the doore or entry of the Church but it ingageth them to repentance for the time to come or when they being now entred into the Church shall come to the use of reason and knowledge of the ingagement And so was it with the children that were circumcised for they when they underwent that Sacrament undertooke obedience to the whole Law and yet they knew not what either obedience or the Law meant But that undertaking was what they were to doe when they came to the yeeres of knowledge and apprehension Matth. 3. Verse 2. And saying Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The phrase the kingdome of heaven which is so frequently and commonly used in the Gospel is taken from Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. And it meaneth the spirituall kingdome of Christ in and under the Gospel as it is published and preached unto all Nations For though the phrase be generally and truely understood to meane the preaching of the Gospel yet doth it most properly and naturally signifie the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles or among all Nations as might bee shewed by the signification of the word Heaven by the manner of speech here used that it is at hand and so againe Mat. 4. 17. when the Gospel was now Preached already by the Text of Daniel from whence the phrase is taken and by diverse places in the Gospel where it is used but the full clearing of this I have chosen to referre to that difficult place which will call for it to bee cleared when the Lord shall bring us thither Matth. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven where I conceive Christ to have foretold to Peter that hee should bee the first that should Preach the Gospel and open the doore of Faith unto the Gentiles as Act. 15. 7. and 10. Now The Kingdome of heaven signifying thus not barely and simply the Preaching of the Gospel but the preaching of it to the Gentiles and their conversion it sheweth how proper and pregnant an argument this was to inforce the doctrine and practice of Repentance upon the Jews because the calling of the Gentiles was neere at hand which would prove their rejection and casting off if they did not repent as Deut. 32. 21. Before the comming of Christ those foure earthly kingdomes that are mentioned by Daniel in the Chapters cited bare all the sway and domineered over all the world with cruelty and tyranny but when they were destroyed at his comming hee set up a Kingdome of his own and swayed the Scepter of Righteousnesse over all Nations and ruled them with his word and Spirit And whereas before his comming also the Church consisted but of one Nation and Kingdome and was couched upon a small parcell of earth the Land of Canaan and had earthly promises and earthly rites when hee came and published the Gospel hee gathered a Church of all Kingdomes and Nations and Languages under Heaven and built it up with heavenly and spirituall promises and instructions and thus The Kingdome of heaven may fitly bee understood in opposition to these two earthly ones Luk. 3. ver 5. Every valley shall bee filled c. These borrowed phrases intend the removing of obstacles and stumbling blocks out of the way and plaining and cleering the way for men to come to Christ and to the obedience of the Gospel The Jewes conceive that the cloud of glory that led the people of Israel in the wildernesse did really and according to the letter doe what is here spoken of for facilitating of their march and journey as that it levelled Mountaines raised vallies and laid all of a flat that it burnt up bushes and smoothed rocks and made all plaine that they might travaile without trouble or offence And some of them also say that when Jeroboam set up his golden calves and Idolatry in Bethel and Dan that hee and his wicked agents laid ambushments and scouts in the waies to Jerusalem to catch up every one that should go thither to worship and to this purpose they apply that saying of the Prophet Hos. 5. 1. O yee Priests and O yee house of the King ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net upon Tabor And the revolters are profound to make slaughter c. If either of these things were undoubtedly so as they suppose how properly might this passage of the Prophet Esay and of the Evangelist from him bee thought to referre thereunto but since they bee but surmisals it is safest to take the words for a borrowed speech to expresse what was said before the removing of obstacles in the way to Christ. Mat. 3. ver 6. Confessing their sins Not to John but to God For neither was it possible for John to heare their confessions nor was it necessary Not possible because of the vast multitudes that came to bee baptized nor necessary for to tell him they had committed such and such sinnes what conduced it either to their baptisme or forgivenesse Nor was this their confession of their sinnes before their being baptized but after For first if wee should strictly take the Grammaticall construction of the word that importeth their confessing it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would have denoted that they had confessed before they were baptized but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both the Evangelists that speak of that matter Secondly It was farre more agreeable to the end and doctrine of Baptisme that their confession of sinne should bee after their baptizing then before in that they were baptized to repentance ver 11. and not e contra the Sacrament was more intentionally to enter them into repentance then repentance to enter them into the Sacrament For as was said before it obliged them more properly to repentance after the receiving of it then before Thirdly the gesture of our Saviour after his Baptisme seemeth to have been according to the common custome and gesture of the people and as hee comming out of the water fell to prayer so they when they came out used to doe to make their penitent confession to the Lord. Mat. 3. ver 7. When he saw many of the pharisees and Sadduces comming to his baptisme The Pharisees Sadduces and Esseans the three Sects of the Jews Josep Antiq. lib. 13. c. 9. are those three shepherds spoken of Zech. 11. 8. whom our Saviour at his comming was to cut off The two former whom wee have now in hand are very frequent in mention in the Gospel men of enmity one against another yet both joynt enemies to Christ and to his Apostles The originall of the Pharisees is not so easie to goe back unto as that of the Sadduces nor is the significancy of their name so readily determined and fixed upon as the other The Sadduces it is well known were so called from Sadoc the first Author of their Sect and hee the Scholar of Antigonus Rabbi Nathan in his Aboth Perek 5. hath thus
SECT X. Christ installed into his Ministery by baptisme and by the unction of the Holy Ghost his Pedegree by his Mother Mary St. Matthew Chap. III. St. Marke Chap. I. St. Luke Chap. III. Ver. 13. THen 〈◊〉 Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to bee baptized of him ver 9. AND it came to passe in those dais that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee  14 But John forbad him saying I have â—â—ed to bee baptized of thee and commest thou to me 15 And Jesus answering said unto him Suffer it to be so now for this it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Then hee suffered him   16 And Jesus when hee was baptized went up straightway out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him 17 And lâ—e a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am wel pleased and was baptized of John in Jordan 10 And straightway comming up out of the water he saw the Heavens opened and the spirit like a Dove descending upon him 11 And there came a voice from heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased ver 21. NOw when all the people were baptized And it came to passe that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened 22. And the holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said Thou art my beloved Son in thee I am well pleased 23 And Jesus himselfe began to bee about thirty yeeres of age being as was supposed the Sonne of Joseph which was the sonne of Heli 24 Which was the sonne of Mattâ—at which was the sonne of Levi which was the sonne of Melchi which was the sonne of Janna which was the sonne of Joseph 25 Which was the sonne of Matthias which was the sonne of Amos which was the sonne of Naum which was the sonne of Esli which was the sonne of Nagge 26 Which was the sonne of Maath which was the sonne of Matthias which was the sonne of Semei which was the sonne of Joseph which was the sonne of Juda 27 Which was the sonne of Joannâ— which was the sonne of â—hâ—sa which was the sonne of Zorobabel which was the sonne of Salâ—thiel which was the sonne of Neri 28 Which was the sonne of Melchi which was the sonne of Adâ—i which was the sonne of Cosam which was the sonne of Elmodam which was the sonne of Er 29 Which was the sonne of â—â—se which was the sonne of Eliezâ—â— which was the sonne of Joram which was the sonne of Matthat which was the sonne of Levi 30 Which was the sonne of Simeon which was the sonne of Judah which was the sonne of Joseph which was the sonue of Jonan which was the sonne of Eliakim 31 Which was the sonne of Melea which was the sonne of Menan which was the sonne of Mattatha which was the sonne of Nathan which was the sonne of David 32 Which was the sonne of Jesse which was the sonne of Obed which was the sonne of Booz which was the sonne of Salmon which was the sonne of Naasson 33 Which was the sonne of Aminadab which was the sonne of Aram which was the sonne of Esrom which was the sonne of Phares which was the sonne of Juda 34 Which was the sonne of Jacob which was the sonne of Isaac which was the sonne of Abraham which was the sonne of Thara which was the sonne of Nachor 35 Which was the sonne of Saruch which was the sonne of Ragan which was the sonne of Phaleg which was the sonne of Heber which was the sonne of Sala 36 Which was the sonne of Cainan which was the sonne of Arphaxad which was the sonne of Sâ—m which was the sonne of Noah which was the sonne of Lamech 37 Which was the sonne of Methusala which was the sonne of Enoch which was the sonne of Jared which was the sonne of Maleleeâ— which was the sonne of Cainan 38 Which was the sonne of Enos which was the sonne of Seth which was the sonne of Adam which was the Sonne of God Reason of the Order THere can be no doubt or scruple about the subsequency of the beginning of this Section to that that was next before for the three Evangelists have so unanimously ranked them together that the order needeth no more confirmation But about this latter part or the genealogy of Christ there is something more difficulty For some Harmonists have brought this line of Luke and that of Matthew together some bringing Matthews hither with Lukes to Christs baptisme and others this of Luke to the time of Matthews to Christs birth But as the Evangelists have laid them asunder so are they to be kept asunder and to be disposed in the harmony according as they lie for pregnant reasons may be given why the two have laid them at times so far distant Why Matthew at our Saviours birth the reasons were given there in their proper place and why Luke at his baptism may bee the better seen by looking on the promise Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Matthew wrote his Gospel chiefly for the Jewes and therefore it was necessary for him to shew and approve Jesus for the Messias by his Pedegree which was the mainest and the chiefest thing that that Nation looked after for the judging of the true Christ this he doth therefore at the Story of his birth and beginneth it from Abraham who was the ultima Analysis or the furthest that they cared to looke after as concerning his descent But Luke a companion of the Doctor of the Gentiles in all his travailes writeth his Gospel for the Gentiles as well as for the Jewes and therefore hee sheweth Christs descent at the Story of that time at which hee was first borne toward the Gentiles that is at his revelation at his baptisme from whence hee first began to preach the Gospel The first words of the promise the seed of the woman the Evangelist sweetly expoundeth in this genealogie shewing through seventy five descents that he was the seed of the woman promised to Adam in the garden and therefore hee draweth his line from Adam in whose loines the Gentiles were for whom he writeth as well as the Jewes when the promise was made The latter words Shall breake the head of the Serpent begin to take place from the baptisme of Christ and forward and first in his victory against Satans temptations which is the very next story that the Evangelist handleth and then in his preaching of the Gospel the power of which must destroy the kingdome of Satan from that time forward Harmony and Explanation Mat. 3. ver 13. Then Jesus commeth c. THe Tabernacle in the wildernesse was six moneths current in working and preparing for before it was finished and set up For on the tenth day of the moneth Tisri
descending of the Holy Ghost was first partly for the sake of John for this token had been given him when hee first began to preach and baptize whereby to know Christ when hee should come Joh. 1. 33. Secondly partly for Christ that hee might thus receive his consecration and institution for the Office that hee was now to enter upon the preaching of the Gospell This was as his anointing to install him into his function as Aaron and his Sonnes were with materiall oyle to enter them into theirs as Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee therefore hath hee anointed mee hee hath sent mee to Preach the Gospel And Thirdly partly for the businesse and matter that was now to goe in hand namely Christ beginning to preach accordingly For First the Gospel is the Spirituall Kingdom and Scepter of Christ in and by which hee was to rule all Nations for ever and therefore it was agreeable that the Spiritualnesse of that should bee sealed and confirmed by the holy Spirits shewing himselfe even in the beginning of it The carnall rites of Moses were now to vanish and his corporall and ceremoniall observances to bee changed into a spirituall worship and neither at Jerusalem nor at mount Gerizim nor elsewhere must there bee any more adoration with fleshly and earthly Ceremoniousnesse but hee that will worship God must worship him in spirit as Joh. 4. 21. Therefore it is no wonder if the Holy Ghost do now reveale himselfe now when his sway of spirituality and dominion by sanctification is to begin Secondly The Holy Ghost was departed from Israel after the death of the last Prophets as was observed before and now hee is to bee restored againe therefore himselfe commeth visibly and apparently at this his restoring and lighteth upon him to whom it belonged to give and distribute the gifts of the Spirit to whom hee pleased For as John had told that Christ should baptize with the Holy Ghost so is that power and priviledge now sealed unto him in the sight of John when the Holy Ghost commeth down upon him and there abideth SS Descended in a bodily shape God is said to descend not that hee moveth from place to place or commeth where hee was not before for hee is incircumscriptible and every where and filleth all places but in that hee sheweth this his presence upon earth in such or such a place by some externall sign and visible apparence And so hee is said to come downe to see whether the wickednesse of Sodome were according to the cry that was come up unto him because hee revealed himselfe to Abraham Lot and the Sodomites in the visible and conspicuous representation of men So is hee said to have come down upon Mount Sinai because of the outward revealing and expression of his presence there And so the Chaldee Paraphrast understandeth the Trinities descending Gen. 11. 5. for a conspicuous appearance of it for hee translateth The Lord revealed himself to take vengeance c. And so is the Holy Ghost said to descend in this story and in that in Act. 2. not but that hee was present in the same places before by his power and Godhead but that hee revealed and expressed his presence by so sensible an evidence and by and in so revealed a worke SS In a bodily shape First It was convenient that the Holy Ghost should reveale himselfe at this time First for the sake of John who was to have a sensible signe whereby to informe him which was the Messias as Joh. 1. Secondly In regard of the Holy Ghost himselfe whose worke in the Church was now in a more speciall and frequent manner to bee shewed under the Gospel namely that hee might bee expressed and revealed to bee a personall substance and not an operation of the Godhead onely or qualitative vertue For qualities operations and acts cannot assume bodily shapes nor ought but what is in it selfe substantiall Thirdly That a full and cleere yea even a sensible demonstration of the Trinity might bee made at this beginning of the Gospel For it may bee observed in Scripture that the Holy Ghost hath a speciall regard to expresse this mystery upon singular occasions that we might learne to acknowledge the three Persons in one Godhead as hee also doth the two natures of Christ that wee might acknowledge them in one person So the very first thing that is taught in all the Bible is this very mystery For when Moses beginneth the story of the creation hee beginneth also to teach that the three Persons in the Trinity were co-workers in it God Created there is the Father God said there is the Word or the Sonne And the Spirit of God moved there is the Holy Ghost And the very same mystery is intimated by the Prophet treating upon the very same Subject Isa. 42. 5. Thus saith God the Lord hee that created the Heavens and they that stretched them out That wee might learne that Of him through him and to him the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are all things Rom. 11. 36. So Moses also when hee is to teach concerning the creation of man hee first teacheth that it was the Trinity that created him Gen. 1. 26. And God said Let us make man after our Image Hee saith Let us to shew the Trinity of Persons and hee saith In our Image not in our Images to shew the unity of essence That every man even from the reading of the story of his Creation might learn to remember his Creators in the dayes of his youth as Solomon with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boraiecha answereth the same mystery Eccles. 12. 1. So likewise at the confusion of tongues the Trinity is expressed Gen. 11. 7. Let us goe down and confound their language as it is also at the gift of tongues I will send the Comforter from the Father Joh. 15. 26. Act. 1. 4. Such a one also was the blessing pronounced by the Priest upon the people when hee dismissed them from the daily service of the Temple in the name of the Trinity Num. 6. 24 25 26. the name Jehovah or the Lord three times repeated for denotation of the three Persons as Paul explaineth it 2 Cor. 13. 13. When Moses also beginneth to rehearse the Law to Israel and to explaine it the first thing hee teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Deut. 6. 4. Heare O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one Three words answering the three Persons and the middle word our God deciphering fitly the second who assumed our nature as is well observed by Galatinus To these may bee added the entrance of Moses his revelation with the name of the Lord three times rehearsed Exod. 34. 6. The Vision of Esay with three Holies Isa. 6. 3. The beginning of Psal. 50. and of Psal. 136. and many again of the like nature which the heedfull reader will observe himself How fitting then was it that at the beginning of