and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams For disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as wickednesse and Idolatary 1 Sam. 15.22,23 But in the mysticall sense Christ saith absolutely that God had no further will to them and tooke pleasure in them no longer but his will and pleasure was they should be antiquated and abrogated Of this mysticall sense this is a good argument that Christ is here brought in to mention not only sacrifices of thanksgiving which only were pertinent to Davids purpose but also expiatory offerings and sacrifices for sinne whereof if wee respect Davids intent there should here be made no mention For Davids intent was a testification of his thankfulnesse unto God and not an expiation of his sins at that time But because the Holy Ghost would wrap up a mysticke and deep sense in these words therefore the Author doth here specifie and reckon up all kindes of sacrifices and offerings whatsoever which are reduced to three sorts 1. By sacrifice and offering in the fifth verse he seems to understand all offerings eucharistical or of thanksgiving whereof a part went to God as the bloud and the fat part was a Fee to the Priest and the rest returned to him that offered it 2. By burnt offerings in this verse are understood those which were wholly burnt and went wholly to God which are sometime called sacrifices of praise because they were offered wholly in honour of God as he was the Lord Almighty and not by way of speciall thanksgiving for any particular benefit then received from God which was the proper consideration for a sacrifice of thanksgiving 3. By sacrifices for sinne are meant all expiations or offerings to put away the guilt and punishment of ignorances and infirmities for which kinde of sins only those sacrifices were allowed and in the Hebrew are oftentimes called simply sins 7. Then said I Loe I come This word of comming doth shew a mysticall sense For how did David come when hee spake this word in the literall sense Therefore in the literall sense it signifies only Loe I am at hand or I am ready I have prepared my self to do thy will But in the mysticall and proper sense it signifies the appearance of Christ in that future world to execute the will of God In the volume of the booke it is written of me In these words David shews the cause why he is ready to doe the will of God or if ye please the manner and way of his obeying God q. d. I am ready to doe as it is written of me in the volume of the booke or else for so it is written of me that I should doe thy will Therefore in these words we must understand either some particle of likenesse as according or some casuall particle for because or seeing for such particles are oftentimes concealed or silenced But here againe we meet with another difference betweene the Greek translation and the Hebrew text In the Hebrew it is in the volume of the booke which hath a plaine and an open sense for by the booke he eminently understands the booke of the Law which is called a volume because unciently the Law was wont to bee written in skinnes of parchment or velum one glued to another and so rolled up and unrolled in the forme of a Court-role which in Latine is properly called Volumen from the rolling of it and hence bookes are called Volumes A famous Expositor among the Romanists preferres the Greeke reading in this place before the Hebrew and writes that it is a vaine repetition to say in the volume of the booke for that is all one as to say in the booke of the booke This is a vame cavill for all volumes or rolles are not bookes but there are volumes and rolles of many other things besides So that the word booke is fitly added to volume to specifie the differences of volumes We meet with a like phrase Jer. 36.2 But why doth the Greeke translation read it in a Chapter of the Booke The reason may be because the Hebrew word Megillah doth not only signifie a whole booke consisting of many skinnes but also any one single skinne which may containe only some Chapter of the Booke And therefore the Greek Translator conceived that he should not go from the sense of the words if for the whole volume he should put only some part or certain Chapter of it especially because by this means the redundancie in words would seem the lesse or none at all yet some there would seeme to be if he had said the volume and that had been taken to signifie the whole booke Wherefore these words must bee taken as if he had said In a Chapter of the booke namely of the Law it is written of me By which meanes not onely all shew of redundancy is taken away but also a more speciall place is designed where the thing is written that is here spoken Now let us a little enquire what Chapter this might bee Certainly other Chapter it can be none but that wherein the very thing is handled which David said he came to doe i. that David should doe the will of God For wee have said that in these words is shewed the cause why David said hee came to doe Gods will or the manner how hee should doe it But where is it said that David must doe the will of God Namely there where the Kings of Gods people are commanded to doe so which is set downe in the last parcell of the 17. Chapter of Deuteronomy from the 13. verse to the end For David in a peculiar way was ordained of God himselfe to bee the first King over Gods people and the Kingdome was to remaine in his posterity for ever And therefore hee saith that there it is written of him not that it is there written of him by name as David but written of him as a King And here also the Holy Ghost seems to have left us some footstep of a mysticall sense For it might be said of Christ properly that there it is written of him by name for the Holy Ghost doth every where aim chiefly at Christ Hence it appears that they are in an errour who by a Chapter in the Booke understand the beginning of Genesis because as they thinke there it is written of Christ that he created heaven and earth But is there also any thing written of David or of Christ there that hee should doe the will of God But in the 17. Chapter of Deuteronomy before cited among other things which God willed to be observed by the future King of his people this is also delivered ver 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests his Levites And it shall be with
up in the Psalme But in the mysticall sence the particle all must be left wholly to his absolute universality and full amplitude for all things both in heaven and earth namely all creatures whatsoever are put in subjection under Christ because from the universality of Christs dominion God onely is excepted who did put all things besides in subjection under Christ 1 Cor. 15.27 For in that he put all be left nothing not put under him In these and the words immediately following the Author discovers and teacheth us that this place of the Psalme must be understood of some other man then an earthly man For the words being absolutely uttered are a cleere argument that the holy Ghost would have them taken in some other sence altogether universally in which latitude S. Paul also takes them 1 Cor. 15.27 In so much that in them the world to come is also comprehended And taking the words universally who sees not that during this mortall life they cannot be verified and fulfilled of a mortall man And therefore the Author immediatly addes But now we see not yet all things put under him Now while man lives this present and mortall life not yet not from the beginning of the world to this present time we see not all things universally made subject to any mortall man when notwithstanding man was made lesse or lower then the Angels but for a little time as wee shewed before And therefore the fulfilling of these words that all things universally even the world to come should be subject to man cannot be meant of any mortall man but of some man translated to immortality Yet who that immortall man should be the Author hath not hitherto declared But in the following verse he shews that it is Jesus Christ translated to immortality Whence it appeares that if we respect the mysticall sence of the words in this Psalme they must be taken principally and properly of Christ but of Christians onely respectively and as it were proportionably For no one of the faithfull shall solely and singly possesse all things but all joyntly as coheires shall possesse all things yet not all the faithfull joyntly shall possesse all things universally though ye sever them from Christ their head for they shall not have dominion over the Angels but Christ onely shall possesse all things universally for he only shall rule over the Angels that hath dominion over the faithfull And yet againe there is one person excepted from the dominion of Christ and that is God the Father who hath given to Christ his universall dominion 9. But we see Iesus who was made a little lower then the Angels Here he declares who that man was in whom the words of the Psalme were to be fulfilled namely that Jesus Christ was the man to whom all things universally and therefore the world to come was to be subject and therewithall makes way to handle the Priesthood of Christ And hence now it appeares that in this there is no absurdity or repugnancy to truth that he who in respect of his mortall nature was a little lower for a little time then the Angels should be exalted to become much higher then they for ever after Yea seeing the Scripture testifies that the man who was lesse then the Angels must become Lord of all who sees not that the exaltation of the man Christ far above all the orders of Angels doth excellently agree with Scripture And hereby the Author removes the absurdity that seemes in this That Christ a man should become far greater then the Angels and be said to be their Lord. For the suffering of death The Reason or cause why Christ for a little time was made a little lower then the Angels was this that he might suffer death And this was not the formall cause of his lownesse for he was not made lower then Angels in this respect by his suffering death an evill which they suffer not though it be true that he was also lower therein But the formall cause of his lownesse was his mortall nature in respect whereof he was made for a little while a little lower then the Angels And the finall cause of his lownesse in that mortall nature was actuall death for he was made in a mortall nature to this end that he might suffer death under it for unlesse his nature had beene dyable he could not have dyed Christ was made a mortall man whereby for a little while he was a little lower then the Angels but why to what end was he not at first made immortall but mortall It was to this end that he might be passive to suffer death for had he beene at first made immortall he could not have dyed We see him crowned with glory and honour Christ hath now an universall dominion over all not onely over this visible and present world and all the creatures here but also over the invisible and future world and all the creatures there which is a crowne or highest degree of glory and honour to him whereto he was exalted after his suffering of death And though it be most true that his suffering of death was the cause or occasion of his exaltation to glory for Paul expresly so affirmes it Phil. 2.8,9 Yet in this place the Author here intends not to speake of Christs death as the cause of his glory as appeares by the words here following For in what sence can it be said that Christ because he suffered death he was crowned with glory and honour that he should taste death for every man as if after his crowning with glory he suffered or were to suffer death But here his intent is to shew Christs death for the order of it that for time it was antecedent to his glory and his glory for time was consequent after his death We see him crowned We see him so by faith with the eyes of our soule and not by sence or the eyes of our body for we beleeve it from the pregnant testimonies of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man To taste death is to dye for a little time as for a day or two as Christ did for when we take but a little of a thing then we are said to taste of it The final cause why Christ in nature was for a little while a little lower then the Angels was this That he might suffer death And the super-finall cause why he suffered death was this That his death might be propitious and salutiferous to men For the glory of God and the salvation of men required it that the Prince of salvation should taste of death to bring men to salvation yea God had so decreed Now that he might bring men to salvation by this meanes i. By suffering of death he must by nature be a mortall man and not an Angel because by nature Angels are immortall and naturally cannot dye And the efficient cause of both these subordinate finals
the New Testament as we shewed in the former Chapter to containe the remission of all our sinnes even the most heinous and consequently to be of force to purge our conscience And because it is a Testament therefore it was first to be confirmed by death which here neither can nor must be any other then the death of Christ Whence it is manifest that the death or bloud of Christ as it confirmes the New Testament doth purge our conscience from dead workes The particle and shews that a new argument is alledged and the words for this cause note the finall cause for which Christ died He is the Mediatour of the New Testament Wee now use the word Testament and not Covenant because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies a Testament and not a Covenant though sacred Writers use it to signifie also a Covenant And the ambiguity of the word did well serve the Author to draw his argument from that which must needs be done in a Testament And to speake a little yet more accurately Testament and Covenant differ but alternly as genus and species For every Testament is a Covenant though not è contra for though the heire doe not covenant with the Testator at the making of the Testament because that may be done altogether without his knowledge which is necessarily required in him that covenanteth Yet he covenants at the validity of the Testament for when the Covenant takes effect by his acceptance of the condition specified in the Testament and by his entrance upon the Inheritance then though before he were free he covenants ex Lege to performe the will of the Testatour So that every Testament at least when it is consummate and valid is a kinde of Covenant and it is the best kinde of Covenant 1. Because it is most solemnely testified by sealing and witnessing from whence it is called a Testament 2. Because it is most preciously confirmed even by death and the death of him that makes it who establisheth his owne deed by his owne death 3. Because it containes an extraordinary benefit in conveying the Testators inheritance and whole estate to the heire And lastly because it proceeds with the greatest freedome in leaving the heire to his liberity whether he will accept of the Inheritance or not Now this New Testament is the last will of God which must stand for ever because it is already confirmed and therefore cannot be revoked But how Christ is the Mediatour of it hath beene partly shewed before chap. 8.6 and is partly to be shewed afterward yet his Mediatorship consisteth chiefly in these two acts first in declaring or publishing it and then in confirming or establishing it by his death as a Testament ought to be That by meane of death for the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance Here is a file of finall causes linked one to another whereof the last end is the obtaining of an eternall inheritance the intermean is the redemption for the transgressions which were under the first Testament the prime Mean to these two former subordinate ends whereby they are successively atrained is death which in a Testament must necessarily intervene Hence we may see that the redemption of transgressions doth properly depend and flow from the New Testament and the death of Christ doth give force and strength to this Testament The word Redemption is put for Expiation as was shewed ver 12. For Expiation is one kinde or sort of Redemption both because the effect of expiation is a delivery and because also the meanes or it whereby it is wrought is an expence for it commonly costeth bloud Hence some Translators in this place render it Expiation But because the word Redemption carries the sense of Expiation therefore it both followes the construction of it and is simply called the redemption of transgressions either for their expiation as wee have said In which sense the Scripture speakes elswhere For Prov 16.6 where the vulgar Latine reads it By truth iniquity is redeemed there our English translation hath it By truth iniquity is purged i. expiated Or for redemption from transgressions For Cicero himselfe in a sense not unlike saith Liberationem culpa for à culpâ And he useth the word Transgressions whereby grievous sinnes are commonly signified to shew us what sinnes chiefly are remitted in the New Testament namely heynous and grievous sinnes for which in the Old Testament there was no expiation allowed but the punishment of death imposed Wherefore he addeth Which were under the first Testament He means which remained in force or could not be expiated or for which no remission was allowed under the Law But hee seems withall to intimate that those grievous sinnes had their being and were wont to bee committed under the Old Testament whereas the New Testament together with their guilt doth wholly take away their being in them who cordially beleeve the promises of it For that this is the force and effect of the New Testament and of the bloud of Christ we have already shewed partly in the eight Chapter and partly here And he mentions not the expiation of transgressions only or grievous sins therfore as if under the New Testament also all lighter sins were not expiated but it is as much as if he had said Yea even of those transgressions under c. For somtimes the Scripture speaketh simply not to exclude other things but to teach us that those other things wherof there might be greater doubt are included which being thoght included much more is it to be thought so of the rest So Psal 25.8 David saith of God That he is good and upright therefore wil he teach sinners in the way i. Yea even sinners and not righteous men only though he will teach them also and much rather for so he presently addes in the verse following The meeke will he guide in judgement and teach his way So Paul Rom. 4.5 saith That God justifieth the ungodly not that he justifieth him onely but that hee is so gracious as to justifie him also Or else the Authour mentions only transgressions or grievous sins to shew that they chiefly are expiated under the new Testament and that this is the proper fruit of the new Testament and of the oblation of Christ But if the guilt of grievous sins be taken away under the new Testament much more must it be true of lighter sinnes Besides grievous sins do much more grieve the conscience then lighter for to lighter sinnes there was some expiation granted in the law whereby men might imagine that God of his infinite goodnes would also release the penalty of eternall death but to the other no expiation was allowed Might receive the promise To receive the promise of eternall inheritance doth in this place signifie to enter the reall possession of the eternall inheritance which was before promised and not to receive the promise
salvation but in some respect a cause of it more immediate and nearer then faith For for what cause was Enoch translated Was it not because he pleased God But how came he to effect this I suppose by his righteousnesse or as the Scripture expresseth it by his walking with God But what was the cause that made him to walke with God and really endeavour with all his heart to please him Certainly his faith caused this and further yet What was the cause of his faith Certainly one or both those principles whereof we treated in the first verse of this Chapter Enoch had some evidence or sight of something unseen and he had some substance of something hoped And what were they Certainly the same two points whereof the Author spake in the fifth verse for he had a sight of God who is unseen that he is and secondly he had a subsistance of hope that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the chaine and these the severall linkes whereof Enochs translation depends For his evidence or sight was the cause of his hope his hope the cause of his faith his faith of his walking with God his walking with God of his pleasing God and his pleasing God was the cause of his translation Now if we goe backe by way of Resolution through the severall linkes of this chaine we shall easily perceive that without the first linke none of the rest can subsist and so consequently no one that followeth can be without the former and therefore the Author with good reason faith that without faith it is impossible to please God and by the like reason it will as necessarily follow that without good workes or walking with God it is impossible to please him also as also without an evidence or without a sight of God who is unseen it is impossible to have faith True it is that faith is the cause of our pleasing God and also of that eternall salvation which we have from God for what can be more pleasing to the supreme Lord of all things then to see a man of whom God was never seen to relye strongly and without any doubt of minde upon his fidelity bounty goodnesse righteousnesse power and wisdome But faith hath yet another vertue no lesse then the former whereby it procures our salvation as it were at a great distance namely in working in us good workes or walking with God and causing us to come to God and seeke him by suing to him for his favour and grace in all our desires and all our deeds 7. By faith Noah being warned of God The third example is the faith of Noah in that he beleeved the oracle of God warning him of things whereof in the course of nature there was not the least appearance Of this mans faith he teacheth us both what good is wrought in him and what good it brought unto him The word faith here must not be referred to the words immediately following as if he had been warned of God of things not yet seen by his faith but including those words with a comma his faith appeals and coheres to the words moved with feare and to the words following he prepared an Arke c. This oracle or warning of God given him is extant Gen. 6.13 unto the end of the Chapter Of things not seen as yet That is of the future floud that was to come upon the world which then as yet was not only not seene but there appeared no likelihood or possibility of it but what was drawne from Gods warning Moved with fear prepared an Arke These were the effects of Noahs faith first in that hee feared or was moved with feare that God would bring upon the world the punishment he had threatned then from the faith of the punishment and the feare of it he was further induced to frame the Arke as God appointed him that by means thereof he might escape the punishment by drowning the world and so save himselfe and his family from destruction and therefore the Author addes To the saving of his house When the floud came Noah and his family to the number of eight persons entered into the Arke whereby they were saved and all the rest of the world was drowned all men and beasts that were not in the Ark perished by the floud see Gen. 7. This faith of Noah is a good example to us for our imitation that we may learn to apply our selves to a firme faith and beliefe of Gods oracles and predictions whether they be promises concerning the future blessednesse of the godly or whether they bee menaces concerning the future punishment of the wicked and the miserable destruction of the whole world And further that we timely provide our selves of an Arke that is of meanes whereby we may escape the judgements of God and bee saved for ever Now the Arke whereby we may escape from the finall destruction of the whole world and enter into the Tabernacle of immortality is the Answer of a good conscience toward God as Peter teacheth us 1 Epist 3.21 By which he condemned the world It is somewhat doubtfull whether the relative which should be referred whether to Noahs faith or to the Arke for the sense seemes most inclining to the former but the words runne rather for the latter partly because the word Arke stands neerer it and partly because of the words following which say And became heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith Now if the word by which be referred to faith the sense will be this That Noah by his faith became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith but this seems not proper For can any man thinke that Noah by his faith could have obtained any other righteousnesse then that which comes by faith Neither doth the matter it selfe any way crosse this sense For although Noah condemned the world by his faith yet he also condemned it by the Arke in as much as the Arke was a manifest proofe of his faith For unlesse hee had beleeved the comming of the floud hee would never have prepared the Arke to have lost his labour therein and make himselfe ridiculous to all the world But he is said to condemne the world because by his faith in beleeving the floud and by his fact in making the Arke he convinced the world of obstinacie and thereby tooke away all excuse of sin from them who would give no credence to God by a metaphor taken from accusers who are said to condemne a guilty person in that they convict him of his crime and by that means are the cause that hee is condemned for properly to condemne is the act of the Judge In this sense also Christ saith That the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and condemne it And the Queene of the South shall rise up in the judgement and condemne it Matth. 12.41,42 For by the fact of the Ninevites who reponted at the preaching of
Jonas and by the fact of the Queen of the South who came from far to hear the wisdome of Solomon the contumacie and obstinacie of the Jewes is convinced who despised Christ that was present among them and by many degrees greater and wiser then either Jonas or Solomon Whence it came to passe that they were most justly punished of God In like manner Noah by his Faith and by his Arke which was an evidence of his faith convicted the obstinacie of that world and brought it to passe that with very good justice God punished it And as by his faith and the effect of it which was the Arke he procured condemnation to the world so to himselfe he procured righteousnesse for so it followes And became heire of the righteousnes which is by faith Righteousnesse is not here taken in a morall sense for that righteousnesse which flows from good workes but in a jurall sense for that right whereby a man hath a title to have hold and enjoy some benefit or blessing from God or for a right of liberty whereby a man stands exempted and freed from those burthens and punishments whereto others are liable for so it is taken in divers passages of Scripture especially in Pauls Epistles and so it must be taken here as plainly appeares from two grounds First from the opposition of it to the word condemned in the former clause For as to be condemned is to be adjudged to bee deprived of some benefit and to lose that right which a man had before whether it be losse of life limb or goods so on the contrary to be justified is to have some benefit adjudged unto him or be invested in a right to that whereto before he had no right nor title And as the condemnation of the world consisted in the judgement of God sentencing the people of it to lose their lives by drowning in the floud so the righteousnesse or right of Noah consisted in the grant of God whereby God gave Noah a right that he and his house should bee saved from that floud by means of the Arke and Noah accepting of this grant by his faith to beleeve it and rest upon it had thereby a right of salvation to himselfe and his House 2. From the consequence of it to the word heire for men are not heires of morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not a thing transient to be conveyed from one person to another and consequently is no way inheritable but men are heires of jurall rights to those persons that have the propertie or power to dispose convey and grant such rights unto others God granted Noah a right and title for him and his family to be saved from the flood by meanes of the Arke and because Noah accepted of this grant by his faith and testified his acceptance of it by his fact in preparing the Ark therefore he was heire to this right and did inherit or possesse it for heire is a jurall word and signifies one that hath a right whether in posse onely or in esse But from this right of being saved all the rest of the world was disinherited i. They were condemned to bee drowned And it is called a righteousnesse or right by faith because the right hee had thus to bee saved proceeded from Gods speciall grant of Gods meere grace and proper motion without any desert of it or suit for it on the part of Noah For it is opposed to a right by workes or to that right which is due by desert of works or service The Author therfore would intimate unto us that Noah had no right by any works of his to deserve this benefit of saving to him and his house but all the right he had came by his faith on his part but from the grace and favour of Gods grant on Gods part which Noah accepting by his faith was thereby setled upon him And it is opposed to a right by petition or suit which hath the first motion from the partie that petitioneth or sueth for it and thereupon is granted though then also it be granted of meere grace and favour in him that conferres it And thereby the Authour would further intimate unto us that Noah on his part made no petition or suit to God for this benefit for him and his family to be saved and therefore the first motion to have this right proceeded not from Noah but God of his meere and proper motion without any suit made to him proposed this benefit unto Noah and promised him the grant of it freely and primely from himselfe as appears in the sacred story where the thing is at large related Gen. 6.13 where wee read that first God told Noah of the sin of the world and then foretold him of the drowning of it next taught him to frame the Arke and lastly Covenanted with him to save him and his family in it Thus wee see the faith of Noah and the effects of it but what were the causes of it to effect and breed this faith in him We shall finde by inspection into the words of this verse that Noah had in him the two principles of faith whereof wee spake in the first verse For he had an evidence or sight of a thing unseene for God had revealed and forewarned him of the flood which thing to him was yet unseen And he had in him a subsistence of a thing hoped for for God had Covenanted with him and promised him to save him and his family in the Ark which salvation he hoped for So his fore-sight of the flood to come and his hope of being saved from it by the Arke were the causes to produce in him that faith whereby he was moved to feare the flood and to prepare the Arke 8. By faith Abraham when he was called to goe out into a place which hee should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and hee went out not knowing whither he went The fourth example is of Abraham the Father of the faithfull upon whom the Authour doth much inlarge himselfe relating many evidences and proofes of his faith To Abraham he subjoynes Isaac and Jacob in those particulars that were common to them And of Abrahams faith he mentions divers effects and benefits as his invincible courage and constancie that wee might labour to imitate him and expresse the neerest resemblance of it wee can as it becomes them who professe themselves the children of Abraham The first effect of his faith was his obedience for when God called and commanded him to goe out of his countrey unto a place which God would shew him Abraham obeyed without any scruple or delay and went out not knowing whither hee went And the causes or reasons of this faith were as in the former persons First an evidence or sight of a thing unseene for God told him of a place or countrey which was yet unseen of him And secondly a subsistence of a thing hoped for for God had promised him that hee should