IX 26. there it seems they lost the Brook that Moses fetcht out of the Rock at Massa and Meriba Ex. XVII This Brook had followed them hitherto but it could not ascend as they did to their next station which was at c Num. XX. 1. and XXXIII 36. Kadesh in the * There it was that Miriam the Sister of Moses dyed by which we know the just Time of their being there For at Mount Hor which was their very next stage there her Brother Aaron dyed which was in a Num. XXXIII 38. the fortieth year of the Peoples coming out of Egypt and on the first day of the fifth month of that year But Miriam's death is remember'd by the Iews on the Tenth day of the first month by which account she dyed not quite four months before him b Ios. Ant. IV. 4. p. 109. G. Iosephus saith she was buried there on a Mountain which they call Sein So it seems it was remember'd in his time wilderness of Zin Num. XX. 1. Hereupon there was a second d Num. XXVIII 14. and Deut. XXXII 51. Massa and Meriba so called on the following occasion There being no water for the Congregation they gather'd themselves together against Moses and Aaron and the People dd Num. XX. 2. v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chid with Moses and said would to God we had dyed with our Brethren c. wherefore have you made us to come out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place Here is none of all those good things we were to have in the promised Land e v. 5. neither is there any water to drink This want of water was a Temptation that they had not Faith to withstand And yet even now at this present they could not but see by the Pillar of Chud that the same God which brought them up out of Egypt was still with them And they knew what he could do in this very case by having ee Ex. XVII 6. seen what he did in the like which they could not forget having lived upon the effects of it ever since But besides they had seen many other wonderful proofs of an Almighty Providence over them by which they had been deliver'd out of Egypt brought through the Red Sea and preserv'd and fed for so many years since in the wilderness But all these great works of God they threw back to him with Contempt wishing they had never been They wished that f Num. XX. 3. they had dyed with that Rebellious Crew that perished in the gain saying of Korah This was such a g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 13. quarelling with God as he calls it v. 13. that Moses the meekest Man on the Earth could not bear it It provoked him to that degree that he could not speak to them with Patience Insomuch that when God commanded him to take his Rod and go and speak to the Rock before their Eyes and told him that that being done it should give forth its water abundantly He called the People together to see this work of God and as they stood there h v. 10. together before the Rock v. 10. He said unto them Hear now you Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock i v. 11. And Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he sinote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly In his Anger it seems he did so far forget himself as to do things like one that believed not what God had said to him He struck the Rock twice when God had told him only a Num. XX. 8. speaking to it would suffice Aaron was as it seems in the same fault with Moses for which the dignity of their Persons being consider'd God thought fit to lay Exemplary Punishments on both of them and so he declared that b v. 12. neither of them should enter into Canaan As for Aaron God shorten'd his Journey then presently for he dyed at the next station which was at c v. 28. Mount Hor as has been already shewn and Moses dyed at d Deut. XXXIV 5. Mount Nebo within six months after 108. The next Journey of the People of Israel was through a Third Murmuring at Tsalmona tedious and troublesome e Num. XXI 4. way in which they had nothing to live upon but what came by daily and continual Miracles And whereas they ought to have been thankful for this they were so far from it that they spoke as well against God himself as against Moses They joined them both together in this bitter Expostulation ee v. 5. wherefore have You brought us up out of Egypt to dye in the wilderness Num. XXI 5. This was their Third Rebellion and the last that we read of in the History of this Generation For the punishment of this Sin f v. 6. punisht with fiery Serpents God sent fiery Serpents among them v. 6. It was a most venemous sort of Creature with which that Wilderness did abound And they bit the People so as that a Multitude of them dyed of it The rest came to Moses to intercede for them g v. 7. They said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us They could not have asked a thing which Moses was readier to do He prayed and God order'd him to h v. 8. set up the Image of such a Serpent made of Brass on the top of a very high Pole that every one that was bitten might look up to it and live It is more than once that our blessed Lord minds us of this as a Type of his being i Ioh. III. 14. XII 32. lifted up on the Cross that they that are bitten with Sin may look up to Him and be saved 109. This last Rebellion was at Tsalmona * This place was so called from Tselem which signifieth an Image in memory of this Brazen Serpent It seems the People took this away with them and had it in so great esteem that in process of time they came to worship it as an Idol for which it was r 2 Kin. XVIII 4 broken in pieces by King Hezekiah 2 Kings XVIII 4. which was the thirty At Zered was an end of this murmuring Generation fift station of God's People in the k Num. XXXIII 41. wilderness Num. XXXIII 41. In four stations more they came to the place called l v. 45. Dibon-Gad in the Valley of Zered There as Moses tells us being m Deut. II. 13. come over the Brook of that name there were now none remaining of that Generation of men that were twenty years old or upward when they came up out of Egypt It was now n v. 14. thirty eight years since they came from Kadesh Barnea and full forty years since God took them first to be his People in Egypt All which time of o
〈◊〉 K. Aâ—…rus was the same whom the 〈◊〉 call Darius Hyâ—… But still the old stile remained in thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Heaven to avenge them of their Enemies And it could not but affect them the more having so much reason as they had to expect that the same good Providence would shew it self next in their Deliverance out of the Babylonian Captivity 24. First in what had already happened according to the Account that we have a see n. 15. given of it they saw the fulfilling of that Prophecy of Daniel which he had given to Belshazzar but a few hours before his death This King had made a great Feast to a Thousand of his Lords and other great men which no doubt was the same that as b Cyropaed VII Xenophon tells us was fatal to the City of Babylon and also to him and his Empire Toward the end of that alt while King Belshazzar was The latest of these Prophecies was that of the Hand-writing on the Wall sitting yet at his Table he saâ—… paâ—… of a man's hand come out of the wall just before him Tâ—… wâ—… surprizing enough But it was so much the more to see thaâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ngers of that hand were then writing something on the Wâ—… What it was that they wrote the King himself could not read nor could any that were there present with him But the King could not doubt but that whatsoever it was it must be something that highly concerned him And therefore he sent for the wise men of Babylon whose College was not far from the Court to hear what they could say of the matter offering very high and even extravagant rewards to any of them that should read and interpret this writing They all confessed that it was past their skill which made the King the more impatient to know what it should be Thereupon his Mother or Grandmother probably the wise c Dan. V. 10 11. Queen d Herodot I. 188. Nitocris minded him of one that in King Nebuchadnezzar's time was admired for his knowledge in such matters Daniel was the man so he was sent for in hast and being brought in before the King at his Command he both read Daniel read it publickly the writing and gave him the Interpretation The result of it was in the words before cited e Dan. V. 28. thy Kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians This another would not have adventured to say But Daniel had a greater than the King to bear him out and knowing this he shewed himself to be not only void of fear but above those rewards as high as they were that had been offer'd to Him as well as to those others before him Assoon as they were mentioned to him he immediately refused them And yet afterwards when the King in a sort of drunken bravery would needs force them upon him he took them as publick testimonies of his doing that wonderful thing which no other could do And so as the King had ordered it Proclamation being presently made all the Court came to know what it was that Daniel had Prophecied some hours before they saw the first step of the Accomplishment It began with that unhappy King's death which it was fulfilled the same night followed the same Night after the feast as both Herodotus and Xenophon tell us and immediately after Daniel's prediction as it follows these words a Dan. V. 30. In that very night BELSHAZZAR King of the Chaldeans was slain 25. But besides this Prophecy which being made so publickly This minded the Jews of their ancient Prophecies against Babylon known no man then living in Babylon could be ignorant of there were also many other Prophecies which God had given his chosen people the Iews before their being carried to Babylon and which they had ever since kept among their sacred writings Wherein God had foretold them the fates of that City and Kingdom with sundry of the most remarkable Circumstances so particularly described that any of those Iews that lived in Belshazzar's days which was the Chief time of fulfilling those predictions if they look'd into their own Scriptures might read there many of those things which now happened before their Eyes 26. They might see how neâ—…r â—…wo hundred years since upon occasion particularly those of Esaiah of Senacherib's coming up aâ—…st Iuda with a design of making a conquest of God's people the Prophet Esaia first denounced thâ—… Judgements of God that should come on Senacherib himself and his people the Alsyrians b Esai X. 5 c. Esaia X. 5. c. Then how he went on to denounce the like against the Chaldeans that should succeed them in that design and should go through with it for the Punishment of God's people for their disobedience The Jews in Daniel's time had in their hands the Burden of BABYLON which ESAIAH bb XIII 1. did see XIII 1. There they saw it foretold how God would lift up his banner against Babylon c v. 2. ver 2. gathering the Kingdoms of the Nations together and mustering them to the Battel cc v. 4. v. 4. the weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole land d v. 6. v. 6. But particularly as it hath been already e see n. 12. shewn they saw that God would stir up the MEDES against Babylon f Esai XIII v. 17. ver 17. It hath also been g see n. 13. shewn from h Esai XXI 2. Esaia XXI 2. that the Persians were to come in the head of this Army for so they are called first to the Service Go up O ELAM besiege O MEDIA which Prophecy given so many Ages since the Jews now saw fulfilled by the Armies of CYRUS and DARIUS So again i XLI 25. Esaia XLI 25. God says of both these together I have made my Levies from the North and one shall come from the East to Babylon Media is on the North and Persia on the East of it But it was he on the East namely CYRUS that was fittest for this Service and therefore he is called to it particularly k XLI 2. XLVI 11. Esaia XLI 2 and XLVI 11. His people the Porsians who chiefly worshipped the Sun were above that sort of Idolatry of the Chaldeans l Herodot I. 131. that worshipped the Images of Dead men The chief of their Deities were Bel and Nebo m Esai XLVI 1. Esaia XLVI 1. The first of these two was certainly the Founder the other perhaps Nabonassar the Restorer of that Monarchy But their adored Images of Gold and Silver n Esai XLVI 6. ver 6. were to those Persians no more than so much old plate They would make no scruple to break them in pieces and carry them away o XLVI 1 6. Esaia XLVI 1. There seemed to be another God of that sort that had been deified since Esaiah's time That was Merodach who was also to go
with the other a Ier. L. 2. Ierem. L. 2. But this belongs to another Prophecy which ought to be consider'd by it self 27. It is that long Prophecy against Babylon Ierem. L. and LI. and those of Ieremiah L. and LI. which the Prophet received in King Zedekiah's time and sent it to the Jews that were there at that time in Captivity Many of them were of the best of that Nation who had been carried thither together with Daniel and those three others of the Royal Family in King Iehoiakim's time or who went afterwards as the Prophet Ezekiel did and many others together with King Ieconiah God was so pleased to send them away from â—…salem before he would pour out his judgements on that wicked City and Nation But the mean while being Captives at Babylon many of them were in a very disconsolate Condition Therefore God was pleased to let them know for their Comfort that their stâ—…y there should be of no long Continuance when the Will of God was fulfilled on Ierusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and his people it should not be long ere the like or greater judgements should be executed on Babylon and the Land of Chaldea Jerem. L. 1. c. After which God would soon give his people a Deliverance out of their present Captivity and would bring them back into their own Land b Ier. L. 4 8 v. 19 20. LI. 5 10. Ierem. L. 4 8 and 19 20 LI. 5 10. It is plain from c Ezra III. 12 13. Ezra III. 12. 13. that many of the Jews to whom this prophecy was given lived to see the fulfilling of it to a tittle save only the utter Desolation of that City and Country which was then foretold and has been long since fulfilled as Travellers see it at this Day 28. But they saw then in Daniel's time first the Assembly of great These they saw now fulfilled Nations come up against Babylon d Ier. L. 9. Ierm L. 9. It was e L. 41. LI. 48. foretold they should come out of the North L. 41 and LI. 48. The Medes did so and those other Nations mentioned ee LI. 27. Ierem. LI 27. whose Kings being subject to the Median King are therefore f LI. 11 28. called Kings of the Medes Ierem. LI. 11. 28. That the Median should come himself it is not said but that there g v. 27. should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a chief Captain or General over them v. 27 attended with Troops of horse bristled like Caterpillars that is Archers as we h see n. 13. have explained it These Troops now appeared to be Persians and their Prince Cyrus who came in the head of them i Ier. L. 42. LI. 27. had the Command of all this Army Ierem. L. 42. LI. 27. The Jews now saw what a Spoil all these Troops made in Chaldea as was k L. 10. foretold Ierem. L. 10. how they l v. 21 23 24 28. wasted and utterly destroyed all the Countrey v. 21. up to Babylon it self v. 23 24 28. and also m v. 29. encamped against that City round about v. 29. Now they saw the Sword upon the Chaldeans and on the people of Babylon on them of all ranks and conditions as was n v. 35 36 37. foretold v. 35. 36. 37. At last they came to see o v. 38. the waters gone from about Babylon v. 38. a LI. 36. her Sea dried up LI. 36. which was perhaps the great pool of Queen Nitocris 29. This last thing is placed next before the Destruction of that Especially in the taking of Babylon great City For as b see 〈◊〉 15. we have shewn from the ancient Historians the River Euphrates being let out and the c Herodot I. 191. Chanel of it made fordable so that the water thereof came not up above the middle of the thigh which was all brought to pass in one Evening then the Persians went down into the Chanel and waded through it making their way with fire and sword into the City So that as d Herod ibid. Herodotus saies both ends of it were taken before they in the middle of the City knew any thing of it But it was from the End â—…t which they first enter'd that the news came to the Court The â—…ophet foretold it would be so in e Ier. LI. 31. these words Ierem. LI. 31. one post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end It seems he was asleep and was waken'd with the news For as f Xenoph. Cyrop VII 5. Xenophon saies when a party of them that best knew the Place being detached by Cyrus for that purpose had broken into the Royal Palace there g they found him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lb. they found the King got up on his Legs and having drawn his Sword to defend himself But as Xenophon further saies they soon dispatched him and those that were with him or as the Prophet words it they laid him to sleep again and that h Ier. LI. 39 57. for ever Jerem. LI. 39 57. 30. In this last Instance they saw how true it was which the and the End of that Empire in Nebucadnâ—…zzar's Son 's Son Prophet Ieremy had elsewhere foretold that the Babylonian Empire was to last no longer than the Reigns of Nebucadnezzar and his Son and his Son's Son i Ier. XXVII 7. Jerem XXVII 7. This Prophecy of Ieremiah's was written in the first year of King Nebucadnezzar k v. 1. XXVII 1. The Jews now living when Daniel writ this had seen that Empire after Nebucadnezzar's death l Ios. Anâ—… X. 1â—… continued in his Son Evil-Merodach and in Belshazzar who was his Son's Son m Dan. V 11 28. Dan V. 11 28. they saw how God had made an end of that Empire They saw many other things happen which they could not but observe to be exactly the same that had been foretold in those Prophecies which they found recorded in their Scriptures 31. But above all the rest when they saw that City of Babylon all this done by a Persian taken by one that came out of Persia a Country that lay East from Babylon and especially when they heard that his name was Cyrus they could not but remember what was written of such a one in their Scriptures above a hundred years before this Cyrus was born It was n Esai XLI 2. foretold by the Prophet Esaia XLI 2. That God would raise up a Righteous man from the East and again in a Prophecy against Babylon o XLVI 1. Esaia XLVI 1. that he would call a bird of Prey a fighting Prince p v. 10. from the East v. 10. that God would give the Nations before him and make him rule over Kings that they should q XLI 2. be dust
said to them you take too much upon you they could not mean less than Moses did when he returned the d v. y. same words to Korah and his Brethren It was as much as to say you take that which God has not given you Vers. 7. God had surely given it to Aaron as he shewed by e 〈◊〉 IX ult sending Fire from Heaven on his Sacrifice Therefore this which they were now doing was directly in opposition to God So Moses f Nâ—… XVI 〈◊〉 tells Korah v. 11. both thou and all thy Company are gather'd together against the Lord and what is Aaron that you murmure against Him That Miracle was wrought in the sight of all Israel And they could not have forgotten it since being wrought but five months before their coming to Kadesh Barnea But it seems they ascribed it to some other cause and not to God's approbation of Aâ—…ron Therefore now there was no convincing them of their Error any otherwise than by putting the matter to God Moses offers them this that they all should g v. 5 6 7. take Censers and put Fire on them and offer Incense before the Tabernacle and Aaron should do the same and then they should see whom God would chuse Moses at the same time h v. 11. sent for those Sons of Reuben But they seemed to have a mind to the civil Government and â—…refore they Refused to obey him They said i v. 11. we will not come up It is plain in the following words that they charged him with making himself k v. 13. a Prince over them v. 13. and with breach of Trust and deluding the People with Promises of things of which now their l v. 14. senses shewed them the contrary v. 14. They ended as they begun we will not come up So they m v. 24. stay'd still in their Tabernacles v. 24. which were near to Korah's the Cohathites being encamped next to the Reubenites Perhaps on account of this Conspiracy they might have one Tabernacle in common There to shew they did not fear what Moses could do to them they had brought their wives and all their Children together to stand or fall with them in the event of this matter Korah the mean while seems to have been every where He was surely very busy to bring up all the Numbers he could that he might head them against Moses and Aaron That he was a great Demagogue a Ios. Aut. IV. 2. Iosephus saith and he shewed it throughout this whole Action In his speech at the beginning to Moses and Aaron he tells them all the Congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them in his Tabernacle wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord b Num. XVI 3. v. 3. with these and such like flatteries of the People he had charmed them to that degree that now he had c vers 19. gather'd all the Congregation together against Moses and Aaron at the door of the Tabernacle There it was now to be tried who it was that God had chosen or would chuse 101. But while the 250 were preparing to offer their incense God's Judgements on Him and his Complices Moses went where Dathan and Abiram were together and called off the People d vers 26. that they might not perish with those Men. He declared that here would be the Trial whether God had spoke by him or no. e v. 28 29 30. If these Men dye the Common Death of all Men then the Lord has not sent me but if the Earth open her Mouth and swallow them up with all that is theirs then it will appear that these Men have provoked the Lord. No sooner had he made an end of speaking those words but f 31 3â—… the ground clave under them and swallowed them up and their Families even all that belonged to them The mean while for the 250 Men that were offering Incense and likely Korah was among them g v. 40. see vers 40. against them h v. 35. there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed them in the very Fact It was well for Korah's Sons that they i Num. XXVI II. deserted him in this Action for by that means they saved their Lives and continued his Family of whom came k 1 Chron. VI. 22 29. Samuel the great Saint of the Lord whom David l Ps. XCIX 6. and on the incorrigible People plaâ—… next to Moses and Aaron Ps. XCIX 6. 101. It was wonderful to see the People's stupidity under all this They that just now had been Eye witnesses of those dreadful Judgements of God employing both Heaven and Earth for the destruction of those Rebels yet as if all this had happen'd in their favour they still called them m Num. XVI 41. the People of the Lord. This they did after time for Deliberation for it was on the morrow after their death that all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron charging them with the Murder of these Men. They told them plainly you have killed the People of the Lord as if it had not been God's Work but theirs perhaps by Art Magick in which they might think that Moses and Aaron outdid the Magicians of Egypt The People were so enraged at this time that they broke out into an open Insurrection n v. 42. The Congregation was gather'd against Moses and against Aaron It was high time for God to put a stop to this as he did by his Glory appearing in the Tabernacle God declared his meaning by it to Moses that he would a v. 49. consume them as in a moment But to prevent this both Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces and prayed At their Prayer God forbore destroying those Rebels but he sent the Plague among them that presently b v. 49. consumed 14700 persons beside them that died in the Earthquake and by Fire from Heaven 102. It was very visible by this great Example that Miraculous God appoints two Memorials to be kept Judgements were not sufficient to quell the Rebellious Spirits of this People but that there must be some permanent Tokens besides to continue with them and to mind them from time to time what they or their Forefathers had suffer'd or seen Therefore God was pleased to c Num. XVI 37 40. order the taking up of the Censers of Korah and his 250 Men and the working of them into broad plates for the covering of the Altar to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel that none that d v. 40. was not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer Incense before the Lord that he be not as Korah c. And to give them a further Memorial of this he caused e XVII 1 c. twelve Rods or Staves one for each of the twelve Tribes of Israel with the Tribe's name written upon it
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that shall come near the Tabernacle of the Lord shall dye God heard this and thereupon for a farther provision against their falling into this Sin he made a fresh Declaration of his mind almost in the same words in which the People had repeated the former They had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that comes near shall dye God repeated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that comes near shall be put to death For the Reason of this enough XVIII 7. has been said in the Context of this Discourse 104. The direful Complaints of the heavy Judgements of God as appeared by their bitter complaints that they had seen inflicted on others and expected the like on themselves do plainly shew that they had no Abhorrence of the Sins by which those their Brethren that died and perish'd had provoked the Righteous God to send these Judgements upon them So far they were from that that in the mind they were in they seem to have thought of no other but that they should a Num. XVII 12. all perish in like manner though they knew that could not be unless they themselves were guilty of the same Sins They did not know but they might all murmur against Moses and do all the rest that Dathan and Aoiram had done 105. But it seems they took a more particular notice of the Sin especially on Kâ—…rah's death of Korah and his Fellows and of the Judgement of God inflicted on them God had appointed b Num. XVI 38. the Censers of those Sinners against their own Souls to be worked into a Covering for the Altar that it might be a Memorial to all that were not of the Seed of Aaron that not c See Num. XVI 40. in the bottom of page 47. oâ—…e Man of them should come near to offer Incense that is to officiate as a Priest that they might not suffer as Korah and his Company had done Moses d Num. XVII 10 11. warned them again of the same at the setting up of that Second Memorial of Aaron's Rod which warning of his seems to have been the immediate occasion of those passionate words Thereupon the Text saith a vers 12. the Children of Israel spake unto Moses saying behold we dye we perish we all perish then adding that which stuck most in their thoughts namely the b XVI 40. words that he spake at the setting up of the former Memorial Num. XVI 40. There it was declared as they here repeated the words c XVII 13. See it here in the bottom Every one that comes near the Tabernacle of the Lord to offer Incense shall dye How then say they have we done dying Is the Danger over No certainly unless we give up our Right of doing the same that Korah did which it seems they would not promise for themselves In short here is nothing else in all their speech but Tokens of the utmost impenitence They neither ask Pardon of God nor of either of his Ministers they did not so much as desire that Moses would Pray for them nor did they make the least confession of any Sin that either they or those Rebels were guilty of The last mention they made of them in all this History was d XVI 41. Num. XVI 41 where they charged Moses and Aaron with killing them They told them plainly you have killed the People of the Lord. For this God justly called them a Num. XVII 10. Rebels ch XVII 10. and provided the second Memorial quite to take away their murmurings that they dye not But they were still for b vers 22 13. dying and perishing rather than they would promise to Amend and give over those Rebellions by which they that did dye and perish had brought those Judgements on themselves 106. By what has been said it abundantly appears that as yet God gives a New Law against intruding into the Priesthood the Murmurings were not quite taken away nor were like to be as long as this Generation was living God was therefore so much the more concerned to take care that they might not destroy themselves by their Rebellions before the Time was run out that he had set them to wander in the Wilderness And since for the preventing of this no sort of Miracles would do for all had been tried and cast away on this stiff-necked People therefore God was pleased to resort to the Ordinary means by enacting Judicial Laws with strict Penalties and making it the business of Persons concern'd to see them put in Execution It was Aaron himself that was chiefly concern'd in all matters of publick worship He was the High Priest that was appointed of God to be Judge in all causes touching Religion and c Deut. XVII 11. 12. from the Sentence of the Law which he should deliver there was to be no Appeal Deut. XVII 11 12. Therefore now to put an end to those disputes about the Priesthood God was pleased to deliver to Aaron a Judicial Law concerning Holy places and things Num. XVIII 1 7. By which in the first place d Num. XVIII 1 7. God laid upon Him and his Sons the whole charge of those places and things that belonged to the Priesthood viz. of the Sanctuary and the Vessels thereof and also of the Priest's Court wherein was the Altar of Sacrifice But for the People's Court and all the Offices in the outer Verge of the Tabernacle God laid the charge of all these on the other Levites that were not of the Sons of Aaron And as well to oblige them both Priests and Levites to look to their respective charges as to deter others from breaking in upon them he ordain'd that if any one who was not of the Tribe of Levi should intrude into any place of their Ministry or should meddle with any of the Vessels belonging to it he should be put to death and so should the Levites that suffer'd him to do it And for those places and vessels that were within the charge of the Priests the Sons of Aaron if any stranger should presume to come near them he must be e vers 7. put to death v. 7. nay though he were a Levite as Korah was he must dye for it and the Priests that suffer'd it must also dye with him f v. 3. Their second Massa and Meriba v. 3. 107. They were by this Ordinance of God kept under a lasting Aw which they could not be by Temporary Miracles So that now from this time forward we read no more of any one 's intruding into the office of Priesthood in Moses's time or his Successors Nor do we read of the People's Murmuring on any other account till 37 years after their departure from Kadesh Barnea Then the Children of Israel being come down to a Num. XXXIII 35. Ezion Geber Num. XXXIII 35. which was by the Red Sea b 1 Kings IX 26. n. 73. 1 Kings
He whom these served so thirsted for the Blood of this Righteous Man that he cared not which way he came by it It was at Caiaphas his House after he could make nothing of his Examination that his Officers and Servants the Men that held Iesus thus mocked and smote and Abused him Luk. XXII 63 65. All this is placed by St. Luke before the meeting of the Sanhedrin for the Judicial proceding against our Saviour vers 66. The Beginning of that Insolent Usage of our blessed Lord might be about half an hour after three in Morning For St. Luke says before this vers 58. that it was after some short time from St. Peter's first Denial of Christ that he was tempted to it The Second time It was while Peter was yet standing and warming himself that some of them that stood by Ioh. XVIII 25. namely a Maid Matt. XXVI 71. Mar. XIV 69. and a Man as St. Luke says vers 58. They as St. Iohn says in the Plural Question'd St. Peter saying to him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denyed it and said I am not Ioh. XVIII 25 And that not being enough he confirm'd it with an Dath that he did not know the Man Matth. XXVI 72. It was at some distance of Time about an Hour after that another confidently affirm'd saying Of a Truth this man also was with them for he is a Galilean Luke XXII 59. The two first Gospels tell us that Some of them that stood by said to Peter surely thou art one of them for thy Speech bewrayeth thee Matt. XXVI 73. Mar. XIV 70. St. Iohn adds this more Particularly that one of the Servants of the High-Priest being his Kinsman whose Ear Peter cut off said did not I see thee in the Garden with him Ioh. XVIII 26. Peter finding himself now in extreme Danger began to Curse and to Swear saying I know not the Man Matt. XXVI 74. Mar. XIV 71. This being the third time in our Saviours Prediction immediately whilst he yet spake the Cock crowed Luk. XXII 60. Ioh. XVIII 27. St. Mark tells us this was the Second time the Cock crowed Mar. XIV 72 and by that Token we know that now it was †Piin. Nat. Hist. X. 21. saies beside the Crowing of the Cock at the beginning of the fourth Watch he also crowes again to give notice of Day-break Day-break By this time they that had our Saviour in their hands might have tired themselves with abusing him Howsoever it was it appears they gave him some intermission And now our blessed Lord being within hearing of St. Peter for they were then below stairs together Mar. XIV 66 and perhaps without Doors Matt. XXVI 69 71. could not but pity the poor man that in fencing for his life run that desperate hazard of his Soul and therefore Turning that way he looked on him with great Compassion Which when Peter saw it struck him deep And then he remember'd those Words of the Lord how he had said unto him before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Luke XXII 61. Whereupon he went out and wept bitterly vers 62. On Friday morning as soon as it was day Luke XXII 66. the whole Sanhedrin met of whom St. Luke names the three Orders the Elders of the People and the chief Priests and the Scribes He tells us that all these being come together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they led up the blessed Iesus into their Court which was above-stairs in Porticu excelsiore as Grotius says on this place There at the very first they went plainly to work and shewed they would stick at nothing that would make for their purpose for they sought false Witnesses against him to prove something that would reach his life Matt. XXVI 59. Mar. XIV 55. But it seems at first they found None Ib. And though afterwards many came and offer'd themselves yet they could make nothing of it for their Witnesses disproved one another Matt. XXVI 60. Mar. XIV 56. At last there came two false Witnesses that thought to make Blasphemy of those Words which he had spoken some five years before Iohn II. 19. But they reported them so differently as we read in the two first Gospels that the Judges could not think that what these men said would give them a sufficient †〈◊〉 Hammond on Mar. XIV 59. colour for a Sentence of Death And therefore at last the High-Priest found it necessary for him to return to the way that he begun with at first to try what he could get out of our Saviour himself For that end he Asked first what he had to say against the Evidence of the Witnesses now produced But all they had said being nothing in effect our Saviour would answer nothing to that Question Matt. XXVI 62 63. Mar. XIV 60 61. Then as it follows in those two Gospels the High-Priest asked him art thou the Christ There St. Luke mentions XXII 67. something which they had omitted namely our Saviour's way of avoiding that question He said to them if I tell you I am the Christ you will not believe and if I also ask you you will not answer me nor let me go vers 67 68. His meaning was as Grotius and Dr. Hammond understand it that if he should go about to prove it by Scripture they would not Answer him as he had tried Matt. XXII 46. nor would they release him though he was the Christ of God for ought they could say to the contrary He told them what would come of this at last that after all they could do to him He the Son of man should sit as their Iudge at the right hand of the Power of God Luke XXII 69. Now they reckon'd if they could hold him to this they had enough for their turn And therefore they all run into this Question Art thou the Son of God They would have a Categorical Answer He said unto them you say that I am vers 70. Then they all said what need we any further witness For we our selves have heard of his own Mouth vers 71. But all this having past in a tumultuary way they could do nothing upon it Judicially And therefore to proceed in form of Law there being no Witness against him the Chief Priest was for putting him to his Oath I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God Matt. XXVI 63. Now our Saviour heard the voice of Swearing as they call it when a Judge thus adjures †Talmud Shebaoth IV. 5. and therefore he was bound by their Law to say the whole truth of all that was asked him or else he must suffer as guilty Levit. V. 1. To this therefore our Saviour answer'd thou hast said it as in St. Matthew that is plainly I am as it is in St. Mark 's Gospel XIV 62. And not to depart from what he had told them before he added now nevertheless tho I stand here
the supernatural Assistance of the Spirit of God it seems he had lost the Sence of that for the present which made him cry out in the first Words of the two and twentieth Psalm My God my God! why hast thou forsaken me But as he shewed the firmness of his Faith in calling God by that Title So it appears he did not forget himself to be the Messias of God for whom David made that Psalm in the Spirit of Prophecy And God appear'd to Answer his Prayer by a visible Token in dispelling that Darkness which had now continued three Hours as was before mentioned It was at the Ninth hour that the Darkness went off Matt. XXVII 45. Mar. XV. 33. That was the hour of Prayer in the Temple Act. III. 1. the Time of the Evening Sacrifice After which imediately followed the killing of the Paschal Lambs And that held from the Ninth hour to the Eleventh as Iosephus tells us de bell Iud. VII 17. At the Beginning of this part of the Day namely at the Ninth hour Iesus cried with a loud voice saying Eloi Eloi lamma Sabachthani My God my God c. Mar. XV. 34. The Words that he spoke were in the Syriac tongue which was our Saviour's natural Language And as Bp. Walton saith they were the Words of the Ierusalem Targum of that Psalm But some of them that stood by when they heard it said behold he calleth for Elias Mar. XV. 35. Grotius thinks they were Hellenists such as understood not that Language and therefore mistook the Word Eloi for Elias After this Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that belong'd to his State of Humiliation his Death onely excepted to the end that the Scriptures might be fulfill'd he said I thirst Ioh. XIX 28. Thereupon one run and fill'd a Spunge full of Vinegar whereof there stood a Vessel full probably for the Soldiers use And putting this Spunge on a Reed or Stalk of Hyssop which seems to have been a Shrub or small sort of Tree in that Countrey l. King IV. 33. with this they put it to our Saviours Mouth Matt. XXVII 48. Mar. XV. 36. Ioh. XIX 29. Others that were in the same mistake being pleased with this for the asswaging of his Thirst that he might not die presently said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go on so Grotius renders it Go on keep him alive that we may see whether Elias will come to take him down Matt. XXVII 49. Our blessed Lord did receive the Vinegar Ioh. XIX 30. and so fulfilled the latter Part of that Prophecy Psal. LXIX 21. In my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink which was the last Prophecy to be fulfilled before his Death Our blessed Lord had no sooner Received this but he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. XIX 30. Which Word may be render'd it is fulfilled And so by what he said vers 28. St. Iohn seems to have understood it of the fulfilling of the Prophecy It is render'd in our Translation it is Finished and so the same word is used by St. Paul II. Tim. IV. 7. Our blessed Lord had now Finished his great Work that he had undertaken He had pay'd the last drop of his Blood for our Redemption and had nothing more to do but to resign his Soul to God To shew how willingly he did this he cryed with a loud Voice saying Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luke XXIII 46. They are the Psalmist's words Psalm XXXI 5. to which our blessed Lord added onely the Title of Father which he alone could use in his own proper Right And so in perfect Obedience to his Father he did as it was foretold of him pour out his Soul unto Death Esai LIII 12. He Bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost Ioh. XIX 30. St Iohn tells us in his next Words vers 31. that it was now the Preparation of the Sabbath He further tells us that that Sabbath-day was a High-day So the Iews called the first and last days of their great Feasts Ioh. VII 37. This was therefore the first of the seven days of Unleaven'd Bread which falling upon a Sabbath-day was a High-day more than Ordinary But for this Preparation of the Sabbath the Apostle is carefull to distinguish it from the Preparation of the Passeover mentioned before vers 14. That of the Passeover as he there told us was about the Sixt hour which as it was shewn before in page Lxvj. held from Six till Nine in the morning But this Preparation of the Sabbath was not till three of the Clock in the Afternoon So it is expressly said in Augustus his †Jos. Antiq. XVI 10. p. 561. E. Edict for the exempting of the Iews from giving Bail in Suits of Law that it should not be required of them on their Sabbath-dayes nor on their Preparations or Sabbath-day Eves from the Ninth hour that is from three of the Clock in the Afternoon It was some three hours before our Saviours death that as St. Luke tells us XXIII 44 45. The Sun was darkned and the Vail of the Temple was rent in the midst plainly shewing that the Eclipse as Phlegon calls it and the Earthquake came both together as they have been placed before in this Discourse But it seems very likely that there was another Shock of the Earth-quake at the time when our blessed Saviour expired For St. Matthew not only places the Earthquake immediately after our Saviours death but also saies Thereupon the Centurion and they that were with him watching Iesus when they saw the Earthquake feared greatly But that which struck them most was their seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. XXVII 54 Luk. XXIII 47. what happened in the Manner of our Saviour's death Mar. XV. 39. viz. that he So Cryed Out and then immediately gave up the Ghost St. Luke saies The Centurion seeing these things happen together Glorified God Owned that this was certainly his Work and that He must be a Righteous Man for whom God was so much concerned nay he must be what he owned himself to be The Son of God As that Word was what made Pilate afraid Iohn XIX 8. so it did now the Soldiers that had thus ill treated so great a Favorite of God But not only They but all the People that were come together to that sight when they beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that had happened smote their breasts and returned Luke XXIII 48. no doubt with sad hearts thinking what heavy Judgements of God this Great Sin was like to bring upon their Nation But soon after they that had been the Authors of this being still Zealous for the Externals of their Religion were concern'd that the dead Bodies should not be suffered to hang upon the Cross on the Sabbath day Especially that being a High day as was before mentioned They therefore besought Pilate that the Bodies might be taken away Ioh. XIX 31. But to shew that they meant the Condemnd Men no Favor