the most exquisite literall sense referre to David's seede not by carnall generation but by promise or birth spirituall and yet truly verified of Salomon according to a lower degree of the literall sense who was David's seede by carnall generation The establishing of Salomon's Kingdom is here indefinitely expressed without any note of Vniversalitie in respect of time nor was his Line de facto perpetuated until the promised seed was spiritually conceived and made of our flesh and substance If Salomon's Line as is probable did determine in Ieconiah yet this no way excludes it from being part of the literall object verse 13. Hee shall build an house for my name and I will establish the throne of his Kingdome for ever that is so long as that materiall temple should stand which was untill the captivitie of Babylon The first words likewise of the 14 th v. I will be his father and he shall be my sonne were literally and in the historicall sence meant of Salomon albeit exactly fulfilled in David's seede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the mysticall sense that is Salomon as his Father David before him was instiled the Sonne of God or God's first borne amongst the Princes of the earth and so instiled not by Court-complement or in the adulatorie stile but by the Spirit of God Both their Royalties and prerogatives did beare the same proportion to all the praeeminencies of earthly Kings which lived before them or in their times especially for the perpetuity of the Kingdome which the portion of the first borne did beare by the Law of God or custome of Nations unto younger Brothers But the later part of the 14 th verse and the whole 15 th verse If hee commit iniquitie I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men are to be understood of Salomon and the heires of his body only they are not appliable to the Sonne of God made man or to the sonne of David made King and Priest either according to the literall or mysticall sence The 16 th verse referres to David and to Salomon and their sonnes in the literall but to Christ and his Kingdome only in the mysticall sence as to the true body and substance of which these two great Kings of Israel and Iudah and their Kingdomes were but as briefe Maps or Terrars The Kingdome of David's seede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Salomon his Successor in the Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah doe differ more in substance then the map of Germany doth from that sometimes goodly Country now wasted with warre and famine 3 But in all these passages before cited there is no intimation of God's Oath for the confirmation of his promise unto David and his Seedes but to his Seede Yet this assurance unto his SEEDE we have in the 132 Psalme which was composed by David himselfe toward the later end of his reigne or after he had brought the Arke of the Covenant unto Mount Sion the place dedicated by this pious King for its perpetuall residence It is a point to me very considerable that as God did not confirme his promise of blessing to Abraham by Oath untill Abraham had yeelded up by faith his only sonne Isaac so did he not give David assurance by Oath that the seede promised to Abraham should be his seede or that this his seede should be the high Priest of the heavenly Sanctuary until David had first bound himselfe by sacred Oath to prepare a place for the Arke of the Covenant an habitation for the Almighty God of Iacob Lord remember David and all his afflictions Psalme 132. v. 1 How he sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Iacob Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor goe up into my bed I will not give sleepe unto mine eyes or slumber unto mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob c. This great service thus consecrated and devoted by the royall Prophet the mighty Lord who will not suffer a cup of cold water given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet to passe unrewarded doth abundantly recompence not in generall only or by equivalencie but as before he had done Abraham's and Isaac's obedience in kind Thus much is implied ver the 11. The Lord hath sworne in truth unto David hee will not turne from it c. As if he had said he will not reverse his promise nor suffer the blessing promised to faile because both were confirmed by Oath What was the Blessing promised and confirmed by oath Of the fruit of thy body or of thy belly as the originall hath it will I set upon thy throne The object of this Oath reacheth to none of David's seed save only to him who was the promised womans seed the fruit of the Virgins wombe yet were not David's sons or the rest of his seede excluded by oath from reigning in Iudah and Ierusalem untill time should be no more so it followeth ver the 12. If thy children will keepe my Covenant and my Testimony that I shall teach them their children also shall sit upon thy throne for ever But these wee must consider are words of Promise not of Oath and for this reason are exprest not in an absolute forme or tenour And so must other promises not confirmed by oath be interpreted although the condition be not alwaies expressed they alway imply more then a meere possibility a true title to the blessing promised though not a title undefeasable 4 But it is time to review the Paraphrase of the Psalmist Psalme 89. upon this last and other promises made respectively unto David himself to his seede or sonnes The originall occasion whether of that Psalmist's tentations to question the truth of God's promises to David or which I rather think of the general distrust in the discontented multitude of those times which he did rather seek to represent then approve was this Either they did not distinguish at all or else not so well as they should betweene the Articles unto which God did sweare and the Articles unto which he tied himselfe by promise only The later were alway conditionall or subject to a forfeiture or revocation upon the misdemeanour of the parties whose good it did concerne I have found David my servant with my holy oile have I anointed him with whom mine hand shall be established mine arme also shall strengthen him The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the sonne of wickednesse afflict him v. 20. 21. 22. c. All this no good Christian can doubt was literally and punctually meant of the sonne of Iesse As litle question there is of the 25. v. I will set his hand in the Sea and his right hand also in the Rivers This according to the literal meaning expresseth the extents or bounds of David's or Salomon's Kingdome here on earth For that extended from the Sidonian sea
on the West unto the diuision of Euphrates on the East into diverse channels 5 But this promise with the blessing promised whereof David and Salomon were fully possest was mystically as hath beene observed before to be fulfilled in the seede of David promised by oath whose Dominiō over this inferiour world reacheth from sea to sea over all the rivers and corners of the earth The 26. 27. 28. verses fall under the same rule or line But although it were a part and a principall part of the blessing promised to David that the Messiah should be his Seede or Sonne yet were neither David or Salomon nor any other of David's sonnes any part of that promise v. 29. His seede also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of heaven Thus the holy Ghost speaketh as the Apostle interpreteth the like promise or rather the same promise made before to Abraham not of David's Seed as of many but as of one Seed which is Christ The Apostles Interpretation of God's promise to Abraham I am not ignorant hath much perplexed some learned Interpreters but as was observed before men better versed in rules of Grammar then in mysteries of Divinitie And many impertinent discourses for salving the truth or supporting the strength of the Apostles inferences we may oftimes read and sometimes heare But the old maxime Ex nihilo nihil fit holds more true in this case then in the point whereto the Philosopher applies it A groundlesse doubt can never produce a pertinent answer or be capable of a firme and solid resolution Now the men which have question'd the force of the Apostles inference did only or specially consider the grammaticall use of the word Seede which although it be of the singular number yet denotes a multiplicity of persons But the ground of our Apostles inference was from the matter or blessing promised not from the grammaticall forme of words wherein it was expressed He could not be ignorant nor was hee incogitant that most promises made to Abraham and his seede did literally referre to all his posteritie especially to Isaac yet hee very well knew and considered that the promise of that seede wherein all the Nations of the earth should be blessed could be extended to no more then one seede who was the promised seede of the woman And unto this seede alone promised by oath unto David the 29. ver before rehearsed must be confined as is cleare from the 30. ver where after he had said That his seede should endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of heaven hee there addes If his children for sake my Law and walke not in my judgments If they breake my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes v. 30. 31. 32. This the holy Ghost speaketh not of David's seed as of one but of his seeds as of many Nor is it any where said that any or all of their thrones should endure as the dayes of heaven For all David's children besides that one seede were by the Psalmist's owne acknowledgment lyable to such visitations or censures as the Lord of Lords doth passe on other Kings and Potentates according to their demerits at his pleasure Nor are the visitations here mentioned to be universally taken for Fatherly corrections only a slumber wherewith some otherwise good Interpreters have been overtaken but for true and real punishments 6 What then had David and his sonnes no prerogative above other Kings or Princes Did God make promise of no more favour and grace to David and to his ordinary seed then he had done to Saul If wee should thus conclude the tenour as well of prophecies as of God's promises to David would convince us of error and the historicall events would determine against us For neither Salomon's Idolatrie nor Rehoboam's Oppression which was equivalent to Idolatrie a foolish sonne of a wise Father did utterly extinguish the promises made to David and his Successors though Rehoboam foolishly intending the oppression of his Subjects did impaire the blessing promised For after both these had beene gathered to their Fathers the Lord in mercy and in memory of his Covenant with David did often repaire the ruines which such unwise Kings as Rehoboam and some of his Successors were had made in Iudah and Ierusalem by raising up such lights unto David as Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah and Iosias were This preeminence or prec̄edency in God's promises all David's lawfull Successors had over all the Nations under heaven that they were as God's first borne amongst the Kings of the earth but with this limitation or condition quamdiu bene aut saltem mediocriter se gesserint Now in later generations the Kings and Princes of Iudah who had beene the first in God's favour by multiplying their owne and making up the number of their forefathers transgressions become the very last as remarkable objects of God's fearefull visitations threatned Psal 89. verses 30. and 31. as their godly Forefathers had beene of his blessings And yet the forfeiture of their present estate or of their interest in the Covenant made to David and his seede did reach no further then to their owne persons or to their seede according to carnall generations as is most elegantly and punctually exprest in the verse immediately following Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not take from him that is from David nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips v. 34. The true expression of the mystery in these words amounts to thus much at least and to what more I leave it to such as have leisure and judgment to examine However David's posteritie in future times may make a desperate for feiture of their possession in the land of Ganaan be excluded from all claime or title to the Kingdomes of Iudah or Israel though the whole race which shall issue from David or Salomon by ordinary right or Succession may be utterly extinguished or put out yet one thread shall be reserved inviolable from the force of the enemies sword famine fire or death it selfe This to my apprehension is the true meaning of that passasge I will not breake my Covenant 7 The impossibilitie here implied for disinheriting the seed of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as we English speake of cutting of the entaile in remainder to this singular seede of David after all the residue of his posteritie either were or might have beene deprived of their crownes and dignities or of all title to the scepter of Iudah doth depend upon the often mentioned confirmation of David's throne and Kingdome by oath unto the seede of David by promise So the holy spirit by whose inspiration this Psalme was penned whatsoever the Psalmist intended most punctually expresseth v. 35. Once have I sworne by mine holinesse that I will not lie unto David His Seede shall
God's name for ever And what more could be said in the assertive sence of our high Priest Or what argument can there be drawne from sacred authority that the Priesthood of Aaron should not be that the Priesthood of the sonne of David should be everlasting and unchangeable The only sure ground of this inference is that mentioned by our Apostle because Aaron and his sonnes were made Priests were destinated and authorized to their function without an Oath whereas the sonne of David was destinated and assigned to his Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech by solemne Oath interposed by him that said Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech which words are three or foure times reiterated in this Chapter The contents or importances of the Oath are most divinely expressed by the Apostle from v. 23. to the end of the Chapter And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man or rather this Priest because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them for such an high Priest became us who is holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinnes and higher then the heavens who needeth not dayly as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples for this he did once when hee offered up himselfe For the Law maketh men high Priests which have infirmitie but the word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Sonne who is Consecrated for evermore Christ the sonne of David was a mortall man before hee was consecrated to be an immortall Priest for his very death was a part of his Consecration And after the accomplishment of his Consecration the Priesthood of Aaron became void as being never confirmed by Oath For all things not so confirmed are at the best but commensurable to time or succession and time it selfe shall be abolished by oath Rev. 10. 6. Iuravit per viventem tempus non fore amplius That opinion of some heathen Philosophers as of Hierocles concerning the endlesse succession of time or perpetuall continuance of all things according to the course of nature which now they hold is probable did take its originall from a mistake or misapplication of the tradition or prenotion concerning the stabilitie or everlasting condition of things confirmed by Oath He with some others apply this undoubted rule unto things temporall or to this present world which holds true only of the world to come SECT 4. By what Persons and in what manner the Consecration of Iesus Christ the Son of God to his Priesthood was prefigured CHAP. 21. That Iesus or Iehoshua the sonne of Nun Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel and Iesus the sonne of Iehosadeck were speciall Types of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God respectively as he was to be made and now is both King and Prâ—est SOme good Historians have observed that many famous Kingdomes have been ruinated or extinguished under Princes of the same name with those that first did erect or advance them Darius the first King of that name in Persia made his Country famous and the Persians Lords of the best part of the inhabited world Another Darius makes Alexander famous by his mighty overthrow and raiseth up the Monarchy of Macedon by the fall of the Persian Augustus was the second great Caesar and the first perpetuall Roman Emperour and in Augustulus the very â—â—le of Emperour did die not so much as a shadow of the Roman Empire remained after him Constantine the great did first erect the Easterne Empire and founded the City of Constantinople the first of all Emperours that did publikely defend the Christian faith Another Constantine was the last Emperour of Constantinople leaving the Empire to the disposall of the Turke Baldwin Compeere of Godfrey of Bulloigne in the conquest of the Holy land and after his death created King of Ierusalem established this new King dome in peace which hee had wonne by warre Another of the same name and race leaves the Holy land it selfe for a prey unto the superstitious Mahumetan not repossest since his death by any Christian Prince 2 Nor doe humane stories only though many besides these alleadged might be produced afford us instances or observations in this ranke The visible Kingdome or Common-wealth of Israel taking Israel for the whole race of Iacob was first establish't and setled in peace by Hosea the son of Nun whom Moses upon fore-sight of this his good successe in planting the people of God in the land of their promised rest named Iehoshua that is to say a Savior In the dayes of Hosea the son of Elah did Israel as opposed unto the Kingdome of David that is tenne Tribes of twelve utterly cease to be a Nation Both King and people were led captives by Shalmanezar King of Assyria The Kingdome likewise or Common-wealth of Iudah did finally expire and determine under Iesus the sonne of David but altogether through this peoples fault hee never ceast to be a Saviour a greater Saviour of his people then Iesus the sonne of Nun had beene for hee was Salus ipsa Salvation it selfe But his people was become so wicked that salvation it selfe could not save them or preserve their common-wealth from ruine Howbeit to speake the truth this Iesus our Lord and Saviour did rather translate the Kindome of Iudah and David from earth to heaven then suffer it utterly to perish He still remaines a King and of his Kingdome there shall be no end though his Kingdome be not of this world nor over Israel or Iacob according to the flesh yet hee still ruleth in Iacob unto the ends of the world and so shall rule world without end This translation of the Kingdome of Iudah and David from earth to heaven or this new erection of this heavenly Kingdome by Iesus Christ our Savior was prefigured by onother Iesus as lively a Type or shadow of Christ as Iesus the sonne of Nun had been 3 For after Iudah through her riot and intemperancy had procured her bane as her sister Samaria had done and was carried for dead out of the dwellings wherein Iesus the sonne of Nun had first seated her the Lord in his all-foreseeing providence and in signe what was after to be accomplished and fulfilled concerning the Kingdome of David would have another Iesus the sonne of Iehosedeck to let Iudah after her recovery from captivity or civill death on her feet againe So it is specified 2. Esdras 3. Zach. 3. Haggai 2. that at this peoples returne from Babylon into their land Ieshua or Iesus the sonne of Iehosedeck was their high Priest and herein a Type of Christ as hee is our high Priest and Saviour Zerubbabel a Prince of the Tribe of Iudah and one of David's Line under whose conduct this people
Father saith the Apostle hath made us meete to be partakers of the Saints in light and hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the Kingdome of his dearly beloved Son 2 So that this part of Ieremie's prophecie 23. 6. In his dayes Iudah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell in safety must be fulfilled in every one of us more exquisitely then it was in the whole remnant of Iudab and Israel which returned in safety from Babylon the land of their captivity unto Ierusalem the place of their peace and rest Every one of us must be saved from the land of darknesse and translated into the Kingdome of light before wee can be sure of our salvation before our election and salvation can be made certaine unto us For every one of us is by nature the child of wrath every one of as as he is the sonne of Adam carries a Babel or masse of confusion about with him or rather lives in it as in a walking prison Every one of us is subject to morethen Baby lonish to more then Egyptian slavery Our very soules which are the light unto our bodies our very minds which have the same place in our soules which Goshen had in Egypt are darkened or as the Apostle speakes are darknesse it selfe Now to extract or draw us out of our selves or out of that servitude unto finne in which wee were borne or to bring us out of that darknesse which is within us is a greater miracle a more remarkable document of God's infinite power wisdome then the bringing of Israel out of Egypt then the rescuing of Iudah from the captivity of Babylon were God did make the winde and waters his instruments to overthrow Pharaoh and his hoast in the red sea he made his Angels ministring spirits to conduct Israel in their departure thence but to draw us out of our selves to extract our mindes and spirits from the dreggs of the flesh to translate them from the powers of darknesse to the Kingdome of light the ministry or service of Angels or other creatures did not suffice For accomplishing this great worke the Sonne of God himselfe became a Servant Hee that was essentially Iehovah God himselfe did cloath himselfe with salvation as with a garment and became a Saviour not in the appearance of an Angell not in our meere shape and likenesse nor in the meere forme or shape of any other creature but in our flesh and substance CHAP. 24. That our high Priest the Son of God did not only accomplish that which was fore shadowed by the name and title office of Iesus the Son of Iosedech but withall the legall rites or solemnities nowe of which hoe did destroy or dissolve as he did the works of the Divell but change or advance them into better solemnities to be observed by us Christians That his solemne accomplishment of the feast of attonement at the feast of the Passeover was prefigured in the Law and fore-fignified by God's speciall command THe Son of God saith S. Iohn was manifested to the end that he might destroy or dissolve the workes of the Divell Not only the workes which hee had wrought in the nature of Adam and all his sonnes the manner of whose destruction or dissolution the Reader may find discussed at large in the eighth Booke of these CoÌ„mentaries but besides these all the solemne rites or ceremonies whether sacrifices or other services by which the subtile enemy of mankind had enticed men unto or retained them in obedience to his service All these the Son of God came into the world not to change or accomplish but utterly to abolish or destroy them As for the Aaronicall Priesthood or legall riâ—es dependant on it these hee came not utterly to abolish or destroy but to change or sublimate them into a better kind of service This orthodoxall forme of words the Apostle hath taught us Heb. 7. v. 12. The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law that is no destruction either of the Law or Priesthood The false witnesses themselves which were set up to accuse S. Stephan of blasphemous words against the holy place and the Law though willing no question to charge him with more then he said yet charge him with nothing but this We have heard him say that this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customes which Moses delivered us Acts 6. v. 14. But these malicious men with their complices and abettors did destroy the materiall Temple by turning it into a denne of theeves or murtherers by practising these and other like workes of the Divell in it Notwithstanding the utter destruction of this denne of theeves by these means the house of God which was the Temple whilst it continued a house of praier was not utterly destroyed but rather changed or translated unto Ierusalem which is above as the Arke of the Covenant had beene before from Shiloh unto Sion As for any intention utterly to destroy any custome which Moses had given them they had no pretence to accuse either S. Stephan or our Saviour who had solemnely protested that hee came not to destroy or dissolve the Law but to fulfill it And none unlesse perhaps some base Mechanicke or meaner metall man who thinkes the matter whereon hee workes to be of all others the best would accuse an Alchimist or ingenious Artist for wasting or destroying copper lead or brasse if hee could change or sublimate them into pure gold 2 The change or accomplishment of the best egall rites even such as were appointed by an everlasting covenant was more admirable then this supposed transmutation of baser metals into refined gold can truly represent for as hath been observed before Albeit our Saviour was no Priest after the order of Aaron either before or after his Consecration yet hee did most exquisitely accomplish the whole Aaronicall Priesthood and other legall rites dependent on it by his Consecration to a more excellent truly everlasting Priesthood Circumcision was enjoyned under this title of an everlasting covenant and so enjoyned under a terrible penalty before the Law was given by Moses to all the seed of Abraham throughout their generations Was this rite or ceremony then destroyed or annihilated by the Circumcision of the Son of God Neither destroyed then nor changed before his death but at his Circumcision designed to be changed into an everlasting Covenant and after his Resrrection and Ascention not so properly changed as advanced into a better Sacrament or Seale of God's love unto mankind under a stricter penalty to the contemners of it or the undertakers for both sexes then Circumcision had been to the Hebrew males The Iewish Sabbath or Seventh day likewise was not so truly nullified for the substance of the precept which was to be a commemoration of God's rest from all his workes upon the Seventh day as clarified or purged from the droffe or dreggs of legall
him a name which is above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Philip. 2. verses 9. 10. 11. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ Act. 2. 36. CHAP. 31. Shewing the concludency of the allegations used by the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul to prove the truth of Christ's Resurrection and in particular of the Testimony Psal 2. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee NOt to repeat other Types or propheticall testimonies of Christ's entrance into immortall glory by the sufferings of death of which the Reader may find plenty as well in Postillers as Commentators nor to dilate upon such generall testimonies whether meerly typical or propheticall or typically propheticall as have been heretofore handled in the seventh and eighth Booke of these Comments upon the Creed as that of Psal 82. c. I make no question but those testimonies out of the Psalmes or Prophets which are avouch'd to this purpose by the Apostles themselves specially by S. Peter and S. Paul were expounded by our Saviour himselfe unto the two fore-mentioned Disciples which did accompany him unto Emmaus 2 Now the testimonies most insisted upon by the Apostles as well for convincing the Gentiles as the Iewes are specially three that of Psal the 2. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and Psal the 6. Thou wilt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption the third The Lord hath sworne and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech or which is much what the same The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole The extraordinary successe of all these allegations abundantly testifies that they were most concludent for many thousand soules at two severall times besides others were converted by them The testimony out of Psal 2. is prest home by S. Peter Act. 2. v. 6. to the 37. to the Iewes specially and by S. Paul both upon Iews and Gentiles Act. 13. Though with better successe upon the Gentiles The force and strength of this testimonie and likewise how farre it was meant of David and fulfilled in Christ hath been at large discust before The point at which these present endeavours aime is to declare how these two testimonies 1. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and 2. Thou art a Priest after the order of Melchisedech doe concludently and irrefragably inferre the Resurrection of Christ that Iesus whom the Iewes had crucified being both the Sonne of God and sonne of David and his Consecration to his everlasting Priesthood for unto this later point both testimonies are drawne by our Apostle Heb. 5. v. 5. and 6. But how close they reach this point whether jointly or severally is not so cleerly set forth by most interpreters as that the Reader unlesse his understanding farre surpasse mine will easily collect The generall meaning of our Apostle hath been declared in the first Section and in the close of the fourth of this Booke it is punctually thus Seeing Aaron's calling to the dignity of Priesthood was publiquely manifested to be from God no man after might take upon him to erect a new Priesthood no not to the temporall prejudice of Aaron and his successors much lesse to abolish this Priesthood which God had erected unlesse he could manifest to man and Angels that his Commission for thus doing was immediately from God and authentique being sealed by oath and solemnely executed And seeing no man might therefore Christ though God and man did not glorifie himselfe as the Apostle addes to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee did put this dignity upon him Many Interpreters have stretcht their wits to make the literall sense of this Psalmist's words reach home to our Apostle's purpose Others so slight it as if they would give us to understand or cause to suspect our Apostle himselfe did not much stand upon it but only passe by it unto the second testimony Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech Albeit in my opinion the later testimony proves his fiat or Commission the former his ordination or execution of his Commission I will not wrong the judicious Reader 's patience with profering variety of such expositors unto his choise as his wisdome cannot approve Cajetan hath Ribera's approbation and of all the expositors which went before him drawes the Psalmist's Oracle Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee neerest to the point in question So farre I am from carping at any thing which those two expositors have said to the point now in question that I will endeavour to explicate and extend their meaning in the best sort I can The Priesthood saith Cajetan as Ribera expounds him before the Law given was annexed as a prerogative to the first borne and descended from Abraham to Isaac and by speciall dispensation to Iacob Now the whole dignity of the first borne being lost by Ruben was divided amongst three of his Brethren The Soveraignty or Principallity fell to Iudah the Priesthood to Levi and the double Portion to Ephraim And in Aaron the sonne of Levi was the Priesthood established long before the Kingdome was established in David the sonne of Iudah and to the Priesthood so established David's sons had as litle right as Aaron's sonnes had to the Crowne or Diadem God's peremptory decree for thus dividing these two prerogatives Azariah is not afraid to plead unto King Vzziah's face Chron. 2. 26. And his speech did take impression for hee had no sooner made an end of speaking but the leprosie begunne to appeare in King Vzziah's face and for his usurpation of the Priest's office and intrusion into the house of God he is utterly excluded from his pallace and enforced to resigne the government unto his Sonne But inasmuch as he of whom the Psalmist speakes is solemnely registred and by him declared to be the first borne and Sonne of God it is not lawfull only but expedient but very necessary that all the branches of the first borne's prerogative which Ruben had scattered should be reunited in his Person Againe in that he is the promised seed hee is the compleat heire of all the blessings bequeathed to Abraham and out of whatsoever tribe this promised seed was to spring the honour of Priesthood was as due unto him as the Kingdome Levi and Aaron were but as foefes in trust for conveying the Priesthood as Iudah and David were for making over the Kingdome unto him 3 All those suppositions and others perhaps more then Cajetan or Ribera though
poesie whereof this and the eighteenth Psalme with some others beare lively characters were partly the triumphant victories which he had already gotten over the enemies of Israel's peace and the confederators or conspirators against his Crowne and dignity partly the glorious promises which through patient expectation of deliverance hee had obtain'd for the further establishment and advancement of his throne and the enlargement of his hereditary Kingdome Before the composition of the second Psalme hee had the glorious and gracious promise of which Ethan the Esrait so curiously descants Psalm 89. I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth c. Now it can be no solecisme to say that hee who in sacred language is instil'd the first borne should have the title of the first begotten among the Princes of the earth Seeing the title of begetting is oftimes in sacred language to be measured not by the scale of Philophes'â— or naturalist's dialect â—ut of morall or civill language or interpretation For they that are sonnes by adoption only or next heires in reversion to a Crowne or dignity are said to be begotten of those which adopt thâ—â— or of whom they be the immediate heares or successors and in this sense in the sacred genealogy Ieconiah is said to have begotten Salathiel So that David upon his owne occasions whether upon his anointing to the Crowne of Iudah in Hâ—â—ron or of Israel in Sion might in the literall sense avouch these words Psalme 2. of himselfe I will preach the Law whereof the Lord said unto mee thâ—â— art my Sâ—â—t his day have I begotten thee 7 For David to call the day of his Coronation or of his designâ—ment unto the Crowne of Iudah or of all Israel his birth-day or begetting by God by whose speciall power and providence hee was crowned is not so harsh a phrase as some haply would deeme it that either know not or consider not that it was usuall in other states or Kingdomes beside Iudah to celebrate two nâ—tales dies two solemne 〈◊〉 or birth-dayes in honour of their Kings and Emperours the one they called diem natalem imperatoris the other diem natalem imperij The one the birth-day of the Emperour whereon he was borne of his naturall Mother the other the birth-day of him as he was Emperour which wee call the Coronation day The reason might hold more peculiar in David then many other Princes because he was the first of all the seed of Abraham that tooke possession of the hill of Sion and setled the Kingdome of Iudah fore-phophecied of by his Father Iacob upon himselfe and his posterity 8 But whatsoever may be thought of David or of his sonne the day of our Saviour's Resurrection may be as truly and properly called the day of his nativity as the day wherein he was borne of the blessed Virgin Mary This was his birth-day or nativity to his mortall life as he was the son of man that was the day of his nativity or begetting to immortality the birth-day of his Kingdome and royall Priesthood The most concludent testimony though least observed by most Interpreters is that of the Apostle before mentioned Heb. 5. v. 4. No man taketh this honour to wit of Priesthood but hee that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest but hee that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee It was hee that did glorifie him with this title as he also saith in another place thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedech The Apostles drift and meaning is that our Saviour did not intrude himselfe into the Priesthood but had as solemne a calling and Consecration â—o it by God his Father as Aaron had to the legall Priesthood by Moses And he did deprecate his calling or Consecration to this Priesthood more earnestly and fervently then any high Priest or Bishop did their Consecration Although they say Episcopari nolâ— they have no desire to be consecrated But sure our Saviour spake as hee meant when hee prayed unto his Father Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Now thus he prayed after God had begun to anoint and bath him in his owne blood unto the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech as Moses had anointed Aaron with the blood of beasts unto his legall Priesthood And this place of our Apostle concludes the point before handled to wit that our Saviour did begin his Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech from the day of his Resurrection for upon that day was the Psalmist's prophecy fulfilled Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee 9 The fulfilling of this Oracle meant of David according to the literall according to the mysticall sense in Christ Iesu the Son of David is most divinely exprest by S. Luke Acts 3. 4. in which two Chapters many passages above all others in this sacred history are worthy of serious and frequent mediations specially in respect of the circumstances of time and some other occurrences The holy Ghost as it is at large related Chap. 2. had been first powred out upon Christ's Disciples a litle before the ordinary time of the morning's service or devotions at this solemne feast of Pentecost And upon the same day as 't is very probable from the first verse of the third Chapter Peter and Iohn went together unto the Temple at the houre of praiers being the ninth houre and bestowed a better almes upon a poore creeple then after many yeares profession of that poore trade he durst presume to begge at their hands or pray to God for 10 The ungainsayable truth of the miracle wrought upon this creeple by Peter and Iohn who had they been as ambitiously minded as their examiners might have challenged the glory of it to themselves did not so much grieve the Priests and captaines of the Temple with the Sadduces as that upon this occasion they taught the people and preached the Resurrection of the dead through Iesus Christ Chap. 4. ver 2. 3. Vpon this griefe conceived at first by some few there present the next morning the high Priest with the whole host of his assistants and kndred did injoyne these two Apostles not to teach at all or speake in the name of Iesus but upon that magnanimous reply whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge yee ver 19. made joyntly by Peter and Iohn to the high Priest's and Elders peremptory injunction being let goe they made report of the whole businesse with the successe unto their owne company who when they heard it lift up their voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the Sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said why did the heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine
thing The Kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers of the earth were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ For of a truth against thy holy child Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done Acts. 4. from verse 23. to 28. This joyfull newes thus brought by Peter and Iohn did raise the spirits of the other Disciples if not to prophesy as David had done yet to make a more lively expression or interpretation of his prophecy then either he himselfe or any Prophet before our Saviour's Resurrection could have compos'd As indignation sometimes will hammer out verses or rimes from wits of duller metall so extraordinary exultation or uncouth matter of spirituall joy will bring forth sacred hymnes and poesies or interpretations of Scripture equivalent to the spirit of prophecy 11 I cannot dismisse this testimony without some short paraphrase upon it for setting the parallel betwixt the Type and the body according to the rules formerly delivered Why doe the heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed Psal 2. v. 12. All these are truly and literally meant of David's affaires for he had enemies both amongst the people of Israel and among neighbour nations of the heathen which did oppose the flourishing estate or growth of his Kingdome which they fear'd would bring their posterity unto subjection Hence they said let us breake their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us v. 3. The same words likewise aâ—e literally fulfill'd of the Sonne of God in a more exquisite sense For as the Disciples mentioned Act. 4. expresse the fulfilling of this prophecy both Herod and Pontius Pilat with other Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together against him Who was not only the anointed of the Lord as David was but the Christ or Messias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In those words following likewise ver 4. Hee that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision David had a peculiar interest for they literally referre to the defeates of malicious conspirators against David and his Kingdome and the good successe which notwithstanding those hee ascribes unto the good providence of his God v. 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Now there was no defeate either wrought or hoped for on David's part or on Salomon's his sonne which was not a true shadow and picture and no more then so of those strange defeates which HEE who then sate in the heavens and now sits there in our nature did bring upon all those which conspired against the anointed of the Lord the man or as the Disciples call him holy child Iesus Which description I take it referres unto him only whilst hee was in the forme of a servant By defacing this forme they made him Lord. For albeit the malicious and cruell plots of the high Priests to take away his life and fame were so subtlely contrived and so accurately executed as if they had continued the Aaronicall Priesthood and bloody sacrifices to no other end and purpose save only that they might become more cruell butchers or slaughter-men of the anointed of the Lord then their Predecessors had been of beasts or reasonlesse sacrifices Yet not hee only but the heavenly powers Saints and Angels had mater enough of joy and gladnesse to contemplate how the heathens and this worse then heathenish seed of Abraham could doe nothing unto him save that which hee that sate in the heavens would have to be done albeit they did that only which Satan would have them to doe They had consecrated themselves wholly unto his service and yet he that sits in the heavens made both their master and them to be his instruments for accomplishing the Consecration of the Son of David to his everlasting Priesthood and Kingdome CHAP. 32. The concludency of S. Paul's second Argument Act. 13. drawne from the 55. of Isaiah THe second testimony avouched by S. Paul Act. 13. v. 34. borrowed from Isaiah 55. v. 3. is for ought I can observe meerly propheticall or a vision For however the Prophet might take his rise from former Oracles concerning David yet his prophecy according to the literall sense could not be meant of any person or party either in the Prophets owne time or in the intermediate space between his time and the exhibition of the seed promised to Abraham and to David in our flesh in whom alone specially from the houre of his Resurrection from the dead it was punctually verified and once for all fulfil'd that is as we say begun to beare date or be in essereali The whole Chapter containes as cleere a propheticall vision of the exercise of Christ's propheticall and sacerdotall function as any other passage of like quantity in all the writings now extant of this Evangelical Prophet The Readers whom the knowledge of this great mystery most neerly concernes may find more usefull observations in many learned Commentators upon that Chapter then I dare either take upon me to repeat or represent unto them having resolved to insist upon no more then are pertinent to the point now in hand nor to touch upon any save only in the passage to the third verse thus the Chapter begins Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no money come yee buy and eate yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Vnto this sacred Fountaine of truth our Saviour often directs his Auditor's testifying both by words and practices that all these promises or rather the blessings here promised were actually exhibited in Him as first those words of his in the Sermon upon the Mount Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled v. 6. referre as punctually to this place as to Esay 65. v. 13. Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my servants shall eate but yee shall be hungry Behold my servants shall drinke but yee shall be thirsty though punctually to that But as the Prophet in this place speakes they were satisfied without any cost or charges for he taught the people without fee or reward and declared himselfe to be not only the inexhaustible Well Fountaine but the bread and strength of spirituall life by his miraculous provision of bodily food for all such as did hunger and thirst after his heavenly Doctrine It followes in the second verse Wherefore doe yee spend money for that which is not bread And your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe infatnesse Vpon these words our Saviour himselfe doth paraphrase Iohn the 6. verse 27. Labour not for
Confirmation of of leagues and of the fearfull iudgments that usually fall upon them who wittingly and willingly violate them THe use of oaths amongst the Romans was somewhat more ample then all these instances imply though how farre it did extend I leave it to the determination of Civilians A very good Civill Lawyer tells mee and his testimony is most consonant to our Apostles mind in this place Vetus fuit regula iuris causā iureiurando decisam non retractari that a cause or case of Controversie decided by oath might not be traversed or recalled Iustinian's restraint of this ancient rule in some special rare cases rather corroborates then impaires the indefinite truth or generall validitie of it Yet were not oaths assertory more authentique or of more validitie in ancient times for ending Controversies betwixt man and man then oaths promissory such as God's oath in this place is were for maintaining publique peace or confirming leagues betwixt Nation and Nation The examples of heathen aswell as of sacred Princes or Generalls so we would follow them teach us not to retract any thing that we have sworne unto nor to delay performance of any thing which wee have promised by oath albeit the conditions in some cases prove such in the issue as wee would not have subscribed unto them at any hand had we knowne them in others such as wee ought not to have subscribed unto When Alexander the great a Prince otherwise too rash and furious in executing his rigorous designes perceived that the Lampsaceni open Rebells in his interpretation had entertained Anaximenes his fathers old acquaintance to plead for their pardon fearing that this smooth-tongued Orator if hee should permit him to speak his minde at large might somewhat mitigate the rigorous sentence pronounced against them upon the Orator's first approach into his presence takes a solemne oath by the Gods of Greece that hee would doe quite contrary to whatsoever hee would request on the behalfe of the Lampsaceni Then said Anaximenes it will litle boote me to be long in my petition which in briefe shall be this That you would captivate their wives and children destroy their City and set the Temples of their Gods on fire Now albeit this boistrous King had stedfastly purposed to doe asmuch as the Orator's words imply and had interposed a solemne oath to confirme his purpose yet his oath being by the Orators cunning retorted his former resolution did relent and yeeld unto the Orator's first intended serious request And in memory of this great Controversy between this great Prince and his Rebellious Subjects or revolted Confederates thus happily ended by a retorted or inverted oath the Orator had an Olympick statue erected to him by his Clients 2 Thus to save this City with it's Inhabitants could not be more prejudiciall to Alexander's former oath or resolution then it was to Ioshua to make peace or league with any Cananite for God whose Generall hee was had given him expresse command to the contrary Yet in asmuch as that strict commandement given by God was only particular to this purpose the neglect of it especially upon ignorance of circumstances was evill only because forbidden and only so farre evill as it was forbidden But in asmuch as an oath is the most sacred bond in humane societie the breach of it is not only evil because forbidden but therefore forbidden because in it self so evil Whence though it were unlawful for Ioshua to make any league with the Gibeonites being by Nation and Progeny Cananites yet in asmuch as they were men the league once made with them being confirmed by oath might not be violated by him or any of his Successors The legall maxime in this case holds most firmely fieri non debuit factum valet Although Ioshua had formerly sworne to have continuall warre with the Cananites yet the interposition of this oath upon a mistake that they were not Cananites must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an end of hostile quarrell betweene Israel and the Gibeonites or if any haply should here reply that this league did valere de facto was made valid more through Ioshuah's curtesie or scrupulosity of conscience then by the Law of nature Nations or by any strict rule of equitie the severitie of God's judgments upon the house of Saul for violating this league which Ioshua had made by oath more then foure hundred yeares after he had made it will convince him of error Saul sought to slay the Gibeonites in his zeale to the children of Israel and Iudah 2. Sam. 21. 2. but as if Israel had forfeited their estate in the promised land by breach of their former Covenant the earth for three yeares denyed her encrease as it is verse the first Nor could this famine be satisfied otherwise then by the flesh and blood of those men for whose sake the Gibeonites blood had beene unjustly spilt For when David being instructed of the Lord that the famine was sent to revenge their wrongs demanded of the Gibeonites to whom the Lord now had given power of binding and loosing Israel What shall I doe for you and wherewith shall I make the attonement that yee may blesse the Inheritance of the Lord They said unto him Wee will have no silver nor gold of Saul nor of his house neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel But the man that consumed us that devised evill against us that wee should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel let seaven men of his Sons be delivered unto us and wee will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul whom the Lord did chuse v. 3. 4. 5. 6. But David as it followes spared Mephibosheth at whose life the Gibeonites did specially aime because of the Lord's oath that was betweene them between David and Ionathan the Son of Saul 3 But here least such malevolent eyes or eares as Machiavel's or Machiavilian Politicians should by looking upon or hearing this story read let in suspicion into their unhallowed hearts of some secret complot betwixt the Gibeonites and David for planting the Scepter of Israel in David's stocke by rooting out the whole stock of Saul besides this impotent forlorne branch Mephibosheth we may parallel this prodigious calamitie with others like unto it which in the observation of heathen writers have by the providence of God befalne other royall families for the perjurie of their Progenitors albeit executed upon them by the hands of men The difference will be only this that David in the execution of God's fierce wrath upon the house of Saul did understand his Commission much better then other Executioners of Gods like wrath did who did nothing but what God would have done but without just warrant 4 Could Kindomes be surely founded upon their present strength and greatnesse or states be made stand upright and firme by rule of secular policy the likelyhood was greater that the Macedonian Kingdome should have continued in
a lie unto salvation The elegancy of which word in the original is well expressed by our vulgar English an hors is but a vain thing to save a man But why alie or vanitie Because he that relies upon it too much or more then upon God may come to suddaine destruction according to the same dialect that fest or Anchor-hold unto which the Iewes in stormes of warre or calamitie did too much trust to wit Templum Domini Templum Domini were as the Prophet calls them lying words And no better are many mens perswasions of the absolute certainty of their owne salvation only because they beleeve in Christ alone and seeke unto no other Meditators or Intercessors Indeed if they beleeve in Christ as Abraham and Isaac and Ioshua did in God that is if they follow the footsteps of these men or rather the wayes of God wherein these walked with a faithfull and unfeigned heart then their Election is sure and firme in it selfe although in many cases to them uncertaine But the principall meaning of our Apostle is that the blessing promised by oath unto Abraham is immutable and everlasting in the life to come and this wee are bound to beleeve certitudine fidei by assurance of faith without doubt But whether we our selves in particular shall be undoubtedly actuall partakers of such salvation wee have no better assurance from this place then the assurance of hope and strong consolation for so it followeth this hope or as Oecolampadius would have it this consolation wee have as an anchor of the soule both firme and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile The implication is that this hope is not of temporarie blessings but of everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord now King and Priest in our nature of the coelestiall Sanctuary CHAP. 20. The former Importance of God's Oath to Abraham and the contents of it specified in the two immediately precedent Chapters more fully confirmed by the tenour of God's oath to David and to his seed described at large by the author of 98 Psalme most concludently by the Apostle Heb. 7. ALL that which hath beene observed out of the tenour of God's Oath to Abraham is implyed in the Psalmist's paraphrase upon the same Covenant renewed by speciall Oath unto David Psalme 89. That the Author of this Psalme should be David himselfe no Interpreter which I have read doth affirme besides some few and those of no great skill for interpreting Scriptures who thinke that all these Psalmes were written by David himselfe But this opinion may be clearely convinced both from the matter and forme of this Psalme besides the inscription For if we should acknowledge David to be the Author of this Psalme there will be no affinitie betwixt the matter of subject of it and the character or expression Evident it is that the house and linage of David were in great distresse and subject to grievous temptations of distrusting God's promises at the time wherein this Psalme was written And hee that will diligently peruie the sacred history from David's Election or nomination to the Kingdome of Israel untill the returne of God's people from Babylonish Captivity or the death of Zerubbabel will hardly find more periods of time then two wherein the occasion or matter of this Psalmist's complaint can have any cognation with his character or expression which is a fundamentall rule for all Intelligent Writers to follow and most exactly observed by such as wrote by divine inspiration The two periods of time wherein this Psalme can with probability be imagined to be written are either from the death of good Iosiah unto the Babylonish Captivity or as my conjecture leads me shortly after the forraging of Iudah and ransacking of Ierusalem by Sesac King of Aegypt in the dayes of Rehoboam after the departure of the tenne Tribes from Iudah The best determination of this doubt or Quaerie depends upon Chronologies or certaine discoveries of the time wherein Ethan the Ezrahite did live The Psalme it selfe as the title sheweth is a Psalme of instruction and begins with praise and thankesgiving and ends with praiers and benedictions As for the intermediate complaints or seeming expostulations with God as if hee had forgotten his Covenant made to David these I take it are rather lively representations of the murmuring and discontentments of the people in that age then true expressions of the Psalmist's owne apprehensions concerning the true tenour of God's promise unto David For this is usuall to most Psalmists in times of calamity a point which if the Spanish Iew or Rabbin mentioned by many good Authors had considered hee would not haue interdicted his Country-men or Scholars to read this Psalme 2 But to come to the explication of this Psalme it selfe or the meaning of the holy Ghost in it After many ejaculations of praiers and thankesgiving or recitations of God's mercy The Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Then Thou spakest in vision to thy holy one and saidst I have laid helpe upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen from among the people I have found David my servant with my holy Oyle have I anointed him c. The text upon which he made this sublime and long paraphrase following is recorded 2. Sam. 7. 11. And as since the time that I commanded Iudges to be over my people Israel and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house and when thy dayes be fulfilled and thou shalt sleepe with thy Fathers I will set up thy seede after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and I will establish his Kingdome v. 13. He shall build an house for my name and I will establish the throne of his Kingdome for ever I will be his Father and he shall be my sonne If he commit iniquitie I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men But my mercy shall not depart from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put away before thee And thine house and thy Kingdome shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever According to all these words and according to all this vision so did Nathan speak unto David Divers passages aswell in this Text as in the fore-cited paraphrase in the Psalm upō it have been literally verified so me in David others in Salomon but exactly fulfilled according to the mysticall sence in David's seede by promise unto whose person and to no other some few speciall passages according to the literall sense doe referre The next labour is so to distinguish betwixt these severall passages as that David and his sonne Salomon may have their due without derogation to the prerogative of David's seede by promise who was to be and now is both Salomon's and David's Lord. The 12 th and 13 th verses according to
the Sonne of Iehozadeck's head was the modell of the Crowne of David which was to flourish upon Iesus the Sonne of David's head as it is Psalme 132. v. 18. But upon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish 6 Briefly the protestation which the Angell in the verses following makes to Iesus the Son of Iosedech is but a renewing or repetition of the promise which God had made unto Abraham and David concerning their seede The tenour of God's promise here renewed or repeated unto Iesus the high Priest is the same And the Angell of the Lord protested unto Ieshua saying thus saith the Lord of boasts if thou wilt walke in my wayes and if thou wilt keepe my charge then thou shalt also judge my house and shalt also keepe my Courts and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by These words containe as ample a patent for the temporall or legall Priesthood unto Iesus the Sonne of Iosedech and his posteritie as David had for continuation of the temporall Kingdome in his race or progeny both the promises and patents were conditionall But that there should arise an everlasting Priest as well as an everlasting King one in whom God's promises should not be conditionall but yea and amen that is absolute and irrefragable the Prophet Zachary addes Heare now O Ieshua the high Priest thou and thy fellowes that sit before thee for they are what are they monstrous persons saith our former English or men wondred at saith the later Viri portendentes saith the vulgar The Prophets meaning is that they are men set for types or signes of great matters to come The word in the originall is the same Ezech. 12. 11. Say I am your signe like as I have done so shall it be done unto them that is to the Princes of Ierusalem and house of Israel they shall remove and goe into captivity As Ezechiel his digging through the wall in the peoples sight and carrying forth his stuffe upon his shoulders in twilight with his face covered that hee should not see the ground was a signe or prognostication of Zedechiah's stealth or flight from the Chaldeans army which besieged him So Ieshua the high Priest and all his fellowes in all this action or solemnity specially in laying the foundation of the Altar and Temple were prognosticke signes or prefigurations of Iesus the everlasting high Priest and of the spirituall Temple the holy Catholique Church which he was to build by the ministry of the Apostles So it followeth for behold I will bring forth my servant the branch For behold the stone that I have laid before Ieshua upon one stone shall be seven eyes behold I will engrave the graving thereof saith the Lord of hoasts and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day CHAP. 22. Of the harmony betweene the Prophet Ieremy and the Prophet Zachary concerning the man whose name is the branch How his growth or springing up was prefigured by Zerubbabel the sonne of David His name and title as our high Priest fore-pictured by the name and title of Iesus the Sonne of Iosedech That he was as truly the Son of God before all time as the sonne of David in time THat this man whose name was the Branch was to build the Temple of the Lord that he was to take his investiture unto his priestly dignity by Iesus the Sonne of Iehosadech as by his proxie is apparent from the sixt Chapter of the Prophet Zachary 11. Take silver and gold and make Crownes and set them upon the head of Ieshua the Sonne of Iosedech the high Priest and speake unto him saying thus speaketh the Lord of hasts saying Behold the man whose name is the Branch and hee shall grow up out of his place hee shall build the Temple of the Lord even hee shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne and the counsell of peace shall be betweene them both 2 This place and the former are pregnant that the Servant of the Lord whose name was Zemah the Branch whose office was to build up the Temple of God should be a Priest and should sit upon his Throne as Priest But it cannot from either place be gathered it is not so much as intimated that hee should either be a Priest after the order of Aaron or of Melchisedech or of the seede of Aaron as Iesus or Ioshua the Sonne of Iehosedech was But as the Prophet affirmeth not that hee was to be Priest after the order of Aaron or Melchisedech so neither in plaine termes doth hee deny it true but as every Prophet of God speakes nothing but the truth so neither doth one of them speake all the truth or all that is requisite for us to believe concerning Iesus our Saviour That the man whose name was the Branch the same party of whom Zachary here speakes should not be of the seed of Aaron or a Priest after the order of Aaron is evident from the prophecy of Ieremiah Ier. 23. 5. uttered more then seventy yeares before Zachary began to prophecy Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth In his dayes Iudah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse It is plaine then out of the fore cited prophecy of Zachary that God's servant the righteous Branch was to be a Priest It is evident againe out of Ieremiah that he was to spring out of the seede of David and to raigne as King over Iudah and Israel as David had done And these two put together will directly conclude that this Branch of David was to be that sonne of David concerning whom the Lord had sworne and would not repent that hee should be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech who was both King and Priest and by interpretation the King of righteousnesse and King of peace both which titles are expressely given to this Servant of God and Branch of David the one by the Prophet Zachary the other by the Prophet Ieremiah 3 But is it intimated or fore-told by either of them that he should be as truly David's Lord as David's Sonne Yes Ieremy implies this in fuller termes then David himselfe doth Psalm 110. for David saith the Lord said unto my Lord Adonai not Iehovah whereas the Prophet Ieremy tells us that the supreame style or title of this Branch of David should be not Adonai Tzadkenu but Iehova Tzadkenu Iehovah our righteousnesse So that hee whom David in spirit calleth his Lord was to be as essentially Lord and God as he that said unto him sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot stoole But was he according unto this name or title
the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you For him hath God the Father sealed And againe ver 32. 33. Then Iesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven For the bread of God is hee which cometh downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world And ver 35. I am the bread of life Hee that cometh to me shall never hunger And he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst In all these and the like passages whether avouched by our Saviour himselfe or by his Apostles after him we are taught no other Doctrine then the Prophet in his name and by his spirit had taught the people verse 3. Incline your eare and come unto me heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Was this Covenant yet to make being made before first with Abraham then renewed with David The Apostle for conclusion tells us Heb. 11. v. 39. Neither Abraham nor any other of the Patriarchs or holy men though in their generations renowned for their faith did receive the promise and if not the promise then not the everlasting Covenant whereof the Prophet here speakes What was that The reall object of the Covenant or blessing promised But if it be demanded what this blessing promised was It was Christ Iesus not only as he was exhibited in the flesh but raised from the dead as is more largely declared in a treatise upon v. 40. Chap. 11. to the Heb. to be annexed unto this present Treatise 2 All this hath been implied or intimated before in that of our Apostle Heb. 5. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternall Salvation to all them that obey him v. 9. that is to reflect upon the Prophet Esay's expression of this mystery to all that incline their eares unto him and faithfully heare him THE EVERLASTING COVENANT taken in this sense that is for the everlasting blessednesse or that degree of blessednesse exprest in the Gospell is not actually made with any none are reall partakers of it but such as are true and lively members of Christ's body such members of it as Abraham and David were not before the Son of God the Son of David was consecrated to his everlasting Priesthood and Kingdome 3 According to the most strict and genuine sense of the Prophet and our Apostle's interpretation of it Christ Iesus being raised from the dead is the very Covenant it selfe For so the words of the Prophet and our Apostle's interpretation of them runne verbatim without any interruption or obliquitie in construction I will make an everlasting Covenant to wit the sure mercies of David or as the Latine more fully misericordias illas stabiles Davidis That these words directly signifie the Person of Christ and his benefits is most cleere from v. 4. Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the people a leader and commander to the people So that Christ is called the sare mercies of David because in him and through him all God's promises or mercies promised to David are Yea and Amen that is were actually perform'd and made everlasting not in promise only but in esse Betwixt the Hebrew Text and the seventy Interpreters whose translation S. Paul in the fore-cited place doth follow a meere Grammarian or curious critick might observe some variation in words yet no difference or diversity in sense worthy the notice of a true Linguist or rationall Divine The Apostle when hee avoucheth this propheticall Oracle Esay 55. 3. as a confirmation of the concludency of the former testimony out of Psal 2. Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee omits the first part of it I will make an everlasting Covenant with you as being fully contained in the later part which is indeed an authentique exegeticall exposition of the former to wit God's promise or Oath to give this people and Nation in the time appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the holy and faithfull things of David saith our English But the full and punctual expression of our Apostles meaning will best appeare from the manner how he inferres that conclusion which he twise in this place avoucheth from the often mentioned place of the Prophet Isaiah For after that inference * v. 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee he addes for confirmation v. 34. 35. And as concerning that he raised him from the dead now no more to returne to corruption hee said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore hee saith also in another Psalme ◠Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption The briefe or extract of the Prophet Isaiah's meaning in S. Paul's construction is this THAT GOD BY RAISING VP CHRIST IESUS from the dead never to die againe did really exhibite or actually performe that Covenant made by Oath to David Psal 89. ver 28. My mercy will I keepe for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him c. and v. 35. Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not faile David his seede shall endure for ever and his throne that is not the successive throne of David but the throne of David's SEED as the Sun before me 4 David in the dayes of his flesh did receive the the promise or Covenant if you take it in the active or formall signification as for promissio quâ Deus promitit or pactum quo Deus paciseitur but if wee take this promise or Covenant in the passive sense id est for the blessing promised or covenanted that was not perform'd till Christ was raised from the dead and glorified as it followes Esay 55. v. 5. In this sense Zacharias calls the exhibition of the promised seed though yet in the wombe the performance of the Oath which God had sworne to give unto Abraham and his offspring So that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the faithfull things of David is contradistinct not to dissimulation or any suspicion of faining in the promiser but to the reversible or mutable state of the blessing promised It implies the immortalitie of the Son of David according to the flesh or the immutability of his holy Priesthood and Kingdome Briefly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivalent and somewhat more then so unto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is used by S. Peter Epist 2. Chap. 1. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure or rather firme and strong v. 10. in which place the word election must of necessitie be taken not in the formall or active sense but in the passive materiall or reall sense not for electio quâ Deus nos eligit but for the irreversible state in grace which is the effect
fore-shadowed by David concerning the manner of our Saviour's Ascension or propagation of his Kingdome was more clearly fore-seen by Daniel and as punctually foreshadowed by matter of fact in Mosaicall histories To begin with the testimony of Daniel which was meerly propheticall a pure vision And I beheld invisions by night behold one like the son of man came in the clouds of heaven and approached unto the ancient of daies and they brought him before him And he gave him dominion and honour and a Kingdome that all people Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall never be taken away and his Kingdome shall never be destroyed In that he saith he was like unto the Son of man this doth not import that hee was not truly man or only like to man but that more glory was due unto him then to any meere sonne of man and that he was the true sonne of that ancient of dayes unto whom hee was brought And as our Apostle saith that being in the forme of God and equall unto God yet he was found in the liknesse and shape of man that is as essentially like to man as like to God The Prophet describes his presentation to his Father by the Angels and coelestiall powers attending him which our Evangelist relateth not because haply this could not be seen by waking and mortall eyes but only by vision or rapture of spirit The same Prophet likewise describes the manner of his Ascension as exactly as if he had been a waking spectator of it with the Apostles and Disciples 2 But to resume the Prophets words Behold saith the Prophet one like the sonne of man came in the clouds of heaven and approached unto the ancient of daies hee doth not say hee was brought up in the clouds of heaven for the motion was his owne Hee was the agent or mover as well as the party moved in this Ascension So the Evangelist saith Act. 1. 9. And when hee had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up for a cloud tooke him out of their sight and whilst they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went Behold two men stood by them in white apparrell which also said yee men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven Emphasim habent verba hee videntibus illis It was remarkably said that hee was taken up his Disciples looking on for this imports as some of the ancients observe that Christ did ascend by litle and litle as it were by certaine steps that hee might feed the eyes and refresh the soules of his Disciples He was not raught up as Elias was who had but one witnesse nor as S. Paul who had no witnesse besides himselfe scarce himselfe a witnesse of his rapture for whether hee were taken up in the body or out of the body God knowes saith he I cannot tell But our Saviour went by the power of his omnipotency he descended when hee would and when he would ascended appointing what spectators or witnesses it pleased him with the place the time the very day and houre 3 As S. Luke's description of our Saviour's Ascension is a compleat explanation of Daniel's vision so is that vision of the mysticall sense of Mosaicall or other histories concerning the Arke or Tabernacle For the unfolding of this point we are to take the fore-mentioned prenotion for our rule to wit that the Arke of the Covenant wherein God was said to dwell was but a Type or shadow of the humane nature of Christ in which the God-head dwelleth bodily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other branch of this prenotion is as cleare that the Tabernacle which Moses erected in the wildernesse in which he placed the Arke was but a petty modle of that celestiall Tabernacle into which Christ is entred of which the Temple built by Salomon was somewhat a fairer draught yet no more then a litle mappe Now immediately after Moses had finished the worke of the Tabernacle A cloud covered the Tent of the congregation and the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle Exod. 40. ver 34. c. More expressly Numb 9. v. 15. And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up a cloud covered the Tabernacle namely the tent of the testimony and at even there was upon the Tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire untill the morning The most memorable history to this purpose is 1. King 1. v. When Salomon had assembled all the Elders of Israel and heads of the Tribes to bring up the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord out of the City of David to the Temple ver 1. And it came to passe when the Priests were gone out of the holy place that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the Priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud for the Glory of the Lord had filled the House of the Lord. v. 11. The Son of God in whose breast as he is the Son of David the Covenant made with mankind is registred most exactly and kept safer then the Tables of the first Covenant were in the Arke when it was brought into the Temple had his Throne and Sanctuary prepared of old or to use our Apostle's dialect non erat hujus structurae they were not thrones or Sanctuaries made with hands yet to be consecrated by the blood of our high Priest and being thus prepared a cloud did cover this living Arke of God and high Priest upon the day that hee was to enter into the holy place After the cloud tooke him from his Disciples sight hee filled the everlasting Tabernacle with his Glory being more reverently adored by all the host of heaven then he had been either by Salomon or the Elders of Israel when they brought the Arke of his Covenant into the Temple or by his Apostles after his Resurrection 4 At the same time wherein the Arke was brought by the Priest into the most holy place Salomon kneeling before the Altar of the Lord first blessed God and consecrated the Temple by that divine prayer never to be forgotten by good Christians And as soone as he had ended his prayer he rose up and blessed the congregation of Israel with a loud voice saying Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promises which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant 1. King 8. v. 56. c. His praiers to God and blessing of the people are more then parallel'd by our Saviour's prayers for his owne Consecration and the spirituall blessings thence to be derived upon his Apostles Ioh. 4. 14. c. One part of Salomons praier when he blessed the people was this Let these my words wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night that he maintaine the cause of his servant and the cause of his people
and Embassadours not to the end of the earth but to the ends of the World 4 Some of the Ancients and among the rest S. Austin if my memory faile not thinke they have found out S. Paul charactered in the fore cited prophecy there was litle Beniamin their Ruler c. And assuredly 't was not a matter of meere chance or fancy that this great Apostle of the Gentiles should have his name changed from Saul unto Paul a name borrowed as some thinke from Sergius Paulus and Paulus in the Latine signifies a litle one And this was a name better be fitting this great Apostles disposition after his calling then the name of Saul which was the name of the first King of Israel and one of the greatest of his Tribe That Saul was litle in his owne eyes before hee was King but great after whereas this Apostle Paul was litle in his owne eyes but great in the eyes of the Lord after hee was made Ruler of the people but to wave this conjecture of the Ancients and not to dispute the reason why Beniamin should be called litle by David in that Catalogue wherein hee had the precedency in order of Iudah most other passages throughout this 68. Psal from the 19. ver are eminently propheticall Blessed be the Lord who dayly loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Hee that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death ver 19. 20. These are characters of God incarnate or made man or of the man Christ Iesus made salvation it selfe and of this Iesus raised from death for from this title the issues of death or deliverance from it belong to him as his peculiar More apparently are those passages ver 31. c. literally meant at least exactly fulfilled of Iesus Christ after his Resurrection and Ascension to his holy hill or heavenly Sanctuary Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soone stretch out her hands unto God Sing unto God O yee Kingdomes of the earth O sing praises unto the Lord. To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens which were of old Loe he doth send out his voice and that a mighty voice Ascribe yee strength unto God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Clouds O God thou art terrible out of thy places the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people Bbessed be God ver 31. 32. c. 5 As for the prayer conceived first by Moses afterwards assumed by David after the removall of the Arke Let God arise let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him and all those menaces of fearefull judgments upon God's enemies pronounced by David in this Psalme as appendices to it these were never so exactly fulfil'd either of the Cananites Moabites Philistims or other enemies of Israel whiles the materiall Arke did remove from place to place or setled in Ierusalem as they have been of the seed of Abraham and of Iacob since their God did arise from death in our nature which he consecrated to be the true and living Arke of God Nor can the truth of God's promises unto Abraham David or their seed no not according to the literall sense of the prophecies which concerne them be any way impeached by taking his punishing hand from their heads and laying it more heavily upon his sometimes-chosen people For seeing they became the sworne enemies of the God of their Fathers revealed in the Arke of his flesh the fore-mentioned prayer or imprecation of Moses and David was more literally and punctually directed against them then against Aâ—â—alek Moab Ammon c. For these whether we take them jointly or severally were no greater enemies of God then other heathen Nations were save only in this that they were greater enemies to his Chosen people the seed of Iacob by reason of their vicinity as bordering upon their costs which alwaies nurseth quarrels betweene Nations dis-united in soveraignty or forme of government whereas the Iewish seed of Abraham which had been sometimes God's Elect people without occasion given became the immediate enemies of their God and for his sake more bloody persecutors of the Gentiles yea of their owne brethren according to the flesh after they with the Gentiles had become his Chosen people Now Moses his prayer or David's imprecation did not aime at the persons of men of what Nation soever but at their malicious qualifications or enmities against God whether direct or indirect so that since the seed of Abraham became the enemies of God and his Christ they may be more truly said to have dashed against the Psalmists or Moses curse then it to have falled upon or overtaken them and yet for all this as wee learne from S. Paul Rom. 11. that other prayer of Moses when the Arke rested shall beare date againe shall be fulfilled for the good of these yet cast-awaies When the Ark rested Moses said returnè O God to the many thousands of Israel Numb 10. 36. This strange devolution of God's mercies and judgments from one people to another making the down-fall of one Nation to be the advancement of another to his free grace and mercy not the points of Election and reprobation as there hath been a mist cast upon them by unskilful Controversers whereas S. Paul had left them cleare enough was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose deeper consideration did extort that patheticall ejaculation from him O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearehable are his Iudgments and his waies past finding out c. CHAP. 38. That the manner of our Saviours Ascension was more clearly fore seen by Daniel then by David and most exactly fore-shadowed by matters of fact in Mosaicall and other sacred histories A parallel betweene SaloÌ„mon's Consecration of the Temple and our Saviour's Consecration or sanctisying of himselfe and his heavenly Sanctuary WHether David did distinctly apprehend the manner of our Saviour's Ascension and propagation of his dominion over all things in heaven and earth both which he did fore-tell and fore-shadow by matter of fact and service done to the Arke or whether he did at all fore-guesse or suspect the turning of God's heavy hand upon his seed and Iacob's seed according to the flesh is a point not altogether out of question were it fit to be inquired into But as hath been observed heretofore our beliefe or right apprehension of the truth of divine mysteries doth not depend upon their knowledge or appehension which did fore-tell or relate their prefigurations but on the contrivance of divine â—inerting all-seeing providence by whose inspiration and secret instinct both the Prophets and Evangelists did both speake and write But be the former doubt concerning David's apprehension of these mysteries waved or determined as it may be this wee know and may resolve whatsoever in the former Psalme was fore-told or