as they would make him Chap. 31. Then Elihu the Pen-man undertakes to moderate but inclining to the same misprision with the others the Lord himself convinceth them all of the uprightness of Job which no arguments of Job could do and this not only by an oracle from Heaven but also by Jobs revived prosperity wherein every thing that he had lost was restored double to him but only his children which though they died yet were not lost His years were doubled for he lived an hundred and forty years after his trouble and so was seventy years old when his trouble came and died two hundred and ten years old the longest liver born since Terah CHAP. II. to Ver. 11. Years of the Promise 341 ISRAELS afflictions increase upon them the cruel King of Egypt commanding Years of the Promise 342 all the Male children to be slain Miriam was born not far from Years of the Promise 343 this time she was able to stand and watch Moses when he was cast into the Years of the Promise 344 river her name signifieth Bitterness and Rebellion both and it is not to be Years of the Promise 345 doubted but holy Amram when he gave her name had regard to that sad Years of the Promise 346 cause and effect of which they had so great cause to be sensible Miriam Years of the Promise 347 was a Prophetess Exod. 15. 20. Micah 6. 4. World 2431 Years of the Promise 348 AARON born a Saint of the Lord Psal. 106. 16. His name soundeth Years of the Promise 349 both of sorrow and joy as the tenor of Psal. 88. 89. made in these afflictions Years of the Promise 350 doth World 2433 Years of the Promise 351 Moses 1 MOSES born supernaturally his mother being exceeding old at his Years of the Promise 352 Moses 2 birth she was his fathers own Aunt the daughter of Levi so is Moses Years of the Promise 353 Moses 3 a Levite both by father and mother He is preserved in an ark like a Years of the Promise 354 Moses 4 second Noah his mother is paid for nursing her own child he is adopted Years of the Promise 355 Moses 5 by Pharaohs daughter for her own son and so the King is his nursing Father Years of the Promise 356 Moses 6 and the Queen his nursing Mother And in this doth Moses typifie Years of the Promise 357 Moses 7 Christ that his true Father is unknown to the Egyptians and he Years of the Promise 358 Moses 8 reputed the son of Pharaoh as the true Father of Christ unknown to Years of the Promise 359 Moses 9 the Jews and he reputed the son of Joseph Years of the Promise 360 Moses 10 Moses was educated and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Years of the Promise 361 Moses 11 Years of the Promise 362 Moses 12 Acts 7. 22. Stephen speaketh this from necessary consequence not having Years of the Promise 363 Moses 13 express Text for it for it could no otherwise be conceived of the adopted Years of the Promise 364 Moses 14 Years of the Promise 365 Moses 15 son of a King and of a King of Egypt which Nation was exceedingly Years of the Promise 366 Moses 16 given to learning and study JOB is yet alive and probably out-liveth Years of the Promise 367 Moses 17 Moses In the reading of his Book it may be advantagious to the Years of the Promise 368 Moses 18 Years of the Promise 369 Moses 19 Reader to observe how in very many places it toucheth upon the history Years of the Promise 370 Moses 20 Years of the Promise 371 Moses 21 that is contained in the Book of Genesis though that Book was not then Years of the Promise 372 Moses 22 written The creation is handled Chap. 38. The first Adam mentioned Years of the Promise 373 Moses 23 Chap. 15. 7. The fall of Angels and Man Chap. 4. 20. 5. 2. The miserable Years of the Promise 374 Moses 24 Years of the Promise 375 Moses 25 case of Cain that was hedged in that he could not die Chap. 3. 21. Years of the Promise 376 Moses 26 The old world and the flood Chap. 22. 6. The builders of Babel Chap. 3. Years of the Promise 377 Moses 27 Years of the Promise 378 Moses 28 15. 5. 13. The fire of Sedom Chap. 20. 23 26. and divers such references Years of the Promise 379 Moses 29 may be observed which are closely touched in the Book which Years of the Promise 380 Moses 30 Years of the Promise 381 Moses 31 they came to know partly by tradition partly by living so near the Hebrews Years of the Promise 382 Moses 32 and the places where these things were done and partly by revelation Years of the Promise 383 Moses 33 as Chap. 4. 12. 38. 1 Years of the Promise 384 Moses 34 Years of the Promise 385 Moses 35 The Pen-man of the Book before and after the speeches of Job and his Years of the Promise 386 Moses 36 friends often useth the name Jehovah but in all the speeches never but Years of the Promise 387 Moses 37 once and that is in Chap. 12. 10. speaking there of Gods giving the Creature Years of the Promise 388 Moses 38 Years of the Promise 389 Moses 39 his being CHAP. II. from Ver. 11. to the end World 2473 Years of the Promise 390 Moses 40 MOses by faith at forty years old Acts 7. 23. refuseth the Courts Years of the Promise 391 Moses 41 visiteth his brethren slayeth an Egyptian fleeth into Midian Years of the Promise 392 Moses 42 Years of the Promise 393 Moses 43 Heb. 11. 24 25 26. By faith Moses refuseth to be called the son of Pharaohs Years of the Promise 394 Moses 44 daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then Years of the Promise 395 Moses 45 Years of the Promise 396 Moses 46 to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ Years of the Promise 397 Moses 47 greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence Years of the Promise 398 Moses 48 Years of the Promise 399 Moses 49 of the reward In Midian he marrieth Zipporah and hath a son by Years of the Promise 400 Moses 50 her whom he calleth Gershom which signifieth a desolate stranger because Years of the Promise 401 Moses 51 of his remote residence from his own people in a forain land Years of the Promise 402 Moses 52 Years of the Promise 403 Moses 53 Israel is not yet throughly humbled under their affliction and therefore Years of the Promise 404 Moses 54 it is but just they should continue under it they refused the deliverer Years of the Promise 405 Moses 55 Years of the Promise 406 Moses 56 when he offered himself unto them with Who made thee a Prince Years of the Promise 407 Moses 57 and a Ruler over us And therefore they are but answered according to Years of the
Promise 408 Moses 58 Years of the Promise 409 Moses 59 their own dealing when their deliverance is deferred this deferring was Years of the Promise 410 Moses 60 for forty years and so when being upon the borders of Canaan they Years of the Promise 411 Moses 61 Years of the Promise 412 Moses 62 refused that good land their entrance into it is deferred forty years Years of the Promise 413 Moses 63 also Years of the Promise 414 Moses 64 Years of the Promise 415 Moses 65 Moses passeth through shepherdy and tribulation to the government Years of the Promise 416 Moses 66 and so doth David after him A figure of the great shepherd of the Years of the Promise 417 Moses 67 Years of the Promise 418 Moses 68 sheep c. Jether or in Arabick pronuntiation Jethro a son of Abraham Years of the Promise 419 Moses 69 but an alien to Abrahams God is happy in his son-in-law a son of Years of the Promise 420 Moses 70 Abraham and of Abrahams faith by him he is instructed and taught Years of the Promise 421 Moses 71 Years of the Promise 422 Moses 72 in the way and knowledge of the true God In Arabia where sojourned Years of the Promise 423 Moses 73 this first Prophet and Law-giver Moses there arose the false Prophet Years of the Promise 424 Moses 74 Years of the Promise 425 Moses 75 and deceiver Mahomet Moses is now exceedingly changed in Midian Years of the Promise 426 Moses 76 from his state and studies which he had whilst he was in Egypt there he Years of the Promise 427 Moses 77 Years of the Promise 428 Moses 78 was a high courtier here a poor shepherd there a student in Philosophy Years of the Promise 429 Moses 79 and Egyptian wisdom here a student of Divinity and of God himself In this Country and desert where he now liveth and retireth in so private a condition he must ere long do glorious things and before he die destroy Midian That Country had been first planted by Cush the son of Cham therefore Aaron and Miriam call Moses wife a Cushite Numb 12 1. and Zerah the Arabian is so called 2 Chron. 14. But Abraham by the conquest of Chedorlaomer and the other Kings with him had obtained that land for his own and thither he sent the concubines sons CHAP. III. IV. World 2513 Years of the Promise 430 Moses 80 MOses feeding his sheep and studying upon God hath a vision of Christ in a bush appearing in fire as he had done when he made the Promise Gen. 15. 17 18. He giveth Moses commission for Israels deliverance and the power of miracles for their sakes that believed not Moses himself fell under this predicament of unbelief and shifteth all he can to avoid the imployment as doubting and distrusting the issue and when he musts needs go upon it he dare not leave his wife and children behind him for fear he should never return to them again but taketh his wife with him though she were but newly delivered of a child and her infant with her though it were not so much as eight days old For this his distrust the Lord meets him by the way and seeks to kill him which danger Zipporah his wife misconceiving to have been because her infant was not circumcised it having by this time passed the eighth day she circumciseth it but Moses conscious of the proper cause recovereth his faith and in evidence of his faith calleth the child Eliazer in assurance of Gods help to him and so the danger departeth Moses and Aaron meet in the wilderness go together into Egypt assemble the elders of Israel relate their commission and are believed CHAP. V. MOses beginneth to execute his commission observe that he was with Israel in the wilderness forty years compleat that he was eighty years old when he began to deal with Pharaoh Exod. 7. 7. that he was a good while before he got Israel released and it teacheth how to date and lay the occurrences of his eightieth year CHAP. VI. GOD proclaimeth himself JEHOVAH The faithful one of his Promise he had revealed himself to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the name of El-shaddai The God almighty and they relied upon his all-sufficiency being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform as Rom. 4. 21. And now he cometh to glorifie another attribute of his namely his truth and faithfulness in making good what he had promised Moses goeth about as if he would reckon the heads of all Israel but he only nameth three tribes and that not only because in the third namely in the tribe of Levi his story fixed upon Moses and Aaron the men that he looked after but also because he would only name the most scandalous of all the twelve Reuben the incestuous with his Fathers wife and Simeon and Levi the murderers of Shechem that he might shew their intire conversion and magnifie Gods mercy in their pardon and lay this in the very entry of the now building Church for a comfortable copy for penitents to look after as the four women are mentioned in the beginning of the Gospel in Mat. 1. for such another purpose CHAP. VII VIII IX X. to Ver. 21. MOses beginneth to work miracles and to bring plagues upon Egypt his rod is turned into a Crocodile the waters in which the childrens blood had been shed is turned into blood Their great deity Nilus is plagued first The plague of Frogs they go up even over all the land and raven upon the very bodies of men As Moses brought real Frogs upon Egypt so the Inchanters bring magical Frogs upon Goshen The plague of lice at which the Magicians are at a non-plus and blaspheme horridly against Jehovah when they say This is the finger of God but not of Jehovah The plague of noysom beasts Flies Wasps Snaks c. Now God separateth betwixt Israel and Egypt betwixt whom there had been no difference in the preceding plagues The plague of Murrain upon Beasts Boils upon Men and Hail upon the Land and Locusts CHAP. XII to Ver. 21. THE beginning of the year is changed the Passover is instituted and commanded although the story of its institution be set after the plague of darkness yet was it commanded before the plague of Darkness came and it may be before the plague of Hail or Locusts came for assoon as ever the Darkness is over and any Egyptian can stir Pharaoh sendeth for Moses Chap. 10. 24. and after some smart speeches betwixt them Moses telleth him of the Slaughter of the first-born that it should be the very next night Chap. 11. 4 8. so that the Darkness did but end on the very morning of Passover day and it had been upon the Egyptians the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth days of the month and the Passover was on the fourteenth Now the command for the Passover was given to Moses before the tenth day of the month at least Chap. 12. 3. if not on
Months 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 19. which the Rabbins interpret And one Officer which was in the Land for the Leap-year or for the thirteenth Month which befel every third year Solomon had four thousand Stables of Horses and Chariots 2 Chron. 9. 25. that is forty thousand Stalls of Horses for his Chariots 1 King 4. 2. one Horse in every Stall and ten Horses to a Chariot and in a Stable So seven hundred Chariots 2 Sam. 10. 18. is rendred seven thousand 1 Chron. 19. 18. that is seven thousand men with seven hundred Chariots ten to a Chariot Solomon is said to be wiser then Heman and Ethan and Chalcol and Darda that is in humane learning for these men lived in Egypt in the time of Israels affliction there and it seemeth were singularly skilled in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Yet Solomon went beyond them in Philosophy CHAP. II. from vers 39. to the end And CHAP. III. vers 1 2. ABout the latter end of Solomons third year or beginning of his fourth Shimei compasseth his own death by breaking the bonds and bounds of his consinement And as the Jews held Solomon after that marrieth Pharaohs daughter The time is uncertain and the determination of it not much material Solomon preferreth her before the rest of his wives for they were of Nations that were his Subjects but she the daughter of an intire King and by this match he allieth that potent King to him and secureth himself the better abroad especially from Hadad his Enemy who had married a Lady from the same Court 1 King 11. 19. CHAP. VI. all And VII from vers 13. to the end 2 CHRON. III IV. World 2993 Solomon 4 THE foundation of the Temple laid on Mount Moriah where Isaac had Solomon 5 been offered It is said That the foundation of the house of the Lord was Solomon 6 laid in Solomons fourth year in the month Zif or the second month and in the eleventh year in the month Bul which is the eighth month it was finished and Solomon 7 Solomon 8 so was he seven years in building it It was exactly seven years and six months Solomon 9 in building but the odd six months are omitted for roundness of the sum as Solomon 10 the six odd months are of Davids reigning in Hebron Compare 1 King 2. 11 with 2 Sam. 5. 5. Now the beginning of the seventh Chapter of 1 Kings relateth the Story of Solomons building his own house before it come to mention the furniture of the Temple because the Holy Ghost would mention all Solomons fabricks together or the piles of his buildings before it come to speak of the furniture of any CHAP. VIII all 2 CHRON. V. VI. VII to ver 11. World 3000 Solomon 11 THE Temple finished in the three thousand year of the world and dedicated by Solomon with Sacrifice and Prayer and by the Lord with fire from Heaven and the cloud of glory This dedication of the Temple was in the month Tisri or Ethanim the seventh month answering to part of our September at which time of the year our Saviour whom this Temple typified Joh. 2. 19. was born and 29 years after Baptized And thus have we an account of three thousand years of the world beginning with the Creation and ending with the finishing of Solomons Temple CHAP. VII From vers 1. to vers 13. World 3001 Solomon 12 SOLOMON after the building of the house of the Lord buildeth his Solomon 13 own house in Jerusalem and buildeth a summer house in Lebanon and an Solomon 14 house for Pharaohs Daughter and his own Throne so sumptuous as there was Solomon 15 not the like And thus doth he take up twenty years in this kind of work in Solomon 16 building the house of the Lord and his own houses His wisdom power Solomon 17 Solomon 18 peace and magnificence exceeding all Kings upon earth did make him not only Solomon 19 renowned among all people but also in these he became a type of Christ. Solomon 20 Thus high in all eminencies and perfections that earth could afford did the Solomon 21 Lord exalt him and yet afterward suffered him so fouly to fall that he like Solomon 22 Adam in happiness might exemplifie that no earthly felicity can be durable and Solomon 23 that here is nothing to be trusted to but all things vanity but the Kingdom Solomon 24 that is not of this world CHAP. IX From beginning to Vers. 10. 2 CHRON. VII From Vers. 11. to the end SOLOMON hath an answer to his prayer made in the Temple thirteen years ago Then the Lord made a return to it by fire and a cloud and here he doth the like again by an apparition this is the second time that the Lord appeareth to him The first was when he was even entring and beginning upon his Kingdom and this is now he is come to the height of settlement and prosperity in it CHAP. IX From Vers. 10. to the end 2 CHRON. VIII all Solomon 25 SOLOMON buildeth Cities up and down the Country conquereth Solomon 26 Hamath Zobah setleth Pharaohs Daughter in the house he had built for her Solomon 27 setteth out a Fleet at Ezion-Geber for Ophir is growing still more and Solomon 28 more potent rich and magnificent Is constant still and forward in Religion Solomon 29 and offereth a constant rate of Sacrifices every day and extraordinary ones at Solomon 30 the solemn festivities The Book of the PROVERBS AMong the Stories of Solomons renown in other things may be inserted also and conceived his uttering of his Proverbs three thousand in number as is related 1 King 4. 32. and the making of his Songs one thousand and five as is storied in the same place Now it is no doubt but the most of these are lost as also are his Books of Philosophy But these that are now extant in the Book of the Proverbs and the Song of Songs we may very properly conceive to have been penned by him in some of those times that have been mentioned The very exact time is uncertain and therefore not curiously to be enquired after but the time at large betwixt his Sons growing to capacity whom he instructeth and his own fall by the inticement of his Idolatrous Wives The Book of the Proverbs falleth under several divisions As 1. From the beginning of the first Chapter to the end of the ninth which whole piece seemeth to have been compiled by him more especially for the instruction of his Son 2. From the beginning of the tenth Chapter to the latter end of the four and twentieth wherein are lessons framed for the instruction of others 3. From the beginning of the five and twentieth Chapter to the end of the twenty ninth are Proverbs of Solomon found in some Copy of his in the time of Ezechiah as Moses his Copy of the Law was found in the days of Josiah 4. The thirtieth Chapter is a script of Agur the Son of Jakeh
flesh which was the message that they were sent upon this violence could add nothing but vexation fear and trouble to Noah and to those that were with him in the Ark whom God had inclosed there not to perplex but to preserve 2 Flood 3 Flood 4 Flood 5 Flood 6 Flood 7 Flood 8 Flood 9 Flood 10 Flood 11 Flood 12 Flood 13 Flood 14 Flood 15 Flood 16 Flood 17 Flood 18 Flood 19 Flood  20 Flood  21 Flood  22 Flood  23 Flood  24 Flood  25 Flood  26 Flood  27 Flood  28 Flood  29 Flood  Sivan the ninth moneth Part of May and June 1  This day the Waters begin to abate 2 Ebbing water This is called the seventh moneth Vers. 4. not from the beginning of the year for from thence it was the ninth but from the time of the flood or waters for the Holy Ghost reckoneth the duration of that and pointeth directly at the end of the 150 days In Cisleu the 40 days rain ceased and the seventh moneth from thence is this in hand 3 Ebbing water 4 Ebbing water 5 Ebbing water 6 Ebbing water 7 Ebbing water 8 Ebbing water 9 Ebbing water 10 Ebbing water 11 Ebbing water 12 Ebbing water 13 Ebbing water  14 Ebbing water  15 Ebbing water  16 Ebbing water  17  The Ark resteth upon the mountains of Ararat that is upon one of them 18 Ebbing water 19 Ebbing water  20 Ebbing water  21 Ebbing water  22 Ebbing water  23 Ebbing water  24 Ebbing water  25 Ebbing water  26 Ebbing water  27 Ebbing water  28 Ebbing water  29 Ebbing water  30 Ebbing water  Tamuz the tenth moneth Part of June and July 1 Ebbing water The Ark drew water eleven cubits as appeareth by this collection On the first day of the moneth Ab the mountain tops were first seen as shall be shewed there and then the waters had fallen fifteen cubits which they had been threescore days in doing namely from the first day of Sivan and so they had abated the proportion of one cubit in four days By this account we find that on the sixteenth day of Sivan they had abated but four cubits and yet on the next day the Ark resteth on a hill when the waters yet lay eleven cubits above it 2 Ebbing water 3 Ebbing water 4 Ebbing water 5 Ebbing water 6 Ebbing water 7 Ebbing water 8 Ebbing water 9 Ebbing water 10 Ebbing water 11 The raven sent out 12 Ebbing water 13 Ebbing water 14 Ebbing water 15 Ebbing water 16 Ebbing water 17 Ebbing water 18 Ebbing water  19 The dove sent out  20 Ebbing water  21 Ebbing water  22 Ebbing water  23 Ebbing water  24 Ebbing water  25 Ebbing water  26 Ebbing water  27  The dove sent out again and returneth at even with an olive leaf in her mouth which she had plucked from a tree that now began to appear from under water 28 Ebbing water 29 Ebbing water Ab the eleventh moneth Part of July and August 1  The mountain tops appear this is called the tenth moneth Vers. 5. not of the year but of the flood for the Text sets it self to measure out the time of the waters 2 Ebbing water 3 Ebbing water 4 Ebbing water 5 Ebbing water 6  The dove sent out returneth no more For now she hath the mountain tops dry to rest upon The waters now being got within the compass of the mountains do abate a deal faster then they did when they lay above them for whereas then they were threescore days in abating but fifteen cubits in threescore days more they abate the depth of the highest mountain For whereas on the first day of the moneth Ab the mountain tops appear on the first day of Tisri which is but two moneths after the face of all the earth is dry Vers. 13. 7 Ebbing water 8 Ebbing water 9 Ebbing water 10 Ebbing water 11 Ebbing water 12 Ebbing water 13 Ebbing water 14 Ebbing water 15 Ebbing water 16 Ebbing water 17 Ebbing water 18 Ebbing water 19 Ebbing water 20 Ebbing water 21 Ebbing water 22 Ebbing water  23 Ebbing water  24 Ebbing water  25 Ebbing water  26 Ebbing water  27 Ebbing water  28 Ebbing water  29 Ebbing water  30 Ebbing water  Elul the twelfth moneth Part of August and September 1 Ebbing water Thus hath the heat of all the Summer helped to the drying up of the waters which by the end of this moneth are clean gone For on the first day of the next moneth which is the beginning of a new year of the world the waters are dried up from off the earth And thus hath passed this sad year of the world in which not only all flesh hath perished from under Heaven save what was in the Ark but even the very course of nature hath been strangely changed for day and night summer and winter have not kept their course The world that then was being overflowed with waters perished but the Heaven and the Earth which now are are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men 2 Pet. 3. 6 7. 2 Ebbing water 3 Ebbing water 4 Ebbing water 5 Ebbing water 6 Ebbing water 7 Ebbing water 8 Ebbing water 9 Ebbing water 10 Ebbing water 11 Ebbing water 12 Ebbing water 13 Ebbing water 14 Ebbing water 15 Ebbing water 16 Ebbing water 17 Ebbing water 18 Ebbing water 19 Ebbing water 20 Ebbing water 21 Ebbing water 22 Ebbing water 23 Ebbing water  24 Ebbing water  25 Ebbing water  26 Ebbing water  27 Ebbing water  28 Ebbing water  29 Ebbing water  CHAP. VIII From Verse 13. to the end NOW is begun a new year of the world namely the year 1657. and on the first day of Tisri the waters are clean gone from off the earth and on the 27th day of Marhesvan the earth is clean dry and Noah cometh that day out of the Ark. He staid a moneth and sixteen days after the waters were quite gone that the earth which was moist soft and muddy with so long a flood might be hardned and dried and thus hath he been in the Ark a just complete year of the sun His coming out was about the beginning of November when winter was already come and no provision then to be had for the beasts till the next spring but what they had out of the Ark. Noah instantly after his coming out of the Ark buildeth an Altar and offereth the odd clean beasts that he had taken in of every kind for that purpose and the Lord accepteth him and promiseth never to destroy the world with water again and thus as the old world so also this new beginneth with Sacrifice CHAP. IX AS God had blessed Adam and his wife at their creation with the blessing of increase and multiplication and of dominion over the creatures so doth
of it was nineteen or twenty years ago to shew and to record the truth of those things which that wretched King Jehoiakim would not believe but burnt the Book in the fire And these are the subject of the other Copy that Baruch wrote when the first was burnt EZEKIEL XXXIII THIS twentieth year of Nebuchad-nezzar and of the first Captivity was the twelfth year of Ezekiels Captivity with Jeconiah And on the tenth month of this year and on the fifth day of that month Ezekiel hath intelligence that Jerusalem was fired vers 21. Temple and all It is almost a year and an half since the thing was done and yet intelligence comes but now The evening before these tidings came to him his mouth is opened again to Prophesie to his own people which he had not done since the day that Nebuchad-nezzar first laid siege to Jerusalem three years ago whereof one year and a half was taken up in that siege and one year and somewhat above an half since the City was taken Compare Chap. 24. vers 1. 26 27. In this space of time though Ezekiel were dumb to Israel yet was he not to other Nations for he Prophesieth many sad things against other Countries as is apparent by the Chapters taken up before EZEKIEL XXXII IN the same year viz. the twelfth of Ezekiels and Jechonias Captivity he hath a Prophesie against Egypt in the last month of the year on the first day of the month and another on the fifteenth day of the same month vers 27. Now the dislocation of this Chapter is easily seen for the three and thirtieth Chapter that followeth it is dated in the tenth month of this twelfth year and this in the twelfth month But the reason of this transposition is almost as easily seen namely because there are divers Prophesies against Egypt and other Countries before and this is also brought thither to them that it may lye with them EZEKIEL XXXIV XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX Captivity 21 ALL these Chapters of Ezekiel fall not under any expressed or determinate Captivity 22 date the fortieth Chapter does under the date of the five and twentieth year of Jechoniahs captivity therefore we are to conceive at large of the time of these Chapters that they were delivered between the twelfth year of that Captivity by which the three and thirtieth Chapter is dated and the five and twentieth by which the fortieth JEREMY LII vers 30. World 3424 Captivity 23 IN the three and twentieth year of Nebuchad-nezzar or the three and twentieth of the first Captivity for these run parallel Nebuzaradan Captain of the Guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty five persons it may be this was in revenge of the base usage of Gedaliah and the Chaldeans that were with him And here is the last blow of the Jews given by the Babylonian and now is Judea and Jerusalem in full and compleat Captivity PSAL. CXXXVII AND here it may not be impertinent to take in the 137 Psalm which describeth the posture and sorrow and soorn of these captived ones as they sate in Babel 1 CHRON. II III IV V VI VII VIII IX Captivity 24 NOR may it be unproper in this place to read and view again these Captivity 25 Chapters of the first of Chronicles It is true indeed that they and Captivity 26 their Texts broken in pieces might be laid to be read in other places as was Captivity 27 said before as those Genealogies and Stories that are recited else-where in Captivity 28 Scripture to be laid with those places where they are mentioned and those Captivity 29 that are not mentioned again in Scripture to be laid with the Stories of such Captivity 30 times as the best evidence or probability will tell when they came to pass or Captivity 31 were in being Those Texts that tell of Plantations of Cities or Countries Captivity 32 to be laid in that place in the Book of Joshua that relateth the dividing of the Land as was done there Those that draw long Pedegrees to conclude in some famous man as the Pedegree of Korah to Samuel Chap. 6. these to be brought in at the Story of that famous man Thus might these Genealogies and Chapters be taken up But since Chap. 9. 1. telleth that these Genealogies were written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah that were captived and since divers places in these Chapters speak of the Captivity and of these latter times and since the reading of these Chapters after the Story of Jerusalems Captivity is as it were a short review of the planting and setling and growing of that Nation in that Country out of which the Story of the Captivity hath told the Reader they were now removed it may be very methodical and proper upon these considerations and very profitable to take in these Chapters and to read them here again EZEK XL XLI XLII XLIII XLIV XLV XLVI XLVII XLVIII World 3434 Captivity 33 THIS thirty third year of the first Captivity and of Nebuchad-nezzar Captivity 34 was the five and twentieth of the Captivity of Jechoniah and Ezekiel And now the Lord sheweth the Prophet a new Temple bigger then all the old Jerusalem and a new Jerusalem bigger then all the Land of Canaan by these very dimensions shewing that these things cannot literally but must spiritually be understood EZEKIEL XXIX from vers 17. to the end And XXX to vers 20. World 3436 Captivity 35 THIS seven and twentieth year of his Captivity Ezekiel hath another Prophesie against Egypt and this is the last we have of this Prophet and it is laid here though it should have been last in the Book that all the Prophesies against Egypt might come together Nebuchad-nezzar had lately taken Tyrus and it had cost him very dear and this year he taketh Egypt as the pay of his Souldiers for that service And now is Babylon intire Monarch of all the World and Nebuchad-nezzar become the golden head Egypt the only Kingdom that opposed him being subdued DANIEL II III IV. World 3437 Captivity 36 NEBUCHAD-NEZZAR now come to his height hath a dream of the four Monarchies of the tree cut down c. grows proud and will be worshipped for a God The three Princes of Judah live in the fire they were now at the least 40 years old and therefore improperly but commonly called the three children This year is called the second year of the Kingdom of Nebuchad-nezzar Dan. 2. 1. not of his first being King but of his intire Monarchy when Egypt the only potent Prince and Nation that stood against him was now subdued So the first year of Cyrus is to be understood Ezr. 1. 1. not the first year of his being King but the first year of his universal Monarchy as the very next verse explaineth it The Lord God hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth Some part of this year is Nebuchad-nezzar mad Captivity 37 Nebuchad-nezzar mad Captivity 38
a good space of time So that this first Miracle of turning Water into Wine was about the middle of our November or little further The Jews marriages were fixed to certain days of the week For a Virgin was to be married on the fourth day of the week and a widow on the fifth Talm. in chetub cap. 1. The reason why is not pertinent to produce here Now if this marriage at Cana were of a Virgin and on the fourth day of the week or our Wednesday then Christs first shewing himself to John and his Disciples at Jordan was on the first day of the week afterward the Christian Sabbath These Marriage Feasts they held to be commanded and thereupon they have this Maxime It is not fit for the Scholars of the wise to eat at Feasts but only at the Feasts commanded as those of espousals and of marriages Maym. in Deah cap. 5. At the Passeover it is half a year since Christ was baptized and thenceforward he hath three years to live which John reckoneth by three Passeovers more viz. Joh. 5. 1. 6. 4. 18. 28. In this first half year he had gone through his forty days temptation had gathered some disciples and had perambulated Galilee At Jerusalem at the Passeover in the face of all the People he acted in the evidence of the great Prophet and purgeth his own Temple as Mal. 3. 1 3. doth many Miracles knoweth the false hearts of many and trusteth not himself with them He found in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Sheep ver 14. For some illustration to this passage take a Story in Tal. Jerus in Jom tobh fol. 61. col 3. One day Baba ben Bota came into the Temple Court and found it solitary or destitute that is not having any beasts there for sacrifice He saith Desolate be their houses who have desolated the house of our God What did he He sent and fetched in three thousand sheep of the sheep of Kedar and searched them whether they were without blemish and brought them into the mountain of the house or the utmost Court the place where Christ found Sheep and Oxen at this time and saith My brethren the house of Israel whosoever will bring a burnt-offering let him bring it whosoever will bring a peace-offering let him bring it Among other things that Jesus did for the purging of his Temple it is said He poured out the changers money and overthrew the Tables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so again Matth. 21. 12. Maym. in Shekalim cap. 1. It is an affirmative Precept of the Law that every Israelite pay yearly half a sheckel yea even the poor that lives on alms is bound to this either begging so much money that he may give it or selling his coat to get so much Talm. in Shekalim cap. 1 c. On the first day of the month Adar proclamation was made about this half shekel that they should get it ready On the fifteenth day of that month the Collectors sat in every City for the receiving of it and as yet they forced none to pay But on the five and twentieth day they began to sit in the Temple this was some eighteen or nineteen days before the Passeover and then they forced men to pay and if any refused they distrained They sat with two Chests before them into the one of which they put the money of the present year and into the other the money that should have been paid the year before Every one must have half a shekel to pay for himself Therefore when he brought a shekel to change for two half shekels he was to pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some profit to the changer And when a shekel was brought for two there was a double profit to be paid for the change SECTION XIV JOHN Chap. III. All the Chapter Nicodemus The Disciples baptize in the Name of Iesus BEfore our Saviours departure from Jerusalem Nicodemus one of the Judges of the great Sanhedrin cometh to him and becometh his Disciple for we cannot so properly look for a Member of that great Council in any place as at Jerusalem He had observed in his Miracles the dawning of the days of Messias or the Kingdom of Heaven but having but gross and erronious apprehensions concerning the Kingdom of Heaven or of the state of those days as was the general mistake of the Nation he is rectified about that matter and is taught the great Doctrines of regeneration and believing in Christ Christ teaching regeneration by the Spirit and Water exalteth Baptism and closely calleth to Nicodemus to be baptized The Talmudick Records make mention of a Nicodemus in these times who had to do about waters to provide sufficient for the People to drink at the Festivals He is taught against the great misprision of the Nation that Messias should be a redeemer of the Gentiles as well as the Jews The Jews in their common language did title the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Nations of the World The Earth they divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Land of Israel and out of the Land and the People they parted into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel and the Nations of the World The New Testament which follows their common Language exceeding much useth both these expressions very often whereby to signifie the Gentiles sometimes calling them those that are without and sometimes the world Nicodemus very readily understood the word in this common sense when Christ says God so loved the world that he gave his Son And he very well perceived that Christ contradicted in these his words their common and uncharitable error which held that the Messias should be a redeemer only to Israel and those Gentiles only that should be proselyted to their Judaisme but as for the rest of the Heathen he should confound and destroy them Examples of this their proud and uncharitableness might be produced by multitudes let these two or three suffice The Jerus Talm. in Taanith fol. 64. col 1. speaking of the coming of Messias saith and produceth these words Isa. 21. 12. The morning cometh and also the night It shall be the morning to Israel but night to the Nations of the world Midr. Till on Psal. 2. The threshing is come the straw they cast into the fire the chaff into the wind but preserve the wheat in the floor and every one that sees it takes it and kisses it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Nations of the world say the world was made for our sakes but Israel say to them Is it not written But the people shall be as the burning of the Lime-kilne but Israel in the time to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expression whereby they commonly mean the times of the Messias shall be left only as it is said The Lord shall lead him alone and there shall be with him no strange god Baal turim on Num 24. 8. on those words He
former Chapter was contained the intimation of the desolation of Jerusalem and in the beginning of this the ceasing of Prophesie under the similitude of the four winds restrained from blowing upon the Earth Compare Cant. 4. 16. Ezek. 37. 9. only a remnant of Israel are sealed unto salvation and not to perish by that restraint and with them innumerable Gentiles Ezekiel helpeth here to confirm the explication that we have given of the Chapter before for he hath the very like passage upon the first destruction of the City Ezek. 9. 10. 11. Compare the marking in the foreheads here with Exod. 28. 38. Dan not mentioned among the Tribes in this place Idolatry first began in that Tribe Judg. 18. 1 King 12. REVEL CHAP. VIII THE opening of the seventh Seal lands us upon a new scene as a new world began when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews cast off The six Seals in the two former Chapters have shewed their ruine and the appearing of the Church of the Gentiles and now the seven Trumpets under the seventh Seal give us a prospect in general of the times thence forward to the end of all things I say in general for from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter and forward to the end of the nineteenth they are handled more particularly Silence in Heaven for a while and seven Angels with seven Trumpets may call our thoughts to Joshua 6. 4 10. and intimate that the Prophetick story is now entred upon a new Canaan or a new stage of the Church as that business at Jericho was at Israels first entring on the old Or it may very properly be looked upon as referring and alluding to the carriage of things at the Temple since this Book doth represent things so much according to the scheme and scene of the Temple all along And in this very place there is mention of the Altar and Incense and Trumpets which were all Temple appurtenances It was therefore the custom at the Temple that when the Priest went in to the Holy place the people drew downward from the Porch of the Temple and there was a silence whilest he was there yea though the people were then praying incomparably beyond what there was at other times of the service for the Priests were blowing with Trumpets or the Levites singing The allusion then here is plain When the sacrifice was laid on the Altar a Priest took coals from the Altar went in to the Holy place and offered incense upon the Golden Altar that stood before the vail that was before the Ark and this being done the Trumpets sounded over the sacrifice Here then is first intimation of Christs being offered upon the Altar then his going into the Holy place as Mediator for his people and then the Trumpets sounding and declaring his disposals in the world His taking fire off the Altar and casting it upon the Earth ver 5. is a thing not used at the Temple but spoken from Ezek. 10. 2. which betokeneth the sending of judgment which the Trumpets speak out These seven Trumpets and the seven Vials in Chap. 16. in many things run very parallel how far they Synchronize will be best considered when we come there The first Trumpet sounding brings hail and fire and blood upon the Earth and destroys grass and trees a third part of them Fire and hail was the plague of Egypt Exod. 9. 23. but fire and blood with hail is a new plague By these seemeth to be intimated what plagues should be brought upon the world by fire sword dreadful tempest unnatural seasons and the like The second Trumpet sounds and a great burning mountain is cast into the Sea and the third part of it becomes blood The Sea in the Prophetick language doth signifie multitudes of people as Jerem. 51. 36. 42. And Babylon that was Monarch was a burning mountain in the same Chapter ver 35. So that the Imperial power seemeth to be the mountain here which made bloody and mischievous work not only by the persecution of Christians but even among their own people As Nero at present Vitellius instantly after Domitian Commodus and indeed generally all of them either bloodily destroy their own people or at least for their covetousness ambition revenge or humour bring disquietness oppression misery Wars and Blood upon all the World in one place or other The third Trumpet brings the Star Wormwood upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters which seemeth to denote the grievous Heresies that should be in the Church which should corrupt and imbitter the pure springs of the Scripture and fountains of Truth A Star in the language of this Book is a Church-man Chap. 1. 20. Ben Cochab was such a Wormwood Star among the Jews called most properly Ben cozba the lier And the phrase A Star falling from Heaven alludes to Isa. 14. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer c. The fourth Trumpet shews the darkning of the Sun and Moon and Stars for a third part By which seems to be understood the wane and decay both in the glory of the Church by superstition and of the Empire by its divisions within and enemies from without and this before the rising of the Papacy which appears under the next Trumpet and these things were great advantages to its rising The darkning of the heavenly luminaries in the Prophets language signifieth the eclipsing of the glory and prosperity of a Kingdom or People Isa. 13. 9 10. Joel 2. 10. How it was with the Church and Empire in these respects before that time that the Papacy appeared he is a stranger to History both Ecclesiastical and Civil that remembreth not upon this very hint The three Trumpets coming are the Trumpets of Wo wo wo though these things past were very woful but those much more that are to come REVEL CHAP. IX A Description of the Papacy under the fifth Trumpet Another Star falling from Heaven and that a notable one indeed the He that hath the Key of the bottomless pit committed to him A vast difference from the Keys given Peter The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven The setting of these in their just distance and opposition will illustrate the matter before us When the world is to come out of darkness and Heathenism to the knowledge of the Gospel Christ gives Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to open the door and let light come in among them for he first preached to the Gentiles Act. 10. 15. 7. The World under the Papacy returns as it were to Heathenism again and not undeservedly for its contempt of the Gospel and unproficiency under it which is very fitly described by Hell opened by the Keys of the bottomless pit and darkness coming and clouding all The Claviger or Turnkey is The child of perdition Abaddon and Apollyon a destroyer and one that is surely and sorely to be destroyed Chittim Italy or Rome afflicting and perishing for ever Num. 24. 24. Antichrist of the second edition
down of Idolatry and Heathenism in the Earth till the World was become Christian and then the Papacy arising doth Heathenize it again The destruction of which is set down vers 9. by fire from Heaven in allusion to Sodom or 2 King 1. 10 12. and it is set close to the end of the World the Devil and the Beast Rome imperial and the false Prophet Rome Papal are cast into fire and brimstone vers 10. where John speaks so as to shew his method which we have spoken of The Devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are He had given the story of the beast and false Prophet the Devils agents and what became of them Chap. 19. vers 20. And now the story of the Devil himself for it was not possible to handle these two stories but apart and now he brings the confusion of all the three together and the confusion of all with them that bare their mark and whose names were not written in the Book of life REVEL CHAP. XXI THE Jerusalem from above described The phrase is used by Paul Gal. 4. 26. and it is used often by the Jews Zohar fol. 120. col 478. Rabbi Aba saith Luz is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem which is above which the holy blessed God gives for a possession where blessings are given by his hand in a pure Land but to an impure Land no blessings to be at all Compare Revel 21. 27 22. 15. Midras Till in Psal. 122. Jerusalem is built as a City that is compact together R. Jochanan saith The holy blessed God said I will not go into Jerusalem that is above until I have gone into Jerusalem that is below c. Ezekiels Jerusalem as we observed was of a double signification namely as promising the rebuilding of the City after the Captivity and foretelling of the spiritual Jerusalem the Church under the Gospel and that most especially At that John taketh at here and that is the Jerusalem that he describeth And from Isa. 65. 17 18. joyneth the creating new Heavens and a new Earth and so stateth the time of building this new Jerusalem namely at the coming in of the Gospel when all things are made new 2 Cor. 5. 17. A new People new Ordinances new Oeconomy and the old World of Israel dissolved Though the description of this new City be placed last in the Book yet the building of it was contemporary with the first things mentioned in it about the calling of the Gentiles When God pitched his Tabernacle amongst theâ—â— as he had done in the midst of Israel Levit. 26. 11 12. That Tabernacle is pitched in the fourth and fifth Chapters of this Book And now all tears wiped away and no more sorrow death nor pain vers 4. which if taken litterally could refer to nothing but the happy estate in Heaven of which the glory of this Jerusalem may indeed be a figure but here as the other things are it is to be taken mystically or spiritually to mean the taking away the curse of the Law and the sting of death and sin c. No condemnation to be to those that are in Christ Jesus The passages in describing the City are all in the Prophets phrase Ezekiel and Isaiah as compare these The Bride the Lambs wife vers 9. Sing O barren Heathen that didst not bear c. Thy Maker is thine Husband thy Redeemer c. Isa. 54. 1 5. Vers. 10. He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain Compare Ezek. 40. 2. That great City holy Jerusalem c. This refers to great dimensions of Ezekiels Jerusalem as also to the squareness the three gates of a side c. The glory of it described from thence and from Isa. 58. 8. 60. 2 3. 54. 11 12 c. The wall of it twelve thousand furlongs square or fifteen hundred miles upon every quarter East West North and South three thousand miles about and fifteen hundred miles high Wall of salvation Isa 26. 1. 60. 14. The foundations of the walls garnished with twelve precious stones see Isa. 54. 11. as the stones in the Ephod or holy Breastplate three upon every side as these were three and three in a row The first foundation stone here is the Jaspar the stone of Benjamin for Pauls sake the great agent about this building of the Church of the Gentiles The Jerus Talmud in Peah fol. 15. col 3. saith expresly that the Jaspar was Benjamins stone for it saith Benjamins Jaspar was once lost out of the Ephod and they said Who is there that hath another as good as it Some said Damah the son of Nethina hath one c. And I saw no Temple therein c. vers 22. here this Jerusalem differs from Ezekiels that had a Temple this none and it is observable there that the platform of the Temple is much of the measures and fashion that the second Temple was of but the City of a compass larger then all the Land which helpeth to clear what was said before of the double significancy of those things they promised them an earthly Temple which was built by Zerobabel but foretold a heavenly Jerusalem which is described here REVEL CHAP. XXII FROM Ezekiel Chap. 47. and from several passages of Scripture besides John doth still magnifie the glory happiness and holiness of the new Jerusalem Lively waters of clear Doctrine teaching Christ and life by him flowing through it continually Ezek. 7. 1 9. Cant. 4. 15. The Tree of Life lost to Adam and Paradise shut up against him to keep him from it here restored Then a curse here There shall be curse no more vers 3. See Zech. 14. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anathema non erit amplius c. He concludeth These sayings are faithful and true so he had said before at the marriage of the Lamb Chap. 19. 9. and again at his beginning of the story of the new Jerusalem Chap. 21. 5. referring to the several Prophesies that had been of these things and now all those sayings and Prophesies were come home in truth and faithfulness He is commanded not to seal his Book as Daniel was Dan. 12. 4. because the time of these things was instantly beginning and Christs coming to reveal his glory in avengement upon the Jewish Nation and casting them off and to take in the Gentiles in their stead was now at the door within three and an half or thereabout to come if we have conjectured the writing of this Book to its proper year There are two years more of Nero and one of confusion in the Roman Empire in the Wars of Otho Vitellius and Vespasian and the next year after Jerusalem falls And thus if this Book of the Revelation were written last of the Books of the New Testament as by the consent of all it was then may we say Now was the whole will of God revealed and committed to writing and from
in the City he caused his Scholars R. Joshua and R. Eliezer to carry him forth upon a Bier as a dead corps for a dead corps might not rest in Jerusalem all night and so he escaped and was brought to Caesar. Thus R. Nathan tells the story Avoth per. 4. This Rabban Jochanan fourty years ago when the Temple doors flew open of their own accord foresaw its ruine in that presage and accordingly applied that saying of the Prophet Zechary Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may devour thy Cedars Therefore when he saw the enemy now so straitly besieging the City and such forerunners of ruine apparent it is no wonder if he used all perswasion to the people to yield and to save their City as the same Author also tells us he did and if he went and gave himself up to him that he knew should be Conqueror Nor needed he any Prophetick spirit to foresee these things but the very sickly condition and distemper of the Nation might plainly enough tell him that her death could not be far off He finding favour with Caesar petitioned of him that the Sanhedrin might repair to its old place Jabneh and there settle and he obtained it Jabneh was near unto Joppa upon the Sea coast there is mention of it 2 Chron. 26. 6. Here had the Sanhedrin sitten as we have mentioned many years before the Temple fell a good part of Gamaliels time and all Rabban Simeons his son He sate President here five years and these are the men of note that sate with him Rabban Gamaliel son to Rabban Simeon that was slain at the fall of the City R. Zadok one who had spent his body with extream fasting since the Temple doors had opened of their own accord taking that for an omen of its ruine approaching R. Eliezer his son R. Judah and R. Joshua the sons of Betirah R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus the Author of Pirke Eliezer R. Joshuah R. Eliezer ben Erech R. Ismael R. Jose R. Simeon ben Nathaniel R. Akibah and divers others who outlived Rabban Jochanan the most of them a long time They made many Decretals in his time especially about those things that had had immediate reference to the Temple as see Rosh hashanah per. 4. Shekalim per. 1 c. SECTION IV. The Sâ—nhedrin still at Iabneh Rabban Gamaliel President WHEN Rabban Jochanan died Rabban Gamaliel succeeded him in the Presidency seven years He is commonly called by the Hebrew Writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabban Gamaliel of Jabneh But for the right stating of his Presidency there two things are to be observed The first is mentioned in Babyl in Rosh hashanah fol. 31. 1 2. where all the flittings of the Sanhedrin are reckoned in the Gemara thus From the room Gazith it flitted to the Taberna in the mountain of the Temple from the Taberna into Hierusalem from Hierusalem to Jabneh from Jabneh to Osha or Usha from Osha to Shepharaam from Shepharaam to Beth Shaaraim from Beth Shaaraim to Tsipporis and from Tsipporis to Tiberias Now the marginal Gloss teacheth us how to understand these removes When the President was in any of these places saith it the Sanhedrin was with him and when he or his son went to another place it went after him It was at Jabneh in the days of Rabban Jochanan at Usha in the days of Rabban Gamaliel but they returned from Usha to Jabneh again but in the days of Rabban Simeon his son it went back again to Usha So that the time that Rabban Gamaliel sate at Jabneh instantly upon Rabban Jochanans death was not long but he went to Usha and his time at Usha was not long neither but to Jabneh again And as we are to observe thus about his time and place so there is a second thing to be taken notice about him and that is the mixture of his Presidency The Talmudists do speak oft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of placing R. Eliezer the son of Azariah in the Presidency Tsemach David speaks it out thus R. Eliezer ben Azariah was a Priest and was exceeding rich he was made President in the room of Rabban Gamaliel but afterward they were joyned in the Presidency together which is still obscure enough but the Jerusalem Gemarists give the full story in Taanith fol. 67. col 4. in these words A certain scholar came and asked R. Joshua What is Evening Prayer He answered A thing Arbitrary The same scholar came and asked Rabban Gamaliel What is Evening Prayer And he said A bounden duty He saith to him But R. Joshua saith it is a thing Arbitrary He saith to him To morrow when I come into the Congregation stand forth and ask this question So the scholar did ask Rabban Gamaliel What is Evening Prayer He answered A bounden duty How then saith the scholar doth R. Joshua say it is a thing Arbitrary Rabban Gamaliel saith to R. Joshua Art thou he that saith it is a thing Arbitrary He answered No. He says to him Stand upon thy feet that they may bear witness against thee R. Joshua stood upon his feet whilest Rabban sate and was expounding so that all the Congregation repined at him for making him to stand so And they said to R. Hotspith the Interpreter Dismiss the people and they said to R. Zinnun the Minister say Begin and they said all Begin and stood upon their feet too And they said to him Rabban Gamaliel Against whom hath not thy mischief passed continually They went presently and made R. Eliezer ben Azaria President who was but sixteen years old but very grave R. Akibah sate by and took it ill and said It is not because he is better studied in the Law then I that he is thus prefered but because he is nobler born then I. Happy is the man who hath Ancesters to priviledge him Happy is the man that hath a nail to hang upon And what was the nail that R. Eliezer ben Azaria had He was the tenth from Ezra How many benches of scholars were there sitting there then R. Jacob bar Susi saith Fourscore besides the people that stood behind them R. Josi ben R. Bon saith Three hundred Rabban Gamaliel went presently to every one at his own home and sought to pacific him c. So that by this it appears how and why Gamaliel was outed of his Presidency namely for his pride and passion of which we might shew you other examples also but he was restored again to be partner in the dignity with R. Eliezer whom they promoted now There is exceeding much mention of this Gamaliel in the Talmuds and he is a very busie man there the Reader there meets with him as oft as with any one man whosoever He had a servant named Tobi very oft spoken of whose eye he struck out and let him go free for it when he died he much bemoaned and commended him Beraâ—â—th per. 2. halac 6. Whilest he sate at Jabneh in his curiosity for the exquisite taking
They had both the same end repentance For though our Christian baptism is called the Baptism for remission of sins Act. 2. 38. c. and a great deal of preeminence of this above that of John picked as is thought out of that title yet is it no more then what is said of the baptism of John Mark 1. 4. Fourthly Whereas it is commonly said that one end of our Saviours being baptized was that he might sanctifie our baptism how can this be supposed if he received not our baptism but one different from it Fifthly The Disciples were baptized with no baptism but that of John for Christ baptized them not and who other should do it cannot be imagined and therefore if this of ours be more excellent then Johns we have a better baptism then the Apostles that first administred it Sixthly and lastly Howsoever the Schools without any stumbling do hold rebaptization of those that had received the baptism of John this crosseth their own tenet that his was a degree above the washings under the Law for their imperfection was shewed by their reiteration and in this they make his to differ nothing at all And whereas it is said Act. 19. 5. that some that were baptized with the baptism of John upon Pauls instruction of them were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus it was rather their renewing to their baptism then their baptism to them and not that they took any other then that of John but that they now began to entertain and apply it to the right intent As it may be exemplified in circumcision in any heathen son of Abraham as in Jethro for an instance He was circumcised while he was an unbeliever because he was a Midianite a child of Abraham now when he came to be a convert and imbraced the true Religion he was not to be circumcised again for that was not possible but he then began to know and apply the right use and meaning of his circumcision and so was renewed to it and not it to him Or those words When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus may be understood to be the words of Paul and not of Luke as see Beza in loc This phraze of baptizing with the Holy Ghost sheweth first the restoring of the Holy Ghost which long ago was departed from Israel and gone up Secondly The abundance and plenteousness of that gift when it should be exhibited that it should be as water poured upon them as the word is used Joel 2. 28. Thirdly It sheweth whither all the washings and purifyings of the Law aimed and had respect namely to the washing and purging of men by the Holy Ghost §. You. That is some of you as 1 Sam. 8. 11. He will take your sons that is some of them or You that is the people as Deut. 18. 15. The Lord shall raise to thee a Prophet that is to thy people and unto him you shall hearken that is the Nation of your posterity §. And with fire From Isa. 4. 4. The Lord shall wash the filthiness of the Daughter of Zion and purge the blood of Jerusalem out of the middest thereof by the spirit of Judgment and by the spirit of burning It is easily to be resolved what John meaneth here by fire seeing our Saviour himself hath applied the other part of his speech to the coming down of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost day when we know he appeared in the visible shape of Tongues of fire Act. 2. Now Christs baptizing in this manner with fire was 1. That the giving of the Holy Ghost might fully answer the giving of the Law both for time and manner for both were given at Pentecost and both in fire 2. To express the various operations of the Holy Ghost which are fitly resembled and represented by the effects of fire As 1. To inlighten with knowledge 2. To inflame with zeal 3. To burn up corruption 4. To purifie the nature 5. To turn the man to its own qualification of sanctity as fire maketh all things that it seiseth like it self 3. To strike terror in the hearts of men lest they should despise the Gospel and to win reverence to the Holy Ghost for fear of the fire 4. Hereby was clearly and fully shewed the life and significancy of the sacrifices under the Law upon whom there came a fire from Heaven intimating that they are lively sacrifices and accepted who are inflamed by the Holy Ghost from above And thus the two elements that have and shall destroy the world water and fire hath God been pleased to use for the benefit and salvation of his chosen Vers. 17. Whose fan is in his hand By the fan in the hand of Christ the most Expositors understand the power of judgement that God the Father hath committed to him For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son Joh. 5. 22. And thus some take it for an argument against security to all and others against Apostasie to those that have been baptized with the Holy Ghost and that as the Baptist in the former words hath told what Christ would do at his first coming and appearance so in these what he will do at his second but I rather adhere to the interpretation of them that by the Fan of Christ understand the Gospel and his preaching and publication of the same and that upon these reasons First Because unless it be thus taken we have not here any testimony at all given by the Baptist to the people concerning that part of the Office of Christ. Now that being a matter of so great importance as that the Prophets do more insist upon the preaching of Christ and his power in the Gospel then upon any other thing that concerned him in the work of Redemption and this being in several respects more regardable then his baptizing with the Holy Ghost it cannot be imagined that John should omit to bear witness of him for such a thing nay it had been to neglect to bear witness of him for the chief thing of all Secondly Because the Gospel or the Word of God is the proper touchstone that trieth and differenceth betwixt gold and dross truth and falshood pure and vile and this is the instrument wherewith he confoundeth every strong hold that exalteth it self against himself Isa. 11. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 8. Revel 1. 16. 2. 16. And Thirdly Because John speaketh of Christ as he should presently shew himself among them as it is apparent in the verse preceding and not as he should shew himself at the end of the world §. His floor If these words and those that follow be applied to the whole Church in all places and at all times in general the application may be very profitable and pertinent as giving warning to all men to bring forth the fruits of repentance for fear of the judgement to come and so the end of this verse may be of the same use
strange Languages when they did speak them but conceived they had babbled some foolish gibberish and canting they themselves could make nothing of as drunken men are used to do And this caused their so wretched a construction of so Divine a Gift For the Jews of the strange Nations and Languages that perceived and understood that the Disciples did speak in their Languages were amazed and said one to another What meaneth this Vers. 12. But these other Jews Natives of Jerusalem and Judea that understood only their own Syriack and did not understand that they spake strange Languages indeed these mocked and said These men are full of new or sweet wine grounding their accusation the rather because that Pentecost was a feasting and rejoycing time Deut. 16. 11. And according to this conception it is observable that Peter begins his speech Ye men of Judea Vers. 14. But Peter standing up with the eleven said c. Reason it self if the Text did not would readily resolve that it was not Peter alone that converted the 3000 that are mentioned after but that the rest of the Apostles were sharers with him in that work For if Peter must be held the only Orator at this time then must it needs be granted that either the 3000 which were converted were all of one Language or that the one Language that he spake seemed to the hearers to be divers Tongues or that he rehearsed the same speech over and over again in divers Languages any of which to grant is sensless and ridiculous and yet unless we will run upon some of these absurdites we may not deny that the rest of the twelve preached now as well as Peter But the Text besides this gives us these arguments to conclude the matter to be undoubted First It saith Peter stood forth with the eleven vers 14. Now why should the eleven be mentioned standing forth as well as Peter if they spake not as well as he They might as well have sitten still and Peters excuse of them would as well have served the turn It was not Peter alone that stood forth to excuse the eleven but Peter and the eleven that stood forth to excuse the rest of the hundred and twenty Secondly It is said They were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles What shall we do Why should they question and ask counsel of the rest of the Apostles as well as Peter if they had not preached as well as he Thirdly And it is a confirmation that so they did in that it is said Vers. 42. They continued in the Doctrine of the Apostles of the rest as well as Peter Fourthly If that were the occasion that we mentioned why they suspected the Apostles and the rest drunk then will it follow that Peter preached and spake in the Syriack Tongue chiefly to those Jews of Judea and Jerusalem that would not believe because they could not understand that the Disciples spake strange Languages but thought they canted some drunken gibberish And to give some probability of this not only his preface Ye men of Judea but also his laying flatly the murder of Christ to their charge Vers. 22. 23. do help to confirm it and the conclusion of his Sermon and of the story in the Evangelist doth set it home that if Peter preached not only to these Natives of Judea yet that he only preached not at this time but that the others did the like with him in that it is said They that gladly received his words were baptized and then as speaking of another story he saith there were added about the same day 3000 souls Now the reason why Peters Sermon is only recorded and the story more singularly fixed on him we observed before §. Brief observations upon some passages in Peters Sermon Vers. 15. It is but the third hour of the day And on these solemn Festival days they used not to eat or drink any thing till high noon as Baronius would observe out of Josephus and Acts 10. Vers. 17. In the last days The days of the Gospel because there is no way of salvation to be expected beyond the Gospel whereas there was the Gospel beyond the law and the law beyond the light of the ages before it Yet is this most properly to be understood of those days of the Gospel that were before Jerusalem was destroyed And the phrase the last days used here and in divers other places is not to be taken for the last days of the world but for the last days of Jerusalem the destruction of which and the rejection of the Jews is reputed the end of that old world and the coming in of the Gentiles under the Gospel is as a new world and is accordingly called a new Heaven and a new Earth Upon all flesh Upon the Heathens and Gentiles as well as upon the Jews Act. 10. 45. contrary to the axiome of the Jewish Schools 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine Majesty dwelleth not on any out of the Land of Israel Vers. 20. Before the great and notable day of the Lord come The day of Jerusalems destruction which was forty years after this as was observed before so that all these gifts and all the effusion of the Spirit that were to be henceforward were to be within the time betwixt this Pentecost and Jerusalem destroyed And they that from hence would presage prophetick and miraculous gifts and visions and revelations to be towards the end of the world might do better to weigh what the expression The great and terrible day of the Lord meaneth here and elsewhere in the Prophets The blood of the Son of God the fire of the Holy Ghosts appearance the vapour of the smoke in which Christ ascended the Sun darkned and the Moon made blood at his passion were all accomplished upon this point of time and it were very improper to look for the accomplishment of the rest of the prophesie I know not how many hundreds or thousands of years after Vers. 24. Having loosed the pains of death or rather Having dissolved the pains of death meaning in reference to the people of God namely that God raised up Christ and by his resurrection dissolved and destroyed the pangs and power of death upon his own people Vers. 27. Thou wilt not leave my soul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Thou wilt not give my soul up And why should not the very same words My God my God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated to the same purpose Why hast thou left me and given me up to such hands and shame and tortures rather than to intricate the sense with a surmise of Christs spiritual desertion In Hell Gr. Hades the state of souls departed but their condition differenced according to the difference of their qualities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diphilus apud Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. Vers. 38. Be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that their Baptism was not
as a long linnen swaddle which went many times about them over their paps and downward partly to keep them warm and partly to strengthen their backs in the hard service to which they were sometime put the High-priest and ordinary Priests had of these alike 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coat of the Ephod This garb the ordinary Priests had not but only the High-priest and it was called the Coat of the Ephod because the Ephod did gird it to him it had no sleeves as his checkered Coat had but it was made of two main pieces the one whereof hung before him and the other behind him the Collar of this Ephod was like the Collar of an Habergion whole and to be put over his head and from the Collar downward the pieces were parted and his Arms came out between them At the lower end of either of these pieces were thirty six little golden Bells with Clappers and Pomgranats of needlework between every Bell seventy two Bells in all This Coat was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as both h h h Ioseph Ant. lib 3. cap 8. Josephus and i i i Philo de Vita Mosio l. 3. p. apud me 519. Philo relate and so render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which as Maymonides saith it was all made which Philo renders also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the colour of the Air or sky colour 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ephod The breadth of this was the breadth of his back from shoulder to shoulder and it hung behind him from his armholes to his feet from it there came two pieces under his armholes and met together and clasped over his paps and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the curious Girdle of the Ephod because both it and the Ephod were curiously wrought of fine twist and Gold It had two shoulder pieces also which went over the Priests shoulders and were fastned to the Ephod behind and to the Girdle before and so the Ephod hung low behind like a Womans Vail and came but short before like some Workmens Aprons hanging over their shoulders and coming down but to their Breasts Upon these shoulder pieces were two Beryl stones set in Gold in which the names of the Twelve Tribes were ingraven six in one stone on the one shoulder and six in the other so equally divided for the Letters that there were 25 Letters in either stone and Josephs name was written Jehoseph to make the equality and so he is called and written Psal. 81. 6. Upon these shoulder-pieces there were two bosses of Gold near to these stones into which two Gold Chains which tyed the Brest-plate to the Ephod were so fastned that Brest-plate and Ephod might not be parted and who so willingly parted them was to be whipt 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Brest-plate This was a rich piece of Cloth of Gold an hand-bredth square double set with twelve Precious Stones in four rowes three in a row these are called Urim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. which are eminently mentioned in Scripture and famous for the inquiring by Urim and Thummim and Gods answering by them the manner of which we have discoursed elsewhere k k k Maym. ubi supr per. 16. In the second Temple they made a Brest-plate and Urim and Thummim that is set the Stones in the Brest-plate but never inquired by them because the Spirit of Prophesie was then departed 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Miter So it is almost Englished in Philoes Greek when speaking of the High-priests garb he saith among other things l l l Philo in lib. de profugis pag. apud me 364. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in the service he never went without the Miter m m m Ioseph Ant. ubi sup This was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A bonnet saith Josephus without a Crown which went not over all his head but only a little above the middle of it sitting upon his head as it were a Crown It was made of linnen and was a long kind of swaddles of a large bredth which he wrapt oft about his head and complicated it in and out That the wrapping or warping of it up about his head was after the manner of the Turkish Tullibants only it wanted a crown but was open on the top sitting on his brows after the manner of a Garland 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The golden plate Exod. 28. 36. this was fastned on the front of the Miter and in it was ingraven Holiness to the Lord n n n Maym. ubi up per. 10. And between the Miter and the Plate he put and wore his Phylacteries Thus was the High-priest drest exceeding rich and exceeding gorgeous and his office eminent and high in dignity but the choicest eminency of it was in what it typified and resembled the great High-priest that was to come the explication and application of which Type and Antitype is so abundantly set forth in the Scripture especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews that it is needless to insist upon it Let us only for conclusion take the testimony of one that was either a stranger or an enemy to the Gospel and yet in this point and matter speaketh exceeding consonant and concurrent to it and that is Philo the Jew whom we mentioned before who speaking divers things concerning the High-priest concludes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o Philo ubi supra We say that the High-priest meaneth not a Man but the Word of God who was free from all sin both voluntary and unvoluntary And if any one desire to see how allegorically he applieth the several parcels of the High-priests Garments to the several parts of the World Air Earth Water Fire c. he may have him at large discoursing it according to his accustomed fluency in his third book de Vita Mosis pag. apud me 519 520 521. where after he hath spent a great deal of time and words and fancy to little profit he at last comes on with this Golden Saying worthy a Thousand Volumes of such stuff as he had produced before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p p p Id. p. 521. It was necessary that he setting up a Priest to the father of the world should use his most absolutely perfect Son for a Mediator or Advocate both for the obtaining of pardon of sin and supply of abundant good An High-priest once installed was High-priest for his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q Ioseph Ant lib. 15. cap. 3 For none was deposed from this honour when he had once obtained it that is not by any legal deposition but Money and Power at the last broke this priviledge and the High-priests were frequently thrust in and thrust out by these according as the one or the other prevailed as the Gemara on the Treatise Joma maketh mention and Josephus in divers places giveth example The High-priest in some things was nothing differenced
had no other surety for the Truth of the Old Testament Text these mens pains me thinks should be enough to stop the mouth of a daring Papist CHAP. XIV Of the marginal Readings THAT the margin should so often help the Text as I may so say as in 848 places may seem to tax the Text of so many errors But the Learned can find a reason why it is so I hope I may satisfie my self without any hurt with this reason till my Learning will afford me a better Namely that when they took in hand to review the Bible after the Captivity as all hold Ezra did that they did it by more copies than one which when they thus varied they would not forsake either because they were loath to add or diminish therefore they took even their varying one in the Text and the other in the Margin Yet do I not think it was done only thus without some more special matter in some places for the writing of Nagnarah so often Nagnar does make me think if I had nothing else to perswade me that these Marginals are not only humane corrections CHAP. XV. Ex Kimchio in Ionah 1. KImchi questioning why the Book of Jonah should be Canonical c. gives one most comfortable reason which upon reading I could not but muse on His words are observable and they are these It is questionable why this Prophecy is written among the Holy Scriptures since it is all against Niniveh which was Heathenish and in it there is no remembrance or mention of Israel and among all the Prophets besides this there is not the like But we may expound it that it is written to be a * * * Heb. Musar Instruction check to Israel for lo a strange People which were not of Israel was ready to repent and even the first time that a Prophet reproved them they turned wholly from their evil But Israel whom the Prophets reproved early and late yet they returned not from their evil Again this Book was written to shew the great miracle that the blessed God did with the Prophets who was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish and yet lived and the fish cast him up again Again to teach us that the blessed God sheweth mercy to the repentant of what Nation soever and pardons them though they be many Haec Kimchi Upon whose last words I cannot but enter into these thoughts Could we look for a Truth from a Jew or Comfort from a Spaniard And yet here the Spanish Jew affords us both comfortable Truth and true Comfort God will pardon the Repentant there is a comfortable Truth and he will pardon them of what Nation soever if they repent there is most true Comfort When a Jew thus Preaches repentance I cannot but hearken and help him a little out with his Sermon That as God is ready to forgive the Repentant of what Nation soever so for what Sins soever if they be truly Repented Here I except the impardonable Sin the sin against the Holy Ghost which what it is the Scripture conceals in close words partly because we should not despair if we fall our selves and partly because we should not censure damnably of our Brethren if they fall into a sin that is nigh this so that not into it To maintain the Jews words and mine own for pardon of Nations and of sins I have as large a field as all the Countries and all the Sins of the World to look over I will only for Countries confine my self to Niniveh and for Sins to Mary Magdalen Niniveh a Heathen Town built by a Wicked Brood inhabited by a Wicked Crew yet Repenting Niniveh is Pardoned Mary Magdalen a manifold Sinner a customary Sinner a most deadly Sinner yet Repenting Mary Magdalen is Forgiven The Jew brings me into two Christian Meditations about Niniveh or into two wholsom Passions Fear and Hope God sees the Sins of Niniveh then I know mine are not hid this breeds in me Fear of punishment But God forgives the sins of Niniveh then I Hope mine are not unpardonable this breeds hope of forgiveness Col debhaurau she amar â—ehareang libhne Adam saith the Rabbin bithnai im lo jâ—shubhu All the evils that God threatens to men are threatned with this condition if they do not Repent As before the Jew spake Comfort and Truth so here he links Comfort and Terror God threatens Evil there is Terror but it is with Condition there is Comfort Niniveh finds both in the story Forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed there is a threatned Terror But the Lord repented of the Evil that he spake to do unto them and did it not there is a Comforting Condition So that as David does so will I hopefully and yet fearfully sing of Mercy and Judgment First Mercy then Judgment Mercy upon my Repentance lest I be cast down and Judgment upon my Sins lest I be lifted up Mercy in Judgment and Judgment in Mercy Is there any one that desperately rejects Ninivehs exhibited Mercy Let him fear Ninivehs threatned Judgment or is there any that trembles at Ninivehs threatned Judgment Let him comfort himself by Ninivehs obtaining Mercy But in the mouth of two witnesses let the Mercy be confirmed Let me take Mary Magdalen with Niniveh and as I see in it the forgiveness of a multitude of Sinners so I may see in her of a multitude of Sins Those many Sinners pardoned as one Man those many Sins made as none at all Saint Bernard speaking of her washing of Christs feer says she came thither a Sinner but she went thence a Saint She came thither an Aethiope and a Leopard but she went thence with changed Skin and cancelled Spots But how was this done She fell at the feet of Christ and with sighs from her heart she vomited the Sins from her soul. Prosternere tu anima mea as saith the same Bernard And cast thou thy self down oh my soul before the feet of Christ wipe them with thine hairs wash them with thy tears which tears washing his feet may also purge thy soul. Wash his feet and wash thy self with Mary Magdalen till he say to thee as he did to Mary Magdalen thy sins are forgiven CHAP. XVI Of Sacrifice SAcrifice is within a little as old as sin and sin not much younger than the world Adam on the day of his creation as is most probable sinneth and sacrificeth and on the next day after meditates on that whereunto his sacrifice aimeth even Christ. Cain and Abel imitate the matter of their fathers piety Sacrifice but Cain comes far short in the manner Abel hath fire from Heaven to answer him and Cain is as hot as fire because he hath not Noah takes an odd clean beast of every kind into his Ark for this purpose to sacrifice him after his Delivery And so he does but for the Chaldee Paraphrasts fancy that he sacrificed on the very same Altar whereon Adam and Cain and Abel had
travelleth hath brought forth * * * * * * Mic. V. 3. VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For as the lightning c. TO discover clearly the sense of this and the following clauses those two things must be observed which we have formerly given notice of 1. That the destruction of Jerusalem is very frequently expressed in Scripture as if it were the destruction of the whole world Deut. XXXII 22. A fire is kindled in mine anger which shall burn unto the lowest hell the discourse there is about the wrath of God consuming that people See vers 20 21. and shall consume the Earth with her encrease and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains Jerom. IV. 23. I beheld the Earth and low it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no light c. The discourse there also is concerning the destruction of that Nation Isa. LXV 17. Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred c. And more passages of this sort among the Prophets According to this sense Christ speaks in this place and Peter speaks in his second Epistle third Chapter and John in the sixth of the Revelations and Paul 2 Cor. V. 17. c. 2. That Christs taking vengeance of that exceeding wicked Nation is called Christs coming in Glory and His coming in the clouds Dan. VII It is also called The day of the Lord. See Psal. L. Mal. III. 1 2. c. Joel II. 31. Matth. XVI 28. Re◠I. 7. c. See what we have said on Chap. XII 20. XIX 28. The meaning therefore of the words before us is this While they shall falsly say that Christ is to be seen here or there Behold he is in the desart one shall say another Behold he is in the secret chambers He himself shall come like lightning with sudden and altogether unexpected vengeance They shall meet him whom they could not find they shall find him whom they sought but quite another than what they looked for VERS XXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For wheresoever the carcass is c. I Wonder any can understand these words of pious men flying to Christ when the discourse here is of quite a different thing They are thus connected to the foregoing Christ shall be revealed with a sudden vengeance For when God shall cast off the City and People grown ripe for destruction like a Carcass thrown out the Roman Soldiers like Eagles shall straight fly to it with their Eagles Ensigns to tear and devour it And to this also agrees the answer of Christ Luke XVII and the last when after the same words that are spoke here in this Chapter it was enquired where Lord He answered Wheresoever the carcass is c. Silently hinting thus much That Jerusalem and that wicked Nation which he described through the whole Chapter would be the Carcass to which the greedy and devouring Eagles would fly to prey upon it VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Sun shall be darkned c. THAT is the Jewish Heaven shall perish and the Sun and Moon of its glory and happiness shall be darkned and brought to nothing The Sun is the Religion of the Church The Moon is the Government of the State and the Stars are the Judges and Doctors of both Compare Esa. XIII 10. and Ezek. XXXII 7 8 c. VERS XXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man THEN shall the Son of Man give a proof of himself whom they would not before acknowledge a proof indeed not in any visible figure but in vengeance and judgment so visible that all the Tribes of the Earth shall be forced to acknowledge him the Avenger The Jews would not know him now they shall know him whether they will or no as Esay XXVI 11. Many times they asked of him a sign now a sign shall appear that he is the true Messias whom they despised derided crucified namely his signal vengeance and fury such as never any Nation felt from the first foundations of the World VERS XXXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And he shall send his Angels c. WHEN Jerusalem shall be reduced to ashes and that wicked Nation cut off and rejected then shall the Son of Man send his Ministers with the Trumpet of the Gospel and they shall gather together his Elect of the several Nations from the four corners of Heaven so that God shall not want a Church although that ancient people of his be rejected and cast off but that Jewish Church being destroyed a new Church shall be called out of the Gentiles VERS XXXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This generation shall not pass c. HENCE it appears plain enough that the foregoing verses are not to be understood of the last Judgment but as we said of the destruction of Jerusalem There were some among the Disciples particularly John who lived to see these things come to pass With Matth. XVI last compare Joh. XXI 22. And there were some Rabbins alive at the time when Christ spoke these things that lived till the City was destroyed viz. Rabban Simeon who perished with the City R. Jochanan ben Zaccai who out-lived it R. Zadoch R. Ismael and others VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man knoweth no not the Angels THIS is taken from Deut. XXXII 34. Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But as the days of Noe were c. THUS Peter placeth as parallels the ruine of the old World and the ruine of Jerusalem x x x x x x 1 Pet. III. 19. 20 21. and by such a comparison his words will be best understood For 1. See how he skips from the mention of the death of Christ to the times before the flood in the eighteenth and nineteenth verses passing over all the time between Did not the Spirit of Christ preach all along in the times under the Law Why then doth he take an example only from the times before the flood Namely that he might fit the matter to his case and shew that the present state of the Jews was like theirs in the times of Noe and that their ruine should be like also So also in his second Epistle Chap. III. vers 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y y y y y y Sanhedr cap. 10. hal 2. The age or generation of the flood hath no portion in the World to come thus Peter saith that they were shut up in prison and here our Saviour intimates that they were buried in security and so were surprised by the flood CHAP. XXV VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ten Virgins THE Nation of the Jews delighted mightily in the number ten both in sacred and civil matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Synagogue consisted not but
chastiseth his Son sticks up the rod in some eminent place where the Child may see it and remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt remove the mischief by that which did the mischief and thou shalt heal the Disease by that which made thee sick o o o o o o Nackmanid The same hath R. Bechai and both confess that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a miracle within a miracle But it is not for a Jew to understand the mystery this is the Christian's attainment only VERS XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Not to condemn the world IN what sense beside that which is most common and proper the Jewish Schools use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may see from these and such like instances I. p p p p p p Bava Mezia fol. 33. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole world hath forsaken the Mishna and followed the Gemara Where something may be noted in the Story as well as in the Grammar of it So Joh. XII 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the world is gone after him In Jerusalem Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We very often meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the world confesseth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole world doth not dissent c. By which kind of phrase both amongst them and all other languages is meant a very great number or multitude II. When they distinguish as frequently they do betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor of their own City and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor of the world it is easie to discern that by the poor of the world are meant those poor that come from any other parts III. q q q q q q Rosh Hashanah fol. 22. R. Ulla requires not only that every great man should be worthy of belief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that the man of the world should be so too It is easie to conceive that by the man of the world is meant any person of any kind or degree IV. But it is principally worthy our observation that they distinguish the whole world into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nations of the world The Israelites and the Gentiles This distinction by which they call the Gentiles the Nations of the world occurs almost in every leaf so that I need not bring instances of this nature Compare Luke XII 30. with Matth. VI. 32. and that may suffice V. They further teach us that the Nations of the World are not only not to be redeemed but to be wasted destroyed and trodden under foot r r r r r r Rambam in Gâ—â— XLIX This seems to me to be the sense The rod of the exactor shall not depart from Judah until his Son shall come to whom belongs the subduing and breaking of the people for he shall vanquish them all with the edge of his Sword So saith Rambam upon that passage in Gen. XLIX s s s s s s Hieros Taanith sol 64. 1. The Morning cometh and also the Night Isai. XXI 12. It will be the Morning to Israel when the Messiah shall come but it will be Night to the Nations of the World t t t t t t Shemoth rabba sect 5. R. Abin saith that the Holy blessed God will make the Elders of Israel sit down in a semicircle himself sitting President as the Father of the Sanhedrin and shall judge the Nations of the world u u u u u u Midras Tillin in Psal. II. Then comes the threshing the Straw they throw into the fire the Chaff into the wind but the Weat they keep upon the floor so the Nations of the World shall be as the burning of a Furnace but Israel alone shall be preserved I could be endless in passages of this nature out of these Authors but that which is very observable in all of them is this that all those curses and dreadful judgments which God in his Holy Writ threatens against wicked men they post it off wholly from themselves and their own Nation as if not at all belonging to them devolving all upon the Gentiles and the Nations of the World So that it was not without great reason that the Apostle asserteth Rom. III. 19. whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them which are under the Law Which yet they will by no means endure Christ therefore by this kind of phrase or scheme of speech well enough known to Nicodemus teacheth him contrary to a vulgar opinion which he also could not be ignorant of that the Messiah should as well become a redeemer and propitiation to the Gentiles as to the Jews They had taught amongst themselves that God had no regard to the Nations of the World they were odious to him and the Messiah when he come would destroy and condemn them but the truth saith God so loved the world that he hath sent his Son not to condemn but to save the world This very Evangelist himself is the best Commentator upon this expression 1 Epist. John II. 2. He is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world i. e. not for us Jews only but for the Nations of the World VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A question about purifying I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which calls to mind that which is so perpetually in use amongst the Talmudick Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. N. enquired of R. N. whence that also as familiarly used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you ask I will tell you If the word in this place be taken according to this Scholastick use of it as it may very well be then we may expound this passage thus The Disciples of John having heard that Jesus did Baptize also they with the Jews enquire what sort of purifying resulted from the Baptism of Christ whether that purifyed more than the Baptism of John The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probably doth not oppose one party against the other but joyns them together in one enquiry They inquire joyntly doeth Jesus superinduce a Baptism upon the Baptism of John and John his upon the Baptisms or washings of the Jews Whether will this purifying at last tend and what virtue hath this of Jesus's beyond that of John's II. Or if you will suppose we that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be a dispute betwixt the Disciples of St. John and the Jews about their legal Purifications and the Baptism now introduced there is no doubt but both parties contended to the uttermost of their power VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man can receive nothing THE rendring of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive may be a little questioned The Syriack hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receive Perhaps it might be fitlier translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that comfort ought to sit no where but upon the floor II. The mourner himself sits chief A custom taken from these words Job XXIX 25. I chose out their way and sate chief Like him who comforts the mourners Ibid. III. It was not lawful for the comforters to speak a word till the mourner himself break silence first The pattern taken from Job's friends Job II. IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Johanan saith if the mourner nod his head the comforters are to sit by him no longer The Gloss is If by nodding his head he signifie to them that he hath comforted himself Hence that frequently said of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would not receive comfort that is they gave signs by nodding their head that they had sufficiently comforted themselves These and many other things about this matter do occur in Moed Katon and Rabbenu Asher and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this Treatise as also in Massecheth Semachoth where by the way take notice that that Treatise which hath for its subject the Mourners for the dead is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Treatise of gladness So the Sepulchres of the dead are often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Houses of the living Let us take a little taste of the way of consolation they used x x x x x x Moed Katon fol. 28. 2 The Rabbins deliver that when the Sons of R. Ishmael dyed four of the Elders went in to him to comfort him viz. R. Tarphon R. Jose the Galilean R. Eliezer ben Azariah and R. Akibah R. Tarphon saith unto them Ye must know that this is a very wise man well skilled in Exposition Let not any of you interrupt the words of his fellow Saith R. Akibah I am the last R. Ishmael began and said the mourner here breaks silence His iniquities are multipled his griefs have bound him and he hath wearied his Masters Thus he said once and again Then answered R. Tarphon and said It is said and your brethren of the House of Israel shall bewail the burning Levit. X. 6. May we not argue from the less to the greater If Nadab and Abihu who never performed but one command as it is written and the Sons of Aaron brought blood to him then much more may the Sons of R. Ismael be bewailed R. Jose the Galilean answered saying All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him 1 Kings XIV 13. And must we not argue from the greater to the less If they wept so for Abijah the Son of Jeroboam who did but one good thing as it is said because in him there is found some good thing how much more for the Sons of R. Ismael Of the same nature are the words of R. Eliezar and R. Akibah but this is enough either to raise laughter or make a man angry In the same page we have several forms of speech used by the Women that either were the mourners or the comforters As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The grave is as the robe of Circumcision to an ingenuous man whose provisions are spent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The death of this man is as the death of all and Diseases are like putting money to usury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He ran and he fell in his passage and hath borrowed a loan With other passages very difficult to be understood The first three days of weeping were severer than the other because on the first day it was not lawful for the mourner to wear his Phylacteries to eat of holy things nor indeed to eat any thing of his own All the three days he might do no servile work no not privately and if any one saluted him he was not to salute him again The first seven days let all the beds in the house be laid low Let not the man use his Wife Let him not put on his Sandals Let him do no servile work publickly Let him not salute any man Let him not wash himself in warm water nor his whole body in cold Let him not anoint himself Let him not read in the Law the Mishneh or the Talmud Let him cover his head All the thirty days let him not be shaved Let him not wear any clothing that is white or whitened or new Neither let him sew up those rents which he made in his garments for the deceased party c. y y y y y y Rambam in Moed Katon cap. ult VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the Resurrection BE It so O Jew if you will or it can be that the little bone Luz in the back-bone is the seed and principle of your resurrection As to us our blessed Jesus who hath raised himself from the dead is the spring and principle of ours z z z z z z Midr. Coheleth fol. 114. 3 Hadrian whose bones may they be ground and his name blotted out asked R. Joshuah ben Hananiah How doth a man revive again in the world to come He answered and said From Luz in the back-bone Saith he to him demonstrate this to me Then he took Luz a little bone out of the back bone and put it in water and it was not steeped He put it into the fire and it was not burnt he brought it to the mill and that could not grind it He laid it on the Anvil and knocked it with an Hammer but the Anvil was cleft and the Hammer broken c. Why do ye not maul the Sadducees with this Argument VERS XXXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Followed her a a a a a a Erubhin fol 18. 2. IT is a tradition Let not a man follow a Woman upon the way no not his own Wife If this grain of Salt may be allowed in the explication of this passage then either all that followed Mary were Women or if men they followed her at a very great distance or else they had a peculiar dispensation at such solemn times as these which they had not in common conversation But the observation indeed is hardly worth a grain of salt VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he hath been dead four days THE three days of weeping were now past and the four days of Lamentation begun so that all hope and expectation of his coming to himself was wholly gone b b b b b b Massecheth Semacoth cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They go to the Sepulchres and visit the dead for three days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither are they solicitous lest they should incur the reproach of the Amorites The story is they visited a certain person and he revived again and lived five and twenty years and then dyed They tell of another that lived again and begot Children and then died c c c c c c Beresh rabba fol. 114. 3. It is a Tradition of Ben Kaphrae's The very height of mourning is not till the third day For three days the spirit wanders about the Sepulchre expecting if it may
affirmative precept vain But if he be studious in the Law and conversant in it and if he fears marriage lest the care of providing for his wife hinder his study in the Law he may still tarry Because he that is employed in the precepts is free from that precept much more he that converseth in the study of the Law He whose mind is always taken up in the study of the Law as Ben Azzai and he that is intent upon it all his days if he marrieth not a wife in his hand is no iniquity But if affection prevail upon him let him marry a wife although he have now children lest he fall into evil thoughts d d d d d d Jevamoth cap. 6. hal 6. Let not a man refrain himself from generation and multiplying unless he hath children already The Gemara upon this place thus If he have children let him refrain himself from generation and multiplying but from marrying a wife let him not refrain himself It is forbid him to be without a wife because it is said It is not good for man to be alone And whosoever e e e e e e Ibid. fol. 63. 2 gives not himself to generation and multiplying is all one with a murtherer He is as though he diminished from the Image of God c. The Apostle therefore determines against the Jewish Schools that a man is not bound by the Law to marriage but that he is in his own power in this affair to contract himself or not as he finds himself continent or not They said it is a Command that every one marry a wife but he saith I have not a Command VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to marry than to burn THAT you may apprehend the sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn hear a story f f f f f f Kiddushin fol. 81. 1. Some captive women were brought to Nehardea and disposed in the house and in the Upper room 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Rabh Amram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They took away the ladder or the stairs that the women might not go down for they were shut up there until they should be ransomed As one of them passed by the window the light of her great beauty shined into the house Amram taken with the womans beauty set up the stairs again which ten men scarcely could do that he might go up to the woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he was now got to the middle of the stairs he delayed his feet and stopped strugling with that evil affection to overcome it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And with a loud voice cried out Fire Fire in the house of Amram The Gloss saith This he did that the neighbours flocking thither he might desist from his purpose and from that affection out of shame The Rabbins run to him and seeing nothing of fire or flame say Thou hast disgraced us To whom he replied It is better that ye be disgraced in the house of Amram in this World than that ye be disgraced by me in the World to come He adjured that evil affection to go out of him and from thence it went out as a pillar of fire To which he said Thou art fire and I am flesh yet for all that I have prevailed against thee VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not I but the Lord. AND on the contrary Vers. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak not the Lord. I. Weigh first that distinction very usual in the Schools between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A text of Scripture and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Opinion g g g g g g Bava Bathra fol. 8. 2. Death by the sword is worse than death by the plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce a Text of Scripture to prove this If you will I will produce reason or my opinion If you will I will produce an Opinion That renders one abominable but not this If you will I will produce Scripture Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death the plague of his Saints Famine is worse than the sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce an opinion Famine afflicts a long while the sword not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce Scripture It is better for them that dye by the sword than that dye by famine And A burnt offering that is killed not under its proper notion the blood of it is not to be sprinkled under a notion that is not proper If you will I will produce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my opinion or reason If you will I will produce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Text of Scripture And very many instances of that nature II. And now compare the words of the Apostle These things I say not but the Lord that is This is not my bare opinion but so saith the Scripture And on the contrary These things I say not the Lord that is This is my opinion although there be not some Text of Scripture which saith so in plain words Thus he explains himself Chap. IX 8. Say I these things and not the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not the wife depart from her husband Nor without weighty reason doth he admonish concerning this thing also since both among Jews and Gentiles the opinion was too loose concerning the firmness of the marriage bond and more loose among the Jews than among the Gentiles I. Think first of the toleration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them which take in their words h h h h h h Maimon Gerush cap. 11. If any marry a young maid and she afterward will not have him for her husband she may put him away and depart from him and there is no need of a bill of Divorse Hence this is the form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Bill of this kind of putting away when the wife put away her husband if it were demanded In the day N. of the week N. of the month N. of the year N. 〈◊〉 the daughter of N. put away before us and said My mother or my brethren deceived me and wedded me or betrothed me when I was a young maid to N. the son of N. But I now reveal my mind before you that I will not have him c. II. Among them also there was departing from each other by mutual consent i i i i i i Berish. Rabb §. 17. A good man had a good wife but because they had not children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They mutually put away one another That good man married a bad wife and she made him bad That good woman married a bad husband and she made him good They allow also the same license to the Heathen l l l l l l Id. §. 18. R. Jochanan saith The sons of Noah have not divorse but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they put away one
otherwise where had their expectation been The verses immediately before speak nothing but devastation and ruine of Heaven and Earth and if there had been nothing beyond that to be looked after their hopes and expectancy had been ruined also but we says our Apostle look for new Heavens and a new Earth But of what nature they is all the question I doubt some men construe these words of the Apostle as far distant from his sense almost as the Earth is distant from the Heavens whilst they conceive from hence that after the dissolution of all things yet there shall be a renewing of Heaven and Earth and they shall be as before as to their substance and form only their quality changed To this they apply Rom. VIII 19 20. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God c. They would make our Apostle say Sibboleth whether he will or no whereas he speaks Shibboleth plain enough to a far differing sense For the discovery of his meaning have patience a little whilst I make this observation clear unto you which may be useful to you in reading several places of Scripture That the ruine and destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish commonwealth and oeconomy is set forth in Scripture in such expressions as if it were the destruction and dissolution of the whole world Moses beginneth this stile in Deut. XXXII 22. where he is speaking of that vengeance For a fire is kindled in mine anger and it shall burn to the lowest hell and it shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains Would you not think that the dissolution of all things were in mention Look upon the context and you find it to mean no other than the destruction of that Nation Jeremy yet higher Chap. IV. 23. I beheld the earth and â—o it was without form and void and the heavens and they had no light You would think all the world were returning there to her old chaos again Add yet further I beheld the mountains and lo they trembled and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled You would think that the whole universe were dissolving but look but in the 27 vers and it speaks no other than the dissolution of that people For thus hath the Lord said The whole land shall be desolate Our Saviour yet higher Matth. XXIV 29. The sun shall be darkned and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man c. who would not conclude that these expressions mean no other thing in the world than the last dissolution of the World and Christs coming to Judgment yet look well upon the context and it speaketh plainly that the meaning is only of the dissolving of the Jews City and State and Christ speaks it out most plainly at vers 34. where he afferts that that present generation should not pass till all those things were fulfilled The beloved Disciple follows his Masters stile upon the very same subject in the sixth of his Revelation where after he had described the means of the destruction of this wretched people under the opening of certain seals by Sword Famine and Plague he comes at last in vers 12 13 14. to speak their final dissolution it self in the very like terms The Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood And the Stars of Heaven fell unto the Earth and the Heavens departed as a scroll that is rolled together and every mountain and Island were removed out of their places One would think the final dissolution of all the world were spoken of but look in the 16th verse and you find the very same words that our Saviour applies to the destruction of that people Luke XXIII 30. They said unto the mountains fall on us and hide us c. Our Apostle Peters meaning is no other in the expression before my Text where when he speaks of the Heavens being dissolved by fire the Earth and the works therein burnt up and the elements melting with fervent heat he intends no other thing then the dissolving of their Church and oeconomy by firy vengance the consumption of their State by the flame of Gods indignation and the ruine of their elements of Religion by Gods fury Not the Elements in Aristotles sense of Fire Air Earth and Water but the Elements in his brother Pauls sense whom he mentions presently after my Text the carnal and beggerly Elements of their Mosaick rites and traditionary institutions By this time you plainly see in what sense The new Heavens and the new Earth is to be taken in the Text but for the fuller and clearer understanding of these things still give me yet a little further patience to shew you that as the destruction of that old World of the Jewish people and oeconomy is uttered by such expressions as if it were the destruction of the whole universe so the times going near before and concurrents going along with that destruction are phrased by expressions also sutable And this I shall observe to you in four heads I. There is much mention of the last days in Scripture which in most places is not to be understood of the last days of the World as some take them and so mistake but of the last days of Jerusalem and the Jewish State And indeed the greatest mercies that were promised to that people were promised to occur in those last days as Esa. II. 2. Hos. III. 5. Joâ—l II. 28. as he is cited by this our Apostle Act. II. 17. these things are not to be allotted to the last days of the World but to the last days of that City as Peters very allegation out of Joel makes it plain if there were no more proof Now saith he is fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel In the last days I will pour out c. These are the last days there intended and now the thing hath received its accomplishment For how improper is it to construe him in such a sense as some do This is that which Joel foretold should come to pass in the last days of the world two or three thousand years hence And so on the contrary the worst of men and times are foretold to be in those last days of Jerusalem because they did not improve those mercies I Tim. IV. 4. and II Tim. III. 1. and our Apostle in the third verse of this Chapter let the Apostle John explain all I Joh. II. 18. Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time II. In such a sense are such Phrases as these to be understood I Cor. X. 11. Upon
Will so to do And that it is his Will so to do he hath given assurance in that he hath appointed a day wherein to judge the world in righteousness by the man that he hath ordained And of that appointment and ordaining he hath given assurance in that he raised him from the dead And so we are come to the second part of our task or the second thing that I named to be spoken viz. the assurance that God hath given of the Judgment to come and more particularly of that whereby he hath assured that Christ shall be Judge viz. in that he raised from dead The assurance God hath given of the Judgment to come we may distinguish into verbal and real Assurance that he hath given in his Word and in his Providential dispensation I need not to insist upon his verbal assurances of the certainness that he hath given of such a thing in Word for he that runs may read them Such as these Eccles. XI 9. XII ult II Cor. V. 10. and multitudes of passages to the same purpose So that the Apostle reckons Eternal Judgment for one of the fundamental Articles of our Christian Faith and that it is so clearly asserted that he finds he needs not to insist much upon the proving of it Heb. VI. 2. And as the verbal assurances that God hath given of this in Scripture are so very many so the real ones that he hath given in his dispensations are not few I shall but mention some and pitch only upon this mentioned in the Text Christs Resurrection I. Was not the Judgment of all the World by Water in the days of Noah a prognostication and assurance of the Judgment to come at the end of the World Certainly they must need conclude so that thinks that Peter speaks of the last Judgment in II Epistle III. 6 7. where he hath these words The World that then was being overflowed with water perished But the Heaven and Earth that now are are kept in store reserved unto fire II. Was not the Judgment and sad conflagration of Jerusalem and destruction of the Jewish Church and Nation an assurance of the Judgment to come when the expressions whereby it is described are such as you think they meant nothing else but that final Judgment As Christs coming coming in clouds in his glory in his Kingdom The day of the Lord the great and terrible day of the Lord The end of the World the end of all things The Sun darkned the Moon not giving light The Stars falling from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shaken The sign of the Son of man appearing in Heaven Heaven departing as a scroll rolled together and every mountain and hill removed out of its place c. You would think they meant nothing but the last and universal Judgment whereas their meaning indeed is Christs coming in Judgment and vengeance against the Jewish City and Nation but a fore signification also of the last Judgment III. I might speak of particular fearful judgments upon persons and places Are not they assurances of the Judgment to come I am sure the Apostle Peter raiseth them to such a signification in his second Epistle and second Chapter where when he had mentioned the Judgment of the Angels that fell of the Judgment of the old World by water and of Sodom by fire he makes this conclusion vers 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the ungodly to the day of Judgment to be punished IV. Are not the Tribunals and Judicatures that God hath set up on Earth assurances that he hath given of a final Judgment to come Upon which we may take up the stile of the Psalmist in Psal. XCIV 9. He that planted the car shall he not hear So he that hath erected Judicatures shall not he Judge V. Is not the Judicature that he hath set up in every mans soul an undoubted assurance of the Judgment coming Where the Conscience as one very well defines it is Praejudicum judicii A foretaste a Preface to the Judgment to come VI. And lastly The very prospering of the wicked in this World and the affliction of the righteous is an undoubted assurance that the day is coming when both the one and other is to be judged according to their works and receives a reward according to their works And with this very Argument Will. Tyrius in his bello sacro relates that he satisfied Amalrich King of Jerusalem when he desired him to give him some proof of this very point So that that very prosperity in this World that deâ—â—ives Atheistical men to think there shall be no Judgment is continually a growing argument that there shall Upon all these things I might have spoken very largely but I hasten to that assurance that is in the Text viz. The Resurrection of Christ may give assurance to all the World of his coming to Judgment It is worth your observing these two things about the Jews asking a sign from our Saviour 1. That he ever denies to give them a sign Matth. XII 39. He wrought signs and wonders among them above number but he would never work that that should be a mere sign His healing diseases c. were not mere signs but were benefits by miracle wrought for the People as the Plagues on Egypt were not mere signs but punishments wrought by miracle 2. That he still when they asked a sign referred them to his Resurrection Joh. II. when he whips the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and they ask him what sign shewest thou seeing thou doest these things He refers them thither vers 19. Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up speaking of the Temple of my body So Matth. XII 39. when the Scribes and Pharisees are at it Master we would see a sign from thee he still refers to his Resurrection No sign shall be given but the sign of the Prophet Jonas As Jonah was three days and three night buried in the Whales belly but rose again and was cast alive on shore so shall the Son of man be buried and rise again And why thus refer them still to his Resurrection Because that was the great sign and demonstration that he was the Missias the Son of God Rom. I. 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power by his Resurrection from the dead And Observe that allegation of the Apostle Act. XIII 33. God hath raised up Jesus as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Was this Resurrection day the day of the Lords begetting him was that the first day that he was the Son of God It was the day that he was first declared in full power and that it was manifest that he was the Son of God It was the day of his Victory and putting on his Kindom the day of his Trophea and Triumph and the sign that he was the Son of
II. Concerning this great Judges judging all the World at the last day I shall but offer to you that Prospect Rev. XX. 12. I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled away and there was no place found for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and they were judged Heaven and Earth fled away before God but no fleeing for small and great but they must be judged Heaven and Earth that were in being are dissolved and gone but the dead small and great that were not in being are brought into being that they may be brought to judgment And so Chap. VI. 14. Heaven departs as a scroll that is rolled up together and every mountain and Island is removed out of his place But in the next verse there is a World of wretches that would fain be gon too but it will not be would fain be hid fince they cannot go but that will not be neither That say to the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand II. Now what assurances or earnests as I may call them hath God given of this that II. he will Judge all the World which is the second thing I mentioned I might mention divers The Apostle makes the destruction of the World by water and Sodome by fire to be such 2 Pet. II. 9. Another Apostle makes the raising him from the dead that is to be Judge to be such assurance Act. XVII 31. But I only name three more That he hath set up Judicatures in the World That he hath set up a Judicature in every mans soul. And that he hath given his Law and Word by which men must be judged I. Are not the Tribunals and Judicatures that he hath set up in the World evidence and assurance given that he will Judge the World Magistracy whose image and superscription doth it carry The great Caesars the great Magistrate of Heaven and Earth And if that deal in matters that concern the body may we not read in it that he that ordained it will dispose both of bodies and souls Take to thoughts that of the Apostle 1 Cor. VI. 2. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. That a Christian Magistracy shall judge among men And Know ye not that we shall judge Angels i. e. That a Christian Ministry shall judge against Devils Weigh the words seriously and I believe you will find them to rise to this sence And then know you not that the ultimate judging of Men and Devils must rest in him that instituted Magistracy and Ministry both I said you are Gods for in your function you carry his representation and character but I said he is much more God that ordained you Gods and he much more Magistrate and Judge that ordained you Magistrates and Judges In you Judgment is drawn in little in him it is in full proportion Filia exscripsit Patrem as he of old of a good daughter that she had copied out a good father Your function hath copied out Divine Authority but yours is but a Copy the original incomparably fairer II. Is not the Judicature that God hath set up in every mans soul an undoubted assurance of Gods judging of all When a very proper definition of Conscience is That it is Praejudicium judicii a foretaste a preface to the judgment to come doth it not give assurance of the judgment to come And that to every soul when there is a conscience in every soul. That as our Saviour when the Jews ask him what appearance was there of the Kingdom of Heaven gives them this answer The Kingdom of Heaven is with in you as some read it so if any one ask what proof and assurance is within you Ask Felix also Act. XXIV 25. As Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled And how comes a Roman valour to be so shaken at the word of a poor Jew A great Judge trembling at the words of his prisoner He had that within him that gave testimony to every word that Paul spake that it was true A strange thing to him as well as a dreadful to hear of the Judgment to come in manner as the Divine Orator set it out But there was that within him that could not but assent to the truth of all he spake III. Gods very giving of his Law to the World is an assurance abundant that he will once judge the World Let me draw your thoughts to the foot of mount Sinai to stand with Israel there while the Law is giving Do you not see the dreadful terror in which it is given fire and smoke and earth-quake and sound of trumpet And do you think that the great Lawgiver that comes in such dread to give it will never come to demand an account of it how men have dealt with it Must those Words be scattered in the Air and God never take more care or account of them And let me lead your eyes to mount Calvary and there let them observe the great God sealing his Covenant and Gospel in the blood of his own Son See Christ bleeding there hands feet and heart bleeding out his last drop of blood to confirm and seal that Truth and Gospel that he had preached to the World And will God and Christ never take account how men use the Gospel that as I may say cost so dear engrossing This very thing is an undoubled assurance that God will Judge all the World because he cannot but call men to account how they have demeaned themselves to his Law and revealed will As sure as a Law and a Gospel have been given so sure a judgment to come to inquire what usage Law and Gospel have found among men and a reward accordingly The Jews in their writings do oft bring in the Law complaining to God of injuries done to her by such and such persons and begging that he would do her right Hath a despised Law a contemned Gospel a scorned Word of God no cry in the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth and hath the Lord no care to plead their cause Are they only to cry to men and if men abuse them have they no cry to God And hath the despised blood of Christ and trodden under foot no cry to God I cannot but remember the Talmudish story about Zacharies blood that was shed betwixt the Temple and the Altar that no rains no pains no water could wash it off the pavement of the Temple but still and still it was bubbling there and would never be quiet till execution of judgment quieted it the King of Babylon slaying near an hundred thousand persons in the same place The application is easie The judgment of wicked men lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not 2
them Nor shall I insist to shew how far England may be called the spouse of God by his choise It is undenyable that we have all married our selves to God by our Baptismal Covenant and by our Sacramental and other engagements And then what doth the Lord require of us but that we should be faithful to our husband and not give our selves our hearts and affections to any thing besides him not our worship to an Idol not our affections to the World our hearts to pleasure or profit or earthly vanities which is to go a whoring from our husband The Lord our God is a jealous God and what can we expect if we serve him so but that his jealousie will break out in fire and vengeance By his Law concerning jealousie twixt man and wife he hath shewed thee O man what thou mayest expect twixt thee and God Numb V. 12. to the end He appointed that the suspected wife be brought to trial undertakes to work a miracle for her discovery and if guilty upon drinking the bitter waters her belly was to swell her thigh to rot and she to become a curse And doth not the Lord discover whether thy heart hath played the whore and will he not bitterly punish in his own cause as he did in the cause of men But to return to Gods jealousie against the sin of Idolatry particularly as this title of his that he is a jealous God is peculiarly affixed to the Command against Idolatry And here I shall shew some particular evidences and instances of Gods jealousie against this sin And I shall name three passages of the Spirit of God in his style in Scripture by which he doth hint his distast and abominating of this sin of Idolatry and three passages of God in his providence and disposal that intimate the same and all such as are not obviously observed by every Reader of Scripture First To mention the passages of the Holy Ghost's stile in reference to this sin I. Observe That in 2 Sam. XI 21. who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbosheth Abimelech was the son of Jerubbaal or Gedeon as you may see Judg. IX where you have Abimelechs story Why then does the Holy Ghost here misname Gedeon and instead of Jerubbaal call him Jerubbosheth The reason is because Baal was the general name of an Idol and the Holy Ghost in detestation of Idolatry changeth the name Baal which signifieth a Lord into Bosheth which signifies Shame And he calleth Gedeon Jerubbosheth instead of Jerubbaal because Gedeon had made an Idol that all Israel went a whoring after Judg. VIII 27. Of the same observation is that that the son of Saul whom his father named Eshbaal the Holy Ghost in his story nameth Ishbosheth You have a large story of Ishbosheth Sauls son in 2 Sam. II. Now look among Sauls sons where they be reckoned and you find no such name 1 Chron. VIII 33. Saul begat Jonathan and Malchishna and Abinadab and Eshbaal That Eshbaal is he whom the Holy Ghost in his story calls Ishbosheth as detesting the name Baal the name of an Idol changing it into the name Bosheth shame As the same Holy Ghost explains himself and this matter Jer. XI 13. According to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up Altars to that Shame even Altars to burn incense to Baal II. In reading Revelations VII where the Sealed of the Lord of the twelve Tribes are mentioned and numbred have you observed that the Tribe of Dan is wanting and the Tribe of Ephraim not named You will find Manasses there but not Ephraim by name but Joseph instead of Ephraim vers 8. And what is the reason of this Publick Idolatry first began in Dan Judg. XVIII And the golden Calves were set up by Jeroboam of Ephraim and the one in Ephraim and the other in Dan. And the Holy Ghost doth point as it were with the finger at those Idolatries and shew his distast and abhorring of them when he will not so much as name the names where they began among the Lords sealed for salvation III. As here mention is made of visiting to the third and fourth generation observe that passage Matth. I. 8. and see whether the stile of the Holy Ghost do not hint the very same thing Joram begat Ozias Now look in the story of the Kings and Chronicles and you will find that Joram begat Ahaziah and Ahaziah Joash and Joash Amaziah and Amaziah Ozias So that here three descents are wanting or dashed out and Ozias is grand child to Joram in the fifth generation What is the reason Look into the story of Joram and you will find that he married the daughter of Ahab the great Idolater and that he walked in the Idolatries of Ahab 2 King VIII 18. And here the Holy Ghost to hint his distast of such Idolatry blots out his children to the third nay fourth generation out of the Line and Genealogy of our Saviour These and other things of the like nature may be observed in the very stile and dialect the Holy Ghost useth in Scripture Whereby he setteth a brand upon Idolatry and Idols as things odious and abominable and abhorred of God in special manner Shall I also give you three like passages of Providence which it may be all of you have not observed in your reading which speak the same thing and proclaim the jealousie of God against Idolatry I. Observe that Deut. IX 21. And I took your sin the Calf which ye had made and burnt it with fire and stamped it and ground it very small until it was as small as dust and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount And why all this ado to burn stamp grind it And why cast the dust into the brook and not on the earth or into the air Why not into the dunghil rather than into the water that the people must drink By this very thing God would shew that he was a jealous God against Idolatry by putting the people to the very same trial for this Idolatry that the wife suspected of Adultery was to be put to by the jealous husband Numb V. she was put to drink water and dust and if she proved guilty her belly swelled and her thigh rotted and so gave plain evidence of her guilt So in this cases Moses bids the Levites Exod. XXXII 13. Put every man his sword by his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour Now how could they know who had committed Idolatry among so many hundred thousands How could they pick out the men that were guilty Why the discovery is in the very same way The people drink the water in which was the dust of the Calf and thereupon those that were guilty their bellies swelled and some other miraculous evidence was given whereby they were discovered and whereby God discovered
The meaning of the whole let us take up in parts There are two main things here intended First To shew the ruine of the Kingdom of Satan and secondly The nature of the Kingdom of Christ. The Scripture speaks much of Christs Kingdom and his conquering Satan and his Saints reigning with him that common place is briefly handled here That Kingdom was to be especially among the Gentiles they called in unto the Gospel Now among the Gentiles had been Satans Kingdom most setled and potent but here Christ binds him and casts him into the bottomless pit that he should deceive no more as a great cheater and seducer cast into prison and this done by the coming in of the Gospel among them Then as for Christs Kingdom I saw Thrones saith John and they sate upon them c. ver 4. here is Christ and his inthroned and reigning But how do they reign with him Here John faceth the foolish opinion of the Jews of their reigning with the Messias in an earthly pomp and shews that the matter is of a far different tenour that they that suffer with him shall reign with him they that stick to him witness for him dye for him these shall sit inthroned with him And he nameth beheading only of all kinds of deaths as being the most common used both by Jews and Romans alike as we have observed before at Acts 12. out of Sanhedr per. 7. halac 3. And the first witness for Christ John the Baptist died this death He saith that such live and reign with Christ the thousand years not as if they were all raised from the dead at the beginning of the 1000 years and so reign all together with him those years out as is the conceit of some as absolute Judaism as any is for matter of Opinion but that this must be expected to be the garb of Christs Kingdom all along suffering and standing out against sin and the mark of the Beast and the like whereas they held it to be a thousand years of earthly bravery and pompousness But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished This is the first resurrection Not that they lived again when the thousand years were finished but it means that they lived not in this time which was the time of living when Satan was bound and truth and life came into the world The Gentiles before the Gospel came among them were dead in Scripture phrase very copiously Ephes. 2. 1 2. 4. 18. c. but that revived them Joh. 5. 25. This is the first resurrection in and to Christs Kingdom the second is spoken of at the twelfth verse of this Chapter that we are upon Paul useth the same expression to signifie the same thing namely a raising from darkness and sin by the power of the Gospel Rom. 11. 15. Now when this quickning came among the Gentiles Satan going down and Christs Kingdom advanced and the Gospel bringing in life and light as Joh. 1. 4. those that did not come and stick close to Christ and bear witness to him but closed with the mark of the Beast sin and sinful men these were dead still and lived not again till the thousand years were finished that is while they lasted though that were a time of receiving life Blessed therefore and holy are they that have part in this first resurrection for on them the second death hath no power ver 6. The second death is a phrase used by the Jews Onkelos renders Deut. 33. 6. thus Let Reuben live and not die the second death And Jonathan Isa. 65. 6. thus Behold it is written before me I will not grant them long life but I will pay them vengeance for their sins and deliver their carcases to the second death And ver 15. The Lord will slay them with the second death Observe in the Prophet that these verses speak of the ruine and rejection of the Jews now a cursed people and given up to the second death and in Chapter 66. vers 29 30 31. is told how the Lord would send and gather the Gentiles to be his people and would make them his Priests and Levites And then see how fitly this verse answers those In stead of these cursed people these are blessed and holy and might not see the second death and Christ makes them Priests to himself and his Father In this passage of John scorn is put again upon the Jews wild interpretâ—â—â—â—n of the resurrection in Ezekiel They take it litterally think some dead were really raised out of their graves came into the Land of Israel begat children and died a second time Nay they stick not to tell who these men were and who were their children Talm. Babyl in Sanhedr ubi supra After the thousand years are expired Satan is let loose again and falls to his old trade of the deceiving the Nations again ver 8. Zohar fol. 72. col 286. hath this saying It is a tradition that in the day when judgment is upon the world and the holy blessed God sits upon the Throne of judgment then it is found that Satan that deceives high and low he is found destroying the world and taking away souls When the Papacy began then Heathenism came over the world again and Satan as loose and deceiving as ever then Idolatry blindness deluding oracularities and miracles as fresh and plenteous as before from the rising of the Gospel among the Gentiles these had been beating down and Satan fettered and imprisoned deeper and deeper every day and though his agent Rome bestird it self hard to hold up his Kingdom by the horrid persecutions it raised yet still the Gospel prevailed and laid all flat But when the Papacy came then he was loose again and his cheatings prevailed and the world became again no better then Heathen And if you should take the thousand years fixedly and literally and begin to count either from the beginning of the Gospel in the preaching of John or of Peter to Cornelius the first inlet to the Gentiles or of Paul and Barnabas their being sent among them the expiring of them will be in the very depth of Popery especially begin them from the fall of Jerusalem where the date of the Gentiles more peculiarly begins and they will end upon the times of Pope Hildebrand when if the Devil were not let loose when was he He calls the enemies of the Church especially Antichrist Gog and Magog the title of the Syrogrecian Monarchy the great persecutor Ezek. 38. 39. Pliny mentions a place in Caelosyria that retained the name Magog lib. 5. cap. 23. So that John from old stories and copies of great troubles transcribeth new using known terms from Scripture and from the Jews language and notions that he might the better be understood So that this Chapter containeth a brief of all the times from the rising of the Gospel among the Gentiles to the end of the world under these two sums first the beating