time and story come in the three first Verses of the second Chapter and the story lyeth thus Dayes of the Creation VII GOD having thus created all things * * * Read ver 2. For on the seventh day God had ended his work otherwise there may be a doubt upon it whether God created not something on the seventh day This the lxx Saw and therefore they translate it different from the Original word And God ended his works on the sixth day in six days and man having thus fallen and heard of Christ and of death and eternal life and other like things on the sixth day the Lord ordaineth the seventh day for a Sabbath or holy rest and Adam spendeth it in holy duties and in meditation of holy things The mention of the institution of the Sabbath is laid in the beginning of the second Chapter though the very time and place of that story be not till after the end of the third 1. Because the holy Ghost would dispatch the whole story of the first week or seven days of the world together without interposition of any other particular story 2. Because he would shew that Adam should have kept the Sabbath though he had never sinned And therefore the mention of the Sabbath is before the mention of his sin CHAP. IV. THE exact times of the stories of the fourth Chapter are not to be determined and therefore they must be left to be taken up by conjecture in the times of the fifth as they are cast into the following table and so conjecturally also must we measure out the parallel and collateral times of the generations of Cain and Seth that are either named here or hereafter to the floud Cain and Abel born twins yet the one the seed of the Serpent and the other of the Woman In Cain was legible the poyson that Satan had breathed into fallen man and in Abel the breathing of grace into the elect and a figure of the death of Christ. God fireth Abels sacrifice from heaven but despiseth Cains yet readeth to him the first doctrine of repentance That if he did well he should certainly be accepted and though he did not well yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sin-offering lieth at the door if he repented there was hope of pardon Thus as God had read the first lecture of faith to Adam in the promise of Christ Chap. 3. 15. so doth he the first lecture of repentance to Cain under the doctrine of * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very commonly taken for a sin offering and the sacrifices were constantly brought to the Tabernacle door a sin-offering But Cain despiseth his own mercy is unmerciful to his brother and is denied mercy from the Lord. He beggeth for death that he might be shut out of that sad condition to which God hath doomed him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now therefore let it be that any one that findeth me may kill me but this God denieth him and reserve th him to a longlife that he might reserve him to long misery Lamech a branch of this root bringeth into the world the abomination of Polygamie or of having more wives at once than one for which God smiteth him with horrour of conscience that he himself might be a witness against that sin that he had introduced and he censureth himself for a more deplorate and desperate wretch than Cain For that Cain had slain but one man and had only destroyed his body but he himself had destroyed both young and old by his cursed example which was now so currently followed and entertained in the world that ere long it was a special forwarder of its destruction that if Cain was to be avenged seven-fold Lamech deserved seventy and seven-fold In this stock of Cain also began Idolatry and worshipping the creature instead of the Creator blessed for ever and in a mournfull feeling of this dishonour done to God by it Seth calls his Son that was born to him in those times Enosh or sorrowfull because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then began profaness in calling upon the name of the Lord. Noah in 2 Pet. 2. 5. seemeth to be called the eighth in reference to these times namely the eighth in succession from Enosh in whose times the world began to be profane CHAP. V. THis fifth Chapter measureth the time and age of the world between the Creation and the Flood which was 1655. years compleat Being cast into a Table it will not only shew the currency but the concurrency of those times or how those Patriarchs whose times it measureth lived one with another The Reader will not need any rules for the explaining of the Table his own Arithmetick will soon shew him what use to make of it The first Age of the World From the Creation to the Flood This space is called Early in the morning Mat. 2. Hilar. in loc Ten Fathers before the Flood  Adam hath Cain and Abel and loseth them both Gen. 4. unhappy in his children the greatest earthly happiness that he may think of Heaven the more 130 130 Seth born in original sin Gen. 5. 2 3. a holy man and father of all men after the Flood Numb 24. 17. to shew all men born in that estate 235 235 105 Enosh born corruption in Religion by Idolatry begun Gen. 4. 25. Enosh therefore so named Sorrowful 325 325 195 90 Kainan born A mourner for the corruption of the times 395 395 265 160 70 Mahalaleel born A praiser of the Lord. 460 460 330 225 135 65 Jared born when there is still a descending from evil to worse 622 622 492 387 297 227 162 Enoch born and Dedicated to God the seventh from Adam Jude 14. 687 687 557 452 362 292 227 65 Methushelah born his very name foretold the Flood The lease of the world is only for his life 874 874 744 639 549 479 414 252 187 Lamech born A man smitten with grief for the present corruption and future punishment 930 930 800 695 605 535 470 308 243 56 Adam dieth having lived 1000. years within 70. Now 70 years a whole age Psal. 90. 10. 987  857 752 662 592 527 365 300 113 57 Enoch translated next after Adams death mortality taught in that immortality in this 1042 Enoch the seventh from Adam in the holy line of Seth prophecâ—ed against the wickedness that Lamech the seventh from Adam in the cursed line of Cain had brought in 912 807 717 647 582 Enoch lived as many years as there be days in a year via 365. and finished his course like a Sun on earth 355 168 112 55 Seth dieth 1056   821 731 661 596  369 182 126 69 14 Noah born a comforter 1140   905 815 745 680  453 266 210 153 98 84 Enosh dieth 1235    910 840 775  548 361 305 248 193 179 95 Kainan dieth 1290     895 830  603 416 360 303 248 234 150 55
either side bare no burden but their own weight On the top of either row was set a golden dish with a handful of Frankincense which when the Bread was taken away was burnt as Incense to the Lord Lev. XXIV 7. and the bread went to Aaron and his sons or to the Priests as their portions to be eaten What these Loaves did represent and signifie is variously guessed the number of twelve in two rows seem to refer to the Twelve Tribes whose names were so divided into six and six in the two Stones on the High Priests shoulders And as Bread is the chief subsistence and staff of our mortal life so the offering of these might denote an acknowledgment of the people of their receiving of all their subsistence from the Lord to whom they presented these as their Tribute and these aswell as the Lamps standing before the Lord might shew that their Spiritual and Temporal support were both before him But our pursuit is to look after the things themselves leaving the allegorizing of them unto others for in such things men are most commonly more ready to give satisfaction to themselves than to take it from others for as much as the things themselves may be bended and swayed to various application SECT VI. The Altar of Incense THE Candlestick stood on the one side of the House and the Table on the other and this Altar in the middle not just betwixt them but somewhat higher in the House toward the most Holy place than they were These three Ornaments and furnitures of the Holy place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a were set in a a a Maym. in Beth habhec per. 3. third part of the House that is whereas the House meaning the Holy place was forty cubits long when you had gone up six and twenty cubits and two third parts of a cubit into the room there stood the Table and Candlestick and somewhat further higher towards the Veil stood this Altar b b b Exod. XXX 1 2. Maym. ubi sup It was a cubit square and two cubits high had four Horns at the four corners of it and a Crown about the brim or edge of it which the Jews say denoted the Crown of the Priest-hood It stood not so nigh the Veil of the most Holy place but that one might go about it and so how the Priest did on the day of Expiation and besprinkled the Horns of it with Blood we observe elsewhere On this Altar commonly called the golden Altar Incense was offered Morning and Evening every day a Figure if you apply the action to Christ of his Mediation and if to man a resemblance of the duty of Prayer The twelve cakes which resembled the sustenance and sustentation of the Twelve Tribes which was ever before the Lord were renewed only once every week but the Lamps drest and the Incense offered twice every day for we have more need of the light of Gods Word and of Prayer than of our dayly food And if we will apply all the three to Christ The Kingly Office of Christ provided Bread for his People his Prophetick Office provided the light of his Word and his Priestly Office the Incense of Mediation CHAP. XV. The most Holy place SECT I. The Partition space 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Holy and the most Holy place were divided asunder by a threefold partition namely by a cubit space and by two Veils on either side of that space The partition space which a a a Mid. per. 4. was a cubit broad and no more by the Jews is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which b b b Aruch â—in voce Rabbi Nathan confesseth to be a Greek word and he saith it signifieth within or without as meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it was doubtful to them whether it were within or without and thus it is interpreted c c c Talm. Ierus per. 5. in the Jerusalem Talmud d d d Beth habbec per. 4. Maymony helps us to their meaning thus In the Temple there was a Wall which parted between the Holy and most Holy place a cubit thick But when they builded the second Temple they doubted whether the thickness of that Wall belonged to the measure of the Holy place or to the measure of the most Holy place Therefore they made the most Holy place twenty cubits long compleat and they made the Holy place forty cubits long compleat And they left a space betwixt the Holy and most Holy place of a cubit breadth and in the second Temple they built not a Wall there but they made two veils one at the end of the most Holy place Eastward and the other at the end of the Holy place Westward and between them there was a cubits breadth according to the thickness of the Wall that had been in the first Temple But in the first Temple there was but one Veil The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore is well conceived by the Learned e e e Const. Lemper in Mid. p. 164. Lempereur to be the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a disease in the Eye distempering the sight and hindering it and so were the Eyes of the understanding of the builders of the second Temple at a stand about this place whether it should belong to the Holy or most Holy place and thereupon they called the place it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Wall that Solomon built for the parting of the Holy and most Holy place being a cubit thick in stead of which this space was left had these things regardable and considerable in it and not easie to be understood First For the entring of the Oracle he made doors of Olive-Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King VI. 31. These later words are very difficult of construction and if we go to Glossaries for the explication of them they will give us variety of senses but little facility of understanding The Chaldee renders it only Their posts with its lintel were orderly set taking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ranked in order and giving but very little light unto the obscure place David Kimchi and Rabbi Solomon seem to understand it that the posts of the doors were not four square but five square if we may use such a word or wrought into five ribs as their own words are But Levi Gershom hath a far fetch for it for he thinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth the fifth Gate that was in the Temple as you went forward the Temple door the fourth the Porch door the third the door of the inner Court the second and of the outer Court the first To me the words seem to bear this construction The post which was the door cheeks was at the fifth cubit meaning from either Wall of the House come inward five cubits and there was the door cheek and so the House being twenty cubits broad the door hereby is
couples for breed and the odd one for Adams sacrifice upon his fall but of unclean only one couple for the propagation of the kind Vers. 26. Man created by the Trinity about the third hour of the day or nine of the clock in the morning CHAP. II. The three first verses that treat of the institution of the Sabbath are according to their proper Order of time to be taken in at the end of the third chapter Vers. 4. c. On the morning of the sixth day a mist that had gone up from the Earth fell down upon it again in rain or dew and watered the Earth with which watering the trees and plants budded to maturity in a trice this dew being as a natural cause thereof yet the effect being withal exceeding supernatural because â—o speedy Vers. 7. Of the dust of the Earth thus watered God created the body of man and to this the Psalmist alludeth The dew of thy youth Psal. 110. 3. And into that Earth so prepared he breatheth the Spirit of Life and Grace Ephes. 4. 24. Vers. 10. Eden watered by a river that overflowed it once a year after the manner of Nilus and Jordan Chap. 13. 10. To Adam thus created and made Lord of the creature the Lord himself bringeth the creatures to receive their names which he giveth to them agreeable to their natures and that at the first sight shewing at once his dominion over them and his wisdom among them all he seeth no fit match for himself but by seeing every one of them mated and that they came before him by pairs he is brought to be sensible of his own want of a fellow which thereupon God provideth for him out of his own body of a rib which part of him might best be spared And thus the Creation endeth in the making of the woman CHAP. III. The woman thinking it had been a good Angel that spake in the trunk of the Serpent she entreth communication with the Devil who perceiving her both to add and to diminish to and from the Commandment that was given them groweth the more impudent to tempt and seduceth her by the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as 1 John 2. 16. And she perswadeth her husband and so they both are fallen on the very same day that they are created Gen. 9. 1 2 3. Psal. 49. 12. Christ is promised before the man and the woman are censured and they are questioned also before they be sentenced but so was not Satan for God had mercy in store for them but none for him The curse is not upon man himself but upon the Earth to teach him to set his affections on things above and not on the cursed ground and not to look for an earthly Kingdom of Christ on this Earth which the Lord hath cursed Adam apprehendeth and layeth hold upon the promise by Faith and in evidence of this his faith he calleth his wives name Eve or Life because she was to be the mother of Christ according to the flesh by whom life should come and of all believers that by faith should live in him for an outward sign and seal of this his Faith and for a further and more lively expression of the same God teacheth him the rite of sacrifice to lay Christ dying before his eyes in a visible figure And with the skins of the sacrificed beasts God teacheth him and his wife to cloath their bodies And thus the first thing that dieth in the world is Christ in a figure At the end of this third chapter imagine the three first verses of Chap. 2. concerning the Sabbath to be observed to come in and suppose the texture of the story to lye thus Adam thus fallen censured recovered instructed and expelled Eden on the sixth day the next day following he by Gods appointment keepeth for a Sabbath or an holy rest and spendeth it only in divine duties Now the reason why it standeth in the place where it doth Chap. 2. Is partly because Moses would lay the seven days or the first week of the world altogether without interposition and partly because he would shew by setting it before Adams fall that had he persisted in innocency yet must he have observed a Sabbath The seventh day or Sabbath is not bounded in the Text with the same limits that the other days are for it is not said of it as it was of them The Evening and the Morning were the seventh day because a time should come when it should have a new beginning and end and though to the Jews it was from Even to Even yet from the beginning it was not so expressed CHAP. IV. Cain and Abel twins of one birth and first was born he that was natural and after he that was spiritual The faith of Abel appeared in the very materials of his sacrifice it being of slain beasts and so a representation of the death of Christ for this it is fired from Heaven and Cain's is not though his dry ears of Corn were materials far more combustible Cain and Abel were both their own Priests for it cannot be proved that Sacrifices were ever offered but upon emergent occasions till the Law fixed it for a common service and he that had such an occasion had liberty to be his own Priest even under the Law as it appeareth by Gedeon Manoah c. and then much more was that liberty before The word Sin in vers 7. seemeth rather to signifie an offering or attonment for sin than punishment For first God cometh not to deject Cain lower than he was but to raise him from his dejection as it appeareth both by his deigning to give him an Oracle from Heaven and also by the words wherewith he beginneth Secondly If the words Sin lieth at the door intend suddain Judgment ready to devour him what dependance can the words following have with these If thou do not well thou shalt certainly be punished and thy brothers desire shall be subject to thee for this were to threaten poor Abel more or at least as much as Cain Thirdly The Original word Chateath as it signifies Sin so also doth it the sacrifice for sin as Hos. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 21. And all along Leviticus and it was the custom according to which Moses speaketh as best known to lay the Sacrifice at the Sanctuary door Vers. 14. Cain sensible of his punishment though he was not of his sin beggeth of God that he might die to ease him of it Therefore let any one that findeth me kill me but this God denyeth to him reserving him to a lingring punishment and Cain being assured of long life giveth himself to all sensuality to sweeten it as much as he can and this is the way of Cain Jud. vers 11. Vers. 23. Lamech in horrour of Conscience for his Polygamy which now began to be examplary to the general corruption of the world acknowledgeth his sin seventy times greater than
and only salve it with making a statute for her yearly lamentation In some time of the Judges the High-priesthood is translated from the line of Eleazer to the line of Ithamar as appeareth in Eli in the beginning of the Book of Samuel Now in all the story of the Judges we find not any one thing so likely to be the cause of rooting out of that house from the Priest-hood as about this matter of Jephtah they not instructing him better but suffering such a butchery for a sacrifice Jephtah hath a new quarrel with the Ephraimites and slayeth 42000 of them discovering them by the mis-pronouncing of a letter he might have offered many words that had Sh double in them as Shemesh the Sun Shelosha three Shalsheleh a chain but the word proposed is Shiboleh because of the present occasion It signifieth a stream and the Ephraimites are put to call the stream that they desired to pass over by the right name and they could not name it CHAP. XII Vers. 8 9 10. World 2825 Iephtach 1 Iephtach 2 IBSAN judgeth seven years He was a man of Bethlehem and thereupon Iephtach 3 imagined by the Jews to be Boaz without any ground or reason for since Iephtach 4 Iephtach 5 Rahab the mother of Boaz was taken into the Congregation of Israel were 270 Iephtach 6 years and then guess whether Boaz be likely to be active now Ibsan is renowned Iephtach 7 for the number and equality of the number of his sons and daughters CHAP. XIII And CHAP. XII Vers. 11 12. World 2832 Elon 1 ELON judgeth ten years He was a Galilean of Zebulon In the tenth Elon 2 year of Ibsan the Philistims forty years of oppressing begin mentioned Elon 3 Chap. 13. verse 1. Samson is born about this year if not in it for when the Elon 4 Angel telleth of his conception the Philistims were lords over Israel see Elon 5 verse 5. The story of his birth is joyned to the story of his life that there Elon 6 might be no interruption in the story of the Judges before him and that the Elon 7 whole history of his life and birth might lie together but in Chronical Series Elon 8 it lieth about the beginning of the rule of Elon Elon 9 Elon 10 JESSE the father of DAVID born by this time if not before CHAP. XII Vers. 13 14 15. World 2842 Elon 1 ABDON judgeth eight years He is exceedingly renowned for his Elon 2 children having as many young Nobles and Gallants to his sons and Elon 3 granchildren as would make a whole Sanhedrin namely seventy and himself Elon 4 the Head He was an Ephraimite of Pirathon and so Josephs glory Elon 5 shineth again in Ephraim as it had done in Joshua before the time of the Elon 6 Judges and had done in Manasseh in the Judges times in Gedeon Jair Elon 7 and Jephtah Ephraims low estate in the matter of Abimelech and Shechem is Elon 8 now somewhat recovered in Abdon CHAP. XIV XV. XVI World 2850 Elon 1 SAMSON judgeth twenty years A man of Dan and so as Ephraim Elon 2 and Dan had bred the first Idolatry they yield the last Judges he Elon 3 was born supernaturally of a barren woman and becomes the first Nazarite Elon 4 we have upon record He killeth a lion without any weapons findeth honey Elon 5 in the carkass proposeth a parable to thirty Philistim gallants which Elon 6 in three days they cannot unriddle and on the seventh day saith the Text Elon 7 they said unto his wife Perswade thy husband Chap. 14. vers 15. That is Elon 8 on the Sabbath day their irreligiousness not minding that day and now Elon 9 finding the fittest opportunity of talking with his wife alone Samson being Elon 10 imployed about the Sabbath duties He pays them with their own Countrymens Elon 11 spoil Fires the Philistims corn with three hundred Foxes is destroying Elon 12 them all his life but destroys more at his death A type of Christ. Elon 13 It is observable that the Philistims are said to bear rule and oppress Israel Elon 14 all Samsons days Chap. 13. 1. The Lord delivered Israel into the hands of the Elon 15 Philistims forty year and Chap. 15. 20. And Samson judged Israel in the days Elon 16 of the Philistims twenty years This helpeth clearly to understand that the Elon 17 years of the oppressours are included in the years of the Judge and so Elon 18 endeth the Chronicle of the Book of Judges in the death of Samson though Elon 19 the posture of the Book it self do end in another story No Judge of all Elon 20 the twelve had fallen into the enemies hand and under their abuse but only Samson but he slayeth more at his death then while he was living The first Book of SAMUEL THIS Book containeth an History of 80 years viz. from the death of Samson who died by his own hand gloriously to the death of Saul who died by his own hand wretchedly This time was divided into two equal portions namely 40 years to Eli 1 Sam. 4. 18. and 40 years to Samuel and Saul Acts 13. 21. CHAP. I. II. III. World 2870 Eli 1 ELI judgeth 40 years He was of Ithamar For Eleazers line had lost the Eli 2 High Priest-hood in the times of the Judges It had been in that family Eli 3 seven generations viz. Eleazar Phineas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Zerahiah Meraioth Eli 4 Eli 5 1 Chron. 6. 4 5 6. and there it failed till the seventh generation after Eli 6 namely through the times of Amaziah Ahitub Zadok Ahimaaz Azaria Johanan Eli 7 and then comes Azariah and he executes this Office in the Temple Eli 8 that Solomon built 1 Chron. 6. 7 8 9 10. observe these six that failed of the Eli 9 high Priest-hood left out of the Genealogy Ezra 7. 3 4. Eli was the first of Eli 10 the other line that obtained it and it run through these descents Eli Phineas Eli 11 Ahitub Ahimelech Abiathar 1 Sam. 14. 3. 22. 20. 1 King 2. 26. SAMUEL Eli 12 Eli 13 the son of his mothers prayers tears and vows was born in * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 1. 1. that is of one of the two Ramahs to wit that of the Zophites of the hill country of Ephraim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be construed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Sam. 18. 2. one of two and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be construed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh. 21. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1. 39 5. Not the hill of Ephraim but the hill country Aramathea the Eli 14 twentieth from Levi of the off-spring of Korah who was swallowed up of Eli 15 the ground 1 Chron. 6. and Numb 26. 11. He had murmured at the Priesthood Eli 16 and Magistracy and now one of his line is raised up to repair both when Eli 17 they are decaied Samuel was a vowed Nazarite and dedicated at the
fourteen as we suppose of Ahashuerosh and two of Darius For let the Reader but impartially and unbiassed expound those two places in Zechary alledged and how can he possibly interpret the seventy years there mentioned of the seventy years mentioned Jeremy 25. 11 12. 29. 10. which were expired seventeen years ago by plain account of Scripture Especially let him but weigh well the scope and purpose of the seventh Chapter of Zechary and it will make the date and account that we give of those seventy years to be proper and approveable In the second year of Darius the Temple after a long hinderance of the building of it is begun upon to be built again and it goes happily forward thereupon the Church at Babell sends to Jerusalem to inquire of the Priests Now that the Temple is built again shall I fast and keep solemn days of humiliation as I have done these seventy years since the Temple was destroyed If they had fasted but the seventy years of the captivity then had they laid down their fasts at the least seventeen years to the second of Darius nineteen to the fourth as Zech. 7. 1. And if they had laid them down so long while the work and building of the Temple lay forlorn why should they think of taking them up again now it went well with that work and building And if they had continued them all the time of the captivity and all the time since why is it called but seventy years whereas it was at the least eighty seven Therefore to me it is past all peradventure that the seventy years there spoken of are counted from the firing of the Temple to the re-building of it in the second of Darius and that this very account doth necessarily allot fourteen years reign to Artaxerxes Ahashuerosh that hindered it to make up this sum As we observed the like necessary allowing of seventeen years to Joshua upon the result of a gross sum where all the rest of the sum is cleared by particulars but only those seventeen And with this computation that we have given how pregnantly and properly doth agree that reckoning of the Angel Gabriel of seven times seven years or forty nine years from Cyrus his decree of building Jerusalem to the finishing of it as we shall observe at the thirty second year of Darius But the Reader will there see it readily enough of himself without any notice World 3488 Artaxerxes Ahashuerosh 1 After Artaxerxes Ahashuerus the husband of Esther reigned Artaxerxes Darius falsly supposed by the Jews to be his son Probably the same with Darius Hystaspis in Heathen Authors called the King of Assyria Ezra 6. 22. EZRA V. vers 1. And HAGGAI I. World 3489 Artaxerxes Ahashuerosh 2 IN this second year of Darius on the first day of the sixth month Haggai beginneth to Prophesie and checketh the peoples not caring to build the Temple especially those hireling Jews that are spoken of Ezra 4. 5. that were bribed by the Enemy to give councel against the building and that were still saying The time is not yet come that the house should be built On the twenty fourth day of the same month the preparation for the building begins with the twelfth verse of Hag. 1. read Ezra 5. vers 2. HAGGAI II. to vers 10. IN the seventh month on the twenty one day of the month Haggai foretels the glory of this second Temple and speaketh this to divers that had seen Solomons Temple standing ZECHARY I. to vers 7. IN the eighth month Zechary begins to prophesie HAGGAI II. from vers 10. to the end IN the ninth month on the twenty fourth day of it they begin to lay stones in the Temple wall and to raise the building For from the twenty fourth day of the sixth Month they had only prepared materials On this day Haggai hath two Prophesies ZECHARY I. from vers 7. to end And CHAP. II III IV V VI. IN the eleventh month on the fourteenth day Zechary seeth Christ riding on a Horse and Angels like Horses attending him He seeth a vision of four horns that should seek to scatter Judah Rehum Shimshai Tatnai Shether Bosnai and four carpenters to break those horns Zorobabel Joshua Ezra Nehemiah He seeth Jerusalem ready to be measured but let alone because the compass of it should be boundless He seeth the garments of the High Priesthood tattered and poor but new ones found out by the Lord in figure of a glorious Ministry under the Gospel Christ the corner stone with seven Eyes The Church seven golden Candlesticks and the ministry of the Church of Jews and Gentiles two Olive Trees emptying themselves into those Candlesticks A flying roll of the length and breadth of the porch of the Temple full of curses wickedness in an Ephah the greatest measure in use setled in Babylon c. EZRA V. from vers 3. to end And VI. to vers 14. Artaxerxes Darius 3 THE Enemies of the Jews under a pretended officiousness to the King but upon an intent malice against the Temple by Letters to Darius seek to hinder it but by a special providence it proves occasion of the more advancing of it Hitherto had the Jews built only upon the incouragement of the Prophets Haggai and Zechary now they have a Commission from the King ZECHARY VII VIII World 3491 Artaxerxes Darius 4 IN the fourth year of Darius in the ninth month which is Chisleu on the fourth day of the month 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Congregation in Babel sent to Jerusalem to inquire concerning their Fasts whether they should continue them now the Temple was begun and was so forward in building or lay them down They used these several Fasts First In the fourth month because then the City broken up Jerem. 52. 6. Secondly In the fifth month because in that month the Temple was fired 2 King 25. 8. Thirdly In the seventh month because in that Gedaliah was slain and all the Jews with him scattered Jer. 41. 1. Fourthly In the tenth month Zech. 8. 19. because in that month the siege began about Jerusalem 2 King 25. 1. So that by the intent and occasion of all those solemn Fasts which referred all of them to the last and final stroke and ruine of Jerusalem by the Babilonian and nothing at all to the first Captivity of Jehoiakim or Jechoniah it is apparent that the seventy years mentioned to have been the length of these solemn days and duties are to be understood and reckoned from the very same time and occasion as was observed before Artaxerxes Darius 5 The Temple goeth well forward and the work receiveth no interruption but prospereth EZRA CHAP. VI. from vers 14. to the end World 3493 Artax Darius 6 IN the sixth year of Darius on the third day of the month Adar the Temple is finished and the Dedication of it solemnly kept EZRA VII VIII World 3494 Artax Darius 7 ON the first day of this seventh year of Darius Ezra setteth up from Babylon
the same story and so continue it as a three twisted coard not easily broken of which thing the Readers own eyes may be his Judge Harmony and Explanation Vers. 14. Iesus returned in the power of the Spirit IT had been at the least fourteen months since the Holy Ghost came down upon Christ when he was baptized and yet doth Luke purposely mention the power of the Spirit upon him after so long a space 1. To shew he had the Spirit in a measure above other men for they were not always acted by the Spirit after his first coming on them 2 Kings 4. 27. but Christ was always 2. The Evangelist in the story that he had mentioned next before had shewed that Christ was led by the power of the Spirit into the wilderness and by it had overcome the temptations of Satan and now would he shew that he cometh in the same power to deal with men and to overcome their affections But 3. and chiefly Luke useth this expression because he is now to relate how Christ began to shew himself powerful in his miracles so that the fame of him went all about the Country and that his Ministery was glorified of all and now it was seasonable to mention and to take notice of the Spirit of the Lord upon him when he is more fully and intirely to fall upon the Ministery of the Gospel Ver. 15. And he taught in their Synagogues We have here occasion to look a little presly after these two things 1. The nature and constitution of their Synagogues And 2. upon what ground and permission Christ who hitherto had lived as a private mechanick man was suffered to preach in them The former of these deserveth our consideration because of the frequent mention that we have of Synagogues all along the Gospels and other books of the New Testament And the latter because of the question so much afoot of preaching without a publick call and ordination Sect. I. The Antiquity and divine institution of Synagogues Although the word Synagogues be rarely found in the Old Testament spelled syllabically with so many letters in our English Bibles yet both reason and equivalent expressions used there do more than probally perswade us that such conventions and meeting places were no strangers to Israel in those ancient times For 1. It is said expresly according as our English utters it Psal. 74. 4. that the enemie had burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land Which although the Chaldee render it of the Temple only and Rabbi Solomon of Shiloh and the first and second Temple only yet both the plural number used and the context it self inforceth it to be interpreted of more conventions than only in one place And Aquila doth render it expresly Synagogues as our English doth And Jonathan the Caldee Paraphrast of the Prophets whosoever was of the Psalms speaketh the very sense of that clause of the Psalm even as our English utters it when he interprets that passage in Esay 7. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Assyrian Bee shall come upon all the Houses of Praise 2. What can we make of these High places that are so often mentioned in Scripture in a commendable sense as 1 Sam. 9. 19. 10. 5. 1 Kings 3. 4. c. other than that they were Synagogues or places of publick worship for particular congregations For howsoever High places do often hear ill in the Scripture as places of Idolatry and false worship as 1 Kings 11. 7. 12. 31. Jer. 7. 31. 19. 5. c. yet do we find also that some High places escape that brand and are mentioned with an honourable memorial And although those also are frequently taxed for Sacrificing there which service should only have been exercised at Jerusalem yet do we never find them taxed for mens worshipping there In 2 King 12. 2. 14. 4. 15. 4. c. it is said that Joash Amaziah and Uzziah did uprightly in the sight of the Lord But the high places were not taken away nor that they should have been destroyed for being places of worship or of publick Assemblies but the text expresseth still what was their abuse and what should have been removed namely that the people should not have sacrificed and burnt incense there which part of worship was only confined to Jerusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the destruction of Shiloh to the building of the Temple high places were lawful as it is the Jews general and common saying but they understand it as generally of lawfulness to sacrifice which when the people would not leave to use after the Temple was built they are often taxed with it but with no other part of worship in High places if it were not Idolatrous 3. How was it possible that the Jews should keep the Sabbath according to the injunction laid upon them of having every seventh day a holy meeting or convocation Lev. 23. 3 4. if they had not in all times their Synagogue meetings or particular Congregations which the plural number used of Assemblies or Congregations doth more than seem to intimate in Psal. 26. 12. 68. 26. 4. Let us cast how the Jews could possibly celebrate those solemnities to which they were obliged besides the three Festivals which required their appearance at Jerusalem if they had not Sygnagogues or meetings of particular Assemblies when they were in the Wilderness what could they do on the Sabbath day when the Tabernacle Court would not hold the thousand part of them and when Family duties only would not reach the rule that was set before them And when they were come into the land when distance of place from Jerusalem made going thither every Sabbath impossible and when every Family were not able to read the Law much less to expound it nay when many and many Families were neither able to carry on a Sabbath days work nor hire or get one that was learned and able to carry it on what could they then do without Synagogues but lose the Law Sabbath Religion and the knowledge of God and themselves and all 5 When Synagogues were now come into use and frequented how was this use and frequency and frequenting of them first taken up We read of them under the second Temple especially in the Times of our Saviour and of his Apostles when the people were now lost in hypocrysie and traditions And can we think that those corrupt times outwent the purer and holyer times of David Joshuah Samuel c. in finding out so absolutely needful a means for maintaining of Knowledge and Religion as their Synagogue meetings were Can we conceive that Pharisees should set up these so useful conventions how useful may be judged by Christs and his Apostles constant frequenting them to omit all other evidences and that the Elders and Prophets and holy men under the Old Testament wanted them Take but the Chaldee Paraphrasts opinion again upon this point who upon those words of Deborah in Judg. 5. 9.
cogent reasons to demonstrate Thirdly It is very questionable whether Bethphage lay not betwixt Jerusalem and Bethany or if it did not it lay very little aside the way as might be shewed out of the story of Christs riding into Jerusalem Matth. 21. 1. Luke 19. 29. compared with Joh. 12. 1. and therefore that was like to cut off the name of Bethany that it should not reach far in the fields towards the City For Christ lay in Bethany all night Joh. 12. 1. and on the morning was gone some way towards Jerusalem before he met with the Ass on which he rode which he had commanded his Disciples to fetch from Bethphage which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before them as the Syrian well renders it that is either directly in their way to Jerusalem or very little off it as they were now setting out of Bethany thither And this is confirmed by the gloss upon the Gemars in Sanhedrin Perck 1. where mention being made of Bethphage in the Text the Scholiast saith Bethphage was a place before the wall of the City and governed as Jerusalem in all things It is therefore of the most probability that Christ when he ascended led out his Disciples to Bethany Town fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem or thereabout and that very way that he had ridden triumphantly into the City seven and forty days ago he goeth now again to ride more triumphantly into Heaven The Text then that we have in hand doth not measure the sapce from the City to Bethany where Christ ascended but from the City to the foot of Mount Olivet on which Mount Bethany stood and the measure he maketh of it is two thousand common Cubits or about five furlongs And so we have done with two of the Queries that were proposed But now why he should measure this space at this time rather than any other and why by the title of a Sabbath days journey rather than any other measure remaineth yet to be inquired after This Evangelist hath divers times in his Gospel mentioned this Mount as was shewed before but never shewed the situation or distance of it from the City till now and that may be a reason why he doth it here being the last time that ever he is to mention it in all his writings and that one place might explain another Namely That from this Text the several passages done on Mount Olivet which are mentioned in his Gospel might receive some illustration and it might be known how far they were acted from Jerusalem or at the least guessed how far it being from hence determined how far the foot of Olivet was distant from it It had been indeed as ready to have said they returned from Bethany which was from Jerusalem about fiteen furlongs but the Holy Ghost is not so careful to measure the distance from the place of Christs Ascension it may be for the same reason that he concealed the grave of Moses for fear of superstition as to measure from Olivet where so many and remarkable occurrences besides Christs Ascension had passed and been done by him Why he measureth it by the title of Sabbath days yourney rather than by any other measure as of paces furlongs or the like since this day that was spoken of is not a Sabbath we dare not be too curious to determine Only to conjecture it is very probable that this was the common walk of the people of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day in pleasant weather for their meditations when they had done the publick duties of the day For so it is said of Christ that he often resorted to a garden of Gethsemani with his Disciples Joh. 18. 2. and though it be not certain whether he did on the Sabbath yet it is certain that he did on the Passover night after he and his Disciples had done the work of the day and Ordinance And that time of the day fell under the same obligation that the Sabbath did in this particular For as was observed even now out of the Chaldee Paraphrast not only on the Sabbaths but also on other holy days it was not lawful to walk above two thousands Cubits and this time that our Saviour set thither was the beginning of such a day namely of the first day in the Passover week which was to be observed as a Sabbath Lev. 23. 7. and that day was begun at that even when our Saviour went out to Gethsemani to pray And though Judas slipt from behind his Master after they were risen from the Table and come out of the House and when he should have gone out of the City with him he stept aside into the City and got his cursed train up to go to apprehend Jesus yet the Text assures us Joh. 18. 2. that Judus knew where to have him though he went not to observe whither he would go because that that was our Saviours common retiring place upon such occasions And so may we conceive it was the common haunt of others of the City upon such times and such occasions of prayer and meditation to resort thither for the delightsomness of the place and the helpfulness of it by the delight and solitariness to contemplation And therefore the Evangelist may be conceived to use this expression for the measure betwixt it and the City A Sabbath days journey because it was most remarkably so not only upon obligation but for delight and the peoples common Sabbath days walk Vers. 13. They went up into an upper room This was not that room in which Christ ordained his last Supper for that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14. 15. Luke 22. 12. this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and certainly the difference of words argues difference of the thing it self for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemeth to signifie any room above stairs be it but the first story but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest room in all the House as Act. 20. 8 9. which was the third story Nor is it probable that this was the House of John Mark mentioned Act. 12. 12. For though some Disciples were then assembled there yet were the Apostles in another place What place this was is not worth the labour of searching because it is past the possibility of finding out be it in what house it would this was the place where this society of Apostles and Elders kept as it were their College and Consistory while they staid at Jerusalem and till persecution scattered them And therefore it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were there abiding This was not the meeting place in publick Worship for all the Believers in the City which ere long if not at this very time were several Congregations but this was the meeting and sitting place for the Presbytery of these Elders that took care of all those Congregations §. Both Peter and James and John c. The Syrian readeth Peter and John and James and for Bartholomew and Matthew he and the Arabick read Matthew and
daily Sacrifice was the Offering for all Israel And accordingly the e e e Shek per. 4. Lambs for the daily Sacrifice and other Sacrifices which were offered up for the whole Congregation were provided at the Publick Charge out of the Temple Treasury Now it was impossible that all Israel should be present at the Sacrifices that were to be offered up for all Israel and therefore it was needful that some representatives should be chosen who in stead and behalf of all the People should be present at every Sacrifice that should be offered up for the whole Congregation And because this attendance would be continual in regard of the daily Sacrifice which was a Sacrifice of this Nature and so the Service would be very heavy for any one company of Men to attend continually therefore they appointed four and twenty Courses of these Stationary men as well as of the Priests and Levites that their attendance in these vicissitudes might be the more easie and portable even as the others were also divided into the like Courses for the same ease The Jews hold that these stations were first ordained by the former Prophets For the former Prophets appointed saith f f f Maym. ubi sup Maymony that they should choose out of Israel men upright and religious and that these should be as the Messengers of all Israel to stand by the Sacrifices and these are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Men of the station and they divided them into four and twenty Courses according to the number of the Courses of the Priests and Levites and over every station there was one made Chief or President and him they called the President of the station 〈…〉 g g g Taan per. 4. Maym. ubi sup These men of the Station in every Course did as the Priests and Levites did in their Courses those that were in Jerusalem and near it when their week came went and attended upon their station but those that were at distance and further off gathered together into their several Synagogues and there fasted and prayed and read some part of the Law because though at distance yet would they joyn in service with and for their brethren of their Course who were now in their attendance at Jerusalem They fasted on the second third fourth and fifth days of that week and read over the story of the creation in Gen. 1. 2. in the six days every day a portion of it They would not fast on the first day of the week because they would not slip out of the joy and delight of a Sabbath into a Fast and they would not fast on the last day of the week because they would not preface the joy and delight of the Sabbath with a Fast neither But the four days between they spent in that solemn duty for the prosperity of their brethren that were at Jerusalem and of the work that they were about The Stationary men that were at Jerusalem were to attend constantly upon the Temple Service whilst it was in hand except at some particular times when they had a dispensation of which anon and their attendance referred especially to two ends First They stood to be a representative Congregation in behalf of all the people at the offering up of the daily sacrifice which was the sacrifice of all the people and at the use and administration of the publick Ordinances and Service The Jews were so precise and punctual about this point of having a competent congregation present when the publick Ordinances were administred h h h Megillah per. 4. Maym. in Tephillah per. 11. that in their Synagogues they would not have publick Prayers nor reading of the Law unless ten men were there much more was there a fitting Congregation of the people required to be at the Temple-service which concerned all the people to be administred unto besides the Priests which were to administer There was sacrificing there twice a day and reading of the Law at the least twice and Prayers four times and it had becomed and behoved if it had been possible all the people to have been there present and attending which because it could not possibly be done that all the people should be constant there they ordained and provided these Courses of Stationary men to be as the Deputies of all the people and a representative Congregation in their behalf It had been a visible contempt of those ordinances to have had them administred daily and none of the people to have been attending on them and it would have been a hazard that in time they would have been neglected by the people if they had been only left to their own liberty to come or not to come to them as they saw good therefore to prevent this visible contempt that might have accrewed and to provide that there might be always a Congregation of the people these stationary Courses were ordained that if devotion brought no other of the people to the service yet these their representatives might be sure to be attending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this their standing there at prayers supplications and oraisons and at the reading of the Law was called the station A second imployment that they or at least some of them had was to take care as representatives of the people that those of the people that had been under any uncleanness and being now cleansed were come to have their atonement made might be dispatched and the business done for which they came And so it is intimated by the treaty Tamid when it relateth i i i Tam. per. 5. that upon the ringing of the Migrephah of which hereafter by those that went into the holy place to offer incense the head or chief man of the station brought such persons up into the gate of Nicanor to have their atonement made There have been some who have conceived that these Stationary men as representatives of the whole Congregation were to lay their hands upon the head of the daily sacrifice which was an offering for all the people I did once go along also with this opinion but now I find the Jews on the contrary asserting k k k Maym. in Corban per. 3. That there was no laying on of hands upon the sacrifices of the whole Congregation but only in two cases The one was upon the scape-goat and the other was upon the bullock that was offered for the whole Congregation when it sinned of ignorance and the thing was hid from the eyes of the Assembly And that it was a Tradition delivered even by Moses himself that for the whole Congregation hands were laid but upon these two sacrifices And accordingly there were divers sacrifice times when the Stationary men were excused from attendance though the sacrifice were a sacrifice for the whole Congregation l l l Id. ib. Tal. in Taan per. 4. As they never made a station at the morning sacrifice all the eight days
Passover that he might satiate himself with it Yet if he eat no more than what amounted to the quantity of an Olive he discharged the obligation of his duty These fourteenth days peace offerings were so called to distinguish them from the peace offerings of his Hagigah and rejoycing at the feast for those were offerings to which he was obliged of duty and were to be offered after the eating of the Passover most ordinarily but these were some thanks offerings or vows or free will offerings which being reserved to be offered at their coming up to the Festival they commonly did so offer them as that when the Altar and Priests had had their parts they had the other ready for this occasion to begin the meal on the Passover night And so here was one dish more than we find appointed for this time by the Law Now the Talmudicks speak of two more which if they were used in the time when the Temple stood may well be supposed to have been to supply the want of peace offerings in such companies as had not offered any nor had any ready for this occasion And they call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two boiled meats The Mishuch in that Chapter of Pesachin that hath been cited so oft delivering the Rubrick of the Passover saith they set before him unleavened Bread and bitter Herbs and charoseth and the two boiled meats making no difference of time between these and the other particulars named with them which undoubtedly were in those times of which we speak The Gemara thereupon hath these words It is a command to set before him unleavened Bread and the bitter Herbs and the two boiled meats And those two boiled meats what are they Rab. Hona saith Broth and Rice Ezekiah saith Fish and Eggs. Rab. Joseph saith two sorts of flesh were required one in the memorial of the Passover and the other in memorial of the Hagigah And with this last doth Maymony concur for he useth the very same words but he useth also the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this time they set upon the Table two sorts of flesh c. as making it questionable whether this custom were in use when the Temple stood or taken up afterward I shall not be sollicitous to dispute the case it seemeth for ought I yet see in the Talmuds or their Schoolmen that it was in the Temple times and that the Author cited doth not by the Phrase he hath used so much intimate that the custom was taken up after the Temple was fallen as he doth that after the Temple was fallen they were glad to take up with these two dishes only For whilest that stood peace offerings were in use and served for that occasion on the Passover night and these two boiled meats were only in request where no peace offerings were to be had which was but rare but after the Temple fell there were no peace offerings to be had at all and so they were constrained to take up only with these two dishes Let the Reader scan his meaning from his own words * * * Id. in Hhamets c. per. 8 They set before him the Officiator bitter Herbs and unleavened Bread and Charoseth and the body of the Lamb and the flesh of the fourteenth days Hagigah But at this time they set upon the Table two sorts of flesh one in memorial of the Passover and the other in memorial of the Hagigah And whether way soever he turneth the scales it is not much material 5. They had also a dish of thick sawce which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charoseth ‖ ‖ ‖ Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made of sweet and bitter things grown and pounded and mingled together †††Maym. Corban Pesach per. 8. as Dates Figs Raisins Vinegar c. * * * Haggadah Shâ—l Pesach And this was a memorial to them of the clay in which their Fathers laboured in the Land of Egypt They used Charoseth saith the Talmud although it were not commanded Rabbi Eliezer from Rabbi Zadok saith it is a command A command for what Rabbi Johanan saith it is a memorial of the clay therefore they make it of all kinds of sweet and bitter things with vinegar like clay in which there is a mixture of every thing The dish in which our Saviour dipped the sop which he gave to Judas is held by exceeding many to have been this dish of the thick sawce Charoseth which might be very well believed if it might be believed that that supper was the Passover supper which hath been much asserted but never yet proved VI. The Table thus furnished * * * Maym. in Hhamets ubi supr the Officiator takes some of the sallet of the Herbs and after he hath blessed God for the creating the fruit of the ground he dips it in something but whether in the thick sawce Charoseth or in Wine or in Vinegar is disputed and so we will leave it in dispute and he eateth the quantity of an Olive at the least of them and so do all the rest of the company the like ‖ ‖ ‖ Gloss. ib. Now this dipping and eating of Herbs was not under the notion of eating bitter Herbs which the Law enjoyned but is was some other of the Herbs as Lettice Endive or the like and it was for this and meerly that the children might begin to wonder at this strange beginning of a meal and might be incited to enquire about the matter And to put them on to this the more the company had no sooner eaten of this bit of the sallet but presently the dishes were all removed from before the Officiator and a second Cup of Wine was filled and brought unto him 14 14 14 Pesanh ubi supr And here the Children began to enquire about the matter and if he had no Children the Wife enquired and if there was no Wife the company enquired one of another And if none enquired yet he unasked began thus How different is this night from all other nights For on all other nights we eat leavened or unleavened bread indifferently but on this night unleavened bread only On all other nights we eat any herbs whatsoever but this night bitter herbs On all other nights we eat flesh either roasted or stewed or boiled but on this night we eat flesh only roasted On all other nights we wash but once but on this night we wash twice On all other nights we eat either sitting or leaning indifferently on this night we all sit leaning And according to the capacity of the Child he would address his speech to him if he were very young and slender of understanding he would tell him Child we were all servants like this maid-servant or this man-servant that waiteth and as on this night the Lord redeemed us and brought us into liberty But to the Children of capacity and to the rest of the company he would
restoring that which he had unjustly taken away does not do that which is his duty And again i i i i i i Hal. 5. He that steals any thing from his Neighbour yea though it be but a farthing and swears falsly is bound to restitution meeting the wronged party halfway See also Baal Turim upon Levit. Ch. VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k k k k k k Maimon in Gezala cap. 8. An oblation is not offered for a sin unless that which is wrongfully taken away be first restored either to the owner or the Priest In like manner He that swears falsely either of the Pruta small mony l Cap. 7. or what the Pruta is worth is bound to enquire after the owner even as far as the Islands in the Sea and to make restitution Observe how provision is here made for pecuniary damages only and bare restitution which might be done without a charitable mind and a brotherly heart But Christ urgeth charity reconciliation of mind and a pure desire of reunion with our offended brother and that not only in mony matters but in any other and for what ever cause wherein our Neighbour complains that he is grieved VERS XXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leave there thy gift before the Altar THIS business was altogether unusual in gifts offered at the Altar in such a cause We read indeed of the drink offering delayed after the sacrifice was offered m m m m m m Tosophta ad Corbanoth cap. 5. For the Wise men say that a man is not held in his sin when the drink offering is put off by some delay because one may offer his sacrifice to day but his drink offering twenty days hence We read also that the oblation of a sacrifice presented even at the Altar in some cases hath not only been delayed but the sacrifice it self hath been rejected that is if in that instant discovery was made in sacrificing the beast either of a blemish or of somewhat else whereby it became an illegal sacrifice or if some uncleanness or other cause appeared in the Offerer whereby he was rendred unfit for the present to offer a gift Of which things causing the oblation of the sacrifice already presented at the Altar to be deferred the Hebrew Lawyers speak much But among those things we do not meet at all with this whereof our Saviour is here speaking so that he seems to enjoyn some new matter and not new alone but seemingly impossible For the offended Brother might perhaps be absent in the furthest parts of the land of Israel so that he could not be spoke with and his pardon asked in very many days after and what shall become of the beast in the mean time which is left at the Altar It is a wonder indeed that our Saviour treating of the worship at the Altar should prescribe such a duty which was both unusual in such a case and next to impossible But it is answered I. It was a custome and a law among the Jewes that the sacrifices of particular men should not presently as soon as they were due be brought to the Altar but that they should be reserved to the Feast next following whatsoever that were whether the Passover or Pentecost or Tabernacles to be then offered Teeming women women that n Bab. Sanhedt fol. 11. 1. have the Gonorrhea and men that have the Gonorrhea reserve their pigeons until they go up to the feast o o o o o o Hierof Rosh hashanah fol. 56. 2. The Oblations which were devoted before the Feast shall be offered at the Feast for it is said These things shall ye do in their Solemnities c. But now all the Israelites were present at the Feasts and any Brother against whom one had sinned was not then far off from the Altar Unto which time and custome of the Nation it is equal to think Christ alluded II. He does silently chastise the curiosity used in deferring of a sacrifice brought about lesser matters when this that was greater was unregarded And he teacheth that God is worshipped in vain without true charity to our brother The same also in effect do the p p p p p p Bab. Ioma fol. 87. 1. Gemarists confess VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whilst thou art in the way with him THAT is while thou goest with him to the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Magistrate Luke XII 58. Where there is a clear distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Magistrate and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judg so that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magistrate or Ruler one may understand the Judges in the lower Sanhedrins by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judg the Judges in the highest That allusion is here made to contentions about many matters sufficiently appears from the following words vers 26. Thou shalt by no means come out of prison till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing q q q q q q Sanhedr c. 1. hal 1. Now it was the business of the Bench that consisted of three men to judg of such matters The words therefore of the verse have this sense Does your Neighbour accuse you of some dammage or of mony that is due to him And are ye now going in the way to the Bench of Three to commence the Suit compound with your Adversary lest he compel you to some higher Tribunal where your danger will be greater r r r r r r Maimon in Sanhedr cap. 6. For if the Lender say to the Debtor let us go that judgment may be had of our case from the chief Sanhedrin they force the Debtor to go up thence with him In like manner If any accuse another of some thing taken away from him or of some dammage done him and he that is the accuser will have the higher Sanhedrin to judg of the Suite they force the Debtor to go up thence with him And so it is done in all other things of that nature Before Christ had argued from piety that men should seek to be reconciled now he argues from prudence and an honest care of a mans self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Iudg deliver thee to the Officer A word answering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Executioner a Whipper among the Rabbins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judges and Offices shalt thou make thee in all thy gates Deut. XVI 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s s s s s s Maimon Sanhedr cap. 1. are Vergers and scourge bearers Executioners who stand before the Judges These go through the lanes and streets and Inns and take care about weights and measures and scourge those that do amiss But all their business is by the order of the Judges Whosoever they see doing evil they bring before the Judges c. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t t t t t t Bab. Schabb. fol.
namely that by the interposing of the intercalated month all things might be ripe and fit for that Feast If when it came to the month Nisan the Barley was not yet ripe enough to offer the sheaf of the first-fruits then they put a month between which they called the second Adar So if the ways were so bad that people could not travel up to Jerusalem if the Bridges were so broken that they could not pass the Rivers they intercalated or put a month between that at the coming in of the month Nisan every thing might be ready that was requisite for the Paschal solemnity But if Frost or Snow should happen when Nisan was entring in its ordinary course they did not put a month between upon that account From whence it is plain that Frost and Snow did sometimes happen at that time VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ask them that heard me JESUS seems to appeal to the common right and rule amongst themselves He desires that the witnesses in behalf of the defendant might be heard first But who Alas was there that durst witness for him It is said indeed That the Chief Priests and Elders and whole Council sought false witness against him Matth. XXVI 59. But did they seek for any true witness on his side or do they indeed deal with the witnesses against him as their customs obliged them to have done did they search their testimony by a strict and severe Examination did they terrifie them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by grave Exhortations admonish them to say nothing but the truth This by right ought to have been done r r r r r r Sanhedr c. 4. But we have reason to suppose it was not done VERS XXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that they might eat the Passover I. WE have already shewn in our Notes upon Mark XIV 12. that the eating of the Paschal Lamb was never upon any occasion whatever transferred from the Evening of the fourteenth day drawing to the close of it no not by reason of the Sabbath or any uncleanness that had happened to the Congregation so that there needs little argument to assure us that the Jews eat the Lamb at the same time wherein Christ did Only let me add this Suppose they had entred Pilate's House and had defiled themselves by entring the house of an Heathen yet might not that defilement come under the predicament of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If so then they might wash themselves in the evening and be clean enough to eat the Paschal Lamb if it had been to have been eaten on that evening but they had eaten it the evening before II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Passover therefore here doth not signifie the Paschal Lamb but the Paschal Chagigah of which we will remark these two or three things 1. Deut. XVI 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt Sacrifice the Passover unto the Lord thy God of the Flock and the Herd Where R. Solomon The Flocks are meant of the Lambs and the Kids the Herd of the Chagigah And R. Bechai in loc The Flocks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are for the due of the Passover the Herd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Sacrifices of the Chagigah So also R. Nachman The Herd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the celebration of the Chagigah Pesachin * * * * * * Fol. â—0 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Flock for the Passover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oxen for the Chagigah Where the Gloss Pag. 1. Doth not th Passover consist wholly of Lambs and Kids Exod. XII 5. If so why is it said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oxen To equal every thing that is used in the Passover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Passover i. e. the Paschal Lamb is of due and is not taken but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the common Flocks neither from the first born nor from the tenths so this also i. e. of the Oxen is of due and not taken but out of the common Herd See 2 Chron. XXX 24 c. and XXXV 8 9. 2. The Chagigah was for joy and mirth according to that in Deut. XVI 14. And thou shalt rejoyce in the Feast c. Hence the Sacrifices that were prepared for that use are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifices of Peace or Eucharistick Offerings Sacrifices of joy and mirth 3. The proper time of bringing the Chagigah was the fifteenth day of the Month. Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they eat and drank and rejoyced and were bound to bring their Sacrifice of Chagigah on the fifteenth day i e. The first day of the Feast c. There might be a time indeed when they brought their Chagigah on the fourteenth day but this was not so usual and then it was under certain conditions s s s s s s Pesachin fol. 89. 2. When is it that they bring the Chagigah at the same time with the Lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When it comes on another day in the week and not on the Sabbath when it is clean and when it is small Let the Gloss explain the last clause and for the two former we shall do that our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Lamb be less than what will satisfie the whole company then they make ready their Chagigah eating that first and then the Lamb c. And the reason is given by another Glosser viz. That the appetites of those that eat might be pretty well satisfied before they begin the Lamb for if they should fall upon the Lamb first it being so very small and the company numerous and hungry they would be in danger of breaking the bones whiles they gnaw it so greedily For this and other reasons the Rabbins account the Chagigah of the fourteenth day to be many degrees less perfect than that of the fifteenth but it would be very tedious to quote their Ventilations about it Take only these few instances t t t t t t Pesachin ubi supr R. Issai saith the Chagigah on the fourteenth day is not our duty And a little after R. Eliezer saith by the Peace-Offerings which they stay on the evening of the Feast a man doth not his duty either as to rejoycing or as to Chagigah And now let us return to the words of our Evangelist III. It was the fifteenth day of the Month when the Fathers of the Council refused to enter into the Pretorium lest they should be defiled for they would eat the Passover that is the Chagigah 1. The Evangelist expresseth it after the common way of speaking when he calls it the Passover u u u u u u Zevachin fol. 7 2. It is written Observe the Month Abib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And keep the Passover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all that you do may go under the denomination of the Passover x x x x x x Menacoth fol. 3.
therefore very much deceived who think that Absalom let his hair grow out of pride when he did so indeed by reason of a vow at least a feigned vow of Nazarite-ship The Jerusalem Talmudists say very truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d d d d Nazir fol. 51. 2. Absalom say they was a perpetual Nazarite Very truly I say in this that they assert he was a Nazarite but of the perpetuity of his vow we will not here dispute See 2 Sam. XV. 7 8. There is in Tacitus a wicked Votary not unlike him Civilis by name of whom thus he speaks e e e e e e Hist. lib. 4. cap. 14. Civilis barbaro Voto post coepta adversus Romanos arma propexum rutilatumque crinem c. Civilis by a barbarous vow after armes taken up against the Romans laid down his long red hair the slaughter of the Legions being at last executed The Jews if they were not bound by the vow of a Nazarite cut their hair very often and however they did it at other times certainly always before a Feast and that in honour of the Feast that was approaching Whence a greater suspicion may here arise that these Corinthians by their long hair professed themselves Nazarites These f f f f f f Moed Katâ—n cap. 3. hal 1. cut their hair in the feast it self He that comes from a Heathen place and he that comes out of prison and the excommunicate person who is loosed from his excommunication The sense of the Tradition is this Those who were detained by some necessity before the Feast that they could not cut their hair might cut it in the Feast it self But if no such necessity hindred they cut their hair before the Feast and commonly on the very Eves of the Feast g g g g g g Piske Tosaph at Moed Katon Art 78. When any man cuts not his hair on the Eves of the Festival day but three days before it appears that he cut not his hair in honour of the Feast We cannot here omit this story h h h h h h Hieros Avodah Zarab fol. 41. 1. A certain Travailer who was a Barbar and an Astrologer saw by his Astrology that the Jews would shed his blood which was to be understood of his Proselytism namely when they circumcised him when a certain Jew therefore came to him to have his hair cut he cut his throat And how many throats did he cut R. Lazar ben Jose saith Eighty R. Jose ben R. Bon saith Three hundred VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her hair is given her for a Covering THE daughter of Nicodemus being reduced to miserable poverty going to Rabban Jochanan to speak to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Bab. Chetubb fol. 66. 2. vailed her self with her hair and stood before him The poor woman had no other vail therefore she used that which was given her by nature and she used it shall I say as a sign Or as an Instrument and mark of modesty and shamefacedness VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one taketh before other his own supper I. I Wonder the Agapae The love Feasts of which S. Jude speaks vers 12. should among Interpreters receive their exposition hence In those Feasts saith Beza which they call Agapae that they used to take the holy Supper of the Lord appears from 1 Cor. XI Of which thing discourse is had in Tertullians Apologetick Chap. XXXIX and in other writings of the Ancients So he also speaks at Act. II. 42. And upon this place The Apostle saith he passeth to another Head of this Discourse namely the administration of the Lords Supper to which the Love-feasts were joyned c. And upon the following verse The Love-feasts although they had been used a long while in the Church and commendably too the Apostles themselves being the Authors of them yet the Apostle judgeth them to be taken away because of their abuse So also Baronius The use of a most commendable thing persevered as yet in the Church that what Christ had done at his last Supper and had admonished his Disciples to do in remembrance of him that Christians meeting in the Church should sup together and withal should receive the most holy Eucharist Which nevertheless when the Corinthians fulfilled not as they ought Paul doth deservedly reprove He that should deny such charitable Feasts to have been used in the Church together with the Eucharist certainly would contradict all antiquity but whether those Feasts were these Agapae of which the Apostle Jude speaks whether those Feasts had Christ or his Apostles for their Authors and whether these Corinthian Feasts were such if any doubt he doth it not without cause nor doth he without probability believe the contrary Of these Corinthian Feasts here what Sedulius saith Among the Corinthians saith he heretofore as some assert prevailed an ill custom to dishonour the Churches every where by Feasts which they eat before the Lords Oblation Which Supper they began a nights and when the rich came drunk to the Eâ—charist the poor were vexed with hunger But that custom as they report came from the Gentile Superstition as yet among them Mark that I should say From the Jewish Superstition The very same is in Primasius II. If I may with the good leave of Antiquity speak freely that which I think concerning the Agapâ— of which the Apostle Jude speaks take it in a few words Those Agapae we suppose were when strangers were hospitably entertained in each Church and that at the cost of the Church And we are of opinion that this laudable custom was derived from the Synagogues of the Jews l l l l l l Gloss in Bavâ— Bathra f. 3. 2. In the Synagogues they neither eat nor drink c. But there was a place near the Synagogue in which Travellers were wont to sleep and eat Hence that in Pesachin m m m m m m Fol. 101. 1. where it is asked why they consecrate the day which was usual over a cup of wine in the Synagogue And it is answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Travellers also may do their duty who eat and drink and feast in the Synagogue Here the Glosser enquires whether it were lawful to eat and drink in the Synagogues when it is forbid by an open Canon n n n n n n Megil fol. 28. 1. And at length among other things he answereth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chambers which joyned to the Synagogue are called Synagogues also and from thence travellers heard the Consecration There was therefore a certain Hospital either near or joyning to the Synagogue wherein travellers and pilgrims were received and entertained at the common cost of the Synagogue Compare Act. XVIII 7. But now that a custom of so great charity was translated into the Christian Church there are many things which perswade as also that
cruelty and horridness that Rome Heathen could never shew its parallel And the old Roman valour though cruel enough yet would have been ashamed to have been so murtherous in so base and undermining a manner And now sursum corda lift up your hearts unto the Lord. It is very meet and right and our bounden duty so to do upon consideration of our deliverance and upon consideration from whom and what we were delivered Let us fall into the hands of the Lord saith David and not into the hands of men Where had we been had we fallen into the hands of these men Blessed ever blessed be our God that he did take us into his own hand and protection or else poor England had dwelt in silence Imagine in your thoughte that you saw that which your hearts abhor to imagine the cursed Plot to have taken place and effect as Abraham from the hills of Hebron saw the smoak of Sodom and Gomorrha ascend up to Heaven like the smoak of a furnace Imagine that you had seen King Parliament Religion England going up in fire and smoak and destroyed and come to nothing can our hearts but quake and tremble at the only imagination of such a sight Oh! what great things hath God done for us that we neither saw it nor heard of it yea the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce They shew how sensible they are from what and from whom they are delivered that sing so triumphantly and praise God so heartily upon the Fall of Babylon Revel XIX the beginning and they intimate what a vexation a curse a plague that was to the World while it stood when they so were ravished with joy when it is taken away After these things saith the Apocalyptick I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven saying Alleluia salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God For he hath judged the great whore that corrupted the earth c. And again they said Alleluia vers 3. And again Amen Alleluja vers 4. They never think they can say enough for such a deliverance of them from so mischievous a vexer and enemy The word Hallelujah is frequently in Davids Psalms rendred Praise ye the Lord. Ye first meet with it at the latter end of Psalm CIV where the Jews note upon it is not impertinent viz. That Hallelujah comes not till there be tidings of the ruin and destruction of ungodly men and such you have in the last verse of that Psalm Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more Bless thou the Lord O my soul. Hallelujah Ye have the like in that place of Revelations the wicked destroyed Babylon Babylon no more but ruined fired and her smoke goeth up for ever and ever and then are the mouths of all the Church of God filled with Hallelujahs praising of the Lord for so great deliverance When Babylon shall be destroyed I shall not go about to prophesie too many have lost themselves in that boldness and curiosity but when the Plots of Babylon have destroyed especially such an one as this was which would have destroyed us all when such brats of Babylon are dashed against the stones we know not what Babylon is nor what our own interest is if our mouths be not filled with Hallelujahs and our hearts with the praises of the Lord. Where had England been by this time if the Plot designed had taken effect We had been by this time like the Syrians blindfold in the midst of Samaria our eyes blinded with the smoak of the bottomless pit that we should never have seen the light of that Truth and Gospel that we now behold Blindness and ignorance and superstition had been entailed upon us to all generations Except the Lord had been on our side now may Israel say except the Lord had been on our side when men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased with us This is a day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it A SERMON PREACHED AT ELY Novemb. V. MDCLXX REVEL XX. 7 8. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel whose number is as the sand of the Sea A Very sad story and heavy news Satan loose Gog and Magog in arms Nations deceived and a numberless army mustered and going forth to battel against the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City as it is related in the verse following It is no wonder if there go before such a rout as this such a Proclamation as you have Chap. XII 12. Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come out among you having great wrath I and having a great army too And as Balaam complains Alas who shall live when the Lord doth this Numb XXIV So may we Alas who shall live when the Devil doth this and the Lord suffer him You cannot blame Elishas servant when he saw the City where he was beset round about with Syrians if he cried out Alas Master what shall we do If the matter of the Text have any relation to our times we have much reason to make such a crying out Alas Men and Brethren what shall we do And whether the things concern our times we shall search as we go along You see in the Text the Monster Goliath and his uncircumcised Philistins marching against the poor Israel of God and if God be not with them what will become of them Now blessed be the Lord God of Israel for that he hath set such a memorial upon this day as he hath done and written as it were upon it Emanuel God with us For if the Lord had not been on our side now may England say if the Lord had not been on our side when these enemies rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when they were so enraged against us For that those that then contrived our Destruction were of Satans army I believe none but they themselves will be so senseless as to deny and that they were of Gog and Magogs regiments the design it self and the truth it self makes undeniable That may seem something in consistence with the Text which the Apostle speaks Eph. VI. 12. We have not to fight against flesh and blood but against the Rulers of the darkness of this world But the Text tells that we have to fight against them and against flesh and blood too against Satan and against Gog and Magogs army also But the Apostle understands the word only which if spoken out makes the sense clear and reconciles him and our Apocalyptick very well and very easily together We have not to fight against flesh and blood only but against principalities c. And such
the gift of God as well as Pardon It is he that pours out the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. XII 10. Him God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. V. 31. Therefore that man takes the interest of God and Christ out of their hands that presumes he shall give himself Repentance and that when he pleaseth Can such a man give himself life when God will not give it health when God will not give it And can he give himself Repentance when God will not give it They in the Apostle James that say To day or to morrow we will go into such or such a City c. are justly confuted by the uncertainty of their life that can so little maintain it that cannot tell how long or little it shall be maintained So those that promise to themselves repentance the next year or the other besides that they cannot promise to themselves to live to such a time and if they do can they any more give themselves repentance then than they can now Or can they presume God will give them repentance then any more than now I remember that passage of the Apostle 2 Tim. II. 15. If peradventure God will give them repentance If the Apostle put it to a Peradventure whether God will give them repentance I dare say it is past all peradventure they cannot give it themselves It is God that gives repentance as well as he gives pardon For he and he only is the giver of all grace and repentance is the gift of sanctifying grace as pardon is of justifying 2. He that hath set conditions upon which to give repentance a rule whereby to come to repentance as well as he hath set repentance the rule whereby to come to pardon And his rule is Take Gods time as well as take Gods way His way is to attend upon his word that calls for repentance to cast away every thing that may hinder repentance So his time is Betake to repentance when God calls for repentance And that is this day this very hour every day every hour We hear of to day and while it is called to day in the claiming of mans duty but we never hear of to morrow or the next day much less of the next month or next year or I know not how long to come How ever this man in the Text neglected Gods time all his life and yet sped well enough at his later end because God would make him a singular example of Gods mercy and Christ's Purchase and triumph yet canst thou find no reason in the world to expect the like mercy if thou neglectest Gods time unless thou canst think of Gods setting thy name in the Bible for a monument to all posterity as he did this mans The Rule of our duty that we go by and not by Providence especially miraculous and extraordinary Now the rule of our duty teacheth that we delay not any time but to it to day while it is called to day And as our Saviour's lesson is about not taking care for to morrow in respect of food and clothing so we may say We are not to put off the care till to morrow in respect of repentance and amendment Object But do you think that Death-bed repentance never speeds well There have been many that have not betaken themselves to repentance nay nor never thought of repenting till death hath been ready to seize on them and yet then have shewed great tokens of repentance and have made a very hopeful end Answer We must distinguish the rule of our duty and the rule of judging others The rule of our duty is plain and legible the rule of our judging others is not so plain if so be we have any rule at all besides the rule of Charity which not seldom is mistaken It is not for us in such cases to be so wise as either to limit God or to be too confident of our own determinations or too ready to judge The words of our Saviour may hint unto us a good caution in this case Joh. XXI 22. What is that to thee follow thou me Be not inquisitive after other mens occasions but mind thine own And this may be very pertinent counsel Venture not Salvation upon such late Repentance and venture not to have the question determined in your case but keep to the stated and fixed Rule A SERMON PREACHED upon ACTS XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both TWO Parties mentioned in the Text that are oft mentioned and oft mentioned together in several other places in the New Testament viz. The Pharisees and Sadducees Simeon and Levi. Brethren in evil though at enmity among themselves Samsons Foxes looking with their faces several ways but their tails meeting together in heresie and mischiaf Their Doctrine different in many particulars but both corrupt leaven and equally to be taken heed of Mat. XVI 12. Their manners different and their hearts envious one against another yet both agreeing to be vexatious to Christ and both proving alike a generation of Vipers Matth. III. 7. Parties that differed not only about this Article of Religion viz. The resurrection and the World to come but that differed even about the whole Frame of Religion For the Pharisees would have their Religion to be built upon Traditions and the Sadducees would admit of no Tradition at all The Pharisees admitted all the Books of the old Testament to be read in the Synagogue the Sadducees the Books of Moses only The Sadducees sound in this particular that they would not admit of Traditions as the Pharisees did But as unsound again in that they would not acknowledge the Resurrection The Pharisees sound in that particular in that they acknowledged the Resurrection which the Sadducees did not But as unsound again in that they so denoted upon Traditions as they did Both erring from the truth and not a little and both maintaining opinions directly contrary to the way of Salvation and directly contrary to one another It is a saying of the Jewish writers and is very true That after the death of the later Prophets Zechary and Malachi the Spirit of Prophesie departed from Israel and went up So that there was no Prophet thenceforward among them no Vision no Revelation no Oracle by Urim and Thummim at the least for four hundred years till the rising of the Gospel Ah! poor nation how art thou not stript of thy great jewel and priviledge the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation What will now become of thee when thy Prophts are gone and such divine Guids and Teachers are no more Time was when thou mightest in thy doubting have recourse to them and they could resolve thee in thy fear have recourse to their prayers and they would prevail for thee in thy desire to know the mind of God and they would inform thee But now what
as they were now set one of the Company the Master of the family if there were but one family in the society or if there were more some sit man chosen out for that purpose whom they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rehearser of the office of the Passover gave thanks over the Wine and then they drank it off The thanksgiving was in reference to the Wine and in reference to the Day The Schools of Hillel and Shammai differ about the precedency of these two or whether of them should first take place but whether soever went first for it is not worth labour to trace the dispute the tenour of his thanksgiving was to this purpose over the Wine he said * * * Talm. in Beracoth per. 6. Blessed be thou O Lord who hast created the fruit of the Vine and as concerning the day he used such words as these ‖ ‖ ‖ Maym. in Birk Mazon Blessed be thou for this good day and for this holy convocation which thou hast given us for joy and rejoycing Blessed be thou O Lord who hast sanctified Israel and the times IV. * * * Id. in Hâ—amets c. ubi ante Then did they every one of them wash their hands over which action the Officiator for so let us call him uttered this ejaculation Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hath sanctified us with his commandments and hath commanded us concerning the washing of our hands They used on this night to wash their hands twice whereas at other Suppers they washed but once and this different and extraordinary so doing it was their course to take notice of and to speak of as they were at supper using this passage amongst others that they uttered at that time How different is this night from all other nights for all other nights we wash but once but this night we wash twice They use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the washing of their hands by which betokeneth dipping for in that way they washed them at this time The Treatise ‖ ‖ ‖ Talm. in Iadajim per. 2. Tosapht ibid. Jadajim and the Tosaphta there do intimate unto us that they had a twofold way of washing their hands Netilah and Tebhilah either by pouring water upon them or by putting them into the water and they difference these two washings by these circumstances besides the different application of the water that he that put his hands into the water needed not to dry them but he that poured water on them needed He that had water poured on them must lift up his hands yet so as the water might not run above his wrist nor return upon his hands for making them unclean but there drop off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 7. 3. But he that puts his hands into water needed not to lift them up c. He that puts his hands into the water is said to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dip his hands and he that had water poured upon them was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wash his hands and yet both of these kinds of washing were indifferently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Netilath Jadajim washing of the hands V. They having washed the table was then furnished with what provision they held requisite for that supper and that was of several sorts For besides the Passover Lamb and unleavened Bread and bitter Herbs for the use of which they had an express command they had at the least two dishes besides and sometimes three which they had taken up the use of upon tradition Let us view all their dishes particularly 1. There were two or three cakes of unleavened bread * * * Vid. Gloss. ad Maym. ubi ante for the number is under some dispute and the eating of this bread they held so undispensable a command that infants and sick persons were to be brought to it and if they were not able to eat it dry they had it sopt and macerated in some liquid thing that so they might eat of it at least to the quantity of an Olive And as for persons of health and strength they were to eat very little meat of all day that they might eat unleavened bread with hungring and appetite at night and many of them would fast all day for that purpose Especially they might not eat unleavened bread of all day because there should be a distinct appetitive eating of it at the Passover and he that eat any unleavened Bread that day before that time he was beaten with the Rebels stripes 2. The herbs they used were five kinds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lettice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Endive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Succory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horehound or some such herbs as these some of them sallet herbs and some bitter and these either green or dried but neither boiled nor pickled And the general and the proper reason that is given for the use of this rite of eating bitter herbs is * * * R. Sol. in Exod. 12. that they might hereby remember the bitter affliction that they underwent in Egypt But the fancy of a Spanish Jew cited by Aben Ezra is somewhat singular in this point which let me produce in his words * * * Ab. Ezr. in Exod. 12. One of the wise men of Spain saith he saith it is well known that moisture is predominant in the land of Egypt because of the waters of the river and because they have no rains there therefore the air is continually moist Hereupon it was their custom at all their Tables to eat divers kinds of bitter herbs and mustard And though an Egyptian had but one bit of meat yet had he ever bitter herbs at his Table to dip his meat in which was a help for their air But we will adhere to the judgment of our ancients of blessed memory which have expounded to us that the bitter herbs were a memorial of that passage They made their lives bitter Exod. 1. 3. The body of the Paschal Lamb was also set upon the Table rosted whole and so brought up * * * Pâ—sach ubi supr the Legs and Inwards as Heart Liver c. held by some to have been put and rosted within him but by others to have been fastned by some means upon his body and so rosted on the outside of him Now besides these three dishes of Bread Flesh and Sallet so positively appointed by the Law 4. They used to eat some other meat before they began to eat of the Paschal And the reason of this was because they would eat of that to satiety * * * Maym. in Corban Pesack per. 8. For it was held a choice command that a man should eat the flesh of the Passover with an eating to satiety therefore if he had offered his fourteenth days peace offerings then he eat of them first and afterward he eat of the flesh of the
True indeed the Adults that were baptized confessed their sins but this restrains not baptism to them alone because there are several ends of it applicable to those that know not especially that in the next particular As to the second That Baptism belongs to none but such as are in the Covenant and that it is a seal of our righteousness This phrase is fetched from IV. Rom. 11. And he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the Faith Which place is expounded to mean a seal of the persons righteousness that receives it But to examine this place 1. It is said to be a sign now a sign is to help unbelief and to confirm doctrine Exod. IV. Moses miracles there mentioned were to be signs to make the Israelites believe his message 1 Cor. XIV 22. Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not And to that purpose is that of our Saviour Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe 2. The Doctrines there delivered are well worth such a Confirmation namely first That a sinner upon his believing in Christ becomes righteous this is the greatest truth Secondly That he becomes righteous by another this was a wonder to the Jews Thirdly That it is by a better righteousness than Adams Fourthly That it is by a righteousness infinite viz. A righteousness that outvies condemning righteousness and that very same righteousness that God gives to Christ. So that the meaning of those words the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the Faith is that it was a Seal to confirm that great Doctrine So Sacraments are to Seal the truth of God He hath put to his Seal in the Sacrament as a Seal to a Dead confirms the truth of it So that Circumcision is a Seal of the same truth to Esau Judas c. else it loses its nature which is to confirm Gods truth And so the Sacraments are Seals of Gods truth Baptism seals that truth that washing by the blood of Christ cleanseth us from our sins So that though children know not what baptism means yet it hath this nature III. They were all baptized unto Moses i. e. unto his discipline They were circumcised unto God viz. unto true religion Now they are baptized into Moses that is into his Way Baptism is to enter us into the true profession Matth. XXVIII 19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that is into the profession of the true God So in the Name of Jesus that is into his belief and religion Hence also Infants are capable of Baptism as it is a distinctive body that marks us out for Christians And therefore we are said to be all baptized into one body 1 Cor. XII 13. So the children of Israel were circumoised though they were born Israelites that they might be marked for Gods people As to the fourth observable in the Text baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea I cannot now insist on that The Conclusion is that we retain this Sacrament without doubting It carries its warrant in its institution and in its own nature I will leave two directions with you I. Rest not in a negative Religion only II. Let the practise of the Church have authority with you A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge Febr. 24. 1655 6. LUKE XI 2. When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven THE words are our Saviours And they are a sweet condescention to a pious request in the verse before where Christ praying publickly as it seems among his Disciples one affected with it prays Lord teach us to pray Where was this Disciple at the Sermon in the Mount Matth. VI. 9. where Christ had taught them to pray Was he absent or had he forgot Or did he not rightly understand However it was Christ yields to his request and gives the same directions again here as he had done there There it is After this manner pray ye Here When ye pray say In the Text are two things contained The one is Christs giving a Platform of prayer When ye pray say The other is The form given Our Father which art in Heaven c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When leaves us not at liberty but commands us and is of the same import with another saying of our Saviour when he instituted his holy Supper As oft as ye do this do it in remembrance of me Out of the former I Observe two things I. That we had need to pray II. That we had need to be taught to pray Two truths confirmed by three witnesses John this Disciple and Christ. Ask John why he taught his Disciples to pray he will answer these two things viz. because they had need to pray and because they had need to be taught to pray Ask the Disciple why he asked Christ to teach him to pray he will answer so Ask Christ why he taught his Disciples to pray he will answer so also As there are many Comments on these subjects so there is as copious handling them So that I shall not handle them at large but speak to them in a few illustrations and so pass to insist rather on the second viz. The Form it self I. That we had need to pray And that first because of our Duty Secondly Because of our Wants In regard of what we owe to God and in regard of what we expect from him These both draw and drive us Accordingly the Lords Prayer consists of two general parts first we pray in adoration to his Name Kingdom Will in the three first petitions and then for our wants in the last I shall not now speak how Prayer is Adoration of God nor how it is commanded by Scripture on that account I shall only at present shew First That it is a duty and that we had need pray because of our Duty And for ◠that purpose observe 1. It is a Duty written in nature That in Gen. IV. ult Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord however understood shews it from the beginning Hence the Heathen prayed though they mistook in the manner of praying Matth. VI. 7. 2. It is a Duty for every man and woman in the World to perform All flesh come to thee LXV Psal. 2. And Psal. CL. ult Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. T is a Duty due upon our creature-ship It is the Duty of the holiest men Psal. XXXII 6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee And of the wickedest also even Magus was to pray to God Act. VIII 22. It is so a Duty for the holiest that it lay upon Adam in innocency It lay upon Christ in the Flesh he prayed both because of his Duty and because of his wants V. Heb. 7. Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him from death and was heard in that he feared It lies upon glorified Saints in one part of it viz. Thanksgiving It is so a Duty for the unholiest that though they sin in their prayers yet they sin worse if they pray not Your prayers are not sin as to the Act but because of other things External adoration is absolutely required to be given to God by all his creatures and if that be not yielded they doubtless sin This the wicked man when he prays gives to God They mistake foul that say Pray not till the Spirit move you Truth saith Pray because Duty requires you and in doing your duty wait for the Spirit 3. It is a Duty that makes out and sanctifies all our duties As 1 Tim. IV. 5. Every creature of God is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer So is every religious duty that we perform What is our hearing reading meditation if we pray not that God would sanctifie it and make it beneficial to holy ends and purposes to us 4. We had need to pray in reference to our Duty lest God turn us out of all and own us not for Tenants because we pay not our Rent You read in XXX Exod. 12. c. That every Israelite was to give half a shekel for the Redemption of his Soul the rich was not to give more nor the poor less This Christ himself paid Matth. XVII 24. c. Prayer is that half shekel to us The rich can give no more and the poor hath this to give viz. To make our humble acknowledgments to God for our lives and our comforts This is the greatest owning of our homage and none is so poor as to be without it The words that signifie Prayer speak this viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judging our selves and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depending upon grace We hold all upon grace The acknowledgment of this is the payment of our Homage to our Creator Would you comfortably enjoy your Houses Lands Studies Comforts pay your Rent Pray Pray Pray See what becomes of them that pay not this Homage Jerem. X. 25. Pour out thy sury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name Secondly We had need pray because of our wants This is the only way for our supply II. This is the bucket to draw our Water Ask and you shall have Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee Yea though God know our wants we must pray for the supply of them That is a strange motive to prayer in Matth. VI. 8. Your heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask them What need then is there to tell them If he will give he will give whether we ask or ask not Yes pray for what ye stand in need of though ye are sure of the grant of those things Daniel prayed for the restoration of the Captivity which he knew certain David for the pardon of his sin which he knew God would pardon And that for these reasons First God will have his Homage T is reason Elias should have his cake first that provides meal for the maintenance of the whole family 1 Kings XVII 13. Secondly We pray not to shew God our wants as if he were ignorant of them but to shew that we are sensible of them and to signifie that we know he only is able to supply them Saints are called poor because they know their wants and know they live on Gods Alms. See Rev. III. 17 18. Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsil thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich c. God would that this Church of Laodicca should know her wants and buy by prayer the supply of them Thirdly I may add We had need to pray because of our advantage and benefit yea though we receive not particularly what we pray for Though as Psal. XXII 2. We cry in the day time and God heareth not and in the night season we take no rest Though God seem as in Psal. LXXXVIII 14. to cast off our Soul and hide his face from us yet we had need to pray still because we still want and if we never receive particularly what we pray for yet these benefits we shall reap by our prayers 1. We keep up and refresh our communion with God Constant prayer hath this advantage that it suffereth not God to forget us Lord why hast thou forgotten me saith David Prayer permits not God to forget no more than a Mother can forget a crying child He that prays is Gods Remembrancer and gives him no rest 2. The more we pray the better God will know our faces at the day of judgment I know you not shall Christ say to some why They never looked towards him Psal. XIV 2 3. The Lord looked down from Heaven to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside c. And I. Esay 4. There t is said of wicked men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are estranged backward or turned backward To these methinks the great Judge will say another day Ye were always strangers to me such as turned their backs upon me I could never see your face and therefore verily I know you not But on the contrary he that now confesses Christ and makes himself known to him by prayers and humble addresses he will know and confess him at the day of Judgment 3. The more we pray the more the heart is in Heaven and with God So that Prayer it self is a blessed benefit Phil. III. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven This of all other Conversations is the heavenly Conversation As Christ when he prayed was transfigured Luke IX 29. So in prayer the Christians heart is changed the soul is winged and mounts up till it gets hold of God as Jacob had him in his arms when he prayed 4. Time will come that all our prayers and tears shall meet us God puts our tears in his Bottle God reserves our prayers not one of them is left and we shall in time receive the fruit of them In 1 Kings VIII 59. There Solomon prays Let these my words wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night that he maintain the cause of his Servant c. Prayers are nigh unto God And thus I have finished the first Observation viz. That we had need to pray I come to the second II. That we had need to be taught to pray There is no doing spiritual work but according to the Patern in the Mount God prescribed Forms As at the offering of the first-fruits of the Land of Canaan XXVI Deut. 3 4. c. Thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days and
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