else the direction had been uncertain MATTHEW MAtth. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Change your minds or repent Whereof must they Repent or wherin must they change their minds Whereas formerly all which had Abraham to their Father were Members of the visible Church of Israel now every person must bring forth good fruit of his and her own or else he and shee must not be Members of this new Church which Christ and John the Baptist were about to found in the New Testament which Church is meant when the Kingdom of Heaven is said to be hand Matth. 4.6 Cast thy self down No marvell though Christians be tempted to a presumptuous neglect of means when Christ him self was so tempted It is one of Satans Engins to tempt Christians to a presumptuous neglect of means under pretence of greater confidence Look to it Professors of Christianity Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God This thou is not Satan as if Christ or Moses had forbidden Satan to tempt The Law was not given to Satan or his fellow-evill Angels but unto men and men of Israel The devils had never so much honor or hope as to have a law prescribed unto them since their fal As we say of life so may we say of the Law so long as God will prescribe us Lawes there is hope The poore are not hopelesse so long as the rich will set them at work Of something doing something commeth Only put a man out of service and then he becometh a vagabond As it is said be of good comfort he calleth thee So it may be said be of good comfort he commandeth thee Thus the Law is mingled with Gospel Wherefore they which cast off the Law cast off their comfort But this Thou is first meant every man of Israel Secondly and in this place Christ translateth it to himself for the meaning is as if Christ had said I must not tempt the Lord my God whom I should indeed sinfully tempt if I should cast my self down when by ordinary steps or staires I may safely descend Where note that what once of old God delivered to Israel in commandement that Christ taketh as commanded to himself Thus Christ himself was not exempted from the Law but was under the Law What kind of men then do they make themselves in our dayes who tell us that they are not under the Law by vertue of Christianity taking the word Law for the morall Law in Pauls Epistle to the Romans not through too much learning where it is meant of naturall descent from Abraham as in Gal. 4.21 Tell me ye that will be under the Law had not Abraham two sons And this salvation by vertue of Abrahams descent was the great expectation of the carnall Jewes which Paul every where laboureth to disprove not the least intending in that place the morall Law for of the morall Law he saith elsewhere that he himself is under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 Matth. 9.5 Whether is it easier to say thy sinnes be forgiven thee or to say arise and walk By the word say is meant effectuall saying which is doing For to say thy sinnes are forgiven or to say take up thy bed are both easie if we mean a meer saying But the meaning is Whether is it easier to forgive sins or to cause a lame man to take up his bed and walk as if he should say the forgivenesse of sinnes is as easie to declare as to make a palsied man to take up his bed and walk But this latter I have done which cannot be done without a divine power Ergo I may do the lesser or easier if either be lesser or easier then the other Matth. 10.11 There abide till ye go thence Abide in that house till ye go out of that Citie go not from house to house as elsewhere it is as it were expounded Luke 10.7 Matth. 10.14 Shake off the dust off your feet not in indignation but to testifie your freedome from covetousnesse or lucre it was a kind of reall and significant Proclamation in the streets of the City whereby the Apostles did put themselves upon the triall of the whole City as if they should have said thus long have we been among you upon this and that errand we came tell us now before we go whether we have behaved our selves unseemly or covetously as Joshua and Samuel said Whose Oxe have I taken whose Asse have I taken whom have I defrauded where have I borrowed and not payed again to whom have I been chargeable tell us here before all the City if any man can say that we came for base ends Now if any could have said I you shake off the dust of your feet as if nothing of ours did cleave unto you but I am sure you goe away with my mony or mony worth and it 's idlenesse which setteth you upon this work he had had a fit opportunity so to upbraid them But if no man could say this or the like then the Apostles had thorowly cleered themselves Whence it seemeth to follow seasonably that hee which is not guilty of covetousnesse in dispensation of the Gospel is not usually overtaken with other grosse evils But thus more cleerly that Professors of religion ought to carry themselves so blamelesly that they may put themselves upon triall before all the world as concerning any just reproach for this shaking off the dust was to be done in the streets of the City so saith the Text Get yee out into the streets of the City c. Shake off the dust c. Luk. 10.10 Matth. 12.27 By whom doe your children cast them out As much as to say Your disciples do not cast out divels at all Those will be apt to vilifie the good works of others who cannot themselves doe the like Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned That is by thy words amongst other things but not by thy words alone so that words aswell as works shall come into judgement Matth. 12.38 39. Three dayes and three nights That is but three dayes and three nights at the most restrictivè not that he shall be there three dayes and three nights extensivè We sold the land for so much that is but for so much Acts 5.8 The third day is prefixed as the last day wherein he shall be held of death in all places where it is foretold of his resurrection The third day I shall rise again and goe before you into Galilee and expresly he diminisheth the time saying Yet a little while and yee shall see mee and a little while and yee shall not see mee So that it was but a little while wherein they should not see him And in three dayes he would raise again the temple of his body implying the diminution of the time not the extension of the time as if hee must needs be three dayes in raising of it No he which saith I will finish
put for the Sabbath Or rather by way of a facetious jesting Asteismos against the hypocriticall Sabbatism of the high priests who would so workiday-like beg the body seal the sepulchre and set a watch on the Sabbath for which Sabbath they seemed to prepare so devoutly before it came For to prepare sabbathly for the Sabbath before it come and to keep it unsabbathly when it is come is worthy of scorn Let not me be here thought to scorn at preparation for the Sabbath It is farre from my thought yea I am an enemy to them which do scorn thereat MARKE MArk 6.12 They went preaching that men should Repent And that else they should not be Members of the Church Hence 't is called the Baptisme of Repentance For of the Baptisme of Repentance we do read and not of any other Mark 7.10.11 Corban When the Father and Mother did require any help from their able Son or Daughter the Sonne or Daughter answered Corban Corban as much as to say I have given all that I am able to spare to the holy Church to pious uses So the Father and Mother must want Thus piety is made a cloak not only of covetousnesse but of unnaturall crying cruelty Mark 10.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is easier for a Camel to go through a needles eie By shreds possibly a Camel may be forced through a needles eie but a Rich man must enter willingly into the Kingdome where he must forsake all his riches and life also This Kingdome is hard to be willingly entred Mark 3.33 Who is my Mother or my Brethren Perhaps to save his Father and Mother from being noted by the Pharises then present Christ may put off the propounder with this kind of answer especially if the propounder was Malignant as by his unseasonablenesse he may seem to be Mark 10.31 Last first first last Bold demand doth not so soon speed as modest silence Mark 14.51 A young man with linnen about his bare body The sheet of his bed perhaps whence he started out of bed to see what noise and stirre that was which he heard in the night Men will leave all and runne away naked rather then suffer with Christ whereas they should leave all to suffer with him naked Christ is left to suffer alone Mark 15.36 He who brought the Vinegar is said to say Let alone let us see c. And in Mat. 27.49 others are said to say so to him His staying at their bidding was a reall saying and both of them a reall mocking Mark 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the whole creation Creation put for the people in the whole creation An ordinary Metonymie of the conteining for the conteined More rationall then the preaching of the Gospel to every creature as it is fabled that a Popish Saint Francis from this Text took occasion to do LUKE Luke 1.15 HE shall be filled with the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now from his Mothers wombe The spirit of God which moved upon the face of the waters to cherish and preserve them Gen. 1. shall be present with him to cherish and preserve him and as his capacity shall more and more grow so shall the same spirit be more and more exhibited unto him Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis When he was a Child hee could but receive as a Child As it was with John the Baptist so it may be with other Children And it was not for any thing I know otherwise with him then it may be with another child Luke 1.17 Hee shall turne the hearts of the Parents upon the Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall turne that is shall put the hearts that is the understanding of Fathers that is of the ripest in age upon the Children that is upon the meanest Member of the Church As much as to say the Kingdome of heaven or the Church which he shall preach and constitute shall consist of knowers which was not in the old Testament insomuch that the meanest Member there shall know as much as the sagest Father or Patriarch did there Sutable to the new Covenant Heb. 8.11 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them Luke 1.24 Elizabeth hid her self Concealed that she was with child till she was sure that she was with child and till appearance proved to others that she was with child People would not have beleeved it but would have scoffed her But now it is the more admirable and to her the more honourable Let God go before us in the discovery of things Luke 1.33 Of his Kingdom there shall be no end Why Because his Kingdome consisteth in sufferings For so long as persecutors last there will be sufferings There shall be no end of the comfort and glory which commeth by suffering For the sufferings of this present life do breed a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory So that sufferings shall last till the worlds end and then shall come comfort and glory which shall have no end Luke 1.52 He hath put down the mighty from their seat In comparison of me and the honour which I have by bearing this Saviour Kings and their honour are as it were no honour as a Candle-light is no light where the Sunne shineth The honour which commeth by suffering for Christ is greater honour then that which commeth by ruling a Kingdome The honour of Paul and of other Martyrs of Christ is greater honour then that of Alexander which conquered the world Who would not be in that Apostles condition rather then in the condition of Alexander the great Luke 6.35 Lend looking for nothing again Such may the case bee as that we may and must lend without expectation of the principall Not that we are alwayes bound to lend much lesse to forgoe the principall Indefinite propositions do not binde semper ad semper but with their limitations Luke 10.30 Wounded betwixt Jerusalem and Iericho The party to whom Christ used this Parable would have been content to have received this kindnesse from a Samaritan though himself was a Jew if he had been wounded and half dead as that Jew which is supposed in this Parable yet did he not think himself bound to shew the like kindnesse to a Samaritane wherefore Christ correcteth him teaching him to do to a Samaritane as hee would receive from a Samaritane Professors of Religion will be content to receive kindnesse where they will not bestow kindnesse but it is unconscionable Religion so to do Let such as shall sequester themselves into scanty societies examine whether they do not thereby exempt themselves from Offices of Love and Charity to the bodies and soules of such as are not of their fellowship as if they were not bound to feed cloath nor yet to minister a wholsome word of reproof or exhortation to reduce the soule of any out of sinne but such as are of themselves The poor may feare that such communities will
is said with so much lesse love by how much more love he showed unto them This peece of obedience the unlearned Antiliterarians of our dayes can practice without going to Schoole to learn it COLOSSIANS Coloss 2.8 BEware lest any man spoil you thorow Philosophy Not that Philosophy truely so called is vain deceit whether naturall or morall nor yet any other part of learning but usefull and profitable about Theology But if the meer notion of the Gospel it self together with love beleefe and admiration of the mystery and all good utterance of the same being known be severed from action and patience under the crosse of Christ for the Gospel sake it availeth not For the kingdome of God consisteth not in notion and locution only but in power Herod hoped to see some mighty work done by Jesus and one of the Kings of Israell none of the best delighted to hear the miracles done by Elisha reported unto him They counted Ezekiel as a very pleasant song or as one that could play well upon an instrument who would hear his words but would not doe them And Herod would hear John gladly but cut off his head Not but that Paul speaketh wisdome amongst those which are perfect and that not the wisdome of this world nor of the Princes of this world but the wisdome of God even in a mystery but the chief wisdom consisteth in doing and suffering the will of God not in neer knowing or speaking of it though with never so much excellency Col. 2.10 11 12. Yee are complete in him c. As if he should have said If there be any priviledge in being a Jew or in being circumcised you have that by baptisme putting on Christ who was a Jew and circumcised But great is the priviledge of the Jew and much is the benefit of circumcision All which priviledge and benefit you have by putting on Christ Col. 2.16 Or of the Sabbath which also may be understood weeks Ver. 17. Which are a shadow c. so that it is understood of such Sabbaths as were a shadow of things to conse not of that Sabbath which was morall I. THESSALONIANS 1 Thess 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is a revenger of all such things What wicked practices man cannot discerne doe properly belong to God to revenge II. THESSALONIANS 2 Thess 2.4 SO that he exalteth himself above all that is called God or worshipped That he may fit that he hath 〈◊〉 or that he doth fit upon or in the Temple of God shewing forth himselfe as God Above all that is called God That is above all Magistracy for Magistrates are said to be gods after a sort Or worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is above all Augusteity Sebastâ—â—s was an appellation given to Augustus Shewing forth himself that he is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Giving out as we use to say In the Temple That is in that which he pretendeth to be the Temple of God I. TIMOTHIE 1 Tim. 2.8 I Will that males pray every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The emphasis is not in the word every where as if the Apostle should bind or permit men to pray in all places albeit that is true also for then the duty should lie upon women aswell as upon men but the meaning is that males and not females should lead the prayer wheresoever prayer shall be made aswell in family as in Church Paul had declared before that in the Church none but males should solemnly prophesie â—e pray But now he further maketh known that in the family women must neither pray nor teach that is not solemnly lead or utter the prayer or doctrine whilest a man in presence is silent Where note that Apostle taketh for granted that Christians will pray and teach in their families An answer to them who require a warrant for family-prayer 1 Tim. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shee shall be saved through childe-bearing That is the pains and perill and child-birth is so great that she is hardly saved through that pains though shee be never so modest Christian and godly And seeing so great pains are laid upon her in childbearing Shee ought therefore amongst other reasons to be in silence Sâ—rrowes are signes of sinne and must respectively be grounds of humiliation in both sexes The word saved implyeth a narrow escape of death or danger so that these words are a third reason of the former silence commanded 1 Tim. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the word of God and prayer The word of God commandeth former differences of meats to be nullified So the word maketh meats which were to the Jewes unlawfull now to be holy that is to be lawfull to Jewes and Gentiles Thus the word sanctifieth meats that is Gods ordination sanctifieth them As for prayer that sanctifieth on our part viz. when that which God hath decreed lawfull we receive with an holy fear thankfulnesse and supplication accompanied with faith that it shall be sanctified Prayer implyeth all the worship of God and covenant with God Lawfull meats are sanctified to none but to the holy none are holy but those which pray no prayer is accounted for prayer but that which it made by such as are in covenant with God though Christ 1 Tim. 2.9 The Lord knoweth who are his That is the Lord will know who are his before they shall come to be called by his name Christians which is done when they enter into that visible audible covenant with him by attestate profession I will goe downe now and know whether it be altogether according to the cry which I have heard and if not I will know Gen. 17.21 That is I will evidence it to Sodom's and all other mens knowledge Genes 22.12 God is not said to know till men know Now I know that thou lovest mee sith thou hast not with-held thine onely son from mee God the foreknower of all things knew whether Abraham loved him or no before Abraham sacrificed his son but hee doth not seem to know or take knowledge untill Abraham evidence it by obedience And Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity I know you not It is not for nothing that God sends us back to our brother to be reconciled when we bring our gift to the altar before our gift shall be accepted of him That what the Church bindeth on earth is bound of him in heaven and what the Church looseth on earth is loosed of him in heaven That Whose sins they remit they are remitted and whose sins they retain they are retained To whom they forgive any thing he forgiveth also Hence in the old Testament The Lord God of gods must know and Israel also hee shall know Josh 22.22 It is the speech of Reuben and Gad to their brethren of the other tribes which came to expostulate with them about an altar which Reuben and Gad had made 1 Tim. 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vse a little wine That is but a little wine Wee sold the land for