kept secret from the foundation of the world Matt. 13. 35. This was the mysticall sense of the Psalmists words and according to S. Matthewes literall expression of them they necessarily import the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven and so all the parables which our Saviour used in that Chapter as he there useth many respect the Kingdome of Heaven and were hard and darke to such as were not of Christs disciples or such as the Psalmist there describes A stubborne and faithlesse generation It is true therefore which Maldonat in his second animadversion saith that the cause why our Saviour spake to his common Auditors in parables was because they were unworthy of cleerer revelatioÌ„s uncapable for the time of greater talents having used their former ordinary talents so ill Thus our Saviour resolves his Disciples ver 11 12. Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven but to them it is not given For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that hee hath And to the same effect the Psalmist had prophecied or forewarned this generation even all generations following It was then an allegation unconcludent and impertinent and no way beseeming Maldonat to say our Saviour did not speake in parables to the end that Davids sayings might be fulfilled but because this present generation did deserve no other language For these two are no way opposite but subordinate And if it be ill for men to separate those things which God hath conjoyned it is much worse to set things at oddes or in opposition which the Spirit of God hath made coordinate or set in concord Now both these assertions as well that which Maldonat refuses as that which he approves have a divine truth in them First it is most true that our Saviour did speake unto the multitude and to the Pharisees on whom they relyed in parables because they were for the time unworthy of such declarations as he made to his disciples for the increase of their talent which they had used not so much amisse as the others had done And no lesse true it is that the Psalmist did foreprophecy that the posterity of Israel from his owne time untill the comming of the Messias should be more unworthy hearers of divine mysteries then their forefathers had beene unlesse they seriously repented both their owne sinnes and the sinnes of their forefathers So that our Saviour did speakâ—â—nto them in parables for these two reasons First because they were unworthy hearers Secondly to the end his disciples might know and beleeve that this manner of speaking was foreprophecied by the Author of the 78. Psalme 4. Maldonats first animadversion was that this Latine particle ut or the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie the cause of what is said or spoken but sometimes the event only How true soever this be it no way prejudiceth the truth now delivered by us For it will not follow that this particle ut either in this place of S. Matthew or in any other place where it imports the fulfilling of Scriptures doth not signifie the cause because it sometimes or oftentimes signifieth the event only But seeing the right use of this particle or the knowledge of its severall references is much conducent to the just valuation of many testimonies which have beene and must be hereafter alleaged out of Scriptures it will be very usefull in this place to unfold its severall significations or importances once for all Sometimes this particle as well in the Greek as in the Latine and in our English is transitive only and imports neither any true cause nor the event as in that of our Saviour Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall that they may know thee the only true God The resolution of which words without any wrong either to their full importance in logicall construction or to their grammaticall elegancy is but this Cognoscere te esse verum Deum est vita aeterna To know thee to be the onely true God is eternall life From this use or importance of this particle ut that other which Maldonat makes is not different or no otherwayes different then the end of a transition or passage is from the passage or transition it selfe as when our Saviour saith Mat. 23. 34. I send unto you Prophets and wisemen c that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel c. God forbid any good Christian should referre this particle That unto the first words Behold I send unto you Prophets c and by this meanes conceive the end and cause why God did send wisemen and Prophets unto them should be this that all the righteous blood shed by their Fathers should be required of this generation it refers only to those words Some of them shall yee kill and crucifie c. The true importance is as if he had said yee shall or you will goe on in your Fathers sinnes so farre and so long untill at length the blood of all the righteous whom your Fathers have slaine shall come upon you Or as S. Luke hath it shall be required of you So that the importance of this particle ut in this place denotes the event of their practises or resolutions not the finall cause of the Prophets comming unto them And it is the same with that which S. Paul expresses in the infinitive moode Rom. 1. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end why God did manifest himselfe unto men in the booke of his Creatures was that they might know him to be God and glorifie him as God And it was the ample measure of manifestations made to this end which left even the Heathens themselves without Apologie or just excuse and according to this importance of the particle ut as it noteth onely the event or some transition to the event many good writers would value that of S. Iohn chap. 12. 37 38. Though he had done so many miracles before them yet they beleeved not on him That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might bee fulfilled which he spake ut impleretur ille sermo Lord who hath beleeved our report and to whom hath the arme of the Lord beene revealed And I could wish that Maldonats animadversions upon the forecited 35. verse of Mathew the 13. had beene as Orthodoxall or discreet as they are upon this place of Iohn For of such Commentators as I have read none speakes more pertinently or more discreetly to the difficultie wherewith that place is charged unlesse it be his brother Tolet who hammers out Athanasius his exposition as learnedly and more fully as Maldonat doth upon the expositions of other Greeke
the water or as Eagles soare in the aire or whether the whole firmament from the Region wherein the fixed starres doe move unto this lower region of the aire wherein we breath be at all times so uniforme for the transmission of light or for the true representation of the exact distance whether of the altitude or latitude of the starres from us as at sometimes it is or as glasse or the cleare aire is with us This last Quaere were it agitated and discussed as it might be would I am perswaded shake many Astronomicall suppositions or presumed Notions concerning motum trepidationis that is of the supposed reciprocall motion of those which they call fixed starres from South to North from North to South Great expences without hope either of gaine or of recovering the principall spent in trying Chymicall conclusions by many in the former age will not to this day give satisfaction to some moderne Naturalists whether the conversion of other metalls or materialls into Gold be atchievable Many like problemes there be in other secular sciences which will never be fully resolved untill wee shall not need their resolution Yet were the number of insoluble problemes in every one of these sciences mentioned or in all that can be mentioned much greater then it is this could be no prejudice to them so long as the deduction of many usefull conclusions from cleare undoubted principles may be made evident to men which have their wit and senses exercised in such subjects That the number then of insoluble Problemes is in Divinitie much greater then in any other facultie this only argues the subject of it to be more admirable then the subjects of other faculties In other faculties or sciences wee are bound to give our absolute assent to no more principles or conclusions then are cleare and evident But in Divinitie we must absolutely beleeve many conclusions which we cannot hope in this life absolutely to know or that they should be made evident unto us For we must beleeve the finall judgement with the joyes of the life to come which no man can know till he enjoy them and we must beleeve the everlasting paines ordained for the Devill and his Angels which no man hopes ever to know Many matters of fact likewise there be related by the Prophets Evangelists other sacred writers of which there can be no ungainesayable proofe or demonstration no other ground or reason of our assent unto them besides the authoritie of the Relator Howbeit no man can rightly acknowledge such authoritie as may command his assent without further proofe unlesse there be better grounds or motives then the bare proposall or assertion of the Author That we are thus bound to beleeve many sacred truthes which cannot in this life possibly be knowne doth no way argue our beleefe of them to be lesse rationall then our assent unto other truthes which may be proved by reason but rather supposeth that the true historicall beleefe of Relations sacred doth parallel the truth or evidences of sciences properly so called No evidence of any science doth so farre exceed true historicall beleefe of matters sacred as it doth all historicall beleefe of matters secular and it incomparably exceeds all other historicall beleefe not only in respect of the worth or just estimate of matters related but even for the rationall evidence of the abstract or speculative truth What esteeme soever we make of Xenophons stories this participates no authoritie no credit to Plutarch or other Graecian writers of later times We may give deserved credit to Plutarch to Tacitus and yet iustly suspect Herodotus Livie in many particulars All the credit which secular historians that live in or write of severall ages can expect of us must grow from their owne rootes The consent of many writers in severall ages may serve to underprop a generall or common truth which happily would decline or fall if it were supported by the credit of one alone But naturall propagation of truth from one secular historian to another is not to be expected And without such propagation some addition may be made to our beleefe of one by reading others but there can be no true growth or augmentation of our beleefe of matters secular by comparing divers Historians Farre otherwise it is in the right historicall beleefe of matters sacred 4. The seed of Divine mysteries which are sowne in Mosaicall writings shoot out their branches in the ensuing historians the Prophets and beare flower and fruit in the Evangelicall stories So that he that rightly beleeves the truth of Mosaicall histories cannot distrust the Prophets or suspect the Evangelists in their relations This is a truth supposed by the Author of Truth himselfe Had yee beleeved Moses you would have beleeved me For he wrote of me Joh. 5. 46. that is Christ was if not the sole subject yet the onely scope of Moses his writings Now to beleeve the histories of Moses or matters related by him we have inducements many no lesse binding then the experiments or inductions which winne and tie our assent unto the Principles of Arts or Sciences These inducements are partly from the visible booke of the Creatures partly from the estate of the Jewes sufficiently known to all Nations from time to time Of these inducements somewhat hath beene said in the first booke of these Comments somewhat likewise in the Treatise of Creation Now the contemplation of that most exact harmonie between Mosaicall or Propheticall delineations of Christ and that liue image of him which the Evangelists by his Spirit have exhibited unto our view is no lesse rationall then the contemplation of connexion betweene the Principles of other Sciences and their conclusions The progresse in this contemplation of the Harmony betwixt the severall passages of sacred stories is not the same that is betweene Mathematicall principles or Theorems and their conclusions The point then next to be enquired is how the mysteries concerning Christ and his Kingdome which have been revealed unto us in the new Testament were delivered by Moses by the Prophets or other Canonicall writers of the old Testament SECT 2. Of the severall wayes by which the mysteries contained in the knowledge of Christ were foretold prefigured or otherwise fore-signified Of the divers senses of holy Scriptures and how they are said to be fulfilled with some generall rules for the right interpretation of them CHAP. 5. Containing the generall division of testimonies or fore-significations of Christ ALL the prenotions or fore-significations which the Patriarchs had or their posterity might have had concerning Christ have been elsewhere reduced to these three generall rootes To testimonies meerely Propheticall meerely typicall and Typically Propheticall The division though no way misliked by us now may notwithstanding upon the revise be somewhat amended or further explained All the prenotions or overtures of Him that was to come were either by word or matter of fact either Enunciative and assertive or representative or partly
us of Ecce vetera praeterierunt nova facta sunt omnia He concludes CHAP. 9. Answering the objections against the former resolutions that God did deale better with Israel then with other nations although it were granted that other Nations had as perspicuous predictions of Christ and of his Kingdome as the Israelites had BUt if wee acknowledge the Revelation of these and the like divine mysteries unto the heathen to have beene so perspicuous as the Sibylline Oracles whether those which now are extant or those which Virgil did comment upon doe exhibit shall wee not hereby contradict the Psalmists avouchment of Gods speciall favour to his peculiar people Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee sheweth his words unto Iacob his Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them For how can it rightly be conceived that hee should deale better with Jacob or Israel then with any other people if it bee granted that the Romanes or other Nations which were if not by Gods command yet by his permission depositories of the Sibylline Oracles had in them as perspicuous testimonies or revelations of Christ as Jacob and Israel had either in the Law or in the Prophets Most certaine it is that the measure of Gods gracious dealing with any Nation people or State must be taken from the severall manner or model of Revelations made unto them concerning the incarnation death passion c. of his only sonne for whose only sake and merits all the blessings which have beene which are or which shall be bestowed upō the sons of men were first promised or intended unto them in whom all that have any promise of such blessing receive their interest and immediate title unto them by whom and through whom all caelestiall blessings are actually derived unto and accomplished in all such as having just title make right claime unto them 2. The Psalmist himselfe from whose authority this objection is borowed affords a faire hint for a right answer unto it Hee doth not say that God sheweth his word unto Jacob alone or that no other Nation besides Israel had any knowledge of his word or prenotion of the word which was to be made flesh Wherein then did he deale better with Israel then with any other Nation In shewing his statutes and judgements unto that Nation alone For albeit the Revelations made unto the Sibylls if now wee had the undoubted originalls might be more perspicuous than any prophecy in the old Testament or admitting they had been delivered in the selfe-same words which God did speak to Moses and the Prophets this would not inferre that the ancient Heathens had as good meanes of knowing Christ as Israel had or that the manner of shewing his words unto both was as the words are supposed to bee altogether the same The statutes and judgements which he had given unto Israel only were given unto this purpose that the words which he had spoken by Moses and the Prophets might make more legible impression in their hearts Amongst many statutes and judgements peculiar unto Israel these were principall and fundamentall that the words which God had spoken by Moses and the Prophets should bee publiquely read often inculcated and expounded unto them that all his visitations of this people whether in mercy whilest they obeyed his voice or in judgement for their disobedience should be registred to remaine upon record as so many ruled cases or Presidents 3. To have the mysteries of salvation however revealed is a great blessing to any Nation But it is not one and the same blessing to have the wayes of life perspicuous in themselves and to have them made perspicuous unto this or that age or party This later blessing even those to whom these Sibylline Oracles were imparted did want And want it they did through their owne default in that they made no better use of these particular prophecies then they had done of the common booke of nature Rom. 1. 20 21. The Lord of heaven and earth was good and gratious unto many Heathens in dispensing or suffering these or the like Crummes to fall unto them from his childrens table yet not so gratious to them as he was to his children in that hee gave them no lawes and ordinances for the publication of these mysteries or for observing the times wherein they were to be fulfilled Nor had these Heathens the grace or goodnesse in them to enact publique Lawes for this purpose but like that ungracious servant in the Gospell they held it a point of wisdome to imprison these pretious talents in their Archives not to be looked upon but upon occasion of state 4. But suppose the Heathens had beene as peremptorily admonished by God himselfe or as strictly enjoyned by Lawes of their owne making to acquaint posterity with the Sibylline Oracles as the Israelites were to instruct their children in Gods word delivered by Moses would this have made the meaning of these prophecies in themselves as is supposed most perspicuous either more perspicuous or more effectuall to succeeding generations then they were God knowes that But the dayly experience of this age of this yeare current and of some few late past will not suffer us not to know that abundant plenty either of spirituall food or of medicines in themselves most divine though dayly administred doth not alwaies de facto purifie the hearts of Christians from Heathenish humours or diseases What then is wanting where spirituall meate and medicines doe so abound A want there is first of severe discipline to teach Physitians themselves how to dispence the food or Physick of life aright Secondly a greater want there is of coercive Lawes or of the execution of them for binding our patients to a right posture or diet whilest they are under our cure The lowd out-crying sinnes of these times awake the thoughts of all that are not dead in sinne and the oftner it is thought upon the more it will be lamented by every honest heart That God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that Christ who is God and man our gracious Lord and Redeemer should be more traduced and more grosly mistransformed through liberty of prophecying as they terme it amongst us Christians then they have beene in any age before amongst Turks or Heathens which have died in their sinnes for want of prophecying But as for Israel of old they wanted no lawes or discipline for these or the like good purposes and prophecies they had in abundance Onely they were wanting to themselves in not exercising the Discipline in not executing the lawes which God had given them And unto this defect they added an excesse of traditions contrary to the lawes appointed them by God and extreamely opposite to wholsome discipline or doctrine 5. But such Iewish traditions as were contrarie to the Law of God how prejudiciall soever they were unto their soules which first invented or followed them doe not
the great mystery of the womans seed or incarnation of the sonne of God to bee included in this prophecy extend the native signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the earth too farre Howbeit in this errour or oversight there is no falshood for that the woman or female should enclose or compasse the male or that mighty one the second Adam was a new thing indeed and a wonder to all the earth But this generall truth doth not hit the punctuall meaning of the holy Ghost in that place for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth is to be restrained unto the Land of Ephraim or of Israel as it was opposed unto the Land of Judah Thus much the literall circūstance of this prophecy alone wil enforce and that prophecy of Isaiah parallel unto this will perswade us Isa 11. 13. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart and the Adversaries of Iudah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Iudah and Iudah shall not vexe or upbraid Ephraim The implication is that the one Kingdome was to share with the other in the fulfilling of this grand mystery foretold by these two Prophets in the forecited Chapters The Kingdome of Ephraim of which Nazareth was a Limbe though a smalone was to be graced with the Messias conception and incarnation and with the Angell Gabriels presence for the avoucher The Kingdome of Judah whereof Bethlem was a remarkable portion was to be dignified with his birth and that was proclaimed by an host of Angells 9. Of this mystery I have treated in other meditations published some fifteene yeares agoe and should scarcely so much as have touched it in this place had not some exquisite Hebricians with whose meditations I have since that time beene acquainted without any reference to what I had then said or conceived altogether waived or slighted the great mystery acknowledged by antiquity as well Jewish as Christian in this place of the Prophet Ieremy In their opinion the new thing which the Lord promised to create in the earth is no more then that the Law Deut. 24. 1 2 3 4. though indispensable in respect of man and wife should be dispensed with or repealed as it did concerne Ephraim or Israel who had beene sometimes Gods spouse but now divorced for her manifold adulteries and yet by Gods speciall grace had libertie to returne unto him againe To this purpose I am not ignorant that some later Rabbines interpret this place as they doe many other to elevate the mystery of the incarnation but so doe not those exquisite Christian Hebricians from whom I must crave pardon to dissent All that they say concerning Gods dispensation with that Law Deut. 24. is most true but not the whole truth nor any part of the Prophet Ieremies true meaning in that 31. Chapter That meaning which they would fasten upon this place was expressely delivered by our Prophet Chap. 3. not to Ephraim but to Judah before shee followed Ephraim into Captivitie and therefore this could be no new thing to bee created afterwards in the Land of Ephraim They say if a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he turn unto her again shall not the Land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many Lovers yet returne again to me saith the Lord. 10. And howerver the originall Bara doe not alwayes include as much as some Schoolemen would appropriate to the Latine creare that is to make something of meere nothing yet it usually imports some great worke of the Almighty maker which one way or other is aequivalent or more then aequivalent to the first creation of Heaven and Earth our of nothing if we may beleeve Capito and Fagius upon whō any Novice in the Hebrew tongue or ordinary professor of it may as safely pitch an implicite beleef or trust as upon any which have lived since their times Againe however the Prophet Ieremy Chap. 3. 1. avouch a relaxation of that peremptory Law Deut. 24. 4. yet doth hee not intimate that this relaxation was such an extraordinary worke as that the Lord might be said to have created it as a new thing whether in the Land of Judah or of Ephraim or in the earth or wide world it selfe Nor is there any other word in that 31 of Ieremie ver 22. besides the word Lord which is the same with any other word used either by Ieremie chap. 3. ver 1. or Deut. 24. 3 4. In both which places man and wife are described by their proper characters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor is the wives returning to her husband decypherd by a circular motion or compasse but by a plaine returne unto him Whereas in the 31. of Ieremie ver 21. the charactericall notion of the persons there meant is first not Ish an husband or vir but Geber that mighty man or womans seed promised Gen. 3. 15. and this Geber not Ishah the wife or woman simply but Nekebah the female was to incompasse or inclose the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes referres to motion and is as much as the Latine circumire or circumvenire to encompasse or goe about which may be either by a circular or by a sphaericall motion Sometimes the same word referres to station or rest and is as much as our English to begirt or inviron as an Army doth a besieged City or as guests placed at a round table and according to the difference of the subject to inclose or goe round about or to environ on every side And so much it imports in that name which Ieremie gave to Pashur the sonne of Immer the Priest Ier. 20. 3 4. The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor Missabib For thus saith the Lord behold I will make thee a terrour unto thy selfe and to all thy Friends and they shall fall by the sword of their Enemies and thine eyes shall behold it c. And thou Pashur and all that dwell in thine house shall goe into Captivity and thou shalt come to Babylon and there thou shalt dye and shalt be buried there thou and all thy friends to whom thou hast prophecied lyes verse 6. As this Pashur was every way beset with terrour so was the Geber every way to bee inclosed or incompassed by Nekebah the Female And the new thing which the Lord promised to Create in the earth hath speciall reference to the first Creation of male and female in mankinde Gen. 1. 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Male and female created he thē The originall which there notifies the female is the very same which our English in the 31. of Ieremy renders woman that is the weaker sexe But the originall Zakar rendred Gen. 1. 27. by the male is not so much as Geber For though every Geber be Zakar yet every Zakar is not Geber nor was the first Adam enstyled by this name The Prophet Ieremies meaning
the sacred story For Pekah was slaine by Hoshea the sonne of Elah within two or three yeares after the signe was given and so was Rezin by Tiglath Pileser at Damascus Within the like compasse of yeares after the Evangelicall promise was made to the blessed Virgin that her sonne Iesus should sit upon her Father Davids throne Herod the great who had usurped it did die a miserable death so did his confederates against the house of Iudah as wee gather from Matthew 2. 20. Arise saith the Angel to Ioseph in a dreame and take the young Childe and his Mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead which sought the young Childes life Now Ioseph returned from Egypt two yeares after our Saviour was borne Whom the Evangelist meanes beside Herod when hee saith they were dead which sought the Childes life is no where in sacred story expressed nor is it to mee certaine whether Syria at that time had a King of their own but it is probable they had seeing in S. Pauls time Aretas was King of Damascus 2. Cor. 11. 32. Some there be which mention the death of one Obedas whom they make King of Syria who died about the same time with Herod but from what authority they expresse not The Evangelist might meane the Roman Governour of Syria by whose favour and potencie Herod was emboldned to tyrannize over the Jews Nation and to worke his projects against the house of David Some have accused Quintilius Varus of this great sinne unto whom and to the Legions under his Governement the right hand of the Lord of Hoasts had reached a more terrible blow than Iudah had received from him or Herod within some few yeares after the butcherie of the Infants 14. The second blessing whereof the Emmanuel was a pledge whose conception had beene foretold by Isaiah was not exhibited till many yeares after and it was this that Judah and the house of David should be more admirably delivered from the Assyrian when he should besiege Ierusalem more fiercely then Rezin or Pekah had done And this was in the dayes of Hezekiah for so the Prophet assures the people that the rod of Ashur should be broken as in the day of Midian Isaiah 9. 4. Which is in effect as if he had said The Lord will be with us after as wonderfull a manner as he was with Gideon when Israel was oppressed by the Midianites And so it fell out in the dayes of Hezekiah that Senacheribs mighty Army was destroyed by a more fearefull destruction then the Midianites had beene by Gideon And unto this strange defeat of the Assyrian the Prophets words Isaiah 9. 4 5. do referre Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staffe of his shoulders the rod of his Oppressour as in the day of Midian For every battell of the Warrier is with confused noyse and garments rolled in bloud but this shall be with burning and fewell of fire Now of this disaster which befell Assyria and the strange deliverance of Iudah and the house of David by it the Emmanuel there promised by Isaiah was the pledge or assurance as the Prophet in the next word intimates For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a little one is given c. Isaiah 9. 6. That by this Childe the Prophet meant the Emmanuel mentioned Chapter 7. is acknowledged by all even by such as admit of no more Emmanuels then one to wit our Saviour Christ But seeing the Emmanuel there literally meant was given as a pledge or comfort unto Iudah in this particular distresse certainely hee was borne before him though not borne only as a pledge of this deliverance but of a farre greater Deliverer or Saviour to come for whose sake alone this deliverance and all other of his people from their enemies both bodily and ghostly were sent from God And best Interpreters take those words of Isaiah 2. Kings 9. 34. I will defend this Citie to save it for mine owne sake and for my servant Davids sake to be literally meant not of David but of Davids sonne the true Emmanuel But to returne to the 9. of Isaiah upon that vision of that great overthrow of Senacheribs Armie the Prophet takes his rise to view a greater victory a more potent Enemie in the same place where Senacheribs Armie was overthrowne and that was not neere Ierusalem but in the borders of Zebulun and Napthali neere to Libanus in that Country whose Inhabitants Senacheribs predecessour Tiglath-Pileser had first captivated and in the same place our Saviour gave his Apostles power over Satan and his Angels who had his people in greater subjection then the Assyrians had them in the time of Isaiah For hee had possessed many of their bodies after another manner then any earthly Tyrant could have them in possession Now when the Prophet foretels as well the victory of the Angell of the Lord over the Assyrian as the victory of Christs Apostles over Satan he gives this one signe of both For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a little one is given c. These words may referre both to the type and to the antitype in the literall sense but immediatly after the light of that great mysterie which all this while had beene under the cloude of the literall sense breakes forth in its proper native lustre For the words following can be meant of none but Christ And his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the encrease of his governement and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the Zeale of the Lord of Hoasts will performe this As for the former passages concerning the Emmanuel and Mahar-shalal-hash-baz they are literally meant of Isaiah his sonne and yet are withall proofes no lesse concludent against the Jew no lesse pregnant testimonies of our beliefe concerning the miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour Christ than the testimonies last cited out of Isaiah 9. 6 7. or of his Godhead or everlasting Kingdome For however such immediate visions or unvailed revelations of Christ as Isaiah in these two verses and in the 53 Chapter or elsewhere addes were the most sublime kinde of prophecies such as few other Prophets besides David could ever attaine unto these having the like priviledges amongst the Prophets that Peter Iames and Iohn had amongst the fellow Apostles permitted to ascend the Mount with Christ and see the transfiguration or glory of his Kingdom Yet for our instruction predictions of Christ typically propheticall or prophetically typicall are most admirably concludent as was premised before especially when the same words according to the literall sense fit both the pledge and the mysterie pledged or the Evangelicall mysterie according to the improvement in a more exquisite sense then they did the type or
the plurall Elohim as Capito well observes doth not want its proper singular Eloah Therefore unlesse the holy Ghost had intended the notification of some mystery in the forme or character of his speech Moses would rather have said Barah Eloah then Barah Elohim 2. I am the more inclined to this opinion because many of the ancient and most orthodoxall writers observe a more distinct expression of the blessed Trinity throughout divers places of the first chapter of Genesis from the repetition of the name of God or Elohim in the more perfect workes of severall dayes as in the workes of the fourth day ver 14. And God said Let there be lights in the firmament of the Heavens This is the voice of God the Father giving out his fiat and it is repeated againe ver 16. And God made two great lights This referres to God the Sonne by whom all things were made and by whom these lights were set in the firmament ver 17. It is lastly added ver 18. And God saw that it was good The note or character of the holy Ghost approving what was made by the Sonne from the authoritie of the Father So Moses againe describes the workes of the first day And God said let the waters bring forth abundantly ver 20. And in the 21. he repeates againe And God created great Whales c. And againe God saw that it was good When it is said ver 22. of the same dayes worke And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiply this may referre unto the three persons joyntly So in the workes of the sixt day ver 24. God said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde c. And it is repeated againe ver 25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kinde c. And God saw that it was good But when Moses comes to the accomplishment of the sixt dayes worke ver 16. hee alters the forme or character of speech and makes the Verbe as well as the noune plurall And God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse This order observed by the ancients in the first creation of all things is admirably exemplified in the manner of mans redemption wrought by the Father Sonne and holy Ghost joyntly yet not without distinction of order in their joynt working in their undivided worke But of this by the assistance of this blessed Trinity hereafter 3. But however the Ancients or such as follow them may faile in this or the like particular search of mysteries from no better hint then the repetition of the same words or matter Yet their endeavour in the generall to finde out deepe hidden mysteries from these or the like superficiall or charactericall prenotions is warranted by the word of God according to its literall or assertive sense For so we are taught by Moses that such repetition of the same things as in secular sciences would incurre suspition of tautology or superfluity of words may be the undoubted character of some matter more then ordinary and more observable then if it had beene represented but once or after one manner onely A secular Southsayer or professed Interpreter of nocturnall representations would have sought after more interpretations than one of Pharaohs two dreames especially seeing the matter represented to him in the first vision was so unlike to the matter represented in the second Yet Ioseph by the guidance of Gods Spirit discovers these two dreames though distinct in time and manner of representation to be for substance but one And Ioseph said unto Pharaoh The dreame of Pharaoh is one God hath shewed Pharaoh what hee is about to doe The seaven good Kine are seaven yeares and the seaven good eares are seaven yeares the dreame is one And the seaven thin and ill favoured Kine that came up after them are seaven yeares and seaven empty eares blasted with the East winde shall be seaven yeares of famine Gen. 41. 25 26 c. And for that the dreame was doubled unto Pharaoh twice it is because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to passe 4. When we say an honest mans word should be as good as his oath wee suppose that this morall integrity or perfection in man hath a farre more exquisite patterne in God Hee is no lesse immutable in his promises than in his oath It is impossible for him to change his minde or to deceive men in the one as in the other To what end then doth hee so often interpose his oath sometimes when hee denounceth judgement otherwhiles for the consolation of men and confirmation of their beliefe in his gracious promises Sure it is one thing to say Gods purpose will or promise is immutable another that the thing purposed will'd or promised by him is immutable The absolute immutability of his purpose or promise can yeeld us no full assurance that the things promised or purposed by him are unchangeable or that sentence denounced though in terms peremptory is irreversible But unto whatsoever promise or sentence wee finde his oath annexed it is an undoubted character a not most infallible that the thing promised is unalterable that the sentence so denounced is irreversible This is one of the most Catholique rules for the right interpreting of many and for the reconciliation of divers Scriptures which otherwise seeme most opposite But the proofe and use of this rule will come under a more full examination in the treatise of our Saviours consecration to his everlasting Priesthood and in some other discussions in what sense God is said to repent in what cases not to repent For both assertions are frequent in Scriptures 5. Sometimes divine mysteries are represented not in some one word or name but in the very character or frame of some one letter or in the addition of a letter or point There is no question amongst us Christians but that he who called unto Moses Levit. 1. 1. from the mercy seat as we gather from Numb 7. was the sonne of God the eternall word who since hath taken our nature upon him and calleth unto us with a voice and mouth truly humane though the voice and mouth of God But at that time he called to Moses not in a loud and thundring voice like that in Mount Sinai but with a soft and gentle voice And this gentlenesse of the voice as the Hebrew Doctors observe and some good Christian Hebricians approve their observation with the mystery foreshadowed by it is charactered unto us by the extraordinary smallnesse of one letter in the originall word 6. The like mystery is represented unto us after the same manner Isa 9. 7. c. The Prophet displaying the titles of the Messias and his kingdome contrary to the rules of ordinary Orthography mutat quadrata rotundis beginnes the Hebrew word rendred by our English of the increase with Mem rotundum with a round letter instead of a square And this unusuall character the Jewes
themselves acknowledge to be a note of some mystery as one of them being converted to Christianity observes against his brethren which love darknesse more then light The mystery notified in this particular as this Author tells us is by their owne rules in cases wherein they are no parties ingaged the same with that which is immediately after expressed in words assertive and plaine That of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of hoasts will performe this I referre the observation of the like charactericall representations unto the diligent Readers of the old Testament in the original tongue or of ancient Hebrew Commentators whose testimonies in many cases where they are no parties are no way to bee contemned And amongst other branches of that rule for interpreting Scriptures which was constantly received amongst the ancient Jewes as Peter Martyr and Bucer with others somewhere observe this representation of divine mysteries by letters or characters unusuall might for ought I know be one 7. As for the representation of like mysteries by proper names of men especially who by their place or office were types or forerūners of Christ that I presume no sober Christian will except against or call in question And this representaon or prenotification of future mysteries was exhibited either in the first imposition of names or in the change of names or in the severall use of divers names when the same party retained more names than one There was scarce a sonne of Iacob whose name did not imply a kinde of prophecy Rachell did truly prophecy of the state and condition of the Benjamites when she called the Father of that Tribe at his birth Benoni the sonne of her sorrow And Iacob did as truly prophecy when he changed his name into Benjamin the sonne of his right hand Nun the Ephramite did call his sonne Hoseah by divine instinct or direction And Moses did truly prophecie when he changed his name into Iehoshua With what intention Isaac or Rebecca did call their younger sonne Iacob I know not or whether they had any other motive knowne to themselves to give him this name besides that which the manner of his birth did minister for he caught hold of his brothers heele in the birth But this name Iadgnakab hand in heele made afterwards by close composition as it seemes Iagnakab did as the attempt signified by it in the birth portend that he should supplant his elder brother and get the birthright from him 8. After this name given him by his Parents he was in his full age named Israel by God Himselfe by way of addition only without any change or determination of his former name or the Omen of it But it is not without observation why he is sometimes called Iacob sometimes Israel in the same continued historicall Narration the name Iacob characterizing his present infirmity the name Israel notifying his recovering or gathering of strength But one of the most admirable prerepresentations literall not assertive of mysteries plainely afterward avouched and fulfilled which I have either observed or found observed by others is in the Benedictus Luke 1. 68 c. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David c. To performe the mercy promised to our forefathers and to remember his holy Covenant the oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life The summe of that which God had spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets which had beene since the world began was now reavouched by Zacharias being filled with the holy Ghost in a literall assertive sense plaine and easie even to the capacity of the naturall man And yet the summe of all which Zacharias by the Spirit of Prophecie did now utter was clearely represented to men of spirituall understanding in the Scriptures or experienced in their spirituall sense in the very names of Iohn Baptist and of his Parents For Zacharias the Baptists Father is by interpretation the remembrance of God Elizabeth his mother as much as the oath of God And the name Iohn imports the free grace of God And all these put together sound as much as that God did now remember his people with that grace which he had sworne to bestow upon them in his Covenant with Abraham that is with grace of deliverance from their enemies their owne sinnes were their greatest enemies with grace enabling them to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their life Of more particulars in this kinde as they shall fall within the compasse of Prophecies or prefigurations concerning Christ hereafter CHAP. 14. That the Scripture is said to be fulfilled according to all the former senses that one and the same Scripture may be oftner than once fulfilled according to each severall sense THe fulfilling of any thing written supposeth a foretelling or presignification of the same And because matters related by the Evangelists and other sacred writers of the new Testament were of course and of purpose either foretold or prefigured in the old testament hence it is that this phrase of fulfilling that which was written is in a manner peculiar to these sacred writers not in use amongst secular historians Yet the phrase is not therefore barbarous because not used by politer writers in the same subject that is in historicall narrations For it is used by Tully and other most elegant writers in the same sense which sacred writers use it As because every man as was intimated before may foretell those things which were by himselfe projected or promised they are likewise said implere promissa to fulfill their owne promises or to fulfill the Omen or signification of their owne names so an elegant Poet saith Maxime qui tanti mensuram nominis imples Now seing this phrase This was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled is so frequent in the new Testament Maldonat did very well and like himselfe in unfolding the severall wayes as he conceived them according to which the Scripture is said to be fulfilled almost in the very beginning of his learned Commentaries upon the foure Evangelists Yet some question there may be whether he did all this which was so well and wisely attempted by him so well and so judiciously as might in reason have beene expected from him 2. The Scripture saith he so farre as I could hitherto observe is said to be fulfilled foure manner of wayes First when that very thing is done or comes to passe which was meant by the Prophet or other sacred