and only salve it with making a statute for her yearly lamentation In some time of the Judges the High-priesthood is translated from the line of Eleazer to the line of Ithamar as appeareth in Eli in the beginning of the Book of Samuel Now in all the story of the Judges we find not any one thing so likely to be the cause of rooting out of that house from the Priest-hood as about this matter of Jephtah they not instructing him better but suffering such a butchery for a sacrifice Jephtah hath a new quarrel with the Ephraimites and slayeth 42000 of them discovering them by the mis-pronouncing of a letter he might have offered many words that had Sh double in them as Shemesh the Sun Shelosha three Shalsheleh a chain but the word proposed is Shiboleh because of the present occasion It signifieth a stream and the Ephraimites are put to call the stream that they desired to pass over by the right name and they could not name it CHAP. XII Vers. 8 9 10. World 2825 Iephtach 1 Iephtach 2 IBSAN judgeth seven years He was a man of Bethlehem and thereupon Iephtach 3 imagined by the Jews to be Boaz without any ground or reason for since Iephtach 4 Iephtach 5 Rahab the mother of Boaz was taken into the Congregation of Israel were 270 Iephtach 6 years and then guess whether Boaz be likely to be active now Ibsan is renowned Iephtach 7 for the number and equality of the number of his sons and daughters CHAP. XIII And CHAP. XII Vers. 11 12. World 2832 Elon 1 ELON judgeth ten years He was a Galilean of Zebulon In the tenth Elon 2 year of Ibsan the Philistims forty years of oppressing begin mentioned Elon 3 Chap. 13. verse 1. Samson is born about this year if not in it for when the Elon 4 Angel telleth of his conception the Philistims were lords over Israel see Elon 5 verse 5. The story of his birth is joyned to the story of his life that there Elon 6 might be no interruption in the story of the Judges before him and that the Elon 7 whole history of his life and birth might lie together but in Chronical Series Elon 8 it lieth about the beginning of the rule of Elon Elon 9 Elon 10 JESSE the father of DAVID born by this time if not before CHAP. XII Vers. 13 14 15. World 2842 Elon 1 ABDON judgeth eight years He is exceedingly renowned for his Elon 2 children having as many young Nobles and Gallants to his sons and Elon 3 granchildren as would make a whole Sanhedrin namely seventy and himself Elon 4 the Head He was an Ephraimite of Pirathon and so Josephs glory Elon 5 shineth again in Ephraim as it had done in Joshua before the time of the Elon 6 Judges and had done in Manasseh in the Judges times in Gedeon Jair Elon 7 and Jephtah Ephraims low estate in the matter of Abimelech and Shechem is Elon 8 now somewhat recovered in Abdon CHAP. XIV XV. XVI World 2850 Elon 1 SAMSON judgeth twenty years A man of Dan and so as Ephraim Elon 2 and Dan had bred the first Idolatry they yield the last Judges he Elon 3 was born supernaturally of a barren woman and becomes the first Nazarite Elon 4 we have upon record He killeth a lion without any weapons findeth honey Elon 5 in the carkass proposeth a parable to thirty Philistim gallants which Elon 6 in three days they cannot unriddle and on the seventh day saith the Text Elon 7 they said unto his wife Perswade thy husband Chap. 14. vers 15. That is Elon 8 on the Sabbath day their irreligiousness not minding that day and now Elon 9 finding the fittest opportunity of talking with his wife alone Samson being Elon 10 imployed about the Sabbath duties He pays them with their own Countrymens Elon 11 spoil Fires the Philistims corn with three hundred Foxes is destroying Elon 12 them all his life but destroys more at his death A type of Christ. Elon 13 It is observable that the Philistims are said to bear rule and oppress Israel Elon 14 all Samsons days Chap. 13. 1. The Lord delivered Israel into the hands of the Elon 15 Philistims forty year and Chap. 15. 20. And Samson judged Israel in the days Elon 16 of the Philistims twenty years This helpeth clearly to understand that the Elon 17 years of the oppressours are included in the years of the Judge and so Elon 18 endeth the Chronicle of the Book of Judges in the death of Samson though Elon 19 the posture of the Book it self do end in another story No Judge of all Elon 20 the twelve had fallen into the enemies hand and under their abuse but only Samson but he slayeth more at his death then while he was living The first Book of SAMUEL THIS Book containeth an History of 80 years viz. from the death of Samson who died by his own hand gloriously to the death of Saul who died by his own hand wretchedly This time was divided into two equal portions namely 40 years to Eli 1 Sam. 4. 18. and 40 years to Samuel and Saul Acts 13. 21. CHAP. I. II. III. World 2870 Eli 1 ELI judgeth 40 years He was of Ithamar For Eleazers line had lost the Eli 2 High Priest-hood in the times of the Judges It had been in that family Eli 3 seven generations viz. Eleazar Phineas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Zerahiah Meraioth Eli 4 Eli 5 1 Chron. 6. 4 5 6. and there it failed till the seventh generation after Eli 6 namely through the times of Amaziah Ahitub Zadok Ahimaaz Azaria Johanan Eli 7 and then comes Azariah and he executes this Office in the Temple Eli 8 that Solomon built 1 Chron. 6. 7 8 9 10. observe these six that failed of the Eli 9 high Priest-hood left out of the Genealogy Ezra 7. 3 4. Eli was the first of Eli 10 the other line that obtained it and it run through these descents Eli Phineas Eli 11 Ahitub Ahimelech Abiathar 1 Sam. 14. 3. 22. 20. 1 King 2. 26. SAMUEL Eli 12 Eli 13 the son of his mothers prayers tears and vows was born in * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 1. 1. that is of one of the two Ramahs to wit that of the Zophites of the hill country of Ephraim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be construed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Sam. 18. 2. one of two and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be construed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh. 21. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1. 39 5. Not the hill of Ephraim but the hill country Aramathea the Eli 14 twentieth from Levi of the off-spring of Korah who was swallowed up of Eli 15 the ground 1 Chron. 6. and Numb 26. 11. He had murmured at the Priesthood Eli 16 and Magistracy and now one of his line is raised up to repair both when Eli 17 they are decaied Samuel was a vowed Nazarite and dedicated at the
in Heaven which all along speaks according to the platform of the Temple at Hierusalem Here is a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and Harpers harping by it c. singing the song of Moses which as it calls to mind Moses and the peoples singing upon the read Sea shore upon their delivery from Egypt Exod. 15. so doth it plainly allude to the musick at the Temple by the laver or Sea and which standing near the Altar was as a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire Moses and Israel sing after the destruction of Egypt for their deliverance was by her destruction but those here that have got victory over the Beast sing before he is destroyed for they are delivered from him and prevail against him though he stand in his strength and his destruction be not yet come The Gospel grew and Sanguis Martyrum was semen Ecclesiae do Satan and Antichrist what they can After this song The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Heaven was opened ver 5. All the whole building upon Mount Moriah was called the Temple the Courts and Cloisters and Chambers c. but the very house it self The Holy and Holy of Holies was only and properly The Temple of the Tabernacle of Testimony And the song mentioned before ver 2. is represented as being in the Court near the Altar and laver but now the very House it self is opened Parallel to what is spoken Chap. 11. 19. The Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Covenant The Lord in pouring out vengeance upon Antichrist will manifest his judgments as ver 4. and open his Counsels and Covenant for while the enemy raged and raved and destroyed those that would not worship him and when even all the world in a manner did worship him the Lords judgmeâ—ts were hid and his Covenant with his people as it were out of sight or as if no such thing had been but when this vengeance shall come then all will be plain The seven Angels that pour out the seven Vials are charactered in the garb of Priests coming out of the Temple in white linen and girded over the breasts as the Priests were One of the living creatures gives the Vials into their hands the very same sense and carriage with that Ezek. 10. 7. REVEL CHAP. XVI WERE the Stage where the things of this Book were to be acted and the time of their acting of as little compass as was that of the things of Daniel one might with more probability allot the several things mentioned to their several times as the things in him may be done But since the scene here is as large as all the World where the Gospel was to come and the time as long as time shall be 1600 years past already and how much behind none knoweth to undertake to apply every thing in this Book to its particular time place and occasion is to run a hazardous undertaking In some places indeed the things are so plain that they speak themselves but in many so obscure that he that will venture to bring them to particular application doth it more upon his own venture then upon any good textual warrant And amongst those obscurities these Vials are not the least Take them in a general interpretation as I believe they are intended and their meaning is easie to be understood but to come to allot them severally to this or that time or place is but to do that that when ye have done all you can will come to no surer bottom to rest upon then your own conceit and supposal The matter of them is expressed as to the most part by allusion to the plagues of Egypt as boils blood darkness and so it clears the thing intended namely in general to shew how the mystical Egypt Chap. 11. 8. after all her oppression and persecution of the Israel of God should at last come to receive her just reward as old Egypt had done and that God would follow her with plagues till he had destroyed her They are somewhat like the plagues of the seven Trumpets some of which as we observed did in general speak the state of the World till the rising of Antichrist and these Vials may be understood as the general description of his plagues and ruine We observed in Chap. 6. and that upon good Scripture ground that the six Seals did all but speak one effect namely the destruction of the Jewish Nation but brought to pass by several judgments and the like interpretation may be made here The first Vial brings a noisom Boyl upon the worshippers of the Beast this was the sixth plague of Egypt but here the first for that plague in Egypt came home to Jannes and Jambers the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses Exod. 9. 11. And that both this and all the rest might be shewed to reach home even to the veriest deceivers and ringleaders of mischief in Antichristian Egypt this is justly set in the first rank The second and third here refer to the one plague of Blood in Egypt and these exceed that For there all the Rivers and Ponds were indeed turned into Blood but the Egyptians digged for Water about the River to drink Exod. 7. 24. and found it and it was not turned into Blood The question and answer of Aben Ezra is pertinent It is said there was blood throughout all the Land of Egypt And the Magicians did so with their inchantments Now how could the Magicians turn water into blood when there was no water left but all was blood And he answers Aaron only turned the waters that were above ground into blood not those that were under ground but here Sea and Rivers and Fountains and all are become Blood still to shew how throughly the plagues should come home At these plagues there is mention of the Angel of the waters ver 5. which since all the Angels here are charactered in the garb of Priests as hath been said may also be understood as alluding to that Priest whose office it was to have care of the Waters and to look that there should be Water enough and fitting for the people to drink that came up to the three Festivals Among the offices of the Priests at the Temple this was one Maym. in Kele Mikdash per. 7. and Nicodemus whom the Talmud speaks of was of this office Aboth R. Nathan per. 6. The fourth Vial poured into the Sun brings scorching heat this seems to allude to Joshua's or Deborah's day when the Stars from Heaven fought the Sun standing still so long did not only give light to Israel but probably heat and faintness to the Canaanites and Psal. 121. 6. seems to refer thither The Sun shall not smite thee by day As in the fourth they are plagued by the Sun so in the fifth by want of it The seat of the Beast darkned as Pharaohs Throne and Kingdom was and this darkness bringing horror and pains
of Israel From the gate of the mountain of the House to the gate of Nicanor the camp of Levi and from the gate of Nicanor inward the camp of the divine glory SECT I. How the unclean were kept from the Temple UPON the observation of what persons were prohibited access to the Temple lest they should defile it two things methodically do come to hand to be considered thereupon as referring to it and those are 1. What course was taken for the prohibiting of the unclean from coming there And 2. What was the penalty of those that were in their uncleanness yet would dare to come The former inquiry is not of so easie resolution as is the latter and the reason is because thousands of persons might come that were not in a fit case to have come thither and yet it was impossible without immodesty and uncivility unless it were by oath to discover in what case they were There were indeed Porters and Guards at the gates but thousands of unclean persons might pass them and they never the wiser unless they should have put the passengers to an oath which I believe was never yet dreamed of by any writer that hath handled the Jews customs Men in issues of blood or seed and women in their ordinary or extraordinary fluxes could neither be discerned by their face in what case they were nor do we find that they were ever at all examined much less sworn or searched They might repel and keep back indeed what or whosoever carried with them visible defiling as one that appeared to be a Leper one that came with things about him that might not be brought into the Temple or they might keep back those that would go beyond their bounds or they might have an eye to any that came suspiciously either to steal or to disturb the Service or they might check those that shewed any lightness at their coming in or being entred or they might direct those that were not well acquainted with the place what to do and how to behave themselves there or they might admonish all that came to take heed of coming there if they were unclean But as for keeping out all that were in any uncleanness and such as whereby the place might receive defilement it was a thing so far impossible that it is far from being imaginable A man might have touched a dead Corps or might have touched a Woman in her separation or suffered Gonorrhoea in the night or twenty such like cases as these and he cometh to enter into the Temple and no one in the world knew how the case was with him but himself how should this man be possibly discovered or restrained unless it were by the spirit of Prophesie or by giving him an oath which power we never read the Porters to have had nor is there any ground or colour to suppose such a thing The security of the place therefore from such pollutions lay more in the severity of the penalties that were sentenced against and inflicted upon those that were deprehended offenders in this kind than it did in any possible care or practical prevention they could use that they should not come there And as the rigour and strictness of Laws and execution upon offenders in other cases is the surest prevention of such offences the like was the way of caution and prevention here SECT II. Penalties doomed upon unclean Persons found in the Temple Death by the hand of Heaven and Cutting off FOur sad and severe punishments for punishments I cannot but call them all were severally allotted two in sentence or doom and two in execution upon those that presumingly by their uncleanness did violate the Holiness of the place and service some upon one degree of offending and some upon another And those were these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death by the hand of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cutting off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whipping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rebels beating 1. There is a penalty of which the Jews do speak exceeding often due as they hold to divers sorts of offenders and amongst other to some of those that we are speaking of namely such as being unclean yet would for all that go into the Temple and they do call it Death by the hand of Heaven or by the hand of God a a a Vid. Eliu Levit. in Tisbi in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they do very commonly call God Heaven b b b Maymon in Biath Mikdash per. 4. An unclean person saith Maymony that serveth in the Sanctuary profaneth his service and is guilty of Death by the Hand of Heaven though he stay not there And again c c c Ibid. per. 5. A Priest that serveth and washeth not his hands and feet in the morning he is guilty of Death by the hand of Heaven And again d d d Ibid. per. 4. Men or Women with Fluxes Women in their Separation and upon Childbirth or one unclean by a creeping thing or by a carcase or the like may not deal with the service nor go into the Court But if they do they are liable to cutting off for their going in thither and to Death by the hand of Heaven for their serving And divers other instances and examples might be given in other delinquencies and offences to which Death by the hand of Heaven is doomed as the proper punishment of them but these may be sufficient to our present purpose 2. There is likewise as frequent mention if not more among the Hebrew Writers of another doom or penalty upon divers offenders and amongst others upon those of whom we are speaking who would go into the Temple in their uncleanness knowing how the case was with them which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kereth or Cutting off And the Talmud in the Treatise Kerithuth which bears the name upon this very subject doth reckon up six and thirty offences to which if wilfully committed this penalty accrewed It may not be amiss to give the matter at large in their own words and that the rather because we have not only some occasion to look after them now but shall have again also when we come to treat concerning sin-offerings which was a part of their service and which as we shall see then and even in the words now before us had somewhat to say to the matter of Cutting off Their words are these e e e Kerithuth per. 1. There are six and thirty cuttings off in the Law He that lieth with his mother or his fathers wife or his daughter in Law or with a male or with a beast or a woman lying with a beast or a man lying with a woman and her daughter or with another mans wife or with his own sister or his fathers sister or his mothers sister or his wifes sister or his brothers wife or his fathers brothers wife or with a woman in her separation or he that blasphemeth or comitteth Idolatry or giveth
and of Christ. p. 630. The Jewish Writers stole some things out of it 1003 Governor of the Feast what 547 Governors both Civil and Sacred were in every Synagogue 302 Grace for Grace largely explained 519 Grecians put for Hellenists 777 c. 815 856 Greek Tongue was the common Language of the Jews in Christs time and the Septuagint their Bible p. 220 230 231. All the World used the Old Testament in Christs time in the Greek Tongue unless such as had the Hebrew Tongue 419 Greek Translation of the fifth of Genesis c. full of false Chronologies 1028 Groaves why consecrated 13 695 Ground holy Ground the circuit of the Wall encompassing it according to our English measure what p. 1051. * Ezekiels holy Ground is bounded and measured Saint Johns in the Revelation is not and why p. 1051. * The length and breadth of the Gates encompassing the holy Ground p. 1052. * All within the Wall which encompassed the holy Ground was called the Temple 1063. * Guards were kept by night within Jerusalem 1062. * Guilt for sin is not to be concluded from sufferings 24 H. H Not used in the Middle and End of Greek words hence it is that we see it wanting in Hebrew words when changed into Greek Page 415. Marg. Habdala Kiddush are words of blessing the Sabbath 218 Hades denotes the State of Souls departed 754 Hallelujah is used among the Jewish Writers and in Scripture 35â— Hallel the Lesser or the Egyptian Hallel was an Hymn gathered out of the Psalms sung eighteen days and one night in the year to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt c. p. 957 c. The Greater Hallel sung at the Passover c. what 958 Hand of the Lord for his Assistance or Gift of Prophesie 422 Hand bredth was compounded of four fingers laid close 1051 Hands the imposition of them the use and ends thereof 281 285 289 788 Harel and Ariel what they signifie and how they differ 2034 2035. * Head the Head was not to be uncovered even in the Temple among the Jews at their Prayers 949 Heathenism began at Babel p. 9. It is again advanced by the Papacy 355 Heathens were cast off at the Confusion of Babel 842 Heaven being put for God was of common use among the Jews 568 Heavens new and Earth new denotes a new state of the Church under the Gospel as Isa. 65. 17. p. 338. Heavens opening after Christs Baptism what p. 479 480. And how far seen or not seen by those that stood by p. 481. Heaven opened put for themighty things said and done in Christs Ministry 336 337 Heavenly and Earthly things what were used by Christ. 576 Hebrew Tongue was not the common Language of the Jews in Christs time being then lost and to be Learned or not known p. 215 220. Canaan spoke this Language before Joshua came there p. 1009 to 1011. It was the Tongue of Adam and the Tongue of God it began with the World and the Church The Letters of it The whole Tongue is contained in the Bible Most of the Eastern Tongues use the Hebrew Characters or Letters It s a lofty graceful Language p. 1012 1013. Of the Vowels p. 1013. The Vowels are as ancient as the Letters 1014 Hebrews were Jews inhabiting Judea p. 279. Paul the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews p. 329. What part of the Jewish Nation it was directed to p. 330. It was writ in Greek as was Matthew not in Hebrew as some suppose because Hebrew at this time was only understood by Learned Men the Greek now was their Vulgar Tongue 330 331 Hebron a famous place 60 204 Helenists were Jews inhabiting other Countries dispersed among the Greeks p. 279. They were the greatest enemies to Paul because he had been one of them p. 283. Hellenists Acts 11. 19. means not Jews as it did Acts 6. 1. but Heathens their Language being a mixture of Syrian and Greek p. 286. Called Greatians in our Translation whether they were Greeks that lived among Jews or Jews that lived among Greeks Greeks converted to the Jewish Religion or Jews that used the Greek Tongue The last seems to be the proper meaning 777 Hellena or as some will have it Selene of Tyrus a Sorceress was Simon Magus his Whore supposed to be Jezâ—bel mentioned Rev. 2. 20. p. 787. Hellena the Queen of Adrabeni was famous and a great Benefactor to the Jews 1078 2049. * Heman the Psalmist and Heman the chief Singer were two differing Men. 70 Heresies the most desperate in the first Ages of the Christian Church sprung from the Jewish Talmudical Writers Page 372 Hereticks what p. 371. Simon Cerinthius Menander Ebion Basilides c. Sprung from amongst the Jews 372 373 Herod signifies fear trembling c. p. 397. Marg. His Pedigree Advancement Character and End p. 434 435. His manner of Death and Cruelty before it 444 Herod the Great his Pedigree or Family His numerous and strange marriages and wickednesses p. 588 to 592. He and Herodias lost all and were banished into Lyons in France 852 Herodians what they were 606 Herodias was married to Herod while her former Husband was alive 591 Hezekiah and Er both born when their Fathers were very young p. 105. His sickness when 110 High Places were Synagogues p. 608. They were lawful till the Tabernacle was set up in Shilo 2060. * High Priest disowned by Paul because Christ was the High Priest though he afterwards seems to own him and why p. 320. The High Priest represented Aaron p. 454. His Government what p. 723. His Office descended to the first born he was Installed by the Sanhedrim his Garments Coat Breeches Girdle Ephod Breast-plate p. 905. His Miter and the Golden Plate that was fastened on it he was exceeding Pompous and his Dignity high an eminent Type of Christ his Office was for life p. 906. The Succession of the High Priest till the building of the Temple p. 907. From the Building of the Temple to the Captivity p. 907 908. Under the second Temple p. 908 to 911. High Priest what Garments he had which the other Priests had not p. 2050. * He was consecrated under the Second Temple by putting on the Holy Vestments 2051. * Hillel's and Shammai's Scholars were in constant quarrel p. 514. Hillel President of the Sanhedrim one of the most eminent both for Learning Rule and Children part of his History 2008. * Hin what sort of measure 546 History is put by it self so is Prophesie in the Scriptures in Chapters as well as Books notwithstanding they were not so delivered p. 121 134. History distant in time and place laid together As the mentioning of the Institution of the Sabbath p. 3 220 608. The Death of Noah p. 9. Esaus going to Ismael before Jacob's Vision at Bethel p. 16. Jethros History is Anticipated p. 27. Moses brings in his own Exclusion out of Canaan thirty eight years before it was p. 38. Aaron is said to dye
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Coat e e e e e e Epiphan lib. 1. cap. 15. Speaking of the Scribes Moreover they wore garments distinguisht by the Phylacteries which were certain borders of purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They used long robes or a certain sort of garment which we may call Dalmaticks or Kolobia which were wove in with large borders of purple That he means the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talith the thing it self declares for those borders of purple were no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Zuzith certain skirts hung and sewed on to the Talith 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Woolen shirt the inward garment Whence the Gloss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaluk was the shirt upon his skin Hence that boast of R. Jose f f f f f f Schabb. fol. 118. 2. That the roof of his house had not throughout his whole life seen what was within that shirt of his II. And now the question returns viz. whether by those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place before us should be meant those two kinds of garments the Talith and the Chaluk that is that they should take but one of them or those two kinds doubled that is that they should take but one of each Whether our Saviour bound them to take but one of those garments or whether he forbad them taking two of each I conceive he might bind them to take but one of those garments for although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be applied to some particular garment yet when it is not so joyned it may signifie only clothing in general When our Lord commands them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to put on two coats g g g g g g Mark VI. 9. The foregoing words may best explain what he means by it for when he cuts them short of other parts of garments and necessaries such as a scrip a staff and sandals we may reasonably suppose he would cut them short of one of the ordinary garments either the Talith or the Chaluk This may seem something severe that he should send them out in the Winter time half naked But 1. This well enough became that Providence which he was determined in a more peculiar manner to exert toward them as may be gathered from Luke XXII 35. and to the charge of which he would commit them Of such a kind and nature was his Providence in preserving them as was shewn toward the Israelites in the Wilderness which suffered not their garments to wax old which kept their bodies from decay and diseases and their feet unhurt by all their travel 2. It suited well enough with the mean and low estate of that Kingdom of Heaven and the Messiah which the Apostles were to Preach up and propagate so that from the view of the first publishers the Jews might learn to frame a right judgment concerning both the Messiah and his Kingdom viz. they might learn to believe in the Messiah when they should observe him capable so wondrously to protect his messengers though surrounded with such numberless inconveniences of life and might further be taught not to expect a pompous Kingdom when they see the propagators of it of so mean a degree and quality The words of the Baptist h h h h h h Lukt III. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath two coats let him impart c. may be also understood in this sence that he that hath both the Talith and the Chaluk may give to him that is naked and hath neither either the one or the other VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That one of the old Prophets was risen again SO is the expression again Vers. 19. in which sense the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prophet must be taken John I. 21 25. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the old Prophets that is risen again Although they lookt for no other Prophet excepting Elias only before the appearing of the Messiah yet doth it seem that they had an opinion that some of the antient Prophets should rise again and that the time was now at hand wherein they should so do and that because they made such frequent mention of it in their common talk that some one of the old Prophets were risen again VERS XXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses and Elias THE Jews have a fiction that Moses shall come with Elias when Elias himself comes i i i i i i Deâ—harin rabba fol. 293. 4. The Holy Blessed God said to Moses As thou hast given thy life for Israel in this world so in the ages to come when I shall bring Elias the Prophet amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you two shall come together But the rise and foundation of this opinion is very ridiculous indeed having its first ground from Nahum I. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Moses when an infant was thrown into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. II. And Elias went up into Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings II. This it is for such as these to allegorize the Holy Scriptures They also feign that Moses was raised up at the same time with Samuel by the Witch of Endor k k k k k k Vajicra rabba fol. 195. 3. Samuel thought that day had been the day of judgment and therefore he raised Moses along with himself l l l l l l Pesikta fol. 93. 1. Moses did not dye for the just dye not but went up into the highest to minister before God VERS XXXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They spake of his decease THE French and the Italian Translation do render this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too loosely The French Dissoyent sur le issue the Italian Dicevane il successo suo And I wish the English have not done it too narrowly They spake of his decease It were better they spake of his departure For the ascent of Christ into Heaven was as well his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his death nay I may say more if at least in the word Exodus there be any allusion to the Israelites going out of Egppt. For that was in victory and triumph as also the ascent of Christ into Heaven was There is no question but they did indeed discourse with him about his death and the manner of it viz. his crucifixion whereas Moses and Elias themselves did depart without any pain or anguish but I should think however that there is more contained in that word and that the expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time of his receiving up Vers. 51. hath some reference to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his departure We meet with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Version Prov. XXX 12. There is a generation accounteth it self righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but yet hath not washed its going out obscurely enough indeed and beside the Text.
had any ill design when they thus mangled this famous clause but surely there is at least some ground of suspition that they hardly referr the words to the right object R. Solomon assuredly doth not For so it ought to be said saith he to those that bring their first-fruits and go up to the Feasts 1. To come is oftentimes the same with them as to teach g g g g g g Joh. V. â—â— If any one shall come in his own name him ye will receive i. e. If any one shall teach And so it is frequently in the Jerusalem Talmud concerning this or the other Rabbin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he came and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he cometh Which if it be not to be understood of such an one teaching I confess I am am at a loss what it should mean else 2. Those Doctors did not come and teach in the name of the Lord but either in their own name or in the name of the traditions of some Father Hence nothing more familiar with them than R. N. in the name of R. N. saith as every leaf I may say almost every line of their writings witness If therefore by cutting short this clause they would be appropriating to themselves the blessing of the people whom they had taught to say Blessed be he that cometh letting that slip or omitting what follows in the name of the Lord they do indeed like themselves cunningly lying at catch and hunting after â—ame and vain-glory Let the Reader judge whether Christ might not look this way in these words However I shall not scruple to determine that they shall never see the Messiah as to any advantage to themselves till they have renounced the Doctrines of coming in their own name or in the name of the Traditions of their Fathers embracing his Doctrine who is come in the name of the Lord. Which whether they shall ever do or no let him determine who can determine whether that Nation shall ever be converted CHAP. XIV VERS 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To eat bread on the Sabbath day THE Jews tables were generally better spread on that day than on any others and that as they themselves reckoned upon the account of Religion and Piety I have spoken to this elsewhere take here a demonstration a a a a a a Schabb. fol. 119. 1. Rabba bar Rabh Honna went to the house of Rabba bar Rabh Nachman He set before him three measures of rich cake to whom he how did you know of my coming the other answered is there any thing more valuable to us than the Sabbath The Gloss is we do by no means preferr thee before the Sabbath We got these things ready in honour of the Sabbath not knowing any thing of thy coming Rabh Abba bought flesh of thirteen Butchers for thirteen staters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and paid them at the very hinge of the door The Gloss tells us That he bought of thirteen Butchers that he might be sure to taste the best and before they could come that should bring the flesh he had gotten his money ready for them and paid them at the very gate that he might hasten dinner and all this in honour of the Sabbath day R. Abhu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sate upon an Ivory throne and yet blew the fire That was toward the cooking of his dinner in honour of the Sabbath It ought not to be passed by without observation that Christ was at such a dinner and that in the house of a Pharisee who doubtless was observant enough of all Ceremonies of this kind VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is lawful to heal on the Sabbath day A Jew will be ready to cavil against the truth of the Evangelists upon the occasion of this and such like questions they report from our Saviour What need had he will such an one say to ask this question when he could not but know that in danger of life it was permitted them to do any thing toward the preservation of it Nay where there was no imminent danger they were allowed to apply Medicines Plasters c. especially which I must not omit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to apply leven even in the time of Passover to a Gumretha b b b b b b Hieros Schabb. fol. 14. 4. Avodah Zarab fol. 40. 4. some very burning distemper This is all true indeed and this no doubt our Saviour understood well enough but withal he could not but observe with how ill an eye they lookt at him and would not allow that in him which was lawful in another man He was always accused for healing on the Sabbath day which whiles he did it with a word speaking he could not violate so much as even their own Canons permitted him And wherefore then should they accuse him In mere hatred to his person and actions There are two little stories we meet with in places quoted before which perhaps may serve in some measure to illustrate this matter The Grandchild of R. Joshua ben Levi had some disease in his throat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There came one and mumbled to him in the name of Jesus the Son of Pandira and he was restored Here we see the vertue and operation of Jesus not so utterly exploded but they did allow of it When R. Eliezer ben Damah had been bitten with a Serpent and Jacobus Capharsamensis came in the name of Jesus the Son of Pandirah to heal him R. Ismael forbad it And so the sick man died VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Which of you shall have an Ass or an Ox fallen into a pit c. IT being an undoubted maxim That they must deal mercifully with an Israelite's goods The Doctors in many things dispensed with the Sabbath for the preservation of a Beast c c c c c c Schab cap. 18. hal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They do not play the midwives with a Beast that is bringing forth its young on a Feast-day but they help it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How do they help it They bear up the young one that it doth not fall upon the ground They bring wine and spirit it into the nostrils they rub the paunch of the damme so that it will suckle its young d d d d d d Bezah fol. 46. 1. A firstling if it fall into a ditch on a Feast-day or the Sabbath let the Mumcheh look into it and if there be any blemish in it let him take it out and kill it if not let him not kill it He draws it out however that it might not be lost And so they deal with other Beasts only the Mumcheh or he that is to try them for their blemishes is not made use of VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit thou not down in the highest room THEY were ambitious of the highest room in honour of their wisdom e e
as originally rooted and grounded in him in the womb upon the fault of his mother eating of what had been offer'd to Idols It is also equally presum'd that an Infant may unreasonably and irregularly kick and punch in the womb of its mother beyond the rate of ordinary infants The infants in the womb of Rebecca may be for an instance where the Jews indeed absolve Jacob from fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though he took Esau by the heel b b b b b b Bemidbar rabb fol. 230. 2. but will hardly absolve Esau for rising up against his brother Jacob. c c c c c c Sanhedr fol. 91. 2. Beresh rabb fol. 38. 1. Antoninus askt R. Judah at what time evil affections begin to prevail in the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether in the first forming of the foetus in the womb or at the time of its coming forth The Rabbi saith unto him from the time of its first forming Then saith Antoninus it will kick in the mothers womb and rush out This I learnt of Antoninus and the Scripture seems to back it when it saith Sin lyeth at the door It appears from this dispute whether true or feigned that the ancient opinion of the Jews was that the infant from its first quickening had some stain of sin upon it And that great Doctor R. Judah the holy was originally of that opinion himself but had lightly chang'd his mind upon so paltry an argument Nay they went a little further not only that the infant might have some stain of sin in the womb but that it might in some measure actually sin and do that which might render it criminal To which purpose this passage of the Disciples seems to have some relation Did this man sin that he was born blind That is did he when his Mother carry'd him in her womb do any foul or enormous thing that might deserve this severe stroke upon him that he should bring this blindness with him into the world VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He spat on the ground c. I. HOW far spittle was accounted wholesome for weak eyes we may learn from this ridiculous tale d d d d d d Hieros Sotah fol. 16. 4. Vajicra rabb fol. 175. 2. R. Meir sat and was teaching in the evening of the Sabbath-day there was a woman stood by hearing him preach after he had done she went home and found her candle gone out Her Husband saith to her where hast thou been I have been saith she standing and hearing the voice of a Preacher Her Husband saith to her thou shalt not enter in till thou hast gone and spot in the face of him that taught After three weeks her neighbouring women perswading and heartning her to it she goes to the Chappel Now the whole matter was already made known to R. Meir He saith therefore to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is there ever a woman among you skill'd in muttering charms over eyes for he feign'd a grievous ailment in his eyes the woman said R. I am not skill'd However saith he do thou spit seven times upon my eyes and I shall be healed which she did Gloss. Whenever they multer'd any charms over the eyes it was necessary that they should spit upon them II. It was prohibited amongst them to besmear the eyes with spittle upon the Sabbath-day upon any Medicinal account although it was esteemed so very wholesome for them e e e e e e Maim Schab cap. 21. They do not squirt wine into the eyes on the Sabbath-day but they may wash the eye-brows with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as to fasting spittle which was esteem'd exceedingly wholesome it is not lawful to put it so much as upon the eye-lids f f f f f f Schab fol. 108. 2. One saith that wine is prohibited so far that it may not be injected into the middle of the eye upon the eye-brows it may Another saith that spittle is forbidden so much as upon the eye-lids So that in this action of our Saviour's we may observe I. That he does not heal this sick man with a word as he did others but chuseth to do a thing which was against their Canonical observation of the Sabbath designing hereby to make a trial of the man whether he was so superstitious that he would not admit such things to be done upon him on the Sabbath-day He made an experiment not much unlike this upon the man at Bethesda as we have before observ'd II. Whiles he mingles spettle with dust and of that makes a clay to anoint the eyes of the blind man he thereby avoideth the suspicion of using any kind of charm and gives rather a demonstration of his own Divine power when he heals by a method contrary to nature for clay laid upon the eyes we might believe should rather put out the eyes of one that sees than restore sight to one that had been blind Yea and further he gave demonstration of the Divine authority he himself had over the Sabbath when he heals upon that day by the use of means which had been peculiarly prohibited to be us'd in it The connexion of this Chapter with the former is such that the stories in both seem to have been acted on one and the same day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Going through the midst of them so passed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he passed by he saw a man which was blind If it be so which I will not much contend about then do they bring the Adulterous woman before Christ yea and attempt to stone him too on the Sabbath-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus hid himself or perhaps the sense is he was hidden that is by the multitude that had a favour for him and compast him about lest his enemies should have wreakt their malice and displeasure against him VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is by interpretation sent WE have already shewn that the spring of Siloam discharg'd its self by a double stream into a twofold Pool the upper Pool which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pool of Siloah and the lower which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pool of Shelah Nehem. III. 15. Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly and properly signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so as we have already noted Probably the Evangelist added this Parenthesis on purpose to distinguish which of the Pools the blind man was sent to wash in viz. not in the Pool Shelah which signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fleeces but in the Pool of Shiloah which signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That sat and begged THIS may be oppos'd to another sort of beggars viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that beg from door to door The words used by the beggars were generally these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vouchsafe something
Adam was the light that all holy men from Adam forward looked after and walked by And that light shone in the darkness of mans now sinful and undone condition That light shone in the darkness before the Law when their was no light of a Law but what was written in the heart of man That light shone in the darkness of the Types and Figures that were in the Law when the Law was given And that light shone in the darkness and obscurities of the cloudy Prophesies of the Prophets And at last it shone out fully without any darkness at his coming in the Gospel and that at verse the ninth was the true light that inlightneth every man that came into the world that inlightneth the Gentiles even all the World So that all along even from the first day of Adam under the various administrations in which it pleased God to carry on this Light this was the life and light of men None but Christ none but Christ. They that went before him before the Law and under the Law and they that come after under the Gospel crying Hosanna to him expecting and finding Salvation from him III. And this leads me to the third thing we are to speak of viz. Christs entertaining all his that thus under these several Administrations believed in him in his Fathers house in Salvation and Eternity I at the last he did so will the Romanist say but first by your leave were all the believers before Christ came entertained in Limbo Truly very course entertainment when the good men had served God all the day and at night should have received their wages there was yet none for them but they must to Limbo and wait yet it may be two or three thousand years and then they shall be paid Poor Abel served his Master faithfully and truly all his time dies in his Masters service and for his Masters sake and when he comes to expect his reward in Heaven no Abel thou must to Limbo and there stay till Christ come and fetch thee out about three thousand five hundred years after thou comest thither Very hard payment And a strange business that Abraham whilst he lived should converse with God as a friend and walk and talk with him and entertain God at his Table and when he is dead he is become a mere stranger to God thrust into a hole in Limbo where no light of God no communion with him at all but God and Abraham are now mere strangers Such mad absurdities doth the limiting of the Spirit and operation of Christ to the bodily presence of Christ produce and bring into the World Such is the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and such this of Limbo Transubstantiation that maintains that there is no receiving Christ virtually in the Sacrament unless we receive him bodily his very flesh and blood And this of Limbo that none went to Heaven till Christ went in his real presence to Limbo after his Death to fetch them thence and bring them to Glory I had thought Abraham had been in glory before For when Christ before his death doth propose that parable of Abraham in joys and Lazarus in his bosom certainly he is proposed not as being in Limbo but in Heaven And when Moses appears to Christ in Glory Luke IX 31. do you think he came out of Limbo in that glory But what need I trouble you with the confutation of such absurdities If it be the Spirit and Power of Christ that operates for mans Salvation and not his bodily presence if it be the fruit and effect of Faith to unite to Christ and to bring into the enjoyment of all the benefits of Christ grace and glory and if all the holy ones under those various administrations before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel had such faith in Christ what doubt can be made of their Salvation when they died and that they were received and entertained by Christ in the Mansions of his Fathers house The last word You in the Text I suppose is that where the Emphasis especially lies I go to prepare a place for you as I have prepared place for others before you for Enoch Abraham c. before the Law for Moses Aaron Joshua David c. under the Law I am now going also to prepare a place for you and there is place for you that are come under an administration clean different from all theirs For in my Fathers house are many mansions Being then to speak of Christs entertaining all his in Heaven let me begin my discourse with sursum Corda Christians lift up your hearts that that you have to look after is above It is the Voice of my beloved I am going to prepare for you in my Fathers house O my soul look not after any lower preparation The husks and draff of this World is not the provision that Christ makes for his And why should I feed upon Onyions and Garlick when if I will seek after it there is Manna enough for me the food of Angels I am going to prepare a place for you in my Fathers house is a word that might make a Soul never to be quiet till it come there and that might make it to scorn and slight all this trash here below in reaching out and breathing after the provisions that are there Lift up your heads and hearts ye afflicted and dejected and despised servants of the Lord Jesus though your bread here be bread of affliction and you mingle your drink with weeping though ye walk in hunger and poverty under derision and persecution and trouble though oppressed afflicted tormented yet here is enough to make amends in the end for all I go to prepare for you Be content with your dinner of bitter herbs and sower sauce apud superos coenaturi there is a supper provided for you in eternal mansions What entertainment Jew and Millenary look for in Christs personal reign upon Earth let them enjoy when they can meet with it but if you be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God preparing for you Let us begin at the lowest step of Jacobs ladder and climb up gradatim to the top of it where it is lodged in Heaven First This World is not a place for Christs entertaining of His as it proved but a course Entertainment of Christ when he was here My Kingdom saith he is not of this World nor indeed can it be let Jew and Millenary conceit what they please For observe that passage in III. Gen. 17. where as soon as Adam is fallen the Earth is cursed Cursed be the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it Did I say as soon as he was fallen the Earth is cursed I should rather say as soon as Christ is promised the Earth is cursed for there is as proper a connexion between those two as between his fall and that curse Christ is promised and the Earth is
sad thing it is to be separate from Christ as a thing accursed and to consider with our selves how the case may be with us as to this particular Now he that knows what Christ is needs no more proof to shew what it is to be I. separate from him If in him alone be life Joh. I. 4. to be separate from him can be nothing else but death And if there be no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. VIII 1. there can be nothing but condemnation to him that is not in him It is the saying of our Apostle 2 Cor. XII 2. I knew a man in Christ taken up into the third Heaven What by the rule of contraries can become of him that is out of Christ I would we could but seriously lay these three things to heart which are the particulars of the matter before us First How sad a thing it is for Christ to have nothing to do with a man but to disclaim him Secondly How sadder if sadder needs be is it for Christ to be ashamed of a man and disdain to own him And Thirdly Yet sadder if possible for Christ to curse a man or at least to look upon him as a thing accursed Are not all these included in the Apostles expression here And is not any of these the saddest thing that can possibly befal a man It may be you will say Hell fire is worse than these the Worm that never dyes Eternal wrath and vengeance are worse than these But doth not this separation from Christ include all these And can any other come of it but Fire and Wrath and Vengeance How then is the case with thee as to this particular Oh! I doubt not but I am II. Gods I hope Christ owns propriety and interest in me But upon what ground dost thou think that God owns thee What reason hast thou to think that Christ acknowledges thee for a sheep of his against the claim of the Wolf and the roaring Lion I have heard of a man that laid claim unto a very great Estate upon no other ground in the world but because he dreamed one night that that Estate was his Mens confidence about their spiritual welfare most commonly proceeds from no other ground but merely because they dream so like them who in reference to outward welfare 1 Thes. V. dreamt of Peace Peace when sudden destruction was just entring in at the door It makes me remember that saying of Jude vers 8. These filthy Dreamers defile the flesh despise dominion and speak evil of dignites And why does he call them Dreamers rather than any other title Because all their confidence in what they did came but from a fancy and dream and had no better foundation and though they did this evil yet they dream they shall speed well enough God lays claim to no man but because he seeth that in him that pleaseth him He calls none his that is offensive to him The wit of man cannot invent a reason why God should own a man that goes on in his wickedness and lay claim to him for his own that is continually offending him Plead Election plead the infiniteness of Gods mercy plead the freeness of his Grace plead what you can you can never give real satisfaction to your own heart that God claims any interest in you or owns you for his own till you walk so as to please him For what does an ungodly and wicked man differ from a separate thing from Christ and one that he hath no claim to and nothing to do withal The Scripture tells us That God hates the proud abhors the covetous scorns the scorners frowns upon the ungodly and despiseth evil doers And this fruitful Meditation I have gathered from the mention that is here made of being accursed or separated from Christ. Now from the consideration of the person that could be willing to undergo this separation and of the reason why viz. the saving of the souls of the Jews his Brethren I may gather as fruitful a Doctrine And that is this That the souls of other men should be dear to us as well as our own And that it is cause of grief to see any soul perish That the souls of these men were dearer to the Apostle than his own in that he could be content that his should perish so that theirs might not is a thing of rare Example and whether we are to write after such a copy is a question yet to be discussed But that the souls of others should be dear unto us is so plain in this copy that he that runs may read it It is not for kindreds sake barely that he is so affectionate to them though he call them Brethren and Kinsmen but it is their souls that he looks after that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus and not perish It were needless to shew how earnestly he laboured to save as many souls as possible and if it were possible that no soul should perish His pains and Preaching his actions and Epistles breathed such affection every where and to all persons But this you will say belonged to his Function as he was an Apostle and Minister But doth this belong to every private person to be so tender to the souls of all I am loath this Question should be asked it is so like Cains question Am I my Brothers keeper Have I any thing to do with another mans soul that I should trouble my self about it But how shall we interpret that great Command Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self But first Who is my Neighbour Our Saviour Answers it with a Parable Let me Answer it with another question nay Who is not thy Neighbour In that Parable of the Man that fell among Thieves and the good Samaritan relieving him our Saviour shews that even one of another Nation even one of an Enemy Nation is to be accounted a Neighbour For so were the Samaritans to the Jews and yet the Samaritan that pitied was Neighbour in our Saviours construction to him that fell among Thieves The Greek and Latine word that is used to signifie a Neighbour signifies properly one that is near to one but it means nearness of relation and affection rather than nearness of place Nearness of relation that is as all are made of one blood and nearness of affection that should be as all are of one shape and image Every one is our Neighbour of what Land or Nation state or condition soever because every one is related to us by these respects Well every one is our Neighbour and we are to love our Neighbour that is every one as our selves to hate none to malice none to be enemy to none but to love every one And what especially to love in him That that is the chief and most regardable and most precious in him and that is his Soul To have an affection a regard a kindness for every mans Soul and to
owe and pay a duty that we owe to them and that upon as urgent obligations as likely can be and those are the duty of Charity and the preciousness of every soul or to knit them both in one Charity to every one because of his Soul If we should question why we are to love our Neighbour as our self What is the proper Answer Because God hath commanded it But did God command it without reason And what is the proper reason of the Command Does not that lye especially in reference to the Soul of every man David hath a saying Psal. XXXIII 13 c. The Lord looketh down from Heaven and beholdeth all the Children of men He fashioneth their hearts alike From whence some argue that the souls of all the Inhabitants of the Earth are alike And so indeed as to their essential constitution they are all alike That very thing may hush all exceptions against the loving of every man and may quell malice and enmity against any Consider these things First That man that loves not every man for his souls sake knows not the value and excellency of a Soul For did he that very thing would move affection in him towards it Beauty of it self is an Attractive of affection and it doth as it were charm the heart to love it and delight in it And if a Soul in its essential constitution be not beautiful and lovely what thing upon earth can be counted beautiful and lovely A Soul that carries the image of God in its very constitution a Soul that is like to the nature of Angels in its essence and being a Soul that is capable of the Divine Nature a Soul that is capable of Eternal Life and Glory If this be not lovely what is lovely It is accounted a great piece of Policy to study Men to observe and take notice of the tempers humors passions carriages of men and some have come to be great Statesmen by such observation I am sure it is a great piece of Wisdom to study Souls and to observe the nature worth price excellency both of our own and other mens And there is not a more general and comprehensive cause of the ruine of Souls than mens ignorance of and unacquaintedness with their own souls And it is no wonder if men be not tender of the souls of otherss when they are thus regardless of their own And the cause of that is because they are so unacquainted with the great value of any Soul Secondly I might insist to shew that he that is not tender of the Soul of another is not tender towards his own because he neglects so great a Duty viz. his being regardful of his Neighbours Soul the Duty of that great Command Thou shalt love thy Neighbour I might shew also that a heart that is right softned and made tender by Grace and Charity and Religion is soft and tender to every one towards every thing wherein Religion and piety and goodness may be concerned A heart of stone is a heart of stone throughout and no softness in it It is not softned toward God to love him nor toward its own Soul to love that nor to its Neighbour to love him But a heart of flesh is soft and tender throughout towards every thing toward which it ought to be soft and tender Yea as Solomon will tell you A good man is merciful and tender towasds his very Beast when the very mercies of the wicked are cruel But what affection is it that we owe to every Soul in the World Must we come up to write after this copy of the Apostle before us to be content and wish that our own souls should perish on condition other mens souls should be saved So far you will say he was within compass to tender their souls to desire that they might not perish and to mourn for their perdition this is something within reason But to wish that himself might perish that they might escape it to be accursed from Christ that they might not be so Who required this at his hands And must our Christian Charity come to that pitch or we come not to the right pitch of Charity Toward the answering this Question let me first ask another Would he have wished thus in behalf of any other Nation but his own Would he have been content to have been accursed from Christ for the people of Edom Syria Greece Italy or any other Country You will say It may be he would not for they were not so near akin to him as the seed of Israel was But kindred was the least thing that wrought with him here though that was somewhat but that his people perished the old people of God perished the old Church of God perished there was an end of the Covenant of God with them an end of the Promises to their Fathers and they that had been more to God than all the world besides were now to fall under his wrath and curse more than all the world besides this wrought deeply with him An Occurrence such as the like was never to occur again an Occurrence so strange and dreadful that the ruine and destruction of that Nation is commonly charactered in Scripture as the ruine and destruction of the whole world as if Heaven and Earth passed away when that Church and State passed away and as if Sun and Moon and Stars fell to the ground when the state and Ordinances of that Church fell Lay all these things then together as on heaps of misery and sadness and conceive our Apostle looking on them and we shall see both the reason of his extraordinary sorrow which we have in part seen already and warrant for his extraordinary Wish He sees with sad eyes and tears in them his whole Nation and blood and kindred to be rejected scattered destroyed ruined It fetcheth more tears to think that all those Souls must perish as well as their outward estate But it makes the tide flow above measure to think of a whole Church destroyed the Ordinances of God laid in the dust all the Providences of God for that people come to such an end The Children of the Kingdom cast into outer darkness and the Name of God blasphemed by the enemy for their sakes These indeed you will say were very just causes of his grief but were these just warrants for him to make such a wish against himself that he might be accursed for them This strange Wish I say again as I said before came not from passion or over-sight but from Charity and Zeal And it was Charity and Zeal above the ordinary measure as the man whose they were was a man above the ordinary state of men As he had more revelation from God of the things of the Gospel and Heaven than ever man had as having been rapt into Heaven to contemplate them So had he more Zeal and Charity we may justly say than ever man had Zeal for God and Charity for Souls And it were no
understanding immortal substance that is not extinguished by sin nor cannot be by any thing And so when God forbids Murther he doth it with this argument That he that kills a Man destroys one that carries the image of God And yet then the likeness of God in Man Holiness and Righteousness was utterly gone but the image of God in these essential constitutives in soul were still remaining in him Upon that saying of God Whoso sheddeth Mans blood by Man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he Man if any Man question Is this meant of every Man in the world Can any doubt it Unless the Murther of some Men were allowed though of others forbidden Upon the very same argument we may urge the love of every man to every man because in the Image of God he created him And if thou canst find any man without the Image of God in his Soul then hate him and spare not But then it will further be Objected Then by this Argument I should love the Devil for he was created in the Image of Cod that is He is a spiritual intellectual immortal substance as well as any mans Soul I Answer He is so indeed but these two things make now the vast difference First He is in a sinful estate utterly irrecoverable And so we cannot say of any soul in the world The Apostle saith of the Angels that fell That God cast them down into Hell upon their Fall 2 Pet. II. They are damned already irrecoverably but you cannot say of any soul in the World absolutely that it cannot be saved Whether all Souls in the World be salvabiles in a savable condition we shall not dispute nor whence their salvability comes if it be so But certainly you and I nor no Man in the world can say of any Man that he cannot be saved True we may truly and justly say that if he continue and dye in such and such sins and wicked courses he cannot be saved But of his soul considered in its bare essence we cannot say so Nay we must pray for his Salvation This then is that that beautifies a Soul and makes it lovely and upon which we are to love every Man because he hath a soul capable of enjoying God and Salvation Shall I hate any Mans soul It may be united to God Hate any Mans body It may be a Temple of the Holy Ghost any Mans Person He may be an Inheritor of Eternal Glory Scorn not poor Joseph for all his rags and imprisonment he may come to sit upon a Throne Despise not poor Lazarus for all his Sores and Tatters he may be carried by Angels into Abraham ' s bosom Secondly Christ dyed for Souls he dyed not for Devils And this is no small demonstration of the Excellency and preciousness of a Soul viz. That the Son of God himself would dye for it It is therefore the Apostles Argument once and again Offend not him for whom Christ dyed Destroy not him for whom Christ dyed Rom. XIV 1 Cor. VIII Darest thou hate him for whom Christ dyed Darest thou wrong him for whom the Son of God would shed his blood A SERMON PREACHED upon GENESIS III. 20. And Adam called his Wives name Eve because she was the Mother of all living ADAMS story is all wonder Dust so raised to become so brave a Creature that Bravery so soon lost so soon repaired and so hughly repaired to a better condition That he is sensible of in the Text therefore he calls his Wives name Eve because Mother to all living He had named her quoad sexum as to her sex Chap. II. 23. Now he gives her another name of distinction Then she was called Woman because she was taken out of Man Now Eve because all living were to come out of her Adam shewed Wisdom in naming the Beasts here he shews that and more viz. Faith and sense of his better Estate She was rather the Mother of Death having done that that brought death into the world but he sensible of a better life to come in by her calls her Eve Life as the word signifies Lay this to that in Joh. I. 4. In him was life speaking of Christ and the life was the light of men Eve was the Mother of all living viz. of Christ and all that live by him So that hence I make this Observation That Adam and Eve believed and obtained life For the proof of this let us view their story I. God saith I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel vers 15. Satan had accompanied with them till this Promise came He keeps to them to chear them he perswaded them to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. But now she sets him at defyance She sees her error The Serpent saith she deceived me grows at enmity with him having now a surer comfort promised to rely upon II. God clothed them with skins vers 21. Which is an evidence that they sacrificed For they had no need of slaying Beasts for any other purpose Flesh they might not eat They were slain for sacrifice and their skins served for clothing Thus Body and Soul were provided for And in these Sacrifices they looked after Christ and saw him in figure The first death in the world was Christs dying in figure Noah knew clean and unclean Beasts and sacrificed This undoubtedly he had learned from the beginning III. Observe that Luk. I. 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Hinting that from the very beginning of the world there were Prophets of the Messias Thus Adam was a Prophet of Christ and prophesied of him in the name of Eve signifying life And Eve prophesied of him in the name of Cain Gen. IV. 1. She conceived and bare Cain and said I have gotten a man from the Lord Or I have begotten a man the Lord as the words may be rendred And in the name Seth Gen. IV. 25. She bare a Son and called his name Seth For God saith she hath appointed me another seed IV. The promise of the Messiah was not given to a Castaway It was given to Abraham and David and others that were righteous men V. Religion began to be planted by Adam Cain and Abel brought Sacrifice to God Which shews that Religion had been planted before VI. Christ prevailed against the Serpent from the beginning and had a seed The Church began with Adam Else what confusion would there have been in the world VII The Sabbath was given from the beginning and Adam kept it VIII All Gods dealings with him were to forward Faith in him Such were his Cursing the ground his expelling him out of Eden his enjoyning him Sacrifice and the Sabbath IX Adam is ranked with holy ones Gen. V. These things laid together may be sufficient to prove that Adam and Eve believed
and Earth and in the same instant created the Angels with the Heavens Now these Angels that fell were not fallen doubtless before man was made For upon creating of Man who was the last of the Creation it is said Gen. I. 31. And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good and there was yet nothing bad or evil in the world no Angels fallen no sin at all But when those that fell saw the dignity and honour and happiness that God had placed man in a piece of clay a lump of earth dust of the ground and that he put all Creatures under his feet as it is Psal. VIII 5 6. yea and gave Angels charge to attend him as it is Psal. XCI 11 They maliced this happiness and honour and scorned this service and attendance and damned themselves meerly upon this spite at Man Would they therefore think you delay any time of tempting man to try whether they could shake him out of his happiness and honour and bring him into the same condemnation with themselves No the Devil never since slacked time and put off any opportunities of doing mischief much less would he then when he had mischieved himself with such a spleen Secondly I might speak of divers things As that if Adam had kept the Sabbath in innocency he had kept the Law that if he had continued any time without sin he had begot Cain without sin if Eve had been a little practised in obedience she had not so soon been shaken when she came to be tried that their speech sheweth that no fruit had been eaten before But that which is especially considerable is that the Redemption was to be shewed instantly upon the Creation Since Christ was to be set up Lord of all the Saviour of all that are saved and the second Adam repairer of the ruines of the first it was not only fit but indeed needful that he should be proclaimed King and Saviour even the first day of man I do not say it was needful that Adam should fall on his first day that Christ might be proclaimed on his first day and yet I say it was needful that Christ should be proclaimed that day viz. that he might be set up Lord of all men from the first day of man But especially that what stability or firmness there is in obedience and holiness it might be founded in Christ alone I could almost say it was needful that Adam should fall on the day of his Creation not in regard of any necessity God put upon him but in regard of the â—ickleness of created nature being left to it self When I say it was almost needful I mean almost inevitable but that he left intirely to himself and to his own strength should stand the temptation of an Angel a Creature so far above him by nature and so far wiser than he though he were full of wisdom And you see Satan did not so much tempt his strength as his wisdom and there he overturns him by a trick of subtility out-witting his wisdom However it was fit the Redeemer should be held forth even the first day of man as the heir of all things Heb. I. 2. as the root of all to be saved and the sure foundation of all holiness grace and eternal life And III. Do but observe what correspondence there is twixt the Fall and Redemption and the later will speak the former to have been on Adams first day Redemption was wrought on the sixth day as the Fall had been on the sixth day And when Christ had wrought that great work he rested the seventh day in his grave as God rested on the seventh day when he had wrought the great work of Creation To this purpose I might also apply the particular times of the one and the other About the third hour the hour afterwards of sacrifice and prayer it is very probable Adam was created And Mark tells you Chap. XV. 25. And it was the third hour when they crucified him that is when they delivered him up to Pilate to be crucified About the sixth hour or high noon Adam most probably fell as that being the time of eating And John tells you Chap. XIX 14. that about the sixth hour he was condemned and led away to be crucified And about the ninth hour or three a clock afternoon Christ was promised which Moses calls the cool of the day and about the ninth hour Christ cried out with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost Such Harmony may be found betwixt the day and hours of the one and of the other the later helping to prove and clear that Adam fell on the sixth day the day on which he was created and continued not in honour all night Ah! what a glassy brittle thing is poor humane nature when it is so shaken all to pieces from so great perfection that it holds not whole above three hours or thereabouts And that it held whole so long was because it had not yet met with a temptation And that Satan offered not a temptation all that while was because he would hold off till they came to their time of eating and their first meal proves their poyson But Ah! the glorious and divine power of the grace of the Lord Jesus that inables a poor sinful Soul to hold out against the shocks of all the temptation of Hell and to break through all and to get to glory Compare Adam shaken with the first temptation the Devil offers with Job not shaken with all that the Devil could do and to the praise of the glory of his grace as it is said Ephes. I. 6. we have cause to cry out all our lives and so do Saints in glory to eternity Great is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now read the words carrying this that hath been spoken in your minds In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore God blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it And on the sixth day Adam fell and Christ was promised and on the Seventh day God rested and blessed the Sabbath day c. And so the Chaldee Translater of the Psalms considers of the thing For upon Psalm XCII which is intituled for the Sabbath day he saith thus A Psalm or Song which Adam the first man sung concerning the Sabbath day And the same Chaldee Translater on Cant. I. yet more plainly When Adam saw that his sin was forgiven when the Sabbath came he sung a Psalm as it is said A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And now looking on this first week of the world in this prospect viz. as sin come into the world and Christ promised before the seventh day came it will give us a clearer prospect of the Sabbath and of Gods resting viz. I. That God had created a new creation before he rested on the Sabbath For when Adam and mankind by his fall was shattered
year shall all your men-children appear before the Lord God the God of Israel What objections might be made against that ordinance as that while they were absent from home their Lands might be invaded by their Enemies c. But he answers all in the next Verse For I will cast out the Nations before thee and enlarge thy borders neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year And so might they except at the costliness of the Sacrifices but his promise satisfied all Thou shalt be blessed in the fruit of thy body and land in the herds of thy Cattel and flocks of thy Sheep And so had God laid in stock in these promises for the Gospel Church when it should come in which required so much self-denial and forsaking House and Lands and which foretold of Persecution God had satisfied his people before that he would take care for their support that none for Obedience to his Commandments should be a loser And thus much of the first thing propounded viz. The Nature of the promise That it is Temporal We come now in the second place to consider the suitableness of the promise to the II. Command And what affinity then and agreement hath this promise with the Duty injoyned in the Command One would think it were more suitable to have said Honour thy Father and Mother that thou mayest be honoured of thy Children Honour thy Magistrate and thy Superiors that thou mayst also come to the like honour And such an agreement hath that saying of God 1 Sam. II. 30. Them that honour me I will honour And why therefore is it said Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land I Answer First There is this harmonious reason Thy Father and thy Mother under God gave thee being and if thou honour them thy being and well being shall be prolonged If thou desire long life honour them that under God gave thee life I remember here the Gloss of some Jewish Expositors upon these words of Eve Gen. IV. 1. When Cain was born she said I have gotten a man from the Lord. The Hebrew word that is rendred From in greatest propriety when it signifies any thing as sometimes it does not is With and so they render it I have gotten a Man with the Lord. Which they construe to this sense In the production of Adam God only had an Agency and Adam none and in my production out of Adam God only had an Agency and Adam none but in the production of this my Son I have been an Agent with God and I have gotten a Son with the Lord. But be it the one way or other though I should construe it a third way viz. I have gotten a Man even the Lord Or I have obtained the Lord to become Man as looking to the promise that Christ should be her seed It is very well known how much Parents contribute to the production and life of their Children And therefore it is but a just claim and a claim very suitable to that matter Honour thy Father and thy Mother that gave thee life that the life they gave thee may be prolonged But Secondly This promise is affixed to very many Commandments in the Law As 1. In General Deut. V. 33. Ye shall walk in the ways which the Lord your God hath Commanded you that ye may live and it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your days in the Land which ye shall possess And so Deut. VI. 2. That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God to keep all his Statutes and Commandments which I command thee thou and thy Son and thy Sons Son all the days of thy life and that thy days may be prolonged And so Chap. XI 8 9. c. And 2. As thus in general it is promised to the Obedience of all the Commandments so it is affixed to some special Commandments Deut. XXII 6 7. about the Dam and her young If a birds nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree or in the ground c. Thou shalt in any wise let the dam go and take the young to thee that it may be well with thee and that thou mayst prolong thy days Deut. XXV 15 Thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be prolonged in the Land c. Now the reason of this affixing is because life is so desireable by all men and God useth arguments to perswade which are most feeling and come nearest and warmest to the heart And as that is a melting perswasive Rom. XII 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God so this is as melting an one in regard of mens tenderness to themselves I beseech you by the mercy to be shewed to your own selves And thus we have brought our selves down to the third particular to be discoursed III. and that is the matter of the promise length of life But is long life such a Blessing is it so desirable What say we to that passage Job XIV 1. Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble If of few days where is the long life that is here promised If full of trouble where is that desirableness of long life so as to account it such a Blessing If we well consider what the Scripture speaks of the shortness and misery of humane life it may seem to set us at a stand to think that God should so often promise long life when there is no such thing but as Psal. XXXIX 5. Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breath And that he should promise it as a blessing when as Psal. XC 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow If we live to the utmost Nature can hold out it is but labour and sorrow To speak to these scruples and to reconcile the shortness of Man's life and the miseries of the longest life to the promise in the Text we are to consider life not comparatively but simply For 1. The longest life compared with the Eternity of God is nothing So David compares it Psal. XCV 5. Mine age before thee is nothing That is compared to thine Everlastingness and Eternity is a thing of nothing at all Though of the longest date that ever life was yet to thy years that fail not it is less than nothing So when the Prophet saith Esai XL. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance This is not to be understood simply for all Nations are a vast bulk and mass in themselves but compared with God they are but as a drop but as a smallest grain of dust And so the Psalmist comparing the lasting of Heaven and
Earth with the everlastingness of God makes them as of no lastingness at all Psal. CII 26 27. They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end 2. The longest life compared with the Saints in Glory is as nothing 2 Cor. V. 1. This Tabernacle always dissolving what is it to an Eternal building in the Heaven Here we have none abiding City saith the Apostle but he saith again 1 Thess. IV. 17. that we shall be ever with the Lord. Here our life is but a vapour Jam. IV. as a Sleep Psal. XC as nothing but there we shall live as long as the Lord himself shall live 3. The longest life compared with the long lives that some have lived to wit the Patriarchs before the flood is but of very few days and but as an inch to an ell And so Jacob compares his life Gen. XLVII 9. Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been That is few and full of misery have they been Jacob was of a very fair age an hundred and thirty years old and so old a Man as it is likely Pharaoh had never seen so aged and venerable a head and therefore you find him asking him but that one question How old art thou And yet in Jacob's computation his age was but short in comparison of his Fathers that had gone before him his hundred and thirty compared with Adam's nine hundred and thirty or Methuselah's nine hundred sixty nine So that we are not to judge of long life so comparatively but simply and to measure it by the common stint of Nature that God hath set Which Moses holds out to us Psal. XC 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years c. And so length of life is to be understood that that reacheth up to that stint and limit of nature So that though seventy or eighty years be but a short time in comparison of the Eternity of God and of Heaven and in comparison of the ages heretofore yet it is a long life because it reacheth up to the utmost on Natures allowance And it is a long time if we consider humane frailty that a poor piece of clay a Man as brittle as glass as unstable as water as fading and fleeting as a blast or shaddow a poor thing that carries death in its principle and walks in danger of death every moment should come up to seventy or eighty years and the pitcher and glass not broken It is a long time for that which is frailty it self to hold so from breaking So that though comparatively to come up to the full stint of Nature be but a short life yet simply considered it is a long time for so brittle a thing to hold out A long time for an ungodly Man to be provoking of God all along and a long time for a godly man to be from home in this sinful world and not got to Heaven But if long life be so frequent in the mouth of God as a promise of a blessing How was it that God shortned mens lives when they were at a fair length I have formerly observed to you that lives were shortned at the Flood and brought from a thousand years almost to about five hundred or not so much Shortned again at the building of Babel and cut from about five hundred to two hundred or little more And when God gives the Ten Commandments at Sinai and this promise in this Commandment he was to shorten lives again which he did within a year and an half or thereabout after he had given this promise at Sinai Now if long life were such a promise such a blessing why did he not suffer lives to stand at their first stint or at that length that those lived before the flood Let us a little consider the length of those first lives and then the shortning of them Some ascribe the length of them to natural causes as that then their bodies were more big strong and vigourous than men are now and that the Elements were then more pure and uncorrupted than they became after and that their diet was more moderate wholesome and nourishing Which if it were so though some question may be made of it yet certainly there was something more concurrent to the prolongation of their lives to that long extent than merely natural causes Their Diet indeed was changed after the flood from eating herbs and fruits of the ground to a liberty to eat flesh and to that referr the words of Lamech upon the naming of his Son Noah Gen. V. 29. And he called his Name Noah saying this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed That is he shall be a comfort to the world in that liberty to eat flesh that shall be granted to him which will be a great ease from the toil and tugging used before to get all the provision they used by toyling in the ground But were the Elements changed after the flood as well as their Diet was changed First We might ascribe the length of their lives something to the promise of life through Christ that was given to Adam And the nearer they were to the giving of the promise the more might we conceive they received bodily vigor from the promise for temporal life as well as spiritual life and vigor of soul to life eternal What was that that made Israel to multiply and to be so fruitful in Egypt even when they were overtoiled and worn out with labour St. Stephen tells you Act. VII 17. that is was the strength of the promise When the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt This it was and not the strength of nature that made the men though over spent with hard toil and labour yet to be vigorous for generation And this was it that made the Hebrew Woman so lively and quick in time of travail and delivery incomparably beyond the Woman of Egypt as the Midwives do relate of them to Pharaoh Exod. I. 19. For that was not a lye of the Midwives as divers Expositors will tell you it was but it was a true relation of them observing the wonderful hand of God in such a strange matter But Secondly We are to consider that in that minority of the world God spared men to very long lives for propagation sake and the peopling of the world And this methinks is hinted in that constant expression Gen. V. and XI and begat Sons and Daughters It might be some Question whether the holy and prophane before the flood and after had their lives lengthned alike Seth the Son of Adam a holy Man lived nine hundred and twelve