understood it not Yea incomparable Calvin professeth that he understood not the Thousandth Part of it And his Partner Beza would give us little of it next to none And both refused to write a Comment on it 3. I honour them that know more than I and contradict them not I had rather say too little where other men have said enough than say more than I know 4. It is not through meer sloth that I am ignorant Women and Boys think they know herein what I do not who have studied it less than I but I confess that Despair is much of the cause Forty four years ago when I was but young I studied it I doubt too soon and read Brightman Napier Pareus c. and after that Mede Potter and many more besides such Treatises as Downamus de Antichristo Broughton and other such besides the answerers of Bellarmin c. I met with many Divines and Lay-men who had chosen it out for the chief study of their Lives and I found so great diversity of Opinions five of the most confident going four ways and so little proof of what they most confidently asserted that I despaired of being so much wiser then they as to come to satisfaction if I should lay by more necessary studies and make this the business of the rest of my Life which yet I durst not do Afterwards I converst with my fellow Labourer Mr. Nath. Stephens who hath written of it and was much upon it in his discourse but I durst not be drawn to a deep study of it And when since I read Mr. Durham Dr. Moor c. and Grotius and Dr. Hammond and many Annotators I confess despair and more needful business made me do it but superficially And when I had for my own use written the rest of this Paraphrase on the New Testament I proposed to have said nothing of any more of the Revelations than of the three first Chapters professing that I understood it not But after being loth to omit wholly any part of the New Testament and thinking that the renewed study of that which speaketh so much of the New Jerusalem might be suitable to a pained dying man I thought of it more searchingly than I had done heretofore but have not now either the strength of Wit or length of time that are necessary to so hard a work and therefore presume not to oppose others but refer the Readers to them that have more throughly studied and expounded it than I can do But yet I thought that those Generals which I understood might be useful to unlearned Readers though they made them no wiser than I am my self while those that are above me have enough higher to read If any be offended that I name so many mens Opinions I answer them 1. Had I known which of them was right I would have mentioned that only But when I know it not and their difference tells us that they know it not themselves how can I honestly be so partial as to name one and pass by all the rest And how should I know which that one must be When Lira had given us the Exposition of much of it he plainly tells us that these are other mens Expositions but he thinketh them improbable and if ever he come to understand it himself he will tell us the true meaning which if he had not said I should have thought that Lira delirasset though the saying be Si Lira non Lirasset totus mundus delirasset My Friend Mr. Matth. Pool in his Synopsis hath recited greater diversity of Opinions than I have done where the arguments for them may be partly seen which my short notes must not take in The points which are too hard for me are these especially I. Whether the Dragon Beast or false Prophet or Whore be the special Antichrist And whether the case of Antichrist be here much or at all medled with II. Who is the first Beast Chap. 13. III. Who is the second Beast IV. What is the Image of the Beast V. What is his Mark received and what his name and what is the number of it received VI. What is the Whore VII Who are the two Witnesses and where and when killed VIII What is the binding of the Dragon and the thousand years reign and resurrection and where IX What and when and where is the Army against the Holy City and the Wars at Armageddon X. What and when and where is the New Jerusalem I. As to the first I long took it for granted that Antichrist is here spoken of even the same mentioned by John in his Epistle and by Paul 2 Thes 2.2 But to my admiration when I searcht I could find neither the name of Antichrist nor an ascertaining description of him so that I began to think better of the most Learned Judicious Hierom. Zanchy who took Mahomet to be the Antichrist though the Popes Crimes might allow us to take him for one of those other Antichrists of whom John saith there were many And if any find him here characterized as called the Beast the false Prophet or the Whore I will crave his pardon for my choosing to take up with the Scripture Names I am not wiser than the Revealer of these things in naming such as he here speaketh of why are not the Names here given us sufficient I will explain the word Antichrist where I find it and the words Beast false Prophet Whore c. where I find them I dread fiction and addition Of the Description I shall speak after II. Who is the first Beast is of great importance of which I find many opinions Those of the Fathers and the Papists I pass by These now among us stand chiefly in competition 1. Those that say it is the Roman Empire as containing both the Pagan and the Papal State 2. Those that say it is the Papal Civil Power only as upheld by Popish Princes the ten Kings 3. Those that say it is only the Papacy or Antichrist who is the first Beast as in Civil power and the second in Ecclesiastical 4. Those that say it is only the Pagan Empire Others I pass by that say 5. It is the Greeks Eastern Empire 6. Or the Turkish Empire 7. Or a future unknown Antichrist 8. Or the Devil I. Mr. Mede saith the first is the common opinion but not true he is for the second and Mr. Durham and many of late for the third and all of them against the 4th I shall not further mention their reasons against each other but only those that are brought for the Papacy either alone or with its supports and those that are brought against the 4th opinion which is for the Pagan Empire I. They say that the first Beast must needs be the Papacy or its supports 1. Because John saw the rising of it so that it was then to come But Pagan Rome was before 2. Because he succeâ—seth the Dragon in his Seat 3. It is the Pope that owneth the names
the Church He that is not against it is someway for it as Souldiers say of Countreymen that are not against them But as to their own Salvation He that is not for Christ above all the World is against him and no sincere Christian As Captains say of their listed Soldiers Fight or be Cashiered 41. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name because ye belong to Christ verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward 41. He that doth the least good to a Christian from a true Love to Christ would do more were it in his Power And he that doth good but from common Principles though he be not Saved shall have some Reward and shall be no loser but a gainer by all the good that he doth 42. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me it is better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea 42 N. O then what will become of Tempters Persecutors and malignant Enemies By offending is meant hindring from Faith and a holy Life And by better is meant Its a smaller hurt 43. And if thy hand offend thee cut it ofâ— it is better for thee to enter into life maimed then having two hands to go into hell into the fire that never shall be quenched 44. Where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched 45. And if thy foot offend thee cut it off it is better for thee to enter halt into life then having two feet to be cast into hell into the fire that never shall be quenched 46. Where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched 47. And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire 48. Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched 43. c. So great is the difference between the wellfare of this Flesh and the Life to come that you cannot get Heaven and escape Hell fire at too dear a rate If a Hand or Foot or Eye were so strong a hindrance as that you had no other way to avoid Sin and Hell it is a far less evil to lose such a Member than to lie in Hell N. The meaning is not that any man is in such a Case that he hath no better way to avoid sin and Hell But if he had no better he should choose this Nor doth it mean that maimed Persons are maimed in Heaven but if it were so it were a less evil 49. For every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt 50. Salt is good but if the salt hath lost its saltness wherewith will ye season it Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another 49. And be sure that the fire of Affliction shall be as Salt to you all that now are thinking of Pre-eminence and those of you that are sound it shall make fitter to be pure Sacrifices to God 50. And you that are Preachers and Professors of Christianity being thus salted your selves must be the salt of the Earth to season others by holy Doctrine and Practice But if you should lose sound Doctrine and Christianity what then shall season you Keep up sound Truth that seasoneth though it cause some smart in your selves and instead of seeking Superiority live in peace and gentle Meekness with one another CHAP. X. 1. AND he arose from thence and cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan and the people resort to him again and as he was wont he taught them again 2. And the Pharisees came to him and asked him Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife tempting him 3. And he answered and said unto them What did Moses command you 4. And they said Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away 1. N. These Hypocrites seemed by putting cases of Conscience to be afraid of Sinning 5. And Jesus answered and said unto them For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept 6. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female 7. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife 8. And they twain shall be onâ—â—lesh so then they are no more twain but one flesh 9. What therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 5. This Law was good in it self because it was fitted to your condition But it was the badness and hardness of your Hearts that made such a Tolleration needful to you to keep you from worse so it was not a full approbation of the thing For the perfect Law of Innocency so united Man and Wife that no man should Separate them for his own pleasure without Gods licence 10. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter 11. And he saith unto them Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another committeth adultery against her 12. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be marryed to another she committeth adultery 10. c. N. Though Mark mention not the exception of the case of Adultery mentioned by other Evangelists it is implyed 2. Quest Doth Adultery dissolve Marriage Ans It giveth cause of a dissolution by divorce or desertion But in some cases it is Lawful for the injured Person to forgive the wrong and continue in the relation without being Marryed over again 3. Quest May the Woman put away her Husband for Adultery Answ They that deny it because onely the Man hath Governing Power say nothing For the man doth it not as a Governour but as an injured Contractor seeketh it as Justice from the Magistrate or righteth himself if permitted by the Magistrate or if unjustly forbidden And the Woman may be an injured Contractor as well as the Man and may seek to the Magistrate for a Divorce and in some cases if denyed by the Magistrate may right her self by Desertion But whether that Desertion shall be called A putting away is but a controversie about the Name and not the Thing In what cases it is Lawful to Marry again is a different Controversie 13. And they brought young children to him that he should touch them and his disciples rebuked those that brought them 14. But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said to them Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God 13 14. N. Tho they brought them not to be baptized Christian Baptism being not fully instituted till after Christs Resurrection yet they are offered to Christ for his acceptance and benediction 2. He gave them such acceptance and blessing and declared them to be such as the Kingdom or Church of God consisteth of He could not mean only of adult persons that are
Light is not to be hid nor God's Gifts and Man's Knowledge being given not only for themselves but for the good of all about them Note 1. Wo then to unjust silencers of God's faithful Ministers And 2. To idle treacherous unfaithful Pastors Note These passages are otherwise connected in Matthew 17. For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be known and come abroad 17. Note Oh then how vain is the hiding endeavour of the Hypocrite And how little should we trust to lies or to the secresie of our sins Note The connection of these sentences is not too much to be minded 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have 18. The thankful receiving of what is given you and the well using of what you have is the way to have more given you But the rejection or abuse of it forseiteth what you have Note When Luke collecteth several passages spoken on several occasions like Solomon's Proverbs to feign an Analysis and thence put the sense on them is to make the sense and not to expound it 19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren and could not come at him for the press 20. And it was told him by certain which said Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee 21. And he answered and said unto them My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it 19 20 21. N. He knew that their acquaintance with his Parents Kindred and Education was the hinderance of their Faith and therefore he lets them know that he had a higher Original and Kindred and valued spiritual before carnal Relations 22. Now it came to pass on a certain day that he went into a ship with his disciples and he said unto them Let us go over unto the other side of the lake and they lanched forth 23. But as they sailed he fell asleep and there came down a storm of wind on the lake and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy 24. And they came to him and awoke him saying Master master we perish Then he rose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and there was a calm 22 23 24. Note 6. And cannot he with a word rebuke all popular and tyrannical rage against his Church 25. And he said unto them Where is your faith and they being afraid wondred saying one to another What manner of man is this for he commandeth even the winds and water and they obey him 25. Note And shall not we obey him 26. And they arrived at the countrey of the Gadarens which is over against Galilee 27. And when he went forth to land there met him out of the city a certain man which had devils long time and ware no cloths neither abode in any house but in the tombs 28. When he saw Jesus he cried out and fell down before him and with a loud voice said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God most high I beseech thee torment me not 29. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man For oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters and he brake the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness 30. And Jesus asked him saying What is thy name And he said Legion because many Devils were entred into him 31. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep 26 27 28 29 30 31. See on Matth. 8. Mark 5.8 9. The bottomless Pit N. The Devils are not yet confined to Hell nor in their utmost misery 32. And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them and he suffered them 33. Then went the Devils out of the man and entred into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were choked 34. When they that fed them saw what was done they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country 35. Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed sitting at the seet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid 36. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed 32 33 34 35 36. Note 1. One man is of more worth than multitudes of Swine though swinish sinners vilifie themselves 2. What would not Devils do against us if God should permit them 37. Then the whole multitude of the countrey of the Gadarens round about besought him to depart from them for they were taken with great fear and he went up into the ship and returned back again 38. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him but Jesus sent him away saying 39. Return to thine own house and shew how great things God hath done unto thee And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him 37 38 39. Note All mens service of God is not in one way some may do most good at home and in a private state of life and some more publickly 40. And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned the people gladly received him for they were all waiting for him 41. And behold there came a man named Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue and he fell down at Jesus feet and besought him that he would come into his house 42. For he had one only daughter about twelve years of age and she lay a dying But as he went the people thronged him 40 41 42. Bodily Gifts are gladly received and earnestly sought 43. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years which had spent all her living upon Physicians neither could be healed of any 44. Came behind him and touched the border of his garment and immediately her issue of blood stanched 45. And Jesus said Who touched me When all denied Peter and they that were with him said Master the multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou Who touched me 46. And Jesus said Some body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me 43 44 45 46. Note Peter carpt at Christ's words because he knew not the reason of them 47. And when the woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling and falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately 47. She was afraid lest he would be angry with her for stealing a Cure without his consent 48.
the man created for the woman but the woman for the man 9. And so God made the Woman after to be a meet Help for the Man and not the Woman first and then the Man as a Helper to her Though they must now be mutual Helpers 10. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels 10. Therefore the Woman ought to be vailed to signifie her subjection to the Power of Man yea and especially her Reverence to the Ministers of God and perhaps of the Angels that are Spectators of the Church assembles Doctrinally both are true though which is here meant cannot be proved 11. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman neither the woman without the man in the Lord. 11. Yet Men have no Being but by Women nor without Men do Women exist or propagate and this is by the Ordination of the Lord. 12. For as the woman is of the man even so is the man also by the woman but all things of God 12. For as at the first Creation the Woman was taken out of the Man so in Generation the Man is of the Woman and all things are of God 13. Judge in your selves is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered 13. The signification of being uncovered being by Custom a Note Superiority judge in your selves whether such be decent for a Woman at the Churches Prayers 14. Doth not even nature it self teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him 14. And when common Custom hath made the wearing of Hair at length the Note of the Female Sex doth not Nature it self tell you that it is a shame for a Man to be so like a Woman when God forbiddeth us so much as to be cloathed as Women to confound the Sexes which must needs be visibly distinguished 15. But if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her for her hair is given her for a covering 15. But Use tâ—lls us that for Women to let their Hair grow out at length is a signification of Modesty as a kind of Covering and so is decent to them 16. But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the churches of God 16. But if any will contentiously dispute against what I say though I would make no greater a matter of such things than the nature of them requireth let this Answer suffice to resolve sober Minds The Custom of all the Churches is against Womens being uncovered as an unseemly thing and you should not easily be different from all the Churches in a Matter which depends on the Signification of an Action which Use and common Opinion must interpret We that must be as concordant as we can must not affect dissimilitude 17. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not that you come together not for the better but for the worse 17. But about your Church-Assemblies I have a greater matter of which I must blame you that you come together for holy Communion not as you ought but in sinful sort 18. For first of all when ye come together in the church I hear that there be divisions among you and I partly believe it 18. For first when your coming together in one Church to profess Union and Communion as Members of one Body in holy Love yet I hear credibly that you even there shew your Divisions and are of dissenting Minds and Parties and Practices 19. For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you 19. For God will permit Heresies or Sects and Divisions to arise among you to try you that it may be seen who are sound well setled approved Christians when the Chaff flieth away 20. When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords supper 21. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper and one is hungry and another is drunken 20 21. When you meet in one place as a Church to profess Unity in Christ it is not like the Supper of the Lord which is a holy Feast of Sacramental Unity where all had the same Food and the same Sacramental Body and Blood of Christ For you first bring to the Church every one his own Supper for himself instead of a Common Feast of Love and the Rich eat and drink to the full and the Poor are hungry 22. What have ye not houses to eat and to drink in or despise ye the church of God and shame them that have not What shall I say to you shall I praise you in this I praise you not 22. If you must dâ—ffer according to your Riches do it in your own Houses and pretend not a holy Love-Feast in such Disparities and abuse not Church-Assemblies and Feasts by your Fulness and uncharitable Propriety and shame not the Poor that should be Feasted with you This is a Practice worthy to be blamed in you 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread 24. And when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me 23 24. For I have not taught you of my own invention the Doctrine of the Sacrament but I received it from Christ partly by them that were present and partly by his inspiration to wit that the same night in which he was c. Note 1. It was Bread that he took it was Bread which he brake after Thanksgiving or Benediction it was Bread which he gave them 2. Yet it was his Body which he gave them Sacramentally and Relatively As the same thing which is materialâ—y Gold and Silver may formally be the Kings Coyn and Current Money or a badge of Honour or the Kings Image c. 3. That Christ gave it them together plurally and bid them take it as personal applyers each to himself 4. That it is his Will and Institution that this use should be continued to the Church in commemoration of his sacrificed Body and Blood 25. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the new testament in my blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me 25. So also he took the Cup after Supper saying The Wine in this Cup is by Sacramental signification my Blood as it purchaseth as a Sacrifice and sealeth the New Covenant or Statute Use it thus frequently in your holy Communion in remembrance of my Bloodshed 26. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come 26. For by the frequent use of this Bread and Cup ye are to represent and declare the Sacrificing of Christ for our Sins till he come in Glory 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat