perform it Division 352 Iosiah 14 Josiah goeth on in piety and in reforming yet is not the wrath of Division 353 Iosiah 15 the Lord removed partly because of the sins of Manasseh 2 King Division 354 Iosiah 16 23. 26. and partly because the peoples reformation was but fained Division 355 Iosiah 17 Jer. 3. 10. and partly because in most of them there was no reformation at all 2 KING XXII from vers 3. to end and XXIII to vers 29. 2 CHRON. XXXIV from vers 8. to end and XXXV to vers 20. World 3385 Division 356 Iosiah 18 THE copy of the Law written with Moses own hand is found this year in the Temple Josiah consulteth Huldah a Prophetess about it Jeremy was not now at Jerusalem but at Anathoth the Town of his birth he prophesied there till his Towns-men were about to kill him Chap. 11. 22. and then he goeth up to Jerusalem and the Lord before hand tells him that he must expect rougher dealing at Jerusalem then at home For if foot-men had wearied him how could he run with horsemen c. Chap. 12. 5. If he had been thus tired with his own equals at Anathoth what would he do with the great ones at Jerusalem And if in his native Town the place of his peace he had found so much trouble what would he do in Jerusalems tumults For even thy brethren and thy fathers house have dealt treacherously with thee c. vers 6. The Prophet was very young when he began to Prophesie and spent some of his junior years in preaching to his own Country-men but they despised his youth and therefore as Christ being refused by his own Towns-men of Nazareth goeth then about all Galilee preaching the Gospel Luke 4. So Jeremy rejected and indangered by his Towns-men of Anathoth goeth then abroad to prophesie at Jerusalem where it is more then probable he was not when Josiah inquired of Huldah a woman about Moses Copy Zephany had not yet appeared a Prophet at all as shall be observed by and by Josiah humbled and afraid upon the reading of the Law bringeth the people into a Covenant setteth on to destroy Idolatry and keepeth a solemn Passover JEREMY II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII Division 357 Iosiah 19 JEREMY in these latter years of Josiah doth prophesie very sad Division 358 Iosiah 20 and heavy things against Judah and Jerusalem and telleth plainly Division 359 Iosiah 21 that Jerusalem should become like Shiloh c. For the time and Division 360 Iosiah 22 order of these Chapters the Reader may take notice of these few Division 361 Iosiah 23 things Division 362 Iosiah 24 1. That whereas his Chapters from the twentieth forward are of very Division 363 Iosiah 25 much and very visible dislocation these to the twentieth do not own Division 364 Iosiah 26 any such thing in so visible and evident a manner as those do nor indeed Division 365 Iosiah 27 by any closer intimation to conclude any whit certainly upon and Division 366 Iosiah 28 therefore it is not safe nor solid to transpose them at all but to take Division 367 Iosiah 29 them up as they lye Nor do I see any thing to the contrary but that Division 368 Iosiah 30 they lye very direct and methodically all along 2. The thirteenth Chapter and all that follow to the one and twentieth I conceive to have been delivered in the time of Jehoiakim and not in the time of Josiah and that upon this ground because in Chap. 13. vers 18. The Prophet calls to the King and Queen Humble your selves and sit down for your Principality shall come down even the Crown of your glory which was most fully accomplished upon Jehoiakim and his wife Jer. 22. 19. with 2 King 24. 12. and not at all upon Josiah and his Queen at the least not upon his Queen for ought we read of 3. There is one particular very remarkable that runneth along through the most of these Chapters from the beginning of the third to the fourteenth and that is the mention of a great drought or want of rain as Chap. 3. 3. 5. 24 25. 8. 13. 20. 9. 10. 12. 12. 4. 14. 1 2 3 4. Now if this drought were in the time of Josiah as it is mentioned instantly before the dating of a Prophesie in Josiahs time Chap. 3. 3. 6. and in the time of Jehoiakim as there is mention of it presently after a Prophesie against Jehoiakim Chap. 13. 18. 14. 1 2. then it appeareth that this sad restraint of rain fell out in the last years of Josiah and continued some of Jehoiakims time and so these Chapters of Jeremy do most properly fall in with the latter years of Josiahs reign In Chap. 11. 2. he seemeth to speak concerning the Covenant that Josiah had caused the people to enter into upon the finding and reading of Moses copy and he doth earnestly exhort the people to keep it And it may be that phrase in Chap. 2. 31. O generation behold or see the Word of the Lord may have reference to that copy of Moses also I am sure it may be more properly interpreted as if he pointed to that then it is interpreted by some Jews as if he shewed them the Pot of Manna There is only some Chronical doubt ariseth upon the eighteenth verse of the second Chapter and that is whether Judah had any league and reliance with and upon Egypt in Josiahs time which as there is no Scripture to assert so also is there none neither to contradict And it may very well be held affirmatively and more probable then otherways all circumstances well considered And what if Josiahs death by the King of Egypt were a temporal punishment for his reliance upon Egypt The Prophesie of ZEPHANIAH all IN these latter times of Josiah did Zephaniah also arise and appear a Prophet the great Grand-child of King Hezekiah if some guess aright The times of his Prophesying may be setled the better by this that as the first verse of his Book doth date his Prophesie by the reign of Josiah so the eight verse of the same Chapter doth Prophesie against the Kings Children Jehoahaz Jehoiakim and Zedekiah for their new-fashions and new-fangled apparrel Now the eldest of these three was but twelve years old at Josiahs eighteenth and the second but ten It is true indeed that it nameth not these three men by name but why it should not be understood in the litteral and proper sence and mean these three men I yet see no ground to the contrary The Jews indeed appear to be of another mind for they make * * * Maimon in Praef. ad Mish Jeremy to be Zephanies Scholler and so Expositers are of another mind for they understand the Kings Children largely for the Noble-mens Sons or Courtiers but considering the wickedness of these sons of Josiah after their fathers death I have no reason to think them much otherwise in
To gather Spiritual strength for that which it may be hath been scattered in our wordly employment Secondly There is a commemorative end of the Sabbath to remember Gods creating the world Which Adam might very well nay must have been employed about though he had never fallen When he had been all the week upon his employment dressing the Garden and keeping it then on the Sabbath to set himself to meditate upon Gods creating of the world and to study his power and wisdom and goodness shewed in that glorious workmanship and to spend the day in prayers to him Observe the work of that day to us and the same it should have been to him in Psal. XCII which is intituled a Psalm for the Sabbath day It tells you what the work of the day is vers 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name O most High And upon what reason ver 4. For thou hast made me glad through thy works I will triumph in the works of thy hands This is a Sabbath days work after our sixs days work to make it our employment to think of Gods to meditate of his wondrous works of Creation and Preservation and there will come in the thoughts of our Creator and Preserver and may mind us of our engagement to praise him to whet our thankfulness and faith with these thoughts 1. When we have laboured all the week to think of our Creator that hath sustained us fed cloathed brought us hitherto And here is a right Sabbath employment to let our thoughts stream from our wordly employment to God and to the remembrance of him in whom we live and move and have our being 2. To trust God with our support though we labour not on the Sabbath but spend it wholly to him and not to our selves He that created all things and that hath fed and preserved us hitherto can support us without our working on his day nay and will do it for do his work and undoubtedly thou shalt not want thy wages What a lecture did God read in his raining of Manna that on the Sabbath day he rained none thereby to shew his own owning of his Sabbath and checking and chiding those that for greediness and distrust would go out and think to gather some on that day And when he provided them Manna on the sixth day for the Sabbath also what a lecture did he read that he that observes the Sabbath and does Gods Will ceasing from his own labour and doing his shall never be unprovided for Thirdly There is an Evangelical end of the Sabbath referring to Christ and that in Adams Sabbath as well as ours Let us begin with his I have shewed that on the sixth day Adam sinned and Christ was promised So that the last work of God in the days of Creation was the setting up Christ and restoring fallen man by him And here God rested viz. He had brought in his Son in whom his Soul delighted and made him heir of all things and thus he rested in Christ finished his work in Christ rested refreshed delighted himself in Christ. Now the next day when the Sabbath came in what had Adam to do in it but to remember the Creation to remember his new creating when he was broke all to pieces and spoiled To remember his Creator and Redeemer It is said Gen. III. 21. Unto Adam and his wife did the Lork God make coats of skins and cloathed them The Lord and Lady of all the world clad in Leather Which our silks and sattens now would scorn to think of but from so mean a garb comes all our gallantry though now we scorn it But whence came those Skins Most probably they were the skins of beasts that were sacrificed For That sacrifice was from the beginning may be observed from that that Christ is called The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world and that not only in prediction or that it was determined and foretold by God that he should be slain but in figure that sacrifice was offered from the beginning of the world which did presignifie his killing and offering up And this further appears from the sacrifices of Cain and Abel which rite and piece of Religion they had learned of their Father Adam Here then was work for Adam on the Sabbath to sacrifice in memory of Christ to be offered up for redemption and to praise God for creating the world but especially for vouchsafing Christ whereby a better world and Estate is created And would not Adam when he had a family preach to his family of these things upon the Sabbath day My Children learn to know and remember the Creator the blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit who in six days made Heaven and Earth and on the sixth day made me and your Mother both of us in his own image perfectly holy and righteous and endued with power of perfect obedience and to resist all temptations But that day we were deceived by the Devil and fell and undid our selves and our posterity and came into a state of death and damnation But God suffered us to lye so but a few hours but promised his own Son to take our flesh and to dye to deliver us from death and damnation and taught us this duty of sacrifice in comemoration of Christs death and appoynted this day to commemorate these things and to be employed in such service and meditations Oh! my Children learn to know your Creator to believe in Christ your Redeemer and to observe his Sabbath Such employment as this had Adam with his family on the Sabbath day that it was even a Christian Sabbath to him as ours is to us and the very same work is ours and was his on the Sabbath day but only that he also sacrificed Fourthly There is a Typical end of the Sabbath to signify Eternal Rest. Heb. IV. 3. For we which have belived do enter into rest As he said I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world Where the Apostle signifies that the Sabbath hinted another rest to wit Gods Eternal Rest different from that rest when God ceased from the works of Creation The Sabbath typifies the end viz. Eternal Rest and the means viz. to rest in Christ. One end was to Adam in innocency both to us This is a lecture that may be read in the Sabbath in something that is visible to see something invisible as in the water to see the Sun This is a way to rest and resembles that great and last Rest as pleasant walks lead at length to the stately House at the end of them This is a fit thought for the Sabbath-day morning Now I rest from the world how shall I rest from it eternally Now I deal with God invisibly but one day visibly They who love Eternal Rest will certainly love the Sabbath To all these ends God
Joseph was sold and some after the story of the thirty ninth Chapter that Judah requital for his sale for he had the chief hand in it might be shewed assoon as his selling of him is related Judah was married before Joseph was sold and Er and Onan were also born before as was observed erewhile therefore the first words of the Chapter At that time are not to be referred to the next words going before in the preceding Chapter concerning Josephs sale to Potiphar but are of a more large extent as that Phrase and the Phrase In those days are oft in Scripture It linketh Josephs selling and Judahs miscarriages very well together that it might be shewed how he was punished in his children that had been so unnatural to a brother and Josephs not sinning with his Mistress and Judahs sinning with his daughter-in-law do help to set off one another towards such an observation The four eldest sons of Jacob fell under foul guilt and so repentance and mercy are taught and shewed in their conversion CHAP. XL. World 2287 Isaac 179 Iacob Ioseph 28 JOSEPH expoundeth his two fellow prisoners dreams and like the two theeves with Christ the one is saved and the other condemned One of these when Joseph said to him Remember me when it shall be well with thee forgat him but one of those when he said to Christ Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom was not forgotten Thus as the telling of two dreams had brought Joseph into misery so this expounding of two dreams will prove in time a forwarder of his delivery as yet the Butler fills and drinks wine in bowles but is not grieved for the affliction of Joseph as Am. 6. 6. World 2288 Isaac 180 Iacob 120 Ioseph 29 ISAAC dieth and Jacob and Esau are friends and bury him read Chap. 35. ver 28 29. and ruminate upon how Esau is changed from what he said Chap. 27. 41. CHAP. XLI Iacob 121 Ioseph 30 JOSEPH expoundeth Pharaohs dream compare Dan. 2. Seven Iacob 122 Ioseph 31 Iacob 123 Ioseph 32 years famine begin Joseph treasureth up corn hath Manasseh Iacob 124 Ioseph 33 and Ephraim born to him within these years of an Egyptian Lady Iacob 125 Ioseph 34 Iacob 126 Ioseph 35 How looks his wretched Mistress upon him now if she be alive Towards Iacob 127 Ioseph 36 the latter end of the seven years famine or thereabout Pharez Iacob 128 Ioseph 37 hath HEZRON born to him CHAP. XLII World 2289 Iacob 129 Ioseph 38 THE first year of famine Josephs brethren bow to him for corn as their sheaves of corn had done to him in his dream CHAP. XLIII XLIV XLV XLVI XLVII to Vers. 13. World 2290 Iacob 130 Ioseph 39 THE second year of famine Benjamin is brought by his brethren World 2291 into Egypt he is now the father of ten children The feasting of Josephs brethren was the better to pretend the stealing of a silver bowle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 44. 5. for which Joseph would make a very narrow search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such a man as he that was in so high a place could make a very strict inquiry ver 15. Jacob goeth down into Egypt with seventy souls himself and Joseph and his two sons being counted in the number The Septuagint have added five more viz. Machir Gilead Shutelah Tahan Eden from 1 Chron. 7. 14 20. c. Followed by Saint Luke Acts 7. 14. Jacob and Joseph after thirteen years distance met Jacob presented before Pharaoh and the King asks no other question then about his age It was news in Egypt to see so old a man Jacob is now 130 years old and now just the half of the 430 between the Promise and delivery out of Egypt are passed see Exod. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. They had been taken up in these parcels five and twenty years after Abrahams coming into the land before the birth of Isaac sixty years of Isaacs age until the birth of Jacob and now Jacob is an hundred and thirty the sum of all 215. And now to the coming out of Egypt we must count 215 more and that count must lead us on thither CHAP. XLVII from ver 13. to the end and CHAP. XLVIII World 2299 Iacob 131 Ioseph 40 Years of the Promise 216 THE third year of famine Iacob 132 Ioseph 41 Years of the Promise 217 The fourth year of famine Iacob 133 Ioseph 42 Years of the Promise 218 The fifth year of famine Iacob 134 Ioseph 43 Years of the Promise 219 The sixth year of famine Iacob 135 Ioseph 44 Years of the Promise 220 The seventh year of famine Joseph buyeth all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh He feedeth Ioseph 67 Years of the Promise 243 his father and family seventeen years before Iacob 136 Ioseph 45 Years of the Promise 221 his fathers death Iacob 137 Ioseph 46 Years of the Promise 222 as his father had nourished him seventeen years before his sale The Iacob 138 Ioseph 47 Years of the Promise 223 children of Israel grow numerous and into multitudes even before Iacob 139 Ioseph 48 Years of the Promise 224 Jacobs death he adopted Josephs two sons for tribes he bestoweth Iacob 140 Ioseph 49 Years of the Promise 225 the portion of land upon Joseph that he had first bought of the Shechemites Iacob 141 Ioseph 50 Years of the Promise 226 Chap. 33. and was after put to recover it out of the hand Iacob 142 Ioseph 51 Years of the Promise 227 of the Amorite with his sword and bow who had usurped it and Iacob 143 Ioseph 52 Years of the Promise 228 seized upon it in his absence after his departure thence to Bethel and Iacob 144 Ioseph 53 Years of the Promise 229 Hebron He sweareth Joseph to bury him in the land of Canaan Iacob 145 Ioseph 54 Years of the Promise 230 with his fathers Abraham and Isaac Thus is the birth-right clearly Iacob 146 Ioseph 55 Years of the Promise 231 passed upon Joseph when his two sons are taken by Jacob as Simeon and Levi and when the land is bestowed on him for inheritance CHAP. XLIX L. World 2315 Iacob 147 Ioseph 56 Years of the Promise 232 JACOB dieth having first blessed all his sons even every one Ioseph 57 Years of the Promise 233 of them A blessing is to be found in his passages to Reuben Ioseph 58 Years of the Promise 234 Simeon and Levi of whom he speaketh the bitterest things His Ioseph 59 Years of the Promise 235 words throughout concern the future events and occurrences of the Ioseph 60 Years of the Promise 236 tribes most especially for he professeth to tell them what shall befall Ioseph 61 Years of the Promise 237 them in the last days Ioseph 62 Years of the Promise 238 That Reuben should have Jether seeth vejether gnaz a remnant of Ioseph 63 Years of the Promise 239 dignity and a remnant of strength for he was to lead the field in the wars of Ioseph 64 Years of the
314 other lived longest of all the twelve The children of Israel after the Years of the Promise 315 Years of the Promise 316 death of the twelve Patriarchs do by degrees fall into all manner of Years of the Promise 317 abomination They commit Idolatry Josh. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 8. They forget Years of the Promise 318 and forgo Circumcision the Covenant of their God and this was Years of the Promise 319 Years of the Promise 320 the reproach of Egypt Josh. 5. 9. c. They joyned in marriage with the Years of the Promise 321 Egyptians Lev. 24. 10. Exod. 12. 38. and walked according to such Years of the Promise 322 wretched principles as these therefore the Lord casteth them into a furnace Years of the Promise 323 Years of the Promise 324 of affliction and now as in Abrahams vision Gen. 15. 12. when Years of the Promise 325 the Sun of Religion is gone down among them an horrid darkness of Years of the Promise 326 Years of the Promise 327 impiety and misery comes upon them Yet doth the strength of the Years of the Promise 328 Promise shew it self wonderful in both the sexes in the men that they Years of the Promise 329 Years of the Promise 330 are strong to beget children though overpressed with intolerable labour Years of the Promise 331 and in the women that they bare their children with less pain and tediousness Years of the Promise 332 Years of the Promise 333 of travel then other women did being lively and quick in their Years of the Promise 334 delivery and were delivered before the midwives came at them Pharaoh Years of the Promise 335 when over-labouring of the men will not prevent their increasing Years of the Promise 336 in children giveth charge to the midwives for the destroying of the children when they should be born but Shiphrah and Puah two of the midwives observing Gods wonderful hand in the womens delivery disobeyed the Kings command and by a glorious confession of Gods hand which they saw will rather venture the Kings displeasure then fight against God for Years of the Promise 337 Years of the Promise 338 which their piety God marrieth them to Israelites for they were Egyptian Years of the Promise 339 women and builded up Israelitish families by them ver 25. Because the Years of the Promise 340 midwives feared God he made them houses PSAL. LXXXVIII LXXIX IN these times of bitterness and misery lived the two sons of Zerah or the Ezrahites Heman and Ethan 1 Chron. 2. 6. who had the spirit of the Lord upon them in the midst of all this affliction and they penned the eighty eight and eighty ninth Psalms the former sadly mourning for the present distress and the latter cheerfully singing the mercies of God in the midst of this distress and prophecying of deliverance And here is the proper place and order of these Psalms The Book of JOB IN these times when it went thus sadly with Israel in Egypt there shone forth the glorious piety and patience of Job in the land of Uz and here in order of time doth his book and story come in It is not possible to fix the time of his great trial and affliction to its proper date but there are two or three considerations which do argue that it was about these bitter times of Israels sinfulness and misery As 1. to consider how suitable it is to the providence of God and agreeable to his dispensation at other times as in the matter of Elias and the widow of Sarepta for one instance that when Religion was utterly lost and gone in the Church of Israel where it should have been to find it in the family of Job in a place where it might have been little supposed to have been found 2. How Job is preferred for his piety before any man alive and that before his patience had given it such a lustre 3. If Eliphaz be called a Temanite as being the immediate son of Teman it helpeth to scantling the time exceeding much for then was he the fourth from Esau as Amram was from Jacob and so their times might very well be coincident The Book of Job seemeth to have been penned by Elihu one of the speakers in it as may appear by these two things 1. Because in Chap. 2. when Jobs friends that came to lament with him and to comfort him are reckoned and mentioned by name Elihu is not named in the number arguing as it may well be conceived these two things 1. That he came not to Job from a place far distant as the other three did but neighboured upon him And 2. that he himself was the Historian and Pen-man that made the relation and therefore he named not himself when he named others 2. Because in Chap. 32. he speaketh of himself as of the Historian ver 15 16 17. They were amazed they answer no more they left off speaking When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more I said I will answer also I also will shew my opinion Job was a son of Nahor Abrahams brother descended from him by his son Uz Gen. 22. 21. and so Elihu and he came to live so near together the one being of Uz the eldest son of Nahor and the other of Bus the second The order of the Book is facile and direct the Penman in the two first Chapters sheweth how Job fell into his misery who before was one of the richest and most prosperous men in those parts On a Sabbath day when the sons of God presented themselves before the Lord that is when the professors of the true Religion were met together in the publike assembly Satan was invisibly there among them but the Lord seeth him and upon some conference about Job the Lord letteth Satan loose upon him in reference to his estate and another Sabbath upon the like occasion and conference he letteth him loose upon him in reference to his body so Satan destroyeth all that he hath and all his children Read ver 5. of Chap. 1. not when the days of their feasting were gone about but as the days of their feasting went about â— and smiteth him with an intolerable itch that his nails will not serve his turn to scratch but he is glad to get a potsheard to scrub himself Then come his three friends to him from a far distance and Elihu his cousen that lived near to him and these in several speeches to him do but aggravate his misery and prove miserable comforters The dialogues or disputation between him and his three friends do hold this course that he answereth and they reply upon him in the course of their age and seniority Their greatest drift is to prove him extraordinary sinful because he was extraordinarily punished which incharitable errour when he cannot convince them of because of their prejudice he stoppeth all their mouths by a confident imprecation or execration upon himself if he be so faulty
the house of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy servant for this thing for so should the words be rendred as craving pardon for Idolatry past and not begging leave to be Idolatrous for the time to come Gehazies covetousness brings upon him Naamans Leprosie the Text hath divinely omitted a letter in one word that it might the more brand him with a blot for this his villany I will run after Naaman saith he and will take of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blot instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat ver 20. The third year Elisha maketh Iron to swim preventeth the Syrians ambushments and striketh those with blindness that were sent to catch him and bringeth them into the middest of Samaria and there feasteth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 6. 23. So the bands of Syria came no more as yet into the land of Israel for so the very next verse teacheth that it should be translated for it relateth that after this Benhadad gathered all his Host and besieged Samaria So is the like passage to be rendred 2 King 24. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the King of Aegypt came no more as yet or at that time out of his Land for in Jer. 37. 5. The King of Aegypt is a foot with his Army and abroad again The fourth year Jehoshaphat dieth Edom rebelleth and shaketh off Judahs yoke which David had laid upon them Till Jorams time there was no King in Edom of absolute power and rule but a Deputy under the Kings of Judah was King 1 King 22. 47. but now Edom revolteth from under the hand of Judah and made a King over themselves 2 King 8. 20. Then Libnah revolteth also Joram goeth against them and by night smiteth their Squadrons which were pitched about him to give him battel the next morning The fifth year Samaria is besieged by Benhadad and the famine becomes so great in the City that women eat their own Children as Deut. 28. 53. 56. and men women and children eat Doves dung All the fault is laid upon Elisha and he must be beheaded but he foretelleth a suddain and wonderful delivery and a strange and miraculous plenty which accordingly came to pass An unbelieving Prince is trod to death The sixth year Philistims and Arabians oppress Joram King of Judah and captive his wives and children leaving him only one son behind Here he is met with for the murder of his own Brethren The seventh year Joram is fallen into the sad disease of his bowels 2 Chron. 21. 19. And it came to pass after the end of two years his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness for he shewed no bowels to his brethren This year the famine endeth at Harvest and at that Harvest the Shunamites child dieth and is recovered by Elisha his death and reviving is related instantly after the Story of his birth though when he died he was able to follow the reapers because his Story might be related together and not long after his Mother goeth to the King to beg and petition to be setled in her estate again and there she finds leprous Gehazi with him The first verse of Chapter 8. should chronically be translated as of the time past Now Elisha had spoken to the woman c. ver 2. And the woman had risen and done after the saying of the man of God c. This year Elisha is at Damaseus Benhadad sick Hazael stifles him with a wet cloth and reigns in his stead 2 CHRON. XXII to ver 10. 2 KING VIII 25. to the end World 3117 Iehoram 8 Iehoram 12 Division 88 AHAZIAH the son of Joram reigneth and dieth this year by the sword of Jehu 2 King 8. 26. In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab King of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram King of Judah begin to reign Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign and he reigned one year in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri King of Israel And 2 King 9. 29. In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to raign over Judah 2 Chron. 22. 2. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign c. Here the Reader seeth two plain and visible differences the one about the age of Ahaziah and the other about the time when he began to reign The same Book of Kings saith he began to raign in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab and he began to raign in the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab Now the reconciling of this difference is easie when it is observed that Joram the son of Ahab reigned one whole year in the life time of his father and eleven years afterward And so one Text calleth his last year his twelfth that is of his whole raign and another Text calleth it his eleventh that is of his sole reign after his fathers death But the other difference is both the more visible and the more difficult for the Book of Kings saith Ahaziah was but two and twenty years old when he began to raign and the Book of Chronicles saith he was two and forty and so this latter reckoning maketh him two years older then his father for his father began to raign when he was two and thirty years old and and reigned eight years and so died being forty 2 King 8. 17. Now for the reconciling of this scruple the Original helpeth us which in our translation is not visible The Original meaneth thus Ahaziah was the son of the two and forty years namely of the house of Omri of whose seed he was by the mothers side and he walked in the ways of that house and came to ruine at the same time with it This the Text directed us to look after when it calleth his mother the daughter of Omri which was indeed the daughter of Ahab Now these forty two years are easily reckoned by any that will count back in the Chronicle to the second of Omri Such another reckoning there is about Jechoniah or Jehojachin 2 King 24. 8. Jehojachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign But 2 Chron. 36. 9. Jehojachin was the son of the eight years That is his beginning of reign fell in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar and of Judahs first captivity as shall be shewed there World 3117 Iehoram 8 Iehoram 12 Division 88 JORAM King of Israel fighteth at Ramoth Gilead is wounded comes to be healed of his wounds at Jezreel and is there slain by Jehu Ahaziah had been with Joram at Ramoth and is slain with Joram at Jezreel 2 CHRON. XXII vers 10 11 12. and 2 KING XI ver 1 2 3. World 3118 Athaliah 1 Iehu 1 Division 89 ATHALIAH destroyeth Athaliah 2 Iehu 2 Division 90 the rest of the Seed Royal Athaliah 3 Iehu 3 Division 91 that were left besides the forty Athaliah 4 Iehu 4 Division 92 two slain by Jehu she her Athaliah 5
One once staid long and they were about to go in after him Some say it was Simeon the Just. They said to him Why didst thou stay so long He answered I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God that it should not be destroyed They say to him Though thou didest so yet shouldest not thou have stayed so long If this Relation carry any truth with it it might be looked upon as the expiring of Vision as Prophesie had also ceased not long before that time for Simeon the Just is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the remnant of the men of Ezra ' s great Synagogue Aboth R. Nathan cap. 4. and upon the death of Zachary and Malachy who were of that Synagogue the spirit of Prophesie departed And here Vision and Prophesie is dawning again Zacharias for not believing the words of the Angel is struck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deaf and Dumb and doth fore-signifie the silencing of the Levitical Priesthood e're long to be In the Jews Canons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of the five sorts of Persons that they commonly exclude from all imployments and matters of honour trust or import and it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that can neither hear nor speak Jerus in chagigah fol. 75. col 4. His Wife Elizabeth conceiving with child retires as a recluse for five months space that she might keep her self from all desilement she carrying as choice a Nazarite in her Womb as she did ver 1. 5. Five months were not the whole time of her retiring for that that urged her to keep close so long had the same tie upon her all the time she went with child but five months are only named by way of introduction to the story and occurrence in the sixth month mentioned instantly after In the sixth month the same Angel appeareth to the Virgin Mary and telleth her of the Birth of the Messios to be of her which she believing though by the course of Nature so impossible she presently goeth to her Cousin Elizabeth into the Hill-countrey of Judea to Hebron see Josh. 21. 11. not only to visit her and to rejoyce with her nor only to see the proof of those things that the Angel had told of her but very probably acted by the Holy Ghost that she might conceive the Messias in Hebron where so many choice and eminent Types of him and references to him had been in ancient time These Tidings come to the Virgin at the very latter end of the year that we are upon or the beginning of the next and her Journey to Hebron is in the middle of Winter SECTION IV. MATTHEW Chap. I. All the Chapter CHRIST'S Genealogy by the Line of Solomon and by his supposed Father Joseph His Mother in danger to be divorced upon false suspition of Adultery WHether it were that Mary conceived with child at the instant of the Angels telling her of her Conception as hath been held most generally or at the instant that she came to her Cousin Elizabeth in Hebron by the time that she had stayed with her three months she might easily be discovered to be with child as Tamar was after the same space of time Gen. 38. 24. Whose case and danger of death in that story compare with the Virgins case and danger of divorce in this The Talmudick Decretals do allot three months for such a discovery Every woman say they that is divorced or become a widow behold she may not be married nor espoused till she have stayed 90 days that it may be known whether she be with child or no and that there may be distinguishing betwixt the Seed of the first Husband and the Seed of the second Likewise a stranger and his Wife which are Proselytes they keep them asunder 90 days that there may be a discerning between the Seed sown in holiness that is when they are come into the true Religion out of Heathenism Compare 1 Cor. 7. 14. and the Seed not sown in holiness Talm. in Jebamoth cap. 4. in Chetuboth cap. 5. Maym. in Gerushin cap. 11. This space of time considered in the present story it sheweth how fitly the last Verse of the preceding Section viz. Luke 1. 56. and the 18th Verse of this do joyn together The Genealogy interposed doth not interrupt but illustrate the story intended And it is not only properly but even necessarily set in the Front of the Evangelical History that satisfaction might be given by it in that main Point concerning Christ which the Scriptures do so often inculcate and which the Jews would first of all look after namely to prove Jesus of Nazareth how ever so meanly born yet to be The Son of David There were two remarkable Maxims among the Jewish Nation 1. That there was to be no King of Israel but of the House of David and Line of Solomon Talm. in Sanhedr cap. 10. And consequently they looked for King Messias from that Line 2. That the Family of the Mother is not called a Family Juchasin fol 55. Hereupon hath Matthew most pertinently brought this Pedigree through the House of Solomon and ended it in Joseph a Male whom the Jews looked upon as the Father of Jesus The last Verse of this Chapter as it referreth to the demeanour of Joseph and Mary in their mutual society till the Birth of Christ lyeth properly in the Harmonizing of the Evangelists in the place where it doth But as it referreth to the Birth of Christ it is coincident with Luke 2. 7. The Reader in his thoughts will place it as he seeth cause in these several Relations SECTION V. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 57. to the end John Baptist born WHen Maries three months stay with her Cousin Elizabeth was expired it is easily guessed that if Elizabeth by that time were not delivered of her child yet she was very near it and that consideration doth clear the subsequence of this Section to the preceding John Baptist born in Hebron the place of the residence of Abraham and of the first Royalty of David Here Circumcision was first ordained and here is he born that was to bring in Baptism instead of Circumcision The Priests at the Temple as they looked for break of day used oft to say The face of all the Skie is bright even unto Hebron Talm. in Joma cap. 3. in Tamid cap. 3. Compare the dawning of the Gospel now rising there in the Birth of the Baptist and compare the words of Zacharias a Priest ver 78. The time of the Baptists Birth will be found by setting that Clock from our Saviours to have been in the Spring much about the time of the Passeover about which time of the year Isaac was born SECTION VI. LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 1. to Ver. 40. World 3928 Rome 754 Augustus 31 Herod 35 CHRIST Born LUKE maketh the coherence clear when he interposeth nothing betwixt the Birth of the Baptist and the Birth of Christ and indeed there is nothing
from the time of Onias who built there a great Temple and an Altar and all the men of Egypt went thither c. And there was a great Congregation there double to the number of those that came out of Egypt Fol. 14. Of this Temple built by Onias in Egypt Josephus maketh mention Antiq. lib. 13. cap. 6. And the Talmud in Menachoth cap. 13. So that Christ being sent into Egypt was sent among his own Nation who had filled that Country The time that he was in Egypt was not above three or four months so soon the Lord smote Herod for his butchery of the Innocent Children and murtherous intent against the Lord of Life Joseph and Mary being called out of Egypt after Herods death intend for Judaea again thinking to go to Bethlehem but the fear of Archelaus and the warning of an Angel directs them into Galilee They knew not but that Christ was to be educated in Bethlehem as he was to be born there therefore they kept him there till he was two years old and durst not take him thence till fear and the warrant of an Angel dismisseth them into Egypt And when they come again from thence they can think of no other place but Bethlehem again till the like fear and warrant send them into Galilee There is none of the Evangelists that recordeth any thing concerning Christ CHRIST III from the time of his return out of Egypt till he come to be twelve years CHRIST IV old which was for the space of these years For the better understanding CHRIST V of which times let us take up some few passages in Josephus CHRIST VI Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. Herod saith he reigned 34 years from the time that CHRIST VII Antigonus was taken away and 37 years from the time that he was first declared CHRIST VIII King by the Romans CHRIST IX And again in the same Book cap. 15. In the tenth year of the reign of Archelaus CHRIST X the People not enduring his cruelty and tyranny they accused Archelaus to CHRIST XI Caesar and he banished him to Vienna And a little after Cyrenius was sent by Caesar to tax Syria and to confiscate Archelaus his Goods And lib. 18. cap. 1. Coponius was also sent with Cyrenius to be Governour of Judea And ibid. cap. 5. Coponius returning to Rome Marcus Ambibuchus becometh his Successor in that Government And after him succeeded Annius Rufus in whose time died Caesar Augustus the second Emperor of the Romans Now when Augustus died Christ was fourteen years old as appeareth from this that he was 29 years old compleat and beginning to be thirty in the fifteenth year of Tiberius the Emperor next succeeding Luke 3. 1 2. Reckon then these times that Josephus hath mentioned between the death of Herod and the death of Augustus namely the ten years of Archelaus and after them the Government of Coponius and after him Ambibuchus and after him Rufus and it will necessarily follow that when Herod slew Bethlehem Children Christ being then two years old it was the very last year of his Reign SECTION VIII LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 40. to the end of the Chapter World 3939 Rome 765 Augustus 42 CHRIST XII Archelaus 10 CHRIST at twelve years old sheweth his Wisdom among the Doctors At the same Age had Solomon shewed his Wisdom in deciding the Controversie between the two Harlots Ignat. Martyr in Epist. ad Magnos IT is very easie to see the subsequence of this Section to that preceeding since there is nothing recorded by any of the Evangelists concerning Christ from his infancy till he began to be thirty years old but only this Story of his shewing his Wisdom at twelve years old among the Doctors of some of the three Sanhedrins that sate at the Temple for there sate one of 23 Judges in the East Gate of the Mountain of the House called the Gate Shushan Another of 23 in the Gate of Nicanor or the East Gate of the Court of Israel And the great Sanhedrin of 71 Judges that sate in the Room Gazith not far from the Altar Though Herod had slain the Sanhedrin as is related by Josephus and divers others yet was not that Court nor the judiciary thereof utterly extinguisht but revived again and continued till many years after the destruction of the City His Story about this matter is briefly thus given by the Babylon Talmud in Bava Bathra fol. 3. facie 2. Herod was a servant of the Asmonean Family he set his Eyes upon a Girl of it One day the man heard a voice from Heaven Bath Kol which said Any servant that rebelleth this year shall prosper He riseth up and slayeth all his Masters but left that Girl c. And whereas it is said Thou shalt set a King over thee from among thy brethren which as the gloss there tells us their Rabbies understood of the chiefest of thy brethren he rose up and slew all the great ones only he left Baba ben Bota to take counsel of him The gloss upon this again tells us That he slew not utterly all the great ones for he left Hillel and the Sons of Betirah remaining and Josephus relateth also that he spared Shammai to which Abraham Zaccuth addeth that Menahem and 80 gallant Men of the chief of the Nation were gone over to his service and to attend upon him So that these of themselves and by ordination of others did soon repair that breach that his Sword had made in the Sanhedrin he not resisting its erection again when he had now taken away the Men of his displeasure Hillel was President and sat so forty years and died by the Jews computation applied to the Christian account much about this twelfth year of Christ. For they say that he lived an hundred and twenty years the last forty of which he spent in the Presidency of the Sanhedrin entring upon that dignity an hundred years before the destruction of the City Menahem was at first Vicepresident with him but upon his going away to Herods service Shammai came in his room and now two as eminent and learned men sat in those two Chairs as ever had done since the first birth of traditions Hillel himself was so deserving a man that whereas in the vacancy of the Presidentship by the death of Shemaiah and Abtalion R. Judah and R. Jeshua the Sons of Betirah might have taken the Chairs they preferred Hillel as the worthier person Talm. Jerus in Pessachin fol. 33. col 1. He bred many eminent Scholars to the number of fourscore the most renowned of which by name were Jonathan ben Uzziel the Chaldee Paraphrast and Rabban Jocanan ben Zaccai both probably alive at this year of Christ and a good while after The latter was undoubtedly so for he lived to see the destruction of the City and Temple and sat President in the Sanhedrin at Jabneh afterwards And till that time also lived the Sons of Betirah mentioned before Shammai was little inferior to Hillel
Greek word to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Family of Ram. Job 32. 2. See a third sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Jam. 1. 23. 3. 6. of the generation of Iesus Christ the son of David the Son of Abraham 2. Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob begat c c c c c c Judas for Jeâ—udah in Hebrew For the Greek cannot utter h before a vowel in the middle of a word nor after one in the end therefore in the middle it leaveth out as in Josaphat Joram and this word Juda and in the end it changeth it in s as in this and may other words in this Chapter Iudas and his brethren 3. And Iudas begat Phares and Zara of Tamar and Phares begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram. 4. And d d d d d d Or Ram. 1 Chron. 2. 8. Ruth 4. 19. Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat e e e e e e Called Salma Ruth 4. 20. Salmon 5. And Salmon begat f f f f f f He is held by the Jews to be Ipsan Judg. 12. 8. Boos of Racab and Boos begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Iesse 6. And Iesse begat g g g g g g David in the Arabick signifieth a worm to which he may seem to allude Psal. 22. 6. David the King and David the King begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias 7. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat h h h h h h Rehoboam in naming this his Son Abi-jah which signifieth God is my father seemeth to have had his eye upon the promise to David I will be his Father 2 Sam. 7. 14. which because he imbraced not by a lively Faith but challenged only by a presumptuous usurpation for he walked not in the ways of David therefore doth the text elsewhere conceal the name of God in the name of his Son and calleth him Abijam My father is a Sea For so unconstant in good was Rehoboam as Jam. 1. 6. being a child at forty years old 2 Chron. 13. 17. Abia and Abia begat i i i i i i The Arabick readeth it Asaph Asa. 8. And Asa begat Iosaphat and Iosaphat begat Ioram and Ioram begat Ozias 9. And Ozias begat Ioatham and Ioatham begat Achas and Achas begat Ezechias 10. And Ezechias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Iosias 11. And Iosias begat k k k k k k Called Conias Jer. 22. 24. For God by taking away the first syllable of his name sheweth that he will not establish the throne or race of Solomon any more upon it as his Father Jehojaâ—im bel ke in so naming him had presumed The Jews delighted to joyn the name Jehovah to their own names but somewhat shortned For in the beginning of the name it was but Jeho as Jeho-shaphat Jehoram c. And in the end it was Jahu as Mica-jahu Eli-jahu And sometime in the very same name it was set before or after indifferently as Jebo-achaz 2 Chron. 21. 17. is Ahaz-jahu 2 Chron. 22. 1. So Jehojachin 2 King 24. 8. is Jechou-jahu 1 Chron. 3. 16. Iechonias and his brethren about the time they were carried away into Babylon 12. And after they were brought to Babylon Iechonias begat Salathiel and Salathiel begat Zorobabel 13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eliakim and Eliakim begat Azor. 14. And Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud 15. And Eliud begat Eleazar and Eleazar begat Matthan and Matthan began Iacob 16. And Iacob begat Ioseph the Husband of Mary of whom was born Iesus who is called Christ. 17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the l l l l l l The Captivity of the Jews into Babel was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flitting of their Families As Aristeas saith of Ptol. Lagus his captiving them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they returned ere long to their own home again But the ten Tribes captivated by Sbalmanezar are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX 2 Kings 18. 11. in a perpetual departure from their own houses And they and all the rest of the Nation are at this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a dispersion without any home of their own at all John 7. 35. Jam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations 18. Now the birth of Iesus Christ was on this wise when as his Mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost 19. Then Ioseph her Husband being a just man and not willing m m m m m m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath been thought saith Gellius that there ought to be three causes in punishing of offences The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishmenâ— is used for castigation or amendment of him that hath offended The second called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is used that the dignity and honour of him that hath been wronged may be maintained The third which is called II 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is inflicted for examples sake that others by the fear of the known punishment may be deterred from the like offences Noct. Att. lib. 6. cap. 14. to make her a publike example was minded to put her away privily 20. But while he thought on these things the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Ioseph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost 21. And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes 22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying 23. Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and shall call his Name Emanuel which being interpreted is God with us 24. Then Ioseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him and took unto him his wife 25. And knew her not until she had brought forth her first born Son and he called his name Jesus Reason of the Order AFter Mary hath been three months absent from Joseph as in the last verse of the Section preceding upon her return he perceiveth her to be with child for which he intendeth secretly to put her away as Tamar after three months is descried to be in the same case and Judah resolveth publikely to put her to death Gen. 38. 24. This being considered it is plain to see how properly the eighteenth verse of this chapter followeth in order of time after the last verse
the Nation even ever since the death of Zachary and Malachy but is now begun to be restored to speak of the great Prophet near at hand the Holy Ghost was upon him 26. And g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used again in this sense Mat. 2. 12 22. Act. 10. 22. Heb. 11. 7. and by the LXX 1 King 18. 27. and in another sense Act. 11. 26. it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ. 27. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child Iesus to do for him after the custom of the Law 28. Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation 31. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel 33. And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him 34. And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against 35. Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed 36. And there was one h h h h h h Compare 1 Sam. 1. 2. Anna a Prophetess the daughter of i i i i i i In Hebrew it would be written Penuel as Gen. 32. Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her Virginity 37. And she was a Widow of about fourscore and four years which departed not from the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day 38. And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Ierusalem 39. And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own City Nazareth Reason of the Order THE dependence of the beginning of this Section upon the end of that that went before doth even prove and confirm it self For after the story of the birth of Christs forerunner and the relation of what happened and befel at that time what could be expected to come next in order but the birth of Christ himself Especially since none of the Evangelists mention any thing that came between Harmony and Explanation Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Heber Numb 24. 24. THAT by Chittim is meant Italy or the Romans it is not only the general opinion of the Jews as may be seen in their Targums and in other writers but of the most Christians also yea of the Romanists themselves whom the latter part of the verse doth so nearly pinch As see their vulgar Latine and Lyranus upon the place This Prophesie was fulfilled when the power of Rome first set her foot upon the neck of the Hebrews by the conquest of Pompey but especially when she tyrannized over Christ the chief child of Eber even before and at his birth as in this story but chiefly in condemning him to death as in the story of his passion As Jacob had before told that the Jews at Messias his coming should be under the Subjection of a Forain Nation so doth Balaam in this Prophesie shew who that Nation should be And this the more ancient and more honest Jews took notice of and resolved that Christ should come in the time of the Roman Empire and near to the destruction of the Temple by it So in the Talmud they question What is the name of Messias Some answer Hhevara Leprous and he sitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome carrying their sicknesses Sanhedrin The Chaldee Paraphrast likewise on Esa. 11. 4. readeth thus With the speech of his lips shall Messias slay Romulus the wicked one or the wicked Roman shewing at once his opinion of Christs coming in the time of the Romans and also of the Romans being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one after a singular manner Augustus was the second Emperor of the Romans or rather the first that was intire Monarch for Julius Caesar his Uncle and Predecessor had hardly injoyed any Monarchical government at all nor did Augustus of many years neither till he had outed Lepidus and overcome Anthony which were copartners with him in the dominion His name Augustus was given to him for his worthy administration of the Common-wealth For before-time he was called a a a a a a Dion Caepias and b b b b b b Sueton. Thurinus and Octavianus and had like to have been named Romulus as a second founder of the City but by the advice of Munacius Plancus he was named Augustus which importeth Sacredness and reverence § That all the world should be Taxed To so vast an extent was the Roman Empire now grown from Parthia to England and they two also included that it was a world rather then one dominion And so did their Virgil Ovid Florus own Authors boast it in those times as Caesar Regit omnia terris Divisum imperium cum Jove Totum circumspicit orbem Terrarum orbis imperium and such like speeches usual among them both in Poesie and Prose This huge and unweldy body of so large and spacious a dominion Augustus had now reduced to the healthful temper of peace and quietness which is the more remarkable by how much the more wars had been more frequent and more bloody but a little before For never had that Empire felt so great distemper within it self as it had done of latter times in the civil wars betwixt Sylla and Marius betwixt Julius and Pompey betwixt Augustus and Antony not to mention the continual wars that it had abroad It had not been very long before this time that the Evangelist speaketh of when both Rome it self and the rest of the world was at that pitiful plight that Polybius speaketh of That the Romans were forced to send to Ptolomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 2. King of Egypt for a supply of corn because there was a great scarcity and dearth among them For in Italy all their corn was destroyed even to the gates of Rome by the Souldiers and abroad there was no help nor supply to be had there being wars in all parts of the world But now is there an universal Peace not only in the Roman Empire so that the Temple of Janus was shut up which it never used to be when any wars at all were stirring but if we will believe Crantzius even in those parts and Countries where the Roman power had not yet set her foot as Denmark Norway
maintained upon the foundation or because she was a Prophetess and so lodged in some of the buildings or chambers belonging to the Temple For so might women do as 2 Chron. 22. 11 12. SECTION VII S. MATTHEW CHAP. II. Christ at two years old is visited and honoured by the Wisemen The Children of Bethlehem murthered Herod dyeth soon after Christ returneth out of Egypt NOw when Iesus was born in Bethlehem of a a a a a a Vulg. of Juda and this is conceived by Jerom to be the better reading because it is so written ver 6. But in this verse the Evangelist telleth it was in Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee Joh. 19. 15. and in ver 6. he saith it was in the land of Judah to distinguish it from the lot of Benjamin Judea in the days of Herod the King behold there came b b b b b b Wisemen Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is reserved by the Syr. Arab. Ital. and generally by all Latines the French readeth it Sages in the sense of our English Wisemen from the East to Jerusalem 2. Saying where is he that is born King of the Jews For we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him 3. When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him 4. And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and c c c c c c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX Exod. 5. 6. Joh. 1. 10. 2 Sam. 8. 17. Jer. 36. 10. Ezr. 4. 8. and 7. 12. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 1. 15. Scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born 5. They said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea For thus it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem d d d d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as John 1. 4. the Preposition is understood in the Land of Juda art not the e e e e e e the LXX in Mic. 5. use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of number but Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of bulk or dignity least among the Princes of Juda for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel 7. Then Herod when he had privily called the Wisemen enquired diligently of them what time the Star appeared 8. And he sent them to f f f f f f Bethlehem distant from Jerusalem 35 furlongs Just. Matt. Apol. 2. Four miles and almost an half Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word again that I may come and worship him also 9. When they had heard the King they departed and lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with g g g g g g As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 61. 10. exceeding great joy 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts h h h h h h Gold and Frankincense they shall bring in Merchandize and also for a present to the King Messias and for the house of the Lord D. Kim◠on Esa. 60. 6. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed into their own Country another away 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him 14. When he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. And was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my Son 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wisemen was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time he had diligently inquired of the Wisemen 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremie the Prophet saying 18. In i i i i i i Rama was the birth place of Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 19. c. Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel mourning for her children and would not be comforted because they are not 19. But when Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20. Saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the Land of Israel for k k k k k k Compare Exod. 4. 19. they are dead which sought the young childs life 21. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the Land of Israel 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his Father Herod he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee 23. And he came and dwelt in a City calleth Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarite Reason of the Order TO confirm and prove the Order of this Section and Story requireth some labour because of an opinion ancient and current among men that crosseth the laying of it in this place It hath been generally held and believed almost of every one that the Wisemen came to Christ when he was but thirteen days old and it is written in red Letters in the Kalendar as if it were a golden truth by the title of Epiphany at the sixth of January An opinion which if it were as true as it is common it were readily known where to place this Story of the Wisemens coming namely between the Circumcision of our Saviour and his Presentation in the Temple betwixt Ver. 21 and 22 of Luke 2. But upon serious and impartial examination of this opinion these rubs and unliklehoods lie in the way and make it as incredible for the improbability as it seemeth venerable for its antiquity First to omit the length of their journey from their own Country to Bethlehem their preparation for so long a journy before they set out and their stay at Jerusalem by the way for I cannot think that all that passed there while they were there was done in an instant Secondly how utterly improbable it is that after all this hubbub at Jerusalem upon the Wisemens
by the consent of the Senate make him King of Judea a man composed as if they were his four elements of fawning policy cruelty and unconscionableness Of whose life and actions Josephus Egesippus and others have discoursed at large and it is not seasonable to insist upon them here This only is not impertinent to inquire after what year it was of the reign of Herod when this story of the Wisemens coming to Bethlehem and the butchery upon the children there fell out that it may be seen how long our Saviour was in Egypt before his return upon the tyrants death and how soon it was that the Lord overtook this and the other cruelties of the tyrant with deserved vengeance Josephus Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 26. hath placed the beginning of Herods reign under the hundreth eighty and fourth Olympiad and under the Consulship of C. Domitius Calvinus II. and C. Asinius Pollio and hath summed the length of it to four and thirty years from the death of Antigonus his competitor and seven and thirty from the Romans first declaring of him King Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. And with this reckoning of the years of his reign agreeth Egesippus de Excid Jerosol lib. 1. cap. 45. and so doth Eusebius in his Chronicle for the latter sum of seven and thirty but differeth far from the beginning of his reign placing it under the last year of Olympiad 186. eight years at least after the time prefixed by Josephus And reason he hath indeed to differ from his beginning For if Herod began his reign in the Consulship of the men fore-named and reigned but thirty and seven years from thence it will result in the conclusion that he dyed the year before our Saviour was born as may be easily cast by the Catalogue or number of Consuls from Cn. Domitius and Asinius Pollio which was after the building of the City Anno 714 to Cornelius Lentulus and Valerius Messalinus under whom our Saviour was born which was Anno urbis 751. So that this account of years that Josephus hath given though it be true for the number yet can it not be so from that beginning from whence he hath dated them What shall we say then by beginning the thirty seven years of his reign from the time that he was King intire and sans corrival in the Kingdom by the death of Antigonus the last spark of the Asmonean fire Why herein also I find Dion differing from Josephus and Eusebius from them both For whereas Josephus hath related that the sacking of Jerusalem by Socius and the death of Antigonus were under the Consulship of M. Agrippa and Canidius or Caninius Gallus which was Anno urbis conditae 717. Dion in his Roman History lib. 49. hath placed the crucifying of Antigonus and the making of Herod King by Antony under the Consulship of Claudius and Norbanus which was Anno V. C. 716. or a year before And Eisebius hath still laid Herods beginning a year or two after Baronius hath found out a date different from all these namely that Herods years of his Reign are to be begun from the time that he received his Crown from the hands of Augustus after his victory of Antony at the battle at Actium Caesar being then in Rhodes of which story Josephus maketh mention Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 10. Augustus being then a third time Consul and Valerius Messala Corvinus his partner By which account it will follow that our Saviour was born in the nine and twentieth year of Herods reign and that Herod lived till he was about nine years old Which opinion though it best suited to the salving of other passages of Josephus in Chronologie about this time yet it seemeth to be something too corrosive an application and a remedy very harsh upon these respects First Because by this account of his both about the Wisemens coming and Herods death he will have Christ to be nine years in Egypt or thereabout or according to our reckoning seven years or little under Now in his banishment from his own Country the means of his Parents and of his own subsistence in a forreign Land for so long a time is so hard to imagine that it will breed another and no less a scruple then that in hand Secondly the transition of St. Luke from his presenting in the Temple to his coming into Nazareth will seem a great deal the more harsh if eight or nine years are to be taken in between especially with such as Baronius himself who will have nothing to come between at all Thirdly by this opinion must our Saviour be ninteen years old and more at the death of Augustus and then how could he be but beginning to be thirty in the fifteenth of Tiberius Luke 3. For suppose with the Cardinal that he was nine years old at the death of Herod then was he ninteen at the banishment of Archelaus who reigned ten years as appeareth by Josephus Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 15. After Archelaus was removed from his kingdom the same Josephus nameth Cyrenius and Coponius as rulers and disposers of Judea for a season And after Coponius Marchus Ambibuchus was Ruler and after him Annius Rufus and then dyed Augustus Now lay all these together and it will follow that our Saviour could not be less then above twenty years old at the death of Augustus whereas it is most plain by the Gospel that he was but about fifteen Let us therefore take these parcels backward and as they confute the opinion under question so do they help to settle and resolve the question in hand For grant that Coponius Ambibuchus and Rufus ruled their single years apiece after the exile of Archelaus as it is most like they did and more then years apiece they could not do all things well laid together and take before them the ten years current of Archelaus and we have thirteen years backward of our Saviours fifteen at the death of Agustuss and this doth bring us to his two years of age or thereabout which was the time when the Wisemen came to him So that since Archelaus began to reign when Christ was not very much above two years old for that he was something above it may be some months the time that Archelaus wanted of ten years reign compleat will allow and that he could not be more then such a space above the premises well ponderated will conclude it will readily and plainly follow that our Saviours birth was in the five and thirtieth year of Herod and this murder of the children of Bethlehem in his seven and thirtieth but a month or two or such a space before his death Now whereas some stick not to say that he was struck with the wound of death that very night that the children were slain and dyed not many days or hours after in that we cannot be so punctual but that he lived not many months after is more then probable by the collections and computations mentioned well weighed and laid
some machination against himself he had now shut up in prison and intended him presently for the execution but that his sickness whereof he died seizing on him gave some more space to the imprisoned and some hopes and possibilities of escaping His disease was all these mixed together an inward burning and exulceration an insatiable greediness and devouring the Chollick the Gout and Dropsie his loins and secrets crawling with lice and a stink about him not to be indured These wringings and tortures of his body meeting with the peevishness of old age for he was now seventy and with the natural cruelty which always had been in him made him murderously minded above all measure insomuch that he put to death divers that had taken down a golden Eagle which he had set up about the Temple And when he grew near to his end and saw himself ready to die he slew his Son Antipater and caused great multitudes of the Nobility and People to be closed up in a sure place giving command to slay them as soon as he was dead for by that means he said he should have the Jews truly and really to sorrow at his death Vid. Joseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 8 9 10. and de Bel. lib. 1. cap. 21. Vers. 20. For they are dead that sought the young childs life The like saying is to Moses Exod. 4. 19. where the word they may be understood of Pharaoh and his servants which jointly sought his life for the Egyptians sake whom he had slain and were now all dead and worn out in the fourty years of his being in Midian But here it is true indeed that the seeking of the childs life may well be applied to Herods Servants as well as himself but that all they died with him or about the time of his death who in flattery or favour or obedience to him had promoted the slaughter at Bethlehem and had sought the childs life I know not upon what ground it should be conceived I should therefore by the they in this place understand Herod and his Son Antipater jointly together For if it be well considered how mischievous this Antipater was against his own Brethren and how he wrought their ruine and misery for fear they should get betwixt him and the throne yea how he sought the destruction of his own Father because he thought he kept him out of the Throne too long it may very well be believed that he would bloodily stir against this new King of the Jews that the wisemen spake of for fear of interception of the Crown as well as his Father He died but five days before his fathers death as it was touched before out of Josephus and thus God brought this bloodliness of the Father and the Son and the rest of their cruelties to an end and upon their own heads at once and in a manner together and thus may the words of the Angel be very fairly understood Take the child and return to the Land of Israel for Herod and Antipater are dead that sought his life Ver. 22. Archelaus did reign in Iudea in the room of his Father Herod Herod had first named Antipater for his Successor in the Throne of Judea but upon detection of his conspiracy against him he altered his mind and his will and nominated Antipas and changing his mind yet again he named Archelaus and he succeeded him a man not likely to prosper in a Throne that was so bebloodied His conclusion was that in the tenth year of his reign he was accused by the Nobles of Judea and Samaria to Augustus banished to Vienna and his estate confiscate Jos. Ant. lib. 17. cap. 15. Ver. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene From Isa. 11. 1. where the Messias is called by the title Nezer which indifferently signifieth A branch and the City Nazaret one and the same word denoting Christ and the place where he should be born SECTION VIII S. LUKE CHAP. II. Christ sheweth his wisdom at twelve years old Ver. 40. AND a a a a a a Compare Exod. 2. 10. 1 Sam. 2. 26. Jud. 16. 24. the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him 41. Now his Parents went to Ierusalem b b b b b b Exod. 23. 15. 17. every year at the Feast of the Passover 42. And when he was twelve years old they went up to Ierusalem after the custom of the Feast 43. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the Child Iesus tarried behind in Ierusalem and Ioseph and his mother knew not of it 44. But they supposing him to have been in the company went a days journey and they sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance 45. And when they found him not they turned back again to Ierusalem seeking him 46. And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the Temple sitting in the middest of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48. And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49. And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me Wist ye not that I must * * * * * * Or In my Fathers house be about my Fathers business 50. And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them 51. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men Reason of the Order THE Order of this Section dependeth so clearly upon the proper Order of that preceding that that being made good to lie where it doth as in the proper place the subsequence of this to it can nothing at all be doubted of For whereas all the Evangelists have unanimously passed over in silence all those years of Christs minority which intervened or passed between his return out of Egypt and this passage of his at twelve years old there is nothing possible to be found in the Gospels that can come between to interpose this order and connexion The carriage and demeanour of our Saviour in the time between is only briefly comprised in the first verse of this portion And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him Harmony and Explanation Ver. 40. And the child grew c. TWO years Old he was when he went into Egypt and there he aboad in his Exile a very small time it may be some two or three months about such a space as Moses had been hid in Egypt in his Fathers house from the fury of Pharaoh When he returned to Nazareth his Mothers City being now about two years and a quarter old he
was not weaned if in this he followed the use and custom of the Jewish children as it is like he did but still sucked his Mothers breasts As he grew in body he grew much more in mind for so the phrase He waxed strong in Spirit seemeth to be understood by the Evangelist taking Spirit not so much for the Holy Ghost though it is past question he was filled with that as for his Soul or spiritual part of his humane nature And so he describeth his growth in both parts in the two expressions The child grew in body and waxed strong in intellect and soul filled with wisdom in an extraordinary manner above other children and a graciousness appeared in him both in person and actions Ver. 41. Now his Parents went to Jerusalem c. Joseph is called the Parent of Christ as Paul calleth preaching foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 21 23. because he was so commonly reputed by men And as for Womens going up to this Festival whereas the Law required only the Males appearance before the Lord three times in the year we shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter Ver. 42. And when he was twelve years old c. At what age our Saviour sheweth his admirable wisdom in the Temple among the Doctors in this Story at the same age had Solomon shewed his in the matter of the two Hostesses about the dead and living child 1 King 3. 25. 28. For that he was twelve years old at that time may be conceived upon these collections First Absalom began to rebel in the thirty seventh year of Davids Reign or three years before his death or thereabout This is to be picked out of that dateless reckoning of years 2 Sam. 15. 7. And after forty years Absalom said let me go pay my vow c. These forty years are counted from the time that Israel asked a King three of Sauls Reign 1 Sam. 13. 1. and seven and thirty of Davids and then began Absalom to challenge the Kingdom and the reckoning from that date giveth this hint and intimation that as their asking a King then did sore displease the Lord so now are they punished in the proper kind for it when they have so many Kings that they know not well which to follow and many of them perish in following the usurper Secondly Before his open rebellion Absalom had been two years in Jerusalem and not seen the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 28. Thirdly Before that time he had been three years in deserved exile in Geshur 2 Sam. 13. 38. Fourthly And two years had passed betwixt the rape of Tamar and slaughter of Amnon which occasioned him into that exile 2 Sam. 13. 23. So that counting all these years together they appear clearly to be ten at the least betwixt the rape of Tamar and Davids death and so are they so many of Solomons age at the same time Now that there was some good space that passed betwixt these sums of time mentioned as betwixt the birth of Solomon and the rape of Tamar betwixt Absaloms seeing of the Kings face and his breaking out after into that rebellion and other spaces it cannot be denied upon serious and considerate casting up of the Story But to find out the exact space and measure of time is hardly possible and so is it to determine the age of our Saviour at the time of his disputing with the Doctors For though the Evangelist say that he was twelve years old yet hath he left it doubtful whether current or compleat and that it was a whole half year under or over it cannot be denied seeing that he was born about September and this his disputing was at the Passover about March or April So when we say Solomon was twelve years old when he began to Reign and when he determined the controversie of the two Hostesses it is not necessary punctually to pick out and shew that space of time to all exactness it sufficeth to shew that the Text bringeth him near to that age under or over See Ignat. Martyr in Epist. ad Magnes Vers. 43. The child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his Mother knew not of it That morning that they were to depart to their own home it was the custom to go first to the Temple and to worship the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 19. Now the multitudes that went together at these times were exceeding great and many all the males of the Nation and very many of the females being constantly present at these occasions When therefore Joseph and Mary and the Galilean company that went along with them departed from the Temple to go their Journey it is likely that Christ stayed behind them in the Temple Court where also he haunted till they found him again Now he having been absent from them and in other companies sometimes before in the Festival week as it can hardly be doubted it is not to be wondred if they were not so punctually exact as to be sure to bring him with them in their sight out of the Temple and the City For they knew not nor could they conceive that he had any thing to do or how he could stay behind them when they were gone and therefore though they saw him not yet doubted they not but he was with some of his acquaintance or other in that vast and numerous multitude Yea so confident they were of this that when after a while they missed him yet did they not suspect his staying behind them in Jerusalem but went that days journey forward searching and inquiring for him among their kindred and acquaintance that went along with them for so are those words to be understood till they came to their lodging And by that time not having found him they resolve and accordingly do on the next morning return for Jerusalem It is conceived by some that the multitudes going to and from these festivals went the men by themselves and the women by themselves and the children indifferently with either parent as they thought good and so Mary supposed that Jesus was with Joseph and Joseph supposed that he was with Mary and by this mis-apprehension they went their first days journey till they met at their lodging before they mist him But if that were certain which is very doubtful that they thus travailed males and females apart yet it is clear by the Text that they jointly mist him in their first days journy and betimes in the journey long before they came to their Inn and yet would not return to seek him at Jerusalem where they could not so much as suspect that he would stay behind when he saw all the company setting homewards but they still go on their journey and inquire up and down in the company for him till their not meeting him at night resolves them that he was not in the company at all Vers. 46. After three days they found him in the Temple That is on the third day for one they spent in
these two men in former times they being both Grecizing Jews the one of Cyprus the other of Cilicia and both in all probability brought up and educated at Jerusalem but whether it were so or no the hand of God is to be looked after in this passage when Pauls future partner in the ministry to the Gentiles is now his first intertainer into the society of the Church at Jerusalem §. And brought him to the Apostles That is to Peter and James the less for other of the Apostles he himself relateth that he saw none Gal. 1. 18. What was become of the rest of the twelve is not determinable it is more than probable they were not now at Jerusalem otherwise it is hardly possible for Paul not to have seen them in fifteen days abode there It is likely they were preaching and setling Churches up and down the Country and Peter and James the two most peculiar Ministers of the Circumcision abode at Jerusalem to take care of the Church there For that these were so and in what particular the dispensation of their Ministry differed we shall take occasion to shew afterward only here we cannot omit to take notice of that temper as I may so call it which the Text holdeth out against the Primacy and Prelacy that is held by some to have been among the Apostles For whereas some conceive James to have been Bishop of Jerusalem this Text sets Peter in the same form and equality with him in that place and whereas it is conceived again that Peter was Prince of the Apostles this Text hath equalled James with him 1. And thus that persecution that began about Stephen had lasted till this very same time of Pauls coming to Jerusalem for so it is apparent both by the fear and suspitiousness of the Disciples at Jerusalem as also by the very clausure of the Text Vers. 31. Then had the Churches rest 2. The length of this persecution by computation of the times as they have been cast up before seemeth to have been about three years and an half the renowned number and time so oft mentioned and hinted in Scripture 3. The company of Disciples or believers continued still at Jerusalem for all the persecution as to the generality of them as was said before only the Ministers or Preachers were scattered abroad all of them except the twelve Apostles 4. Some of those Preachers were by this time returned back again the heat of the persecution abating as it is apparent by Barnabas now being at Jerusalem and of some such men is it properest to understand the word Disciples Vers. 26. Saul assaied to join himself to the Disciples 5. Therefore the absence of the ten Apostles from Jerusalem was not for fear of the persecution but for the dispersion of the Gospel and setling of the Churches §. And declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way This is most properly to be understood of Barnabas that he declared these things to the Apostles though there be that think it is meant of Pauls declaring them and they read it thus And Barnabas brought him to the Apostles and he that is Paul declared unto them Vers. 28. And he was with them coming in and going out That is conversing with them as Beza hath well rendred it A phrase usual among the Hebrews as 1 Sam. 18. 13. Act. 1. 21. c. And the time of this his converse Paul himself hath told us to have been fifteen days Gal. 1. 18. where also he hath interpreted this Phrase of coming in and going out by the term of abiding with I abode with him fifteen days Vers. 29. And he disputed against the Grecians Gr. Against the Hellenists which very place helpeth again to confirm the interpretation and gloss we set upon this word before namely that it meaneth not Greeks converted to the Jews Religion but Jews conversing and cohabiting among the Greek Nation For 1. There can be none or small reason given why converted Greeks should be so furiously Jewish as to go about to kill Paul for preaching against Judaism and we hear not the Jews stirring against him for it 2. What reason can be given why Paul should bend his disputations against converted Greeks more than against Jews Certainly the Jews had more need of confutation in their Judaism than the other had And 3. It is very questionable how converted Greeks which were strangers and sojourners at Jerusalem and among the Jews durst go about to kill a Jew in the midst of the Jews and there being not a Jew that had any thing to say against him It is therefore more than probable that these Hellenists were Jews that had lived among the Greeks or of the Grecian dispersion and that they used the Greek Tongue and that Paul chose to dispute with them partly for that they living among the Gentiles were by a kind of an Antiperistasis more zealously Jewish and partly because of their language the Greek Tongue which was the very language Paul had learned from a child The times of the stories next succeeding when the Text hath done with the story of Paul are somewhat unfixed and uncertain in what year they came to pass namely of Peters raising of Aeneas from sickness Dorcas from death and bringing in Cornelius to the Gospel But the best conjecture that can be given of the times of these stories is by easting and computing the history backward And so we find 1. That the famine prophecied of by Agabus was in the second of Claudius as was shewed before 2. We may then conceive that this prophecy of Agabus was in Claudius his first and that was the year or some part of the year that Paul and Barnabas spent at Antioch Act. 11. 26. 3. The last year of Caius we may hold to be the year of Antiochs first receiving the Gospel of Barnabas his coming thither and of his journey to Tarsus to seek Saul Act. 11. 20 21 22 23 24 25. And 4. the third year of Caius which was his last year but one we may suppose accordingly to have been the year of Peters actions with Aeneas Dorcas and Cornelius and to that year shall we refer the handling of the Texts that concern those actions and we will carry on the Roman and Jewish Story as they fall in time till we come thither PART II. The ROMAN Story §. 1. The Parthian war not yet composed TIridates seated in his Throne as was related before but as it proved neither sure in it nor in the hearts of all his people the first of these being caused by the latter he taketh in certain Parthian Towns and that by the Parthians own consent and aid For his Roman education compared with the Scythian carriage of Artabanus made the people to hope accordingly of his demeanour and to entertain him with present applause and future expectation The day of his Coronation being appointed letters from Phraates and Hiero two of the chiefest commanders in
is man deserted and left unto himself that he will be a God when he is in the next form to a Devil The plain and rustick Gaule hit him right and spake but the truth when seeing him in these his postures of his foolish Diety and laughing and being asked by Caius what he thought of him that he laughed he answered boldly and escaped with it That he seemed to him to be a great folly § 6. The miseries of the Alexandrian Jews How these manners of the Prince might redound to the calamity of the Jews who would worship no God but their own it is easie to guess by the common advantages that are always taken in the like cases by men that are armed with power and weaponed with malice As this humour of the Emperour was blown up with flattery and blasphemous clawing at home so was it soon blazoned and divulged abroad and they that delighted in many Gods it was good contentment to have them all met in the Center of the new God all-God their Prince But what will become of the Jews the only opposers of such impiety and what especially of the Alexandrian Jews whose tragedy was begun already This opportunity suited with the spiteful desires of their adversaries as their adversaries themselves could have desired For now thinks Flaccus he may ingratiate himself to Caesar indeed by being ungratious to the Jews and now have the Alexandrians a double forwarding beside their own malice their Governour and their Prince First Flaccus deprived the Jews of their Synagogues Oratories and houses of prayer and therewith as much as in him lay of their Religion then of the benefit of the City and Country Laws proclaiming them strangers and forreigners and at last gave free and open liberty to the Alexandrians to use their wills upon them in what manner and measure their malice thought meet And now their Tragedy begins The Jews in the City were above two parts of five the Alexandrians driving them out of their own houses and ransacking the houses as they went they force them into a strait place of the City where they had not room to stir one for another much less to make any orderly battalia for defence of themselves or for resistance In this strait both of place and fortune it is no wonder if they speedily suffered famine who had nothing of their sustenance left them unless they would have devoured one another Here are many mouths and no meat and great complaining but no relief Plenty enough there was in the City but none for them and abundance of every thing necessary but pity The poor crowded straved and distressed people those that had any hope or courage to shift for themselves streak abroad and steal forth of their inclosure for food and fresh air some to the shore some into the City some one way some another but the misery of them also was no less than theirs that staid impounded but that it was not so lingring For wheresoever they were caught as no where could they go but descried they were either stoned clubbed or burned to death yea often man wife children and whole families so murdred all of a heap Some they smoaked and choaked to death in a fire where they wanted fewel to burn them out some they haled with ropes tied about their ankles up and down the streets till they were dead and then neither spared they the dead bodies but mangled them in pieces Their Synagogues they all burnt down with the loss also of some of the Alexandrians houses adjoyning their houses they defaced and their lives they took away when and wheresoever they could catch them Flaccus in this bloodiness had done enough by connivance and toleration but he is not content with this passive tyranny unless he be an actor himself in the Scene and be not behind other in this mischief as he was before them in authority Eight and thirty of their Judges and Counsellors for a Senate of their own was tolerated by Augustus and allowed them he sendeth for by his officers and binding their hands behind them causeth them thus to be led along the streets for a derision and then caused them to be publickly scourged some to death some to the lingring out of a miserable life He caused also a pretended search to be made throughout all the Jews houses for armour pretending a suspicion of their insurrection but intending thereby to give the Souldiers the more advantage for their pillaging and oppression He spared neither age nor sex against whom he could take an occasion or find cavil nor reverenced he any festival for their execution nor omitted any kind of cruelty for their torture Here is the first smarting blow to count of that this nation felt since they called for the blood of the just one upon themselves and upon their children and some of this City were nimble agents for the comapssing of the death of his first Matyr Steven Act. 6. 9. § 7. Agrippa in his own Kingdom You may well presume that the stay of Agrippa would not be long at Alexandria where his intertainment was so foul and his invitation to his own home was so fair and good His welcome thither was not so full of scorn and disgrace as in the other place but as full of unkindness because the unkindness was from his own sister Herodias the incestuous wife of Herod the Tetrarch and once some comfort to this her brother whilest he was in distress growes now the bitter envier of his prosperity A woman ever active to the mischief of others but now beginning to twine a whip for her own back It griveth her to see the unlooked for pomp of the new King Agrippa A man that had so lately been under the hatches of fortune and in her bilboes debt and danger that had but the other day fled from his wife country and friends for poverty and shame unable to pay the monies that he ought and which was worse as unable to borrow more and now he is returned again with a Kingdom a Crown and with pomp and train agreeable to both Oh how this grated her haughty and emulative spirit though he were her brother Well whether it were in spite to his promotion or in disdain to her degree that was now below him which is the more like the shower and storms of her discontents do shower upon her husband She lays in his dish the present spectacle of Agrippa's glory and his own inferioritie Taxeth him with dulness and sleepiness that would not seek for a higher dignity which might be had for a journey to Rome twitteth him for being an underling when he might prevent it perswadeth him to spare no cost nor travail for that prevention and in fine worketh so with him by uncessant clamours that though he could well have been contented to have sitten quiet at home yet he is induced or driven to travail and she with him to Rome to Caius Agrippa was not unacquainted
meditation of so great a Prince When Agrippa cometh to Claudius he is now more urgent than before that he stand to his challenge because he had now groped the mind and strength of the Senate and he prevaileth with him so far that the Souldiers go to the Senate house and there demand a confirmation of their choice It was now come to it in the Councel that they were resolved to choose one Monarch for they saw the Souldiers would so have it but now the question was who that must be some were for one some for another but the conspirators against Caius were against Claudius howsoever This division had like to have caused another tumult but the end of all was that the power and fear of the Souldiers prevailed and the Senate was glad to accept him for their Prince whom they durst not refuse §. 8. His demeanor at his beginning Agrippae had perswaded him to deal gently with the Senate but he either perswaded not or prevailed not with him for the like towards the conspirators of his nephews death Chereas and Sabinus the slayers of Caius and Lupus the Executioner of Caesonia and her child were not like the Senate either perswaded by reasons or affrighted by forces to accept of Claudius or to owe him homage but they boldly and resolutely gainsay his election even to the death Claudius therefore causeth Chereas to be slain and Lupus with him which doom they underwent with different demeanours Chereas stoutly but Lupus weeping Chereas at one blow for he met death half the way but Lupus at many for he shrunk it all he could But Sabinus fool-hardy as he was when Claudius had granted him his pardon and not only so but also restored him to his former honors he disdaining to be singled from his fellow conspirators in their end any more than in their design fell upon his own sword and died Such a beginning did the new made Emperor make into his Empire mingling severity and clemency together in the censure of offendors of the same knot that he might also mingle fear and love in the hearts of the people This Claudius was the son of Drusus the son of Livia a man dull and diseased even from his childhood and for that brought up most in the converse with women or nurses hence his effeminacy and luxuriousness at all times and his readiness to be led away by the counsel of women at some He was now about fifty years of age when he began to reign at the very ripeness of all the discretion he had but that it was often blasted with fearfulness drunkenness and wicked counsel When he was set quietly in the Throne the first thing he did was to get the two days in which the agitation was about the change of the Government quite out of memory and for that end he made an Act of Oblivion of all things that had passed either in Words or Actions of all that time yet had he not wrought his own security so far but that he caused all that came near him to be searched for weapons and while he sat at any meal he had a strong guard about him For the motion that had been so lately and so strongly carried for the abolition of Monarchy and the other which proposed others thereto when Monarchy was agreed upon and would have excluded him had taken such an impression upon him that he reputed no safety in his holding of the Royalty but by that strong hand and power by which he had gotten it Yet tried he fair and gentle dealing though he durst not trust it Those from whom he had received any affront in the days of Tiberius and Caligula for sometimes in those days to abuse Claudius was to curry favor he freely pardoned if he found them guilty of no other crime but if he did he paid them then for all together The unjust fines of Caius he remitted his illegal decrees he revoked his innocents imprisoned he released and his causless banished he called home The poisons which he had prepared for the Nobles and a list of their names for whom they were prepared being found in the Palace though Caius had pretended to have burnt them he shewed publickly to the Senate and then burnt them indeed He forbad any one to adore him or to sacrifice to him he restrained the great and loud acclamations that were used to be made to the Emperor and carried himself with such sweetness and moderation that happy had the Republique been in the continuance of the Monarchy had he been so happy as to have continued in this his first demeanor But his wicked Empress Messallina and her wicked consorts first provoked him to mischief and his too much delight in the bloody sports did by degrees habituate him unto cruelty He had recalled Julia and Agrippina the two sisters of Caius out of banishment whither they had been sent by their own Brother after he had defloured them and he restored them to their Estates and Revenues again But Messallina stomacking that Julia did her not honour and homage enough and envying her beauty and being jealous of her privacy with Claudius she caused her to be banished again and in a short time she compassed her death These were but ominous beginnings when Caesars love to his own neece was cause enough to work her ruine but was not strong enough to stand between her and the fury of his own wife And it did but fatally presage what mischief her wretched counsels would work the cowardize and indiscretion of her husband to when their first effect was upon one so near allied Nor did cruelty and bloodiness enter thus only in at his ears by the suggestion of his cursed wife but the like it did also at his eyes by his frequent and delightsom beholding of the bloody sports that growing by degrees to be his delight to act which had grown by degrees also to be his delight to see Sometimes beasts with beasts as twelve Camels and Horses at one time and 300 Bears and 300 African wild beasts at the same sometimes beasts with men and sometimes men with men and at all times hideous bloodshed that he that can look upon such barbarousness and slaughter with content it may be suspected that he in time will grow to act the like with the same delight PART II. ACTS XI Vers. 26. And the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch §. 1. The name of Christian. THE Jews and Gentiles being now since the calling of Cornelius knit up together into one Church they are this year tied up into the rosie and glorious knot of the same name and Epithet the name of Christian A new name which the Lord himself did give them as we may well understand that prophesie Esa. 65. 15. that the two distinguishing names of Jews and Heathen might no more continue the ancient distance that was betwixt them but that that and all differences arising therefrom might be buried
his seed to Molech or useth Sorcery or profaneth the Sabbath or eateth holy things in his uncleanness or that cometh into the Sanctuary he being unclean or that eateth fat or blood or what is left of the sacrifice or any sacrificed thing not offered in season or that killeth or offereth up a sacrifice out of the Court or that eateth leaven at the Passover or that eateth ought on the day of Expiation or doth any work on it or that makes oil or incense like the holy or that anoints with holy oil that delayeth the Passover or Circumcision for which there are affirmative precepts All these if done wilfully are liable to cutting off and if done ignorantly then to the fixed sin-offering and if it be unknown whether he did it or no then to a suspensive trespass-offering but only he that defiles the Sanctuary and its holy things for he is bound to an ascending or descending offering Now that we may the better understand what Death by the hand of Heaven and Cutting off mean we are first to take notice that neither of them was any penalty inflicted by the hand or sentence of man but both of them do import a liableness to the wrath and vengeance of the Lord in their several kinds And the Jews do ever account Cutting off to be the higher and more eminent degree of Divine vengeance As to spare more evidences of this which might be given copiously this passage of Maymonides is sufficient and it is remarkable when he saith f f f Maym. in Biath Mikdash per. 4. Is it possible for a Priest that serveth in his uncleanness to stay so little in the Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As that he should be guilty of death by the hand of Heaven only and not guilty of cutting off He had had those words but a little before which were cited even now An unclean person that serveth in the Sanctuary profaneth his Service and is guilty of death by the hand of Heaven although he stay not there and then he comes on and is it possible saith he that he should stay so little as to be guilty only of death by the hand of Heaven and not to be guilty of cutting off Apparently shewing that cutting off was the deeper degree and die of guilt and vengeance by the hand of God and Divine indignation By Death by the hand of Heaven in their sense therefore is to be apprehended some such a sodain avengeful stroke as the Lord shewed upon Nadab and Abihu or Ananias and Saphira to take them away And this may the better be collected by two passages usual in the Rabbins about this matter First In that they give up the offence of the Priests drinking wine before they went to serve which is held to have been the offence of Nadab and Abihu g g g â—â—â— per. 1. to death by the hand of Heaven which argues that they mean such a kind of stroke as they two had And secondly In that wheresoever the Law enjoyneth Aaron and his sons and the people about the affairs of the Sanctuary they shall or they shall not do thus or thus lest they die they interpret this of death by the hand of Heaven But what to understand by Cutting off is not so readily agreed among them h h h Kimchi in Esay â—8 Kimchi alledgeth it as the opinion of their Doctors That Dying before fifty years old is death by cutting off Compare Joh. 8. 57. i i i R. Sol. in Gâ—â— 17. Rabbi Solomon saith It is to die childless and to die before his time Baal Aruch giveth this distinction between Cutting off and Death by the hand of Heaven that k k k Arâ—â—h in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cutting off is of himself and of his children but Death by the hand of Heaven is of himself but not of his children But mean it which of these you will or all these together or which may have good probability to conceive a liableness to cutting off from the life of the world to come both this and Death by the Hand of Heaven were held by that Nation with whom the phrases were so much in use to mean not any censure or punishment inflicted by man but an impending vengeance of God and a continual danger and possibility when indignation should seize upon him that was faln under these gilts Anathema Maran Atha one under a curse whensoever the Lord shall come to inflict it as Joh. 3. 18 36. SECT III. Penalties inflicted upon unclean persons found in the Temple Whipping and the Rebels beating IT was not a small awe that this might work in the hearts of the people towards their restraining from going into the Sanctuary in their uncleanness to have this impressed and inculcated upon them as it was continually that such a venture did hazard them both body and soul and brought them ipso facto into Gods dreadful displeasure and into undoubted danger of accrewing judgment But did they let the offender thus alone that had offended as if he was fallen under the guilt of death by the Hand of Heaven or under the guilt of cutting off that they had no more to do with him but leave him to the justice of God and to judgment when it should fall upon him Many a wretch would make sleight of this matter and because sentence upon his evil work was not executed speedily his heart would be fully set in him to do so again as Eccles. 8. 11. Therefore they let not the Delinquent so escape but as he had fallen under the wrath of God so they also brought him under a penalty by the hand of man And this penalty was twofold either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whipping by the appointment of the Judges or mawling and beating by the people 1. There was the penalty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whipping or scourging upon the censure of the Judges according to the Law Deut. 25. 2. Where he was to receive forty stripes but their Tradition brought it to forty save one 2 Cor. 11. 24. And the reason of this was because they would make a hedge to the Law and whereas that commands that they should not give to a Delinquent that was whipt above forty stripes lest their brother should seem vile unto them they abated one of forty to make sure to keep within compass The measure and manner of their whipping is largely described in the Treatise Maccoth thus in their own words a a a Maccoth per. 3. How many stripes do they give him saith the Mishueh there Why forty lacking one As it is said by a certain number forty stripes that is a number near to forty Rabbi Judah saith he is beaten with full forty and where hath he the odd one above thirty nine Between his shoulders They allot him not stripes but so as they might be triplicated They allot him to receive forty he hath had some of them
Pot and put a little water into it out of the Laver and going within the Temple door he took up some dust from under a stone that was left loose for that purpose where it lay we have observed in its proper place and this dust he strewed upon the water Then denounced he the curse and wrote it in a Book even those words Num. 5. 19 20 21 22. If no man hath lien with thee and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness c. But if thou hast gone aside c. the Lord make thee a curse c. And this water which causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels and make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot And the Woman answered Amen Amen Then blotted he the curses out of the book with the bitter water and gave her the water to drink If upon the donuncing of the curses she were so terrified that she durst not drink the water but confessed she was defiled the Priest flung down the water and scattered her offering among the ashes but if she confessed not and yet would not drink they forced her to drink and if she were ready to cast it up again they got her away that she might not defile the place The operation of these waters say the Rabbins followed after though sometimes it appeared not of two or three years for she bare no children she was sickly languished and died of that death SECT IV. The atoning for a cleansed Leper IN a a a Talm. in Middoth per. 2. the North-west corner of the Court of the Women there was a piece of Building which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chamber or room of the Lepers whither the Leper resorted after his cleansing in the Country or at his own house And now I am sensible of a mistake and inadvertency which fell from me in another place and which I here retract and crave the Readers patience and that was in that I asserted in the Notes on John 2. 15. that the Lepers were tryed in this room by the Priests and had access to the Mountain of the House and to the Publick Service of the Temple It is true indeed b b b Maym. in Tephil that the Lepers had access to the Publick Service in those Synagogues that were not in walled Towns being placed there apart by themselves so that they came not near others but their offering to come into the Temple did fall under a very sharp penalty as was shewed before nay they were excluded even out of Walled Cities Their tryal therefore was in the Country and there they were cleansed by the Priest c c c Id. in Tumi tsor 11. with variety of Ceremony in the business and on the seventh day of their cleansing he shaved himself again for he had done so before and washed himself in water and then he might come within Jerusalem On the eighth day he came up into the Mountain of the House and brought three Lambs with him for a burnt offering sin offering and trespas offering d d d Talm. in Neg. per. 11. and bathed himself in that room in the corner of the Court of the Women that was from hence called the Room of the Lepers e e e Tam. per. 5 When the Migrephah or the Bell for so let it be called was rung by those that went into the Temple to burn the incense the President or chief man of the station then serving went and fetched him and whosoever else had been unclean and came now for their purifying f f f Ib. Sot per. 1. and set them in the gate of Nicanor g g g Maym. in Mechos capp per. 4. Glos. in Sotah But here two contrary exigents were to be provided for for neither might the Leper tread on the ground of the Court because he yet wanted his atonement nor might the bloud of the trespass offering which was to be his atonement be brought out of the Court and yet it was to be put upon his thumb great toe and tip of his ear Lev. 14. 14. A temper therefore for these two repugnacies was this that he went into the Gate as far as possibly he might so that he trod not within the Court. Thither did the Priest bring the trespass offering to him and he stretched out his hands into the Court and laid them upon him And when he was slain the Priest brought the bloud himself standing within the Court and the Leper stretched out his neck and thrust his head within the Virge of the Court and he put some of the bloud upon the tip of his right ear and likewise he stretched out his hand and his foot within the Virge of the Court and he put the bloud upon his thumb and his great toe and so he was cleansed The cleansing of other unclean persons as those that had issues and Women after Child-birth was in the same place and much after the same manner save that the blouding of the ear thumb and toe was not used so that they need not a particular discourse by themselves SECT V. The manner of bringing and presenting their first fruits NOT to insist upon the several sorts of things out of which the first fruits were to be paid nor upon the manner of setting them apart for first fruits at their own homes of which the Talmud doth debate at large this being somewhat out of the Virge of our discourse because so far out of the Virge of the Temple their custom and Ceremony in bringing of them up thither and presenting them there cometh nearer within our compass and that was thus a a a Talm. in Biccur per. 3. Maym. ib. per. 4. All the Cities that belonged to such or such a station met together at the chief City of the station and there lodged all night in the streets and the reason of this their gathering thus together was because they would go together by multitudes according to what is said the multitude of People is the Kings honour and the reason of their lodging in the streets was lest going into houses they should be defiled In the morning the President or chief among them called them up betime with this note Arise and let us go up to Sion to the Lord our God and they set away Before them there went an Ox with his horns gilded and a Garland or Crown of Olive branches upon his head and a Pipe playing before them till they came near to Jerusalem and they often rehearsed that saying I was glad when they said Let us go up to the house of the Lord compare Esay 30. 29. They travelled not all day when they travelled but only two parts of it because they would not spoil their solemnity with toyling when they were come near Jerusalem they sent in a Messenger to give notice of their coming and they flowred and deckt their baskets and exposed some of the freshest fruits to
in Hand In Haste So the Sacrament of the Supper to be Eaten Without Leaven of Malice With bitter Repentance With resolution of Amendment With preparation to walk Better Leaning on the Staff of true Faith Hasting to leave this worldly Egypt Thus was the Passover first Eaten in Egypt after which all Egypt is struck with death of the First Born and the Egyptians are now punished with death of their Children for murthering Israels Children This night was ill to them but the night in the Read Sea was worse At the Death of a Lamb Egypt is Destroyed Israel Delivered So by the Death of a Lamb Hell is Destroyed Mankind Delivered When Israel comes out of Egypt they bring up with them Josephs bones and so as he brought them down thither so they bring him up thence So when Christ comes up out of his Grave he brings dead bones with him by raising some out of their Graves I cannot think it idle that the Passover was at night and that S. Paul saith The Israelites were Baptized in the Sea which was also by night and in the cloud but to shew that these Sacraments of Israel looked for a dawning when the true light which they foresignified should appear The Jews do find thirteen precepts Negative and Affirmative about the keeping of the Passover 1. The slaying of it Exod. 12. 6. 2. The eating of it 8. 3. Not to eat it raw or boiled 9. 4. Not to leave ought of it 10. 5. The putting away of leaven 15. 6. The eating of unleavened bread 18. 7. That leaven be not found with them 19. 8. Not to eat ought mixt with leaven 20. 9. An Apostate Jew not to eat it 43. 10. A stranger not to eat it 45. 11. Not to bring forth the flesh of it 46. 12. Not to break a bone of it 46. 13. No uncircumcised to eat of it 48. How variously they Comment upon these as they do upon all things and how over-curious they be in observing these as they do all things their writings do witness Their folding of their bitter herbs their three unleavened cakes their water and salt their searching for leaven their casting forth of leaven and their cursing of leaven their Graces over their tables their Prayers over their hands as they wash them their Words over their unleavened bread their remembring how they lived in Egypt and came out their words over their bitter herbs their Passover Psalms the 113. 114. all these and their other Ceremonies are set down accurately in their Common Prayer Book which I would not have denied to the Reader in English both for his recreation satisfaction and some instruction but that I know not whether I should actum agere do that which some one hath done before And besides I write these things not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not set studies but stoln hours employing my idle hours to the writing of these studies that I may witness to some that my whole time is not idle But it may be I may seem more idle in thus writing than if I had been idle indeed to them that think thus I can only answer It is youth Age may do better CHAP. XXVIII Of the Confusion of Tongues THAT the World from Babel was scattered into divers Tongues we need not other proof then as Diogenes proved that there is motion by walking so we may see the confusion of Languages by our confused speaking Once all the Earth was of one Tongue one Speech and one Consent for they all spake in the Holy Tongue wherein the World was created in the beginning to use the very words of the Chaldee Paraphrast and Targ. Jerusal upon Gen. 11. 1. But pro peccato dissentionis humanae as saith St. Austen for the sin of men disagreeing not only different dispositions but also different Languages came into the World They came to Babel with a disagreeing agreement and they come away punished with a speechless speech They disagree among themselves cum quisque principatum ad se rapit while every one strives for dominion as the same Austen They agree against God in their Nagnavad lan Siguda c. We will make our selves a Rendevouz for Idolatry as the same Jeruselamy But they come away speaking each to other but not understood of each other and so speak to no more purpose than if they spake not at all This punishment of theirs at Babel is like Adams corruption hereditary to us for we never come under the rod at Grammar School but we smart for our Ancestors rebellion at Babel Into how many Countries and * * * One in Epiphanius saith this is easie to find but he doth little towards it Epiph. coâ—â— Haeret. Tom. 2. lib. 6. Tongues those Shinaar rebels were scattered is no less confused work to find out than was theirs at the Tower So divers is the speech of men about the diversity of Speech that it makes the confusion more confused ‖ ‖ ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. Euphorus and many other Historians say that the Nations and Tongues are seventy five listning to the voice of Moses which saith all the souls that came into Egypt out of Jacob were seventy five But in truth the natural Dialects of Speech appears to be seventy two as our Scriptures have delivered Thus saith Clemens Alexandrinus of whose conceit herein I must for my part say as Saint Ambrose saith of Aaron about the golden calf Tantum Sacerdotem c. So great a Scholar as Clemens I dare not censure though I dare not believe him The Jews with one consent maintain that there are just seventy Nations and so many Tongues So confident they are of this that they dare say that the seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much as all the seventy Nations of the World Jerusalems Schools rang with this Doctrine and the Children learned to high-prize themselves from their Fathers A stately claim was this to Israel but the keeping of it dangerous Men of the seventy Nations would not be so undervalued by one people Therefore when Israel wanted strength to keep this challenge they do it by sleight And so it is the thrice-learned Master Broughtons opinion that the Septuagint when they were to Translate the Bible and were to speak of the seventy souls of Jacobs house they durst not put down the just number of seventy lest tales should have been told out of their Schools concerning their scornful Doctrine and when the rumour and the number should both come to the King of Egypt the meet number might maintain the truth of the rumour So in Gen. 10. the Septuag put in two Cainans and so spoil the roundness of that seventy and by both they might incur danger therefore they added five more to spoil the roundness of the sum and Saint Steven follows their Translation Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob to him and
z Berac sol 5 4 The righteous even in death are said to live and the wicked even in life are said to be dead But how is it proved that the wicked even in life are said to be dead From that place where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no delight in the death of the dead Is he already dead that is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dead And whence is it proved that the righteous even in death are said to live From that passage And he said to him this is the land concerning which I sware to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith to him Go and tell the Fathers whatsoever I promised to you I have performed to your children The opinion of the Babylonians is the same a a a a a a Berac sol 18. 1 The living know that they shall dye They are righteous who in their death are said to live as it is said And Benaiah the son of Jehojada the son of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— living man c. And a little after The dead knew nothing They are the wicked who even in their life are called Dead as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou dead wicked Prince of Israel The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly rendred Profane in this place they render it also in a sense very usual namely for one wounded or dead b b b b b b Ibid. col 2. There are further divers stories alledged by which they prove that the dead so far live that they understand many things which are done here and that some have spoke after death c. CHAP. XXIII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In Moses seat c. THIS is to be understood rather of the Legislative seat or chair than of the merely Doctrinal and Christ here asserts the authority of the Magistrate and perswadeth to obey him in lawful things Concerning the Chairs of the Sanhedrin there is mention made in Bab. Succah c c c c c c Fol. â—1 2. There were at Alexandria seventy one golden chairs according to the number of the seventy one Elders of the great Council Concerning the authority of Moses and his Vicegerent in the Council there is also mention in Sanhedrim d d d d d d Chap. 1. hal 6 The great Council consisted of seventy one Elders But whence was this number derived From that place where it is said Chuse me out seventy men of the Elders of Israel And Moses was President over them Behold seventy one What is here observed by Galatinus from the signification of the Aorist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sat iâ— too light and aery He saith They sat saith he and not They sit that he might plainly demonstrate that their power was then ceased e e e e e e Chap. 6. Book 4. But if we would be so curious to gather any thing from this Aorist we might very well transfer it to this sense rather The Scribes and Pharises the worst of men have long usurped Moses seat nevertheless we ought to obey them because by the dispensation of the Divine Providence they bear the chief Magistracy Concerning their authority thus Maimonides f f f f f f In Mamrim cap. 1. The great Council of Jerusalem was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g g g g g g See 1 Tim. III. 15. The Pillar and Ground The ground of the traditional Law and the pillar of Doctrine whence proceeded statutes and judgments for all Israel And concerning them the Law asserts this very thing saying h h h h h h Deut. XVII 11. According to the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee Whosoever therefore believes Moses our Master and his Law is bound to relie upon them for the things of the Law Christ teacheth that they were not to be esteemed as Oracles but as Magistrates VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heavy burdens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Talmudick Language Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A heavy Prohibition i i i i i i Jerus Roshbashanaâ— fol. 56. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k k k k k k Maim in Mamr chap. 1. Let him follow him that imposeth heavy things There are reckoned up four and twenty things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the weighty things of the School of Hillel and the light things of that of Shammai l l l l l l Jerus Jom Tobh fol. 60. 2. Sotah f. 19. 2 R. Joshua saith m m m m m m Ibid. chap. 3 hal 4. A foolish religious man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A crafty wicked man a shee-Pharisee and the voluntary dashing of the Pharisees destroy the world It is disputed by the Gemarists who is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crafty wicked man and it is answer'd by some He that prescribes light things to himself and heavy to others VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They make broad their Phylacteries THESE four places of the Law Exod. XIII ver 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Exod. XIII ver 11 12 13 14 15 16. Deut. VI. ver 5 6 7 8 9. Deut. XI ver 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Being writ upon two Parchment-Labels which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tephillin were carried about with them constantly with great devotion being fastned to their forehead and their left arm To the forehead in that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n n n n n n Bab. Taanith fol. 16. 1. in the Gloss. where the pulse of an Infants brain is This of the forehead was most conspicuous and made broad hence came that Let no body pass by the Synagogue while prayers are saying there But if he hath Rhylacteries upon his head he may pass by because they show that he is studious of the Law o o o o o o Maimon on Tephilla Chap. 8. It is not lawful to walk through burying places with Phylacteries on ones head and the book of the Law hanging at ones arm * * * * * * Bab. Berac fol. 18. 1. They are called in Greek Phylacteries that is Observatories because they were to put them in mind of the Law and perhaps they were also called Preservatories because they were supposed to have some vertue in them to drive away Devils It is necessary that the Phylacteries should be repeated at home anights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drive away Devils p p p p p p Jerus Berac fol. 2. 4. Pisk in Berac Chap. 1. art 6. Rabben Asher ibid. Chap. 1. Col. 1. Concerning the curious writing of the Phylacteries see Maimon on Tephillin q q q q q q Chap. 1. 2. Concerning their strings marked with certain small letters See
Mary whom he had espoused had owned Jesus for his Son from his first birth he had redeemed him as his first-born he had cherisht him in his childhood educated him in his youth and therefore no wonder if Joseph be called his Father and he was supposed to be his Son II. Let us consider what might have been the judgment of the Sanhedrin in this case only from this story s s s s s s Kiddushin fol. 80. 1. There came a certain Woman to Jerusalem with a child brought thither upon shoulders She brought this child up and he afterward had the carnal knowledge of her They are brought before the Sanhedrin and the Sanhedrin judged them to be stoned to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not because he was undoubtedly her Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because he had wholly adhered to her Now suppose we that the blessed Jesus had come to the Sanhedrin upon the decease of Joseph requiring his Stock and Goods as his heir Had he not in all equity obtained them as his Son Not that he was beyond all doubt and question his Son but that he had adhered to him wholly from his cradle was brought up by him as his Son and always so acknowledged III. The Doctors speak of one Joseph a Carpenter t t t t t t Sect. 13. of the same Treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u u u u u u Shemoth rabba fol. 128. 4. Abnimus Gardieus askt the Rabbins of blessed memory whence the earth was first created they answer him there is no one skilled in these matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but go thou to Joseph the Architect He went and found him standing upon the rafters It is equally obscure who this Joseph the Carpenter and who this Abnimus was although as to this last he is very frequently mentioned in those Authors They say w w w w w w Beresh rabba fol. 73. 4. That Abnimus and Balaam were two the greatest Philosophers in the whole world Only this we read of him x x x x x x Midr. Ruth fol. 43. 2. That there was a very great familiarity betwixt him and R. Meir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which was the Son of Heli. I. There is neither need nor reason nor indeed any foundation at all for us to frame I know not what marriages and the taking of Brothers Wives to remove a scruple in this place wherein there is really no scruple in the least 1. Joseph is not here called the Son of Heli but Jesus is so for the word Jesus viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be understood and must be always added in the Reader 's mind to every race in this Genealogy after this manner Jesus as was supposed the Son of Joseph and so the Son of Heli and of Matthat yea and at length the Son of Adam and the Son of God For it was very little the business of the Evangelist either to draw Joseph's Pedigree from Adam or indeed to shew that Adam was the Son of God which not only sounds something harshly but in this place very enormously I may almost add blasphemously too For when St Luke Vers. 22. had made a voice from Heaven declaring that Jesus was the Son of God do we think the same Evangelist would in the same breath pronounce Adam the Son of God too So that this very thing teacheth us what the Evangelist propounded to himself in the framing of this Genealogy which was to shew that this Jesus who had newly received that great testimony from Heaven this is my Son was the very same that had been promised to Adam by the seed of the Woman And for this reason hath he drawn his Pedigree on the Mother's side who was the Daughter of Heli and this too as high as Adam to whom this Jesus was promised In the close of the Genealogy he teacheth in what sense the former part of it should be taken viz. that Jesus not Joseph should be called the Son of Heli and consequently that the same Jesus not Adam should be called the Son of God indeed in every link of this chain this still should be understood Jesus the Son of Matthat Jesus the Son of Levi Jesus the Son of Melchi and so of the rest And thus the Genealogical stile agrees with that of Moses Genes XXXVI 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which words if you should render Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah the Daughter of Zibeon you emasculate Anah and make a Woman of him who was a Man and the Father of Aholibamah Vers. 24 25. 2. Suppose it could be granted that Joseph might be called the Son of Heli which yet ought not to be yet would not this be any great solecisme that his Son-in-law should become the Husband of Mary his own Daughter He was but his Son by Law by the Marriage of Joseph's Mother not by Nature and Generation y y y y y y Hieros Chagigah fol 77. 4. There is a discourse of a certain person who in his sleep saw the punishment of the damned Amongst the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I would render thus but shall willingly stand corrected if under a mistake He saw Mary the Daughter of Heli amongst the shades R. Lazar ben Josah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That she hung by the glâ—ndles of her breasts R. Josah bar Haninah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the great bar of Hell's gate hung at her ear If this be the true rendring of the words which I have reason to believe it is then thus far at least it agrees with our Evangelist that Mary was the Daughter of Heli and questionless all the rest is added in reproach of the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord whom they often vilifie elsewhere under the name of Sardah VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The son of Rhesa the son of Zorobabel the son of Salathiel the son of Neri I. THAT Pedaiah the Father of Zorobabel 1 Chron. III. 19. is omitted here is agreeable with Ezra V. 2. Hagg. I. 1 c. but why it should be omitted either here or there is not so easie to guess II. As to the variation of the names both here and 1 Chron. III. this is not unworthy our observation That Zorobabel and his Sons were carried out of Babylon into Judea and possibly they might change their names when they changed the place of their dwelling It was not very safe for him to be known commonly by the name of Zorobabel in Babylon when the import of that name was the winnowing of Babel so that he was there more generally called Sheshbazzar But he might securely resume the name in Judea when Cyrus and Darius had now fanned and sifted Babylon So his two Sons Meshullam and Hananiah could not properly be called one of them Abiud the glory of my Father and the other Rhesa a Prince while they were
doubt IT is not ill rendred How long dost thou suspend our mind although not an exact Translation according to the letter But what kind of doubt and suspension of mind was this Was it that they hoped this Jesus was the Messiah or that they rather feared he was so It seems they rather feared than hoped it For whereas they looked for a Messias that should prove a mighty Conquerour should deliver the people from the Heathen yoke and should crown himself with all earthly glory and saw Jesus infinite degrees below such pomp yet by his miracles giving such fair specimens of the Messias they could not but hang in great suspence whether such a Messiah were to be wished for or no. VERS XXXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the Iews took up stones again THE Blasphemer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by judicial process of the Sanhedrin was to be stoned which process they would imitate here without judgment l l l l l l Sanhedr cap. 7. hal 1. These are the criminals that must be stoned He that lieth with his own Mother or with the Wife of his Father He that Blasphemes or commits Idolatry Now however the Rabbins differed in the definition of Blasphemy or a Blasphemer yet this all of them agreed in as unquestionable Blasphemy that which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denies the foundation This they firmly believed Jesus did and none could perswade them to the contrary when he affirmed I and my Father are one A miserable besotted Nation who above all persons or things wished and looked for the Messiah and yet was perfectly ignorant what kind of a Messiah he should be VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If he called them Gods c. THE Jews interpret those words of the Psalmist I have said ye are Gods to a most ridiculous sense m m m m m m Avodah Zarah fol. 5. 1. unless our Fathers had sinned we had never come into the world as it is written I have said ye are Gods and the Children of the most high But ye have corrupted your doings therefore ye shall dye like men And a little after Israel had not received the Law only that the Angel of death might not rule over them as it is said I have said ye are Gods but ye have corrupted your doings therefore ye shall dye like men The sense is if those who stood before Mount Sinai had not sinned in the matter of the Golden Calf they had not begot Children nor had been subject to death but had been like the Angels So the Gloss. If our Fathers had not sinned by the Golden Calf we had never come into the world for they would have been like the Angels and had never begot Children The Psalmist indeed speaks of the Magistracy to whom the word of God hath arrived by an express dispensation and diploma ordaining and deputing them to the Government as the whole web and contexture of the Psalm doth abundantly shew But if we apply the words as if they were spoken by our Saviour according to the common Interpretation received amongst them they fitly argue thus If he said they were Angels or Gods to whom the Law and word of God came on Mount Sinai as you conceive is it any Blasphemy in me then whom God in a peculiar manner hath sanctified and sent into the world that I might declare his word and will if I say that I am the Son of God VERS XL. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Iohn at first Baptized THAT is Bethabarah For the Evangelist speaks according to his own History Which to the judicious Reader needs no proof CHAP. XI VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lazarus SO in the Jerusalem Talmud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Lazar for R. Eleazar For in the Hierusalem dialect it is not unusual in some words that begin with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph to cut off that letter As. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What saith the Master for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar Ba for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar abba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be R. Bon for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be R. Abon So very frequently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lazar for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eleazar a a a a a a Taanith fol. 68. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Lazar Ben R. Jose b b b b b b Chagigah fol. 78 4. 80. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Lazar Ben Jacob. c c c c c c Kiddushin fol. 60. 2. R. Lazar the Disciple of R. Chajia Rubba Who also are sometimes called by their name not abbreviated d d d d d d Sotah f. 23. R. Eleazar ben Jacob. * * * * * * Ibid. f. 20. 2. R. Eleazar ben Jose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Martha This name of Martha is very frequent in the Talmudick Authors e e e e e e Hieros Schab fol. 3. 4. Isaac bar Samuel bar Martha f f f f f f Bab. Javamoth f. 120. 1. Abba bar Martha the same with Abba bar Minjomi g g g g g g Ibid. cap. 6. hal 4. Joshua ben Gamla married 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Martha the Daughter of Baithus She was a very rich Widow h h h h h h Juchas fol. 57. 2. She is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mary the Daughter of Baithus with this story of her i i i i i i Eâ—hah rabbâ—bathi fol. 67. 2. Mary the Daughter of Baithus whom Joshua ben Gamla married he being preferred by the King to the High Priestood She had a mind upon a certain day of expiation to see how her Husband performed his office So they laid Tapestry all along from the door of her own House to the Temple that her foot might not touch the ground R. Eleazar ben R. Zadok saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So let me see the consolation of Israel as I saw her bound to the tails of Arabian Horses by the hair of her head and forced to run from Jerusalem to Lydda I could not but repeat that Versicle the tender and delicate Woman in thee c. Deuter. XXVIII 56. k k k k k k Succah fol. 52. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Martha the Daughter of Baisuth whether Baisuth and Baithus were convertible or whether it was a mistake of the Transcriber let him that thinks fit make the enquiry whose Son was a mighty strong man among the Priests VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was Mary which anointed c. THAT is Which had anointed the Lord formerly For I. It is fit the Aorist should have its full force Whoever will not grant this let him give a reason why Bethany which was Lazarus his Town should not be called by his name but said the Town of Mary and her Sister Martha Was it not because those names had been
and fury of the Romans I beg your pardon for that saith Caiphas you know nothing neither consider for be he the Messiah or be he not it is expedient nay it is necessary he should dye rather than the whole Nation should perish c. VERS LI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He Prophesied IS Caiphas among the Prophets There had not been a Prophet among the Chief Priests the Priests the People for these four hundred years and more and does Caiphas now begin to Prophesie It is a very foreign fetch that some would make when they would ascribe this gift to the office he then bore as if by being made High-Priest he became a Prophet The opinion is not worth confuting The Evangelist himself renders the reason when he tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being the High-Priest that same year Which words direct the Reader 's eye rather to the year than to the High-Priest I. That was the year of pouring out the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelations beyond whatever the world had yet seen or would see again And why may not some drops of this great effusion light upon a wicked man as sometimes the Childrens crums fall from the table to the Dog under it that a witness might be given to the great work of Redemption from the mouth of our Redeemer's greatest enemy There lies the emphasis of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that same year for Caiphas had been High-Priest some years before and did continue so for some years after II. To say the truth by all just calculation the office of the High-Priest ceased this very year and the High-Priest Prophesies while his office expires What difference was there as to the execution of the Priestly Office between the High-Priest and the rest of the Priesthood none certainly only in these two things 1. Asking counsel by Urim and Thummim 2. In performing the service upon the day of Expiation As to the former that had been useless many ages before because the Spirit of Prophesie had so perfectly departed from them So that there remained now no other distinction only that on the day of expiation the High-Priest was to perform the Service which an ordinary Priest was not warranted to do The principal ceremony of that day was that he should enter into the Holy of Holies with blood When therefore our great High-Priest should enter with his own blood into the Holiest of all what could there be left for this High-Priest to do When at the death of our great High-Priest the Veil that hung between the Holy and the Holy of Holies was rent in twain from the top to the bottom Math. XXVII 51. there was clear demonstration that all those Rites and Services were abolished and that the Office of the High-Priest which was distinguished from the other Priests only by those usages was now determined and brought to its full period The Pontificate therefore drawing its last breath prophesies concerning the Redemption of mankind by the great High-Priest and Bishop of Souls that he should dye for the people c. That of the Apostle Acts XXIII 5. I wist not that it was the High-Priest may perhaps have some such meaning as this in it I knew not that there was any High-Priest at all because the Office had become needless for some time For grant indeed that St. Paul did not know the face of Ananias nor that Ananias was the High-Priest yet he must needs know him to have been a Magistrate because he had his seat amongst the Fathers of the Sanhedrin now those words which he quoted out of the Law Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People forbad all indecent speeches toward any Magistrate as well as the High-Priest The Apostle therefore knowing Ananias well enough both who he was and that he sate there under a falsely assumed title of the High-Priest does on purpose call him whited wall because he only bore the colour of the High-Priesthood whenas the thing and office it self was now abolished Caiaphas in this passage before us speaketh partly as Caiaphas and partly as a Prophet As Caiaphas he does by an impious and precipitate boldness contrive and promote the death of Christ and what he uttered as a Prophet the Evangelist tells us he did it not of himself he spoke what himself understood not the depth of The greatest work of the Messiah according to the expectation of the Jews was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reduction or gathering together the Captivities The High-Priest despairs that ever Jesus should he live could do this For all that he either did or taught seem'd to have a contrary tendency viz. to seduce the people from their Religion rather than recover them from their servile state of bondage So that he apprehended this one only remedy left that care might be taken so as by the death of this man the hazard of that Nations ruin might blow over If he be the Messiah which I almost think even Caiaphas himself did not much question since he can have no hope of redeeming the Nation let him die for it himself that it perish not upon his account Thus miserably are the great Masters of Wisdom deceiv'd in almost all their surmizes they expect the gathering together of the Children of God in one by the life of the Messiah which was to be accomplisht by his death They believe their Traditional Religion was the establishment of that Nation whereas it became its overthrow They think to secure themselves by the death of Christ when by that very death of his their expected security was chiefly shaken O blind and stupid madness VERS LV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To purifie themselves R. f f f f f f Rosh hashanah fol. 16. 2. Isaac saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every man is bound to purifie himself for the Feast Now there were several measures of time for purifying He that was unclean by the touch of a dead body he requir'd a whole weeks time that he might be sprinkled with the water of Purification mixt with the ashes of the red heifer burnt the third and the seventh day which ceremony we may see and laugh at in Parah cap. 3. Other purifyings were speedilier perform'd amongst others shaving themselves and washing their garments were accounted necessary and within the Laws of purifying g g g g g g Moed-katon fol. 13. 1. These shave themselves within the Feast he who cometh from an heathen Country or from captivity or from prison Also he who hath been excommunicated but now absolv'd by the wise men These same also wash their garments within the Feast It is suppos'd that these were detain'd by some necessity of affairs that they could not wash and be shav'd before the Feast for these things were of right to be perform'd before lest any should by any means approach polluted unto the celebration of this Feast but if by some necessity they were hinder'd from doing it before
For so was he indeed distinguished from all mortals and Sons of men And God saith he had then begotten him when he had given a token that he was not a meer man by his divine power whereby he had raised him from the dead And according to the tenor of the whole Psalm God is said to have begotten him then when he was ordained King in Sion and all Nations subdued under him Upon which words that passage of our Saviour uttered immediately after he had arisen from the dead is a good Commentary All power is given unto me c. Matth. XXVIII What do those words mean Matth. XXVI 29. I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom They seem to look this way viz. I will drink no more of it before my Resurrection For in truth his Resurrection was the beginning of his Kingdom when he had overcome those enemies of his Satan Hell and Death from that time was he begotten and established King in Zion I am mistaken if that of Psal. CX v. 3. doth not in some measure fall in here also which give me leave to render by way of paraphrase into such a sense as this Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power it shall be a willing people in the beauties of holiness it shall be a willing people from the Womb of the morning thine is the dew of thy youth Now the dew of Christ is that quickning power of his by which he can bring the dead to life again Isai. XXVI 19. And the dew of thy youth O Christ is thine That is it is thine own power and vertue that raiseth thee again I would therefore apply those words from the womb of the morning to his Resurrection because the Resurrection of Jesus was the dawn of the new world the morning of the new Creation VERS XXXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sure mercies of David IT hath been generally observed that this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken from the Greek Version in Isai. LV. 3. But it is not so generally remarked that by David was understood the Messiah which yet the Rabbins themselves Kimchi and Ab. Ezra have well observed the following Verse expressly confirming it The Resurrection of our Saviour therefore by the interpretation of the Apostle is said to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sure mercies of Christ. And God by his Prophet from whence this clause is taken doth promise the raising again of the Messiah and all the benefits of that Resurrection He had fortold and promised his death Chap. LIII But what mercies could have been hoped for by a dead Messiah had he been always to have continued dead They had been weak and instable kindnesses had they terminated in death He promises mercies therefore firm and stable that were never to have end because they should be always flowing and issuing out of his resurrection Whereas these things are quoted out of the Prophet in the words of the LXX varying a little from the Prophets words and those much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold ye despisers and wonder c. vers 41. it might be enquired in what language the Apostle preached as also in what language Moses and the Prophets were read in that Synagogue vers 15. If we say in the Greek it is a question whether the Pisidians could understand it If we say in the Pisidian language it is hardly to be believed the Bible was then rendred into that language It is remarkable what was quoted above out of Strabo where he mentions four tongues amongst them the Greek and the Pisidian distinct from one another But this I have already discusst in the Notes upon Verse 15. of this Chapter VERS XLI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Behold ye despisers c. DR Pocock a a a a a a Poc. Miscell 3. here as always very learnedly and accurately examines what the Greek Interpreters Hab. I. read saving in the mean time the reading which the Hebrew Bibles exhibit for it is one thing how the Greek read it and another thing how it should be truly read VERS XLII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Gentiles besought c. IT is all one as to the force of the words as far as I see whether you render them they besought the Gentiles or the Gentiles besought them the later Version hath chiefly obtained but what absurdity is it if we should admit the former And doth not the very order of the words seem to favour it If it had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one might have inclined to the later without controversie but being it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is place for doubting And if it were so that the Jews resented the Apostles doctrine so ill that they went out of the Synagogue disturbed and offended as some conjecture and that not improbably we may the easilier imagine that the Apostles besought the Gentiles that tarried behind that they would patiently hear these things again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the next Sabbath I. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Lexicons tell us amongst other things denotes hence forward or hereafter Now this must be noted that this discourse was held in the fore noon for it was that time of the day only that they assembled in the Synagogue in the afternoon they met in Beth Midras Let us consider therefore whether this phrase will not bear this sense They besought that afterwards upon that Sabbath viz. in the afternoon they would hear again such a Sermon And then whether the Gentiles besought the Apostles or the Apostles the Gentiles it dot not alter the case II. Let us inquire whether the Apostles and the Christian Church did not now observe and celebrate the Lord's day It can hardly be denyed and if so then judge whether the Apostles might not invite the Gentiles that they would assemble again the next day that is upon the Christian Sabbath and hear these things again If we yield that the Lord's day is to be called the Sabbath then we shall easily yield that it might be rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sabbath after And indeed when the speech was amongst the Jews or Judaizing Proselytes it is no wonder if it were called the Sabbath As if the Apostles had said to morrow we celebrate our Sabbath and will you on that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have these words preached to you III. Or let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the week betwixt the two Sabbaths as that expression must be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I fast twice in the week then as the sense is easie that they besought them the same things might be repeated on the following week so the respect might have more particularly been had to the second and fifth day in the week when they usually meet together in the Synagogue
take what thou wilt and have Lord let me have the righteousness which is of God by faith All things in the World are but dung to it His great Master had taught him and teacheth us all that this is the thing so desirable and to be longed after Matth. V. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness How shall I speak upon this subject A theme fit to be discoursed on by the Tongue of an Angel or by the Tongue of a Saint in glory If a Lazarus should come out of Heaven to preach on Earth as the rich man would have had him in that parable how would he upon his own experience of the excellency of it magnifie this righteousness Nay if a Dives could return from Hell to preach to his brethren and advise them that they should not come into the place of torment he would tell them that all things in the world are but dung and there is but unum necessarium to get that righteousness which is of God by faith Lazarus how camest thou to Heaven Why I was justified Rom. VIII 30. Whom he justified them he also glorified Dives how camest thou to be damned Because I was not justified I shall not enter into any of the various and nice disputes about Justification I shall only speak something of the incomparable excellency of it that if it may be I may warm your hearts a little in the desire and longing after it which is so desirable and to be longed after And this I shall do by considering the nature of it and the effects and I need to look no further It s like the Ark of the Covenant overlaid with gold within and without T is all glorious within in its own nature and all glorious without in its fruits and effects For the first the nature of justification How shall I define or describe it As the Apostle doth Faith Heb. XI 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen not so exactly desining it to speak out its whole nature but as best applicable to his present discourse So I of this to speak of it according to the theme proposed as it is desirable and to be longed after let me say Justification is a mans being interessed in all Christs righteousness and if any thing be to be longed after sure that is To be interessed in all Christs righteousness Laban spake high when he said All these things thou seest are mine these Children are my Children c. XXXI Gen. 43. But how high and glorious is that that may be said of a justified person All thou hearest of Christ is thine his life is thine his death is thine his obedience merit righteous spirit all is thine The Jews speak much when they say all the six hundred and thirteen precepts are comprehended in Justus ex fide vivet The just shall live by faith But they are far from construing the thing aright when they look for justification by their own works and it is a monster of Doctrine in their ears that men are to be justified by the righteousness of another and by the obedience of another But the Gospel as the Apostle tells us Reveals that great mystery For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. I. 17. Here are two scruples 1. Did not the Law reveal the righteousness of God How then is it ascribed to the Gospel that it reveals it And 2. How doth it reveal it from faith to faith True indeed the Law revealed Gods condemning righteousness but the Gospel his justifying righteousness the righteousness of God in a more singular excellency Glorious is the righteousness of God in all its actings his condemning justice his rewarding justice but most singularly glorious is his justifying justice and this most especially is exalted in Scripture as the righteousness of God of the choicest eminency And secondly this Righteousness is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith How is that I cannot take it only from one degree of faith to another but from one kind of faith to another The Jews that expected justifying by their own works yet had they a faith in God they believed in him looked for good from him but they knew not what faith in God through Christ was they looked for justifying from God and had a faith or belief they should observe it but were utter strangers to justifying through faith in Christ this therefore the Gospel reveals as the great mystery of salvation The righteousness of God justifying a sinner and this from immediate believing in God to believing in him through Christ Jesus and expecting justifying from by our own righteousness to expecting justifying by the righteousness of Christ. The Apostle in Rom. V. from vers 12. forward confirms that that I propose that justification is by imputation of Christs righteousness and the comparison that he there useth clears the matter fully He to open that great point of justification by the righteousness of Christ takes a parallel from the imputation of Adams sin and you may see how all along he sets the one against the other let us speak a little to that parallel 1. Does not the matter of imputation in his discourse there and in deed in it self argue some descending relation as I may tell it Imputation is upon relation of descention He speaks of Adams sin imputed to whom To them that are in relation to him in descent all his posterity The Angels sin is not imputed to him nor his to Angels nor Angels to Angels but Adams to all his posterity because of their relation to him The sin in violating the command given him is imputed to all his posterity because his posterity for they all were in him and inclosed in the Covenant for it was made not with Adam as one man but with all humane nature included in him and so his guilt descended to them upon that relation So the righteousness of Christ is imputed to whom To those that are related to him his seed such as are born of him The comparison of the Apostle must run parallel Adams sin imputed to his seed Christs righteousness to his 2. All the seed of Adam are made sinful alike by his sin so all the seed of Christ are justified a like by his obedience Original sin hath not magis minus but all originally sinful alike though all not actually sinful alike So Justification hath not magis minus but all that are justified are justified alike Sanctification hath its degrees Adams righteousness and holiness were equally perfect but the righteousness and holiness of Saints not so for they are justified by an infinite righteousness but they are not sanctified by an infinite holiness 3. All the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him Not one Saint one part another another but every one all As anima tota in toto tota in qualibet parte So all the righteousness
she hugs and presses and crushes them to death They had so foolish and fond a prizing and tenderness to a Jew forsooth because he was a Jew that that very fondness helpt to hug and crush the Nation to this confusion and ruine O noli tangere meddle not with him so severely he is an Israelite of the seed of Abraham he is not to be dealt with as you would with another man I could tire you with evidences of this fondness and folly in multitudes of instances Shall I but give you one of their own stories A father sent out his son to hire labourers to come to work with him The son agreed with him for so much mony a day and meat and drink when his father understood that he had agreed to find them their diet Ah son saith he what hast thou done Though thou shouldest keep as noble and royal a Table for them as ever Solomon did thou couldest never make good thine agreement for their diet for they are the children of Abraham and no treatment or entertainment can rise up to their desert and dignity John Baptist very well knew how high their pulse beat upon this delirium which he bids Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father for this they thought was privilege enough and would serve for all things It was the Doctrine of their Schools and Pulpits That every Israelite was to have a portion in the World to come in the benefits and happiness of the days of Messias for so the expression means there And why I pray you every Israelite Why forsooth because he is an Israelite And this very Maxim learnt and believ'd and taught by Nicodemus made the Pharisee at a nonplus when our Saviour told him he could not see the Kingdom of Heaven or Messias except he were born again For he thought his being born a Jew and Israelite would serve well enough for that purpose and that he needed no more I could produce you instances in their own Authors where this very argument is used to check and hinder execution of justice upon a malefactor Jew O do it not for he is a child of Abraham of the stock of Israel and flock of God Though never so horrid a villain yet O do not put him to death for he is a Jew Nay they stick not to tell that Elias himself hath appeared to hinder the execution of malefactors with this very argument And some of their great Doctors and Grandees have not stuck to say That that Sanhedrin that puts one man to death in seven years nay in seventy years is a bloody Court And if we had been in those times say they when executions were done there should never have been any in our time done Needed there any other seed for the breeding of mischief and villany in the Land of all sorts and sizes and without number than such a fond and senceless principle and practice as this Sow but such remisness of executing justice and judgment in a Nation and presently you will have a very plentiful crop of all manner of mischief like that Hemlock crop in Hos. X. 4. Judgment springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the field By the way upon this fond and mad principle of theirs of Jew-prizing I cannot but observe these two things I. Their deadly spleen and malice against our Saviour when contrary to this their National principle they did not only pursue him eagerly to put him to death but for that end delivered him up to the Heathen power which I question whether they had ever done so by Jew before II. How heavy the hand and vengeance of God was upon them in their Civil Wars and Seditions among themselves when contrary to their Nation-principle of Jew-prizing they fell Jew to destroy Jew the seed of Abraham to murther the seed of Abraham in the horridest assassinations and destractiveness that any story recordeth A second hinderer and destroyer of the execution of justice among them I may emblem by that foolish Roman Emperor that while he should have been busied in consulting and taking care about the great affairs of state he made it a very great business and employment he followed to catch flies Our Saviour tells you these men did much the like Matth. XXIII 22. You tithe mint and annise and cummin and have omitted the great things of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith They were punctual about things of little or no weight and remis about matters of moment and the greatest import severe about things that were indeed as good as nothing and careless about those things that were indeed all in all Like Israel at the battel of Gibeah Judg. XIX zealous to avenge the quarrel and injury of a whorish woman the Levites Concubine but never mind the avenging of the quarrel and injury done to God by the setting up Michals and the Danites Idol They were extreme punctual in requiring the washing of hands before meat but as our Saviour tells them their tradition gave leave to starve their parents with saying Corban or let whatsoever I should relieve thee by be dedicated for sacred and they made no matter of letting father or mother perish for want of sustenance They were very exact in looking that no one should come into the mount of the Temple with staf in hand or shoes on their feet or their purse at their girdle against which they had a strict Law but they made nothing to keep a Market or Fair of Oxen and Sheep and Doves there they had Tabernae Shops there where they sold Salt and Oyle and Frankinsence and such things as they used about the Altar And the Sanhedrin it self when it removed out of the room Gazith came and sat down close by those Shops and never quecht at it to make the Temple an house of Merchandize What a deal of doe do they keep about our Saviours healing on the Sabbath day but when a woman is taken in adultery in the very act the Sanhedrin brings her to our Saviour to lay a trap for him by trying what he would determine in that case but of more done to her for her crime you have no news And to spare more He that reads their Pandects and Canons and their determinations and debates there may justly stand amazed to see how serious and grave they be in a thousand things that are but trash and chaf and that deserve nothing but laughter and how slight and little looking after these great things that concern true Piety Justice Charity and a holy Life How smartly they measure the violation of a tradition of the Elders about toys and trifles and take no notice of the violation of the Divine Law of God about the greatest matter And so our Saviour speaks enough of this in that short passage Ye strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel Those traditions were the ruine of Religion and Justice in the Nation and proved consequently the utter ruine
Church of God That Jerusalem for that fact should be a curse a hissing and an everlasting desolation and that Rome that was as guilty every whit should be a blessing a renown and the prime Church of all Churches Let a Papist solidly unriddle me this and he says something And to speak to what he pleads we may first answer with that common saying Ubi lex II. non distinguit c. what the Word of God doth not distinguish we are not to make any distinction about but of any differences of qualities twixt Rome Heathen and Papal the Word of God doth not distinguish unless it shew the Papal to be the worse of the two In this Chapter indeed it distinguishes of the change of state and government from Imperial to Pontifical but for mischievousness and abomination there is no such distinction Rome Heathen in the beginning of the Chapter is a Beast like a Leopard with feet like a Bear and a mouth like a Lion And Rome Papal at vers 11. a beast like a Lamb but it speaks like a Dragon and exerciseth all the power of the former Beast and is not behind it a whit in wickedness and cruelty A Lamb in shew but a Dragon a Devil in speech and the very former beast in demeanor the former beast had the mouth of a Lion this of a Dragon the former bad this worse And look but at several places that speak of this City and you find they speak of it without any such distinction of quality but that Rome all along is her self i. e. stark naught till her latter end and till she perish The first time you meet with any hint of Rome in Scripture is Numb XXIV 24. And I. ships shall come from the coast of Chittim and shall afflict Asshur and shall afflict Eber and he also shall perish for ever Where by Chittim that Rome and Italy are meant it is the consent both of Jews and Christians both of Protestants and Papists and the very intent and story of the passage doth so enforce it to be taken And the words shew how Ships and Souldiers from Rome should afflict and conquer Assyria who had been once the great afflicter and that they should afflict and conquer Heber or the Hebrews the afflicted people yea afflict Christ the chief child of Heber for Rome as I said put him to death All which History sheweth to be most true And he also that is Chittim Rome or Italy shall perish for ever The word also parallels her perdition with Amaleck of which there is mention vers 20. Amaleck was the first of the Nations that is he was the first of the Nations that fought against Israel Exod. XVII and that Nation shall perish for ever So Chittim or Rome is the last of the Nations that shall afflict Heber and the Israel of God and he also shall perish for ever Now do you find any such distinction here as that Rome Papal should be holy blessed and the most excellent Church in the World when the conclusion the period of Chittim is that he shall perish for ever And the last time that there is discourse in Scripture of Rome it makes this distinction II. indeed of the state and government of it that Rome Heathen is the Beast and Papal is the false Prophet but it leaves both under the same condemnation and perishing for ever Revel XIX 20. And the Beast was taken and the false Prophet And both these were taken and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Antichrist in Scripture is charactered under the character of Apostasie or falling away III. from the Truth 2 Thes. II. 3 4. There must be a falling away first and then the Man of sin shall be revealed And Rev. IX 1. I saw a star fall from Heaven unto the Earth and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit And he opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and the Sun and the Air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the Earth c. He that lets Hell loose and opens the bottomless pit and le ts out smoke that darkneth all the World and le ts out Locusts that devour all before them He is a Star a Churchman an Angel a Minister of the Church as Chap. I. 20. The seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches but a Star fallen from Heaven a Minister apostatized and revolted from the Truth or else he would not rightly resemble his father the Devil who abode not in the truth but fell from it and became an enemy Now let any one judge whether Rome Heathen or Papal be this apostatized wretch and whether of them hath departed from the truth Rome Heathen never embraced the truth and so could never fall from it Rome Papal hath done it with a witness And lastly That much mistaken place in Revel XX. speaks to this very tenour we are IV. upon First The old Dragon which is the Devil and Satan is bound by Christ a thousand years that he should no more deceive the Nations vers 3. The old Serpent had deceived the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heathen for above two thousand years with Idolatry false miracles false oracles and with all blindness of superstition Now Christ sending the Gospel by his Apostles and Ministers among the Heathen or Gentiles bound the Devil and imprisoned him curbed his power and delusion that he should not deceive the World in manner as he had done but the World now becomes Christian and Heathenism is done away and this is there called the first Resurrection viz. the Resurrection of the dead Heathen as Ephes. II. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And Joh. V. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Well thus the Devil is bound a thousand years during which time the Gospel runs through the World and prevails and makes it Christian. At vers 7. the Devil is let loose again and by Popery he makes the World as blind deluded heathenish as it had been in the worst times under Heathenism And it were no hard thing out of History to shew that Rome Papal did equal nay exceed Rome Heathen in all blindness wickedness cruelty uncleanness and in all manner of abomination But an hour a day a week would not serve the turn to describe that full Parallel The Text gives a full summary of all though in few words when it tells us that the Dragon the Devil gave his power seat and authority to Rome and it hath and doth and will act in that spirit while it is Rome and can any thing but mischief be expected from such a spirit This days memorial is evidence enough instead of more A Plot and Design of
proved both by the order of Ezekiels prophesie especially comparing that prophesie with the book of Daniel and by the story of that Kingdom and that King himself In all that large Prophesie I take up but vers 17. of Chap. XXXVIII Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the Prophets of Israel which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them His meaning is No thou art not he My Prophets prophesie of the King of Assyria and the King of Babylon that these should come up against them to avenge my quarrel upon them and to be my scourge to punish them for their iniquities But thou art an upstart risen of thy self not to do my work but to work against me and against mine ordinances Read Dan. VII 25. that speaks of this cursed King He shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the Saints of the most High and think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hands for a time c. And of the same Wretch and the same actions speaks he Chap. XII 11. He took away the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination that maketh desolate Upon which he that readeth 1 Maccab. I. will find a large comment that he enjoyned upon pain of death the Jews to take up the manner of the Heathen not to circumcise their Children not to use the Law that he caused abominable things to be offered on the Altar Idols and Groves to be set and in a word not to use their own Religion upon pain of death The like may be read of him in Josephus and other Authors and that not only he but other Kings of the same Kingdom bore the same enmity and exercised the same persecution against the Jews and their Religion This is that Gog and Land of Magog that Ezekiel speaks of so bitter and grievous enemies unto Israel To him our Apocalyptick alludes in this place and speaking of a Kingdom and party of the like temper and that imitated him in enmity and persecuting the true Religion he useth the very same name and meaneth that Satan should deceive men into a false Religion that they should hate and persecute the true as Gog and Magog the Syro-Grecians and Antiochus had once done And be it Pope that he intends or be it Turk or both I do not dispute but by the currant of the discourse along the whole Chapter to me the Papacy is plainly meant more especially and how properly it belongs to Rome sad experience hath so copiously evidenced that I need not to insist on any parallel About the fortieth year of Christ the Gospel was brought among the Gentiles then Satan began to be bound and imprisoned that he should not deceive the Heathen as he had done Count a thousand years thence and look what times were in the World about the year of Christ MXL and methinks I see the World turned purely Heathen again for blindness and superstition and Idolatry that Satan was then plainly let loose and the Nations as much deceived then as they were under Heathenism before Christs coming One thing by the way may not be passed unobserved That in one sense he was loose when he was bound and did a World of mischief one way when he was tied up from doing mischief another Within those thousand years from the first going forth of the Gospel among the Gentiles counted thence forward you find as bitter persecution of the Gospel as bloody murthering of the Saints of God as ever was in the World till he was loosed again and Popery fell to that trade a fresh Within the thousand years that Satan is said to be imprisoned were those Ten bloody Persecutions that Ecclesiastical History speaks of in which so many hundred thousand precious Christians were horridly and barbarously murthered for the profession of the truth And is not the hand of Joab in all this Had not Satan a hand in all that butchery No he was imprisoned But can such mischief be wrought and Satan not there All that persecution and cruelty and murther committed and the great Murtherer from the beginning not there By which very thing you may observe that there is a great deal more danger in Satans deceiving than in his persecuting for his persecuting is not here mentioned while he is said to be tied up from deceiving Upon the whole thus unfolded we may Observe these three things I. That Satans great work and business that he follows is to deceive II. That it is his great Masterpiece to deceive in matter of Religion III. That it is his ultimate refuge to raise persecution when he cannot deceive How all these arise out of the Text I suppose none but may easily observe His work before his imprisonment was to deceive the Nations and he sets to the same again when loosed from imprisonment His deceiving of the Nations was by cheating them into false principles and practises of Religion Heathenism before and Papacy after And when he cannot deceive the camp of the Saints and the beloved City he hath his Gog and Magog his army as the sand of the Sea to sight against Need I to spend much proofs to shew that it is Satans trade and work and business that he follows to deceive It was the first thing he did after he was Satan the Serpent deceived me saith Eve and I did eat and he hath been doing the same ever since and will be ever doing whilest he is He is a Lyer and the Father of Lies Joh. VIII 44. And that very name and profession of his speaks cheating and deceit There was a lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahabs prophets to cheat both him and them and there is a lying Spirit in the heart of thousands and thousands to deceive and ruine them I fear lest Satan have beguiled you as he beguiled Eve saith the Apostle to some that were a thousand fold better than some thousands in the World How abundant proof of this that it is Satans work to deceive might be fetched from Scripture how abundant from experience But what testimony would be given of this in Hell If it were asked there Do you think that Satan is a Deceiver Oh! what a howl would be given up of the attestation of this felt by woful and miserable experience Oh! he hath deceived and cheated us all hither he hath led us like the Syrians blindfold into Samaria into the midst of their enemies so us into this misery merely with his cousening and we never dreamed of any such thing He made me believe says one and to say in my heart that there was no God and now I feel there is an angry one with a witness He cheated me say others to think the threatnings and curses of the Word of God were but Bugbears to fright men but now we feel them heavier than Rocks and Mountains He cousened us to believe that the pleasures of
true when he said Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life What will any man take for his life to pass it away What jewels what rubies what riches will buy his life from him No he accounts it too precious to part with his life for mony or monies worth And this doth enhance the preciousness of life that it is not only so excellent a being in it self but without it all things are nothing to him that hath lost it Bring a dead man bags of gold and heaps of silver fill his coffin up with pearls and jewels strew his grave with diamonds and rubies there is no hearing no minding no affecting when his jewel that was more worth then all these his life is gone Now who is the Preserver of this dear jewel while we carry it about us Is it we our selves The Psalmist tells us that It is he that made us and not we our selves Psal. C. And reason may tell us that it is he that preserves us and not we our selves For can we any more preserve our lives of our selves than we can give life to our selves When a desperate danger is ready to swallow us up if God withdraw his preserving providence can man bring his life out of danger In Scripture Phrase for a man to put his life in his own hand Judg. XII 3. is to venture it to danger where there is no safety but in the hands of God it is secure while he will take charge of it Feeling is that passage of Daniel to Belshazzar Dan. V. 23. The God in whose hand is thy breath Canst thou take it into thine own hand and there hold it The Jews tell a story of the Angel of death sent to take away the soul of Moses but Moses withstood him and he could not do it but when God saw his time to take it no withstanding The Angel of death in their meaning is the Devil and the Apostle speaks to their opinion Heb. II. 14. That through death he might destroy him that â—ad the power of death that is the Devil Now wherein lies the reason why Satan takes not away our lives when he pleaseth Is it in our selves Would not he think you carry away all men bodily to his den if it were in his power And is it our power that doth restrain him Think of those poor possessed ones in the Gospel whom the Devil hurried so up and down at his pleasure Is it our own power that doth restrain him that he useth not us so When we read or hear such stories have we not cause if we had hearts to look up at a higher power than our own that we are not as they were in his power And was it his courtesie that he spared their lives when God had given him liberty to use their bodies as he did Or was it not that God restrained him you may guess it by Jobs case betwixt whose life and Satans malice against him God had put this bar Only take not away his life But when God himself comes by death resolvedly to take away any mans life whose power is it in to hinder When he is resolved to tear body and soul assunder who shall say what dost thou When he will preserve life no longer who can make it out and preserve it himself The Lord giveth life and the Lord taketh it away in his hand only is the disposal of our life and being Secondly God shews himselves tender of our lives doth not only preserve them but shews that he is tender of them and willing to preserve them God is the fountain of being and giver of life and it is agreeable to his nature to maintain the being of men and their lives but it is not so agreeable to him to destroy them it is said of him that he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. III. And he saith of himself that he hath no pleasure in the death of the sinner Ezek. XVIII And no wonder for it is somewhat besides his nature q. d. for it is his nature to give being and not to destroy it Now that God is tender of the lives of men and preservs them willingly and tenderly you have it evidenced in the mouth of three or four witnesses that the truth of it may be established 1. He is tender of the lives of very birds and beasts and therefore forbids all cruelty towards them Balaam for cruelty towards his poor Ass is reproved both by the Angel and the Ass her self And how does God forbid to kill a beast and her young on the same day to take a bird and her young at the same time but if he take the young to let the dam go forbids to seeth a kid in his dams milk and in a word it is a token the Holy Ghost gives of a good man that he is merciful to his very beast 2. Is it not an evidence that God is tender of mens lives when he hath made so severe a Law against murther or taking them away And what strange discoveries hath he made of murthers and murtherers that he that hath taken away a mans life may not go unpunished So tender is God of the life of man that as man hedgeth in a choice tree or plant that he is tender of so hath God mans life with such a siry law as well as he doth also with his providence 3. Doth not God tender the life of man when he would have all men to spin out their lives to life eternal and shewed them a way how to do it if they would but take his way God had rather thy life should reach Heaven and Eternity there than to drop into Hell in the end and be drowned in eternal death And this is one thing amongst others that doth highly enhance the preciousness of mans life that it may be translated to Eternity 4. And Lastly If you yet need any evidence and demonstration of Gods tenderness to mens lives and willingness to preserve them and unwillingness to destroy them look upon your selves as you are alive here this day And whence is it that you are so Can you give any other proper reason than this because God is tender of your lives and is not willing to destroy them Hath he not power enough to have cut them off and destroyed them long ago And have we not given him cause enough to have destroyed them over and over Whence is it then that we are all here this day God hath spared our lives preserved our lives tenderly preserved them or our souls had long ago dwelt in silence And are we not in debt to God for this care and tendering of us Is there nothing to be paid him not one half shekel for all our preservation Doth not all the reason in the world dictate that when we live by him we should live as he would have us that when he spares and preserves our lives we should lead and
change places with a Heathen or Pagan that never heard of the Law and Commandments of God Dost thou not think it an infinite mercy that God hath revealed them to thee and laid them before thee In that very thing he shews that he would not that thou shouldst perish without the knowledge of his Law but that thou mightest know and keep his Commandments and live His Commandments are not bonds of iron and fetters of brass but they are the cords of men and the bonds of Love God gives them in mercy that we might know what he would have us to do and that we may do it and be blessed in the deed and this may be a second reason to urge our keeping of Gods Commandments viz. II. Because God gave them that we might keep them He gave them in mercy that we might keep them for our own good God gave them with this intent that men should keep them and that keeping them it might be well with them both here and ever He speaks this once and again himself Exek XX. 11. I gave them my statutes and shewed them my judgments which if a man do he shall ever live in them And Deut. XXX 15. I set before thee this day in giving thee my Commandments life and death blessing and cursing that thou mayest obtain the one and escape the other And observe his pathetical and affectionate expression to this purpose Deut. V. 29. O that there were such a heart in this people that they would fear me and keep my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever So that these two things are observable concerning the Law and Commandments of God First That the Commandments of the Law were given for a Gospel end that though the Law be the ministration of death and condemnation 2 Cor. III. yet the direct end of it was for life and salvation Gal. III. 24. It was our School master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith The Antinomians sure little consider what injuriousness they offer to God when they say the Law to Israel was a Covenant of works as if God had given them a Covenant which should do them no good For by the Law how little could they be justified True indeed the Law is called his Covenant the two Tables the Tables of his Covenant but he means his Covenant of grace to which the Law aimed and directed And the Law was not a Covenant of works but a noble part of the administration of the Covenant of grace T is true that the Law killeth curseth condemneth but that is the first end of it not the last neither did God ordain it that it should only condemn and there end but by condemning it might drive men on to seek salvation Secondly That though the performing of the Law in one sense is impossible yet the keeping of the Law in another is not impossible It is impossible to perform the Law so exactly as to be justified by it yet t is not so impossible to keep the Law as to be saved in it Now what is it to keep the Law When a man makes it only and intirely his rule to walk by and as near as he can keeps from declining from it either to the right hand or left God never gave his Law to fallen man with intention that he should perfectly perform it when Adam did not who had power to have done it But he gave his Law to fallen man that he should make it his Law and that he should not walk lawless or after his own will but that the Law of God should be his Law and Rule And he that makes the commandments and Law of God his rule whereby he walks and keeps as close to that as he can this man keeps the Law of God though no man be able to perform it to justification Here then is a second inforcement to keep the Commandments of God because they were given us for that very purpose and there is a blessing and happiness in keeping them III. I might speak of the authority wherewith they were given and of the terror in which they were given fire and thunder c. Both of which speak the reason and obligation for our obeying them God commanded them and he requires obedience and he gave them in terror as intimating what must follow upon disobedience to them But I shall speak only to what the Text especially speaks viz. of his giving his Law and Commandments by the disposition of Angels i. e. Prophets and Ministers men like our selves You may remember that in Exod. XX. that when the people had heard God speak from Sinai in such dreadful terror they trembled and quaked and stood afar off And we are not able say they to hear this terrible voice of God any more if we do we shall die Take thou speaking to Moses the words from the mouth of God and speak thou to us Be thou the Angel or messenger of the Lord to us to tell us what his mind and commandment is and we can hear it but if the Lord himself speak thus to us any more we are but dead men And the Lord did accordingly first giving his Laws to Moses that he might give them to the people and afterwards raising up Prophets and Ministers among them that they might instruct them in his Laws and Commands And so in all succeeding generations So that his Commandments come now to us not in fire and thunder but in a still voice by men like unto our selves Thus God draweth near to men in mildness and softness that if it might be he might win upon them We Ambassadors of God beseech you in Christs stead that you would receive the Commandments of God and be saved IV. Lastly The reasonableness of Gods Commandments is reason strong enough to enforce our keeping of his Commandments and obedience to them for the keeping them Some of the Commands that God gave Israel in the Ceremonial Law were such as the reason of them was not so readily to be found out For why may not I wear linsey woolsey might a Jew say as well as other people Why may not I plow with an Ox and an Asse as well as other Nations do Why may not I eat such and such things good for diet as other countries do The reason of these commands and prohibitions lay deep and were not so easie to be discovered But God hath laid no such Commands upon us but whose very equity is not only a bond upon us to keep them but is a reason plain and apparent why they were given What more reasonable thing in the World than that we should all love God and our neighbour And what greater equity in the World than that we should believe in Christ deny the World mortifie corruption live holily and glorifie God and seek to save our own Souls Do we need to go to Heaven to fetch thence a reason
meditate therein when thou sittest down and risest up when thou sittest in the house when thou walkest in the way and various such passages as these require and ingage all sorts and conditions of people to this study and meditation according to their several capabilities and atcheivances In some important points of Divinity some men have sometimes mistaken in stating them by mens benefit rather than by their duty If you did so in this point it would make one very good piece of an argument study the Scriptures for you may benefit by study of them But take the other and it argueth more strongly study the Scripture for it is your duty God calls for it lays his command upon you to do it the best you can II. Therefore upon this we may make such another inference as Samsons mother doth Judg. XIII 23. If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have accepted an offering neither would he have shewed us all these things If the Lord were pleased that the Scriptures should not be understood he would never have written them he would never have charged all to study them God never writ the difficulties of the Scripture only to be gazed upon and never understood never gave them as a book sealed and that could never be unsealed that learned and unlearned alike might never see what is in them but that they might be more seriously read more carefully studied that so being understood and practised they might become the means of Salvation unto all A SERMON Preached upon DANIEL XII 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days 13. But go thou thy way till the end for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of days DOTH he not speak riddles T is hard to tell whether verse is harder And I have chosen to speak to them partly that I may explain them partly in subsequence to my late discourse about Gog Rev. XX 8. I shewed that meant an enemy to true Religion and more particularly the Pope styled by the name of the old Enemy Ezek. XXXVIII XXXIX I shewed that Gog was Antiochus that laid wast the Jews Religion and would force them to turn to the manners of the Heathen that forbad them Circumcision Law Religion forbad the daily Sacrifice and profaned the Altar with Swines flesh and sacrifices abominable and offered to Idols I cited that that speaks concerning him Chap. VII 25. He shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the Saints of the most High c. until a time and times and the dividing of time that is a year two years and half a year or three years and an half In the verse before the Text there is mention of the same matter and there are reckoned only a thousand two hundred and ninety days From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days For the Holy Ghost reckons by round sums near about three years and an half which he calls a time times and half a time and does not punctually fix upon the very exact sum And so in the Book of the Revelations where allusion is made to the same space of time viz. three years and an half it is sometimes expressed by a thousand two hundred and sixty days as Rev. XII 6. The woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days Sometimes by forty two months Chap. XIII 5. And there was given to the beast a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given him to continue forty and two months You have both in Chap. XI 2. They that tread the holy City under-foot forty and two months And vers 3. I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore days Now let your thoughts conceive the case and state of the people and Temple in this time a thousand two hundred and ninety days three years and an half or there abouts no Law no Religion no Sacrifice but what is abominable the Temple filled with Idols the Heathen there sacrificing swines-flesh and other abominable things to their abominable gods Ah! Poor Jerusalem what case art thou in How is the gold become dim nay changed to dros What desolation of Religion is come upon thee and what bondage and thraldom under irreligion How it goes against their heart not to circumcise their children But they dare not do it How grievous to see the Books of the Law burnt and they upon pain of death dare not save them nor use them How bitter to see Altar Temple Holy of Holies all defiled with abomination and all Religion laid in the dust and they cannot help it dare not resist it What should these poor people do Wait Gods deliverance for Haec non durabunt in secula These things will not always last Stay but till one thousand three hundred thirty five days but forty five above the thousand two hundred and ninety of the Temples defilement in the verse before and there is deliverance And read two verses together From the time that the dayly sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days Add but forty five days further the sum to come up to a thousand three hundred thirty five days and there is some remarkable thing done as pleading the cause of the people and Religion that had been so abused which in all probability was the death of the Tyrant that had brought this misery upon them or at least some signal thing done by God for the relief of the people who had been so oppressed But I rather believe the former The story of whose actions and death you may read in the first Book of the Maccabees Chap. I. beginning The story of which book goes almost step by step with Josephus However his death was the Mercy or some other special providence the words afford plainly these two Truths I. That the time of the affliction of the people of God is determined with God II. That it is a blessed thing for the afflicted to wait his time and determination The former Observation lies in the latter clause the latter in the former The two things the latter an inference upon the former or the former a Doctrine the latter the Use and Application of it I shall handle in the same method and order The time of the affliction of the people of God is determined with God Therefore it will prove a blessed thing for the afflicted to wait his time and determination In prosecuting either I shall not so much prove as clear
himself to be a jealous God visiting the sins of Idolaters II. A second passage is that about the battel at Gibeah Judg. XX. concerning which let us first take up the words of Deborah Chap. V. 8. For though the history of that war is set many Chapters after the story of Deborah yet was it a great while before her as might be shewed by many evidences if I would stand upon it They chose new gods saith she then was war in the gates Was there a sheild or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel No sooner Idolatry but vengeance no sooner new gods but war in the gates and war with a witness that destroyed forty thousand of Israel and above twenty thousand of Benjamin She speaks but of forty thousand that perished as if no sheild or spear had been among them all whereas in all there fell sixty five thousand But she hints the sad slaughter of Israel which was sent by God and encouraged by him to go against Benjamin and yet when they went to battel they fell forty thousand Strange to be sent by God and yet miscarry to be encouraged by God and yet fall Oh they had chosen new gods and thence this miscarriage The Tribe of Dan had set up Idolatry and all Israel quiet and stir not against it and so become partakers of it But when a Whore hath some unhansom and hard usage at Gibeah then all Israel is suddenly up in arms to revenge her quarrel Zeal for a Whore to revenge her quarrel against Gibeah but not zeal for the Lord to revenge his quarrel against Idolatry And therefore God takes the cause into his own hand and shews himself a jealous God against Idolatry and caused forty thousand to fall in battel though he had sent and encouraged them to it III. A third passage let be that which yet comes more near the Text nay seems not only to come up to it but to go beyond it and that is Exod. XXXII 34. where after the sin of the golden Calf and the Levites slaying three thousand men yet God still hath some anger in store for that sin and saith Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them When The Jews say That in every scourge and judgment that came upon them there was a remembrance and a lash for the golden Calf And S. Stephen speaks no less or more in Act. VII 41 42. They made a Calf in those days and offered sacrifice unto the Idol c. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of Heaven c. This speaks God a jealous God against Idolatry and seems to speak that he visits the sins of the Fathers upon the children beyond the third and fourth generation succeeding To which thing we shall speak in course in handling of the words To which now we are come II. Then visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children c. All the question and scruple about the thing is Quo jure Where is Gods justice in this to visit the sins of him that sinned upon him that sinneth not sins of the fathers upon the children who probably were never witting or assenting to the Fathers sin It is Gods strict commandment to men Deut. XXIV 16. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers but every man shall be put to death for his own sin And doth not he go contrary to that rule himself when he visits the sins of the fathers upon the children And it is his proclaiming again Ezek. XVIII 4. Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall dye And doth he not warp from that assertion when children are punished for the sins of their Fathers That God should impute the sin of Adam to all his posterity hath been cavilled at in antient times by some Hereticks and in these later some are not well satisfied about the matter and cannot or will not see how God is just in it Visiting sins unto the third and fourth generation sounds something harsh this far more visiting the sin of the first Father upon all generations Shall he condemn millions of millions for the fault they never committed charge upon them the crime they never consented to I shall not stay my discourse upon this The answer is ready in Adam was all mankind in his Covenant was enwrapped all humane nature and the violation of that Covenant was the sin and guilt of whole humane nature But we shall speak to other kind of examples that come nearer to the sense of the words before us And these are of two sorts viz. in reference to the body or outward condition or to the soul or inward First Was not that hard measure as you may think that when Corah Dathan and Abiram the Parents only had sinned that not only they should go down quick into the pit but their houses also and all that appertained to them Numb XVI 32. The like that when Achan only was in the transgression that his sons and daughters and his very cattel should be put to death as well as he Josh. VII 24. Secondly Seems it not hard measure that when that generation at the building of Babel had only sinned against God in that design for setting up Idolatry that not only they should be given up to Idolatry and blindness but the Heathen their posterity to scores of generations The like that when that generation only had sinned in murthering Christ not only they should bear the guilt of his blood but their posterity through so many ages For the unfolding of Gods dealings in these things particularly let me first move this general consideration What care Parents had need to take that they sin not so as to leave sin and guilt and a curse upon their children and posterity Among their cares to leave them well as the word in the world goes i. e. rich to be sure to take this care that while they leave them well they leave them not ill Sin not for thy childrens sake that they smart not for thy faults when thou art gone I mention two sins particularly that may draw misery and entail a curse upon the posterity cursing their children and unconscionably scraping a cursed estate together to leave to their children Now to assert the Justice of God in this case of visiting the iniquity of the fathers c. either for these sins or others whereas it seems a wrong to the children Consider these things I. It is most just with God to punish wicked men in their dearest delights that judgment may come home to them to the quick to take away the delight of their Eyes and Heart that punishment may make them smart in the tenderest part And when Parents are so fond of that part of themselves their children that they will venture soul and body
conquer Hell then If he did what was it with What did his Soul there to conquer Hell How he conquered Hell and Death by dying and rising we can tell but how his Soul conquered with bare going thither who can tell you Or did he augment the torments of the Devils and damned That needed not nor indeed could it be done as I shall shew afterwards What then did Christs Soul there in its Triumph unless as He Veni vidi vici I came I saw I overcame it conquered Hell by looking into it Natura nihil facit frustra Nature does nothing in vain much less the God of nature And Christ in his life time never did spoke thought any thing in vain And it is unhansom to think that his Soul after death should go out of the bosom of his Father into Hell to do no body can imagine what For who can tell what it did in Triumphing there II. Was not Christ under his Humiliation till his Resurrection Was he not under it whilst he lay in the grave He himself accounts it so Psal. XVI 10. Thou wilt not suffer my Soul being in the state of separation my Body to see corruption to be trampled on by death to be triumphed over by Satan that yet had it there If you imagine his Soul triumphing or vapouring in Hell for I cannot imagine what it should do there unless to vapour how might Satan vapour again Thou Soul of Jesus dost thou come to triumph here Of what I pray thee Have I not cause to triumph over thee Have I not procured his death Banished thee out of his body and got it into the grave And dost thou come to triumph here Let us first see whether he can get out from among the dead before we talk of his triumph over him that had the power of death So that if we should yield to so needless a point as Christs going to triumph in Hell yet certainly it would be but very unseasonable to have gone thither when he had not yet conquered but his body was still under death and as yet under the conquest of Satan This had been to triumph before Victory as Benhadads vapour was to Ahab when he received that answer Let not him that girdeth on his sword boast himself as he that putteth it off The beginning of Christs Kingdom was his Resurrection for then had he conquered death and him that had the power of death the Devil And so the Scripture generally states it I need cite no proof but two of his own speeches Matth. XXVI 29. I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom that is after my Resurrection when I have conquered the Enemies of God and set up his Kingdom And Matth. XXVIII 18. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth And this was after his Resurrection But is it not improper to dream of a Triumph before a Conquest That Christ should Triumph as King before he had put on his Kingdom As Esth. V. 3. On the third day she put on the Kingdom For so it is in the Hebrew The days before she had been under fasting mourning humiliation and that was not a time of Royalty and Triumph So on the third day Christ rose and put on his Kingdom the days before he had been under death had abased himself a very unfit and unseasonable time for his Soul to go and triumph III. As concerning Christs triumphing over Devils His Victory over Satan was of another kind of nature than to go amongst them to shew terribly or speak terribly for what else can we imagine his Soul did in that Triumph in Hell It is said Heb. II. 14. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Destroy him How We may say of him as he of the Traitor Vivit etiam in Senatum venit He lives yea he comes into the Council-house So Is the Devil destroyed He is alive walketh rageth ruleth He walked about the Earth before Christs death Job I. So hath he done ever since 1 Pet. V. 8. Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour He was a murtherer from the beginning to Christs death Joh. VIII 44. So hath he been ever since he goes about seeking to devour and he doth devour He wrought in the children of disobedience before and he now worketh Eph. II. 2. And how hath Christ conquered destroyed him You must look for the Conquest and Triumph of Christ over him not so much in destroying his Person as destroying his Works 1 Joh. III. 8. For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil I might here speak of many things I shall only mention two or three particulars wherein the Victory of Christ over the Devil by his death doth consist 1. By his death he hath conquered the very clamors of Satan paying a ransom for all his people Rom. VIII 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Satan is ready to say I lay a charge and claim to them for they have been disobedient But Christ hath paid a satisfaction for all their disobedience Satan thou art cast in thy suit the debt is paid How is the Devil confounded at the loss of such a prize as he expected And how does the Death and Merits of Christ here Triumph Now Goliah David defies thee touch one in the Camp of Israel if you can or dare they are all redeemed and ransomed thou hast nothing to do with them And the ransomed of the Lord shall go to Sion with everlasting joy Rejoyce O Heathens for the false accuser is cast out Here is a glorious Triumph by the righteousness and holiness of Christ delivering all his people 2. By his death he brake the partition wall and brings in the Heathen Oh! how did Satan hold them in slavery Pharaoh let my people go No. I know not the Lord nor will I let them go But thou shalt be brought to it and by the death of a Paschal Lamb they shall go whether thou wilt or no. Two thousand years had they been in his slavery sure thought he this shall be for ever But by the death of poor despised Jesus at Jerusalem the prison doors are open and all these captives are gone free Rejoyce ye prisoners of hope as they are called Zech. IX 11 12. I cannot but think of the case of Paul and Silas Act. XVI in an inner prison their feet in the stocks the doors fast and a strong guard and there comes one shake and all fly open and all the prisoners are loosed Jaylor what sayest thou now Thou mayst even draw thy sword and end thy self all thy prisoners are gone 3. Nay yet further Jaylor thou must to prison thy self Ponder on those words Rev. XX. 1
the Justice of God that Christ was to satisfie and if he could not have done that then there would have been some reason he should have suffered his wrath The Justice of God challenged obedience of men or no coming to Heaven satisfaction for disobedience or they must to Hell Here is enough saith Christ to serve for both ends They have disobeyed here is obedience more than all their Disobediences do or can come to They cannot obey as they should here is that that makes it out viz. Obedience infinite III. The truth was that Christ had to deal with the wrath of the Devil but not at all with the wrath of God Consider but these passages and see what was the stress that Christ had to deal withal in his Passion First That Gen. III. 15. He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Satan the seed of the woman shall destroy thee This is explained Heb. II. 14. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And 1 Joh. III. 8. For this purpose the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil And then observe that Joh. XIV 30. The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me And Luke XXII 53. When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me but this is your hour and the power of darkness While I preached there was a restraint upon you because my hour was not come but now you and Hell are let loose to have your full swing against me There was a Combate proposed in the sufferings of Christ before God and Angels Twixt whom Christ and the wrath of God No but twixt Christ and Satan and all his power What doth God in this quarrel Doth God fight against Christ too as well as the Devil Was his wrath against him as well as the Devils wrath What against his own Champion his own Son No he only tries him by affliction not overwhelms him with his wrath He only lets him alone to him to be the shock of Satan He little assists Satan by his wrath laid on his own Champion See the great Mystery of this great Dispensation in brief God had created the first Adam and endued him with abilities to have stood Thus endued he leaves him to stand of himself and permits Satan to tempt him and he overcomes him and all mankind are overthrown God raised up a second Adam endued with power to foil Satan do he his worst and not only with power to withstand Satan if he will but a will that could not but withstand Satan He sets him forth to encounter and leaves him to himself lets Satan loose to do his worst Satan vexeth him with all the vexation Hell could inflict upon him Did not God love his Son look with dear bowels upon him all this while It is a very harsh opinion to think that Christ undertaking the combate for the honour of God against his arch-enemy that obeying the Will of God even to the death that retaining his holiness unmoveable in the midst of all his tortures paying God an infinite obedience it is harsh I say to think that God should requite him with wrath and look upon him as a wretched damned person No it was the wrath of the Devil that Christ had to combate with not the wrath of God at all IV. Though Christ is said to bear sins yet for all that God did not look upon him any whit the more wrathfully or in displeasure but rather the more favourably because he would bear the sins of his people For God looked on Christ not as a sinner but as a Sacrifice and the Lord was not angry at him but loved him because he would become a Sacrifice Joh. X. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life Esa. LIII 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto death Do those words speak the anger of God No his wel-pleasedness his rewarding him for that he would be numbred with transgressors being none but a Lamb without spot and blemish Some say That Christ was the greatest sinner murderer c. because he bare the sins of those that were so which words border upon blasphemy and speak besides a great deal of imprudence and inconsideration See Levit. XVI 21 22. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and consess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head of the Goat And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities Is it not sensless now to say That the Goat was the greatest sinner in Israel Was he any whit the more sinful because the sins of the people were put upon him And so of other sacrifices on whose heads hands were laid and sins put was the wrath of God upon the Sacrifice No the pleasure of God was upon it for attonement In such sense are those places to be taken Isa. LIII 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 1 Pet. II. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2 Cor. V. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin He bare our sins not as a sinner but as a Sacrifice And that Joh. I. 29. makes it plain Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World As a Lamb at the Temple bare the sins of the people so Christ bare our sins How Was the Lamb guilty or sinful No as an attonement and sacrifice And so God looked on Christ as a Sacrifice well pleasing to him not as sinful at all Need we any more illustration Observe that Exod. XXVIII 36 38. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the engravings of a signet Holiness to the Lord. And it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Holiness to the Lord because he bare iniquity It should rather have been Unholiness if Aaron had been any whit the more sinful for bearing the peoples iniquities But he is said to bear their iniquities because he by his office undertook to attone for them How did God look upon Aaron in his Priesthood With anger because he bare the iniquity of the people Nay with favour and delight as so excellent an instrument of attonement Such another passage is that Levit. X. 17 c. Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place
these Men pointed the Bible it savours of the work of the Holy Spirit 73 34 Rachab supposed to marry Joshua famous among the Jewish Writers 97 Rain former and later what 409 Raka a word used by one that despiseth another in the highest scorn 141 Rakkath a fortified City from the days of Joshua 67 Rama was the Name of very many Towns in the Land of Israel because they were seated in some high place Page 80 Ramah and Ramathaim Zophin there were two of the Name whence derived 41 Ransom or Attonement for Souls how much and for what end p. 1204 1205 1208. At what time it was paid p. 1205. Why the Poor therein was to give as much as the Rich. p. 1207. And why the Poor in Worldly matters gave more than the Rich did in those that referred to God 1207 Retaliation it's Laws 150 151 Ravens which brought bread and flesh Morning and Evening to Elias are supposed to be the People of Orbo 317 Ravished Saint Austin's determination about chaste Matrons and Virgins Ravished by the Enemy when they broke into the City what 1098 Readers of the Low part of their work 803 Reason the mysteries of Divinity not contrary to it how to be understood 1103 Redemption or new Creation was performed on the day Adam was created 1325 Refuge Cities of Refuge their Number and Names 47 48 Regeneration what kind of Regeneration the Jews thought to be necessary to Proselytism 533 Region round about Jordan what 298 299 Registers or Scribes of the Sanhedrim were two the one sat on the right the other on the left hand one wrote the votes of those that quitted the other of those that condemned 337 Religion the Religion of the Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans was not the National Religion of the Jews but Sects and Excrescences from it p. 1036. Christ sets himself against them that set themselves against Religion p. 1164. The Principles of the Traditional Religion of the Jews made them Crucifie the Lord of Life p. 1175. What Religion the Devil hath most reason to hate p. 1177. And which is the best and what it is p. 1177. Which is the true Religion A difficult Question two marks of it p. 1176 1177. The Jewish Religion was very corrupt under the second Temple p. 1199 1200. The Romish Religion comes very near to Judaism p. 1200. Whether a Man may be saved in that Faith that is in the Religion of Rome doubted p. 1202. Some maintain that a Man may be saved in any Religion or Opinion so he live but honestly towards Men and devoutly towards God 1279 Rempham or Rephan what 673 Renting of Cloaths what 263 Repentance a Doctrine highly fit for the Jews when it was preached to them by John the Baptist The Schools of the Pharisees did ill define Repentance p. 113. The Jews supposed the Redeemer was to come at a time when Repentance was to be p. 114. Repentance not to be put off till death p. 1227. There is nothing more desirable to God Christ and Angels than the Repentance of a Sinner p. 1269. What it is that moves God Christ and Angels to desire this p. 1270. Repentance is the gift of God as well as Pardon p. 1277. The Rule to arrive at Repentance is to take Gods time as well as way 1277 Repetition of the same words in Prayer how practised condemned by Christ. 157 Rephaims what 363 Reproof and Excommunication what they were with the difference between them 747 Resurrection the first Resurrection what 1233 1235 Resurrection of Christ the Epoche of the Messias is stated from the Resurrection of Christ. p. 180. The Resurrection of Christ shews him to be the Messiah p. 691. How it argues and gives assurance of the last Judgment p. 1105. Christ Resurrection and the Creation whether the greater work 1330 Resurrection of the dead was in the days of Ezra denyed by some p. 216. How it is proved out of the Old Testament by Rabban Gamaliel p. 541. How the Sadducees came to deny the Resurrection from the dead p. 542. The Jews looked for the Resurrection from the dead p. 549 552. It is proved out of the Talmud p. 702. Proved out of the Law p. 787. Resurrection and last judgment proved p. 1101 1102 1103 c. The objections of the Sadducees and Atheists answered p. 1101 c. Resurrection of the last day demonstrated against the Sadducees and Atheists p. 1236 1237. Denyed by the Sadducees Page 1282 c. Resurrection of the Saints expected even by the Jews at the beginning of the Kingdom of the Messias 269 Revelation Prophesie Utim and Thummim were gone from the Jews for four hundred years before Christ came 1284 1288 1289 Rhinocorura a River of Egypt what 9 291 Riches worldly Riches and grandure countervail nothing with God 1210 1211 1212 Righteousness why Alms are taken for Righteousness p. 153 c. Righteousness inherent and justifying 504 505 Rings of the Altar what and for what use 33 34 Robbers were very numerous among the Jews and did strange mischiefs how there came to be so many of them 267 268 362 Rock for Christ not Peter 205 Roman Empire when it began p. 388 389. When and how it was measured p. 389. When and how taxed 389 390 Romanists and Jews how they may be said to be yoak-fellows 1110 Romans there were Garisons of them dispersed over the Land of Israel what they were p. 324. The Romans are brought in by the Jewish Writers owning themselves and boasting of their being the Children of Esau or Edom and shew that Esau ought to rule over Jacob. p. 694 695. The Epistle to the Romans when and where it was written by Saint Paul 1051 Rome is put for Edom. p. 292. Rome guilty of our Saviours death as much as Jerusalem p. 1109. It is also guilty of Apostasie p. 1110. Part of the character of Rome at this time as referring to England p. 1165 The proper Name of Rome say Roman Historians is a Secret p. 1165. The Tutelar Deity of it also unknown p. 1166. Rome is the Devils Seat his Deputy and Vicegerent p. 1166. Rome commissioned by the Devil to fight against Christ his Religion and People p. 1166 1167. When first and last spoke of in Scripture p. 1168. Rome Heathen could not be Antichrist because the character of Antichrist is Apostasie p. 1168. Rome Papal hath exceeded Rome Heathen p. 1169. Rome is ever spoken of in Scripture with a black and dismal character p. 1199. Rome and the Religion thereof comes very near to Judaism p. 1200. Whether a Man can be saved in the Faith that is in the Religion of Rome doubted p. 1202 Rome compared with the Old Jerusalem State 1200 Rule God's extraordinary Actings are not Mens ordinary Rule 1276 Rulers the false Logick of those who are for no Rulers over them but King Jesus refuted 1060 S. SABBATH when it ended p. 166 167. The Jews ate nothing on the Sabbath till the Morning Prayers of
the beginning of time to this fulness of it hath laid this great wondrous and happy occurrence of the birth of the Redeemer in the year of the world three thousand nine hundred twenty and eight Which that we may make good and fixed among so much variety and difference may the Reader gently have the patience to see and to examine the particular sums by which the Scripture accounteth to make up this total and to study upon those scruples in the several parcels where they come that make the account intricate and doubtful and to judge upon those resolutions and satisfactions that shall be tendred for the cleering and untying of those scruples And surely though the business may be something long and difficult which we shall propose and lay before him yet doubt I not but the profit will fully countervail his labour when he shall not only be resolved of the certainty of the time which we now have occasion and every Christian hath cause to look after but when he shall also see and that I suppose not without admiration the wondrous and mysterious and yet always instructive stile and manner of accounting used by the Holy Ghost in most sacred Majestickness and challenging all serious study and reverence And though also this business may seem to be something too Parergon and excentrick to the main work that we have before us the Harmonizing of the Evangelists yet since a prime thing that we are to inquire after in the very entrance of this story of our Saviours life is the fixed and certain time of his birth the Reader will be pleased to excuse a fault on the right hand rather then on the left and to dispense with too much desire to give satisfaction rather then too little or with none at all SECTION I. From the Creation to the Flood were 1656. years as appeareth Gen. 5. 6. 7. by these parcels ADAM at 130 years old hath Seth ver 3. Seth at 105 years old hath Enosh ver 6. Enosh at 90 years old hath Cainan ver 9. Cainan at 70 years old hath Mahalaleel ver 12. Mahalaleel at 65 years old hath Jared ver 15. Jared at 162 years old hath Enoch ver 18. Enoch at 65 years old hath Methuselah ver 21. Methuselah at 187 years old hath Lamech ver 25. Lamech at 182 years old hath Noah ver 28 29. Noah at 600 years old seeth the Flood Gen. 7. 11. Total 1656. which whole year of the World was taken up with the Flood viz. from the 17 day of the second Month or Marheshvan Gen. 7. 11. to the 27 day of the same month come twelve-month Gen. 8. 14. SECTION II. From the Flood to Terahs death and the Promise then given to Abram were 427 years as appeareth Gen. 11. by these particulars SEM at 2 years after the Flood begat Arphaxad ver 10. Arphaxad at 35 years old begat Salah ver 12. Salah at 30 years old begat Eber ver 14. Eber at 34 years old begat Peleg ver 16. Peleg at 30 years old begat Reu ver 18. Reu at 32 years old begat Serug ver 20. Serug at 30 years old begat Nachor ver 22. Nachor at 29 years old begat Terah ver 24. Terah at 130 years old begat Abram Abram at 75 years old hath the Promise Gen. 12. 4. Total 427. Which sum being added to 1656 which was the age of the World at The promise given to Abram Gen. 12. 1. c. Anno mundi 2083. the Flood amounteth to 2083. and it resulteth that the Promise was given to Abram in the year of the World 2083. But here is the great question moved Whether Abram were the eldest son of Terah yea or no If he were then was he born when Terah was 70 years of age Gen. 11. 26. and not as this Table layeth it at his 130. And if he were not his eldest son why hath Moses named him first of all his sons Answer First He was not his eldest son for 1. He marryed his brother Harans daughter for so all men hold Sarah to have been and she was but ten years younger then himself Gen. 17. 17. which was impossible if her Father were younger then he 2. He is said to be but 75 years old when he departed out of Haran Gen. 12. 4. And this was after his Fathers death Act. 7. 4. Now had he been born at Terahs 70 he had been 135 years old when his Father died We must therefore compute and reckon backward thus that since he was but 75 years old when his Father died it must needs be concluded that he was born when Terah was 130 as is laid down in the Table Answer Secondly He is reckoned first of Terahs sons as Sem is of Noahs not because he was the first in time but the first in dignity For that Sem was not the eldest son of Noah is clear by comparing these places Gen. 5. 32. Noah was 500 years old when he begat his first son and Gen. 7. 11. when Noah was six hundred years old was the Flood of waters upon the Earth and then was one of his sons an hundred years old But Sem was not so till two years after Gen. 11. 10. And yet is he ever named the first of his sons Gen. 5. 32. 6. 10. 7. 13. 9. 18. 10. There are some that not content with this plain necessary and undeniable explication of the difficulty do hold that Abram took two journies into Canaan one before his Fathers death and another after whereas Moses and Steven well compared together do plainly shew the contrary and fully and sufficiently clear the matter under scruple That which hath made men to fall into the mistake of his two journies into Canaan hath been this that they have taken the words of God in Act. 7. 3. Get thee out of thy Country c. and his words in Gen. 12. 1. Get thee out of thy Country c to be of the same time and spoken in the same place whereas there is a vast difference in the words themselves and so was there of the time and place where they were spoken Steven telleth that while Abraham was in Mesapotamia or Chaldea as ver 4. before he dwelt in Horam God appeared to him and said unto him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred but not a word of departing from his Fathers house for he took his Father and his whole houshold along with him and dwelt with them a good while in Haran Gen. 11. 31. And Terah died in Haran ver 32. Then the Lord said unto Abram for so should Gen. 12. 1. be translated and not Now the Lord had said And his saying was this Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house too for that also he now left behind him namely Nahor and all his Fathers Family but only Lot and Sarah that were fatherless children And this difference considered as necessarily
it must it doth make this difficulty which hath cost so much canvasing so easie as a thing needeth not to be more SECTION III. From the promise given to Abram upon his Father Terahs death to the delivery of the people of Israel out of Egypt and to the giving of the Law were 430 years Exod. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. THIS sum being joyned to that before of 2083. it maketh the world to be in the two thousand five hundred and thirteenth year of her age when Israel was delivered The delivery out of Egypt Anno mundi 2513. and the Law given This space of time of 430 years betwixt the promise and the Law the Divine Wisdom and Providence cast into two equal portions of 215 years before the peoples going down into Egypt and 215 years of their being there The former moyety was taken up in these parcels Five and twenty years betwixt the giving of the promise and the birth of Isaac compare Gen. 12. 4. with Gen. 21. 5. Sixty years betwixt the birth of Isaac and the birth of Jacob Gen. 25. 26. An hundred and thirty years betwixt the birth of Jacob and Israels going into Egypt Gen. 27. 9. The latter in these Ninety five years from their going into Egypt to the death of Levi. Forty years from the death of Levi to the birth of Moses Eighty years from the birth of Moses to their delivery SECTION IV. From the coming of Israel out of Egypt to the laying of the foundation of Solomons Temple were 480 years 1 King 6. 1. and seven years was it in building ver 38. SO that joyn these 487 that passed from the coming out of Egypt to the finishing of the Temple to the 2513 years of which age the world was when they came out of Solomons Temple finished Anno mundi 3000. Egypt and it will appear that Solomons Temple was finished exactly in the three thousandth year of the World This sum is made up of these many parcels Israel in the Wilderness 40 years Joshua ruled 17 years Othniel judged 40 years Judg. 3. 11. Ehud judged 80 years Judg. 3. 30. Deborah c. 40 years Judg. 5. 31. Gideon 40 years Judg. 8. 28. Abimelech 3 years Judg. 9. 22. Tolah 23 years Judg. 10. 2. Jair 22 years Judg. 10. 3. Jephtah 6 years Judg. 12. 7. Ibsan 7 years Judg. 12. 9. Elon Judged 10 years Judg. 12. 11. Abdon 8 years Judg. 12. 14. Sampson 20 years Judg. 15. 20. 16. 31. Eli 40 years 1 Sam. 4. 18. Samuel and Saul 40 years Acts 13. 21. David 40 years 1 King 2. 11. Solomon 4 years 1 King 6. 1. Total 480. Now among all these parcels there is no number that hath not a Text to warrant it but only the date of the Government of Joshua which yet cannot be doubted of to have been seventeen years seeing that so many years only are not specified by express Text of all the 480 mentioned 1 King 6. 1. And here also may the reader observe that the years that are mentioned in the book of Judges for years of Israels oppression as Judg. 3. 8 14. c. are not to be taken for a space of time distinct from the time of the Judges but included in the sum of their times Now it thus falling out as it is more then apparent that Solomons Temple was finished and perfected in the year of the world 3000. This belike hath helped to strengthen that Opinion that hath been taken up by some That as the World was six days in creating so shall it be six thousand years in continuance and then shall come the everlasting Sabbath And indeed the observation could not but please those that were pleased with this opinion for when they found that the first three thousand years of the World did end in the perfecting of the earthly Temple it would make them to conclude the bolder that the other three thousand should conclude in the consummation of the spiritual SECTION V. From the finishing of Solomons Temple to the falling away of the ten Tribes were 30 years FOR Solomon reigned 40 years 1 King 11. 42. and in the eleventh year of his reign The falling away of the ten Tribes Aâ—no mundi 3030. was the Temple finished 1 King 6. 38. And so count from that year to the expiration of his reign and the beginning of his son Rehoboam and it will appear easily that the falling away of the ten Tribes was 30 years after the Temple was finished and in the year of the World 3030. SECTION VI. From the falling away of the ten Tribes under Jeroboam to the captivity of Judah into Babylon were 390. THESE are thus reckoned in a gross sum by Ezekiel Chap. 4 5. I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity according to the number of days three hundred and ninety days So shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel ver 6. And when thou hast accomplished them lie again on thy right side and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days I have appointed thee each day for a year Now these are not to be taken for two different and distinct sums as if it were 390 years from the falling away of the ten Tribes to the captiving of the ten Tribes and 40 years from thence to the captiving of Judah for it was but 200 years and a little above an half between the two first periods and above an hundred years between the two last but the forty years are to be reputed and counted within the 390 as the last years of them and marked out so singularly because of Judahs rebellion in and under so clear and powerful preaching of Jeremy who prophesied so long a time among them Now for the casting of these 390 years into parcels as the Books of Kings and Chronicles have done them the surest and clearest way is to make a Chronical table of the collateral Kingdoms of Judah and Israel while they last together from year to year as they will offer themselves to parallel one another In which course some considerable scruples will arise before the Student as he goeth along which unless he see and resolve he will never be able to make the account right and which unless he frame to himself such a Chronical table as is mentioned he will never see nor find out He will by the very Table as he goeth along see that sometimes the years are reckoned compleat as Rehoboams seventeen are counted 1 King 15. 1. Sometimes current as Abijams three 1 King 15. 1 2 9. and Elahs two 1 King 16. 8. But this will breed no difficulty since it is ordinary in Scripture thus variously to compute and since the drawing of his Table will every where shew him readily this variety But these things will he find of more obscurity and challenging more serious study and consideration First It is said that Jeroboam reigned two and twenty years 1 King 14. 20. and Nadab