to 11. and 〈◊〉 latter from ver 11 to 18. which begins with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day after As Christ had the Day before recovered a young Man from the Poiâ—â— of Death so did â—e the very next Day after raise up another young man from Death it self First Of 〈◊〉 First of these Miracles The Remarks hereupon are First Though Christ's first Sermon recorded in Scripture Preach'd on the Mount and his last when leaving the World be the longest and liveliest Sermons of all others that the Evangelists relate yet without all peradventure Christ Preached many other Times and many Hours together beside those in Gospel Record and though many mighty Miracles to the number of thirty four or fifty sever be Registred by the Holy-Spirit's Pen-men yet no doubt many more than are writtâ—â— were done by him who went about doing good Acts 10.38 As his Oracles so his â—â—racles are no more of them written than might suffice to make us Believe and 〈◊〉 through his Name Though all that ever Christ spake and did was Divine and oâ—â— served to be Chronicled yet the Beloved Disciple saith If every one were Written 〈◊〉 World could noâ— contain them c. John 21.25 20.30 31. where too much is said that enough may be believed as is done in all Scripture Hyperboles c. The Second Remark is As Moses confirmed his Oracles of the Old Law which 〈◊〉 given him from Mount Sinai by working Miracles So did the Messias when he â—â—d delivered the New-Law-Oracles from this Mount-Capernaum Yet the latter Miracles were better than the former for wheras one of Moses's Miracles was a turning â—ates into Blood signifying that the Old-Law was a severe and grievous ministration But one of the Messiah's Miracles yea the first of them was a turning Water into Wine to signifie that his New-Law was to be a Sweet and a Gracious Dispensation the Gospel of Peace is as the most Generous Wine in chearing the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Besides Moses's Miracles were only for the benefit of the Jews but the Messiah's were for the Advantage of the Gentiles also as well as for the Jews This is most conspicuous here for as the second Miracle was wrought for a Jewish-Widdow so the first was for a Gentile-Captain c. The Third Remark is This Roman Proselyte was admirable upon many accounâ—â— As 1. He was a Soldier and such are generally fierce froward indocible and goâ—less Creatures 2. A Commander having an hundred Men under his Command and therefore is call'd a Centurion enough to make him Haughty and Huffing 3. He was the Master of a Family too having Servants as well as Souldiers under him 4. And but a Gentile or Heathen yet had so far affected the Jews Religion as to build a Synagogue in Capernaum for it Now having heard the Words and seen the Works of Christ believeth on him for the Messiah beggeth of him his Servant's Cure and all this in a most humble manner acknowledging first Christ's worthiness and then his own unworthiness both together Who can but wonder to behold him a Soldier a Captain a Master an Heathen a lover of the Jews a builder of the Synagogue yet Humble Any one of these Titles yea the least of them make many men proud but none of them nor all of them made him so because he greatly and strongly believed in Christ The Fourth Remark is There is some variation of this story in Mat. 8. Luke 7. yet no contradiction for Matthew saith Augustin doth only relate it compendiously How the Centurion came to Christ without mentioning those Elders of the Jews by whose mediation he came this was reserved for Luke to relate wherewith he supplied those circumstances that were wanting and Chrysostom saith that Luke's design was to illustrate two things 1. The Flattery of the Jews to Jesus And 2. That Men in distress do sometimes use one means for their relief and sometimes another the Jews finding the Centurion desirous to go to Christ hinder him undertaking to go and speak for him yet coming conceal'd his Faith but urg'd his Merit for his good Deeds but because Christ would not have so great a faith concealed he stirr'd him up to send more faithful Messengers who fully declared I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my Roof c. as Luke writes yet as Christ was coming he came in person to meet him and spake to him the same words himself as Matthew writes Thus the two Evangelists are reconciled The Fifth Remark is 'T is the nature of true Humility in gracious Souls to have exceeding low thoughts of themselves when others have exceeding high thoughts of them Thus it was here in this humble Centurion The flattering Jews give an high Character of him to Christ saying that he was worthy for whom thou shalt do this for he loved our Nation and built us a Synagogue Luke 7.2 4. yet when he came to Christ he gave a contrary Character of himself saying Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my Roof ver 6. But he speaks not one word of his building the Jews a Synagogue for expecting to obtain a special favour from Christ all his Rhetorick was lowliness knowing that nothing is more prevalent than humility with God The Sixth Remark is As this Centurion was a good first-table Man in his humility to God so was he a good second table Man in his fidelity to his Servant He was not only a good man absolutely but also a good Master relatively as appeareth both by his going to Christ for his sick Servant N.B. which is a duty incumbent upon all Masters for theirs and by his saying to him Lord my Servant lyeth at home c. Mat. 8.6 He had not thrown his sick Servant out of his house or cast him into a by corner to sink or swim for any care his Master would take of him no nor lest he him to himself to seek for his curing by his own care and at his own charges but this good Man and good Master made his Servant's sickness as his own by sympathy and himself undertakes the care and cost for his Servant's Recovery Many Parents came to Christ for their Children but this one Master only is Recorded as an Example to all Masters that sought Christ and Cure for his Servants good The Seventh Remark is 't is wonderful condescension that Christ the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 19.16 should stoop so low as to vouchsafe a visit to a poor Servant and restore him to health thereby There is Dignatio stupenda in our Lord's words I will come and heal him Mat. 8.7 If Elizabeth John Baptist's Mother could say whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me c. Luke 1.43 44. looking upon this visit as a marvellous favour how much more must it be looked upon as a more stupendous condescending in our Lord himself though
of his youthful Vigour and Vanity Or Naim Hebrew signifies the moving of them for thus the whole City was mightily moved at this mighty Miracle Luke 7.16 The Third Remark is A Young Man may be a Dead-Man This Widow's Son is call'd a Dead-man Luke 7.12 and a Young-man ver 14. assoon goes the Lambs-skin to the Market saith the Proverb as the Old Sheep Senibus mors in Januis Adolescentibus in insidiis Saith Bâ—rnard Death seizeth upon old men yet lyes lurking as in an Ambushment for the youngest As the Old must dye so the Young may Dye Our Drecrepit Age both Expects Death and Sollicits it but Vigorous Youth looks strangely upon that Grim Sergeant sent of God to Arrest it so soon The Fourth Remark is 'T is no new device or novelty to have burying places without the City 't is said here when Christ came to Naim he meets Men with a Dead Man carried out of the City ver 12. for they might not as holding it unhealthful and unwholesome to Bury within the Walls open Graves and Interr Corps in the City Therefore N. B. Note well Let not any Survivers murmur at the Burying of their near and dear Relations in the Suburbs of this City seeing it was so here and the Resurrection will find them any where The Fifth Remark is 'T is no untrodden path for an only Son to dye as well as an only Husband This good Woman as the sequel demonstrates loses first her only Husband therefore is she call'd a Widow and now as if the loss of her Head were not great enough she must lose her only Son who might have been to her what Obed was to Naomai a restorer of her Life and a hourisher of her Old Age Ruth 4.15 This her only Branch must be lopped off from the Tree also then murmur not at such strokes c. The Sixth Remark is Yet Christ's Compassion is toward such as are under such severe strokes 'T is said v. 13. When the Lord saw her he had Compassion on her and said weep not All this and more was done upon Christ's own accord from his Free-Grace and Unrequested This Widow did neither beseech his Bowels to Pity her nor his Power to Raise her Son Christ had and hath still a most tender Heart and will pity and provide more for his Praying People than they ask of him The Seventh Remark is As Christ touched the Bier and spake to the Dead Arise whereby the Dead-man was raised to Life and Restored to his Mother ver 14 15. N. B. Note well So a word of Christ's Mouth and a touch with his Hand shall suffice to revive the Slain Witnesses and to restore them to the Church their Mother Oh that God may thus visit his People and be Glorified as ver 16. However it shall be enough at the last Day to Raise up all the Dead John 5.29 1 Thes 4.13 c. The Eighth Remark is Sometimes Christ commanded secresie in his working Miracles as Mark 5.43 Luke 8.56 but five Persons were Witnesses of Jairus's Daughters being raised to life c. but this and that of Lazarus was done openly in the sight of the multitude without charge of Privacy as in Capernaum where Christ had been laughed to scorn and had newly denounced a Curse against that City but there were no such causes here All is done in open view Solomon saith Every thing is Beautiful in the right Season So are all Christ's Acts doing all well Mark 7.37 CHAP. XV. NOW follow many more matchless Miracles whereby the Lord backed his Divine Oracles and Doctrine of Truth The first and next now to be gloss'd upon is Christ's Casting out of the Deaf and Dumb Devil Mat. 12. from ver 22 to 46. Mark 7.32 with 9.17.11.17 Luke 11. from ver 14 to 27. This is illustrated by many Remarks The First is Both Matthew and Mark do introduce this Miracle by premising a general account of an Ambulatory Hospital following Christ from all parts Great Multitudes followed him from place to place Mat. 12.15 yea some of Esau's Posterity Idumeans as well as Jews throng to touch Christ Mark 3.7 8 9 10. and he healed the Diseases and Plagues of all that came to him and cast out Devils Mat. 8.16 12 1â— to which is added When the unclean Spirits saw him they fall down before him crying Thou art the Son of God Mark 3.11 The matter was well amended since Satan's first onset upon Christ in the Wilderness c. Where he then doubted saying If thou be the Son of God Mat. 4.3 6. The same Power can change his note to us The Second Remark is As Devils truckled to Christ's Power in his own Person so they did to that wherewith he impowered his Apostles whom he gradually gathered to be with him to see his Glory John 1.14 39 c. to be Witnesses of his Works Acts 10.39 41. And to learn as his Auditors the Doctrine of the Gospel that they were to Preach N. B. Note well So that the very Apostles themselves did not at their first mission into the Ministry Preach by the Spirit but what they had heard about a Twelve-month from the Mouth of their Master When Christ had Called and Chosen them to the number of twelve answerable to the twelve Tribes of Israel and throughly instructed them both for Praying and Preaching work He gives them not only a free Mission Mark 3.13 but also a free Commission both for curing Diseases and for casting out Devils Mat. 10.1 6 8. Mark 3.14 15. Luke 6.12 c. with 10 17. 9.1 Satan falls as Lightning from Heaven before them Luke 10.18 and that Serpent hurts them not Mark 16.18 Nor can he finally or totally hurt either Christ's Ministers or Believers that are his Members The Third Remark is Simon the Pharisee Invites Christ to a Feast Luke 7.36 It was fit he should feast sometimes that fared so hard mostly He is call'd Simon the Leper Mat. 26.6 Mark 14.3 whom Christ had healed of his Leprosie and who therefore entertains his Healer in way of Thankfulness to a Dinner and Christ's foregoing Words The Son of Man is come Eating and Drinking c. Luke 7.34 might possibly induce him to make this Invitation as haply Christ's others words Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 might invite the Woman-Sinner to prostrate her self at Christ's-feet c. leaning on his left Elbow at Meat Luke 7.37 38. This was Mary Magdalen out of whom Christ had cast seven Devils and became a consort with a Court-Lady Joanna c. who had been healed by Christ also Luke 8.2 3. The self same Mary that was Sister to Lazarus John 12.2 3. Mark 15.40 16.1 Luke 24.10 Where we may not imagine Lazarus's Sister must neglect to be about the Burial Seeing Christ foretold that she should do that Office John 12.7 This Mary the Antients say was Married to a Noble Person of
A Compleat History and Mystery OF THE Old and New Testament Logically Discust and Theologically Improved In Four Distinct Volumes The First beginning at the Creation of the World and ending at Moses The Second beginning at the particular Remarks of Israel's Motions and Mansions in the Wilderness until the Death of Moses and the Succession of Joshua and so forward unto the Birth of Solomon The Third beginning at David's Repentance before the Birth of Solomon and ending at the Birth of Christ wherein an ample Account is given of all the Apocryphal Times betwixt Malachy and the Messiah also as well as of all the Canonical Books until that Time The Fourth beginning at the first of Matthew and ending at the last of the Revelations wherein is held forth the most Illustrious Life of Christ and the Lives of all the Apostles to the Death of the last and longest living Apostle John the Divine The like Undertaking in such a Manner and Method being never by any Author Attempted before Yet this is now approved and commended by Grave Divines c. By Christopher Ness A. M. and Minister of the Gospel in London Semper aliquid Revisentibus Augustin Difficilium facilis est venia In Magnis voluisse sat est Sic minimo capitur Thuris honore Deus LONDON Printed by Tho. Snowden and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower End of Cheapside And Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in Paul's Church-Yard 1696. To the Right Worshipful and Worthily Honoured Sir Leonard Robinson Knight and Chamberlain of this Famous City of London Grace Mercy and Peace be Multiplied Noble Sir YOU are one for whom the Great God hath done both great and good things both in respect of your inner as well as outer Man for as the way of the Righteous is above to the Wise Prov. 15.24 having their feet where other Mens head are they are upper-region Men born from above as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek signifies John 3.3 So likewise the Lord hath lent you a marvelous lift relating to your outward Estate in seating you upon high to bear so great a Figure in this so Great a City what can be said in this case but that God is good to his Servants not at all an Austere Master Luke 19.21 but he gives large Wages for little work and is most liberal in his Retributions for he is faithful 1 Cor. 10.13 and abideth faithful 2 Tim. 2.13 and will faithfully perform what he hath promised Heb. 10.23 saying he will honour those that honour him but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 and promising also in all thy ways acknowledge God and he will direct thy Paths Prov. 3.6 God will surely own those that own him and such as do avouch the Lord to be their God he will likewise undoubtedly avouch them to be his Servants and peculiar People Deut. 26.17 18. Now Sir though I must say with Elihu I know not to give Flattering Titles to any Man in so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 32.21 22. I have as little Art in it 't is quite out of my Road as any Heart to do it lest my Maker should suddenly snatch me away in that dangerous sin of Flattery therefore I dare not so much as seem to do so yet notwithstanding we are commanded to render unto all Men their dues Honour unto whom Honour is due Rom. 13.7 Hereupon I cannot but declare it openly that ever since I had the happiness to be acquainted with you for many years you have dared to own the good ways of God even in the worst of times this I must testifie to the World upon my personal knowledge And your Lord whom you have sincerely served and openly owned hath likewise owned and honoured you after a most signal and singular manner not only in advancing you above the heads of all your former Brethren but also in Exalting you so highly in the very hearts of our Famous Citizens amongst whom you are Universally valued and by whom which is more and better you are most entirely beloved A Demonstration hereof was evident at your last Election to your high Office by their loud and long Acclamations for a Continuation a Continuation of your person in that place of so great a trust after a whole years trial of your truth therein Worthy Sir I very well know since Divine Providence hath devolved this Dignity filled top full of most weighty Affairs upon you that now you have somewhat else to do than to read any Books much less such a large Volume as this is yet am I not ignorant that there is such a Spiritual Tincture upon your Spirit as hath made you not a little inquisitive after the great Mysteries of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 and after the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Besides you well know 't is a great truth that the particular calling of no Man no not of the highest Employ and most perplexed with difficulties ought at all times and altogether to justle out the General Calling which is of absolute and indispensible necessity and Man's chief end and errand into the world 't was the prophane speech of that bloody Atheist Duke de Alva he had so much business and labour upon Earth that he had no leisure to look up and mind Eclipses in Heaven c. You have learnt better Lessons in Christ's School Eph. 4.20 there is a dividing aright for God in both those Callings which Cain did not and therefore was accursed there is a right rendring both unto God and unto Caesar without any injury to either of them Matth. 22.21 there is a time for all things Eccl. 3.1 c. Moreover Arcus nimis intensus rumpitur the Bow that stands always bent is soon broken All men must unstring their bow sometimes some lucid intervals are necessary to man's nature which desires some diversion and will soon evaporate without some repose Now there is do diversion more connatural to the Mind of Man and more refreshing to his Spirit than is the reading of History and of all Histories none are comparable to the Sacred History whereof it may be said as David did of Goliah's Sword there is none like that 1 Sam 21.9 the very History is dressed up in that grave and lofty stile treating all along upon the weightiest matters must needs be more pleasant to the head of Man than a thousand Romances but the deep Mystery thereof walking all along with the History of it cannot but be likewise very profitable to the heart of Man especially to the honest and good heart Luke 8.15 'T is a duty incumbent upon all persons even of all degrees sorts sizes and sexes to search the Scriptures for Eternal Life Joh 5.39 And Alphensus King of Arragon did not look upon that labour as below his Royal Dignity who as Panormitanus
Aquinas that all the Veins Nerves Humors and Bowels shall be discerned through the Body as wine is through a glass the Soul shall shine through the Body as the Candle through the Lantern and it shall then be so full of agility and nimbleness far beyond that of Asahel 2 Sam. 2.17 that Luther saith the Body shall move up and down like a thought and Austin saith The Body shall then move to any place it will and as soon as it will And Zanchy gives this Illustrating Example As an Egg before it be hatch'd is an heavy body and full of slimy Matter that sinketh downward but when it becometh a Bird and filled with life and spirits then it flyeth nimbly into the Firmament So the Body being dull and heavy now yet when hatch'd by the Resurrection â—nd filled by the Spirit of God it shall then be agile and nimble and thereupon the Apostle saith We shall be taken up to meet Christ in the air 1 Thes 4.17 the Body shall be so pure and Spiritual as to be able to mount up into the Heavens And as the Body shall then be a Transparent Coelestial Glorious and Spiritual so it shall be an Incorruptible Immortal Body 1 Cor. 15.53 54. It shall then be free both from all Actual and Potential Corruption 1. From Actual there shall then be neither defect nor deformity no want of Meat or Drink which are of a Corruptible Nature or of any other thing 2. From Potential Corruption for then the body shall be Impassible and can suffer nothing that can be hurtful to it no hurtful passions that may harm the body can then be yet there will be the comfortable passions such as Seeing and Hearing their most comforting Objects Those two Senses though others do not shall remain in the life to come as being more excellent Senses and receiving their Objects more immaterially are more Spiritual and shall be gratify'd with fulness of joy such ravishing and refreshing Spectacles and Musick as are both unexpressible and unconceivable such a joy so great as cannot enter into us but Christ saith we must enter into it Matth. 25.21 All the Bodies of the Saints shall then shine as the brightness of the firmament Dan. 12.3 and as the Stars of Heaven Matth. 13.43 yea as the Sun in his strength Judg. 5.31 Oh what a lovely sight will it be to see them together with God Christ and Angels and how transporting to hear Saints and Angels singing Anthems in their Hallelujahs to the Lord what manner of persons should we then be 2 Pet. 3.11 Now to make some Improvement of those Premisses take these Inferences following as 1rst Having viewed the Excellency of the body in the state of Innocency let us now consider it under the faln estate and 1. view it in the whole 2. in its parts 1. in the whole Oh who can contemplate this Burnt Temple but Mourn over it as they did Ezr. 3.12 Oh quantunt haec Niobe what Lamentations ought justly to be taken upon this account seeing this perfect glorious and Immortal Body is now by the fall become a vile Body yea vileness it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of vileness in the very Abstract Phil. 3.21 Now the body is Tohu Vabohu full of deformity and emptiness like that Chaos out of which all things were Created Gen. 1.2 as if the fall had reduced that Excellent Fabrick the Body to its first Chaos again Now the Body is truly called the spoil of Time this curious silver-piece that shone so splendidly when it first came out of Gods Mint hath lost its lustre its sound its weight its Divine Image and superscription and is become a poor thin overworn groat lost in the dust or dirt of the great house of this lower world Luk. 15.8 Now Satan hath set his own limbs instead of Gods Image upon it 't is now so disguised with sin that God may well say Depart from me I know thee not for my own Creature Matth. 7.23 thou hast so marr'd thy self since I did make thee God made it a Palace a most stately structure if viewed from the highest Garret to the lowest Cellar that is from the Crown of the head to the soles of the feet consisting of many specious as well as spacious Chambers and none useless yea the Body of the Woman consists of rarer Rooms more curious capacious and roomy for Conceiving and Containing her Babe which dwelleth in her Womb as in its house and hath as it were all its Houshold-stuff about it till time at its Birth bring it forth to the light of life than the Body of Man Hence 't is said in the Hebrew Tongue that Adams Body was formed â—â—t Eves Body was builded to wit with a special skill in a fitter proportion and a more exact Composition than Mans for the end aforesaid Adams Body was made out of Paradice but Eves in it The Bodies of them both were pompous Pallaces yea magnificent Temples fit Habitations for their Divine Souls to dwell in and fit Instruments to act by but now this body is become a prison a shackle a Sepulchre to the Soul it sometimes becomes so unuseful to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepulchrum The Body is as the Grave wherein the Soul seems to be buryed and wherewith as with many weights it is really shackled Hebr. 12.1 Hence 't is one desire of the Soul to be dissolved Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be released out of prison to be set at liberty from its fetters and to return unto its proper home 2 Cor. 5.6 8.9 2 Tim. 4.6 Even to God from whence it came Eccles 12.7 And this strait betwixt two and groaning in the flesh doth not arise from the Natural Original Constitution but from sinful Corruption by the fall The Body of Man is now not only called a vile Body as above Phil. 3.21 as it is become a Compound of vileness and a lump of misery but also in the whole 't is call'd 1. a body of Sin Rom. 6.6 as it is both conceived and born in sin yea and oft both lives and dyes in sin Psal 51.5 Num. 27.3 Joh. 9.34 8.21 24. Sin is incorporated into all the parts of it as will appear after 't is call'd also 2. a body of death Rom. 7.24 which lives in Diseases and dies in dishonour 1 Cor. 15.43 a body that is dying so soon as it begins to live having the principles of Mortality in it as sin so death hath a real subsistency in the body the sense whereof made the great Apostle cry out Oh wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death from this Carcase of sin to which I am tyed 't was as noisome altogether to his Soul as a stinking Corpse to his smell yea and as burdensome to it as the stone that was tyed to the foot of Anselms Bird which when she would have flown up towards Heaven did pluck her
a Yesterday Covenant in comparison of this Covenant of Redemption 'twixt the Father and Son for us which was from Eternity It cannot be said that there was a Beginning of their Love to us whatsoever was before the VVorld and Time which was Created with the World must needs be Eternal designs of Gods good VVill to Man Luke 2.14 are no younger than God himself How many are Gods thoughts of Love to usward Psal 40.5 David cannot reckon them by retail not knowing where to begin them below Eternity therefore he doth it by whole Sale shewing the Original of those thoughts to arise out of this Eternal Covenant of the Father with the Son v. 6 7. c. the Father delighted in those thoughts of Love to the Elect from Everlasting and the Son delighted in them too Prov. 8.30 31. God began to love us in Christ assoon as he began to be himself and to love himself and his Son which indeed had no beginning but was from Eternity Oh how should this indear Gods Love to us dear is that Love of a Friend to us that hath been extended from their very Infancy and continueth unto their Death upon us How much dearer must Gods Love to us be which hath been from Eternity and will be to Eternity as it had no beginning so it can no End but lasts as long as Gad lasteth this platform is profundum sine fundo 3. Consider that our Persons should be taken into the same Covenant with the Son of God assoon as Christ was Elected we were Elected in him Eph. 1.3 4. and accepted in him v. 5 6. so brought into this Matrimonial Covenant of being betrothed to God himself Hos 2.19 wherein the Son said to the Father Here am I and the Children thou hast given me Isa 8.18 all brought into an Union above that of Angels As Christs coming under our Covenant to be made under the Law for us was his lowest abasement so his taking us into his Covenant to have interest in his Sonship and Righteousness is our highest advancement 4. Consider There is a more glorious Emanation or flowing forth of this Eternal Love of saying That if their Heathen-Gods do not hinder wickedness when they can and may hinder it they bring themselves under an unavoidable necessity of punishing men for that wickedness There be some Sâ—cinians and Arminians also that are not ashamed to symbolize with the Pagans herein being burdened with the same seeming Reason saying Why would God suffer sin to enter into the World which he might have hindered knowing he should be thereby under a necessity either of tormenting sinful men in Hell or his Innocent Son Chrifst on Earth yea both these must be tormented Ans 1. 'T is no less than blasphemy to say that the great God wanted either Wisdom or Power to prevent the entrance of sin into the World seeing he is Infinite in both his Infinite Wisdom could have designed another way than sins entrance and his Infinite Power could have accomplished that design for prevention of sin 2. Though Divine Power had undoubtedly a Dominion over sin either to prevent it or to permit it yet Divine Wisdom thought it best of all to permit it upon Reasons weighty in themselves yet unsearchable to our humane capacities VVhat man knoweth the deep mysteries of the mind of God or who hath been his Counsellor Rom. 11.34 'T was blasphemy in Alpbonso the wise the fool rather to say had he been of Gods Counsel at the first he could have amended many things that now are in the World 3. If we consider the State of Innocency under the Covenant of VVorks simply as it respects Man only so it had been better and more excellent morally that Man had never sinned and never been sick so as to need a Physician But if we consider Mans condition in that first Estate relatively as it had a respect to a more universal good to wit the Glory of God in the flowings forth of his Free Grace and the greater manifestation of his Infinite Love there is more Divine Excellency in Mans falling by sin and rising again by Christ in the Covenant of Grace Gospel-Repentance or Godly-Penitency wherein Faith fetcheth in Healing from Jesus for a sin-fick Soul is better than a Legal-Innocency a Gospel-rising than a Law standing upon many accounts 1. This was the way which the Infinite Wisdom of God invented to make the best evidence of his Love to Man as 't is said of sinful Man that he sought out many Inventions Eccles 7. v. 29. So may we say of the most holy God that he sought out a world of Inventions for the Excursion of his Love to Man and among all sorts of ways his Wisdom could invent and that in an Eternity of time too he pitcheth upon this as the best way to let Man fall into sin and to become an Enemy to God that his great Love as 't is call'd Eph. 2.4 might be the more manifest which would not have appeared so great if Man had not sinned To love Man as a Friend who had never displeased him all his life as that Elder Brother said to his Father Luke 15.29 was over-low a way of love for him who is called Love it self 1 John 4.8 16. No Man must be a sinner a God-offending creature and this must be the way whereby God commendeth his Love to Man Rom. 5.8 10. Such an unsearchable way of hidden Wisdom's inventing as neither Heighth nor Depth nor Breadth nor Length thereof could ever be found out by Man who must endeavour to Admire it but must not undertake to Express it Rom. 11.33 Eph. 3.18 19 20. Who art thou O man that dare chat and argue with the most wise God who found out this way for glorifying his own Justice upon some and his Mercy upon others Rom. 9.20 c. Oh Mercy Mercy Mercy presupposeth Misery primum Dei donum est Amor as he is Goodness so he is Love and he laid this platform from all Eternity to let out his Love in a way of Mercy permitting Man to fall into Misery meerly that it might serve as a Soil to set off the Love of God the more The second Account is As this was Gods way to set forth his Love to Man the more so 't is to raise up Man's Love to God the more That great sinner the Woman that washed Christ's feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair loved much because Christ had forgiven her much Luke 7.38 to 48. She loved him not only more than Simon there who never had faln so foully as she had done but even more than the blessed Virgin of whom we never read that she did so manifest her love to Christ in such actions as this greater sinner did who had a deeper sense and a more powerful feeling of Divine Compassions obliging her to return love for love yea proportionally measure for measure more than many that had never so faln
his Fathers House and constrained to commit himself to an hard-hearted Master for Twenty long years while Esau in the mean time had the rule of his Fathers House at his departure and after prospered to become a mighty Man notwithstanding all this neither Rebekah nor Jacob did despair of Gods Promise or doubted of the Blessing in due time to be made good and until then they made a Life out of the Promise of it which sheweth that great is the Consolaâ—ion of Gods Servants in the midst of all their Sorrows and Sufferings They carry along with them the Promise and Blessing as the Pawn and Pledge of the Heavenly Inheritance whereby in the greatest want of all things they still greatly abound and whatever of the worser part be taken from them yet this better part can never be so Luke 10.42 What though the wicked prosper and flourish within Doors as Esau did while the godly are suffering hard things abroad with their Father Jacob yet the latter do well know that the former have their portion in this Life Psal 17.14 and 't is but a Barren Mount Seir at the best that is assign'd them they are still strangers to the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 The Inheritance it self is reserved for them it may be on Earth however in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 5. Hence do they learn patience and constancy in the good ways of God who many times leads them about as he did Israel in the Wilderness suffering hard things for many years yea and confidence that God in his good time will make his Promise good to his people The fourth Remarkable Note or Observation is that rather than Gods Servant Jacob should be discourag'd by the hard things interveening betwixt the Promise and the Performance God himself will come to comfort and encourage him This brings us to the Vision of the Ladder wherein God came to comfort him and to confirm his Fathers Blessing upon him for a firmer fixing of his Faith upon it Notwithstanding this Blessing Prayer and Promise of Isaac to Jacob yet there were hard Providences quite contrary to the Promises which were hard to be reconciled together attending both Jacob's Person and his Posterity for a long time after before any performances of the Promise appeared As to Jacob's Posterity Moses gives us an Account that Esau's Posterity was sooner advanced to Royal Dignity than that of Jacob which in the Egyptian Bondage were ruled under a Rod of Iron while Esau's Off-spring were Rulers swaying a Golden Scepter Gen. 36.31 before there Reigned any King of the Sons of Israel whereupon the Hebrews observe that Israel was groaning in the Iron Furnace of Affliction while Edom plumed himself with the glittering Glories of a Royal Diadem From whence is an undeniable consequence That Pomp and Prosperity is no Infallible Evidence of the true Church As the Romanists say Luther proves Rome to be a false Church quia sine cruce Regnat because she fetcheth her best marks from the goodness of her Markets If so This will prove Edom a truer Church than that of Israel and though Edom reigned sooner than Israel yet they sooner perished Citiùs exoriuntur impii citiùs exuruntur like the Grass that grows upon the House top may grow up sooner than that of the Field yet it withereth sooner the Mower fills not his Hâ—nds with it Psal 129.6 7. as holding it not worth gathering wicked Men are useless Creatures set up on high for a time but on slippery places Ps 7.3.18 advanced as Haman but to be brought down with a Vengeance and that suddenly whereas the Inheritance of the Children of God Continueth for ever Psal 102.28 by vertue of the Covenant And as to Jacobs person which is the matter in hand and therefore here mentioned after his Posterity Moses gives an Account also that Esau's person was Solacing himself at home in his Fathers House while Jacob was driven from it to Travel into a strange and far Countrey about 500 Miles distance where when Seventy Seven years Old he must be bound Apprentice for a Wife to a churlish Master for Seven years more Whereas long before this Esau had taken to himself two Wives not consulting his Parents nor craving their consent yea contrary to their practice who contented themselves with one to one according to the first Institution Gen. 2.24 and these two which should have been but one were two Hittites the worst sort of the Cursed Canaanites Ezek. 16.3 and therefore Esau's Marriage was a great grief to both his Parents minds Gen. 26.34 35. and 27.46 not only because he had shewed less respect to them in point of Marriage than scoffing Ishmael had done who Married according to his Mothers mind Gen. 21.21 though she was but a Woman and a Bond-woman too yet submits to her disposal therein but also because Esau had Married against both his Noble Parents Wills two untractable Idolatresses of a Rebellious Race and Spirit Rabbys say resisting the godly Council of Isaac and Rebekah whereas Ishmael as we read took but one only And as if this had been too little provocation to Pious Parents by a prophane person when he saw that Jacob was sent to Padan-Aram for a Wise and that his own two Canaanitish Wives were an offence to his Parents he to please them will take another Wife of the stock of Abraham a Daughter of Ishmael his Fathers Brother Gen. 28.6 7 8 9. This he did to please his Father not minding at all whether he or his Wives pleased God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10.4 By this Marriage he thought to make amends for his faults in his two first and to please his Father better than before but this third Marriage makes him a worse Husband in the multiplication of Wives The former for any thing appearing to the contrary being both alive nor did this make him the better Son for he being the Son of a Free man should not have married the Offspring of the Bond-woman and one that belong'd not to the Covenant of Grace In this prophane person Esau we have a Specimen or Pourtraicture of the best Practices of prophane People who are 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After-witted as Esau was of whom 't is said twice when Esau saw Gen. 28.6 and when Esau saw v. 8. but both times he saw too late and therefore what he did was to little purpose This non putâram or Fools Had I wist in an After-wit or over-late sight is never good neither in Piety nor in Policy Such as Future their Repentance being as Seneca saith semper victuri always about to amend their Manners yet never meet with a time to begin it will find this true when in the midst of their trifling about Offers and Essays of Reformation they are snatch'd away by Death and shut out of Heaven The Patriarchal Blessing was now bestowed upon Jacob though banished and though Esau lived as Lord at Home and now labour'd to please
for me for he was never plung'd into any sore Maladies but God presently sent him most seasonable and suitable Remedies So that it was with him as with those that live under the Aequinoctial Line his Day was ever as long as his Night and sometimes longer as it is with those under the Tropick of Cancer in the Summer Season As his Afflictions abounded so his Consolations abounded also 2 Cor. 1.5 His Antidotes were answerable to his Adversities 'T was not only thus with Jacobs Person but with his Posterity also who sometimes were Sighing at the bitter Waters of Marah and sometimes Singing at Pharaoh's overthrow in the Red-Sea c. to teach both us and them that this life is like the Land of Canaan a Land of Hells and Valleys Deut. 11.11 of ups and down God tempers our afflictions with his Favours it shall not be all Night with us nor all Day the time when there shall be no Night is reserved for another World Rev. 22.5 with 21.25 the day of glorified Saints is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Nightless Day there is no fear of a sudden surprize by a subtle Enemy there in the night season Indeed this Patriarch Jacob had longer Nights than any of the other Patriarchs from hence the Church in Affliction is always called Jacob in Scripture but never is she call'd either Abraham or Isaac for he had his Seas of Sorrow to swim in where they did but barely wet their Feet Abraham sends his Servant with brave provisions to provide a Wise for his Son Isaac but when poor Jacob wants a Wise he must steal out secretly out of his Fathers house in stead of sending his Fathers Steward as before footing it five hundred Miles as the Scripture Itinerary tells us and most stupendous stories are recorded of him above all others in the sacred History of his Life which beginneth at his Birth Gen. 25.26 and endeth at his Death Gen. 50.1 So that the account Moses gives us of the condition of his Life containeth no less than twenty five Chapters of that his first book of the Pentateuch which is just half of the whole Book and which cannot be parallell'd by any of his Histories of the lives of the other Patriarchs some whereof he gives but a very brief touch and a short relation though he insist so long upon this Holy man who lived not near to some of their ages as he said to Pharaoh Few and Evil have the days of my Pilgrimage been c. Gen. 47.9 few in comparison of his forefathers who lived many years longer and evil in respect of the manifold crosses which some reckon to he above ten attending him This Jacob had the deepest Draught of the Cup of Affliction above all the other Patriarchs no sooner was one Evil over and gone but another comes upon him no sooner had he waded out of one Affliction but he was presently plung'd into another fluctus fluctum trudit one deep call'd upon another Psal 42.7 one trouble like Jobs Messengers treads upon the Heels of another to omit all other Instances no sooner had Laban left pursuing Jacob behind and well quit of that unkind Uncle but presently tidings come that his bloody minded Brother Esau was approaching to affault him before This brought him into the Bryers out of which he was newly escaped again thus God is pleased to exercise his Servants giving them interchangeable causes and occasions sometimes of fears and sometimes of comforts that their Hearts may be kept in an Holy frame and in an equal poize betwixt despairing in adversity and presuming in prosperity here Jacob was a Joyful man that Laban had left him not only in peace but also with a Kiss and with a Covenant too Gen. 31.44 55. Now he thinks himself safe and his thoughts of his safety were not only confirmed but also compleated by the Apparition of a double Host of Angels as the word Mahanaim signifies making a Lane for his safe progress guarding him on both hands the Hebrew is in the dual number Gen. 32.1 2. herein was Jacob's joy but presently a mar-mirth follows news is brought him v. 6. that his enraged Brother was upon his March with four hundred cut-throats at his heels v. 6. to Revenge himself upon him for a wrong of twenty years standing to wit the robbing him of the birth-right and of the Blessing by force of Arms Esau's approaching in an Hostile manner gave just ground for Jacob's fear that he came not as a Friend then he needed no such Train and he would if so have sent some kind message to his Brother but as an Enemy this brings Jacob into another sad consternation v. 7. ex caelo repentè quasi in infernum detruditur saith Pareus he is affrighted out of his former joy and much terrified with Esau's Hostile intentions expecting nothing but Blows and Blood from him v 8. He was greatly afraid which put him to this point of prudence so to Marshal his weak company as to save what he could when he could not expect to keep his All and that which damp'd this good man the more was the Angels that came to comfort him were gone away from him when his bloody Brother was marching towards him he could not but argue thus within himself How unseasonably had I the Army of Angels which appeared to me between my two dangers before of Laban and now of Esau but not in either of them Their Apparition to me was when I had no need of their protection Esau now comes but my Angels are gone when I most need them no doubt but this was Jacob's weakness thus to despond after so many Promises of Gods presence and after such an Apparition of Angels as his protectors which doubtless God sent to corroborate his Faith against his Fear who thereupon might argue though my Brother Esau come against me with 400 Armed Men yet God hath a stronger Amy of Angels in readiness for my relief though they now appear not because he would have me to live by Faith more than by Sense Those Ministring Spirits do Minister many a Blessing to Gods Servants tho' Invisibly and Insensibly they will not be seen of us to receive any Thanks much less Worship from us And herein the mighty power of God was the more glorified that made Esau who came out as an Enemy in the very way of his March to become Jacob's Friend nay as his good Angel yea to look upon his Brothers face as the face of God Gen. 33.4 10. I am not Ignorant how some Learned Men have more charitable thoughts for Esau saying that he came here as a Friend to congratulate Jacob's return not as an Enemy to be reveng'd upon him and they render this plausible Reason for this opinion to wit If Esau could restrain himself when he was in his freshest and hottest pangs of Passion from a filial reverence to his aged Father over-awing the execution of his revengeful resolves it is
the Man rather than burn with Lust takes God's Remedy in Marrying though a Levite and in Bondage and for any thing he knew was like to beget Children either for Slavery or Slaughter we must do our Duty and leave the Success to God the Woman now very old having a Daughter Miriam able to watch Moses her Brother when cast into the River was one of those lively Women Exod. 1.19 that had Lady Faith for her Midwife which deliver'd the grave of her Dead Children Hebr. 11.35 much more the Womb of her quick and living The Voice of the Lord makes the Hinds those girtest of Creatures to cast forth her sorrows with Joy Psal 29.9 Job 39.1 2. No less than Faith could possibly be the stay and support of Jochebed in her Travelling Throws for supposing her Burden she was bringing forth to be a Male then must she think of his Birth and Death both together whereas the Travels of other Women are mitigated with Hope and countervailed with Joy of a Manchild being born into the World Joh. 16.21 but alas her Pains in Travel were doubled in her with Fear it should prove a Male the Remedy to others must be a Malady and matter of Complaint to her yea the very crying of her New-born Child she might justly fear would call in some Cut-throat and Male-murdering Egyptian She brought forth Moses and when she saw he was a goodly Child Exod. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair to God Act. 7.20 having a Divine Beauty upon him or as some read it fair by God as if God had in some singular manner put an extraordinary splendour upon the Child When the Mother saw this her beautiful Babe she would have given all the Substance of her House to save the life of her Son she hides him three Months in her House as she had hid him nine Months in her Womb and when her House could hold her hidden Treasure no longer no more than her Womb had done she gives him a third hiding in an Ark of Bulrushes Exod. 2.3 This the Apostle calls not an act of natural Affection only but an act of Faith also and commends the Father for it as well as the Mother who was the principal Agent because he consented to it as Saul did to Stephen's Death Act. 22.20 and concurred with it both of them trusting in God's blessing their means of hiding to their Sons Preservation Hebr. 11.13 fearing nothing of the King's Command This is Remarkable the Lord marked what them Faith had but not what their Faith wanted for it was only a weak Faith they had only Faith in hiding Moses three Months and when that term was expired their weak Faith cast him then out upon the Waters where Man ends God begins and becomes Moses's Keeper The Second Remark is concerning Moses's Person as before his Parents who was famous for his Birth Life and Death First For his Birth Moses was famous in many fair Circumstances not only for his own fairness and comely features forementioned wherewith he was Born as a presage of great Undertakings and whereby as by an Instrument first his Parents were moved to hide him in faith of his Safety and then Pharaoh's Daughter was moved also to have Compassion on him and to save him from being Drowned Exod. 2.2.6 But likewise 1. That he was Born as another Isaac of Jochebed when she was very old as Isaac was of Sarah yet one of the lively Women that brought forth this fair Son without the help of those Midwives which had the cruel Decree of the King to slay all the Males at their Birth 2. He was Born as another Enoch who is call'd the Seventh from Adam Jude ver 14. as Heber was the Seventh from Henoch and Isaac the Seventh from Heber All excellent ones among ordinary Men as the Sabbath is among the Six ordinary Week-Days and famous in their Generations So was Moses Born the Seventh from Abraham and as Enoch walk'd with God so did Moses and as Enoch was a Prophet and a Preacher of Righteousness so was Moses also 3. Like a new Noah who was saved by an Ark Moses was accordingly saved by an Ark of Bulrushes when but three Months old He lay floating upon the Waters as Noah had done in the Deluge and had there the Hidings of God's Power Hab. 3.4 When neither any Friend of his nor his own Parents dare own him then God doth Challenge his Custody and indeed never was Moses safer even while All the Tribes of Israel pitch'd their Tents about his Tent than he was at this time of Danger when the Lord himself took care for his Deliverance 4. Moses like our Blessed Messias could not be hid Mar. 7.24 this New-born Child could not be hid in the House wherein he was Born nor lay he long hid in the Ark by the Rivers Brink for by the over-ruling Providence of God Pharaoh's Daughter was brought forth to Bathe her self in the River as she designed but as the Lord order'd it she was brought thither to do what she little dream'd of namely to Discover and also to Deliver the Child from perishing Exod. 2.5 6. She saw the Ark bid her Maid fetch it We none of us know what God hath to do for us when we go abroad The beauty of this weeping Babe and its singular fairness far beyond the Egyptian black hew discover'd it an Hebrew and moved her Bowels of pity to it Miriam Moses Sister saw all those passages afar off with a glad Heart hastens thither and offers her Service to Hire a Nurse for the Child which was its own Mother whom the Princess pays nobly for Nursing her own Child Exod. 2.7 8 9. the Nurse usually expects not Wages from the Child but from the Parents Thus all Pastors when their People prove unkind or unthankful must look up to the Father of their People in Heaven Here God out-bids Jochebed's Hopes as well as her Fears She would have given all she was worth for the Child's weal a little before this and now she shall have the pleasure of Nursing it her self who could have been well enough pleased a Stranger of the Egyptian Women had been a kind Nurse to it and Royal Pay too yea and all this with Authority Thus God rewarded the Faith of Moses Parents in their not fearing the King's Commandment Hebr. 11.23 because it was Unjust and Impious The Duties of the second Table must yield to those of the first They durst not incur the Danger of a Sin to avoid the Danger of a Mischief better Obey God with whom we must live for ever than Man with whom we must stay but a very little time said Antigona in Sophocles we ought to obey God rather than Man Act. 4.19 and 5.29 and Dan. 3.18 and as God rewarded their Piety so he did their Godly Policy Religion allows something of the Serpent as well as of the Dove lawful Policies have from God not only liberty in the Use but his
Nilus which they Adored and for which end it is supposed Pharaoh was going down to pay his Homage to that Idol when God bade Moses go meet him in the morning Exod. 7.15 This is intimated in Ezek. 29.3 9. where they are twitted twice for Idolizing it but God made it loathsom to them Exod. 7.18 4. In their Fish which was their daily and delicate Diet Numb 11.5 for the Flesh of many Beasts they out of Superstition would not eat of as abominable Exod. 8.26 All the Fish died when their Water was turned into Blood Exod. 7.21 5. In their Bodies wherein they greatly prided themselves but the Boils God smote them with spoil'd all their Beauties in their well-built Bodies 6. In their Children when in every House there was a dead Corps and that not of a Slave or Servant but of their First-born All these were the Idols of Egypt Exod. 12.12 Zeph. 2.11 Thirdly and Lastly They were plagu'd in all their Senses As 1. In their Seeing for they lost all sight when the Plague of Darkness took away their Light for three days unless it were horrible sights mentioned in Apocrypha Wisdom 17.6 7. however their comfort of Seeing they lost 2. In their Hearing Oh what a Consternation Dread and Terror seiz'd upon them when God uttered his terrible voice in those frightful Thunders in the Plague of Hail when Fire ran along upon the ground yet did not melt the Hail-stones Exod. 9.23 this must be Supernatural and therefore the more dreadful which might make them think that God was come to Rain Hell-fire out of Heaven upon them as he had done before this upon wicked Sodom Gen. 19. How did this voice of the Lord break the Câ—dars c. Psal 29 5 6 c. yea every Tree of the Field Exod. 9.25 3. In their Smelling both by the stench of the Frogs Exod. 8.14 which might mind them of their Sin that made them stink before God and likewise by the stinking rotten matter that ran out of those Ulcers wherewith they were smitten Exod. 9.9 10 11. As they had oppressed Gods people with Furnace work in making Brick so the Ashes of that Furnace became burning Boils that brake forth into putrid running Sores c. 4. In their Tasting both by the Waters turned into Blood because in them they had shâ—d the Blood of the Male Hebrew Children these Bloody Men had Blood to drink for they were worthy Rev. 16.6 Their River Nilus they used to boast of to the Grecians saying in mockery to them If God should forget to Rain they might chance to perish for it the Rain they thought was of God but not their River Ezek. 29.3 9. therefore to confute them in their confidence as God threatens to dry it up Isa 19.5 6. so here to bereave them of all the comfortable use of it they now loathed to drink of it Exod. 7.18 19 20. God cursed their blessings Mal. 2.2 and also by their thirst thereby procured Drinking such Bloody Water did rather torture their Taste than please their Palate or quench their Thirst 5. In their Touching or Feeling by their dolorous shooting pangs in their Body when the sin of their Souls broke forth into Sores of their Bodies which pained them so that as they could not now sleep in a whole Skin as hitherto they had done so they gnawed their own Tongues for pain this was superadded to the bitings of Flies Wasps Flying Serpents c. whereby some might be stung to death Psal 78.45 and the Magicians themselves who had so insolently imitated Moses the Devil being God's Ape were branded with those Boils to detect their contumacy Besides also the Frogs ravening upon their Bodies so irresistibly c. must needs be very offâ—nsive to their Sense of Touching Lastly As if all this had been too little to fill up the measure of their Plagues and Punishments Pharaoh and all his Forces that hitherto had escaped were all drawn blindfold into the noose by fair way weather c. and then were drowned in the Red Sea Exod. 14.8 9 21 24 28. The seventh Remark in the General is The marvellous correspondency betwixt the Plagues upon the old Literal Egypt with its Pharaoh and the new Mystical Egypt with its false Prophet When the Lord comes to plague this new Egypt Rev. 11.8 He will deal with the Romish Pharaoh for persecuting his Gospel Churches as he dealt with the Egyptian Pharaoh for oppressing his Antient Israel therefore in the seven Vials Rev. 16. there is mention made of Boils Blood and Darkness Frogs c. which is a plain Allusion to the Plagues of Egypt only with this difference The Vision of the Vials begins first with the sixth Plague upon Egypt bringing a noisom Boil upon all the Worshippers of the Beast and the reason may be because that sixth Plague was upon Jannes and Jambres the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses Exod. 9.11 so this vexing Plague that is placed first shall fall upon the Ring-leaders of Mis-rule in the Antichristian Egypt and shall reach Home at the first blow when Reformation begins The second and third of the Vials refer both to that one of Blood in Egypt to shew how it shall exceed that wherein they had some relief by digging for Water Exod. 7.24 but this comes throughly Home without any relief and the Throne of the Beast shall be darkened by the fifth Vial as Pharaoh's Kingdom was by the ninth Plague And the Egyptian Plague of Frogs is translated in the Vials into a more dangerous tenour c. CHAP. XVII The History and Mystery of Israel's Deliverance from Egypt NOW come we to the Concomitants the second part of the Premises proposed of Israel's Deliverance and Departure as the word Exodus signifies out of Egyp They are three 1. The beginning of the year is Altered 2. The yearly Passcover is Appointed And 3. The First born of Israel are Sanctified to God Exod. Chap. 12. and 13. The first of these hath this Remark That Abib which signifies opening or part of our March and of our April being the time of Flowers opening must be the beginning of Months Exod. 12.2 at which time some say most probably the World was Created and Noah's Flood began these words therefore give not properly any new Institution as some say but rather a reviving of the old Custom of beginning the year from that time which use had been discontinued in Egypt for a long time by another use of that Countrey which began their year in Autumn At Spring all things begin to revive the Days lengthening and the Sun ascending and now the whole Creation seemed to rejoice at Israel's Release out of Egypt this was a Figure of the Churches Redemption by the Messias who by his Death in this Month John 18.28 c. gave a new life and reviving to the faln bewintered and withered World 1 Cor. 5.7 8. and 2 Cor. 5.17 Rev. 21.5 Thereby also is the Church
it but small in comparison of what was to come when God shall speak to his People by his own Son whom this Ark Mercy-Seat and Oracle did represent as all the Sacrifices did represent his Death and the Tabernacle it self represented his Body Heb. 9.11 John 2.19 21. who by himself purges sin Heb. 1.1 2 3 c. Note Thirdly That the death of Nadab and Abihu fell out in this Month on the very day that the service of the Altar began Levit. 10.1 2 c. These young Priests overjoyed perhaps with their new imploy or haply over-warmed with Wine as some gather from v. 9. overshoot themselves in the first day of their Service in offering strange Fire c. Our Materials of Worship must have Divine Warrant wherein God's Command not Man's Wit or Will must be our Rule By Fire they sinned and by Fire they perished They slighted that Fire sent down in favour from God Levit. 9.24 and a Fire of Judgment comes down from God to consume them Thus the service of the Sanctuary by their means began with Death and Judgment on those Priests as in the practice of the Moral Law the People began with Idolatry which shews both the Law 's weaknefs and it's Priesthood's imperfection which gave way to that better of Christ seeing the Law could make nothing perfect Heb. 7. ver 18 19 26 c. The 14th Remark here is So soon as the Tabernacle was reared the Rules concerning Sacrifices and the consecration of the Sacrificers were given and those Priests had on the eighth day of the first Month of the second year on which day Nadab and Abihu perish'd by their presumption had accomplish'd their first Sanctuary service then drew near the fourteenth day of that first Month whereon God had commanded the Celebration of the Passover Exod. 12.2.6.14 Now because that old Command the last year in Egypt seems to enjoyn them this service only when they were come into the Land of Canaan Exod. 12.25 therefore they would not have kept it at all in the Wilderness without special Warrant nor did they keep any more Passovers but one all their forty years wandrings because of their often and uncertain removes 'till they came to Canaan Josh 5.10 Hereupon God gave them a New and Second Command to Celebrate one Passover in the Wilderness of Sinai before their removal thence that they might compleat the whole Service of the Sanctuary at this most Famous their Twelfth Station This is not Recorded 'till Numb 9.1 to 15. tho' this Passover was kept a few days after the death of Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10. and in the Month before the numbring of the People all along the former Chapters of Numbers which was not begun 'till the second Month of the second year expresly Numb 1.1 2. Whereupon the Rabbies as Sol. Jarchi here do observe there is no order of former and latter in the Law The Holy Spirit that indicted the Scriptures binds not up himself to the order of time so much as to the observation of truth and seeming dislocations may upon good grounds be found upon Record tho' the Reason thereof do not readily appear to us as is plain here for Moses's chief aim in Numb 9. was to relate the new Dispensation for a Passover in the second Month which was a matter of great moment because God's first Institution had confined the Passover to the fourteenth day of the first Month Exod. 12.2 14. and had there been no divine direction for such a Translation in cases of casual uncleanness's journeyings afar off c. it had been no better than Will-Worship and so abhorred of God This Story therefore of the Passover transferred being that which Moses mainly respected in this Relation he Records it in its proper place after the muster of the Twelve Tribes which was made in the second Month and at the mention thereof he brings in the mention of the right Passover in the first Month from which God dispenses for one in the second Although there was yet no express Law for excluding any persons from the Passover or at least the practice of it was not yet brought in nevertheless grounds of a just scruple these Men had who said Why are we kept from the first Passover Numb 7.9 well knowing in the general that God who is pure in himself requireth purity in all persons that approach his presence as 2 Chron. 30.18 c. The very light of Nature informed the Heathens that their Sacrificers were to purifie themselves some days before they Sacrificed and they had their Coena pura the night before c. Those Persons therefore being conscious to themselves of some legal pollutions yet having an ardent desire to partake of the Passover they propound their Case of Conscience to Moses knowing him to be a Messenger an Interpretr one among a thousand c. Job 33.23 a Merchant to Sell Oil and the Balm of Gilead to cure consciences Math 25.9 Jerem. 8.22 Not like the Romish Casuists who write Cases that is Covers of Conscience but rightly resolve none Nor doth Moses resolve this case out of his own head but humbly confesses he was but the Eccho of God's Voice who must give an answer of peace as Joseph said Gen. 41.16 Stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you Numb 9.8 This Man of God and Master of Israel undertakes not to take God's work out of his hand who alone is able to resolve Religious doubts and tho' God doth not this nown an extraordinary manner as he did then by the mouth of Moses yet speaketh he now to all our cases of Consciences in his holy Scripture which we must own as our Standing Oracle and rely upon that not on any man's word without it much less against it Isa 8.20 Moses himself dare do nothing without a word from God Paul dare deliver nothing to the Church but what he first had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 that the Faith of his hearers might not be fixed on the Wisdom of Man but on the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Yea one far above either Moses or Paul namely Christ neither spake nor did any thing of himself but what his Father taught him Joh. 7.16 17. and 8.28 To this Religious Demand of those scrupling persons God returns a gracious Dispensation which the Hebrew Doctors call a Command by it self and which if they had not received their Passover in the second month had been as bad as Jeroboam's Feast of Tabernacles which he kept in the eighth month whereas God had appointed it in the seventh Levit. 23.4 34. a month which he had devised of his own heart 1 King 12.32 33. The appointed season was the first month Numb 9.3 God dispenses ver 9 10 c. Nor may it be question'd Numb 9. but this Translation of the Passover from the first month to the second by Divine Authority had its weighty significancy which pointeth rather at
Exodus Leviticus and Numbers as likewise it is a repetition of the principal matters that had befaln them in their forty years travel from Egypt to this last Station and Recorded in the three Books of Moses aforesaid There be but few Histories falling forth in this Record of only the two last Months and therefore the fewer Remarks must be made upon it so far as it affords new Histories The First Remark is to shew the Reasons why Moses in this Fifth Book runs over and repeats the old Laws and the old Stories before Recorded The First Reason was Because all that old Generation of Israel who received the Law at Mount Sinai were now dead in the Wilderness Deut. 1.35 39. and among the Aaron their High-Priest was now dead also Numb 20.25 Therefore Moses Rehearseth here the principal Laws given to their Fathers unto this new Generation that were either not yet born at that time or were then so young as to be uncapable of understanding the Law at Sinai to whom Moses addeth a large Explication of the Law not before delivered which may be Remarked upon afterwards The Second Reason is That Moses having conducted this new Generation to the very confines of Canaan for the space of forty years in a long Pilgrimage through the Wilderness he might prepare them for their possession of the Promised Land therefore he publickly preacheth these two last Months to them and presseth them to obedience c. lest their sins should cut them off in Canaan as their Father's sins had cut themselves off in the Wilderness And The Third Reason is That Moses might renew the Covenant betwixt the Lord and this new Generation requiring a solemn promise from them for the performance of it Thus all this was done Deut. 29. and thus Moses spent the two last Months of his Life would to God we could learn to do so when he knew by Divine Revelation that he must live no longer The Second Remark is After Moses had made a Rehearsal of God's Inestimable benefits to them on the one side and of their Ingratitude Murmurings and Rebellions on the other side in the four first Chapters of this Book he out of a Pastoral Prudence and Providence lays the Law again before them Chap. 5. and expounds the first Command of the Decalogue Chap. 6 to the 11. in which and the 12th Chap. is the 2d Command explained by abolishing false Worship then the 3d Command is opened in the abuse of God's name by False Prophets Chap. 13. and how holy Communion must be being taught by clean Meats c. ch 14. The 4th Command is explained by the Rites of the Sabbath Year the Solemn Feasts c. Chap. 15 16. The 5th Command of Obedience to Governours Civil and Ecclesiastical but not to hearken unto False Prophets Chap. 17.18 The 6th Command concerning Murder Wars c. Chap. 19 and 20 21. The 7th Command touching Adultery Rape Incest c. Chap. 22. The 8th Command concerning Usury and Payment of Vows Pledges or Man-Stealers Wages Weights c. Chap. 23 24 25. The Third Remark is Moses addeth some more Ordinances which he had not mentioned before in the three former Books as the Homage unto God to be paid when they came to Canaan Chap. 26. and the writing of the Law upon stones Chap. 27. and the many blessings promised to the obedient and many curses threatned to the disobedient Chap. 28. and the renewing of the Covenant Chap. 29. together with a promise of mercy to Penitent Sinners believing in Christ Chap. 30. then follows an History 'till Moses's death N. B. To All which is added that Moses Rehearsing the Ten Commandments in Deut. 5. proposeth a Reason for the Sabbath's Ordaining differing from that in Exod. 20. There it was because God rested on the Seventh Day implying the Sabbath's morality and perpetuity But here it is because of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt and so it respecteth the Jewish Sabbath most properly c. Now come we to the last History concerning Moses to wit the last Facts of his Life a little before his Death After which followeth the famous Relation both of his Death and of his Burial c. Of the first of those famous Facts that Moses did last before his Death an account is given in Deuteronomy Chap. 31. Wherein we find a Treble Record thereof The First is the Resignation of his Grand Government of Israel unto Joshua his Successor in which resigning Act Moses declareth the grounds of laying down that great Burden to be Just and Honest 1. Because of his old Age. And 2. Because it was the declined Will of God that it should be done And withal He encourageth his Successor both to Possess and to divide the Land of Promise having the Presence of God with him in that double Work from ver 1 to 9 and ver 23. The Second Record is His Deuteronomy which was written by himself this he commanded to be solemnly Read relating by whom to whom where when why and how oft and to be laid up and preserved in the Ark from ver 9 to ver 14. and ver 25 26 27. The Third Record is his Prophetical Song wherein He foretelleth Israel's falling away from God and God's anger against them for so doing Moses commandeth this Song to be written to be learnt and Sung by all the People as a standing Testimony against their Apostasy from ver 14 to 30. Now follow the Remarks upon this Chap. 31. The First is Such an Accent and Emphasis is put upon this Histoircal Passage that as the renewing of the Covenant between God and Israel was made by the Rabbins Deut. 29. the one and fiftieth Section or Lecture of the Law so here they begin the two and fiftieth Section wherein Moses setteth forth the State of Israel before his Death and Vatablus makes this Story in Chap. 31. the Ninth Division of the Book rendring Vaialek ambidavit Moses walk'd from his House to his Pulpit c. The Second Remark is Moses's Age ver 2. an hundred and twenty which is divided in Scripture into three equal Forties Moses lived in Pharaoh's Court forty Years Act. 7.20 23. and his second forty was in Banishment in the Land of Midian Act. 7.29 30. Exod. 7.7 and his last forty was his Conduct of Israel through their wandrings in the Wilderness This same Term of an hundred and twenty Years was Noah preaching to the old World and building his Ark Gen. 6 3 14. 1 Pet. 3.19 20. the Doctrin he taught them was aut poenitendum aut pereundum either repent in that time or perish for ever As to the complaint Moses makes of his inability here to bear any longer so great a Burden may be wondred at on this account because his hundred and twenty Years had not made him unable for when he died His sight was not dim nor his natural Force abated Deut. 34.7 but it was upon another account that disenabled him namely He
Honey God will not be too prodigal of his favours in too lavishingly expending them and thereby exposing them to be scorn'd as superfluous things The Seventh Remark is The appearance of the Son of God to his Servant General Joshua verse 13. To the end where we have a whole Bundle of very Remarkable Marks As 1. This Apparition was no created Angel for then he had not admitted of Adoration Revel 19.10 and 22.9 but is called Jehova Josh 6.2 The Son of God who oft appeared to the Sons of men as Preludes to his Incarnation He was oft in carne before he was ex carne saith Tertullian from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or love to Men Tit. 3.4 Luke 2.14 His delight being among the Sons of Men Prov. 8.31 as after his Resurrection he appeared to Mary Magdalen in the the form of a Gardner Joh. 20. and to the two Disciples Travelling to Emmaus in the form of a Traveller Luk. 24. so here before his incarnation in the form of a Captain as the matter did require And that at with a drawn Sword in his Hand vers 13. Oh pray that Christ may never lay down or Sheath this Sword which he first drew at the first enmity Gen. 3.16 for there begins the Book of the Wars of the Lord for the defence of his Church until all the Enemies thereof yea the last of them namely Death be destroyed Secondly Mark here Joshua's Courage in daring to approach an◠Armed Man and no doubt of a most Majestick countenance not knowing whether he might not be a Foe and that some Ambuscade might be laid to entrap him and to cut him off while alone this shews how bravely God had qualify'd Joshua for a General of his Army Thirdly Such as be found doing their Duty and keeping within Christ's Precincts they shall not only have Christ's Protection but his Presence also that Joshua was doing his Duty in the Fields of Jericho may not be doubted some say he was Praying there others that he was Meditating there assuredly he was like a good General viewing the ground and where was the fittest place to attempt Jericho Sure I am he was not asleep there for 't is said He lift up his Eyes c. to shew that his Vigilancy was equal to his Valour Fourthly The Eternal Son of God when daringly asked by Joshua who he was and whom he was for Answered verse 14. That he was neither Israelite nor Canaanite but Chief General both of the Host of Angels which fight for the Church Dan. 10.13 21. Revel 12.7 and 19.11 14. and of the Host of Israel whom I am come to assist against all their Enemies and to give thee directions by what means Jericho shall be conquered Fifthly Christ's discovery of himself suddenly changeth Joshua's daring confidence while he thought him a mere Man into a most humble and Awful Reverence of God's glorious presence insomuch that he falls down flat upon his Face to the Ground before him and declaring withal how ready he was to obey his Divine commands Sixthly Christ's 1st command to him was loose of thy Shoes verse 15. which was used to express the highest Degree of Humiliation under Gods severest Dispensations 2 Sam. 15.30 Isa 20.2 4. Ezek. 24.17 23. Thus Moses Exod. 3.4 and Joshua here to express their own nothingness before the Lord not for any inherent Holiness in the place for it was but common ground when Christ was gone and to make Joshua more attentive to his commands Josh 6.2.3 c. CHAP. VI. JOsh The 6th relateth the overthrow of Jericho where we have 1. Its Antecedents 2. Its Concomitants and 3. Its consequents The Antecedents 1. Are the Terror upon the Townsmen vers 1. in shuting up their Gates not by night only as before Josh 2.5 but by Day also keeping them constantly shut from all Egress and Regress 2. The Lord's Appearance both instructing and comforting Joshua in taking the City both safely and easily verse 2 3 4 5. 3. Joshua's faithfulness in declaring Gods Commands both to the Priests verse 6. and to the People how and when they should compass Jericho in verse 7. Sound the Trumpets and make a General Shout verse 10.16 4. The obedience of both Priests and People to the Lords Commands both Generally verse 8.9 11. and specially in all the seven days verse 12 13 14. 5. The Anathema or Curse of God upon all Man and Beast in it verse 17 18. excepting 1. Persons as Rahab and her kindred verse 17. and 2. Things as Mettals and what were made thereof verse 19. Secondly The Concomitants of Jericho's overthrow as 1. when and upon what day of its compassing verse 15. 2. by what means namely by the sounding of the Trumpets and by the Shoutings of the People verse 20. Thirdly The Consequents are 1. The Destruction of all living Creatures in it verse 21. 2. The Preservation of Rahab with her Family verse 22 23. and 25. 3. The Conflagration of the City verse 24. 4. The Rebuilding of it Cursed verse 26. The Curse fulfilled 2. Kings 6.34 5. Joshua's fame by this noble fact was spread abroad verse 27. This is the logical Analysis or Resolution now the Theological Remarks or Observations The First Remark is The Signification of the Name Jericho the Etymology whereof is Twofold 1. Jericho is derived of Jarach which signifies the Moon because this City was built in the form of an Half-Moon now Decrasing and weaning away yea just entring into a total Eclypse and that which was worst of all Gods direful Curse is denounced against that Man who durst endeavour to help this Moon to a new Increase and renewing of her Horns Josh 6.26 Or 2. 't is derived of Reiach which fignifies to smell sweetly for the fragrancy of the Balsoms Opo Balsamum Karpo Balsamum Xulo Balsamum All which did most happily abound about that City The more mercies that they did and we do enjoy the greater was theirs and is our condemnation when those excellent mercies God gives us are not rightly improved The Second Remark is The Situation of this City it was a Frontier Town near Jordan upon the Skirts of Canaan and opposite to Jerusalem Luke 10.30 In the Travellers Journey tho' he went the wrong way for he should have travelled from Jericho this cursed City unto Jerusalem call'd the Holy City Joshua here first assaults this Frontier City He travelling the right way will not leave this City as a nest of Rebels unsubdued behind him but he levels Jericho that he might the better march on to Jerusalem Oh that our Joshua or Jesus may not leave a nest of Spiritual Enemies behind unsubdued to hinder our March towards that Blessed Jerusalem which is above Gal. 4.26 The Third Remark is The Fortification of it If those Threescore Cities which Moses conquer'd on the other side Jordan were all fenced with High Walls Gates and Bars Deut. 3.4 5. How much more were those many Cities within Canaan on this
gone c. this gave them good cause to weep c. but they hoped that in his Wrath he would remember Mercy Habb 3.2 The Third Remark is The Repetition of the Story of Joshua's Dismission of the People from his Parliament at Shechem c. borrowed from Josh 24.28 29. and mentioned here from ver 6. to 11. this is done in order to a discovery of the Time Cause or occasion of Israel's Defection from God and God's Desertion of them these five Verses have Joshua's Death and the Death of those Godly Elders about his Age c. Inserted in them to clear the way of all the ensuing Stories Vatablus his Note here is that these things are spoken here by way of Recapitulation that the Sum and Argument of this whole Book may be in this place set down together and à Lapide calls it an Hysteron-proteron repeating what was done long ago as if now done that the Author might more commodiously pass from Joshua to the Original and Institution of the Judges that succeeded Joshua But others are of Opinion that these Verses have a due Connexion to the words of the Angel in ver 1.2 who told them that the Idols of the Canaanites will become your ruine and now those Verses declare how this really came to pass and when and by what means dating it from the Death of Joshua c. then they began to forsake the Lord but above all Dr. Lightfoot's Judgment in this point seems to me most cogent and of greatest importance saying That all these things that were past are mentioned here as present that the foundation of the future story may be better laid and that the time of the Peoples beginning to degenerate may be the more manifestly marked out and hereupon after the tenth Verse of the second Chapter he placeth all those Stories which are held forth in Chapters 17 18 19 20 21. and after all these Chapters he begins again at Chap. 2.11 with the Death of the first Judge of Israel namely Othniel Let me have leave to transcribe his Reasons for his double Assertion First That all those last Chapters of Judges ought to be placed in the middle of the Second Chapter And Secondly That the Holy Ghost did not preposterously lay those Stories which came to pass so soon in so late a place of this Book of Judges As to the first of these his Arguments take as followeth his Chronology may not be in every hand where this may come Argument the First The Danites were not setled when the Stories of the 17th and 18th Chapters came to pass and therefore this could not be long after Joshua 's Death Secondly Phinehas was alive at the Battle at Gibeah 'twixt Benjamin and the Ten Tribes Chap. 19. and Chap. 20. ver 28. Thirdly The Wickedness of Gibeah is reckoned for one of their first Villanies Hos 10.9 there they began it as in Judg. 19. c. Fourthly Deborah speaks of the 40000 of Israel that perished by Benjamin as if neither Swâ—rd nor Spear had been among them Judg. 5.8 Fifthly Mahaneh Dan or as in our Translation the Camp of Dan which was so named upon the March of the Danites when they set up their Idolatry Judg. 18.12 is mentioned in the Story of Samson by that very Name Mahaneh-Dan though that Story of Samson be set before the Story of the Danites Judg. 13.25 Sixthly The first publick Idolatry that was found in Israel had its first beginning in the Tribe of Dan Judg. 18.30 before the Worshiping of Baalim and Ashtaroth in any other Tribe Judg. 2.13 Therefore Dan is omitted among the Sealed of the Lord Revel 7. Seventhly Ehud mentioned in Judg. 3.15 may very well be supposed to have been one of the Left-handed Benjamites and one of them that escaped at the Rock Rimmon Judg. 20.16 47. and 21.13 The Reasons of his second Assertion why there is a transposition of those Histories by the Holy Ghost I must refer to the Reader Lightfoot's Chronicle of the Old Testament pag. 93. to avoid prolixity of Quotations c. Nor is this the private Opinion of Dr. Lightfoot alone and singular but I find an Universal Concurrence of the most Learned and Judicious Interpreters with him concerning this Dislocation c. such as Judicious Junius Learned Lavater Bochartus Malvenda and many others both Foreign and Domestick Writers who do not only Insist upon the Reasons aforementioned but also do much amplifie upon them all unanimously affirming that these Stories in the five last Chapters of Judges did not fall out in the order wherein they are placed but much sooner even presently after the Death of the Elders that out-lived Joshua Judg. 2.7 and not immediately after the Death of Samson as they are set down in this Book Those Divines afore-named make it more apparent by adding Amplifications to the Arguments aforementioned N. B. They add to the First That it is not at all probable the Tribe of Dan which was numerous could want their proper Possessions for so long a time as 300 Years after Joshua's Death yet are they said to seek an Inheritance to dwell in c. Judg. 18.1 this could not be after Samson's Death To the Second is added The Story of the Levites Concubine and the War with the Benjamites happened while Phinehas was High priest Judg. 20.28 who must have been about 350 Years old if these things had falen out after Samson's Death which is more than improbable for Phinehas was at Man's Estate when he slew Zimri and Cozbi Numb 25.7 8. which was before Israel entred into Canâ—an and he succeeded in the High-Priests Office after his Father Eleazar who died about the same time that Ioshua did Josh 24.33 and therefore could not out-live Samson To the Third is added That the Sin of Gibeah Hos 10.9 must be soon after Joshua's Death and before the time of the Judges for Jebus or that part of Jerusalem which belong'd to the Benjamites was not yet taken Judg. 19.11 12. but was still possess'd by the Jebusites so that the Sin of Gibeah that Hosea mentions must be very Ancient c. To the Fourth is added That Deborah beside her mentioning the 40000 of Israel slain by Benjamin Judg. 5.8 doth in ver 14. use an Apostrophe turning to God in her words After thee Oh Benjamin among thy People and admiring that the poor Remnant of Benjamin reserved from that General Slaughter of them Judg. 20. should not be discourag'd by his paucity of number but became most forward in her Expedition and encourag'd Ephraim a Numerous Tribe thereunto the whole Tribe of Benjamin though now but small came forth to this War of Deborah's when the Numerous Tribe of Ephraim sent forth but an handful to it and did but follow after Benjamin she admires God in this double precedency To the Fifth is added That the place where Samson's Parents dwelt and where their Son Samson put forth the first Specimen of his Miraculous Prowess
neglect of such Lawful Means as may be subservient to his Providence Hence we may learn the difference betwixt true Faith and vain presumption the latter is bold grounded upon Humane Strength and Natural Abilities which makes it so oft precipitant and rushing headlong upon such weak and false grounds thinking the end may be accomplish'd without the use of those Means that should advance it N. B. Thus the Devil tempted Christ to leap from the Pinacle of the Temple when there was an ordinary way at hand to descend by Stairs down to the ground this our Lord flatly calleth a Tempting of God Matth. 4.5 6 7. and is the sin of a vain presumption whereas true Faith when it hath God's Promise to depend upon is no less careful to use all Lawful Means than if there were no promise of God at all well knowing that ordinarily God appointeth the means and the end to go together and that the certainty of God's Purposes and Promises doth not excuse but rather oblige Man's diligent use of fit means for the Accomplishment of them as we see in Acts 27.30 31. Except these stay in the Ship ye cannot be saved Though God be not bound up to Means yet doth he not usually work without them God works here by this Stratagem against Gibeah as he had done before by the like against Ai Joshua 8.4 5. c. The Sixth Remark is The many Remarkable Branches of this Third Battle As First The Time when it was fought 't is said to be upon the third Day ver 30. for after their last Defeat they spent one Day in marching up to Shilo and the second Day was spent in deep Humiliation before the Lord in Shilo and on the third Day they renew their Fiâ—ht against Gibeah or it is callâ—d the third Day of Battle in respect of the two Battle Days they had before Secondly That Army of Israel who were ordered to feign a Flight made according to their Orders a preposterous Retreat this did flush the Benjamites and made them cry Victoria too soon ver 31.39 and so eager they were of pursuing those Counterfeit Cowards that the whole Garrison of Gibeah was drained dry Thirdly This gave a fair opportunity for the Liers in wait to arise out of the Meadows and Storm the City and then Fire it which was the Sign for those that fled to make a stand turn Head and renew the Battle as soon as they saw the Smoak of the City ascending Hereby the Benjamites were struck with Horrour being disappointed of their Pursuit they had made in the two former Battles and beholding this Third Battle to begin both before them and behind them they fled yet knew not wither for in flying from Death they fled the faster to it so that Day there fell of them Twenty five Thousand besides the Thousand that were slain in the two other Battles ver 38.46 Fourthly God's Presence made Israel's Victory easie here ver 43. In the two former Battles wherein they wanted Divine Assistance to concur with their Humane Endeavours they found it too hard a work for them to overrome their Enemies but now they tread them down without difficulty Fifthly This Slaughter of the Benjamites ceased not in the Field not only upon those that came to Gibeah but pursued them home to their several Cities unto which they fled out of the Battle ver 48. where the Israelites slew Man Woman and Child and all the Cattle that came to hand and burnt the Cities with fire because they had sent Aid to Gibeah All this seemeth harsh bloody and unlike an Isrealite to his Brother if it were not done by the Command of God but out of a Military fury they were certainly blame worthy However we may learn hence N. B. 1. Earnestly to pray that God may prevent Civil War which is always Utrinque triste sad on both sices 2. That such abominable Wickedness may neither be practised among us nor much less protected and patrooniz'd for which Divine Vengeance as well as Humane Revenge cut off the whole Tribe save a few yea their very Infants which was not unusual in such cases Numb 31.17 1. Sam. 15.3 Josh 7.15 and Deut. 13.15 God bid it be done there in a Parallel Case 3. It teacheth us what God will do with the Rod wherewith he Chastises his Children The Rod of the Wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the Righteous Psal 125.3 when his chastizing work is done he casts the Rod into the fire and burns it as he doth Benjamin here whom God first made use of to execute his Justice upon Israel for their not punishing Idolatry among them and then God useth Iâ—rael to Plague Benjamin for not delivering up the Delinquents of Gibeah to Justice yea that Rod wherewith God had most severely Corrected Israel he here casts into the fire when Israel was low enough and Benjamin high enough and so burns it that nothing but a small stump remained unburned namely the Six Hundred Men in the Rock Rimmon ver 47. This brings in the last part namely the Consequents of this third Battle whereof we have an Account in the next Chapter CHAP. XXI of Judges JVdges the Twenty First which Relateth how the Tribe of Benjamin now almost extinct came to be restored In this Relation or Narrative the Causes thereof are declared which be two First The Efficient Cause namely Israel's Repentance and deep Sorrow at those sad Issues their Rash and Uncharitable Oath disturbs them on one hand and their Pity and Compassion to their Brother Benjamin whose utter extirpation they never designed though it fell out very near it in the heat and fury of War beyond their expectation this even distracted them on the other hand therefore come they to Shilo not so much to praise God for their late woful Victory but more especially now to seek God's Direction how they might extricate themselves out of this present Labyrinth to this end they spend a whole Day in Praying Weeping Sacrificing and Deploring the deplorable case of their Brother Benjamin ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. All these Actions were Signs of Israel's Sorrow The Second is The Material Cause or the Means by which the Tribe of Benjamin now shrunk up into a small Remnant was restored namely by providing Wives for them and these were of two sorts 1. Some were given to them freely to wit such as were the Daughters of Jabesh Gilead whose Males c. Israel destroyed because they assisted not in the War against Benjamin ver 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And 2. When still Two Hundred of that Tribe could not be provided by this Gift others must be stolen and taken by force to save them from the Curse they had Imprecated on themselves in their Oath that they would not give them Wives of their own Daughters therefore are they ordered to commit Two Hundred Rapes upon the Damosels that came to Dance their Dances at the Feast in
vexed Israel and the Vexation of Israel by the Philistines must be reserved to be discoursed upon in the History of Samson to which it properly and peculiarly belongeth But as to the Year wherein the Ammonites began to vex Israel though some do say that time of their oppressing Israel Eighteen Years began at Jair's Death to let them know how great the loss of a good Magistrate was by their forfeiting of him Yet the Learned cannot concur with this Opinion because this inlargeth the time of the Judges beyond the just bounds expressed 1 Kin. 6.1 So that the greatest part of Jair's Judgeship was Contemporary with this Affliction of Israel by the Ammonites which Jair though a good Man could not possibly with all his Prudence and Prowess redress On the one hand Israel was now become so mad after their Idols Jer. 50.38 that he could not work a thorough Reformation of Religion among them and therefore God on the other hand gave a Commission to the Ammonites to correct those Tribes beyond Jordan about the fifth Year of Jair's Judgeship and when the baseness and backwardness of Israel was not reclaimed by sundry Deliverances from the Enemies Incursions under Jair's Conduct then the Ammonites passed over Jordan into Canaan ver 9. and sorely distressed Judah Benjamin and Ephraim on this side Jordan in all for Eighteen Years because the scab of Idolatry had spread it self from the fifth Year of Jair upon both sides of Jordan and continued to an Horrible Increase In the same Year that Idolatry began to break out in Israel the Ammonites began to break in upon them and God would not Inable Jair to deliver them from their Oppressors but gave them up to this sad Oppression The Third Remark is The Blessed Effect of this long Slavery Hereby Israel were recovered from Relapses and Reduced to Repentance For First They cry to the Lord ver 10. which no doubt they had often done before a Beast will cry when hurt but their former Cries were only the Fruits of Flesh for their own ease not of Faith for God's Favour Now they cry with their whole Heart and confessed their double Iniquity in particular and that with utmost Detestation both of forsaking God and of following Idols ver 10. Then the Lord was pleased to Expostulate the Case with them upbraiding them with divers Deliverances N. B. Note well Some whereof are not Recorded in the Holy History to shew Israel had many more Favours from God's Hand than are upon Record ver 11.12 13 14. wherein the Lord Christ appearing in an Humane Shape as he had done before Judg. 2.1 and 5.13 and 6.23 tells then He would shew them Mercy no more that is except they repent as Revel 2.5 and derides them for crying to their Idols which could not help them in their need as Elias derided the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18.27 Hereupon Israel both Repents and Reforms then puts themselves into the Hands of God's Justice in hope of his Mercy and though we read not that the Lord gave them an Answer of Comfort yet 't is said He Repented upon their Repentance and gave them Courage to Encamp against the Enemy yet still want they one to head them ver 15 16 17 18. Judges CHAP. XI JUdges the Eleventh is the History of Jephtah's Expedition against the Ammonites the last Verse of the Tenth Chapter being an Introduction to it Israel there was at a loss for want of a Leader none durst upon their Proclamation undertake so dangerous and desperate an Enterprize though the Principality of Gilead was promised to the Undertaker Hereupon they resolve to send for Jephtah whom they knew to be excellent both for Valour and Conduct and to stipulate with him for his Encouragement That if he would accept of this place of a Leader and give the first Onset he should be their Judge and General ever after ver 8 9. The First Remark in this History of Jephtah is this Man was Banished by his own Brethren because he was a Bastard and quâ talis as Moses Law banished him out of the Congregation of the Lord Deut. 23.2 So his Wanton Brethren do Banish him as such out of their Father's Family little thinking that they should another Day be glad to be beholden to him He flies into the Land of Tob not far from Gilead where he musters up many ill-minded Men yet manageth them well in fighting against the Ammonites that bordered upon them wherein he had oft look'd Death in the Face and done brave Exploits in the Field which made Israel more forward to chuse him now for their Chieftain who had so prosper'd in plundering the Enemy for his own and his Followers Livelihood ver 1 2 3 4. The Second Remark is After this Adversity of Jephtah is usher'd in his Prosperity The Principality of Gilead is offer'd to him by the Elders of Gilead upon condition that he would be their Captain in their Warring against the Ammonites who were at this very time come forth to fight against Israel Jephtah at first refused their offer upbraiding them with their publick Act wherein they had corroborated the base private Act of his envious Brethren in Banishing of him and so had thereby made his Banishment Legal The Elders some of whom might possibly be some of his Brethren being Sons of Gilead a great Man in the Country of Gilead answer his Objection saying this pinchig necessity hath brought us to a right sense of our former oversights we did then indeed work our own Wills without Wit and Wisdom but now we come to make thee due Reparation Jephtah being Jealous through former Injuries makes his bargain wisely taking an Oath of them and so accepts of being their Captain only but not a word of being their King because Abimelech's Kingship had been so fatal to them ver 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Third Remark is Jephtah being now formally constituted by a Parliament at Mizpeh the Judge and Supream Governour of Israel doth most prudently and piously Treat with the Ammonites before he will fight them and that in obedience to Moses's Law Deut. 20.10 first offer Peace accordingly he sends Embassadours to Expostulate with the King of the Ammonites about his present Invasion saying Why art thou come to sight against me in my Land ver 12. he could not have call'd Gilead Jabaad his Land unless Israel had made him their Head and now hath he a just Title so to term it The King of Ammon answer'd his Embassadors That Israel were the Invaders and not he for he only came up to recover his own right which Israel had robb'd him of ver 13. Then Jephtah Replys again by his Embassadors declaring that the Ammonites Allegation was no better than a loud Lye both negando pernegando he denies it and better denies it ver 14 15. strenuously affirming that the Land in question was Israel's out of all Question and that by a Threefold Right 1. By the
which they desired to over homeward they cryed Sibboleth and could not proâ—ounce the Word with its Aspiration so their Dialect discover'd them and expos'd them to the Slaughter N. B. Jephtah might have offered many Hebrew words that had sh double in them a Shomesh the Sun Shelishah Three or Shaâ—shelch a Chain c. in signification but the word proposed was Shiboleth because saith Dr. Lightfoot of the present occasion for the word signifies a Stream and the Ephraimites denying themselves to be of Ephraim having a wicked Principle of Liberty to Lye rather than to Die are required to call the Stream which they would have Waded thorough to Mount Ephraim by the right name and they could not name it aright with a breathing Pronounciation like the French that cannot pronounce Aspirates but call Third a Tird Therefore seeing those Fuguives a Name they had branded Jephtah with could not breath a-right are slain and must breath no more c. N. B. Notâ—well How many discover themselves to be Naughty by their Lisping Language in Religious Matters speaking the language of Ashdod Nehm 13.24 Their Speech doth bewray them as Matth. 26.73 By our words we shall be justified or condemned c. Matth. 12.36.37 The Third Remark upon the second part of this Twelfth Chapter is The Successors of Jephtah who after his two famous Victories Foreign and Domestick in his six Years of Judgeship then died and was succeeded First By Ibzan ver 7 8.9 10. He Judged Israel Seven years in peaceable times as did his two Successors after him and therefore nothing of special note acted against Forreign or Domeslick Enemies is Recorded of them in the time of their Judgeship save only that this Judge Ibzan was Renowned both for the Number and for the Equality of the number of his Sons and Daughters having Thirty of each whereby he linked himself into a large Affinity and so was much strengthened in his Government According to the Duty of a good Father he sent his Daughters out of his Family abroad where he had found fit Matches for them all and he took Thirty Daughters out of other Families to be Wives for his Thirty Sons and so to live with them in their Father's Family And N. B. Thus on both hands the Husband went not to the Wife but the Wife ment to the Husband as to her Lord and Head N. B. And thus likewise the Man misseth his Rib so maketh out to recover it and the Woman made of the Rib taken out of Man's side inclineth to be in her old place again under the Man's Arm or Wing therefore an Husband is call'd a Rest for the Woman Ruth 3.1 And hence arises that Natural Propensity in most People to a Marriage Vnion both in Males and in Females of Mankind in all Ages c. Secondly The next Successor was Edon of whom nothing is recorded save that he Judged Israel Ten Years ver 11 12. maintaining the purity of God's true Worship and administring Justice among the People in those peaceable times and therefore is he thought worthy to be reckon'd among the Judges not Dying in his Iniquity for not having done good among his People Ezek. 18.18 N. B. Only Samson's Birth is supposed to be about the beginning of Elon's Judgeship God then being about to raise up a Remedy against Israel's Malady by the Oppressing Philistines whose Forty Years Oppression of Israel probably began about this time And Thirdly After Ibzan the Tenth Judge and after Elon the Eleventh Judge succeeds Abdon the Twelth Judge who Judged Israel Eight Years ver 13 14 15. where he hath a most Renowned Character for his Numerous Sons and Nephews the Noble Number of Seventy N. B. Enow to make up a whole Sanhedrim and himself the Judge These are all said to ride upon Seventy Ass-Colts to set forth their Gallantry and Grandeur which at least argueth that this Abdon was a Man both of a vast Estate and of a most high Honour in whom the Ephraimites himself being of Ephraim began to recover themselves from that low Estate into which they had been reduced by Jephtah c. So Joseph's Glory shone forth again in him as it had done in Joshua c. Judges CHAP. XIII JUdges the Thirteenth holds forth the Nutivity of Samson in the Circumstances Antecedents and Consequents First The Antecedents affords those Remarks As First The Angel's Apparition the first and second time The first time was when God had again sold Israel for their new Apostacy and Idolatry into the hands of the Philistines for Forty Years ver 1. N. B. There be two Opinions when those Forty Years began Some say First That they began about the Fifth Year of Ibzan because 't is said here that Israel was under the power of the Philistines at Samson's Birth ver 5. So that the first Twenty Years is supposed to begin soon after Jephtah's Death and the great Slaughter that Jephtah had made upon Ephraim which Tribe was look'd upon as the Chief Bulwork of Israel might well encourage the Philistines to make Incursions into their Countrey of Cannan and give the computation of the first Twenty Years Oppressing Israel and then the second Twenty is the exact term of Samson's Judgeship Judg. 15.20 But. The Second Opinion begins the first Twenty of the Forty at Samson's first Year and carries on the second Twenty downward to those that succeeded him as Eli and Samuel and that for those Reasons N. B. The First is These over-Numbers are always computed under the following Judges who delivered the People from their Oppressions The Second Reason is This Apostacy of Israel which caused God to deliver them into the Philistines hands must be after the Death of Abdon seeing 't is set down so expresly in the Text that after his Death Israel sinned again c. ver 1. The Third Reason is It doth not appear that Israel fell into Idolatry during the three last Judges but lived in a profound Peace as above for we read not either of any Oppressions by their Enemies or of any Deliverances from their Oppressors in any of these Therelast Judges times The Last Reason is It is plainly apparent that Israel was under the Oppression of the Philistines a great part of that time wherein Eli Judged Israel even until after his Death that Samuel succeeded him 1 Sam. 7.9 10 11 12. Whether of those Two Opinions be most certain I shall not determine but leave it to the Judicious Reader N. B. However this I dare confidently affirm That the Sin of Israel whenever it began to break forth to cause this Calamity by the Philistines was a most grievous Eye-sore to a most Gracious God who had now deliver'd them out of the hands of their Oppressours five several times already under the Government of the Judges If any sin be an Eye-sore to that God who is of pure Eyes and cannot behold Iniquity Hab. 1.13 who cannot look upon it but he must loath it who
of Strength should wither away before they were old saith he 3. This Man of God threatens him with a Rival in the place of the Priesthood which he or his Posterity should behold with their Eyes to their great grief and regret v. 32 33. for though God raised up the Young Prophet Samuel to be his Competitor or Rival in his publick employ in his very day which he in person might see to his sorrow yet the full accomplishment of this threatning was not until the Days of Eli's Posterity which saw Abiathar of Eli's Race put out of the Priesthood and Zadok of the Elder Line put into his place 1 Kings 2.27 35. and that in the Days of Solomon to which this Clause In all the Wealth which God shall give Israel v. 32. pointeth at for then Israel flourished most and the Priesthood was then most profitable 4. This Man of God threatens him with the Violent Death of his Sons before their Father's Death v. 34 35. which was fulfilled chap. 4.11 promising withal to raise up a better Priesthood which would Honour God and which should continue to the Captivity or to the coming of Christ the most Anointed one 5. He threatens hâ—m with the Poverty of his Posterity v. 36. They shall come crouching as Abiathar did 1 Kings 2.26 when Banish'd to Anathoth Their sin is writ on their punishment before they pamper'd their Panches with Rost-meat c. v. 13. to 17. now glad of a Morsel of Bread and possibly those of the Elder Line did tyrannize over them for being their Rivals so long for withholding the Priesthood so great a term of time from the right Line of Eliazar to whom it was most properly due and hereupon might either degrade those Priests of the Line of Ithamar or cut them short of that plentiful provision God made even for the Inferiour Priesthood c. 1 Samuel CHAP. III. CHapter The Third is a Narrative of Samuel's Divine Call to his Prophetical Office Wherein The First Remark is The Circumstances of Samuel's Call As First The person who called him was the Lord himself calling him no fewer than four times v. 4.6 8 10. Through Samuel's mistake of the Voice of God for the Voice of Eli Josephus saith that Samuel was now but twelve years Old and therefore might it well be said of him that he did not yet know the Lord. v. 7. Namely in that way peculiar to the Prophets who had their Extraordinary Revelations from God's Spirit coming by times upon them which the Rabbins call Bath-Koll the Daughter of a Voice wherewith young Samuel was not yet acquainted Otherwise the same black brand put upon Eli's Son of whom it is said they knew not the Lord chap. 2.12 might be upon Samuel too who was Sanctified from the Womb and undoubtedly had the ordinary and experimental knowledge of God in his daily Ministring before him even in his tender Years who would not be Debauched by Eli's Sons of Belial as above The Second Circumstance is The Time when which is Threefold 1. When the State of the Church was in a very low ebb The Word of Prophecy was very precious at that time ver 1. a Prophet was very rare then and few or none appeared with open Vision by Name tho' mention be made in general of a Prophet Judg. 6.8 And of a man of God before chap. 2.27 Yet this Samuel is called the first of the Prophets by the Apostle Peter Act. 3.24 as long before that he is accounted the Head of them 2 Chron. 35.18 because he was the next famous Prophet to Moses 2. At that time ver 2. When the Lord had sent the day before that Man of God mentioned chap. 2.27 with heavy tydings to Eli then the very next day God calls and sends Samuel with the same sad message And 3. In that time of the Natural Day ver 3. When the Lamps of the Golden Candlestick were not yet extinguished which had been lighted the Evening before Exod. 27.21 Levit. 24.3 2 Chron. 13.11 So that this was betimes in the Morning and before day that God called Samuel The Third Circumstance is The place where in the Temple or Tabernacle N. B. 1. By which it plainly appeareth It was not the Custom of the Jewish Church to burn day as is the saying which yet the Superstitious Romish Church doth having their lighted Tapers burning upon their High Altars at Noon-day N. B. 2. We must suppose the Levites Lodging wherein Samuel slept was in some remoter part of the Sanctuary or Tabernacle for within them none might lodg or lay c. The Second Remark Concerns the Substance of this Word of Prophecy revealed to Samuel as the First did the Circumstances of his Call to be a Prophet who might say to Eli as Abijah afterward said to Jeroboam's Wife I am sent to thee with heavy tydings 1 King 14.6 The revealing of which would strike such Astonishment and trembling into the minds of Men as Their Ears should tingle to hear such a Thunder-clap ver 11. This Young Prophet first became a Prophet against Eli's House as afterward he was to all Israel v. 22 23. and confirms what the Man of God in the second Chapter had denounced against it that in the Mouth of two Witnesses God's Will and Word might be Established Samuel declareth both Eli's Sins and of his Sons and their punishments Also ver 12 13. that their Sin was Inexpiable ver 14. which some hence suppose was that Sin unto Death 1 Joh. 5.16 For which there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10.26 N. B. This may hold true of his Sons but not of himself therefore their punishment was Irreversible seeing God had Sworn it as well as said When I begin I will also make an end ver 12. And indeed tho' the fall of Eli's Family was exceedding fatal and formidable for their corrupting Gods Commonwealth and making good that old saying Like Priest like People in prophaneness Yet even the Death of Eli was very dismal he dying the Death of an unredeemed Ass By breaking his Neck Exod. 13.13 The Third Remark is The Gracious carriage of this Young Prophet when so high and Honourable a Preferment is put upon him by the Lord. Behold 1. His Humility tho' his Master observing his towardliness to good had bestowed on him an Ephod a Garment then used in Ministring to the Lord ch 2.18 and his Mother had given him a Coat to wear under his Ephod ver 19. and no doubt she spared no cost in making this Coat fine enough because he was not only her onely Son but also the Son of her Love as Joseph was to Jacob to whom he gave a finer Coat than to any of his other Sons Gen. 37.3 Yet is he not made Proud with either his upper or under Garment as most of such Young Striplings amongst us are especially if they should be dignified to wear Ministers Gowns at his Age. 2. His Modesty is very Marvelous not only
this is he v. 12. and this is intimated in 2 Sam. 5.2 The Second Remark is The Person Anointed David which signifies Dilectus desiderabilis one Amiable and Acceptable to all His Character as a Type of Christ was White and Ruddy yea Totus desiderabilis altogether Lovely and all asunder Lovely Cant. 5.10 16. Lovely David was both for his Inside a Man after God's own Heart Chap. 13 14. one of an Vpright Heart notwithstanding his foul Failings Psal 57.7 not of a Rotten Heart as Saul was David did all the Wills of God Acts 13.22 and therefore was he God's Corculum a Man of God's Desire and Delight better than Saul for his Inside chap. 15.28 and as for his Outside 't is described here v. 12. he was of a Comely Countenance not Effeminate but of a Masculine and Majestick Aspect his very Eyes seemed to sparkle and to breath forth a Military Magnanimity as Martinius Interprets Japhe Gnenim here not that he had Red Hair as some say but that he had a meet mixture of White and Red in his fresh Complexion which argued both a Loving Comely Amicable Disposition and a Lively Martial Constitution a brisk Spirit for the Noblest Exploits The Third Remark upon the Concomitants of David's Unction is That he was Anointed with Oyl out of an Horn v. 13. as is noted before upon v. 1. and not out of a Glass-Vial as Saul was and Jehu after him 2 Kings 9.1 though it be read there a Box of Oyl yet the Hebrew word is the same with that 1 Sam. 10.1 which is Translated a Vial Pak Vasculum is in both places to shew the short continuance say some of their Kingdoms but David and Solomon were Anointed out of an Horn of Oyl 1 Sam. 16.1 1 Kings 1.39 Thirdly The Consequents of David's Unction the third part hath these Remarks First The Spirit of the Lord came upon David when Anointed v. 13. namely to endow him with extraordinary Gifts of Fortitude Prudence c. and of Prophecy as well as of Piety and Poesie after which he did Noble Exploits as the slaying of a Bear and a Lyon c. and became famous for such Heroick Facts insomuch that the very Courtiers of Saul had notice of them and took notice of him for them whereupon they upon occasion afterward commended him to their King v. 18. as one every way accomplished The Second Remark is The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil Spirit from the Lord came in its stead v. 14. That is Saul lost those Royal and Heroick Gifts given him when the Spirit of God came upon him to qualifie him for Regal Government 1 Sam. 10.6 9 10. and the Lord for his sins did deliver him up to Satan so that he was frequently disquieted by the Devil and fall into Fits of Phrenzy and Fury N. B. 'T was just with God that he who had Idoliz'd his own Reason above God's Command in the Case of Amalek should now have that Idol broke in pieces and be bereaved of the common use of his Reason No doubt but when Satan saw Saul so extreamly discontented for the loss of God's Favour and with it of his Kingdom also then did he fill his Melancholick Mind with Fears and Frights from his own guilty Conscience so that like a distracted Man he was for destroying all he found in his way Friends as well as Foes nor did his Body say some fare better than his Mind for this Diabolical Distemper seem'd sometimes to choak him The Third Remark is The Renowned Remedy against this Melancholick Malady v. 15.16 c. Wherein Observe First That though David was thus chosen of God and Anointed by Samuel to be a King yet in the Humility of his Heart he returns to his keeping of Sheep being willing to wait upon God for his leisure and pleasure of raising him to Royal Dignity Secondly Now begins God by his good Providence to work for the bringing of David to the Court that he might be known a Man fit to wear a Diadem to which he was destinated after Saul's Death Thirdly The Instruments God useth to bring David to the Court were two The First and general were Saul's Physicians who advised Saul that Musick would mitigate his Melancholy v. 15 16. and indeed their Advice was confirm'd by the success for Nature demonstrates That the Devil hath not that power over Man when his Mind is composed as when 't is disorder'd by Passion and discomposed yea and Scripture declares that the Devil had less power over Lunaticks in the Decrease than he had at the Increase of the Moon that Mater Humidorum the Mother of Moistures which causeth the Ebbing and Flowing of Humours as it doth of the Main Ocean in the Body of Man Matth. 17.15 Mark 9.22 It was but sometimes that he cast the Lunatick into the Fire and sometimes into the Water now because Natural Philosophy did suggest to Saul's Physicians that Musick had a mighty Influence in sweetening those bitter Passions of his Melancholick Mind which the Evil Spirit made improvement of to his grievous Molestation they therefore gave Counsel at a general Consultation of Court-Physicians That the most skilful Musician might be sought forth and brought thither to make Musick before him The Second Instrument God used was more immediate and particular for fixing that general Advice of the Physicians personally upon David this was one of Saul's Courtiers whom the Rabbins upon what grounds is not known do affirm to be Doeg however it was some Courtier that had such personal knowledge of David's Accomplishments that he gives the King a distinct account of them Characterizing him as a Man of a great figure v. 17 18. The Fourth Remark is The marvelous Manner how this famous Matter came about that David was brought from his Father's Sheep to Saul's Court Wherein consider N. B. 1. Saul upon his Servant's double Suggestions both general and particular sends for David to his Father v. 19 and though Samuel had told Israel the manner of a King That he would take their Sons to himself c. chap. 8.11 12. Yet Saul takes not David from Jesse by violence but obtains him by Intreaty N. B. 2. Had those Servants of Saul been better instructed they would have incited Saul to send for Old Samuel rather than Young David That the Lord's Prophet might have tryed his skill for healing Saul's Soul which was now much out of frame this had been better than the sending for a Young Musician who could only qualifie the Distempers of his Body N. B. 3. Consider how Jesse being but a mean Man in the World sent a small present with his Son to Saul v. 20. a Present that would be contemptible to a King in our Times N. B. Yet this Jesse did to Ingratiate his Son into Saul's Favour whom he presumed it would not find over-critical and curious especially now being as it were in an Exile Estate by Samuel's Doom from God
THESE two Chapters 2 Kings 14. and 2 Chron. 25. give us the History of Amaziah King of Judah from ver 1 to ver 23. of 2 Kings 14. and the whole Chapter of 2 Chron. 25. throughout Remarks upon Amaziah the First is His Age and the Name of his Mother 1. He was twenty five Years old when he began to Reign and Reigned twenty nine Years over Judah ver 1 2. and 2 Chron. 25.1 namely fourteen Years with Jehoash King of Israel and fifteen Years after his Death with Jeroboam the Second ver 17. and 2 Chron. 25.25 above half of his twenty nine Years he lived in base contempt among his People as will appear afterwards His Mothers Name 2. is recorded because saith Lavater he was one of the Kings of Judah whereof mention is always made of their Mothers but never so of the Kings of Israel that Kingdom being nothing so famous as this of Judah N.B. The Throne of Judah had some interchanges of good Kings but Israel had none at all And mention useth to be made of the Mothers of those Kings because in their younger Years they were instructed by them Prov. 31.1 and because Kings used to have many Wives therefore their proper Mother is mentioned by Name Remark the Second His general Character he did right in God's sight but not as David c. ver 3. to wit in the matter of his external Acts but not with an upright Heart 2 Chron. 25.2 for he proved a notorious Hypocrite like Saul so was unlike David who served God with a perfect Heart 1 Kings 11.4 but rather like Joash his Father who for a time during Jehoiada's days served God aright but afterwards fell foully to Idolatry as above And here is an Exception added to his right doing for he did not right in not removing the High Places ver 4. no more than his Father Joash had done before him Chap. 12.3 so that he did truly Patrizare like Father like Son Though their Works were materially good yet not formally and eventually Remark the Third Amaziah did well saith Sir Walter Rawleigh in making an outward Profession of the Law of Moses when he began to Reign and in forbearing to punish the Murderers of his Father Joash and in conniving at the mean Interrment of his Father's dead Body which was not buried among the Kings 2 Chron. 24.25 as had been disgracefully done to Ahaziah Joash's wicked Grandfather 2 Chron. 21.24 probably because Joash's murder'd Body was much putrified with his wounds All those Affronts Amaziah prudently puts up until he could be confirmed in his Kingdom ver 5. where Menochius Notes well that the Murderers of King Joash were not any sordid Mercenary fugitive scoundrel-cut Throats though described to descend of Moab and Ammon Chap. 12.21 2 Chron. 24.26 but men of great Note and Figure in Jerusalem however they had powerful Abettors among Peers and People to whom Joash had render'd himself odious by his Apostasy into Idolatry and by his gross Ingratitude to his Foster-Father Jehoiada but afterward saith Sir Walter when the heat of those Affections were allayed he slew the Murderers Remark the Fourth Beside the General Character of Amaziah's doing right These particular Acts were done right in special as 1st His Prudent Patience in forbearing revenge until he saw himself fast seated in the Saddle and settled on the Throne which he could not see in the beginning of his Reign because his Father's Murderers were either great Men and had great command or were of high Account among the People who patroniz'd them 2ly When Troubles about that Treason were well blown over he finding a fit season of his own Strength c. executeth Justice justly upon them which Act had a threefold Equity in it 1. The Blood of any Man if unjustly flain defiles the Land Numb 35.33 and cries for Vengeance Gen. 4.10 2. How much more the Blood of a King And 3. To Evidence the Equity of his Act of Justice 't is said this King was his Father 3ly Another right Act of Amaziah's was his not slaying the Children of the Murderers ver 6. wherein he acted like a Pious as well as a Just Prince in obeying the express command of God Deut. 24.16 though carnal Policy could not but prompt him to cut them off Here the fear of God seems to preponderate the fear of Man for he could not but naturally fear this Danger that if the Murderers Children were left alive they might seek revenge for their Fathers Death as the King did for his c. Remark the Fifth Amaziah hearing of Jehoash's success against the Syrians in his three Victories over them that Elisha had foretold him of resolveth hereupon to recover Edom who in the time of his great Grandfather Joram had cast off the Yoak that David had laid upon them Chap. 8.20 and though Joram had overthrown them yet continued they to Rebel unto Amaziah's Time therefore gathers he a prodigious Army ver 7. and 2 Chron. 25.5 even three hundred thousand choice Men of Judah N.B. Though this was a vast number yet his great great-Grandfather Jehosaphat had this number above three times told even Eleven hundred thousand 2 Chron. 17.14 15 16 17 c. it seems Judah was now wasted and weakned by their Idolatry and other evil Practices and though his three hundred thousand seem'd an Host able enough to overcome and overrum Edom yet that he might make sure work and out do his great Grandfather Joram he hires an hundred thousand of Israel to help him in this enterprize for an hundred Talents of Silver ver 6. Remark the Sixth But there came a Man of God to forbid the Banes of this League from God the Lord of Hosts ver 7. saying to him God hath forsaken Israel for their Idolatry 2 Chron. 24.20 and for their sakes will forsake thee and will Curse thy Forces if thou joynest thy self with such a revolting Crew c. But if thou wilt be so fool-hardy as to wrestle a fall with the Almighty then go but at thy Peril The like Ironical Concession Micaiah used to Ahab 2 Chron. 18.14 and here ver 8. N.B. No marvel then that our Confederate Armies prevail so little either against the Oriental or the Occidental Turk of these times considering what Soldiers they make use of Remark the Seventh Amaziah's dismissing of the Army of Israel which he had hired to assist him against Edom ver 9 10. Wherein Mark 1. The King was somewhat wrought upon by this Message of the Man of God he is willing to obey God but unwilling to be too great a loser by his Obedience to God hence he Objects I am like to lose my hundred Talents of Silver which amounts to seven thousand five hundred Pound Sterling and which the Captains have got into their Hands for raising those Soldiers to my Assistance and assuredly they will not fairly refund it Mark 2. The Man of God answers saith Osiander God will make up
and Truth Mark 3. Some Rabbins over rashly reprove Hezekiah for speaking here ver 19. 2 Kings 20. as one careless and unconcern'd both for his Church and for his own Children after his Day But Wolphius who succeeded Peter Martyr in carrying on his Commentary Answers excellently that as such a careless frame could not consist with the common Affections of Nature in all Men so much less with that singular Piety and Charity so eminently manifest in so good a King who had been so solicitous for the good both of God's Church and of his own Children and Subjects all his Life He only blesses God that this Suffering did not immediately follow his Sinning which was the Cause of Divine Displeasure but that it was suspended for a longer time The last Part is his Death and Successor ver 21. and 2 Chron. 32.33 having a most honourable Burial being laid in the chiefest Sepulchre because saith Osiander he was the chiefest in Piety of David's House for which he was highly honoured both in Life and Death But this Pious Father was succeeded by an Impious Son to wit Manasseh c. 2 Kings CHAP. XXI and 2 Chron. CHAP. XXXIII IN both these Chapters of Kings and Chronicles the History of two Kings is set forth First Of Manasseh And Secondly Of Amon In 2 Kings 21. we have an account only of Manasseh's unparallel'd Impiety but in 2 Chron. 33. is a Narrative of his Repentance also Remarks first upon Manasseh the first Part of both Chapters As First He is described when he began to Reign and how long ver 1. He was but twelve Years old at his Father's Death so was born three Years after his Father's Recovery Chap. 20.6 and about twenty four Years after the Ruine of Israel's Kingdom Chap. 18.2 10. and was the thirteenth King of Judah from the Division of the Tribes and he Reigned fifty five Years which was the longest Reign of any of the Judges or Kings of either Judah or Israel As his great Grandfather Vzziah indeed Reigned fifty two Years but in many of those Years he lived as a Leper shut up in an Apartment 2 Chron. 26.3 21. so of those fifty five Years Manasseh spent many of them in his most sinful Youth others in great Misery and Captivity for within that space saith Junius was comprehended his Captivity in Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 and other Years in a time of Repentance All these Years being subtracted from the five and fifty there will not remain so many for Manasseh's Wickedness as some imagine yet were they so many as to teach us that a wicked Man with a Crown upon his Head may live long but 't is no Evidence of God's Favour Remark the Second 'T is said He did wickedly ver 2. described in General 1. In the sight of the Lord. 2. Contrary to the manner of the Jews 3. But after the manner of the Gentiles Yea and 4. Point-blank opposite to his Pieus Father and to his Mother likewise who is named Hephzibah the very Title whereby God testifies his Delight in his Church as the Name signifies Isa 62.4 from this Name of Manasseb's Mother some do gather that her Parents who gave it and she her self were all Pious Persons whereby the Impiety of her Son Manasseh is much aggravated because he degenerated so much and so far as he did both from such a Father and such a Mother as he had The Rabbins tell us she was the Daughter of Isaiah the Prophet but that is as uncertain as their saying that Railing Rabshakeb was his degenerate Son as before 't is not at all improbable that she was a good Woman because so good a King made her his Queen Remark the Third Manasseh's wickedness is described in particular 2 Kings 21.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 16. and 2 Chron. 33.3 4 5 to ver 10 the wickedness he wrought is reducible to these three Heads 1. Idolatry ver 3 4 5. 2. Sorcery ver 6. And 3. Cruelty to his own and others ver 6 16. In a Word this none such Sinner Manasseh was a Monster in Sin of the first magnitude For 1. He was a Defier of God 2. He was a Murderer of Men. And 3. He was a Worshipper of Devils N.B. Never did the cursed Leprosie of Sin spread farther in any mortal Man that yet was a Vessel of Mercy Remark the Fourth Is Manasseh's Repentance this is wholly omitted in his History Recorded 2 Kings 21. but largely insisted upon 2 Chron. 33. from ver 11 to 14 c. 't is a vulgar saying they run far that never return and Ambrose said to Monica the Mother of Angustin while her Son was a wretched Manichee that a Child of so many fervent Prayers could not finally miscarry So Manasseh was a Son of pious and praying Parents and one chosen of God to be one of our Saviour's Progenitors Matth. 1.10 therefore though he ran far and wide in the ways of wickedness yet must he not totally and finally fall Manasseh Hebr. signifies For getful who according to the Signification of his Name forgot all the Godly Instructions of his pious Parents to him and all their fervent Prayers they put up to God for him and more particularly be forgot what the Host of Heaven which he worshipped 2 Kings 21.3 5. and 2 Chron. 33.3 5. had done when the Sun and all that Host went ten Degrees backward for his Father's sake Likewise be forgot all the pious Patterns of Reformation in Hezekiah but built again all the Deformations which his Father had demolish'd Moreover Manasseh that Tiger laid hold with his Teeth on all the excellent Spirits of his Time and worried them until he had filled Jerusalem with Innocent Blood from one end to another Besides all the other Prodigtes of Sins aforementioned hardly to be matched in any mortal Man unless in that bloody Monster Nero who was an incarnate Devil Little did good Hezekiah when he was so loth to Dye because he had no Son to succeed him imagine what manner of Son he should leave behind him Notwithstanding all this Monstrous Sinner Manasseh must be a Convert N.B. 1. The Rabbins relate that Isaiah coming on a time to visit Hezekiah told him by his Prophetick Spirit that his Son Manasseh there present would prove a great Persecutor of God's Prophets and of himself in particular whereupon Hezekiah attempted to slay Manasseh but that the Prophet hinder'd him N.B. 2. Josephus saith this Manasseh murdered some or other of God's Prophets and martyred such every Day Josephus Lib. 10 Chap. 3. with him Epiphanius concurreth adding that Isaiah was sawn asunder by his Order and as some say with a wooden Saw the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. 11.37 may seem to relate unto Isaiah's manner of Martyrdom saith Dr. Lightfoot N.B. 3. The Rabbins render these Reasons why Manasseh martyr'd Isaiah 1. Because he said that he had seen the Lord upon his Throne c. Isa 6.1 but more especially 2. Because he
of God's Curse upon the unbelieving Jews Mal. 4. ver last Sixtus Senensis sets this Prophet Malachy so low as about five hundred Years before Christ Alsted makes the distance of Time betwixt this second and last Prophet and the Birth of Christ to be five hundred and twenty nine Years Alsted Encucloppad Lib. 33. Cap. 3. and so do other Authors To write an History of this interspace when the Spirit of Propheâ—y was withdrawn Hic Labor hoc opus est 't is hard Work APOCRYPHA CHAP. I. REmarks in General First are First Malachy knew that after him no Prophet should arise until the Days of John Baptist as is aforesaid therefore he shuts up his Prophecy with a most solemn Exhortation to the Jews that from henceforth after his Departure and in the Departure of the Spirit of Prophecy with him also They must read and remember the Law of Moses and with it the Prophets those Interpreters of the Law and excellent Commentators thereupon Mal. 4.4 Buxtorf observeth that a great Zain is put in the Hebrew Word Zakor Remember to intimate the necessity and excellency of this Duty of minding Moses Law c. during the Deficiency of Prophecy while there was no more any Prophet among them c. Psalm 74.9 from which Expression there some do conclude that this Psalm was penned after the Captivity for there was then Cathimath Chazon a Sealing up of Prophecy as Dan. 8.26 and 12.4 9. and though this sealing up and ceasing of that Spirit of Prophecy continued for some hundreds of Years yet at their Expiration Malachy tells them God will send them one as great as Elijah to prepare the way for the blessed Messiah Mal. 4.5 He saith not the same in Person as the Jews and Romanists fondly Fable in favour of such Mistakes as they have adopted the one that Jesus who was crucified was not the Christ and the other that the Pope is not the Antichrist because Elias the Thisbite is not yet come But the Angel of God better Interprets Malachy's meaning Luke 1.15 16 17. and so doth the Angel of the Covenant the Lord of Angels Matth. 11.10 11 12 13. and 17.9 10 11 12 13. though John deny'd himself to be a Prophet in their Sence John 1.21 yet doth not that contradict this for Christ calls him one greater than a Prophet Matth. 11.9 and the Evangelist Mark begins his Gospel with these very Words of Malachy Remark the Second In General The Books called Apocrypha which were written after Malachy's Death and after the departure of the Spirit of Prophecy were never received among the Canonical Books by the Antient Jewish Church to whom the Oracles of God were betrusted Rom. 3.2 the Authentick Catalogue whereof was collected by Ezra whom some suppose to be Malachy as above either alone or with the Assistance of other Prophets who lived in his Time and as neither Christ nor any of his Holy Apostles condemn any where the unfaithfulness of the Jewish Church in corrupting the Canon so nor do they honour the Apocrypha with one Quotation out of it N. B. The Synodicum set forth by Pappus tells us this Story that the Council of Nice made a miraculous Mound betwixt the Apocryphal and the Canonical Scriptures setting them altogether a little below the Holy Table and earnestly pray'd to the Lord that those Books of Scripture which were of Divine Inspiration might be found above but those that were of a spurious Extract might be left below and this saith Gregory God granted them graciously for a distinguishing sign between them N. B. We are commanded by the two great Apostles to give no heed to Jewish Fables 1 Tim. 1.4 and 4.7 and 2 Tim. 4.4 and Tit. 1.14 and again 2 Pet. 1.16 such as the History of Susanna and of Bell and the Dragon both additionals to the Book of Daniel and both which Jerom confidently condemns for a couple of Jewish Fables and no better a Character can be given of the History of Judeth whereof Josephus the Jewish Historian and an exact Searcher of the Hebrew History and the Antiquities of that Church maketh not the least mention of N. B. Luther boldly affirmeth that those Books of Judeth Tobit c. were at the first but Plays or Comedies acted as Stage plays and then converted into Histories afterward The best Title I find given them is that they might be sacred Poems c. and though Ecclesiasticus be the best undoubtedly of all the other Apocryphal Books for a Moral Discourse about the avoiding of Vice and the pursuing of Vertue c. yet therein is found a minture of many Matters saith Diodate contrary to Canonical Scripture and too low for the Majesty of God's Spirit Nor is it at all Historical and therefore improper for our present purpose in relating the History of the Jews Remark the Third In General though both the Books of the Maccabees be an Historical Narrative of the State of the Jews in this Interval betwixt Malachy and John Baptist yet was it not written by infallible Inspiration seeing then was a Cessation of Prophecy c. and though the subject of the first Book be very profitable and necessary for the understanding of Daniel's Prophecy c. yet seeing it cannot be made manifest that the Author of it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired of God therefore could it never be accounted Canonical having only the Greek-Translation and not any Hebrew Original Much less hath the second Book of Maccabees found Reception in the Church of Christ. Because First In the beginning of that second Book we have a strange Story how the Holy Fire that first came down from Heaven was found hid in the Earth after the Captivity and of the Altar Ark and Tabernacle all hidden by Jeremiah Secondly The other Part of that second Book which begins at Chap. 2. ver 20. besides the Description of the Death of Antiochus Chap. 3. is very much differing from that in the first Book Chap. 6. there is likewise the commending of Rhasis for murthering himself Chap. 14.41 to 46 which Act of self-murder the Doctrine of the sixth Commandment and of all Canonical Scripture is quite contrary unto and therefore all Learned Divines look upon it as a Fact rather to be pitied than defended And Thirdly The false Judgment that Author gives concerning Judas Maccabeus his Sacrifices and Prayers for those of his Army that had been slain in Battel for the Expiation of their Sins to turn away God's Wrath from the surviving Remnant of it as if that had been done for the Benefit of those who were dead for their Sins also Chap. 12.44 45. whereas the Holy Scripture giveth no Ground nor Approbation for using any Sacrifices or Prayers for the Dead and 't is contrary to the Custom of the Jews at this Day to do so Moreover Joseph ben Gorion who wrote these Matters in Hebrew and out of whose writings this Author took his Abridgement maketh no mention
of this Prayer for the Dead Lib. 3. Chap. 19. nor supposing Judas did so is this particular Example sufficient to establish a Doctrine no more than Zipporah's was to prove that Woman might administer Sacraments Exod. 4.25 or the single Example of Rhasis that one may lawfully kill himself N. B. 1. It follows then these Apocryphal Books were upon good grounds not received by the Church among those that were accounted Canonical and plainly of Divine Inspiration because most of them are justly suspected to be stuffed with vain Jewish Fables and not penned in a stile any way agreeable with the Majesty of God's Holy Spirit but far off from bearing the Character of those Scriptures divinely inspired Therefore the Author of this second Book of Maccabees not being inspired of God acknowledges his own Infirmity and desires Pardon for what he had done amiss Chap. 15.39 N. B. 2. Though the Apocrypha cannot prove any Point of the Christian Religion save so far as they consent with the Canonical to confirm the same or rather whereon they are grounded yet may they be read as the Works of Godly Men for the Instruction of Godly Manners as also for advancing our Knowledge of the History of the Jews in which Books is declared that God at all Times had a special Care of his Church never leaving her utterly destitute of means to confirm her in the Faith and Hope of the promised Messiah as likewise they declare the fulfilling of foretold Threatnings by the Prophets for her Exercise and for the Destruction of her Enemies Remark the Fourth in General Beside these Apocryphal Additions to the Canonical Scriptures Josephus the Jew is look'd upon by the Learned as the best of Hebrew Historians and the most curious Searcher of the Jewish Antiquities yet not without his foul Faults as hath been occasionally observ'd all along in this History of the Scriptures and therefore the Romanists especially Barclay by Name are justly blame-worthy for saving that the loss of the Holy Bible would be the lesser loss so Jofephus's Antiquities were but carefully preserved because the whole History of the Old and New Testament may be supplied out of that Josephus the Jew 'T is true Jerome calls Josephus the Greek Livy for the excellency of his History and reckons him in the Catalogue of the Ecclesiastical Authors because not only he was so kind to the Christians tho' himself was a Jew but also and more especially because he speaks so Highly and Honourably of Christ himself in Lib. 18 of his Antiquities therefore Jerom listed up his Name among the Writers of Ecclesiastical History saith Sixtus Senensis Bibl. lib. 4. He was certainly most Learned of all the Jews in his Time both in Greek and Hebrew saith Fuller Miscel lib. 2. cap. 3. and so say Spanhemius Dub. Evang. par 2. Dub. 2. and Vossius de Histor Graec. lib. 2. cap. 8. and Bodinus Method Hist c. but above all Cuneus's Character of him is most observable saying He is an Author worthy of all Praise and who next to the Holy Scriptures deserveth best of all other Authors to be believed And tho' he excells all others in Gravity yet he is not found altogether free from the Dotages of his Jewish Nation-Cuneus de Repub. Hebr. lib. 3. cap. 2 c. Josephus is taxed for this fault by Luther Gen. 34. by Rivet on Exod. 2. and by Chamter c. that writing the Antiquities of his Nation with a design to have them published he describes them as Stately as he could and when he thought the Simplicity of the Scripture did not sufficiently set off the commendaetion of Matters done among the Hebrews he then indented and added many Matters of himself Therefore ought he to be Read with a great deal of Christian Care and Prudence N. B. There was another Jew of later Times who out of True Josephus wrote an Hebrew History under the False Name of Joseph Ben-Gorion above-named Translating Josephus out of Greek into Hebrew By this latter Mock-Joseph many of the Jews were deceived taking him for the True one because both were Priests Learned and Noble c. Geneb Chronol lib. 2. cap. 4. Remark the Fifth in General Tho' both the Apocrypha and Josephus as we have seen be but uncertain Guides to Conduct us through the Wilderness of this History of the Jews in this interspace of time when the Spirit of Prophecy was ceased from Recording the Memorials thereof yet have we a more sure word of Prophecy as 't is said 2 Pet. 1.21 c. even somewhat in the Old Testament which was of Divine Infallible Inspiration to wit the Book of Daniel who writes an History as well as a Prophecy of what assuredly came to pass Mark 1. As First Daniel saw the Vision of the four Monarchies call'd the four Mettal Kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Dan. 2. which troubled the World but especially the Church in the World from the first Rising of Nebuchadnezzar that Golden Head until the Coming of the Everlasting Kingdom of Christ in the Gospel N. B. Notewel Dan. the 7th which Prophecy is as a General Map of all the whole World his following Prophecies are as particular Tables of several Countries therein So in Ch. the 8th he had his Vision of the Persian Ram with a Golden Fleece and full of Flesh but Conquer'd by the Grecian Goat this introduceth some particular Passages relating to the History of the Jews Nehemiah had mentioned Jaduah or Jaddus Neh. 12.22 who was the very High-Priest of the Jews that met this Capering Goat Alexander the Great who was coming with an intent to Plunder Jerusalem in his way to War with the Ram but Jaddus meeting him in his Priestly Vestments for Glory and Beauty Exod. 28.2 did so Dazle him that his Fury melted into a strange Veneration more especially when Jaddus shewed him this Prophecy of Daniel that he should certainly Conquer Darius the Ram. Alexander hereby was much encourag'd in his Enterprize and not only offer'd Sacrifice to the True God according to the High-Priest's Direction but also granted much freedom and many favours to the Jews yea whatever they demanded of him Josephus's Antiquities lib. 11. cap. 8. N. B. This 8th Chapter of Daniel is a Notable Abridgment of all Great Alexander's Victories wherein his Pacification toward the Jews while he Warred against all the World are Included and looks more like an History than a Prophecy Mark 2. Daniel Prophetically declareth the History of the Jews distinctly after the Death of Great Alexander who was the Great Horn and broken by a Fever in the flower of his Youth which his Surfeiting and Drunkenness cast him into Dan. 8.8 under a little Horn which sprang up out of one of the four Potent Successors of Alexander ver 9. This was Antiochus Sirnamed Epiphanes Illustrious but Polybius call him Epimanes the Mad-man descended from Seleucus who succeeded Alexander in Syria one of his four Notable Captains and is call'd a
Little Horn because 1. He was much less than Alexander call'd the Notable and Great Horn ver 5 8. 2. Little because the youngest of his Brethren having nothing of Grandeur at the first save only born a Prince but without a Kingdom till he came to be an Vsurper 3. Little because being of a low Fortune he was sent a Pledge and Hostage to Rome by his Father Antiochus Magnus whom the Romans had Cudgel'd into a Complyance about the best part of his Kingdom of Syria And Little 4. because after his Father's Death he made his escape from Rome and seized upon the Crown of Syria Deposing Demetrius his Nephew and the Right Heir after this he grew from Little to Great yea greater and greater by pretending to be Protector to his young Nephew Ptolomeus Philometor he got into his hands the Kingdom of Egypt from which Crown when the Romans forced him he returned with great Rage to pour forth his Revenge upon the poor Jews who were less able than the Romans to Resist him and in plain terms He play'd the Devil amongst them ver 10 11 12 c. N. B Wherein this Epiphanes Famous as his flatterers styl'd him but rather Epimanes Infamous a Vile Person as the Angel named him Dan. 11.21 Acted the part of a Mad-man in three cases First In casting down some of the Stars of Heaven to the ground ver 10. that is those Godly Priests and Princes of the Jews called Stars because they shone in their Sphere of God's Church Militant Worshipping the God of Heaven whose Names were writ in Heaven as so many Citizens thereof Secondly He did not only cast them down but he also trampl'd upon them and stamp'd them under his Feet ver 10. these he prophaned and cruelly Murther'd them Such Shining Stars as these Rev. 1.10 Persecutors spight in all Ages is specially against Zech. 13.7 Thirdly He magnify'd himself in an Hostile manner against the Messiah who was Lord of the Temple and the Captain of the Jews Sufferings and Salvation Heb. 2.10 in taking all his Worship out of his Temple yea and Christ too as it were he cast out of his place setting up in his room Jupiter Olympus an Image of the Devil v. 11 12. and burnt the Books of the Law 1 Macc. 1. 47 59. N. B. How long this loss of the Daily Sacrifice and those sad Desolations should last was likewise declared to Daniel by the Palmony Hamadabber or Excellent Numberer the Man or Messiah ver 13 14 15 16 c. The Term told him was for 2300 Days that is for six Years three Months and twenty Days Reckoning 365 Days to a Year and adding the two Days of the the two Leap-Years therein to it this was not full seven Years from the beginning of Antiochus's Prophaning the Priesthood and Temple unto his Death that the Jews did suffer under him much less was it Seventy Years as formerly they had suffer'd in Babylon which must needs be a Comfort to the Church of the Jews when Daniel declared it from Christ to them How this Phophecy was fulfill'd see 1 Maccab. 1.12 13 14. and 4.52 and 2 Maccab. 4.12 This Vile Person Acted Vilely from first to last and such an Hell-hound was hardly heard of Mark 3. Daniel in his 9th Chapter receiveth a Prediction of what should befall the Jews from the Time of their Deliverance from Captivity until the Death of Christ Chap. 9.24 25 26 27. namely Seventy Weeks or Seventy times seven Years or four Hundred and Ninety Years from Cyrus's Proclamation to the Death of Christ This Interspace the Angel divideth into three Vnequal Parts the first is Seven Sevens or Forty nine Years to the finishing of Jerusalem's Walls c. The second is the Sixty two Sevens or four Hundred Thirty four Years from that time till the last Seven the Events of which are mention'd ver 26. The third is the last Seven in the latter part saith Dr. Lightfoot Christ Preached 26. The third is the last Seven in the latter part saith Dr. Lightfoot Christ Preached to wit three Years and an half and then was Crucified c. So that from the Decree of Cyrus to the Death of the Messias 't was just 490 Years N.B. I have consulted various Authors about this Term of Time as Alsted's Encuclop pa. 2974. and Dr. Willet on Daniel pag. 284. where he saith Daniel having had a Revelation of Christ who is call'd the Stone cut out of the Mountain without the hands of any Humane Help Dan. 2. Chap. and of the Son of Man's coming in the Clouds Chap. 7. pag. 283. therefore was he the more Inquisitive about the Times of Christ c. as likewise Pemble pag. in folio 353. and many other Antient and Modern Authors N.B. Many great Wits have been exercised about this Noble Prophecy Cornelius A Lapide speaks of one Learned Gentleman who run out of his Wits after many Years study upon it I find the Doctors are much divided about the beginning and ending of these Seventy Weeks 't is most probable they began at the out-going of Cyrus's Decree Dan. 9.25 and ended at Christ's Death tho' some say at the Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus Vespatian but 't is better to Compute it as Above than to Dispute it without End N. B. However sure I am it may well be observed That the Jews after their Seventy Years Captivity have Seven Seventies of Years granted them wherein they enjoyed their own Countries shewing him how God's Mercies bear the same proportion to his punishing Judgments which Seven a complete Number beareth to an Vnit or One for their Seventy Years Bondage in Babylon was Recompenc'd by the Lord with Seven Seventies of Inlargement in their own Land beside that Mercy of Mercies here promised them even the Grace of the Messiah who in the last Seven Years of the Seventy confirmed the Convenant with many Elect Gentiles ver 27. N. B. But the Jews did so Degenerate and were so Infatuated into such a Sottish Superstition that they put to Death the Prince of Life Acts 3.15 and after that their Seditious Zealots as they call'd themselves committed such abominable Outrages as to sill the Temple with Dead Bodies of their own People as Josephus relateth then came the Time of Christ the King 's sending forth his Roman Armies Matth. 22.7 to Murder those that had Murder'd him and to burn their City and Temple and to put a period to all their Sacrifices and Services This is call'd Christ's Coming Mal. 3.1 2. John 21.22 Jam. 5.7 and therefore 't is said here Dan. 9.27 that Christ himself makes it Desolate for its overspreading Abominations now rendring this once Holy City not only the Slaughter-house of God's Saints but also of the World's Saviour for which foul Fact they are become the Scorn of the World and the Contempt of all Countries thereof N. B. 1. This Scripture doth so evidently demonstrate both the time of the Coming and
Jews in Subjection and if possible to Suppress the Posterity of David or at least to keep them low forasmuch as it was a certain and believed Truth among the Jews that Messiah the Prince Dan. 9.26 should shortly come out of that Royal Family Even at that time the Great God commiserating the miserable Jews yea and all the whole Universe of mankind sent that bright and Morning Star his Son Christ into the World namely in the very Time when Herod the King was strutting about in his most Ruffling Grandeur Matth. 2.1 Dying Red his Royal Robes with the blood of his own People and when the Scepter was departed from Judah according to Jacob's Prophecy Gen. 49.10 and when the Church of the Jews was at the lowest ebb scarce four or fewer were found waiting for the Consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 yea and when among the poor Gentiles a plentiful Harvest of the Elect was now ready Ripe Matth. 9.37 Luke 10.2 John 4.35 even then came the Prince of Peace into the World when all was at peace through the World Remark the Fifth The fulfilling of Jacob's Prophecy Gen. 49.10 at this Time doth confirm our Christian Faith that Christ is come 1600 Years ago and it doth confute the Cavils of the Jews pretending still to have Princes of David's Line but these Pretences are meer Impostures seeing their Genealogies are perished their Tribes confounded and themselves holding no Scepter-like Sway in any Land where they lay scatter'd as Slaves in a manner Hated of all Mankind ever since their City and Temple was Destroy'd by Titus Vespasian which was an infallible Evidence that Christ was come and because they had Crucify'd him therefore an utter Desolation came upon them N. B. These are plain Truths 1. That Jacob foretold when once the Scepter came to Judah prevailing over his Brethren 1 Chron. 5.2 it should not depart from it till Shilo came as it had done from Levi in Moses from Benjamin in Saul and before that from other Tribes in the Judges c. 2. That David of Judah's Tribe began not to Reign till 656 Years after Jacob's Day but when once begun it should continue in David's Line till Christ came David's Son and the Lion of that Tribe Rev. 5.5 3ly Tho' in this Interval there was some Interruption of the Succession as in the 70 Years Captivity which was rather a Sleep than a Death of that Government yet after this Interregnum it awak'd and was Reviv'd in Zerubbabel of that Line as it had before him some Revivings in Jehoakin 2 Kings 25.27 and in Daniel of David's Seed Dan. 1.3 and 2.25 and 5.13 and in Nehemiah whom Eusebius affirms to be of Judah's Tribe 4ly From Zerubbabel it continued in Judah 270 Years until the Maccabees of Levi took upon them the Government as High-Priests and at last as Kings who might be saith Bouldac of Judah by their Mothers c. 5ly These Reigned till the Roman Senate thrust in Herod the Askalonite whom Menochius calls not a King but a Tyrant 6ly The Sanhedrim consisting chiefly of Judah lasted long after Herod retaining some Power till the Temple c. were Destroyed as appeareth from Matth. 23.34 John 18.31 and 19.7 Acts 5.17 and 7.59 and 9.1 2. and 23.5 See River Mede Helvicus c. Remark the Sixth Concerning this bloody Butcher Herod the Great Paraeus Claverius c. give this Narrative of his Tragical Catastrophe tho' this Tyger-like Tyrant was Magnificent in Buildings especially in Enlarging the Court of the Gentiles belonging to the Temple The Outward Work was eight Years in building 100 Cubits Long and 120 High with large Porches and Marble Pillars and the Inward Work was a Year and five Months more in Adorning it with Stately Ornaments within finishing it in the 28th Year of his Reign and nine Years before Christ Assumed the Temple of his Body in the Virgins Womb John 2.19 21. This shew of Piety the Hypocrite Herod made in the midst of his Matchless Impieties designing his good Deeds might expiate and outweigh his bad ones yet Divine Vengeance pursu'd him like a Blood-hound and at last did seize upon him Stigmatizing him with a black Brand of a most miserable Death the end of his most monstrous and matchless Life in all manner of Villanies For after he had been the Butcher of Hircanus his Father-in-law of Alexandra his Mother-in-law of Mariamne his own Wife as above and of his two Sons Aristobulus and Alexander being falsly Accused by Salome his Sister and Antipater their Brother whom within five Days before his Death he Strangl'd for preparing Poison for his own Father And while Herod was thus raging against his own Bowels he hears of Christ's Birth which did so disturb him that in a Rage he mercilesly Butcher'd the Infants of Bethlehem c. this fill'd up his Ephah Tho' before he had escaped many Conspiracies yet now the heavy Hand of God smote him with a Phâ—enzy and with an horrible and loathsome Disease even of a complication of Maladies As 1. An Intolerable burning within his Breast that nothing could quench so that he was in Hell-fire before hand 2. A Dog-like Appetite which no Food could suffice 3. A most grievous Griping of the Guts 4. His Privy Parts so putrify'd that abundance of Worms were engendred and came crawling-forth from the lower part of his rotten Belly 5. Beside a most grievous Tormenting Flux at his Fundament 6. A most Violent Cramp over all the parts of his Body intolerable to Humane Nature 7. A short and stinking Breath loathsome to all about him He sent for Physicians from all Parts who prescrib'd Hot Baths of Calliroe for his Cure but finding no Ease thereby he sought to lay violent hands upon himself as he had done at that time upon his Wicked Son Antipater feeling his Torments still encreasing but at last his Rotten Body after a long Torture breathed out his bloody Soul in insufferable Extreamity leaving his Kingdom to his Son Archelaus Matth. 2.20 22. who shortly after was Accused by the Jews to Augustus for his Tyranny and misplacing the Mitre of the Pontificate upon worthless Priests for which he was Banish'd to Vienna Sic exit Tyrannus Tyranni filius six incipt Christus Dei Omnipotentis filius Herod goes off the Stage in a Stink and the sweet Saviour of the World comes upon it whose most Illustrious Life follows next to be Related in the New Testament Times Here End the Times of the Old Testament Laus soli Deo FINIS AN APPENDIX Containing some Animadversions upon Ezekiel's Temple and City described in his Chapters 40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.48 Remark the First The Time when Ezekiel did Prophesy must be diligently minded which may give some light unto the Mystical meaning thereof so abstrusely delivered And seeing this Observation of Time doth help to illustrate the dark Expressions of all the other Prophets also I Judge it Expedient to insert here a Table of the Times of all the
for their Ears are cloâ—â—â—d and closed with Honours and Pleasures c. But the happy Tidings hereof were told to poeâ— despiâ—able Shepherds 6. The Wisemen offer'd Christ Gold as to a King Frankincense as to a Priest and Myrrh as to a Mortal Man 〈◊〉 Thus Myrrham Region hominies Dâ—â—â— The Gold was to Deâ—â—â—y his Charges in his flight c. The Frankincense was to perfume his â—â—â—â—ing Sâ—able and the Moâ—â— he has for his Burial We ought often in Soul to go with the Wisemen to Bethlehem being directed by the Star of Grace and there â—all down and worship this little King offering to him the Gold of precious Faith the Frankincense of servent Prayer and the Myrrhe of bitter Penitency and Patience and then return not by Cruel Herod c. but by a better way to our happy home We must carry a little of each the best of the best Gen. 43.11 as our Pepper Corn to the Lord of all Isa 16.1 Acts 10.36 7. Oh how ought we to love this lovely Babel more lovely than Moses Acts 7.20 Whose beauty while a Babe first moved his Parents and then the Princess to pity him Exod. 2.26 Thus Christ was 1. Lovely to men to the Wisemen whom when they saw they could not find in their Hearts to betray him into Herod's Hands but did Homage to him when but in the shape and state of a poor feeble helpless Infant that we might come to the fulness of the Age in Christ Eph. 4.13 1. He was lovely to Angels who praised God for his Birth though they had not so much interest in him nor benefit by him as we Luke 2.13 for he was good Will to men v. 14. yet a whole Quire of those Heavenly Choristers sang him into the World 3. Lovely to God his beloved Son his Darling in whom he delighted daily Mat. 3.17 Sporting with him from Eternity Prov. 8.30 If we men love him not 1 Cor. 16.22 wo to us c. 8. Christ broke not Prison before the Period of time in the course of Nature but calmly suffered his nine months confinement to the narrow Little-Ease of his Mothers Womb to teach us patience under Persecutions and Imprisonments till the Timâ— that our word come as Joseph did Psal 105.19 and then did the Sun of Righteousnesâ— Mal. 4.2 break forth from and out of a fruitful Cloud This Sun had been so lonâ— in Virgo and when he takes to himself his great power Rev. 11.15 17. He will ther be in Leo but when he comes to Judge the World then this Sun will be in Libra c. 9. 'T is a great comfort to poor People that Christ their Redeemer was born poor of a poor Mother in a poor place on a poor bed or uneasie Craddle nothing to seed upon but a little breast Milk c. That he also lived poor feeding upon Barley Bread c. John 6.9 And wanting Money so that for paying Tribute he must fetch it by a Miracle out of a Fish's Mouth Mat. 17.27 and he likewise Died Poor having no Houses Lands or Goods and Chattels to Dispose of by his Will to Friends and Relations Never think God can love us better than his own Son c. 10. Christ at eight days old began to bleed for us which was a Pledge and Praeliba men or Foretast of that Sea of Blood to be shed for us at his Death This bloudy Covenant of Circumcision he Entred not as needing it himself for he had no Sin But 1. To assure us of his Humanity 2. To Satisfie and Sanctifie for the Sins of our Infancy 3. To leave the Jews without excuse who would have despised him had he been Uncircumcised 4. Because he had taken Abraham's Nature therefore must he have on him Abraham's Signature though it was a bloody one Exod. 4.24 25. The Third Passage of Christ's Privare Life was his Return safe from Aegypt How long he staid there hath various Computations after mentioned However betwixt his Flight Thither and his Return Thence did fall out the merciless Massacre of the Bethlehem Babes of two years old and under Mat. 2.16 Wherein some affirm Fourteen Thousand Innocent Infants were bloodily Butchered So 't is Recorded in the Greek Kalendar and they say also that John Baptist was in eminent Danger of being Murdered too had not his Parents hid him from Herod's hands by sending him away into the Desart the Place of his abode Mark 3.3 for which his Father Zacharias was slain betwixt the Temple and the Altar Mat. 23.35 And Tertullian saith the Blood of this Holy Priest could never be washed out from the place where it was shed much less out of the Murderers Conscience The Remarks upon this are these 1. No History makes mention of any such matchless Murther as this None-such was whereby without any heat of War so many Thousand Infants only perished all others of other Ages escaping 2. Neither the Consciences of those Cut-throats nor the Outcries of either the Mothers or their Sucklings could move to any Compassion no not to Herod's own Child which was there put out to Nurse among them which Augustus Caesar hearing of said It was better to be Herod's Hog than his Son for he fed the former but kill'd the latter lest the Jews should take him and make him King 3. Yet how marvelously did God hide his own Son Christ from the hands of 〈◊〉 bloody Tyrant until the Indignation was over past Isa 26.20 While Herod waited for the Wisemens Return the Child Jesu is conveyed away to Egypt Herod mocked the Wisemen and yet takes it ill that he was mocked by them Mat. 2.16 but never takes notice how God mock'd and made a fool of him as he doth of all His and His Sons Adversaries setting bounds which they cannot pass 4. Mark here the Just Judgment of God upon those blind Bothlemites That could behold no Beauty in this Blessed Babe Jesus at his Birth to afford him no better entertainment than in a stinking Stable They could find Room in their best Guest Chambers for Rioters Revellers and Roaring Boys but no Room for this Holy Child Jesus whom they thrust out into the worst place Their Sin therefore was writ upon their Punishment They must all be bereaved of their Sons by a bloody Butchery of them for their unkindness and unnaturalness to the Son of God The like Sin in us must bring the like Judgment 1 Kings 17.18 5. This matchless mourning for the Murder of so many Innocents was foretold by Jeremy the Prophet Jer. 31.15 When a Woman should compass a man ver 22. That is at the Birth of Christ to teach us not only that the fulfilling of Prophecies is a convincing Argument of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures but also that so Tyrant committeth any outrage in the World at his own Will and Pleasure but only according to the Praeordination and Appointment of God who had foretold here what Herod should Hellishly act in his
with the Solemnities of the Tabernacle Feast for bearing of Palm-branches and heaving out Hosannahs from Psal 118.25 was only used at that Feast yet was this Triumphal Joy Allayed with some Sorrow for Christ coming nigh to Jerusalem wept over it Luke 19.41 As the common Slaughter-House of the Prophets that had lost her day of Peace and so to be destroyed Christ weeps for her that wept not for her self though he knew she would be his Death within five Days This is manifest from John 12.1 12. He was Feasted at Bethany Six Days before the Passover began and that was the Jews Sabbath Day at night at which time they used to have extraordinary Chear on the very next day he Rides in Triumph as Sions King not only for the fulfilling of that Prophecy Zech. 9.9 as is specified in Matth. 21.4 but also for making the Tâ—â—â— and the Antitype to hold Congruity The Paschal Lamb the Type was taken up the Tenth day but not Sacrificed all the fourteenth day in the Revening Exod. 12.3 6. In which Interspace N.B. Note well They Sanctified themselves for that Law Sacrament 2 Chron. 30.19 35.6 In Eating the Passâ—â—â— to Teach 〈…〉 must be made for a True Participation of the Lords Supper c. Thus the Lâ—â—â— of God the Antitype upon the Tenth day made his Entrance into Jerusalem as giving up himself for the great Paschal Feast and was Sacrifie upon the fifteenth day but Apprehended in order to it the Night before upon the First day of the Feast no sooner was Christ come into this City but the Sanhedrin consultâ— to kill him John is 10 11. and for no other Crime as is said before of Lazarus but because he would have saved the City by gathering her 〈…〉 her Chickent under his Wing and they would not Matth. 23.37 This Obstinâ— drew Tears from Christs tender Heart when he came to the Mount of Olives whence he had a full prospect of the whole City and Insury doth Remarks that in the same place where Christ wept over Jerusalem there did the Roman Army under Tiâ—â—â— Vespasian 〈…〉 Teâ—â—â—â—â—ife their Ramperts and wish their Batteries Assault and with Stoâ—â—â—ings from thence did utterly â—uind it as is intimated Zech 14.4 That Mount 〈…〉 and opens a way for the engery to 〈◊〉 here Now Christ having but a few only five dars to live a Mart al life in this lower World at us stand and wonder as Moses did at thâ—â—â—â—â— Bâ—sh how our Lord improved every inch hereof doing very much in a little ripe as must be manifest in those following Remarks The First Remark is Some Greeks seek to side Jesus John 12.20 At that very Season when the Jews sought to kill him being mad to see such Multitudes flock after him Hence they in their Outrage ver 19. fall foul upon themselves for their folly in loitering thus and not being more quick and expeditious in some Remedy because they had suffered their supposed Malady to spread so far as they looked upon it incurable Now they say the whole World runs after him and not only a world of Jews but of â—â—â—tiles also for these Greeks were proselyte â—â—â—â—ler that came up to Worship God at this Feast according to 1 Kin. 8.41 and Acts â—7 and 6.1 Those Proselytes though they were Zealoys in coming far to the Feast were also Modest in their Zeal now Rashly or Rudely obtruding themselves into Christs Company but Civilly Sollicits his Disciples to procure them some private Conference with Christ This was a fair Omes both of the Rejection of the Jews and of the Reception of the Gentile's while the former is stirring up one another to more madness as if all along till then they had not taken Right Measures their Methods had been over mild they had used too much Gentleness now must they fall on with utmost Vigour c Here the latter are courting to none into Christs Presence as accounting it an High Priviledge Christ accepts them to a conference wherein he tells them the time was at hand wherein he should be glorified in the Conversion of the Gentiles yet tells them in General Words but such as implyed an Answer to their Request that as a Corn of Wheat must first be buryed before it spring up to Fruit-bearing c. So I who am the Sted of the Church must first be buryed and then be so glorified I must first suffer and then enter into my glory and seeing the Jews do conspire to kill me Lo I turn to the Gentiles as Acts 13.46 The 2d Remark is The Bath kol or Voice from Heaven which made a louder Ring and Report than all the Acclamations of the Multitude had done in his Royal Triumphant Progress The occasion of it was our Lord at this mentioning of his own Death began to be Troubled John 12.27 c. Through the Horrour of Gods Wrath for Mans sin which he had by Covenant undertaken the expiation of by the Merit of his Sufferings Christ was here Troubled to procure our Tranquillity and his infirmity makes us firm Hereupon he Deprecates Death having a Natural fear as a Man especially such a dreadful Death as he was to undergo attended with unknown sufferings not only from that King of Ierrours and Terrour of Kings that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Formidable of Formidables Death but also from an Apprehension he was to grapple with the utmost Outrage of all the Devils in Hell which now must be let loose upon him according to Gen. 3.15 Nor was this all that which was worst of all the Sinse of his Fathers Wrath in Satisfying his Justice for the sins of the World upon the back of his Son while his Divine Nature suspended it self and did not exert its power c. So that no wonder if his Sensitive Will cryed Save me from this Hour yet his Rational Will which was ever the same with that of the Father cryed Modestly and with Submission preferring his Fathers Will before his own Life saying glorifie thy Name ver 28. Then the Father Answered the Son As thou hast desired I should glorifie my Name by thy Death I will do so in giving thee Victory over the Devil Sin and Death and as I have glorified my Name by thy Miracles so I do it again by thy Resurrection c. Still the Multitude stayed with Christ who misinterpreted Gods Voice for that of an Angel or the noise of Thunder ver 29. yea and those very Greeks that enquired after Jesus were presented also Hereupon he being Comforted and Confirmed by this Bath Kol which Attested him from Heaven three times for the Ministry 2. At his Teem figuration as chief Prophet whom all must hear and 3. as Sions King here when he had newly fulfilled their Prophesie Zech. 9.9 He doth Comfort and Confirm his Followers with Caution Counsel and Comfort and that which more particularly concerned the Greeks he tells them that the Devil whom the Gentiles Worship as a
still sufficient without Miracles to save our Souls N.B. Note well the Sufferings of Christ were Three fold 1. He suffered from God both in his Agony in the Garden where he drank of the Cup of Gods Curse that made his Soul exceeding sorrowfull Matth 26.38 And turned his whole Body into Rivers of Blood Luke 22.44 and in his Desertions on the Cross when he was not only forsaken of his Fathers Favour but also was Roasted as the true Paschal Lamb in the fire of his Fathers Wrath till he cryed out of Dryness Matth. 27.46 48. The sufferings of his Body were but the body of his sufferings The Soul of his sufferings were the sufferings of his Soul Then did the Sorrows of Hell surround him Psal 18.5 N. B. Note well The pains of Hell he certainly suffered non specie loco Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something Answerable thereunto and altogether unspeakable hence the Greek Litany calls them unknown Sufferings 2. He suffer'd from Devils when Tempted forty days in the Wilderness and on the Cross In the three Hours Darkness Christ was assuredly set upon by all the powers of Darkness Assaulting him with their utmost Might and Malice Christs third sort of Sufferings were from Men yet Acting all by the Determinate Counsel of God whereof there be four parts 1. Christ's Apprehension 2. His Arraignment 3. His Condemnation and 4. His Execution N. B. Note well was there therefore ever any Sorrow like to his Sorrows Who had Gods Wrath laying load ugon his back c. And as if this had not been enough all the Devils in Hell must at that Juncture make Batteries against him yea and Men are Acting all these four forementioned Evils upon him also First For his Apprehension therein there be four Remarks 1. The place where 2. The time when 3. His preparation for it and 4. The means and manner of it 1. The place where Christ was Apprehended he made choice of a Garden because N. B. Note well As the first Adam began his sinning in a Garden so the Second Adam will begin his suffering in a Garden also that where the Malady began there the Remedy might begin accordingly This Garden stood by Mount Oliver and was a Solitary place so became Christs Oratory or usual place for his Prayer and Meditation Happy is that Christian whom Death apprehends in so doing He withdrew not himself out of the City into this Garden to hide himself from the Jews for Judas the Traitor knew the place because oftentimes he Resorted thither John 18.2 Luke 22.39 He betakes not himself to any obscure or unknown place for escaping Death but voluntarily resorts to his usual Oratory where his Foes might easily find him and in this Garden began his Passion for the Expiation of the first sin that began in a Garden this place is called Gethsemane which signifies a Valley of Fatness made so by his sweating drops of blood in it 2. The time when he was Apprehended it was when his hour was come the Jews had made many Violent Attempts upon Jesus to Stone him c. as above but were always Disappointed and the reason hereof is rendred often because his hour was not yet come but now it was come Matth. 26.45 The Determined time of his Captivity and Death which he calls his Adversaries hour and the power of Darkness Luke 22.53 N. B. Note well How Comfortable is it for a Christian to consider that though he be in Perils often as Paul was yet no Enemy can touch him or take away life from him till the very time appointed of God do come my Times saith David are in Gods Hands Ps 31.15 Not in my Enemies Hands Angry Men and inraged Devils cannot hurt us before that hour 3. Christs preparation for his Apprehension this he did by Prayer and Meditation As he voluntarily so he holily Addresses himself to his suffering work N. B. Note well This should teach us due preparation for our Deaths c. If Christ who was strong and who knew the time when the place where and the manner how he should dye did so How much more we who are weak and know none of those Circumstances ought to strengthen our Souls against our time of Death Seeing Christ who was without sin and had the Spirit without Measure thus prepared himself by Sweating in Prayer c. Oh! How earnestly should we pray in preparing for Tryals and the dangers of Imminent Death since we are laden with sin having little of the Spirit therefore stand we in need of a Thousand Preparations more than he did 4. The Means and manner of Christs Apprehension how it was both which have respect to Judas the Jews and the Gentiles who came all in a Company to Attack Christ Matth. 26.47 Luke 22.47 John 18.3 and Mar. 14.43 Some of this great Multitude were Gentiles the Soldiers of Pilate others were Jews the Servants of the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees and some of themselves mixed among them for the better managing of the Attackment Luke 22.22 and Judas the Ringleader of this Rabble N. B. Note well where note though these Heterogeneous pieces did notoriously hate each other yet the Devil made them to patch together Homogeneously in conspireing against Christ as he did Herod and Pilate Luke 23.12 The Dogs that are at Discord among themselves and possibly fighting one with anonother can easily agree to pursue the Hare that passeth by N. B. Note well All sorts of wicked Men have the like Enmity to Christ and Christianity which is flatly opposit to their corrupt Dispositions however contrarily carry'd out one to another as light is to darkness c. more particularly 1. Judas was the principal means of Apprehending Christ though he was one of the twelve Apostles the Highest Office in Ecclesiastick callings whom Christ had Nourished in his own Bosom fed at his own Table made him his Treasurer and Steward of his Houshold and so was of some Account in his Masters Family notwithstanding all this he did more mischief to his Master than did Pilate and his Soldiers or the High-Priest and his Servants for he brought them to the place where they might take him and the manner of his betraying him there was by a Kiss as the Token whereby the Soldiers and Servants who knew him not especially in the Night might not be mistaken This Traitor presented his most pestilent Poison in this Golden Dish of a pretended Kiss while he intended to Kill consigning his Treachery under so sweet a Symbol of Love and Peace No wonder then that Christ had called him a Devil John 6.70 Whose Insatiable desire of Worldly Wealth being nourished in his wicked Heart made him Degenerate into an Apostate a Traitor and an Incarnate Devil hence Christ complains more of him than of his other Enemies N. B. Note well Corruptio optimi est pessima sweetest Wine maketh the sowrest Vinegar That Salt which loseth its Savour is good for nothing but
sinner dare ask no more but barely to be remembred and that not so much for his Body as before but principally yea solely for his Soul And this he prayed not that God should remember him in the way of his Wrath and Judgments as God saith I will remember them that shed Innocent Blood when I make Inquisition for Bloods of the Ish Dammim Hebr. or Man of Blood Ps 9.12 But Lord Remember me he cries in the Way of thy Grace and Mercy as thou didst Righteous Noah Gen. 8.1 and Holy David Psal 132.1 c. The 3d Demonstration that this good Thief 's Prayer was the Prayer of Faith is His short Prayer Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom contained in it a very large and long Creed the Articles whereof are these that follow He believed 1. That the Soul died not with the Body of Man 2. That there is a World to come for rewarding the Pious or Penitent and for Punishing the Impious and Impenitent 3. That Christ though now under Crucifying and Killing Tortures yet had right to a Kingdom 4. That this Kingdom was in a better World than this present evil World 5. That Christ would not keep this Kingdom all to himself 6. That he would bestow a part and portion hereof upon those that be truly Penitent 7. That the Key of this Kingdom 's Gate to let in or keep out did hang at Christ's Girdle though he was now dying upon the Cross 8. Which is above all that he dare Roll his whole Soul for its Eternal Salvation upon a Dying Saviour Our Lord in his Gracious Answer to this Penitent Thief 's Prayer Luke 23.43 saith equivalently and in effect to him Oh Man great is thy faith as he had said to the Syrophenician Female Oh! Woman great is thy Faith Mat. 15.28 yea so acceptable was his strong Faith to Christ that he did not only say to this Man as he said to that Woman Be it unto thee even as thou wilt but he most graciously granted him even more than he asked This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise That is I will not only Remember thee and not forget thee as the Butler did Joseph Gen. 40.23 with 16. Amos 6.6 but also added that that very Day his place of Torment should be turned into a place of Pleasure a better place than that which the first Adam lost to himself and to all his Posterity for that was but a Terrestial Paradise out of which he shut himself but this is a Celestial one into which I the second Adam will open the Door for thee there thou shalt have my Presence and Company Thou shalt be with me and there shalt thou fare as I my self fare Oh! wonderful condescension c. The Inferences from hence are 1st That If Christ did thus gratifie such a notorious Thief one of the Vilest of Mortals in granting his Request and more than he Requested as above because he was truly Penitent at his last Gasp though he had led a most licentious life all along and had been hitherto profusely Impenitent how much more will Christ hear the Prayers of his own Servants and Children who have faithfully followed him all their Days The 2d Inference is Though this Penitent Thief had Paradise promised to him as to one that was both an Heir of the Promise and an Heir of Paradise too yet dyeth he that miserable death of the Cross and hath his Bones broken c. to shew that even the Heirs of Heaven may meet with their Cross from which they are not exempted upon Earth and may have their Bone-breaking Afflictions Psal 51.8 The 3d Inference is Here we have a fair Specimen and a Pious Pattern of the best posture of the Heart of Man in a dying hour to be more careful of the Soul than of the Body at that Juncture All the care that Wicked Ahaziah took at his Death was Shall I recover of this Bodily Sickness 2 Kings 1.2 16. there be many that say Who will shew us any bodily good Psal 4.6 but few say Lord lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon my Soul and there be many that cry Lord Heal my Body for I am Sick but few cry Lord heal my Soul for I have sinned Psal 41.4 David did desire those two Soul comforts whatever became of his Sense-comforts There be also many that in Ship-wracks at Sea and in House-firing at Land can be careful enough in securing their best Goods their Cash Plate and Jewels but how few there be that can take half that care in securing that Precious Jewel the Soul though of more worth than the whole World Mat. 16.26 when the Body as the Ship is just a spliting upon the Rock of Death by some burning Fever c and so leting out the Soul into another World The 4th Inference is Because this Penitent Thief was called in the Eleventh hour of his Life and Repented of his long and lasting lendness at his last gasp so had hope in his Death with the Righteous Prov. 14.32 and a Promise of a place in Paradise after Death c. yet let no profligate prophane and profuse Sinner promise to himself the like priviledge For a particular Instance ought not to be drawn into an universal Favour and both the Promise here and the Performance of it did peculiarly belong to him seeing his Conversion was one of the Seven Miracles that Christ honoured the Ignominy of his own Death by and none can expect such an happy Exit but such as can Attain to his great Grace and Faith upon a Dying Saviour c. The Fourth Grand Remark is the Miracles that Christ wrought upon the Cross puting forth some mighty Beams of his Divine Nature even at that time when the state of his Humane Nature was at its lowest ebb that the Indignity of his Disgraceful Death might be Graced and Dignified thereby The First of those Miracles was the Conversion of the Thief already discoursed upon adding thereunto only this here that his Conversion was the very first Fruits of the Power of Christ's Death even while he was but a Dying and before he was Dead Who can but admire both those branches of this first Miracle That 1st There should be such an Efficacy and Verine in a Dying Jesus while he was but just now paying that prodigious Debt for Man's Sin according to the Covenant made betwixt the Father and the Son before the World began which Debt was not fully compleated before the Death of the Son of God was fully Accomplished And 2dly That this Penitent Thief should have such a power of Faith given him to hang the whole weight of the Pardon of his almost unparallelled Sins and of the Salvation of his precious Soul upon a dying Saviour while both He and his Redeemer were both Hanging upon the Cross and before the Ransom-Money for Sins was yet paid and Redemption for Souls was yet purchased N. B. Note well
pleasure not at Death's demand N. B. Note well Now it was that Death as the Bee lost its sting upon Christ and can sting no more but hath quite lost its Victory through Christ's Death 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56. Christ hereby hath delivered us from the commanding power of Sin from the condemning power of the Law and from the conquering power of Death Though the redeemed in Christ do die yet can they not be kill'd with Death as Jezabel's Children were Rev. 2.23 the second death hath no power over them Rev. 2.11 20.6 14. 21.8 Our Lord 's strong voice may be the more wondered at considering how he was spent with blows blood c. yet now it was the loud voice of his Triumph over Death c. There be yet four Miracles behind to be discoursed briefly upon all wrought wonderfully by a dying Christ upon the Cross by the power of his Deity The Fourth Wonder is The Rending in twain of the Vail of the Temple from the top to the bottom which the Evangelist puts a Behold upon as a thing very wonderful Mat. 27.51 and as wrought by the force of Christ's last loud cry ver 50. then the Angels Presidents of the Temple departed from it as Jerom saith As Christ's last cry upon the Cross was the sign and symptom of frail Man dying so his promising of Paradise-Happiness to the Penitent Thief was a clear demonstration that he was also the Great God Living for none hath the Key of Paradise but the Great God only Nor did our Lord only demonstrate his Deity as above while he was yet living and while his Humanity was in the way of dying But also when he was verily dead and had given up the Ghost he still declares himself to be a Wonder-Working God in all the following Instances whereof this of Rending the Temple's Vail in Twain c. was the first wonder after his Death The distance of the Temple from the place out of the City where Christ was Crucified could not exempt it from the stroke of this Wonder-working Hand when those wretched Priests had made that House of Prayer a Den of Thieves this Vail now Rent was the Partition-Wall that divided betwixt the Holy Place or the Priests-Court and the Sanctum-Sanctorum into which the High-Priest entered only once in the year Exod. 26.31 33. 1 Kin. 6.19 21 31. 2 Chron. 3.14 c. Heb. 9.3 4 6 7 8 c. N. B. Note well This Wonder to wit of rending this Mid-Wall was wrought upon a threefold Account 1st To shew that Christ's Death was the Accomplishment of the Levitical Law and that now all the Ceremonies thereof were rent down and done away 2dly That now by the Gospel sealed up in his Death a new way to Heaven was opened Heb. 10.19 20 21 22 c. And 3. To shew that the Mid-Wall of Partition betwixt the outward Court of the Gentiles and that of the People of the Jews was broke down by the death of Jesus Eph. 2.14 15. This Vail is call'd the Separation betwixt the Prophane Place and the Sanctuary Ezek. 42.20 Now the Ceremonial Law should no longer divide those two but Christ became the blessed Cement to unite all believing Jews and Gentiles into one Gospel-building himself being the knitting Corner-stone c. The Fifth Wonder Christ wrought upon the Cross which is the second after his Death was the dreadful Earthquake Mat. 27.51 now that our Lord was dead as to his Man-hood he still letteth forth the Power and Glory of his God-head more than he had done before and whereas he had shewed himself the Lord of Heaven by causing an extraordinary Eclipse of the Sun and covering the whole face of the Firmament with a Curtain of Darkness So now he appears to be Lord of the Earth also by causing it to shake and tremble As the Heavens had given their Testimonial and Acknowledged their Homage to his Lordly Dominion over them in hiding their Glory while their Lord was Suffering Shame So the very Earth here payeth her Respect and Reverence in an humble Submission to her Almighty Landlord in her Trembling before his powerful Presence when the Lion that King of Beasts doth Roat all the Beasts of the Field do Tremble Now did this Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar with a loud Voice and we may well suppose what a Trembling seized upon those Beasts of the Temple the Christ-Killing Priests when they saw the Vail of their Temple Rent in Twain from top to bottom at their hastening now to their Evening Sacrifice Thus well prepared with the Tincture of this Innocent blood more especially when they felt that sad sight seconded by an Earth quake this could not but cause an Heart-Quake and a consternation in them fearing that the Earth might now cleave Asunder and Swallow them all up as it had done Korah's Company of Conspirators these as well as they being now become a Burden too heavy for the Earth to bear and as weary of them would bury them quick This Earthquake might also predict the performance of what God had promised that Christ would shortly shake not only the Earth once more as was done in Sinai at the Promulgation of the Law but even Heaven also by the Gospel Hag. 2.6 7 Heb. 12.26 27. especially when the desire of all Nations shall come and shake all Wickedness out of both the Heavens of Church and the Earth of State and then give those promised New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 The Sixth Wonder was the Rocks were Rent Mat. 27.51 where the first word Behold doth spread it self over all the parts and several parcels of all those Miracles mentioned in that verse Behold the Vail was Rent c. Behold the Earth did Quake and Behold the Rocks were Rent to denote the marvellousness of those things and mostly in this because herein Rocks are rent by the Rock and one Rock rendeth many Rocks the Rock that rent the Rocks was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 he was the creating Rock Deut. 32 4.31 1 Sam. 2.2 2 Sam. 22.2.32 that rent all the other created Rocks c. This was a Work of greater difficulty to rend the Rocks than it was to rend the Vail c. yet the Power of the Death of Christ doth effect this Work of Difficulty N. B. Note well To shew that no Heart is so hard and rocky but the vertue of Christ's Death can rend it into Repentance Though those Christ-Killers had made their Hearts as hard yea harder than an Adamant Zech. 7.12 yet when their time of love came Ezek. 16 8. their Month of Christ's finding them Jer. 2.24 and when the Hammer of God's Word Jer. 23.29 began to beat upon them as Animated and Actuated by the power of his Death oh how kindly did their Hearts Thaw Break and Melt into Tears and Tenderness Acts 2.36 37. with 41. 4.4 When Moses smote that Rock upon which God stood with his
Draught thereof never Thirst any more after any of the Vanities of the World or Villanies of Sin 4. He Thirsted that we may Drink better Drink as we do daily c. The 6th Of the last words of Christ upon the Cross was It is Finished when Jesus therefore had received the Vinegar he said it is finished John 19.30 Then had he no more work to do or Suffer not to Descend into Hell either in Soul or in Body as some Romanists say As the Vinegar was the last bitter Dose he received from the wicked Hands of those Villains So the Receit thereof was the last bitter part of his Unparallel'd Passion The first time of their offering him Vinegar before he was Nailed to the Cross he received it not but only Tasted thereof and did not drink it up for he left the rest wherein his Redeemed must pledge him of the same bitter Cup filling up the measure of the Afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 but here he drinks all off to shew that he took the whole Curse for Sin into himself so that now N.B. Note well our Sufferings by Afflictions for our Sinnings against God come not in the Nature of a Curse but of a Cure They are more Medicinal than Penal and there is rather a Spiritual Remedy than any Divine Vengeance now in them they come now all out of Divine Faithfulness as David saith I know that out of thy very Faithfulness thou O God doth Afflict me Psal 119.75 As if he had said Lord thou wouldst not be Faithful to my Soul unless thou hadst thus and thus Afflicted my Body The ground of our being Afflicted is now offended love and the end thereof is fuller Embracements Jer. 31 18.20 All our Sorrows and Sufferings as they come to us through the Sufferings of Christ as through a Colature Sile or Strainer they leave the Curse behind them there our Dear Redeemer drank up all that Vinegar leaving none of it for us it was our Saviour solely that fully satisfied God's Justice for Man's Sins by his Meritorious and Mediatory Sufferings and left not the least part thereof unsatisfied for us to satisfie by any Sufferings of ours The Lord looked upon the Travel of his Soul and was satisfied with all our Souls Isa 53.11 N. B. Note well So that if Inquiry be made what must be the Antecedent to this Relative It in this saying of our Dying Saviour it is finished the Answer in general must be that full Satisfaction to God's Justice for Man's sin was now fully satisfied when our Redeemer received this last bitter Potion of the Vinegar all the parts of his unparallel'd Passion were now Accomplished save only his commending his Spirit into his Father's Hands he had nothing now to do but to Die and to give up the Ghost N. B. Note well But more particularly what is said to be finished here must have a beginning and an Intervening midle as well as end or finishing Now the beginning of Christ's Passion was at the beginning of his Incarnation when he Divested himself of that Divine Glory which he had with the Father before the World was John 17.5 and puts on him the the Form of a Servant Phil. 2.6 7. in his Humane Nature and the Intervening Midle from his Cradle to his Cross was a continued Series of Suffering all his Life long both in the Private and in the Publick part thereof his whole life was indeed as is above said but a lingring Death he was designed by bloody Herod to Die so soon as he began to Live and this Diabolical design for Destroying him was carryed on uncessantly by the Scribes Pharisees and Priests even all his Days But now when his Hour was come for Finishing his Passion behold the Man how many little Deaths he endured in his Agony Buffetings Scourgings Mockings c. before he came to Die that worst of Deaths even the Death of the Cross N. B. Note well Behold how Commensurate was the Second Adam's Passion to the First Adam's Transgression Adam had sinned in Paradise the most pleasant place in the World and his sin consisted in seeing the loveliness of the forbidden Fruit in his Touching and Tasting it for the Eating of which he was Derided by God with an Holy Derision Gen. 3.22 't is an Ironical Irrision Man is become as one of us for his vain Affectation of Aspiring unto a Deity What God speaks there Laughing we all should always Read with Weeping for Hinc Illae lacrimae from hence sprung in all Misery and Mischief upon Mankind this foul Fact of his Eating Forbidden Fruit plainly opens Pandora's Box as the Poets feign from Moses's Pentateuch and pulled up the Sluce to let in an Inundation of Sin and Misery and all Evils to fly out upon us N. B. Note well Behold how the Circumstances of Christ's Suffering do wonderfully Correspond and carry an Accommodated contrary proportion proportionable in those points to Adam's sinning As 1. His place of sinning was the best place even Paradise so Christ's place of Suffering was the worst place in the World even Calvary call'd so from Calvus or Bald-pate 2 Kin. 2.23 24. This Calvary or Golgotha was a place of Skulls such as were Bald all the Hair being rotted off a stinking place for our Sweet Saviour to Suffer in 2. As Adam sinned by seeing the lovely look of the Forbidden Fruit Gen. 3.6 So our Saviour suffered by seeing this sad Spectacle of such an Heap of Bald Skulls No doubt but his Tender Heart was much Afflicted with beholding so doleful a sight seeing such a Slaughter of Men was all made by sin 3. As Adam finned in pleasant Touching so Christ to Expiate Adam's sin was not only touched with our Infirmities Heb. 2.17 4 15. but also had the Torturing Touches of the wicked one 1 John 5.18 in his Torments upon the Cross 4. As Adam sinned in his sweet Tasting so did Christ Tast not only of the Vinegar mingled with Gall but Drank up the Second Dose thereof yea and Tasted the bitterness of Death for every Man Jew and Gentile Heb. 2.9.5 As Adam was derided for vainly affecting a Deity so Christ was mocked for saying truly he was the Son of God c. And he was mocked for many other Crimes yet doth he challenge his mockers to convince him of any sin John 8.46 besides 6. The second Adam Died in the same Day of the Week and at the same Hour of the Day as is noted before to bring Life into the World that the first Adam sinned and brought Death into it thereby The 7th and last of the seven last words or sayings of our Blessed Saviour upon the Crâ—â—s was Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Luke 23.46 This was the lasâ— of all our Saviour's Sayings for immediately after he had so said while he was yet living under his six Hours Torments upon the Cross and having a power to lay down his Life when himself pleased John
obstructions early in the Morning of the First Day and was a signal Symbol of Christ's Victory over the Devil Death Sin and the Grave Some say the Earth-quake was caused by the Descending Angel who when he came to sit down upon the great Stone he had rolled away from the Sepulchre made the whole Earth to shake like a mighty Man when he sits down upon a Bench makes the whole room shake under him But 't is more probable the Descending of this Angel was not the Cause but the Consequence of the Earth-quake for Christ himself was the cause thereof who no sooner began he to stir in the Grave but he shakes the Foundations of the Earth so that the Earth was in pain the pangs of a Travelling Woman was upon her as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2.24 signifies till she was delivered of him and the bonds wherewith Death had bound him in the Grave He by the Power of his Divine Nature more easily broke asunder than Sampson his Type did the New Cords wherewith the Philistins manacled him when the Spirit of God came upon him As this was a Triumphal Sign of Christ's Power over the Earth and Hell and over all the Powers of both So that it may be demonstrated He was Lord of Heaven as well as of Earth and Hell He commands the Holy Angels from thence to come and do him Homage hence that Angel which was the chief Speaker to the good Women calls Christ The Lord See the place where the Lord lay Mat. 28.6 intimating that he was not only your Lord the Lord of Saints but also our Lord the Lord of Angels too therefore he stiles him the Lord Absolutely for at his Resurrection did Christ begin his Kingdom whereunto Angels as well as Saints do belong as Subjects Ephis 1.19 20 21 c. Moreover the Syriack reading saith here that this Gabriel called Christ Our Lord to the Women which shews that Christ was truly and properly God In this sense some say that the Angel which rolled away the Stone was sent as an Officer to let his Lord out of Prison without the Keepers consent and that he sat down upon the Stone in contempt of all the Weapons that the Souldiers who watched the Sepulchre held in their Hands and which indeed did fall out of their Hands at their woful sight of this glorious Angel who though he appeared in Humane shape did by his splendour appear to be more than a Mortal Man the Majesty of his Visage shewed his mighty power as his Habit did his Innocency and Holiness which raised an Heart quake in the Bodies of the Keepers when the Earth-quake had been shaking the Pillars of the Earth 'T is no wonder that the lustre of this Angel did drive the Watchmen into the Paroxysm of a shaking Ague being now made sensible that they had been bearing Arms against Almighty God and were now become obnoxious to his Irresistible and Unavoidable Wrath 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Heb. 10.31 How great must be the Majesty of our Lord Jesus a beam whereof He put forth at his Transfiguration when this Angel's but our Lord's Servant's Countenance was like Lightening and his Garments white as Snow And if the splendid Appearance of but one Holy Angel did so Affright a company of Couragious Souldiers such as the Roman Armies which had now Conquered the World consisted of How then shall Wicked Men stand in Judgment at the last Day when the Lord of Angels shall come with whole Myriads of glorious Angels to Judge the World Oh the unspeakable Akings and Quakings of Conscience and the unconceivable convulsions of Heart that shall then seize upon and surprize them in that dreadful day when the World is all of a light fire about their Ears c. Nor may we think that Christ stood in need of this Angel to help him out of the Prison of the Grave by rolling away the Stone for such was the Almighty Power of his Divine Nature that nothing could resist his naked Nod and thereby could as easily Arise out of the Grave when the Stone was unrolled away as he did Appear in the Room among his Disciples when the Doors were shut without any penetration of Diameters as the School-men phrase it John 20.19 26. but more of that in its place afterward This Ushers in the 2d Grand Remark concerning the Concomitants of Christ's Resurrection in respect of its Time Manner and Manifestation First The Time when the precise point whereof is not recorded in Scripture as is abovesaid but the Day whereon it was is by all the four Evangelists to wit the first day of the week and not without intimation that it was Early in the Morning of that day when the Earth-quake was for as the Earth had shook at Christ's Passion because it could not bear his Suffering so now again it shakes at his Resurrection to shew that it could not hinder his Rising and as Hilary hath it Hell it self shaked also as much as the Earth did because he who was Lord of all Acts 10.36 and had the Keys of Hell and Death Rose from the Dead in Despight of all the Infernal Spirits who therefore then fall into a trembling Fit c. As the time of Christ's Rising from the Grave was Oriente Sole when the Sun was about Rising but yet did not appear in its shining lustre above the Earth for it was meet according to the rule of Good Manners that the Sun of Righteousness who was the Creator should have the preeminence of Rising before the Sun of the Firmament called Shemesh which signifies but a Servant it being but Christ's Creature So in this sense is our Lord called the Bright and Morning Star Rev. 22.16 as well as the Day-Star 2 Pet. 1.19 which shineth brightest of all the Stars betwixt the Dawning of the Day and the Rising of the Sun betwixt those two terms it may well be supposed our Saviour Arose from Mat. 28.1 Mark 16.1 Luke 24.1 John 20.1 In all which four Quotations no mention is found concerning the Hour much less the Minute of Christ's Rising it being enough for us to know the Day and the Morning of that Day Wherein All the Evangelists do concur in their fourfold Testimonies which is one above the threefold Cord that cannot easily be broken Here Inquiry is made Why our Lord rose on the first day of the Week Answer The Reasons are 1st The same Day of the Week that the first and old Creation began with the same day must the second and new Creation begin with also Now this was the first day of all the seven which the Lord made Psal 118.24 with ver 22 23. All which are applied to Christ and his Resurrection Acts 4.11 1 Pet. 2.7 c. As God on the first Day of the Week drew the World out of that confused Chaos as well as out of that abhorred estate of nothing and
calls young men 1 John 2.13 14. But the Three are the Fathers whereof there is the fewest number such as beget Souls to Christ Both these latter Christ calls his Sheep yet of a differing degree Note And this Title of Sheep sheweth that Christians must not be ravenous as Wolves not biting as Dogs not crafty as Foxes not dirty as Hoggs not haughty as Horses not stomachful as the Whale c. but meek gentle innocent simple c. as Sheep Note And Christ puts the possessive My to all the Three intimating I have Redeemed them with my Blood I love them and take care of them therefore Peter must be a Pastor to them not an Impostor or Tyrant to Rule over them with Rigour and according to thy Carnal Reason But if I be dear to thee let them be dear to thee also seeing they are dearest of all to me Shew now the love of thy heart to me by the labour of thy hand to them Note Peter was grieved to be ask'd the same Question thrice as if his Lord did suspect his sincerity or did foresee another future fall But by his former he had both learnt more modesty and unlearnt self-confidence thro smarting experience so that he dare no more presume but cautiously commit himself to Christ's Omnisciency who knew what he was and what he would be better than himself None of us should be grieved to be ask'd or to ask our selves Do we love Jesus Christ three times over We are Anathema'd if we do not 1 Cor. 16.22 In the next place Christ confirmeth the truth of Peter's Answer and that he should persevere and testifie the sincerity of his love to Christ by his suffering Martyrdom for him verse 18 19. Peter had presumed before that he could die for Christ but he was then not able chusing rather to deny him by fear than to die for him by love the reason was Christ must die for Peter c. before Peter can be inabled to die for Christ His Humane Temerity was preposterous in daring to say before that he could lay his Life down for his Lord when Divine Verity had decreed another order that is Christ must lay down his life first to purchase a power of perseverance for Peter c. And this being now done Peter may now truly assume such a power of dying for Christ and not falsly presume it as he had done before Christ's death c. Christ now having dispatched his discourse concerning Peter then begins that concerning John occasion'd by Peter's curious Question about the kind of death that his beloved Disciple should die verse 20. Behold what a great change was here in Peter who before durst not ask Christ concerning Judas John 13.23 but beckoned upon John to ask him verse 24 25 26. Now he dareth to ask his Lord concerning John whether he might glorifie God by Martyrdom also verse 21. Seeing it is the glory of the Sufferer to glorifie God in suffering now 't is the great End both of our Creation and of our Redemption to glorifie God 1 Cor. 6.20 and Rev. 4.11 And such as so honour God he will assuredly honour them 1 Sam. 2.30 As Martyrdom is the lowest subjection that can be paid to God so it is the highest honour whereof Peter thought John more worthy of than himself and should not the beloved Disciple have the honour of Martyrdom as well as himself he could not but doubt whether Christ spoke out of love to him in thus foretelling his Martyrdom Christ turns short and sharp upon Peter for this over-curious Inquiry saying If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me Verse 22. that is look to thy self and trouble not thy self about others He shall live till I come to take vengeance on the Jews City Temple c. but thou shalt be Martyr'd by the Jews before the Destruction of Jerusalem and die the death of the Cross as I died therefore saith Christ here follow thou me as he had said to Peter before Thou canst not follow me now but thou shall follow me hereafter John 13.36 37. to wit in the same kind of dâ—â—th Here Christ reâ—â—â—ds Peter of the discourse then intimating as I truly foretold thy thriee denying me then c. so now I as truly foretell thy following me in Martyrdom therefore prepare for it c. As to John's tarrying c. I refer the Reader unto the last end of his life who was the longest liver of all the Apostles c. Now come we to Christ's Eighth Appearance in the Mount of Galilee as before by the deep Sea in the same Country which Matthew only relateth at large Matth. 28.16 c. wherein there be also many famous Remarks to be well observed As 1st The Time when It may well be supposed to fall upon the fourth first-day of Christ's forty days tarrying upon the Earth before he ascended into Heaven For the first first-day he appeared five times to wit upon the day of his Resurrection The last of which five was to the Eleven as they were relating one to another that the Lord was Risen indeed c. Luke 24.33 34. Then the second first-day to Thomas c. then the third first-day after he appeared again to the Seven Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias or Galilee and now upon the fourth first-day he appeared again to the Eleven c. upon this Mountain of Galilee Note Thus it farther appeareth that our Lord did not constantly converse with his Disciples c. partly because they poor mortals were not capable of his continual presence in his now Immortal State and partly that his so long absence from them betwixt one time of his Appearance and another might make them long the more for his Renewed presence the worth whereof they were taught by the want of it He mostly appeared to his Apostles by the Interval of seven days Note Nor only to teach them that it was his pleasure to establish the Eighth day or First day of the Week to be observed as the Christian Sabbath from that time to the end of the World upon Earth but also that when the Seven days of this our Mortal Life which is but seven Years in Law are expired then cometh the Eighth day or the beginning of the Eternal Sabbath in Heaven and then shall we see our sweet Saviour standing upon the Shore of Glory even as he is 1 John 3.1 2 3. Until then we cannot have a perfect sight of him The 2d Remark is The place where it was in the general in Galilee and in particular in a Mountain of Galilee what Mountain this was is not mentioned but supposed to be Mount Tabor the same place whereon Christ had given to Peter James and John a foretast of his future Glory in his glorious Transfiguration Matth. 17 4 5. Note The Lord often manifested his great Grace on a Mountain as there and here his great Glory not only for secret
even a Dog in a string leading forward a blind Man What Paul said afterwards from David's Pen Ephes 4.8 Psal 68.18 He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men even to the Rebellious This same Saul himself found by experience He that thought to have taken Christians captive is himself taken captive by Christ himself and he that would have brought the Saints bound from Damascus to Jerusalem is himself led blind far off from Jerusalem to Damascus Nor had he only a Man-Dog or a Devil's Ban-Dog now tamed to lead him but undoubtedly Christ himself took this Vessel of Wrath whom he had now made a Vessel of Mercy by the hand and led him all along to compleat his Conversion in the City O happy Israill whom Christ led through the Red Sea as an Horse through the Wilderness in the hand of his Leader that they might not stumble Isa 63.13 And oh happy Saul and oh happy Soul that have this sweet Saviour for a Leader though rebellious formerly such cannot miscarry c. 4. The continuance of his Blindness 'T is expresly said it continued for three days Acts 9.9 His present blindness he confessed afterward was caused by the transcendent splendour and glory that over-powered his natural Eye-sight saying I could not see for the glory of that Light Acts 22.11 Here is matter of great Admiration that the Proto-Martyr Stephen had such a mighty work of God upon him as inabled him to behold Christ in his great Glory Acts 7.55 which glorious sight did so dazle this silly Soul Saul here Oh then what a wonderful work of God will it be at the great Resurrection that shall inable such silly Souls as we are to look upon Christ in his greatest Glory Then shall we see him as he is 1 John 3.2 not as in a Glass obscurely like old men through Spectacles or as a weak Eye looks upon the Sun by some Medium as in clear Water so we behold him now while we are on Earth But the Beatifical Vision in Heaven shall be to see him as he is so far as the limited Nature of a created Being is capable of Then shall we see the King of Saints in his beauty Isa 33.17 As he sits at the Right hand of God infinitely out-shineth the brightest Cherub in Heaven Even a glimpse of this Glory struck this Saul with such a blindness as lasted three days This was a long Night to him who persecuted the Children of the Day 'T was a long time for him to be in Darkness for his so implacably attempting to blow out the Light of the Gospel N.B. Saul's time of Darkness carries a proportion with that dreadful Plague upon Egypt even that Plague of Darkness wherein the Egyptians saw not one another for three days Exod. 10.23 That they might know the worth of Light by the want of it and though they could not stir out of their places nor see one another yet as the Psalmist describes this Plague they could see horrible Spectrums and frightful Apparitions of Devils Psal 78.49 In which Three day's Darkness were the Israelites circumcised in Egypt which is supposed to be hinted at in Psal 105.28 whereby the Egyptians were restrained from Rebelling against God's Word in commanding Israel's Circumcision We may well suppose that Saul had no such frightful Visions for he was now no more an Egyptian but coming to be an Israelite indeed and whose heart Christ was circumcising during these three days Darkness No less time would humble him and teach him he had been spiritually blind in his self-conceit of Pharisaical Religion which was his Raging against Christ N.B. Some think that in those three days of his Blindness he had that Rapture into the Third Heaven which he mentions 2 Cor 12.2 However in this time Christ filled his mind now sequestred from all secular affairs with Divine Contemplations wherein he saw nothing but Heaven and wherein he learnt that Gospel from God which he presently began to Preach Act 9.20 and what was taught him in three days he did teach others till his death 5thly His Abstinence from all Meat and Drink and that for so long a time also This was likewise commensurate to his Blindness and had the same term of time We may suppose he was so amazed and under such an horrible consternation by those Divine extraordinary and overwhelming Dispensations that it was now with him as it had been with David when his heart had been so smitten with the blasting Indignation of God as to make him to forget to eat Bread Psal 102.4 He was now so deeply affected and even parched with a blasting breath of Divine Displeasure both upon himself and the afflicted Church that he was altogether stomachless through want of that heat wherewith his heart should have supplied him verse 3 5 c. N.B. Or if Saul's Rapture into Heaven was at this time no wonder if he did not either eat or drink for as he was sufficed with the sight of Heaven alone he seeing nothing else all the time of his Blindness so he had enough to feed upon by both Faith and Sight having God himself to feast upon as Moses had in the Mount during his long forty days fasting But 't is more probable that all this was done to Saul to humble him throughly to teach him more dependency upon God and that he might value his Restored Sight the more yea and that by fasting he might be the more fervent in prayer for fasting prepares for prayer and gives wings to it therefore are they so often put together Matth. 17.21 and Acts 13.3 c. In those Countreys they could fast longer without harm than we in this colder Climate and as it was less prejudice to them than to us so perhaps they were more willing to fast than we for spiritual advantage 6thly The last Concomitant for compleating his Conversion as also for calling him solemnly to his Apostolical Office was Ananias's Action of laying on hands upon him whereby he both received his own Sight and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost was baptized and of a furious Persecutor became a zealous Preacher Acts 9.10 to 21. N.B. The great Master-workman Christ had shaped out this Gospel-Garment of Apostolical Holiness and now puts it out to his Under-servant to become the finisher of it Hereby the Lord suppressed Saul's Arrogancy in sending him for direction what to do as he had desired verse 6. not to any of his great Apostles but to an inferiour Christian What an high hand had begun a subordinate hand must make up and finish N.B. Where Christ affordeth means we may not expect Miracles The Miracle of seeing the Light and hearing the Voice was past and now Saul must use the means a man must teach him c. to let him know that he must teach men And though Ananias was but a private Teacher yet must himself become an universal Doctor Though this Ananias was a private Person yet had he a
be either Hector'd by threatnings or allured by Flatteries to lay down his ministry and desist from his preaching-work No doubt but his silence would have been his security both against the malice of the adverse Jews and against the power of the Idolatrous Pagans But a Necessity was laid upon him and a wo unto him if he preached not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 which himself denounced Fourthly This he did also with all confidence and with an undaunted Courage for his love to Christ was somewhat like Christ's love to him stronger than death Cant. 8.6 As Christ had dyed for him so was he ready to dye for Christ Acts 21.13 and he was the more confident because none were found so fool-hardy to attempt the making him timerous and diffident as followeth Fifthly no man forbidding him not because the Jews wanted malice or the Pagans power but because God who setteth bounds to the raging Sea Job 38.11 who suffered not a Dog to bark at Israel's coming so calmly out of inraged Aegypt Exod. 11. v. 7. and who shut the Mouths of the hungry Lions that they hurt not Daniel Dan. 6. v. 22. did deliver Paul both from Nero and from the Jews So that it was then even in Rome-Heathen as impossible to hinder the progress of the Gospel as to stop the Sun from shining or the Wind from blowing Yet such attempts are in Rome-Anti-christian at this day Wherein the contrary to all the afore-said may easily be exemplified Joseph did indeed provide a Granary or store-house of Corn in every City and Village against the famine that lay on the Land of Aegypt But popish Countries want such a Joseph Publick Statutes are made to forbid Christians of the Reformed Religion from having either publick or private places of meeting into worship God and no man incouraging contrary to this here where there 's no man forbiding The Supplement after the last of Acts 28. CHAP. XXIX A Scripture account of Paul while at Rome c. VVHERE Luke the Evangelist tho' guided by the good Spirit of God yet thought it his duty to desist from giving any farther account of the History of the Apostles Lives and Acts and more especially of the Apostle Paul's with whom he was a constant companion in Rome There must I begin this my Supplement N.B. Wherein because Ecclesiastical History having only an humane Testimony is found both various and uncertain about the lives and deaths of the Apostles therefore I shall not dare to confine my following Discourse unto what is Recorded by Nicephorus Eusebius and others from whose Conjectural Relations nothing can be positively and with undenyable evidence asserted N.B. Now that the Sequel and Supplement of this Apostolical History may be as Harmonious Homogeneal and Symbolizing with the former foregoing twenty eight Chapters as the matter may admit I have thought of this Expedient to bottom my Assertions still upon such Historical Hints as are found scattered here and there in the Sacred Scriptures namely in the Canonical Epistles of the Divinely Inspired Apostles themselves which they wrote upon several occasions as they were guided by the Holy Ghost to give an infallible Account N. B. Hitherto we have had lent us by the Lord a Divine Clew of Thread to lead us through this vast Labyrinth of writing the History of the Apostles Lives so far as Luke who wrote their Acts so called hath led us which Book of the Acts might as well be called The Wonders of the Apostles considering what Wonders it containeth not only such Wonders as were wrought by the Apostles but also for them to deliver preserve and incourage them in their prodigious Apostolical Work Insomuch as all the Attempts both of the Tempter himself the Red Dragon and of all his many and mighty Tools which he imployed for silencing the Apostles and for stopping the progress of Christianity which was every where spoken against Acts 28 22. were confoundingly disappointed N.B. We may well therefore call that History of the Apostles not only the Acts a name wherewith that holy Pen-man Luke the Apostles themselves modestly contented themselves but also the Wonder of Wonders wherein the Truth and Power of God did so wonderfully appear that the Gospel should be so irresistibly propagated by them when all men generally both Jews and Gentiles in all Places and of all Ranks both Princes and Peasants opposed it So that the Doctrine of Christianity which the Apostles taught had the multitude the Powers and Authority the Wisdom of the whole World yea and if all the seeming Sanctity that then was in the World to wit among the Jews all these every where were against it Christ was a Sign spoken against as was foretold of him Luke 2.34 in all places by all people N.B. Now what could rationally be expected in such a desperate case and concern which the Apostles undertook and entred upon but that every natural man would at the least suspect that which all the World so generally condemned Notwithstanding all this universal opposition yet did the Gospel prevail and run through the World like a Sun-beam yea and did so much so universally and so constantly flourish in despite of both Angry Men and of Inraged Devils that indeed this became by the mighty Power of God no less than a wonder of Wonders N.B. Now waving Ecclesiastical History let us still stick to the Sacred Scriptures so far as they give light to this Apostolical History Re-assuming the passages of Providence that attended Paul after his coming to Rome The first Remark farther concerning Paul is His writing several Epistles during his Imprisonment at Rome to several Churches and Persons Luke who accompany'd Paul to Rome as appeareth by his phrase We all along Acts 27. and more expresly in Acts 28. And when we came to Rome verse 16 c. gives no farther account of him but only of his lying a Prisoner there for two whole years and Preaching c. Acts 28.30 31. N.B. As it cannot be supposed that Paul spent all this two whole years time in his Preaching work for this would have wearied hoth himself and his Auditors but that there must be a due Interval betwixt one exercise and another not so much for his private Preparations in his Study because he had an extraordinary Apostolical gift c. So nor may it be imagined that such an Indefatigable Labourer in God's Vineyard could carelesly omit the Improvement of his Horae succisivae or spare hours in this two whole years time and therefore 't is no more than rational to affirm that during this his long Confinement he wrote sundry Epistles c. as above But beside the rationality hereof some Scripture-Light may confirm it Note As 1. His Epistle to the Galatians he wrote from Rome this is render'd the more probable 1. From the Postscript of that Epistle unto the Galatians written from Rome tho' this be no part of the Canonical Scripture for in other Postscripts to some
presupposeth that Paul had then made his appearance before Nero-Caesar and was acquitted N.B. But besides this passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews there be other Scriptures that give us a fuller account hereof As 1. That in the 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first Answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge and therefore he orders Timothy to hasten his coming to him v. 21. looking on him as a fast Friend when all others failed From this may be observed 1st That tho' the phrase At my first answer seems to imply that Paul made more Apologies than one and so made more appearances than this as the Postscript understands it making also Timothy a Non-Resident Bishop yet it only intimates that at the very first pinch and appearance of danger All the Christians there that should have been his assistants started from him and left him to plead for himself among whom was Demas verse 10.2 Tim. 4. who sculked away to Thessalonica out of the reach of Rome when he saw this Tryal of Paul to be of a very doubtful issue 2ly Observe It is not sufficient for us to maintain the truth our selves but we ought to assist such as stand up for the truth and not shrink from them when they are in trouble for it and need our assistance Thus all Paul's Friends sinned in shrinking from him through weakness and humane frailty therefore he begs of God that he would grant them a remission of that Sin 3dly It was a very sad Circumstance in Paul's sufferings that when he had appealed to Nero himself and when Nero himself in the Court of Rome heard his cause and defence none of the Church that was at Rome nor any of those that were of his own Retinue durst own him through a fright or stand by him in so signal an encounter and in so eminent Danger where his very Christianity was Crime enough for which to be executed And Paul himself did read his own death near even in Nero's Temper v. 6.2 Tim. 4. 4thly Tho' men failed Paul yet God failed him not but stood by him 2 Tim 4. verse 17. and made him able to plead his own cause so powerfully that he was delivered out of the Lion's mouth namely from Nero so called as Tyrants and persecutors of the Church have frequently in Scripture that name of Lions put upon them Ezek. 19.2 Psal 35.17 and 91.13 Pro. 28.15 and Jerem. 2.15 47. N.B. God is never so sweet and so seasonable to his Saints as in the day of their deepest distresse God loves to help those that are forsaken of their helps and hopes N.B. The next Scripture that giveth light herein is those passages in that Epistle to the Philippians Ph. 2.21 where at this time of his imprisonment also he complains that all seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ just like all forsaking him c. 2 Tim. 4. verse 16. then he goes on verse 23. Hoping to send Timothy presently to them so soon as I shall see how it will go with me He could not as yet spare him to accompany Epaphroditus until he came to a certainty what would be the Issue of his present imprisonment telling them withal that he had sat down counted the cost of Godliness and cast it up thus that he had made up a total Resignation of his own will into the holy will of God according to Acts 21.13 14. comforting himself and them with those few Considerations As 1. That hitherto his confinement had fallen out for the furtherance of the Gospel c Phil. 1.12 13 14. Tho' the Devil designed it for the hinderance thereof yet through the over-ruling providence of God so ordering it he had Liberty two whole years and opportunity of Teaching the things of Christ whereby his Chains of Iron became a greater honour to him than were those Chains of Gold which King Agrippa the Emperor Nero or any of his Judges wore with so much Ambition therefore would he not have them discouraged but comforted as the Corinthians were 2 Cor. 1.5 6 7. Acts 5.41 James 2.2 It was matter of Joy to him that all Nero's Court began to ring of his sufferings seeing their inquiry after the Cause thereof gave occasion to impart some Notions of Christ to them whereby some of them were Converted Phil. 4.22 2. He lets them know that supposing the worst though his imprisonment should determine in his death and that he should then be offered up a Sacrifice yet as this would be his own advantage so it could be no dis-service to their faith Phil. 1.21 and 2.17.18 if it should be thus sealed with his blood 3. Yet was he persuaded either by a Prophetick Spirit in a Revelation or by the Sanctifying Spirit strengthening his Faith that as his prison had been his Ark of safety for two whole years so now that he should be delivered out of the mouth of the Lion and restored to them to confirm their Faith farther with his personal presence writing thus to them And having this confidence that my still abiding in the flesh is more needful for you I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of Faith Phil. 1.24 25. and again I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly Phil 2.24 designing to follow Timothy to them Another Scripture which gives light that Paul weathered out this point and was restored to his Liberty in despight of the Lion after so long imprisonment is Philemon verse 22. but withal prepare me a Lodging for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you This accords with Phil. 1.25 and 2.24 Paul had long longed to visit the Christians at Rome and had prayed for a prosperous Journey thither but had been long hindered Rom. 1.10 11 12 13. and 15.22 23. yet was he brought to Rome by such a way as he little dreamed of Little thought Paul that when he was bound at Jerusulem and posted from one prison to another that God was now sending him to Rome his longing for it might be one cause of Paul's making his appeal to Rome Acts 25.10 11.12 N.B. Now God sent him and very safe with a great Convoy to Cesarea and from thence with a great convoy God's own protection notwithstanding both the Shipwrack and the Viper as safe to Rome N.B. God goes oft another way to work for granting our desires and for doing us good than we could imagine Paul lyes prisoner at Rome two years at the end of that term he is set at liberty bespeaking his Lodgings for him at Coloss where Philemon was a Minister call'd Paul's fellow-labourer whose wife was Apphia named before Archippus another Minister Col. 4.17 whose house must be now Paul's Lodgings Philemon verse 1.22 Thus have we a full account of Paul's confidence that through the Church's prayers for him both at Philippi and
take the time of Satan's binding for a long time indefinitely Zegerus Emanuel Sa and Esthius all say 't is meant all the time since the first publication of the Gospel Ribera Haimo and Gagneus take it for the time until Antichrists rise who as they say must continue but three years and an half before the day of Judgment Junius begins these thousand years thirty six years after Christ's death for then Satan raged against the Christian Church until Hildebrand before he was restrained c. Brightman reckons at Constantine to Pope Bonifaceâ— the eighth and so do Napier and Mr. Fox the Martyrologist Cotterius begins them at 1517 when Luther arose to a reformation at which time was the rising of the witnesses But Alsted and Archer begin them at 1666 and 1694 the latter of these two Dr. Hall in his Revelation Revealed most highly honoureth saying of him that Mr. Archer was a London Divine of such Sanctity and Estimation as none doubted saith the Doctor to file him among men as pretious as any the Earth bore in his time yet some mistakes attended this pretious man both in reckoning Christ's Reign to begin at 1666 year and in fixing the call of the Jews and the ten Tribes upon 1650 or 56 year both which time it self hath confuted Tho' Dr. Hall give this high character to Mr. Archer yet was he of a differing opinion to him saying the Ten Tribes were 2340 years ago so dispersed as dust before the wind so that now they have no known Being in the world and for them to be fetched again out of the Rubbage of Paganism and Mahometanism credat Judaeus Apella let the circumcised Jew believe it c. As to Alsted he is an Author of Universal Reputation as appeareth by his Encuclopaedia and other learned Works He wrote in Latin his Assertion of the glorious Kingdom of Christ here on earth Illustrates it from sixty five places of holy Scripture and answers thirty five Objections against it which is faithfully Englished by famous Mr. Burton who calls it The beloved City and well-worthy of serious perusal Yet this great professor of the University at Herborne hath his Mistake also in fixing the beginning of Christ's Reign on Earth upon 1694 year or sooner This his Conjecture is likewise expired Re infectâ as well as the former we may well suppose the cause of so many men's mistakes as to times and things is this that seeing the sense of those dark prophecies layeth not in Superficie sed in medulla Scripturae as the Father phraseth it not in the outside of the letter but in the marrow of the Spirit therefore was it a prudent answer of Dr. Andrews when a plain man asked him his opinion about those obscure passages in the Revelations he modestly said My Friend I am not yet come so far c. Yea and great Calvin if Bodinus wrong him not was forced to acknowledge that he was Nullus in propheticis and knew not what many obscure passages of the Revelations meant Seeing as Jerom saith Quot habet verba tot Sacramenta so many words so many Mysteries as before 3dly There be many great lights of the Church that are in the dark about those difficult points rendring their Reasons for their dissenting such as learned Dr. Lightfoot who in his comment upon the Acts pag. 12. doth condemn the Millenarian opinion as erroneous c. And other learned men argue thus 1. The first Lesson that God taught Adam after he had taught him the Lesson of Christ was that he should not expect Christ's Kingdom upon Earth because he then cursed the Earth to him and what should Christ's blessed ones for ever in Heaven do a thousand years on the cursed earth seeing Christ saith His Kingdom is not of this world c. 2. Tho' Millenaries say they understand Satan's binding to be that he shall no more persecute the Church but 't is expressed Rev. 20. v. 3.8 that he shall not deceive the Nations now there is vast difference betwixt persecuting and deceiving and betwixt Church and Nations 3. They say also that the first Resurrection Revel 20.5 is meant the calling of the Jews which is called a life from the dead Rom. 11.15 and John 5.24 25. 4. They add likewise that the Resurrection of the Gentiles or the thousand years of chaining up Satan from deceiving the Gentile Nations did begin at the destruction of the Jewish Temple for then tho' the Gospel had been preached before did Judaism cease and Christianity began c. Hence was that day called a Terrible day Joel 2.31 Acts. â—â— 20 as if it had been the day of Judgment and Christ discourses so of them together that you cannot know them asunder they are so alike in Matth. 24 c. Many more Arguments against the Millennium may be found in Dr. Willet's Hexapla on Rom. 11th and on Daniel c. in Dr. Hall and in Ross's Pansebeia too long to inserit here which Alsted and others have industriously Answered The safest choice I Judge in polemical points is only to speak by permission as the Apostle's phrase is 1 Cor. 7 6. and not over Dogmatically c. Dr. Goodwin concludes his Sermon on the fifth Monarchy with this prudent caution saying Whether so or so I leave undetermined And the Rabbies old Salvo ' with a little variation seems now very seasonable namely Elias cum venerit solvet Omnia when the Messiah Elias's Master cometh he will resolve all those Sacred Riddles we must therefore pray with the Spouse Make hast my Beloved and run like the swift Roe to unriddle all Mysteries c. The last Remark is What became of John after he had delivered this Revelation to the Churches of Asia the Scripture is silent We are told his Epistles and Gospel were writ after his return to Ephesus from Patmos where he had his Revelation were pubished by Gaius his Host and Deacon mentioned Romans 16.23 N. B. And that he was put into a vessel of boiling oil at Rome which did him no harm and that he slumbreth yet under the earth at Ephesus where he made his own grave out of which he had preached c. But these many other stories ficta magis quam facta esse videntur seem vain fictions rather than real facts saith Pareus and be but monkish Evaporations saith Prideaux No better what is told concerning Andrew Philip Thomas Bartholomew Simon the Canaanite Matthew saving that he wrote his Gospel and Matthias chosen by Lot in Judas's stead is if not Fabulous at least uncertain N. B. Where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to speak we may not have a Tongue to ask Now unto the King Eternal Immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13.20 21. Δόξα μόνω Θεῷ Deo Soli Gloria FINIS