Kingdom of Heaven and so it grew on more and more till Jerusalem was destroyed and then was the perfect day when the Gentiles only were become the Church of Christ and no Church or Commonwealth of Israel to be had at all but they destroyed and ruined Secondly here Peter hath the keys of the Kingdom and unlocked the door for the Gentiles to come in to the Faith and Gospel which till now had been shut and they kept out And Peter only had the keys and none of the Apostles or Disciples but he for though they from hence forward brought in Gentiles dayly into the Kingdom of Heaven by converting them to the Gospel yet it was he that first and only opened the door and the door being once opened was never shut nor never shall be to the end of the world And this was all the priority that Peter had before the other Apostles if it were any priority and how little this concerneth Rome or the Papacy as to be any foundation of it a child may observe 3. Peter here looseth the greatest strictness and what was the straitest bound up of any thing that was in all the policy of Moses and customs of the Jews and that was the difference of clean and unclean in the legal sense And this he looseth on earth and it is loosed in heaven for from heaven had he an immediate warrant to dissolve it And this he doth first declaratively shewing that nothing henceforward is to be called common or unclean and shewing his authority for this doctrine and then practically conforming himself to this doctrine that he taught by going in unto the uncircumcised and eating with them Binding and loosing in our Saviours sense and in the Jews sense from whose use he taketh the phrase is of things and not of persons for Christ saith to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever thou bindest and not whomsoever and to the other Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 18. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things and not whatsoever persons so that though it be true indeed that Jews and Gentiles are loosed henceforward one to the communion of another yet the proper object of this loosing that is loosed by Peter was that Law or doctrine that tied them up and so concerning the eating of those things that had been prohibited it is true indeed that the Jews were let loose henceforward to the use of them in diet and to eat what they thought good but this loosing was not so properly of the men as the loosing of that prohibition that had bound them before And this could be no way but doctrinally by teaching that Christian liberty that was given by the Gospel Now though Peter only and none but he had the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven yet had all the Apostles the power of binding and loosing as well as he and so have all the Ministers of the Gospel as well as they and all in the same sense namely doctrinally to teach what is bound and loose or lawful and unlawful but not in the same kind for the Apostles having the constant and unerring assistance of the Holy Ghost did nullifie by their doctrine some part of Moses Law as to the use of it as Circumcision Sacrifices Purifyings and other legal Rites which could not have been done by men that had not had such a spirit for there must be the same spirit of Prophecy to abrogate a Law which had set it in force This matter therefore of Cornelius his calling in as the first-fruits of the Gentiles is a thing that deserves very high regard and consideration as in which are includâ—â— and involved so many things of note as have been mentioned and divers others that might be added thereunto and in the consideration of the matter the time of it is not to be neglected which to the serious and considerate Reader and weigher of things in the ballance of Judgment will appear to be in this year in which we have laid it especially that being concluded upon which before we proved undeniable that the Famine was in the second year of Claudius And this time is the rather to be looked upon because that some do foolishly misconstrue a clause in Daniel 9. 27. by missing of the right time of this occurence of Cornelius For looking no further into the text than in our English translation which there hath not spoken the mind of the Original they conceive that Christ dyed in the midst of the last seven years of the seventy sevens namely when three years and an half of the seven were gone and that at the end of the other three and an half Cornelius was converted and so they will make those seventies to end in that his conversion and not in Christs death which were scarcely worth answering though we had time and season to do it seeing it riseth from a mistake in the Text and sets in a mistake of the time Vers. 30. Four days ago I was fasting c. The Greek hath it From the fourth day until this hour I was or have been fasting by which it seemeth that Cornelius had now been fasting four days together as Paul was three days at his conversion Chap. 9. 9. But it is not much material whether we understand it so or as it is commonly understood of his fasting four days since till such an hour of that day as it was now of this day when he is speaking to Peter unless we will make any thing of it that the Jews espcially upon their solemn days used to taste nothing till noon and Cornelius herein follows there custome and that it was about noon when Peter comes to Cornelius as it was about noon when Cornelius messengers came to Peter And so the distance betwixt Caesarea Joppa to be a days journey and an half Vers. 36. The Word which God sent Beza supposeth that this verse ought to be referred and joyned to the verse that went before and they two together to be construed to this sense Now I know that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him which is the very doctrine which God sent among the children of Israel by Moses and the Prophets preaching peace by them by Jesus Christ. And one main induction that he hath to this construction is because otherwise it would be improper for Peter to say Cornelius and his friends knew this word when it was Peters very errand to instruct them in it and teach it to them But the words are to be read and taken in the sense that our English hath well made of them namely as following the word ye know For all the Country knew that Jesus preached and preached peace and the like and thousands though they knew that he preached and what he preached yet did they not
12. that is who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch the knowledge of the Word from thence or the Doctrine of the Gospel the Word of Faith Rom. 10. 6 7 8. And so upon the observation of these three things thus laid down the connexion of this verse that we have in hand with the former and the sense of it in its self doth easily and evidently arise to this sense Ye believe not when I speak to you but the familiar and visible things of the Kingdom of Heaven and how then will you believe if I should speak of the highest and most heavenly mysteries of it And yet from me alone are those things to be learned and known for none can go up to Heaven to fetch the knowledge of them from thence but I came down from Heaven to reveal the will of God and to declare the Doctrine and Mysteries of Salvation and therefore if you believe not what I speak unto you you will never attain to the knowledge of the things of the Kingdom of Heaven And thus doth Christ tax Nicodemus and the Jews for a double unbelief 1. As in reference to him the Teacher whom they believed not though he alone was he who could and who was come to teach and reveal the great mysteries of the Gospel 2. As in reference to the things now taught which they believed not though they were the most visible and facil things of the Kingdom of Heaven And withal he holdeth out unto them a double instruction 1. That they should believe him about these heavenly things because he came down from Heaven And 2. That if they would not believe him in these things they must never expect to know them for none could go up to Heaven to fetch them thence The very same thing in sense with that in Chap. 1. 18. §. But he that came down from Heaven Here doth Christ speak one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of in the verse preceding a most heavenly point of the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven and that is about his own incarnation and he doth clearly shew the distinction of his two natures in one person his humane nature intimated in the title The Son of man the Divine Nature in that he saith he came down from Heaven and the union of these two when he saith that the Son of man is in Heaven Now Christ is said to come down from Heaven as Joh. 6. 51. first to intimate his Divine Nature and to shew that he was more than a meer man and so the Apostle interprets and applies the phrase 1 Cor. 15. 47. The first man is of the earth earthly The second man is the Lord from Heaven And so likewise when it is said of Christ that he was the Manna that came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 58. it sheweth and meaneth that he was a bread of a more high and eminent nature than the Manna that the Israelites eat in the wilderness and yet that was rained from Heaven too Neh. 9. 15. but Heaven here and in that place admitteth of a differing construction Secondly It is the usual speech of Scripture when it is relating the appearing of any of the persons in the Trinity in a visible evidence to say that God came down Exod. 3. 8. Exod. 19. 18. the Holy Ghost came down Luke 3. 22. c. And so may it be used of Christ in humane flesh when the Son of God appeared so visibly amongst men as that he conversed with them in their own nature it may very significantly be said of him that he came down from Heaven Not that the Godhead can change places which filleth all things nor that Christ brought his humane nature locally out of Heaven as hath been erred by some nor yet only because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost as it is construed by others but because he being the invisible God did appear visibly and in humane nature among the Sons of men §. The Son of man which is in Heaven Here is the truth and reality asserted both of his manhood and of his Godhead his manhood in that he is called The Son of man His Godhead in that he is said to be in Heaven And this doth not only confute those Heresies that have maintained that either Christ had not a real humane body or that he had not a real humane soul or that he consisted not of two distinct natures or that he was two distinct persons but this doth also set a plain and large difference detween the appearing of Angels in humane shapes and the appearing of Christ in humane flesh They were indeed in the shape of men but they were not the Sons of men but Christ was they when they were apparent upon earth in such shapes were not then in Heaven but he was Now how the Son of man may be said to be in Heaven whilest he was now speaking to Nicodemus on Earth may be resolved with a double answer 1. Because his conversation all the while he was upon the earth was intirely in Heaven For so is the conversation of the Saints of God on Earth said to be Phil. 3. 20. Et quanto magis Christi qui semper inspexerit Patris intima And how much more saith Grotius was the conversation of Christ there who always beheld the very bosom of the Father As Joh. 1. 18. And so doth Cajetan understand it that Christs humane soul did enjoy the beatifical vision of God continually and therefore he may well be said to be in Heaven even whilest he was on Earth But secondly this may properly be understood per communicationem idiomatum as Divines express it that is in such a sense as the Scripture intends when it applies the several properties of the two distinct natures in Christ indifferently to the whole person For the understanding of which and for the construing of this and divers other places of this nature these things may be taken into consideration 1. That as in the blessed Trinity there is distinction of persons but not distinction of natures so on the contrary in our blessed Saviour there is distinction of natures but not distinction of persons His Divine Nature one thing his Humane another but the person but one as in the constitution and being of our selves the soul is one thing and the body another and yet they constitute and make up but one man 2. That these two distinct natures in our Saviour had their distinct and several properties which were not communicable from the one to the other essentially as the manhood did not rise to infinity like the Godhead nor to those properties that are essential to infinity nor the Godhead descend to infirmity like the manhood nor to those properties that are essential to the infirmity of manhood 3. That though there were in Christ these really distinct natures and really distinct properties of these natures yet in regard of their union in his one person the Scripture doth not seldom
is exceedingly delighted with and given to the cruelty of the Sword-plays in which he swept away a world of Servants and Freemen that had been accusers of their Masters in the time of Caius And which was most ridiculous he caused the statue of Augustus to be removed out of the place because it should not behold such bloody work being inhumanely himself delighted in that butchery which he thought too barbarous for a brazen statue to look upon These bloody spectacles brought him to an habit of cruelty which was augmented and hardened in him by the damnable counsels of his Empress Messalina a woman wicked above parallel or expression and by the spurrings on of other sycophants C. Appius Silanus is put to death because he refused to incestuate Messalina when she desired him for he had married her mother but because Claudius must not hear of this beastly cause of her displeasure Narcissus a freeman of the Emperor accused him for this that in a dream he had seen Appius slay the Emperor Upon his death the people began to expect no more goodness from Claudius at all but gave him up for a Tyrant like the two that had gone before him whereupon Annius Vincianus and Futius Camillus Scribonianus and others conspired against him but being deserted of their souldiers in the enterprize they are glad to end their lives by their own hands that they might escape the executioners Messalina and Narcissus and others of their faction using the stupid folly of the Emperor to the compassing of their own wills involve in false accusations and in miserable deaths an infinite multitude of men and women honorable and inferior of all qualities and conditions according as the spleen of any of them moved or was provoked Among them that thus perished Arria the wife of Caecinna is upon record for her Roman valour for when her husband trembled and was afraid to slay himself she took the sword out of his hand and fell upon it and gave it him again reeking with her blood with these words Behold boy how I feel no pain And now saith my Author were matters come to such a pass that nothing was reputed a greater vertue than to die valiantly and like a Roman To such a cruelty had custom and evil counsel brought him that of himself was of a reasonable gentle nature but wanted constancy and discretion to manage it THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY THE Jewish and the Roman Of the Year of CHRIST XLIV And of the Emperor CLAUDIUS III. Being the Year of the WORLD 3971. And of the City of ROME 796. Consuls Claudius Caesar III. L. Uitellius ACTS CHAP. XII Vers. 2. And he killed Iames. §. 1. The Martyrdom of James the great WE are now come to the time of Great James his death For Agrippa coming the last year into Judea as we saw from Josephus and it not being probable that he should do this exploit before Easter as the circumstances told us we may justly take this year for its proper time and place Now about that time saith St. Luke Herod the King the Syriack addeth who is called Agrippa stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Jews and he killed James the brother of John with the sword The first words About that time relate to what went before in the preceding Chapter vers 28. and meaneth in the days of Claudius Caesar. Now what should be the incentive of the spleen of Agrippa against the Church is not specified it may well be supposed it proceeded from that his Ceremoniousness and strict observance of Mosaick Rites which is mentioned by Josephus Concerning the Martyrdom of James under this his spleen we will content our selves with the words of the Text He killed James the brother of John with the sword accounting all other additional circumstances which may be found in officious Authors to be nothing else but gilded legends and fond inventions As that mentioned by Eusebius out of Cleniens his Hypotyposeon concerning his accuser that seeing his constancy to the death confessed the faith and was martyred with him That by Epiphanius that he lived and died a Virgin and that by * * * Tom. 2. Iulii 25. Surius who is the bell-weather for old winter tales that telleth That his body after his martyrdom was shipped by Ctesiphon and his fellow-Bishops for Spain that the Ship in six days was directed thither without Pilot or Compass but only by the influence of the Corps that it carried That at the landing the body was taken up into the air and carried near the place of its burial twelve miles off That Ctesiphon and his fellows werâ— led to it by an Angel And more such trash that it is but labour lost either to read or mention §. 2. The Apostles Creed The Creed was made upon this occasion saith a a a De Institut Cleric l. 2. c. 56. extat in Auctario ad Biblioth Patrum â—ol 620 Rabanus Maâ—…s as our Ancestors have delivered unto us The Disciples after the Ascension of our Saviour being inflamed with the Holy Ghost c. And being charged by the Lord to go to all Nations for the preaching of the Gospel when they are to part one from another they first make a common platform among themselves for their future preaching Lest being severed in place divers and different things should be preached to those that were invited to the faith of Christ. Being therefore together in one place and filled with the Holy Ghost they compose a short platform for their preaching conferring together what they thought And this they appoint to be given to them that believe and to be called Symbolum c. Thus he and very many others with him conceiving that the Apostles supplied not only the matter of the Doctrine contained in the Creed but the very form and words also For Peter said say they I believe in God the Father Almighty John The maker of Heaven and Earth James And I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Andrew Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary Philip Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Thomas He descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead Bartholomew He ascended into Heaven sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty Matthew From thence shall he come to judge both the quick and the dead James the son of Alpheus I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church Simon Zelotes The communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins Judas the brother of James The resurrection of the flesh Matthias The life everlasting Amen Thus the hundred and fifteenth Sermon de Tempore that goeth under the name of b b b Tom. 10. col 849. Austen but apparent that it is not his by this that here is reckoned the descent into Hell which in his book c c c Tom. 3. p. 143. de Fide Symbolo is quite omitted Now were this
examples of this nature Let a third Decad also be added that nothing may be left unsaid in this matter giving examples of the parts of the phrase distinctly and by themselves 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Maimon Mamrim cap. 2. The things which they bound not that they might make a hedg to the Law 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k k k k k k Id. in Hameâ—s Matsah cap. 1. The Scribes bound the leaven 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Id. ibid. cap. 5. They neither punished nor bound unless concerning the leaven it self 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m m m m Id. ib. cap. 9. The wise men bound the eating of leaven from the beginning of the sixth hour of the day of the Passover 5. n n n n n n Hieros Avod Zarah fol. 39. 2 R. Abhu saith R. Gamaliel ben Rabbi asked me What if I should go into the Market 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I bound it him 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Maimon Mamrim cap. 2. The Sanhedrin which looseth two things let it not hasten to loose three 2. p p p p p p Tanchum fol. 1. 3. R. Iochanan saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They necessarily loose saluting on the Sabbath 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q q q q Id. fol. 74. 3. The wise men loose all oyls or all fat things 4. r r r r r r Schabb. cap. 1. Hal. 5. The School of Shammai saith They do not steep ink colours and vetches on the Eve of the Sabbath unless they be steeped before the day be ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the School of Hillel looseth it Many more such like instances occur there 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s s s s s s Hieros Schab fol. 3. 1. R. Meir loosed the mixing of wine and oyl to anoint a sick man on the Sabbath To these may be added if need were the frequent shall I say or infinite use of the phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bound and Loosed which we meet with thousands of times over But from these allegations the Reader sees abundantly enough both the frequency and the common use of this phrase and the sense of it also namely first that it is used in Doctrine and in Judgments concerning things allowed or not allowed in the Law Secondly that to bind is the same with to forbid or to declare forbidden To think that Christ when he used the common phrase was not understood by his hearers in the common and vulgar sense shall I call it a matter of laughter or of madness To this therefore do these words amount When the time was come wherein the Mosaic Law as to some part of it was to be abolished and left off and as to another part of it was to be continued and to last for ever he granted Peter here and to the rest of the Apostles Chap. XVIII v. 18. a power to abolish or confirm what they thought good and as they thought good being taught this and led by the Holy Spirit as if he should say Whatsoever ye shall bind in the law of Moses that is forbid it shall be forbidden the Divine Authority confirming it and whatsoever ye shall loose that is permit or shall teach that it is permitted and lawful shall be lawful and permitted Hence they Bound that is forbad Circumcision to the Believers eating of things offered to Idols of things strangled and of blood for a time to the Gentiles and that which they bound on earth was confirmed in Heaven They loosed that is allowed Purification to Paul and to four other Brethren for the shunning of scandal Act. XXI 24. and in a word by these words of Christ it was committed to them the Holy Spirit directing that they should make Decrees concerning Religion as to the use or rejection of Mosaic Rites and Judgments and that either for a time or for ever Let the words be applied by way of Paraphrase to the matter that was transacted at present with Peter I am about to build a Gentile Church saith Christ and to thee O Peter do I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven that thou maist first open the door of faith to them but if thou askest by what Rule that Church is to be governed when the Mosaic Rule may seem so improper for it thou shalt be so guided by the Holy Spirit that whatsoever of the Law of Moses thou shalt forbid them shall be forbidden whatsoever thou grantest them shall be granted and that under a sanction made in Heaven Hence in that instant when he should use his Keys that is when he was now ready to open the Gate of the Gospel to the Gentiles Act. X. he was taught from Heaven that the consorting of the Jew with the Gentile which before had been bound was now loosed and the eating of any Creature convenient for food was now loosed which before had been bound and he in like manner looses both these Those words of our Saviour Joh. XX. 23. Whose sins ye remit they are remitted to them for the most part are forced to the same sense with these before us when they carry quite another sense Here the business is of Doctrine only not of Persons there of Persons not of Doctrine Here of things lawful or unlawful in Religion to be determined by the Apostles there of persons obstinate or not obstinate to be punished by them or not to be punished As to Doctrine the Apostles were doubly instructed 1. So long sitting at the feet of their Master they had imbided the Evangelical Doctrine 2. The Holy Spirit directing them they were to determine concerning the Legal Doctrine and practice being compleatly instructed and enabled in both by the Holy Spirit descending upon them As to the Persons they were endowed with a peculiar gift so that the same spirit directing them if they would retain and punish the sins of any a power was delivered into their hands of delivering to Satan of punishing with diseases plagues yea death it self which Peter did to Anâ—â—ias and Saphira Paul to Elymas Hymeneus and Philâ—tus c. CHAP. XVII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And was Transfigured WHEN Christ was Baptized being now ready to enter upon his Evangelical Priesthood he is sealed by a heavenly voice for the High Priest and is anointed with the Holy Spirit as the High Priests were wont to be with holy oyl In his Transfiguration he is sealed for the High Priest for mark 1. How two of the greatest Prophets Moses and Elias resort to him 2. How to those words This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased which also were heard from Heaven at his Baptism is added that Clause Hear ye him which compare with the words of Moses concerning a Prophet to be raised up by God Deut. XVIII 19. Whosoever shall
otherwise where had their expectation been The verses immediately before speak nothing but devastation and ruine of Heaven and Earth and if there had been nothing beyond that to be looked after their hopes and expectancy had been ruined also but we says our Apostle look for new Heavens and a new Earth But of what nature they is all the question I doubt some men construe these words of the Apostle as far distant from his sense almost as the Earth is distant from the Heavens whilst they conceive from hence that after the dissolution of all things yet there shall be a renewing of Heaven and Earth and they shall be as before as to their substance and form only their quality changed To this they apply Rom. VIII 19 20. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God c. They would make our Apostle say Sibboleth whether he will or no whereas he speaks Shibboleth plain enough to a far differing sense For the discovery of his meaning have patience a little whilst I make this observation clear unto you which may be useful to you in reading several places of Scripture That the ruine and destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish commonwealth and oeconomy is set forth in Scripture in such expressions as if it were the destruction and dissolution of the whole world Moses beginneth this stile in Deut. XXXII 22. where he is speaking of that vengeance For a fire is kindled in mine anger and it shall burn to the lowest hell and it shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains Would you not think that the dissolution of all things were in mention Look upon the context and you find it to mean no other than the destruction of that Nation Jeremy yet higher Chap. IV. 23. I beheld the earth and â—o it was without form and void and the heavens and they had no light You would think all the world were returning there to her old chaos again Add yet further I beheld the mountains and lo they trembled and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled You would think that the whole universe were dissolving but look but in the 27 vers and it speaks no other than the dissolution of that people For thus hath the Lord said The whole land shall be desolate Our Saviour yet higher Matth. XXIV 29. The sun shall be darkned and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man c. who would not conclude that these expressions mean no other thing in the world than the last dissolution of the World and Christs coming to Judgment yet look well upon the context and it speaketh plainly that the meaning is only of the dissolving of the Jews City and State and Christ speaks it out most plainly at vers 34. where he afferts that that present generation should not pass till all those things were fulfilled The beloved Disciple follows his Masters stile upon the very same subject in the sixth of his Revelation where after he had described the means of the destruction of this wretched people under the opening of certain seals by Sword Famine and Plague he comes at last in vers 12 13 14. to speak their final dissolution it self in the very like terms The Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood And the Stars of Heaven fell unto the Earth and the Heavens departed as a scroll that is rolled together and every mountain and Island were removed out of their places One would think the final dissolution of all the world were spoken of but look in the 16th verse and you find the very same words that our Saviour applies to the destruction of that people Luke XXIII 30. They said unto the mountains fall on us and hide us c. Our Apostle Peters meaning is no other in the expression before my Text where when he speaks of the Heavens being dissolved by fire the Earth and the works therein burnt up and the elements melting with fervent heat he intends no other thing then the dissolving of their Church and oeconomy by firy vengance the consumption of their State by the flame of Gods indignation and the ruine of their elements of Religion by Gods fury Not the Elements in Aristotles sense of Fire Air Earth and Water but the Elements in his brother Pauls sense whom he mentions presently after my Text the carnal and beggerly Elements of their Mosaick rites and traditionary institutions By this time you plainly see in what sense The new Heavens and the new Earth is to be taken in the Text but for the fuller and clearer understanding of these things still give me yet a little further patience to shew you that as the destruction of that old World of the Jewish people and oeconomy is uttered by such expressions as if it were the destruction of the whole universe so the times going near before and concurrents going along with that destruction are phrased by expressions also sutable And this I shall observe to you in four heads I. There is much mention of the last days in Scripture which in most places is not to be understood of the last days of the World as some take them and so mistake but of the last days of Jerusalem and the Jewish State And indeed the greatest mercies that were promised to that people were promised to occur in those last days as Esa. II. 2. Hos. III. 5. Joâ—l II. 28. as he is cited by this our Apostle Act. II. 17. these things are not to be allotted to the last days of the World but to the last days of that City as Peters very allegation out of Joel makes it plain if there were no more proof Now saith he is fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel In the last days I will pour out c. These are the last days there intended and now the thing hath received its accomplishment For how improper is it to construe him in such a sense as some do This is that which Joel foretold should come to pass in the last days of the world two or three thousand years hence And so on the contrary the worst of men and times are foretold to be in those last days of Jerusalem because they did not improve those mercies I Tim. IV. 4. and II Tim. III. 1. and our Apostle in the third verse of this Chapter let the Apostle John explain all I Joh. II. 18. Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time II. In such a sense are such Phrases as these to be understood I Cor. X. 11. Upon
whom the ends of the World are come Not the very best times of the World for the World hath lasted sixteen hundred years since Paul spake that and how long yet it may last who knoweth but the end of that old World of the Jewish State which then hasted on very fast In the same sense are the words of our Apostle in his first Epistle Chap. IV. 7. The end of all things is at hand Not the end the World but of that City Nation and oeconomy the like is that James V. 9. Behold the Judge standeth before the door and divers other of the like nature III. The vengance of Christ upon that people in that final destruction is set out and called his coming his coming in his Kingdom and in clouds and with power and great glory His coming Joh. XXI 22. In his Kingdom Matth. XVI ult In power and glory Matth. XXIV 30. Nor is this any figure for observe vers 34. This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled Accordingly the day of that vengeance is called The day of the Lord. IV. The state of the Church and Gospel after that dissolution of that old World is called sometimes the World to come Heb. II. 5. sometimes new Heavens and new Earth as in the Text sometimes all things new as II Cor. V. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become new So that by this time you see plainly the meaning of our Apostle at this place In the verses before he speaks of the dissolution of the Jewish Church and State in such terms as the Scripture useth to express it by as if it were the dissolution of the whole World And in the words of the Text of the new face and state of the Church and World upon the dissolution when a new people and new oeconomy took place We according to his promise The promise is in Esa. LXV 17. For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth Where if you look into the context before you shall find the sense justified that I put upon the words and these new Heavens and new Earth created after the Jews casting off and destruction It is a strange opinion that would perswade you that the most glorious things that are foretold by the Prophets should come to pass when the Jews are called which calling is yet expected whereas those glorious things are plainly enough intimated to come to pass at the Jews casting off I might name many places I shall not expatiate upon that subject here this very Chapter speaks enough to justifie what I say In the second verse God complains I have spred out my hands all the day long to a rebellious people This the Apostle in the tenth of the Romans and the last applies unto that people But to Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched forth my hand to a disobedient and gainsaying people The Prophet along the Chapter telleth what shall become of that people At vers 6. I will not keep silence but will recompence even recompence into their basom Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountains and blasphemed me upon the hills therefore c. At vers 12. I will number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter At vers 13. Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry c. At vers 15. You shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen And then follows the promise that is related to in the Text For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth Though you are gone yet all the World shall not be gone with you For though I destroy my old people the old Heavens and Earth of the old oeconomy yet I shall provide my self a new people of the Gentiles when the Jews shall be a people no more and when that old World is destroyed I will create new Heavens and a new Earth Such another passage is that of our Saviour Matth. XXIV 31. where when he had described the ruine of the Jewish Nation in the terms we have spoken of before and it might be questioned what then shall become of a Church and where shall it be The Son of man saith he shall send his Angels or Ministers with the sound of the trumpet of the Gospel and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the Heaven to the other among all Nations Thus had Peter read this great promise in Esay the Evangelical Prophet thus had he heard it from the mouth of the great Prophet his sacred Master and therefore it is no wonder if when it is confirmed by the mouth of two such witnesses he undoubtedly look for new Heavens and a new Earth according to such a promise But what is meant by righteousness in this place 1. Not Gods primitive or distributive righteousness or justice for that was ever Gen. XVIII The Judge of all the World did right ever since the World was In the old World in all the World and the same for this yesterday and to day and for ever 2. Not that men were more righteous toward the latter end of the World than before as some dream of such glorious things yet to come for there is no such promise in all the Scripture True indeed that promise of such glorious things was in the last days of Jerusalem but where is any promise of any such things in the last days of the World 3. Nor doth it mean the glorified estate for where do you find righteousness applied to that estate It is commonly applied to the state of believers here 4. Therefore it means justification of sinners or that righteousness by which they are justified The righteousness of God which is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe as the Apostle most divinely doth expound it This is the righteousness that is so gloriously spoken of throughout all the Scriptures Dan. IX 24. To bring in everlasting righteousness Esa. LVI 1. My righteousness is near to be revealed to which that is agreeable Rom. I. 17. In the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Why Was not the righteousness of God revealed in all times before Was not his justice revealed in the Law Yea his condemning justice but his justifying justice in the Gospel This the meaning of the Apostle here That as God had promised to Create new Heavens and a new Earth a new Church and People and oeconomy among the Gentiles when the old Judaick one should be destroyed so in this new created World justifying righteousness should dwell most evidently and appear most glorious when such abominable ones as the Gentiles had been should be justified Justifying righteousness had shewed it self in the World in all generations from Adam and righteous Abel
upon all that believed but upon the believing Gentiles most especially both because of the multitude that were justified and men that before had been so far from righteousness You may see a picture of what is intended in this Text in the fourth of the Revelation where there is a scheme of this new World that our Apostle speaketh of from the promise in the Prophet There is a scene fashioned of Christ sitting in the midst of the Gospel Church platformed according to the form of Gods dwelling in the midst of the people of Israel in his Tabernacle and upon the mercy seat His throne is said to be in Heaven in the second verse but it means in his Church for so Heaven is taken in most places in the Revelation And observe before his Throne in Heaven is a Sea of glass vers 6. as the molten Sea was before the Temple there is an Altar before the Throne and offering of Incense Chap. VIII 3. as there was at the Temple nay there is the Temple it self filled with smoke Chap. XV. 8. as the Tabernacle and Temple were at their Dedication About his Throne were First four living Creatures on the four sides of it as the four squadrons of Priests and Levites pitched on the four sides of the Tabernacle betwixt God and the people On the outside of them sat four and twenty Elders the representative of the whole Church as the squadrons of the people pitched on the one side of the squadron of the Priests and Levites And it is said these four and twenty Elders were clothed in white which speaks the very things we are speaking of for so doth the Holy Ghost himself explain it in the XIX Chap. vers 8. The fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints And in Chap. VII 14. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Strange washing washt them white in blood You would think that should make them of another colour but the whiteness that we are speaking of is the pure white of Justification and nothing can purifie to that dye but the blood of Christ. And here let me also crave your patience a little to speak to another Text of Scripture which speaketh fully to the matter we are upon but which is not so clearly rendred to its proper purpose but that it hath produced no little controversie And that is these words in Rom. IV. 11. Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised Generally all Translations run in the same tenor whereas these words which he had yet are not at all in the Original as you that cannot read the Original may see by that that they are written in a different character The Greek hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim to be rendred thus He received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith in the uncircumcision And not to be understood of the righteousness of faith which Abraham had in his uncircumcision though it is true he had it but a seal of the righteousness by faith which was to be in the uncircumcision or in the believing Gentiles And that this sense is most agreeable to the intent of the Apostle in that place needs no more proof then the serious observing of the nature of his discourse from those words forward And that it is most agreeable to the end of the institution of circumcision needs no more proof than the serious observing of the story of its institution That you have in Gen. XVII where this promise is given to Abraham Thou shalt be the father of many Nations In what sense the father of many Nations the Apostle clears in the words next following those that we are upon That he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also So that this was the Covenant that God makes with Abraham there that the uncircumcision should believe and become the sons of Abraham imbracing his faith This Covenant and promise God confirms with a double seal 1. With the change of his name from Abram to Abraham from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a high father to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father of a great multitude and 2. With the seal of Circumcision A seal of the righteousness by faith which should be in the uncircumcision or in the Gentiles that should believe Ponder the words and the context and the story of the institution of Circumcision well and you will find this to be the main aim and end of it Not a seal of the righteousness by faith which Abraham had being uncircumcised but of the righteousness by faith that the uncircumcision should have when they came to believe And it speaks the very same thing with the Text that when God should create the new Heavens and the new Earth of the Gentile Church when the Jewish should be cast off that righteousness or justification by faith should dwell and shine in it I have been something long in the explanation of the words but the necessity of the thing may plead my excuse And now they being thus explained they offer three most noble Themes for discourse before us I. Here is mention of a new World II. Of Gods Promise III. Of Justification or Righteousness And upon which of these shall I fix Any of the three would take up the time that is allotted therefore I will lay my right hand upon Ephraims head which is the youngest The word righteousness you see is last born in the Text and yet indeed the birthright is due unto it It is the first aim of our Apostle that he looketh at and the other two are but appendices to it in his aim Follow his eye with yours and see where he sixeth Righteousness is the thing he looketh after the new Heavens and the new Earth are the state and place where he looketh for it and the promise is the prospective through which he looked at it I shall therefore pitch upon that as the main subject of the Text and from the eye of the Apostle so intent upon it Observe How desirable a thing to be looked after righteousness is as it speaks justification Me thinks Peter speaks here concerning this righteousness much like the tenour that the Psalmist doth concerning God in Psal. LXXIII 25. Their is nothing in the new Heaven but thee and nothing in the new Earth that I look after besides thee His brother Paul is of the same mind and song Phil. III. 8 9. I do count all things but dung that I may win Christ. And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but the righteousness which is of God by faith Offer him as Satan once did to our Saviour and try him with haec omnia tibi dabo Paul choose through all the World what thou wilt have honours riches pleasures profits
be dissolved Any one may be ready to say upon it as Ahab doth to Benhadad That which my Lord sent to me for at the first I will do but this second thing I cannot do The first thing proposed To look for the day of God I shall willingly agree to but to hasten the day of God this is a hard saying For who as the Judge standeth before the door dare invite him in Who dares say as Laban to Abrahams servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in why standest thou without The generality of men thinketh the day of God hasteneth fast enough of it self and that there is little need to hasten it And yet that very consideration is a great perswasive so to do I am sure it is so argued Matth. XXV Behold the Bridegroom cometh go forth to meet him Not sit still till he come up to you for he is coming but because he is coming go forth to meet him It was a noble confidence and valour in David that when Goliath came out against him he ran and made hast to meet him And he had but coursely incountred that great giant had he not had that confidence and valour That man or woman will but coldly incounter death and judgment that sit still till death and judgment come upon them and never make out to meet them that when the Judge stands at the door have no mind of his entring and coming in It were worth disputing how far a good man may be willing to die or how far unwilling but I shall not enter upon that at this time It is past all dispute that every one should be preparing to die and to meet the Judge when he cometh He standeth at the door it is happy to be prepared against he cometh in Let us all leave our thank-offerings at the Judges altar for his great patience and long-suffering towards us that he is still standing at the door and hath not broken in upon us that his Patience is not outwearied by us after our so great exercising of it And let us ever carry the words of the Text sounding in our ears and hearts That the Judge standeth at the door beholding all our actions beholding all our hearts noting and observing all we do to demand an account of us at his day of Judgment A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge Octob. 7. 1655. MATTH XXVIII 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost SEven things may be taken notice of from these words at first sight I. A permission and commission to bring the Gospel among the Gentiles The Apostles had been tied up before Matth. X. 5. Jesus sent forth the twelve and commanded them saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles But now he inlargeth them II. The end of this inlargement to bring the Gentiles in to be Disciples So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as we shall see anon III. The way to initiate them for Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make them Disciples by baptizing them IV. The form of the administration of Baptism In nomine Patris c. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost V. This is the fourth establishment of Baptism The first was in the hand of John Secondly Christ himself was baptized Thirdly The Disciples baptized in his Name Joh. III. 22. Joh. IV. 2. Fourthly Here in the Text is the full establishment of it VI. The Doctrine of the Trinity is in the Text and professed in every Baptism VII The Office of Ministers To teach and administer the Sacraments Two Heresies especially misconstrue this Text Anabaptism and Socinianism For I must call that Heresie that unchurches all Churches and ungods God I shall not intangle my self in these disputes only consider the sense and propriety of the Text as before us and that in these parts named First I shall consider the Apostles commission to fetch in the Gentiles This is called a Mystery Ephes. III. 4 5 6 c. Whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the Mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel c. This is the great business in the Prophets To bring thy sons from far All the Ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of God c. In a word this is a great monument of the Riches of grace that when the Gentiles had lain rejected so long as two and twenty hundred years so deep as to commit all sin and not know of sin so inslaved as to adore Devils so far from the means of grace as that they never heard of it yet not length of time depth of sin power of Satan nor vastness of distance could hinder the light of the Gospel breaking in upon them O! the heighth depth bredth and length of the grace of God! Here is a large field to consider this Grace As first how the Gospel was slighted by the Jews yet this Grace was not worn out of patience but God sends it also to the Gentiles And secondly how it was brought to them that cared not to come to it I might speak here of our share of this grace who were Heathen It was good tidings to all people as to the Romans Chap. I. 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ But I shall keep close to the words of the Text. I shall observe two things concerning this Commission I. The time when this Commission was given II. The work which the Apostles were to do by vertue of this Commission First The time Christ being now risen And the reasons why Christ took this time to deliver this Commission to his Apostles were these 1. One reason of it appears in the word Therefore In the 18 vers All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore All power as Mediator He dispenced things before after his own Will by vertue of his Soverainty Rom. IX 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy But add to this that now he had paid a price for the Heathens he had earned his wife as Jacob had conquered Satan that had them captive had exhibited a Righteousness to save the wickedest where they would apply it had broken down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile In Ephes. II. 13 14. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our Peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us And in vers 15. he shews you how Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of commandments contained in Ordinances c.
move not the question without reason because many men assume vain hopes from such demonstrations of mercy as these without any ground Therefore instead of looking what use may be made of this passage let us consider that we make not an abuse of it And the Apostle Peter gives the proper reason of it Because they wrest the scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. III. 16. Here are things recorded indeed that may justly be admired for their excellency by Men and Angels the wondrous power of grace in converting such a sinner the wondrous readiness of Christ in pardoning such a sinner and the infinite mercy of God in saving such a sinner And yet even Manna it self the bread of Angels proves worms and rottenness and stink to those that use it not aright as well as it proves wholesome and pleasant food to those that do It is but too common with the rotten heart of Man to misconstrue such demonstrations of mercy to the more boldness in sinning and to make most base conclusions from most noble premises Here is a great and notorious sinner pardoned he is pardoned upon his first begging of pardon he begged not pardon till he was just in dying and yet was pardoned And therefore thinks the carnal heart I hope I shall as easily obtain pardon and though I put off my seeking of pardon still and still yet I hope I shall find it as well as he when I seek it And Men that put off repentance and seeking pardon and salvation from day to day and from year to year do but speak too plain that they are of the same thoughts though their tongue do not confess and it may be their hearts take no notice of it neither The Thief 's Petition we may the better understand if we consider some Doctrines of II. the Jewish Nation in which he was trained in his Religion if he had any at all which laid against his present thoughts will make his Petition appear the more pious I. It was the common Doctrine in their Schools and Pulpits That a condemned Malefactor when he was to go to Execution if he made but confession of his sins that that and his death did expiate for his sins To that Doctrine about Death expiating for sin which was their Doctrine in that case and all others do those words of our Saviour relate when he saith The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven neither in this life nor in that which is to come Which words Papists abuse to maintain forgiveness of sins by Purgatory in the world to come whereas our Saviours meaning is that it shall never be forgiven either before death nor by death it self as the Jews held it might Now it is very likely this Man had been at his Confession and by his Confession had been encouraged to expect expiation of his sin by that and by his death But now that serveth not his turn his mind is not satisfied with that but he finds something else is needful viz. To trust in the Messias and to be saved by him And therefore being satisfied now that Christ is He he addresseth himself to him in that Petition That he would remember him and that through him he might find and obtain Salvation For to that tenor does his request run Lord remember me c. II. It was the common Doctrine of the Nation that they needed nothing from Messias for redemption but only that he would deliver them from their dispersion and from under the yoke of the Heathen They speak this out in plain terms in their Writings For as for justification and salvation they thought they could do that by their own works And as for teaching and instruction they concluded that they had as much as they needed or as could possibly be contributed to them by their Traditions which they dreamed God delivered to Moses at Mount Sinai But this man you see looks upon the deliverance by the Messias with another kind of eye He values it at its proper rate viz. That his Redemption is the Redemption of Souls that it is as the Apostle most truly calls it Eternal redemption and thereupon he bequeaths his departing soul to his goodness for its eternal welfare III. The Scriptures had taught that Messias should have a Kingdom and their Schools had taught That this Kingdom must be an earthly pompous flourishing Kingdom that he should restore the Kingdom to Israel as the Apostles phancy Act. I. 6. And that Israel should enjoy that Kingdom in all worldly prosperity and earthly flourishing But this man you see looks upon his Kingdom under another notion he looks for his reigning in Heaven rather than upon Earth and his Saints reigning there eternally with him And accordingly he begs that he may obtain that like felicity from him and that he may have interest in that blessedness Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Who taught him this wisdom we need not to ask if we but consider who or what it was that brought him to his conversion Divine grace must have the honour of all attributed to it and so no doubt did he attribute it with all his soul and ascribed it to his Divine goodness Whose further goodness he still begs that he would consummate that grace in glory and compleat what he had begun in his Everlasting Kingdom And now look upon the Man thus converted thus inlightned and thus praying and we may say of him as our Saviour of the Syro-Phenician Woman the title of the sex only changed O Man great is thy Faith In our Saviours Answer we may observe his ready granting the Thief 's Petition and his II. assuring the Man that it was granted His granting of it Thou shalt be with me in Paradise His readiness of granting it that it should be accomplished that very day This day shalt thou be with me And his giving him assurance of it Verily I say unto thee What is meant by Paradise hath been some dispute Some not thinking it means the compleat state of blessedness in Heaven but something short of it but how much short of it it is not worth the examining I believe the blessed Apostle that was rapt into the third Heaven or into Paradise and he makes them one and the same thing would determine the question after another manner and assure us that where he heard those unutterable things that he heard was in the highest Heavens where is the throne of God and the habitation of the blessed When I think of mens wresting such passages of mercy as these to their own destruction I remember that cross conclusion that the Chief Priests and Scribes make upon very good premises Act. IV. 19. That indeed a notable miracle is done by these men is manifest to all them that dwell at Jerusalem and we cannot deny it What then Therefore let us take care that this doctrine spread no further Whereas the direct contrary had been the
sins of their fathers unto the third and fourth generation This leaves a lesson to Parents That they would pity their children and when they sin think of them and of the misery they entail upon them A SERMON PREACHED upon EXODUS XX. 11. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it THE greatest obscurity we have to speak about is in the last clause He hallowed it and yet at first sight that seems least obscure of all The two former clauses may rather one would think set us at a stand and yet the great dispute is about the last viz. in regard of that Sabbath we now celebrate When we look upon the world it may set us at a wonder that this vast bulk of all things should be made in six days Heaven and Earth and Seas in six days How many houses in the world have cost the work of six years Solomon was building the Temple seven years and his own house twenty years and this great Universe and all things in it to be built in six days And yet if we look at the power of him that made it we have as much cause to wonder that he should be six days about it He that made all things by his word could have done it in one moment as well as six days and with one word as well as six And he that made all things of nothing could also have made all things in no length of time but in an instant in a moment of time in the twinkling of an eye as he will change all things 1 Cor. XV. 52. And so concerning his resting If he were weary with working that he needed resting why did he work till he was weary And if he were not weary why had he need to rest Such frivolous impious and Atheistical Disputes may flesh and blood and carnal reason move about the actings of God that hath not learned to resolve all his wonderful actings into these two great principles his Power and Will That he created all things with the word of his mouth of nothing is no scruple if we resolve it into his Power And that he took six days to do it who could have done it in a moment is as little if we resolve it into his Will That he was not weary with doing so great a work it is no scruple if we resolve it into his Power And that he rested though he were not weary is as little if we resolve it into his Will And therefore how can we better begin our discourse about the matter we are upon viz. his creating all things by his word and yet taking six days to do it and his not being weary with so great a work and yet resting though he were not weary than by adoration of his Power and Will And therefore as David for all his hast of fleeing from Absalom yet when he came to the top of the Mount Olivet he worshipped God 2 Sam. XV. 32. So let us make so much a stop in the current of our discourse as to give the Lord his due of his power and pleasure before we go further And that let us do in the words and Oh! that we might ever do it in the devotion of the four and twenty Elders Revel IV. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created All Israel hears more Divinity and Philosophy in these few words In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day c. than all the great wisdom and philosophy of the Heathen was able to spell out in a thousand years Some of them were so wide from knowing that the world was made by God that they thought it was never made at all but was Eternal and never had beginning Others that it was a God it self and made it self Others that it grew together at hap hazzard of Atomes or motes flying up and down which at last met and conjoyned in this fabric of the world which we behold So blind is sinful man to the knowledge of his Creator if he have no better eys and light to look after him by than his own Israel hath a Divine light here held out before them whereby they see and learn in these few words That the World was not Eternal but had a beginning and that it was made and that it made not it self but was made by God that it was not jumbled together by hap hazzard of I know not What and I know not How but that God made it in six days That which God speaks so short here Moses afterward when he set pen to paper to write his books enlarges upon and tells you in the beginning of Genesis in what manner God proceeded in this great work and what he created every day With that you see the Bible begins the story of the Creation the proper foundation that every Scholar should say of his learning there namely to know his Creator and to know of whom and through whom are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen as the Apostle devoutly Rom. XI 36. Let us consider the two things severally That God made Heaven and Earth and secondly That he made them in six days When I look up to Heaven the work of thy fingers the Moon and Stars which thou hast I. ordained I say saith David What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him We may also say upon such a prospect Oh! what is God what a divine and infinite power and wisdom and glory that made so great so beautiful so stately a fabrick Our God made the Heavens is the Israelites plea against the Gods of the Heathen pittiful pieces of wood and stone that could neither see nor hear nor smel nor stir but Our God made the Heavens There is a passage very remarkable Jer. X. 11. Thus shall ye say to them the Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the earth and from under these Heavens That verse is in the Chaldee Tongue whereas every clause of his book besides is Hebrew and not a Syllable of Chaldee in it And what is the reason The people were ere long to be captived into Chaldea and when they came there the Chaldees would be ready to be perswading them to worship their Gods Poor Israel new come thither could not speake their Language nor dispute the case with them in their own Tongue Therefore the Lord by the Prophet puts so much Chaldee into their mouths as to make a profession of their own God and to deride and curse the others Your Gods made not Heaven and Earth and therefore shall perish from the Earth and be confounded but Our God made the Heavens O! what an excellent
need of Explication to bring it to common reason or Analogy of Faith The course I shall take in Explication of it shall first be to clear it from that meaning that is improper and offensive and that carries not probability with it and then to unfold the proper and genuine meaning of it I. The general interpretation of it in the Church of Rome is That his Soul really and I. locally descended into the place of torment but upon some other errand namely as they themselves express it That Christ in his Soul went to Hell to deliver the Patriarchs and all just men there holden in bondage till his death So the Rhemists on Act. II. 27. To this they apply Eph. IV. 9. Now he that ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth Where the same Rhemists He meaneth specially of his descending into Hell Likewise they apply to the same sense 1 Pet. III. 19. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in prison And there they go further and say that Christ also preached in Hell and delivered some thence that had been there since the days of Noah Some that were good men but had not believed Noah his word about the flood but when they saw it come believed and were sorry for their error and indeed died by the flood corporally but in the state of salvation and being chastised in the next life for their unbelief were delivered by Christs descending thither Do you not see plainly whither all this ado tends Namely To prove their Purgatory and to maintain the profit they get by it The Doctrine of which business is this That some dying not so bad as to be damned yet not so absolutely good yet as to go to Heaven are sent to Purgatory and there their sins scoured away by fire and torment yet some after an hundred some after two hundred years c. go to Heaven but that the Pope by his power and the Priests by their singing Masses and Dirges can bring them out sooner than otherwise their time should be And hence so vast revenues have been bestowed upon their Monasteries Chappels and Chanteries upon this reason that the Priests there should say Masses and use Dirges and Prayers for the Souls of the Founders to deliver them out of Purgatory And thus they make this Article of Christs descent a matter rather of Profit than of Faith of Mony rather than of Edification And were not profit or worldly advantage in the Wind there would never be such strugling with them to maintain points against reason and religion as there is Some Protestants hold Local descent but under another notion viz. That Christ went to triumph over the Devils and damned To which opinion viz. The Local ascent to speak in gross and to these particular reasons of it First Let us take up the two places last alledged for the first I shall take up afterwards Ephes. IV. 9. Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the Earth Where it is first observable that they conclude Hell to be under the Earth or within it which is a fancy of the Heathen Poets and others that concluded both the place of torment and of happiness to be down in the Earth These men have learned from Scripture that the place of the blessed is above in Heaven and so they refuse that part of the Heathens opinion but retain the other that Hell is under ground Upon what ground who can shew It is neither agreeable to reason nor at all to Scripture Not to reason to imagine a place under ground to be a place for Souls and Spirits which are so far from an earthly substance Not to Scripture which tells us Ephes. II. 2. That the Devil is the Prince of the Air and not dwelling under ground That tells us Rev. XIV 10. That the damned are tormented before the Angels and before the Throne of the Lamb not in the bottom of the Earth or under ground And time will be when there will be no Earth at all and where will Hell be found then May we never know where the place of Hell is but certainly it is a most sensless and irrational thing to hold it to be within this Earth And to take up the words of the Apostle he speaks of Christs ascending and descending And whence did Christ ascend to Heaven Not from Hell but from off the Earth Act. I. And what then means his descending but from Heaven to Earth And whereas he saith To the lower parts of the Earth he compares Earth to Heaven not Earth with it self As if he should say He descended from Heaven to these lower parts of the Earth to dwell among men as the Scripture doth generally expound his descending from Heaven in such a sense 1 Pet. III. 19. By which he went and preached to the Spirits in prison It is plain here S. Peter speaks of Christs preaching by his Spirit in the mouth and Ministry of Noah As I have somewhere explained it These Texts thus spoken to whereby they would prove Christ descended into Hell to preach to and deliver Souls now let us take their opinion in pieces and consider them several And first comes to be observed how improbable ridiculous and irreligious an opinion it is to conceive that the Patriarchs were in Limbo Dato uno absurdo multa sequuntur Yield one absurdity and many more follow So grant this and these rough and rugged absurdities follow 1. That it was almost four thousand years before any Soul went to Heaven Christ died Anno Mundi MMMDCCCCLX but forty short of four thousand and is it not absurd to think Heaven empty all that while At the Creation the Earth the Air the Waters were filled with Inhabitants and Heaven to be a Tenement that stood empty Sure God was a very hard Landlord that would take in no Tenant of so long a time 2. It is as absurd a thing to think a Thief should be the first that went to Heaven For by this Opinion the good Thief did so The house to stand long empty and a Thief that repents but at the last gasp taken in first and Abraham Isaac and Jacob not yet entertained nor admitted there Publicans and Harlots shall enter in before you Yes before you Scribes and Pharisees that shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven against your selves But for Abraham and Moses and the other antient Prophets and good men that sought after Heaven all their time to be shut out and a Thief and a Robber let in before them this is hardly hansom to conceive 3. It is an absurd thing that Abraham while he lived should be a friend of God converse with God entertain God at his Table and when he is dead he is become a meer stranger to God thrust into a hole where there is no sight of God no communion with him but God and Abraham now are
send not letters by the hand of a Gentile on the eve of the Sabbath nor on the fifth day of the week Nay on the fourth day of the week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The School of Schammai bound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the School of Hillel loosed it Ibid. fol. 7. col 4. Women may not look in a Looking glass on the Sabbath but if it were fastned upon a wall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi loosed the looking into it but the wise men bound it Id. in Jom tobh fol. 60. col 1. R. Jochanan went from Tsipporis to Tiberias he saith Why brought ye to me this Elder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For what I loose he bindeth and what I bind he looseth Maym. in Hhamets umatsah per. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scribes have bound leaven that is they have prohibited it Tanchum fol. 1. col 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have upon necessity loosed salutation on the Sabbath that is they have permitted it or taught that it was lawful Thousands of instances of this nature might be produced by all which it is clear that the Jews use of the phrase was of their Doctors or learned mens teaching what was lawful and permitted and what unlawful and prohibited Hence is that definition of such mens office and work in Tosaphta ad Jebamoth per. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wise man that Judgeth Judgment maketh unclean and maketh clean bindeth and looseth that is teacheth what is clean and unclean what is permitted and prohibited And Maymony in Sanhedr per. 4. giving the relation of their ordaining of Elders and to what several imployments they were ordained saith thus A wise man that is fit to teach all the Law the Consistory had power to ordain him To Judge but not to teach Bound and loos or power to teach Bound and loos but not a Judge in pecuniary matters or power to both these but not to Judge in matters of mulct c. So that the Ordination of one to that Function which was more properly Ministerial or to teach the people their duty as what was lawful what not what they were to do and what not to do was to such a purpose or in such a tenour as this Take thou power to bind and loose or to teach what is bound and loose for they use both the expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this vulgar and only sense of this phrase in the nation the meaning of Christ using it thus to his Disciples is easily understood namely that he first doth instate them in a Ministerial capacity to teach what bound and loose what to be done and what not and this as Ministers and thus all ministers successively to the end of the world But as they were Apostles of that singular and unparelled order as the like never in the Church again he gives them power to bind and loose in a degree above all Ministers that were to follow namely that whereas some part of Moses Law was now to stand in practice and some to be laid aside some things under the Law prohibited were now to be permitted and some things then permitted to be now prohibited he promiseth the Apostles such assistance of his Spirit and giveth them such power that what they allowed to stand in practice should stand and what to fall should fall what they bound in Earth should be bound in Heaven c. SECTION LIII MATTH Chap. XVII from the beginning to Ver. 24. MARK Chap. IX from Ver. 2. to Ver. 33. LUKE IX from V. 28. to Ver. 46. CHRIST Transfigured A Devil cast out of a Child MATTHEW and Mark link this story to the preceding with this link After six days c. which Luke hath uttered About an eight days after which is but the same in sense Six days compleat came between the day that Christ had spoken the words before and the day of his transfiguration So that the day of his Transfiguration was the eight day from the day when Christ said There are some standing here that shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power This story of Christs Transfiguration relateth to that prediction concerning the great Prophet Deut 18. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee c. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him A Prophet that is a succession of Prophets till the great Prophet should come who should seal Vision and Prophesie Christ had been sealed for the great Priest at his Baptisme when entring into his Ministry at the same age that the Priests entred into their Office he is attested from Heaven This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased He is sealed for the great Prophet here by the like attestation from Heaven with the same words This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased but withal it is added Hear him answerable to those words Whosoever will not hearken c. Deut 18. 19. Moses the first Prophet had all his Oracles out of a Cloud and a Cloud of Glory that lead Israel in the Wilderness departed at his death think of that when you see a cloud here overshadowing and a Divine Oracle given out of it at the sealing of the Prophet greater then he Moses was the first Prophet of the Jews and Elias the first Prophet of the Gentiles and they both now appear to attend their Master Christ and the three Disciples were in this mount of his Transfiguration all night for Luke saith It came to pass the next day when they were come down c. ver 37. Compare Christ transfigured and his face shining with the shining of Moses his face and so compare that first Prophet and this great Prophet again together The Disciples that had authority and power given them over all Devils Luke 9. 1. are not able here to cast one out and their Master sheweth a double reason why namely because of their unbelief and because that kind went not out but by Fasting and Prayer Now that their unbelief should be any more then it had been before for they had cast out Devils before this Matth. 6. 13. it might seem strange but that here were some concurrents towards that more then they had met with before now and that we may observe especially in these two things 1. There were divers diseases which in their own nature were but natural diseases which yet the Jews did commonly repute as seizure and possessing by the Devil especially those that distempered the mind or did in more special manner convulse the body and according to this common language and conception of the Nation the language of the Gospel doth speak exceeding frequently Examples of this kind of Dialect among the Jews we might produce divers as that in Maym. in Gerushin
bloods in the plural number That is not of the kindred descent or continued Pedegree from the Patriarchal line or the blood of Abraham Isaac Jacob and successively For John the Evangelist speaketh much to the same tenor here that John the Baptist doth Mat. 3. 9. That Christ would adopt the Heathen for the Sons of God as the Jews had been though they had no relation at all to the Jewish blood or stock Nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man The Evangelist hath traced Moses all along from the beginning of the Chapter and so he doth here He used the Phrase of the Sons of God in the Verse preceding from Gen. 6. 2. And this Clause that we have in hand he seemeth to take from the very next Verse after My Spirit shall no more strive with man because he also is flesh Where as Moses by flesh understandeth the brood of Cain men that followed the swing of lust sensuality and their own corruption and by Man the Family of Seth or Adam that was regulated by Religion and reason till that Family grew also fleshly like the other so doth John here the like For having in the next foregoing words excluded one main thing that was much stood upon from any claim or challenge towards the adopting of the Sons of God or forwarding of the new birth and that is descent from Abraham and from those holy men successively that had the promise So doth he here as much for two other which only can put in for title to the same and those are first the will of the flesh or ability of nature Secondly the will of man or power of morality Ver. 14. And the word became Flesh Now hath the Evangelist brought us to the Apollinaris from this clause the word became flesh would wickedly conclude that the word assumed not an humane soul but only humane flesh and that the Godhead served that flesh instead of a reasonable soul Conâ—uted Luke 5. 52. Mat. 26. 38. great Mystery of the Incarnation in the description of which may be observed First the two terms the word and Flesh expressing Christs two natures and the word was made or became their hypostatical union Secondly the word flesh is rather used by the Evangelist then the word man though oftentimes they signifie but the same thing as Gen. 6. 12. Psal. 65. 2. Isa. 40. 5 6. First to make the difference and distinction of the two natures in Christ the more conspicuous and that according to the common speech of the Jews who set flesh and blood in opposition to God as Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 16. Secondly to magnifie the mercy of God in Christs incarnation the more in that flesh being in its own nature so far distant from the nature of God yet that he thus brought these two natures together as of them to make but one person for the reconciling of man and himself together Thirdly to confirm the truth of Christs humanity against future Heresies which have held that he had not a true and real humane body but only Fantastical or of the air Fourthly to explain what he said before that Believers became the Sons of God that is not by any change of their bodily substances but by participation of divine grace for Christ on the contrary became the Son of Man by assuming of flesh and not by changing into it Fifthly to shew the Plaister fitly applyed unto the Sore and the Physick to the Disease for whereas in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good but sin death and corruption he took upon him this very nature which we have so corrupted sequestring only the corruption from it that in the nature he might heal the corruption Sixthly he saith he was made or became flesh and not he was made man lest it should be conceived that Christ assumed a person for he took not the person of any man in particular but the nature of man in general Was made flesh Not by alteration but assumption not by turning of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God not by leaving what he was before that is to be God but by taking on him what he was not before that is to bo man And the Evangelist saith rather He was made flesh then he assumed it i. e. that he might set out the truth and mystery of the Incarnation to the life both for the hypostatical union of the two natures and their inseparablity being so united For first whereas Nestorius said that the word was not that man that was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary but that the Virgin indeed brought forth a man and he having obtained grace in all kind of vertue had the word of God united unto him which gave him power against unclean Spirits And so he made two several Sons and two several persons of the two natures his Heresie is plainly and strongly confuted by this phrase he was made flesh which by the other he assumed it might have had more pretext and colour Secondly whereas Eutyches Valentius and others averred that Christ had not a true humane body but only a body in appearance This also confuteth them home and taketh away all probability of any such thing which the word assumed might have left more doubtful since we know that Angels assumed bodies and those bodies were not truly humane So that in this manner of speech The word was made flesh is evidently taught First that there are two distinct natures in Christ the God-head and the Man-hood for he saith not the word was turned into but was made or became flesh Secondly that these two natures do not constitute two persons but only one Christ for he saith he was made flesh and not assumed it Thirdly that this union is hypostatical or personal for he saith the word was made flesh and not joyned to it And lastly that this union is indissoluble and never to be separated For Angels in assumed bodies laid them by again and were parted from them but the word being made flesh the union is personal and not to be dissolved And dwelt among us c. That is among us his Disciples for so the next clause we saw his glory importeth And this Evangelist speaketh the same thing more at large 1 Joh. 1. 1. Full of grace and truth For these words follow next in Grammatical construction and connection lying thus And the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth The reason of the Parenthesis and we saw his glory may seem to be First because he would explain what he meant by Us before he left it viz. us Disciples that saw his glory Secondly because the Apostles beheld not the very fulness of his grace and truth till they had beheld the fulness of that glory which he shewed on earth Grace and truth As the Soul hath tow noble faculties the understanding and the will the objects of which are
Tradition as true as it is punctual it would readily plead for its own place in Chronology namely about this time at which we now are before James his death for he gave in his symbolum according to this tradition among the rest But that this opinion of the Apostles casting in every one his parcel is of no validity but a presumptuous and false surmise may be evinced by these Arguments First d d d Mr. Pâ—rk on the Creed Because the title of The Catholick Church is neither used in any of the Apostles writings nor is it likely that it came into use till after the Apostles days when the Church was dispersed into all parts of the earth Secondly Because the Article He descended into Hell is not owned or acknowledged at all by the Nicene Creed nor by any of the ancientest Fathers next the Apostles times in their reckoning up of the Articles of the Creed as see instances in abundance in e e e Pag. 410. Polanus his Syntagma lib. 6. cap. 21. Thirdly If the matter and words of the Creed had been from the Apostles themselves why is it not then Canonical Scripture as well as any of the sacred Writ Fourthly In the giving in of their several Symbols or parcels after the manner opinionated before there is so great disproportion and inequality some giving so much and some so little that it maketh the contribution it self to be very suspitious Fifthly The Summary Collection of the points of Christian Religion taught by the Apostles and delivered by them to others to teach by consisteth of two heads Faith and Love 2 Tim. 1. 13. But the Creed consisted of faith only I rather think therefore saith Mr. Perkins that it is called the Apostles Creed because it doth summarily contain the chief and principal Points of Religion handled and propounded in the Doctrine of the Apostles and because the points of the Creed are conformable and agreeable to their Doctrine and Writings §. 3. Traditions With their framing of the Creed before their parting hath Baronius joyned also their delivery of Traditions Sicut symbolo saith he ita etiam aliis absque Scriptura traditionibus Ecclesiae imperitis diviserunt sibi ad quas singuli proficiscerentur orbis terrae provincias Having thus imparted the Creed and also traditions without Scripture to the Church they parted among themselves what Country every one of them should go unto These Traditions the a a a Sâ—ss 4. decret 1. extat â—om 4. conciliâ—rum par 2. Councel of Trent divideth into those which were received by the Apostles from the mouth of Christ or delivered from hand to hand from the Apostles to our times the Holy Ghost dictating them unto them And these those Fathers hold of equal authority with the Scriptures and the Councel curseth them that shall willingly and knowingly contemn them And well do they deserve it if they did but certainly and assuredly know that they came from such hands Bellarmine b b b Liâ— 4. de verbo non script c. 2. extat tom 1. pag. 166. hath stretched the name and piece of Traditions to one tainterhook higher For Traditions saith he are Divine Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Divine are those which were received from Christ himself teaching his Apostles and yet are not to be found in the Scriptures such are those which concern the matter and form of the Sacraments Apostolical are those which were instituted by the Apostles not without the assistance of the Holy Ghost and yet are not to be found in their Epistles Ecclesiastical traditions are properly called certain old customs begun either by Prelates or by people which by little and little by the tacit consent of the people obtained the power of a Law Under these heads especially under the two first hath he placed these particulars c c c Ibid. c. 9. The perpetual Virginity of Mary the number of the Canonical books Baptizing of Infants blessing the water before bidding them renounce Satan and his works signing them with the sign of the cross anointing them with oyl not re-baptizing after Heretiques Lent Ember week inferior Orders in the Church worshipping of Images c. To which d d d Vid Whitaker de S. Script controv 1. q. 6. c. 5. others add The oblation of the Sacrament of the Altar Invocation of Saints Prayer for the dead the Primacy Confirmation Orders Matrimony Penance extreme Unction Merits necessity of Satisfaction Auricular Confession c. Into which controversie not to enter concerning the thing it self which so many grave and learned pens have handled sufficiently reckoned by Bellarmine though with small good will in his entry upon this question let but reason and indifferency censure concerning that which is more proper to this discourse namely the time of delivering these Traditions whether this or any other And here in the first place let the Reader but consider that at this time there was no more of the New Testament written than the Gospels of Matthew and Mark if so be that those also were written at this time And then let him judge how sensless a thing it is to speak of delivering unwritten Traditions to the Church when almost all the New Testament was yet to be written Or take it at the Councel at Jerusalem which was divers years hence when all the Apostles were all together and giving rules to the Church or take it at Pauls apprehension at Jerusalem when imagine all the Apostles to be together again and even at either of those times will the same absurdity follow still for no more of the New Testament was written or very little more than now And then how ridiculous doth it appear That the Apostles should offer to give rules to the Church by unwritten Tradition when they had all their Epistles for rules of the Church yet to write If they would leave the Church to be regulated by unwritten Traditions why should they write after And if they would have her regulated by their writings why should they give her unwritten Traditions before A quick wit will nimbly answer that they left her such Traditions as were not to be expressed in their writings but let an honest conscience and an unprejudicate judgment censure whether this will abide the test yea or no. For is it within any compass of likelihood that these Apostles did know what things Paul would not write of in his Epistles that they should deliver such things before-hand for Tradition when as yet they hardly knew whether he was to be an Apostle of the Gentiles or no when they did not know whether he would write any Epistles or no much less did they know what Epistles he would write Appello conscientiam and so much for Traditions Vers. 3. He proceeded to take Peter also c. §. Peters imprisonment and delivery James his death was seconded by Peters imprisonment but his time for martyrdom was not yet come as was the others
of which he was the chief Minister or that of the Gentiles concerning which the discourse here is principally of unto which he made the first entrance by the Gospel VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will give thee the Kyes of the Kingdom of Heaven THAT is Thou shall first open the door of Faith to the Gentiles He had said that he would build his Church to endure for ever against which the gates of Hell should not prevail which had prevailed against the Jewish Church and to thee O Peter saith he I will give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven that thou mayst open a door for the bringing in the Gospel to that Church Which was performed by Peter in that remarkable story concerning Cornelius Act. X. And I make no doubt that those words of Peter respect these words of Christ Act. XV. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel by my mouth and believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth c. I. We believe the Keys were committed to Peter alone but the power of binding and loosing to the other Apostles also Ch. XVIII 18. II. It is necessary to suppose that Christ here spake according to the Common people or he could not be understood without a particular Commentary which is no where to be found III. But now To bind and loose a very usual Phrase in the Jewish Schools was spoken of things not of persons which is here also to be observed in the Articles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What and Whatsoever Chap. XVIII One might produce thousands of Examples out of their writings We will only offer a double Decad the first whence the frequent use of this word may appear the second whence the sense may 1. k k k k k k Hieros Jom Tob. fol. 60. 1. R. Iochanan said to those of Tiberias Why have ye brought this Elder to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever I loose he binds whatsoever I bind he looseth 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Id. ibid. fol. 60. 1. Thou shalt neither bind nor loose 3. m m m m m m Id. ibid. fol. 63. 1. Nachum the brother of R. Illa asked R. Iochanan concerning a certain matter To whom he answered Thou shalt neither bind nor loose 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n n n n n n Bab. Megillah fol 26. 7. This man binds but the other looseth 5. o o o o o o Hieros Orlah fol. 61. 2. R. Chaiia said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever I have bound to you eliswhere I 'le loose to you here 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p p p p p p Id. Schabb. fol. 16. 4. Bab. Avodah Zarah fol. 7. 1. He asked one wise man and he bound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not ask another wise man lest perhaps he loose 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q q q q Demai cap. 6. hal 11. Maimon in Gezelah cap. 4. The mouth that bindeth is the mouth that looseth 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r r r r r r Tosaphta in Jevam. cap. 1. Although of the Disciples of Shammai and those of Hillel the one bound and the other loosed yet they forbad not but that these might make purifications according to the others 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s s s s s s Id. ib. cap. 4. A wise man that judgeth judgment defileth and cleanseth that is he declares defiled or clean he looseth and bindeth The same also is in t t t t t t In Mamrim cap. 1. Maimonides 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether is it lawful to go into the necessary house with the Phylacteries only to piss u u u u u u Bab. Berac fol. 23. 1. Rabbena looseth and Rabh Ada bindeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x x x x x x Hieros Horaioth fol. 48. 3 The Mystical Doctor who neither bindeth nor looseth The other Decad shall shew the phrase applied to things 1. y y y y y y Pesachin cap. 4. hal 5. In Iudea they did servile works on the Passover Eve that is on the day going before the Passover until noon but in Galilee not But that which the School of Shammai binds until the night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The School of Hillel looseth until the rising of the Sun 2. z z z z z z Ibid. cap. 6. hal 2. A festival day may teach us this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which they loosed by the notion of a servile work killing and boiling c. as the Gloss notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in which they bound by the notion of a Sabbatism that is as the same Gloss speaks The bringing in some food from without the limits of the Sabbath 3. a a a a a a Hieros Schab fol. 4. 1. They do not send Letters by the hand of a Heathen on the Eve of the Sabbath no nor on the fifth day of the week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea the School of Shammai binds it even on the fourth day of the week but the School of Hillel looseth it 4. b b b b b b Id. ibid. They do not begin a voyage in the great Sea on the Eve of the Sabbath no nor on the fifth day of the week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea the School of Shammai binds it even on the fourth day of the week but the School of Hillel looses it 5. c c c c c c Id ibid. fol. 6. 1. To them that bathe in the hot Baths on the Sabbath-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They bind washing and they loose sweating 6. d d d d d d Id. ibid. fol. 7. 4. Women may not look into a Looking-glass on the Sabbath-day if it be fixed to a wall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi loosed it but the wise men bound it 7. e e e e e e Id. ibid. fol. 10. 2. Concerning the moving of empty vessels on the Sabbath-day of the filling of which there is no intention the School of Shammai binds it the School of Hillel looseth it 8. f f f f f f Id. Jom Tob. fol. 61. 1. Concerning gathering wood on a feast-day scattered about a field the School of Shammai binds it the School of Hillel looseth it 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g g g g g g Rab. Sanhedr fol. 100. 1. They never loosed to us a Crow nor bound to us a Pigeon 10. h h h h h h Truma cap. 5. hal 4. Doth a Seah of unclean Truma fall into an hundred Seahs of clean Truma The School of Shammai binds it the School of Hillel looseth it There are infinite
Heathens that is lost p p p p p p Nedarin cap. 3. hal 4. It is lawful for Publicans to swear that is an Oblation which is not that you are of the Kings retinue when you are not c. that is Publicans may deceive and that by Oath VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. THESE words depend upon the former he had been speaking concerning being loosed from the office of a brother in a particular case now he speaks of the Authority and Power of the Apostles of loosing and binding any thing whatsoever seemed them good being guided in all things by the Holy Ghost We have explained the sense of this Phrase at Chap. XVI and he gives the same Authority in respect of this to all the Apostles here as he did to Peter there who were all to be partakers of the same Spirit and of the same Gifts This power was built upon that noble and most self-sufficient Foundation Joh. XVI 13. The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth There lies an Emphasis in those words Into all truth I deny that any one any where at any time was led or to be led into all Truth from the Ascension of Christ unto the worlds end beside the Apostles Every holy man certainly is led into all truth necessary to him for salvation but the Apostles were led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church because they were to deliver a rule of Faith and Manners to the whole Church throughout all Ages Hence whatsoever they should confirm in the Law was to be confirmed whatsoever they should abolish was to abolished since they were endowed as to all things with a Spirit of Infalibillity guiding them by the hand into all truth VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if two of you shall agree upon earth c. AND these words do closely agree with those that went before There the speech was concerning the Apostles determination in all things respecting men Here concerning their Grace and Power of obtaining things from God I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of you Hence Peter and John act joyntly together among the Jews Acts II. III. c. and they act joyntly among the Samaritans Acts VIII 14. and Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles Acts XIII 2. This bond being broke by Barnabas the spirit is doubled as it were upon Paul II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agree together That is to obtain something from God which appears also from the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching any thing that they shall ask suppose concerning conferring the Spirit by the imposition of hands of doing this or that Miracle c. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them THE like do the Rabbins speak of two or three sitting in Judgment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine presence is in the midst of them VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I forgive him until seven times THIS Question of Peter respects the words of our Saviour Ver. 15. How far shall I forgive my brother before I proceed to the Extremity What Seven times he thought that he had measured out by these words a large Charity being in a manner double to that which was prescribed by the Schools q He that is wronged ◠Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 5. say they is forbidden to be difficult to pardon for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel But when the offender implores him once and again and it appears he repents of his deed let him pardon him and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise worthy It is well but there lies a snake under it r r r r r r Bab. Jomah fol. 86. ◠For say they they pardon a man once that sins against another Secondly they pardon him Thirdly they pardon him Fourthly they do not pardon him c. CHAP. XIX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came unto the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan IF it were barely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan by the Coasts of Judea one might understand the bounds of the Jews beyond Jordan Nor does such a construction want its parallel in Josephus for Hyrcanus saith he built a fortification the name of which was Tyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between Arabia and Judea beyond Jordan not far from Essebonitis a a a a a a Antiq. lib. 12. chap. 5. But see Mark here Chap. X. 1 relating the same storie with this our Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came saith he into the coasts of Judea taking a journey from Galilee along the Country beyond Jordan VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause OF the causes ridiculous shall I call them or wicked for which they put away their wives we have spoke at Chap. V. ver 31. We will produce only one example here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Rabh went to Darsis whither as the Gloss saith he often went he made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day Rabh Nachman when he went to Sacnezib made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day The Gloss is Is there any woman who will be my wife while ◠tarry in this place The Question here propounded by the Pharisees was disputed in the Schools and they divided into parties concerning it as we have noted before For the School of Shammai permitted not divorces but only in the case of Adultery the School of Hillel otherwise b b b b b b See Hierof Sotah fol. 16. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered c. INterpreters ordinarily understand this of the unkindness of men towards their wives and that not illy but at first sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hardness of heart for the most part in Scripture denotes rather obduration against God than against men Examples occur every where Nor does this sense want its fitness in this place not to exclude the other but to be joyned with it here I. That God delivered that rebellious people for the hardness of their hearts to spiritual fornication that is to Idolatry sufficiently appears out of sacred Story and particularly from these words of the first Martyr Stephen Acts VII 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God turne d and gave them up to worship the host of heaven c. And they seem not less given up to carnal fornication if you observe the horrid records of their Adulteries in the holy Scripture and their not less horrid allowances of divorces and polygamies in the books of the Talmudists so that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
but he tries whether the door will be opened to give him entertainment And in this regard it is no wonder if men be said to resist and quench the Spirit because he comes only to try whether they will imbrace or resist quench or cherish This work of his differs from the effectual working of grace when he comes resolvedly to overcome and overpower A SERMON PREACHED upon ROMANS IX 3. For I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh A Dreadful passage at the first reading and which may make us even to tremble a man to wish himself to be accursed from Christ accursed from Christ The very words may make us to quake to think of such a thing And can we believe that a Paul should make such a wish that he might be accursed of Christ who knew so well what it was to be blessed of him Can he make such a wish Or rather can any one but such an one as he make such a wish upon such a ground upon such a condition upon such a warrant The Apostle is here beginning his Discourse concerning the casting off of the Jewish Nation and seed of Israel as at the nineteenth verse of the Chapter foregoing he is beginning his Discourse about the Calling of the Gentiles Them there he stiles by the title of the whole Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expression usual among the Jews to signifie in that construction These here he calls his Brethren and Kinsmen for so nature had made them he and they coming of the same stock and original He speaks there of some mourning out of desire that the Calling of the Gentiles should be accomplished Here he speaks of himself mourning out of grief for the casting off of his own Nation There the whole Creation of the Gentiles themselves groaning to be delivered from the bondage of their sinful corruption Here himself grieving for the not delivering of his own people from theirs at ver 2. he hath grief and great grief and sorrow and continual sorrow for them and could wish himself to be accursed from Christ on condition it might be better with them And one would think he had very small cause to be thus affected towards them if it be well considered how they had continually demeaned themselves toward him They had continually bred him trouble always persecuted him five times beaten him constantly sought his life and contrived his death And yet the good man grieves for them that grieved not for themselves and that always were grieving him and could wish himself to be accursed for them that could wish him cursed to the pit of Hell A strange wish and a strange charity that he himself might be accursed that they might not be so that he might be separated from Christ that so they might be united to him A passage so strange that it hath but one parallel viz. that of Moses Exod. XXXII 32. where he prays God to blot him out of his Book when God was now ready to cut off the seed of Israel A passage so strange that it seems directly to cross the whole course of his profession and practise He professeth Phil. III. 8. That all things in the world were but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus And yet here he can upon some condition be content to lose him He practiseth 1 Cor. IX ult to bring his body into subjection lest when he had preached to others he himself might be a cast-away And yet he could wish upon some condition to prove a cast-away So strange a passage that some Expositors cannot endure to look upon it in its full proportion but take as it were a diminishing glass to look upon it withal and they make those words of the Apostle to speak less a great deal than ever they meant They will have his meaning to be but this For my Brethrens sake the seed of Israel I could be content to be separate from Christ for a while and to continue upon earth from that glory that is prepared for me in Heaven that I might labour for their salvation Do you think that being Anathema or accursed from Christ means no more than this Others conceive that the Apostle only useth an high expression whereby to signifie how intirely he desireth the good of his own Nation As if he had needed so full and feeling an asseveration as I speak the truth in Christ Jesus my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost ver 1. to intimate that he so intirely desired their salvation But to omit more by this strong asseveration it is plain that he thinks as he speaks and speaks as he thinks For it was so strange a wish that he himself sees reason to use many asseverations to shew that he speaks in good earnest otherwise he would hardly be believed As First His double asseveration affirmatively and negatively ver 1. I speak the truth I lye not Secondly He lays his Conscience for earnest that he did not lye but spoke truth My Conscience bearing me witness Thirdly He doth as it were call Christ and the Holy Ghost to witness I speak the truth in Christ my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost And so under the attestation of three witnesses his Conscience Christ and the Holy Ghost he would have what he says to be confirmed for a truth and that he may be believed Well we believe that he speaks from his very heart and as he thinks that he wishes himself accursed from Christ for his Brethren his Kinsmen according to the flesh Doth he piously in so wishing or prudently St. Austin once wished that he might have heard him Preach but what would he have thought think you at such a wish as this Doth he not curse himself when he wisheth to be accursed And doth he not undervalue Christ when he could wish to be separate from Christ That passage My conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost doth plainly evidence that what he doth is neither rashly done nor impiously nor imprudently but from a good conscience good affection and not without the Warrant of the Holy Spirit Indeed at ver 38. of the Chapter next going before He is perswaded that neither life nor death nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any creature is able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus And yet at this place he could wish that he were separate from Christ on the condition he proposeth Not that either he undervalueth his uniting to Christ or that he thought he should be separated from him or that he simply desired it but comparatively he could wish it on condition the seed of Israel his Brethren and Kinsmen might be united to him He could wish to be damned on condition they might be saved Which may seem a dreadful wish but so much doth he value the salvation of so
on condition they might escape it He seeth it threatned in so dismal terms upon them in many places of Scripture and now he seeth it coming in so dismal a manner upon them that what would he not give what would he not be that they might escape it Such Thunderclaps as these that follow sound dreadfully against them and light heavily upon them which makes the tender hearted Apostle to tremble for their sakes Deut. XXXII 22 23. A fire is kindled in my anger and it shall burn unto the lowest hell c. I will heap mischiefs upon them I will spend mine arrows upon them And so he goes on in fire and thunder Isa. I. 9. Set a very little remnant aside and they shall be as Sodom and shall perish as Gomorrha monuments of Divine vengeance to all generations Isa. LXV 15. Ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen And the very last verse of that Prophet leaves them in fire with the never dying worm for their rebellion And the last words of the Old Testament threaten a curse upon the land if they disobey which they did to the highest degree and so fell under the lowest curse This Apostle very well knew that that saying of the Prophets Isa. XI 4. He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked one did aim more especially and directly at that wicked Nation And so he himself applies it in 2 Thes. II. 8. And then shall that wicked one be revealed c. He very well knew that those words of our Saviour As for these mine enemies that would not have me to rule over them bring hither and slay them before me did most peculiarly reflect upon that people whom Christ destroyed as direfully as they rejected him scornfully And in a word our Apostle knew that Christs fearful destroying of that Nation is expressed and charactered in Scripture as his great victory and triumph and glory as indeed it were endless to cite places to shew So fatally did they fall under Christs peculiar quarrel against them and curse and vengeance upon them That whereas Revel VI. 2. he is described as mounted and riding forth conquering and to conquer if you look well upon what follows all along that Chapter you will find his conquest to be the destroying that Nation This is a second thing that pierceth the heart of this our most charitable Apostle through and through to think that it should be so with that Nation III. Nor are these things alone in the Apostles thoughts but he remembers they had been Gods old and Covenanted people a people upon whom his name had been called a people for whom he had done so great things as he had done and these now to be destroyed and perish Read the very next words after the Text Who are Israelites to whom pertain the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the Fathers and of whom Christ came as concerning the flesh And now all to be so horridly changed so as to them should now pertain the Curse the Wrath the Vengeance and that Christ should come to rejoyce and triumph in their destruction This makes the tide of his affection to flow so high nay to flow even above all measure as it does here in the Text. And what wilt thou do for thy great Name How would the Heathen say Where is now their God How would the Nations that were about them not considering how they had deserved destruction at the hands of God be ready to fly in the face of God with scorn and blasphemy as if he were not so faithful to them as he should have been and that he could not do for them as he should have done So Moses of old pleads with God when he was ready to destroy them in the Wilderness with such an argument The Egyptians will say that God could not perform his word and bring them into the land that he had promised them So that our Apostles charity looks towards them and would not have them perish and his Zeal looks towards God and would not have him dishonoured And from both these together his wish and words For I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren Upon the words we have occasion to observe these three things I. The terms of his wish or what it is he could wish to be accursed from Christ. II. The terms or condition whereupon he could wish it For his Brethren and Kinsmens sake of the Jewish Nation that they might not perish And III. The cause or original of his being thus content so to wish his great zeal for God and his great love to their souls To explain a little the first viz. the thing that he could wish In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be Anathema from Christ which the Text of your Bibles renders to be accursed from Christ the Margin to be separated And the word indeed means both or indeed but one and the same thing in both The Greek word is used in in Levit. XXVII for a thing separate or set a part as a thing accursed to him that shall meddle with it And so the spoil of Jericho is said to be an accursed thing It was indeed a consecrate thing sacred and dedicated to the Treasury of the Lord but an accursed thing to him that should meddle with it to take it for his own as it proved to Achan with his wedg But the word is used not only of things but of persons men or women to wit such as were undoubtedly doomed to destruction And so it is taken also in Levit. XXVII and so in 1 Cor. XVI 22. He that loveth not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema that is accursed And to the like sense the Apostle here I could wish my self to be an accursed thing from Christ that he should have nothing to do with me that I should be an execrable thing unto him The Apostle to express how earnestly he desires the salvation of his Nation names the worst thing that can be named or thought and professeth that he could willingly undergo that that they might obtain salvation And his expression intimates two degrees of misery one above another First that he may be separate and set a part from Christ so as that Christ should have nothing to do with him Secondly that he should become a curse or execration to Christ or as an accursed thing to him Direful and dreadful things to be supposed or spoken of Than which no sadder or more doleful can be imagined or conceived Only this we may observe That the Apostle doth not down right wish himself accursed but intimates that if his being so would redeem his Nation from the Curse he could be content to be so His Expression may give us occasion to meditate What a
hard thing to make a fair probability of the truth of it So that as he was rapt into Heaven to attain to his revelations so he is wrapt as it were into an altitude and sublimity of these two things above other men when he prefers Gods glory in saving his Nation before his own salvation and the Souls of his Nation before his own Soul And this abounding superabounding Zeal and Charity is that that moves him to make such a Wish and his Conscience and the Holy Ghost warrant it I speak the truth in Christ I lye not My Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I could wish my self accursed c. But to return then to the former Question Must an ordinary Christian write after this copy and come up to such a pitch of Charity and Zeal I might answer the occasion is extraordinary the person extraordinary the measure of Charity and Zeal extraordinary And therefore it cannot serve for an ordinary Rule Again I might briefly answer as we sometimes answer Children For pardon me if I take up that homely and familiar comparison It is ordinary with Children when they have meat in their hand to be greedy and think they have not enough but they cry for more But we commonly still them with bidding them first eat up that they have and then they shall have more God hath put thy task into thy hand Christian viz. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Ply take out digest that task and then it may be seasonable to ask What must I do more Here the love of the Apostle to others is more than to himself God requires of thee to love thy Neighbour as thy self Go and do that and never trouble thy self to question what thou hast more to do toward thy Neighbour till thou hast done that Keep but pace with the Apostle as he paceth like a Christian this is the task God requires of us He requires not that we keep pace with him as he paceth like an Apostle We poor Children cannot expect to keep even pace with so great a Father of the Church as this Apostle was It is our work to follow his steps though Non passibus oequis though not with even pace yet as well as we can But to consider of this case more particularly and distinctly Concerning our Duty or what we are to do we are to consider What is possible what is lawful and what is required For that may be lawful which is not possible and that may be lawful which is not required For example it were very lawful for a man to be as wise as Solomon if he could attain to it but that is impossible So it is very lawful for a man to speak with the tongue of Men and of Angels if he could do it but it is not possible to be done So on the other hand It is very lawful for a man to spend all his life in study and reading of Books but this is not required of all because they have other just and lawful callings to follow So it is very lawful for a Man as Timothy to drink nothing but water but it is not required since God hath afforded other wholesome Drinks and every creature of God is good being received with thanksgiving So as to our Duty or what we are to do we are to determine what is lawful by what is required I speak of our Christian Duty for as to our Christian Liberty that is not to be determined by what is required but by what is warranted Now as to the thing before us I. It is impossible we should reach to that height of Grace that this great Apostle attained to We cannot look that our poor spark of Grace if it be any should shine so bright as this glorious star of the first magnitude nor that we poor worms creeping altogether upon the Earth should soar to that pitch that he did that was rapt into the third Heaven And therefore not being in the same capacity with him in Grace we cannot think we are in the capacity of making the same wish with him which came merely from the abounding Grace of Zeal and Charity that was in him II. Then which we must especially look after is it required from us that we should wish such a wish to our selves to be accursed from Christ for any mans salvation Is it either our Christian Duty and we bound to do it or is it with in our Christian Liberty and we licenced to it I check my self for that I go about to discuss such a case as this when there is a great deal more need to bewail the sad want of common Duty that the Apostle passed through to come to that pitch he did Which when any man hath passed through then if he have warrant as the Apostle had let him wish as he did The pitch that he came to was to love his Neighbour above himself when he could wish so much evil to himself for their good But the way that he went up thither was by loving his Neighbour as himself And this is the way that we are to set into and to keep in and to write after him in this though we cannot nor are required to do in the other There are then three steps or degrees of the Apostles Charity First He hated no man in the world Secondly He loved his Neighbour as himself Thirdly He loved him above himself Now it is without all doubt in the two former of these we are all absolutely bound to follow him I. to hate no man in the world to be enemy to none That Gloss that the Jews made upon the Command Matth. V. 43. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy was a Gloss from Hell and not from Heaven from Satan and not from God And how our Saviour confutes it and how he teaches what a Christian is to do in that case you may see there Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you As he of old said He knew not what to morrow meant because he looked upon every present day as his last So a true Christian knows not what enmity or hatred to any Man means because he looks upon every Man as his Brother And it was a most noble commendation that one gives of another Our Friend Sturmius hated no Man but only Vice Wickedness Heresie and the Devil A true Christian hates no Man upon his own quarrel David professeth to God Do not I hate them that hate thee Yes I hate them with a perfect hatred But it was upon no quarel of his own but because they hated God Nor was it their Persons he hated but their Qualities So this Apostle would have those that loved not the Lord Jesus to be accursed 1 Cor. XVI 22. It was not because they loved not him or he them but because they loved not Christ. There is nothing in the world more common than the hate of
from the Phaenicians And Euphorus thinks that Cadmus was he that conveyed them Chaerilus in Eusebius makes Phaenicians and Jews all one For he nameth Jews in Xerxes army and names their Tongue the Phaenician his words be these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English thus A wondrous people marcht behind along Their Dialect was the Phaenician Tongue On hill of Solymae they dwelt thereby A spacious lake not far remote doth lie These Phaenicians if you will call them so or Jews were the first that had Letters But the Jews were not Phaenicians indeed nor their Tongue the same yet for bordering of their Countries the Poet makes them all one The Phaenician is not now to be had unless the * * * The Syrian translating of the word Phaenicia in the New Testament seems to confirm this for true Punick or Carthaginian and Phaenick or Phaenician were all one which most like they were And then some few lines of the Tongue are to be found in Plautus his Paenulus which as Paraeus saith can little or nothing be made of Eusebius speaks of Sancuniathou that wrote the Phaenician History in the same Tongue but more of the Language he saith not But to the matter That Letters were so long in use before the giving of the Law I am induced to believe upon these reasons First Josephus is of this mind that Letters were before the Flood And the Scripture cites Enochs Prophesie which whether it were written by him or not is uncertain yet if there were any such thing those many places which we find of it in Tertullian Clemens and others do argue that so much could not punctually be kept by word of mouth A second reason to move me to think of Letters before the giving of the Law is to think of Josephs accounts in Egypt which seem almost impossible without writing Thirdly But omitting that I cannot see how all Arts and Sciences in the World should then flourish as considering their infancy they did without the groundwork of all Learning Letters Fourthly Again for the Jews upon the writing of the Law to be put to spelling as they that had never seen letters before and not to be able to read it had been a Law upon the Law adding to the hardness of it Fifthly Nor can I think that when Moses saith blot me out of thy book that he taketh the Metaphor from his own books which it is probable he had not yet written but from other books which were then abounding in the world Sixthly The Egyptian Chronicles of so many thousand years in Diodorus and Laertius I know are ridiculous yet their carefulness of keeping Records I have ever believed The Greeks were boys to them as it is in Plato and Moses was Scholar to them or their learning Act. 7. Now I cannot think that this their exceeding Humane Learning was kept only in their brains and none in writing Nor do I think that if it were written that it was decyphered only in their obscure Hieroglyphicks but that some of it came to ordinary writing of familiar letters CHAP. XXX Of the Hebrew Tongue WHO so will go about to commend the Hebrew Tongue may justly receive the censure that he of Rome did who had made a long book in the praise of Hercules This labour is in vain for never any one dispraised Hercules Other commendations this Tongue needeth none than what it hath of it self namely for Sanctity it was the Tongue of God and for Antiquity it was the Tongue of Adam God the first founder and Adam the first speaker of it In this Tongue were laid up the Mysteries of the Old Testament It begun with the World and the Church and continued and increased in glory till the Captivity in Babel which was a Babel to this Tongue and brought to confusion this Language which at the first confusion had escaped without ruine At their return it was in some kind repaired but far from former perfection The Holy Scriptures viewed by Ezra a Scribe fit for the Kingdom of Heaven in whose treasure were things New and Old In the Maccabean times all went to ruine Language and Laws and all lost and since that time to this day the pure Hebrew hath lost her familiarity being only known by Scholars or at least not without teaching Our Saviours times spake the Syrian Kepha Golgotha Talitha and other words do witness In aftertimes the unwearied Masorites arose helpers to preserve the Bible Hebrew intire and Grammarians helpers to preserve the Idiome alive but for restoring it to the old familiarity neither of them could prevail For the Jews have at this day no abiding City no Common-wealth no proper Tongue but speak as the Countries wherein they live This whereof they were once most nice is gone and this groat they have lost As the man in Seneca that through sickness lost his memory and forgot his own Name so they for their sins have lost their Language and forgot their own Tongue Their Cain like wandring after the murther of their brother according to the flesh Christ Jesus hath lost them this precious mark of Gods favour and branded them with a worse mark Cauterio conspirationis antiquae as saith Saint Bernard in another case Before the confusion of Tongues all the world spake their Tongue and no other but since the confusion of the Jews they speak the Language of all the World and not their own And that it is not with them so only of late but hath been long Theodoret beareth witness in these words Other Nations saith he have their children speaking quickly in their own mother Tongue Howbeit there are no children of the Hebrews who naturally spake the Hebrew Tongue but the Language of the Country where they are born Afterward when they grow up they are taught the letters and learn to read the Holy Scripture in the Hebrew Tongue Thus Theod. in quaest on Gen. 59. 60. About this their training up of their Children and growth of Men in their own Tongue and Learning a Rabbin hath this saying in Pirke Auoth Perek 1. Ben He he saith At five years old for the Scripture at ten for Mishneh at thirteen * * * Or Philacterits c. for the Commandment at fifteen for the Talmud At eighteen for Mariage at twenty for Service at thirty for Strength at forty for Understanding at fifty for Counsel at sixty for Old age at seventy for Gray Hairs at eighty ‖ ‖ ‖ Or fortitude of mind or God for Profoundness at ninety for Meditation at one hundred he is as Dead and past and gone out of the World The Jews look for a pompous Kingdom when Messias the Son of David shall come whom they watch for every moment till he come as it is in the twelfth Article of their Creed in their Common Prayer Book He shall restore them as they hope a temporal Kingdom and of that mind till they were better taught were the Apostles Acts 1.
6. and then their Tongue shall revive again as they surmise But the divine Apocaliptick writing after Jerusalem was ruined might teach them what the second Jerusalem must be not on Earth but from Heaven Apoc. 21. 2. But to return to their Tongue The Characters we now have the Hebrew Tongue in Scaliger thinks are but of a latter hatch and not the same that the Jews used from Moses till the destruction of the Temple For that they used the Phaenician or Cananaean Character which now is called the Samaritan How truly I refer to the Readers judgment The Character we now have is either a set or a running letter the first the Bible is ordinarily Printed in in the latter the most of the Rabbins The whole Tongue is contained in the Bible and no one book else in the World contains in it a whole Language And this shews that the Scripture speaks to all sorts of people since it speaks of all sorts of things This Language is as God said the Jews should be if they would keep his Law A lender to all and a borrower of none All Tongues are in debt to this and this to none The Eastern most especially must acknowledge this Some men in the East saith Origen reserve their old speech meaning by likelihood the Hebrew and have not altered it but have continued in the Eastern Tongue because they have continued in the Eastern Countries No Eastern Tongue that I have heard of is Hebrew now so that what to say to Origen I cannot tell unless he mean that those that have continued in the East have kept nearest this holy Tongue because nearest the holy Land this to be true is known to the meanest Learned In their speech it is apparent and by their writing confirmed All of them have learned from the Hebrew to write from the right hand to the left or as we usually call it in England to write and read backward The China and Japan writing excepted which is indeed from the right hand to the left but not with the lines crossing the leaf as other Tongues do but the lines down the leaf A strange way by it self Again most of the Eastern Tongues do use the Hebrew Character for quick writing or some other end The Chaldee letter is the very same The Syrian though it have two or three kinds of its own yet is content sometime to take upon it the Hebrew Character The Arabian doth the like especially the Jews in Turky use in hatred of Mahumetans to write down their matters of Religion in the Hebrew Character though in the Arabian Tongue So do the Christian Arabians for the same cause in their holy things use the Arabian Tongue but Syrian Letter And I take a place in Epiphanius to be meant to this purpose also about the Persian Tongue His words out of another are these The Persians besides their own Letters do also use the Letters of the Syrians as in our times many Nations use the Greek though almost every Nation hath a proper Character I refer to the Reader to judge whether he mean not that the Persians as other Countries about them did did use the Hebrew Character for their quick writing which is called Syrian by Theodoret. To speak of the grace and sweetness and fulness of the Hebrew Tongue is to no purpose to relate for even those that cannot read this Tongue have read thus much of it CHAP. XXXI Of Vowels EAstern Tongues especially the Hebrew and her three Dialects Chaldee Syrian and Arabian are written sometimes with vowels sometimes without with for certainty without for the speedier writing we have Hebrew Bibles of both kinds The Septuagint it seems translated by the unpricked Bible as St. Hierome in his Commentary upon the Prophets seemeth to import and as to any one that examineth it is easie to find Instead of all other places in Gen. 4. 7. it is apparent where the seventy Translators reserving the Letters have strangely altered the Vowels The Hebrew hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo imtetibh Seeth weim lo tetibh lappethahh hhatath robhets which is in English thus If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou do not well sin lieth at the door they Translate it as pointed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo im tetibh seeth weim lo tetibh lephatteahh hhatatha rebhats Which is If thou do well in offering and do not well in dividing thou hast sinned be quiet This follow with one consent the Greek and many of the Latine Fathers They could not thus translate because they knew not the Text or because they wanted pointed Bibles but on set purpose to hide Pearls from Swine as the best Learned think But that they did always miss on set purpose where they missed their many lapses seem to deny but sometime they mistook the unpricked Text and so misconstrued A vowelled Bible they might have had but would not Some there be that think the vowels of the Hebrew were not invented for many years after Christ. Which to mee seemeth to be all one as to deny sinews to a body or to keep an Infant unswadled and to suffer him to turn and bend any way till he grow out of fashion For mine own satisfaction I am fully resolved that the Letters and Vowels of the Hebrew were as the Soul and Body in a Child knit together at their conception and beginning and that they had both one Author 1. For first a Tongue cannot be learned without Vowels though at last skill and practise may make it to be read without Grammar and not Nature makes men to do this and this also helped out with the sence of the place we read 2. That Masorites should amend that which the Septuagint could not see and that they should read righter than the other who were of far greater Authority I cannot believe 3. Our Saviour in his words of one Jota and one small kerai not perishing from the Law seems to allude to the least of the Letters Jod and the least Vowel and Accent 4. Lastly It is above the skill of a meer man to point the Bible nay scarcely a verse as it is The Ten Commandments may puzzle all the World for that skill CHAP. XXXII Of the Language of two Testaments THE two Testaments are like the Apostles at Jerusalem when the confusion of Tongues at Babel was recompensed with multiplicity of Tongues at Sion speaking in different Languages but speaking both to one purpose They differ from each other only in Language and time but for matter the New is veiled in the Old and Old reveiled in the New Isaiah in his vision heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to Isa. 6. 2. another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to another the Old cries to the New and the New ecchoes to the Old The Old cries Holy is the Lord that hath promised the