Canaanites before thee Although children should not be put to death for their fathers offences 2 King 14.6 yet they may be other wayes punished for their fathers offences as to be forfeited and to lose their fathers inheritance Lessius pag. 53. not 66. as the imperiall lawes have ordained the Casuists adde that if a Magitian should find a treasure hid in the ground whereas a third part of it should fall to the finder yet neither the Magitian nor his children should have any part of it ea pars quae inventoris fuit adjudicatur fisco that is that part which should have befallen to the finder is adjudged to the common treasure and besides all these temporary evils Sorcerers and Witches should not enter within the holy city Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wayes enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abhominationâ— the greatest abhomination that God abhorred Magitians are excluded from the kingdome of God is witchcraft Dâ—â—t 18.12 therefore they shall never enter within the holy citie Of the third degenerate Son the IDOLATER IT is not knowne whence the river Nilus springs all condescend upon this that this river springs first out of the hills called montes Lunae but out of what spring it aryseth first no man can tell But yet we see that out of these small beginnings it aryseth to a great river and runnes through Ethiopia turning the course now this way now that way and then runneth into Egypt at last it divides it selfe into seven branches and runnes into the Mediterranean sea And soe we may judge of the beginning of Idolatrie and progresse thereof This we know in generall that Idolatrie is a worke of the flesh Whence Idolatrie tooke the beginning Gal. 5.20 and it comes from a mind obscured with darkenesse Iohn 4.24 and from a corrupt understanding Hose 13.2 and they made them Idolles according to their owne understanding and from a will corrupted therefore it is called will worship Col. 2.23 and from the senses corrupted and especially from the sight therefore we are forbidden to goe a whoring after our owne eyes Num. 15.35 But in particular to tell who invented this Idolatrie first or where it was invented that we cannot doe for while men slept the enemie came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 But as men know that Nilus tooke the beginning from a small originall and peece and peece increaseth unto a great river Such is the beginning and progresse of Idolatrie that it hath now overspread the most part of the world SECT 1. Of the beginning of Idolatry IT is most probable that this Idolatrie tooke the beginning from the love which men carie to their dead parents to set up images and statues to them in remembrance of them which Satan afterward moved them to worship and then they began to say to the stocke thou art my father Ier. 2.27 and to the stone that thou hast brought mee forth Men set up first images in remembrance of their fathers and afterward fell to worship them and hence it was that they were commanded to forget their fathers house when they were to leave Idolatrie Psal 45.10 That is the religion which they had from their parents and which was continued amongst them in remembrance of their fathers And those Idolaters are more blamed who chose new Gods which their fathers knew not Deut. 32.17 The devill made them beleeve that images were sent downe from God Secondly the subtill devill deluded people and made them beleeve that the gods sent downe images from Heaven which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming downe from Iupiter Act. 19.35 So hee made them beleeve that gods came downe to them in the likenesse of men The devill made men beleeve that images made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them Act. 14.11 and so they worshipped them Thirdly hee made them beleeve that those images which were made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them and that they were not lyke other workes of mens hands Acts 19.26 It is naturall for all men to have some god or other and men according to their severall inclinations found gods to themselves some one way and some another Men fained gods to themselves according to their severall inclinations Those who were inclined to warre made Mars for their God and the Scythians a belicouse people worshipped their sword and those who inclined to filthinesse or lust made Venus for their godesse And the Iewes worshipped Tammuz Ezech. 8.14 with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from hence sprang all their fabulous theologie as Varro calles it of the incests adulteries and rapts of their Gods So men inclining to coveteousnesse made their gods accordingly as the Philistines made Dagon a fish their god because they lay neare the sea coast and used fishing So some worshipped a sheepe as the Syrians worshiped gnashtoroth a sheepe So in Egypt they worshiped an oxe an oxe was a signe to them of plenie of corne Pro. 14.4 where no oxen are the crib is cleane but much increase is by the strength of the oxe and those who were given to drunkennesse made Bacchus their god Vide Amianum dego es de rebus ethiopicis lib. 3 And even as the Ethiopians because they are blacke themselves paint the good Angels blacke like themselves and the devills white So did men imagine of their gods and made them like unto themselves and that which they affected most foolish man imagine that God is like unto him Psal 50. because I held my peace thou thoughtest I was like unto thee When men beheld the starres first they observed the influx of the starres and that bred Physicke secondly they observed the course of the starres and that bred Astronomie Thirdly they used predictions by the starres and that bred Astrologie Fourthly they worshipped the starres and that was Idolatry They worshipped their gods of gold silver yron wood and stone Dan. 5.4 they represented Iupiter by gold Venus or Diana by silver they made silver shrines to Diana They represented Caeres by wood and Pluto and the infernall gods by stone To these Idols they gave all honour which was due to God they called them their husbandes Hos 2.7 they called them their kings Zeph. 1.5 and their gods and their kings and their great men tooke names from those Idoles as Nebuchadnezer and Nebuch palassar tooke their names from their Idoll Nebo Isa 46.1 So Balthasar Hanniball Hasdruball tooke their names from Baal so the King of the Sidonians was called Ethbaal 1 Sam. 6.31 and others tooke their names from Bell which is the contraction of Baal So they bestowed their goods upon their Idoles they sacrificed their children unto them and powred out all their affections upon them and they held that all which they did possesse they possessed it by their Idols Iud. 11.24 SECT 2. How great a sinne this sinne of Idolatrie is GOd who is the
by them and many things which should befall to the Church they might foreknow the rising and the falling of the mornarchies out of Daniel and they might foretell the nativitie of Christ by searching the Scriptures and many things which should befall the Church in their latter times by observing the booke of the Revelation The Oracle of Delphos gave this answer to Alexander Invictus eris Alexander This was easie for the devill to foretell because Daniel foretold the fall of the Medes and Persians by the Greekes So the Oracle of Delphos foretold to Craesus that his Kingdome in the fift generation should perish This the Devill might easily learne out of the Scriptures for God visits the sinnes of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation and the children filling up the measure of their fathers iniquitie then his Kingdome was shortly to come to an end A man murthers another and escapeth It is easie for Satan to foretell what death he should die out of the Scriptures he who killes by the sword shall be killed by the sword and sometimes the Lord useth the devill as his executioner and hangman It was easie for the devill to say to Saul to morrow thou shall bee with me because the Lord used him as his executioner in this Iudgement Satan when he foretelles things to come he speakes with a low voyce and out of the ground and he pipes as chickins doe when they are new hatched Isa 8.19 sometimes hee flatters the partie who expects the revelation of him and therefore Demosthenes said that the Oracle of Apollo did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is flatter Philip of Macedon So when Alexander came into the temple of Iupiter Hammon the priest called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in vita Alexandri faire child which Alexander tooke to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter his sonne But when the Devill was doubtfull of the events of his prophesies then hee gave his answers doubtfullie that they might admit a double sense Such was those answers which he gave by his false Prophets to Ahab King of Israel when hee was going to besiege Ramoth Gilead They demanded of him who should prevaile He answered the King should prevaile but he telles not which King whether Syria or Israel 2 Cro. 18.11 Satans responses were very doubtfull His responses were so doubtfull that the wisest amongst the heathen could not tell what to make of them All his responses were doubtfull therefore hee was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollo Satan is a great Sophister in his answers Hee being asked how the gods should bee worshipped gave this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mittite capita Iovi hominem vero Saturno The falacie lay here in the accent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu gravi signifieth a man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu circumflexo signifieth a torch or a light but they mistaking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sacrificed a number of men to him in stead of setting of lights before him When the plague was verie hot at Athens Plutarch de Ei apud delphos they asked the Oracle of Apollo how it might bee remedied the Oracle answered and bade them duplare aram which neither Plato nor Aristotle understood Plato by Geometrie went about to finde out how the Altar might be doubled But the Oracle meant that they should double their sacrifices to the gods and then the plague should cease Example the third Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse the words imply a double sense heere either that the Romans might overcome or that they might overcome the Romans Some hold that by the placing of the negative particle the devill deceived Eve as when he laid unto her non moriendo morieris for they say when the negative with the Hebrewes is placed before the finite and the infinite verbe then it neither certainely affirmeth nor denyeth but leaves the matter in doubt This say they is the affirmative Moriendo morieris This is the Negative Moriendo non morieris This is the doubtfull Non moriendo morieris perhaps ye may die and perhaps not Vide grammaticum â—unij Thus Satan deceived Eve say they when he saw her beginne to doubt perhaps we shall not die But this rule holds not for non being set before the finite and the infinite doth flatly denie Psal 49.7 Non redimendo redimet fratremsuum that is he can no waies redeeme his brother from death And so when this particle non is set betwixt the finite and the infinite it denieth only in part Ier. 46.28 I will chastise thee in Iudgement Sed evacuando non evacuabo te that is I will chastise thee in judgement but not destroy thee here the particle non being set betwixt the finite and the infinite denieth not flatlie but onely in part yet being placed here before the finite and the infinite it is altogether negative wherefore non moriendo morieris flatlie denieth here and not doutfully Hee hath likewise deceived some by doubling the negative particle when Manfredus did contend with Charles about the Kingdome of Naples he got this answere from the devill Non non gallus superabit Fiftly he manifested his deceit by the similitude of words Such was the Oracle which Thusidides makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they could hardly discerne whether to prepare themselves against the warre or to use remedies against the sicknesse Sixtlie the deceit lay in the words themselves which suffer a double interpretation Gen. 3. That day that ye shall eate of this fruit your eyes shall be opened and ye shall know good and evill Wee know good and evill two manner of waies first in theorie and then by miserable experience they knew good and evill in the first sense before their fall but by miserable experience when they did eate of the forbidden fruit Vide Morne ê‘lcsse pag. 389. These Oracles hath very often deceived men Therefore Oenomaus the Phylosopher wrote a booke against them which had this inscription De oraculorum falsitate As Plutarch wrote a booke de oraculorum defectu And Porphyre testifieth when as the Oracle of Delphos could not divine by the starres what should befall them the Oracle desired them that they would aske him nothing at all and hee told them that if they ceased not to aske him he would tell them lies Object But the Lord seemeth by the Prophet Elisha to give a doubtfull answer to Hazael 2 King 8.10 To whom Elisha said go tell him that he shall not recover at al for the Lord hath told me that he shal certainly die The words seeme also to carry another sense Go tell him that hee shall recover although the Lord said that he shall die Hee shall recover because the sicknesse of it selfe is not deadly hee shall
sacrifices all had plenty enough there was bread enough in their fathers house but this miserable man contents himselfe in his Idoll service with a sute of apparell his victualls and tenne peeces of silver Hee desires to be a priest that he might eate bread 1 Sam. 2.26 When they desired to be in this holy calling onely to eate and not to serve God in it then they were mercenaries The Moralists observe that some games and recreations are honest when men use them onely for recreation as to fish and to hunt but if a man doe fish onely for gaine or goe a hunting onely to make profit by it then it becomes ignoble questus est sordidus it is base gaine much more if a man turne this high calling to gaine it becomes a base calling When these greedy dogges Esay 56.11 cannot be satisfied and when they seeke the peoples goods but not themselves 2 Cor. 13.14 and fleece the flocke but feede it not Ezech. 34.3 tunc mercantur animas they sell the foules of men 2 Pet. 2.3 and sell the soules of the people for handfulls of barley and peeces of bread Ezech. 13.19 then they feed the flocke for filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 The eight increase The eight increase of Idolatry when the whole tribe of Dan fell to Idolatry Iudg. 18. and went a whoring after those Teraphims Ionathan who was a priest to a poore family before now he becomes a priest to the whole family of Dan. This Ionathan was the grand child of Moses Moses begat Gershon and Gershon begat Manasseh and Manasseh begat Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 This Menasseth was the father of Ionathan but because he and his son Ionathan were so unlike to Moses therefore they write him in the text Manasseh but in the margine they write him Moshe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manasses studio imitatione impietatis Mosis silius prosapia elevating the Nun they write him Manasseth because they held him to be an Idolater like Manasseh and they write him in the margine Moshe because hee was naturally descended of Moses This might seeme strange that Moses who was such a faithfull servant in all the house of God Heb. 3.5 and alwayes hated Idolatrie should have a grandchild who is such an apostate and open Idolater this a man might thinke should breed great discouragement in the hearts of faithfull men when they see their posteritie so degenerate from the truth The faithfull who are within the covenant must comfort themselves by looking up to their good predecessors and not to their bad posterity but men who are faithfull and stand within the covenant must comfort themselves not by looking downe to those who come of them but by looking up and marking their antecessors of whom they are descended And even as in the right succession of the inheritance in Israel they reckoned upward alwayes So must we doe in the spirituall covenant The Iewes saith if a man died and had no children then the inheritance came to the father both the inheritance of the male and the female unlesse there came in one who married his brothers wife after his death and they make the dead father as though he were alive that the right order of succession might be known and so the male children succeeded and if there were no males then the females succeeded and if they failed then the inheritance ascended to the grandfather and to his other children if he had any moe and they ascended still up to Adam therefore the Iewes say that there is not a man in Israel who wants an heire but he may reckon it up to Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Esau Levi Dina a daughter Noah Gershon Merari Ccohebed a daughter Amram Izzar Hebron Vzziel Moses Aaron Miriam a daughter Now in this genealogie Amram dying the question is who shall be his heire If Moses and Aaron be alive first Vide Sheldan de sucsuccessione haebreorum Moses succeeds and if he die Aaron and if both die then Miram but if all the three die without posteritie then from him it descends to the sonnes of Amram Izzar Hebron and Vzziel and so at last ascends to Abraham So here in this spirituall reckoning we must ascend upward although Manasseh be an Idolater and his sonne Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 yet Moses will not want an heire Let him looke to his faithfull predecessors they are his heires and hee may reckon up to them This will minister great comfort to the faithfull parents Verna domus quid who have bad children that they are descended of godly parents This was Davids comfort who had leud children Psal 86.16 Have mercy upon me and give strength unto thy servant and save the sonne of thy handmaid The children of the handmaid were their masters and David alludes to this This was his comfort that he was the sonne of the Lords handmaid for they that were the children of the handmaides were their masters Exod. 21.4 and they were said to be home borne Ier. 2.14 So David being borne within the Church of the Lords handmaid rejoyceth that hee is Gods child and although these pedegrees in our ascending be often broken off yet the covenant is valid and of force still in respect of the first promise Esay 64.3 Thou art our father although Abraham hath forgotten us and Israel doth not know us that is although we have broken the covenant and have not followed the footsteeps of our faithfull predecessors Abram and Isaac who if they were alive would not acknowledge us for their children neither doe we thinke ourselves worthy so to be reckoned we leane only on the free promise of God in Christ Iesus which we know to be most sure as God himselfe is constant Ianathan descending of Moses fell to Idolatry All fathers transmit to their children originall sinne Gen. 5. Fathers transmits to their children originall sinne onely It is said of Adam that he begat a sonne to his owne Image that is to his corrupt Image but other things parents cannot trasmit to their children as a seeing father sometimes begets a blind sonne Iohn 9. neither can he transmit those things which hee hath acquired by Art to his child as a Musitian begets not a Musitian So he cannot transmit his infused gifts to his child as Salomon could not transmit his wisedome to his foolish sonne Rehoboam far lesse can he transmit grace unto his posterity as Abraham could not transmit grace to Ishmael neither could Moses to his grandchild Ionathan but God only can beget children to his owne Image Therefore the Lord saith Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy 1 Pet. 1.16 In this last increase of Idolatry under the Iudges it is to be considered that first the Danites commit sin in taking away Micahs Idols and by seducing his Priest Secondly that Ionathan and his sonnes become Priests to the tribe And lastly how long this Idoll remained in Dan. First they take away Micah his
untill this last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Racematio was gathered in they had fallen away from the Lord a long time before he gave them this bill of divorce and upon their part they were not his people but yet upon Gods part they were still his people untill he gave them the bill of divorce he did not as yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but suffered them a while hee said not to them as yet Esto expulsa ame licita cuivis viro which were the words of the bill of divorce The Lord gave the Iewes sundry warnings before their rejection He gave them sundry warnings of their rejection before he rejected them The first was Matth. 12.16 And he charged them not to make him knowne that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Isaias Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and hee shall shew judgement to the Gentiles The Lord forbade the clouds to droppe any more upon his Vineyard Esa 5. because he was to turne himself to the Gentiles this was the first warning of their rejection The second warning Math. 21.41 Marke 12.9 They say unto him hee will miserably destroy those wicked servants When they understood that this parable was spoken of them then they would not answer least they should seeme to condemne themselves but Christ pronounced this sentence that hee would destroy those wicked men which when the Pharisees heard they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbidde understanding that this was spoken against them Mat. 21.25 Wherefore when Mathew saith the Pharisees answered to Christ malos male perdat he respects the Pharisees mind and what they thought but they repressed themselves and there is a trajection here for after the 41. vers the 43. should be subjoyned and then the 42. and then the 44. and so Christs speech is made plaine which otherwise seemes to be obscure The third warning of the rejection of the Iewes is Matth. 23.38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you yee shall not see mee henceforth untill yee say Blessed is he who commeth in the name of the Lord. The last warning was Act. 13.46 Seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Loe we turne to the Gentiles Then the Apostles shooke off the dust of their feet against them v. 51. which was a military signe of old wherby they knew that the enemy was approching for their destruction when they saw the horses approaching neare unto them and raising the dust with their feet against them then they might know that their destruction was at hand So the Iewes might know by the Apostles shaking off the dust of their feete that there was no peace for them any more but their destruction was at hand when they had fallen away now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECT 6. Whether the Jewes are to be suffered in a Christian common wealth or not THe Iewes are to be tollerated amongst Christians now when they are out of the Covenant as they did tolerate us Gentiles when wee were out of the covenant When the gentiles were out of the covenant there were three sorts of them We should use the Iewes now as they used us gentiles when we were out of the covenant first the strangers that were strangers by birth by affection and religion secondly those who were strangers by birth and religion but not in affection that is those strangers who dwelt peaceable amongst them although they were not Proselytes and converted to their religion yet they permitted them to dwell amongst them the third sort were Proselytes and gentiles converted and they injoyed all the priviledges which the Iewes themselves enjoyed These that were Iewes by birth they called Hebraeos ex haebreis Phil. 3.5 That is whose parents were both hebrewes so hee whose father was an Hebrew and his mother a stranger he needed not to be made a proselyte he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indigena a naturall Israelite but if his father was a stranger and his mother an Israelite he was but alienigena and behooved to be made a Proselyte before he was to be admitted to the societie of Israel but most of all those whose Parents both father and mother were strangers were not to be admitted to their society untill they were made proselytes and those they called bagbag by a contraction for ben gar filius gentilis viri the sonne of a man who was a Gentile and ben giorith that is the sonne of a woman who was a Gentile The Iewes who are Iewes both by birth religion and affection should not be tollerate amongst Christians So the Jewes now who are Iewes by birth religion and affection that is who hate Christ and Christian religion who raile against him and blaspheme him these should not be tollerated in a Christian Common-wealth who say they are Iewes but they are of the Synagogue of Satan Revel 2.9 These should be put to death as the blasphemer who blasphemed the name of the Lord was put to death Levit. 24. So should they now and if a Christian who incalls upon Christ and blasphemes God the father should dye the death So should a Iew who incalls upon God and blasphemes Christ dye the death Nehemiah when he heard the children speake halfe the language of Ashdod he contended with the men and pluckt off their haire Nehem. 13.25 Much more should the Christian Magistrate cut off the heads of these blasphemers who blaspheme the name of Christ Those that were strangers by birth and religion but not in affection were tollerated amongst them The second sort of strangers who dwelt among the Iewes and were tollerated by them were Gentiles by birth and religion but not in affection and they were called advenae portae the strangers within thy gate Exo. 20. Those strangers were bound to cease from their labours upon the Sabbath Maimo Hall cap. 8.12 13. and to learn the seven precepts of Noah that they might be drawn peece peece to aliking of the Iewish religion so the Iewes who live amongst the Christians now who are Iewes both by birth religion but not in affection they may be advenae portae to us strangers permitted to dwell within our gates If they dwell peaceably amongst us and abstaine from offences and some short principles of Christian religion should be taught unto them as the gentiles who were advenae portae learned the seven precepts of Noah Obj. Hee that worships not the true God should not be permitted in a christian common weale those Iewes worship not the true God therefore they are not to be suffered in a christian common wealth Answ Those who through ignorance worship not the true God and of whose conversion there is hope those may bee suffered in a christian common wealth
this Magicke from those who lay upon the West as from the Philistims Esay 2.6 So this Magicke abounded amongst the Ammorites therefore the Hebrewes saith In quocunque est aliquid de medicina nihil est de via ammoriorum hoc licitum est that is when men use naturall meanes there is no sorcerie then as was amongst the Amorites Tâ—â—â—dly this Magicke abounded in the South of Canaan in Egypt as we see in Iannes and Iambres who resisted Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 they used a proverbe or taunt unto Moses as it is written in the Talmud Tu stramen portas in Afra Afra was a place in Egypt where straw abounded most their meaning was that there was magicke enough in Egypt already and therefore it was needlesse for them to practise their magicke in Egypt So they said In urbem oleribus abundantem olera venalia importas Thou carries hearbes to sell to a towne that abounds with hearbes So this magicke abounded in Samaria where Simon abused the people by witchcraft Act. 9. To whom all gave heede from the least to the greatest and they called him the great power of God So this sorcerie abounded in Ephesus Act. 19.19 Therefore they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This magicke was professed there and they had Libraries of great price there which afterward they burnt So this sorcerie is very farre spread in these parts of the world where we live now and where the Gospel is preached The Prophet Esay speaking of the calling of the Gentiles saith Esay 43.5 I will bring thy seede from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North give up and to the South keepe not backe so we may say now that neither the North nor the South withholds but they runne from all parts of the world to the devill and hee hath his synagogue where the Gospel is preached and there he sets up his throne Look to Lapland Findland and to the mountaines of Savoy and here amongst our selves how they abound Is not this a just judgement for the contempt of the Gospel SECT 2. How fearefull a sinne it is to enter in covenant with the devill VVhen men binde themselves one unto another What a sinne it is to covenant with the devill they binde themselves either by promise or by an oath or by a covenant They binde themselves by a promise A promise is obligatio fidei and here they paune their fidelitie and honestie but in an oath there is obligatio animae salutis In it they paund their fidelitie honesty and soule and then by covenant which is confirmed by write by oath and by some solemne rites as when they confirmed their covenants of old they vsed to divide a beast in two and those who entred into the covenant used to passe betwixt the parts of the beast divided Gen. 15.10 Ier. 34.18 and they wished that if they brake that covenant they might be parted and cutte as that beast was into peices And the Hebrewes say scindere faedus David saith scissores faederis mei Psal 50.5 that is who made a covenant with me because a beast was cut when the covenant was made and this covenant they called Berith To promise to the devill is a great sinne but to binde our selves by an oath to him is a greater sinne but to enter in covenant with him is the greatest sinne of all to deliver up to him soule and body to be tormented and cut by him at his pleasure Secondly in all covenants fidelitie is most to be respected There are foure great liars with whom a man must not covenant hell death the world and the devill These who covenants with death with hell and the world makes lies their refuge These who covenants with death and hell as the Prophet Esaiah speakes Esay 28.15 They make lies their refuge and under falshood they shadow themselves There are two things that secure sinners are most afraid of the Iayle and the Iayler first of the Iayle hell and next of the Iayler death The deceitfull heart of man promiseth to the secure sinner immunitie from both these and makes an imaginary covenant with man and promiseth to secure him from them both first that hee shall be free from hell and promiseth to him peace when his destruction is at hand when a man makes this kinde of covenant with his deceitfull heart hee makes lies for his refuge and his covenant is nothing Secondly hee is afraid of death the Iayler and in comes the deceitfull heart of man and makes this imaginarie covenant and puts the evill day farre from him and so he makes lies his refuge Hagag said 1 Sam. 15.32 when he flattered himselfe that the bitternesse of death was past when as Samuels sword was hanging over his head Secure sinners when death is neare to them they put it farre from them both in respect of preparation and expectation and upon a sudden it surprises them and in a sudden they goe downe to hell wherefore we should never covenant with them The third lier that we should not covenant with is the world The world is like that Olive tree which Habbacuck speakes of Hab. 3.17 mentita est oliva the Olive tree made a lie It promised faire in the spring when it blossomed but it brought nothing to perfection So the world promiseth much but performes nothing really to men and it is like Ionah his Gourd when hee thought to have sheltred himselfe under it a worme did consume it So it fareth with the world when men thinkes to shelter themselves under it then it vanisheth therefore we must never covenant with this liar the world But above all to covenant with the devill To covenant with the divell the father of lies that is a fearefull covenant who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 This is the greatest madnesse of all who can trust him or what fidelitie is in his promises he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who promiseth much in words but performes nothing Magis blandus quam benignus so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to praise and flatter us when hee mindes no such things he holds out bread to us but hee gives us a stone he presents a fish to us but he gives us a Scorpion therefore wee should never covenant with him hee is ready to intice us to sinne and the first to accuse us Hee is like unto Ioab who would have perswaded the man to have killed Absalom the Kings sonne and if he had killed him hee would have set himselfe first against him 2 Sam. 13.18 therefore we should never covenant with him Thirdly It is not lawful to make a covenant of peace with the devill where God hath proclaimed warre God hath put an enmitie betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent he hath not put anger betwixt them for those who are angry one with another they may be
to save us from the devill then we know the devill hath no power to hurt us we expect no positive effect here from him but only that he hurt us not and the man when he removes the signe he expects nothing by reason of the covenant made betwixt the witch and the devill but by breaking this signe he breaks the covenant betwixt Satan and the witch Therefore when he expects that the devil should hurt no more he doth not as if he should say performe thou that which thou promised seeing I have plaid my part but rather thus I breake off the covenant which thou madest with the witch and hath removed this signe which thou appointedst for hurt therefore thou must hurt no more SECT 6. Of the indirect covenant with the devill What is the indirect covenant with the devill HEe makes the indirect covenant with the devill who useth foolish signes or write or words trusting in them although he hath not made a covenant directly with the devill When the Idolaters offered cakes to the queene of heaven they who offered the cakes made a direct covenant with the Idoll but the little children who gathered the stickes Ier. 7.18 made but an indirect covenant with the Idoll So the witnesses that stoned Stephen Act. 7. directly killed him but Saul who kept the cloathes of those who stoned him was indirectly guilty of his death but as Saul became a most cruell wolfe and persecuted the Church Act. 26.10 So these who enters into the implicit or indirect covenant with the devill may afterward easily enter into the direct covenant with him he who enters into direct covenant with the devil takes his marke in his forehead and hee who enters into the indirect covenant with him takes but his marke in his hand The Casuists of the Romane Church doth not condemne this indirect covenant altogether for if any use these signes which they use of probable ignorance they take this to be but a veniall sinne SECT 7. Of the diverse sorts of divination VVHen God forbiddes his Church to commit any sort of Idolatry or to worship any creature he forbids all creatures to be worshipped either which are in heaven or in earth or under the earth In heaven as the Sunne the Moone and the Starres in earth as men beasts foules neither under the earth in the waters So the Lord forbids all sort of divination in the heaven and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudiciall astrologie is forbidden or Iudiciall Astrologie So in the earth when men observe dreames and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So when they observed the intrales of beasts and this was called extispitium so when they marked the flying of the foules and this was called Augurium So when hee gave his answers by lot and this was called Sortilegium And lastly when hee gave his answers by those who are under the earth by the dead and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes he gave his answers by the skull of a dead man and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scripture gives diverse names to these Astrologers and condemnes them What names are given to these Iudiciall astrologues in the Scripture F rst they are called Meggnonenin Mic. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agnanan which signifieth a cloud because they give their answers under pretext of the clouds Secondly this Iudiciall astrologie is called haiidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 20.27 and the 70. translate him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he is joyned with obh which signifieth ventriloquious him or her who gave their answer out of the bellie and he is joyned often with the Pithonise and with the Magitian therefore they called this judiciall Astrologie clavim magiae the key that openeth the way to all Magick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly they are called hachozim bakokebhim intuentes stellas beholders of the starres Esay 47.13 chaza signifieth not onely to see but also to foretell things contingent and therefore the Prophets were called chozim videntes 1 Sam. 9.9 Fourthly they were called modignim lachodashim monethly prognosticators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 47.13 they made their predictions by the moneths They reduced all things which they had to doe to severall monethes observing their Epimerides and so Haman cast his lot to fall in the twelfe moneth in the thirteenth day of the moneth for the destruction of the Iewes Esth 9.1 And they tooke nothing in hand before they observed those monethly prognostications These the Chaldees called Astagnine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these were they who said this day is an unluckie day to undergoe any businesse and this day is a good day so they said we will not take a businesse in hand but in the first day of the moneth or the Kalends Fiftly they are called Asaphim Dan. 2.2 and they were so called because in the twilight they marked the heavens most Nasaph signifies the twilight Iudiciall astrologie came first from Idolatrie This Iudiciall Astrologie came first from Idolatrie for Idolaters worshiping the Sun the Moone and the Starres as gods they ascribed more to them then naturall influx that by them things contingent might be foretold The religion of the Babylonians was no other thing then the science of the Chaldeans and they gave the selfesame names to the starres which they gave to their gods The Babylonian priests in their sacrifices Vide valesium pag. 211 said these same things of their Gods which the astrologer said of the stars When the Priests were asked who had stolen the oxe they said it was Mercurie that had stolen him and the Astrologue said that he was born under Mercurie who had stolne the oxe Therefore Ier. 10.2 the Idolater and the Astrologue are joyned together Learne not the way of the heathen and be not afraid of the signes of heaven here he puts the way of the heathen their Idolatry with the feare of the starres As this Iudiciall astrologie came from Idolatry Who enlarged this Iudiciall astrologie so it was inlarged much afterward by the Chaldeans therefore a Chaldean is put for a Genethliacke Dan. 2.10 He sent for the Chaldeans that is the Genethliackes as an Arabian is put for a theefe Ier. 3.2 Thou lay like a Arabian by the way that is like a theefe as a Cananite is put for a merchant or one that tradeth Hos 12.7 and the Iewes learned much of their Iudiciall Astrologie from the Chaldeans Iudg. 5. the Starres fight against Sisera Vide Michol in radice Maschah They say that these Starres were unluckie Starres to him And that the Astrologues foresaw his ruine in the Starres and forbade him to goe out to battell that day but the Lord they say hardened his heart and drew him to the river Kison where he was killed And lastly the wicked Mahumitans have much more enlarged this Iudiciall astrologie This devilish art is first injurious
said that the Pharisees and Iohns disciples fasted but not Christs disciples the meaning is they fasted not usually as Iohns disciples and the Pharisees did but yet they fasted The third weapon to beate the devill is the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.16 take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Cant. 2.8 It is called the sword of the spirit because it is directed immediately by the spirit and because this sword pierceth to the heart This sword differeth from the magistrates sword this sword proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Rev. 1.10 and it is called the rod of his mouth Esay 11. but the magistrate carries his sword onely in his hand Thirdly this sword is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a two edged sword it can both kill and save The Magistrates sword can onely kill but never quicken to restore a man to life Sauls sword never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine 2 Sam. 1.20 It alwayes killed but it could never quicken but this sword can doe both therefore it hath not beene unfitly compared to the bitter waters when the woman that was guiltie of adulterie dranke them her thigh rotted and she died but if shee had beene an honest woman then having dranke of these bitter waters she conceived and brought forth a child so this sword both killeth and quickneth This sword divides betwixt the soule and the spirit but the Magistrates sword divides onely the head from the body This sword is of greatest force against the devils tentations It was by this sword that Christ beat Satan and all his tentations Mat. 4. when the disciples returned backe from the preaching of the Gospel then Christ saith Luke 10.18 I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven the preaching of the Gospel is the speciall meane to make Satan fall when David gat the sword of Goliah in his hand having experience of it before he said there is no sword like that 1 Sam. 21.10 so there is no sword like this sword in the spirituall combate against the devill Quest What if the Lord should suffer Satan to appeare to us in a visible shape whether might wee use the sword of the word against him or not Answ We may not Satan is a very subtill enemie and can easily circumvent us therefore wee should not reason with him did hee not deceive Eva in her best estate when she reasoned with him how shall wee be able then to resist him Our part onely then in such a case is this to turne about our faces to the Lord and weepe upon him and desire the Lord to rebuke him Object If it be said why may wee not use this sword against Satan if he should visilby appeare to us as wel as when wee are commanded to use it against his tentations Answ His tentations are not so subtill when hee tempts us as when hee appeares visibly to us face to face for his tentations are mixed with our corruptions which are not as subtill as Satan himselfe is and therefore it is easier to resist these tentations by the word than to resist Satan himselfe SECT 16. That Sorcerers and Witches should be put to death THere are three sorts of people whom Satan tempts first those whom he tempts contrary to their will as those who were possessed in the primitive Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those should not be put to death those they pittied and placed inter Catechumenos amongst those who were catechized in the Church The second sort are those who enter in an indirect covenant with the devill those were not put to death sed admonebantur tantum they were onely admonished Those who enter in direct covenant with the devill should die the death The third sort were those who entred into the direct covenant with the devill and those were to die the death Deut. 18.11 For all that doe these things are abomination to the Lord. So Lev. 20.27 The Iewes in their thirteene rules of expounding of the Scripture this is the eight rule when a precept is set downe it is not set downe ut doceat de se non exivit sed ut docrat de toto universâ— exivit Their meaning is if a thing be spoken generally elsewhere and then be explained more plainely this clearer explanation is to be referred to the generall Example the Magitians indefinitely are commanded to die the death Exo. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live But Lev. 20.27 A man also or a woman that had a familiar spirit or that is a wizzard shall be surely put to death they shall stone them with stones and their bloud shall be upon them Hence they conclude that all sort of Magitians should die the death The diviners they hold should not die the death first they say that Kesem who is a diviner and who takes upon him onely to foretell things to come hee should not die the death but be admonished onely Secondly they say that Menaches Maimonides hujusmodi artium sectatores vel lapidibus obruendi erunt ut lidgnom Bagnal Oâ—h Mekasheph vel mitiori poena mulctandi ut Cosem Menaches Megnonan who markes the flying of the foules ought not to die the death hee is to be admonished and other wayes censured Thirdly incantator the charmer is not to die the death non facit opus peccatoris as they say in phesikta that is they doe not any thing that deserves death Fourthly Hamegronen qui observat nubes he is not to die the death and they say of him Non moritur est liber etiam a plagis that is hee should not die and he is free from stripes And lastly they say Qui perstringit â—oâ—lâ—s who deceives the sight as Inglers non moritur sed admonetur he is not to die the death but onely to be admonished But these three were alwayes to be put to death first Mekasheph malefitus or pharmacus they are called veneficae Exod. 22.18 Secondly Obh those who had a familiar spirit Thirdly Iidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui multa novit praedicit Targum translates him Ariolus these were alwayes put to death as in Sauls dayes he cut off the wizzards and those who had familiar spirits 1 Sam. 28.9 and Iosias tooke away the workers with familiar spirits and wizzards 2 King 23.24 Saul who caused before familiar spirits and wizzards to be taken away now because he falls to consult with them againe therefore justly he falls into the hands of the Philistines and is killed When Tiberius was Emperor hee caused to hang up those sorcerers and put them to death ad sacros lucos suspendebantur Magitians should lose their temporary estate As the Magitians should be put to death so should they lose their temporall estate and inheritance the Canaanites for their same was cast out of Canaan Deut. 18.12 Because of these abhominations the Lord thy God did drive out the
revived againe and the saints who would not take the marke of the beast neither in their hand nor in their forehead Rev. 13. This strife about religion will set the fathers against the children and the children against the parents Satan would have set up Moses his body to have made an Idoll of it The bodies of the saints may bee made Idols both living and dead The bodies of the saints may bee made Idoles both when they are dead as heere of the body of Moses when they are alive as when Cornelius fell downe at Peters feete and worshipped him Peter refused that worship Act. 10.26 27. and said stand up for I my selfe am a man Peter refused this worship because it was divine worship or inclining too farre to it So when the Priests would have sacrificed to the Apostles Act. 14. they rent their cloathes and ran in amongst the people crying and saying why doe ye these things we are men of like passions with you preaching to you that yee should turne from these vanities They would have made the Apostles to bee in the number of these Idoll vanities when they would have given him divine worship Satan goes from an exteâ—mitie to another Againe yee may observe heere how Satan goes from one extremitie to another when Moses was alive how often moved he the people to have stoned him but now when he is dead hee would have him to make an Idoll of his body so the Iewes in die Palmarum did sing Hosanna to Christ and the next day they cried Crucifige So when the viper lept on Pauls hand they said he was a murtherer but when he shooke it off and it hurt him not they said he was a God and those are unstable in all their waies Iam. 1.8 He would have set up Moses his body to have beene worshipped if the Lord had suffered this body to have remained in the Church how would the devill afterward have made up a ground for the continuance of Idolatrie in the Church then hee would have said If all sort of worship be denied to the bodies of the saints why would the Lord have suffered the body of Moses the man of God to stand this way in the Church as a stocke without all honour to be given to it would hee not rather have throwne it downe as hee did the Idoll Dagon The Lord forbad onely this divine worship to be given to the heathen gods as to Iupiter Mars Venus But it was never his minde that the divine worship should not bee given to the bodies of the saints departed and if Moses himselfe were redivivus hee would explaine himselfe in this point that it was forbidden onely to give this worship to heathen Idoles but not to saints which is forbidden in the Law for hee communicating so many dignities with the saints would not refuse to communicate with them a part of his honour Michael resisted the devill and would not suffer him to take the bodie of Moses and make an Idoll thereof The Apostle Iude 5. borrows from the Apocripha book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libro 3. cap. 2. Pethirath moshe dimissio mosis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the body of Moses What duties wee are bound to perfore to the dead Quest. What duties are wee bound to performe to the bodies of the Saints when they are dead Answ We are to use them with comlinesse Acts 9.37 they washed the bodie of Dorcas and layed her in an upper chamber and to wrap them in linnen as Christs bodie was and to bury them in an honest buriall place we ought to esteeme reverendly of their bodies because they are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and they waite for the blessed resurection and to suffer them to rest in peace in their graves 2 Kin. 22.20 But we are never to worship them or their reliques if we follow the example of Michael who would not suffer Moses his body to bee worshipped The decrease of this Idolatrie The decrease of this Idolatry was when Michaell buried the body of Moses where no man knew Great is the care which the Lord hath over his children in their infancie in their old age in their death and after they are dead and as the eyes of the Lord was upon Canaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end Deut. 11.12 so are the eyes of the Lord upon his children from their infancie to their old age from their old age to their death and after they are dead and first from their infancie to their old age Esay 46.3 Heare O house of Iacob and the remnant of the house of Israel which are borne by me from the wombe and brought up with me from the birth therefore untill thy old age I the same even I will carrie you to your hoarie heades the Prophet points at these two times of our life especially because these two periods are most weake in all our life our infancie and decrepit age then the death of his Saints is precious in the fight of the Lord Psal 116.18 and then after they are dead the Lord hath a singular care of them What a care had the Lord of Moses in his birth when hee was cast out to be drowned The Lord preserved him and drew him out of many waters therefore he was called Moshe from Masha extrahere and David alludes to this Psal 18.16 Thou hast drawne me out of many waters Hence the Poets from this faine that some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne in the waters because Moses was drawne out of the waters and in his death the Lord shewes his singular love to * It is said of Moses Dâ—ut 34.7 that he dyed ad osculum oris dei which Salomon Iarchi paraphraseth at a kisse of the mouth of God Death was a kisse of the mouth of God to him him and here after he is dead the Lord suffers not his body to be made an Idoll of Good King Iosias when hee was killed in the battell a man might have thought that the Lord had little respect unto him who made him fall before his enemies but see what respect the Lord carried unto him when he saith Thou shalt be gathered in peace to thy fathers 2 King 22.20 Who would have thought that the Lord had such a care of him and yet his soule was bound up in the bundell of life and he was gathered in peace to his fathers So he had a great care of the body of Iacob he promised to goe downe to Egypt with him and to bring him backe again Gen. 46.4 But how is it said that he brought him backe againe then seeing he died in Egypt The Lord attended his very corpes when he brought it backe and saw it buried in Machpelah in the place which Abraham bought for a buriall place Gen. 50.13 The Lord buried Moses his body It is
him and untill he bee devested of those usurped titles his edicts have strength to bind the subjects so long as the tyrant stands they are to obey him and implicitâ— he hath the approbation of the subjects that is they wish that hee may doe Iustice so long as he rules The Romans subdued the Iewes and made them their captives and the Iewes by their tacite consent acknowledged them as their Lords and masters therefore Christ bidds them gave tribute to Caesar Mat. 22. So when they were carried captives to Babylon the Lord bidds them pray for the peace of Babylon Ier. 29.7 the people gave there tacite consent to the Babylonians and although they led them captive yet they were to pray for them as there superiors so the Priests although they sinned in usurpation of the priesthood as not being descended of Aaron yet durante tali statu so long as they continued their consecration was valide and they had gotten the tacite consent of the people by prescription of tyme. Quest 3. Who consecrated the high Priest after his fathers death Answ An inferiour Priest did consecrate him see Exod. 29.29 Num. 20.26.28 Quest 4. When the Idolatrous Priests hand was filled and a peece of flesh put therein whether had bee right to sacrifice and consecrate or not Answ None at â—ll for out of the Church there is no consecration therfore Ionathan in his 〈◊〉 Paraphrase calles him not Cohen but Cumer that is No consecration 〈◊〉 of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heathen then Priest Iud. 18.30 the same phrase of sitting of the hand is used in consecrating of Ieroboams Priests a Chro. 13.9 and yet Ieroboam had no power to consecrate them the water which came out of the rocke 3 Cor. 10. was a sacrament to the Israelites when they dranke of it but when the beasts dranke of it it was no Sacrament to them so this consecration was no consecration to them who were out of the true Church And as Ishmael although hee was truly circumcised by Abraham yet to his posteritie who left the true Church and used circumcision still it was no Sacrament So this consecration out of the Church was no consecration to them and they had no more right to it then the theefe hath to the true mans purse when he takes it The third irregularitie in this consecration was this that he made an Ephod for his sonne to serve this Idoll with There were three sorts of Ephods the first was a religious Ephod such was the Ephod of the Priests Three sorts of Ephod The second sort of Ephod was a politicke or civill Ephod which David wore when he danced before the arke and that which Gidâ—on made and left at Ophrah The third was an Idolatrous Ephod which is joyned here with Teraphim and not with Vriâ—â— and Thaâ—â—â—â—â—â— as the Lords Ephod was The fourth irregularitie was this when hee were consecrate he sacrificed in a private place his fathers house and not in Shilo in the place where the worship of God was performed at that time and this was as badde as if hee had sacrificed in the high places or in the groves Then it was added they did this because there was no king in Israel Kingly governement of the best governement Observe here first that Kingly governement is the best governement and a King here is put for a best magistrate because the Lord was to bring in this kingly governement amongst them Therefore they were called Kings before the institution of Kings as Moses is called a King Gen. 36.31 Deut. 33.5 And because Kingly governement was the most excellent governement therfore it is that sundry things take their denomination from a King at the King lawes Iam. 2.8 so the Kings highway Num. 20.17 so the shout of a King Num. 23.22 that is a joyfull shout as when they were choosing a King A magistrate must have a care both for maintenance of religion and Iustice They committed this Idolatrie because there was no King in Israel so they abused the Levites wife because there was no King in Israel Iudg. 19.1 Here wee see thâ—â— the magistrate is custos utrinsque tabulae and it belongs to him to vindicate the worship of God Idolatrie is iniquitâ—s Iudicum Iob 31.28 That is it is to bee punished by the Iudge and to punish wrongs done by men to men there are two pillars strong like Iakin and Bagâ—as 1 King 7.21 Iustice and religion when these two faile then the landâ—elts Psal 75.3 the Hebrewes say the world is upholden by three things Super lege super cultusacro super retributione benificiorum when these three faile then the world goes to decoy Now Micah will have another Priest then his sonne a Levite of Iudah to be his Priest Quest How could he be a Levite and of Iudah for the Levites were not of the tribe of Iudah Answ Hee hath beene of the tribe of Levi by his mother for women of one tribe might marie with men of another tribe providing that they were not heretickes then they were alwaies bound to marrie within their owne tribe to keepe the inheritance distinct Micah chused this Levit to sacrifice but the Levites might not sacrifice nor inquire any thing of the Lord The Levites might not sacrifice but by the priests When the Tabernacle was to be taken up or set downe no stranger might come neare it here all are called strangers who are not priests or Levites Num. 1.51 But when they were to sacrifice no stranger might sacrifice that is neither Israelite nor Levite Num. 3.10 Therfore when he chose a Levite to sacrifice here there was a great irregularitie their callings were two distinct callings The calling of the Levites and the priests were two distinct callings the Levites did some things which the priests might not doe as to carry the Arke therefore Vzza was killed who touched the Arke being a priest and the Levites might not sacrifice under the paine of death Num. 3.10 This wandering Levite was redacted to great miserie and he was content with a poore portion It was a great curse upon the posterity of Eli when they should come and crouch for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread and should say Put me I pray thee into one of the priests offices that I may eate a peece of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 So when this base Levite sought to be a priest and was content with ten shekells of silver a yeare and a suite of apparell and his victuals Iudg. 17.10 then he came and crouched downe for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread None that served in the temple or tabernacle in the basest office did it for nought as they that shut the doores and kindled the fire Mal. 1.10 or the Nethinims Iosh 9.27 who hewed the wood for the sacrifices and drew water for the temple or the Levites that flead the beasts or the Priests that offered the
that is they hurt very much So Prov. 28.21 It is not good to accept persons in Iudgement that is it is very bad So here they kept not his lawes that is they despised them and contemned them The sinne of Israel greater than the sinne of Iudah The last is the sinne of Israel verse 6. They sold the just for silver and the poore for old shooes here hee points at the Iudges who corrupted Iudgement for money and sold the poore at a low price But if we shall compare their cruelty with that which they used against Christ All their cruelty was nothing being compared with the murthering of our Lorst Iesus Christ all their cruelty will seeme nothing in respect of this they sold the just our righteousnesse the Lord Iesus Christ for thirty peeces of silver They sold not onely a brother who was in the covenant with them as Tyrus and Israel but also a brother in blood to them as Edom was to Israel And their wrath was an inveterate wrath as Edomes was and they cast off all naturall affection and not onely doe they as Edom did who was onely a brother in blood but doe as Moab did kill the Kings sonne his onely sonne and put him to a most execrable death they doe not thresh him with Instruments of Iron as Damascus did neither ript him up as Ammon did neither did they burne him as Moab did but they nailed him to the crosse and put him to a most execrable death They adjudged him to the death of the crosse The death of the crosse is a painefull shamefull and execrable death to a death that was a painefull death a shamefull death and a cursed death and first to a painefull death The crosse by the heathen was termed cruciabile lignum a tree of torture Therefore ye shall see in the scripture that in respect of the intollerable paine it is called sanguis crucis the blood of the crosse Col. 1.20 and dolores crucis Act. 22. Secondly it was a shamefull death therefore it was called scandalum crucis Gal. 5.11 and by the heathen the crosse was called arbor infoelix stipes infamis and lignum geminum Lucian mocked us christians because we rejected the gods of the Grecians and worshipped Christ crucified and he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod cruci suffixum sophistam adoramus that is that we worship a sophister who was nailed unto the crosse And lastly for the curse of it it is called Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maledictum crucis the curse of the crosse This death of the crosse is a paenall death not as that which is stipendium peccati the wages of sinne but as that which is vindicta sceleris inflicted for some capitall crime The death of the crosse is an untimely death a violent death a paenall death and that in the highest degree Paine shame and the curse are the three Iaylers that attend sinne and sinners continually and every one of those is worse then another for shame is worse than paine and therefore many have made choise to suffer rather the paine than the shame 1 Sam. 31.4 Saul desired his armour bearer rather to thrust him through than the Philistimes should come and mocke him and then kill him which would have beene a double death to him So Abimelech willed his armour bearer to kill him that men might not say that a woman had killed him Iudg. 9.54 But the curse is most detestable of all If a man be free of the curse and have the favour of God in the midst of all his sufferings he cares neither for paine nor shame this made the Martyres to rejoyce in the middest of their paine shame that they were free of the curse of God what a fearefull punishment was this to Christ under this crosse The death of the crosse a painefull shamefull and a cursed death in Iudae He that was hanged upon a tree out of Iudaea his death was painefull and shamefull unto him but it was not a cursed death for they knew not out of Indea that he who was hanged upon a tree was accursed Haman when he was hanged upon a tree it was a painefull and a shamefull death but it was not a cursed death to him as it was in Israel therefore they suffered not the dead man to hang upon the tree till night Nemo suspenditur in arboreus solo innatam sed avulsam Maimone Hall Sanhe dr cap. 15. medio The crucifying was a more painefull death than the hanging upon a tree Deut. 21.23 and Iosh 9.29 and they buried him before night and the tree which he was hanged upon therefore it was that they would not hang a man upon a fruitfull tree in Israel The Romans changed this hanging into crucifying and made it a more lingering and painfull death Psa 22.14 All my bones are out of joynt They were rackt and their bones put out of joynt who were hanged upon the crosse The crosse added nothing to the curse for they were accursed who were hanged upon any tree but it added to the paine in respect of the indurance and shame of it it was but a typical death to all other malefactors but to Christ it was a real curse who hath taken away that curse now So that the forme of death makes not a man accursed now but when he dies in his sins without repentance Quest How could a malefactor be a type of Iesus Christ when he hung upon a tree Answ Not as they were malefactors but onely in their punishments they were types of Christ Who was made an exercration for us Gal. 3.13 they foreshedowed his death who was hung upon a tree for us 1 Pet. 2.24 even as the Paschal Lambe whose bones were not broken was a type of Christ whose bones shold not be broken and if the holy Ghosts compare Christs comming to judgement to a thiefe comming in the night and compares the Lord when hee ariseth to be avenged upon his enemies to a Gyant awake from his wine Esa 34.8 the comparison is only in the strength as the former only in the secrecie of his comming to judgement why may not the malefactor be a type of Christ in his punishment but not in his sinne And as we are delighted when wee heare a man gruntling like a hogge yet cannot indure the gruntling of the hog it self but it is the imitation which we are delighted with here So in these comparisons the secrecie of the thiefe only the strength of the Gyant and the punishment of the malefactor is only to be marked That rule of the Schoolemen is true In illis quae metaphorice dicuntur non oportet accipere similitudinem secundum omnia SECT 6. Of the fearefull curses that befell the Jewes since they killed the Lord of life THe Iews prayed that Christs bloud might be upon them and their posteritie The people of God were afraid of this guilt of bloud that it might neither
when the Lord brought the Prophet and shewed to him those bones and asked him Sonne of man can these bones live and the Prophet answered him Lord thou knowest then the Lord caused these bones to take sinewes and flesh and skin and at last there came a winde and put breath into them and they did live there was but small hope that these bones should live againe yet when the Lord did breath upon them then they did live If a man should looke now with a naturall eye upon the dead and dry bones of the captivity of Iudah and were asked as the Lord demanded the prophet whether they should live againe or not all his answer would be this Lord thou knowest but yet when the winde of Gods grace shal blow againe upon them they shall revive from death to life and they shall returne from the captivitie The fourth type of Gods mercy in delivering of the Iewes from the captivity of Babylon was shâ—wne to Zacharie The fourth type shewed to Zacharie cap. 5.9 when hee saw two women carrying an Ephah betwixt the heaven and the earth when they were carrying the wicked Iewes to Babylon yet in the midst of his anger he remembers mercy carries them not on the wings of an Eagle or a Kyte but on the wings of a storke which signifies mercy Chasida misericordia and why may not the Lord who is gracious and mercifull remember those poore captives in their long desolation Ob. But their sinnes have beene hainous and great and many in number Answ But wee must remember that where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5.15 and that his mercy is above all his workes The farther that these poore wretches have fallen from the Lord his mercy is the more magnified in recalling of them Gods mercy and mans miserie have not beene unfitlie compared to the sunne and the moone when the moone is farthest from the sunne then the sunne gives his light most brightly to the moone So when miserable sinners are farthest from God then the sunne of Righteousnesse the Lord Iesus Christ shall bee pleased sometimes to shine upon them And although their sinne were as red as the skarlet Isa 1.18 yet he can make them as white as the wooll The number of their sinnes cannot hinder the pardon of them David sayes Psal 35.7 ini quitates transierunt caput meuÌ„ that is they were more in number then the haires of my head yet they hindred not the pardon of his sins the Lord would not have Peter to pardon only seven times or seven times seven times but seventie times seventimes Now if the Lord will have Peter to do this how much more wil he bee ready to pardon who is the Ocean of mercy hee that made the eye shall he not see and he that puts mercy in others shall hee not bee mercifull And if Ionah had pitty on his gourd that grew up in one night and withered in another Ionah 1.10 shall not the Lord then have pitty on his people who were once a royall generation and kingly Priesthood 1. Pet. 2.9 Ob. But they have beene bloody murtherers of the Lord of life blasphemers of his holy name and haters of the Gospel and of all those who in call upon the name of the Lord Iesus Christ how can they then be saved God shewing mercy to Paul a bloody persecutor shewes that God may be mercifull to the Iewes Answ Consider but the example of Saint Paul and apply his example to them and then ye may see how God shall shew mercy upon them Saint Paul who was a Pharisee of Pharisees that is a most precise Pharisee Act. 26.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a most accurate separation from others for zeale hee persecuted the church Phil. 3. and hee procured letters to apprehned binde the poore Christians and caused many of them to blaspheme Act. 26.11 and what if Paul had been there when Christ was crucified would he not have cryed with the rest of the Iewes away with him away with him would he not have said with the rest wee have no King but Caesar and let Barrabas live Whatsoever Christ was convicted for of that he absolves his children and Christ die yet for all his sins the Lord hath pardoned him and why may he not shew the like pardon upon these poore sinners And for there fearefull blasphemies and manie insurrections let us observe but this one comfortable ground whatsoeuer the Lord Iesus Christ was condemned for that he absolves his children of But Iesus Christ was condemned of blasphemie and affecting of Caesars crowne therefore the Lords death shall acquite the repenting Iewes of their blasphemies against him and of their mutunies and seditions against Caesar Now let us consider more particularly the calling of these Iewes secondly the manner how they shall be called and thirdly the end of their calling The first reason of their calling is taken from the promise Reason 1 made to their fathers Of the calling of the Iewes Rom. 11.27 The Lord remembers the covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob both ascending and descending descending he remembers Abraham Isaac and Iacob then ascending Levit. 26.43 I will remember my covenant with Iacob and my covenant with Abraham I will remember my covenant made with Iacob in Bethel and I will remember my covenant made with Isaac in Mount Mâ—riah and I will remember my covenant with Abraham when hee cut the calfe in twaine and past betwixt the partes thereof Ier. 34.18 God being mindfull of the covenant loves the Iewes because hee loved their fathers he loves the children also Quest But what hope is there of the salvation of the Iewes seeing they are enemies to the Gospell Answ They are now saith the Apostle enemies but yet this people are beloved of God because of the election once made for his election is not frustrate for the infidelity of those who hate the Gospel seeing Gods calling and election are without change Reason 2 There shall come a deliverer from Sion Rom. 11.26 but it is better translated Of the calling of the Iewes there shall come a deliverer to Sion Est dativus commodi so Zach. 9.9 a King shall come to thee that is for thy profit and there shall come a deliverer to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew it is Goel Goel was the next of the kindred who had power to redeeme the morgaged lands which their friends had morgaged and had power to deliver them when they were captives and they were the revenger of their blood Christ being the Iewes Goel he will deliver them from their captivity Reason 3 The third reason is taken from Christs intercession Father forgive them for they know not what they doe Of the calling of the Iewes The efficacie of Christs intercession doth not onely extend it selfe to the Iewes who were living then but also to the posterity to be converted Iohn 17.20