popular error being imbibed and improved as farre as it would fairly yield must needs be the defaming of his medicaments and the blasting of his whole profession as one great imposture so after the pains and travail that this work hath cost from the time of the first thought and Designation of it at the beginning of my entrance on the study of Divinity to this present day of the Nativity of it I cannot look on it without some apprehension that it may run the same hazard which we read of the child in the Revelation c. 12. to be devoured as soon as born if one false pretension which hath of late been somewhat prosperous in this Nation and is utterly unreconcilable with the designed benefit of this or any the like work be not timely discovered and removed § 2. And the Pretension is this That the understanding or interpreting the Word of God or the knowing of his Will is not imputable to the use of ordinary means such are the assistance of God's Spirit joyned with the use of learning study meditation rational inference collation of places consulting of the Original languages and ancient Copies and Expositions of the Fathers of the Church analogy of received doctrine together with unbiass'd affections and sincere desire of finding out the truth and constant prayer for God's special blessing on and cooperation with these and the like means but either to the extraordinary gift of the Spirit in Prophesying Preaching and Expounding or to Illumination not Prophetical or simply Extraordinary but such as is thought to be promised to a new life the work of the Spirit of God in the heart of every Saint of his which consequently supersedes the use of all external Ordinances to such even of the written Word of God it self contained in the Canon of the Scripture § 3. Had this Pretension truth in it I must confess my self who doe not pretend to any such extraordinary gift or inspiration obliged to acknowledge the great impertinency of all this insuing work the perfect vanity of the whole design and every part of it and therefore am concerned as far as the hazard of having laboured in vain to examine the grounds and manifest the falseness of this pretension and that in this method and by these degrees § 4. First by surveying the Scripture-grounds or proofs which are producible in favour of it Secondly by setting down the form of sound doctrine in this matter Thirdly by shewing the great necessity of opposing this and adhering to the true doctrine And these are likely to enlarge this Postscript beyond the bounds that would regularly belong to it but will carry their Apology along with them § 5. The first ground or proof is fetch'd by the Pretenders from Joel 2. 28. cited and applied by S. Peter Act. 2. to the times of the Gospel It shall come to pass afterward or in the last daies saith God that I will pour out my Spirit or of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the hand-maids in those daies will I pour out my Spirit or of my Spirit and they shall prophesy Whatsoever can be collected from this place to the benefit of the Pretenders will receive a short and clear answer by considering the time to which this prediction and the completion of it belonged and that is expressly the last daies in the notion wherein the Writers of the New Testament constantly use that phrase not for these daies of ours so far advanced toward the end of the world which yet no man knows how far distant it still is but for the time immediately preceding the destruction of the Jewish polity their City and Temple That this is it appears not onely by the mention of Sion and the destruction approaching it in the beginning of that Chapter in Joel which signifies it to belong to Jerusalem that then was but also by two farther undeceivable evidences 1. By the mention of the wonders immediately subjoyned in the heavens and the earth c. as forerunners of the great and terrible day of the Lord the same that had been before described in Joel v. 2. c. and applyed by Christ in the very words to this destruction of Jerusalem Mat. 24. 29 30. 2 dly By the occasion for which S. Peter produceth it Act. 2. 14. the effusion of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles v. 2 4. which saith he was no effect of drunkenness in them but the very thing which was foretold by that place of Joel before that great and notable day of the Lord that was to fall upon that people to an utter destruction This being a prediction of what should come before the destruction of Jerusalem and the completion whereof was so visible and remarkable in that age to which by the Prophet it was assigned and this as a peculiar character of those times wherein the Gospel was to be first propagated by this means to which it had a propriety as a last act of God's miraculous and gracious oeconomy for the full conviction of this peoples sin before they were destroyed it must needs be impertinently and fâllaciously applied to any men or women old or young of this age so distant from that to which it belonged and so well provided for by the ordinary means the setled office of Ministery in Christ's Church as to have no such need of extraordinary § 6. A second proof is taken from 1 Cor. 12. 7. To every man is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for the benefit and profit of the Church But this is soon cleared by the Context which begins to treat v. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of or concerning those that have the Spirit so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the spiritual clearly signâfies c. 14. 37. being joyned with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã prophet and so it is express'd to signify here v 3. where ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã speaking in or by the Spirit is set as an instance of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the spiritual and 't is but a mistake to render it spiritual things the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã belonging as directly to persons as things being of the Masculine as well as of the Neuter gender Now for these ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã spiritual men or those that have the spirit 't is well known that they were those which for the first planting of the Gospel were by the descent of the Spirit indow'd with extraordinary gifts of miracles of healing of prophesying of speaking with strange tongues which they had never learn'd all which and more are here mentioned v. 8 9 10. and when these are exercised or made use of by any this is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the manifestation of the Spirit the Spirit of God manifesting it self hereby to
more but the sin of slaying the Christians and the vengeance that in justice from God and by the promise of Christ was due to it And the whole passage seems to allude to 2 Esdr 4. 35. where the souls of the righteous ask in their chambers saying How long c. and the answer is as here By measure hath he measured the times c. and he doth not stirre them till the said measure be fulfilled and ch 15. 8. Behold the innocent and righteous blood crieth unto me and the souls of the just complain continually and therefore saith the Lord I will surely avenge c. And so here the great persecutions and slaughters of the Christians wrought by the Jewes added to their crucifying of Christ provoked God's vengeance on them which should shortly be poured out in fury they still going on to slay more James the Bishop of Jerusalem known by the name of the Just and others whose slaughters by their own confession brought down that fatal destruction upon them V. 12. Great earthquake Of the great earthquakes in divers places saith S. Luke which were both in Asia and at Rome see Eusebius in Chronico in the time of Nero and Baronius An. Chr. 68. Neronis 12. and so also of the Eclipse of the Sun and of a starre or comet like a sword that stood over the city and continued a year and of a great light that shined about the Altar and the Temple at nine of the night upon the feast of unleavened bread for half an hour together and of Meteors that were seen through all the region and of an apparition in the clouds of chariots and troops of armed men encompassing the city and many the like see Eusebius Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã who calls them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã prodigies manifestly fore-signifying the approaching desolation and sermons as it were of God himself which is the meaning of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the signe of the Son of man appearing in heaven Mat. 24. 30. And among these Meteors the falling starres that are here described v. 13. would go for no great rarity But Arethas mentions some of the ancients who interpret this earthquake here tropologically of Vespasian's siege of Jerusalem and so it may well be understood and by analogie all the rest also See Note g. Ib. The Sun became black That the blacknesse of the Sun and bloodiness of the Moon and the falling of stars from heaven upon the ground have a literal interpretation of which they are capable so as to note prodigies in the heavens Eclipses and Meteors c. there is no doubt But yet here they are sure brought to signifie something else For if these words be compared with Mat. 24. 29. to which they are perfectly parallel it will appear that they are not a setting down the prodigies before the siege of Jerusalem but that that being set down v. 15. the darkning of the Sun c. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã after that tribulation or pressure All the question is whether these here be only a general representation of slaughters and blood-shedding which because when they are excessive they may cause clouds and meteors in the aire are by some thought to be so express'd ordinarily in the Prophets or whether they may not signifie the falling of these judgements upon the Civil and Ecclesiastical state represented by Sun and Moon and the whole multitude of that people signified by the stars of heaven And the latter of these seems the more probable see Note on Mat. 24. n. for thus in the Prophets of the Old Testament it is ordinary as when we read for the iniquity of the people is the land darkned and the like that is the glory and lustre of it destroyed An eminent example directly parallel to this we have Isa 34. 4. All the host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall down as the leaf falleth off from the Vine and the falling figg from the figge-tree and my sword shall be bathed in heaven And all this but a representation of God's judgements upon Idumaea as in the next words it followeth And so the host of heaven Dan. 8. 10. is set to denote the Jewes which being supposed the starres that here fall will be the common people or multitude of that whole Nation all express'd distributively in the words that follow v. 15. the Kings and great ones and the rich and commanders of thousands and the mighty and every servant and freeman see Note on Chap. 8. c. V. 15. The Kings of the earth That this prophecy belongs to the Jewes hath been cleared by other evidences and accordingly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã must be translated the Kings of the land and signifie in this place those that had or assumed to themselves the greatest authority among them and not in any stricter sense Kings or Heads of the people for that notion is not appliable to any that were at Jerusalem at this point of time to which this Vision refers see Note i. And proportionably must the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã great men denote the principal that were then in the city And then the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are the commanders or officers in their armies the leaders of the several factions as will appear Note i. being elsewhere used for Roman officers of their militia And then the rich men the bond-man and the free-man make up all that were in Jerusalem at this time express'd as 't is the fashion of the Scripture by the several sorts of them Ib. Hid themselves in the dens This hiding themselves in dens or caves is an expression of a great fear and consternation and the thing that was foretold by S. Luke c. 21. 26. Men despairing for fear and for the expectation of the things that were a coming on that people and this there immediately attending the Gentiles treading down of Jerusalem ver 24. This makes it not so fit to apply it to their flying to the mountains which was before the siege or to those fears that were produced by the prodigies the forerunners of the destruction such as the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the promiscuous noise or voice ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Let us remove thence which was generally thought to signifie the departure of God from the Temple adytis arÃsque relictus for this still was before the destruction but the passage to which this most punctually relates is that in the very time of destroying the city by Titus For when the Temple was burnt and the Priests hanged up and upon an affront offered to Titus refusing to relieve or take quarter from him the souldiers were permitted to plunder and fire all the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or seditious go to the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Palace where many had laid up their wealth drive out
is applied to the pious Kings Asa Jehosapâat c. So in Optatus speaking of the flesh of Christ quae nullum videbatur admisisse peccatum which seemed to have committed no sin his meaning must sure be that really he had not sinned Thus in humane Authors ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the form of affirming any thing If there be any farther force in this word then only as an Expletive then according to another notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it will best âe rendred do not please or satisfie your selves in saying as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is explain'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Phavor See Note on Mar. 2. a. and Note on Act. 16. a. 11. Baptize you with water Iohn's Baptisme by water previous and preparatory to Christ's Baptisme by the Holy Ghost and fire seems to be imitated by the Devil and his worshippers the Indians in Philostratus who had saith he a well whose water they esteem'd sacred and endued with secret virtue ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which was counted sacramental to all the Indians nigh unto which saith he there was a vessel of fire in which the Indianâ ãâã purged from their Involuntary sins whereupon their wise men call the well The well of conviction or reproof and the fire The fire of pardon or expiation And so the Brachmans before they sacrificed used to anoint themselves ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which so heated their bodies that they sent out fume and sweat in great abundance as if they had saith he been * wash'd with fire Ib. To bear That which is here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is not as in other places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the bearing of a burthen or weight the Labourers or Porters office but as a Ministerial Office either 1. to remove things that are not of present use out of the way the same that in other places is express'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to take away or put aside the bed as being no longer usefull and by this meanes it will here be all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to loose the latchet of the shooe Mar. 1. 7. and John 1. 27. that Loosing being in order to taking it off Or else 2 ly as Lu. 10. 4. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to carry shooes was ordinary in journeys so might it fitly be the Disciples office to doe so and so either way the meaning of the Baptist's speech is that he was unworthy to be Christ's Disciple for the Disciples of any Prophet among the Jews were to serve him as his Ministers to perform to him his ordinary necessary services so Joshuah was unto Moses Exod. 24. 13. and in Josephus l. 1. So Elisha ministred unto Elias 1 Kings 19. 2. and poured water on Elias hands this being set down as the Disciples office among their Constitutions and so when Christ saith he was among them as he that ministers Luke 22. 27. that of ministring referres to the office of a Disciple And so when they are call'd the sons of the prophets it is in the Hebrew notion wherein ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sons and servants or ministers are all one V. 12. Fan ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies a winnowing instrument ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a piece of wood by which they separate the wheat from the chaffe saith Hesychius The Hebrew reads ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ventilabrum from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã dispersit ventilavit referring in generall to Winnowing or holding up to the wind but not peculiarly to the manner of doing it The Syriacke hath ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã raphsho and so the Arabick also In which languages the word is said to have two significations 1. to note a shovel or such like instrument with a broad head as a paddle c. wherewith the surface of the earth is plained or pared So 't is in the Arabick proverb Men al rapsh el al arsh from the shovel to the throne from the meanest profession to the greatest dignity 2. as Jesu Bar Ali defines it an instrument with a broad head wherewith corn is moved or winnowed or stirr'd up to cleanse it Accordingly the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hesychius expresses first by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an instrument with teeth and again he explains it by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he defines to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a speare or pike having three teeth or sharps a three-tooth'd pitchfork used to stirre or throw up corn when they make up their floors and in another place he makes it all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which being by the Grammarians said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that which hath three darts quod tres cuspides habet it appeares to be directly all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The result of all this Grammaticall discourse is this hat the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here is set to denote that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that instrument with teeth some what like our pitchfork with which they managed the businesse of Winnowing their corn stirring it up that the chaffe when the corn is out of it having no weight in it may be driven away with the wind if there be any and if there be none they had an instrument as we have now sayles to make a wind and then that blowes away the chaffe without any other helps then of stirring it up that the wind may have force on it Thus Isa 30. 24. the corn is said to be winnowed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which saith Kimchi signifies Pala quâ grana per spatium longiusculum in ventum illata à ventilatore purgantur as Mr. Fuller renders him and accordingly we render it a shovel ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and with the fan we read i. e. with that instrument here spoken of that stirres up the corn for the wind that that may drive all the dust and chaffe away the word that the Hebrew here useth This is distinctly and properly the manner of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the throughly cleansing of the threshing floor which here follows For so at this day in those parts under the Turks dominion and also in Spaine where by the inhabiting of the Mâors who are bastard-Jews many Jewish customes are retained the Threshing-floor is in an eminent place in the open field large enough to be compared with that of Araunah 2 Sam. 24. where David built an Altar Thither after gathering their corn they bring it then have they a pair of wheels of iron joyned with an axle tree and dented or toothed like a saw and sometimes an heavy boord or plank about the bignesse of an ordinary door driven on the lower side full of sharp stones or pieces of flints the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã
learners those that now heard and received his doctrine though perhaps not absolutely the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. 5. 1. the promiscuous multitude the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. 4. 25. the many troops that followed him but I say the multitudes of Disciples that beleived on him were astonish'd at his doctrine ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for he taught them thus Luke 6. 17. it is set down distinctly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a multitude of Disciples out of which 't is said he chose twelve v. 13. signifying that there were more Disciples then those twelve in opposition to the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. the great multitude of people from all Judaea c. that came to hear and to be healed of him So oft in other places the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã disciple is applyed to all that entred into his school as well as to the Twelve So c. 8. 21. 't was a Disciple which said Lord suffer me first to bury my father but sure none of the Twelve and so in many other places From all which 't is clear to whom the doctrine and precepts of this Sermon belongs as also who are the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ye who are said to be the salt of the earth c. v. 13. not the Apostles peculiarly for as yet there were none such but all Christians which were then in the world and so in like manner all that should succeed them in that title all that enter Christs school that professe his doctrine and so follow him as obedient Disciples V. 5. The earth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã very often hath a peculiar Critical signification in the Gospels and referres to the land of Judaea and here by being promis'd to the Meek and obedient looks distinctly on the fift Commandement and in it on the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee i. e. a fruitful prosperous being here on earth which is here said to belong by promise of God peculiarly to the Meek And though sometimes it proves not so when in time of civil dissensions the supreme Governours are resisted and perhaps overcome for then the Meek or obedient conscientious subjects are commonly involv'd in the worst because in the Princes condition are deprived of their part in this promise turn'd out of their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã inheritance or portion yet because this is an irregular and extraordinary case in respect of which this General rule is capable of exception and because this is a particular tryall fit to befall a righteous man to see whether his estate will tempt him out of his duty and because the Godly mans ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Temporal felicity that is promis'd to him is alwayes with this reservation unlesse it be fitter for his turn that God make some experiments by afflicting of him which if he be found faithful in such tryals will encrease his glory and abundantly recompense the losse of this earth here by the land of the living hereafter and because the Hundred fold promised in this life i. e. the most fruitful Canaan-harvest the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the inheriting of this plentiful land is dispensed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with an allay or mixture of persecutions therefore I say the truth of this promise still remains good that the meek shall possesse the earth that obedience to superiours hath generally though with the exceptions premised the promise of this life and on the other side the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or cry which saith Procopius on Isaiah c. 5. 7. is the direct contrary to this murmuring disobedience sedition c. is there saith he the peculiar cause of desolation even of Temporal infelicities V. 8. See God The seeing God here may perhaps not look so farre off as the Beatifical vision in another world but be first fulfill'd in the work of Grace in opening our eyes to behold the wonderful things of God's law for this belongs peculiarly to the purity of heart as that excludes both hypocrisie and uncleannesse filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Thus saith Origen did God exhibit himself to be seen of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not to the eyes of their Bodies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to the pure heart contra Cels l. 1. p. 285. Many excellent Discourses toward this purpose we have from the light of Nature among the Pythagorean Philosophers Porphyry Iamblichus Plotinus Marinus when they speak of their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã particularly in Hierocles his pref on the Golden verses V. 9. The Peacemakers The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to doe or work in sacred dialect doth oft signifie the habit or bent of the mind with the consequent actions so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to commit or live indulgently in sin and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to have a sincere inclination or resolution of mind which is never sine effectu utterly uneffectuall toward righteousnesse as that signifies the practise of Christian virtues Thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã James 3. 18. they that work Peace are peaceable minded men and so proportionably the compound ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã peace-makers is used in this place in the same signification As for the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which follows they shall be call'd sons that must be rendred according to the importance of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be called i. e. to be mention'd on Mat. 2. k. And so 't is used 1 John 3. 1. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sons of God both here and v. 45. are they which partake of and resemble him in some special divine excellencies as sons of God are imitators of him Eph. 5. 1. such as peaceable-mindednesse here Just as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sons of Mars are good souldiers and sons of Neptune men of a savage and tyrannous disposition And so 't is observable that John 8. 39. the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to doe the works and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã being willing or delighting to doe them v. 44. are evidences of Sons V. 11. Shall revile you As ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they shall call his name c. 1. 23. signifies his name shall be called and so in other places there noted so here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã when they shall persecute and revile you signifies when ye shall be persecuted c. and v. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for so they persecuted the Prophets without any intimation who the Persecutors were is so were the Prophets before you persecuted See Note on Luke 16. 9. V. 13. Have lost its savour The Hebrew word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies two things first ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã insipidum unsavoury and then by a Metaphor ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã foolish and here one of those is taken for the other and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã used for being saltlesse insipid unsavoury ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã having lost all its saltnesse all of that quality that belongs to that creature V. 17. Law
loving of friends doing curtesies to them that will pay them again is an ideote ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã populus terrae an ordinary vulgar person doth nothing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã extraordinarily CHAP. VI. 1. note a TAke heed that ye doe not your almes before men to be note b seen of them otherwise ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven Paraphrase 1. To be beheld or look'd on by them If you doe not thus take heed you will lose that reward which God in heaven hath laid up for the Almes-giver 2. Therefore when thou doest thine almes doe not sound a trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites doe in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory of men Verily I say unto you They have their reward Paraphrase 2. The praise of men is their reward the only one which they are likely to have for this performance which is thus by them design'd to their own glory From God they are sure to receive none by receiving this they acquit God of all farther payment 3. But when thou doest almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth 4. That thine almes may be in secret And thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly Paraphrase 3 4. Watch over thy self as one that is very apt to fall into this sin to doe works of mercy vaingloriously and therefore doe them as secretly as you can and let not thy dearest bosome-friend which is to thee as thy left hand know what thou doest in this kind unlesse so farre as he shall be necessary to assist thee in the doing of it or as his knowing of it may some other way be ordinable to the glory of God without any reflexion of any praise on thee from him or other and God which beholds that which was thus done by thee in secret shall give thee that very reward for thy secret piety which the vainglorious person designes to himself but cannot so readily obtein as by this contrary way thou shalt make payment to thee in the sight of Men and Angels 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray note c standing in the note d synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto They have their reward Paraphrase 5. Like them which pray with the same designe that stage-players act on the stage to gain applause by so doing For all their joy in praying is to doe it in places of greatest resort where they may be most visible as they that stand in the meeting of two streets choose that as the place of best advantage to be seen by those which passe in either street 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Paraphrase 6. Retire from thy worldly company as Jacob Gen. 32. 24. when he wrestled with the Angel and with thy doores shut to thee pray there to thy heavenly father which is himself invisible and seeth thee how secret soever thou art and consequently that which is done by thee in secret and he that is thus the beholder of thy closet-devotions shall reward thee before Men and Angels 7. But when ye pray use not note e vain repititions as the heathen doe for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking Paraphrase 7. Doe not lengthen your prayers with idle tautologies after the manner of the heathen which think they shall have their prayers granted through the multiplicity of words used by them in their devotions 8. Be not ye therefore like unto them For your father knoweth what things you have need of before ye aske him Paraphrase 8. Hath no need of your expressions to tell him your wants and therefore is not likely to be wrought on by the length and multiplicity of them 9. After this manner therefore pray ye Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name 10. Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Paraphrase 9 10. I shall therefore set you a pattern after which to form your prayers Our father which remainest in thy throne in heaven and there art praised by the Angels and Saints which reignest there and art perfectly obeyed grant that thy name may be hallowed thy throne may be set up and acknowledged thy holy will and commands obeyed here below on earth also by us thy sons and servants sincerely and readily and in some proportion to what is there in heaven 11. Give us this day our f daily bread Paraphrase 11. The necessaries of our lives from day to day or that which is proportion'd to every mans being or sustenance 12. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors Paraphrase 12. And punish not on us all the sins wherewith we have offended and provoked thee to punish us as we doe most freely forgive all the injuries which have by others been done to us 13. And lead us not note g into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for ever Amen Paraphrase 13. Permit us not to be brought into any temptation or snare suffer us not to be intangled in any dangers or difficulties which may not be easily supported by us 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you Paraphrase 14. For it hath been well observed by the wise men among the Jewes that our pardoning of those who have injur'd us is rewarded by God with hearing of our prayers for his forgivenesse See Ecclus 28. 2 3 4 5. Mat. 5. 7. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses 16. Moreover when ye fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they note h disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast Verily I say unto you they have their reward Paraphrase 16. They put on sad and mournful looks appear in foul sordid garments and unwash'd faces which makes them look lamentably or perhaps they cover or veil their faces that they may discover or reveal their fasting 17. But thou when thou fastest note i anoint thy head and wash thy face Paraphrase 17. Behave thy self as upon an ordinary day for the Jews anointed and washed themselves daily save only in time of mourning 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast but unto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Paraphrase 18. Who seeth thee when no man else doth 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and note k rust doth corrupt and where theeves break thorow and steal Paraphrase 19. 'T is a great vanity
for austere ascetick persons men that fast very often having thus macerated themselves with that exercise And then proportionably with that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the beginning of the verse must be more then sad Hesychius renders it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of a fierce and horrid ghastly countenance such as men have when they are well nigh starved But passing by this there is yet a third rendring of the phrase which seems more commodious to the place by interpreting ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the looks and not the faces and then it may fitly be rendred they spoil their looks endeavour to look as ill as they can And for this it is to be observed that foul or sordid apparel will contribute much toward it So in Eust athius on Odyss ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The body carefully wash'd becomes fairer and so also by putting on white clothes as on the other side sordidnesse and illtatterd clothes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it should be read in Hesychius darken a bright countenance where the word is used of that illnesse of looks which sordid clothes do cause To this I may yet further adde that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which Hab. 1. 5. is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies such a confusion of countenance as attends astonishment or vehement trouble See Note on Acts 13. k. and so may here in that sence be fitly joyn'd with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã forming and putting on such a sad troubled confounded countenance which cannot but be taken notice of by any But this still not by any outward meanes of discolouring it but by an affected sadnesse or change of looks or by foul and sordid garments and the like V. 9. Anoint The interdict of Unction and Lotion among the Jews belongs only to dayes of mourning and humiliation Thus the Mischna Cod. Joma c. 7. § 1. On the day of Expiation that great day of humbling the soul ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they are interdicted meat and drink and washing and anointing and so in like manner ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the companying of husband and wife to which agrees that of S. Paul 1 Cor. 7. 5. that the husband and wife are not to deprive one another but for a season upon consent that they may ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã be at leisure for fasting and prayer and accordingly the Greek and Latine Church have made Canons to that purpose See Balsamon ad Can. 3. Dionys Alex. and Gratiun Decret par 2. causâ 33. quaest 4. by which it appears that this Anointing and Washing are not festival rites but usual at all times save only of fasting So Dan. 10. 3. describing his fast neither did I anoint my self at all is joyned to his I eat no pleasant bread neither came any flesh or wine into my mouth and so of David 2 Sam. 12. 2â when he made an end of mourning for the child 't is said he arose from the âarth and washed and anointed himself and eat bread to signifie that the omission of those was a ceremony of his mourning fasting and so 2 Sam. 14. 2. the widow of Tekoa that is to feign her self a mourner is bid to put on mourning apparel and not anoint her self with oyle By this and many other testimonies appeareth the daily use of Anointing and Washing and not that they were used onely on festival dayes though then they were used most liberally see Note on c. 26. c. And consequently that which Christ here commands under the phrase anoint and wash is no more then this that in those private fasts of theirs they should appear in their ordinary guise and not seem to men to fast not that they should appear to feast at that time V. 19. Rust The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is directly Greek for the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã consumpsit comedit to consume or eat for which the Septuagint read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Deut. 28. Hence is the noun used for the locusts or whatsoever it is that strikes and devoures the corn Joel 1. 4. 1 Kin. 8. 27. Psal 77. 57. and is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and in Latine rubigo rust not that which Iron is subject to but that which spoils corn and is called smutte among us And so this will be a proper sense for the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here yet so that in a greater latitude it may belong to all other vermine which devour corn in the barn or garner yea and the Caterpillars that eat up plants and all other fruits also And then all the three sorts of earthly riches which humane providence is wont to store up are here noted 1. Garments 2. Corn and fruits of the earth and 3. Gold and Silver and Jewels all subject to these three sorts of such great uncertainties as make them unfit to be kept or treasur'd up only fit for the present use of themselves and others the poor mans stomach or back or purse being the safest store-house wherein we can lay them up and that by Malachy called Gods store-house and our liberality to them the laying up our riches or treasures in heaven here v. 20. 'T is true the word rust doth seem to referre to Metals which are subject to it and if we took it in that sense it would be agreeable to the sound of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Laying up treasures forbidden at the beginning of the verse Garments and Metals being the chief treasures and so reckon'd Jam. 5. 3. where after ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã garments gold and silver followes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã treasure up So Achan of the treasure of Jericho purloin'd to adde to his own treasure a wedge of Gold and a Babylonish garment and agreeably to this the usual presents that subjects gave to their Kings and the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which great personages gave to their guests as âesseras amicitiae hospitalitatis tokens of friendship and hospitality at their departing were either apparell or metals So Naaman 2 Kings 5. offer'd Elizeus talents of Gold and changes of rayment And Alcinous and other Phaeacian Princes gave to Vlysses at his departure each a talent of Gold and a rich vestment ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so in Isocr ad Nicoc. in the beginning And for garments and cloaths it was wont to be a great treasure in this Kingdome till the vanity of changing fashions made it otherwise So in Records and antient Wills among us the bequeathing of garments took up a great part And accordingly the offices about the Wardrobe were of eminence in the Kings court as those other about the Treasury or Exchequer also
Notwithstanding all this the former sense of rust as it belongs to corn and fruits of the earth and the many accidents that those are subject to seems to be the thing here most pertinent and proper For first the notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Bible belongs only to this rubigo not aerugo and so secondly the notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to treasure up and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã treasures here doth not referre to the pretiousnesse of commodities though the fruits of the earth also be called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã pretious Jam. 5. 7. but to the sollicitude or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in making provision for the time to come which is the literal notation of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã laying up for to morrow and the particular thing here look'd to in Christs prohibition and thirdly the fear of rust to their Gold and Silver would not be very considerable in respect of the damage nor consequently so great an argument to deterre them from hoarding it as rust to their corn would be and theeves to their money fourthly the rust of their money is rather threatned as a witnesse against them to condemn them as coveting the possession but not making use of it in liberality to them that want it Jam. 5. 3. then for marring their metall and lastly the word there used by S. James for the rust of their money is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã V. 22. Single ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã simplicity in the new Testament generally signifies liberality Rom. 12. 8. 2. Cor. 8. 2. c. 9. 11 and 13. as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã also Acts 2. 46. by the same analogie that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã perfect Mat. 5. 48. is all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Luke 6. 36. from the latitude of the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are Synonymous appears by Hesychius who renders it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã pure and perfect so in Phavorinus not only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã single is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã free or liberall but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã liberality back again rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a liberal bestowing of money or giving of wealth or the virtue of the mind consisting in a discreet laying out of what a man hath upon good and proper objects clearing this matter that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies liberality Then for the applying this Epithet to the eye here 'T is 1. that the similitude may go on in the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or second part of it 2. because the Eye is that part of the body which hath most to doe with wealth as appears by Eccl. 5. 11. What good is there to the owners of riches save the beholding them with their eyes and therefore Covetousnesse is call'd the lust of the eye 1 Joh. 2. 16. 3. because the phrase is most agreeable to the dialect of Scripture Deut. 5. 9. Prov. 23. 6. and 28. 22. Ecclus. 14. 8 9 10. wherein ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the evil eye signifies Envie as that is the contrary to all liberall disposition in the sense wherein ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Aristophanes he who hath little of envie in his hand and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he that hath no envy so frequent a title of Gods in Damascen the Father of the Greek school signifies bounty and liberality And accordingly in Theephylact on 2 Cor. 8. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It signifies a mind void of envy or parsimony apt to communicate And in that sense I suppose ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is taken c. 7. 11. for niggardly covetous or illiberal the contrary to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã liberal here in the notion wherein ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã evil is used in Hebrew when 't is set opposite to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the righteous and merciful and is proverbially said to say That which is thine is mine and that which is mine is mine own So on the contrary ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the good eye is by us rendred bountiful and by the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã pitying the poor Prov. 22. 9. and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã good Matth. 20. 15. If this sense be embraced then these two verses will perfectly connect with antecedents and consequents all to the same matter of liberality otherwise they will cause a direct chasme or hiatus in the Context V. 24. Hold to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here used is by Phavorinus rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to help and so by Hesychius and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã who also addes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to care for The former of these notions may be accommodated to this place of a Servant toward a Master whose office is to assist his Master in all his businesse and accordingly it is applied to servants 1 Tim. 6. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã let them serve them assisting them in well doing but being set opposite to despising perhaps that of caring for may be the fitter notion of it V. 27. One Cubit unto his stature ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the quantity or stature of the body and again the habit of body and consequent to that the verdure of age and beauty as when ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Heraclitus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies to destroy their beauty or youthfull colour but especially stature as in Niceph. Basilac ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã p. 167. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of a stature reaching to the clouds So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã tall being spoken of Pyrrhus p. 310. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of Nestor p. 307. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã foursquare as broad as high of Diomedes p. 307. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a proportionable stature in Is Porphyrogen p. 206. And so also doth it ordinarily signifie age and so doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Kaumto which the Syriack here uses statura item annus aetatis stature as also the year of ones age saith Ferrarius and may possibly doe so here 1. because the Dehortation which this is brought to enforce was particularly that concerning Sollicitude for the life and to that this will be very proper of our not being able to adde by all our sollicitude the least proportion to our age to enlarge the period of life ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã one cubit that is one smallest measure or proportion beyond what God hath set us 2 ly it will be observable that one cubit being here set down as a very small measure So as in Mimnermus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for a time proportionable to a Cubit signifies a very short space such as leaves and the most transitorie fraile things enjoy and accordingly here the Hebrew readeth even one cubit would yet be a very great proportion being
Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value then many sparrows Paraphrase 31. This is full ground of all confidence and courage to you your lives are dearly valued by God and will not by him be negligently or prodigally wasted 32. Whosoever therefore shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heaven Paraphrase 32. shall courageously preach my doctrine when the preaching of it is persecuted and when any particular duty taught by me and required by me to be performed by all Christians is so opposed by the world that the practising it then may bring the utmost hazard upon him shall then constantly adhere to that precept and so confesse and honour me how dear soever it cost him I will be sure to own and honour and stick to him declare those performances of his to his honour before my Father in heaven from whom he shall have the acclamation and reward of a good servant 33. But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven Paraphrase 33. renounce the faith of Christ or obedience to him in time of danger he must expect to be renounced by me 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword Paraphrase 34. Doe not deceive your selves with an imagination as if the effect or design of my coming into the world were to secure unto the Christian profession a perpetual enjoyment of worldly quiet and prosperity upon earth when all the malice of wicked men and devils are set against it but rather reckon before hand of persecution as your portion and expect that your perseverance and constancy in this profession may and very often will bring great outward calamities upon you for a season even unto the killing of some of you 35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law Paraphrase 35. The farre more generall effect of my doctrine will be or upon the publishing my doctrine will ensue all manner of contention quarrels and variance betwixt the dearest and nearest friends either about acknowledging the truth of it or adhering to it in time of danger 36. And a mans foes shall be they of his own houshold Paraphrase 36. And the nearer men are to others in kindred c. the more bitter will their hatred be against them as against blasphemers c. upon their receiving my doctrine especially when it comes to be persecuted 37. He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Paraphrase 37. And he that preferres the advantages which he can and is like to receive from his parents or any that are dearest to him before those he expects from me or that values their kindnesse or good opinion more then mine is no fit person for my service no way qualified to be a disciple for me for it is certain all such worldly interests will ever be soliciting against me 38. And he that taketh not his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me Paraphrase 38. Nay I must plainly tell you that he that doth not provide for the utmost that can come that is not content to suffer death it self and therein to doe what I doe before him rather then doe any thing contrary to Christian duty is not competently qualified to be a disciple of mine 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Paraphrase 39. This comfort mean while ye have that as be that useth any way of compliance with the persecutors and so escapes their malice and saves his life shall gain little by this but be involved in the destruction which awaits them so on the other side he that shall hazard the utmost that he may stick close to me shall be likely to fare best even in this world For thus I foretell you it will be some to comply with the persecuting Jewes and to escape their persecutions will renounce Christianity and feign themselves zealous Jewes and so when the destruction falls upon the Jewes as it certainly shall most heavily they shall be involv'd in that destruction and that is all they shall get by that compliance and pusillanimity Whereas at the same time they that comply not and so venture all that the Jewes malice can doe against them shall by the destruction of their persecutors be rescued from that danger and live to see a peaceable profession of Christianity or if they doe not have the losse of a short temporary life rewarded with an eternal 40. He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Paraphrase 40. And therefore both to arme you against this great errror and to satisfie one objection more which will be apt to rise in your hearts viz. that if Christian doctrine will be so persecuted you have reason to expect that it will be look'd on strangely by all others and that no body will dare to receive you into their houses I now tell you that how great soever your persecutions are and how dangerous a thing soever to professe to be a follower of Christ yet shall no man have reason to fear the entertaining of you for the same protection that waits over you v. 39. and the same reward that attends you v. 32. shall also await those that are thus kind as to receive you It shall be as if they had entertained not only Angels but Christ and God himself they shall be farre the safer not in more danger for such guests according to that saying so ordinary among the Jewes that every mans Apostle is as himself See note on John 20. b. what is done to ones proxy is interpreted as done unto himself 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward Paraphrase 41. He that entertaineth see note on 1 Tim. 1. c. a Prophet in the name of him that sent him one Prophet coming in the name of another Prophet as Elizaeus in the name of Elias and the Apostles in the name of Christ or in that one consideration because he is a Prophet or he that doth support and enable a prophet to doe his work that sent him he shall receive the same reward that he should if himself had been sent to prophecy gain thereby an interest in his work and so in the reward due to it yea the same that he should have had if he had received him that sent him even Christ and God which sent Christ See v. 40. And so likewise he that entertains any holy man sent by another to plant holinesse among men shall
37. For words as well as actions are accounted of by God in conferring either rewards or punishments upon us 38. Then certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees answered saying Master we would see a sign from thee Paraphrase 38. All that take upon them to be sent from God and expect to be received bring some signs with them miracles or somewhat of that nature to give them authority we now desire some such from you 39. But he answered and said to them An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonas Paraphrase 39. 'T is the sign of a wicked infidel people to be alwayes unsatisfied after so many miracles and manifestations sufficient to prove me the Messias still to be requiring more without ever being moved with what you have already For such as you there is but one signe or token or miracle behind that of my resurrection from death after ye have crucified me whereby you shall have my office asserted after I am gone and find Jonas's drowning and wonderful restoring from the whales belly to have been a type of me and that a most significant one 40. For as Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so shall the son of man be note n three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth Paraphrase 40. For as Jonas lay buried in the whales belly three daies so shall Christ continue in the grave part of three natural dayes or shall die in one day and rise again the third day after it 41. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here Paraphrase 41. And they that are not convinced and brought to repentance by my resurrection and the preaching of my Apostles which shall be consequent to that their sin and condemnation shall be much greater then that of the Ninivites was for upon Jonas's recovery from the whales belly and coming to preach to them they repented Jon. 3. whereas the resurrection of Christ and mission of the Spirit and preaching of the Apostles over all Judaea after that is a farre greater way of conviction then that recovery and preaching of Jonas 42. The Queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with this generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdome of Solomon and behold a greater then Solomon is here Paraphrase 42. for certainly here is that which is infinitely more then all that wisdome of Solomon manifestations of God infinitely more discernible then ever Solomons wisdome was which yet was so talk'd of that it brought in forein princes from afarre at the newes of it 43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none 44. Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out And when he is come he findeth iâ empty swept and garnished 45. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation Paraphrase 43 44 45. But to you that having received such means of converting and bringing you to repentance such miracles and particularly casting out devils v. 22. which occasion'd all the discourse since and to which this is annext Lu. 11. 24. have not yet walk'd worthy of them I shall now apply this parable v. 43 44 45. the meaning of which is That this nation out of which I came to cast out the power of Satan and to bind the strong man and take from him his usurped possession and goods for their proper Masters use doth appear so farre to resist all my methods as to blaspheme that holy Spirit by whom I work v. 24. and then what is to be look'd for but that the Devils ejected either by your own children or by me in my Fathers name either out of any single person or nation finding no where else in the heathen world such pleasant desireable habitations of rest and contentment as here among you as a well watered seaâ is the most pleasant shall try their utmost to re-enter here and when they come to doe so finding that Christ hath not gotten any admission they shall with many more worse then themselves make entrance and take a durable possession again and so the state of this people is like to be more desperately damnable then before I came among you it was or then if Satan had never been cast out it would have been 46. While he yet talked to the people behold his mother and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him 47. Then one said unto him Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee Paraphrase 46 47. Whilst he was on this severe discourse so ungrateful to many of his auditors it happened that his mother the blessed virgin Mary and some others of his nearest kinred were waiting without to speak with him and upon this occasion one of his auditors either to trie what he would say or perhaps to interrupt him in his speech told him that his mother and kindred waited for him 48. But he answered and said to him that told him Who is my mother and who are my brethren 49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said Behold my mother and my brethren Paraphrase 48 49. To which he presently replied to signifie this office of his to declare the will of his Father to be dearer to him then all relations and withall to shew that obedience to God was the thing above all others most welcome to him in these words Who is my mother c. that is Ye are deceived in me bare natural or secular respects sway not with me in comparison to the gaining of proselytes to heaven 50. For whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother Paraphrase 50. becomes thereby the child of God and consequently by that means the brother and sister of Christ and besides Christ is also formed in him and so he is the mother of Christ answerable to the Virgin in whom Christ was conceived And therefore I doe most justly set that valuation on him and in that respect more tend the teaching of such and conversing with them then the paying a civility to those who are in carnal respects nearest to me Annotations on Chap. XII V. 8. Son of man That by the phrase the son of man in this place is not meant Man in common as some very learned men have thought but peculiarly Christ is more then probable not only by these words a greater then the
them Paraphrase 2. And Jesus willing by an embleme or visible representation to satisfie this question of theirs as farre as was useful to them 3. And said Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven Paraphrase 3. Unlesse you change your inclinations and desires and take your selves off from this vain ambitious expectation and pursuit of a carnall kingdome of Christ and of your receiving dignities and preheminencies in it you can never be true disciples of Christ this carnal ambition and projecting being so contrary to the Christian temper 4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the kingdome of heaven Paraphrase 4. Two things therefore I shall teach you from this emblem first that the state of Christianity is such a state that he which is most lowly is most capable of eminence in it 5. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me Paraphrase 5. Secondly that all the lowlyest and meanest persons are so dearly valued by me that he that would do a grateful thing unto me cannot find any fitter way to doe it then by cherishing and treating kindly and tenderly any such mean lowly person especially if it be by shewing kindnesse and tendernesse to his soul endevouring to advance that in the wayes of godlinesse 6. But who so shall offend one of these little ones which beleive in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Paraphrase 6. Whereas on the other side he that shall gall discourage drive from me and the Christian practise any such meanest person that comes to me 't were for his advantage that the stone of a mill not such as women turn with the hand c. 24. 41. but so big that it is fain to be turned by an Asse were hung as a weight about his neck and he then cast into the sea sure to be hurried presently to the bottome of it 7. Wo unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh Paraphrase 7. Upon this occasion I tell you before-hand that great-falling off and apostastising there will be amongst those that receive the faith great discouragements to obstruct the receiving of it many will be seduced from the right way which is a sad and wofull thing But though this be to be expected in respect of the wickednesse of some and seduciblenesse of others and though it be not imaginable that the word should by God be kept free from all such temptations to sin nay God hath thought fit to permit such for the tryal and exercise of Christians yet will this be little matter of excuse but rather of aggravation of their sin and wo that shall be instrumental to this end that shall be the authors of them 8. Wherefore if thy hand or foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather then having two hands or two feet to be cast into fire everlasting Paraphrase 8. And therefore I now forewarne you that if any that is nearest to you friend profit pleasure as dear to thee as a member or any part of thy self go about to discourage thee in thy Christian course to withdraw thee either in grosse from the Christian profession or more particularly from any act of duty to the contrary sin thou be sure to renounce it part with it Mat. 5. 29 30. It being so much more eligible and desirable for thee to attain eternal blisse having in thy life time been halt or maimed that is passing through some difficulties or austerities then by escaping those difficulties to run into sin and so to hazard everlasting fire 9. And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee it is â better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather then having two eyes to be cast into hell fire Paraphrase 9. having here for some years lost the benefit of one of thine eyes 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you That in heaven their note a Angels doe alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heaven Paraphrase 10. it is a matter of great moment then worthy your saddest care that you doe not undervalue or neglect the good and advantage of any the meanest person to whose reformation or establishment ye are able to contribute any thing but especially that you take care least by neglecting to do what is in your power to doe toward the recalling or confirming or else by any other means though but occasionally ye prove the undoing of any my meanest servants for I tell you The Angels which are by God appointed to be their guardians on earth have yet their continual returnes and recourse to Gods glorious presence are neer and high in Gods favour alwayes having accesse to make requests or complaints in their behalfes and to receive commands from him concerning them and therefore these though little in their own and the worlds account are not yet to be slighted or despised by any or averted from their course of piety by that means 11. For the son of man is come to save that which was lost Paraphrase 11. For Christ that came to reduce those see note on c. 11. k. that are gone astray from the wayes of God must be thought to require the same of you to be most diligent and industrious to reduce the meanest person upon earth that is in a course of any danger of ruine to the soul 12. How think ye If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray 13. And if so be that he find it verily I say unto you He rejoyceth more of that sheep then of the ninety and nine which went not astray Paraphrase 12 13. For judge in reason I pray by this ordinary resemblance If an ordinary man on earth have a possession on which he sets any considerable value be it an hundred sheep and if one of them be strayed from the rest and that be discerned by him doth he not set so great a value on that one lost sheep as at the present to leave the whole number besides knowing them safe in the pasture or fold and goe and search diligently and solicitously for that one and upon the finding it is he not affected with more joy at the first sight of it then he is at the beholding his whole flock which had never run that hazard 14. Even so it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish Paraphrase 14. And just
come whether that be Heaven or the Kingdome of the Messias Maimon de poen c. 3 § 5. And yet of these 't is observable that after the Jewes came under the Roman yoke and so were unable to keep their Proselytes of the gates within their prescribed rules having no jurisdiction over them their wise men determin'd that they should have no commerce with them which was accordingly observ'd till S. Peters Vision Act. 10. assured the Christian Jewes that this was not required of them The 3 d sort of strangers and 2 d of Proselytes are those which embraced the whole Jewish religion submitted to be Circumcised and to perform the whole number of the precepts of the Law and these are admitted to priviledges proportionably and differ nothing from a Jew but only that they are not born in the land as the Mamluchi among the Mahomedans of whom 't is Justin Martyrs affirmation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the circumcised proselyte is as one that was born in the land To which purpose they apply that of the prophet The stranger ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he that is the Proselyte shall be joyn'd unto them shall be joyned to the house of Jacob ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã one and the same law being given to all that are circumcised Of this sort were the Sichemites Achior Judith 14. 10. Nebusaradan saith Gemara Sanhedrim c. 11. Vrias the Hittite and Herod the Idumaean whose kingdome in his successors is therefore call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the kingdome of the strangers Nicolas Act. 6. and these are call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã proselytes of righteousness and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã proselytes of the covenant Of these say the Jewes that above all things they must be circumcised and Tacitus hist l. 5. having mention'd the Jewes custome of circumcision adds transgressi in morem eorum idem usurpant nec quicquam priùs imbuuntur quà m contemnere divos c. And because some other nations had gotten a traditionary custome of circumcising without forsaking heathenisme or undertaking any degree of Proselytisme as the Aegyptians and from them saith Diodorus Siculus the men of Colchos and of old the Ismaelites and now the Turkes It is therefore resolved among the Jewes that if any such shall become a Proselyte though he cannot be circumcised again yet on the eighth day of his proselytisme some blood must be fetch'd of that part which they call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the breaking of the skinne for a testimony of their Proselytisme which they confesse Moses knew nothing of but is an institution of their own These Proselytes of the Covenant may perhaps be meant by the children of the Covenant Act. 3. 25. the multitude there being mixt of Jewes and proselytes c. 2. 5 14. and both those spoken to in the 3 d. chap. the Jews under the title of Children of the Prophets that is of Abraham c. the rest under the title of Children of the Covenant which being made with Abraham belonged not only to Israelites but to all the kinreds of the earth as it followes there Now of these latter sort of Proselytes his place here seems to be understood wherein Christ reproacheth the diligence of the Pharisees who took such pains to make a Proselyte that is to bring a gentile that was no way bound to it to be Circumcised and to undergoe all the Judaicall law which God had never proposed to the Gentiles thereby demonstrating that it was not true purity and reformation of heathen vices that they thought to work in their Proselytes but did it onely to get more companions to their faction of holding up the externall ceremonies of Circumcision against the reformation now preached by Christ From whence it appears not onely why the Pharisees were called hypocrites for so doing this being no way an act of piety which they pretended to doe so zealously but also why the Proselyte so made by them is said to be worse then they or then their own children made doubly more then they the child of hell that is worthy of punishment 1. because before the coming of Christ the Pharisees were bound to observe the whole Law and so though Christ the substance being come did take it away that is the typicall parts of it yet the Pharisees were more excusable if they continued in the observation of it whereas the Gentiles were never obliged to it and so had not that excuse if they should resist Christ upon that ground of his destroying the Mosaicall law which was the great scandal against Christs doctrine Secondly because the Pharisees being now engaged in this faction against Christ these new Proselytes of theirs to approve themselves to their Masters express'd more bitternesse against Christ then themselves had done and by their instigation were made instruments of more mischief after to Christians So Act. 13. 50. the Jewes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã instigated and inflamed the worshipping that is Proselyte women against the Apostles and it followes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they raised a persecution against them So saiâh Justin Martyr ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the proselytes doe not onely not beleeve but doe doubly to what the Jewes doe blaspheme the name of Christ and kill and reproach us who doe beleive and make all hast to be like you The truth of this was very observable in the Gnosticks who being Gentiles first then Christians at last in appearance turn'd Jewes and then became the most bitter persecutors of the Orthodox Christians Three other things observable concerning these two sorts of Proselytes will come in more naturally in other places to which they more immediately referre V. 16. Swear by the Temple It seems by this which Christ here affirms of the Pharisees that they had a tradition that those oathes onely were obligatory which were conceived by God or something immediately consecrated to him meaning thereby not the Temple and Altar which had onely an universall consecration being set apart to his service but other particular oblations and gifts which were by the voluntary piety of men devoted unto him Of this sort is the Gold of the Temple and the Gift on the Altar wherein it seems they placed a more especiall sanctity then in the other This Christ looks on as a pityfull nice piece of deceit either to frustrate the obligation of some oathes it being ordinary with them to swear per Templa tonantis saith the Poet by the Temple when it seems by him they did not think themselves obliged by such an oath or to make a nice distinction of sanctity where indeed there was none the whole sanctity of the gold or gift flowing from the Temple or Altar to which and the God in it they were consecrated What should be the colour or pretence of this doctrine of theirs it would be hard to guesse unlesse perhaps it was that they conceived the Temple by its having been demolish'd to have lost its sanctity and not to
shall arise see note d. assuming to be sent by God to deliver you and false prophets there shall be to perswade you to betake your selves to these false Christs and these betwixt them shall pretend working of miracles and giving you signes to draw you after them and coming in a nick of time so advantageous for that turn when your danger appears to you so great and formidable and so promise of deliverance so welcome they will be likely to draw many after them even the most sincere persevering Christians if it were possible for any deceit to work upon them 25. Behold I have told you before Paraphrase 25. Therefore let this premonition of mine forearme and secure you against this danger 26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desert goe not forth Behold he is in the note l secret chambers beleive it not Paraphrase 26. When therefore the news shall come that there is in the wildernesse an eminent person which will fight your battels deliver you from the Roman yoak such was Simon who had gathered an army of fourty thousand and was in the desart country of Judaea be sure you goe not forth after him give no eaâ to such rumours Or if they shall tell you that there is in such a frontier town or place of defence or in such a strong hold within the city of Jerusalem for there John with his Zelots fortified himself this deliverer or Messias or leader for you depend not on any such reliefe nor forslow your flight v. 17. upon confidence that he shall doe any thing for you 27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west so shall also the coming of the son of man be Paraphrase 27. All such deceits may prove ruinous to you for this judgment and vengeance upon the Jews shall come so as that it cannot be avoided but it shall at the same time fall upon several parts of the land or in a moment like lightning fly from one corner to another this day a great slaughter of Jews in this place to morrow in another a great way off 28. For wheresoever the carcasse is there will the note m eagles be gathered together Paraphrase 28. And there is no preventing of it by getting into any place of appearing safety for wheresoever the Jews are there will the Roman armies whose ensign is the eagle and who will have a sagacity to finde out Jews as the eagle Job 39. 30. hath to smell out carcasses finde them out and slaughter them 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes the Sun shall be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven and note n the powers of heaven shall be shaken Paraphrase 29. This distresse shall make short work with this nation For immediately upon this which I have now foretold you the Temple the city of Jerusalem and the rest of the cities of Iudea and that whole people shall be shrewdly shaken all the whole government Civil and Ecclesiastical shall be destroyed 30. And then shall appear the note o sign of the son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Paraphrase 30. And this shall appear to be a signall punishment upon the Jews and they shall with sorrow though too late take notice of it as a notable act of revenge of the crucified Christ upon those that were thus guilty of his death see Praemon to the Revelation 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other Paraphrase 31. And he shall as with an herald and a loud sounding trumpet gather together all the persevering beleivers that remnant whom he purposed to preserve from this destruction wheresoever they are in any part of Judea see Rev. 7. 12. and rescue them from this common calamity see v. 40 41. and Rev. â 3 4 c. 32. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree when her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that summer is nigh Paraphrase 32. Now as by the sight of a figtree the softnesse of the branch and budding out of leaves ye know and discern that the winter is now past and the summer is nigh approaching 33. So likewise ye when ye see all these things know that it is neer even at the doors Paraphrase 33. So in like manner resolve ye that these are most certain and infallible signes by which when you see them you may conclude that this coming of the son of man for the destruction of the Jews and your rescue and deliverance is neer at hand 34. Verily I say unto you This generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Paraphrase 34. Of both which I now assure you that in the age of some that are now alive shall all that hath been said in this chapter be certainly fulfilled see Note on c. 23. 1. and Luke 18. 7. c. 35. Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Paraphrase 35. What I say is immutably firm and sure the whole world shall be destroyed sooner then one word that I have now delivered shall prove otherwise 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the angels of heaven but my father only Paraphrase 36. But of the point of time when this judgment shall come see Note on Heb. 10. a. and 2 Pet. 3. 10. none but God the father knows that see Note on Mar. 13. b. and that must oblige you to vigilancy and may sustain you in your tryals when you begin to faint by reason of persecutions from the Jews v. 12. which this is to set a period to by remembring that how farre off soever your deliverance seems to be it may and will come in a moment unexpectedly 37. But as the dayes of Noe were so shall also the coming of the son of man be Paraphrase 37. But this judgment on the Jews shall be like that on the old world in respect of the unexpectednesse of it See Lu. 17. 20. 38. For as in the dayes that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noe entred into the arke 39. And knew not untill the flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the son of man be Paraphrase 38 39. For as in the age before the deluge the judgement had been preached sixscore yeares together and at last Noah by building of an arke did visibly forewarn them of the flood approaching yet the people went on secure and unmoved in their course knew not so much as of his imbarking till the very minute that the flood surprized them and destroyed
to them that are ready to die Where the Hebrew Sichar softned by the Greek into ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies saith S. Basil ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all that can cause drunkenness So Ps 60. 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the wine of stupidity is by the Chaldee rendred the wine of malediction such as is given to them that are to be executed of which saith Rubbi Shelomo that it obnubilates the heart and strikes the brain that is disturbs and takes away the senses And accordingly S. Paul useth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom. 11. for the spirit of stupidity or slumber having eyes and not seeing c. Thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Apoc. 14. 10. is not the wine of Gods wrath but the wine mix'd with all these stupifying spices that is the stupifying and astonishing judgments of God And the same is express'd in the Psalmist Psal 75. 9. by the phrase of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wine pure unmix'd from water or any softening allaying mixture and full of all these poysonous stupifying ingredients and so in like manner by the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in that place of Rev. 14. 10. the unmix'd wine mix'd which is there the periphrasis of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in S. Marke the wine with myrrh in it This it seems being usefull to open the pores and hasten death Christ refused to take meaning to make good his own words of Ego pono I lay down my life not for his will only but the act also and so though he gave way to naturall things to work yet he reserved all to his own power and so when he had done all that he would he sayeth it is finish'd Joh. 19. 30. and bowed the head and gave up the ghost And this was it that the Centurion considering was amazed at Mar. 15. 39. V. 43. Will The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is used by the Greek translators of the Old Testament and writers of the New sometimes in a notion which seldome belongs to it in other authors as when 1 Sam. 18. 22. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the King delighteth or taketh pleasure in thee So 2 Sam. 15. 26. and very frequently in other places upon this ground that the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies to will signifies also to delight in and so is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as well as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and when ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it is taken in the same sense as if it were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And so 't is here for Psal 22. 8. from whence these words are taken and from the translatours there ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã retained for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we ordinarily render it let him deliver him if he delighteth in him In like manner as Tob. 13. 6. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã who knowes if he will accept or be pleased with you Thus in a fragment of Perictyone the Pythagorean in Stobeus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã She shall be kind to her husband Thus Col. 2. 18. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is one that delighteth or pleaseth himself in that kind of humility and worship of Angels that acquiesces in it And so 1 Cor. 7. 36. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fignifies that which he hath a mind to V. 44. Theeves That which is here affirm'd of the robbers in the Plurall number seems to be understood in the Singular only of one of them Lu. 23. 39. the other praying unto him and beleiving on him Severall examples of the like formes of speech seem to be in this book ch 26. 8. when his disciples saw it they had indignation whereas only Judas was displeased at it saith S. John c. 12. 4. So c. 21. Loose them the asse and the foââ is Mar. 11. 2. a colt tyed loose him And this by an ordinary figure which the Graecians call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã frequently used in all languages So when Joh. 13. 28. 't is said that none of those that lay at mea with Christ knew to what purpose he spake to Judas What thou dost doe quickly 't is not to be concluded that John who v. 25. asked and was told v. 26. who 't was that should betray him was included in that number of those that knew not So Heb. 11. 37. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they were sawn asunder in the Plural which yet is not found to belong to any but to Isaias onely But it is also possible that both these theeves might at first blaspheme and reproach him and afterwards one of them confesse him and pray to him Thus Prosper understands it cont Collat. c. 12. Cùm aliquandiu blasphemasset in Jesum Christum repentè est mutatus c. when for some time he had railed on Jesus he was suddenly changed And so Titus Bostrensis p. 833. B. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã At first the two theeves spake as the Jewes did perhaps by that means expecting some helpe from them toward getting their pardon but that expectation being frustrated and hearing him pray for his crucifiers Lu. 23. 34. one was thereby wrought on v. 40. And if so then the words here will refer to the former time and in S. Luke to the latter V. 51. Earth did quake This is conceived by some to be the Earthquake that Macrobius mentions as the greatest saith he which in the memory of mortall man was ever known in the reign of Tiberius Caesar twelve cities of Asia being destroyed by it see Marcil Ficinus de rel p. 78. The same is mention'd by Pliny Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 48. But it doth not by the Text here appear that this earthquake belong'd to any thing but the Temple of Jerusalem the parts of which are mention'd the veile and the ground and the stones of the building and the tombs c. And 't is not improbable that this prodigie was shewed particularly on this place to foretell the destruction of the Temple and service upon their crucifying of Christ So ch 28. 2. where there is mention'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a great shaking it is not to be imagined that this was a shaking of the whole earth but at the most of that part where the grave was Nay there being no mention of the earth in that place it is not improbable that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should there signifie that concussion of the aire joyn'd with thunder c. with which Angels are wont to descend when they appear for so it immediately followes there For the Angel of the Lord descended c. V. 57. Arimathe Arimathea is the place where Samuel was born and brought up called by the Hebrewes Ramathaim Sophim in Greek ' ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã CHAP. XXVIII 1 IN the note a end of the sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdaâene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre
as a conjecture and only adde that in Theophrastus's character of a niggardly person ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies much of this fullers earth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he earnestly eutreats the Fullers that his garment may have a great deal of earth that it may not be sullyed quickly V. 18. Teareth him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which fignifies to break or rend Mat. 7. 6. and 9. 17. Mar. 2. 22. Lu. 5. 37. and to break out Gal. 4 27. that is to speak ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith Hesychius and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies also to beat or throw down upon or against the ground and is by Tertullian according to that latitude of the word rendred evertere to throw down Mat. 7. 6. though the context in that place seems not to own it the treading under foot going before not following it thus is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the river being swelled into a torrent beat upon the house Lu. 6. 49. and upon it followes in the next words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã presently it fell In stead of it S. Matthew in the parallel place Mat. 7. 25 27. reads ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fell upon And so in the end of the verse in S. Luke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the fall of it was great Thus doth Hesychius render the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to divide or break in pieces but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã also to throw down as here v. 22. 't is express'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and again ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã perhaps it should be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hos 12. 14 and so Lu. 5. 37. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Sam. 30. 16. to poure on the ground and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Thus in this place the Syriack and the old Latine took it and so the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is by the Septuagint rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã also Job 12. 14. Ezech. 26. 4 12. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to subvert and cast down and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ezech. 29. 5. and 31. 12. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to lay on the ground or dash against the ground Ezech. 31. 12. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to throw on the ground Am. 5. 6. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Isa 33. 2 3. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Jer. 23. 33. and 39. And Mat. 17. 15. where this disease is described as also here v. 22. 't is said that he falls into the fire and into the water as here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã where ever it takes him if by the fireside it throwes him into the fire if by the water into that To this the whole story of this mans disease perfectly agrees being directly the falling sicknesse V. 20. Tare him What is the full notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be seen by the ancient Grammarians ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith Phavorinus out of Hesychius The word signifies such a stirre or tumult within one as in a pot or cauldron is joyned with boyling or seething and produceth a froth or foame at the top and so is a clear description of an Epilepsie which doth so boyle within as to cause a foaming at the mouth both here and Lu. 9. 39. Some Manuscript copies read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for it troubled disquieted put him in a commotion V. 28. Why on here must signifie ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherefore see note on Lu. 7. c. and so the Kings MS. reads it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the ancient Greek and Latine MS. and others in like manner V. 47. Salted The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is made answerable to the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is Isa 51. 6. set by Symmachus to signifie consumed in like manner as the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the whole burnt offering is consumed burnt all of it with fire which is answerable to the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unquenchable fire going before and so the meaning of this expression will be here that that first sort of men the Apostates or wicked carnall Christians the subject of the former verses to which therefore the universal particle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã every one is to be restrained as in scripture 't is frequent to restrain it shall be used as the burnt offerings are they shall have fire in stead of salt but the pious minded Christian like the Minchah shall have the salt the grace of God and Christian doctrine and by Gods help make use of it to eate up all his corruptions and degrees of puârefaction left in him and also to be a principle of union and peaceable mindednesse in him v. 50. as among other uses of salt it is said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unitive also see note f. and is accordingly used in covenants and confederations and thence Lev. 2. is the salt of the Covenant of God But it is not unlikely that in this place and that of Isaiah ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be put for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies first to be caught then to be consumed so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 2 Pet. 2. 12. is preying upon and joyned with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã destroying or consuming So Isa 66. whence the former words their worm never dyeth and their fire c. v. 24. are taken after the mention of Gods pleading by fire v. 16. is added v. 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they shall be consumed together The agreeablenesse of this interpretation both to the words and to the Context shewes how unnecessarily that conjecture was taken up by Jos Scaliger of the text being corrupted ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã taking ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Lev. 2. when neither âny one copy gives countenance to the emendatioâ the Septuagint or any other ancient author ãâã used this word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And then it is strange to conceive what should suggest those inordinate expressions which there follow in that Epistle especially this Mea est vera hujus loci interpretatio quem foedissima menda ab incunabulis usque ipsius Christianismi invasit Sunt alia passim in textum Evangelicum ab ultima vetustate vitia admissa quae nemo praeter me indicaverit Et hoc quod jam aperuimus praecipuum est ex omnibus Qui aliquo sensu communi praeditus est non poterit non laudare sententiam nostram Nihil enim verius este potest V. 50. Salt That salt is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a symbol significative
up to Jerusalem after the custome of the feast 43. And when they had fulfilled the dayes as they returned the child Jesus tarryed behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it Paraphrase 43. had continued there all the feast dayes and then came home 44. But supposing him to have been in the company went a dayes journey and they sought him amongst their kinsfolk and acquaintance Paraphrase 44. after they were come a dayes journey they missed him and made strict enquiry after him 45. And when they found him not they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him 46. And it came to passe that after three dayes they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors both hearing them and asking them questions Paraphrase 46. in the court of the Temple or porch and many of the Masters of Israel the Scribes or learned men about him 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48. And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49. And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me Wist ye not that I must be about note h my Fathers businesse Paraphrase 49. the house of God is my proper home my fathers house and so a place fit for me to be in but this ye were ignorant of 50. And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them 51. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart Paraphrase 51. and though in that of staying in the Temple an introduction or essay preparatory unto his office to which he was sent by God to whom obedience is due before parents he did somewhat without his parents leave see Ioh. 2. 4. yet in all other things he lived in perfect obedience to them 52. And Jesus increased in wisdome and stature and in favour with God and man Paraphrase 52. And Iesus in respect of his humane nature consisting of body and soul did grow or improve his soul improved in wisdome his body in stature as others of his age are wont and withal became dayly a more eminent illustrious person in the eyes of all Annotations on Chap. II. V. 1. All the world That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã doth not always signifie the whole world may be concluded by Act. 11. 28. where the prophecy of the famine through the whole world seems to belong to the same which was foretold by Christ Mat. 24. 7. and so to referre only to Judaea see Note on Mat. 24. e. and Eusebius Eccl. Hist l 2. c. 11. Thus Lu. 21. 26. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the things that come upon the world seems to belong only to those things that were a coming on Judaea And thus it is ordinarily said that Jerusalem is situate in medio telluris in the middle of the earth that is of Judaea as Delphi is said to be Oâbis umbilicus the navel of the world that is of Greece and as Minos calls Crete over which he was King his Orbis in Ovid Certè ego non patiar Jovis incunabula Creten Qui meus est orbis tantum contingere monstrum So Plinie in his Nat. Hist l. 12. c. 12. uses the word Orbis for a region In nostro orbe proximè laudatur Syriacum But here the word belongs to the Roman Empire which is often called by that title Orbem Jam totum victor Romanus habebat and in Hegesippus l. 2. Antiq. c. 9. Orbis terrarum qui Romano Imperio clauditur definitur and so in Spartianus Lampridius Marcellinus and in Optatus l. 3. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith Antoninus in his Rescript to Eudaemon Nicomediensis I am Lord of the world and in Vlpian who from a Constitution of Antoninus Qui in orbe Romano sunt cives Romanos effectos esse and Bartolus pronounces that he were an Heretick which would not say that the Emperour is Dominus Monarcha totius orbis the Lord and Monarch of the whole world See Hieron Magius Miscell l. 4. c. 15. And so Suidas in the word ' ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Augustus sent out unto all the regions of those that were subject to him officers by wom he made the enrolings and in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he saith he decreed to number ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by head ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all the inhabitants of the Romans and reciting the number his style is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there were found so many myriads inhabiting the dominions of the Romans Ib. Taxed The ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is here literally descriptio and that is not an exacting of tribute or taxation but a setting down or enrolling every person according to their families and estates So in Hesychius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it signifies the numbring of the people or declaring how many and what kind of people they are And Phavorinus that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is when each man is sent for to make known ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã what and how much be hath and whence his estate came to him This is it that the Greek and Latine glosse in H. Stephanus hath express'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã census professus professio the word professio being the proper Latine word for this matter and therefore the Vulgar very fitly hath it ver 3. of this chap. Ibant profiteri they went to tell what they were worth c. Suidas indeed in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mentioning this of Augustus saith it was to the other end of bringing into his treasury ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a sufficient proportion and that it was therefore called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the first of this kind by way of equal and moderate distribution because they that were in power before him were wont to take away what they would But though Suidas be an excellent Grammarian yet in matter of history his authority is not great and 't is sure enough the Roman subjects paid their vectigalia certain taxes before this and the Publicans were the gatherers of them And Cassiodore's words which somewhat look toward that of taxing yet refer it not to the cause assigned by Suidas but because by the civil warr 's mens dominions or possessions were uncertain and confounded and therefore this Census was appointed together with a survey and division ut possession certain and proportionably his tax be certain also Cassiod Var. l. 3. Ep. 52. It is therefore by learned men affirmed particularly by Is Casaubon in Bar. p. 105. and is most probable that this decree of inrolling was an effect of Augustus's curiosity and neither of his desire to inrich his treasury nor to reforme the excesses of those before him and this overruled by Gods special providence saith S. Chrysost
pleased So when of Noah 't is said that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord Gen. 6. 8. Accordingly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are such as these whose uprightnesse of heart and sincerity though mix'd with much frailty and some sin for which there is no way of pardon but in Christ hath approved them to God and to these and none but these this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã peace on earth belongs And so this reconciliation of God to all penitent sinners all sincere faithful new creatures those whom God sees and ownes as such as it is the full importance of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã peace upon earth toward men of his good-liking so is it next the glory of God mention'd in the former words the principal design of Christs coming into the world V. 35. A sword shall pierce That Mary the mother of Christ was put to death is the affirmation of Epiphanius l. 3. haer 78. contra Dicomarianitas and this place of Scripture said to be fulfilled by it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã she was put to death according as it is written asword shall passe through thy soul also and so he goes on ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã her glory is among the martyrs If she were not actually put to death some great sensitive affliction the sharpness of which is here compared to a sword and said to pass through her ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã her animal or sensitive soul is here certainly meant by it V. 37. Served God with fastings Of this Hanna 't is the testimony of Cyril of Jerusalem Cat. 10. that she was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The first title referres to her continence and widow-chastity for so many years having lived with an husband but seven years after marriage he in all probability dying at that time The 2d. to her devotion and strict observance of piety The 3d. not to a solitarie monial life as the Latine interpreter there falsly renders it but to such a strict observance of all that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or austerity in fasting so often every week and attending of publick and private prayers so often every day and all this for the whole space of her ensuing life as was antiently observable among the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or devout persons Thus did she take her self up from the cares and affaires of the world that she might have the full vacancy for the service of God and dayly frequented the Temple at the houres of prayer not that she did neither eat nor sleep or that in any respect she could be said to dwell there alwayes but that serving God there at all the set times of prayer and to prayer adding the weekly observances of fasting also she returned from those performances to her own house and there properly inhabited and this is enough to own that expression here that she departed not from the Temple i. e. forsook it not kept close to it at the set times though she was at her own house also at other times as the Apostles ch 24 53. are said to have been ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã continually in the Temple and Act. 1. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã continuing there which yet doth not note that they were never out of it but as it follows ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they continued unanimously constant in prayer and supplication not again that they did never intermit praying but that they were constant in the frequent dayly performances of that duty at the houres appointed for it V. 49. My Fathers businesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã seems to referre to the place where they found him i. e. in the Temple and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Neuter his own Jo. 19. 27. signifies his own house as Ester 5. 10. and 6. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã house is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his own Thus the Syriack reads it and thus Theophylact ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in his temple So Chrysostom Hom. 52. in Gen. speaking of Abimelech driving Isaac out of his countrey askes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whither drivest thou the righteous man ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã do'st thou not know that whithersoever he shall happen to depart 't is necessary he should be in his Fathers house i. e. within his providence And Dionysius Alexandr ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã They found me in my house saith he by the prophet but in the Gospel I must be in those of my father i. e. in his house likewise So Titus Bostrensis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Being in the Temple of God he said knew ye not that I must be in my fathers house See the learned Fullers Miscell p. 585. CHAP. III. 1. NOw in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being note a Governour of Judaea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip Tetrarch of note b Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene Paraphrase 1. Procurator of Judaea and Herod Governour of that fourth division of the kingdom called Galilee 2. Annas and Caiaphas being the note c High priest the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wildernesse Paraphrase 2. Annas a chief priest being a man of principal authority among the Jews and Caiaphas placed by the Procurator in the Pontificate 3. And he came into all the countrey about Jordan preaching the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins Paraphrase 3. to several parts of the coasts that were nigh Jordan Bethabara Ioh. 1. 28. Aenon Ioh. 3. 23. and by that means all the region about Iordan came to hear him and he warned all the people to repent and be baptized of him to come in as proselytes of his that so their sins might be forgiven which would otherwise bring certain destruction on them 4. As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet saying The voice of one crying in the wildernesse Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight 5. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made streight and the rough wayes shall be made smooth Paraphrase 4 5. There shall come a cryer or herauld or harbinger of the Messias in the wildernesse to fit men by repentance for the receiving of Christ and part of his proclamation shall be in these words Every valley c. which may figuratively import the peculiar quality of the Gospel of Christ which was to work upon the poor in spirit and exalt them to a participation of the greatest priviledges which none of the higher loftier spirits were capable of till they were humbled and brought down from their heights but literally they may seem to foretel the terrible destruction which should shortly come upon this people for their impenitence the plaining of the land for the coming of the Roman army see note on Mat. 3. c. and
from this other of having undertaken the obedience of God 29. And when the people were gathered thick together he began to say This is an evil generation they seek a signe and there shall no signe be given it but the signe of Jonas the prophet Paraphrase 29. As for the second question proposed v. 16. he now in the presence of a great multitude gave answer also to that see Mat. 12. 39. 30. For as Jonas was a signe to the Ninevites so shall also the son of man be to this generation Paraphrase 30. For as Jonas preaching in the streets of Nineve being accompanied with the miracle of having been three daies in the whales belly and then being cast up on the shore alive was an assurance to them that without repentance they should speedily be destroyed So shall the preaching of Christ to the men of this age accompanied with his death and resurrection after three daies be a certain forerunner of destruction to them that believe not 31. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and shall condemn them for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solomon and behold a greater then Solomon is here Paraphrase 31. here is more of wisdome heavenly divine doctrine then ever was in all Solomons words or writings Mat. 12. 42. 32. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here Paraphrase 32. here is more powerfull preaching denuntiation of severer judgments then those that Jonah denounced against Nineve 33. No man when he hath lighted a candle putteth it in a secret place neither under a bushel but on a candlestick that they which come in may see the light Paraphrase 33. To that purpose of v. 28. that they only are bles'd which not only heare but observe Gods commands belongs that known speech of Christ delivered at another time also Mat. 5. 15. and Lu. 8. 16. No man c. 34. The light of the body is the eye therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of light but when thine eye is evil thy body also is full of darknesse Paraphrase 34. And to the same purpose may be applied that other used also by Christ in the same sermon on the mount see note on Mat. 6. 22. l. that the heart being once truly warmed with Christian virtues will fill the whole body with charitable and Christian actions 35. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darknesse Paraphrase 35. Take care therefore that the Christian precepts and graces afforded thee be not accompanied with an unchristian life 36. If thy whole body therefore be full of light having no part dark the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light Paraphrase 36. If therfore the Christian doctrine have taken full possession of thee and no faculty or affection be left out from being wrought upon by it then sure the actions will be most illustriously so and the whole life of such an one will be as a room with a blazing torch or candââ it enlightned in every corner without any intermissions or mixture of unchristian actions 37. And as he spake a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him and he went in and sat down to meat 38. And when the Pharisee saw it he marvailed that he had not first washed before dinner Paraphrase 38. the Pharisee wondred to see him lie down to dinner without washing his hands first See Mar. 7. 3. notes on a. and b. 39. And the Lord said unto him Now doe ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickednesse Paraphrase 39. Ye hypocriticall Pharisees wash your selves as if a man should wash his vessels the outside of them only leaving the insides of them full of all filthinesse for thus doe ye wash your bodies leaving your soules full of all uncleannesse 40. Ye fooles did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also Paraphrase 40. This is an extreme folly for if your outward washings were in obedience to God you would cleanse the insides your hearts and soules also as well as your bodies 41. But rather note c give almes of such things as you have and behold all things are note d clean unto you Paraphrase 41. The best way of purifying your selves estates meats and drinks c. from all pollution cleaving to them is in stead of that which you Pharisees attempt by washing your hands your vessels c. by works of mercy and liberall almesgiving as far as you are able restoring to the injured or if there be not place for that giving to those that want 42. But woe unto you Pharisees for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and passe over judgement and the love of God these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Paraphrase 42. anise and cummin Mat. 23. 23. and so also of rue and every the meanest herb that growes in your garden and omit the principall duties both to God and man These are the main things which God requires of you though those other lower performances ought not to be omitted of paying tithes exactly according to the law and custome among you 43. Woe unto you Pharisees for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets Paraphrase 43. Consistories Mat. 23. 6. 44. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are as graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them Paraphrase 44. grown over with grasse and they which see the specious outsides of them Mat. 23. 27. know not what is within viz. bones of dead men and putrefaction and so are pollured by them see note on Mat. 23. g. 45. Then answered one of the Lawyers and said unto him Master thus saying thou reproachest us also Paraphrase 45. Doctors of the Law members of the Sanhedrin or Consistories and saith unto him This speech of thine seems to reflect on us and the gravity that belongs to our places and persons and is a reproach to us 46. And he said Woe unto you also ye lawyers for ye lade men with burthens grievous to be born and ye your selves touch not the burthens with one of your fingers Paraphrase 46. And ye certainly are not free Ye are they which lav heavy tasks on others and think not your selves obliged to performe or undergoe any part of them 47. Woe unto you for ye note e build the sepulchers of the prophets and your fathers killed them 48. Truly ye bear witnesse that ye allow the deeds of your fathers for they indeed killed them and
over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season 43. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Paraphrase 42 43. The parable doth in severall degrees belong to every Christian who hath some trust committed to him by Christ and must be very carefull to discharge it see Mat. 24. 45. to you as stewards here to all Christians as servants v. 43. and no mans trust is so mean that diligence in it shall not be rewardable But to them again with some difference as they have received more or lesse of divine revelation immediately or mediately v. 47. 44. Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him ruler of all that he hath Paraphrase 44. And be he never so meanly imployed God will reward his trustinesse and diligence with committing to him the greatest trusts see Mat. 24. 47. the greatest office of dignity in the Church 45. But and if that servant say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken Paraphrase 45. And upon that consideration abuse that trust and power reposed in him as a steward deal injuriously with those that are under his rule and spend his masters goods riotously and luxuriously 46. The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and at an houre when he is not ware and will cut him in sunder and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers Paraphrase 46. with the untrusty false stewards the unbelieving Jews which have not reform'd upon all Christs preaching unto them 47. And that servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes 48. But ye that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Paraphrase 47 48. According to the degree of knowledge which God hath afforded so shall their crimes receive aggravation of guilt and encrease of punishment And the more light and grace he bestowes on any the greater and the more Christian performances will he require of them 49. I am come to send fire on the earth and note c what will I if it be already kindled Paraphrase 49. It is to be expected as a consequent of my coming into the world that persecution should attend Mat. 10. 34. and this will be a means of exploring and trying who are faithfull and who are not And therefore I am so far from wishing this otherwise that I rather desire that it were already kindled or begun 50. But I have a note d baptisme to be baptized with and how am I streightned till it be accomplished Paraphrase 50. But I am to bear the first part of it to be immerst in afflictions Mat. 20. 22. Till this come to be accomplish'd upon me I am in some streights terrified like a woman with child with the apprehension of the pangs approaching Mat. 26. 39. but very willing to be delivered to doe and suffer that whereunto I was sent 51. Suppose ye that I came to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather divisions 52. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three 53. The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father and the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law Paraphrase 51 52 53. Soon after my departing great divisions and feudes will break out concerning me the whole land shall be divided into factions and civil broyls Mat. 10. 34. and 24. 7. 54. And he said also to the people When ye see a cloud rise out of the west straight way ye say There cometh a shower and so it is Paraphrase 54. Many ways you have of presaging what weather it will be which seldome fail you as when 55. And when ye see the South wind blow ye say There will be heat and it cometh to passe 56. Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth but how is it that ye doe not discern this time Paraphrase 56. Ye that can judge by sight of the skyes and the winds what will befall Why should ye not have as great sagacity to discern and presage the judgements that are near approaching towards this nation if they doe not suddainly repent and receive Christ 57. Yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right 58. When thou goest with thine adversary to the Magistrate while thou art in the way give diligence that thou mayst be delivered from him lest he hale thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and the officer cast thee into prison Paraphrase 57 58. And why doe you not without need of looking upon the skyes for the presage by the same rationall way of judging in which you proceed in other matters use the same prudence in divine matters of danger which you doe in humane worldly contentions and so when you see an action coming against you wherein you are sure to be cast set presently to reconcile the adversary to make your peace and escape the danger to which purpose was this which Christ said at another time Mat. 5. 25. 59. I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast payd the very last mite Annotations on Chap. XII V. 29. Of doubtfull mind ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies primarily and literally to be carried up high in the aire as clouds or birds flying there which because they have no firme foundation there but are tost and driven about uncertainly hence it signifies first ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vagari in Stephanus's Glossary to thinke of this and that without any consistence of minde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he that hath no fix'dnesse of minde and so intention of thoughts in prayer is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and on the other side in S. Basils Ascetick rules ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã importune wandering of thoughts in prayer proceeding from former company and unprofitable discourse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is forbidden and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Nyssen is attention of hearing Chrysostome ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to look earnestly without ever looking off on him that holds up the mappa or white cloth in the races Secondly the word signifies to hang as the clouds doe in the ayre in an impatient suspense or anxiety as in Lucians Icaromenip ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is explained by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã one that had his eares gaping as it were impatient and very desirous to hear the end of the story So
The onely commendable way and that which it will be reasonable for God to reward is the entertaining of those that want and who are not likely to make thee any return for this God will be thy debter and pay thee at the day of judgement and there can be no such advantage to thee as that 15. And when one of them that sate at meat with him heard these things he said unto him Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God Paraphrase 15. Upon this occasion one repeated that known saying among the Rabbines Blessed c. that is 't is certainly a much happyer thing to be feasted by God in his kingdom then by any man on earth and therefore that is most true which was said v. 14. that 't is more advantageous to any man to entertain the poor then any else 16. Then said he unto him a certain man made a great supper and bad many 17. And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready 18. And they all note b with one consent began to make excuse The first said unto him I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it I pray thee have me excused Paraphrase 16 17 18 c. To this Christ replied by a parable intimating the truth of what that person last had said but withall telling them that this celestiall feast everlasting reward was that that they had oft been invited to and the generality of the Jews neglected to make use of the invitation preferring their own designes of worldly advantages before it thereby provoking God extremely And therefore the heathen and sinners and mean persons of the world were fain to be taken in nay importunately woo'd to come to that feast in stead of them and those that were the principally designed guests to be utterly rejected 19. And another said I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused 20. And another said I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come 21. So that servant came and shewed his Lord these things Then the Master of the house being angry said to his servants Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind 22. And the servant said Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and yet there is room 23. And the Lord said unto the servant Go out into the high-wayes and hedges and compell them to come in that my house may be filled 24. For I say unto you that none of those men that were bidden shall tast of my supper 25. And there went great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them 26. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Paraphrase 26. If any man offer to undertake my discipleship and doth not preferre me before all others that are nearest to him yea and before his own life too Mat 10. 37. he is not for my turn And my service being so sure to bring persecutions along with it will not be for his 27. And whosoever doth not bear his crosse and come after me cannot be my disciple Paraphrase 27. And whosoever doth not come to me with a preparation of mind to suffer any thing rather then part with me is not fit for the turn 28. For which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it 29. Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him 30. Saying This man began to build and was not able to finish Paraphrase 28 29 30. For as he that sets on building and hath not a stock to hold out leaves his work imperfect and becomes ridiculous 31. Or what king going to make warre against another king sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand 32. Or else while the other is yet a great way off he sendeth an embassage and desireth conditions of peace Paraphrase 31 32. Or as he that designes a battail or a warre and and is not provided with all necessaries to goe thorough with it had better never engage or being engaged should presently think of treating and compounding the matter 33. So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple Paraphrase 33. So he that undertakes to be a Christian ãâã âââolve to renounce all that is most pretious to him in this world or else he will not be able to hold out and so had better ãâã to that profession 34. Salt is good but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be seasoned 35. It is neither fit for the note c land nor yet for the dunghill but men cast is out He that hath ears to hear let him heare Paraphrase 35. The unhappy remainder is useless beyond the most noisome excrement or putrid carcass It is not fit or useful as some things are to enrich the ground no nor to mix with other things which being corrupted from their primary use are yet good for that and so are kept though in a mean place for that use t is neither at present nor for the future by long digestion or farther putrefaction capable of being good manure or compost for the earth but is utterly unprofitable and generally dealt with as such cast out without any respect into those places where men would have nothing grow apt only to convert a good soile into a desert Let every disciple every ãâã designed by Christ to be the salt of the earth lay this to heart for he is neerly concerned in it Annotations on Chap. XIV V. 1. Chiefe Pharisees What is meant by Rulers simply Rulers of the people and Rulers of the synagogues hath been formerly shewed Note on Mar. 5. c. and on Mat. 9. g. viz. that the Rulers simply were the Judges in their lesser Consistories in particular cities or when the Context belonging to Jerusalem so enforceth it those of the great Sanhedrim at Jerusalem Now the Pharisees which are so oft mentioned in the Gospel were a particular sect in their religion ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith S. Paul who was one of them and that an improvement of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Hasidaei as they were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Mac. 2. 42. those that voluntarily performed some things which the Law required not and were contrary to the Karaei or Scripturarii who were for that only which was commanded by law forming those things into doctrines or precepts and obliging all to the performance of them which the Hasidaei
Samaritanes that they might make the Jewes see they were his peculiar care at that time yet to shew that the Gospel was not their enclosure he now himself staies with the Samaritans two daies and preacheth the Gospel to them 41. And many more believed because of his own words Paraphrase 41. upon what they heard from him themselves 42. And said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Paraphrase 42. Messias that was to come to redeem the world 43. Now after two daies he departed thence and went into Galilee 44. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet hath no honour in his owne countrey Paraphrase 43 44. went to Galilee avoiding or passing another way not by Nazareth the place of his education because according to the proverb he expected no reception there he went another way not by the lake of Genesareth but by Thabor and Carmel toward Cana where he had wrought his first miracle 45. Then when he was come into Galilee the Galileans received him having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast for they also went unto the feast Paraphrase 45. And upon this second coming of his among the Galileans they having since he was there last seen what miracles he had done at Jerusalem at the feast of the passover c. 2. 14. they thereupon gave him a very kind reception and after the cure of the courtiers son which follows here teaching publickly in the Synagogues of Galilee he was glorified of all Lu. 4. 15. 46. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where he made the water wine and there was a certain note d noble man whose son was sick at Capernaum 47. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death 48. Then said Jesus unto him Except ye see signes and wonders ye will not believe Paraphrase 48. I perceive there is need of doing miracles among you to work faith in you This weaknesse therefore of yours I will indulge to 49. The noble man saith unto him Sir come down ere my child die 50. Jesus saith unto him Goe thy way thy son liveth And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him and went his way Paraphrase 50. is recovered see v. 52 and 53. 51. And as he was now going down his servants met him and told him saying Thy son liveth Paraphrase 51. is recovered 52. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend and they said unto him Yesterday at the seventh houre the feaver left him 53. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him Thy son liveth and himself believed and his whole house 54. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did when he was come out of Judea into Galilee Paraphrase 54. did in Cana as he had done one before Joh. 2. 8. having done many betwixt these in other places at Jerusalem and in Judea c. 3. 2. Annotations on Chap. IV. V. 6. Thus The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thus is by Theophylact interpreted ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã simply after any manner not on a seate without any provision made for sitting upon the ground And if so then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã must not be on but by or neer the well as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gen. 16. 7. is at or by the spring of water V. 10. Living water The Hebrewes expresse a fountaine of water springing or buâling up continually by the phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gen. 29. 19. living waters and the Greek render that either literally by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã living water or else by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã springing or leaping water that springing of waters out of the earth being a kind of imitation or resemblance of life This fountain or spring-water being of all other the purest is here set to denote that great mercy and grace of God in the hands or disposall of Christ c. 3. 35. that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 10. gift of God which he had to give her back again by way of reward for any kindnesse of hers to him And thus Christ himself was promised in the Old Testament to be given in the notion of a fountain Isa 12. 3. Psal 68. 26. V. 31. Prayed him The Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies two things to question and to request or pray And the Greek translators use one of these for the other Psal 122. 6. in stead of Pray for the peace c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã enquire or aske after c. So here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the disciples asked for they intreated desired and v. 40. the Samaritanes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. asked that is besought him to stay So Mat. 15. 23. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they not asked but besought him saying dismisse her or doe what she desires of thee as appears by Christs answer rendrâng a reason why he did it not presently v. 24 26. So Act. 13. 36. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã desired them to goe out and c. 23. 20. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to desire thee and 2. Thess 2. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we beseech you brethren So Joh. 17. 9. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I pray not for the world and v. 15. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I pray not and v. 20. So c. 16. 26. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that I will pray though v. 30. it be used in the other sense for asking questions V. 46. Noble man The ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here signifies an officer of the Kings one that had some place at the court of Herodes Antipas who was then the Tetrarch of Galilee S. Jerome renders it Palatinus The Latine interpreter reads regulus by a mistake reading ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã see Casaub ad Baron p. 210. CHAP. V. 1. AFter this there was a feast of the Jewes and Jesus went up to Jerusalem 2. Now there is at Jerusalem note a by the sheep market a poole which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda having five porches Paraphrase 2. on or by the poole where the sacrifices are wont to be washed an house or building or place surnamed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an house of mercy because the sick lay there to be cured 3. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk blind halt withered waiting for the moving of the water Paraphrase 3. a time of advantage to goe into the water which had this healing force in it but at certain times and when it had been newly troubled See note a. 4. For an Angel went down into the pool at a certain season and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of
rejected by the Jews suffer rise and ascend to heaven and then upon the Jews obstinate holding out the Gospel should be preached to the Greeks and all the rest of the heathen world 24. Verily verily I say unto you Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit Paraphrase 24. Assuredly my death saith he is a means of bringing more unto the falth then my life would be as it fares with corn put into the earth which by that means dies but arises with abundance of encrease 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Paraphrase 25. And so in proportion it shall be with you the venturing of your lives and sticking fast to me is the thrivingst surest way of preserving your selves 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my Father honor Paraphrase 26. If any man will be my disciple see Luke 8. a. he must provide to suffer as I shall And if he thus keep close to me he shall fare as well as I do whatsoever he suffer here be rewarded by my Father abundantly see Note on 1 Tim. 5. d. 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I to this hour Paraphrase 27. I am not impassible or subject to no affection such as desire of life c. but in all these just as you are The apprehension of that which is now approaching is a great perturbation to me Which way shall I turn me shall I pray to my Father to deliver me from the danger to rescue me from dying But this was it for which I came into the world that I might suffer And therefore I shall not absolutely pray against that 28. Father glorifie thy name Then came there note b a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again Paraphrase 28. No this shall be my prayer that my Father will so dispose of me that I may do whatsoever it is that may most tend to the glorifying of his name in me Upon his saying those words there came a clap of thunder and with it a voice from heaven audible in these words I have c. 29. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundred Others said An Angel spake to him Paraphrase 29. And of the multitude there present some took notice of the thunder with which that voice came others of the voice it self 30. Jesus answered and said This voice came not because of me but for your sakes 31. Now is the judgement of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out Paraphrase 30 31. Upon this Jesus said to them This voice from heaven came not to answer or satisfie me but to convince you and bring you to the faith or assure you that my death shall tend to the glory of God and bringing down of sin and Satan ch 16. 11. 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me Paraphrase 32. And I being crucified see Note on Mat. 1. h. will by that means bring a great part of the whole world to believe on me Gentiles as well as Jews 33. This he said signifying what death he should die Paraphrase 33. This speech Christ meant as an intimation not only that he should be put to death but also what kinde of death this should be viz. crucifixion which is an elevation or ãâã to the cross and an holding out the hands as if it were to invite all to him promising an hospitable reception See ãâã 34. The people answered him We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever and how sayest thou The son of man must be lift up Who is this son of man Paraphrase 34. To this discourse about his death the people made an objection that their Doctors had taught them out of scripture Psal 110. so the word Law signifies ch 10. 34. see Note a. and perhaps Isai 40. 8. that the Messias shall endure for ever and never die and therefore if it were true what he said that the son of man must be put to death they could not guess what he meant by the son of man sure not the Messias 35. Then Jesus said unto them Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth Paraphrase 35. To this he answered I am not likely to stay long amongst you here on earth make use of me the light of the world while I am with you or else you are likely to be left in the dark in a blinde unhappy condition for ever and do not upon your traditions perswade your selves that I shall alway continue among you here because I am the Messias 36. While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be the children of light These things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them Paraphrase 36. I shall continue with you but a while and therefore be sure ye make haste to learn sufficient for your whole lives to come to get your directions complete that you may live like Christians When Jesus had said this he went away and concealed himself from them at Bethany probably for a while 37. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Paraphrase 37. All this did not effectually work on them but though he had done all these miracles in their sight yet they did not believe on him 38. That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed Paraphrase 38. And thereby the prophecy of Esaias ch 53. 1. was fulfilled which was to this purpose How few are there that have been by all Christ's miracles convinced that he is the Messias 39. Therefore they note c could not believe because that Esaias said again 40. He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted that I should heal them Paraphrase 39 40. That other prophecie also had not been fulfilled had they not thus disbelieved him wherein the just judgement of God forsaking and bringing the punishment of blindness upon them was pronounced by that prophet against the stubborn obdurate Jews who by this means are likely never to be converted or pardoned 41. These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him Paraphrase 41. These things were spoken by that prophet in setting down a vision of his when Christ's being on the earth was revealed to
wonders in heaven above and signes in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapour of smoke 20. The sun shall be turned into darknesse and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Paraphrase 19 20 21. And after that there shall be many fearfull stupendious sights and prodigies and many great slaughters in Judea as foretunners and presignifications of the great famous destruction see Mat. 3. 11 12. which shall befall this people foretold by Christ Mat. 24. see Heb. 10. a. for their crucifying of Christ and from which the only way to rescue any is to repent and acknowledge Christ which to gain men to was the design of the coming of the holy Ghost Joh. 10. 8. 22. Ye men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves also know Paraphrase 22. This Jesus of Nazareth being demonstrated to be sent from God by the mighty works which by him God hath done among you all which you know to be true and of which ye your selves are witnesses 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Paraphrase 23. Him being permitted by God to fall into your hands God withdrawing that protection which was necessary to have preserved him from them and this by his decree that he should lay down his life for his sheep in order to that great designe of mans salvation toward which he did by his foreknowledge discern this the fittest expedient ye apprehended and crucified most wickedly 24. Whom God raised up having loosed the note c pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it Paraphrase 24. But God hath raised him again delivering him from the power of death not suffering him to continue dead the goodnesse of God being ingaged in this not to suffer an innocent person so unjustly and unthankfully handled by the Jewes to lie under death and besides many other things the prophecies of him necessarily requiring that he should not 25. For David speaketh concerning him I foresaw the Lord alwaies before my face for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved Paraphrase 25. For of him saith David Ps 16. 8. I waited and looked with all affiance and confidence on God for he is my defender so as to keep me from miscarrying 26. Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope Paraphrase 26. For this my glory that is my tongue because that is the member the instrument of glorifying God shall rejoice and my flesh shall rest confident 27. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Paraphrase 27. For though I die yet shalt thou not leave me so long dead as that my body should be putrefied that is thou shalt raise me from death before the third day be past 28. Thou hast made known to me the waies of life thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance Paraphrase 28. Thou hast cheered me abundantly refreshed me with thy favour 29. Men and brethren let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his sepulchre is with us untill this day Paraphrase 29. Let me therefore speak to you freely and without any reservednesse see note on Joh. 7. 13. concerning that David that thus spake that he died like other men and had a solemn interment and we still have his monument to shew from whence he never rose 30. Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne Paraphrase 30. And therefore not speaking of himself but by way of prediction of the Messias knowing that he should infallibly spring from his loynes that was to be prince and ruler of his Church 31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell neither his flesh did see corruption Paraphrase 31. This speech of his was prophetick referring to this resurrection of Christ whereupon 't is said that his foul should not continue in state of separation from the body In which state though it were for a while yet it continued not so long till the body was corrupted that is not the space of 72 houres or three daies 32. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all are witnesses Paraphrase 32. And accordingly hath God raised up Christ within that space of time within three daies and all we Apostles are eye-witnesses of it 33. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which we now see and hear Paraphrase 33. Being therefore assumed to his regall state and office in heaven and God having performed to him as all his other so peculiarly this promise made to him of giving him power to send the holy Ghost he hath accordingly now sent him and this prodigie which ye now see and hear is an effect of that viz. the speaking with tongues which the hour before they understood not 34. For David is not ascended into the heavens but he saith himself The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand 35. Untill I make thy foes thy footstool Paraphrase 34 35. For this cannot be interpreted of David himself though he spake it in his own person for he never went to heaven bodily and so cannot be said to be exalted to God's right hand while his enemies are made his footstool But he speaks of him of whom this was to be verified as of his Lord The Lord saith he said to my Lord Psal 110. 1. 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Paraphrase 36. This great important truth therefore I now proclaim unto you that that Christ whom ye Jewes have crucified God the Father hath raised up and by assuming him to his right hand setled him there as a head of his Church instated him in the true kingly office of the Messias 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and sâââ unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Paraphrase 37. Upon these words of Peter they had great compunction and as men that were willing to doe any thing to rescue themselves from the guilt of so horrible a sinne as crucifying the Messias they cried out most passionately to
as Gen. 6. 9. perfect ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in his generation So where 't is called a wicked generation Deut. 32. 5. this word is used This though it be not the sound of the words in Greek must be resolved to be the meaning of the Prophet whose words here S. Luke having occasion to name or set down onely as the passage the Eunuch was reading not to make any use of them was in all reason to repeat in the Septuagints translation of them which the Eunuch was a reading and which they used for whom he wrote this story but not to affix any new sense to the original prophecie Yet because the words as they lie in the Greek may have a commodious sense also though that differing from the Hebrew I have in the paraphrase set down that also upon this ground that Job 34. 5. taking away his judgement signifies dealing unjustly with him V. 39. The Spirit In this verse the Kings MS. reads thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The holy Ghost fell upon the Eunuch and the Angel of the Lord caught or snatch'd away Philip. CHAP. IX 1. ANd Saul yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went unto the high priest 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem Paraphrase 1 2. But the death of Stephen did not satiate the bloody mind that was in Saul or allay his zeal against Christians but being very intent upon it he came to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem and desired the high priest to give him letters of commission to the Consistories of other cities of Syria as being under Jerusalem the grand Metropolis of Syria as well as Judaea and his Commission was to impower him v. 14. to âeize upon any Christians whatever and secure them and bring them up to Jerusalem to be judged by the Sanhedrim there 3. And as he journeyed he came neer Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven Paraphrase 3. a bright shining cloud such as Mat. 17. 5. encompassed him 4. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Paraphrase 4. And it struck him with great terror as at the presence of God which he knew was wont thus to exhibit himself This made him fall prostrate on his face and as he did so there came to his eares a clap of thunder and out of that this speech directed to him 5. And he said Who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest It is hard for thee note a to kick against the pricks Paraphrase 5. It is thy best way to be obedient to the commands that shall now be given thee and not to be refractary 6. And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe And the Lord said unto him Arise and goe into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must doe Paraphrase 6. I am most ready to doe whatever thou commandest me if thou wilt please to give me knowledge of thy will 7. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechlesse note b hearing a voice but seeing no man Paraphrase 7. were so frighted with the thunderclap which they heard though they neither saw any man nor heard what was said unto him that they were not able to speak 8. And Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were opened he saw no man but they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus Paraphrase 8. was not able to see ver 9. but was saine to be led to Damascus 9. And he was three daies without sight and neither did eat nor drink Paraphrase 9. And he was not in three daies recovered out of that fit but continued blind and able to eat nothing in a kind of trance or extasie ver 12. 10. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named ananias and to him said the Lord in a vision Ananias And he said Behold I am here Lord. 11. And the Lord said unto him Arise and goe into the street which is called Straight and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight Paraphrase 11 12. who having earnestly pray'd that he may recover his sight in his prayer hath been in an extasie and therein had it revealed to him that one Ananias should come in and by bare laying hands on him recover his sight 13. Then Ananias answered Lord I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that cal on thy name Paraphrase 14. And now he is come with Commission from the Sanhedrim see v. 2. to secure all that publickly avow the worship of Christ Act. 22. 16. 15. But the Lord said unto him Goe thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel Paraphrase 15. a prime speciall person whom as a most honourable instrument or piece of houshold-stuffe in my family the Church which I am now to erect I have set apart for my peculiar service see ch 26. 17 viz. to preach the Gospel not onely to the Jewes but the Gentiles also the greatest and supreme among them 16. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake Paraphrase 16. And as fierce as he now appears against the Christian saith he shall suffer very heavy pressures run many hazards suddenly v. 23 and 29. and labour most abundantly and at last suffer death it self in propugning of it and this shall now be foretold him by thee 17. And Ananias went his way and entred into the house and putting his hands on him said Brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the holy Ghost Paraphrase 17. And Ananias went to him and laying his hands on him told him that Jesus that appeared to him as he came to Damascus had sent him to him not only to restore his sight to him but to endow him with many extraordinary gifts and graces thereby to fit him for Gods service in the Church to which he had designed him and to which he is consecrated ch 13. 2. 18. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been skales and he received sight forthwith and arose and was baptized Paraphrase 18. And he recovered his sight immediately and was baptized 19. And when he had received some meat he was strengthned Then was Saul certain daies with the disciples which
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city note b wholly given to idolatry 17. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jewes and with the devout persons and in the market daily with them that met with him Paraphrase 17. And thereupon he did not onely preach in the synagogue of the Jewes to the Jewes and Proselytes but in other places of concourse he took occasion to make known the Christian doctrine to all the heathens that he met with there 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this note c babler say Other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he preached unto them note d Jesus and the resurrection Paraphrase 18. And some of the learned men of Athens of the two contrary sects one that denied all providence the other that denied all freedome of will 19. And they took him and brought him unto note e Areopagus saying May we know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is Paraphrase 19. to the place of judicature at Athens and examined him what new religion 't was that he taught 20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our cares we would know therefore what these things mean Paraphrase 20. For all that yet we hear is very new and strange we desire to have a full account of all 21. For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing 22. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars's hill and said Ye men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too note f superstitious Paraphrase 22. Paul being brought before the Judges in Areopagus said Ye Athenians have a greater number of Gods which ye worship then any other cities have 23. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions I found an altar with this inscription note g TO THE UNKNOWN GOD whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you 24 God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Paraphrase 23 24. This God therefore whom you acknowledge not to know and yet professe to worship is he that I preach the invisible God of heaven and earth ruler because creator of all which cannot be contained in any shrine of man's framing 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all ââfe and breath and all things Paraphrase 25. Nor can any image made by man be a proper instrument to worship or propitiate him he being so farre from wanting any help of ours that he gives to all their very life and all that they have 26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation Paraphrase 26. And from one Adam first and then from one Noah hath framed a whole world of men fixing times and places in great order and wisdome of disposal 27. That they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him though he be not farre from every one of us Paraphrase 27. And the end of all that is that they might look after him that created them and worship him And though they were left through their sinnes as in the dark in grosse ignorance yet was God so palpably to be discerned that by feeling or groping as blind men in that dark they might if they would but seek find him who is indeed very neer every one of us even as the soule that animates every one 28. For note h in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets have said For we are also his off-spring Paraphrase 28. For our life motion and subsistence is wholly through him according to that which Aratus an heathen Poet said 29. For as much then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold or silver or stone graven by art and mans device Paraphrase 29. God therefore being our creatour can in no reason be supposed by us his workmanship to be the work of our hands such as a piece of gold or silver or stone with a signature upon it 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent Paraphrase 30. And 't is certainly long enough that men have gone on in such prodigious conceits as this Be it therefore now known unto you that there is place of repentance if you will make hast to accept it For God not looking or fastning his eyes upon the continued idolatry of the heathens for many years which might provoke him to desert them for ever now sends us to you their progeny to call you to repentance enters a new covenant with you as well as others a covenant of free pardon upon reformation 31. Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world with righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Paraphrase 31. Having now determined the way by which the whole world shall be judged viz. by their receiving or not receiving of Christ whom by raising him from the dead he hath held out to all men to believe on and woe to them that shall now refuse him 32. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said We will hear thee again of this matter Paraphrase 32. And when he mentioned that of rising from the dead some of those learned men the Epicureans especially which denied all future life fell a scoffing 33. So Paul departed from among them 34. Howbeit certain men clave unto him and believed among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them Paraphrase 34. And some believed and associated with him particularly Dionysius one of the senators or Judges in Areopagus see note c. and Damaris his wife and some others Annotations on The Acts of the holy Apostles Chap. XVII V. 6. Turned the world upside down What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies will best be discerned by the use of the word Gal. 5. 12. therââe render it troubling and so it appears to signifie by comparing it with v. 10. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but he that troubleth you shall bear his own judgement as before he said c. 1. 7. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but that there are some that trouble you So Act. 15. 24. the same is express'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã some troubled you with words And thus we may resolve by the use of other Authors
not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Paraphrase 16. From which testimony it is plain that this mercy is not the merit or due peculiarly of them that most violently pretend to have it so and strive most for it that is of the Jewes as is implied v. 31. though they strive not as they ought to doe and again that 't is not any thing of merit in the Gentile for which God calls him to Christianity now the Jew hath rejected it as 't was not all that Isaac could doe by willing to bestow the blessing on Esau nor that Esau could doe by running to obtain it when he came running and crying Hast thou but one blessing c. see Chrysost t. 5. p. 775. but only the free mercy of God to undeserving Gentiles when the Jewes have first had and contemned this mercy 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same purpose have I note h raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Paraphrase 17. And for the other part of the doctrine against which injustice was objected viz. that of the rejecting of the Jewes and not justifying them upon observation of Mosaical external performances without inward purity preach'd by Christ there is as plain a testimony again of God's concerning his dealing in the like case viz. shewing exemplary punishments on impenitent sinners and such were the Jewes that would not believe on Christ but depended on the prerogative of their birth and legal performances And this is in the case of Pharoah Exod. 9. 10. when after the sixth judgment Pharaoh having hardned his own heart so long and over and above frustrated Moses's special last warning Exod. 8. 29. and hardned his heart that time also v. 32. answerable to which was the Jewes resisting of Christ also after all the rest of the Prophets stoning the son after the servants in the parable and moreover resisting of the Apostles preaching through all their cities after Christ's resurrection upon which God gave them up to obduration and the Apostles departed to the Gentiles God takes Pharaoh in hand and saith he will harden his heart v. 12. this time though not before v. 14. and adds that he had or would have cut him off with the pestilence see note i. and utterly destroyed him from the earth see v. 15. in the praeter not future tense but that he preserved him alive beyond his time raised him out of that great danger or pestilential disease that had been upon the land for no other end but to make the divine power more illustriously visible in him and make all the earth hear of the exemplary punishments of God in this life upon one that had thus often hardned his heart against God 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he wil he note i hardneth Paraphrase 18. From which speech of God's to Pharaoh 't is evident that as God in shewing mercy is not bound to render any reason of it beyond his own will v. 15. so when he delivers up an obdurate sinner to the obduration of his heart this he may justly doe if he please especially when all that is done in this is not by infusing any quality into him but by leaving him now to himself who had so often held out against God and by inflicting that judgment on him on earth which had otherwise been at this time his portion in hell and this for ends formerly mentioned v. 17. Whereas to many others not so farre advanced in obduration he continueth his admonitions chastisements and by that means brings them to reformation And as this was most visibly true on one side in Pharaoh and on many other men on the other side to whom God shewes himself thus mercifull infinitely beyond their merit of which no account can be given by us but only God's free mercy so in the case in hand of the Jewes and Gentiles 't is most observable God's free undeserved grace is his only motive to shew mercy to the Gentiles to call them to the Gospel and his free pleasure to deal thus with the incredulous obdurate Jewes to leave them at last to themselves upon their hardning themselves so oft despising the prophets crucifying the Son of God and at last rejecting the Apostles and in them the holy Ghost coming to them fortified with that great testimony as of Jonas out of the whales belly which converted sinfull Ninive the resurrection of Christ from the dead and so by hiding from their eyes the things that belong to their peace by withdrawing the Gospel from them to harden their hearts Mat. 13. 14. Mar. 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. Joh. 21. 40. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will Paraphrase 19. But upon this passage of Pharaoh 't is or may be objected If God after the sixth judgement hardned Pharaoh's heart why doth he then expostulate or childe with him after that as 't is clear he doth Exod. 9. 17. As yet exaltest thou thy self for then God might be said to will his obduration which he had inflicted on him as a punishment and then what possibility was there for him to resist his will that God should still find fault Parallel to this it may perhaps be objected in respect of the Jewes who after God's delivering up the Jewes to that obduration foretold Mat. 13. 14. and intimated though not yet at the speaking of those words come to passe Luk. 19. 42. that after the Apostles departing from them and preaching to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. he yet by himself and his Apostles reproves and chides them when now the prediction of their subversion and total destruction is irreversibly gone out against them Luk. 23. 44. To this objection most clearly and punctually proposed as it concerns Pharaoh at that time of his life when God said As yet exaltest thou thy self and by intimation and analogie as it concerns the Jews his parallel and indeed to the whole matter before set down the Apostle answers 1. by way of indignation against the objecter to repell the force of his argument thus 20. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Paraphrase 20. In matters that thus belong to the wisdome of God and his dispensations what man shall dare object any thing against his proceedings shall the creature dispute with the Creator or question him to what end he hath thus and thus dealt with him Is there any reason to find fault with God or so much as to make any reply to him for asking that question of Pharaoh after that time or doing any thing proportionable to that to the Jewes after judgement was gone out against them In matters of
taske to be required of us V. 8. The word is nigh thee The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nigh is best to be understood by the opposition of it to hidden and farre off Deut. 3. 11. Where the Hebrew for hidden is by the Septuagint rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã over-weighty and heavy and in other places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã impossible So Gen. 18. 14. and from thence transcribed Lu. 1. 37. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã no word or thing shall be impossible this word is used in the Original This is there farther expressed by those proverbial speeches of being in heaven or beyond or in the bottome of the sea and being fetch'd from thence all noting some special difficulty or impossibility above our knowledge farre off removed out of our reach and so the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nigh must be feasible and easie to be known first and then to be practised in thy mouth and in thy heart the Septuagint adds ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and in thine hands that thou mayst doe it V. 18. Their sound This place is cited out of the Psalmist Psal 19. 4 but so as it lies in the Greek translation not as in the Original for in stead of their voice here 't is rendred out of the Hebrew their line or rule or direction for so the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there signifies The Psalmist there speaks of the heavens v. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work and so on v. 2 3. and then v. 4. their line is gone out through the land and their words unto the end of the world that is in a poetial style wherein the Psalms are written though the heavens stand in one place keeping one constant motion equidistant from the earth yet the commands and words thereof are heard every where that is their virtue and efficacy are understood and admirâ by all Here the Septuagint seem to have read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their voice for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their line and so render it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nothing different from the meaning of it as appears by the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their words that immediately follow for by that 't is plain that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies commands as it were or rule or direction delivered by them such as may agree with words and that is all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their voice Others rather think that the Septuagint respecting the sense and not the word did thus render it paraphrastically But Mr. Pocock conceives from the Arabick use of the word that the very ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã was antiently used by the Hebrews for vociferation See his Miscellan p. 48. And S. Paul according to his manner writing to those that used the Greek Bible in their assemblies recites it as he finds it there and applies it by accommodation frequent in these writers to the Gospel that voice or doctrine of heaven that is of God himself and when he saith it was gone out ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã into all the land that seems as frequently it doth to belong to the land of Judaea as the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the bounds or extreme parts of the earth may well be the Gentile world and this to convince the Jewes and repell their objection supposed v. 14. and now answered that the Gospel was amply revealed to the Jewes both within and without Judaea wheresoever they were in the Gentile cities for being by the Apostles preached not only in Jerusalem and over all the cities of Jewry but also in Caesarea Joppa Antioch Ephesus Corinth Philippi Thessalonica Galatia Laodicea and Rome it self and first to the Jewes in every of those places it must needs as the influences of the heavens to which the comparison is here made be dilated and extended to all other parts whereever the Jewes were dispersed so that the Apostle may as he doth appeal to their own consciences but I say Have they not beard whether they did not believe that the Jewes had universally heard of it and consequently did out of obstinacy reject and not remain ignorant of it which was a full answer to their objection of how shall they hear without a preacher and an account of the reasonablenesse of the Apostles dealings in forsaking of them that had been thus obdurate But withall it may denote that having begun and so fully performed their duty to them it is now by consequence to be expected from them that they should lift up their voices to the Gentile people themselves and preach the Gospel to them also over all the world V. 20. Asked not after me That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã must here be rendred enquiring of not after making God the terminus or person to whom the address is made and not the matter of their question whom they asked not concerning whom appeareth 1. by the nature of the word which literally denotes it and 2dly by the use of it in all other places as Mat. 12. 10. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they asked him saying Is it lawfull c. and ch 16. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they asked him a signe and Mar. 11. 29. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will aske you a question and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã being asked Lu. 17. 20. and Joh. 18. 21. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Why askest thou me aske them that heard and also 3dly by the Hebrew which from Isa 65. 1. is rendred by it for that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã quaesivit consuluit as when one consulteth the Oracle asks counsel of God Agreeable to which is that of Hesychius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rendring it by that word which is ordinarily used for consulting the oracle and from which Apollo that gave the oracles is called Pytho For so the place belonged in that Prophet to those that were delivered out of Antiochus's hands at a time when they despaired and hoped not for such a mercy and that despairing or not hoping of theirs is there express'd by not seeking of God nor consulting him nor applying themselves to him at all for that purpose So Hos 4. 12. where we read my people aske counsel of their stocks the Greek hath ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they asked at their images By this I conceive may be discerned the meaning of that phrase 1 Pet. 3. 21. where Baptisme is said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is ordinarily rendred the answer of a good conscience toward God and otherwise a promise or stipulation or bargain because those consisted saith Theophilus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of a question and an agreeable answer and were wont to be made in this form by way of answer to a question thus Spondes Spondeo Dabis Dabo Dost thou promise I do promise Wilt thou give I will and so the Catechumenus Dost thou forsake the devil c I doe forsake ãâã
all the corruptions crept in among you 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in note e rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying Paraphrase 13. And particularly let chastity and all manner of purity contrary to the night-works or deeds of darknesse and secrecy be most carefully preserved in all kinds and think it not tolerable to go on as they would have you and tell you it may lawfully be done by you either in revellings and pursuits of lusts or in sins of luxury and excesse apt to hinder your watchfulnesse see Lu. 21. 34. or in venery men with women in unlawfull embraces or in lasciviousnesse against the laws and differences of sexes see note on 1 Pet. 4. d. or any of those other sins so familiar among the Gnosticks or finally in factions divisions contentions hating and persecuting your fellow Christians as the Gnosticks and Judaizers doe 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Paraphrase 14. But set your selves to the practice of all Christian purity and do not entertain your selves with carnall sensuall designes such as the divinity of the Gnosticks is too full of which tends to the advancing of lusts of all kinds and nothing else Annotations on Chap. XIII V. 1. Higher powers What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã power here signifies will appear sufficiently by the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for the Rulers c. v. 3. for the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for being a rationall or causall particle applies the speech to that which had gone before and so expresses the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã powers v. 1. to be the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rulers v. 3. and so again the annexing of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã power v. 3. doth confirm the same Nor indeed can the power abstracted from the person of the magistrate be able to doe what is here said of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã viz. commend or encourage v. 3. avenge and punish v. 4. And the matter is clear for v. 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the powers being feared is all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the rulers are a fear or terror in the beginning of the verse and v. 4. immediately upon the mention of the power and the praise which they that doe well shall have ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 3. from the power it is added ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã For he that must needs be the person of the magistrate is a minister of God to thee for good and He bears not the sword in vain or for no end for he is the minister of God an avenger of wrath c. Thus is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã used Lu. 12. 11. when the disciples are said to be brought before principalities and powers that is without question princes and men in authority and so are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã dominions 2 Pet. 2. 10. all that are in authority and so in this Epist c. 8. 38. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã principalities and powers are certainly persons heathen magistrates who persecute Christians and so Ephes 3. 11. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are persons to whom somewhat was to be made known And so Col. 1. 16 2. 15 22. where ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are joyned with Angels and all said to be made subject to Christ And that it may not seem strange that the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã power should be set to note a person it will be worth observing not only that the Latine magistratus which signifies magistracy signifies the person of the magistrate also and is most commonly so used not for the power but for the person invested with that power but which is punctually for the point in hand that the Latine Potestas which is directly answerable to the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies a ruler or Governour in good and ancient authors as in Juvenal Sat. 10. speaking of the unfortunate end of Sejanus after all his greatnesse he asks Hujus qui trahitur praetextam sumere mavis An Fidenorum Gabiorúmque esse Potestas which had you rather chuse to succeed Sejanus that was thus used that is have that great preferment and dâgnity of his assumed by the Emperor of Rome into the participation of his supremacy and pay so dear for it or else to be quietly and peaceably the power that is ruler or governour of those mean people the Fideni or Gabii Then for the word which is here added to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that that is to be rendred the supreme not the higher powers will appear not onely by comparing it with 1 Pet. 2. 13. where the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã King or Emperour is the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã supreme and all others said to be sent by him he having his commission from God as here also 't is said in the end of this v. 1. and all others are not from God immediately but from him but also by the nature and use of the word the nature of it confining it to those that are over and not under others and so in Simplicius upon Epictetus p. 2. 14 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the first causes and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which must therefore be rendred supreme are joyned together and said to be all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the exempt absolute independent principles viz. the gods saith he or in his stile the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to whom worship is due and so in proportion speaking here of men it must belong to the supreme in any kingdome who as he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã first so is he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã exempt and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not accountable to any man or men upno earth and for the use of it beside that which hath already been said it may be observed that Gen. 49. 3. in the description of that condition which had belonged to Reuben if he had not forfeited it by his primogeniture viz. that he should have been the King as upon his sin Judah was it is said of him that he was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the excellence of principality and the excellence of power that is the excellent principality and excellent power which seems to me to be the very phrase here used of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is there spoken personally of that elder brother V. 2. Damnation The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to 't is literal importance signifies judgment and no more and is applied to humane judgments sometimes either going to law contentiones in foro 1 Cor. 6. 7. or else sentences of temporal punishments on malefactors So Lu. 23. 40. where one thief saith to the other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thou art in the same judgment or
of the holy Ghost Paraphrase 13. Now that God in whom all our trust is reposed and from whom all good things are to be received bestow on you that cheerfull quiet in stead of the contentions that have been among you and that union and concord in the Christian faith or without any receding from it that thereby ye may have that hope which the Gospel bestowes on you on condition of charity c. encreased unto you into all abundance through the working of the holy Ghost in you 14. And I my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another Paraphrase 14. And though I doubt not but ye that are full of virtue and charity and perfectly know what your Christian duty is are also without my help able to advise one another to doe what I now say that is to abstain from contemning and condemning one another 15. Neverthelesse brethren I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the grace that is given to me of God Paraphrase 15. Yet I have thought good to write freely to you to stirre you up to the practice of that which you know already this being a branch of my office and authority Apostolical as wel as that of making known the Gospel 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministring the Gospel of God that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost Paraphrase 16. That office I say to which I was sent by Christ Act. 9. 15. to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as the Jewes that the Gentiles might be presented and offered up unto God as a sacrifice most acceptable unto him sanctified not as other sacrifices by any priest on earth but even by the holy Ghost that is that they might be brought to obey the Gospel 17. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God Paraphrase 17. And for my successe herein I have ground or matter of great rejoicing not in my self but in order to God the author of this successe 18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Paraphrase 18. And herein I shall not need to be so vain as to mention any thing that can be questionable wherein as an instrument in Christ's bands I have wrought and had this successe to my work in bringing the Gentiles to receive and obey the Gospel A work which hath been done by miracles and preaching 19. Through mighty signes and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Paraphrase 19. Proving and manifesting my commission and the truth of what I should say by greater evidences then any prophet of old by doing all kinds of miracles as also by speaking of strange languages 1 Cor. 14. 18. and receiving and making known revelations from heaven 2 Cor. 12. 3. And after this manner beginning at Jerusalem and taking a circuit through Phoenice and Syria and Arabia Act. 19. 20. c. I have discharged this my office and preach'd the Gospel to the Macedonians which joyn upon Illyricum 20. Yea so have I strived to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named lest I should build upon another man's foundation Paraphrase 20. By which course it appears that I have not only been carefull not to preach where some other had been before me upon which it might be said that I did only superstruct where others had laid the foundation but I had a kind of ambition in it to make known the Gospel to them that had never heard of Christ 21. But as it is written To whom he was not spoken of they shall see and they that have not beard shall understand Paraphrase 21. To fulfil that glorious prophecie Is 52. 15. that they should be brought borne to God that were never preached to before as the events of Jeremies prophecies should be made good to them to whom the prophecies had not come 22. For which cause also I have been much hindred from coming to you Paraphrase 22. By this means of preaching to some new people or other I have been hindred unexpectedly from coming to you when I have severall times designed it 23. But now having no more place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come unto you Paraphrase 23. But now having no more occasion to detain me in these parts that I yet foresee and having for many years had an earnest desire to visit you 24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain I will come to you for I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you if first I be somewhat filled with your company Paraphrase 24. In my journey to Spain I am resolved to doe it taking you in my passage and expecting that you will accompany me some part of my way thither after I have stayed a while and satisfied my self with the pleasure of being among you 25. But now I goe unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints Paraphrase 25. But now I am a going to Judaea to distribute to the poor Christians there the collection that hath been made for them 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem Paraphrase 26. By the Christians of Macedonia and Achaia 27. It hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spirituall things their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things Paraphrase 27. This they have done and 't was but due from them for considering that these Gentile provinces have been beholden in an higher respect to the Jewes have received the Gospel from them as indeed from Judaea it was that 't was first preached to Macedonia and Achaia 't is but reasonable they should make them those poor returns contribution to their wants 28. When therefore I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit I will come by you into Spain Paraphrase 28. When therefore this businesse is dispatch'd and I have delivered to them safely this fruit of the Gentiles liberality I intend then to begin my journey to Spain and take you in my way thither 29. And I am sure that when I come unto you I shall come in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Paraphrase 29. And I am confident when I come I shall give you such evidences of the great mercy and glorious dispensations of God and the good successes which I have had that you will be much confirmed in the
this perswasion v. 15. Then for the phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is in ordinary construction all one which ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I know that I hope or am perswaded or of this I am sure so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is ordinarily used that I hope or am perswaded And this is very agreeable to the matter in hand where to comfort them in their sadnesse for his afflictions he minds them that in order to their good he foresees it very probable that he may be permitted to live and though he knows not by any certain revelation whether he shall or no yet this he knows that he hopes and considering Gods dipensations of providence is verily perswaded which also includes his desire of it CHAP. II. 1. IF there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies 2. Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Paraphrase 1 2. I therefore conjure you by all those benefies which are afforded us in Christ by the great joy and pleasure there is in loving one another by that liberal effusion of graces from the Spirit of God see note on Act. 2. d. and by your affection and compassion toward men in calamity and particularly toward me at this time a prisoner for Christ that to all the other matter of rejoicing that I have concerning you you will adde this also and so make my joy complete that you live in unity loving one another mutually having as it were the same soul and so affections and designes all studying and taking care for this same thing 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of mind let each esteem other better then themselves Paraphrase 3. That ye doe nothing out of opposition and contention one against another nothing ambitiously or ostentatiously but on the contrary doe all things with that quietnesse and humblenesse as if ye had every one a better opinion of the others wisdome and piety than his own 4. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Paraphrase 4. And to this end let not men look so intently on those gifts and abilities which they discern in themselves but let them withall and much rather consider the gifts and abilities of other men more eminent then they And this will be an expedient toward the performing of that which is required v. 3. 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Paraphrase 5. According to the example of Christ 6. Who being in the note a form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Paraphrase 6. Who being truly God thought it no incroachment to be in equality with his father 7. But note b made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Paraphrase 7. And yet being thus the eternal word of God he set himself at nought lessened humbled himself from the condition of being Lord of all to that of a subject ordinary man 8. And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Paraphrase 8. And being by his incarnation thus low in the nature all and the outward deportment and guise of a man he yet humbled himself lower to death even the vilest and most cruel death that in use among the Romans for their slaves crucifixion 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name Paraphrase 9. And for this great act of humility and the divine work of eternal redemption of our soules wrought by him in this state of humiliation God hath advanced his humane nature to the highest degree of glory and made this God-man the supreme prince of his Church given him all power in heaven and earth and to signify that hath appropriated to him the title of Jesus the Saviour by way of excellence that though other men may have been thus styled from other salvations or deliverances for which they have been imployed by God as Joshua long before and after Joshua the Judges were called Saviours for rescuing the people of Israel from dangers and delivering them from enemies yet the eternal salvation Heb. 5. 9. eternal redemption Heb. 9. 12. being wrought only by him the name which signifies this should belong to him and to him onely 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Paraphrase 10. A title or name which includes in it such a singular dignity above all other titles as concerning mans eternal and not only some temporal deliverance and salvation that it together with the signification of it is worthy of the most eminent and superlative respect the lowyest reverence that can be paid by all rational creatures Angels men and devils Luk. 4. 36. 11. And that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Paraphrase 11. And his doctrine and faith and soveraignty be received and embraced by all nations of the world to the honour of God the Father who hath thus sent him and thus ordered his humility and exaltation 12. Wherefore my beloved as ye have alwaies obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with note c fear and trembling Paraphrase 12. And therefore my dear brethren as ye have hitherto done all that I have commanded you so I still beseech you that now in time of my absence ye will be much more diligent then when I was present with you ye were to perfect the good work which ye have begun viz. a pious Christian course see note on Rom. 10. a. making your performances agreeable to your resolutions and never giving over till ye are landed safe at eternal blisse and to that end using all possible diligence and solicitude and care that ye be not wanting to your selves 13. For it is God which note d worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Paraphrase 13. Upon this very consideration on which some are secure and negligent because both to that good resolution and to every good performance you are enabled by God who doth what he doth of his free undeserved mercy to you by his preventing and assisting grace without any merit of yours to deserve it from him and consequently may justly be expected to withdraw all from them that walk negligently before him 14. Doe all things without murmurings and disputings Paraphrase 14. And let your obedience be cheerfull without any querulousnesse or reluctances without questioning or disputing of commands 15. That ye may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the
all and count them nothing worth despise them all that I may have the favour of Christ the highest of all privileges 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is of the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Paraphrase 9. And be ingraffed into him become a member of the Christian Church not pretending to justification by any performance of mine own by the way of the Law but by that other Evangelical course that is set down in the Gospel that from God's pardoning of sins to all penitent believers 10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Paraphrase 10. The condition of which or termes whereon we are justified are these to acknowledge Christ and the virtue which his resurrection hath toward the raising me out of sin and the participation of his sufferings see note on Act. 2. e. in my conforming my self to his death dying to sin as he died to the world 11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead Paraphrase 11. That so dying with him or after his example I may consequently obtain to rise with him to everlasting life 12. Not as though I had already note c attained either were already note d perfect but I note e follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also note f am apprehended of Christ Jesus Paraphrase 12. Not as if I had already gotten my crown or reward but I am as the racer in my pursuit on the way running as hard as I can in some hope that I may at length possibly catch or receive that prize to which very end it is that Christ himself hath contended for me as for a prize of his suffered infinite agonies on the crosse that he may purchase unto himself a peculiar pious people make me and others such who were farre from being so 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I doe note g forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Paraphrase 13. Beloved Christians I do not think that I have my crown or am so sure of it that I cannot misse it but this one thing I doe without marking or considering how much of my race I have overcome and got through I stretch as hard as I can to get to the end of that which is still behind unfinished and so 14 I presse toward note h the marke for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Paraphrase 14. Having in my eye the goale and the way marked out for me to run to it I make as much speed as I can possibly that so I may get the crown which is by God in heaven proposed to me in Christ Jesus 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shal reveal even this unto you Paraphrase 15. As many therefore of us as are sincere in our Christian course the orthodox faithfull pure Christians let us take care of this And if any body differs in understanding any particular thing there is no reason that such a difference should breed any division among you disturb or break the peace which is most pretious to be preserved for though at present ye are not yet hereafter ye may no doubt be instructed in all that is necessary to you 16. Neverthelesse whereto we have already note i attained let us walk by note k the same rule let us mind the same thing Paraphrase 16. But or In the mean time though we are advanced some before others yet let not that hinder our unity or peace Let us observe our way that we run not over the lines and to that end that we run not one one way another another but that all take the same course chalk'd our before us see note on c. 4. b. 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample Paraphrase 17. All of you together follow my steps and consider and emulate those that doe so that follow our pattern our example that ye may doe likewise 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ Paraphrase 18. For many there are now-adaies abroad in the Church of a most unhappy unchristian temper that will not suffer any thing for Christ or venture that that may bring any affliction or suffering upon them see note on Apoc. 2. b. and therefore comply with the Jewes to avoid persecutions from them 19. Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Paraphrase 19. But shall in fine gain little by it but be destroyed with the Jewes in their approaching ruine 2 Pet. 2. 1. the Gnosticks I mean who mind nothing but their sensual appetites boast of all those things which they ought to be ashamed of their base lusts c. and so can never look up toward heaven 20. For our I conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Paraphrase 20. To which yet all Christians belong and have the right of citizens though they dwell on this earth as in a province out of the city and as those provinces are ruled and defended by some governour sent them out of the city so doe we expect Christ from thence as our prince and Saviour who by his care will in the mean time defend us from all enemies 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Paraphrase 21. Who shall change this our vilified persecuted calamitous state incident to this our mortal life and make it conformable to his present glorious state a work indeed of his omnipotency of his having all power given unto him in heaven and earth Annotations on Chap. III. V. 1. Grievous What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here signifies will be clear enough out of Phavorinus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he is used by Homer for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not to work or doe any thing thence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cowardise or idlenesse and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã avoiding of labours and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fear of approaching action and again of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 't is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be held or possess'd with an irrational and caâsless sluggishness and from thence the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã comes which here we speak of So then
the contention ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the race and it signifies to endeavour to get before those that are before us to labour and stretch ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that he may get the prize by being foremost Ib. Am apprehended The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here is still in the Agonistical sense and being now applied to Christ it signifies most elegantly that Christ doth as in a race contend and strive and that for no other reward that he hath in his eye but only the faithful disciple whom when he converts and brings to repentance he conceives himself to have attained his reward or crown and so we are as it were the crown that is caught and wore by him as Ephes 1. 11. we are said ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to be the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or portion which he hath for his patrimony as it were or as he is said to purchase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a people Tit. 2. 14. and as the Church 1. Pet. 2. 9. is said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a people purchased or acquired by him Act. 20. 23. V. 13. Forgetting those things which are behind This phrase of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not looking at that which is behind or pass'd referres likewise to the custome of the racer who doth not use to stand still and looke behinde him to see either how much of his journey he is pass'd or how farre the rest are behinde him for this is the sluggards trick but sets bodily to his business to overtake and outrun all that are before and to get through the remainder of his race and that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to stretch himself as vigorously as he can for so saith Hesychius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to get to the goale first This hath Horace expressed distinctly in his description of a racer in a chariot Serm l. 1. Satyr 1. Ut cùm carceribus missos rapit ungula curria Instat equis auriga suos vincentibus illum Praeteritum temnens extremos inter euntem The ruler of the chariot presseth to overtake those horses that are before his but contemns and never looks after him that is behinde and outrun by him V. 14 The marke That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies the goale hath been said already Note on 1 Cor. 9. g. and that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the prize or crown which either hung over the goale or was given the conquerour by the Judges and so the meaning of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is that the racer takes the goale in the way to the crown first conquers and then is rewarded the goale being the conclusion of the race but the way to the crown V. 16. Attained That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is an Agonistical word and signifies to be foremost in the race see Note on Rom. 9. d. 2 Cor. 10. b. and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã will signifie In as much as we are gotten before other men in the race have attained some degree of spiritual proficiency Ib. The same rule What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the stadia signifies see Note on 1 Cor. 9. g. and 2 Cor. 10. d. viz. the white line that marked out the path wherein they were to run and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here is to goe or run by the same line in that path never stepping over or out of it left they lose all And thus are they most concerned to doe that are before other men and if they have but this one care are not likely to miscarry by any thing else That which is most contradictory to this in our Christian race is dividing into factions sides Peace Unity and charity being the white within which they are commanded to walk and therefore it followes that they should ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mind the same thing live in unity and amity run all the same way to the same end and be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 17. all fellow-followers of the Apostle V. 20. Conversation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã citizens is literally citizenship and denotes a municipium which is the state and condition of those who dwelling out of the city have yet the jus civitatis Romane the privileges of the city of Rome belonging to them Thus saithe Cicero de Legib. l. 2. Omnibus municipibus duas èsse patrias unam naturae alteram juris Catonis exemplo qui Tusculi natus in populi Romani societatem susceptus est All such have two countreys one of nature the other of law after Cato's example who being born at Tusculum was received into the society of the people of Rome And Tacitus ibi municipes fiunt ubi in civitatem recepti But this so that these shall differ from those that had their habitation in the city who alone might be chosen to offices in it Thus is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Act. 22. 28. by which Hesychius expounds ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the privilege of being a free-man of Rome belonging to one that lived in Iudea and that bought by the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there but by birth belonging to S. Paul And thus is the Christian here on earth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ephes 2. 19. a fellow citizen of the saints not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a stranger or solourner but a free-man or municeps of heaven though while he dwells here he be in an inferiour condition to them who have domicilium in urb the saints that are in heaven who alone are capable of reigning with God See Act. 22. d. CHAP. IV. 1. THerefore my brethen dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Paraphrase 1. Wherefore my beloved Erethren so passionately affected by me whose good is matter of all joy and felicity to me according to these former directions of peace chap. 3. 15. continue stedfast in the faith I beseech you 2. I beseech Euodias and beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Paraphrase 2. And particularly I beseech Euodias and Syntyches to preserve peace and not to be contentious and unquiet 3. And I intreat thee also true yoke-fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the note a book of life Paraphrase 3. Yes I earnestly beseech thee Epaphroditus Bishop of Philippi bearer of this Epistle and so my fellow-labourer in the Gospel which hast shewed thy self to be sincerely What thou oughtest to be take care of and relieve those women which for their zeal in the Gospel have suffered persecutions see note on 1. Thes 2. b. with me or in the same manner as I have done and so likewise Clemens and all that have undertaken the same task with me in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles those pious good
worship c. For before his Baptisme it is said of him Act. 8. that he was by all the Samaritans cried up to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or as the MSS. read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the divine power which is called great that is the Divine Majesty called diversly by several nations but by all acknowledged as the greatest and supreme Deity and after the seigned reception of the Faith and Baptisme he did not lessen but rather increase his pretensions And accordingly saith Irenaeus l. 1. c. 20. Simon Magus intendit contendere adversùs Apostolos uti ipse gloriosus videretur esse A Claudio Caesare statuâ honoratus esse dicitur propter Magiam Hic igitur à multis quasi Deus glorificatus est docuit semetipsum esse qui apud Judaevs quasi Filius adparuerit in Samaria autem quasi Pater descenderit in reliquis Gentibus quasi Spiritus S. adventaverit Esse autem se sublimissimam virtutem hoc est eum qui sit super omnia Pater sustinere vocari se quodeunque eum vocant homines Simon Magus set himself to contend against the Apostles that he also might appear glorious He was for his Magick honoured with a statue by Claudius Caesar He was glorified by many as a God and taught that himself was he that appeared as the Son among the Jewes that in Samaria he descended as the Father and in other nations came at the Holy Ghost That he was the most sublime virtue that is he which was the Father over all and that he was content to be called by the highest titles that any man did call him And so saith Tertull de Anima Simon speaking of Helena his prima ennoia by which he created the Angls and powers which made the world and whom he called also the lost sheep because of her having been in a brothel-house saith that ad hanc descendit Pater summus to her descended the supreme Father calling himself by that title and having carried her back to his palace exinde ad hominum respexit salutem from thenceforth had all care to the salvation of men Again that statue of his was made saith Irenaeus ad siguram Jovis after the figure of Jupiter and Helena's after the figure of Minerva and these saith he were worshipped by men And at last among the doctrines of his followers Saturnilus and Menander he sets down Judaeorum Deum unum ex Angelis esse c. 22. that the God of the Jewes was one of the seven Angels that made the world Ipsum verò Simonem unum Patrem esse qui fecit Angelos Archangelos Virtutes Potestates But that Simon himself was the only Father that made the Angels Archangels Virtues and Powers So clearly making himself superiour to the God of the Jews and indeed creatour of him So saith Justin Martyr Apol. 2. see Note b. on Jude Now for the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã this mans and these Gnosticks revealing themselves that signifies their putting off that disguise of Christianity under which they vâiled themselves a while and setting up he and his followers professedly against Christ and his Apostles For Simon himself that at first he was baptized and made a shew of being a Christian hath appeared Act. 8. but this without any sincerity at that time any ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã genuine purpose of change saith Cyril of Jerusalem Cat. 1. After this he went on in his way of deceiving the people by his forceries as appears by his desiring to buy the power of working miracles from the Apostles and being denied that soon after he set up and opposed himself against Christ and accordingly is here called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the adversary or he that opposeth himself and by S. John ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Antichrist which is the same And about the time of erecting the statue to him at Rome being by the preaching of the Gospel driven out of that city it was some space of yeares before he appeared there again in contestation with S. Peter which may passe for his revealing of himself that at the writing of this Epistle was yet future And accordingly Theophylact speaking of the mystery of iniquity ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the mystery of iniquity was already begun for Simon and Nicolas leaders of heresies did work the works of Antichrist As for the Gnosticks the followers of him and other such leaders thus it was The Jews persecuting the Christians and those persecutions shaking the faith of many and the Gnosticks keeping themselves safe from those persecutions by forswearing of Christ in time of danger from the Jewes as they sacrificed to Idols to secure them from the Gentiles and having other carnal baits all manner of filthinesse to invite carnal and fearfull persons to their party did soon draw all Samaria from Christ and so whereever Christianity was planted in other parts at Rome in Asia c. corrupted the believers every where so that many were polluted or infected by their poison Heb. 12. 15. and at length joinned with the Jewes in the greatest bitterness of persecuting the Orthodox Christians first secretly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as dogs that bite and bark not saith Ignatius and then they were the mystery here but at last openly and avowedly and that is the meaning of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the revealing this mystery And this avow'd opposing and persecuting the Christians was to be a forerunner of that day of the Lord and till that was come the day was not yet instant though neer at hand V. 4. Worshipped ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in this place being joyned with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã called God not to distinguish it from the former but with an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or to explicate the former or to extend it farther then the former might be thought to extend must signifie not the worship it self but that which is worshipped whatsoever that is The nations and people of the world all of them acknowledged and worshipped somewhat which they called God or Numen but all false and Idol-nothings save only the one Creator of heaven and earth yet on these they bestowed those magnificent titles of God and Great power of God and other the like and to comprehend all those titles by which all those false Gods were known this word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã worship or deity or by repeating the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all that is called worship or deity is here used And so the word is used by the Author of the Book of Wisdome c. 14. 20. and rightly rendred a God So Act. 17. 23. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã beholding your worships that is their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their idols so saith Theophylact ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã worships that is Idols and daemons of which their city had and worshipped so many For so v. 16. it is said of him that he did ãâã ãâã ãâã
and there distinctly specified more than in any other place of the New Testament under the title of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. 6. 20. science falsly so named that is the men that assumed falsly to themselves the name of Gnosticks or knowing men And against some doctrines and practices of theirs he here arms him CHAP. I. 1. PAUL an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope Paraphrase 1. I' Paul that Act. 13. 7. was sent out and constitured an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the designation of him who being God incarnate is both our Saviour and Lord to rescue us from the power of sin and to rule and reign in our hearts even he on whom all our trust and expectation and hope of good is founded and built 2. Unto Timothy my own son in the faith Grace mercy and peace from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Paraphrase 2. To my dearly beloved Timothy whom I first converted and so begat to Christianity I send my heartiest wish of all good from God our carefull and loving father and Christ Jesus to whom he hath committed all power in his Church unto the worlds end 3. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine Paraphrase 3. This Epistle I now send thee for thy directions in pursuance of that Commission which I gave thee when I constituted and appointed thee to reside as Bishop at Ephesus at the time when I went thence to go to Macedonia Act. 20. 1. that presiding and governing the Church there thou mightest suppresse the seeds of the Gnostick heresie sowed there and keep men within the form of sound doctrine that which in all Churches was delivered by us 4. Neither give heed to fables and endlesse note a genealogies which minister questions rather than edifying which is in faith so doe Paraphrase 4. And warn thy flock not to heed those fabulous pedegrees of the gods which under the name of Aeones the Gnosticks see note on Col. 2. a. talk so much of and so bring in many perplext disputes rather than instruct men in the way of salvation under the Gospel or of Christian doctrine in matters belonging to God 4. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Paraphrase 5. The substance and perfection or else the designe and aime of Christian duty being charity whose genealogie is this faith unfeigned begets a good conscience that is abstaining from all sin that purity of heart that love of all men 6. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling Paraphrase 6. Which some aiming not at have gone out of the way to a divinity made up of empty words for so was the Gnosticks see v. 4. 7. Desiring to be teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm Paraphrase 7. Joyning Judaisme to Christianty undertaking to expound the Law and to find those mysteries in it which are the foundations of their impure doctrines but observe no part of the Law nor at all apply it to the ruling of their lives 8. But we know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully Paraphrase 8. Which is consequently a grievous abuse of the Law whose whole goodness consists in this that a man order his actions so by it as to abstain from the sins that it forbids and doe the good which it requires 9. Knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers for manslayers Paraphrase 9. It being certain that as good men will perform their duty without any law so the Law of Moses as all other lawes was given to the sons of those excellent Patriarchs because it was foreseen they would not alwaies continue so good and so was on this very designe to keep in order such men as these to restrain such impure Gnosticks as these from the sins they are guilty of and not to stand them in any stead except they live according to it Accordingly you know that Moses's Law is very severe against the rebellious and contumacious against blasphemers and seditious such as Corah Num. 16. 8. called Sinners there and to such are the Gnosticks compared Jude 11. to the impure and such as contemn all that is holy such as Esau to whom the Gnosticks are compared Heb. 12. 16. against parricides and murtherers 10. For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for lyers for perjured persons and if there be any other thing which is contrary to sound doctrine Paraphrase 10. Against fornicators and those of the foulest sort of those Lev. 18. 22. against those that steal and sell servants Exod. 21. 16. Deut. 24. 7. against false and perjurious persons and generally all those sins and sinners that now the Gospel of Christ makes to be such and these hereticks are noted for 11. According to the note b glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust Paraphrase 11. According to the Gospel of Christ or of God when he dwelt among us appeared here on the earth for the preaching of which I have been constituted an Apostle 12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the ministery Paraphrase 12. And I account it a great mercy of Christ both that he hath given me abilities and that he hath vouchsafed to make use of me for so great a work thinking me a fit person to be so intrusted and setting me apart to doe him service in the Church 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief Paraphrase 13. Having been so hugely unfit and unworthy of such an honour by my former behaviour whilst I was a Jew blaspheming the name of Christ persecuting the Christians and using them most despitefully Notwithstanding all which God was mercifull to me looked on it but as an act of blind zeal in me and therefore laid it not so to my charge as to deliver me up to my self but recalled me mightily in the midst of my carreer 14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Paraphrase 14. Since which time he hath most plentifully poured out on me the gifts of the Holy Ghost and proportionably to them a lively faith toward Jesus Christ and an earnest zeal for his Gospel which hath been wrought in me by his grace 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all note e acceptaion that Christ Jesus came into
contrary to the vicious practices of these men by undertaking the faith of Christ 20. But in a great house there are not onely vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honour and some of dishonour Paraphrase 20. But it is to be expected in the Church as in any great family that all should not be equally good some furniture of gold c. others of wood and earth or shels some for more creditable some for lesse creditable uses some heretical as other orthodox Professions 21. If any man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessell unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work Paraphrase 21. Which may therefore stirre up every man to be emulous of the best to be sure to rid himself from these pollutions of the Gnosticks and then as he shall be more valued by Christ so he shall be fitter to serve him in purity and every other Christian duty 22. Fly also youthfull lusts but follow righteousnesse faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Paraphrase 22. But be sure to keep thy self from all those carnal affections which younger men are most subject to and not onely those of impurity which the Gnosticks indulge and allow to all that they may insnare them but also conântions and factions and emulations and love of glory c. And on the contrary be thou an emulous and earnest pursuer and follower of innocence fidelity and firm charity conjunction and agreement with all those that in purity and sincerity adhere constantly to Christ 23. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they doe gender strifes Paraphrase 23. As for those idle and unprofitable questions that are set on foot by the Gnosticks that tend to no benefit and have nothing of true knowledge in them keep thy self carefully from them for they will breed debates and quarrels and nothing else 24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient Paraphrase 24. And there is nothing more unlike a true Christian then that he that is such must be milde and quiet and peaceable toward all others and being in place as thou art must be ready and industrious to instruct others in the truth and not apt or forward to punish those that doe amisse see note on 1 Cor. 13. b. 25. In meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves note c if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 26. and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at note d his will Paraphrase 25 26. With great calmenesse and temper dealing with those that are of different opinions from us though in opposing us they oppose the truth as counting it not impossible or hopelesse but that by the grace of God they may be brought to repentance and so come to acknowledge the truth at length and recover out of Satan's snare by whom they have been caught to dâe the will of God that is that being delivered out of Satan's hands they may prove fit instruments of God's service Annotations on Chap. II. V. 15. Rightly dividing That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to divide aright should referre to the custome in Sacrifices which were to be cut after a certain prescribed manner and to them some partes given to the Priests c. may probably be imagined But another notion of the phrase here as it is joyned with the word of truth may seeme more probable For in the Old Testament the Greek translators use of the word belongs to a way or path to goe in which was wont to be cut out that it might be fitter for use thence the Latine phrase viam secare to cut a way that is to goe before and direct any in their journey And with the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã right joyned with it it is to goe before one and direct him the straight way to such a place Thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Prov. 3. 6. and 11. 5. is the rendring of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies to set right or rectifie and so to cut a way right is to put one and keep one in the right way We render it direct thy paths and way in those places of the Proverbs and then the Gospel of Christ the word of truth being most fitly resembled to a way much better than to a sacrifice ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rightly to cut the word of truth is to goe uprightly and according to the truth before others in Christianity And that was Timothies part as a Doctor or Bishop to lead them both by his example and doctrine the right way that is prescribed by Christ without falling into any errors or ill practice V. 16. Shunne The Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã circumdedit signifies also divertit turning away or back as well as going round an is by the Septuagint or Greek translator of the Old Testament rendred no onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã often to encompasse and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã once Ios 6. 3. but also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã declino to decline or avoid 1 Kin. 18. 11. and twenty times ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã averto to put from us or fly from From hence it is that one of these interpretationsbeing set for the other according to the frequent manner of these writers or else by the power of the Passive or Meane differing from the Active ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here and Tit. 3. 9. signifies to avert decline avoid fly from the same with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã avoid v. 23. for which and in the same matter the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã avoiding is used 1 Tim. 6. 20. Thus doth Origen use the word against Celsus speaking of Christs going aside when the Pharisees consulted to kill him Mat. 12. 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It is no degenerous or cowardly thing to flie from dangers providently and not to mix with them where it signifies declining and so avoiding of dangers And so Hesychius renders ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it should be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã encompassing but also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã avoid slie from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã look to which is so to look to to consider as to avoid Rom. 16. 17. if there be danger in it So Iosephus of Moses ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He avoided or took heed lest many should imitate the impurity of his speeches and l. 2. De bell Iud. c. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã swearing is avoided by them in a passive sense Who they are which are here to be avoided and taken heed of is not obscurely set down in the following words viz. the Gnosticks that colluvies of Hereticks consisting of divers branches differing one
ãâã signifies may I suppose be best concluded by the notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to dedicate from whence we have ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the feast of the dedication of the Altar in the book of the Maccabees mentioned in the Gospel Agreeably when men which by their creation after God's image were dedicated to his service had fallen away from him into idolatry or sin the receiving them to Baptisme upon vow of new life was the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã dedicating them anew to repentance or new life And accordingly to prepare them for Baptisme they used to confesse their sins and the Catechist to lay hands on them and pray for absolution as it is said of Constantine ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He confess'd and obtained the prayers by imposition of hands Euseb de vit Const l. 4. Consequently ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã again to renew to repentance is to use some new course of dedicating and consecrating them anew after some foul fall or wasting sin after Baptisme and that was wont to be by Penance and Absolution For ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã repentance is sometimes taken for admission to pardon or the whole proceeding of the Church with the penitent in order to his absolution from the Censures So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to ask repentance is to demand or beg admission to that course which should prepare them for Absolution Conc. Neoces Can. 52. and elsewhere frequently And so in our 16 th Article the grant of repentance is put to explain that which had been before in King Edward's Articles the place for penitents and in the Augustan confession Absolutionem impertire to afford absolution Art 12. and this according to Scripture-style where to preach repentance is to proclaime admission to pardon upon repentance And therefore when it is here said that it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã impossible not to be hoped for or attained again to re-dedicate such an one to repentance the meaning will be that such as are here spoken of Apostate Gnosticks that from so high a state of Christians so long continued in shall fall off and joyn with the Jewes in denying of Christ and persecuting Christians are never to hope to be received to the peace of the Church again to have the benefit of their publick prayers as c. 10. 26. it is said of such that there remains no more sacrifice for sin For although for other foul acts of sin sacrificing to Idols c. the ancient Church especially of the Roman Communion allowed place for reconciliation and absolution after a first offence some denying it to a second amplius nunquam saith Tertullian De pan yet to Apostates and those which turned open obstinate enemies after the acknowledgment of the truth this was not allowed And accordingly we read of Julian the Apostate that instead of praying for him they prayed against him And this or the like understanding of these words seems to be the reason that the Roman Church which at first received not this Epistle thinking it to oppose admission to the peace of the Church for any act of known and grosse sin after Baptisme did after receive it into the Canon observing some other interpretation reconcilable with their doctrine of which the words were capable And if this be not thought to come home to the force of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã impossible because though the Church will not receive such yet it is still possible they may that is easily answered by observing that that word is used sometimes to signifie that which by law may not be done though naturally it may So Josephus against Appion 1. 2. speaking of great offenders saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 't is impossible to obtain remission of the punishment that is the law permits it not One other notion there is that this place may be capable of by applying it yet more peculiarly to the Gnosticks at that time that they that so foully fell off from Christianity through the Jewish persecutions should in the issue never be capable of repentance the destruction that as a thief in the night should come so unexpectedly on the Jewes should also involve them and sweep them suddenly away And to this belongs that which is added v. 8. that they were neer a curse whose end was to be burnt and to that the place Heb. 10. 26. very well accordeth But the words here have generally been conceived by the antient Church to belong to the Censures and admission to Penance and Absolution and to that the phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã renewing to repentance hath a propriety and that other may be the interpretation of v. 8. and presuppose and fitly be superadded to this and not be exclusive of it V. 7. Blessing What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã blessing here signifies is somewhat uncertain the word being capable of several acceptions That which is most commodious to the matter in hand and contrary to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cursing which follows is that it signifie praise or approbation by way of reward the well done good and faithfull servant and the blisse attending it And then as any that doth his duty is said to be approved and any that brings in fruit to be commended by God especially when it is considered that the similitude of the earth is here used to signifie Men who are capable of such payments by way of reward from God if the earth be not and because the similitude is not here applied the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã being left out it was therefore more reasonable to use this phrase which belongs more properly to the man then the earth more signally to note that what is said of the Earth is meant of the Man It is here farther observable of this earth that the thing for which it is rewarded and for want of which the reprobate earth is cursed is the bearing fruit meet for them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for whom it is plowed not for God that sends it the rain which notes the persons which are meant under the representation of the earth to be those which had gifts given them by God for the use of others and so signally denotes those that had received the Holy Ghost and the extraordinary graces thereof parallel to the rain from heaven in order to the instructing and profiting of others to which end they that make use of those gifts as they ought bring a great blessing on others convert many to righteousness and withall themselves reap the fruit of it shine like starres see Jam. 5. 20. And so this is a farther evidence that it is not the fall of an ordinary Christian but the Apostasie of one that had been partaker of extraordinary gifts which is spoken of in the former verses And that may be matter of admonition to the most perfect not to be high-minded but fear left he thus fall after all this V. 9. Accompany salvation That
privileges of the first born to which the Priesthood was annexed was so provoking a sin in God's sight that after when he would have gotten the blessing from Isaac and besought him to reverse his act to doe otherwise then he had done to give him the blessing that is the promise of Canaan for his seed when he had with error but withal by the ordering of divine providence given it to Jacob and thereupon cried with an exceeding bitter cry Gen. 27. 34. he was not able to prevail with him with all this importunity which signifies how impossible it is for them who have been thus profane as to forsake Christ or that which is most sacred the publick assemblies of his service resembled by Esau's selling his birth-right for the removing little pressure to get the reward of a Christian happinesse here and heaven hereafter resembled by the blessing though they would never so fain get it and expresse vehement sorrow that they cannot 18. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched and burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest Paraphrase 18. This is enough to inforce the great admonition of this Epistle of holding fast the faith and not falling off for persecutions to Judaisme and heresie for you Christians have a more honourable calling then that of the Jewes that was only to the Law given from mount Sinai a mountain on earth onely that set out with terrible representations of fire and thick clouds and thunder and lightning 19. And the found of a trumpet and the voice of words which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more Paraphrase 19. A trumpes to summon all to appear before God and the voice of God heard in a dreadfull manner so dreadfull that the people desired they might hear no more of it 20. For they could not indure that which was commanded And if so much as a beast touch the mountain it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart Paraphrase 20. A token of the great unsupportablenesse of the Mosaical Law which was farther signified by the severity threatned to any beast that should touch that mount whence the Law was given and the so formidable aspect of those things that appeared there that Moses himself could not chuse but tremble as is received by tradition of the Jews as many other things see note on 2 Tim. 3. a. though not mentioned in Exodus Which sure may take off any man among you from falling in love with Judaisme 21. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Paraphrase 21. A token of the great unsupportablenesse of the Mosaical Law which was farther signified by the severity threatned to any beast that should touch that mount whence the Law was given and the so formidable aspect of those things that appeared there that Moses himself could not chuse but tremble as is received by tradition of the Jews as many other things see note on 2 Tim. 3. a. though not mentioned in Exodus Which sure may take off any man among you from falling in love with Judaisme 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels Paraphrase 22. But ye are admitted to the Christian Church and by that to the liberty of approaching heaven of claiming right to it that substance of which the mount Sion and Jerusalem called the city of the living God was but an image or type where there are so many troops of Angels ten thousand in a troop with whom all Christians have communion in the Church 23. To the note g general assembly and Church of the note h first-born which are note i written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men note k made perfect Paraphrase 23. To the dignity of being members of that congregation of Jewes and Gentiles where Angels and Men joyn together and make up the assembly of the Church made up of Apostles the first-fruits of the faith Rom. 8. 23. and all those eminent faithful persons whose names are honoured and recorded in the book of God nay to the presence of God himself and all the saints that are now in blisse 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then note l that of Abel Paraphrase 24. Yea unto Jesus Christ who as a mediator between God and us hath established a second covenant and assured us that it is indeed the covenant of God and consequently that we may be consident that God will perform his part of it and now requires of us and gives us grace to perform ours and to his blood with which we must be sprinkled before we can be admitted into heaven as the Priest was to sprinkle himself before he went into the Holy of holies which is quite contrary to Abel's blood as 't is mentioned in Genesis that called for vengeance on Cain this called for mercy even upon his crucifiers if they would repent and reform and doth powerfully draw down mercy on the penitent believers or that hath much more efficacy in it to obtain Gods acceptance then had the blood of Abels sacrifice which was the first type of the blood of Christ of which we read and of which it is said that God had respect to it 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Paraphrase 25. And therefore be sure ye despise not Christ who is come to deliver God's will unto you For if they were destroyed that contemned Moses that delivered the Law from mount Sinai then much severer destruction is to be expected for them that despise the commandments of Christ that delivers them immediately from heaven 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven Paraphrase 26. In giving the Law there was an earthquake when God spake and that was somewhat terrible but now is the time of fulfilling that prophecie Hag. 2. 7. where God prosesses to make great changes greater then ever were among them before even to the destroying the whole state of the Jewes see Mat. 24. note n. 27. And this word Yet once more signifieth the removing of those things which were shaken as of things that were made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Paraphrase 27. For that is the notation of the phrase which is rendred Yet once which signifies some final ruine and that very remarkable as here the total subversion of the Jewes of all their law and policy as of things that were made on purpose to be destroyed designed by God
of the many Christians to the foul Gnostick-heresie and v. 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã do you not remember that when I was with you I told you these things So 1 Tim. 4. 1. the Spirit saith expresly that is Christ and his Apostles by their prophetick spirit every where that in the last times ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã some shall apostatize from the faith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã giving ear to impostor-spirits the very interpretation of Christs ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that these false teachers should deceive many and these described in the following words as those that had cast off all laws forbidding to marry c. and so walking after their own unnatural lusts And to these he refers again 2 Tim. 3. 1. But know this c. By all which it appears that these that were thus foreseen that they should fall off at this time and so mentioned here v. 2. were the Gnostick-hereticks and those that were seduced by them and so this weight there will be in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã first that as these were to apostatize thus before that coming of Christ to the destruction of the Jews so now in the discourse of it begun purposely v. 2. this was the first thing to be set down that is the full meaning of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Knowing this first V. 4. Since ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã à qua or à quo may be taken in respect of time as an Epocha from whence the writer takes his rise from such or such a time excluding what was before and including all since But it may also referre to matters as well as to time and then it notes no more then the excluding or excepting that which is named and including all that is not named and will then best be rendred unlesse it be or except that That this must be the notion of it here and not the former is evident by what follows that all things remain in the same manner from the beginning of the creation where the creation is an Epocha of a farre longer date then that of the death of the Fathers Besides it would be hard to define what fathers are here meant if that were the meaning of it For it cannot be appliable so to Abraham Isaac and Jacob the fathers of the people of the Jewes for to confute this speech of these scoffers the Apostle draws his proof from the times of the Flood which was long before them which would not be a good way of arguing against them if they had dated their observation no farther then the times of Abraham for they might well acknowledge a change in the Deluge though none since Abraham But in the other notion the matter is clear From the creation of the world say they there hath been no change in any material thing so as to be fit to deterre men from complying with the Jewes for the avoiding of persecutions so as to make men fear that Christ will now come in any eminent manner to destroy the Jewes or Gnosticks or to persevere in hope that he will deliver the persecuted Christians out of their hands One change they acknowledge there hath been in the world some men have slept with their fathers and others have lived in their stead a succession of fathers and sons to replenish the world men have not been immortal the fathers have died and given way to their children But except this which is an unconsiderable matter not pertinent to the point in hand all things-else say they have continued in the ordinary constant course without any discernible interposing of God's providence to punish one or to relieve another This sure is the Atheists objection occasioned by the delay of Christ's coming to destroy the Jewes And this it is which is punctually confuted in the following verses and so that must in all reason be the notation of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is most reconcileable with this V. 5. Willingly The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã seems here to be taken in a sense not ordinary in other places for being of opinion or affirming perhaps with this addition of asserting it magisterially without any reason rendred for it but a Sic volo c. So I will I command my will is my reason Thus in Latine we are wont to use it Qui hoc volunt they that will this for they that are of this opinion and thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 2 Cor. 1. 17. the things that I will that is which I teach or affirm See Note e. on that Chapter And so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they that will this are they that are of this mind that affirm this Ib. Earth standing out of the water The meaning of this fifth verse will be best discern'd by considering it as preparative to the sixth For the one thing that was here to be affirmed and proved for the confuting of that Atheistical aphorism v. 4. that There was no such thing as punishment inflicted on wicked men or deliverance for the godly to be expected from any overruling power of heaven all things going on in a constant course from the beginning of the world to that time was this that the whole world was once drowned for the sins of the inhabitants and that is said v. 6. But to prepare for this here is in this verse a description of the frame of this lower world in the first creation as it was formed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by the word of God that word by which he said Let there be light and there was light let there be a firmament and there was so and God saw that it was good that is all that he did was designed for such uses as he in his wisdome thought agreeable And that is thus described ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there were heavens from of old that is in the beginning the heavens were created and so the earth also Gen. 1. 1. the earth so formed that whensoever God pleased it might be drowned without creating any new thing For thus it was framed The very globe of the earth consisted of a great quantity of waters called the abysse or deep Gen. 1. 1. so great as to cover the face of the earth till God put it into one place that drie land might appear Gen. 1. 9. And this is it that now makes the whole body of the Ocean and all other rivers in the world and besides great quantities of water in the bowels of the earth breaking forth in fountains that flow perpetually and maintaining with supplies all the rivers and seas in the world And this may fitly own the expression that is here used of the globe of the earth that it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã made up of water hath abundance of water in its compasse which is the water which Gen. 1. 7. is called the water under the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or expansion that is under the body of the
aire and so makes up as the Philosophers say one globe with the earth And so this part of the frame of the earth did competently prepare it for drowning it being evident that there was so much water in that globe of the earth as till it was put into receptacles and cavities it covered the face of the earth no drie land appeared Gen. 1. 9. But beside this there was great store of waters in the clouds which is called the waters above the expansion Gen. 1. 7. the lower region of the aire being between them and the earth and when God is pleased to loosen those clouds which is called opening the windows of heaven then the rain falls and adds to that store of waters which was in the globe of the earth already And these clouds encompassing the earth on every side the earth is here also said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã placed in the midst of the waters for so the Preposition ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by is set to render the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the midst and so 't is used by this Author 1 Pet. 3. 20. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they were saved in the midst of water and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he shall be saved but so as in the midst of fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. So in Herodotus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is among or in the midst of Islands And so this part of the frame being added to the former the clouds and cataracts encompassing the earth and impendent over it the earth was ascertain'd to be drown'd and swallow'd up whensoever God should let loose these cataracts upon it as in the Deluge he did Gen. 7. 11. and so there is the foundation of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by which v. 6. this frame and disposition of Gods that the earth should have so much water in its own bosome and such clouds of water encompassing it was the means by which the old world being drowned by water perished and so this is the clear meaning of the place V. 7. Heavens and the earth The phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the heavens and the earth are here set to signifie the whole compages of this Sublunarie world and all the creatures that are in it all that was destroyed by the Flood and is now secured from perishing so again and is reserved for fire by which it is by perpetual tradition believed that the world shall finally be destroyed The Hebrews have no one word to signifie this but ordinarily use ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the heavens and earth And so the heavens and elements and earth v. 10 and 12. which would literally denote the world signifie figuratively the whole city of Jerusalem Temple and palace towers and buildings of the city not one signified by one another by another but all by all together and proportionably to that the new heavens and new earth are a Christian people ver 13. And so 't is ordinary in other expressions in that language as his body his flesh and his bones Eph. 5. 30. signifies him and no more and so in other authors the body and the soul are set severally when yet they signifie nothing distinct but the whole man together See A. Gellius 1. 3. c. 1. And so the evening and the morning signifie the natural day see Note on Mat. 12. n. So the Elders high Priests and Scribes every where in the Gospels signifie the Sanhedrim and so in like manner the phrase Father and mother and wives and children and fields c. signifies this one thing possessions or comforts of life and must so be rendred in the grosse and not in the retail or else the true meaning of some places in the New Testament will not be intelligible As Mar. 10. 30. when 't is said that he that leaves father and mother c. shall receive an hundred-fold more in this life houses and brethren and sisters and mothers for 't is clear enough that he shall not receive an hundred mothers but as all these severals put together denote the comforts and possessions of this life so it is to be expected that the promise of God will be performed to those that part with any thing for Christ's sake See Note on Ephes 5. h. and Col. 1. c. V. 10. With a great noise ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith Phavorinus so that it signifies swiftly as well as with a noise And that the former is the meaning of it here is probable because 't is added to the coming of that day as a thief unexpectedly and in order to that is this of swiftnesse not that other notion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with noise for thieves in the night do not willingly do so or if they doe lose the advantage of the night that is the secrecie of it Ib. Melt with fervent heat The destruction of Judea is here ver 10 and 12. described by dissolution or consumption by fire and so Isa 9. 5. 66. 15 16. Mal 4. 1. Joel 2. 3 30. where that destruction is describedâ so 2 Thess 1. 8. In flaming fire taking vengeance which that it belongs to that matter see the Context of that place and Note b. so Heb. 10. 27. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a burning of fire to consume the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all that obdurately stand out against Christ and that belonging to this matter also as will appear by comparing v. 25. and v. 37. see Note a. on that Chapter and so perhaps 1 Cor. 3. 13 15. And this either first figuratively after the manner of Prophetick style wherein fire and burning and melting signifies destruction and utter desolation or else secondly in relation to the Zelots and that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã raised by them the fearfull combustion and conflagration within the nation and city the fire of sedition and contention which was so great an instrument of destruction among them killing vast multitudes at once Joseph de Bel. Jud. lib. 7. c. 14. rifling the palace and all the wealth of the city being at that time carried thither and many other particulars of that kind in that story or else thirdly in reference to the exact truth of the fact of which this is a literal description the burning of Jerusalem mentioned by Josephus l. 7. c. 14. where 't is said of the Romans that they fired all unto Siloa and again in the same Chapter that the Sicarii the other faction in the city contrary to the Zelots got into vaults from whence they fired the city more then the Romans and murthered them that escaping the flames fled into the caves and again c. 16. The Romans being entred fired houses and saith he many things that were fired were quenched with the blood of the slain with which the streets of the city flowed and again All the night long the fire encreased and in the morning Sept. 8 th all was on fire and c. 17. they
fired the outward parts of the city Then for the burning of the Temple particularly that is set down 1. 3. c. 9. first of the dores where the silver plate being melted first the flame quickly fired the wood and from thence increased to the next porch and that day and all the next night the fire encreased till Titus caused the army to quench it But as it follows the sentence of God had already determined that it should be consumed with fire and so it was on August 10. of which he pronounceth Now the fatal day was come after many years the phrase so usual in the New Testament the day and the coming of that day And c. 10. a souldier without command cast a firebrand into the golden gate and presently it set a flaming and when Titus came violently in to quench it no body would hear him but cried the more to set it on fire and neither his commands nor intreaties would serve turn but it was absolutely against his will burnt down and no help for it saith he because the destinies had so determined that is the counsel and decree of God testified by predictions What is here thus express'd by S. Peter is ordinarily conceived to belong to the end of the world and by others applied to the end of this world the beginning of the Millennium or thousand years And so as S. Peter here saith v. 16. many other places in S. Paules Epistles and in the Gospel especially Mat. 24. are mistaken and wrested That it doth not belong to either of those but to this fatal day of the Jewes sufficiently appears by the purport of the whole Epistle see Note a. on the Title of it and on ch 1. Note e. and g. which is to arm them with constancy and perseverance till that day come and particularly in this Chapter to confute them who object against the truth of Christ's predictions and resolve it should not come at all against whom he here opposes the certainty the speediness and terribleness of its coming That which hath given occasion to those other common mistakes is especially the hideousness of those judgments which fell upon that people of the Jewes beyond all that ever before are related to have fallen on them or indeed on any other people which made it necessary for the Prophets which were to describe it and who use tropes and figures and not plain expressions to set down their predictions to expresse it by these high phrases of the passing away and dissolving of heaven and earth and elements c. which founding very tragically are mistaken for the great finall dissolution of the world What is first literally and then figuratively meant by the heavens and earth hath been said Note d. As for the addition of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã elements annex'd to the heavens that is no more then will bear due proportion to the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the works therein which are join'd with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the earth By one is meant all that is in the earth the creatures that inhabit there and by the other is meant all that is in the heavens ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the host of them Gen. 2. 1. for so the Hebrew word coming from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a military word for standing or moving in rank and order is answerable to the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which comes from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which bears the same sense And so Wisdome 7. 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã elements are in the Chaldee cited by Rabbi Moses ben Nachman ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Planets or signes in heaven which are ordinarily call'd the host of heaven and so Justin Martyr Apol. 1. uses ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for the Sun Moon c. which are appointed by God for the increase of fruits and changes of seasons So in Theophilus ad Autol. the Sun and Moon c. are oft call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã elements Only the word heavens being an equivocal word used either for the superior heavens whether Empyreal or Aethereal or for the sublunary heavens the air as the word World is either the whole compages of the superiour inferior or else onely of the sublunary lower world we may here resolve that the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã heavens and host or elements thereof are literally the sublunary aereal heavens and all that is therein clouds and meteors c. fowls and flying creatures and so fit to join with the earth and the works that are therein c. and both together prophetically or figuratively to signifie the whole people of the Jews which are sometimes call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the habitable world Is 10. 23. compared with Rom. 9. 28 and 13. 5 9. 24. 1. and Luc. 21. 26. and Rom. 10. 18. and which is all one the heavens and earth Hagg. 2. 6 21. Is 51. 15 16. and c. 34. 2 4 5. See Note d. Or if it be understood of the Aethereal heavens and the Planets or signs therein it will then be parallel to the Sun Moon and Stars Mat. 24. 29. agreeable to the Prophetick style Is 13. 10. and 34. 4. Ezech. 32. 7. Joel 2. 10 31. and 3. 15. and so again will fitly expresse the city and Temple the Civil and Ecclesiastical state of the Jews or the ruling part of both the Priests and the Sanhedrin as the people are decyphered by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the earth and the works therein and all these together are the whole nation the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or total final destruction whereof is here described V. 16. In which In this place the King's MS. reading ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in which in the Feminine gender which if it be true then it must refer to the Epistles fore-mentioned but other Copies and the printed ones generally reading ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Neuter which cannot agree with Epistles but with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of these things it is not certain which reading must be adhered to That which seems to me most probable is that the ordinary reading should be retained ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. and that tender'd among which things some are hard to be understood c. If this be the sense then Saint Peter doth not at all give this character of any parts of S. Pauls Epistles that they are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hard to be understood but that among those things of which S. Peter is nowa treating and of which saith he S. Paul hath written in all his Epistles and generally the Prophets of the Old and the Apostles of the New Testament v. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã some are hard to be understood c. What the things here spoken of are hath been cleared by the Paraphraese of this and the former Epistle viz. in general the coming of Christ to destroy his crucifiers and deliver the pious
much more then those of Ezekiel and Daniel but by him detorted and wrested from their native itelligible sense to far distant purposes This view I shall not chuse to give here out of its place but leave the Reader to make it up by putting together these few notes on the three ensuing Chapters ch 1. g. ch 2. b. d. g. ch 3. a. That the title of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Divine is here given to the writer of these Visions and not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Apostle is not from any imagination of those that affix'd it that the Apostle John was not writer of them but because that title of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã was by the Antients Origen especially bestowed on this Apostle in respect of the divinity and sublimity of his manner of writing observable in his Gospel and particularly becausee he began it with setting down the divinity of Christ whereas others begin with his birth or humanity the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Word was God This title had by the Platonists been given to Orpheus in relation to the book concerning the Gods written by him and so to Linus and Musaeus also those three ordinarily known by the name of Thrologi poetae CHAP. I. 1. THE Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things that must shortly come to passe and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John Paraphrase 1. The prophecie or vision of Revelation of Jesus Christ which as to our great Prophet and Intercessor or Mediator between God and us was put into his hands by his Father that he might as he pleased make known to his Apostles some things that should suddenly come to Passe many of them in the age wherein they lived as his dealing with his crucifiers and their persecutors the Jews and as some of them he made known to them all together whilst he was alive as then near at hand Mar. 24. 34. Luk. 21. Mar. 13. so now he hath thought fit to send a Symbolical representation of the same and all the rest the whole matter of this prophecie by an Angel to John his most beloved disciple 2. Who bare record of the word of God of note a the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw Paraphrase 2. That John that had preached or given in his testimony concerning the word of God the doctrine and deeds and sufferings and resurrection of Christ whereby he testified his to be the doctrine and will of his Father and some particulars which he peculiarly saw see Joh. 19. note d. and 1 Joh. 1. 1. not taken notice of by others 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecie and keep those things which are wirtten therein for the time is at hand Paraphrase 3. In this Revelation other prophecies there are and predictions of things future after this of the Jewes destruction and therein mixt the admirable ways of God's providence in permitting and punishing his enemies exercising and rewarding the patience of his servants the constant Christians And so the prophecies here set down of the destructions of the enemies of Christ are matter of comfort to all them are now under persecution and are such as concern every one that now lives to read and observe and to perform whar herein he is admonished to perform For the time is close at hand wherein one after another all those prophecies tending all to set from Gods wonderful providence in punishing his enemies and protecting his servant shall be successively fulfilled 4. John to the seven Churches in note b Asia Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from note c the seven spirits which are before his throne Paraphrase 4. These Revelations which I John thus received I send in an Epistle to the seven Churchess of Asia which I salute my self and am commanded to send them greeting from the eternal God whose name is Jehovah which signifies He that is and was and shall be and from the Angels which attend and wait upon God eh 4. 5. and are as in the Sanhedrim the officers waiting on the head of the Sanhedrim to go on all their messages or as in the Chruch the Deacons to attend the commands of the Governour of the Church and to perform them see Mat. 18. note a. 5. And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witnesse and the first-begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Paraphrase 5. And from Jesus Christ him that testified and made known being here on earth the will of his Father with all fidelity see note a. and ch 3. c. and that being crucified rose from the dead and so as our first-fruits 1 Cor. 15. 20. ascertained our resurrection wherein we his brethren shall be like him our elder brother and hath all power given unto him in heaven and in earth is superiour to all the Princes of this world Dan. 4. 17. whose power or persecutions ye may fear to him that hath made use of that power to express the reality of his love to us in purging us from our sins obtaining justificaâion and sanctification for us by the satisfaction wrought by the shedding of his blood and all the merits of his death and the power of his resurrection and the blessed consequents of it the sending of his Spirit and his own Intercession at the right hand of his Father all consequents of that blood-shedding of his upon which God so highly exalted him above all Philip. 2. 9. 6. And hath made us note d Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Paraphrase 6. And all this that he might purchase to himself a Church of obedient servants and accordingly he hath now set us apart as consecrated persons such as Kings and Priests were of old to perform daily service unto him and delivered us from our persecutors that we may do so To this Saviour and Redeemer of ours be ascribed as to our eternal God all glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Which acknowledgment of that disciple of his attributing the same to Christ which Christ teaches us to attribute to our Father in heaven Mat. 6. and which belongs onely to God is a sure testimony that Christ is God see note on Rom. 9. c. 7. Behold he note e cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him even so Amen Paraphrase 7. Behold this is his season wherein he cometh to protect his servants and to inflict vengeance on his enemies see note on Mat. 24. b. as discernibly as when by the appearance of Angels in white clouds
conquering and to conquer Paraphrase 2. And as I look'd me thought I saw a white horse and one sitting thereon that is an Angel representing Jesus Christ see c. 19. 11. now in another posture then that in which he had been c. 5. 6. There he was a Lamb slain now he is a King riding in pomp the white horse noting his glory but this a spiritual King the horse that he rides on being mystically the Gospel in respect of the purity and gloriousnesse or divinity of its doctrine And this horse-man or Prince the Lord Christ had a bow in his hand that is menaces and terrors held out against his enemies before they be really inflicted on them as the bow is first held in the hand then the arrow prepared upon the string before it be shot out at them and he had a crown given to him as to one now instated and installed in his royal office and his businesse at the present was that which was primarily proper to the white horse the Gospel to be the power of God to salvation to them that believe to convert the Jews to the faith and so to conquer and melt his crucifiers and then for the future as the Gospel is by consequence the savour of death unto death to bring down or destroy the obdurate these two being generally the ways of Christ's conquering in this book and as the Jews so after the Romans by converting some and destroying others conquering and breaking the infidelity of some and then bringing down and destroying the impenitent 3. And when he had opened the second seal I heard the second beast say Come and see Paraphrase 3. And when he had opened the second seal which had the second roll under it the second of the living creatures called to me to come and behold what was represented there 4. And there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should note a kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword Paraphrase 4. And I looked and saw another horse red or of blood-colour an Angel as minister of God's judgements sate upon him and of him it was told me that he had power given him to embroyl the land of Judaea see c. 7. 1 9. with war thereby to pour out a great deal of blood and to that purpose me thought he had a sword put into his hand a presignification of the slaughters that should be committed by the Jews one upon another see Mat. 24. 7. 5. And when he had opened the third seal I heard the third beast say Come and see And I beheld and lo a black horse and he that sate on him had a pair of ballances in his hand Paraphrase 5. And when he opened the third seal which had the third roll under it the third of the living creatures called to me to come and see what was in that roll and it was a third horse black and soul to look on and by that was signified a sore famine which discolours the skin of men and makes them look black and sad and dismall and to signifie this he that was on this horses back the Angel that was executioner of this judgement had a ballance in his hand to weight corn as 't is usual in time of scarcity or approaching famine when bread is distributed out to every one by weight no more then is thought necessary to life 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say note b A measure of wheat for a peny and three measure of barley for a peny and see thou hurt not the oyl and the wine Paraphrase 6. And from the midst of the four living creatures there proceeded a voice as the prediction of some prophet saying The scarcity of corn is such that the price of a mans days-labour will buy no more then is went to be thought sufficient for a mans food for a day and if he eat that all himself there is nothing left to provide for wife and children much lesse for cloaths for all of them and so in proportion the price of barley such scarcity there is of the necessaries of life for men and cattel whereas of oyl and wine of which there is no necessity the first might wholly be spared and is of no use in such times of extreme dearth and the want of the other might competently be supplyed by water there was store enough the scarcity was to fall heavy upon the necessaries of life but not on the superfluities which is an expression of the heavinesse not lightnesse or supportablenesse of it 7. And when he had opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth beast say Come and see Paraphrase 7. And upon the opening of the fourth seal wherewith the fourth roll was sealed up the fourth living creature called to me to come and see the representation contained in it 8. And I looked behold a pale horse his name that sate on him was note c Death and hell followed with him and power was given note d unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with hunger and with death and with the beasts of the earth Paraphrase 8. And it was a pale horse and a rider thereon signifying great death or mortality whether by extraordinary ways of death the sword and famine or by that ordinary known way of pestilence following as ordinarily it doth upon those two and sweeping away many And these three horses in the three last rolls that is sword famine and death or pestilence all named together in this matter Mat. 24. 7. should destroy the fourth part of the land of Judaea men and beasts or else should make such a vastation that the wild beasts should encrease and be too strong for the inhabitants there And all this but a fore-runner of the far greater destructions that should afterwards be wrought among them at the siege of Titus 9. And when he had opened the fifth seal I saw note e under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held 10. And they cryed with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Paraphrase 9 10. And upon the opening of the fifth seal I saw in the lower part of the Sanctuary beneath the altar of incense the souls of the Martyrs see ch 7. 9 14 that had been slain by the Jews for their constant preaching of Chist and this blood of theirs like that of Abel called to Christ as a righteous and faithful Judge for judgement upon those wicked men who were guilty of all the blood of all the prophets Mat. 23. 35. even as far as to Christ himself and his Apostles
and other Christians afterwards whom they persecuted also and caused many to be put to death Luke 21. 12. 11. And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow-servants also and their brethren which should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Paraphrase 11. And this crying of their blood for instant justice was at the present answered with giving them white robes acknowledgements of their constancy and perseverance in suffering and consequently a present state of blisseful reward this revenge of their blood being for a while for some few years deferred till all the blood-guiltinesse of these Jews should be filled up all the other Martyrs slain James the Bishop of Jerusalem c. and then should the vengeance come on these impenitent obdurate persecuters see c. 7. 9 10 c. 12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal and lo there was a note f great earthquake and note g the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood Paraphrase 12. And at the opening of the sixth seal in that roll there was a representation of Eclipses of Sun and Moon c. figuratively to expresse great destructions Ezek. 32. 7. Isa 13. 20. Joel 2. 10. and 31. and ch 3. 15. 13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind Paraphrase 13. And the same was again signified by an appearance of falling starres dropping down as the withered figges those that are of a second spring and come not to be ripe that year but hanging on the tree in the winter are frost-bitten and with a great wind are shaken down and fall from the tree Is 34. 4. 14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together and every mountain and island were moved out of their places Paraphrase 14. And by the appearance of great black gloomy clouds covering the whole face of the sky not a star to be seen any more then the writing is discernible in a roll folded up see note on Luk. 4. a. and by the earthquakes ver 12. whereby many hills and islands were moved out of their places Is 34. 4. 15. And note h the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every freeman note i hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains Paraphrase 15. And the governors and great ones of several degrees of power among the Jews the Generals of the several factions among them and every meaner person of all sorts appeared in the vision to be in an horrible consternation 16. And said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Paraphrase 16. And the guilt of the blood of Christ and Christians which they had shed and of which they wish'd that it might fall upon them and their children now fell upon them made them fly into vaults or caverns under grounds and into walls according as it really fell out and as it was foretold by the Prephets Is 2. 19. Hos 10. 8. and by Christ Luk. 23. 30. 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Paraphrase 17. As seeing this inevitable vengeance now falling on them Annotations on Chap. VI. V. 4. Kill one another The great intestine broils among the Jewes those especially of the Seditious and the Zelots are at large set down by Josephus l. 4. and l. 5. De Bel. Jud. so great saith he that Vespasian on purpose deferred the siege of Jerusalem that they might more easily be destroyed by their own then by the Roman's swords see Luk. 21. 10. Thus about the twelfth of Nero when Florus crucified beside great multitudes of the ordinary sort ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith Eusebius out of Josephus many myriads of the most honourable among the Jewes there was saith he first in Caesarea then in all Syria such a disorder and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã terrible tumult of those that dwelt in the countrey against those that inhabited the cities invading and laying them wast in a most hostile manner that one might see whole cities full of unburied carcasses old men and children thrown dead together women shamelesly uncovered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the whole Province full of inexpressible calamities And the observation is once for all Eccl. Hist l. 2. c. 6. that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã seditions and warres and mischievous projects one upon the neck of another never left the city and all Judaea till at last the siege came upon them And at that very time when it came three factions there were on foot among them under three commanders Eleazar John and Simon And though Tacitus say that the approach of their enemy gave them peace one with another yet Josephus that was an eye-witnesse relates it much otherwise only that the three factions ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã were divided into two by the oppression of the third John upon the day of unleavened bread sending some into the Temple under pretence of sacrificing which kill'd Eleazar and butcher'd his party and seised upon the Temple where before Eleazar and his Zelots had fortified themselves And however though the seditious joyn'd a while to repell the enemy yet they soon returned to their former feuds and one faction fighting against the other the weight and smart of both fell upon the communalty who were plunder'd by each of them More of these civil combustions and the fearfull effects of them we read of most notably in the time of the siege when the scarcity began to pinch the besieged then the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã broke into all houses tormented the possessors to bring out their provision When mothers saith he snatch'd victuals out of their babes mouthes in came the seditious and snatch'd it out of theirs and catching up the children which held fast the bits in their mouthes and would not let them goe they dash'd them against the ground Those that to prevent them eat up what they had before they could come to them they used with most horrid cruelties ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã taking themselves to be injured by them who thus rob bed them of their prey And those that were ready to die through the famine they would yet search more strictly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã lest they should have some food in their bosome and only make as if they were famish'd when they were not and then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã horrible waies of torment did they use to find out food And so true is that which is here said of their killing one another that saith he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they would run through those
ãâã ãâã ãâã Wo woe to Jerusalem This he continued to do till the time of the siege seven years together and at last to his ordinary note of Wo to the city the people the temple adding Wo ãâã me a stone from the battlements fell down and ãâã him To this I shall adde no more but that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the land here being the land of Judaea the phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã inhabitants of the land is as truly agreeable to the Jewes as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are all one also 'T is onely farther observable that these prophetick woes are here said to be three and those inflicted and brought upon the people by that which is represented by the voices of the trumpets of the three Angels still behind the first mentioned as past ch 9. 12. the second and third ch 11. 14. see Note on ch 11. e. And so what is here represented in this part of the Vision is but the setting down of this prophecy which Jesus the son of Ananias should deliver concerning the judgements and not the judgements themselves which follow in the succeeding chapters And so 't is more perfectly parallel to that passage out of Josephus and Eusebius which was a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or prodigie to foreâsignifie that destruction and not the destruction it self CHAP. IX 1. AND the fifth Angel sounded and I saw note a a starre fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bottomelesse pit Paraphrase 1. And upon the sounding of the fifth trumpet I saw him that was before c. 8. 10. the leader of the seditious or some other that succeeded in his place and he became a ring-leader of most hellish villanes which under the title of Zelots did all the mischief imaginable 2. And he opened the bottomelesse pit and there arose a smoak out of the pit as the smoak of a great furnace and the Sun and the aire were darkned by reason of the smoak of the pit Paraphrase 2. And they marched up to Jerusalem and seised upon the temple there kill'd the high Priests and the rest of the Priests and plunder'd the city 3. And there came out of the smoak Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power Paraphrase 3. And these became as Locusts great wasters and devourers and were in other respects peculiarly like Locusts which having no King goe out by bands Prov. 30. 27. and such were these a company of giddy wilde people in great numbers harassing and devouring all 4. And it note b was commanded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but onely those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads Paraphrase 4. But by God's providence disposing for the good of his servants so it was that this judgement of the Zelots fell not upon the Christians see note on c. 8. d. but onely upon the Jews themselves that were as contrary to Christianity as any onely because they were not of the faction of those Zelots 5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them but that they should be note c tormented five moneths and their torment was as the torment of a Scorpion when he striketh a man Paraphrase 5. And the judgement that fell upon the Jewes by these men was not so much a down-right killing though that also befel Annas and the Priests see note a. as plundering and pillaging and undoing them and tearing their necessary food from the best citizens of Jerusalem and thus continuing for five moneths space till Titus came to besiege the city by which means the siege became much the more cruell and intolerable when it came and so this was most fitly compared to scorpions as the whipping with them is the most cruel and terrible infliction much more cruell then any other scourge 1 King 12. 11. 6. And in those dayes shall men note d seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them Paraphrase 6. This brought a great famine want on the greatest and richest men and that is âarre more miserable then death it self see note on c. 6. a. 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared to battell and on their heads were as it were crowns of gold and their faces were as the faces of men Paraphrase 7. And these devouring wasters the Zelots were in appearance like warriers and pretended themselves to be redeemers of the people and counter-conquerours of the Romans which is meant by their Crowns like unto gold false Princes false Patriots and they took upon them to be Saviours and Benefactors saith Josephus would look like men kind and friendly when they wrought all this ruine to their brethren 8. And they had hair as the hair of women and their teeth were as the teeth of lions Paraphrase 8. And all this while these that thus devoured and preyed upon all they came near and so were most terrible to those that could not resist were most base cowardly persons these great plunderers far from having any manliness or valour in them 9. And they had breast plates as it were breast-plates of iron and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battell Paraphrase 9. And they were hard-hearted compassionless people and in great troops like grasse-hoppers or locusts they flew about and made all places resound with their noise and at the newes of them Joel 2. 5. 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five moneths Paraphrase 10. And as scorpions wound and sting with their tails so they coming in with faire pretences of Saviours and Benefactors when they depart plunder and carry all along with them and so they continue till the time of Titus siege v. 5. just five moneths space 11. And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomeless pit whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek tongue hath his name note e Apollyon Paraphrase 11. And though they disclaim having any King over them but God and upon that score pretend to rise up against the Romans and though like locusts v. 3. they goe out by bands having no King to conduct them yet their cruelty and unmercifulnesse in destroying ownes them to have a King who rules among them and puts them upon all this villany Satan that delights in nothing but destroying 12. One woe is past and behold there come two woes more hereafter Paraphrase 12. And this is the first of those woes or pests foretold c. 8. 13. And though this were a competent judgement on that nation there are yet two more approaching them 13. And the sixth Angel
all plagues as often as they will Paraphrase 6. And secondly having that power of prayer as to shut up heaven that it should not rain for the same space that Elias did that is three years and an half v. 3. see Jam. 5. 17. and two passages more referring to Moses as first the power to turn the water into blood through all Aegypt and secondly to bring plagues upon them noting by both these that they were a kind of Moses and Elias designed by God one to bring the Jews to obedience as Moses the other to destroy Idolatry as Elias the first the work of the Bishop of the Jewish congregations the second of the Bishop of the Gentiles 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall note c make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them Paraphrase 7. And when they have spent a good time in discharging their office thus in endeavouring to reduce both Jews and Gentiles and bring them into the Church an eminent instrument of the devils Barchochebah in Adrian's time will gather a multitude of unbelieving Jews unto him and as a wild beast ravine and devour kill and plunder all that will not joyn with him against the Romans and so as histories affirm of him handle the Christians cruelly and hostilely because they would not doe so and unlesse they would deny Christ 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt where also our Lord was crucified Paraphrase 8. And upon this pretence kill them and cast out their carcasses in the streets without burial and this still in Jerusalem that no Prophet might be slain any where else which cannot better be compared then to Sodom for abominable sins of the Gnosticks to Aegypt see note c. on ch 14. for oppressing God's people that is the Christians nor express'd by any character then that which brought all their punishments upon them their crucifying of Christ and dealing in like manner with Christians 9. And they of the people and kindred and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves Paraphrase 9. And thus shall it be the Christians shall be thus slain and cast out into the streets without any compassion or reverence either from the Jews or heathens inhabiting at Jerusalem see note on ch 10. c. as long as that seditious company prevail there 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth Paraphrase 10. And this should be matter of rejoycing and congratulating to the Jews one with another as upon the destruction of their greatest enemies as Elias was counted an enemy to Ahab whom he would have reformed 11. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them Paraphrase 11. But after some time their cause should come to be heard before God their injuries to be avenged the Christians of these congregations should begin to flourish again as in a kind of resurrection from the dead by the power and mercy of God and all that saw this and the manner of doing it Christians rescued by the Idolatrous heathen Romans could not but acknowledge it a great work of Gods and worship God for it 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them Paraphrase 12. And they were taken up as it were to heaven out of this bloody seditious broil that lay so heavy upon them that is restored to a great and notable tranquillity to Halcyonian days of peace and Christian profession 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand and note d the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven Paraphrase 13. And as they were thus rescued and relieved so the other inhabitants of that place that joyned in that sedition or complyed with them against the Christians v. 10. were destroyed by the Romans a great part of that new city and the inhabitants thereof and upon this the rest turned Christians seeing the prophecies of the two witnesses fulfilled upon those that would not believe or obey them 14. The note e second woe is past and behold the third woe cometh quickly Paraphrase 14. And so this calamity lighting on the Jewes in Adrian's time was in a manner as bloody as that other under Titus and though it came some time after the former yet was not long deferred That under Titus was the 2 d woe described from c. 9. 12 15. to the end of chap. 10. and this under Adrian the 3d set down from the beginning of this chapter and caused by the sedition of Barchochebah v. 7. 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying note f The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Paraphrase 15. And this summarily repeated by the sounding of the seventh Angel who was to conclude this whole tragedie For as he sounded thunders were immediately heard that is pouring in of the Roman armies upon them mention'd v. 13. and an immense multitude of Jewes almost six hundred thousand of them slain faith Dio others affirm as many more from the beginning of this warre And as this was done on the seditious Jewes so by this means the Christians especially of the Gentiles came to flourish there more then ever and that whole city became in a manner Gentile-Christian Marcus a Gentile being the one Bishop under which both Jew and Gentile-Christians were united and thus the Church of Jerusalem entred upon her flourishing condition and the faith of Christ got the upper hand so as it never should be destroyed utterly again 16. And the four and twenty Elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God Paraphrase 16. And the four and twenty Bishops of Judaea ch 4. 2. acknowledged this a great mercy of God which tended wonderfully to the prosperity of the whole Church of Judaea under them 17. Saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Paraphrase 17. Saying Blessed be God for this infinite mercy of his wherein he hath magnified his fidelity to the Christians and used the Gentile-Romans as his instruments to set up his Christian Church in Judaea 18. And the note g nations were angry
in the infancy endangered to be devoured by the Dragon the devil assistd by the Roman power the persecuting Emperour Nero about the tenth year of his reign had it not been wonderfully preserved by God 6. And the note c woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days Paraphrase 6. And soon after the Christians were by edict forbidden throughout the Empire but God preserved his Church in this persecution which lasted three years and an half 7. And there was warre in heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels Paraphrase 7. And there was a great contention at Rome between Simon Peter on one side the planter of the Christian faith and Bishop of the Jewish Christians and so maintainer of Michael's or Christ's cause there and Simon Magus that Apostate servant of the Devil at his second coming to Rome in Nero's time the one contending for Christ the other against him see note on 2 Tim. 3. a. 8. And prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven Paraphrase 8. And Peter and the cause of Christ prevailed against him for thought at his former coming to Rome in Claudius's dayes Simon was there worship'd for a God and at his second coming much favoured by Nero yet upon his undertaking to fly in the aire by Peter's prayers he was cast down and maimed in the fall and through pain and shame forced to cast himself headlong down from the top of an house see 2 Tim. 3. a. 9. And the note d great Dragon was cast out that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him Paraphrase 9. And by this means the Devil that doth so oppose the Christian faith and reduce men to heathenisme and to corrupt living was cast out of his unlimited power in mens hearts and many upon this victory of Peter over Simon Magus turned Christians 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren in cast down which note e accused them before our God day and night Paraphrase 10. And this was matter of joy to all the Christians nay to the angels of heaven who therefore praised and magnified the power of the Christian doctrine which had cast out the eminent piece of hypocrisie out of the Church the doctrine of the Gnosticks which did really infuse that into Christians for which the devil is wont to accuse the servants of God falsely and gave an essay of it in his charging of Job c. 1. 11. to wit that in time of persecution they will deny and forswear Christ 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Paraphrase 11. And the faithful sincere Christians Peter and Paul and divers others having the patience and constancy of Christ before their eyes who laid down his life for them and his frequent doctrines of taking up the cross and following him resolved to do so as he had given them example and command and this was a victory over Satan and these instruments of his the Gnosticks which would have seduced all the Christians from their constancy 12. Therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Paraphrase 12. A thing much to be applauded rejoiced at by all good men and angels But upon this the devil was hugely inraged to see his subtilty the tail of this serpent v. 4. the false doctrines and infusions of these hereticks thus miscarry and therefore in the rage of his knowing that if he did not bestir himself mightily Christianity prevailing in the purity and sincerity of it would utterly be his ruine and that suddenly he set a-foot the persecution against the whole Christian Church by Nero's edicts in a sharp manner 13. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child Paraphrase 13. By this to revenge himself upon Christianity for the destruction of Simon his beloved instrument 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent Paraphrase 14. And so not only at Rome v. 6 but in all other parts of the Roman Empire Christianity was persecuted and the Christians forced to flie some one way and some another as they had been Acts 8. 1. by which means they were by the providence of God kept safe for some while see v. 6. 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth waters as a floud after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away to the floud Paraphrase 15. Mean-while Satan used all means to pursue the Christians whither they fled raising up persecutions from Nero against them in the provinces by which he hoped to have utterly drowned and destroyed the Church 16. And note f the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud which the Dragon cast out of his mouth Paraphrase 16. But these afflictions and calamities which the devil designed the Christians were diverted by the seditions raised by the Jewes against the Romans by which means it came to passe that all the malice which was by Satan designed against the Christians fell actually upon the Jewes under Vespasian and Titus and so at the time the persecution of the Christians was necessarily cooled and fell upon the Jews their greatest enemies 17. And the Dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and keep the testimony of Jesus Christ Paraphrase 17. And this was a great vexation to Satan to see Christianity thrive the better by this means and therefore he set to his former design again that of setting the Emperors upon persecuting the Christians viz. the pure Orthodox of them that stood out constant in confession of Christ and would not for acquiring safety join with the Jews or Gnosticks and comply with them And this persecution now designed by Satan is that which fell out under Domitian the subject of the next vision c. 13. Annotations on Chap. XII V. 1. Clothed with the Sun and What notion is here to be affix'd to the Sun and Moon may thus most probably be resolved The Sun being the Spring and fulness of light communicating to
mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to note d continue fourty and two moneths Paraphrase 5. And hereupon the heathen Idol-worship and worshippers began to despise all others and to scoffe at the God of Israel and the heathen Emperors to call themselves gods for so Domitian did upon the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem concluding thence that that God of Israel was not the true God And soon after this Domitian began a persecution against the Christians as those which oppsed the heathen worships and continued it about three years and a half untill his death 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven Paraphrase 6. And this same Domitian was very bitter against God the Church and all Christians in all this being a factor for the beast or Idol worship 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations Paraphrase 7. And was permitted by God to persecute the Christians and to suppresse them wheresoever they inhabited whether of Jewish or Gentile extraction see note on ch 10. c. 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose note e names are not written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world Paraphrase 8. And all the Christian professors within the compasse of the Roman dominions were put to sore trials and of them very many were wrought upon by this means viz. the carnal temporizing Gnosticks which had not a mind to be martyrs and confessors for Christ but rather chose comply with idolatry then to suffer for Christ 9. If any man have an ear let him hear Paraphrase 9. And this persecution of his against the Christians was so sharp and unresistible that which is the thing that all Christians are concerned to take notice of there was nothing left to the persecuted but the exercise of their patience and faith the one in bearing without resistance what befalls them the other in trusting God with their condition and never revolting from him or attempting to relieve themselves by secular arms for as those are unlawful for subjects to make use of against the lawfull power under which they are though never so sharp or injurious to them so would it prove if 't were used but a means to bring more misery upon them 10. He that note f leadeth into captivity shall goe into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the patience and faith of the Saints Paraphrase 10. And this persecution of his against the Christians was so sharp and unresistible that which is the thing that all Christians are concerned to take notice of there was nothing left to the persecuted but the exercise of their patience and faith the one in bearing without resistance what befalls them the other in trusting God with their condition and never revolting from him or attempting to relieve themselves by secular arms for as those are unlawful for subjects to make use of against the lawfull power under which they are though never so sharp or injurious to them so would it prove if 't were used but a means to bring more misery upon them 11. And I beheld note g another beast coming up out of the earth and he had note h two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon Paraphrase 11. The next part of this vision was the representing a second beast by which is meant the magick and auguries and oracles of the heathen Priests which appeared to me to ascend out of the earth or from under ground as the Oracles were wont to be delivered And this beast had two horns these men had two powers by which they made themselves sit to be considered doing of miracles and divination wherein they had some resemblance of Christ the Lamb but made use of these to all diabolical ends of cruelty and delivered their oracles as the Devil was wont to doe in dubious forms 12. And he exerciseth all the power of the fist beast before him and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed Paraphrase 12. And all this was made use of to advance Idol-worship which before had lost some reputation in the burning of the Capiâol ver 3. 13. And he doth great wonders so that he note i maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Paraphrase 13. And by these great wonders were pretended to be done even calling and bringing down fire from heaven which is affirmed of Apollonius 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to doe in the sight of the beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should note k make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live Paraphrase 14. And by these and the like prodigies shewed in several parts of the Empire they endeavoured to set up the same Idol-worship among them which was at Rome 15. And he had power to give note l life unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed Paraphrase 15. And these heathen Augurs and Priests set up oracles in new places and by responses from them ingaged the Emperor and his officers in the Provinces to persecute and make bloody Edicts against the Christians 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive note m a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads Paraphrase 16. And by that means Edicts came out for all men in the whole Empire to enter into and join in their heathen worships 17. And that note m no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the note n name of the beast or the number of his name Paraphrase 17. And therewith banishment or interdicting of all privileges and advantages of life to all that doe not thus join publickly with them and to that end enter into their religion by some of those waies usual among them by having the mark of the god or the name or some numeral letters that signifie his name branded on them 18. Here is note o wisdome Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and six Paraphrase 18. And for the last of these it was represented in the vision to be three letters which signifie six hundred sixty six the foretelling of which ought to be look'd on as an act of infinite wisdome in Christ that sent this prophecie and consequently to be attended to
measure of their iniquities and being now full ripe for slaughter 19. And the Angel thrust in his sicle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-presse of the wrath of God Paraphrase 19. And accordingly 't was done these obdurate sinners ripe for judgment were terribly destroyed cut down and cast like ripe grapes into a wine-presse the wrath of God falling sadly upon them 20. And the wine-presse was trodden without the city and blood came out of the wine-presse even unto the horse-bridles by the space of note h a thousand and six hundred furlongs Paraphrase 20. And this extended not only to the city of Rome but to other parts of the Empire wherein Christianity had been persecuted and a most bloody slaughter there was among them Annotations on Chap. XIV V. 1. I looked and lo a lambe The summe of this insuing Vision and the propriety of it to this part of the story is here fit to be set down as preparative to the interpretation of it and it is this The state of heathen Rome being set down in the former chapter as it was in Domitian's time that time of persecuting of Christianity and reviving of Heathenisme that had lost a little of its lustre here is now a general view given of all that is more largely set down in the 16 17 18. chapters that is of all from Domitian to Constantine or the prediction in grosse of what is there particularly executed just as the sixth chapter was the representation of the several degrees by which the Jews Polity came to its dissolution and the premising in short what was afterwards to be acted on the Jews in the following chapters And as there the total destruction of the Jewish state is chiefly insisted on from v. 12. to the end so here in this the period of the Roman idolatrous power and the destruction thereof by an immense effusion of bloud is described from v. 14. to the end but preparatory to that a description of the pure constant Primitive Christians in the first five verses an Angel declaring happy tidings to the whole Christian Church for the time to come and requiring them to walk in a religious fear and to give glory to God because he would now appear and judge their persecutors v. 6 7. Then another Angel foretelling the destruction of heathen Rome v. 8. and another the bitter punishments and utter ruine of apostatizing complying Christians v. 9 10 11. then a declaration from heaven that most sore persecutions should fall upon the Church immediately before this happy change so that they should be happy who were well dead and were come to enjoy their reward and not left to undergo so sore a trial v. 13. And this to point at the time of persecution under Diocletian Maximian Herculius Maximian Armentarius Maximinus Maxentius Licinius which was long and most sharp V. 6. Everlasting Gospel That the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies good news and by a figure only is appropriated to the Gospel as being most eminently such is sufficiently known And therefore here in all probability it must be taken in the native sense and denote simply good tidings And what they are appears ver 7. where the words of this good news are The day of Gods judgments are come the former words fear God and give him praise being the preface to it Which though they are a sad proclamation of judgment and ill news to the impenitent yet they are a special piece of good news to the pious constant confessors that fear God and confesse and give him praise that is couragiously confesse him whatsoever the danger be for so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to praise God signifies 1 pet 4. 16. Now for the addition of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that sure must signifie this good news to be such as not only the present but future ages were concern'd in Thus was this here mention'd the freeing of the Christian Church from publick universal persecution of the heathen power which was to be afforded at the time pointed at in this Vision that is at the fall of Babylon v. 8. For after that the heathen persecution was taken off by Constantine there never came any such universal persecution but that in one place or other Christians have had the benefit and liberty of assemblies And though it cannot absolutely be affirmed that there can never come such universal persecution yet in that this flourishing estate hath continued the thousand years c. 20. 11. it may well carry the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the everlasting good news in proportion to what we read of the punishment of the heathen persecutors whose smoak is said to endure for ever and ever Rev. 19. 3. That the devil shall be let loose again after this everlasting good news is affirmed c. 20. 7. But then not Babylon whose destruction here is the subject of this good news but God and Magog shall encompasse the camp of the Saints and the beloved city c. 20. 9. And though Gog and Magog in the Ottoman family hath overran that part of the Church yet in other places to which the Roman power did never extend that losse is repaired by the accession of Christian Princes that reign in Denmark Norway Sweden Poland Russia c. so that still it may be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the largest sense as good news concerning all future time as when Daniel prophesies that the Saints of the most High shall possesse the kingdome for ever and ever c. 7. 18. V. 8. Babylon is fallen That by Babylon heathen Rome is signified in these Visions shall be shew'd at large Note on c. 18. a. Here only it will be observable First why it is called the city the great for so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is best rendred viz. first in respect of her dominion see c. 17. 18. that great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth and accordingly it was generally known by that title of Urbs Dominatrix Regno superba Sanctorum debellatrix c. the Imperial city Proud of her dominion the subduer and destroyer of the Saints Regina tui pulcherrima mundi in Rutilius Numatian the beautifull Queen of thy world So in Cicero 't is Lux orbis terrarum the light of the world ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Marcianus Heracleota the common starre of the whole world Regina Domina in Julius Frontinus the Queen and Ruler of the world Secondly for the large circuit of the city to which purpose this testimony of Athenaeus is worth observing lib. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã If I should reckon the cities that are numbred in Rome that heaven-city of the Romans not only one day would fail me but as many days as make up a year the number of them is so great Secondly why this title of Babylon is here adapted to it viz. to keep a
the third from the false prophet 1. The response of the devils raised by Maxentius's command 2. the encouragement of the augurs or heathen priests that divined by entrails 3. some false predictions out of some passages of the Sibyl's writings 14. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty Paraphrase 14. And all these were made use of to deceive Maxentius and give him confidence that he should prosper in his tyranny and holding out against Constantine which was the occasion of Constantine's setting upon and destroying his army of his entring Rome and of that blow that befell Idolatry by this means 15. Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Paraphrase 15. Such unexpected suddain changes as these such secret undiscernable proceedings of God's providence may in all reason be admonitions to all to be watchfull and not to comply with the present prevailing power in any unchristian or uncomely manner lest when they have done so that which they have designed as their greatest security be indeed their greatest danger 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue note h Armageddon Paraphrase 16. And these evill spirits excited him and engaged him and all his armies in a fight wherein they were utterly vanquish'd and destroyed See note e. 17. And the seventh Angel poured out his vial into the aire and there came a great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the throne saying note i It is done Paraphrase 17. And the seventh Angel poured out his vial into the air noting a decree of heaven now to be executed on the earth and presently methought I heard a proclamation come out of the Holy of Holies from the throne of God denoting the going out of God's decree which was delivered in these words It was or hath been that is Heathen Rome is now destroyed And this was after in Honorius's time as will be more fully set down ch 17. 18. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great Paraphrase 18. And methought there were thunders and lightnings and an earthquake such as never had been known before denoting this vast change the greatest of any that now was by this means wrought in the world 19. And the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath Paraphrase 19. And Rome being at this time of Honorius divided into three parties one Heathen a second Orthodox a third Heretical impure see note on chap. 17. c. wicked Christians this brought in Alaricus and by that means destruction on all heathen Rome And thus was God's just vengeance executed upon them 20. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found Paraphrase 20. And as 't is ordinary for islands and hills to be removed by earthquakes so now the maritime towns and strong holds were destroyed by this incursion of the Gothes 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great Paraphrase 21. And this judgment fell upon them most visibly and discernibly from heaven and withall in a most heavy unsupportable manner and yet after this such obduration of hearts possessed them of the heathens that survived these judgments that they were the more obstinate in their Idolatrous heathen courses and still railed at the Christians as the authors of all these miseries that befell them Annotations on Chap. XVI V. 2. Vpon the earth What is here meant by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the earth or land and the sea and the rivers and fountains of waters v. 2 3 4. may appear by v. 1. where the Angels are appointed to pour out their vials upon the earth or land That in all reason signifies the Roman Empire the thing represented in these Visions as before it signified the nation and people of the Jewes chap. 7. Note b. And there is no reason to affix any nice critical notation to either of these single that the land v. 2. should signifie severally and so the sea v. 3. and the rivers v. 4. but to take all together for that which was meant by the land v. 1. for so the series here requires where the Angels that were commanded to pour out their vials on the earth pour them out upon these three evidently noting these three to be the distribution of that one and so all one with it So ch 14. 7. God is described as the Creator of the heaven and earth and sea and fountains of waters where all those latter three are set to denote that which is elswhere ordinarily called the earth and no more in opposition to heaven that is this inferior terrestrial globe and all in it To this may be added that when the judgments are represented to fall upon Judaea some are said to fall on the land others on the sea others on the trees c. 7. not necessarily signifying such a separation of the judgments some on this some on that part but the whole nation together on which all those judgments fell and this indeed agreeable to what we read of the judgments that fell on Aegypt where though some of them were caused by the signes that Moses wrought upon the land Exod. 8. 16. others by smiting of the waters streams rivers and ponds and all their gathering together of waters Exod. 7. 19. and so again ch 8. 5. yet 't is manifest that the judgments thus produced by every of these each smiting of his rod there being proportionable to the pouring out of a vial here fell indifferently on the whole land and not one judgment on one part another on another And so sure is it to be understood in this place Many judgments were to be poured out up ân the Roman Empire and by all of them together the whole heathen part of it destroyed This consideration makes it unnecessary farther to enquire into the productions of the several Vials what each of them distinctly signified it being sufficient that each of them notes some kind of destruction and the number of seven being a perfect number the seven Angels and their seven vials and their seven effusions signifie utter destruction and not necessarily any more unlesse it be this that it was not all at once but by several degrees and several sorts of judgments those that
them that is Goths and Vandals c. as with Satyrs and Owles Zim and Ohim c. 3. For all nations have drank of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies Paraphrase 3. And this is a most just punishment of her foul Idolatrics which she hath infused into other Nations as far as her power extended and of her great pride and luxury the expences laid out on which were the inriching of the Merchants of other Nations which brought in fewel to the feeding materials to the supporting of it 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Paraphrase 4. And another voice methought I heard warning all Christians to come out of her that is first to abstain strictly from all communicating with her sins contrary to what the looser sort of Christians did and secondly to depart out of the city as the Emperor Honorius and the Bishop Innocentius did to Ravenna at the time of Alaricus's siege and thirdly to flie to the Basilica or Christian Church at the time of plundering or destroying Rome as the Christians did as the only way of rescuing them from the destruction 5. For her sinnes have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Paraphrase 5. For the voice or crie of her sinnes is come to heaven and now the vengeance is come upon her 6. Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double Paraphrase 6. Now she shall be payed for all her provocations and as she hath meted to others the Christians persecuted by her so shall it be by the Goths c. meted to her with advantage she hath mixed a poisonous cup a mixture of wine and myrrhe in seducing some and persecuting others and now she shall have twice as much bitternesse provided for her 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen am no widow and shall see no sorrow Paraphrase 7. For all her pride and luxury and haughtinesse and blasphemy in calling her self Eternal and pronouncing that she should never be subdued see Isa 47. 7 8. now she shall see she is mortal and subject to be overcome as well as others 8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and note b she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Paraphrase 8. For as a punishment of her pride and huge opinion of her self that she should reign for ever on a suddain all together shall an huge vastation come upon her a plague a slaughter and a famine and a burning of the city a third part of it ch 16. 19. 17. 16. see note on ch 17. e. and all this a visible judgment of God upon her in whose hands are all the creatures ready press'd for his service to execute his vengeance on his enemies 9. And the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoak of her burning Paraphrase 9. When this comes to passe then shall those of the ten kingdomes which have continued under her obedience and joyned with her in her idolatries and luxuries see 1 Tim. 5. c. lament and mourn for her but not be able to assist her 10. Standing afarre off for fear of her torment saying Alas alas the great city Babylon that mighty city for in one hour is thy judgment come Paraphrase 10. But on the contrary forsake be afraid of bringing her any relief the destruction coming so suddainly and irresistibly see note on ch 17. c. upon her 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandise any more Paraphrase 11. And some losse this will be to the merchants v. 3. who will have many commodities lying on their hands without any vent no body being so rich and so vainly luxurious as these that are now destroyed 12. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all Thyine-wood and all manner vessels of ivorie and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of brasse and iron and marble Paraphrase 12. None trading so much in all the bravery of attire and of houshold-stuffe buying all that any would bring of any of these kinds 13. And cinnamon and odours and ointments and frankincense and wine and oile and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots and note c slaves and souls of men Paraphrase 13. Of perfumes and festival plenty of pompous attendants and addition of horses and chariots and of hired servants and bond-servants 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted-after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all Paraphrase 14. Now is the enjoying of those things which thou lovest best interdicted thee and all the instruments of thy luxury and bravery thy Epicurisme and thy pride have forsaken thee never to return again noting that Rome shall never be either the harbourer of heathen Idols or the seat of the Empire any more see v. 21. 15. The merchants of these things which were made rich by her shall stand afarre off for the fear of her torment weeping and wailing Paraphrase 15. And when the merchants hear the news they shall stop their course and divert to some other place and doe the same thing as if they were afraid of falling under the same calamities by approaching near her 16. And saying Alas alas that great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls Paraphrase 16. And make complaints that they have lost such an excellent customer so suddainly 17. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought and every ship-master and all the company in ships and sailers and as many as trade by sea stood afarre off Paraphrase 17. And the same is the case of the marriners whose wealth is in the sea there being now no occasion of such resort to this place 18. And they cried when they saw the smoke of her burning saying What city is like unto this great city Paraphrase 18. And therefore they bewail her former greatnesse and their own losse in her destruction 19. And they cast dust on their heads and cried weeping and wailing and saying Alas alas that
rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the wine-presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of almighty God Paraphrase 15. And out of his mouth proceeded that terrible sharp part of the Gospel his threats against his enemies and those now to be executed on the heathen whom he shall now subdue by his power because they will not be converted in which respect he is now preparing for them the bitterest poisonous potion that ever was drank by any 16. And he hath note b on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of lords Paraphrase 16. And by this means he will shew himself what really he is too strong for any power on earth to resist or stand our against 17. And I saw an Angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that flie in the midst of heaven Come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God Paraphrase 17. And methought I saw an Angel standing in the sun noting the clearness of the vision now delivered and he called to all the birds of prey Goths and Vandals c. that they should come as to a feast to this judgment of God upon these Idolaters noting the great slaughter which was now foretold to which Vultures doe betake themselves our of a natural sagacity as Job saith of the Eagle Where the slain are there is he 18. That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great 19. And I saw the beasts and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make warrre against him that sat on the horse and against his army Paraphrase 19. And the Idol-worship set up at Rome and under her dominion set it self to persecute Christianity 20. And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image These both were cast alive into a lake burning with brimstone Paraphrase 20. And the Roman Idolatry and the Magick and Auguries and the divinations of the heathen Priests that had deceived the carnal Christians so farre as to consent and comply with the heathenish Idolatry were to be like Sodom and Gomorrha utterly extirpated see ch 13. 11. and note g. 21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh Paraphrase 21. And the rest that is all the seââet Idolaters were swept away in the same destruction also for thinking that these armies against Rome would be favourable to any more then to the Orthodox pure Christians they then thought it a fit time to discover themselves but strangely miscarried in it the Christians that fled to the Basilica or Temple being the only persons that found deliverance see note on ch 17. c. and so all their Idol-worship was destroyed which is the summe of this Chapter Annotations on Chap. XIX V. 8. Righteousnesse of the Saints Some difficulty there is in this phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is ordinarily rendred the righteousness of the saints For the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is not thus used in these books see Note on Rom. 8. b. but for the Ordinances of the Mosaical law And then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã being the very word which is used to denote the Sanctuary Heb. 8. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the minister of the sanctuary and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the sanctuary ch 9. 2. and elswhere and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã being the Neuter as well as the Masculine gender and by consequence capable of being accommodated to this sense it is not improbable that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should denote the ordinances of the sanctuary the Levitical laws or customes among which this was one that the Priest when he went into the Sanctuary should wear that vesture of fine linen pure and white Thus Levit. 16. 't is appointed Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place v. 3. He shall put on the holy linen coat and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linen girdle and with the linen mitre shall he be attired these are holy garments c. that is the garments which he is to use when he goes into the Sanctuary which being appointed him by this law of God to Moses may fitly be called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Ordinances of the holies And if it be so then it will most fitly be applied to this Spouse of Christ the Christian Church to which Christ was ready so solemnly to be married ver 7. in respect of the publick profession of the Christian religion by the Emperor Constantine and his Courtiers that it should now be clothed after the manner of the Priest when he went into the Sanctuary to note the great liberty and immunities and privileges now bestow'd on the Church by the Emperour This we have formerly seen express'd by our being Kings and Priests unto God chap. 1. Note c. Priests in respect of liberty of assemblies and executing the office of Bishops c. in the Church Which being so eminently bestow'd on the Church by Constantine above all that ever had been in the Church before may here in like manner be most fitly express'd by being clothed in the holy garments which denoted the Priests going into the Sanctuary V. 16. On his vesture and on his thigh The mention of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vesture and thigh are here put together to denote the robe Imperial by the former and the sword which is girded on the thigh by the latter as ensignes of supreme power and authority especially when on them both on the Robe and the hilt of the sword as the ensigne of that office is written that most honourable title KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS thereby noting him to be superiour to all power and force in the world triumphantly victorious over all CHAP. XX. 1. AND I saw an Angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomelesse pit and a great chain in his hand Paraphrase 1. And I saw another representation by which I discerned what should succeed the conversion of heathen Rome to Christianity viz. a tranquillity and flourishing estate of Christianity for some time though not for ever And first methought I saw an angel coming from heaven a token of very good news at this time and elsewhere as sometimes of judgments from God with the key of hell and a great chain in his hand to signifie what follows v. 2. that Satan should now be shut up and chained 2. And he laid hold
on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years Paraphrase 2. And he apprehended the Devil that is set down under the title of Satan and the Dragon in former visions c. 12. 9. and bound him for the space of a thousand years noting the tranquillity and freedome from persecutions that should be allowed the Church of Christ from the time of Constantines coming to the Empire 3. And cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand yeares should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season Paraphrase 3. And he secured him there by all ways of security binding locking sealing him up that he might not deceive and corrupt the world to idolatry as till then he had done but permit the Christian profession to flourish till these thousand years were at end and after that he should get loose again for some time and make some havock in the Christian world 4. And I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they note a lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Paraphrase 4. And I saw chairs and some sitting upon them that is Christian assemblies and judicatures and such a general profession of Christianity in opposition to the idolatries of the heathens those in the Capitol at Rome and the like unto them in other places of the Roman Empire see note on c. 13. b. as if all that had died for Christ and held out constantly against all the heathen persecutions had now been admitted to live and reign with Christ that is to live quiet flourishing Christian lives here for that space of a thousand years v. 5. 5. But note b the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished This is the note c first resurrection Paraphrase 5. As for the old Idolaters or Gnosticks there was nothing like them now to be seen not should be till the end of this space of a thousand years This is it that is proverbially described by the first resurrection that is a flourishing condition of the Church under the Messias 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such note d the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years Paraphrase 6. And blessed and holy that is safe separate from all danger are all they that are really in the number of those that partake effectually of these benefits who as they are rescued from those destructions which the Roman tyranny threatned them with which is the interpretation of the second death so they shall now have the blessing of free undisturbed assemblies for all this space see c. 1. note d. 7. And when the note e thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Paraphrase 7. But after this space the sins of Christians provoking God to it this restraint being taken off from Satan he shall fall a disturbing the Christian profession again This fell out about a thousand years after the date of Constantines Edict for the liberty of the Christian profession at which time the Mahomedan religion was brought into Greece a special part of the Roman Empire 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth note f Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the sea Paraphrase 8. And then shall he set about the seducing of men in all quarters to the Mahomedan or other false religions particularly God and Magog the inhabitants of those Countries where the Mahomedan religion began to flourish to engage them in vast numbers in a war to invade and waste the Christian Church in Greece c. 9. And they went upon the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them Paraphrase 9. And accordingly methought they did they went in great numbers and besieged and took Constantinople that city so precious in God's eyes for the continuance of the pure Christian profession in it and known among the Grecians by the name of new Sion and in the chief Church there called the Church of Sophia they set up the worship of Mahomet just two hundred years ago And those that did so are in their posterity to be destroyed and though it be not yet done 't is to be expected in God's good time when Christians that are thus punished for their sins shall reform and amend their lives 10. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Paraphrase 10. And the devil methought that wrought in them that stirred them up was remanded and returned again into his prison and this Empire of his was again destroyed as the idol-worship of the heathens and the Magicians Sorcerers Augurs and heathen Priests before had been 11. And I saw a great white throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them Paraphrase 11. And after this in another part of this vision I saw methought a throne set up in great splendor and glory and Christ in Majesty sitting thereon very terrible and a new condition of all things in the world was now to be expected And so that which was the design of all these visions sent in an Epistle to the seven Churches to teach them constancy in pressures is still here clearly made good that though Christianity be persecuted and for the sins of the vicious professors thereof permitted oft to be brought very low yet God will send relief to them that are faithful rescue the constant walker and destroy the destroyer and finally cast out Satan out of his possessions and then as here come to judge the world in that last eternal doom 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Paraphrase 12. And all that ever died were called out of their graves before him as for the judging every one the rolls or records of all their actions were produced withall another book brought forth called the book of Life see note on Rev. 3. b. wherein every
the cognizance in capital and greater matters obnoxious to capital punishment that particularly of the sword 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement and whosoever shall say unto his brother note l Racha shall be in danger of the councell but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire Paraphrase 22. For a light cause or above the proportion of the cause or immoderately for any cause he shall be deemed to deserve that punishment which is answerable to capital viz. the losse of eternal life except repentance prevent it and releif from the death of our high priest but he that shall call his brother empty worthlesse fellow that shall vilifie deride and scoffe other men shall be lyable to the great Senate of seventy two where the punishment is stoning severer than the former and so proportionably in another world to a yet deeper degree of ââll But he that permits his passion to break out into virulent rayling shall be lyable to that degree of punishment in another world which is answerable to the burning in the valley of Hinnom which was a punishment farre greater then the other two and so notes a very great degree of eternall torments For in that place 't was the custome to put their children into hollow brazen vessels over the fire and therein to scald them to death crying out lamentably very many together 23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee 24. Leave there thy gift before the altar and goe thy way first be note m reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Paraphrase 23 24. If therefore at any time thou art a bringing or hast brought to the Priest thy offering for atonement of sin thy peace-offering to be receiyed by him and offered for thee upon the altar and as thou art there ready to present thy offering to the Priest thou callest to mind that thou hast done any man any injury doe thou in that minute stop and leave thy offering unpresented to the Priest and betake thy self first to that person whom thou hast thus injured use means to reconcile him to make him friends with thee to obtain his pardon to work thy reconciliation with him and then come and complete thy intended atonâment 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly whilest thou art in the way with him lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the note n officer and thou be cast into prison Paraphrase 25. Lest he accuse and implead thee before the Judge 26. Verily I say unto thee Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing Paraphrase 26. Out of prison till thou hast made full satisfaction such as the law prescribes for that trespasse done by thee whereas by a seasonable timely compounding of it it might have been done with some moderation And so may a timely reconciliation with thy neighbour whom thou hast injured and made thy accuser or adversary avert that punishment of God which from him as the Judge and avenger of all wrongs must otherwise be expected 27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not commit adultery 28. But I say unto you that note o whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Paraphrase 28. That he that looks lustfully that feeds his eye on any but his own wife though he satisfie not his flesh he that delights himself with beautiful faces gazes intemperately c. by that very lustful look hath for his part made himself guilty of adultery on her 29. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell Paraphrase 29. And be thy eye one instrument of ensnaring thee as the hand is another v. 30. never so useful or advantagious to thee thou hadst better have none then be ensnared by it And so for all other things if that which is most pretious to thee and useful as instrumental to the greatest uses and most gratefull delights be thereby a means of ensnaring thee in any sin or hindring thee in thy progresse of a holy or chast life deny thy self the use of that which yeilds thee together with that delight that damage also and the damage farre more considerable than the delight and Adultery being forbidden account it the most advantageous precept this of not feeding or pleasing the eye c. which when it is indulged to makes it so hard if not impossible to abstain from the fouler grosser sin at least in the heart the purity of which and not only of the outward members is strictly required by Christ v. 7. For it is much better for thee to want those delights or advantages at this present than that by the enjoying them thou shouldst plunge thy self body and soul into everlasting perdition 30. And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell Paraphrase 30. See v. 29. 31. note p It hath been said Whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a writing of divorcement Paraphrase 31. He must is bound to 32. But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery Paraphrase 32. Is guilty of making 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths Paraphrase 33. And as v. 21. v. 27. that of v. 31. being but appendant to that of adultery and brought in as in a parenthesis I mention'd to you some of the commands of the Decalogue So now again another 34. But I say unto you swear not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods throne Paraphrase 34. All voluntary swearing though it be by a creature is wholly interdicted thee And though in involuntary those that are lawfully imposed by the Magistrate by way of adjuring or laying an oath upon thee thou mayest and art obliged in obedience to authority to swear by God himself yet in any other case thou art not to swear by any thing else though it be inferiour to God because being created by God it is he only that hath power over it and therefore it is not subjected to thy will to abuse or swear by it as for example 35. Nor by the earth for it is his footstool
neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or black 37. But let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Paraphrase 37. But let no more be used in your discourse but an affirmation and if need be an asseveration and so on the contrary when you deny any thing a negative and if the matter require some other addition of greater weight to expresse the seriousnesse of your speech but no kind of oath to back or confirm it For whatsoever is used above these necessary expressions and confirmations as any kind of oath used in discourse between men be it by the heaven the earth c. proceeds from some evil principle sometimes from your vainglorious humour delighting in such big-speaking founded in an opinion that fearing to sin is a poor-spirited thing sometimes from want of reverence to the name of God sometimes from the faithlesnesse of men but most commonly from the Devil that evil one who hath many snares to catch souls and insnare them in idolatry or errour or unbeleif and the use of the forementioned forms of swearing may tend to this end undiscernibly and besides the not observing exact truth in all our conversation which makes us not fit to be trusted without oaths and the incredulity of men that they will not beleive without them and so the pride and irreverence also are all the works of the Devil in which respect as also because there is no part of our sensitive appetite to which oaths doe properly afford any delight or pleasure the oaths that come from any one of these may be said to be from him especially all needlesse promissory oathes to which Christs speech especially belongs 38. Ye have heard that it hath been said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth Paraphrase 38. It is appointed in the Judiciall law of the Jews that he that wronged or maimed another shall himself suffer that very evil which he hath done to that other 39. But I say unto you that you note q resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also Paraphrase 39. That you opposâ not violence to the injurious man but on the contrary whosoever shall use thee con tumeliously bear it patiently as to turn the cheek signifies proverbially Lam. 3. 3 yea though the doing so seemeth to thee a likely means to bring the like upon thee another time In matters of such a light nature venture that rather then think of opposing violence unto it 40. And if any man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy note r coat let him have thy cloak also Paraphrase 40. And if by suit at law any one endeavour to rob thee of thy meaner or inner garment doe thou rather then oppose violence to his injustice venture the losing of thy upper better garment also 41. And whosoever shall compell thee to note s go a mile go with him twain Paraphrase 41. And whosoever shall make thee go and carry his burthens a little way doe thou again rather then permit thy passions to oppose violence to this injury or light invasion of thy liberty venture to suffer as much more 42. Give to him that asketh of thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Paraphrase 42. Doe not thou disdainfully or loathingly turn away 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy Paraphrase 43. 'T is true indeed that the precept of Moses concerning the kind-dealing of the Jews with other men extended not universally to all but peculiarly to their country-men or fâllowJews called the sons of thy people To others who were aliens and also enemies to them they were not bound to be kinde but against some viz. the seven Nations they were commanded to proceed hostilely 44. But I say unto you Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you Paraphrase 44. Let your kindnesse be extended as the blessings of heaven even to enemies and injurious provokers in the same manner and measure as they doe ill to you doe ye good to them blessing obliging praying for them and making them no other returnes for all their virulencies hatreds and contumelious malicious behaviour toward you 45. That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the note t evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust Paraphrase 45. That so by imitating God you may approve your selves to be like him as children to a parent it being evident in him that he confines not his mercies to friends and good men but extends them to injurious provokers and grosse offenders as well as the pious lovers of him 46. For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Doe not even the Publicans the same Paraphrase 46. For if ye have ordinary charity to them which have so to you do you deserve or have reason to expect any reward from God for so doing Why the worst sort of men in the world will doe so 47. And if ye salute your brethren only what doe note u you more then others Doe not even the Publicans so Paraphrase 47. And if ye abound in affection to Jewes only what doe you more then all the most vulgar men of the heathen world think themselves obliged to who kisse and embrace those that are nearest and dearest to them 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Paraphrase 48. Therefore of you Christians I require that you exercise your charity whether of the lowest or highest sort and extend it as farre as the mercy of God is extended viz. to enemies as well as friends Luke 6. 36. Annotations on S. MATTHEW Chap. V. V. 1. Disciples The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies a scholar or learner that hath entred into any school of knowledge the relative to a Master or teacher And though the Twelve which were afterwards Apostles be ordinarily known by this title of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the disciples by way of excellence yet doth it not from thence follow that those Twelve were the only Auditors of this Sermon or if they had been that the doctrine here preached belongs only to Apostles and their successors in the Church because those very Twelve were as yet but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã learners not Apostles till they were sent out to preach Mat. 10. 1. and after to govern and rule the Church in Christ's stead but rather the contrary c. 7. 28. where at the conclusion of this Sermon 't is said ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the multitudes of his Disciples or
Blesse them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use you 29. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also Paraphrase 29. and from him that taketh away thy upper garment withhold not thy shirt or inner garment also See Mat. 5. note r. 30. Give to every man that asketh of thee and of him that taketh away thy goods note f ask them not again Paraphrase 30. Every man that truly wanteth such is not he that maketh begging his trade and refuseth to make use of his labour to sustain or rescue him from want is the proper object of every mans charity and therefore no man that is thus qualified to receive and by asking offers thee an opportunity is to be rejected by thee And liberality consisting of two branches giving and lending freely without interest doe thou exercise both parts of it towards the poor give to all distrested persons that aske that from thee and from him that wanteth and receiveth any leane from thee exact no use 31. And as ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise Paraphrase 31. And whatever you would think an act of duty or charity from others to you if you were in their condition and they in yours be ye carefull to doe the same for them 32. For if ye love them which love you what thank have yee for sinners also love those that love them Paraphrase 32. What thanks or reward can you expect See 1 Pet. 2. 19. for the very heathens as publicans Mat 5. 46. are willing to pay kindnesses to them who have shewed them some first 33. And if ye doe good to them which doe good to you what thank have ye for sinners also doe even the same 34. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thank have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again Paraphrase 34. the heathens lend to heathens that at another time they may borrow as great a summe 35. But love yee your enemies and doe good and lend note g hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the highest for he is kind to the unthankfull and to the evil Paraphrase 35. lend to them to whom your loane may be a seasonable mercy though they be so poor that ye cannot in any probability ever borrow of them at any other time and never think that this improvident bounty will ever bring any want on you And this shall be a means to make God your paymaster who will doe it most abundantly and beside that ye shall herein imitate God himself who is bountifull to those that make him no returnes yea that provoke him by their sinnes 36. Be ye therefore mercifull as your father also is mercifull 37. Judge not and ye shall not be judged condemne not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgiven Paraphrase 37. Mat. 7. 1. Doe not accuse see note on Joh. 12. d. or interpret other mens words or actions uncharitably lay not unfavourable censures on them but deale with that candor toward others as you expect or desire God should doe to you 38. Give and it shall be given to you good measure pressed down and shaken together and note h running over men shall give into your bosome for with the same measure that ye mete withall it shall be measured to you again Paraphrase 38. All your works of mercy and liberality shall be most abundantly repaid 39. And he spake a parable to them Can the blind lead the blind shall they not both fall into the * ditch Paraphrase 39. Another parable there was which Christ at some time used though it seem not to have been spoken at the time when the former passages were delivered See Mat. 15. 14. 40. The disciple is not above his master but ever one that is note i perfect shall be as his Master Paraphrase 40. ever right true follower of Christ will be content to suffer what his master suffers before him Mat. 10. 25. and that portion he must look for 41. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye Paraphrase 41. small thin shiver of wood 42. Either how canst thou say to thy brother Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye when thou thy self beholdest not the beam which is in thine own eye Thou hypocrite cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye 43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Paraphrase 43. For 't is not thy supercilious finding fault or judging of others that will ever denominate thee good unlesse thine own heart and practises be accordingly 44. For every tree is known by his own fruit for of thorns men doe not gather figs nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes Paraphrase 44. For every tree is discerned to be good by bringing forth that fruit which is proper to it good of the kind 45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh Paraphrase 45. Every man hath a treasury or repository within him from whence all his actions are sent forth he that hath an honest heart a repository of good purposes and resolutions on all occasions brings forth from thence good actions 46. And why call ye me Lord Lord and doe not the things which I say Paraphrase 46. T is to little purpose for you to professe Christianity to expect any good by that profession unlesse your actions are sutable to my commands 47. Whosoever cometh to me and heares my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like 48. He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock and when the flood arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon a rock Paraphrase 47 48. Every disciple of mine that obeyes my doctrine is to be compared to a builder which in laying his foundation digged till he came to a firm rock or hard stone and layd his foundation upon that and he had the benefit of it no violence of wind or flood parallel to which are the most boysterous temptations of the world could shake his building Mat. 7. 26. 49. But he which heareth and doth not is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell
and the ruine of the house was great Paraphrase 49. But he that sinketh not down my precepts into his heart Annotations on Chap. VI. V. 1. Second Sabbath after the first This phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hath been matter of trouble to Interpreters The most probable conjecture concerning it is that of the learned H. Grotius which I shall thus explain and confirme When any of the solemn yearly feasts fell on the Sabbath day that Sabbath had a speciall extraordinary respect attributed to it and was called sometimes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a great Sabbath and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a great day of Sabbath Jo. 19. 31. Now three of these feasts there were the Passover Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles Of these feasts some dayes there were dayes of holy assemblies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherein the assemblies were called together as the first day of unleavened bread Lev. 23. 7. and the seventh day of it v. 8. the day of Pentecost Lev. 23. 21. the first of the feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23. 35. and the eighth v. 36. And these being dayes of rest as 't is appointed in every of those places were a kind of Sabbaths and distinguish'd from the other dayes of the feast and therefore called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the great day Is 1. 13. And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the great day of the feast Jo 7. 37. And accordingly Tertullian cont Marcion l. 5. speaking of the observation of dayes mentions jejunia dies magnos Fasts and great dayes But when any of these great dayes fell on the Sabbath too then that was not only a great day but a great Sabbath Now this great Sabbath was called also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a prime or first Sabbath as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are all one and consequently three of these prime or great or first Sabbaths there were 1. When the Passover that is either of the great dayes of that feast but especially the first fell on a Sabbath and 2 ly when the day of Pentecost and 3 ly when the great day of the feast of Tabernacles fell on a Sabbath day and these prime or great Sabbaths were thus distinguish'd one from another The first of them call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the first prime Sabbath i. e. when the first day of the feast of Passover fell upon a Sabbath day The second of them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the second prime Sabbath that is the day of Pentecost falling on a Sabbath The third of them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the third prime Sabbath that is the great âay of the feast of Tabernacles falling on a Sabbath of which Josephus saith that 't is then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Sabbath most adored or reverenced By all this appears that by this phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is meant on the day of Pentecost falling on a Sabbath at that time That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be all one as if it had been ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã appears to be according to Analogy by the like use of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã used frequently by Josephus not as 't is conceived for the tithe of tithes payed by the Levites to the Priests but the second tithing which was sold and the price carried up to Jerusalem and spent in festivity there Tob. 1. 7. which in Tobit is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in two words the second tithing V. 12. Praier ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies an oratory a place where men are wont to pray and so seems to be used in some places of the Scripture especially in S. Lukes writings So Acts 16. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Syriack read ubi conspiciebatur ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã where a house of prayer was seen a praying place by a river side as here on a mountain such an one there was in Mispah 1. Mac. 3. 46. where upon occasion of the victory gotten by Joshua in that place Jos 11. 3 8. they were wont to meet to pray and to deliberate on any great affair and there was an Altar built by Joshua and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an house of prayer or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an house consecrate for prayers which prayers and consecration being both made unto God it is very agreeable that those places so consecrated to him should be called as here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Oratories or praying houses of God Of these ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we find frequent mention in Josephus in his own life the people convened in a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as they call it a house of prayer ample and capacious of great multitudes and speaking of Tiberias I found the people convened in a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and Epiphan t. 2. l. 3. c. 80. There were ancient places of prayer both among the Jewes without the city and among the Samaritans as we find saith he in the Acts of the Apostles Such a place there is in Sichem which is now called Neapolis without the city in a plain region And some such place it may seem to be wherein Jesus coutinued all night in this verse V. 13. Apostles The title ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Apostles which is here by Christ said to be given to the Twelve is a name of power and dignity and authority in the Church and how it doth signifie so will deserve to be explained That the Government of the Church of God was now setled on the son of man upon earth that is upon Christ incarnate had been foretold Is 9. 6. the Government shall be upon his shoulders and Is 61. 1. the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings c. he hath sent me to bind up c. to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord c. see Lu. 4. 18 21. In which place as the Anointing and the Spirit of the Lord being upon him so the sending is a setling the Government upon him And the sending is a solemn word noting a Diploma or Commission sealed to him as it were by God in heaven by the Spirits descending on him Mat. 3. 17. and that supplyed the place of the solemn unction the ceremony of advancing to any office which is therefore paraphrased by the Chaldee by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã exaltation which was now out of fashion under the second Temple and was to be supplied by Gods testimony from Heaven as to Christ it was and is accordingly styled Gods anointing him with the holy Ghost Acts 10. 38. and simply Gods anointing Acts 4. 27. Hence it is that Christ is said to be sent by his Father Joh. 20. 21. to have power on earth to forgive sins Mat. 9. 6. to have all power in heaven and earth delivered to him Mat. 28. 18. to be the teacher and Lord of his Church or Disciples Joh. 13. 1. and as the High Priest of our profession so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã
in the wildernesse and that it did so may appear probable because in that dry wildernesse we hear no more of their wanting water till Cadesh which was some 3 6. years after this when they had taken a contrary way in their journeying by which means as also by God's making this new tryall of them and to that purpose ordering the change of their journey that water might now cease to follow them which before as long as the miraculous flowing lasted might naturally without any new miracle follow them all their voyage This saying of theirs S. Paul makes use of in a mysticall sense making Christ indeed to be the rock in a spirituall sense and that Christ following coming really so long after into the world but even then so long agoe spiritually and in power present among them V. 7. To play That the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here is to be taken in an unclean sense may appear probable by the use of the word mocking among the Jewes This will be discerned by the Hierusalem Targum on Gen. 21. 9. on that of Ismael's mocking In stead of these words in the Hebrew Sarah saw the sonne of Hagar mocking they read by way of paraphrase Et vidit Sara filium Aegyptiae facientem opera mala quae fieri non oportuit illudentem cultum pâregrinum exercentem And Sarah saw the son of the Aegyptian doing evill works which ought not to be done mocking and exercising strange worship Where the opera mala quae fieri non oportuit the evil works that ought not to be done are the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 2 Pet. 2. 7. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Pet. 4. 3. that is those unnaturall filthy sins which were so ordinary among the heathens used as part of their Gentile-worship and those it seemes noted by the phrase of illudere or mocking which there and here and in other places according to the civility of the sacred style is made use of rather then others which signifie more grosly those acts of unnaturall filthinesse So Rabbi Solomon mentions an interpretation that Ismael had committed uncleannesse and that that is the meaning of the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to mock Gen. 39. 17. And Lyra on that of Gen. 21. saith that the Hebrew word is equivocall and signifies ludentem idololatrantem occidentem coeuntem vel lascivientem mocking committing Idolatry killing commiting uncleannesse and wantonnesse And then there will be little doubt but the words of the same Targum on Exod. 32. 6. the place from which the words in this place are taken surrexerunt sibi ludentes cultu peregrino and they arose mocking themselves after the strange or heathen worship may belong to that also To which purpose 't is farther observable that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which may well be resolved Synonymous to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but cannot so well be mistaken for playing as the other may but distinctly signifies illudere to mock is the rendring of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is the word in Exodus whence these words are cited Gen. 39. 14 and 17. in that story of Poâiphar's wife and Joseph and certainly signifies uncleannesse there Thus Tobit 3. 18. where Anna to shew her self free from all uncleannesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from all sin of or with man v. 17. addes in Saint Jeromes translation nunquam cum ludentibus miscui me I never associated my self with them that mock'd where no doubt Uncleannesses are meant and 't is probable that the Greek which he translates ludentibus was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã though our Greek copies wholly leave out that part of the period And if the comparing of the story Act. 7. 41. where 't is said in this matter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they rejoyced in the works of their hands be apt to incline to the other interpretation as supposing that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to play is all one with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to rejoyce and consequently that both denote their dancing before the idol it will be easily answered that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rejoycing there signifies most properly the rejoycing at a feast Lu. 12. 19. and 15. 23 24 29 32. and 16. 19. and so following the offering of sacrifice to their Idols shall note the sacrificall feast and be all one with eating and drinking here but not with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whether playing or mocking that attends it and so still ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may fitly thus be interpreted especially when in this place it followes immediately after ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã lusters after evill thingâ in the notion that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to live ill is used by Phavorinus in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wanton that is for this very sin and so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ilnesse Rom. 1. 29. and is attended with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã neither let us commit fornication c. referring to that other act of the like sin Num. 25. 2 3. and thence I suppose it is that to his exhortation of flying from Idolatry ver 14. he subjoyns v. 15. I speak to wise men judge ye what I say not willing to speak more plainly or to adde more words on that subject see Note on Eph. 5. f. V. 10. Destroyer That which is here called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã destroyer is in the Hierusalem Targum Exod. 4. 26. called perdens and that there explained by Angelus mortis a messenger of the Lords ver 24. that came to kill him This is otherwhere called the destroying Angel for what is here said they were destroyed by the destroyer is in the story from whence 't is taken Num 14. 37. they died by the plague before the Lord. So the Angels that came to Loâ's house are sent to destroy the city Gen. 19. 13. In all which and many more places where plagues are said to be inflicted of God by Angels it doth not appear that the Angels used as instruments of those plagues are the fall'n Angels or devils but those heavenly that wait on God to execute his wrath as well as conveigh mercies Thus God's coming with his Angels is an expression of destructions and yet those are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã holy myriads Jude 14. or multitudes of heavenly Angels see Note on Jude d. V. 16. Cup of blessing The Jewes used to conclude the feast wherein the Paschal lamb was eaten with a cup of wine This they called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the cup of praising because they sang an hymne at that time see Mat. 26. 30. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of blessing and from thence the receiving the wine in the Sacrament being by Christ instituted after his paschal supper is here called by that title Of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to blesse see Note on Mat. 14. c. V. 28. The earth is the If these words be to be read in this place the meaning of them
will be that in a matter of this nature of eating they have little temptation to sin against conscience when they consider the great store of other food even all the plenty of the world which they may lawfully enjoy and let the idol-sacrifices alone But the King MS. which leaves them out seems to be in the right and 't is easie to imagine how the transcribers might here insert them on occasion of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here the same words after which v. 25. these words had followed and then the 29 th ver will immediately adhere to the end of v. 28. because of conscience Conscience I say c. which connexion will be otherwise disturbed CHAP. XI 1. BE ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Paraphrase 1. And doe ye in like manner as oft as there is occasion for the good of others deny your selves the use of your Christian liberty 2. Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you Paraphrase 2. Now for you that have written this letter to me and asked my advice in all these particulars I cannot but commend you that ye have been so mindfull of my doctrine that ye have adhered so close to it that ye have not been seducible by any false teachers in any of these particulars but have appealed to me for my opinion of them 3. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man and the head of Christ is God Paraphrase 3. To proceed then to your next quaere in order to matters of decency in the Church it is fit for you to consider the subordination of persons in the Church viz. that as Christ in respect of his office of mediator is under God but above all men so the man being under Christ is above all women and consequently that their garb in the Church must be proportionable to this 4. Every man praying or prophecying having his head covered note a dishonoureth his head Paraphrase 4. Every man that doth any office in the Church that either praies or expounds the word of God or sings Psalms c. see note on Luk. 1. m. if he doe it with his head and face covered this is indecent against the liberty and dignity of his sex it being a signe of shame and infamy in a man to have his head and face covered 5. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head for it is even all one as if she were shaven Paraphrase 5. But every woman that doth any office in the Church that is imployed as a member of a congregation joyning with the Minister whether Pastor Prophet in discharging of any Christian duty such as is prayer or expounding or singing Psalmes c. see note on Luk. 1. n. and hath her head or face uncovered this is contrary to decency in her against the modesty and meeknesse of her sex as much as it is for her to cut her haire and weare it as men doe 6. For if the woman be not covered let her also be shorn but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven let her be covered Paraphrase 6. The use that is made of the not cutting a woman's haire of letting it be worn at the length is that it may be a kind of veile or covering to her ver 15. which is an argument that as 't is uncomely or unfashionable for her to have her haire cut after the mannâ of men so it is uncomely to ãâã her head uncovered after the manner of men the distinction of sexes being to be maintained in the one as well as in the other 7. For the man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as he is the image and note b glory of God but the woman is the glory of the man Paraphrase 7. For the man indeed is to be uncovered that being a signe of power and majesty and man being the image of God and a beam and irradiation as it were of God is an image of his power and majesty and therefore ought so to appear but the woman she is but the beam of the man having no power but from him and so her subjection to the husband being her duty she therefore is to be covered which is a signe of that subjection 8. For the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man Paraphrase 8. As you know in the forming of man and woman the woman was made of the rib of the man and so is to be resolved inferior to him 9. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Paraphrase 9. And the creation of the woman was that she might be the helper ministerial and usefull to the man not so the man to the woman which is another proof of her being inferiour to him and that a reason still why she should wear a covering on her head especially in the time of divine service where her behaviour ought to be most decent and agreeable to her condition 10. For this cause ought the woman to have note c power note d on her head note e because of the Angels Paraphrase 10. And especially when the Angels are generally believed to be present in the places of God's publick worship this piece of decency in the woman her being covered ought most strictly to be observed as we will be most carefull of doing no indecent thing in the presence of such pure divine spirits 11. Nâverthelesse neither is the man without the woman neither the woman without the man in the Lord. Paraphrase 11. But this inferiority of the wife to the husband must not so be urged that the man being independent from her should be thought to have no respect unto her which may be seasonable to tell the Gnosticks who were great despisers of marriage any more then the woman should be from the man 12. For as the woman is of the man even so is the man also by the woman but all things are of God Paraphrase 12. For as the woman was formed out of Adam's rib so all the sons of Adam were born and conceived and propagated by women and man and woman united by God from whom all things are 13. Judge in your selves is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered Paraphrase 13. But for that of women's behaviour in the place of publick service judge you by what is decent among you is this decent for her to have her head uncovered in time of divine service 14. Doth not even note f nature it self teach you that if a man have long haire it is a shame unto him Paraphrase 14. Doth not the universal custome of all nations make this distinction between sexes that men wear their haire cut and that is decent in them 15. But if a woman have
as such or else the finding this out will be matter of wisdome a work of sagacity in any and yet possible when the time comes to be observed for the way of numbring here mentioned is that which is of ordinary use among men Annotations on Chap. XIII V. 1. The name of blasphemy ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã name of blasphemy literally signifies such a title as cannot be assumed or owned without blasphemy Now blasphemy is committed two waies either by speaking contumeliously of the true God or giving divine honour to any else which is also the taking that honour which is due to him alone and bestowing it upon others and so as contrary to his being acknowledged the one God as the using him reproachfully is to his being God And therefore it is that Paul and Barnabas having divine honours attributed to them at Lystra they rent their clothes Act. 14. 14. in the same manner as was usual among them when any man was heard to blaspheme signifying thereby that sacrificing to any creature is direct blasphemy against the Creator Now what this title of blasphemy was which is here referred to is specified by S. Jerome Qu. II. ad Algas Aeterna cùm dicitur quae temporalis ââst nomen est blasphemiae The city Rome was called the Eternal city So Ausonius Gallus urbis ab aeternae deductam rege Quirino Annorum seriem Haec eâit aeternae series ab origine mundi which to be attributed to any thing which had a beginning and shall certainly have an end is a name of blasphemy So in the same words Prosper Aeterna cùm dicitur quae temporalis est utique nomen est blasphemiae cùm mortales licet reges in ea dic antur Divi eisque suppliâes dicunt Numini vestro altaribus vestris perennitati vestrae c. For that which is temporal to be called eternal is the name of blasphemy when their Kings though mortal are called gods and their suppliants addresse to them in this style To your Deity your altars your eternity c. See ch 17. Note a. But beside this and what Athenaeus saies of it l. 1. where he enstyles it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rome the Coelestial or heavenly city it appears by many antient Roman coines set down by Goltzius in Thesauro that Rome was called a Goddesse there being many such inscriptions ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rome a Goddesse Accordingly the people of Smyrna built a Temple to it saith Tacitus hist l. 3. and other Provinces used the like flattery erected Temples appointed Priests to the Goddesse Rome and at last Adrian raised a stately Temple and called it Templum Romae Augustorum the Temple of Rome and of the Emperors that is dedicated to them as to gods saith Dio in Adriano And accordingly this idolatry or blasphemy is taxed by Prudentius colitur nam sanguine ipsa More Deae Noménque lociceu numen adorant Rome is worshipp'd by sacrifice after the manner of a Goddesse and they adore the Name of the city as a deity And to this it is agreeable that many other Copies read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã names of blasphemy in the Plural more such blasphemous titles beside that of urbs Aeterna the Eternal city that one of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Goddesse and the erecting Temples to it containing all imaginable blasphemies in it V. 3. One of his heads What is here meant by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã One of the heads will be judged first by the notion of head secondly of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã one The head is the uppermost part of a man and so proverbially signifies any thing that is most eminent or conspicuous and so here v. 1. the seven heads are most probably the seven hills on which Rome was built Then for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that for want of degrees of comparison in the Hebrew language is by an Hebraisme oft taken for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the first as Mat. 28. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not one but the first of the week Both these concurre to apply this phrase ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to the Capitol at Rome to which it belongs so properly and characteristically For first the word Capitol cerntainly comes from Caput and head and Livy renders the reason for it that a mans head being found in that place where that was after built Caput Toli the head of Tolus saith Arnobius the Oracle answered Eo loco caput summámque imperii fore that the head and top of the Empire should be there Secondly In this place was the Temple of Jupiter called therefore Jupiter Capitolinus and he being the first or chief of the gods the place where his Temple stood may well be the principal of the heads of this city Now that this head is here said ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã slaughter'd or smitten to death this clearly belongs to the burning of the Capitol which fell out twice about these times First It was set afire by those that accompanied Sabinus and Domitian thither and who were there besieged by Vitellius's souldiers a little before the death of Vitellius whose successor Vespasian being returned out of Judaea and having committed the warre against the Jewes to his son Titus in the very next year at which time the Temple at Jerusalem was burnt re-built the Capitol most sumptuously and restored Jupiter's Temple in it Which as it was a kind of recovery of Rome from a mortal disease express'd by a coin of Vespasian's inscribed Roma resurges Rome thou shalt rise again so it was looked on as a great expression of the wrath of God against the Jews that at that time not onely their Temple was burnt but that other of Jupiter at Rome permitted to be re-built and at Jerusalem heathen sacrifices offer'd in the Temple of God by the Roman souldiers and all Gods Priests ferch'd out of their caves or hiding-places and killed by Titus's command O this re-edifying the Capitol see Tacitus hist l. 4. And to this the words here would commodiously enough be appliable But besides this there was a second wounding of this first head another burning of the Capitol in Titus's reign which was by lightning and so esteemed to be sent from heaven And this is more proper to this point of time to which this Vision belongs and being done asâ from heaven might from thence be more fitly objected to Idolatry as a deadly wound to that worship of Jupiter And this was so sumptuously repaired by Domitian whose time is the subject of the Vision in this chapter that Martial makes Jupiter indebted to him for it Pro Capitolinis quid enim tibi solvere templis Quid pro Tarpeiae frondis honoure potest what can Jupiter pay thee for his Temple in the Capitol And on this 't is said that the whole earth wondred after the beast Where by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the whole earth or land the Roman Territories are most
probably meant see Note k. which are to Rome as all Palaestine so often call'd by that style the land to Jerusalem and the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wondring behind or after the beast signifies their great veneration wrought in them by this means to the Idol-Worship which is farther express'd by their worshipping the Dragon that is the Devil v. 2. called the old serpent c. 12. 9. and the Devil and Satan a Dragon being but a flying serpent by which the Devil hath always been represented Who being here look'd on as the maintainer of the heathen worship he is adored and applauded greatly and that farther express'd by their saying Who is like unto the beast who can fight with him that is No man or God is able to oppose this Idol-worship profess'd in the Capitol or resist the power by which it is upheld V. 5. A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies One special testimoney of the Heathens blasphemy against God upon occasion of the Romans victories over the Jews is that of Cicero pro Flacco speaking of the Jews Illa gens quà m chara diis immortalibus esset docuit quòd est victa quòd elocata quòd servit That nation hath taught us how dear they are to the immortal gods by their being conquered and subjected by the Romans to a King of their sending thither This hath been thought fit by a learned man to be brought to the illustrating of this place though indeed it belong to it only by way of accommodation as a proof how apt the Romans prosperity and conquests over Judaea were to make them blaspheme God not that this speech can belong to the point of time now spoken of being delivered long before by Cicero Dionysius Alexandrinus in Eusebius l. 7. c. 10. applies it to Valerian 255. years after Christ who by the instigation of the chief of the Magicians in Aegypt commanding him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to kill and persecute the pure and holy men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. as those that hindred their inchantments became a great enemy of the Church The like is again related of Diocletian that upon a response of Apollo from Delphi that the just upon earth hindred him from speaking truth he fell on persecuting the Christians see Eusebius De vita Const l. 2. c. 49 50. But that which is more pertinent to the times whereof I conceive the Vision speaks is Domitian's styling himself Dominus Deus noster and forbidding nè scripto quidem ac sermone cujusquam appellaretur aliter that any whether in words or writing should call him otherwise and appointing his statues of gold and silver to be set up in the Capitol and his professing his contempt of thunder and lightning See Suetonius in his life c. 13. Ib. Continue fourty and two moneths That which is read in some Copies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to wage war fourty two moneths that is three years and an half is in other the best and ancientest Copies without ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. and then that is to spend or stay so many moneths Thus the King's MS. hath it and so in Eusebius Eccl. Hist l. 7. c. 10. Dionysius Alexandrinus citing this place reads it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or as another reading of Eusebius hath it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã power was given him fourty two moneths And then to stay so many moneths is to live so long which was puncturally true of Domitian who began his persecution in the thirteenth and dyed in the sixteenth year of his reign And so this is directly answerable to the space wherein Antiochus had vexed the Jews Dan. 7. 24. see Eissebius Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 13. and so is fit to be express'd in the same form of words as we see it is V. 8. Names are not written in the book of life of the Lambe slain That the words here should not be read thus the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world though it be perfectly true that Christ was in the designation and decree of god so slain from the beginning but thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whose names were not written from the foundation of the world that is were never written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain may sufficiently appear by comparing this expression here with c. 17. 8. where the words are whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world Now some difference there is betwixt the book of life of the Lamb slain here the book of life in the place There the book of life signifies the register of all the good Christians on earth such as at that time when their names are said to be written in it are true believers but the book of life of the Lamb that was slain signifies peculiarly the register or catalogue of confessors such as already have or are now about to venture their lives for the confession of Christ to take up his crosse and follow him and so are conformable to this image of Christ this of the Paschal lamb by which he was antiently represented the sacrificed crucified Saviour And so these men of the land that is the Jews here that worship the beast the Gnosticks that to avoid persecution goe to their Idol-feasts or sacrifices are justly thus described they whose names from the foundation of the world have not been written in this book of life of the slain lamb or in the slain lamb's book of life V. 10. Leadeth into captivity ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is to gather together a captivity that is a number of Captives as he that undertakes to bring them back out of their Captivity to be their Captain and lead them against their Conquerour that hath taken them as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to gather to warre c. 16. 14 16. and 20. 8. and as the word gathering is particularly applied to Captives and so used by the Psalmist Gather us O Lord from among the people c. Psal 106. 47. having in the former verse mentioned ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã those that had carried them captive which concludes the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã us there to be the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Captivity here in like manner as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã circumcision is the Jews which were circumcised and many the like just as the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gather together is all one with the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gathering This is after farther express'd by killing with the sword that is making violent resistance and opposition against the persecuting Emperors which for a Christian to do is quite contrary to the faith and patience of the Saints which consists in suffering not in resisting in having their names written in the slain lambs book of life see Note d. not in the military list of those that will fight against their