cannot be unjust to any because he is bound to none and as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies there is no chatting or wording it with God about those profound points v. 20. God may pass by whom he will and do with his own what he will Mat. 20.15 and who can say to him VVhat dost thou Eccles 8.4 He rejects some as Cain here that his Mercy might the more appear in the Electing of others as of Abel that he might be a Vessel of Honour as Cain was of Dishonour for God hath his use of both in his great house the VVorld 2 Tim. 2.21 He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 Inference hence is Oh how ought we to magnify the glory of Gods Free-grace Eph. 1.6 for we were all alike Cast aways in the faln and lost Estate Abel as well as Cain we were all Children of wrath by Nature even at others Eph. 2.3 and who maketh thee to differ from another that proud Arminian Gervinchovius undertakes to answer with a stinking Breath that question of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.7 with egomet meipsum discerno I do make my self to differ from another but we have not so learnt Christ Eph. 4.20 We are taught in Christs word to say that God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sin hath quickened us together with Christ by Grace we are saved Eph. 2.4 5. and to cry with that Blessed Disciple How is it Lord that thou manifests thy self to us and not to the VVorld John 14.22 Christ is our all and in all we are nothing in our selves Col. 3.11 and of all the good that is found in us we may say as the young Prophet said of his Hatchet Alas Master it was borrowed 2 Kings 6.5 for in us that is in our flesh or corrupt Estate dwelleth no manner of thing that is good Rom. 7.18 until we borrow both the good will and good deed from a good God Phil. 2.13 Therefore when we see others wallowing in wickedness and committing sin greedily and with both hands earnestly Eph. 4.19 Hos 7.3 then should we reflect upon our selves and say such were some of us This was our natural condition but now we are washed c. 1 Cor. 6.11 Now through Grace we find a Law in our Hearts to be more careful to please God and more fearful to offend God Can we say this our Consciences bearing witness hereof in the Holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 Oh how should we bethink our selves that it is God who putteth the difference snatching us as brands out of the fire Zech. 3.3 Ascribe to him all the Glory 2. As God putteth the difference so he beholdeth the difference 'twixt good and bad as here between Cain and Abel And this latter flows from the former as doth the stream from the Fountain for after God hath made a difference he must needs have a prospect of what himself hath made Hence was the cause and ground why Abel was righteous Mat. 23.35 and so accepted in his Person but Cain was wicked 1. John 3.12 and so rejected of God Whence observe 2. That the Holiness and Righteousness of Man it not the Cause but the Effect of the Electing love of God The former is the Branch but this latter is the Root from whence it springeth Paul that great Assertor and Preacher of Free-grace not of Free-will doth Divinely both affirm and confirm this Truth saying According as God hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the VVorld that we should be holy not because he foresaw we would be Holy and without blame before him in love c. Eph. 1.4 5 6 7 8 9. where the Apostle Teacheth 1. That Christ was assigned and designed the Mediator from Eternity to wit by vertue of that Humane Nature which he should assume wherein to be slain Revel 13.8 2 That God ordains to the means holiness as well as to the end happiness 3. That Holiness is the Effect of Eternal Election not the Cause thereof 4. That all the Causes of our Election or Predestination to Life are meerly without us As 1. The Efficient God 2. The Material Christ 3. The Formal the good pleasure of hit VVill. 4. The final Cause to the praise of the glory of his Grace So that the difference 'twixt Cain and Abel did wholly flow first from the Counsel of Gods own VVill that put a difference between them v. 11. God doth all by Counsel and ever hath a Reason for his VVill which though we cannot comprehend it here on Earth we shall be sure to apprehend it hereafter in Heaven mean while we must adore what we cannot compass or fathom crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the depth c. Rom. 11.33 Hence observe 3. That Difference which God putteth the same he beholdeth betwixt one Man and another 'twixt good and evil and accordingly he respects or disrespects their Persons first and then their Actions As here God had respect first to Abel 's Person and then to his Offering or Action Gen. 4.4 But unto Cain's Person first and then to his Action or Offering God had not respect v. 5. though God put a difference in his Eternal purpose yet Men also put a difference by their personal performances the godly through Grace and the wicked through want of Grace c. From whence observe 4 'T is the piety or impiety of Mens Persons that do commend or discommend their Actions and Services to God 'T is not the work that so much commends or discommends the Man but the Man the work As is the Man so is his work good or evil at least habitually quo magis aliquid tale est illud est magis tale or qualis causa tale causatum As is the Cause so is the Effect and the better that the Cause is the better must the Effect be These are Maxims in Philosophy which hold true in Divinity also A good Man worketh good Actions and the better the Man is the better are his Actions As the Temple is said to sanctifie the Gold and not the Gold the Temple Mat. 23.17 So the Person gives acceptance to and sanctifies the Action not the Action the Person Solomon saith that a Gift will make room for the Giver among Men Prov. 17.8 with 18.16 but it cannot do so with God because Man looks first on the Gift and then on the Giver measuring the Giver by his Gift but God doth just contrary for he first looks upon the Giver and then on the Gift first upon the Person and then on the Action as here and as he finds the Man he doth accordingly accept or reject approve or disapprove of the Gift Action or Offering This Truth is further demonstrated by Prov. 12.2 and by Prov. 15.8 in both which Solomon setteth out two famous Antitheses or Oppositions betwixt the godly and the wicked as two contrary opposites the former
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
was the common stock out of which the following days works were deduced having its Original from God alone without any concurring power or foregoing Matter as the word God created noteth Whatever is or existeth besides God must proceed from God who is the Original of all All Creatures were in God before the Creation as effects are in the cause as the Rose before the Summer when it is neither spread nor sprung is in the Root the Idaea of all was in his understanding and will Thus David saith Thine Eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy books all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Psal 139.15 16. God had all the Names and Number of every part of the Creation as it were writ down in his Common-place-book like a curious workman that works all by the book and by a Model set before him he draws first a rude Draught then polisheth and perfecteth all The Third Enquiry is What is the Form of the Creation Answ God having made this rude Mass or first Matter of nothing by his Almighty Creating power in process of time and by degrees this Tohu Vabohu or Material Mass without form and void hitherto the Lord gave every part a proper and particular Form and perfection both in the higher and lower world beautifying Heaven with two great Lights and bespangling it with a numberless number of Stars so it became a stately Star-chamber for glorious Angels and glorified Saints to dwell in though that stupendious Arch-work of Heaven be not born up by props and pillars yet falls not upon our heads to the earth and clothing the earth with grass garnishing it with Flowers and furnishing it with Fruits This is called Creation-Mediate because her Matter praeexisted as Plants and Animals were Created out of the earth and out of the waters Gen. 1.20 24 25. but the production of that Matter out of which they were Created is called Creation-Immediate as it was made of nothing simply yet inasmuch as this Matter was a subject that had no Hability in it self to produce any thing the earth a dead lump had no power of it self to produce Plants or living Creatures no more than the Rock in the Wilderness had power to produce Water Exod. 17.6 Hence Gods producing all sorts of Creatures out of the first Matter is call'd Creatio Mediata as Gods making the first Matter out of nothing is call'd Creatio Immediata These two are call'd the primary and secundary Creation The form of the Creation is twofold 1. That which is common to all Created things was the Existency of all things which Existed not before that God gave to them in one moment by his Almighty Word and All-working command yea a most perfect Existency all his Creatures were very good Dei dicere est efficere God spake the Word and it was done so that Creation was no Motion but a simple and bare Emanation which is when without any Repugnancy of the Patient or toilsome labour of the Agent the work doth freely flow from the action of the Working Cause as the shadow doth from the Body This wonderful work of the great World made by Gods Irresistible Word is the shadow and obscure Representation of his unsearchable Wisdom Power and Goodness 2. That which is proper and peculiar To each Creature both Coelestial and Terrestrial God gave a distinct and differing Form making the Stars above and all things below to differ in their kind one from another This Formation of all things in differing Species out of the first Matter without either Successive Motion preceding Mutation or gradual Alteration no Created Being could possibly effect but God the Father alone by his Eternal Word and Spirit made all out of the first Matter and gave to all their several Form which was not in the first Matter but was Created out of nothing perfection was the Form and Beauty of the World and of every Creature in the World All the works of God are perfect works Deut. 32.4 Nothing could have been made more perfect essentially though God could have made some things better than he made them accidentally as he could have made Worms to be Angels and he could have given more excellent endowments to every Creature respecting the parts of the world but in respect of the whole the World was perfect both in respect of Degrees and Parts Every days Work was good Gen. 1.4 10 18 21 25. in respect of the parts severally but when the whole is spoke of all together 't is said They were all very good v. 31. The Fourth Enquiry is What was the Final Cause or End of it Answ The End of the Creation is twofold 1. The Supreme End 2. The Subordinate The first is the Manifestation of Gods Glory the second is the Instruction and Comfort of Man Gods Master-piece 1. Of the first God who is the most pure Act as before may be considered under a twofold Act. 1. Internal 2. External 1. The Internal or inward Act was not onely his actual enjoying of himself and solacing himself in himself from all Eternity thus God was happy in himself and was an Heaven to himself and needed no Created thing to make him more happy he was God blessed for ever without and before the Creation but also his Decree which was one eternal voluntary constant Act of God absolutely determining the Infallible future Being of whatsoever is beside himself unto the praise of his own glory Eternity is an Everlasting Now. whatever God thinketh or willeth he always thought and willed and always doth and will both think and will there can no more be a new thought or a new purpose in God than there can be a new God Gods thinking or determining is God himself whatever is in God is God as before God decreed the Futurition of the Creatures freely not from any necessity of Nature but only from his meer good pleasure Psal 115.3 Isa 49.3 Dan. 4.25 Eph. 1.11 c. God had no need of the things decreed had he so pleased they had never been but continued for ever in their Nothing-state yet God might have been without them and happy without them though they had never been he being Eternal All-blessed All-glorious light life and love all in himself This Divine Decree gave not only a possibility that all Creatures may be but also a futurition or certainty that they all shall be they shall have an Existence an actual being in time according to Gods determination before time 2. The External or outward act of God is his Efficiency or working all that he decreed according to his Decree Gods Decree was the great design of future Action and Gods Efficiency is the execution of that design those two answer each other as the pattern and Tabernacle Exod. 25.40 and as the pattern and Temple 1 Chron. 28.12 As the actual framing of Davids Body answered the Idaea or Platform thereof
only Invited but Jesse and his Sons also were bidden Guests in order to which he bids them Sanctifie themselves by washing their Garments Exod. 19.14 15. but especially their Hearts Isa 1.16 Spiritually as well as Legally fitted for God's Service The Third Remark upon the Antecedents is the Rejection of all the Elder Sons of Jesse and the Election of the youngest Son ver 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. where we have a bundle of Wonders As N. B. First God had told Samuel that He it is whom I Name unto thee v. 3. yet had he not all this time which was spent in preparation for the Feast and summoning Jesse and his Sons together for private Discourse named David to Samuel but still he leads him on as it were Blindfold and altogether at a loss which of Jesse's Sons was to be the Lord 's Anointed to teach us N. B. Note well God oft reveals his Will to Men not all at once but at sundry times and by divers degrees not only in this case of David Literal wherein God first told Samuel he had found him a Man after his own Heart chap. 13 14. then that this Man should be one of the Sons of Jesse the Bethlemite v. 1. of this Chapter and Lastly That it should be David after the refusal of all his Brethren the Lord saying then to him This is he v. 12. N. B. But thus it was also in David Mystical our Blessed Messiah whom God made known to the Church first only as the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 then to be of the Posterity of Abraham Gen. 22.18 c. and then to be of the Tribe of Judah Gen. 49.10 c. and then of the House of David 2 Sam. 7.16 Isa 7.13 and lastly that he should be born of a Virgin Isa 7.14 N. B. A Second Wonder was this That so great a Prophet and so old in his Experiences of Divine Revelations should fall here into so foul a mistake in misjudging Eliab the Eldest Son for a Soveraign of God's singling out for Israel when he saw him both of a Comely Countenance and of a Tall goodly Stature which two are Graceful Ornaments of a King in the sight of their Subjects not considering how ill Saul had proved who was a proper personable Man enough But Samuel said thus within himself Ak neged Jehova Meshicho Surely before the Lord is his Christ or Anointed v. 6. As he was a private Person declaring his own private thoughts and not as he was a publick Prophet inspired by God's Spirit and thus other Prophets sometimes mistook when they over-hastily spake their own Humane Sentiments before they had consulted with God and received his Divine Revelation as Nathan did 2 Sam. 7.3 and what a kind of Christ might Eliab have proved even a second Saul who was of a Morose and Arrogant Temper as appeared in his proud Insulting Carriage towards David and his causeless Choler against his own Younger Brother Chap. 17.28 fronti nulla fides a Conjecture from the Countenance is very fallible therefore God comes here and corrects Samuel's Mistake by secret Inspiration v. 7. saying as it were thou was once deceived by a likely Look in Saul chap. 10.23 24. thou shouldst not be deceived the second time N. B. Note well Man seeth only the surface and outside but the Omniscient God feeth the inside also Psal 7.9 2 Chron. 28.19 Jer. 11.20 and 17.10 and 20.12 Luke 16.15 The Third Wonder was Objection Why the Lord did not observe this Rule of Judging Saul by his Heart which he knew was naughty as well as Eliab 's and the rest of his Brethren before he was Anointed and Appointed King over Israel Answer But that Wonder may cease if it be seriously considered what great Grotius saith to this point namely Deum illis Regem tunc dedisse non qualem ipse probavit sed qualem populus Meruit God would have gone by this very Rule of esteeming Men according to the Goodness of their Hearts in the choice of Israel's first King if the People's sinful desires had not provoked him to give them a bad King Saul was such a King as the People deserved though not such an one as God approved he was given in God's Wrath Hoseah 13.11 The Fourth Wonder was Why David was not present when Jesse was bid by Samuel to present all his Sons before him being undoubtedly acquainted with Samuel's Errand from God but this poor Boy was in the Field keeping Sheep as one unregarded of his Father and altogether incapable of any Royal Dignity as his Elder Brethren all Men of Note were and on whom David waited in the Wars running his Father's Errands chap. 17.17 c. Now when God had refused all the Seven Sons of Jesse Samuel was at a stand and puts forth that curious Inquity Hathammo Hanegnarim Are here all thy Children v. 11. N. B. Thus should we say in our Confessions to God Are these all our sins we have confessâ—â— c Thus the Lord ordered thus by his Providence that the Call of David to the Kingdom 〈◊〉 plainly appear to be God's Work and neither Samuel's nor Jesse's design Samuel as yet knew nothing of him for God as yet had not Named David to him and Jesse his Father calls him his Hakaton or least Son having him in the least and lowest Eâ—â—imation possibly not yet throughly understanding his Worth both for Wisdom and Valour so was not call'd unto the Feast nor Sanctify'd among his other Brethren for it N. B. Though Lavater thinks he was and after the Sacrifice was done he was dismiss'd to his Charge in the Countrey lest the Sheep should want their Shepherd however Samuel would not sit down to the Feast until he despised of all came and was Anointed c. wherein David was a Type of Christ who when he was most Despised and Rejected of Men was then most highly esteemed in the Eyes of God Psal 118.22 Acts 4.11 and 1 Pet. 2.7 The Fifth Wonder was How could Samuel be said to Anoint David in the Presence of all his Brethren or in the midst of them v. 13. seeing some of them were so envious to him chap. 17.28 then Saul might soon have heard of all c. but seeing Samuel's design was to be transacted in secrecy for fear of Saul The Hebrew word Bekereb must be read out of the midst of his Brethren and not in the presence of them all for Samuel took David out of the midst of the Company and privately Anointed him none but Jesse only being present at the Action Now come we to the Concomitants which is the second part of this Chapter of David's Anointing Remarks hereupon are First The principal efficient Cause was the Lord himself and Samuel was but the Instrument the Lord made use of who being so grave a Prophet did undoubtedly inform David concerning the will of God that was secretly reveal'd to him upon his appearance Arise and Anoint him for
Trance and Chain'd up in God's Chain like a Wolf restrain'd from Worrying God's Lamb David for a Day and a Night and where Jonathan was Resident and President in his Father's Absence He asks his dear Jonathan What Crime he had committed that his Father was so implacably incens'd against him v. 1. Good Jonathan answers him with a God forbid c. v. 2. not thinking that his Father could be so wicked as to seek David's Life when he had so lately sworn to the contrary chap. 19.6 N. B. The Love of this good Son thought no evil of a bad Father 1 Cor. 13.5 what extravagancy had been in the Father his Charitable Son imputes it as the fruits only of his Frantick Fits and he assureth David saying when my Father comes to himself I dare undertake to reconcile thee to him as I have done heretofore chap. 19 4 5. Thus this Noble-minded Son is least suspicious of evil and puts a more candid Construction upon the evil Actions of a Bloody-minded Father than they truly deserved and so great was the Son's Blind Charity towards a bad Father which was both commendable and comely in him that he assureth David My Father will do nothing either small or great but that he will shew it me To this David replys v. 3. and that with a Solemn Oath because the matter was of great moment that Jonathan might not doubt of it interposing this Reason why Saul concealed his designing David's Death from Jonathan because he knew there was a League of Love betwixt them v. 3. Jonathan's Rejoynder to David's Reply was That he offered his utmost endeavour to grant David's Request for discovering the truth concerning the King's Mind and for preserving his Life who was Innocent yet in danger v. 4. saying to him What thy Soul desireth I will do for thee so our Jesus says to us Matth. 7.7 John 16.23 24. The Second Remark is The manner how Jonathan must pump forth his Father's Mind prescribed by David v. 5 6 7 8. wherein Observe First The Opportunity that is the Solemn Festival time of the New-Moon now at hand which was celebrated as a Testimony of their Thankfulness to God for lending them Times and Seasons Numb 10.10 because all time is the Lords The day is thine and the Night is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Psal 74.16 Secondly The Vacancy of David's usual Seat as he was the King's Son in Law would occasion Saul's Enquiry after him for though David could not well imagine that Saul would expect his Company whom he had once and again endeavoured to kill yet partly Saul might suppose that David would ascribe all those his Extravagancies only to his Frantick Fits but when this Phrenzy was over he would come with a more composed Mind to keep the Feast of the Lord and then David might think himself in safety and so by his coming to fill up his proper Seat would give another fair Season wherein to slay him Or partly and more especially David would try this Experiment for discovering Saul's Mind toward him he begs leave of Jonathan who had power to grant it as the King's Deputy Lieutenant during his Absence at Naioth that he might go to Bethlehem and keep his Annual-Feast among his Kindred for two Days only promising to return and hide himself in the Field near the Court that Jonathan might give him Intelligence how his Father resented his Withdrawment Thirdly David's Appeal to Jonathan's own Conscience concerning his Innocency saying 1. If Iniquity be in me stay me thy self I had rather Die by thy friendly hands than be tortured by the hands of thy furious Father The tender Mercies of the Wicked are Cruelties saith Solomon Prov. 12.10 But if no Iniquity be found in me as thou judgest then be mindful of that Solemn Covenant whereof God is a Witness and give me seasonable notice of Saul's Intentions concerning me If he say well to my Absence by thy leave I am willing to trust my self with him this third time as I have done twice already chap. 18.11 17. and 19.7 notwithstanding his double Double-Dealing with me in forgetting both his Promise and his Oath but if my Absence enrage him for his losing the opportunity of killing me then let me know that I may escape his Rage c. The Third Remark upon the Antecedents is Jonathan's pathetical Promise to David that he would be a fast and a faithful Friend to him at this critical juncture v. 9 10 11. to 18. Wherein observe First After Jonathan had told David he abhor'd the thoughts of either slaying him himself or of betraying him into Saul's Hands to be slain by him v. 9. they consult together by what means and in what place this friendly Office might be performed without suspicion to Saul v. 10 11. So they both walk into the Fields for private Conference where they might not be over-heard and where Jonathan in an abrupt Expression calleth Jehovah the God of Israel to Witness the reality of his Respects and to be Judge betwixt them v. 12 13. Secondly Jonathan's Piety towards God and an humble denial of himself saying Tantamount though I be Heir Apparent of the Crown by Lineal Succession and therefore might envy thee having more cause than my Father for being envious yet because I know 't is the good Pleasure of God to reject my Father and to Elect thee as one better than my Father much Joy mayest thou have of the Kingdom after him and whatsoever becometh of me The Will of the Lord be done therein Acts 21.14 he chearfully submitteth himself and resolveth to cleave close to his Friendship with David in whose felicity he rejoyced as much as in his own Thirdly Jonathan's Faith as well as Self-denial is here very Conspicuous in courting David now in his lowest State of Humiliation even then when David had so solemnly Sworn his own desperate Apprehensions of himself saying As the Lord liveth and as thy Soul liveth there is but a step betwixt me and death v. 3. N. B. Yet at that time Jonathan Complements him as if he were already actually the King of Israel therefore must he have David to Swear and Swear again by way of Restipulation to keep Covenant with himself and with his Posterity whether he were Dead or Alive when David came to the Kingdom which he was sure would be v. 14 15 16 17. N. B. The like famous Faith we find in Abigail afterward Chap. 25.28 30. c. But above all the Faith of the Penitent Thief in him who is called the Son of David he could believe in a Crucified Christ and pray for his kind remembrance when he came into his Kingdom Luke 23.42 as if he saw him already in his State of Exaltation The Fourth Remark upon the Antecedents is The pious Prudence and Policy Jonathan propounds to David as measures to be taken on both sides the one for sounding Saul at the Feast how his Heart stood affected
his Lust his wickedness was made publick and a way prepared for the succeeding Tragedies which were a just judgment of God upon Amnon and upon David himself Mark 2. The Event as to Tamar now Defloured and Bereaved of her Virginity by Force First Though Austin saith Invita Virgo vexari potest Violari non potest A Virgin Forced may be vexed but cannot be violated And Jerom Corpora Sanctarum mulierum non vis maculat sed voluntas 'T is not an over-powering violent compulsion but a free and willing consent that polluteth the Bodies of Holy Women Yet a Ravished Tamar cannot but be ashamed to shew her Face to any person ever after therefore she complains Whither shall I cause my shame to go v. 13. Secondly She was greatly grieved with his sudden hating her and saying to her Arise be gone v. 15. when himself had thrown her down by his greater strength otherwise there had been no need of her arising And if the Relation of a Brother did not yet his allaying his own Lust upon her might have obliged him to have allayed her Grief a while and not immediately in so morose a manner bid her Be gone Hereupon she answered There is no cause ver 16. of adding this Inhumanity to thy present Impiety This evil is greater than the other which she might truly say in divers respects for though it was a foul and filthy fact yet it proceeded from Natural Concupiscence allured by the Bait of Beauty but this sudden expulsion was most barbarous Cruelty to expose her after private Abuse so soon unto publick contempt as if she had been the enticing Strumpet or at least consenting to it That was done in the Heat and Heighth of his Flagrant Lust but this is done in Cold Blood to make her an open scandal both to God and to his People more especially to the Royal Family stained hereby in their Reputation But Thirdly That which afflicted her most of all was that inexorable Amnon call'd his Servant for wicked Masters will not want wicked Servants to humour them in their wicked works to Thurst her out of doors by force ver 17 18. Thus this Royal and Vertuous Virgin was abused both by the Master in Forcing her to part with her Virginity and then by the Man as bad as the Master to pack her out of doors c. This Affront was unbearable being also sensible what a cordolium this would be to her good Father David who had brought her into those Bryars by sending her to Amnon and what an high provocation it was to prove to her own Brother Absolom who would ruminate Revenge c. N. B. This confluence of mischiefs and complication of maladies and miseries made miserable Tamar Put Ashes upon her Head and Rend her Royal Garment and laid her Hand upon her Head and walk endways crying ver 19. all which were demonstrations of her deploring the loss of her Virginity This rending her Raiment was a real sign of her sorrow Job 2.12 13. Jerem. 36.24 Ezek. 37.30 Josh 7.6 and 2 Sam. 12 c. Yea through the greatness of her grief she did not only rend her Embroidered Garment to shew how her Virginity had been rent from her by force but also Laid her hand on her Head to hide her Face that seat of shame-facedness that none might see her Jerem. 2.37 as if ashamed to shew it yet all along in the open Streets as Chrysostom saith she exclaimed against Amnon crying that he had Ravished her least she should be thought to have been thrust out of Doors for an Impudent Harlot Mark 3. The Event as to Absolom ver 20 22. to whom she made her immediate application rather than to her Father David against whom probably she was not a little incensed for sending her to Amnon's House whereby he had uncautelously occasioned all her calamity N. B. But ambitious Absolom who was her own Brother both by Father and Mother had no hand in this Vnhappy Act and did sincerely Sympathize with her in her sad circumstances saying to her First Hath Aminon been with thee He calls him Aminon for contempt for Amnon signifies Faithful but Aminon an Artist in the Black Art taught in the Devil's School c. And Been for Lien with thee a modest expression of an immodest Action Secondly But hold thy peace my Sister he is thy Brother So had less cause to suspect him therefore none can blame thee for being alone with him Or thy blazoning his faults will be a blot to our whole Family Hence it is more probable that Tamar did not make an open out-cry of the fact to those she passed by in the Streets according to Chrysostom's opinion above mentioned but all along concealed it save only what calamity in the General concurring Circumstances might discover to have befaln her yet she had not revealed it in particular until she came to Absolom who made enquiry into the cause of her out-cry c. Thirdly He comforts her by bidding her not grieve too much for that which is now done and cannot be undone seeing it was forced upon thee and done against thy will all men will excuse thee That which cannot be cured must be endured What is past cure must be past care too We must make the best of an ill matter as we can Thou canst not expect relief by thy complaints to the King seeing Amnon is as near and dear to David as thou art though his only Daughter yet he is his First born Son Heir apparent to the Crown so such a fond Father as he is to us all will not right thee upon him N. B. With such like consolatory speeches Absolom so far did Temper his Sister Tamar's sorrow that she was content to live in his House like a desolate and disconsolate Widow in secrecy and retirement no Noble Blood of her Rank seeking to Marry her but lived in solitude all her Life Fourtly Though Absolom thus pacified his Sister Tamar's grief yet hated he his Brother Amnon for his abuse of her with an Habitual hatred ver 22. neither debating with him about it nor threatning him for it but made as if he had digested it by Brotherly love but still carryed on a Brother-like correspondency with him for many Months and some years as will after appear having Malice in his Heart Mark 4. The event hereof as to David ver 21. He was very wroth to wit with Amnon but this was not enough for David was the Supreame Magistrate and God had put the Sword of Justice into his Hands Rom. 13.4 which he ought to have seen Executed without partiality or respect of persons N. B. Josephus the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin add to the Hebrew Text this reason David was loth to grieve the Spirit of Amnon because be greatly loved him being his First-born But Holy David could not be ignorant how ill good Eli sped for such like fondness in conniving more than meet at his Sons heinous faults Some
c. pretending great profit to him for thereby he might lay a Tax upon every Poll and much enrich his own Coffers Hereupon David bids Joab to do it Secondly How God had his Holy Hand in the Punishment appears after Objection How could this Act of David being but a Civil Act and frequently practised by Kings be so great a Sin to deserve so great a Plague Answer 'T is true it hath been the practice of great Princes to Tax their People with an Universal Tax by Poll This is certified not only by Civil but also by Sacred Story The Holy Scriptures tell us of Agustus Caesar's Taxing the Subjects of his Dominions far larger than that of David his being of the whole Roman World both of Jews and Gentiles Luk. 2.1 and probably with far more Pride and Vain Glory than this was done by David yet was it not imputed to him as any heinous sin Yea and Moses Numbered the People of Israel without sin Numb 1. ver 2 3. and this was done to prevent a Plague every Head paying the Redemption of their Souls Exod. 30.11 Answer the Second Though all this be granted yet David doubtless sinned in thus doing for that expression of his That I may know the Number of the People ver 2. seems to point directly at David's Sin in that matter seeing there was then no important Reasons either for Church or State to require it at this time therefore must it proceed either from his Curiosity or from Vain Glory or Carnal Confidence in the Number of the Creature with a distrust of God's Providence which an All-seeing God distinctly observed and something thereof Job himself suspected And though Caesar did so for his pleasure without punishment yet David shall not do so God will bear with that in others he will not bear in his own Amos. 3.2 The Philistines may Cart the Ark of God but if David do so he smarts for it and as to Moses God bid him do so but David did this of his own Head without any Divine Direction Answer the Third How could this Action of David be good when General Joab a Man more a Souldier than a Casuist Souldiers use not to trouble themselves with Cases of Conscience saw it to be evil and unseasonable ver 3 4. and 1 Chron. 21.3 Wherein Mark First Joab Judges there was no just cause for so tedious and troublesome a task at this time seeing there was now no fear of any Sedition but the whole Tribes of Israel were entirely devoted to be the Subjects of David and not now blowing up in any part any new Rebellion Mark Secondly This will create saith Joab an endless disturbance to thy Subjects and give them a grievous Avocation from their necessary Employments by their Daily Attendance for many Months to be Polled in every City This will make them murmur Mark Thirdly Besides their dissatisfaction with the Vanity and Vain Glory of this Action it will also involve the People into a participation of thy Pride and Curiosity if not of thy Creature-confidence so God may punish them for this sin as he commonly doth People suffer for their Prince's sins 1 Chron. 21.3 c. N. B. Joab hath here more Piety at least more Policy than Holy Wise David had and declines this God-displeasing Act. N. B. 2. Joab very judiciously having a Nail to drive in disswading David from this design dips it first in Oyl that it might drive the deeper saying The Lord thy God how many soever they be make them an Hundred times more this he wisely wisht lest David should suspect that he Disswaded him out of Dis-affection to him N. B. Thirdly Joab had more sagacity and sapience saith Peter Martyr for his Soveraign than he had for himself saying Why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing that is to be so set upon it without colour of cause and meerly for thy mind's sake This would oft have been happy Counsel to himself had he not been better at giving than at taking Counsel N. B. Fourthly The best Kings may sometimes be too Soveraign as the School-Man phraseth it both Grace and Wit being asleep in one of the best of Human breasts as here in David's a Man after God's own Heart The Third Remark is The accomplishment of this unalterable resolve-Royal in Numbering the People at the King's importunity Mark First Joab perceiving David would not be disswaded neither by him nor by the Captains of the Host that did second him loth he was to lose again the King's favour by farther disputing or disobeying his commands ver 4. Hereupon they like obsequious Courtiers began their computation of Polling the People in the Eastern part of David's dominions beyond Jordan ver 5. Mark Secondly Joab took the Captains of the Host and their Companies with him therefore 't is said they pitch'd in Aroer probably saith Peter Martyr to over-awe the People who might be unwilling enough to be put to this unnecessary trouble and more especially to pay Poll-Money if required of them No wonder if Joab went thus well guarded not only for the pomp of a General but for his safety also in fear of Resistance c. Mark Thirdly Joab passeth through the other parts of Israel to Poll the People according to the King's Command Behold how Joab differed from himself as Peter Martyr well observes when David bewailed the Death of Absalom he could handle the King couragiously and with his roughness reduced David out of his Melancholick Dumps for then was he but acting the part of too Fond a Father But now coming to act the Part of a Resolute King Joab opposeth him molliori Brachio with a softer Hand though he knew it was against the Law and though he had found already how hateful a thing this Poll-Tax was to the People beyond Jordan yet he tamely here not only receives the King's Commission against the light of his own Conscience but Executes it also in other parts of the Kingdom on this side Jordan that he might not lose the King's favour Mark Fourthly The time taken up for this Poll-Tax was Nine Months and Twenty Days ver 6 7 8. So that Joab's counting time was much near the counting time of a Woman with Child and then he brought forth his Number as his Child N. B. So long did David lay again insensible of his Sin in numbring the People as he had done before about the same term of Time after he had committed Adultery with Bathsheba He lay senseless of that Sin till the Child was born as is noted before upon that Story and repented not all those intervening Months which shews that God's Children may not only be deeply Drenched in the Waves of Sin but even lay under them for some time and perhaps sink twice to the Bottom c. notwithstanding all this yet Sin did not dwell in David as an Owner or Home-dweller 't was only a Stranger or a Traveller to him Chap. 12.4 Mark
the Salvation of Souls Paul yielded to circumcise Timothy for that indifferent thing tho' according to the decrees of the Great Council of the Apostles it was not to be imposed was yet necessary for preserving the peace of the Church as then it was by bearing with the weak Jewish Christians to whom he condescended and with whom he complyed so far as would consist with a safe conscience abating of his own liberty to gratify their Scrupulosities and indulging their weaknesses with his stronger grace so far as he knew he should not offend God to whom he designed to gain those weak Souls thus he also comported with the Apostles in the shaveing of his head afterward Acts 21.24 Yet would not he be compelled to circumcise Titus who was a Native Gentile being a Greek which had he done the false brethren that came to spy out the liberty Paul had in Christ and preached would have won a great advantage against him for defaming him as teaching one thing among the Gentile -Churches and practiceing the contrary among the Jews now when he was come to the Apostles at Jerusalem Gal. 2.3 4. Therefore would he not yield that Titus should be circumcised least he should seem to countenance those privy Spies who held circumcision necessary to Salvation N.B. O what a pattern to posterity doth great humble charitable Paul leave here for future practice performing or forbearing what by the law of God he lawfully might according to the various persuasions of several Christians that he might become an Instrument in any degree for the Salvation of any soul and sure I am no order of men can pretend to a greater superiority as to the Conscience in spiritual matters than he undoubtedly had yet would he not exercise a Lordly dominion over the Faith of others 2 Cor. 1.24 N.B. It was therefore well done by the Ministers of Magdeburgh in stoutly opposing those of Wittenburgh and Lipswich who by their Adcaphora's as they call'd them indifferent things would have paved a way to popery And it was good council Peter Martyr gave to Queen Elizabeth that her Church-Governours should not endeavour to carry the Ark of the Gospel into England upon the Cart of Needless Ceremonies as we are doing at this Day out of it The fifth Remark is God doth not only chuse Men to be Ministers but he also appointeth the time when and the place where they shall labour in their Ministry Two hints hereof we have here both verse 6. They were forbidden by the Holy Chost to Preach the word in Asia and again verse 7. The Spirit suffered them not to go preach in Bithynia N.B. The very Journeyings of those Preachers of the Gospel as well as their Divine Exercises were all ordered by the most wise God they must neither speak act or walk but according to Divine direction as Ambrose and Chrysostom here noteth They must for this time pass by both these fore named places and Mysia too verse 8. Thus God the Great Housholder orders the Candle to be removed from one Room to another he granteth to people or withdraws from them the light of the Gospel as oft as he pleaseth Even so it pleaseth him saith Christ Matth. 11.26 N.B. To have the word forbidden to be preached was an heavyer Judgment upon those Coasts than if their Harvest or the Light of the Sun had been denyed them therefore ought all places and people highly to prize the Preaching of the Gospel as a most singular priviledge They that be without a Teaching Priest are without God also 2 Chron 15.3 Amos's Famine of the word was far worse and more deplorable than Samaria's Famine of Bread in that strait Siege c. N.B. Nor may we think that God denied those places his Grace but only retarded it for that time for afterward Paul preached there about two years together Acts 19.10 why God now with held his Grace the reasons be supposed 1. From some secret cause unrevealed 2. From the freedom of God's good pleasure whereon both our Election and our Vocation hath their foundation depending altogether on the free grace of God and not at all upon the free will of Man 3. Those places and people might be as some say reserved for the Apostle John's ure and care for the sevâ—a â—â—â—rches of Asia lay within his line c. 4 Because those provinces were nigh to other places where now famous Churches of the Gentiles were constituted from which if they had a mind they might light their Candle and whereby the knowledge of the Gospel might be easily spread through the lesser Asia But 5. 'T is probable God saw those Cities c. not at all prepared now to receive the Gospel 6. and Lastly God had another new work of greater importance wherein to imploy those Apostles which was to send them speedily into Europe Now come we to Paul's passing over out of Asia into Europe The occasion whereof was a Night-Vision he had of an Angel which appeared to him in the habit of a Graecian-man calling for his help into Macedonia which is a Greek province in Europe extending to the Archipelago Acts 16.9 10 11 12. So came he to Philippi the chief City of that part of Macedonia to help them according to the call of God for Ministers are those means by whom God helpeth a perishing people whereby the Lord plucketh his chosen ones as brands out of the fire Zech. 3.3 he draweth them out of the Devil's drudgery and pulleth them away when hanging over the Chimneys of Hell by one single rotten thread of a frail brittle life from the danger of Damnation N.B. Hereupon God's Ministers are call'd Saviours Obad. v. 21. 1 Tim. 4.16 and Redeemers Job 33.24 28. and Co-workers with Christ 2 Cor. 6.1 Tho' a wicked world take them for tormentors Rev. 11.10 This travel of Paul into Greece is marked out as a new work and such as he never had yet been imployed in namely to preach the Gospel to a Roman plantation for at Philippi the text tells us verse 12. and verse 21. There dwelt a Colony of Roman Citizens who enjoyed the freedom of the City of Rome N.B. He had indeed been always in the Roman Dominions all those Countreys of the East being then Rome's Conquests but still he conversed with other Nations as Jews Greeks Syrians and such like yet never as yet do we read of any Romans till this time now because the Roman Nation lyeth under so many sad brands in Scripture and was now become an abomination to the Jews for ruling so Rigorously over them therefore Paul's going to preach the Gospel to them hath three singular Circummstances Recorded in Scripture as so many Eminent Badges and Advertisements of it For first that when Paul c. would have gone into Asia and Bithynia the Spirit forbade them and diverted them with haste into Macedonia unto this new work of preaching to this Roman plantation Secondly That he was called to this
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
about the Circumstance of it Therefore should we not wonder now that the Prophets or Pastors of the Church have some differing apprehensions to wit in points extra-fundamental less material about Modes and such as touch not the foundation Here Father and Son were divided in matter of Ceremony and though the Son Joseph was a great Prophet and Diviner yet was he out in his Judgment here not minding that mans dignity is not by Works or Nature but by Grace and Election Rom. 9.7 8.11 12. And not knowing that God oft sets the younger before the Elder and makes the first to be last and the last first and hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9.18 Thus ' also concurs the 5. and last instance in Noahs family Shem the younger Brother hath priority before the Elder brethren Gen. 9.18 It hath oft been Gods rule and method that the Elder shall serve the younger Isaac is preferr'd before Ishmael Jacob before Esau as here Abel before Cain Inferences hence be these First Men may and must be respected according to their Places and Dignity in this World 't is not an idle complement but a Religious Duty to render Honour to whom Honour is due Rom. 13.1 7. This was Pauls practice in his salutation of most noble Festus Acts 26.25 Thus Gods Word gives Cain priority because of his Birth-right The second Inference is Though God allow of such due honour to the outward ranks and qualities of men according to their birth and breeding yet this will nor avail to render a man acceptable with God for neither Worldly greatness nor Millions of Money can bear any Mastery in the Kingdom of Grace though they be so much valued in the Kingdom of the World as the former instances shew how God inverts the Order where he findeth Grace David the youngest of seven is preferr'd before them all as one after Gods own Heart The third Inference is This reproves the folly and partiality of those who so much adore rich Worldlings and abase yea despise poor Christians Jam. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek a Gold-finger'd man ought not to be admir'd beyond a gracious-hearted believer who is the Glory of Christ 2. Cor. 8.23 nor the Wicked Rich be preferr'd before the Godly Poor Grace in Rags is as lovely a Grace in Robes as to God so to Men. The fourth Inference is though Birth-right be indeed a Blessing a great outward blessing having many priviledges yet this is but nature still Grace hath a prerogative before it God stands not upon how we are Born but that we be born again or from above as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies John 3.3 5. 'T is not the First-Birth but the New-Birth that makes Men the best sort of Gentlemen as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17.11 signifies 'T is not the Birth-right in nature but 't is that Birth-right in Grace that hath the greatest honour put upon it in Scripture-Record as Rom 16.7 Andronicus and Junia saith that great Apostle were in Christ before me and 't is Recorded as an honourable encomium upon Mnason that he was an old Disciple Acts 21.16 and it was in this sense that the good old man in Ecclesiastical History answer'd one that ask'd him how old he was said he was but four years old when indeed he was fourscore speaking of his age in Grace not in Nature reputing all his many other years before his conversion to be lost or nothing non quamdiu fuimus sed quamdiu viximus c. saith Seneca 'T is not so much matter how long we have been in the World but how long we have lived unto God for without the life of Grace we are dead while we live 1 Tim. 5.6 and while alienated from the life of God we are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 and 4.18 until Christ quicken us by Grace The fifth Inference is This shews us whom we ought to please in all our Works or Worship It must not be Man but God who knoweth the Heart John 2.25 Acts 1.24 'T is well supposed Cain strove to please Adam his Earthly Father only in this his Worship but Albel strove to please God his Heavenly Father also 'T is not enough for the Hireling in his day-tale work to strive the pleasing of By-standers only and not at all the pleasing of his Master who hires him to do his work and must pay him his wages also such an one is every careless comer to Gods Worship who never mind or matter their pleasing of God therein provided they can but merit a good opinion amongst Men thereby Alas men are but standers-by it is God who is the only allower and approver of our Holy actings He is not approved that commendeth himself or is commended by men but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 He is not a Jew that is one outwardly c. Rom. 2.28 29. God seeth not as man seeth 1 Sam. 16.7 Oh then how careful and conscientious should we all be not so much to please Man why he is a looker-on only and judges the outward actions But especially God who judges inward Affections cuts out work and pays us wages Mat. 20.1 2. The second particular is the ground of that Inversion or the reasons of this Disparity the Causes why the one was accepted and the other rejected There is a twofold difference here very remarkable 1. Of their Persons 2. Of their Actions 1. In regard of their Persons and that is also twofold 1. God put or set the Difference And 2. He saw the Difference 'twixt those two Person unto Abel God had respect but unto Cain he had not Gen. 4.4 5. From the former of these take this first Observation 'T is the most wise God that puts or sets the Difference twixt one man and another twixt a good and a bad Man as here twixt Cain and Abel 'T is the Free-grace of God that is the main Fundamental cause of Difference preferring Abel before Cain This was the Head and Fountain of that discriminating and distinguishing Difference between them as afterwards betwixt Jacob and Esau of whom 't is said before they were Born neither had done good or evil Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 12. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay v. 21. Where God compares himself in respect of his Soveraignty over all Men not to a Goldsmith whose Materials he works upon are precious as Gold Silver and precious Pearls but to a Potter who always works upon base and sordid Matter as Clay No better is Mankind in that Massâ corruptâ or corrupt Mass of the faln Estate yet God out of that filthy Lump of Earth or Clay maketh one Vessel for honour and another for dishonour as here Cain and Abel even before they were Born God put a difference betwixt them in his Eternal Purpose and Decree God Elects not from foreseen Faith or VVorks but from Free-grace and being a free Agent
and Almonds as a present to his Joseph the Lord of the Land of Egypt Gen. 43.11 How much more ought we to prepare the best of our performances as a Spiritual present to our Joseph our Jesus who is the Lord of all Acts 10.36 Lord of all Lands of all persons of all things Lord of the Church and Lord of the World yea Lord of Heaven as well as of the Earth Mat. 11.27 and 28.18 Can we et any thing too good for so good a Lord. 2. We should tremble to be Cainites in our Worship of God lest Cain's Curse come upon us Josephus gives this Character of Cain that he was Covetous and Narrow-Souled grudging God his best yea turning over many a Sheaf to pick out the worst and lighted for his offering to the Lord. Just such doings are found among too many men There be three sorts of Cainites in the World 1. Such as spend many hours in Vanity yet cannot spare one hour for God and the good of their Souls 2. Such as are profuse in Villany upon their Lusts yet can find nothing to bestow in Pious and Charitable uses upon the Lord. 3. Such as swatter away all their Youth-time while the Bones are full of Marrow and Veins full of Blood both as ponderous Sheafs in ways of both Vanity and Villany and think to put off God with the poor pined Sheaf of their Old-age as if the great God would be put off with the Devils leavings whereas all our four Ages are due to God 3dly Cain offer'd of Dead things as was his Sheaf but Abel of Living things as was his Sheep as sensitive things are of a more noble nature than Vegetative so living services are better than Dead ones and such are all duties done in a formal perfunctory and superficial manner as Cain did 'T is true Abel's Burnt-Offering was more Honourable than Cain's Minchah or Meat-Offering in themselves for shedding of Blood was the staple Service in slaying their Sacrifices which pointed the Lamb slain from the Worlds foundation and there was no shedding of Blood in Cains Sheaf as there was in Abel's Sheep yet had Cain's Minchah been the best of the kind it had been acceptable but Cain's carelesness in the choice was the aggravation and the Dead Fly in the Apothecaries Pot of precious Ointment Eccles 10.1 he did not offer in Faith as Abel did but doubtingly and grudgingly looking upon it as lost labour what he laid out upon the Lord and never minding the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 'T is the Fathers saying opimum Deo debetur optimum pro Religione pro gratitudine optimum God may challenge all from us who receive our all from him why should we grudge our Fat and our strength for God and lay out as liberally for the Lord as the Lord layeth out liberally for us why should his Heart and Hand be enlarged towards us and our Hearts and Hands be straitned towards him The second Difference in their action was in respect of their Devotion and Affections Abel offer'd in sincerity but Cain in Hypocrisie Abel did it out of Conscience to please God his Heavenly Father but Cain did it out of conformity only to please Adam his Earthly Father who had brought him up in that way of Worship and not out of any love to God Hence the second observation The bare outward action of Divine Worship will not commend us to God without inward affection God is not taken with glozing shows and formalities but requires Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 and would be serv'd sincerely out of love to his Name and zeal to his Glory He loves not a seeming without a Being and Real Religion he seeketh true Worshippers Joh. 4.23 24. Inference Then God is greatly to be feared in the assemblies of the Saints Psal 89.7 he is to be feared every where but especially in the place of his Worship The Heathen Poet could say Jovis omnia plenae all places are filled with Jehovah especially Bethel the House of God though out of doors and in the open Air Gen. 28.17 Where Christ's Disciples are gathered together in his Name Mat. 18.20 Oh then how should we demean our selves as in Gods presence Act. 10.33 Are Women enjoin'd modesty because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 how much more we sound piety because of the God of Angels We should all be what we seem to be be to God what we seem to be to men and we should be to God at all times what we sâ—â—m to be to men at any time therefore should we have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Alluding to that fire which consumed Nadah and Abihu for offering strange fire Lev. 10.1 2. False Affections are no better than strange Fire Oh that all may beware of of strange fire lest consuming Fire come down upon us and so write our sin upon our punishment or at least that Cains Doom come not upon us to be rejected of God But the 3. And principal difference that distinguished Cain and Abels action was Faith which is indeed the prime cause of all the other differences Abel offered in Faith but Cain did not so Heb. 11.4 'T was Faith that denominated Abel a Righteous man and Cain was a wicked man because he wanted Faith It was Faith that made Abel offer uberiorem agnum as Erasmus reads it a fatter and fuller Lamb or Plurimam Hostiam according to the Vulgar Latin a more plentiful Sacrifice by Faith Abel offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Mountague Such as was first in nature in order and in excellency But Cains Infidelity or want of Faith undid him he did not only bring Macrum Sacrificium a lean Sacrifice but he did not divide aright for God Cain rectè obtulit non rectè divisit he offered rightly but he divided not rightly he gave God opus personae not ipsam personam not himself but of his Abel offered as well Se ut de suis himself as his Sacrifice which Cain did not From hence the third observation Every devout and Divine action receives from this grace of Faith its due and dignifying denomination 'T is Faith here that distinguisheth the Matter Nature and Property of this Religious action It is Faith that made Abel come to God with an honest and good heart Luk. 8.15 And out of a sense of duty and Love to God but Cain came in his Infidelity with a false and unsound heart so offers up his poor Starvling Sacrifice to God This may thus be exemplified Isaac commanded his Son to make him savoury meat such as he loved Gen. 27.4 And hereupon both Jacob and Esau his two Sons prepare savoury Morsels for him and bring it to their Father but it was Faith that did distinguish both their persons and actions Jacob by his having Faith got the blessing and Esau by his wanting Faith lost it 't
and woe to Sinners that are alive in that day as few shall desire to live and see it so few shall survive and over live it Lastly Balaam foretells the falling fate of other Nations as of the Assyrians of the Hebrews of the Greeks and of the Romans v. 24. so that his Prophecy reacheth from his own time to the World's end The First Remark concerns Ashur or the Assyrians the first of the four Great Monarchies call'd by Daniel the Golden head of the Image Dan. 2.32 38. the Ships from the Coasts of Chittim mentioned also in Dan. 11.30 some suppose to be meant the Romans and so the Chaldee here expoundeth it and the Old Latin Version reads it from Italy but others say that Chittim the Son of Javan the Son of Japhet the Son of Noah Gen. 10.4 his Posterity seating themselves in Greece and Italy therefore Chittim is taken sometimes for the one and sometimes for the other and here it must be meant of the Greek Alexander the Great who is said to come from the Land of Chittim 1 Mac. 1.1 who subdued this Golden-Head the Assyrian Empire and the Silver Breast that of the Medâ—s and Persians which succeeded it yea and the Romans who were Italians often infested them and finally overthrew them by the Wars of Vespasian and Titus Joseph de bel Jud. Lib. 7. The Second Remark concerns the Hebrews the Posterity of Heber Gen. 10.24 25. Exod. 1.15 16 c. All the Tribes of Israel descended from him The Ships from the Coast of Chittim saith Balaam shall also infest the Hebrews If we take Chittim for the Grecians the Jews were much wasted by the Greeks Antiochus c. Dan. 8.11 and 11.30 31 c. Or if we take Chittim for the Romans it being used for either as above those under Pompey the Great but especially under Vespasian and his Son Titus waged War against the Jewish Nation and wasted it The Third Remark concerns the Greeks who were one part of Chittim He also shall perish for so the Grecian Empire was wasted by the Roman Armies that fourth Kingdom of Iron broke in pieces the three of Gold Silver and Brass Dan. 2.31 32 49. The Fourth Remark concerns the Romans who came from Chittim as the Grecians did of whom Balaam Prophesieth he likewise shall perish for ever v. 24. that is the Offspring of Chittim both the one and the other as sure as the Grecians were ruined by the Romans so sure the Roman Kingdom now in being shall be ruined by the Kingdom of the Stone c. Dan. 2.44 and then will begin the Kingdom of the Mountain which should fill the whole Earth Dan 2.35 and it shall stand for ever v. 44 45. Divine Vengeance is doomed against them as their due for afflicting Heber's Posterity whereof Christ was the Chiefest Luke 3.23 35. and our Redeemer was killed by Pilate the Roman Deputy since that time Rome hath languished both by her own intestine Broils and by the Goths Vandals and other Barbarous Nations but more especially it shall perish for ever under Antichrist who Reigning there hath been long afflicting Christ in his Members The Roman Empire is now much impaired by the Papacy tho' that Usurping State doth continue yet is it much weaker than it was before while it stood upon Legs of Iron but now is divided into feet and toes partly Iron and partly Clay partly strong and partly broken Dan. 2.41 42 43. one part is the Kingdom of the Pope in the West he whom we now call the Emperor hath now little or nothing to do with the Empire which was at Rome the other part is the Kingdom of the Turk in the East before whom three of the horns of the Roman Empire have been routed out Dan. 7.8 As the Kingdom of the Turk doth labour with nothing more than with its own weightiness it hath been a long time soundly batter'd by the Venetians but now of late much more by them in Conjunction with the Imperialists taking great advantage by the Turk 's intestine Divisions and now it is become such a tottering Kingdom as if the Skirts of the Sixth Vial were falling down upon it So the Kingdom of the Pope declineth also apace and shall do more and more every day according to that old Distich Roma diu Titubans Variis erroribus Acta Corruet Mundi desinet esse Caput Tho' they endeavour by mingling Marriages to reunite their own intrinsick Divisions yet can that as little be done as Iron can be mixed with Clay they may cleave for a while together but they can never incorporate one with another The Fifth Remark is Thus God makes the mouth of this mad Prophet to Prophesy of the four Great Monarchies tho' not so distinctly of them as Divine Daniel did all which had their times and their turns yea their Ruine as well as their Rise and Reign here we have in few words the whole summ of the Scriptures Thus Balaam as he began with blessing of Israel so endeth with the destruction of all their Enemies and pouring out God's Curse upon them God by his mouth confirmed the promises made to Abraham and to his seed for ever all which are accomplish'd in Christ The Sixth and last Remark is The closure of this last attempt Balak and Balaam being both of them over-powered and over-witted by the most Wise and Almighty God are constrained to give up their Cause for lost and to give over any further or fourth Attempt just as their Master Satan did in his Temptations against Christ Mat. 4.10 c. So here Balak went his way without having his Will and Balaam went his way also without having his Wages v. 25. There is no doubt but Balak returned to his Palace as much grieved in his mind for this his so notorious disappointment of Cursing Israel as Ahab was when disappointed of Naboth's Vineyard who then went to his house all off the hooks with discontent and being sick of the sullens as we say lay down upon his Bed and turned away his face as not caring to see any or to be seen of any one and would eat no bread as if resolved to starve himself 1 King 21. v. 3.4 The like may well enough be supposed of Balak for his Carnal Mind at enmity with God Rom. 8.7 was an empty House well enough prepared for the Devil of discontent to take possession of and whomsoever such an unclean Spirit doth possess it maketh his heart a little Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hell is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trouble Troubled Souls have an Hell upon Earth But the greater doubt is whither Balaam went 't is said of him Halak ledarko abijt in viam suam v. 25. whereof are Three Opinions and Interpretations First That Balaam went away with a purpose only of returning into his own Countrey for Men are said to do what they only purpose and endeavour to do Exod. 8.18 Numb 14 40. Qui
The Second Objection But was not this Action of Rahab's both a Treacherous and a Treasonable Action against her King and Country Was she not a betrayer of Canaan herein Answer It may not be said so for she being the first Fruits of the cursed Canaanites and according to the signification of her Name Rahab one enlarged from the Pagan Religion had undoubtedly a particular Revelation from God that the Land of Canaan and so her Town Jericho were proscribed by the great Creator and given to the Israelites Josh 2.9 10 11 c. This did absolve her from all Laws of her King and Country and laid a New Law upon her to Incorporate her self into the Common-wealth of Israel and to promote their welfare saith Calvin upon that Scripture 'T is true Abulensis saith that Rahab had not Sinned if she had betrayed the Spies into the Sergeants Hands but this is directly against the express Testimony of the above-quoted Scriptures that makes her hiding them from their Hands a noble Act of Faith Much better saith Masius in saying Rahab First Understood neither that the Life of the Spies would be the Destruction nor their Death the Salvation of her Country And secondly when she knew that her Country was proscribed by God and given to the Israelites she neither ought nor could either oppose a just cause or patronize the unjust c. There can no Bond be obliging against the declared will of God It would have alterd the case had her action been subservient only to her own advantage and not also to Gods will The fourth Head of Discourse is the intelligence those Spies received of Rahab concerning the Universal consternation both of Jericho and of all the Region round about vers 8 9 10 11. Wherein Rahab declareth the cause of her deserting the cause of her King and like a good House-wife not only cover'd the Spies with the Green Stalks of Flax which she had to dry in the Sun upon the flat Roof of her House but also Span a fair Thread out of it and did Weave for her self a beautiful Webb as may be said of both her Temporal Preservation and Propagation and of her Eternal Life and Salvation also Hereupon both the Apostles James and Paul as above take notice of her faith in God and obedience to him but make no mention of her Falshood and Lies or Equivocations to Men. Her good intentions preponderated the evil of some circumstances in her Actions The First Remark is It was a generous Act of Rahabs Faith to venture her own Life thus for saving the Lives of the Spies concealed by her but much more to furnish them with means to escape and with intelligence to carry back unto Joshua that the Town and Country was his own Yet most of all in taking an Oath of these Spies for her own security and her Relations as if Jericho had been now in their Hands But of that afterwards notwithstanding the strength and security of the City The second Remark is no sooner had Rahab secured her own House from the Kings Searchers by Infatuating and Dismissing them into a fond pursuit but then she declareth the grounds of her Heroick Faith to Joshua's Searchers saying I know c. grounding her confidence upon two special Miracles that the God of Israel had wrought for Israel namely 1. the drying up the Red-Sea and 2. their Conquest of the two Kings Og and Sihon and of both their Kingdoms concluding the same omnipotent Arm would dry up Jordan a small River much more and enable Israel to conquer the Kings and Kingdoms of Canaan And by this token she assured them hereof because a general Consternation was come upon her City c. Whereas God had given Joshua and his company great courage becoming Conquerors The Third Remark The Apostle James joyneth the Faith of Abraham which carried him through his ten Tryals with this Faith of Rahab which carried her only through this one Trial and the exercise whereof was only in Civil entertainment yet for Religious ends both together Jam. 2.23 25. to shew that the weakest as well as strongest Faith must evidence its truth and Life by its works and not only so but also to incourage those that be in the lowest form of Faith may find favour with God as well as those of the highest form provided there be any evidences of a living Faith as in Rahab Few can climb so high as Abraham the Father of the faithful and the Pattern of Believers as Christ takes notice of the Green Figs Can. 2.13 so even of Buds and Blossoms Can. 7.12 and will bless the Buds Isa 44 3. according to the Old Translation Tho' faith be as small as a grain of Mustard-seed The Filth Head of Discourse is the Oath or Covenant made by the Spies to Rahab at her Demand for saving her Life and the Lives of her Relations vers 12 13 14 16 18 19 20. The Remarks upon it are 1. Oaths are an Antient way of ending Strife Heb. 7.16 and this poor penitent Pagan thought her self secure by this means vers 12. No doubt this was a great exercise of her small faith to be thus confiding in a Covenant with those Spies as if they had the power of Life and Death at this time in their Hands who themselves were as yet in a desperate case and could not secure their own Lives In all this she far exceeded the Faith of all Israel who now staggerd at Gods promise and more at the performance of it tho' they had seen all his Wonders and she had only heard the Reports of them Nor doth she mention one word for saving her self in this Sacred Swearing because the Law of equity obliged them to preserve their Preserver All her care was carried forth for her carnal Relations lest they should perish in an unconverted State The Second Remark is the Token of their inviolably keeping this Covenant she demanded of them vers 13 21. was the Red Cord by which she let them down for their escape Josh 6.23 25. This was the outward means of her and her Friends Salvation Red is a saving colour As Isralel's Doors were Red with the Blood of the Paschal Lamb that the destroying Angel might pass over their Houses Exod. 12.7 13. c. So Rahabs Window must have the Scarlet Line tied to it Josh 2.21 The Door is of use to let in Passengers and the use of the Window is to let in light into the House The Soul of Man hath its Door namely the Ear to let in Doctrines and its Window namely the Eye to let in knowledg therefore both of them do need to be made Red with the Scarlet-Blood of the Lamb of God whose Fleece also affordeth the Right Red Line which is effectual for our Salvation The Third Remark is The strict and punctual Terms of those two parties in this Reciprocal Covenant having conditions on both Hands First Rahab's part was to bind the Scarlet Thread
neglect of such Lawful Means as may be subservient to his Providence Hence we may learn the difference betwixt true Faith and vain presumption the latter is bold grounded upon Humane Strength and Natural Abilities which makes it so oft precipitant and rushing headlong upon such weak and false grounds thinking the end may be accomplish'd without the use of those Means that should advance it N. B. Thus the Devil tempted Christ to leap from the Pinacle of the Temple when there was an ordinary way at hand to descend by Stairs down to the ground this our Lord flatly calleth a Tempting of God Matth. 4.5 6 7. and is the sin of a vain presumption whereas true Faith when it hath God's Promise to depend upon is no less careful to use all Lawful Means than if there were no promise of God at all well knowing that ordinarily God appointeth the means and the end to go together and that the certainty of God's Purposes and Promises doth not excuse but rather oblige Man's diligent use of fit means for the Accomplishment of them as we see in Acts 27.30 31. Except these stay in the Ship ye cannot be saved Though God be not bound up to Means yet doth he not usually work without them God works here by this Stratagem against Gibeah as he had done before by the like against Ai Joshua 8.4 5. c. The Sixth Remark is The many Remarkable Branches of this Third Battle As First The Time when it was fought 't is said to be upon the third Day ver 30. for after their last Defeat they spent one Day in marching up to Shilo and the second Day was spent in deep Humiliation before the Lord in Shilo and on the third Day they renew their Fiâ—ht against Gibeah or it is callâ—d the third Day of Battle in respect of the two Battle Days they had before Secondly That Army of Israel who were ordered to feign a Flight made according to their Orders a preposterous Retreat this did flush the Benjamites and made them cry Victoria too soon ver 31.39 and so eager they were of pursuing those Counterfeit Cowards that the whole Garrison of Gibeah was drained dry Thirdly This gave a fair opportunity for the Liers in wait to arise out of the Meadows and Storm the City and then Fire it which was the Sign for those that fled to make a stand turn Head and renew the Battle as soon as they saw the Smoak of the City ascending Hereby the Benjamites were struck with Horrour being disappointed of their Pursuit they had made in the two former Battles and beholding this Third Battle to begin both before them and behind them they fled yet knew not wither for in flying from Death they fled the faster to it so that Day there fell of them Twenty five Thousand besides the Thousand that were slain in the two other Battles ver 38.46 Fourthly God's Presence made Israel's Victory easie here ver 43. In the two former Battles wherein they wanted Divine Assistance to concur with their Humane Endeavours they found it too hard a work for them to overrome their Enemies but now they tread them down without difficulty Fifthly This Slaughter of the Benjamites ceased not in the Field not only upon those that came to Gibeah but pursued them home to their several Cities unto which they fled out of the Battle ver 48. where the Israelites slew Man Woman and Child and all the Cattle that came to hand and burnt the Cities with fire because they had sent Aid to Gibeah All this seemeth harsh bloody and unlike an Isrealite to his Brother if it were not done by the Command of God but out of a Military fury they were certainly blame worthy However we may learn hence N. B. 1. Earnestly to pray that God may prevent Civil War which is always Utrinque triste sad on both sices 2. That such abominable Wickedness may neither be practised among us nor much less protected and patrooniz'd for which Divine Vengeance as well as Humane Revenge cut off the whole Tribe save a few yea their very Infants which was not unusual in such cases Numb 31.17 1. Sam. 15.3 Josh 7.15 and Deut. 13.15 God bid it be done there in a Parallel Case 3. It teacheth us what God will do with the Rod wherewith he Chastises his Children The Rod of the Wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the Righteous Psal 125.3 when his chastizing work is done he casts the Rod into the fire and burns it as he doth Benjamin here whom God first made use of to execute his Justice upon Israel for their not punishing Idolatry among them and then God useth Iâ—rael to Plague Benjamin for not delivering up the Delinquents of Gibeah to Justice yea that Rod wherewith God had most severely Corrected Israel he here casts into the fire when Israel was low enough and Benjamin high enough and so burns it that nothing but a small stump remained unburned namely the Six Hundred Men in the Rock Rimmon ver 47. This brings in the last part namely the Consequents of this third Battle whereof we have an Account in the next Chapter CHAP. XXI of Judges JVdges the Twenty First which Relateth how the Tribe of Benjamin now almost extinct came to be restored In this Relation or Narrative the Causes thereof are declared which be two First The Efficient Cause namely Israel's Repentance and deep Sorrow at those sad Issues their Rash and Uncharitable Oath disturbs them on one hand and their Pity and Compassion to their Brother Benjamin whose utter extirpation they never designed though it fell out very near it in the heat and fury of War beyond their expectation this even distracted them on the other hand therefore come they to Shilo not so much to praise God for their late woful Victory but more especially now to seek God's Direction how they might extricate themselves out of this present Labyrinth to this end they spend a whole Day in Praying Weeping Sacrificing and Deploring the deplorable case of their Brother Benjamin ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. All these Actions were Signs of Israel's Sorrow The Second is The Material Cause or the Means by which the Tribe of Benjamin now shrunk up into a small Remnant was restored namely by providing Wives for them and these were of two sorts 1. Some were given to them freely to wit such as were the Daughters of Jabesh Gilead whose Males c. Israel destroyed because they assisted not in the War against Benjamin ver 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And 2. When still Two Hundred of that Tribe could not be provided by this Gift others must be stolen and taken by force to save them from the Curse they had Imprecated on themselves in their Oath that they would not give them Wives of their own Daughters therefore are they ordered to commit Two Hundred Rapes upon the Damosels that came to Dance their Dances at the Feast in
towards the Ground to tear those that fell down under them No doubt but Israel had oft cryed long before this time under their grievous Oppressions but they had only howl'd upon their Beds as Hos 7.14 not with their hearts in unfeigned Repentance till now they saw his Rage was above all former Tyrants who were all Forreign but this was a Canaanite which God had promised to cast out before them but now for their sins had rejected them and suffered their Foes to fall foul on them c. The Third Remark is Israel's Deliverance from this Dangerous Bondage which the Lord wrought for them upon their real Repentance by a Threefold Instrument 1. By Deborah 2. By Barak And 3. By Jael God never suffers his Servants to fall so low but still his Everlasting Arms are underneath them and so lower than they to raise them up again Deut. 33.27 Psal 37.24 Prov. 24.16 Mich. 7.8 9. Cant. 2.6 The Lord never letteth any Malady to befal his Church and Children but he hath a Remedy ready to redress it when unfeigned Repentance hath ripen'd them to receive it The Fourth Remark is Israel's principal Deliverer in the Lord's Hand is Deborah who is here described 1. By her Sex a Woman 2. By her Office which was double both Ecclesiastical a Prophetess and Political or Civil a Judge ver 4 5. 3. By her Authority in calling and constituting Barak to be the General of Israel's Army against Jabin the Tyrant that oppressed them ver 6 7 8 9. This Deborah was not only a Prophetess as were Miriam Exod. 15.20 Huldah 2 King 22.14 Elizabeth Luke 1.41 42. Anna Luke 2.36 and Philips four Daughters Act. 21.9 but also Governess and Judge who being a most eminently Pious and Prudent Woman did determine Causes and Controversies arising among the Israelites unto whom she revealed the Will of God by the Spirit of Prophecy her Name Deborah in Hebrew signifies a Bee and so she was indeed as she made Honey for her Friends but had a Sting for her Foes and here we may stand and wonder how when Israel's Oppression was the mightiest strongest and longest ver 3. The Lord makes choice of an Instrument of the weaker Sex to deliver them from it that his Power and Might might be the more manifested in the weakness of those means that effected so great a Work The Fifth Remark is Deborah by her Authority calls forth Barak to be her General she sent to him but went not ver 6. bids him take Ten Thousand Men c. and assures him from the Lord he should obtain the Victory ver 7. Though Barak be recorded for a Man famous for his Faith Hebr. 11.32 33. yet here he sheweth some Unbelief and Diffidence in not daring to go without Deborah ver 8. he doubted of God's bare Promise without the Pledge of the Prophetess's Presence whom he thought God would preserve and him for her sake well knowing withal that she would on all occasions counsel him and pray for him as a Prophetess Another ground of his doubting and distrust might be that Ten Thousand Men were but a few to fight against Sisera who had in his Army as Josephus relateth it Ten Thousand Horse and Three Hundred Thousand Foot forgetting that God can save by a little help Dan. 11.34 1 Sam. 14.6 2 Chron. 20.12 17. Hereupon Deborah tells Barak that his Diffidence and Distrust would debar him the Honour of a General because a weak Woman would share with him therein and have the glory of it ver 9. for Deborah Conquered Sisera's Army and Jael kill'd his person As this War was undertaken by a Woman so it was compleated by a Woman also The Sixth Remark is Barak by his Commission Musters up Ten Thousand Footmen marcheth in the head as General of them together with Deborah against Sisera's Ten Thousand Horse c. Deborah encourages Barak to fall on for the Lord of Hosts was gone out before him as the Supreme Generalissimo of his Army who is a Man of War as Moses calls him Exod. 15.3 and who is alone a whole Army of Men both Van and Rear Isa 52.12 and no less he proved to this handful of penitent Israelites in this Expedition for the Lord of Hosts himself began this Battel with Thunders Lightnings and Hail-stones from Heaven that 't is said The Lord discomfited Sisera c. ver 15. and Deborah in her Song doth acknowledge it Judg. 5.20 where also we have Account that God's shooting off Heavens great Canons against the Canaanites Lightning being the Fire Thunder the Report and Hail-stones the Bullets shot at them wherewith that Cursed Crew were so affrighted that many of them ran into the River Kishon and there perished Judg. 5.21 'T is the more probable that the Lord raised such an Impetuous Storm by sharpening the Influences of the Stars and disposing the Air to receive and improve their Impressions after an extraordinary manner at this time seeing the Lord had done the like before in Joshua's time Josh 10.10 11. as he did after in Samuel's 1 Sam. 7.10 Psal 18.9 10 to 15. Barak had little to do in this Battel wherein God was the principal Agent but to be an Instrument in God's Hand to serve his Providence in killing out-right those that were half kill'd to his hand with fear and astonishment that prodigiously vast Army as Josephus makes it melted away in a moment by the force of an hot Fire from Heaven upon them so that there was not a Man left in the Field ver 16. some fled away as Sisera did ver 17. The Seventh Remark is Jael's Slaughter of Sisera Great Warriours look'd upon it as one of the deepest disgrace that could befal them to fall down dead by the Hands of a Woman as Abimelech did Judg. 9 54. So Sisera did here the manner of it in short was thus First The Kenites whereof Jael and her Husband Heber was one descended from Jethro Moses's Father-in-Law were a peaceable People minding only their Meditations upon the Law and pasturing their Cattle so Jabin was at peace with them fearing no danger from them therefore Sisera flees thither for Refuge thinking to lurk more securely in Jael's Tent than in Heber's N.B. Some say that those Kenites being careful to keep themselves uncorrupted with Israel's Sins therefore were preserved from partaking with them in their Plagues they were not plagued by but at peace with Jabin ver 17. Secondly Jael inticed Sisera into her Tent with many fair words which made a Fool fain He had forsaken his Chariot and now his Flight upon his Feet had made him hot dry and weary she Courts him Lay down my Lord to rest you covers him with a Rug to keep him from catching cold ver 18. then gives him an hearty Draught of Milk the Nature whereof is when largely drunk by them that are hot to render them sleepy though he only desired Water ver 19. Then he imperiously enough commands her to
of them ver 19 20 to 24. Mark 1. Their Rise was from this Baasha who went up in the thirteenth Year of his own Reign and in the fourteenth of Asa's 2 Chron. 16.1 being afraid of him who had now conquer'd the Ethiopians and of his growing greatness therefore he attempts to build Rama as was hinted before upon the very Frontiers of Ephraim Judges 4.5 to block up that Passage that none of Israel might flee to Asa for the sake of God's sincere Service as they had done in abundance 2 Chron. 15.9 Mark 2. Asa's removal of this Trouble from Baasha hereupon Asa hires the Army of Syrians as before to fall upon the Coasts of Israel nearest to Syria this gave Baasha a Diversion from annoying Judah such as Saul had from annoying David when tidings came to him that the Philistines had Invaded the Land 1 Sam. 23.27 28. Baasha desists from Building the Bulworks and Asa after Baasha's departure to defend his own Coasts took away the Stones Baasha had brought to Ramah and built two Cities of Benjamin with them his Enemy providing Materials for it 2 Chron. 16.6 The Fourth General Remark is when this Holy Penman hath largely related the Life and Death of Asa King of Judah Chap. 15. He returns again to the History of the Kings of Israel beginning with Nadab ver 25. and with Baasha ver 27. and so on in this Chap. 16. yea and continueth solely that History of Israel's Kings only until he come at Chap. 22.41 where he returns to Asa's Son and Successor as King of Judah And though Jehosaphat Asa's Son be mentioned ver 2. Chap. 22. yet that Story belongs to the Reign of Ahab King of Israel and not to his Reign The last general Remark is that of great Grotius saying That in the Ten Tribes many came to the Kingdom by Force and Violence and not by Succession whereas none came to the Kingdom of Judah but by Descent in the Royal Blood of the Right-line according to God's Promise made to David 2 Sam. 7.16 1 Kings 15.4 c. So that we need the less wonder why Asa lived up to the Eighth King of Israel when five distinct Families in Israel's Kingdom had destroyed one another in Asa's Reign Now come we to make particular Remarks first upon Baasha as First God threatens Baasha with the Destruction of his Family for his Idolatry ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. wherein Mark 1. As Hanani the Seer reproved Asa for his Reliance upon Syria so Jehu the Son of Hanani reproveth Baasha for his Idolatry A good Father God blest with a good Son to succeed him in his Office c. Mark 2. This Prophet tells Baasha how God had exalted him His Treachery and Cruelty saith P. Martyr were from himself but it was an Act of God's Providence to bring him to the Throne Mark 3 Behold how loth the Lord was to lose Israel whom he still stiles My People notwithstanding their notorious Apostasy from him yet did he most graciously send them many Prophets time after time in their State of Defection Mark 4. 'T is a certain Presage and a just Merit of Ruine not to be warned by the Woe of others Jeroboam's Perdition should have been Baasha's Caution though he had been God's Instrument to destroy Jeroboam's House yet dares he to commit the very same Sins over again ver 34. of Chap. 15. Mark 5. God gives Baasha here the History of his Judgments upon Jeroboam already past which sets out to the Life the Dread of God more than a bare Prediction of the like to come What God hath done once he can do again and not fail to fulfill his Threatnings Mark 6. The like Sins bring the like Punishments Baasha conspired against his own Lord Worshipped the Works of his own Hands as Jeroboam had done so his House became Food to Fowls and Dogs yea he murdered his Master ver 7. and his Son was murder'd The Second Remark is upon Elah who succeeds his Father Baasha ver 8 9 10. wherein Mark 1. Elah Reigns in the twenty-sixth Year of Asa and was kill'd in the twenty-seventh Year of Asa ver 8.10 wherein God paid Baasha in kind as he had done to Nadab the same is retaliated upon Elah as he had cut Jeroboam's Son short so his Son is cut short also Mark 2. That Noon-day Devil Drunkenness was Elah's Destruction when drunk he was soon surprized as was Amnoh 2 Sam. 13.28 29. and Belshazzar Dan. 5.2 30. a fit opportunity this was to his discontented Captain especially if he were of Saul's House 1 Chron. 8.36 Mark 3. King's are safest in the place of their Callings Had David Headed his Army in besieging Rabba 1 Sam. 11.2 3. he had avoided that Temptation c. and had Elah been with his Army besieging Gibbethon ver 15. here perhaps they might have protected him from Destruction Mark 4. Vatablus saith Elah was drinking himself Drunk in the House of an Idol which he worshipped However he was drown'd before he was Stabb'd and he died in his Sin far worse than to die in a Ditch or Dungeon c. The Third Remark is upon Zimri from ver 11 to ver 17. Wherein Mark 1. He was a Murtherer of his Master yea of a kind Master who had preferr'd him to a very great Command in making him high Captain over all his Chariots for War ver 9. and to attend upon himself Mark 2. So soon as he had set himself upon the Throne in the room of his Master whom he had treacherously murthered when helpless by excessive Drinking He destroy'd all the House of Baasha yea all his Kinsfolks and Friends ver 12. resolving to leave never a Rubb to lay in his way that might hinder the true running of his Bowl c. lest any that favour'd Elah's Cause should seek to revenge his Death on Zimri Mark 3. Though this Zimri whom God raised out of the Dust ver 2. was as bad as that impious Prince Zimri Numb 25.14 yet is he said to fulfil the Will of God ver 12.13 while he aim'd only to fulfil his own Will Mark 4. When God had worn this Rod to the stump in one Week's time for this rash Zimri laid about him lustily to ruin the House c. of boisterous Baasha at seven days end God cast it into the Fire for the news of Zimri's Tyranny at Tirzah coming to Omri Captain of the Camp at Gibbethon his Army there proclaim'd Omri King who immediately came to Tirzah with his Forces and forced Zimri to burn himself with the Pallace Saul-like rather than fall into Omri's Hands ver 18. N.B. Thus Tyrants cruel to others at last are left to be cruel to themselves The Fourth Remark is Upon Omri from ver 21 to ver 28. Wherein Mark 1. The People having not yet ratified the Armies Election of Omri after his recovering Tirzah chose Tibni but the Soldiâ—ry prevailing over the unarmed Faction probably as some say slew Tibni
Edifices and with Inhabitants taking a Poll of all the People ver 5 to 69. And Thirdly How He and the Chief Men gave Gifts to the Cities Treasury ver 70 to 73. Remark the First Upon the first Part is Pious and Prudent Nehemiah pitcheth upon such-men like himself for Piety and Prudence to be Chief Captains of the City-Watch namely his two tried and found faithful Friends Hanani and Hananiah to preserve the Cities Peace and principally to watch its Walls and Gates against the Incursions of the Enemy He chose not those principal Officers out of any carnal respect because they were related to him but because they both feared God above many which is the truest and surest ground of a firm Fidelity Mark 1. Though nothing be affirmed hereof concerning Hanani here the former of them yet enough had been Recorded before of his Piety and Zeal for God and his Countrey in taking such a tedious Journey from Jerusalem to Shushan to inform Nehemiah of the sad Estate of the City and to implore his helping hand to relieve it Chap. 1.1 2. so after such a plain Demonstration 't was needless to add here a new Commendation Mark 2. But Hananiah of whom no such account had been given before save only as a Repaizer Chap. 3.8 hath Ish Emeth Hebr. a Man of Fidelity given him here for his Character and one that feared God Merabbim Hebr. above many exceeding and excelling other Men therein or for many Days as Vatablus renders it to shew he was no Novice but stanch and try'd to whom Matters of Moment might safely be committed c. Remark the Second To those two faithful Favourites Nehemiah committed the Castody of the whole City the latter of which had been the Keeper of his Court and Palace wherein he lived like a Viceroy in great Splendour though at his own Charge as above Now Nehemiah having found him faithful over a little makes him Master over much Matth. 25.31 and knowing that they both feared God which was the best Defence against all Temptations to perfidiousness that they might meet with in his absence as other Nobles had met before this and the best ground of his Confidence in them Therefore he constituted them the Shomerims Hebr. or Keepers of the City-gates charging them not to open them till broad Day ver 3. when the Enemies approaching saith Masius may more manifestly be discovered and the Citizens all up and ready in Case of an Assault and their Office every Night was to feel with their Hands saith Junius whether the Gates were made Fast ver 3. moreover the Citizens were set to Watch upon the Walls saith Mariana in that watching Place which was next his own House every one in their Turns to make them more careful for their own safety Remark the Third ver 4 Shews the necessity of keeping this Order of a General Watch upon the Walls because the Circumference of the City was large six Miles in Compass saith Wolphius and the People but few that had yet return'd from their Captivity and their Houses were not yet generally compleated but they made a shift with sheds of Boards for present use near the Walls and many of the few that returned were dishearten'd by the Threats of the Adversary to remain there so retired back to Babylon and Persia and with them Zerubbabel saith Sanctius The Second Part is Nehemiah's replenishing Jerusalem with Inhabitants Remark the First While this good Man was musing in his Mind what Mischief might arise from the fewness of Citizens that inhabited the City at last he bethinks himself of such means whereby the City might be better Peopled and thereby become the better preserved ver 5 6 to 69. the means he made use of was to Congregate the Nobles Rulers and People and to take a Catalogue of them that so it might be known who appertained to the City and whose Calling lay therein and whose Inheritances lay in the Country that he might saith Grotius recal the Ancient Citizens and their Families to replenish the City N.B. Wolphius Objects here why was God so angry with David for this very Action of taking a Poll of his People c. He Answer 's it thus Nehemiah had just Causes to do so both for a sufficient Replenishment of the City with Citizens and for raising a summ of Mony out of that Poll to supply present importunate Necessities and likewise for a more Select number of Soldiers in this Emergency whereas David was no way urged by any of those urgent and necessary cogent Causes and Reasons It may farther be added what David did in that Case was not so much from want as from Wantonness Pride and Presumption c. Remark the Second Though this Act of Nehemiah was meerly a prudential Act commonly practised by prudent State-Polititians that know not God in Cases of the like Emergency yet this good Man ascribes this piece of Prudence not to himself or to his own Wit and Wisdom but to the Gift and Grace of God both directing and inclining him to it ver 5. wherein he humbly acknowledg'd with the Holy Apostle that the best of Men are not sufficient of themselves so much as to think a good Thought but his sufficiency is wholly from God 2 Cor. 3.5 and without him we can do nothing John 15.3 His humble Heart ingenuously owneth that this good Motion so useful and advantagious to the Church of God was handed down from Heaven to him He heard the joyful sound of God's goings in it and felt the Footsteps of his Anointed therein Psalm 89.15 51. N.B. Nehemiah made it more manifest afterwards that he firmly believed this good Motion of mustering up this Multitude of People came from God for out of them he taketh every Tenth Man to replenish the City with Inhabitants Chap. 11.1 2. after they had been first prepared by hearing the Law Chap. 8.2 Remark the Third The following Catalogue from ver 6 to 69. is the same in Substance saith Masius with that in Ezra 2. ver 1 to 68. they both begin and end alike they only differ in number as hath been noted before upon that Place This difference doth not at all weaken saith Wolphius the Truth of either of those sacred Catalogues seeing many Mutations saith Masius might be made both in Names and in Numbers within the Compass of an hundred Years and such a distance saith He as betwixt the first Catalogue at Zerubbabel's return and this here c. The Last Part is Nehemiah's Collection of Stores for the common good Remark the First This Collection was made ver 70 c. for the maintenance of the Ministry saith Osiander to which the Tirshatha Nehemiah's Name of Governour in the Persick Language gives Liberally and so did the Roshe Haaboth Hebr the principal Fathers c. according to their Ability which was very laudable being so lately delivered from Captivity N.B. This condemns the Custom of such saith He that tho' freed from Antichrist
Isaiah John Luke and Paul of the Judicial Act of God which is the higher but remoter cause importing thus much that God first sent them Moses and the Prophets by whom they might have seen and known his Will yet still they would not see nor hear nor understand nor convert nor be healed therefore did God at the last leave them to the Reprobation of their own minds even in the Prophet Isaiah's day Now saith our Saviour what was applicable to the Jews in the Prophet's time is much more applicable to you of whom Isaiah prophesied in my time The generality of the Jews have so despised the Grace of God that their Day of Grace is now over God is resolved he will not convert nor heal them They have had light they have seen me and my works they have heard both mine and the Baptist's Sermons but in seeing they would not see and in hearing they would not hear nor understand therefore are they fallen under a Judicial Hardness and Blindness N.B. This is a Judgment in some respect worse than Hell it self for beside that God inflicts it as a punishment for former Obstinacy this Hardness of Heart is one of the greatest sins and so a far greater evil than any of the greatest punishments Hence a Reverend Man of God had this saying I had rather be in Hell with a sensible spirit than live upon Earth with an hard heart and a reprobate mind Sin being a moral evil and punishment only a natural evil therefore there is worse evil in sin than in punishment for sin N.B. Thus the Allegory runs parallel in all parts As this obstinate Jew Elimas was struck blind at the Conversion of the Gentiles so the Generation of the Jews in general were smitten at that time with Judiciary Blindness And as Paul did not doom this perverse Jew to a perpetual Blindnese but only for a season he should not see the Sun Acts 13.11 So God hath doomed the Jews in general to a blindness in part only Rom. 11.25 'T is neither total nor perpetual as this Sorcerer saw after and perhaps a Convert c. So when God shall unite those two Sticks Ezek. 37.19 c. and makes way for the Kings of the East Rev. 16.12 then shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel Oh what hath God wrought Numb 23.23 at the Jews Conversion The sixth Remark is The bundle of Marvels in this first Miracle of blinding Elimas N.B. As 1. That it might not be objected against Paul what he spake and did was a pang and transport of unruly passion this is prudently preoccupated by that clause Paul being filled with the Holy Ghost verse 9. to signifie that what Paul said and did to this Sorcerer was not any products of that Ranting Devil Anger which makes many men mad both in their sayings and doings But all was managed under the conduct of the Holy Spirit of God N.B. 2. Paul set his Eyes upon this Sorcerer as if he would have looked through him verse 9 no doubt but with angry and burning Eyes sparkling out fiery Beams Godly Men especially Ministers have a daunting presence Acts 3.12 and 6.15 Here was just ground for Paul's holy Indignation when he saw on the one hand this Proconsul Sergius Paulus have some panting desires after the good ways of God and like a docible Disciple of Christ had already got both a listening Ear and a longing Heart after saving knowledge And on the other hand this pievish Conjurer indeavouring to blast those blessed and hopeful buddings which God hath promised to bless Isa 44.3 in the old Translation he could not but be more than a little concerned well knowing that the Conversion of a Great Man is of great consequence having many shadows to follow such a Body especially this first-fruits of the Gospel in order to the Gentiles Conversion therefore is it no wonder if Paul was so loth to lose this Governour of Cyprus who might have great Influence upon the Governed his Subjects N.B. 3. After this dazling Lightning which Paul's Incensed Eyes had darted out upon Elimas followed that terrible Thunder-crack mentioned verse 10. Oh full of all subtilty and of all mischief This was the first frightful crack Importing that this subtle Sorcerer by long dealing and trading in Sorcery had got a Dexterity in doing evil as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a facility and readiness to run the Devil's Errands The second Crack was Thou Child of the Devil John 8.44 Matth. 13.38 1 John 3.8 that not only will but must do what the Devil bids who is call'd the Destroyer and whose work it was to hinder the Salvation of this Deputy and his Family The third Crack was Thou Enemy of all Righteousness This is more than is found in any single Sinner The Adulterer is an Enemy to Chastity the Drunkard to Sobriety c. but he that hindereth others from Heaven is an Enemy to all Righteousness The fourth Crack was Wil t thou not cease to pervert the good ways of God The Greek word for pervert signifies a digging up or ditching over God's good ways so as to render them unpassable to represent them crooked which are straight in themselves this was devilish This Sorcerer lay what Rubbs he could in the way of this great Man to keep him from coming into and from continuing in the good ways of God N.B. But the fifth and last which was the loudest and most confounding Thunder-crack was in these words And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind and not see the Sun for a season and immediately there fell upon him a Mist and a Darkness and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand v. 11. Here the spire of Lightning fell effectually upon this Perverter and strikes him blind No sooner was the Doom denounced but it was immediately executed Verbum Déi est Factivum The hand of the Lord which is his Almighty Power either for Mercy or Judgment did presently accomplish what he had denounced against this Sorcerer by the mouth of his Servant N.B. Oh sad and doleful Doom If it be a pleasant thing to behold the Sun Eccles 11.7 then must it be very uncomfortable to be blind Life without light is called a lifeless life N.B. This was done at Paphos where Venus had her Temple and where their old blind Superstition doted upon their blind God Cupid Now this blind Magician was made to grope for his Fellow that same blind Cupid yet little Relief would he find therein could he have found him for if the blind lead the blind both fall into the Ditch and the Leader falls lowest and undermost so have the worst of it even the hottest place in Hell Matth. 1◠14 N.B. Thus the Lord smote those sinful Sodomites with Blindness so that they wearied themselves to find Lot's Door and found it not for their mischievous Intentions Gen. 19.11 And thus the Cavalry of the
's foundring therefore they under-gird her with Cables to keep her sides close and tight together verse 17. Thus the Church in a storm when the blast of terrible ones is like an Euroclydon or Tempest against her walls Isa 25.4 needs her undergirding by the everlasting Arms of Jehovah underneath her Deut. 33.27 Thus the love-sick Spouse was under-girded when Christ's Left hand was under her head and his Right hand imbraced her Cant. 2.6 and 8.3 The wounded side of that God-man Christ Jesus is the Church's Covert from the Tempest Isa 32.2 Mic. 5.5 3. Both are brought to an hopeless Estate How forlorn was this Ship here when lighting her of Merchandise-Goods c. could not secure them verse 18 19. No Light of Sun or Stars to comfort them no hopes left to save their lives verse 20. Thus is it with the Church often a great damp is upon her hopes because a great death is upon her helps There is no hope Jer. 2.25 N.B. The disparity lyes in this that whatsoever wind bloweth blows good to her be it North or South can 4.16 and herein is the Church happy The seventh Remark is God delights to deliver those that are forsaken of all their helps and hopes of Deliverance Thus it was here in the eyes of Reason and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Natural Events from secondary causes their case was desperate which made them part with their Goods to save their lives yet all would not do but they despaired Then comes Paul to comfort them from God who reserves his holy hand for a dead lift verse 21 22 23 24 25 26. wherein he 1. Minds them of their misery which their Disobedience to God had brought upon them Then 2. He chears them up with assurance of their security from the good warrant of Divine Authority And 3. He fore tells they must be cast upon a certain Island which when it came to pass did as by a sign induce them to believe the Rest all ordered by God not by chance The eighth Remark is The wicked are delivered from Temporal destruction for the sake of the godly who live among them and intercede with God for them Sinners are saved spared and favoured for the Saints sake As here two hundred threescore and sixteen persons verse 37. all Heathens excepting Luke and Aristarchus are saved for Paul's sake verse 24. who had prayed for them and had begged their lives of God as Esther did the lives of her people at the hands of King Ahasuerus Esth 7.3 Thus God spared Zoar for Lot's sake and at his prayer for it Gen. 19.19 c. And he would have spared Sodom for the sake of ten Righteous persons could that small number have been found in it at Abraham's prayer Gen. 18.32 And there Abraham left begging before God left baiting N.B. Oh! what fools and mad-men are the wicked in seeking to destroy the Godly for whose sakes themselves are preserved God saith to the Wicked concerning his Servants as the Prophet once said to wicked Jeboram surely were it not that I regard the presence of Godly Jehosaphat I would not look toward thee nor see thee 2 Ki. 3.14 One innocent person may deliver a whole Island from destruction Job 22.30 What abundance of good does one holy man in a place these hundreds of men fared better both in soul and body for one holy Paul's sake and means The ninth Remark is The same God that ordained the end oradined also means in tendency to that end and therefore to divide assunder what God hath Joyn'd together in neglecting ordained means is no better than a presumptuous tempting of God This great truth is here demonstrated by these divine words except these ship-men that were about to escape in the boat abide in the ship ye cannot be saved ver 30.31 notwithstanding God's promise mentioned verse 24. That they should all be saved not because the will of God or his power to save or the truth and efficacy of his Promise did depend upon second causes as if all these were made effectual only by a vertue from the means whereas in truth the means are made efficacious only by a vertue from the will power and promise of God God is not tyed to them yet ordinarily and usually he doth work by them when he can work with them that we may not neglect the use of them that are ordained by him Thus David shall have the victory but it must be by the means of an Ambush 2. Sam. 5.19 24 and man shall be nourished but it must be by his labour Psalm 128. v. 2 Many more such Instances might be given yet so as God works all in all by those means N.B. for the Grass Corn Trees were created by God before he Created the sun moon and stars by the Influence whereof they now are and do grow Sometimes God to show his Soveraignity doth work without means It is all one to him to save by few or none as well as by many 2 Chron. 14.11 and his Omnipotency can work against means also by Suspending the power and operation of natural causes as when the fire burnt not the water drownd not the Rock yeilded water and the Iron swoom the Sun went back ten degrees c. As God likes not to be tyed to means so nor that we having his promise should in defect of the means doubt of his providence God will be trusted but not tempted by a willful neglect of due lawful means The care of the means belong to us but the care of the end belongs to God Whosoever neglects the means under any pretence of a promise doth not rightly beleive in him but plainly and presumptuously tempts him c. N.B. These mariners had been willing enough to make use of all other means for their safety as undergirding unlading c. and wishing for the Day verse 29. Oh! that we wished so much for the Day of Redemption to make use of more means yet missed in this the means God required The tenth Remark is God's Gospel-stars shine most in the night and their splendour is best seen in time of trouble Thus was it here while this Ship's-crew had a smouth sea and a calm season Paul lyes on the Deck as a poor contemptible prisoner neglected of all but now in this eminent danger God makes him the only Counsellor and comforter unto this great company Common calamity made them comply with that counsel and comfort which came from one in chains amongst them Paul reproves them for rejecting his advice of wintering in Crete v. 21. yet now the storm having becalmed that refractory mind they are mindful to follow his Direction in taking some food having had no set meal for fourteen days through the consternation horrour of death and in admitting Paul to become the Chaplain of the ship for craving a blessing and for praying to God for their farther preservation verse 33.34 35 36 37. yea and for praising God also
Deputy from the Faith N.B. Oh unhappy Princes in having such Parasitical claw-backs so familiarly in their presence This Magician is said to be with the Deputy had too much of the Proconsul's Ear formerly and now would have turned him away from his eternal happiness The greatest Opposers of the Sacred Truth have been the greatest Courtiers The Unclean Spirits those Internal Frogs thrust themselves into Kings Palaces Rev. 16.14 As the Plague of Frogs did into King Pharaoh's Palace and Bed-chamber Exod. 8.3 This is a pestilent place for Impostors to be present in and so become a Plague to too many over-credulous Potentates too easily imposed upon The Arrians crept into Kings Courts in their time and the Jesuits learnt of them to do the same And the like do the Arminians learn of them as Utenbogardus in the Low Countreys whatever all these or any of these have done or do now in our own Countrey The Pope hath his Nuncio's his Legates 〈◊〉 latere to resist Reformation and to support his tottering Kingdom but all in vain as here c. The fourth Remarks is This Diabolical Sorcerer of whose Corporation were those Vagabond Exorcists Acts 19.13 c. N.B. Gave the first occasion of changing the name of Saul into Paul for as Luke the Author of this Book never before call'd this great Apostle Paul so he never after this calleth him Saul There be various conjectures among the Learned Antient and Modern about these two names given to this one single Apostle Acts 13.9 1. The most current Opinion among the Antients is that he had this name of Paul given him at his Conversion and Baptism For Ambrose writeth wittily upon this thus Before this Apostle was washed with Spiritual Precepts he was a Blasphemer and a Saul but when the Rain of heavenly Washing had flowed down upon him then the Blasphemer the Persecutor and the Saul was slain but the Apostle the righteous and the Paul was revived And to the like purpose saith Augustin After that this man was brought to the Master to learn of him how to be meek and gentle c. Then Saul laid aside his old Coat of Sin and of being bloody with Slaughters and took upon him the Coat of Gentleness and Humility so of a Saul was made a Paul The second Opinion is that of Origen that he had two names after the manner of other Hebrews and to him agreeth Anselm but Oecumenius steps farther saying that seeing some other Apostles had two names given them by Christ this same Apostle must not have less honour in this respect than the other Apostles therefore Christ changeth his name that what chief thing the Prince of the Apostles had namely Peter Bar-Jona this man might have also and so receive an Argument of greater conjunction They all think this was done at his Conversion but if so then Luke would have changed Saul into Paul ever after that or at the least would have used indifferently sometimes the one name and sometimes the other especially when he came among the Jews again The third Conjecture is various about the Etymology of these two names in Hebrew Greek and Latine 1. The Hebrew name Saul was the name of a proud and bloody King signifying Thirsty or desirous of Blood therefore no desirable name but now when this Wolf had left worrying Christ's Lambs and became one of those Lambs himself that name must be changed into Paul which is derived either from Palah to segregate as he was now chosen and segregated from the World or from Pagnal to work for Christ's heart-changing and life-changing work appeared now in him passively and he was now called unto the great Apostolical work of Christ from his former Damnable work of the Devil N.B. 2. The Greek as Hierom and Ephrem c. say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name taken from Turbulency but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rest and Quiet or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cessando because Christ had quenched the Fire of Hell in him and made him to cease from his fiery Persecution Or lastly of Pi the Hebrew word for a mouth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word for a Trumpet because this man must now become as mad for Christ as ever he had been against him 2 Cor. 5.13 and must now become as mad for Christ as ever he had been against him 2 Cor. 5.13 and must open his mouth to sound out like a Trumpet the Grace of the Gospel of Christ N.B. 3. The Latine Paulus Augustin deriveth quasi paululus or parvulus because of a proud Pharisee he became an humble Disciple of Christ But to leave these curious Criticisms N.B. The â—ourth and best Opinion is That his Hebrew name Saul was changed into the Roman name Paul when he began his Ministry among the Gentiles For hitherto he had conversed among the Jews and Syrians unto whom the name Saul was most acceptable N.B. Therefore Luke calls him only by that name while his Ministry continued among them but now beginning to speak here of his Ministry among the Gentiles he advisedly recordeth him by this new name of Paul ever after for having begun his Apostleship of the uncircumcision it was never to cease till Paul himself ceased to live And as he had hitherto been called Saul as he was a Jew-born and Hebrew of the Hebrews Phil. 3.5 so now is he called Paul as he was a Roman a free Denison of Rome Acts 22.25 26 27 28. N.B. And they of the houshold of Sergius Paulus began first to call him by this name upon the conversion of this great Proconsul whose name Paulus being put upon this Apostle it would not a little avail in moving others to Reverence him especially the Greeks and Romans among whom he here began his Apostleship seeing that name was of good account in several of the chief Roman Families He did not ambitiously arrogate this high name to himself but it was put upon him by others and principally by the Deputy for the glory of God So that this change of name like that of Roman Conquerours was probable to be a Memorandum of the first Spoils Paul brought from the Gentiles into the Church of Christ yet was it not the Head but the Heart of this Sergius Paulus which Paul conquered here c. The fifth Remark is The first Miracle that was wrought among the Gentiles must be the striking of a perverse and perverting Jew with bodily Blindness which matter may very well become an Allegory N.B. Prefiguring that most Tremendous Judgment of God upon the Jews falling at that time under a Judicial blindness of mind and hardness of heart by the just Judgment of God which is oft mentioned in Scripture Isa 6 9 10. Matth. 13.13 14 15. Mark 4.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 Acts 28.26 Rom. 11.8 N.B. Matthew seemeth to speak of the more proximate cause namely of their sinful Act preceding this Divine Judgment but