-bodies the Philosopher reading this first of Genesis was heard to say Egregiè dicis Domine Moses sed quomodo probas Excellently said Sir Moses but how will you prove what you say Augustine answers Credo non probo I believe it I need not prove it Theologia non est Argumentativa Alsted Divinity doth not use to prove her Principles the Mysteries whereof are better understood by Believing than believed by understanding 't is the nature of Faith to believe God upon his bare word and that against Sense in things Invisible and against Reason in things Incredible Sense corrects Imagination Reason corrects Sense but Faith corrects both Aufer Argumenta ubi â—â—ie quaeritur c. saith Ambrose Away with Arguments 't is enough I believe though I cannot prove every Principle and Fundamental of Faith as this of the Creation The word Creation according to the Criticks comes from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to effect or perfect and 't is taken in a double sense 1. Proper and literal so 't is a making something out of nothing Gen. 1.1 2. Common and Mystical so 't is a making something out of that which is worse than nothing Eph. 2.10 All Creatures were made at first without praeexisting Matter but when we come to be made New Creatures though there be a praeexisting yet there is a strongly Resisting Matter which is far worse and no less requires the All-creating power As the former is call'd Creatio transiens so this is Creatio continuans we can bring nothing to this glorious work except Opposition Yea when we are once created in Christ we can indeed do something to uncreate our selves were it not that Creating power comes to renew our decayed grace and Spiritual Witherings Psal 51.10 Creation here treated upon is taken in the proper sense and is the External Efficiency Act or Operation of God whereby be made the world in the beginning of time out of nothing very good and for his own glory There is a concurrency of four Causes in this as in other act considerable 1. A quâ the Cause Efficient 2. Ex quâ the Matter 3. Per quam the Form And 4. Propter quam the End Yea all those seven circumstances contained in one Verse Quis Quid Vbi Quibus Auxiliis Cur Quomodo Quando concur here in this Divine Action of the Creation Bereshith Bara Elohim Eth Hashamajim veeth haerets In the beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 1.1 Sundry Enquiries are here to be answered The first Enquiry is Who is the Efficient cause of the Creation Answ 'T is God the Creator call'd also Lord the Governour The External Efficiency or operation of the Divine Being is twofold 1. Creation 2. Providence in respect of the first he is called God the Creator and of the second Lord thè Governour Those two are called Relative Attributes as they do clearly hold forth a Relation betwixt the Maker and the Matter made And those two Titles God and Lord are first conjoyned in Gen. 2.4 As soon as the Universal Creation had attained to an Absolute perfection then stood it in need only of a continued Sustentation as Lord signifies a Sustainer 't is now added to the Name God which had been used singly about thirty three times before now he is first called Lord God that as his Work was perfect so his Name might be perfect also Thus likewise the Prophet couples those two Names together for the Churches comfort Isa 40.28 saying the same God-Creatour is still Lord-Governour or Sustainer who will not cast off the care of his Church as one toiled or tired for he Governs now as he did Create without either Toil or Travel and not subject to weariness as Man is The Hebrew Text is Elohim Bara Dii Creavit as being of the Plural number which holds out the Mystery of the blessed Trinity called by Elihu Eloah Gnoshai God my Makers Job 35.10 and by David the Makers of Israel Psal 149.1 and Soloman saith Remember thy Greators Eccles 12.1 This word Elohim signifies Almighties or Almighty powers yet is this Noun plural joined with Bara a Verb singular because God is but One Deut. 6.4 although in power Infinite There be three which bear witness in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 yet all three are called Creators 1. the Father is so Eph. 3.9 c. 2. the Word or Son is so Heb. 1.8 10. Col. 1.16 c. and the Spirit is so Gen. 1.2 Psal 33.6 104.30 Job 26.13 33.4 The Psalmist saith By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Breath or Spirit of his mouth that is God the Father by the Son through the Spirit Created all things 1 Cor. 8.6 Prov. 8.24 27 28. Joh. 1.3 10. Heb. 1.1 2. Revel 3.14 Isa 40.12 13. c. All which do declare that Three in One and One in Three wrought in the Creation of the world as afterwards they did in the formation of Man Gen. 1.26 and in making Borders of Gold with studs of Silver for the Church Cant. 1.11 Rab. Solomon Interprets we there I
is Mans own Concupiscence always finds him dry Tinder 3. This Lust is the Mother of Sin and Death is the Merit of it at last 4. Sin gradually incroacheth upon the Soul 1. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Seed plot of sin by Satans over shadowing begets Thoughts 2. Thoughts irritate desires 3. Then arises an inward Titillation or Contemplative Delight 4. This produces Consent 5. Then comes Action 6. Action causes Custom 7. And Custom Necessity .. Lastly comes in Death which is but a modest word for Damnation the first and second Death being implied in it Thus sin never stands still at a stay but from Concupiscence or corrupt Nature is all along in Motion yea in quick Motion till it conclude in Death or Damnation if the Grace of God prevent is not Now follows the fourth Branch of the Distribution to wit the sad consequences upon the Sinners The Lord 1. Serves a Terrible Citation upon the Tempted before he came to the censure of the Tempter so 't is said those first sinners heard the Voice of the Lord c. Gen. 3.8 to wit either in a mighty Thunder which is call'd Gods Voice Psal 29. often as he spake to Pharaoh Exod. 9.28 or in an Horrible Whirl-wind as he spake to Job Job 38.1 or the Lord comming as a just Judge to judge them for their Sin might form such Articulate words in the Air as these yea have they served me thus Have they made a conspiracy with the Devil against me their Maker Indeed So some Interpret Leruach Haiom ad Spiritum seu ventum Diei Gods presence did Demonstrate it self either by a Thunder or by a Whirl-wind or by a dreadfuly angry Articulate Voice though we translate the words in the cool of the Day This struck such a terrour into both the Offenders that they both ran to hide themselves for fear of Gods Majesty their sinful Consciences sought to shun Gods presence with as much folly as faultiness for he that formed the eye shall he not see Psal 94 9. and 139.2 7. They ran with their fig-leaf Aprons into the Thickets there to hide themselves from an All-seeing God Oh how many do so to this day which Job saying If I cover my transgression as Adam then let this and that evil come upon me Job 31.33 c. durst not do neither ought we to do it Prov. 28.13 Besides suppose what is not to be supposed that they could have run from God yet this would not do unless they could run from themselves too for Haeret lateri lethalis Arundo the wounded Deer whither ever he runs carries with him the fatal Arrow sticking fast in his sides The Guilt of their Souls and the terror of their Consciences went along with them whither ever they went So would onely have been like the Angled and Entangled fish with the Hook of the Fisherman that may indeed swim away all the length of the line but the Hook in her mouth hales her back again So God summons in sinful man saying Adam where art thou v. 9. not as if God knew not where he was for he knoweth all things Joh. 21.17 but to proceed against him after a judiciary manner therefore is he brought from behind the Bush at the Voice of the Lord will he nill he he must appear and answer for himself which he did but untowardly in the words following v. 10. God would not condemn Adam before he heard him and therefore asks him three Questions The first was as before where art thou to which Adam Answers not directly confessing his Sin but indirectly excusing his flight for three reasons all along hiding the true cause thereof Adam's first reason or shuffle was that he heard Gods Voice This he had heard before his fall and feared not but rejoic'd therein with greatest joy his second shift or shuffle was I was afraid as if he had not feared God before yes with a filial fear for his goodness Psal 31.19 Hos 3.5 as he was blessed for blessed are they that fear the Lord Psal 128.1 but now being a sinner he had turned it into a slavish fear of Gods wrath the joyful sound of God Psal 89.15 Mic. 2.7 was now become frightful to him his third excuse was I was naked Here also is now causa pro causâ for before sin they were both naked and were not ashamed Gen. 2.25 Pure nakedness was Gods Creature wherein he had appeared before in Gods presence without fear or shame thus he would have transferred his flight to God because he had made him naked and frighted him with his Thundering Voice but alas there was another pad in the straw which Adam studiously concealed to wit the Conscience of his Sin Hic murus Aheneus esto nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpâ The second Question God asks Adam was c. VVho told thee thou art naked And the Third Hast thou Eaten c. thereby to convince him of his sin and to make him confess it oh the wonderful condescension and kindness of God to man thus to dispute with him whom he might justly destroy Here still God's asking and arguing with man saying thy shameful nakedness could not come upon thee but by a Violation of my law because it is the punishment of Sin doth it not demonstrate that thou hast broke my precept and strip'd thy self of the Garment of Innocency Why dost thou not candidly confess the Truth Why dost thou not blame thy self but thy Mâ—â—â—â— for making thee Naked Thus the Lord most tenderly presseth hard upon him to convince his Conscience of his Sin when he might in the rigour of his Justice have confounded his person ipso facto according to the Divine Menace In the Day thou Eatost thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 Hereupon Adam puts in his Answer a sorry one Gen. 3.12 wherein He makes indeed a confession of his Eating but it was only a cold confession and accompanied with transferring the cause of his Eating from himself both to the Woman and to God too for he sophistically argued from that common maxim causa causae 〈◊〉 causa causati The Woman was the cause of my Eating and God was the cause of my having a Woman therefore my Eating is caused by thy self Thus as he had blamed God before for making him naked So now again for giving him the Woman implying thus much If God had not given me a Woman I had never sin'd against God whereas had Adam argued aright he would have discerned that the Woman much less God who forbad it was no essential cause of his Eating whereof that Maxim is meant but by accident onely And had Adam acted as an Husband ought to do in the like Temptation he could not have been caused by his Wife to Sin against God but he should as Job did his Wife have rebuked her for her Sin and for Tempting him to her transgression It was the duty of his place to reprove her for it
Church on Earth The 2. is Though the Ark lay all along thus flat and floating so that if the Devil that Prince of the Air Eph. 2.3 could have raised but one Storm in that whole years time against Noah as he did afterwards against Christ Matth. 8.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sea-quake like an Earth-quake that shakes down strong Mountains and Castles the Ark had certainly been overwhelmed because of its fashion and posture and all in it been drowned Oh the Amazing Power and Providence or God attending Noah and the Ark his Eyes were upon it for good from the beginning of the year to the end thereof Deut. 11.11 God held the Wind in his Fist Prov. 30.4 so as not to suffer one puff of a tempestuous Storm to blow for all that whole year to endanger the Ark. This may well be concluded because 't is expresly said That after the Floud God made a VVind to pass upon the Earth Gen. 8.1 which importeth that all the time of the Deluge there was a great Calm and though some Natural Cause thereof may be assigned seeing Storms do ordinarily arise from Vapours ascending out of the dry Earth all which this Dowsing Deluge suppressed yet this was certainly a Supernatural Calm from Gods fatherly Providence for Noahs preservation Thus it is with the tossed Church God commands the VVinds and the Sea and both obey him Matth. 8.27 The 3. is As the Ark after all its tossings landed safely on Mount Ararat at the length and there had a Quietus est or long Rest So the Church Militant after all shall land safely and be triumphant in Heaven on those Everlasting Mountains The 4. is As the Ark was made in the fashion of Mans Body lying along upon his back with his face upward which is the very Model by which all Ship-Carpenters do build all their Boats Ships c. with a Bottom-tree like the Back-bone of a Mans Body lying with the face upward and so many Ribs arising up from it so it teacheth the frailty of Man while in the body variis agitatus in undis tossed up and down like a Tennis-ball by Fortunes Racket or like this Ark by the Waves of this over-grown Floud living always at the Sign of the Chequer sometimes in the VVhite of Mercy and sometimes in the Black of Misery Man is exposed to many Changes here below walking in changeable Colours and none tan say I am that I am but God Exod. 3.14 The 5. is An the Ark had the form of a Coffin which is always made according to the proportion of Mans Body in its length six times the breadth and ten times the depth or height This was the proportion of the Ark to mind Man of his Mortality and to teach him that great Truth of Mortification which maketh up the Church of God as the Apostle applies this Type to Baptism 1 Pet. 3.20 21. whereby we are become dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6 3 4 6. to wit by the Baptism of the Spirit accompanying the Baptism of VVater and shall have as sure a Resurrection as Christ had out of his Coffin or Grave and as Noah had out of the Ark made Coffin-wise wherein he seemed to lye buried for a long time The Church and her Cause shall come out of her Coffin and at last shall rest after all her Tossings safely upon Mount Ararat Acts 9.31 The 4th Remark wherein the Ark resembles the Church is its Accoutrements of a Window and of a Door wherewith it was framed and furnished Gen. 6.16 1. The Window Hebr Tsohar a clear light about the top of the Ark which some think was made of Chrystal that it might both take in Light and keep out Rain And the word is in the singular number to shew there was but one Light for this great Fabrick and this was placed in that Cell where Noah c. lodged seeing Beasts Birds and creeping things do not dislike Darkness As the Ark it seems had but one VVindow so the Church hath but one Spirit to enlighten her Eph. 4.4 There may be many Ignes fatui or false Lights but the true Illumination is but one This one VVindow was but a little Light to so great a Vessel to typifie that the Church while Militant on Earth doth but see through a Glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 until she become Triumphant in Heaven and then shall he see as she is seen 1 John 3.2 Therefore none are to boast of their high Attainments of Knowledge here for the best of men are but men at the best and know nothing yet as they ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 'T is well said by Origen Ignorantiam meam non ignoro I am not ignorant that I am but ignorant Alas it is with us here as with a Prince while in the womb he lyes pent up there in a dark Prison but when born and brought up he shineth forth with all the glory of his Fathers Court So 't is with us on Earth we are here confined to dark Cloysters as the Inhabitants of the Ark were and the greatest part of our Knowledge is but the least part of our Ignorance and yet how prone is proud man to think that he knows all that is knowable Hence it comes to pass in some Churches as it was in Alcibiades Army where all would be Leaders and none content to be Learners Some Hebrew Doctors say this VVindow or Tsohar Hebr was a pretious Stone or Carbuncle which hanged in the Ark and gave light to all the Creatures therein though this hold not true concerning the Ark seeing Noah is said to open the Window Gen. 8.5 6. yet holds it eminently true concerning the Church which is enlightened by Christ that precious Pearl and that Enlightening Enlivening Living Stone The 2. Implement of the Arks Fabrick was a Door Hebr. Upethach This is also in the singular number there was but one Door for this great House of three Stories high and that fixed in the side of the lowest Story resembling that one Wound opened in the side of our Saviour John 19.34 yet the Door was doubtless a very vast and prodigious Door both wide enough and high enough to receive into it Camels and Elephants Yea it was so great and heavy that when all the Beasts clean and unclean together with those overgrown Creatures came as it were out of Gods hands whose Commands as their Creator they all obeyed to Noahs hand who handed them it at this Door and all others design'd to be saved Noah could not well shut this Door himself and 't is easily supposed the Scoffers without would do no such service for him and therefore the great God in whose sight Noah hand found grace Gen. 6.8 undertakes this mean Office to be Key-turner or Door-keeper and shuts the Door after Noah Gen. 7.16 and therefore it could not but be well shut for what God doth is always well done Even the Vulgar said of Christ He hath done all things well
25. They must be Pharaoh's Slaves and Drudges in Building Treasure Cities for him Exod. 1.11 At this Juncture Moses is born brought out of Eminent Danger brought up a Courtier by Pharaoh's Daughter banish'd thence into Midian and there Married c. Exod. 2. from Midian God calls Moses sends him Embassadour to Pharaoh with small Success Chap. 3.4 5 6. Pharaoh harden'd his own Heart adding Sin to Sin the Devil hardened it as God's Jâ—ilour and as a Spirit tempting to Sin but God harden'd it in a Judiciary way as a Punishment for his Sin Then came the ten Plagues upon him and his People Chap. 7.8 9,10 11. each higher and deeper drenching than other Secondly The Concomitants when God had by his ten stroaks at Pharaoh's hard heart extorted a Dismission of his People out of the Tyrants hands Israel began his Journey out of Egypt having first the Law of a yearly Passeover ordained for their Observance Chap. 12. and the Consecration of the first-born Chap. 13. They depart from Succoth not the right way to the Mediterranean Sea by Palestine but to the Red Sea by the Wilderness thence coming to Aetham c. Pharaoh pursues them Chap. 14. and is Drowned for which was Sung a Song Chap. 15. At their coming to the Wilderness of Sin they want Meat Chap. 16. at Rephidim They want Drink and are Assaulted by the Amalekites Chap. 17. Moses complains of the Burden that the Government of Six hundred thousand Men c. should lay upon his Shoulders Chap. 18. Then they came to Mount Sinai the place designed for meeting God Exod. 3. and Chap. 19. Thirdly The Consequents are two great things First The Giving of the Law And Secondly The Erecting of the Tabernacle As to the first There was 1. The Preparation for it Chap. 19. 2. The Promulgation of it Chap. 20. not only of the Moral but also of the Ceremonial and Political Laws Chap. 21 22 23. Then 3. the Confirmation of all by a Solemn Covenant entred into betwixt God and Israel Chap. 24. and when forseied by the Golden Calf was again renewed with the two Tables of Stone c. Chap. 34. As to the Second the Pitching of the Tabernacle The Form 1. was shewed to Moses in the Mount. 2. The Matter And 3. The Makers of it all prescribed by God and described in his Word Chap. 25.26 27 31. 4 The Worshippers in it the Priests Habits Ordinations and Offices Chap. 28 29 and 30. Next follows the Obstruction of this work by the Idolatry of the Golden Calf Chap. 32. but 't is removed by a Reformation Chap. 33. Upon which the Materials of the Tabernacle are brought together and all placed in their due form and order for erecting the Tabernacle Chap. 35 36 37 38 39. And Lastly When the Tabernacle was compleatly Erected God himself comes and Consecrates it Chap. 40. Now come we to make Remarks upon all these three Premises The first Rank is from the Antecedents of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt The first Remark from hence is That Divine Compassion is the Foundation of the Churches Deliverance out of her deepest distresses and not any Desert on her part c. The Church of God had lain long even two hundred and fifteen years in a distressed state God having turned the Egyptians Hearts to hate his people Psal 105.25 as much as they had loved them before during all the time of Joseph's Government This fault we may not father upon God as if he were the Author of this Sin for he is not of any Jam. 1.13 14 15 as it is impossible to be so 't is abominable to think it Man's Inclination to Good is properly and peculiarly from God but his Inclination to Evil is from his own depraved heart drawn out by Satan's Suggestions and must be ascribed to God only by Accident God did this saith David that is not positively but permissively in giving the Egyptians an occasion to hate his People for by his multiplying them so marvellously through his Blessing c. They conceited that the Israelites would soon grow stronger than themselves c. Psal 105.24 One and the same Fire softens Wax but hardens Clay God did not infuse this Envy into them the Sun setting is only by Accident the cause of the Night whereof the shadow of the Earth is the proper Cause c. All Hearts are in God's Hands who fashioneth them as to their liking or disliking of others at his pleasure yet without Sin This was a Judiciary Act in God to suffer the Egyptians thus hardly to handle the Hebrews 1. Because some of them were faln to Idolatry Ezek. 20.5 7 8. and 23.3 8. Josh 24.14 2. To wean them from Egypt and to make them long for Canaan 3. That by a just Title they might spoil their spoilers 4. That God might glorifie himself by pouring forth his ten Plagues upon Egypt 5. Because the Sins of the Amorites as well as of the Egyptians were not yet full Gen. 15.16 And 6. Because the Hebrews were not brought to a true and due Humiliation for their Sins till their long and hard Affliction handed them to a saving sense thereof How remiss they were in their Repentance and how hardly wrought up to it God's Complaint of them doth Demonstrate Ezek. 20.7 8. that is I might say what I would they would do what they list so that God was so highly provoked with their obstinacy as his Justice made him say I am just ready to Resolve your Ruin in Egypt and never Redeem you out of the House of Bondage God had as much ado to forbear Killing them as he had Moses in the same Country for neglecting to Circumcise his Child Exod. 4.24 the designed Law giver must not be a Law-breaker But behold how God's mercy triumphs over his Justice Jam. 2.13 but I wrought for my own Names sake c. Ezek. 20.9 10. No sooner were Israel brought to a right sense of their Sins so as they sighed groaned and cried to God but immediately Divine Bowels began to yern and to be broached and bleeding over them Exod. 2.23 24 25. and 3.7 8 and 6.5 and 22 23 27. When Israel understood that God had a seeing Eye an hearing Ear and a commiserating Heart together with his Promise of an helping Hand They fall down prostrate to adore him Exod. 4.31 c. And then began Divine Bowels to yern and to flow forth freely and fully in order to their Deliverance Thus saith God When Israel was a Child then I loved him and called my Son out of Egypt Hos 11.1 that is not so much 1. Because all young things be lovely especially Children not only for their pretty features but for their Innocency ignosceney c. But rather when Israel was unlovely a mere Child having nothing of worth in him to make him desirable while he was an Infant in his Birth-blood Ezek. 16.6 c. the Church's Infancy takes Date from her being in Egypt's
purpose to fix or reside there but only to take up his Lodging there for one Night Hereupon Micah was transported with this Providence and thinking with himself that it would much more countenance his Idolatrous Service when it was officiated by a Levite than by his own Son who was but a Lay-Man and an Ephraimite he invites him to the Employ with a company of Courting Complements ver 9 10 Wherein Note First Credulous Micah doth not either call for his Testimonials under the hands of such Elders as were of known Fidelity in the Church approving of this Nagner or Young Man's Abilities c nor doth he examine him himself concerning his Qualifications for the Office though he thought himself sufficient to Ordain this Levite to Officiate but only asks him Whence comest thou This was a raw and rude Election and Vocation to a pretended Divine Function Secondly Micah proposeth a most slender stipend a small Salary to him Ten Shekels of Silver by the Year a double suit of Apparel so Hebr. one for Summer and another for Winter and his Victuals This was but a poor pittance for a Levite from a Man of so great an Estate Micah had Eleven Hundred Shekels of Silver to bestow upon his Idols yet could scarce from the penuriousness of his Mind and from his Contempt of the Ministry afford Ten Shekels for his Priests Maintenance However what was wanting of sufficient Wages he supplies it with empty Complements calling him Father though much younger than himself who had a Son as old as the Levite whom he had ordained to the same Office but now upon the Reasons above-mentioned must be degraded and give place of being Priest to this new-comer the Levite N.B. 'T were well if many Faithful Ministers do not meet with such Micah's in our Day that grudges them competent Means and Maintenance yet disdain not to allow them as their Padre's enough of Caps and Complements as if they were of the Camelion kind and could live upon the Air of empty Titles 'T was sad that Luther was forced to complain Parishes and Schools are so Robbed as if they designed to starve us in the Ministry c. N. B. And Heylin in his Goography tells us That in Ireland formerly Ministers had no more for their Maintenance than the pasture of two Milch-Kine c. In the whole County of Connaught the Stipend of the Incumbent was not above Forty Shillings and in some places but Sixteen Shillings per Annum This last Sum is much what the like Allowance that Micah assorded his Levite if a Shekel of Silver be according to the common Computation reckon'd at Two Shillings and Six pence then the Levite had in his Ten Shekels Twenty five Shillings by the Year Thirdly Note here This Hunger-bitten Levite that was ready to snap at any thing and could not tell where to make a better Bargain for himself accepteth of the offer upon those sordid Terms Ingens telum Necessitas Necessity knows no Law But considering that this Levite was Nagner puer a Novice and likewise infected with the Contagion of the times in Superstition and Idolatry one that would Murther Souls for a Morsel of Bread Ezek. 13.19 even this Salary though small was enough and too much for him seeing he was employed in the Devil's Drudgery while he was officiating in Idol-Service But that which was the greatest Aggravation of this Novice's sin was that he is described to be Moses's Great Grand-son Judg. 18 30. where he is called Jonathan the Son of Gershom the Son of Moses so it is Exod. 2.22 and 18.3 but here it is the Son of Manasseh saith Learned Buxtorf for Moses's Honour least it should reflect upon so good a Man to have so bad a Grand-Son therefore Manasseh in the Hebrew with the N at the top that it may be put in or left out with the Unpricked Letters so without the Nun it may be read Moses but with it Manasses to shew that this Jonathan though he was of Moses that Man of God by Propagation yet as he was a degenerate Plant he seem'd rather to be of Manasses that Notorious Idolater by Imitation but this Rabbinical Criticism seems to be over curious and somewhat reflecting upon the purity of the Sacred Text seeing that Idolatrous King Manasses was long after this Jonathan and there might be other Men of the same Name of Gershom and Manasses from whom this Jonathan descended The Fifth Remark is Idolatry is a Compound of Foppery and Impiety ver 11 12 13. Micah entertains this Novice cherisheth him as a Son though he was by his Office as a Father to him he Consecrated him as he had done his own Son before ver 5. knowing that the Levites were no less Excluded by the Law from executing the Priests Office than the Lay-People for that Office belonged only to the Sons of Aaron but this Levite was nearer a-kin to it than his Lay-Son was yet the Priests Office was so sacred a thing and of such Veneration with this Idolatrous Micah that neither his own Son nor this Levite must enter upon it until he had solemnly Consecrated them to it and when all this was done behold how he blesseth himself in his blind Devotion saying Now I know that the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest ver 13. whereas his whole unwarrantable Practices of Superstition and Idolatry rather exposed him to God's Wrath and were more likely to bring a Curse upon him and not a Blessing as appeareth in the next Chapter Fallitur Augurio spes bona saepe suo For here are a whole bundle of Sins 1. Idolatry 2. His Invitation of this Young Man to it 3 Here was a Threefold Breach of the Priest-hood as Instituted by God for this Levite was not capable of the Priesthood as not of Aaron's Stock nor could he an Ephraimite ordain this belong'd to the High-Priest nor ought he to seduce a Priest to Idolatrous Worship Now for Micah to promise Prosperity to himself was not from Jehovah but from his Idol c. CHAP. XVIII JVdges the Eighteenth declareth how Idolatry was Translated out of this one private Family of Micah's into the whole publick Tribe of Dan and this publick Idolatry is described First By its Causes And Secondly By its Accidents First Its Causes be either Efficient or Material The External Efficient Cause was Threefold 1. The Anarchy in Israel ver 1.31 2. The Narrowness of Dan's Inheritance ver 1. 3. The Searchers sent forth for enlargement of their Borders and in their way meeting with Micah's House in Mount-Ephraim and knowing his Priest they consult him touching their Enterprize upon Laish and he bids them go on and prosper ver 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. then the Material Cause of this publick Idolatry is related the Army of the Danites thus encourag'd to proceed steal all the Idolatrous Trinkets while the Solders kept the Priest who was the keeper of them in
Conference with them the Searchers were sent to rob Micah's House of those Mawmets After this they entice away his Priest all this was grievously resented by Micah who pursues them but to no purpose being over powered he returns home Re Infectd from ver 11. to ver 27. Then follows the Accidents hereof The Danites subdues secure Laish Burns it Rebuilds it and sets up those stolen Idols and Idolatry which establish'd a Schism of a long continuance ver 28. to 31. The Remarks upon these Heads and first upon the Causes are First The Time when these things happened must be not long after the Death of Joshua though here Related after the Death of Samson which was about Two Hundred Years after they were come into Canaan it cannot be judged at all probable that such a potent Tribe as the Danites were could be to seek for an Inheritance as they did here ver 1. after so long a time Their Lot had falen to them before this time Josh 19.40 but not the actual possession of the whole thereof for the Amorites had straitned them ver 47. and Judg. 1.34 this causeth them now to undertake an Inlargement in order hereunto they send out Searchers before the Six Hundred Men of War ver 16. who in their way take up their Lodging in some Neighbouring place to Micah's House in Mount-Ephraim and so near to his Idol-Chappel that these Five Men could over-hear this Priest saying his Idolatrous Service they knew his Voice by the manner of his Pronunciation which was differing and distinguishable in several Tribes Judg. 12.6 Mark 14.70 or from former Acquaintance with this roving Leap-Land Levite They step to him after his Service and asked him what he did there so far from the Tabernacle where the Levite's Work properly lay the same Questions may be asked Non-Residents c. He Answers Micah hath made me his Priest and I officiate with an Ephod Images and Teraphim which last being made like unto a Man wherewith Michal cheated those that Saul sent to search for David putting it into the Bed in David's room to resemble him 1 Sam. 19.13 They used them as Oracles to Divine by them Ezek. 21.21 Hos 3.4 Hereupon those Searchers intreat him to Divine by this Teraphim about their Success ver 2 3 4 5. The Second Remark is This Priest's Answer to their Request of asking Counsel he saith to them Go in Peace before the Lord is your way c. ver 6. This Answer he either fictitiously hammered out of his own Brain the better to gratifie their itching Humour that they might satisfie him with a greater Reward or did indeed by inquiring of his Idol receive this Advice from the Devil who transforms himself into an Angel of Light and in God's Name gave them such Answers as sometimes were true and came to pass this is done by Divine Permission God suffering it both for the proof of his People and for the patefaction and pudefaction of Hypocrites Deut. 13.1 2.3 Thus Jannes and Jambres did turn Water into Blood at least seem'd to do so as well as Moses Exod. 7.22 c. Nor may this Mark be omitted namely the Ambiguity of this Priest's Answer as the Devil's Oracles usually were for those words Before the Lord is your way bear a doubtful sense and may be variously interpreted N. B. For Nochach Jehovah Derekekem may be rendered Obviat Jehovah viae vestrae the Word is doubtful and may be taken either in a good or in an evil sense God might as well obviate them and blast their Enterprize with his Curse as direct and promote it with his Blessing Thus Ambiguous saith Masius were all the Devils Oracles as that was unto Ahab The Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22.12 Yea but that Lying Spirit doth not tell into which Kings Hands whether the King of Israel or the King of Syria And Civil History aboundeth with such like Dubious Sentences from the Devil's Oracle at Delphos as Craesus Halyn penetrans Magnam disperdet opum vim May be meant either well or ill to Craesus that is he shall by Invading that Countrey destroy a vast Treasure but the Devil tells him not whether that shall be his own or his Enemies Treasure And. Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse This Ambiguous Oracle of Apollo to Pyrrhus did delude him for he took it in this sense That the King of the Epires might overcome the Romans and thereupon waged War against them but he found the contrary sense more true to wit That the Romans might overcome him as indeed they did and at last Slew him The like to these was Ibis Redibis nunquam per bella peribis Which by the misplacing of one Comma converts it into a quite contrary sence As thus Thou shalt go thou shalt Return never shalt thou Perish in Battle by removing the Comma before never only behind it and then the Sense is Thou shalt go thou shalt return never thou shalt Die in Battle Thus the wary Devil will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equivocating in his Oracles that however Matters prove well or ill he may still save his Credit And so he saith here God seeth what ye are going about which might be meant for evil as well as for good though those Danites met with good Success and not any evil Disappointment yet was this no sure Evidence that they had pleased God in consulting with the Devil for they being tainted with Idolatry had not retained the truth in the Love of it therefore God sent them those strong Delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And hereupon A Lapide saith Videntur non minûs leves fuisse quà m levita ille Those Danites were as Wise as this Wandring Levite who hearing of a Teraphim must needs have an Oracle and will believe it though it do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said of the Oracle at Delphos that it declared only what favoured King Philip soothing them up in their way And though God permitted a Lying Devil to speak truth here in their successful Undertakings yet that old Character of him holds true Et si Satan semel videatùr verax millies est mendax semper fallax Although the Devil seem once to speak truth yet is he found a Lyar a thousand times for it and always he is fallacious The Third Remark is The Danites robbing Micah of his Mawmets and of his Priest also wherein he had so blessed himself in his blind Devotion Judg. 17.13 the prosperity he promised to himself there proved no better than an Unbearable Robbery to him here from ver 7. unto 26. a brief account whereof is this Those five Searchers being thus flush'd with this flattering Oracle trudge away to Laish call'd Leshhem Josh 19.47 where we have the same Story by way of Anticipation there they find a secure People having no Officer to head them and so far from the Zidonians that
as one amazed yet Abner after often calling upon by his Name answered not but at last the Lord that had cast him into this dead sleep lets him awake to hear David charge him with no less than Treason by the Law of Nations for Guarding his Sovereign no better but suffering his life to be in such desperate danger Saying Though I know thee to be a Man of Valour and thou hast many Valiant Souldiers under thy Command as thou art their General yet you all deserve to die for your falling asleep when you should have Guarded the King Mark 3. Then David cries Ecce Signum Behold the Spear and the Cruse set up at Saul's head in the midst of his Camp he that was permitted by your negligence to remove them hither had a fair opportunity through your laziness to have given Saul his Pasport into another World Lo here is an Ocular Demonstration of your blame-worthiness and of my own integrity and innocency The Fourth Remark is David's Dialogue with Saul at a due distance upon an Hill that he might be heard and yet so far off that he might escape in case of danger v. 17.18 19 20 21. Wherein Observe First David had called so loud and so often with an audible Voice upon Sleepy Abner that he awakened Saul also v. 17. at which Abner was Angry crying Who is that clamorous Fellow that dare disturb the King in his Sleep v. 14. Yea David Awakened not only Saul's Eyes but his Conscience also which made Saul cry Is this thy Voice my Son David v. 17. Here again falls a second Conviction upon this Hypocrite's heart as before when he wept to David chap. 24.16 whereby it appears that Saul persecuted David against the Light of his own Conscience as well as contrary to both his Promise and his Oath chap. 19.6 and 24.20 N. B. Saul here hath a Velleitatem as the School-term is a wambling wish or an imperfect motion of his willingness to favour David but he had not a voluntatem a direct and compleat will to disown his own sin So David's Innocency produced only a transient extacy and admiration of him in his Conscience for Saving his Life Twice Secondly Mark here how David diswades Saul from his daily persecuting of him in this Dialogue with him by many strenuous and cogent Arguments As Mark 1. It was unjust for a King to persecute an innocent subject v. 8. That I have no Traiterous design against my Soveraign is plain for twice God hath given me an opportunity to kill the King and twice I have spared him If a Man find his Foe will he let him go Chap. 24.19 Saul himself confesseth Mark 2. He useth a Dilemma a double Horned-Argument that pusheth both ways saying Thy rage against me is either from God or from Man If from God then 't is either for thy sin or for mine or for both Let this be decided by a Sacrifice to God whose of them God will accept thine or mine If for thy sin God hath given thee up to be acted by an Evil Spirit and the Devil drives thee to this evil work then oughtest thou to reconcile thy self to God by Sacrifice that thou mayest be freed from thy Frantick Fits And if it be for my sins too I am ready to pacifie God's displeasure with an Oblation also and am willing moreover to become a Sacrifice my self so Gods displeasure may be appeased and the Kings Justice may be satisfied c. But if it be from Men namely from Doeg and thy cursed Court-Sycophants who have incensed thee against me I leave them as accursed Creatures to the Lord 's Righteous Revenge v. 19. where David prudently and meekly accuseth not the King but lays the fault upon his Evil Counsellors Mark 3. David urgeth those Courtiers cruelty to him in driving him out of Canaan where God's Worship was into Idolatrous Countries where they really though not verbally bid him Serve Idols David sets an Emphasis upon this Argument as being an Evil that troubled him more than his loss of all other comforts and therefore cries he Woe is me c. Psal 120.5 Mark 4. David Argues both an impossibility of Saul's Accomplishing his Bloody Ends for he had a particular Faith that God would preserve him out of his hands Psal 27.1 2 3. and ex Hypothesi suppose Saul should shed my Innocent Blood by God's permission yet sure I am my Blood would cry as Gen 4.10 and God will revenge it and stigmatize thee for it Mark 5. He urges an absurdity upon Saul v. 20. that it was below a King to persecute such a mean Subject A Flea is hard to catch and yet not worth catching 'T is to Fight with a Flea 'T is no fit Employ and Exploit for a King to Kill a dead Dog as he had said before chap. 24 14. or to toil and turmoil thy self about catching a Partridg on the Mountains where he may flee from thee and though taken the Advantage cannot compensate the Labour The Fifth Remark is The Effects of all those Arguments First Saul confesseth his foolishness and recals David from his Banishment v. 21. where we see Saul melted down by those Coals of Kindness which David had twice heaped upon his Head though Saul seem here under those meltings to aggravate his sin yet in truth he doth extenuate it by imputing it only to his Folly which made him do he knew not what whereas indeed it was his malice against David because God had upon his rejection chose him his Successor Notwithstanding he well knew David's Innocency Secondly David Restores the King's Spear v. 22. which he took away not to retain it but to return it to the right owner after he had convinced Saul's Conscience thereby of his own Righteousness Thirdly Because Saul had no Tribunal above him David makes his solemn Appeal to the Tribunal of God v. 23 24. requesting the Lord to recompense each of them according to the Equity or Iniquity of their cause Fourthly Saul's Temporary Repentance is another effect of David's charming Rhetorick here and he not only lays aside his persecuting Principles for the present but also Saul is again Found among the Prophets really foretelling that David's Kingdom should be very glorious v. 25. And Fifthly David dare not yet trust Saul notwithstanding all his fair Promises from a convinced Conscience while he knew His Heart was not changed For 1. David durst not carry him his Spear but bids him send for it And 2. David went away to his place of Safety and came not down to Saul as before chap. 24.8 c. 1 Sam. CHAP. XXVII THIS Chapter contains another Banishment of David into the Philistines Country The General Parts of it are two First The Causes of it and Secondly The Accidents attending David in it c. Remarks upon the First Part are First The final or moving cause that moved David to fly to the Philistines is expressed ver 1. David said in his Heart
or at least might do so must be beaten with many stripes Luke 12.47 God is more sharp with those he loves left they should be damned with the World 1 Cor. 11.30 Thirdly This severity was to teach us that tho' Vzzah had a good aim in this Act yet this was not enough to make this Action good because it was expresly against the Command of God Saul had a good intention in sparing Amalck 1 Sam. 15 21. and the Jews had the like in persecuting Christ and his Apostiles they aim'd at God's Service in it Joh. 16.2 1 Cor. 2.8 N. B. Note well Two things therefore be requisite in true obedience both good Aims and good Actions Jehu did good Actions but his bad Aims quite marr'd them and Vzzah here had good aims yet this could not make his bad action good tho' Jehu's bad aims made his good actions bad Oh how careful ought we to be that all our works be wrought in God Joh. 3.21 both quoad fontem from a right Principle quoad sinem for a right end yea quoad regulam by a right rule also The Fifth Remark is The resentment of David upon this disaster of Divine Displeasure 't is said David was displeased c. v. 8 9. One would think he falls into a petfit of discontent and oh how untowardly spake he in his pang of passion as if the fault had been more in God than in himself or we may more candidly conjecture that David was displeased in a way of sorrow for the sin that had displeased God so as to turn all their joy and laughter into lamentation N. B. Charity directs us to say it was David's grief for the sin which he acknowledgeth 1 Chron. 15.2.13 tho' some peevishness and impatience might through humane frailty be mixed therewith because that day of such general rejoycing was so suddenly dash'd and damp'd with this sad disaster The Second Part of this Chapter namely the seating of the Ark of God in a strange place to with in the House of Obed Edom was occasioned hereby Remarks on this Second part The First is David considering first how ill the Philistines had fared for their miscarriage towards the Ark and after that how fifty thousand Bethshemites had lost their lives for their irreverent peeping into it and now Vzzah was struck dead for touching it was afraid of the Lord v. 9. least God should proceed further in the way of his Judgments both upon himself and upon his People seeing he had been so severe already for the Circumstantial errour of a pious mind and more such mistakes might easily be committed by him or others if they proceed on in their Journey to Jerusalem So David was at a great stand and durst deal no more in a matter so dangerous saying How shall the Ark of the Lord come unto me So David dare not do it v. 10. having met with this sharp dispensation in the attempting of it but he carried it aside into the house of Obed Edom the Gittité The Second Remark is This deed of David some denominate as his Humility not presuming to proceed but rather desist seeing Divine Displeasure seem'd to say so to him until God gave him new direction but more probably David discover'd in this deed great infirmity for as Peter Martyr argueth excellently upon this Point If David did not know that it was the will of God the Ark should be carried to David's City Sion then he ought not to have begun its removal upon his own head but if he had God's Warrant for so doing then he ought not to have desisted from it at this time upon this discouragement N. B. That Old Sophister Satan we may say put a Paralogism or fallacy call'd non causa pro causa upon David here for the Ark was not the cause of this Calamity but Sin which being removed he might have foun'd God reconciled David should have considered that the matter of this action was good but there was some failure in the manner of acting which he finding out and reforming it should have proceeded having God's word to warrant him to carry the Ark to Jerusalem without fear of any further danger N. B. Do not God's Ordinances do good to them that walk uprightly Mich. 2.7 The Third Remark is David's carrying the Ark to Obed Edom's House ver 10.11 wherein Mark First Obededom was a Levite 1 Chron. 15.18 21 24. 16.5 26.4 and certainly a good man who finding David at a loss what to do with the Ark desired of him that his House might entertain it for the present which was near Jerusalem as Sanctius supposeth because Nachon's Threshing-floor where this disaster fell is named here v. 6 as Araunah's threshing floor where the Temple was afterward built in named Chap. 24.18 22. N. B. Note well For though this good man Obededom knew what had befaln the Philistines and the Bethshemites and now Vzzah concerning the Ark yet full gladly did he desire such a bless d and blessing Guest and most chearfully did he entertain it not imputing those disasters aforesaid to the bare having of the Ark which was a gracious sign of God's presence but to some irreverent miscarriages about it and therefore he intends to handle it holily according to the direction of God's Law concerning it Mark Secondly This Man is call'd a Gittite not because a Philistine of Gath for he was an Israelite of the Tribe of Levi as above but because he had sojourn'd in Gath being as Peter Martyr saith banish'd thither with David by Saul when he slew the Lord's Priests and we find that the Levites sometimes were forced to Sojourn where they could find a place Judg. 17.8 or he was of Gath-rimmon a City of Levites Josh 21.24 25. Mark Thirdly The Ark brought a Blessing to Obededom and all his houshold v. 11. Some say how durst David expose his Neighbour to that danger from which he delivered himself Answer David did not impose the Ark upon him contrary to his own consent by his Kingly Authority but this Holy Levite from a sincere love to and fervent zeal for God's Ark did desire of David that he might be its Host to entertain it in his house that was nigh this Perez Vzzah and in the way to Sion the City of David N. B. God took this Act of Faith well at Obededom's hands and blessed him in his Flocks in his Fruits and in all his Affairs and Actions and not only in his Temporals but also in his Spirituals to shew what a liberal Pay-master God is unto all both small and great who favour his concerns and further his Kingdom They shall be no lours but great gainers who give either him or his Servants due Entertainment as Laban was blest for entertaining Jacob Potiphar and the Chief Goaler for Joseph the Widow of Sarâ—pta for Elias the Shunamite for Elisha Zacheus for Christ as Obededom here for harbouring God's Ark. The Third part of this Chapter is
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
more to strengthen his Faith for a just revenge upon his insulting Adversary Ruach render'd here a Blast signifies a Spirit which was saith Grotius that spiritual Substance the Angel of God who destroy'd the Assyrian Army ver 35. which was a most stormy Blast and a terrible Tempest indeed a Plague saith Josephus Mark 4. And he shall hear a Rumour namely Tidings of Tirhakah's Invading his Land ver 9. with a vast Ethiopian Army as 2 Chron. 14.9 this must needs affright and divert Senacherib so Josephus this Rumour made him return to his own Land but rather that Ruine of his Army ver 35 36. where he fell by the Sword ver 37. Mark 5. Oh what a comfortable Cordial did Isaiah hand here to Hezekiah assuring him of the Truth of this Prophetick Promise in all its Branches And how happy was Hezekiah in having an Heart willing to advise with the Prophet Isaiah in such a Crisis of Affairs which was so blest with such an happy Issue 〈◊〉 N.B. But how unhappy was good Josiah whose Heart neglected to advise with that famous Prophet Jeremiah or with Zephaniah c who were then living at that Time beside a whole College of Seers when he went to War against Pharaoh Necho The omission of this Duty made him rush headlong upon his own Death in whom died the whole State of Israel as may be seen after Chap. 23.29 2 Chron. 35.22 Now come we to the Third Act in this Comedy which describes Rabshukeh's Departure and the moving Cause thereof ver 8 9. and the Railing Letters that were sent in the room of Rabshakeh Remarks hereupon are First Rabshakeh returns to Senacherib to give him an Account of the Treaty and to advise what was farther to be acted upon the Jews's Obstinacy yet leaving his Army behind him under the Conduct of Tartan and Rabsaris Commanders to carry on the Siege But finding his King removed with his other huge Host from Lachish to Libnah upon Tidings that Tirhakah had designed to fight against him hereupon he sends his Threatning Letters Remark the Second The King of Ethiopia's Invading Assyria broke all the measures of Senacherib and gave him such a marvelous Diversion from the Cities of Judah â—as Saul had from pursuing David when a Messenger came and told him that the Philistines had invaded his Land 1 Sam. 23.27 28. which place David therefore call'd Selangh Hammelekoth the Rock of Division because there God divided Saul from his Prey So here Senacherib was loath to let go his hold of Lachish and Libnah with one of his Armies Lachish was a very strong City Chap. 14.19 and likely Senacherib found the taking of it too difficult a task at this Time so was gone now to besiege Libnah when Tidings came of Tirhakah's Invasion c. which when he heard saith Vatablus he rais'd his Siege in that place to March against the King of Ethiopia with that Army but still his other huge Host besieged Jerusalem and more loath he was to let it go than either Lachish or Libnah being most eager to lick his Lips with it the King consults Rabshakeh then those hectoring Letters are sent to Cajole them into compliance Remark the Third The Contents of these Letters were at the best a compleat Roll of Rabshakeh's rudest and most railing Rhetorick Senacherib here Sings the same Song over again in these Writings which Rabshakeh had deliver'd by Word of Mouth in the foregoing Chapter ver 29 30 31 32 33 34 35. with ver 10 11 12 13. here and those Letter-Carriers are commanded to deliver the summe of what was written by Word of Mouth lest Hezekiah when he receiv'd the Letters should lay them aside and conceal them from the Knowledge of the People whom he design'd to Wheedle c. or to terrifie them into a Submission both by Word or Writing Now follows the Fourth Act when these Letters were received Remark the First Hezekiah carries this rude Roll of Railery and black Blasphemy into the Temple and spread it before the Lord the most Just and Jealous God vor 14. this he did not to inform the All-knowing God as if he knew it not but for the quickning of his own Spirit and for the strengthning of his own Faith the more thereby being saith Piscator at the Ark of God's Presence Remark the Second Then he Prays a most Pathetical Prayer ver 15 16 17 18 19. wherein 1. He pitches upon one of God's proper Attributes to prop up his Prayer 2. His Motive for God's revenge he makes Rabshakeh's reproaching the living God 3. He confesseth what ought to be confessed that Senacherib had conquer'd the false Gods because but Wood and Stone 4. He runs over those Arguments wherewith he had fill'd his Mouth and finally having a Promise before he puts it into Suit by Prayer preferring God's Glory before his own Preservation and pressing the Lord to make his Power known at this Juncture that all other Kingdoms may acknowledge with us that thou art the only Jehovah Remark the Third Nor would Hezekiah having done all this dare to tempt the Lord by neglect of such means as might be subservient to God's Providence but he doth many more Matters in order to his own Defence and Deliverance which are Recorded in 2 Chron. 32. ver 3 4 5 6 7 8. Mark 1. Because Water was a scarce Commodity in Canaan's Countrey and the want of it might much annoy the Assyrian Army therefore he stopp'd the Fountains without the Walls with Earth yet convey'd Water by Pipes under ground into the City ver 3 4. N.B. Oh that we could starve Satan thus by mortifying our earthly members Col. 3.5 so cause him to depart from us as Luke 4.13 Mark 2. He rebuilt the Wall that King Joash had broke down 2 Chron. 25.23 and mounted Engines upon the Tower Gates for his better Defence ver 5. Mark 3. He settles his Guards round the City ver 6. to stop the Rapid Torrent of Senacherib that came like an over-flowing fierce River Isa 8.7 Mark 4. He Comforts his Captains c. saying Fear not our Foes who trust in an Arm of Flesh for our God will quickly curse it Jer. 17.5 and cause the strongest Sinew in his Arm to Crack With us is the Lord our God Hebr. Gnimmanu Jehovah Elohenu which imports Immanuel the Name of Christ whereby he began to be known amongst them N.B. Thus ought we to go to Christ when Satan assaults our Souls or our Land telling him The stretching out of his Wings hath filled thy Land O Immanuel Isa 8.8 Vatablus and Osiander read this Phrase ver 7 8. Plures nobiscum quam cum illis There be more with us than with them as 2 Kings 6.16 for we have God's help and an Army of Angels N.B. Now if Antigonus in the time of the Maccabees could say to his fearful Souldiers fearing the Multitude of their Enemies but how many do ye reckon me for how much more may we reckon
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
also bind him as a Malefactor while his Deity withdrew it self for he could as easily have delivered himself as he did his Disciples c. But this Sacrifice must be both taken and bound to the Hornâ— of the Altar with Cords Psalm 118.27 N. B. Note well What a wonder it is they should bind him who was thus willing to be taken and who thus freely offered himself to their violent hands yet must he be â—inioned and Mannacled as a great Malefactor Manibuâ— post tergum Retortis with his hands bound behind his back say some Antients this they did by Judas's Advice Lead him away safely Mark 14.44 because he had wont sometimes unseen to slip out of the Multitude N.B. Note well Oh how wonderful was that wretch's blindness to think that any Humane helps should be able to hold the Divine Power of Christ whereof he had beheld so many undeniable proofs However as Christ told them they came out against him as against a Thief and recordingly they bound him as a Thief and as one of the worst of Mortals But could not he who as a Friend had so miraculously healed the wound of his Enemy at that juncture and who was stronger than Sampson have broken those bonds wherewith they did bind him had he so pleased But thus He would have it to be now upon a twofold respect 1. In respect of Men And 2. In respect of God First as to Men for Three Reasons The 1st is Men did thus bind him that they might the better secure him who had slided out of their hands twice before John 8.59 and 10.39 because his hour was then come now when it was come Judas bid them hold him fast Mat. 26.48 although they had no reason to fear his escape because now he came and offered himself meeting his Murderers in the Teeth and when he had beat them down to the ground under his feet He might have escaped and would not Thus an Evil Conscience fears without a cause c. N. B. Note well Would to God we could hold him fast in a good sense as they did him in an evil sense Gen. 32.26 c. The 2d Reason is To put the greater disgrace upon him As he was numbred among Transgressors Isa 53.12 So had He this shame put upon him as if He had been a most notorious Felon N.B. Note well If this Holy Jesus was content to suffer this for us though He was God and we but Men yea unholy Men murmur not to be Disgraced for Christ and his Gospel The 3d Reason is To punish him and put him to more pain because he pull'd down their Pharisaical and Traditional Kingdom For this cause Paul while a Pharisee and a Persecutor punish'd those that call'd on the name of the Lord binding them and bringing them bound to Jerusalem Acts 9.1 2. 22.4 26.11 this was a painful punishment for us But 2dly As to God He was bound for three causes 1. That his Bonds might sanctifie the bonds of his suffering Servants So far as we suffer with Christ our sufferings are the sufferings of Christ and a filling up the measure of them Col. 1.24 Christ sits at one end of the Ballance and Christians at the other Did he suffer much for us and not we a little for him which are but chips of his Cross for exercise of Grace not for expiation of sin 2. To teach us how we deserved to be bound with Chains of Darkness and Eternal Damnation had not Christ put himself in our stead to be both thus bound and Wounded for our Transgressions Isa 53.5 Our Sins are laid on him The 3d Cause why our Lord was bound in Respect of God's Counsel was not only that he might be bound in our room who had deserved worse Bonds but also that by His bonds we might be loosed His binding was our loosing as he became our Surety He looseth us from the Bondage of Satan Sin and Death He looseth us 1. From the Chain of Condemnation Rom. 8.1 this is done at our Conversion which is a knocking off that Chain so it becomes very painful to many c. 2. From the Chain of Corruption delivering us from the hand of those Spiritual Enemies that we may serve him without fear Luke 1.72 this is that Body of Sin which made Paul cry out Oh wretched Man c. Rom. 7.24 c. that bond of Iniquity Acts 8.23 that chains up Sinners so fast they cannot move or do any thing for God or Godliness till this latter Chain be broke by Christ we cannot be freed from the former Chain N. B. Note well Was Christ bound for us our Vows and Covenants must bind us to him Ezek. 4.8 The 3d Particular is As they took him and bound him so they led him away bound as a Sheep to the Slaughter and as a dumb Lamb c. Isa 53.7 and this they did with so much rudeness as that some say they doused him in the Waters as they led him through the Brook Kidron However their Rage and Fury was so great in leading him away that the Evangelists themselves give two clear intimations thereof The first is that in Mark 14.51 52 c. Their furious outrage awakened an honest young man out of his Sleep in the Dead time of the Night who loved Christ so well that he followed him in his Shirt when it was so cold a Night that Petâ—r was forced to the fire to warm him N. B. Note well I am afraid we have few such good Young Men now as will follow Christ in their Shirts especially a persecuted Christ when all the Disciples those great Preachers were fled from him Few will leave their warm Beds their wearing Cloaths their All as be did save only his Shirt whereas any small matter will keep many of us from following of Christ who 〈◊〉 â—â—sfured greater matters for us Now such was the fury of those Souldiers that pâ—â—â—â—â—ing him to be a favourer of Christ they presently laid hold on him which â—eâ—s their design was to lay hold on all Christ's Disciples c. N. B. Note Well And thus the World still deals with friends to Religion but the Young Man left his Shirt in their hands as Joseph did his Coat in his Mistress's hand and fled away naked having no call to stay and supposing himself not to have sufficient strength to suffer and rather than betray Christ by staying he loses his All and wisely ran away The Second Intimation expressed by the Evangelists of their Fury and Fierceness is their tossing Christ too and fro from place to place leading him up and down first to Annas and then to Cajaphas John 18.13 24. and indeed the whole History of his Passion holds forth nothing but outragious violence towards him the Devil their Rider Whipping and Spurring them endways hurrying him first to one High-Priest then to another then to Pilate then to Herod and back-again to Pilate amongst whom the Saviour of the
this name and not fall as if we had not been anointed with Oil 2 Sam. 1.21 Thus the Lord as he ever doth did over-shoot Satan in his own Bow over-ruling the Malice of the Adversary in turning it here to the propagation of the Gospel Those Disciples were forced to flie for their lives from the Capital City of the Jews hereby the Light of the Gospel is carried to the Gentiles N.B. The great God causeth the Devil to break his own head by his own design and maketh Light to come out of Darkness Psal 112. v. 4. God is a skilful Pilot and can sail with contrary Winds using cross Providences to accomplish his precious Promises Gen. 9.27 Hereby Japhet the Gentiles were made to dwell in the Tents of Shem the Jews This scattering proved to the Church's great Advantage which like the Sea what ground it loseth on one side it gaineth on the other side No doubt God is fetching such a compass now c. 2 Sam. 5.23 'T is a great and most sacred Truth that the great God would suffer no sort of evil to be unless he knew how to bring some excellent good out of that evil N.B. The following History is a confirming Comment upon this Text of Truth The most wise God would not have permitted such a Dispersing Persecution upon this Primo-primitive Church but to over rule it for his own greater glory and for his Church's greater gain This Church at Jerusalem was now grown so great by the many Accessions and Additions to it through the great Grace that was upon it Acts 4.33 that it was become like the Hive of Bees which is so full of stock that there is not room within to receive all those little laborious Animals and therefore if they do not voluntarily remove in a Swarm they must be driven to make a new Colony in another new Hive Thus and much more the Lord dealt with this numerous over-grown and full-stock'd Gospel-Church A great many of those Evangelical Bees are driven away from Jerusalem not only to plant new Colonies of Christians in Samaria but also in many other places both among the Jews and among the Gentiles as the sequel sheweth N.B. The first Instance hereof is the planting of a Gospel-Church in Samaria whereof the Procatartick or occasional cause was this great Persecution that the Devil and his Imps raised against this first Church at Jerusalem but the Organical or instrumental cause thereof was Philip not the Apostle Mat. 10.3 but the Deacon of that name Acts 6.5 for all the Apostles still stay'd at Jerusalem Acts 8.1 This Deacon having been found faithful over a few things was made Master of more in the Ministry as Mat. 25.23 Thus he being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach the Truth and able to maintain it by the Gifts of the Holy Ghost upon him purchased to himself an higher degree in the Ministry of the Church 1 Tim. 3.12 13. fairly stepping from that good degree of a Deacon therefore none should despise the Deaconship that is so honourably intituled to an higher Order c. This holy Deacon was of that scattered number whom God directed to go into Samaria where what he did the Divine Record gives a full account of it Acts 8.5 c. N.B. The Relation of his Actings there 1. Concerns his Doctrine and 2. His Auditors 1st His Doctrine is described 1. In the Matter of it Acts 8.5 12. He Preached the Doctrine of Faith Repentance and Remission of Sins by Christ alone c. 2. In the Success of it verse 6 7. a mighty presence of Divine Power prepared those to attend whom God had a purpose to save hanging their Ears as it were at the mouth of this their Minister as those are said to do upon Christ himself Luke 19.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They did hang upon him it signifies as the Babe hangs on the Breast the Bee upon the Flower or the little Bird upon the Bill of her Dam As Christ drew the People after him by the Golden Chain of his Angelical yea Divine Eloquence So Philip here by the powerful presence of the Spirit of Christ upon him united his Hearer's hearts as well as Ears to attend diligently unto the Doctrine of Christ He Preached to them concerning his marvelous Birth his holy Life and Death and his glorious Resurrection and Ascension and concerning the Kingdom of his Grace and Glory both which are one seeing the Kingdom of God hath its Inchoation on Earth but its Consummation in Heaven This diligent attention was a blessed preparative to these Samaritan's Conversion seeing Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Syriack word Methtephisin here signifies they did not only Attend to but also did Acquiesce in all he spake to them N.B. Were there more Reverend Attention to the Word and more plenary Aquiescency in it there would be more Conversion at this day N.B. But besides Philip's Evangelical Eloquence wherewith he drew his Auditory to his Oracles he wrought Miracles also which were as so many Evidences of the Truth of his Oracles and whereby he shewed God's Authority for what he Preached He healed many Diseases and cast out many Devils call'd unclean Spirits because they delight in sin that spiritual uncleanness of the Soul who cried out with a loud voice as very loth to leave their Lodgings had they not been constrained to it c. N.B. The performance of what Christ promised Mark 16.16 17. did both corroborate the Faith of those Gospel-Ministers and did mightily promote the Success of Philip's Ministry in Samaria Then 3dly The Effect hereof is briefly comprised v. 8. and There was great Joy in that City Tho' Samaria was a place of corrupted Worship and basely bewitched by the Sorceries of Simon Magus yet even there God begets a People to himself who not only rejoyced for the miraculous Cures wrought upon their Bodies but more especially for the Word of Reconciliation and Salvation Preached to their Souls N.B. Josephus saith that at Samaria was a Sanctuary opened by Sanballat for all Renegado Jews and upon the very building of the Temple upon Mount Gerizim multitudes of Jews flocked thither that call'd Jacob their Father had their Priesthood Service Pentateuch c. so that Samaritanism generally was but a Mongrel-Judaism Therefore the Jews hated the presence the are the fashions and the very Books of the Samaritans John 4.9 Now this despised Samaria imbraces the Gospel with Joy when the formerly beloved and holy City Jerusalem doth explode and persecute it N.B. Such strange Alterations doth the Free Grace of God work both in Cities and Countreys and in all Societies of Men. Once it was before this that Christ must needs go to Samaria John 4.4 Oh happy City that then lay in a sweet Saviour's way to be look'd upon with his gracious look of Love and that his Footsteps may drop fatness upon it Psal 65.11 Many believed in Christ at that time of the Samaritans John 4.40 41.
and Barnabas sent to the Gentiles THIS Divine Historian Luke the Recorder of the Acts of the Apostles having hitherto carried on the History of the Church and Gospel as both had their Reception among the Jews wherein he more peculiarly pitcheth upon the Acts of Peter and John those two special Ministers of the Circumcision more especially Peter's Now he turns his Pen to follow the planting and progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles which History he begins with the Acts especially of Paul and Barnabas who were the two singular Ministers of the Uncircumcision and more peculiarly Paul's to the very end of that Book N.B. It is not improbable that Barnabas knew before-hand as he was full of the Holy Ghost of his being designed for a Minister of the Vncircumcision and of Paul's being joyned with him in that work long before these two were sent away from Antioch upon it as Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to confirm that first Gentile Church there so his seeking out Saul as before to assist him in the same work giveth some confirmation hereof c. N.B. The solemn Mission of Saul and Barnabas to their Ministry among the Gentiles is fully related Acts 13.1 c. After they had carried the Benevolence of the Church of Antioch to that of Judaea they returned to Antioch again Acts 12.25 where they spend some considerable time at the end of which this new Gentile-Church observing a solemn Fast for the sad Famine that then was sore upon the Countrey And while in Praying and Preaching at their Publick Ministration as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for which the Greek Scholiast reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Preaching which is the highest Office and Honour of a Gospel-Minister N.B. Though some Protestants make it only a Reading the Liturgy as the Papists translate it as they sacrificed to countenance their abominable Idol of the Mass which that Greek word can never mean the Holy Ghost gave them their Mission and Commission by the Ministry of this Church at Antioch upon this extraordinary day of Humiliation to fetch in the Gentiles who had long lain behind the Partition-wall to the Jews This could not be done without a Divine Warrant for tho' Peter in the case of Cornelius had opened a door for the Gospel to the Gentiles that was only a single gap or breach made in the Wall yet now the whole Partition-wall was to be thrown down and the Gospel was to be brought into all Gentile-Countreys and that heavenly Manna was to be Rained down at their Tent-doors when the Lord said Separate those two men to the work whereunto I have called them V. 2. which confirms that Saul and Barnabas knew their work before-hand N.B. In Paul's first Peregrination or Travel among the Gentiles as their great Apostle in conjunction with Barnabas three famous Circumstances are principally observable The first is his Egress The second is his Progress The third his Regress N.B. In his Egress from Antioch we are to consider the moving cause thereof namely his Solemn Call to undertake this Apostleship of the Gentiles in which Call are mentioned 1. The Ministers who set him apart for that Office with his Collegue Barnabas Simon Lucius and Menaen Acts 13.1 2. The Author God the Holy Ghost pointing out those two men to an Imployment of his own who were lately returned from an Imployment of the Church's verse 2. And 3. The Manner how those three above-named who were Prophets as well as Preachers understanding the Lord's mind and appointing another solemn day of Fasting and Prayer laid their hands upon Saul and Barnabas so set them apart by Ordination v. 3. This is N.B. The second Ordination or Imposition of Hands since the Gospel began which did not confer the Holy Ghost with it for these two were full of the Holy Ghost before And this was the first Ordination of Elders since the Gospel that was practised out of the Land of Judaea among the Gentiles The Remarks from the first part to wit the Egress are these First God granted to this new Gospel-Church at Antioch the extraordinary help of Prophets indued with a Spirit of Prophecy which had ceased from the days of Malachy to Christ's Time This Divine Grant of such as were partakers of Revelations was according to the present state of this new Church as necessary to its well-being until Time and Study had inabled others to be Teachers there which as yet none could attain to in its Infancy Where God denies Means he supplies Means The second Remark from the Egress is The Lord is so free an Agent in scattering his Grace that he poureth it out upon some persons even in the worst of places N.B. As appeareth in the case of this Manaen who was puer Collectaneus one that had sucked of the same Milk with Herod-Antipas the same that Beheaded the Baptist and set at nought our precious Saviour yet this Foster-Brother of Herod Manaen and brought up at Court with Herod did notwithstanding all contemn the profits pleasures and honours of the Court and imbraced the Gospel of Christ so much contemned by both the King and his Courtiers v. 2. N.B. In all Ages God hath had some to fear him and to love his good ways even in the worst of Families and Royal Courts he had his Moses in proud Pharaoh's Family his Obadiah in impious Ahab's Hall 1 Kings 18.3 13. Some good Souls in Herod's House Luke 8.2 as this Manaen also and some Believers even in the Houshold of Nero that Monster of Mankind Phil. 4.22 This Man Manaen made Moses's choice Heb. 11.25 26. The third Remark is A solemn seeking of God before any great Enterprize is a good preparation for entrance into it N.B. Our Saviour himself would not enter upon his Ministry till he had fasted forty days c. Matth. 4.2.17 If we make God our Alpha he will be our Omega therein also and will be with us in the Beginning in the Middle and in the Ending thereof too as he was with these two Saul and Barnabas in their Ministry among the Gentiles N.B. In such serious and secret Addresses at the Entrance unto God we make our humble Acknowledgment that all safety and success in our weighty Undertakings must come from God N.B. The Church's Approbation of what was done in setting Saul and Barnabas apart and their praying for God's blessing upon their Labours is said to be a sending of them forth by the Holy Ghost verse 3 4. whereby the like Apostolical Authority with all the other Apostle's Infallibility of Spirit and a Plenipotentiary Commission to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the Dispersed Gentiles were put upon them N.B. The Imposition of Hands did betoken their Separating and Consecrating to the work as the Priests under the Law did separate and consecrate the Beast for Sacrifice by laying their hands thereon And the reason of those present Actions in this first Ordination among
Syrian Army were smitten with Blindness so that they could not captivate that one single Servant of God Elisha 2 Kings 6.18 Their senses being so deluded by a Divine Operation yet was this Conjurer worse confounded than they and stopped in his perverting carreer The seventh Remark is In the midst of wrath God remembers mercy even in his dealing with wicked men Hab. 3.2 and stirs not up all his wrath Psal 78.38 This Blindness therefore was not a perpetual as it might have been but only a temporary Blindness Thou shalt not see the Sun for a season N.B. This phrase intimateth that it was inflicted upon him not so much in a poenal as in a medicinal way that he might be reclaimed from his Villany be reduced by Repentance and receive his sight again The Antients do without Book affirm that he did hereby Repent of his sin and was restored to his Eye-sight again yet after this they say he returned with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow to his wallowing in the Mire not only of his old Judaism but to his devilish Magick Tricks again which shews he repented of his very Repentance but so did not Paul who was struck blind also Acts 9.8 for he saw savingly c. The eighth Remark is God over-shoots Satan in his own Bow That which the Devil designed for obstructing the Gospel was over-ruled by the Lord for a farther promoting it Sergius Paulus was set upon by Satan in this Sorcerer to be turned aside from becoming a Proselyte yet when this prudent man saw that the Gospel which Paul Preached was attended with so much Majesty and with such a power of working Miracles accompanying it he the more firmly believed being astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord verse 12. N.B. The Word never works more kindly than when it is received with admiration The second Journey Paul and Barnabas took from Cyprus when they had done their work there N.B. Was to Perga in Pamphilia verse 13. whereof we have nothing of note Recorded save only how their Collegue that ministred to them verse 5. plaid them a slippery Trick there though some say this was that John Mark who wrote the Gospel called by his name yet his departure from them at this juncture when they were walking their Biennial Circuit was blame-worthy Acts 15.38 Whatever was the cause of this withdrawment from the Yoke of Christ Sundry Conjectures there be why he did so N.B. As 1. That he foresaw from this short Experience what difficulties and dangers attended the Gospel and therefore in time provided for his own safety and avoided it as one soon weary of his work There be too many who can be content to be doing something for Christ yet care not to meet with suffering little or nothing for him as the King of Navarr told Beza He would launch no farther into the Sea of Religion than so as that he might be sure to save himself by returning safe home to Shore at night 2. N.B. Some suppose Mark returned to Jerusalem out of an over-fond affection to his Aged Mother who lived there But he had learnt a better Lesson in his own Gospel Mark 10.29 30. to forsake Mothers for Christ who promised to be worth ten Mothers to him c. N.B. The third Conjecture is That Mark heard of the Imprisonment of Peter with whom he had some special familiarity yea a peculiar Interest in him as appeareth from 1 Pet. 5.13 whom Peter there calls his Son and in that Peter was so well acquainted with Mark 's Mother's house Acts 12.12 therefore his extraordinary respect to Peter might draw him back to see what became of him at Jerusalem N.B. The fourth Opinion is That his Relation to Peter who was the special Minister of the Circumcision made him the more shy and nice to venture among the Uncircumcised Gentiles not only lest he should not shun that occasion of offence to the Jews and Peter but also because he fore thought of the Tediousness of that two years Journey they having now but newly entred therein who had met with a Temple of Venus at Paphos in Cyprus and now were come to Perga in Pamphylia where there was another Temple of Diana which would unavoidably create trouble enough to those that cried down their Idolatrous Worship and they were now like to go deeper into the thickest of these Idol worshippers every day more than other this might become Mark 's discouragement N.B. But whatever was the cause of Mark 's withdrawment from this work it was so unwarrantable as to make a breach betwixt him and them for the present nay it occasioned that bitter Paroxism betwixt Paul and Barnabas afterward even the great commotion or perturbation Acts 15.39 Let us leave Mark in his Journey to Jerusalem learning this Lesson only from his frailty Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 whither when he came he did abide there till Paul and Barnabas came thither again N.B. Beside this Remark of Mark 's departure from his Ministry here we find nothing remarkable concerning Paul and Barnabas at Perga in Pamphylia no more is Recorded of them Their third Journey was to Antioch in Pisidia verse 14. so called to distinguish it from the other Antioch of Syria from whence they set forth verse 1 3 4. and Acts 11.19 which was next to if not part of Pamphylia Here these two Apostles as we read went into the Jews Synagogue upon their Sabbath day N.B. Either to joyn with the Jews in their Worship which was not then unlawful or rather to get an opportunity of Preaching the Gospel more publickly to them for this was the grand Errand of their coming thither And the Rulers of the Synagogue soon gave them a candid Invitation thereunto after the Reading of the Law and the Prophets v. 15 c. The other part of this Chapter begins with the special Remarks upon Paul and Barnabas's Actings at this Antioch where Paul Preacheth a most powerful Sermon wherein a general prospect may be presented as to the form and manner of his Convincing Discourse in these following particulars As 1st His Prologue or Preface v. 16. wherein he craves their careful attention which he intimates none could do but only such as truly feared God for that is the proper Character of a right Attentive Hearer 2ly His Narrative of the Divine Benefits which the Lord of old bestowed upon his People Israel frankly for the Messia'hs sake and these he reckons up to be four 1. God's free Electing of them above all Nations and his wonderful delivering them out of Egypt verse 17. 2. God's Indulgency towards them for forty years in the Wilderness as a Mother bears with her Child's frowardness or as an Huband bears with his Wife's crossness verse 18. 3. His giving them the Possession and Improvement of the Land of Promise verse 19. 4. His constituting them into a form of Government there both that of
As he had done first 3000. and then 5000. more by Peter's two Sermons as is above mentioned so here were also many Jews converted by this Sermon of Paul whom he exhorted to continue in the Grace of God ver 43. that is in the Doctrine of the Gospel which is called the Grace of God Hebr. 12.15 And the true Grace wherein we stand 1. Pet. ch 5. v. 12. well-knowing what fierce Encounters Satan usually makes to blast the blessed buddings and beginnings of Evangelical goodness in any N.B. Thus the same Sun of Righteousness which hardens Clay those reprobate Jews yet softens wax the other that were eternally elected 2ly The Gentiles were Docible where some of those Jews were Refractory and they were willingly ready to receive the Gospel that those obstinate Jews did so wilfully reject they besought that these same words might be preached to them the next Sabbath ver 42. Acts 13. or as the text may be read in the week-days between the Sabbath namely upon the second and fifth days of the week before the next Sabbath came on which they used to meet in their Synagogues as on the Sabbath-day according as their Rabbins say to the appointment of Ezra And the Apostles preaching upon those two Week-days did so wonderfully work upon their Auditors that upon the next Sabbath almost all the City was gathered together to hear the word N. B. Here we have a good warrant for Week-day Lectures where God gave a Testimony to the Word of his Grace both to the benefit and blessing of Jews and Gentiles ver 43 44. For not only many Jews and Religious Proselytes such as were come off from Paganism to own the true God in Iudaism followed Paul and Barnabas but also a great multitude of Gentiles ver 45. did embrace the Gospel When the perverse Jews saw that the Gentiles were made equal with them this inraged them with envy whereupon they stirred up some Female Unbelieving Proselytes and some of the Chief of the City against the Apostles so that they drove them out of their Coasts having a furious indignation at the great Confluence of the Gentiles and the happy growth of the Gospel This their contempt thereof did declare them unworthy of eternal life verse 46. N.B. Therefore the Apostles shook the Dust from off their feet in Testimony against those despisers as Christ had commanded Mat. 10.14 disdaining to carry away any of their accursed dust or have any farther Communion with them they then turned to the Gentiles according to the prophecy in Isa 4.9.6 v. 46 47 When the Gentiles understood by that Prophecy their own interest in Christ and their Calling to the hope of Salvation they received the Gospel with more Veneration and greater Joy and they glorified God who as he had ordained their Salvation as the end ordained also the hearing of the Word as their means to that end ver 48. Then in spight of all opposition the Gospel spread like Leaven throughout all the Region ver 49. Though the Jews stirred up those devout Women among them that were Zealous for the Law and against the Gospel to oppose it these tools they chused because faminae quicquid volunt valdè volunt Women are most earnest in what way they undertake verse 50. but they leaving the very dust as Heathenish behind them They went to Iconium c. CHAP. XIV Of Paul and Barnabas at Iconium Lystra c. THIS is the Fourth Journey where these two Apostles Paul and Barnabas had their next Station namely at Iconium Acts 13.51 14.1 a Town in Lycaonia near to that famous mountain Taurus where they went both together into the Synagogue of the Jews and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed This Blessed success of the Gospel did again Invenome the Venemous Minds of the Unbelieving Jews with rage against the Apostles N.B. Yet as the more outragious were the Adversaries so the more couragious were the Apostles verse 2 3. who shewed as great constancy in performing their duty as their persecutors did obstinacy in persecuting them for it And no less were those Disciples that came along with them from Perga to Antioch and from thence to Iconium notwithstanding all opposition filled with joy Acts 13.52 having now the pardon of their sins sealed to them the Assurance of the promise of their Eternal Salvation and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost which they had at that time as an earnest and pledge to confirm their Faith in both N.B. In this place the Apostles continued a time sufficient for strengthening the New-Converts in the Obedience of Faith God the mean while strengthning them also with miracles wrought by their hands to confirm the Doctrine which they preached that it was from God Hereupon there arose a Schism the multitude was divided v. 4. N.B. Christ came not to send peace but a sword yet is he not the cause of division but the occasion only and that by accident too So it is said that sin is the occasion and not the cause that Grace aboundeth Such as quarrel at the Holy Scriptures because the Ignorant and such as are given up to believe lies do ground their damnable Doctrines and destructive Heresyes upon them are like the People call'd Atlantes who do use to shoot their Arrows against the Sun because it scorches them with its hot Beams God's Ordinances are not to be quarrelled with because by Man's Corruption they breed differences The Bellum Sacramentarium or discord about that Sacrament of Love was soon Kindled but lasts long 't is a Fire that is not Quenched to this Day c. N.B. This Dismal Division such as had been about Our Saviour Himself and his Doctrine John 7.43 like Thunder brought forth a dreadful Hail-shower so that the Apostles were furiously assaulted both by Jews and Gentiles backed with the Authority of the Magistrates whom those superstitious Matrons their wives most malevolently prompted thereunto so that they despightfully used them and designed to stone them verse 5. which by a good providence being understood N.B. They gave ground verse 6. Not so much to save their lives but least they should trifle away their precious time unprofitably there where their Ministry was now obstructed and which they might spend to better purpose in another place This Apostolical pattern doth warrant the practice of such godly Ministers as do flee from persecution to reserve themselves for better times It was both our Lord's Precept Matth. 10.23 and his own practice also Luke 4.30 John 8.59 c. N.B. Their shipping away to Lystra and Derbe made their fifth Journey ver 6. These were Cities of Lycaonia also that lay farther up in the Countrey where they preached the Gospel verse 7. Thus their Persecution in one place procured the furtherance of the Gospel as Paul's phrase is Phil. 1.12 in another place Thousands would never have heard of Christ had not the Ministers of Christ been driven
the King had opened his mouth to make his Defence so he would not suffer any to stop it till he had done being confident that Agrippa's opinion and Judgment could not but prevail much with Festus while he pleaded for his own life and therefore doth he principally crave the King 's patient Audience stiling it his happiness yet Paul well knew that the true happiness is to find favour with God in the Remission of Sin Ps 32.1 2. and assuredly had not God over-ruled matters and Paul had not been so eminent by his sufferings Agrippa who came into the Court in such a princely pomp Acts 25.23 Especially Festus could never have vouchsafed him attention with so much silence and patience The third Remark is A blameless life from our youth upward is a brave incouragement when we come to suffer for Righteousness-sake Thus Paul here v. 4 5. makes a confident appeal as be had done to Caesar's Court so to his accusers consciences whether they could Justly charge him with any enormities while he was of their Strict Pharisaical persuasion Hereby he vindicated his Christian Religion from the prejudice of the Jews who cast such calumnies upon Paul as if he had imbraced Christianity as a subterfuge from the abuse of his Pharisaism in former times This he wisely washeth off and convincingly urgeth that it was not for any misdemeanors done by him but for his imbracing the Christian Religion which had rendred him so odious and obnoxious to them Now the Testimony of Paul's good Conscience was a strong cordial to support him in all these Tryals which he had before Faelix Festus and King Agrippa over and above his Divine Revelation The fourth Remark is The Doctrine of the Resurrection is no incredible Doctrine This Paul asserts as the foundation of all Religion which he calls the hope of the promise v. 6. for which the 12. Tribes instantly served God and all little enough to obtain a better Resurrection and everlasting life verse 7. and for which Article of the Faith those Degenerate Children of the 12. Tribes do saith Paul persecute me to Death Yet it is a Credible Doctrine which Pagans such as Festus was and Sadduces ought not to deny v. 8. and the Credibility of it is evidently Demonstrated both by God's works of Creation wherein God gave life to that which had it not before therefore he can more easily restore life where it once hath been and by his works of Providence seeing every spring is a Resurrection of Plants that seem dead in winter The fifth Remark is The great ends and effects for which Christ did Institute and Commissionate a Gospel Ministry are principally five for working 1. Conversion 2. Faith 3. Remision of sins 4. Sanctification And. 5. Salvation N.B. All these five be famously specified in Paul's Commission from a greater High-Priest The Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel than the whited wall Ananias was who had before given him a Commission to persecute the Preachers of it and who now did persecute Paul for Preaching it as Paul tells King Agrippa here after he had given him the whole narrative of his wonderful Conversion whereon Remarks have been already made upon Acts 9.3 c. And upon Acts 22.6 As also upon Acts 8.3 from Acts 26.9 10 11 c. to verse 18. where this excellent discription is N. B. Now tho' these five great works of Conversion c. be properly and principally yea only the work of Christ who alone can open the eyes of the blind both of souls and bodies as he had opend Pauls c. yet is he pleased to put this great honour upon his poor Instruments in his ministry's by whom he ordinarily works them and hence are they called co-workers with God 1 Cor. 3 5 6. And 2 Cor. 6.1 The sixth Remark is How abominable it is that among those that profess themselves to be God's peculiar people True obedience to the Great God should be reckoned no better than real Rebellion and Treason against sorry mortal man Thus Paul tells Agrippa verse 19. the Jews who pretend themselves to be God's peculiar people can find no other fault in me but that I durst not be disobedient to this heavenly Vision but I preached the Gospel at God's command verse 20 21. from whose fury God hath hitherto preserved me verse 22 23. Intimating for his own vindication that he had done nothing but what became a man grateful to God for his daily preservation which is not granted to nourish Idleness but labour as also that the truths of the Gospel concern'd Agrippa himself and all princes as well as the meanest people for all are one in Christ Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 The seventh Remark is Carnal minds even of mighty men do pass very uncharitable Censures upon spiritual persons and things Thus the Pagan Judge Festus Judged Paul a mad man verse 24. as the Captains did Gods prophet that came to Jehu 2 Kings 9.11 and the Friends of Christ did Christ himself Mark 3.21 Nor can it be otherwise because of contrary apprehensions for bad men call evil good and good evil Isaiah 5.20 21. They blasphemously conceive the Gospel to be the foolishness of preaching 1 Cor. 1.18 It seemeth so to them that perish but to them that shall be saved it is the power and wisdom of God Rom. 1.16 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Therefore is it a most dangerous symptome thus profanely to mistake and to distast the Gospel of Christ as Festus did here thinking that Paul had over-studied himself and by meddling with matters too high for his Capacity and too deep for his understanding he had brought himself into a mad melancholy so he broke forth into this idle and long Tittle-Tattle c. The eighth Remark is 'T is a blessed Attainment for a man to be master of himself when highly provoked and to be regulated by right reason only and not hurryed by unruly passions Thus it was with Paul here verse 25. making his answer with all meekness with due terms of respect to a Revileing Judge wherein he well observed Solomon's saying a soft answer turns away wrath Prov. 15.1 Festus had spoke truly so far as to say Paul had much learning for he was reckoned an excellent linguist being skilful by his acquired learning besides that infused by the Holy Ghost in the Hebrew Syraick Greek and Latine Tongues well acquainted with the Pagan Poets and a most fluent and Charming Orator speaking and writing Greek in such a Compt florid and elegant style so that Demosthenes's Orations are but dull pieces compared to some of his Epistles yet Festus was extravagant in censuring that Paul's much learning made him mad perhaps he might feel some strange Infleunce upon Paul's Discourse and could not ascribe it to the Right cause the Holy Spirit but to the spirit of madness c. N. B. 'T is true indeed Paul himself confesseth that he had been exceeding mad in persecuting the Truth Acts 26.11 And there were
some besides this Pagan Governor who Judged him as mad in preaching it 2 Cor. 5.13 and in pressing towards the prize which he now persecuted so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Phil. 4.13 with as much eagerness as ever he had persecuted or prosecuted the poor saints and servants of Christ while he made havock of them Acts 8.3 The ninth Remark is 'T is likewise highly honourable and greatly comfortable when a prisoner at the bar can beside the testimony of his own conscience make a solemn Appeal to the consciences of his Judges that he speaks nothing but the words of truth and soberness Thus Paul makes his appeal 1. To Festus with all modesty waving the reflection he reviled him not as Christ had taught him 1 Pet. 2.23 nor called him whited wall as he had done Ananias the intruder into the High-Priest's office but gives him his Noble Title tho' his person was unworthy Yet for God's ordinance of magistracy's sake mildly minding him according to his own advice 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. that his Conscience must tell him his discourse was not like as one distracted And 2. To Agrippa to whom he useth a most Rhetorical insinuation v. 26 27. which could not but leave a forcible impression upon his heart persuading him that he being Educated in Judea could not but hear of the Life Doctrine Miracles Death and Resurrection of Christ c. all which were done openly John 18.20 and he could not but believe the Prophets The tenth Remark is So convincing is the power of the Gospel and the purity of its professors that at the long run the Adversaries thereof are shamefully confounded as here 1. The King is convinced to be almost a Christian v. 28 he is brought nigh God's Kingdom yet so clogg'd with the world as we do not find he ever came there which occasion'd Paul to wish for Agrippa and all his auditory all the good that was in himself for the accomplishment of a true Christian yet to be freed from all the evils that then were upon him verse 29. 2. Festus is easily influenced by Agrippa to acquit Paul from the Crimes laid against him yet he would not release him for fear of the Jews And 3. the malitious Jews got nothing for all their travel charges and impudent importunity but a being branded for a company of cursed Caitiffs for their thirsting after the blood of the innocent in the judgment of so many honourable personages Thus are those wretches packed home to Jerusalem with a stigmatizing indelible opprobrious blot upon their names and perhaps not without horrour of Guilt within their Bosoms Notwithstanding all those acquitters of Paul like the Black-moor in the Bath and the spotted Leopard Jerem. 13.23 got no saving change by these Transactions CHAP. XXVII Paul 's passage to Rome THIS Chapter containeth Paul's Voyage from Cesarea towards Rome which may be resolved into two General parts 1. The Causes of his voyage thither And 2. The Casualties that came upon him in his passage 1st The Causes were three first Efficient which was a decree in court by the Judges ver 1. where his companions are named Secondly Formal he must not travel it by Land least the Jews should ly lurking in the way to take away his life according to their old Oath and Design but he must pass by Sea v. 2. Thirdly Material to wit the places by which they passed from Cesarea were Sidon ver 3. Cyprus v. 4. Myra v. 5 6. Gnidus ver 7. and Crete v. 7 8. 2dly The Casualties in the general was sailing was now dangerous towards the depth of winter v. 9. more particularly they are reducible to three heads 1. The Antecedents 2. The Concomitants And 3. The Consequents 1st The Antecedents are the procuring causes of all the sad casualties namely the Centurion's too much obstinacy in rejecting the Apostle's advice and his too much obsequiousness in receiving the Counsel of the Master and owner of the Ship verse 10 and 11 12. 2dly The Concomitants are 1. A contrary tempestous wind verse 13 14 15. 2. The peril of the place v. 17 18. 3. The continuance of the storm for three days v. 18 19. 4. Heaving over board the lading Merchandize And 5. An utter despair of life v. 18 19 20. in the eye of Reason c. 3dly The Consequents are the Catastrophe or comfortable issue 1. Promised by Paul not only from his prophetick Spirit but also from an angelical Vision v. 21 22 23 24 25 26. 2. Performed through the use of ordinary means by night as the casting of their Anchors v. 27 28 29. The abiding of the Marriners in the Ship v. 30 31 32. The taking of due sustenance to support nature in its strength after Paul had begged a blessing v. 33 34 35 36 37. Then the second unladeing of the Ship v. 38. Lastly what was done extraordinarily by day v. 39 40. and suffered v. 41. The Ship is lost yet all its crew saved v. 42 43 44. The Remarks from those Resolves are these The first is The disposals of all men both Saints and Sinners are determined as here it was determined verse 1. first By God himself the Supreme cause Acts 23.11 and then by those Subordinate civil Magistrates Festus Agrippa and others with whom the Governour consulted concerning Paul's passing to Rome All these great men seem to be self-condemned in their acknowledging Paul's innocency yet not setting him at Liberty This neglect of Justice they do but varnish over with a pretence of Law fulness and necessity saying he might have been freed had he not appealed unto Caesar Acts 26.32 whereas the true secondary cause was that they durst not do it for self-ends and popularity for fear of the Jews but the principal primary cause is here included it was determined otherwise by the great God who disposeth all things according to his pleasure For Paul's appeal to Ceasar did indeed bind them up only from condemning the prisoner till Nero had heard him but not at all from setting him at Liberty had they pleased because Paul might have with-drawn his Appeal and enjoyed his freedom seeing Nero had not yet made those Sanguinary Laws whereby the profession of Christianity became a Capital Crime N. B. This is comfortable to consider that even great men cannot do what they please against the Saints but what the great God pleaseth The second Remark is Saints do share with sinners in matters Secular and External 'T is said expresly there were other prisoners beside Paul v. 1. that must all be pack'd together to Nero's Court at Rome They are mingled the good with the bad in the same misery Time and chance saith Solomon happeneth alike to all Eccles. 9.11 To the one as well as to the other especially in common Calamities for Hezekâ—ah's pride did contribute to the Babylonish Captivity wherein the good Figgs were involved with the bad as well as his Son Manasseh's Abominations Tho' they be thus
presupposeth that Paul had then made his appearance before Nero-Caesar and was acquitted N.B. But besides this passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews there be other Scriptures that give us a fuller account hereof As 1. That in the 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first Answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge and therefore he orders Timothy to hasten his coming to him v. 21. looking on him as a fast Friend when all others failed From this may be observed 1st That tho' the phrase At my first answer seems to imply that Paul made more Apologies than one and so made more appearances than this as the Postscript understands it making also Timothy a Non-Resident Bishop yet it only intimates that at the very first pinch and appearance of danger All the Christians there that should have been his assistants started from him and left him to plead for himself among whom was Demas verse 10.2 Tim. 4. who sculked away to Thessalonica out of the reach of Rome when he saw this Tryal of Paul to be of a very doubtful issue 2ly Observe It is not sufficient for us to maintain the truth our selves but we ought to assist such as stand up for the truth and not shrink from them when they are in trouble for it and need our assistance Thus all Paul's Friends sinned in shrinking from him through weakness and humane frailty therefore he begs of God that he would grant them a remission of that Sin 3dly It was a very sad Circumstance in Paul's sufferings that when he had appealed to Nero himself and when Nero himself in the Court of Rome heard his cause and defence none of the Church that was at Rome nor any of those that were of his own Retinue durst own him through a fright or stand by him in so signal an encounter and in so eminent Danger where his very Christianity was Crime enough for which to be executed And Paul himself did read his own death near even in Nero's Temper v. 6.2 Tim. 4. 4thly Tho' men failed Paul yet God failed him not but stood by him 2 Tim 4. verse 17. and made him able to plead his own cause so powerfully that he was delivered out of the Lion's mouth namely from Nero so called as Tyrants and persecutors of the Church have frequently in Scripture that name of Lions put upon them Ezek. 19.2 Psal 35.17 and 91.13 Pro. 28.15 and Jerem. 2.15 47. N.B. God is never so sweet and so seasonable to his Saints as in the day of their deepest distresse God loves to help those that are forsaken of their helps and hopes N.B. The next Scripture that giveth light herein is those passages in that Epistle to the Philippians Ph. 2.21 where at this time of his imprisonment also he complains that all seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ just like all forsaking him c. 2 Tim. 4. verse 16. then he goes on verse 23. Hoping to send Timothy presently to them so soon as I shall see how it will go with me He could not as yet spare him to accompany Epaphroditus until he came to a certainty what would be the Issue of his present imprisonment telling them withal that he had sat down counted the cost of Godliness and cast it up thus that he had made up a total Resignation of his own will into the holy will of God according to Acts 21.13 14. comforting himself and them with those few Considerations As 1. That hitherto his confinement had fallen out for the furtherance of the Gospel c Phil. 1.12 13 14. Tho' the Devil designed it for the hinderance thereof yet through the over-ruling providence of God so ordering it he had Liberty two whole years and opportunity of Teaching the things of Christ whereby his Chains of Iron became a greater honour to him than were those Chains of Gold which King Agrippa the Emperor Nero or any of his Judges wore with so much Ambition therefore would he not have them discouraged but comforted as the Corinthians were 2 Cor. 1.5 6 7. Acts 5.41 James 2.2 It was matter of Joy to him that all Nero's Court began to ring of his sufferings seeing their inquiry after the Cause thereof gave occasion to impart some Notions of Christ to them whereby some of them were Converted Phil. 4.22 2. He lets them know that supposing the worst though his imprisonment should determine in his death and that he should then be offered up a Sacrifice yet as this would be his own advantage so it could be no dis-service to their faith Phil. 1.21 and 2.17.18 if it should be thus sealed with his blood 3. Yet was he persuaded either by a Prophetick Spirit in a Revelation or by the Sanctifying Spirit strengthening his Faith that as his prison had been his Ark of safety for two whole years so now that he should be delivered out of the mouth of the Lion and restored to them to confirm their Faith farther with his personal presence writing thus to them And having this confidence that my still abiding in the flesh is more needful for you I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of Faith Phil. 1.24 25. and again I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly Phil 2.24 designing to follow Timothy to them Another Scripture which gives light that Paul weathered out this point and was restored to his Liberty in despight of the Lion after so long imprisonment is Philemon verse 22. but withal prepare me a Lodging for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you This accords with Phil. 1.25 and 2.24 Paul had long longed to visit the Christians at Rome and had prayed for a prosperous Journey thither but had been long hindered Rom. 1.10 11 12 13. and 15.22 23. yet was he brought to Rome by such a way as he little dreamed of Little thought Paul that when he was bound at Jerusulem and posted from one prison to another that God was now sending him to Rome his longing for it might be one cause of Paul's making his appeal to Rome Acts 25.10 11.12 N.B. Now God sent him and very safe with a great Convoy to Cesarea and from thence with a great convoy God's own protection notwithstanding both the Shipwrack and the Viper as safe to Rome N.B. God goes oft another way to work for granting our desires and for doing us good than we could imagine Paul lyes prisoner at Rome two years at the end of that term he is set at liberty bespeaking his Lodgings for him at Coloss where Philemon was a Minister call'd Paul's fellow-labourer whose wife was Apphia named before Archippus another Minister Col. 4.17 whose house must be now Paul's Lodgings Philemon verse 1.22 Thus have we a full account of Paul's confidence that through the Church's prayers for him both at Philippi and