God would Damn the first Root of all Mankind 5. 'T is as unlikely also that God should permit the very first Image of himself to perish Eternally though he did permit him both to sin and suffer for sin Temporally 6. 'T was the Judgment of the Godly Jews before Christs time that Wisdom which is Christ brought our First Father out of his offence and preserved him from Wrath to Glory Wisdom Chap. 10.1 which though Apocryphal contradicts not Canonical Scripture Notwithstanding all this yet our First Parents are further Doomed 1. To an Expulsion and Ejectment out of Paradise and 2. To a debarment from tasting of the Tree of Life for their tasting of the Tree of Knowledge c. 1. Of their Ejectment out of Paradise This Banishment or Expulsion was a Civil Death according to the Law and so they were civilly Dead in that very Day wherein they did Eat Forbidden Fruit according to the Divine Menace Gen. 2.17 Yet Gods Philanthropy or Love to Mankind did mix some Mercy with this Wrath in as much as God did not turn those Offenders out Naked but made Coats not of Line Wooll or Silk but of Skins and clothes them Gen. 3.21 A far better covering than those Fig-leave Aprons of their own contriving v. 9. which was neither large long lasting enough nor could it secure them from the harm of either heat or cold as the Coats of Gods making might do God is still careful of their Welfare both in Body and Soul God put them in Leather whereas he might have given them better clothing undoubtedly to humble them and to bring them to Repentance yea and this Livery on their Backs did instruct them from God concerning the Skin of the Lamb of God that grand Sacrifice of the World and that they should be clothed with the Robe of his Righteousness as they now were with the Skins of those Beasts that were Sacrificed to God as so many Types of Christ This may serve to check all Vanity in Apparel which only is a Badge of our Rebellion 2. Of their Debarment from the Tree of Life v. 22. That miserable Knowledge they had got by tasting of the Tree of Knowledge now debars them from all tasting of this Tree of Life not so called as if it could give Life by Operation but as it was a Symbol and Sacrament of Life in Signification Had they not only tasted of this Tree but eaten up the Tree it self it could not have carried off that Sentence of Death or State of Mortality to which God had Doomed them and therefore they are debarred from iâ— as from an abuse of that Sacrament which would have added more to their sin and punishment and that they might look out and up to the promised Messiah who opens a Door to better Sacraments and to a better Paradise Rev. 2.7 and 22.2 by whom those very Angels which terrified them both from the Tree and from Paradise with Flaming Swords are now reconciled to us Col. 1.20 So that now they are Ministring Spirits to all the Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Those Cherubims and Courtiers of the King of Heaven do now Nurse us Guard and Comfort us in the second Adam who were a Terrour to the first Adam when faln and are so to all in him Isa 37.36 Some may say Was not this grievous punishment over-great for so small an offence Answ 1. What the Fruit of this Tree was whereof they took and ate is but Curiosity to enquire when the Scripture is not pleas'd to express Some say 1. It was a Vine-tree because of the Institution of the Sacrament wherein Wine is used but that is a Sign of Christs Blood not a Symbol of Mans Transgression 2. Others say it was a Fig-tree because they made themselves Aprons of Fig-leaves but they had more cause to abhor that Tree above all others and not to use its Leaves neither are Figs so beautiful to the Eye as this Fruit was Gen. 3.6 3. Mahomet in his Alchoran calls its a Pomegranate or Peach call'd pomum Paradisi But 4. The most receiv'd Opinion is that of Bernard's Stole an Apple and lost Paradise with an Apple The Devil cheated them into a Fools Paradise with loss of the Earthly and hazard of the Heavenly Paradise and this is grounded upon Cant. 2.3 and 8.5 where Christ is compared to an Apple Tree and is said to raise up his Spouse faln under the Apple Tree but where the Scripture is silent we must be silent too Answ 2. 'T is safer to say As God made Man of Nothing so Man offended God for a matter of Nothing but not in a matter of Nothing It was the Speech of that Blasphemous Pope Julius the third when enraged at his Steward for not bringing a cold Peacock to his Table according to his order and when entreated by one of his Cardinals not to be so much moved at a matter of so small moment he answered If God were so angry for an Apple that he cast our First Parents out of Paradise for it why may not I who am Gods Vicar be angry for a Peacock which is a greater matter than an Apple Thus he proclaim'd himself that Apocalyptick Beast whose Mouth belcheth out great Blasphemies Rev. 13.5 3. Though the Act of taking an Apple seem a small thing in respect of the Subject or Matter taken yet it is a great thing in respect of the Object to wit the great God who was disobeyed herein 'T is a greater offence to strike a Prince than a Peasant here the Authority of the King of Kings is presumptuously struck at in this Act therefore God punished them less than they deserved Though some sins be called small comparatively in respect of greater sins of a Crimson Scarlet or deeper Dye yet no sin can be called small absolutely as it is a sin committed against the great God yet all this Divine Doom is mingled with Divine Mercy in the promised Messiah who purchaseth a passage into a better Paradise and is a better Tree of Life himself oft dropping his Fruit to those that shake the Tree by the Prayer of Faith and the way to this Tree of Life is laid open in the Gospel CHAP. VII Of Cain and Abel HAving shewn the Creation of the World to mans banishment out of Paradice which being a very large Subject required the larger discourse upon it let us now go out of Paradice with our First Parents into the World and behold how God out of them did propagate the World Acts 17.26 and gathered to himself a Church out of the World yea and maintain'd it for himself in it notwithstanding all the enmity he had put betwixt the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 The first specimen of this lasting and everlasting enmity appeareth in the two first Sons that ever were born into the World to wit in Cain and Abel who were certainly begotten not in Paradice but after their banishment out
be totally destroyed by the Deluge upon occasion and by the way only as the Relation thereof had an unavoidable connexion with the History of the Church and rendring it more compleat and conspicuous without any constant and contiguous course of its succession yea and the famous foundations of great Kingdoms such as of Assyria Egypt Greece c. together with the admirable atchievements of their puissant potentates are all passed over in silence though they be subjects which seem more meriting to be mention'd while other concerns of the Church which in appearance are of far less moment are so distinctly described as Jacobs pilling of the Rods c. that by the force of fancy with cogitations at the Sheeps conceptions but chiefly by the Blessing of God the Holy Patriarch might be enriched and churlish Laban impoverished Gen. 30.38 and Ruths Gleaning in Boaz field c. Ruth 2.3 where that vertuous Woman stooped to a mean yet honest employment which God made a remarkable step to her very high preferment so as though a Moabitess Damsel to become the great Grand-Mother of the Grand-Messiah yea and many such seemingly small matters of other Children of the Church are exactly set down in the sacred Register as matters of great importance as if God were like the Master of a family who doth not with so much delight regard his common fields abroad as he doth his dear family at home the speeches gestures and actions of his little ones he diligently and delightfully observeth so doth the great housholder God in his houshold of Faith he regardeth rewardeth and recordeth all the Motions Desires and Endeavours as well as Performances of his own Children within the Church even all the Hairs of their Head are numbred by him Mat. 10.30 c. while the famous exploits and conquests of Great Men who are not also Good Men that are without in the World are wholly neglected in Scripture Story The 3. Circumstance is the Age of life that Enoch lived the years that he lived in this lower World were exactly answerable to the days of a year to wit 365. As the number of so many days make up one compleat solar year so the like number of so many years made up this one Patriarchs life He was of the shortest life among all the Patriarchs living only so many years as there be days in the year each day for a year according to the prophetick computations and though Enoch was the shortest liver of all the six Patriarchs that were before him who all but one lived above nine hundred years yet this was recompenc'd to him in his Son Methuselah the next Patriarch who was the longest liver of them all and not only so but 't was more recompenc'd to himself for their time on Earth was his time in Heaven what he wanted in the Silver of a life natural he had it well paid him in the Gold of a life eternal so that not only the shortness of the Fathers life was made up in the long life of his Son but also God took him from a worse place to plant him into a better his translation was but Transplantation as it were out of Gods Kitchin-Garden into his heavenly Paradise Thus we see here on Earth those Northern Plants which are transplanted out of their cold Climate into a warmer Southern Soil find no Detriment but Advantage thereby and thrive the better How much more was it no loss but gain to Enoch to be translated out of the Veil of Tears this Wilderness of the World into Gods Garden of Coelestial Pleasures Yea further it was not only more for his own Benefit to be one of Gods Lilies gathered up by him Cant. 6.2 to be transplanted into Paradise but it was also more for the other Patriarchs comfort both against the Fears of Death and the frailties of life while they did survive him seeing in Enoch however the Death of Abel might discourage them they had a most evident demonstration that there was a reward for the Righteous Psal 58.11 and that it was not any lost labour to walk with God It appeareth in the best computations of Chronology that Adam died in the 308 year of Enoch's Life and in the 243 year of his Son Methuselah yea and in the 56 year of his Grand Child Lamech's Life so that Adam lived to see Lamech the ninth Generation who was the Father of Noah the tenth Patriarch before the Flood then the next after Adam's Death God ordered Enoch's Translation that those two great Truths might be taught thereby 1. Mortality by the former And 2. Immortality by the latter and 't is very remarkable that as no fewer than eight Patriarchs were alive as living Witnesses of Adams Death so no fewer than seven Patriarchs surviv'd to be living Witnesses of Enoch's Translation If it be asked how came men to be so long lived then that 365 years of Enoch was accounted but a short life I answer The Antediluvian Patriarchs or Fathers before the Flood had very long lives 1. From the good pleasure of God that mankind might be the sooner propagated that Arts and Sciences might be the better learnt and that the knowledge and worship of God might be the further transmitted even to their remotest Posterity 2. From a stronger constitution of Body 3. From their great temperance for some say they abstained both from Wine and Flesh Now plures pereunt gulá quam gladio Gluttony or Intemperance kills more than the Sword 4. From the vigorous Vertue of the Earth which then brought forth more wholsom fruit for after the Salt waters of the Sea in Noahs flood had overflown the Earth the saltness thereof had made it more barren and the growth out of it less nourishing 5. From the benign Aspect of the Stars which have a great Influence upon Mens Bodies 6. From that excellent Skill that Adam had from his Creation whereby he knew the nature of all things and communicated this to his Posterity for preserving their health for as Solomon he knew all things Notwithstanding this their Universal knowledge of natural things and their vast experience in an healthful improvement of those things yet none of those Patriarchs no not Methuselah himself lived out a thousand years which is a number of perfection that all of them might know the perfect state is not attainable here below there is another over curious reason mentioned by Irenaeus lib. 5. Adver Haeres That a thousand years are said to be but one day with God 2 Pet. 3.8 And but as Yesterday to him Psal 90.4 And because God would make his word good In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die therefore not only Adam but all the other Patriarchs died within the thousand years so they all died in the first day as none of them lived out to begin a second thousand which would have been the beginning of a second day there seems more wit in this reason than weight and worth but a
compleat Compendium of the Gospel that the Work is accepted for the Persons sake not contrà The second Instance in Scripture is Judg 13.22 23. Manoah said to his Wife We shall surely die This Opinion did grow as 't is supposed upon that ground There shall no man see me and live Exod. 33.20 Though what they saw was Merchabah velo Rocheba The Chariot in which God Rode but not the Rider as the Rabbins phrase is which Jacob and Moses had seen before these two But his Wife having the stronger Faith shores up her fainting Husbands Faith with three strong Arguments wherein she reasoneth from the Acceptance of their Oblation to the Acceptance of their Person saying If the Lord-would slay our Persons he would not have accepted an Offering at our hands c. where she excellently argueth 1. That seeing God had accepted the Sacrifice which himself had commanded 2. Had Ascended up marvelously in the flame of it And 3. Had promised them that before they died they should have a Son who would begin to Deliver Israel c. All which were not signs of his Anger but of his Favour to their Persons The cogency of her whole Discourse lieth thus seeing in the Covenant of Grace the Person must be accepted before the Action or Oblation when the Offering is accepted then is the Person or Offerer much more The third Instance in Scripture is 1 Kings 18.23 24 29 38. Two Bullocks were provided for discerning the True God from False Gods the one for Baal's Prophets to sacrifice to their Gods the other was for the Lord's Prophet Elijah The former had the first choice they took one of the Bullocks which they best liked Elijah grants all the Advantages to prevent all pretences that their God was sullen and therefore silent both of them offered the same kind of Sacrifice and if either were better than the other the Priests of Baal certainly chose it the Priviledge was theirs as to both Dignity and Priority Elijah's Sacrifice did not differ from theirs either in matter or manner notwithstanding his was accepted and theirs rejected because God had no pleasure in their Persons as he had in him Actions are accepted from Persons that be purified Inference 1. Woe and alas to those yet in the Old Adam and under the Covenant of Works let such bring to God a thousand of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oil all their Devotion is but a beautiful Abomination Isa 66.3 God saith to them I have no pleasure in your Persons neither will I at your hands accept any Oblations Mal. 1.10 I regard not your selves therefore I respect not your Services To the wicked God saith What hast thou to do c. Psal 50.16 2. Those in the Covenant of Grace are comforted that a Cup of cold Water is acceptable from them more than the many good works the Pharisee boasts of he had done Luke 18.12 If God hath accepted your Persons your Works though never so weak shall be accepted also Jacob sought the Blessing by wrong means yet though God loved not lying which might have brought a Curse rather than a Blessing God saith Jacob have I loved hence his frailty is pardoned and the blessing procured The Fourth Difference is the Covenant of works is call'd foedus favoris pactum Amicitiae a Covenant of Favour and Friendship but the Covenant of Grace is call'd Faedus Redemptionis ceu Reconciliationis pactum misericordiae the Covenant of Redemption and Reconciliation of Peace and Mercy The former was made between the Creator and the Creature when neither party was at variance but the latter was made between a Sin-Revenging God and a Sin-Committing Man or a Rebellious Sinner both these Covenants God made with Man in Paradise according to Adam's double State while he was placed therein First In his state of Innocency wherein there was then no variance betwixt God and Man yet this is well called a Covenant of Favour and Friendship for God as he is Creator hath an absolute Soveraignty over Man his Creature as the Potter hath Power over the Clay c Adams best of Beings next to Angels his noble Nature Life and Dominion over all Created things were all undeserved Favours bestowed by his Maker upon him who might have made him a Worm and not a Man yea he might have given to Adam an Image much Inferiour to the Image of God which consists in Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness Gen. 1.26 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 All these flowed from God to Man ex gratiâ favoris from a Divine Friendship to him more especially his entring into a Covenant with him being a free Agent and under no obligation to do so In the five first Verses of Job 4.1 the great God proposeth some posing Facetious and Ironical Questions to that poor mortal man Job concerning that great Sea-Monster the Whale amongst others this is one he asks him will he make a Covenant with thee to wit will he compound where he cannot Conquer no he scorns it as a thing Infinitely below him the Hebrew reading is will he cut a Covenant with thee alluding to Jer. 34.18 cutting the Calf in Twain and the contracters passing between to bind the correspondency of their Wills and themselves to be so cut in pieces in case of either failure no his Stomach is too stout to stoop thus low Oh then how much lower did the Great God stoop in so Voluntarily without any Natural Necessity upon him binding Himself to Man as well as Man to Himself in a Covenant this was wonderful condescension seeing the distance 'twixt the VVhale and Job though it was vast yet was it but Finite as 'twixt one Creature and another but the distance 'twixt God and Man the Creator and the Creature is Infinite The Psalmist calls it Gods humbling himself in vouchsafing to look out of himself upon the Angels in Heaven Psal 113.4 5 6. how much more low condescension it is in the most high God to look out of himself upon Man made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8.5 and to enter into a Covenant with him wherein that Man might not think much as if God were an Austere Master to yield ready Obedience he is pleas'd to engage himself in promising an Honourable recompence even in this very Law-Covenant in the State of Integrity there were overtures of Divine Favour As 1. That Man was not made something else worse than Man but made his Master-Piece in the whole Creation as before in the Image of his Maker who might have made him a Toad or other loathsome Creature 2. That God gave all Creatures to Man for his use and ease the Horse to ride upon and the Fruits of the Earth c. to feed upon Man should not look upon his borrowed Body and his borrowed Soul yea all that he is or has but he must seriously reflect in admiring and adoring Divine Favour and its out-goings in all they are all the good gifts
yea but when Sir for he went not Mat. 21.29 The Eighth Remark is The variety of Laws given to the Church in the Wilderness the lively Oracles or life giving Oracles of God Acts 7.38 First The Moral Law spoke by God himself in the audience of all the people which is call'd our Life or the Rule of an Holy and Spiritual Life Deut. 32.46 47. Secondly The Judicial Laws which were meerly Judaical and peculiar to the People of the Jews and which cannot fit every Nation no more than any Shoe can fit every foot tho' Carolostadius would have all Magistrates to govern their Subjects by them in all Nations The end of giving the Judicial Laws was to teach Natural Equity to which Judicial Laws mentioned in Chapters 21 22 23. of Exodus must be added those Directions that Jethro gave Moses for substituting Inferiour Magistrates Exod. 18. which choice of Elders was not made till Israel's departure from Sinai Deut. 1.7 8. Nor could Jethro offer Sacrifices as he did Exod. 18.12 before the Law was given Nor could Moses make known God's Statutes to the People as he doth Exod. 18.13 16. before himself knew them So 't is misplaced for weighty Reasons as Dr. Lightfoot observes Harmony of Old Testament Pag. 65.66 Thirdly The Ceremonial Laws were all Typical and therefore Temporary call'd a Yoke too heavy for our Fathers Act. 15.10 Yet their end and use was to prefigure and shadow out the Gospel in its divers Truths in which sense they continue still though not in respect of Observation or Practice yet in respect of Instruction Direction and Testimony to Christ and his Truths The Ceremonial and Judicial Laws are a Commentary and a kind of outwork to the Moral Law The Ceremonial to the first Table and the Judicial to the Second And they are call'd a Wall of Partition betwixâ— Jews and Gentiles because they are made up of Laws that are hard as so many Stones in Nature and that are so many in number as make up a Wall The number of both being reckoned fifty seven when the Moral Law or Decalogue was given by the Son of God Vivâ Voce by his own audible Voice with such Terrour that the People were not able to abide it but desire Moses to be a Mediator He hereupon draws near to God in the thick Darkness receiveth seven and fifty Precepts Ceremonial and Judicial which when he came down from the Mount He telleth the People of and writes them in a Book namely in his Pentateuch The Moral Law sheweth Man what he ought to do and with the same sight he seeth that he cannot do it This makes Man seek to the Ceremonial Law for some Sacrifice or Ceremony to satisfie for his not doing his Duty to the Decalogue wherein Man may see soon that burning a Dead Beast is but an inconsiderable satisfaction for the Sins of a living Man and that outward Purisfyings of Mens selves can avail but little to the cleansing of a soiled Soul the Prophet tells us Thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oil will not do it nor can the Fruit of the Body expiate the Sin of the Soul Mic. 6.6 7. The Jews wearied God to the Soul with their Sacrifices and Ceremonies Isa 1.13 14. And David could say Sacrifices thou would not but a broken Heart Psal 51.16 17. The Consideration of this Deficiency in the Ceremonial Law delivers sinful Man up to the Judicial Law which holds forth the Penalty of obstinate Offenders and discovereth to him what he deserveth by the Law of Retaliation This Law is contained in the three Chapters Exod. 21 22 and 23. And thus all those three Laws the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial are as a Schoolmaster to whip us home to Christ Gal. 3.24 None of those Laws of Mosâ—s can save us It was not Moses or the Law but Joshua or Jesus that brought Israel into the Land of Promise Hereby we are constrained to seek out for a Saviour the Lord our Redeemer For there is no other Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved but by Jesus Christ Act. 4.12 N.B. The Parable our Lord himself propounds tends something to this purpose as Luk. 10.30 31 32. Concerning the Man Travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho and falling among Thieves c. Wherein the Man mentioned is Travelling the wrong way He should have travell'd from Jericho the Place of God's curseâ— to Jerusalem the Place of God's Worship and Blessing not from Jerusalem to Jericho As the Man went out of God's Precincts and so out of God's Protection no wonder then if he falls among Thieves Thus the Original Sinner Adam went the wrong way when he listened more to the Serpent's Promise and to his Wife Eve's proffer than he did to God's Precept He went from the Tree of Life to the Tree of Knowledge there hearkening after Honour of the Devil 's giving and not God's he falls among Thieves that stopp'd him stripp'd him and strip'd him so that he was half Dead of his wounds 1. Satan dismounts him of his State of Innocency which should sustain him 2. Sin strips him of all Righteousness which should aray him And 3. Death was the third Thief that strip'd him striking fall'n Man with his own guiltiness and miserably wounding him here is Man in a woful Condition By comes a Priest that is the legal Priesthood or Moral Righteousness This passeth by him but does not cannot help him By also comes a Levite with the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law or formal Holiness This also passeth by and relieveth him not Both these are Physicians if no value miserable Comforters the Eyes of neither of the two did pity him But by comes a good Samaritan our Saviour himself whom they call'd a Samaritan c. he Pities him Salves him Mounts him Lodges him and Pays all for him This Christ the second Adam did for the first Original Sinner N.B. Oh that he may do so for us Adam's Children who are all Actual Sinners and whom the Thieves Satan Sin and Death have wounded Oh that Christ may 1. Pity us when no other doth so Ezek. 16.8 Jer. 31.20 c. 2. Salve us pouring in the sharp Wine of Reproof to search our wounds as well as the sweet Oil of Comfort to supple them 3. Mount us upon his own Righteousness or we never reach the new Jerusalem 4. Lodge us in his own Chamber his Church here and in his Fathers Bosom hereafter 5. And pay all for us by his Active and Passive Obedience which is the two Pence here As our first sinning was without us in Adam so our full satisfying is without us in Christ his Justitia Personae Justitia Meriti pays all c. The Ninth Remark in this twelvth Station at Mount Sinai is the Promulgation of the Law is confirmed by bringing the People into Covenant with God whereof we have an account Exod. 24. which relateth First The Place where according to God's appointment the side of
Manner of their Vnder-writing and Sealing this Covenant The Heads and Chief Men Elders c. did this not only for themselves but as Deputies and Representatives of and for the People ver 14. This was done by Appointment to avoid that Tedious Troublesom and Unnecessary Task for every Individual Person of the People to have Sealed Those Princes saith Vatablus Subscrib'd and Seal'd after the Priests Remark the Third They that had Separated themselves were Subscribers and Sealers likewise ver 28. not only such as had put away their strange Wives c. but also such as had been Pagans themselves and were now become true Proselytes to the Jews Religions these had a Right to all God's Ordinances Exod. 12.48 N. B. Thse were Lawful and Holy Separatists in the Apostle's Sense 2 Cor. 6.17 18. they saved themselves from a sinful Generation at God's Command Acts 2.40 They shunn'd their Sins lest they should share of their Plagues Rev. 18.4 Remark the Fourth Their Wives and Children that were come to the Exercise of Reason saith Grotius were all Interested in this Covenant ver 28. this was Nehemiah's Prudence saith Wolphius that all Persons should sign the Covenant either by themselves or by their Assigns N. B. Thus Children were Covenanters then and may be so still as Partakers of the Benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 and Heirs together of the Grace of Life 1 Pet. 3.7 more especially such as have Knowledge both of their own Misery by Sin and of that great Mystery of their Redemption by Christ The Second Part of this Chapter is the Contents of this Covenant Remark the First The Contents in General are comprized in ver 29. Every one owned what others had done in their Names ratifying it by lifting up their Hands the sign of their Assent entering into a Curse in Case they should break their Oath wherein they had sworn to walk in God's Law intimating hereby saith Piscator that as the foederal Rite among the Jews was to cut the Calf in Twain and such as entred into Covenant passed between the Parts imprecating the same Dissection to befal themselves if they dealt falsly in God's Covenant Jer. 34.18 thus are they said to cut a Covenant with God 2 Chron. 15.2 the Rise of this Rite in Convenanting came from Abraham Gen. 15.9 10 17. and the Heathens used the same Ceremony Et Caesâ jungebant foedera Porcâ Virg. Aeneid Lib. 8. So this People entred between the Parts into a Curse submitting themselves to any Violent Judgment in Case they brake Promise and thus Christ threatens to Dichotomize the Evil Servant or cut him in Twain for forgetting the Covenant of his God Matth. 24.50 51. and all this they did here not only to Confirm the Covenant call'd the Oath of God Eccles 8.2 the more thereby but also to keep their own loose and treacherous Hearts the closer unto God that they might the better cleave to him as their Life Deut. 30.20 as they are said here to cleave unto their Brethren which Hebrew Vatablus renders They laid fast hold on them to wit by taking hold of the Covenant to keep the Sabbath from polluting it and to chuse the things that please God Isa 56.4 6. see Deut. 29.10 11 12 21. 2 Chron. 15.12 14. and 34 31 32. Isa 19.18 and 44.5 yet in God's Strength Psalm 71.16 c. so far as God enables c. all ought to be promised c. Remark the Second The Contents of this Covenant in Particular are branched into seven several Subjects Mark 1. They Covenant in the first Place to avoid their Sons Marriage of Strange Wives ver 30. and their Daughters of Strange Husbands wherein themselves had lately Transgressed or were most prone to trangress saith Menochius They having now sworn their Obedience to God's Law in a General Promise saith Grotius they begin here to specifie those special Duties that were most difficult to observe The first Branch whereof was that they would for the future make no mix'd Marriages with the Heathen being sensible of the Snare that herein Satan had laid for their Souls who had oft broke the Head by the Rib as he had done Adam's by Eve c. and Solomon's by strange Wives 1 Kings 11.4 which God forbad Exod. 34.16 Deut. 7.3 Mark 2. The Second Particular Branch was the Restitution of the Sabbath to its Primitive Institution ver 31. that there should be no Buying or Selling of any Wares on the Sabbath Day Indeed the People of the Land might bring Wares to Sell without the Jews leave and did so Chap 13.16 Therefore Nehemiah prudently bounds the Jews by Oath not to Buy them because saith Wolphius well if there were no Buyers the Sellers would soon be weary of bringing their Wares Mark 3. The Third Branch of the Covenant was the Observation of the Sabbatical Year ver 31. call'd a Year of the Lord's Release Deut. 15.2 and their Land by God's Law was to lay free from Tillage every severenth Years Exod. 23.10 11. Lev. 25.4 as in this Year they were to exact no Debts so they were saith Vatablus to gather no Fruits but leave all for the Poor N. B. This Year prefigur'd the Year of Grace the Kingdom of Christ who giveth his Redeemed a general Release from all their Spiritual Debts and comes not over them again with any after-reckoning Peccata non redeunt Sins are as perfectly remitted by him as if never committed against him He so blots them out as to remember them no more Isa 43.25 Mark 4. The Fourth Branch of the Covenant was the Contribution of Money for the Vse of the Temple c. and for making an Atonement c. ver 32 33. The Worship of God in the Temple had formerly been upheld in its great Expences out of the Temple's-Treasure 1 Chron 26.20 and when that failed out of the King's-Treasure 2 Chron. 31.3 but now both these failing and the half-Shekel enjoined by the Law Exod. 38.26 being not sufficient they in this exigency bind every Head to pay ten-Pence more toward the Charges of that Holy-Service to expiate their Sins c. N. B. 1. God highly accepteth the small offerings of his Poor People when he beholds them proceeding from great Love as Mark 12.41 44. We ought to do what we can when we cannot do what we ought Mark 14.8 as God measures not our Work by weight but by Will 2 Cor. 8.12 Lev. 5.7 11. and 14.21 30 31. so good Men do Samuel accepted of the fourth Part of a Shekel from Saul 1 Sam. 9.8 which was one part less than this Offering here N. B. 2. This Atonement here to be made for the Purifying of Man's Sin and for the Pacifying of God's Wrath was a Legal Type of Christ's reconciling Man to God for he alone is our Propitiation for Sin 1 John 2.2 Mark 5. The Fifth Branch of the Covenant in particular was the Wood-offering ver 34. which was the Consecrated Fewel to feed the Holy Fire and
a fallacy saying I have no Husband ver 17. Then Christ came close to her Conscience answering Thou hast had five Husbands and he thou now hast is not thy Husband c. ver 18. Some Women avoid saith the Philosopher the Bed of one Man that they may be made a Bed to many Christ teaches Ministers here to speak home to the Heart noâ— striving so much to please the Athenian with novelties as to profit the Christian with Soul-searching Truths This is the best way to do most good The Tenth Remark is Oh how candid and condescending Christ is to wounded Consciences He hath a soft Hand for a sore Heart and so should all his Ministers have Behold here a Miracle of Tender Mercy in the Messiah towards this Idolatrous Harlot It was a great Favour in Christ to countenance that Sinful Woman Mary Magdalen that washed his Feet with her Tears instead of Water and wiped them with her Hair for want of a Towel kissing his Feet with her Mouth when her Soul had received the Kisses of his Mouth Cant. 1.1 2. Luke 7.37.38 44. We read not that the Virgin Mary did thus much yet the Pharisees those Pictures of painted Piety or Hypocrisie hardly censur'd Christ their Better for not kicking her out of his Presence ver 39. as a lewd and light Huswife How much greater was Christ's candour and kindness to this Samaritan Adulteress and Idolatress who instead of demonstrating her love to him as Mary Magdalen did had rejected his Grace with jeers yet Christ mildly convinceth her and as the compassionate Samaritan Luke 10.33 34. not only pours in the Wine or sharpness of the Law to search but also the Oyl or sweetness of the Gospel to supple this Samaritanesses Wounds He instructs her in Cases of Conscience from ver 19 to 25. and is more plain to her ver 26. than to the stuborn Jews John 10.24 The Eleventh Remark is What a wonderful Work is the Work of Conversion Oh what a change of Heart and Life is wrought thereby No sooner had this Woman got a Right Understanding of the Messiah from whom she expected all saving Knowledge ver 25. and her Affections fired with Desires after him upon his manifestation of himself to her Now she leaves her Water-pot ver 28. she had greater things in hand and better things to look after Grace is diffusive c. her Heart was now set on Heaven Col. 3.1 Earthly things as Elijah's Mantle drop off she ran and cry'd up Christ whom the Jews had rejected to the Samaritans whose Bible testified of him c. Thus the Disciples left their All when Christ call'd them effectually The Twelfth Remark is Weak Means may by God's Blessing work great matters This weak and formerly wicked Woman was very unlikely means to effect the bringing in whole shoals of Samaritan Proselytes to Christ but what cannot the Almighty do by any means as here by her ver 29.30 35 39 40. God oft raises Stately Structures out of Slender Foundations though he without have us to do so The Disciples wondred Christ conferred alone with a Woman there being no danger of kindling Concupiscence in him because they knew not its tendency ver 27. Many believed on Christs both by the words of the Woman ver 39. and because of his own word ver 41. which is the foundation of faith that comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Psal 19.7 c. CHAP. XI THough there be many Miraculous Deed and Words of our blessed Messiah before-mentioned because the order of plane required the mentioning of them yet as to Order of Time they must thus be Ranked and barely Repeated here Referring the Reader to the Remarks upon them in the foregoing Chapters This is their Order of Time as follows 1st Christ wrought his First Miracle in Cana of Galilee where He turned Water into Wine after he bad whipâ—d â—uâ— the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple under the First of his Passovers 2dly His Conferences with Nathaniel with Nicodemus and with the Woman of Samaria c. full all also in Christs first year 3dly The Baptist Imprisonment hapned before Jacob's Well-Conference but after it was Christ's Preaching at Nazareth where He was in danger of his Life but escaped by a Miracle 4thly From thence he went to Cana again where He beâ—led the Son of a Noble Man belonging into King Herod lying desperately sick of a Fever at Capernaum only with a word of his Mouth Job 4.45 46 c. 5thly Then went he 〈◊〉 Capernaum where he cast out a Devil in their Synagogue healed Peter 's Wives Mother and many more Diseased as is aforesaid 6thly Next follows the healing of a Leper mentioned Mark 1.40 c. Luke 5. 12 c. and Mai 8.2 3 4. which is the same Story with the other Two Evangelists Because this hath not yet been spoke to take these few Remarks upon it The First Remark is The Plague of Leprosie was most rife and prevalent in our Saviour's time God so ordained it that Jâ—dea was sickest when her Physician was nearest The Jews are generally a nasty People and Leprosie seems to have been their proper Disease as Plica Polonica Morbus Gallicus Sudor Anglicus c. hence some say they were forbid Swines Flesh because Swine are Leprous Creatures and their Flesh easily corrupts in diseased Bodies and turns to Ill Humours whereby that people who are so naturally subject to the Leprosie would be more and more Infested and Infected The Second Remark is The Levitical Priesthood could only judge of the Leprosie but could not heal the Malady this was reserved for our great High Priest who was not of Aoron's but of Melohisedeok's Order Lepers were not allowed to come into Cities till the Priests had pronounced them clean when the danger of Infection was over yet the Leprosie continued still which is a very pregnant Emblem of Original Sin the Priests Absolution did only restore him to Humane Society whether this Letter was thus absolved is unknown This is only known that he strained Courtesie however to come to Christ in a City Luke 5.12 The Third Remark is The Disease of the Body God oft most graciously maketh the coring and healing Salve and Salvation of the Soul As here in this Leper who came and worshipped Christ which haply be would hardly ever have done had it not been for his Leprosie Ambrose saith Morbi sunt virtutum Officina Diseases are the Shop of Virtues And our King Alfred found himself the best he said when he was the worst and therefore prayed that when Sin was like to prevail against his Soul God would send some sickness upon his Body Thus holy David declared how God in his faithfulness had afflicted him Psal 119.75 as if he had said Lord thou hadst not been faithful to my Soul unless thou had so and so afflicted my Body 'T is the sick not the whole or sound that seeks to the Physitian Mat. 9.12 13. sensible
Pleasures He was but once at a Marriage-feast he is now Risen and Ascended above them sometimes we read our Lord wept but we never read that he did so much as once laugh 3. Nor in dead Treasures He sat but once over against the Treasury he is now Risen c. 4. Nor in Ease and Idleness He once slept upon a Pillow in the Ship he is now Risen c. The Spouse could not find him by night on her Bed nor in the broad ways of the World Cant. 3.1 2. 5. No nor in the perfection of Humane Mortality for he is Risen and Ascended c. 3dly That we Rise up and Ascend with Christ to Newness of Life Rom. 6.4 from Prophaneness to Piety this is to have part in the first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 awakening out of sin and living unto God 4thly That we labour after an Experimental Knowledge of the power of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 and of his Ascension also this we do if we cannot be content to be colâ—â—â—â—d careless in our Devotion without finding our hearts burning within us while he talks with us in the way of our Duty Luke 24.32 beyond the reach of formality we may live by a form but we cannot die by a form we must feel the exceeding greatness of his power which worketh mightily in his Redeemed Eph. 1.19 making all his Saints heavenly-minded ascending up to him who is Ascended like Pillars of Smoke Cant. 3.6 and drawn up after him John 12.32 Cant. 1.3 and Col. 3.1 as not being wedded to worldly things 5ly That we purifie our selves 1 John 3.3 to be prepared for our own Resurrection and Ascension which we hope for by vertue of our Redeemer's The fourth is a word of Comfort 1. Our Hope may hang the faster and firmer for obtaining a better Resurrection and an happy Ascension because of the two grand Pawns and Pledges we have to assure us of both As he our Head is not only Risen which cannot but Raise the Body also for Christ accounts not himself compleat without his Church which he calls his fulness c. Eph. 1.21 22. but he is also ascended so must draw up John 12.32 his whole Body even the little Toes or least Members thereof that they may be with him to behold his Glory c. John 17.24 but likewise he hath taken our Nature with him into Heaven and hath sent his Spirit down to us upon Earth Our Flesh is above and his Spirit is below this is a double Earnest 2ly May we but be able to say in the Witnessings of the Holy Ghost that the Lord Christ hath raised our Souls up to the life of Grace we then need not doubt but he will also raise up our Bodies to a life of Glory and not only our Souls shall ascend to him at our death but they shall be â—nited again to our Bodies at the last day and shall both together be with him in Glory for ever If we have experience of a Spiritual Resurrection and Ascension in our Souls This doth strongly confirm our Faith that it shall be corporal also Eph. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.32 34. Ro. 6.4 11. Phil. 4.20 1. Th. 4.14 Col. 3.4 3dly The Soul cannot but be without comfort till Christ the Comforter come and appear to us as to Peter Luke 24.34 who had wept bitterly Luke 22.63 Now where-ever Christ is he will appear sooner or later he cannot be hid Mark 7.24 He appeared personally to the Patriarchs as he did to his Disciples but now to us spiritually Matth. 28.20 whereof we should make good proof and then may we hope he will appear to us gloriously at the last our Faith is supported both by Evidence and by Influence from these things All fruits were unholy till the first fruits were heaved Levit. 23.11 Rom. 11.16 All his Redeemed have a Quietus est or Acquittance virtually by Christ Risen and Ascended Rom. 5.18 and 4 25. but it passeth actually upon us when Christ appeareth savingly to and in us c. 4thly If Christ have led us forth as far out of the World and Sin as Bethany he will assuredly bless us as he did his Disciples Luke 24.50 51. at his last farewel Thus Isaac blessed Jacob but he first felt him Gen. 27.12 21. and if he hath blessed us we shall be blessed as Jacob was but take heed we go not about to cheat him for so shall we bring a curse and not a blessing We may know we are right Adopted Children if we have clean hands a pure heart and an holy life then have we the Lord's blessing Psal 24.3 4. and this is the Sugar which will sweeten the bitter Cup of our Crosses and Curses from an evil World the comfort of Christ's Spirit the feeling of his favour and the pardon of our sins c. 5thly 'T is our great comfort to consider Christ ascended as our common Representative with all our Names writ upon his Breastplate Exod. 28.29 Others indeed ascended as Enoch in the time of Nature and Elias in the time of the Law as well as Christ in the time of the Gospel but none ascended as our Lord did Note For 1. They ascended before Death seized upon them so did not Christ 2. They ascended by the power of another as Elias by a fiery Chariot c. but Christ by his own power 3. They made no way into Heaven for any body else but Christ did for all his c. Heb. 10.20 Note He did not shut the door as Lot did when he had taken in the Angel Gen. 19.10 but left a broad door open for all his Members 4. They could not work Miracles in Heaven as they had done on Earth but Christ could send his Spirit down to his Disciples c. 5. They went up suddenly but Christ leisurely that his Disciples might the better behold and believe it and that we may not expect to go up to Heaven in a Whirl-wind but gradually as Israel did to Canaan by 42 Removes The Righteous are scarcely saved 1. Pet. 4.18 Hard travel must help to Heaven 6thly 'T is no less our comfort to have Christ's Spirit Rom. 8.9 11. and witnessing with our spirits verse 15. that the Lord is risen indeed in us and hath appeared to us Luke 24.34 'T is an infallible sign that we are Simons Saints true believers for we find not that Christ after his Resurrection appeared once to any one under the real Denomination of an Unbeliever Thomas tho' Unbelieving yet was no Unbeliever not to any of the Chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees not to Pontius Pilate nor to King Herod c. For these reasons 1. To teach us that his Kingdom was not of this World John 18.36 2. That his Kingdom did not depend on or stood need of humane Patronage 3. Nor was it to come with Worldly Pomp or outward Observation Luke 17.19 20 21. John 20.29 4. That those Kill-Christs and Contemners of Grace and Mercy might begin to taste of the
abundance Matth. 13.12 They shall know that follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 God will rather work a Miracle than that they who thus seek should not find Matth. 7.7 Such as seek God sincerely and endeavour to know him and his Will faithfully and more fully shall not be disappointed N.B. Here God makes Philip miraculously to meet this Eunuch who was inquiring after Godliness c. N.B. Then 5 His Occupation he was Lord Treasurer to this Queen Candace which is one of the principal of Court-Offices yet while this Eunuch was occupied in his Charge over the Queen's Treasure he still neglected not the True Treasure for saving his own Soul wherein that precious Promise and Prophecy Isa 56.4 5. was graciously fulfilled Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry Tree verse 3. I will give to them a Place and a Name in my House both the Credit and the Comfort of being the Sons of God c. N.B. And this honour the Lord conferred upon this Eunuch to make him the first we find who carried the Profession of Christ into Africa and tho' the Ethiopians were a People most despicable in the Eyes of the Jews and of the Greeks likewise for their famous Greek Poet Homer calls those Sun-burnt People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lowest of Mankind yet the Lord did demonstrate hereby that there is no respect of Persons or of Nations with him but whoever fears God and works Righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10.34 Gal. 3.28 c. N.B. 3. The Manner of his Conversion is described by the Eunuch's Reading and by Philip's Running to hear what he Read both were done by the direction of the Spirit as the one is expressed so the other is undoubtedly implied As the Spirit by the Ministry of an Angel moved Philip verse 26 27. and made him able to Run as swiftly as this great Man's Chariot Ran so that not only he could come up to the Eunuch but keep pace with him to hold a conference also The Scripture he was Reading was that in Isa 53.7 c. He was led as a Sheep to the Slaughter c. Philip asks him Understandest thou what thou Readest The Eunuch modestly and humbly answered How can I except some man guide me verse 29 30 31 33 34 c. Is qui nil dubitat nil capit inde boni Ask learn This Proselyte might by conversing with both the dispersed Jews in his own Countrey and those at Jerusalem at his keeping the Festivals there be acquainted with the Lives of the Prophets and might find there Recorded how much Isaiah suffered under Manasseh this might well raise a doubt in him whether the Prophet spake of himself or some other Man and that he might be resolved of his doubts such was his modesty and humility that this great Man takes up his Inferiour into his Chariot as Jehu did Jehonadab 2 Kings 10.15 and asks him this Question in answer whereunto Philip Preach'd a powerful Sermon of Christ to him shewing that Prophecy could be meant of none but our dear Redeemer and not of Isaiah Jeremy or any other And by that pregnant and pathetical discourse the Lord blessing the Ordinance of Hearing the Word Saving Faith was effectually wrought in this Eunuch's Soul N.B. The Remarks upon this are these 1. This Ethiopian may teach us Christians to spend our time profitably not vainly we do not so much want time as waste time whereof we are but Tenants at will and must as Stewards give an account for that Talent 2. Of all other Books to Read the Scriptures most as he did that we may by digging in that golden Mine find Eternal Life John 5.39 3. That Masters ought to instruct their Servants out of the Scriptures Thus 't is supposed this man was doing though he had but small knowledge 4. That such as are throughly humble are also truly docile willing to learn knowledge from any hand and to acknowledge their own ignorance 5. That Superiors must not disdain to be instructed by their Inferiors as he here and great Naaman by a Captive Girl 2 Kings 5.2 13. How would our great Treasurers and Chamberlains huff at such an Affront 6. That bare Reading the Scripture without understanding it is no better than the tinkling of a Cymbal They are blessed that Read it with Knowledge Attention Affection and Application in their Lives Rev. 1.3 7. Divine Commands must not be grudgingly disputed but speedily dispatched as Philip did here in hastening through a Desart of Difficulties without cavilling at the uncouth way to save a Soul 8. Divine Providence doth wonderfully work in a concurring tendency towards this Ethiopian's Conversion God both orders him to be Reading such a portion of Scripture as he had need to be informed of concerning Christ and also Philip to be so ready at that juncture to inform him there in a most Fundamental Truth N.B. 4. The wonderful Effect of this holy Conference follows not only the Conversion but also the Baptism of this New Convert Incredible gain is got by mutual Conference in all Arts and Sciences especially in the knowledge of Divine Truths N.B. The Mathematicks are so call'd because they cannot be learned without a Teacher No Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Self-Teacher in Divine Literature It were to be wished that illiterate Mechanicks and ignorant Women would say with this great Officer How can I understand the Scripture except some Interpreters help me Acts 8.31 The Priests of the Lord should preserve knowledge on their Lips and the People should seek the Law at their Mouths Mal. 2.17 Deut. 33.10 and Jer. 3.15 N.B. He that in heavenly things dare become a Scholar only to himself hath no better than a Fool to his Master None can know the things of God by the reach of their own carnal Reason c. but only by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.10 11 14. Thus God's Spirit who had directed Philip hither did also in lighten the Eunuch's understanding in the Divine Mysteries of Man's Salvation and this Questionist becoming a Christian desires the Seal of Christianity in Baptism which upon the Profession of his Faith was done according to God's appointment verse 36 37 38. by Dipping in those hot Countreys but now God will have mercy c. in our cold Countreys for Sprinkling is as significative and effectual answering the Type Exod. 12.3 and Heb. 10.22 5thly And lastly The Event of all to wit the departure of both each from other N.B. 1st Philip was suddenly taken up out of the Eunuch's sight and was miraculously caught and carried away out of this great Man's company by the Spirit of God in the Ministry of an Angel as the Apocryphal Daniel affirms of Habakkuk and this Rapture and Transportation was in a rapid and swift motion The like we read of 1 Kings 18. v. 12. and 2 Kings 2.16 and Ezek. 3.12 14. 'T is said The Eunuch saw Philip no more Acts 8.39 for he
was not let or set down out of the Angel's Arms who had charge over him to keep him in his way verse 40. till he came to Azotus so call'd by the Septuagint which in the Hebrew Old Testament Reading is Ashdod one of the five Principal Cities of the five Lords of the Philistines Josh 15.47 1 Sam. 5.3 and 6. v. 16 17 18. N.B. Now the distance from Gaza to Azotus as Diodorus Siculus measures it is 270 Furlongs or 34 Miles so far did Philip flie safely upon the wings of an Angel imployed by the Spirit of God The Remarks hereupon are these 1. This miraculous Rapture of Philip from the Eunuch's presence and prospect was for this purpose that the Eunuch might be the more assured of the Truth of those things which were taught him by Philip's Ministry and that he was a person sent of God to save this Ethiopian's Soul The second Remark is God will do better to his People at the latter end than at the beginning according to his promise Ezek. 36.11 Philip here had an hard and toilsom Journey from Samaria to Gaza footing it through a Desart in untrodden paths But now from Gaza to Azotus he hath an easier passage an holy Angel becomes his Chariot and he who ran to the Eunuch's Chariot making haste and not delaying to obey God's Command Psal 119.60 as he Rode a while in that earthly woodden Chariot when the Eunuch had handed him into his Acts 8.30 31. So now he Rides in an Heavenly and Angelical flying Chariot wherein he not only Rode but did Flie to Ashdod The third Remark is Wheresoever Christ comes he casts out Satan that strong Man out of his strongest holds as he is the stronger Man Luke 11.21 22. This Ashdod was a place famous or rather infamous for Dagon and his Diabolical Worship 1 Sam. 5.3 where the True God Awakes in his Power by beating Dagon upon his own Dung-hill and paying the Posteriors of his Worshippers with Emerods And it was a principal place of the Philistines those Irreconcileable Enemies of the Church of God But now Philip must go thither with the Gospel that in this dark place he might bring Life and Immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 N.B. 2dly The Eunuch went on his way rejoycing which Joy was the fruit of his Faith Rom. 5.1 admiring at the great Gift conferred upon him in the Knowledge of Christ and in the Salvation of his Soul which was now sealed to him with the Seal of the Covenant of Grace he values not what the wild Courtiers at home would say of him or censure him for having Christ's Mark set upon him but takes Ship at Gaza and becomes the first we find that carried Christianity into Africa CHAP. IX Of Saul's Conversion and the Church's Rest THIS ninth Chapter containeth a most remarkable Remedy of the Church's Malady the most notorious Misery that ever yet had befallen her since her first Constitution God now wrought the Church's Deliverance by a new and notable providential way not by the Confusion but by the Conversion of the most principal and most pestilent Persecutor thereof whereby not only that Church which was at Jerusalem but also the other Churches which had been gathered in other places by means of the Dispersion had rest and peace Acts 9.1 to 32. verse 31. saith Then had the Churches Rest c. at Saul's Conversion N.B. Moses's-Bush Exod. 3.2 3. was an excellent Emblem of the Church of God as the Bush burned yet was not consumed no more is the Church by the fire of Tribulation Isa 43.2 because of the good will of him who dwelt in the Bush Deut. 33.16 whereby either the Bush is consolidated so as to bear the force of the flame without harm as Gold in the Furnace comes purer out but is not consumed Job 23.10 or the furious and consuming heat of the fire is restrained as was done in the Fiery Furnace of Babylon so that the fire had no power so much as to singe the Hairs or the Garments of those three Nobles who were cast into it Dan. 3.25 27. N.B. God Almighty who is the God of Nature did divide between the substance of fire and the intense activity of its heat against and above Nature God miraculously separated between the Essence and the Faculty and so hindered its operation Thus he doth in his Church's case Let us turn aside with Moses and behold this great wonder great indeed for there was a flame of fire else how was the Bush burning There was light else how did Moses see it yet was there no heat else how came the Bush not to be consumed Thus is it with the Church in her fiery Trials even as great a Vision In her Affliction the voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire Psal 29.7 and not only so but divideth also the heat from the light so that she is not consumed by the former but only illuminated by the latter So 't is with each afflicted Saint as dying yet live 2 Cor. 6 9 c. The first Remark is The Church of Christ may have worrying Wolves and desperate Devils let loose upon her such an one was Saul here Acts 9.1 2. This Blood-hound had been blooded in the Blood of stoned Stephen yet was not glutted nor satiated with it but makes desperate Havock upon other Christians in Jerusalem Acts 8.2 And as he says of himself chap. 22.4 and 26.10 relating still to this time not being satisfied herewith He yet breathed out more Threatnings and Slaughter c. which signifies a violent and vehement hellish Heat of a diabolically inraged and inflamed heart discovered by the fiery words that he breathed out of his black Mouth c. He was so full of the fire of Rage within that it broke out with his breath in flames without And N.B. This Ravenous Wolf is described here as if wearied with worrying the Flock he now lay's himself down panting for breath But enough of Saul's black Character in the foregoing 6th Chapter It shall suffice here only to shew how insatiable this Wolf was of the Blood of Saints insomuch that no sooner had he by panting a while recovered his breath but he presently trotts to the High Priest who was Prince or President of the Sanhedrim for a new Commission that his Persecution might have the Semblance of Justice and Authority and his Letters-Patents must be so large as to reach so far as Damascus N.B. For though the Romans had conquered Judaea and the Countreys contiguous to it yet did they give Liberty to the Jews to exercise their Religion and to Imprison Dissenters both within and without their Countrey where they had any Synagogues and such they had at Damascus the chief City of Phoenicia whither many of them had been driven in their many Dispersions as well as to many other places It could not suffice this greedy Beast to drink Blood at Jerusalem only but he must have a Draught of the same
in Europe in the general Acts 16. The Grand Remark hence before we descend to particulars in this The only wise God would not permit such a great evil as this dissension betwixt two such great Apostles to happen in the world unless he designed to produce some great good out of it for the greater promotion of his own Glory God's goodness appears here invincible in over-shooting the Devil in his own bow The Devil devis'd this division of Paul and Barnabas for evil even for the dissolution of the present Churches but God over-ruled it for good namely for the edification of many Churches and the inlargement of Christ's Kingdom for hereby many more places were by this very means made partakers of the blessing of the Gospel which for ought we know might otherwise have wanted it Therefore tho' the Devil do this evil and that mischief among us Murmur not at these things when he hath had his swing in causing the worse Sins God comes and turns all to the contrary for his own Glory as he did in Esthers day Esth 9.1 A more particular prospect of Holy Paul's Peregrination this second time from Antioch in company with Silas may thus as in a Scheme or Map be represented First He travelled into Asia the less Who having passed through Syria and Cilycia came to Derbe and Lystria in which latter he made his first Station Acts 15.41 and 16.1 and whose Actions therein were principally two First His Solemn Election of Timothy into the Office of a Gospel-Minister whom he intended to take along with him and to breed him up for his Successor in the Ministry after his death And the Second was His powerful propagation of the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ there c. In the former of these two circumstances are most manifest 1. The Motive why And 2. The Manner how this Timothy came to be elected and adopted into the Ministry The Motive why was Timothy's Commendation both from his Parents and his Profession verse 1. and from the good report he had among the Brethren verse 2. And the Manner how was by Circumcising him c. that he might not become offensive to the Jewish Converts verse 3. In the latter Action namely His preaching the Gospel there is very considerable 1. The Object both the Real what he preached namely the Doctrine which accorded with the Decrees of that great Council at Jerusalem verse 4. and the personal Object to whom he preached namely to the Phrygians and Galatians verse 6. and to the Mysians v. 7. but not to those of that part of Asia Minor near Ephesus nor to the Bithynians for the Spirit of Jesus forbad them by a secret Revelation tho they essayed to pass thither 6 7. And together with this double object is the effect very observable verse 5. for Paul's passing thither brought a double blessing to these Churches namely 1. A firmer Confirmation of those that Believed before And 2. Another new Accession of a great many more Believers unto the Faith of the Gospel v. 5. Then Paul's second Station was in Troas of the lesser Asia and supposed to be the Relicts of that famous City of Troy verse 8. but here his stay now was very short for he was commanded to depart thence by an Angel that appeared to him like a man in a Macedonian habit verse 9. and so soon as God's will was manifested he disputeth not with the man but dispatcheth his duty with all readiness and alacrity v. 11. So he came to that famous City Philippi called so from Philip Great Alexander's Father the chief City of Macedonia verse 12. Thus Paul passed out of Asia into Europe to preach the Gospel The special Remarks upon Paul's second Journey into Asia are these First Oh what a priviledge is it for Children to have a good Mother and Grandmother as this young Timothy had who have many opportunities of dropping Divine Documents into their little Lemuel's Ears as being most conversant with their little ones far more than Fathers or Grandfathers can be Hereupon the Mothers of the Kings of Judah are constantly mentioned and as they were good or evil so were their Children Partus Sequitur Ventrem The birth commonly follows the belly Thus Athaljah taught her Son to do wickedly 2 Chron. 22.2 3. But Bathsheba taught her Son to be Religious c. Pro. 31.1 2 3 Timothy's Mother and Grandmother were both godly 2 Tim. 1.5 The second Remark is Paul pitcheth upon Timothy to call him into the Ministry as one designed for it from Heaven not only because of his excellent Education choice parts which bespoke him a most likely hopeful Instrument to be imployed in God's Vineyard but also because of some Remarkable prophecies and predictions which had been given out concerning him 1 Tim. 1.18 to wit some Divine Revelation that this young man should make most prodigious proof in the Gospel N.B. 'T is most probable that this was revealed by the Spirit to Paul who had been acquainted with Timothy from his childhood being so conversant with his Mother and Grandmother 2 Tim. 1.5 he had observed some small sparks of lively grace breaking forth in his minority and these he exhorts him verse 6. to blow up into a flame as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies there The third Remark is Though Paul were thus abundantly satisfied with Timothy 's fitness for the Ministry yet would he not ordain him thereunto without the Testimony of others concerning him both of his holy life and of his Knowledge of the Scripture wherein he did excell 2 Tim. 3.15 N. B. Which rule for ordination ought faithfully to be followed by all right Ordainers and not for Affection c. See Acts 16.2 The fourth Remark is Paul Circumcised Timothy because they knew that is the Jews in those quarters knew that his Father was a Greek tho' his Mother was a Jewesse yet according to the Doctrine of their Talmud the Mother could not cause her child to be circumcised without the consent of the Father therefore the Jews concluded that Timothy was not circumcised and thereupon was it now done that he might not offend the Jewish converts who were not yet persuaded that the Law of Circumcision was quite abrogated Yet would not Paul circumcise Titus Gal. 2.3 least he should harden the Jews and offend the Gentiles Thus became he all things to all men that he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 yet became he not sin to any man in that for a Jew to be circumcised was no yieldance Paul circumcised Timothy as a Gentile for these words they all knew his Father was a Greek do demonstrate that Timothy was in their account reckoned for a Gentile because the Father's Authority in not circumcising him prevailed over his Mother's N.B. These indifferent things using or not using require a most single and singular eye which as Grotius saith Paul had above all the Apostles for the edification of the Church and for
20.1 N.B. In which Chapter his four places of Commoration into which the whole Chapter may be Resolved as he returned to Jerusalem are mentioned The First is Macedonia from verse 1. to 7. The second is Troas from verse 7. to 13. The third is Assos from verse 13. to 17. The fourth is Miletus from verse 17. to the end of the Chapter wherein all the occurencies and Actions of Paul in all these four places while he abode there in Transitu or Journey to Jerusalem are recorded in several Circumstances N.B. These four Resolves into which the whole Chapter is reduced afford us many Remarks as followeth The first Remark is A Minister of Christ may depart from a place and people where his Ministry hath been successful when driven from thence by persecution N.B. Thus Paul departs from Ephesus where God had a great harvest he giving place to wrath and yielding to the fury of Demetrius and his Tumult not so much for his own safety for had he not been hindered he would have thrust in among the Rabble either to have appeased the uproar or at the worst to have dyed Christ's Sacrifice if he might no longer live his Servant Acts 19.30 31. as for the good of the Church that the brethren there might not be farther persecuted for his sake and that elsewhere the Church by his Ministry might be the more inlarged and edified This was Christ's command when persecuted in one City flee to another Matth 10.23 The second Remark is Such places and people as the Ministers of the Gospel have been persecuted from may have an hopeful and happy return of those same Ministers at least to give them a Corroborating and Comforting visit afterwards N.B. Thus Paul returned from Ephesus to Macedonia Acts 20.1 and 1 Cor. 16.5 from whence he had been driven by persecution some five years ago Acts 16.24 37. as he now was driven from Ephesus yet had he this incouragement for his return which unto all such returning Ministers ought to be presupposed that in that interspace he had received so many evidences of the Macedonians faith towards God and pledges of their Tender affections toward himself Phil. 4.15 16. that as one obliged to revisit them and to bestow his Apostolical pains again among them he resolves to Venture himself there at this time also for their further and fuller establishment and proficiency in the Gospel The third Remark is Paul's practice is our pattern in this that at his departure from Ephesus he leaveth Timothy there behind him tho' in a dangerous place and time yet there was a cogent necessity that required such an able substitute because some false teachers were ready to break out there to infect Christ's Flock 1 Tim. 1.3 4. yea Wolves to worry them Acts 20.29 The fourth Remark is God's people under persecution especially if it last long and sharp too stand in need to be strengthened in the faith and truth of the Gospel c. N.B. The Apostle here went over all those parts of Macedonia where he had formerly sowed the seed of God's word both to confirm and to comfort as the word for Exhortation indifferently signifieth those Disciples after so great an opposition and persecution against them They could not but stand in great need of Paul's Cordials that they swouned not by being offended at the Cross of Christ and no better Cordial could be procured than that which Christ delivered wherein he pronounced and promised a special blessing unto all such as are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.10 as Peter learnt from his Lord to comfort the persecuted with this Cordial 1 Pet. 3.14 and again 4.14 in both places pronouncing them happy whether it were wounds or but words they suffered so Paul also learnt to do the like The fifth Remark is Long affliction requireth proportionably a long Consolation Here Paul stayed for three Months Acts 20.2 3. to comfort those disconsolate persecuted Grecians Tho' it be said there he came into Greece that is strickly taken for Attica in which province Athens was or for Achaia the chief City where of was Corinth otherwise if Greece be largely taken it contains Macedonia also which was Great Alexander's Countrey called at this day Albany and Subject to the Turks N.B. Which sheweth that God will not be bound to any place and people to tarry with his Gospel among them any longer than not only durante bene-placito during his good pleasure but also quam din se benè gesserint so long as they behave themselves well and do walk worthy of it Alterius perditio nostra fiat Cautio it concerns us to take caution at their and others desolation least we have not an Interpreter a Comforter left us for 3 months together The sixth Remark is 'T is high presumption and no better than a plain tempting of God to run headlong upon evident and eminent dangers and not to improve all the best and lawful means we can to prevent and decline them as Paul did here Acts 20.3 N.B. The cursed Jews when they could not prevail against him by open violence then they contrived secret plots and treachery against him they laid wait for him in his passage not so much as some say like Robbers upon the High way to rob him of these Collections money which he carried with him for the poor Saints at Jerusalem but most likely like murderers designed to take away his life because they hated him with a deadly hatred for his Zeal in the Gospel but God giving him knowledge of it he avoided them by turning another way The seventh Remark is The truth of Saint-ship is evidenced by Action while Paul ftayed at Philippi among his most dear Macedonians N.B. He was doing there as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 3. signifies he was in continual action As the life natural consists in Action so doth the life Spiritual By these things we live saith Hezekiah Isa 38.16 N.B. And upon this account one man may live more in a month than another in many years In this sence must the Sage Sentence of the Heathen Seneca be taken Saying quamvis vitae paucos fecerimus dies although we have acted but a few days Epist 67. And that better saying of the Ancient Father multos annos in mundo fui sed paucos vixi I have been many years in the world almost fourscore years but I have lived but a few of those years for I was dead in sin the most of them before I began to live and to do for God The renewing Spirit is an active lively thing c. Thus much of Paul's first Commoration in Macedonia Now come we to his second Commoration at Troas in Asia as the other in Greece The Remarks from this second are The first Remark is Paul becomes all things to all men yet would not become sin to any man To the Jews he became a Jew 1 Cor. 9.20 as Acts 18.21 with 18. and 21 24 and 26
in all places where they are scattered is much to be admired As here for Paul God took care of him for his preservation both by Sea and Land He improved it accordingly not in Idleness but like a true Labourer in the Lord's Vineyard He honours God and God honours him according to what God said to Eli 1 Sam. 2.30 N.B. No doubt but the Apostle was more grieved when those Barbarians thought him a God than when they thought him a Murderer tho' their ignorant minds through the corruption of Nature hurried them from one Extreme into another in both those Mistakes because hereby God was Robbed of his Honour while it was ascribed to a Mortal Man which yet the Papists do practise therefore when Paul visits Publius's Father he shews how he could do nothing of himself but begs of God who kills and makes alive 1 Sam. 2.6 for his Father's Recovery which God graciously granted at Paul's prayer c. N.B. That Publius might be well Repaid for his Labour of love to Paul and his Companions in not suffering them to lye in private Inns where all Accommodations are costly especially to so vast a Company who had all lost their All c. but making Provision for them all upon free cost in his own publick Palace N.B. Such and so eminent Hospitality in this Heathen to the Distressed is rarely to be found among Christians tho' as great as he yet scarce so good as he therefore God granted Paul's prayer for his Father who was sick of a Fever Paul lays his hands upon the sick and heals him God rarely refuseth to Reward those that Relieve men especially his Saints in â—â—isery even in this World besides that Reversion of Reward which he reserveth for them in the World to come Moreover God by this means recommended the Ministry of Paul both to the very Souldiers who would have kill'd him in the Shipwrack and to Publius himself the Publick Governour of the Island yea and to Publius's People also The ninth Remark is Where God giveth his Gospel to any Place or People he commonly magnifieth it for its better acceptance where it is given in mercy 'T is a wonder how both Prince and People here were prepared to receive the Gospel from Paul's mouth If the two former Miracles be not enough for that end because they were more private yet out of the superabundant Grace of God they shall have more publick Miracles upon Publius's People as well as upon his Old Father The miraculous cure of whom so suddenly so safely so sweetly citò tutò jucundè yet so perfectly only with Prayer and Imposition of hands Fame soon spread it abroad far and near especially it being wrought upon their Governour 's Father Whereupon the Impotent Folk of the Island all men naturally being careful for saving the Body tho' careless for saving the Soul resort by sholes to this wonderful Healer and were healed verse 9. even at their Governour 's house By this time we may easily guess what a fair opportunity this Apostle had whom Christ had made a Fisher of Men to spread the Net of the Gospel over such a multitude of Fishes great and small who all offer'd themselves freely to coâ—â—â— into it N.B. As I cannot but imagine how the poor Sea-men and Souldiers did soâ—â—â—e themselves in the midst of their warm Provisions through Publius's Hospitality saying one to another 'T is good being here far better we are now in the Governour 's house than when we lay floating and were forced by Shipwrack to swim for saving our lives in the Tempestuous Sea c. So likewise how those persons who had Diseases and were healed here did bless the Lord for their very Diseases which had been made such blessed occasions of bringing them to the saying knowledge of God in Christ whom Paul Preached to them that their Souls might be healed as well as their Bâ—â—â—â— How did they cry out with God-blessing hearts one to another Oh what astonishing mercy hath our former misery handed in to us Alas had we not perished or been nigh perishing in our Bodies temporally for any thing we know we might all have perished both in our Souls and Bodies eternally Thus the most wise God made all things work together for good Rom. 8.28 That Paul should suffer Shipwrack that he should be cast upon this Island where God had a great work for him to do or he had never come thither That a venemous Viper should fasten upon Paul's hand That the Governour 's Father should be sick and so many of the Inhabitants c. All these had an happy concurrence to open an Effectual Doer for the Conversion of many for they could not but be convinced universally that Paul must be a Minister of God because none could do such Miracles as he did unless God were with him and indeed God so far magnified Paul's Ministry with his presence in it while he laid himself forth labouring in the Lord's Vineyard during only those three Winter Months of his staying there that he planted a Church of Christ in that Island which became famous for its stedfastness in the Truth The soundness of the foundation-stones of that Church appeared insomuch as those new Converts loaded Paul's Ship with necessaries for their Voyage at their parting which was a real fruit of their effectual Faith verse 10. tho' they saw not Paul shake off his own Chain as he had done the Viper by his gift of Miracles for Paul was not the Author but only the Minister of those Miracles acting where when how and on whom the Spirit of God would have it done and Miracles were not wrought so much for the ease of the Ministers themselves as for the confirming their Ministry to others Sometimes God saved them miraculously as Acts 5.19 and 12.7 and sometimes God left them in Bonds when it would most advance the Gospel Phil. 1.12 The tenth Remark is A clear Call from God doth carry up God's Servants cleverly and chearfully through all Dangers and Difficulties as it did Paul here who had an extraordinary Revelation of his Witness-bearing at Rome Acts 23.11 And tho' as he saith He was in perils often in his Voyage and Journey thither Paul must put forth to Sea again as if he had not got enough of it in his late Shipwrack and that in an Alexandrian Bottom which had wintered in that Isle according to the Custom of laying up their Ships at the depth of Winter Acts 27.12 which was now going to make a Trading Voyage and for better success whose sign was Castor and Pollux verse 11 12. N.B. Such was the Superstition of those ignorant Painims that they conceited these Twins to be Sons of Jove born of Leda and that these two Deities had the command of Tempests and the care of Mariners and therefore they putting themselves under their Patronage could not but expect an happy Voyage Yea Sea-men still say that if these two Stars called Castor
effectual conferring his Divine blessing upon them and when this was done he departed from them by his own power not as Elijah who went up by the power of an Angel But the most ample account of the Antecedents of Christ's Ascension we have from the same Author in Acts 1. from ver 1. to 12. where St. Luke makes an Elegant Transition from his Gospel the former Book to this History of Christ's Ascension Introducing it with giving an account how our Lord had shewed himself alive by eating drinking speaking and walking with his Disciples yea shewing his very wounds to them these he calls infallible proofs and that for forty days together so long God shewed himself to Moses in Mount Sinai not continually but only occasionally as he pleased and it was his pleasure to stay with his Disciples thus long from his own happiness in Heaven that he might not only testifie the Truth of his Resurrection more abundantly and of his Candour and Kindness still to them notwithstaning their Foul Relapses but also and more especially to instruct them in those weighty points concerning the Kingdom of God to wit his Church whether Militant on Earth or Triumphant in Heaven declaring to them all Truths that were now necessary for managing his Church and Children in the Kingdom of Grace to bring them safe to the Kingdom of Glory which he was going to prepare for them N.B. Behold how our Lord loved us whose Soul went into Paradice when he dyed the penitent Thief 's Soul was to be with him there that day his Soul comes down thence reassumes his Body out of the Grave yet returns not immediately to Paradice with it but stays upon Earth forty days after for our benefit before he Ascended up into Heaven and Happinness There is no love like his Oh love this loving Lord c. There is no doubt but during those 40 days the Lord declared his will and pleasure concerning these Doctrines of Baptism's of the Sabbath c. to his Disciples especially these 3 last days wherein he spoke to them the things concerning the Kingdom of God to wit the State of his Church in both worlds Acts 1.3 though now many such points both of Doctrine and Discipline be looked upon by us so doubtful and difficult because the Vail of Ignorance is not yet removed from off our hearts as Isa 25.7 and 2 Cor. 3.14 neither the Holy Scriptures touching those controversies nor our understandings are fully opened Luke 24.27 45 as our Lord did first to the two and then to the twelve Disciples In a word The Author of the Acts of the Apostles Luke gives the Summary Account of the Antecedents of our Lord's Ascension by relating 1. a general Recapitulation wherein he briefly Repeats the main subject of his former Book or Gospel dedicated to Theophilus Treating upon the Oracles and Miracles of Christ Acts 1. ver 1. Then 2. He gives a special Recapitulation of Christ's conversing with his Disciples after his Resurrection wherein he relateth in what manner when how long and for struct them fully concerning the things of his Kingdom ver 2.3 as also to command their return to Jerusalem which they would have abhorr'd to do because that City was still reaking and smoaking afresh with the warm Blood of the Lamb of God had not the Lord bid them to do so and to carry there till they were Baptized with the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit as he had promised in his Father's Name John 14.16 26. 15.26 c. 16.7 This the Lord tells them should be performed not many Days honâ—â— verse 3.4 5. praeâ—â—king no particular day Hence learn we 1. Those that are departing and leaving this lower world should leave behind them some Savoury advice and wholesom counsel to those that do Survive them Thus the dying Patriarchs did and thus doth here our Blessed Redeemer at his departure 2. Our Lord will not tell us of praefixed times or days he would not tell them here upon what day this great pouring forth of the Spirit should be done though it was but ten days longer until that famous Pentecost came he would not praefix a certain day that they might watch every day 3. As the Apostles spent those ten intervening days in waiting at Jerusalem for the promise and putting it into suit by their prayers there as he had promised Luke 11. v. 13. So ought we to do not knowing either the day of our Deliverance or the day of our Death or the day of Judgment Ideo latet unus Dies ut observent ur omnes therefore is that one day unknow to us that we might watchfully observe every day saith Austin Though the thing be so certain as nothing can be more yet the peculiar Time or Day is most uncertain What Christ said to his Disciples he saith to us all watch Mark 13.37 with 34.35 36. Our industry for an holy life is our continued watching time as our presuming to sin is our sleeping time All the days of my appointed time saith holy Job will I wait till my change come Job 14.14 Christ pronounces them three times happy terque quaterque beatos that watch c. Luke 12.37 38. and 43. The third Antecedent to the Ascension of Christ related in the Acts is the erroneous and superfluous curiosity in the Disciples to know Times and Seasons for which the Lord reproved them Acts 1.6 7. 'T is supposed those Questionists who were sick of this Disease were very numerous at least the 120 mentioned verse 15. on they might be the 500 spoken of 1 Cor. 15.6 All these joyn together in this one Interrogatory Petition that the Reverence of so great a multitude might the more extort and Answer from Christ which they thought he could not well deny so many Askers without some shame Their Question was Whether he would at that time restore the Kingdom to Israel for it was now taken from the Jews by the Romans and by Herod and they expected this lost Kingdom should be Restored to them by the Messiah not only because they understood the Prophecy of Dan. c. 7. v. 27. to this purpose but also because he had summon'd them again to Return into the Metropolitan City where they as yet with the rest of their Nation conceited the Messiah would first appear as their Temporal Deliverer and perhaps they might thus misunderstand Christ's words concerning the promise of the Father from Isa 2.3 and 61.1 c. Note Christ's Answer is a smart check to their ignorant curiosity for they still dreamed of a distribution of Honours and Offices as in the days of David and Solomon though he denied to tell them such an unnecessary thing to know yet he vouchafed to acquaint them with things more expedient to be known he calls them off from their foolish earthly longings wherein they had been rudely inquisitive and commands them to mind their main business of Preaching the promised Messiah his Doctrine Life
and Death c. throughout the World verse 8. yea and in such places where their Testimonies would be most opposed More than this was not at this time given them to know that Key of Knowledge hangs at God's Girdle Hence learn we that 1. Christ doth not always answer the desires of his Disciples though it be promised Prov. 10.24 absolutely and Psal 37.4 conditionally He sometimes will grant the desires of wicked men according to their will as to Ahab 1 Kings 21.29 c. and to Devils themselves as when he gave them leave to enter into the Herd of Swine Matth. 8.31 32. How much more hath he something to grant to his own dear Saints always ad salutem according to their weal but not ever ad voluntatem according to their will saith Austin as here c. 2dly What severe Reprimands hath Christ given in our day to the over-curious Inquirers about Times and Seasons who have out-lived their own Conjectures with shame c. The second Remark is the Concomitants of Christ's Ascension where we have a particular description both of it and its circumstances Mark only relates the Action of Ascending Mark 16.19 calling it Christ's Assumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word is oft used for Christ's Ascension Luke 9.51 Acts 1.2 11 22. 1 Tim. 3.16 't is read Received up in all those Scriptures and the Septuagint expresseth Elijah's being Taken up with the Greek Thema that signifies taken up 2 Kings 2.10 into Heaven or Heavens Acts 2.34 Heb. 8.1 Christ was taken up into that place of Rest and Blessedness to wit by God the Father to whom he useth to ascribe all things by the Ministry of Angels c. This was the happy close of all Christ's toils and travels upon Earth to be taken up and to sit down at the Right hand of God in Heaven an higher honour than that of Angels whose places are only places of ministration Eph. 1.20 21. Heb. 1.13 15. Thus far St. Mark goeth St. Luke in his Gospel steps a little farther saying He was parted from them as Elijah was from Elisha 2 Kings 2.11 and carried up into Heaven Luke 24.51 into a place far above the Heavens saith Paul Eph. 4.10 His Body moved upward in a direct line by little and little as if he had been carried or listed up by the hands of others whereas undoubtedly our Lord ascended by his own power which Elijah could not have done without the help of an Angel and therefore did his Disciples now adore him Luke 24.52 whereas before this we never read of any Act of Adoration they performed to him from their familiarity with him in the days of his flesh wherein they look upon him as one sâ—â—â— of God a great Prophet and 〈◊〉 Temporal Saviour 〈◊〉 But now his Deity being more clearly declared both by his Resurrection out of the Earth and by his Ascension up into heaven those Spectaâ—â—â—â— faâ—â—â—ow 〈◊〉 prostrate before him and do worship him as the Eâ—â—nal Son of God whom they took to be before only the Son of David yet the same Author Luke in his Acts of the Apostles gives a more ample description of our Saviâ—â—â—s Ascension in the several circumstances of it as to time manner measure c. Acts 1.9 As to the Time 1st When to wit when he had spokes whose things forementioned in the foregoing verses and all the other things which Matth 〈◊〉 Mark and Luke do likewise mention for settling his Church to the World's end 2dly The manner how 't is said He was taken up that is leisurely and by degrees not by any rapid motion that he might the longer delight the Eyes and Minds of his Disciples who were all that time looking stedfastly upon his gradual Ascending wherein had he been quick and sudden like a flash of Lightning in his Ascending up then those Eye-witnesses could not have found such complacency nor confirmation of their Faith 3dly The means whereby 't is said A Cloud received him out of their sight No doubt but this was a true and a most glorious Cloud every way comporting with his Divine Majesty and accommodated to become a Chariot of State for the Prince of Glory to Ride triumphantly in Yet may we not suppose that it administred any help to our Lord in his Ascension for he was not taken up by any external helps of it or of Angels as before but by his own internal power from his Divine Nature united to the Humane and from the Agility of his now glorious Body 4thly The place whence and whereunto every motion hath a Terminus a quo the place from whence and the Terminus ad quem or place whither it is made The place from whence Christ Ascended was the Mount of Olives or Bethany which was the place of his going to his Garden Agony and so to his Crucifixion which was also the place from whence he Ascended to Heaven This teacheth that God can make the very places of our trouble and torment as Sick-beds Prisons strange Lands into which we are banished c. to become places of our Triumph and Comfort even as Bethanies or Mount of Olives to us from whence we may mount up from our Earthly Crosses to take possession of the Heavenly Crown provided we be Christians indeed living and dying in the Image of Christ as our Lord did And if the place whither Christ went bodily thence be Heaven which must contain him till the time of the Restitution of all things as the Scriptures do assure us Acts 1.11 and 3.21 and Heb. 9.24 c. This then discovers the Folly and Foppery of Popery which affirmeth that the Body of Christ yea the very Flesh that was born of the Virgin Mary is in their consecrated Waters not only contrary to that sacred Truth above mentioned but also to that praediction of Christ himself saying If any man will say to you lo here is Christ or lo there is Christ believe him not Matth. 24.23 Where our Lord describeth the last Times containing the Rise Reign and Ruine of Antichrist whose chief Engine is to persuade Christ's Corporal Presence in their Popish Churches where he may be seen touched eaten c. thereby confining Christ's Body which is in Heaven to certain places here and there upon Earth yea to a thousand places at once 5thly The Witnesses whereof none of the wicked must be Witnesses of Christ's Ascension no more than of his Resurrection but only such as were ordained of God for both Acts 1.8 22. and 10.41 It must be only his own Disciples at the Mount of Olives near Bethany-Village they must not have it only by hear-say as others but shall be Eye-witnesses thereof None of the wicked Jews must be Spectators either of the one or of the other for his state of suffering by their wicked hands was now finished therefore a sight of him should not once be vouchsafed to any one of them thus our Lord manifested himself to his chosen
work which he had never medled with before by a special vision of an Angel we find not upon Record that he had any such extraordinary call or invitation in all his Travels to preaching work in any other place And Thirdly That the Pen-man of this History Luke never joyns himself and his name into the Narrative till now at this very time for hitherto he had spoken all along in the third person in the phrases of he and they as he came to Derbe Acts 16. ver 1. and they went through the Cities verse 4. c. but now he putteth himself into the number by using the phrases of we and us verse 10. After the vision we endeavoured to go c. assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us c. which shews that Luke went along with Paul Silas and Timotheus to the work Paul's coming to Philippi to the Church in which City he afterwards wrote an Epistle calls upon us for our consideration of two famous general concernments The first is concerning his Action there And the second is his passion or suffering there also As to his Action in the first place that in the general is twofold first His converting of Lydia And secondly his casting out a Spirit of divination out of a Devilized Damosel Concerning the Conversion of Lydia Luke relates the several circumstances thereof as 1. The time place and occasion of it verse 13. 2. The person to be converted is described by her name sex occupation countrey and conversation verse 14. And 3. The efficient cause hereof both the principal God opening her heart and the less-principal or instrumental namely her diligent attention to the word preached by Paul verse 14. Then 4. The effects of it viz. the great gratefulness of this New Convert insomuch that she did not only offer them the best Entertainment of her House-accommodations but even urged them to the acceptance of it verse 15. Thus the Convert courted and constrained her Converters Then concerning the Divining Damosel's dispossessing that Divine Narrative consists of three circumstances 1. From whence or out of whom was this Divining Spirit cast out It was done to a Damosel who was a Servant to sundry covetous Masters which perverted the Religion of foretelling future things into filthy gain verse 16. And 2. For what Reason to wit for her many importunate yet many ways suspected Acclamations after the Apostles done undoubtedly by the suggestion of Satan for wicked ends verse 17. And 3. By what means this was effected this miracle was wrought in the name of the Lord verse 18. Now follow the Grand Remarks gathered from both those two famous Actions of Paul at Philippi and first from the former the Conversion of Lydia Hence The first Remark is 'T is no new thing for the Worshippers of God to meet in private places remote from the noise and observance of the multitude for God's worship This oratory the Jews being not able to build a Synagogue here was by a River's side ver 13. N.B. There was a mixture of many Jews in this Roman Colony living among them for they were now dispersed and sowed as it were in most places of the Roman Empire yet possibly not so many of the Rich Jews were in this place as had a purse for raising up a Synagogue or probably they could not obtain leave from those Heathen-Roman powers therefore made they some slighter Proseucha's if that was not a less obnoxious name of a Synagogue to those Infidels or meeting place and that out of the Town where prayer was wont to be made by them for fear of disturbance from those Vnbelieving Gentiles who knew not God The second Remark is It appeareth not who were the persons that prayed here but it is most probable they were the Jews and Proselytes to the Jewish Religion N.B. The women only are named v. 13. as being most numerous in those oratorys for some say that those women used bathings there by the water side for their legal purifications or as that Sex were most willing to hear and attend diligently to the Gospel preached from whence it is made manifest that Paul at his first coming to Philippi had no other Hearty Hearers there save a few Females yet out of this weak foundation how did God raise up a most stately Fabrick of a Gospel-Church afterwards which flourished with Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1.1 N.B. Tho' God can erect strong structures upon weak foundations yet would he not have us to attempt it but when we are to build up the Tower of Godliness Luke 14.28 We must build it on the rock Christ Matth. 7.24 1 Cor. 3.11 The third Remark is The Sabbath day is the day which God hath appointed and sanctified to be a means af conveying sanctifying grace into the hearts of his hidden ones as here of Lydia the purpuriss and proselytess It was thus done to her upon the Sabbath day N.B. It is God's great Market day and the day of his opening the Grand Gospel Exchecquer as well as the day of opening hearts here as Ez. 20.12 I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they might know I am the Lord that sanctifie them that is I have sanctified that portion of time wherein I might sanctifie them to my self and they make their holy observation of it as a sign of their being my peculiar people select from all others wherein to walk with me to rest in me and to receive more grace therein from me that they might become not only relatively but really holy and changed in heart and life c. The fourth Remark is Mans heart is naturally locked up and barricado'd against God until he by his Almighty Spirit make forcible enterance and serve the writ of ejectment upon the Devil beating him out of his trenches 2 Cor. 10.4 Luke 11.21 22. For here verse 14. 't is said the Lord opened the heart of Lydia which she could not of her self open by any Key of her own her understanding the Lord now inlightned and her will and affections all which are comprehended under that one word heart Rom. 10.10 were changed so that she now loved what before she hated hated what before she loved though she had before this forsaken her Heathenish Idolatry and was proselyted to the Jewish Religion and owned the one only true and living God yet was she unacquainted with the Gospel of his Son our Saviour till now that the Lord prepared her heart to receive it And where he who had the Key of David Rev. 3.7 comes not to open there the Gospel tho' never so powerfully preached is hid and nothing affecteth the stupified heart 2 Corin. 4.4 for creating a clean heart within us Psalms 51.10 is beyond the power of Nature this grace is given only to those ordained to life Acts 13.48 The fifth Remark is Lydia's being judged faithful by the Apostles and baptized before she went home all her family whom she could
undertake to bring up in the knowledge of Christ were admitted to that ordinance also If the Law allowed of this Gen. 17. ver 12 13. much more doth the Gospel so which inlargeth the priveledges of Believers in all things and narrows them in nothing we have been in 1600. years possession and prescription of Baptizing the Infants of Believing Parents therefore we may more rationally require the Antipaedobapists to prove by any express place of Scripture that Children were not baptized by the Apostles when they baptized whole housholds and Nations according to their Commission Mat. 28.19 but it ought not to be proved by us we may better require their proof that there were no Children in Lydia's the Goaler's houshold or other the like Families by some express place of Scripture than they ask ours Especially considering how the phrase they and all theirs included the little Children Numb 16.27 33. and why not he and all his Acts 16.33 yea and Lydia and her house were baptized Acts 16.15 which the Syriack reads She and her Children c a non dicto ad non factum non valet Consequentia because 't is never said so we may not say it was never done so we are not told of any one Woman that ever received the Lord's Supper yet none doubts but many women did receive it c. The sixth Remark is Know'n faithfulness is the best ground of Union and Communion both Civil and Sacred If ye have judged me faithful saith Lydia come into my house v. 15. not unless ye Judge me so Upon no other account doth she desire it for Hypocrites are the botches of all Societies Here was no long time for Tryal of her faithfulness but all this was done and she baptized for ought appearing to the contrary while they were together at this private meeting from whence it may be observed what kind of believing gave admission to Baptism unto believers and to their housholds in that day Indeed she did demonstrate it in this that she constrained them with all Amicable violence to her House as the Disciples did Christ Luke 24.29 The Remarks upon the latter Action of Paul at Philippi namely his casting out a Spirit of Divination do follow And first This Damosel was undoubtedly possessed with the Devil by whose Inspiration she foretold future things to those that asked her N.B. This Pythonick Spirit was so call'd from Pythius an Epithet of Apollo who was wont to give answers to them that inquired at his Diabolical Oracles in Delphos c. Pytho comes from the Hebrew word Pathan which signifies a Serpent for the Hebrews had their Divinations in old time from Serpents and Pythius Apollo whom the Hebrews call Ob and Abaddon Rev. 9.11 and Deut. 18.11 and 1 Sam. 28.7 was first worshipped in Greece under the form of that Serpent which deceived our first Parents N.B. The Septuagint bible calls such as were possessed with this Divining Devil as the Witch of Endor that deceived Saul c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Devil spake out of their bellys for which cause also the Hebrews call them Oboth or Bottles because the Bellys of those Women who were thus made Use of by the Devil were swelled up as big as Bottles such an one was this Damosel The second Remark is The Devil in this Damosel indeavours to distract those Disciples of Christ as they went to prayer verse 16. that is as they went towards the place where their publick prayers were usually made this Spirit of Satan met them sometimes in the face and followed them at other times behind their backs crying after them and this the Devil did many days verse 16.17 18. N.B. And tho' he did only testifie the truth in his out-cries yet was it done for Divelish ends either 1. To draw men on to believe him in other things counterfeiting himself an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11.14 or a Divine Spirit who praised the True Servants of the Lord and spake the truth at this time 2. To puff up Paul with Pride by his flattering him with those loud and frequent Acclamations whereby he would have tickled him into the sin of vain glory 3. Or at the least to make his own peace with Paul who he foresaw would cast him forth Thus is Satan willing to compound with those whom he is not able to conquer Bernard saith well Satan et si semel videatur verax millies est mendax et semper fallax If Satan speak truth but once he will lye often for it and is always deceitful in speaking true or false When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own John 8.44 but here he spake the truth as he did Mark 1.25 not to honour but to blacken Christ that he might both discompose the Apostles and make their Auditors jealous of the truth of that which so impure a spirit professed Laudari ab illaudato non est lans saith Seneca Good words from an evil mouth are not praise but dispraise An evil Spirit or evil man dissembling to be good is then worst of all c. simulata pietas est Duplex iniquitas Dissembl'd piety is double iniquity Some there be among men not unlike this evil Spirit who will sometime do good in appearance but it is that they may the better do mischief in Reality as Phil. 1.18 with 15.16 17. yet all is over-ruled for the Gospels furtherance v. 12. The third Remark is As our Lord had refused the Testimony of the Devil concerning himself not accepting of good words from so bad a mouth but muzzl'd it up Mark 1.25 and suffered not the Devils to speak verse 34. So Paul was grieved here verse 18. Eeither 1. For the Damsel's sake who could not but suffer much by being possessed with this evil spirit Or 2. For the sake of those who were seduced by the Devil in the Damsel c. Or 3. He was grieved mostly to hear the Father of Lyes speak so much and so oft one and the same thing to their great disturbance though it was matter of truth because every thing this grand Lyar speaketh is rendred suspicious even from the Speaker himself And as it is an usual and customary punishment put upon common Lyars among men that they are not believed no not when they speak the truth so Paul well knew that the Devil never speaks truth but with a devilish design to deceive others by that truth which he speaketh Therefore did Paul not only Reject the Testimony of this Lying Spirit that he might openly declare him to be the Father of Lyes and that he might Interdict all Saints from holding any kind of Commerce with the Devil but also did Eject him out of this Deluded Damsel saying I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her verse 18. and he came out the same hour So far was Paul from taking any Joy in such a Testimony of truth from that Lying Spirit that it