to a judgement of turning the water into blood v. 16 17. and that it seemes was a very sufficient meanes of conviction unto this obdurate Pharaoh for so saith God Hitherto thou wouldst not heare but in this thou shalt know that I am the Lord behold I will smite c. this visible judgment was able it seemes to extort from him the acknowledgement of the hand that sent it in this thou shalt know and yet after this it followes that Pharaoh's heart was hardned v. 22. neither did he set his heart to this also v. 23. and the reason is given because the Magicians did in these two signes the same thing also by their inchantments After this comes the plague of frogs and that it seemes came so neare him on him c. 8. 4. and into the Kings Chamber saith the Psalmist that though the Magicians were able to do the like yet being not able to deliver him from them again he calls for Moses and intreates his prayers for deliverance from this plague and promises that he will let the people goe v. 8. and Moses to improve this mercy to him that it may be a softning deliverance that the frogges and the obdurate heart may depart together bids him choose his time when v. 9. and it shall be done for him v. 10. that thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God But it seemes this had no effect on him neither for when he saw there was respite when the judgement was removed now God's mercy was his temptation as before the Magicians inchantments he hardned his heart and harkened not v. 15. and this was a third wilfull act of his owne obduration agreeable to what God had foretold of him as the Lord had said Then comes the plague of lice v. 17. and in this the Magicians are posed v. 18. the Devill that before could hurt but not deliver that could doe destructive but not saving miracles is not now able to destroy to doe mischiefe confesses and proclaimes the finger of God as he doth the Messias in the Gospell when the Pharisees denied him and yet for all this this testimony and sermon of the very Devill against him it followes his heart was hardened v. 19. and he harkened not as the Lord had said After this comes the swarme of flyes that not only as a plague miraculously produced but with a signe v. 23. a division betwixt God's people and his no flyes swarming in Goshen but in all Egypt besides on purpose to make him sensible of his sin by the particularity of the punishment to the end that he might know v. 22. on purpose to teach him piety By this it seemes Pharaoh is wrought on a little first to give leave that they shall sacrifice to God without going out of the land then when that would not serve because by so doing they should sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord before their eyes v. 26. i. e. those things which the Egyptians would detest to see so used Gen. 43. 32. to wit in Manetho's phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cattell w ch were sacred among the Egyptians first by law forbidden to be killed after though not then received into the nūber of their Gods for so was Apis saith Tatitus a bull and the speciall God of the Egyptians he proceeds farther and giveth way that they may goe into the wildernesse only you shall not goe very farre away v. 28. and upon this promise Moses promises to intreate for him v. 29. But now Pharaoh had already hardned his heart foure times at one of those times he had over and above dealt falsely promised faire c. 8. 8. but brake his promise and therefore now Moses after this fift judgment though he promise to pray upon his promise to mend yet doth it with a particular warning more then at any time before but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more v. 29. as ominating that if he bid now the danger would be greater then ever before and yet v. 32. as soone as the judgement was removed Pharaoh hardned his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hac vice this turn this time also Upon this God sends that plague of murrain upon all the cattle of Egypt c. 9. 6. and the heart of Pharaoh was hardned 7. and so still all this while though Pharaoh was obdurate yet this by no act of God's but Pharaoh hardens his owne heart and will not let Israel goe as the Lord commanded Upon this God sends another judgement that of boiles and blaines v. 10. and then 't is said in a new stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh v. 12. which sure was the time at first referred to by God by way of prediction to Moses c. 4. 21. as our margent directs and was the judgement before threatned implicitely in that speciall caution or warning c. 8. 29. and this God never did till then and therefore as after that warning 't is said that Pharaoh hardned his heart this time also so 't is here said v. 14. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this turne this time now though not before God would powre all his plagues upon his heart and those plagues on his heart are sure effects of Gods obdurating Upon which immediately follows the passage wherin the greatest difficulty lyes c. 9. 14 15. not as we read it for now I will stretch out my hand that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence for the event proves there was no such matter Pharaoh was not smitten by the pestilence nor cut off from the earth by that meanes but drowned in the red sea some time after But thus should the words be rendred And or For now I had sent or stretcht out my hand and I had smitten thee and thy people by thee pestilence and thou hadst beene cut off from the earth It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the preter tence sent saith Ainsworth or rather had sent as 't is ordinary in Hebrew for the preter tence to beare the sense of the pluperfect tence and Paulus Fagius from the Chaldee Paraphrase nunc prope erat coram me ut dimisissem I was neare stretching out my hand referring as 't is probable to the plague of the murrain in the beginning of the Chapter called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in this verse and that v. 3. which might have seized upon him and his people as it did on his cattell or else to those boiles v. 11. which might be plague-swellings and so proper enough to have cut him off and so that which followes will be more cleare But not And in very deed for this cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not raised thee up but made thee stand kept thee alive sustentavi te saith the ancient Latine sustained thee for otherwise had it not beene for this I had smitten thee with the murrain or plague before and thou
belong unto thy peace and as if that time were past just as he was a speaking he adds But now they are hid from thine eyes For the dayes shall come c. It seemes before the point of the comming of those dayes of their surprizall the things belonging to their peace were hid from their eyes to wit upon that criticall fatall act of their crucifying Christ adding that bloody transcendent impiety to their former killing and stoning of the Prophets on which certaine irreversible destruction went out against them In which case though Noah Daniel and Job should intercede they should not be able to reverse it To which purpose 't is observed generally by Divines from these and the like grounds that there is to every wicked man a time when the measure of his iniquities are filled up and Gods patience in waiting for him so wearied out that he gives over calling or expecting or waiting his repentance This was wont to to be called by the Jewes the measure of judgment i. e. a pitch of sin upon which judgment infallibly followed destruction of whole Kingdomes and the like This time is not to be knowne by any man of himselfe nor to be discerned by any observation and comparing of himselfe with others either by the number of sinnes or calls of God or yeares spent in sinne contrary to those calls there being so much variety in these and in God's dealing with men that nothing but Gods revelation can give us any certaine knowledge in this point Only this may be said of it 1. That the death of an impenitent sinner i. e. God's plucking him away in that state is when it comes a certaine indication of it 2. That it is possible I say possible that it may be before the time of death i. e. that the man which is come to that fulnesse of sin and ripenesse for excision may be kept alive by God beyond that time and if that which I say is possible ever actually be then is that man concluded under a finall sentence an irreversible estate in evill even in this life and consequently 't is possible some impenitent sinner may in this life arrive to that estate For as Numb 16. 38. the censers and the lives of Corah and his company were forfeited to God together as that place should be read the censers of these sinners with their soules or lives v. 38. are hallowed v. 37. i. e. consecrated forfeited to God their goods and their lives together so is it with grace the speciall suppllex or furniture of the soule that and life are betray'd together the same degree of sin the same pitch of provocation makes forfeiture of both and then God may use his power and dominion as he please take both together or take one and reprieve the other for some time withdraw grace and leave life for some ends in his wisedome seeming good to him and as there the censers were not destroyed but made into broad plates for the Altar used to the service of God when the owners were swallowed up quick so no doubt on the other side might the owners have been kept alive used by God some way to set out his glory and yet the censers have beene destroyed It being free to God to take the forfeiture when and how farre he please and in case of such filling up their measure either to withdraw grace only which if it be totall and final makes up the irreversible estate or else if he so please to call for both the deposita at once take away grace and life together That I thus take confidence to conclude is upon the authority of Scripture which hath made it cleare to me that it was thus actually with Pharaoh at one time of his life after the sixth judgement peculiarly but not before through all or any part of the space of the former calls much lesse at or before his birth or before Gods messages to him when God is said to harden his heart to make him stand or keepe him alive when otherwise he had cut him off from the earth but that he intended thus to reprieve him that he might shew in him his power Exod. 9. 14 15. Which because it is a notable and as farre as I have observed in Scripture a singular example and because by some mistakes in our translation and by other prejudices it is become somewhat obscure I will here set downe as it lyes in the story Moses Aaron are sent to Pharaoh with that message from God concerning the dismission of the Israelites and with miracles and signes to give authority to their message and Pharaoh refused to harken or obey but hardned his heart Exod. 7. 13. In which place our ordinary Translation hath mistaken for it is not to be understood as we read it that he i e. God as yet hardned Pharaoh's heart for the words do not beare that in the Hebrew nor had any such thing by way of story at that time beene intimated only by way of prediction and evidence of Gods praescience Ex. 3. 19. and by way of Decree what God would doe upon it c. 4. 21. and 7. 3. which was after fulfilled and not yet and might therefore be referred to that after-time but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pharaohs heart waxed strong or hard was hardned and so it followes v. 14. the Lord said to Moses Pharaohs heart is hardned he refuseth c. and so the very same words are rendred by our English c. 7. 22. and c. 8. 19. was hardned in the passive not actively he hardned And so this denotes only an act of stubbornnesse in Pharaoh an obstinate resistance or refusall against God's calls and miracles not any act of Gods either positive or privative by way of desertion in hardning him only the Lord had said that it would be so in the end of that verse which referres to Gods prediction of his stubbornnesse c. 3. 19. I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you goe and that I say grounded only in Gods praescience which hath no more to doe with no more influence on the effect nor degree of causality in the producing it then my seeing of any object hath on the object being perfectly as extrinsecall and accidentall to the effect as my sight or my knowledge is to another mans action and the thing foreseene no more necessitated to be by that meanes then it would if God did not foresee it it being common to God with us to worke by his will and not by his praescience and the absurdity being as great to affirme that he willeth by his knowledge as that he knoweth by his will or that I see with my eare or heare with my eye and such like the truth of which Calvin it seemes discerned by some hint in Valla's writings and from him Beza learn't and acknowledged it also After this obduration of his against a call and a wonder God proceeds
hadst some time since beene cut off utterly but that I intended to shew or make known or make to be seene for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally signifies my power in thee as in cutting up or anatomizing a man alive which is condemned to death saith Chrysostome that others may be instructed and benefited by that dissection In this matter 't is true Saint Paul reades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this very thing I raised thee up say we but that must be understood and interpreted by what we have already found to be the meaning of the story and not on the other side this rendring of the passage in the story which the context inforceth and P. Fagius and out of him Ainsworth acknowledge to be the importance of the Hebrew brought to the sound of our English phrase in Saint Paul for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must not needs referre to the time of Pharaoh's birth or to any absolute destination of his person it would be hard to bring any example of such a sense of it in Scripture or other Author but may belong to some particular passage or part of his life and so directly to this point of time when God saies he might have slaine him with plague or murrain and so be rendred raising as that signifies a raising one out of a danger or sickenesse a rescuing or recovering him and so keeping alive as 't is ordinarily used in Scripture of raising from sickenesse or death The sense certainly is that God continued him alive when he had filled up his measure of obduration and so in ordinary course was to be cut off by death in the same manner as the author of the booke of Wisdome saith of God's dealing with the Canaanites c. 12. 20. Those who are due to death thou punishedst with so much long animity and so it 's intimated by that which follows Rom. 9 22. God willing to shew his wrath c. endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And then when Pharaoh's heart was thus hardned by God in this extraordinary manner God expostulates with him v. 17. in triumph as it were over this sinner that now is the illustrious object of his judgements of obduration plague of heart a kind of hell on earth for which he was reserv'd beyond the ordinary period of life kept alive for this remarkeable judgement as yet exaltest thou thy selfe c. and in referrence peculiarly to that expostulation is that objection to be understood Rom. 9. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doth he yet find fault i. e. God might indeed saith the objector with good reason finde fault all the while of the former six judgements when Pharaoh hardned his owne heart but now when God hath hardned him and by a totall deprivation of grace without which he cannot choose but sinne ingulfed him in an irreversible state as much as if he were in hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why yet or still doth he find fault or expostulate for who hath resisted his will then God might be said to will his obduration which he had inflicted by way of punishment though before 't is confest he could not and what possible resisting of his will is there that he should still find fault The answer to this objection first by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for any exact determining or stating any point of controversie or question particularly of that immediately precedent who hath resisted his will but for the puzling and silencing of the objecter v. 20. 21. and then by speaking directly to the matter in hand about Pharaoh v. 22. might out of Saint Chrysostome be fully cleared if this were not already too large an overgrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this part of it impertinent wholly to the matter in hand The result of all that I have laboured to lay downe concerning Pharaoh is this that although his state were a long time but reversibly ill as long as he hardned his owne heart yet when his owne obdurations were come to the fulnesse of measure and he ripe and dropping into hell as after the sixth judgement he was then God exchanged the first part of that due punishment of his in another world that was instantly to have commenced for a temporary cooler hell here hardned his heart and obstructed all possibility of repentance from him and so concluded him in this life in an irreversible estate Having gone thus farre I shall now demand whether an impenitent Christian that in the midst of many meanes of grace many cals of Christ for many yeares together afforded doth repeate and reiterate his resistances and hardens so oft his owne heart against God be not as great a provoker as Pharaoh was I am sure that that which Josephus makes the character of Pharaoh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Folly with wickednesse and malignity is the just inscription of such for the most part And if it be objected that such an one is not allowed those signes and prodigies that he was I answer 1. that t is but the greater mercy to him that he is not those being all destructive miracles and if he complaine for want of them he may within a while if he have not already meet with some rouzing judgement some sharpe disease of the stone or strangury or feaver a thunder and lightning about his eares which will be able to supply that place and aggravate his guilt perfectly as high as Pharaoh's if he be not reformed 2. Father Abraham's answer to Dives may be conviction to him that he that hath the Moses and Prophets in the Christian sense the many methods of the Holy Ghost the many cals of Christ in the Church and is not wrought on by them neither would that man repent though al Pharaoh's miracles were shewed before him some magician-inchanting-deceit flattery of his owne corrupt heart or comfortable hope which the removall of a punishment would be apt to infuse into him would be as sure divertisements to avoid the force of the most powerfull worke of Gods upon him as the like were then unto Pharaoh 'T is true there may be some disparity in regard of some circumstances betwixt that Pharaoh and the Christian impenitent and therefore there will be no certainty deducible from Pharaoh's example that any man now a dayes doth come in this life to that irreversible estate This I am most willing to graunt and from thence to conclude that 't will be a great madnesse for any melancholy hypocondriack from this discourse to take occasion to pahnsy himselfe actually in that estate and from thence to give over all hope and labour to get out againe 1. Because the doing so is the sure way to ingulfe him in it for the future though he be not yet in it which is one peece of fury thus to run into that which I feare when the feare ought in any reason to drive me from it 2. Because