providing against such filthinesses no more then the Sun-beams are by shining upon a stinking lake Ver. 25. And the land is defiled From one end thereof to the other Ezr. 9.11 as the face of the old world was grown so foul that God was fain to wash it with a flood Ver. 25. Yee shall therefore keep Unless yee bee ambitious of a like destruction Luke 13.3 Ver. 28. That the land spue not you out It is wisely said by Herodotus That the destruction of Troie is a fit example of the rule that great sins bring great plagues CHAP. XIX Ver. 2. Yee shall bee holie RItually and really See the Notes on Levit. 11.44 Mat. 5. ult 1 Pet. 1.16 1 John 3.3 Ver. 3. Yee shall fear everie man his mother The mother is set first becaus usually most slighted The daies of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slaie my brother Jacob said that prophane losel Gen. 27.41 As for his mother hee make's no reckoning of her hee cared not to griev her And keep my Sabbaths To the which the honoring of good governors who are to see the Sabbath sanctified by all under their roof doth verie much conduce Ver. 4. Turn yee not unto idols Heb. Elilim deunculi deastri Pettie-gods dunghill-deities of all which wee should saie as hee did once Contemno minutulos istos Deos modò Jovem Jehovam mihi propitium habeam I care for the favor of no god but of the great God of Gods Ver. 5. At your own will Or For your favorable acceptation that God may graciously accept you Ver. 6. It shall bee eaten the same daie See the Note on Chap. 7.15 17 18 19. Ver. 9. And when yee reap See what provision the Lord maketh for his poor commanding that the fuller cups of the richer sort may overflow into their emptie dishes besides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hierom cal's it that poor man's tith appointed Deut. 15.11 Iames the sift of Scotland was for his charitie called The poor man's King much more may God Ver. 11. Yee shall not steal See the Notes on Ephes 4.28 and 25. and on Exod. 20.15 Levit. 6.3 Ver. 12. Neither shalt thou prophane the name By presuming rashly and lightly to blurt out this reverend name in an oath or otherwise The Grecians as Suidas observ's when they would swear by their Iupiter out of the meer dread and reverence of his name forbear to mention him breaking off their oath with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that onely dare to ow the rest to their thoughts And Clinias the Pythagorean out of this regard would rather undergo a mulct of three talents then swear Ver. 13. The wages of him that is hired This is a crying sin Iam. 5.3 condemned by the verie light of nature Lib. 10. de legibus Plato would have him double paid that is not paid in due time Ver. 14. Thou shalt not curs the deaf So by analogie the absent that cannot speak for themselvs or the dead Of all fowl wee most hate and detest the Crows and of all beasts the Jackals a kinde of foxes in Barbarie becaus the one dig's up the graves and devour's the flesh the other pick 's out the eies of the dead But shalt fear thy God Who both hear's and see 's all thy miscarriages and will reckon with thee for all Deo obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur saith an Antient Night will convert it self into noon before God and silence prove a speaking evidence Ver. 15. Thou shall not respect Spare not the great for their might nor the mean for their miserie Causses must bee heard and not persons Ver. 16. Vp and down as a tale-bearer Heb. As a pedlar that first fil's his pack with reports and rumors and then go's pedling up and down dropping a tale here and another there to the taking away of the good name and somtimes of the life of another Hence it follow 's here Neither shalt thou stand against the life of thy brother And agreeable hereunto is that of Ezekiel 22.9 In thee are men that carrie tales to shed blood Such a wretched pedlar was Doeg and such is that backbiter spoken of Psal 15.3 The word there used doth in the Hebrew properly signifie such an one as footeth and trotteth it up and down prying and spying and carrying tales and rumors 2 Sam. 19.21 Ver. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother Most unkindenesses that fall out among friends grow upon mistakes and misunderstandings Now a friendlie reasoning the case or if need bee a godly reproof cure's both the reprover and the reproved whereas the neglect of this dutie breed's dwelling suspicions suspicions breed a verie habit of mis-interpretation this breed's a lothness to com to the light to shew the reasons of our dislike this lothness beget's a verie separation in heart which at length turn's to down right hatred in heart All which might have been better prevented by a seasonable venting our mindes in a reproof or admonition Thou shalt in anie wise rebuke thy neighbour Neither is this anie argument of hatred but an office of love Friends as Bees are killed with the honie of flatterie but quickened with the vineger of reproof The Eagle though shee loveth her young ones dearly yet shee pricketh and beateth them out of the nest Exigne gehennali Hier. And shalt not suffer sin upon him But save him with fear pulling him out of the fire Jude 23. Out of the fire of hell as Hierom interpret's it which sin suffered will bring him unto Others read it thus Lest thou suffer for his sin which by not opposing thou makest to becom thine own To withstand evil in thy brother is the best waie to do him good and thy self too Others render it thus Thou shalt not lift up his sin over him as an ensign by blabbing or blazing it abroad to his just grief and disgrace but clap a plaster of reproof upon the sore and then as Chirurgeons use to do cover it with thy hand that the world may bee never the wiser Ver. 18. Nor bear anie grudg Heb. Nor keep There is nothing that a man is more readie to keep then his wrath Therefore the Hebrews both here and Jer. 3.5 Psal 103.9 put servare for servare iram but wee must neither revenge nor remember wee must not throw awaie the dagger and keep the sheath but both forgive and forget But shalt love thy neighbour See the Notes on Mat. 22 37-40 and on Rom. 13.9 Ver. 19. Yee shall keep my statutes Even these next following though they may seem to bee but minutula legis not worth keeping Thou shalt not let thy cattle The Doctors of Doway upon this Text Here all participation saie they with hereticks and schismaticks is forbidden Philip of Spain said hee had rather have no subjects Act. and mon. fol. 1189. then subjects of a divers religion Our King Edward the sixth told the Popish rebels
mindedness c. purported by these bodilie imperfections Ver. 22. Hee shall eat the bread So might not the unclean Priests Levit. 22.3 Our involuntarie weaknesses shall not debar us from benefit by Christ CHAP. XXII Ver. 2. That they separate THough Priests yet they may not hold themselvs privileged above others to commit sin but are the rather obliged to dutie Why should anie Chrysostom have caus to saie Non arbitror inter sacerdotes multos esse qui salvi fiant I do not think that manie of our Ministers can bee saved 't is well if anie Or anie Campian to exclaim Ministris eorum nihil vilius Ver. 6. Vnless hee wash his flesh with water Whereby hee was led to the laver of Christ's blood which is opposed to legal washings Heb. 9.9 Run wee to that open fountain Zach. 13.1 and bee everie daie washing and cleansing our selvs therein from all filthiness of flesh and spirit Everie Jew had his water-pots for dailie purification John 2.6 Wee have a far better Bath Ver. 7. Becaus it is his food Animantis cujusque vita in fuga est and must bee preserved by food Ver. 9. And die therefore It is no dallying with God Either do it wee must or die for it Ver. 10. There shall no stranger The equitie of all this was that Ministers should have a comfortable subsistence for them and theirs and that the things that are appointed to that purpose should not bee converted to other uses 1 Cor. 9.13 It is certainly a sad complaint that Luther make's Nisi superesset spolium Aegypti quod rapuimus Papae Luther in Gen. 47. omnibus Ministris verbi fame pereundum esset c. Were it not for such spoils of Aegypt as wee have won from the Pope God's Ministers might starve and perish And if ever it com to that that they must bee mainteined by the people's benevolence a miserable maintenance they are like to have of it That little that wee have now diripitur à Magistratu is got from us by the great Ones who rob our Churches and Schools as if they meant to make an end of us with hard hunger Thus hee See Hag. 2.14 All the water in Jordan and the Cerimonies in Leviticus cannot cleans a man so long as the polluted thing remain's in his hand Ver. 16. Or suffer them From my other men's sins Good Lord deliver mee said One Have wee not enough of our own to answer for See 1 Tim. 5.22 wich the Note That cannot bee wholsom meat that is sauced with the blood of souls and spiced with the wrath of God Ver. 20. It shall not bee acceptable Nay it shall bee abominable Mal. 1.7 God require's the best of the best fine flour without bran Levit. 2.1 c. and curseth that cousener that having a sound or a fat male in his flock bringeth to him a corrupt carrion or a lean starvling for Sacrifice Vers 14. Ver. 23. That maiest thou offer Though it have som kinde of defect yet in free-will offerings it might pass This was to signifie that our imperfect obedience after that wee are once in Christ is accepted by Christ who is without all blame and blemish Ver. 24. Neither shall you make anie offering No not a free-will offering Religion love's to lie clean God will take up with a poor but it must bee a pure sacrifice Ver. 25. Their corruption is in them As not having their hearts purified by faith and therefore not in case to pleas God Ver. 27. It shall bee seven daies As not beeing man's meat till then but legally impure and in their blood as were likewise infants Ver. 28. Yee shall not kill it and her young Becaus it bear's a shew of crueltie and of adding affliction to the afflicted See Gen 32.11 Hos 10.14 Ver. 29. Offer it at your own will God strain 's upon no man Virtus nolentium nullaest Ver. 30. On the same daie See the Note on Chap. 7.15 Ver. 31. I am the Lord Your rightfull Lord and my reward is with mee to give unto everie man according to his works Ver. 32. My holie name Holie and therefore reverend Psal 111.9 Holiness hath honor CHAP. XXIII Ver. 1. And the Lord spake SEE the Note on chap. 7.22 Ver. 2. To bee holie convocations Not bare rests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. de legib as Plato said that the Gods pittying men's labor appointed their festivals to bee a remission of their labor See the Notes on Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Ver. 3. Yee shall do no work therein Save onely works of pietie charitie and necessitie These are allowed by our Saviour Mark 2.29 and 3.4 and 3.27 The Jews superstitiously hold that it is not lawfull for a blinde man to lean upon a staff on a Sabbath-daie as the lame may That if a Flea bite a man on that daie hee may take it but not kill it that if a thorn prick him in the foot on that daie hee may not pull it out That a Tailor may not carrie a needle much less a sword that a man may not spet or bee taken out of a jakes Ranulph lib. 7 c. 37. as that Jew of Tewksburie who said Sabbata sancto colo de stercore surgere nolo Whereunto the Earl of Glocester replied Sabbata nostra quidem Solomon celebrabis ibidem Sir reverence of the Sabbath keep 's mee here And you Sir reverence shall our Sabbath there In all your dwellings Where you are to sanctifie this rest and to repair to your Synagogues Act. 15.21 Ver. 5. In the fourteenth daie See the Notes on Exodus 12.18 Ver. 11. And hee shall wave the sheaf This signified that they and theirs were accepted of God through Christ On the morrow after the Sabbath Here the Lord's daie was prefigured saith one therefore prescribed and instituted of God This shake-daie-sheaf was a pregnant type of Christ's rising again the first-fruits from the dead It was fulfilled in Christ's resurrection the daie after the Sabbath And becaus this Sabbath bath was chiefly meant of the Passover which was an high Sabbath it was a double Sabbath wherein Christ rested in the grave The verie next morning was Christ waved before the Lord when in the earth-quake hee rose from the dead the first fruits of them that sleep and there-hence entered the everlasting gates as a King of glorie Psal 24.7 which Psalm is in the Greek called A Psalm of David of the first daie of the week Ver. 15. Seven Sabbaths That is seven weeks The Sabbath is queen of all the daies of the week and therefore carrie's the name of the whole week Ver. 17. Out of your habitations That is out of the new corn growing of the same land which God gave them to inherit not â—orrein The first fruits viz. of their wheat-harvest as the shake-sheaf vers 10. was of their barlie-harvest Thus were they to express their thankfulness to God for those pretious fruits of the earth Jam. 5.7 Ver. 22. And when
to his own opinion saith the Historian that he could not endure any mans advice how good soever that he fancied not Dan. hist of England contin by Trussel 107. Pharaoh heard what his servants could say to it who all at length consented when the ill-affected saw it was no boot to dissent Can we find such a man as this Hence some collect that Joseph preached many more things to the King of God his power providence goodness c. then are here recorded and was therefore so admired Psal 105.22 and advarced to the office of teaching his Senatours wisdom To bind his Princes to his soul and make wise his Elders as the Original hath it Vers 39. Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this Pharaoh at first took him for no other then a cunning sooth-sayer and conjecturer of dreams Now he finds better worth in him a spirit of wisdom and discretion He seeth him to be a man spiritually rational and rationally spiritual one that seemed to see the insides of Nature and Grace and the world and heaven by those perfect anatomies he had made of them all Briefly such a heart so well headed nor such a head better hearted he had never met with Wherefore he resolves to set him at the stern of the State there being not any thing that makes a man so good a Patriot as true Religion which admits not of that distinction between a good man and a good Citizen Vers 40. Thou shalt be over my house c. Pharaoh prefers him because he found good parts in him They that bestow places of charge in Church or Common-wealth upon undeserving persons for by-respects shall have Pharaoh to rise up in judgment against them The life of King Edward the sixth by Sir Jo. Heywood pag. 6. In King Edward the sixth's minority Dignity waited upon desert saith the Historian which caused it again to be waited upon by respect Order also was taken that no man should have any benefice from the King but first he should preach before him Ibid. 115. Tamberlane-never bestowed his preferments upon such as ambitiously sought them as deeming them in so doing unworthy thereof but upon such as whose modesty or desert Turk hist fol. 227. he thought worthy of those his great favours Vers 41. See I have set thee over all c. So Antoninus the Emperour made Pertinax a mean man Pertinax obres praeclarè gestas emsul est factuâ— enjus causa multi indignati sunt c. Dio. Idem in vita Pertinacis but well qualified Consul which many murmured at But he was afterwards made Emperour and finding the publike treasure wofully wasted by his predecessor Commodus he restored it by his good husbandry which many Magnifico'es laughed at caeteri quibus virtus luxuriâ potior erat laudabamus saith the Historian Vers 42. And Pharaoh took off his ring Pliny therefore is out that thinks the use of rings came not up before the Trojan War How happy had he been bellâ—â—o librorum that was so great a book-devourer had he light upon the Bible He was in-sighted in all the secrets of Nature as appears by his works Nihil unquam legit quin excerperet nec in Bibliotheca tantum sed in lectica sed equitanâ— quoque vel scribebat vel scribendum aliquod dictabat Textor Officina which is non minùs varium quam ipsa rerum natura saith Erasmus He never read any thing but he excerped it neither in his library only but in his couch and whiles he was on horseback he either wrote or dictated somewhat to be written When he saw his Nephew walk out some houres without studying he said to him Poteras has horas non perdere He lived in the dayes of Vespasian and was a great dealer under him What pity it was that neither by Jews nor Christians he came to the knowledg of the Scriptures where he might have met with many Antiquities as this of the use of the ring an ornament of honour not elsewhere to be read of But God had hid these things from the wise and prudent because it so seemed good in his sight Matth. 11.25 26. And put a gold chain about his neck Behold saith a learned Interpreter one hour hath changed his fetters into a chain of gold his rags into robes D. Hall his stocks into a chariot his jayl into a palace Potiphar's captive to his Masters Lord the noise of his chains into Abrech God commonly exalts his people to the contrary good to that evil he had cast them into as Joseph here of a slave to be a Ruler Christ judged to be Judge of all So Caius so soon as he came to the Empire the first thing he did was to prefer Agrippa who had suffered imprisonment for wishing him Emperour he made him King of Judaea this was that Herod that was eaten with worms Act. 12 and gave him a chain of gold as heavy as the chain of iron that was upon him in prison Vers 43. Bow the knee Or tender Father because he was young in years but old in wildom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Macarius was called Not the ancient are wise but the wise ancient Vers 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am Pharaoh Of a root that signifieth to make bare because say some he was to be bared that is sifted and manifested by Joseph without thee shall no man lift up his hand And yet the Egyptians in Seneca's time however were a proud peremptory people Aâ—gyptus loquâ—x ingeniosà in contumeliam praefectorum provincia in qua qui vitaveriâ— culpam â—on effagit in samiam Seneca Salvator mundi Hier. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph apt to cast contempt and contumely upon their Governours were they never so upright and unblameable Joseph had said without me God shall answer Pharaoh And now he heareth without thee shall no man c. Vers 45. Zaphnath Paâ—neach That is saith Idiprome the Saviour of the world An high stile so the Greeks when Flaminius who had freed them from bondage came amongst them called him Saviour Saviour with such a courage that the birds that flew over their heads amazed at the noise fell to the ground Hunniades Plutarch having overthrown Mesites the Turks Generall at his return into the camp a wonderful number of the poor captives came and falling at his feet and kissing them gave God thanks for their deliverance by him Some called him Father some the Defender of his country the souldiers their invincible General The captives their Saviour the women their protectour the young men and children their tender father He again with tears standing in his eyes cunceously embraced them rejoycing at the publike good Turâ— hist fol. 269. and himself giving most hearty thanks unto God commanded the like to be done in all the Churches of that province The daughter of Potipherah Prince of On Called Aven Ezek. 30 1â— that is
lack of Ministers For as Alvarez hath recorded at his being in the King of Habassia's Court there were Embassadours out of Nubia Alvar. hist Aâ—thiopic cap. 137. to intreat him for a supply of Ministers to instruct their Nation and repair Christianity gone to ruine among them but were rejected O fearful Vers 4. But Benjamin Jacob sent not Because best beloved as last born and likeliest to live longest and the least and least able to shift for himself and all that was left of his dearest Rachel his only darling that had been alwayes at hand and in the fathers eye Vers 5. And the sons of Israel came God could have fed them by a miracle as he did Eliah by the ravens Dedit cis pluviam escatilem petram aquatilem Tertull. and Israel in the wilderness where he rained them down Manna and set the flint abroach and Merlin hid in a haymow in the Massacre of Paris by a hen that came thither and laid an egg by him every morning But he worketh ordinarily by means and will have them used Dikes Mich. the drag but not trusted to Vers 6. And Joseph was the Governour Of the Hebrew word here used is made in Arabick the title Sultan given at this day to the great Turk by his Subjects among whom the Arabick is now the learned language Their Alchoran is written in it and prohibited to be translated which both preserves the tongue they say and conceals Religion And Josephs brethren came and bowed This those mockers little thought ever to have done to that Dreamer But the will of the Lord that shall stand Vers 7. Spake roughly to them To bring them the sooner to a sight of their sin God also for like purpose writes bitter things against his people stands afar off hides his love as Ioseph out of increasement of love fights against them with his own hand as he threw his brethren into prison Nihil est tentatio vel universi mundi totius enferni in unum conflata ad eam qua Dem contrariuâ— bomini poniâ—â—â— Luther c. then the which there is no greater affliction saith Luther and all to shew them their sin and to bring them home to himself by repentance Vers 8. But they knew not him As being now altered in stature voyce visage his present pomp and haply also by his former imprisonment and affliction We read of a young man that being condemned to dye was turn'd gray-headed in one night through fore-thought and fear of death and was thereupon spared Vers 9. Then Ioseph remembred the dreams Event is the best interpreter of Divine Oracles The Disciples understood not many things at first that our Saviour said to them as that Ioh. 2.22 Ioh. 12.16 So Iohn Baptists preaching wrought not for some years after it was delivered and then it did Ioh. 18.41 42. The Spouse either heard not or heeded not that speech of her Beloved Open unto me my sister my spouse till some while after he was gone Cant. 5 2-6 Ye are spies This Ioseph speaks not assertivè but tentativè not seriously but by a covert counsel not as himself thought Exploratores deputo bimini meritomendacii vestri Aug. but as the Egyptians suspected or not absolutely but conditionally ye are spies unless you prove what ye have spoken Vers 10. Nay my Lord The world is well changed since they said one to another behold his dreamer cometh Then they could not finde in their hearts to câ—ll him brother now they call him Lord. God when he pleaseth can change the note of our worst enemies to us There is a promise that they shall bow down to us with their faces toward the earth and liâ—k up the dust of our feet Esay 49.23 Vers 11. We are all mans sons Therefore no Spies for what one man would hazard all his sons at once upon so dangerous a design we are true men Heb. Recti The Popish Doctors reject those ancient Authors De Christo lib. 1 cap. 4. that are alledged against them with Non sunt Recti in Curia Bellarmine saith To Irenaeus Tertullian Eusebius and Luther I answer Omnes manifesti haeretici sunt when any thing in the decrees likes not the Pope he sets Palea upon it c. Vers 12. Nay but to see the nakedness That is the weakness and where we may be best invaded as Num. 13.19 By this wile he gets out of them that which he much longed to hear of his father and brother Benjamines health and welfare See vers 9. Vers 13. And one is not They tell Joseph that Ioseph is not When God holds mens eyes they see not the truth that lyes before them who is blind as my servant Isai 42.19 Vers 14. This is it that I spake unto you He lays it hard to them still As who should say the longer I hear you the worse I like you ere while ye said ye were ten brethren of you Now you acknowledg two more lyars had need to have good memories c. Be we as jealous of Satan Meâ—dacem opertet esse memoâ—â—m and as watchfull against his wiles when he comes to set out the nakedness of our souls that where the hedge is lowest this beast may leap over watch him I say and learn out his haunts for we have heard and felt that he is very subtle as Saul said of David 1 Sam. 23.22 V. 15. By the life of Pharaoh Ioseph that he might seem enough an Egyptian sweares heathennishly Egyptians partly of flattery and partly of superstition used to sweare by the life or as the greek here hath it by the health of their King The Spaniards in the pride of their Monarchy are grown also now to sweare by the life of their King The Hebrews write to this day Sands his relation of West Relig. that he which falsely sweares by the Kings head in a money-matter shall be put to death as Pererius upon this text tells us This grew doubtless of that cursed custome of deifying their Kings as Antiochus sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Caligula would be stiled Dominus Deus as at this day the Popes Parasites call him Dominum Deum nostrum papam To be sworn by is an honour peculiar to God Isai 65.16 Ier. 12.6 That of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 Is not an oath but an obtestation or a taking of his afflictions for Christ to witness That of the Spouse Cant. 3.5 is not an oath but an adjuration for he chargeth his Churches enemies not to trouble her and if they do Roes and Hindes shall testifie against them which would not do so had they but Reason This of Ioseph likewise Non est forma juramenti led asseverationit seria oâ—tesâ—â—tionis dome 〈◊〉 is by some said to be not an oath but an earnest asseveration as who should say as true as Pharaoh liveth or so Pharaoh live Be it what it will Ioseph cannot altogether be